25 dec, 2014

Paush 11, 1421 Rabiul Awal 2, 1436 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 261

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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7 | JURIS

11 | OP-ED

12 | SPORT

ALFON-SO?

A JOURNEY TO HELL

I WAS THERE, AND I DON’T NEED A DEFENCE

NASIR GLOWS, PROBABLY AT THE RIGHT TIME

Political mercury rising again At least 40 people hurt including a ruling party MP as AL, BNP clash in Old Dhaka Al-Masum Molla n Mohammad and Ashif Islam Shaon Activists and supporters of arch rival BNP and ruling Awami League locked into a series of clashes yesterday centring BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s appearance in a court, turning Bakshibazar, Plassey and Chankharpool areas in the capital into battle zones.

At least 40 people on both sides, including ruling party lawmaker Chhabi Biswas, were injured during the clashes.

The BNP had plans to demonstrate in the area yesterday as Khaleda was set to appear before a special court on Alia Madrasa ground in two corruption cases, which the party terms “false and politically motivated.”

Learning about the BNP’s plans, members of the ruling party’s student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League were in position to foil any demonstration.

The clash ensued when a procession of the BNP was blocked by a group of Chhatra League men Moreover, the law enforcers were silent spectators before and in the first 20 minutes of the hour-long clash that began around 12:15pm, witnesses said.

Traffic movement in the areas was suspended during the clashes.

At one point of the clashes, the BNP men, many of who were Chhatra Dal activists, allegedly attacked Netrakona 1 Awami League MP Chhabi Biswas in front of Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s emergency gate while leaving the area. They also set his microbus on fire.

Around 4,500 police personnel were deployed in and around the court area yesterday.

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir later in the day

blamed the ruling party men for the incident and announced demonstration programmes for tomorrow at district and divisional headquarters.

Fakhrul on Tuesday threatened of launching movement if the cases, filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission, were not withdrawn.

According to party sources, leaders of the city unit BNP and its front and associate bodies held a series of meetings to stage a showdown on the court premises yesterday.

Khaleda started from her Gulshan residence for the court at 11:15am. Situation was calm in the court area until noon. She had earlier skipped the case proceedings around 50 times citing different reasons including lack of reasons.

Before Khaleda’s arrival, members of the BNP and its student wing Chhatra Dal gathered in Bakshibazar intersection area. On the other hand, the Chhatra League men were in position in Plassey since morning.

According to witnesses, the clash ensued when a procession of the BNP had been blocked by a group of Chhatra League activists at Fazle Rabbi Hall intersection at 12:13pm. Chased and brick-hit, the BNP men engaged in counter-chase and set fire to tires on the street.

At that time, the ruling party supporters beat up several members of the rival group with sticks and iron rods.

The Chhatra Dal men also had bamboo sticks.

Several crude bombs were blasted during the clash.

Eyewitnesses said police had remained silent in the first 20 minutes and later charged batons on the BNP supporters. The law enforcers also lobbed tear gas canisters to disperse them.

As the court proceedings ended around 1:15pm and the streets were calm, Chhatra League activists wielding iron rods and bamboo sticks  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

Ruling party MP Chhabi Biswas was injured during clashes between the supporters of the BNP and the Chhatra League in Bakshibazar area yesterday noon; later in the evening, Siddique Nazmul Alam, general secretary of the Awami League’s student body, in a Facebook status threatened to beat up the BNP bigwigs like “stray dogs.”

Until filing of the report at 10:55pm, the status was liked by 2,293 persons and shared 204 times.

As many as 606 persons commented on the post, hailing the move while some of them slammed the Chhatra League leader for such remark terming him a “mad dog” instead.

Nazmul wrote in Bangla: “[We] will  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

n Tribune Report

No separate pay scale unless state banks reduce default loans n Asif Showkat Kallol The national pay commission has recommended that the state-owned banks should not get a separate pay scale until they pull out of the capital slump because of excessive default loans.

The commission also expressed doubts whether the state-owned banks will ever be able to recover.

The recommendation and observation came up in the report that the National Pay and Services Commission (NPSC) submitted to the finance minister on Sunday proposing pay revision for government employees and pensioners.

The NPSC also said the various autonomous and semi-autonomous government bodies should not get sepa-

rate pay scales until they start making profits.

However, the commission agreed that the Bangladesh Bank needs a separate pay scale considering that its area of operation is global in scope.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved a separate pay scale for the state-owned banks in November last year, but it could not be implemented

because of legal complications, sources said.

Employees of the state-run banks and financial institutions have long been demanding a separate pay structure under banking policies in order to stay competitive in the market alongside the private commercial banks.

The parliamentary watchdog on the Finance Ministry recently recommend-

n Ashif Islam Shaon A special Dhaka court yesterday asked both defence and prosecution in two corruption cases filed against BNP chief Khaleda Zia and several others to appear before it at scheduled time as the trials have been facing much delay.

On the previous date, December 17, Khaleda did not appear before the Third Special Judge’s Court of Abu Ahmed Jamadar citing security reasons; yesterday she came two hours behind schedule.

Trials of the cases involving Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust have been delayed repeatedly due to absence of Khaleda during the proceedings and filing of time petitions by the defence, the prosecution says.

The court yesterday was supposed to record testimony of the first prosecution witness and plaintiff, Anti-Corruption Commission Deputy Director Harun-or-Rashid. April 11 was set for his deposition by the court on that day of indictment.

Three-time former prime minister Khaleda, her elder son Tarique Rahman and seven others were indicted in the cases on March 19 by the same court set up at Alia Madrasa ground in Bakshibazar area.

Earlier, the charge framing hearing was deferred 41 times in the orphanage trust case and 11 times in the other.

The court was set to begin proceedings at 10:30am yesterday. Lawyers of the prosecution, the defence and senior BNP leaders including its acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir were present at that time.

However, the judge did not enter the court apparently due to Khaleda’s absence.

Judge Abu Ahmed came to the courtroom around 11:20am. At that time, the defence counsels sought more time saying that the key accused, Khaleda, was on her way. The court granted the plea and adjourned the proceedings until Khaleda reached the courtroom.

‘Will beat them like stray dogs’

Top: A Chhatra League activist opens fire during a clash with BNP supporters in Bakshibazar area of the capital yesterday. Bottom: A group of Chhatra League activists pounces on a BNP supporter at one point of the hour-long clash DHAKA TRIBUNE

Be punctual, says new judge in Khaleda cases

ed a separate pay scale for the central bank and the state-owned Sonali, Janata, Agrani and Rupali Banks.

In the proposal that the PM had signed last year, there were 11 salary grades; the proposed basic pay for the lowest grade was Tk6,000 and Tk55,000 for the highest grade.

Currently, the state-owned banks  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, December 25, 2014

AL: BNP will not be allowed to enter Dhaka in January n Abu Hayat Mahmud Activists of the BNP-led 20-party alliance will not be allowed to enter Dhaka city from January 1, with Awami League supporters staying on the streets to resist them, the ruling party has said.

Addressing a rally in the capital yesterday, Awami League’s Dhaka city unit General Secretary Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said the ruling party men would take position on the field from the start of January.

“The BNP-Jamaat alliance led by Khaleda Zia would not be allowed to come in field from January,” he added.

Maya, also the disaster management and relief minister, claimed that supporters of Awami League’s Dhaka city unit, Chhatra League, Jubo League, Swechchhasebak League and other associate bodies would keep watch over the city’s streets and take position at every road and neighbourhood to protest BNP’s January 5 agitation pro-

Happy’s forensic test submitted to police n Mohammad Jamil Khan Without revealing any detail about the contents, the Dhaka Medical College forensic department yesterday handed over its forensic report on actress Naznin Akther Happy – who recently stirred controversy by filing a case against cricketer Rubel Hossain – to the Mirpur police station.

Asked about the outcome of the report, Prof Dr Habibuzzaman Chowdhury, head of the DMC forensic department, refused to comment, saying the police would be able to clarify on the issue as it was their case.

However, a source in the forensic department said the forensic tests had found no evidence of rape; a different source inside the Mirpur police station also corroborated the claim.

The report, however, would only be able to identify forced sexual intercourse and not show any evidence of rape if sexual intercourse had taken place consensually, said Bilkis Begum, coordinator of the One Stop Crisis Centre at the DMCH. Happy’s forensic tests were conducted on December 14, a day after she filed a case with the Mirpur police station against Rubel Hossain.

Investigation officer Masud Parvez and Mirpur acting OC Moinul Islam both refused to comment; the former claiming to be on leave, while the latter said he was away from office at the time. l

grammes.

Terming January 5 the day for protecting democracy, he said: “If the national polls had not taken place on January 5 last year, the country’s democracy would have fallen into a deep crisis. For this reason we have announced of observing they day as Victory Day of Democracy.”

Calling the BNP-Jamaat alliance “the enemies of democracy,” the minister blamed them for trying to create agitation in the country with their January 5 programmes.

Maya urged party leaders and activists to stay alert and resist any BNP-Jamaat act of anarchy.

“Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir recently said they would call hartal if they are not allowed to come on the field on January 5. January is not the original issue; they [BNP] had tried to hinder the war crime trials by calling hartals again and again,” he said.

Yesterday’s rally was organised by Bangladesh Muktijoddha Projonmo

League at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital. Chaired by the organisation’s President Fatema Jalil, the rally was also addressed by Dhaka City Awami League Vice-President Fayez Uddin Miah, Organising Secretary Shahe Alam Murad and several others.

Earlier, the Awami League had announced of observing January 5 – the day the 10th national elections were held – as the Victory Day of Democracy.

The BNP-led 20 party alliance, however, termed January 5 as a “Black Day” and also announced several programmes on that day.

On Monday, the alliance also sought permission from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police to hold public rallies in the capital on January 3 and 5 to mount pressure on the government to hold national election under a non-partisan government.

The BNP and its associated organisations’ leaders also vowed that they would come on the field in the capital on January 5 at any cost. l

NU decentralises to reduce session jam n

Tribune Report

National University (NU) authorities have taken a number of initiatives, which include decentralisation of the administration, to cut down session jam.

NU Vice-chancellor Professor Dr Harun-or-Rashid described the steps and the overall development of education at institutions under the NU while addressing a press briefing at his office in the capital yesterday.

“We have recently introduced an academic calendar which shows the entire examination schedules of the four-year bachelor’s courses and three-year degree courses. We are also committed to publish the results within three months after the end of exams,” he said.

The NU authorities came up with the strategies amid the operation of an eight-member committee formed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) which is working to implement the government’s decision to bring the bachelor’s and master’s colleges affiliated with the NU under 36 public universities.

The committee started working after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave the directive during her August 31 visit at the Education Ministry.

“The NU is the largest university in the country with 2,154 colleges (275 public and 1,879 private), about 21 lakh students and around 60,000 teachers.

About 100 different sorts of examinations are held at the NU annually and it takes six to seven months to publish exam results,” said the NU vice-chancellor.

Professor Harun mentioned three reasons that lead to session jam - centralised administration, traditional administrative direction and exam management policy, and political programmes such as general strike – and said six regional centres in six divisions had been established to resolve the problem.

“A director has been appointed at each of the centres to ensure smooth operations. This is also a part of our decentralisation efforts.

“Crash programmes will be introduced soon to reduce session jam for old students that lasts between four months and a year.

“Our strategies also include moving to online, where there will also be a database of teachers, and monitoring publication of results. We are hopeful that these steps will be effective in reducing the problem of session jam,” he said.

The NU vice-chancellor also said there has to be an authority which will supervise the whole plan to ensure that those do not contradict the prime minister’s directives.

NU Pro Vice-chancellor Profesoor Dr Munaj Ahmad Noor and Treasurer Professor Noman-ur-Rashid were present at the conference among others. l

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia waves at her supporters after she appeared before a makeshift court in the capital’s Bakshibazar area in connection with the Zia Charitable and Zia Orphanage corruption cases DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business leaders seek reassurance over political violence n Tribune Report

Business leaders yesterday sought assurance from political parties that there would be no recurrence of violence which took a heavy toll on the country’s trade as well as economy in the past.

They came up with the call at a meeting organised by Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) where the trade body presented its course of action to boost trade. The meeting was held at the DCCI office in the capital.

“We do not want to see the return of political unrest and violence such as general strike and blockade as these hinder economic growth,” said Hossain Khaled who is the newly elected DCCI president.

“Private investment has been slow

in 2014 as investors were repelled by political unrest and instability, the lack of infrastructural development, bureaucracy tangle, and unavailability of gas and electricity,” he said.

According to Khaled, the biggest challenge in 2015 will be enhancing investment in productive and service sectors. He said the non-friendly business policy of the government has been an obstacle to achieving the desired economic growth.

The DCCI president urged the government to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) as well as wooing local investors by ensuring an environment conducive to business in order to reach the targets. “The GDP growth of the country is hovering around 6% but it

should about 10%. The flow of the FDI is also slow, which was $1 billion this year whereas a violence-torn country like Pakistan enjoys around $7 billion in FDI annually,” said Khaled.

He said the DCCI would continue having dialogue with political parties with the aim of putting an end to destructive political programmes as these impede fresh investment and economic growth.

“Only traffic congestion causes the country to lose Tk27,000 crore every year and also wastes about 32 lakh working hours per day,” said Khaled.

The DCCI president urged to expedite the implementation of Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway project, observing that the delay had already led to losses of Tk10,000 crore. l

Sela made off limits to all vessels n Tribune Report

The government yesterday sealed the navigation route through the Sela River in the Sundarbans for all kinds of vessels including small boats to make sure that the visiting UN team of experts gets to work without any disturbance.

The team of experts from the United Nations arrived at the Sundarbans on Monday to investigate the place of the oil spill and assess its impact on the environment.

A forest official said the ban will remain effective until further notice.

On December 11 – two days after a tanker vessel sank with over 350,000 litres of furnace oil – the Forest Department and the BIWTA temporarily banned movement of commercial vessels along the Sela River; that ban is still in place.

The UN team talked to media yesterday at Andharmanik in the Sundarbans following a two-day visit to the area.

They said they will make their findings public and submit a report to the Bang-

ladesh government at the month’s end.

Amelia Walstrom, chief of the UN expert team, told journalists: “We are studying the environment, wildlife, forest and the potential impact on humans...Since this is a collaboration, we are working closely with the national experts as well,” she said.

Walstrom said the team will stay in the Sundarbans for three more days and then hold a press conference in Dhaka after submitting report to the government on December 31. l

‘Will beat them like Be punctual, says new judge in Khaleda cases No separate pay scale unless state banks reduce default loans stray dogs’  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

and financial institutions get their salaries under the existing 20-grade pay scale for government servants.

The NPSC coined a 16-grade pay scale for government employees in the report that it had recently submitted to the government, recommending Tk80,000 as the highest basic pay.

The private commercial banks all have their own salary structures, under which, a top official of one of these banks can get up to Tk14 lakh per month.

The government gave Tk4,100 crore to the four state-owned banks in the last fiscal year to cover their capital shortages created by loan forgery and corruption.

At the end of September, total defaults stood at Tk57,290 crore, which is 11.6% of the total outstanding loans, according to the central bank’s statistics.

Total loan defaults swelled by Tk16,708 crore in the first nine months of this year.

Bangladesh Bank

The commission recommended that the board of directors of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) can implement a separate pay scale by taking permission from the Finance Division. But the number of grades should not be higher or lower than the 16-grade proposed by the commission.

The NPSC report says the staffs of the central bank need a separate pay scale because their activities are directly related with the movement of the country’s economy and also because they work with global financial institutions.

Another reason is that the central bank employees of some of the neighbouring countries get more than what

their counterparts here in Bangladesh get, the commission says.

BB and the four state-owned banks have 61,000 staffs in total. Of them 4,958 work for BB, 23,363 for Sonali Bank, 15,146 for Janata Bank, 13,558 for Agrani and Rupali has 4,293 employees. l

Political mercury rising again  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

brought out a procession led by its President Badiuzzaman Sohag.

After the clashes, shoes and bricks were found on the empty streets while fume coming out of burnt tires.

MP Chhabi Biswas came under attack while going to the DMCH along with his associate Yakub Ali and others for treatment.

Chhabi said: “Seeing the situation, I asked my driver to leave the place quickly. But all of a sudden, miscreants attacked my car and torched my vehicle.”

The lawmaker wondered why he had not been spared despite having an MP sticker on his vehicle.

Chhabi said one of the attackers hit his head and ear with a stick. Later his fellows took him to the emergency ward of the hospital from where the MP was transferred to a VIP cabin.

Dr Afrin of the DMCH said: “His left ear is fractured due to the attack. But he is out of danger now.”

DMCH police outpost In-Charge Inspector Mozzamel said around 22 people had taken primary treatment at the hospital. Among the injured, 15 were admitted to the emergency ward but they fled quickly to evade arrest.

Chawkbazar OC Azizul Huq said police would file a case. He claimed that the law enforcers had taken action during the clashes. l

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

take revenge of the attack on Chhabi Biswas within three days. Doctors asked me to take rest for another few days, but I cannot keep quite as the dogs are barking. [We] will beat up the top BNP leaders as stray dogs.”

When contacted for comments, Nazmul’s phone was found switched off. Some leaders of the organisation confirmed that he was currently undergoing treatment in Bangkok, Thailand.

In most of the comments, ruling party leaders and activists welcomed his threat saying that they were waiting for such summons to be on the field.

Some others who opposed the remark, mainly activists from the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, asked Nazmul to face the BNP without police protection.

Fazla Rabbi Shetu, the general secretary of Dhaka Medical College unit Chhatra League, wrote: “Back in style, waiting for you leader.”

Mentioning Nazmul in his comment, another central Chhatra League leader Imtiaz Bappy said: “Brother, I think we should have to show the performance of 2010.”

Ruling party supporter Nur Alam Pappu wrote a slogan that says the activists have not left the streets.

Several persons including another supporter Shafiqul Reza advocated mob beating for the BNP supporters.

On the contrary, labelling the police as “Police League,” Chhatra Dal supporter Furkan Uddin wrote: “Come [to the street] without Police League.”

Toriqul Islam said: “Brother Nazmul, your days are finished. The government will fall soon and the Awami league will be vanished.”

Some persons asked the Chhatra League general secretary to be polite since he holds an important position in the ruling party. l

The defence mentioned police checkposts and barricades on the way to the court as reasons for the delay.

The new judge, who replaces Judge Basudev Roy, then introduced himself and sought cooperation of both prosecution and defence sides to uphold the dignity of the judiciary while trying the cases.

Judge Abu Ahmed said he had been deputed to the Law Ministry before being transferred to the special court.

He was also deputed to the Parliament Secretariat in 1991 and served the then speaker for three years as law officer.

He joined the judiciary in 1984.

Khaleda entered the court around 12:30pm, and without taking a seat she kept waiting for the judge to arrive. Three other accused Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal, Sharfuddin Ahmed and Monirul Islam Khan – now on bail – were also waiting for the judge.

Entering the courtroom after five minutes, Judge Abu Ahmed asked them to take seats.

He once again introduced himself.

Seeking assistance of both sides, the judge said: “I believe in honesty and justice...as a freedom fighter, I never compromised with honesty.”

He then asked the defence for submission.

The defence counsels yesterday filed two adjournment petitions.

Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, also Khaleda’s adviser, in the first petition said the Supreme Court had rejected the leave-to-appeal of the BNP chief filed challenging the indictment order.

He said the defence needed time as they would now submit a plea for reviewing the rejection order.

The other petition said some senior lawyers had been abroad while they also needed time to get acquainted with the new judge.

Khaleda’s counsels also said they

would take part in the future hearing dates regularly.

On the other hand, prosecutor Musharraf Hossain Kajal in his submissions against the first petition argued that filing of the review petition with the apex court would not obstruct recording deposition of the plaintiff, who had been kept standby.

“An ACC official alone handles many cases. If the deposition is deferred frequently, it will create problem [for the plaintiff ],” he said.

On the second petition, the prosecutor said: “Time may be granted for understanding the new judge and building up relations among all the lawyers working here. But the issues of review petition and absence of lawyers are not worthy of consideration.”

After hearing both sides, the judge accepted the pleas.

However, before adjourning the trials, he expressed concern about the delay in starting his first day’s proceedings.

“From now on, the court will be dealing the cases from 10:30am on every scheduled date,” he said while asking the prosecution and the defence counsels again to appear before the court on time.

Khaleda was silent throughout the proceedings; sometime she smiled.

During the adjournment order, she was indifferent.

The court also asked defence lawyer Sanaullah Mia to produce accused Ziaul Islam Munna before the court on the next date. Otherwise, arrest warrant would be issued against him, Judge Abu Ahmed said.

Munna, who is on bail, has been staying abroad without taking permission of the court.

The ACC filed the Zia Orphanage Trust case in 2009 against Khaleda and five others alleging embezzlement of over Tk2.1 crore by forming the “fake”

trust in 1991. The other case was filed in 2011 accusing Khaleda and three others of abusing power in setting up the trust in 2001-06.

The BNP has been expressing doubt as to whether the accused would get justice in the two cases, which it terms “false and politically-motivated.” The party also asked the government to withdraw the cases or face movement otherwise.

Members of the BNP and its associate bodies yesterday noon staged demonstrations in Bakshibazar area, as planned. A clash ensued at that time as the ruling party supporters blocked their procession leaving at least 40 people from both sides injured. It continued until the trial proceedings ended around 1:30pm.

To ensure security, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police deployed a total of 4,349 personnel and officers in and outside the court area when most of the shops and businesses were closed.

Armoured vehicles and water canons were also deployed around the court area. Roads towards the court were kept off limit for vehicles. Police only allowed some selected lawyers and journalists to enter the courtroom showing identity cards.

On December 18, Judge Basudev Roy was transferred apparently in the face of Khaleda’s repeated request to the High Court expressing “no confidence” to him. The government, however, said it was a “routine work.” Judge Abu Ahmed took office on December 22.

Following the indictment, Khaleda filed two writ petitions with the High Court – challenging legality of the appointment of Judge Basudev and the charge framing. The High Court rejected her petitions while the Appellate Division upheld the High Court orders.

Khaleda then sought transfer of the cases to another judge’s court. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

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Thursday, December 25, 2014

Case filed against three Ansar alIslam men in Shafiul murder n RU Correspondent Police yesterday filed a case against three members of Ansar al-Islam Bangladesh that earlier claimed it had killed Rajshahi University professor AKM Shafiul Islam.

Shafiul Islam, a teacher of Sociology Department of RU, was hacked to death on November 15 on the way to his home near the university campus.

After 38 days of the sensational murder, Abdus Salam, sub-inspector of Motihar police station filed the case in the evening, confirmed Officer-incharge Alamgir Hossasin.

Hours after the murder, the facebook community page of Ansar al-Islam Bangladesh-2 claimed responsibility for Prof Shafiul’s death The accused were named as Shariful Islam, 25, a teacher of Shibganj Upazilla Ghaghurduar Private Cadet College, Raihanul Haque, 15, a student of Class VIII of Gokul Taslim Uddin College under Bogra city and Abdur Rahim of Bogra.

Police arrested Shariful and Raihanul on November 23 from Bogra.

They are now in Rajshahi jail while Abdur Rahim is absconding.

Hours after the murder in a post of facebook community page Ansar al-Islam Bangladesh-2 claimed the responsibility for Prof Shafiul’s murder.

“Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Our Mujahideens today have murdered a murtad (atheist) who had prohibited female students from wearing burka in classrooms,” the first ever post of the newly created facebook community page said.

The post also warned all “atheists and murtad” of similar consequences.

Alamgir Hossain, the investigation office in the murder case, said Abdur Rahim created the facebook page and the rest two downloaded the information and pictures.

Later the IT department of police identified them and made the arrest.

Alagmir also said, the accused were held as they created confusion over the murder by posting facebook status and tried to shift the attention of police to a wrong direction.

“Though police could not find the involvement of the accused in the murder, the case was filed against them under the ICT act, 2006,” OC Alamgir also said.

Earlier, police took Shariful and Raihanul on remand under section 54 of Criminal Procedure Code but did not find their involvement in the murder.

A day after the murder, RU registrar Prof Entajul Haque filed a murder case naming none with Motihar police station while about 17 suspects are now in jail in the case.

Meanwhile, RU Teachers Association will form a human chain on December 30 demanding the investigation into the murder be sped up, said RUTA General Secretary Prof Pranab Kumer Panday.

Motihar police station Officerin Charge Alamgir Hossain, also the investigation officer, told The Dhaka Tribune that police were doing their best to unearth the mystery.

Ifte Khayer Alam, spokesperson of the RMP commissioner and also an assistant commissioner of the Detective Branch, said they were analysing the information gleaned from the arrestees.

He also said, police were currently looking into the involvement of other people in the murder and would take action once the process was completed.

On November 15, unidentified assailants hacked Prof Shafiul to death with machetes in broad daylight near his Choddopai residence close to the university campus. l

Clockwise from top left: BNP supporters, armed with sticks, escort Khaleda Zia’s car while she was heading to a court in Bakshibazar yesterday. The area in Old Dhaka turns into a battlefield as Chhatra League men attack activists from BNP and its associate bodies who took position in front of the Fazle Rabbi Hall of DMCH. At one point of the clash, the BNP supporters burn tyres on the road. Locals bear the brunt as roads linking to the makeshift court remain blocked for hours MEHEDI HASAN/DHAKA TRIBUNE

ACC: No graft case against MP Enamul n Adil Sakhawat

After almost a year since investigations began on graft allegations against Rajshahi lawmaker Enamul Haque, the Anti-Corruption Commission has decided to not to pursue any case against the MP. The anti-graft body, however, sent its probe-related documents to the National Board of Revenue yesterday to look into possible tax evasion charges.

ACC Commissioner (Investigation) M Sahabuddin Chuppu told reporters that the commission decided not to file a graft case against the ruling party’s Rajshahi 4 constituency lawmaker, as the ACC did not find proof into allegations of Enamul accumulating illegal

wealth worth Tk217 crore.

“The inquiry officer raised some objections in his submitted probe report regarding some faults in audit reports against the MP that suggest the lawmaker had evaded tax. So, the commission sent the charges to the NBR for further inquiry about the evasion of taxes, which the lawmaker claims was his business taxes,” Chuppu said Earlier in January, the ACC initiated its inquiry against Enamul; while probe officer Jatan Kumer Roy, an ACC deputy director, filed his report on September 16 recommending that a case be filed against Enamul for illegally accumulating Tk217 crore between 2008 and 2013.

Sources said two ACC commissioners

– Chuppu and Nasiruddin Ahmed – took opposing stance about the report, with the former being in favour of not pursuing a case against the Rajshahi MP. However, the final decision was made

by ACC Chairman M Bodiuzzaman, who decided not to pursue the graft charges but to send the files to the NBR. Asked about the opposing stance within the ACC regarding the charges, Chuppu said: “Any commission-related matter is mutually decided by the [ACC] chairman and two commissioners. But when the file of lawmaker Enamul came to me, I saw that the inquiry officer’s recommendation for case filing was only regarding tax evasion – which is not the ACC’s subject to investigate and the MP

himself and his company are two separate entities. So, the commission decided to stop pursuing a case after finding no proof of illegal accumulation of wealth.

“As there are some audit objections from the inquiry officer about Enamul’s company’s tax evasion, the commission had decided to send the charges to the NBR.” Chuppu added.

Following media reports in January on phenomenal rises in wealth of MPs, the ACC launched inquiries against three former minister and four parliament members, including Enamul.

However, so far, the commission has decided not to file any case against three of them, including two incumbent MPs and a former minister. l

Study: Country’s agricultural Fakhrul: BCL chief led attack ‘Chetia repatriation after Nur’s extradition’ land shrinking at alarming rate n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

n Tribune Report Commercial farming of tobacco and shrimp as well as brick fields are taking up agricultural land in the country, with around 700 acres of agricultural land destroyed every day on average.

The alarming information was revealed at the presentation of study report titled “Increasing Commercialisation of Agricultural Land and Contract Farming in Bangladesh: An Alternative Appraisal” by eminent economist Dr Abul Barakat at a seminar in the capital’s CIRDAP auditorium yesterday.

During his research, Dr Barakat found that the most detrimental cause of agricultural land loss is commercial tobacco farming.

Around 1,339,841 hectares of land have been used for tobacco cultivation in the past 11 years, the report said. Before tobacco cultivation took over, this land was used to grow food crops.

Another major cause of land loss is

shrimp farming. Almost all the shrimp farmers said that the land where they were growing shrimps in had previously been used to grow various crops.

For the brick kilns in Manikganj, Narayanganj, Rajshahi and Natore, which were surveyed for the study, around 117,263 cubic feet of agricultural land on average were destroyed between 2003 and 2013 as soil was excavated from these fields to make.

In order to stop the loss, Dr Barakat recommended to discourage tobacco cultivation among the farmers, using appropriate stringent fiscal policies if necessary, and at the same time encourage production of other crops.

Shrimp cultivation should also be controlled so that it does take up more cultivable lands., the researcher said.

“Both the food security and the ecological balance in the areas are at risk here. Also, without solving these problems, social and economic disparities cannot be reduced,“ he said. l

The BNP has claimed that over 600 of its men were injured in yesterday’s attack in the capital’s Bakshibazar area, launched under the leadership of Badiuzzaman Sohag, president of ruling party’s student wing Chhatra League.

From a press conference at its Nayapaltan headquarters, BNP spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir demanded arrest of the perpetrators.

“Otherwise, the government has to shoulder responsibility for any untoward situation.”

He also alleged that the ruling party men had attempted to attack on BNP chief Khaleda Zia. But their attempt went in vein as the “people’s took position in the area spontaneously.”

In protest against the incident, the BNP announced protest programmes for tomorrow in district and divisional headquarters.

“BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia went to Bakshibazar Alia Madrasa ground to appear before the court. Many common

people including party leaders and activists went there to greet her. But just five or six minutes before her appearance, cadres of Chhatra League, Jubo League and Awami League attacked on them under the leadership of Chhatra League President Badiuzzaman Sohag,” he said.

The BNP acting secretary general claimed that more than 600 people were injured and 50 detained during the incident. Of the injured, condition of more than 100 was critical.

However, witnesses and hospital sources said around 40 people, including a ruling party lawmaker, were injured in the sporadic clashes in Bakshibazar, Chankharpool and Plassey areas.

The BNP first announced the demonstration programme for today but later it was shifted due to Christmas.

Asked about the attack on ruling party lawmaker Chhabi Biswas, Fakhrul said: “The government, Awami League and Chhatra League have to shoulder responsibility for this. It should be investigated whether they [government supporters] torched the vehicle.” l

n Tribune Desk Indian media have reported that Ulfa leader Anup Chetia could be repatriated to that country from Bangladesh “immediately after” Narayanganj seven-murder accused Nur Hossain is sent back.

“Ulfa general secretary Anup Chetia could finally be heading home from ‘protective custody’ in Bangladesh immediately after Nur Hossain, a wanted Bangladeshi criminal now imprisoned in Kolkata, is sent to the neighbouring country for trial,” reported the Times of India yesterday.

Nur Hossain had fled to India and was later arrested by Kolkata police in June for illegally entering the country.

The ToI report cites a source as saying India had confirmed to Bangladesh that it would hand over Nur within this month under the newly signed extradition treaty between the two countries.

“This is not an exchange (Chetia for Hossain). Hossain is an undertrial pris-

oner in Kolkata and will be sent to Bangladesh for trial. Chetia has completed his sentence for illegally entering Bangladesh and possessing foreign currencies.

He is in protective custody offered by the Bangladesh judiciary after he expressed a threat to his life,” the source said.

The source added: “India wants Chetia and technically he will be repatriated.”

Chetia is wanted in several cases of terrorism, including the killing of a superintendent of police. Chetia, whose real name is Golap Baruah, is the brain behind the birth of the United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) in 1979.

The anti-talks faction of the outfit (Ulfa-Independent) had earlier written a letter to the Bangladesh prime minister requesting that Chetia should not be swapped with Bangladeshi criminals.

The outfit urged Hasina that Chetia be handed over to India through a decent repatriation mechanism as he has volunteered for the same. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Two JMB men arrested n Mohammad Jamil Khan Members of Detective Branch (DB) of police yesterday detained two members of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

DB police said the arrestees were involved in cross-border militant activities.

The arrestees were identified as Md Saidur Rahman, 48, “Gayere Ehsar” member of JMB and Md Abul Salek, 25, the younger brother of absconding militant Tariqul Islam Sumon, accused in Bardhaman bomb blast.

Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said based on information, a special team of DB police bomb disposal unit led by Assistant Commissioner Rahmatullah Chowdhury conducted the drive on the Sat Masjid Road of Dhanmondi and made the arrest.

“Bomb makings manuals were recovered from the possession of arrestees,” said Masudur Rahman.

“DB police carried out the drive based on the information from National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India after the Bardhaman blast,” he says, adding that the arrest of the duo is just a beginning.

In primary interrogation, arrestee Saidur informed that he is an active “Gayere Ehsar” member of JMB and started working with JMB in 2001.

He used to work as a liaison source to keep smooth contact between the militants of India and Bangladesh.

He also helped the JMB men accused in Bardhaman blast go to India, said DC Masudur Rahman.

Another arrestee Salek used to help family members of militants to cross Bangladesh border into India. He is the younger brother of absconding militant Sumon.

A case was filed with Dhanmondi Police Station against the duo, said DC Masud.

Soon after the arrest DB police placed the duo before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court seeking a 10day remand for interrogation.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Younus Khan, after hearing, however, granted a three-day remand for each, according to our Dhaka Judge court correspondent.

Nearly two months ago, a bomb blast in Bardhaman of West Bengal, found the involvement of Bangladeshi Militant outfit JMB. Following the incident, the intelligence agencies of both the neighbouring countries agreed to launch a crackdown on militant groups.

Later, a delegation of NIA of India visited Dhaka on November 17 this year.

They held a series of meetings with the intelligence of Bangladesh where they exchanged lists of militants hauled up in the two countries.

After that, a seven-member delegation law enforcing agency of Bangladesh also visited India from November 27 to 29. l

ICCCAD Director Dr Saleemul Haque and Vice Chancellor of IUB Professor M Omar Rahman and Dhaka Tribune Editor Zafar Sobhan pose for a picture after signing the MoU yesterday

Third DUNMUN conference ends n Arif Ahmed

A Detective Branch official presents the abducted nine-month-old child and the abductor yesterday. The child was rescued in Rajshahi, 27 days after being abducted from Chittgaong DHAKA TRIBUNE

Speakers: Global action needed to tackle climate change n Abu Bakar Siddique Political leaders around the world should come forward and create a sustainable agreement among the nations to tackle the negative impacts of global warming, speakers said at a discussion in the capital yesterday.

Speaking at the discussion titled “Reflection on Lima COP20 and Action towards Paris COP21,” they also agreed that the governments of developed countries have to change their attitude about having a legally binding agreement to reduce the negative impacts of climate change.

The discussion was jointly organised

by ActionAid Bangladesh, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS), and International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), held at Daily Star Centre’s seminal hall.

Addressing the event, ICCCAD Director Dr Saleemul Haq said: “The leaders have to take the decision to get a comprehensive and sustainable outcome of the global climate change negotiation.”

Terming the outcome of the Conference of Parties (COP) 20, held in

Peru’s capital Lima earlier this month, as “lowest common denominator,” he said the countries had failed to gain common grounds for signing the agreement in COP 21, which is due to be held in Paris next year.

COP 20 was considered to be platform for homework for COP 21, the next global climate conference.

Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable nations regarding the negative impacts of global climate change “Paris COP 21 is the last chance for the world leaders to show that they are able and willing to tackle a problem of global significance for the people and the planet,” Dr Saleem said.

Apart from the strong roles of by the political leaders, voices of the civil societies should also be taken into consideration as they always work as

RAJIB DHAR

Dhaka Tribune signs MoU BGB-BSF conference begins today with IUB and ICCCAD n Tribune Report The Dhaka Tribune yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) and International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) with a view to train its journalists for writing about climate change issues.

The Dhaka Tribune Editor Zafar Sobhan, ICCCAD Director Dr Saleemul

Haque and Vice Chancellor of IUB Professor M Omar Rahman signed the tripartite MoU on behalf of their respective sides at the VC’s conference room of the university.

Masroora Haque, coordinator (communication) of ICCCAD said: “Under the MoU, the Dhaka Tribune will publish fortnightly supplements on climate change and ICCCAD will train the journalists about how they should address the issues related to climate change.”

Dr Saleemul Haque expressed optimism that the training would enable the journalists to efficiently write about the climate change issues. ICCCAD has already started training up the journalists of the Dhaka Tribune. l

n Tribune Report

A six-day director general-level conference between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Border Security Force (BSF) of India will begin in Dhaka today. It will end on December 30.

BSF DG Shri Devendra Kumar Pathak will lead a 20-member delegation while BGB Director General Major General Aziz Ahmed will head a 23-member team.

The BSF team, which will arrive in Dhaka today, will be comprised of BSF headquarters, Indian home and foreign ministry high officials.

The Bangladesh team will be comprised of BGB additional directors, staff officers, representa-

tives from home, foreign affairs ministries, joint river commission and narcotics department.

Various issues, including shooting at Bangladeshis on the border, abductions, trespassing, smuggling of arms and ammunitions, drugs, will be discussed at the conference, said a BGB press release yesterday.

The formal meeting will be held at the BGB Pilkhana Headquarters tomorrow around 10am. A Joint Record of Discussions (JRD) will be signed on December 29.

A friendly volleyball match will be held today between the two border forces at Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium at Mirpur around 6pm. l

Boy dies after being hit by cricket ball n FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong

A sixteen-year-old boy died after he was allegedly hit by a ball while playing cricket in Chittagong yesterday.

Deceased Md Robin, son of Md Shah Alam, hailed from Bhatiari area in the district’s Sitakunda upazila.

According to his uncle Md Idris, he was declared by on-duty doctors at Chittagong Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), after being rushed there in a critical condition.

Sub-Inspector Jahirul Islam of Chittagong Medical College Hospital police outpost confirmed this to the Dhaka Tribune.

He said prima facie, the doctors had not found any injury marks on his body and so they sent him to the morgue for autopsy. l

pressure groups worldwide when it comes to taking pro-people initiatives, he added.

According to the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable nations regarding the negative impacts of global climate change.

The panel believes that several sectors in Bangladesh, especially agriculture and water, will be badly affected by increased salinity, drought and more frequent cyclonic events and tidal surges as a result of global warming.

COP 21 is being considered as a milestone where three major decisions, including a legally binding global climate agreement, will be taken in regards to combating the ill effect of climate change.

Speaking about female leadership in this regard, Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid in Bangladesh, said gender equality should be one of the key principles in all the negotiations, policy making and intervention at COP 21.

“Otherwise, half the population of the world will be deprived, and sustainable development will remain a mere dream,” she said. l

The four-day long Dhaka University National Model United Nations (DUNMUN) Conference 2014 ended yesterday with the young generation pledging to become global leaders, uphold global peace and contribute to socio-economic development of the country.

The conference ended with giving awards to the delegates for their outstanding contribution in different sessions.

Among the participating teams from various universities, a total of 10 teams from Dhaka University were awarded for excellence in different categories.

The closing ceremony was attended by ambassador of Korea Lee Yunyoung, Director of United Nations Faiyaz Murshid Kazi and Md Moniruzzaman, officer in-charge of UN Information Centre, Dhaka.

In the 2nd and 3rd days of the conference, several sessions were held on different socio-political issues, crimes and crisis, security and human rights.

This year’s theme was “Empowering Youth for Sustainable Development”. l

Calls for policy to curb road accidents n Tribune Report Speakers at a discussion have urged the government to formulate a well-proportioned policy for the transport and communication sector to check the increasing number of deaths in road accidents in the country.

Haphazard conditions were now prevailing in the sector, they said at the discussion, organised by Jatria Kalyan Samity, a social organisation, held at the National Press Club yesterday.

According to a paper provided by the organisers, on average 30 people die in road accidents across the country every day and 10,000 to 12,000 people a year.

Referring to this, writer and columnist Syed Abul Maksud said: “If a disease killed so many people, it would shake the world. But nowadays, we are used to such a number of deaths.”

He believed that a well-proportioned policy for the transport and communication sector could effectively reduce such a staggering number of deaths from road accidents. Bangladesh Nationalist Front lawmaker ASM Abul Kalam Azad termed the road accidents a “national crisis” and said the road transport minister could never be successful if he did not solve it. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Tension runs high in Gazipur ahead of BNP’s rally n Our Correspondent, Gazipur The local leaders and activists of the Awami League and the BNP are at loggerheads over the December 27 rally of Khaleda Zia at Gazipur’s Bhawal Badre Alam College ground.

The situation deteriorated yesterday when the youth and student wings of both the parties tried to take over the rally ground, which has subsequently been cordoned off by police.

Earlier, the Gazipur unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) declared to hold a rally at the same place on the same day to protest the recent remarks of Tarique Rahman on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The BNP-led alliance recently announced to hold a public rally at Gazipur where Khaleda Zia is expected to speak as the chief guest BCL and Jubo League brought out processions one after another throughout yesterday. On the other hand, BNP leaders held a press conference reiterating their stance to make the rally a success.

On Tuesday night, BCL and Jubo League activists vandalised and torched the banners and festoons of BNP’s rally before they set up their own on the east side of the field. Police later took control of the ground and its adjacent areas.

Again in the morning, BCL, Jubo League and Jubo Dal tried to bring out

separate processions at the college campus but was resisted by law enforcers.

A leader of district Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the student body of the BNP, Monirul Islam Monir said police did not allow them to hold any procession but did not bar BCL men from doing so.

Police Super of Gazipur Harun-ur-Rashid said: “We have received application from both the parties and we are evaluating them. But if they intend to create anarchy in the name of rally, we will not allow anyone to hold any rally.”

“Already both the parties tried to take control of the field but we have driven them away. Until a decision is taken, hopefully they all will restrain themselves,” he added.

Meanwhile, the BNP held a press conference yesterday noon at the party’s Gazipur office, where district and central leaders were present.

Brigadier General (retd) ASM Hannan Shah said: “We are working to hold a peaceful rally at the Bhawal college.

But the associates of the ruling party, with support of the administration, is making the situation volatile.”

Gazipur city Mayor Professor Mannan urged the law enforcers to do their duty and protect people’s life and property. “We have taken permission for the rally. It is unacceptable that someone else should be interfering with that.”

The BNP-led alliance recently announced to hold a public rally at Gazipur where Khaleda Zia is expected to speak as the chief guest.

However, on Sunday, Convenor of Gazipur BCL Delwar Hossain vowed to thwart the BNP rally if Tarique Rahman did not apologise for his remarks on Bangabandhu. l

Dhaka South City Corporation demolishes makeshift structures illegally set up on the footpath along Mirpur Road near New Market in the capital yesterday

180 shops, two shanties gutted in Chittagong Mahmud and FM Mizanur n Tarek Rahaman, Chittagong

Around 180 shops and two shanties were burnt to ashes in a devastating fire that broke out in Chittagong city’s Chotopul area yesterday night.

No causality, however, was reported in the fire incident.

Deputy Director of Fire Service and Civil Defence, Chittagong Headquarters Asadujjaman Sheikh told Dhaka Tribune that Somobay Singapore Market run by Agrabad Bohumukhi Somobay Samity Limited caught fire around 6:30pm, but reason behind the fire was not known immediately.

Layoffs cause labour unrest in Ashulia

Suspected gold smuggler held in Chittagong Airport

Production at a readymade garment factory in Ashulia came to a halt yesterday after workers found out that the factory had laid off 35 of them.

More than 400 men and women work at the Dresses and the Ideas Ltd situated in Ashulia on the outskirts of the capital.

After coming to work yesterday morning the workers found the notice posted at the entrance of the factory declaring the layoffs.

Seeing the notice, the workers became angry and staged demonstrations. A number of the agitated workers claimed that the factory authorities had sacked the workers without any specific reasons. They announced to continue their demonstration until the workers were reinstated to their posts.

Director of the Industrial Police Mostafizur Rahman said additional police forces had been deployed at the spot. l

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

n Our Correspondent, Savar

Customs officials at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong yesterday arrested a Dubai-returned person with gold bars, jewelery, and smartphones worth almost Tk2 crore.

The arrested, Nurul Islam, from Dakkhin Ghonia village under Chakaria, Cox’s Bazar, was handed over to Patenga police station, and a case has been lodged in this connection, said Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Assistant Director Sushanta Paul.

He told Dhaka Tribune that they found 33 gold bars, seven gold necklaces, four chains, a pair of earrings, and seven smartphones from a handbag belonging to Nurul. According to Sushanta, the gold bars, weighting about four kilogrammes, and the phone sets are worth Tk 2 crore.

Nurul, having arrived by Bangladesh

Biman’s flight BG-046 that landed around 10:30am, tried to go away unnoticed while deserting the bag at airport immigration.

He was challenged by law enforcement as his activities seemed suspicious.

Sushanta confirmed that they had been monitoring his movements, adding: “Nurul denied our challenge, but the customs officials made sure that the bag belonged to him by examining airport terminal’s video footage.”

He further informed Nurul had traveled in and out of the country 15 times in the last year before this arrival; it is possible that he is involved with gold smuggling.

Existing law allows a person to carry 200 grammes of gold from abroad after paying necessary duty. However, by serving a prior notice and paying necessary duty, a passenger can bring two kilogrammes of gold at maximum. l

“Fifteen units of fire fighters from the port city’s Chandanpura, Nandankanon, Badar, EPZ and Agrabad fire stations rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze around 8:15pm,” he said.

President of Somobay Singapore Market Malik Samity Mohammad Tazul Islam Babu said there were a total of 314 shops in the market in which 180 shops were gutted.

He said: “The fire originated from an oven of a shanty owned by Chittagong City Corporation’s Ward Councilor Mohammad Sekandar and soon fire engulfed the entire market.

“Properties worth around Tk10

n CU Correspondent The left-leaning students’ organisations of Chittagong University yesterday demanded trial of killers of all students of the university who have been killed earlier by miscreants.

The alliance also demanded withdrawal of ban on politics from the campus as soon as possible.

They made the demand at a press conference under the banner of Progotishil Chhatra Jote. The conference was held at the office of Central Students’ Union (Cucsu) around 12pm.

At the press conference, Bikul Tajik, general secretary of Chhatra Federation CU unit, read out a written speech.

Convener of Somajtrantik Chhatra Front Fajle Rabbi, Chhatra Federation’s President Anwar Sadat Junayad

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25

14 16 12 12 11 14 13 18

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

29.6ºC Sitakunda

8.7ºC Chuadanga

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

5:18am 6:38am 11:59am 3:43pm 5:19pm 6:40 pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

and CU Bangladesh Chhatra Union’s Vice-President Mohammed Tarek were also present.

The left-leaning parties’ leaders alleged that the CU authority had halted the way of democratic practice of students on the campus imposing political ban, but ruling party’s students’ wing Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Islamic Chhatra Shibir men are carrying out the political programmes frequently.

They also set four-point demands.

The demands are bringing all killers to the book through fair probe, withdrawal of political ban on the campus immediately, allocating seats at dormitories according to merits and seizing arms from the dormitories along with removal of illegal students and arranging Cucsu election for smooth democratic

n Our Correspondent, Naogoan

DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 5:18PM SUN RISES 6:39AM 27 28 27 26 28 29 29 30

total amount of gutted properties.”

The rear line shops of the market were more affected than the front line shops that indicated the fire occurred in the rear portion of the market and a shanty was behind the market, he said, adding that the fire probably originated from the shanty.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (west zone) Tanvir Arafat said two platoons of special reserve force and 20 policemen led by Officer-in-Charge of Halishahar police Station Syed Abu Mohammad Shahjahan were deployed on the spot to maintain law and order situation as well as to help the victims. l

practice.

It is mentionable that the CU had imposed ban on all kinds of political activities on the campus on November 10 in 2008 for the first time after a bloody clash between two factions of the BCL. Later, the university authorities had imposed ban for the second time on February 9, 2012 after another bloody clash between Shibir men and BCL men.

Later, CU again has imposed ban on the campus till further notice after murder of Tapos Sarkar, a 1st year student of Sangskrit department, on December 14 this year.

Tapos, an activist of the BCL, was shot dead by its rivals at Shah Amanat dormitory during a clash between two BCL factions over establishing supremacy on the campus. l

Nasim: BNP again hatching conspiracy with Jamaat to destabilise country

DRY WEATHER LIKELY

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crores were gutted in the fire,” At least 10 people were injured while they were trying to defuse the fire, he further added.

“There are shops of ceramics products, ready made garment products, cosmetics in the market. Almost all the shops of ready made garment’s products were gutted in the fire.”

But the councillor denied originating of the fire from his shanty. “The fire might occur from the market shops,” he said.

Deputy Director of Chittagong’s Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters said: “We will form a probe body to look into the reason behind the fire and

Justice for murdered students of CU demanded

WEATHER

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Marking the Benin Martyred Peacekeepers Day, the Coalition of Local NGOs, Bangladesh forms a human chain in front of the National Press Club yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

Non-govt teachers demand national pay scale n Our Correspondent, Barisal The teachers and employees of the non-government educational institutions demanded to be included in the proposed national pay scale. They also wanted their job to be nationalised.

They declared their demands at an agitation rally held in front of Ashwini Kumar Hall yesterday by Jatiya Shikkhak Karmachari Front (JSKF), Barisal unit. It

was followed by a procession through the city streets.

Speakers said teachers and employees of the government educational institutions would be included in the pay-scale by default. But the government had neither included nor declared a separate pay commission for the non-government teachers and employees.

The leaders said education would

never be standardised if such practice continued. In addition to this demand, the leaders also wanted quick implementation of the National Education Policy 2010, increase of house rent, medical and festival allowances, annual increment and fixing the retirement age of teachers at 65.

They also cautioned that if their legitimate demands were not met, they would call for tougher movement. l

Awami League Presidium Member and Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim yesterday said Chairperson of BNP Khaleda Zia was hatching conspiracy again with Jamaat-e-Islam to destabilise the country.

“The anti-forces had killed the family of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to ruin the spirit of our Liberation War,” he said while addressing the triennial conference of Naogoan district Awami League at Naojoyan field yesterday.

Referring to January 5 general election, Mohammad Nasim said martial law could have been promulgated in the country if the election was not held in time. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had protected democracy by holding the election.

The minister said: “There will be no election before 2019 as there is no chance to violate the constitution.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina do politics not to grab power. She is working to change the fate of country’s people.”

Presided over by district Awami League President AKM Fazley Rabbi, Awami League leaders Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood Swa-

pan, Jute and Textile Minister Imaj Uddin Pramanik, State Minister for Jute and Textiles Mirza Azam, State Minister for ICT Junayed Ahmed Palak, Colonnel (Rtd) Faruk Khan, Abdur Rahman, Khairuzzaman Liton, Sujit Roy Nandi and SM Kamal Hossain, among others, addressed the function.

Around 30,000 leaders and workers of Awami League from 11 upazilas of the district and its adjoining areas joined the council Nasim said: “The BNP has done a great mistake by not participating in the last election. The BNP has to pay for their mistake.”

Referring to BNP’s threat of launching anti-government movement, he said the Awami League was not scared of any threat of the BNP. Earlier, Mohammad Nasim opened the council in the afternoon by hoisting the national flag.

Around 30,000 leaders and workers of 11 upazilas of the district and its adjoining areas joined the council. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Thursday, December 25, 2014

82 illegal brick fields running n Our Correspondent, Lakshmipur At least 82 brick fields, out of 150, in the Lakshmipur district are operating without the approval of the administration.

They also did not follow any guideline while being set up.

These illegal kilns, made with old style tin-chimney, are using wood instead of coal creating an environmental hazard. Moreover, collecting such huge amount of woods is also contributing to fast deforestation in the district.

After the local people lodged complaints against the brick fields, the administration decided to take action.

The government stopped issuing licenses to the old style kilns, commonly known as Banglabhata, two years ago.

However, some corrupt businessman, defying the government ban, set up Banglabhata in Lakshmipur Sadar, Raipur, Ramganj, Ramgati and Komolnagar areas.

After the local people lodged complaints against the brick fields, the administration decided to take action Some of the brick fields are MMB Bricks, Abbas Bricks and Manufacturing, Sudharam ABM Bricks, Hajaripara MDA Bricks, JBM Bricks, Firoz Bricks,

Maa Bricks and Panna Bricks etc.

When asked, none of the owners of these brick fields could give satisfactory answer as to why they were operating the kilns without government permission.

There are also allegations that the brick field owners extort money in the name of an association. They claim that the money collected is spent to 'manage' the administration.

Some leaders of the association anonymously said a proper environment-friendly brick field cost TK3 crore to set up, whereas the traditional Banglabhata cost way less.

Though the environment department, with the help of RAB and Chittagong district administration, shut

down some of the brick fields last year, they are trying to make a come back in disguise.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Lakshmipur Muhammad Shahadat Hossain said, the administration had taken all necessary measures to shut down the illegal brick field. “Already the brick field owners have been served notices. If anyone is trying to extort in the name of association, we will take action in that case too,” he added.

Deputy Commissioner AKM Tipu Sultan said: “The administration is aware about these illegal brick fields. We have met with the owners several times and hopefully we will find a solution. We are very strict about such brick fields for the sake of the environment.” l

JSC candidate shot dead in Narsingdi n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi A Junior School Certificate examination candidate was reportedly gunned down and four others sustained gunshot wounds in Narsingdi town yesterday morning.

The deceased was identified as Babu Mian, 14, son of Shahid Mian of the area.

Sadar Model police station Officerin-Charge Abul Kashem said a group of miscreants, numbering 10-12, stormed the house of Shahid Mia at Uttar Satirpara around 1:30am.

When Shahid came out of the room, miscreants opened fire at him and his

Journalist comes under attack n Our Correspondent, Gazipur A gang of miscreants attacked on a journalist in Tepirbari area under Sreepur upazila, Gazipur in the early hours of yesterday.

After the attack, Nasir Uddin Jourge, Gazipur district correspondent of Daily Destiny, was admitted to Sreepur Upazila Health Complex in critical state.

Nasir Uddin said a group of masked miscreants numbering 10 to 12 had attacked on him around 2:30am while he was returning Tepirbari Bazar after doing an assainment.

“When I reached in front of National poultry feed mill, the miscreants swooped on me with sharp weapons. At one stage, they also tried to strangle me.”

Hearing his screams, local people came to the spot and then miscreants fled away. Later, locals sent him to the upazila health complex.

Officer-in-charge of Sreepur Model police station Mohsin Ul Kadir said victim Nasir Uddin identified three of miscreants as Faruk Hossain, Abul Kashem and Abdus Shahid who were residents of Tepirbari village.

“We will take necessary steps against them,” he said. l

family members, leaving his three sons, including Babu, and two others injured with bullets.

The injured were rushed to Sadar Hospital where doctors on duty declared Babu dead.

Of the injured, Shahid and his another son Amit were referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital as their conditions deteriorated.

Khorseda Begum, grand mother of Babu said Shahid had a dispute with some local people over the ownership of a piece of land since long.

The rivals of Shahid might have attacked the house over the previous enmity, she said. l

Miscreants attack police; snatch accused in Lakshmipur n Our Correspondent, Lakshmipur

The photo taken from Bhimpara village under Tanore upazila, Rajshahi shows a Christan housewife on the occasion of Christmas smears her thatched house with mud yesterday AZAHAR UDDIN

Sirajdikhan parents resent extra HSC test fees n Our Correspondent, Munshiganj Parents of HSC candidates of several colleges in Sirajdikhan upazila have accused the college authorities of collecting extra money in exam fees.

They said their children, who will take the test next year, had been forced to pay fees which was several times higher than what had been set by the education board.

Students of Bikrampur Adarsha University College paid Tk6,150, which included coaching fees, while those of Malkhanagar College paid Tk4,700.

The parents claimed that Tk1,610 is the official figure but they chose not to argue with college authorities fearing that teachers might get angry with the students.

The father of a girl studying at Bikrampur Adarsha University College said: “I work as a day labourer and am the sole breadwinner

in the family. I toiled to bear the educational expenses of my daughter but now I cannot collect the fees charged by the college. I fear that my daughter will be unable to register for the test.”

Vice-principal of Bikrampur Adarsha University College conceded that Tk6,150, including Tk1,650 in coaching fees, was collected from the HSC candidates. But officials of Ichhapura KB Degree College and Alhaj Ali Ajgar and Abdullah College claimed that they did not overcharge the candidates, and collected the amount set by the education authorities.

President (college section) of Munshiganj district unit of Bangladesh Shikkhok Samity Md Shamsul Haque Howladar said he had heard about the allegation, adding that this was not a right step to take.

Sirajdikhan Upazila Education Officer Khaleda Parvin said actions would be taken if any complaint was lodged. l

NEWS IN BRIEF Woman found dead Police recovered the body of a woman from Shalubagan area in the district yesterday. The deceased was identified as Saika Khatun ,22, daughter of Abu Sayaed in the area. Jasim Uddin, officer-in-charge of Chapainawbganj police station said Saika might have killed after rape.

The body was sent to hospital morgue.

– Our Correspondent, Chapainawbganj

Drug worth Tk2.5 crore destroyed Members of law enforcers destroyed drugs worth about Tk2.5crore in the district yesterday. Border Guard Commander Lieutenant Colonel Zunaed Alam said the enforcers recovered the drugs including wine, phensidy and Yaba from the several areas in the district.

The drugs were destroyed in the morning in presence of police, RAB and narcotic department officials.

– Our Correspondent, Feni

Robbery committed A robbery was committed on Tuesday night in Moulvibazar town.Police and locals said a gang of robbers numbering 10-12 by entered the house of Pradip Dey, 45, at Shyamsundar Akhra area of the town breaking the window of the kitchen. They looted gold ornaments, two mobile phone-set, one laptop, Tk15,000.

– Our Correspondent. Moulvibazar

Reception for female freedom fighter A reception for female freedom fighters was held at a restaurant in the town yesterday.

Senior Citizens’ Welfare Association, district unit arranged the programme. A discussion was also arranged in this connection. Among others, Additional Superintendent of Police Munshi Shahabuddin, mayor Sheikh Emdadul Haq-al- Mamun and district council administrator Sajedur Rahman Khan spoke on the occasion.

– Our Correspondent, Natore

Body formed to probe Jhalakati road accident A probe committee was formed yesterday to investigate the reason behind the Tuesday’s road accident in Rajapur upazila that left eight people killed and 25 others injured. Sources at the deputy commencer’s office said the district administration formed the four-member committee, headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Saiful Islam, to investigate the accident. The committee was asked to submit its report within the next seven working days. The accident took place around 4:30pm on Tuesday when a Barisal-bound bus from Khulna skidded off the road and fell into the canal at Bishwasbari on the Barisal-Khulna highway, leaving eight people killed and 25 others injured.

– Our Correspondent, Jhalakati

A gang of miscreants snatched a robber case accused from police custody after attacking them in Ramgati upazila of the district on Tuesday night.

The incident took place in Jelabari area of Charlaxmi village under Chargazi union.

The gang had snatched the accused while the law enforcers were returning to the police station with Md Solaiman, son of Shah Alam of Chargazi union.

Before the snatching incident, law enforcers acting on a tip -off conducted a drive at Solaiman residence and arrested him.

Solaiman is accused in three cases including robbery, and an arrest warrant was issued against him.

Meanwhile, police arrested Solaiman’s two cohorts Munna and Hiron from the spot.

Confirming the incident, Ramgati police station officer-in-charge Md Abul Kalam Azad said police were trying to arrest Solaiman and the other miscreants. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Juris

A journey to Hell

Give ADR a break

DHAKA TRIBUNE

T

ransnational migration has been frequent since the beginning of human history.

In South Asia, people who are economically underprivileged and belong to the deprived segment of society, are motivated to migrate to Middle-east and Southeast Asian regions in search of better livelihood.

Bangladesh is also not an exception.

It is an open secret that such economic migration happens either through legal or illegal routes. For common people, who do not have proper immigration documents and are compelled to adopt the illegal route, a sea voyage through the Bay of Bengal is the only option for them in most cases.

The vessels that carry migrants are poorly manned with serious lack of navigational equipment. These vessels are mostly unseaworthy and do not have proper flag state registration. To arrange such illegal migration through the sea and to reach the country of destination, the service of human trafficking networks is essential. Common people get in touch with such human trafficking networks through their friends, families, neighbors and local representatives.

According to a 2013 UNHCR report, approximately 14,000 people crossed the Bay of Bengal in 2012 on smugglers’ vessels. However, it is now evident to all that the Bay of Bengal has turned into a “sea route of misery” for maritime migrants.

The recent detaining of 625 ill-fated migrants from a fishing trawler off the St Martin’s Islands has provided impetus to mull over the issue of illegal maritime migration.

Usually, such migrant voyage is operated at night by small vessels.

Therefore, it is very difficult for law enforcement agencies to detect and intervene such vessels at sea. Considering all circumstances, the Coast Guard and other Law Enforcement Agencies of Bangladesh deserve respect for bringing such trafficking incidents into concerns of media and society.

These vessels, carrying illegal migrants, usually sail for Southeast Aisan countries, most often to Malaysia, via Thailand. In South Asia, the passengers of those vessels are popularly known as “fortune seekers.” These unfortunate fortune seekers get aboard tiny vessels to cross the sea for better standards of life. Once the vessel is filled with these economic migrants, it begins its course to Malaysia.

Such a voyage usually takes almost 14 days. However, the reality of such voyage is quite appalling. After reaching some remote islands of Southeast Asia, these migrants are held captive for collecting ransom. Some unfortunates are sold to Thai or Cambodian

(ie minor, female, child) and there is no limitation on number of passengers that a vessel can carry.

The Act also does not stipulate specifically as to empowerment of effective policing on such anchoring situation. It is pertinent to mention that these trafficking vessels change their masters frequently to conceal the final destination.

The Act is also silent about prohibition and penalty measures as to frequent change of flags by the vessels. Most cases, when trafficking vessel sneaks into the territorial water of coastal state, it uses that coastal state’s flag to avoid suspicion and inspection.

There exist loopholes in the legal regime of Bangladesh to implement effective measures to control such illegal immigration through the Bay of Bengal sea route fishing industry for forced labor. Some migrants are abandoned in the dense jungle who, later on, are rescued by law enforcement agencies of the concerned country. The dream of better livelihood remains “a dream too far” for these economic migrants.

A faulty legal regime

Loopholes exist in the legal regime of Bangladesh to implement effective measures to control such illegal immigration through the Bay of Bengal sea route. The relevant Acts and provisions are not designed to completely halt such illegal human trafficking activities. The provisions of the Foreigner’s Act 1946 is ambiguous as to the obligation and reporting of masters of vessels.

Section 6 of the Act talks about the vessels that arrive at port. There is a lack of provision regarding vessels anchoring at locations other than ports or at any unauthorised locations.

Moreover, the Act deficits provision regarding the category of passengers

The Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act 2012 has extra-territorial application regarding human trafficking. Section 5 of the Act illustrates its extra-territorial application. However, the Act does not mention anything about “hot pursuit” of illegal migrant vessels, which is a requisite to repress maritime human trafficking effectively.

The sea route encompasses various littoral states in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean. According to established norms of international law, a coastal state can not violate other state’s sovereign right. When trafficking vessels cross the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) boundary of a coastal state, any such pursuit by law enforcement agencies of that coastal state is supposed to cease. Therefore, the Act requires a provision regarding the power and authority to give effect to such “hot pursuit” agreement formed among the Southeast Asian states situated at the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.

Cooperation is a must

Tackling the soaring rate of illegal migration by the sea is a tremendous challenge for a country like Bangladesh which is located at the north tip of the Bay of Bengal.

A complex network of smugglers are involved at various levels in such illegal maritime migration. For that reason, there is need of regional cooperation to curb such organised crime incidents and to apprehend the perpetrators who acts from behind the scene.

The Southeast Asian countries, which are the final destination of such illegal migration exodus, also need to extend its cooperation. Specific cooperation agreement is required as to issues of “hot pursuit” and “information sharing.” Such cooperation is requisite to drag the human trafficking syndicate into the clutch of justice.

Article 98 (2) of the Law of the Sea Convention stipulates a general obligation of cooperation with other states to promote search and rescue services. The provisions of 1974 Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) as well as 1979 Search and Rescue Convention also reiterate the obligation of cooperation. However, these provisions focus merely on “safety on sea” issue to protect human lives.

Regarding maritime migrant smuggling, the IMO Assembly Resolution in Article 773 (18) calls upon its member governments to cooperate to suppress unsafe practices associated with alien smuggling by sea and also to develop agreements and procedures to facilitate such cooperation.

It is the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime that enumerates specifically for “close international cooperation” by adopting mutual legal assistance and law enforcement cooperation. The IMO circular 896 of 2001 justifies such cooperation since such mechanism may address the unsafe transnational maritime migration more effectively. l Mohammad Rubaiyat Rahman is currently doing his LLM in Admiralty Law Program at Tulane University Law School.

JURIS QUOTE The safety of the people shall be the highest law.

Marcus Tullius Cicero

Roman Statesman 106 BC – 43 BC

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n Khalid Yahyea

A

lternative dispute resolution (ADR) is defined as a process in which a neutral third party participates to assist in dispute resolution unlike adjudication of disputes by a presiding judge in court-litigation.

It is a consensual dispute resolution process which produces a win-win solution.

The ultimate intention of ADR is to avoid delay, cost and complexity that are the three main negative features of civil justice system found out by the historic Lord Woolf report in 1955.

Section 23(2) of Bangladesh Arbitration Act, 2011 also says that: “The arbitral tribunal shall deal with a dispute submitted to it as quickly as possible.”

The main processes of ADR are: arbitration, mediation, negotiation and conciliation. Apart from these four there are some other forms as well, eg settlement conference, private judging, summary jury trial, neutral evolution process model, mini trial etc. Among these, arbitration and mediation are the most commonly used forms in present world.

In 1800 BC, Mari Kingdom in modern Syria used mediation and arbitration with other Kingdoms. In 1400 BC Ancient Egyptian Amama system used arbitration in their diplomacy for international relations. During the time of 1200-900 BC Phoenicians (in the Eastern Mediterranean) practised entrepreneurship and negotiations.

In 960 BC, Israel’s King Solomon arbitrated dispute over a baby by threatening to split the child. In 700 BC, Rhodian Sea Law codified traditional rules for determining liability for ship cargo losses and dispute resolution.

In Indian sub-continent, Panchayat system was popularly used from 500 BC as a form of arbitration. In 400 BC, Greeks also used public arbitrator in city-states. Arbitral decisions between city-states were published on temple columns. Aristotle also in his time (300 BC) praised arbitration over courts.

Therefore, it is evident that ADR is actually an ancient system and the city-states and Kingdoms used its different forms in the past, but by the introduction of modern court system and its manifold development, ADR system has taken a back seat.

If we analyse from religious perspectives, we see that all religions encourage addressing disputed issues among the arbitrators, appointed by the two sides, before going for public trial.

For the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards, the contention of “Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards 1958” known as “New York Convention 1958” is that, arbitral awards are generally easier to enforce in other nations than court judgment.

In ADR the parties have options to choose languages for their better understanding which is not available in court procedure.

In the modern world new issues are emerging everyday and often courts need time to develop expertise before it starts dealing with the new situations, or example, sports law, media commodities dispute, medical malpractice, environmental issues, education law, workers’ compensation, sale of goods dispute, anti-trust, product liabilities, construction, hi-tech disputes etc. To shift the huge burden over the court, ADR system is the better option.

In our legal education system there is no specific ADR course in seven public universities where law is taught.

Among the 79 private universities law is taught in 33 but only a few private universities offers ADR as a full course.

There is no special ADR course in law colleges under national university curriculum. Unfortunately, the syllabus of Bangladesh bar Council, the government body that oversees legal education and legal professionals, does not include the topic of ADR in their exams both for Districts and High Court.

So there is a huge gap between necessity and availability. It is recommended that the universities and the Bar Council re-evaluate their syllabi and include ADR as a compulsory course. At the same time it is the duty of the government to encourage citizens to avail this alternative way of dispute resolution which is speedy and cost-effective. l Khalid Yahyea is an Advocate and a Lecturer at the Department of Law, Bangladesh University.

Orangutan has human right to freedom

BIGSTOCK

Combating illegal migration through the sea calls for cooperation among the concerned states

n Mohammad Rubaiyat Rahman

7

Thursday, December 25, 2014

n Reuters

A

n orangutan held in an Argentine zoo can be freed and transferred to a sanctuary after a court recognised the ape as a “nonhuman person” unlawfully deprived of its freedom.

Animal rights campaigners filed a habeas corpus petition – a document more typically used to challenge the legality of a person’s detention or imprisonment – in November on behalf of Sandra, a 29-year-old Sumatran orangutan at the Buenos Aires zoo.

In a landmark ruling that could pave the way for more lawsuits, the Association of Officials and Lawyers for Animal Rights (AFADA) argued the ape had sufficient cognitive functions and should not be treated as an object.

The court agreed Sandra, born into captivity in Germany before being transferred to Argentina two decades ago, deserved the basic rights of a “non-human person.”

“This opens the way not only for other Great Apes, but also for other sentient beings which are unfairly and arbitrarily deprived of their liberty in zoos, circuses, water parks and scientific laboratories,” the daily La Nacion newspaper quoted AFADA lawyer Paul Buompadre as saying.

Orangutan is a word from the Malay and Indonesian languages that means “forest man.”

Sandra’s case is not the first time activists have sought to use the habeas corpus writ to secure the release of wild animals from captivity.

A US court has recently tossed out a similar bid for the freedom of ‘Tommy’ the chimpanzee, privately owned in New York state, ruling the chimp was not a “person” entitled to the rights and protections afforded by habeas corpus.

In 2011, the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a lawsuit against marine park operator SeaWorld, alleging five wild-captured orca whales were treated like slaves. A San Diego court dismissed the case.

The Buenos Aires zoo has 10 working days to seek an appeal.

The zoo’s head of biology, Adrian Sestelo, told that orangutans were by nature calm, solitary animals which come together only to mate and care for their young.

“When you don’t know the biology of a species, to unjustifiably claim it suffers abuse, is stressed or depressed, is to make one of man’s most common mistakes, which is to humanise animal behavior,” Sestelo added. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Thursday, December 25, 2014

As US troops return to Iraq, more private contractors follow n Reuters

A still image released by the Islamic State group’s branch in Raqa on jihadist websites yesterday purportedly shows a Jordanian pilot, centre, captured by IS group’s fighters after they shot down a warplane from the US-led coalition near Raqa AFP

Islamic State says it downed warplane in eastern Syria, captured pilot n Reuters, Beirut Islamic State fighters said yesterday they had shot down a warplane in the northeastern Syria province of Raqqa and taken the pilot captive.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said it had confirmed reports the plane was brought down near Raqqa city, a major stronghold for Islamic State fighters.

Events in Syria are difficult to verify

because of restricted media access to conflict zones.

Islamic State social media accounts published pictures purportedly of the warplane’s pilot being held by the group’s fighters and said he was Jordanian. It was not possible to verify the images.

The Observatory, which monitors Syria’s war with a network of sources, said it had confirmed the pilot’s capture and said he was believed to have an Arab nationality.

Both the Syrian government and a US-led coalition set up to fight Islamic State regularly strike Islamic State targets in Raqqa province.

Raqqa province, which borders Turkey, is almost entirely under the control of Islamic State fighters.

Boosted by arms seized in Iraq, the group evicted most rival rebels from the province earlier this year and took control of a string of government military bases over the summer, including an air base.

There was no immediate comment on the reports of the plane’s downing from the Syrian government or from officials of countries participating in the coalition. US officials said they were looking into the media reports but declined further comment.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have participated in or supported the strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria, according to US Central Command. l

The US government is preparing to boost the number of private contractors in Iraq as part of President Barack Obama’s growing effort to beat back Islamic State militants threatening the Baghdad government, a senior US official said.

How many contractors will deploy to Iraq – beyond the roughly 1,800 now working there for the US State Department – will depend in part, the official said, on how widely dispersed US troops advising Iraqi security forces are, and how far they are from US diplomatic facilities.

Still, the preparations to increase the number of contractors – who can be responsible for everything from security to vehicle repair and food service – underscores Obama’s growing commitment in Iraq. When US troops and diplomats venture into war zones, contractors tend to follow, doing jobs once handled by the military itself.

“It is certain that there will have to be some number of contractors brought in for additional support,” said the senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

After Islamic State seized large swaths of Iraqi territory and the major city of Mosul in June, Obama ordered US troops back to Iraq. Last month, he authorised roughly doubling the number of troops, who will be in non-combat roles, to 3,100, but is keen not to let the troop commitment grow too much.

There are now about 1,750 US troops in Iraq, and US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel last week ordered deployment of an additional 1,300.

The US military’s reliance on civilians was on display during Hagel’s trip to Baghdad this month, when he and his delegation were flown over the Iraqi capital in helicopters operated by State Department contractors.

The problem, the senior US official said, is that as US troops continue flowing into Iraq, the State Department’s

Officer in Missouri shot, killed man who pulled gun n AP, Berkeley Mo A suburban St Louis police officer shot and killed a man who pointed a gun at him at a gas station late Tuesday, police said.

A crowd of about 100 people were gathered early Wednesday at the scene in Berkeley, Missouri, a few miles from Ferguson, where a white police officer fatally shot black 18-year-old Michael Brown in AuguSt According to a statement from St Louis County police spokesman Sgt. Brian Schellman, a Berkeley police officer was conducting a routine business check at a gas station around 11:15 p.m.

Tuesday when he saw two men and approached them.

One of the men pulled a handgun and pointed it at the officer, Schellman said. The officer fired several shots, striking and fatally wounding the man.

The second man fled, and the dead man’s handgun has been recovered, according to Schellman.

The St Louis County Police Department is handling the investigation, and no further details about the incident

were immediately available.

Authorities did not immediately identify the man who was shot. But the St Louis Post-Dispatch reported that a woman at the scene, Toni Martin, said he was her son, 18-year-old Antonio Martin.

Toni Martin told the newspaper that her son was with his girlfriend at the time of the shooting.

The protesters who gathered early Wednesday milled around the gas pumps at the station, some taunting and yelling at police officers.

Some had strands of yellow police-line tape draped around their neck, with others using it as a headband.

Authorities from multiple agencies, some in riot gear, stood among the protesters.

Across the street, another gas station’s glass doors were shattered, and police were standing outside the door, turning people away.

Orlando Brown, 36, of nearby St Charles was among the protesters. He said he didn’t have all the details about the shooting but said he wondered if it was a case of police aggression. l

‘Ukraine a frontline of confrontation’ n Reuters, Moscow Russia said yesterday Nato was turning Ukraine into a “frontline of confrontation” and threatened to sever remaining ties with the Atlantic military alliance if Ukraine’s hopes of joining it were realised.

The Kiev parliament’s renunciation of Ukraine’s neutral status on Tuesday in pursuit of Nato membership has outraged Moscow and deepened the worst confrontation between Russia and the West since the end of the Cold War. “Nato countries pushed Kiev to this counterproductive decision, trying to turn Ukraine into a front line of confrontation with Russia,” Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov told the Russian news agency Interfax.

“If this decision in the future takes on a military character (accession to

Nato), then we will respond appropriately. Then there will be a complete severing of ties with Nato, which will be practically impossible to repair,” Antonov said.

It is likely to take years for Ukraine to meet the technical criteria for accession to Nato and, even then, there is no certainty that the alliance is ready to take such a political hot potato.

Yet Russia has made clear it would see the Nato membership of such a strategic former Soviet republic with a long common border as a direct military threat.

Nato has already boosted its military presence in eastern Europe this year, saying it has evidence that Russia orchestrated and armed a pro-Russian rebellion in eastern Ukraine that followed the overthrow of a Kremlin-backed president in Kiev. l

contractor ranks will no longer be able to support the needs of both diplomats and troops.

After declining since late 2011, State Department contractor numbers in Iraq have risen slightly, by less than 5 percent, since June, a State Department spokesman said.

Controversial presence

For example, in July, the State Department boosted from 39 to 57 the number of personnel protecting the US consulate in Erbil that came under threat from Islamic State forces during its June offensive.

That team is provided by Triple Canopy, part of the Constellis Group conglomerate, which is the State Department’s largest security contractor.

Constellis did not respond to a phone call seeking comment.

The presence of contractors in Iraq, particularly private security firms, has been controversial since a series of violent incidents during the US occupation, culminating in the September 2007 killing of 14 unarmed Iraqis by guards from Blackwater security firm.

Three former guards were convicted in October of voluntary manslaughter charges and a fourth of murder in the case, which prompted reforms in US government oversight of contractors.

US troops in Iraq are not using private contractors to provide them additional security, a second US official said.

Virtually all the US government contractors now in Iraq work for the State Department. The withdrawal of US combat troops from Iraq in 2011 left it little choice but to hire a small army of contractors to help protect diplomatic facilities, and provide other services like food and logistics.

The number of Pentagon contractors, which in late 2008 reached over 163,000 – rivaling the number of US troops on the ground at the time – has fallen sharply with reduced US military presence. l

Palestinian killed in clash with Israeli troops near Gaza border n Reuters, Gaza Israeli forces shot dead a member of Hamas’s armed wing after a firefight erupted along the border with the Gaza Strip yesterday, Palestinian hospital officials in the territory said.

The Israeli army said in a statement that a routine patrol on the Israeli side of the border came under attack from snipers in the southern Gaza Strip and that forces responded with fire from the ground and the air.

Hamas sources named the dead man as Tayseer Asmairi, a member of its armed wing’s monitoring unit in the southern Gaza Strip.

A military spokeswoman declined to comment on any Israeli casualties in the clash.

The clash is the latest in a handful incidents in recent weeks since a 50-day war ended in Gaza in August.

On Friday, Israeli planes bombed a Hamas militant base in the Gaza Strip in response to a rocket that militants launched earlier that day. l

George HW Bush taken to hospital n AP, Houston Former President George HW Bush was admitted to a Houston hospital Tuesday evening after experiencing a shortness of breath, a family spokesman said.

Bush, 90, was taken by ambulance to Houston Methodist Hospital as a “precaution,” according to spokesman Jim McGrath. He “will be held for observation, again as a precaution,” McGrath said in a statement.

Bush spent nearly two months in the same hospital and was discharged in January 2013 after treatment for a bronchitis-related cough and other issues.

The White House said President Barack Obama, who is vacationing in Hawaii, has been notified about Bush’s hospital admission.

Bush, who can no longer use his legs, made two public appearances last month. He attended at an event at Texas A&M University with his son, former President George W. Bush. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Thursday, December 25, 2014

9

Curfew in Assam after 63 killed n AP, Shamukjuli Hundreds of survivors of a brutal rebel attack that killed at least 63 people in northeastern India sought shelter Wednesday in a church and school while security forces imposed a curfew in a bid to contain the latest bout of ethnic violence.

Long-simmering land and ethnic disputes in Assam state erupted in bloodshed Tuesday when authorities said rebels belonging to a faction of an indigenous separatist group called the National Democratic Front of Bodoland targeted tribal settlers known as Adivasi, who ancestors migrated to Assam more than 100 years ago. Most of them worked on tea plantations.

At least 100 people, mostly women and children, sought refuge in a church in Shamukjuli village in Sonitpur district, where 26 of the victims died.

Another 200 people ran to a nearby

school. The Adivasis are a mix of Hindus and Christians and many had been preparing for Christmas when the attack took place, survivors said.

Bodo rebels have been fighting for a separate homeland for their indigenous tribe, which makes up 10 percent of Assam’s 33 million people. They have staged attacks against both Adivasi and Muslim settlers in violence that has left at 10,000 people dead, most of them civilians, in the last three decades.

Many of the dead in Tuesday’s attacks included women and children, police said. The rebels may have been provoked by heavy losses they suffered recently as police intensified operations against the group, Singh said.

“We are trying to ensure that ethnic violence does not flare up,” he said, adding that a curfew was imposed in two districts and scores of police and paramilitary forces patrolled the area.

There were concerns the violence could spill over.

Following the attacks, angry Adivasis surrounded a police station in Sonitpur and attempted to attack the officers inside, said S.N. Singh, a top police official. Police opened fire, killing three Adivasis, he said.

He also said there were incidents of Bodo homes being attacked, but troops managed to control the situation.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the latest attacks, and the Home Ministry rushed several thousand federal paramilitary troops to the region, junior Home Minister Kiren Rijiju said.

Dozens of rebel groups have been fighting the government and sometimes each other for years in seven states in northeast India. They demand greater regional autonomy or independent homelands for the indigenous groups they represent. l

Pakistan to raise 5,000-strong counter terror force

Bin Laden shooter under investigation

The Pakistan government yesterday said that a 5,000-strong counter terrorism force will be raised in the country to fight militants in the aftermath of the deadly Peshawar school attack that killed 150 people.

Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali briefed a meeting of parliamentary leaders about the decision of the National Action Plan Committee which was set up after last week’s attack to suggest measures to deal with militancy.

Nisar said the army would prepare and train the force which will be deployed a thousand each in federal capital and the four provinces — Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, Radio Pakistan reported.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in his address to the meeting asked the political leadership to take strong and decisive decisions to purge the country of terrorism. l

n AFP, Washington

n Agencies

Japan works to secure infrastructure after Sony attack

The former US Navy Seal who claims to be the soldier who fired the shots that killed Osama Bin Laden is being investigated for possibly leaking classified information, the US military confirmed.

US Navy spokesman Ryan Perry said investigators were probing claims that Rob O’Neill had broken the law by disclosing details about the daring 2011 raid that ended a 10-year manhunt for Bin Laden.

“The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is in receipt of an allegation that Mr O’Neill may have revealed classified information to persons not authorised to receive such information,” Perry said in an email to AFP. “In response, NCIS has initiated an investigation to determine

the merit of the allegations.”

O’Neill, 38, ignited a firestorm of controversy last month after coming forward to claim that he was the man who shot Bin Laden through the forehead at his hideout in Abbottabad three years ago.

The highly decorated Montana native told The Washington Post that he was near the head of the column of US soldiers that raided Bin Laden’s compound, adding that at least two other Seals fired shots.

However O’Neill’s decision to go public dismayed military brass and serving SEALS who maintain a fierce, Omerta-like code of silence.

Another former Seal, Matt Bissonnette, who published his account of the raid, “No Easy Day” in 2012, took issue with O’Neill’s version of events. l

Activists of the Assam Tea Tribes Student Association (ATTSA) shout slogans as they block the road with burning tyres during a protest against attacks on villagers by militants in four different locations, at Biswanath Chariali in the Sonitpur district, Assam yesterday AFP

‘Nut rage’ official faces arrest n AP, Seoul South Korean prosecutors are seeking to arrest the former executive at Korean Air Lines Co. who forced a flight to return over a bag of macadamia nuts and a current executive for attempts to cover up the “nut rage” case.

Seoul Western Prosecutors’ Office said Wednesday that Cho Hyun-ah faces charges including inflight violence and changing a flight route. The current airline executive, a 57-year-old man surnamed Yeo, faces charges of pressuring airline employees to cover up the incident, according to an official at the prosecutors’ office who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorised to speak about the matter.

Cho, the daughter of the Korean Air chairman, earlier this month resigned as vice president at the airline and all roles from the airline’s affiliates as public outrage mounted over her behavior.

She forced a Dec. 5 plane bound for South Korea from the United States. l

How Christmas Truce led to court martial

n Reuters, Tokyo

Japan, fearing it could be a soft target for possible North Korean cyberattacks in the escalating row over the Sony Pictures hack, has begun working to ensure basic infrastructure is safe and to formulate its diplomatic response, officials said.

The hacking of the US unit of Tokyo-based Sony Corp has been seen in Japan largely as an American problem, but the officials said the government is now moving actively to confront the issue after President Barack Obama blamed North Korea and vowed to respond “in a place and time and manner that we choose.”

Cyberdefence experts, diplomats and policymakers worked through the weekend at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s office to launch the effort, said one official involved in the process.

The government is working to ensure that in response to any threat, its basic functions could continue in the face of any cyberattack, while maintaining such essential services as the power grid, gas supplies and transport networks, he said.

He declined to offer details. l

Abe takes office for third term

n AP, Tokyo

Shinzo Abe took office Wednesday for a third term as Japan’s prime minister, appointing a former military officer as his defense minister but keeping the other members of his previous Cabinet.

Parliament re-elected Abe after his Liberal Democratic Party won a renewed mandate in a Dec. 14 snap election that the prime minister said was needed for him to carry out further economic and political reforms.

Gen Nakatani, Abe’s new defense minister, headed the Defense Agency in 2001-2002 under former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, before it won full-fledged ministry status. A graduate of the National Defense Academy, he attained a rank of first lieutenant before leaving the military.

Nakatani favors a stronger role for the military, which is constrained by the country’s commitment to pacifism under the constitution drafted by the American occupation forces following Japan’s defeat in World War II. Nakatani said Abe specifically asked him to tackle “national security in order to protect Japanese territory, the people’s lives and properties.” l

British fans react during a football match between British and German troops commemorating the Christmas Truce of 1914, at the ISAF Headquarters in Kabul yesterday REUTERS

n Reuters, Brussels “All the way down our lines ... Scots and Huns were fraternising in the most genuine possible manner,” Lieutenant Edward Hulse wrote to his mother after Christmas 1914. “If I had seen it on a cinematograph film I should have sworn that it was faked.”

The centenary of that moment in World War One is now being celebrated as a triumph of shared humanity over the butchery that engulfed Europe, a day when troops along the Flanders front met after four months killing each other to sing carols, exchange gifts and play football in No Man’s Land.

Less well known is that some British soldiers would later face punishment for an hour of friendship with their enemy.

Some of those fortunate survivors of 1914 were to pass three more Christmases in the trenches, observing no more broad truces as horrors fostered hatreds, but also because generals took pains to stamp out what they feared as a threat to “fighting spirit.”

In one largely forgotten incident, a repeat of that first famous ceasefire the following year saw one of Hulse’s fellow officers in the Scots Guards put on trial at a court martial.

Unlike Hulse, killed at 25 in

March 1915, Captain Iain Colquhoun survived the war and recorded how he faced military punishment for again exchanging Christmas cigars with his German foe, and allowing both sides to bury their many dead.

“The Major-General (Lord Cavan) is furious about it,” Colquhoun wrote on Boxing Day 1915. His commander wanted to know why specific orders had been disobeyed that there should be no repeat of the 1914 camaraderie that so shook the general staff.

Christmas lights and machineguns On Dec. 25, 1915, the 28-year-old Colquhoun had written in his diary: “A German officer came forward and asked me for a truce for Christmas. I replied that this was impossible. He then asked for three quarters of an hour to bury his dead. I agreed.

“Our men and the Germans then talked and exchanged cigars, cigarettes etc for quarter of an hour and when the time was up I blew a whistle and both sides returned to their trenches.

“For the rest of the day ... not a shot was fired. At night, the Germans put up fairy lights ... and their trenches were outlined for miles ... It was a mild looking night with clouds and a full moon and the prettiest sight I have

ever seen. Our machineguns played on them and the lights were removed.”

After another 10 days on the front line near Lille, marked in the diary by shelling and sniping but also drinking and gambling with fellow aristocrats of the Guards Division, Colquhoun returned to a billet in the rear to find himself under arrest.

Charged with conduct to the prejudice of good order and of military discipline for “approving of a truce with the enemy,” his five-hour trial on Jan. 17, 1916, heard evidence in person from General Douglas Haig, the British supreme commander.

Found guilty, Colquhoun escaped, however, with a reprimand.

That Prime Minister Herbert Asquith was his wife’s uncle and Asquith’s son was his defence counsel may have helped. He also felt the army understood the spirit of Christmas, writing: “Everyone who knows the facts of the case all say that it was a monstrous thing that the court martial ever took place.”

The case did not blight Colquhoun’s career. He rose to high rank but remained popular with his troops even after the war, showing concern for the welfare of those who fought beside him like Private Alexander Macdonald – this writer’s grandfather. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Thursday, December 25, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Share the Christmas spirit across communities

T

oday marks the most important festival of the Christian calendar. As the 3 million Christians of the country get ready to celebrate Christmas, we hope this occasion will encourage us to share the Christmas cheer across communities.

This can be a time to reflect that we, as Bangladeshis, are a secular people with respect and tolerance for all religions.

Christmas can then be an occasion for celebration not just for the Christian community, but a celebration of tolerance and harmony for all.

In recent times, the secular spirit of the country has been marred by communal violence.

Incidents ranging from the destruction of Buddhist temples in Ramu, to the recent attacks on indigenous communities in the CHT region remind us that, in spite of calling ourselves secular, as a nation we have a long way to go in protecting the rights of religious and other minorities. We must fight against hatred and intolerance if we are to progress as a nation, and carry the torch of secularism the country was founded upon.

The Christmas spirit is one of sharing. Let us take some time to lend a helping hand to those in need, and have some consideration for the struggles of others. The Dhaka Tribune wishes all its readers a very Merry Christmas.

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

Can agriculture be cool?

December 11

W

e are glad that a parliamentary sub-committee has been formed to keep a close eye on the activities of multilevel-marketing (MLM) companies that are currently operational. MLM companies have a long history of scamming people out of crores through unethical and illegal business schemes.

There are regulations in place to put a check on such deceitful business practices, which merely give participants the illusion of making money without producing any real value. However, companies sometimes find ways to work around the legal measures.

Any company caught breaking the law must be punished, and made to compensate the victims of their crimes.

Fraudulent MLM companies take a number of steps to make their business look legitimate to gullible clients.

They often have professionalseeming offices and attractive websites that can fool people at first glance. It is important for the parliamentary body to not just closely monitor the activities of these companies, but also enforce the law with a firm hand.

Our lawmakers should ensure that companies intending to engage in fraudulent activities do not obtain licenses through alternative means, such as bribery. It is a sad fact that many white collar criminals who swindle the public and ruin lives not only get away, but continue to do business in some form or other. This cannot be allowed to continue.

Companies have a long history of scamming people out of crores through unethical and illegal business schemes

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

vhs Good to see this interest in agriculture. This piece comes just a day after Dan Mozena’s piece on Bt Brinjal, so it’s a timely one. It’s a shame that, as a largely agriculture-based society, our city kids still know so little about the basics of farming.

Christmas can be a celebration of tolerance and harmony for all

Crack down on MLM scams

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 21 represents M so fill M every time the figure 21 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

Karl Hungus Unfortunately, farming has very “uncool” connotations attached to it within not just our youth, but society at-large in general. I completely agree with the writer of course.

Dreampie Karl Hungus: I totally see where you’re coming from. Offhand insults such as “khat” and “chasha” don’t help at all. vhs Dreampie: Oh does “khat” come from “khet,” as in field? Seems obvious now, but it hadn’t occurred to me.

A citizen “Why aren’t farmers considered ‘commercially important persons’ just like top exporters and businessmen?”

I guess farmers aren’t considered CIPs because we, as a nation, came from the farms. We wanna go someplace else. The aspiration drives us to the big city and bright lights. But I agree with the author; farming needs to be cool again.

Seven-year-old beaten to death for not doing homework December 17 Nawmi Naz Chowdhury What is wrong with this world?

Anon Disgusting! People have completely lost their minds. They have no idea anymore of morality or humanity.

Babul Sarwar Let us focus on the so-called teacher. What is his biography saying? He seems to be a murderer.

Children victims of Taliban carnage December 17

SA I hate that this happened, and I hate to say this, but it seems to me as if the world needed to see this to slap them awake. People have been complacent for too long. Well, enough is enough.

It must be mentioned that children have been kidnapped, and shot at and gunned down for a while now – remember Afghanistan, Palestine, the Boko Haram attack on those teenage girls who still haven’t been recovered, by the way.

This should, if nothing else does, knock some sense into the Pakistan government and take the threat seriously.

F138 Uhhh … guys, it’s very simple.

80% of our export earnings come from garments. Agriculture is pretty small compared to that. We sure are not an agriculture-based society anymore, based on numbers like that. We are an export-oriented economy, specialising in the production of consumer garments.

Hence, since agriculture is relatively unprofitable, it’s viewed in a negative manner.

Don’t think, however, that high-profit margin forms of agriculture will necessarily be a good thing. Such forms of food production necessarily involve large, wealthy landowners exploiting poor workers, or firing all their workers and utilising machinery. This kind of farming would create wealth, but would destroy the livelihoods of current farming communities.

Such things probably will happen without intervention anyway, but will take time and occur in a gradual manner. Let the market forces play out by themselves.

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

rose Farmers grow crops and cut them with great care and effort. They are industrious human beings and they should be given importance.

‘I am HIV-positive, please accept me’ December 10

badri Happy to see DT covering such issues which are otherwise intolerable in our society. I would like to know more about how the government or any NGOs are taking care of the victims. rose People in this society should become more informed about being HIV positive so that we can accept HIV patients without much hesitation from our part.

Rajeeb While I appreciate DT for publishing such stories, I can’t but help highlight the choice of story. Was it a deliberate attempt to portray the story of the girl as an unfortunate victim of HIV during her birth?

What if the girl was an adult, who had sex outside marriage and got infected? How will the society treat her then? Yes, such is the stigma. Unless and until we deal with the root issue – the stigma around sex – we won’t be going anywhere in solving the STI crisis.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Ready money (4) 5 Happen again (5) 8 Narcotic (6) 9 Saucy (4) 10 Marsh (3) 12 Sundry (6) 13 Refused (6) 15 Projectile (6) 18 Connect (6) 20 Period of time (3) 21 Flower (4) 23 Sanity (6) 24 Melodies (5) 25 Look after (4)

DOWN 1 Dealt with successfully (5) 2 Monkey (3) 3 Sea nymph (5) 4 Headwear (3) 5 Remainder (7) 6 Eating place (4) 7 Cricket scores (4) 11 Sea eagle (4) 12 Those in debt (7) 14 Water pitcher (4) 16 Unbound (5) 17 Tendency (5) 18 Repose (4) 19 Grassy expanse (4) 21 Rodent (3) 22 Offspring (3)

Dhaka City Corporation gets new administrators December 11

AS What about the DCCs election in January that was assumed to take place? The BNP movement, in next January, will get space now.

Sela banks turn pitch black

CALVIN AND HOBBES

December 11

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER Seira “Sinking oil tanker was actually a modified and remodeled sand cargo.”

This is horrible. :/

CROSSWORD

‘BNP-Jamaat alliance plots to kill Hasina’ PEANUTS

December 11 Analyst Those militants should be brought to justice without delay. We want a terrorist-free Bangladesh with the active leadership of our current government; that will be the great success of AL.

20 RAB men involved in Narayanganj killings December 10

Anon It is amazing Mahbubey Alam took 21 days to disclose this report after he received it. What was he up to? This is not an example of speedy justice, and no one should know this better than the attorney general.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Thursday, December 25, 2014

I was there, and I don’t need a defence

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n Syed Zakir Hossain hen Dhaka Tribune published the photograph of a dead dolphin on December 14, five days after the tanker capsized in Sela River, environmentalists and scientists were already warning that the sensitive and rare Irrawaddy and Gangetic dolphins – to which the place is a sanctuary – were going to be the biggest victims of the oil spill.

I took the photograph a couple of days before that, on December 12, when I covered an 80km expanse – at least 12km upstream towards the Mongla Port and more than 50km downstream towards the sea from the place of the capsize – inside the deep forest on ship, boat, and speedboat.

During the voyage, I came across scores of marine birds, such as the kingfisher and egret, struggling in the oil slick, and had not seen a single mud-skipper on the riverbank.

The photograph was taken with my Canon Mark IV camera; the original file was too big for the feeble Internet in the area, so I had to travel another 25km to reach a place where locals said the Internet was better. There too it took me two-and-a-half hours to send a scaled-down 80kb photograph to our Dhaka office.

So, when the photograph was taken, nobody knew for certain the kind of toll the oil spill and spread were going to take on the delicate wildlife of the Sundarbans. As soon as I saw the dead and slightly discoloured corpse of the Irrawaddy dolphin floating in the Sela River, at a place somewhere between Tambulbunia and Harintana, my first instinct was to let the world know about it, especially the authorities who had, by then, done virtually nothing to tackle the situation. It could easily have been the first of a myriad of dead dolphins.

By then, three days had already

passed since the tanker sank, and the authorities did not have any clue (not that they have any clue now either) about how to clean up the more than 350,000 litres of furnace oil that spilled from the tanker. The environment, especially the vegetation and soil on the riverbank, absolutely crucial for the local ecological balance, was turned pitch black by the oil.

During the first few days, the thick, semi-solid chunks of furnace oil were very much visible on the water.

But by December 14, the mangrove environment had already experienced at least 20 high and low tides in five days. The oil – which does not dissolve in water – had by then travelled to some of the deepest parts of the forest with high tide and had conveniently settled on the vegetation – especially the breathing roots of plants – as water receded with the low tide from beneath.

Those who believe what is happening is a media hype will have very little they can do to protect the natural shield of Bangladesh

Therefore, if someone went to the area on December 14, and did not find much oil on the water, it is only very normal because by then, much of the oil, being driven by the forces of high and low tides, had either settled on the vegetation and soil or been washed away, towards the sea.

Immediacy is an integral part of

The disaster in the Sundarbans is real news coverage. I was already two days late when I went to the Sundarbans on December 11, and there were only three other journalists alongside me.

Therefore, someone who went there on December 14 has totally missed out on the immediacy part of the Sundarbans oil spill coverage.

I have been in environmental journalism for two decades. Over the last 17 years, I have been to the biggest mangrove forest in the world at least twice every year. Apart from my love for, and a sense of responsibility towards, nature, the sheer enigma of the forest has drawn me towards it time and again.

With all that in my luggage, I, and also people with the slightest of knowledge about environmental jour-

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

nalism, can say with conviction that a disaster in the forest is nothing like the blast from an atomic bomb or even a deadly cyclone, where one would see hundreds and thousands of animals lying dead all over the place.

I have talked to many environmentalists and scientists, whom I know because I have been working in this field for so many years. They have all told me that the oil’s biggest blow to the forest will be made apparent when regeneration gets affected. The Sundarbans is a mangrove forest, where wind, water, and soil all play indispensable roles in the regeneration of the vegetation which essentially construct the forest’s ecology.

Experts also said that even if tiny plankton die because of the oil,

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H

I

the entire food chain of the forest may collapse. Greater adjutant and masked-finfoot and otter – all critically endangered – and egret and mud-skippers are only some members of the fauna which depend heavily on the topsoil and mud on the riverbanks, which has already been “visibly” polluted by the oil. If they do not find food in the oil slick, they will starve, because they do not know how to find food inside the forest.

The water and soil have already been badly affected by the hundreds of thousands of litres of furnace oil. That much is visible even to the eyes of those who do not have the experience or the knowledge for being able to fathom the graveness of the disaster, which is already very much happening

R

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in the Sundarbans, and are waiting to see hundreds of dead animals and fish lying around everywhere to call it a catastrophe.

An environmental disaster in the forest is a slow process, and the impacts would take time to be made visible. Let me assure you of one thing, when it does become visible, the authorities, and also those who believe that what is happening in the Sundarbans is an “unethical” media hype, will have very little they can do to protect the natural shield of Bangladesh. l Syed Zakir Hossain is a senior photojournalist at the Dhaka Tribune. This article was co-authored by Rajib Bhowmick, senior sub-editor at the Dhaka Tribune.

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Y

E

Fraudulent activity n Mamun Rashid

I REUTERS

The flowers of heaven n Mohammad Ali Sattar

T

he cold winter morning of December 16 turned out to be the coldest mourning day for Pakistanis and the world. Pakistanis were plunged into utter shock and dismay.

The bloodbath that took place in the army school was the first of its kind in the turbulent history of the country.

The continuous killings and violence has actually shaken the very existence of the state. There seems to be no end to these senseless atrocities and elimination attempts by splinter groups spread all over the country.

December 16, the happiest day for all Bangladeshis, began with the usual mix of fun and tears. On this day, in 1971, we achieved victory against the Pakistani occupation forces. Since then we have been celebrating our victory day with growing enthusiasm and a renewed pledge to fight the forces of occupation and subjugation.

While we began the celebration of freedom, thousands of miles away in the West, the flowers of heaven were trampled by assailants in a school.

One by one, from the youngest to 15-year-olds, children were brought down by a hail of bullets.

The indiscriminate murder by the masquerading squad turned the school premises into a gory ground of heartlessness. In a moment, the blessed lives of the young and sinless were snatched; their sweet voices muted and their vision darkened.

Many future reformers, poets, writers, scientists, and philosophers were killed before their time. What was their fault? Nothing. They were targets of vengeance. The Taliban has set out

to retaliate against the deaths of their people, who they claim, have been massacred by the Pakistan army.

The angst and hatred have reached such depths that the Taliban would kill the most vulnerable groups of the society, if need be – soft targets are easy to strike. They are a misguided and unethical lot who could not muster the potency to fight the regular forces of any country.

They have made religion their springboard. They claim themselves to be Muslims and dream of “pure” Islamic rule, but they have failed to grasp the inner meaning of the messages of Islam. Their hardline understanding and interpretations of the Qur’an and Hadith has left peace efforts in shambles.

Reports of condemnation have been streaming in from all quarters, even from their own camps. The force which so determinedly rose to fight the foreign forces in Afghanistan, and later spread in neighbouring areas, have no sympathisers now.

They were provided with all sorts of power to fight their enemies. The constant supply of arms and gradual rise in the number of forces joining their ranks from all over, gave hope to those who sincerely wanted a region and a state free from the domination of the West.

Gradually, the masterminds in the West and the region intruded their ranks and promoted terrorism, turning them into mindless rebels. Weird political mantras worsened the situation.

Peace was the last thing that the masters wanted. They needed a fighting ground as the arms manufacturers and dealers were

minting money at the cost of lives and property across the globe. In fact, they are promoting (maybe even sponsoring) the terrorist acts and infighting. The Taliban, and so many others in the world, are only offshoots of these arms promoters.

Now the Taliban have managed to instill fear in everyone. More people will come under attack. The safest citadel in the centre of any city hardly remains safe. After a long interval, Pakistani political leaders sat together to deliberate on the security of the country. They expressed their resolve to face the situation collectively.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has called upon all to forget differences in facing the impending threat of the militants. Army Chief Raheel Sharif sprang into action. The insurgents are already on the back-foot.

Militants under captivity are being hanged. Massive executions in jails will start in a few weeks’ time. There will be regular battles in the strongholds of the Taliban and there will be ceaseless offensives by Pakistan. Militants will be flushed out from some areas, but inside the towns and homes, we are likely to lose our dear ones at the hands of the suicide company.

To all, we say, spare the children and the innocent, for God’s sake. If you really believe in God and his commands, show respect to the Prophet who only fought for peace. The Taliban leadership ought to know that Islam doesn’t need them, but to be good Muslims, they need Islam. l Mohammad Ali Sattar is Editor at Global News Network (GNN) and SportsTimes, and a DT Columnist.

was visiting a former colleague at Banco Nacional de Mexico in Mexico City. Following a largescale loan fraud in Banamex, a wholly owned subsidiary of Citigroup, he was pulled by nobody less than his group CEO from Tokyo, where he was posted just few months ago. He was given a marching order to fix the process and bring order to this highly profitable and renowned Citi entity. I asked the gentleman what had happened.

It was a loan fraud of more than $500m, committed by an oil pipeline maintenance company, Oceanographia, the supplier to the state-owned oil corporation Pemex. It was a receivable financing for the bank, where the company forged the documents and withdrew large chunks of money year after year with mounting credit exposures. There was, of course, a process guide for these transactions, but officials involved didn’t follow them and the supervisers kept their eyes shut. Oceanographia collapsed on February this year.

Subsequent regulatory investigations revealed that the Banamex staff stopped calling Pemex to verify invoices submitted by Oceanographia, thus reducing the level of scrutiny they were supposed to do. This particular incident was alleged to have happened due to a middle manager being fired in 2012, which also saw 12 of its employees getting the axe and the CEO resigning. Regulator CNBV (commission nacional bancaria y de valores) resolved this to be bank’s institutional failure to have proper control in place and fined Banamex 30m pesos ($2.2m).

Citigroup CEO Mike Corbat, known and respected for his brilliant work regarding distressed assets management, recently announced a $1.5bn investment over the next four years to improve technology systems at Banamex. My friend, while accepting this to be an outcome of inadequate controls and violations in lending rules, also lamented about reducing number of bank officials with “end to end” processing knowledge these days.

What does it mean to us? Too much of external focus on running after profits on the part of bank seniors or CEOs is not allowing them to focus on their core activities: To ensure a robust internal control, process sanctity to avoid any surprises from the market,

therefore avoiding embarrassment by the shareholders, and most importantly, reprimand from the regulators.

The distinguished governor, and his senior colleagues at the then Bangladesh Bank, who authored the “core risk management guidelines” would have been very perturbed to know how few commercial banks could still avoid putting up a “process guide” for transactions. More shocking for them would have been to see how central bank inspectors can be hoodwinked by branch managers or their seniors at the head offices of commercial banks.

Go and see the “top bosses” at commercial banks. They will tell you about the importance of “audit trail,” “transaction monitoring,” the presence of a “maker-checker” process, verification of a transaction instruction, or large debits through subsequent calls (as well as the recording of the conversations), or relevant indemnities held.

These cases aren’t just about financial loss, as they have serious implications on the banks’ reputation

On the other hand, they will miserably fail in their senior “hindsight” of the large transactions and, more shockingly, most of them do not have a “transaction process guide” in their banks to ensure the integrity of officials involved in transactions.

On many occasions, the banks do not have the right people performing internal control, audit trail, or transaction verification.

People are frequently dumped into these jobs or, most of the time, these people are sent after a single bout of training, but they are not allowed to ensure a better “control environment” in their banks. Installations of the latest technology and have also added to the laxity in commercial banks, where junior, computer literate people can take their seniors, but not IT-friendly people, “for a ride.” Most commercial banks in Bangladesh do not put nec-

essary importance on internal audit and, even more importantly, internal control.

Not exclusive to local commercial banks, large foreign commercial banks have also been victims of serious frauds committed by the staff, where clients’ accounts were debited and their staff accounts with another bank credited, wrong debits in the client accounts or transactions not in conformity with clients’ instructions or as per delegated authority.

There is also increasing evidence of trade fraud, cheque fraud, or forged documents in connivance with the junior and senior staff of the banks.

At times, the ignorance, or knowledge gap, of the officials, including the “top gun,” put the bank on the dock resulting in the loss of clients’ trust.

These cases aren’t just about financial loss, as they have serious implications on the banks’ reputation as well, due to lack of control or breach of control. Detection of such forgeries does impact the share price, and banks in many cases are forced to pay hefty penalties for such “lack of control.” Control lapses make clients jittery about their bank – an institution totally built over trust.

It is therefore high time that seniors in the Bangladesh’s banking industry focus more on a “robust control environment” for their respective banks.

Supervisors should be trained well, so should the managers. There should be a “Chinese wall” maintained between the transaction processors and the transaction approvers.

CEOs should engage in risk management, including operations risk management as their prime responsibility, not the public relations. A bank’s board must ensure the existence of a proper “risk management guideline” covering credit risk, market risk, and operations risk.

The audit committee should do regular reviews of large transactions and ensure compliance with set guidelines.

Regular training and up-skilling can only help avoid surprises as well as undesired losses in commercial banks.

I know for certain that Bangladesh Bank would also want this. A tighter, forward-looking control environment is the only recipe for a better bank management. l Mamun Rashid is a business professor and financial sector entrepreneur.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE Thursday, December 25, 2014

13 Warner, Watson

shake off injury fears for 3rd Test

14 Van Gaal

keen to repay Fergie’s faith

14 Navas, Wambach

win Concacaf Players of Year

Sport

Mohammedan batsman Naeem Islam fails to make the ground and is run out against archrival Abahani in the DPL in Fatullah yesterday (L) while MSC batsman Ariful Haque raises his bat after hitting a century

Abahani sink Mohammedan in thriller n Mazhar Uddin A brilliant Ariful Haque hundred proved to be inadequate as Mohammedan conceded a fighting three-wicket defeat against archrival Abahani in their first match of the Super League phase of the Dhaka Premier League in Fatullah yesterday.

Nasir Hossain was the saviour for Abahani with an unbeaten 82 as the Sky Blues maintained their position at the top of the points table.

In the other two matches of the day, second placed Prime Bank and Prime Doleshwar registered huge victories against Legends of Rupganj and Kalabagan Cricket Academy respectively.

Mohammedan v Abahani

The Dhaka derby promised to be an intense affair and the match lived upto its billing as the clash went right down to the wire.

Opting to bat first, Mohammedan lost early wickets and were teetering at 38/4. National discard Naeem

Islam and Ariful though resurrected the ship adding 121 runs for the fifth wicket. Naeem (51 off 98 balls) was soon dismissed after reaching his halfcentury but Ariful continued from the other end.

Ariful (109 off 137 balls) smashed 11 boundaries and a six and eventually reached a well-deserved hundred while skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza scored a quickfire 38 off 27 balls as the traditional Black and Whites posted 240/7 on the board in 50 overs. Paceman Shuvashish Roy was the pick of the bowlers for Abahani bagging 4/56.

Abahani, in pursuit, had to face a stern examination before overhauling the target with just two deliveries of their innings remaining.

Requiring seven runs to win from the final over, Abahani suffered a setback as skipper Ziaur Rahman (10 off nine balls) departed off the first delivery of the 50th over. Nasir, however, kept his composure and guided the Sky Blues to the win, remaining undefeated on 82 off 69 deliveries.

The lower-order batsman smote five sixes and as many fours while Forhad Hossain played a supporting role making 59 off 96 balls.

Courtesy the win, Abahani remain at the zenith with 20 points from 12 matches while Mohammedan are fifth with 14 points from the same number of matches.

Prime Bank v Legends of Rupganj

Rupganj took on Prime without the services of Tamim Iqbal and Rubel Hossain and the defending champions duly lost the encounter by 84 runs at BKSP 3.

Soumya Sarker’s all-round performance inspired Prime to the win and subsequently second position in the points table with 20 points from 12 matches. The holders on the other hand are languishing at sixth with 14 points from 12 matches.

Electing to take first strike, Prime put up a huge 304/7 in their stipulated 50 overs with the left-handed Soumya striking 81 off 90 balls, stroking five sixes and four boundaries. Sri Lankan

recruit Thilina Kandamby chipped in with 71 off just 49 balls while skipper Mahmudullah hit 52 from 58 balls.

In reply, Rupganj were bundled out for 220 in 43 overs with Abul Hasan’s 80-ball 72 going in vain.

Abul struck half a dozen sixes and three fours while Zaidi scored 41 and after skipper Shakib (31 off 29 balls) was dismissed, Rupganj’s hopes were all but dashed.

Prime Doleshwar v Kalabagan CA

Doleshwar openers Rony Talukder (132 off 132 balls) and Mehedi Maruf (106 off 113 balls) struck centuries as they coasted to a huge nine-wicket win over Kalabagan in Mirpur. Chasing Kalabagan CA’s competitive 262/9, Doleshwar romped home with 35 balls in hand.

Rony carted 14 fours and four sixes while Mehedi bludgeoned seven fours and five sixes as they went third in the points table with 16 points from 12 matches. Kalabagan are two points behind at fourth from the same number of matches. l

BRIEF SCORES Abahani v Mohammedan Mohammedan 240/7 in 50 overs Ariful 109, Naeem 51; Shuvashish 4/56 Abahani 241/7 in 49.4 overs Nasir 82*, Forhad 59; Mashrafe 3/42 Abahani won by 3 wickets Prime Bank v Legends of Rupganj Prime 304/7 in 50 overs Soumya 81, Kandamby 71, Mahmudullah 52, Saykat 42; Zaidi 2/47, Sharif 2/55 Rupganj 220 allout in 43 overs Abul 72, Zaidi 41; Farhad 3/46, Soumya 2/30, Shuvagata 2/53 Prime won by 84 runs Kalabagan CA v Prime Doleshwar Kalabagan CA 262/9 in 50 overs Sabbir 75, Nafees 70; Delwar 4/41, Shafiul 2/55 Doleshwar 264/1 in 44.1 overs Rony 132*, Mehedi 106 Doleshwar won by 9 wickets

‘Too early to comment on franchise league’ Tamim flies off to BFF president Kazi Salahuddin gives his intake on proposals CMG also proposed attaching Argen- of benefits or whether it’s going to be n Raihan Mahmood tine football legend Diego Maradona a profitable concern for us. We cannot Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Kazi Salahuddin yesterday said the eight-team franchise-based football tournament proposed by the Celebrity Management Group (CMG) is far away from being realised.

Responding to the much-talked about issue at his office yesterday, the BFF boss said it is too early to say something. “I talked with Bhaswar [Goswami, CMG executive director] for only four minutes. It’s just a proposal. It’s too early to say something final about it.

All I can say is we will have an in-depth look before arriving to a final decision.”

with the tournament and said they will be managing the event that includes selling the TV rights and arranging sponsors among other things. The CMG also showed interest about tagging in leading cine stars and celebrities with the tournament with a view to make it truly entertaining. Local event management firm Showbiz Entertainment will assist CMG in this aspect.

BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag also echoed the same tune of his president. “We have to see the feasibility. Finance is the major subject of the issue. We will have to find the level

compare our football arena with India as they have a good number of largescale investors. We do not have that.

Following a thorough investigation and with the approval of the football federation’s executive committee can we provide a final verdict. At the moment we are just discussing.”

CMG was the event manager of the Argentina-Nigeria Fifa international friendly in Dhaka on September, 2011. They also took a venture of hosting a tri-nation tournament involving Bangladesh-India-Pakistan in London in 2012 but the project did not see light due to a lack of sponsors.l

Australia tomorrow n Minhaz Uddin Khan National opener Tamim Iqbal obtained the Australian visa yesterday and is all set to fly tomorrow night. The dashing left-hander is suffering from Grade 1 meniscus injury and is appointed to meet orthopedic surgeon Dr David Young in Melbourne this Monday.

The decision to send Tamim to meet the Australian surgeon in person came after several meetings between the cricketer, the national selection panel and high-ups of the BCB. The board had initially thought of seeking long-distance consultancy from Young

Nasir glows, probably at the right time n

Mazhar Uddin

Out-of-choice from the national side, Nasir Hossain firmly regained his form in the Dhaka Premier League as his match winning 83 off 69 balls that enabled Abahani Ltd edge past arch-rivals Mohammedan SC yesterday was a strong knock at the selectors door ahead of the World Cup. However, the 23-year-old is not worried about his selection for the global event and said, “If I play for my place in the World Cup it will be difficult for me to perform. I am not thinking I have to perform to secure

my place in the national squad. When I went to bat (yesterday) I tried to play according to the situation of the game and nothing else.”

“There’s a big difference between a premier league match and an international game and it’s not easy to perform in the international stage.

I can’t say if I am in a good touch or not but international cricket is being played at a different atmosphere,” said Nasir who scored 373 runs and picked 11 wickets from 10 DPL games this season after being dropped from the national side for the first time in his two and half year international career. l

but with no time to waste ahead of the ICC World Cup on February 2015, both Tamim and the board members agreed on first-hand treatment.

Tamim earlier complained of unbearable pain in the injured area while playing in the Dhaka Premier League. He picked up the injury during the home series against Zimbabwe last month.

National chief selector Faruk Ahmed expressed hope of having a “match-fit” Tamim ahead of the WC but said, “We will get to know the exact situation once he meets the doctor in Australia and also how much time will the recovery process need if he undergoes the operation.” l

Did you know?

George Bailey has ended a run of 27 T20I innings without a halfcentury

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Shakib to feature for Renegades n Minhaz Uddin Khan Ace all-rounder Shakib al Hasan has confirmed his services with the Melbourne Renegades in the ongoing KFC Big Bash Twenty20 League 2014-15. The 27-year old will replace West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell, who will join the national side in their tour of South Africa.

The world’s numero uno all-rounder in T20Is, Shakib has penned down a contract with the Renegades for the second half of the Big Bash.

This confirmation means Shakib will feature in Australia’s premier T20 domestic competition for the second year running. The left-arm all-rounder previously played for Adelaide Strikers in the last edition. Renegades head coach Simon Helmot expressed his delight having confirmed Shakib’s services for the second half of the Big Bash.

“Shakib is a great fit for our squad in January,” said Helmot in a press release circulated by the franchise yesterday.

“We are looking forward to having him on board.”

Helmot informed that Renegades were looking for someone who could contribute “across the board” and said being able to call on the top-ranked T20 all-rounder in the world is a terrific boost for the Melbourne outfit.

“He brings plenty of experience and has a cool head under pressure,” the 42-year-old added.

Shakib’s confirmation in the Big Bash came after a lot of uncertainty.

On July this year, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had banned Shakib from all forms of cricket and was barred from playing in overseas domestic competitions till the end of next year citing the star cricketer’s severe “attitude” problem.

Both the bans, however, were lifted after the BCB identified a behavioural change in Shakib and the Renegades were quick to pounce in on the situation. Shakib is likely to make his first appearance in Renegades colours in the away match against Hobart Hurricanes at Blundstone Arena on January 7. l

BFF withdraws Maruf ban n Shishir Hoque

Abahani batsman Nasir Hossain flays one through the off-side during their DPL Super League match against Mohammedan in Fatullah yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has withdrawn the ban of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club head coach Maruful Haque yesterday. Maruf’s ban was supposed to expire on February next year.

The withdraw of the suspension means Maruf will now be in the dugout when his club take on South Korean top-flight side Busan IPark in a friendly at Bangabandhu National Stadium this Saturday.

Earlier on Augu 24 this year, the BFF’s disciplinary committee dished out a one-year suspension on Maruf from all football-related activities for breaching the Code of Conduct. Initially Maruf appealed to lift his ban and the

federation duly responded by reducing it by six months. Following another request to BFF president Kazi Salahuddin, the ban was withdrawn with two months still to run.

“Maruf submitted a special application to the BFF president saying he is sorry and resentful for his act. Responding to his application, the president exempted him from the remainder of his ban,” said BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag yesterday.

Maruf expressed his gratitude to the BFF boss for his role in lifting the ban. “First of all, I am grateful to Allah and then I want to thank BFF president Kazi Salahuddin for withdrawing my ban with two months still to go. It will encourage me to concentrate more on coaching.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

India up against MCG record to save series

QUICK BYTES

Injured Clarke upbeat of playing in WC Australian captain Michael Clarke eased fears Wednesday his career may by over, saying he is recovering well from surgery on a torn hamstring. The 33-year-old set alarm bells ringing with a stark warning the injury sustained during the first Test against India at Adelaide could cut short his stellar cricketing life. But in an upbeat column for Sydney’s Daily Telegraph Clarke gave a positive assessment a week after the operation. “The biggest thing for me is getting back on the field for the World Cup,” he said of the tournament that starts in Australia and New Zealand in mid-February. “I have been told by medical staff that I am in as good a condition as I can be a week after undergoing the surgery,” added Clarke, who also carries a chronic back problem. “There is no swelling and no pain when I walk. I can’t wait to begin stage two of the rehab process which involves starting to run again.” He offered strong support to fellow veterans Brad Haddin, Shane Watson and Chris Rogers who have come under pressure for weak performances since the start of the four-Test series against India this month.

–AFP

n AFP, Melbourne

‘I will be happy to extend Real contract’ Germany midfielder Sami Khedira has indicated he would be happy to extend his contract with Real Madrid beyond June 2015 if an agreement can be reached. Khedira, whose season has been disrupted by injuries, is not a first-choice starter under coach Carlo Ancelotti, with Germany team mate Toni Kroos, Croatia international Luka Modric and Spain playmaker Isco all ahead in the pecking order. Media reports have speculated Khedira could move to Bayern Munich and that several English clubs including Arsenal, where his close friend Mesut Ozil plays, are also interested in securing his services. Khedira, who joined Real from VfB Stuttgart in 2010, told Germany’s Stuttgarter Nachrichten he was back to a good level of fitness and hopeful he would see more playing time.

–Reuters

Zimbabwe’s Waller banned from bowling Zimbabwe all-rounder Malcolm Waller has been suspended from bowling just seven weeks out from the World Cup, the International Cricket Council said on Tuesday. The off-spinner was reported after the second Test against Bangladesh in Khulna last month and analysis performed by the ICC’s accredited team of Human Movement Specialists at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria. “The analysis revealed that all of his off-spin deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations,” the ICC said in a statement. Waller, 30, will have the opportunity for re-assessment but faces a race against time with the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand starting on Feb. 14.

–Reuters

Former Eng forward Heskey joins Bolton Former England forward Emile Heskey has agreed a short-term deal with Bolton Wanderers, the Championship club said on Wednesday. Heskey, 36, had been training with the second tier club and impressed manager Neil Lennon, who signed former Bolton forward Eidur Gudjohnsen on a free earlier this month. Heskey, who played for Leicester City, Liverpool, Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa and represented England 62 times, has been without a club since ending a stint with Australian side Newcastle Jets. He could make his debut against Blackburn Rovers on Friday.

–Reuters

WADA takes 3,000 samples for testing Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has revealed that a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) commission visited Moscow and took around 3,000 samples from local athletes for testing. WADA took the samples as part of an investigation the authority is conducting in response to a German TV documentary that featured what it claimed was an undercover video of Russian athletes and coaches admitting to covering up positive tests.

–Reuters

DAY’S WATCH Star Sports 1 6:00PM (Friday) Australia v India 3rd Test, Day 1

13

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Australia’s David Warner attempts a shot during training at the MCG yesterday on the eve of their Boxing Day Test against India

INTERNET

India must reverse a demoralising losing streak at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to prevent Australia from regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Friday’s Boxing Day third Test.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s tourists trail 2-0 in the four-match series after defeats in Adelaide and Brisbane, and have lost their last five encounters at the MCG stretching back 23 years.

While India have competed well in the series, they unravelled both times in their second innings.

The Indians lost their last seven wickets for 73 to go down by 48 runs in Adelaide and nine for 148 to leave the Australians chasing 128 runs for a four-wicket victory in Brisbane.

Dhoni said India had not been getting the 50-50 umpire calls and were not far off winning away from home where they have a dismal record of just one victory from their last 21 away Tests.

“There’s plenty of areas we’re showing improvement, but we’re still not crossing the line,” Dhoni said.

“We need to give it a bit more time.

Once they start crossing that line, once they harness that aggression in the right channel you’ll see plenty of good results from this side.”

While India routinely master Australia on their home pitches, winning the last seven Tests straight, it’s the reverse situation Down Under. But the tourists now have pace weapons with Varun Aaron, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma.

“It was quite good to see our fast bowlers still running in, giving 100 percent,” said Dhoni, who is lining up for his 90th Test match as a player and 60th as captain in the Melbourne Test.

“We have seen the execution power of our fast bowlers has increased.”

Australia are likely to give batsman Joe Burns his Test debut as a replace-

ment for hamstring-victim Mitchell Marsh, while senior paceman Ryan Harris is bidding for a recall after missing the Gabba Test with a quadriceps problem.

The home side has a pool of five pace bowlers to choose from, but ideally would go in to the Boxing Day showpiece with Mitchell Johnson, Harris and Josh Hazlewood, who took seven match wickets on his debut in Brisbane.

“The Gabba Test was played at a fast pace, it was four-and-a-half runs an over for the whole Test match,” Australia coach Darren Lehmann said.

“It was exciting again and it’s been an amazing nine days of Test cricket.”

Lehmann said he expects opener David Warner, who was struck a painful blow on his left thumb while facing Aaron in Brisbane, to play in the third Test.

Australia have had match-winning performances from new skipper Steve Smith (375 runs with two centuries), Warner (twin tons in Adelaide), spinner Nathan Lyon (17 wickets) and Johnson (a fiery 11-ball spell of three for 10 in Brisbane).

But a crucial part of the series so far has been Australia’s ability to get far more runs out of their tail than India.

In Brisbane, the Australians added 258 runs for the last four wickets in the first innings in Brisbane.

“To get a lead of 90-odd, the way the tail played was amazing,” Smith said of that performance. “To get us into that position was crucial.”

Smith will play under the threat of a one-match suspension if his team transgress again with slow over rates over the next 12 months after Australia was fined 30 percent of their match fees from the Gabba Test.

Smith, as skipper, was fined double that amount, and now must be mindful of keeping the game moving if he is to avoid a ban. l

Warner, Watson shake off WC preparations loom over Test series injury fears for 3rd Test n Reuters, Wellington

n AFP, Melbourne Opener David Warner and all-rounder Shane Watson both took part in training on Wednesday as injury scares eased for Australia ahead of the Boxing Day Test against India.

The pair returned to the fray during a Christmas Eve session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Warner, batting for the first time since hurting his thumb in the second Test victory over India in Brisbane last week, was soon driving and hooking with little sign of discomfort.

Watson, who was dazed when struck on the helmet by a bouncer on Tuesday, took on a bowling machine in the

indoor nets before moving outdoors.

The blow sparked concern Watson might have sustained serious injury, coming after Australian batsman Phillip Hughes was killed by a bouncer on November 25. In a sure sign Warner was on the mend, he told reporters he would keep up the “banter” against the tourists, despite a spate of fines.

Indians Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma have all been fined for their conduct in the four-Test series, as has Warner after a heated exchange in the first Test in Adelaide.

“If it requires a little bit of banter to get the other person talking, that’s what is going to happen,” said Warner.l

Final preparations for the World Cup loom large over the upcoming Test series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, which starts at the Hagley Oval on Friday, with seven one-day games to follow the two matches in Christchurch and Wellington.

Both sides will be fine tuning their World Cup selections, with final squads needed for Jan. 8, the day after the second Test ends, but New Zealand will also be seeking to build on their recent resurgence in the Test arena.

After winning both home series last summer, beating West Indies away, then drawing with Pakistan after being hammered in the first Test in the UAE,

New Zealand enter the series playing at a level that would not justify their ranking of seventh.

The team has been galavanised under the captaincy of Brendon McCullum, with the only concern in the top five the opening partnership, with Hamish Rutherford given another opportunity to prove his credentials alongside impressive rookie Tom Latham.

Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor will be expected to provide the majority of runs with the 24-year-old Williamson coming of age this year, having scored 844 Test runs, including four centuries, at 60.28. McCullum’s move back to the middle order from his role as a temporary opener will solidify an already strong tail, who are expertly

guided by wicketkeeper BJ Watling.

Their new ball duo of Tim Southee and Trent Boult have also matured in the last two years, with the pair’s ability to exploit New Zealand conditions and get the ball to swing and seam.

However, he is more concerned with finalising his World Cup options.

He also has the added problem of finding someone to fill the hole left by Mahela Jayawardene’s retirement from Test cricket, while left arm spinner Rangana Herath will miss the first, and possibly the second, Test with a leg injury.

Herath’s absence could be a blessing for New Zealand given he has taken 31 wickets at 19.58 in four Tests against the hosts and is the top Test wicket taker in 2014 with 60 in 10 matches. l

Ferrari braced for another hard year Busan IPark arrive today n Reuters, Maranello Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne drew a line under a dismal year for Formula One’s most glamorous and successful team on Monday but made clear that 2015 would also be a season of struggle.

Speaking at a news conference before Christmas lunch at the team’s Fiorano test track, Marchionne left no doubt there was a hard road ahead before Ferrari could catch up with dominant Mercedes.

“We must forget 2014,” said the Fiat Chrysler (FCA) chief executive who re-

placed Luca Di Montezemolo as Ferrari chairman in October. “I don’t want to talk about 2014.”

The Italian outfit failed to win a race this year, their first blank season since 1993, and have said farewell to two team principals in a general clearout and restructuring.

Double world champion Fernando Alonso has left for McLaren, with Red Bull’s quadruple champion Sebastian Vettel arriving to try to galvanise the restructured team after they finished fourth overall.

Newly-appointed principal Maurizio

Arrivabene warned, in his first official news conference, that he could not work miracles and Marchionne agreed the team now needed time.

Marchionne said Ferrari, whose engine has been outperformed by champions Mercedes, were paying a price for decisions made under the previous management.

“We started late with the 2015 car, certain choices and strategies that were made by others and that, in retrospect, I don’t necessarily share,” he added.

“So 2015 will be a difficult year that will put the team to a real test.” l

n Shishir Hoque Korean top flight club Busan IPark is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka today at 8:20pm to play an international friendly match against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on December 27.

A contingent of 23 members including all 18 players from South Korea will arrive today. However, their only South Korean national player, goalkeeper Lee Bum-young, is not touring along with their two Brazilian recruits.

The four-time K-League Classic

champions Busan IPark are also the former champions of AFC Champions League and although the triumph was 28 years ago, they have been a regular side in the top flight football since it was founded in 1983.

Squad:

Lee Chang Geun, Kim Ki Yong, Lee Kyung Ryul, Jung Seok Hwa, Jeon Sung Chan, Ju Se Jong, Yoon Dong Min, Kim Chan Young, Yu Ji No, Park Young Ji, Kwon Jinyoung, Ku Hyun Jun, Kim Ji Min, Lee Cheong Woong, Lee Gyu Sung, Lee Joo Yong, Seo Hong Min, Kim Jin Gyu. l

BGB lift Victory Day Wrestling n Raihan Mahmood

Avijit re-elected as BBF gen secretary n Raihan Mahmood

Border Guard Bangladesh lifted the Victory Day Wrestling by winning six gold medals, one silver and one bronze in the Handball stadium yesterday.

Bangladesh Army finished runners-up grabbing one gold, three silver and four bronze medals. In the women’s event, Bangladesh Ansar and Bangladesh Police both won four gold medals each and were declared joint champions.

Bangladesh Olympic Association vice-president Mizanur Rahman Manu distributed the prizes as the chief guest. Tabiur Rahman Pahlawan, the general secretary of the wrestling federation, vice president FM Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn, joint secretary Mesbahuddin Azad and others were also present on the occasion. l

Lt. Commander (retd) Avijit Kumar Sarker was re-elected as the general secretary in the election of the Bangladesh Basketball Federation held at National Sports Council (NSC) yesterday.

Syed Aklas Hossain was the other contender of the post of the general secretary but he withdrew from the election citing irregularities in the voter list. The four vice presidents elected are Selim Chowdhury, Moinul Ahsan Monju, Mokbul Hossain Lablu and Chowdhury Abul Hasnat.

Khairul Alam Farhad and Fazal Rehan were elected the joint secretaries while Wasif Ali was elected as the treasurer.

The committee consists of 14 members.

Deputy director of NSC Mohammed Abul Hossain Howladar was the Returning Officer of the election. l

Bangladesh Ansar, joint champions of the Victory Day Wrestling, pose with the trophy at the Handball stadium yesterday

COURTESY

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Wenger upbeat as injured Gunners return n AFP, London Arsene Wenger is upbeat about a strong second half of the season showing from an Arsenal side set to capitalise on the return of injured players like Mesut Ozil and Mikel Arteta.

Wenger expects Ozil and Arteta to return to action in January, while Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey and Laurent Koscielny are due back imminently to help reignite the Gunners’ quest for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

The Christmas schedule features fixtures against QPR, West Ham and Southampton and Wenger believes Arsenal, who occupy sixth place in the table, will soon be in a position to realise their potential.

“To give absolutely everything in every single game until the end of the season,” replied Wenger when asked to outline his aspirations for his team heading into the festive period on Tuesday.

“I believe that with the injuries coming back we will have a much stronger squad than we had for the past two months.

“I believe 2015 can be very exciting if we manage to get our injured players back and have a good run.

“Finishing in the top four is always the minimum required here. We have the Champions League and we have the FA Cup and we want to come back in a much stronger position in the Premier League, and I think we will.

“Our Christmas is not an easy schedule - it’s a tough schedule. There are

three games in a very short period of time and we can make up points.

“It’s a period where you have an opportunity to make points. Our opponents will think that as well, but let’s just put the performances in and capitalise on it.”

Ozil and Arteta are on target for January comebacks from knee and calf injuries and although Ramsey and Koscielny may miss the Boxing Day showdown with hamstring and calf problems, they could both be in action against Southampton on New Year’s Day. “Ozil will be back at the beginning of January. His rehab has gone well but it took time. He works very hard.

He is very focused. Fitness-wise, he is there,” Wenger said.

“Arteta is progressing well. He had a little setback with an ankle problem but it should be very quick now. He will not play before January.

“Ramsey has a chance to be fit for Southampton. The closest at the moment is Koscielny. I believe he’s a bit short for QPR, maybe has a chance for West Ham on Sunday.”

Arsenal are four points adrift of fourth place West Ham and lost further ground on Champions League qualification after conceding an equaliser deep into stoppage time of Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool.

Per Mertesacker’s defending for Martin Skrtel’s header has been criticised, but Wenger refuses to single out his Germany World Cup winner for blame. l

Brazilian forward Neymar (R) and Brazilian singer Anitta perform during the inauguration of the Neymar Project Institute in Praia Grande, Sao Paulo, Brazil on Tuesday. The institute is a sports complex for needy children and their families AFP

Van Gaal keen to repay Fergie’s faith n AFP, Manchester Louis van Gaal has revealed he feels under pressure to succeed at Manchester United to repay the generous support of Old Trafford legend Alex Ferguson.

Ferguson has given his backing to van Gaal in recent interviews, claiming the United manager can restore the team to the lofty levels which Ferguson himself attained in his 27 years as boss.

Certainly, van Gaal’s efforts in leading United into a top three position as the Premier League enters the Christmas period have been impressive and generated an air of optimism at the club not felt since Ferguson retired in 2013.

However, that backing has come at a cost, according to van Gaal.

“It’s fantastic,” said van Gaal on Tuesday. “When you come to Manchester United, because I know Sir Alex, you hope that he will support you.

“And when he is supporting you, he is doing that not only this week but in other conferences he gave.

“He showed a lot of confidence and belief in me and you need that as a trainer-coach, as manager of Manchester United.

“You need that belief and support of managers like Sir Alex. I am very happy with that because then you can work more easily. But it’s also pressure because he believes in you and that gives you that pressure that you have to get results. It’s not so easy to win Premier League matches.”

United, unbeaten in seven games, open their festive fixture list with a home clash against Newcastle on Friday and van Gaal insists he has already succeeded in one of his primary aims - making Old Trafford a venue where other teams fear to play.

Since losing at home to Swansea on

the opening day of the season, in his first competitive match in charge, United have won seven and drawn one of their eight games.

“I have said after the first loss against Swansea that it’s a pity we came back from the United States and won everything and then lost our first match in the Premier League,” said van Gaal.

“We want to build a fortress at Old Trafford and we have made that already because we have won a lot.

“I’m happy with that but then we have to continue because seven (wins) is too few I think.

“So we have to continue and that’s the most difficult point because it’s not easy to win games in the Premier League.”

Meanwhile, van Gaal has paid tribute to captain Wayne Rooney’s versatility, but insists he still remains an important attacking threat.l

Title not won in December: Pellegrini n Reuters, London Many Premier League managers highlight the importance of negotiating the hectic Christmas period, but Manchester City’s Manuel Pellegrini is in a relaxed mood with his side trailing leaders Chelsea by three points.

Second-placed City, who have 39 points from 17 matches, begin the holiday fixture schedule with a trip to West Bromwich Albion on Friday before hosting Burnley and Sunderland in quick succession.

Having won six successive league matches, City have closed the gap on Chelsea but Pellegrini does not think the next few weeks will define the champions’ season.

“We are not thinking about Chelsea,” Pellegrini told a news conference on Tuesday. “We are just thinking

Navas, Wambach win Concacaf Players of Year

Saints sign Dutch winger Elia on loan n Reuters, Miami n AFP, London Costa Rica’s World Southampton have agreed to sign Werder Bremen’s Dutch international winger Eljero Elia on loan until the end of the season.

Ronald Koeman’s side are short of attacking options with Jay Rodriguez’s recovery from a cruciate ligament injury taking longer than expected and Senegal’s Sadio Mane due to leave for the African Nations Cup next month.

Elia, who has played 28 times for Holland, is seen as the perfect man to bolster Koeman’s front three. The 27-year-old will initially join Saints on loan when the transfer window opens next month, with the option of then making his switch from the Bundesliga outfit permanent at the end of the current campaign. l

Cup goalkeeper Keylor Navas and United States women’s team striker Abby Wambach were named CONCACAF’s Players of the Year for 2014 on Tuesday.

The governing body for the sport in North and Central America and the Caribbean also named Jorge Luis Pinto Coach of the Year after he led Costa Rica to the last eight at the World Cup for the first time.

Navas, 28, produced some outstanding displays for Costa Rica in the World Cup with three clean sheets from five matches and winning three Man of the Match Awards.

Following the World Cup, Navas completed a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Wambach, the 34-year-old striker, who has scored more goals in international football than any male or female with 177 in 228 games, had another fine

season including scoring four goals in the final of the CONCACAF Women’s Championship in 2014 in which the United States beat Costa Rica 6-0.

Pinto was rewarded for Costa Rica’s memorable World Cup campaign where they finished top of their group ahead of Uruguay, Italy and England and then beat Greece on penalties before losing to the Netherlands in a shootout after a goalless draw.

Pinto became head coach of the Honduran national team earlier this month.

United States and Everton keeper Tim Howard won CONCACAF Goalkeeper of the year for the second year while Costa Rica’s Bryan Ruiz’s strike against Italy in the World Cup was voted Goal of the Year.

American Mark Geiger was voted Referee of the Year.

The awards are voted on by three constituencies - national team coaches and captains, media and fans. l

Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas

US women’s striker Abby Wambach

Del Bosque upbeat despite year to forget for Spain

Ibra unhappy at coming ‘second’ n Reuters, Stockholm

Absent Ronaldinho threatened with sack

n Reuters, Madrid

Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has dismissed his second-place finish on a list of Sweden’s all-time sporting greats behind tennis master Bjorn Borg.

“Thank you but to finish second is like finishing last,” he informed. The 33-yearold Paris St Germain striker was second in the list of 150 Swedish sportspeople, created by the newspaper as part of their 150th-anniversary celebrations.

Asked where he would have put himself in the rankings, Ibra said: “On that list I would have been number one, two, three, four and five, with due respect to the others.”

“Bjorn Borg is a cool person and a living legend,” said Ibra, who has scored 51 goals in 101 games for Sweden and has won titles at many of Europe’s leading clubs including Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan. Barcelona, AC MIlan and PSG. l

n AFP, Mexico City

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque is feeling positive about 2015 despite the shock of failure at this year’s World Cup and is confident he can successfully shepherd the team through qualification for Euro 2016.

Spain were dumped out in the group stage at the finals in Brazil after embarrassing defeats by Netherlands and Chile. A surprise loss to Slovakia in Euro qualification Group C also set back their bid for a place at the tournament in France in 18 months time.

They also slipped to friendly defeats

by France and world champions Germany as La Roja came crashing back to earth after six years of dominating the global game.

“We had a necessary period of re-

flection after the World Cup and both we and the federation remain on the same page,” Del Bosque said on the national team’s website on Tuesday.

“We decided to carry on and I am feeling in good spirits and full of desire to fulfil my responsibilities,” added the 64-year-old, who came close to quitting after the World Cup before the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) persuaded him to stay on.

“We are not a burden for the national team but we are trying to create a new side to compete in the way we were before,” Del Bosque said.

“Our objective is clear: qualifying for the European Championship in 2016.”

With four matches played in Group C, Spain are second on nine points behind Slovakia, who have won all four of their games. l

Two-time world footballer of the year Ronaldinho has been threatened with the sack if he doesn’t return as soon as possible to his Mexican club Queretaro, the team’s president said on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old Brazilian -- a member of the 2002 World Cup winning side and world player of the year in 2004 and 2005 -- has not returned as he said he would a fortnight ago for pre-season training having been allowed to go to the United States and Brazil to put his personal affairs in order after the end of the previous campaign.

The first match is on January 11 but Queretaro began their pre-season training on December 8 and have played several friendlies without being graced by the presence of the former

Paris Saint Germain, Barcelona and AC Milan star.

Club president Arturo Villanueva -- who was credited with pulling off a coup for the unfashionable Mexican side by persuading the Brazilian to sign for them in September -- said that if Ronaldinho does not appear in the next week he would prefer ‘to take on someone else’.

Joaquin Beltran. the club’s sporting director, said that Ronaldinho -- who in his nine games for Queretaro scored three goals and set up one other -- did not enjoy special status.

“If Ronaldinho does not come back in the next week, we will take a decision,” said Beltran.

“He has already missed a large part of the pre-season and nobody is above the institution.”l

about our team.

“We know it is important to have our own pressure. You never win the title in December.

“We have a long five months to continue playing as well as we are doing so far and we will see at the end of the season which team has most points.”

City can take heart from claiming two titles in three seasons, but Pellegrini does not think that will give his side an edge against Chelsea, who last won the prize in 2010.

“It is always hard to win, the first time and the second time,” Pellegrini said. “I think there is the same degree of difficulty from one year to another.

“We have the players in a high level of performance. We are trusting what we do, so in the same way we played poorly two months ago, we are now doing very well.”l

Atletico president hints at possible Torres return n Reuters, Madrid Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has hinted at a possible deal to bring struggling Spain forward Fernando Torres back to his boyhood club.

Cerezo said the Spanish champions’ coach Diego Simeone had the squad he needs to compete in La Liga, the Champions League and the King’s Cup but did not rule out Torres returning to the club.

“He (Torres) is not here but that does not mean that he won’t be,” Cerezo said on Tuesday.

“Right now all the positions are well covered but that does not mean that up until the last hour of Jan. 31 we won’t bring someone in,” he added. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

The Hobbit screens in the capital n Entertainment Desk Fantasy adventure film “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” will be screened tomorrow at the Blockbuster Cinema in Jamuna Future Park. Shows on the first two days of the film’s screening is exclusive for only the Grameenphone Bondhu garage community.

Shows will be open for all from Sunday.

“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” released this year, was directed by Peter Jackson and written

by Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Guillermo del Toro. It is the third and final instalment in the threepart film adaptation based on the novel “The Hobbit” by JRR Tolkien.

The premier show was held on Tuesday at Blockbuster Cinema. l

Thursday, December 25, 2014

TAHSAN excited about Uddeshyo Nei concert

15

Frozen Star Movies, 9:30pm

A princess with the power to turn things into ice curses her home in infinite winter, her sister, Anna teams up with a mountain man, his playful reindeer, and a snowman to change the weather condition.

Real Steel HBO, 10:30pm

Exhibition

16th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh Time: 11am – 8pm National Art Gallery Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Shifting Sands Time: 12pm – 8pm Bengal Art Lounge 60, Gulshan Avenue

Theatre

Na-Manushi Jomin

Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy

Film

Meghmallar Ouija Interstellar Gone Girl Annabelle Pipra Bidda Ek Cup Cha Into The Storm Teenage Mutant Ninja

Turtles 3D Time: 12:30pm – 10:00pm Blockbuster Cinemas, Jamuna Future Park The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 John Wick Meghmallar Brick Mansions Big Hero 6 (3D) Pipra Bidda Time: 10am – 10pm Lavel 8, Star Cineplex Panthapath

n Hasan Mansoor Chatak Tahsan will perform in a “celebration” concert today at the Russian Cultural Centre in Dhaka, promoting his latest album “Uddeshyo Nei.” Talking about the concert, Tahsan said: “We see a worldwide custom where a singer or a band goes on a concert tour following the release of their new album. Though our country has yet to see such a tour, I plan to arrange a tour following the release of my album.”

“However, what I am doing is not a full-fledged concert tour; rather,

we are calling it a celebration concert as I have received much appreciation about the album from the listeners.”

The celebrated musician announced that in future he would arrange a concert tour. He is currently planning another celebration concert for “Uddeshyo Nei” in Chittagong soon.

Before Tahsan gets on stage today, two young bands named Sin and Silent Tribe will perform at the concert.

Tahsan selected the bands himself via Facebook, where he announced to let the performers who were most adept to cover his songs to appear on stage

CHRISTMAS SPECIALS ON TV

with him.

A total of nine bands responded to the artist’s offer, and the aforementioned bands eventually won the opportunity.

“I feel the youth bands struggle to find a platform to show their talent.

As my first momentous stage performance happened because of a similar initiative taken by the legendary Azam Khan, I feel it is my responsibility to help the young musicians who need the support to flourish,” Tahsan said.

Today’s concert is first after the album – also Tahsan’s sixth solo album – was released in July 2014. l

AS LIVE

BORO ANONDO

A special magazine programme titled “Boro Anondo” will be aired on Maasranga TV at 7:50pm. Anchored by SI Tutul, the programme will feature singers Andrew Kishore, Tapan Chowdhury, Kona and Nancy. A dance piece will be performed by Ishita. In addition, special appearances will be made by Emon, Nirob, Munmun, Saju Khadem and Debashish Biswas.

Green Lantern WB, 7:15pm

A test pilot is granted an alien ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers that inducts him into an intergalactic police force.

Lebaration War film festival to close with MATIR MOINA n Entertainment Desk

A concert titled “As Live” featuring Fuad and Friends will be telecast live on Desh TV at 7:45pm. The fusion band will be performing for the 56th founding anniversary of Fauzdarhat Cadet College in Chittagong.

Set in the near future, where robot boxing is a top sport, a struggling promoter feels he’s found a champion in a discarded robot.

Tareque Masud’s notable film “Matir Moina” (The Clay Bird) will be screened today at 10:15am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm and 6:30pm at Balaka Cineplex. Winner of the International Critics Prize at 2002 Cannes Festival, the film will also close the week-long Muktijuddho Cholochchitro Utshab 2014.

The plot of the film revolves around Kazi (Jayanto Chattopadhyay), a con-

servative Muslim who opts to send his son, Anu (Nurul Islam Bablu), to an Islamic school in order to shelter him from the worldly influences of the 1960s. Meanwhile, Anu’s thoughtful mother Ayesha (Rokeya Prachy), who is not inclined toward Kazi’s zealotry, handles the changes in stride. As the country heads into turmoil, the rigid beliefs that Kazi adheres to and his son tries to understand may have a lasting impact on the family. l

SHADA MON DHUSHOR PRITHIBI

Starring Tisha and Sajal, a single-episode TV play titled “Shada Mon Dhushor Prithibi” will be aired on ETV at 10:10pm.

ADAM SANDLER heads Forbes’ list of overpaid actors n Entertainment Desk Comedian Adam Sandler topped Forbes’ list of Ho l l y wo o d’s most overpaid actors for a second consecutive year, nudging out Johnny Depp and Tom Hanks for the dubious honour, the magazine

said on Tuesday.

Although Sandler’s latest film “Grown Ups 2” was a hit, pulling in $246 million at the global box office, it didn’t go far enough to make up for the 48 year-old’s previous flops, “Jack and Jill” and “That’s My Boy.” “We estimate that for every $1 Sandler was paid, he returned an average of $3.20,” said Forbes, the lowest return on investment of any actor whose record the magazine examined.

Depp, the star of the hugely successful “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, came in second, returning an average of $4.10 for each dollar paid, because of recent misses like “The Lone Ranger” and “Dark Shadows.”

Forbes compiled the annual ranking by looking at the estimated paychecks of Hollywood’s top stars and the budget and revenue of the last three films each actor starred in before June 2014 to determine a return on investment for each actor.

Animated and limited release films and movies featuring cameo roles were not included in the calculations. l

KAJAL AGARWAL: Don’t have to be animal lover to support PETA

HELENA BONHAM CARTER and TIM BURTON announce break-up

n Entertainment Desk Kajal Agarwal, who is currently busy shooting for Tamil film “Maari”, believes that one need not be an “obsessive animal lover” to support People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Kajal has collaborated with the animal rights organisation in their latest ad campaign against cruelty against animals in circus events.

“We’ve all grown up watching circus. I always used to wonder how these animals jump through rings of fire or do so many such unbelievable feats. But since my association with PETA, I’ve understood the conditions in which these animals are trained and kept,” Kajal told IANS. “I’m happy to bring some awareness about this issue. I’m not doing this because I’m some obsessive animal lover.

My association doesn’t stem from crazy love for animals but from a humanity point of view. As humans, I think all of us should be concerned about such issues,” she said.

Kajal added that she didn’t jump at the opportunity to extend her support for the campaign. She confirmed her participation after verifying facts herself.

“They told me about the research they had conducted along with their sister-concern Animal Rahat. They also showed me pictures and videos of how animals are treated in the circuses.

It was only after I was one hundred percent convinced did I confirm my association,” she said. l

n Entertainment Desk Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter have split up while “continuing to be friends and co-parent their children”, a spokeswoman has said.

The director and actor, who never married, separated amicably earlier this year and were asking for privacy for themselves and their children, said the spokeswoman.

The pair met in 2001 during filming of “Planet Of The Apes,” which Burton directed, and have since collaborated on films including “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” “Alice In Wonderland” and “Dark Shadows.”

They famously live in adjoining mews houses in north London and have two children, Billy, 11, and Nell, seven.

In the past Bonham Carter, 48, has described the arrangement with Burton, 56, as “nothing more interesting than two houses knocked together”, but in a 2011 interview she revealed that their home featured weird and wonderful items including an oversized chair from the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory set, a baby door and a gypsy caravan.

In 2012 both were given British Film Institute fellowships, the body’s highest honour. In an interview at the time Bonham Carter said: “It’s good because there’s no jealousy at home.

It’s very handy and very thoughtful for them to give us both one at the same time.” l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Thursday, December 25, 2014

BANDWIDTH EXPORT TO INDIA

Deal expected in January n Muhammad Zahidul Islam An internet bandwidth export deal is expected to be signed by the middle of January, under which Bangladesh will be sharing its unused speed with the seven Indian states in the east.

At present, Bangladesh uses only 25 gigabits per second or around 12% of the 200Gbps bandwidth made available by the Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL), the lone submarine cable operator here.

The Bangladesh and Indian authorities have been discussing the matter over the last couple of weeks. According to a source, BSCCL officials will visit New Delhi in early January to finalise the deal.

“We have received an invitation letter from our Indian counterpart BSNL yesterday [Tuesday]. We are very hopeful about inking the deal by the third week of January,” Monowar Hossain, managing director of BSCCL, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

‘As BSNL is purchasing in bulk, the price we have quoted will be marginally less than the price charged here’ Top officials of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India’s stateowned telecommunication company, have already visited Bangladesh twice.

In May, they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard.

In February, Bangladesh government decided to export the unused bandwidth following a request from India in July last year seeking 40Gbps for their eight eastern states.

The BSCCL said the “Seven Sisters” - Arunachal, Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Shilong – have a huge demand for bandwidth.

Currently, these states get connected to the “world wide web” via VSAT or satellite internet which is a lot more expensive compared to the underwater (submarine) or the over-land (terrestrial) connectivity that mainland India and Bangladesh enjoy.

Initially, the BSCCL projected a monthly earning of around Tk4.83 crore or $643,000 from the export of 40Gbps bandwidth; but the MoU for only 10Gbps bandwidth brought down

the estimated monthly earnings to only Tk1.20 crore or $161,000.

BSCCL MD Monowar Hossain said India initially wanted to import 40Gbps; but because they still do not have the adequate infrastructure such as optical fibre connectivity in the eastern states, they have decided to cut it down to 10Gbps.

“As Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is in charge of our ministry [Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology], we need to send it for her approval,” Monowar Hossain said.

After singing of the deal, it will take four to five months to establish a network on both sides of the border for exporting the bandwidth, sources said.

The export of bandwidth is not like the export of tangible goods. Just like electricity, bandwidth too needs connectivity for being exported or transmitted.

One more similarity between bandwidth and electricity is that they cannot be stored; unless bandwidth cannot be used, it has to be shared; otherwise it will get wasted.

Bangladesh has not been able to domestically use the entire of the available 200Gbps bandwidth mainly because of the price of each Mbps that the government has fixed.

Currently, local operators pay Tk1,300 for each Mbps bandwidth from the BSCCL. However, some private distributors get to import bandwidth from mainland India at around Tk600Tk700/Mbps.

Monowar said: “As BSNL is purchasing in bulk, the price we have quoted will be marginally less than the price charged here.”

BSCCL has selected three points for establishing links with the Indian states. Both parties have agreed that the first connection will pass from Akhaura in Bangladesh’s Brahmanbaria district to Agartala, the capital of the Indian state of Tripura.

According to sources, BSCCL expects India to import more than 100Gbps within a year or two when Bangladesh gets connected with the second submarine consortium SE-ME-WE-5 in 2016.

Industry insiders say Bangladesh has the demand at home. Although the export will bring in foreign currency with immediate effect, the better option would been ensuring domestic usage of the entire available bandwidth; that would benefit Bangladesh in the long-run. l

Devotees come and pray before the crib – a depiction of the birth of Jesus Christ – during the first prayer session of the Christmas Eve at the Roman Catholic Church in Kakrail in the capital yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

13 dead, 6 injured in road accidents n Tribune Report Thirteen people died and six were injured in separate road accidents in different parts of the country yesterday, only a day after a fatal crash claimed 10 lives and injured another 40 in Jhalakati.

In Tangail, eight people, including three of a family, were killed and another four injured in a road crash at Asura of Madhupur upazila beside Tangail-Mymensingh road around 12:30pm.

They were Habibur Rahman, 50, of Raktipara village, his daughter Hena Begum, 28, Hena’s daughter Ayesha, 12, Firoza Begum, 50, of Narkona village, Firoza’s grandson Sadik, 4, Asar Ali, 40, of Narkona, Mojibur Rahman, 55, of Raktipara, and autorickshaw driver Abdul Kader, 65.

Officer-in-Charge of Madhupur police station Mojibur Rahman said the accident took place when a Madhupur-bound truck which was travelling from Tangail collided head on with an autorickshaw coming from

the opposite direction, leaving three passengers of the autorickshaw dead on the spot.

He said the other five were taken to Madhupur Upazila Health Complex but doctors declared them dead, adding that the injured were sent to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.

Around 30 minutes before the Tangail incident, four people, including a father and his daughter, were killed when a truck hit an autorickshaw near Bagachara Madrasa intersection of Mahadebpur upazila in Naogaon.

The deceased were Abdus Sattar, 45, of Enayetpur, his daughter Khushi, 9, Sohel Rana, 25, son of Kashem of Dogachi village in Naogaon Sadar upazila, and Ishmat Ali, 37, who was driving the autorickshaw.

The accident also left another two passengers of the autorickshaw injured, who were admitted to Naogaon Sadar Hospital.

Mahadebpur police station Officerin-Charge Saiful Islam said the truck, which was travelling to Naohanta from Naogaon, crashed into the Naohan-

ta-bound autorickshaw.

He said the four died on the spot and the 35-year-old trucker, Abdul Mannan, was detained shortly.

“The truck was also seized. A case will be lodged with Mahadebpur police station in this connection,” added Saiful.

There was another road accident in Faridpur which killed a police officer.

The 58-year-old traffic police inspector, Soroj Kumar Roy, died when a truck ran over him at Piarpur beside the bypass road in Faridpur town.

Soroj hailed from Kotalipara in Gopalganj.

Faridpur Police Super Jamil Hasan said Soroj, who was on duty at Rajbari intersection around 10am, signalled the truck to stop.

“He rode his motorbike and chased the truck as the driver did not stop. But he could not go very far as the truck ran over him, killing him on the spot,” he said.

We are trying to capture the trucker who sped away after the accident, he added. l

Bajrang: Bangladeshis in India must leave or become Hindu n Tribune Desk

The main road connecting Jatrabari and Postagola areas have taken the form of a water body as potholes have remained neglected there for long now. The photo was taken from the Jurain area of the capital on Tuesday MEHEDI HASAN

Teenage rape victim dies

Ctg airport plunges into darkness n Tribune Report n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong A teenage girl who was allegedly raped All activities at the Chittagong airport came to a halt for two hours, while landing schedules also had to be delayed when a sudden power outage hit the airport yesterday.

Wing Commander Nur-E-Alam, manager of the Shah Amanat International Airport, said the airport was out of power between 6:30am and 8:20am because of a mechanical fault at the airport’s power distribution panel.

Source said the terminal also plunged into darkness during the outage. l

by her co-worker died under treatment at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital yesterday evening.

The victim, 15, was a worker at a tiles factory in the capital’s Turag area.

Her sister Nasima Akhter said that on the evening of December 20, another worker Ramjan raped her at the factory. They admitted her at a local hospital but shifted her to the DMCH on Tuesday as her condition deteriorated.

“Ramjan stays at the factory at night. On the night of the incident, he

asked my sister to stay for a while after her shift ended as he had something important to talk. At one stage, when all the factory workers left one by one, he raped her,” she added.

However, Officer in-Charge of Turag police station Mahbub-e-Khuda claimed that the victim drank chemical after having an altercation with the youth.

“They had a love affair but Ramjan denied to marry her. As a result, she drank a chemical... We have arrested Ramjan and sent him to jail.

“It is a rape incident since Ramjan had physical relation with a minor in promise of marriage,” he added. l

Bajrang Dal on Tuesday said “Bangladeshis” living in India must either leave their country or convert to Hinduism as they were abusing resources there.

Balraj Dungar, convenor of the Bajrang Dal for Meerut in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, said: “Our first demand is that they must leave the country, as they are abusing our resources. However, if they wish to live here, they must convert to Hinduism and adapt to the ways of our life,” reports the Times of India.

Commenting on the recent instances of “ghar wapsi” in Uttar Pradesh, Dungar said: “We had been involved in ghar wapsi campaigns even during the UPA regime. This is a continuous, ongoing process.”

Bangladeshis have taken refuge in India, and continue to live here even 43 years after the Bangladesh war, The Times of India quoted Dungar as saying.

When asked what the conversion had got to do with illegal stay he said they now need to go back. Besides, the fact that they are living illegally will not change with conversion but “at least they will add to our strength in numbers.”

VHP Organisational Secretary Sudarshan Chakra, however, said he would not agree with the Bajrang Dal leader.

“Our organisation’s agenda does not give any respite to the Bangladeshis.

As per government statistics, there are around three crore Bangladeshis in India. They must all leave. There is no question of them converting to Hinduism. Because of them, unemployment

and crime rates have risen.

“They indulge in anti-national activities. Despite all that, various governments in the past have been providing them with benefits. They have ration cards and voter IDs. Nothing will legalise their stay in India. They have to go,” Chakra said.

The Times of India says estimates of the number of Bangladeshis in India vary widely. The 2001 Census report, quoted by an online site, estimated that there were 3 million Bangladeshis in India.

In 2007, central government statistics had said there were two crore Bangladeshis living in India illegally In 2012, Mullappally Ramachandran, then union minister of state for home, claimed that nearly 1.4 million Bangladeshi migrants had entered India in the last decade alone.

In 2007, central government statistics had said there were two crore Bangladeshis living in India illegally.

The Bajrang Dal is a militant Hindu organisation that forms the youth wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).

The ideology of the organisation is based on Hindutva – the fundamentalist idea of being a Hindu.

Founded on 1 October 1984 in Uttar Pradesh, it has since spread throughout India, although its most significant base remains the northern and central portions of the country. l

Christmas today

n Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique The country’s Christian community is celebrating Christmas, their biggest religious festival, today.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Abdul Hamid have extended greeting on this occasion.

In the first prayer session of the Christmas Eve at the Roman Catholic Church in Kakrail, Dhaka, Archbishop Patrick De Rozario said the birth of Jesus was a joyous occasion for all Prayers started at the church at 8pm last night, where the archbishop greeted all and wished love, forgiveness, liberty, unity and joy.

At the Saint Mary’s Cathedral, everyone prayed for peace in the country, as well as the world.

Similar programmes were held in other churches, such as Japamala Rani Church in Tejgaon and Saint Christina Church at Asad Gate.

There are around half a million Christians currently living in Bangladesh. The celebration is particularly prominent in Gazipur, Dhaka and Meherpur, not to mention the Chittagong Hill Tracts. l

Hong Kong crash sparks money grab n BBC Hong Kong police have appealed to the public to return millions of dollars taken after a van transporting HK$525m – or about $68m – crashed on a major road.

About HK$35m or $4.5m worth of banknotes were left strewn across the tarmac after the road accident.

Witnesses said dozens of people rushed to pocket the cash before armed police arrived to secure the area.

Some HK$20m was retrieved and police warned that failure to return the rest would be “a very serious crime”.

The incident happened at lunchtime on one of Hong Kong’s busiest roads in the Wan Chai district on Hong Kong Island, causing major disruption as people abandoned their cars to collect the notes.

Individual notes were seen spread across the carriageway but witnesses also reported seeing bundles of HK$500 notes wrapped in plastic.

One witness told the South China Morning Post that she saw a “regular looking Hong Kong lady” take at least 10 bundles before leaving the scene.

“She had an armful of bricks of cash – it was as much as she could carry.

She just disappeared into the depths of Wan Chai,” the witness said.

Speaking shortly afterwards, police superintendent Wan Siu-hong called on those who had picked up any money to hand it over to police as soon as possible.

“If he or she keeps the money for [their] own use, [they] may commit an offence of theft which is a very serious crime under ordinance,” he told reporters.

He said police had launched an inquiry into the cause of the accident, adding that they “cannot rule out any possibilities at this moment”. l

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B3 France waves discreet goodbye to 75% super-tax

B4 US minimum wage hikes to impact 1,400-plus Walmart stores

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Foreign aid pledges slump ‘Negotiations for some pipeline projects were delayed after a new government took over in January last. So, the aid commitments have been affected.’ n Kayes Sohel Foreign aid commitments plunged 60% in first five months of the current fiscal year— a sign being seen as a “goslow strategy” taken by some major development partners.

According to the Economic Relations Division (ERD) data released yesterday, the foreign assistance pledges during July-November period of the FY2014-15 stood at $896.6m in loans and grants compared to $1.44bn in the same period a year earlier.

Of the total commitments for the period, $698m came in the form of loans and $197m in grants.

Since the government agencies had failed to implement the ongoing projects in time, the aid disbursement had dropped, said some development experts.

However, foreign aid flow during the period totalled $902m with a slight increase from $887.34m a year ago.

Out of the total aid disbursement in July-November period this fiscal, the government has received $748.2m worth of fund in loans and $153.8m in grants.

Among the development partners, the World Bank disbursed only $243.71m, the Asian Development Bank $184m and Japan $128m in loans and grants for the period, the ERD data showed.

Meanwhile, the government in the period repaid $532.26m, including $455m as principal amount and $77.23m as interest, to development

The preparatory works of Padma Multipurpose Bridge have started this year. Bangladesh is implementing the huge project at a cost of around $3bn without any foreign aid or credit MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU partners against the outstanding loans.

In the corresponding period last fiscal year, the government made the debt services of $529m, including $457.5m as principal amount and $78.5m as interest, to foreign lenders.

“Negotiations for some pipeline projects were delayed after a new gov-

ernment took over in January last. So, the aid commitments have been affected. I hope the situation will change next year,” said a senior ERD official.

Besides, the last political turmoil on the issue of national election also affected the aid commitments to Bangladesh, the official said.

The government received a record $3bn worth of foreign aid in FY2013-14 following a significant rise in disbursement by the World Bank and China.

Concessional aid inflow to the country in FY2013-14 was $189m higher than that of $2.81bn in the previous year, ERD data showed. l

Government urged not to raise tax on proposed pay hike excuse n Tribune Report Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has urged the government not to impose additional tax on the businessmen as a means of collecting extra fund to be required for implementing the upcoming new pay scale already proposed early this week.

“The revenue collection is slow.

That’s why we call upon the government not to increase tax on the business community for raising fund to implement the new pay scale,” DCCI President Hossain Khaled told a press conference at the DCCI in Dhaka yesterday.

He, however, welcomed the proposed pay scale for public servants, terming it a time-befitting decision considering the rise in the prices of essentials.

He said the government should take into account also the inflation problem as prices of commodities would go up.

According to the proposed pay scale, the government needs an additional amount of around Tk30,000 crore to implement it.

“The new pay system will put pressure on private sector but we have to tackle that and move forward,” Khaled said, replying to a question on the pay hike proposal.

The biggest challenge for the year 2015 would be enhancing investments in productive and service sector, he said, adding that non-friendly business policy has been impeding desired economic growth of the country.

The business tycoon called for steps to attract FDI as well as local investors by ensuring business friendly environment to reach targeted goals.

The current GDP growth of the country is hovering around 6%, which should be about 10%, said the DCCI president.

In the current year, Bangladesh has witnessed $1 billion FDI per annum while the war-torn country, Pakistan, enjoys around $7 billion FDI annually.

In reply to a query, Khaled said the chamber will continue dialogue with political parties to eliminate destructive political programmes that discourage fresh investments and impede economic growth.

Urging the government to lower bank interest rate to single digit, Khaled claimed that banks are charging high interest on lending, which is a bar to private sector borrowers to making new investment.

Due to lack of gas and electricity supply, production at factories is stalled and thousands of working hours are wasted, said Khaled.

The businessman suggested that the government should ensure gas supply to newly established industry that will encourage business community and instill confidence into them.

He stressed the need for zone-wise weekly holiday to reduce load-shedding and pressure of gas.

Khaled also called upon the government to brand Bangladeshi products abroad and explore new export market through its foreign missions. l

Bhairab River ReGP ready to share profit with excavation Project staff but tags condition gets clearance As per labour law, all the employn Tribune Business Desk n Muhammad Zahidul Islam ees will get 5% of any companies profit Cabinet Purchase Committee yesterday approved five proposals, including the Bhairab River Re-excavation Project in Meherpur to be implemented by Dockyard and Engineering Works Ltd, a company run by Bangladesh Navy.

A meeting of the cabinet body, chaired by Finance Minister AMA Muhith, gave the nod to the proposals, reports UNB. The Dockyard and Engineering Ltd will carry out the re-excavation works at a cost of Tk70.65 crore.

The cabinet body also approved the Water Resource Ministry’s proposal for appointing a project management and design consultant for Muhiri Irrigation Project.

The Asian Development Bank will provide fund for the project.

Power Division’s proposal for procuring consultancy services for Barapukuria 275mw coal-fired thermal power plant (3rd unit) also got the cabinet body’s clearance.

Steag Energy Services, India, won the consultancy job along with its associates Steag Energy, Essen, Germany and BCL Bangladesh at a cost of Tk27.88 crore.

The Railway Ministry’s proposal for raising the cost to implement Laksam-Chinki Astana Double Line project also received its approval. l

The Grameenphone management has finally reached a consensus on the disbursement of the long-disputed profit sharing worth Tk420 crore among its employees for the years 2010-2012.

The profit will, however, be shared after a written promise that the employees won’t go to the court for claiming their profits any further.

During the last couple of days, GP employees were in movement to press home their demand for profit share Newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of GP Rajeev Sethi yesterday came up with the disclosure while addressing a meeting at GP house in the city. Chairman of GP Peoples Council (GPPC) Moinul Kader also spoke on this occasion.

Both Rajeev Sethi and Kader informed the meeting that the process, which has already started, might be completed shortly.

According to sources, employees can have their profits after deducting the government portion of 10% out of Tk420 crore by January next.

share.

Before tax, GP had earned profit around Tk2,079 crore, over Tk3,316 crore, Tk3,004 crore in three years while the employees were entitled to get 5% of the profits as per labour law.

The government issued a Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) in 2010, which included telecom operator as well.

GP shared 5% profit in 2013 to comply with the law but it had earlier challenged the SRO in a court, the issue of which is still pending.

During the last couple of days, GP employees were in movement to press home their demand for profit share.

They also formed human chains, tagging the symbol of 5% on their shirts.

After the meeting, the GP management informed that they would hand over a list of employees for the period of 2010-2012 to the Board of Trustees (BOT) upon a request made by the GPPC. “Earlier, last week, the GP Management Team had clearly communicated that it sought an amicable solution to facilitate payment from the trustee to eligible recipients as quickly as possible,” according to a GP statement issued yesterday.

The GP management is extremely pleased to have resolved the issue and expect the BOT will now expedite the subsequent processes, it also reads. l

Oil prices down in Asian trade n AFP, Singapore Oil prices edged lower in thin pre-holiday trade Wednesday, but analysts said losses were curbed by upbeat sentiment over a strong US economic growth report.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for February delivery fell 34 cents to $56.78, while Brent crude for February eased 31 cents to $61.38 in mid-morning trade.

The US Commerce Department said Tuesday the world’s largest economy grew at a spectacular five percent for the third quarter, the best growth rate since 2003.

The figure beat the previous official estimate of 3.9% and the 4.3% projected by

analysts, boosting hopes energy use in the world’s top consumer will rise.

Oil prices have fallen about 50% since June on mounting supplies due to increased production and lacklustre global economic growth. Research house Capital Economics said the figures have fuelled expectations the US economy will grow 2.5% in 2014, with “growth of 3% in 2015 comfortably within reach”.

“The clear strengthening in activity towards the end of 2014” could also prompt the US Federal Reserve to hike interest rates earlier than its timetabled mid-2015 date, the London-based firm said. l

Board of Investment, Bangladesh has signed an MoU with Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Japan to draw investment inflow

DHAKA TRIBUNE

BoI inks deal with Japan’s biggest bank to attract FDI n Tribune Report Board of Investment (BoI), Bangladesh has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ to facilitate inflow of Japanese investments in Bangladesh and foster business partnerships between entrepreneurs of the two countries.

The BoI will cooperate with the counterpart to provide the Japanese entrepreneurs with information related to foreign direct investment (FDI) opportunities in Bangladesh, and communicate with the Bank about the country’s upcoming industrial projects.

In return, the Bank will provide every possible support to bring investment in Bangladesh.

The signatories of the agreement were BoI Chairman SA Samad and the Japan bank’s Managing Executive Officer and Chief Executive Officer for

Asia and Oceania Go Watanabe.

The signing ceremony was attended

by Commerce Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman, JICA Chief Representative Mikio Hataeda, Charge D’ Affairs of Japan Embassy Takeshi Matsunaga and FBCCI President Kazi Akramuddin Ahmed.

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ is the largest bank in Japan, which was established on January 1, 2006, with the merger of Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Ltd and UFJ Bank Ltd. The bank serves as the core retail and commercial banking arm of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and its traditional client base is made up of Japanese corporates.

Japanese FDI inflows into Bangladesh remain small, under $100m in 2013 even after more than trebling from the preceding year’s figure and until September 2014 Japan shares only

6.87% of total FDI inflows in Bangladesh, according to the BB governor.

In a recent survey (2014) by JETRO, New Delhi, it appears that business in Bangladesh has better cost and profit advantages than many other countries as cost of production also in Bangladesh is lowest in the world, said Atiur.

He said Bangladesh is ahead of Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines and India in ease of procurement of local materials and parts.

He said some 200 Japanese companies are operating in Bangladesh. Of which 50% in RMG sector and 70-80 % of them are SMEs. Recently, Japan has increased investment in Bangladesh by establishing various production and assembly plant in Bangladesh like motor cycle (Honda) assembling factory, Ajinomoto tasting salt factor, Omoron healthcare equipment supplier company. l

BB issues Islami bond bidding guideline n Tribune Business Desk Bangladesh Bank (BB) yesterday issued the guidelines for bidding of Bangladesh Government Islami Investment Bond (Islami Bond).

Only Islamic Shariah-based banks and financial institutions will be allowed to participate in the bidding usu-

ally issued with three and six months of maturity, reports BSS. Any individual or institutions wishing to purchase the Bond should participate in the bidding through any Islamic banks and Shariah-based wings of other banks or financial institutions.

There will be no limit of bonds for bidding; instead the bidders will be al-

lowed to submit the bidding document as per their own demands. The bonds will be issued for the tenure of three and six months based on profit-sharing ratio.

The base rate will be calculated on the basis of the provisional profit rates against the 3-month and 6-month deposits of the participatory banks and financial institutions. l

B2

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Fear of fresh political chaos weighs down stocks

DSE key features December 24, 2014

n Tribune Report

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

7

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,590.07

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

31.39

Turnover (Million Taka)

Stocks finished flat amid high volatility yesterday, weighed down by fear of fresh political chaos combined with year-end closing.

The market witnessed slow trading throughout the day with turnover at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) dipping below Tk200 crore.

The intra-day volatility was around 30 points.

The benchmark DSEX lost 15 points or 0.4% to close at 4,823, hitting lowest 4,809 after mid-session and extending its losing streak for second straight session.

The Shariah index DSES was marginally down 4 points or 0.4% to 1,138. The comprising blue chips DS30 ended at 1,786, shedding 4 points or 0.3%.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, declined 31 points to 9,021.

Turnover took a jolt in fear of political chaos and year-end closing when institutional investors realigned their portfolios. DSE turnover stood at Tk191 crore, a fall of more than 24% over the previous session.

Though small caps advanced at the beginning of the session, profit booking snapped the early gain on those.

Textile sector was the worst loser declining 1.5% in its market cap-

Weekly capital market highlights DSE Broad Index : DSE - 30 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSER Company

Closing (% Change)

Zeal Bangla Sugar -Z Shampur Sugar -Z Northern Jute -Z Jute SpinnersA Popular Life Insu. -A R. N. Spinning-Z Tung Hai Knitting -N Ratanpur Steel -N Safko Spinning-A SAIF Powertec-N

-9.78 -9.26 -7.46 -6.69 -5.15 -5.00 -4.78 -4.72 -4.43 -4.24

CSE LOSER Company

Closing (% Change)

7th ICB M F-A Reliance Insur -A Continental Insur. -A Marico BD Ltd-A SAIF Powertec-N Takaful Islami Insu-A Ratanpur Steel -N R. N. Spinning-Z MBL 1st M. F.-A Sinobangla Indu.-A

-8.98 -7.62 -6.67 -6.22 -5.40 -4.91 -4.72 -4.58 -4.55 -4.19

4823.57214

(-) 0.31%

1786.87875

(-) 0.25%

14825.52860

(-) 0.59%

11999.93040

(-) 0.73%

9012.36780

(-) 0.56%

Average (% Change) -5.14 -5.39 -8.81 -6.44 -4.47 -5.49 -1.60 -3.79 -3.76 -5.34 Average (% Change) -8.93 -6.71 -3.59 -6.22 -4.91 -4.61 -4.30 -6.17 -2.28 -4.90

ANALYST

ClosingAvg. 8.30 9.83 315.00 54.36 143.75 26.32 21.47 59.45 30.68 63.08

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 220.72 138.93 39.34 213.53 79.19 260.01 1.30 171.51 272.56 8.37 109.35 11.67 16.61 82.73 63.66 24.03 34.44 97.01 20.94 49.11 0.00

DHIGH

8.30 9.80 315.00 54.40 143.60 26.60 19.90 58.50 30.20 63.30

8.30 10.10 315.00 55.30 149.00 27.60 22.90 61.60 32.00 65.50

62,364

Traded Issues

308

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

75

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

226

Turnover (Million Taka)

861.91

Turnover (Volume)

8,560,468

Number of Contract

10,848

Traded Issues

245

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

72

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

166

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

6

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,500.48

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

30.31

Turnover in Million

DLOW 8.30 9.70 315.00 53.10 140.20 25.80 19.80 58.30 29.80 60.20

0.001 0.377 0.002 0.131 1.837 20.767 24.535 16.923 4.778 74.886

Turnover in Million

Closing

DHIGH

DLOW

80.14 57.00 19.60 1,085.00 63.89 25.24 58.99 26.61 4.29 29.87

80.10 57.00 19.60 1,085.00 63.10 25.20 58.60 27.10 4.20 29.70

80.50 57.00 19.60 1,085.00 67.80 25.30 61.10 28.00 4.40 30.90

80.00 57.00 19.60 1,085.00 62.00 24.50 58.30 26.00 4.20 29.50

Latest EPS -47.80 -52.72 1.00 -43.64 4.13 2.19 1.19 5.44 1.24 2.36

Latest EPS

0.011 0.001 0.003 0.022 14.451 0.026 2.603 5.171 0.043 0.320

8.52 3.79 2.27 55.10 2.36 1.43 5.44 2.19 0.18 1.21

Latest PE -ve -ve 315.0 -ve 34.8 12.0 18.0 10.9 24.7 26.7

5.71 0.61 0.87 4.32 3.32 1.25 1.80 5.07 1.09 2.56 0.00

Million Taka 21.61 18.37 4.56 20.59 12.60 41.41 35.72 328.05 8.29 23.54 12.11 4.79 50.08 5.03 1.18 0.96 279.15 4.76 8.53 0.10

CSE

% change 2.45 2.08 0.52 2.34 1.43 4.70 0.00 4.05 37.22 0.94 2.67 1.37 0.54 5.68 0.57 0.13 0.11 31.67 0.54 0.97 0.01

Million Taka 242.33 157.29 43.91 234.12 91.79 301.42 1.30 207.24 600.61 16.66 132.89 23.78 21.40 132.82 68.69 25.21 35.40 376.15 25.70 57.64 0.10

4.44 4.44 4.32 3.77 3.67 3.45 3.16 3.16 3.03 2.83

Company National Polymer -A NCCBL Mutual Fund-1-A ACI ZERO Bond-A Janata Insur -A Standard Insurance-A Agni Systems -A Rupali Life Insur.-B Sandhani Life -A Alltex Industries -Z Samorita Hospital -A

9.44 8.93 6.75 6.37 5.26 4.10 3.43 3.33 3.17 3.01

Average (% Change) 9.38 8.93 6.76 4.45 3.97 2.87 3.33 4.59 1.42 4.34

ClosingAvg.

Closing

99.03 4.66 1,000.00 5.46 59.27 5.98 19.53 9.73 6.87 32.70

ClosingAvg.

98.90 4.70 928.30 5.50 59.30 6.00 19.60 9.80 6.80 32.70

Closing

76.48 6.10 989.00 16.44 25.69 32.98 54.25 62.00 25.75 79.74

76.50 6.10 989.00 16.70 26.00 33.00 54.30 62.00 26.00 78.70

DHIGH 100.50 4.70 950.00 5.50 60.50 6.00 19.70 10.00 6.90 33.60

DHIGH 76.50 6.10 989.00 16.70 26.30 34.00 55.80 62.00 26.10 80.00

DLOW 96.50 4.50 884.90 5.30 58.00 5.90 19.00 9.40 6.70 31.90

DLOW 69.00 6.10 989.00 16.00 24.70 32.20 53.00 62.00 25.60 77.50

Turnover in Million 0.266 0.229 0.003 0.912 0.287 0.082 0.646 7.773 0.034 50.023

Turnover in Million 0.230 0.015 0.001 0.009 0.039 3.789 0.528 0.004 1.017 0.059

Latest EPS 2.38 0.72 44.98 1.52 3.79 0.56 1.81 0.32 0.48 1.32

Latest EPS 2.76 0.43 0.00 0.37 3.07 1.32 5.33 2.12 3.28 2.32

Latest PE 41.6 6.5 22.2 3.6 15.6 10.7 10.8 30.4 14.3 24.8

Latest PE 27.7 14.2 44.4 8.4 25.0 10.2 29.2 7.9 34.4

News, analysis and recent disclosures ICBISLAMIC: ICB AMCL ISLAMIC Mutual Fund will be de-listed and trading of units of the fund will be discontinued with effect from December 29, 2014 (i.e. the next working day after record date 28 December, 2014).

NORTHERN: The Company has informed that it has credited the bonus shares for the year ended on June 30, 2014 to the respective shareholders BO Account.

Zaheen Spinning Ltd.: Zaheen Spinning Ltd. has informed that the IPO subscription closing date of the Company has been changed from 4 January 2015 to 5 January 2015.

IPO Subscription: Shasha Denims Limited subscription date 14 to 21 December 2014, NRB upto 30 December 2014. @ taka 10, face value taka 35 and market lot 200.

Zaheen Spinning Limited subscription date 28 December 2014 to 05 January 2015, NRB upto 13 January 2015. @ taka 10, face value taka 10 and market lot 500.

Right Share: ICB: Subscription period for rights issue will be from 07.12.2014 to 30.12.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 09.09.2014. FIRSTSBANK Subscription period for rights issue will be from 07.12.2014 to 28.12.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 20.11.2014.

Dividend/AGM ECABLES: 10% cash, AGM: 26.02.2015, Record Date: 05.01.2015.

HFL: 10% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 30.12.2014, Record Date: 22.12.2014.

SONALIANSH: 10% cash AGM: 30.12.2014, Record Date: 21.12.2014.

BENGALWTL: 23% cash, AGM: 28.12.2014, Record Date: 02.12.2014.

MPETROLEUM: 95% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 16.01.2015, Record date: 04.12.2014.

JAMUNAOIL: 90% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 07.02.2015, Record date: 11.12.2014.

KBPPWBIL: 10% stock, AGM: 29.12.2014, Record Date: 08.12.2014.

PHARMAID: 25% cash, AGM: 28.12.2014, Record Date: 02.12.2014.

PRIMELIFE: 10% cash and 15% stock dividend, AGM: 24.12.2014, Record Date: 20.11.2014.

PADMAOIL: 100% cash, AGM: 14.02.2015, Record date: 22.12.2014.

EASTRNLUB: 30% cash, AGM: 17.01.2015, Record Date: 25.11.2014.

SAMORITA: 20% cash and 10% stock dividend, AGM: 07.01.2015, Record Date: 19.11.2014.

POWERGRID: 10% cash, AGM: 17.01.2015, Record Date: 25.11.2014.

SPCL: 25% cash and 5% stock dividend, AGM: 29.01.2015, Record Date: 27.11.2014.

ANWARGALV: 7.50% cash dividend to the general shareholders, AGM: 12.01.2015, Record Date: 13.11.2014.

METROSPIN: 5% stock dividend, AGM: 30.12.2014, Record Date: 17.11.2014.

PRIMETEX: 10% cash, AGM: 27.12.2014, Record Date: 13.11.2014.

FINEFOODS: No dividend, Date, Time and Venue of AGM will be notified later. Record Date: 24.11.2014.

SAVAREFR: No dividend, AGM: 24.01.2015, Record Date: 23.12.2014.

BDCOM: 15% stock dividend, AGM: 25.12.2014, Record Date: 17.11.2014.

LIBRAINFU: 20% cash dividend, AGM: 28.12.2014, Record Date: 11.11.2014.

EMERALDOIL: 10% cash and 5% stock dividend, AGM: 28.12.2014. Record Date: 23.11.2014.

PREMIERCEM: 30% cash dividend, AGM: 27.12.2014, Record Date: 17.11.2014.

USMANIAGL: 11% cash and 10% Stock Dividend, AGM: 26.12.2014, Record Date: 20.11.2014.

DSHGARME: 10% cash dividend, AGM: 28.12.2014, Record date: 17.11.2014.

MONNOCERA: 5% cash dividend for public shareholders (excluding Sponsor/ Directors), AGM: 24.12.2014, Record Date: 17.11.2014.

FUWANGCER: 10% stock, AGM: 28.12.2014, Record Date: 10.11.2014.

FEKDIL: 5% cash and 15% stock, AGM: 29.11.2014, Record Date: 06.11.2014.

9.4 15.0 8.6 19.7 27.1 17.7 10.8 12.2 23.8 24.7

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company

Total

Closing (% Change)

Average (% Change) 4.82 3.33 12.37 2.63 3.84 2.93 1.88 1.99 3.93 1.74

Latest PE

While market struggled to remain positive, waves of selling pressure beat it down in frequent intervals, causing it to close flat

% change 11.53 7.25 2.05 11.15 4.14 13.58 0.07 8.96 14.23

PragatiLife Insu. -Z AMCL 2nd MF-A Stylecraft -A IFIL Islamic M.F.1-A Reliance Insur -A AB Bank 1st Mutual Fund-A Prime Insur -A Premier Bank -A BD Fixed Income MF-A Agni Systems -A

Closing (% Change)

CSE GAINER

CSE key features December 24, 2014

ClosingAvg.

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

Company

48,621,240

Number of Contract

italisation, followed by engineering 1.3%, ceramic 1.2%, pharmaceuticals 0.6% and energy 0.5%.

However, slight rise in heavyweights, banking and telecommunication issues, helped the market to rein losses.

Majority of stocks’ prices eroded as out of 309 issues traded, 168 declined, 101 advanced and 40 remained unchanged at DSE. IDLC Investments said while market struggled to remain positive, waves of selling pressure beat it down in frequent intervals, causing it to close flat.

Investors remained cautious amid some fear of volatility in the political landscape and before the end of year, it said.

Lanka Bangla Securities said benchmark index extended the losses as investors are yet to see any near term trigger.

“Broad market is likely to consolidate at this level because concerns in terms of macro data like export, remittance flow and political outlook still remain and no direction has come out yet to push the market up,” it said.

Square Pharmaceuticals became the turnover leader with shares worth Tk9 crore changing hands, followed

by Grameenphone, Saif Power Tech, Lafarge Surma Cement, Beximco Pharmaceuticals and Agni System. l

DSE GAINER

1,917.57

Turnover (Volume)

Thursday, December 25, 2014

% change 8.67 5.62 1.57 8.37 3.28 10.78 0.05 7.41 21.48 0.60 4.75 0.85 0.77 4.75 2.46 0.90 1.27 13.45 0.92 2.06 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

Square Pharma -A Grameenphone-A SAIF Powertec-N MJL BD Ltd.-A LafargeS Cement-Z Beximco Pharma -A Agni Systems -A Brac Bank -A IDLC Finance -A SummitAlliancePort.-A

Summit Power -A Quasem Drycells -A AB Bank - A ACI Limited- A Tung Hai Knitting -N AB Bank - A

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Square Pharma -A Grameenphone-A HeidelbergCement -A Jamuna Oil -A ACI Limited- A SAIF Powertec-N SummitAlliancePort.-A Hamid Fabrics -N IDLC Finance -A ACI Formulations-A

LafargeS Cement-Z MJL BD Ltd.-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A R. N. Spinning-Z Square Textile -A

VolumeShares 355,402 249,345 1,187,148 553,172 532,496 837,168 1,529,660 1,036,160 450,828 387,086

Value in Million 90.38 89.60 74.89 65.97 63.65 50.85 50.02 39.10 33.46 31.06

% of TotalTurnover 4.72 4.68 3.91 3.45 3.32 2.66 2.61 2.04 1.75 1.62

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

802,233 379,813 920,576 68,747 1,142,844 900,847

1,148,194 772,723 85,735 85,859 41,283 226,185 109,484 212,388 92,442 51,816

51,624 50,963 142,387 194,343 53,411

30.51 28.36 27.75 26.06 24.54 27.38

296.29 278.17 42.86 17.60 15.44 14.45 8.75 7.80 6.94 6.16

6.15 6.05 5.19 5.17 4.80

1.59 1.48 1.45 1.36 1.28 1.45

34.51 32.40 4.99 2.05 1.80 1.68 1.02 0.91 0.81 0.72

0.72 0.70 0.60 0.60 0.56

ClosingP 254.90 360.20 63.30 120.20 119.50 60.50 32.70 37.70 74.10 80.30

38.30 73.80 30.10 373.20 19.90 30.10

ClosingP

255.70 360.40 493.10 203.80 371.00 63.10 79.90 36.80 74.80 116.30

119.20 119.90 36.30 27.10 90.00

Change % -1.05 0.78 -4.24 2.56 -0.17 -1.63 2.83 0.53 -1.20 -0.12

2.41 -3.53 0.00 0.51 -4.78 -0.99

Change %

-0.78 1.04 -1.34 -0.34 -0.03 -5.40 -0.50 -1.34 -1.32 -1.11

-0.08 2.83 -1.36 -4.58 0.11

ClosingY 257.60 357.40 66.10 117.20 119.70 61.50 31.80 37.50 75.00 80.40

37.40 76.50 30.10 371.30 20.90 30.40 ClosingY

257.70 356.70 499.80 204.50 371.10 66.70 80.30 37.30 75.80 117.60

119.30 116.60 36.80 28.40 89.90

DHIGH 258.30 360.90 65.50 121.70 120.30 61.60 33.60 37.90 75.60 81.40

38.50 78.30 30.50 385.00 22.90 31.00

DLOW 253.60 355.00 60.20 116.10 118.50 59.90 31.90 37.50 73.90 79.40

37.40 72.00 29.60 370.00 19.80 30.10

DHIGH

DLOW

257.00 363.70 496.00 206.60 372.00 67.80 80.80 37.40 75.30 118.00

254.80 355.60 490.00 201.00 368.10 62.00 79.20 36.40 73.70 115.80

120.90 120.80 37.00 28.00 90.00

118.30 114.60 36.20 26.00 88.80

AvgPrice 254.30 359.33 63.08 119.26 119.54 60.74 32.70 37.74 74.21 80.24

38.04 74.68 30.15 379.09 21.47 30.40 AvgPrice

258.05 359.98 499.93 204.93 373.97 63.89 79.94 36.73 75.05 118.88

119.19 118.68 36.45 26.61 89.95

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

B3

Thursday, December 25, 2014

France waves discreet goodbye to 75% super-tax n Reuters, Paris When President Francois Hollande unveiled a “super-tax” on the rich in 2012, some feared an exodus of business, sporting and artistic talent. One adviser warned it was a Socialist step too far that would turn France into “Cuba without sun”.

Two years on, with the tax due to expire at the end of this month, the mass emigration has not happened. But the damage to France’s appeal as a home for top earners has been great, and the pickings from the levy paltry.

“The reform clearly damaged France’s reputation and competitiveness,” said Jorg Stegemann, head of Kennedy Executive, an executive search firm based in France and Germany.

“It clearly has become harder to attract international senior managers to come to France than it was,” he added.

Hollande first floated the 75% supertax on earnings over 1m euros ($1.2m) a year in his 2012 campaign to oust his conservative rival Nicolas Sarkozy. It fired up left-wing voters and helped him unseat the incumbent.

Yet ever since, it has been a thorn in his side, helping little in France’s effort to bring its public deficit within European Union limits and mixing the message just as Hollande sought to promote a more pro-business image. The adviser who made the “Cuba” gag was Emmanuel Macron, the ex-banker who is now his economy minister.

Leading European truckmakers operated cartel for 14 years

France's President Francois Hollande is seen through a camera filter during a news conference at a European Union leaders summit in Brussels The Finance Ministry estimates the proceeds from the tax amounted to 260 million euros in its first year and 160 million in the second. That’s broadly in

line with expectations, but tiny compared with a budget deficit which had reached 84.7 billion euros by the end of October.

Soccer strike threat

A first version of the tax payable by the earners themselves was thrown out by the Constitutional Court as punitive. A

Dollar steady in Asia after US growth data rally

n Reuters

n AFP, Tokyo

Top European truckmakers operated a cartel for 14 years to delay the progress of emissions-reducing technology, the Financial Times reported, citing leaked documents in a European Commission investigation.

The newspaper said that one of the documents states that DAF Trucks, Daimler, Iveco, Scania, Volvo and MAN “agreed the timing and price increase levels for the introduction of new emission technologies” to comply with Euro 3 rules on nitrogen oxide and other emissions in 2000. A spokeswoman for the European Commission, which announced last month it had sent charges to truckmakers it accused of a long-running and serious price-fixing cartel, said it would not comment on the leaked document. l

The dollar paused in Asia yesterday after rallying on the back of data that showed US economic growth at its highest level in over a decade.

The greenback got a boost on Tuesday as the US Commerce Department raised its estimate for third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth from 3.9% to 5%, the best since 2003.

The news fuelled hopes the US Federal Reserve will start to raise interest rates from current record lows faster than other major central banks.

In Tokyo on Wednesday, the greenback bought 120.39 yen, dragged down from 120.71 yen in New York by profit taking, but still higher than the 120.13 yen touched Tuesday in Asian trade.

The euro was mixed at $1.2178 and

146.60 yen, from $1.2171 and 146.94 yen in US trade.

“With oil prices falling and employment strengthening, it appears likely that momentum in consumer spending should continue to be a driving force for US growth,” National Australia Bank said.

Real personal spending increased 3.2%, accelerating from an increase of 2.5% in the second quarter, the data showed.

The “rise in real personal spending had some analysts querying whether (fourth-quarter) GDP will also exceed three percent and asking whether the Fed may well commence its tightening ahead of mid-year,” the bank said in a note.

IG Securities market analyst Junichi Ishikawa said the dollar could even test the 121 yen level.

“There is a feeling in the market that the swing back to risk-taking sentiment has come earlier than expected,” he told Dow Jones Newswires.

The dollar was mixed against other Asia-Pacific currencies.

It edged up to 12,471.00 Indonesian rupiah from 12,463.80 rupiah on Tuesday, to 44.67 Philippine pesos from 44.64 pesos, and to Sg$1.3238 from Sg$1.3226.

The dollar also rose to Tw$31.83 from Tw$31.69.

It slipped to 1,102.92 South Korean won from 1,103.17 won, and to 32.90 Thai baht from 32.93 baht, while buying 63.41 Indian rupees against 63.42 rupees.

The Australian dollar bought 81.11 US cents against 81.06 cents, while the Chinese yuan was at 19.32 yen against 19.30 yen. l

US business spending plans gauge flat in November

REUTERS

final version obliged companies to pay the levy instead.

French soccer clubs briefly threatened to go on strike, and actor Gerard

Depardieu took up Russian residency in a one-man protest against the French tax burden, among the highest in the world. Others were making more discreet arrangements.

“A few went abroad - to Luxembourg, the UK,” said tax lawyer JeanPhilippe Delsol, author on a book on tax exiles called “Why I Am Going To Leave France”.

“But in most cases, it was discussed with their company and agreed to limit salaries during the two years and come to an arrangement afterwards,” he told Reuters by telephone. Hollande and his government have since sought to relieve business of around 40 billion euros of taxes and other charges, as unemployment at over 10 percent drives home the urgent need to attract investment to the sickly French economy.

It was no accident that Prime Minister Manuel Valls - alongside Macron the main reformer in Hollande’s cabinet - chose a visit to London in October to confirm that the super tax would not be renewed: his British counterpart David Cameron famously offered to “roll out the red carpet” to French tax exiles.

But Delsol said the saga had made his clients more nervous about investing their time and money in France and had only added to mistrust of a complex tax system which successive governments have failed to reform.

“People have lost confidence,” he said. “That is not something you can restore overnight.” l

CORPORATE NEWS

Envoy Textiles Limited has recently held its 19th annual general meeting. The company’s chairperson, Engr Kutubuddin Ahmed presided over the meeting in the presence of its MD, Abdus Salam Murshedy

First Security Islami Bank Limited has recently opened a branch at Joynal Market in Dokkhin Khan. The bank’s (current charge) MD, Syed Waseque Md Ali inaugurated the branch

n Reuters, Washington

A customer waits as an employee of state-owned Pertamina refuels his car at its petrol station in Jakarta

REUTERS

Weak commodity prices boon for India, hurt Malaysia and Australia n Reuters, Singapore Many Asian currencies have eased this year while the value of commodities has hit new lows, yet the impact on each country in the region has differed with India benefiting, Indonesia seeing mixed blessings, and Malaysia and Australia being largely hurt.

Big commodity consumers like India are benefiting from lower import costs for fuels and raw materials as a smaller fall in the rupee this year means their buying power has not been eroded.

The rupee has shed less than 3 percent against the dollar this year, versus a 12% decline last year.

Indonesia, one of the world’s top importers of oil products, is reaping the benefits of an almost 50 percent drop in crude prices since June and a smaller fall in its rupiah currency. But Indonesia’s revenues from coal, of which it is the world’s top exporter, have fallen a quarter this year. For countries like Malaysia and Australia, which rely on commodity exports for revenues while importing most other goods, the recent

developments are damaging. Falling revenues from crude oil for Malaysia, or iron ore and coal for Australia are also devaluing their currencies, making imports costly and threatening Australia’s first recession in 20 years.

“In energy and bulk commodities, supply growth still remains strong and should only add to the (negative) macro headlines ... The stronger US$ and tightening monetary policy in the US will have slightly negative repercussions for commodities,” ANZ bank said in a recent note. l

A gauge of business investment plans was unexpectedly flat in November, suggesting a slowdown in economic growth after a brisk expansion over the last two quarters.

The Commerce Department said on Tuesday non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, was unchanged after a downwardly revised 1.9% drop in October.

The weakness in the so-called core capital goods orders is at odds with retail sales, industrial production and employment data that have indicated a strong undertone in the economy.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast core capital goods orders increasing 1.5% last month after a previously reported 1.6% decline in October.

Shipments of core capital goods, which are used to calculate equipment spending in the government’s gross domestic product measurement, rose 0.2% last month after slipping 0.9% in October.

Overall orders for durable goods items ranging from toasters to aircraft that are meant to last three years or more - unexpectedly fell 0.7%, even as Boeing reported a surge in aircraft orders last month. Durable goods orders have been volatile in recent months because of big swings in aircraft orders.

They rose 0.3% in October. Orders for transportation equipment fell 1.2% last month after increasing 3.3% in October.

Boeing received 224 aircraft orders in November, sharply up from only 46 in October, according to information posted on the planemaker’s website.

Automobile orders rose only 0.2% last month. There were declines in orders for primary metals and computers and electronic products. Orders for machinery rose, while those for electrical equipment, appliances and components were flat. l

Bangladesh Development Bank Limited has recently opened its 30th branch at Nabinnagar in Bramanbaria. Kazi Morshed Hossain Kamal has inaugurated the branch

Standard Bank Ltd has recently held its 231st board meeting. The bank’s chairperson Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed presided over the meeting

Green Delta Insurance Company lLimited has recently won first prize under insurance sector from South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA). The award has been given for best-presented annual report and corporate governance disclosures for the year 2013.

Wafi S M Khan, senior executive director of Green Delta Insurance and CEO of Green Delta Securities received the award

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

US minimum wage hikes to impact 1,400-plus Walmart stores n Reuters, Chicago Minimum wage increases across the United States will prompt Wal-Mart Stores Inc to adjust base salaries at 1,434 stores, impacting about a third of its US locations, according to an internal memo reviewed by Reuters.

The memo, which was sent to store managers earlier this month, offers insight into the impact of minimum wage hikes in 21 states due to come into effect on or around Jan. 1, 2015.

These are adjustments that WalMart and other employers have to make each year, but growing attention to the issue has expanded the scope of the change. Thirteen US states lifted the minimum wage in 2014, up from 10 in 2013 and 8 in 2012.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan said the company was making the changes to “ensure our stores in the 21 states comply with the law.”

For Wal-Mart, the biggest private employer in the United States with 1.3 million workers, minimum wage legislation is not a small thing. Its operating model is built on keeping costs under close control as it attracts consumers with low prices and operates on tight margins.

In recent years, it has been struggling to grow sales after many lowerincome Americans lost jobs or income in the financial crisis.

The Wal-Mart memo shows that there will be changes to its pay structure, including a narrowing of the gap in the minimum premium paid to those in higher skilled positions, such as deli associates and department supervisors, over lower grade jobs.

Wal-Mart will also combine its lowest three pay grades, which include cashiers, cart pushers and maintenance, into one base rate.

The changes appear in part to be an effort to offset the anticipated upswing in labor costs, according to a manager who was implementing the changes at his store.

“Essentially that wage compression

The Walmart logo is pictured at its store in the Porter Ranch section of Los Angeles at the upper level of the hourly associate is going to help absorb that cost of the wage increase at the lower level,” said the manager, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

More change to come?

Wal-Mart’s critics – including a group of its workers backed by labor unions - say the retailer pays its hourly workers too little, forcing some to seek government assistance that effectively provides the company with an indirect taxpayer subsidy. Labor groups have been calling for Wal-Mart, other retailers and fast-food chains to pay at least $15 an hour.

Wal-Mart has indicated it may make more changes to its compensation structure in 2015. Chief Executive Doug McMillon recently said the company would improve opportunities for workers, including getting the roughly

6,000 people who make the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour at its stores off that rate.

“In the world there is a debate over inequity, and sometimes we get caught up in that,” he told TV presenter Charlie Rose in an interview this month.

McMillon said he would take steps to ensure the company is “a meritocracy, an opportunity for people to do more.”

The state minimum wage changes range from a 17% increase in South Dakota to $8.50 to a modest rise of 2% to $8.05 in Arizona. They will also impact many of Wal-Mart’s big retail rivals, such as Target Corp, and fast-food chains like McDonald’s Corp.

A Target spokeswoman said she could not provide details on how many employees might be impacted by the changes on Jan 1. McDonald’s could not be immediately reached for comment.

REUTERS

Wal-Mart estimates its average fulltime hourly wage is $12.92, and says that it pays competitive wages and offers its employees ample opportunity for advancement.

Edward Jones analyst Brian Yarbrough said it is tough to estimate the cost impact of the minimum wage changes without knowing the number of Wal-Mart employees affected. While many employees might start out at the minimum rate, they advance to higher pay rates over time, he noted.

Wal-Mart said last month that investment in wages and higher health care costs drove a 3.5% increase in operating expenses in its most recent quarter. Wal-Mart is unlikely to cut staff or reduce hours to keep those costs in check, given that it has made a renewed push to improve service in its stores, Yarbrough said. l

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Oman promises ‘true’ Arabia as it looks to boost tourism n AFP, Muscat From desert camping to luxury hotels, turtle-watching, and even the Arabian Peninsula’s first Italian-style opera house, Oman is hoping to carve out a place on the global tourist track.

Heavily reliant on energy exports, the tiny Gulf sultanate is keen to diversify its economy, especially as the drop in global oil prices begins to bite.

But despite its natural beauty and rich culture, Oman’s tourism industry has a long way to go.

“Oman reflects the true Arabian history and culture,” said Amina alBalushi, an assistant director with the tourism ministry.

“We really need to capitalise on this,” she said, adding that the ministry is preparing a 25-year tourism strategy to be unveiled next year.

Western tourists like 46-year-old Marc Jost, who has made five trips to Oman, need no convincing.

“I can’t get enough,” the Swiss visitor told AFP as he strolled in the Mutrah Souk, a historic covered market in the capital Muscat. “The weather is always good. People are very nice.”

Bordering Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and violence-wracked Yemen, Oman has been an island of stability under Sultan Qaboos, who has ruled since overthrowing his father in a bloodless coup in 1970.

Qaboos, now 74, has won praise at home and abroad for transforming a former backwater into a modern state.

In 2011, Oman was caught up in the Arab Spring protest movement which touched much of the region.

Several civilians died in demonstrations that shook the government, leading Qaboos to implement a series of reforms and to arrest scores of activists.

Oil price pressure

One of the biggest challenges facing the country now is its reliance on oil - which accounts for 75% of state revenues - after the price of crude nearly halved since June.

The drop has put pressure on the government, which needs a higher oil price than most other Gulf states to balance its

budget. Oman does not have financial reserves as vast as its neighbours.

“The government of course is aiming to diversify the economy through developing tourism as an important sector,” Balushi said. Oman attracted roughly 2.1 million visitors in 2013, up about 50% over the previous two years, according to the tourism ministry.

More than 37% of visitors last year came from Gulf countries, although Oman is also attracting a growing number of tourists from Britain, Germany, the United States and other Western nations, tourism ministry data show.

The country also invested more than $660m (540m euros) last year in new hotels and other tourism assets, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, an industry body.

Still, tourism’s direct contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) reached only three percent, or about $2.5bn, last year.

This “looks like beans,” said Fabio Scacciavillani, chief economist at the Oman Investment Fund, the country’s sovereign wealth vehicle.

“These figures do not portray a thriving situation,” Scacciavillani told a tourism conference in Muscat.

“That’s strange, because Oman can probably live off tourism. If Oman didn’t have oil, it would most likely be an economy based on tourism.”

‘Ancient soul’

Tourism guidebooks have lauded the country, with Lonely Planet praising its “abundance of natural beauty” and “ancient soul”.

But Oman has suffered from a lack of tourism infrastructure and the belief among many tourists that the entire Middle East is off-limits because of unrest.

Officials are hoping to change that, both with continued investments and efforts to put forward the country’s stability.

“We are trying to promote... that Oman is separate, Oman is safe,” said Haitham al-Ghassani of the tourism ministry’s promotion department.

For years, Oman said that by 2020 it aimed to attract 12 million tourists annually - more than double the number that visited Jordan last year. l

Informal capital controls arrest Russian rouble’s slide n Reuters, Moscow

A reflection of a yearly chart of U.S. dollars and Russian roubles are seen on rouble notes in this photo illustration taken in Warsaw REUTERS

Gold near three-week low as stocks boost

WSJ: Coke to cut up to 2,000 jobs in coming weeks n Reuters n Reuters, Singapore Coca-Cola Co plans to cut 1,000-2,000 jobs globally in the coming weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The job cuts are part of Coke’s $3bn cost-cutting program, which it announced in October after posting a 14% drop in third-quarter profit, according to the Journal.

Job-cut notices will go out to North American staffers by Jan 8 and international employees will be given a timeline for job cuts by Jan 15, the Journal said.

The impact is expected to be significant at Coke’s headquarters in Atlanta and global regional offices, where more than 10% of corporate staff could lose their jobs, according to the newspaper.

The company’s bottling and distribution divisions, which account for more than 85 percent of its over 130,000 employees, are largely out of the firing line for now, the Journal said.

A Coke spokeswoman said the company had informed employees that the restructuring would impact jobs, but she did not confirm the estimated number of job cuts. l

Gold was trading close to a three-week low yesterday as strong US economic growth boosted equities and the dollar, weakening safe-haven bids for bullion.

Data on Tuesday showed the US economy grew at a 5% clip in the third quarter, its quickest pace in 11 years and the strongest sign yet that growth has decisively shifted into higher gear.

Both the Dow and the S&P 500 hit record closing highs on Tuesday after the GDP report, with Asian stocks following their lead on Wednesday. The dollar index climbed to its highest in nearly nine years.

Stronger equities and the dollar reduce demand for bullion, often seen as an alternative investment to riskier assets. The robust data could also prompt the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates soon, a factor that would hurt non-interest-bearing gold.

Spot gold ticked up slightly to $1,179.20 an ounce by 0717 GMT, but close to a three-week low of $1,170.17 hit on Monday. Any dip below that level could trigger further losses.

“Markets are likely to trade quietly

ahead of the Christmas holidays,” said Jason Cerisola, a metals dealer at MKS Group. “$1,170 continues to be the key level on the downside, with market chatter of large stop loss orders sitting below.”

Thin liquidity due to the Christmas holiday could also exaggerate any price moves.

Momentum indicators are bearish, and a break below $1,172 would increase the likelihood of a full retracement to November lows near $1,130, technical analysts at ScotiaMocatta said.

Gold is headed for a second consecutive year of declines, though the 2% loss this year pales in comparison to the 28 percent plunge in 2013.

Optimistic outlook for the US economy and the dollar, and the prospect of higher interest rates have hurt the yellow metal.

Holdings of the world’s top goldbacked exchange traded fund, SPDR Gold Trust, are near six-year lows, reflecting weak investment sentiment towards bullion. Physical demand in top consuming region Asia has dipped from record levels seen last year. l

The rouble hit its highest levels in two weeks on Tuesday, shored up by informal capital control measures designed to head off a repeat of the inflation and protests that marked Russia’s 1998 financial crisis.

The government set limits on net foreign exchange assets for stateowned exporters, while officials and banking sources said the central bank had installed supervisors at the currency trading desks of top state banks.

Early in the day, the rouble hit 52.88 to the dollar, its strongest since Dec 8.

It fell back later but was still was up 1.4% at 55.34 at 1810 GMT. Before the recent rebound, the rouble fell as low as 80 per dollar last week, from the average of 30-35 seen in 2014’s first half.

Economists said the measures were effectively a softer version of capital controls, but that President Vladimir Putin, who has drawn much of his popularity from financial stability and rising prosperity, would keep his pledge not to resort to full-fledged controls.

“They have already forced government exporters to sell their dollars, and same will happen for banks I guess, so in a sense, capital controls are already in place,” said Sergei Guriev, an exiled economist who fled Russia after criticising the Kremlin.

Russians are no strangers to currency crises, having seen hyperinflation destroy their savings after the collapse of the Soviet Union, before Putin came to power.

The rouble plunged to an all-time low in mid-December on the back of lower oil prices and Western sanctions, which make it almost impossible for Russian firms to borrow from the West.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that Russia risks deep recession. Standard and Poor’s ratings agency said it was putting the country’s credit outlook on creditwatch with negative implications, a warning of a possible downgrade.

“The creditwatch placement stems from what we view as a rapid deterioration of Russia’s monetary flexibility and the impact of the weakening economy on its financial system,” the agency said.

Former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin warned on Monday that Russia is

likely to be downgraded to ‘junk’ territory next year.

Unofficial controls

On Tuesday, the Russian government told large state exporting companies that by March 1 they must bring their net foreign exchange assets back to the levels of Oct 1 and report to the central bank on a weekly basis.

“Of course, the companies are free to hold on to the hard currency, they are also free to get involved in speculative operations. But then we reserve the right not to help them if and when they hit tough times,” said one government source.

He said companies that needed to repay large foreign debts could continue to accumulate hard currency.

“If exporters are told not to increase their hard currency positions, it can be viewed as an unofficial reintroduction of capital controls,” said Vladimir Osakovskiy from Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Limiting money flows, once considered a damaging constraint on open markets, has been more accepted in the aftermath of the 2008-2009 financial crisis as a tool sometimes needed to manage financial stability.

But in Russia, the issue has political resonance. Capital movements were liberalised only 10 years ago and restrictions bring back memories of the chaotic post-Soviet financial turbulence which Putin, now in his 15th year as Russia’s leader, made it his mission to banish.

Full capital controls “would be a huge immediate blow to the economy”, Mikhail Zadornov, chairman of the board of VTB-24 bank, told the newspaper Vedomosti. “It would intensify capital outflows and cause a complete loss of confidence in the country among both domestic and foreign investors.”

DILBERT

Pragmatic approach

Instead, Russian authorities are being pragmatic.

Four banking sources and sources close to the government said that the central bank had last week begun sending supervisors to monitor currency trading at major Russian banks.

“There was panic,” said a source close to the government. “Something had to be done and we took some measures.”

The central bank expects net capital outflows to hit $130bn this year and Russia can ill afford to lose any more, with economists forecasting that an already slowing economy will shrink 3.6% next year.

“Yes, we have to report all of our activities to them, they are very meticulous,” said a source at one of Russia’s top five banks.

Another source at a large bank said: “As of Monday (Dec.16), currency comptrollers have been sitting in and monitoring our currency positions, checking who bought foreign currency.”

The central bank declined to comment on this, telling Reuters only that it would hold talks with exporters about maintaining stability on the foreign exchange market.

Traders said the rouble’s recent rise, for a couple of sessions now, was due partly to the government orders and partly to regular tax payments, which require exporters to sell dollars or euros for roubles. The tax payments are to peak around Dec. 25.

The government’s order to sell hard currency was given to gas firm Gazprom, the oil firms Rosneft and Zarubezhneft, and the diamond producers Alrosa and Kristall.

“I can imagine for a while they will use these capital-control-like measures without full-blown capital controls,” Guriev said. “But if depreciation continues, they may actually do this.” l