26 feb, 2015

Falgun 14, 1421 Jamadiul Awal 6, 1436 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 322

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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7 | SPECIAL

11 | OP-ED

12 | SPORT

THE MANNALEAKS

KAMRAN REZA CHOWDHURY: WHY THEY DON’T TALK

SRI LANKA’S MATHEWS WARY OF BANGLADESH

Court orders Khaleda’s arrest

BNP FIRM, WITH OR WITHOUT KHALEDA

Sanaul Islam Tipu and n Md Ashif Islam Shaon

Rumours rife over who will lead BNP movement

The Dhaka Special Judge’s Court 3 yesterday issued a warrant for the arrest of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and two other accused in two graft cases for not appearing in court during a hearing.

Before issuing the order, the court rejected a bail petition for the threetime former prime minister and separate adjournment petitions filed by the defence in the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust cases.

The defence said Khaleda, who has been staying at her Gulshan office since January 3, could not appear in the court due to security reasons. Khaleda was on permanent bail in the cases.

The defence also told the court that Khaleda could not appear as she had been mourning the death of her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, who died in Malaysia on January 23. She was still grieving since the 40-day ritual was not complete, her lawyers said.

Khaleda’s relatives met her at the Gulshan office last night and spend two hours there.

While speculations on Khaleda’s

BNP is determined to continue its movement demanding fresh parliamentary elections even if party chief Khaleda Zia is arrested.

There is much speculation that Khaleda, leader of the main political opposition on the streets, may be arrested anytime, after a Dhaka court issued a warrant for her arrest yesterday.

Khaleda Zia had failed to appear before the court where she is on trial for corruption.

The party stalwarts sent out directives to all units that their movement to topple the government must continue under any circumstances, clearly hinting that the 69-year-old three-time prime minister may be detained any time.

However, it is still unclear as to who would take on the role of the party chief, with Khaleda behind bars, which appears to be a matter of inevitability to the BNP policymakers.

Acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been in jail and almost all the senior leaders are on the run.

Counsel also asked to produce Tarique in court in graft cases on March 4

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

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Manna placed on a 10-day remand Jamil Khan and n Mohammad Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday placed Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna on a 10-day remand in a case filed for his alleged involvement in inciting the army to grab power.

Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbubur Rahman yesterday granted the remand prayer after Investigation Officer Abdul Barik, also a sub-inspector of Gulshan police station, producing Manna at the court sought the remand.

In the remand prayer, the IO mentioned that they wanted to know who Manna talked to and the address of the unnamed Bangladeshi expatriate.

“We also want to know about other people involved in the conspiracy with him,” he said.

The case was filed with Gulshan police station on February 24 in connection with two leaked telephone conversations – one between Manna and an  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna being taken to custody from Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in a case of incitement for a possible military takeover in Bangladesh yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

No clue to Manna’s 20-hour disappearance n Tribune Report It remains a mystery as people are still in the dark about where Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna had been for long 20 hours since the midnight of Tuesday.

Law enforcers too have given no satisfactory answer to the question about Manna’s disappearance for those long hours.

Manna was handed over to Gulshan police around 12:25am yesterday by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

People identifying themselves as detective officials picked Manna up from the residence of his niece at Banani around 3:30am on Tuesday, said his family members.

Around 2pm on Tuesday, Manna’s family filed a GD with the Banani police station alleging that some people, who identified themselves as law enforcers, took him away.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

Dying Padma threatens to turn Boro lands barren Bakar Siddique, back from n Abu Padma basin A vast stretch of land in the northwest that produces one major crop of the country may end up barren unless farmers switch to low-irrigation varieties or there is enough water in the Padma and its tributary Mahananda.

For years, peasants in the Barind tract – covering parts of the Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi and Naogaon districts – have had to rely on underground water for growing irrigation-intensive Boro paddy.

This dependency would not have developed if there was enough water in the Padma and Mahananda Rivers. But because of the Farakka barrage in the upstream in India, these rivers have hardly ever got the water that they were supposed to according to a bilateral treaty between the neighbours.

That has hurt the Barind tract on two counts: the level of underground

water has sunken to an alarming level and as a result, the cost of irrigation has increased manifold.

Rainfall could have been another natural supply chain for the underground water, but this predominantly dry part of the country has never been known for having much of a rainy season.

“If the current situation prevails, groundwater could be available for another decade or so and then the entire region will turn barren,” said Md Alam Abdul Mannan, senior sub-assistant engineer of BMDA at Nachole in Chapainawabganj.

The ‘if’ in Farakka

Farmers from the Matikata Union under Godagari upazila of Rajshahi said that before the commissioning of Farakka in 1972, the flow in Padma used to be around 100 feet deep during peak periods and approximately 60 feet during lean periods.

Tigers up against familiar foes at The G n Mazhar Uddin from Melbourne Although Bangladesh will be playing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the very first time today, their opponents are anything but new to them. The Tigers, bidding to qualify for the quarterfinals of a World Cup for only the second time in their history, will be up against a familiar south Asian opposition in Sri Lanka in what will be both the sides’ third Pool A game.

Today’s high-octane clash between the subcontinent rivals at The G – Australia’s biggest cricket ground – is one among several encounters in recent times. Last year alone, the two teams faced each other in two tournaments – a bilateral series and the Asia Cup – with the Lankans turning out victorious in all the matches.

Even though Bangladesh have their share of wins against the island nation – four victories in 37 ODIs – the Tigers have not really shone against their neighbours in the biggest stage, the ICC World Cup. In fact, the Tigers have gone down to convincing defeats in both of their matches till date.

Ahead of such a crucial game against the Lankans, the Tigers suffered an uncalled-for distraction.

Bangladesh paceman Al Amin Hossain, who stayed outside their team hotel well after the 10pm curfew last Thursday, was withdrawn from the Tigers’ World Cup squad in favour of fellow seamer Shafiul Islam.

Tigers skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza, however, said on the eve of the game that the Al Amin issue will not occupy their minds when they face the Lankans.

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INSIDE

3 | News

A four-year-old boy was killed, a woman was injured, while at least 70 shanties burnt to ashes in a fire at a slum adjacent to the Islamic Foundation office in Agargaon yesterday.

6 | Nation

Thousands of people living in Bandarban of Chittagong Hill Tracts are facing an acute crisis of safe drinking water as the sources are being destroyed by rampant stone lifting.

8 | World

Three Austrians have replaced injured hands with bionic ones that they can control using nerves and muscles transplanted into their arms from their legs.

15 | Entertainment

Nadia Afreen, Lux Channel i Superstar 2014, will appear in an ongoing TV series “Apurba,” which will feature the trials and tribulations of four girls.

B1 | Business

The weekly tea sale has witnessed more interest for all varieties that saw further hardening in price. A lot of plain poor tea was disposed off at mostly firm rates in Chittagong.

“The Al Amin chapter is over and we can’t bring him back even if we want to. I think we are one of the most disciplined sides in the World Cup and the one who breached the rules was eventually punished,” Mashrafe told the media in the pre-match press conference yesterday.

Mashrafe went on to air his views regarding the opposition, who boast veteran campaigners like Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Lasith Malinga in their ranks.

“Look, if we think about Sangakkara and Jayawardene’s career, it will give us extra pressure as they are the legends of the game. What I am actually thinking of is giving our best. So far, luck has played a big part and worked in our favour. I am really looking forward to the game,” he said before adding: “I have spoken to Malinga today [yesterday]. He is the best as far as death bowling is concerned so I am sure those of us who are batting in the lower order will have plans on and prepare accordingly.”

In the meantime, one positive has emerged for the Tigers ahead of their game against the Lankans. Mushfiqur Rahim, who suffered a strong blow on his right thumb off a Taskin Ahmed snorter two days ago, is fit to face Sri Lanka.

Mushfiq batted in the nets yesterday and looked in good touch but it is still unclear whether he will keep wickets. If he is solely played as a batsman, opener Anamul Haque will don the gloves.

For the Sri Lanka game, the Bangladesh team management are likely to retain the same XI that thumped the Afghans by 105 runs in their Pool A opener. l

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Stop terrorism, PM tells Khaleda Zia n BSS Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina yesterday reiterated her call to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to stop killing and terrorism, terming these type of acts as crimes amounting to capital punishment.

“Stop killing and terrorism, otherwise we would take stern action against all concerned as per laws of the land. These type of activities are crimes amounting to capital punishment,” she warned.

The prime minister said this in reply to a question from treasury bench member Md Monirul Islam (Jessore-2) during her question answer session in the House.

“I would like to tell the BNP leader that the people of this country are very intelligent and they are not with your movement of personal interest. Your leaders and workers have cleared their stance,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the government would take action against all concerned

as per the laws if the subversive acts and killing are not stopped. “So, it is my request to stop this killing and terrorism,” she said.

The Leader of the House informed that the BNP-led 20-party alliance has created an extreme anarchy in the country for 52 days since January 5. “Being blind with lust for power, they are killing working class people, innocent commoners including male, female and even children by burning,” she said.

As many as 101 people, Sheikh Hasina said, were already killed, mostly in petrol bombs, over the last 52 days after they came out of their houses for earning their bread. Besides, more than 1,000 people were critically injured in various subversive acts including petrol bomb attacks by the BNP-Jamaat clique, she said.

Sheikh Hasina said 1,173 vehicles were torched and vandalized by the BNP-Jamaat terrorists, who also set fire to six launches and carried out subversive acts on trains for 25 times. l

President Abdul Hamid hands over the KIB Krishi Padak 2015 at the Kirshibid Institution, Bangladesh yesterday

Dying Padma threatens to turn Boro lands barren  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

But in recent years, the flow has come down to as little as 15 feet deep during peak periods and no water during the dry season, they said.

Hedayet Ali, 60, a fisherman from Godagari, blamed the Farakka Barrage for the current sorry state of the river.

“We never had any problem before the Farakka Barrage was installed.”

Golam Rabbani, research fellow of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS), has been working on trans-boundary rivers in South Asia for a long time.

He said: “If the bilateral agreement signed in 1996 between Bangladesh and India was maintained properly, then the situation of groundwater in the Barind Tract would not have been this bad.”

One of the key provisions of the 1996 water sharing treaty says “if there is water,” India and Bangladesh will alternatively receive 35,000 cubic litre per second (cusec) over 10-day periods from March 11 to May 10 every year.

However, data from the Joint River Commission (JRC) shows that Bangladesh, the lower riparian country, have often been deprived off the projected volume during lean periods.

For example, Bangladesh received the

guaranteed volume in 2014, but the flow in 2008, 2009 and 2011 has been less.

Seeking anonymity, a JRC member said Bangladesh has been on the wrong side of the “if.”

Interestingly, some local officials of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said farmers and fishermen have exaggerated the shortage.

The Bangladesh Center for Advanced Studies (BCAS) has found in field studies conducted in Rajshahi and Pabna that “there is a divergence between the perspectives of local stakeholders and government officials regarding the volume of water in the river.”

Bangladesh and India have had many debates on how the Farakka Barrage on the Ganges – part of which is known as Padma in Bangladesh – cuts off Bangladesh’s water supply.

years ago, has now dropped to 160 feet.

Although one of the major crops in the country especially for ensuring food for people belonging to the low income groups, Boro is a difficult variety of paddy because it has to be grown in the dry season and it requires a lot of water.

According to a survey of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), usage of groundwater has increased drastically over last few decades.

In 1982-83, groundwater’s contribution to irrigation was 41%. In 2001-02, that climbed to as much as 75%.

Hydrology expert Ainun Nishat said groundwater level would not have gone down to such an alarming level if the adjacent Padma River and its tributary Mahananda had enough water during lean season.

Groundwater depths

In addition to the inadequate flow of water in Padma and Mahanda, the rainfall pattern in the Barind tract has also been causing groundwater layer to fall rapidly.

According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the average rainfall in the region during dry season, that is Janaury-March, is 3-5mm. During monsoon, that is June-August, the

Rainfall

Official data from the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) shows that underground water level, which was at a 64-feet depth in December 2008, has dropped to 97 feet in December 2013.

However, according to local Boro growers, the level of underground water which used to be at a 40-feet depth 15

Manna placed on a 10-day remand  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

expatriate Bangladeshi while the other between Manna and former DCC mayor and BNP leader Sadeq Hossain Khoka.

The leaked telephone conversations have already triggered massive controversy in the social networking websites and both news and electronic media.

A GD numbered 1469 was filed with Gulshan Police on February 23, the FIR reads. After the GD was filed, the investigation was handed over to Gulshan police station Sub-Inspector Sohel Rana who later filed the case accusing Manna and the expatriate Bangladeshi for plotting a conspiracy to bring down the government from power by instigating some current and ex-army officers.

Later, on February 24, Manna in different print and electronic media admitted to have had the conversations, the FIR reads.During conversation, Manna said that he is ready to talk with army officers to end the prevailing political crisis.

The unknown person offered Manna to arrange meetings between Manna and 12 out of 19 running officers with whom the caller had been in touch and Manna agreed, reads the case statement.

The unnamed person while calling on viber on February 22, any time before 11pm, also told Manna that if needed, he would be able to arrange a meeting with the army chief and Manna would receive a call around 12pm the next day.

Court orders Khaleda’s arrest  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

arrest last night were rife, the atmosphere around the BNP chief’s Gulshan office was quite normal as of 1:30am.

Meanwhile, a number of senior lawyers of Khaleda Zia held a meeting at TH Khan’s residence last evening. A source told the Dhaka Tribune that the lawyers discussed filing of an appeal with the High Court regarding the BNP chief’s arrest.

However, no decision could be learnt.

The BNP-Jamaat-led 20-party alliance has been observing non-stop transport blockade since January 6. Moreover, it was hartal yesterday.

“The prime accused, Khaleda Zia, so far appeared on only seven out of 63 dates [fixed for trial]. The court in its last order asked her to appear before it...she has been given enough time to follow the legal procedures,” Judge Md Abu Ahmed Jomadar said while passing the order for her arrest.

Khaleda last attended the trial proceedings on December 24, the day when clashes took place between police and supporters of the BNP and the ruling Awami League in Bakshibazar area.

On January 29, the judge fixed yesterday for hearing in the two cases and asked the BNP chief to appear before it.

Khaleda did not go to the court on January 15 claiming that she had been confined at her Gulshan office.

The two other accused facing arrest warrants are former BNP lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haq alias Econo Kamal and businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed. They are accused in the orphanage trust case.

The defence filed separate petitions

on their behalf seeking adjournment of the trial until the disposal of a writ petition, now pending with the High Court. The petition was filed expressing no-confidence on the judge.

The other accused in the orphanage trust case is Khaleda’s former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddique. He was present at the court yesterday.

The accused in charitable trust case are Khaleda’s former political secretary Harris Chowdhury (fugitive), his assistant personal secretary Ziaul Islam Munna and Sadeque Hossain Khoka’ former personal secretary Manirul Islam Khan.

Khaleda and her elder son Tarique Rahman are accused in both the cases.

The court yesterday also asked Sanaullah Mia, who is representing Tarique – also senior vice-chairman of the BNP, to produce his client before it on March 4, the next date in the cases.

Tarique has been staying in London since 2008 after acquiring parole for “treatment.”

Sanaullah later told the Dhaka Tribune that they would go to higher court against the arrest warrant.

The court was heavily guarded by police both in uniform and plain clothes when the order was passed.

Until filing of this report at 10pm, the arrest warrants did not reach Gulshan police station for Khaleda, Ramna police for Salimul and Cantonment police for Sharfuddin, police confirmed.

After issuing the order, the court completed recording the deposition of plaintiff Harun-or-Rashid, an Anti-Corruption

Manna’s version in court

Manna seeking cancellation of remand prayer told the court that the leaked conversation is incomplete as some of its part were dropped and distorted.

He appealed to the court to retrieve the complete conversation to know about what actually the conversation was.

Manna acknowledged that the person from the other end of the viber offered him to talk to military officials and in reply he agreed to do so.

Manna in the court questioned the capability of investigation officer saying that he doubted if the IO really understood his conversation.

Manna denied that he in his conver-

amount varies between 300mm and 350mm which is very small compared the country average.

Cost of Irrigation

“A few years ago, I used to spend Tk100 for an hour of irrigation and the water that I got was enough for a 1-bigha land.

But now, even three hours of irrigation cannot fetch the water that I need.

Clearly, irrigation costs have risen by around three times,” said Asharfaul Islam, a farmer from Chuniapara village in Tanore upazila of Rajshahi.

“The cost of producing Boro on my 3-acre land has at least doubled because of the increased cost of irrigation,” he added.

Although the government has been trying to popularise less irrigation-intensive crops such as wheat and maize, the farmers, who have been growing Boro paddy for ages, are reluctant about switching.

Rajendro Sarker, a farmer from the Mundulmala village in Rajshahi, said: “We cannot stop growing Boro because we know everything about this. Even if it requires huge volume of groundwater for irrigation, we cannot think about any alternative.” l

sation instigated murders on the Dhaka University campus saying that the allegation was incorrect.

At one stage Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu protested his statement and a pandemonium broke out in the court.

Later, Manna appealed to the court to grant him one or two hours for a televised speech so he could explain his position.

Manna further told the court that he was at 65 and had heart disease and unable to face a remand session. He urged the court to order for a general interrogation without remand.

However, the court rejecting his prayer granted a 10-day remand in police custody. l

Rumours rife over who will lead BNP movement  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Apart from that, Khaleda has also had a bitter experience with her party leaders as some conspired against her leadership during the army-backed caretaker government. Although many of them are back into the party fold, those leaders are presumably out of contention.

Meanwhile, there are rumours that the party’s Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman’s wife Zobaida Rahman, daughter of a former navy chief who served the military dictatorship of HM Ershad, might take over the BNP helm. But there is still confusion whether her emergence at this juncture would be appropriate.

Many senior leaders want Zobaida because of her clean image.

Party sources said Standing Committee member Tariqul Islam might be assigned to coordinate party activists and many senior leaders are in favour. There is also word that Tariqul will indeed coordinate the party but from behind the scene while another Standing Committee member, RA Gani, will be BNP’s public face. There is also a suggestion to form a small committee that will determine the party’s course of action.

During the army-backed caretaker government’s tenure of 2007-2008, no one was assigned to carry out the chairperson’s duty as there was no such provision in the party charter but in BNP’s sixth council held on December 8, 2009, the provision of an acting chairperson was included.

As per the party charter, the senior vice-chairman will act as the head in the absence of the chairperson.

Tarique Rahman, Khaleda’s elder son,

an account of the Zia Orphanage Trust.

Part of the money was transferred to different accounts, including that of Salimul, before finally being transferred to the account of Sharfuddin.

It was withdrawn from the account of Sharfuddin and was misappropriated, the case says. The investigator said they did not find existence of any such trust.

According to the charge sheet in the Zia Charitable Trust case, Khaleda and three others had collected Tk3.15 crore illegally from different sources, using the influence of the Prime Minister’s Office during the 2001-06 tenure of the BNP-led government, and withdrawn the money in an attempt to misappropriate it.

On March 19 last year, Basudev Roy, the immediate-past judge of the court, framed charges against Khaleda and eight others in the cases.

After the indictment, the defence filed no-confidence petitions with the High Court against Judge Basudev. The High Court upheld the indictment order rejecting the petitions on April 23 the same year.

The Supreme Court on November 24 cleared the way for the lower court to continue the trial proceedings rejecting her two other appeals challenging High Court decisions regarding acceptance of the charges and indictment.

Judge Jamadar was appointed in December as the government had transferred Judge Basudev to Patuakhali as a special judge. l

might accordingly take on his mother’s mantle but he is currently in London with little possibility of returning home. Further, Tarique apparently does not have good ties with the senior party leadership.

Party insiders said after the issuing of Khaleda’s arrest warrant, Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan spoke to district leaders over phone and directed them to continue the movement if Khaleda was arrested.

He also asked them to bring out processions protesting the arrest.

“The movement will continue on its own course even after the arrest of Khaleda Zia. We have said earlier that it will continue until the demands are met. It will not be possible to stop the movement merely by arresting Khaleda Zia,” Mahbubur Rahman, another Standing Committee member, said.

Asked who would be charged with running the party in Khaleda’s absence, he said: “Time will tell. Central leaders might decide on that or if the leader herself assigns someone then that will be it.”

Meanwhile, in a press release, Salahuddin Ahmed, BNP joint secretary general, said: “Any measure to arrest Khaleda Zia will further strengthen the movement to topple the government.”

Condemning the warrant, Salahuddin said the movement would continue until the demand for an election under a non-partisan government is met.

Khaleda Zia has been arrested seven times during military dictator HM Ershad’s regime in the 1980s and once during the regime of the army-backed caretaker government of 2007-08. l

No clue to Manna’s 20-hour disappearance  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

Commission deputy director, in Zia Orphanage Trust case.

Harun told the court that the then prime minister had misused power to embezzle the money of her official fund while the others including Tarique gained benefits.

During hearing on the petitions, ACC prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol sought legal action against Khaleda and the other accused. “The reason behind her repeated absence in the court on the scheduled dates is unacceptable.”

About Khaleda’s son, he told the court that Tarique’s counsel used to represent him in the case since he had gone abroad for treatment. “But now he is in good health. He could be asked to appear before the court.”

On January 15, Khaleda’s lawyers moved a “no-confidence” petition against the newly-appointed judge.

During yesterday’s hearing, another defence counsel AJ Mohammad Ali argued that the arrest warrant should not be issued since the no-confidence petition had been pending for disposal.

In the orphanage trust case, Khaleda and five others were charged with misappropriation of Tk2.1 crore after withdrawal of the amount from the trust fund between November 13, 1993 and March 28, 2007.

According to the charge sheet, a grant of $1.3m (around Tk4.45 crore at that time) was transferred from the United Saudi Commercial Bank to the Prime Minister’s Orphanage Fund on June 9, 1991.

The grant was later transferred to

PID

Manna’s sister-in-law Sultana Begum said in the GD that six to seven people identifying themselves as DB police took Manna away around 3:30am from her Banani residence.

Later, Meher Nigar told reporters that her husband went to his cousin’s house in Banani out of fear that he might be arrested. Police in plain clothes took him away without producing any arrest warrant, she said.

However, Commander Mufti Mahmud Khan, director of legal and media wing of RAB, said they had arrested Manna from in front of a restaurant in the capital’s Dhanmondi area between 10:30pm and 11pm on Tuesday night.

But the officials did not say anything about the 20 hours Manna had been missing.

Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of DB police, yesterday at a briefing said RAB handed over Manna to them after they picked him up from Dhanmondi area.

As he was asked about the complaint of Manna’s family that he was taken away by some people identifying themselves as law enforcers, Monirul said they had no answer to the question.

“A GD was filed in this connection by his family members and once investigation is over we would be able to know about where he actually was at that time,” said the joint commissioner.

On Monday, after the conversations got leaked, Manna expressed fears that

he might be arrested any time. So he took refuge at a relative’s house and that is where he had been picked up from, alleged Manna’s wife Meher Nigar.

Manna’s two telephonic conversations were made available on the internet on Monday by a number of online news portals.

One of them was with senior BNP leader and ex-Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka – who is now in the US – and the other with an unknown person.

Manna told Khoka that a few deaths in police or criminal action would not matter if Dhaka University students could be involved with the movement for toppling the government.

He suggested that if the BNP could engineer the take-over of some DU halls of residence in a confrontation, that it would shake the government.

In the other conversation, he seems to have hinted that he is ready to talk with army officers if they were to seek his opinion about remedying the prevailing political crisis.

Manna admitted that he had had these conversations but claimed that he had been misinterpreted.

Several leaders of the ruling Awami League – of which he is a former organising secretary – demanded his arrest on sedition charges.

Mahmudur Rahman Manna, along with eminent lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain, has been campaigning for a political dialogue between the Awami League and BNP to resolve the prevailing political stalemate. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Deal signed with Singapore-based firm for Moheshkhali LNG terminal

Senior lawyers not present during court ruling

n Aminur Rahman Rasel

n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

Five years after an initiative was launched to build a floating storage and re-gasification unit (FSRU), Petrobangla has finally signed an agreement with a Singapore-based firm to set up the country’s first FSRU - popularly known as LNG terminal.

Petrobangla and Excelerate Energy Limited Partnership signed the term sheet to set up the terminal at Moheshkhali island in the Bay of Bengal. The term sheet has been signed under the Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special Provision) Act 2015.

The move came after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, on January 14, approved a much talked-about proposal to build the terminal.

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

According to the term sheet, Petrobangla will pay 0.474 cents per million BTU (mmbtu) – a measure of the energy content in fuel – for the FSRU, under a

build-own-operate-transfer basis, for 15 years. Petrobangla would receive LNG within the range between 500 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) and 600mmcfd.

Petrobangla Secretary Shafiqur Rahman and Director (project origination) of Excelerate Energy Sampo Suvisaari signed the term sheet at Petro Centre in the city yesterday.

During the signing ceremony, Prime minister’s Energy Adviser Tawfiq-eElahi Chowdhury said the time had been delayed for the lack of experience and bringing in new technologies.

He said the price of LNG will be higher than that of the indigenous gas. But the appropriate cost would be extracted by using the LNG in productive works.

Present at the ceremony, Petrobangla Chairman Istiaque Ahmad told the Dhaka Tribune: “Excelerate Energy will conduct metocean study over weather and climate to determine which measures have to be taken in different weather conditions to maintain the terminal, geo-technical study and detailed engineering design.

“After metocean study, a terminal use agreement will be signed for 15 years following the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase.

“They [Excelerate] will set up the terminal within 16 months from the date of signing the final terminal use agreement.

The LNG storage capacity of the FSRU will be 138,000 cubic meter,” he said.

Petrobangla would pay the port service charges and tax on behalf of Excelerate Energy during the period, the Petrobangla chairman said.

After the signing ceremony, Excelerate’s Sampo Suvisaari said: “Astra Oil and Excelerate Energy consortium has got the work order to install LNG terminal and they will be named as Excelerate Energy Limited Partnership. Within two or three month we will start a metocean study and it will be completed within nine months.

“Excelerate Energy would have to invest $500m for infrastructure cost and other expenses to set up the terminal by taking loan from International Finance Corporation,” he added.

A Petrobangla official said that once

the terminal is set up, the government would have to import LNG from Qatar or other countries by paying $16-$18 per unit.

After assuming office in 2009, the Awami league-led government during its last tenure decided to import LNG to feed the national grid by 500mmcfd from 2013.

Separately, state-owned Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL) moved to lay a 91km Moheshkhali-Anowara gas transmission pipeline to carry re-gasified LNG from the terminal to shore.

In 2010, Petrobangla issued pre-qualification for terminal development process to find suitable investors.

Considering the country’s ongoing and future gas crisis, Petrobangla took the initiative to install the LNG terminal.

The terminal will help easy off-loading of imported LNG containers by ships and transmit LNG into the national gas system.

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

ARREST WARRANT AGAINST KHALEDA

Most of the senior lawyers representing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia were not present in the court when a judge issued an arrest warrant against her yesterday.

Only four defence counsels were present at the court yesterday However, soon after news spread that the court had ordered law enforcers to arrest the BNP chief, pro-BNP lawyers rushed to the court of Special Judge Court 3 – which has been set up temporarily in the capital’s Bakshibazar area.

The number of pro-BNP lawyers present during yesterday’s court proceedings was far lower than other usual days of proceedings for the Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases.

Only four defence counsels were present at the court yesterday, even

though previous instances have even seen a large number of pro-BNP lawyers getting locked in heated altercations with the prosecution or creating unpleasant situations in the court protesting court orders against their party chief.

The senior lawyers were reportedly busy yesterday at the Dhaka Bar Association election held at the Dhaka Judges Court. Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, a number of defence lawyers said they could not assume that such an order for arrest would be delivered yesterday.

For the first time yesterday, advocate Sanaullah Miah – instead of Khaleda’s Adviser Khandoker Mahbub Hossain who is also the president of Supreme Court Bar Association – filed the non-appearance and time petitions on behalf of the BNP chief, citing security reasons.

After being notified of the arrest warrant, Khandoker Mahbub along with another senior lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali rushed to the court. The senior lawyers then expressed their concerns to the media on the court premises. l

Left alone, 4 years old killed in slum fire n Mohammad Jamil Khan A four-year-old boy was killed, a woman sustained injuries while at least 70 shanties burnt to ashes after a fire broke out at a slum adjacent to the Islamic Foundation office in the capital’s Agargaon yesterday.

Asma Begum, mother of the deceased named Sajib, said she had gone to a nearby shanty leaving him inside the house sleeping. Seeing the fire that broke out around 11:25am she came back but found her shanty burnt down.

Sajib’s grandmother Anwara Begum said she had been with the boy when the fire originated. “I came out of the house with some valuables but totally forgot about Sajib.”

Father of the victim Tuhin Shaikh, who is a broker at the Agargaon Passport Office, and sister Akhi were not at home at the time of fire.

Enayet Hossain, officer-in-charge of Fire Service and Civil Defence Control Room, told the Dhaka Tribune that 11 fire-fighting units rushed to the spot after the fire had broken out.

“The fire fighters were able to bring the fire under control around 12:05pm and doused it within the next one hour,” Rafiqul Islam, assistant director of fire service and civil defence, told the Dhaka Tribune adding that around

70 shanties were gutted in the fire.

In primary inspection, they came to know that the fire originated from a kitchen stove, he said.

However, a slum dweller named Shakhawat Adil, who also witnessed the incident, claimed that 100-150 houses had been damaged in the fire.

“The fire spread quickly since the shanties, built in a congested manner, were made of bamboo and wood.”

There are over 300 shanties in the slum, according to locals.

Police later sent Sajib’s body to Dhaka Medical College for a post mortem examination.

The Disaster Management and Relief Ministry gave Sajib’s family Tk20,000 and an injured woman Tk5,000.

There were no reports of casualty except for the two since most of the slum dwellers had been staying outside, GG Biswas, OC of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Soon after the incident, local lawmaker Jahangir Kabir Nanak visited the spot.

Mohammad Abdul Wazed, director general of the Disaster Management Department, told the Dhaka Tribune that they would provide Tk3,000 and 20kg rice to each of the affected families around 11am today. The compensation would be provided by the district administration, he added. l

Fire-fighters try to douse flames at a slum near Islamic Foundation in Dhaka’s Agargaon area yesterday

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Cabinet committee approves fuel oil import for January-June ‘15

Russian firm to Facebook post of Myanmar conduct Rooppur Air Force taken down engineering survey mar Air Force.” n Tribune Report According to a report, the page also n Aminur Rahman Rasel n Tribune Report A photo post shared by the national claimed that Bangladesh was helping Orgenergostroy, a Russia-based company, has won the tender to conduct engineering survey, monitor the environment, and develop project documents for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant site.

The tender was floated by Atomenergoproekt, a sister concern of Russia’s state nuclear corporation – Rosatom – and an engineering company in December last year on their procurement website, said a press release of Rosatom yesterday.

The initial contract value is $18.2m including 18% VAT, while the work is expected to be completed by September 15 this year.

The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, under the Science and Technology Ministry, will implement the project. Final construction of the project is expected to start next year.

Orgenergostroy carries out various types of work related to project design, survey, construction, research and development, technology and implementation for electric utilities including nuclear power plants, coal power plants, hydro powerplants and overhead power lines, oil and gas complex, oil transportation and other power and industry facilities.

Atomenergoproekt is a general contractor for designing and construction of the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant 2 in Russia, while the Kudankulam plant in India and Akkuyu plant in Turkey are also under construction based on Atomenergoproekt design. The company is the designer of Belene nuclear plant project in Bulgaria. l

Facebook page of Myanmar Air Force that triggered ire among the Bangladeshi citizens has been taken down.

The photo showing a South Asia regional map with Bangladesh as part of Myanmar was posted on the Facebook page on February 20. Its caption said Bangladesh should be the part of a future “Myanmar empire.”

However, at 8pm Wednesday, the photo was not found in the same address.

Myanmarese national daily Burma Times acknowledged the page as the “national Facebook page of the Myan-

terrorists to securing independence in the Arakan state (the former name of Rakhine state), dominated by Rohingya Muslims.

The photo post also urged the Myanmarese people to strike Bangladesh before it was too late.

The post had got more than 500 likes and shared by over 1,200 people before it was taken down – either by the page admin or the Facebook authorities.

Protesting the act, many Bangladeshis, mainly youths, had commented on the post and the page harshly. l

The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase has approved the proposal of importing fuel oil from 10 foreign companies to meet the country’s oil demand for the first half of the year.

The committee gave its nod to the proposal yesterday, placed by the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, at a meeting that was presided over by Finance Minister AMA Muhith.

Addressing reporters following the meeting, Cabinet Division Joint Secretary Mahfuzur Rahman said Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), the country’s lone oil importer and distributor, will import 1.9 million

tonnes of refined diesel, petroleum, kerosene, jet fuel and furnace oil at the cost of Tk7,523.23 crore for the period of January to June, aiming to cover the country’s total demand of 2.703 million tonnes of oil.

He furhter said the premium of the imported furnace oil, diesel, petroleum and kerosene would be reduced from the previous premium, which was set for the July-December period last year, owing to the sharp drop of oil price globally.

During the six-month period, the projected demand for the oils is 1,725,000 tonnes of diesel, 610,000 tonnes of furnace oil, 145,000 tonnes of kerosene, 160,000 tonnes of jet fuel,

and 63,000 tonnes of petrol.

According to the proposal, the government will procure 30,000 tonnes of petroleum from Turkish Petroleum International Company under government-to-government purchase.

The other suppliers are Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, UAE-based Emirates National Oil Company, PT Bumi Siak Pusako of Indonesia, The Philippines’ PNOC Exploration Corporation, Petrochina International (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Brunei’s PB Trading Sendirian Berhad, Malaysia’s PETCO Trading Labuan Company Ltd, China’s Unipec Singapore Pte Ltd and Vietnam’s Petrolimex Singapore PTE Ltd. l

Youth, claimed a robber by police, beaten dead by mob in Jessore n Our Correspondent, Jessore A youth, who was claimed by police to be a robber, was lynched to death in Jessore on early yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Dollar, 27, son of late Moslemuddin of Jessore city’s Ashram Road area.

Sakhina Begum, the mother of the youth, said some local people named Golam Mostafa, Zakir, Faruk and others picked up Dollar from his house on Tuesday night. After an hour or so, she was informed about his death in a hospital.

She claimed that her son was killed because of previously rivalry.

Sakhina Begum further said the

same people on February 22 entered the house forcefully at midnight and beat up her another son Polash, who was subsequently handed over to the police.

When contacted Golam Mostafa denied the allegation and said: “Some members of a local peace committee caught Dollar and his associates red handed while he was preparing to commit crime in front of Bejpara Ansar camp. After an initial beating they were handed over to police, who admitted Dollar to a hospital. He died there after an hour.”

He alleged that Dollar and his family were well known in the area for their criminal activities.

“A week ago, some robbers entered

the house of Madina Bakery owner Mizanur Rahman in Ashram Road and looted Tk5 lakh, gold and other valuables. Mizanur Rahman later filed a case accusing Dollar in this connection,” he said.

Officer in-Charge (investigation) Kotwali police station Sheikh Gani Mia said Dollar was a listed criminal. There are seven cases of murder, robbery and possession of illegal arms and explosives against him.

Meanwhile, locals claimed that Golam Mostafa was also known as a smuggler and ran a gang of which Dollar was a member. Recently Dollar left his group and became associated with his rivals. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Private investment, policy development can uplift social enterprises n Munir Momtaj Bangladesh needs to promote innovative finance model for social enterprises to unlock investment from the private sector, said Durreen Shahnaz, managing director of Shujog, a social enterprise.

She spoke at a programme titled “Social Enterprise: policy and practice” organised by British Council Bangladesh in partnership with Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation at Bangabandhu International Conference Center yesterday.

“We need private investment to develop social enterprises,” said Shahnaz adding the country also needs policy support to develop such enterprises.

Rokia Afzal Rahman, Bangladesh Federation of Women Entrepreneurs, said: “We live in a very unfair and unjust world, where most wealth and money is owned by a few people and the rest are in poverty. Bangladesh has many rich people who are becoming richer day by day. On the other hand we also have the extreme poor. In this situation it makes sense to talk about social enterprises. Where commercial enterprises help rich people become

Robber killed in Mirsarai mob beating

n Tribune Report

An alleged robber was beaten to death by a mob at Bariakhali village of Mirsarai upazila in Chittagong yesterday.

The deceased was Belal Hossain, 28, son of Nurul Alam of Rahmatabad area of the upazila.

Mirsarai police station Sub-Inspector Safiqul Islam said locals chased a gang robbers when they were trying to flee by a truck loaded with nine cattle on Tuesday night. Earlier, the gang robbed the cattle from Bamansundorer Chara area under Mithanala Union, reports our CU correspondent.

The villagers intercepted the truck on Dhaka-Chittagong highway in the area and caught Belal red handed, he said.

The angry mob gave Belal a good beating, leaving him critically injured and torched the truck, he added.

Police rescued the youth and rushed him to the upazila heath complex where doctors declared him dead, the SI said.

The body was sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Jorarganj police station Nazmul Hasan said the truck was taken to the custody of the police station, reports our Mirsarai correspondent.

While chasing the truck, a villager, Hurunur Rashid,42, was also injured. l

Jubo League man killed

n FM Mizanur Rahaman A Jubo League activist was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in Chittagong’s Raozan upazila yesterday.

The deceased is Md Shahid, 35, said Raozan police OC Pradip Kumar Das. However, the reason behind the killing could not be ascertained immediately and no arrest was made in this connection, the OC continued.

He added that miscreants started firing on Shahid behind a shop in the area around 4pm and fled the scene soon after the incident, leaving him dead.

The body of Shahid who was hit with bullets in the head and chest - was sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital morgue for an autopsy. l

richer, social enterprises help the poor to overcome poverty.

She added: “We have very good examples of social enterprises in Bangladesh. For instance, Aarong, a fashion retailer, empower women in rural areas. The profit from their work is reinvested on education and health.

“Social enterprises are very important to bring the country out of poverty. We need policy support from the government to move forward.”

Muhammad A (Rumee) Ali, director of Brac Bank, said: “We need a model for social business enterprises that can change the world and bring welfare for the society through minimising the gap between rich and poor. Bangladesh needs a change in strategy to develop social enterprises.”

Dan Gregory, head of policy of Social Enterprise UK, said: “The government gives 30 percent tax benefit to social enterprises investors and should now provide some policy support to develop these enterprises.”

Deputy British High Commissioner Mark Clayton said: “Social enterprises help create jobs and solve social problems.

Such enterprises are important for Bangladesh as they empower women.” l

News

Thursday, February 26, 2015

EC introduces online application system n Munir Momtaj The Election Commission yesterday introduced an online application system which aims to make new registrations and correction of wrong details in NIDs easier.

The online system will allow new voters an opportunity to enroll their names on the voter list and also apply for a new national identity card, if lost, among other services.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad officially inaugurated the online voter registration service at the EC secretariat auditorium.

The online application system can be accessed at www.ec.org.bd or https://services.nidw.gov.bd While talking to journalists, the CEC said: “The service will continue uninterrupted and we will make the system more user friendly in the near future.”

Rakibuddin said: “Using this system, citizens can avail six new facilities which will allow new voters to apply for registration, registered voters to recheck personal information and voting center, apply for changing incorrect details, take an appointment to change incorrect details and renew the NID and if any voter loses their NID, they can apply to the commission for a new NID card.”

Brig Gen Sultanuzzaman Md Saleh Uddin, director general national identity registration wing, said “Citizens have to take an appointment for changing their incorrect information and this appointment will be given automatically by first come first serve basis.”

“We will give appointments to 500 people everyday,” he added. l

Commuters suffer as police bar vehicular movement on the otherwise busy road of the Kamaruzzaman intersection in Rajshahi yesterday following a demonstration and protest procession brought out by the Railway Station District Bus Stand and Dhaka Bus Stand AZAHAR UDDIN

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Thursday, February 26, 2015

KCC renovation work stalled for political turmoil n Our Correspondent, Khulna The repair work of 20 major roads of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) are disrupted due to the on going countrywide blockade and hartals enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.

Contractors said they usually hire various equipment and machinery needed for the road repair work from the city corporation. But KCC has not been renting out its expensive machines fearing arson and vandalism.

Moreover, they are also not being able to bring the machines from other parts of the country. Hence they cannot but suspend the repair work and face huge loss due to delay.

According to the city corporation sources, renovation of 59 roads under KCC began under an infrastructure development project in 2014-2015 fiscal year. 20 roads were supposed to be repaired within January 2015 according to the plan.

However, the political violence that ensued from January 6 has stalled the work causing immense public sufferings.

The repair work of Shiekh Para main road and improvement of sewerage began in September, 2014. The 3-month

work has not been completed even after five months.

Masud Parvez Babu, a businessman of the area, said all the digging and drilling work had left the road unusable.

This has caused untold miseries for the residents and businesses of the area.

The Northkhal Bank road was dug up in June, 2014. The road was supposed to be paved within January but it is still lying in a tattered condition as the contractor is yet to get the required machinery from the KCC. The other important roads which were supposed to be completed within January are BK Rai, Jabbar Sarani, Crescent School, Jute Mill main road and Daulatpur boundary road.

General Secretary Taslim Ahmed Pasha of Kallyan Samity and also a contractor for KCC said he could not get machines from KCC due to the blockade. He was also not able to bring bitumen and other necessary goods for repairing the road.

Md Nazmul Islam, acting chief engineer for KCC, said they were trying to devise strategies to make up for the lost time. “All the contractors are asked to finish their work within March. We are also trying to alleviate the sufferings of people as much as we can.” l

With placards carrying slogans like ‘we don’t want bombs, we want to study,’ students of Segun Bagicha School form a human chain in front of the National Press Club yesterday calling to stop the ongoing hartal and blockade programme MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Call to save children from political unrest n Tribune Report

Save the Children has urged the government and all political parties to protect children from the ongoing political violence and to give them a chance to sit for exams.

Save the Children, an international organisation that works with children worldwide, also expressed deep concerns at the impact of the ongoing political unrest and violence on children in Bangladesh.

A press release sent by Save the Children says that several children have been killed and injured as a result of arson attacks on transport vehicles, crude bomb attacks, and other forms of violence.

Michael McGrath, country director of Save the Children in Bang-

ladesh, said in the press release: “From the beginning of this year, until February 12, 11 children have been killed and a further 12 have been injured due to hartal/blockade-related violence. Children have also been used in rallies and attacks on transport.”

In addition, he claimed, the current political tension has had a major impact on children’s education, as schools have largely been closed from Sunday to Thursday for the last one-and-half months. All children have missed classes, and many have had their exams rescheduled.

“Beyond the immediate impact on safety, health, and wellbeing, we are apprehensive about the psychological impact of the violence on children. Research indicates that

children who live in a climate of fear can change in a number of ways as a result of that exposure to violence,” he said.

McGrath further said studies have found that persistent fear and the neurophysiological adaptations to this fear can alter the development of the child’s brain, resulting in changes in physiological, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and social functioning.

“It is well known that children raised in a consistently violent environment are much more likely to be violent,” he added.

He, however, said: “Young children exposed to chronic violence may also ‘tune out’ as a self-preservation strategy. If they lose hope in mainstream political processes, they may

even turn to more extreme elements.

“Save the Children strongly feels that the key actors involved in the current crisis are not doing enough to avoid harming children. Sadly, there seems to be indifference to the safety and wellbeing of children.”

The Save the Children country director remarked that in Bangladesh children are highly valued. We cannot imagine that any person would want children to suffer, either directly or indirectly, he added.

“We therefore appeal to all parties to the current conflict to make their top priority the protection of the physical and psychological health, and ensuring access to educational opportunities for the children of this great country,” said McGrath in the press release. l

Cuta: Cancel Manna’s CU graduation certificate n CU Correspondent Chittagong University Teachers Association (Cuta) yesterday called for the cancellation of Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s graduation certificate from Chittagong University (CU), following his recent controversial phone calls.

According to our CU correspondent, Cuta President Professor Benu Kumar Dey and General Secretary Professor Mustafizur Rahman Siddique made the demand in a signed press statement addressed to CU authorities.

DRY WEATHER THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26 DHAKA

TOMORROW SUN RISES 6:24AM

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Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

22 20 18 19 18 19 18 19

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

33.3ºC Patuakhali

15.8ºC Sitakunda

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PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

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exemplary sentence given to him.

On Tuesday, a section of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) of the CU unit erased Mahmudur Rahman Manna from the name chart of CUCSU leaders because he called for corpses at the university during his controversial phone call with BNP leader Sadek Hossain Khoka.

Mahmudur Rahman Manna was a student of the Economics department at CU and was elected as general secretary (GS) of CUCSU polls in 1972, at the second cabinet on behalf of JSD.

Meanwhile, our Dhaka University (DU) correspondent adds that DU students burnt an effigy of the Students of Dhaka University (DU) yesterday burnt the effigy of Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna following the controversial leaked conversation.

A short rally was held later in the afternoon, under the banner of “General students of DU,” in front of the DUCSU collection center of the university, in which at least 300 students of various DU departments took part. l

Forest officer suspended over hill-cutting in Mirsarai

WEATHER

TODAY SUN SETS 5:59PM

The statement said Manna had plotted a conspiracy, under the guise of democracy, while also instigating the army to take over state power for his own nefarious interests.

“Cuta is ashamed to acknowledge that Manna was a CU student, when all he wants is corpses at the university in order to topple the government,” said Cuta leaders, adding that CU teachers want Manna’s certificate to be cancelled immediately in a bid to free the university from disgrace.

They also called for immediate legislative action against him and an

SourceL IslamicFinder.org

n Our Correspondent, Mirsarai The Forest Department suspended a forest officer on Monday for hill-cutting, unsanctioned by the department, at Mirsarai upazila in Chittagong.

Sources said the accused, Jahangir Alam, forest beat officer in Jorarganj area, was constructing a car park area by cutting a hill near the Mahamaya project in Durgapur area in the upazila even though the government had already allocated land for said car park.

Jahangir and his subordinate officials allegedly aimed to usurp the government land, which is why they took up cutting the hill near Mahamaya without taking sufficient safety measures, the sources said.

Locals complained that the forest officials have absolutely no regards for the safety of the people living in the area. “There was a huge landslide a day ago from the side of the hill they are cutting.

It is lucky that there was no one near the site at the time it happened, otherwise a number of lives would be lost,” said Saiful Islam, local grocer.

The Forest Department eventually took action against Jahangir after receiving several complaints from the locals.

“The department did not authorise any such hill cutting in that area. The Chittagong district forest conservator, MA Khalek, is already taking strict measures to deal with this matter. Jahangir was suspended from duty. Also, a five-member probe committee, headed by Sitakunda Botanical Garden Director Yasin Newaz, has been formed to investigate this matter,” said Mohammad Hossain, assistant forest conservator at North Chittagong, when

the Dhaka Tribune contacted him.

However, locals claimed that it was actually the forest range officer of Mirsarai who was directing Jahangir, his subordinate, to cut the hill.

The Dhaka Tribune contacted the forest range officer in question, Muktaruzzaman in this regard, who said he would talk later and then turned his mobile phone off.

The Dhaka Tribune also contacted Jahangir for comment, who said it was a wrong number. However, the Dhaka Tribune verified with several local forest officials who said the number was correct. l

Son beats father to death n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

A son has allegedly beat his father to death over land dispute in Bijoynagar under Godagari upazila of Rajshahi yesterday.

The dead Sharif Uddin, 65, had two wives.

His two sons from first wife – Saif and Sujan – beat him up on Tuesday morning leaving him injured. He was taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. After taking primary treatment, Sharif was taken back home the same day.

Quoting locals, Godagari police station Officer-in-Charge SM Abu Forhad said yes-

terday morning Saif and his father locked into a quarrel again over building a house on their family land. Saif wanted to build the house which Sharif had opposed.

At one point, Saif pushed his father on the ground and started beating him with sticks.

Around 11am Sharif succumbed to his injuries at home, said the OC. He added that Sharif was suffering from old-age complications. His body was sent to RMCH morgue for autopsy and Saif was arrested from his home following a case filed

by Sharif’s second wife. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Burn patients suffer on floor of Comilla Medical n Our Correspondent, Comilla With only 18 beds, the burn unit of Comilla Medical College is witnessing a flow of arson victims everyday.

A scarcity of bed, physicians, intensive care unit, trained staff as well as an operation theatre has added to the woe of patients.

CMC burn unit is the only unit of its kind operating in greater districts of Comilla and Noakhali.

Patients with burn injuries who need to be kept in a hygienic environment are lying on the floor of the unit.

Critical patients are shifting to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital in cases.

During the ongoing political unrest, a number of people are falling victims to the petrol bomb attacks in the district. On February 3, a bus came under petrol bomb attack in Chauddagram upazila of Comilla that left eight dead and 11 injured. The injured who were admitted to the CMC burn unit were later transferred to Dhaka because of

the shortage of beds.

Sources in CMC said everyday, on an average, 35 patients are admitted to the unit which has 18 beds. Half of the patients are lying on the floor.

On a visit to the unit, it was found that a number of patients were lying on the floor. The air was heavy with malodour.

Ranuara Begum came to the unit with her five-year-old son Ibrahim.

Ibrahim had injuries to his legs and one hand.

Ranuara said: “We are getting the medicine, however, it is difficult to stay on the floor.”

Director of Comilla Medical College Hospital Dr Habib Abdullah Sohel said: “The posts for professor and associate professor in the unit was vacant. We do not have trained manpower. An ICU is a must in a burn unit. The OT is also very small.”

He said higher authorities were informed to increase the standard of treatment in the unit. l

A potato farmer employs his cattle to dig out the new potatoes of the season. Others are busy collecting and packing the potatoes to be sent to cold storages for distribution across the country. The photo was taken in Darusha area under Poba upazila of Rajshahi yesterday AZAHAR UDDIN

Narsingdi textile industry battered by political unrest

Ferry service on ShimuliaKawrakandi halted for 5 hours

n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi

Normalcy in the ferry services on Shimulia-Kawrakandi route returned after about a five-hour of disruption yesterday. Sources at Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) said unusual dense fog on the Padma river led to the interruption around 4am,

The textile industry in Narsingdi is going through a hardship as production in the sector has declined to a great extend due to the non-stop blockade and hartals enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.

Production in the sector has fallen to around half than the usual which is causing frustration among owners and labourers of the district which is densely industrial area and home to many textile mills.

On one side, owners of the garment factories are not being able to market and export their produces while on the other side, labourers are passing days amid acute hardship as they are not getting payment for the last two months.

According to Narsingdi Chamber of Commerce and Industries, there are 1,500 textile mills operating in the district. Of those, production in about 1,000 textile mills have remained suspended for the ongoing political unrest.

A number of owners lamented over

the fact that due to the non-stop blockade and hartals that had been continuing for about last two months, production has received a shattering blow.

Supply of necessary raw materials is at a halt. Very few of the factories are still operating with limited materials, however, the produced goods are lying unsold.

Labourers are counting days in fear of becoming unemployed any time as many owners are winding up their businesses after incurring grave losses.

Abdul Baten, floor in-charge of Momin Textile Mill which is located in Chouwala area, said: “Earlier we used to work in two shifts, but now we are working in one shift as many work orders have been cancelled by clients.

Thus, our income has also decreased.”

Momin Mia, a labourer of the factory, told the Dhaka Tribune that as their income have reduced, he with his family were passing days in hardship.

The owners are neither being able to pay their workers nor meet charges for gas, electricity and repay their bank loans.

Md Nannu Ali Khan, general secretary of Chouwala Textile Industries Owners’ Association, said: “Many have closed down their factories, as to keep the business going, we need to import raw materials and export the produced goods. None are being possible at the moment for the non-stop hartals and blockades. The factory owners are falling deeper and deeper into debts while workers are suffering for not getting paid.”

Director of Mystic Home Textile Bangladesh Md Mobarok Hossain said: “Buyers are cancelling orders for the ongoing political restlessness in the country. If the situation continues, we have no other way than shutting down the factories.”

President of Narsingdi Chamber of Commerce and Industries Abdullah Al Mamun said the little amount of clothes produced in limited arrangements are lying in piles.

He convened the political parties to call off the hartals and blockades for smooth run of the garment industry and over all economy of the country. l

Indiscriminate stone lifting posing great threat to water sources n Our Correspondent, Bandarban Thousands of people living in Bandarban of Chittagong Hill Tracts are facing an acute crisis of safe drinking water as the sources are being destroyed by rampant stone lifting.

Various streams and springs that run along the hilly regions of Bandarban have been the traditional sources of water for the residents. Rolling stones of these streams usually play a crucial role in purifying the water and thus making it suitable for everyday use.

The indigenous people depend solely on these natural sources of water for drinking, cooking, washing, bathing and irrigation. The wild animals, birds etc. are also very much dependent on these. Moreover, the streams provide fish as a source of nutritional needs to communities.

However, due to unchecked stone lifting by powerful syndicate in the district, these streams are fast dying, becoming polluted and unsafe for use.

This has already resulted in excessive soil erosion and scarcity of water affecting livelihoods of people in Bandarban.

Locals said Bandarban Sadar, Rowangchhari, Ruma, Thanchi, Ali Kadam and Lama are the main sources of collecting stones in the district.

Stones are amassed not only from the streams and springs, but also from the hills by using explosives. These stones are then crushed and distributed across the country making it a very profitable business.

Mokbul Ukil of Tankabati union of Bandarban Sadar, Abul Bashar of Rowangchhari upazila, Organisational Secretary of Baghmara Awami League (AL) Mozammel Haque Bahadur, Kamal Driver of Ruma, AL leader Mong Thowai Mya Roni of Thanchi, Lama’s AL leader Zahirul Islam, Md Abul Kal-

Stones collected from the natural streams running along the Ali Kadam-Thanchi road are piled up before being crushed and sold DHAKA TRIBUNE am of Ali Kadam and many others have been named by the locals as involved in stone lifting business.

On assurance of anonymity, some Union Parishad chairmen said the ruling party men had been illegally collecting stones in collaboration with the administration.

Though it is illegal to collect stones without permission from the deputy commissioner, some contractors have been doing so showing complete disregard to any regulation.

Headmen, local leaders and residents of 287 Toino, 288 Ali Kadam, 290 Mangu and 291 Toinfa signed two formal complaints to the CHT ministry and deputy commissioner on October 20 and November 18 of last year.

They alleged that the contractors in charge of constructing Thanchi road had been illegally lifting stones in the name of the project.

Vice-Chairman of Ali Kadam Upazila Kainthop Mro said if the stone lifting at various points of Ali Kadam-Thanchi road was not stopped immediately,

the environment could face a serious disaster.

This will also adversely affect the water supply of local Mro people.

Resident of Pamia locality Ray Young Mro said their area had no source of safe drinking water. Locals used to collect water from the natural streams, which are now polluted due to stone lifting and subsequent soil erosion.

General Secretary of Human Rights Commission, Bandarban Ruhul Amin said the indigenous people of various areas were living a miserable life due to water scarcity. “If the natural sources of water are destroyed, not only the people but also the environment will face dire consequences,” he added.

When contacted, Deputy Commissioner of Bandarban Mizanul Haque Chowdhury acknowledged the issue and said Upazila Nirbahi Officers were already ordered to take steps against illegal stone lifters.

However, locals demanded more proactive and visible actions to put an end to illegal sand lifting immediately. l

n

Our Correspondent, Munshiganj

causing about 300 vehicles got stuck on both sides of the busy ghat.

BIWTA Manager (commerce) Sirajul Hoque acknowledged the incident, the buoy lights were noticed around 8:45am as the fog disappeared.

Besides, the disruption in the service caused 2km tailback from Shimulia ghat to Mawa intersection. l

Land office gutted n Our Correspondent, Natore A fire gutted office equipments and documents at Natore Sadar upazila land office early yesterday in the city’s Rajbari area. It orginated from an electric short-circuit and caused an estimated loss of over Tk2 lakh.

Abdur Rouf, station master of Natore fire service, said they were informed by the land office guards after smoke started coming out from the office. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Special

7

Thursday, February 26, 2015

The MannaLeaks

Here are the edited selections from the transcript of Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s conversations with Sadeque Hossain Khoka and the unknown individual

‘How long will they take to get hot? What more can happen?’

Unknown: Yes brother, tell me, what is the news?

Manna: By news ... you mean from the country. It is heading somewhere. Relative public support is going towards the BNP. But things are not moving forward.

U: You have not managed to polarise.

M: I do not think that will be possible.

U: Yes, it will not be. But it is that, the Uttarpara is getting hotter.

M: How long will they take to get hot?

What more can happen?

U: The support was not there.

M: No. But now there is.

U: Now it seems, on one side. You still have the contacts, right, brother?

M: No, I do not have contact with anyone.

U: Would you like to?

M: Hmm? U: Would you like to? Do you want me to call you?

M: First I need to at least understand the matter.

20150214_RajibDhar_7161.jpg

‘Two or three might fall in the fighting in the university. What can you do?’

Manna: You must have got the news from that end, that we have had talks along with Tuku Bhai.

Khoka: Yes. I got a phone call a little earlier, told me about the discussions that were held with you.

M: Now the thing is that it cannot be said what will happen in the end.

But it can be seen that the diplomats and the others have taken enough initiatives.

K: Yes. Some of the initiatives can be seen.

M: Then again, there are changes in the perspective of the neighbours as well. I have been receiving some news.

What is needed now is going to the field. I can understand your problem although I can see that you are trying.

I organised a program in Suhrawardy.

Now I think this program should have a continuity. Because the foreign diplomats are also emphasising on this, the opposition should be allowed to hold meetings and rallies. It should not be barred. There is a pressure on the government as well. I can do this.

Let us see how far we can go.

K: Actually, the leaders and activists that we have at the district and lower levels, it has been a month and a half.

They are getting exhausted. Now how long can we continue this? Then again, I do not see any alternative to doing this.

M: This must continue for a few more days. Khoka Bhai, what I am trying to say is ...

K: What is your opinion? We should continue this for a few more days, shouldn’t we?

M: But what I want to say for which I called you is that now there is a gray or void area here in the middle where we should get down to. By we I mean ... the position of CPB or the others is very fascinating. A lot on that side and a bit on this side. So, it means that whatever number of people we have, that will be all. Then again there are hesitations as well. But we need to get the others with us. The program I organised at Suhrawardy Udyan charged the others up quite a bit. Because

public response was good. Compared to us it was good.

K: We sent some of our activists.

M: Yes, yes, they went there. We communicated. On top of that, if they understand that their participation can benefit democratic movement and the participation can be much bigger.

That did not happen. It happened but not to a great extent.

--M: It seems that the prime minister has an allergy about me. She thinks that I am getting all these things done from inside. Otherwise, Dr Kamal and the citizens could not have done this.

You see, so many people have been killed by petrol bombs, but still despite all the propaganda a pro-movement pro-opposition way of thinking has developed among people. People are suffering, getting annoyed, they do not feel good. But still, people are not saying that the BNP is doing something wrong.

--K: One thing is that despite all the local and international pressure, the government is not taking any initiative for a dialogue.

M: No, no, Khoka Bhai, please say what you wanted to. But your tone has to be different. You should say that you are not going to do any violence.

Khoka: What is your opinion? We should continue this for a few more days, shouldn’t we?

It is your Viber, that is why I am talking. Otherwise I feel scared to talk.

I have been told from different places that I should be careful. If they get me in a favourable condition, then I will be in trouble. So I am trying to be a little careful.

K: I would have called you up myself because we are a little hesitant and confused about our program. What should we do with this?

M: I think that the United Nations, European Union, US ambassador -- consider their words carefully -- it seems that they are trying to say something.

It is now clear that a dialogue has to take place. The opposition should be given a democratic atmosphere.

Violence has to stop. It is your job, you will have to do it, otherwise you will suffer. Now is this just some words?

If the Indians get involved then a wind of change will blow. You cannot withdraw this. Rather you can try harder.

We have been pushed to such a difficult situation. This is an illegal government. Unelected government. We are not challenging its authority. We just said that you are doing a mistake, get it corrected.

That is why we are doing this movement. That too they are trying to foil.

In that context, you can raise the issue of all those extra-judicial killings.

Then you can say that it is a rightful movement. There is no question of backing away from this movement.

This problem can be solved if the government initiates a dialogue, if it talks, this can be a realistic solution to this. Your tone should not sound that you are on the back foot. Now I am seeing the statements issued by Mr Salahuddin, these are fine.

--M: If needed, we will tell everyone to build a social resistance. But that does not mean that you will do crossfire and kill everyone. You do not have

that right either.

--K: Some districts are I think a little annoyed. Let us say that running this movement, every day a lot of work needs to be done. One man ... arrest and oppression ... staying in hideout, doing this and that, then doing activities again ... supplying this and that ... these are becoming a little ... you know ...

M: Hmm. You will not be given that easily. But if we can organise one or two big programs. There will be a breakthrough. Then you will be able to follow us and work on your own.

--M: Let us say a procession is brought out in the university. Say, the kind of fighting that is going on outside. Two or three might fall in the fighting in the university. What can you do? But you will have shaken the government.

M: Two or three months back, I told ... You can occupy two to three halls in the university. It used to be like this once. These five halls are ours. Those three are yours. Those two are theirs.

But then he told me that Chhatra Dal doesn’t have this kind of strength now.

K: The students can cope up if the fight is between student groups. But if police come or university authorities come ... If things get too serious ... you know ...

M: If something big happens then the matter will change. The government is hanging on a wire. The way we are seeing the government talk, I got the idea that the government is in a real shaky position. I do not know the things that are being discussed with Kerry. That will be very vital.

--M: Okay, let me say this one last thing.

One or two people have told me, you talk to Madam. She will feel a little better. She is alone now, tell her about the situation. I do not think I will give her a call. I can talk to Shimul. If you can then please convey my greetings to her. I am not BNP man but I am fighting in the cause of democracy. l

U: Now if you do not talk, then how will you understand, brother? You talk some from you, some from them ... then see. You have seen the world. You have seen ... everyone’s everything.

I am younger than you. But if you want to bring a change to the country, I think you need to talk. They will contact you. If you want.

M: Yes, I will if they do.

U: Okay, great. I will have someone call you. Will I ask someone from the GOC rank to call you? Or do you want someone senior?

M: Well, who is junior and who is senior matter of course. But the more important thing is those who are effective. And who understands, who knows, someone like this. I mean, the person I will share things with should be able to enlighten me and maybe I will also be able understand him, make him understand.

--U: Brother, you must have heard a lot of bad things about me. In spite of that, a man of your stature has given me a call, you have put your trust on me, first of all I would like to thank you for that. You and I, we never met.

Inshallah, someone will call you. He is not serving. I mean retired. But there will be two serving persons for talking to you. One of them will be intended lieutenant general. And another is already a lieutenant general. You talk to them and see, tell them what you want, share everything with them, then see where everything goes. But brother, you must take some steps.

The typical BNP and company are not good for anything, brother.

M: The person you mentioned just now, was he somewhere around the place you were? I mean, the place where you are now, I mean the place you visit regularly, has he ever been there?

U: That person has been in Australia, I told you his name. He will be there.

And he will be accompanied by two people currently serving and two GOCs will also be present. If needed, they will arrange a discussion between you and the chief.

M: OK. U: These are the guys that I trust, brother, they are being my elder brothers for a long time. During 1/11, I helped them come out of the barrack.

But between Rumi Bhai and Mr Moeen there was a bit of a difference. And I had a direct conflict with Mr Bari.

Then I fell ill. I had two surgeries and

at that time because of those events ... the game took another turn. But it would be a different story altogether.

U: They want to bring a change in the country. There was a time when I got used in the neighbouring country and many other countries. I worked from Teknaf to Tentulia, hills, everywhere.

They had a wrong idea about me.

U: I tried to run a parallel government for many years. I managed to bring at least the corporate world under one umbrella. But I could not hold on because of a lack of skill and foresight.

But I tried.

Then I manipulated a lot of things using 40-50 MPs. I got nomination and everything for them. When I do something it comes as an anti-social. But when you do anything or a RAB officer does, next day it comes as a hero in newspaper.

Unknown: But if you want to bring a change to the country, I think you need to talk.

They will contact you.

If you want

But your vision has to be clear. You see what I did. If you like it, you can go alone. You utilise me, for the country’s purpose. But not in any other purpose.

I am not there for money. Whatever Allah has given me, whatever I inherited from my family, I can survive on that. From then on a relationship grew with me.

Now Inshallah, I talk directly to 12 out of the 19 running with your blessing. At least you can talk to them. Let us see, if you talk then it will be clear.

M: OK. U: Then, with your permission, I will give ... then I will give the number to you. Then you talk to him. You will receive a call tomorrow by 12. Is that OK, brother? Go to a restaurant or something for talking. You can go to one of their confidential places and talk or you can call them to a place and they can come.

M: Do I have to call? I am scared of phones.

U: Yes, yes. In that case in Viber, where I live, a number from there, then you can talk to a Viber number from Australia. Is that OK, brother?

M: OK. U: And brother. I think you have a connection with the neighbouring country. How much of that do you still have?

M: It is nothing solid. They came from that side, I have listened to them. I have talked, those are academics.

U: Academics?

M: Yeah, political academics. But there is one thing. I said, the way it is being administered, it is being run, the fundamentalist and similar types, they will surface, they will gain more strength, you will see. Because the way you are giving unreserved support, it will go in that direction. Then they did not agree to me. But later they thought, yes this is right. They have that much appreciation. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Quarter of British Muslims sympathise with Charlie Hebdo terrorists n Tribune Desk One in four British Muslims sympathise with terrorists behind the Charlie Hebdo shooting in January, according to a UK-based poll.

A report published on The Telegraph said the polling by ComRes for the BBC discloses that a significant minority of Muslims validate terrorist activities against those who mock the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

27% of British Muslims say they have “some sympathy for the motives behind the attacks” on Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine. Meanwhile, around 115 stated that magazines which publish images of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) “deserve to be attacked.”

At least 12 people were killed and 11 wounded in the attack by two Islamist terrorists on the office of Charlie Hebdo in Paris, which had published satirical illustrations on Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

Another 32% in the polling said that they were not surprised by the attacks.

Only 68% of British Muslims said that attacks on the publishers of images of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) are “never” justified, while 24 disagreed.

A strong majority – 78% – said that they find illustrations of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) “deeply offensive to me personally.”

On the other hand, polling shows a high degree of Muslim loyalty to Britain, with 95% saying they feel loyal, and 93% saying British laws should always be obeyed.

However, the polls shows around 20% who say Western society is incompatible with Islam and 46% say prejudice against Islam makes being Muslim “very difficult” in Britain. Of those polled, 35% said they did not feel British people trust Muslims.

According to former Foreign Office minister Baroness Warsi, the level of sympathy for the attacks behind the French magazine was “worrying.”

She further added that the decision to discard annual surveys of various communities across the UK due to cost-cutting had left Whitehall without comparative detail which is needed to understand the sentiment.

“One of the problems we have had in relation to good policy-making around our minority communities is that it has become headline-driven, it has become sensationalist and it is therefore not dealing with the long-term problem in a calm way,” Warsi said. l

Pakistan Rangers soldier instructs a female student of Nadirshaw Eduljee Dinshaw (NED) University during a counter-terrorism training demonstration at the Rangers Shooting & Saddle Club (RSSC) on the outskirts of Karachi yesterday. More than 200 students of NED University have visited RSSC to observe the counter-terrorism training demonstration, Sachal Rangers official Khalid Goraya said REUTERS

Former al-Qaeda double Pakistan’s spy chief heads to US agent says Muslims amid Afghan Taliban talks push n must fight extremism

Unidentified drones reappear over Paris during night n AFP, Paris

n

Unidentified drones flew over Paris for a second night in a row, police said yesterday, in the latest mystery appearance of unmanned aircraft over the French capital at a time of high security.

The latest sightings follow a series of drone spottings at French atomic plants last year and, more recently over the presidential palace and a bay in Brittany that houses nuclear submarines.

Authorities have been left scratching their heads as they remain unable to catch any of the operators or determine whether the flyovers are the work of pranksters, tourists or something more malicious.

Flying drones over the French capital is banned by law, and the latest sightings come at a time of heightened vigilance following last month’s jihadist attacks.

A police source told AFP that witnesses and security forces reported at least five sightings overnight Tuesday to yesterday over central Paris – that may have been the same drone or several.

The tiny aircraft were spotted near the US embassy, not far from the Invalides military museum, the Eiffel Tower and several major thoroughfares leading in and out of the French capital, the source added. l

AFP, Islamabad

AFP, Paris

A former jihadist who became an Al-Qaeda double agent says Muslims must do more to tackle extremism in their midst and that stopping lone wolf attacks is near-impossible.

Morten Storm has seen deep inside the conflict between jihadists and Western intelligence services, having served both.

He was a Danish petty criminal who converted to Islam in the 1990s and became embroiled in the global jihadist network, before abruptly losing his faith and turning against his former friends.

Storm, 39, has emerged from his experiences with a strong conviction that Muslim communities need to be at the forefront of efforts to tackle radical Islam. “(European) governments live in denial. It’s like an alcoholic denying they have a drinking problem. We have a problem with this religion that we need to address honestly,” he said.

He was speaking in Paris, where his book “Agent Storm: My Life Inside

Al-Qaeda and the CIA” is about to be released in French.

He said claims by Western governments that attacks such as those in Paris and Copenhagen this year had nothing to do with Islam “made a mockery” of those who were fighting for a more tolerant version of the religion.

“The silence of the majority of Muslims who are not doing anything about ISIS could lead to a war throughout the Middle East,” said Storm, referring to the Islamic State group based in Syria and Iraq.

His own years of deception have also highlighted the challenge of identifying radicalised individuals who act alone.

“It’s difficult to prevent lone wolf attacks. You have to understand what’s inside the mind of a person: one day from being a person going to the mosque every day, to one day changing within himself and stabbing someone or running them down with a car – it’s very difficult if not impossible for the intelligence services to stop that.” l

Pakistan’s powerful spy chief has left on an official trip to the United States, the military said yesterday, with possible peace talks between Afghanistan and the Afghan Taliban likely to be on the agenda.

It is Lieutenant General Rizwan Akhtar’s first official visit to the US

since taking charge of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency last year.

Pakistan has a civilian government but the military and ISI still wield great influence, particularly over policy towards neighbouring Afghanistan.

The trip comes days after President Barack Obama’s new Pentagon chief said the US was seriously considering slowing the pace of a troop withdrawal

from Afghanistan.

Pakistani support has been seen as crucial in recent moves to persuade the Taliban to talk to the Afghan government to end their 13-year insurgency.

The brief military statement announcing Akhtar’s trip said only that he would “discuss issues related to intelligence” with his counterparts, whom it did not name. l

US Supreme Court divided over right to appeal visa denial n AFP, Washington The US Supreme Court appeared divided Monday over whether American citizens can appeal the government’s decision to deny their spouse a visa, after a California woman’s Afghan husband was barred from entering the country.

Fauzia Din, a naturalised US citizen from Afghanistan, sued the government after it denied a visa to her husband, Kanishka Berashk of Afghanistan.

The government had cited a law re-

ferring to “terrorist activities,” declining to provide any further information about why he was turned down.

During an hour of oral arguments in the case, some of the nine justices seemed favorable to Din, but the high court is likely to side with President Barack Obama’s administration, which says a visa denial cannot be repealed.

Berashk, who had worked for the Kabul government while it was still in Taliban hands ahead of the US-led invasion of 2001, was denied a visa in 2009.

Din had stressed that she herself had fled the Taliban, who took power in 1996, and yet obtained political asylum and citizenship from the United States.

“There’s a liberty of not being arbitrarily denied the right to live with your spouse,” said her lawyer, Mark Haddad.

But Berashk “was denied entry for security reasons. Neither he nor his wife is entitled to a greater explanation,” Deputy Solicitor General Edwin Kneedler said in presenting the government’s arguments. l

Three men 1st to get reconstructed bionic hands after amputation n AP, London Three Austrians have replaced injured hands with bionic ones that they can control using nerves and muscles transplanted into their arms from their legs.

The three men are the first to undergo what doctors refer to as “bionic reconstruction,” which includes a voluntary amputation, the transplantation of nerves and muscles and learning to use faint signals from them to command the hand.

Previously, people with bionic hands have primarily controlled them with manual settings.

“This is the first time we have bionically reconstructed a hand,” said Dr. Oskar Aszmann of the Medical University of Vienna, who developed the approach with colleagues. “If I saw these kinds of patients five to seven years ago, I would have just shrugged my shoulders and said, ‘there’s nothing I can do for you.’”

He said while some patients might be candidates for a hand transplant, that has its own complications, including having to take anti-rejection medicines for the rest of their lives.

Aszmann and colleagues described the cases of the three men in a report published online yesterday in the journal Lancet. The men decided on amputation only after having the bionic hand strapped onto their injured hand, to see how the robotic one might function.

For Milorad Marinkovic, 30, who lost the use of his right hand in a motorbike ac-

cident more than a decade ago, the bionic hand has allowed him to hold things like a sandwich or bottle of water — and more importantly, to play with his three children.

“I can throw things, but it is harder to catch a ball, because my right hand is still not quite as quick and natural (as my left),” said the Vienna based-clerk.

Dr Simon Kay, who authored an accompanying commentary and performed Britain’s first hand transplant, said there would always be major limits to bionic hands. He pointed out that the brain has thousands of ways to send messages to the human hand but that a robotic prosthetic can’t handle such complexity.

“The question is always going to be: How do we get the message from the mind to the metal?” he said.

Patients like Marinkovic, however, have few complaints about the bionic hand, which proved especially popular with his son. When he first got the device, his son, then 4, would put on the bionic hand and proudly walk around with it, telling the other kids in his kindergarten class that “my father is a robot.”

Marinkovic says using his bionic hand is nearly as natural as using his uninjured hand.

“I can do almost everything with it. I just don’t have any feeling in it.”

An unrelated study published last year gave patients some feeling in a prosthetic hand by relaying signals to the brain in a temporary experiment and other replace-

ment hands can do things like grip objects but are controlled externally.

Aszmann estimated the new procedure

costs around 30,000 euros ($33,960). The study was paid for by groups including the Austrian Council for Research and Technol-

India archbishop condemns Mother Teresa conversion claim n AFP, Kolkata

ogy Development and a laboratory which receives funds from Otto Bock, maker of the prosthetics used. l

Milorad Marinkovic holds a glass of water with his bionic arm as he poses for a photograph at his home in Vienna, Austria, Tuesday

AP

The archbishop of Kolkata yesterday condemned claims by a prominent Hindu group that Mother Teresa’s work was motivated by a desire to convert Indians to Christianity.

Thomas D’Souza said the Nobel peace laureate “wanted to give dignity to the poor and the sick and dying,” calling the claims by the head of the right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) “absolutely false.”

“She believed that every person is created in the image and likeness of God,” he said. “Whatever Bhagwat has said is absolutely false.”

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat sparked protest in India when he said this week that the true motive behind the nun’s work was that its beneficiaries should turn to Christianity.

Mother Teresa won global acclaim for her work in the slums of Kolkata and is still revered by Indians of all faiths.

Bhagwat’s comments come at a time of heightened sensitivity over religious freedom in India, where churches and a Christian school have been attacked in recent months. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Preview

Thursday, February 26, 2015

9

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Thursday, February 26, 2015

CODE-CRACKER

A full investigation is necessary

T

he leaked telephone conversations of Mahmudur Rahman Manna are shocking and merit a full investigation.

In the first one, he appears to be collaborating with a fugitive leader of the BNP to destabilise the government through violent action at Dhaka University, expressing indifference if such action might lead to deaths.

In the second, the unidentified third party to whom he is speaking seems to suggest the possibility of a move to destabilise the government through the actions of serving and retired army officers.

Manna has authenticated the conversations and claims that his words have been taken out of context and that nothing he has said in either conversation rises to the level of a crime or suggests his participation in any kind of conspiracy.

This is for a court to decide, and there can be no question that he has a case to answer.

In the first instance he advises a confrontation between BNP student activists and the authorities that could well amount to incitement.

In the second, it seems clear that the subtext of the conversation is an unconstitutional plot to unseat a constitutionally-elected government.

Whether these two conversations rise to the level of criminal acts and whether there is other evidence to suggest that a crime has been committed can only be determined through a full legal investigation, that should be begun without delay.

It should go without saying that Manna must be entitled to his legal presumption of innocence, and it is imperative that he be afforded all his legal rights to a full and transparent process.

Due process must be followed meticulously, all the more so given the grave nature of the charges against him and his status as a high-profile critic of the government.

The leaking of the tapes to the media and the confusion and denials surrounding his arrest are not good signs. We trust that moving forward the authorities will be absolutely scrupulous in their treatment of the accused and their prosecution of the case against him.

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

Arrest spree punishes prisons

February 8 Anne Muskie Pah! 70,000 people in prison! The United States manages at least one-and-half million. Your human rights abusers still have a way to go before matching incarceration rates in the land of the free.

It is imperative that Manna be afforded all his legal rights to a full and transparent process

What does civil society have to say?

Manna has done a grave disservice to those who considered him their ally

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Tristaterefugee Anne Muskie: The US has better bounty hunters and a private prison behemoth to feed. Discriminatory drug laws make the mostly black, brown, and poor pay the price.

PM for strict action to check terror financing

February 6 Babul Sarwar Say something about your responsibility. Why didn’t, and couldn’t, you ban Jamaat? Unless that is done, people will continue to doubt your intentions!

Freelance photographer asks burn victims to pose for shoot February 9

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.

Arif Rahman Step down, please.

Book lovers enjoy Boi Mela February 5

arshad Fame-seeker of the day.

Black Hat SEO Tools Just slap this photographer.

C

ivil society leaders are typically not shy about sharing their opinions as to the shortcomings of politicians or the government. Thus we find their silence surrounding the current case of Mahmudur Rahman Manna conspicuous.

Whether or not the leaked telephone conversations render him a criminal is for a court of law to decide. However, what can already be determined with some certainty is that Manna has forsaken his moral authority and the right to be considered a man of conscience or integrity.

His collaboration with the BNP gives the lie to his claim to represent an impartial third way between that of the government and the opposition. Even worse is the revelation that he is an advocate of violent confrontation with the government and believes that a few dead bodies is a small price to pay for advancing his agenda.

The second conversation is trickier, since he will argue that he did not commit himself to any course of action and that nothing came of it.

However, it has to be said that he certainly did not seem averse to freely discussing matters of the utmost gravity, nor did he discourage the third party’s unconstitutional utterances.

In short, Manna has abdicated any right to be considered any kind of a leader. We would hope that this is apparent to his erstwhile allies and supporters, and that they would waste no time in distancing themselves from his statements and his leadership.

Manna can no longer to considered a credible voice of the general public and has indeed done a grave disservice to those who considered him their ally.

He has misled them as to his intentions and affiliations. In terms of the credibility of any non-partisan platform, the damage may well be irreparable, but the sooner he is denounced and censured by civil society and discredited as any kind of public voice, the better.

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 3 represents B so fill B every time the figure 3 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.

Epic fail Readone Bibak Poor people have big screen TVs. Rich people have big libraries.

RAB chief: Legal revenge for 7 deaths in Comilla February 5 Sharif Ahmed Perceived credibility!

Khaleda ready for any consequence February 5 Golam Ahmed Khan She’s lost it.

Joy: 4G services by 2021

February 6 Arch Bishop Digital Bribery, lol!

New US envoy for strengthening Washington-Dhaka relationship February 6 Arch Bishop Another typical Obama diplomat who supports the incumbent self-selected government to the hilt … just like her bird-watching predecessor.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

February 8 Zero-Agenda Our politicians are not the least bit educated themselves, I doubt if the education of our nation’s children are much of a concern for them. sattar How educated are our top-tier politicians though?

I think Muhith went to Harvard or something ...

Barely Legal Alien sattar: Curiously enough, he has a degree in literature.

Laila sattar: Ew, no he didn’t. rose Why such uneducated politicians in our country?

Pillion Rider: The Pillioning rose: Because they were basically picked out of the primordial ooze of our citizenry.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Headwear (3) 3 Petty quarrel (4) 6 Smart and fashionable (4) 7 Early freshness (3) 9 Single occasion (4) 10 Cereal (3) 11 See at a glance (4) 13 Gap (5) 16 Happening (5) 18 Eager (4) 19 Self (3) 20 Impartial (4) 21 Make brown (3) 23 Raw hide (4) 24 Merriment (4) 25 Favourite (3)

DOWN 1 Conceals (5) 2 Top card (3) 4 Weakly (4) 5 Golf mound (3) 6 Marine growth (5) 8 Work into a fabric (5) 9 Frank (4) 12 Perfume (5) 14 Nobleman (4) 15 Concerning (5) 17 Dogma (5) 18 Flying toy (4) 20 Thick mist (3) 22 Monkey (3)

vhs rose: garbage in, garbage out.

From Hebdo to PK February 9

Pillion Rider Forever Freedom of speech is a double-edged sword, that’s for sure.

Economist: Army may act February 8 Ehsan Abdullah Propaganda 101.

rose The army should interfere more vigorously.

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

Dreampie I didn’t realise our military men and women were so talented!

Malaysia win Bangabandhu Gold Cup

CROSSWORD

February 8 Beccam Hard luck booters, but a fair result.

PEANUTS

Redwan Sarker Beccam: What happened Sheikh Hasina?! You’re meant to be good at fixing scores. Or at least that’s what my BNP brother keeps telling me!

The bigger they are …

February 9 Zero-Agenda State-owned banks are bleeding us dry! It boggles the mind to see the government constantly bail them out despite their ridiculously high rates of defaulting.

Chumpion A further case for SOBs’ privatisation.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

Thursday, February 26, 2015

11

Employee first, customer second? n Mamun Rashid

A

BIGSTOCK

Why they don’t talk

P

n Kamran Reza Chowdhury eople saw a light at the end of the tunnel when Nagorik Samaj, a civil society platform, on February 13 urged the Awami League and the BNP -- the two parties involved in the street fight for political control -- to sit at the negotiating table to overcome the political impasse that just about brought the economy to its knees since January 6.

The civil society group, led by former election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda, also asked the BNP-led alliance, the alliance largely blamed for carrying out country-wide petrol bomb attacks on the public that killed at least 80 innocents, to stop their violence so that an atmosphere appropriate for dialog can be cultivated.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed was the first to respond to Nagorik Samaj’s call for dialog with the agitating BNP-led “conglomerate.” The AL’s outright rejection of the dialog offer really frustrated the people who wanted to see an immediate end to our culture of violent politics.

People were horrified as the obstinate BNP-led opposition allegedly had been throwing petrol bombs to force the government to accept their demands of mid-term polls, while the equally stubborn AL leadership had been firm to crush the “terrorist acts” of the BNP-Jamaat.

“No talks with the terrorist,” said the prime minister, making it impossible for President Abdul Hamid to even think of using his good office to bring

them to the negotiating table, given his constitutional limitations.

Be a bystander, and you will overhear the incredibly hackneyed question: “What is the loss if they [AL] listen to the civil society’s call for dialog, as nobody takes such initiatives?”

Yes, people are right in saying that political parties must engage in dialog in a democratic polity. “No dialog” leaves no space in democracy for which the Bangalis have paid immensely for decades.

attacks on buses, trains, and trucks and the indefinite blockades supplemented by stray hartals had worked to keep the government at bay.

It could be said: “They could force the AL to budge.” And it will establish in our polity that violence and petrol bombs, not elections, were the means through which power was handed over.

Owing to infighting in the ruling party over conflict of interests and personal gain, the AL’s organisational base

If the AL agrees to the dialog proposal, people will see the civil society as the last resort for resolving the political crisis

The reason why the AL is so stubborn about not going for any dialog with BNP-Jamaat has an interesting implication on its politics. This is because a single statement hinting at the AL’s interest in any sort of dialog would spell disaster among its leaders, activists, supporters, and even people in the administration, police, and other organs of the state playing crucial roles in binding the government.

How? If the AL shows a little interest in dialog to end the violence, it will boost the morale of BNP-Jamaat, who would conclude that the petrol bomb

is not quite strong across the country.

The party has virtually merged with the government that mainly depends on law enforcers and the administration to establish a firm grip.

On the other hand, already oppressed and exasperated, the BNP-Jamaat would continue their violent activities with increased vigour to kill AL leaders and activists. This will not be incorrect that, in that case, the police and administration would not carry out the AL’s orders fearing reprisal from BNP-Jamaat if they come to power by any means, or if any un-

constitutional forces take over.

Now, let’s come to the civil society’s proposal: Accepting the civil society leaders’ mediating role is likely to prove counterproductive for the politicians and the political system. The politicians (including Sheikh Hasina) and the political system once accepted that civil society leaders were better human beings than politicians as they amended the constitution, inserting the provision of a non-party caretaker government to oversee the national elections.

The constitutional recognition of the civil society seriously undermined the politicians’ role on the one hand, making some of the civil society leaders politically ambitious. Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus can be cited as an example. He declared floating a political party after the installation of the military-backed government in 2007.

His declaration was an eye-opener for the political system, a system which started spewing venom against the civil society in a wholesale manner. Character smearing of Dr Yunus and some former advisers to the caretaker government made the civil society leaders very careful about being involved in the political system.

If the AL agrees to the dialog proposal, people will see the civil society as the last resort for resolving the political crisis. That will undermine the political system again, and no politician -- be it Khaleda Zia or Sheikh Hasina -- will accept it. l Kamran Reza Chowdhury is a journalist.

few of my seniors at Standard Chartered Bank would have simply killed me had I used the above headline in the early 90s. Some of them, if not all, truly believed “you are at the centre of everything we do.”

Readers would easily understand that “you” here refers to the esteemed clients of the bank.

Not only Standard Chartered, but many organisations in corporate America or Europe believed and still believe: “Our customers are our number one priority,” or “we put our clients first.” So many CEOs or chairmen of companies like IBM, Marks & Spencer, Microsoft, or British Airways often speak about their core mantra of “putting clients first” or always being “client driven.” Successful companies were projected to be “client-centric.”

But gradually, at least some people realised there seems to be a problem with putting customers first. It means that employees come at least second.

Some stated, “customers should never be the priority … people should be the priority”.

Some of those people buy from us, some of those people work for us, and the difference is only a behavioural one. They are all people, and all business decisions should be made considering the impact on the people who are on the receiving end of our decisions.

Some gurus felt that splitting the population into distinct groups -- employees and customers -- and having different standards and policies for each is a kind “racism.” To treat one group better than another simply because of who they are is something Martin Luther King Jr rallied against decades ago. It gained further clarity when he gave his famous “I have a dream” speech.

I have a dream that one day, customers and employees will both be treated equally and treated well. Not because of what they do or how they are seen, but because they are both people. Customers and employees both bleed. Customers and employees both feel happy and get hurt. Customers and employees both live to feel valued for the efforts they exert and the expense they put forth.

Though Martin Luther King Jr was all about putting “people first,” corporate America, and now even the Asian corporations, strongly feel that companies should be differentiating themselves from each other through their employees more. AT&T has always championed “a winning combination between our people and the client.”

Many others felt strongly that to deliver the best to clients you need the best employees, to ensure a shared vision.

No company in the world can maintain ultimate client delivery if they don’t have “happy people” inside.

That is why intelligent companies are putting so much importance on hiring the right people, training them well, and sharing the success. Many companies in America, Europe, and the Far East, or even in India, are offering share options to their employees, further tying them up with the ultimate success of the company.

Employees are working much harder to see their companies succeed further, see their share prices going up, and all are free to drink in the success.

Apple, or even Infosys in India, have found out that “in order to get the best from your employees, or to make sure they put in their best to achieve the shared vision, you need to take care of them well. Always strive to take care of the best and be fair to the rest.” All successful companies in today’s world truly want to be identified for their “investments in people.”

Citi, once known and respected to be the “financial supermarket,” developed a culture of recruiting the best, cultivating a competitive environment for their employees, with ample scope to climb up the ladder.

All successful companies in today’s world truly want to be identified for their ‘investments in people’

People looking at their peers felt great about the organisation, tried to look beyond their box, came up with innovative ideas, and ultimately delivered the desired results with extreme unity.

Goldman Sachs was even further ahead of Citi. Their alumnus is their strength, always making sure there is only one Goldman Sachs in this world -- so unique, yet so different.

The credit goes to people like Vineet Nayar, to transform the “customer-focused world” into an “employee-centric world.” He told us that only happy employees can ensure better success transfer or smiles on the faces of their clients.

He said: “You better focus on your employees to deliver the best to your clients.” “Train them well, invest in their capacity-building, and try to bring smiles on their faces first.” All good companies in the corporate world now want to be respected as undaunted investors in human capital.

Happy employees also deliver happy returns to shareholders. The shareholders are increasingly rallying with the committed and result-driven employees. The entire “wealth management” or “private banking” world has proven this many times. Relationship managers at global banks deliver the most for their clients.

Back home, companies never thought of people to be so important.

There are so many job-hungry people, yet, few efficient people. Multinationals like HSBC, BAT, Unilever, or lately Grameenphone, have paved the way for people-centric organisations. SCB, Novartis, Robi Axiata, and a few others have also tried their way out towards a transition from “client centric” to “people-centric.”

Now, an increasing number of local business houses are feeling the pinch of not having the right people in their companies. Local companies are realising that they can only differentiate themselves through their people, ie good employees and nothing else.

A few of them don’t even want to be “pennywise” anymore. l Mamun Rashid is a business professor and financial sector entrepreneur.

Cricket brings us together n Mursal Juya

B

e it the Asia Cup or the World Cup, the fascination, excitement, and anxiety that cricket brings forth are all palpable at the Asian University for Women (AUW), where students from 15 Asian countries get together to watch matches and cheer their favourite teams.

In such a diverse community, it is difficult, however, to watch cricket without thinking critically about nationalism, national identity, and representations of women.

On February 18, as the Bangladesh and Afghanistan teams took their positions on the field, AUW students turned the campus café into a ministadium, huddled around the TV, and got ready to follow every move in the game. As an Afghan student at AUW, I was particularly excited about the match.

Watching the match with Bangladeshi friends at AUW was an unforgettable experience. We put up flags,

laughed, and cheered for our teams. At the end of the match, Afghan students congratulated their Bangladeshi friends for their team’s victory, and Bangladeshi students tried to make their Afghan peers feel better by emphasising how well the Afghan team performed.

Studying in a diverse environment teaches us to respect the institutions and values that students from other countries hold dear. In learning to move beyond divisions, tolerance, and genuine respect, we constantly put ourselves in each others’ shoes and try to consider multiple perspectives. We strive to see beyond our own national identities, and we try to foster respect and solidarity between students from different countries.

Just as cricket helps build bridges between countries, it can also play a powerful role in unifying people within a country and helping them overcome grievances and antagonism between each other. While Afghanistan has only recently begun playing

cricket at the international level, it has already won millions of hearts.

Cricket unites the people of Afghanistan and brings all the ethnic groups to a common ground. In Afghanistan’s ethnically diverse population where ethnicity continues to play a major role in daily lives, cricket has strengthened the sense of a unified national identity.

Cricket in Afghanistan has become one of the main sources of joy, hope, and unity among people. Perhaps it will help foster greater respect and equality among the different ethnic groups in Afghanistan over time.

In addition to bringing different ethnic groups in Afghanistan together, cricket also brings people together regardless of gender. Last year, 24 Afghan students including myself travelled from Chittagong to Dhaka for the Afghanistan-Bangladesh match during the Asia Cup. That so many Afghan women had come all the way from Chittagong to Dhaka to support their team received quite a lot of attention from the regional and Bangladeshi

media, possibly because we defied stereotypes about Afghan women.

We had come from a presumably conservative country, so our appearance in a stadium as avid cricket fans seemed unusual to many.

Our presence implied standing up against the odds, but also reflected the divergence between stereotypes and reality.

As young Afghan women, we are determined to change perceptions of Afghanistan and challenge stereotypes through our work on major social, economic, and political issues in our country. We thereby aim to create a platform for positive change where people choose solidarity and empathy over divisiveness.

We want our voices to be heard, not only when we cheer at cricket matches, but also when we engage in debates and campaigns for social change to build a better world. l Mursal Juya is a student from Afghanistan, currently studying in Bangladesh.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE Thursday, February 26, 2015

UPCOMING MATCHES

TODAY Afghanistan v Scotland, 4am Sri Lanka v Bangladesh, 9:30am TOMORROW South Africa v West Indies, 9:30am

14 Luck runs out for

bail boy Joyce

14 Shaiman blasts

into WC books

Sport

Did you know?

Only Brendon McCullum (132) has a higher strike rate than Kevin O’Brien (129) in successful World Cup run chases, 100+ runs

Unlike Afghanistan, can Bangladesh carry itself to seal the deal?

The free spirited Afghans ran the marathon shoulder to shoulder against the Lankans but stuttered and tripped at the finish line only to see the experienced Mahela Jayawardene guide Sri Lanka home. The YOUSUF RAHMAN Afghans did ev(BABU) erything right to give them a chance to prove to the world that the bar to measure the quality of an Associate Member country has been significantly raised.

Bangladesh, fresh from its win against Afghanistan, will have looked into the spirited performance by this World Cup debutant that nearly rolled over the Lankans as a huge brain booster. The former World Cup winner did exhibit adequate examples of its vulnerability and the question is whether Bangladesh can sustain its focus and its desire to exploit the chances that may

come along the way.

No one in the right frame of mind should consider Sri Lanka not to be the favourites at the MCG today. It is a side that has played in three World Cup finals, winning it once when no one gave it much of a chance.

True, it is a team that is in transition and their four stalwarts are ageing, however, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Lasith Malinga are still capable of delivering the goods with world class performances. Had it not been for the experience of Jayawardene, Afghanistan would have created the first major upset in the 11th World Cup. Bangladesh will hope for a good day’s outing. Ideally, they need to bat first if they can and play normal cricket. Tamim Iqbal, who seems to be somewhat tentative, will need to loosen up and get rid of his goose bumps along with a few of the others. The top four or five cannot be victims of soft dismissals that we see happen far too frequently.

If Bangladesh is to reach the 280 mark, the top order has to come through. Sri Lanka’s bowling in the middle overs is better than Afghanistan’s or for that matter, most other teams. Most of all,

Rangana Herath, is a natural wicket taker and Bangladesh needs to deny him the glory if it needs to stay in the match. Matches are won or lost in the middle overs and Bangladesh needs to win both sessions covering the middle overs.

We saw the Indian spinners shackle the fancied South African batting line up. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja never lost control and this should encourage Shakib al Hasan and Mahmudullah to go into the match with a wicket taking frame of mind.

Can they manage to keep the Lankan batting under control? What worries me is that Sangakkara has yet to get a decent score. He looked restless during the Afghanistan match and nearly ran himself out twice before getting a beauty from Hamid Hassan. He will surely be looking for redemption.

Sangakkara is a player who, if given the start, ends up scoring big. He is someone who can take the match away in a flash.

On the mental side of things, the sudden forced expulsion of Al Amin Hossain from the squad has raised many eyebrows. Many a tale is coming through the grapevine and none of

them speak well about the Bangladesh management. The integrity of the Bangladesh management is being questioned. How this is going to affect the morale of the team remains to be seen.

The Bangladesh fans will want the team to put this entire incident behind and focus on the match ahead.

The MCG is a huge arena - one of the largest in the world. I believe the Bangladesh team will be experiencing the magical atmosphere of the MCG for the first time. This can be quite overwhelming but one can expect a large Bangladeshi contingent in the stands to spur them on.

If you are familiar with the history of ancient Roman Gladiators, be informed of this. Rome’s Coliseum was where all the gladiators wanted to make their mark. They fought in small towns, survived each fight and had to prove their worth before they could have the honour to fight before the Emperor in the Coliseum. Needless to mention, Bangladesh has survived the small towns and it is time it justifies its place in world cricket and takes this opportunity to win the hearts of the crowd in what may be termed as the Australian version of the Roman Coliseum. l

Bangladesh’s Shakib al Hasan attends a practice session at the MCG yesterday on the eve of their third Pool A game against Sri Lanka today AFP

Sri Lanka’s Mathews wary of Bangladesh n AFP, Melbourne

Bangladesh’s Soumya Sarkar (R) speaks with head coach Chandika Hathurusingha during their practice session at the MCG yesterday AFP

South Africa won’t panic, says Amla n AFP, Sydney South Africa batsman Hashim Amla insisted his team won’t panic despite their 130-run World Cup loss to defending champions India, while Friday’s clash against a rejuvenated West Indies can’t come round soon enough.

The Proteas, widely-regarded as one of the favourites for a first world title, suffered a sobering wake-up call against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last weekend after a far from convincing opening win over Zimbabwe.

“We are obviously disappointed, we didn’t play good cricket,” said Amla, who has yet to hit top gear after making 11 against Zimbabwe and then 22 in the Indian rout.

“The format of this tournament is such that you have to move on, that’s how we look at it. We made a few mistakes but the game is done and dusted and we certainly want to look ahead to the important match on Friday.”

Amla said South Africa have learnt their lessons ahead of Friday’s game at the Sydney Cricket Ground where they will face a West Indies team they defeated 4-1 at home in January.

“They are a dangerous team and you can never take them for granted. They are an explosive team,” said Amla.

“We are going to be treating them with the respect that we treat all teams.”l

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews is not taking Bangladesh lightly in Thursday’s World Cup clash despite a superior record, saying he expects a tough game against the South Asian rivals.

“This will be a pressure match for all of us,” Mathews said of the Pool A encounter at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

“It will certainly be a tough game.

Bangladesh have performed well in the recent past. They have a good set of players and we have to take all their batsmen and bowlers seriously.

“Whoever plays the best cricket will win and we hope we can play our best cricket tomorrow.”

Sri Lanka, the 1996 champions and finalists in the last two editions, have won 32 of 37 one-day internationals against Bangladesh, and their record in the World Cup is even better.

Bangladesh were hammered by 10 wickets in 2003 and by 198 runs four years later in the teams’ only two previous World Cup meetings, leaving Sri Lanka overwhelming favourites to ex-

tend the streak.

But Mathews’ men have had an uninspiring start to the 2015 event, with their batsmen struggling to cope with conditions in New Zealand.

Sri Lanka were thrashed by the cohosts in the tournament opener in Christchurch, going down by 98 runs after New Zealand had piled up 331 for six.

Then a scare awaited them against Afghanistan in Dunedin, as the minnows fought tooth and nail before the Test side scraped through on the back of a century by the ever-reliable Mahela Jayawardene.

Having left New Zealand with two points from as many games, Sri Lanka will hope the change in scenery and conditions in Australia will galvanise their campaign.

“The game against Afghanistan was a close one, we need to improve our standards,” Mathews warned. “What we need to learn is to dominate from ball one and stay in the game till the end.

“We have not played our best cricket yet. If we play the way we can, we can

‘We don’t even know where he went and that’s the biggest question’ n Minhaz Uddin Khan Fast bowler Al Amin Hossain’s dismissal from the World Cup was solely based on disciplinary grounds, confirmed Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan, who returned from Australia on Tuesday night.

Bangladesh team manager Khaled Mahmud earlier on Sunday had said they are sending back Al Amin following complaints from the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) which gave birth to suspicions over whether the 25-year old has any kind of connection with the bookies.

The BCB chief yesterday assured a private TV channel that Al Amin has no links whatsoever with corruption, but

the difficult decision to send him back had to be taken to set an example for the remaining members.

However, Nazmul’s clarification of ruling out Al Amin from having any connection with match fixing sounded contradictory as he went on to say Al Amin is yet to give a justified explanation to the team management of his whereabouts for leaving the team hotel late at night.

Al Amin was found breaching the team curfew (not staying out of hotel after 10pm) on several occasions in the last few days and most importantly the team management wasn’t aware of that. ACSU, however, did their duty by informing the Bangladesh team management about Al Amin’s whereabouts

and the situation worsened on February 19 when he gave different reasons of staying out late and none made sense.

“ACSU informed us of him (Al Amin) coming to the hotel late, but that doesn’t mean he is involved in match-fixing. There are no allegations against him. All the players in the World Cup are under watch. Al-Amin went out late at night which I was really surprised about. He is not the type of person to go out on his own at night in a foreign country,” said Nazmul.

“We don’t even know where he went and that’s the biggest question. He is giving us different versions. It is not a very serious issue but we had to come hard on him. Everyone knows we are very strict with discipline. We have taken a lot of tough decisions in the recent past so it is hard to imagine what just happened.

When even the senior players don’t get out of their room after 10pm, he did so late at night,” said Nazmul.

Nazmul said he was requested by the members of the team – both management and players – not to send Al Amin back. “I was requested to excuse him this time, but I just asked them one question. What if someone does the same thing again? This will remain the example so no question about it. This is why we decided to send him back home,” said Nazmul. l

beat any team in the world. We have got to step up and set our goals high.

Play every game as a final or a semi-final.

“The batters have to score runs and the bowlers have to take wickets.”

Star batsmen Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan are still to fire, but Sri Lanka’s main concern will be the indisciplined bowling which saw 16 wides and a no-ball conceded against Afghanistan.

Pace spearhead Lasith Malinga has given away 125 runs in two matches at this tournament so far, but Mathews was not worried that his main strike bowler was a long way away from hitting top form after ankle surgery last year.

“Lasith is working extremely hard at the nets,” he said. “One has to be at the peak when the quarter-finals come and he and the others are working towards that.”

Mathews confirmed that all-rounder Jeevan Mendis was out of the tournament with a hamstring injury and the team management had called up opener Upul Tharanga as a replacement.

“Unfortunately, Jeevan is out for two to three weeks,” the captain said.

“Upul is expected to arrive tonight but we have yet to decide if we will play him or not against Bangladesh.”

Bangladesh have three points from two matches, following a comfortable win over Afghanistan and a washedout game against Australia. l

WORLD CUP HEAD-TO-HEAD

BANGLADESH

SRI LANKA

0 124 112

Wins Highest totals Lowest totals

2 318/4 126/0

OVERALL

4

Wins

32

BATTING

Mohammad Ashraful (45) Mohammad Ashraful (45)

Most runs Highest scores

Sanath Jayasuriya (164) Sanath Jayasuriya (09)

BOWLING

Mohammad Rafique (1) Most wickets Mohammad Rafique (1/48) Best bowling

Chaminda Vaas (7) Chaminda Vaas (6/25)

PROBABLE XI Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudullah, Shakib al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sabbir Rahman, Mominul Haque, Mashrafe Mortaza, Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain After striking a painstaking 42-ball 19 against Afghanistan, Tamim will no doubt be itching his hands for a far more attacking approach against the Lankans, who the Tigers have faced several times in the last few years

Lahiru Thirimanne, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (WK), Dimuth Karunaratne, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews (C), Thisara Perera, Dushmantha Chameera, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal

PLAYER TO WATCH

TAMIM

MALINGA

Malinga has had a belowpar World Cup so far, most notably against co-hosts New Zealand in the opening game when McCullum flayed him to all parts of the ground. Will be targeting his toe-crushing yorkers against Bangladesh

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Thursday, February 26, 2015

13

MSC into Fed Cup semis n Shishir Hoque Mohammedan swept into the semifinals of the 27th Federation Cup after registering a comfortable 2-1 victory over Feni Soccer Club in the second quarterfinal at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Local midfielder Biplu Ahmed and Guinean striker Ismail Bangoura netted a goal apiece in the opening half to ensure the last four spot for the traditional Black and Whites, who will now face the winner of the fourth quarterfinal between Abahani and Muktijoddha this Monday.

The Feni outfit did not display the same spirit like they had done in their previous match in the group stage. Consequently, they failed to put up enough resistance against the Mohammedan attackers as the Black and Whites broke the deadlock in the 21st minute.

Mohammedan were forced to make an early substitution with Biplu coming off the bench to replace Shafiqul Islam Bipul in midfield. Biplu gave a quick re-

minder of his potential by grabbing the lead. Receiving a short pass from Abu Sayed Jewel, Biplu slotted home past Feni goalkeeper Ahsan Habib Bipu into the far post.

Taking advantage of a disorganised Feni defence, an unmarked Bangoura doubled the lead in the 39th minute from inside the penalty area. Following a Habibur Rahman Shohag free-kick, Bangoura was a bit sloppy at first but quickly gathered himself to thump in the second.

Soccer Club tried to stage a comeback after resumption but were unable to create concrete chances. Their Gambian triumvirate – Jatta Mustapha, Alha Kebba Ceesay and Dawda Ceesay – briefly managed to threaten the opponents but the Mohammedan defence, led by Nigerian defender Eleta Benjamin Jr, held firm.

And when Feni did reduce the arrears in the 90th minute, it was too late. Following a Dawda cutback, forward Sohel Mia tapped the ball into the back of the net. l

Mohammedan’s Guinean striker Ismail Bangoura (L) celebrates scoring his side’s second goal against Feni Soccer Club in the quarterfinals of the Federation Cup at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Runs galore in NCL raises doubts n Minhaz Uddin Khan BRIEF SCORES

Runs galore in the ongoing 16th National Cricket League has raised doubts over the competitiveness of the wickets being used in the domestic first-

class competition as well as the quality of bowling. The country’s premier fourday tournament has already witnessed 40 hundreds, with five of them - Shamsur Rahman, Mohammed Mithun, Tushar Imran, Naeem Islam and Nafees

Chittagong v Barisal Barisal 597/9 dec Chittagong 339 allout in 121 overs & 53/2 in 12 overs Nafees 108, Shukkur 52, Nazim 44; Gazi 5/133, Mosaddek 2/31 Chittagong trail by 205 runs Khulna v Dhaka Dhaka 366 allout Khulna 437/6 in 123 overs Tushar 158, Mithun 126; Shahadat 2/62, Sharif 2/142 Khulna lead by 71 runs Rangpur v Rajshahi Rajshahi 263 allout Rangpur 527/6 dec in 156 overs Naeem 138*, Saymon 44; Muktar 2/78 Rajshahi trail by 179 runs

DAY’S WATCH BTV, Maasranga TV, Gazi TV Star Sports 1, 3 9:30AM ICC World Cup Bangladesh v Sri Lanka

Star Sports 4 4:00AM ICC World Cup Afghanistan v Scotland 4:30PM Dubai Duty Free Tennis C’ships Quarter Final

Ten Sports 8:30AM Abierto Mexicano Telecel Tennis Day 3 08:00PM WTA Qatar Total Open Tennis, QF 2 12:00AM UEFA Europa League Internazionale v Celtic 2:00AM Feyenoord v Roma 4:00AM Abierto Mexicano Telecel Tennis, Quarterfinals

Ten Action 06:00PM WTA Qatar Total Open Tennis, Quarterfinal 1 12:00PM UEFA Europa League Besiktas v Liverpool 2:00AM Everton v Young Boys

Sony Six 7:00AM NBA Season Houston v LA Clippers 09:30AM Portland v San Antonio

Dhaka v Khulna, Fatullah

Khulna managed to eke out a 71-run first-innings lead as ended the penultimate day’s play on 437 for the loss of six wickets, replying to Dhaka’s 366 allout.

A 222-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Tushar (158) and Mithun (126) enabled Khulna to an advantageous position against the capital city outfit.

Resuming on 124/3, Khulna added a further 313 runs before the umpires signalled the end of the day’s play.

Former national cricketer Tushar led from the front with his third century of the season. He faced 302 balls and smacked 17 boundaries while Mithun hit a dozen fours and five sixes in his 202-ball knock.

Rajshahi v Rangpur, BKSP 3

Dhaka Metro v Sylhet Dhaka Metro 264 allout & 264/8 dec in 68 overs Shamsur 103; Nabil 6/59, Rahatul 2/43 Sylhet 171 allout & 33/1 in 19 overs Sylhet need 324 more runs to win

Iqbal - scored on the third day of the fifth round yesterday.

Khulna’s middle-order batsman Tushar Imran plays one on the off-side against Dhaka on the third day of the fifth round of the NCL in Fatullah yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Brazil’s Kaka to captain new MLS Orlando side n AFP, Orlando Brazilian playmaker Kaka, the 2007 world player of the year, has been appointed captain of Orlando City when the new club makes its Major League Soccer debut next week.

The team announced Tuesday that Kaka will take on the role when Orlando plays host to fellow MLS expansion newcomer New York City FC on March 8 at the Citrus Bowl.

“Kaka has demonstrated great leadership both on the field and in the locker room since the start, and the other players have naturally looked to his guidance throughout preseason, so he was the natural pick to skipper the club,” Orlando coach Adrian Heath said.l

Naeem’s unbeaten ton guided Rangpur to 527/6 before they declared to take a 179-run first-innings lead against Rajshahi.

Resuming on 37, Naeem was caution personified as he struck 138, his second century of the season, off 275 balls. The right-handed batsman blasted 17 fours and a six.

Later, Rajshahi batted out the remaining 26 overs of the day and put up 85/1 in their second innings to trim the lead to 179 runs.

Chittagong v Barisal, BKSP 2

Replying to Barisal’s 597/9 declared, Chittagong were dismissed for 339 in the first innings to give the port city outfit a huge 258-run lead.

Following on, Chittagong concluded the day’s proceedings on 53/2 in 12 overs to cut down the lead to 205 runs.

Nafees’ 291-ball 108 went in vain as Chittagong were unable to cross the follow-on mark. Barisal’s right-arm off-spinner Sohag Gazi caused the most damage in the first innings with bowling figures of 5/133.

Dhaka Metro v Sylhet, SBNS

Sylhet required 324 more runs to win as they finished the third day’s play on 33/1 in 19 overs.

Earlier, Shamsur’s 103 inspired Dhaka Metro to an identical total in their second innings, 264/8 declared, just like the first essay, as Sylhet were set a target of 357 runs.

Shamsur faced 149 deliveries and hammered 11 boundaries and two sixes. Sylhet’s left-arm spinner Nabil Samad was the wrecker-in-chief, scalping six wickets.l

Liverpool return to scene of CL triumph n AFP, Paris Liverpool return to the scene of the greatest moment in their recent history in the Europa League on Thursday as Tottenham Hotspur go to Italy just three days before the English League Cup final.

The Ataturk Olympic Stadium will forever be remembered by Liverpool fans as the scene of their remarkable triumph in the 2005 Champions League final, when they came from 3-0 down to draw level at 3-3 with AC Milan before winning a penalty shoot-out to lift the European Cup for the fifth time.

On this occasion, the only prize on offer in the round-of-32, second leg is a berth in the last 16, and Liverpool hold the upper hand in the tie after a late Mario Balotelli penalty secured a 1-0 win at Anfield last week.

The Reds are unbeaten in seven games while Besiktas - who are playing at the Olympic Stadium while their own ground overlooking the Bosphorus is rebuilt - were knocked off the top of the Turkish Super Lig at the weekend after losing 1-0 to Eskisehirspor.

“We want to start a new winning streak starting with the Liverpool game,” Besiktas coach Slaven Bilic told Turkish media after the weekend loss.l

Suarez brace sinks Man City, Juventus beat Dortmund n AFP, Paris Luis Suarez scored a double on his return to England for the first time since a big money move last summer as Barcelona secured a 2-1 win over Manchester City in their Champions League last 16 first leg clash on Tuesday.

The Uruguayan - who moved to Barcelona from Liverpool - struck twice in the first-half to give his side the upper hand heading towards the second leg at the Nou Camp next month.

Sergio Aguero grabbed a goal for City - though the hosts were soon afterwards reduced to 10 men when Gael Clichy was sent off - and Joe Hart kept City in it with a last minute penalty save from Lionel Messi.

It leaves City with a glimmer of hope of becoming the first side since Liver-

pool in 2007 of preventing Barcelona from reaching the last eight.

Suarez, who took his tally to nine goals for Barcelona in 23 appearances in all competitions, admitted Hart’s

UCL RESULTS Man City (ENG)

1-2

Aguero 69

Juventus (ITA) Tevez 13, Morata 42

Barcelona (ESP) Suarez 16, 30

2-1

Dortmund (GER) Reus 18

save had kept the tie alive.

City manager Manuel Pellegrini, whose side went out to Barcelona at the same stage last year, confessed his side had only started to play in the second period.

The other tie of the night saw Juventus beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in Tu-

rin, in the first meeting between the two sides since the German outfit beat them in the 1997 Champions League final.

Chiellini was at fault for Dortmund’s equaliser - after Carlos Tevez had opened the scoring for the hosts - as he slipped when in possession and Marco Reus needed no second invitation to score.

The players responded accordingly as impressive Spaniard Alvaro Morata restored Juve’s advantage shortly before the half-time break.

The biggest worry for Juventus will be the injury to iconic playmaker Andrea Pirlo after he had to go off in the first-half.

“We have passed an important test, and I am pleased with this result against a really good team,” said Allegri.l

Nabab Habibullah, BAF Shaheen qualify on final day n Raihan Mahmood The Dhaka zonal qualifiers of First Security Islami Bank National School Hockey concluded at the Moulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium yesterday with six schools qualifying for the final round scheduled to start from March 7 at the capital.

Zinzira PM Pilot High School, Fatullah Pilot High School, Ahmed Bawanu Academy School and College, Nabab Habibullah High School, BAF Shaheen School an Armanitola High School grabbed the six available slots.

In the last match-day, Nabab Habibullah High School beat Shahid

Nabi High School by 5-0 goals and BAF Shaheen School thrashed Naryanganj High School by 6-0 goals. The other qualifiers ensured their final round berth earlier.

Mahfuzur Rahman, the chairman of ATN Bangla and also the chairman of the tournament committee was the chief guest while Azam Khan, the head of development and marketing of the First Secuirty Islami Bank was the special guest on the occasion.

Hockey federation general secretary Khaja Rahmatullah and Mamunur Rashid, the secretary of the organising committee were also present. l

The chief guest hands over the player of the match award yesterday in the Dhaka zonal qualifiers of the National School Hockey at Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium COURTESY

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Wilson, Kevin seal Ireland’s thrilling win

UAEvIRE UAE Amjad Ali c Sorensen b K O’Brien A. Berenger c Porterfield b Stirling K. Chandran c K O’Brien b Stirling Khurram Khan lbw b Dockrell S. Patil c Stirling b K O’Brien Shaiman Anwar c Wilson b Sorensen R. Mustafa c Wilson b Cusack Amjad Javed c Joyce b Sorensen Mohammad Naveed c and b Cusack Mohammad Tauqir not out M. Guruje not out Extras (b1, lb4, w11, nb1)

R 45 13 0 36 2 106 2 42 13 2 0 17

Total (9 wkts, 50 overs)

278

B 71 25 4 53 8 83 9 35 11 2 0

n Reuters

Fall of wickets 1-49, 2-53, 3-73, 4-78, 5-125, 6-131, 7-238, 8-269, 9-276

Bowling Mooney 6-0-32-0 (1nb, 2w); Sorensen 10-0-60-2; Cusack 10-0-54-2 (3w); Stirling 10-0-27-2 (1w); K O’Brien 7-0-61-2 (4w); Dockrell 7-0-39-1 (1w) Ireland W. Porterfield b Mohammad Tauqir P. Stirling c Patil b Guruge E. Joyce c Patil b Amjad Javed N. O’Brien lbw b Mohammad Tauqir A. Balbirnie c sub (Saqlain) b Naveed G. Wilson c Javed b Naveed K. O’Brien c Naveed b Amjad Javed J. Mooney c Ali b Amjad Javed A. Cusack not out G. Dockrell not out Extras (b4, lb3, w2, nb2)

R 37 3 37 17 30 80 50 2 5 7 11

Total (8 wkts, 49.2 overs)

279

B 64 9 49 24 41 69 25 6 6 5

Fall of wickets 1-4, 2-72, 3-94, 4-97, 5-171, 6-243, 7-259, 8-267

Bowling Naveed 9.2-1-65-2 (1nb); Guruge 7-0-21-1 (1w); Javed 10-0-60-3; Tauqir 9-0-38-2 (1nb); Mustafa 9-0-45-0; Chandran 5-043-0 (1w) Ireland won by two wickets

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Ireland batsman George Dockrell celebrates after scoring the winning run during their 2015 Cricket World Cup Pool B match against UAE at the Gabba in Brisbane yesterday AFP

Gary Wilson and Kevin O’Brien struck brisk half-centuries as Ireland held their nerve to clinch a thrilling two-wicket victory in their World Cup Pool B match against United Arab Emirates in Brisbane on Wednesday.

Wilson hit 80 off 69 balls while all-rounder O’Brien smashed 50 off 25 to help Ireland overwhelm UAE’s total of 278-9 with four balls to spare for their second consecutive win of the tournament.

Needing almost 10 runs an over at one stage, Wilson and O’Brien smashed 72 in their sixth-wicket stand off just six overs to revive their chase.

O’Brien, who was dropped on 24, hit eight fours and lofted Amjad Javed (360) for two consecutive sixes but fell on the next ball with his team still needing 36 runs to win.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Wilson got Ireland, who beat West Indies in their first match, closer but was dismissed

by Mohammad Naveed (2-65) after hitting the bowler for two successive boundaries ion the 48th over.

Ireland needed 12 at that stage and tailenders George Dockrell and Alex

Cusack held firm to see them through.

Earlier, Shaiman Anwar registered UAE’s first World Cup century to help them overcome a poor start and post a strong total.

The 35-year-old right-hander scored 106 off 83 balls and dominated a breezy 107-run stand with Javed (42), a World Cup record for the seventh wicket, to lift UAE who were reeling at 78-4 in the 21st over.

Anwar became the second batsman to score a ODI hundred for the Emirati nation, who are making their second appearance at the event after also qualifying in 1996.

Anwar, who hit 10 fours and a six, raised his bat and went down on his knees after reaching the 100-run mark in 79 deliveries.

Ireland were guilty of bowling too short to Anwar, who had scored his previous highest of 67 in the last match against Zimbabwe, and Javed as UAE plundered 147 runs in the last 15 overs.

The duo came together with Ireland looking to bundle their opponents out having reduced them to 131 for six in the 35th over.

Anwar eventually fell in the 49th over, skying Max Sorensen for Wilson to complete a comfortable catch.

O’Brien was expensive in the final overs, conceding 61 off seven overs.l

Luck runs out for bail boy Joyce n AFP, Brisbane Ireland’s Ed Joyce had a lucky break as he survived the ball hitting the stumps while batting against the United Arab Emirates in a World Cup clash in Brisbane on Wednesday.

Amjad Javed thought he’d struck with his fourth ball when an inswinger beat left-hander Joyce’s defence and caused the LED lights on the bails to flash.

But although the off-bail was disturbed, it landed back in its groove and Joyce, who stood his ground as seamer Javed celebrated prematurely, was not out.

Joyce, who was on 16 at the time with Ireland 35 for one in the 11th over, added insult to Javed’s injury by driving the next ball down the ground for four.l

Aussies to test new helmet ‘Sixer Shaiman’ blasts into WC record books n after Hughes tragedy AFP, Brisbane

n AFP, Sydney Australia’s cricketers will get the opportunity to test a new helmet attachment designed in the aftermath of the Phillip Hughes tragedy, it was announced on Wednesday.

Cricket Australia high performance chief Pat Howard said that the clip-on attachment, manufactured by British company Masuri, is made of honeycomb plastic and foam and offers protection to the exposed back of the neck, the area where Hughes was hit in November last year.

Howard said that Masuri invested 240 hours of development time into “StemGuard”.

“It’s really quite innovative and

some players have seen the footage and are very receptive to trying it,” he explained.

“It’s got impact protection and comes down the side of the head. Players will be given an opportunity to try it out in a game outside an international, but work our way up.”

Howard said Cricket Australia is working with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to ensure helmet standards set by the British Standards Institute are adopted worldwide.

Test player Hughes, 25, was wearing an outdated helmet when he was knocked unconscious by a bouncer and collapsed while batting for South Australia against New South Wales in Sydney on November 25.

He died two days later from bleeding on the brain, plunging the cricket world into mourning. l

By day, he works in shipping in Dubai’s flourishing cargo industry. At nights and weekends in the Gulf, and now at the famed Gabba in Brisbane, he’s racking up the boundaries in record style.

Shaiman Anwar became the first United Arab Emirates player to hit a World Cup century on Wednesday as his team recovered from a perilous 131 for six against Ireland to make 278 for nine.

Anwar, a 35-year-old Pakistani native, bludgeoned 10 fours and a six in his ton which came off 79 balls before he was out for 106, having faced 83 balls.

He had already announced his arrival at the World Cup with a battling 67 in his team’s four-wicket loss to Zimbabwe in Nelson last week.

And on Wednesday, the man known as “Sixer Shaiman” in the Gulf leagues, in honour of his liking for big hits, went to his century in style. He sparred with Kevin O’Brien, who made the fastest World

Cup century four years ago in India, and with the Irish bowler on the ropes, hit the runs that took him to his landmark.

FIRST WORLD CUP CENTURY FOR UAE

106

UAE batsman Shaiman Anwar celebrates century against Ireland in Brisbane yesterday AFP

Watson confronts World Cup ‘crunch time’ n AFP, Auckland

Shane Watson admitted he was facing “crunch time” with the bat as he battled to stay in Australia’s side ahead of their World Cup clash with co-hosts New Zealand.

In the midst of Australia’s thumping 111-run opening pool win over England in Melbourne, all-rounder Watson was dismissed by paceman Stuart Broad for a golden duck.

While it was generally acknowledged he had received a good delivery, his exit reignited the long-running debate about Watson’s worth to Australia, with many observers contending he is

Chatara let go for two beamers n AFP, Sydney Zimbabwe seamer Tendai Chatara was reprimanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday for bowling two successive dangerous deliveries at West Indies record breaker Chris Gayle in their World Cup clash.

The incident happened in the 50th over of the West Indies innings at Canberra’s Manuka Oval on Tuesday when Chatara bowled a second consecutive high, full-pitched ball to Gayle, after being given a first and final warning by on-field umpire Ian Gould after his previous delivery.

The fast bowler was hauled out of the attack as a result and reported to the ICC match referee for dangerous and unfair bowling.

“In determining the sanction, I took into account the mitigating factor of the wet ball which could have resulted in the bowler not being able to have complete control of the deliveries,” said match referee Roshan Mahanama who handed out the reprimand.l

not a good enough batsman or bowler to hold down a place in the side.

The 33-year-old’s cause was not helped when Australia’s second Pool A game against Brisbane last weekend was washed out without a ball bowled and Watson’s World Cup could now depend on how he performs against New Zealand at Auckland’s Eden Park on Saturday - if selected.

“It’s crunch time for me to score runs in general,” Watson said Wednesday, when asked if he needed a score to keep his place in the side.

“It was disappointing not to get through that first ball,” said Watson of his Melbourne dismissal.

“But it’s important for me to score runs anytime. It’s up to the selectors in the end, whether they see fit for me to play,” he added.

“I have been involved in a number of World Cups and I know what to expect. But I’m doing everything I possibly can.

“I just want to score runs and I know it doesn’t always go exactly to plan as well.”

Prior to the World Cup, Watson scored 81 in the Sydney Test against India last month before a run of modest one-day contributions - 16, 41, 22 and 34 prior to his Melbourne duck.

Watson’s last five matches for Aus-

WORLD CUP HEAD-TO-HEAD

tralia have yielded just one wicket - against the United Arab Emirates in a World Cup warm-up - and his place would appear to be under threat once fellow all-rounder James Faulkner regains full fitness.

Faulkner was seen bowling in the Australian nets on Wednesday but is not expected to play on Saturday.

Watson has 435 runs, including four fifties, in 16 World Cup games at an average of more than 54.

Asked if he felt under pressure, Watson replied: “I just want to score runs and I want to perform. That’s really what it is. That’s what I’m working extremely hard on.”l

5

OVERALL

Wins

SCOTLAND 3

PROBABLE XI Javed Ahmadi, Nawroz Mangal, Asghar Stanikzai, Samiullah Shenwari, Mohammad Nabi (C), Najibullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai (WK), Aftab Alam, Dawlat Zadran, Hamid Hassan, Shapoor Zadran Stanikzai has made a mixed start to the World Cup, registering scores of 54 and 1 in their two games.

Initially circumspect at the beginning of a game, the right-hander can be explosive in the middle and death overs

Kyle Coetzer, Calum McLeod, Freddie Coleman, Matt Machan, Preston Mommsen (C), Richie Berrington, Mathew Cross (WK), Josh Davey, Alasdair Evans, Majid Haq, Iain Wardlaw

PLAYER TO WATCH

STANIKZAI

MACHAN

Born in Sussex, England, Machan has had a similar campaign to that of Stanikzai. Scores of 5 and 56 though hardly does justice to a talented batsman like Machan. The Scots will hope for the left-hander to really come good against their fellow Associates

Anwar was born in Sialkot in 1979 and played club cricket for his native city and then Servis Industries.

But unable to carve out a full-time career in the game in Pakistan, Anwar followed thousands of his compatriots to the tax-free haven of Dubai in 2007, finding work in the shipping business before qualifying to play for the UAE in 2009.

He has been a regular ever since in a team which relies mostly on expat talent from South Asia, and where all the players juggle their playing careers with a variety of day jobs.

In the 2011-13 World Cricket League, a tournament reserved for the leading non-Test playing nations, he scored 625 runs from 14 matches, the most by any player.

He only made his one-day international debut in February 2014 against Scotland in the final of the World Cup qualifiers, the last-chance event in New Zealand to secure places at the ongoing showpiece tournament.l

Struggling Younis denies retirement tweet n AFP, Brisbane Out of form senior Pakistan batsman Younis Khan denied on Wednesday tweeting a plan to retire from one-day internationals after the ongoing World Cup, saying he was working hard to come good for his team.

A tweet from a supposedly official Younis account on Tuesday said he was going to retire from white-ball cricket after the World Cup and continue to play Tests.

However, Younis insisted he did not have a Twitter account of his own.

“I have no Twitter account and it’s (the story about his retirement) fake,” Younis told AFP on Wednesday.

“I am working hard to come good in batting and have not decided anything like that.”

Younis has been a subject of severe criticism from former Pakistan players after scores of six and nought in Pakistan’s defeats in their first two matches of the World Cup. Since arriving on the New Zealand tour last month, the 37-year-old has managed just 78 runs in eight matches.l

Scotland, Afghanistan both eye maiden World Cup win n AFP, Dunedin

AFGHANISTAN

“I think it was my best innings - I wanted to put a maximum on the board, to put pressure on Ireland,” said Anwar.

Scotland and Afghanistan are each targeting a first-ever Cricket World Cup victory when they meet in Dunedin on Thursday.

Both of the minnow nations have given more fancied opposition a scare at this year’s tournament but are yet to win a match.

Afghanistan looked a realistic prospect of upsetting Sri Lanka last weekend when they reduced the former world champions to 51-4 before a Mahela Jayawardene century consigned them to a four-wicket defeat.

Scotland gave co-hosts New Zealand some nervous moments when they took seven wickets as the Black Caps, one of the tournament favourites, chased a paltry 143-run target.

Both of the non-Test playing “associate” nations have now lost two from

two in their Pool A matches and have virtually no chance of reaching the quarter-finals, making a maiden victory their major goal for the tournament.

The Scots, who have appeared at two previous World Cups but are still yet to win a match, followed up their stirring display against New Zealand with a lacklustre 119-run loss to England.

But captain Preston Mommsen said his team were not disheartened and were putting in the “hard graft” needed to prepare for the Afghanistan match.

“It’s a critical game for us,” he said.

“Having played them quite a bit in recent times, it’s important that we put in a big performance.”

Scotland and Afghanistan have played each other eight times in oneday internationals, with the Scots on the wrong end of a 5-3 losing record.

But they inflicted a heavy 150-run defeat on their opponents last time they met in Dubai last month, when Afghanistan were bowled out for 63 as

medium pacer Josh Davey ran riot and ended with figures of six for 28.

Collingwood said that elusive first victory was a major motivating factor for his side.

Afghanistan’s attack will be led by Hamid Hassan, who is shaping up as the cult hero of this year’s tournament, with his red bandanna and face paint in the national colours.

He is Afghanistan’s leading wicket taker at the tournament with five dismissals, including Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, which he celebrated with an unsteady cartwheel down the pitch.

Hassan once described Afghanistan, who are making their tournament debut, as the “Rambo” of the cricket world and admits his look is based on the movie’s star Sylvester Stallone.

Many of Afghanistan’s players learned their cricket in refugee camps after fleeing their war-torn nation and a win in their first World Cup appearance would be a major achievement.l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

15

Thursday, February 26, 2015

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

NADIA AFREEN signs up for ongoing TV series

CHIRKUTT’s music tracks a gift

n Entertainment Desk Chirkutt, a leading local band, in cooperation with Multi-sourcing Limited is going to make public its unreleased track “Bhalobashle Kyano Khidey Pai Na” and “Poth” on February 26 exclusively for the Robi subscribers on its radio portal “MUSICA.” Their “Bhalobashle Kyano Khidey

CONAN O’BRIEN @ConanOBrien That unreleased book

by Dr. Seuss they just discovered proves that Fifty Shades of Grey was completely plagiarized.

KARAN JOHAR @karanjohar My father always taught me to be there for the people in my life and fraternity... not as an obligation... infact for no reason at all...

JIMMY FALLON @jimmyfallon It was too cold to take off my gloves to send a text, so I typed out a message with my nose. #AwwHellSnow

ELLEN DEGENERES @TheEllenShow That’s how babies are made - Kristen Bell, a tape measure and a manicurist. #RepeatAfterMe

WHAT TO WATCH TELEVISION

n Entertainment Desk

Pai Na” music video, produced by Borno, was released on February 22.

“The music video is a gift for our viewers. When a person falls in love, many changes can be seen in his/her personality such as loss of appetite.

Particularly at an early age, when first love strikes the changes are much evident. Our video has been produced from that perspective,” said the vocal of the band Sharmin Sultana Sumi. l

Nadia Afreen, Lux Channel i Superstar 2014, is confirmed to appear in an ongoing TV series “Apurba.” Featuring the trials and tribulations of four girls, the series is going to introduce Nadia Afreen as another female lead named Sonali.

Talking to Dhaka Tribune, Nadia, who will be making her television debut with this series, said: “My character in that of a university graduate who faces dire situations in her relationship and beyond, being a woman.”

The story of the drama series revolves around the lives and struggles of four girls who have diverse professional backgrounds and experiences. Eventually the series shows the realities of a metro city, where girls comes from different background and cherish their relationships.

Directed by Gautom Koiri, the series features Aparna Ghoshe, Arfan Nisho, Swagata, Hillol, Sadika Swarna and Samia Said in lead roles. Created by Syed Ziauddin and Prithiraj Ghoshe, the TV series is being aired on Maasranga TV from every Mondays to Thursdays at 11:00pm. l

GREEN ZONE Star Movies Action, 8:30pm Cast: Matt Damon, Jason Isaacs Discovering covert and faulty intelligence causes a US Army officer to go rogue.

ONLY GOD FORGIVES HBO Hits, 11:30pm Cast: Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas Julian, a drug-smuggler thriving in Bangkok’s criminal underworld, sees his life get even more complicated when his mother compels him to find and kill whoever is responsible for his brother’s recent death.

Rusty Ramblers to present at EMK Center

n Entertainment Desk Marking the Black History Month, EMK Center presents the Rusty Ramblers at 7pm today. The band will render the sounds of Motown.

Motown was a Detroit based record company that is attributed to the promotion and popularising of a large number of artists such as Mary Wells, the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Four Tops, the Jackson 5, Boyz II Men, Commodores,

Lionel Richie, Dazz Band, Brian McKnight, 98 Degrees, and Erykah Badu.

Known for their distinct sounds and major player for five decades, Motown became a genre of their own in American popular culture, eventually outgrowing the company itself.

Rusty Ramblers will be performing a tribute to this record label. The featuring artists are Rahil (vocals and rhythm guitar), Labu Rahman (lead guitar), Foad Nasser Babu (keyboard), Nafees (drums), Zahid: (bass guitar) Ticket price is BDT 100 and free for EMK Center Members upon showing ID card. l

JESSICA CHASTAIN joins Chris Hemsworth in The Huntsman n Entertainment Desk Jessica Chastain will join Chris Hemsworth in Universal’s spinoff “The Huntsman.”

Cedric Nicolas-Troyan is directing “The Huntsman” after former “Walking Dead” showrunner Frank Darabont left the project.

Darabont wrote the screenplay, with earlier drafts by Craig Mazin and Evan Spiliotopoulos.

Hemsworth and Charlize Theron are returning to play the Huntsman and Ravenna, respectively. The new film returns to the world of Snow White and the Huntsman, but focuses on the

ARJUN RAMPAL @rampalarjun Fitness is not about being better than someone else. It’s about being better than you used to be. #stayfit #behealthy

THEATRE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 3D I ZERO DEGREE I ROMEO V/S JULIET I SEVENTH SON 3D I JESSABELLE @ Star Cineplex SEVENTH SON 3D I ROMEO V/S JULIET I EXODUS 3D I INTERSTELLAR I NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB I THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES I THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 3D I ZERO DEGREE @ Blockbuster Cinemas

Screening of When Father Was Away on Business at Shilpakal n Entertainment Desk

Huntsman and Ravenna’s lives before the arrival of Snow White (played by Kristen Stewart in the original). Emily Blunt will also star in the film, which is set for release on April 22, 2016.

Joe Roth is producing, while Palak Patel has executive producecer credits. Maradith Frenkel and Chloe Yellin will oversee the project for the studio.

Chastain just wrapped work on “The Martian,” which she stars in with Matt Damon.

She’ll next be seen in Guillermo del Toro’s “Crimson Peak,” set to hit theaters on October 16. Her notable work over the past year includes strong performances in Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar,” “A Most Violent Year” and “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.” l

“When Father Was Away on Business,” a 1985 Yugoslav film by Serbian director Emir Kusturica, will be screened today in the Nanan Bhashar Nanan Chhobi festival at the International Digital Cultural Archive of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy at 6pm.

The Palme d’Or winner tells the story through the eyes of the young boy Malik which set in postWorld War II Yugoslavia during the Informbiro period.

Kusturica’s style has evolved into a highly individual, exuberant, richly evocative, carnivalesque visual circus which, at its most exhilarating, dazzles the viewer. His films have won two Palmes d’Or (a rarity in the history of the Cannes Festival) and numerous other major international accolades which have attracted an increasingly admiring audience worldwide and Kusturica himself has emerged as one of the last examples of the European auteurist tradition. l

RIHANNA shines light with Towards The Sun n Entertainment Desk Rihanna gets cinematic with her new single “Towards the Sun,” which comes not off her upcoming R8, but the soundtrack for DreamWorks Animation’s “Home,” to which she lends her voice.

A heroic kind of track, “Towards The Sun” sees Rihana singing pure and clear about turning your face toward the sun and leaving

the shadows like a flower is wont to do.

Rihanna curated the soundtrack to the film, in which the singer plays Tip, an ordinary girl who makes friends with an alien named O. The singer tweeted: “Meet Tip, my character in the @DWAnimation movie, HOME!!! #DreamWorksHome #ComingSoon #pRIHview! http://t.co/cVN6iy1PyB.” l

The LEGO Movie sequel gets a new director and title n Entertainment Desk With a haul of $468m worldwide, “The Lego Movie” was one of 2014’s most successful animated movies – and one of its best-loved, for its madcap energy and a surprisingly irreverent tone given it was promoting a toy company.

Its success has prompted no less than three further films: one based on the Ninjago product line, another on the Lego Batman figure voiced by Will Arnett, and an official sequel. The latter has now got an official title

– The Lego Movie Sequel – and Rob Schrab attached as director.

It’s Schrab’s first feature film in the director’s chair, following his work on TV comedies like “The Sarah Silverman Program,” “Community” and “The Mindy Project;” he also wrote the animated film “Monster House.” The first film’s directors, Philip Lord and Christopher Miller, stay on as writers and producers.

“The Lego Movie Sequel” is pencilled in for a 2018 release. l

REKHA wears sindoor for Big B n Entertainment Desk The Bollywood’s most beautiful and evergreen actress Rekha and the megastar Amitabh Bachchan are no longer on talking terms but the actress apparently sports a sindoor in his name.

Naturally, this caused no small upset within Bollywood.

Rekha was spotted wearing a sindoor on various occasions. Despite being a widow, she sports vermillion and it is regarded as Rekha’s style statement but veteran actor and “Bigg Boss 8” Puneet Issar’s wife Deepali Issar’s latest remark on Rekha sindoor has added a new angle to the story.

According to reports, Deepali Issar, Puneet’s wife revealed this shocking fact that Rekha who once upon a time had a whirlwind romance with Amitabh Bachchan wears sindoor in his name.

The reason behind Puneet Issar’s wife targeting Rekha is “Bigg Boss 8.” When the evergreen beauty appeared on the show to promote her new outing, “Super Nani,” she totally snubbed Puneet Issar.

Though the actual reason for ignoring Puneet Issar is not known, it is speculated that Rekha snubbed Puneet for the ‘Coolie’ accident in which he was seriously and almost fatally injured and had to undergo three stomach operations. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Thursday, February 26, 2015

BDR Mutiny: Victims’ families haunted by unprecedented level of brutality n Ashif Islam Shaon One question always swirls through the minds of family members of those killed in the Pilkhana BDR mutiny seven years back and it is why the victims were subjected to such disproportionate level of brutality.

The family members of the slain army officers demand that the government dig out the mastermind who pulled the strings behind those who directly took part in the killing mission.

They also urged the government yesterday to announce a national day in remembrance of the victims and set up a monument for people to pay tributes to them.

They came to the Banani Graveyard to pay tributes to the slain officials of the now-defunct BDR in the morning.

Earlier, representatives of the president, prime minister, state minister for home, the chiefs of the armed forces and the DG of the BGB paid their homage.

Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad too paid tribute to those ill-fated army officials.

On the morning of February 25 in 2009, a section of disgruntled soldiers of now-defunct Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), now Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), mutinied at their Pilkhana headquarters, took arms in their hands after looting those breaking the armory.

In the massacre of 33 hours they killed 74 people, including 57 army officers. Armed jawans looted officers’ houses, tortured women and children and took them hostage.

Like others mother of slain Maj Mizanur Rahmna went to the Banani Graveyard to pay homage to her son.

Recalling the day she said Mizanur went out from the officers’ quarters they lived in around 7:45pm. “After some times we came to know that jawans opened fire on the officers.

A jawan came to us and said my son was missing.”

With Mizan’s two sons Tahsin Rahman Ramim and Fardin Rahman Sami she took shelter under a cot and waited for her son to come. Sounds of firing were coming nearer. They got Mizanur’s body after the carnage ended.

“Ramim and Sami’s mother died

Family members of slain army officer Major Md Saleh offer prayers at the graves of the murdered army officers at Banani graveyard on the sixth anniversary of the BDR carnage yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN of cancer just nine months after their father was killed. In 2009 Ramim was only 10-year-old and Sami was only four. I am rearing up the orphans,” she said weeping.

“I cannot answer why their father was killed,” she said.

Sonia Zobaida, widow of Maj Md Rafiqul Islam said she was two months into her pregnancy when her husband was killed.

“He is now four-year-old. He sometimes inquires about his father but I have to keep silent or evade the question,” she said.

“It would console us if we could know what my husband’s fault actually was,” she said and demanded the government let them know why the army officers were killed and who were behind that.

BDR director general (DG) Shakil Ahmed and his wife were among the slain. His brother-in-law Ali Akber came to the graveyard to put flowers

on their graves. He said they were deprived of the justice in the last six years as the death sentences are not executed yet.

“They will never come back but the execution could at least console us and the victims soul could be in peace,” he said.

Talking with the reporters BGB DG Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed said the government is sincere about the execution of the penalties of the convicts. There will be a result soon.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said it would take at least two more years before the higher courts concluded the legal procedures to pave way for the execution of verdicts handed down by a special court in November 2013.

Two cases were filed following the mutiny – one for carnage and another for blast. The special court had handed down death penalty to 152 people and different terms of imprisonment to 423

people in the carnage case.

Almost all of them were BDR soldiers. The convicts had filed appeal to the High Court challenging the verdicts.

As of this month, a special High Court bench has heard the confessional statements of 538 accused and the depositions of 14 prosecution witnesses out of 654.

But the blast case is still in its initial phase. In the last one year the special court set up in the capital’s Bakshibazar to hold the trial did not sit for a single day.

Alhough the carnage and the blast case started in August 2011 accusing almost the same persons, the blast case was paused to speed up the carnage case.

However, acting chief public prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol expressed hopes that they would be able to complete the case proceedings by this year. l

All about little magazines n Nure Alam Durjoy The spot beside Burdwan House in Bangla Academy is an interesting one – you can AMAR EKUSHEY see young, BOOK FAIR 2015 relatively unknown writers huddled there, engaged in debates over various issues.

These young litterateurs are devoted to the practice of little magazines.

This “corner” is entirely dedicated to the little magazines that are published around the country. Little magazines, better known as little mags, are periodicals that feature unconventional thinking practice. They are usually noncommercial and experimental.

There are around 60 stalls of little magazines on the Bangla Academy premises, higher than last year – there were 45 stalls last year, according to Bangla Academy sources. The publications include Droshtobyo, Shidara, Ghugu, Loke, Choitnyo, etc.

Shammo Rayan, editor of little mag Bangmoy, told the Dhaka Tribune: “It is great to see that the new generation is interested in the culture of little mag. The number of magazines is increasing too.”

Attendants of Shuddhaswar publication house said they had started as a little mag of the same name be-

fore turning into publication house in 2004. “But we remain dedicated to our practice, and little magazine writers are welcome to publish their books from our house.”

Dipankar Roy, an attendant at the stall of Loke, said: “We generally receive warm response from little mag readers. But many readers who reside outside the capital have not been able to visit us this year due to the hartal.”

“Every year Little Mag Prangan Award is given to one magazine to accelerate the practice and movement of little mag in Bangladesh,” said Aniket Shamim, editor of Loke.

No extension of Boi Mela

The Boi Mela authorities have no plans to extend the fair. “It is not practical to extend it, considering security and cost, said Jalal Ahmed, member secretary of the fair committee.

On Tuesday, publishers submitted an application to the fair authorities for an extension, as the continuous hartal and blockade affected the overall sales of books this year.

However, the fair saw huge crowd yesterday, and the stall attendants were seen very busy catering to their customers.

A total of 116 new books hit the fair yesterday, putting the number of new publications at 3,251. l

Little Magazine Chattar, the signature stall of the Ekushey Boi Mela, draws youths with huge variety of magazines. The photo was taken yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

Don’t tell father about my condition, says burnt son in hospital bed n Mohammad Jamil Khan

While trying to overtake another vehicle, the driver of this bus lost control and drove the bus into the central reservation in the capital’s Shahbagh yesterday. The passengers were lucky to escape without any major injuries SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Magura criminal dies in shootout n Our correspondent, Magura A man claimed to be a criminal by police has died in a gun battle with them in Magura.

Daud Hossain died in the shootout between his associates and police in Khalimpur village around Tuesday midnight, said Magura Assistant Police Super Shudarshan Kumar Roy. The man was the leader of Tiger Bahini, he said.

“Detectives detained Daud on Tuesday morning and took him along to the village to recover arms based on his confession. “But Daud’s cronies lurking in the area fired at police when the latter reached there, triggering the gunfight. At one stage, Daud sustained bullet injuries and died on the spot,” added the policeman.

But Daud’s family denied the police claim, saying the attack on police by his cohorts was a made-up story. l

Delhi gets reduced power tariff, free water n Agencies Acting on its poll promises, the newly appointed AAP government announced a reduction in power tariff in the state of Delhi yesterday.

“Families using power till 400 units per month will get it on half the price,” deputy CM Delhi Manish Sisodia announced in a press conference.

“Those families using more than 400 units per month will have to pay the entire bill,” Manish Sisodia added.

This will be effective from the March 1, Manish Sisodia said.

The reduction in power tariff will benefit 90% families in Delhi, Sisodia said.

The government had allocated Rs 70 crore for this subsidy for a month.

From April 1, the budget allocation for this scheme will be Rs1,427 crore per annum.

Manish Sisodia also said that the Delhi government would provide 20,000 litres of free water per month to every household.

In its manifesto, AAP had promised to cut power tariff by 50% immediately after coming to power and said the rates will be revised based on the findings of the CAG audit.

Earlier in the day, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal met Comptroller and Auditor General Shashi Kant Sharma and discussed the status of scrutiny of finances of the private power distribution companies by the auditor which was ordered by the AAP government during its first stint. l

When Shakil Shikdar lost his mother at the age of five, his father refused to tie the knot again for the sake of the only son.

Now the 17-year-old, who is fighting for his life at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) after being critically injured in an arson attack, is requesting doctors not to inform his father of his condition as he thinks it will be a shock too great to deal with for the man.

Shakil’s father Md Jasim is now in Kazichar village of Muladi in Barisal, which is the family’s hometown, and is unaware of what his son has gone through.

Shakil has got 50% of his body burnt in the attack, including the face, and doctors have kept him in the intensive care unit. His whole body has been bandaged.

The teenager is the conductor of a

bus of Ashian Paribahan, which was set on fire at Saoghat area of Rupganj in Narayanganj around 3:30am yesterday.

Apart from Shakil, helper of the bus, Yasin, 14, and Mainuddin, 24, also received burn injuries as they were sleeping inside the vehicle.

Mainuddin was the first to sense that the bus had been torched. He jumped out of a window and yelled for help.

Some locals were on the scene shortly and helped rescue Shakil and Yasin.

Mainuddin was admitted to a local clinic after the attack while Shakil and Yasin are undergoing treatment at the DMCH burn unit.

Yasin Shikdar, a cousin of Shakil, told the Dhaka Tribune that Shakil could not continue his studies because of financial constraints of the family.

“He had to start working for money since his childhood. He has worked as a bus helper and later became a conductor,” added Yasin.

Shakil’s paternal aunt Kalpana Begum, who raised him after the death of his mother, told the Dhaka Tribune at the hospital that Shakil was speaking incoherently.

“He is suffering from excruciating pain. At one moment, he is saying that he will no longer live and the next moment, he is urging physicians not to tell anything to his father,” she added.

Another injured Yasin, who lives on Shahjalal Road in the capital’s Demra, is an orphan, and lives in the house of Jahangir Mia, his uncle.

Jahangir said he felt helpless seeing Yasin suffering from severe pain.

“The fire has burnt 14% of his body and his respiratory system has also been affected,” he said.

Dr Partha Shankar Paul, resident surgeon of the burn unit, told the Dhaka Tribune that a total of 150 people had taken treatment at the burn unit since the blockade began on January 6. l

One killed in crude Today’s SSC exams shifted to March 7 bomb blast in Ctg students towards uncertainty,” he said. n UNB He said the postponed examinan FM Mizanur Rahman, Chittagong The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) tionsscience/general science and A 50-year-old man died after being injured in a crude bomb blast at CNB area of Chandgaon in Chittagong city during the hartal yesterday night.

The deceased Md Redwan, a land broker and a resident of Chandgaon area, was walking by the area around 8pm when some miscreants hurled a crude bomb, said Assistant SubInspector Pankaj Barua of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) police outpost.

He was rushed to (CMCH) where he succumbed to injuries at about 9:45pm.

On duty doctor Imon Kallyan Saha said Redwan was badly injured in his left shoulder and died due to bleeding.

Sub-Inspector Md Hafiz of Chandgaon police station said they were conducting a raid at the area to nub the miscreants following the blast. l

and it equivalent examinations scheduled for today has been shifted to Saturday, March 7 due to hartal.

Education Secretary Nazrul Islam Khan came up with the announcement at a press briefing at the Education Ministry yesterday.

“We have changed the exams schedule as the BNP-led alliance extended its hartal by 48 hours. We cannot push our

elective mathematics (theory) under general education board, Bangla second paper under Madrasa Board and Trade 2 under Technical Education Board - would be held from 10am to 1pm on the day.

The BNP-led 20-party alliance on Tuesday again extended its ongoing 72hour nationwide hartal by 48 hours till 6am tomorrow. 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

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Robi lingers listing with stock market Stocks dip as Khaleda’s arrest n warrant news out Muhammad Zahidul Islam

n Tribune Report

Stock market came under a tight bear hug yesterday, as panic gripped investors following the news of arrest warrant against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. The market was in the positive territory in the morning but when the news broke, the investors began reacting negatively dumping their holdings to save their investments, according to dealers.

The intra-day volatility was more than 70 points—the highest in recent years. At the end of the day, the benchmark index DSEX plunged around 60 points or 1.3% to settle at 4,742, its lowest since February 9 last.

The Shariah Index DSES shed 13 points or 1.2% to 1,126. The comprising blue chips DS30 was down 23 points or 1.3% to 1,770.

Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Categories Index, CSCX, lost 90 points to 8,818.

Though volume of trade increased due to selling spree, it still remained within the poor boundary, as turnover at the Dhaka Stock Exchange stood at over Tk342 crore, an increase of more than 10% over the previous session.

“The negative sentiments in the market were exacerbated by the developments on the political front as fears of heightening confrontation between the government and BNP ignited,” said a leading analyst.

Vacant CEO posts of foreign banks must be filled in 3 months n Tribune Report The post of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of foreign banks operating in Bangladesh cannot remain vacant for more than three consecutive months.

The rules of bank companies act 1991 will now be applicable for the foreign banks as well.

Bangladesh Bank issued a circular yesterday making instructions in this regard.

It said foreign banks would have to update communication about the matter with the respective department of the central bank.

They have been asked to update the work permit related document in case of appointing any foreign citizen as chief executive officer of any foreign bank in Bangladesh.

“All the foreign banks will have to get approval from the central bank in case of appointing any foreign citizen as their chief executive officer,” said the circular.

Bank Companies Act instructs the local banks not to keep their respective CEO position vacant for more than three consecutive months l

He said panic selling gripped the market amid concerns for rising more violence across the country, which stemmed from arrest warrant of Begum Zia. “Political uncertainty and anticipation of dismal data on macro economy played a catalyst role in bearish activity at the stock market,” he said.

Before mid-day yesterday, a Dhaka court issued arrest warrant against Khaleda Zia. LankaBangla Securities said bearish sentiment of previous trading session extended as soon as arrest warrant was out for chairperson of opposition party.

“Market became depressed on renewal of political confrontation. Panicked investors held back investment and continued sell-off.” IDLC Investments said as the news came, panic-driven selling pressure turned down the market as investors tried to minimise losses.

All the sectors closed negative. Only Food & Allied sector was the only lucky sector that survived from investors selling wrath, posting a marginal rise.

Cement sector faced the intense selling spree with highest loss of 2.8%.

Financial sectors saw heavy correction with banks and non-banking financial institutions that declined more than 1% and 2% respectively.

Power, telecommunication, engineering and pharmaceuticals were among others taking a heat of panic-driven sale. l

Although yearly profits have been handsome for years, mobile phone operator Robi is still dilly-dallying the process of being listed with the country’s stock market.

The operator was supposed to launch initial public offering in December 2014, but didn’t. Robi officials said they were looking for an “appropriate time” to start the process.

“Lots of unresolved issue are still left and we are expecting solution. Our shareholders are also looking for it,” said Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, Chief Operating Officer of Robi.

He said there was another spectrum auction ahead and SIM tax issue was not resolved yet.

Mahtab said if the shareholders gave us a decision today it would be tough for them to launch IPO by December 2015.

“We are considering to enter the stock market. But before the shareholders decide anything about it, we can’t do anything,” he added in reply to a question of Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

He said the operator was preparing for IPO and once the shareholders decided, it would start the process.

The country’s second largest mobile phone operator in terms of revenue reported 20.4% growth in profit to Tk439.60 crore in 2014 from Tk365.2 crore in 2013.

Robi earned Tk4,942.3 crore revenue in 2014 and secured 8.89% net profit of revenue, the operator told a press conference held to share annual business performance at its office in the capital yesterday.

‘This year we have decided to pay 4% cash dividend for the shareholders. The shareholders take dividend and give us back as investment’ Although Robi claimed they had been making profit since 2010, the Dhaka Tribune found the operator had made profit after tax Tk394.2 crore in 2005 out of a total revenue of Tk868.1 crore.

According to the Robi’s parent company Axiata Ltd presentation, the AK-

TEL (currently Robi) made Tk433.3 crore profit out of Tk1,211.1 crore revenue in 2006.

Though the after tax profit had ups and downs, the cumulative figure of net profit is Tk2,380 crore. As of 2010 the profit figure stood at Tk9,200 crore.

Of the amount, Robi shared Tk1,428 crore as cash dividend with the shareholders.

“This year we have decided to pay 4% cash dividend for the shareholders.

The shareholders take dividend and give us back as investment,” said Supun Weerasinghe, managing director and CEO of Robi.

The operator said it had invested Tk2,100 crore (63.7% increase) in 3.5G expansion, bringing new areas under

2G coverage and improving service quality.

The operator has completed another successful year in data revolution earning over 120% revenue from data service. But it is not willing to make any revenue from it.

About the overall performance, Robi CEO said: “I am pleased to see the growth momentum continued in 2014 across all dimensions of our business.

We are seeing good growth in data services since start of the year as we expand our 3.5G network across the country.”

Robi CEO, however, added the current political situation remained as a concern, which could impact the business growth in 2015. l

Weekly tea sale sees increased interest Tofail: Sweden keen to invest in ICT sector

n Tribune Business Desk The weekly tea sale has witnessed more interest practically for all varieties that saw further hardening in price.

A large weight of plain poor teas was disposed off at mostly firm rates in Chittagong on Tuesday, according to a market report.

Blenders were quite active but there was more interest from the Loose Tea buyers. As a result, withdrawal percentage was less this week, reports UNB. Good liquoring Dusts were again a strong feature of the sale.

CTC LEAF: Some 24,783 packages of tea on offer met with improved demand with less withdrawals.

BROKENS: There was only a few clean Brokens available, which were strongly competed for and generally appreciated up to Tk5 particularly the BOPs. Smaller cleaner varieties also sold well in line with quality and these could be quoted between Tk195 and Tk210. Other varieties particularly the plainer types saw a little more interest and sold at irregular rates. There was less withdrawals in this category.

FANNINGS: There were only a few clean liquoring Fannings on offer which were very strongly competed for

n Tribune Report

and generally sold at dearer rates, selling between Tk205 and Tk225.

Medium and other varieties were about steady. Plainer types received a little more interest than before and a fair weight of tea sold at dearer rates.

CTC DUST: Some 5,011 packages of tea on offer once again met with a

strong demand. Good liquoring varieties were firm to slightly dearer whilst others sold at around last levels easing slightly in line with quality.

Plain, poor fibrous types were an easier market with some withdrawals.

Blenders operated in strength with fair support from the Loose Tea buyers. l

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed yesterday said Sweden has expressed interest to make huge investments in Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector of Bangladesh.

Besides, they are considering investment in other potential sectors like pharmaceuticals, leather, ship building and furniture, he told journalists after Swedish envoy Johan Frisell exchanged views with him at the Commerce Ministry, reports BSS. Tofail Ahmed said there is a huge demand for Bangladeshi readymade garments in the Swedish market.

The present government is encouraging Sweden and other countries to invest in Bangladesh. The government is giving all cooperation as per demands in this regard, he added.

Tofail Ahmed said the government has undertaken a plan to increase exports of garments, phar-

maceutical and ICT products, leather goods and ships. These products have immense demand in Sweden and other countries, he added.

Replying to a question, Tofail Ahmed said development activities are not being hampered due to the current situation in the country.

The peace-loving people of this country do not like violent activities like blockade and strike and they are united against terrorist activities, he added.

Now the shops and business establishments remain open and vehicles are plying on the roads, he said and hoped the situation will become totally normal within a short time. Senior officials of the ministry were present on the occasion. l

B2 LR Global banned from floating fund for one year

Olympic Accessories IPO gets nod According to the findings, the n Tribune Report fund manager has frequently trans-

ferred a fund account from one bank to another without any logical ground, and maximum of the money were transferred to the account with lower interest from the account with higher interest.

“As a result, the fund was deprived of reaping higher bank interest.”

The fund manager also directly transferred funds from those mutual funds accounts to own bank account only to meet its own needs, and invested money of one mutual fund to another mutual fund, which seriously affected financial situation of those funds, the findings said.

Besides imposing ban on bringing new fund for one year and financial punishment, the BSEC has directed LR Global to deposit above Tk6 crore and Tk31.7 crore taken illegally as management fees and other purposes, to the accounts of the six mutual funds and to pull out funds invested in non-approved private equities within June this year.

“Funds will have to be given from LR Global’s own account or its directors’ accounts to offset losses in case of pulling out money from the investment it made in private equities as of June 30 last year.”

Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has banned LR Global Asset Management Company from floating new fund or scheme for one year, as the regulator found the fund manager invested in some non-approved private equities breaching securities rules.

In addition for its wrong-doing, the commission also fined LR Global Tk50 lakh and trustee Bangladesh General Insurance Company Tk25 lakh and auditor Hoda Vasi Tk5 lakh, the regulator said in a statement yesterday.

A BSEC probe team found that LR Global had invested around Tk95.6 crore in several non-approved private equities and as of June 30, 2014, total amount of the investment stood at around Tk48.6 crore, which is a clear violation of securities rules.

Since 2010, it took nearly Tk6 crore from six mutual funds, which are currently under its management, as management fees and administrative costs, which is unlawful, said the statement.

The funds are DBH First Mutual Fund, Green Delta Mutual Fund, AIBL First Islamic Mutual Fund, MBL First Mutual Fund, LR Global Bangladesh Mutual Fund One and NCCBL Mutual Fund One. The statement said the LR Global also took around Tk31.7 crore for carrying out legal settlement of allegations brought against it by the regulator.

Olympic Accessories IPO

In another decision, the BSEC has approved to Olympic Accessories’ initial public offering for Tk20 crore. l

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)

NCCBL Mutual Fund-1-A Alltex Industries -Z Northern Jute -Z Shampur Sugar -Z In Tech Online -A Sinobangla Indu.-A 5th ICB M F-A Quasem Drycells -A People`s Leasing-A Green Delta M.F.-A

-8.16 -6.11 -5.16 -5.06 -5.00 -4.80 -4.74 -4.59 -4.37 -4.35

CSE LOSER Company

Closing (% Change)

Midas Financing-Z Alltex Industries -Z Reliance1 M.F.-A 8th ICB M F-A NCCBL Mutual Fund-1-A City G Insu.-A Daffodil Computers -Z ICB AMCL 2nd NRB -A National Housing Fin.-B AMCL (Pran) -A

-8.39 -6.82 -6.41 -6.25 -6.25 -5.65 -5.11 -5.06 -5.02 -4.99

4742.22104

(-) 1.23%

1770.01605

(-) 1.29%

14474.55590

(-) 1.32%

11994.54260

(-) 1.47%

8810.00270

(-) 1.20%

Average (% Change) -8.59 -5.43 -4.57 -5.06 -3.76 -2.34 -4.78 -0.62 -2.44 -2.17 Average (% Change) -8.39 -5.64 -6.41 -6.25 -7.80 -3.36 -4.62 -5.06 -5.02 -4.99

ANALYST

ClosingAvg. 4.47 25.27 199.59 7.50 13.55 24.23 180.92 59.72 19.99 4.50

ClosingAvg. 13.10 25.25 7.30 60.00 4.49 16.70 13.00 7.50 26.50 200.00

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 336.40 159.49 33.57 390.26 123.25 542.70 3.02 280.25 602.43 12.73 117.46 22.36 26.62 211.08 140.06 33.65 33.84 185.78 44.11 127.77 0.16

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

DHIGH

4.50 24.60 196.50 7.50 13.30 23.80 181.00 58.20 19.70 4.40

Closing 13.10 24.60 7.30 60.00 4.50 16.70 13.00 7.50 26.50 200.00

4.60 26.20 203.00 7.50 14.00 25.40 181.20 62.30 20.50 4.60

DHIGH 13.10 26.30 7.30 60.00 4.60 16.70 13.00 7.50 26.50 200.00

Company

Turnover (Million Taka)

3,426.98

Turnover (Volume)

76,597,803

Number of Contract

96,275

Traded Issues

310

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

43

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

264 3

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,560.89

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

31.04

CSE key features February 25, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka)

267.54

Turnover (Volume)

7,452,828

Number of Contract

14,653

Traded Issues

245

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

45

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

195

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

5

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,473.98

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

29.99

Turnover in Million

4.40 24.30 195.70 7.50 13.20 23.70 181.00 57.80 19.60 4.40

6.067 31.592 0.194 0.005 4.808 5.076 0.184 22.012 21.367 2.206

Turnover in Million

DLOW 13.10 24.50 7.30 60.00 4.40 16.70 13.00 7.50 26.50 200.00

% change 9.82 4.65 0.98 11.39 3.60 15.84 0.09 8.18 17.58 0.37 3.43 0.65 0.78 6.16 4.09 0.98 0.99 5.42 1.29 3.73 0.00

Million Taka 18.29 11.89 3.61 38.88 9.89 29.86 27.42 29.32 1.88 7.18 0.38 2.33 19.98 9.82 0.67 1.42 23.55 8.50 22.65 0.03

CSE

% change 6.84 4.44 1.35 14.53 3.70 11.16 0.00 10.25 10.96 0.70 2.68 0.14 0.87 7.47 3.67 0.25 0.53 8.80 3.18 8.47 0.01

Latest EPS 0.32 2.02 0.96 -52.72 -0.88 1.21 16.18 2.16 0.97 0.44

Latest EPS

0.005 5.253 0.752 0.008 0.649 0.001 0.001 0.015 0.027 0.080

Million Taka 354.68 171.39 37.18 429.14 133.13 572.56 3.02 307.67 631.75 14.61 124.64 22.74 28.94 231.06 149.88 34.32 35.26 209.33 52.61 150.42 0.19

Imam Button -Z National Tubes -A Libra Infusions-A GlaxoSK (BD) -A Renwick Jajneswar-A AMCL 2nd MF-A BD Submarine Cable-A 4th ICB M F-A ICB AMCL 1st NRB -A Popular Life 1st M.F.-A

Closing (% Change) 7.50 5.05 4.95 4.93 4.74 4.26 3.92 3.43 3.38 2.08

CSE GAINER

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

DLOW

Thursday, February 26, 2015

DSE GAINER

DSE key features February 25, 2015

-3.24 2.02 0.62 9.10 0.32 1.89 0.86 0.96 1.88 6.50

Latest PE 14.0 12.5 207.9 -ve -ve 20.0 11.2 27.6 20.6 10.2

Total

Company Aramit -A Paramount Insur-A Shahjibazar Power-N 1st Janata Bank MF-A H.R. Textile -A BD Submarine Cable-A Pragati Gen. I -A Ambee Pharma -A Pioneer Insur -A Eastern Bank - A

Closing (% Change) 8.73 5.26 5.00 4.08 3.90 3.85 3.40 3.01 2.75 2.08

Average (% Change) 10.02 2.29 2.96 3.37 4.40 3.61 4.63 3.52 3.09 (0.41) Average (% Change) 8.73 5.47 3.12 1.60 8.28 4.84 3.25 1.36 2.75 2.48

ClosingAvg. 12.96 109.59 380.95 1,736.16 254.40 4.88 131.93 205.00 21.33 4.84

ClosingAvg. 284.10 16.00 169.63 5.07 24.97 131.79 36.49 297.50 41.10 29.35

Closing 12.90 112.40 388.30 1,773.20 260.60 4.90 132.50 205.00 21.40 4.90

Closing 284.10 16.00 168.00 5.10 24.00 132.10 36.50 297.50 41.10 29.40

DHIGH

DLOW

13.20 113.60 389.90 1,790.00 264.50 5.00 134.90 205.00 21.80 4.90

12.30 105.00 357.00 1,690.00 243.00 4.70 128.00 205.00 20.30 4.80

DHIGH

DLOW

284.10 16.00 175.50 5.10 25.00 134.90 38.80 300.00 41.10 29.90

284.10 16.00 165.10 5.00 24.00 128.50 36.00 283.20 41.10 28.00

Turnover in Million 0.807 12.453 0.008 35.836 11.178 0.130 122.782 0.031 0.264 0.322

Turnover in Million 0.014 0.000 9.895 0.015 0.039 20.270 0.022 0.372 0.025 0.049

Latest EPS -1.48 -1.36 3.38 68.63 4.36 0.84 0.76 32.50 2.86 0.56

Latest EPS 14.12 1.13 8.68 0.84 1.36 0.76 2.47 4.68 4.83 2.80

Latest PE -ve -ve 112.7 25.3 58.3 5.8 173.6 6.3 7.5 8.6

Latest PE 20.1 14.2 19.5 6.0 18.4 173.4 14.8 63.6 8.5 10.5

News, analysis and recent disclosures GLAXOSMITH: The Board of Directors has recommended 420% cash dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

Date of AGM: 23.04.2015, Time: 11:00 AM, Venue: Hotel Agrabad, Chittagong. Record date: 12.03.2015. The Company has also reported EPS of Tk. 68.63, NAV per share of Tk. 192.30 and NOCFPS of Tk. 111.14 for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

BANKASIA: As per Regulation 30 of DSE Listing Regulations, the Company has informed that a meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on February 26, 2015 at 5:00 PM to consider, among others, audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

LAFSURCEML: As per Regulation 30 of DSE Listing Regulations, the Company has informed that a meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on March 05, 2015 at 3:00 PM to consider, among others, audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

ALARABANK: As per Regulation 30 of DSE Listing Regulations, the Company has informed that a meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on March 01, 2015 at

3:00 PM to consider, among others, audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

SINOBANGLA: As per Regulation 30 of DSE Listing Regulations, the Company has informed that a meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on February 28, 2015 at 3:00 PM to consider, among others, audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended on October 31, 2014.

GHAIL: The Company has informed that they have decided to make an investment in a subsidiary company for establishment of a modern dairy firm. In this context, the Board of Directors of the Company has approved an investment of Tk. 37.50 million in the equity of Golden Harvest Dairy Ltd. to hold 75% shares of Golden Harvest Dairy Ltd. SPCL: The Company has informed that it has credited the bonus shares for the year ended on June 30, 2014 to the respective shareholders BO Account on February 24, 2015.

Dividend/AGM UCBL: 10% cash and 20% stock, AGM: 31.03.2015, Record date: 04.03.2015.

PRIMEINSUR: 10% cash and 5%

stock, AGM: 30.03.2015, Record date: 04.03.2015.

BATBC: 450% final cash dividend (i.e. a total of 550% cash dividend for the year 2014 inclusive of 100% interim cash dividend which has already been paid) , AGM: 12.04.2015, Record date: 05.03.2015.

LANKABAFIN: 10% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 19.03.2015, Record Date: 02.03.2015.

GREENDELT: 15% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 24.03.2015, Record Date: 01.03.2015.

NCCBLMF1: 3% cash, Record date: 24.02.2015.

MAKSONSPIN: 5% stock, AGM: 07.04.2015, Record date: 26.02.2015.

FAREASTFIN: 10% cash and 2.5% stock, AGM: 25.03.2015, Record date: 26.02.2015.

GP: 65% final cash dividend (i.e. total 160% cash dividend for the year 2014 inclusive of 95% Interim cash dividend which has already been paid), AGM: 21.04.2015, Record date: 18.02.2015.

SAPORTL: 10% cash and 5% stock, AGM: 14.03.2015, Record Date: 18.02.2015.

Latest PE -ve 12.5 11.8 6.6 14.0 8.8 15.1 7.8 14.1 30.8

Funds will have to be given from LR Global’s own account or its directors’ accounts to offset losses in case of pulling out money from the investment it made in private equities as of June 30 last year

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company

% change 9.60 4.64 1.01 11.62 3.60 15.50 0.08 8.33 17.10 0.40 3.37 0.62 0.78 6.25 4.06 0.93 0.95 5.67 1.42 4.07 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

MJL BD Ltd.-A Square Pharma -A LafargeS Cement-Z ACI Limited- A BD Submarine Cable-A Shahjibazar Power-N Singer BD -A aamra technologies-A SummitAlliancePort.-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A

Ifad Autos -N Grameenphone-A Islami Bank BD - A UCBL - A ACI Formulations-A

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company BD Submarine Cable-A LafargeS Cement-Z BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Shahjibazar Power-N Singer BD -A Ifad Autos -N WesternMarine -N MJL BD Ltd.-A ACI Limited- A aamra technologies-A

UCBL - A Square Pharma -A Alltex Industries -Z UNITED AIR-A ACI Formulations-A

VolumeShares 1,479,998 658,258 1,431,072 293,198 930,645 527,572 377,418 1,874,364 1,203,181 2,110,412

Value in Million 185.46 173.38 168.87 125.10 122.78 90.69 85.69 73.10 72.65 70.07

% of TotalTurnover 5.41 5.06 4.93 3.65 3.58 2.65 2.50 2.13 2.12 2.04

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

1,247,199 186,812 2,653,780 1,866,685 399,838

153,811 141,641 457,147 58,330 37,055 148,755 170,357 61,014 17,833 184,418

201,586 21,142 208,053 557,769 28,070

65.68 63.00 62.89 56.35 55.51

20.27 16.77 15.24 9.89 8.44 7.85 7.67 7.65 7.63 7.18

6.06 5.56 5.25 4.66 3.92

1.92 1.84 1.84 1.64 1.62

7.58 6.27 5.70 3.70 3.15 2.93 2.87 2.86 2.85 2.68

2.27 2.08 1.96 1.74 1.47

ClosingP 123.40 263.80 116.00 423.30 132.50 172.30 226.50 38.50 59.50 32.60

52.00 337.10 23.70 30.20 135.60

ClosingP

132.10 115.80 32.80 168.00 226.60 51.50 44.30 123.50 422.30 38.40

30.00 263.00 24.60 8.30 136.10

Change % -2.22 0.00 -3.25 -0.40 3.92 1.83 0.98 -3.02 -1.33 -3.55

-2.99 -0.77 -0.42 -0.98 -2.02

Change %

3.85 -3.42 -3.24 5.00 0.62 -3.74 -3.49 -2.22 -0.87 -3.52

-1.64 -0.34 -6.82 -2.35 -2.16

ClosingY 126.20 263.80 119.90 425.00 127.50 169.20 224.30 39.70 60.30 33.80

53.60 339.70 23.80 30.50 138.40

ClosingY

127.20 119.90 33.90 160.00 225.20 53.50 45.90 126.30 426.00 39.80

30.50 263.90 26.40 8.50 139.10

DHIGH 128.60 265.80 122.90 436.00 134.90 178.00 232.00 40.10 62.70 34.30

54.40 340.00 23.90 30.60 142.00

DLOW 122.50 261.80 115.00 420.00 128.00 166.00 224.30 38.20 59.10 32.40

51.20 336.00 23.60 29.90 133.40

DHIGH

DLOW

134.90 121.50 34.30 175.50 231.00 54.30 46.00 128.70 435.00 40.00

128.50 114.30 32.60 165.10 226.00 51.20 44.00 122.80 420.00 38.10

30.80 266.50 26.30 8.50 144.00

29.80 261.20 24.50 8.20 135.00

AvgPrice 125.31 263.40 118.00 426.68 131.93 171.90 227.05 39.00 60.38 33.20

52.66 337.24 23.70 30.19 138.84

AvgPrice

131.79 118.38 33.35 169.63 227.75 52.78 45.02 125.31 427.98 38.93

30.06 263.20 25.25 8.36 139.64

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

B3

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Oil prices up ahead of US supply report n AFP, Singapore Oil edged higher in Asia yesterday ahead of a key report expected to show further build-up in US crude inventories, further hitting prices in an already oversupplied market, analysts said.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for April delivery rose one cent to $49.29 while Brent crude for April gained 24 cents to $58.90 in latemorning trade.

“There will probably be further increases in US inventories and this is bad for global crude oil prices which will fall even further,” David Lennox, resource analyst at Fat Prophets in Sydney, told AFP. Both WTI and Brent have fallen sharply this week as traders worry about abundant global supplies amid slower economic growth, with no sign of a slowdown in rising US crude stockpiles.

Experts polled by Bloomberg News expect crude reserves in the world’s biggest economy to rise 3.75 million barrels in the week to February 20, adding to the 425.6 million barrels in stockpiles reported last week.

The US Department of Energy will release the official stockpiles report later Wednesday.

Daniel Ang, investment analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore, said the

global supply glut cannot be reversed unless there is a drop in US crude production from current levels of around 9.2 million barrels a day.

“Unless it drops to below nine million barrels per day, we do not expect this oversupply issue to end,” Ang said.

Analysts said dealers are meanwhile also digesting US President Barack Obama’s decision on Tuesday to veto legislation allowing the Keystone XL oil pipeline to be built between Canada and the US. The 1,179-mile (1,900-kilometre) TransCanada-built pipeline would transport crude from energy-rich Alberta to a network of pipelines that reach across the United States to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.

Obama says he is not against the project in principle, but accused legislators of trying to “circumvent longstanding and proven processes” for gauging whether Keystone is in the national interest.

The project has in recent years pitted environmental groups against the oil industry, which has argued that it will bring much-needed jobs to the US and help it achieve energy self-sufficiency.

Lennox said Obama’s decision is likely to be “insignificant in the short term” to crude oil prices as it was a decision many had expected. l

A petro-industrial factory is reflected in a traffic mirror in Kawasaki near Tokyo

Facebook claims 2 million advertisers

Britain cites option of cutting Russia from SWIFT banking

n AFP, New York

n Reuters, London

Facebook said Tuesday it has boosted the number of advertisers on the social network to two million as it launched a mobile app for those managing their commercial pitches.

Dan Levy, Facebook’s vice president for global marketing and small business, said the number of advertisers has doubled over the past year and a half.

“We think it’s a strong sign of the commitment we are making to help small businesses,” Levy told AFP. “They continue benefiting the economy for their region and the world.”

Levy said the new Ads Manager app would give those advertisers the ability to manage their ads from mobile devices, as Facebook becomes increasingly used on smartphones and tablets.

A Facebook post signed by chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg paid tribute to the small businesses using Facebook, and noted that the Ads Manager app for Apple devices would be available as of Tuesday and in the next two weeks worldwide. l

Excluding Russia from the SWIFT banking system should be an option in lieu of sanctions if a truce in Ukraine is not respected, British Prime Minister David Cameron said Tuesday.

Russia last month said it would retaliate strongly if it were to be cut off from SWIFT, the international financial industry’s secure messaging system that facilitates transactions.

Speaking to a parliament committee on Tuesday, Prime Minister David Cameron vowed that Britain would push for tougher sanctions against Moscow if a tattered truce between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian forces falls apart.

“I would hope that the European Union collectively would respond very robustly with new sanctions, including so-called ‘tier three’ sanctions, really hitting the economy of Russia,” Cameron said.

“But were that not possible then, of course, we should look at other avenues as well - obviously looking at the SWIFT banking issues is a big decision but there is a logic for it.”

“If Russia is going to leave the rules-based system of the 21st century, then they have to start thinking about whether it’s going to be in the 21st century system when it comes to investment, when it comes to banking, when it comes to clearinghouses.”

Members of the European Union parliament asked the bloc to consider such a move in a non-binding resolution last September.

Cameron’s comments came as a peace deal for eastern Ukraine hammered out in the Belarussian capital Minsk 12 days ago is threatening to collapse amid repeated violations by the warring parties.

Ukraine accuses rebels of violating the truce by taking the strategic town of Debaltseve after the deal came into effect on February 15.

Kiev and the West accuse Moscow of backing the rebels by sending soldiers and weapons into the former Soviet state, which Russian President Vladimir Putin denies.

Britain announced Tuesday it would send 75 military personnel to train Kiev forces, though Cameron has ruled out sending lethal equipment. l

REUTERS

‘Oil market is stabilising, $60 is OK for now’ n Reuters, Riyadh Oil prices have started to stabilise around current levels of $60 a barrel and demand is showing signs of improving in Asia and other regions, a senior Gulf OPEC delegate said on Tuesday.

The comments indicate that the core Gulf members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries are showing no sign of wavering in their strategy to focus on market share rather than cutting output, despite concerns from other members about falling oil revenue.

“Oil prices seem to stabilise around the current level ... there are a lot of indications showing that demand is growing,” the senior Gulf OPEC delegate told Reuters. “The market is stabilising as well as prices,” the delegate said, adding that $60 a barrel is “okay for now.”

Oil LCOc1 traded higher near $60 a barrel on Tuesday, up more than 30% from a near six-year low close of $45 on Jan 13. Prices collapsed from $115

CORPORATE NEWS

in June due to oversupply, in a decline that deepened after OPEC refused to cut output.

'It is unlikely to have an emergency meeting especially with the market and prices starting to stabilise' The delegate said oil demand was showing signs of recovering in Asia, emerging economies, Latin America and the United States. It is expected to grow more strongly in the second half of 2015 as the global economy picks up, helping to absorb excess crude supply in the market, he added.

At OPEC’s last meeting in November, Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies argued that the group needed to ride out lower prices in order to defend market share

India’s sugar mills likely to struggle at exporting raws despite subsidy n Reuters, New Delhi

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and Green Delta Insurance Company Ltd have signed an agreement to develop insurance products for individual farmers, agribusinesses, and financial institutions lending to farmers for protection from weather-related risks such as drought, excess rain and cyclones. Country manager of IFC, Kyle F Kelhofer and Farzana Chowdhury, MD & CEO of Green Delta have signed the agreement

Junior Chamber International (JCI) Dhaka Uptown has recently organised its general members meeting. Its founder president, Maruful Islam Jhalak conducted the meeting while 2015 JCI National President, Nazrul Islam was present as chief guest, among others

National Bank Limited has recently held a foundation training course for its junior officers at the bank’s training institute. The bank’s MD and CEO, Shamsul Huda Khah was present on the occasion as chief guest

NRB Global Bank Limited has recently signed an agreement with Enterprise Development Company Limited (EDCL) to expand its green banking activities. The bank’s MD, Md Abdul Quddus and Irteza Reza Chowdhury, MD of EDCL have signed the agreement

against shale oil and other competing supply sources, rather than cut output.

The price decline since last year has hurt the economies of smaller OPEC producers, whose budgets depend more on higher oil prices than the Gulf members, and some of them have continued to lobby for OPEC cuts.

In a sign of concern about the impact of the price collapse, Nigerian Oil Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke told the Financial Times she would call an emergency OPEC meeting if oil prices fell any further.

But the senior Gulf delegate added OPEC was unlikely to meet before its next scheduled gathering in June, and defended its November decision not to cut output since non-OPEC countries did not offer to help.

“It is unlikely to have an emergency meeting especially with the market and prices starting to stabilise,” he said.

“OPEC has to keep its market share and not to sacrifice for other producers outside the group. Russia and other non-OPEC producers still refuse to cooperate with OPEC.” l

Indian Naval Chief Admiral RK Dhowan, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC visited visited Universal Jeans Ltd, a Bangladeshi Garment factory at Chittagong EPZ yesterday and lauded BEPZA for it activities. Major General Mohd. Habibur Rahman Khan, ndc, psc, the Executive Chairman of BEPZA were present

Indian mills are likely to struggle to export raw sugar, despite a government subsidy to boost shipments, as global prices remain weak with large supplies from top producer Brazil set to flood the market soon.

Lower exports by India, the world’s biggest consumer of sugar, should take some pressure off benchmark New York prices that are mired near a 5-year low of 14.08 cents per lb.

“Not only are the prices unfavourable, most refineries in the world have sufficient stocks, with the pipeline being full. I do not see our exports going beyond 500,000 tonnes,” said Dharmender Bhayana, managing partner at Sugrain Trading LLP. India, which traditionally produces white sugar, exported nearly a million tonnes of raws in 2014.

“We have nearly missed the bus as the government took a long time to approve the subsidy. There is plenty of sugar and supplies from Brazil will arrive in April,” Bhayana added.

After months of indecision, India last week decided to give mills a subsidy of 4,000 rupees ($64) a tonne for exports of up to 1.4 million tonnes of raw sugar to help cut stockpiles after five years of surplus output.

But given a premium for Indian supplies, traders do not see this subsidy

helping much in terms of boosting exports.

Indian raw sugar is being quoted at $350 per tonne free on board for exports, versus $330 quoted for Brazilian supplies.

To help mills, India’s top sugar-producing state of Maharashtra is considering an extra 1,000 rupees ($16) per tonne subsidy for exports of raw sugar.

Maharashtra, which accounts for more than a third of India’s sugar production, is likely to approve the incentive in a week, said a government source who declined to be named as he is not authorised to talk to the media.

Global prices need to rise to make Indian raws attractive, but that looks unlikely in an oversupplied market, said a Delhi-based trader with an international firm.

“We are not very sure if Iran would import as much as it did last year because sanctions are gradually easing. Iran may turn to Brazil also,” the trader added.

Iran had bought 500,000 tonnes of Indian raws in 2014, paying with the rupees it received for oil from India amid curbs on dollar trade with Tehran due to sanctions over its disputed nuclear programme.

In the absence of export deals, Indian mills could turn to the local portbased refineries of Shree Renuka Sugars Ltd, EID Parry and Simbhaoli Sugars Ltd. But prices remain an issue. l

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Thursday, February 26, 2015

China February flash HSBC PMI at 4-month high n Reuters, Beijing

Tax officials search HSBC’s Mumbai HQ n Reuters, Mumbai

Activity in China’s mammoth factory sector edged up to a four-month high in February but export orders shrank at their fastest rate in 20 months, a private survey showed, painting a murky outlook that argues for more policy support.

The flash HSBC/Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) inched up to 50.1 in February, a whisker above the 50-point level that separates growth in activity from a contraction on a monthly basis.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a reading of 49.5, little changed from January’s final PMI of 49.7.

But even as factory activity grew marginally, the survey suggested that manufacturers still faced considerable risks from weak foreign demand and deepening deflationary pressures.

While domestic demand picked up slightly, the new export orders sub-index shed three hefty points from January to skid to 47.1, the sharpest rate of contraction since June 2013.

“Domestic economic activity is likely to remain sluggish and external demand looks uncertain,” said Qu Hongbin, HSBC’s chief economist in China.

“We believe more policy easing is still warranted at the current stage to support growth.”

Input and output prices also fell.

Though prices did not drop as sharply as they did in January, the trend pointed to further pressure on companies’ profitability.

Employment in factories shrank as well for the 16th straight month as firms dismissed workers to adjust to slower business.

The Australian dollar and emerging Asian currencies extended early gains after the PMI report, though shares in China and Hong Kong remained slightly lower.

Although the PMI is supposed to be adjusted for seasonal fluctuations in activity, including over the long Lunar New Year holiday when thousands of factories are shut, many analysts believe they have to wait until March for reliable data.

Indian tax officials searched the Mumbai headquarters of HSBC Holdings PLC last week as part of a probe related to allegations that the bank’s Swiss business helped clients dodge taxes, a person with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.

The search came as HSBC prepared to release its annual report on Monday, in which the bank said it had received a request for information from Indian tax authorities.

The cash-strapped government is cracking down on tax evasion as a means of boosting revenue. In October, it said the state was prosecuting several individuals on suspicion of having undeclared assets outside the country.

Its pursuit of Europe’s biggest bank comes after details of HSBC’s Swiss private banking operations and top clients were widely published in the media, sparking regulatory inquiries worldwide that could result in significant fines.

India, Asia’s third-largest economy, is the only Asian nation to aggressively investigate HSBC relating to allegations of helping customers pay less tax. The bank’s Swiss client list numbered 1,195 wealthy Indians, the Indian Express newspaper reported.

“Tax department officials visited the bank’s headquarters last week in Mumbai, and asked for documents related to this case,” said the person, who was not authorised to speak with media on the matter and so declined to be identified.

HSBC said, without elaborating, that it is cooperating with Indian authorities.

On Monday, HSBC’s chief executive said allegations about its Geneva-based private banking arm, raided last week by Swiss officials and now the subject of a British inquiry, had damaged HSBC’s image and brought “shame” on the bank.

HSBC said authorities in countries including Belgium, France, Switzerland, Argentina and India were investigating or reviewing the local operations of its Swiss private bank in connection with allegations of tax evasion or tax fraud, money laundering and unlawful cross-border banking solicitation. l

An employee works on a production line of parts for CRH380B, a high speed train model Weighed down by a cooling property market, industrial overcapacity and slowing investment, China’s economy grew 7.4% in 2014, its slowest expansion in 24 years.

Economists expect growth to cool further to 7% in 2015, even with additional stimulus measures.

Dow, S&P 500 hit records after Fed testimony n AFP, New York The Dow and S&P 500 Tuesday bolted to fresh records after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen pledged a cautious approach to raising interest rates.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 92.35 points (0.51%) to 18,209.19, besting Friday’s record by about 70 points, and the broad-based S&P 500 gained 5.82 (0.28%) at 2,115.48, inching up to a new all-time close.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 7.15 (0.14%) to 4,968.12.

Yellen, opening two days of congressional testimony, signaled that the Fed is deep in preparation for a rate hike this year, even as she essentially ruled out the move until June at the earliest.

Yellen said the US labor market still showed cyclical weakness and inflation continued to fall, necessitating significant policy accommodation.

“There was a little something for everybody and no indication that a rate hike is coming soon,” said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wunderlich Securities.

European stocks also rose strongly after eurozone finance ministers backed an extension of Greece’s bail-

out, due to expire Saturday.

London’s FTSE 100 index reached a new record and equity markets in France and Germany also gained.

Dow member Home Depot surged 4% as fourth-quarter earnings jumped 36% to $1.4bn - results that bested analyst expectations. The company also unveiled a dividend increase and a new stock repurchasing program.

JPMorgan Chase, a Dow component, rose 2.5% after unveiling a plan to significantly pare back deposits from institutional clients that have become costly under new regulations.

Department store chain Macy’s fell 3.2% on its 2015 earnings projection of $4.70-$4.80 per share, below the analyst forecast of $4.84 per share.

First Solar and SunPower, two solar companies, both jumped after announcing plans to form a so-called yieldco, a joint vehicle of selected solar generation assets from each company.

First Solar rose 10.2%, while SunPower gained 18%.

Bond prices rose. The 10-year US Treasury fell to 1.98% from 2.06% Monday, while the 30-year dropped to 2.58% from 2.6%. Bond prices and yields move inversely. l

Spain’s economy to grow by 2.4% in 2015 n AFP, Madrid Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy predicted Tuesday that Spain’s economy, the eurozone’s fourth largest, could grow by 2.4% in 2015, raising the previous 2% forecast.

“With this (new) forecast, we are clearly in the position to create over 500,000 jobs in 2015,” he said during an annual state of the nation debate in parliament.

The Spanish economy grew by 1.4%

DILBERT

in 2014 due to a rise in private consumption, higher business investment and a recovery in the construction sector.

It was the first full-year economic growth in Spain since a 2008 property crash which has left one in four workers unemployed and put thousands of companies out of business.

While the unemployment rate has started to fall, it stood at 23.7% at the end of 2014, the second highest rate in the eurozone after Greece. l

To lift flagging growth, the central bank reduced the amount of cash that banks have to hold as reserves earlier in February for the first time in over two years. In November, it cut interest rates, also for the first time in over two years.

Most analysts believe policy will be loosened further in coming months in

REUTERS

the form of more rate cuts and reserve ratio reductions. This is especially after data earlier this month showed growth in China’s broad M2 money supply slumped to its lowest on record in January.

Some economists said the plunge in M2 growth was a sign that more capital was leaving the world’s second-largest

economy as it cools, a trend that would tighten liquidity conditions and spur the central bank to ease policy.

Lu Lei, the head of the research bureau at the central bank, said this month that the country’s monetary policy will be adjusted to keep liquidity at a reasonable level. l

Facebook: Internet access limited in developing world n Reuters, Washington Most people in the developing world do not use the Internet, with access limited by high costs, poor availability and a lack of relevant content, a Facebook report said Tuesday.

Facebook, which carried out the study through its Internet.org initiative that aims to boost connectivity around the world, said the rate of growth on the Internet is slowing.

“By early 2015, three billion people will be online. This is an incredible milestone, but it also means that only 40% of the world’s population has ever connected to the Internet,” the report said.

In the developed world, some 76% of the population is online, but the figure is just 29.8% in developing nations, according to the research.

The rate of growth of Internet users was just 6.6% in 2014, the fourth year of deceleration.

“At present rates of decelerating growth, the internet won’t reach four billion people until 2019,” the report said.

The report said tech companies, governments and non-government organizations need to do more to boost the number of people online.

The report said the three main factors which keep people offline were lack of infrastructure, affordability and the lack of relevant content for people in their languages.

“People aren’t using the Internet because they’re not aware of the Internet, there is insufficient content available in their primary language, or they can’t read or understand content that is,” the study found.

“To provide relevant content to 80% of the world would require sufficient content in at least 92 languages.”

The report said Wikipedia, for example, is available in just 52 languages.

The report found some regions especially lacking in Internet use: only 16.9% of people were online in subSaharan Africa and 13.7% in South Asia.

Facebook found that mobile - or getting access to the Internet by connected phones - was a key factor in many parts of the world.

The Facebook report said the Internet “increases opportunities for everyone” and its expansion it “will exert a powerful effect on the global economy, particularly in the developing world.”

“A more connected world is a world of more opportunity, freer expression, and greater innovation,” the report said. l

A trader works at his screen at the Frankfurt stock exchange

REUTERS

Dollar slips on Fed chief’s rate hike comments n AFP, Tokyo

The dollar fell yesterday as US Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen hinted a rate hike was unlikely before the summer, while the euro held up as Greece delivered a reform package critical to extending its bailout.

In Tokyo, the dollar slipped to 118.73 yen from 118.94 yen in New York, as the euro ticked up to $1.1347 against $1.1342.

The common currency weakened to 134.73 yen from 134.90 yen in US trading.

At the start of two days of congressional testimony on Tuesday, Yellen signalled that the Fed is preparing for a rate hike this year, but she hinted such a move would not come before June.

She said the US central bank can be patient before raising interest rates, stressing that the US labour market still showed cyclical weakness and inflation continued to slow.

“A high degree of policy accommodation remains appropriate,” Yellen told the Senate Banking Committee.

The dollar has rallied this year on the growing strength of the US economy and expectations of higher interest rates, but Yellen’s comments suggested any rate hike was still a ways off.

“Yellen was decidedly noncommittal to the idea of a rate hike around the middle of the year,” Omer Esiner, chief market analyst at the currency brokerage Commonwealth Foreign Exchange, told Bloomberg News.

“The reaction of the market is weaker dollar, lower yields, higher equities - the classic reaction you’d see from a slightly dovish Fed.” The markets’ guessing game over a rise in the federal funds rate has intensified as central banks around the world lower interest rates and expand monetary easing to stimulate their economies.

“Everyone is reacting to what they

want to see,” said Mizuho Bank strategist Sireen Harajli.

“Yellen provides plenty of different assessments in her statement - some positive, some negative - and the market reaction is reflecting that.”

Euro trading was fixated on Greece, which submitted a list of reforms to meet demands made by its international creditors in exchange for extending the debt-saddled country’s bailout.

Despite reservations expressed by the International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank over the plan, eurozone ministers signed off on the package, which gives Athens a fourmonth lifeline to pay its bills and sidestep an almost certain exit from the eurozone.

Several parliaments, including Germany’s, must now approve the extension before the current bailout expires on Saturday, while key details will be hammered out in the coming weeks. l