21 Dec, 2014

Paush 7, 1421 Safar 27, 1436 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 257

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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B1 | BUSINESS

7 | CAREER

11 | OP-ED

14 | SPORT

BRENT OIL SPIRALS BELOW $60 IN VOLATILE WEEK

SEVEN THINGS TO REMEMBER WHILE CRAFTING RÉSUMÉ

THE SUNDARBANS ARE BURNING

GANGULY’S ATLETICO WINS INAUGURAL INDIA LEAGUE

Pay body for rationalising staff size National Pay Services Commission also proposes implementing all hikes at one go

n Asif Showkat Kallol A national pay commission report, likely to be submitted to the finance minister today, has recommended slashing the number of third and fourth-class government employees.

A member of the National Pay Services Commission (NPSC) told the Dhaka Tribune that around two-thirds of the government’s total fund is spent on the salary of low-level employees.

The commission proposed hiking the lowest grade by around 71% from Tk4,800 to Tk8,200; therefore, the number of third and fourth-class em-

‘The rate of GDP growth will totally outnumber the rate of salary growth’ ployees must be “rationalised” so that the hike does not become a burden for the state coffer, the NPSC member said.

At present, there are more than 800,000 government staff and around 500,000 pensioners in the country. Of those on active duty, around 600,000 are third and fourth-class employees.

The NPSC is going to put forward two other crucial recommendations: one for implementing the pay revision at one go instead of doing it over a period of several years and the other for creating a fund for government employees similar to the Army’s Sena

Kalyan Sangstha.

In November last year, the government formed the 17-member commission to recommend pay revision for more than 1.3 million current and former public servants.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith said last week that it would take until May next year to bring the recommendations to a workable shape, so that they could be implemented by July.

At one go

The commission says implementing the revisions at a time will not be a problem. In July last year, the government implemented 20% dearness allowance – or around Tk5,000 crore per year – for its employees.

The NPSC’s recommendations include dearness allowance, which already being implemented effectively brings down the proposed total hike of Tk22,000 crore to Tk17,000 crore.

Past experiences show that the cabinet generally accepts about 70% of the hike proposed by a pay commission.

That would bring the total expenditure from the overall proposed hike for all grades to around Tk12,000 crore.

A question was raised whether the proposed revision was rational considering Bangladesh’s revenue earning has been increasing by about Tk16,000 over the last three years and whether it could be implemented at one go.

NPSC Chairman Mohammad Farashuddin, also a former Bangladesh Bank governor, gave the above  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

The prime minister awards medals to BGB personnel for their valour and feats, at the BGB Week 2014 held at the paramilitary force’s Pilkhana headquarters yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

At Pilkhana Darbar Hall, Hasina lauds BGB role n Ashif Islam Shaon For the first time in six years, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday took salute at the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) parade at its Pilkhana headquarters and attended assembly at the Darbar Hall, where the 2009 mutiny had broken out.

Amid tight security, the premier attended the parade of the uniformed forces and took salute marking the BGB Day 2014. She later attended the Darbar, spoke to the BGB men and heard their demands.

Pakistan executes militants and bombards tribal areas

A Pakistani soldier keeps watch outside the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore yesterday following a government decision to hang convicted militants AFP

n Tribune Report Pakistan hanged two convicted militants Friday in the country's first executions in years, while warplanes and ground forces pounded insurgent hideouts in a northwest region bordering Afghanistan –part of a stepped-up response to the Taliban slaughter of scores of schoolchildren, reports The

Times of India Unchastened by criticism from all corners of the globe, the Taliban threatened earlier on Friday to kill more children if executions were carried out as promised.

"We can create a mourning situation at the homes of many army generals and politicians," spokesman Mohammad Khurassani said in a statement

emailed to reporters.

A key question now is whether attacking children will undermine the sympathy many Pakistanis have for the militants. Analysts say the Islamabad government needs strong public support to continue the fight against insurgents in the northwest.

Many Pakistanis believe the militants are holy warriors taking up arms against Pakistan only because the government aligned itself with the unpopular US-led war in Afghanistan.

A network of seminaries and religious schools promote religious hate, and some of their leading clerics command widespread respect in the country.

Maulana Abdul Aziz, a radical cleric in Islamabad, warned in his Friday sermon at the famous Lal Masjid mosque against the government about a backlash in the event of executions.

Aziz expressed his sorrow over the school children's deaths but also called for ending the operation against the Taliban in the tribal regions of North Waziristan and Khyber. He called the Taliban "our brothers" and warned that if the military continues its bombardment, "there will be a reaction."

But there were signs, albeit small, that this type of speech will find a  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Mutineers of the erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) killed 74 people including 57 army officers and their family members during the carnage on February 25-26. The incident created a stir even in the international arena.

Following the incident, trials against the accused were held under the force’s mutiny laws and the Criminal Code.

Hasina attended the parade on February 24, a day before the mutiny.

The Bangladesh Rifles was later renamed Border Guard Bangladesh while changes were made in their uniform and their facilities increased. The num-

ber of personnel has now increased to around 50,000 in the paramilitary force from 38,000 before the mutiny.

Since the incident, described by many as a massacre, the premier has not attended any parade but she did join the flag raising ceremony of the newly-formed regions and battalions in 2012. On that occasion, she also attended a darbar [assembly] but it was not arranged at the Darbar Hall.

“After the 2009 incident, the force has been reformed in the shortest possible time. The offenders have been brought to justice and punished. Your

Militancy cases filed hastily, trials delayed n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu The authorities concerned were quick in filing a large number of cases and pressing charges against suspected militants after they had carried out series of subversive activities since 2005.

However, the trial courts have failed to conduct the cases in a similar pace apparently due to non-appearance of the prosecution witnesses that also include members of the law enforcement agencies.

Court sources say trial proceedings of 31 sensational cases against hundreds of militants have been underway at snail’s pace in different Dhaka courts and speedy trial tribunals.

When police are failing to produce the witnesses before the designated courts on scheduled dates, it is alleged that the law enforcers, witnesses in a number of cases, are also not paying heed to the summons and arrest warrants issued against them from time to time. Out of over 1,800 witnesses in the cases, around 300 are police members.

But so far, the law enforcers could produce only around 100, an investigation conducted by the police has found. Apart from police, other witnesses include judges, physicians and explosive specialists.

On October 14, State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan said the government had taken steps to speed up trials in the cases filed against militant suspects for quick disposal.

But the situation has not changed yet.

Several hundred cases were filed against the militants of banned Islamist group Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangla-

Asserting that the country was passing through an abnormal time, speakers at a discussion programme said election was not the last word for upholding democracy.

9 | World

North Korea said US accusations that it was involved in a cyberattack on Sony Pictures were “groundless slander” and that it wanted a joint investigation into the incident.

12 | Sport

Premier Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan is most likely to join Melbourne Renegades in the ongoing Big Bash Twenty20 League 2014-15.

Mohammad Jamil Khan

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Bangladesh has opposed the putting up of an honorary street sign for ex-president Ziaur Rahman on North Clark Street in Chicago’s Rogers Park, the Chicago Tribune reported.

5 | News

DB draws up terror ties list in hunt for militant financiers n Ashif Islam Shaon and

desh (JMB) across the country in connection with the series bomb blasts of August 17, 2005. Many other cases were filed against a large number of members of other banned militant organisations over other incidents.

Court sources said trials of 10 cases, inclining the one filed for planting bomb at Kotalipara to kill Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, are pending with the Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal 2 as the witnesses remain absent. Only 20 out of 830 witnesses gave depositions in these cases until now.

Out of over 1,800 witnesses in the cases, around 300 are police personnel

3 | News

Oberthur Technologies, a French company, is likely to get contract for production and distribution of Smart National Identity Card (Smart NID) under an Election Commission project.

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Intelligence agencies have prepared a list of organisations red-flagged for possible ties to terrorism, as a task force to track down terrorist funding in Bangladesh commenced operations, law enforcement sources said.

An official of the Detective Branch of Police, speaking on condition of anonymity, said intelligence agencies had compiled the list of seven private banks, 11 insurance companies, a number of educational institutes as well as several foreign and local NGOs reportedly involved in funnelling funds to militant groups.

A high official working on the task force told the Dhaka Tribune Monday that a database to track the entry and exit of foreign nationals was being compiled.

A database was also being compiled to keep track of suspicious financial transactions, including via hundi, mobile banking, courier services and other means, the official added.

He said Bangladeshi detectives do not yet have proof linking any specific NGO to militant outfits.

But two years ago, the government shut down operations of three NGOs

INSIDE

4 | News

adherence and fidelity as BGB members is now beyond question. As a reformed force, BGB has been functioning with goodwill,” Hasina told the attendees at the Darbar Hall yesterday.

She said: “Do not do anything that might spoil the goodwill and image of the force and the country any more.”

Respect and trust among the officers and members would strengthen the force further, she said.

Mentioning the current government as “pro-people,” the premier said: “Do not hesitate to share if there is any

15 | Entertainment

Model and anchor Nusrat Faria will be seen in two TVCs soon. Both the TVCs will be filmed in India. The first television commercial (TVC) will be for Mangolee Juice.

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, December 21, 2014

After NDTV Interview, Diplomat Devyani Khobragade Loses Post n Agencies Diplomat Devyani Khobragade at the centre of a bitter row with the United States has been stripped of her duties over unauthorised statements to media, a government source and reports said on Saturday.

Ms Khobragade was arrested and strip-searched in New York last December while serving as India’s deputy consul-general on charges of mistreating her servant.

She had denied the charge and subsequently returned to India, but the incident triggered fury in New Delhi and led to the resignation of then US ambassador Nancy Powell.

Reports on Saturday said Ms Khobragade has been removed from her

current post in the foreign ministry for an unauthorised media interview and for not disclosing that her children held US passports.

‘The reports are not incorrect. It is true that she has been placed on compulsory wait’ “The reports are not incorrect. It is true that she has been placed on compulsory wait,” a source in the ministry told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that Ms Khobragade now faces an administrative inquiry.

Compulsory wait implies that Ms

Militancy cases filed hastily, trials delayed  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

Police on July 20, 2000, recovered 76kg explosives planted near Sheikh Lutfor Rahman College at Kotalipara, only two days before her scheduled rally. Kotalipara police filed a case under the Explosives Act while charges were framed against 16 people including Mufti Hannan, the chief of banned outfit Huji.

A Gopalganj court recorded the depositions of 43 witnesses out of total of 89.

But after the case had been transferred to the Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal in September 2010 for quick trial, it started recording the depositions freshly.

Only two witnesses gave depositions in the case so far while the remaining 87, including 23 policemen, did not appear before the court on scheduled dates. The court even issued arrest warrants against them.

Trial of another case filed with Joydebpur police against JMB men for exploding bombs in front of Gazipur DC office in 2005 is pending due to non-appearance of witnesses in the same tribunal. Only five witnesses out of 93 gave depositions.

Schoolboy Abdus Salam killing case is pending at the Second Additional District and Sessions Judge’s Court in Dhaka as the witnesses have remained absent frequently.

Salam, 10, was killed in front of his house at Sobujbagh in Savar in a bomb blasted by the JMB men on August 17, 2005. Thirteen militants were indicted on July 2, 2008 and the trial began on June 4 the following year. Since then, the court recorded depositions of only 11 out of 25 prosecution witnesses.

The High Court on March 13 last year directed the trail court to dispose of the case within six months. But no witness came to the court to testify in the case after October 31 last year.

Over the JMB’s series bomb blasts, Savar police filed eight other cases. But these are stuck with the Dhaka’s Fifth District and Sessions Judge’s Court for non-appearance of witnesses. Only 10 witnesses out of 156 have so far given depositions.

The trials of two militant-related

cases filed with Tongi and Joydebpur police stations are pending at the Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal 4 while three cases of Gulshan, Mirpur and Khilkhet police at the Dhaka’s Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court 1, 2 and 4.

Three more cases are under trial at the First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, four at the Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Court while three others with the Second Additional Session Judges’ Court in Dhaka because of the same reason.

According to sources, 475 JMB men were tried and convicted between 2007 and 2014 in 177 cases. Of them, 51 top leaders have been sentenced to death, 178 given life-term imprisonment while 246 jailed for various terms.

But the execution of verdicts has also been stalled after March 29, 2007 when top JMB leaders Shayakh Abdur Rahman, Siddiqur Rahman alias Bangla Bhai, Khaled Saifullah, Ataur Rahman Sunny, Abdul Awal and Iftakhar Hasan Al Mamun were executed.

Faruk Ahmed, defence counsel in most of the militants’ cases in the Dhaka courts, said they also wanted that the cases are disposed of quickly.

“A number of my innocent clients are suffering jail term without being convicted in the cases,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

Public prosecutor Md Abu Abdullah of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court told the Dhaka Tribune that they were trying to complete the trials.

The Law Commission in an investigation report, submitted to the government in August expressed grave concern labelling the current judicial system and the case disposal rate as “shameful” and “intolerable.”

Among other suggestions, the commission said the police administration must take prompt initiatives to produce the witnesses before the trial courts. They should also inform the court about the non-appearance of a witness. If needed, punishment should be given to anyone responsible for negligence. l

Pay body for rationalising staff size  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

arguments as to why their recommendations will not burden the government.

Another NPSC member told the Dhaka Tribune that the commission had recommended implementation at one go also because it will be a politically popular move.

Finance Minister Muhith recently told the Dhaka Tribune that the government implemented 62% of the recommendations proposed by the previous commission in 2009. This time too, subject to the cabinet’s scrutiny, recommendations will be healthy, the minister said.

According to the proposed pay strcuture, Tk5,500 crore of the total expenditure goes to the salaries and allowances first and second-class employees belong to a total of 10 grades.

For the top grade, that is for senior secretaries, the NPSC proposes a hike from the existing Tk40,000 to Tk80,000. This is a 100% increment and is one of the highest proposed by this commission.

Welfare fund

The Sena Kalyan Sangstha (army welfare organisation) began its journey after independence with only Tk2.5 crore capital. The tiny investment increased to Tk100 crore over the last 38 years.

At present, it has shares in real estate and four international serviceoriented businesses and its asset stands Tk3,000 crore. These assets

generate healthy incomes from which the members of the armed forces reap great benefits.

According to a source, the NPSC recommends forming such an organisation for the government employees also. The proposed name is Government Employees’ Welfare Association.

At present, the government servants contribute Tk50 per month to a “benevolent fund” which is of little use. If an employee applied to receive Tk2 lakh from the fund, he would get Tk2,000 at best, sources said.

Other proposals

In the report, the commission says the increment trend should be compared graphically with the rate of growth of gross domestic product (GDP) on a year-on-year basis.

According to a source, if the figures were put on a graph, the rate of GDP growth would be higher than the rate of salary growth.

The commission also recommends health insurance cards for government servants, increasing mobile phone allowances, additional allowances for employees working in Dhaka and outside, and enabling an accomodation scheme so that employees can contribute in groups to puchase flats.

Currently, the Bangladesh government pays out around Tk38,000 crore in salaries and allowances to its employees belonging to 20 grades. The commission proposes to slash the number of pay grades to 16. l

Khobragade remains in ministerial service but without a specific job.

The action comes a week after the mother-of-two spoke to NDTV about her arrest and strip search in New York.

During the interview, she said that her “kids were born in the US and are considered US citizens”, a statement that reportedly took the ministry by surprise.

Ms Khobragade returned to India under a deal a month after her December 2013 arrest for allegedly paying a domestic worker a fraction of the minimum wage and for lying about the employee’s salary in a visa application.

The row between the two countries saw weeks of feisty exchanges that strained bilateral ties and left resentment on both sides. l

Activists of Sammilito Samajik Andalon form a human chain in the capital’s Shahbagh area yesterday evening, protesting the price hike of oil, gas and electricity RAJIB DHAR

DB draws up terror ties list in hunt for militant financiers  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

in Cox’s Bazar – France-based Medecins Sans Frontieres, the Action Against Hunger, and the UK-based Muslim Aid – asking them not to work on the Rohingya community.

Apart from these, operations of Al-Harmain Islamic Foundation and Rabita Al Alam Al-Islam were suspended in Bangladesh in 2004 and 2007 for suspected militant funding.

Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation was active in Bangladesh since it opened an office in Cox’s Bazar in 1992 to help Rohingya refugees. It opened an office in Dhaka in 1995 and ran four orphanages in Uttara, Nilphamari and Gazipur and 60 mosques across the country. It spread its network to 38 districts and received a five-year grant of Tk19.27 crore until 2001.

Rabita Al Alam Al-Islam’s country

director was Mir Quasem Ali, treasurer of Jamaat-e-islami now accused of war crimes. The NGO played a significant role after 1971 in helping repatriate stranded Pakistanis to Punjab after the Liberation War. Sanowar Hossain, chief of the counter-terrorism unit and additional deputy commissioner of DB police, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that investigations have yielded information about militant funding, including clues about support from local and foreign organisations.

He said while militants used bank accounts to move funds in the past, their modus operandi have now changed, he said.

Rawnak Mahmud, a director of the NGO Affairs Bureau, said his office did not have a list of NGOs suspected of ties to militants.

“As of December 2, we have pre-

pared a list of 503 NGOs whose registrations have been cancelled as they were not renewed. It was not about militancy,” he said.

A major player in militant activity was the country’s refugee Rohingya community, he said.

Chittagong police recently arrested five Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) members including Global Rohingya Centre Vice-President Mohammad Alam for suspected involvement in planning a militant attack.

The Global Rohingya Centre opened its most recent branch in New Delhi last September and was reportedly planning to open a branch in Bangladesh.

Kushum Dewan, deputy commissioner of Chittagong DB police, said police were analysing the statements made by the arrestees in two sessions of a total of nine days’ remand, he said.

According to a high official of the Chittagong police, they had collected Tk25cr from two Jeddah residents and were working to raise up to Tk50cr in aid of the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation.

Residents of South Africa reportedly also sent large sums of money to their accounts. Meanwhile, a three-day US state department-sponsored workshop on countering terrorist funding is being held in the capital.

Asked whether the conference had been arranged apprehending Bangladesh was in imminent danger of an attack, participant Faiz Sobhan, research director of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, said: “The US embassy routinely organises such programmes around the world.”

Bangladesh is one of the countries that has fought terrorism successfully, he added. l

Pakistan executes militants and bombards tribal areas  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

tougher audience in Pakistan after Tuesday’s attack, when militants strapped with explosives broke into a military-run school in Peshawar and killed 148 people — almost all of them children.

A few hundred people protested on Friday night outside the Lal Masjid mosque, calling for an end to support for the militants.

“We wanted to also send this message that it’s not enough for the government to take action against terrorists but it’s equally important that we should also take action against these supporters of the Taliban,” said human rights activist Farzana Bari.

Outrage forces Pak to keep Lakhvi in jail

In schools across Pakistan, special classes were held on Friday, with schoolchildren chanting prayers in memory of the victims of the Taliban slaughter. In mosques throughout the country, worshippers also offered special prayers for the massacred innocents in Peshawar.

Another challenge for Pakistan will be creating a criminal justice system that can properly handle the militant networks. There are few convictions in militancy cases, partly because of a lack of protection for witnesses and

judges.

A Pakistani prosecutor said the government will try to cancel the bail granted by a judge on Thursday to Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the main suspect in the 2008 attack that killed 166 people in Mumbai. An outraged India noted in a statement that “given the scale of the tragedy that Pakistan itself has faced in recent days, it is incumbent on it to realize that no compromise can ever be made with terrorists.”

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appears determined to show he understands that. On Wednesday, he announced that he would lift a moratorium on executions in terrorism-related cases.

The military then promptly signed the death warrants of six “hard-core terrorists” who had been earlier sentenced by military courts.

The home minister for Punjab province confirmed the executions of the first two, Mohammed Aqeel and Arshad Mahmood, at a prison in the city of Faisalabad.

“We have started these executions by hanging two terrorists,” Shuja Khanzada told the Associated Press. “Today’s executions of terrorists will boost the morale of the nation, and we are planning to hang more terrorists next week.”

Both Aqeel and Mahmood were tried in military courts so little is

known publicly about the cases. Pakistani media reported that Aqeel was convicted in relation to a 2009 attack on army headquarters, and Mahmood for his role in a plot to kill former President Pervez Musharraf.

Capital punishment had been suspended since 2008, though there was one execution in 2012 by the military.

The reinstated death penalty affects both civilian and military cases.

It’s not just radical clerics who oppose the executions. Human rights organizations have raised concerns about using the death penalty in a country where police investigations are poor and confessions are said to be often induced by torture.

There are an estimated 8,000 people on death row.

“It is extremely disappointing that the government has given into fear and anger by executing two people today.

As horrific as the attack on the Peshawar school was, more killings - this time by the government - is never the answer to combating terrorism and crime,” said David Griffiths, Amnesty International’s deputy Asia Pacific director.

The other part of the government’s tough response in the wake of the school massacre has been its widening the military offensive against the militants in the country’s northwest.

At Pilkhana Darbar Hall, Hasina lauds BGB role  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

problem, anywhere. Speak up with an open mind. We do not want the heartrending incident of 2009 to revisit us.”

Later she answered to some demands including sending BGB men to UN peacekeeping missions and receiving two months’ advance salary while enjoying earned leave. BGB chief Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed also spoke.

Earlier in the morning, the BGB chief and State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan welcomed the premier at Bir Uttam Anwar Hossain Parade Ground.

Speaking to the parade and guests, Hasina described the measures her government had taken to rebuild and modernise the force.

She mentioned the enactment of the Boarder Guard Bangladesh Act 2010, decentralisation of its command by setting up four new sectors and four regional headquarters under a new organisational structure with a view to making it more effective and dynamic.

She spoke about the construction of a proposed 935km road along the Bangladesh-India border and a 285km road along the border with Myanmar to strengthen the BGB’s monitoring of the land boundary.

The premier in her speech also described various steps taken for the welfare and development of the force and its members.

She stated that BGB’s intelligence wing had been strengthened, family members given 100% ration and med-

ical facilities while the status of junior officers upgraded to second class.

“We will do everything to develop your living standard,” the premier said.

Lauding the role of BGB in protecting the country’s frontiers, Hasina hoped that the force would continue its effort to curb the smuggling of goods including drugs and human trafficking.

She thanked BGB members for assisting the civil administration in tackling natural disasters, accidents and emergency situations.

The premier said BGB had played a key role in decreasing the number of border killings in recent times.

Hasina appreciated BGB’s brave role during the January 5 election when its members had acted against the “evil plot of BNP-Jamaat-Shibir to create anarchy in the country” and in reconstructing the houses, shops and religious establishments demolished by the BNP-Jamaat-Shibir men at that time.

She recalled the sacrifice of a BGB naik subedar and two sepoys while performing their duties.

Mentioning the glorious history of the force, she said: “In 1971, the then EPR wireless operators sent Bangabandhu’s proclamation of independence across the country from here. For this, the Pakistani Army killed Maj Showkat Ali and three others.”

Hasina termed Bir Sreshtha Lance Naik Noor Mohammad and Bir Sreshtha Lance Naik Munshi Abdur Rauf the “symbols of heroes.” She also recalled

members of the force who had been given gallantry awards – eight Bir Uttam, 32 Bir Bikram and 77 Bir Pratik.

During the ceremony, the premier handed over President Border Guard Padak 2014 to 10 BGB members, Border Guard Bangladesh Padak 2014 to 20, and President Border Guard (Sheba) Padak 2014 to 10 and Border Guard Bangladesh (Sheba) Padak 2014 to 20 BGB members for their contributions.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune last evening, the BGB chief said: “After the carnage and the trials, the BGB had a manpower shortage. Now we have overcome it.”

BDR had more than 38,000 members before the mutiny and after the trial, the number decreased to around 32,000, he added.

The BGB chief termed the presence of the prime minister an incident of pride for the paramilitary force. “We could not invite her in the past years as the force was going through reformation. We could not even hold the Darbar and the parade regularly.”

The trials

Cases were filed over three types of offences – mutiny, carnage and use of explosives. BDR courts at different battalions conducted the mutiny cases and handed down verdicts.

In the carnage case – involving killings, loot and arson attacks, a total of 846 people were tried out of 850 accused. Four of the accused died in jail

The military said 119 insurgents were killed in three different offensives in the Khyber region Thursday and Friday — 62 in ground action and 57 in airstrikes. There was no immediate claim of civilian casualties.

Khyber borders Peshawar, where the school massacre happened, and militants have traditionally attacked the city before withdrawing to the tribal region where police cannot chase them.

Even if the government wins popular backing for an all-out military assault against the Pakistani wing of the Taliban, that doesn’t mean it will also attack militant groups that use the country as a safe haven from which to carry out attacks abroad.

Pakistan has long been accused of playing a double game when it comes to dealing with militancy — fostering some militant groups that operate in Afghanistan and India as a way of maintaining influence there, while pursuing other militants who target the Pakistani state.

In June, when the military launched its operation in North Waziristan, it vowed it would go after all militants.

Doubts remain, though, about how aggressively the army has pursued groups like the Afghan Taliban or the Haqqani network, which the US says is responsible for numerous attacks in Afghanistan. l

during the trial. Of the 846 accused, 778 were former BDR personnel and 23 were civilians.

A special tribunal conducted the carnage case and sentenced to death 151 former BDR personnel and one civilian for the killings. The court also awarded life-term jail sentences to 161 accused including former BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu and ward-level Awami League leader Torab Ali for their involvement in inciting and conspiring in the mutiny.

The other case filed over the use of explosives during the incident is currently under trial.

The Darbar Hall massacre

According to the carnage case, then sepoy Moin of the erstwhile 13 Rifles Battalion entered the Darbar Hall with arms at 9:25am on February 25 when around 2,500 members were present. The main target of the mutiny was to kill then BDR chief Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed and other army officers deputed to the force.

A voice screamed: “Jago” [wake up].

Maj Gen Shakil then pleaded with the troops to calm down. He said he would listen to their demands and asked them not leave the Darbar Hall. Disobeying the orders, the agitating jawans opened fire killing some officers inside the hall.

They asked others including Shakil to go outside in queue and killed them.

The mutineers also ransacked and looted the officers’ houses and set fire to vehicles.l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Bangladesh opposes Chicago street sign for Zia n Tribune Report Bangladesh has opposed the putting up of an honorary street sign for ex-president Ziaur Rahman on North Clark Street in Chicago’s Rogers Park, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Ambassador Mohammad Ziauddin said Zia was unfit to be given a street sign in his honour, citing what he said was his complicity in the 1975 assassination of then President Sheikh Mujib Rahman and members of his family during a coup.

It is Bangladesh’s official government position to oppose the Chicago recognition for Ziaur Rahman, Ziauddin said.

A group of Bangladeshi citizens sued, seeking to have the Ziaur Rahman sign pulled down on the grounds he does not deserve the honour “We believe the United States has a very strong record on the rule of law, human rights and good governance,” the ambassador said. “Ziaur Rahman ruled Bangladesh as a tyrant and an oppressor, and this honour stands in opposition to those values.”

The request to put up a pair of familiar brown street signs on North Clark Street in Rogers Park sailed through the Chicago City Council, joining the 1,500 other honorary roadways aldermen have approved for 50 years.

When 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore backed the street naming on behalf of a group of residents, including one who donated $1,000 to his campaign fund, he thought he was engag-

ing in the kind of retail politics that is a Chicago alderman’s stock in trade.

But Moore said he got a call from Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office saying the US State Department had been contacted by the Bangladeshi ambassador, who objected to the honour.

Moore went ahead and put up the signs on the 6600 and 6800 blocks of North Clark despite the State Department request.

“Bangladeshi politics is pretty rough and tumble,” Moore said. On balance, he decided, Ziaur Rahman seemed like “one of the good guys.”

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Embassy has sent letters to cities across the US to try to enlighten mayors about Ziaur Rahman so he does not receive additional recognition of the kind he is getting in Chicago, Ziauddin said.

Moore noted, since 1997 part of Devon Avenue in the 50th Ward has had the honorary name “Sheikh Mujib Way” in honour of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

“So the other side has its recognition,” the alderman said.

Earlier, a group of Bangladeshi citizens sued, seeking to have the Ziaur Rahman sign pulled down on the grounds he does not deserve the honour.

Their lawyer, Al-Haroon Husain, dismissed Moore’s argument that he’s equalising the Bangladeshi political calculus on Chicago streets. “You should consider the merits of the individual...It should not be a question based on a political party.”

For some in Rogers Park, seeing Ziaur Rahman so honoured is offensive, Husain said. “It would be like a Russian walking down the street and being confronted with ‘Honorary Joseph Stalin Way.’ You do not want to see that.”

On Tuesday, a judge ruled in the city’s favor and dismissed the lawsuit, but Husain said his clients were considering refiling it.l

Nahid: Action against errant pvt varsities can’t be taken for HC orders n UNB

President Abdul Hamid returns after visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra yesterday, during his six-day state visit to India

PID

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid yesterday said the government is unable to take tough actions against 12 private poorly performing private universities as they have already taken High Court orders to continue their academic activities.

“There’re some 80 private universities in the country. Some universities are now more engaged in making money than providing education. We’ve made a list of 12 such universities.

We’ll ultimately shut down all these universities, but we can’t do that right now due to High Court orders,” he said while inaugurating the Mobile Apps Contest-2015.

Ethics Advanced Technology Limited (EATL), an IT firm, organised the contest titled ‘In Search of New Creation’ at Mirpur Indoor Stadium.

Vice-Chancellor of Asian University Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, ICT Secretary Shyamsundar Sikder, Prothom Alo Editor Motiur Rahman and EATL Managing Director MA Mubin Khan also spoke on the occasion.

Speaking as the chief guest, Nahid said Bangladeshi youths are talented and they will make their marks breaking all the records of development and progress. l

Rangamati victims yet to get compensation n Abid Azad

Indigenous people in Naniarchar upazila of Rangamati are suffering from lack of food, shelter and warm clothes as they are yet to receive adequate compensation after the recent attack by local Bangalee settlers.

They are living a measurable life since the attack was made in their locality at Suridas Para on December 16.

Fifty-four indigenous houses were reduced to ashes while seven shops

and a Buddhist temple were vandalised during the attack. But Rangamati Deputy Commissioner Mostafa Kamal yesterday claimed that each of the families was given 20kg rice and 15 of the damaged houses were being rebuilt.

“The process to repair 16 more houses is also underway,” he said.

Kamal also claimed that the total number of houses and shops damaged in the attack was 31. Victims of the attack, however, said they were yet to see any rebuilding efforts, and were still living

under the open sky.

“We burn woods and bamboos to make ourselves warm in cold. We got the rice but there is no reconstruction efforts,” said Chandra Manik Chakma, who is living with his family members in a tent supported by four bamboo poles.

The indigenous people also lifted the blockade on Rangamati-Khagrachhari link road yesterday for two days considering the woes of others.

Officials of Amra, a charity organisation, visited the afflicted area on Decem-

ber 18 and distributed Tk135,000 among 27 families. Its President Shayantani Twisha told the Dhaka Tribune the destruction was massive.

“This is a remote area and the people had no option to douse the fire when the arson attack was carried out. We do not have sufficient funds to support all the families but we tried our best and hope we can help more families later,” she added.

Some other charities also tried to raise funds on Facebook. l

BNP to probe Sundarbans oil spill n Tribune Report

Mozena praises Bangladesh’s progress in vital sectors

The BNP has formed a seven-member probe body over the incident of the huge oil spill in Sundarban’s Sela river, said a press release.

The committee members are-- BNP Vice-Chairman Major (retd) Mohammad Hafizuddin Ahmed, Khulna divisional unit Assistant Organising Secretary Nazrul Islam Manju,Khulna city Mayor Moniruzzaman Moni,Bagherhat district unit President Abdus Salam, Khulna district unit General Secretary Advocate Shafiqul Islam Mona, Chairman of Save the Sundarbans Dr Sheikh Faridul Islam and environmental journalist Kamrul Islam.

According to the press note, issued yesterday, the probe committee has been formed as per the direction of the party chief Khaleda Zia. The investigation team has been asked to submit the report with Khaleda Zia by December 25.

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.

While a major government-led clean-up operation is being delayed by indecision, local people in the area are manually sopping up the floating furnace oil with sponges, encouraged by a Padma Oil offer to purchase the furnace oil for Tk30 per litre.

The clean-up so far has covered an insignificant portion of the volume of the oil spill. A UN expert team that reached Thursday to help the clean up effort, has slammed authorities for failing to organise a proper clean-up effort of the oil spill, which has now spread 350 sq km (135 sq m) inside the delicate mangrove forest area.

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

The massive oil spill in the Sundarbans, has put many of the region’s fauna at severe risk. l

n BSS

The International Farakka Committee holds a human chain before the National Press Club yesterday to protest 16 newly-built barrages on the Ganges and the withdrawal of water from the Teesta and other common rivers by India MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Chhatra League vows to resist Khaleda’s rally, burns Tarique’s effigy n Abu Hayat Mahmud The ruling party’s student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League warned that they would not allow the BNP to hold any rally unless the party’s Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman withdrew his false and derogatory remarks about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

BCL also vowed to resist the upcoming rally called by the BNP Chief Begum Khaleda Zia if Tarique did not apologise to the nation for his comment.

The BCL leaders said these at a demonstration programme held at the party’s head office at Bangabandhu avenue in the capital yesterday. The event was organised to protest the recent comments by Tarique Rahman about Bangabandhu and Awami League.

“Tarique should withdraw his infuriating comments against Bangabandhu and should also seek apology immediately. Moreover, we demand the BNP to sack him [Tarique] from the post and expel him from the party,” Chhatra

League Central Committee President H M Badiuzzaman Sohag said.

“Unless he apologises, Chhatra League will organise rallies at the same time and same place to counter Khaleda Zia’s rally all over the country,” he added.

On Thursday, a Dhaka court issued an arrest warrant against Tarique in a sedition and defamation case filed in this regard Also present in the event, food minister Kamrul Islam said for the sake of a decent politics, Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman should be banished from politics.

Later, a procession was brought out

by Chhatra League, who also burnt an effigy of Tarique Rahman in front of the

National Press Club in the evening.

Earlier, on Friday the Awami League called upon BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman to seek apology to the nation for their adverse comments.

While addressing a programme in London recently, Tarique Rahman called Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman a “razakar” - a term meaning “traitor.”

On Thursday, a Dhaka court issued an arrest warrant against Tarique in a sedition and defamation case filed in this regard.

Tarique has been living in London since September 11, 2008 on medical grounds after securing parole in various cases including money laundering.

He faces 14 charges, of which four, including the August 21 grenade attack case, are on trial. The rest have been stayed.

Awami League leaders said Tarique was in London under the political shelter of the British Government to avoid the cases pending against him. l

Lauding Bangladesh’s tremendous progress in different vital sectors during the last couple of years, outgoing US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena yesterday said that the country had huge potentials to grow up as a developed nation.

“During my three-year tenure, I observed tremendous progress of the country’s most important apparel, tannery, generic pharmaceuticals and IT sectors which can help make Bangladesh a developed country in future,” he added.

Speaking at a pre-departure press conference at American Club in Gulshan here, Mozena said the country needs transformation to the apparel sector by ensuring labour rights and their safety in work place.

Mozena, who has been serving in Bangladesh since May 2011 as the US Ambassador, is set to leave Bangladesh this month as Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat is going to succeed him.

The US envoy said along with ensuring progress in economic sector, the country needs “Education revolution” with the aim of ensuring quality education in classrooms to cope with the modern world.

He said Bangladesh has hundreds and thousands of teachers who have passion to teach students, but due to lack of infrastructures and other facilities they could not provide quality education to the children.

Mozena also praised tremendous development in the country’s agri-sector that helped Bangladesh turn into a food sufficient one. “The development in agriculture is “amazing”, as how Bangladesh, a food deficit country was turned into a food surplus one,” he added.

In this context, he gave credit to the people of the country who are hard working and resilient and the government as well for taking pragmatic measurers to boost agricultural production.

Referring to his visit in 64 districts across the country, he said that he had seen with his own eyes as how Bangladesh has achieved progress almost in every sector.

“I never like to say Bangladesh as a poor country rather, I want to say Bangladesh a prosperous country that has thousands of hard working and resilient people to carry forward the

country towards development,” he observed.

The envoy thanked the government for providing allout support during his tenure as ambassador and facilitating his visits in every nook and cranny of the country.

Regarding Bangladesh-US relations, he said America’s partnership with Bangladesh is now broader, deeper and stronger than ever and it goes from “strength to strength” with each passing day.

“Our partnership truly strengthens each day to the benefit of the people of both the countries,” he added.

He said the partnership helps make Bangladesh historic achievements like slashing maternal and child mortality, reducing fertility rate, increasing food security, mitigating for the effect of climate change, strengthening diplomatic institutions, enhancing security and bolstering preparedness to respond to disaster.

The envoy said the partnership is also helping the police transform the philosophy of policing to one based on engagement with the community and it also is working with the RAB to introduce office.

Responding to a question, he said his country backs no political force in Bangladesh’s political race as it focuses on deepening partnership between the two countries.

He said institutionalizing partnership between the two countries is one of the significant achievements in his three-year tenure in Bangladesh. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Deal likely with French firm to implement Smart NID project n UNB Oberthur Technologies, a French company, is likely to get contract for production and distribution of Smart National Identity Card (Smart NID) under an Election Commission project.

The tender evaluation committee has already made the recommendation in this regard for preparing 9 crore Smart NIDs involving Tk 796.26 crore, according to official sources. Meanwhile, the EC has put forward the bidder’s tender offer to the Cabinet Purchase Committee (CPC) for its approval.

As a lowest bidder, the French company quoted a read out price at Tk 658.80 crore to produce 70 million Smart NID against the requirement of 90 million “If the CPC approves the EC’s proposal in its Sunday’s scheduled meeting, it’ll be the government’s final nod for appointing the French company to do a very sensitive and important job likeproduction and distribution of Smart NID,” said a top official at the Cabinet Division.

As per the Public Procurement Act, any public purchase proposal costing above Tk 50 crore shall have to be approved by the CPC and it will be treated as the final approval.

Official sources said the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) has been providing financial support to implement the Smart NID project titled ‘Identification System for Enhancing Access to Services (ISEA)’.

About the project, EC secretary M Sirajul Islam said the current National ID’s poor security features has prompted the EC to go for introducing the Smart NID.

“The existing NID, a laminated card, is very easy to copy and prepare a fake one due to its poor security features. Many unscrupulous people are taking advantage of enjoying the service by using fake NID,” he said in a summary sent to the Cabinet Division.

But the Smart NID, according to the EC secretary, will have more than 25 security features that will not be possible to copy and produce a fake one. As a result, it will help accurately identifying a citizen using as a national identity document, he mentioned. Besides, Sirajul Islam said, the proposed Smart NID will provide a scope to examine a citizen’s identity offline as well.

“Ultimately, the new card will help ensure accountability in taking public and private services and it will establish good governance through enhancing the e-governance,” the EC secretary said.

Official sources said the EC invited international competitive bidding (ICBM) to implement Smart NID project between 2011 and 2016.

A total of 4 international bidders submitted their bids for the project.

Finally, three French companies came out to be responsive bidders. Of them, Oberthur Technologies’ was found to be the lowest competitive bidder considering its technical and financial offers.

As a lowest bidder, the French company quoted a read out price at Tk 658.80 crore to produce 70 million Smart NID against the requirement of 90 million.

But to meet the requirement of 90 million Smart NID, the tender evaluation committee made a calculation of an additional Tk 133.23 crore cost for additional 20 million cards maintaining the same ratio of per unit cost of a card.

As a result, the tender evaluation committee recommended a total cost of the 90 million Smart NID at Tk 796.53 crore.

However, with a small revision, the Oberthur Technologies also agreed with the calculated cost and confirmed its acceptance over the deal. The World Bank also gave its concurrence to the revised proposal. l

Narimukti Kendra brings out a procession in the capital’s Paltan yesterday demanding exemplary punishment to the killers of 14-year-old Umra Ching Marma of Kaptai union in Rangamati. It also called for mass movement against communalism RAJIB DHAR

PM receives blanket contributions from banks n BSS

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed the authorities concerned to distribute blankets in the cold-hit areas by giving priority to the people above 60 years, orphan children and the people with disability.

She gave the directives while receiving 3.70 lakh pieces of blankets from 19

member banks of Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB) at her official Ganobhaban residence in the afternoon.

The banks contributed the blankets to the prime minister’s Relief and Welfare Fund for distributing those to the cold-hit people across the country.

Chairmen and directors of the respective banks handed over the blankets to the premier.

n BSS Finance Minister AMA Muhith said the present government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is committed to empowering women for the development of the society and the country.

Addressing the platinum jubilee celebration of Sylhet Government Women’s College yesterday, the finance minister said the government allocated

Tk100 crore in every fiscal year for empowering women.

As a result, he said the rate of women employment rose significantly in the recent years with increasing number of female working in almost all sectors of the job market.

According to the minister, the rate of women employment rose from 7% to nearly 30% in the past three decades.

He called upon the women and in particular the female students of the

Correspondent, n Our Feni

Bangladesh Jatiya Manabadhikar Samity yesterday forms a human chain in front of National Press Club demanding legal proceedings be initiatied under speedy trial act against those responsible for the oil tanker capsize in the Sundarbans SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) 7 yesterday arrested two persons with eight thousand pieces of yaba, various drugs and money from Feni.

Acting on a tip off, RAB-7 conducted a drive at a camp at the Pagla Mia area of Feni town and arrested Saiful Islam, 45 and his wife Shahana Akter, 40. They both hail from Maikbhangra village of Sandwip upazila.

Feni camp in-charge (acting) Commander SM Mobasher Hossain revealed the information at a press briefing at its office yesterday.

He said they had seized 8,100 pieces of yaba, 300gm of heroin and cash Tk2.32 lakh during the drive. l

Jessore’s name for date juice under threat

One held with wheatladen truck

n Our Correspondent, Jessore

n Our Correspondent, Natore

The name that Jessore has had for its date juice, patali and molasses across the country is under threat as date trees are fast disappearing in the district.

The villages – Khajura, Enayetpur, Lebutola, Pantaparha, Jadavpur, Gobra, Jahurpur, Majhiali, Mothurapur, Telkup, Mirzapur and so on – are known for date juice, patali and molasses, especially Nalengur.

Enayetpur village’s Zakir Hossain said: “We had over 80 trees but now that amount has come to a half. Since these trees were divided among his six brothers, juice has not been extracted from the trees as before.

“We just extract juice from the trees depending on what we need in a year and also make Nalengur a bit because it can be sold for a good price.”

Farmer Shafiar Rahman said they had around 300-400 date trees but it

Hasina asked the officials of her office to distribute the blankets quickly among the cold-hit people.

President of Bangladesh Association of Banks Nazrul Islam Mazumder, who is also the chairman of EXIM Bank, conducted the function, while the premier’s Military Secretary Major General Mia Mohammad Joynul Abedin was present among others. l

Muhith: Govt committed to women empowerment

2 held with 8,000 pieces of yaba

was now 60-70. Despite that, all the date trees had not been processed for extracting juice.

Farmer Atiar Rahman said: “I heard that date seedlings are being distributed by the government in the district, but I have not seen any in our area.”

Jahrupur High School teacher Intajul Islam said date trees were declining in the district because people had been cutting them down to to make way for cultivation of paddy and other crops.

Besides, skilled date juice collectors became rare because most of them had switched to another profession, failing to manage their livelihood in it, he said.

When Nityaranjan Das, deputy director at the Department of Agriculture Extension, was contacted, he admitted this all and said: We have taken up a project to preserve the date trees in the district.

“We already planted around 5000 date trees along roads under this project.,” he said. l

Having received the blankets, the prime minister thanked the bank authorities for their noble gesture and called upon the affluent section of the society to stand beside the poor and cold-hit people.

She said the poor and the distressed people are ultimately benefitted if the well-off people donate to the prime minister’s Relief and Welfare Fund.

Police arrested an alleged robber with a wheat-laden truck in Doyarampur area under Bagatipara upazila of Natore early yesterday.

The arrestee was identified as Mahbubul, 32, son of Abdul Monnaf of Barbaria village in the district.

Police also rescued truck driver Abdul Gafur, son of Ashraf Ali and his helper Uzzal, son of Nayeb Ali of village Shahjahanpur of Bogra, they were tied up with ropes by the robbers.

Abdul Motaleb, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Bagatipara police station said a wheat-laden truck (Dhaka metro-TA-18-1209) was bound for Bogra from Narayanganj on Friday night.

On the way, some five to six passengers got onto the truck

disguised as robbers from Joydebpur-Chourasta area.

While it reached the Padma crossing of Sirajganj, the robbers took the control of the steering after they tied the hands of the driver and the helper with ropes.

When the robbers reached Doyarampur area of Bagatipara upazila early Saturday, some of the robbers got down from the truck.

During the time, the driver jumped onto them after untying his hands using a trick.

Seeing the matter, locals rushed to the spot and detained one of the robbers.

However, the rest of the robbers managed to flee from the scene.

On information, a team of Bagatipara police rushed to the spot and arrested the detained robber.

They also seized the truck and rescued its driver and helper. l

Sylhet Women College to step forward, shrugging off all confusion to empower themselves.

He said there would be no lack of support including the financial assistance from the government to help women take their own course towards development of the society and the country.

The minister advised them to come forward with the vision and the mission of entrepreneurship so they can utilise more fund when a big portion

of the fiscal allocation remain unused every year. According to him, this year so far Tk65 crore was utilised from the women empowerment fund, which was the highest ever implementation, but far below the fiscal allocation.

Former adviser to caretaker government Rasheda K Choudhury and founder of Bishwo Shahitto Kendro Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed also addressed the celebration of 75 years of Sylhet Women College. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Dr Kamal: Dialogue a must as election is not the last word for effective democracy n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Asserting that the country was passing through an abnormal time, speakers at a discussion programme said election was not the last word for upholding democracy. Dialogue was a must to overcome any political crisis. However, as a prerequisite to that, effective democratic institutions should be set up, they opined.

The programme participants also said economic and political development should march together and political parties must do away with the culture of blame-game.

These remarks were made yesterday at a programme on releasing a study on The State of Governance Bangladesh 2013: Democracy Party Politics organised by the Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) of Brac University in the capital.

Speaking as a chief guest, Dr Kamal Hossain, Gono Forum president and an eminent jurist, called for holding constructive national dialogue to resolve the political deadlock.

“Dialogue should not only be held between the Awami League and the BNP but also among all the parties. Accepting the basic principles of the constitution, all should sit for talks,” he said.

Dhaka University International Relations Professor Imtiaz Ahmed highlighted how bad governance sometimes become profitable pushing good governance to the back seat.

“You can immediately get what you want [if you know the means]. You can be promoted. A contract can be awarded to you. But when there is good governance, these are not so easy,” the professor said.

“I do not think any political party alone will be able to do that. It is the

CU BCL men beat up Shibir activist n FM Mizanur Rahaman A Chhatra Shibir activist was injured after he was beaten up by Chhatra League men at Chittagong University yesterday.

Md Shajahan, who is pursuing a graduate degree in sociology, received primary treatment at the university medical center.

Witnesses and police said five to six Chhatra League men, who are supporters of Joint Secretary of the dissolved committee of Chittagong University Chhatra League Diaj Irfan Chowdhury, swooped on Shajahan near the Social Science Faculty around 2:30pm.

“The Chhatra League activists led by Sumon, a fresher of the Department of English, beat Shajahan up with iron pipes when he got out of a classroom after taking an exam,” said Officer-in-Charge of Hathazari police station Md Ismail Hossain.

“Police rescued him and sent him to the university medical centre. We are looking into the incident,” he added.

Sources said Sumon is the younger brother of Md Mamun, former sports affairs secretary of the university unit of Chhatra League. l

WEATHER

DRY WEATHER LIKELY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21 DHAKA

TODAY SUN SETS 5:16PM

TOMORROW SUN RISES 6:37AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY 26 27 26 26 28 28 28 29

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

15 16 10 12 11 14 14 16

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

29.8ºC Cox's Bazar

9.4ºC Dinajpur

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

5:16am 6:36am 11:56am 3:40pm 5:16pm 6:37 pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

Dr Kamal: Country has no rule of law n UNB Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday said now there is no rule of law in the country and people are being deprived of their security of life.

“There’s no rule of law…no accountability and independence of judiciary in the country. People are being deprived of their security of life as they are facing incidents of forced disappearance and killing,” he said.

Dr Kamal was addressing a discussion meeting organised by Nagarik Oikya at the Jatiya Press Club marking the Victory Day. “No investigation has been carried out and no action taken against those who involved in the incidents of killing and forced disappearance,” he alleged.

Noting that the shipping minister does not understand what the Sundarbans actually is, Manna urged the prime minister to dismiss him

Brac Institute of Governance and Development, Brac University launched its study on “The State of Governance Bangladesh 2013: Democracy Party Politics” at Brac Centre yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

structures that need to evolve to make good governance profitable,” he added.

Discussants also debated over whether development was possible without democracy.

Binayak Sen said ineffective democracy could not march with the economic development. “If there is lack of good governance, development cannot take place.

Since the country is developing, it can be said that good governance is prevailing.”

In a counter argument, Professor Dilara Chowdhury asked what was the parameter of economic development. DU professor Asif Nazrul added that there was no democracy and the growth of development was slow in the country.

Also present in the event, Awami League advisory council member Suranjit Sengupta said: “If January 5 election were not held, situation like another 1/11

would have been created in the country.

It is the government’s responsibility to avert such situation and the grand alliance government did just that.”

Replying to the suggestions about holding dialogue, Sengupta said there was no scope for dialogue with a party that called Bangabandhu a ‘rajakar’.

BNP chairperson’s adviser Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said a representative government was a must

for any country along with a multi-party democracy. “But a representative government is absent in the country.

Space is required for democracy to sustain but due to state-sponsored terrorism, no space was given to any party.”

Sultan Hafeez Rahman, executive director of BIGD, chaired the programme where representatives of various political parties, civil society members, and former bureaucrats were present. l

The noted jurist urged people to get united against the misdeeds of the government. Speaking on the occasion, Nagarik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna slammed the government for what he said its irresponsibility in tackling the huge oil spill in the Sundarbans.

Taking a swipe at Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan for ‘making irresponsible comments’ over the oil tanker capsize issue, Manna said, “Making such comments, the government has already proved that the country is not safe in its hands.”

Noting that the shipping minister does not understand what the Sundarbans actually is, Manna urged the prime minister to dismiss him. l

Speakers: Climate news should not serve NGO interests

Fast-track all CU student murder cases, SP orders Hathazari police

n Rafe Sadnan Adel

Hathazari police have been ordered to swiftly deal with all the cases filed over murdering students at Chittagong University.

Superintendent of Police AKM Hafiz Akhtar yesterday gave the order during a meeting with the university vice chancellor at the latter’s office yesterday noon.

Hathazari police station Officer-inCharge (OC) Md Ismail Hossain confirmed this to the Dhaka Tribune.

Chittagong District (North) Additional Superintendent of Police Md Shahidullah, Assistant Police Super (Hathazari circle) AFM Nizam Uddin, Md Salauddin, Inspector (investigation) of Hathazari Police Station, were present at the meeting.

On December 14, Tapos Sarkar, a first year student of the Department of Sangskrit, was shot dead during a clash between shuttle train-based Chhatra League factions –Varsity Express and Choose Friend with Care – at a place between Shah Amanat and Shah Jalal halls.

Journalists at a seminar yesterday said climate issues should not be reported to justify the goals of any donor agency or NGO. They said producing news on climate should be aimed at benefitting the country, which would also help the state to face climate threats more effectively as awareness would grow.

Speaking at the daylong seminar titled “Building critical mass awareness of climate change”, they also said journalists working on climate issues should maintain professional integrity and have to plan their stories accordingly.

The seminar, which was held at the AS Mahmud Hall in the capital, was jointly organised by The Media Alliance, Forum of Environmental Journalists of Bangladesh (FEJB), Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication, and Development Media Limited.

“This is unfortunate to see that no one is loyal to the state right now. It is high time for us to draw the line when we report on issues concerning donor agencies,” said Saiful Huda, who works at a private TV channel.

Another employee at a TV channel Zahid Neaz Khan Jewel said climate issues should be prioritised by newsmen and they should get rid of the tendency to prepare climate reports only to receive awards.

Dr A Atiq Rahman, executive director at Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, said the subject of climate has many scientific terms that are difficult to understand for the masses.

“It is the duty of journalists to write about climate issues in a way that the people will easily understand,” he added.

Urban Planner Khondker Neaz Rahman recommended an integrated planning for climate news coverage.

He also slammed reporters, saying they tend to report more on world climate rather than focusing on national

climate and also disasters that happen in the country.

“Journalists who want to do reports on climate issues should gather knowledge on the subject and the right person should be sent to cover the right event in order to get flawless and comprehensive reports,” said Shahidul Islam Chowdhury, special affairs editor at the Dhaka Tribune.

“A reporter must take preparations to cover climate issues because there is no scope for working as a generalist in this particular field,” he added.

Nusrat Islam Khan, Bangladesh Country Coordinator of The Media Alliance, told the Dhaka Tribune the seminar was organised to observe how the press can better highlight the social, humanitarian, environmental and sustainable development implications of climate change through editorial contents, public service advertising, use of social media and other digital platforms.

“We are excited to see the overwhelming response,” she said. l

n FM Mizanur Rahaman

He used to stay at Shah Amanat Hall.

His friend Hafizul Islam of the same department filed a case with Hathazari police against up to 42 persons over the murder on December 16. Of them, 30 BCL activists were named and the rest were kept unnamed in the case.

“We are also asked to arrest those who are accused of killing Tapos,” OC Ismail said, adding that they were even ordered to show zero tolerance towards any unrest situation on the campus even if it was caused by the ruling party’s student wing.

Chhatra League faction Varsity Express, which had been enforcing their non-stop blockade programme demanding withdrawal of the case, yesterday halted it for two days. They claimed that the case was filed against those who were not implicated in the case.

CU Chhatra League chapter’s disbanded committee’s Organising Secretary Ariful Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that they had halted their blockade programme because Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is to visit Chittagong today. l

Case filed over murder of two brothers in Chittagong n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong A case was filed with the Chandgaon Police Station yesterday in connection with the killing of two brothers on Friday night in Chandgaon area of Chittagong city.

The deceased are Faridul Alam, 45, and Abu Siddique, 42.

The victims’ elder brother Md Moinuddin Mohsin filed the case against 20 people by name and eight other unnamed, said Chandgaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abdur Rauf.

Yesterday, police arrested two accused—Ziaur Rahman and Lokman— from Khaja Road area where the murder took place.

In the case statement, Mohsin mentioned that the incident of the murder was a preplanned.

The miscreants swooped on Abu when he was returning to their home after attending funeral of one of their relatives, the case statement said.

After being attacked, Abu made a phone call to Farid seeking help to rescue him. Farid was at their home when Abu made the phone call. The miscreants also attacked Farid when he was on his way to rescue Abu, it said.

“A syndicate of dishonest timber businessmen with help of some local terrorists killed my brothers as they stood in the way of their illegal busi-

ness,” Mohsin said.

Chittagong Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (North Zone) Paritosh Ghosh said the incident of the killing might have taken place over a previous enmity.

The victims, who had timber and land businesses, had feud with some local businessmen over their businesses, he said. “We are trying to nab all the criminals who were involved in the murder,” he added.

On Friday around 11pm, some miscreants attacked the two siblings with wooden planks on Khaja road On Friday around 11:00pm, some miscreants attacked the two siblings with wooden planks on Khaja road, injuring them critically. Locals rushed them to Chittagong Medical College Hospital where doctors declared them dead.

Locals said Abu owned a timber shop at the city’s Bolirhat which is known as the largest timber business centre in the city. He had control over a large portion of timber business in the area.

Police, however, said a number of cases had been with Chandgaon Police Station against the siblings. l

Khetmajur Samity, farmers wing of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, organised a rally in front of the National Press Club in the capital yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Farmers incur losses as radish prices fall dramatically n Our Correspondent, Kishoreganj A bumper yield of radish in Katiadi upazila has failed to make farmers happy as excessive harvest has led to a big fall in prices.

In many markets of the upazila, radish is being sold at as low as Tk1 per kg.

Despite the nominal price, sellers find it hard to sell their products even after waiting for the whole day as buyers are reluctant to buy the vegetable.

Many farmers chose to abandon their unsold products in the markets in order to save transport costs. The abandoned products are also used as cattle feed in many areas.

Villages that saw abundant harvest of radish this year include Jalalpur, Nuakandi, Charpukkia, Jakalia, Lohajuri, Chariakona, and Masua. Many farmers in the villages even chose not to collect the harvest from the fields considering labour and transport costs.

Radish prices were high at the outset of winter but arrival of other seasonal vegetables has caused its demand to fall, leading to considerable losses, said farmers.

Section 144 imposed

Correspondent, n Our Narsingdi The local administration imposed section 144 in the district town as two factions of local Awami League called separate programmes at the same venue yesterday.

Sources said Advocate Asaduzzaman, president of the district unit Awami League, called a meeting at Narshingdi Pilot High School ground in Duttapara area of the town.

On the other hand, Abdul Matin Bhuiyan, secretary of the district unit AL, called a separate meeting to be held at the same venue and same time. Apprehending possible trouble, Sadar upazila nirbahi officer HasinaBegum imposed the emergency section in the area from 11pm to 6pm. l

Smuggled goods seized Correspondent, n Our Joypurhat

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh in separate drives arrested three persons and recovered huge quantity of smuggled goods worth about Tk17 lakh from different frontier areas of the district yesterday.

The arrested were identified as Tuhin, 27, Abdul Zalil, 25 and Badal Miah, 38.

Abu Sayed Mridha, assistant director of Joypurhat BGB-3 Battalion said during the raids the BGB team recovered huge quantity of Indian goods including cumin seed, steel materials, sarees and other goods.

Besides, the team also seized huge sex stimulating tablets, phensidyl and wine. l

Top smuggler held

by BGB Correspondent, n Our Sunamganj

A top listed smuggler of Sunamganj named Abdul Aziz was held by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members from the Boglabazar border area of the district yesterday.

Abdul belonged to a smuggler group that tried to enter India yesterday by illegally crossing the border in Doarabazar upazila of Sunamganj.

Chased by the Indian Border Security Force, 40-year-old Abdul was caught by the BGB officials from near sub-pillar no 7 in Boglabazar area.

He is the son of late Nabab Ali of Jhumgaon village under Sunamganj sadar upazila.

Commanding Officer of Sunamganj BGB battalion 8 Lt Col Md Golam Mohiuddin Khondoker said a case was filed in Doarabazar police station against him. l

“I spent Tk34,000 to cultivate radish on a 2-bigha land and the yield topped 500 maunds. I expected to make Tk50,000 but had to sell it all at Tk7,000 because of the sharp fall in prices in the past few weeks,” said Md Abul Hossain, a farmer in Charpukkia village.

Alamgir Hossain, a vegetable wholesaler in Pirijpur village, said the fall in price was unexpected.

“Wholesalers also had to count losses while buying radish because of labour costs. A worker had to be paid Tk250-350 to collect radish from the field but the product could not be sold at prices that would bring profits. Prices went down as the supply is more than the demand,” he added.

“Radish was grown in 90 hectares of land in the upazila and the expected yield is 3,600 tonnes. Favourable weather conditions led to a bumper production this year,” said Mozahar Hossain Ahmed, agriculture officer in Katiadi.

He also echoed farmers, saying the arrival of other winter vegetables caused radish prices to fall rapidly. l

A human chain demands law to ensure right to food as part of the week-long campaign yesterday at Shaheb Bazar, Zeropoint area of Rajshahi city. Organised by the local chapter of Khadya Nirapotta Network (Food Security Network), the event was attended by various members of the network AZAHAR UDDIN

Aman paddy harvest starts amid fear of failing target n

Our Correspondent, Sylhet

Farmers in Sylhet region have started harvesting Aman paddy with expectations to meet the yearly target but the regions Agricultural department is in doubt as cultivation was interrupted repeatedly because of flooding in July and the drought that prevails now.

According to Sylhet’s Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), the region had set a target to bring 141,927 hectares of land under Aman cultivation with a production target of 313,432 tonnes

but the target failed as the flood in July hampered cultivation and reduced the cultivated area to 135,431 hectares, said an official.

Last year, the target of cultivated land was 145,866 hectares but 152,030 hectares of was brought under cultivation which increased the production to 366,410 tonnes of Aman.

Deputy Director of Sylhet DAE Khairul Bashar said: “This year we faced repeated flood and it is the main reason we were unable to achieve the cultivation target.”

He said: “After the farmers started culti-

vation, inadequate rainfall then hampered the Aman production at different upazilas.

So, now we are fear that we would fail to achieve the target set but we are hopeful.”

“In the Jokiganj, Balaganj and Kanaighat upazila, we have observed a better production. We will get a full report after harvesting the paddy fields across the district,” said Bashar.

Monjur Ahmed, a farmer of Alirgaon village under Goainghat upazila, said: “This season flood affected 11 times at Goainghat upazila. After the flood, we cultivated land and now the drought prevails. l

10 houses torched in AL clash n Our Correspondent, Kushtia At least 10 houses were set fire and 10 more vandalised following the death of a person in a fierce clash between two factions of the local unit of Awami League at Poradah village in Mirpur upazila on Friday night.

Kazi Jalal, officer-in-charge of Mirpur police station, said the clash took place between the supporters of Poradah union unit Awami League president Mosharraf Hossain and Mirpur upazila unit Juba League joint general secretary Asaduzzaman Parvez over establishing supremacy in the area in the evening, leaving six people from both sides injured.

The injured were taken to Kushtia General Hospital where Nurul Islam, supporter of Mosharraf group, succumbed to his injures around 8pm.

As the news spread, the Mosharraf’s followers set fire to 10 houses and also vandalised 10 more houses of the supporters of Parvez at night.

On information, fire fighting units from local fire station went to the spot and doused the fire.

Pralay Chisim, superintendent of police, said police arrested two people Rintu and Rocky in connection with the killing.

Additional police forces were deployed in the area. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Career

7

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Seven things to remember while crafting résumé n Nakibul Hoq Résumés are feared by professionals of all ages. Regardless of age or experience, people have a general proclivity of procrastinating when it comes to preparing their curriculum vitae. And even more so when you are right at the start of your career, when you have a severe shortage of experiences to talk about.

At GradConnect, we have a dedicated team of writers, editors and professionals who work together to deliver a comprehensive résumé-writing service of international standards. The team is led by our Director of Strategy Naiian Yazdani who is currently doing his MBA at the Said Business School, Oxford. Our long-running experience in this sector has continuously underscored that most of the professionals are doing things the wrong way. The following is a list of seven things all professionals creating their résumés should keep in mind.

Include statistics

Ever saw Steve Jobs’ presentations for launching Apple’s signature products?

One thing Jobs loved to use was statistics. Yes, statistics, regardless of how difficult it is to prepare them, have their own magic. They lend credibility to generalised statements of your abilities and lend credibility to your capabilities.

Don’t include every single thing you achieved since birth

Almost all candidates forget that the person reviewing the résumé has a limited time frame to go through your accomplishments. This is why it is important to leave out things that will add little value to your future life. Forget about the volunteering you did 5 years back for a community service organisation. Instead, try to include research positions you held even at your first year of undergraduate study.

professional life. Having your heads up high and telling the truth at all times goes a long way to prove your worth to the organisation. After all, most organisations believe in legal, ethical choices for their businesses. Remember, you will always get caught if you lie blatantly on any of the components of your application.

A photo, even a small one, is a big no-no

There will always be candidates who are better than you, more experienced than you and much more qualified than you are. However, it is important to remember that when reviewing the curriculum vitae, people are generally looking for an appropriate fit for the vacancy. Over- qualification is not good either, so be a stickler and project what you really are.

Let’s face the cultural stereotypical realities: people try to judge you through your appearance. This is why a photo should always be avoided unless and until it is specifically mentioned in the job advertisement or recruitment message. They are useless, and are a source of implicit, unconscious bias for people who go through your résumés to get a better sense of you.

Exaggerate

People like to exaggerate on their accomplishments. While this is highly unethical, reviewers assume that the candidate will have exaggerated, even if a little bit, to stand out in the applicant pool. This is why a little bit of exaggeration isn’t that bad. However, don’t go way out of the line with your exaggeration; underscore and emphasise only on truth as much as possible.

But, don’t lie!

Lying is severely detrimental to your

You are not the best, so don’t act like you are

Avoid grammatical and spelling errors Trust me, the number of people making grammatical or spelling errors on résumés is simply too damn high! While the fault can definitely be attributed to Facebook or autocorrect options, it is your responsibility to ensure your application is as perfect as it gets. l Nakibul Hoq is the Lead Manager, Content & Analytics for GradInsights, the career intelligence service of GradConnect. Find him at nakib@grad-connect.com. For our signature career-related services, simply drop us a message via email or on our facebook page.

Is it time for a raise? your base or your consolidated salary?

Don’t be the first to blink

An experienced negotiator will try to get you to name a number first. “What do you expect to earn?” is a simple but extremely high-pressure question to answer, and it is easy to give in to the pressure and fumble. If you really want the job, you will probably end up naming a figure lower than you are seeking, or that you know you deserve.

Nevertheless, when you really have to answer the question, it is best to answer it with another question: “What is the budget allocated for this position?”

Talk down

n

Ahsan Sajid

Negotiating your salary is one of the first “tasks” that you will be doing at the job you are about to start, and as far as tasks go this is an extremely tricky one – whether you are a seasoned whale or a fourth year student.

There are a number of different issues one needs to be aware of, such as maintaining the right attitude, not making promises that cannot be kept, not getting emotional, etc.

While negotiating a salary is not an easy task for any individual, and particularly less for more introverted, shy and “polite” individuals, following are

WORDS OF WISDOM

a few tips to do it in a sophisticated and professional manner.

Know what you want

The best thing about an employer-employee relationship, unlike other relationships, is that there is a contract that one signs at the onset and both parties arrive at a mutually agreed upon expectation from one another.

There is no reason to be shy as so many of us are likely to be when it comes to talking about money. You don’t want a particularly crafty employer to use your shyness to lowball you.

Thinking it is too rude, demanding or belittling to talk about money will be

Actuary - a person who calculates risks for insurance companies BIZ VOCAB

Assessor - a person who calculates the value of

something

Earl Nightingale, American motivational speaker and author, known as the Dean of Personal Development

Go through the contract

Do not be difficult to deal with

It is common to focus on your consolidated salary instead of heeding the breakdown, which allows for HR sleight of hand tricks to fly under your radar.

There are a number of questions to ask both yourself and your employer.

What is your base pay? Are the bonuses discretionary or guaranteed?

Who exactly decides whether you deserve performance bonuses? Is your festival bonus’ percentage based on

Sometimes the best way to negotiate is to be flexible and let certain things that do not really mean that much to you go. A lot of people enter a negotiation with their mind completely made up, trying to slice off every morsel they can get. If you are rude, uncompromising and difficult, you may feel like you won the negotiation but you will be entering a new relationship on the wrong foot. A negotiation should leave all parties pleased with the outcome. l

A word or two on insurance n Career Desk

The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe that you are working for somebody else. Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual.

Remember: Jobs are owned by the company, you own your career!

the most expensive mistake you make.

While most of us do not enjoy engaging in the “money-talk,” it is best to be firm and courteous and negotiate the number.

A number can always be negotiated down, but never up. Do not be afraid to name a figure that is too high (while remaining realistic, as goes without saying). The numbers talk happens at the end of a drawn out interview period, so you need not be afraid that you will name a figure so high the interview will immediately be terminated.

When you must name a number, if you stay within realistic bounds and still ask for a higher than expected number, you will enter a negotiation.

By negotiating down bit by bit to the number both parties can work with, your employer will also feel like they are winning the negotiation.

Claim - an application for payment under an insurance policy; to make a claim Comprehensive - (of an insurance policy) all-inclusive; providing complete protection

Employer’s liability - liability or responsibility of a firm for damage caused to one of its employees Goods in transit - property, merchandise or any goods in the process of being transported Insurance broker - agent who arranges insurance; middleman between insurer and policyholder Liability - the state of being liable; anything for which a person is liable Liable - legally obliged to pay for damage, injury etc; responsible

Consequential loss - a loss that happens as a consequence of or as a result of another

Loss - death, injury, damage etc that is the basis for a claim

Cover - the protection given by an insurance policy

Loss adjuster - a person who assesses the amount of compensation arising from

a claim Policy - a contract of insurance Policyholder - the person to whom an insurance policy is issued Premium - a payment, usually monthly, yearly etc, for an insurance policy Product liability - liability or responsibility of a firm for damage caused by one of its products Public liability - responsibility of a firm for damage caused to a member of the public Reinsurance - the insuring of a risk by one insurance company with another Risk - chance or possibility of injury, loss etc; person or thing causing risk

How to transition into a new job smoothly n Career Desk There are certain attitude adjustments and expectations to manage when starting a new job. Whether you are a fresh graduate on you first job, or a senior-level executive switching to a new organisation, starting a new job brings with it many of the same challenges and conflicts.

It pays to understand the culture of your organisation, and finding your niche in it, which can be a very time-consuming process. Following are a few suggestions that may help you accelerate the development.

Don’t do too much too soon

This trait is as common in job starters as it is in seasoned workers – when starting a new job in a new company the pressure to impress leads one to go all out and chase assignments from day one. While this isn’t a bad thing and it certainly impresses the boss, it can get one in trouble.

You are bringing experience, connections, and a plethora of other intangible assets, but you don’t know the culture or the players. Your actions may alienate colleagues, disrupt the method and pace the company is comfortable with, or have long term repercussions you cannot yet fully see. Take time to do the groundwork and figure out the company. Ask for your colleague’s perspectives instead of just your boss. You won’t get a second chance.

Say less, learn more

The first few days, take advantage of being silent and observe and listen to your colleagues in different circumstances.

Process and analyse all the information that you collect from conversations and try to figure out who you can trust and who you need to be wary of.

The less you say, the better you position yourself to learn how the company works. This doesn’t mean you should be rude or shy; it means not to volunteer opinions or information unless they are asked for.

Make friends with diverse people

It is easy to talk to colleagues in your department or work with colleagues who are just around you, but to excel at your new job you must build a diverse circle of trust comprising of people in different functions in the organisation.

When you socialise with more than just your immediate colleagues you gain a more holistic understanding of your company and the way it works.

Furthermore, when you have people to count on throughout the company, you have multiple sources feeding your important information, fresh

When starting a new job, let go of all your previous work habits, customs and team dynamics pair of eyes for any problems that may arise, and ease of operations for projects requiring interdepartmental collaboration.

Don’t carry your baggage forward

Engage fully at your new position by showing loyalty and appreciation. The longer one spends at a job the more used to one gets to it; when starting a new job, let go of all your previous work habits, customs and team dynamics.

Differences in practice will be clear to you, but do not even mention your previous job unless asked about it. If you constantly bring up “At my old job, we did things this way” or “At my old job, I undertook this many projects” your new colleagues will soon tire of you, creating unnecessary friction.

You earn the right to critique your new workplace once you’ve been there long enough to understand it. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Sunday, December 21, 2014

UN asks Israel to pay Lebanon Israel bombs Gaza militant base $850m for oil spill n AP, United Nations The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution asking Israel to pay Lebanon over $850m in damages for an oil spill caused by an Israeli air force attack on oil storage tanks during its war with Hezbollah in July 2006.

The assembly voted 170-6 in favor of the resolution, with three abstentions on Friday. Israel, the United States, Canada, Australia, Micronesia and Marshall Islands voted “no.”

General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding but they do reflect world opinion.

The resolution says “the environmental disaster” caused by the destruction of the tanks resulted in an oil slick that covered the entire Lebanese coastline and extended to the Syrian coastline, causing extensive pollution.

Israel’s UN Mission said in a statement late on Thursday that the resolution is biased against Israel.

“Israel Immediately responded to the oil slick incident by cooperating closely with the United Nations Environment Programme, as well as other UN agencies and NGOs, addressing the environmental situation along the coast of Lebanon,” the statement reads.

“This resolution has long outlived the effects of the oil slick, and serves no purpose other than to contribute to institutionalising an anti-Israel agenda at the UN.” The assembly acknowledged the conclusions in an August report by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that studies show the value of damage to Lebanon amounted to $856.4m in 2014.

It asked Israel to provide “prompt and adequate compensation.”

The assembly also asked Ban to urge UN bodies and other organisations involved in the initial assessment to conduct a further study, building on the work conducted by the World Bank, to measure and quantify the environmental damage sustained by neighbouring countries.

The resolution notes that “the secretary-general expressed grave concern at the lack of any acknowledgement on the part of the government of Israel of its responsibilities vis-a-vis reparations and compensation” to Lebanon and Syria for the oil spill.

It notes that Ban concluded that the spill is not covered by any international oil spill compensation funds and therefore recognises “that further consideration needs to be given to the option of security the relevant compensation from the government of Israel.” l

n Reuters Israeli aircraft bombed a Hamas militant base in the Gaza Strip on Friday for the first time since the end of a war in the territory, in response to a rocket that militants launched earlier in the day, the army said.

The bombs struck in the Khan Younis area in the southern Gaza Strip.

Local hospital officials said there were no casualties. The militant rocket fired earlier landed in a field in southern Israel and did not cause casualties.

“The IDF (military) will not permit any attempt to undermine the security and jeopardise the well being of the civilians of Israel. The Hamas terrorist organisation is responsible and accountable for today’s attack against Israel,” military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner said in a statement.

Two previous cases of militant rockets landing in Israel have been recorded but there was no retaliation to them.

Israel launched its Gaza offensive on July 8 with the declared aim of halting cross-border rocket salvoes by Hamas. The fighting was ended by an Egyptian-brokered truce on August 26.

More than 2,100 Palestinians, most of them civilians, were killed in seven weeks of fighting, according to the Gaza health ministry. Sixty-seven Israeli soldiers and six civilians in Israel were killed.

In a separate incident on Friday, four Palestinian protesters were shot in the legs by Israeli troops after they ignored warnings to keep away from the border fence between the coastal territory and the Jewish state, the military and Gaza medical officials said. l

Cairns deaths: Children’s mother arrested n BBC The mother of seven of eight children found dead at a house in Cairns, Australia, has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Mersane Warria, 37, is talking to officers. She has not been charged.

She was found at her home with stab wounds, alongside the bodies of the eight children. A coroner is due to conduct post-mortem examinations.

The victims were aged 18 months to 14 years. Police have not said how they died. The eighth child was her niece.

Confirming the arrest, Cairns Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said: “The 37-year-old mother of several of the children involved in this incident has been arrested for murder overnight and is currently under police guard at the Cairns Base Hospital.”

Identified by the local media, Ms Warria remains in a stable condition in hospital recovering from stab wounds. l

Women ‘punished’ for marrying nonJordanians

Turkish court issues arrest warrant for USbased Erdogan rival

Khaled al-Maani sat neatly on one of the brown velvet mattresses lining his parents’ living room in southern Marka, Jordan, flipping through his schoolbooks.

The 13-year-old told Al Jazeera he “hated” school five years ago, when his teacher asked him to return textbooks she gave to him by “mistake.” He was not entitled to them, she said, because he was Egyptian.

“But my mother is Jordanian,” Khaled explained.

It was the first time he had encountered the reality that in his family of eight, only his mother was a Jordanian citizen, while he and his six siblings despite being born and raised in Jordan - remained “second-class citizens.”

While Jordan’s citizenship law states that “children of a Jordanian [man] are Jordanian regardless of where they were born,” Jordanian women cannot pass on their citizenship if married to non-Jordanian men.

Khaled’s mother, Laila al-Maani, and thousands of Jordanian women have staged more than 50 protests over the past decade at sites ranging from government offices to the Royal Court, demanding full rights for their children. l

A Turkish court issued an arrest warrant on Friday for US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen whose followers are accused by President Tayyip Erdogan of leading a terrorist plot to seize power, according to media.

The warrant takes Erdogan’s campaign to root out Gulen supporters, including purges of the judiciary and police, to the international arena potentially testing strained relations with Washington. Newspapers said a prosecutor, filing for the warrant, accused him of leading a terrorist gang.

Gulen has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999. He was a close ally of Erdogan in the early years after his ruling AK Party took power in 2002 but has been in open conflict with him since a graft investigation emerged a year ago targeting the then-prime minister’s inner circle.

Erdogan portrays the investigation as part of a coup attempt and describes Gulen’s followers as traitors and terrorists - all charges that Gulen, who runs a vast network of schools and business enterprises in Turkey and abroad, denies.

Officials at Gulen’s headquarters in Saylorsburg were not immediately available for comment. l

n Agencies

n Reuters, Istanbul

Police spray water canons to disperse a rally making its way to Kizilay Square in the capital Ankara, as mainly teachers demonstrated against the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government’s education policy yesterday AFP

Obama: I’m not a lame duck n Reuters

If US President Barack Obama is feeling the pain from a rough year at the office, he did a great job of covering it up on Friday.

Before boarding Air Force One for a vacation in Hawaii, the president gave a year-end news conference with a spring in his step, buoyed by a surge in US economic growth and newly confident after having stymied his Republican critics with unilateral actions on immigration and Cuba.

Bantering with reporters, granting questions only to women and wishing all the Hawaiian Christmas greeting, “Mele Kalikimaka,” Obama appeared energised and exuded an I’m-not-done-yet attitude.

“There is no doubt that we can enter into the new year with renewed

confidence that America’s making significant strides where it counts,” he said.

The Washington Post declared recently that Obama had “the worst year in Washington,” a grim assessment after the president struggled to respond to a variety of foreign and domestic crises from beheadings by Islamic State to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine to racial unrest in Ferguson, Missouri.

He was quickly labeled a lame duck after his Democrats’ dramatic midterm election losses to resurgent Republicans in early November. Already a multitude of potential candidates are jockeying for position in the looming fight to succeed him in 2016.

Obama’s actions in the weeks since the elections, however, have foiled the conventional wisdom that his

presidency is largely over.

He bypassed a divided Congress to reform immigration on his own, ignored congressional critics this week by moving to normalise relations with Cold War-era foe Cuba, and reached a compromise deal with Republicans on a $1.1 trillion spending bill to the chagrin of some Democrats.

Perhaps the biggest factor in Obama’s improved mood has been stronger economic growth and job creation after the long tepid period that marked much of a presidency that began in early 2009 when the economy was mired in deep recession.

It is an old truth of American politics that presidents have a greater ability to strike compromises and go against their party’s orthodoxy in their last two years in office, when they don’t have to face the voters again. l

Russia calls new sanctions on Crimea n Reuters, Moscow The Russian Foreign Ministry denounced new Western sanctions against Ukraine’s Crimea region yesterday as a “collective punishment” on local residents who voted in a referendum last March to join Russia.

Both the European Union and United States adopted tighter restrictions on investments in Crimea this week, targeting individuals, Russian Black Sea oil and gas exploration and tourism.

The referendum, which Ukraine and Western countries rejected as illegal, resulted in a 97% vote in favor of joining Crimea to the Russian Federation. President Vladimir Putin signed a decree the following day to annex the

With Cuba decision, Obama hands Hillary Clinton a gift n Reuters, Washington Potential 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton knows a political gift when she sees one.

She was quick to embrace the step this week when President Barack Obama, a fellow Democrat no longer having to face an electorate, relaxed US policy toward Cuba.

While assailed by Republicans opposed to restoring ties with the communist-led island, the action has the power to solidify support for Democrats among increasingly influential Latino voters and appeal to voters in farm states like Iowa eager to do business in Havana.

Obama’s unilateral move has gently shaken up the 2016 race to succeed him, exposing divisions among Republicans and possibly helping Democrats already buoyed by his decision to liberalise immigration policy.

Potential contenders Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio adhered to the traditional Republican hard line on Cuba and sharply criticised Obama. But Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who has a libertarian streak,

backed the new policy.

A likely White House candidate, Paul told a West Virginia radio station that the 50-year-old embargo with Cuba “just hasn’t worked.”

Clinton, Obama’s former secretary of state, also had asserted the previous policy was not working. In her memoir, “Hard Choices,” she wrote that she urged Obama to shift. She welcomed the change in a statement on Wednesday.

Democrats argue that Clinton’s embrace of Obama on Cuba could help her with Latino voters, especially younger ones in the key state of Florida, who are less inclined than their elders to be virulently opposed to the Cuban government.

Of America’s 1.5-million-strong Cuban-American population, about 80% live in Florida.

“I think it’ll help her with the younger folks,” Democratic strategist Bud Jackson said of Clinton.

Latinos already like what they see in Clinton. A Telemundo/NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found on Thursday that 61% of Latinos see themselves supporting Clinton in 2016, 11 points more than the

general population.

More of a plus

The Cuba shift could also prove popular among those dependent on America’s agricultural businesses, major hotels and even sports fans who enjoy watching the best Cuban players make it to Major League Baseball.

“The political calculation has to be that this is more of a plus for a candidate for president than a minus,” said David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll of more than 31,000 adults between July and October showed Americans largely open to forging diplomatic relations with Cuba. About one-fifth opposed such a move, while 43% backed it and around 37% were unsure.

But there are potential pitfalls for Clinton. She will need to stake out some positions of her own or risk criticism that she simply represents the third term of a president who is saddled with a 40% approval rating.

In their 2008 battle for the Democratic presidential nomination that Obama won, Clinton accused him of being “naive” for

offering to meet leaders of such renegade nations as Cuba without conditions.

Since flirting with a presidential race, Clinton for the most part has chosen not to separate herself from Obama other than to question his decision not to arm Syrian rebels, as her memoir reveals.

Lanhee Chen, a Hoover Institution scholar who advised Republican Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential bid, said if Clinton is “trying to draw some distance from the president’s foreign policy in some ways, it was not useful to have something where she’s perfectly aligned with him.”

There are also risks for Jeb Bush, a former Florida governor, and Rubio, a Florida senator. In their criticisms of Obama’s policy, the two Republicans are aligning themselves with their party’s conservative base but their views could appear outdated to moderate voters.

“I think it’s kind of a blind cul-de-sac for people like Rubio and Bush to get pushed into,” said Democratic strategist Bob Shrum, who was Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry’s campaign manager in 2004. “It reflects a Florida that doesn’t exist anymore.” l

peninsula.

“Introducing new unilateral sanctions against the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sebastopol by the USA and European Union is a direct evidence that the West has acknowledged that the decision by the Crimeans to rejoin Russia was unanimous and voluntary,” the ministry said in a statement.

“That’s why they chose the ‘punishment’ to be collective,” it added. “It is sad that the countries which call themselves democratic resort to such methods in the 21st century.”

The West slapped sanctions on Moscow over Crimea and stepped them up as pro-Russian separatist unrest spread to the eastern Ukraine regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. l

Raul Castro steps out of brother’s shadow with US deal

n Reuters

Stepping out of his legendary brother’s shadow, President Raul Castro has scored a diplomatic triumph and a surge in popular support with the deal that ends decades of open hostility with the US. For many Cubans, the restoration of diplomatic relations and President Barack Obama’s promise to dismantle economic sanctions against the communist-run island have raised hopes of a more prosperous future.

Just as important, in exchange for one American prisoner and dozens of little-known Cubans, Castro won the freedom of three Cuban spies widely exalted at home as heroes who were wrongly imprisoned in the US for 16 years. l

Human rights in spotlight after US-Cuba deal n AP, Havana To many exiles and their allies, President Raul Castro is a brutal dictator who locks up dissenters in gulag-like jails, snuffs out political discourse and condemns his people to socialist poverty.

Cuba’s supporters see the government as heroic, its sins justified by the behavior of its giant enemy to the north, and offset by the fact it provides health care and education that most developing countries could only dream of.

As often is the case, the truth lies somewhere in between.

President Barack Obama said on Friday that he began his historic call with Castro earlier in the week by delivering a 15-minute lecture on human rights and political freedom, adding: “This is still a regime that oppresses its people.”

Even so, he said that US policy had failed to change Cuba for more than a half century and it was time to try something new.

Human rights activists welcomed the overhaul of US-Cuba relations, but added that the Communist government has much to answer for, including a denial of freedom of speech, the banning of independent labor unions and a lack of fair and competitive elections.

“I believe that President Obama is making the right decision, but that does not mean that our serious human rights concerns with regard to Cuba have gone away,” Jose Miguel Vivanco, executive director for the Americas division at Human Rights Watch, told The Associated Press. He said the abuses were “part of state policy, systematic and widespread.”

Castro has defended the single-party political system, saying open elections would be tantamount to “legalising the party or parties of imperialism on our soil.”

Accusations of human rights abuses have dogged the Cuban government since the beginning, starting with summary trials and executions. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

North Korea seeks joint probe with US on Sony hack n Reuters North Korea said US accusations that it was involved in a cyberattack on Sony Pictures were “groundless slander” and that it was wanted a joint investigation into the incident with the United States.

An unnamed spokesman of the North’s foreign ministry said there would be “grave consequences” if Washington refused to agree to the joint probe and continued to accuse Pyongyang, the official KCNA news agency reported yesterday.

On Friday, President Barack Obama blamed North Korea for the devastating cyberattack, which led to the Hollywood studio cancelling “The Interview,” a comedy on the fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In its first substantive response to the accusation, the isolated North Korea said it could prove it had nothing to do with the massive hacking attack.

“We propose to conduct a joint investigation with the US in response to groundless slander being perpetrated by the US by mobilising public opinion,” the North Korean spokesman said.

“If the US refuses to accept our proposal for a joint investigation and continues to talk about some kind of response by dragging us into the case, it must remember there will be grave consequences,” the spokesman said.

Earlier, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation announced it had determined that North Korea was behind the hacking of Sony, saying Pyongyang’s actions fell “outside the bounds of acceptable state behavior.”

Sony Pictures Entertainment Chief Executive Michael Lynton insisted the company did not capitulate to hackers and said it is still looking for alternative platforms to release “The Interview.” This week, a spokeswoman for Sony had said the company did not have further release plans for the

$44m film starring Seth Rogen and James Franco.

Despite Obama’s stern warning to North Korea, his options for responding to the computer attack by the impoverished state appeared limited. The president declined to be specific about any actions under consideration.

North Korea has been subject to US sanctions for more than 50 years, but they have had little effect on its human rights policies or its development of nuclear weapons. It has become expert in hiding its often criminal money-raising activities, largely avoiding traditional banks.

The FBI said technical analysis of malicious software used in the Sony attack found links to malware that “North Korean actors” had developed and found a “significant overlap” with “other malicious cyber activity” previously tied to Pyongyang.

But it otherwise gave scant details on how it concluded that North Korea was behind the attack.

US experts say Obama’s options could include cyber retaliation, financial sanctions, criminal indictments against individuals implicated in the attack or even a boost in US military support to South Korea, still technically at war with the North.

But the effect of any response would be limited given North Korea’s isolation and the fact that it is already heavily sanctioned for its nuclear program.

There is also the risk that an overly harsh US response could provoke Pyongyang to escalate any cyber warfare.

Non-conventional capabilities such as cyber warfare and nuclear technology are the weapons of choice for the impoverished North, defectors said in Seoul.

They said the Sony attack may have been a practice run for North Korea’s “cyberarmy” as part of its long-term goal of being able to cripple its rivals’ telecommunications and energy grids. l

Taliban threaten to kill politicians’ kids next n

Agencies

After the gruesome killing of children in Peshawar this week, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has warned the Nawaz Sharif government that it will start eliminating children of politicians, including Sharif’s family, and army officers if the Pakistan government keeps its commitment to hang militants owing allegiance to the terror outfit.

The warning came in the form of a letter, written apparently by Mohammed Kharasani, believed to be a top commander of Tehrik-e-Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah. It was received by Pakistan authorities on Friday evening. TOI has access to the letter.

Top sources said they were trying to verify if the letter was genuine. The

Obama grants $1bn to Pakistan n Agencies President Barack Obama has signed a massive annual defence policy bill which grants $1bn to Pakistan for the expenses made by its army in support of the US military operations in wartorn Afghanistan.

The National Defence Authorisation Act for the fiscal year 2015, signed by Obama on Friday, sets overall defence spending at $578bn which has provision for release of Coalition Support Fund amounting to $1bn to Pakistan.

CSF is not a military aid but a reimbursement to Pakistan for the expenses made by the its army in support of the US military operations in Afghanistan.

Though there are conditions attached for the disbursement of the amount to Pakistan, with regard to it taking action against terrorist organisations and in particular the Haqqani network, but as usual the defence secretary can waive off these certification under national interest, as has consistently been the case for the past several years.

US and Pakistan are now holding talks on extending CSF even after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.

The NDAA asks the defence secretary to submit a report to the Congress on US-Pak bilateral security co-operation within the first 90 days of the passage of this bill and every six months thereafter till December 2017. l

letter justified the killing of young children saying the kids were committed to following in the footsteps of their parents.

While the letter doesn’t mention India, it is still of interest as one of those facing death sentence in Pakistan is Omar Sheikh, one of the terrorists released in the Kandahar hijacking and also the killer of Daniel Pearl.

The letter says that if any incarcerated terrorist is killed, TTP will take revenge by killing more young children.

“Let us make it clear to Pakistan establishment that if any of our associates is harmed, we will avenge ourselves by targeting your children. We would ensure that houses of army generals and political leaders become centers of mourning,” said the letter. l

9

Sunday, December 21, 2014

N Korea says to boost nuclear power to counter US hostile policy n Reuters

Sony Pictures canceled the December 25, theatrical release of its North Korea comedy after major US theater chains pulled out of showing the film following threats from hackers REUTERS

Obama vows US response to North Korea over Sony cyber attack n Reuters, Washington President Barack Obama vowed on Friday to respond to a devastating cyber attack on Sony Pictures that he blamed on North Korea, and scolded the Hollywood studio for caving in to what he described as a foreign dictator imposing censorship in America.

Obama said the cyber attack caused a lot of damage to Sony but that the

company should not have let itself be intimidated into halting the public release of “The Interview,” a lampoon portraying the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “We will respond,” Obama told an end-of-year news conference. “We’ll respond proportionally, and we’ll respond in a place and time and manner that we choose.”

Obama said North Korea appeared

to have acted alone. Washington began consultations with Japan, China, South Korea and Russia seeking their assistance in reining in North Korea.

It was the first time the United States had directly accused another country of a cyber attack of such magnitude on American soil and set up a possible new confrontation between longtime foes Washington and Pyongyang. l

Pakistan steps up campaign against fighters n Agencies Reports say 21 fighters have been killed in aerial strikes in the Tirah Valley in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Agency.

The country’s leaders pledged decisive action in the wake of Tuesday’s school massacre in Peshawar, capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which left 149 people dead, most of them children.

The rampage brought international condemnation and fuelled calls in Pakistan for action against armed fighters.

Saturday’s bombardment comes a day after Pakistan hanged two convicted men in the first executions since 2008 after the government ended a moratorium on the death penalty in the wake of the school massacre.

Officials said that there may be 10 more executions in the coming days: six in Punjab province and four in

southern Sindh province.

Meanwhile, US drone strikes in Data Khel area of North Waziristan province left six people dead yesterday, Pakistani security officials said.

“A US drone fired two missiles at a compound in Mada Khail neighbourhood of Data Khel area in North Waziristan killing five militants. The death toll is expected to rise,” a senior security official requesting anonymity told AFP news agency.

Also yesterday, nine people including a policeman and paramilitary soldier were killed in two separate incidents when security forces hit suspected rebel hideouts in the northwest, officials said.

In the first incident, police and paramilitary soldiers raided suspected hideouts in the Mechani neighbourhood of Shabqadar, a town around 30km north of Peshawar.

“A soldier of the Frontier Corps and a policeman embraced martyrdom in an exchange of fire with militants in Mechani neighbourhood of Shabqadar Saturday morning,” local police official Wilayat Khan told AFP. He said two fighters belonging to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the group behind Tuesday’s school massacre were also killed.

In the second incident, five members of the TTP including a local commander were killed officials said.

“Five members of the TTP were killed in a raid on their hideout in Gujjar Gadi neighbourhood of Matni, around 16 miles (25km) south of Peshawar,” a senior security official told AFP. The Pakistani army has been waging a major offensive against longstanding Taliban and other rebel strongholds in the restive tribal areas on the Afghan border for the last six months. l

North Korea vowed yesterday to boost its “nuclear power” to counter Washington’s hostile policy, saying it had become apparent the United States aimed to invade the North under the guise of human rights abuses.

Member countries of the United Nations on Thursday urged the Security Council to consider referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity as alleged in a UN inquiry report released earlier this year.

“Now that the US hostile policy with an aim to invade our republic under the guise of human rights has become apparent, the idea of denuclearising the Korean peninsula itself is no longer valid,” the North’s foreign ministry spokesman said on KCNA. “Our effort to strengthen our defensive military power including nuclear power will be doubly stepped up in every way,” the spokesman said in a statement.

A UN Commission of Inquiry report published in February detailed wide-ranging abuses in North Korea, including prison camps, systematic torture, starvation and killings comparable to Nazi-era atrocities.

It is unlikely to lead to action in the International Criminal Court at The Hague, which looks at serious abuses like genocide and other crimes against humanity, because China would likely use its veto power to block it.

North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests and is believed to have materials for up to a dozen atomic weapons but there is no independent assessment that it has mastered the technology to mount a warhead on a missile.

The unnamed spokesman of the North’s foreign ministry did not mention the finding by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation that North Korea was behind a cyber attack on Sony Pictures and President Barack Obama’s vow to respond. l

Pak army chief: Hang 3,000 terrorists in 48 hours

n Agencies

From a Twitter account purported to be of Pakistan Army chief, Gen Raheel Sharif tweeted on Wednesday, “Asked PM Nawaz Sharif to hang all terrorists. More than 3,000 terrorists should be hanged in next 48 hours.” A day later, Lashkar-e-Taiba’s commander Zaki-ur Rahman Lakhvi was out on bail.

Gen Sharif, who has frontally taken on the Taliban, is credited to have changed the army’s approach towards extremist groups, from one of using them as allies — as “strategic assets” against “enemies” like India — to launching an uncompromising offensive against them.

Gen Sharif’s Twitter profile makes for interesting reading. l

Xi Jinping defends ‘one-China’ principle Modi’s party distances from religious conversions n Reuters

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shakes hands with the Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region Fernando Chui during his visit to Macau to celebrate the 15th anniversary of its handover to the mainland yesterday REUTERS

n BBC Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Macau to mark the 15th anniversary of the former Portuguese colony’s return to China.

He urged people in the territory to respect the “one-China” principle.

Like neighbouring Hong Kong, Macau is a special autonomous region and has experienced pro-

tests by pro-democracy activists this year.

Correspondents say officials in Beijing do not want to the territories to become hotbeds of dissent.

“We must both adhere to the ‘one China’ principle and respect the difference of the two systems,” Mr Xi said at the inauguration of Macau’s Chief Executive Fernando Chui.

“This is the only way leading to

sound and steady progress,” Mr Xi added. “Otherwise a misguided approach from the beginning, just like putting one’s left foot into the right shoe, would lead us nowhere.”

Six months ago, demonstrators in Macau took to the streets to demand greater democracy. Mr Chui was the only nominee for the chief executive position, and was elected by a 400-person panel. l

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party said yesterday it does not support forceful religious conversions, distancing itself from a sensitive issue that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties and hurt the government’s reform agenda.

Modi has in recent weeks come under fire for being slow to rein in his hardline affiliate groups that are allegedly trying to promote a Hindu-dominant agenda by luring Muslims and Christians to convert to Hinduism.

Critics say such groups undermine the secular foundations of multi-faith India and have become more assertive since Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power in May. “BJP is not supportive of any forceful conversions,” party president Amit Shah said, adding that his party was supportive of bringing in an anti-conversion law.

India’s 1.2 billion people are predominantly Hindus, but the country has about 160 million Muslims and a small proportion of Christians.

Religious conversions are a hot button issue for Hindi nationalists in India, which was colonised for centuries by Muslim and Christian invaders.

Some hardliners want the entire coun-

try to become a land of Hindus.

Earlier this month, Muslim slum-dwellers complained they had been tricked into a conversion ceremony by Hindu groups who attracted them with promises of cheap government rations and voter identity cards.

Indian police are investigating the case.

In another incident, a Hindu priest-turned-lawmaker of Modi’s party planned a conversion ceremony on Christmas Day, but canceled the event after the prime minister intervened.

Supporters define such events as a ‘homecoming’, saying families signing up for the ceremonies were originally Hindus.

“A police complaint has been registered against the so-called homecoming program and the matter has reached the court. ... Let the court decide if it was a forceful conversion or not,” Shah said.

Modi’s agenda to push through reforms to boost economic growth has hit a roadblock in India’s upper house of parliament, where opposition lawmakers have demanded that the prime minister make a statement on the contested conversions issue.

The Hindu nationalist leader has so far refrained from doing so, and has let his colleagues fend off criticism. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Sunday, December 21, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Towards a culture of accountability

W

ith nearly two weeks having passed since the disastrous oil spill in the Sundarbans, and its ecological and economic impacts having become apparent, it is unfortunate that no action has yet been taken against those responsible for such gross negligence.

A parliamentary watchdog has held the Shipping Ministry liable for the catastrophe, citing its failure to confirm the fitness of the vehicle and its pitiable response to the accident.

The body has also voiced its disappointment with the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry’s efforts to contain the situation.

It would be wise of the government to make its members answerable for their actions, or lack thereof.

Accountability should apply to all levels of an organisation, and ministers need to be held responsible for their duties.

It is, then, appropriate that ministers should be sacked on the grounds of failing grossly and exhibiting denial and insensitivity, instead of contrition or even any belated intention to step up.

Taking such a step could help to start changing the culture of government in Bangladesh, and would be greatly beneficial to the prime minister, as it would be a clear break from the past, and serve as evidence that this government is trying to do things differently and better.

The recent accident at the Sundarbans is as good a time as any to start sending a message.

It would be wise of the government to make its members answerable for their actions, or lack thereof

Organic farming a win for all

W

e are pleased to see the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) partner with BATB to spread awareness about organic farming and protecting the environment, training people in better crop management, and taking a biodiversity approach to farming. This is exactly the kind of venture the government should get behind.

Not only does organic farming make the best use of our natural resources while minimising human impact on the environment, but it is costeffective and has proven to be profitable for farmers, while giving a yield of fresh, highquality food products in the market for consumers.

Due to high crop intensity, our nation’s soil has low organic matter content. This is where organic farming proves its use. “Dhaincha” (Sesbania sp) cultivation is one of the most effective, bio-friendly approaches to increasing the nitrogen and organic matter content of the soil. It decreases the need for chemicals and pesticides, thereby ensuring production and output costs are kept low, and prompting the use for agrochemicals and natural fertilisers, such as compost manure and cow dung.

Also, farmers are taught to use the wet and dry alternating method for rice cultivation to conserve water and fuel, and reduce irrigation costs.

It is evident that organic farming will be a boon to our economy and to our nation. The government can play a role by training and encouraging more farmers in this method.

Our natural resources are under threat due to waste and pollution.

It is time for new ideas in farming.

Organic farming is cost-effective and has proven to be profitable for farmers

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

The Muslimah pageant and a few other things December 9

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 19 represents L so fill L every time the figure 19 appears.

You have one letter in the control grid to start you off. Enter it 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

Karl Hungus Dreampie: Reading Taslima’s column has always been a guilty pleasure for me before, but this particular piece has really piqued my interest.

Beep Her own religious beliefs aside, one cannot pretend some of what Taslima is saying in the article is incorrect. Islam does demand that women cover themselves, while men need not do the same, because apparently men are creatures incapable of keeping themselves under control when they lay their eyes upon a lock of luscious, silky hair. Don’t get me wrong, I have no issues with the hijab. I take issue with women being forced to wear them because their government tells them to. astrophoenix Beep: Islam does require that a woman cover herself to a greater extent than a man – this is true. Islam also dictates there be no compulsion is religion. If someone chooses to follow the religion to that extent, it’s that individual’s decision. The problem arises when people force others, and that deserves fair criticism.

Boop Beep: Aren’t they though? Just joshing! Yes, that was indeed quite a ridiculous claim, but the gist of her opinion remains quite cogent, that religions and contradictions go hand-in-hand.

Anjali Khatun As a feminist, the author ought to be seeking common ground with orthodox Muslims on the largely trivial and harmless, but nonetheless demeaning (and harmful to young girls’ self image), nature of beauty contests. Instead, she sticks to her personal hobby horses and assumes all Muslims and men think the same.

Saif Ahmed This pageant is stupid, like all other beauty pageants. It’s simply a money-making scam that people buy into. But Ms Nasrin uses it to generalise and propagate a negative image of Muslims. Not all “pious” Muslims as she puts it hate non-believers and want to kill them. Not all “golden boys of golden Bengal” want to cover women in black garb. When she identifies those groups, she fails to mention that it is only a tiny segment of a very, very large group of people.

Mr Kahn This was an interesting read. It is unfair criticism to say Ms Nasrin is attacking the religion. She is not. She is merely pointing a few contradictions and hypocrisies present in the behaviour of some people who claim to be pious, such as the whole beauty pageant thing. I don’t agree with each one of her arguments, but kudos for a brave and thought-provoking piece!

Dreampie Mr Kahn: This writer is someone truly worth paying attention to.

Son Zoo Excellent article. Although the writer does get a bit too personal in certain spots, she points out some of the consistencies embedded within “pious” Muslims with surgical precision.

A Citizen I love these deliciously provocative pieces from Taslima. She writes with conviction, and so predictably ruffles a few feathers. Maybe being abroad gives her the privilege to say some things that need to be said.

Muhaiminul Islam Jaan “Groups of Muslims are taking part in a sexual jihad. These girls travel for miles to reach the desserts of Iraq and Syria, so that they can sexually please some unknown men.”

How do you know that when there are no journalists in war zones?

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.

Monkeyman Muhaiminul Islam Jaan: Don’t you read/watch the news? This is a pretty big story, well documented. rose It is true. We do not need to follow the culture of Saudi Arabia. We should be doing what is right for us, is that not the case?

Nazia Tariq Rahman This piece is not my favorite. There’s a lot of dramatic flair in it that I do not care for, although the gist of it I get. Islamophobia is very real and should not be ignored, because of all the extremists, Islam comes off as a very oppressive religion. Religion, like everything else, should be a choice and not forced. astrophoenix “Islamic extremists today are freely preaching their religion on Twitter and Facebook. Religious terrorists are using modern technology to spread terror.

Fanatics are carrying mobile phones – an invention of the non-believers. Non-believers or atheists are inventing new technologies, and Muslims are all over those inventions.”

I am curious – is this an Islamic requirement that non-believers and Muslims cannot exchange knowledge/technology? Or is this only an issue with Muslims who show an overwhelming amount of hate for people who are not Muslims?

If that’s the case, isn’t it also hypocritical for Muslim-hating groups to use algebra and algorithms?

“Pious Muslims don’t have any objections about enjoying such modern conveniences. At the same time, they do not have any objections about hating non-believers or atheists, cursing and swearing at them, or even executing them while screaming God’s name.”

Majority of the Muslims in the world would actually disagree that the people who are executing others in God’s name are “pious Muslims.”

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Smart and fashionable (4) 4 Decline in power (4) 8 Spirit (3) 9 Worshipped image (4) 10 Cicatrix (4) 11 Tempest (5) 12 Eft (4) 14 Bishop’s territory (3) 15 Short sleep (3) 17 Digit (3) 19 Lair (3) 21 Small secluded valley (4) 23 Indistinct (5) 26 Game of skill (4) 27 Allege as a fact (4) 28 Pale (3) 29 Gull (4) 30 Incline (4)

DOWN 1 Pamper (6) 2 Country (4) 3 Remedies (5) 4 Humour (3) 5 Embellish (5) 6 And not (3) 7 Tree (3) 11 Metal (5) 13 Cleat (5) 16 Fertilising powder (6) 18 Keen (5) 20 Himalayan state (5) 22 Not any (4) 23 Fermentation vessel (3) 24 Hail! (3) 25 Container for ashes (3)

Illegal hospital busted in capital, two jailed

CALVIN AND HOBBES

December 16

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

Aleha Lucy Anything is possible in this country.

CROSSWORD

HC summons 26 school heads for charging extra SSC fees PEANUTS

December 15 Faisal Ahmed They should be punished for taking excess fees from students.

Writing our history December 16 Babul Sarwar And all that injustice, oppression, and despotism was done by so-called Muslims to Muslims and non-Muslims in the name of preserving Islam! Ours was a fight against the oppressors – a pure jihad in the Qur’anic sense.

And all those Arab countries, along with the US government with Mr Kissinger, supported the hypocrites!

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Sunday, December 21, 2014

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The Sundarbans are burning

M n Iffat Nawaz

aybe we do not see the fire visibly, but those who had the heart to connect found eyes, and saw this fire spreading fast without much organised damage control.

When I heard about the Sundarbans oil spillage, the first thing I wondered about was, is this going to be another short-term damage control effort, or will anyone actually look at this mega problem with a long-term rehabilitation plan?

I am not blaming any bodies, but after living in this country on-and-off for a good number of years, I have realised how so many problems are “solved” with just a torn masking tape.

I am afraid the same will happen here, without thought given to changing patterns of disaster response methods.

When I first went to the bon, it was 1986. I was a little girl, and I don’t have too many memories from that trip, except that we took a launch called Ostrich, and we saw deer in the distance and it took us a day and a night to reach our destination. We went to my maternal grandmother’s home, who lived in a village near Satkhira where tigers visited looking for chicken and goats frequently.

I do not know when I started caring about the bon, but I know I am not the only one. There are thousands of people like me who have a deep personal connection with the Sundarbans and a lot of you who are taking the time to read this will also have similar stories as mine and many more.

What are we to do now? That’s what people are asking each other. Some are running to the spot, a few of them are conducting surveys, mapping the oil spillage, the forest department is putting in their effort, some popular personalities are going to understand the damage so that they can give support for the right cause.

Many so-called Sundarbans-friendly NGOs are already extending their hands to donors to help with disaster management without any proper plan.

And then there are those who are just going for disaster tourism, the most damaging thing you can do to Sundarbans in the name of oil spillage.

If you have nothing to give to the bon at the moment, isn’t it best that you wait for the opportunity to help when a trusted body of people give good guidance? I know things move slow here, but have patience?

Some of the clean-up efforts are also harming the ecology, people are cutting through the mangrove, increasing further damage. Experts are

Time is running out and the oil is spreading, due to natural reasons as well as human intervention Green turns to black: Sundarbans in crisis

I went back to the bon many years later again in 2010. This time as an adult and for work. I came back with typhoid and wild dreams. Then I returned again the year after during pouring monsoon, ten days on a small boat connected me to all that I could see and feel. Women of Burigoalni village, who only got to boil potatoes for food, showed me the big holes in their saris, their barren gardens, told me stories of their sisters and brothers eaten by tigers.

finally coming together to figure out the best way of oil spillage clean-up for mangroves, which is very different from the oil-spillage clean up from other eco-systems.

Some specialists even recommend a no-action/natural recovery clean up, not to say that is the best solution here. But the need for selecting the best method of clean-up is extremely necessary at the moment and the government will hopefully figure that out without too much delay.

Because really, time is running out and the oil is spreading, due to natural reasons as well as human intervention (for example, if a tourism company illegally takes the route through the damage area instead of the designated alternative route, or if the disaster management group’s boats do not follow the specific guidelines of how to manouvre vessels without causing too many ripples and waves in the damaged area’s water).

What can we do now? If you are a scientist working with ecology,

SAADUL ISLAM

and think your skills can be useful, come forward. If you are a passionate Sundarbans lover, believe me, there will be a lot to do in just a few days where you will feel like you gave back to the Sundarbans, hold tight and take stock of your best skills, the ones which may be useful for recovery efforts.

Also, when using social media, Facebook, Twitter, please verify the source of information before promoting items which can also create a hype away from the constructive one. If you

are a tourist who had planned a winter trip in the bon, please make sure your boat follows the alternative route (away from the damage area).

We can be slow learners and movers, but we are shakily hoping that this time the country will prove us wrong – if a united effort is given without power and ego play, or prior biases, or under political agendas, or in the hope of becoming famous through yet another cause (because this is really far more important than you and me).

Isn’t it time to come together as

one? The tigers were already disappearing, the deer can’t drink the water, the birds do not dive and catch fishes from the canals, bodies are turning the colour of tar, and green is turning black. It’s time now to join hands, join efforts. Otherwise this will be another past we will lament over for years. Don’t we already have enough of those? l Iffat Nawaz is a writer and conservationist.

The name of this column, Salt and Honey, was inspired by the Sundarbans.

Is UN climate change body still fit for purpose? installing solar home systems.

Driven through public private partnerships, it has sold more than 3 million systems in just a few years.

There are many more similar stories around the world.

The good news is that as countries make such investments in cleaner energy, they find it is indeed a good thing for their own development as well as being good for reducing emissions of GHGs. There is also a movement, albeit still quite small, but growing fast, of disinvestment from fossil fuel companies that is quite independent of the UNFCCC process and involves institutional investors and is based on the riskiness attached to investments in fossil fuel companies.

No country ever gives up anything until the very last minute BIGSTOCK

n Saleemul Huq

G

oing into the Lima talks, there was a great sense of optimism buoyed by the successful climate change summit held by the UN secretary general in September and with the many hundreds of thousands of marchers in New York and many other cities around the world.

This was followed closely with the historic agreement by President Obama and President Xi that the United States and China, the two biggest polluting countries, will act together to tackle their respective emissions.

This positive mood lasted well into the two weeks of negotiations in Lima,

until it came to a crashing halt with a text which was so bad that country after country started objecting to it.

It led to Peru’s environment minister, president of the 20th Conference of the Parties (COP20) to take over the process and called for an extra day of consultations.

This resulted in the end with the Lima Call for Climate Action which was adopted a full day-and-a-half after the official end of the two-week long COP. This agreement was essentially a watered down, lowest-common-denominator agreement that is much below the expectations going in.

The best that can be said about it is that it keeps the show on the road

until Paris next year.

I will, therefore, argue that COP21 to be held in Paris, France in December 2015, where a new agreement is expected to be negotiated (having failed to do so once before in Copenhagen) will indeed be the last-chance-saloon for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Reality has moved on

Twenty years ago, when the UNFCCC was agreed, in climate change terms, is an era in which much has changed.

Countries are now engaged in tackling the real adverse impacts of climate change. Bangladesh, whose emissions of GHGs is miniscule, boasts one of the world’s fastest growing programs of

The purpose of agreement

The very purpose of having a global treaty like the UNFCCC to tackle a global problem such as climate change is for all countries to agree collectively to taking actions and hold each other to account in a some legal form.

The Kyoto Protocol was one such legally binding agreement which was agreed at COP3 in 1997.

The degree of legal “bindingness” of any agreement is therefore a key attribute of any successful agreement with a protocol being the most legally binding and a “pledge and review” process much less binding.

What we seem to be heading for is a “pledge and chat” (ie without even any review) agreement which is even weaker.

Under such a regime countries, need not bother to come to the COP but could simply e-mail in their voluntary pledges.

Financing climate change actions

One of the key elements of any COP (and one that always gets resolved in the last few hours of the COP) is that on finance, specially the promises by the rich countries to provide finance to the poorer countries to tackle climate change (both for mitigation as well as adaptation).

This was also true in Lima.

However, it can also be argued that once the developed countries promised to provide $100bn a year from 2020 onwards and all countries agreed to set up the Green Climate Fund (GCF) as the repository of these funds, there is no longer anything much left for negotiation in the UNFCCC COPs. The countries that have pledged to provide the funds should simply deposit them to the GCF. Indeed while we were in Lima the amount of money pledged to the GCF crossed the $10bn mark.

Coalitions of the willing

As it is so difficult to reach consensus within the UNFCCC negotiations process, more and more coalitions of the willing are emerging to take concrete actions to tackle climate change.

One such coalition was formed the year before Copenhagen by then President Nasheed of the Maldives, who set up the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) with leaders from the three groups of vulnerable countries (namely AOSIS, LDC and Arica) as well as other vulnerable countries, to share action on tackling climate change (and not become another negotiating

group).

Since then, this group has moved on under the leadership of President Tong of Kiribati and then Sheikh Hasina and then the President of Costa Rica.

In Lima, the minister of Costa Rica handed over the chair of the CVF to the minister of the Philippines who will convene a summit meeting in the Philippines before COP21 in Paris.

The purpose of the forum is for countries to share positive experiences of tackling climate change, including both adaptation as well as mitigation.

UNFCCC prospects

As the UNFCCC caravanserai moves on to Geneva in February next year and then to Bonn in June and possible another meeting in October before finally arriving in Paris in December, the negotiators will enhance their carbon footprint (while clocking up their own airmiles) while the outcomes are likely to remain disappointing.

One reason is inherent in the process of negotiations, which is that no country ever gives up anything until the very last minute.

So no matter how long the negotiations are allowed to go on, concessions will only be made in the last minutes of the last day in Paris (and that is if we are lucky).

So, from my point of view, I sincerely hope that COP21 in Paris finally delivers the kind of agreement that we can all be proud of.

If not, it is time to call the process dead and to stop flogging the dead horse that the UNFCCC will become if Paris fails. l Saleemul Huq is Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Environment and Development in London and Director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development at the Independent University, Bangladesh. This article was previously published on rtcc.org.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE Sunday, December 21, 2014

13 Magic Johnson

inspires Aussies to Gabba win

14 Fighting Blatter

says he will not abandon Fifa

14 Atletico de

Kolkata clinch maiden ISL title

Sport

Did you know?

Andy Carroll has scored his first PL goal for West Ham with his foot since April 2013, the last four all coming via his head

BANGABANDHU GOLD CUP

Dhaka, Sylhet to host both groups n Raihan Mahmood In its bid to ensure an equal impact and add more glamour to the Bangabandhu Gold Cup, Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is thinking of hosting the tournament in a different manner.

Usually, two groups in a football competition play their matches in two different venues. However, in order to promote the event properly, BFF is planning on utilising the two venues – Dhaka and Sylhet – for both the groups.

The idea of holding Bangladesh’s group stage matches in Sylhet has reportedly ignited negative criticisms.

And responding to the vitriol, BFF has altered its strategy. “We are now planning to use the two venues for both the groups. It means, Bangladesh will now play one of their group matches in Dhaka and the other in Sylhet. This will be applicable for the other teams also,” said BFF general secretary Abu

Nayeem Shohag yesterday.

Shohag said there will be nine match-days in total with one semifinal slated for Sylhet. “As per our plans, there will be three match-days in Dhaka on January 16, 17 and 18 while in Sylhet, the three match-days have been scheduled for January 19, 20 and 21.

The first semifinal will be held in Sylhet on January 23, the second in Dhaka on January 24. Following a two-day break, the final will take place on January 27 at Bangabandhu National Stadium.

“Although it will increase our cost a bit, it will still be convenient for the spectators.”

The Bangabandhu Gold Cup will feature hosts Bangladesh, Bahrain, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore with all the five teams confirming their participation.

The sixth and final team is likely to be either Pakistan or Maldives in place of Laos. l

French paddler in Arunima n Raihan Mahmood Dhaka Premier Table Tennis League side Arunima recruited a French paddler named Swarz while all the five teams who have roped in foreign players, opted for Indian recruits in the ongoing league.

Among the eight premier division outfits, Armanitola and Ajax refrained from recruiting any overseas players.

Defending champions Sheikh Russel

brought in Arnab Adhikari, Ciciron flew in Sourav Sen Gupta, Dhaka Mariners signed Sourav Sen Gupta, Wari relied on Snehomoy Ganguly, and last year’s runners-up Palolik kept their faith on Niten Singh. Arunima also inserted Indian player Shuvom Kundo who retuned to India for his training commitment.

Meanwhile, Abahani beat Jahangir Builders in the Women’s League at Paltan Ground wooden-floor gymnasium yesterday. l

Rumi of Abahani plays a backhand against Jahangir Builders in the Agrani Bank Womens’s Table Tennis League yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Rapid Rating Chess starts today n Raihan Mahmood The Walton Home Appliance Victory Day International Rapid Rating Chess, comprising 120 players, begins at Bangladesh Chess Federation today.

The two-day event will adopt the nineround Swiss League system and the federation has arranged a total of Tk50,000 cash award for different categories.

In a presser held at BNS conference room yesterday, chess federation general secretary Gazi Shafiul Tareque presented the competition to the media.

Walton additional director FM Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn, federation vice presidents Syed Shahabuddin Shamim and Jahangir Islam, joint secretary Morsalin Ahmed were also present on the occasion. l

Adelaide’s Shakib on the verge of joining Melbourne Renegades n Minhaz Uddin Khan

(L-R) National cricketers Shaiful Islam, Taskin Ahmed and Imrul Kayes, in their bid to maintain the fitness level, spend time at the SBNS gymnasium yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Gemcon Victory Day Golf concludes

Old DOHS lose all 12 matches to go down

n Raihan Mahmood

n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Brig. Gen. Refayet Ullah clinched the three-day long Gemcon Victory Day Golf while Shah Akibur Rahman finished runners-up at Kurmitola Golf Club last Friday.

The award ceremony of the prestigious golf tournament has been sponsored by Gemcon Group for the last eight years. State Minister for Home Affairs, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal distributed the prizes among the winners. Gemcon Group vice chairman Kazi Nabil Ahmed MP, director Mrs. Ameenah Ahmed, director and CSO Dr. Kazi Anis Ahmed, director Mrs. Juditha Irene Ohlmacher, other officials of Gemcon Group and Kurmitola Golf Club, a large number of participants and civil and military officials alongside their spouses attended the elaborate award-giving ceremony. Prominent Rabindra Sangeet singer Mita Haque enthralled the audience with her songs. l

Partex Sporting Club kept their survival hopes alive in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League after trouncing fellow relegation battlers Old DOHS by 88 runs yesterday in Fatullah. National discard Rajin Saleh’s unbeaten century was the cornerstone of Partex’s comfortable victory.

The defeat confirmed Old DOHS’ (zero point) demotion to the First Division Cricket League. Partex (six points) and Kalabagan Krira Chakra (six points) will now face other tomorrow in Savar in what will virtually be a survival-decider. The losers of the tie will also drop down to the first division while the winning side will retain their place in the lone 50-over domestic competition of the country.

Deciding to take first strike, Partex posted a challenging 269/5 in their stipulated 50 overs, riding on the back of Rajin’s undefeated knock of 107 from 128 balls. The diminutive right-hander cracked 10 boundaries and two sixes

and was ably supported by cricketer Rony Talukder’s brother, Jony, who chipped in 93 runs of his own.

Jony pummeled 93 runs off 109 deliveries with the help of nine fours and three maximums and alongside Rajin, added 132 runs for the second-wick-

BRIEF SCORE Partex v Old DOHS Partex 269/5 in 50 overs Rajin 107*, Rony 93; Shawon 3/42 Old DOHS 181 allout in 47.2 overs Raihan 44; Alam 3/30, Masum 3/30 Partex won by 88 runs et partnership. Saleh Ahmed Shawon bagged three wickets for Old DOHS. Chasing 270, a joint effort by the Partex bowlers saw Old DOHS end their innings on 181 in 47.2 overs. Nuruzzaman Masum and Shafiul Alam picked up three wickets each for Partex.

Raihan Arafat’s 45-ball 44 was the highest score for Old DOHS. l

Premier Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan is most likely to join Melbourne Renegades in the ongoing Big Bash Twenty20 League 2014-15. According to close associates of Shakib, the left-arm all-rounder has reached a consensus with Renegades over a deal and an official announcement is due within a day or two.

Last week, Shakib confirmed his participation in the premier Australian T20 domestic league that got underway last Thursday. The 27-year old, however, did not disclose the name of his team as he said he only wants to do it after putting pen to paper – a process that is expected to be completed soon.

In his previous appearance in the tournament in the 2013-14 season, Shakib featured for the Adelaide Strikers. His contract, however, was terminated after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) handed out an overseas league ban on him. The ban was supposed to run till the end of next year.

BCB cited a “severe attitude problem” on Shakib’s part.

However, BCB later lifted his embargo on playing in overseas domestic competitions, paving the way for him to take part in the Big Bash.

The Strikers have already signed their maximum quota of two overseas players – South African cricketer Johan Botha and West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard. Pollard though will leave midway through the tournament to attend national team duty. Thereafter, the Strikers will recruit someone else.

If Shakib finalises his deal with the Melbourne outfit, he will play under the leadership of Australian opening batsman Aaron Finch and share the dressing room with the likes of wicketkeeper Matthew Wade, Callum Ferguson, Tom Cooper, Jesse Ryder, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, Peter Siddle, Alex Doolan, Fawad Ahmed, James Pattinson and Ben Rohrer among others. l

Europa Group clinch corporate cricket title n Raihan Mahmood Europa Group emerged as the champions of the 4th Marcel Twenty20 Corporate Cricket defeating Walton Group by nine wickets in the final held at Mohammedpur Eidgah Ground yesterday.

Walton opted to bat first after winning the toss and were skittled out for 101 in 16.3 overs. Johirul Islam of Walton top-scored with 20 runs from 14 balls while Tushar of Europa grabbed four wickets conceding six runs only. In reply, Europa cruised to victory reaching 104 for the loss of just one wicket in 11.3 overs. Ratan’s blitzkrieg 54 off just

24 deliveries paved the way for Europa to the facile victory. For the losing side, Nayeb Ali took the only wicket to fall.

Tushar of Europa was adjudged the man of the final while Sahel Mia of Walton was named the player of the tournament.

Bangladesh Cricket Board vice president Mahbubul Anam and actor Elias Kanchan distributed the prizes among the winners.

28 corporate teams participated in the tournament that got underway on November 14, 2014. Sports event management organisation ASEMS hosted the tournament.l

Europa Group, the champions of Marcel Corporate Cricket, celebrate with the champion’s trophy at the Eidgah Gound, Mohammedpur yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

AFC extend Meraj ban for match-fixing n Reuters

Cardiff Int’l School hosts inter-school sports

Gazipur, Adamjee in rugby semis n Raihan Mahmood

The Asian Football Confederation extended the one-year ban on Bangladeshi official Mohidur Rahman Meraj for match-fixing continent wide on Friday as corruption in the region showed no signs of slowing.

Meraj, joint secretary at Wari Club, was banned from taking part in any kind of football activities by Bangladesh Football Federation in August after the body deemed the May fixture against Farashganj Sporting Club was rigged. Farashganj were deducted nine league points and Wari six, while a number of players were handed three and two match bans.l

n Raihan Mahmood

Gazipur Cantonment College will meet Adamjee Cantonment College in the first semifinal of the Quick City College Rugby at Paltan Ground today.

In the other semifinal, Cambrian College and St. Joseph College will grind it out for the other final berth.

In the final group stage matches yesterday, St. Joseph College defeated Dhaka Commerce College 12-5 while Dhaka Imperial College beat Kabi Nazrul Government College 10-3.

Bangladesh Rugby Union organised the four-day event while Bangladesh Business Consulting was the sponsor.l

National opener Anamul Haque lifts a tiny tot at Cardiff Int’l School yesterday

MI MANIK

Commemorating the Victory Day of the country, Cardiff International School hosted an inter-school sports competition at Mohammedpur Physical Education Training College yesterday. A total of 15 English medium schools participated in the day-long event.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Biren Sikder inaugurated the event as the chief guest. National Sports Council secretary Shibnath Roy, former cricket captains Faruk Ahmed, Khaled Mahmud, Habibul Bashar

and Mohammed Ashraful, national cricketer Anamul Haque, national football coach Saiful Bari Titu, former football captain Aminul Haque, Walton director Humayun Kabir and several actors and singers were also present on the occasion.

The programme was presided over

by GM Nizamuddin, principal of the Cardiff International School. In his speech the principal hoped that all the English medium educational instituions will uphold the heritage and the rich past of the country through their sincere efforts. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Magic Johnson inspires Aussies to Gabba win n Reuters

Australia’s unbeaten batsmen Mitchell Johnson (L) and Mitchell Marsh leave the Gabba ground in Brisbane in a joyous mood foolowing their victory against India on the fourth day of the second Test yesterday AFP

Fifa to ban third-party player ownership n AFP, Marrakech Fifa will ban third-party ownership of players from May 1 next year, ending a system which critics claim breeds corruption but whose advocates insist is a crucial financial lifeline for poorer clubs.

“The ban will come into force on May 1, 2015,” said a FIFA statement following a decision taken by the world body’s executive committee on Friday.

“Existing agreements shall continue to be in place until their contractual expiry. New agreements made between 1 January and 30 April 2015 will be subject to a time limit (one year maximum).”

Critics of third-party ownership have long argued that such arrangements, which players including Brazilian Neymar and Argentina’s Carlos Tevez have been subject to, can lead to conflicts of interest and possible corruption.

Supporters, however, have argued that it often enables poorer clubs to hang on to their best players by generating funds to match the wages of bigger and wealthier rivals.l

n Reuters, Pretoria Dale Steyn ripped through the West Indies top order to claim his 25th five-wicket haul in Test cricket and give South Africa an innings and 220run victory on the fourth morning of the first Test on Saturday.

The West Indies’ frailties with the bat were cruelly exposed by the topranked South Africans, with Steyn leading the charge as he finished with six for 34 having gone wicketless in the first innings.

The visitors resumed in the morning session on 76 for two in their second innings, still trailing by 275 runs, with hopes of batting deep into the day to save the Test.

But a fired-up Steyn sparked a precession of wickets as the West Indies were bowled out for 131, unable to cope with the hostility of the home quicks.

“We didn’t expect it to finish so early, but Dale bowled exceptionally well to get us started and the wicket

got difficult to bat on,” Proteas captain Hashim Amla, who was adjudged Man of the Match for his 208, said at the post-match presentation.

He also gave credit to AB de Villiers, his partner in a South African record fourth-wicket partnership of 308 and the player who also donned the gloves with regular wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock injured on day three.

“Having AB in the team is a great blessing, he is a wonderful fielder, a great batsman and he even bowls a bit these days. He is also our spare keeper and he showed his class with the gloves on,” Amla said.

Steyn had limped off on the third afternoon with a groin problem but showed no signs of discomfort as he steamed in to skittle the West Indies top order in a spell that lasted 90 minutes.

The loss of Leon Johnson (39) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (four) early left the West Indies in trouble, but their situation became a hopeless one when

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Marlon Samuels looped up a catch for Dean Elgar off a rampant Steyn with his score on 17.

Captain Denesh Ramdin (four), who had called for greater grit and application from the batsmen in the lead-up to the Test, lasted just two balls as Steyn claimed his fourth by inducing an edge off the shoulder of the bat to a leaping De Villiers.

The game was up for the tourists and Steyn picked up the final two wickets, with Kyle Abbott taking an easy catch off Sheldon Cottrell at mid-wicket to end the match with bowler Kemar Roach not batting in the innings as he rests his injured ankle. l

India 1st innings 408 (M. Vijay 144, A. Rahane 81; J. Hazlewood 5-68) Australia 1st innings 505 (S. Smith 133, M. Johnson 88; U. Yadav 3-101, I. Sharma 3-117) India 2nd innings (Overnight 71 for 1) M. Vijay b Starc S. Dhawan lbw b Lyon C. Pujara c Lyon b Hazlewood V. Kohli b Johnson A. Rahane c Lyon b Johnson R. Sharma c Haddin b Johnson M. Dhoni lbw b Hazlewood R. Ashwin c Haddin b Starc U. Yadav c Haddin b Johnson V. Aaron c Hazlewood b Lyon I. Sharma not out Extras (lb2, w5, nb2) Total (all out; 64.3 overs)

R

B

27 39 81 145 43 93 1 11 10 8 0 2 0 2 19 29 30 42 3 9 1 9 9 224

Fall of wickets 1-41, 2-76, 3-86, 4-86, 5-87, 6-117, 7-143, 8-203, 9-211, 10-224 Bowling Johnson 17.3-4-61-4 (1nb, 5w), Hazlewood 16-0-74-2 (1nb), Starc 8-1-27-2, Watson 13-627-0, Lyon 10-1-33-2 Australia 2nd innings C. Rogers c Dhawan b I. Sharma D. Warner c Dhoni b I. Sharma S. Watson c Dhoni b I. Sharma S. Smith run out (Yadav) S. Marsh c Dhoni b Yadav B. Haddin c Kohli b Yadav M. Marsh not out M. Johnson not out Extras (b4, 4lb, w1, nb6)

R

B

55 6 0 28 17 1 6 2 15

57 12 8 39 17 2 7 3

Total (6 wickets; 23.1 overs)

130

Fall of wickets 1-18, 2-22, 3-85, 4-114, 5-122, 6-122 Bowling I. Sharma 9-2-38-3 (5nb), Yadav 9-0-46-2, Aaron 5.1-0-38-0 (1nb, 1w) Australia won by 4 wickets; lead 4-Test series 2-0

Talismanic South Africa speedster Dale Willem Steyn (L) successfully appeals for a lbw decision during the fourth day of their first Test against the West Indies yesterday AFP

The New Zealand cricketers pose with the winners trophy after the fifth and final ODI against Pakistan at Zayed International Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday AFP

South Africa, first innings 552-5 dec (Amla 208, De Villiers 152, van Zyl 101*)

Waqar seeks improvement, Williamson hails achievement

West Indies, first innings 201 (Smith 35; Philander 4-29, Morkel 3-55)

n AFP, Abu Dhabi

SAvWI, DAY 4

R

B

West Indies, second innings (Overnight 76-2) K. Brathwaite c Petersen b Morkel D. Smith c sub b Philander L. Johnson c De Villiers b Steyn M. Samuels c Elgar b Steyn S. Chanderpaul c De Villiers b Steyn J. Blackwood c sub b Morkel D. Ramdin c De Villiers b Steyn J. Taylor c Amla b Steyn S. Benn not out S. Cottrell c Morkel b Steyn K. Roach absent injured Extras (lb3, nb1, w4)

20 54 5 9 39 88 17 52 4 9 15 17 4 2 9 10 6 9 4 6

Total (42.3 overs)

131

8

Fall of wickets 1-8 (Smith), 2-52 (Brathwaite), 3-87 (Johnson), 4-91 (Chanderpaul), 5-101 (Samuels), 6-105 (Ramdin), 7-117 (Blackwood)

Star Sports 4

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Mitchell Johnson’s brilliance with both bat and ball inspired Australia to a four-wicket second Test victory over India and an unassailable 2-0 series lead at the Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday.

Mitch Marsh hit the winning runs as Australia survived a few wobbles to chase down their target of 128 after tea on the fourth day of the conTest but there was little doubt that two interventions from Johnson set up the victory.

On Friday, Australia were 247-6 chasing India’s first innings 408 when Johnson came out and smashed 88 runs from 93 balls in a Gabba record seventh-wicket stand of 148 with skipper Steve Smith that turned the match on its head.

On Saturday, India had resumed their second innings on 71-1 looking to quickly make up the 26-run deficit on Australia’s total of 505 and build another imposing score.

Half an hour later, their hopes were shattered as Johnson (4-61), ably assisted by debutant paceman Josh Hazlewood (2-74), ripped through the batting to leave India pondering yet another collapse at 87 for five.

In one dizzying 11-ball spell, Johnson took three for 10 by removing Virat Kohli (1), Ajinkya Rahane (10) and Rohit Sharma (0). Hazlewood, who took 5-68 in the first innings, removed India skip-

per Mahendra Singh Dhoni for a duck in the next over.

“Mitch certainly turned it on for us in that little spell this morning, that really cracked the game open for us,” said Smith after tasting victory in his first match as captain in place of the injured Michael Clarke.

“All the bowlers, to be fair, produced the goods for us. I thought Joshy Hazlewood was outstanding and Nathan Lyon came on and did a job here and there.”

It was another disappointing day on the road for the tourists, who had dominated the first day on the back of Murali Vijay’s 144 as Australia’s bowlers wilted in the sweltering heat.

Australia’s run chase was far from perfectly handled either and question marks will be raised over the batting of Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh and Brad Haddin who were among the six wickets to fall.

Smith, who was also run out with six runs still required, was fairly relaxed about the high casualty rate before Mitch Marsh’s cover drive for four got them over the line.

“I would have liked to have been there in the end but I guess that’s cricket and I’m just happy we got there,” he said.

“The wicket was still pretty good and the boys were going after them to try and get the runs pretty quickly tonight, so no real hiccup there.” l

AUSvIND, DAY 4

Six-star Steyn fires SA to huge win

DAY’S WATCH

7:20 PM Newcastle United v Sunderland

13

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Bowling Steyn 8.2-2-34-6, Morkel 11.1-1-43-2 (1w), Philander 7-4-6-1 (inb), Abbott 3-0-11-0 (1w), Van Zyl 10-2-22-0 (2w), Elgar 3-0-12-0 South Africa won by an innings and 220 runs and lead the three-match series 1-0

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis warned his team needed to improve before the World Cup while Kane Williamson hailed a “great achievement” after New Zealand win the one-day series 3-2 on Friday.

Pakistan fell 68 runs short in their 276-run chase which prompted Waqar to call for extra hard work in fielding and batting against the short ball.

“We need to improve our fielding,” said Waqar, after his team lost the fifth and final match in Abu Dhabi.

“It (fielding) is not up to the mark and must improve a lot and we also need to work hard on short balls as we have to go to Australia and both these things need to be spot on if you want to compete in the World Cup.” Pakistan now have just two one-day internationals in New Zealand on January 31 and February 3 before the World Cup gets under way.

“I think we must keep hope, we are trying our best. I have full hope in this team for the World Cup, we will do well,” added Waqar.

New Zealand stand-in skipper Wil-

liamson described the series win as a “big achievement”.

“There is still time for the World Cup, it’s good it will be in our conditions and this series win is a big achievement,” said Williamson.

New Zealand’s win was more significant as they rested regular captain

BRIEF SCORE New Zealand 275 for 4 (Williamson 97, Taylor 88*; Irfan 2-62) Pakistan 207 (Sohail 65, Shehzad 54, Henry 5-30) New Zealand won by 68 runs Brendon McCullum and spearheads Tim Southee and Trent Boult.

Williamson termed the rotation of players as important.

“It was important to keep adapting our plans, the personnel changed quite a lot, we had a lot of injuries,” he said.

“It has been a great series, an emotional series for many reasons and both teams put on some fantastic cricket.”l

Fifa to publish Garcia report in ‘appropriate form’ n Reuters, Marrakech FIFA’s executive committee has unanimously agreed to publish an “appropriate” version of a report into the bidding process for the 2018/2022 World Cups but said Russia and Qatar would still stage the tournaments.

“The decision which has been taken on Dec 2, 2010, stands and there is no re-vote to take,” FIFA president Blatter told a news conference in a luxury Marrakech hotel. “We will go on by sticking to our decisions, both tournaments are in our calendar, and we also need to determine when 2022 will take place,” he added, referring to the controversy

over the timing of the tournament in the Gulf state.

“There must be huge upheavel, new elements come to the fore the change this, but the executive committee sees no need to change anything.”

Blatter added that the crisis FIFA has faced since the publication last month of a summary of former investigator Michael Garcia’s 18-month investigation was over.

“We have been in a crisis (but) with the decision of the executive committee today, the crisis has stopped.”

Soccer’s governing body had previously said it could not publish Garcia’s 430-page report for legal reasons.l

Walton additional director FM Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn (2L) speaks in the press conference at BNS yesterday

COURTESY

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Rodgers, Wenger in Anfield spotlight n AFP, London

Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao (C) celebrates after scoring during their English Premier League match against Aston Villa at Villa Park yesterday

Two managers for whom criticism has become an unwelcome bedfellow this season face off in the Premier League on Sunday when Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal tackle Brendan Rodgers’s Liverpool at Anfield.

Arsenal’s confidence has been improved by back-to-back 4-1 wins over Galatasaray and Newcastle, but it was only two weeks ago that Wenger was barracked by fans of his own club following a 3-2 loss at Stoke.

Rodgers, meanwhile, is under real scrutiny for the first time in his Liverpool tenure following a return of just two wins from eight league matches.

Last weekend’s chastening 3-0 defeat at Manchester United left last season’s runners-up in 11th place, seven points below the Champions League places.

The highs of last spring now seem a distant memory, but Wenger, who has been at the Arsenal helm for 18 years, believes it will only be a matter of time before Rodgers’s side start climbing the table again.

“I’ve sympathy for every single manager in the Premier League. Everybody goes through periods where it goes a bit less well,” said the Frenchman, whose side began the weekend two points below the top four in sixth place.

REUTERS

City reel Chelsea in, United held EPL Aston Villa

1-1

Benteke 18

Hull

Man United Falcao 53

0-1

Swansea Ki 15

Man City

3-0

Crystal Palace

3-2

West Brom

Silva 49, 61, Toure 81

QPR Austin 24-P, 48, 86

Southampton

Lescott 10, Varela 20

3-0

Everton

2-1

Burnley

2-0

Leicester

Lukaku 38-og, Pelle 65, Yoshida 82

Tottenham Kane 21, Lamela 35

West Ham

Barnes 27

Carroll 24, Downing 56

n AFP, London Manchester City beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Saturday to move level with Premier League leaders Chelsea, while Radamel Falco earned Manchester United a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa.

City were missing Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic due to injury, but they secured an eighth consecutive win in all competitions thanks to David Silva’s second-half brace and a late Yaya Toure strike. Victory left City level on 39 points with Chelsea, who remain top by virtue of a superior goal difference (+23 to +22) ahead of their trip to Stoke City on Monday.

United spurned a chance to close on Chelsea after dropping points for

Ganguly’s Atletico wins inaugural India league n AFP, New Delhi Cricket star Sourav Ganguly earned bragging rights over former team-mate Sachin Tendulkar as his Atletico de Kolkata won the inaugural Indian Super League football tournament in Mumbai on Saturday.

Substitute Mohammad Rafique scored the 90th minute goal to give Kolkata a 1-0 victory over Tendulkar’s Kerala Blasters in the final.

A packed house of 40,000 at the D.Y. Patil stadium on the outskirts of Mumbai cheered as Rafique’s header made it past former England goalkeeper David James, who is also manager of the Kerala team.

Kerala were left to rue a missed chance from close range by Michael Chopra in the 83rd minute when his shot was deflected by Kolkata’s Armenian goalkeeper Apoula Edel.

Organisers and broadcasters had hyped the final as a Tendulkar vs Ganguly show to attract viewers in the cricket-mad nation. Both stars were at hand to cheer their respective teams.

Former Liverpool midfielder Luis Garcia, who did not play the final due to a hamstring injury despite being Kolkata’s marquee player, said he was excited to see his new team win the title.

“I am very excited, very happy,” the 36-year-old said. “To win the first tournament gives me a great feeling. The team played well and deserved to win.”

The eight-team franchised-based tournament, modelled on cricket’s popular Indian Premier League, was bankrolled by Rupert Murdoch’s Star TV and backed by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani and sports management giants IMG. Apart of Tendulkar and Ganguly, other team owners included Bollywood A-listers Ranbir Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham.

The 10-week, 61-match tournament lured past greats like former Italy and Juventus striker Alessandro Del Piero, 40, ex-France and Arsenal star Robert Pires, 41, Sweden’s Freddie Ljungberg, 37 and controversial Frenchman Nicolas Anelka. Brazilian great Zico was one of the coaches.l

the first time in seven matches at Villa, who had Gabriel Agbonlahor sent off in the 65th minute for a foul on former team-mate Ashley Young.

The draw ended United’s run of six straight wins and left Louis van Gaal’s side seven points off the pace in third place, while West Ham United, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur all closed on them. Fourth-place West Ham are now just a point behind United after beating bottom club Leicester City 2-0 at Upton Park.

Andy Carroll seized on West Ham old boy Paul Konchesky’s disastrous back-pass to put the hosts ahead in the 24th minute and Stewart Downing made it 2-0 in the 56th minute with an stunning 25-yard effort.

FIXTURES Newcastle v Sunderland Lievrpool v Arsenal With Daniel Sturridge injured and new signings Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert toiling, Sterling has started as a ‘false nine’ in Liverpool’s last two games.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has set his sights on avoiding an unwanted record in the Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland on Sunday.

Pardew’s side have been beaten by hated local rivals Sunderland in each of their last three meetings and no Newcastle boss has ever lost four derbies in a row.

“I’ve been lucky enough to play in cup finals, but if any manager asked me, ‘What’s the biggest game you’ve been involved in’, I’d say Newcastle v Sunderland,” Pardew said.l

Suarez opens league account, Messi at double n AFP, Madrid Luis Suarez scored his first La Liga goal and Lionel Messi netted twice as Barcelona moved to within a point of leaders Real Madrid with a 5-0 thrashing of

LA LIGA

Barcelona

5-0

Cordoba

Pedro 2, Suarez 53, Pique 80, Messi 82, 90+1

Cordoba in their final game of the year on Saturday.

The hosts got off to a flying start as Pedro Rodriguez, once again deputising for Neymar, opened the scoring with a smart finish from Ivan Rakitic’s won-

derful through ball inside two minutes.

Barca then struggled to build on their lead for the rest of the first period, but Suarez capped another quick start to the second period when he poked home from close range to end a seven-game drought in the league since returning from a four-month ban for biting.

Gerard Pique headed in a third before Messi rounded off the scoring with two stunning finishes in the final 10 minutes. Victory moves Barca six points clear of champions Atletico Madrid, who visit Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Real Madrid will end the year on top despite having played a game less than the Catalans as they take on San Lorenzo in the final of the Club World Cup.l

Fighting Blatter says he will not abandon Fifa n Reuters, Marrakech Sepp Blatter declared FIFA’s crisis to be over on Friday and said he would not abandon soccer’s governing body.

“We have been in a crisis (but) with the decision of the executive committee today, the crisis has stopped,” the 78-year-old Swiss told reporters.

“If there are problems inside FIFA as we have faced, then it’s not the moment for the president, the man at the helm of FIFA, to say he will abandon his work.”

“Every day, hundreds and thousands of football matches are organised and they believe in FIFA,” he added.

“It’s not the first time that I have found myself as president of FIFA in a critical situation and I have to tell you that we will fight.”

Blatter made his comments after announcing that FIFA’s executive committee had agreed to publish former ethics investigator Michael Garcia’s report into the 2018/2022 World Cup bidding process.l

Unhappy Kalou threatens to quit Hertha n AFP, Berlin

Cricket legends Sourav Ganguly (L) and Sachin Tendulkar share a light moment during the final of the Indian Super League in Mumbai yesterday INTERNET

Southampton are two points further back after ending a five-game losing streak by beating Everton 3-0 thanks to a Romelu Lukaku own goal and second-half efforts from Graziano Pelle and Maya Yoshida. Tottenham leapfrogged Arsenal, who host Liverpool on Sunday, by beating Burnley 2-1.

Charlie Austin took his tally for the season to 11 goals with a hat-trick as Queens Park Rangers came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at home to West Bromwich Albion, who scored through Joleon Lescott and Silvestre Varela.

The win took QPR out of the relegation zone, but Hull City remain in the bottom three after Jonjo Shelvey’s shot deflected in off Ki Sung-yueng to earn Swansea City a 1-0 victory at the KC Stadium.l

Rodgers cut an unusually taciturn figure in his pre-game media briefing on Friday, according journalists only four and a half minutes of his time and responding to their questions curtly.

But the Northern Irishman did become animated when asked to discuss the form of Raheem Sterling, who scored twice as Liverpool beat Championship leaders Bournemouth 3-1 in the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Ivory Coast forward Salomon Kalou believes the Hertha Berlin team should be built around him and has threatened to leave the Bundesliga side unless he plays more.

Having made more than 70 international appearances in a career which included six years at Chelsea, where he won the 2012 Champions League title, the Premier League in 2010 and the FA Cup four times, Kalou feels he should be better used at Hertha.

“I think you should treat a player like me a little better,” the 29-year-old, who joined Hertha from Lille in August for a reported 1.8 million euros (US$2.2m), told Berlin-based newspaper BZ. “This is my humble opinion. If you bring in bring a big player in, then you should build the team around him.”l

Dortmund skipper Mats Hummels reacts after losing to Werder Bremen in the German Bundesliga in Bremen yesterday

Disastrous Dortmund end year with loss n Reuters, Berlin Borussia Dortmund completed their spectacular implosion this season, losing 2-1 at struggling Werder Bremen on Saturday, their 10th defeat in 17 league games sending them into the winter break in 17th place, just a point off the bottom.

Mats Hummels’ diving header in the 69th gave the visitors hope and Shinji Kagawa should have done better when he fired over the bar from 11 metres as Dortmund pressed for an equaliser.

The result left Dortmund, champions in 2011 and 2012, on 15 points, two behind VfB Stuttgart who are in the relegation playoff spot. Freiburg, last on 14, could send Dortmund bottom if they beat Hanover on Sunday.

Borussia Moenchengladbach dropped to fourth, a point behind, after losing 2-1 against in-form Augsburg, who joined them on 27 points.

Leaders Bayern Munich ended the year with a 2-1 victory at Mainz 05 on Friday thanks to a 90th-minute Arjen Robben goal to open up a 14-point gap on second-placed VfL Wolfsburg who play Cologne later on Saturday. l

BUNDESLIGA Schalke 04 Bayer Leverkusen

0-0 1-1

Bellarabi 83

Augsburg

2-1

M’gladbach Kruse 2-P

2-1

Selke 3, Bartels 62

VfB Stuttgart

Frankfurt Meier 37-P

Feulner 20, Bodilla 51

Werder Bremen

Hamburg

Dortmund Hummels 69

0-0

Paderborn

On Friday Mainz 05 Soto 21

1-2

Bayern Munich Schweinsteiger 24, Robben 89

REUTERS

Origi set to leave Lille for Liverpool in January n AFP, Lille Belgian forward Divock Origi will cut short a season-long loan at Lille in January to return to parent club Liverpool, who will pay six million euros ($7.3m, £4.7m) for the privilege, according to a source close to the deal.

The 19-year-old, who was bought by Liverpool from Lille in the summer for a reported £10 million after impressing for Belgium at the World Cup, was immediately loaned back to the Ligue 1 side for the duration of this season.

However, the loan agreement included a clause allowing Liverpool to take Origi back in the January transfer window for six million euros if they needed attacking reinforcements. Lille coach Rene Girard had on several occasions denied reports that Origi was on his way out of the club despite rumours to the contrary. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Sunday, December 21, 2014

NUSRAT FARIA endorsing for commercials

Clash of the Titans WB,7:30pm

n Entertainment Desk Model and anchor Nusrat Faria will be seen in two TVCs soon. Both the TVCs will be filmed in India.

The first television commercial (TVC) will be for Mangolee Juice. Shidhartho will direct it in Kolkata.

Then, the popular host will fly to Mumbai for shooting of another commercial, Nirala Washing Powder, directed by Shonok Mitra.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Nusrat said: “The two commercials have good concepts.”

“I will be shooting in Kolkata from December 23-24.

After a break for two days, I will go to Mumbai on December 27. I hope to arrive my country on December 29.”

Nusrat Faria’s popular show “Late Night Coffee” is being aired every Saturday on RTV. Besides, modelling for commercials and hosting show, Nusrat shared the silver screen in a movie titled Morichika, directed by Ridwan Roni. The movie is now in a pre-production stage. l

Perseus, mortal son of Zeus, battles the minions of the underworld to stop them from conquering heaven and earth.

Enemy at the Gates Zee Studio, 1:30pm

A Russian sniper and a German sniper play a game of cat-and-mouse during the Battle of Stalingrad.

Komla Collective pays tribute to Birangonas n Hasan Mansoor Chatak London-based drama troupe Komla Collective will stage the show of their new production on “Birangona” in seven different places in Bangladesh.

Earlier on December 16, the troupe has started its Bangladesh tour with a show at the Gulshan Club, and will end with the show at the Chittagong Theatre Institute on December 30.

Local drama troupe Jatrik will produce the Bangla version of the play, except the Red Shift show on December 28.

The play, which came on the stage early this year, unfolds an ugly history of the Liberation War of Bangladesh.

It depicts the stories of rape, imprisonment, torture of the Birangona, the honouring label the then government gave to women who suffered sexual violence during the war.

TISHA and JOHN seek for happiness

The project of this outstanding production actually has started in 2010 when Leesa Gazi, one of the playwrights and actors of the play, came to Bangladesh, and met a group of Birangona women in Sirajganj.

During that visit, she talked to some 21 women who had been living a disgraceful life due to their wartime experiences for more than four decades.

Leesa returned to London with an intent to break the silence surrounding them.

And two years later, she went back to Sirajganj.

This time with the newly formed production company she founded with three other London-based artists.

They filmed the testimonial of five Birangona women, and, along with a local playwright, developed the script for a play.

The video footage used in the play to connect with the audience more directly and played the role of bonding the facts with the

n Entertainment Desk A single TV play titled “Happiness is” will be aired on NTV at 9:00pm today. The TV play starring Tisha and band Black’s vocalist John Kabir. The story revolves around Abir who is about to get married to Tisha. After finalising the date, the news comes that the bride walks out from the marriage. Abir breaks down and could not accept the fact. Abir decides to leave the house and starts living alone. One night, in his apartment, Abir sees a girl laying in his bed. l

story potently.

The one-act play started with narration of folk tale, the story of Komola, which resembles the central character’s (played by Leesa Gazi) vulnerable situation when she was captured by the Pakistani occupation army.

The protagonist played a number of heart-rending characters that represent different Birangonas.

Amith Rahman, the other actor of the play, played three different character of the protagonist, the father, the husband and the son, behind the screen which with the help of shadow play.

Directed by Filiz Ozcan, the play wrapped in with out of the ordinary visual spectre as Filiz used few unique theatrical techniques – the Turkish tradition of shadow play.

The play is nominated for the Offie Award, the London based prestigious theatre award, which sorted the play in the productions that defy traditional categories. l

Cliffhanger Movies Now, 11:58pm

A botched mid-air heist results in suitcases full of cash being searched for by various groups throughout the Rocky Mountains.

Red Lights HBO Hits, 2:50pm

Psychologist Margaret Matheson and her assistant study paranormal activity, which leads them to investigate a world-renowned psychic.

Film JOYJATRA to be screened today n Entertainment Desk The film “Joyjatra”, based on the Liberation War, will be screened at the Liberation War Film Festival at the International Digital Cultural Archive, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy at 6:00pm today.

Directed by popular actor Tauquir Ahmed, the plot of the story revolves around a boat journey of some families in 1971.

It shows miseries of the people who were travelling by the boat toward Indian seeking safety as the Pakistani occupation army unleashed genocide in the country.

It also narrates the stories of the heroic operations of the freedom fighters. The director upheld his spirit of Liberation War through his directorial venture.

The movie also pays a tribute of the freedom fighter’s bloodshed for their motherland. l

ARBAAZ KHAN: Dolly Ki Doli will take Sonam Kapoor’s career to a new height

Best foreign language Oscar slimmed down to nine contenders n Entertainment Desk The nine-strong shortlist for the best foreign language film Academy Award has been announced, part of the process towards the actual Oscar nomination due to be revealed early next year.

Arguably the most high profile of the shortlisted films are Russia’s “Leviathan,” directed by Andrei Zvyagintsev, and “Ida,” from Polish director Paweł Pawlikowski. The former is an anti-Putin fable that won the best screenplay award at Cannes, while the latter, about a novice nun who discovers she is Jewish, beat “Leviathan” to best film at the European film awards earlier this month. Both have also been nominated in the same category at the Golden Globe awards.

Also on the shortlist, which has been slimmed down from the 83 eligible films, are well-reviewed Cannes entries “Timbuktu,” from Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako, and Damián Szifrón’s “Wild Tales,” from Argentina. Two others on the list Estonia’s “Tangerines,” directed by Zaza Urushadze and Sweden’s “Force Majeure,” from director Ruben Östlund, have also scored Golden Globe nods. The other three titles are Georgia’s “Corn Island,” from director George Ovashvili, “Accused” from Dutch director Paula van der Oest, and Alberto Arvelo’s “The Liberator,” from Venezuela.

Six of the shortlist were the result of a vote by Academy members who watched all 83 entries, and three were added by a specially convened committee. l

15

n Entertainment Desk Actor-filmmaker Arbaaz Khan, who has again turned producer with the upcoming Sonam Kapoor-starrer “Dolly Ki Doli,” says the film will prove to be a booster for the actress’ career.

Sonam, 29, plays the titular character, who runs away with groom’s money in the woman-centric romantic-comedy, directed by debutant Abhishek Dogra. Arbaaz feels Sonam was always on his mind and she fitted the character’s requirements perfectly.

“She was excited about working with the cast and the story and she was the right person to do Dolly. When success is concern you just need one film to reach new heights and increase your level. It could be ‘Dolly Ki Doli’ for Sonam,” Arbaaz told PTI in an interview. l

Aniston wins first film-acting prize of career The most prominent Oscar n Entertainment Desk hopeful in the room was fan fa-

Winslet stars in Australian period comedy The Dressmaker n Entertainment Desk The first photograph of Kate Winslet starring in the Australian film production “The Dressmaker” has been released. Based on a 2000 Australian book of the same name, written by Rosalie Ham, “The Dressmaker” is set in a fictional Australian town in the 1950s. Winslet plays the story’s protagonist Tilly Dunnage, who returns to the town and exacts revenge on figures from her troubled past.

Winslet joined by an ensemble cast of prominent Australian actors, including Judy Davis, Liam Hemsworth and Hugo Weaving, for the eight-week film shoot, which has now concluded. The film is set for release in Australian cinemas on October 1, 2015.

This first image hints at cinematography that takes full advantage of the rich colours and dramatic landscapes of rural Victoria.

Jennifer Aniston snared the first movie acting award of her career last night at the inaugural People Magazine Awards.

The 45-year-old was honoured for her performance as a woman suffering from chronic pain in indie movie Cake - a role for which she has also been nominated for the SAGs, Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards.

vourite Jennifer Aniston, the former Friendsstar-turned-serious dramatic actress, whose performance as a woman suffering from chronic pain in the indie Cake. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Change of heart delays deep sea exploration deal n Aminur Rahman Rasel A new government decision to limit the award of oil and gas exploration rights to two deep sea blocks per company or venture, has stalled the signing of production sharing contracts (PSCs) with a joint venture of ConocoPhillips and Statoil.

“We have observed their previous activities when signing for the blocks. We have taken a decision that we will only sign two instead of three blocks with them,” Secretary of Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) Md Abu Bakar Siddique told the Dhaka Tribune.

A top EMRD official, seeking anonymity, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the minister for power, energy and mineral resources, had directed the division not to award more than two blocks to a single company or venture.

The government now prefers that the joint venture bids for two adjacent deep sea blocks.

The signing of the PSCs has been further held up because US-based ConocoPhillips and Norway-based Statoil ASA have expressed an interest in two non-adjacent blocks, 12 and 21, leaving block 16, which they do not want, idle between them.

Representatives of the joint venture, at a recent meeting with the state minister for energy, also requested that gas prices be increased above the previous offer, the EMRD official said. But the government did not agree to it, he added.

ConocoPhillips and Statoil earlier submitted bidding documents for three blocks, at a time when the government had not yet decided to limit awards to two blocks per venture.

In January, ConocoPhillips and Statoil jointly submitted bidding documents to explore for oil and natural

gas in three deep-sea blocks in the Bay of Bengal – 12, 16 and 21 – under the amended Model PSCs 2012.

The bidding documents submitted at that time for the three blocks included provisions for 2D seismic surveys of each block and the sinking of exploratory wells in each block, with an estimated outlay by the oil companies of $109m over several years.

On February 19, Petrobangla recommended that the EMRD sign the PSCs following necessary approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. But no progress has been made so far because the EMRD has taken no further steps in this regard.

“Regarding our bids on Blocks 12, 16 and 21, we seek award of all three blocks; however, we have been informed that the government may wish to award only two blocks to the ConocoPhillips-Statoil joint venture,” ConocoPhillips Bangladesh Managing Director Tom Early told the Dhaka Tribune.

“We have informed the Ministry and Petrobangla of our block preferences in terms of priority, which we believe will allow the joint venture to spread risk and increase our chances of success,” he said.

But because they are not adjacent blocks, the PSCs have not been finalised.

“The government is saying that it is not possible to leave a block idle in the middle.

The oil companies may either take blocks 12 and 16, or 16 and 21, but not 12 and 21, leaving 16 stranded in the middle because no other company will likely come forward to explore it,” an official said.

In June 2011, a PSC was signed between ConocoPhillips Bangladesh Exploration 10/11 Ltd and Petrobangla for the exploration of offshore blocks 10 and 11, the country’s first ever deep water hydrocarbon hunt. ConocoPhillips later relinquished blocks 10 and 11. l

4-day BGB-Myanmar Police Force meeting ends n BSS A four-day border conference between Border Guard Bangladesh and Myanmar Police Force ended at BGB’s Pilkhana headquarters yesterday.

The conference started on December 21 and ended yesterday with signing a Joint Record of Discussion (JRC).

BGB Additional Director General and M Latiful Haidar led the 16-member Bangladesh delegation while Myanmar’s Deputy Chief of Police Brigadier General Thein Oo led the six-member Myanmar delegation.

There were discussions on stopping smuggling of drugs such as yaba, holding of next DG-level meeting and regular Border Outpost, company, battalion and sector level flag meetings.

It also discussed about the incidents of firing by BGP without any prior notice and discussion, illegal entrance to Bangladesh territory by Myanmar nationals, and holding of friendly matches and exchanging of training between the two sides.

The Myanmar delegation, which arrived at Dhaka on December 16 to attend the conference, will leave Dhaka today. l

A lamp post lies destroyed after being smashed by a bus near the Kamalapur Railway Station in the capital yesterday

Pranab tells Abdul Hamid: India maintains her commitments

13 killed, 35 injured in road accidents n Tribune Report

n Tribune Report

Thirteen people were killed and 35 others injured in road accidents in Chittagong, Kishoreganj, Jessore and Mushiganj yesterday.

In Chittagong, six people were killed in a road accident on Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar highway at Satkania upazila, reports our Chittagong correspondent.

The deceased are Soyeb, 22, Omullo, 55, Sahriar, 15, Jasimuddin, 25, Syed, 35, Shamsul Alam, 80.

Satkania police said the accident took place when a bus and a CNG auto-rickshaw collided head-on around 6:10pm.

Police seized the bus, but the driver fled.

Our Kishoreganj correspondent reports that three people were killed and 30 others injured when a bus plunged into a roadside ditch in Kuliarchar.

The deceased are Tahera Khatun, 72, Jasim Uddin,60, and Omeda Begum, 52.

Local police said the bus fell into a ditch after its driver lost control 12:30am.

The injured were admitted to different local hospitals.

Meanwhile, a local Jubo League leader was killed and a rickshaw-puller injured in an accident at Bagachra Bazar in Sharsha upazila, reports our Jessore correspondent.

Deceased Abdus Salam Babu, 27, was the publicity secretary of local Jubo League. Locals said the accident took place when a bus of Afil Jute Mills hit the rickshaw carrying Babu.

A case was filed in this connection.

In another incident, a man was killed and four others were injured in a road accident in Arabpur area in the district town.

The dead was Mizanur Rahman, 35.

Jessore Kotwali police said, the accident took place as a bus hit the rickshaw when it was crossing the Arabpur intersection around 12:30pm, killing Mizanur on the spot.

In Mushiganj, two people were killed under in a road accident on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Gozaria upazla.

The dead were Mijhu Miah, 27 and Md Firoz. l

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee has said India always maintains its commitments.

The Indian President made the comment regarding Bangladesh’s eagerly waiting for a solution to the much-awaited Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) and Teesta water sharing issues between the two countries.

Pranab said this during a meeting with Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid, who is now in New Delhi on a 6-day state visit, reports BSS. Appreciating Bangladesh’s achievement in social and economic sectors, Pranab Mukherjee said Bangladesh is going ahead remarkably.

“Despite global economic downturn, Bangladesh is making tremendous achievement in different areas... it is maintaining steady GDP growth and its per capita income and remittance earnings are also increasing,” Pranab said.

About boosting import from Bangladesh, the Indian president said India will have to invest more in Bangladesh to boost its import from it.

During the meeting, Abdul Hamid thanked Pranab Mukherjee for the hospitality extended to him and his delegation.

Abdul Hamid recalled with gratefulness Pranab Mukherjee’s remarkable contribution during Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971.

Hamid also thanked the Indian people and its army for their support and cooperation during the Liberation War. Pranab Mukherjee presented Abdul Hamid a book on different programmes broadcast by ‘Akash Bani’ during Bangladesh War of Liberation. President Abdul Hamid also gave Pranab Mukherjee a book on the Liberation War. After the meeting, President Hamid joined the banquet hosted by Pranab Mukherjee in his honour.

Indian Premier Narendra Modi, former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banarjee, among others, attended the programme.

Meanwhile, Abdul Hamid yesterday visited Taj Mahal, the Mughal-era mausoleum known as testament to Emperor Shah Jahan’s love for his wife

Mumtaz Mahal, reports BSS. The president spent about 30 minutes at the monument of love, a 17th century monument and now a world heritage.

Abdul Hamid was briefed about the monument by the officials of Tourism Ministry of India.

The president also signed the visitor’s book of Taj Mahal, one of the universally admired masterpieces.

Later, Abdul Hamid also visited Agra Fort, one of the architectural beauties of Mughal era.

Earlier in the day, he arrived in Agra as part of his six-day state visit to India.

A special flight of Air India carrying the president and his entourage left Palam Airport of New Delhi at 11:50am and reached Agra Kheria Air Force Airport around 1pm.

Divisional commissioner of Agra and other officials received the president.

Abdul Hamid was driven to Oberoi Amarvilas where he will stay during his visit to Agra.

The president came to India on December 18 at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee. l

Antarctic photo science archive unlocked n BBC Aerial photos from the 1940s and 1950s are being used to probe the climate history of the Antarctic Peninsula.

UK scientists are comparing the images with newly acquired data sets to assess the changes that have occurred in some of the region’s 400-plus glaciers.

The old and modern information has to be very carefully aligned if it is to show up any differences reliably.

And that is a big challenge when snow and ice obscure ground features that might otherwise act as visual anchors.

But the researchers from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Newcastle University and University of Gloucestershire believe they are cracking the problem.

“We want to use these pictures to work out volume and mass-balance changes in the glaciers through time,” explained Dr Lucy Clarke from the University of Gloucestershire.

“There are tens of thousands of these historical images, held by the British Antarctic Survey and the US Geological Survey.

“So, they’ve long been around, but it’s only now that we’ve had the capability to extract the 3D data from them.”

Dr Clarke has been presenting the work at this week’s American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco.

The Antarctic Peninsula - the northernmost extent of the White Continent which stretches up towards South America - has experienced quite dramatic warming in recent decades.

The fronts of many of its glaciers have quite obviously retreated, and several of the marine-terminating ice streams have even

seen their floating shelves disintegrate.

But getting at the volume and mass changes in the glaciers has been a thorny issue.

Satellites are used to track such trends today but their record spans only a few decades.

The archive of aerial photos, on the other hand, goes back to the 1940s, and it represents an extraordinary account of the pioneering days of polar exploration.

The men who ventured forth in their planes to capture pictures of the peninsula’s rugged ice-scape took huge risks, with none of the back-up that modern expeditions can count on.

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

“They had no idea what they were flying into because no-one had ever been there before,” said Dr Clarke.

“And all the photographs, they would develop using nearby glacial stream water at the base camp they set up,” she told BBC News.

Dr Pauline Miller from Newcastle University added: “The 1940s were just about flying to see what they could find, but by the 1950s it was much more systematic - for topographic mapping purposes. It was all about staking a claim in Antarctica when nations were becoming more competitive.”

That these old images still have scientific value in the 21st Century is down to

novel techniques that are able to precisely position the pictures using newly created accurate, modern-day elevation models of the peninsula.

The team is using the latest optical satellite data to do this, as well as modern aerial photos acquired by BAS planes equipped with GPS. Fundamental to these techniques is finding visual cues in the ice-scape that allow historical and current information to be married up.

“These visual cues have got to have some kind of rock; white areas of snow are no good to us because obviously they can change and they’re not easy to identify.

We need stable areas like mountain peaks,” explained Dr Clarke.

The team’s approach is to use a large number of glaciers spread across the peninsula to try to get some sense of the changes that have occurred through time, as well as pulling out detailed profiles on a small selection of individual glaciers.

The project is not yet complete, but already some interesting findings are starting to emerge.

These include the observation that many glaciers appear to have thickened at the rear, over higher elevations, even as their fronts have retreated.

“You can see there has been widespread glacier retreat across the Antarctic Peninsula; you can see that very easily in the photography. But somewhat surprisingly we’re finding accumulation on the upper parts of the glaciers. It’s not enough to combat [the mass loss], but it means you do have this kind of dual reaction through time of steepening and accumulation at the rear and dramatic retreat and thinning at the front.”

Why and how this is occurring will be explored by ice sheet modellers at BAS in the next stage of the project, says Dr Miller.

“Together with the patterns we are finding, this will allow us to translate what has happened in the past and use that to calibrate and validate models so that they can in turn forecast the contribution of ice loss from the Antarctic Peninsula with respect to processes such as sea level rise.

“We need to understand what’s happened in the past, going back over multiple decades, to give us the foundation to anchor these models and, in so doing, reduce the uncertainties associated with them.” l

Illegal cigarettes, medicines seized at Shahjalal airport n BSS Customs intelligence yesterday seized 320 cartons of contraband cigarette and a huge quantity of medicines used for abortion from Shahjalal International Airport in the capital.

The cigarette and the medicine, which were smuggled of from Karachi, Pakistan, were seized from belt area 4 of the airport around 12pm, a customs intelligence official said.

The seizure included 177 cartons of Esse Light, 80 Esse Special Gold, 58 Esse Black and five cartons of Benson, 4,200 pieces of 10mg Ritalin tablet, 450 pieces of Proluton Depot injection, and 40 pieces of Orabas Ointment. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.

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B3 Brent oil spirals below $60 in volatile week

B4 EU leaders agree

investment package to boost economy

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

BTRC mulls selling unused spectrum of 2G & 3G

Formulation of two separate guidelines is underway considering earlier 3G spectrum auction and 2G renewal guidelines cost-effective service with less investn Muhammad Zahidul Islam ment.

The telecom regulator has started forming two separate guidelines for selling unused spectrum bands – 1,800MHz and 2,100MHz, which will be allocated through an auction to existing mobile phone operators by March next year.

Around 4,000 crore is expected to be earned by the government from the spectrum sale.

The regulator has in selling list 10.6 unused or unsold bandwidth in 1,800MHz which will be used for 2G services and 15 in 2,100MHz for fastest 3G data services, sources said.

“We have decided to allocate this spectrum bands, consulting with the cellphone operators and they are very much interested about it,” ATM Monirul Alam, commissioner (spectrum) of BTRC, told the Dhaka Tribune recently.

He said before going for an auction, formulation of two separate guidelines is underway considering the 3G spectrum auction and 2G renewal guidelines as the base.

“Before taking final decision, we need government approval of the guidelines and the auction’s floor price and also its procedure,” the commissioner added.

The regulator had earlier planned to release 700MHz band next year for 4G technology, but later backtracked as the environment was not yet ready for 4G. For a long term evaluation service, spectrum band, 700MHz, is a faster data transfer technology than 3G. Monirul said the operators are not interested about the 700band now since equipment for 4G are not cost-effective.

Recently in a meeting, top management of the mobile operators asked the regulator not to go for the release of 4G spectrum within next two years.

The management also asked for technological neutrality for 900, 1,800 and 2,100 bands, which will help the mobile phone companies to offer

The commissioner also said they will divide 10.6MHz into two slots and only two cellphone operators can have it through an auction.

It will help the operators deliver better voice services, added Monirul.

In 2011, the government renewed the 2G licences and reallocated the spectrums of the four private mobile operators – Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi and Citycell – for 15 years; and at that time spectrum prices were fixed for Tk150 crore per MHz in terms of market factor.

Earlier in 2008, the regulator allocated additional spectrum to three mobile operators, Grameenphone, Banglalink and Robi, through an administrative process; the price for each MHz bandwidth for 18 years was Tk80 crore per MHz. The regulator had then offered 17.5 MHz spectrum in the 1,800 band, but the three operators purchased 12MHz. Last year, the government raised Tk4,081 crore ($525 million) with 5% vat by selling 25MHz (each MHz sold at $21 million) of the 40MHz spectrums in the 2,100MHz band through an auction.

Grameenphone purchased 10MHz while three other private operators Banglalink, Robi and Airtel 5MHz each for 15 years.

State-owned Teletalk purchased 10MHz bandwidth, but it is yet to pay.

This time BTRC is going to allocate the rest or the 15MHz to the three blocks, each with 5MHz. The telecom watchdog in its revenue-earning plan for 2014-15 fiscal fixed Tk9,300 crore from spectrum sale.

Since BTRC shifts its plan for 700 band, major earning of the regulator depends on 25.6MHz in 1,800 and 2,100 bands.

About this, the BTRC commissioner said auction floor price may start form the allocated prices of the last sale. l

People are seen trading stocks at a broker house in Dhaka yesterday

RAJIB DHAR

Public offer, capital issue norms tightened n Kayes Sohel Securities regulator BSEC has tightened public offer and capital issue rules aimed at making the market more transparent and providing level-playing field to all.

The new conditions will not allow listed or re-listed companies to issue rights for a few initial years and any company to sell placement share before getting consent for raising its capital.

Bangladesh Securities Exchange Commission (BSEC) in a notification released Thursday said the consent, already accorded by the commission to the issue of capital in Bangladesh, or public offer of securities for sale, should be subject to certain further conditions in the interest of investors and the capital.

Under the conditions of rights issue, it said no issuer of listed securities must take decision to issue rights share with-

in two years from the date of publication of prospectus for IPO and before full utilisation of fund raised through IPO or previous rights issue or repeat public offering, as the case may be.

If any security of a company was delisted from any stock exchange or traded through over-the-counter and again gets listed with any stock exchange, issuer of that security must not take decision to issue rights shares before completion of three financial years after the re-listing.

No issuer of a listed security shall utilise more than one-third of the fund raised through IPO for the purpose of loan repayment, according to the notification.

The regulator set the payment of bank loan from IPO fund after most companies like Bangladesh Building System, Mozaffer Hussain Spinning and Central Pharma, had tendency to pay bank loan using largest portion of the fund.

Some of those companies also proposed to raise further capital from the market by issuing rights offer for payment of bank loan.

Under the conditions for issue of capital, the commission’s notification said no company or its sponsors, directors, employees or appointed agents must take share money deposit from any person, other than existing shareholders, for subscribing to the shares of the company, before obtaining consent for raising capital from the commission.

It said if any existing sponsor or director of any company transfers any share to any person, other than existing shareholders, within preceding 12 months of submitting any application for raising of capital or initial public offering, all shares held by those transferee shareholders are subject to a lock-in period of three years from the date of prospectus issuance for IPO. l

22% Bangladeshi adults have bank accounts

REHAB fair begins Wednesday

n Kayes Sohel

n Tribune business desk

Only 22% adults of Bangladesh have bank accounts and almost half of them lie dormant, says a report.

According to a survey on financial behaviour, Bangladesh is 6th among seven countries – Nigeria, India, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Pakistan – in the number of adults with bank accounts.

But the country stands 4th after Nigeria, India and Kenya in adult active bank account rate of 12% and its dormancy rate is second highest more than countries like Kenya, Pakistan, Tanzania and Uganda. The account dormancy or inactive bank account rate is highest in India (47%).

The survey, compiled by the Finan-

cial Inclusion Insights program, operated by Washington based global strategic research consultancy InterMedia, and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has assessed in its 2014 cross-country survey on financial behaviour.

The report published recently noted most people including Bangladeshis, save money through a bank, but in Pakistan, where access to banks is limited, the preferred saving methods are cash and commodities.

“The findings will hopefully mobilise further innovation in the sector and promote the potential of digital technology in ensuring that people have an access to financial services,” said InterMedia’s Research Manager for

India Gayatri Murthy.

The information contained in this study will enable policy makers, regulators and bankers to identify priorities to improve financial inclusion, design initiatives to push the inclusion agenda, and most importantly, measure the progress made, he said.

The survey also evaluated access and use of formal financial services, mobile devices, mobile money services, as well as barriers and potential for future use.

According to the report, Bangladesh has 18% bank account holders, followed by Uganda, Tanzania and Pakistan, but India leads the number of bank account holders with 48%, followed by Nigeria and Kenya, it said. l

Real Estate & Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) will organise a five-day Winter Fair-2014 at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in the city from Wednesday next.

The REHAB leaders disclosed this at a press conference at national Press Club yesterday.

REHAB Vice President Liaqat Ali Bhuiyan, its Joint Secretary Sakil Kamal Chowdhury, Executive Members Sarwardy Bhuiyan and Mohamad Sohel Rana were present at the press conference.

The fair will be inaugurated on December 24 and continue till December

28. The closing ceremony of the fair will be held on December 30. A total of 150 companies will participate in the fair this session while 13 organisations will be there as co-sponsor.

REHAB Winter Fair standing committee member Rabiul Haque said REHAB has been arranging winter fair from 2001.

“Rehab with the help of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) will strongly monitor the fair to prevent display of unauthorised projects to the interested customers,” he added.

The fair will remain open from 10am-9pm everyday while the entry fee will be Tk 50 for each person. REHAB offers attractive prizes on entrance ticket raffle draw. l

Mongla-Khulna railtrack cost to zoom up 70% n Kayes Sohel The cost of setting up 52-kilometre-long railtrack to connect Mongla port with the divisional city Khulna is likely to rise more than 70% in four years due to slow implementation process and construction of Rupsha Bridge.

It is one of the 15 projects, which is now being implemented by spending from the $1 billion Indian line of credit.

“The cost of railway project linking Mongla to Khulna would be increased to over Tk300 million from Tk175m,” said an official close to the matter.

The construction of Rupsha Bridge is blamed for the rise in cost, sources said.

The government approved the project in December, 2010.

Its cost had been estimated to be Tk1,721 crore, of which Tk1,231

crore will come from the Indian line of credit and the rest from the public coffer.

The rail link between Khulna and the country’s second seaport, Mongla, is expected to play a vital role as a transit route to neighbouring countries like India, Nepal and Bhutan.

Once constructed, goods could be carried easily from Mongla to Khuna and other parts of the country, helping reduce transport cost.

The construction of Khulna-Mongla railway line requires at least 1,525 acres of land, said an Economic Relations Division (ERD) official.

According to the project progress report prepared by the ERD almost two months back, the project cost might increase to $288 million from $175 million.

The construction work is expected to start by March next year

and the project is scheduled to be completed by September 2018.

Of the 15 projects, only seven have been completed, according to a report.

The seven completed projects, mostly related to procurement of equipment from India, are procurement of double-decker, single-decker AC and articulated buses for Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation, 180 broad gauge (BG) tank wagons and six bogies of brake vans, 50 units of metre gauge (MG) flat wagons and five units of MG brake vans with air brakes for carrying containers, 30 units of BG diesel electric (DE) locomotives, 10 units of BG DE locomotives, 100 units of MG bogies of tank wagons and five units of MG brake vans with air brakes and air brake equipment for carrying aviation fuel, 170 units of MG flat wagons (BFCT) and 11 units of MG

bogie brake vans with air brake systems for carrying containers.

The report said 14 projects will be completed within the stipulated time except the construction of Khulna-Mongla port railway line.

The total disbursement of fund by the Indian government till July 8, 2014 under the letter of credit stood at $169.78 million, it said.

Bangladesh Railway earlier planned to construct the track from Shiromoni to Mongla, some 12km north of Khulna Railway Station to avoid construction of railbridge over the wide Rupsha River.

The credit line is so far the single largest offer by India to any country. The agreement provides for credit at 1.75% interest rate with a repayment period of 20 years, including a grace period of five years.

The rate of interest was later revised to 1% in May 2012. l

41st Social Business Design Lab held n Tribune business desk The 41st Social Business Design Lab organised by Yunus Centre was held yesterday at the Grameen Bank Bhaban in the city.

The programme was chaired by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus and brought together more than 130 participators from Bangladesh and abroad.

The event was also live streamed by Yunus Centre and watched online by participants around the globe.

Welcoming the participants professor Yunus updated the audience that 496 social business projects had been presented in the 40 labs organised to date since January 2013, of which 471 had been approved for investment, most of which were already in operation.

At the 41st Lab, six new Nobin Udyokta (new entrepreneurs from Grameen Bank families) presented their business plans. Three of the six entrepreneurs were young women.

In addition, Grameen Telecom Trust signed two joint venture agreements with SDRS Solar Project and Red Worm Vermi Compost project for the launch of their social businesses. Grameen Shakti Samajik Byabosha Ltd also signed nine new Nobin Udyokta projects. l

Dollar rises again on expectations of US Fed action n AFP, New York The dollar Friday continued its upward lurch after Wednesday’s US Federal Reserve meeting added to expectations that the US central bank will raise interest rates before other central banks.

The greenback has been trending higher against the euro, the yen and other currencies since the Fed kept interest rates low and said the US central bank would be “patient in beginning to normalise the stance of monetary policy.”

While the Fed did not accelerate the timing to raise interest rates, currency traders are betting the US will normalise policy more quickly than its counterparts.

On Friday, David Song, currency analyst at DailyFX, said the dollar was well-positioned to gain on the British pound because “market participants see the Federal Open Market Committee normalising monetary policy ahead of the Bank of England.”

The US central bank “remains on course to remove the zero-interest rate policy in mid-2015, while its UK counterpart may further delay its rate hike,” Song added. l

B2

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Bearish spell hits stocks last week

DSE key features December 14-18, 2014

DSE GAINERS

Turnover (Million Taka)

Traded Issues

314

n Tribune Report

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

113

Jute SpinnersA Northern Jute -Z Fu-Wang Food A WesternMarine -N Shampur Sugar -Z Fareast Finance-Z RAK Ceramics-A Miracle Industries -B Sonali Ansh -A Deshbandhu Polymer-A

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

198

Bearish spell gripped stock markets, as investors took cautious stance due to launching new automated trading system at the prime bourse.

In the past week that ended Thursday, the benchmark index DSEX closed at 4,800, gaining over 76 points or 1.6%.

The comprising blue chips DS30 index rose 73 points or 4.7% to 1,843.

The DSE Shariah Index soared 54 points or 5% to 1,161.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange also saw steep rise with its Selective Categories Index, CSCX, was down 1% to settle at 9,102.

Trading in the past week remained slow after the launch of new trading platform at the prime bourse on December 11 last. The bourses shortened trading sessions to four out of five days due to public holiday on account of Victory Day on December 16.

Turnover has suffered significantly all through the week, as traders need more time to settle in with the new trading platform.

The average daily turnover value amounted to Tk240 crore in the week compared to the previous week’s average value of Tk360 crore. Activities were most buoyant in pharmaceuticals and engineering sector, each capturing 15% and 14% respectively of the week’s total turnover.

The week’s top gaining issues were from small-cap sectors – ceramic, IT, Jute and cement.

Issues from large cap companies declined. Telecommunication was

DSE LOSERS Company Aziz PipesZ Jamuna Oil -A Alltex Industries -Z EBL NRB M.F.-A R. N. Spinning-Z Prime Islami Life -A Prime Textile -A EXIM Bank 1 MF-A BD. Thai Alum -B FAS Fin. & Inv. Ltd-B

Closing (% change) -23.49 -16.69 -13.93 -10.20 -10.06 -9.69 -8.51 -7.81 -7.75 -7.11

CSE LOSERS Company 2nd ICB M F -A Standard Ceramic -A BD Fixed Income MF-A Jamuna Oil -A Aziz PipesZ Progressive Life-A Alltex Industries -Z National Tea -A AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A ACI ZERO Bond-A

Closing (% change) -19.87 -18.54 -18.18 -16.46 -16.37 -16.04 -12.54 -10.73 -10.42 -9.29

4856.41760

(-) 1.55%

1792.86382

(-) 1.69%

14954.6947

(-) 1.49%

12177.9419

(-) 2.13%

9102.7814

(-) 1.66%

Average (% change) -21.50 -16.42 -12.61 -18.45 -10.02 -7.31 -7.77 -7.81 -5.95 -8.04 Average (% change) -19.87 -18.54 -18.18 -17.41 -15.40 -16.04 -12.53 -9.88 -10.42 -9.29

ANALYST

Closing average 21.51 206.40 24.53 4.42 29.28 63.75 17.34 5.90 49.44 19.80

Closing average 250.00 39.10 5.40 206.52 23.46 89.00 24.64 687.58 4.30 952.43

Weekly closing

Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture

DSE Million Taka 878.85 625.34 110.24 1336.92 708.16 948.09 15.69 1102.23 1441.75 53.45 367.19 59.63 158.55 318.68 517.96 61.92 130.46 249.71 100.97 364.53 0.00

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Weekly high

21.50 206.10 24.10 4.40 29.50 63.40 17.20 5.90 48.80 19.60

Weekly closing 250.00 39.10 5.40 206.50 23.50 89.00 24.40 681.10 4.30 952.50

28.80 214.80 29.50 5.10 36.10 68.50 18.70 5.90 53.70 21.90

Weekly high 250.00 44.00 6.60 215.00 28.50 95.40 30.00 720.00 4.70 1,000.00

318,712

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

3

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,597.15

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

31.48

CSE key features December 14-18, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

1,037.36

Turnover (Volume)

32,213,972

Number of Contract

74,121

Traded Issues

268

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

79

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

184

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

4

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,509.73

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

30.42

Weekly low

Turnover in million

19.80 204.00 23.10 4.10 27.00 63.20 16.80 5.80 48.00 18.90

Weekly low

Latest EPS

2.718 164.094 42.676 7.645 136.188 3.681 6.963 0.011 149.978 3.790

-0.37 20.98 3.28 0.64 2.19 4.95 1.04 0.64 1.09 1.27

Turnover in million

250.00 39.10 5.40 206.00 23.00 89.00 23.20 681.10 4.30 921.50

% change 9.20 6.55 1.15 14.00 7.42 9.93 0.16 11.54 15.10 0.56 3.84 0.62 1.66 3.34 5.42 0.65 1.37 2.61 1.06 3.82 0.00

Million Taka 83.24 51.70 10.42 148.50 44.33 86.05 0.00 219.88 105.70 25.49 45.28 23.58 21.80 32.53 31.47 4.73 7.20 42.31 23.61 75.76 0.16

CSE

% change 7.68 4.77 0.96 13.70 4.09 7.94 0.00 20.29 9.75 2.35 4.18 2.18 2.01 3.00 2.90 0.44 0.66 3.90 2.18 6.99 0.01

Latest EPS

0.005 0.025 0.005 13.109 0.150 0.025 8.068 0.048 0.147 0.019

Million Taka 962.09 677.04 120.66 1485.42 752.49 1034.14 15.69 1322.11 1547.45 78.94 412.46 83.21 180.35 351.21 549.43 66.65 137.66 292.01 124.58 440.29 0.16

Closing (% change) 38.45 15.04 14.58 13.29 12.87 12.42 11.49 11.45 8.78 8.57

CSE GAINERS

71.88 0.60 0.48 20.98 -0.37 2.30 3.28 -6.49 -0.08 0.00

Latest PE

Total

Company Fu-Wang Food A WesternMarine -N Fareast Finance-Z Miracle Industries -B RAK Ceramics-A Premier Leasing-Z Deshbandhu Polymer-A Rupali Life Insur.-B Navana CNG-A Agni Systems -A

Closing (% change) 13.81 12.53 12.50 12.27 11.31 10.75 9.13 8.65 8.21 7.84

Average (% change) 36.25 15.04 11.87 13.01 14.65 9.90 11.51 11.84 6.60 9.13 Average (% change) 11.27 11.44 11.62 10.58 10.96 8.64 9.30 8.61 7.41 9.88

Closing average 64.98 299.00 26.67 54.73 11.58 16.99 61.83 18.42 121.50 22.84

Closing average 26.55 54.73 17.00 18.08 61.76 10.19 22.91 53.98 68.13 33.15

Weekly closing 65.90 299.00 27.50 53.70 11.40 17.20 62.10 18.50 122.70 22.80

Weekly closing 27.20 53.90 17.10 18.30 62.00 10.30 22.70 54.00 68.50 33.00

Weekly high 66.00 299.00 27.90 57.90 12.30 17.30 62.80 19.40 124.00 23.30

Weekly high 27.60 57.80 17.20 19.50 62.50 10.90 23.20 54.20 69.00 34.10

Weekly low 47.70 260.00 23.80 48.00 10.10 15.30 54.00 17.10 110.20 20.80

Weekly low 23.50 47.10 14.80 16.70 54.30 9.00 20.70 48.20 62.00 31.10

Turnover in million 1.508 0.201 300.045 290.572 1.160 34.266 139.868 42.167 13.983 119.738

Turnover in million 23.125 58.929 8.189 5.923 19.859 1.810 10.237 2.409 8.202 21.302

Latest EPS -43.64 1.00 1.80 1.80 -52.72 1.08 1.68 0.40 0.60 1.52

Latest EPS 1.80 1.80 1.08 0.40 1.68 0.08 1.52 5.33 4.12 1.32

Latest PE -ve 299.0 14.8 30.4 -ve 15.7 36.8 46.1 202.5 15.0

Latest PE 14.8 30.4 15.7 45.2 36.8 127.4 15.1 10.1 16.5 25.1

News, analysis and recent disclosures Fixed Assets/Right/Investment: JUTESPINN:The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has taken the following decision: The Mill will set up a sacking unit with 50 Looms and ancillary machines by investing an estimated amount of Tk. 2.00 crore as soon as possible as a step to overcome the rough situation.

ALARABANK: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has taken decision, to purchase 51% share of Millennium Information Solution Ltd. i.e. 93,69,343 no. of share Tk. 16.01 (including premium) totaling Tk. 15.00 crore subject to obtaining approval from Regulatory Bodies.

Credit Rating: 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 audit-

ed financial statements of the Company up to June 30, 2014.

IAAMRATECH: National Credit Ratings Limited (NCR) has announced the rating of the Company as AA- in the long term and ST-2 in the short term based on audited financial statements of the Company up to June 3 BEDL: Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB) has announced the entity rating (surveillance) of the Company as AA2 based on audited financial statements up to June 30, 2014 bank liability position as on October 31, 2014 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

BENGALWTL: Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB) has announced the entity rating (surveillance) of the Company as AA3 based on unaudited financial statement as on June 30, 2014

audited financial statement up to June 30, 2013 bank liability position as on September 30, 2014 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

Miscellaneous 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.

ECABLES: As per Regulation 30 of DSE Listing Regulations, the Company has informed that a meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on December 21, 2014 at 3:00 PM to consider, among others, audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended on June 30, 2014.

-ve 9.8 7.5 6.9 13.4 12.9 16.7 9.2 45.4 15.6

Latest PE 3.5 65.2 11.3 9.8 -ve 38.7 7.5 -ve -ve -

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS

Market experienced another week of bearishness as benchmark index lost 76.61 points

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

252,762,320

Number of Contract

Weekly capital market highlights DSE Broad Index : DSE - 30 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index :

9,550.31

Turnover (Volume)

the worst loser dropping 3.4%, followed by service and real estate 2.6%, banks 2.5%, food & allied 2.3%, power 1.4%, non-banking financial institutions and pharmaceuticals 1% each.

IDLC Investments said encountering a number of sell-offs, market remained sluggish, with an exception in the last session of the week.

It said adapting to new trading platform remained the key challenge of the week for investors-traders community. “Amid uncertainty, volatility ensued, with small cap scrips taking over gainers board. Overall, investors remained reluctant to make moves in the market, given the trading difficulties and absence of any trend formation.”

Lanka Bangla Securities said market experienced another week of bearishness as benchmark index lost 76.61 points.

During the first three trading sessions, benchmark index ended in red but it recovered some points at the last session of the week, it said.

“Though losers overtook the gainers during the week, nevertheless, some individual scrips showed strength. Investors’ might be eying for companies which can show better corporate earnings during SepDec period.”

Royal Capital said due to a major technology shift the market needs a few weeks for the investors to cope with. The trading pattern of the new software is materially different from the previous one and thus it may hamper the smooth trading activity significantly for some time, it said. l

Company

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Company Agni Systems -A Square Pharma -A Fu-Wang Food A WesternMarine -N Keya Cosmetics -A SummitAlliancePort.-A LafargeS Cement-Z Olympic Ind. -A Grameenphone-A Quasem Drycells -A

% change 9.05 6.37 1.13 13.97 7.08 9.72 0.15 12.43 14.55 0.74 3.88 0.78 1.70 3.30 5.17 0.63 1.29 2.75 1.17 4.14 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

Beximco Pharma -A Tung Hai Knitting -N BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Jamuna Oil -A Brac Bank -A Mozaffar H.Spinning-A CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company WesternMarine -N R. N. Spinning-Z BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Hamid Fabrics -N Grameenphone-A SummitAlliancePort.-A Tung Hai Knitting -N Keya Cosmetics -A Fu-Wang Food A Khan Brothers-N

Agni Systems -A RAK Ceramics-A LafargeS Cement-Z AB Bank - A Beximco Pharma -A UNITED AIR-A Mozaffar H.Spinning-A

Volume shares 12,013,418 1,510,537 11,545,688 5,275,189 9,949,757 3,030,169 2,088,268 960,682 630,251 2,800,679

3,385,055 9,859,539 4,635,703 781,757 4,249,939 5,271,482

Volume shares 1,082,420 1,712,939 1,096,322 912,009 100,171 391,922 1,541,588 1,081,529 892,109 603,502

646,785 335,682 163,697 596,700 268,372 1,698,821 514,380

Value in million 393.95 386.28 300.05 290.57 273.56 257.06 239.24 231.26 222.91 216.30

214.26 203.13 176.79 164.09 159.25 151.75

Value in million 58.93 56.81 42.04 40.61 35.41 33.38 31.61 29.88 23.13 21.87

21.30 19.86 18.78 18.26 17.03 15.60 14.75

% of total turnover 4.13 4.04 3.14 3.04 2.86 2.69 2.51 2.42 2.33 2.26

2.24 2.13 1.85 1.72 1.67 1.59

% of total turnover 5.72 5.52 4.08 3.94 3.44 3.24 3.07 2.90 2.25 2.12

2.07 1.93 1.82 1.77 1.65 1.52 1.43

Weekly closing 33.10 254.30 27.50 53.70 27.80 84.40 115.00 240.70 350.80 79.70

62.90 21.30 37.80 206.10 37.50 29.30

Weekly closing 53.90 30.00 37.90 42.90 350.40 84.20 21.10 27.70 27.20 35.10

33.00 62.00 115.10 30.10 63.20 9.10 29.00

Price change 8.17 -2.49 14.58 13.29 3.73 -3.43 2.04 1.65 -3.39 2.97

Weekly opening 30.60 260.80 24.00 47.40 26.80 87.40 112.70 236.80 363.10 77.40

Weekly high 34.00 261.00 27.90 57.90 28.50 89.90 120.30 245.80 370.00 82.00

Weekly low 30.90 252.00 23.80 48.00 26.80 80.00 112.10 231.00 347.00 73.10

Weekly average 33.11 253.68 26.67 54.73 27.53 85.61 115.02 240.58 352.27 79.82

Price change 12.53 -7.69 0.26 -1.83 -3.92 -3.33 4.46 2.97 13.81 2.63

Weekly opening 47.90 32.50 37.80 43.70 364.70 87.10 20.20 26.90 23.90 34.20

Weekly high 57.80 35.70 40.00 47.00 369.00 88.40 21.40 28.40 27.60 37.60

Weekly low 47.10 28.00 37.50 42.80 346.20 81.00 19.30 26.80 23.50 34.00

Weekly average 54.73 29.75 37.95 43.02 352.85 85.25 20.94 27.44 26.55 35.38

-1.56 4.41 -0.26 -16.69 0.81 6.16

7.84 11.31 2.40 -4.14 -1.10 -2.15 6.23

63.90 20.40 37.90 247.40 37.20 27.60

30.60 55.70 112.40 31.40 63.90 9.30 27.30

65.90 21.40 40.30 214.80 37.90 30.00

34.10 62.50 119.00 31.50 65.00 9.40 29.90

61.90 19.50 37.30 204.00 36.20 27.00

31.10 54.30 112.30 29.80 61.30 9.00 26.60

63.44 21.02 37.87 206.40 37.57 29.59

33.15 61.76 115.81 30.14 63.48 9.10 29.20

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

B3

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Brent oil spirals below $60 in volatile week n AFP, London Brent oil prices plummeted this week to five-year lows underneath $60 per barrel as markets were rocked by shrinking Chinese manufacturing output, economic turmoil in Russia and ample crude supplies.

Oil has now halved in value since June, due also to the stronger dollar and weak demand as the global economy struggles.

Investors closely watched the situation in crude producer Russia, as the ruble crashed to a series of record lows, despite a drastic interest rate hike.

“The combined effects of slumping oil, the Russian Central Bank’s interest rate hike and falling output from China have all come together to deliver a triple blow to the markets,” said ETX Capital analyst Daniel Sugarman.

“Lower output from China means less of a need for oil, while as a primary oil producer Russia really feels the pain of lower oil prices, compounded by the sanctions imposed earlier this year.”

Many commodities fell in line with oil, but sentiment was subdued on Friday with many traders away for an extended Christmas and New Year holiday.

Brent prices plunged late Tuesday to $58.50 - a low last seen on May 26, 2009 - and New York crude hit a similar low at $53.60 after OPEC signalled it has no plans to intervene to shore up plunging prices.

Brent had already breached the psychological $60 barrier earlier Tuesday as weak Chinese manufacturing data stoked global demand concerns.

The market however rebounded on Friday, in line with gains on global stock markets, as investors snapped up bargain crude.

“Until the issue of low global demand and oversupply is resolved, we will continue to see this type of market volatility as investors test the waters,” Phillip Futures analyst Daniel Ang told AFP. “There are two camps in the mar-

n AFP, London

A woman pumps gas at a station in Falls Church, Virginia ket at the moment. Some who believe prices can fall further, and others who are betting that it should be above $60.”

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the oil producers group that supplies about a third of global oil, has so far declined to cut output to curb the price plunge.

Top OPEC producer Saudi Arabia said Thursday that competitive pressures prevent it from reducing output,

REUTERS

and the kingdom can weather falling prices.

“It is difficult, or even impossible, for Saudi Arabia or OPEC to undertake any measure that would lead to a reduction in (their) share of the market and an increase in that of others” who do not belong to the cartel, said Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi.

The latest selloffs came after OPEC opted last month to maintain its collec-

tive output ceiling at 30 million barrels per day, where it has stood for three years.

“At OPEC’s meeting in November, we took two decisions,” added Kuwaiti oil minister Ali al-Omair on Tuesday.

“The first was to keep the production ceiling unchanged and the second to hold the next meeting in June. So far, nothing has changed and there are no calls for holding an

emergency meeting.”

By Friday on London’s Intercontinental Exchange, Brent North Sea crude for delivery in February sank to $60.69 per barrel compared with $62.11 for the January contract one week earlier.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, West Texas Intermediate or light sweet crude for January dived to $56.23 per barrel from $58.15 a week earlier. l

China total GDP revised up 3.4% in 2013 n AFP, Beijing

Labourers work at a construction site for a new building in Beijing

Yen weakens in Asia after BoJ meeting n AFP, Tokyo The yen weakened in Asia Friday after the Bank of Japan held off fresh easing measures and struck a slightly more upbeat view of the world’s number three economy.

In Tokyo, the greenback rose to 119.31 yen from 118.87 yen before the BoJ policy announcement and 118.81 yen in New York.

The euro strengthened to 146.53 yen from 146.00 yen, while it was at $1.2281 against $1.2287 in US trade.

“Exports have shown signs of picking up” while factory output has started to “bottom out”, the BoJ said in a post-meeting statement.

“Japan’s economy is expected to continue its moderate recovery.”

Plunging oil prices have helped narrow Japan’s gaping trade deficit while a sharply weaker yen has been a plus for the country’s exporters.

But lower energy import prices are also digging into the BoJ’s efforts to reach a 2% inflation rate - aimed at ending years of deflation and unimpressive growth - which has boosted speculation about further easing in 2015.

IHS: Plunging oil price to reset global defence budgets

Crude prices have plunged roughly 50% since June owing to plentiful supplies, a stronger dollar and weak demand as the global economy struggles, analysts say.

The dollar has also won support from Wednesday’s US Federal Reserve announcement that it planned to keep interest rates low and said it would be “patient in beginning to normalise the stance of monetary easing”.

The comments suggested a rate hike was unlikely before mid-2015.

The ruble held steady at 61.08 against the dollar after President Vladimir Putin vowed Russia would soon recover from the worst financial crisis of his rule and said his grip on power was firm - despite new Western sanctions and plunging oil prices, a key export for the country.

The ruble has gone through wild fluctuations this week - falling to a record low of 80 against the dollar at one point - with the central bank raising interest rates to 17% and Russians snapping up imported goods ahead of expected price hikes.

The dollar was mixed against other Asia-Pacific currencies. l

REUTERS

China’s gross domestic product (GDP) turned out to be 3.4% larger last year than originally announced, the government said Friday after a national survey - a revision equal to about the size of Malaysia’s economy.

The world’s second biggest economy was valued at 58.80tn yuan ($9.5tn currently) in 2013, the National Bureau of statistics (NBS) said in a statement, quoting a survey of 70 million businesses across the country. The amount is 1.92tn yuan ($308bn) more than the official figure released in January, the NBS said.

Malaysia’s GDP was $313bn last year, according to the World Bank.

Despite the revision, China’s economy is still far smaller than that of the United States, where GDP was $16.8tn last year, World Bank data shows.

The change was a result of China’s third “national economic census”, which is carried out every five years and focuses on industry and services to provide up-to-date figures for government policy making. The latest survey

was conducted from the beginning of this year for three months by three million personnel, the NBS said previously.

The bureau said in a separate statement the revision “basically will not affect” the economic growth rate for this year, which is to be released next month, because the calculation is based on “comparable data”.

China’s economy grew 7.3% in the third quarter, the slowest since the height of the global financial crisis in early 2009. It is now facing multiple challenges including weakening manufacturing, falling property prices, high debt levels, and what some economists see a looming threat of deflation.

The government has set a target for growth this year at around 7.5% but it is widely expected to lower the goal for next year to as low as 7% due to slowing momentum.

China announced in January that its economy expanded by 7.7% last year.

NBS officials told AFP that the growth rate could also be subject to change after revisions on figures between 2009 and 2012 are completed. l

Global defence spending is likely to remain constant for the next two years as tumbling oil prices cut the budgets of Middle East exporters, but swell the coffers of Asia-Pacific importers, defence analysts IHS said Friday.

With Brent crude recently falling below the symbolic $60 dollar (48.8 euros) mark - a 50 percent drop since mid-June - the defence budgets of countries in the Middle East and North Africa are likely to fall to normal levels, having grown by almost 30% between 2011 and 2014, according to the study, released in London.

By contrast, “falling oil prices are expected to have a net positive effect upon economic growth in China, India and Indonesia and will aid government finances,” said Craig Caffrey, senior defence budgets analyst at IHS Aerospace & Defence.

“Key regional markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea have outlined plans for increases in military spending while growth in India and China is expected continue at rates above five percent in real terms,” he explained.

Global annual spending on defence grew by 0.85% to $1.597bn in 2014, the first increase in four years, aided by a slowdown in US budget cuts and a 17.8% growth in Russian military spending.

Defence budgets should continue to stabilise following the chaos of the financial crisis, although global political developments could still play a major role, according to the report.

“Despite the continued importance of the global economic climate upon defence resourcing, the crisis in Ukraine and the emergence of Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria over the course of 2014 have demonstrated the extent to which geo-political developments can still have a significant impact upon military spending,” it said. l

Fed sees bigger fall in unemployment in 2015, 2016

n AFP, Washington

The Federal Reserve raised its annual outlook for US economic growth on Wednesday and projected a larger decline in unemployment over the next two years.

Staying the course on monetary policy and keeping interest rates near zero after a two-day meeting, the Fed said the economy was on track to keep expanding at “a moderate pace.”

And, in an update to its forecast, the central bank said gross domestic product would grow by between 2.3% and 2.4% this year, up from a September estimate of 2 to 2.2%. The estimate for GDP growth in 2015 was unchanged at 2.6 to 3.0%, while the 2016 range widened slightly to 2.5 to 3.0%.

The most striking change in the Fed forecasts from three months ago was to the projected unemployment rate, which is now expected to end this year at 5.8%, instead of at between 5.9 and 6.0%.

The faster-than-anticipated improvement should lower the jobless rate to 5.2 to 5.3% in 2015 and to 5.0 to 5.2% in 2016. l

CORPORATE NEWS

BanglaCAT, an authorised dealer of Caterpillar Inc USA in Bangladesh has recently celebrated its 10 years of service in the country

NCC Bank has recently provided scholarships to 275 poor but meritorious students of the country as part of its corporate social responsibility. Governor of Bangladesh Bank, Dr Atiur Rahman has inaugurated the programme as chief guest at the presence of Md Nurun Newaz Salim, chairperson of NCC Bank

Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and Windmill Advertising Ltd have recently signed a contract for managing the upcoming “Japan Fair in Bangladesh 2015”. Kei Kawano, country representative of JETRO and Sabbir Rahman Tanim, CEO of Windmill Advertising Ltd have signed the contract

Banglalink is going to hold 'Banglalink Bangladesh Utshob' on December 26 at Ramna Park in Shahbag. The company’s head of PR and communication, Sharfuddin Ahmed Chowdhury made the announcement recently

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Sunday, December 21, 2014

BoJ strikes more upbeat view on economy, holds off fresh measures n AFP, Tokyo The Bank of Japan on Friday struck a more upbeat view of the world’s number three economy, saying exports were showing signs of picking up while factory output has started to “bottom out”.

The comments came as policymakers wrapped up a two-day meeting where they held off fresh easing measures, after announcing in late October a huge expansion of the BoJ’s assetbuying programme.

At a post-meeting press briefing, bank governor Haruhiko Kuroda repeated a pledge to do whatever is necessary to achieve the bank’s 2.0 percent inflation target in 2015, part of a wider bid to end the deflation that has plagued the economy for years.

A plunge in crude oil prices is threatening the bank’s target, but cheaper energy should give the wider economy a shot in the arm and generate higher prices, he said.

The oil price drop has also narrowed Japan’s gaping trade deficit while a sharply weaker yen has been a plus for exporters.

“The fall in oil prices has positive effects on the overall economy,” Kuroda told reporters.

The central bank kept up its view that Japan was seeing a moderate recovery, in line with other advanced economies including the United States.

“In this situation, exports have shown signs of picking up,” the BoJ said earlier in the day.

Private consumption remains “resilient” while real-estate investment has “started to bottom out”, the bank said, echoing its view of factory output, which edged up 0.2 percent on-month in October, beating market expectations.

“Business sentiment has generally stayed at a favourable level, although some cautiousness has been observed,” it added.

Highlighting that caution, the BoJ’s quarterly Tankan survey this week showed confidence among major Japanese manufacturers edged down in the three months to December.

A separate bank report Thursday showed firms were holding a record amount of cash equivalent to almost

half the country’s gross domestic product, despite calls for more wage hikes and capital spending.

However, Tokyo’s efforts to stoke the economy, which initially bore fruit, took a hit after an April sales tax rise slammed the brakes on growth as Japan sank into recession during the third quarter.

More easing possible

The decline prompted Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to delay a second sales tax rise initially planned for next year and call snap elections that he easily won on Sunday.

However, Fitch last week placed Japan’s sovereign credit on Rating Watch Negative, warning that delaying a second tax rise would jeopardise efforts to shrink one of the world’s heaviest public debt burdens.

The move came after Moody’s downgraded Japan’s credit rating, citing “rising uncertainty” over the debt situation and Abe’s faltering efforts to kickstart the economy.

The BoJ’s decision on Friday means it will keep trying to pump cash into the banking system at an annual pace of about 80tn yen ($670bn), a scheme designed to stimulate the wider economy.

In October, the bank surprised markets by announcing it would expand asset purchases by as much as 20tn yen annually to the current level, sending the yen into freefall.

It also slashed its economic growth forecast by half and trimmed consumer price expectations as its much-touted inflation target looked increasingly out of reach -- stoking speculation of further easing measures in 2015.

“Wage growth is set to remain sluggish next year and, with households also likely to be trying to rebuild their savings, we expect consumer spending to be subdued,” Capital Economics said in a note.

“This suggests that GDP growth in 2015 will be much weaker than many expect. Weak demand alongside recent falls in commodity prices will weigh on inflation, triggering more easing by the Bank of Japan, perhaps as early as the spring.” l

European flags are seen outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels

REUTERS

EU leaders agree investment package to boost economy n Reuters, Brussels European Union leaders endorsed a new investment programme intended to kick-start economic growth in the bloc at a summit in Brussels, which its chairman said would end late on Thursday, half a day earlier than planned.

“We agreed three things: one, we call for the urgent establishment of a European fund for strategic investments; two, a renewed commitment to intensify structural reforms; three, continued efforts to ensure sound public finances,” European Council President Donald Tusk said in a video statement.

“The three together form our strategy to speed up the recovery,” added Tusk, who also tweeted that leaders would not reconvene as planned on Friday but would conclude the summit after a discussion over dinner on Russia and Ukraine.

Tusk, the former Polish prime minister hosting his first summit in his new role, did not go into details of the agreement on the economic plans.

But draft conclusions of the meeting showed that governments contribut-

ing to the investment fund would not get into trouble if such contributions resulted in their deficits breaching EU budget rules set out in the Stability and Growth Pact.

It should not be decided politically, but on the basis of business criteria “The European Council takes note of the favourable position the Commission has indicated towards such capital contributions in the context of the assessment of public finances under the Stability and Growth Pact,” the text read.

While a formal Commission interpretation of how EU budget rules should treat such investment will only come in January, Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen told Reuters

in an interview on Thursday that fund contributors would not face negative consequences in budget assessments.

The fund, called the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI), will be launched next year with 21bn euros ($25.8bn) of EU money. It is intended to attract 15 times more private capital for financing projects in energy and transport infrastructure as well as education and research.

The EFSI, whose final go-ahead to start operations is to come in June 2015, is designed to help boost feeble European growth and create jobs without inflating public debts.

EU leaders also discussed how the EFSI should choose which projects in Europe to finance and decided that decisions should be based only on business criteria.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was clear she wanted no politics in the selection: “It should not be decided politically, but on the basis of business criteria,” she said.

Tusk said no sectoral or geographical criteria for project selection were discussed. l

German consumer confidence grows at year-end n AFP, Berlin

A labourer walks near a parked bulldozer at the construction site of a bridge being built over the river Yamuna in New Delhi

Consumer confidence in Germany saw a boost in December as shoppers hit the stores for Christmas and looked ahead to the new year with optimism, a poll found on Friday.

After stabilising in November following several months of decline, “consumer sentiment showed solid development in December,” market research company GfK said in a statement.

“The consumer climate is continuing its upward trend.”

Looking ahead to 2015, GfK’s headline household confidence index was forecast to rise to 9.0 points in January from 8.7 points in November.

“Consumers apparently now assume that the period of economic weakness in Germany will pass and the domestic economy will return to REUTERS

‘India should crank up public spending to revive growth’ n Reuters, New Delhi India should increase public spending to boost economic growth in the medium term as there have been no signs of private investment picking up, chief government economic adviser Arvind Subramanian said on Friday.

India has had two successive years of below 5% economic growth and is still recovering from its worst slowdown since the 1980s, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vows to put the country back on a high growth path.

“To revive growth going forward, public investment may have to play a greater role to complement and crowd-in private investment,” Subramanian said.

“Consideration should be given to ... finding the fiscal space to finance such investment.”

Subramanian, a former US-based

economist who joined the finance ministry in October, will help Finance Minister Arun Jaitley design the first fullyear budget of the new government that swept to power in May. Economic growth expanded by 5.3% in the September quarter from a year earlier, and India is expected to grow 5.5% in the current financial year that ends in March, a finance ministry report said on Friday.

Still, weak consumer sentiment, high interest rates and lack of investment have dampened sentiment in Asia’s third largest-economy.

Infrastructure review

Subramanian said India will have to review all revenue and spending estimates for a growth revival that is supported by higher public spending.

After the finance ministry’s mid-

year economic review was released, Subramanian said India needs to reevaluate its private sector-led infrastructure model.

The report also said that India faces a “major challenge” in achieving its 2014/15 fiscal deficit target of 4.1% of gross domestic product.

However, Subramanian said the government is committed to achieving its fiscal deficit target and will have to consider all measures including spending cuts.

Recent economic data has built a case for an interest rate cut. Industrial output contracted in October in its worst performance in three years, while retail inflation has continued to decline.

However, the finance ministry report said interest rates are expected to remain unchanged until the end of March. l

growth in the coming months,” it said in a statement.

The GfK reading is based on responses from about 2,000 households regarding their expectations about pay and the economy as a whole in the coming months, as well as their willingness to spend money.

Sentiment in Europe’s top economy has stabilised recently, as concerns about the impact on investment of the crises in Ukraine and the Middle East have subsided.

On Thursday, the widely-watched Ifo business climate index showed solid gains in December after rising for the first time in seven months in November.

The HDE retail association has forecast total sales from the Christmas season of 85.5bn euros ($105bn), up 1.2% from last year. l

India tables ‘biggest tax reform’ since independence

n AFP, New Delhi

India’s government introduced legislation Friday billed as the biggest tax reform since independence, with analysts hailing it as a “game changer” that would cut the cost of doing business and boost economic growth.

The long-awaited goods-and-services tax (GST) would eliminate a slew of levies currently in place to create a single internal market.

One of various reforms undertaken

by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, the GST would swell public coffers by broadening the tax base, economists say.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley called the GST the “single biggest tax reform since independence” of the country from Britain more than six decades ago.

“We will formally take it (the GST) up in the next session” which begins in February, Jaitley told parliament’s upper house as the bill was introduced in the lower house.

“It is like creating internal trade liberalisation,” Jaitley said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won a crushing election mandate in May under leader Narendra Modi, aims to have the reform take effect from April 1, 2016.

Jaitley said his party had succeeded in getting India’s 29 states to agree to the GST where the previous left-leaning Congress government failed.

He described the indirect tax as a “win-win situation” for both levels of government. Jaitley reassured India’s states the government would give “a constitutional assurance” in terms of compensating them for any loss of revenue from the tax change.

The GST would end India’s patchwork of taxes under which each state has used its powers under the constitution to tax different commodities at different rates, levelling the competitive playing field. But creating a uniform tax structure is one of the most complicated reforms to achieve.

Enacting the GST requires a constitutional amendment involving consent of a majority of India’s states - some of which had objected to ceding their right to levy taxes - as well as approval by a two-thirds majority in both houses. l

Fed creating ‘unacceptable’ risks to inflation n Reuters

The Federal Reserve is creating “unacceptable” downside risks to US inflation by signaling it will gradually remove monetary stimulus next year despite low inflation, Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank Narayana Kocherlakota said on Friday.

Instead, Kocherlakota said in a statement to be posted on the regional Fed bank’s website, the US central bank should have pledged to keep rates near zero until the inflation outlook improves. He added that the central bank should also have signaled its willingness to restart its controversial bondbuying program if that pledge does not work to bring inflation expectations back to the Fed’s 2% target.

The US central bank on Wednesday said it would be “patient” in deciding when to raise borrowing costs, a waiting period that as Fed Chair Janet Yellen clarified could open the door to a rate hike as soon as April.

Yellen said she expects a recent decline in market-based inflation expectations to be temporary, and suggested that the Fed could raise rates next year even if inflation remains below the Fed’s 2% target.

Kocherlakota dissented from the decision, in what was his last vote on the Fed’s policy-setting panel before he steps down from his post in early 2016.

Kocherlakota began his term in 2009 as a one of the Fed’s most ardent inflation-fighting hawks; today he is one of its most vocal policy doves.

DILBERT

On Friday he said the Fed was putting the United States at risk of a growth-sapping drop in inflation.

“In my assessment, the (Fed)’s failure to respond to weak inflation runs the risk of creating a harmful downward slide in inflation and longer-term inflation expectations of the kind that we have seen in Japan and Europe,” Kocherlakota said. “I see this risk to the credibility of the inflation target as unacceptable, given how hard it would be for the (Fed) to respond successfully if this eventuality did indeed materialize.” l