03 Feb, 2015

Magh 21, 1421 Rabius Sani 13, 1436 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 299

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

20 pages

B1 | BUSINESS

7 | LONG FORM

11 | OP-ED

12 | SPORT

GLOBAL BUYERS WANT BROKEN SUPPLY

THE OBAMA TRIP: IT WASN’T FOR INDIA

MAKING MURDER RESPECTABLE

HEMANTA WARMS UP CHILLY WINTER NIGHT

Bombs take away their ability to work Arson attack victims need long-term rehabilitation to help them return to normal life n Mohammad Jamil Khan Microbus driver Harun Rashid, 35, injured during the countrywide violence in 2013 is still bearing the brunt of a petrol bomb attack. Burn injuries on his two hands and parts of his body tell the tale of the hell he has had to endure.

The burns almost damaged the tissues of his both hands and some portions of his legs making it difficult for him to move with ease.

Doctors advised him not to return to work for at least two years.

“I know how badly it will affect me if I work but I have no option left as the lives of my two minor children and wife depend on my income,” Rashid said in a voice full of helplessness.

Rashid, who worked as a chauffeur for a phone company, came under petrol bomb attack while stationed in Mymensingh.

On December 10, 2013, while he was going back home after work, some miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at his microbus. He received 25% burns.

Rashid is now living in the Pirerbazar area of Sylhet along with his wife and two children – 8-year-old son Forhad and 11-year-old daughter Fahmida Akther.

Rashid said as he was not able to move his hands easily he started driving an auto-rickshaw instead of a microbus.

“As I cannot do hard work I just do two or three trips and then stop driving. That way I can just eke out a living,” said Rashid adding  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

After listening to some leaked audio clips, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday ordered the authorities concerned to find out the persons who had been directed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia over the phone to prolong hartal and blockade programmes.

Hasina also asked the shipping and local government ministers to ensure smooth movement of vehicles and water vessels across the country during the BNP-led 20-party alliance’s agitation programmes.

The premier gave the directives during the weekly cabinet meeting, a minister who attended the meeting

Arson victim Naushad blesses his son Nayeem as the three-year-old tries to feed his father at the burn unit of DMCH yesterday. Naushad was seriously injured when pro-blockade activists hurled petrol bombs at his autorickshaw in Feni while he was on his way home.Many such burn victims who suffer the consequences of political unrest risk being permanently disabled MEHEDI HASAN

confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune seeking anonymity.

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan and LGRD and Cooperatives State Minister Mashiur Rahman Ranga are involved in labour organisations and transportation business.

Shajahan later told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that he had already held a meeting at his ministry regarding the matter.

At the cabinet meeting, several ministers raised the issue of a number of leaked audio conversations between Khaleda and senior BNP leaders over waging tough movement against the government on the streets.

The audio clips released as video

footage on the YouTube were published from an account named “Bangla Leaks” on February 4 last year. “Bangla Leaks” also shared the YouTube links on its Facebook page the same day.

However, it appears that the conversations were linked to the BNP’s rally in the capital on December 18, 2011 when the party had plans to organise a mass gathering at the Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh with freedom fighters from across the country.

In several clips, Khaleda was found disappointed as the party leaders had failed to create chaos. She also threatened to remove the top leaders from posts for their failure.

The premier listened to the audio

clips and wanted to make sure that the BNP chief had asked her party leaders to carry out subversive activities. Hasina then asked authorities concerned to identify the leaders and arrest them.

She also observed that interrogating them would help the law enforcers finding the real culprits involved in destructive activities, meeting sources said.

Other members of the cabinet also discussed the matter.

“Bangla Leaks” shared the last audio clip on June 1 last year involving the daily Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman. It earlier disclosed phone conversations of several other top leaders of BNP, its key ally Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam. l

Train derails after clips ‘removed’ from tracks n Our Correspondent, Mirsarai A locomotive and three bogies of a Chittagong-bound train derailed in Mirsarai yesterday, allegedly after miscreants removed fastening clips from the railway tracks.

The alleged act of sabotage caused rail communications between Chittagong and the rest of the country to be suspended for around 12 hours, until the rail links were finally restored yesterday afternoon.

Around 4am, the locomotive and three bogies of Mymensingh Express – alternatively known as Nasirabad Express – derailed near Ambaria in Chittagong’s Mirsarai upazila. At least 10 people, including the driver of the train, were injured in the incident.

Yusuf Chowdhury, the driver, and  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Case against Khaleda for deaths during blockade n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

PM orders arrest of Khaleda’s aides n Tribune Report

| Price: Tk12

Bangladesh Railway officials salvage the Mymensingh Express train that was derailed due to sabotage by the miscreants at Mirsarai upazila in Chittagong DHAKA TRIBUNE

A petition case was filed yesterday against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and three other leaders over the killing at least 42 people during the ongoing blockade and hartal programmes.

Khaleda was earlier named a mastermind in three other arson cases lodged in Dhaka and Comilla for her role in violence that marked the blockade enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.

After recording the case statement of the complainant, Metropolitan Magistrate Md Atiqur Rahman yesterday directed the Gulshan police officer-incharge to investigate the case and submit a probe report by March 1.

The other accused are BNP Standing Committee member barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia, Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury and Khaleda’s Adviser Prof Emajuddin Ahmed.

The petitioner named Khaleda as an abettor while the others were accused of instigating the incidents. AB Siddique, president of Bangladesh Jananetri Parishad, a pro-Awami league organisation, filed the case with Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.

Siddique also pleaded for issuing arrest warrants against the accused.

The case was filed under sections 34, 109, 120 (B) and 302 of the Penal Code.

According to the case, at least 42 people were killed and many innocent people injured in arson attacks during the blockade and hartals enforced by the  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Another gold haul hints at involvement of Biman staff n Mohammad Jamil Khan Customs Intelligence yesterday recovered more than 60kg from a Biman flight coming in from Dubai at the Shahjalal airport in Dhaka.

Looking at the way the precious metal was hidden inside the aircraft, intelligence officials suspect that national flag career Biman’s staff were involved with the smuggling.

“Customs officials searched the BG048 flight after it landed at the airport around 8:15am. It came from the United Arab Emirates via the Chittagong airport,” said Moinul Khan, director general of Customs Intelligence.

He said the flight was supposed to land in Dhaka around 10:15am but it arrived two hour before schedule.

Moreover, the aircraft was scheduled to stand in the boarding bridge area for passenger offloading, but it was taken to the bay area.

“The gold bars were hidden inside pipes and tissue boxes in the four toilets and in boxes containing oxygen masks. This suggests that there had to be involvement of airlines officials, otherwise the gold could not have been hidden in those places,” the DG said.

Deputy Director of Customs Intelligence Mustafizur Rahman, who conducted the five-hour operation yesterday, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The first gold bars were found in the commode in one of the toilets.

Wrapped in a piece of cloth and tied with a rope, they were placed inside the pipe. At first we did not see anything when we lifted the commode cover.

Only a bit of the rope was visible. But when we pulled the rope, we found 120 gold bars,” he said.

The second stash of 185 bars was found in a box containing oxygen masks. The bars were stuck to the inside of the box with tape that was of the same colour as the box,” he said.

“The rest of the gold bars and ornaments were hidden in tissue boxes and behind mirrors inside the toilets,” said Mustafiz, who was part of a four member-team.

‘Biman staff will be grilled; it is impossible to do such things without their help’ Of the stash recovered, 481 bars weigh 10-grams each and the other four weigh 1kg each. The total weight of the 114 gold chains is nearly 498 grams.

After the bust, the customs officials brought the gold before media at a briefing in the red channel area of the airport.

National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Nojibur Rahman told reporters that the recovered gold is worth around Tk30 crores. The gold will be handed over to Bangladesh Bank after the completion of legal procedures.

“It surely took an expert [to hide the gold in those places] and Biman insiders might have been involved. But we  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

INSIDE 3 | News

The government might be willing to hold a dialogue with the BNP if the party quits its destructive politics and stops killing innocent people, senior Awami League leaders have said.

4 | News

Jahangirnagar University students have demanded capital punishment for the persons who killed Zubair Ahmed in January 2012 so that no one else dares committing such crime in the future.

5 | News

Distribution of about 40,000 tonnes of various fertilisers in Khulna has been held up due to the on going blockade and hartals across the country.

6 | Nation

The Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College and Hospital is riddled with many crises, especially the acute shortage of drinking water, and has been so since it was established on April 24, 1972.

8 | World

Pro-Russian separatists have vowed to mobilise up to 100,000 fighters for their latest eastern Ukraine offensive as the US mulled sending weapons after the latest truce bid collapsed.

15 | Entertainment

Moutushi Biswas is all set to try her hand in guns rather than just playing a loving lady, in her upcoming film ‘U-Turn,’ directed by Alvi Ahmed.

01_FR 02_Ne 16_BA

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

LGRD minister: 29% deep tube-wells contaminated by arsenic n Tribune Report High levels of arsenic (over 50 ppb) has been detected in 29% of the deep tubewells tested in 271 upazilas of the country, LGRD and Cooperative Minister told the parliament yesterday.

The figure means close to one third of the deep tube-wells tested across the country produce water that is not safe for drinking.

Replying to a starred question from ruling party lawmaker Habibur Rahman, Syed Ashraful Islam said: “Water from 50 lakh deep tube-wells in 271 Upazilas was tested. Excessive arsenic contamination (over 50 ppb) was found in 29% or 14.5 lakh deep tube-wells.”

Responding to another question from Shawkat Chowdhury, the LGRD Minister said the government is carrying out tests in the country’s 32 arsenic-prone areas, which will be completed by 2016.

Arsenic contamination is frequent in the southern areas of the country. Arsenic compound are naturally available in nature, once the water level drops to

National ICT Policy draft gets cabinet nod n Tribune Report

The cabinet has approved the draft of National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy 2015, aiming to develop and promote the country’s ICT sector and ensure its effective use to achieve the nation’s development goals.

The draft was approved in a cabinet meeting at the Secretariat yesterday, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told the reporters.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting.

Mosharraf said: “The policy is an updated version of the ICT Policy 2009, which has been revised with the opinions of all stakeholders, relevant ministries, experts and professionals taken into consideration.

“It has been made up to date with a view to making the government more skilled and accountable.”

He further said: “The policy has 10 special objectives, 56 strategic themes and 306 action programmes which will be implemented by different organisations under short-, medium- and longterm timeframe – by 2016, 2018 and 2021.” l

Muhith: Blockade being considered a criminal issue n Tribune Report Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday claimed that the government was not treating the ongoing series of hartals and blockade as a political matter any more, but considering them as criminal activities.

“We are now treating hartals and blockade as a criminal issue,” he said during a meeting with a six-member delegation of the Confederation of Asia -Pacific Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), led by its visiting Chairman Jemal Inaishvili.

Claiming that hartals and the ongoing blockade would be stopped soon, Muhith said the economic situation of the country has deteriorated since the start of the year although the economy was in a good position in 2014. l

PM hands over Tk4cr for setting up burn ward n UNB Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday handed over cheques for Tk4 crore for setting up three burn tanks and a 100-bedded separate burn ward at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery (NIBPS) of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The prime minister handed over the cheques for the amount to NIBPS Project Director Prof Dr Abul Kalam at her Sangsad Bhaban office. PM’s Press Secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhuri briefed reporters after the cheque handover ceremony. l

a certain level, it is diluted in ground water and causes long term poisoning.

LGRD minister also informed that if the government finds arsenic in any tube-well, they immediately paint it red colour, and ask people not to drink water from there.

Arsenic contaminated water is safe for any other use except drinking and cooking.

The minister said, observation teams, through the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), have been sent to the country’s 32 arsenic-prone regions to test arsenic contamination under the Bangladesh Rural Water Supply and Sanitation project.

Earlier, tests to detect arsenic in all upazilas of the country were completed by 2003, the minister mentioned.

In a recent study jointly conducted by the Department of Geology, Dhaka University, and Columbia University, USA, found about 43,000 to 56,000 people die annually in Bangladesh from diseases caused by arsenic pollution.

According to the study, some 0.5% of the GDP is lost due to this. l

Customs officers arranging gold bars and ornaments, weighing more than 60kg, for display after they were seized from a Biman Bangladesh flight from Dubai at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport yesterday RAJIB DHAR

FM: Dhaka-Beijing ties multidimensional n UNB

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali yesterday said Bangladesh-China relations are multidimensional encompassing the areas of cooperation in diverse fields, and pledged to continue work in the coming years to deepen the ties.

“Recent years have witnessed a remarkable progress in our relationship, and we pledge to continue our work in the coming years,” he said while addressing a function in the city.

The foreign minister also hoped that China would continue its support to Bangladesh, specifically in terms of economic cooperation, to help reach Bangladesh’s development targets.

Bangladesh-China Friendship Centre (BCFC), Chinese Embassy in Dhaka and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) jointly organised the event marking the celebrations of 40th anniver-

sary of Bangladesh-China diplomatic relations.

Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor, newly appointed Chinese Ambassador in Dhaka Ma Mingqiang, BSA Director General Liakat Ali Lucky and leaders of the BCFC also spoke on the occasion.

‘21st century Silk Road means connectivity within the country and among the countries featuring mutual partnership’ Speaking as the chief guest, Mahmood Ali said Bangladesh supports and appreciates China’s renewed emphasis on regional connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region.

Minister: Govt to fix KSA immigration cost n UNB Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain yesterday said the government will fix the immigration cost to be charged by recruiting agencies for sending workers to Saudi Arabia.

“The government will form a framework for charging fees in this regard and the private recruiting agencies will send workers as per the government-fixed rate,” he said while speaking at a press briefing at his ministry.

Earlier on Sunday, the Saudi government reopened its manpower market to Bangladeshi jobseekers lifting a seven-year embargo.

The minister said the overall procedure over the manpower export to Saudi Arabia will be controlled by the government. The private recruiting agencies will send workers to the Gulf country from a government database in which some 22 lakh Bangladeshis have already registered their names to go abroad looking for jobs.

Mosharraf Hossain also said the final decision about the recruiting pro-

cedure will be decided after a meeting with a delegation of the Saudi government.

The recruitment of semiskilled people will also come up for discussions with the Saudi delegation, he added.

The minister said, “We’ll talk to the delegation about visa trading. If the authorities concerned take necessary steps to stop visa trading then Bangladeshis would be able to go to Saudi Arabia at a minimum cost of Tk15,000-20,000.”

It was decided during his visit to Saudi Arabia on January 18-23 that the Saudi employment companies will bear the travel and medical costs of workers, he said.

Experienced workers and those who had returned earlier from the country will get a chance to go to the country after re-registration, he said.

Replying to a question over issuing the Machine Readable Passports (MRPs) for the workers, the minister said a total of 30-35 mobile teams are engaged in providing MRPs to the Bangladeshi workers. The work of providing MRPs will be completed by November, he hoped. l

Nipah virus claims 3 lives n UNB Nipah virus has claimed the lives of three people, including two children, in Manda upazila of the district in nine days untiul Friday.

The victims are Apel Mahmud, 11, son of Moklesur Rahman, and Kawser Ali, 13, son of Abdul Kasem of Bhalain village, and Hafizul Islam, 25, son of Alimuddin of Balubazar village in the upazila.

Apel’s mother Julekah Bibi said the boy was admitted to the upazila health complex on January 22 after he caught fever taking date on January 20. Later, he was shifted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) where he died on January 23.

Kawser was taken to the RMCH on January 24. However, his family took him back home on January 29. He died

the following day. On the other hand, Hafizul who was admitted to the RMCH with fever on January 17 died on January 22 while undergoing treatment.

Civil surgeon of Naogaon Dr Mozaharul Islam said nipah virus was detected in the samples of saliva and blood of the victims.

Meanwhile, show-cause notices have been served on health inspector (in-charge) Fayezuddin Tarafder and assistant health inspector Taijul Islam of Manda Upazila Health Complex for their negligence in reporting the cases in right time. A three-member probe panel has also been formed to look into the matter.

Besides, a high-level six-member team of the Directorate General of Health Services will visit the affected area on Tuesday, said the civil surgeon. l

“We are engaged with China, India, Myanmar and other neighbours for more regional and sub-regional integration through processes like the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor [BCIM-EC] as well as in Saarc and Bimstec,” he said.

The foreign minister also said China’s new initiatives to reach its southern neighbours, especially through augmenting connectivity and development would provide much dividend in near future through mutual economic gains.

He said the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations with China is a landmark event. “This is an occasion to celebrate and at the same time renew our commitment to work relentlessly for further consolidating our relations as agreed by our leadership.”

Asaduzzaman Noor said the relations between the two countries are

deep-rooted which witnessed a new chapter in recent times.

He said the cultural cooperation between the two countries would get stronger in the coming days.

Chinese envoy Ma Mingqiang said China’s friendship and cooperation with Bangladesh flourished since the establishment of the diplomatic relations in all areas, including trade, investment, security, cultural, education and people to people connectivity.

On Silk Road, he said this 21st century Silk Road means connectivity within the country and among the countries featuring mutual partnership, mutual benefit and common development with increased flow of trade and closer cooperation and generating more beneficial for people.

Later, the Chinese artistes performed at a grand art and cultural show – Charm of Silk Road. l

Anti-tank cannon shell recovered in Chittagong n FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong Police on Monday recovered an abandoned anti-tank cannon shell at Baizid area in Chittagong.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) Babul Chandra Banik of Baizid police station said around noon yesterday, locals spotted an abandoned shell in Debarpar at Banglabazar area and informed police.

Upon receiving information, police rushed to the spot and took the shell into custody and informed the Bangladesh Army, he said.

The members of Bangladesh Army’s Bomb Disposal Unit later disposed the shell, said the OC, adding that it might have been abandoned during the war in 1971. l

Case against Khaleda for deaths

Another gold

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

alliance from January 5 to February 1.

Jamaat-e-Islami is a key component of the 20-party alliance, headed by Khaleda – a three-time former premier.

Mentioning media reports on the incidents, the plaintiff said the accused must be punished according to the law.

Complainant’s counsel Rowshan Ara Shikder took part in the hearing yesterday.

In October last year, another petition case was filed against the BNP chief for making “false and instigative” remarks on religious issues and the ruling Awami League.

Currently, Khaleda is facing trial in two corruption cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission involving Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust. l

Train derails after clips ‘removed’  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

his assistant Kamal Hossain have been admitted to the Chittagong Railway Hospital, while the others are receiving treatment at different local medical facilities.

The train was derailed as the lines became loose after miscreants removed pandrol clips – heavy-duty clips that are used to fasten the rails to the underlying baseplate – from the railway tracks, said Mozammel Haque, general manager for Bangladesh Railway’s eastern zone.

A four-member committee has been formed by Bangladesh Railway to investigate the alleged act of sabotage.

Arabindu Sarker, in-charge of Sitakundu Government Railway Police, however blamed the slackness of pa-

trolling Ansar personnel, which he claimed had allowed miscreants to carry out the sabotage.

Meanwhile, two relief trains from Comilla and Chittagong worked throughout the morning to clear out the derailed locomotive and bogies. At around 4pm, train movement resumed on the up line towards Dhaka, while connection on the down line was restored later in the evening.

The derailment also caused train schedule on Chittagong-bound routes to collapse in the morning. Two Dhaka-bound trains could not leave Chittagong Rail Station because of suspended service, while Mohanagar, Sagarika and Subarna Express trains were also forced to be delayed. l

will have to wait for the investigation report to know for certain,” the NBR boss said. Custom Intelligence chief Moinul Khan told reporters at the briefing: “We will form a three-member inquiry committee soon. The staff and officials of the airlines will be interrogated because it is totally impossible to do such things without their help.”

In November last year, law enforcers arrested five people including a deputy director of the national flag carrier for their involvement with smuggling.

Detectives found that five pilots, four co-pilots, 25 cabin crew members, 15 flight stewards, seven junior pursers, three flight pursers and five chief pursers were involved with the crime.

Investigations revealed that at least 23 identified rackets have been actively smuggling gold in Bangladesh. Eleven of them directly smuggle gold and the others operate in the guise of money exchange traders.

Of the 11 syndicates directly involved, seven were based at Dhaka airport, three at Chittagong and one at Sylhet.

Intelligence data suggests that over the last year, gold weighing around 1,000kg has been seized from aircrafts in various airports in the country. l

Bombs take away their ability to work  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

that his younger brother sometimes helps him with some money.

“My children are suffering for no fault of their own,” lamented Rashid.

Rashid was lucky enough as he has a younger brother to help him but other arson attack victims are not so lucky.

Another arson attack victim Rahajul, 23, was badly injured in the capital’s Shabagh area on November 28 in 2013.

He received 25% burn injuries in his two hands, neck and face. He is living in a mess in the capital’s Wari area and still working for the same Kashmir Fan Company at Nobabpur.

Tissues of Rahajul’s right hands were completely damaged for which he has to use a spoon while eating even after a year of the deadly attack.

He said as he is an old employee the company authorities are sympathetic towards him and which is why he has

not yet lost his job.

“I am just somehow managed the computer operation very slowly. If I do not work how I can feed my mother and sister who look forward to my money back at home at Pachpara of Sofunia in Pabna,” Rahajul gave a sighed deeply.

During the countrywide violence over the last couple of months in 2013 nearly 300 victims took treatment from hospitals after receiving burn injuries.

Of which over 30 succumbed to injuries. Although, many of them returned homes the burns made them almost physically disabled and psychologically traumatised.

It is no exception this time too as the beginning of the year has already witnessed about 87 people burnt over the last 22 days.

Still 47 people are suffering from excruciating pain and passing their days in agony at the burn unit of the

DMCH alone.

A 20-year-old college student Nazmul Hossain, 20, received 13% burns.

He is undergoing treatment at the burn unit of the DMCH. He is a victim of Jatrabari arson attack on January 23.

Nazmul’s father apprehended that his son might not be able to sit for the examination as Nazmul suffered badly in his hands in the attack.

Dr Samanta Lal Shen who is working at the burn unit of the DMCH for nearly 40 years said most of the victims who come to the DMCH belong to poor families who cannot afford to pay for their treatment.

And many of them finally become disabled, added Dr Samanata.

“I think there should be a permanent rehabilitation centre for the burn victims so that they can at least get supports for their survival,” he added. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

3

AL: Talks with BNP possible if they quit violence n Abu Hayat Mahmud The government might be willing to hold a dialogue with the BNP if the party quits its destructive politics and stops killing innocent people, senior Awami League leaders have said.

Urging BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to refrain from ordering subversive acts, Awami League leaders from separate programmes in the capital yesterday also called upon the party to stop its nationwide violence.

“The government may arrange a dialogue with the BNP. However, before the dialogue they [BNP] must shun destructive politics and stop carrying out petrol bomb attacks and killing innocent people,” Food Minister Qamrul Islam told a sit-in demonstration at the Awami League headquarters at Bangabandhu Avenue.

Qamrul’s comment yesterday was a change of tone from other recent remarks by him, in which he insisted that there was no possibility of dialogues with the BNP-Jamaat alliance.

He, however, mentioned that the government might sit with the BNP and its other allies, but not the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Pakistan embassy staff asked to go back

n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Assistant Consular Officer of Pakistan High Commission Mohammad Mazhar Khan left Dhaka on Saturday as the Foreign Ministry asked the mission to send him back home.

“We came to know about the illegal activities committed by Mazhar with certain evidence. We instructed the Pakistan mission to send him back,” a senior ministry official told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday, asking not to be named.

Asked whether Mazhar was declared a persona non-grata, the official said: “He was not even a diplomat, so we don’t need to declare him PNG.” The non-diplomatic staff was detained with four other persons in Banani with fake currency last month. Later, he was released at the intervention of the high commission since he enjoyed certain consular immunity, the official said.

The high commission in late January informed the protocol section of the Foreign Ministry about the incident.

“The Pakistanis yesterday [Sunday] informed the ministry through a note verbale that Mazhar left Dhaka on Saturday,” the official said.

Another ministry official alleged that Mazhar had contact with a gang involved in making and circulating fake currency. l

Terming the ongoing movement by the BNP-led alliance as a criminal activity, the minister further claimed that some Pakistani agents were trying to permanently establish an anarchic situation in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, at a separate programme in the capital’s Institution of Diploma Engineers, Awami League Advisory Council Member Suranjit Sengupta also urged Khaleda Zia to return to democratic politics by shunning the politics of destruction.

“The BNP has taken a stand against the students by enforcing non-stop blockade and hartals during SSC examinations,” Suranjit said, as well as urging the BNP chief to stop violence during the public exam considering the students’ future.

The senior Awami League leader snubbed BNP-Jamaat’s intention of “forcing” the government to hold a dialogue, saying: “Talks are possible if they refrain from criminal activities.”

The change in tone among Awami League leadership appears to come after widespread calls for a dialogue to end the existing political stalemate in the country. l

During the hartal yesterday, DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia talks to members of the police force deployed at various points of the capital to inquire about their well-being and boost their morale. The photo was taken in the Jatiya Press Club area SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

BNP: Government will be responsible if democracy is hampered

Tk21cr snack allowance sought for police on blockade duty

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

The Home Ministry is seeking the Finance Ministry’s consent to release Tk20.8cr – from the police’s own food fund – to give blockade-duty police daily allowances to buy snacks.

Under normal circumstances police authorities provide catering trucks or ferry services for on-duty staff to have a meal, but this has proved impossible during blockade duty.

A Finance Division official said the Home Ministry proposal did not provide a timetable but the Finance Ministry wanted a timetable.

In a separate move to meet the costs of the blockade duty, the Home Ministry has sought a special allocation of Tk83.5cr for overtime expenses and petrol costs.

With the increased geographic span of patrols and the longer duty hours during the blockade, authorities have failed to keep the force’s catering service going, a Home Ministry official said.

The police are unable to get food out to the many unscheduled patrols

The BNP yesterday said that the government will have to shoulder the responsibility if the democratic process in the country gets hampered.

“The government has been encouraging extremism and blocking all paths of systematic movement and objective media reporting. As a result, confined democracy has reached the verge of extinction,” Salahuddin Ahmed, joint secretary general of the party, said in a press release.

Salahuddin also said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will also have to appear before court someday for “genocide.”

She ordered the killing of opposition leaders and activists and the day of reckoning is not very far away, he said.

The press statement alleged that in the name of joint forces’ drive, the government has turned the cities, towns, ports and villages into valleys of death by carrying out cruel killings in the dark of night.

Claiming that not just protesters but

also innocent people are being arrested, he said the nation will remember the sacrifices that these people have been making.

The release condemned the death of Shibir leader Emdad Ullah in “shootout” with law enforcers.

Salahuddin also condemned the arrest of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s adviser Mosaddek Ali Falu and demanded his immediate release.

Meanwhile, BNP’s student body Chhatra Dal yesterday announced a student strike at Dhaka University for February 4 and 5.

They demand assurances that they would be allowed to coexist with other student bodies on the campus and stopping of repression on political activists and general students.

Chhatra Dal also warned that they would go for non-stop student strike if their demands are not met.

Chhatra Dal President Rajib Ahsan and General Secretary Akramul Hasan made the announcement in a press release. l

n Asif Showkat Kallol

across the country or reach the patrols that are on duty on remote stretches of the highways, official sources said.

Officials said on-duty police cannot find the time to have breakfast, lunch or dinner because of the abnormally long work hours that have resulted from the hartal and transport blockade programmes ahead of the SSC exams.

Police Constable Alamgir who was on duty yesterday near the Secretariat building, the site of several crude bomb explosions on Sunday, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We are lucky today because we were able to have lunch. Yesterday we spent the entire day and night on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway. There was no time for lunch or dinner.”

He said: “Duty police need extra money to buy meals and snacks because we are patrolling remote areas of the country’s highways, railways and waterways. The government has already sanctioned a 30% risk allowance on top of our basic salary because of the dangers involved in doing this work.”

Large numbers of police personnel have arrived in Dhaka to bolster secu-

Falu, Dudu remanded n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

Members of Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad, a platform of pro-liberation doctors, form a human chain in front of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in the capital yesterday to protest the violence and arson attacks during the ongoing blockade DHAKA TRIBUNE

Mosaddek Ali Falu and Md Shamsuzzaman Dudu, advisers to the BNP chief, were remanded yesterday for interrogation in connection with arson cases.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Hasibul Haque granted police five days to quiz Falu, who also owns private TV channel NTV, in a case filed with Khilgaon police for torching a bus on January 30.

Arrested on Sunday, Falu was produced before the court by Sub-Inspector Md Billal Hossain with a 10-day remand prayer.

In the prayer, the SI claimed that Falu had provided criminals money and acted as an abettor of vandalism and arson during the BNP-led 20-party alliance’s blockade and hartals.

Defence counsel Md Sanaullah Miah protested the remand prayer and also sought bail for his client.

According to the case, miscreants

set a bus of “Great Truag Paribahan” on fire with petrol bombs in Khilgaon Flyover area of the city on January 30.

Four people sustained burn injuries in that incident.

The case was filed against six identified people including Jubo Dal President of Nasirabad union Kamrul Islam and Vice-President Siraj Miah, and 2025 unidentified others.

Meanwhile, the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbubur Rahman granted four days’ fresh remand of Dudu in a case filed under the Special Powers Act. Sub-Inspector Md Kamal Hossain of Mirpur Model police station produced him before the court seeking a seven-day remand for interrogation.

Defence counsel Taherul Islam Towhid filed a petition seeking bail for his client.

The case was filed on January 10 for torching a police vehicle at Mirpur 10 intersection and obstructing police from performing their duties. l

BERC says no to gas transmission price hike proposal n Aminur Rahman Rasel

Gas transmission charges should not be increased, the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) technical evaluation committee has recommended, in light of the profitability for several years of the Gas Transmission Company Ltd (GTCL).

GTCL proposed fixing the transmission charge at Tk0.47, an increase of Tk0.15, per cubic meter of gas transmission. The state-run transmission company currently receives Tk0.32 for per cubic meter from gas distribution companies.

AKM Monowar Hossain Akhand,

chief of the evaluation committee and also a director of BERC, said: “Given their current level of profits, GTCL should charge its clients Tk0.13 instead of the Tk0.32 they are currently charging.”

He said GTCL saw profits of approximately Tk425.88cr, Tk406.08cr, Tk407.57cr and Tk318.53cr during FY2013-14, 2012-13, 2011-12 and 2010-11 respectively.

GTCL placed the proposal at a public hearing organised by BERC in the city yesterday. It is the first time hearings have been held on the transmission price of gas.

GTCL Director of Finance Md Shar-

ifur Rahman presented the proposal before the commission.

BERC Chairman AR Khan, members Salim Mahmud, Delwar Hossain and Md Maksudul Haque and other stakeholders attended the public hearing at the commission’s office in the capital.

Shamsul Alam, energy adviser of the Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB), said: “GTCL has been seeing year on year profits in recent times. Why should it raise transmission charges?”

AR Khan asked the GTCL finance director: “Have you ever spent your own money for a meal at Sheraton Hotel?

Then why are you holding your company’s annual general meeting at the five star hotel?”

“Who gave you the right to spend your customers’ money like this? Do not waste your customers’ money like this in the future,” he said during the hearing.

In reply to a question from CAB adviser Shamsul Alam, the GTCL finance director said: “Every board member is paid Tk6,000 per sitting of the board.

In FY2013-14, every staff member except the managing director was paid Tk4 lakh in profit bonuses.”

The BERC chairman asked for details on the number and agenda of board

meetings held each year and said: “We will analyse whether the board meetings were held for nothing or not.”

Hearings on the proposal of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd and Pashchimanchal Gas Company Limited will be held today.

The hearing on Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company Limited and Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited proposals will be held tomorrow.

Hearings on the proposals of Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution System Limited and Sundarban Gas Company Limited will be held on February 5. l

rity here.

The extra police reinforcement personnel do not have sufficient time or space to sleep at Rajarbagh police lines or Mirpur police camp, he said.

The police proposal said some 94,949 policemen and policewomen – 62,802 personnel during the day shift and 32,147 during the night shift – have been working round the clock all over the country to maintain law and order.

To supply cooked or dry food to deployed police personnel, Tk7cr will be needed per day – at an estimated cost of Tk75 per head.

Accordingly, some Tk64cr will be required for three months from January 5 last, it said.

Bangladesh Police has already started spending money, from the Tk20.8cr it has asked to be made available, to give on-duty personnel snack allowances.

According to the proposal, of the total of Tk20.8cr, Metropolitan police will get Tk3cr, Dhaka Metropolitan Police will get Tk9.27cr, District police Tk7.50 cr, Railway police 20 lakh, and the Special Branch Tk83 lakh. l

Family identifies youth’s bulletriddled body as Chhatra Dal leader n Ashif Islam Shaon The bullet-riddled body which police claimed to have had recovered from a slope of an embankment in the capital’s Rupnagar on Friday was identified as a Chhatra Dal leader of Bhola yesterday.

Tawhidul Islam, who introduced himself as the victim’s maternal uncle, identified the body as Md Ariful Islam, 20, an LLB student at International Islamic University’s Dhanmondi campus in Dhaka.

Tawhidul said Ariful resided in a students’ mess at East Rajabazar near Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital. He was the library affairs secretary of Chhatra Dal’s Char Fasion unit.

According to Tawhidul, on January 29, Ariful went to visit his house at Gopibagh. Later in the evening, they went to Sadarghat terminal to buy a ticket as Ariful was going home in Bhola.

“Arif booked a cabin in the Karnaphuli 4 launch. I stayed with him until he boarded the launch; then I went home.”

He claimed someone had called him that night from Arif’s mobile phone and informed that he (Arif) was pickedup by police in plain clothes from the launch. The person did not disclose his identity and since then the phone ha been switched off.

He said: “We have been looking for him since then, but could not find him.

Finally we found the body at Dhaka Medical College morgue.”

Contacted, Sub-Inspector Monirul Islam of Rupnagar police station refuted the claim that police might have picked him up from the launch and said an investigation was under process. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

ZUBAIR MURDER

SAGAR RUNI MURDER

Probe report submission date shifted to April 1

Students demand death penalty to stop recurrence n JU Correspondent Jahangirnagar University students have demanded capital punishment for the persons who killed Zubair Ahmed in January 2012 so that no one else dares committing such crime in the future.

More than a hundred students formed a human chain in front of the new Arts Faculty building under the banner of “Shontrasher Biruddhe Jahangirnagar” yesterday.

Criticising the administration for its alleged patronisation of some of the accused, the agitating students demand-

There is no precedent that politically influential students have ever been punished for violent incidents, including murder ed that the police arrest the six accused who have been on the run since February last year.

Four of the fugitives fled the court when their bails were cancelled.

The students also expressed grief since the police had failed to arrest the fugitive accused when some of them are active on Facebook and visit the campus often. They demanded that the authorities take stern stance against any criminal regardless their political or other identities.

A special tribunal in Dhaka is set to

ICAAP 12 to be held in November n Tribune Report The 12th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) will be held in Bangladesh this November.

The health minister, Mohammed Nasim, made the announcement at a press conference yesterday at the ministry’s conference room.

He said: “Every two years, the ICAAP is held in different countries in Asia and the Pacific region. This year, Dhaka was selected for the 12th ICAAP, which will be the largest international scientific conference in our nation.”

“Bangladesh has been granted this great opportunity after bidding against India and Vietnam. We are going to organise the programme with the support of Partners in Population and Development (PPD). We expect a minimum of 3,000 foreign representatives to attend.”

“We have invited 26 health ministers from 26 PPD member countries.

To ensure a successful outcome, we are working with 11 other ministries,” he added.

The last ICAAP was held in Bangkok. l

deliver verdict in the case tomorrow.

Of the 13 accused, all activists of ruling party’s student wing Chhatra League, seven are in custody while the others remain fugitive.

They were held responsible for the murder by a probe committee formed by the administration. Later the university Syndicate expelled seven for life and six others for two years.

Honours final year student of English department Zubair, a former Chhatra League activist, was picked up by some activists of the rival faction in the afternoon of January 8, 2012. He was then severely tortured with iron rods, sticks and sharp weapons on the campus by the accused and their cohorts.

The killers later took him to Savar Enam Medical College and Hospital and fled the scene. Zubair succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in the capital the following day due to excessive bleeding. The university authorities filed the murder case with Ashulia police.

In a statement, JU unit Bangladesh Chhatra Union yesterday also demanded justice for the killing. The organisation said the culture of impunity for campus violence should end through the verdict.

There is no precedent that politically influential students, especially those having link with ruling parties, ever been punished for violent incidents, including murder.

“If the criminals do not get due punishment, others will be encouraged to commit such crimes in the future,” the press release said. l

n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

Long-haul travellers increasingly opt for relatively safe train journeys as highways are being heavily targeted by arsonists during the BNP-led transport blockade and hartal programme. The photo was taken at Kamalapur train station yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

IOM: Media needs to focus more on migration n Tribune Report Speakers at a roundtable discussion yesterday said many important discussions surrounding migration are being overlooked due to media’s prioritisation of mainly political and crime related issues.

The roundtable titled “Migration and Media in Bangladesh” was held on Monday at the capital’s Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, organised by International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Dhaka.

“Most of the time, the media covers stories on migration issues only when an incident occurs. There should be more investigative reporting for im-

Mohammad Rafiq awarded best poet at Poetry Festival n Arif Ahmed Prominent poet Mohammad Rafiq was awarded Best Poet in 2014 at the “29th Jatiya Kabita Utsab (National Poetry Festival)” which ended yesterday.

The two day long poetry festival, which began on Sunday on the Dhaka University campus, ended yesterday after the prize announcement ceremony where Rafiq’s award was announced.

The Jatiya Kabita Utsab was organised by Jatiya Kabita Parishad, which was formed on February 1 1987 for this festival. Since its debut in 1987, the organisation has been arranging the poetry festival on February 1 and 2 every year, centering on themes of contemporary culture and socio-political situation of the country.

This year’s theme was “Jago shombhabonay, jago kobitay” (rise through hopes, rise through poetry), and held poetry recitations, seminars with hundreds of prominent poets and cultural personalities – both from home and abroad.

The Bangladeshi recitation, which was ninth in line of recitation groups,

was facilitated by Nirmelendu Goon.

A large number of local and foreign poets recited their poems at the festival. Foreign poets from India, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, and Ecuador participated, notably Ashish Sanyal and Subodh Sarkar from India, Peter Naibarg from Sweden, and Germane Drugenbrut from Belgium.

The Jatiya Kabita Parishad was founded during the military regime of 1980s under the leadership of eminent poets including Sufia Kamal, Shamsur Rahman and Faiz Ahmed with the aim of using poetry as a means to break chains. The festival notably played an important role in restoring democracy in the country by unifying the people of Bangladesh against the autocratic military regime of General Ershad.

The festival eventually became a perpetual cultural journey and, in its course, involved participation of progressive writers, journalists, painters, intellectuals as well as politicians.

The national poetry festival today has become a major annual event not only in Bangladesh, but also in South Asia. l

proving migration condition as a large number of our people work abroad and send remittance back home,” said Mohammad Jahangir, executive director at Centre for Development Communication.

While addressing obstacles and challenges faced by journalists covering migration issues, Shariful Zaman, a senior reporter at Prothom Alo, raised the issue of credibility.

“Mostly, us journalists face trouble for lack of proper and credible information from the government and relevant authorities. On the other hand, there is no updated information or enough study regarding remittances,” he said.

Giving an example of Saudi Arabia,

Jahangir said: “There is neither a press officer in the Bangladesh Embassy office nor journalists in Saudi Arabia, thus restricting us from knowing what is happening there daily. However, India is doing much better than us.”

Speakers also said the media needs to be more concerned regarding this big issue and work more to raise awareness about it.

At the programme, several top media personnel were present, incudiung Independent Television News Editor Zahid Hasan, BTV Producer Abdullah Al Mamun, BBC journalist Shakil Bin Mushtaq, The Daily Star Assignment Editor Reaz Ahmed and ATN News Head of News Munni Saha. l

A Dhaka court has asked again Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) to submit before it a probe report on the murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi by April 1.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Yunus Khan passed the order yesterday as Investigation Officer (IO) Wares Ali, also an assistant superintendent of police of RAB, failed to submit the probe report.

The report was to be submitted yesterday. But the court again deferred the report submission date to April 1 as the IO failed to submit it.

Wares Ali took over the charge of the investigation on March 18, 2014 but has been failing to submit the probe report although the court has been changing dates.

Police have so far arrested eight accused, including two guards of the residence of the victims. They are now in jail.

According to the case documents, Sagar Sarowar and his wife Meherun Runi were killed at their rented flat at West Rajabazar in the capital on February 11, 2012.

Sagar was the News Editor of Maasranga, a private TV channel, and his wife Runi was the Senior Reporter of ATN Bangla, another private TV channel.

After their murder, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police started an investigation into the case. Later, the case was shifted to Detective Branch of police.

However, the High Court, in an order, shifted the case to RAB for investigation as the former had expressed inability to resolve the case. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Blockade-hit fertiliser supply chain worries farmers, traders and workers in Khulna n Our Correspondent, Khulna Distribution of about 40,000 tonnes of various fertilisers in Khulna has been held up due to the on going blockade and hartals across the country.

These fertilisers, which are crucial for Boro cultivation could not be delivered to the south-west and northern regions of the country due to lack of transport facility.

About 15,000 tonnes of these fertilisers are left out in the open making them to lose quality due to moisture and dust.

As such, traders and workers related to fertiliser business are counting heavy loss while the farmers fear of poor Boro cultivation in the season if they fail to get the fertilisers in time.

Farmer Abdur Rahman expressed his concern: “We use fertilisers such as TSP, urea, MOP and DAP during January to March. But if the blockade continues, we will not be able to get the fertilisers in time and apply them to the field.”

According to the Khulna Fertiliser Association, the fertilisers stored in Khalishpur, Shiromoni and Noapara are distributed to 42 destinations of the country including Jessore, Bagherhat and Faridpur. However, due to the nonstop blockade and frequent hartals the supply has been severely disrupted.

Fertiliser dealer Sheikh Haroon said, about 15,000 tonnes of fertiliser is left under open sky at 7 number ghat area of Khulna city.

Agriculturalist Mushtak Ahmed said, another 1336 tonnes is stored at Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation in Khulna. A further 14,000 tonnes was on the way from Morocco, Belarus, Canada, Tunisia and other countries through various shipping agents.

On January 4, before all the political chaos started, a total of 1419 tonnes of MOP fertiliser was distributed from various points of Khulna. But the figure

5

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

ATTACK ON NEW AGE JOURNALIST

Punishment to police officer demanded n DU Correspondent

Fertilisers are kept on a roadside at Khalispur in Khulna as distribution of about 40,000 tonnes of various fertilisers has been held up due to the on going blockade and hartals across the country. The photo was taken yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE sharply dropped to 539 tonnes per day on an average after the blockade was enforced.

This stagnant situation has also led to a miserable condition for the workers.

Liton Sheikh, who works at the 7 number ghat area, said: “15-20 vehicles used to come to the area previously. And we would make

about Tk500 a day by working from 8am-5pm. But now we hardly have any work. It has become difficult to maintain a family.”

General Secretary of 6 and 7 number jetty handling labour union, Mohd Kamal Hossain said, there were about 1200 workers in the union. “They used to earn Tk500-700 a day. But most of them are unemployed now,” he added.

Fertiliser dealer Sheikh Haroon said: “There is a lack of transportation. We are having to pay double the regular charge for a truck. But even then transport owners do not agree to operate their vehicles fearing arson attacks.”

M H Dulal, proprietor of fertiliser distributor Dulal and Sons, said the whole chain of fertiliser supply from the Mongla port to the field of a farmer

had been hampered due to the blockade and hartals. He feared if the situation lingered on, the Boro production in the country would be heavily affected.

Convenor of Khulna Fertiliser Association Gazi Abul Kalam Azad expressed frustration over the political turmoil and urged a quick end to the situation. l

Dhaka University Journalist Association (DUJA) yesterday demanded exemplary punishment to the police officer who assaulted journalist Nuzmul Huda, a DU correspondent of English daily New Age. DUJA leaders made the demand at a human programme at the Aparajeyo Bangla on the university campus.

Earlier on Sunday night, some policemen led by Ramna Police Station Sub-Inspector Mahedi Hasan Sumon assaulted Nazmul and his friend Kayruzzaman Shuvo, a student of management department student of DU, in the capital’s Bijoynagar intersection area following an altercation.

SI Mahedi Hasan beat up Nuzmul and his friend Suvo with rifle butts and boots and took them from Bijoynagor intersection to the police custody, the victims alleged.

Speaking at the human chain, DUJA President Masum Billah said the police officials assaulted Namul as he took photo of the policemen who were seen riding pillion on a motorbike violating law.

“We will launch tougher movement if our demand is not met soon,” he said.

DUJA General Secretary Sanaul Hoque Sany said the police forces are the last place where people seek their security. But where they will go if police torture brutally?

“We demanded exemplary punishment to officials involved in the incident within 24 hour,” he said.

Chhatra Union Central President Hasan Tareque also spoke there.

Meanwhile, various political and cultural organisations, including Chhatra Union, and students of political science department of DU also formed human chains to protest the attacks on the journalist and student. l

Mob hand over 4 muggers to police n Our Correspondent, Gazipur

Beautification adds to woes of pedestrians

Regional cooperation stressed

A mob beat up four muggers and handed them over to police in Sreepur early yesterday.

The four – Durjoy Hasan Rana, 18, Faisal Mia, 22, Hasan, 20, and Mahbub, 21 – attempted to rob some truckers in Jaina Bazar around 4:30am.

Sub-Inspector of Sreepur police station Salah Uddin said 10 muggers knocked on the doors of five to six trucks parked near Ahmed Filling Station.

“The drivers and helpers were sleeping inside the trucks and they all drove away sensing danger except one who was struggling to start the vehicle. He succeeded in a while but drove into the filling station when the muggers were about to attack him. “The muggers rode to the filling station and attempted to take away Tk30,000 kept under the driving seat. A mob captured them but six ran away when the saw police coming.

Police then detained the four,” he said. l

n Our Correspondent, Barisal

n Tribune Report

WEATHER

DRY WEATHER LIKELY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3 DHAKA

TODAY SUN SETS 5:45PM

TOMORROW SUN RISES 6:40AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY 27 28 26 25 27 28 27 29

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

16 16 13 13 13 16 14 18

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

28.5ºC Teknaf

6.4ºC Srimangal

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

5:21am 6:38am 12:12am 4:09pm 5:45pm 7:03pm

SourceL IslamicFinder.org

Trees planted in more than two-dozens concrete dustbins constructed on busy footpaths by Barisal City Corporation (BCC) have become a new civic hazards for the pedestrians in the city.

This unplanned work of BCC not only ate up the space of the walkways but is also injuring pedestrian as thorny palm trees were planted in the dustbins.

A recent visit to the busy Fazlul Huq Avenue, where courts and administrative offices are situated, found that concrete box-dustbins have been constructed on the footpaths on both sides of the road from Port road to Sadar road crossing.

Harun-ur-Rashid, owner of M Rahman Newspaper Agency in the area said the trees had not only narrowed the spaces of the footpaths, but also injured pedestrians, especially children who had been frequently pricked by thorns.

Another pedestrians Sultana Begum said the trees would create more prob-

lem in future when they will fully grow.

Motaleb Haoladar, superintendent engineer of BCC, said 24 concrete-dustbins were constructed to make the city roads clean from dry wastes and trees planted in the dustbin would make the city green.

“The project has started as an experimentation. It was a plan of the health and sanitation department of BCC and could be expanded in other areas if it becomes successful,” he added.

When contacted, Dr. Matiur Rahman, who is in charge of the health and sanitation department of BCC, said he knew nothing about such activities.

Shanti Das, president of Barisal Sangskritik Shongothon Shomonnoi Parishad, alleged that BCC never did anything in a planned manner, which could be beneficial for the city dwellers.

“By such kind of activities it is again proved that BCC wasted a lot of money which benefits the contractors and BCC officials only.”

She urged to remove the dustbins immediately. l

COUNTER-TERRORISM CONFERENCE STARTS

A regional counter-terrorism conference began yesterday at Dhaka Police Staff College in the capital’s Mirpur area, with a focus on good practices in the investigation and prosecution of terrorism cases.

The conference is meant to unite top experts from the US and the UN with law enforcement officials and prosecutors from the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Speaking at the inaugural session, David Meale, charge d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Dhaka, said no nation was free from the threat that terrorism poses. “The horrific school attack in Pakistan where dozens were mercilessly slaughtered, including many children, and the more recent attack of the offices of the magazine Charlie Hebdo which took place thousands of miles apart, highlight the global challenge that the world face from terrorism,” he said.

“These attacks and the global challenge of terrorism highlight the need

for close, global and regional cooperation. The Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF) represents an attempt to share and develop best practices and policies to overcome the challenge of terrorism.

“This programme will focus on three of those memoranda: how best to investigate and prosecute terrorism cases, how best to assist and protect witnesses and victims of terrorism, and how best to address the new foreign fighter phenomenon,” Meale said.

“Some of these practices are very simple, representing common sense, such as the importance of prosecuting terror finance cases. Others are more complex and subtle, such as establishing a system of electronic surveillance that accomplishes the aims of law enforcement while also respecting rule of law and human rights,” he added.

Speaking as the chairperson at the conference, Rector of the police academy Fatema Begum said: “Law enforcers, prosecutors and judges have to work together to fight terrorism.”

The US Department of Justice’s Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) and the Office of the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) worked in collaboration with the UN Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (UNCTED) and the Bangladesh government to organise this conference.

A total of 36 people are taking part in the conference: four from Nepal, four from the Maldives and 28 from Bangladesh.

The Dhaka conference is the first of three regional programmes that will be conducted by the OPDAT in the months to come. In March, the OPDAT will organise a three-day regional programme in Nepal on terrorism victim assistance and protection.

In April, the OPDAT will organise a four-day event in India on the foreign fighter phenomenon. All three events have been designed to share expertise and experience on counter-terrorism issues while encouraging regional cooperation. l

Fear of arrest haunts students of Rajshahi University n Nazim Mridha

Students of Rajshahi University are passing days in fear of arrest as cases filed against them in connection with a clash that took place on the campus last year are yet to be withdrawn.

Hundreds of students submitted a memorandum to the university authorities with seven points demands, including withdrawal of cases filed on February 2 last year after a clash.

On February 2, 2104, leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League with firearms attacked on the students who were holding a sit-in programme in front of the university’s administrative building in protest at the hike in fees at different departments and introduction of evening masters’ courses at different faculties.

Over 100 students and eight journalists were injured and some 20 other students received bullet injuries in the attack.

Despite taking action against the unruly BCL men, the university authorities, police and Chhatra League filed six cases with Motihar police station accusing over 750 general students the following.

“The accused students are feeling insecurity as the university authori-

ties are yet to withdraw the cases filed against them,” said a student who preferred to be unnamed.

Yesterday, students also held a gathering in front of university’s central library demanding withdrawal of cases.

Students at the gathering alleged that the authorities were using the cases as the weapon against them so that they could not go on any movement to realise students’ demand.

Whenever we want to hold any programme on the campus regarding students’ right, authorities intimidate them with the threat of arrest, the speakers said.

However, the speakers urged the students to observe February 2 as “Prevention Day against Commercialisation of Education” at all the educational institutions across the country.

The students also threatened the university authorities with tougher agitation programmes if the cases were not withdrawn soon.

Later, they submitted a memorandum to the university Vice-Chancellor Prof Muhammad Mizanuddin.

Their other demands include withdrawal of all increased fees and cancellation of ongoing commercial evening master’s courses at the faculty of law.

Students of Rajshahi University bring out a procession on the campus yesterday with a call to mark February 2 as the prevention day against commercialisation of education DHAKA TRIBUNE Sohrab Hossain, president of Socialist Student Front, Ayatullah Khomeni, president of Bangladesh Student Union, Jarif Muhib Ayan, president of Bangladesh Student Federation and Dilip Roy, general secretary of Biplobi Chhatra

Moitree RU unit spoke at the gathering. However, the investigation body formed followed by the February 2 violence then is yet to submit its report.

Prof Khalequzzman, the chief of 5-member investigation team, told the

Dhaka Tribune, they could not end the investigation as lack of cooperation from the students’ side. However, RU VC Prof Mizanuddin told the Dhaka Tribune that students did not need to be worry over the cases. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Crises abound in Noakhali hospital n Our Correspondent, Noakhali The 250-bed Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College and Hospital is riddled with many crises, especially the acute shortage of drinking water, and it has been so since it was established on April 24, 1972.

The hospital has 11 buildings – all two- and three-storey – none of which were connected to government water supply system until 2005. Even after getting the water supply, the hospital staff and patients still have to rely on the pond nearby, but its water is hardly safe.

Sometimes, the pond water gets contaminated with hospital waste; yet, the patients and hospital staff use it for washing and other purposes, sources at the hospital told the Dhaka Tribune.

During the dry season, the crisis escalates as the pond water dries up. To alleviate the water shortage then, five shallow tube-wells have been installed, but the water they pump out contain a heavy amount of iron.

In 2005, the hospital was connected to the government water supply system via Noakhali municipality, and the hospital installed the pipeline and a reservoir. However the supply soon declined and eventually stopped because the water got pumped way by other establishments via electric pumps.

“Despite not getting the supply water, the hospital authorities still have to pay around Tk16 lakh in bill and tax every year,” said Dr ABM Ahsanullah, the hospital superintendent.

Resorted to use the unhygienic pond water, both the patients and the hos-

pital water are very vulnerable to water-borne diseases, the most common of them being diarrhoea.

“Some of us cannot afford to buy drinking water; we have to make do with the pond water and the tube-well water even though the water is barely usable,” said Swapna Begum, 35, from Begumganj, Jonaki Begum, 24, from Sonaimuri upazila, and Deen Mohammad, 45, from Subarnachar upazila, all patients at the hospital.

The Dhaka Tribune contacted Noakhali municipality Secretary Khan Mohammed Farabi in this regard, who said: “We are going to install a special pipeline to supply water to the hospital.”

Nasim Khan, executive engineer at the Public Works Department, assured that the reservoir would be properly washed as well.

At least 15 dwelling houses were torched and a good number of houses were looted during a clash that took place at Rajghor village under Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila yesterday morning.

A total of 30 people were injured during the clash. Police arrested five people for their alleged involvement with the arson attacks and vandalism.

Quoting local, people police said there had been a long-standing dispute between former chairman of Uttor Union Parishad Abdur Rouf and Advocate Ali Azam over the ownership of a piece of land for long.

n Our Correspondent, Netrakona

Patient admission beyond capacity, business at risk

The hospital has 250 beds, but it admits around 600 patients every day. Those who are not lucky to get a bed have to stay on the floor of the ward rooms and the corridors of the hospital.

“It is difficult to attend so many patients with the resources that we have.

The higher authorities provide us with the supplies for 250 patients, but in reality we have 350 more patients who are here for treatment,” said Dr Farid Uddin Chowdhury, resident medical officer at the hospital.

“The hospital staff get embarrassed when they take meals to the patients with bed, and cannot do the same for the patients on the floor,” the doctor

15 houses torched n Our Correspondent

One to die; two jailed for murder in Netrakona

Over the issue, supporters of Rouf and Azam also locked into clashes over the issue on Friday and Saturday.

As a sequel to the clashes, supporters of both group were engaged in clash with lethal weapon around 7am. Both the group used lethal weapons during the clash that lasted over two hours.

The rivals set fire to each other’s houses during the clash which created panic among local people.

On receiving information, police from Sadar police station rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Additional police have been deployed in the area to avoid any untoward incident. l

Family member of a patient at Noakhali Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College and Hospital uses the water of the nearby pond for washing DHAKA TRIBUNE

told the Dhaka Tribune.

“We also have a shortage of cleaning staff. We have 20 government-employed staff and 20 others outsourced.

If the government itself outsourced around 40-50 cleaners, keeping the standard of hygiene would not be as difficult as it is now,” he said.

Amid all these crises, the hospital

also faces losing its patients. Seeking anonymity, an on-duty doctor told the Dhaka Tribune that agents of private clinics roam around the hospital to lure away the patients. Some even have connections with some doctors and compel them to refer their patients to the clinics.

Lack of professionalism among the

hospital staff is evident as well. Only the female nurses follow the rule of wearing the hospital uniform when on duty.

Asked about this, the hospital superintendent said: “All doctors, nurses and other staff in the hospital must abide by the hospital rules strictly and wear the appropriate uniform.” l

A man was sentenced to death and two others got life imprisonment in separate murder cases in the district yesterday.

Shubhash Banik, additional public prosecutor, said Nurul Islam and Safura Begum, daughter of late Ashek Ali of Kaliyan village, got married in 1999.

On July 19, 2000, Nurul strangulated to death his wife as she talked with neighbor Sumon at midnight.

On July 20, Abdur Rashid, brother of Safura, filed a case with Kendua police station in this connection.

Police submitted charge-sheet before court on January 30, 2003 after investigation.

After a long hearing, court announced the verdict as the charge brought against him is proved.

On the other hand, the court sentenced Iman Hossain and Lalu Mian to life imprisonment of Ushan village under Durgapur upazila for murder.

Sources said Imam killed his nineyear old child on 18 July in 1996 to make a trap against his rival in the village where Lalu helped him.

Later, a case was filed in this connection and police submitted charge sheet.

The court led by additional Judge Abdul Hamid handed down the verdict after examining the witnesses and records. Family members of the victims expressed satisfaction after the announcement of verdict. l

Eight killed in road accidents in 5 districts n Tribune Report At least eight people were killed in road accidents in Sylhet, Sirajganj, Barisal, Sherpur and Habiganj districts yesterday.

Our Barisal correspondent reports: A construction worker was killed in an accident on the Barisal-Dhaka Highway in the district.

The victim was identified as Md Selim, 35, son of Sekandar Mian at Dhamsar of the upazila.

SI Mansur Ahmed of Wazirpur police station, said the accident had taken place when a truck hit Selim leaving him critically injured.

Later, he was sent to local hospital where on duty doctors declared him dead.

IN Sirajganj, three people were killed and four others injured as a truck rammed into an auto-rickshaw at Parkula Bazar area in Shahjadpur upazila.

Among three, two of the deceased were identified as Ibrahim, 35, and Shahajab, 32.

Police said, the accident took place when the Bogra-bound truck rammed into a CNG-run auto-rickshaw in the area around 8am, leaving three passengers of the auto-rickshaw dead on the spot and four others injured.

On information, police recovered the bodies.

Habiganj correspondent said a man was killed in an accident in Borogaon area under Nabiganj upazila of the district.

Liakot Ali, officer-in-charge of Nabiganj police station said a microbus ran over Farhad Ali,9, son of Adur Rahim of Noagaon village leaving him dead on the spot while he was crossing the road.

Our Sherpur correspondent said a man was killed in an accident on the Sherpur-Jamalpur Road in the district.

Meanwhile, a woman and a child were killed and another people in-

jured in a head-on collision between a stone-laden truck and a CNG-run auto rickshaw on the Bongobir-Hadarpar road in Goainghat upazila yesterday evening.

The deceased are Salma Begum, 40, wife of Saudi Arabia expatriate of Uttor Kolamadav village and Masuma Begum, 8, daughter Abdul Mannan of the same village of Goainghat upazilla.

Abdul Hye, officer-in-charge of Goainghat police station, said a Sylhet-bound truck collided head on with an autorickshaw near Pirer Bazar bridge area on Bongobir-Hadarpar road around 4:30 pm, leaving the two dead on the spot. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

7

The Obama trip: It wasn’t for India

President Barack Obama delivers a speech at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi on January 27 in the final day of a three day visit to India

I

n Mohammad Ali Sattar

t is unusual that a US president visits a country twice in a single tenure. That too, if that country is not a neighbour and has security problems. Obama’s second trip to India has been carrying significance, but the critics and the world watchers have overblown the issue.

By now the world politics has been quite clearly understood. The dismantling of the USSR and the subsequent changes that Europe has undergone deserves attention. The way things were expected to behave, they did not entirely.

The disintegration of the Soviet Union was on the cards and it was only a matter of time. That US is working on a mission of world domination is a stale

issue and needs no deliberation. What has been happening inside the country is another matter.

The US has made an impressive comeback after the recession in 2008.

It is coming back to its feet and there has been slow but steady escalation in overall economic index, although marginal.

Obama followed his predecessors and the ones who will follow him into the White House shall be walking on the same track. The future leaders of the White House and Pentagon will just have to adjust to the needs and times of the outside world. The objective reality will be determined according to its gravity.

Coming back to the India visit, the tour is to make India a friend (at least to look like one). See the change of

The backdrop of the visit is certainly a ‘China factor.’ Since the rise of China is a concern for the US, it is but natural that Washington would like to post some form of a partner to guard against the expansion of the middle kingdom

stance. Once Narendra Modi was seriously disliked by the US, he was barred from travelling to that country; he also faced legal problems in the US. All these changed fast when the US found her interest in the South is at stake. Moreover, you cannot ignore the Indian leaders (especially when they get elected). They are powerful allies in the region, although the US is way behind in the race for global competition.

With all smiles the US president arrived with his entourage. His interesting deliberations with the leaders and the general remarks were the goodies that the US president had in his basket. His address in Siri Fort was interesting, if not captivating.

He made things lighter when he mentioned the popularity of Shah Rukh Khan in America. He quoted

REUTERS

a hindi line from Shah Rukh’s film.

These were very good exercise on his part to win over the minds of the Indians.

He also did not forget to remind the Indian prime minister that the minority problems and the gender issues need to be addressed effectively. He hinted at the wrong situation now prevailing in India about ethnic, minority, gender and women safety issues.

And he must have hinted at the foreign ministry affairs in India. No wonder Modi opted for a more pro-US person as the foreign secretary, so Shujat had to quit well before time.

She had problems with Modi. The US was not happy with the way she handled the diplomatic row that India and the US had found themselves in last year.

However, all these has been tamed and Modi is flying in the seventh heaven with Obama’s supposed blessings.

For all these President Barack Obama need not have come down to India.

These were being handled by his men long before he planned this trip.

So, the backdrop of the visit is certainly a “China factor.” Since the rise of China is a concern for the US, it is but natural that Washington would like to post some form of a partner to guard against the expansion of the middle kingdom.

The US is aware that China is a huge nation. It has its history and tradition.

The power of the people is well recorded. The rapid growth of the country in the last 30 years is significant. Not only as an economic powerhouse, the country is also turning into a global player in all sectors.

It has toppled the US as the number one economic superpower. It keeps on growing. Economic power brings in the military supremacy. The long time land dispute in the region with Japan and India has been plaguing the leadership in Tokyo and New Delhi.

However, these two countries could hardly contain the Chinese influence.

It is only natural that the countries that feel threatened by the Chinese power will turn to the US for succour.

Almost all of the SEA nations have been growing with US assistance and they will be obliged to call on the US for help.

If China can make inroads to the small economies of the region then things will change for the US. South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and even Indonesia are growing fast. Therefore, China might find a good partner

The bilateral issues between India and the US have been somewhat resolved, but not to the expected level. Modi and Obama mingled as good friends, but the actual mission remains incomplete and largely murky

in them, virtually weakening the US influence economically, and militarily.

Fiscal issues will start working soon.

With the conquest of the region and taming of India, China is sure to make its impression in the region and in extension, the world. South was always richer in wealth and human resources.

Therefore, China and the Southern states are likely to grow depending on the friendly policies of the bigger power.

China’s growth will also see the back of the US from the pacific. US military power will also be considered redundant once the nations in the South feel comfortable with China.

Washington will have to think of moving elsewhere from the South and the East once the Chinese and allies of the region take hold.

This entire future scenario may not materialise tomorrow, but it is sure to happen if the China syndrome is not taken care of. India will be a part of the US scheme to contain China.

So Obama, or for that matter, the US will befriend any Indian leader to work out the road map. It has also in mind the Silk Road plans of the Chinese.

The great highway then, connecting the world, will have a great Chinese authority.

The bilateral issues between India and the US have been somewhat resolved, but not to the expected level.

Modi and Obama mingled as good friends, but the actual mission remains incomplete and largely murky.

The 2005 deal with the US under George Bush was stalled for conditions that US put forward. Now Obama tries to ease the conditions, but that too did not look tangible. The experts will

have to work on that. The compensation part and the gas emission factors will be hard to work out. The 400 million dollar grant for India is a good gesture.

We do not know what transpired between the two leaders and their team members regarding China. There must be detailed instructions given to the Indian side regarding US plans about China.

All these will come out in the course to time. We shall see those through the action either of Indian authority or in the classified documents that will leak out in the world press through another Assange or Snowden.

If you take a closer look, nothing much has been achieved by India by serving the warm tea to the US president. The sad part is the weaker economies and military shall always be at the receiving end. India is no exception.

The main reason Obama visited India was the China factor, it had nothing really to do with Indian interest. Future will speak. l Mohammad Ali Sattar is Editor at Global News Network (GNN), Sports Times, and a DT Columnist.

8 Ebola vaccine trial starts in Liberia n AP, Monrovia A trial of an Ebola vaccine was to start yesterday in Liberia’s capital following a launch event featuring musicians.

In a densely-populated neighborhood of Monrovia, guests clapped, danced along and nodded as musicians sang lyrics on Sunday that explained the purpose and intent of the Ebola vaccination trial. The singing was part of a campaign to overcome Liberians’ reluctance to embrace the vaccines amid conspiracy theories.

The actual trial begins in the Liberian capital yesterday on the first group of volunteers. The vaccination trial is a product of a partnership set up by the governments of Liberia and United States.

Appearing at the launch campaign on Sunday, Liberian Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai told The Associated Press the vaccines are “very important for Liberia and for the world.”

The vaccines contain a bit of Ebola virus that helps trigger an immune response against the virus, according to a document from PREVAIL, the acronym for Partnership for Research on Ebola Vaccines in Liberia, as the US-Liberia collaboration is called.

Boakai urged Liberians “to take courage because it is going to work.”

The UN health agency said last week that the three most affected countries — Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia — have reported fewer than 100 cases in the past week, for the first time since June. The outbreak is believed to have killed more than 8,000 people since it was identified in March. l

Tunisia PM announces coalition cabinet with Islamists n AFP, Tunis Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid yesterday presented a new coalition government with a cabinet dominated by the secular Nidaa Tounes party but also including members from its Islamist rivals.

“We have made changes... to widen the composition of the government with the participation of other political parties,” Essid said after the moderate Islamist Ennahda party had warned it would vote against a line-up that included none of its members.

The new cabinet, which includes a minister and three state secretaries from Ennahda, will be put before parliament for a vote of confidence on Wednesday.

“We have no more time to lose, we are in a race against the clock,” Essid said as he announced the line-up at the presidency.

Essid’s government will be the first since landmark parliamentary and presidential elections last year that were the first freely contested polls in the history of the North African country.

The anti-Islamist Nidaa Tounes party of President Beji Caid Essebsi won the largest number seats in October’s general election, with Ennahda in second place.

But Nida Tounes did not secure a majority and Ennahda, which holds 69 of parliament’s 217 seats, had rejected a cabinet that did not include any of its members.

Tunisia has struggled to form a stable government since it became the birthplace of the Arab Spring uprisings by ousting longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011. l

Ex-PEGIDA leader founding new organisation in Germany n AP, Berlin A former leader of German group anti-Islam group PEGIDA says she’s starting a new organisation to campaign for more referendums in politics.

Kathrin Oertel said yesterday that she and several others are founding “Direct Democracy for Europe,” which she said would stand for conservative values and position itself to the right of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right Christian Democratic Union.

Oertel, who resigned from the group Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of Europe last week with several other leaders, said the new group would not attempt to compete with PEGIDA, and would hold rallies on different days.

PEGIDA’s leadership has been struggling since co-founder Lutz Bachmann quit two weeks ago after online posts surfaced in which he used derogatory language to refer to refugees and posed looking like Adolf Hitler. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Hard-left Podemos rises with stark portrait of divided Spain n AFP, Madrid Less than a week after the victory of its hard-left ally Syriza in Greece, Spain’s Podemos party launched an election-heavy year by assembling more than 100,000 supporters for a rally in Madrid.

Podemos used its “March for Change” Saturday to assail government austerity measures, and paint a portrait of Spain in starkly contrasting hues of “privileged” versus “humiliated” social camps.

In doing so, Podemos amped up the populist themes that have won it considerable support in its mere year of existence – and without detailing many concrete proposals to right the wrongs it denounces.

“Pablo Iglesias and his Podemos party have without doubt scored a victory with the Puerta del Sol rally,” conceded Sunday’s edition of Spanish centre-right newspaper El Mundo, which has openly opposed the populist left-wing group since its founding in March 2014.

The event also served as an unofficial kick-off of a busy election year in Spain, starting with regional polling in Andalusia, Catalonia and elsewhere from March-November, municipal balloting in May, and legislative voting in November – when the conservative government of Mariano Rajoy will seek to retain power.

Given the results of recent opinion polls, its understandable why Podemos was first out of the gates to rally backers.

Surveys show Spain’s youngest party leading the Socialist (PSOE), and in some polls bettering Rajoy’s ruling Progressive Party (PP).

In carefully preparing Saturday’s show of force, Podemos worked social networks to mobilise maximum participation by supporters from all over Spain, who converged on Madrid’s Puerta del Sol plaza – quickly filling it to capacity.

As hoped for by organisers, the photo of that large crowd ran on front pages and as lead stories on media around the world covering the massive turnout.

“We will win elections against the PP,” in 2015 vowed Iglesias, 36, send-

ing ripples of excitement through the tightly-packed crowd.

Prior to that Inigo Errejon, 31, and Juan-Carlos Monedero, 52 – number two and three officials in Podemos respectively – described a modern Spain in which two contrasting camps co-existed with increasingly difficulty.

They spoke of a Spain “on top” versus one “on the bottom,” of “the powerful” opposing “workers,” and of a “privileged” caste lording over the descendants of Spaniards who toiled “to build a country where no one would be cold.”

And those people, Iglesias echoed, now suffer “humiliation and increasing poverty,” and want to take their fate back into their hands.

- ‘Courageous dreamers “We need courageous dreamers to defend those on the bottom. We need more Don Quixotes,” urged Iglesias, evoking Cervantes’ famous character.

Podemos rose from the “Indignados” movement born in the streets of Madrid in May 2011 with denunciations of financial markets and political corruption it blamed for the enduring hardship of average Spaniards.

Four years on – and despite Spain’s economy beginning to grow after six years of brutal recession – joblessness still stands at a crushing 23%.

In organising Saturday’s rally, Podemos was careful to note its purpose was neither to demand or propose concrete action, but instead mobilise backers for looming elections.

“Speeches were not political, they were emotional messages from the heart to people already dedicated to the cause,” noted Catalan paper El Periodico Sunday.

Ignacio Urquizu, a sociology professor at the Complutense University of Madrid that Iglesias hails from, drew a similar conclusion.

Though Urquizu says that criticism of Indignados for failing to propose any remedial policies “was unfair, because it was a citizens’ protest movement,” the same critique of Podemos is valid because it “seeks power in our country while demonstrating the same failing,” he wrote in Sunday’s El Pais.

Podemos’ vague programme is inspired by the socialism of late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, and

An Egyptian court yesterday confirmed death sentences against 183 men convicted of killing 13 policemen in a town near Cairo in August 2013.

In December the court had issued its preliminary verdict against 188 defendants in a mass trial, of which two were acquitted yesterday while one, a minor, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Charges against the remaining two were dropped after the court discovered that they were dead.

Yesterday’s verdict came after the initial sentences were sent to the grand mufti, the government’s official interpreter of Islamic law, for ratification.

The accused, of whom 143 are behind bars, were found guilty of taking part in an August 14, 2013 attack on a police station in Kerdassa, a village on the outskirts of Cairo, in which 13 policemen were killed.

The attack took place on the same day security forces violently dismantled two massive protest camps supporting ousted president Mohamed Morsi in Cairo, killing hundreds of protesters in clashes. Since the army deposed Morsi on July 3, 2103, at least 1,400 people have been killed in a police crackdown on protests. l

US braces for second major snowstorm in a week

n Reuters, Kansas City Demonstrators gather around a fountain at Puerta del Sol during the ‘March for Change’ planned by left-wing party Podemos that emerged out of the ‘Indignants’ movement, in Madrid on January 31 AFP progressive Scandinavian progressive parties. The movement even refuses to be labelled leftist.

On Saturday it continued airing a list of rather generic pledges that included battling corruption, reversing the widening wealth gap, and defying the so-called “troika” imposing austerity on indebted European states by demanding the restructuring of Spanish debt – which currently represents 96.8% of GDP. In doing so, Podemos says it is re-

Ukraine rebels vow to mobilise 100,000-strong force

sponding to the hopes of many Spanish voters who no longer believe in the PSOE and PP that have alternated stints in power for more than three decades.

“Voters don’t read 400 page party programmes,” noted political analyst Jose Ignacio Torreblanca, adding the PSOE itself rose to power in the 1980s using similar inspirational methods – and nearly the exact “For Change” slogan that Podemos marched under Saturday. l

Nicolas Sarkozy, the ex-president now heading France’s main conservative opposition, came under pressure from allies and foes yesterday to endorse rival Socialists in a by-election runoff to ensure the defeat of the National Front.

The anti-immigrant far-right party came out ahead with 32.6% in Sunday’s first round vote for the parliamentary seat in the eastern Le Doubs constituency left vacant by Pierre Moscovici, a Socialist deputy named EU commissioner.

The Socialist candidate came in second with 28.9% ahead of the conservative UMP candidate, setting the stage for Socialist-National Front duel next Sunday.

France’s mainstream parties have in the past put differences aside to endorse whichever of their candidates stood the better chance of defeating the FN in run-

n Agencies Pro-Russian separatists have vowed to mobilise up to 100,000 fighters for their latest eastern Ukraine offensive as the US mulled sending weapons to Kiev’s forces after the latest truce bid collapsed.

Alexander Zakharchenko, leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR), was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying the mobilisation would take place next week.

“A general mobilisation is planned in the DNR in 10 days. Ten thousand men will be called up,” RIA news agency quoted Zakharchenko as saying in the city of Donetsk, though he did not make clear how the mobilisation would be enforced.

“The joint army of the DNR and the LNR will be 100,000 men strong,” Interfax news agency quoted him as saying, referring to the neighbouring self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic.

“Mobilisation is the first stage; there will be volunteers first and we will see what to do next.”

Zakharchenko, who was elected in a vote in November that was not recognised by Kiev or the West, did not say how many separatists were currently fighting in east Ukraine.

Fighting in Ukraine’s industrial heartland has intensified in recent days, with Kiev officials and local authorities saying yesterday that five Ukrainian soldiers and three civilians had been killed in the last 24 hours.

Fighting claimed around 50 lives over the weekend, as the latest attempt at truce talks collapsed in acrimony in Minsk on Saturday.

US weapons The surge in fighting comes as Washington and Nato’s military commander appear to be moving towards supplying arms to Ukrainian forces, The New York Times reported on Sunday.

President Barack Obama’s administration was reviewing whether to provide “lethal assistance,” in addition to non-lethal aid such as body armour and medical equipment which it already supplies to Kiev, it said.

The northeastern United States braced for the second major snow storm in a week yesterday after a huge winter system dumped more than a foot (30 cm) of snow in the Chicago area, closing schools from the Midwest to New England.

Chicago Public Schools, the country’s third-largest public school system, along with districts in Detroit, Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, canceled classes for yesterday as the National Weather Service issued storm warnings and watches continued from western Iowa into upper New England.

The storm followed a blizzard last week that pummeled parts of the East Coast, especially New England states, where up to three feet (90 cm) of snow piled up. New York City had prepared for a major storm but was spared the brunt. l

France’s Sarkozy under pressure to block National Front candidate n Reuters

Pro-Russian separatists ride on a tank in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine on Sunday

Egypt confirms death sentences for 183 men n AFP, Cairo

REUTERS

“A comprehensive approach is warranted, and we agree that defensive equipment and weapons should be part of that discussion,” a Pentagon official told the Times.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is set to travel to Kiev on Thursday to pledge Washington’s support during talks with President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

Kiev, Nato and Western governments say they have evidence that Russia has sent troops and weapons to back the separatists but Moscow denies this. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko put the number of Russian troops in the east last month at 9,000.

French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, speaking by phone on Sunday, expressed their regret for “the failure of the talks” in the Belarussian capital Minsk.

The three leaders again called for “an immediate ceasefire,” according to the French presidency. l

off votes. But Europe 1 radio said Sarkozy - who has said he wants to lure their voters back to the UMP - was reluctant to back either candidate this time.

“The National Front would disfigure France,” UMP deputy president Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet said on BFM TV, adding she was in favor of endorsing the Socialist candidate. Senior Socialists also called on Sarkozy to set aside traditional political rivalries.

“Why does Nicolas Sarkozy not make a call for the vote? Because he wants to steal votes from the National Front in the (2017) presidential election,” Socialist Party chief Jean-Christophe Cambadelis said on LCI television.

“But now its the National Front that’s stealing votes from the UMP. I call on the UMP to collectively take up its responsibilities.”

Sarkozy and other UMP bosses are set to make their final decision at a meeting of its leadership on Tuesday. l

Strauss-Kahn trial starts n AP, Paris

Dominique Strauss-Kahn is going on trial for sex charges in France — the nation where he once was considered a top presidential contender.

The former head of the International Monetary Fund, whose career nosedived amid accusations he sexually assaulted a hotel maid in New York, is facing charges in France: aggravated pimping and involvement in a prostitution ring operating out of luxury hotels.

Strauss-Kahn and other defendents entered the courthouse in the northern city of Lille yesterday afternoon, accompanied by their lawyers.

The French economist known widely as DSK faces up to 10 years in prison and a 1.5 million-euro ($1.7m) fine, as he and more than a dozen other French and Belgian businessmen and police officers go on trial.

The trial is scheduled to last three weeks, with Strauss-Kahn not expected to testify until Feb. 10.

Investigators have compiled hundreds of pages of testimony from prostitutes describing the orgies allegedly organised by the 65-year-old StraussKahn and his co-defendants, centered on the Carlton Hotel in Lille, near the Belgian border. Strauss-Kahn says he took part in “libertine” activities but insists he never knew the women involved were prostitutes.

It’s not illegal to pay for sex in France, but it’s against the law to solicit or to run a prostitution business.

Hundreds of reporters are expected to cover the trial, making it one of the highest-profile cases in France in years.

In 2011, Strauss-Kahn was accused of sexually assaulting Guinean-born maid Nafissatou Diallo in New York, accusations that ended his high-flying finance career.

As head of the Washington-based IMF between 2007 and 2011, StraussKahn was also tipped to become the French Socialist party’s presidential candidate for the 2012 election. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

9

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Abe: Working with global community only way to fight terrorism n Reuters, Tokyo

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said yesterday he wanted to debate the possibility of Japan’s military rescuing Japanese citizens abroad, a day after Islamic State militants said they had beheaded a Japanese journalist.

The militants said on Sunday they had beheaded Kenji Goto, a veteran war reporter, after international efforts to secure his release through a prisoner swap failed. They killed another Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa, a week before.

Abe reiterated his denunciation of the militants and said Japan was firmly committed to fulfilling its responsibility as a member of the global community in fighting terrorism and that it needed to be able to protect its citizens.

“Preserving the safety of Japanese nationals is the responsibility of the government, and I am the person who holds the most responsibility,” Abe told a parliamentary committee, adding that he wanted to discuss a framework for rescuing Japanese in danger.

In a show of defiance on Sunday, Abe vowed to boost Japan’s humanitarian aid to the Middle East.

The hardline Islamist group, which controls large parts of Syria and Iraq, released a video purporting to show the beheading of Goto, 47, who was captured in late October.

The video was released a week after footage was issued appearing to show the beheaded body of Yukawa, who the militants seized in August after he went to Syria to launch a security company.

The killings are fanning calls for Japan’s long-constrained military to be allowed to conduct overseas rescue missions as part of Abe’s push for a more muscular security posture.

Abe told a parliamentary panel that Japan, whose military has long been constrained by the post-World War Two pacifist constitution, could not take part in US-led air strikes on Islamic State, nor would it provide logistical support.

Scope for the military to mount

Bedi aide withdraws resignation

n Agencies Days before the Delhi assembly elections, BJP member Narendra Tandon, in-charge of chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi’s election campaign, withdrew his resignation, hours after he said he was resigning from the party.

Tandon said he would apologise for the controversy his resignation has created.

Earlier yesterday, in a letter to BJP chief Amit Shah, Tandon, a former secretary of the party’ city unit and a permanent invitee to Delhi BJP’s executive committee, said that he cannot stand the ‘constant dictation by Bedi’. He also claimed that Bedi’s personal staff insulted him and it was becoming difficult to work with her.

When news of his resignation came, Delhi BJP appeared unfazed and claimed he had “created trouble” in the past too. l

rescue missions is limited by law but the government already plans to submit revisions to parliament to ease restrictions.

Even some advocates of changes to make rescues possible, however, say Japan’s military faces difficulty in acquiring the capacity to conduct such missions. Critics say sending troops overseas would just increase the risk.

An internal briefing paper for top government officials, seen by Reuters last week, said cases like Islamic State crisis did not meet proposed conditions for Japan to send troops to join allies in combat.

It dodged the question of whether planned legal changes would allow rescue missions in such cases, but a Japanese defense official said it would not.

Abe’s government had put high priority on saving Goto, who was captured when he went to Syria to try to seek Yukawa’s release.

An Islamic State video was released on Jan. 20 appearing to show both Japanese men and threatening to kill them unless the group received $200m in ransom.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, speaking to reporters yesterday, shrugged off speculation that Japan was ready to pay a ransom, adding that the government had no intention of negotiating with the militants.

Goto’s wife, Rinko, who had appealed for his release, said she and the rest of the family were devastated.

“I remain extremely proud of my husband, who reported the plight of people in conflict areas like Iraq, Somalia and Syria,” she said in a statement posted on the Rory Peck Trust, a London-based organisation supporting freelance journalists.

“It was his passion to highlight the effects on ordinary people, especially through the eyes of children, and to inform the rest of us of the tragedies of war.”

An opinion poll by Kyodo news agency on Jan. 25, just after Yukawa was killed, found 61% of respondents supportive of the government’s response. l

A Pakistani teacher holds an weapon during a two-day training session by the police in Peshawar Pakistan. When Pakistani Taliban militants stormed a Peshawar school on December 16, 2014 and massacred 150 children and teachers, nobody could fight back. Some teachers want to change that AP

Pakistani teachers arming selves in wake of school massacre

n AP, Peshawar

When Pakistani Taliban militants stormed a Peshawar school and massacred 150 children and teachers, nobody could fight back. Shabnam Tabinda and some of her fellow teachers want to change that — and are practicing how to shoot terrorists.

Government authorities in Pakistan’s northwest frontier have given permission for teachers to carry concealed firearms in response to the Dec. 16 attack in Peshawar that became one of the deadliest terrorist strikes in Pakistani history.

Many educators reject the idea of arming teachers as reckless and counterproductive, reflecting the kind of arguments in US school systems overshadowed by their own occasional mass shootings. l

AAP laundered money? BJP has pressed ‘panic button?’ n Agencies The Aam Aadmi Party’s breakaway volunteer group AVAM yesterday alleged that AAP was indulging in money laundering.

This, the group said, could be ascertained on the basis of transactions that can be seen on the party’s website where four companies made donations of Rs 50 lakh at the same time on the same date in 2014. On investigation, AVAM found that these companies have no transactions.

These companies are Goldmine Buildcom Pvt Ltd, Infolance Software Solutions Ltd, Sunvision Agencies and Skyline Metal and Alloy Pvt Ltd, AVAM said.

AVAM claimed there are 31 such companies which they are looking into.

Reacting to AVAM’s claims, AAP spokesman Yogendra Yadav said that

there was no problem with its funding and if they had to hide facts. they would not have uploaded these details on their website.

He said the party was ready for any probe.

“All transactions are legitimate, there is nothing to hide,” he said.

Meanwhile, exuding confidence that his party will come to power in Delhi, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal yesterday said the BJP has pressed the “panic button” and was now resorting to “politics of poison” to avoid a defeat.

Five days ahead of the voting to the 70-member Delhi assembly, Kejriwal predicted that Congress will not win even a single seat which will obviate the need for him to take that party’s support as he had done in 2013 to form his short-lived 49-day government. l

Thai PM tightens Nut rage exec: Cabin crew erred security after mall ordering him off the plane was consebombs rattle Bangkok n AP, Seoul quently a risk to safety. The “final call”

n Reuters, Bangkok

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chanocha ordered security to be tightened in Bangkok yesterday after two small bombs rattled a luxury shopping mall and stoked tension in a city under martial law since a coup in May. Two people were slightly hurt but the blasts caused little damage on Sunday evening. They were the first to shake the capital since the military seized power to end months of sometimes deadly street protests.

“I have ordered security to be tightened because this case involves the well-being of the people,” Prayuth told reporters.

“This case shows that we still need martial law ... there are still bad people disrupting the peace. We must find ways to severely punish them.”

CCTV footage showed two possible suspects near where the pipe bombs exploded in the heart of one of Bangkok. l

The former Korean Air executive on trial after an inflight tantrum over a serving of nuts defended her actions as the result of devotion to work in the final day of testimony.

Cho Hyun-ah told a Seoul court yesterday her behavior was “wrong” but she still believes cabin crew in first class did not follow proper procedures by offering macadamia nuts in a bag instead of on a dish.

“I think this case happened because of devotion to my work and because I could not be considerate to other people,” she said.

Cho ordered the chief flight attendant off the Dec. 5 flight after a confrontation with cabin crew, forcing the plane to return to the gate at John F Kennedy Airport in New York. Cho, the daughter of Korean Air’s chairman, has pleaded not guilty to charges of violating aviation safety law.

Cho said she did not realise the chief flight attendant has law enforcement authority during the flight and that

about returning to the gate was made by the captain, she said.

Her behavior, dubbed nut rage, caused an uproar in South Korea.

The incident touched a nerve in a country where the economy is dominated by family-run conglomerates known as chaebol that often act above the law.

Last week, cabin crew told the court they were pressured by Korean Air executives to cover up the incident and to lie to investigators from South Korea’s transport ministry.

Lawyers for Cho have not disputed the major elements of the prosecutor’s account of events. Instead, they have focused on a technical rebuttal of the charges. That has included trying to demonstrate flight attendants didn’t know proper service procedures.

On the most serious charge of changing a flight’s route, they argued events fell short of that definition because the plane was only meters from the gate when it turned back. l

China tells US it’s against Obama meeting Dalai Lama n

Reuters, Beijing

China warned the United States yesterday that it was opposed to any country meeting the Dalai Lama “in any manner” after the White House said US President Barack Obama would attend an event with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader whom Beijing brands a separatist.

The White House said last week that Obama would deliver remarks at a Feb. 5 prayer breakfast in Washington about the importance of religious freedom.

The Dalai Lama is due to attend.

“China is opposed to any nation or government using the Tibet issue to interfere in China’s domestic affairs, and opposed to any country’s leader meeting with the Dalai Lama in any manner,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily news briefing.

“China hopes the US side abides by its promises on the Tibet issue, and proceeds to appropriately handle the issue on the basis of the overall condition of bilateral relations.” l

Pakistan conducts flight test of Ra’ad

n Agencies

Pakistan yesterday conducted a successful flight test of the indigenously developed Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) “Ra’ad,” said an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release.

The Ra’ad missile, with a range of 350 km, enables Pakistan to achieve ‘strategic standoff capability’ on land and at sea.

“Cruise Technology” is extremely complex and has been developed by only a few countries in the world. The state of the art Ra’ad Cruise Missile with stealth capabilities is a low altitude, can deliver nuclear and conventional warheads with pin point accuracy. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

CODE-CRACKER

PM must open communications

W

e are highly disturbed at the blocking of mobile and communication networks around the BNP leader’s office in Gulshan.

At a time when the country wants the government and BNP to resolve differences through peaceful dialogue, cutting communication lines is the very antithesis of what the people want.

By blatantly infringing upon Khaleda Zia’s right as a citizen to communicate freely, not to mention disrupting the lives of thousands of nearby residents, it only intensifies hostility and harms prospects for dialogue.

Prospects for dialogue have been further soured by the reprehensible cutting of power lines to the BNP leader’s office on Saturday.

While electricity has since been restored, DESCO’s damage limitation exercise blaming the cutting of power lines on rogue workers following the orders of an errant police official, fails to convince and begs more questions than it answers.

The prime minister must condemn the illegal cutting of utility services to Khaleda Zia and ensure an open and swift investigation into what happened.

Just as important, the government needs to end the unwarranted blocking of communication networks to help create a better atmosphere for dialogue.

The prime minister must appreciate that arrests and detentions of BNP leaders have only hardened their line and accomplished nothing to stop acts of violence. Sheikh Hasina should use her authority to calm the atmosphere by allowing the BNP to hold peaceful rallies in the capital and releasing BNP officials who have been arbitrarily arrested.

For the government to fulfill its responsibility to maintain law and order and earn public support, it has to make sure it obeys the law itself and seeks the moral high ground.

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

Democracy or growth?

January 19

Ensure the government obeys the law itself

Migrant workers deserve better

T

he future employment status of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia is being jeopardised by delays in the issuing of machine readable passports.

Even though it was known years ago that Bangladeshi migrant workers in Saudi Arabia will need to be able to produce machine readable passports by November, corruption and incompetence at the Bangladesh embassy in Saudi Arabia is preventing many workers from complying with this requirement.

It is disgraceful that at the very moment when Saudi Arabia is lifting its seven-year-old restrictions on recruiting Bangladeshi workers, that many men and women who are toiling away abroad for the betterment of our country should have their livelihoods put at risk.

Even worse than the underlying delays are the widespread testimonies from expatriate workers that embassy middlemen have been improperly charging higher rates for issuing MRPs. The government must implement more rigorous procedures to root out corrupt and inefficient practices from our embassies and consular services.

With nearly 1.5 million Bangladeshi migrant workers currently employed in Saudi Arabia, who remitted around Tk3 billion in the last fiscal year, it becomes more pressing than ever for the government to take swift actions which will not only root out corrupt middlemen in embassies, but also streamline the process for migrant workers to continue working.

As a country that relies heavily on the remittances being sent in by our estimated 8 million expatriate workers, it is vital that the government ensure adequate services and representation for all our workers abroad.

Sammy False choice … and given the author’s bonafides, hardly surprising: He would be singing a tune 180 degrees opposite if the BNP was in office after that joke of an “election” last year and his “honorable” leader in the opposition.

Sneep Sammy: Got it in one, Sammy :) But the interesting thing is the openness with which AL-types now suggest that democracy is kind of meh. That’s new, for them. The question the rest of the nation will soon be asking is: If we are to be ruled by a non-democratic regime, why should this be AL? Sammy Sneep: The AL is always for robust democracy … when in opposition. Every time it has been in power (1954, 1972-1975, and now), it has shown how it really doesn’t care much for it beyond the verbosity thereof. Let us nor forget that the first political murder – in the halls of the legislative chamber – was done by Awami League members when they killed Deputy Speaker Shahid Ali (a KSP nominee) by beating him with their microphones.

Bashir Haque Sammy: It’s not exactly sycophancy to assume that our current economic upswing might plummet if a new regime came into power.

Sammy Bashir Haque: You know what you become when you ‘ass’ume things, don’t you? If not sure of the reference, please Google it. :) I was being nice in using the word “sycophant” rather than what came to mind.

January 19

Rizwan Ahmed Now what’s next?

Masbah U Ahmed After such a long time?

Nirob Sikder Maybe this was another bad move?

Anon One never knows. It really could be the beginning of some truly ugly things to come.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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Hafeejul Alam Indeed, a timely write-up by Moazzem Hossain. In practice, there exists no political party in Bangladesh which can ensure both development and democracy, at least there is no such possibility in any foreseeable future. Therefore, the choice is rather too clear to be ignored: Whether we would go for the so-called BNP-type democracy, which accommodates Jamaat and creates terrorists like Bangla Bhai and so on, or whether we shuld go for AL’s lesser democracy but more development.

Guest We, the Bangladeshi people won the election in 1970, but our democratic rights to rule Pakistan was not established, and this country came into existence in 1971. We need to be a bit more aware when we use Singapore as an example. The first election in Singapore was held in 1959, in which the Peoples Action Party (PAP) won all the seats.

In case of Bangladesh, voters are already divided into two groups, so a Singaporean style democracy at this time would not be feasible anymore. By the way, according to Transparency International, they are among the top 10 least-corrupt countries, we have already seen AL’s TI ranking for last six years.

Instead, we need to compare this situation to 1988, the then President Ershad said exactly the same things, like how he will continue building bridges, roads etc, and a new election will be given after five years. With the current political situation in Bangladesh, there are only two possibilities now: Either there will be 1990-style protests and an election within a year or maximum two, or there will be something like 2007.

But not to worry, development will remain the same. In 2006, when BNP came out of power, our GDP growth was 6.7%, and in 2008, during the last year of the military-backed govt, it was 6.2%.

Now, find out what the average GDP growth for AL’s 5 years of ruling is.

RS The government and the opposition parties should try harder come to an agreement and work towards building Bangladesh into a middle income nation as soon as possible.

Root out corrupt and inefficient practices from our embassies Barricades in front of Khaleda office removed

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 22 represents H so fill H every time the figure 22 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.

Chief justice: Make British-era laws fit for democracy January 19

sirajulmo@yahoo.com Congratulations to our new chief justice. We have been talking since 1947 to completely change the colonial system of rule in the country to make it fit for an independent country. It is not in the judicial only, it is everywhere. No real independent country, including Britain, has the system of having a DC in the district.

We were a British colony earlier, and now we are our part of our PM’s colony. The elected representatives of the people are supposed to be in charge, instead, they need to listen to the DC because he/she is the PM’s representative. What a sad state of affairs.

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

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Christmas song (5) 6 Monkey (3) 7 Bird of prey (5) 10 Heavenly bodies (5) 12 Surrounded by (4) 13 Utters gratingly (5) 15 Water pitcher (4) 16 Dry, of champagne (3) 18 Conclude (3) 20 Part of a church (4) 23 Caution (4) 25 Tantalise (5) 27 Badger-like carnivore (5) 28 Fastener (3) 29 Make effort (5)

DOWN 1 Fortress (6) 2 Liable (3) 3 Brought up (6) 4 Grows less (7) 5 Tree (3) 8 Fuel (3) 9 Irish republic (4) 11 Uncooked (3) 14 Babble (7) 16 Mexican ridingblanket (6) 17 Convincing (6) 19 Nigh (4) 21 Contend in rivalry (3) 22 Insect (3) 24 Male sheep (3) 26 Term of respect (3)

IS chief coordinator in Bangladesh arrested January 19 Tarik Chowdhury Sounds like diversionary tactics.

Nazmul Khair If it’s true, then it’s a job well done.

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

Kazi Tanvir Hassan Is it true, though?

SA I really don’t know if it’s true or bogus. But considering the kinds of stories which the public has been duped into believing, I have my doubts whether the true IS chief coordinator, or a fake one, has been arrested.

PEANUTS

CROSSWORD

Pickets attack and injure mother, son in Mohammadpur January 19

Shamz A Chowdhury Such inhumanity!

Mostafa Kamal: Oil price won’t be reduced now

January 20 Dr Ahsan Habib Total insanity and greed. As soon as the price of oil goes up, Elahi jumps high and raises the price. Why a different response now?

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

11

Back to square one? n William B Milam

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Do we know what our choices are?

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Making murder respectable

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n Ikhtisad Ahmed

t is difficult for people to tell established political parties apart. This statement applies to vast swathes of the world, a bountiful gift of imperialism. The US and the UK have floundered as they have lurched towards a firm two-party system, becoming ever more dysfunctional in ways that would be defined as being corrupt if they occurred in third world countries.

The latter, in continuing to look up to the two imperialists – one on borrowed time, the other oblivious to its irrelevance – have followed the two-party model, incentivised by the former duo’s benevolent purses.

Limiting the political spectrum in this manner narrows choices for the electorate, thereby making it easier for it to be manipulated and ruled. The flaw in this perfect plan of the ruling class lies in the growing inability of the populace to distinguish between the only two options presented to it.

The electorate cannot be faulted: If it struggles to tell the difference between two sides when people are starving on the streets, it cannot be expected to tell them apart when people are dying on them.

The disdain felt towards the establishment that has dragged itself to the gutter comes from the antipathy to the cycle of rebuttals that has assumed the form of a zero-sum blame game. It simultaneously gives credence to Or-

well’s notion that political language “is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind,” and makes it harder for the citizenry to find said language believable.

When things plummet into an abyss, the axiom of it always being possible for them to get worse ringing true, people respond by revolting against inequality, corruption and injustice.

If the system itself is corrupt, which certainly forms at least a part of the thinking behind the disillusionment, disengagement and disenfranchisement, people find alternatives. Normally, these take the shape of a rise on the left and its counterbalance, a rise on the right, responding to the grave humanitarian crisis.

Forgoing the dangers of voters turning decisively to the other if the first one fails or gives the appearance of failure, and of the situation being ripe for extremist and authoritarian tendencies to take advantage of a vulnerable electorate, this is an opportunity for the people to create something remarkable. This has happened in Spain with Podemos, and in Greece with Syriza.

It is a sad indictment of the modern global political climate, and a sadder reminder of the iron grip of the ruling class, that these parties who represent nothing more than truth, common sense and a mystifying ability to put

the people first are branded as being radical. There is nothing unorthodox about their policies. That their desire to emphasise on and prioritise the dignities of their citizens and countries could even be seen as such, could be thought of being extraordinary, only proves how far the established world order has strayed. This lunacy cannot be allowed to extend its reign of terror, nor can the people’s suffering be prolonged.

The concerned citizens of Bangladesh need to turn to these positive models

While the US and the UK are given to hypocrisy when it comes to democracy – turning a blind eye to, if not causing or supporting instances of power being grabbed at gunpoint by men in uniforms, even if they may sometimes be cloaked – Greece, considered the oldest democracy in the world due to its role in having founded the concept of demokratia has upheld the merits of this system of governance at its recent-

ly concluded general election.

A coalition of left-wing voices, formed in 2004 and covering the full gamut of ideologies, Syriza officially relaunched itself as a unitary party in 2013. Two years later, this voice of protest has been entrusted with a country in peril, with the populace seeing hope in the face of adversity for the first time in years.

A nation being galvanised by a pro-people movement is not unique to Greece. Spain’s 2011-2012 protests gave birth to Podemos in 2014, a platform against inequality and corruption. Like Syriza, it will seek to return confidence to the population later this year.

The year 2015 can be the year that politics changed for the better, not because of what will happen in the irrelevant UK in May, but because of what has happened in Greece already, and what will happen in Spain by December.

The concerned citizens of Bangladesh – and it is suggested that all of the 160 million people, less the current ruling class comprised of all political parties and their beneficiaries, are unanimous in their concern – need to turn to these positive models.

In their implementation, absent nefarious, self-serving external forces, domestic and foreign, lies the only true salvation. l Ikhtisad Ahmed is a writer and an erstwhile lawyer. He can be contacted on Twitter via @ Ikhtisad.

Firebombing democracy Gen Md Abdur Rashid n Maj (Retd)

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n democratic parlance, the use of arms or deadly chemicals has never been reckoned as an acceptable form of civilian protest against a regime. We have experienced limited violence in the political parlour in the past as parochial paroxysm.

The insensitivity of the people to the political chaos is quite evident, but the high sensitivity to the resultant violence is also noteworthy. The silent majority is overtly not responding to the calls of BNP, which tells of a lack of confidence on its insistence on violent agitation.

Violence is rampant throughout the country, creating fear and panic in the minds of the people, and the cheapest tool in their arsenal is the petrol bomb, the use of which is taking a heavy toll on civilian life, being indiscriminately applied on innocent civilians who are not parties to the conflict.

People are unwilling to pursue age-old methods of political discourse and are looking for political innovation commensurate with development and enhanced quality of life. Political parties in our country, steered by a traditional outlook, have not been able to recognise how societal changes have had plausible impacts on political dispensation.

Hartals and oborodhs are the constitutional rights of the political parties, provided they are done peacefully.

The people also have the

constitutional right to life, security, and liberty, which are tremendously compromised from time to time by the political parties’ movements, usually accompanied by random violence.

The cheapest tool in their arsenal is the petrol bomb which is taking a heavy toll on civilian life

The country has been facing blockades since January 5, and many attacks with deadly petrol bombs caused numerous death and injuries. No sign of an end to such deadly attacks is visible yet, in spite of law enforcers’ rhetorics. The panicked common masses are hankering for safety and a secure environment for their routine activities.

There is a growing cry for an end to such violent activities, even through exercising extreme coercive means.

The government is yet to display its capacity against petrol bomb attacks, causing public annoyance. Confidence is yet to be re-imbued among the people.

Challenging the citizen’s right to life, security, and liberty, the

continued oborodh that is being exercised through fear of death and destruction is unlikely to find ways to force a change in regime.

Instead of relying on forces of civility, the BNP banked heavily on the militant forces of Jamaat, who care not of civility. The petrol bomb, a deadly innovation, is inexpensive and very easy to make, but is proving to be a tremendous threat to civilian life. The strategy of petrol bomb attacks using hit and run tactics to kill innocent civilians became the mainstay of oborodhs and hartals.

If BNP, as the driver of a democratic movement, concedes to agreed means and methods of coming back to the democratic track, veering away from violent acts, Jamaat is still unlikely to agree, owing to its own agendas that differ from BNP’s. It has been seen how Jamaat is now making designed attacks using militant tactics, leaving law enforcement agencies helpless in protecting civilians.

More violent agendas are now being pursued by piggybacking on BNP’s democracy vehicle – but if political amicability does not support their cause, why should the militants withdraw from their violent strategies?

A complete separation between the forces of civility and the forces of destruction is a prerequisite to end violence.

Allegiance to Bangladesh and its fundamental values must be nurtured by all democratic elements to create a renewed national cohesion, keeping the national interest upfront. Short-

term solutions will be deemed shortsighted and are likely to aggravate the situation in favour of evil forces.

The adoption of militant strategies by the BNP to make a political statement is a blunder, and no one with a conscience would stand by them owing to the application of extreme violence against innocent citizens.

Their political support is fading away faster than expected. BNP’s leadership is endowed with a lack of courage in voicing against damaging political strategies, and signs of helpless submissiveness to a singular decision-making has become vividly pronounced.

Their tacit espousers, like Amnesty International, while cautioning the government's hard stance against the perpetrators of deadly petrol bomb attacks could not help but denounce the BNP. A “bomb-kill” politico-strategy is unlikely to win over the minds of the people, instead it is likely to expose its indifference to restoring democracy – which indeed is curtailing the rights of the people and liberty more than the government.

So, parties demanding democratic rights must focus and invest on political innovation, which must be people-friendly and not the other way around. l Maj Gen Md Abdur Rashid is a strategy and security analyst, and Executive Director of Institute of Conflict, Law & Development Studies.

nternet news websites scream that the far left Syriza party has won the national election in Greece, and is possibly only two votes short of an absolute majority in the parliament.

The party leader is quoted as saying: “Today the Greeks wrote history.”

Since the Greeks wrote a good bit of Western history in the first 2,000 years of the West, I think he could have added the word, “again.”

But the real issue is whether this is a “game changer” for Europe.

Will Syriza lead Greece out of the eurozone? And if so, does that portend the unravelling of the EMU? And if the eurozone collapses, or fragments into two or more monetary zones (the North and the South, or the haves and the have nots), where does that leave the European Union in regard to its most pressing threat – a Russian leader who seems to be intent on recreating the 20th century divide between Western and Eastern Europe, and recreating the Soviet Empire that ruled the East?

And what do some or all of these possibilities mean for world economic growth, thus the growth of the developing as well as the rest of the developed world? What are the implications of European fragmentation, recession, and re-division along ideological lines for China’s burgeoning growth and geopolitical superpower ambitions?

You see, game changers can have implications, which turn into unintended consequences, far beyond our predictive powers.

But I have another so-called “game changer” on my mind. The December 16, 2014 killing of 150 Pakistanis, primarily children, in the Peshawar school has been called a game changer as it elicited public outrage and a universal cry for vengeance.

The pressure was so intense that the government acted almost overnight to formulate an agreed strategy to root out and destroy militancy in Pakistan.

Enlightened opinion, at least what I see in the English language press, seems quite contradictory; some of my friends are very optimistic that this will be carried out; some are very pessimistic, and some are agnostic.

I think I probably fit in the third category, primarily because I am aware only of what the various pundits are writing, and the evidence they cite to back up their opinions. I am not on the spot to try to get a sense of what the political and military leaders are thinking, let alone the intensity with which the political class is viewing the issues involved.

The issue that divides the optimists from the pessimists is whether military and civilian political leaders can construct and carry out a comprehensive strategy to extirpate militancy in Pakistan.

From what I have read by optimists and pessimists, the government’s new antiterrorism strategy, which emerged after the popular outcry about the Peshawar tragedy, read literally, and as articulated by both civilian and military leaders, seems to support interpretation that its objective is the complete extirpation of militancy.

And that interpretation inspires the pessimists to be pessimistic as to its feasibility as well as to the intentions of both the civilian government and the military, and it inspires the optimists to some (perhaps) wishful thinking.

Such a strategy would entail not just continuing and winning the battle in Pakistan’s northwest, but carrying the fight to the heartland of Pakistani militancy, Punjab. It seems unlikely that many of the militants in Punjab would go quietly if the Army trained its sights on them.

Is the Pakistani elite willing to pay for the enormous increase in resources needed to make the anti-militancy strategy work?

While some would probably be willing to trade in their militancy for a price, my guess is that many would resist efforts to control and disarm them.

The implication of this scenario is a long – perhaps decades long – struggle, an insurgency really in Pakistan’s largest and most populous province. Is the political class, let alone the army and the political leadership of either

major party, ready for that?

One question is whether the situation is beyond such a solution.

Are militants so entrenched, so numerous, so well-armed, have such support among the population, that the human and material costs of such a scenario are beyond comprehension – and beyond even the most virulent of anti-militant proponents to contemplate.

Game changers can have implications far beyond our predictive powers

What then? A standoff, a truce, a live and let live atmosphere? Isn’t that what there is now in Punjab? How sustainable would that be in the context of having eliminated militancy in the northwest?

This raises the question of whether the strategy is ceteris paribus, words used by economists to convey the idea that one thing is happening while everything else is standing still.

Or, in this context, is there an accompanying package that makes a strategy of extirpating militancy holistic? What would such a package entail?

Wouldn’t it have to start with better governance: An economy growing sustainably at maximum rates; a complete and inclusive educational reform (don’t leave out the madrasas) that includes the curriculum, the access to school of all boys and girls; an energy reform policy that eliminates load shedding and thus that drag on industrial growth?

How about a program of structural economic reform which would begin by revising the tax code to ensure that all Pakistanis pay their fair share of taxes, and that provides revenues commensurate with Pakistan’s needs and as it implements this part of the anti-militancy strategy.

Is the Pakistani elite willing to pay for the enormous increase in resources needed to make the anti-militancy strategy work? Donors might help, but the major portion must come from Pakistanis.

One indication that the implicit long term nature of the of the antimilitancy strategy is not yet fully understood is the two-year life (at least in theory) of the constitutional amendment to allow the military to try terrorists.

If the civilians really want to end military tribunals in two years, there must be a plan to reform the judiciary so that it will be trusted to do its job with terrorists when it inherits the responsibility back from the military. (Some of my friends would have written “if” it inherits that responsibility back.) Has such a plan been developed?

And here may lie the deeper dilemma of this anti-militancy strategy.

Some of the pessimists argue that this extension of what should be a civilian judicial function to the military is only an outwardly visible sign of a silent encroachment of military governance – a voluntary shrinking of its responsibilities and its functions by a civilian government knocked on its heels by the Peshawar tragedy – giving greater political ground to the army without a whimper.

If this is correct, and the army’s influence in policy is further expanded, isn’t Pakistan back to square one, and hasn’t the army restored its position to status quo ante 2008?

Instead of the civil/military relationship that the 2008/2013 elections brought about, and many hoped would develop into civilian dominance and, at least the possibility of real reform, Pakistan may be back, in substance if not in form at least, to the old days when the military completely pretty much ran the show.

Given the history of the past 35 years, how confident can we be that a Pakistan with the army in control of most levers can (or will) carry out, to the full extent of its implied nature, the anti-militancy strategy it is now set upon? l William B Milam is a Senior Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC and a former US diplomat who was Ambassador to Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Chief of Mission in Liberia. This article was first published in The Friday Times.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE Tuesday, February 3, 2015

13 EPL duo help

take Ghana, Ivorians through

14 Neymar, Messi

lead Barcelona fightback

14 Old Firm derby

resumes with Celtic victory

Sport

Did you know?

Australia’s 112-run win in Perth on Sunday is the third largest run-margin victory in Australia v England ODIs

Hemanta warms up chilly winter night n Raihan Mahmood Juvenile midfielder Hemanta Vincent Biswas was the shining star for Bangladesh yesterday as the hosts posted a 1-0 win over Sri Lanka at Bangabandhu National Stadium and sealed a semifinal berth in the Bangabandhu Gold Cup. The hard-fought victory, Bangladesh’s first in internationals at the big bowl in three years, was scripted on the back of perfect teamwork, a rare characteristic in recent times.

Bangladesh’s last international win at the big bowl came against Lebanon in 2011 in the World Cup Qualifiers.

The goal that created all the difference came off a combined move while Bangladesh goalkeeper Shahidul Alam Sohel made a hot-headed blunder which resulted in a penalty. However, Sohel rose to the occasion and spared Bangladesh’s blushes with a brilliant save.

RESULTS Bangladesh Hemanta 40

1-0

Sri Lanka

In the final quarter of the game, Bangladesh dominated proceedings much like the entirety of the opening half. The home side desperately needed a win and the footballers achieved it in some style.

Besides the faultless teamwork, individual brilliance was also there as Hemanta and the fleet-footed Sohel Rana caused constant havoc in the opponents’ half. Veteran forward Jahid Hasan Emily guided his younger teammates consummately while defensive midfielder Jamal Bhuiyan was coolness personified.

Bangladesh started brightly and enjoyed the majority of the possession in the opening minutes but could not

force a strike due to the strong Sri Lankan resistance.

Packing the defence with five men, Sri Lanka opted for counterattacking football but hardly created any headache as the Bangladesh midfielders stamped their authority.

In the 22nd minute, Hemanta hit a low volley from a Sohel cross but the ball hit a Sri Lankan defender’s feet.

It was the dress rehearsal of the strike which followed a few minutes later.

In the 32nd minute, Sohel was looking at the sky when his tap from a long Raihan Hasan throw went inches wide of the side post.

Hemanta though soon calmed down the nerves of his teammates in the 40th minute with an eye-catching strike.

Winger Zahid Hossain cut an angular cross at the path of Emily who chested it down for the onrushing Hemanta.

Hemanta, who plays his club football for Mohammedan, thumped in a low volley in the far post net sparking wild celebrations in the galleries.

In the 52nd minute, Hemanta, after dribbling past two Sri Lankan defenders, shot straight at the hands of goalkeeper Sujan Perera.

In the 67th minute, the visitors earned a penalty when Sohel brought down forward Ishan.

The referee, Khamis Mohammed from Qatar, had no hesitations pointing to the spot. But, Lankan midfielder Roshan spurned the glorious opportunity shooting straight at Sohel.

The save energised the hosts as they put in some late pressure before confirming the victory to secure a semifinal spot.

Bangladesh will play the second semifinal this Friday at Bangabandhu National Stadium against the Group B champions.

Thailand and Bahrain are the contenders for the spot. l

Bangladesh midfielder Hemanta Vincent Biswas is the toast of his teammates following his sumptuous strike against Sri Lanka in the Bangabandhu Gold Cup at BNS yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

‘Wonder Boy’ applauded by all n Shishir Hoque

The youngest booter in the squad Hemanta Vincent Biswas displayed yet another top class performance and was, without a doubt, the right man to receive the player of the match award.

The 18-year-old, who netted to keep Bangladesh alive in the Bangabandhu Gold Cup, came into the limelight when he got chance to go for a trial in Dutch professional club FC Twente before making his debut for the national team against India last year where the

current Sheikh Russel midfielder also scored.

“You know that my debut match was in Goa against India. Coach gave me the No. 10 jersey from that match but he didn’t give me being emotion, he gave me the number because according to his formation I am the No. 10 on the field. I personally believe I proved the coach right,” said Hemanta.

“I believe all the players wants to score the winning goal and finally I did it and I am thankful to all the teammates and coaching staff for their

continuous assistance,” he continued, “there was pressure for delivering today as a team and we are happy and pleased to be able to give something to the nation,” he added.

The coaches were also full of praise for the teenager. Sri Lanka coach Nikola Kavazovic termed Hemanta as the next “Mamunul” of Bangladesh. “I told before in an interview that Biswas (Hemanta) is the biggest potential of Bangladesh football. The current generation is finishing in two or three years but he is the next Mamunul Islam.” l

We might not agree to PCB conditions: Nazmul

Practice matches key to coping with conditions: Bashar n Minhaz Uddin Khan Bangladesh Cricket Board is not worried n Minhaz Uddin Khan with the conditions set by Pakistan Bangladesh’s 2015 ICC World Cup preparation reaches its final phase in Brisbane today as the Tigers are all set to face Australia XI in their first practice match.

The practice match will be played at the Allan Border field where the Tigers have been training since last week.

National selection panel member Habibul Bashar said their biggest challenge will be to cope with the conditions Down Under and the practice match will provide them the perfect platform to get accustomed to the surroundings.

“Our biggest challenge is to cope with Australian conditions and that is why we have sent the team early,” Bashar told Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

“So these two games should also be a part of it – give the players a better platform to know the match conditions.”

However, he also believes, “We need to think of the combination in these games rather than making all the players play.

“We have two official warm-up matches ahead of the main event so all the experiments with the combination can be done there,” he added.

The match is likely to involve all the players except for opener Tamim Iqbal who is recovering from a surgery on his left meniscus. According to the team management Tamim’s chances of playing in the first two practice matches are very slim but the southpaw will play the official practice matches in Sydney.

The Chittagong lad, however, is likely to resume his fielding sessions today.

“Tamim is still recovering so I do not think it is necessary to make him play in these matches. Having him ready for the main event is more important for us,” said the former Bangladesh captain. l

Cricket Board regarding Pakistan’s scheduled tour of Bangladesh in April this year. BCB president Nazmul Hasan said this to the media yesterday at his corporate office. The BCB boss also termed Pakistan’s demands “unrealistic”.

Last month it was revealed in the media that the PCB had demanded 50 percent of the bilateral series’ revenue from the BCB, as well as an exchange of the Under-19s and A-team tours. The PCB said unless Bangladesh agreed to their terms in writing, they would not give the BCB an assurance of the tour which consists of two Tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 international between April 10 and May 7. Later, it was claimed

that the two boards had discussions on the issue in the sidelines of the International Cricket Council meeting in Dubai recently.

If they say ‘just pay our plane fare’, then it is a different issue. But, match-fee or profit sharing is out of the question. It is BCB’s own fund, we cannot share it with others Nazmul, however, informed that there were no discussions as he could not attend the ICC meeting.

“We have not gone forward on the issue from our side to be honest. We

have to speak to them in Bangladesh or in any third country. In the ICC, the documents that we were shown, we did not have much to say. So, I am in a difficult position,” he said.

“If they say ‘just pay our plane fare’, then it is a different issue. But, match-fee or profit sharing is out of the question. It is BCB’s own fund, we cannot share it with others,” he added.

This is not first time the PCB has set conditions to Bangladesh ahead of a tour. The last time the issue had spiralled out of control was during the 2014 Asia Cup, hosted by Bangladesh.

Political unrest and anti-Pakistan sentiment during that time had put the multination tournament in a limbo.

The tournament though did take place without any problems.

In the last four years, PCB and BCB relations have soured as Bangladesh

repeatedly pulled out from touring Pakistan citing safety and security concerns. During the Zaka Ashraf regime, the PCB had disengaged communication with the BCB and barred its cricketers from featuring in the Bangladesh Premier League T20.

The last full bilateral series between the two teams was when Pakistan toured Bangladesh in late 2011 and interestingly, Nazmul revealed that the then BCB committee had shared money with Pakistan.

“I have heard that the last time they toured, we paid them,” said Nazmul.

“This is completely new information to me. I only heard it day before yesterday.

“Having said that, we do not want to make our relations with Pakistan poor nor do we want their cricket to suffer.

But, we must ensure our players’ safety if we are sending a team to Pakistan.” l

Nikola praises dazzling hosts n Shishir Hoque Lodewijk de Kruif is all charged up as Bangladesh lived another day in the Bangabandhu Gold Cup by walking out as winners in their crucial Group A tie against Sri Lanka yesterday. However, the result did not upset his losing counterpart Nikola Kavazovic who praised the home side and especially the spectacular build up to the difference making goal.

“We gave our best. We played like we did against Malaysia. They scored one way that was not a go-go chance. It was simply a masterpiece. If they even played Japan today, they would have scored the same way,” said the Serbian.

He further added, “They (Bangladesh) are playing faster (compared to their previous meeting), they are better physically and they are better on one-on-one situations. They are using wingers more than before.”

Meanwhile, Bangladesh coach Kruif was over the moon with the urgency and skills showed by his players.

He said, “When you analyse the game you will see there was only one team playing football and that was Bangladesh today. We created a lot of chances. I’m very happy. It gives us good boost for the semifinals.”

“The players were determined to get a good result. With the whole nation on their shoulders, they knew they had to come up with a good result.” he added.

Kruif also informed he was instantly angry over Sohel for conceding the penalty and they were lucky to escape the threat. l

ODIs more important than Tests? n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Bangladesh goalkeeper Shahidul Alam Sohel pulls off a brilliant save to deny Sri Lanka’s Roshan from the spot during their Bangabandhu Gold Cup Group A match yesterday. Sohel though was not done as he caught Roshan’s follow-up headed effort MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan believes the Tigers will be better off playing India in three ODIs rather than a Test match when the defending champions tour the country later this year.

In accordance with the International Cricket Council’s Future Tours Programme, Bangladesh are scheduled to host bilateral series against Pakistan, South Africa, Australia and India this year.

According to the FTP, India are scheduled to tour Bangladesh for a Test match.

Nazmul, however, is looking to bring a change in the plans, if possible. The BCB supremo told the media yesterday that they will ask India if they are in-

terested to play three ODIs instead of a Test. Nazmul though did not clarify their inclination towards the shorter format.

“This year we are playing full series against Pakistan, South Africa and Australia,” said Nazmul.

“India are only supposed to play one Test here. We are thinking what will happen by playing a Test against India? It may be better to play three ODIs against them. We are going to put forward this proposal. But, it is almost finalised that we will play a Test against India in 2016 in Eden Gardens,” he added.

Nazmul’s recent comment is a direct contradiction to his previous statement when he mentioned that the Tigers should place more importance on Tests compared to the shorter formats. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

QUICK BYTES

Shadman scores fifty on first day Riding on opener Shadman Islam Anik’s half century visiting Bangladesh under-19 scored 168 for five on day one of their second three-day match against Sri Lanka under-19 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium yesterday. Rain however did not allow more than 73 overs on tha day. Shadman made 66 off 116 balls smashing 10 boundaries while the centurion of the previous match Joyraz Sheik added 31 for the young Tigers. Mohammad Shafiuddin (6*) and Shahanur Rahman (2*) will resume the second day’s play for the visitors. Himesh Ramanayake, Lahiru Kumara, Damitha Silva and Nishan Peiris picked up a wicket each for the home side.

– Mazhar Uddin

Pakistan paceman Junaid Khan out of WC Pakistan’s World Cup hopes were dealt a major blow Monday with frontline paceman Junaid Khan ruled out of the event after failing to pass a fitness test following a leg injury. The 25-yearold left-armer, considered one of the country’s most promising prospects in recent years, sustained a thigh injury in training last month that forced him out of the team’s current tour of New Zealand. “Junaid appeared in a fitness test and was not found fit enough to play the World Cup,” a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman said. His absence means Pakistan’s attack will be led by the relatively inexperienced Mohammad Irfan, following the losses of veteran paceman Umar Gul to a knee injury and ace spinner Saeed Ajmal, who is serving a suspension for chucking. All-rounder Mohammad Hafeez meanwhile faces a race against time to get his action cleared.

–AFP

Stoke’s Huth joins Leicester on loan Stoke City defender Robert Huth became Leicester City’s third signing of the transfer window on Monday when he joined on loan from their Premier League rivals until the end of the season. However he is ineligible to play in Saturday’s match at home to Crystal Palace as he completes a two-match ban for breaching FA rules by interacting with a Twitter account that asked users to guess the gender of individuals in explicit pictures. The 30-year-old former Germany international, who has also played for Chelsea and Middlesbrough, has been signed to bolster a Leicester defence that has conceded 37 goals in 23 matches.

– Reuters

Sport

Djokovic, Serena live up to top billing n AFP, Melbourne Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams lived up to their billing as the world’s best players at the Australian Open, but it was a tournament to forget for Swiss maestro Roger Federer.

The opening Grand Slam of the season, played in milder conditions than Melbourne usually delivers and to record crowds, largely followed the script, although there were some shocks along the way.

Djokovic maintained his formidable record on the tournament hardcourts, winning his fifth title for his eighth Grand Slam crown, overcoming sixth seed Andy Murray in the final 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-0.

He said the win had more meaning since becoming a husband and father last year.

“I think it has deeper meaning, more intrinsic value now to my life because I’m a father and a husband,” he said.

“It’s the first Grand Slam title I won as a father and a husband and I just feel very, very proud of it.”

The irrepressible Williams consolidated her place among the game’s legends at age 33, overwhelming arch-rival Maria Sharapova 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) -- the dominant American’s 16th consecutive win over the Russian.

Williams now has 19 Grand Slams, overtaking 18-time major champions Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert on the all-time Open-era winners’ list,

BRIEF SCORES Chittagong v Rajshahi, Mirpur Chittagong 209 allout Rajshahi 379/7 in 90 overs Junaid 113, Muktar 88*, Sanjamul 67*; Iftekhar 6/109

Rajshahi lead by 170 runs Khulna v Barisal, BKSP 2

Barisal 271 allout & 0/0 in 1 over Khulna 390 allout in 120 overs Kayes 166; Gazi 5/94, Nasum 3/102, Mosaddek 2/36

Barisal trail by 119 runs Dhaka v Dhaka Metro, Fatullah

Dhaka 525/9 in 136.1 overs Majid 253*; Shohid 4/100, Elias 4/110 Dhaka Metro 90 allout in 34.2 overs Shuvagata 5/17, Jubair 4/23

Dhaka Metro trail by 435 runs Rangpur v Sylhet, BKSP 3

Rangpur 367 allout in 112.5 overs Ariful 47, Dhiman 41; Enamul 5/107 Sylhet 191/5 in 65 overs Kapali 70*, Roman 40; Sajidul 2/23

Sylhet trail by 176 runs

three behind Steffi Graf.

And she is already targeting number 20 at the French Open.

“I would love to get to 22,” she said.

“I mean 19 was very difficult to get to.

Took me 33 years to get here, so I would love to get there.

“But I have to get to 20 first, and then I have to get to 21. There’s so many wonderful young players coming up, so it will be a very big task.”

While there are some promising young players in action, the widely-touted generational change largely failed to materialise in the first major test of the new season.

American teenager Madison Keys was the exception, striking a blow for the new brigade by defeating childhood idol Venus Williams in the quarter-finals before falling to Serena in the semis. Her reward is a place the top 20.

But no one else stepped up sufficiently.

Canadian Eugenie Bouchard and Spain’s Garbine Muguruza were ousted by old stagers like Serena and Sharapova, while Sloane Stephens was sent packing by Victoria Azarenka who is on the comeback trail from injury and depression.

It was a similar scenario among the men where none of the young guns such as Japan’s Kei Nishikori, Canadian Milos Raonic and Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov were in contention at the bitter end.

Nishikori and Raonic did make

Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne yesterday. (R) Serena Williams of the US poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after winning the Australian Open on Saturday REUTERS the last eight, along with Australian 19-year-old Nick Kyrgios, and their time may come, just not yet.

The biggest upset saw Federer make his Melbourne earliest exit in 14 years, beaten by 46th ranked Italian veteran Andreas Seppi in the third round.

The defeat meant the 33-year-old has now not won a major since Wim-

n Mazhar Uddin Abdul Majid is slowly making his worth felt in the top class cricket as the right handed opening batsman smashed an unbeaten double hundred to take Dhaka division to a commanding position against Dhaka Metropolis in their second round game of the 16th National Cricket League yesterday.

The capital division declared having posted 525 for nine before their bowlers heaped further misery to Metro by cleaning them out for only 90 on the second day.

Meanwhile, national discards Imrul Kayes and Junaid Siddique registered centuries to give Khulna and Rajshahi the first innings lead over Barisal and Chittagong respectively while Sylhet

still trail Rangpur by 176 runs as they were 191 for five at stumps.

Dhaka division v Dhaka Metro, Fatullah

Rony Talukder and Majid once again gave a flying start to Dhaka as both slammed hundreds to put on a record 314 for the first wicket.

Resuming the second day on 360/2, Majid went on to remain unbeaten on 253 having struck 26 fours and two sixes.

Later, off spinner Shuvagata Hom and leg spinner Jubair Hossain shared nine wickets to dismiss Metro below 100. Shuvagata bagged 5/17 while Jubair ttok 4/23.

Khulna v Barisal, BKSP 2

Khulna tied Barisal to 271 before taking a 119-run lead having posted 390 in

1:45AM Coppa Italia Roma v Fiorentina

Star Sports 3:30PM Hockey India League Uttar Pradesh Wizards v Ranchi Rays

their first innings. Resuming the second day on 73/2, overnight batsman Imrul, who was on 11, went on and score 166 off 293 balls with 26 fours and three sixes. Off spinner Sohag Gazi returned to his wicket taking habit by grabbing five for 94 while Nasum Ahmed took three wickets along with Mosaddek Hossain’s two.

Chittagong v Rajshahi, SBNS

Junaid made 113 runs from 162 balls with 18 fours as Rajshahi posted 379/7 to pile up more pressure on Chittagong.

All rounder Mukhtar Ali remained unbeaten on 88 along with Sanjamul Islam 66 as Rajshahi’s will resume today with a lead of 170 runs. Iftekhar Sajjad bagged six wickets for Chittagong who made 109 in their first innings.

n Shishir Hoque

Shelvey rocket shoots down Southampton

Ten Action

time rival Rafael Nadal bundled out in a straight sets quarter-final mauling by Czech veteran Tomas Berdych, a man he had beaten on all 17 previous times they had met. The fiercely proud Nadal, who suffered his first 6-0 “bagel” at a Slam since 2006, came into the tournament recovering from injury but made no excuses. l

Rangpur v Sylhet, BKSP 3

Rangpur added 70 runs to their overnight score before they were all out for 367. Left arm spinner Enamul Haque bagged five wickets while Rahatul Ferdous took a couple Sylhet who were reeling at 45 for 4 in reply.

However, skipper Alok Kapali and Rumman Ahmed held the ship for the batting side as the pair added 103 runs in the fifth wicket to help Sylhet reach 191 for 5 at the end of the day’s play.

Rumman made 40 but Kapali remained unbeaten on 70 with Nazmul Hossain Milon not out on 31.

Left-arm pacer Sajedul Islam took two wickets while Shuvasish Roy, Ariful Haque and Mahmudul Hasan took a wicket each for Rangpur. l

Spirited Thais face Bahrain

World governing body FIFA on Monday announced disciplinary proceedings against West Ham United and Diafra Sakho over the striker’s failure to play for Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Sakho was ruled out of the tournament in Equatorial Guinea with a back injury, but came off the bench to score for West Ham in their FA Cup fourth-round win over Bristol City on January 25. West Ham have maintained that they followed the correct procedures, but Sakho was left out of their squad for Saturday’s 2-0 loss at Liverpool in the Premier League.

“We can confirm, that disciplinary proceedings were initiated against the player Diafra Sakho (SEN) and the club West Ham United for a potential violation of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players,” FIFA said in a statement. “At this stage we can’t make any further comments.”

–AFP

DAY’S WATCH

bledon in 2012, raising fresh doubts as to whether he can add to his record 17 Grand Slams. The world number two insisted it was simply a blip and several of his rivals backed him to bounce back.

“If I had to bet I would probably bet that he would win another one (Grand Slam),” Murray said.

A lesser upset saw Federer’s long-

Metro crushed by Dhaka force in NCL

FIFA probe West Ham, Sakho over no-show

Southampton’s Champions League aspirations suffered a blow as Jonjo Shelvey’s long-range goal earned Swansea City a smash-and-grab 1-0 win in the Premier League on Sunday. In a weekend when their leading Premier League rivals proved they are slowly gathering momentum, the Saints lost precious ground.

While they remain fourth, a point below third-place Manchester United, they lead Arsenal only on goal difference, and Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool are also closing in. Shelvey’s late strike was out of context with the rest of the match, but that was of no concern to Swansea, who climbed to ninth in the table.

–AFP

13

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Ghana’s midfielder Christian Atsu (C) advances with the ball past Guinea’s defender Baissama Sankoh and Guinea’s defender Djibril Paye (R) during the 2015 African Cup of Nations quarter-final football match between Ghana and Guinea in Malabo on February 1, 2015 AFP

Premier League duo help take Ghana, Ivorians through n AFP, Malabo Premier League stars Christian Atsu and Wilfried Bony both scored twice on Sunday to help Ghana and the Ivory Coast complete the semi-final line-up at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Atsu got his brace in Ghana’s ruthless 3-0 win against Guinea before Bony netted two headers as the Ivorians won 3-1 in a heavyweight showdown with Algeria. The second encounter had the potential to be one of the games of the tournament so far and it didn’t disappoint.

The Elephants were looking for revenge for their dramatic defeat to Algeria after extra time at the same stage of the 2010 tournament in Angola and, after Serge Aurier headed off the woodwork,

RESULTS

Ghana 3-0 Atsu 4, 61, Appiah 44 Ivory Coast Bony 26, 68, Gervinho 90+4

3-1

Guinea Algeria Soudani 51

it was they who opened the scoring.

Algeria, Africa’s top side according to the FIFA rankings, were level six minutes after the interval when Hilal Soudani netted from inside the area.

However, Bony headed home a freekick from his new City colleague Yaya Toure to put the Ivorians back in front and Gervinho wrapped up the win at the death. l

Bangabandhu Gold Cup favourites Bahrain Under-23 and a spirited Thailand U-23 will lock horns against each other in the last match of the group stages at Bangabandhu National Stadium today. The match will kick off at 5pm.

The Bahrain-Thailand tie will bring an end to the group stages of the third edition of the international competition, after which the semifinal line-ups will be drawn up. Thailand have already booked their last-four ticket while Bahrain need either a win or draw today to make it through to the semifinals. Both sides need a win though if they are to top the group and avoid a strong Malaysia U-23 in the last four.

In seven meetings between the senior teams of the two nations, Bahrain have the edge with three wins and a loss while three matches ended in draws. The Middle Eastern country are also ahead of Singapore in the rankings with the former at 110th position and the latter at 157th.

Thailand though started the tour-

nament brightly compared to Bahrain, who drew blank in their opener against Singapore last Sunday. The Thais on the other hand won their opening match against Singapore 3-2 last Friday.

Although Bahrain have been billed by pundits as the tournament favourites, they have failed to justify the tag so far following a stalemate against Singapore.

Bahrain head coach Adrian Richard Whitbread admitted yesterday they only trained for five days prior to the start of the tournament. Whitbread also added that playing two matches in three days will be a difficult task for them.

“It’s always difficult. Thailand had more time to be prepared and it will help them accordingly. But, we just have to make sure that we don’t use it as an excuse. It’s more of a mental thing than physical thing, play the game on merit,” said Whitbread yesterday.

Thailand head coach Choktavee Phomrat on the other hand targeted three points from the encounter as they are bidding to become the group champions and avoid Malaysia in the process.

“Very important for us. We need three points. Want to beat Bahrain tomorrow (today). I think in this tournament, we want to try players,” said Phomrat. l

Clarke ready to play for Australia under captain Smith n AFP, Sydney Australian skipper Michael Clarke, battling to regain fitness from hamstring surgery and chronic back pain, said Monday he would be prepared to play under the captaincy of young gun Steve Smith.

Amid reports that the team prefer the stand-skipper who has had a sensational summer at the crease ahead of the World Cup, Clarke insisted his relationship with his team-mates was exceptional.

And asked on Triple M radio if he would play under Smith’s leadership, the 33-year-old replied: “Most definitely I would.”

Clarke said he had already been in Smith’s position himself.

“I feel for Smithy because I sat in his shoes when a lot of the media were calling for (former captain) Ricky Ponting (to go).

“It’s certainly not personal between Smithy and I. We’ve been friends for a long time and we’ll continue to be.”

“The people that sit above both him and I will make their decisions,” Clarke said.

“Whatever they feel are the best 11 players, they will pick that 11.

“Whoever they feel is the best captain for the team then they’ll pick that.”

Clarke did his best to bat away reports on Fairfax media that the players

prefer the laid-back Smith, who is eight years his junior.

“I’d like to know where it’s coming from,” he said.

“It’s obviously disappointing because I haven’t been around the team ... for the last seven weeks now I’ve been away from the group.

“I feel like my relationship with Cricket Australia , especially my teammates, is exceptional.

“I speak to all my teammates regularly.”

Clarke was forced to bow out after the first Test against India in December with the serious hamstring injury, and Smith filled in as captain for the three remaining Tests. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Neymar, Messi lead Barcelona fightback n AFP, Madrid

Barcelona players celebrate after scoring during their Spanish league match against Villarreal CF at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on Sunday

Bayern out to bounce back against Schalke n AFP, Berlin German league leaders Bayern Munich look to get their Bundesliga campaign back on track against Schalke 04 on Tuesday following their shock defeat at VfL Wolfsburg.

Second-placed Wolves cut Bayern’s lead to eight points on Friday as Bas Dost and Kevin de Bruyne both struck twice as the Bavarian giants suffered their heaviest league defeat for six years.

BUNDESLIGA Bayern Munich M’gladbach Hanover 96 Frankfurt

v v v v

Schalke 04 Freiburg, Mainz 05 Wolfsburg

Di Santo double lifts Bremen n AFP, Berlin Argentina striker Franco di Santo marked his return from injury with both goals as Werder Bremen climbed out of the relegation places in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin.

The ex-Chelsea and Wigan forward, who missed the final few league games of 2014 with a knee injury, produced two clinical strikes either side of halftime to lift Bremen from 16th to 12th. l

RESULTS Werder Bremen Di Santo 43, 69

2-0

Hertha Berlin

Augsburg 3-1 Hoffenheim Altintop 39, Roberto Firmino 45 Werner 42, Bobadilla 90+3

Roberto di Matteo’s Schalke, who are fourth in the table, are seeking only their fourth away league win of the season and their first at Munich’s Allianz Arena since 2009.

Bayern’s Gelsenkirchen-born goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is relishing facing his home town club.

Second-placed Wolfsburg are hoping to include Chelsea’s Andre Schuerrle for Tuesday’s away match at Eintracht Frankfurt if they sign the Germany winger before the transfer window closes.

Schuerrle has said he wants to join Wolves, who are offering a four-year deal and a transfer worth 30 million euros, but the deal is reported to be stalling over the money offered to Chelsea. l

Holders Juve lose points, Napoli win n Reuters, Milan

Juventus missed a chance to extend their advantage over second-placed AS Roma when they played out a dismal 0-0 draw away to Udinese on Sunday, while Napoli closed in on Serie A’s top two with a 2-1 win at Chievo.

A Mauricio Pinilla scissors kick gave Atalanta a last minute 2-1 win over Cagliari and Fabio Quagliarella grabbed a hat-trick in Torino’s 5-1 demolition of Sampdoria which left losing coach Sinisa Mihajlovic “ashamed” of his team’s performance.

Inter Milan’s miserable form under Roberto Mancini continued as they lost 3-1 at Sassuolo, however neighbours AC Milan won for the first time since the Christmas break when they beat bottomof-the-table Parma by the same score.

Frenchman Jeremy Menez scored

Gritty Lyon stay top n AFP, Paris Lyon saw their lead at the top of Ligue 1 cut to two points on Sunday but may count themselves fortunate to have come away from resurgent Monaco with a 0-0 draw.

Seven straight wins prior to Sunday saw Lyon surge to the top of the French League, where they have 49 points, but title rivals Marseille and Paris Saint Germain are both on 47 after wins for both this weekend.

Earlier Sunday, Saint Etienne went down 1-0 away to relegation strugglers Caen, but they stay fourth on 40 points, ahead of Monaco on goal difference.

Monaco have much to regret as Bulgarian veteran Dimitar Berbatov missed the best chance of the first half when heading onto the post from the six yard line with Lyon ‘keeper Antho-

AFP

Barcelona moved back to within a point of La Liga leaders Real Madrid as they twice came from behind to beat Villarreal 3-2 in a thrilling encounter on Sunday.

Madrid loanee Denis Cheryshev put Villarreal ahead against the run of play after half an hour only for the in-form Neymar to level just before the break.

A crazy four-minute spell early in the second-half then yielded three goals as Luciano Vietto put Villarreal back in front, but Rafinha quickly equalised before Lionel Messi struck a memorable winner from the edge of the box.

Victory takes Barca back three points clear of third-placed Atletico Madrid, but Real can regain their four-point lead at the top when they host Sevilla in their game in hand on Wednesday.

Barcelona started brightly but Luis Suarez’s struggles in front of goal continued as the Uruguayan failed to hit the target twice when well-placed inside the area, as well as seeing a fine strike from the edge of the area turned behind by Sergio Asenjo.

ny Lopez stranded.

Perhaps even more fortunately Moutinho’s stunning 50th minute free-kick was then disallowed after it flew into the goal without another player touching it.

Referee Benoit Millot had signalled it was an indirect free-kick.

RESULTS Monaco Caen Feret 41 Bordeaux Poundje 55

0-0 1-0 1-1

Lyon Saint-Etienne Guingamp Beauvue 28

In the Sunday afternoon game defender Clement Chantome made his debut for Bordeaux after closing a 15-year chapter with Paris Saint Germain with a transfer on Friday. l

twice for Milan, the first a penalty, to take his tally to 12 league goals this season and lift his team to joint eighth alongside Genoa with 29 points.

Juventus, with 50 points from 21 games, stayed seven clear of Roma although Carlos Tevez should have given them the points when he shot wide after being set up by Paul Pogba.

Roberto Pereyra also hit the woodwork for the champions.

Napoli’s 2-1 win at Chievo, thanks to Manolo Gabbiadini’s second-half winner, took them to 39 points, four behind Roma who drew 1-1 with Empoli on Saturday.

Atalanta’s Pinilla has now scored for 10 different clubs after his incredible acrobatic effort in the fourth minute of stoppage time. The ball was played into the penalty area behind the Chilean but he still managed to hook it over his shoul-

der into the net, stopping Cagliari’s revival under Gianfranco Zola in its tracks.

The Sardinians are just one point above the relegation zone.

Quagliarella volleyed Torino ahead from a corner and converted a penalty on the half hour as Torino ripped into high-flying Sampdoria, then completed his hat-trick just after the hour by turning in Marco Benassi’s pass.

Samuel Eto’o came on for his Sampdoria debut only to see Amauri and Bruno Peres add two more for Torino while Pedro Obiang grabbed the visitors’ consolation.

Fourth place Lazio stayed level on 34 points with Sampdoria after a shock 2-1 defeat at relegation-threatened Cesena.

Inter, who beat Sassuolo 7-0 in the same fixture last season, have taken only 10 points in 10 games under Mancini and dropped to 13th with 26 points. l

Levante Almeria Edgar 44

0-2 1-0

Athletic Bilbao Aduriz 48, 89 Getafe

Sevilla 3-2 Espanyol Figueras 26, Stuani 15-P, Sanchez 77 Vitolo 35, Aspas 89 Barcelona 3-2 Villarreal Neymar 45, Cheryshev 30, Vietto 51 Rafinha 53, Messi 55 The hosts were then punished for the former Liverpool man’s profligacy when Villarreal broke and Mario Gaspar’s wayward effort was deflected beyond Claudio Bravo by Cheryshev.

Earlier, the Andalusians exacted revenge over Espanyol for their Copa del Rey elimination in midweek as they came from behind to move above Valencia into fourth with a 3-2 win.

Levante dropped to the bottom of the table as two second-half goals from Aritz Aduriz handed Athletic Bilbao a 2-0 win at the Ciutat de Valencia. l

RESULTS

Sassuolo 3-1 Zaza 17, Sansone 29, Berardi 90+3-P

Inter Milan Icardi 83

Atalanta 2-1 Biava 18, Pinilla 90+4

Cagliari Dessena 44

Cesena 2-1 Defrel 60, Cataldi 77-og

Lazio Klose 87

Chievo Britos 25

1-2 Napoli Cesar 18-og, Gabbiadini 62

Palermo 2-1 Dybala 18, Belotti 79

Verona Tachtsidis 8

Torino 5-1 Quagliarella 16, 29-P, 65, Amauri 75, Peres 90+3

Sampdoria Obiang 77

Udinese Milan Menez 17-P, 57, Zaccardo 76

0-0 3-1

Juventus Parma Nocerino 24

Inter fans throw shirt back at Icardi n AFP, Milan Argentinian striker Mauro Icardi suffered an embarrassing personal slight as Inter Milan dropped further out of 0humiliating 3-1 defeat to Sassuolo on Sunday.

Trailing 2-0 following superb first-half goals from Italy striker Simone Zaza and Nicola Sansone, Icardi struck seven minutes from time to give Roberto Mancini’s side hope of snatching a late draw.

However the striker’s goal celebrations fell resoundingly flat.

Icardi took off his shirt and after a flashy jump over the advertising hoardings, threw it into a section of Inter fans.

Perhaps hoping for a more positive reaction, Icardi was left red-faced as irate fans of the struggling Serie A giants promptly threw it back. l

(L-R) Juventus’ Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez react during their Italian Serie A match against Udinese at the Friuli Stadium in Udine on Sunday REUTERS

Old Firm derby resumes with Celtic coasting to victory n Reuters, London

Celtic’s John Guidetti attempts an overhead kick on goal against Rangers during their Scottish League Cup semi final match at Hampden Park stadium in Glasgow, Scotland on Sunday REUTERS

RESULTS

The Old Firm derby returned with Celtic enjoying a comfortable 2-0 win over Rangers in the Scottish League Cup semi-final on Sunday to emphasise the contrasting fortunes of the fierce Glasgow rivals.

After a three-year absence, the two biggest clubs in Scotland, with 99 league titles between them, relished the resumption of a fixture that has been missing since Rangers were demoted to the bottom tier after their 2012 financial collapse.

The 400th competitive meeting between the two sides therefore divided a city but not title rivals, as it so often has during its 125-year history.

Scottish Premier League leaders Celtic cantered to victory with firsthalf goals from Leigh Griffiths and Kris Commons to beat their Championship (second tier) opponents at Hampden Park and set up a final with Dundee United.

For Rangers, UEFA Cup finalists seven years ago, it was a reminder of how far they still have to go to recover from a demise triggered by overspending in a bid to secure lucrative Champions League qualification which resulted in liquidation.

The crisis-club are still plagued by boardroom infighting and ownership tussles, with continual takeover bids rebuffed, but they have climbed the leagues and hope to soon be meeting Celtic four times a season challenging for the Scottish title.

Fears that the fiercely partisan sets of supporters might clash after such a long wait for their teams to face each other again proved largely unfounded, with most confrontations taking place on the pitch.

It may have been less of a contest than in the past but the game was still punctuated by feisty battles and proved that while the animosity is still there, the two clubs have missed each other and the duel for the city’s bragging rights. l

Januzaj hopes for Cambridge chance in FA Cup n AFP, Manchester Manchester United winger Adnan Januzaj hopes Tuesday’s FA Cup fourth-round replay at home to lowly Cambridge United will help him to prove his worth to manager Louis van Gaal.

But under van Gaal, Januzaj has been involved in only 14 games to date this season, with his start in Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Leicester City just his fourth of the campaign and first since November.

“Of course we want to win the FA Cup and this is a big chance to win it.

We were good going forward against Leicester and could have scored more than three goals, but hopefully we can take this into Tuesday night and win the game.” l

FIXTURES

Fulham v Sunderland Man United v Cambridge Sheffield United v Preston North

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

15

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

WHAT TO WATCH

CHOBI MELA VIII at a glance

TELEVISION

EDEN LAKE Zee Studio, 7:45pm Cast: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender

A bold daughter of a godfather, MOUTUSHI n Shadma Malik

Moutushi Biswas is all set to try her hand in guns rather than just playing a loving lady, in her upcoming film “UTurn,” directed by Alvi Ahmed.

The actress will depict the role of a robust and fearless daughter of a vicious godfather.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, the actress said: “I am playing the role as Toma who runs her father’s film production house. My character is powerful enough to show inhibition and to stand by against any norms of the society.”

While asking about how challenging the role was, Moutushi said: “It was indeed challenging and awe-inspiring. Director and audience would

be better evaluators about my justice to this daring role.”

Moutushi is also acting in a new TV play titled “Ek Jhaak Mrito Jonaki.”

Expressing her part in this play she said, “Here I come from a small town and unknowingly I get married to a much older person. After marriage, I come to know, he was previously married. In fact, the story portrays the pain and suffering of a married girl.”

Besides, this month Moutushi’s new TV series, “Chholiteche Circus” and “Jhaal Muri,” will be aired. Also audience will get to see her in new TVC’s within a short time.

Being asked about popularity on silver screen or TVC, “Silver screen,” smilingly replied by Moutushi. l

Refusing to let anything spoil their romantic weekend break, a young couple confront a gang of loutish youths with terrifyingly brutal consequences.

A mobile exhibition on rickshaw van around Dhaka city which started from Manik Mia Avenue (in front of National Parliament House) on January 29 FARHAD HOSSAIN

n Entertainment Desk Since it started on January 23, the eighth instalment of Chobi Mela international photography festival in the capital has been expectedly brilliant in bringing in some of the finest work of photography from every continent.

The two-week exhibition this year spans across a number of venues – six galleries at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, galleries in Drik, Allaince Francaise de Dhaka, the newly built Daily Star-Bengal Arts Precinct, the National Museum, outdoor locations at Bokultola in the faculty of fine arts of Dhaka University, Britto Arts

Trust, near the river in Old Dhaka, the quaint Beauty Boarding, the Northbrook Hall, and Bulbul Lalitakala Academy.

In addition, a smaller version of the entire festival tours the capital in rickshaw vans, taking the galleries to the public.

To say the range of photographers exhibiting their work at the festival is impressive would be an understatement. Names like Shirin Neshat, Larry Towell and Simon Norfolk are there, shoulder to shoulder, with previously unseen student work, which have made it to the mix through sheer quality.

Taking this years theme – Intimacy – artists have taken liberty in interpreting it and the result is a collection of pictures that range from hilarious, to quirky, to profound, to provocative, to relative.

One surprise this year is the large number of shows by photographers from the countries in the former Soviet Union.

Lectures, panel discussions, talks with the artists, gallery walks, workshops and portfolio reviews are some of the activities taking place this year, most of which are streamed live to a global audience. The celebrated photography event closes on Friday. l

I AM NUMBER FOUR HBO, 7:21pm Cast: Alex Pettyfer, Dianna Agron Aliens and their Guardians are hiding on Earth from intergalactic bounty hunters. They can only be killed in numerical order.

THEATRE THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1 I PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR (3D) I ROMEO V/S JULIET I BOYHOOD I BEAUTY AND THE BEAST @ Star Cineplex NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB I EXODUS 3D I THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES I THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 3D I EK CUP CHA INTERSTELLAR @ Blockbuster Cinemas

Exhibition

The Colours of Life By Ihtesham Kabir Time: 11am to 8pm Home n Décor, Badda Tarshito: Embroider the World Time: 12pm – 8pm Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts Road No 16, Dhanmondi Light, Dark, Space By MD Tokon Time: 12pm – 8pm, Bengal Art Lounge 60 Gulshan Avenue , Road 131, Gulshan

A scene por from Oto

Theatre

Shyama Prem Time: 6:30pm – 8:00pm Experimental Theatre Hall, Shilpakala

Festival

A weeklong National Street Theatre Festival organised by Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation will end on February 7 at the Central Shaheed Minar. ‘Khepa Paglar Pechal’ was staged by Theatre Art Unit on Sunday

Music and Dance Festival Time: 6pm – 9pm Music and Dance Theatre Shilpakala Academy

n Entertainment Desk

Female actresses praise KANGANA n Entertainment Desk Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut as being the most versatile actress in the industry was cemented when one of Bollywood’s leading ladies Deepika Padukone dedicated her recent Award for Best Actor (Female) Popular Choice to Kangana Ranaut.

Two other powerhouse performers Priyanka Chopra and Vidya Balan too were all praise for Kanga-

JON and APARNA pair up again for Valentine

na Ranaut. At a recent public event, Vidya Balan said, “ Kangana is unbelievable in the film. I always had liking for Kangana. I remember watching ‘Fashion’ and I think she was incredible in the film. I think she is extremely bold and brave person and that is why she is like that in her films too. It is interesting to see the kind of work she is doing”.

Priyanka Chopra said: “My favourite film this year was Queen apart from Mary Kom.” l

Jon Kabir and Aparna Ghosh are pairing up again to appear in a TV play titled “Ami Akash Pathabo.”

Directed by Shafayet Mansoor Rana, the show is a romantic drama which will be aired on the Valentine’s Day. Jon, the former member of the alternative rock band Black and currently a member of Indalo, worked with Aparna once before, in a TV play titled “Otopor...” a

year ago, directed by Shafayet.

“Ami Akash Pathabo” is one of the three plays based on stories submitted by participants of Close-Up Kachey Ashar Golpo, an initiative taken by Unilever Bangladesh Limited on the occasion of the Valentine’s Day. Filming of the play will start on Friday. A song has already been recorded for the play; written by the director himself, the song is performed and composed by Raef Al Hasan Rafa. l

MCCONAUGHEY takes up another challenge

AMANDA SEYFRIED to make OffBroadway debut

n Entertainment Desk

n Entertainment Desk

Matthew McConaughey will star in a feature adapted from Christopher McDougall’s bestselling book, “Born to Run,” Deadline reveals.

McConaughey will add yet another independent film to his resume with the “Born to Run” adaptation, which will also give him another interesting physical challenge.

After impressing Hollywood in 2013 and 2014 by shedding his muscles to play an HIV-positive man in “Dallas Buyer’s Club,” the actor will now be tasked with transforming his physique into that of an endurance runner.

McConaughey will play ethnographer Christopher McDougall, the author of the book.

The actor has multiple commitments lined up this year and on into 2016, including Gus Van Sant’s “Sea of Trees,” Gary Ross’s “Free State of Jones” and the four films in Josh Boone’s adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Stand.” l

Amanda Seyfried will make her Off-Broadway acting debut opposite Thomas Sadoski (The Newsroom, Wild) in Neil LaBute’s newest drama, “The Way We Get By.” She replaces “Orphan Black” star Tatiana Maslany, who withdrew from the previously-announced production due to film scheduling conflicts.

The world premiere from LaBute follows Beth and Doug, two successful-in-romance people who wake up together after a drunken wedding reception and ponder “how much they really know about each other and how much they really care about what other people think.”

Seyfried has performed at the 66th Tony Awards and has appeared in a few big-screen musicals—she starred in 2008’s “Mamma Mia!” and 2012’s “Les Miserables”—but the play will mark her Off-Broadway stage debut.

The Leigh Silverman-directed production will begin previews on April 28, 2015 and open May 20 at New York’s Second Stage Theatre. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

India’s BSF shoots Bangladeshi farmer dead, detains six n Tribune Report BSF members shot dead a Bangladeshi farmer, injured another man in the same incident and detained six others in border areas in several districts in the last two days.

They also detained a drug peddler but later handed him over to the BGB. The farmer, Md Nazrul Islam, 40, son of Abdul Goni, was gunned down near Ochintopur border of Birampur upazila in Dinajpur yesterday morning.

He lived in Chapla village.

In the shooting, another man received bullet injuries but his identity could not be confirmed.

Witnesses said BSF members opened fire at them when they were sowing paddy in a field, leaving Nazrul dead on the spot.

Apart from the two, a man was also picked up from the area by the BSF. Lt Col Jahidur Rashid, commanding

officer of BGB battalion 30, said a letter was sent to the BSF asking for a flag meeting.

In Thakurgaon, BSF arrested four Bangladeshis near Nagorvita border in Baliadangi upazila on Sunday evening and yesterday morning.

The four are Sadequl, 28, Alam Hossain, 23, Jamiruddin, 23, of Samirnagar Colony village, and Zahidul Islam, 28, of Moshaldangi village.

Sadequl, Alam and Jamiruddin were arrested yesterday morning while Zahidul was held on Sunday evening.

BGB and local sources said Sadequl, Alam and Jamiruddin were held in Chorvita village of India when they were returning to Bangladesh.

Zahidul, who went to India in search of work, was also detained in Indian land.

BGB battalion 30 Director in Thakurgaon Lt Col Tushar Bin Yunus said steps were on to bring the detainees back.

A meeting at the company commander level between BGB and BSF officials was held yesterday.

Tushar said BSF claimed to have recovered 75,000 Indian rupees from the four men.

A cattle trader named Mobarak Ali was picked by BSF officials from Adatala frontier in Sapahar upazila of Naogaon early yesterday.

The 25-year-old was held when he was returning with cattle from India.

BGB 14 Adatala Company Commander Subedar Abul Bashar said Mobarak was held around 4am when he was crossing pillar no 244.

A letter was sent to the BSF to release Mobarak but they replied that he was handed over to police in Dakshin Dinajpur district on charges of illegal entry, he added.

A young drug peddler detained by the BSF near Darshana border in Damurhuda upazila of Chuadanga was

handed over to the BGB on Sunday night.

Md Ali, 25, who was detained along with 24 bottles of phensidyl and two bottles of liquor was released after a meeting between BGB and BSF officials.

Darshana BGB Camp Commander Subedar Robiul Islam and checkpost immigration officer Mahbubur Rahman attended the meeting on behalf of BGB while Company Commander of Gede camp of BSF battalion 173 Dipak Thappa represented the BSF. Chuadanga 6 BGB battalion Director SM Moniruzzaman said Ali and several others entered the Indian village of Gede by crossing pillar no 75 on Sunday evening to buy phensidyl.

“BSF officials chased the men when they were returning to Bangladesh and detained Ali while others managed to flee,” he added. l

MIRPUR STYROFOAM FACTORY FIRE

Two remaining bodies identified by relatives n Tribune Report Two unidentified charred bodies from Saturday’s fire at a Mirpur factory have finally been identified by the victims’ relatives at the Dhaka Medical College morgue.

The bodies of Johirul Islam, 20, hailing from Ilisha in Bhola; and Afzal Hossain, 26, hailing from Savar’s Baliapur, were handed over to their families after Johirul’s maternal uncle Amzad and Afzal’s brother Sajjad Hossain identified them yesterday.

On Saturday, 13 people were killed when a styrofoam packaging factory – APCCO Bangladesh Ltd – was gutted by a devastating fire at Mirpur 1 in the capital.

Three more people – security supervisor Towhidul Islam, 50, security guard Kamal Hossain, 35, and worker Robiul Islam, 35 – were also admitted to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital in

Ongoing political unrest not a problem for book lovers n Nure Alam Durjoy Day two of Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2015 was marked by the enthusiasm of young AMAR EKUSHEY people from B O O K FA I R 2 0 1 5 n e i g h b o u r i ng areas who flocked to the fair. For a large number of these youth, this is a first visit, and many have opted not to make any purchases until the fair gets well underway, preferring to spend their first visit perusing the many stalls.

With each passing day, the book fair becomes a more vibrant place to be thanks to its visitors. The Bangla Academy was inundated with these mostly young visitors, and a part of the Suhrawardy Udyan was almost as crowded.

The small number of books available sold out yesterday, but a large wave of books is expected to be added soon.

Ava, an English literature student at Asia Pacific University, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We came here today to just have a look. Though one could say I am especially interested to come here.

“I have a long list of books to buy in the later days of the fair. But, at this time, I am getting a great view of it.”

When asked about favourites, she replied: “I like to read the works of Humayun Ahmed, Zafar Iqbal, Anisul Hoque, poet Nirmalendu Goon, Charles Dickens, and Shakespeare.”

Sochi, Ava’s friend and a student of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, said they love to read. But for this visit, they are simply enjoying breathing in the newly published books.

Maruf Billah Tonmoy, a Dhaka University student, came to look around at the fair with a few friends.

While talking with Tonmoy at the Suhrawardy Udyan, he told the Dhaka Tribune: “We are here only to browse today, but we will buy some books lat-

Defying the hartal and blockade, cheerful youths turn up in good numbers on the second day of the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela yesterday er in the middle days of the fair.”

He praised the fair’s arrangement, as it was held in a larger area and everything was well-organised. Visitors could roam without colliding into each other.

In the afternoon, at Bangla Academy’s Nazrul Mancha, a publication ceremony was held for “Address ’71,” written by 1971 freedom fighters Amina Begum and Sheikh Abdur Razzak.

Their book also includes stories of Beer Mata (freedom fighters). Besides the two writers, freedom fighters Bhanu, Rahima Begum, and Rahima Khatun also attended the ceremony.

Afterwards, a book launch ceremony for Tasrik-e-Habib’s fiction collection, “Bhordupure o Onnano Golpo” was held, with Anisuzzaman, Dhaka University Emeritus Professor, presiding.

The writers’ corner, located on the bank of the Bangla Academy pond, was packed with writers milling about and chatting with fellow writers. Among the renowned, Lutfur Rahman Riton and Rezauddin Stalin, Iqbal Hasan, and Syed Iqbal were seen there.

Lutfur Rahman Riton, who resides in Canada, joined the fair once again this year. While talk-

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

ing with Riton yesterday, he said: ‘I have been involved with this fair from its very start, and have seen it grow.”

“Presently, it is the largest festival in our culture. This means we are progressing as Bangalis. The fair upholds our culture,” he said.

The Bangla Academy has added 95 new books this year, which are being sold at a 30% commission. l

critical conditions.

On Sunday, 11 of the victims were identified by their families and were taken from the morgue for burial. As most of the bodies were charred, they had to be identified through their dresses, ornaments or birthmarks. Each family was given Tk20,000 from the prime minister’s relief fund as burial cost.

Fire service officials suspect that the fire originated from an electrical short circuit on the ground floor and spread quickly following boiler explosions.

A three-member probe committee has been formed by the fire service, while it is scheduled to submit its report today.

Set up in 2006, the factory used plastic and foam to make disposable household goods. It used to be run on two shifts, while factory sources said around 75-80 workers used to work in each shift. l

Bangladeshi murder convicts to elude beheading in Dubai n Our Correspondent, Munshiganj Two migrant Bangladeshis sentenced to death by beheading by a Dubai court for killing another migrant Bangladeshi, can breathe a sigh of relief as the victim’s family has decided to pardon them.

The family signed a document yesterday in the presence of several government representatives and the families of the convicts at Keiyan union parishad auditorium in Sirajdikhan upazila in Munshiganj, a source said. In exchange, the convicts’ families paid the victim’s family Tk12 lakh compensation.

The document will be notarised and sent to the UAE government via the Ministries of Law and Foreign Affairs to stop the sentence from being executed.

Mohiuddin Ahmed, chairman of Sirajdikhan upazila parishad, Abul Kashem, upazila nirbahi officer, Saiful Islam, assistant dirctor of the upazila employment and manpower office, and Abdul Barek, chairman of Keiyan union parishad, were present at the signing.

Munshiganj Deputy Commissioner Md Saiful Islam Badal took an active part in convincing the victim’s family.

He paid two visits to convince them to pardon the victims.

The murder took place in February 2010. The victim, Nur Mohammad, from Keiyan, was killed by fellow migrants Kamal Hossain, from Chandpur, and Sajdu Miah, from Tangail. Following an investigation, a Dubai court then found Kamal and Sajdu guilty and sentenced them to death by beheading.

However, according to the UAE law, convicts sentenced to death can be exempted from the punishment if the family of the wronged parties officially forgives them.

Taking advantage of the law, the Bangladesh government took the initiative to get the victims pardon and save them from getting beheaded in a foreign land. All legal proceedings in this regard has been taken care of, and Kamal and Sajdu are indeed getting exempted from beheading. l

software Khaleda’s neighbours in Gulshan Death toll in blockade New sequences human genome in 90 min suffer communication blackout violence hits 43 n Agencies

n Tribune Report Residents who live near the Gulshan office of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia have been subjected to a Telecom dead zone after network services were disabled early Saturday morning.

A written BTRC order sent via email early Saturday morning ordered Telecom operators to shut mobile, data, land phone, radio and other service connections to House 6, Road 86, Gulshan 2 until further instructed.

“For two days I did not get any mobile or internet network services in this area. Today, although I can sometimes connect, the line is either very bad or is quickly dropped,” said Mazharul Haque, who lives adjacent to Khaleda’s office.

Alamgir, a guard at Gulshan Model School and College which is situated just a few yards from the office said: “For two days the network was totally disabled. Today I see a weak network sign on my mobile phone but the connection is bad. But when I go to the

main road near Gulshan 2 crossing, my phone detects a full network.”

Following a BTRC order to suspend connectivity centring on Khaleda’s office, the country’s six mobile operators switched off a total of 60 Base Transmission Stations (BTSs) in the Gulshan 2 area.

On Sunday, the number of disabled BTSs came down to 20 – narrowing the blocked-off area – according to a mobile operator source, who has asked not to be named.

Although mobile operators had reactivated most of the BTSs on Monday, they have changed the direction of some of their antennas in the Gulshan 2 area, he said. “This hampers smooth and non-stop network service.”

The Bangladesh Telecommunication (Amendment) Act, 2010 allows the government to direct mobile phone and internet operators to suspend entire network services or services in a particular area if there are concerns about security threats.

According to sources, on Friday

night, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) verbally requested all mobile phone and Wi-MAX operators to block the networks under which Khaleda’s Gulshan office falls.

In reply, the operators told the regulator that they could not do so unless they were given orders to do so in writing.

Around 5am on Saturday, the regulator sent a written order to the operators via email.

The email, a copy of which the Dhaka Tribune has accessed, was sent from the Systems and Services Division of the BTRC. It reads: “I am directed to instruct you to close all kinds of Communication [Mobile, Data, Land phone, Radio, etc] at House #06, Road #86, Gulshan 2 from now onwards till further instructions for obvious security reasons.”

Among the blocked BTSs, 20 belong to Grameenphone, 15 to Robi and 18 to Banglalink. l

n Tribune Report A man who sustained burn injuries in a petrol bomb attack in Lakshmipur on Sunday night died at a local hospital yesterday morning, taking the total death toll in blockade violence to 43.

Liton, 30, was burnt while travelling by a CNG-run autorickshaw around 10pm when the attack was made.

In Gazipur, blockaders hurled two petrol bombs at Jamalpur Commuter Express near Sreepur Railway Station around 5:30pm, injuring four passengers – Hossain, 60, Afzal Uddin, 50, Kazim Uddin, 45, and Mofiz Uddin, 60.

Rail communications with Chittagong remained suspended for about 10 hours in the wake of a train derailment caused by removal of rail fastening clips from rail tracks in Mirsharai upazila.

The engine and two bogies of Chittagong-bound Mymensingh Express got off the tracks around 4am as rail fastening clips were removed in Bara Takia area.

At least 10 passengers were injured in the accident and received treatment

at a local hospital, said Firoz Iftekhar, divisional transportation officer of Bangladesh Railway (east zone).

Trips of five trains - Subarna Express, Mohanagar Provati, Mohanagar Godhuli, Karnaphuli Express and Sagarika Express - were cancelled following the derailment. A five-member probe committee headed by Firoz was also formed.

Two Chhatra Shibir activists were detained along with petrol bombs and crude bombs while they were about to set fire to a CNG-run autorickshaw at Napiter Pool area in Noakhali around 8am.

In Sylhet, Abdul Batin Faisal, former president of Sylhet Photojournalists' Association, was sent to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College after he was injured in a blast at Chauhatta area around 6:45pm. Witnesses said Shibir activists blasted the bomb.

Two men - Abdul Malek and Md Ali - were injured in a blast at Nawabpur in Dhaka.

Eight crude bombs were exploded on Johnson Road near the court area in Old Dhaka around 12:10pm. l

It took around 13 years and $3bn to sequence the first human genome. A new software can now do it in hours.

Investigators at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio in the USA have developed the software and named it Churchill.

It is a computational pipeline that allows efficient analysis of a whole genome sample.

Churchill has completed analysis of 1,088 whole genome samples in seven days and identified millions of new genetics variants.

Peter White, director of the biomedical genomics core and the study’s senior author said: “After a genome is sequenced, scientists are left with billions of data points...

Churchill fully automates the analytical process required to take raw sequence data through a series of complex and computationally intensive processes, ultimately producing a list of genetic variants ready for clinical interpretation and tertiary analysis.” l

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B3 Greece has no future outside the euro

B4 Global deflation risk

looms large as prices falling

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Global buyers want broken supply chain restored n Tribune Report The global buyers of the RMG products have urged the commerce minister to maintain the supply chain, resolving the ongoing political disturbance rapidly for the sake of the country’s apparel business.

They came up with the call at Byers’ Forum meeting held at a city hotel yesterday. The representatives from 65 brands including Inditex, Walmart, H&M, C&A Tesco and GAP attended the meeting.

Responding to the buyers’ demands, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed assured the buyers of maintaining uninterrupted supply chain through ensuring enough security measures.

All the activities in the RMG sector are quite normal excepting increased transportation cost for caring finished goods, claimed Tofail.

“The BNP and its allies are operating militant activities in the name of hartal and blockades but they won’t be able to hinder the economic growth,” vowed the minister.

Political unrest has tarnished the country’s image but the magnitude of the violence came down, said Tofail.

After the Rana Plaza incident, the buyers started to come Bangladesh to place orders being assured of safety standards as per inspection report of Accord and Alliance, said BGMEA President Atiqul Islam.

“But the ongoing political unrest has once again cast shadow on this poten-

Political violence on the streets has increased the transportation cost of goods tial sector, which is very unfortunate for us,” said Islam.

A meeting source noted that the

buyers are facing trouble in their movement due to blockade, which is barring them in clearing or placing the orders.

n Tribune Report

Shop owners come to the street in the capital yesterday demanding an end to the current political unrest which has dampened their business SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Remittances drop slightly n Tribune Report The country’s remittance inflow dropped slightly in the first month of the current year because of the growing political turmoil beginning from January 5.

Expatriates sent remittances worth US$1.23bn in January, down by 2% from $1.26bn in the same months of the previous year.

The remittance senders remitted $1.27bn in the December last.

The remittance inflow continued to remain slow since the year 2013 amid political volatility and sluggish investment climate.

The trend took an upward turn with a little margin in the last six months of 2014 due to cooling down the political unrest although it could not sustain for a longer period.

Moreover, a significant fall in manpower export to the largest market Middle Eastern countries also considered as one of the factor in reducing remittance inflow.

Bangladesh Bank also identified that the drop of 36% in the number of workers migrating in the fiscal year 2013

Expressing concern over the political turmoil situation, the buyers observed that “if the situation prolongs

further, it would be very tough for us to do business here,’’ said the source quoted buyers as saying. l

Asia-Pacific trade body urges resolution of political unrest

Owners threaten to shut down shops n Tribune Report Bangladesh Dokan Malik Samity yesterday threatened shutting down shops, including kitchen market, unless a political stability is restored.

They made the call from a human chain programme organised in front of National Press Club, demanding an end to the ongoing political unrest, which they claimed took a heavy toll on the economy – even in the kitchen market.

They urged the political parties to shun violent political programmes and demand security from the government to ensure smooth movement of general people so they can make business.

“Losses are piling up every day and we are getting penniless due to the month-long political unrest,” said S A Kader Kiron, chairman of Bangladesh Dokan Malik Samity.

“If the political parties do not come to a consensus to resolve the current state of unrest, we will be compelled to shut down business across the county,” he said.

There are 2.5 million shops in the country and every day sales stands at around Tk3,000 crore. Due to ongoing political unrest the owners of small shops are incurring losses of Tk150 crore every day, said Shah Alom, secretary general of Bangladesh Dokan Malik Samity. l

AZAHAR UDDIN

caused slow down in remittance.

The latest monetary policy statement observed that the change in Akama particularly in Saudi Arabia, G-G agreement regarding manpower migration in Malaysia and political unrest in Bangladesh played as major factors in reducing remittance inflow.

As those factors appear to have waned in the fiscal year 2014, remittance growth is likely to have usual momentum in this fiscal year, the central bank hoped in its policy statement.

The remittance inflow, though, remained slow but the forex exchange reserve increased faster in last year, reaching over $22bn because of the fall in import growth.

The lower import growth pushed down the value of dollar, helping appreciation of Taka, which caused of eroding the competitiveness of exporters, according to the monetary policy statement.

Out of the total remittances, country received $373m through state-owned banks, $16m through spcialised banks, $831m through private commercial banks and $14.34m through foreign banks in January. l

BFIU made Egmont Group regional representative n Tribune Business Desk The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) of Bangladesh Bank (BB) has been elected as Regional Representative of Asia and the Pacific Regional Group of the Egmont Group, reports BSS. Bangladesh was elected with seven other regional representatives at the Egmont Group’s meetings, held in Berlin, Germany on January 25-30, a BB press release said.

“As a regional representative, BFIU will surely increase the status of Bangladesh at the international forums,” BB said, observing that becoming a regional representative is also an international recognition of the ongoing actions of BFIU and incumbent government to tackle money laundering and countering terrorist financing.

Established in Brussels, Belgium in 1995, the Egmont Group is a global body of 147 Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) of member nations from across the globe to combat money laundering. l

Jemal Inaishvili, president of the Confederation of Asia Pacific Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) has urged the Bangladeshi politicians to resolve the ongoing political crisis very soon for the sake of ensuring an atmosphere suitable for trade and commerce.

“As business should be the top-most priority for any country, it is a must to ensure political stability for doing better business. Bangladesh is currently facing some political problems. I hope that the politician of the country will soon resolve the crisis, considering the economic consequences, said Jemal while addressing a discussion at a city hotel yesterday.

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) organised the discussion on the occasion of the visit by the delegation of the Confederation of Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) to Bangladesh.

Addressing the discussion, he also observed that Bangladesh had huge opportunity for investment especially in agriculture, energy, automobile and Pharmaceuticals sectors as labour-intensive industry is more attractive here in Bangladesh.

On the other hand, speaking as chief guest, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi said: “We have successfully managed political stability and economic growth. Though we are concerned about the prevailing violence in the country but it won’t be able to long last without the involvement of the countrymen.”

“I can assure you that all the attempts to hold back the country’s economic progress in the name of movement won’t be sustained any longer without popular support,’’ said Rizvi.

The adviser said, “Agricultural research innovated new seeds, which made us self reliant on foods and we are now exporting rice while the government has also been able to provide social safety net and basic health care to most of the countrymen.”

FBCCI President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed invited the investors from CACCI members to invest in Bangladesh in diverse areas with new technologies in infrastructure, energy, power, jute and jute diversified products, diversified leather goods, plastic products, tourism and agro-processing industry as it offers the most liberal investment climate.

“We can also jointly organise an industrial or trade fair exclusively for CACCI members to facilitate exchange of information, products, business ide-

as, new technologies and services,” said Akram. He also observed that this maiden visit would greatly push forward the agenda of regional business integration for exploring the trade and investment opportunities in Bangladesh.

“Technological innovations are critical element for the sustainable growth. Bangladesh through it vision 2021 is moving forward to reach toward the dream of a digital Bangladesh when we will stand as a middle income country,” he added.

CACCI vice presidents Pradeep Kumar Shrestha said, “Bangladesh is a country, where so much economic growth is happening every year.”

‘As business should be the top-most priority for any country, it is a must to ensure political stability’ CACCI Deputy Director-General Amador Honrado identified some role of CACCI such as proliferation of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), solve common problems, promote cooperation, play a greater role in economic growth, innovation in cooperation regional efforts, relationship with other international organisation, promotion of SME development, trade and investment expansion, training and capacity building, technology transfer, increased technology based investment and policy advocacy.

He was presenting a paper on the role of chambers of Commerce in Promoting Regional Trade and Investment Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region FBCCI first vice president Monowara Hakim Ali, vice president M Helal Uddin, and Peter McMullin were present at the discussion.

The confederation of Asia Pacific Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) established in 1996 is a regional grouping of apex national chambers of commerce and industry, business association and business enterprises in Asia and the Western Pacific.

CACCI serves to be a forum for promoting business within the region, increasing regional business interaction and enhancing regional economic growth. l

Interest rate spread hits 5-month high n Jebun Nesa Alo The average interest rate spread, the gap between the lending and deposit rates, went up to 5.21% in December last year.

The increase is highest in five months since June last year when spread was 5.31%, according to the Bangladesh Bank data released yesterday.

The spread was 5.17% in November and hovered above the desired level of 5% for last 10 months.

The gap increased due to cut in deposit rates deeper than the lending rates, said a senior executive of Bangladesh Bank.

In December, the average lending rate of banking sector came down to 12.46% from 12.49% in previous month while deposit rate dropped to 7.25% from 7.32%, according to the central bank data.

The lending rate of private commercial banks stood at 12.99% and the deposit rate at 7.55% in December and it was 13.05% and 7.6% respectively in November.

The latest monetary policy statement said that at the retail level, both the deposit and lending rates rose in the second half of the fiscal year 2014 and since then interest rate spreads have on average fallen from 5.31% in June to 5.17% in November last year.

The gap between the lending and deposit rates reduced due to faster fall of lending rate than deposit rate.

The spread of all banks came down to 4.99% in January last year but further crossed the expected level from February that year and remained above 5%. l

Parliamentary committee seeks corruption information of BASIC ex-chief n Tribune Report Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance Ministry has asked the new BASIC Bank management to provide personal information and alleged corruption of the bank’s former chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bacchu and seven ex-directors, official sources said.

Assistance Secretary of the National Parliament Mohammad Baqi Billah sent a letter to secretary of the Bank and Financial Institutions Division M Aslam Alam in this regard on Sunday.

The information has been asked to submit within 15 working days.

Secretary said it would be hard to recover default loans disbursed during the time of for chairman.

According to him, the BASIC Bank is yet to complete audit of Tk1 crore default loan because of non-cooperation of the existing officials and employees presumed to be loyal to ex-chairman.

Sheikh Abdul Hye Bacchu resigned from the post in July 2014. Then the finance ministry dissolved the board of directors and appointed Aladdin A Mojid as new chairman.

Bacchu’s resignation came just two months before the expiry of his second term as chairman of the troubled bank.

One of the best-run banks until 2009, BASIC Bank has been tangled in financial irregularities since Bacchu assumed office in 2009, said official sources.

During his tenure, the bank’s indicators – from capital adequacy ratio to non performing loans and credit rating – went on a free fall. Curiously, despite this dismal performance, Bacchu was offered a second term in office in 2012.

It was in his new term that the magnitude of irregularities committed by the BASIC Bank board spearheaded

by Bacchu grew larger. The irregularities amounted to upwards of Tk4,500 crore, according to Bangladesh Bank. l

B2

Stocks extend losses for 4th day n

Stocks extended losses for the fourth session in a row amid volatility yesterday, as political worry continued to drive away investors from the market.

The market opened with panic-driven sale as the benchmark

Out of 309 issues traded, 75 advanced, 194 declined and 40 remained unchanged index plunged over 80 points but some modest buying pressure recovered some losses at close.

The benchmark index DSEX fell 36 points or 0.8% to close at 4,618 – its lowest since September 9 this year.

The Shariah index DSES was down 8 points or 0.8% to 1,091. The comprising blue chips DS30 closed at 1,705, shedding 18 points or 1%.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, ended at 8,562, losing 52 points.

Turnover in the DSE has exceeded over Tk200 crore to stand at Tk230 crore, which is 23% higher over the previous session’s value.

Marginal rise in financial sectors offset losses of all other sectors.

Banks and non-banking financial institutions closed flat.

DSE LOSER Company

Closing (% Change)

Aziz PipesZ Midas Financing-Z ISN Ltd. -Z AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A Fareast Finance-Z Sandhani Life -A Kay & Que (BD) -Z Dutch Ban. Bnk- A Delta Brac HFCL-A I P D C -A

9.95 9.56 9.52 8.51 8.07 7.95 7.76 7.69 7.48 6.59

CSE LOSER Closing (% Change)

Paramount Insur-A Islami Ins.BD-A Shahjibazar Power-N Nitol Insurance -A Rahima Food -Z Rangpur Foundry -A Republic Insu.-A Phoenix Insur -A Usmania Glass -A Envoy Textiles Ltd-N

-9.20 -7.77 -7.67 -7.60 -7.47 -7.14 -6.98 -6.56 -6.24 -6.06

4618.43080

(-) 0.78%

1705.62102

(-) 1.04%

14113.67680

(-) 0.58%

11525.85980

(-) 0.75%

8562.31260

(-) 0.56%

Average (% Change) 3.40 8.38 9.73 7.86 7.55 7.07 7.76 7.69 5.56 1.26 Average (% Change) -8.98 -7.77 -4.02 -7.64 -7.59 -7.30 -4.35 -6.50 -5.21 -5.87

ANALYST

ClosingAvg. 19.75 14.75 11.50 5.08 17.53 56.97 12.50 98.00 79.00 16.91

ClosingAvg. 14.80 17.80 468.45 23.09 32.16 93.45 19.99 29.92 93.01 51.19

Closing

Closing

Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture

DSE Million Taka 277.07 162.10 44.15 212.63 144.99 315.87 0.91 236.77 216.27 7.96 67.21 20.10 26.29 98.74 73.72 14.23 16.03 221.02 27.07 85.02 0.00

DHIGH 21.00 14.90 11.50 5.10 17.70 57.90 12.50 98.00 79.00 17.80

DHIGH

14.80 17.80 183.10 23.10 32.20 93.60 20.00 29.90 93.20 51.20

61,244,658

14.80 17.80 199.50 23.10 32.30 93.60 20.20 30.20 95.00 51.20

65,661

Traded Issues

309

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

64

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

238

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

7

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,479.94

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

30.06

CSE key features February 3, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka)

187.85

Turnover (Volume)

6,867,452

Number of Contract

11,529

Traded Issues

239

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

63

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

171

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

4

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,395.05

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

29.03

Turnover in Million

DLOW 19.50 14.00 11.50 4.70 16.80 54.30 12.50 98.00 79.00 16.80

14.80 17.80 180.80 23.00 32.00 93.00 19.60 29.80 92.00 51.00

Latest EPS

0.001 0.009 0.000 0.164 2.654 0.014 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.002

Turnover in Million

DLOW

0.000 0.016 3.583 0.040 0.022 0.075 0.004 0.017 0.158 0.012

% change 12.22 7.15 1.95 9.37 6.39 13.93 0.04 10.44 9.53 0.35 2.96 0.89 1.16 4.35 3.25 0.63 0.71 9.74 1.19 3.75 0.00

Million Taka 14.58 11.49 3.11 23.40 5.60 18.23 46.64 12.66 7.17 7.22 6.59 1.57 4.73 5.74 0.52 1.20 9.56 5.79 19.27 0.01

CSE

% change 7.11 5.60 1.52 11.41 2.73 8.89 0.00 22.75 6.17 3.50 3.52 3.21 0.76 2.31 2.80 0.25 0.58 4.66 2.82 9.40 0.00

Million Taka 291.65 173.59 47.26 236.02 150.59 334.11 0.91 283.41 228.92 15.13 74.42 26.70 27.85 103.47 79.46 14.75 17.23 230.58 32.86 104.29 0.01

AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A Jute SpinnersA Fareast Finance-Z Kay & Que (BD) -Z Berger Paints-A 8th ICB M F-A Dutch Ban. Bnk- A ICB -A Rupali InsurA aamra technologies-A

Closing (% Change) 9.80 6.43 4.88 2.94 2.92 2.81 2.74 2.67 2.53 2.43

CSE GAINER

-0.37 -3.24 0.13 0.11 1.08 2.12 -1.41 9.69 4.26 1.16

Latest EPS 1.13 1.48 8.68 2.79 -0.42 3.23 2.56 3.88 -0.88 4.84

Latest PE -ve -ve 88.5 46.2 16.2 26.9 -ve 10.1 18.5 14.6

Company

Closing (% Change)

Aziz PipesZ Midas Financing-Z ISN Ltd. -Z AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A Fareast Finance-Z Sandhani Life -A Kay & Que (BD) -Z Dutch Ban. Bnk- A Delta Brac HFCL-A I P D C -A

9.95 9.56 9.52 8.51 8.07 7.95 7.76 7.69 7.48 6.59

Average (% Change) 3.40 8.38 9.73 7.86 7.55 7.07 7.76 7.69 5.56 1.26

ClosingAvg.

Closing

5.46 17.58 14.07 1,432.71 65.71 96.49 1,337.37 20.02 37.87

ClosingAvg.

5.60 53.00 17.20 14.00 1,432.80 65.80 97.40 1,356.00 20.30 38.00

Closing

19.75 14.75 11.50 5.08 17.53 56.97 12.50 98.00 79.00 16.91

21.00 14.90 11.50 5.10 17.40 57.00 12.50 98.00 79.00 17.80

DHIGH 5.60 53.40 18.00 14.40 1,435.00 66.10 98.50 1,365.00 20.40 38.70

DHIGH 21.00 14.90 11.50 5.10 17.70 57.90 12.50 98.00 79.00 17.80

DLOW 5.20 52.90 16.70 13.30 1,419.00 62.30 93.90 1,315.00 19.00 36.60

DLOW 19.50 14.00 11.50 4.70 16.80 54.30 12.50 98.00 79.00 16.80

Turnover in Million 11.848 0.000 29.832 0.108 1.831 0.184 3.042 17.022 1.557 39.735

Turnover in Million 0.001 0.009 0.000 0.164 2.654 0.014 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.002

Latest EPS 0.11 -43.64 1.08 -1.41 49.25 9.10 9.69 60.74 2.52 2.92

Latest EPS -0.37 -3.24 0.13 0.11 1.08 2.12 -1.41 9.69 4.26 1.16

Latest PE 49.6 -ve 16.3 -ve 29.1 7.2 10.0 22.0 7.9 13.0

Latest PE -ve -ve 88.5 46.2 16.2 26.9 -ve 10.1 18.5 14.6

News, analysis and recent disclosures ICB: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 1,281.05 m. with consolidated EPS of Tk. 30.37 as against Tk. 853.46 m. and Tk. 20.23 respectively.

1STICB: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 20.69 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 27.59 as against Tk. 11.39 million and Tk. 15.18 respectively.

2NDICB: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 10.99 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 21.98 as against Tk. 8.86 million and Tk. 17.71 respectively.

3RDICB: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 12.32 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 12.32 as against Tk. 11.87 million and Tk. 11.87 respectively.

4THICB: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 16.25 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 16.25 as against Tk. 12.98 million and Tk. 12.98 respectively.

5THICB: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 12.13 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 8.09 as against Tk. 15.99 million and Tk. 10.66 respectively.

6THICB: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk.

29.36 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 5.87 as against Tk. 16.33 million and Tk. 3.27 respectively.

7THICB: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT=Tk. 19.15m with earnings per unit of Tk. 6.38 as against Tk. 20.75m and Tk. 6.92 respectively.

8THICB: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 22.74 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 4.55 as against Tk. 20.80 million and Tk. 4.16 respectively.

EBL1STMF: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT=Tk. 45.63 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.42 as against Tk. 20.24 million and Tk. 0.19 respectively.

TRUSTB1MF: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 87.52 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.37 as against Tk. 45.45 million and Tk. 0.19 respectively.

IFIC1STMF: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 48.54 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.34 as against Tk. 27.76 million and Tk. 0.20 respectively.

1JANATAMF: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 92.61 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.42 as against Tk. 59.84 million and

Tk. 0.27 respectively.

POPULAR1MF: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 62.41 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.28 as against Tk. 63.63 million and Tk. 0.28 respectively.

PHPMF1: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 79.76 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.36 as against Tk. 40.97 million and Tk. 0.19 respectively.

EBLNRBMF: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 56.36 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.32 as against Tk. 36.39 million and Tk. 0.20 respectively.

ABB1STMF: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 59.17 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.34 as against Tk. 43.00 million and Tk. 0.24 respectively.

FBFIF: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 142.35 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.24 as against Tk. 150.97 million and Tk. 0.25 respectively.

EXIM1STMF: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 30.62 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.28 as against Tk. 35.24 million and Tk. 0.32 respectively.

13.1 12.0 54.0 8.3 -ve 28.9 7.8 7.7 -ve 10.6

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company

Total

Average (% Change) 8.76 (100.00) 5.78 3.30 2.94 2.67 2.02 1.16 (0.55) 1.50

Latest PE

Overall, sentiment didn’t improve and continued slashing investor’s confidence. Consequently, turnover remained low

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

21.00 14.90 11.50 5.10 17.40 57.00 12.50 98.00 79.00 17.80

2,269.46

Number of Contract

Weekly capital market highlights DSE Broad Index : DSE - 30 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index :

Company

Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume)

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

DSE GAINER

DSE key features February 3, 2015

All the other major sectors closed lower with cement suffering worst falling 1.8%, followed by food & allied 1.6% and engineering 1.5%. Power, pharmaceuticals and telecommunication closed slightly lower.

Out of 309 issues traded, 75 advanced, 194 declined and 40 remained unchanged.

IDLC Investments said the session started with a morning panic and panic driven sell pressure as the broad index in first hour dipped 80.6 points.

It said investors continued balancing between ongoing political gridlock and lucrative prices at some fundamentally strong scrips, putting slight level of buy pressure at the end.

“Overall, sentiment didn’t improve and continued slashing investor’s confidence. Consequently, turnover remained low.”

Lanka Bangla Securities said it was another difficult day as index extended losses further.

As favourable set of quarterly earnings came out in last three trading sessions, some buyers showed buying interest in last hour amid cautious mood, it said.

Grameenphone was the most traded stocks with shares worth almost Tk11 crore changing hands, followed by Lafarge Surma Cement, CVO Petrochemical, Square Pharmaceutical, C&A Textile, Shahzibazar Power Company, Olympic Industries and Aamra Technology. l

Tribune Report

Company

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

% change 11.79 7.02 1.91 9.54 6.09 13.51 0.04 11.46 9.26 0.61 3.01 1.08 1.13 4.18 3.21 0.60 0.70 9.32 1.33 4.22 0.00

Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

Grameenphone-A LafargeS Cement-Z CVO PetroChem RL-A Square Pharma -A C & A Textile -N BATBCL -A Shahjibazar Power-N Olympic Ind. -A aamra technologies-A WesternMarine -N

BEXIMCO Ltd. -A SAIF Powertec-N UCBL - A National Feed-N Agni Systems -A Brac Bank -A

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company C & A Textile -N WesternMarine -N BEXIMCO Ltd. -A National Feed-N FarEast Knitting -N Alltex Industries -Z BD Submarine Cable-A Square Pharma -A Grameenphone-A SummitAlliancePort.-A

UNITED AIR-A GSP Finance-A Shahjibazar Power-N aamra technologies-A Summit Power -A

VolumeShares 637,154 665,635 154,513 281,336 2,425,394 16,383 252,925 202,914 1,049,276 807,282

Value in Million 205.91 79.35 72.05 71.02 58.78 47.53 46.14 43.80 39.74 37.69

% of TotalTurnover 9.08 3.50 3.18 3.13 2.59 2.10 2.03 1.93 1.75 1.66

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

1,225,550 523,068 1,040,465 1,091,595 1,020,610 785,383

629,037 228,986 314,822 260,776 244,002 205,488 49,624 19,430 14,343 68,447

517,655 154,895 7,649 89,710 87,352

35.27 33.41 30.75 30.64 30.62 30.19

15.20 10.67 9.10 7.34 6.22 5.78 4.94 4.88 4.62 4.13

4.07 4.03 3.58 3.41 2.98

1.56 1.47 1.36 1.35 1.35 1.33

8.22 5.77 4.92 3.97 3.36 3.13 2.67 2.64 2.50 2.23

2.20 2.18 1.94 1.84 1.61

ClosingP 326.50 119.20 462.20 253.20 24.20 2903.00 184.60 216.00 38.00 46.70

28.50 63.10 29.60 27.60 29.80 38.70

ClosingP

24.00 46.60 28.60 27.70 25.50 28.10 99.00 251.20 327.50 60.80

8.00 25.70 183.10 38.00 34.30

Change % 0.09 -2.38 -4.74 -0.24 -0.41 -1.09 -5.43 -4.42 2.43 -1.06

-4.36 -2.62 0.00 -5.15 -1.97 -0.51

Change %

-1.23 -1.27 -4.35 -4.81 2.00 -0.35 -3.79 -0.16 0.65 0.00

0.00 -4.10 -7.67 1.88 -2.00

ClosingY 326.20 122.10 485.20 253.80 24.30 2935.00 195.20 226.00 37.10 47.20

29.80 64.80 29.60 29.10 30.40 38.90

ClosingY

24.30 47.20 29.90 29.10 25.00 28.20 102.90 251.60 325.40 60.80

8.00 26.80 198.30 37.30 35.00

DHIGH 330.00 121.00 486.10 254.40 24.80 2929.00 197.00 223.90 38.70 47.50

29.80 65.30 29.80 29.20 30.60 38.80

DLOW 319.20 118.00 458.90 250.00 23.80 2900.00 177.70 209.80 36.60 46.10

28.20 62.50 29.30 27.30 29.50 38.10

DHIGH

DLOW

24.60 47.20 30.00 29.00 25.70 28.70 99.90 252.00 334.00 62.00

23.80 45.90 28.50 27.40 24.60 27.40 100.00 248.20 319.00 58.50

8.00 26.60 199.50 38.80 34.70

7.80 25.40 180.80 36.80 33.80

AvgPrice 323.17 119.21 466.27 252.43 24.24 2901.42 182.43 215.84 37.87 46.68

28.78 63.88 29.55 28.07 30.00 38.44

AvgPrice

24.16 46.58 28.90 28.14 25.48 28.14 99.45 251.02 322.43 60.30

7.87 26.03 468.45 38.00 34.16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

B3

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Greece has no future outside the euro

Oil prices down in Asian trade

There is no future for Greece outside the euro, Sapin said on French TV station Canal Plus

n AFP, Singapore

n Reuters, Paris Greece has no future outside the euro but it is legitimate for the country to want to discuss ways to reduce the weight of its debt, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said ahead of a meeting with his Greek counterpart Yanis Varoufakis on Sunday.

“If a government says ‘we want to stay in the euro’, that is right. There is no future for Greece outside the euro,” Sapin said on French TV station Canal Plus.

He also reiterated that there is no question of annulling Greece’s debt.

“No we will not annul, we can discuss, we can delay, we can reduce its weight, but not annul,” he said.

Sapin will meet Varoufakis in Paris at 5 pm local time (1600 GMT) and the two finance ministers will make a joint statement to media at 6.30 pm.

“That the government would like to discuss ways to reduce the weight of this debt and the reimbursement of this debt, that appears legitimate to me,” Sapin said.

On Thursday, Sapin said that cancelling Greece’s debt would be an aberration, but that a renegotiation is on the table. He said any talks would depend on Greece staying on track with reforms and keeping a balanced budget.

Athens targeted a general government primary budget surplus of 1.8% of gross domestic product in 2014. l

Two Euro coins are seen after being minted in the Austrian Mint (Muenze Oesterreich) headquarters in Vienna

REUTERS

Oil prices fell in Asia yesterday as dealers took profits from steep gains in volatile month-end trading last week, while a US refinery strike also weighed, analysts said.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for March delivery fell $1.35 to $46.89 while Brent crude for March was down $1.41 at $51.58 in afternoon trade.

Analysts said dealers were taking profits after WTI rebounded from sixyear lows to rocket $3.71 Friday, while Brent surged $3.46.

Daniel Ang, investment analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore, said the price changes were “speculative in nature”.

“We continue to believe that prices are consolidating as the market attempts to correct supply and demand.

“We do not believe that prices will exit this range without fundamental change; therefore, we expect the sharp rise on Friday to be an outlier.”

Analysts said prices were also facing downward pressure on concerns strikes at US refineries could curtail crude processing in the world’s top oil consumer.

The United Steelworkers union, which represents employees at more than 200 US refineries, terminals, pipelines and chemical plants, stopped work on Sunday at nine sites after failing to agree on a labour contract, Bloomberg News reported.

The refineries on strike can produce 1.82 million barrels a day of fuel, about 10% of total US capacity, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

A refinery shutdown in the US would add to the huge global supply glut as raw crude is not processed for consumption. l

India’s sugar mills seek government Hyundai cuts price of fuel cell car, help to dispose of supply surplus eyes competition with Toyota n Reuters, Dubai Struggling sugar mills in India should benefit from a fixed-pricing mechanism for fuel ethanol but still need government support to export surplus sugar, the Director General of the Indian Sugar Mills Association said on Sunday.

Ethanol is produced in India from molasses, a byproduct of sugar production, and the government introduced the mechanism in December aiming to raise output to help curb fossil fuel imports.

“Fixed ethanol pricing is a positive development,” Abinash Verma told the Kingsman Platts Dubai Sugar Conference.

Falling sugar prices in India linked to a supply glut have taken a heavy toll on sugar mills.

Last year one of India’s largest sugar mills, Mawana Sugars Ltd, defaulted on 2.5bn rupees ($40m) in outstanding loans from a consortium of lenders, an

official from the company said.

The surplus has depressed local prices, which could fall further unless the government provides incentives for raw sugar exports.

There is a need for government support for the disposal of surplus sugar Verma said he expected the government to issue a decision on export subsidies this week.

“It is almost through so we expect and we pray it will happen this week,” he told Reuters.

Subsidies helped Indian raw sugar exports last year and mills have been waiting for news of this year’s subsidy since the start of the crushing season in October.

Verma said India’s sugar production

for the 2014-2015 season is expected at 26 million tonnes while consumption will be between 24.7 million tonnes and 24.8 million tonnes.

“From what we are hearing the government is proposing around 1.4 million tonnes of assistance for raw sugar. Without government support we would not be in a position to export so whatever government will announce that is the kind of upper ceiling of what we can export,” Verma said.

Verma said government policies which impose high prices for the cane used to produce sugar had helped create the surplus and government assistance was therefore needed to get rid of it.

“There is a need for government support for the disposal of surplus sugar,” he said.

India exported more than 1 million tonnes of raw sugar in 2014 and mills had hoped to export up to 2 million tonnes this year. l

n Reutes, Seoul Hyundai Motor Co said it will lower the price of its Tucson fuel cell electric vehicle by 43% in South Korea and consider cutting prices of the car overseas to compete with models from the likes of Toyota Motor Corp.

The South Korean automaker - the world’s fifth-biggest when paired with sister Kia Motors Corp - hopes to popularize fuel cell cars in its home market by cutting the price of the Tucson ix to 85 million won ($77,189).

In developing more environmentally friendly technology, Hyundai has long trumpeted fuel cell electric vehicles over battery-powered alternatives, but the high price tag and a lack of refueling stations have been roadblocks to adoption.

South Korea has only one hydrogen fuelling station, with another to be opened in the first half of this year and a government goal to increase the

CORPORATE NEWS

number to 200 by 2025.

The carmaker said it had sold only 200 electric vehicles so far, including in the United States and to European governments.

“A significant price cut in the fuelcell driven Tucson line of vehicles will allow higher supply volume for fuelcell vehicles in general by making them

Dollar struggles after disappointing US, China data n AFP, Tokyo

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited has been providing special banking services at Dhaka International Trade Fair

Mercantile Bank Limited has recently held its annual business conference 2015 at a hotel in Dhaka. The bank’s chairperson, Morshed Alam inaugurated the conference as chief guest while its MD and CEO, M Ehsanul Haque presided over the conference

Impress-Newtex Composite Textiles Limited has recently signed an agreement with Ernst & Young LLP for business process improvements and standardisation

Al-Arafah Islami Bank Ltd has recently held its 269th board meeting on Sunday. The bank’s chairperson, Badiur Rahman presided over the meeting

more affordable for consumers,” Hyundai said in a statement on Monday.

In December, Japanese rival Toyota launched its Mirai fuel cell sedan with a pre-tax price tag of 6.7m yen ($56,934).

Toyota said on Jan 15 that it planned to sell at least 3,000 Mirai fuel cell sedans at least in the United States by the end of 2017. l

Pizza Hut, an international restaurant chain has recently introduced five new stuffed crust pizzas. MD and CEO of Transcom Foods Ltd, Akku Chowdhury was present at the launching ceremony

The dollar struggled Monday as US economic growth and Chinese manufacturing figures disappointed markets, while the euro picked up after falling on fears about the new Greek government’s testy talks with international creditors.

In Tokyo afternoon trade, the dollar edged up to 117.76 yen, from 117.59 yen in New York but it was still down from 118.34 yen on Thursday.

The euro rose to $1.1312 from $1.1284, and to 133.22 yen from 132.70 yen in US trade.

The US Commerce Department said Friday that the world’s top economy expanded at an annual rate of 2.6% in the fourth quarter, well below the 5.0 percent in the previous three months.

The disappointment was compounded by news that prices in the eurozone fell by a record 0.6% in January, fanning concerns that the currency bloc is facing years of deflation.

Traders were also reacting Monday to news that China’s official purchasing managers index (PMI) of manufacturing activity unexpectedly retreated last month for the first time in more than two years.

Data Sunday showed its PMI at 49.8 last month, against 50.1 in December.

Anything below 50 points to contraction and anything above indicates growth.

“Market sentiment is turning riskaverse after both the US growth figures and the Chinese manufacturing data fell short of estimates,” Atsushi Hirano, head of FX sales in Japan at Royal Bank of Scotland, told Bloomberg News.

“There’s a growing risk the yen could climb to the mid-115 level versus the dollar by the middle of this week.”

Traders tend to move into the yen during times of uncertainty or turmoil.

The euro had earlier faced selling pressure after Greece’s new anti-austerity Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said despite warnings that Athens would shortly run out of money, the far-left Syriza-led government preferred to do without fresh cash, and instead renegotiate its entire bailout.

At a strained press conference with Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem, Varoufakis said Greece was willing to negotiate with its lenders but not with an international troika of creditors - the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Athens has been promised 7.2bn euros in funds from the troika if it completes specified reforms by February 28. l

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Global deflation risk looms large as prices falling n Reuters, Sydney The risk of global deflation looms large for 2015 as surveys of China’s mammoth manufacturing sector showed excess supply and deficient demand in January drove down prices and production.

While the pulse of activity was livelier in Japan, India and South Korea, they shared a common condition of slowing inflation that argued for yet more policy stimulus ahead.

“The slide in global oil prices and inflation has turned out to be even bigger than anticipated,” said David Hensley, an economist at JPMorgan, and central banks from Europe to Canada to India have responded by easing policy.

“What is now in the pipeline will help extend the near-term impulse from energy to economic growth into the second half of the year.” A fillip was clearly necessary in China where a pair of surveys showed manufacturing struggling at the start of the year.

The HSBC/Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) inched a up a fraction to 49.7 in January, but stayed under the 50 level that separates growth from contraction. More worryingly, the official PMI - which is biased towards large Chinese factories - unexpectedly showed activity shrank for the first time in nearly 2-1/2 years.

The reading of 49.8 in January was down from 50.1 in December and missed analyst’s forecasts of 50.2. The report showed input costs sliding at their fastest rate since March 2009, with lower prices for oil and steel playing major roles.

Ordinarily, cheaper energy prices would be good for China, one of the world’s most intensive energy consumers, but most economists believe the phenomenon is a net negative for Chinese firms because of its impact on ultimate demand. The PMIs only fuelled bets that more monetary easing and a weaker yuan was in store for the world’s second-largest economy.

“China still needs decent growth to add 100 million new jobs this year, plus China is entering a rapid disinflation process,” ANZ economists said in a note to clients.

“We (think) the People’s Bank of

n Reuters, Frankfurt

Employees of the French National Railway Company SNCF, weld rails as part of the construction of the new 'Bretagne-Pays de Loire' LGV high speed TGV train line, on Monday near Connerre, western France. The new 'Bretagne-Pays de Loire' LGV high speed TGV train line, which costs for a total of 3.4 billion, will be open to rail traffic on May 2017 after nine years of works AFP China will cut the reserve requirement ratio by 50 basis points and cut the deposit rate by 25 basis points in the first quarter.”

The downdraft also has spread into China’s burgeoning services sector, which was the lone bright spot in the economy last year. Service activity expanded at its lowest level in a year.

The news was a little brighter in Japan, where the central bank has been pursuing an aggressive bond-buying campaign for over a year now in a bid to revive growth and shake the country out of decades of deflation.

The final Markit/JMMA PMI edged up to 52.2 in January, from an early 52.1 and December’s 52. That marked the eighth straight month of expansion and looked to owe much to the sustained weakness of the yen.

One in every 10 respondents reported higher orders from abroad, with some mentioning a recovery in demand.

Improving exports were also a feature of South Korea’s PMI which returned to growth for the first time in five months, with a rise of 1.2 points to 51.1 in January, the highest reading

since May 2013.

The survey found international demand expanded for the first time in 10 months with firms finding new foreign clients, including from Russia. But trade data on Sunday highlighted the impact of a sustained slump in Europe and China’s slowdown. India’s manufacturing activity continued to growth in January, though the headline index eased a touch to 52.9 from a two-year peak of 54.5 the month before.

Importantly for the prospect of more policy stimulus, cost pressures were the mildest in 70 months as com-

Coke wins as Super Bowl battle gets serious

modity prices fell. The Reserve Bank of India has already surprised by cutting rates a quarter point to 7.75%.

“Sluggish growth and falling inflation reinforces our view that the RBI should deliver upfront rate cuts. We expect the repo rate to be lowered by 75 basis points in the first half of 2015,” said HSBC’s chief India economist Pranjul Bhandari.

Still to come was manufacturing surveys on the UK, Euro Zone and the United states, along with a measure of core U.S. inflation closely followed by the Federal Reserve. l

n Reuters, Singapore Gold steadied near $1,280 an ounce yesterday, after posting its biggest monthly gain in three years, as a shaky outlook for the global economy preserved bullion’s safe-haven draw.

Weekend data showed China’s factory sector shrinking in January for the first time since 2012. This report came shortly after Friday’s U.S. gross domestic product number that marked a sharp slowdown in the fourth quarter.

“Overall there’s a sense that the global economy is not doing well and that has boosted the safe-haven appeal of gold. In the short term, we should see gold stay above $1,250,” said Howie Lee, investment analyst at Phillip Futures.

Spot gold was off 0.3% at $1,279.18 an ounce by 0240 GMT after rising 2% on Friday. It ended January with a gain of 8.4 percent, its largest monthly increase since January 2012.

But Lee said the metal’s steep gains in the previous session may have been “overdone”.

“A single disappointing Q4 GDP data is unlikely to sway the Fed’s deci-

Anheuser Busch's Budweiser and Bud Light Beer can be seen on display at a new Wal-Mart store in Chicago

The spot featured a woman calling the police but pretending to order a pizza so she wouldn’t tip off her abuser “Many people felt it was just the wrong time for a message like that,” said Tim Calkins, marketing professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, which runs an annual review of Super Bowl ads.

“It was a very disturbing piece of advertising.”

Adam Tucker, president of Ogilvy & Mather, the agency that created the commercial, said the ad was “intended to spark a conversation and create

awareness around an important issue”.

Web services company GoDaddy’s commercial focused on a guy missing the game because he was working, the type of business owner GoDaddy serves. The company scrapped an earlier spot following an outcry from animal lovers who said it seemed to advocate puppy mills.

“They ended up running an ad that just didn’t break through the clutter,” Calkins said.

Going with comedy, Snickers scored by featuring Marcia Brady of “The Brady Bunch” TV series transformed into angry action movie star Danny Trejo, part of the company’s “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign.

“It stood out,” said Jay Russell, chief creative officer at advertising agency GSD&M. “It’s simple and quick.”

Unilever’s Dove Men+Care was one of at least three companies to celebrate

The finance chief of Ford Motor Co expects ongoing problems in Russia where the decline of the rouble and the struggling economy was weighing on its market share, according to German newspaper Handelsblatt.

Russia’s currency and economic woes were cited last week by Ford as major reasons the company lowered expectations for its European business in 2015. Other carmakers have incurred losses and closed production plants in Russia for the same reason.

“2015 does not look good,” Ford’s Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks was quoted as saying about Russia in an interview to be published on Monday.

Shanks told the financial daily that Ford has lost market share in Russia as “a number of competitors have aggressively cut their prices.”

Japanese car makers were able to cut prices on the back of the weak yen and Korean car makers had followed, he said.

Shanks said that Ford was looking at measures to cope with the Russian crisis. “All options are on the table,” he was quoted as saying.

A market exit was not an option, Shank said.

Ford spokespeople in Europe could not immediately be reached for comment outside office hours.

Ford had previously estimated losses from Europe at about $250m in 2015. On Thursday, however, it backed away from that forecast, saying the loss would narrow from $1bn in 2014 but would be wider than previously thought.

General Motors Co said last week it will suspend production at its St. Petersburg auto assembly plant in Russia from mid-March to mid-May and is raising prices for its products because of the weak and volatile Russian rouble.

In addition, Volkswagen AG’s labor chief said on Thursday the company lost hundreds of millions of euros in Russia because of the decline of the rouble. l

Gold holds near $1,280 amid shaky global outlook

n Reuters, Los Angeles

Budweiser capitalised on cuteness with the return of a puppy and CocaCola stood out with an anti-bullying message as many brands stirred emotions rather than going for laughs during the annual high-stakes battle of Super Bowl commercials.

Companies paid up to a record $4.5m for 30 seconds during the championship game on Comcast Corp’s NBC network seen by an estimated 100 million-plus viewers, the year’s biggest television audience. The New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks.

Brands employed uplifting themes including the celebration of dads and tackled somber social issues in their bids to grab attention among more than 70 commercials.

“There has been an awful lot of stuff tugging at the heart strings,” said John Maxham, chief creative officer of DDB Chicago. “I’m struck at how many brands have gone with a serious almost socially minded tone to their advertising.”

Budweiser had a hit even before kickoff. The beer maker owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev reprised last year’s winning combination of a puppy and his Clydesdale friends. This time, the horses help the lost puppy find his way home.

That ad was watched nearly 42 million times ahead of the game and topped rankings by iSpot, which tracks online views and social media chatter.

Coke won cheers from advertising experts for addressing digital hate speech, showing mean messages sent through texts or social media that were changed to positive missives once a bottle of Coke spilled into the wiring of servers.

The NFL ran a public service announcement that urged an end to domestic violence, a problem that tarnished the league’s image during the season. The spot featured a woman calling the police but pretending to order a pizza so she wouldn’t tip off her abuser.

Taking on serious issues during the Super Bowl can be tricky with viewers used to a celebratory atmosphere.

Nationwide Insurance sparked a social media backlash with an ad that many called jarring.

The ad spotlighted a boy who could never grow up and ride a bike or get married because he died in an accident in a commercial meant to highlight preventable child injuries.

Ford CFO sees ongoing problems in Russia

REUTERS

fatherhood, showing doting dads rushing to help an upset child or dancing at a daughter’s wedding.

Brands also fought for attention on social media.

Southwest Airlines tweeted an offer of free Doritos for fliers who take a selfie in a middle seat on Monday or Tuesday, a nod to a Doritos TV ad set on an airplane. Kim Kardashian, who mocked herself in a T-Mobile TV ad during the game, urged Twitter users to visit a website to receive pictures of her.

McDonald’s, which ran a crowdpleasing TV ad in which people paid for their orders by showing love to others, set up a team in a war room to comment via Twitter on every commercial and encourage re-tweets to win related prizes.

“Lovin’ Clydesdales & puppies & wolves, oh my, @Budweiser RT to try & win a trip with your best bud, up to 500 miles,” McDonald’s wrote. l

sion drastically,” said Lee, who thinks that the US central bank is still well on track to raise interest rates by June amid signs of a generally strengthening economy.

U.S. gold for April delivery was little changed at $1,280.20 an ounce.

U.S. economic growth slowed to a 2.6% annual pace from a 5% rate in the third quarter as weak business spending and a wider trade deficit offset the fastest pace of consumer spending since 2006.

China’s factory sector unexpectedly shrank for the first time in nearly 2-1/2 years in January and firms see more gloom ahead, raising expectations that policymakers will take more action to forestall a sharper slowdown.

“With the Chinese economy facing headwinds from weaker European demand and disinflation, we see rising pressure for more stimulus measures, such as liquidity injections, interest rate cuts or RRR (reserve requirement ratio) cuts,” Mizuho Bank said in a note.

Gold’s firm tone is also backed by strong inflows into exchange-traded funds. l

India factory output drops to 3-month low n AFP, Mumbai Indian factory output eased in January to a three-month low as new business slowed down, a key survey showed yesterday, suggesting more steps are needed from the government to boost growth.

Banking giant HSBC said that its purchasing managers index (PMI) fell to 52.9 points in January, down from a two-year high of 54.5 the previous month.

DILBERT

In the survey, which is seen as a harbinger of industrial expansion and economic health, a reading of more than 50 points suggests expansion while anything below indicates contraction.

“The slip can partly be attributed to consolidation after two months of impressive upticks. New orders, both from domestic and international sources, also continued to grow, though at a slower pace than in December,” said HSBC chief India economist Pranjul Bhandari. l