14 jan, 2015

Magh 1, 1421 Rabiul Awal 22, 1436 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 279

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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GONE POLITICS

THE TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY

GERMANS DEJECTED ON NEUER BALLON D’OR MISS

BNP chief’s Adviser Reaz Rahman shot Khaleda alleges attack instigated by government; 20-party alliance calls 24-hour hartal for Thursday

Reaz Rahman is a former state minister for foreign affairs and an ex-foreign secretary

n Mohammad Jamil Khan Unidentified miscreants shot BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s adviser Reaz Rahman, injuring him seriously, and set fire to his car in Gulshan of the capital last night.

Reaz was returning from Khaleda’s Gulshan office. When his car reached close to the Doreen Tower at Gulshan 2 intersection around 8:45pm, the criminals pounced on him, said Lutful Kabir,

deputy police commissioner of the Gulshan division.

He was taken to the United Hospital in Gulshan where physicians said he had taken four bullets on the back of his waist and left leg. Doctors said he was now out of danger.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia harshly condemned the “deadly” attack on Riaz, who was her state minister for foreign affairs, and alleged that it was instigated by the government high-ups.

In protest, the BNP has called a 24hour hartal starting 6am Thursday. BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made the hartal announcement in a press statement late last night.

Reaz went to meet “confined” Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office around 8pm. His car was parked at approximately six minutes’ walking distance from the office. He came out of the office shortly after 8:30pm.

Witness Khokon Mia, security incharge of Doreen Tower, said a sedan car was parked inside an alley behind the tower. It slowly started moving towards the main road after a man got in.

“Suddenly six young men in three motorbikes appeared. One motorbike came from behind, went past, and and stopped right in front the car, forcing it to pull over,” he said.

“Two young men from another bike got down and pulled the passenger [Reaz] out of the car. He was sitting on the left side of the back seat,” he said.

“The driver fled the scene in fear.

The young men started vandalising the car and torched it pouring some kind of liquid. In the meantime, the other young men shot the man four times.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

A panicked driver tries to run to safety with his rickshaw-van away from a burning taxi cab torched during the blockade in the capital’s Motijheel yesterday

Top leaders of BNP unsure about movement’s future n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The BNP-led alliance might be saying that they would continue the blockade until the government steps down, but several senior leaders have given contradictory statements about their next course of action.

Even BNP insiders do not have any idea about the direction that their ongoing movement was taking.

They said they were virtually unprepared when the call for the blockade programme came from BNP chief Khaleda Zia on January 5.

The BNP did not consult with the 20-party alliance partners and its asso-

ciate bodies before enforcing the blockade and as a result, they are now in the dark about the movement’s future.

BNP’s partner Jamaat-e-Islami, whose men have always played key roles in street violence in the past, have apparently been not as active this time.

P3 NEW TARIQUE WARRANT Although the districts outside Dhaka have been feeling the heat of blockade violence, the country’s capital appears to be relatively normal with most offices and shops open and the city streets seeing a little less than usual traffic.

However, a sense of panic is also

very much there among the residents of the capital as reports of sporadic crude bomb blasts and arson attacks on vehicles emerge in the media.

Since the blockade began on January 6, none of the mid-ranked leaders of BNP have been seen in the streets. No activist or leader of the party has show up at their heavily guarded and deserted Nayapaltan office. Even the press releases are being sent from unknown places.

Moreover, the arrests of stalwarts Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy and Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury have not made things easy for the party.

At least two persons were killed yesterday as the BNP-led 20-party alliance continued its nationwide blockade for the eighth day. The number of deaths during the ongoing blockade now stands at 16.

Several incidents of vandalism, arson, picketing and crude bomb explosion were also reported throughout the country yesterday.

In Noakhali, auto-rickshaw driver

Md Jamir Uddin, 32, was killed when pickets attacked his auto-rickshaw near Poura Kalyan High School in Maizdee area.

Jamir’s elder brother Md Jashim Uddin, who was with him, told the Dhaka Tribune that pickets attacked them near Uttar Wapda in Sadar upazila on their way to Eklaspur in Begumganj upazila from Atkopalia Bazar for refuelling on Monday night.

“We decided to repair the windscreen at Maizdee, where pickets at-

tacked us again. They threw bricks at us and one hit my brother in the head,” Jashim said. Jamir later died around 12:30am yesterday at a private clinic.

However, Md Elias Sharif, superintendent of police in Noakhali, claimed that Jamir had died in a road accident.

Noakhali district unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal called a dawn-to-dusk hartal for today in the area protesting BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s confinement and arrest of district BNP President Md Shahjahan.

In Chittagong, a shopkeeper was killed and two others injured when a truck overturned on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Mirsarai upazila on Monday night following a petrol bomb attack.

The group was riding the truck to go to Satkania as they could not get a passenger bus, police said. Miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at the truck in Jorarganj area around 10pm, causing the truck to overturn and severely injuring the three.

All three were rushed to Chittagong

Government’s conditional invitation for a dialogue n Abu Hayat Mahmud

Medical College Hospital, where the shopkeeper, Enam Hossain, 35, died, said Sub-Inspector Farid Uddin, incharge of Jorarganj highway police outpost.

Police arrested a man named Nazrul Islma Shimul in the area on suspicion of involvement in the attack.

Elsewhere, miscreants posing as passengers set two buses on fire in the port city – one at Gate 2 area around 8:30am and the other in Bayezid area

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Political Adviser HT Imam yesterday made BNP an offer for a dialogue but laid down a few conditions.

Imam said the government would sit across the table if BNP cut its tie with Islamist militants and war criminals.

If BNP means a dialogue it has to stop its violent activities, Imam told a seminar titled “Progress and a Year of Democracy”.

A sub-committee of ruling Awami League’s publicity and publication unit organised the seminar at the Engineers’ Institution, Bangladesh in the capital.

Imam’s statement came following the statement of BNP standing committee member Rafiqul Islam Mia on Sunday.

Rafiqul said the current transport blockade could be lifted if the government agreed to sit for a dialogue with BNP. On Monday in her party’s rally at Suhrawarthy Udyan Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina warned BNP of dire consequence if it continued with its violent blockade programmes.

A number of leaders in BNP in return for anonymity said they were considering alternative programmes instead of

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Two murdered on day eight of BNP’s countrywide blockade n Tribune Report

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Transport sector jittery despite government assurance n Shohel Mamun Despite repeated government assurance of ensuring security on the highways, transport owners are still reluctant to resume their services out of fear of being attacked by blockade-enforcing pickets on the road.

Although losses are piling up for the transport owners, they still calculate that any arson attack or vandalism of their buses or trucks would inflict much greater financial damage.

Dhaka Bus-Truck Owners’ Association President Faruk Talukder Sohel told the Dhaka Tribune: “The government pressured us to keep long-haul buses running and offered to compensate us for losses and to provide security for our buses.

Experience shows if we lose Tk70 lakh, government will not compensate more than Tk7 lakh “But thousands of kilometres of highway cannot possibly be secured and experience shows that if we lose Tk70 lakh, the government will compensate us no more than Tk7 lakh.”

Even if the Highway Police escorted the transports, pickets were still carrying out sudden attacks on the road, claimed Sohel – who also owns Shohag Paribahan.

However, Additional Secretary of the Home Ministry Kamal Uddin Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune that the government was emphasising on using the Highway Police to ensure security to goods-carrying vehicles for export-import of grain products during the BNP-led 20-party enforced countrywide blockade.

“We have not deployed the BGB for highway security, but the nearest police stations have been alerted,” he claimed.

However, at a press conference in Chittagong yesterday, the Border Guard Bangladesh South-East Regional Commander Brig Gen Habibul Karim said they would stay on roads and highways until the violence is stopped.

He added that additional personnel would be stationed on highways from Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar district to Feni district, while the number of BGB patrol teams would be increased on key roads including Dhaka-Chittagong, Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong-Rangamati highways, reports our correspondents in the port city.

“We, however, started providing escort to long-distance and goods-laden vehicles in our areas since January 7, but now we will be on the roads and highways in full phase to protect our people and their properties,” Brig Gen Karim said.

State Minister of Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has already held several meetings with long-haul bus service operators and offered them adequate security to restore regular services on long distance routes. He also promised

them compensation if the buses were to come under attack by pickets.

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan and State Minister for LGRD Moshiur Rahman Ranga – both of them transport union leaders – also tried to persuade bus owners, even reportedly threatening to padlock bus counters if they refused to operate long-haul services.

But transport leaders insisted that the government assurance was not enough, as longer journeys during blockade meant increased chance of falling victims to arson or vandalism.

Kafil Uddin, secretary of the Dhaka Bus-Truck Owners’ Association and also the managing director of Hanif Paribahan, claimed that even though only a few buses were operated by them, most of those vehicles were attacked by pickets.

Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van Malik Samity Secretary Rostam Ali khan told the Dhaka Tribune that out of the 127,000 trucks and covered vans in the country, only 30% were currently operating during the blockade; the figure stays around 80% during normal times, he added.

As a result, the financial losses for both businesspeople and the consumers are piling up.

“We have to incur losses worth around Tk200 crore a day because of hartals or blockades enforced by any political party,” said Khondoker Anayetullah, secretary of Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association.

According to a study by the association, a single transport owner has to incur an average daily loss of Tk8,000 to Tk10,000 because of hartals or blockades.

Over the last year, around 800 buses were damaged by pickets; the Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association had to pay Tk1.50 crore as compensation while the government also paid Tk1.65 crore more to the family members of the drivers who fell victim to the violence.

“In terms of losses, the amount of money is too little for the family members,” said Anayetullah.

Meanwhile, although a handful of buses crammed overwhelming numbers of passengers before leaving the capital’s bus terminals over the past two days, the luxury buses on long distance routes stayed out of the streets, with owners claiming that they cannot find enough passengers to run their services properly.

Industry insiders, however, said the luxury buses – which cost between Tk70 lakh and Tk1.75 crore each – did not leave the terminals out of fear of pickets’ attacks.

Even BRTC Director Colonel Abdullahel Karim told the Dhaka Tribune: “Two [BRTC] AC buses have been burned already, so we have stopped operating AC buses.”

Sources said seven luxury buses of Green Line Paribahan left Chittagong for Dhaka on Monday, but were attacked by pickets near Mirsharai upazila.

According to estimates by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, at least two transport workers have died so far in blockade-related violence, while around 60 vehicles have been torched and 200 others vandalised during the last week. l

The signpost instructing pedestrians to take the footover bridge to avoid accidents becomes a joke as the bridge contains a dangerous hole. The photos were taken from near and above the footover bridge situated in the capital’s Asad Gate area yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Court orders Tuhin Malik’s arrest n Tribune Report

A Dhaka court yesterday issued arrest warrant for Supreme Court lawyer Tuhin Malik in a defamation case filed against him on charges of making derogatory remarks on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Shamsul Arefin passed the order as Tuhin Malik did not appear before the court although there was a summon.

The court also fixed February 10 for summation of warrant execution report to the police station concerned.

As Tuhin remained absent ignoring the summon, plaintiff Golam Rabbani sought an arrest order.

Third border haat opened n Our Correspondent, Feni The 3rd Bangladesh-India border haat was opened in Suashah Fakir Mazar area of Mokamia village in Chhagalnaiya yesterday. Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed and his Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the haat around 3pm. Chief guest Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said: “Friendship will increase more through the move.

Indian people helped the Bangladeshi citizens during the crisis moment of the 1971 Liberation War. We hope that we will be permitted to use Chittagong and Ashuganj ports for the development of our states particularly Tripura.” l

On December 9, Rabbani, deputy international affairs secretary of ruling Awami League’s student front Chhatra League, filed two cases with Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court. In one of them, he accused the SC lawyer of sedition and hurting religious sentiments in the other.

That very day, both the cases were accepted and Tuhin was summoned to appear before the court yesterday in one of the cases.

The court also directed the OC of the Shahbagh police station to register the matter as a first information report (FIR) after investigation and take the government’s permission for the sedition case.

According to the cases statements,

Salam to be quizzed at jail gate n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday ordered the investigating officer of a women repression case to interrogate Ekushey Television (ETV) Chairman Abdus Salam at jail gate within five working days.

The court also rejected his bail and remand petitions in the case.

Metropolitan Magistrate Sabrina Ali passed the order after Shakhawat Hossain, sub-inspector of Mirpur Model Police Station and also IO of the case, produced Salam before the court with a five-day remand prayer.

Defense counsel Md Shabuddin Sheikh said the accused was not in-

Reaz Rahman shot  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

“It was dark and I could not figure out whether they shot him from pointblank range,” Khokon Mia said.

After the incident, the young men sped towards Mohakhali on their motorbikes. They fired two blank rounds while leaving the area. Some security guards of nearby buildings tried to go close to the car but could not because of the fire, and also out of fear that they might get shot.

Wounded Reaz then crawled towards the adjacent seven-storey Seba House, looking for help. “He was trying to say something using gestures because he could not talk,” Khokon described.

By then, hearing the gunshots, a patrol team of Gulshan police led by SI Mahbub came to the spot and took him

while speaking in a seminar in London on November 30, Tuhin Malik made objectionable remarks about the country’s constitution and father of the nation Bangabandhu.

He said: “All stories about Mujib and his family have been included in the constitution and if anyone tries to exclude those, he would be hanged.”

He also said: “Atheism and impiety have been added to the constitution; none will amend whatever is added in the constitution until doomsday.”

Dr Malik also said: “Only alternative is to scrap the constitution! Who is the father of the nation, what is ideology and what is spirit, none of those will matter Inshallah,” the case statements said. l

to the hospital. Locals doused the fire in the car and another police team took it to the local police station, Khokon said.

Dr Aminul Islam from the orthopedics department of United Hospital told the Dhaka Tribune that Reaz was bleeding from the wounds, and they were preparing for a surgery to take the bullets out.

Amena Rahman, daughter of Reaz, said the driver informed them over phone about the incident.

She said, “We do not want to name any suspects in the incident.”

Several incidents of shooting and exploding crude bombs have been reported in the past few days.

Yesterday, four crude bombs were exploded near the stage of a programme at Sir Salimullah Medical College and Hospital in the capital where Health Minister Mohammad Nasim

volved with this incident and he was not FIR listed accused.

He requested the court to grant his bail rejecting remand prayer.

Salam was shown accused in a case filed under Women and Children Repression Prevention Act and ICT Act on November 10 last year with the Cantonment Police Station.

The case was filed against Shahjalal by her then wife.

Earlier, detectives on January 6 detained Abdus Salam when he went down to the ground floor of ETV office..

On January 11, another Dhaka court granted Abdus Salam on a five-day remand in a sedition case filed with Tejgaon Police Station. l

was the chief guest.

On January 11, two shots were fired at the house of BNP leader Moin Khan in Gulshan while miscreants hurled four crude bombs at another leader of the party Khandaker Mahbub Hossain’s residence at Chamelibagh.

Three crude bombs were found concealed inside books at two courtrooms of the High Court on the same day.

On January 10, the car of BNP chief’s Adviser Sabih Uddin Ahmed came under an arson attack near the party’s Gulshan office.

On the same day, two rounds were fired at BNP leader Abdul Awal Mintoo’s residence at Gulshan.

On January 9, a bomb was hurled at the Banani residence of Law Minister Anisul Haque, damaging a car parked nearby. l

Suranjit to Khaleda: Call Nawaz Sharif n Tribune Report Awami League Advisory Council member Suranjit Sengupta yesterday advised BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to phone Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as India would not like to interfere in Bangladesh’s internal matters.

“You [Khaleda] better call Nawaz Sharif, as India has already cleared its stand that it will not interfere in the internal affairs of Bangladesh,” the former rail minister said while speaking at a discussion in the city.

“However, Nawaz Sharif will not respond to your call as [opposition leader] Imran Khan, like you, wanted to topple the elected government of Pakistan through movement,” BSS quoted him as saying.

“BNP takes stand in favour of terrorism, militancy and violence, and against democracy as it announced blockade programme...”

The senior leader called upon the BNP to shun the politics of violence and come back to the road of democracy.

Nouka Samorthak Gosthi organised the discussion at the Diploma Engineers Institute of the capital.l

Conditional dialogue invitation  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

blockade and shutdown on the government’s promise of a dialogue for the snap election.

However, the prime minister adviser denied any possibility of mid-term national election.

“The government can hold mid-term election anytime, if it wishes. It depends on the decision of the government.”

Referring to his recent Europe tour, HT Imam claimed that the European Union thought Bangladesh’s January 5 national poll was held as per the country’s constitution which is acceptable.

“The EU has never discussed mid-term polls but they have just asked us to bring some changes to the electoral system.”

BNP has long been demanding a non-partisan caretaker government be formed to oversee the national polls for which it boycotted the January 5 elections in 2014. The 10th parliamentary election brought the Awami League back to power that formed the government on January 12. l

Two murdered on day eight of countrywide blockade

Top leaders of BNP unsure

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 PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

around 6:10pm. No casualties were reported.

Babul Chandra Banik, OC at Bayezid police station, said police had arrested three persons in connection with the Bayezid incident.

Sporadic violence in the capital

Situation was comparatively normal in the capital, with usual traffic movement.

Miscreants blasted a number of crude bombs at different points in the city. One group hurled crude bombs near a reunion programme of volunteer organisation Sandhani at Sir Salimullah Medical College. Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, former foreign minister Dipu Moni and local lawmaker Haji Mohammad Selim were present at that time.

Two more bombs went off inside the college premises. Police suspect those were thrown from the roof of a nearby building.

The programme, however, continued after a period of panic among the

students. No injuries were reported, nor were any arrests made.

“We have searched the area. The attackers have fled,” said Deputy Commissioner Mofiz Uddin Ahmed of Lalbagh division.

Meanwhile, at least five crude bombs were found in Dhaka University yesterday morning.

Students spotted four bombs inside a toilet on the ground floor of the Arts Faculty Building, said Sirajul Islam, OC at Shahbagh police station.

On information, a team of the Detective Branch’s bomb disposal unit recovered the bombs around 11am, the OC said. Later, they recovered another crude bomb near the entrance of Mokarram Bhaban. No arrests were made in this connection.

At Motijheel, miscreants blasted several crude bombs in the evening, spreading panic in the area. Police arrested two persons in this regard.

At least two vehicles were burned down in the capital’s Dhanmondi area: BNP activists from a procession

torched a human haulier on Road 15 in the morning; a passenger bus was set on fire in front of Rapa Plaza in the evening.

caped the attack by jumping off the vehicle, said Polashbari police station OC Mojibur Rahman.

Violence in other districts

The Ministry of Home Affairs instructed the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) yesterday to deploy troops in 21 districts in order to maintain security.

BGB Director General Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed confirmed the news, saying the BGB personnel would be stationed in Lakshmipur, Rajshahi, Chandpur, Nilphamari, Bogra, Noakhali, Meherpur, Khulna, Narayanganj, Kushtia, Natore, Kurigram, Brahmanbaria, Joypurhat, Rajbari, Gazipur, Cox’s Bazar, Chapainawabganj, Chittagong, Pabna and Satkhira.

This will be in addition to the troops that have already been deployed to keep vehicular movement on the streets and highways smooth, to keep the situation in order at different key points in the country, and to keep people as well as important establishments safe. l

In separate drives, police arrested at least 38 BNP-Jamaat activists yesterday, including Jamaat’s Satkania upazila Nayeb-e-Ameer Marul Haq, for carrying out subversive activities in the district, especially Sitakunda, Satkania and Lohagora upazilas.

In Chandpur, miscreants torched a truck in Shaharasti and an auto-rickshaw in Chandpur town. The truck was carrying thousands of primary and secondary-level textbooks, which were destroyed as pickets hurled a petrol bomb at the truck near Baniachao area around 6am.

In Jhenaidah, miscreants burned down a tractor near Kotchandpur fire service office in Kotchandpur upazila.

In Jhalakathi Sadar, a truck was torched.

In Gaibandha, pickets burned down a truck in Polashbari. The driver es-

BGB troops deployed in 21 districts

Over the last couple of days, several senior leaders including Vice-Chairman Hafizuddin Ahmed and standing committee member Rafiqul Islam Miah met Khaleda Zia, who has been allegedly kept confined in her Gulshan Office for 11 days.

A day after Hafizuddin Ahmed said they would lift the blockade if they are allowed to hold a rally in Dhaka, the party’s Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi yesterday said they would continue the blockade until the government is toppled.

Hafiz met the party chief at Gulshan on Monday. After he came out, reporters asked him whether they would lift the blockade if the government allowed their rally. In reply, he said the matter would be decided by the alliance, “but you will see a positive step from our side.”

Rafiqul Islam Miah met Khaleda on Sunday along with some other standing committee members. He told reporters on that day that the blockade would continue until the government took in-

itiatives for holding talks over holding inclusive and participatory elections.

Yesterday, when asked about Hafizuddin’s remark, Rafiqul said: “I do not know what he said. But Madam [Khaleda] has told us to continue the movement until the government initiates a dialogue.”

However yesterday, BNP’s Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, who has been hiding for a week, said in a press statement that the ongoing movement will continue until the government resigns.

A senior leader told the Dhaka Tribune that leaders should be consistent in what they say. “The inconsistency has been creating confusion among the party’s rank and file. Leaders should speak in the same tone.”

Yesterday evening, a statement from the BNP standing committee signed by its Vice-Chairman Selima Rahman said the blockade will continue until their demands were met. The statement urged the people of the country to “endure the hardships for the time being” for the greater good of “restoring democracy.” l

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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Three killed in launch collision Route permits of MV Sundarban and MV Parabat suspended after the accident took place in Chandpur n Our Correspondent, Chandpur A Barisal-bound launch yesterday rammed into a Dhaka-bound vessel in the Meghna River, killing at least three people, including a child, and injuring 15 others.

The incident took place between MV Sundarban 8 and MV Parabat 9 near the Meghna-Dakatia confluence in Chandpur around 1:30am, claiming the lives of Shahana Begum, 60, her grandson Abrar Shakil, 6, and Rupa Begum, 30.

BIWTA officials and launch passengers said MV Sundarban was carrying around 2,000 passengers when MV Parabat rammed into it, damaging four cabins and parts of the second floor of the vessel.

Anil Chandra, a passenger of the MV Sundarban, told the Dhaka Tribune that Parabat rammed into their launch at an angle and completely crushed two first-floor VIP cabins as well as damaging several cabins on the second floor.

Many of the injured reportedly received their wounds from the initial impact of the collision and while running around in panic in thick fog.

Passengers said most people on the vessel were asleep when the accident happened.

Shahana Begum was killed on the spot, her grandson Abrar died on his way to Dhaka, while Rupa was pronounced dead after being brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Md Monir Ahmed, in-charge of Chandpur River Police, said Shahana and her family, including son Mostafa Kamal who is a lieutenant commander of Bangladesh Navy, were returning to Dhaka from a vacation in Barisal.

Shahana and Mostafa’s son Abrar died, while the other family members were injured.

Md Babu, husband of the other victim Rupa Begum, said their family was returning to Dhaka after attending a

BNP leader Shajahan among 6 remanded

n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday placed six leaders of the 20-party alliance on remand of different terms in a case filed for blasting hand bombs in Gulshan area of the capital.

Metropolitan Magistrate Rezaul Karim ordered four days’ remand each for Belal Ahmed, Monirul Haque and Habibur Rahman Habib and two-day remand for BNP Noakhali BNP chief and central committee Joint Secretary General Md Shajahan, Shamimur Rahman and Jatiya party (Kazi Jafar) leader Ahsan Habib Linkon.

The court also rejected their bail petitions, filed by defence counsel Taherul Islam Towhid.

Earlier in the day, Sub-Inspector Md Abdul Barik of Gulshan police produced them before the court seeking 10-day remand.

The six people were held on Monday from different parts of the capital and shown arrested in the case. l

Wreck of MV Sundarban 8 after being rammed by MV Parabat at the Meghna-Dakatia confluence in Chandpur yesterday kulkhwani. All of the family members – travelling on the deck of MV Sundarban – were also hurt.

Mobarak Hossain, port director for Chandpur’s Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), told the Dhaka Tribune that one body was found at the scene of the accident, while the injured were first admitted to the Chandpur Sadar Hospital and

later, eight of them were moved to Dhaka in critical condition.

The Parabat launch left the scene immediately after the accident, while the damaged MV Sundarban was driven to Dhaka in the morning.

MV Parabat 9 was later seized by the port authority in Barisal, but all the launch staff including the master of the vessel managed to flee.

Aftermath of the accident

Following the incident, the route permits, survey certificates and registrations of both MV Sundarban and MV Parabat have been suspended along with the licences of the two launch masters.

A four-member committee, headed

by Sadarghat Surveyor Shahriar Hossain, has been formed to investigate

Approval sought for LNG Terminal n Aminur Rahman Rasel

The Energy and Mineral Resources Division will place a much talked-about proposal to build a Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal on Maheshkhali Island for approval at today’s meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.

In November 2014, the committee returned the proposal to set up the country’s first floating storage and re-gasification unit (FSRU), the technical term for the project, for ambiguity on some points.

“We will submit the term sheet of the FSRU unit, popularly known as a Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal, to the cabinet committee meeting to get approval,” Energy and Mineral Resources Division Secretary Abu Bakar Siddique told the Dhaka Tribune.

On June 26 last year, Petrobangla signed a term sheet with Singapore-based Astra Oil and Excelerate Energy Consortium (AE) under the Speedy

Supply of Power and Energy (Special Provisions) (Amendment) Act 2014.

The cabinet committee had asked the Energy Division to explain why the consortium was not signed on to set up the FSRU as a build-own-transfer project instead of a build-own-operate-transfer project.

The Energy Division explained that since the hand-over of the unit would not require any payment, there was little difference between the two options.

The committee also suggested that the LNG company which the consortium will set up be named in the term sheet.

Petrobangla, a state-owned oil company under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, will implement the project.

AE would have to invest $500 million as infrastructure cost and other expenses to set up the terminal on a build-own-operate-transfer basis, according to the term sheet.

According to the term sheet, Petro-

bangla will pay 0.474 cents per mmbtu (million British thermal units) for 15 years. The terminal will have an LNG storage capacity of 138,000 cubic metres.

Besides, Petrobangla will pay port service charges and taxes on behalf of AE during the period. Petrobangla will receive LNG within a range between 500 and 600mmcfd (million cubic feet per day.) The government will have to import LNG from Qatar or other countries at $16-18 per unit.

At present, the country’s gas production is about 2,350 mmcf per day against a demand of 3,000 mmcf.

The Awami League-led government during its previous tenure decided to import LNG to supply the national grid by some 500 mmcfd from 2013.

Meanwhile, state-owned Gas Transmission Company Ltd (GTCL) has taken a move to install the 91km Maheshkhali-Anwara gas transmission pipeline to carry re-gasified LNG from the terminal to shore. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

the incident; while the authorities concerned have been directed to file a case with the marine court.

Meanwhile, MV Sundarban’s master Mujibur Rahman has filed a murder case with Chandpur Model police station in the evening, naming the master and staff of MV Parabat as the accused, Officer-in-Charge Abdul Quayum told the Dhaka Tribune. l

Charge sheet against a food importer approved n Adil Sakhawat The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday approved submission of charge sheets against a food items importer of Old Dhaka for his alleged involvement in laundering money to the United Arab Emirate (UAE) worth $4.305m The ACC approved charge sheets of the two cases filed with Chawkbazar police against Mohammed Rafique alias Rafi, owner of M/S Faiz Uddin & Co, yesterday in its regular meeting at its capital’s headquarters.

The cases were filed on February 27 last year after the ACC in its primary investigation, began in 2013, found proof.

The investigation reports submitted

by Investigation Officer and Deputy Director Hrithik Saha states that Rafique laundered $4.026715m by opening 10 letter of credit (LC) accounts to Mohosen Al Baraki General Trading in the UAE and $278,000 through one LC account to Nobel House General Trading Co. in UAE through MoulviBazar branch of Al Arafah Islami Bank Limited in 2012 in his company’s name located in the capital’s Armanitola area.

“The accused laundered the money without importing any food items from the UAE through creating fake import documents,” said an ACC official.

The commission approved the charge sheets without grilling the accused as he has been on the run. The charge sheets will be submitted to the court soon.

Meanwhile, the ACC yesterday approved filing of a case against an Old Dhaka businessman for his alleged involvement in laundering money in the name of importing bicycle parts.

Maya Islam, owner of Maya Traders in capital’s Bangshal area, allegedly laundered $17,127 abroad by showing the price of the imported parts less than the government price index, reads the reports submitted by ACC’s Deputy Director Syed Tahsinul Haq. The case will be filed soon with the police station concerned to run further investigation, said an ACC official. l

ACC grills ten AB Bank officials n Adil Sakhawat The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday interrogated ten high officials of Arab Bangladesh (AB) Bank Limited in connection with the Ananda Shipyard loan scam worth nearly Tk1,300 crore.

ACC Senior Deputy Direcwtor Mir Jainul Abedin Shibly grilled the officials at the ACC headquarters in the capital.

On January 8, the anti-graft body sent summon notices to the 10 AB Bank officials for interrogating them on their alleged links in the disbursement of loans worth Tk186.90 crore without any security from the bank’s Karwan Bazar branch in favour of Ananda Shipyard, a competent source at the ACC told the Dhaka Tribune.

The ACC source also said that in the name of exporting ships the Ananda Shipyard has taken nearly Tk1,300 crore from 14 banks and financial

institutions without depositing proper security in accordance to the bank rules, while the company also had no prior experience in exporting ships.

Following a Bangladesh Bank investigation, which revealed the irregularities in disbursing loans to Ananda Shipyard, the commission started looking into the allegations of loan scam in April this year.

The AB Bank officials who faced interrogation between 10am and 4pm yesterday were Deputy Managing Director Faruque M Ahmed, Senior Vice-Presidents Wasika Afrozi and Salma Akhter, Vice-President Shamim A Morshed, Executive Vice-President Akhter Hamid Khan, Assistant VicePresident Monjur Mofij of the bank’s head office; Executive Vice-President Chowdhury Monjur Liakot, Executive Vice-President Mahbubuzzaman, Senior Vice-President Kazi Ashraf Ali, Assistant Vice-President Al Mamun of Karwan Bazar branch of AB Bank. l

14-party to form countrywide committees to resist subversive acts n Tribune Report The Awami League-led 14-party alliance will constitute “anti-subversive acts committees” in every ward and localities across the country to hand over anyone involved in acts of terrorism in the name of siege programme to the law enforcement agencies.

At her directives, terrorists of JamaatShibir have been carrying out the attacks. By staging a drama of being under siege, she has given money to the terrorists to take to the field Awami League Presidium member Mohammad Nasim, who is also the spokesman for the 14-party alliance, yesterday disclosed the decision to reporters after a meeting of the alliance at party chief Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi office, reports BSS. “In accordance with the announce-

ment of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the anti-subversive acts committees will be constituted across the country including Dhaka. The committees will create awareness among people against all acts of anarchy. The members of these committees will also extend cooperation to the law enforcement agencies,” Nasim said.

Calling upon the law enforcers to be tougher in facing all the activities of terrorism, Nasim said: “Question does not arise for any concession to those creators of anarchy. Those who resort to falsehood should not get any concession.”

The minister held BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia responsible for clandestine attacks in the name of siege programme, saying: “At her directives, terrorists of Jamaat-Shibir have been carrying out the attacks. By staging a drama of being under siege, she has given money to the terrorists to take to the field and they have been torching people to death. Can it be called a movement? It is a cowardice act, nothing else. In reality, Begum Zia is desperate to save the Jamaat leaders.”

He said those who have been causing harm to the country by throwing destructive programmes like hartal and siege should not have any democratic

right. “We would like to ask the BNP leadership to discard terrorism and stop playing broken records of falsehood. We will request the administration to be tougher on those terror-mongers and allow no concession to them.”

Nasim said: “Normalcy has been prevailing in the country but a sense of panic is persisting among the people.

The terrorists have no party. Though soldiers of Khaleda have not taken to the field, her terrorists are ruling the roost and that is why they have been launching clandestine attacks.”

Convener of the Communist Kendra Dr Wazedul Islam Khan chaired the meeting of the 14-party alliance attended, among others, by AL organising secretaries AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Samyabadi Dal General Secretary Dilip Barua, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal Executive President Mainuddin Khan Badal, Workers’ Party General Secretary Fazle Hossain Badsha, Tariquat Federation President Nazibul Bashar Maizbhandari, Ganatantri Party General Secretary Nurur Rahman Selim, National Awami Party leader Ismail Hossain, Jatiya Party Secretary General Sheikh Shahidul Islam, AL Information Secretary Afzal Hossain and AL Central Working Committee member Enamul Haque Shamim. l

Police officials removing logs from a road that blockade supporters had placed to reinforce the indefinite transport blockade called by BNP-led 20-party alliance. The photo was taken from the Muslim Mor of Rajshahi yesterday AZAHAR UDDIN

Mujaheed’s appeal hearing begins today n Tribune Report The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court is set to begin today the hearing on an appeal of convicted al-Badr leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed challenging his death penalty.

The appeal case was put on today’s cause list of the four-member apex court bench, headed by newly-appointed Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha. The oth-

er judges are Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah, Justice Hasan Foez Siddique and Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury.

Mujaheed filed the appeal on August 12, 2013 seeking acquittal of all the charges.

The Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general was given death sentence by the International Crimes Tribunal 2 on July 17 the same year.

Of the five proven charges out of sev-

en brought against him, Mujaheed was given capital punishment in two – for abetting and facilitating killing of intellectuals during the Liberation War, and participating in and facilitating the murder of nine Hindu civilians in Faridpur.

As a leader of Islami Chhatra Sangha – Jamaat’s then student wing, Mujaheed in 1971 led a “death squad” named al-Badr that acted as an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation forces. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

High Court confirms death for the killers of two children n Tribune Report The High Court yesterday upheld a lower court verdict that sentenced two people to death for killing two children in Nayatola area of the capital in 2008.

The bench of Justice Shahidul Islam and Justice KM Kamrul Kader gave the order after rejecting separate appeals filed by the convicts challenging the lower court judgement given on

August 5, 2009.

The convicts – Md Ranju Sarker alias Ranzu Sarder and Md Liton alias Kosai Liton – are now in Dhaka Central Jail.

Their lawyer said the duo would file appeal with the Appellate Division against the High Court verdict.

Deputy Attorney General Bhishmadev Chakraborty represented the government during the hearing.

According to the case, Ranju and Liton

stabbed to death Jewel, 10, and Biplob, 7, after sodomising them in an abandoned house at Nayatola on April 29, 2008. Jewel’s father Alauddin filed the murder case with Ramna police after the decomposed bodies were found on May 1.

Liton’s lawyer Khabir Uddin Bhuiyan told reporters that the duo were known as stalkers and addicts. They made confessional statements before police and also magistrates. l

Nasir and Taimur among 22 BNP men granted anticipatory bail n Tribune Report The High Court granted anticipatory bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Adviser Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin for four weeks in a defamation case yesterday.

The bench comprising of judges Syed AB Mahmudul Huq and Kashefa Hussain also granted such bail to Narayanganj BNP President Taimur

Alam Khandker and 21 others for the same period in a case filed for vandalism and bomb explosions.

BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman spoke at a function in London on December 16, when he labelled Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as “Razakar” and “Pak Bondhu”. Nasir was present during the programme.

On December 22, Freedom Fighter

ACC quizzes ICSL MD fifth time n Adil Sakhawat The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday grilled Managing Director of Ideal Cooperative Society Limited (ICSL) HNM Shafiqur Rahman for the fifth time on allegation of embezzling nearly Tk1,000 crore collected from nearly 70,000 clients.

Deputy Director Hamidul Hasan interrogated him from 12:30pm to 3pm at the commission’s headquarters.

A competent source at the ACC said the ICSL Group had been cheating their clients for the last 12 years.

The ACC in its preliminary investigation has found that the ICSL had collected money from its clients offering them 30% profit against the deposit of Tk1 lakh. Bangladesh Bank and the cooperatives regularity too conducted inquiries into the company’s annual reports from 2001 to 2012.

The commission has found that nine directors including Shafiqur, Chairman Rafiqul Alam and Vice-Chairman Maj (retd) Shahidullah were involved in the embezzlement.

ACC official Hamidul is the second inquiry officer in the case. The first inquiry officer, Deputy Director Nasir Uddin, failed to submit report after working on the allegations for nearly one and a half years. l

BFUJ demands new wage board n Tribune Report Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) has demanded a new wage board in line with the pay scales proposed for civil and armed forces job holders.

Civil and armed forces job holders and journalists face same market system and so there should be coordination among their salaries and allowances, the executive council of BFUJ argued at a meeting on January 3. They urged the government to form a new wage board for journalists immediately so that it could be brought into effect by June next.

The BFUJ expressed their concern over the non implementation of the existing wage board at the country’s many newspapers. They demanded trying the murders of all journalists including journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Mehrun Runi across the country.

The country’s one of the leading journalists’ body vented their anger over the delay in amending the act of 1974, saying its draft was submitted 14 months ago. The BFUJ will hold its annual general meeting February 28 BFUJ President Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul presided over the meeting, with Secretary General Abdul Jalil Bhuiyan and Treasurer Khairuzzaman Kamal, among others, being in attendance. l

Stamford University, BARD signs agreement on education n Tribune Report Stamford University, Bangladesh (SUB) and Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) yesterday signed an educational agreement which is aimed at enhancing research related works of both institutions.

The agreement was signed between the founder and president of SUB Prof M A Hannan Firoj and BARD Director General Mashiur Rahman.

With this agreement, internship programmes, research study, exchange of research assistants and persons will take place between the institutions. Organising of international seminars, workshops and training will also take place. l

RTI video manual launched n Tribune Report Social enterprise Dnet has introduced a video manual on how people can benefit from the Right to Information Act 2009 with a view to making the process of getting desired information from different institutions easier.

Chief Information Commissioner Mohammad Faruk unveiled the video manual at a programme in his office in the capital yesterday. He said the Information Commission and Dnet would work together for the implementation of the RTI Act. The one-hour video manual was prepared under Dnet’s “Infolady” project in association with the Information Commission. Manusher Jonno Foundation financed the initiative.

Ananya Raihan, executive director of Dnet, said they would also launch an android application and a specialised website to inspire the citizens. l

Shawkat Ali Khan alias Sundar Khan filed the defamation case with the chief judicial magistrate in Gopalganj. On January 9, vehicles were vandalised and bombs exploded during the ongoing blockade in Narayanganj Sadar upazila.

Defence lawyer AKM Ehsanur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune that Taimur and 20 BNP leaders and activists had secured anticipatory bail in the case. l

DMP Commissioner Mohammad Asaduzzaman Miah pasting a sticker showing traffic rules on a private car while inaugurating the weeklong campaign of DMP in the capital’s Shahbagh area yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

President calls for decent student politics n Du Correspondent President Abdul Hamid has urged Dhaka University students to adopt the path of ideal politics for the sake of the countrymen giving up violence through being imbued with the inspiration of the Liberation War. “Dhaka University has a good reputation for student politics, but the tread has changed recently. Now it is centred only for self purposes, not based on ideology”, Abdul Hamid said while addressing the 49th convocation on central playground of the DU yesterday.

He also said: “I am not against student politics because I was also involved in it during the 60s, but I do not like its recent pattern than hurts me”.

Besides, he urged upon the students to work for people’s welfare not for self profit.

Drawing attention of the graduates, the President went on: “The nation expects much from the DU. You (the graduates) will have to fill up the expectation of the countrymen through work.”

At one stage, he expressed high gratitude to the students who sacrificed their lives in the Language Movement, Liberation War and mass uprising.

“The students of the university had played most pivotal role to make our country’s history as well as almost every biggest movement. So, you have a lot of responsibilities to do for the sake of the country”, he continued.

A total of 6,104 students were given graduation and post graduation certificates. Of them, 2,737 were male and 3,367 were women.

Besides, 42 received PhD certificates, 20 MPhil and 49 MD-MS while 29 students were awarded with gold medals.

Earlier centring the programme, senate, syndicate and academic counsel members as well as the teachers, guests and graduates took position on the ground.

Around 12:01pm, President Abdul Hamid announced the inauguration of the programme, who later bestowed

Four hand-made bombs were recovered from the Arts Faculty building of Dhaka University yesterday morning during the 49th convocation of DU. The bombs were recovered from the ground floor of the building in an abandoned state from under the basin in a toilet around 8am, said a security guard of the building.

Shahbagh police station Officer-inCharge Shirajul Islam said: “Students first noticed the bombs and then informed us about the matter.” No one was arrested in this regard yet.

DU acting proctor Amzad Ali said pro-blockade activists might have kept these bombs to create anarchy inside the campus.

“The matter would be investigated and action would be taken against those involved,” he added. l

Man kills wife n Tribune Report

A group of graduates capturing themselves in the popular style of taking a picture, selfie, at the 49th convocation ceremony of Dhaka University held yesterday World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Director General Prof Dr Francis Gurry with a Doctor-of-Laws.

As main speaker of the event Francis Gurry said: “the youth, optimism and education are three greatest gifts for the world. So you (graduates) can

contribute to the development by using the components.”

Stressing on IT based education, he called students for maintaining the international standard in the sector to secure a room in the world arena of graduates. “A country without technology

cannot see sustainable development’ he added. He went on: “Education is the path of knowledge and socio-economic development.” He termed it the main element for creating intellectual property.

Speaking at the occasion, DU VC Professor Arefin Siddique thanked

Rajshahi people see relaxed blockade

n Our Correspondent, Barisal

n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

WEATHER

DRY WEATHER LIKELY WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 5:31PM SUN RISES 6:44AM FORECAST FOR TODAY 27 28 25 26 27 28 28 28

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

17 17 11 12 12 15 13 18

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

28.7ºC Cox's Bazar

7.5ºC Chuadanga

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

5:24am 6:42am 12:07am 3:56pm 5:31pm 6:51pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

“Most of the raw and perishable items come from north Bengal on trucks which are not being able to enter Barisal because of the ongoing blockade.

As a result, the price of vegetables and other items are soaring.”

Passengers evacuated the bus quickly, however, Md Swapan, a staff of the bus sustained burn injuries on hands Law enforcers were seen vigilant on the streets in the city.

On Monday night, a Dhaka-bound bus was torched by blockade supporters in Karnakathi area on the Barisal-Banguna connecting road leaving

one injured.

Kotwali police station Sub-Inspector Kabir Hossain said as the Dhaka-bound bus Sakura Paribahan, coming from the direction of Barguna, reached near Barisal University, it came under the attack of blockade supporters.

Fire service officials extinguished the flame around 11:20pm, he said.

Md Rana, manager of Sakura Paribahan counter in Barisal said blockade supporters hurled crude bombs towards the Dhaka bound bus (Dhaka Metro-Ba- 4601) while it was crossing a speed breaker in Karnakathi area near the Barisal University campus.

Passengers evacuated the bus quickly, however, Md Swapan, a staff of the bus sustained burn injuries on hands and legs while rescuing a child inside the bus and was admitted to the Barisal General Hospital. l

Daylong hartal in three districts today, 12 districts tomorrow n Tribune Desk Local units of the BNP-led 20-party alliance and its components yesterday called separate daylong hartals in 10 districts of Khulna division, and Sylhet and Joypurhat districts for tomorrow while in Pabna, Rangpur and Sylhet for today.

In Khulna, the 20-party combine called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in 10 district of the division for Thursday protesting the ‘confinement’ of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia to her office, arrest of their leaders and activists, including BNP chairperson’s advisor Shamsuzzaman Dudu and Shamimur Rahman Shamim, and the filing of ‘false’ cases filed against BNP standing committee member Tariqul Islam.

They also demanded immediate release of their leaders and activists and stopping harassment of the party men.

The announcement was made at the local BNP office at KD Ghosh road in the city yesterday.

In Joypurhat, the 20-party alliance called the dawn-to-dusk shutdown in the district for tomorrow protesting the ‘confinement’ of Khaleda Zia and the arrest of BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

In Sylhet, district unit Chhatra Shibir called a daylong hartal in the district for today protesting the arrest of city unit Jamaat ameer Ehsanul Mahbub Jubayer.

President of city Chhatra Shibir Abdur Razzak announced the hartal.

Meanwhile, a faction of city unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) will enforce a daylong hartal in the district tomorrow protesting the ‘confinement’ of Khaleda Zia and the filing of sedition case against Tarique Rahman.

In Pabna, the 20-party combine and district JCD called a daylong hartal for today protesting the arrest of 50 leaders and activists, including district unit Jamaat ameer Abdur Rahim, during the countrywide transport blockade on Tuesday.

Member secretary of the 20-party alliance Habibur Rahman Habib announced the shutdown at a press release.

In Rangpur, BNP’s associate bodies called a dawn-to-dusk shutdown in the district for Wednesday protesting the ‘confinement’ of the BNP chairperson and arrest of the party leaders and activists.

Rahis Ahmed, president of district unit Jubo Dal, announced the shutdown at a press briefing in the city on Tuesday. l

The blockade on the eight consecutive day was loosely enforced in Rajshahi city yesterday.

The inter-district buses were seen moving on the highway in a large scale while a considerable number of buses and goods laden trucks also left Rajshahi for Dhaka under the security of police and border guard members, said Manjur.

No major incident took place and people from all walks of life took to the streets for their own job.

Meanwhile, Jamaat activists brought out a procession in city’s Hadirmor area at about 10:30am, but police dispersed them.

Police nabbed about 32 leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami conducting drives in different areas of the city.

The drive was conducted from Monday to yesterday early morning, Rajshahi Metropolitan police (RMP) sources said.

The arrestees were sent to jail after producing before a Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, said Assistant Commissioner of RMP and also its spokesman Ifte Khayer Alam.

They were shown arrested in different cases, including arson attack, sabotage and destruction of public properties, Alam also said.

MEHEDI HASAN

distinguish guests and congratulated graduates. The VC urged upon the students to devote themselves more on higher education and to contribute in the country’s development.

The programme was ended through national anthem. l

Blockade results in price hike, pickets leave one burnt BNP and Jamaat-Shibir activists brought out processions at different points in Barisal in support of the ongoing indefinite transport blockade called

by BNP-led 20-party alliance yesterday.

The rallies roamed in Hatkhola, Nabagram Road, Kawnia and Kashipur areas yesterday on the eighth day of blockade programme.

Both roads and water ways saw less number of vehicles because of a dearth of passengers, claimed Aftab Hossain, president of city Sramik League and Barisal Bus Owners Association, adding that limited number of vehicles were plying on the long routes.

The disruption in vehicular movement has resulted in a price hike of daily essentials in the city.

Vegetable trader Shah Alam said:

Four crude bombs recovered from DU n DU Correspondent

RMP Commissioner Muhammad Shamsuddin told the Dhaka Tribune that the special drives had been continuing in Rajshahi to resist sabotage activities in the name of blockade.

The drives will also be continued as long as the destructive activities of the pro-blockade activists will be continued, Shamsuddin also said.

32 crude bombs recovered from Rajshahi

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion recovered at least 32 crude bombs and 10 sharp lethal weapons from Kharkhari Bypass area in Rajshahi city yesterday.

Lieutenant Colonel Mahbub Alam, the spokesmen of RAB 5, said, they had received an information that a group of assailants was preparing for sabotage acts in the area.

Later, members of the elite force conducted a drive in the area around 11:45pm on Monday and recovered the bombs and weapons.

Captain Mahbub said the assailants, however, managed to flee the scene sensing the presence of the elite force.

The crude bombs were supposed to be used in any subversive activity during the ongoing blockade programme, the RAB official said, adding that investigation is going on to detect the persons who have stored the bombs. l

A rickshaw-puller hacked his wife to death following a family feud in Chittagong’s Chandgaon area yesterday.

Hanif, 32, hacked Safia Begum, 28, a readymade garment worker of Azim Group.

Yesterday morning, Safia and Hanif engaged in a quarrel in their house located inside Selim Colony of Osmani Pul area under Chandgaon, said Sub-Inspector (SI) Md Golam Kibria of Chandgaon police station.

He said at one point of the brawl, Hanif had hacked his wife with sharp weapon and brought her to Chittagong Medical College Hospital in a critical condition.

After a while, the doctors at CMCH declared Safia dead and handed over Hanif to police.

Hanif, hailing from Noakhali, admitted of hacking Safia during primary interrogation, said SI Kibria.

He added that a case was filed in this connection and Safia’s body was sent to CMCH morgue for autopsy. l

Tarique faces another arrest warrant n Tribune Report A court here yesterday issued a warrant for the arrest of BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman in a defamation case filed for his derogatory remarks on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Judge of the Sadar Cognisance Court Taskinul Haque issued the arrest warrant in the case filed by district unit president of Bangladesh Chhatra League Tahmidur Rahman Siju.

Siju filed the case with the court on December 28 last. On the day, the court asked the officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station to submit a report by January 10 after investigating the incident.

The court came up with the arrest warrant after police submitted the probe report, said court sources.

The case was filed in connection with a speech made by Tarique Rahman at a discussion in London on December 15 when he called Sheikh Mujibur Rahman a ‘great Razakar’ and claimed that Bangabandhu’s family had no contribution to the country’s Liberation War. Earlier, a number of courts across the country, including Dhaka, issued either warrants or summonses against the BNP senior vice-chairman in separate cases filed over his disparaging remarks about Bangabandhu. l

Although farmers are suffering from acute crisis of fertiliser, dealers cannot supply the agri-input to them because of the ongoing blockade enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance. Dealers have kept fertiliser under the open sky as truck owners are not interested to carry fertiliser in fear of arson attack. The photo taken from Belpukuria under Godagari upazila shows labourers are uploading fertiliser on a truck, but they didn’t know when they would be able to send the input to its destination AZAHAR UDDIN

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Blockade puts milkmen in dire straits n Our Correspondent, Panchagar Leading dairy producer Milk Vita has stopped buying milk due to the countrywide blockade since January 8, taking a heavy toll on the people involved in the dairy farm in Panchagar.

Most farmers have already run short of money while others are in line for facing the same situation if the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance continues to enforce the blockade.

Especially, the debt-ridden farmers are seeing a bleak future. Their debts as well as interests have already began piling up for their failure to pay it in

installments.

The Milk Vita collects milk from around 500 dairy farms, including 25 registered under the Department of Operatives, in the district.

Two days into the blockade enforced by the BNP-led alliance, the company stopped buying further milk after its refrigeration centre was filled up with milk on January 8.

Transportation of the refrigerated milk from Panchagar to Sirajganj’s Baghabari pasteurisation centre runs the risk of attack by supporters of the blockade.

More than 1500 litres of milk, which

used to be sold to the dairy producer for Tk45 per kg every day, is now either being sold at a throwaway price or going waste for lack of its buyers.

Hafizabad upazila’s Talma Bamanpara Milkmen Cooperative Association President Alamin Jewel said: “Blockade has robbed us of all cash money because we can neither sell nor preserve milk due to it.

“However, cows have to be fed every day. If they are given less food, they won’t give milk as much as they do now. Now I am now borrowing to run my family and feed the cows,” he said.

Countrywide indefinite blockade led by BNP led 20-party goes on disrupting plying vehicles on roads and highways. The picture shows yesterday, the 8th day of the programme, a bus under police escort starts for Sylhet from the Capital FOCUS BANGLA

5 dead, 12 injured in road accidents n Tribune Report

Five people were killed while 12 got injured in separate road accidents across the country yesterday.

Two died while six got injured when a privet car collided head on with a Dhaka-bound sand laden truck on the Tangail-Bangabandhu Bridge highway yesterday.

Bangabandhu Bridge police station Officer-in-Charge Akheruzzaman said the accident took place in Shalla area under Kalihati upazila around 8am

leaving three dead on the spot and six others injured.

The injured were admitted to the Tangail Medical College hospital while the dead could not be identified immediately.

Meanwhile, two persons died and six sustained injuries in a road crash in Thakurgaon’s Ranishongkoil upazila yesterday. Around 10:30am, two motorcycles and one private car collided in Kumerganj area leaving two motorcyclists – Anoar Hossain Anu, 40, and Shamim Hossain, 20 – dead on spot.

Locals said the two victims were on their way to Ranishongkoil from Kornaite village.

In Naogaon’s Manda upazila, an 18-year-old man named Firoze Hossain died after being crushed by a tractor in Bijoypur brick kiln at 12noon yesterday.

Firoze was the son of Siraj Mridha hailing from Bijoypur village.

Manda police station Officer-inCharge Mozaffor Hossain and witnesses said Firoze, helper of the tractor, slipped and came under the wheels as he tried to board the running tractor. l

“Debt and its interest are on the other hand are piling up for our failure to pay it in installments. The dairy farms would face uncertainty if the blockade continued,” he added.

Sadar upazila’s Kamat Para Milkmen Cooperative Association member Nazrul Islam said they had taken millions of taka as loans from various institutions, including Jubo Unnayan, Kamsangsthan Bank and Milk Vita.

“Now I am failing to pay the loan in installment because I cannot finish selling it for even Tk25-30 per kg every day.”

Panchagar municipality’s Monowara

Dairy Farm’s proprietor Mostafizur Rahman Pintu said cattle feed price had already gone up by Tk150-200 per sack due to the countrywide blockade.

Sadar upazila’s dairy farmer Julish Islam Chapal said they would not be able to keep their farms afloat if the government did not take steps to save them from the loss they were now suffering for the blockade.

When asked, Manager Dr ASM Rashed of Milk Vita’s Panchagarh Milk Refrigeration Centre said: We cannot transport milk from one place to another and so we have stopped buying milk by the order of the authority.” l

Three jailed for early marriage n Our Correspondent, Chuadanga A mobile court in Damurhuda upazila on Monday sentenced ten days of imprisonment to the bridegroom and two match makers on charge of an early marriage move.

The incident took place at Kadirpur village in the upazila during a marriage programme. Damurhuda UNO and Executive Magistrate Faridur Rahman handed down the verdict to bridegroom Hasibul, 14, and match makers Liton Ali, 25 and Romjan Ali, 35.

When contacted, the UNO said they conducted a drive being informed of the early marriage programme. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

7

Gone politics Perhaps what actually happened a year ago today was the beginning of the end of politics in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

The only way out of this is to begin anew. Forget the election. The election is a means to an end. What’s the end? The end has to be a political game changer. It will have to be something that resets politics

P

n Jyoti Rahman resent is like Rome — all roads lead to it. Wherever we find ourselves today, we look back and think of many reasons that brought us here. A year ago today, we ended the “compact of co-existence that was forged between the AL and the BNP at the end of the 1980s, and that has provided the pattern for the past quarter century of political life.” Let me quote from a recent op-ed by Zafar Sobhan: “As far as the AL is now concerned, the BNP is a party founded in the cantonment, by the man they hold responsible for the massacre of August 15, by the party that rehabilitated the war criminals, and is nothing more than a rag-tag assembly of opportunists, criminals, and killers that created political space for itself at the point of a gun. It represents only those Bangladeshis who are enemies of the state.

There can be no compromise with such a party, no accommodation, no peaceful co-existence. After the grenade attack of August 21, 2004, the AL

Calling for a free and fair election is a pointless exercise because the government isn’t interested in offering one, and the establishment isn’t convinced switching the masters will do anyone any good

has come to the conclusion: It is us or them. There is no space in Bangladesh for both the AL and the BNP. The AL plan for the coming year is therefore straightforward: Continue to squeeze the life out of the BNP.” Maybe the partisan minds made this inevitable, maybe not. Maybe the institutional set ups of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh made such an outcome quite likely, with events and contingencies doing the rest. And maybe what actually happened a year ago today was the beginning of the end of politics in that republic. Maybe politics as we have known it simply won’t do. Maybe the only way out of this is to begin anew. Let me quote Zafar from February 2014: “The simple truth is that the current system we have in place is incapable of delivering to us a workable political solution that is competent to address the needs of the country.

Our single constituency, first-pastthe-post electoral system, that delivers all power to the winner, fails to keep any kind of a check and balance on our elect-

ed representatives, and cannot ensure any kind of separation of powers so that independent branches of the government can actually operate independently. This constituency has reached the limits of what it can deliver.”

Let’s take this one step at a time.

The most important institutional factor is the extremely centralised nature of our republic.

Our modern political history began as a province in British India, which became a province of Pakistan — in both cases, we were conceived as a federating unit of a larger state. When we became independent, we inherited the provincial state machinery and turned it into a sovereign unitary republic.

It makes good sense for us to be unitary state. Federations work best when the federating states are ethnically/ culturally/geographically/economically heterogenous. Texas is a very different place compared with New York. So it makes sense for Texas and New York to have separate health departments.

I am not sure one can make the same argument between Chittagong and Khulna. So, turning Bangladesh into a federation of several states will mean multiplicating a lot of government machinery without much benefit.

But this doesn’t mean we need to be as centralised as we are now. Interestingly, the three pre-1990 governments, in their “autocratic” ways, did experiment with devolving power out of Dhaka. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in his Bakshal, envisaged district and city mayors and governors who would have power over local law and order and infrastructure — by way of example, a police super would be sent from Dhaka for a fixed term, but would be answerable to the local mayor or governor. Ziaur Rahman envisaged Gram Sarkar that would be responsible for local dispute resolution (shalish), and HM Ershad initiated the upazillas where the chairman is responsible for local service delivery.

All three regimes wanted to devolve power because they feared the power of Dhaka-centric elites, and wanted to use the local governments to boost their own patronage network. Post-1990, MPs of both main parties have strongly and unanimously opposed these local governments, because they didn’t want their powers diluted. As a result, all these local government officials have absolutely no practical power at all.

And the MPs opposed any local government power because local affairs was the only space where they could exercise any power. In fact, it’s even stronger than that — our political culture is such that our politicians are judged on their success or failure at the local level.

Given our unitary state, there is no need to have an upper house of the parliament. In a unicameral legislature,

the opposition members have very limited legislative power. Given the Article 70 of the constitution that prohibits floor-crossing, even government MPs have very limited legislative power.

Now, the Article 70 has a historical background. From the 1930s to the 1950s, at the provincial politics of Bengal and Pakistan, legislators used to frequently trade votes for money/favours. Mujib saw this first hand. As a young leader, he was asked to guard a veteran legislator — Mujib had to stand guard outside the old guy’s toilet! So he was adamant that we needed an article against floor crossing. Hence the Article 70.

While the article might stop our MPs from speaking their minds, they can still act as legislators. They can initiate bills. They can participate in the committee process. They can act as reviewers of the bureacracy, and vet key appointments. The opposition MPs can have a strong role to play in these review/vetting processes. But what incentive does any MP have to do any of these?

Neither party leaders actually want the legislators to show independence or initiative. They would prefer that laws are written by bureaucrats of law ministry on the instruction of the prime minister (or her office), and the parliament would just rubber stamp the legislations. They don’t want any reviews or vetting of any exective decision or appointment. They don’t want these when in power, and for reasons explained below, they don’t want it when in opposition. So, the typical MP gets no credit from the leadership for being a good legislator.

What’s an MP to do then but to turn to local affairs? The MP becomes, for five years, the elected nawab of the area. He (and sometimes she) is the head of local school committee and masjid council and sports club and cultural society —and those are the formal roles. Informally, he/she decides on how the local government machinery is run, and what projects are implemented and by whom. The party chiefs leave the MPs alone in these local affairs.

Basically, chiefs want 151 persons who can get elected and remain elected (and as it happens, political scions have good chance of getting and staying elected). These people are either from the family of some dead leader, or they are the local Robin Hood/Don figure, or they are rich businessmen who buy the nomination.

If you are a good MP, you look after your area — your area’s development and its inhabitants’ employment opportunities, these are what you’re judged by. If you’re an MP, why would you want competition from the upazila chairman or city council mayor? So you oppose local government empowerment. And the less powerful the local bodies are, the more the electorate

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Restarting politics is what Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did with his Six Points. He didn’t demand the end of the Ayub regime and restoration of the status quo ante. Mujib’s Six Points called for an end-of-Pakistanas-it-existed. That’s the kind of stuff needed now

judge you for your local performance.

This creates a feedback loop — MPs stop being national legislators and become local politicians. And in Dhaka, without a functional legislature, the executive’s power is centralised.

Over time, you end up in a situation where people who get elected can’t run ministries or drive policy, and people who can do these essential functions of governance can’t get elected.

So both leaders tend to appoint their cronies as ministers, and then run the country through unelected advisors.

In some cases, ministers and advisors clash and there is paralysis. In other cases, ministers engage in corruption while advisors make policy.

This dysfunction is compounded by the electoral system and historical factors.

We inherited the first-past-the-post (FPP) system from the British, which magnifies the swings. In 2001, BNP and allies won a two-thirds majority. In 2008, the same alliance got around a tenth of the seats. Had a proper election taken place in 2013-14, the BNP might well have ended up with a bigger victory than it had in 2001. But the AL’s vote share actually increased between 1996 and 2001, while the BNP’s vote share was higher in 2008 than 1991. Even as of October 2013, polls were implying that the 40-40 politics still held.

Under FPP, elections are not a contest for votes, but for the seats. You want to win 151 seats, so you nominate people who can win and retain these seats. You don’t want legislators. You want people who can be good nawabs of these 300 seats. Even in the opposition, as the leader you don’t want people with a tough legal mind who can pursue government corruption, or a policy wonk who can shape ideas.

You’re better off with someone who can organise the street politics and election campaigns in the districts.

On top of this, let’s pause to remember the two leaders’ personal experiences. Both came into politics after family tragedies. And both saw people close to the dead leaders joining the new order. And as late as 2007, both were betrayed by ambitious partymen.

Is it any surprise that the leaders want to centralise power?

The institutions we created/inherited, with the historical factors, led to the politics of the past decades.

After 1991, the BNP realised that it had power over so many things, while the AL realised that it had power over absolutely nothing. The AL immediately set on winning power. It went with what it knew well — andolon. The BNP panicked and rigged a by-election in Magura, giving the AL a casus belli. After 1996, the BNP figured that andolon would not do, so they introduced the alliance concept. After 2001, the AL did andolon, but also formed a bigger alliance and introduced behind-thescene moves with the establishment.

Meanwhile, each successive government took centralisation to a new level.

And all this, because losing is not an option in a winner take all world.

At least in that world, the existence of two parties created some form of balance of force. That balance is now gone.

The BNP is not able to dislodge the government. Calling for a free and fair election is a pointless exercise because the government isn’t interested in offering one, and the establishment isn’t convinced switching the masters will do anyone any good. As a result, politics as we have come to know is finished.

The only way out of this is to begin anew. Forget the election. The election is a means to an end. What’s the end? The end has to be a political gamechanger. It will have to be something that resets politics. It will have to be something that restarts politics.

Restarting politics is what Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did with his Six Points. He didn’t demand the end of the Ayub regime and restoration of the status quo ante. No one in the mid1960s wanted to go back to the 1950s.

Mujib’s Six Points called for an end-ofPakistan-as-it-existed. That’s the kind of stuff needed now.

The future belongs to those who come up with a vision like that. l Jyoti Rahman is a political blogger. This article was previously published in jrahman. wordpress.com

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Bootleg liquor kills at least 28 US urges India-Pakistan dialogue to reduce in India, 90 more in danger n Kashmir tensions Reuters, Lucknow

A batch of bootleg liquor has killed at least 28 people in India, where tainted illegal alcohol often kills poor villagers unable to afford licensed spirits.

Fifteen people died on Tuesday and about 90 remained in hospital, said Debashish Panda, principal home secretary of northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, taking the total death toll since Monday to 28.

The victims from Malihabad, about 25 km (15 miles) from the state capital, Lucknow, became severely ill after consuming the drink on Sunday night, their families said. The death toll may rise further as most of the victims were in serious condition, said Kausar Usman, a doctor at King George’s Medical University in Lucknow.

Police have arrested two men who they suspect made the brew with methanol, a chemical used in industrial items such as fuel and antifreeze.

Angry family members burned

n AP, Islamabad

Indian relatives mourn over the bodies of two brothers who died after consuming bootleg liquor at Datli village in Malihabad AFP down the rustic distillery where the liquor was produced and sold, police said.

Deaths from drinking moonshine are common in India.

In 2008, 180 people were killed after consuming poisonous moonshine in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in India’s worst spate of deaths in recent years. l

Sonia slates Modi in party meet n Tribune Desk Congress president Sonia Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday for ignoring his ministerial and party colleagues’ “provocative” statements and for his anti-poor policies, as she slammed the government for taking the ordinance route on important issues.

Gandhi mentioned Modi and the government as many as 11 times in her opening speech at a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meet-

ing in the capital, where she addressed Congress members in an attempt to reinvigorate party cadres ahead of the Delhi assembly polls.

“Influential members of the government and the party have been making provocative statements. This, in many ways, is a continuation of the strategy of polarisation adopted by them in last year’s Lok Sabha and recent assembly elections as well,” she said.

The Opposition also attacked the BJP on a conversion programme organised

US Secretary of State John Kerry Tuesday urged India and Pakistan to move their relationship forward through dialogue, saying the US was concerned about recent violence along their disputed border.

Kerry’s comments came during a press conference in Islamabad Tuesday with the Pakistani prime minister’s foreign policy adviser, Sartaj Aziz.

The disputed Kashmir region has been a source of sharp tension between Pakistan and India since they both became independent in 1947. Two of the three wars they have fought have been about Kashmir, a region they both claim. Tensions spiked in late December and early January with both sides accusing the other of firing across the de-facto border that separates the two sides of Kashmir.

Thousands of villagers in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir fled their homes, and at least a dozen people were killed.

“We continue to be deeply concerned by the recent spate of increased violence,” Kerry said. “It is profoundly in the interests of Pakistan and India to move this relationship forward.”

But Aziz appeared in no mood for such a step. He accused India of wanting to have talks only on its own terms and asked the US to push the Indian side on the matter.

India and Pakistan agreed to resume talks on improved relations in May when Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attended the inauguration of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

But an announcement by Pakistan’s ambassador to India to meet with Kashmiri separatists in New Delhi angered India and it called off the talks.l

Bengal BJP leader says ‘Hindus should have 5 kids’ n Tribune Desk A BJP leader in West Bengal has gone a step ahead of controversial party MP Sakshi Maharaj, asking Hindu women to bear five children “to protect Hinduism”.

Birbhum BJP joint district president Shymal Goswami said while observing the Vivekananda birth anniversary at a school in Monday that Hindu women needed to have five children, so that Hindu religion is not endangered.

“I want to tell my Hindu mothers and sisters that if they don’t have five children, there will be no equilibrium in India in future. Don’t misunderstand me.

To protect Hinduism and Sanatan Dharma, it is necessary for all Hindus to give birth to five children,” Goswami said.

Goswami on Tuesday remained firm on his comment, saying “let the sword of punishment come over my head, but I will not budge from my stand.”

Goswami’s remark came on the heels of a similar statement made by Sakshi Maharaj, BJP MP from Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, that all Hindu women should bear four children. l

US designates Mullah Fazlullah as a ‘global terrorist’ n Agencies

I N D I A’ S S U C C E S S I N C O N S E R V I N G R H I N O S

by certain Hindu groups affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).

“The Prime Minister has chosen to ignore these disturbing statements and speeches, raising questions on his real agenda, an agenda that causes sharp division, mistrust and hatred among communities, and agenda that can only cause grievous harm to our nation’s pluralistic and secular ethos,” Gandhi said.

Major changes in the party were also discussed. l

Indian one horned Rhinoceroses drink water from a pond to quench their thirst in the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in the Morigaon district of northeastern Assam state on January 13, 2015. Pobitora has the highest density population of Rhinos in the world, presently numbering about 93 according to 2012 Rhino census in just 38.8 square kms area AFP

The US State Department on Tuesday designated Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah as a ‘global terrorist’.

According to a State Department press release, Fazlullah has been labeled a ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist’ under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.

The consequences of these designations include a prohibition against American citizens engaging in transactions with Fazlullah, and the freezing of all property and interests of Fazlullah that are in the United States, or come within the United States or the possession or control of US persons, the statement said. l

Pope urges respect for human rights n AFP Pope Francis urged respect for human rights as he began a two-nation Asia tour in a windswept Sri Lanka Tuesday, bearing a message of peace and reconciliation after a decades-long civil war.

His visit, days after the surprise election of a new president, is focused on unity in a country struggling to heal the wounds of a 37-year conflict that pitted troops against Tamil separatists.

The Argentine pope’s second visit to Asia will also take

in the Philippines, a bastion of Christianity in the region, where he is set to attract one of the biggest-ever gatherings for a head of the Churchs.

But in mostly Buddhist Sri Lanka, which has seen a rise in religious violence in recent years, he is focusing on the role of the Church in society.

“The great work of rebuilding must embrace... promoting human dignity, respect for human rights, and the full inclusion of each member of society,” the pope said on his arrival in Colombo. l

EU vote gives governments choice to grow GM crops n Reuters, Brussels Individual EU nations will be able to ban cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops under a compromise deal agreed on Tuesday that ends years of deadlock over the barbed issue and could actually boost GM farming.

A list of GM products is awaiting EU approval and Tuesday’s vote in the European Parliament opens the way for the authorities to review it.

EU member states will be able to opt out of any eventual GM approvals, but environment campaigners said the new law was not robust enough.

Some figures in the GM industry were also unhappy, complaining that the compromise meant countries would be able to reject GM crops for unscientific reasons.

Widely-grown in the Americas and Asia, GM crops in Europe have divided opinion. Many countries, including France and

Germany, oppose them, while others, like Britain, favours them.

An earlier attempt to agree a compromise on GM cultivation failed in 2012.

Tuesday’s vote in the parliament in Strasbourg is almost the final stage in the legislative process.

The plan will become law once it has been signed off by member states and published officially, which is expected in the coming weeks.

Vytenis Andriukaitis, European commissioner for health and food safety, welcomed the outcome.

“The agreement meets member states’ consistent calls since 2009 to have the final say on whether or not GMOs can be cultivated on their territory,” he said.

EU authorities have approved only two GM crops for commercial cultivation so far. Of those, one was later blocked by one of the EU’s top courts, which found EU authorities had failed to follow the rules when they approved it. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Charlie Hebdo to publish Mohammad cartoon on front page

n Reuters, Paris

Charlie Hebdo will publish a front page showing a caricature of the Prophet Mohammad holding a sign saying “Je suis Charlie” in its first edition since Islamist gunmen attacked the satirical newspaper.

With demand surging for the edition due on Wednesday, the weekly planned to print up to 3 million copies, dwarfing its usual run of 60,000, after news agents reported a rush of orders. International editions will be translated into 16 l anguages.

France has drafted in thousands of extra police and soldiers to provide security after 17 people were killed in three days of violence that began when two Islamist gunmen burst into Charlie Hebdo’s offices, opening fire in revenge for the paper’s publication of satirical images of Mohammad in the past.

The paper said the front page of its Jan. 14 edition would display a tearful Mohammad with a sign saying “Je suis Charlie” (I am Charlie) below the headline: “Tout est pardonné” (All is forgiven).

The new edition of Charlie Hebdo, known for its satirical attacks on Islam and other religions, will include other cartoons featuring the Prophet Mohammad and also making fun of politicians and other religions, its lawyer said.

“We will not back down, otherwise none of this has any meaning,” Richard Malka told French radio. “If you hold the banner ‘I am Charlie’, that means you have the right to blaspheme, you have the right to criticize my religion.”

One Paris newspaper vendor said he had received 200 advance orders for Charlie Hebdo and was stopping there as he could no longer cope.

There was no official reaction from the government on the new edition.

French Muslim leaders urged their community to keep calm and respect the right to freedom of expression. l

World

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Hollande vows France ‘will never yield’ as attack victims buried

French President Francois Hollande (C) delivers a speech yesterday at the Paris’ prefecture

n AFP, Paris President Francois Hollande vowed Tuesday that France would “never yield” to terror in an emotional tribute to three police officers shot dead in an Islamist killing spree, as four Jews gunned down in the attacks were buried in Israel.

Equally defiant after the killing of most of its editorial team in last week’s attacks, the satirical Charlie Hebdo magazine unveiled the cover of its latest edition showing a weeping Prophet Mohammed under the banner “All is forgiven”.

Egypt slammed the provocative cover which was republished across Europe, in Australia and Brazil, but French Muslim groups urged their communities to “stay calm and avoid emotive reactions” to the depiction of

Mohammed, which many see as sacrilegious.

Home to Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim communities, France was shaken to the core by its bloodiest attacks in decades, which began when gunmen opened fire at the Charlie Hebdo editorial meeting in its Paris offices on Wednesday and ended in a bloody hostage drama at a Jewish supermarket two days later.

Seventeen people, including journalists, policemen, a black policewoman, Muslims and Jews lost their lives.

The supermarket killer, Amedy Coulibaly, and the Charlie Hebdo gunmen, Said and Cherif Kouachi, were killed in quick succession in two police blitzes on Friday.

‘They died for our freedom’ In an historic show of solidarity, nearly four million people marched

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Netanyahu ridiculed over Paris

AFP

around the country on Sunday, and the outpouring of shock and grief continued Tuesday as several victims were buried.

In Paris, the Marseillaise anthem rang out under grey skies as a grimfaced Hollande laid the country’s highest decoration, the Legion d’honneur, on to the coffins of three fallen police officers draped in the red, white and blue flag.

“Our great and beautiful France will never break, will never yield, never bend” in the face of the Islamist threat that is “still there, inside and outside” the country, said Hollande, surrounded by weeping families and uniformed colleagues Two policemen, Franck Brinsolaro, 49 and Muslim officer Ahmed Merabet, 40, were killed during the attack on Charlie Hebdo. l

n Tribune Desk

owed by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a storm of criticism because of his “embarrassing” behaviour at Sunday’s mass solidarity march in Paris and his calls for French Jews to emigrate to Israel following last week’s deadly attack on a Jewish supermarket.

The Israeli prime minister was seen elbowing his way to the front of the parade of world leaders and also unsuccessfully tried to jump to the head of queue waiting for a bus that was to take guests to the starting point.

After he failed to get on the first bus, a nervous-looking Netanyahu – accompanied by what appeared to be an Israeli security team – was shown on French video footage waiting for the next one.

During the march, Netanyahu waved to the crowd in response to a pro-Israel shout from a woman spectator, a gesture some Israeli commentators deemed to be at odds with the sombre mood.

The alleged gaffes were further compounded by reports that the Israeli leader attended the event in defiance of a request to stay away from Francois Hollande, the French president, who reportedly did not want it overshad-

Erdogan accuses West of hypocrisy

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused the West on Monday of hypocrisy for its stance over the attack on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and hostage-taking at a Jewish supermarket in Paris, while failing to condemn anti-Muslim acts in Europe.

Speaking alongside visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Erdogan also slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for attending a rally in France on Sunday with other world leaders after the Paris attacks.

“How can a man who has killed 25,000 people in Gaza with state terrorism wave his hand in Paris, like people are waiting in excitement for him to do so? How dare he go there?” he said.

“You should first give an account for the children and the women you have killed,” added Erdogan, who has been an outspoken critic of Israeli offensives against Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip, despite close commercial ties between Israel and Turkey.

Erdogan did not attend the Sunday march, though Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu participated. l

Egypt muslim authority slams new charlie hebdo cartoon n AFP, Cairo Egypt’s state sponsored Islamic authority on Tuesday denounced as a provocation the planned publication of another cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed in the new issue of French magazine Charlie Hebdo.

“This action is an unjustified provocation against the feelings of 1.5 billion Muslims,” the Dar al-Ifta said in a statement.

“This (magazine) edition will result in a new wave of hatred in French and Western society. What the magazine is doing does not serve co-existence and

the cultural dialogue Muslims aspire to,” the statement added.

Dar al-Ifta is headed by the mufti, the government’s official interpreter of Islamic law.

His adviser, Ibrahim Negm, told AFP the institution condemned the bloody attack on the magazine’s offices last week by jihadists, after it published satirical depictions of the Muslim prophet.

“We call on all Muslims not to participate in violence,” he said.

“We denounce violence and respect freedom of opinion. But the other side has to understand that we love the Prophet Mohammed.” l

Cameroon: 143 Boko Haram fighters killed After a decade, Abbas’s finally challenges Israel n Reuters, Yaounde At least 143 Boko Haram fighters were killed in an attack on a military camp in Cameroon on Monday, a minister said, adding that it was the heaviest loss sustained by the Nigerian Islamist group in the country.

“The terrorists ... lost 143 lives and important warfare equipment made up of assault rifles of various brands, heavy weapons and bullets of all cali-

bres,” Minister of Communications Issa Tchiroma Bakary said in a statement.

“On the Cameroon side, we lost one life, the Corporal-Chef Bela Onana, as well as four wounded.”

It was not immediately possible to independently verify the toll from the fighting near the town of Kolofata.

Cameroon’s army determines death tolls either visually, or by counting the number of vehicles it destroys and estimating how many militants each ve-

T H E S H O W- S T O P P E R

The new Ford GT is pictured at The North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, on January 12, 2015. Ford attempted to land a knock-out blow to its rivals at the Detroit auto show in revealing a dazzling new GT supercar AFP

hicle carried, a senior official in Cameroon’s Far North region told Reuters last month.

Boko Haram, which has killed thousands in its bid to carve out an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, had also targeted Cameroon over the past year.

Earlier this month, a man claiming to be the leader of the group threatened to step up violence in Cameroon unless it scraps its constitution and embraces Islam. l

n AP, Ramallah After a decade as Palestine’s president, Mahmoud Abbas has little to show.

He is no closer to a deal on Palestinian statehood, has failed to reclaim the Gaza Strip from political rival Hamas, and is being disparaged by some as a pliant guardian of Israeli security needs.

But the typically cautious 79-year-old dramatically changed course in the days before this week’s tenth anniversary in office by signing up to the International Criminal Court. That could allow for war crimes complaints against Israel in what many believe is his strategy of last resort.

The court bid is part of a wider strategy Palestinians hope will bring international pressure to bear on Israel and improve their leverage in future statehood talks. They say the approach stems from frustration with two decades of failed talks overseen by staunch Israeli ally America. Israel accuses Abbas of trying to replace negotiations with a campaign to delegitimise the Jewish state.

The move carries unprecedented risks, but Palestinian officials say Abbas had to act.

“We are weak and the only way before us is to bring the Palestinian cause back to the international community,” said one aide, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe Abbas’ private views.

Palestinians close to Abbas say he has been under intense domestic pressure to challenge Israel since the summer’s 50-day Gaza war between Israel and the Islamic militant Hamas group that killed more than 2,200 Palestinians, many of

them civilians, along with 72 Israelis.

“He had a choice, whether he listens to the people and the leadership and the advisers, or he isolates himself further,” said Hanan Ashrawi, a senior PLO official often briefed by Abbas.

The Israeli response to the court bid was swift. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu froze the monthly transfer of $120m in taxes that Israel collects for the Palestinians, forcing the Palestinian Authority – propped up by foreign aid and chronically short of funds – to immediately halt salary payments for 153,000 government employees.

Many civil servants live month to month and have mixed feelings about joining the court.

Government employee Mohammed Jadallah, 49, a father of five already falling behind on loan payments, said Abbas hadn’t done enough to explain his strategy to the suffering public.

In the long run, though, Abbas can count on public support as Palestinians “will never trade their national cause for salaries,” Jadallah said.

Abbas, will spend his tenth anniversary Thursday in Cairo, appealing to Arab League officials to keep promises to give $100m a month to make up for the Israeli sanctions. Arab countries have broken such promises in the past.

Netanyahu has no immediate plans to resume tax transfers, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said.

The Palestinian Authority was set up in interim peace agreements in the 1990s as a stepping-stone to Palestinian

independence. Negotiations on a final deal repeatedly broke down, leaving the Palestinian Authority in place. It still administers 38% of the West Bank, but lost Gaza to a Hamas takeover in 2007.

If the Palestinian Authority were to dissolve over its money woes, Israel, as military occupier, would be responsible again for providing services to Palestinians, a costly task. Israel also would lose out on coordination with Abbas’ security services, which has helped prevent militant attacks.

Nathan Thrall, an analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank, said he believes Israel wants the Palestinian Authority to survive and won’t retaliate against Abbas too harshly. In joining the international court, Abbas took this into consideration, Thrall said.

Abbas has given no indication that he plans to step aside.

He was initially elected for four years, but stayed in office because the formation of rival Palestinian governments after the Hamas takeover of Gaza prevented new elections. He has not groomed a successor and instead has tried to beat back potential challengers.

Thrall also noted Abbas hasn’t played his ultimate card against Netanyahu: ending security coordination.

Such a move would bring down the Palestinian Authority, Thrall said, because almost every single Palestinian government action requires Israeli approval, from Abbas’ travel in and out of the West Bank to sending Palestinian police cruisers from one town to another.

Israel holds national elections March 17. Netanyahu, who is seeking a third consecutive term, has refused to accept the pre-1967 line as a starting point for border talks and continued to build Jewish settlements on occupied lands in six years in power.

If he is re-elected, Abbas is bound to step up the campaign for greater recognition of a state of Palestine in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in 1967. The UN General Assembly recognised such a state in 2012.

Israeli critics of Abbas say he shares responsibility for failed negotiations, particularly after not accepting a 2008 offer by then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for a state in Gaza, 95% of the West Bank and parts of Jerusalem. But Palestinians counter that there was no agreement on details at the time and that Olmert was a lame duck.

Since then, there have been no meaningful negotiations – and Palestinians say it is time for a change.

“We are willing to negotiate, but now in a different way, through an international conference or a collective process,” said Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

CODE-CRACKER

Don’t delay on deep sea port

W

e are concerned by reports that the government is considering abandoning its plan to develop a new deep sea port at Sonadia island near Cox’s Bazar.

Our concern is acute because the rethink, as reported by the Planning Minister this week, suggests this follows pressure from India and the US, who see current plans for Sonadia as unduly advantageous to China.

A deep sea port is a huge and critical investment for Bangladesh.

It has to be progressed based on commercial considerations of where this infrastructure will be most profitable for Bangladesh, not due to external political factors.

While it is right for the government to give due consideration to technical and financial challenges, there is a very strong case for Bangladesh to urgently develop new port facilities.

Economic competitiveness can only sustained by increasing the capacity and efficiency of our ports to meet the growing needs of our own exporters. A new port is also vital if we are to take advantage of regional initiatives to improve connectivity such as BIMSTEC and the BCIM corridor.

A feasibility study for Sonadia completed in 2009 strongly highlighted its potential to serve as a major port for not just Bangladesh, but also landlocked parts of China, India, and Myanmar.

Sonadia has attracted interest not only from China, but also from both the world’s largest port operator, the UAE-based DP World and the operator of Europe’s largest port in Rotterdam.

The government should be proactively following up such commercial interests, not letting external political pressures hinder the process.

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

A mark of the passing years January 1

A

new study for the Power Division has found alarming levels of mercury entering water sources and the food chain, caused by the disposal of compact fluorescent lamp bulbs (CFLs).

With use of such bulbs growing rapidly, and with many now being replaced by more efficient LED lights, the study provides new guidelines for their safe disposal and recycling.

However, guidelines will not be enough to tackle the health risks posed, unless they are implemented as part of a nationwide waste disposal and recycling strategy.

The government urgently needs to address the dysfunctional system for waste collection that exists in the country. Cities like Dhaka fail to collect over half the waste they generate each day.

Recycling sites are pitifully provided for and are frequently a nuisance, with noxious wastes being tipped out and sorted on public roads.

Without reform, what in some ways is a positive, economic development and the spread of electricity supplies across all parts of the population, threatens to become a health hazard and environmental millstone.

We must make our systems for collecting and treating all types of waste fit for purpose. As a nation which has large pools of labour and a successful ship recycling industry there is no shortage of expertise and resources to draw upon.

As well as ensuring safer facilities for processing toxic materials and bringing in mandatory rules for e-waste recycling, the government needs to boost collection rates.

Successful neighbourhood schemes which have boosted presorting of waste for recycling by consumers, need to be emulated and rolled-out across the country.

Environmental guidelines will not work without reform of waste collection system

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

much more irresponsible and ignorant about anything other than ourselves. Bangladesh is starting to become one big Rand-ian objectivist nightmare.

A port has to be progressed on commercial considerations, not external political factors

The folly of not recycling properly

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 18 represents M so fill M every time the figure 18 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.

sattar Do we get wiser? On the contrary, some of us get dementia!

Son Zoo “Every year we get a little older. Do we get wiser?

Sometimes, but not necessarily.”

Far from wiser, every year we become that

Karl Hungus I love the author’s attempts at controlled cynicism - just enough to make you realise how messed up the status quo is, but pragmatic enough that it instills some sense of hope as well. Takes a special kind of writer to be able to pull that off.

SUDOKU Khaleda: Blockade to be continued January 5

BCL grabs billboards, owners lose Tk50cr

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.

January 2

Shaila Alam This is amusing. A very good ploy on her part.

MR The Awami League, as a party, should not blindly support whatever Hasina is doing. And JamaatShibir should not blindly think their leaders are always right. This type of thinking destroys a party system.

Confined Khaleda firm to join Dhaka rally January 5

Matiur Rahman #Bangladesh burns as opposition leaders detained.

Dhaka streets under AL control January 5

Abu Syeed “The ruling Awami League and its affiliated bodies have gathered at 15 points of the capital to observe ‘Victory Day of Democracy’ and resist the BNP’s counter programs.”

I thought the DMP said that no gathering was allowed!

Order on grade-based varsity admission suspended

Dr Ahsan Habib “In November last year, The Awami League youth wing, the Jubo League, took over 75% of the city’s billboards to celebrate its 42nd birthday.”

Looks like nobody listens to Hasina. Or, worse even, Hasina is playing a dirty game. She publicly asks them not to do certain things, but privately says ignore my public statement and do whatever you are doing. That is mean-spirited, unpatriotic, and unbecoming of someone holding the job of prime minister.

ALCanDoNoWrong Dr Ahsan Habib: You don’t appear to have an iota of the spirit of liberation. How dare you question AL & Co? They never can do wrong!

Sheikh Hasina’s year January 2

January 1 sirajulmo@yahoo.com Bangladesh is becoming a country of hooligans. No good decision can be made here.

It is a shame that the population wants chaos and never any solutions. It is seen in every sphere of life.

Evil People Politics This has been a good year for our premier, but not exactly a good year for the country.

Tofail Ahmed: No talks with BNP before 2019

rose “We salute Sheikh Hasina for her courage, despite threats to her government and her life.”

Yes the prime minister does deserve praise for her sense of fortitude, congrats indeed!

January 3

Dr Ahsan Habib I feel ashamed that I went to rallies to listen to this Tofael in 1969.

Like everyone else of BAL, Tofael has drifted far from the spirit of 1971 and has turned into a trader of the spirit of 1971. Shame on him.

Karl Hungus Evil People Politics: That is an unexpectedly poignant statement.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Brag (5) 6 Work unit (3) 7 Plant secretion (5) 10 Farm birds (5) 12 Musical instrument (4) 13 Cosy retreats (5) 15 Facts given (4) 16 Church seat (3) 18 Mineral spring (3) 20 Peruvian capital (4) 22 Gourd (5) 23 Tibetan priest (4) 25 Follows orders (5) 27 Thickness (5) 28 Sheltered side (3) 29 Agave fibre (5)

DOWN 1 Starts (6) 2 Metal-bearing rock (3) 3 Things to be done (6) 4 Table support (7) 5 Pen point (3) 8 Distress signal (3) 9 Not any (4) 11 Briny (3) 14 Makers of suits (7) 16 Juries (6) 17 Small carnivore (6) 19 Chime (4) 21 Unruly crowd (3) 22 Month (3) 24 Spoil (3) 26 Affirmative vote (3)

sattar All I want is no more political violence. Can Hasina ensure that by not choking BNP to the point of retaliation?

Are we happy?

CALVIN AND HOBBES

January 3

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER Karl Hungus Interesting question. I think people here in Bangladesh are more complacent than actually happy, but that should count for something at least.

CROSSWORD

grouch No.

PEANUTS

Dreampie grouch: Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. rose I really think we should be honest and conscientious regarding whether we are happy or not! nds Yes, we feel happy having something very little like a traffic-free road,a bit of a helping hand from the police in case we are in some trouble, a little medical care from sympathetic doctors or nurses, a little bit of cooperation from our bureaucrats, a CNG that will run on metre-based fare, so on or so forth, but keeping your hands on your heart any of the aforesaid things our people get unless they are some sort of VIPs.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

The tyranny of the majority

T

n Ziaur Rahman he government “of the people, by the people, for the people” has been under attack at regular intervals, every year. Dialogue is often strained, and the country finds itself on the verge of a shutdown. This old saga of disruption, insincerity, and bitter fights on the streets between party aficionados has made international headlines, all to the detriment of our status as a nation.

We continue to show the world that Bangladesh is essentially inhibiting responsible democracy from taking shape here, allowing the world to meddle in our affairs from the outside. We continue to export our shortcomings, and perhaps let others walk all over us, claiming that their installed democracy is the only way out. With great sadness, we notice the stalemate once again between the government and the opposition party, neither budging from their stand.

lose touch with the reality that the constitution is for people, and not the other way around. The constitution is a cherished document that enshrines a system of governance for the proper functioning of a civil democracy.

But, if the constitution is used for partisan lines and changes are enacted due to a brute majority in the parliament, then what is the remedy for the general masses?

The January 5, 2014 election gave us a new government where the then main opposition BNP and its allied parties did not participate, screaming foul in the election process and raising fingers against the alleged evil designs of election-engineering by the AL. During this period, we also noticed many disruptive, destructive, and anti-democratic actions leading up to the election date by the BNP-Jamaat alliance.

The country became hostage to their political whims, and many days of severe street agitation, blockades, deaths, etc ensued, hurting the vital

A disease in democracy has entered our politics, and unless the root of the disease is addressed, things will remain unstable

So, where does this loggerhead situation lead Bangladesh? Our founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and the freedom fighters who liberated Bangladesh from the clutches of Pakistani oppressors would perhaps toss restlessly in their graves. Their dreams, along with the dreams of 160 million, hang in the balance, and even our sense of human security is being severely tested – thanks to the unwise and stress-producing childish bickering, bringing the engines of development and growth to a halting stop once again.

In the intense pursuit to hold democracy on a pedestal, we notice that the constitution is being held as so mighty and overbearing that we

organs of the nation. The angst and destruction that followed raised concerns over whether Bangladesh has the temperament and political acumen to carry on as a civil democracy amongst the world polity.

Our progress as a nation of peace and mutual cooperation was stunted.

We bowed in shame in front of the world with fingers pointed at us. The same spectre has raised its ugly head, and been once again gripped by the battle of attrition.

The government, led by Prime Minister Skeikh Hasina, is using its coercive power now to manage, sweep, and control all aspirations for a “free and fair election” that had been snatched from the public in the

The government shouldn’t be a bully past national election, that the world considered an uncontested one with suspect playing fields.

The controlling of the opposition has escalated in the recent past, and the government is now bent on containing the opposition by wielding the power of the stick through its various machineries. Street demonstrations are instrumental as citizens’ right to voice discontentment against a government, and articles 36-40 of the Constitution of Bangladesh safeguard such rights.

However, chaos and destruction are in no way connected to freedoms of movement, assembly, association, thoughts, conscience, and speech, and should be considered antistate activities and be subject to punishment.

Democracy is about the freedoms enumerated above, and enshrined as a fundamental right to participate in political engagement. However, the question is: Are we acting in line with

RAJIB DHAR

these words of wisdom and the current laws, or manufacturing, subverting, and interpreting the laws to our advantage?

The recent state of events clearly shows that we have tried to “lock” democracy by not allowing a political party (let alone the largest party in opposition to the current government) to operate and run its programs, all in the reasoning that violence may result due to their actions on the streets.

We are assuming the worst without giving a fair chance to democracy.

We have seen, with a sense of shame and amazement, the lock-down of the former prime minister, Khaleda Zia, at her party office only recently.

In reality, we are experiencing the tyranny of the majority over the minority. Brute majority often throws a spanner in the game of “political negotiations” encouraged by the spirit of invincibility, but history is replete with instances that the power of the masses ultimately rings loud and clear.

Every effort to control and guide democracy by any party has boomeranged in the greater narrative of history, and no regime has continued to last endlessly with the mindset of stopping the voice of the people or a party.

As more energy is dissipated in “managing democracy” through a stick or the barrel of a gun, the greater the possibility for a revolt of the psychological kind – one that you will not notice until the next election day.

It is safe to say that a party with 30-35% popular support cannot be obliterated, and nor is it democratic to try and do so. Trying to walk in that direction will only create disharmony, disruption, and chaos. The common person earning a measly living shall be seriously hurt. Needless to say, all our aspirations of turning Bangladesh into a “Shonar Bangla” will be evaporated.

Therefore, democracy cannot continue to flourish under lock and key, but violence is not the language of a civilised democracy. Without playing

Looking for Mahatma

Je suis Ahmed

n MJ Akbar

n Ashikur Rahman

T

he return of a Mahatma to our newspapers in January 2015 should be considered almost as a welcome as the return of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to his motherland on January 9, 1915.

The year 1915 marked a seminal moment in history, for Gandhi’s intervention in India’s freedom movement ended the era of European colonisation, a process that progressed without setback for three centuries, and never seemed stronger than it did in the first decade of the 20th century. It was said, famously, that the sun did not set on the British Empire. After Gandhi, the sun never rose on any empire.

Born in 1869, Gandhi left for South Africa to work as a lawyer for a businessman, Abdullah Sheth, at the age of 24. He landed in Durban on May 23, 1893, clad in frock coat, striped trousers, black turban, watch, and chain.

When he came home in October 1901 for a year’s break, his fame had begun to spread among the elite. He went to the Kolkata session of the All India Congress Committee in the same train that carried great personalities like Dinshaw Wacha (who would preside), Pherozeshah Mehta, and Chimanlal Setalvad.

After his first night at the session, Gandhi was shocked to discover that delegates had relieved themselves on the verandah. He did not wait, like the others, for Dalits, still considered “untouchable,” to clean up. He picked up a broom and did so himself.

No one followed his example in 1901.

At the core of the Gandhian movement lay a proposition. India had not been defeated by the strength of Britain; India had been betrayed by her own weaknesses. India would recover its health only when Indians had purged society of evils like the curse of untouchability, ignorance, and superstition.

In Kolkata, Gandhi sought out the one genius who had, in a sense, inaugurated such a mission, Swami Vivekananda. Gandhi walked to Belur

Math, but they could not meet as the Swami was ill. But Gandhi had already begun to implement what the Swami had begun to preach: “India’s doom was sealed the very day they invented the word mleccha ...” And: “Remember that the nation lives in the cottage.”

In 1909, Gandhi read an article by a British author, GK Chesterton, which echoed his own thinking. Chesterton wrote in the Illustrated London News of September 1909, about Indian nationalists of that time: “I get bored and feel dubious about them.

What they want is not very Indian and not very national ... suppose an Indian said: ‘I wish India had always been free from white men and all their works. Everything has its own faults and we prefer our own ... if you (the British) do not like our way of living, we never asked you to. Go, and leave us with it.”

both from its own sins and from the unbearable burden of colonial rule.

He turned religion into a powerful asset, for men of every faith, by giving it a new social dimension: Religion was a source of unity, not discord, for the foundation of every belief system was the same, an eternal truth.

In three major speeches, at Kolkata University and St Stephen’s College in 1915, and at the inauguration of the Banaras Hindu University in 1916, he enumerated the basic principles of his political philosophy: Nonviolence, unity of every Indian across all communities, reform, sacrifice, dedication, cleanliness, and a future that belonged to the starving and impoverished.

At Banaras, he ridiculed the “richly bedecked noblemen” sitting on the dais and said that India would be rescued by the farmer, not the lawyer

Gandhi’s face has returned to mass media. We now need space for Gandhi’s mind and heart

Chesterton was accurate and prescient. A leader would emerge who understood the way to true Swaraj, self-rule. An Englishman he did not know had put into words what few Indians had envisaged, let alone articulated.

Gandhi went back to his practice in Johannesburg, but his mind and heart never left India again. He realised that if he was going to lead the process of reform among Hindus, he would have to first fully understand Hinduism.

He immersed himself in study of the Bhagavad Gita, in both Sanskrit and English, became a Gita-bhakt and memorised 13 of 18 chapters.

He was entranced by the concept of non-possession. Through careful steps over more than a dozen years prepared himself for the liberation of India,

or the aristocrat. In 1916 this was a revolutionary thought.

Look at India and the world a hundred years later, and wonder how much we miss this voice, this vision, this embodiment of principle. Nonviolence might seem the most relevant idea in an environment ravaged by war, but how can the elimination of degrading poverty be any less important? When murder and mayhem are rampant in the name of faith, how vital is his projection of religion as a force of peace and harmony?

Gandhi’s face has returned to mass media in the centenary year of his return. We now need space for Gandhi’s mind and heart. l MJ Akbar is an Indian journalist. He is the founder of The Sunday Guardian.

I

n the midst of all crises, where the line separating right and wrong becomes blurred, where the arguments for justice appears noncoherent, where one’s identity fails to offer the right path for perusal, a touch of brilliance often allows human society to see more clearly what is at stake and what needs to be done.

The hashtag #JesuisAhmed – which appeared on social network – is for me that touch of brilliance. I write this because in three words it tells a story of a murdered Muslim police officer who died defending the right of Charlie Hebdo to scrutinise, criticise, or even ridicule his own faith.

In some sense, his sacrifice is an embodiment of the 18th century French philosopher Voltaire who immortalised the argument: “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”

But Ahmed also represents something more, nicely articulated by a tweet of a middle-aged-women, who writes: “An ordinary man just doing his job, swept up in and murdered because of the ignorance and hatred peddled by both sides.”

Yes, Ahmed also represents those ordinary souls – who have no stake in the so-called fight between great ideas preached in the name of “rights” or “religion.” In contemporary times, when mosques are bombed, schoolchildren are massacred, or even countries are occupied in the name of some “grand cause,” it is the ordinary individual whose existence is at stake.

And yet, the establishment and the “anti-establishment” has the least regard for these ordinary citizens of world.

Their plights are considered as necessary costs in a great everlasting war between right and wrong – a collateral damage of some sort.

Moreover, this reality also brings to attention an important question: What does the life of a slain ordinary individual symbolise?

For me, it depicts a world political order with religious and political

institutions which offer minimum voice to ordinary citizens, whose life it apparently serves and protects. In some sense, there is a crude hypocrisy, where members of the establishment and anti-establishment occasionally destroys everything we hold essential – tolerance, coexistence, and social harmony – in the name of either serving God or us.

Let us not forget Ahmed – a Muslim and an ordinary man – who died protecting Charlie Hebdo

This hypocrisy is perhaps best illustrated by two events surrounding the Charlie Hebdo incident. First, the act itself is a blatant gesture of hypocrisy, since a group of derailed terrorist have made a crude attempt to prove to us that they are the defenders of faith by murdering free-thinking personalities.

Second, a spontaneous march of a million ordinary individuals who genuinely believe in the philosophy of free speech and tolerance is captured by politicians and statesmen like Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel whose forces killed seven journalists in Gaza last year and probably more than 2,000 ordinary Palestinians – in the name of mindless retaliation and King Abdullah of Jordan – whose country is yet to offer complete democratic rights to its citizens.

Furthermore, it is this hypocrisy that ordinary free thinking and peace loving individuals must be aware of, since some members of the establishment and anti-establishment are always looking for scope to incite more fear and hatred to facilitate their interests.

But, can the collective body of

blame games, I offer the suggestion that the development of a country has to be done with an “equitable and just system” of governance through meaningful dialogue. If governance is faulty, and has been taken over without providing the opportunity of a participatory election, then a majority of our society remains disenfranchised.

Consequently, the power of the public is trampled upon.

These are not good signals for a healthy and breathing democracy. A disease in democracy has entered our politics, and unless the root of the disease is addressed, things will remain unstable, and virulent passion may continue to show its ugly face.

Last but not the least, a gesture of solidarity and unity may be the way to bring lasting peace to Bangladesh, thus giving the government and the opposition a chance to let Bangladesh live in peace. l Ziaur Rahman is CEO, IITM.

ordinary masses actually do anything about this?

Is there scope for us to really alter and re-shape the dominant perceptions that have done so much ill in the name of serving grand ideas?

As a social scientist, I feel we have to be patient, but our real strength lies in forming an informed world citizenry – a body of global civil society who can always question the dominant narrative prescribed by the members of the establishment and anti-establishment.

This collective body should aspire to deconstruct the powerful rationales that have supported so much murder and exploitation in the name of both God and freedom.

More importantly, this body of global civil society should remind everyone that for centuries, ordinary masses were killed in the name of Christ, Muhammad, Shiva, and funnily, even Buddha. Probably for even longer, they were killed for the pursuit of power and possession.

These members of establishment and anti-establishment have murdered thinkers, painters, poets, philosophers, and surprisingly, even children. What was the fault of the murdered souls?

Often, it was that they chose to ask some tough questions on the nature of our creation, existence and authority within human society, which the man of extreme faith or power could not either comprehend or tolerate. Should this be the nature of the civilized world?

Certainly not. And our resolve against such evil has never been stronger.

Let us hope that what has happened in Paris or countless other places is not repeated anywhere, and let us express our solidarity with the families who have lost their loved ones to cruel insanities of men.

And most importantly, let us not forget Ahmed – a Muslim and an ordinary man – who died protecting Charlie Hebdo. l Ashikur Rahman is Senior Economist, Policy Research Institute.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE Wednesday, January 14, 2015

13 Socceroos roar

into Asian Cup quarters

14 Ballon d’Or winner

Cristiano hits his devastating peak

14 Germans dejected

on Neuer Ballon d’Or miss

Sport

Did you know?

Cristiano Ronaldo is the first Real Madrid player to win the Ballon d’Or in two consecutive years

Bangladesh sweep past Malaysia U23s n Raihan Mahmood

Getting ready to put the best. Bangladesh spinner Taijul Islam pulls out an acrobatic save duirng the practice session of the national cricket team at SBNS yesterday

Bangladesh boosted their confidence level for the upcoming Hockey World League Round 2 with a resounding 5-1 victory over Malaysia Under-23 in a practice match in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Bangladesh came into the game on the back of a 3-1 defeat against Malaysia U-21 in their first warm-up match last Monday.

Yesterday though, the visitors appeared to be a different outfit and stamped their authority with their teamwork. Forward Pushkor Khisa Mimo grabbed a brace while Khorshedur Rahman, Romman Sarkar and Mohammed Ashraful netted one apiece. Romman had also scored the consolation goal for Bangladesh against Malaysia U-21.

Bangladesh will fly to Singapore today to take part in the HWL Round 2, slated to get underway this Saturday.

Bangladesh are in Group B alongside Poland, Japan and Mexico.

The Red and Green outfit will play against Oman in their final practice match tomorrow.l MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Anamul eyes second round, Soumya opportunity n Minhaz Uddin Khan

(L-R) Bangladesh women cricketers Shuktara, Farzana and Rumana follow the practice session of their male counterparts at SBNS yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

National cricketers Anamul Haque and Soumya Sarkar played together for Bangladesh in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Australia two years back. The duo are set to feature in another world event, this time in the most prestigious cricket competition of them all – the ICC 50-over World Cup in Australia-New Zealand.

With the World Cup just around the corner, both the cricketers have targeted a spot in the second round, if given the opportunity to strut their stuff. The two batsmen revealed their objectives to the media at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday following practice.

Anamul started out by saying he will look to continue his recent run of good form.

“Every batsman or bowler has some plans. We all have goals to play well.

I have played the home series against Zimbabwe and the away series against the West Indies where I think I performed fairly with the bat,” said Anamul.

“The experiences have bolstered my

MSC continue to boycott hockey n Shishir Hoque Mohammedan Sporting Club Limited has refused to backtrack from their earlier decision of not taking part in any activities of the Bangladesh Hockey Federation under the reign of the existing committee.

The three other boycotting clubs – Mariner Young’s Club, Wari Club and Bangladesh Sporting Club – also echoed the same tune to Mohammedan.

Rumours were doing the rounds that the four premier division clubs, led by Mohammedan, might re-

turn to the hockey arena after the federation sent letters to these quartet of teams, asking for representatives for the formation of the league committee.

However, Sajed Adel, chairman of Mohammedan’s league committee, said they would remain in their previous stance.

“We will still to our previous stance.

We will not take part in any hockey activities under the supervision of the current committee.”

Hockey secretary of Mariner Young’s, Dipu, and Wari and Bangla-

desh Sporting officials Nazrul Islam and Hazi Mohammed Humayun respectively uttered the same message and assured Mohammedan of their continued assistance.

“I personally tried to solve the issue but it was in vain, despite talking to the National Sports Council, the sports minister and the other officials. The federation did not take any initiative to sit for discussions with us in the last one-and-a-half years,” said Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan, director-in-charge (administration) of Mohammedan yesterday. l

Hosts ITHS, Bando, C. Source, Comfit seal Super 6 spots n Tribune Desk Hosts International Turkish Hope School put up an impressive performance yesterday to confirm their Super 6 spot in the Mir Corporate Football Fiesta. ITHS beat HSBC 5-2 on the back of double strikes from Zubeyer.

Man-of-the-match Enes, Mehmet and Mecit also scored one each for the victors while Kabir and Anonto grabbed one apiece for HSBC. Vizrt earlier defeated Spell-Bound 3-0.

Meanwhile, Bando Design and Computer Source also secured their spots in the Cup-phase, starting today.

Comfit Composite Knit Ltd claimed a 4-1 win over Accenture GPIT to seal a Super 6 berth. Player-of-thematch Saadman Sakib and Tanin each notched a brace while Mashfiq netted the solitary goal for GPIT. l

confidence level. As an additional expectation, I want to familiarise myself more by scoring big in a mega event like the World Cup,” he added.

Anamul believes that in order to meet the Tigers’ primary aim of reaching the second round, the two-week training camp in Brisbane will be crucial.

Following the conclusion of the bilateral series at home against Zimbabwe last month, the national cricketers availed some much-needed match-practice in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League. Anamul thinks the experiences gathered by playing in the country’s lone 50-over domestic competition will serve as good preparation for the World Cup. “The wickets in the Premier League were good and we played five games that were very important for our World Cup preparation. In addition, we have some practice matches up ahead in Australia before the start of the World Cup. Hopefully, there will be no lack of preparation,” said the wicketkeeper-batsman.

Anamul also explained in details the

uses of a newly-introduced gadget in the Tigers’ camp, a “stone-slab”.

“The ball skids a bit and comes onto the bat in the Australian wickets.

Because of this, we are using ‘stoneslab’ during practice. In this way, we can adjust with the wicket. On bouncy wickets, balls skid more during the initial stages of batting. The practice will therefore benefit us to adjust with the Australian conditions,” concluded the 22-year old cricketer from Kushtia.

One of the newbies in the Bangladesh dressing room, Soumya, meanwhile, stated that he is working on the short ball which is said to be one of his weaknesses. The 21-year old cricketer said he is practising with tennis and plastic balls to nullify the threat of the short ball.

“In order to tackle the short ball I have already started practising. We will practise in the upcoming days too. We will even get the chance to play some practice matches in Australian conditions before the World Cup. I think it is possible to overcome my weakness through practice,” said Soumya.

“To make myself habituated with the short ball, I have been practising with the tennis ball and a sort of plastic ball,” he informed.

Soumya’s inclusion in the Tigers’ World Cup squad as a seamer-allrounder had raised quite a few eyebrows given the fact that he rarely bowled in domestic and international cricket in recent times. When queried if there are confusions surrounding his role, Soumya said, “When I have the bat in hand, I think of myself as a batsman and when I have a ball I think I am a bowler. In those conditions I will try to do well whenever I get the opportunity to perform.”

The Satkhira cricketer’s pace is also an area of concern but he informed that it is currently being taken care of by pace-bowling coach Heath Streak. “It’s true that there is not much pace in my bowling. So, Heath advised me to bowl at the right areas and release as many slower deliveries as possible,” he said.

Soumya also added that he is ready to bat in any position for the benefit of the team. l

Shakib keeps on defying himself n Mazhar Uddin Just after becoming the planet’s best all-rounder in all the three formats of the game, maverick Bangladesh cricketer Shakib al Hasan showed why he is the only player to achieve the feat in world cricket.

Shakib led from the front claiming four wickets as Melbourne Renegades yesterday swept to a convincing five-wicket win over Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash. The champion all-rounder conceded only 13 runs from his four overs as Heat were skittled out for 80 in 17.3 overs.

The player-of-the-match was introduced in the fifth over of Heat’s innings as he immediately removed Daniel Christian off his second delivery. The left-arm spinner struck again in the very next delivery clean bowling Jason Floros.

The Magura lad went on to dismiss Chris Lynn and top-scorer Ben Cutting.

In between, Shakib also affected a runout of Andrew Flintoff.

In reply, Renegades cruised to their target with five wickets and 36 balls remaining. Shakib though missed out with the bat as he departed after scoring two runs. Courtesy the win, Renegades (six points from seven matches) rose one spot to sixth position in the eight-team points table. l

BRIEF SCORE

Enes (L) of ITHS receives the man-of-the-match award from a Fifa-accredited referee in the Mir Corporate Football Fiesta yesterday COURTESY

Brisbane Heat 80 (17.3/20 ov) Cutting 30, Shakib 4/13, Pattinson 2/23 Melbourne Renegades 81/5 (14/20 ov) Beaton 31*, Rohrer 25*, Christian 2/13 MoM- Shakib al Hasan Renegades won by 5 wickets (36 balls remaining)

Ace Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan bowls one of his venomous deliveries during the Big Bash match between Melbourne Renegades and Brisbane Heat yesterday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Ajmal to have action reassessed in Chennai n AFP, Lahore

QUICK BYTES

Prime Bank Chess starts today The Prime Bank 17th International Rating Chess Tournament, sponsored by Prime Bank Limited and organised by Leonine Chess Club, begins at the Bangladesh Chess Federation hallroom today. It will be an open event for all the chess players and will be held as per the Swiss League system. A total of Tk120,000 will be awarded as prize money among the winners. More than 80 chess players, including the leading candidates, have registered their names in the competition.

–Raihan Mahmood

Assaidi leaves Liverpool to join Qatar’s Al Ahli Moroccan winger Oussama Assaidi has left Liverpool to join Dubai-based Al Ahli Club on a permanent deal, the Premier League side announced on Monday.

The 26-year-old joined Liverpool from Heerenveen in 2012 but struggled to cement a consistent run in the team making just 12 appearances for the Anfield side.

He joined Stoke on loan in Sept. 2013 scoring five goals in 25 appearances in all competitions before returning to the Britannia Stadium for a second loan spell at the beginning of the current campaign.

“Liverpool Football Club can confirm Oussama Assaidi has left on a permanent transfer to join Al Ahli Club. The Moroccan winger ended a loan spell with Stoke City early in order to complete the switch to Dubai,” Liverpool said in a statement on their official website.

–Reuters

Proteas rest captain Du Plessis for final T20I South Africa will rest captain Faf du Plessis for the final Twenty20 international against West Indies in Durban on Wednesday as they seek to manage his long-term hip injury ahead of the 50-over World Cup. Du Plessis scored the second fastest century in Twenty20 internationals, off 46 balls, on Sunday as South Africa lost the series to the tourists having gone 2-0 down with one to play. Middle-order batsman Justin Ontong will take over as captain for the final fixture. “Faf has been rested for the last T20 as a precautionary measure ahead of a busy ODI period over the next three months,” Proteas team manager Mohammed Moosajee said in a statement released by Cricket South Africa on Tuesday. “He has a longstanding hip niggle and any amount of rest will be beneficial to him in the long run.”

–Reuters

Arsenal striker Sanogo joins Palace on loan Yaya Sanogo, Arsenal’s France Under-21 international striker has crossed London and joined Crystal Palace on loan until the end of the season, the two Premier League clubs announced on Tuesday. The 21-yearold forward, who has played six times for Arsenal this season and scored his first competitive goal in their 2-0 Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund in November, becomes Alan Pardew’s first signing since he became Palace manager earlier this month. Sanogo will link up with former Arsenal forward Marouane Chamakh in attack as Palace, who climbed to 15th in the table after beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on Saturday, continue their fight against the drop.

–Reuters

Australia’s Tommy Oar (2R) is challenged by Oman’s Abdul Sallam Al Mukhaini (L), Ahmed Mubarak and Amer Said Al-Shatri (R) during their Asian Cup Group A match at the Stadium Australia in Sydney yesterday REUTERS

Socceroos roar into quarters n AFP, Melbourne Hosts Australia and success-starved South Korea reached the Asian Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday, although Korean joy was tempered by injuries to key players and a flu bug sapping their squad.

Australia dispatched Oman 4-0 with ruthless efficiency in Sydney, making it eight goals in two games.

A team which managed just a single victory in 11 matches last year has caught fire at the Asian Cup and they put Oman to the sword boosted by two goals in three first-half minutes.

DAY’S WATCH Star Sports 2 10:00AM Ranji Trophy Gujrat v Punjab

Star Sports 4 2:40PM T20 Big Bash League Sydney Sixers v Adelaide Strikers

Ten Action Coppa Italia 2014/15 11:00PM Parma v Cagliari 2:00AM Torino v Lazio

South Korea, World Cup semi-finalists in 2002 but seeking to end 55 years of hurt in Asia’s showcase competition, laboured to a 1-0 win over Kuwait to join Australia in the last eight.

The Australians picked up where they left off after thrashing Kuwait 4-1 in the tournament opener, Matt McKay poking in from close range in the 27th minute before Robbie Kruse, who was a blur of movement all evening, added a superb second with Australia’s next attack.

Latching onto a clever flick from Massimo Luongo, Kruse trapped the ball on his thigh before clinically sweeping past Oman goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi.

Mark Milligan, in for injured skipper

Mile Jedinak, smashed home a penalty in first-half injury time and substitute Tomi Juric made it four with the pick of the bunch with a sharp finish after 70 minutes.

RESULTS

Australia

4-0

Oman

McKay 27, Kruse 30, Milligan 45+3 P, Juric 70

Kuwait

0-1

South Korea Nam 36

The Socceroos will be grateful that talisman Tim Cahill did not join Jedinak in the treatment room, however, after he was chopped down by a shocking two-footed lunge from Ahmed Mubarak.

South Korea advanced courtesy of a Nam Tae-Hee header in the 36th minute.

But the news that midfielder Lee ChungYong will miss the rest of the tournament after suffering a fractured tibia cast a shadow over their win against 1980 champions Kuwait in Canberra.

Right-back Kim Chang-Soo also failed to recover from a knock in time, while German Stielike also has illness concerns with several of his players floored by a fever, including superstar Son Heung-Min. The Koreans, who won the first two Asian Cups in 1956 and 1960, have their work cut out to end that mystifying drought with Australia flying and defending champions Japan impressing in their opening game. l

Suspended Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal will have his bowling action reassessed in India this month as he tries to make a comeback to international cricket, an official said Tuesday.

The 37-year-old was ranked world number one in one-day internationals when his action was reported during the Galle Test in Sri Lanka in August last year. He was suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) a month later after a bio-mechanical analysis.

Ajmal last month withdrew from next month’s World Cup after failing to completely alter his action, leaving Pakistan’s bowling attack badly weakened.

Mohammad Akram, head coach of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s national academy, said Ajmal would travel to the Indian city of Chennai for a reassessment.

“Ajmal will have his bowling action reassessed in Chennai on January 24 and he as well as we are confident that he will clear the test,” Akram told AFP. Under ICC rules bowlers are allowed to bend their elbow by up to 15 degrees, beyond which the action is deemed illegal. Suspended bowlers must remodel their action and then undergo a reassessment to get clearance to play again.

Ajmal, whose elbow flex reached 43 degrees, did remedial work under former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq and had unofficial tests in England.

Under ICC rules if a bowler fails a reassessment test he does not face any ban but will have to appear for another assessment, the time period for which will be determined by the ICC Bowling Review Group. If Ajmal passes the January 24 test he will be available for international cricket.

However he will be banned for 12 months should his action be reported again at international level within two years of the first report.

Akram said Ajmal was withdrawn from the World Cup after serious consultations. “We feel Ajmal needs to play domestic cricket before being inducted at the higher level,” he said. l

Retiring Misbah vows to give all for WC win

Del Potro wins in comeback

n AFP, Lahore

Former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro made a successful return to the tennis circuit on Tuesday, winning his opening match at the Sydney International.

Playing for the first time in 11 months after undergoing surgery to his left wrist, the Argentine beat Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-3 7-6(4).

“It’s time to get back on the train again,” del Potro told reporters. “This tournament is very special to me.”

Del Potro won the Sydney International last year and is among dozens of competing players fine-tuning their preparations for the Australian Open, starting on Monday.

Romania’s Simona Halep was among the high-profile entrants but she pulled out on Tuesday, saying she was suffering from gastroenteritis.

The world number three told organisers she was unable to take her place after falling ill in China, where she won the Shenzhen Open.

“During the tournament in China I got this problem in my stomach,” she

Retiring Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq vowed Tuesday to roll back the years and lead his team to victory in the World Cup starting in Australia and

Hull suffer Jelavic, Hernandez injury blow Hull City’s Premier League survival prospects suffered a blow on Tuesday with the news that injured strikers Nikica Jelavic and Abel Hernandez could be missing for six weeks. Croatian Jelavic, Hull’s top scorer in the league this season with six goals, sustained a knee injury during Saturday’s defeat by West Bromwich Albion that left the club in the relegation zone.

“Scans have shown that (he) sustained no serious damage to his knee at West Brom on Saturday although he is expected to be sidelined for between three and six weeks,” the club said on its website (www.hullcitytigers.com).

–Reuters

13

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq (R) attend a training camp in Lahore yesterday AFP

New Zealand next month.

Misbah, 40, on Sunday announced he would quit the one-day game after the mega-event in February and March.

He is one year older than Imran Khan was when Pakistan won its only World Cup in 1992, an event also held in Australia and New Zealand.

“For me it will be a big motivation to give whatever I can, whether it’s physical, mental or skill-wise to finish on a high and do what the 1992 Pakistan team did - win the World Cup,” Misbah told reporters.

Pakistan start their campaign with a highly-charged opening game against arch-rivals and title-holders India.

They also face the West Indies, Zimbabwe, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Ireland in Group B, with the top four teams from two groups progressing to the quarter-finals.

Misbah said his players were “focused and determined” and he was confident they would adjust to the fast and bouncy Antipodean pitches. l

n Reuters, Melbourne

Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro reacts after defeating the Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsky in their first round match at the Sydney International yesterday REUTERS said. “I didn’t play for three days. I was waiting until today to see if I was ready to play again, but I feel like I cannot play.

“It’s tough to play a tournament like this so unfortunately I decided to withdraw.”

Halep, runner-up at last year’s French Open, said she expected to re-

cover in time for the Australian Open, where she is among the favourites.

Halep was the second big name to pull out of Sydney in the last two days.

On Monday, U.S. Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki withdrew due to a wrist injury after reaching the final of the Auckland Classic on Saturday.l

Morgan wants me back in England team: Pietersen n Reuters, London

Sharapova to spearhead Russia in Fed Cup n AFP, Moscow

Batsman Kevin Pietersen believes there is a way back into the England team now that Eoin Morgan has become oneday captain.

Morgan replaced Alistair Cook in December and will lead the team at the World Cup in Australia.

Pietersen’s colourful international career was ended by England last year but the former skipper has been in fine form playing in Australia’s Big Bash competition for Melbourne Stars.

“I know that the current captain would love to have me in the England team,” Pietersen said while co-commentating on the Twenty20 tournament on Tuesday. “I want to play for England.”

“I’m 34. Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara is 38 (sic) years old and has just scored a double hundred,” he was quoted on the BBC. “I honestly believe I am batting as well as I have ever batted at the moment.” l

World number two Maria Sharapova will spearhead Russia in their Fed Cup opening round match against Poland in Krakow from February 7-8, national Olympic team manager Vladimir Kamelzon said Tuesday.

Four-time champions Russia are trying to bounce back from a disappointing 2014 season, when they lost 4-0 to Australia in their opening round clash.

Kamelzon added that in addition to five-time Grand Slam winner Sharapova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 23rd in the WTA rankings, and four-time Grand Slam title winner Svetlana Kuznetsova, ranked 27, will also play, along with world number 83 Vita Diatchenko.

“Sharapova’s participation is guaranteed,” Kamelzon told.

“Kuznetsova and Pavlyuchenkova will likely play the doubles.

“Their participation will give all of them the right to play at the Olympics in Rio. We’ve formed a strong squad and our goal is to win this match.” l

Tennis players Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia (CL) and Maria Sharapova of Russia (CR) pose for a ‘selfie’ with 380 ball boys and girls aged between 12-15 as they prepare for the upcoming Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne yesterday AFP

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

RONALDO IN 2014 Champions League goals record Ronaldo led Real Madrid to their 10th European crown - La Decima - in sensational style by smashing Lionel Messi’s record of 15 Champions League goals in a single season with 17 in just 11 appearances.

King of the hat-trick After the conquest of La Decima, there has been no letting up from the 29-yearold Ronald this season as he has already bagged four hat-tricks in La Liga.

His latest treble against Celta Vigo in December was a record-breaking 23rd in the Spanish top flight to take him clear of Real legend Alfredo di Stefano and Telmo Zarra, who both managed 22.

Portugal’s all-time leading scorer Ronaldo unseated Pauleta to become Portugal’s all-time leading marksman with 52 international goals.

He also became the first Portuguese player to score in three World Cup finals, but his solitary strike against Ghana was not enough to prevent the 2006 semi-finalists bowing out at the group stage.

Unstoppable at the Bernabeu Ronaldo was impossible for opposition defence to tie down at Real Madrid in 2014. He scored in every La Liga game in which he played at the Santiago Bernabeu, striking 23 times in just 14 games.

Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo (CL) poses with his 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or award for player of the year alongside Fifa president Sepp Blatter (CR) and the other award recipients at the end of the gala ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on Monday AFP

King Cristiano hits his devastating peak n AFP, Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo shut out Lionel Messi for the second straight year in the battle for the Ballon d’Or and he is showing no sign of giving up his grip as king of world football.

The 29-year-old Portuguese forward has been at the height of his powers again this year, terrorising opposing defences in the Champions League and Spain’s La Liga.

He is also hungry for more. Asked at the Ballon d’Or ceremony what his favourite goal had been, Ronaldo was only half-joking when he said: “For me the next goal is always the most important.”

Despite a patellar tendinosis problem in his left knee that contributed to an underwhelming World Cup, the Portugal captain was clearly a deserving winner of a third Ballon d’Or in a year in which he guided Real Madrid to their 10th Champions League title (but first in 12 years) and continued to rewrite the history books.

That night in Lisbon on May 24 illustrated better than most the two sides of

Saints should march into UCL, says Tadic n Reuters, Belgrade An impressive 1-0 win at Manchester United should give Southampton the impetus to finish in the Premier League top four and qualify for next season’s Champions League, says the club’s Serbia forward Dusan Tadic.

“The race for a top four finish will go down to the wire and if we keep up the good form, playing in Europe’s premier club competition could easily become reality,” Tadic told.

“It will be tough because Manchester United and Arsenal are very good teams and will do everything they can to leapfrog us, but it’s now down to us to repel their onslaught.”

Sunday’s win lifted Southampton into third place on 39 points from 21 games, two ahead of United and three in front of Arsenal.l

Ronaldo’s character that has at times made him a divisive figure.

Battling through knee troubles and frustrated for over 90 minutes, Ronaldo and his Galactico team mates looked set for one of the most embarrassing defeats in Real’s history as they trailed poorer city rivals Atletico Madrid until Sergio Ramos’s towering header in stoppage time.

Further goals in extra time from Gareth Bale and Marcelo made the long-awaited “La Decima”, a tenth European Cup, secure in Lisbon. But it was not enough for Ronaldo who surged into the Atletico box and collapsed under the attentions of Gabi.

Inevitably he slammed the penalty home to take his record-breaking tally to 17 goals in a single Champions League season.

Yet, his outrageous show of vanity as he tore off his shirt and flexed his muscled torso was a reminder of why many had in the past preferred the more modest Messi.

The preening side of Ronaldo will always exist. His latest Ballon d’Or will likely take up residence in the muse-

Messi’s purple patch of confusion n AFP, Madrid

Lionel Messi confused everyone at the Ballon d’Or awards with his purple tuxedo and his comments about his future at Barcelona.

The Argentine superstar’s spangly suit was the latest of a long line of fashion statements at the annual football gala -- where he was beaten to the top award by Cristiano Ronaldo. He made notable headlines two years ago with a striking polka dot outfit.

“Ronaldo deserved to beat Messi in the Ballon d’Or on choice of suit for the event alone,” commented former English Football Association communications chief Adrian Bevington.

But there is as much speculation about whether Messi will stay at Barcelona -- his club of the past decade -- as there is on his fashion sense.

Messi’s reportedly rocky relationship with Barcelona coach Luis Enrique already has major European clubs on

alert, according to media reports.

The alarm bells rang louder after Messi said on Monday “I’ve always said I want to end my career at Barcelona”.

He added: “But you never know what will happen in the world of football. I do not know where I’ll be next year.”

Messi refered reporters to comments by his big rival Ronaldo that “lots of things change in football and anything can happen.”

The statement by the four-time Ballon d’Or winner further clouded his intentions after a reported showdown with Enrique last week and his statement on Sunday describing reports linking him to Chelsea and Manchester City as “all lies”.

“I have never demanded anything to ensure that I stay because I never had any intention of leaving,” he told Barca TV after a brilliant performance in his side’s 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona’s tumultuous week also included the sacking of sporting direc-

tor Andoni Zubizarreta.

Messi, still a giant on the football pitch, appears uncertain in public.

After the Zurich press conference, Messi spoke to some reporters who quoted him as saying that his comments are always “twisted” and “I’m in no way thinking about leaving”.

If Messi is uncertain, it could be the result of a year without club titles as well as losing the World Cup final to Germany and the world player of the year title to Ronaldo for the second year.

The speculation could also be the result of the intense scrutiny given to every word and gesture he makes.

His move to follow Chelsea’s Instagram social media account and to put Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho in third place in his votes for coach of the year all added to the turmoil at Barcelona.

The Messi storm is a worry for Barcelona leaders, including Enrique and club president Josep Bartomeu as they confront other major problems.l

um he opened to honour himself in his home city of Funchal on the island of Madeira.

His story, though, is also one of a testament to extraordinary hard work and sacrifice. Ronaldo came from a poor background and many would say he has less natural talent than the elegant, diminutive Messi.

But Ronaldo has transformed himself from the skinny kid that arrived at Old Trafford into a physical specimen of the type football has rarely seen.

That physical transformation is a symbol of his desire to improve and raise the bar of achievement to a level previously thought impossible. When he scored his fourth hat-trick of the current campaign against Celta Vigo in December, he moved through the double century mark for goals in La Liga in just 178 games.

His overall tally is a staggering 285 goals in 274 appearances for Madrid. It is no longer a question of whether Ronaldo will become their leading all time scorer, but when. Moreover, he is likely to pass Raul’s record tally of 323 having played more than 400 fewer games. l

Manchester United have the highest wage bill in the Premier League, according to figures released on Monday.

United paid out a total £214.8 million ($324 million) on salaries in the 2013-14 season, while English champions Manchester City’s wage costs dropped last season to £205 million.

Chelsea, currently top of the Premier League, paid £190.5 million, up eight per cent from £176 million, according to the club’s annual accounts which were lodged at Companies House this week.

Arsenal are next in the pay league with a total wage bill of £166.4 million, while the scale of Southampton’s re-

cent success is illustrated by the fact that their wage bill was a fraction of their top-four rivals.

The latest figures available for 201213 show the Saints, currently third in the Premier League after beating United on Sunday, paid out just £47.1 million in salaries.

Chelsea’s accounts confirm the club’s announcement in November that they made a £18.4 million profit last season.

Sales of several players, including Juan Mata to United, allowed the club to overturn a £49.4 million loss on the season before and should make them assured to comply with UEFA’s financial fair play rules.l

Despite the presence of Messi and a niggling knee injury which forced him to miss a league game early in the season, Ronaldo has almost certainly wrapped up a third Pichichi award for La Liga’s top goalscorer in 2014-15.

The former Manchester United man has smashed in 26 goals in just 16 games to also become the first man to in Spanish history to score more than 25 times in six La Liga seasons.

Wolfsburg’s German midfielder Nadine Kessler speaks on stage after receiving the 2014 Fifa women’s world player of the year award on Monday AFP

Germans disappointed on Neuer Ballon d’Or miss n Reuters, Berlin Germans, who had hoped for a clean sweep at the FIFA Ballon D’Or, expressed disappointment on Tuesday after their World Cup-winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer came third in the vote for the 2014 world player of the year.

Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo won the award on Monday for the second year running and third time in total.

The Real Madrid forward polled more than twice as many votes as his bitter rival and four-time winner Lionel Messi, who only just edged Bayern Munich’s Neuer into third place.

Neuer, who was outstanding at last year’s World Cup in Brazil and also helped Bayern clinch a domestic double, has let in just four goals in 17 league games so far this season.

“I think this is unfair,” said Germa-

United top Premier League salary list n AFP, London

Fastest start to a season yet

ny’s former World Cup-winning captain and coach Franz Beckenbauer. “It seems that in this vote success does not count as much as appearances.”

“Keepers are in a difficult spot. People want to see goals, not the people stopping the goals.”

Germany had been hoping for a clean sweep of awards after coach Joachim Loew won coach of the year award while VfL Wolfsburg coach Ralf Kellermann was voted best coach in women’s football.

Wolfsburg’s Germany midfielder Nadine Kessler was voted female player of the year.

“I am a bit disappointed for Manuel,” Loew told reporters. “Because at the World Cup Manuel showed a completely different goalkeeping game and that is something that has never happened before.”l

Lavezzi, Cavani left out of PSG squad again n Reuters, Paris

Rosengard’s Brazilian forward Marta poses next to a replica of the World Cup trophy during a press visit to the Fifa World Football Museum under construction in Zurich yesterday AFP

Paris St Germain forwards Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani have been left out of the squad for the third successive game after returning late from the mid-season break.

Both players, who missed a training camp in Morocco, have been “reintegrated into collective training”, coach Laurent Blanc said on Monday, but he did not include them in the squad for Tuesday’s League Cup quarter-final at St Etienne.

They also missed last week’s 3-0 win at Montpellier in a French Cup last-32 game and last weekend’s 4-2 defeat at Bastia.l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

15

The Town WB, 7pm Cast: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm

A thief tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager connected to one of his earlier heists, as well as the FBI agent looking to bring him and his crew down.

HASIN to be the new look of Veet n Entertainment Desk Hasin Roushan will soon appear on TV in a new light. Bangladeshi TV audiences will now see Hasin in the well-known Veet commercial instead of Katrina Kaif.

For the first time, a Bangladeshi model is going to appear in an advert for Veet, an internationally sold beauty product manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser.

Hasin first came to the limelight in 2011 through the Veet-Channel i Top Model pageant and since winning the title she wanted to be a model for the brand.

Hasin said about the commercial: “After two long years, I am going to appear in a TV commercial. I have prepared myself with the instruction of the commercial’s director.”

“I do not know whether the audience will appreciate me or not in place of Katrina Kaif, but I believe they will appreciate our effort.”

The beauty recently wrapped up TV play “Bonnya Tomar Jonno” alongside Apurbo which is yet to air.

After becoming a model and appearing in TV advertisements, Hasin segued into acting in television dramas. Her first drama was “Amader Choto Nodi” alongside Nobel. l

Shilpakala Academy inaugurates NONDON MONCHO

Nafees Bin Zafar, Bangladesh’s first Oscar winner, has been awarded another Oscar for his contribution to the Hollywood.

The authorities of the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences, the organisation that distributes the Academy Award familiarly known as the Oscar, sent a letter

Nafees Bin Zafar was born in 1977 in Dhaka. He is the only child of Zafar bin Bashar and Nafisa, currently inhabitants of Long Island, New York in the US. They left Bangladesh in 1989 to Charleston, South Carolina, where he studied software engineering.

He is currently the director of research and development for DreamWorks in Shanghai, China. l

Entertainment Desk

It’s her second Vogue cover in as many years, and from the way Kim Kardashian’s career is going, it won’t be her last. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star is gracing the cover of Vogue Australia’s February issue, which went on sale on January 12.

Looking stunning as she posed for her beach-side photoshoot on the coast of New South Wales, Kim covers up her curves in a selection of elegant revealing dresses and she treads barefoot through the clear sea as she admits she is “obsessed” with her hubby Kanye.

Talking to Vogue about her husband and their gorgeous daughter North West, Kim revealed that Kanye has changed her life in every way imaginable. “We are absolute

A private investigator is hired to discover if a “snuff film” is authentic or not.

MRINAL SEN in Bangali Biswamoy on GTV tonight n Entertainment Desk

Live studio concert Music Club will be feature contemporary popular singer Mimi today at 11:25pm on Banglavision.

The artist will render her hit tracks alongside conversing with the callers. The singer made her debut with the album “Diwana” that gained her much popularity.

Alongside performing playbacks in movies Mimi has performed in many stage shows both at home and abroad

Celebrated Indian film-maker Mrinal Sen will be featured by “Bangali Biswamoy” on GTV at 8 tonight.

The show will focus on Mrinal’s origins, early life spent in Bangladesh, political influence, works, recognitions and acclaims.

Among others, Mithun Chakraborty, Shyam Benegal, Biplab Chatterjee, and Anjan Dutta will talk about the legend in the programme produced by Arindam Mukherjee Binku.

Considered as one of the greatest ambassadors of Indian parallel cinema on the global stage, Mrinal was born on May 14, 1923, in the Faridpur district of present Bangladesh.

The programme, “Bangali Biswamoy,” features Bangladesh born personalities who are acknowledged and revered for their works worldwide. l

KIM KARDASHIAN lands cover of Vogue Australia n

8MM Star Movies Action, 10pm Cast: Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, James Gandolfini

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy inaugurated a new venue for cultural activities named Nondon Moncho.

The three-day inauguration ceremony, which started on Monday was opened with the national anthem, followed by performances of Krishnokoli, Fakir Alamgir and Shayan, as well as acrobatic stunts by various artistes.

The programme, also consisting of solo performances, group dance performances, recitation, a qawwali performance, fusion songs and percussion performances, will end today. l

Bangladeshi-American Nafees Bin Zafar accepts his first Oscar Award in 2008 to the Bangladeshi-American tech wizard on January 8.

According to the letter, Nafees and his colleagues have been selected for the award for their outstanding work in the Drop Destruction Toolkit, used in films like “2012.”

He won his previous Oscar in 2008, for his outstanding work of fluid dynamics in “Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End.”

A veteran assigned to extract Earth’s remaining resources begins to question what he knows about his mission and himself.

n Entertainment Desk

Nafees to get another Oscar

n Entertainment Desk

Oblivion Star Movies, 4:30pm Cast: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough

best friends; we know every last thing about each other. We have good communication, and I think that’s so important in a relationship, and we have so much fun together. We’re obsessed with our family, we love our daughter so much.

We’re kind of obsessed with each other,” she said.

Kim also admitted that despite her self-made reality driven lifestyle, she wishes North could have a little more privacy. “I like sharing my world with people,” she said.

“Although I wish there could be just maybe a little bit more privacy just for our daughter.

But it is what it is. She’s going to grow up to be a strong girl.”

Last time Kim graced the covers of the high-fashion magazine, the decision was met with controversy, with Sarah Michelle Gellar even calling for fans to cancel their subscriptions. l

Abhishek and John team up for HERA PHERI 3 n Entertainment Desk Bollywood actors Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham were last seen together eight years ago in the film “Dostana.” And since a few months, rumours have been rife about the duo reuniting for the third instalment of Firoz Nadiadwala’s “Hera Pheri” franchise.

And now the duo has been confirmed for the project.

Currently, titled Hera Pheri 3 the film will be directed by Neeraj Vora and will also feature Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal, who will continue from the original trio. While the story of the third instalment is said to take off from where the second part ended, Akshay Kumar won’t be doing the film.

Expected to commence shooting in June this year, the film will be extensively shot in Mumbai, Dubai and Las Vegas. l

Music

SD Burman Music Festival Time: 6pm Shawkat Osman Memorial Auditorium, Central Public Library, Shahbag

Film

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armie

Game Into The Storm Exodus 3D Interstellar Ek Cup Cha Desha: The Leader Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3D The Penguins of Madagascar Blockbuster Cinemas

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Special police drive on to check acts of sabotage n Mohammad Jamil Khan In a bid to curb acts of sabotage and secret attacks during blockade, law enforcers have launched a special drive to net pickets and opposition leaders.

A directive in this regard has already been sent to all the police stations in Dhaka and the offices of the district police chiefs.

Police is now conducting a door-todoor drive to arrest leaders and supporters of the BNP and its partner Jamaat-e-Islami.

The directive says police should take action against every Jamaat and BNP leader that can be traced; once any leader or activist of these political parties are found, they should be shown arrested in existing sabotage, assault and arson attack cases.

Crude bombs cost up to Tk1,500, while petrol bombs are Tk500.

Pickets charge from Tk100 to Tk1,000 to blast them The list of arrested opposition leaders already includes BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Senior Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, Jubo Dal President Moazzem Hossain Alal, and so on.

On Monday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in a rally in Dhaka that her government would do everything needed to protect the country’s people and their properties, and none would be spared.

When contacted yesterday, Asaduzzaman Miah, commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), told the Dhaka Tribune that police would take all measures necessary to ensure security of Dhaka residents and none would be spared.

However, even the presence of law enforcers has not been able to keep blockade supporters from wreaking havoc on the streets and highways.

On Friday, Dhaka Tribune reporter Adil Sakhawat was coming to Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar on a private bus that, along with other buses, were being escorted by police and RAB vans.

However, pickets, completely ignoring the presence of law, attacked several of those buses by hurling brick chips from the roadsides of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway and disappeared in thin air before the law enforcers could do anything.

According to intelligence sources, at least 300 professional pickets are currently active in the capital. Hundreds of bomb makers are supplying them with crude and petrol bombs. In fact, making these bombs and hurling them have become a good source of earning for many.

Sources said because of the increased demand, the prices of crude and petrol bombs have gone up significantly because raw materials have been scarce.

Depending on the sizes, crude bombs are now being sold at Tk500Tk1,500 per piece. Petrol bombs are now being sold for Tk300 to Tk500.

Professional and trained pickets charge from Tk100 to Tk1,000 for hurling these bombs. The rate they charge depends on the area; the tighter the security in an area, the higher is the rate.

According to sources, law enforcers have already made a list of these bomb makers, mostly based in Old Dhaka localities such as Chakbazar, Shutrapur, Kotowali, Wari, Shyampur, Jatrabari, Lalbagh and Syedabad. Some bomb makers have been active in others areas such as Badda, Kafrul, Pallabi and Bhashantek as well.

The circle that makes and hurls bombs is mostly made up of jobless and poor young men who mainly live in slums in these areas.

Mufti Mahmud Khan, director of the Legal and Media Wing of RAB, said the force has been working to nab those involved with planning and executing acts of sabotage. l

Unprotected high-voltage wiring, coming into contact with wet clothes, can result in a short circuit at any time. The picture taken yesterday portrays one side of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital building MEHEDI HASAN

Miseries continue for arson attack victims n Mohammad Jamil Khan

The cold winter morning of yesterday saw a middle-aged woman asking people of the Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute of Dhaka Medical College Hospital for a hand-made fan.

This correspondent got curious to know why she was looking for a handmade fan on such a cold morning day.

This reporter approached the woman and came to know that her husband came under arson attack and received burn injury and she needed a fan to soothe her husband’s burning sensation.

The woman who identified herself as Amena Begum said her husband, Saiful Islam, 45, is a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver.

On Sunday he came under arson attack as he was going to Baniabari area

after crossing the Mukterpur Bridge from Munshiganj.

Soon after he crossed the bridge, some pickets stopped his vehicle and broke his auto-rickshaw.

As he came out of the auto-rickshaw the miscreants pour petrol on his head and set him on fire. Since then, he has been undergoing treatment at the green ward of the burn institute with injury on his face and hands.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Saiful, father of three children, posed a question: “Is it a crime to go for work?

If we do not work how can we feed our family?”

The similar story goes with other arson victims at the burn institute at the DMCH. At present, a total of 10 people are undergoing treatment at the burn institute.

Embargo on visitors at Shahjalal Airport n Tribune Report

Egyptian authorities have exhausted all legal grounds to keep deposed president Hosni Mubarak in detention after an appeals court yesterday ordered his retrial in a corruption case, officials said.

The corruption case was the only one still keeping 86-year-old Mubarak behind bars. The former autocratic has already been cleared over the killings of protesters during Egypt’s 2011 uprising that toppled him.

Tuesday’s ruling by the Appeals Court – a top tribunal based in Cairo – overturned a verdict last May that sentenced Mubarak to three years’ imprisonment, and his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, to four years in prison each.

Although the ruling paved the way for Mubarak’s imminent release, there was no explicit statement from the authorities that he would leave as a free man from the Cairo hospital where he has been held. There were also conflicting statements by officials on whether the release would actually take place.

According to two senior security officials, Mubarak, even if released, would remain in the same hospital for security reasons. l

of treatment with the help of their well-wishers and neighbours, she said and asked this reporter if he too came to help her and if not she could not spare any more time as she had to attend her husband.

Another patient, Abul Kalam, who was suffering from 34% burn injury stopped talking. He is not in a state of talking to others, Safia Begum, mother of Kalam, said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Please pray for my son. He is unable to speak. Please, pray for my son, pleaded Safia.

A total of 16 patients have taken treatment over the last eight days at the DMCH. Of the injured, one bus helper Murad Mollah died while undergoing treatment last Sunday. l

BUSINESSMAN SHOT IN DHAKA

‘Police have turned extortionists’

Shahjalal International Airport authorities have put a temporary ban on visitors’ access to the terminals.

“We shut the entrance of visitors in the airport terminals for security reasons and also to avert any untoward incident in the area,” airport’s Director (public relations) Rezaul Karim told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The terminals were set off-limits to visitors around 12 noon.

The embargo will be lifted as soon as possible, the director said. l

Egyptian court may free Mubarak from custody n AP

Dr Partha Shankar Pal, residential surgeon of the DMCH burn institute, said treatment of arson victims is a long procedure. Respiratory system of most of the patients has been affected..

Of the ten, condition of six patients was stated to be critical. Two of them have already been shifted to the Intensive Care Unit.

The two victims are Siddiqur Rahman, 45, an auto-rickshaw driver from Mymensing and Abul Kalam, a private car driver, from the capital’s Moghbazar area.

Siddiq was admitted with 17% burn injury but his condition was said to be critical as his inhalation system was affected.

The victim’s wife Sharifa Akhter said they were from a very poor family.

They were bearing the expense

n Mohammad Jamil Khan

South Korean students perform a traditional dance at Dhaka University's TSC yesterday during their stay in the country as part of a study tour DHAKA TRIBUNE

Price tag for Dhaka-Chittagong 4-lane highway goes up again n Tribune Report A revised Road Transport and Highway Division proposal for the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway will raise the project’s cost byTk28.72cr, official sources said.

The project will now cost Tk165.54cr instead of the Tk136.82cr previously estimated.

Signed by Road Transport and Highway Division Secretary MAN Siddique, the proposal showed cost increases for the building of four small bridges and a railway overpass because of revisions in structural design, pavement design and repairs.

The proposal for the Dhaka-Chittagong 4-lane Highway Upgradation Project Package Number 2, includes updated costing for Lalpur Bridge, Lemua Bridge,

Muhury Bridge, Dhumghat Bridge and the Chittagong Rail Crossing Overpass.

It will likely be placed today before the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase which is presided over by Finance Minister AMA Muhith.

As per the agreement with contractor Gannon Dunkerley and Company, Ltd the cost of Package Number 2 was earlier set at Tk136.82cr. According to the recommendations of the Road Transport and Highway Division, the project cost will rise by Tk28.72cr to Tk165.54cr.

According to the revised proposal, at least 51.47% of physical progress had been achieved in constructing 10 segments, technically referred to as packages, of the road. Progress in constructing two bridges under the assigned portion of the highway was 59.2%.

Work on the Dhaka-Chittagong fourlane project has been going on for the past eight years.

At the start of last year, the government listed the project as a fast-track development project.

Some months ago, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said: “The project – despite being a priority project – has faced tender cancellations twice and changes of project director 11 times.”

Obaidul said the project would definitely be completed within the present government’s tenure. Last year he told a parliamentary watchdog body that his ministry would do everything possible to finish the project early.

He previously told parliament that the project would be completed by December 2014. l

As if shooting at him in broad daylight was not bad enough, police have now filed two cases against businessman Haji Foyez Ali, 52, framing him as a picket, the victim claimed.

Foyez is now undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) after being shot in his waist in front of Munshi Market in the capital’s Dakkhinkhan area on Monday morning. He alleges that Sub-Inspector Joynal Abedin of Dakkhinkhan police station shot at him because he refused to pay the money Joynal had demanded from him.

Freedom fighter and local resident Nurul Hasan backed Foyez’s allegation, who claimed he was with the victim when it happened.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Foyez said: “SI Joynal shot me when he failed to take me to the police station, alleging I was a picket. He took out his firearm in anger as the locals protested his attempt to arrest me, which he tried to do because I would not pay him Tk5 lakh.”

Foyez said the SI first came to him nearly 10 days ago at his shop Nipu Enterprise.

“You are a listed BNP supporter.

Pay Tk5 lakh, and nothing will happen to you; if you don’t, you can understand what will happen,” Foyez quoted Joynal.

Then Joynal paid Foyez another visit two days ago and made the same demand, but Foyez refused to pay.

Refused twice, Joynal tried to pick Foyez up from Munshi Market, which ended up in Foyez getting shot, the businessman told the Dhaka Tribune.

“That morning, I had left home with Tk1,22,300 in my pocket. But after the shooting, I could not trace it,” he added.

“And now I hear that cases have been filed against me, but it was police who committed the crime, not me.

They filed false cases against me,” Foy-

ez said. “There is no law in the country.

Police have turned extortionists.”

He demanded a fair investigation of the incident and punishment for the accused police official.

Joynal, the accused SI, filed the cases with Dakkhinkhan police station late Monday night, in which he accused Foyez of creating obstruction during police work, launching attack on police and snatching police firearm away, under the Explosives Act. Rehana Foyez, the victim’s wife, said their elder son Rahadul Islam Nipu had been receiving threats.

This is not the first allegation of extortion against Dakkhinkhan police.

A resident of Munshi Market area, requesting anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune about Safu Matubbor, another local businessman, had been taken away by an SI and three constables around 10am on Saturday, just two days before Foyez was shot.

“They kept him locked up for an entire day and released him after he agreed to pay them Tk50,000,” the anonymous source said.

The Dhaka Tribune contacted Safu, who confirmed the incident. But he could not identify the SI and the constables.

Asked if they took any money in exchange, he said: “Police do not do anything without money.”

However, Dakkhinkhan OC Shamimur Rashid Talukder refuted the allegations, calling them “baseless.”

“On Monday morning, some pickets tried to create disturbance in the area,” the OC told the Dhaka Tribune.

“Two cases have been filed in this regard, and one accused has been arrested, who is now undergoing treatment at the DMCH,” he said. “In order to save himself, he is now cooking up stories.”

Iqbal Hossain, deputy commissioner at the Uttara division said: “We have formed a three-member body to investigate the allegations against the police official.” l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.

Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com

B3 Will the world’s hungry benefit from falling oil prices?

B4 UAE: OPEC will no longer shore up oil price

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Bank Division’s MoU entails five major goals n Asif Showkat Kallol The proposed MoU between Bank and Financial Institutions Division and state-owned banks entails five major goals like maintaining capital adequacy ratio and setting annual target rate of default loan recovery.

Others include disbursing loans to respective clients within stipulated time, automation of banking and video recording of meetings of board of directors.

The goals will be finalised tomorrow at an inter-ministerial meeting. Banking Division Secretary M Aslam Alam will preside over the meeting at the Division’s auditorium.

Chairmen and managing directors of the six state-owned commercial and specialised banks will attend the meeting.

The state-owned banks are Sonali, Agrani, Janata, Rupali, BASIC and BDBL. The banks and FIs will be run this year in line with the goals as set out in

IDRA forms dispute resolution body n

Tribune Report

Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA) has formed a dispute resolution committee to protect the interest of the policyholders.

A four-member committee headed

by Arayes Uddin, a retired justice of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court has been formed to resolve the existing disputes. IDRA has formed the committee as per Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority provision, 2012.

The authority came up with the disclosure at a press conference held yesterday at the IDRA headquarters in the capital.

Addressing a press conference, IDRA Chairman M Shefaq Ahmed unveiled the four-member body in presence of the committee members and other representatives of the insurance sector.

The three other members of the committee are Sohrab Uddin, chairman of Sadharan Bima Corporation, Kuddus Khan, member of IDRA and Baqui Khalily, executive director, Institute of Microfinance (InM).

A client, who buys policy over Tk25,000 of life insurance and Tk5 lakh of non-life insurance will be able to appeal for dispute resolution to the committee, said Shefaq Ahmed.

In this case, the petitioner will have to deposit 2% fees of the insurance claim through pay order in the name of IDRA as per the provision, he said.

Ahmed noted that if any party were dissatisfied with the committee judgment, he or she would be able to appeal to the respective court within 30 days of the order.

“The sufferings of the policy holders for getting insurance claims will be removed through this committee and the insurance companies will also be gainer equally,” he hopped.

According to the source, the IDRA authority had earlier settled around 15 insurance claims, out of 41, in the last two years. Among the settled cases, the highest amount of claim was Tk32 lakh while the lowest was Tk1 lakh. IDRA, however, found two fake claims submitted by the policyholders with bad intention. l

the Memorandum of Understanding to establish a proper financial environment there.

The banking division secretary earlier said they would sign a MoU with all state-owned banks and financial institutions one by one to achieve some key performance indicators.

He also said the division will strictly monitor the key performance indicators of state banks and FIs at threemonth intervals while the central bank will monitor financial activities.

In 2007, the Division gave full financial freedom to boards of directors of state-owned banks and financial institutions, but they failed to maintain expected environment, the secretary said.

“That’s why the Division has to start monitoring activities of the boards.”

At that time, he also said the government was thinking of use of video camera in the board meetings of the state banks, but the stakeholders’ support was required to introduce the system. l

A large number of trucks laden with imported commodities have got stuck at Sonamasjid land port in Chapainawabganj due to non-stop blockade called by BNP-led 20-party alliance.

The trucks will be escorted to different parts of the country by law enforcers to keep supply chain normal. The photo was taken yesterday AZAHAR UDDIN

Five projects of Tk18,000cr okayed BTCL owes Tk200cr to n top mobile operators Tribune Report

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday approved five development projects valued Tk18,404 crore.

Of the total project cost, some Tk14,212 crore will come from public exchequer and Tk4,192 crore from foreign assistance. Four development projects are new among the approved five projects while the remaining one is revised.

The approval came at the Ecnec meeting held at the NEC conference room with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

The ECNEC revised the Primary Education Development Programme-III by reducing cost of Tk4,042 crore, which was taken to ensure enrolment of all children eligible for primary education.

The original outlay of the project was Tk22,196 crore during the approval in August 2011, but after it has been revised the cost amount stood at Tk18,154 crore.

About the cost reduction, the Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said the programme had allocated Tk3,351 crore and Tk1,957 crore for stipend and food for education simultaneously in the original outlay.

Meanwhile, two new separate projects have been launched and that’s why stipend and food for education have been eliminated from the pro-

BSEC opens probe into two firms n Tribune Report The securities regulator has launched an investigation into abnormal rise of share prices of two listed firms—Northern Jute Manufacturers Company and Alltex Industries.

“The commission has formed two separate probe committees in the incidents of unusual rise of share prices of the two companies,” said Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) in a statement yesterday.

The committees were asked to submit reports by next 15 working days. In last one month, the share price of Northern Jute increased more than 46% to Tk340.4 per share while the Alltex shares gained over 48% to Tk35.8 a share. l

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presides over a meeting of Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) at the planning ministry auditorium in Dhaka yesterday gramme, he said.

The project was completed by December, 2017, as no fund was disbursed in the fiscal during the approval in August 2011 as the project was supposed to start in June in that year, according to Kamal.

The government has nationalised 26,193 primary schools and introduced pre-primary education and appointed one additional teacher for each school that pushed the government to revise the programme.

In the revised project, the project assistance has been increased by 24% and stood at Tk4,192 crore, which was Tk3,388 crore in the original allocation.

About creation of the new posts Ka-

mal said the revised project has created additional 33,448 posts that have raised the total post to 81,532, which were 48,084 in the original project.

“Of the total, post of 80,605 teachers will atomically be shifted to revenue sector while 505 posts will go to revenue sector after completion of the programme,” he said.

ECNEC also approved another four projects—Special Development of Begum Rokeya University (Tk74 crore), Establishment of Bhola Textile Institute (Tk64.99 crore), Establishment of Sport Schools in Chittagong and Rajshahi under BKSP (Tk78.96 crore) and BSCIC Industrial Park, Chuadanga (Tk32.48 crore). l

Bangladesh Tellecommunications Company Limited owes the top three cellphone operators – Grameenphone, Banglalink and Robi – more than Tk200 crore as share in international call termination revenues but BTCL has no record of it.

Sources in the operators said some BTCL officials deliberately deleted the last three years information from Call Detail Record (CDR).

The state-owned operator can’t come to any conclusion now about the issue for the deletion of information, added the sources.

Market leader operator Grameenpone will get Tk120.06 crore from BTCL while Banglalink Tk33.09 crore and Robi Tk64.12 crore.

Market sources said from October 2008 to mid-2011 there is no information in BTCL’s CDR linked with International Gateway (IGW).

Recently in a study, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) said information from CDR is not available because of technical glitch.

According to TIB, though the duration of international calls was around 850 crore minutes in 2011, BTCL shows only 579 crore minutes for lack of call records.

PM seeks increased Malaysian investment n Tribune Business Desk Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday sought increased investment from Malaysia for the mutual benefits of the two friendly countries.

The Prime Minister made the request when visiting Malaysian International Trade and Industries Affairs Minister Mustaba Mohammed met her at her official residence Ganabhaban, reports UNB. After the meeting, PM’s press secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhuri briefed reporters.

He said Sheikh Hasina and the Malaysian minister at their meeting discussed various issues relating to mutual interest, including trade, business and investment.

Currently, the investment volume of

Malaysia in Bangladesh is about US$3 billion. The Prime Minister said her government has created an investment-friendly congenial atmosphere in the country which may help cut the trade gap between Bangladesh and Malaysia.

“The people of Bangladesh will be benefited more if the trade gap between Bangladesh and Malaysia is reduced,” she told the Malaysian minister.

Hasina also said her government wants to facilitate the private sector of the country so that the relations between the entrepreneurs of the two counties get strengthened further.

Malaysian Minister Mustaba highly appreciated Bangladeshis working in Malaysia saying they are very much hard working, sincere and law abiding ones.

He said there is a scope for further

boosting the relations in the fields of trade, business and industries between the two counties.

About the existing huge trade gap, he said the trade gap will reduce to a great extent if the proposed business forum between the two countries comes into operation. During her visit to Malaysia in December last, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina proposed forming a Bangladesh-Malaysia Investment Forum.

Mustaba highly praised Bangladesh’s achievements in different sectors under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s leadership.

In this connection, he mentioned that Bangladesh is maintaining over 6% GDP growth in the last couple of years due to pragmatic steps of her government. l

Deal to develop intellectual property n Tribune Report Department of Patents, Designs and Trademark (DPDT) under the Ministry of Industries yesterday signed a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) for the development of Bangladesh’s intellectual properties (IP).

DPDT registrar Md Sanowar Hossain and WIPO director Kifle Shenkoru signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations at the ministry.

A technology and innovation support centre would be set up under Department of Patents, Designs and Trademark (DPDT) to develop intellectual property of

the country, said Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, who was present during the signing ceremony.

Bangladesh has formulated a draft IP Policy and Strategy with the help of WIPO, said Amu. The minister also sought assistance from WIPO to train up government officials of the DPDT and

to provide technologies to this department.

The WIPO will enhance its assistance for Bangladesh to develop intellectual property and to train up government officials, university teachers, researchers and research organisations, said Director General of WIPO Francaise Gurry. l

TIB also can’t present international call information of previous years, but says the year-wise duration will not be less than the stated length.

According to the first IGW guidelines between 2008 and2011, incoming international call termination rate was 3 US cent for every minute, and out of it, 20% went to the operator that lastly received call.

Based on the calculation, all the three mobile operators had been losing 46.8 paisa for every minute.

To recover this amount of money, Grameenphone, Banglalink and Robi went to dispute resolution process of BTRC, but the matter still remains unresolved though one year has elapsed.

Sayed Talat Kamal, head of external communications of Grameenphone, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday the matter is now with the dispute resolution process of BTRC and hearing is going on as scheduled. “We expect a timely and just solution to the issue.”

Mahfuz Uddin Ahmed, managing director (acting) of BTCL, said they are passing through a sticky patch as they have to pay a lot of outstanding bills.

“Not only mobile phone operators, lots of other operators also have to be paid some outstanding, but at the same time we also get some receivable amount from them,” said Mahfuz. l

ATM booth set-up requires no approval of central bank n Tribune Report

All electronic booths including ATM’s will require no prior approval of Bangladesh Bank since now to be established.

Bangladesh Bank yesterday issued a circular in this regard, saying that the approval from the board of directors of respective banks is necessary to fix the rent and expense of ATM booths.

Bangladesh Bank will take proper action if its finds any irregularity about the rent and expenses, and even activities of booth may be suspended, warned the circular.

Banks are also forbidden to conduct any other banking transaction except electronic transactions into the booth, as per the circular.

Moreover, there is no need to take further approval from the board of directors in order to extend rental tenure of booth establishment.

The next renewal period will be the same three years as before, added the circular. l

B2

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

DSE GAINER

Stocks edge higher for 2nd session

DSE key features January 13, 2015

Traded Issues

310

n Tribune Report

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

192

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

108

The Shariah index DSES edged nearly 4 points or 0.4% higher to 1,183 first session and lowest 4,957 just before the final session.

The Shariah index DSES edged nearly 4 points or 0.4% higher to 1,183. The comprising blue chips DS30 closed at 1,845 with a rise of 10 points or 0.6%.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, rallied 24 points to 9,240.

However, trading at DSE remained dry with total turnover down by almost 3% over the previous session’s value. Total turnover at the bourse stood at Tk400 crore.

Among the large cap sectors, engineering posted the highest rise of

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)

Daffodil Computers -Z Shampur Sugar -Z 2nd ICB M F -A Alltex Industries -Z Meghna Con. Milk -B In Tech Online -A Mozaffar H.Spinning-A SAIF Powertec-N Prime Bank-A Dacca Dyeing-A

-4.83 -4.82 -4.49 -4.19 -3.61 -3.42 -3.37 -2.85 -2.60 -2.60

CSE LOSER Company Midas Financing-Z Prime Insur -A Daffodil Computers -Z Prime Textile -A Alltex Industries -Z Bata Shoe Ltd. -A Mozaffar H.Spinning-A Anwar Galvanizing-B Standard Insurance-A Reliance1 M.F.-A

Closing (% Change) -7.74 -7.07 -4.90 -4.62 -4.47 -4.19 -4.00 -3.45 -2.80 -2.74

4969.73396

(+) 0.26%

1849.22972

(+) 0.19%

15263.04620

(+) 0.18%

12283.63600

(+) 0.01%

9240.99330

(+) 0.12%

Average (% Change) -2.04 -4.74 -4.69 -4.72 -3.50 -0.28 -3.13 1.60 -1.82 -1.83 Average (% Change) -7.74 -7.07 -3.95 -3.33 -4.22 -4.19 -3.15 -1.65 -2.76 -2.74

ANALYST

ClosingAvg. 13.94 7.83 270.00 34.92 8.00 14.27 31.87 76.08 18.83 18.73

ClosingAvg. 15.50 18.40 13.60 18.56 34.95 1,120.00 31.69 39.22 24.28 7.10

Closing

15.50 18.40 13.60 18.60 34.20 1,120.00 31.20 39.20 24.30 7.10

Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture

DSE Million Taka 223.74 368.67 50.04 604.69 354.03 565.51 3.78 489.78 395.31 61.60 197.18 13.23 53.66 111.65 164.90 38.53 36.34 92.79 56.50 95.43

99,946,760

DHIGH 14.60 8.20 270.00 36.50 8.10 14.60 32.80 78.90 19.40 19.30

DHIGH 15.50 18.40 14.40 19.00 36.20 1,120.00 32.00 40.00 24.50 7.10

100,803

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

10

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,653.49

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

32.16

CSE key features January 13, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka)

307.95

Turnover (Volume)

9,529,359

Number of Contract

16,553

Traded Issues

240

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

150

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

84

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

5

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,560.75

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

31.04

Turnover in Million

DLOW 13.70 7.50 270.00 34.00 7.90 14.10 31.10 73.40 18.50 18.30

0.699 0.065 0.027 91.124 0.064 1.692 35.277 118.896 3.320 24.516

Turnover in Million

DLOW 15.50 18.40 13.60 18.40 34.00 1,120.00 31.10 39.00 24.20 7.10

0.001 0.001 0.004 0.390 14.398 0.022 1.453 0.062 0.010 0.004

% change 5.63 9.27 1.26 15.20 8.90 14.22 0.00 0.09 12.31 9.94 1.55 4.96 0.33 1.35 2.81 4.15 0.97 0.91 2.33 1.42 2.40

Million Taka 15.59 21.40 2.95 61.25 14.24 37.96 50.93 21.67 11.22 14.45 5.09 6.41 9.49 13.84 0.89 0.76 5.88 11.85 15.25 0.04

CSE

% change 4.86 6.66 0.92 19.07 4.43 11.82 0.00 15.86 6.75 3.49 4.50 1.59 2.00 2.95 4.31 0.28 0.24 1.83 3.69 4.75 0.01

Million Taka 239.33 390.07 52.99 665.94 368.27 603.47 0.00 54.70 511.45 406.52 76.05 202.27 19.64 63.15 125.49 165.79 39.28 42.22 104.63 71.75 95.47

GeminiSeaFood-Z Northern Jute -Z Libra Infusions-A The Peninsula CTG.-N Al-Haj Textile -A BD Building Systems -A National Housing Fin.-B Bangladesh Welding -Z Sonargaon Tex -Z Barakatullah E. D.-A

Closing (% Change) 8.76 8.75 7.92 7.55 6.59 6.49 6.23 6.10 5.71 5.54

CSE GAINER

Latest EPS 1.16 -52.72 71.88 3.28 -4.32 -0.88 2.80 2.36 1.87 1.04

Latest EPS -7.00 1.81 1.16 1.04 3.28 52.96 2.80 0.84 3.07 1.38

Latest PE 12.0 -ve 3.8 10.6 -ve -ve 11.4 32.2 10.1 18.0

Company Kay & Que (BD) -Z PragatiLife Insu. -Z Bangladesh Welding -Z Apex SpinningA BD Building Systems -A Asia Insur. Ltd.-A Delta Brac HFCL-A The Peninsula CTG.-N National Housing Fin.-B Barakatullah E. D.-A

9.60 7.82 7.36 7.29 7.13 6.79 5.66 5.62 5.54 5.25

Average (% Change) 9.25 7.82 6.65 7.64 6.19 6.92 6.00 3.98 5.12 5.72

ClosingAvg. 260.55 291.54 409.81 27.87 112.21 51.46 30.42 17.30 11.02 35.99

ClosingAvg. 13.70 96.50 17.31 75.35 51.77 23.64 81.98 27.69 30.38 36.04

Closing 260.70 293.30 417.00 28.50 113.30 52.50 30.70 17.40 11.10 36.20

Closing 13.70 96.50 17.50 75.10 52.60 23.60 82.10 28.20 30.50 36.10

DHIGH 260.70 293.30 420.20 28.70 114.80 53.30 30.90 17.60 11.20 36.70

DHIGH 13.70 96.50 17.60 76.90 53.50 23.70 85.00 28.40 30.70 36.50

DLOW 260.00 285.00 393.00 26.70 106.60 49.50 29.00 16.70 10.60 34.80

DLOW 13.70 96.50 16.90 74.00 50.10 22.20 79.50 26.90 29.70 35.00

Turnover in Million 1.679 1.753 1.638 30.129 40.101 103.568 6.160 2.674 0.455 137.073

Turnover in Million 0.011 0.000 0.458 0.267 8.306 0.135 2.064 6.763 0.604 7.353

Latest EPS 1.39 1.00 5.52 1.52 1.04 2.56 1.88 0.44 -0.84 3.20

Latest EPS -1.41 2.38 0.44 0.86 2.56 2.17 5.36 1.52 1.88 3.20

Latest PE 187.4 291.5 74.2 18.3 107.9 20.1 16.2 39.3 -ve 11.2

Latest PE -ve 40.5 39.3 87.6 20.2 10.9 15.3 18.2 16.2 11.3

News, analysis and recent disclosures RSRMSTEEL: The Company has informed that it has signed an agreement with MAX Group represent by Max Automobile Products Ltd., for exclusively supplying 10,000 MT MS deformed bar (X power TMT 500W) which is equivalent to 10% of the yearly sales volume of the Company for constructing Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Flyover (5.2 Km long flyover from Muradpur to Lalkhan Bazar) at CDA Avenue Muradpur, Chittagong.

HRTEX: As per Regulation 30 of DSE Listing Regulations, the Company has informed that a meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on January 19, 2015 at 3:30 PM to consider, among others, audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended on September 30, 2014.

Zaheen Spinning Ltd.: All concerned are hereby informed that the primary status of the IPO of Zaheen Spinning Ltd.: Total amount of subscription (excluding NRB) is Tk. 5,627,200,000. Total amount received from NRB is Tk. 5,000,000 up to 12 January 2015.

FUWANGFOOD: Fu-Wang Foods Ltd. has informed that the Bonus shares of the Company for the year ended 30 June 2014 have already been credited to the respective shareholders' BO Accounts on 13 January 2015.

PADMAOIL: Padma Oil Co. Ltd. has informed that Mr. A.M. Badrudduja has been appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company in place of Mr. Md. Eunusur Rahman with effect from 11 January 2015.

IPO Subscription: Asian Tiger Sandhani Life Growth Fund subscription date 11 to 15 January 2015, NRB upto 24 January 2015. @ taka 10, face value taka 10 and market lot 500. United Power Generation & Distribution Company Limited subscription date 18 to 22 January 2015, NRB upto 31 January 2015. @ taka 60, face value taka 10 and market lot 100. Bangladesh Steel Re-Rolling Mills Limited subscription date 01 to 05 Febuary 2015, NRB upto 14 Febuary 2015. @ taka 35, face value taka 10 and market lot 200.

Dividend/AGM

ECABLES: 10% cash, AGM: 26.02.2015, Record Date: 05.01.2015.

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.

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.

SAVAREFR: No dividend, AGM: 24.01.2015, Record Date: 23.12.2014.

DESCO: 5% cash & 10% stock, AGM 03.01.2015 Record Date: 13.11.2014.

-ve 10.2 11.7 17.8 10.7 21.1 11.3 46.7 7.9 5.1

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company

Total

Closing (% Change)

Average (% Change) 10.80 9.90 6.17 4.93 3.98 5.86 4.75 6.92 4.75 5.64

Latest PE

The comprising blue chips DS30 closed at 1,845 with a rise of 10 points or 0.6%

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

13.80 7.90 270.00 34.30 8.00 14.10 31.50 74.90 18.70 18.70

Closing

4,049.79

Number of Contract

1.7%, followed by cement that rose 1.3% and non-banking financial institutions 1%.

Pharmaceuticals and power closed marginally higher while telecommunication, food and allied, and banks ended slightly lower.

Lanka Bangla Securities said market gained strength in early trading supported by mid and small cap stocks ahead of monetary policy for H2 of FY2014-15 to be announced later in this month.

Fastest growth in private sector also aided an upside in the equity market revealing and boosted up business confidence in the first half of the current fiscal year, it said.

According to Bangladesh Bank statistics private sector credit grew 12.67% year-on-year in November.

IDLC Investments said centering on upcoming Monetary Policy Statement and yearly corporate decelerations, investors remained enthusiastic, consolidating a turnover of over Tk400 crore for the second consecutive day.

It said subduing political challenges, clienteles hope vibrant economic prospect. However, portfolio re-balancing was accompanied with strong selling pressure, letting DSEX gain marginally higher, it said.

IDLC Finance Ltd was the most liquid stock of the session with turnover worth Tk16.4 crore.

It was followed by Bangladesh Electrode Dynamics Limited, Saif Powertech, Fu-wang Ceramics, Western Marine Shipyard, DESCO and Bangladesh Building System. l

Stocks ended slightly higher yesterday, subduing current political unrest and ahead of monetary policy statement.

The market started on positive note rising 24 points in the morning but lost half of its early gains at the close of the session.

The benchmark index DSEX rose about 13 points or 0.3% to close at 4,969, hitting highest 4,981 in the

Company

Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume)

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

% change 5.57 9.07 1.23 15.49 8.57 14.04 0.00 1.27 11.90 9.46 1.77 4.71 0.46 1.47 2.92 3.86 0.91 0.98 2.43 1.67 2.22

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

IDLC Finance -A Barakatullah E. D.-A SAIF Powertec-N Fu-Wang Food A WesternMarine -N DESCO Ltd. -A Olympic Ind. -A BD Building Systems -A Agni Systems -A Alltex Industries -Z

Grameenphone-A LafargeS Cement-Z Beximco Pharma -A SummitAlliancePort.-A MJL BD Ltd.-A Khulna Printing-N CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company WesternMarine -N Alltex Industries -Z Appollo Ispat CL -N Agni Systems -A BD Building Systems -A LafargeS Cement-Z BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Barakatullah E. D.-A SAIF Powertec-N SummitAlliancePort.-A

The Peninsula CTG.-N Khulna Printing-N DESCO Ltd. -A Hamid Fabrics -N Khan Brothers-N

VolumeShares 2,005,561 3,808,779 1,562,858 4,287,611 1,979,012 1,545,515 457,658 2,012,713 2,490,630 2,609,277

Value in Million 163.43 137.07 118.90 117.29 115.14 114.66 111.82 103.57 92.32 91.12

% of TotalTurnover 4.11 3.45 2.99 2.95 2.89 2.88 2.81 2.60 2.32 2.29

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

238,890 626,923 1,197,465 831,765 513,602 2,396,619

275,881 411,918 694,838 253,419 160,446 60,656 204,221 204,035 92,957 84,035

244,218 265,698 78,974 145,837 153,451

86.83 83.30 75.36 68.82 66.22 60.73

15.99 14.40 14.32 9.35 8.31 8.05 7.40 7.35 7.05 6.96

6.76 6.73 6.00 5.74 5.66

2.18 2.09 1.89 1.73 1.67 1.53

5.23 4.71 4.68 3.06 2.72 2.63 2.42 2.40 2.30 2.28

2.21 2.20 1.96 1.88 1.85

ClosingP 82.00 36.20 74.90 27.40 58.20 73.60 240.30 52.50 36.30 34.30

363.00 132.80 62.80 81.80 128.50 25.00

ClosingP

58.00 34.20 20.90 36.30 52.60 132.10 36.20 36.10 74.80 81.40

28.20 24.80 73.80 38.90 36.30

Change % 3.14 5.54 -2.85 3.01 3.01 -1.34 -1.84 6.49 -1.89 -4.19

-0.44 1.84 0.80 -1.09 1.02 1.63

Change %

2.84 -4.47 4.50 -2.42 7.13 1.30 0.84 5.25 -2.73 -0.97

5.62 1.22 -0.54 -0.77 -2.16

ClosingY 79.50 34.30 77.10 26.60 56.50 74.60 244.80 49.30 37.00 35.80

364.60 130.40 62.30 82.70 127.20 24.60

ClosingY

56.40 35.80 20.00 37.20 49.10 130.40 35.90 34.30 76.90 82.20

26.70 24.50 74.20 39.20 37.10

DHIGH 82.50 36.70 78.90 28.00 58.80 75.50 246.80 53.30 38.10 36.50

366.00 134.90 64.30 84.20 130.20 26.00

DHIGH

58.50 36.20 21.00 37.80 53.50 135.00 36.60 36.50 78.90 84.00

28.40 26.00 77.00 40.10 37.80

DLOW 79.90 34.80 73.40 26.30 57.00 73.20 239.80 49.50 36.10 34.00

361.20 130.60 62.50 80.80 127.60 24.80

DLOW

57.00 34.00 20.20 35.90 50.10 130.70 36.00 35.00 74.30 80.70

26.90 24.30 73.60 38.60 36.00

AvgPrice 81.49 35.99 76.08 27.36 58.18 74.19 244.33 51.46 37.07 34.92

363.48 132.86 62.94 82.73 128.94 25.34

AvgPrice

57.97 34.95 20.61 36.89 51.77 132.77 36.25 36.04 75.79 82.78

27.69 25.32 76.00 39.37 36.91

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

B3

Will the world’s hungry benefit from falling oil prices? n Reuters, Rome A slump in global oil prices has brought cheaper food to many of the world’s poorest, but from the slums of Manila to the fields of Malawi, the benefits are not universal.

Globally, 805 million people still face chronic hunger, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation. While the poorest in cities may see a reduction in food bills, those in rural areas, not integrated into world food markets, may not.

The price of oil dropped by half last year, the second-biggest annual decline ever, hitting a five-and-a half-year low. Oil prices have a knock-on effect on the price of food, which fell for a third straight year in 2014.

“For many poor people who spend a lot of their budget on food, this is good news,” said Shenggen Fan, director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute. “There is a high correlation between oil and food prices.”

The key fuel for transporting food between field and market, oil also impacts food prices because fertilizers, pesticides and other key farm inputs are derived from petroleum.

Energy and transportation costs represent roughly 8% of the price for domestically produced foods – say a packet of pasta – that consumers purchase, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture.

On the supply side, energy related costs including fertilizers, chemicals, lubricants and fuel account for about 50% of the production costs for crops like corn and wheat in developed countries.

Winners and losers

For the extreme poor, however, there’s a catch. Often subsistence farmers, many hungry people are not plugged in to global commodity markets.

They don’t use much fertilizer when growing crops and they might receive less money for their products, due to declining global food prices.

Urban consumers in developing countries, including India, the Philippines and Bangladesh, will be some of the biggest winners, Fan predicts, as two of their biggest expenses – food and transportation – will become cheaper.

When oil prices spiked in 2007-2008 in tandem with food prices, poor citydwellers rioted from Haiti to Cameroon and Bangladesh.

Now that markets have swung in the other direction, oil-importing states should take the opportunity to reduce fossil fuel subsidies and invest the

'For many poor people who spend a lot of their budget on food, this is good news,' said Shenggen Fan, director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute' money in rural infrastructure instead, said Arif Husain, chief economist for the World Food Programme (WFP).

If the money saved by lower energy expenditures is invested in agricultural research, roads, and new technologies, the poorest of the poor could benefit from current trends.

Globally, subsidies for fossil fuel consumption totaled $548 billion in 2013, according to the International Energy Agency.

“The political costs for lowering these subsidies will be lower (now that oil prices have dropped),” Husain told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“This money should be freed up for rural infrastructure, public services and irrigation projects”

Conflicting priorities

Falling prices could provide some relief for people in conflict-hit regions including Syria, South Sudan, Somalia,

A boy eats at an orphanage run by a non-governmental organisation on World Hunger Day the Central African Republic and Mali.

Many will continue to face hunger although declining oil and food prices will make it a little easier for humanitarian groups to supply aid.

In 2014, Syria, the Central African Republic, three Ebola hit countries in West Africa, Iraq, and South Sudan faced “large-scale emergencies”, according to the WFP.

REUTERS

ing oil prices. The price of bunker fuel used for container ships has fallen more than 20% since the third quarter of 2014, meaning the WFP has been saving about $30,000 per month for the three vessels it has been chartering.

But when compared to the full costs of running massive international food aid programmes into countries like Iraq

or South Sudan, these savings are comparatively small.

“Maybe lower oil prices will allow us to get more aid to people, but its (impact) is quite marginal,” said Thierry Kesteloot, an agriculture adviser to the aid group Oxfam.

“I am not sure that 2015 will see a shift in terms of improving poverty and food security.” l

China 2014 trade surplus up 45.9% to 2.35tn yuan

Yen loses early gains in Asia n AFP, Tokyo

n AFP, Beijing

The yen lost its early gains yesterday after a short-lived rally driven by concerns over tumbling oil prices.

In afternoon trading, the dollar swung to 118.66 yen, up from 118.27 yen in New York and 117.94 yen earlier Tuesday in Tokyo, while the euro was also stronger at 140.33 yen, from 139.98 yen in US trade. “There was no fresh news or data behind the moves,” said Daisuke Karakama, a forex trader at Mizuho Bank.

In morning deals, traders bought the yen as tumbling oil prices sent investors scurrying for safer investments.

The yen is seen as a stable bet in times of turmoil and uncertainty.

The euro, meanwhile, fetched $1.1826, edging lower from $1.1834 in New York as investors gauge whether the European Central Bank (ECB) will soon expand its stimulus, while the US Federal Reserve eyes a mid-year interest rate hike. l

China’s trade surplus rose 45.9% to 2.35tn yuan (around $380bn) last year, the government announced yesterday, but the world’s second-largest economy missed its target for annual trade growth.

Exports increased 4.9% to 14.3tn yuan in 2014, while imports fell 0.6% to 12.04tn yuan, the General Administration of Customs said. It did not immediately provide dollar totals.

But total trade in yuan terms managed to rise just 2.3% from the year before, far below authorities’ aim of about 7.5%.

“The world economy recovered rather slowly and couldn’t support China’s trade growing at a high speed,” Customs spokesman Zheng Yuesheng said.

“China’s comparative advantage of low costs continued to wane, while in-

A Saudi tourist shops for gold jewellery in Riyadh

The tide seems to have turned in the fight against Ebola in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, and if farmers can access credit and seeds, those states could see food production rebound in 2015, UN officials said, after some farmers fled their land.

The costs for hiring ships to bring food to emergency zones have dropped for groups like the WFP, due to fall-

REUTERS

vestment in China’s manufacturing industry from developed economies declined, containing trade (growth),” he added, stressing that foreign-invested companies are responsible for about half the country’s exports.

The trade figures come as China’s economy rounds out a disappointing 2014, with growth slowing because of manufacturing weakness, falling property prices and high corporate and local government debt burdens. This prompted the central bank in November to cut benchmark interest rates for the first time in more than two years.

Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded an annual 7.3% in the third quarter, the slowest since the height of the global financial crisis in early 2009.

Economists are broadly expecting there to have been further weakness at the end of last year and in the year ahead, with authorities openly describ-

ing slower, and hopefully more sustainable, expansion as a “new normal”.

For December alone, the trade surplus soared 96.8% to 304.5bn yuan, also as exports rose and imports declined.

Exports increased 9.9% year-onyear to 1.4tn yuan during the month, while imports fell 2.3% to 1.09tn yuan, Customs said.

Zheng said that while China’s trade growth is likely to rebound this year, it will face headwinds.

“We think the negative factors containing trade growth in 2014 will continue for a certain period of time,” he said.

“Bilateral trade with EU and US maintained a steady growth while that with Japan and the Hong Kong SAR (special administrative region) shrank and that with emerging markets demonstrated momentum,” Zheng said. l

CORPORATE NEWS

Gold climbs to 12-week high as oil and equities drop n Reuters, Singapore Gold extended gains yesterday to climb to its highest since October, boosted by safe-haven demand triggered by a continued slump in oil prices and weakness in some equities markets.

Asian stocks were mostly on the defensive yesterday as the continuing slide in crude oil prices turned investors cautious towards risk assets. Brent crude and US WTI both fell to their lowest in almost six years.

Weaker oil prices tend to hurt gold as they reduce the need for the precious metal as a hedge against oil-led inflation. But as equity markets have been hit by the slump in oil prices and concerns have risen over its economic impact, flight-to-safety demand has bolstered the metal.

Gold, typically seen as an alternative investment to riskier assets such as stocks, rose as investors channelled money into the asset along with other safe havens such as the yen.

Spot gold rose as far as $1,238.81 an ounce, its highest since Oct 23, and was trading up 0.3% at $1,237.15 at 0746 GMT. US gold futures climbed to $1,242, also the highest since October.

MKS Capital trader James Gardiner said buying around the $1,240 area

“might result in a sharp spike into the mid-40’s if the metal spends some time today consolidating around $1,238-39”.

Other traders said weakness in the dollar and buying in Chinese physical markets were also supporting prices.

However, not many were convinced gold could hold the gains through the year.

Barclays expects gold to breach the $1,130 level this year, the metal’s lowest since 2010.

“We expect gold prices to test new lows in 2015 as they battle formidable hurdles in the form of the dollar strengthening against the euro to levels last reached over 10 years ago and the first rate hike in the United States in nine years,” Barclays analyst Suki Cooper said in a note.

Strong US economic data in the last few months have led many in the market to expect the US Federal Reserve to increase interest rates this year for the first time since 2006.

The US economy is motoring ahead in its recovery, probably putting the Fed in a position to raise rates by the middle of the year, Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart said on Monday.

Higher rates could dent demand for gold, a non-interest-bearing asset, while boosting the dollar. l

Max Group has recently signed a deal with RSRM to become its exclusive provider of MS deformed bars for Muradpur-Lalkhan Bazar Flyover. Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Abdus Salam presided over the signing ceremony that was held in the Chittagong Club

Major (retd) Dr Md Rezaul Haque has recently been reelected as chairperson of Social Islami Bank Limited for a fourth term unanimously by the bank’s board of directors at its 330th board meeting.

Dr Reza is the 2nd founding sponsor director of Social Islami Bank Limited and a director of SIBL Securities Ltd

Mutual Trust Bank Limited has recently signed an agreement with Apollo Hospitals Dhaka for providing MTB Privilege Banking customers with special health care facilities from the hospital. Dr Shagufa Anwar, general manager of business development at Apollo Hospitals Dhaka and Syed Rafiqul Haq, the bank’s deputy managing director and chief business officer have signed the agreement

Prime Bank Limited has recently opened a medical camp at the Ijtema premises on the bank of river Turag for the devotees as part of its corporate social responsibility. The bank’s managing director, Ahmed Kamal Khan Chowdhury inaugurated the camp

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

'OPEC will no longer shore up oil price' n AFP, Abu Dhabi The United Arab Emirates said yesterday that OPEC will no longer move to shore up crude prices, arguing that rising North American shale oil output needs to be curbed.

World prices have been falling since June but the pace of the slide accelerated in November when the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decided to maintain its production unchanged at 30 million barrels per day.

Analysts say that richer cartel members like the UAE have been ready to accept the price fall in the hope that it will force higher-cost shale producers out of the market.

“We cannot continue to be protecting a certain price,” UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei said.

“We have seen the oversupply, coming primarily from shale oil, and that needed to be corrected,” he told participants in the Gulf Intelligence UAE Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi.

Oil prices continued their slide towards six-year lows in Asian trade on Tuesday after Brent crude closed below $50 a barrel the previous day for the first time since April 2009. The fall came after Wall Street investment titan Goldman Sachs slashed its price outlook, adding to anxiety about global oversupply, weak demand and soft growth in the key Chinese and European markets.

Brent crude for February delivery fell $1.33 to $46.10 a barrel - around its lowest point since April 2009.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate shed $1.13 cents to $44.94 - its weakest level since March 2009.

Mazrouei said the UAE remains “concerned” about balance in the oil markets but “cannot under any circumstances be the only party responsible,” in reference to rising output from nonOPEC members.

Oil producers outside the cartel

n Reuters, Dubai

UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei speaks during the Gulf Intelligence UAE Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi should be rational about their output, he said, adding that current prices are “not sustainable” for them. “We are telling the market and other producers to be rational, to be like OPEC and look at growth in the market,” Mazrouei said.

He said that if OPEC had opted to

cut production, other producers would have stepped in to make up the lost output and the cartel would have lost market share without any effect on prices.

Mazrouei said current prices were “not sustainable,” particularly for producers outside the Gulf region.

He said that with oil below $50 a barrel, it was uneconomic for shale oil producers to keep investing in increasing production.

“Shale oil brings almost four million (barrels per day) for the United States, and the hope is that it will bring anoth-

REUTERS

er four million by 2020. That cannot be sustained, produced or invested in at the current oil price,” he said.

Mazrouei said he did not expect a swift recovery in prices.

“It is unlikely that we’ll see a sudden rise,” he said. l

Goldman Sachs Uniqlo under fire over ‘unsafe’ factory conditions slashes oil price n forecasts AFP, Hong Kong

n Reuters, London US bank Goldman Sachs slashed it oil forecasts on Monday, saying fuel prices needed to stay low for much longer in order to curb production and end a global supply glut.

Goldman Sachs oil analysts led by Jeffrey Currie said the collapse in oil prices over the last six months, which has brought North Sea Brent crude down almost 60 percent to below $50 a barrel, would eventually balance the market.

But they said crude oil prices could come down much further in the short term, possibly into the high $30s a barrel before the market saw a rebound.

Goldman Sachs is one of the most influential US banks in commodities markets. In 2008, when oil prices were racing up towards their all-time high at almost $150 a barrel, the bank forecast crude could hit $200.

The bank said on Monday it had cut its 2015 forecast for Brent to $50.40 a barrel from $83.75 and reduced its 2015 WTI price forecast to $47.15 per barrel from $73.75.

For 2016, Goldman Sachs sees Brent at $70 and WTI at $65, down from $90 and $80 respectively.

In the short term, Goldman Sachs was even more bearish: “To accommodate the substantial expected first half inventory build and using the storage arbitrage to the one-year ahead swap, we are revising down our 3-, 6- and 12-month price forecasts for Brent to $42, $43 and $70 respectively, from $80, $85 and $90,” the bank said in a report to clients.

WTI 3-, 6- and 12-month price forecasts have been cut to $41, $39 and $65 from $70, $75 and $80 a barrel.

“While history would suggest that a storage blow-out would push spot prices below $35, we believe that by avoiding breaching storage capacity, the market will hover around $40, potentially dipping at times into the high $30s which we see as the likely lows of this cycle,” the report said. l

DILBERT

Venezuela, Iran plea for oil cut hits Gulf OPEC brick wall

Japanese clothing giant Uniqlo came under fire yesterday for buying supplies from Chinese factories accused of putting workers at risk in unsafe conditions, with sewage on the factory floor, extremely high temperatures and poor ventilation.

The claims made by a Hong Kongbased human rights group come as the apparel chain pursues aggressive expansion plans in a bid to challenge international brands like Zara, H&M and Gap. Uniqlo, a unit of Fast Retailing Co., said that while it had “different views on some of the issues” in the report,

it had opened an investigation and acknowledged the probe by Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour (SACOM) “found several problems”.

SACOM accused the clothing firm, known for its cheap chic clothing basics, of buying from two suppliers in China’s southern Guangdong province that made employees work long hours for low pay in unsafe conditions.

The group, which carried out its investigation between July and November 2014, said the Uniqlo suppliers also had a tough management style and did not allow workers to voice their concerns.

“The factories have neglected work

safety, putting workers at risk,” it said.

The rights group in particular cited “extremely high shop floor temperatures, dirty sewage flowing all over the floor, unsafe facilities, poor ventilation with dense cotton dust filling the air, irritating smells and high risk of electricity leakage.”

It noted that “topless workers put the heavy pigments into the hot dyeing tent without wearing any protective gear” and said its investigators “saw a number of workers falling down from the chairs while handling the knitting machines”.

“Uniqlo as the key buyer of these two factories has violated its commitment to corporate social responsibil-

ity,” SACOM said in a statement.

The group said one employee worked up to 14 hours per day, ironing between 600 and 700 shirts, for wages of 0.29 yuan ($0.05) per shirt.

SACOM has in the past carried out investigations into working conditions for employees of Taiwanese technology giant Foxconn, London Olympics suppliers, and factories that sell to Disney.

Fast Retailing said in a statement that it had opened an investigation into the allegations, and acknowledged the SACOM inspections found “several problems”.

It added, however, that it had “different views on some of the issues described in the report.” l

A diplomatic push by Venezuela and Iran for an OPEC oil output cut has failed to soften the refusal of the group’s Gulf members to do so for now, delegates said on Monday.

An oil price sinking to almost $48 a barrel on Monday is twisting the knife in Venezuela’s steadily shrinking economy and in sanctions-bound Iran.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday met Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Salman in Riyadh before heading to Qatar and Algeria on a tour to discuss the oil price crisis.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also weighed in and told Venezuela’s president on Saturday he backed coordinated action between Tehran and Caracas to reverse the more than 50 percent drop in crude since June 2014.

But the Gulf members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, who account for more than half of the 12-member group’s output, are holding to their stance from OPEC’s November meeting in Vienna.

“There’s a push from Venezuela for a cut, this is what they argued in Vienna and this is what they are lobbying for now. But from what I see there is no sign of cutting production from the Gulf states,” a Gulf OPEC delegate said.

“The only solution is to have the market absorb this surplus and the extent of that will be assessed by OPEC by ministers during their meeting in June.”

Another delegate said: “You need to give it some time to see the effect on prices. I think the Saudi oil minister was very clear on that.”

During Maduro’s visit to Saudi Arabia, it was agreed that a high-level commission between the two countries would meet every four months to review the market, a diplomatic source said.

The source added that during Maduro’s meeting in Qatar, concern was expressed about prices but Qatar made no promises or commitments as to what action should be taken.

Maduro said from Qatar he would travel to more oil-producing nations in a bid to rally support.

“We’re building a new consensus for this new situation in the oil market, for the stabilization of the market and prices,” he said.

OPEC holds its next scheduled meeting in June and OPEC sources say there has been no suggestion that it gather before then.

Saudi Arabia is unwilling to shoulder any output cut unilaterally and any cut has to be a collective one by all OPEC members, the sources said. l

Germany balances budget for first time since 1969 n AFP, Berlin

Deutsche Bank: China faces biggest fiscal challenge since ‘81

The German government managed to balance its books for the first time since 1969 in 2014 and a year ahead of target, the finance ministry said yesterday.

Originally, the government had been pencilling in a small budget deficit of 6.5bn euros ($7.7bn) for 2014.

But thanks to higher tax revenues and lower interest rate payments on its debt, Berlin has now managed to finish the year without any net new borrowings, achieving Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble’s long-cherished goal of a “black zero” on its accounts ahead of target.

Schaeuble had pledged to achieve that goal in 2015 and for a balanced budget to become the norm for Germany.

Budgetary rigour was one of the issues which the conservatives under Angela Merkel campaigned on in the 2013 elections.

But the opposition parties and many economists believe the “black zero” is being fetishised and actually makes no economic sense because it curbs muchneeded investment in growth.

Taking the federal budget as well as the regional state and municipal budgets as well, Europe’s biggest economy already achieved balanced its books in 2012. l

China’s fiscal revenue growth is set to hit a three-decade low in 2015, Deutsche Bank said in a report, complicating policymakers’ efforts to rein in runaway local government debt without crippling the broader economy.

Total fiscal revenues will likely grow just 1% in 2015 year-on-year, the slowest pace since 1981, Deutsche Bank predicted, and forecast local government revenues to fall 2% - the first contraction since 1994.

n Reuters, Beijing

We believe this is the most important risk to the economy and one that is not well recognized in the market Land sales, which account for over a third of local government revenues, may fall 20 percent, the report said.

Local governments, mostly barred from directly taking out loans or issuing bonds, have managed to rack up some $3tn in debt via opaque local government financing vehicles (LGFVs).

Much of the funds have been invested in questionable infrastructure and real estate projects.

With a slowing economy - in particular sliding land prices - hitting revenues, Deutsche Bank economists Zhiwei Zhang and Andrey Shi see a crisis looming.

“China will likely face the worst fiscal challenge since 1981,” they wrote in

Chinese banknotes are seen at a vendor's cash box at a market in Beijing a research report published Monday.

“We believe this is the most important risk to the economy and one that is not well recognized in the market.”

The government needs to find ways for local governments to raise much needed funds to bankroll key social services while maintaining discipline on spending - a difficult economic and political balancing act.

China’s annual economic growth likely slowed to 7.2% in the fourth quar-

ter, the weakest since the depths of the global crisis, a Reuters poll showed. Yet borrowing rates remain relatively elevated despite previous rounds of cautious monetary easing.

“The economy faces relatively big downward pressures and local resistance (to reforms) is strong,” said an influential economist who was involved in revising the budget law, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“Local officials have been complain-

REUTERS

ing about their debt burdens already and they will cry louder if their financing powers are stripped.”

Analysts fear slower economic growth, and reduced options for refinancing following crackdowns on off-balance sheet lending, could push stretched local governments to the wall. Such a development risks squeezing China’s economy further, as rising bad loans make banks less willing to lend. l