04 Feb, 2015

Magh 22, 1421 Rabius Sani 14, 1436 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 300

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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7 | LONG FORM

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FOR ALL THE BOOKWORMS

CHRONICLE OF A BIRTH FORETOLD

BACK TO BASICS: MUKTI CHAI

KIWIS RUN RIOT AGAINST PAKISTAN

Firebomb on bus ends 7 more lives

Hartal extended, SSC exams deferred

secretariat. He added that the rescheduled exam will begin at 10am and continue until 1pm on Saturday.

“It is not that the exams are only delayed, it will also affect the morale of the students and we have to pay for that for many years,” the minister said, only hours after the BNP-led alliance extended its ongoing 72-hour hartal until 6pm tomorrow.

BNP Joint Secretary Salahuddin Ahmed made the announcement in a statement issued yesterday afternoon.

On Monday, the family of

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has exempted 27 people, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in connection with three Bangabandhu Novo Theatre graft cases.

ACC Chairman M Bodiuzzaman disclosed this information to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday afternoon.

All of the accused in the cases were exempted on January 22, he said.

“During the investigation, no evidence was found against the accused, which includes the PM,” said the ACC chairman.

Bodiuzzaman also said: “The cases were dismissed and the accused were acquitted through Final Report True (FRT).”

ACC Deputy Director Manjur Morshed, the investigation officer of the graft case, submitted the report to court last week.

The charges against the accused were described as groundless in the report, a senior official of the commission, wishing anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Hasina was made the prime accused in the three cases, filed by the now-defunct Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) with Tejgaon police station on March 27, 2002, by then ACB Inspector Mohammad Ibrahim and Anti Corruption Officer M Mizanul Islam.

Sheikh Hasina and a few of her cabinet colleagues in the AL-led government of 1996-2001 were charged for corruption, and for irregularities in handling the project to set up the Bangabandhu Novo Theatre, by allegedly approving an increase in project cost for the construction of the Novo Theatre without the approval of a majority of members on the executive committee of the National Economic

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This is the highest number of people killed on spot in an attack since blockade began

n Our Correspondent, Comilla At least seven people, four from two families, were killed and more than 30 injured in a petrol bomb attack on a passenger bus in Chouddogram of Comilla early yesterday.

Among those injured, the condition of at least six is reported to be critical; they are currently taking treatment at the burn unit of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

Dr Habib Abdullah Sohel, a doctor at the Comilla Medical College Hospital who gave them first aid, said the condition of three people with 70% burns was particularly grave.

‘The condition of three people with 70% burns is particularly grave’ Police said the attack took place around 4am in the Jagmohanpur area and the passengers were all fast asleep when blockade supporters hurled the bomb.

Yesterday, one more person was killed in a similar petrol bomb attack in Kishoreganj and another person, who was injured in a similar attack in Lakshmipur on Monday, died in hospital, taking the day’s death toll to eight.

With these nine, the total death toll in violence in the nearly-a-month-long blockade and intermittent hartals enforced by the BNP-led alliance rose to 24.

This is the highest number of casualties in one single bomb attack since the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance started their blockade and violence on January 6.

The deceased are Nuruzzaman Paplu, 50, a contractor from Jessore, and his 10th grader daughter Maisha Taslim, 14; Abu Taher, 38, and Abu Yusuf, 45, from the Chokoria village of Cox’s Bazar; Asma Akhter, 38, from Palash of Narshingdi and her son Mahmudul, 13; and Wasim, from the Dakkhin Gajaria village of Shariatpur.

The dead bodies of the first six have already been handed over to their relatives. Around 30 other injured people have been given treatment at the Comilla Medical College Hospital and the Chouddogram Upazila Health Complex.

“All the passengers were asleep.

Suddenly there was a flash of light and within seconds, the bus was on fire.

The fire soon spread all over the bus,” injured Mashrufa Begum, wife of Nuruzzaman who got killed in the attack, described her ordeal.

“I thought it was the judgment day.

I survived because I was sitting in one of the back seats. But my husband and daughter got killed because they were sleeping in two of the front seats. They and five others never woke up. The rest of the passengers jumped through the windows,” she said.

Kishore Kumar Hawlader, inspector of highway police, said: “The bus was running fast because traffic was light on the highway. The bomb was thrown through one of the left windows  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla With the BNP-led alliance extending their hartal for two more days, the government has again been forced to reschedule the start of the SSC exam – creating more uncertainty for the 1.5m examinees and their parents.

For the second time, the Education Ministry had to defer the start of the SSC and equivalent exams after the BNP-led 20-party alliance yesterday extended its ongoing countrywide 72hour hartal for 36 more hours.

The Secondary School Certificate

exams were originally slated to start from February 2, but the date for the first exam – of Bangla first paper subject – was pushed back to February 6 because of the hartal on Monday.

Following the initial revised schedule, the first of the SSC exams – Bangla second paper – was supposed to start today; but the ministry moved the exam to February 7 – next Saturday – after the hartal was extended.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid made the announcement of the new schedule at an emergency media briefing yesterday at his office in the

Burning line between dream and delirium

Two ‘bombers’ crushed under wheels n Tribune Report Two activists of BNP, suspected of being arsonists, were run over by a truck in Monirampur upazila of Jessore yesterday morning.

Liton, 28, and Yusuf, 23, were killed while waiting to attack passing vehicles with petrol bombs.

Police rushed to the spot at Begaritola of the upazila on hearing the news and found the two youths lying on the road critically injured.

Mollah Kabir Uddin Ahmed, officerin-charge of Monirampur police, said they were taken to Jessore Medical College Hospital where doctors declared them dead.

Shahid Iqbal, Monirampur municipality mayor and upazila president for BNP, claimed that there were many journalists and detective members of police who found the deaths “suspicious.”

He said around 9:30pm on Monday, unknown miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at a truck near Manirampur College. Later police arrested Yusuf and Liton. “We heard in the morning that police admitted the two, already dead, to Jessore Medical College,” he said.

Meanwhile, in one of the worst incidents of the political unrest that began on January 6, arsonists yesterday attacked a night coach on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway killing seven passengers, including four members of two families.

In separate incidents, another person was killed in attack and one  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Hasina exempted from Novo Theatre graft cases n Adil Sakhawat

n Mohammad Jamil Khan

People detained recently on allegation of their involvement in the ongoing blockade are being taken to Dhaka CMM Court

MEHEDI HASAN

Regular cases pile up as blockade keeps police busy n Mohammad Jamil Khan As the police are overwhelmed with the continued pressure of tackling blockade-related violence across the country, other wrongdoings by career criminals are reportedly being ignored.

Law enforcers in the capital said they had to change their priorities about which cases to chase as violence continued to escalate during the

20-party alliance’s ongoing blockade programme and hartals.

As most of the police personnel are now being forced to stay on-duty for 16 hours a day to prevent arson attacks and sabotage, a void has been created in investigating regular cases like murder, theft, robbery and mugging, police officials admitted.

Jalaluddin Ahmed, assistant inspector general at police headquarters, said law enforcers usually followed a duty

routine chart, but had to improvise with the duty roster when the situation became uncertain.

“This does not mean that we are not doing our routine work, but we are doing those works on a priority basis, considering which was more concerning for the general public,” the AIG added.

Commenting on the added pressure the police have had to undertake since the blockade began, Gulshan police  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

All of 22-year-old Rashed’s bags were packed and he was ready to fly to Qatar on a plane at 10pm today, hoping to get a sizable job in the oil rich Middle Eastern country and change his peasant family’s fortune for good.

Around 4am yesterday, he was heading towards Dhaka on a bus of the Icon Paribahan from his village home in Cox’s Bazar. A number of his relatives were accompanying him to see him off at the Shahjalal airport.

He must have been dreaming about the things that he should have had on his checklist of doable after he gets on to the plane and arrives in Qatar.

But when this report was being filed around 10pm yesterday, exactly 24 hours before he would have been getting on board the flight, Rashed was lying on a bed at the burn unit of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, writhing in pain.

Around 80% of his body has been burnt in a fire caused by a petrol bomb that was hurled at the bus on the Dhaka-Comilla Highway.

Heavily sedated for some relief from the excruciating pain, Rashed was lying there mostly unconscious. But in momentary fits of delirium, he was still heading towards the airport.

“Where is my passport? It is time for my flight. I have to go,” he would mutter for a few seconds and then fall unconscious again.

If he ever regains full consciousness,

he will see that Yusuf, one of his uncles who was coming with him, has been killed in the fire that left 9% of his other uncle Hanif’s body burnt.

Rashed used to do farming at their Sahachanda village in Chokoria upazila in Cox’s Bazar district. He was the elder among two siblings. He recently got the visa to fly to Qatar.

The Dhaka Tribune reporter caught up with his cousin Jakaria Hossain outside the DMCH burnt unit yesterday.

“During the accident, all of Rashed’s passport and documents were lost. But

‘Where is my passport?

It is time for my flight.

I have to go,’ he would mutter and then fall unconscious again what would he do with them now? Will he be able to fly to Qatar ever?” Jakaria, who also suffered a bit of burn in the attack, said in exasperation.

The petrol bomb attack left seven people including Yusuf dead on the spot and 16 others including Rashed critically injured, six of whom are currently undergoing treatment at the DMCH burn institute.

On the bed right next to Rashed was lying Jilkad, 17, with 20% burn injuries that he had sustained in the same attack.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

INSIDE 2 | News

The government will provide financial assistance to half a million poor pregnant women and mothers of children up to five-years old who have been identified as being in particularly dire need.

3 | News

Bangladesh is closely monitoring the evolving relationship between New Delhi and Washington after US President Barack Obama’s recent India visit.

4 | News

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal are negotiating to have a motor vehicle agreement to facilitate cargo and passenger movement in the countries.

5 | News

Although import-export at the Sona Masjid land port got disrupted in the first two weeks of the blockade, the situation has now regained normalcy – thanks to drives by joint forces and temporary security camps.

6 | Nation

Two upazila chairmen in Jhenaidah have recently built a road which encroached on the Chitra River in Kotchandpur upazila. The two accused alleged misappropriated fund as well.

9 | World

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing his first state election defeat since taking charge last year, opinion polls show, a result that would dent his chances of consolidating power.

15 | Entertainment

Disc Jockey Sonica now has another skill to add to her résumé – she has successfully ventured into the art of acting. She recently wrapped up filming of two TV plays.

01_FR 02_Ne 16_BA

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Poor women to get maternity cash assistance n Tribune Report The government will provide financial assistance to half a million poor pregnant women and mothers of children up to five-years old who have been identified as being in particularly dire need.

The target population for the cash assistance programme will be selected on the basis of poverty maps and are located in 42 upazilas of seven districts of Rangpur and Dhaka divisions.

The recipients will be from Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Jamalpur, Sherpur and Mymensingh where the poverty rate is more than 35% and there is a high-level of malnutrition, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) decided yesterday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

The Tk2,377 crore project titled Income Support Program for the Poorest (ISPP) will be completed by June 2020 under the supervision of the Local Government Division. Of the total cost, the International Development Association (IDA), an arm of the World Bank,

will provide Tk2,340 crore while the government to give Tk37.81 crore.

“Poor pregnant women will be brought for medical check-ups four times during their pregnancies and will be given Tk200 each time,” Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said after the meeting.

Moreover, poor pregnant women and mothers will get Tk500 each through participation in every workshop regarding child nutrition and improved education, he said.

In addition, he said, children aged between zero and 24 months would be given Tk500 per month at their physical growth test while children aged between 25 and 60 months will get Tk1,000 each every three months at their physical growth test.

According to poverty maps launched by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statics in August last year, Rangpur division has the highest poverty rate of 42%, followed by Barisal with 38.3%, Khulna 31.9%, Dhaka 30.5%, Rajshahi 27.4%, Chittagong 26.1% and Sylhet 25.1%.

The ISPP project is one of the eight

development projects worth Tk4,490 crore approved by the Ecnec.

Of the total project cost, the government will provide Tk1,636 crore, the agencies concerned Tk7.44 crore and the remaining Tk2,847 crore will come as project assistance.

The meeting approved a separate Tk979 crore project titled Dhanua-Elenga and West Bank of Bangabandhu Bridge Nalka Gas Transmission Pipeline, to be implemented by Gas Transmission Company Limited by June 2019.

Of the total cost for the project, Tk507 crore will come from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Other projects approved at the meeting are the Gopalganj Bscic Industrial Estate Expansion with Tk98.85 crore, expansion of Gouripur-Homna road to Comilla-Sylhet highway project with Tk77.89 crore, rehabilitation of 50 BG and 50 MG passenger carriages for western zone of railway with Tk71.81 crore, Gorai River recovery project with Tk676.55 crore and an irrigation expansion project in the Barind area through preserving water canals with Tk125.23 crore. l

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

DMP: Violence to stop in a week n Tribune Report

AL leaders contradict over dialogue

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Assaduzzaman Miah yesterday vowed to control the ongoing subversive activities, including arson attacks and blasting crude bombs, in the capital within a week.

In the last seven days, the city dwellers had handed at least 20 miscreants over to local police in the capital when the criminals were trying to flee the scene after torching or trying to set vehicles on fire, the DMP chief said.

He made the comments when members of the newly-elected executive committee members of Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) met him at the DMP headquarters.

When asked, the DMP chief denied the allegation of mass arrests. “If we get any such allegation, we will take punitive action against those responsible.”

Asaduzzaman also urged the elites of the society to donate vehicles for the police stations. He said even though each police station had at least 10 patrol teams, they faced problems due to lack of sufficient police vehicles.

Later, the DMP commissioner received a police van, donated by “Nipa Group” for Dakkhin Khan police station. l

n Abu Hayat Mahmud Ignoring Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s directives, the ruling Awami League leaders have been making conflicting remarks on a possible dialogue with the BNP. “There is a scope for holding talks with the BNP, if the party refrains from creating anarchy,” Food Minister Quamrul Islam told a discussion organised

by Bangabandhu Projonmo League in the capital yesterday.

He said the intellectuals, who were advocating for dialogue, should first make the BNP realise that terrorism and politics were different things, and what the BNP-Jamaat alliance had been doing was not politics, rather terrorism.

Quamrul also blamed the Pakistani diplomats for instigating the BNP-Jamaat alliance in carrying out sabotage and anarchy to fulfil their agenda.

At a meeting of the AL’s Parliamentary Party meeting recently, Hasina asked lawmakers to refrain from making any contradictory remark over the government and party’s stand.

Relief and Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury

Maya yesterday said there was no scope of reaching any compromise with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, since innocent people were being killed on her directives in the name of blockade and hartal.

“The next general election will be held in 2019 under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as per the constitution.

Khaleda Zia will have to wait for the next four years,” Maya, also the city unit Awami League general secretary, told an anti-hartal rally in front of the party’s headquarters at Bangabandhu Avenue.

At a human chin in front of the National Press Club, AL Publicity and Publication Secretary Hasan Mahmud said the BNP-Jamaat alliance would never come to power through petrol bombs attacks on the innocent people.

At another programme, Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif said: “I have heard of a certain timeframe, but I do not want to speak further on it. We are quite confident that we will overcome the situation and the temporary crisis.”

He also asked party leaders and workers to identify the terrorists in each locality and hand them over to the members of the law enforcement agencies. l

Hartal extended, SSC exams deferred

Hasina exempted from Novo Theatre graft cases

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Arafat Rahman Koko, who was buried last week in Dhaka, left for Malaysia because of school exams of his two children.

On Sunday, Salahuddin threatened to continue the 72-hour hartal and nonstop blockade for an indefinite period if telephone, internet and cable services’ connection was not restored to party chief Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office and their demands of election under a non-partisan government was not met.

Party insiders said BNP leaders are also planning to enforce more hartals in the upcoming weeks, adding that calling fresh hartals for next Sunday and Monday was also being considered.

Last week, the alliance kept O Level exams out of the hartal purview.

On Saturday, BNP Vice-President Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed said establishing rule of law was more essential than staging the public exams. He also recommended that exam schedules be pushed back if needed.

Meanwhile, students and their parents expressed their despair at the continuing political instability in the country.

“Repeatedly rescheduling the exam will weaken the preparations of the students and certainly this will put an impact on the result,” Rahmatullah Mallick, parent of an SSC candidate, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Fatema Binte Mohsin, an examinee from Motijheel Government Girls High School, said: “When the exam of a [subject] paper is rescheduled, students get less time to prepare. It also paves way for leaking of question papers.”

Syed Anwar Hussain, professor of history department of Dhaka University, said: “The political party which enforces hartal during the SSC exam, I think such political party does not have any right to do politics because politics is for the welfare of the people.”

Apart from the extended hartal, the BNP-led alliance will also continue its countrywide blockade – which passed day 29 yesterday. l

Council (Ecnec) and giving illegal benefits to the construction firm of the Novo Theatre, which incurred losses of Tk52 crore to the state exchequer.

The project was established by the Ministry of Science and Information Communication Technology with an expenditure of over Tk123 crore, provided entirely from state coffers.

The cases were shifted to the ACC from the ACB on August 24, 2005.

The first ACC chairman, Justice Sultan Hossain Khan, then ordered Investigation Officer Mizanul Islam to complete the investigation process as quickly as possible.

On October 27, 2005, upon Hasina’s petition, the High Court stayed the operation of the approval given by the then ACC chairman for the investigation into the three corruption cases against Sheikh Hasina.

The HC also asked the ACC and the then-government to show cause as to why the ACC chairman’s approval of investigation and the filing of the charge

sheet by an anti-corruption officer should not be declared illegal at the time, the media had reported.

On March 4, 2010, the High Court quashed all proceedings against then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in three corruption cases regarding the Novo Theatre graft cases and also declared the filing and proceedings of the cases illegal.

At the time, the HC in its judgement termed the filling of the cases as motive to tarnish Hasina’s image, status, and popularity, media reports stated.

The cases also did not mention any offence against Sheikh Hasina under the penal code in the First Information Reports, said the HC verdict.

The judgement of the High Court also termed the then-ACC chairman’s approval illegal, as the chairman alone had taken the decision.

Referring to Article 35 (2) of the constitution, the HC verdict also said a series of cases cannot be initiated against any person for an offence of the same nature.

After the HC quashed all of the cases against the PM, the three cases were

Burning line between dream Along with three of his friends, he was coming back to Dhaka after an eightday trip to Cox’s Bazar.

Jilkad, son of cow trader Jahirul Islam, lived with his parents and younger brother Akram, a fifth grader.

“I have already spent Tk3.45 lakh for sending Jilkad to Saudi Arabia. He was supposed to face a visa interview today. Before flying abroad, he wanted to spend some fun time with his friends.

So they went to Cox’s Bazar. Who would have ever thought he would end up in the hospital,” said Jahirul, weeping.

Jilkat’s friend Faruq Ahmed, hailing from the same village, suffered 2% burns and was lying on the next bed.

“I was in one of the seats in the middle of the bus. When pickets hurled the bomb, the whole bus caught fire quickly. I managed to get out of the bus unhurt, but Jilkad suffered burns before he could jump out of a window.

My hands got burnt when I tried to put off the fire in Jilkad’s body,” Faruq said.

In the same incident, Arif Shikder, father of a 3-year-old boy from Faridpur, suffered 10% burn.

Arif’s brother Sujon told this correspondent: “A couple of days ago, our brother Sajib left home saying he would

go to Malaysia from Cox’s Bazar. But we lost contact him since. After we saw some news that a boat carrying people to Malaysia fell in accident, we got worried.

Then our elder brother Arif went to Cox’s Bazar in search of Sajib. But failing to track him, Arif was coming back home.”

When this reporter was talking to these burn victims from the Comilla petrol bomb attack, Kamal Hossain, who suffered major burns in a similar attack in Lakshmipur on Monday, succumbed to his injuries.

His brother Shahjahan Miah said: “Kamal’s wife does not yet know that her husband got burnt. I do not know how I will tell her about his death. They have three-year-old child.”

With the inclusion of two more people who received burns in a petrol bomb attack on a running train in Gazipur, the number of victims undergoing treatment at the DMCH burn institute stood at 61 yesterday.

Since the blockade began on January 6, a total of 111 people got treated at the burn institute. Of them, eight died while undergoing treatment.

At present, seven critical patients are being given treatment at the intensive care unit and eight at the high dependency unit. l

on Monday night.

A bus of Proceshta Paribahan was set on fire in Malibagh Chowdhurypara area around 7:10am.

Alleged pickets set fire to a bus parked at Gabtoli in Dhaka in the afternoon. The bus was torched near the Gabtoli cattle market around 4:30pm, Rafiqul Islam, OC of Darussalam police, said.

During the hartal hours, traffic on the capital’s streets was less congested than usual in the morning, but picked up as the day continued.

Public buses on all routes were plying the roads along with many private cars. Law enforcers conspicuously deployed at all major points in the city.

In Chittagong, BGB members nabbed six people with nine petrol bombs, two crude bombs and some lethal weapons. BGB said the detainees sold weapons to arsonists.

A pick-up van driver and his helper sustained burn injuries as miscreants threw a petrol bomb on the running

vehicle at Shibpara area of Sitakunda last night. The victims are Jantu Pal, 28, and Zillur Rahman, 19, said Nayek Shilbrata Barua of Chittagong Medical College Hospital police outpost.

Iftekhar Hasan, OC of Sitakunda police, said miscreants hurled a petrol bomb on the van carrying salt around 6:30pm. The attack caused burn injuries to the driver and helper.

On Dhaka-Rangpur Highway in Gaibandha, pickets hurled petrol bombs at a cattle-laden truck in Polashbari upazila around 8pm on Monday leaving three cattle traders injured.

In other incident on the Polashbari-Ghoraghat road, pickets torched a truck after driving out its driver and helper.

Our Gazipur correspondent reports that pickets torched a bus parked at Shibbari bus stand and a covered van at Kaliganj upazila’s Mulgaon area in the morning.

In Bagerhat district, pickets torched a cement-laden truck. l

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Rashed, 22, suffered burn wounds to 80% of his body when pickets set fire to the bus he was on near Comilla’s Chouddogram – an accident which killed seven people. Rashed, who was set to migrate to Kuwait soon, is seen being rushed to the ICU of the DMCH burn institute yesterday after his condition deteriorated MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Firebomb in bus ends seven more lives  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

in the front. The driver took a little time to bring the speeding bus to a stop. Because the door was closed, some passengers had to jump through the windows.”

Rezaul Karim, police super of highway east zone, said: “There were around 40 passengers in the bus when it caught fire from a petrol bomb hurled by miscreants. Seven of them were burnt to death on the spot and 16 severely injured people were sent to the Chouddogram Upazila Health Complext and the Comilla Medical College Hospital. Four units from Comilla and Chouddogram fire service doused the fire.”

Railways Minister Mujibul Haque and several high officials of police and administration visited the spot. Comilla police chief Tutul Chakravarty said law enforcers are trying to round up the miscreants and announced a Tk1 lakh bounty for the perpetrators.

Comilla Deputy Commissioner Hasanuzzaman Kallol said his office had already given Tk10,000 to each of the families of the deceased and Tk5,000 for the treatment of each of the injured.

In order to prevent such attacks, district administration is deploying 12-member Ansar teams at 85 points on the Dhaka-Comilla Highway starting today.

Later, after visiting the Comilla Medical College Hospital morgue where the dead bodies had been kept, Railways Minister Mujibul Haque alleged that the supporters of BNP-Jamaat carried out the brutal attack.

“Just like the way Pakistanis killed people in 1971, [BNP chairperson] Khaleda Zia is also killing people. But we assure you that we will never let her evil intentions be successful,” the minister said.

However, in a press release issued yesterday evening, BNP’s partner Jamaat-e-Islami condemned the attack and accused the government of carrying it out. l

Two ‘bombers’ crushed under wheels  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

burn victim succumbed to his injuries bringing the death toll to 54 on the on the third day of the 72-hour hartal and 29th day of the countrywide blockade.

The BNP-led 20-party alliance extended the hartal to 6pm tomorrow in protest against what it called attacks, killings, filing false cases and forced disappearances of party leaders and activists, repression of journalists and government control and interference of the media and judiciary.

At Dhaka Medical College Hospital burn unit, another arson victim, injured in a petrol bomb attack in Laxmipur on Monday, died yesterday. Kamal Hossain, 35, was declared “brought dead” when he was shifted to the hospital around 4am, said Mozammel Haque, in-charge of the DMCH police camp.

The pick-up van driver was injured when hartal supporters hurled a petrol bomb at his vehicle the previous night around 7pm.

Meanwhile, at Pakundia in

Kishoreganj, a helper of a covered van died after his vehicle flipped upside down when the driver lost control after trying to evade a petrol bomb attack early yesterday.

OC Zakir Rabbani of Pakundia police told reporters that Kodalia area miscreants hurled a petrol bomb that broke the vehicle’s windshield and set it on fire. The helper, Mamun, died from his burn injuries on the spot, but the driver managed to get out of the vehicle.

In the capital, an activist of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of key BNP ally Jamaat-e-Islami, was shot during a clash with police yesterday.

The clash took place after police gave chase to a flash procession of Shibir supporters near the Japan Market in Kadamtali around 8am, witnesses said.

Shibir activist of Dhaka College unit Abdul Hamid, 22, was shot in both legs after police opened fire. He was being treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, confirmed Abdus Salam, OC of Kadamtali police.

He said police used live rounds to disperse agitating Shibir activists to bring the situation under control.

Three people were arrested in possession of 12 crude bombs from the Baunia Beri Badh area of Mirpur early yesterday.

Zia-uz-Zaman, OC of Pallabi police, said police opened fire when the detainees, Ismail, a bus driver of Safety Paribahan, and two helpers, Swapan and Hridoy, tried to flee.

At Gulistan, mob caught a 26-yearold red-handed around 5pm after he torched a bus with petrol. After being beaten up, he was handed over to police, Sub-Inspector Nasir Uddin of Sergeant Ahad police box said. The arsonist was admitted to DMCH. Police arrested 21 leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat at several points of the capital suspecting their involvement in the recent violence.

From TSC area of Dhaka University, police arrested a youth who sustained injuries while blasting a crude bomb

sent to a department that dealt with unresolved cases, as they had been filed by the ACB. However, after the ACC decided to resolve pending ACB cases, Deputy Director Manjur Morshed was appointed as the investigation officer.

After investigating the three graft cases, the investigation officer recommended to the commission in December last year to acquit the 27 accused.

After the commission justified the investigation officer’s report, it gave its approval for acquittal.

In these three cases, the former opposition leader and current prime minister is the prime accused. In each respective case, there are 7, 8, and 12 other accused persons, of whom a majority were Ecnec members.

Among these accused, former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria and education minister AHK Sadeque have since passed away, and among the remainder, Tofail Ahmed, Motia Chowdhury, and Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir were cleared from the court, said an ACC official. l

Regular cases pile up as blockade  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

station Officer-in-Charge Rafiqul Islam said the police were now busy working around the clock to stop acts of sabotage; staying occupied with these added tasks has created difficulties in probing regular cases, he added.

According to the crime information and prosecution department of the police, each month in the capital, charge sheets for an average of 1,200 cases are submitted to the court from the 49 police stations. However, the number reduced to around 800 during January, with most of these cases related to theft and recovery of drugs.

“We are receiving investigation reports of different cases but facing some difficulties to get it since last month [January],” said DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (prosecution) Anisur Rahman, admitting that the difficulties might be a result of the ongoing unrest.

Commenting on not being able to investigate regular cases, a police superintendent told the Dhaka Tribune that they had received orders from the police high ranks to put the maximum effort on tackling political unrest.

The superintendent added that police personnel have become tired of continually working against blockade violence, causing progress in solving regular cases to become sluggish.

DMP Deputy Commissioner Biplab Kumar Sarkar also admitted that the police were now unable to give their complete attention in solving crimes as they were forced to stop political violence throughout most of the day.

However, law enforcers were trying to maintain a balance between the new workload and regular work by doing all the tasks, said Biplab, also the general secretary of Bangladesh Police Service Association.

Alina Khan, chief executive of Bangladesh Human Rights Foundation, said many of the rights body’s clients were not being able to file cases despite repeatedly going to police stations, where they were being told that police officials are not present there.

In Bangladesh, investigation of many cases do not see the light of the day, Alina said, adding that the inability to file new cases because of the police’s preoccupation in tackling political unrest would cause a larger impact on society. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

3

Dhaka closely monitoring DelhiWashington ties n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman Bangladesh is closely monitoring the evolving relationship between New Delhi and Washington after US President Barack Obama’s recent India visit.

“The warmth of relationship between the countries reached a new height and the interaction between Narendra Modi and Obama broke all protocol to make it informal,” said a senior official of the Foreign Ministry.

Indian Prime Minister Modi has a business-like attitude and enjoys majority support in parliament; US President Obama’s visit is not only important for the two countries but also for the entire neighbourhood, he said.

“We need to develop our foreign policy in line with changes and expected changes in different countries,” he added.

The visit might change the behavior of other neighbouring countries like China and Pakistan and Bangladesh would take those into consideration, the official said.

The foreign ministry had a meeting last week to analyse the new dynamics in the Modi-Obama relationship, its implication and how Dhaka can capitalise it.

Relationships in the South Asian region are changing and the US involvement in it may be an opportunity for Bangladesh, said another official.

Connectivity, water, trade, investment, migration and energy are the priority areas for Bangladesh in developing bilateral relationship with other countries and India and the US fit in all those aspects, the official said.

“Bangladesh should focus more on economic front and in that respect the government should mobilise US diplomats in Dhaka and Bangladeshi diplomats in Washington,” said the official.

“The new US ambassador has arrived in Dhaka and she can be an effective mean to boost relationship with Washington,” he added.

US ambassador designate Marcia Stephen Bloom Bernicat is scheduled to submit her credential before President Abdul Hamid today.

The Foreign Ministry believes that the US ambassador designate will be more sensible than her predecessor.

Marcia arrived in Dhaka last month and was received at the airport by Mahfuzur Rahman, director general Americas of the Foreign Ministry.

Her predecessor Dan Mozena loved to talk with the press on various issues starting from Grameen Bank to election to politics. He even spoke with the press right at the airport on the very day he arrived in November 2011.

When Bernicat arrived at the airport, she was asked not to talk with the press and she was positive about it, said another foreign ministry official. “It is a good gesture from her part.”

The foreign ministry will maintain Bangladesh-US relationship in line with the government policy and at the same time maintain personal relationships with the US diplomats, he said.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque has also been maintaining excellent personal relationships with US diplomats, he added.

“This is the first time an US ambassador designate was received by the DG Americas. He was also the person who saw off Mozena. This has never happened before,” said the official.

Usually, when an ambassador designate arrives in the city, they are received at the airport by a junior official of the protocol wing of the Foreign Ministry. l

After landing at the Dhaka airport, many passengers from abroad – like the ones pictured here yesterday – are now using ambulances to move around inside the capital fearing blockade violence on the streets. Although these ambulances should exclusively be used to transport patients, many drivers are earning a little extra on the side by renting their vehicles at the airport MEHEDI HASAN

Shajahan: Khaleda must be arrested immediately n Tribune Report

At a rally yesterday, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan demanded the immediate arrest of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, holding her responsible for the killings being carried out in the name of the blockade and hartal.

“We urge the prime minister to arrest Khaleda Zia and take legal action against her in order to protect this nation’s people and its independence,” he said.

Shajahan Khan was speaking at a rally organised by Bangladesh Sramik-Karmachari-Peshajibi-Muktijoddha Samannay Parishad at the capital’s

Central Shaheed Minar in protest of the ongoing violence.

The minister also reiterated the Samannay Parishad’s previously announced series of programmes to unite the public in resisting the ongoing bloodshed.

According to the programme schedule, employees of all offices, business institutions, educational institutions, and industries are to stand on the streets for 15 minutes from 12:45pm tomorrow.

Furthermore, at 1pm the same day for one full minute, all vehicles, launches, and railways are to honk, all shop owners and workers to play the

Policemen sued for torturing DU reporter Sanaul Islam Tipu and Arif n Md Ahmed

A Dhaka court yesterday ordered the Detective Branch of Police to investigate the alleged torture of the daily New Age newspaper’s Dhaka University correspondent and his friend in police custody.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Muhammad Anwar Sadat issued the order after reporter Nazmul Huda Sumon, also a third-year student of political science department, filed a petition case accusing 13 members of Ramna police.

The other victim was Khairuzzaman Shubho, third year student of management department.

Nazmul named three police officers – Ramna police OC (operation in-charge) Moshiur Rahman, OC (investigation) Ali Hossain and SI Mehedi Hasan Sumon, while made accused around 10 other unknown policemen of the same station.

Nazmul also alleged that the accused had snatched two mobile phones and Tk8,070 from them. He is now undergoing treatment at Dhaka University Medical Centre.

He is also the information and re-

search secretary of Chhatra League’s Zia Hall unit.

After recording the petitioner’s statement, the court ordered that a police officer equivalent to a joint commissioner of DB would assign an officer equivalent to the position of an assistant commissioner to investigate the incident.

OC Mashiur went to DMCH to see the victims and admitting the incident of torture assured them of taking highest departmental action against the police officers The court also asked the IO to submit a report within March 10.

During the hearing, all the members of court reporters association stood for the complainant.

According to the case, Nazmul took a photo from his mobile phone of two policemen riding pillion on a motorcycle at Kakrail intersection around

5:30pm on Sunday.

Pillion riding was banned by the police recently in the wake of arson and hand bomb attacks.

Sumon and his friend were intercepted for pillion riding by the on-duty police while going to Bijoynagar. However, he did not mention it in the complaint.

On charge of pillion riding, SI Mehedi seized the motorcycle, keys and Nazmul’s journalist identity card, and asked them to leave the place.

While going away, Nazmul saw four policemen riding on two motorcycles and took their photos with his mobile.

Noticing this, SI Mehedi and 20-30 policemen stopped them again and enquired about taking photos. Nazmul then argued that they had taken the photos as the police themselves were violating the law.

At this, the sub-inspector and his subordinates started beating the duo.

Later they were taken on a police van and tortured again.

As they were produced before the police station, constables present there were laughing at the duo saying that they had got suitable prey for beating.

Nazmul was bleeding from his head

at that time. The on-duty policemen also refused to give him water.

After returning to the station, SI Mehedi met the duo in custody and threatened to put them on “crossfire” and implicate them in arson cases labelling them as Jamaat-Shibir men.

The police officer also said he used to torture “goons” after 11pm.

To avoid further torture, Nazmul then disclosed his political identity.

But SI Mehedi said he was a more influential Awami Leaguer. He showed his picture with a Natore lawmaker and the ICT state minister.

When DU correspondents of different media houses enquired about them, police denied having detained the duo.

Finally, Nazmul and Shubho were released from custody around 8pm when several Chhatra League leaders went to the police station. They were later taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

OC Mashiur went to the DMCH to see the victims around 8:30pm and admitting the incident of torture assured them of taking highest departmental action against the police officers responsible for the incident. l

flute, and all farmers to stand up.

Shajahan Khan said: “Khaleda Zia is the mastermind of this genocide. We, the public, will together protect our nation’s independence by breaking her fangs.”

“Pakistanis have become active in foiling our independence. They now want to remove the anguish of their defeat. This is why they have been providing financial assistance to, patronising, and inciting the anarchists,” he said.

At least 19 transport workers and dozens of passengers have been killed, several hundred injured, and over 1,000 vehicles burnt in attacks carried out since January 5. Khaleda Zia will have

SC orders Bashundhara Group chair to surrender n Tribune Report The Supreme Court yesterday ordered Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan alias Shah Alam and five others to surrender and allowed the state to appeal against a High Court order which acquitted them in a tax evasion case.

The other defendants were Shah Alam’s wife Afroza Begum and their sons Sadat Sobhan, Safiyat Sobhan Sanbir and Sayem Sobhan – all directors of Bashundhara Industrial Complex Ltd – and its auditor MM Kuddus.

All the six people were awarded different jail terms during the regime of caretaker government in 2007 for evading taxes.

A four-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha passed the order after hearing two separate leave-to-appeal petitions by the government against the HC judgment.

Additional Attorney General

Fakhrul remanded Verdict in JU Zubair murder case today in arson case n Tribune Report Md Sanaul Islam Tipu n

A Dhaka court yesterday granted police five days to question BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in an arson case.

Fakhrul was produced before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Md Emdadul Haque on completion of his three-day remand in another arson case filed with Paltan police.

DB Sub-Inspector Anowar Hossain produced the BNP leader before the court seeking 10-day remand.

On the other hand, defence counsel Md Sanaullah Miah filed a remand rejection petition and sought bail for his client.

According to the case, the BNP-led 20-party alliance activists set a car on fire in Motijheel AGB Colony area on January 4. Police filed the case against 81 named and 20-30 suspected others including Fakhrul and top leaders of the party, President of Bangladesh Jatiya Party Andaleeve Rahman Partho and Jamaat-e-Islami acting president Md Mokbul Hossain under the Explosive Substances Act. Now facing around 80 cases, Fakhrul was arrested on January 6 in front of the National Press Club. l

The Speedy Trial Tribunal 4 of Dhaka is set to deliver verdict in Zubair Ahmed murder case today, more than three years after killing of the Jahangirnagar University honours final year student on the campus by some activists of Chhatra League.

The trial began on November 18, 2013 with the deposition of the plaintiff, Hamidur Rahman, then deputy registrar of the university. The court recorded depositions of 27 out of 37 prosecution witnesses including the investigation officer in the case.

Judge ABM Nizamul Haque of the tribunal reserved today for the verdict after completing arguments in the case on January 28.

Of the 13 accused in the case – all leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League’s student wing – seven are in jail. Of the others, four fled from the courtroom on February 23 last year after their bails had been cancelled while two others remained absent during the proceedings.

Their bails were cancelled for assaulting several friends of Zubair who had gone to the court to witness the proceedings on January 19. On the day,

one of the victims Nazmul Islam filed a general diary with Kotwali police.

They all were given conditional bail from the High Court.

Zubair, a former Chhatra League activist, succumbed to his injuries on January 9, 2012 at United Hospital in the city. He was beaten and stabbed indiscriminately the previous afternoon on the campus by the accused and their aides. The killers first took him to Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar and left him there with severe injuries.

Following the incident, the university authorities filed a murder case with Ashulia police.

On January 30 the same year, seven of the accused were expelled from the university for life, while six others suspended for two years after the authorities found their direct involvement in the murder.

Among the accused, those expelled for life are Khandaker Ashikul Islam, Khan Md Rois and Md Zahid Hasan of zoology department; Md Rashedul Islam Raju and Ishtiak Mehbub Arup of philosophy; Mahbub Akram of government and politics; and Nazmus Sakib Tanu of biochemistry and molecular biology department.

The six others are Md Mazharul Islam and Md Mahmudul Hasan Masud of history department; Md Kamruzzaman Shohag of philosophy; Shafiul Alam Shetu and Abhinandan Kundu of statistics; and Md Nazmul Hussain Plabon of the public administration department.

Many of the six fugitive accused moving freely in public while some of them are active on Facebook. Police, however, claim they cannot find the accused Two of the accused – Akram and Tanu – gave confessional statements before magistrates admitting their involvement in beating up Zubair along with the other accused. They claimed that Zubair had been tortured over previous enmity with Ashik and Raju.

On April 8, 2012, then sub-inspector and also investigation officer of the case Mir Shaheen Shah Parvez submit-

to take responsibility for these subversive actions, he claimed. The Samannay Parishad will hold a national convention this Saturday, where organisation leaders will announce a tougher programme to protest the blockade and hartal.

Shajahan Khan added: “We will announce such a programme that Khaleda Zia will not get a chance to flee the country.”

Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad Central Command Council Chairman Helal Morshed Khan, former Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Chairman Abdul Malek Miah, among others, also spoke at the rally. l

ted the charge sheet accusing the 13 students.

Later Chief Judicial Magistrate Md Ismail Hossain sent the case record to Dhaka District and Session’s Judges Court for trial. On March 12, District and Session’s Judge Abdul Mazid took the charge sheet into cognisance. The case transferred to the Speedy Trial Tribunal 4 on August 18.

The accused were indicted on September 8, 2013. The court completed recording depositions of the prosecution witness on November 27 last year.

Since the incident, the accused have allegedly been backed by former vice-chancellor Shariff Enamul Kabir to complete graduation despite the expulsion orders. He was forced to resign the same year following mass protests by students and teachers.

Some of the six fugitive accused reportedly roam on the campus and the capital freely while some of them are active on Facebook. However, police claim that they cannot find the accused.

According to his Facebook update, Rois is now staying in Denmark. Another accused Masud was sacked from his job at the university recently. He was appointed as a computer operator in early 2013. l

Momtaz Uddin Fakir told reporters, the Bashundhara Group chairman and its five officials will have to surrender to the lower court in three weeks after receiving the SC order.

The National Board of Revenue on July 25, 2007 filed the case with the lower court against Bashundhara Industrial Complex Ltd and its officials on charges of evading Tk8.26 crore income tax between the fiscal years 2004 and 2007.

The Special Judge’s Court 3 of Dhaka on September 30, 2007 handed down eight-year imprisonment on Shah Alam, Afroza, Sadat, Safiyat and Sayem for evading taxes.

MM Kuddus, proprietor of Kuddus and Company, which audits the company’s financial statement, was jailed for three years for assisting the company in evading taxes. The court also fined them Tk8.3 crore.

Following an appeal by Shah Alam, the HC in June 2011, scrapped their jail sentences and acquitted them of the charges. l

Expatriate shot dead in Chittagong over land dispute n FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong An expatriate was shot dead at his own residence by neighbours yesterday evening in Rangunia upazila of Chittagong over land dispute.

The dead Md Idrish Mia, 45, came to Bangladesh last month on the occasion of his daughter’s marriage, said Officer-in-Charge Waliullah Oli of Rangunia police station.

Idrish Mia had been in dispute with his neighbours Osman and Tofayel over land but it recently flared-up centring the marriage ceremony of his daughter, said the OC. The OC said an altercation broke out between Idrish and the duo over the issue and at one point Osman and Tofayel shot Idrish on the yard of the house around 5:30pm, leaving him spot dead.

None was arrested in this regard yet, said the OC adding that the body was sent to the Chittagong Medical College morgue for autopsy. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

SUB-REGIONAL AGREEMENT UNDER SAARC FRAMEWORK

Motor vehicle agreement among four countries likely n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal are negotiating to have a motor vehicle agreement to facilitate cargo and passenger movement in the countries.

Officials of the countries met in two-day meeting in Kolkata on Tuesday to finalise a draft of the agreement.

The officials of the four countries consulted with the draft Saarc Motor Vehicle agreement to formulate a similar draft deal incorporating some new provisions or deleting some existing ones, said a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The draft text of the agreement would be circulated among the four

countries to give their inputs, he said.

The Saarc motor vehicle agreement could not be signed during the last Saarc summit held in Kathmandu in December, and it is not clear when it would be signed, the official said.

“We want to have a similar type of arrangement among the four neighbouring countries as the biggest beneficiary of the Saarc agreement would be these four nations,” he added.

During the Saarc summit, Pakistan opposed to sign the motor vehicle agreement and later it was decided that within three months there would be a meeting of the transport ministers where the agreement text would be finalized.

“The new initiative is a part of sub-regional cooperation under the Saarc framework,” said another senior official at the Foreign Ministry.

The quadrangle comprised of the four countries has similar mindset and it would be easier to strike a deal among themselves, he said.

He, however, said there was an initiative to have such sub-regional cooperation in 1996 but it did not succeed.

“The situation has changed since 1996 and we hope to be successful this time,” he added.

At present, Bangladesh and India have bilateral arrangement on passenger movement but if all the four countries agree on the motor vehicle agreement, then Bangladeshi trucks

or private cars can go to Nepal or Bhutan through India and they will also have reciprocal facilities, he said.

Nepal or Bhutan is only 100 kilometres from Bangladesh and the initiative will have a very positive impact on tourism and trade, he added.

The Saarc motor vehicle agreement proposed that how private cars, commercially run bus, ambulance, commercial cargoes can move across the region and the new agreement will have similar features, the official said.

The provisions for special driving license for driver, certain fitness level of cars and regional insurance coverage for any accident will also be included in the text, he said. l

One killed, 50 injured in ‘Compensation to bring clash between villagers out buses on highways’ n

Our Correspondent, Kishoreganj

A man was killed and 50 others, including cops, were injured in a fierce clash between two group of villagers over CNG fare in Bazitpur upazila of Kishoreganj yesterday.

After the incident, the local administration imposed the section 144 in the area from 4:00pm to indefinite period.

The deceased was Penu Mia, 48 of Koilag village in Bazitpur upazila.

Police and locals said the clash ensued following an altercation between one Mamun Mia of Koilag village and CNG driver Rasel Mia of Poilenpur village over CNG fare in Bhasmohal area of Bazitpur Sadar Upazila around 2:00pm.

Later, several hundred people from the two villages locked in the clash with locally made lethal weapons, killing Penu on the spot.

On information, a team of police from Bazitpur police station rushed to the spot. Six police personnel, including Mustafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of the police station, were also injured.

Critically injured Mustafiz was sent

SCB Asia CEO Jaspal Bindra arrives today

n Tribune Report Group Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Asia of Standard Chartered Bank Jaspal Singh Bindra will arrive in Dhaka today on an official visit to Bangladesh.

He will be accompanied

by Sunil Kaushal, Regional CEO, South Asia and CEO, India of Standard Chartered.

During this visit, Jaspal Bindra will be meeting senior officials of the government; interact with staff and clients of the bank.

Jaspal Singh Bindra, was appointed as group executive director to the Board of Standard Chartered PLC in January 2010. He is currently based in Hong Kong.

Jaspal joined Standard Chartered in 1998 and has held senior positions in the group. Before joining Standard Chartered, Jaspal was with UBS Investment Banking. He began his career with Bank of America in 1984 and worked with them across Treasury Markets and Consumer Banking in India and Singapore.

Jaspal is an independent non-executive director of Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC. He sits on the Board of Governors of XLRI Business School, a member of the City of London Advisory Council for India, and is a Board Director of US-India Business Council.

Jaspal is a qualified Chartered Accountant and MBA. He is married with one son.

It has operated for over 150 years in some of the world’s most dynamic markets and earns around 90 per cent of its income and profits in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. l

to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The other injured people were admitted to Zahurul Islam Medical College Hospital and other upazila health complexes including Bhairab Upazila Health Complex and Bazitpur Health Complex.

Several hundred people from the two villages locked in the clash with locally made lethal weapons, killing Penu on the spot Bazitpur police said additional law enforcers including members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed in the area to avoid any further untoward situation.

None was arrested in connection with the incident.

The process of filing a case was underway when this report was written around 6:15pm. l

n Tribune Report

Leaders of transport owners and workers have pressed the government to grant them compensation within 24 hours for their burnt and vandalised buses, and only then would they run their vehicles, bypassing the ongoing blockade and hartal.

They also pressed for sufficient security by joint forces on the highways to ensure vehicle and passenger safety. Yesterday a meeting was held at Gabtoli bus terminal, where the Rongpur Regional Bus Owners Association president said: “If we receive compensation within 24 hours from the government, then we agree to bring out all of our buses.”

“The government must also ensure the safety of passengers from arson attackers and petrol bombs,” he added.

State Minister for Home Assaduzzaman Khan Kamal said: “It is not possible to carry this out within 24 hours, but the government will certainly provide com-

pensation within a short time.”

“Most owner and worker leaders agree with the state minister and have decided to run their buses on the highways,” said Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van Owner Association Secretary Rostom Ali Khan to the Dhaka Tribune after the meeting.

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan presided over the meeting, which was attended by State Minister for Rural Development and Cooperative Mosiur Rahman, MP Aslamul Haque, Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Haque, and transport owner and worker leaders, among others. l

Kuwait-funded crude oil refinery ‘progressing’ n Tribune Report The plan for establishing a Kuwait government-funded crude oil refinery worth US$6bn in Bangladesh is under process, a press note of the foreign ministry said yesterday.

It also said that Kuwaiti ambassador in Dhaka Ali Ahmad Ebraheem Al-Dafairi assured progress of the plant in a meeting Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali at the ministry on Tuesday.

Earlier, in November last year, Kuwait Petroleum International, the international

investment arm of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, had shown interest to build crude oil refinery in Bangladesh with a capacity to produce 10 million tonne per year.

Regarding this, a high level delegation from the investor visited the country last year and met with the top officials of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation and the Board of Investment.

During the meeting, the minister expressed his gratitude to the Kuwaiti government for re-opening the country’s market for Bangladesh migrant workers since January 2014. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Sona Masjid land port abuzz again Drives by joint forces and security camps prevent arson attacks on local roads the port from January 10. After virn Our Correspondent, tually no activity at the port for over Chapainawabganj

Although import-export activities at the Sona Masjid land port suffered severe disruptions during the first couple of weeks of the blockade, the situation has now regained normalcy – thanks to drives by joint forces, temporary security camps, and security escort provided to trucks.

On February 1, around 370 trucks entered the port from India; while between January 19 and 31, at least 3,947 Indian trucks entered the port Local sources said no arson attack or vandalism has taken place since law enforcers started to provide security escort to motorcades of goods-laden trucks from the Sona Masjid – the second largest land port in the country.

Despite some lingering tension stemming from the uncertain political situation, businesspeople and transport workers at the land port said import-export activities are now going on at full throttle.

Sources at the land port claimed that during the first week of the 20-party alliance’s countrywide blockade, pickets torched at least 15 trucks and pickup trucks on the Chapainawabganj-Sona Masjid Highway and Bholahat-Gomostapur Road. During those attacks, at least 15 people including transport workers and law enforcers were also hurt.

Trucks leaving the Sona Masjid land port also reportedly came under attack in Muslimpur, Dhobra, Kansat, Rusulpur and Lalapara areas in Shibganj upazila; while trucks being guarded by law enforcers were not spared from petrol bomb attacks.

As violence escalated, goods-laden trucks from India stopped entering

a week, trucks resumed entering the port on January 19 following a meeting between authorities concerned and representatives from the business community, where assurances were given that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure security on the road.

On the same day, two temporary security camps were set up near Shahbajpur College and Kansat Soleman Ali Degree College – both located in areas allegedly dominated by BNP-Jamaat presence. The move reportedly helped bring down arson attacks in the area.

MM Moynul Islam, officer-in-charge of Shibganj police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that pickets cannot get the courage now to attack trucks on the road since the joint forces started security drives to apprehend the perpetrators. Thana-based area-centric drives have also been able to detain many culprits, he added.

Sona Masjid C&F Agents Association Member Secretary Sohel Ahmed Palash said importers have resumed bringing in goods from across the border following ten days of inactivity at the land port. He added that trucks are now able to move without any danger because of security escort by law enforcement agencies.

Probir Kumar Shil, manager of Panama Port Link – the private company in charge of running the land port, told the Dhaka Tribune that activities at the port are now normal.

He added that on February 1 alone, around 370 trucks entered the port from India; while between January 19 and 31, at least 3,947 Indian trucks entered the port and around 2,200 trucks left the port to deliver goods across the country.

Aminur Rahman, general secretary of labour coordinating body Bandar Sramik Samannay, said no attack has taken place since joint forces drives began and two security camps were set up in the upazila. Trucks could easily be hired now as drivers now felt more secured on the roads, he added. l

White Panel, a forum of the BNP-backed teachers of the Dhaka University, form a human chain on the campus yesterday, demanding a fair election under a non-partisan government RAJIB DHAR

FIRE AT CMP LINES CLOTHING STORE

Probe body finds official’s cigarette behind fire, cop suspended n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

The probe body which was formed regarding the fire incident at Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Line’s clothing store on January 27 found that the fire was originated from cigarette smoked by a police official.

The report said the fire gutted police uniforms, jackets, shoes, mosquito nets and other cloths worth Tk17.93 lakh, said CMP’s Additional Commissioner (admin, traffic and finance) AKM Shahidur Rahman.

The report said Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Abdur Rahim, who is in service in Cox’s Bazar district and also

the batchmate of the clothing store’s on-duty ASI Nurul Alam, entered into the clothing store with a cigarette in his hand to meet with his mate on January 27 before 20 minutes of the fire incident.

“After passing sometimes, both the ASIs went out from the store and within a few moments blaze was seen at the room,” the report added.

The four-member probe body, led by CMP’s Additional Deputy Commissioner (headquarters) Mohammad Shahidullah, submitted the report on January 31 before CMP Commissioner Abdul Jalil Mandal, said CMP’s Additional Commissioner.

According to the probe report, CMP suspended the on-duty ASI Nurul while CMP sent a letter to Cox’s Bazar district’s Superintendent of Police to take action against ASI Rahim, he said.

The report also recommended introducing more fire extinguishing measures in the clothing store and ensuring smoking free and electrical complexity free environment in such places.

Suspended ASI Nurul, Constable Jahid, Nadim and Nipun were injured at the fire that broke out at clothing store on the ground floor of Shahid Akram Hossain Barrack of Dampara Police Line of CMP in the port city on January 27. l

Chhatra Dal enforces strike at CU for today and tomorrow n Tribune Report The Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) at Chittagong University (CU) unit will enforce strike on the campus for Wednesday and Thursday demanding co-existence of all the student organisations and stop repression on the JCD men and general students.

CU unit JCD’s General Secretary Saifuddin Salam Mithu said the ruling party’s student wing Bangladesh Chharta League (BCL) men were repressing the JCD leaders and workers and the general students while the authorities of CU remained indifferent over the issue. l

Private varsity student killed n Our Correspondent, Mymensingh

Sylhet city pavements turn into ‘death trap’

Miscreants killed a student of East West University student in Vangarpul area under the town yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Mehedi Hasan Antar, a BBA student at the university.

Police sources said the miscreants had hacked him leaving critically injured.

Later, locals rescued him and sent to Mymensingh Medical College where on duty doctors declared him dead.

Kotwali Model police station Officer-in-Charge Abu Fazal said Mehedi might have been killed over previous enmity. l

n Mohammad Serajul Islam, Sylhet Pavements in Sylhet City have become like death traps due to uncovered drains that cause frequent accidents and endanger the lives of city dwellers and commuters.

I have to face this unpleasant situation everyday while taking my two children to school

WEATHER

DRY WEATHER LIKELY WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 5:47PM SUN RISES 6:38AM FORECAST FOR TODAY 26 28 26 27 28 26 26 30

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

18 17 15 13 13 16 14 18

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

31.0ºC Sitakunda

7.7ºC 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

People from different professional bodies hold a rally on the premises of Central Shaheed Minar in the capital yesterday, protesting violence which is taking place during the on going blockade and hartal enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance MEHEDI HASAN

Tension at CU over Shibir-BCL melee n CU Correspondent Students of Chittagong University passed yesterday in fear as supporters of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, students’ wing of the ruling party Awami League, and Shibir, students’ front of the Jamaat-e-Islami, were in face-off.

Supporters of both groups were engaged in chase and counter-chase several times which created panic among general students. During the face-off, a microbus of police was vandalised.

Md Salauddin, inspector (investigation) of Hathazari police station, said the incident occurred between a faction of the BCL men of CU college unit and the local Shibir men at the Hill Bottom colony area, known as stronghold of Shibir around 6:30pm over a trifling matter.

Campus sources said a group of junior BCL men belong to CU’s BCL dissolve committee’s joint secretary Diaj

Irfan Chowdhury, went to the colony where the Shibir men chased the BCL activists over previous rivalry.

As the news spread among the followers of the Diaj, a group of 20 to 25 BCL men of CU unit from Shah Amanat Hall led by Md Mamun, former Athletics affair secretary of CU BCL unit, rushed in and engaged in counter-chased with Shibir men.

A chase and counter chase took place during the melee while both of the groups pelted stone and brick chips targeting each other, said Inspector Salauddin.

Being informed, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control, said the police official, adding that the micro bus carrying police was vandalised by stone during the melee.

Diaj Irfan said Shibir men chased his junior fellows over political rivalry while the CU BCL men tried to save them. l

UP chairman suspended for subversive activities

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

Local government ministry suspended Mirsarai upazila Chairman Nurul Amin on charge of being accused in cases lodged against him in connection with subversive activities.

Chittagong district administration Assistant Commissioner Asif Imtiaz confirmed it to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

He said a fax from local government ministry was received by Chittagong district administration on Monday evening which stated that Nurul Amin has been suspended temporarily under section 13.1 (B) on charge of involvement with anti-state activities.

Nurul Amin, also the member of BNP Convener Committee of Chittagong district (north) unit, was sued in 10 cases and charge sheets of two cases were taken by court recently, the assistant commissioner said adding that Nurul was on the run. l

Witnesses said nine-year-old Hasan Ahmed was wounded for this reason while walking on the pavement in the Howapara area Monday evening. Burhan Uddin, Sub inspector (SI) of the Kotwali Police station, rescued him from the drain, and immediately after, Hasan was sent to neighbouring central Poly Clinic for treatment.

Not only in Howapara, but also in East Zindabazar, Zindabazar, Chouhatta, Kazitula, Amberkhana, and Kuarpar are most pavement drains uncovered, alleged city dwellers.

“I have to face this unpleasant situation everyday while taking my two children to school,” said Anita Roy, a resident of Howpara. “Most drains on the footpaths are open, making it difficult for us and other pedestrians to walk on the footpaths, she added.

Fahima Akter, a student of Sylhet Government Women College, said she would commute to college, but due to the open drains, her life has become more wretched.

Noor Azizur Rahman, chief engineer (acting) of Sylhet City Corporation (SCC), said SCC is aware of the situation and is taking measures to reconstruct the pavement.

“Recently, we have reformed pavements in Zindabazar; the remaining pavements in the city will be repaired soon,” said Noor Aziz. l

Bangladesh-Malaysia Poets Summit begins n Munir Momtaj A three-day poet summit began at National Gallery Auditorium of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the capital yesterday.

The Kathak Bangladesher Kabita Uddyoj organised the “Bangladesh-Malaysia Poets Summit 2015.”

Hasanul Haq Inu, information minister, inaugurated the programme as the chief guest while High Commissioner of Malaysia Madam Norlin Othman was present as special guest. A total of 13 poets from Malaysia, Bangladesh and Belgium participated in the festival.

National Laureate from Malaysia Dato Dr Ahmad Kamal Abdullah and renowned Dutch Poet Germain Droogenbroodt has been awarded with “Kathak Literary Award 2015”.

The other poets from Malaysia are Prof Arbak Othman, Raja Rajeswari Seetha Raman, Lily Siti Multatuliana, Dr Fazilah Husin, Umar Uzair and from Bangladesh Asad Chowdhury, Hayat Saif, Mohammad Nurul Huda, Habibullah Sirajee, Jahidul Huq and Aminur Rahman took part in the programme.

Three books were launched in the programme. The books include - “Puisi– Puisi” by Ahmad Kamal Abdullah translated by Poet Aminur Rahaman and another was “Jonaki” by Germain Droogenbroodt translated by Poet Aminur Rahman. Both the books published by Adorn Publication.

“Perpetual Dairy” by Aminur Rahman was published by Ithaka, a Spanish publishing house.

The festival also features a painting exhibition titled “Painting through Poets’ Eye”. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

UP chairmen build road occupying river channel n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah Two upazila parishad chairmen have recently constructed a road which encroached on the Chitra River in Kotchandpur upazila.

Tahurul Islam, acting chairman of Madhuhati union, and Sharifur Rahman Khan, chairman of Kushno union, were also alleged to have misappropriated a government fund to build the road.

The road is 10 feet wide and 6 feet high.

The fund allocated for Karma Srijan, a 40-day project aimed at helping the poor and the destitute, was said to have been embezzled by the chairmen, said an upazila parishad member of Madhuhati union on condition of anonymity.

Locals said the road would block the flow of water in the rainy season and would lead to inundation of nearby agricultural lands, resulting in

heavy losses for farmers.

Some elderly people living in the area said the road would bring curse for them.

Madhuhati union Land Officer Tofazzel Hossain said he had informed the upazila nirbahi officer of the road built by occupying a portion of the channel of the river illegally.

But Sharifur said the road was constructed to satisfy the demand of the local people.

He also argued that farmers would face no losses because of the road.

Zakir Hossain, land officer of Kushno union, said a survey would soon be carried out in the area and steps would be taken afterwards.

Jhenaidah Deputy Commissioner Shafiqul Islam said he would visit the spot and would then take necessary actions. Local people urged authorities concerned to take measures in this regard.l

Road accidents claim five lives n Tribune Report

Manpower shortage cripples Kurigram hospital

Four people were killed in separate road accidents that took place in Chittagong, Noakhali and Chuadanga yesterday.

Two people, including a covered van driver, were killed as the vehicle crashed into a tree on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway near Jamaler Dokan area under Mirershorai upazila in Chittagong in the early hours of the day.

The victims were identified as covered van driver Omar Faruk, 33, and his assistant Md Shohag, 25.

Farid Uddin, in-charge of Jorarganj Highway Police outpost said a Dhaka-bound covered van, coming from Chittagong, carrying garment products veered off the road and rammed into a tree in Jamaler Dokan area around 7 am.

The covered van was trying to overtake a fuel tanker.

The driver and the helper both died on the spot, he added.

In Noakhali, a covered van driver and his helper were killed when their vehicle crashed into a roadside tree in Jamaler Dokan area of the upazila.

The deceased were identified as driver Sohagh and his helper Omar Faruk, hailing from Noakhali.

Locals said the Chittagong-bound covered van hit the tree as its driver lost control over the steering while overtaking an oil tanker in the area around 6:30am, leaving the duo dead on the spot.

In Chuadanga, driver of human haulier was killed at Sorajganj under Sadar upazila. The deceased was identified as Mohammad Shimul, 20.

Police said a bus knocked down the human haulier when it was going towards Sarojganj Bazar, killing Shimul dead on the spot. l

n Our Correspondent, Kurigram The severe shortage of manpower and lack of available beds are crippling daily operations at the Kurigram Sadar Hospital, denying quality healthcare services to hundreds of people who throng the hospital every day.

Although there are 42 available posts for doctors, only 14 physicians are currently working at the 100-bed hospital. Despite being understaffed in the nursing section as well, on any given day the hospital has to treat an average of over 200 patients – more than double its capacity.

Sources said 14 of the 21 available positions for specialist doctors remain vacant; the same goes for 21 other posts for regular doctors.

Several patients at the hospital told the Dhaka Tribune that the lack of doctors meant they could not get proper treatment at the hospital, while the unavailability of beds often forced many

n Our Correspondent, Satkhira

Two upazila parishad chairmen allegedly constructed a road grabing a portion of the Chitra River in Kotchandpur upazila of Jhenaidah

patients to spend the chilly winter nights on the floors of the hospital veranda.

Visiting the medicine and children wards last week, the Dhaka Tribune found that 78 patients were admitted at the wards, although only 22 beds were available.

The extra patients were staying on the floor, limiting movement for the attendants and nurses. Similar scenes could also be found at the surgery and cardiology wards.

A patient named Anwar, who was found staying on the veranda floor, claimed that he had been at the spot for the past two days, but had hardly seen a doctor or a nurse come and check up on him.

A long queue was also seen at the outdoor facility of the hospital, where many patients said the lack of doctors often forced them to go back home without consulting a physician.

Josna Parvin, a staff nurse, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Most of the time we have to struggle with pa-

DHAKA TRIBUNE

tients as there are inadequate numbers of doctors and nurses compared to the patient numbers.”

The hospital’s Resident Medical Officer Dr Nazrul Islam admitted the struggles faced by the hospital, saying: “Every day, we treat more than 200 patients at the hospital.

We are facing many difficulties as there are more patients than available beds or manpower.”

Meanwhile, the district’s Civil Surgeon Dr Md Joynal Abedin said the higher authorities have been repeatedly requested to recruit more doctors for the Kurigram Sadar Hospital.

“Higher authorities have assured me that the number of both doctors and beds will be increased.

The initiative will be taken very soon,” he added.

Meanwhile, primary stage work is currently going on a Tk32 crore project – which began on November 2013 – for upgrading the Kurigram Sadar Hospital to a 250bed hospital. l

Strawberry farming gains ground in Narsingdi n Tribune Desk Strawberry cultivation is gaining popularity in the district due to the economic prospect of the fruit.

Nazrul Islam, inhabitant of Shallaad union of Belabo upazila, started strawberry cultivation two and half years ago. At present a number of educated unemployed youths have engaged themselves in cultivation of the juicy fruit commercially.

Nazrul Islam said at first he cultivated 500 strawberry plants on 20 decimals land of his homestead garden in the month of October-2012. The trees started bearing fruits within three months and he began harvesting fruits from January.

He said he was harvesting 8 to 10 kg strawberry fruits daily from his orchard and selling those at Bhairab fruits market at the rate of Tk400 per kg.

During the last two years he expanded his orchard and harvesting about 20 kg fruits daily. He expressed his satisfaction over the cultivation of strawberry.

He earned Taka five lakh by selling the fruit this year and hope to earn more during the remaining days of the season up to April. He is also growing saplings of strawberry.

Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension Suvash Chandra Gayan said cultivation of strawberry is more profitable as the fruit has great demand in the local markets.

He also said seeing the success and financial profit many unemployed educated youths of the district have involved themselves in the cultivation of the fruit. l

People from all strata of life form a human chain at Tungipara in Goapalganj yesterday, protesting arson attacks and vandalism during the on going blockade programmes enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance DHAKA TRIBUNE

NEWS IN BRIEF Jubo Legue man hacked to death A gang of miscreants killed a former leader of Juba League by slitting his throat at Dattapara village in Lakshmipur Sadar upazila early yesterday. The deceased was Rubel Hossain, 26, son of late Abul Khayer of the same village.

Local sources said he was the member of local hoodlum’s Biplob Bahini. Rubel was accused in several cases, including murder and extortion. Bahar Uddin, brother of the deceased said some people had called Rubel out of the house on Monday night, but he he did not returned home since then. – Our Correspondent, Lakshmipur

13 thatched houses gut in Chittagong A fire gutted 13 thatched houses at Maddham Halishahar in Chittagong city yesterday morning. However, no casualty was reported in this connection, said fire brigade sources.

Assistant Director (AD) Md Iyahiya of Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters in Agrabad said the fire originated from an oven at one house

Human chain demands principal’s removal

in Hindupara area of Halishahar under Bandar police station around 8:30am and engulfed to the adjacent houses burning valuables worth of Tk7 lakh. On receiving information, fire fighters with two units from Agrabad and Bandar fire station rushed to the spot and put out the flame after one and half an hour effort, he said. – Tribune Report

Burn injured girl dies in Hobiganj A girl who received burn injury while burning waste of a factory at Alipur village under Shaestaganj upazila in Hobiganj died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday. The deceased Sharmin Akter, daughter of Sundor Ali, was a student of class VI at Mojahar Ali High School. Family members of the deceased said the girl along with other children had gone to collect date expired biscuits and polythene which the authorities of Alipur factory were destroying on January 28. During the time, Sharmin and other children received burn injury. They were firstly taken to Hobiganj Sadar Hospital and later shifted to the DMCH. – Our Correspondent, Hobiganj

Contraband items seized in Chuadanga Members of the Border Guards Bangladesh sized a huge amount of contraband items worth about Tk2 lakh in Chudanga yesterday. BGB sources said a team of the force conduted drive at Modinipur village and recovered a huge amount of small equipment and liquer from there. – Our Correspondent, Chuadanga

Wild elephant tramples child to death A wild elephant in the district reportedly trampled a child to death yesterday. The deceased was identified as Md Tareque, 4, in South Hangar area under Tankabarti union of the district.

Local UP chairman Purna Chandra said a herd of elephants had attacked the farm of Nurul Amin in the area at night.

The family members manged to escape the place where the child was asleep in the house. A wild elephant at that time trampled the child leaving him dead on the spot. The elephants also damaged the farm house. – Our Correspondent, Bandarban

The students of Satkhira Government College formed a human chain in the district town demanding the removal of their Principal Liakat Parvez on charges of taking extra fees from the students.

Chhatra Moitree, the left learning student organization of the college unit organized the programme in front of Razzaque Park where the organization president Biswanath Koil, Workers’ Party leader Fahmidul Haque Kishlu, Mafizul Haque Jahangir among others spoke on the occasion.

The speakers claimed that the principal were taking extra charges from the first year-honours admission seeking students which is 5-time more than legal fees. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Book Review

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

7

Chronicle of a birth foretold

PHOTOS: COURTESY

I

‘1971: A Global History of the n SM Shahrukh t was always obvious that the Creation of Bangladesh’ by Srinath narratives about the war of independence in erstwhile East Raghavan, well researched, fluently Pakistan (now Bangladesh) were always going to be tainted by with historians and nationals of presented, with clarity of vision and a bias, every party trying to give accounts supports their own party’s pertremendous knowledge of geopolitics, that spectives.

The breakup of Pakistan was inevis a very good read itable though, from whichever point

you look at it. The Pakistanis blame Indians and their alleged agents in the eastern wing, the Indians will always blame Pakistan, the countries have had issues since before the partition in 1947.

This inevitability of her birth maybe considered deterministic that existing conditions could have caused no other event. Anatol Lieven argues that “no freak of history like united Pakistan with its two ethnically and culturally different wings separated by 1000 miles of hostile India, could possibly have lasted for long.”

Cold war intrigues and other regional politics were always factors in the break up but the two totally different peoples with linguistic and cultural bipolarity were never going to have a strong seam sewn by the religion they shared.

Besides, the economic deprivation imposed on the east by the western wing in spite of earning huge revenues from the jute that the east produced (about 50% of total exports) and spending all the aid and assistance in developing the west and maintaining a bureaucratic-military oligarchy of a defective polity and a history of almost a quarter century of post-colonial feudal treatment meted to the Bangalis, made the emergence of Bangladesh a birth foretold.

This determinism is nicely captured in Salman Rushdie’s novel, Shame: “That fantastic bird of a place, two Wings without a body, sundered by the landmass of its greatest foe, joined by nothing but God.” Srinath Raghavan’s book “1971: A Global History of the Creation of Bangladesh” is a wonderful and informative account that tells of the role of geopolitics behind the creation of Bangladesh.

He, however, holds the view that the birth of Bangladesh which most Bangalis hold as inevitable may not be the case, that is, he doesn’t want to give it the tag of being deterministic.

The enigma of China, the sluggish Russians and the hawkish Nixon/ Kissinger dominated US, bent on tying up with China with the help of Yahya, had immense effects.

The counter-culture spreading the world over, especially with music, galvanised public opinion all over against the genocide that the Pakistani forces wrought on East Bengal.

The songs of Joan Baez and then the move by Pandit Ravi Shankar to create songs and compositions for the plight of East Bengal played major roles. Shankar’s successful attempts to persuade George Harrison to bring together the rock musicians, the genre of music that dominated the western world, resulted in The Concert for Bangladesh.

Even Bob Dylan came out of hibernation to perform in the concert. This concert and the subsequent record sales went a long way in moving people in empathy for the victims of genocide in East Pakistan.

Their governments were playing along standard diplomatic lines in tune with the Cold War rhetoric of a bipolar world. But the hollering public forced many governments to come out of apathetic stance to one that had to bring pressure on the marauding Pakistanis.

Great Britain and France decided at one point to desert the norm of toeing the US line and abstained in voting for the US sponsored resolutions at the United Nations.

The United Nations and its Secretary General U Thant come across as quite ineffectual in the face of such dire catastrophe of the refugee crisis in the eastern part of India. They could only suggest cessation of all hostilities and stationing UN peacekeepers on

Raghavan, however, holds the view that the birth of Bangladesh which most Bangalis hold as inevitable may not be the case, that is, he doesn’t want to give it the tag of being deterministic

He brings forth various factors in play during the sixties – decolonisation, globalisation, the Cold War, advances in technology, a worldwide awareness of basic human rights and humanitarianism and many NGOs like Oxfam involved with it.

He also brings forth the worldwide mood among the youth, especially students that erupted in 1968 after the Soviet tanks rolled on to Prague; there is no doubt that affected the radical student movements in Pakistan (in the East as well as the West wing).

That is an acceptable posit. And he rightly points out that it is the movement of the students of the East that forced, ultimately, the dithering of the politicians between autonomy and full-fledged independence.

There is a detailed study on how and why India did what she did in those nine months and how the super as well as medium powers had a bearing on her course.

both sides of the borders.

Even if India wanted to take it slow and try and bring a gradual solution to the problem, the swelling number of refugees forced their hand at actively training the freedom fighters and increase in the number of them from the number that had been arrived at initially.

They were moving in with the freedom fighters inside East Pakistani territory to ensure quick success. At midpoint of 1971, 50,000-60,000 refugees crossed over to India every day and the total number of them swelled to near 10 million.

Raghavan, however, brings a conclusion with the help of Jorge Luis Borges, “the garden of forking paths.”

Events could have gone in different directions depending on certain actions – what if Bhutto didn’t play intrigues in order not to let the Awami League (AL) come to power; what if the AL were allowed to form the government,

what if Yahya sat with Mujib and other high-ups of the AL in the middle of 1971 to look for a political solution?

What if Khandaker Mushtaque’s attempts in the middle of the war to form a loose confederation with the west with the help of the United States came about, what if Yahya didn’t drink as much and reined in his ego, what if ... endless forking paths!

But eventually Raghavan concedes that even if not in 1971, an independ-

The book is a wonderful and informative account that tells of the role of geopolitics behind the creation of Bangladesh

ent state of Bangladesh was a distinct possibility. I think, the formation of an independent Bangladesh was inevitable and not only a possibility.

Why? Because the difference in culture and language and the feeling of being superior nurtured by the West Pakistanis would always have come to the fore and only a common religion would never have saved the union, not even a loose confederation would have lasted long.

Inevitable vivisection of a nation that was never meant to be, even if not a birth of a new nation, Bangladesh, in 1971, still not much later but inevitable. We, the Bangalis are a different people, needless to say, rebellious since time immemorial.

And the West Pakistanis replacing the British as masters with life-draining oppression in all matters including economic deprivation and stifling of the voices of dissent and equal opportunities being a far cry would always have been a deal breaker.

The book by Raghavan, well researched, fluently presented, with clarity of vision and a tremendous knowledge of geopolitics, is a very good read though. l SM Shahrukh is a freelance contributor.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Croatia unhappy with UN court’s rejection of genocide claim n AFP, Zagreb Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic voiced dismay Tuesday after the UN’s top court rejected its genocide claim against Serbia in over the 1990s war.

“We are not satisfied with the court’s ruling, but we accept it in a civilised manner,” Milanovic told reporters, adding that the International Court of Justice’s verdict was final.

The IJC, UN’s highest court, dismissed Croatia’s claim that Serb forces committed genocide during the country’s 19911995 war of independence and issued a similar ruling on a counter-claim by Belgrade over a Croatian counter-offensive that forced 200,000 Serbs to flee.

Both sides said they hoped the ruling would mark a watershed in relations, long since improved but still sometimes frosty.

Peter Tomka, president of the International Court of Justice, said the forces of both countries had committed crimes during the conflict, but that the intent to commit genocide – by “destroying a population in whole or in part” – had not been proven against either country.

“This marks the end of one page on the past, and I’m convinced we will start a new page on the future, much brighter and better,” Serbian Justice Minister Nikola Selakovic told reporters in the Hague.

Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic said she hoped the ruling would contribute to “closing this historic chapter and moving on to a better and safer period for people in this part of Europe.”

The cases were part of the long legal fall-out from the break-up of Yugoslavia into seven states in wars that lasted for

much of the 1990s and left more than 130,000 dead in Europe’s worst conflagration since World War Two. Croatia, which joined the European Union in 2013, filed its case against Belgrade in 1999 and Serbia - a candidate for EU membership - its counter-case against Zagreb only in 2010.

“Croatia has not established that the only reasonable inference was the intent to destroy in whole or in part the (Croatian) group,” Tomka said of Serbia’s campaign to destroy towns and expel civilians in Slavonia and Dalmatia.

Rejecting Serbia’s counterclaim, he said Croatia had not committed genocide when it sought to drive ethnic Serb rebels from the province of Krajina, and put hundreds of thousands of civilians to flight.

“Acts of ethnic cleansing may be part of a genocidal plan, but only if there is an intention to physically destroy the target group,” Tomka said.

The panel of judges rejected Croatia’s claim by fifteen votes to two. Serbia’s counterclaim was rejected unanimously, implying that even Serbia’s delegated judge had ruled against.

The UN tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, which also sits in The Hague, has long since ruled that genocide was committed in Bosnia, where more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed when the UN ‘safe haven’ of Srebrenica fell to Bosnian Serb forces in 1995.

In an earlier ruling from 2007 in a case brought by Bosnia, the ICJ found that Serbia was not responsible for genocide, but that it had breached the genocide convention by failing to prevent the massacre in Srebrenica. l

Netanyahu’s strongman image boosts ratings n Reuters, Jerusalem Israeli voters’ security concerns have boosted Benjamin Netanyahu’s popularity in the past month, helping him to skirt criticism of a widened rift with the White House as he aims for a fourth election success.

With violence on the Lebanese border and worries about Iran’s nuclear programme high on voters’ minds, the conservative leader’s reputation for being strong on security helped to raise his approval rating to 51 percent from 46 percent in January.

The same monthly opinion poll, conducted on Sunday and published in the left-wing Haaretz daily, forecast Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party would win 25 of parliament’s 120 seats in the March 17 election against 23 for the centre-left Zionist Union. Last

month it gave Likud 22 seats and Zionist Union 23.

The latest figures showed him on course to build a governing coalition of parties from the right, far-right and Orthodox Jewish blocs and return to power for a fourth term, solidifying his position as Israel’s longest-serving prime minister since David Ben-Gurion.

“It seems Netanyahu has the best chances,” said Gideon Rahat, a political scientist at Hebrew University.

The poll results will come as a surprise to some: Netanyahu has been fending off criticism at home and abroad over his decision to accept an invitation from John Boehner, the Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives, to address Congress on Iran’s nuclear programme two weeks before the Israeli election. l

A firefighter walks away after shelling destroyed several houses in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on February 3, 2015. At least 16 civilians have been killed in fierce fighting across east Ukraine over the past 24 hours, government and rebel officials said on February 3. Five civilians were killed around battleground town Debaltseve, six in and around rebel centre Donetsk, and five in neighbouring Lugansk region, pro-Kiev officials and rebels said AFP

Death toll mounts in Ukraine as US mulls arming Kiev

Britain set for vote on ‘threeparent’ babies

n AFP, Kiev

n AFP, London

Fears grew Tuesday of an escalation in the mounting bloodshed in east Ukraine as the United States mulled arming Kiev and pro-Russian rebels ordered a mass mobilisation.

At least 16 civilians and five government troops were killed over the past 24 hours in fierce clashes across the conflict zone, government and proRussian rebel officials said.

The ferocious fighting remains focused around the battleground town of Debaltseve, a strategic railway hub between the rebel strongholds Donetsk and Lugansk where separatists are fighting to encircle Ukrainian forces.

The latest casualties come as fighting has surged in recent weeks after separatists tore up a tenuous ceasefire deal and pushed into government-held territory.

The United Nations said Tuesday the civilian death toll has risen by 224 in the past three weeks and that the total of those killed in the conflict since April now stands at over 5,358 people.

“Any further escalation will prove catastrophic for the 5.2 million people living in the midst of conflict in eastern Ukraine,” warned UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

Concerns over the spiralling conflict come as Washington says it is seriously considering providing arms and more

military equipment to Ukraine.

President Barak Obama’s administration had previously ruled out sending weapons to Ukraine’s government but the failure of economic sanctions to force Russia to halt alleged military support for the separatists has prompted a second look at the option, officials told AFP. “What’s being discussed is perhaps we should begin providing defensive weapons,defensive equipment, to Ukraine,” a senior official said.

Washington so far has provided nonlethal assistance to Ukraine, including flak jackets, medical supplies, radios and night-vision goggles.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is to jet into Kiev on Thursday for meetings with President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk but no official announcement on weapons deliveries is expected.

A Ukrainian diplomatic source told AFP that Kiev was hoping to get more “clarity” on its request for weapons following Kerry’s visit and a raft of high-level meetings at an upcoming security conference in Munich.

Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Moscow of sending thousands of regular army troops and weapons to support the rebels and spearhead their latest offensive.

Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations but the rebels, however, appear to be equipped with the heavy

Israel wants UN Gaza war probe shelved as chief quits n AFP, Jerusalem

Ancient tablets reveal life of Jews in Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon

Israel yesterday called for a UN inquiry into its 50-day war in Gaza last summer to be shelved as its chairman quit over Israeli accusations of conflict of interest.

Canadian international law expert William Schabas tendered his resignation on Monday after Israel complained that he had prepared a legal opinion for the Palestine Liberation Organisation in October 2012, the United Nations said.

In his resignation letter, Schabas strongly denied that he was in any way beholden to the PLO but said he was reluctantly stepping down to avoid the inquiry into the July-August conflict – commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council – being compromised in any away.

“Under the circumstances and with great regret, I believe the important work of the commission is best served if I resign with immediate effect,” he wrote.

Council president Joachim Ruecker accepted the resignation, saying that “in this way even an appearance of conflict of interest is avoided, thus preserving the integrity of the process,” spokesman Rolando Gomez said.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seized on Schabas’s departure to demand the abandonment of the whole investigation, charging that the rights council was an “anti-Israel body.” l

A new exhibition of ancient clay tablets discovered in modern-day Iraq is shedding light for the first time on the daily life of Jews exiled to Babylon some 2,500 years ago.

The exhibition is based on more than 100 cuneiform tablets, each no bigger than an adult’s palm, that detail transactions and contracts between Judeans driven from, or convinced to move from, Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar around 600 BC. Archaeologists got their first chance to see the tablets – acquired by a wealthy London-based Israeli collector – barely two years ago. They were blown away.

“It was like hitting the jackpot,” said Filip Vukosavovic, an expert in ancient Babylonia, Sumeria and Assyria who curated the exhibition at Jerusalem’s Bible Lands Museum.

“We started reading the tablets and within minutes we were absolutely stunned. It fills in a critical gap in understanding of what was going on in the life of Judeans in Babylonia more than 2,500 years ago.”

Nebuchadnezzar, a powerful ruler famed for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, came to Jerusalem several times

n Reuters, Jerusalem

as he sought to spread the reach of his kingdom.

Each time he came – and one visit coincided with the destruction of Jerusalem’s first temple in 586 BC – he either forced or encouraged the exile of thousands of Judeans.

Nebuchadnezzar, a powerful ruler famed for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, came to Jerusalem several times as he sought to spread the reach of his kingdom One exile in 587 BC saw around 1,500 people make the perilous journey via modern-day Lebanon and Syria to the fertile crescent of southern Iraq, where the Judeans traded, ran businesses and helped the administration of the kingdom.

“They were free to go about their lives, they weren’t slaves,” Vukosavovic said. “Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t a brutal ruler in that respect. He knew he

needed the Judeans to help revive the struggling Babylonian economy.”

The tablets, each inscribed in minute Akkadian script, detail trade in fruits and other commodities, taxes paid, debts owed and credits accumulated.

The exhibition details one Judean family over four generations, starting with the father, Samak-Yama, his son, grandson and his grandson’s five children, all with Biblical Hebrew names, many of them still in use today.

“We even know the details of the inheritance made to the five great-grandchildren,” said Vukosavovic. “On the one hand it’s boring details, but on the other you learn so much about who these exiled people were and how they lived.”

Vukosavovic describes the tablets as completing a 2,500-year puzzle.

While many Judeans returned to Jerusalem when the Babylonians allowed it after 539 BC, many others stayed and built up a vibrant Jewish community that lasted two millennia.

“The descendants of those Jews only returned to Israel in the 1950s,” he said, a time when many in the diaspora moved from Iraq, Persia, Yemen and North Africa to the newly created state.

weaponry of a regular army.

As rebels continued to push their offensive, their leaders have announced a mass mobilisation aimed at boosting fighter numbers to 100,000.

The voluntary call-up -- which has been met with scepticism by some in rebel-held territory -- is set to start next Monday, insurgent leader Alexander Zakharchenko said.

Kiev authorities announced at the end of January that they also were calling up 50,000 troops in the face of the latest rebel offensive.

Hopes of defusing the conflict look more distant than ever after the latest attempt at truce talks collapsed in acrimony in the Belarussian capital Minsk over the weekend.

The rebels say they are willing to stop fighting only if Kiev agrees to redraw the demarcation line agreed in a September ceasefire deal to include gains they have made since in recent days.

In the meantime, life for civilians trapped in the crossfire continues to deteriorate rapidly, with many fleeing.

“The situation is getting worse by the day,” the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Ukraine, Michel Masson, said in a statement.

“People are hiding in basements for days on end and those who dare to venture out to collect basic aid risk being wounded or killed.” l

Britain could become the first country in the world Tuesday to allow the creation of babies with DNA from three people in a move that has divided Britons and pitted campaigners against religious leaders.

Lawmakers in parliament are set to vote on mitochondrial DNA donation techniques for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) aimed at preventing serious inherited diseases being passed on from mother to son.

Under the proposed change to the laws on IVF, as well as receiving the usual “nuclear” DNA from its mother and father, the embryo would also include a small amount of healthy socalled mDNA from a woman donor.

“Today marks a historic day for the future of modern medicine as parliament debates whether the UK should become the first country to allow mitochondrial donation to be used in IVF treatment,” Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for England, wrote in the Daily Telegraph.

The change could apply to up to 2,500 women of reproductive age in Britain with hereditary mitochondrial diseases but opponents say it opens the way to the possibility of “designer babies” in future.

Mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) is passed through the mother and mitochondrial diseases cause symptoms ranging from poor vision to diabetes and muscle wasting. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

9

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

THE ‘DUBIOUS’ FUNDS CONTROVERSY

Kejriwal dares govt, Modi attacks AAP n Agencies, New Delhi The controversy over ‘dubious’ funding allegedly received by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) intensified yesterday as political heavyweights from different camps engaged in a war of words over the issue.

While AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal dared the government to arrest him if he was guilty, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tore into the rookie party and slammed it over its “dishonesty and lies.”

And if this was not enough, a heavyweight wondered if the AAP was set up as the controversy cast a pall on the newbie that harps on the notions of honesty and transparency!

Here’s all you need to know about who said what on the funding controversy yesterday.

Arvind Kejriwal

In his signature afraid-of-none style, Kejriwal tried to turn the tables on the government as pressure mounted on him.

“I challenge the government to arrest me if they have the courage,” Kejriwal said at a rally in east Delhi’s Trilokpuri.

“They don’t have the guts to do that,” he added to a thunderous applause.

AAP’s expose-all stand

The political rookie played on the front foot, demanding a Supreme Court-monitored probe into funding of the Congress, the BJP and itself!

It rubbished the allegations of dubious funding and dared the government to launch any inquiry against it. In a letter to the Chief Justice of India, the AAP said it was prepared for derecognition if the probe found anything incriminating, and their leaders were ready to face punishment.

Kejriwal wrote to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and BJP president Amit Shah on the demand for an SC probe “with the hope” of getting a positive response.

AAP leader Meera Sanyal, a former CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotland in India, said the banking system in India was “well-regulated” with “stringent” KYC (Know Your Customer) norms.

Dismissing the charge that the AAP did not check the antecedents of the donors, she said, “Banking privacy laws prohibit people from knowing information about companies. It is just not possible to go checking everyone’s address.

How can we be blamed for trusting the country’s banking system?”

Narendra Modi lashes out

However, PM Modi upped the ante against the AAP, saying it had turned out to be a party of dishonest.

“Now when the question of donation came up, they said ‘we never asked for anything. They themselves credited to our bank accounts’. People who know the persons with Swiss accounts and had them inside their pockets, (now say) they don’t even know who put money into their accounts.

“These people (AAP) went around as honest... The country may forgive mistakes but it will not forgive the dishonest,” he said, coming down heavily on the AAP in the last leg of campaigning.

Jaitley hits out at AAP

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley added punch to BJP’s thunder, saying the AAP was caught red-handed in receiving funds through “round-tripping” from companies which did not have any business. He added authorities will probe the issue when tax returns were filed.

“It is obvious that this is a round-tripping of black money into the system of a political party. Now, if you are perhaps trapped in an incident of this kind, this is no position that you should start blaming other political parties and try and deflect the agenda,” he said.

On AAP seeking a Supreme Court-monitored probe, Jaitley said, “These are all diversionary tactics.”

“I’m sure the statutory authorities will do their job as and when their returns are filed and as and when the facts are brought to their notice.”

Rejecting AAP’s argument that it received the donations through cheques, Jaitley said, “The elementary question is when you give your money by cheque, who is the controlling interest behind that company, the party is supposed to know that.”

Omar in action!

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said the AAP had been “set up.”

Omar also said that the vetting process of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party before accepting donations was a “total sham.”

What’s the controversy about

A breakaway volunteer group of the AAP on Monday accused the Arvind Kejriwal-led party of receiving Rs 2 crore last year through four “dubious” companies.

The group – AAP Volunteer Action Manch (AVAM) – claimed that the money was donated to the AAP on the midnight of April 15 last year.

Karan Singh and Gopal Goel of AVAM alleged that four donations worth Rs 50 lakh each were remitted to the account of the AAP from four companies. l

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates for Delhi assembly election listen to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a public rally in New Delhi yesterday. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stepped up an offensive against Delhi opponent and anti-graft campaigner Arvind Kejriwal as India’s capital prepares to holds state elections AFP

Modi faces possible state poll defeat, clouding growth prospects n Reuters, New Delhi Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing his first state election defeat since taking charge last year, opinion polls show, a result that would dent his chances of consolidating power needed to speed up an economic recovery.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has ordered scores of its top national and state leaders to campaign for this weekend’s high-profile election to the Delhi assembly where a small anti-corruption party is threatening to stop its momentum.

But even the appointment of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to oversee the campaign while he is writing this month’s federal budget may not be enough.

“This is the first time that we may see Modi’s momentum stopped and that will be a shock,” said Satish Misra, a political analyst at the Observer Research Foundation. “Despite putting every last drop of energy into this campaign, it looks like the BJP is heading for defeat.”Modi needs to win most of

the state elections over the next four years to gain control of both houses of parliament to deliver on his promise of jobs and economic growth. The upper house, where his party is in a minority, is frustrating his efforts to pass laws related to tax and foreign investment.

Even the appointment of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to oversee the campaign while he is writing this month’s federal budget may not be enough The BJP’s campaign has been marked by infighting with party workers frustrated that Kiran Bedi, the first woman officer in the Indian Police Service, was appointed as the party’s chief ministerial candidate - even though she wasn’t a party member

IPCC head: World has not woken up to water crisis caused by climate change n Reuters, New Delhi Water scarcity could lead to conflict between communities and nations as the world is still not fully aware of the water crisis many countries face as a result of climate change, the head of the UN panel of climate scientists warned yesterday.

The latest report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts a rise in glob-

al temperature of between 0.3C and 4.8C by the late 21st century.

Countries such as India are likely to be hit hard by global warming, which will bring more freak weather such as droughts that will lead to serious water shortages and affect agricultural output and food security.

“Unfortunately, the world has not really woken up to the reality of what we are going to face in

Dawood Ibrahim’s brother arrested for extortion n Agencies

Iqbal Kaskar, brother of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, and his two associates were arrested yesterday after being booked on charges of extortion and assault on an estate agent in Mumbai.

An FIR was registered last night at Byculla police station after a complaint

by Salim Shaikh, an estate agent that Kaskar and his men had demanded Rs 3 lakh after thrashing him last Friday, police said.

The alleged incident occurred in a room at Damarwala building at Pakmodia Street in South Mumbai’s Bhendi Bazar area, police added.

The case was subsequently transferred to JJ Marg police station as the place where the alleged extortion took place falls in its jurisdiction.

“Kaskar and two others were booked under IPC sections 385 (Putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention),” said Anil Madvi, senior inspector at JJ Marg police station. The 48-year-old victim, who is a resident of Byculla, first approached the local police station where the FIR was registered and then the matter was transferred to JJ Marg police.

Kaskar had been deported to India from the United Arab Emirates in 2003.

Dawood’s fifth sibling was wanted in a murder case and his alleged role in the controversial Sara Sahara case where a building came up illegally on government land but a court acquitted him in both the cases in 2007. l

terms of the crises as far as water is concerned,” IPCC Chair Rajendra Pachauri told participants at a conference on water security.

“If you look at agricultural products, if you look at animal protein - the demand for which is growing that’s highly water intensive. At the same time, on the supply side, there are going to be several constraints.

Firstly because there are going to be profound changes in the water cycle

due to climate change.”

Development experts around the world have become increasingly concerned about water security in recent years.

More frequent floods and droughts caused by climate change, pollution of rivers and lakes, urbanisation, over-extraction of ground water and expanding populations mean that many nations such as India face serious water shortages. l

until three weeks ago.India’s most powerful Hindu group, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, which is also the ideological parent of the BJP, said yesterday the party was struggling in Delhi and criticized Bedi, saying she was unpopular.The Aam Aadmi, an anti-corruption party, is on course to win between 36 and 41 of the 70 seats in the Delhi assembly, according to three opinion polls published this week. The BJP is on course to win between 27 and 32 seats and the Congress party, which has dominated politics over the last century, will win between two and seven seats, its worst-ever performance in the city, the polls show.

The vote will take place on Feb. 7 and the results will be announced three days later.

BJP spokesman Sudhanshu Mittal dismissed reports that the party was getting nervous about a likely defeat.

“Who said we are in panic? We will deploy all the resources at our command. This is Delhi. Ministers and parliament members live here. Why should they not campaign?” l

BJP’s vision document sparks citizenship row n Agencies

The BJP’s vision document for the Delhi assembly election yesterday stirred up a controversy by referring people from northeastern states in the national capital as “immigrants,” after which Congress demanded an apology and removal of the words.

The 24-page document that entails the party’s roadmap in taking Delhi forward by making it a world-class city and steps in public welfare includes a section on “North Eastern Immigrants to be Protected.” The section talks of special cells in all police stations and 24hour helpline numbers to be set up “for protection of northeastern migrants.”

“Special cells in all police stations and special 24-hour helpline numbers to be set up for the protection of the northeastern migrants. To safeguard the students of NE origin, special guardianship will be arranged with local families for them,” the document says.

Congress was quick to react, with its leader Ajay Maken questioning “is BJP trying to say the people from the northeast are not Indian citizens?” l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

CODE-CRACKER

No hiding place for arsonists

L

aw enforcers must be helped to catch the criminals responsible for the vicious arson attack on a night bus in Comilla on Tuesday which took the lives of seven people, including an eight-year-old

boy.

No words of condolence can alleviate the anguish being suffered by the victims’ families. More effective ways must be found to deter all forms of violence and protect the public.

We acknowledge that the particularly callous and cowardly nature of this attack in the dark early hours of the morning could not itself be directly prevented by additional layers of security.

It must be accepted there is no simple single solution available to deter criminals with murderous intent who are unconcerned about the consequences of their actions.

This applies even more so if they are motivated by intent to cause carnage and spread fear.

However, this does not mean that nothing can be done.

Even in the absence of politicians quickly resolving the political deadlock that gives license to many of the wanton acts of violence plaguing the nation, practical and effective security measures can still be taken.

It should be relatively straightforward, for instance, to monitor or at least record sales of gas and petrol to help track those making petrol bombs. There is plenty of scope to improve the ability of police to track, intercept, and apprehend criminals by increasing investment in communications and surveillance measures such as CCTV and patrol vehicles.

Assurance that criminals will be caught and have nowhere to hide will undoubtedly deter many criminal acts by all except the most determined and nihilistic.

The public must be helped to rebuild its confidence to live a normal life without fear and disruption.

Take practical steps to deter arsonists and let public live without fear

Support new writers and publishers

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riters from 11 different countries were represented at the International Literary Conference being held to coincide with the launch of this year’s month-long Ekushey book fair.

Cultural exchanges such as this are crucial to helping foster and disseminate Bangladeshi literature and culture, in addition to providing a platform for learning and scholarship.

We hope as many people as possible will be able to enjoy the stalls and events being hosted at the Bangla Academy this month.

The popularity of the book fair highlights the huge public appetite for books. Our publishing industry needs more support to enable it to meet this demand. For Bangladesh to advance in the global knowledge economy, we need to do much more to remove constraints on publishers and help them cultivate new authors and increase readership and book sales.

In part, the lack of a financially strong publishing industry is a reflection of high rates of adult illiteracy in the country, which is something the government must do more to address.

It also reflects the disadvantages imposed by endemic piracy and the higher than average taxes and levies which Bangladesh imposes on books.

As a first step to increasing the market for books, the government should consider coming in line with countries which impose no taxes on books at all.

It should also encourage philanthropists and use its own resources to create and develop more public-lending libraries to cultivate and spread the book reading habit. Schools and public offices can readily be adapted to accommodate more such facilities across the nation .

We need such steps to help new talent flourish and take the country forward in the global knowledge economy.

Cut taxes on books and cultivate book readership

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

A land of constant sorrow

January 20 sattar Zero-Agenda It is the innocent ones who get caught in the midIt’s sickening to see our leaders, people who are dle of all this. Stupid, immature politics. supposed to be running this country, behave like spoiled children bickering over who gets the top vhs bunk ... all the while trampling over us, the people, Very nice, thoughtful piece. like a bunch of toys scattered all over. rajon I wish our leaders would get over themselves and start caring about the people.

BNP calls 48-hr hartal in Dhaka, Khulna January 20 Ishtiaq Hossain

Wow! Come on! How can the politicians of BD sleep at night?

Anon Ishtiaq Hossain: Politicians, or at least the leaders and members of the AL, can sleep because they’re not being shot at or tracked down and getting arrested.

Diplomatic zone to come under 400 CCTV surveillance January 20 Faiza Chowdhury

What next? Issuing visa for the Gulshan Diplomatic Zone? We pay the tax and they enjoy the benefits ...

‘Not BNP, rather AL is behind arson attacks’ January 20 Tamjid Bin Ibrahim Islam

“BNP chief Khaleda Zia has denied all allegations of launching arson attacks on vehicles, and said: ‘The government is arresting our people and filing false cases against them in order to weaken our ongoing movement.’”

I believe this is true.

Don’t block the messengers January 20 Tahsin Ahmed

Good read, hope the information minister gets “information” that criminals aren’t “idiots” like us that they would use mainstream chat applications like Viber or WhatsApp, or Skype. IMO, BTCL calls should be traced, because criminals hit you where you least expect them. The regular people of Bangladesh need these services back.

Tk1 lakh bounty for each assailant January 21 sirajulmo@yahoo.com

The government is not doing enough for our safety.

BNP is committing atrocities, is only an excuse. We voted the people in power. Hence they are responsible for ant atrocities done to us. The government seems to have a soft corner for the miscreants, and the reason is unknown.

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 17 represents H so fill H every time the figure 17 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

rose There needs to be a solution regarding the problems of blockades and hartals, the citizens cannot go on suffering like this.

The survivor January 22 Evil People Politics

It saddens me to see that communal violence is still more than prevalent in the country that I call home. My heart goes out to that little girl and her family.

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.

PoorFellowMyCountry It’s not difficult to find out who the perpetrators are. In all likelihood they are known to the victim, the local people, and the police. Why are the culprits not met with the force of law? If, in this lawlessness, my Pahari brothers take law into their hands, who could blame them? The state has utterly failed to protect my fellow citizens. I hang my head in shame.

When the whistle blows January 20 F Singh

A lot of sordid stuff goes on inside the walls of any organisation. When you disagree with what’s being done, though, the honorable thing is to quit.

Abellard the Greek-lover F Singh: Amen. Instead of drawing the ire of the average citizen, whistleblowers should be treated like the heroes they are.

A business without capital January 21 salty

Our police officers need to start taking their oaths seriously.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Wander (4) 5 Automaton (5) 8 Suffer (6) 9 Continuous hostility (4) 10 Top airman (3) 12 Tin and lead alloy (6) 13 Go back (6) 15 Ejected (6) 18 Pleasure voyage (6) 20 Tavern (3) 21 Tube (4) 23 Made level (6) 24 Chemical compound (5) 25 Tidings (4)

DOWN 1 Allude (5) 2 United (3) 3 Grown-up (5) 4 Wet, soft earth (3) 5 Income (7) 6 Annoying child (4) 7 Layer (4) 11 Yield (4) 12 Thrive (7) 14 Deserve (4) 16 Strong thread (5) 17 Exploits (5) 18 Quote (4) 19 Single entity (4) 21 Female swan (3) 22 Church (3)

Zero-Agenda salty: Or taking them at all.

Security is an economic word

January 21 reza The world’s largest democracy right next to us, and we can’t seem to learn a thing or two.

Bashir Haque reza: When you say it like that that, yeah, we probably have some reevaluation to do.

Google Street View starts in Bangladesh

CALVIN AND HOBBES

January 22 RS Great news

RABBY That’s nice to know. :)

5 Shibir men held with 130 hand bombs January 21 SM Hang them at a prominent street in the capital.

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

Democratise obsolete laws PEANUTS

January 21 RetiredBUET We need democratic politicians first to trust them to democratise laws

3 policemen hurt in Chittagong blast January 21 SirJ If caught alive, these miscreants should be given the death penalty.

Resolve crisis or face blockade

January 20 rose The government and the BNP should try harder into holding a dialogue and end the ongoing blockade.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

11

Let’s hope Shri 5,000 Bottles loses n MJ Akbar

H

Are we locked in?

BIGSTOCK

Back to basics: Mukti chai

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n Anjali Khan n February 1, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina poignantly said she wished she had the freedom to explore the Boi Mela the way she did as a child. Today, official responsibilities and security concerns impede her from enjoying such pleasures. She wistfully noted that she has to accept such constraints for a while longer.

I hope that there will indeed be a day when she, as a former prime minister, will be able to walk freely and securely at the Boi Mela or wherever she chooses, in the country for which she and her family made so many sacrifices and dedicated their lives. Yet, will Bangladesh’s politics of vengeance enable her to ever enjoy such freedom? If she stays in power, she will be constrained by security protocols.

If she leaves power, will she be able to stop looking over her shoulders?

Will she be able enjoy the simple pleasure of walking around the Boi Mela, leafing through books in anticipation of encountering new perspectives, experiencing new worlds?

Her words resonated with me because they point towards the kind of political culture Bangladesh needs.

One that would enable any citizen, including politicians, to enjoy freedom and security in the long run.

will continue to fuel the politics of vengeance and ultimately deny all Bangladeshis the freedom and security they deserve.

How can we move towards an environment in which our politicians

Let’s work together to build a Bangladesh where freedom no longer needs to be sacrificed for security

Sacrificing freedom for security in the short run unfortunately threatens both freedom and security in the long run. There’s no doubt that security is essential. Without it, we cannot enjoy freedom.

At the same time, our leaders cannot lose sight of the need to protect basic freedoms, for their own sake as well as ours. In addition to addressing pressing security concerns, our leaders need to address grievances and narratives of grievances that

need not fear for their lives and do not need to sacrifice freedom for security, for themselves and for others?

How can we build a Bangladesh where compassion and understanding rather than security forces would ensure our collective freedom and security?

How can we build a country in which no financial incentive can push citizens to throw petrol bombs and destroy the dreams and lives of citizens striving to support

themselves, their families, and their country?

Perhaps one of the reasons why the prime minister’s decision and attempt to visit Begum Khaleda Zia gave citizens hope is that it suggested civility is still possible in inter-party relations.

The locked gates that greeted the prime minister and her entourage signaled the demise of that opportunity, but surely leaders can pursue other opportunities to build a country in which any citizen, whether a prime minister or a common person, can celebrate creativity, study, work, and run errands without constant fear of violence.

Mukti chai. Political violence is holding each and every one of us hostage. We want freedom from violence and the fear of violence. We want the freedom to explore and fulfill our potential.

The prime minister’s thoughtful and thought-provoking words reminded us that no one is exempt from constraints on freedom. Let’s work together to build a Bangladesh where freedom no longer needs to be sacrificed for security. l Anjali Khan is a freelance contributor.

ow many men do you need to cart over 5,000 bottles of whiskey into a Delhi warehouse on the eve of an assembly election? Fewer, certainly, than the number needed to transfer this elixir to the men it is intended to influence.

These bottles were discovered after a raid by the Election Commission of India, and were clearly intended for voter manipulation since this was illicit hoarding. A legal distributor of spirits does not hide his wares; there is no reason to.

Here is more evidence that corruption requires some serious managerial skills. Obviously, the accused – a candidate owing allegiance to a self-styled saint – will deny any malfeasance. To accept would invite punitive action from the Election Commission.

Enquiries take their time, and elections will be long over before they are complete. In this fog, you can mask the truth from media, and brazen your way through the campaign. But there is one category which knows the truth: The voter. After all, the consumption of spirits is spirited business, and only alcoholics or depressives do this alone.

One learns, after a little mild investigation, that Shri 5,000 Bottles might be a trifle old-fashioned. Others of his partisan ilk have devised a smarter way of achieving the same purpose.

They do not indulge in anything so step-heavy as direct disbursement of bottles. They distribute unsigned, and therefore untraceable, chits to men on the take. These chits are honoured by a designated liquor vendor, who passes on a bottle.

The incident begs a question or two. Let us work on the fair principle that what is discovered constitutes only a small part of what has been stashed. The total requirement of Shri 5,000 Bottles could easily be double, or three times what has been seized.

His expenditure on political whiskey alone therefore is at least Rs20 lakhs and almost certainly, much more.

This candidate's total election expenditure, by such standards, is going to be above Rs2 crores. And he will be the nominee of a party that insists that its core commitment is honesty in public life.

God save Delhi from such honesty.

Does such bribery work? At best, very partially. Indian society is in constant, and progressive evolution. One healthy consequence is the emergence of new electoral demographics, groups that vote outside the conventional arithmetic of victory, based on caste and creed. They still exist, and will be evident in the Delhi polls as well, but they no longer command decisive space in the process.

In the plethora of statistics that have emerged out of the recent Jammu and Kashmir polls, there is one which is particularly interesting: 2,635 valley Kashmiris voted for the BJP candidate Masood ul Hassan in Hazratbal, which is on the edge of Srinagar, and on the

banks of the Dal Lake. This may not seem too vast a number, but it represents nearly 10% of the votes cast, and is more than two and a half times the support that Congress got.

Who were these voters who punched the machine in favour of the lotus? They came from a new community, for whom development and jobs are far more important than ethnic or emotional considerations. Elsewhere in the country, the development constituency is becoming the largest component of the vote.

AAP’s support is coming from the emotional vote, or from those who are still infected by the politics of fear

Women and youth are in the vanguard of this vote. In Delhi, women are trending heavily towards BJP for two very good reasons. As is evident in both his powerful oratory and in policies like the Beti bachao, beti padhao movement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made gender equality and women's empowerment a signature theme of his governance.

This has already created strong levels of empathy.

Second, women trust Kiran Bedi to understand their deep sense of insecurity in a capital seething with angst of many kinds. They are also convinced that, as an experienced police officer, she will do something more than provide verbal assurances.

Corruption, security, and a far better quality of life are the three primary demands of the Delhi electorate. The leadership of Narendra Modi, and the executive authority of Bedi in Delhi, offer reassurance on all three concerns. AAP's support, in comparison, is coming from the emotional vote, or from those who are still infected by the politics of fear. This is a reflection of ground reality, not a judgement. In that sense, AAP represents the politics of the past.

Delhi's heavily mixed electorate often encourages commentators to believe that it is a microcosm of other parts of India. This is a fallacy. Every voter makes up his or her mind on the basis of problems in the immediate environment, not on what happens elsewhere. And so, while JD(U) might get some play in Bihar, it gets none in Delhi among Bihar-origin voters.

We all hope our preferred party wins. But equally, we can all agree on one: That Shri 5,000 Bottles loses. l MJ Akbar is an Indian journalist. He is the founder of The Sunday Guardian. This article previously appeared in The Sunday Times.

The sorry tale of the house of two princesses n Arild Engelsen Ruud

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nce there were two princesses.

They were daughters of great men. Or perhaps they were the sisters of the great men. Or wives. But the men were great. The great men were intelligent and courageous. They lived in bad times, but fought bravely and with courage and vision to make their lives, all their lives, better.

They fought the enemy who lived a little further down the road, they suffered, but in the end they prevailed. And everybody in the house was grateful to the two great men and loved them.

The two princesses also loved the great men, and they loved the fact that the great men were great and they basked in the glory.

Back then, the two princesses lived together in that big house with the great men. Back then, the princesses were friends and spoke together. Well, perhaps not friends, but close enough to share private jokes. One joke was the name of the house. They called the house “Patrimony,” for it was a beautiful house and they both liked the sound of such a name.

The joke was that the house belonged to someone else, someone called “the pipal.” Because the great men had said so. But the only pipal

they knew was the tree at the bottom of the garden and everybody knows that trees cannot own houses!

The princesses did not remember who told them about the tree owning the house, it was just something someone had told them once, perhaps even as a joke not meant for them. But whenever they were asked about who owned the house, they would say: “It belongs to the pipal!” With a straight face! Oh my goodness, what a terrific joke! And they would laugh and laugh!

Then the men died. Or perhaps they were shot and killed. Or they went away or some such thing. The princesses continued to live in the house.

It was a beautiful house and they lived there, surrounded by servants and relatives and many others.

One room in particular was very grand. It was at the centre of the house, with doors in all directions to other rooms and more rooms beyond.

In the grand room were many chairs and places to sit and be, but one chair was particularly beautiful and all the other chairs and sitting places sort of faced this particular chair. The great men used to sit in this chair.

But after the great men died, there was this bad man. He came from one of the other rooms. And he sat himself in the beautiful chair. And the two princesses were very upset, as you

can imagine. So they told him: “Please do not use that chair.” But he ignored them and said: “Go away little princesses, you are just children.” And they hated him for that.

So they talked to the others in the house and many agreed, because this bad man was not that well liked. And in the end, there were so many who thought he should leave the chair that he felt shamed and left the chair. The two princesses were jubilant, and the bad man had to go live in the basement for a while.

Now the two princesses themselves wanted to sit in the chair, and most of the servants and relatives and the others living in the house thought that, very well, if they wish it so much, so let them. But even if the chair was beautiful, it was not very big. It could seat one, but only one, and you could easily fall down from it if you were not careful.

And so, from then on began a competition between the two princesses.

They competed every day for the right to sit in the chair. And once in the chair, they would not leave it and the other one would grow all sullen and sulky and hover around saying things like: “It is my turn now! Why are you in the chair? You had the chair yesterday, today I should have it!”

And then, one would try to push

the other off the chair. But whoever had the chair would not move and would not listen and instead shouted back: “No, it is my chair! You go away!

Why are you still here? I will never give it back!”

Even if the chair was beautiful, it was not very big. It could seat one and you could easily fall down from it

Every day this went on the whole day.

The quarrelling and the shouting got so bad that it affected everyone in the house. Even as they tried to go about their daily chores, the servants and the relatives and the others living in the house felt edgy and unsettled and talked about it with one another. Some sided with one and the rest with the other, but most were just upset.

Fortunately, in the evening, one of the adults in the house would come and say: “Little princesses, now it

is time for bed.” And the princesses were, by then, a little tired and it was bedtime and anyway they had to listen to the elders. And so finally, the quarreling and the shouting would cease for the day.

But in the morning they resumed, and day by day their rivalry over the chair intensified. And every day, each thought out new ways of outwitting the other. One day, one of the princesses sitting in the chair would say: “Yes, I am going to bed now,” but wouldn’t!

She would just sit in the chair and try to sit out until the next day.

The other put up such tantrums of course that the adults would have to come and lift the princess in the chair up and put her to bed. Another day one of the princesses would lock the door that the other one normally used, so that she herself could win the race to the chair.

They devised many such ways.

They were very clever in this way. But they came to spend more and more of their time quarrelling and fighting over the chair. Finally, some of the elders of the house said: “Enough is enough!

Out, out! Out into the garden, go play there!”

And the elders tried to make the princesses forget about the chair. But it was impossible, the princesses could talk of nothing else. And were very

upset at the thought of not getting to the chair and sit in it. And they hated anyone who told them otherwise, or anyone, God forbid, who tried to sit in the chair.

And so the elders in the end gave up and the princesses resumed their fight over the chair. “It is mine!” one would say. “No, it is mine!” said the other.

And they would call to anyone who would listen: “She is lying!”

And they would call each other names and accuse one another of being false and using ugly tricks. It was very unsettling for everybody else in the house. Some even fell very ill from the stress.

As we zoom out from this house of misfortune, the house which once held such beautiful promise, you can still hear them from a distance, shouting from the room that once held the great men, shouting mutual accusations and recriminations.

It is mine! No, it is not. It is mine! I am ill! Hah, you’re just faking it! You cheated! No, I did not. You just didn’t pay attention.

Woe the house that houses two princesses. l Arild Engelsen Ruud is Professor of South Asia Studies, Department of Culture Studies and Oriental languages, University of Oslo, Norway.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE Wednesday, February 4, 2015

13 England reject

Stokes slams 15 sixes

14 Kiwis run

riot against Pakistan

YS 10ODGAO T

Sport

‘Unrealistic’ PCB explain facts to BCB n Minhaz Uddin Khan The Pakistan Cricket Board (BCB) made a sharp reply yesterday to Bangladesh Cricket Board’s refusal to share tour profit as they said the upcoming Bangladesh tour is technically Pakistan’s home series which bounds BCB to pay a certain percentage of the revenue generated.

The press release from the PCB came a day after BCB president Nazmul Hasan said they are not worried with the conditions set by PCB regarding their national side’s scheduled tour of Bangladesh in April this year. The BCB boss while talking to the media on Monday also termed Pakistan’s demands as “unrealistic”.

PCB replied by terming the BCB president’s statement “not back by the facts”. The governing body of cricket in Pakistan also said, “Pakistan had toured Bangladesh in 2011 and in accordance with the established principals of reciprocity, it is Bangladesh’s turn to tour Pakistan – which despite a written commitment in 2012, BCB did not honour.”

“So while in principal this tour belongs to Pakistan, in order to accommodate BCB, PCB had shown willingness to visit Bangladesh for two Tests, three ODIs and a T20I in April-May this year,” it continued.

“And since this is a Pakistan tour to be hosted by Bangladesh, hence, the demand for a share in income.”

The PCB in the media release has acknowledged that touring any country is an expensive proposition, which all Boards finance from profits accruing from home tours.

“Since this is technically Pakistan’s home tour, PCB is being exceptionally fair in asking Bangladesh to pay a certain percentage to offset its costs,” the PCB release said.

The PCB release ended saying it would engage in further discussions with the BCB in order to meet the special condition by Pakistan for visiting Bangladesh twice in succession.

Many, however, in the cricketing arena of the country claimed that the PCB statement is based on a wrong conception as the tour was dissolved during the ICC revamp last year. The revamp saw a formation of a fresh FTP (Future Tours Programme) and all series till the end of last year were canceled. At that point, Bangladesh had owed PCB a tour of Pakistan but it was dissolved following the implementation of the new FTP until 2020.

Fresh sour in the BCB-PCB relation was revealed after it was published in the media last month that PCB had demanded 50 percent of the bilateral series’ revenue from the BCB, as well as an exchange of the Under-19 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 from April 10 to May 7.l

n Shishir Hoque

Bangladesh captain Mamunul Islam (R) hugs teammate Shahidul Alam Sohel at their team hotel yesterday

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Tigers begin World Cup campaign with defeat

n Raihan Mahmood

Bangladesh began their 2015 ICC World Cup mission on a losing note suffering a five-wicket defeat against Australia XI in an unofficial practice match at Allan Border Field in Queensland yesterday.

Asked to bat first, the Tigers put up a decent total, 231/10 in 45.4 overs, riding on Mominul Haque’s 52. In his 65-ball inning, Mominul struck four boundaries and a six before retiring.

Coming in at number four, Mahmudullah scored 42 from 55 balls with the help of four boundaries while opening batsman Soumya Sarkar added 33 off 47 deliveries to give the Tigers

Thailand wrapped up the formalities by topping the Group B with a convincing 3-0 win over Bahrain to set a semifinal date with hosts Bangladesh in the Bangabandhu Gold Cup yesterday.

The loss to the top seeded team Bahrain at the Bangabandhu National Stadium opened the gates for Singapore who earlier drew goalless with Bahrain but lost to Thailand 3-2. Singapore will now meet Malaysia in the first semifinal at Sylhet tomorrow while Thailand and Bangladesh will lock horns on Friday at Dhaka.

Thailand was the deserving winners as Bahrain playing their second match in three days looked tired. Meanwhile the three-day rest saw the Thais appear fresh, pacy, more organised and they availed the chances that fell in their way. Bahrain suffered most with their play maker MA Marhoon being marked closely by a stubborn Thai midfield and defence that consequentially killed any attacking threat Bahrain tried to create.

However, it was Bahrain who sent the first chill through the Thai defence in the 29th minute when Salman Abdullah cut a through pass to forward Ali Hazzah Mobarak whose side footed effort was pushed for a corner by Thai goalkeeper Yos Somporn.

Thailand piled up pressure and took the lead in the 35th minute through an own goal from Abdullah Ali who headed in on a Veerachart Chaowat freekick from the near post.

Bahrain was close to score the equaliser in the 47th minute but Ali Hazza Mobarak’s free-kick was punched to safety by Somporn.

Bahrain’s all hope of staging a comeback vanquished when they conceded the second goal from a penalty in the 53rd minute. The fate of the match was sealed in the 57th minute with forward Pimkoon Jaturong nailing the third goal for Thailand. Midfielder Nimboon Narutchai’s sleek through pass set Jaturong free in the middle of the box and the nimble footed player dribbled past his marker before placing the ball from the far post.

However, Bahrain goalkeeper Mahbub Yahya, visibly the tallest figure in the field, staged excellent skills to deny any more glory for Thailand in the remaining minutes. l

10 - Australian opener Matthew Hayden smashed 18 sixes in 10 matches in the 2007 World Cup, highest in a World Cup campaign

Finishing still a worry

Thailand oust favourites

n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Did you know?

a solid start. Soumya looked at ease at the crease and slammed two fours and a six.

Australia XI medium pacer David Moody scalped three wickets and was provided valuable support by fellow

BRIEF SCORE Bangladesh XI 231 allout in 45.4 overs Mominul 52, Mahmudullah 42, Soumya 33, Sabbir 31; Moody 3/35 Australia XI 232/5 in 43.2 overs Pierson 78, Turner 78; Rubel 2/32 Australia XI won by five wickets

paceman Harry Conway, who picked up two wickets. The 19-year old Moody dismissed Bangladesh opener Anamul Haque (11), middle-order batsman Sabbir Rahman (31) and Mashrafe bin Mortaza (2).

In reply, the home side reached their destination in 43.2 overs with five wickets remaining. Opening batsman Jimmy Pierson and captain Ashton Turner propelled the chase posting 78 runs each.

Pierson faced 76 balls and smashed 10 boundaries and a six while Turner hammered four boundaries and five sixes in his 87-ball knock.

Bangladesh paceman Rubel Hossain

accounted for the wickets of both the Australia XI openers – Jaron Morgan (1) and Pierson.

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe, vice-captain Shakib al Hasan and young paceman Taskin Ahmed bagged a wicket apiece.

Opener Tamim Iqbal missed the practice match as he is recuperating from surgery in his left meniscus.

The two sides will face each other in the second and final unofficial practice match tomorrow at the same venue.

The Tigers will also play two official warm-up matches before taking on Afghanistan in their opening match on February 18. l

The much-needed victory has been achieved. A semifinal berth has been confirmed. Performance has also improved. However, profligacy in front of goal is refusing to go away.

Confidence in the Bangladesh camp is sky-high following the 1-0 victory over Sri Lanka in the last Group A match of the Bangabandhu Gold Cup last Monday. The hosts though will be worried with their finishing as they have scored only once in two matches.

The problem is nothing new as Bangladesh have been struggling to apply the finishing touch in internationals in the last few years.

Bangladesh’s Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif even admitted that a lack of goals has been a major worry for quite sometime now. De Kruif though said they are working on it ahead of their semifinal clash against high-flying Thailand in two days’ time.

Bangladesh skipper Mamunul Islam echoed his coach’s tune but believes it is just a matter of time before their misfiring forwards find their scoring boots.

“I hope the problem in finishing will not last long and I believe everything will be alright in the next match. If everyone gives their best effort, we can utilise most of the chances that we create,” said Mamunul yesterday.

“Our target is to reach the final. We will begin compact training to reach our goal. We will give extra importance on converting more of our chances,” he added.

Speedy winger Zahid Hossain also expressed hope that the Bangladesh forwards would be able to avail their opportunities in the future.

“We already proved our worth by beating Sri Lanka and moving to the semifinals. Now, our focus is on the final but we have to utilise more of our chances in the opponents’ penalty area,” said Zahid.

Juvenile midfielder Hemanta Vincent Biswas was the star of the show in their last match against the Lankans.

His screamer created all the difference but he too conveyed his worry with the finishing of his side.

“We need to work more on finishing. We have to give our best effort in training to improve our finishing and do better from the next match,” said Hemanta, who also shone in their opening match defeat against Malaysia Under-23. l

Double-up Nafees saves Barisal blushes in NCL n Mazhar Uddin

Left-handed opening batsman Shahriar Nafees smashed 219 to take Barisal in a commanding position against Khulna in the second round game of the 16th National Cricket League yesterday.

The double ton also ensured Barisal a healthy lead of 224 as they will resume the final day of the match at 343 for 4.

Dhaka division v Dhaka Metro, Fatullah

Dhaka division enforced Metro to follow on as the latter despite scoring 373 for 8 in their second innings, still trail the league leaders by 62 runs. The defeat looks imminent for Metro who were bundled out for 90 in the first innings after Dhaka gathered a mammoth 525.

Five half centuries were the struck

Thailand’s Klinkosum Adisak (C) steals the ball from a Bahrain player during their Group B Bangabandhu Gold Cup encounter at BNS yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

by the Metro batsmen on day three with Shamsur Rahman leading the batting chart with 92 runs while skipper Marshal Ayub scored 51. Mehrab Hossain Jr, Asif Ahmed and Abu Hayder were the other notable contributors with 57, 55 and 51 runs respectively.

Off spinner Shuvagata Hom took three wickets for Dhaka while Mosharraf Hossain and Zubair Hossain bagged two each.

Khulna v Barisal, BKSP 2

Nafees was sensational during the double hundred which came off just 284 balls. The national discarded faced 307 balls to put-up his best first-class figures that included 30 boundaries. Another left-handed top order batsman Fazle Rabbi contributed 74 to Barisal cause while pacer Robiul Islam was the pick

of Khulna bowlers with three wickets.

Chittagong v Rajshahi, SBNS

Jasim Uddin’s 61 and skipper Nazim Uddin’s unbeaten 57 propelled Chittagong to 195 for five thoigh the port city side still trail Rajshahi by seven runs.

Resuming the day on 379 for seven, Rajshahi lost their remaining wickets adding another 32 runs to their first innings scorecard. The overnight batsmen, Muktar Ali and Sanjamul Islam finished on 96 and 88 runs respectively. Iftekhar Sajjad claimed eight wickets for Chittagong.

Rangpur v Sylhet, BKSP 3

Youngster Liton Kumar once again scored a hundred as the wicketkeeper-batsman’s 128-ball 116 aided Rangpur to a massive 406 runs lead against Sylhet.

Sylhet, who resumed their first innings on 191 for five, were all out for 261 with Alok Kapali making 81.

Later, Liton’s ton was complement-

ed by Naeem Islam’s 52 and Ariful Haque’s unbeaten 50 as Rangpur ended the day with 300 for eight. Liton clobbered 12 boundaries and a six. l

BRIEF SCORES Chittagong v Rajshahi, Mirpur Chittagong: 209 allout in 91 overs Rajshahi: 411 allout in 105.2 overs (Muktar 96, Sanjamul 88, Rony 8/112) Chittagong: 195/5 in 72 overs (Jasim 61, Nazim 57*, Muktar 3/46) Chittagong trail by 7 runs Khulna v Barisal, BKSP 2 Barisal: 271 allout in 62.3 overs Khulna: 390 allout in 120 overs Barisal: 343/4 in 96 overs (Nafees 219, rabbi 74, Robiul 3/52) Barisal lead by 224 runs

Dhaka v Dhaka Metro, Fatullah Dhaka: 525/9 dec in 136.1 overs Metro: 90 allout in 34.2 overs Metro: 373/ 8 in 101 overs (Shamsur 92, Mehrab jr 57, Hom 3/97) Metro trail by 92 runs Rangpur v Sylhet, BKSP 3 Rangpur: 367 allout in 112.5 overs Sylhet: 261 allout in 100.3 overs Rangpur: 300/8 in 53.4 overs (Liton 116, Naeem 52, Rahatul 3/77) Rangpur lead by 406 runs

Bahrain came and went, all in four days n Raihan Mahmood Bahrain, the top seeded team in the third edition of the Bangabandhu Gold Cup, became the shortest residing side in Bangladesh as they were ousted from the international tournament within four days of their arrival.

Bahrain drew their opening Group B match against Singapore before losing their last match against Thailand. What’s more, the Middle Eastern country failed to score a single goal.

Although Bahrain’s frustrating performances were lambasted by everyone, their English coach Adrian

Whitbread defended his charges.

“Actually, the average age of this team is 18. Most of the players are in their first overseas tour. We could not comply a good team because the local season has finished over a month ago. Moreover, the national players were busy with the national commitments. Bahrain Football Federation had nothing to do,” said Adrian yesterday.

“Playing two matches within three days was tough. There was some lack of discipline. However, the young lads I think earned good experience,” the former Southampton footballer added.l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

13

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Valencia UCL ambitions hit by Malaga loss

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Petition filed for life ban of Pakistan’s Aamer A petition was filed in a Pakistan court Monday demanding a lifetime ban of disgraced paceman Mohammad Aamer after he was cleared last week to return to domestic cricket. Aamer was given permission to play domestic cricket by the Anti-Corruption Unit of the International Cricket Council, bringing him a step closer to redemption for his part in one of the most scandalous episodes in modern cricket. But a petition filed Monday to the Sindh High Court by lawyer Rana Faizul Hasan called for the 22-year-old to be banned for life to stop him damaging the image of Pakistan and cricket. “Aamer stained the image of the country,” Hasan told AFP. “He is a proven fixer and will do it again if he is allowed to play again.”

–AFP

n Reuters

Eto’o ‘lacked respect’ in missing training: coach Sampdoria coach Sinisa Mihajlovic said forward Samuel Eto’o had shown a “serious lack of respect” by missing an extra training session on Monday following their 5-1 Serie A defeat at Torino.

Mihajlovic had scheduled two training sessions on Monday, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, as a reprisal for his team’s performance. But Eto’o, who only joined Sampdoria last week from English club Everton, left after the morning session without speaking to the coach and did not return, Italian media reported. “I don’t know where he’s gone and I don’t know what the club intends to do,” Mihajlovic was quoted as saying in the Gazzetta dello Sport. “The only thing that is certain is that the player did not give me any explanation; I consider it to be a serious lack of respect to myself and the rest of the team. “That’s the only truth today, the rest is pure fantasy.

–Reuters

Tiger could miss Doral after ranking falls to 56 Tiger Woods fell to 56th in the world rankings released Monday and is in danger of failing to qualify for next month’s World Golf Championships event at Doral. The 14-time major champion, chasing the record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus, needs to reach the top 50 after the Northern Trust Open at Riviera or Honda Classic later this month in order to qualify for the WGC Cadillac Championship that begins March 5 at Doral. Former world number one Woods has captured that WGC event seven times and won four times at Doral, most recently at the 2013 WGC Cadillac event. Woods, 39, has failed to qualify for only one WGC event, the 2011 HSBC Champions, in his career. Woods dropped nine ranking spots after missing the cut at last week’s Phoenix Open and enters this week’s US PGA event at Torrey Pines only two spots above his worst ranking, 58th, since his first PGA victory at Las Vegas in 1996.

–AFP

Rangers take five Geordies on loan Rangers have taken five Newcastle United players on loan until the of the season, the Glasgow side said on Monday. Fringe players Gael Bigirimana, Shane Ferguson, Kevin Mbabu, Remie Streete and Haris Vuckic have joined the 54-times Scottish champions, who are battling for promotion to the top division after being reformed as a fourth-tier club in 2012.

Championship club Rangers hope the deals will kick-start their bid for promotion to the Scottish Premiership. They are currently in second place behind Hearts just past the halfway mark in the season.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley personally owns around nine percent of Rangers, who struck a deal with his Sports Direct firm for a 10 million pounds.

–Reuters

DAY’S WATCH Ten Action 1:45AM Coppa Italia Napoli v Inter

Star Sports 2 3:30PM Hockey India League Uttar Pradesh v Jaypee Punjab 1:45AM English FA Cup Bolton Wanderers v Liverpool

Star Sports 4 1:45AM Spanish La Liga Real Madrid CF v Sevilla FC

Sony Six

NBA Season 6:30AM Detroit v Miami 9:00AM Sacramento v Golden State

Valencia defender Jose Gaya (L) vies with Malaga forward Samuel Garcia Sanchez during their Spanish league match at La Rosaleda stadium in Malaga on Monday

Amir reprieve will encourage others: ICC n Reuters, Mumbai The reprieve given to Pakistan bowler Mohammad Amir in a spot-fixing scandal will encourage corrupt players to come clean and help maintain the game’s integrity, International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive David Richardson said on Tuesday.

Amir and his former team mates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were all banned for spot-fixing, particularly for bowling deliberate no-balls by pre-arrangement at Lord’s, during Pakistan’s tour of England in 2010.

The trio served jail sentences in Britain and were given minimum five-year bans by an ICC tribunal.

Amir’s five-year ban was scheduled to expire on Sept. 2 but ICC’s anti-corruption unit (ACSU) chairman Ronnie Flanagan exercised his discretion to allow him to return to domestic cricket

with immediate effect on Thursday.

“There’s an incentive to players that if you have messed up there’s a way back,” Richardson told Reuters in a telephone interview.

“Don’t forget that Amir would have been out of international cricket for five years. That’s more than half a career.

“Most players don’t even get to play five years at international level,” said the former South Africa stumper-batsman.

Left-arm bowler Amir was marked as a great prospect for Pakistan in his early days and at the age of 18 he became the youngest bowler to capture 50 test wickets during the controversial test match at Lord’s in 2010.

According to a revised anti-corruption code, a banned player can appeal to resume playing domestic cricket before the end of the ban.l

AFP

Valencia suffered a blow to their Champions League qualifying hopes after a flicked header from Samu Castillejo gave Malaga a 1-0 home win in La Liga on Monday.

Valencia have reinforced well with the money spent by billionaire owner Peter Lim and while that has brought notable results at home, including recent wins over Real Madrid and Sevilla, they have dropped important points away.

They are fifth in the standings on 41 points while Malaga are two places behind on 35 points.

Real Madrid lead the way with 51 points following the weekend matches, a point ahead of Barcelona, and play their game in hand at home to Sevilla on Wednesday.

Valencia were fragile defensively as they allowed Castillejo a free header to put Malaga ahead from a Samuel Garcia cross midway through the first half.

Malaga had greater rhythm to their game in midfield and Juanmi went close with a couple of strikes before the break.

Valencia fullback Joao Cancelo showed his inexperience when he was dismissed for a second yellow card after 74 minutes for a foul on Ignacio Camacho. l

Ivory Coast gunning for revenge over DR Congo n AFP, Bata Ivory Coast will be gunning for revenge in Wednesday’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Bata after a stunning home loss in a qualifier between them last October.

“We hurt their pride when we beat them at home, the big Ivory Coast.

They had not lost at home during the generation of Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure. They will now want to avenge that loss,” said DR Congo coach Florent Ibenge referring to the famous 4-3 qualifying triumph.

“But we are also armed with the motivation to reach the final. That is our target.”

Max-Alain Gradel fired a wonder

goal against Cameroon for the 1992 African champions to win Group D in Equatorial Guinea and he said Ivory Coast want to go all the way after they were regarded as favourites in previous editions of the competition without ever lifting the trophy.

“It is going to be a good game. DR Congo defeated us in Abidjan during the qualifiers, but this time it will be different. We are going to prepare well to get through,” he predicted.

“It’s together that we are going to go all the way. We are going to work to finish the job.”

The clash could not have come at a better time for both teams as they appear to have hit peak form after indifferent starts to this tournament.

The Elephants victory against Cameroon, which secured top place in the group, came after come-from-behind 1-1 draws with Mali and Guinea.

They then stepped up their game against Africa’s top-ranked team Algeria to win 3-1 and advance to the semi-finals with new Manchester City signing Wilfried Bony bagging a brace.

DR Congo also struggled in the group phase, drawing all three matches and squeezing into the knockout stage because they scored more goals than Cape Verde.

However, in a quarter-final against neighbours Congo Brazzaville they showed great character by coming from two goals down to win 4-2 in port city Bata.l

‘Finisher’ Faulkner faces injury battle for World Cup n AFP, Sydney

Ben Arfa’s Nice move ‘finished’

Highly-rated ‘finisher’ James Faulkner faces a race to be fit for the one-day World Cup after Cricket Australia said Tuesday he has an abdominal muscle strain.

The all-rounder underwent scans late Monday on his right side after he pulled up in pain during Sunday’s tri-series victory over England.

“Scans on James Faulkner’s injured side have confirmed a moderate grade abdominal muscle strain which is consistent with a ‘typical’ fast-bowing side strain injury,” physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said. l

French international Hatem Ben Arfa’s move to Nice is “finished” after FIFA refused to validate his transfer from Newcastle because he had already played for two clubs this season, he said Tuesday.

“It’s finished with Nice,” said the 27-year-old midfielder, adding he could “possibly” find a solution “abroad”.

“I’m depressed, very sad, but I will not stop my career like that, I’m ready to go to the North Pole to play,” he told a press conference.

“There are so many possibilities that I cannot say more about my future,” added the former Lyon and

n AFP, Nice

Nice midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa speaks in a press conference yesterday in Nice. French international Ben Arfa’s move to Nice is ‘finished’ after Fifa refused to validate his transfer from Newcastle because he had already played for two clubs this season AFP

Marseille player.

Ben Arfa had turned out for Newcastle’s under-21 team at the beginning of the season and also played for Premier League side Hull on loan.

Under world football’s governing body rules, he could not join a third team during the same season.

Complying with the FIFA decision, the French Football League on Friday banned Ben Arfa from playing for Nice this season.

The league’s judicial commission on Tuesday agreed to cancel the contract, leaving Ben Arfa free to join an overseas club, who like the English Football Association (FA) do not consider under-21 matches as official.l

Rodgers mulls changes for Bolton replay

Redknapp resigns as QPR manager n Reuters, London

England reject Stokes slams 15 sixes

n AFP, Bolton

Harry Redknapp resigned as manager of struggling Premier League club Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday with the 67-year-old citing knee problems as his reason for stepping down.

The top flights’s oldest manager, Redknapp said impending surgery meant he could no longer give the job 100 percent.

Redknapp, who has enjoyed a colourful managerial career at West Ham United, Portsmouth, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, took over at QPR in November 2012.

After relegation, Redknapp took QPR back up in his first full season in charge but they have struggled this season, losing all 11 away league matches - a Premier League record.

Redknapp’s hopes of strengthening his squad were dashed by a quiet transfer window and whoever takes charge will have the job of steering QPR out of the relegation zone. l

n AFP, Pretoria

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has hinted he will make changes for Wednesday’s FA Cup fourth-round replay at second-tier Bolton Wanderers, but still expects his side to progress.

Neil Lennon’s Bolton earned a replay at the Macron Stadium after battling to a 0-0 draw at Anfield on January 24.

Liverpool have lost only once in their last 12 matches and that was the extra-time defeat by Chelsea in the League Cup semi-finals last week.

With the Merseyside Derby against Everton on the horizon on Saturday, as well as Europa League fixtures with Besiktas later in the month, Rodgers is keen to protect his players from an intense workload.

But he remains fully focused on

reaching the fifth round of the FA Cup, where Crystal Palace lie in wait.

“When you have so many games, you have to plan forward and look at that,” Rodgers said.

“I always believe the next game is very important and I always pick a team I believe can win the game. It will be a tough game for us, as we saw at Anfield. We’ve got a big month coming up. We want to continue in the cup competitions as well as keep the momentum going in the league.

“We’ve got a good squad of players who I trust and believe in and where I need to change and rotate, I’ll do that. The objective is still the same –- to get three points or to get through to the next round.”

Since the initial meeting with Bolton, the Reds have welcomed key striker Daniel Sturridge back after injury and the England international scored as a substitute against West Ham United on Saturday. l

Ben Stokes, controversially omitted from the England World Cup squad, struck 15 sixes during an unbeaten 151 to help England Lions defeat South Africa A Monday in a one-day match.

Batting at No. 5, Stokes also hit seven fours off 86 balls during 117 minutes at the crease as the visitors triumphed by 89 runs.

Bowlers who suffered during Stokes’ surge included former senior South African internationals Marchant de Lange (0-81) and Mthokozisi Shezi (0-74).

England Lions made 378-6 in 50 overs and the South Africans were all out for 289 in 42.5 overs at Mamelodi Oval in a Pretoria township.

Stokes was dropped by England after four of seven one-day internationals in Sri Lanka two months ago due to a poor all-round game, particularly his bowling. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Kiwis run riot against Pakistan n AFP, Napier

New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson celebrates his century during their second ODI against Pakistan in Napier yesterday AFP

New Zealand flayed Pakistan’s attack on the way to a crushing 119-run win during the second one-day international in Napier on Tuesday.

The win means the Black Caps take the series 2-0 and maintain momentum ahead of this month’s World Cup, while Pakistan look in disarray after two poor displays.

The New Zealanders ran riot after winning the toss and electing to bat, ending their innings at 369 for five, their highest ever score against Pakistan.

Kane Williamson top-scored with 112, Ross Taylor finished 102 not out with a boundary off the last ball and opener Martin Guptill also contributed 76.

In contrast, Pakistan medium pacer Bilawal Bhatti recorded the worst bowling figures in the country’s ODI history, leaking 93 runs off his ten overs without taking a wicket.

Bhatti was far from the only underperformer and captain Misbah ul-Haq said his team needed to make huge improvements for the World Cup. “We’re nowhere near our best.

We need to improve a lot in virtually everything, we need to improve our batting and bowling, and especially the death bowling.”

His New Zealand counterpart

Brendon McCullum was thrilled at his side’s form ahead of the tournament, where they are looming as a dark horse.

“We’ve got to be happy with where we’re at,” he said.

“We’ve played, I guess, a couple of perfect games. The challenge for us now is to maintain that freshness and momentum we’ve built up.”

The 369 total was the Black Caps’ fifth highest in one-day history, surpassed only by scores against second-tier nations Zimbabwe and Canada.

Pakistan’s batsmen could only manage 250 in reply before they were bowled out in 43.1 overs, although they were chasing the game after a dismal bowling effort. Only Wahab Riaz in 2013 has conceded as many runs as Bhatti in 10 overs, but he at least took two wickets against South Africa.

Ehsan Adil fared little better against the New Zealanders, taking one wicket but going for 8.5 an over.

Mohammad Irfan was the sole bowler who appeared remotely threatening, finishing with two for 52.

With Pakistan’s front-line attack failing , captain ul-Haq was forced to call on his part-timers.

But Younis Khan, Haris Sohail and Ahmed Shehzad had no answers, taking only one wicket between them at the cost of 93 runs. l

English clubs hit spending record despite sluggish January sales n Reuters, London England’s Premier League clubs spent a record 950 million pounds ($1.43 billion) on the August and January transfers this season even though spending in the winter window matched last year’s figure of 130 million, according to accountancy firm Deloitte.

Despite clubs’ “relative restraint” in January, the total spending in 201415 surpassed the 2013-14 record of 760 million pounds, Deloitte said.

The amount spent in January was far less than the 225 million pounds record for the winter established in January 2011.

Dan Jones, partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte who have been monitoring the spending of clubs for the last two decades, said: “Given the record level of spending seen in the summer, it is not entirely surprising that we haven’t seen a new record for

the January window.”

The biggest spenders were champions Manchester City, league leaders Chelsea and Champions League perennials Arsenal, who between them accounted for around half of the total, according to the firm.

The window ended on Monday more with a whimper than a bang with the biggest deal of the day being Chelsea’s 35 million euros ($39.7 million) for Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado from Italian club Fiorentina.

The Cuadrado deal was part-funded by the English club’s sale of Andre Schurrle to German side Wolfsburg for 22 million pounds.

But the last-minute shopping spree often associated with the closing of the January transfer window failed to materialise as Europe’s top clubs largely kept their powder dry.

The lack of trading was unusually light, leaving presenters of Sky Sports

News’ much-hyped deadline day coverage programme, who bizarrely all wear yellow ties for the day, desperately searching for something to talk about.

City’s biggest move came when they signed Ivory Coast striker Wilfried Bony from Swansea City earlier for 25 million pounds ($37.6 million) while Manchester United’s only arrival of note was former Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes on a free transfer.

UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules have made it less likely that clubs sign players without first off-loading some of their squad, stalling the usual merrygo-round.

Transfers of players from the Premier League to other European leagues is also hindered by the huge salaries.

The reluctance of club managers to part with players at such a delicate phase of the season has also become an increasing factor in the mid-season window.l

NZvPAK, SECOND ODI New Zealand M. Guptill c Bhatti b Shehzad B. McCullum b Afridi K. Williamson c Sohail b Irfan R. Taylor not out G. Elliott c Sohail b Adil L. Ronchi c Ahmed b Irfan N. McCullum not out Extras (w5, lb6)

R

B

76 31 112 102 28 0 9 11

88 27 88 70 21 1 5

Total (5 wickets, 50 overs)

369

Fall of wickets 1-43 (B. McCullum), 2-171 (Guptill), 3-250 (Williamson), 4-322 (Elliott), 5-340 (Ronchi) Bowling Irfan 10-0-52-2, Bhatti 10-0-93-0, Afridi 10-0-57-1, Adil 8-0-68-1, Sohail 6-0-47-0, Khan 2-0-17-0, Shehzad 4-0-29-1 Pakistan M. Hafeez c Milne b Elliott A. Shehzad c Milne b N.McCullum Y. Khan c Southee b N.McCullum M. ul-Haq c Taylor b Southee S. Afridi c Elliott b Vettori U. Akmal b Milne H. Sohail c B.McCullum b Milne S Ahmed b McCullum b Elliott B. Bhatti c Guptill b Southee E. Adil c Ronchi b Boult M. Irfan not out Extras (w6, lb2, nb1) Total (all out, 43.1 overs)

R

B

86 89 55 62 11 14 45 51 11 9 4 2 6 6 13 12 9 11 1 2 0 2 9 250

Fall of wickets 1-111 (Shehzad), 2-130 (Khan), 3-173 (Hafeez), 4-187 (Afridi), 5-194 (Akmal), 6-206 (Sohail), 7-227 (Ahmed), 8-248 (Bhatti), 9-250 (ul-Haq), 10-250 (Adil)

New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor celebrates his century during their second ODI against Pakistan in Napier yesterday AFP

Rule-makers consider fourth sub, end of triple punishment n Reuters, Zurich Football’s rule-making body will consider allowing a fourth substitution in extra-time as well as ending the controversial so-called “triple punishment” at a meeting this month.

“A decision is expected to be taken by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) on the ... ‘triple punishment’ with a proposal from UEFA to be reviewed,” said the agenda, published by FIFA on Monday.

The triple punishment, where a player concedes a penalty, is sent off for denying the opposition a clear scoring chance and then has to serve an automatic suspension, has been on and off the IFAB agenda for several years.

Critics of the rule say the combination of penalty and red card can drastically alter, or in many cases, kill off a game.l

Bowling Southee 8-0-52-2, Boult 8.1-0-35-1, Vettori 10-0-41-1, Milne 8-0-52-2, N.McCullum 5-0-33-2, Elliott 4-0-35-2 New Zealand won by 119 runs; won series 2-0

Barca accused of tax fraud in Neymar signing n AFP, Madrid Spanish public prosecutors have asked for Barcelona and their former president Sandro Rosell to be tried for two charges of tax fraud committed in the signing of Brazilian star Neymar.

Meanwhile, prosecutors have also asked for the investigation of current Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu and the club on an extra tax charge in 2014, which could rise to 2.85 million euros.

In a judicial file released on Monday, prosecutor Jose Perals Calleja suggests that Rosell and Barca declared an inferior fee to that which they paid for Neymar in 2013. The prosecutors believe that Neymar cost in excess of the 57 million euros ($64.3 million, £42.7 million) declared to the Spanish tax man.

They cite the figure at a cost of 82,743,485 euros divided into sperate contracts that secured the signing.

According to the calculations of the Spanish tax authorities, Barcelona owe a total of 12,148,696 million euros in tax on the deal, which would see the overall cost of the operation rise to 94.8 million euros.

Rosell resigned as president over the affair just over a year ago when a complaint brought by one of the club’s members for misappropriation of funds was taken to court.

In his testimony before a judge on the case in July of 2004, Rosell insisted that Neymar cost the club 57 million euros, 17 of which went to his former club Santos and 40 million paid to N&N, a company owned by the player’s father.

However, following Rosell’s resignation, Barcelona also confirmed a number of extra agreements including a 10 million euro signing bonus for the player and scouting and collaborative agreements between the two clubs taking the total to 86.2 million euros.l

DEADLINE DAY TRANSFERS

Chelsea seal Colombian int’l Cuadrado swoop

Milan continue business flurry with Paletta signing

Cahill leaves NY Red Bulls, joins Shanghai Shenhua

Everton sign Tottenham winger Lennon on loan

Wolfsburg complete Schuerrle deal

Matri gets second chance with Juventus

English Premier League leaders Chelsea sealed the signing of Colombia international winger Juan Cuadrado from Serie A side Fiorentina for an undisclosed fee on Monday. Blues boss Jose Mourinho had been linked with a move for Cuadrado for several weeks. The 26-year-old, who agreed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the west London club, told Chelsea’s website: “I am very happy and thankful for this opportunity I’ve been given.” Cuadrado, who had been at Fiorentina since 2012 after joining from Udinese, caught the eye with sparkling performances for Colombia at last year’s World Cup in Brazil.

Italy international defender Gabriel Paletta became ailing Italian giants AC Milan’s sixth signing of the winter transfer window on Monday as he joined from Serie A strugglers Parma. The 28-yearold, Argentine-born, central defender - who was a member of the Argentinian side that won the world Under-20 title in 2005 - signed a three year contract with struggling Milan.

Australia forward Tim Cahill has vowed to make an impact at Shanghai Shenhua after joining the Chinese club from Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls.

New York announced earlier on Monday that Cahill, who helped Australia to their first Asian Cup title on Saturday, would leave the club by mutual consent. The 35-year-old had said on the Red Bulls website he was looking forward to his “next chapter” and later told Australian media that he was headed to the Chinese Super League. “I’ll make an impact in China on the pitch, I promise you,” Cahill was quoted as saying. “When I go somewhere I’ll do it properly.

Everton signed Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon on loan until the end of the season just before the transfer window closed on Monday. Lennon had started just three Premier League matches since Mauricio Pochettino took over as Tottenham manager last year and the England international has been allowed to leave White Hart Lane to revive his career.

German World Cup winning winger Andre Schuerrle further boosted Bundesliga title challengers VfL Wolfsburg on Monday by signing from English Premier League leaders Chelsea, the buying club announced. The 24-year-old - who set up Mario Goetze for the only goal in the World Cup final win over Argentina last year - signed a four year contract with the 2009 champions for a fee reported by German media to be a club record 32million euros. Wolfsburg said they were delighted to have reached agreement with Chelsea but added both clubs had decided not to say how much the transfer fee was.

Striker Alessandro Matri returned to Italian champions Juventus for a second spell on Monday after signing on loan from Serie A rivals AC Milan.

The 30-year-old Italian - who was at Juventus from 2011 to 2013 before falling out of favour with then coach Antonio Conte - has been in fine form this season for Genoa, where he was on loan from Milan, scoring seven times.

Southampton make Bertrand move permanent Southampton made fullback Ryan Bertrand’s loan move from Chelsea permanent in the final minutes of the transfer window on Monday after the English Premier League high-flyers had snapped up Serbia’s Filip Djuricic from Benfica. Bertrand had initially joined on a season-long loan in July but he signed a four-anda-half-year deal on Monday after some impressive displays in Southampton.

‘The Yak’ is back, striker Yakubu signs for Reading

West Brom sign Man United stalwart Fletcher

Palace resign Zaha and bring in South Korean Lee

Former Portsmouth, Everton and Nigeria striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has signed for Reading until the end of the season, the English Championship (second tier) club said on Monday. The 32-year-old, who was a free agent after leaving Qatari club Al Rayyan, has not played in England since departing then-Premier League side Blackburn Rovers in 2012. “Yakubu brings a fantastic scoring record to this club and his addition will complement the strikers we’ve already got at Reading and help us to improve as a team in latter stages of the season,” manager Steve Clarke told the club’s website.

West Bromwich Albion have signed Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher on a free transfer from Manchester United, the English Premier League clubs said on Monday. The 31-year-old, who was named vice-captain at Old Trafford at the beginning of the season and made 12 appearances during the campaign, signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with an option for another 12 months.

Fletcher came close to signing for West Ham United earlier this week but instead moves to relegation-threatened West Brom, who are 15th in the table after appointing Tony Pulis as manager last month.

Crystal Palace snapped up South Korean attacking midfielder Lee Chung-yong and re-signed Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha on a five-year deal before the transfer window closed on Monday. Lee joined from English second tier side Bolton Wanderers for an undisclosed fee, while 22-year-old Zaha made his temporary move permanent by signing a five-year-deal. Zaha was the last signing of the Alex Ferguson era, joining United from Palace in January 2013 for a reported 15 million pounds before being loaned back to the south London club. He never started a Premier League game for United.

Salah completes Fiorentina loan from Chelsea Chelsea winger Mohamed Salah’s loan move to Fiorentina has been confirmed until the end of the season. Salah follows Andre Schurrle out of Stamford Bridge, despite only arriving at the club from FC Basel last January. The 22-yearold has struggled to make an impression under manager Jose Mourinho, making just three Premier League appearances and failing to score in any competition.

Defender Assou-Ekotto leaves Tottenham Cameroon defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto has left Tottenham Hotspur after being released from his contract, the Premier League club said in a statement on Monday. Assou-Ekotto has not featured for Spurs this season, having spent last term on loan at Queens Park Rangers. The 30-year-old left back joined Tottenham in 2006 and made 204 appearances.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

15

WHAT TO WATCH TELEVISION

BLOOD DIAMOND HBO, 6:33pm Cast: DiCaprio, Hounsou, Connelly A fisherman, a smuggler, and a syndicate of businessmen match wits over the possession of a priceless diamond.

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 Light, Dark, Space By MD Tokon Time: 12pm – 8pm, Bengal Art Lounge

SEVENTH SON to be released at Star Cineplex on Friday n Entertainment Desk American epic fantasy film “Seventh Son” will be released at Star Cineplex in the capital’s Bashundhara City along with the rest of the world on Friday.

Directed by Sergei Bodrov, It is based on the novel “The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch in America” - also known as “The Spook’s Apprentice” – by Joseph Delaney. The story centres on Thomas Ward, a seventh son of a seventh son, and his adventures as the apprentice of the Spook.

The film stars Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore, and Ben Barnes as Thomas Ward. Its background score has been composed by Marco Beltrami. l

DESPICABLE ME 2 Star Movies Action, 7:30pm Cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt When Gru, the world’s most super-bad turned super-dad has been recruited by a team of officials to stop lethal muscle and a host of Gru’s own, He has to fight back with new gadgetry, cars, and more minion madness.

Bhager Manush to be staged tomorrow BLADES OF GLORY HBO Hits, 8:30pm Cast: Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Amy Poehler In 2002, two rival Olympic ice skaters were stripped of their gold medals and permanently banned from men’s single competition.

Presently, however, they’ve found a loophole that will allow them to qualify as a pairs team.

SONICA’s acting endeavours n Hasan Mansoor Chatak Disc Jockey Sonica now has another skill to add to her résumé – she has successfully ventured into the art of acting.

She recently wrapped up filming of two TV plays, titled “Last Sequence” and “Triple F.” The former is a single-episode drama written by Rudra Mahfuz and directed by BU Shuvo, where Sonica will portray a police officer at the Detective Branch. The latter is a TV series written and directed by Mabrur Rashid Bannah, where Sonica will appear as a disc jockey.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, the DJ said: “This year, I want to explore my

abilities in other fields, such as acting and singing. If I find any of these jobs fascinating enough, I will do it along with my DJ work.”

Sonica is allegedly working in another TV project with small screen star Apurbo, which is still at the pre-production stage. However, when asked about it, she remained tight-lipped.

She has previously appeared in TV plays as guest actor, but this is the first time that she has portrayed major roles in TV shows. Both the TV plays will soon get airing schedule on private TV channels.

Sonica has also released a music video titled “Bhallage” for the first time on Youtube. l

THEATRE

n Entertainment Desk Shomoy Natyashampraday will stage its 26th production “Bhager Manush” at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy tomorrow at 7pm.

Premiered in 1997, the acclaimed play has been staged over 150 times so far. Mannan Heera has adapted the play from popular Urdu short story

“Toba Tek Singh” by Saadat Hasan Manto.

The play satires the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 which brought immense suffering to the people living in the border areas of the two countries – India and Pakistan. The play highlights the “exchange agreement of the lunatics” between the governments of India and Pakistan, two or three years after

the Partition. Directed by Aly Zaker, it shows many historical characters like Gandhi, Jinnah and others. They are represented as a contrast to those who are labelled insane by society.

Legendary Sikh religious figure Tek Singh is featured as one of the central characters in the play. Singh strongly opposes the partition that has separated people of a nation in the name of religion. l

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

AISHWARYA RAI to romance FAWAD KHAN in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil n Entertainment Desk

A two day of cultural programme titled Dunhuang Melody: Charm of the Silk Road by Gansu Opera House of China was held at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Marking 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and China and celebration of the Chinese New Year, Bangladesh-China Friendship Centre in association with Chinese Embassy was ended yesterday

VAL KILMER hospitalised after ‘complication’ n Entertainment Desk Actor Val Kilmer, best-known for his roles in “Batman Forever” and “The Doors,” said on Saturday he was at a Los Angeles hospital for observation following what he called a “complication.”

The 55-year-old film and stage star posted to his Facebook page after media reports that he had been rushed to the hospital with a suspected tumor.

“Thank you for all your sweet support,” Kilmer said in the Facebook post.

“But I have not had a tumor, or a tumor operation, or any operation. I had a complication where the best way to receive care was to stay under the watchful eye of the UCLA ICU,” Kilmer wrote, referring to the intensive care unit of the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center.

Kilmer is undergoing tests, family spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg said in an email.

Rosenberg had earlier said in a statement that Kilmer was tested for a “possible tumor.” l

Pakistani actor and Bollywood latest heartthrob Fawad Khan will romance the stunning Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Karan Johar’s next “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.” Seeing the chemistry of Sonam and Fawad in “Khoobsurat” Bollywood famous director Karan Johar approached Fawad for the film, which also stars Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma. The film will be shot across New York, Paris and New Delhi and will tentatively hit the screens in June, 2016. While Karan decided to cast Ranbir and Anushka after he saw their chemistry in “Bombay Velvet,” he admitted he has always wanted to work with Aishwarya Rai—right from “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” and “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” to “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.” l

KAREENA not worried about facing SHAHID Bollywood ex-lovers Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shahid Kapoor decided to share screen space in Abhishek Chaubey’s next. The film is set to go on the floors in February end. Kareena does not feel awkward for her to work with Shahid after so many years, the actress called the notion “silly.”

A source puts things in perspective, saying, “Kareena is in a happy space right now — personally and professionally. She’s enjoying her career and is happy to work with everyone.”

Shahid and Kareena last worked together in Imtiaz Ali’s “Jab We Met” in 2007, which went on to become a hit. l

ANGELINA JOLIE named world’s most admired woman n Entertainment Desk Actress-director Angelina Jolie has been named the most admired woman in the world, leaving behind Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, Hillary Clinton, Queen Elizabeth II and India’s Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

According to a new poll of 25,000 people, the mother-of-six and United Nations special envoy was most worthy of respect internationally, reports dailymail.co.uk.

However, the internet-based market research firm YouGov study found that Britons still voted Queen Elizabeth II into the top spot nationally, pushing actress Judi Dench into second place. Jolie, 39, last directed the critically acclaimed film “Unbroken”, which was about the Second World War, and has been travelling around the world visiting war zones since 2001. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Railway’s DhakaFewer children at Ekushey book fair due to hartal Chittagong project cost rises by 21% Political unrest ahead of January 5 election delayed implementation, leading to a rise in consultancy costs International GmBH of Germany and n Asif Showkat Kallol association with as Sub-Consultant Railway’s Dhaka-Chittagong Development Umbrella Project consultancy cost has increased by over 21% as the 2013 political unrest delays the implementation works, said official sources.

Besides, rise of construction materials prices and increase of value of US dollar against taka have also contributed to the hike of cost, they said.

A proposal of cost variation in the Dhaka-Chittagong Development Project will be placed by the railway ministry today at the meeting of cabinet committee on public purchase for approval.

A railway official said most of the project works had been delayed as the authorities concerned failed to hand over project sites in due time, said a railway official.

Railway Minister Md Mujibul Haque told Dhaka Tribune that the consultancy cost might increase due to the increase of implementation time.

He, however, didn’t mention political turmoil as a reason behind this rise of cost.

The minister said the increase of prices of construction materials had also an impact on the rise of cost of Dhaka-Chittagong Development Project.

The project’s joint venture consultancy firms from Australia, Germany, Japan and Bangladesh will increase

by Tk21.81 crores from existing cost of Tk47.09 crore, said the proposal. The total consultancy cost will be Tk70.91 crore.

After imposition of tax and VAT, the actutal rise will amount to Tk23.81 crore.

Joint venture firms are Canarail Consulting Inc. association with SMEC international Pty Ltd of Australia, DB

ACE Consultants Ltd of Bangladesh and Dainichi Consultants Japan.

The implementation time for a sub-project of Dhaka-Chittagong Development Project has increased by 45 days due to political turmoil at the end of 2013.

The authorities concerned also handed over Chittagong Station yard to consultant firms after 388 days.

The increase of value of US dollar against taka has also contributed to the rise of project’s consultancy cost by two times.

The railway ministry proposal said the cabinet committee on public purchase had appointed joint venture consultant firms in 2009 to end the works at the end of 2016.

The Japanese soft-loan lending agency Jica funded railway’s Dhaka-Chittagong Development Umbrella Project approved at the Executive Committee on National Economic Council (Ecnec) in 2007 and the project cost was Tk115 crore.

Of total project cost, Jica funds Tk77 crore and the rest of the money comes from the government exchequer.

The project works include construction of Laksam-Chinki Astana double line, remodelling of Chittagong station yard, Pahartali workshop development, procurement of 11 mitre gauge locomotives and undertaking of four investment sub-projects.

Further, a technical assistance sub-project was also included in the umbrella project to provide consultancy services in designing and formulating of tender documents of four investment sub-projects, assisting the assessment of tender papers and implementing of the projects. l

Kids browse through children’s literature displayed at a stall in the Ekushey Boi Mela yesterday

n Nure Alam Durjoy Standing on the Bangla Academy premises, sister Samaila and Samara are glowing with glee as they show me the new books they bought at AMAR EKUSHEY B O O K FA I R 2 0 1 5 the fair.

“We have purchased at least 14 books. They are very interested in reading books,” their mother, Dr Ruma, a Dhaka University teacher who resides in Kuwait-Moitry Hall, said.

However, Samaila and Samara are few of the lucky children to have been able to attend this year’s Amar Ekushey Boi Mela, a favourite annual event

7 Shibir activists, 6 others arrested with explosives in Chittagong n

Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

Thirteen people, including seven Islami Chhatra Shibir activists, were arrested carrying explosives in Chittagong in separate drives by personnel of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Hathazari police station yesterday.

The law enforcers found 24 petrol bombs, four crude bombs, lethal arms and bomb-making materials in the arrestees’ possession.

In Hathazari, following a tip-off, police nabbed seven Shibir activists – namely Khairul Amin, 23, Abdul Malek, 19, Mahmudul Hasan, 24, Sujayet Hossain, 23, Nurul Islam, 21, Mainuddin, 24, and Idris, 18 – with 15 petrol bombs, two crude bombs, four bottles of petrol and other bomb-making materials from different areas of the upazila from the early hours until midday yesterday.

The arrestees were planning to commit violence in Hathazari. They have been involved in recent subversive acts in the area as well, said Md Ismail Hossain, OC at Hathazari police station.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operation) Banaz Kumar Majumder of Chittagong Metropolitan Police said: “The miscreants who conduct the violent acts have spread around the city; so we will continue the drives to arrest them.”

Meanwhile in the BGB drive, a team of BGB members following a tip-off raided Railway Colony at Tiger Pass area in the city around 12:30am and arrested six persons – Jahangir Alam, 38, Osman Gani, 30, Abul Kalam, 40, Harun Miah 18, Sharif Khan, 35, and Munna, 33 – with nine petrol bombs, two crude bombs, two cleavers, seven

machetes, nine iron pipes, two rolls of tapes and rope in their possession, said Major Sabbir Ahmed, additional director (administration) of BGB’s southeast region headquarters in the port city.

“They arrested were planning to commit sabotage acts in the city around 2am, but we were able to thwart them with our rapid drive,” the BGB official said at a press conference at the headquarters around 11:30am.

The arrested had been involved in other recent sabotage activities in the city, where they supplied explosives to the miscreants in exchange of money, Major Sabbir said.

Major Tanvir Mahmud, additional director at the BGB’s 28 Battalion, said the arrestees chose shanty areas to meet up and chalk out their plans in order to deflect police from finding out their whereabouts. l

for many book lovers.

“The children’s presence at the fair this year is lower than other times because the guardians, some of whome live far from here, are obviously not willing to come out fearing violence on the road,” said Sayem, a businessman from Nayabazar in old Dhaka.

Sayem was here with his son Swadhin. “I’m here as my child insisted on coming. So I had to come but I’m not being able to purchase the books now.

We will purchase the new books later.”

Sayem is among a larger majority of parents who appear to feel this way, and it shows in the disheartening lack of children around the book fair this year. The ongoing hartal and blockade imposed by BNP-led 20 party alliance has made it difficult for many children

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

to come to the fair.

Habib, a salesman at Ranginful publication, tells me: “All kinds of children’s books are being sold but the number of children and their guardian’s presence is less because of this ongoing hartal and blockade.”

Quoting the same reason, Jugal Sarkar of Children’s Book Center told me: “I have observed that only those who reside nearby are coming along with their kids. But we hope in the next days, they will come to join us.”

Most of the children’s bookstall keepers shared similar sentiments as they noticed an absence of children at the fair.

However, they mentioned they have sold a reasonable number of children’s books, although it was not up

Google Street View in BD from tomorrow

Sixth-grader gangraped in Kapasia n Our Correspondent, Gazipur

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam

A sixth-grader was gang-raped by local criminals yesterday afternoon at Chak Barahar village in Kapasia upazila, Gazipur. The victim was currently admitted at Gazipur Sadar Hospital in a critical condition.

But police claimed not being in the know about the incident when this report was filed.

Google Street View, a free map-based service from Google that provides panoramic views of streets and sites, will be officially launched tomorrow, a senior official of ICT division said.

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, ICT advisor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the Google Map feature in a ceremony tomorrow at the ICT division.

However, a good portion of Dhaka and Chittagong was already viewable on the street view service from January 22.

The official also informed that Sajeeb Wazed Joy will handover tablet PC to government officials at the programme.

When contacted regarding the ceremony, Hasan Shahed, chief executive manager of Mapping Bangladesh, refused to make any comments on the programme.

The Google Street View which allows anyone to roam different streets and sites virtually is widely popular among travellers and technology enthusiasts worldwide.

On January 22, Hasan Shahed said more locations of the capital and the port city are going to be added to the service soon. “So far Dhaka city, Chittagong city and Dhaka-Chittagong highway have been included and we plan to cover the divisions and then the districts,” Hasan had said then.

Hasan and the band of volunteers from Mapping Bangladesh worked relentlessly with Google to bring the best possible views for the Google Street View Service.

Mapping Bangladesh said they were always keen to expand the locations covered by Street View and are particularly excited about helping bring more of Bangladesh onto Google Maps. l

Lawmakers condemn violence n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Agriculture minister Begum Matia Chowdhury said in the parliament yesterday all terrorist activities currently happening across the country will come under control, and would be wiped out shortly.

“We are on the limit of tolerance, and in a short while everything will be calm and quite,” she said, speaking during an unscheduled discussion.

Several lawmakers, independent, ruling and from the opposition including Suranjit Sengupta, Chief Whip of the parliament ASM Feroz, Dr Hasan Mahmud, ICT division state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Mainuddin Khan Badal, Nazarul Islam Babu, Peer Fazlur Rahman, Hazi Md Shelim attend the discussion.

Matia Chowdhury said Khaleda Zia’s two daughter in laws have recently traveled to Malaysia, before 40 days passed since the death of Arafat Rahaman (Khaleda’s son) to attend scheduled examinations; but Khaleda Zia is not thinking about the fate of more than 1.5 million students in this country.

She was referring to postponing of

the SSC examinations due to the ongoing political unrest.

Lawmakers yesterday demanded a fresh law with an option of capital punishment for the guilty in an effort to protect people from the recent trend of petrol bomb attacks across the country.

Suranjit Sengupta said this time was coming down hard on the low intensity insurgency taking place countrywide.

“Time has come to act against the insurgency, and there is no room for mercy. It is time to pass necessary laws save the country,” said Suranjit.

Dr Hasan Mahmud said, “I will thank again the people who blocked Khalada Zia’s internet and mobile network connections as she using it to kill the public.”

He also said: “They are playing with the general people in the name of politics; to protect the people, we need to go for tough action and pass an act with the provision of capital punishment.”

Mainuddin Khan opined there was no room for a dialogue with killers.

Independent lawmaker Hazi Md Salim proposed that the lawmakers donated a month’s salary worth for the arson affected people. l

to their expectation.

However, the spirit remains high as always. It was seen outside the gates of the bookfair where many were waiting eagerly before the fair was about to open doors before 3pm. Despite a noticeable lack of children, the sales seem to be increasing daily.

With the fair doing its best to continue with normalcy despite blockade and hartal interruptions, the International Literary Conference will end today after discussion session “Glipmses of Bangladesh theatre” in the afternoon, moderated by Mofidul Haque. This will follow a morning session on “Trends in Contemporary Playwriting” where famous personality Ramendu Majumdar is scheduled to present a keynote paper. l

Author Panna Kaiser admires an exhibit at a cartoon exhibition at the capital’s Shahbagh yesterday, organised by Gonojagoron Moncho RAJIB DHAR

The rapists are notorious and vicious criminals, so no one came forward to help the victims out of fear The victim, 11 years of age, is from Uttar Kham village in the same upazila.

She was on her way to her aunt’s house in Chak Barahar around 2pm, chaperoned by her cousin Shafiqul Islam, when this incident happened, Targaon union parishad Chairman Khalilur Rahman told reporters yesterday.

The culprits, Zahirul Islam, 30, Mohsin Khan, 25, and Sabuj Khan, 24 – all residents of Chak Barahar – intercepted the cousin duo, beat up Shafiq severely, abducted the child at knifepoint and gang-raped her, leaving her critically injured, the UP chairman said.

The victim’s father is a rickshaw puller, he added.

Local resident Abdul Mannan said: “The rapists are notorious and vicious criminals, so no one came forward to help the victims out of fear.”

The victim was first taken to Kapasia Upazila Health Complex, but later she was transferred to Gazipur Sadar Hospital.

“We do not have the sufficient equipment to rund the tests required in this case. That is why she was referred to the Sadar hospital,” said Dr Selim Ahmed, the doctor on duty at the upazila health complex. The Dhaka Tribune contacted Kapasia police station in this regard, who claimed they had not heard of any such incident taking place.

“I am not aware of a student being abducted and gang-raped. If a complaint is filed in this regard, a case will be filed and the rapists will be arrested,” said Ahsan Ullah, OC at Kapasia police station. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.

Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com

B3 RBI holds rates to track inflation

B4 As India opens up coal sector, global miners cool on investing

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Unable to supply, rice millers stop production

Supply disruption pushes up food n Kayes Sohel inflation n Kayes Sohel

Food inflation hit more than 6% in January, fueled by political unrest that caused supply chain disruption across the country, officials said yesterday.

It increased for the first time in nine months since March last year when food inflation continued to fall. Food inflation stood at 6.07% in the last month from 5.86% in December, according Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) figures.

“Rise in food inflation was due to supply chain disruption caused by the political turmoil,” said planning minister AHM Mustafa Kamal while releasing inflation data at the NEC conference room yesterday.

But overall inflation declined due continued fall in commodity prices in the international market, he said.

Overall inflation dropped 6.04% in January from 6.11% a month earlier.

During the period, non-food inflation was down 6.01%, breaking the fifth consecutive month rise. In December, it was 6.48%.

Economists fear the current political turmoil, if continued, would increase inflation further.

Policy Research Institute executive director Ahsan H Mansur said food inflation was supposed to fall due to declining commodity prices in the global market but unfortunately started going up due to political chaos.

Food inflation might go up further even in this full season of Aman paddy, if unstable situation in the political arena persists, he said.

“Supply disruption created uneven price hike of rice in rural and urban areas, pushing up inflation. If intensity of political violence grows, it might have an adverse impact on inflation within a year.”

In the last one month, coarse rice rose 1.5% to Tk37 a kilogram and the price of fine varieties increased more than 1% to Tk57 per kilogram, according to the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.

BBS data also showed that in urban areas inflation rate in January was 6.48%, which was 6.5% in December and in rural areas, it declined to 5.81% from 5.89% during the period. l

Rice miller Mohammad Khaleq had no other option but to close down his mill three weeks ago. He had invested Tk20 lakh, taking loan from banks to make more profit in this full Aman paddy season.

“I am almost bankrupted,” said Khaleque who is counting losses amid rising bank interest against his loans. He fails to pay the wages to his labours.

Like every sector, the rice sub-sector takes heat of the nationwide non-stop blockade, which enters into 31 days today, enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance to press home its demand for a fresh national poll under a neutral caretaker government.

The story of Khaleq is not at all different from thousands of others rice millers, as 80% of them have already suspended their operation.

There are more than 17,000 rice mills across the country and most of them are located in the northern region of the country, according Bangladesh Auto, Major and Husking Mill Owners Association.

Abdul Quddus, another miller, usually collects paddy from Naogaon and Dinajpur districts to feed his mill located at Modina area in Joypurhat town.

But, he too failed to run his rice mill due to acute shortage of transportation.

“The situation is so grave, which have never seen before,” said Quddus, who is in this business for nearly a decade.

The agreement he signed with a rice trader of Badamtoli in Dhaka to supply the staple food has now been suspended due to his failure in delivering rices on time. It means that the supply chain of foods has broken down, pushing the rice prices up in the capital and lower in the rural areas. Consequently, it helps fuel the food inflation that stood at 6.07% in January from December’s 5.86%.

“More than 80% mills were already closed down because of the transportation crisis,” said KM Layek Ali, secretary general of Bangladesh Auto, Major and Husking Mill Owners Association.

“Of them, 20% has already become bankrupted. If the prevailing turmoil political situation continues any further, everything will be vanished,” he feared. Investment worth around Tk4,000 crore has remained stuck up

Trucks carry a limited amount of rice to Rajshahi city from different areas of Chapainawabganj under the guard of law-enforcers during the current non-stop blockade AZAHAR UDDIN in this sector just because of the political unrest, he added.

Closure of rice mills has also hit the wholesalers’ buffer stock in the city and other areas of the country.

“Rice stock is also depleting fast,” said wholesaler Nizam Uddin at Badamtoli in Dhaka, who fails to bring rice from the northern region. During the peak season of Aman, his rice stock usually remains at 10,000 tonnes.

“Now it comes down to half,” said Nizam, who is also a leader of Babubazar Rice Wholesalers Association.

He said some rice-laden trucks entered into the city at the dead of night from nearby Sherpur area, but it is not good enough for us. “We are just breathing. It can be stopped any time,” he said.

Nirod Baran Saha, president of Naogaon Chal Aratdar Malik Samity (an association of rice wholesalers in the district), pointed out that around 3,000

tonnes of rice are usually sent to different districts of the country per day from Naogaon. The volume has recently been reduced to below 500 tonnes.

The truck fare has increased by more than 300% in the recent days, as the truckers feel insecurity to rent out their vehicles, fearing vandalism and arson attacks in the wake of blockade.

The supply chain disruption has thrown knock-on-effect at the consumer level as rice price has started to go up in the city, adding an extra burden to the fixed and lower income people.

In the last one month, coarse rice rose 1.5% to Tk37 a kilogram and the price of fine varieties increased more than 1% to Tk57 per kilogram, according to the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.

Economists sounded a note of caution on rising prices of staple food, as the trend might influence food inflation

to go up further in the coming days.

Former finance adviser to the caretaker government Mirza Azizul Islam observed that an uneven rice price trend in different areas is a sign of stocking inflation.

“We need to do our best to save the country because those days are not far away when disaster will come,” said Islam.

Rice miller turning importer

In fact, the plight of the rice millers has begun before the blockade programme as the government had earlier decided to import rice from India last year.

“Many rice millers have started to import rice from India shutting down their own rice mills,” said Layke Ali, a leader of rice millers association.

As blockade has added extra pain to them. “They are importing the Indian rice, Swarna, almost every day because of its competitive price over other ver-

ities, giving traders a bulk amount of profit,’’ he added.

Urging the government to cancel the decision for importing rice from India immediately for the sake of protecting the country’s industry and ensuring fair price for the farmers, he said:“It virtually hurts the farmers as they fail to get their fair prices due to the fall in demand.”

Bangladesh has produced around 34.449m tonnes of rice in the last fiscal year against the total demand of around 28m, up about 2.7% from around 33.833m tonnes produced in FY 2012-13, according to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).

Boro, Aus and Aman contribute to around 7%, 38% and 55% respectively to the total rice production in Bangladesh. The country is now world’s sixth largest producer of rice which accounts for 77% of agricultural land use. l

Banglalink transfers shares without BTRC approval 85% bank deposit n Muhammad Zahidul Islam

Mobile phone operator Banglalink has transferred its shares at least twice changing structure of full shares volume and taking no permission from the telecom regulator.

This is an offence which could lead to licence cancellation or imposition of administrative fine.

Banglalink, the second largest mobile phone operator of the country, changed share structure in 2012 after renewal of licence in November 2011.

It also transferred some shares in 2013 without permission from Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

BTRC issued a showcase notice to the operator in December last year.

The regulator found that when Banglalink licence was renewed three years ago, its number of shares was 42,951,226, which increased to 4,760,377,996 in 2013.

By this time the operator had changed some of its transferred shares with its top management taking no approval.

In the meantime, the company was renamed “Banglalink Digital Commu-

nication Limited” from Orascom Telecom Bangladesh Ltd. About the showcase notice, Banglalik said it hadn’t transferred major shares which could lead the company lose ownership control.

BTRC has decided to send the issue to the government. The decision on the matter will be made by the government

“As transfer of ownership of the shares held by individual shareholders did not result in any change in control of the company, we had no choice but to allow transfer of this non-controlling shares,” the statement said.

According to the operator, the Tel-

ecom Venture Ltd owned 99.99998% of total shares while only 0.00002% of shares are being held by individual shareholders.

As per the Company Act 1994, Banglalink will have minimum seven shareholders.

Banglalink said though it hadn’t taken prior permission from the regulator, it took permission from the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms.

However, sources said the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms had asked Bangalalik to take prior no objection certificate (NOC) from the telecom regulator for share transfer.

Banglalink transferred three shares from R Solaiman, Ezzeldin M Heikal and Khaled Galal Bishara to Ahmed Abou Doma, Mohamed Osman and Khaled El Laicy in 2012 before increasing the number of shares.

In 2013 Banglalink had also transferred Naguib Sawiris’s 100 shares to Philip Tohme. The operator now wants to change its share structure once again.

All these individual shareholders obtained 100 shares, while a local investor Afzal H Choudhury, who owned majority shares of Sheba Telecom be-

fore 2005, has secured his 100 shares.

The rest of 4,760,377,396 shares belong to Orascom Telecom Ventures Ltd. The issue was placed at a BTRC meeting. But the meeting skipped the punishment issue.

BTRC can fine Banglalik upto Tk300 crore on this ground, a senior official of the regulator told Dhaka Tribune.

The regulator has decided to send Banglalink’s application to the government for approving the changes.

“BTRC has decided to send the issue to the government. The decision on the matter will be made by the government.” said BTRC secretary Md Sarwar Alam.

Banglalink had not responded to the Dhaka Tribune queries on the issue till Tuesday.

Earlier in February 2005, Orascom launched its venture in Bangladesh taking majority shares from the then Sheba Telecom.

After launching the service, Banglalink got second position in terms of active subscribers.

As of December 2014, the number of active subscribers of the operator is 30.9m, said BTRC data. Of which, 12.1m are using data service. l

Textile machinery expo kicks off today amid hartal n Tribune Report

Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) President Tapan Chowdhury said the on-going political unrest increased production cost in the country’s textile industry as supply of raw materials had been disrupted.

He told this to journalists at a news conference yesterday, held to announce four-day 12th Dhaka International Textile and Garment Machinery (DTG) Exhibition.

The Expo begins from today at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital while BNPled 20-party opposition alliance en-

forces countrywide hartal in addition to non-stop blockade programme.

The blockade and hartal programme has broken the supply chain of raw materials used in textile factories, the industry people said.

The transportation cost has also marked a sharp rise due to blockade and hartal called by the 20-party opposition alliance, they added.

“All these factors have contributed to the rise of production cost,” said Tapan Chowdhury. Besides, the industry owners have to bear losses for delaying delivery of goods, he added.

BTMA chief said achieving $50bn RMG export target by 2021 will be easy,

if primary textile goods production remains normal as the country’s garment makers largely depend on local yarn and fabrics.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith is expected to attend the inaugural ceremony of the Expo as chief guest while Textiles and Jute Minister Imaj Uddin Pramanik and FBCCI President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed will join the function as special guests.

The Expo is aimed at making yarn and fabric makers familiar with the latest technologies in textile industry.

International machine manufacturers will take part in the event to display their latest versions of textile industry

technology.

BTMA, in association with Chan Chao International Company Limited and Yorkers Trade and Marketing Service Company Limited, Hong Kong, is going to organise the expo.

A total of 880 machinery companies from 33 countries will take part.

The companies include, among others, Barudan, Fong’s, Groz-Beckert, Jakob Muller, Karl Mayer, LML, Loepfe Graf and Lonati.

The fair will remain open from 12 noon to 8:00 pm every day.

Directors of BTMA and representatives from two co-organisers were present at the press conference. l

accounts covered by insurance n Tribune Report Some 85% of the total deposit accounts with banks in the country are covered by insurance.

Under the coverage, most of the small depositors would get their money back up to Tk1,00,000 in case their respective banks face collapse.

The amount will be paid back from the Deposit Insurance Trust Fund of Bangladesh Bank, a function at the central bank headquarters in Dhaka was told. The Fund size now stands at Tk3,661 crore.

Bangladesh Bank has launched a software yesterday titled “Information for Deposit Insurance Premium Assessment” for maintenance of insurance trust fund.

The fund has been formed through taking premium from the commercial banks.

Insurance premium on deposits is collected from the banks in every six months.

The rate of premium is fixed, considering the risk analysis of the respective banks.

The premium rate has set at 0.10% for the troubled banks, 0.09% for early warned banks and 0.08% for other banks.

Bangladesh Bank invested the trust fund in treasury bills and repo sector.

The central bank recently proposed the government to bring the depos-

its of the non-bank financial institutions under insurance protection.

Inaugurating the software, Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman said it would help define the amount of insurance premium on the total deposits of respective banks directly.

The central bank recently proposed to the government to bring the deposits of non-bank financial institutions under insurance protection The certain amount of premium will be transferred to the trust fund from the account of banks that maintained into the Bangladesh Bank headquarters. Earlier, calculation of premium on insurable deposits was held manually. l

B2

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

DSE GAINER

Stocks rally amid poor volume of trade

DSE key features February 3, 2015

Traded Issues

306

n Tribune Report

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

235

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

62

Fuel & power was the day’s most active sector capturing almost 15% of the total turnover with bank taking the second position with 12.6% share, as dividend expectations built around the sector.

Telecommunication came to spotlight on the day with a rise of 2.8% after sharp correction in the last week.

IT sector came second rallying 2.3%, followed by non-banking financial institutions 2% and engineering 1.4%. Cement and miscellaneous sector closed in red.

The market breadth remained positive, as out of 303 issues traded, 207 advanced, 60 declined and 36 remained unchanged.

IDLC Investments said after last few sessions political crisis fueled arbitrary sell off, bargain hunters moved into the market, summoning buy pressure across most of the scrips.

However, activities were not up to the mark, as turnover declined further.

Lanka Bangla Securities said market rebounded from oversold situation.

“However, market still looked for a medium term perspective concerning impact of political turmoil on business.”

C&A Textile was the most traded stocks with shares worth over Tk9 crore changing hands, followed by Aamra Technologies, Lafarge Surma Cement, Grameenphone, Mobil Jamuna Bangladesh, Agni System and United Commercial Bank. l

Stocks gained with lacklustre trading yesterday, breaking four days of losses.

Like previous sessions, the market opened lower falling about 30 points in the morning but started rising on some buying pressure on telecommunications and IT sectors.

Market still looked for a medium term perspective concerning impact of political turmoil on business The benchmark index DSEX rose 38 points or 0.9% to close at 4,656, scaling back from previous session’s more than five month low.

The Shariah index DSES gained 11 points or 1% to 1,102. The comprising blue chips DS30 closed at 1,723, rising 17 points or 1%.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, ended at 8,643, up 80 points.

But the bottom line is that volume of trade continued to dip as most investors remained inactive over the current political strife.

The volume of trade in value came down below Tk200 crore to stand at Tk194 crore, which is lowest in more than a month and 14% lower than the previous session

Weekly capital market highlights DSE Broad Index : DSE - 30 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSER Company

Closing (% Change)

C & A Textile -N Samata LeatheR -Z Libra Infusions-A Progressive Life-A GreenDeltaInsu -A Aziz PipesZ FAS Fin. & Inv. Ltd-B Monno Stafllers -A Rupali Bank - A Phoenix Insur -A

-4.96 -4.71 -3.50 -3.09 -2.95 -2.39 -2.38 -2.01 -1.98 -1.92

CSE LOSER Company

Closing (% Change)

S.B. 1st M. F.-A Islami Ins.BD-A Dhaka Ins. Ltd.-A GreenDeltaInsu -A Apex Tannery -A Janata Insur -A ISN Ltd. -Z Northern G Insur-A C & A Textile -N Wata Chemicals -A

-8.11 -6.18 -5.76 -5.04 -5.03 -4.49 -4.35 -4.33 -4.17 -3.40

4656.47297

(+) 0.82%

1723.62032

(+) 1.06%

14233.83770

(+) 0.85%

11639.24940

(+) 0.98%

8645.94420

(+) 0.98%

Average (% Change) -3.22 -4.34 -3.68 7.38 -2.76 -0.87 -2.20 -0.14 -1.63 -0.70 Average (% Change) -8.36 -6.35 -5.76 -5.06 -5.07 -4.29 -4.35 -4.33 -3.44 -3.40

ANALYST

ClosingAvg. 23.46 18.29 350.10 69.28 63.04 20.62 16.45 291.90 54.47 31.01

ClosingAvg. 6.80 16.67 22.90 64.00 115.05 14.93 11.00 22.12 23.33 199.00

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 245.46 98.99 47.63 197.17 80.65 290.46 0.59 237.33 193.63 8.87 50.62 32.29 28.65 95.29 140.44 18.44 23.04 79.62 18.87 57.08 0.11

DHIGH

23.00 18.20 350.10 69.10 62.60 20.40 16.40 288.00 54.50 30.70

Closing

24.50 18.50 350.10 69.10 63.50 20.90 16.90 295.50 55.90 32.00

DHIGH

6.80 16.70 22.90 64.00 115.10 14.90 11.00 22.10 23.00 199.00

6.80 16.70 22.90 64.00 115.10 15.00 11.00 22.20 24.40 199.00

1,945.22 56,915,369

Number of Contract

57,660

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

9

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,509.39

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

30.42

CSE key features February 3, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka)

173.92

Turnover (Volume)

6,253,643

Number of Contract

9,698

Traded Issues

220

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

157

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

57

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

5

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,417.97

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

29.31

Turnover in Million

DLOW 22.80 18.20 350.10 69.00 62.40 20.20 15.80 285.20 53.00 30.50

6.80 16.60 22.90 64.00 115.00 14.60 11.00 22.10 22.60 199.00

Latest EPS

91.410 0.128 0.004 0.076 0.532 0.313 0.058 0.789 0.084 2.181

Turnover in Million

DLOW

% change 12.62 5.09 2.45 10.14 4.15 14.93 0.03 12.20 9.95 0.46 2.60 1.66 1.47 4.90 7.22 0.95 1.18 4.09 0.97 2.93 0.01

Million Taka 16.45 5.36 5.49 15.15 4.26 18.32 39.23 13.73 3.36 5.09 3.17 3.23 7.69 9.78 0.38 0.51 10.85 3.39 17.40 0.01

CSE

% change 8.99 2.93 3.00 8.29 2.33 10.02 0.00 21.46 7.51 1.84 2.78 1.73 1.77 4.20 5.35 0.21 0.28 5.93 1.85 9.52 0.01

1.46 -0.46 3.38 2.30 1.68 -0.37 1.27 1.17 2.04 3.88

Latest EPS

0.014 0.005 0.029 0.003 0.023 0.013 0.002 0.010 21.281 0.179

Million Taka 261.91 104.34 53.12 212.32 84.91 308.78 0.59 276.56 207.36 12.23 55.71 35.46 31.88 102.98 150.22 18.83 23.56 90.47 22.26 74.48 0.12

Modern Dyeing -Z Eastern Lubricants -A BD. Autocars -Z United Insur -A Sonargaon Tex -Z Brac B.C. Bond-A Saiham Cotton-A BD. Thai Alum -B Islami Ins.BD-A ACI Formulations-A

Closing (% Change) 9.88 8.60 8.46 5.41 5.10 4.85 4.84 4.74 4.40 4.24

CSE GAINER

1.54 1.48 2.44 1.68 3.38 0.37 0.13 2.77 1.46 5.37

Latest PE

Company AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A IFIL Islamic M.F.1-A AMCL 2nd MF-A Mercantile Insur -A Global Heavy Chemicals-N ICB AMCL3rd NRB MF-A Sinobangla Indu.-A 6th ICB M F-A Saiham Cotton-A Delta Life Insu. -A

9.80 7.41 6.98 6.29 4.74 4.65 4.58 4.36 4.28 4.14

Average (% Change) 3.54 6.48 6.98 6.29 4.69 3.04 3.69 4.36 3.77 4.65

ClosingAvg.

Closing

DHIGH

DLOW

89.00 384.00 22.29 33.23 10.26 1,080.00 19.55 39.19 18.96 119.52

89.00 383.70 21.80 33.10 10.30 1,080.00 19.50 39.80 19.00 120.60

89.00 384.20 22.00 33.20 10.60 1,080.00 20.00 40.00 19.20 121.10

89.00 382.90 20.20 31.50 10.00 1,080.00 18.30 37.80 18.30 114.00

ClosingAvg.

Closing

DHIGH

DLOW

5.26 5.75 4.60 15.20 42.00 4.40 24.74 57.50 19.52 134.74

5.60 5.80 4.60 15.20 42.00 4.50 25.10 57.50 19.50 135.90

5.60 5.90 4.60 15.20 42.00 4.50 25.10 57.50 19.80 137.00

5.20 5.60 4.60 15.20 42.00 4.30 23.90 57.50 19.00 131.50

Turnover in Million 0.000 0.096 0.007 0.106 0.227 0.005 5.577 24.261 0.231 27.530

Turnover in Million 1.071 0.029 0.006 0.002 0.000 0.321 0.124 0.006 0.193 0.428

Latest EPS -0.50 3.12 0.14 2.91 -0.84 0.00 1.68 1.09 1.48 3.27

Latest EPS 0.11 1.04 0.84 1.48 2.43 0.46 1.21 11.74 1.68 2.92

Latest PE -ve 123.1 159.2 11.4 -ve 11.6 36.0 12.8 36.6

Latest PE 47.8 5.5 5.5 10.3 17.3 9.6 20.4 4.9 11.6 46.1

News, analysis and recent disclosures IFAD Autos Limited: Trading of the shares of IFAD Autos Limited will commence at DSE from February 05, 2015 under N category. DSE Trading Code for IFAD Autos Limited is IFADAUTOS and DSE Company Code is 13237.

ICB: Normal trading of the shares of the Corporation will resume on 04.02.2015 after record date with new face value of Tk. 10.00 each and the new adjusted open price of the shares will be Tk. 135.60 per share.

HFL: The Company will be placed in A category from existing N category with effect from February 04, 2015 as the Company has reported disbursement of 10% cash dividend and 10% stock dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2014.

PENINSULA: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to hold an EGM for taking decision to change the mode of utilization of IPO proceeds and its implementation

schedule, which is subject to the approval of shareholders in the EGM. Date of EGM: 02.03.2015, Time: 10:00 AM and Venue: Dhalia Hall, The Peninsula Chittagong, Bulbul Centre 486/B O. R. Nizam Road, Chittagong. Record Date for EGM: 12.02.2015.

DESCO: Dhaka Electric Supply Co. Ltd. has informed that the Bonus shares of the Company for the year ended 30 June 2014 have already been credited through CDBL to the respective shareholders' BO Accounts on 11January 2015. The Company has already credited Cash dividend including sale proceeds of fraction shares for the year ended 30 June 2014 through BEFTN. Dividend Warrant has already been sent through courier to the addresses of shareholders whose accounts were not credited due to inadequate information of their Bank Accounts.

IPO Subscription: Bangladesh Steel Re-Rolling Mills Limited subscription

date 01 to 05 Febuary 2015, NRB upto 14 Febuary 2015. @ taka 35, face value taka 10 and market lot 200.

Dividend/AGM

GSPFINANCE: 55% stock, AGM: 23.02.2015, Record Date: 05.02.2015.

HRTEX:12.50% cash, AGM: 31.03.2015, Record date: 12.02.2015.

MARICO: 225% interim cash, Record date for entitlement of interim cash dividend: 29.01.2015.

ECABLES: 10% cash, AGM: 26.02.2015, Record Date: 05.01.2015.

JAMUNAOIL: 90% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 07.02.2015, Record date: 11.12.2014.

PADMAOIL: 100% cash, AGM: 14.02.2015, Record date: 22.12.2014.

SPCL: 25% cash and 5% stock dividend, AGM: 29.01.2015, Record Date: 27.11.2014.

SAVAREFR: No dividend, AGM: 24.01.2015, Record Date: 23.12.2014.

Latest PE 4.4 11.3 9.4 38.1 34.0 40.4 84.6 8.0 16.0 37.1

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company

Total

Closing (% Change)

Average (% Change) 11.25 6.67 12.07 5.56 4.27 4.85 3.77 3.32 4.18 4.21

16.1 -ve 103.6 30.1 37.5 -ve 13.0 249.5 26.7 8.0

The benchmark index DSEX rose 38 points or 0.9% to close at 4,656, scaling back from previous session’s more than five month low

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

Company

Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume)

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

% change 12.31 4.90 2.50 9.98 3.99 14.51 0.03 13.00 9.74 0.57 2.62 1.67 1.50 4.84 7.06 0.88 1.11 4.25 1.05 3.50 0.01

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

C & A Textile -N aamra technologies-A LafargeS Cement-Z Grameenphone-A MJL BD Ltd.-A Agni Systems -A UCBL - A Square Pharma -A CVO PetroChem RL-A Beximco Pharma -A

Titas Gas TDCLA Islami Bank BD - A IDLC Finance -A Alltex Industries -Z ACI Formulations-A Bata Shoe Ltd. -A

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company C & A Textile -N National Feed-N Grameenphone-A aamra technologies-A LafargeS Cement-Z BEXIMCO Ltd. -A WesternMarine -N Square Pharma -A UCBL - A Shahjibazar Power-N

Alltex Industries -Z MJL BD Ltd.-A Jamuna Oil -A SAIF Powertec-N AB Bank 1st Mutual F-A

VolumeShares 3,896,591 2,240,473 584,648 194,411 560,257 1,500,001 1,438,839 164,541 89,708 626,190

Value in Million 91.41 87.07 69.09 64.95 61.76 46.25 42.84 41.77 41.50 34.85

% of TotalTurnover 4.70 4.48 3.55 3.34 3.18 2.38 2.20 2.15 2.13 1.79

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

440,597 1,420,342 388,282 993,090 230,338 21,731

912,233 303,147 24,111 192,158 59,015 212,058 129,059 23,753 167,239 8,297

129,701 33,447 15,740 46,825 467,203

34.09 33.66 29.11 28.64 27.53 26.99

21.28 8.47 8.01 7.47 6.98 6.08 6.07 6.00 4.94 3.86

3.72 3.71 3.20 3.02 2.90

1.75 1.73 1.50 1.47 1.42 1.39

12.34 4.91 4.65 4.33 4.05 3.53 3.52 3.48 2.87 2.24

2.16 2.15 1.86 1.75 1.68

ClosingP 23.00 38.90 118.60 335.60 110.40 30.90 30.00 254.30 468.60 55.90

78.00 23.70 75.40 29.10 120.60 1250.60 ClosingP

23.00 27.80 332.90 38.80 118.00 28.60 47.00 252.20 29.80 189.90

29.00 110.30 203.60 64.00 6.10

Change % -4.96 2.37 -0.50 2.79 1.94 3.69 1.35 0.43 1.38 2.19

2.50 -0.42 0.00 3.56 4.24 1.43

Change %

-4.17 0.36 1.65 2.11 -1.01 0.00 0.86 0.40 2.41 3.71

3.20 2.22 1.24 -0.16 0.00

ClosingY 24.20 38.00 119.20 326.50 108.30 29.80 29.60 253.20 462.20 54.70

76.10 23.80 75.40 28.10 115.70 1233.00 ClosingY

24.00 27.70 327.50 38.00 119.20 28.60 46.60 251.20 29.10 183.10

28.10 107.90 201.10 64.10 6.10

DHIGH 24.50 39.20 119.50 337.90 111.60 31.50 30.20 254.90 474.50 56.10

DLOW 22.80 37.80 116.90 326.30 106.70 29.70 29.40 252.00 448.00 54.20

78.70 23.90 75.70 29.40 121.10 1255.00

76.10 23.50 74.50 28.00 114.00 1222.50

DHIGH

DLOW

24.40 28.70 335.00 39.30 119.90 28.90 47.70 254.00 30.00 195.00

22.60 27.00 301.00 38.30 117.00 28.30 46.10 251.60 29.00 182.00

29.30 111.80 203.90 65.10 6.20

28.10 107.00 200.00 63.40 6.10

AvgPrice 23.46 38.86 118.17 334.10 110.24 30.83 29.77 253.88 462.56 55.65

77.38 23.70 74.97 28.83 119.52 1242.14 AvgPrice

23.33 27.94 332.22 38.87 118.35 28.67 47.00 252.43 29.54 465.42

28.69 110.84 203.53 64.40 6.20

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

RBI holds rates to track inflation Banks should use this headroom to increase their lending to productive sectors on competitive terms so as to support investment and growth

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan listens to a question during a news conference after the bi-monthly monetary policy review in Mumbai REUTERS had expected the RBI to keep its repo policy rate steady, and reduce rates later so long as the budget, due to be unveiled by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Feb 28, does not disappoint in terms of reducing the fiscal deficit.

The RBI said in its statement that it wanted more comfort that inflation would continue to ease and that it would await action from the government regarding the country’s finances.

“Given that there have been no substantial new developments on the

disinflationary process or on the fiscal outlook since January 15, it is appropriate for the Reserve Bank to await them and maintain the current interest stance,” the central bank said.

Comforted by falling world oil prices and inflation slowing, the RBI had surprised investors with 25 basis points cut in the repo rate on Jan 15, even though investors were expecting the central bank to embark on an easing cycle at some point during the early months of the year.

The RBI clearly saw little point in waiting any longer to reduce borrowing costs in an economy that was struggling to gather momentum.

Markets are pricing in more interest rate cuts over the rest of the year given inflation is expected to remain subdued on the back of a plunge in global crude prices and bigger-than-expected falls in domestic vegetable and fruit prices.

Consumer prices rose 5% in December, well within the RBI target of 6% by January 2016. l

Higher US spending, tax hike for rich

US consumer spending in December weakest n AFP, Washington President Barack Obama’s 2016 budget unveiled Monday sets priorities for the since 2009 middle class and proposes major infrastructure improvements, to be paid n Reuters, Washington for largely through increased contriUS consumer spending recorded its biggest decline since late 2009 in December with households saving the extra cash from cheaper gasoline.

Other data on Monday showed factory activity cooled in January, suggesting the economy may have entered the new year on a slightly softer footing than had been expected.

Nevertheless, upbeat and cash-flush consumers are expected to step-up spending and buoy the economy this year.

“The consumer is poised to do well in early 2015. Lower gasoline prices are going to provide a big lift to consumption,” said Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody’s Analytics in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

The Commerce Department said consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of US economic activity, fell 0.3% after gaining 0.5% in November and 0.3% in October.

The drop, the largest since September 2009, reflected a decline in spending at service stations as gasoline prices fell, as well as weak auto receipts and weather-related softness in demand for utilities. l

butions by the wealthy and corporate America.

Republicans, who now control both chambers of Congress, are likely to balk at the wish list and criticize it as a return to liberal tax and spend policies.

The following is a breakdown of the main points of the budget proposal:

$4tn budget

Obama’s budget for fiscal year 2016, which begins October 1, comes in at $3.999 trillion - about 21.3% of gross domestic product, up from the current year’s 20.9%.

Some 70 percent of the spending is obligatory, as it covers public safety net programs such as Social Security and health coverage for the elderly (Medicare), as well as debt servicing.

The “discretionary spending” is $1.168tn, divided about evenly between defense and non-defense programs.

Middle-class benefits

Pledging new help for America’s struggling middle class, Obama wants to expand affordable child care, in part by tripling the child care tax credit, mak-

ing it eligible for families making up to $120,000 annually. The change would help some 5.1 million families.

He also proposes a “Preschool for All” initiative. Among a series of educational pitches, he wants to make tuition at two-year community colleges free for many students.

Defense

A total of $585bn is set aside for military spending, while $53.4bn is meant for State Department programs and other international operations.

Obama’s Pentagon budget marks an increase of more than four percent over 2015, but with wars declared over in Iraq and Afghanistan, the spending is 24% lower than in 2010, when adjusted for inflation.

The year-on-year increase is aimed in part at ending the restrictions on defense spending that were imposed by funding caps beginning in 2013. Operation Inherent Resolve, the mission targeting the extremist Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, is funded at $5.3bn.

Assistance to Ukraine, aimed at “countering Russian aggressive acts,” comes in at $117m, in addition to the $1bn loan guarantees provided to Kiev last year and a similar forthcoming loan in 2015.

Fourteen billion dollars is set aside to counter cyber-attacks, while $70.2bn is directed to Veterans Affairs programs, a hike of 7.8%.

A gas station employee refuels a motorcycle in Brasilia

REUTERS

Oil firm after two-day rally n Reuters, Singapore Oil futures continued to firm yesterday adding to gains of more than 11% in the prior two sessions, but persistent worries over China’s demand outlook capped prices.

Some investors are betting a bottom has formed to the seven-month long

Yen rises on weak US manufacturing data, Australia rate cut n AFP, Tokyo

n Reuters, Mumbai The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) held interest rates steady at 7.75% yesterday after easing monetary policy just three weeks ago, leaving its next move probably until after the government presents its annual budget at the end of this month.

Instead, the central bank cut the statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) - or the amount of bonds that lenders must set aside - by 50 basis points to 21.5% of deposits from Feb 7, prodding banks to increase lending.

“Banks should use this headroom to increase their lending to productive sectors on competitive terms so as to support investment and growth,” the RBI said in a statement.

The RBI also announced a slew of initiatives to develop markets, including allowing foreign institutional investors to re-invest government bond coupons even when their investment limits are exhausted.

Most economists polled by Reuters

rout on the market, with signs that a fall-off in drilling activity into US shale deposits has raised concerns about future production.

OPEC delegates, though, said prices may stay depressed until summer due to weak seasonal demand even as Saudi Arabia’s strategy of curbing the output growth of rival producers shows results.

Brent crude oil futures were 34 cents higher at $55.09 a barrel by 0508 GMT. US WTI futures were at $49.88 a barrel, up 31 cents.

Prices jumped in the past two days after data showed the number of US oil drilling rigs had fallen the most in a week in nearly 30 years. Month-end covering by traders taking profits on

B3

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Traders moved into the yen yesterday as weak US manufacturing data hit sentiment, while the Australian dollar dropped to its lowest in more than five years after the country’s central bank cut interest rates to a record low.

In Tokyo, the dollar weakened to 116.96 yen from 117.64 yen in New York, while the euro was also lower at $1.1329 and 132.57 yen from $1.1343 and 133.43 yen in US trade.

US manufacturing growth slowed for the third straight month in January, the Institute for Supply Management said Monday, hampered by lower commodity prices and a slowdown at West Coast ports. The data came after a disappointing economic growth report last week.

“Some of the strong momentum in the US has probably slowed,” said Robert Sinche, a strategist at US-based Amherst Pierpont Securities.

“It’s difficult for the dollar to gener-

ate much more upside for the first half of this year.” The yen picked up after demand at an auction of 10-year Japanese government bonds slumped, triggering a sharp spike in yields, traders said.

Currency traders also tend to buy the yen in times of uncertainty or turmoil. In other trading, Australia’s dollar plunged as the central bank unexpectedly cut its official cash rate to a new low of 2.25%.

The Aussie was hovering around its lowest level since May 2009, buying 76.59 US cents against 78 cents before the announcement.

Euro trading was focused on the new Greek government’s attempt to win support for a renegotiation of its massive bailout.

Greece’s prime minister and finance minister are touring Europe this week to seek support for their plans to strike a revised deal with creditors, and repair damage after relations with European partners suffered a rocky first week. l

CORPORATE NEWS

Runner Group, an automobile manufacturer has recently selected IFS applications to support business processes. Business development manager of IFS Bangladesh, Md Rushdian Mashrafi and chairperson at Runner Group of Companies, Hafizur Rahman Khan were present at the agreement signing ceremony among other high officials of both the companies

Infrastructure

“Built by far-sighted investment over generations, America’s world-class infrastructure is falling behind the rest of the world,” the budget statement acknowledges.

Obama is requesting $478bn over six years to make significant repairs and to build new bridges, roads, and railways.

The program aims to speed infrastructure permitting and expand public-private collaboration on such projects.

Paying for it

The White House proposes a series of tax reforms - among them, increasing the top tax bracket for capital income to 28%, from 23.8%, and closing a loophole that permits heirs to avoid taxes on capital gains.

On the business side, Obama’s tax reform would encourage companies to repatriate their profits to the United States, with a one-time “transition toll charge” of 14% on the nearly $2tn of untaxed foreign earnings made by US firms abroad.

Such future profits would be taxed at a minimum of 19%, and could be reinvested in the United States without additional tax burden.

The corporate tax rate would drop from 35% to 28%, aligning more closely with other industrialized nations. l earlier short positions added to the rally.

“The seeds of an oil price recovery are being sown,” Bernstein analysts said in a note, warning of further downside risk to oil supply in places such as the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea and Brazil as companies cut costs in response to the up to 60 percent fall in oil prices since mid-June.

“Supply is unlikely to match expectations and demand will recover from last year’s lows,” the analysts said.

Two OPEC delegates, one of whom is from a Gulf producer, said they could not rule out prices dropping to as low as $30-$35 due to weak demand combined with global refinery maintenance in the first and second quarters of 2015.

Demand in Asia remained weak, with disappointing factory sector activity in China raising questions about energy consumption in the world’s second-largest economy.

Morgan Stanley said in a note that its China Pulse Business Condition Survey for Energy for last December recorded two-thirds of the respondents expecting the factory sector’s conditions to either worsen slightly or significantly, with only a third expecting an unchanged outlook.

No participants in the survey saw conditions improving slightly or significantly.

Strikes at US plants with a combined 10% of the country’s refining capacity would enter its third day on Tuesday, potentially adding to the supply that has been weighing on prices the past seven months. l

Walton has recently launched its showroom named Mobile Smart Zone at Bangabandhu Stadium Market in Paltan. The company’s executive director and film actor, Ilias Kanchan inaugurated the exclusive showroom

bKash Limited has recently signed an agreement with the state owned mobile phone operator Teletalk Bangladesh Limited on allowing Teletalk users to open bKash wallet and access to mobile financial services. Managing director of Teletalk, Gias Uddin Ahmed and Kamal Quadir, CEO of bKash have signed the agreement

Ashok Kumar Saha has recently been elected as chairperson at executive committee of Standard Bank Limited.

Ashok Kumar Saha is a prominent industrialist and director of Standard Bank Limited. He obtained his BSc degree (Electrical & Computer Engineering) in 1992 from Ohio University, USA and completed MBA from University of New Heaven, Connecticut, USA in 1995

Training Institute and Risk Management Division of National Bank Limited have recently organised a daylong workshop on risk based capital adequacy banks (according to BaselIII) and credit rating for risk weighted asset management. The bank’s deputy managing director, Syed Mohammad Bariqullah was present at the workshop as chief guest

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

As India opens up coal sector, global miners cool on investing

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

has had to wait more than a decade to secure approvals to start mining iron ore in India.

Japanese trading firms have recently been increasing investments in coal, but executives at two firms said they did not intend to invest in India.

“We have no plan to consider joining coal mine projects in India even (as) it opens up, as there are other countries which we are focusing on and where it is easier to manage projects,” said an official at a trading firm, declining to be identified.

Another senior executive at a rival firm said the quality of coal in India was not very high and the firm preferred to sell coal to the country rather than join in projects.

Among global miners, a spokesman for BHP Billiton, the world’s biggest coking coal producer, declined to comment on India specifically but pointed to recent management statements that the miner planned no new coal investments.

'It is not just about mining on their own but also to provide technology to Coal India and Indian companies'

A labourer unloads coal from a supply truck at a yard on the outskirts of Ahmedabad

n Reuters, New Delhi India’s plans to attract badly needed foreign investment and technology to its coal sector are getting a cool response from some miners and trading houses, even though the country is one of the few bright spots for global coal demand.

Seeking to curb a growing reliance on imports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi passed an order in December to allow private firms to mine and sell coal

for the first time in more than 42 years.

But even with India on track to overtake the United States as the secondlargest coal consumer after China this decade, executives at Japanese trading houses and some of the biggest global miners said they were currently not looking to invest.

Red tape, problems with land and environmental approvals, and the quality of its coal have been cited as issues deterring investment, while on top of this Asian coal prices are lan-

REUTERS

guishing near six-year lows.

Despite huge coal reserves, India’s failure to modernise mining means it has become the world’s third-biggest importer, shipping in coal from countries such as Australia and Indonesia.

Asked about progress attracting investors for auctions that may start later this year, Coal Secretary Anil Swarup told Reuters talks were going on with several global firms on upgrading mining technology, although nothing had been finalised.

Energy boss overtakes IT mogul as China’s richest n AFP, Beijing

Bank of England Governor and chairman of the Financial Stability Board Mark Carney addresses a news conference at the Bank for International Settlements in Basel REUTERS

US banks: Global ‘too-bigto-fail’ plan is too strict n Reuters, Washington A plan by regulators for the world’s biggest banks to hold more capital to withstand financial shocks is overly demanding, major US bank groups said on Monday, urging further study into how to avoid future taxpayer bailouts.

The proposal by the Financial Stability Board, a global group of regulators, would force big banks to have between 16 and 20% of their liabilities in equity and long-term bonds that can be written down in times of financial stress.

The banks supported the idea of boosting their capital buffers - socalled Total Loss Absorbing Capacity, or TLAC - to more than what is required by the internationally agreed Basel III rules, they said in a letter to the FSB. “But our empirical analysis shows that a TLAC requirement calibrated even on the low end of the FSB’s proposed range is more than is needed,” said Paul Saltzman, who heads the Clearing House Association, one of the groups.

The letter was also signed by the Se-

DILBERT

curities Industry and Financial Markets Association, the American Bankers Association and the Financial Services Roundtable. The banks did not give a number for what they thought the TLAC level should be.

The FSB launched the plan last year, marking a watershed in a quest to end taxpayer bailouts of banks, after governments spent billions of dollars on propping up Wall Street and European banks during the credit crisis. The TLAC proposal will apply to the 30 largest banks across the world such as JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Credit Suisse, Santander, and Mitsubishi UFJ FG. Such banks have often been seen as “too-big-to-fail,” because their demise would wreak havoc in the financial system, and markets expected governments to always come to their rescue with taxpayer money if they landed in trouble.

The Federal Reserve is working on the US implementation of the TLAC proposal. It has often come out with rules that are tougher than the global standards in the past few years. l

A Chinese solar energy tycoon has replaced e-commerce giant Alibaba’s founder Jack Ma as the country’s richest man with a fortune of $26bn, a wealth survey showed Tuesday.

Li Hejun, founder and chairman of Beijing-based Hanergy, saw his wealth nearly triple from a year ago, according to the Hurun Report’s Global Rich List 2015.

He is now the wealthiest person in China and his global ranking went up 108 notches to number 28, the list showed.

Ma claimed the title in mainland China last year after Alibaba completed the world’s biggest IPO with its $25bn listing on the New York Stock Exchange in September. l

“It is not just about mining on their own but also to provide technology to Coal India and Indian companies,” he said.

Up to now only state firms have been allowed to mine coal, but the sector is being opened up to help meet surging demand for coal for power.

Indian conglomerates such as the Adani Group and GVK are expected to bid for coal blocks, but foreign firms will be harder to attract after previously facing obstacles to investing.

For example, global miner Rio Tinto

Anglo American was also unlikely to be interested since it is focusing on divesting South African coal assets, said a source familiar with the miner’s plans.

Rio Tinto Chief Executive Sam Walsh said the firm had not looked at Indian coal investments yet but was open to opportunities, while Peabody Energy said it would “evaluate investments to serve India’s rising coal needs as appropriate”.

India wants to more than double coal output to 1.5 billion tonnes by 2020, but its mining is deeply inefficient. Coal India, the world’s largest coal miner, produces 1,100 tonnes of coal per employee a year, compared with 36,700 tonnes for Peabody Energy and 12,700 tonnes for China’s Shenhua Energy.

Despite the lack of foreign interest in mining coal, both local and overseas investors flocked to a 10 percent stake sale of state-run Coal India that raised about $3.6bn. However, this interest may also indicate how government firms will continue to have an edge in navigating India’s maze of clearances. l

Big Mac special sauce with that? $18,000 please n AFP, Sydney Fast-food giant McDonald’s is giving Australians the opportunity to buy a bottle of the special sauce used on their famous Big Mac - the only problem is it will cost at least Aus$23,100 (US$18,000).

The 500 ml ‘Limited Edition Big Mac Special Sauce Bottle #1 of 200’ is being auctioned on eBay with all proceeds going to charities run by the global chain to help sick children and their families.

“This bottle is #1 of only 200 being produced worldwide, and they won’t be sold in restaurants,” the eBay ad reads, adding that the sauce could be used to improve anything from goulash to cupcakes.

McDonald’s said the special sauce was one of the company’s most iconic ingredients, and customers often ask where they could buy it - but until now it was trapped between the buns of a Big Mac. “We’re excited to be auctioning off the first-ever bottle of Big Mac sauce for a cause we are passionate about,” chief marketing officer for McDonald’s Australia Mark Lollback said.

The auction for the sauce – whose ingredients are known to include relish, mustard, distilled vinegar, onion, garlic and salted egg yolks - will run until February 11.

Australian customers of McDonald’s will also be able to buy 25ml tubs of special sauce at restaurants around the country in February, the company said.

McDonald’s is the world’s largest burger chain, with 36,000 outlets in more than 100 countries, but changing consumer tastes are proving a challenge as are agile new fast-food chains, compounded by a slump in sales in China and Japan after a scare over food safety. l

Samsung to expand range of smart appliances n AFP, Seoul Samsung is to launch a range of smart refrigerators, air conditioners and washing machines as its seeks to expand its business in Internet-connected homes, a top executive said yesterday.

The South Korean tech giant is seeking to plough more resources into the so-called Internet of Things (IoT) as the market for smartphones - one of its core product categories - becomes increasingly saturated.

The new appliances will work on Samsung’s Tizen operating system, which the company has touted as a platform not just for phones but for a range of connected home appliances that can communicate with one another.

“We are preparing launches of Tizen-powered TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners and other premiumpriced home appliances this year,” B.K. Yoon, head of Samsung’s consumer electronics unit, told reporters.

The firm -- the world’s top mobile phone maker - plans to eventually make all its new products Internetconnected by 2020, he added.

“I think we have to make preparations for the IoT for future growth, as we previously grew in size by switching from ... feature phones to smartphones,” Yoon said.

Yoon unveiled the company’s firstever Tizen smart TVs at a consumer electronics fair in Las Vegas last month.

As part of its efforts to expand be-

yond the increasingly saturated smartphone market and meet demand for online-connected homes, Samsung bought SmartThings, a US home automation startup last year.

Tizen - Samsung’s home-grown system - is a key part of the firm’s campaign to carve out a niche in mobile software and services, to complement its hardware role.

By developing Tizen, Samsung has also tried to lower its reliance on Google’s Android platform that powers the vast majority of Samsung’s mobile devices.

But the use of Tizen so far has been limited to a handful of Samsung gadgets including a low-end smartphone and wearables. l

Google preparing to launch ride-hailing service n Reuters Google Inc is preparing to offer its own ride-hailing service, putting it in direct competition with Uber, Bloomberg News reported, citing a person close to Uber’s board.

Google is one of the biggest investors in Uber.

David Drummond, Google’s chief legal officer and a member of Uber’s board, has informed the app-based ride service of Google’s plans, Bloomberg reported.

The source also said Uber’s board was weighing whether to ask Drummond to resign, Bloomberg reported.

Neither Uber nor Google were available for comment.

Uber executives have been made privy to screenshots of Google’s ridesharing app, which is currently being used by Google’s employees, Bloomberg reported.

Google’s move may imperil Uber’s reliance on the search giant, as the cab service’s smartphone applications for drivers and riders are based on Google Maps.

Google recently said its driverless car technology was in development within its Google X research lab, but it is two to five years from being ready for widespread use, according to

A Google self-driving vehicle is parked at the Computer History Museum after a presentation in Mountain View, California REUTERS

Bloomberg.

Uber also announced a tie-up with Carnegie Mellon University on Monday to create the Uber Advanced Tech-

nologies Center in Pittsburgh aimed at developing Uber’s own self-driving vehicle technology.

The partnership seeks to provide

“research and development, primarily in the areas of mapping and vehicle safety and autonomy technology,” Uber said in its blog. l