03 April, 2015

SECOND EDITION

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

|

Chaitra 20, 1421, Jamadius Sani 13, 1436 |

IRAN, WORLD POWERS STRIKE NUKE DEAL PAGE 2

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 2, No 358 | www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages plus 24-page Weekend | Price: Tk10

161 MORE COUNCILLOR ASPIRANTS DROPPED PAGE 3

BLOGGER KILLING PLANNER FLEES PAGE 4

Oyasiqur killers met Avijit killers Killers of Oyasiqur rented a house in Jatrabari for three months n Mohammad Jamil Khan The detained killers of blogger Oyasiqur Rahman Babu have claimed that two-three people involved in the murder of science writer Avijit Roy visited their Jatrabari den before and after the incident, detectives say.

The duo – madrasa students Zikrullah and Ariful – were trained along with three others at a mess in south Jatrabari for at least 15 days.

They rented the mess for Tk6,000 a month on December 28 and started living there on January 1. They were supposed to stay at the mess until the end of March, police quoted the house owner, Sazzadur Rahman, as saying.

A former police officer, Sazzad was interrogated at the DB headquarters yesterday. He now works for Sinha Group.

Zikrullah and Arif revealed to the DB that two to three persons used to visit the mess regularly and they were involved in the mur-

der of Avijit. The two also said they would be able to identify those persons.

DB chief Monirul Islam yesterday said the arrestees had disclosed a few names to the interrogators. “We need to verify the names since those could be fake,” he added.

According to witnesses, three people – Zikrullah, Arif and another madrasa student named Abu Taher – attacked Oyasiqur, a travel agency trainer, with machetes around 9am on March 30 when he started for his office at Motijheel. Taher fled the scene immediately but the two others were caught red-handed.

Oyasiqur had bitterly criticised religious fanatics for killing Avijit as well as expressed frustration on the Facebook for the delay in the probe. He was not a regular blogger but was vocal on Facebook against Jamaat-e-Islami and religious zealots.

The arrestees earlier said they were trained  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Hundreds of people gather at Bhashanchar by the Meghna River yesterday following the capsize of a trawler in Munshiganj’s Gajaria on Wednesday night DHAKA TRIBUNE

12 die in separate trawler capsizes n Kamrul Hasan At least eight people died when a trawler capsized in the Buriganga River yesterday afternoon while another trawler capsize in the Meghna River in Munshiganj claimed four more lives on Wednesday night.

The victims were related despite the accidents taking place in two different places. The

Militant attack at Kenya university kills 147

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

PAGE 3 Most BNP-backed aspirants facing criminal cases

A woman is helped in Garissa after escaping from a building at the university

PAGE 5 Khaleda to attend hearing if safety ensured

PAGE 10 Shiite rebels capture Yemen presidential palace

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Mintoo, Pintu and Rezaul appeal to get back in the race n Munir Momtaj

n Tribune Report At least 147 hostages were killed in an attack by al-Shabab Islamist militants on a university in north-eastern Kenya, Kenyan government officials say.

They added that the operation to secure the Garissa University College campus was over, with all four attackers killed. The evacuation of surviving students was under way when this report was being filed.

An overnight curfew is being implemented in parts of the country. Four counties near the Kenya-Somalia border, Garissa, Wajir, Mandera and Tana River, would have dusk-to-dawn curfews imposed, reports BBC. Nine students were critically injured and airlifted to the capital Nairobi for medical treatment, they added.

Members of the Somalia-based group attacked the campus after dawn on Thursday and were holed up in a dormitory with

Buriganga victims were returning home after attending an Urs – a religious gathering – of Hazrat Solaiman Shah (R) at Beltoli in Matlab of Chandpur while those who died in the Meghna River were on their way to the same Urs. What is more surprising is the similarity between the nature of the accidents as both the trawlers collided with sand-laden vessels.

AP

Mayoral aspirants for the two Dhaka city corporations BNP leaders Abdul Awal Mintoo and Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu have appealed to the Dhaka divisional commissioner challenging the cancellation of their nominations for the upcoming elections.

Mayoral contender Rezaul Karim also appealed to the commissioner to regain his candidacy.

Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Md Zillar Rahman will conduct hearings on the applications on April 4. The Divisional commissioner is the appellate authority of the Dhaka city corporation polls.

Shahidul Islam, an official of the divisional commissioner’s office, said 22 aspirants including the three mayoral hopefuls appealed  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

PAGE 32 Permission required to portray cops in media

DT

2 NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Hasina asks MPs to work for AL-backed candidates n Abu Hayat Mahmud Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed the MPs from her party to work for the candidates backed by them for the city polls.

She gave the directive in a meeting of the Awami League Parliamentary Party held at its conference room in the parliament building last night, meeting sources said.

Hasina warned the rebel candidates of tough actions unless they pulled out.

The AL-led 14-party alliance however is yet to reach a concensus about whether all partners will back common candidates or not. l

Iran and world powers strike nuke deal n Tribune Report The United States, Iran and five other world powers said they had reached an understanding that would lead to a comprehensive nuclear agreement within three months.

Reading out a joint statement on Thursday evening, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said a “decisive step” has been achieved.

The agreement, announced in the Swiss city of Lausanne on Thursday, will curb Iran’s nuclear capacities and end sanctions imposed

on the country because of its programme.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif welcomed the agreement as he read out the statement in the news conference. He described the deal as a “win-win” agreement.

US President Barack Obama said the world had “reached a historic understanding with Iran, which if implemented will prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”

Obama said the deal took long time in coming and added it would not be based on trust but on independent verification of Iran’s commitments, reports Al Jazeera. l

CEC to sit with DCC, CCC aspirants n Tribune Report Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad will exchange views with mayoral and councillor candidates in Dhaka and Chittagong city polls slated for April 28.

The CEC would start holding the series of meetings after April 10 to apprise them about the election code of conduct and other rules and regulations, Election Commission Deputy Secretary Shamsul Alam told journalists yesterday.

The last date of withdrawing candidacy is April 9.

“CEC Rakibuddin will also inform them about the type of action to be taken against the violators,” he said. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Mintoo, Pintu and Rezaul appeal to get back the cancellation of their nominations. Tafsir M Awal, son of Abdul Awal Mintoo, said he submitted an application on his father’s behalf.

Mintoo’s lawyer Mahbub Uddin Khokon told reporters that his client’s nomination was cancelled due to a “faulty voter list” prepared by the Election Commission.

“We hope for a good result following the hearing,” he added.

On Wednesday, Returning Officer Shah Alam of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC)

cancelled Mintoo’s nomination because the individual who collected the aspirant’s nomination papers was not listed as a voter in the would-be candidate’s area.

But the returning officer accepted the nomination papers of Mintoo’s son Tabith M Awal.

Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) mayoral aspirant, saw his nomination cancelled because he was convicted in the BDR mutiny case.

Aminul Islam, Pintu’s lawyer, filed his ap-

peal around 3:20pm yesterday.

He said: “Pintu’s candidacy was cancelled due to legal discrimination. We hope that Pintu’s candidacy will be declared valid following the hearing.”

Rezaul Karim’s nomination was cancelled due to a failure to submit income tax returns.

Returning officers accepted 19 mayoral aspirant’s nominations for the DNCC and 23 for DSCC elections. April 9 is the deadline to withdraw from the polls. The elections will held on April 28. l

Oyasiqur killers met Avijit killers at the Jatrabari mess for at least 15 days. Their leader whom they named Masum had given them the machetes and a photograph of Oyasiqur a day before the murder at a meeting in Hatirjheel area.

The law enforcers suspect that the name Masum could also be fake and that he could be the leader of a sleeper cell of radical Islamist group Ansarullah Bangla Team.

During drives at some places of the capital and Narsingdi, the police have seized the mobile phone of Arif from a Jatrabari mosque where he often used to stay. The law enforc-

ers are now analysing the call records on the phone.

DB Additional Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam, also member of the team interrogating the duo, said they raided a number of madrasas to capture Taher and Masum.

Zikrullah is a current student of Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam in Hathazari, Chittagong – run by radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam, while Arif completed Daowra from the same institution and later became a student of Mirpur Darul Ulum Madrasa.

Ansarullah having links with banned

Islamist groups Hizb ut-Tahrir, JMB and Huji wants to establish Islamic Bangladesh through jihad, following the path of international terrorist groups Taliban and al-Qaeda, detectives say.

It also supports Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam as they preach Islam.

Its chief Jasim Uddin Rahmani, now in jail, thinks atheists who demeaned Islam and the Prophet should be killed. Jasim and seven of his followers – all former students of North South University – were indicted last month in blogger Rajeeb Ahmed Haider murder case. l

12 die in separate trawler capsizes Yesterday’s accident, which took place west of Pangaon in Keraniganj around 1pm, killed Md Samir Hossain, 42, son of late Lat Mia, Rubel, 18, son of Wahab Molla, Rubel, 30, son of Hafiz Uddin, Jakir, 30, son of Nuruddin, Sagor, 11, son of Mizanur Rahman, Karamjan Bibi, 65, wife of Ayub Ali, Hridoy, 12, and another one who could not be identified.

All of them lived in Lalbagh.

Victim Samir’s brother Ripon claimed that the trawler had some 120 passengers onboard but Officer-in-Charge of South Keraniganj police station Jamal Uddin Mir said the number would be between 50 and 60.

“We saw no relatives on the riverbank looking for any missing passengers which is why we have suspended the search for today.

Two people were said to have remained unaccounted for and we will resume our search tomorrow,” said Jamal.

“Dhaka’s Deputy Commissioner Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah handed over the bodies to the families without autopsy and also gave

Tk20,000 to each family,” he added.

Meghna River capsize

On Wednesday, four people died when the trawler carrying them capsized in the Meghna River in Gajaria upazila around 8pm.

Of the dead, the bodies of Munia Akhter, 5, daughter of Munir Hossain of Siddhirganj in Narayanganj, Habib, 16, son of Shamim of Shuvaram village of Comilla, and two unidentified youths were found in the river in Mollakandi area yesterday morning, reports our Munshiganj correspondent.

But police recovered the body of another man from near the scene of the accident in the river, and said the youth appeared to have died earlier.

This is why we are not including him in the trawler capsize death toll, said Gajaria police station Officer-in-Charge Ferdous Hasan.

Two persons – Md Fayez, 16, and Keyamoni, 4 – were reported missing but Munshiganj Superintendent of Police Biplob Bijoy Taluk-

dar said the number might be greater.

“Police, firefighters and Coast Guard are searching the river for the missing passengers,” he said.

Habibur Rahman, sub-inspector of Gajaria police station, said the number of missing passengers might not exceed 5.

The accident took place when a Dhaka-bound sand-carrying vessel hit the trawler, which had about 60-70 passengers on board.

The trawler was salvaged and the other vessel was seized. Piyash, a survivor who hails from Siddhirganj, said the trawler left Baushia launch terminal at 7:30pm on Wednesday.

“The accident took place during a storm and some of the passengers managed to swim ashore,” he added.

Munshiganj Deputy Commissioner Md Saiful Hasan Badal announced that the families of the deceased would be given Tk20,000 each for burial of the bodies.

He also said no committee had been formed yet to probe the accident. l

Militant attack hostages until the evening.

Security forces had encircled the building exchanging sporadic bursts of gunfire with the fighters inside, who were believed to have been holding scores of students hostage.

Witnesses told Al Jazeera they heard heavy gunfire and saw smoke coming from the campus on Thursday evening as the standoff came to an end.

Joseph Nkaissery, the interior minister, said four attackers had strapped themselves with explosives. Another had been arrested, officials said.

A female student who escaped the hostage drama told Al Jazeera that she head stepped over more bodies than she could count as she got out of the university, while another student said he had seen more than 100 bodies.

The attack was the deadliest in the country since US embassy bombings in 1998.

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta said the lack of security infrastructure had contributed to the crisis.

Earlier, the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group said their gunmen were holding Christian hostages inside the complex in revenge for Nairobi’s troops fighting in Somalia.

The gunmen reportedly ordered students to lie down on the floor, but some of them escaped. Student Augustine Alanga told the BBC’s Newsday programme: “It was horrible, there was shooting everywhere.”

He said it was “pathetic” that the university was only guarded by two police officers.

Student Collins Wetangula said when the gunmen entered his hostel he could hear them opening doors and asking if the people inside were Muslims or Christians, reports Associated Press.

“If you were a Christian you were shot on the spot. With each blast of the gun I thought I was going to die,” he said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned what he called a “terrorist attack” and said the UN was ready to help Kenya “prevent and counter terrorism and violent extremism.”

The Kenyan government has named Mohamed Kuno, a high-ranking al-Shabab official, as the mastermind of the attack.

A BBC Somali Service reporter says Mohamed Kuno was headmaster at an Islamic school in Garissa before he quit in 2007. He goes by the nickname “Dulyadeyn,” which means “ambidextrous” in Somali. l

DT

NEWS 3

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

161 more councillor aspirants disqualified Mahmud, Adil Sakhawat and n Tarek Munir Momtaj On the last day of scrutiny yesterday, election officials in Dhaka disqualified 120 general and 12 reserved female ward councillor aspirants in the two city corporations Of the general bidders, 32 are for the north city polls and 88 for the south. All the 12 reserved female councillor aspirants whose nomination papers were cancelled yesterday are from the north.

The nomination form of one Ramzan Ali in Chittagong was cancelled because he has not yet come of age On Wednesday – the first day of scrutiny – officials finished filtering nomination papers from all the mayoral candidates in the two city corporations and those from the female councillor aspirants in the south.

After two days of scrutiny, in which police played a key role for the first time in history, the Election Commission has cleared 42 mayoral, 963 general councillor and 254 reserved female councillor candidates for the two city corporation polls in the capital.

This means that in the April 28 polls in the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), 19 people will run for mayor, 446 for general and 113 for reserved female councillor.

In the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) polls, 23 people will run for mayor, 517 for general councillors and 141 for female councillor seats.

The list of disqualified in the two city corporations in Dhaka includes five mayoral, 166 general and 34 female ward councillor bidders.

AL leaders call for raids before city polls n Tribune Report Awami League’s Publicity and Publication Secretary Hasan Mahmud yesterday called for security drives to arrest arsonists and bombers.

“The BNP wants level-playing field during the elections. It is really necessary. But in the name of level-playing field, the Election Commission or the law enforcement agencies cannot allow criminals to congregate in Dhaka.

“Law enforcers should also bring the financiers to justice,” he said at a discussion in Dhaka yesterday.

Food Minister Quamrul Islam said: “Elections will be held in a congenial atmosphere.

But allowing people, accused of hurling petrol bombs, to move freely cannot be termed as creating a level-playing field.

“All are equal in the eyes of law. There is no reason to think that you will bring criminals to Dhaka and police will sit idle. No such opportunity will be given. If you want equal opportunity, nominate clean people.” l

Officials said that people whose papers got cancelled were mostly those who failed to submit income tax returns or presented faulty documents and false information or are accused in criminal cases.

Police yesterday arrested a Jamaat-e-Islami leader named Saidur Rahman, bidding for general councillor post in ward number 28 of DNCC, at the office of the returning officer. His papers were already cancelled for presenting wrong information.

Sabbir Hasan, OC of the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station, said Saidur is facing four cases including one for a murder.

Saidur claimed that he did not know that he had cases against his name.

Yesterday, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, a disqualified Dhaka south mayoral aspirant, filed an appeal with the Dhaka divisional commissioner of the Election Commission for getting back his candidature.

On Wednesday, DSCC Returning Official Mihir Sarwar Morshed rejected his papers because he had not produced income tax return.

Chittagong

For the upcoming Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) elections, 29 candidates including six reserved female ward councilor aspirants were disqualified yesterday on the last day of nomination paper scrutiny.

This means that on April 28, 12 people will be running for the mayor of the port city, 257 for general and 61 for reserved female ward councillors.

Yesterday’s disqualifications came either because the candidates were bank loan defaulters or have failed to produce income tax returns or provided wrong information in the affidavits.

The nomination form of one Ramzan Ali was cancelled because he has not yet come of age. The papers of the women were mostly cancelled for providing improper or false information. l

Work for the Padma bridge in Mawa of Munshiganj is on in full swing. If all goes according to plan, the 6.15km bridge will be thrown open in 2018 MEHEDI HASAN

Most BNP-backed aspirants facing criminal cases n Tribune Report While preparing the list of city polls candidates having criminal cases filed against them, police have found that most of them are backed by the BNP. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police has already sent a list of mayor candidates to the EC since on Wednesday it started scrutinising the nomination papers submitted for Dhaka north and south city corporation elections.

Two separate teams of the DMP are assisting the returning officials in the process.

Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of the DMP, told the Dhaka Tribune that they would be able to complete the list within the next couple of days. “But so far we have found that maximum number of BNP-backed candidates are facing criminal cases.”

As per the primary data, at least 250 candi-

dates backed by the BNP for the Dhaka’s city polls are facing criminal cases. Of them, over 100 candidates have been named in charge sheets pressed by police in the cases, said sources.

On the other hand, around 100 candidates supported by the ruling 14-party alliance are facing criminal charges.

As per the EC’s directives, the police are preparing list of candidates giving information on the number of cases, filing date, case status, and whether the candidates are absconding or not.

The police are also verifying whether the candidates have Bangladeshi citizenship and linked to criminals.

Moreover, the police are also asked to inform the EC if any candidate served jail terms in criminal cases, or made accused or convicted for war crimes, said sources. l

HC orders officers to receive 13 councillor aspirants’ papers n Tribune Report The High Court yesterday directed returning officers to receive the papers of 13 Dhaka ward councillor nominees papers.

Following eight separate petitions, the HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo gave the order.

The aspirants said DNCC and DSCC returning officers rejected their papers because they were submitted after 5pm on March 29.

Petitioners’ counsel Manzil Murshid and AKM Ehsanur Rahman said their clients arrived outside the returning offices on time, but could not get in because of heavy crowd.

The 13 nominees are Mahmuda Begum, Shahnaz Habib, Nargis Begum Baby, Mahbub Foyez, Mahfuza Rina, Mollika Zaman Mukta, Lokman Hossain, AKM Nuruzzaman, Md Motiur Rahman, Md Sohrab Hossain, Hasna Begum, Setu Rahman and Aleya Khatun. l

DT

4 NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Police to be involved to probe anti-money laundering cases n Asif Showkat Kallol The government will allow police to involve in the investigation and trial process of anti-money laundering cases, officials said.

The National Coordination Committee on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing Terrorism has taken the decision at a meeting yesterday to involve police in the anti-money laundering cases, and make an amendment to the anti-money laundering law.

Financial Institutions Division (BFID) Secretary M Aslam Alam and officials of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), the anti-money laundering wing of the central bank, attended the meeting presided over by Finance Minister AMA Muhith.

The BFID official said the anti-money laundering law 2012 will be amended, according to the decision of coordination committee meeting.

The loggerheads between the Home Ministry and Anti-Corruption Commission over

police involvement is now solved through the decision of getting police involved in laundering case investigation, he added.

Since 2009, the anti-graft body inquired 285 cases of money laundering. Of them, 254 were filed and 112 charge sheeted The official said: “Such disagreement is causing delay to dissolve the anti-money laundering cases. Besides, the government has also international pressure to amend the current law to maintain international standard,” Since 2009, the anti-graft body inquired 285 cases of money laundering. Of them, 254 were filed and 112 charge sheeted.

The court settled three cases and the ACC won all of them. The ACC confiscated 1,011

In a press conference at Banani, Singer Anusheh Anadil shares how her workers came under threat while working for the employment of the residents of Joymoni village in Sundarbans MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Jatra designers told to wear burqas or quit Mongla village n Tribune Report Members of the arts and crafts collective, Jatra, have fled a community near the Sundarbans where they were working to set up an arts and crafts centre, after local musclemen gave them the choice of either wearing burqas or quitting the village.

The four Jatra staff members were repeatedly told to uphold “Islamic rules” and donning the burqa in public while working with the women of Joymoni village in Mongla.

Anusheh Anadil, a folk-rock musician and managing director of Jatra, yesterday told journalists in the capital’s Banani that the four members of the group felt compelled to return to Dhaka in the early hours yesterday after facing intimidation and extortion from locals.

“For three weeks, the clerics of Joymoni have been unhappy with the women of the village coming out of their homes and dreaming about earning a living,” she said.

Threats culminated when the four Jatra staff members were encircled by around 300 men at the local marketplace on Wednesday evening.

“Around 11pm on Wednesday, the local correspondents of GTV, Somoy TV, Bangla Vision, My TV and Desh TV arrived in the village. With the collusion of the Union Parishad member, they threatened Jatra staff and accused them of being involved in the trafficking of women and other immoral activities,” Anusheh said.

The police initially assisted Jatra staff, but later turned against them after being influenced by the locals. The group of journalists also told Jatra staff that a settlement could be reached if they paid out Tk50,000, Anusheh said.

As the crowd grew unruly around midnight, Jatra staff paid Tk25,000 to Ronny, a well-known local person, she said.

With the assistance of several village women, Jatra staff were able to leave the village around 3am yesterday. l

bank accounts found linked with money laundering while the frozen accounts had around Tk289 crore.

On August 6 last year, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Finance came up with some suggestions to have a stronger anti-graft body which can better deal with money laundering.

A good number of cases relating to cash transactions and suspicious transactions are currently under the central bank monitoring.

The central bank has the authority to fine the banks and financial institutions for violation of the law.

A proposal to increase the rate of penalty might be placed, said official sources.

The Anti-money Laundering Act, 2012, was passed in the Parliament in February, 2012.

Financial Action Task Force and Asia Pacific Group, two international anti-money laundering watchdogs, keep putting pressure on the Bangladesh government to amend the anti-money laundering law to elevate that to international standard. l

ACC made a party in Zubaida wealth case n Tribune Report The High Court yesterday included the Anti-Corruption Commission as a party to a previous ruling issued on an appeal by Zubaida Rahman, regarding a case filed for concealing wealth information.

Zubaida is the wife of BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman.

The bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice JBM Hassan gave the order after a hearing on a plea by the ACC. The anti-graft body’s counsel Md Khurshid Alam Khan said they would attend the future hearings in the case, which remains stalled due to a High Court stay order.

The ACC lodged a case with Kafrul police on September 26, 2007 accusing Zubaida and her mother Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu of giving false information and concealing wealth worth Tk481.5 crore.

The charge sheet was submitted on March 31, 2008 accusing Zubaida of aiding Tarique to illegally amassing wealth and allowing him to open two fixed deposit accounts, each valued Tk35 crore. Upon a plea filed by Zubaida on April 8 that year, the High Court stalled proceedings in the case for two months. l

DT

NEWS 5

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Pilot Tamanna buried n Our Correspondent, Gazipur

Relatives break into tears after the body of Tamanna Rahman Hridi reached her home at Nikunja in Dhaka yesterday. The 22-year-old trainee pilot died on Wednesday after an aircraft of Bangladesh Flying Academy crashed and caught fire at Shah Makhdum Airport in Rajshahi DHAKA TRIBUNE

DB: Mastermind of Avijit-Rajeeb killing fled the country n Tribune Report

Radical Islamist group Ansarullah Bangla Team leader Redwanul Azad Rana, suspected for masterminding the killings of secular bloggers Avijit Roy and Ahmed Rajeeb Haider, has escaped.

“According to available information and evidence we have got, Rana already left the country,” DMP Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam said but refrained from disclosing any further.

Another high official of the police, on condition of anonymity, yesterday said most wanted criminal Rana had flown to Australia

around two weeks after the killing of Avijit on February 26 on Dhaka University campus.

The DMP on March 15 declared Tk5 lakh bounty for people who will help police to detain Rana or give information about his hideout. Earlier, the DB police issued letters to the Immigration Police and port authorities so that Rana could not leave the country.

According to the Detective Branch of police, former North South University student Rana coordinated the attack on Avijit and his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya being present in TSC area at that time.

Police suspect that Rana, who leads a num-

ber of small groups of Ansarullah activists, might be behind the killing of Oyasiqur Rahman Babu at Begunbari of the capital on March 30.

He is also a charge sheeted accused in Rajeeb murder case, trial of which is set to begin on April 21. He is also wanted in the case filed for attack on another blogger Asif Mohiuddin.

Ansarullah chief Mufti Jasim Uddin Rahmani is the follower of international terrorist group al-Qaeda and strives to establish Islam in Bangladesh through jihad. Jasim and seven of his followers, including Rana, were indicted in Rajeeb murder case on March 18. All the accused are now in jail. l

Khaleda to attend hearing, provided safety ensured n Tribune Report BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia might appear before a Dhaka court on April 5 for hearings in two graft cases if assurances for her security are given by the authorities, her lawyer said yesterday.

The former prime minister is “keen” to appear in court, but only if “the government provides her with proper security,” Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, Khaleda’s chief counsel in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases, said at a press conference at his office.

“She is respectful of the law and is willing to appear in court, but her car and several BNP leaders were attacked the last time she went to the makeshift court at Bakshibazar on December 24... The government must ensure that she will not be attacked again when she goes to court,” said Khandaker Mahbub, who is also the president of the Supreme Court Bar

Association.

Khaleda has not ventured out of her Gulshan office since early January, launching the ongoing nationwide transport blockade and a spate of hartals from its premises.

She did not leave the office even to attend national observances like Martyr’s Day and Independence Day. Although previously the BNP had sought assurances that Khaleda be allowed to return unhindered to her Gulshan office after appearing in court, the chief counsel did not raise the issue yesterday.

Asked what kind of security Khaleda seeks, the lawyer said: “Security for her life and belongings. The kind of security every citizen is guaranteed by the constitution.

“As an ex-prime minister, she should receive the security demanded by her position.”

About the graft cases, Mahbub said:

“Khaleda Zia has not committed any wrongdoing in setting up the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust.

“These charges of corruption were filed against her to harass her politically.”

Witness depositions in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases are scheduled for April 5.

Even though arrest warrants were issued against her on February 25, Khaleda has not appeared before the court citing security reasons.

On March 4, the court of Dhaka’s Third Special Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar set the date for the hearing after scrapping a defence plea to withdraw the arrest warrant for the three-time prime minister.

A no-confidence petition against the judge which seeks to have the case heard in another court is pending with the High Court. It is expected to be heard this month. l

Female trainee pilot Tamanna Rahman Hridi, who died in a plane crash in Rajshahi on Wednesday, was laid to rest in Gazipur yesterday.

The 22-year-old was buried beside her grandfather’s grave in Kanaiya area. Her namaz-e-janaza was held twice – in Nikunja 2 of Dhaka at noon and on Kanaiya Madrasah premises in Gazpiur after the Asr prayer.

The trainee pilot died when the aircraft crashed while making an emergency landing at Shah Makhdum Airport.

The trainer, Lt Col (retd) Shahed Kamal, also sustained serious burn injuries in the accident. He was sent to the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka after his treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and the Combined Military Hospital in the district.

After completing her A-level from an English medium school in Dhaka, Tamanna signed up for the private pilot licence course at Bangladesh Flying Academy two years ago.

Captain (retd) Sahabuddin Ahmed, a member of Bangladesh Flying Academy and General Aviation Limited’s executive committee, said the engine caught fire when the plane was at an altitude of 500 to 600 feet and crashed on the runway shortly after.

“The two persons attempted an emergency escape but the aircraft crashed, burning Tamanna alive,” he added.

But Tamanna’s mother Rohana Yasmin blamed the flying academy authorities for her daughter’s death, adding that she would lodge a case against them after consulting with her husband. l

Khaleda files noconfidence petition against HC bench n Tribune Report BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday expressed no confidence in the High Court bench, which is supposed to deliver the verdict in a petition seeking scrapping of the proceedings of Barapukuria coalmine corruption case against her on April 5.

Her lawyers Khandker Mahbub Hossain, AJ Mohammad Ali, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Bodruddoza Badal submitted an application to Chief Justice SK Sinha, expressing no confidence in the bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice JBM Hassan.

Khaleda urged the chief justice to transfer the petition to another bench.

The chief justice accepted the application, Bodruddoza Badal told reporters, expressing hope that Justice Sinha will make a decision on the no-confidence plea before the date of delivery of the verdict.

Asked about the cause of Khaleda’s no-confidence, one of the lawyers seeking anonymity said she apprehends that she will not get justice from the bench as it fixed the verdict date without hearing arguments from her counsels. Also, Justice Moinul had been elected the vice-president of the Supreme Court Bar Association from the ruling Awami League panel before he became a judge.

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case, accusing Khaleda and 15 others of causing the government a loss of Tk159 crore by awarding a contract for the operation of the Barapukuria coalmine to a Chinese company. l

DT

6 NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Bail upheld for the key accused in Shamarukh murder case n Tribune Report The Supreme Court yesterday finally reinstated a bail order of the High Court to Humayun Sultan Shadab, prime accused in the doctor Shamarukh Mahjabin murder case.

Humayun was also husband of Shamarukh.

Through the SC order there is no bar to be freed of Humayun from the jail, sources said.

A three-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha dismissed an appeal placed by the prosecutor challenging the HC’s bail.

In this regard, Assistant Attorney General Sadhan Kumar Banik said Humayun, also son of former Awami League lawmaker from Jessore Tipu Sultan, would be released from Dhaka Central Jail following the order.

He also said the SC, however, did not mention the ground on which it dismissed the government appeal. The cause could be

known from the written order.

On March 9, the SC primarily stayed the Humayun’s bail order as the government challenged it. Later the court asked the government to place an appeal before it in favour of its plea.

Shamarukh was found hanging from window grill of her bathroom in her in-law’s Dhanmondi home on November 13, last year. Her family members have been claiming that her inlaws killed her and staged it as suicidal incident.

Although an autopsy report of the victim stated that Shamarukh committed suicide, but her father Nurul Islam, who is a retired PWD engineer, rejected it claiming that former MP Tipu Sultan influenced the report.

Later police arrested Humayun and took him into remand although he in the meantime secured the anticipatory bail from the HC. Shamarukh married to Humayun two years back and she was a FCPS student of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. l

Hasina Ahmed, wife of missing BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed addresses a press conference arranged by pro-BNP platform Sammilito Peshajibi Parishad in National Press Club yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

JU environmental science students demand relocation of department n JU Correspondent Students of environmental science department of Jahangirnagar University (JU) yesterday demanded that the university authorities take steps to shift their department to a newly constructed building on the campus.

They brought out a procession to place home their demand that the department be relocated from the Old Arts Faculty building as they were facing numerous problems to carry out academic activities there.

The agitating students also declared to form a human chain before the office of the university’s vice-chancellor on Saturday.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, many teachers of environmental science said they could not relocate the department to the newly

constructed Science-Computer Science and Engineering-Environmental Science building due to resistance from the authorities of the departments housed there.

Earlier in 2002, the JU syndicate allotted the second floor of the newly constructed building to environmental science department which had begun its academic activities at a one-storied temporary building adjacent to Old Arts Faculty building in 1999.

Prof Dr ANM Fakhruddin, the chair of the department, said they were facing numerous problems to carry academic and research activities due to lack of sufficient spaces in the existing building.

JU Registrar Abu Bakr Siddique said they were trying to find a solution to the problem soon. l

Charge framing against Fakhrul, 25 others deferred n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

Deposition deferred in two cases against BNP men n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday deferred until May 5 the hearing on charge framing against BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 25 others in a case filed over vandalism and torching vehicles in the capital.

Metropolitan Magistrate Muhammad Tarique Moinul Islam Bhuyan deferred the indictment hearing following a time petition filed by defence counsel Syed Zaynal Abedin Mesbah.

According to the case statement, on March 2, 2013, Sub-Inspector Mehedi Maksud filed the case with Paltan police station against BNP leaders and activists for vandalising and torching vehicles in the capital’s Paltan area during a hartal day.

Later, on March 26, 2013, SI Aminul Islam, also investigation officer of the case, submitted a charge sheet against 26 BNP men including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the party’s Standing Committee members Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Joint Secretary General Amanullah Aman. l

A Dhaka court yesterday deferred the recording of deposition against 89 BNP leaders and activists, including the party’s Joint Secretary General Amanullah Aman, in two vandalism and arson cases.

Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge Nazmul Haque Shayamal passed the order because of non-appearance of prosecution witnesses in the cases. The court also fixed April 29 as the next date in the cases filed under the Speedy Trial Act with Savar police station.

On November 13 last year, the court framed charges against the 89 accused.

According to the cases’ documents, Sub-Inspector Abdul Haque Shikdar of Savar Model police station filed a case for vandalising and torching vehicles at Aminbazar on December 9, 2012.

Another case filed by a person named Abdul Jalil with the same police station on charge of torching vehicles in front of Tetuljhara College at Aminbazar the same day. l

DT

NEWS 7

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

100 RMG workers fall ill having snacks n Our Correspondent, Savar More than 100 workers of a ready-made garment factory suddenly became sick yesterday after allegedly having snacks provided by the unit authorities in Jirani area of Ashulia early Thursday.

The sick workers of Turag Garments Ltd situated at Panishail Mahalla of the area got admitted to different local hospitals and clinics including Bangladesh-Korean Hospital.

Many workers told the Dhaka Tribune that they, who were on a night shift duty, started vomiting after eating bananas, bread and eggs at the factory around 1am. There were about 200 workers during the shift. Besides, many of them also fainted and felt dizziness, said Morzina Akter, a worker of the unit.

Moazzem Hossain, a senior medical officer at Bangladesh-Korean Hospital, said they got admitted about 25 workers there.

They primarily suspected that food poisoning led to the massive sickness of the workers.

On the other hand, the factory’s Managing Director Hussain Mohammad could not be reached despite several attempts over cell phone for his explanation in this regard.

Mostafizur Rahman, director of Ashulia industrial police, said they rushed to the spot being informed.

Additional policemen were deployed in front of the factory to shun any possible untoward situation centring the incident, he went on. l

Riverbank erosion may make 26,940 landless this year n Tribune Report The three major rivers – the Jamuna, the Ganges and the Padma may grab around 2,695 hectares of land leaving 26,940 people landless and homeless this year.

A prediction report of Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) said 336 hectares of settlement are vulnerable to erosion along these three rivers.

The erosion prediction-2015 for the Jamuna, Ganges and Padma was released yesterday at a seminar at the BRAC Centre Inn in the city.

According to the prediction report, the Jamuna alone may grab 1,380 hectares of land leaving nearly 13,820 people landless and homeless. It said about 410 hectares of land are likely to be eroded by the Ganges and 905 hectares of land might be devoured by the Padma.

State Minister for Water Resources Muhammad Nazrul Islam Bir Protik, Professor

Emeritus of BRAC University Professor Dr Anun Nishat, Executive Director of CEGIS Eng Md Waji Ullah, water experts, engineers and officials, among others, addressed the seminar with Water Resource Secretary Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan in the chair.

Deputy Executive Director of CEGIS Dr Maminul Haque Sarker presented the keynote paper titled “Is Sylhet basin sinking” while Senior Professional CEGIS Rifat Anwar presented the Riverbank Erosion Prediction-2015 at the seminar.

Nazrul said the government is going to launch a megaproject involving 1.7 billion US dollars for bank protection purposes of the Jamuna river from Bangabandhu Bridge to Kurigram of around 160 kilometres area.

“Jamuna is a very complex river in nature.

That is why, people living along the river are the most sufferers due to river bank erosion,” he said, adding that after implementation of

Housewife burnt alive in Natore n Our Correspondent, Natore

WEATHER THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

FRIDAY, APRIL 3 DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:15PM

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:48AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY 34 31 37 30 37 34 27 30

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

25 26 23 21 24 25 21 25

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

36.2ºC Mongla & Jessore

18.3ºC Comilla Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr

4:32am

Sunrise

5:48am

Jumma

12:02am

Asr

4:30pm

Magrib

6:15pm

Esha

7:32pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

the project, people will get relief from river bank erosion.

Nazrul said the government is giving top priority to the construction of the Ganges barrage, which would ensure adequate water flows during the dry season and feed many rivers in southern Bangladesh during the winter and play an important role in controlling salinity.

One third of the country will be benefited from the Ganges barrage as it will enhance crop production, check salinity intrusion as well as help recharge water levels of groundwater in the southern region and Barind areas, he added.

The CEGIS sources said it has been carrying out riverbank erosion prediction report every year from 2004 with the support of different government and non- government organisations.

They said CEGIS made the forecast by using satellite images and GIS technology as well as history of erosion along the rivers. l

Due to a shortage of vehicles, three boys risk their lives by travelling standing on the step board of a tempo in Dhaka’s Agargaon area yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Depleting groundwater poses threat to rice production n Tribune Report Rapid depletion of groundwater in parts of Bangladesh poses serious threat to future growth in rice production, according to a study of the International Rice Research Institute.

The outcome of the study, published in the March issue of IRRI’s regular publication “Rice Today”, said the water table in certain parts of Bangladesh is dropping by four to five feet per year because of the expansion of irrigation.

“The extent of groundwater use can be gauged by the exponential rise in the number of shallow tube wells from 21 in 1980 to about 1.62 million “, said the study.

The IRRI said Bangladesh is one of the major rice-growing countries, with more than

11.65 million hectares of rice area and producing 51 million tonnes of paddy.

However, the study noted that the dry-season Boro crop, which largely depends on irrigation, now accounts for 40 percent or 4.75 million hectares of the total area, contributing 55% of the total paddy production.

Apart from the exhausting groundwater, imbalanced fertiliser use in favor of nitrogen, due to subsidy and ignorance of farmers on the benefits of balanced fertiliser application, is adversely affecting soil health and is a major concern for future productivity growth in South Asia, including Bangladesh, the study said.

It pointed out that in Bangladesh the share of urea use in total fertilizer soared from 64% in 1981 to 89% in 2010, which is in fact a move towards opposite direction of using balanced fertiliser. l

A housewife was accidentally burnt to death at the time of cooking in her residence at Khidramalonchi village in Bagatipara upazila here yesterday afternoon.

The fateful incident killed Mina Begum, 45, wife of Atahar Pramanik, a resident of the village.

Witness sources said Mina’s sari caught fire from her stove in the afternoon while she was cooking and finally it engulfed her within a short moment.

Later, critically injured Mina died on the way of taking her to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

When asked, Bagatipara police station Officer-in-Charge Aminur Rahman, acknowledged the incident. l

Police open fire on JCD procession, three hurt n Our Correspondent, Sylhet A procession brought out by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), student wing of BNP, came under attack yesterday by police in Sylhet, which left at least three people injured.

Local sources said about 20-25 leaders and activists of Chhatra League brought out a procession from Haoapara area in the city around 2pm protesting arrest and torture on their party men.

The police opened fire on the procession when it reached nearby Zindabazar point.

At least three people were injured during the incident.

The law enforcers also arrested three JCD activists from the procession. Additional Deputy Commissioner (media) Rahmatullah of Sylhet Metropolitan police confirmed the incident. l

DT

8 NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Railway ripped off of wetland n Our Correspondent, Chandpur Land grabbers in Chandpur are trying to grab about two acres of wetland belonging to the railway authority in Mission road area.

Locals also alleged that officials of railway are also invloved in the encroachment process.

Although the railway authority has now put up barb-wire fences around the area due to pressure from the Department of Environment (DoE), the filled up waterbody is still prone to being taken over. The group of local land grabbers are still trying to occupy the land through administrative loopholes with the help of influential ruling party men.

It was learnt that some local influentials filled up one of the large waterbodies located east of Court Station and west of Truck Road in over a month. They were also preparing to fill up the rest of the wetland.

According to the locals, the grabbers planned to construct a market building on the land under the ruse of a commercial lease and using the name of Chandpur municipality.

They collected money from hundreds using a cooperative called “Bondhu Mohol.”

According to DoE sources, a cautionary

signboard was put up on the wetland area upon instruction from DoE Chittagong office Director Md Jafar Alam after being informed of the incident. Right after, in April of last year, a general diary was filed with the Chandpur Model Police Station which stated a warning for the land grabbers that filling up of such wetlands is a punishable offence under the environment laws. The letter, signed by Director Md Jafar Alam, stated that regarding the accusations of filling up 1.99 acres of railway waterbodies statements from Chandpur municipality executive engineer, secretary, councillors and others concerned have been taken. After reviewing the statements and relevent paperwork, it was concluded that Mamun Patowari and Showkat Osman and others, with the approval of the municipality authority and Councillor DM Shahjahan, filled up the wetlands with four lakh cubic feet of earth in the name of Bondhu Mohol cooperative.

The letter carried the instruction that those involved in the illegal fill-up of the wetland must restore it to its previous state within three months or appropriate actions would be taken against them. Afterwards, railway authority put up the fence around the filled

up land. However, seven months have passed since the notice but the instructions have not been carried out. The DoE have not taken any steps in this matter either.

Chittagong land officer Jashim Uddin told journalists: “We visited the site on information and also informed the district administrator and the superintendent of police. Railway authority did not give anyone permission to fill up its wetlands. Any paperwork those people have is forged. A case have been filed against them under the environment act. I will request the members of the cooperative to take their money back.”

DoE Chittagong office Assistant Director Arefin Badal said: “It was my duty to inform the higher authority and I have done that. Any future steps will be taken according to their decisions.”

Md Mokbul Hossain, Director of DoE Chittagong office, told Dhaka Tribune: “Not all the responsibilities lie with DoE. What the owners of that land are doing, that needs to be checked too.“Such incidents are more or less routine. Since this harms the environment we are concerned. The railway authority was also responsible for giving us a follow-up. Since I am new here, I cannot say any more on this matter right now but I will look into it.” l

4 students rescued 12 hours into abduction n Our Correspondent, Natore Police rescued four students from Alaipur area of Natore early Thursday, 12 hours into their abductions.

The law enforcers also arrested two people on charge of their involvement in the incident, police said.

The arrestees are Kanchon Ghosh, son of Monmot Ghosh of Ghospara area of Natore town and Md Shamim, son of Mafizul Islam of Borohorishpur village of Natore sadar upazila, they said.

Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Natore sadar police station, said the kidnappers demanded Tk1 lakh each from the family members of the victims – Tareq, Razu, Roki and Shourov of poultry haat area in Singra.

A team of police conducted a drive in Muslim Institute area after being confirm of their location by tracking the phone calls, he said.

Earlier on Wednesday night, the kidnappers took hostage the students to the area when the latter came to Natore town for their personal needs, he added. The OC said Roki’s brother-in-law, however, sent Tk4,000 to one of the kidnappers’ bKash account and informed the matter to Singra police. l

DT

NEWS 9

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Nor’wester sweeps over 4 districts, kills 2 n Tribune Report Two persons were killed and about 50 people injured in Gazipur, Comilla Sunamganj and Jhenaidah as the nor’wester swept over the districts in the early hours of yesterday.

Our Gazipur Correspondent reported that a man was killed and five others were injured as the nor’wester swept over the district at night.

Officer-in-Charge of Jaidevpur police station Khandakar Rezaul Hasan told the Dhaka Tribune that a construction worker had fellen of the rooftop of a six-storey building when a strong wind hit him while he working there.

He died on the spot.

But identity of the worker could not be known immediately.

In Comilla, the nor’wester hit Mafijabad

and Nunbad area yesterday night.

Apart from damaging houses and business establishments, the storm uprooted electric poles that left the entire city in the dark for several hours.

In Sunamganj, one person was killed and 15 others injured at Jamalganj upazila.

The deceased was identified as Ambar Ali, a resident of Hotamara village of the upazila.

Locals said Ambar Ali died on the spot as a hailstorm swept through Bochhai dam of Pakna haor in the upazila when he was returning home from Dirai upazila at about 2:30am.

Standing crops on vast tracts of land and over 100 houses were also damaged by the storm that lashed the upazila.

The injured were admitted to the upazila health complex and different hospitals.

10 villages in Jhenaidah hit by nor’wester A violent storm lashed about 10 villages at Kaliganj upazila, Jhenidah.

During the storm, around 120 houses have been damaged and about 20 people received injuries.

Of the injured, condition of a housewife Maria Khatun, wife of Shafikul Islam of Ramchandrapur village, is stated to be critical.

She has taken admission to Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex while the rest have taken first aid. The affected villages are Kharikadanga, Kamalhat, Ghoshpara, Kola, Ramchandrapur, Talian, Rakra Bittipara, Khalkula, Binotpur and Daspara.

Local people said the nor’wester hit these villages around 11pm and lasted only 10 minutes. But during the time, the storm damaged

houses, crops and uprooted a good number of trees.

Sukur Ali, a farmer of Kharikadanga village, said he had never seen such a violent storm in his life.

“Vegetables on my two bighas of land have been completely damaged,” he said.

Agriculture Officer Mosharraf Hossain of Kaliganj upazila said crops on two hectares of land damaged by the rain.

On receiving information, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Kaliganj upazila Manowar Hossain Mollah, Upazila Vice-Chairman Motiar Rahman Moti and Kola UP Chairman Ayub Hossain visited the area yesterday morning.

The UNO added that he had sent written application to DC Shafikul Islam asking for urgent relief of the victims. l

3 die, 3 others fall sick taking bread in Mymensingh n Our Correspondent, Mymensingh Three people of a family have died and three others fell sick after taking bread in Badam Mia area under Trishal upazila in Mymensingh.

Of the deceased, two were identified as Ruma and Salma.

Trishal OC Moniruzzaman said: “Six members of one Abul Kalam’s family brought bread from the nearby shop.” “All of them became unconscious after eating the bread with fried potato for breakfast,” he said.

Later, the locals took them to Mymensingh Medical Hospital where the three of the died.

The OC said the other three family members are in critical condition. l

The once mighty Mohanonda River has turned into a narrow channel. Due to encroachment the river has lost its flow while wastes from different clinics in Chapainawabganj find their ways into the river that is used by people for various purposes, including bathing AZAHAR UDDIN

Shifting of chemical factories from residential areas demanded n Our Correspondent, Barisal Residents of Barisal have demanded chemical and pharmaceutical factories be shifted immediately from residential areas of the city.

The demand was raised following a fire that broke out in a factory of Opsonin Pharmaceuticals Ltd on Bogra Road on Monday killing one and injuring four workers of the factory.

The fire that broke out on 3rd, 4th and 5th floors of the factory had severely weakened the structure of the building, said Shawkat Hasan, deputy director of Barisal Fire Service and Civil Defense “Such explosions of chemicals poses risk to the structures surrounding the factory. Moreover, the rickety building might collapse any time creating hazards in the residential area,” said Dr Mizanur Rahman, member-secretary of Barisal Nagorik Samaj at a human chain yesterday.

Besides, three factories of the Opsonin group, the citizens called for transfer of one factory of Rephco and one factory of Chemist Laboratories situated on the Mathuranath School Road and College Row areas respectively.

Sukumar Biswas, director of Barisal divi-

sional office of environment directorate, said: “Owners of these five factories were issued with notices seven times in the last five years to shift their factories from the densely populated areas. Every time the authorities sought more time and promised to shift the factories soon. But in reality, nothing was done.”

In December 2014, authorities of Opsonin group promised to shift their factories by December 2015, he told the Dhaka Tribune.

When contacted, Sayedur Rahman, factory in-charge of Opsonin Pharmaceuticals, admitted of receiving letters from DoE. “We have already started the process to shift the factory. We hope it will be done by December this year,” he said.

Meanwhile, Samajtantrik Sramik Front Barisal unit hold a human chain in front of Ashwini Kumar Hall in the city demanding compensation for the workers killed and injured by the fire at Opsonin Pharmaceuticals.

Their demands included shifting the factories, ensuring safety of workers at work, rehabilitation and medical allowance for the family members of killed and injured workers.

The victims of the fire incident would be compensated as per the labour law, said Sayedur Rahman. l

DT

10 WORLD

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

At least 56 killed as Russian trawler sinks in icy seas

n Reuters, Moscow

Migrant laborers, some wearing face masks, work on a construction site during a sandstorm in Dubai yesterday. A major sandstorm has whipped into the Mideast’s commercial hub of Dubai and other Gulf cities, reducing visibility, forcing flight diversions and making breathing outside more difficult AP

Shiite rebels capture Yemen presidential palace n AP Yemen’s Shiite rebels and their allies fought their way through the commercial centre of Aden yesterday and seized the presidential palace on a strategic hilltop in this southern coastal city, security officials said.

The capture was a major blow to the Saudi-led coalition, which has been carrying out airstrikes for a week now across Yemen, including in the capital, Sanaa, in a campaign meant to halt the advance of the Iran-backed rebels known as Houthis.

The Maasheeq palace in Aden -- a cluster of colonial-era villas perched atop a rocky hill

that juts into the Arabian Sea -- was President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s last seat of power before he fled to Saudi Arabia last month in the face of the Houthi advance. He had earlier fled to Aden from rebel-held Sanaa.

Fighting was still underway late yesterday as Hadi’s forces and loyalists were holding on to some scattered parts of Aden after losing the palace and the city centre.

The capture of the palace came just hours after al-Qaida militants, who have profited from the turmoil and violence roiling Yemen to expand their foothold in this Arabian Peninsula nation, captured the coastal city of Mukalla, another key port, to the east of Aden.

In the raid, al-Qaida militants freed about 300 inmates from a local prison in Mukalla, including scores of militants, according to the security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to media.

Among those freed from the prison was senior al-Qaida operative Khaled Baterfi who had been in detention since 2011.

The militants fanned out across major roads leading into Mukalla, the provincial capital of Hadramawt, and sporadic fighting continued in the city itself.

The province is still mostly in the hands of government forces loyal to the embattled Hadi.l

3 countries investigate fishing slavery n AP, Benjina, Indonesia

Officials from three countries are traveling to remote islands in eastern Indonesia to investigate how thousands of foreign fishermen wound up there as slaves and were forced to catch seafood that could eventually end up being exported to the United States and elsewhere.

A week after The Associated Press published a yearlong investigation into the problem – including showing men locked in a company cage – delegations from Thailand and Indonesia visited the island village of Benjina. Officials from Myanmar are scheduled to visit the area next week to try to determine how many of their citizens are stuck there and what can be done to

bring them home.

“No one seemed to be aware of the problem, and now that they are, they want to do something as quickly as possible,” said Steve Hamilton, deputy chief of mission at the International Organisation for Migration, or IOM, in Indonesia, which is working with authorities to assist the fishermen.

In Benjina, some officials saw a graveyard where dozens of fishermen are buried. Others talked to men who have been stranded there for months or even years after being brought to Indonesia from Thailand and forced to work under brutal conditions on boats with Thai captains.

One of the leaders of the Indonesian group, Ida Kusuma from the Fisheries Ministry, said she found the slavery reports very

upsetting and that the government intends to take action.

“We (will) prove that we don’t want to let it happen anymore,” she said while visiting the neighboring island of Tual on Tuesday before traveling to Benjina yesterday. “I think the company who hired them should take full responsibility to bring them to their families.”

The IOM said last week there could be as many as 4,000 foreign men, many trafficked or enslaved, who are stranded on islands surrounding Benjina following a fishing moratorium called by the Indonesian Fisheries Ministry to crack down on poaching. Indonesia has some of the world’s richest fishing grounds, and the government estimates billions of dollars in seafood are stolen from its waters by foreign crews every year. l

A Russian trawler sank in icy seas off Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka peninsula yesterday, killing at least 56 of the 132 crew, the emergencies ministry said yesterday.

Sixty-three people were rescued but 13 were still unaccounted for, hours after the Dalniy Vostok fishing vessel sank in the Sea of Okhotsk so quickly that its captain, who drowned, did not manage to send a distress signal.

It was not immediately clear why the 26-year-old ship had sunk but a local official said the crew may have violated safety rules by overloading it, affecting its balance.

Russia has a long history of road, air and sea disasters, many caused by negligence or violation of safety regulations.

“At this time we do not know what might have caused the tragedy,” Viktor Klepikov, coordinating captain of the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky maritime rescue coordination center conducting the search, told Reuters by telephone.

Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov said more than 10 possible causes were being considered by investigators.

But the acting governor of Sakhalin island, Oleg Kozhemyako, told LifeNews television: “Given the fact that the tragedy occurred quickly and unexpectedly, and the ship was registered and met all technical requirements, I think there was a violation of rules when it comes to overload and balancing of the vessel.” l

Germanwings crash: Second Alps flight recorder found

n BBC

The second flight recorder from the Germanwings A320 jet that crashed in the French Alps last week has been found, the Marseille prosecutor said.

The voice recorder was found almost immediately at the site of the crash on 24 March.

Recordings taken from the first “black box” suggested co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had deliberately crashed the plane.

There were no survivors among the 150 people onboard the flight from Barcelona to Duesseldorf.

In a separate development, German prosecutors have revealed that Lubitz had researched suicide methods and cockpit door security online.

Investigators found a tablet computer at his apartment and reconstructed his online search history in the week leading up to the disaster.

He had been deemed fit to fly by his employers at Germanwings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa.

Prosecutor Brice Robin’s announcement that the flight data recorder (FDR) had been found came in a brief statement.

“The Republic’s prosecutor in Marseille wishes to make it clear that the second black box has just been found by the investigators at the site of the crash,” he said.

Details from the flight data recorder (FDR) are seen as vital to the investigation into the crash.

If it is not too badly damaged, investigators will hope to yield technical information on the time of radio transmissions, the plane’s acceleration, airspeed, altitude and direction. l

DT

WORLD 11

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Hundreds of Boko Haram Iran talks drag into day eight fighters killed in Nigeria after all-nighter n Reuters Chad’s army said its forces had killed hundreds of Boko Haram fighters and lost nine of its own troops in clashes in northern Nigeria.

Soldiers from Chad and Niger drove the group from Malam Fatori, one of Boko Haram’s last major footholds near Nigeria’s border with Niger, earlier this week. Wednesday’s clashes took place as they were mopping up the area in Nigeria’s Borno state.

Niger military sources just across the border said air strikes began before an offensive by ground troops.

“There was fighting and we recorded nine dead and 16 injured. There were hundreds of dead on Boko Haram’s side,” said Colonel Azem Bermandoa, a spokesman for Chad’s army, on Wednesday.

Bermandoa said the fighting had driven

the group’s fighters more than 10km outside the town, which had been held by Boko Haram since November. There was no immediate comment from Niger’s army on any casualties.

Boko Haram wants to create a caliphate in the north-east Nigeria, and thousands of people have been killed since 2009 when the group launched an armed rebellion against the state.

An offensive by Nigerian, Chadian and Nigerien troops this year has since pushed the group out of most of the towns they previously controlled.

The armed group failed to deliver on threats to cause havoc during the just-concluded presidential election that was won by former army general Muhammadu Buhari.

The president-elect Buhari promised on Wednesday to “spare no effort” to defeat the group, which seized swathes of territory under outgoing president Goodluck Jonathan. l

Are you serious? BJP on Rahul’s return n Agencies

BJP yesterday took a swipe at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi over his likely appearance at a farmers’ rally on April 19 after a long sabbatical, saying it is not sure if such news reports are true and his “vacation” is finally over.

“Are you serious?,” is how BJP Spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain responded when reporters sought his response on Gandhi’s return to active politics with the rally against the land bill amendments brought by the Narendra Modi government.

“We do not know if reports about the date Rahul Gandhi is coming on are true. No Congress spokesperson has made any statement to this effect.

“What plane is he coming on, when will he meet (others), if his vacation is finally over...

this all will be discussed when he does finally come back,” he said.

Gandhi has been missing in action for over a month and Congress has insisted that he has been granted leave of absence to introspect over the party’s affairs following a string of electoral reverses starting with its rout in Lok Sabha elections.

He skipped the first leg of the crucial budget session of Parliament, inviting sharp criticism from the opposition parties with even senior Congress leader like Digvijay Singh finding fault with the timing of his leave.

The farmers rally is significant as it is being held on the eve of the second phase of the budget session of Parliament at a time when almost the entire opposition has joined ranks against the ordinance, which is being dubbed by them as “anti-farmer and pro-corporate.” l

n AFP, Lausanne, Switzerland Weary negotiators hoped yesterday to see the light at the end of the tunnel after talking until dawn, but midway through an eighth day were still haggling over the outlines of a deal curtailing Iran’s nuclear programme.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif talked through the night, going line by line over their differences in a bid to agree a framework for an accord to cut back Iran’s nuclear ambitions, diplomats close to the talks said.

They made “significant progress,” but there is no “final result yet,” Zarif told reporters early yesterday at the Swiss hotel hosting the negotiations, saying he felt “lucky” to have slept for two hours.

As German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier cancelled a planned trip to the

Baltics to stay in Lausanne, Iran’s nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi spoke of “lots of progress” and said that the “sunset is close.”

But as negotiators from the powers, without Iran, after a break held a two-and-a-half hour meeting to review progress yesterday morning, signs emerged that they were not in fact on the verge of a breakthrough.

“The conclusion is far from being imminent,” one Western diplomat said.

After 18 months of intense negotiations, the six world powers – Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States – and Iran are hoping to agree a deal that puts a lid on 12 years of dangerously rising tensions.

The aim is to turn the framework they want to leave Lausanne with into a comprehensive accord backed by specific technical commitments by June 30 when an interim deal struck in November 2013 expires. l

DT

12 EDITORIAL

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Don’t delay on bus rapid transit

W

e are concerned by the continuing delays to the bus rapid transit project which has seen hardly any progress since it began at the end of 2012.

Designs and tenders for the Tk2,040cr scheme, which is two-thirds funded by the ADB, the French government, and Global Environment Facility, have been delayed several times in the last two years.

The BRT project is meant to cut commuting times along the Dhaka-Gazipur route by facilitating 140 buses carrying 40,000 passengers per hour along purpose-built bus corridors between Shahjalal airport and Gazipur. If progress is not expedited, the BRT project risks falling behind the Metro Rail project which it is intended to complement, We hope the DCC mayoral elections will see renewed focus on the BRT scheme and bring forth co-ordinated efforts to improve the state of the capital’s bus services.

Congestion costs Dhaka’s economy over Tk200bn every year. Improving the quality and efficiency of bus services so that commuters are tempted out of cars is the most cost-effective way available to speed up journey times for everyone. The BRT project should lie at the heart of efforts to reform public transport for Dhaka’s residents.

Buses are the only means of transport available for most people. It is in everyone’s interest for the government and BRTC to put improving buses first. With space at a premium, bus services have to be prioritised ahead of the small minority of car owners.

We cannot afford to neglect public transport if we want to lift the curse of traffic jams.

With space at a premium, bus services have to be prioritised ahead of the small minority of car owners

Broaden tax base for a stronger society

L

ess than 1% of the population regularly pays taxes.

Despite increasing efforts to up the tax take, Bangladesh’s tax-GDP ratio of less than 9% remains one of the lowest in Asia.

The National Board of Revenue reports that only 43 people in the country pay annual taxes of more than Tk1 crore, out of an estimated 5,000 people in the country who it believes are liable to pay this amount. The government needs to look deeper at the underlying factors, which means that more than 80% of people capable of paying taxes are not paying into the system.

Even though all citizens, including the majority whose incomes are below the annual threshold, pay indirect sales taxes, it is an important goal to bring more people into the system.

Broadening the tax base is necessary to make the government more accountable for the delivery of services. Everyone can benefit from a more effective tax system. It would not only enable improved accountability for government expenditure, but also make more money available for public services.

The government needs to look deeper into the underlying reasons for the underpayment of taxes. Raising awareness and making the collection process more user-friendly by making online registration easier can only go so far to help make government finances become self-sufficient. Corruption and complicated rules which encourage or facilitate avoidance also need to be rooted out.

Building trust among citizens that funds are being wisely and transparently spent, will benefit society by improving good citzenship and making the government more self-reliant and capable in furthering development.

Corruption and complicated rules which encourage or facilitate avoidance need to be rooted out

Be heard

Writeto toDhaka DhakaTribune Tribune Write Tower,8/C 8/CPanthapath, Panthapath, Sukrabad, Shukrabad,Dhaka-1207 Dhaka-1207 FRFRTower, Email letters.dt@dhakatribune.com Email letters.dt@dhakatribune.com Sendususyour yourOp-Ed Op-Edarticles: articles: Send opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com www.dhakatribune.com www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

Khaleda, Koko’s wife and daughters summoned March 22

M Sirajullah I do not know the condition of the loan.

This seems to be a corporate loan and the bank can seize corporate assets, if any.

Usually there are no personal obligations to a corporate loan. The real problem here is the existence of these government banks, so the party in power can misuse public money. This case should be withdrawn and government banks must be closed or sold to private ownership immediately.

The same is true for Biman. Biman is losing more than Tk30 thousand crore of public money every year. Why should the public have to pay for this? Biman must be closed for business or sold if any buyer is available.

The government should be there to regulate the business and never to run the

business. This is organised corruption by our government, nothing to do with AL or BNP. sundar May God give her the strength and stamina to withstand this hot pursuit.

Joshim Uddin sundar: Haha! Listen, no one will support you. BNP and Jamaat are finished. sundar Joshim Uddin: No no, I didn’t ask for anyone’s support. Neither do I bother the BNP and Jamaat, my prayer is just for a helpless old, frail woman who is being subjected to a hot pursuit and nobody is coming forward to help her. Only God can come to her rescue now.

DT Tigers get heroes’ welcome March 23

Taslima: Don’t call me Muslim, I am an atheist March 22

Shahid Hasan Excellent.

Keep the lights on

March 23 Elizabeth Bass Turn them off on March 28th.

Tearful Tamim apologises to nation

March 23 Anonymous Tamim needs to stop complaining and change his attitude. His ego has gotten overblown, along with his fitness. He will sort himself out he will find himself self sidelined by younger, hungrier players. Talent alone is nothing without graft and hard work. Someone should tell him to buckle down and work harder instead of making excuses. And it’s embarrassing that people can’t make constructive criticisms but will take pot-shots at the families of players.

Nazia Rahman Do not forget that it was Tamim’s 95 which was the reason for Bangladesh beating Scotland.

PS Natarajan Islam is in greater need of criticism than any other religion today.

Dev Saha An enlightened woman with an atheist mind? I do not see any conflict here. rose People should not be persuaded to accept any religion, they ought to be given the freedom of choice.

Magnum092 I guess she forgot to mention that she opposed the religious oppression under the atheist Soviet Union or the genocide committed by Pol Pot. Secular countries have the highest instances of rape. Yeah, atheism is so perfect. Also please tell me how hating religion makes you smart. Yeah, atheists are the most delusional, hypocritical people in the whole world.

Scorpio Magnum092: She does not call for hating on religion but positive critique of religion must be allowed through debate … religion should be separated from state for a healthy society.

DT

OPINION 13

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

No more tolerance?

E

xtremely conservative Christians believe that “there is no such thing as religious tolerance as far as God and Heaven is [sic] concerned. We are either in Christ or not.”

Not much is different for extreme believers of other faiths either. There is trickery in this on the part of people who control the religious belief system. A belief system that is pedaled, quite often, to the unsuspecting and credulous flock, so to speak, and they gobble it up. These confidence tricksters who use religion to further their own self-serving agenda use the economic hardships faced by the teeming millions and put up a vision in front of them that is twofold.

Firstly, they vilify their enemies in the name of religion, more often than not, banging it into people’s heads that the “truth” is more important and tolerance is a distant second to establishing that “truth”.

The alleged truth is a subjective matter and is not crystal clear to a sceptic and a sceptic can become a “malcontent” within the flock to disorient it from its designated path that is to serve the religion, in effect, the people controlling the religion. Normal people are not always allowed to practice faith in private, but are constantly pushed to denigrate people of other faiths; some buckle under the pressure.

Secondly, the confidence tricksters use the idea of eternal peace of the afterlife as a possible substitute to the deprivation faced by the masses in their earthly existence.

Religious leaders have always made clear in their sermons about the rewards and punishments awaiting one and all in the afterlife.

There is nothing wrong with that. In many a case, these lessons may entice people to lead lives rich in morality and keep depravities

at bay. But alas, human beings are flawed creatures and they falter at every other step.

But redemption is promised in Holy Scripture after due penance. But the conmen who use religion often to glorify the afterlife to such an extent that they profess that a life in the afterlife awaits right now and one is better off going there at the soonest. The marginally educated, cash-strapped, debt-ridden, poverty-stricken and disillusioned young men and women fall into the trap like flies to molasses. Recruitment becomes quite easy for the “men with agenda”.

One would also find some bright people, young and educated and from financially flourishing backgrounds who fall to rhetoric of the Islamists, the so called jihadists. These people often get embroiled in activities that they had never bargained for, but once in, it becomes difficult for them to leave the nexus of terror.

Look at the world of Islam today. The Taliban, the Islamic State, Boko Haram, al-Qaeda, al-Shabab are all getting their lives of luxury, burning the blood of these disillusioned young men and women of Islam. Needless to say that some groups are active within the subcontinent that are wreaking havoc bringing various issues to the forefront and using Islam as a weapon.

The Islamic State (IS) has the attention of the world and the West and the East and, of course, the Middle East are reeling from the threats posed by them. The “Caliphate” that al-Baghdadi’s followers promise is never going to be “heaven on earth” but only a different kind of a despotic rule that the Arab world has already been suffering from; rather it promises to be more of a gruesome kind of rule -- a totalitarian heaven; a state of terror that would make George Orwell roll in his grave.

IS is also very smart as it is running its

propaganda machine using all types of social and regular media. They have successfully conjured up a certain romanticism in the ruthless lifestyle of “the jihadi” and that has enamoured Muslim youth the world over, many of them suffering from alienation in a foreign land, a vast number, disillusioned and disenfranchised. But many sympathisers fail to realize that IS is nothing short of a “business venture”, a “Godfather” like family that delves in raping, looting, extorting, smuggling, wanton murder -- a total and complete mayhem.

Bangladesh, historically a country of sedate Muslims who, more or less, believed, till recently, in peaceful coexistence of many faiths and many beliefs, has started losing the collective tolerance bit by bit. This does not bode well for the future. A political scenario where one and all can become allies of the two major parties without any consideration

to ideologies will make the country slip slide into deeper mire. We have seen the hydra heads of the terrorism monster appear twice in the space of a month.

And the Muslims who would like to lead a normal life in God, a life of work, family, festivities, vacations, and careers are paying a heavy price for these blood-sucking fanatics who are the first ones to flout all the tenets of Islam.

“Normal” Muslims the world over are getting the evil eye of, for want of a better word, racial hatred, and are in a constant state of exasperation for the violence and the intolerance that only a few propagate and that is a great misfortune for the world of tolerant, moderate and sedate Muslims who constitute the silent majority of the followers of the last Prophet. l

debts and an economy purely focused on war, we were in dire straits. But the British people chose hope over fear, they kicked out the conservative government and replaced them with a progressive Labour Party.

booming, thanks in part to the creation of an entirely new industry with the government investing in training and employing skilled workers for their new service. By the mid 50s, the UK had close to full employment.

to the middle ground of voters who will always vote regardless, to stick to the political safe ground. No wonder apathy is at an all time high. Neither of the two main parties are willing to take the time to dispel this myth.

It’s much easier to pander to a scared electorate with quick fix answers than to emulate the statesmen of the past and stand your ground. Nobody wants to get deeper into debt, but as a country it is necessary to do so in order to provide investment in our future.

We need to build an economy that is full of well-educated, highly trained, and healthy workers. We need to invest in future technologies that have a basis in real products so that our economy will never again be held hostage by the financial markets. Until politicians start treating the voters as intelligent people who will listen to a reasoned argument, and until the voters demonstrate that they are willing to accept nothing short of this, we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of this new millennium. l

REUTERS

n SM Shahrukh

SM Shahrukh is a freelance contributor

The great lie n Ryan Burkwood

T

he politics of fear can be a powerful weapon, coupled with a bitterly entrenched media and a public that wants simple answers to complex solutions, the result is the middle-of-the-road soundbite era of politics we find ourselves in. People want media-friendly one-line policies.

The era of austerity -- that’s what history will call the first 15 years of the new millennium. Or possibly “the great swindle.” In the UK, we’ve been sold a lie, the lie of austerity.

The lie that the coffers are empty, that we have to cut our spending to save the country.

It’s an easy lie to peddle. People want to think that complex national economic problems can be solved with simple everyday solutions. “What would you do if your household expenditure outpaced your income? A responsible person would cut their outgoings.” We’ve been told this again and again.

Sadly this just isn’t true. History shows us as much.

At the end of the Second World War, the UK found itself in the worst financial situation anybody could imagine; with massive

It’s much easier to pander to a scared electorate with quick fix answers than to emulate the statesmen of the past and stand your ground

With a health ministry headed by the visionary “Nye” Bevan, we embarked upon one of the largest public spending program in the history of our isles: The creation of our National Health Service (NHS). Free at the point of use for all, the NHS exemplifies everything that is “great” about Great Britain.

Within 10 years the UK economy was

With the budget back in the black. A skilled, employed workforce that has access to free healthcare kickstarts an economy. More people in work, earning more money, means more tax revenues.

This is a hard concept to put to the electorate in this age of instant, short attention media consumption. It’s far easier to pander

Ryan Burkwood is an actor, director, teacher, and activist.

DT

14 OPINION

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

BIGSTOCK

We all killed Avijit and Oyasiqur n Zafar Sobhan

T

o my mind, the truly scary part of the recent murder of Oyasiqur Rahman, the second killing of a free-thinking writer who was critical of religion in a month, was the complete lack of contrition and remorse on the part of his killers.

Their official statements in custody and the look in their eyes in the photographs of them that have been published in the media say the same thing: They are absolutely convinced that they were doing God’s work.

They truly believe that someone who insults the Prophet and Islam deserves to die.

They truly believe that they will be rewarded in Heaven for their righteousness.

Now, it is easy enough to place the blame for this mind-set on the madrasas where they were educated, and there is no question that educational institutions which teach that murder is an acceptable response to someone whose words offend you or whose beliefs you oppose, and that it is acceptable to act as judge, jury, and executioner in such cases, are very much a part of the problem.

For too long Bangladeshi governments have tolerated the growth of so-called educational institutions that are anything but. For too long, we have allowed venom and hatred to be taught to impressionable boys and girls, under the guise of moral instruction, when it is anything but.

What is taught in these places -- not all madrasas, mind you, but a large number of them -- is the precise opposite of education and religious instruction. The boys and girls there do not learn how to think critically, how to think for themselves, or, apparently, that killing is wrong.

They are taught intolerance and hatred,

self-righteousness and bigotry. They are taught to be arrogant and judgmental. They are taught to believe in their own moral superiority, and their compassion and human decency is systematically beaten out of them.

Equally problematic, they are taught no skills that can help them earn a living or make their way in this world. Even if they want to break free of the narrow, cloistered world in which they are brought up, they have no ability to do so due to their lack of any kind of useful training or education.

might have written or said.

But the number of people who believe that someone who insults the Prophet and Islam deserves to die is much, much higher.

Most people in Bangladesh believe that Islam cannot and should not be questioned or insulted in any way (though they do not necessarily extend this courtesy to other religions, and are often very scathing of other religions in private conversation, often enough in public).

In fact, this special protection for not hav-

It is not enough to condemn the killings. We need to understand how our own intolerance of free-thinking and of questioning religious belief and thought contributed to a climate conducive to such an atrocity

It is hard to pin down just how many such young men and women there are in Bangladesh today, but there can be no doubt that they constitute a ticking time-bomb.

But the more difficult truth is that that is not at all the real problem here. The problem is that many people who share this mind-set come from among the most educated in our society, and that a good education is unfortunately no bar to thinking this way.

Now, let me stipulate that only a tiny minority of people in Bangladesh would actually take it upon themselves to slaughter another human being in cold blood, regardless of what they thought of him or what he

ing one’s religious sentiments offended is enshrined in law. You can offend any other kind of sentiment with impunity, but not religious sentiments (though, funnily enough, I have never seen this law applied in Bangladesh to defend any religion other than Islam).

Most people feel that one’s Muslim faith should be above question, insult, and offence. They believe that atheists should keep their mouths shut, and that anyone who questions or is critical of religion (meaning Islam) gets what he has coming to him.

If a large number of people feel this way, is it any surprise that a small number will take it upon themselves to actually act based on

this understanding?

Part of what emboldened the killers of Avijit Roy and Oyasiqur Rahman was the tacit societal approval for what they did. I am not saying that society approves of their killing -though such approval is far more widespread than we are willing to admit -- but that our society (and the law) holds that it is unacceptable to question or criticise Islam, and that one does so at one’s own peril.

It is easy to point fingers at benighted madrasa students who do not know any better. It is much harder to look in the mirror and ask whether our own belief system and narrow-mindedness could in any way have contributed to the atmosphere of intolerance that allowed for such a crime to be committed.

But it is a question that needs to be asked if we are ever to really get to the bottom of this cancer that is eating away at our society.

The problem is not simply semi-educated madrasa students running amok. The problem is that we believe -- as do the killers -- that insulting Islam is beyond the pale. The only difference between us and them is how far they are willing to go to defend Islam’s honour.

It is not enough to condemn the killings.

We need to understand how our own intolerance of free-thinking and of questioning religious belief and thought contributed to a climate conducive to such an atrocity. Make no mistake: We are all complicit in Avijit and Oyasiqur’s killings.

That is a hard and unpalatable truth, but until we come to terms with it, we will not be able to stem the rising tide of extremism that takes moral sustenance from our own intolerance for questioning or criticising religion. l Zafar Sobhan is the Editor, Dhaka Tribune.

16

Muhith: Insurance sector notorious for irregularities, cheating

17

European factories buoyant but weak Asia adds to stimulus calls

19

Stocks finish the week in red

Ericson: Airtel tops the list of internet users through handsets, tablets n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Airtel tops the chart of subscribers using internet through smart handsets and tablets, according to a survey by the technology vendor, Ericsson Bangladesh.

In a programme, Ericsson Bangladesh declared that 30% users in the country are using internet through smartphones while 3% using tablets.

The account came aftter 1,000 random sampling.

According to the study carried out last year, 41% of the total Airtel users are using smart handset while 5% of other users tablets for internet.

Ericsson conducted the survey in five divisional headquarters – Dhaka, Chittagon, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barishal – which contained 1,000 random sampling.

Based on the study, the third largest operator Robi is in the second position with 33% of its subscribers using smartphones after Airtel in terms of using smart phones, but only 2% of its subscribers are using internet though tablets.

Some 29% subscribers of Grameenphone, the market leader operator in the country, are using internet through smartphones and 3% of its internet users using tablets.

Only 19% subscribers of Banglalink are using internet though smartphone while another 2% of its customers using tablets for internet, the study reads.

Replying to a question, Managing Director of Ericsson Bangladesh Mr Raj said as they haven’t found any handsome number of subscribers from state-owned operator Teletalk they dropped it from their presentation.

While briefing the journalists at the company’s local headquarters in the capital yesterday, its Chief Technology Officer Abdus Salam and Head of Communications Mehnaz

visit our website @

www.dhakatribune.com

User

Potential

30% 29% 33% 19% 41%

59% 74% 51% 63% 55%

TABLET

Bangladesh Grameenphone Robi Banglalink Airtel

‘We will go for the same study this year also which will be relaeased at the end of this year’

Kabir, among others, attended the event.

In the same study, Ericsson found 35% users from the total 1,000 random samples using internet while Grameenphone subscribers accounting for 57% are using internet.

The number of internet users is 45% for Airtel, 34% for Robi and 28% of Banglalink, the study also found.

The study also said 16% internet users from Grameenphone are using their connec-

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

REHAB seeks indemnity for legalising black money

FBCCI adviser blasts IMF over new VAT implementation n Tribune Report

DEVICE OWNERSHIP 2014 SMARTPHONE

20

DT

Business

15

User

Potential

3% 3% 2% 2% 5%

11% 10% 13% 7% 15%

tion on laptop, tablets and desktop.

Airtel also secures its highest position with 21% internet users while 11% for Robi and Banglalink each using internet through laptop, tablets and desktop.

“We will go for the same study this year also which will be relaeased at the end of this year,” Raj also said.

In the ceremony, Ericsson Bangladesh informed the journalist about their plan for developing a specialised 3G network infrastructure in the country to provide ‘faster and quicker’ data services for the consumers.

Mr Raj said they are working to launch the fresh networking solution in the capital by next quarter.

“All mobile operators have appreciated the move and agreed to work in this regard,” added the official.

Terming the technology the first in its kind in Bangladesh, the officer said it is the ground-breaking initiative in the networking world.

Raj observed that presently consumers of the 3G network are not getting equal quality services across the networking areas, rather it has been hindered in various ways including high-rise building.

Ericsson is a Swedish multinational provider of communications technology and services including software and infrastructure in information and communications technology for telecom operators, telecommunications and Internet Protocol (IP) networking equipment. l

An adviser of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) yesterday urged the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to take necessary steps to arrange a meeting between the business community and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to exchange views on implementation of the new VAT law.

He questioned the role of IMF in implementing the new law on Value-Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act - 2012, which is set to come into effect from July 2016.

“The executive body of IMF is working to reform the existing VAT system in Bangladesh and we are not against it if it is made to make the system transparent, automated and business friendly,” said FBCCI Adviser Manzur Ahmed. “Though they are not officially pressurising us, they are actually doing it for implementation of single digit VAT rate.”

He said that there is multiple VAT rate in 27 countries in European region, but IMF is not working there for single digit.

“IMF recently made a reform in Vietnam’s VAT system, but the country also has a four stage VAT collection system. Why they (IMF) is not going to these countries. What their problem with Bangladesh,” questioned the adviser.

The new Value-Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act-2012 will have no provisions for package VAT or truncated value-based VAT system. With the introduction of the law, all level of business has to pay a unique and a single VAT rate at 15%.

“VAT system exists in 95% of the countries.

But you will not find any of the countries where the VAT rate is collected in single digit.

What is the problem in introducing multiple VAT rate in Bangladesh,” he said.

The adviser requested the NBR to take necessary steps to arrange meeting between IMF and the businesses in regards to the implementation of the new VAT law.

“We will sit with IMF with documents and talk directly with them regarding VAT,” he added.

The FBCCI adviser came up with the observation during a pre-budget meeting of NBR at its headquarters in Dhaka. NBR Chairman Md. Nojibur Rahman chaired the meeting.

Manzur Ahmed said: “Substantial input in the content of our vat law is beyond their jurisdiction. For the interest of Bangladeshi citizens and the businesses, we will talk this to IMF. Please ask them (IMF) not to talk rubbish and ask them to stay in their limit,” Manzur observed.

The business leaders have been opposing the move made by NBR to implement single digit VAT rate in the country. l

DT

16 BUSINESS

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Muhith: Insurance sector notorious for irregularities, cheating n Tribune Report Finance Minister AMA Muhith has strongly criticised the country’s insurance sector for committing irregularities and fraudulent activities in absence of efficient manpower to strongly monitor the activities of this sector.

“As the regulations to control the sector are well improved, the people, who are involved in this sector, also need to be improved to check the irregularities following the existing rules and regulations,” said the minister while inauguratinga new office of the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA) in the city yesterday.

Speaking as chief guest, Muhith said: “The previous insurance controller’s office was very poor while the related laws for the insurance sector were also very much insignificant.”

However, the sector, meanwhile, has gotten an improved insurance act along with a new regulation authority. But, the sector has still been badly suffering from skilled and honest manpower, he viewed.

The minister also put more focus on strengthening the insurance academy for producingefficient manpower for this sector. He also pledged to further boost up the activities of the insurance academy shortly.

IDRA Chairman M Shefaq Ahmed said:

“Since its inception in January 2011, the authority has long been trying to remove the existing irregularities and mismanagement.”

In this regard, he also admitted the fact that severe irregularities were found in credits and non-paymentof premiums after conducting an investigation into the insurance companies in 2012 by the authority.

He, however, claimed that such irregularities came to total halt after taking some punitive actions against the scrupulous companies.

Most of the insurance companies involves in excessive management expenditures, just violating rules. As a result, the companies failed to make profits, rather, in some cases they could not even return the deposited premium to the clients.

“Such malpractice is creating negative perception about the insurance companies among the people, which is harmful for the whole sector,” observed Ahmed.

Nasir A. Choudhury, an advisor and founder-managing director of Green Delta Insurance, said, “The number of insurance companies are more than the market requirement.”

Being most senior insurers he demanded to reactivate the insurance academy to produce efficient manpower.

Shamsul Alam, chairman of Jiban Bima Corporation also criticised of the IDRA as saying: “The authority is imposing fine repeated-

ly over the insurance companies for violation of rules. But, fine is not always the only solution, rather it should focus on formulating strict regulations.”

He also demanded for bringing reform in Jiban Bima Corporation to bring professionalism among the officials.

Mahbubur Rahman, president of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) observed that the building constructions in both private and government sector were still out of the insurance coverage.

He also claimed that the banking sector was the center of the government concentration although the insurance sector could be the significant source of revenue for the government only if the sector was blessed a little by the state.

Sheikh Kabir Hossain, chairman of Bangladesh Insurance Association (BIA) urged the government to increase manpower of the authority for strengthening monitoring activities.

IDRA Member Quddus Khan gave a presentation over the insurance industry during his introductory speech at the function.

State Minister of Finance MA Mannan was attended at the inaugural function, as special guest, while Bank and Financial Institutions Division Secretary M. Aslamul Haque was also present. l

Investor poll: Being a big global bank is not worth the hassle n Reuters, London Being one of the world’s top 30 banks is not worth the hassle of extra regulatory scrutiny and capital requirements, according to a poll of financial industry investors last week.

Morgan Stanley said 62% of investors polled at its European financial industry conference said the negatives of having a global banking business outweighed the benefits as regulations had “become overbearing” for the largest firms.

Only 28% of investors said the benefits of being a large and truly global firm outweighed the negatives, and 10% of the 60 people polled were undecided.

“We found it striking that some management teams are seeking to make their businesses simpler, and we believe investors would reward the restructuring potential if strategy is clear and perceived as achievable,” Morgan Stanley analyst Huw van Steenis wrote in a note to clients on Wednesday.

Thirty of the world’s biggest banks are dubbed global systemically important banks, or G-SIBs, which must hold between 1 and 2.5% extra capital from the start of 2016 and also have a buffer of debt that can absorb losses, so they are less likely to collapse.

These banks, which include HSBC, JPMorgan, Citigroup and China’s ICBC, also typically come under extra scrutiny from national regulators. Banks, particularly many in Europe, are cutting down in size to save costs and simplify their operations.

“We were struck by how many of the management teams we met are trying to re-

Insurance sector to get $200m WB support n Tribune Report The World Bank has agreed to support US$200m to bring reform in the country’s insurance sector.

The global lender had earlier providedthis kind of financial support for Bangladesh Bank and the capital market.

M. Aslamul Haque, secretary of Bank and Financial Institutions Division, came up with the disclosure while addressing a function organised on the occasion of inaugurating a new office of Insurance Development Authority (IDRA) held in the capital yesterday.

He said a World Bank project titled “Insurance Sector Support” would be kicked off soon to build a standard authority for the insurance sector.

He claimed that the deposit growth of Sonali Bank was not affected even after Halmark loan scam because of having a strong authority.

The deposit growth rather increased even after the loan scam as the depositors did not loose confidence over the central bank about the return of their money, he observed.

He said all the sectors need transparency and accountability to gain client’s confidence but insurance sector still lags behind in this regard.

He, however, emphasised on formulation and implementation of regulations soon by authority to overcome the existing obstacles.

He claimed that professionalism and corporate culture were yet to develop in the insurance sector where banking sector gained professionalism.

“We took initiative to strengthen the insurance academy to bring professionalism in the sector,” he said.

Insurance academy will be built as an autonomous body and the government has already started to work over formulating a law in this regard, noted Aslamul Haque. l

Remittance rises 3.4% in March n Tribune Report

A worker arrives at his office in the Canary Wharf business district in London configure their business, whether through stretching cost cutting goals via digital in the UK and Nordic banks or shrinking investment banking or addressing balance sheets, such as in Italy,” van Steenis said.

He said legacy systems, bad loans and businesses not making returns above their cost of capital remained material challenges for the firms, however.

A majority of investors at the conference said

REUTERS

they expect European banks to raise at least 20bn euros ($21.5bn) more equity this year.

Morgan Stanley said 41% of investors polled said banks would raise 20-30bn euros, 9% expected them to raise 30-40bn and 13% expected them to raise 40bn or more.

A majority of investors said they expected the European Central Bank to require banks it regulates to hold core capital of at least 11% in the future. l

The inflow of remittance into the country rose by 3.4% in March, breaking a continuous falling trend during the last two months, compared to the same month of the last year.

Country received a total of US$1.33bn remittance during the month compared to $1.28bn in the same month of the last year, according to the Bangladesh Bank data released yesterday.

The amount was 12% higher from $1.18bn in February.

The remittance inflow turned to a higher level as the dollar becoming stronger in the US market, said a senior executive of Bangladesh Bank.

The exchange rate against local currency remained at Tk77.80 in last two months as Bangladesh Bank is buying dollar from money market to retain the rate.

The country experienced a fall in remittance in the last two months as the political unrest started since January 6, which took heavy toll on the remittance inflow, said a senior executive of a private bank.

The fall in manpower export in the global market also played a vital role in slower remittance inflow since last two years, he said. l

DT

BUSINESS 17

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

World Bank sees protracted recession in Russia n Reuters, Moscow

Russia faces a protracted recession as the impact of Western sanctions lingers and oil prices stay low, the World Bank said in a report published on Wednesday.

In its baseline scenario, the bank expected Russia’s gross domestic product to contract by 3.8% in 2015 and a further 0.3% in 2016, describing medium-term growth prospects as dim.

The World Bank’s lead economist for Russia, Birgit Hansl, said “adjustment to the new oil price reality and the sanctions environment” was a key policy challenge.

“If we look more into the medium term, the main challenge for Russia is the continued dearth in investment,” she said, presenting the report.

The bank’s latest forecasts are more pessimistic than those made in December, when it expected the economy to shrink by 0.7% this year and grow by 0.3% in 2016.

The new baseline forecasts assume that the oil price will recover only marginally over the next two years, averaging $53 per barrel in 2015 and $57 per barrel in 2016, reflecting ample global supplies and moderate demand.

‘Low investment demand hints at the deeper structural problems of the Russian economy and has already initiated a new era of potentially small growth’ Under a more optimistic scenario, with oil averaging $65.5 per barrel in 2015 and $68.7 per barrel in 2016, the economy would contract by 2.9% this year and grow by only 0.1% in 2016, the World Bank said.

Its latest forecasts assume that sanctions imposed against Russia because of its role in the Ukraine conflict would stay in place in 2015 and 2016.

The sanctions could have damaging longterm consequences that may last even after the sanctions are lifted, the bank said, citing the case of South Africa where sanctions imposed in the 1980s caused a major slump in investment.

In Russia’s case, sanctions were likely to exacerbate an existing investment shortage.

“Low investment demand hints at the deeper structural problems of the Russian economy and has already initiated a new era of potentially small growth,” the report said.

The bank also warned that a projected 3.8% budget deficit this year could “severely deplete” the budget’s Reserve Fund, currently equal to around 4.7% of GDP. Hansl said, however: “One could argue that it is prudent to use fiscal buffers at these times as a counter-cyclical measure.”

The Bank also foresaw a $122bn capital and financial account deficit this year, reflecting continuing heavy capital outflows, only partially covered by a $74bn current account surplus. l

Employees work at a steel factory in Dalian, Liaoning province

REUTERS

European factories buoyant but weak Asia adds to stimulus calls n Reuters Companies struggled in China and much of the rest of Asia in March, suggesting central banks may have to resort to more stimulus, just as factories in the euro zone begin to reap rewards from ultra-easy policy there.

Any indication of recovery will delight the European Central Bank which embarked on a quantitative easing programme in March, aiming to buy around 60bn euros of bonds every month to drive up inflation and spur the recovery.

But three separate surveys of China’s factory and services sectors released on Wednesday showed stubborn weakness in the world’s second-biggest economy, putting the government’s newly minted growth target of around 7% for the year at risk.

“The Chinese numbers don’t look too bad but our guess is that the People’s Bank of China will ease again. Another cut in interest rates might be on the cards,” said Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec.

“The recent numbers from the euro zone have suggested that the acuteness of the crisis has eased but there remains more work to be done.”

Markit’s final March manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the euro zone was at a ten-month high of 52.2, up from 51 in February and the 21st month in a row it has been above the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction.

Growing demand for exports helped drive the output index - which feeds into a composite PMI due on Tuesday that is seen as good growth indicator - to a ten-month high.

Speculation QE was coming from the ECB, and its eventual launch, has sent the euro down around 12% since January and factories have benefited as it has not only made exports cheaper but also meant competing imports were more expensive.

Bolstered by a similar pick-up in export orders and strong domestic demand, Britain’s manufacturing industry grew at the fastest rate in eight months in March.

Stock markets and the dollar saw solid starts to the second quarter on Wednesday, following the upbeat European data.

Simulating asia

analysts predict a modest expansion in U.S. manufacturing activity when figures are released later on Wednesday, taking the view that a recent slowdown was a blip related to harsh winter weather and keeping alive expectations the Federal Reserve will start to raise interest rates later this year.

However, hopes that a strengthening US economy and lower energy costs would spur activity in Asia have proved elusive.

“For Asia-Pacific as a whole, we still see limited evidence that those tailwinds, namely the pick-up in US consumer spending and sharply lower oil prices, are boosting growth,” said Paul Gruenwald, Standard & Poor’s Asia-Pacific chief economist.

China’s official PMI ticked up to 50.1 in March from 49.9, but a private survey from HSBC which focuses on small and mid-sized firms showed factory activity contracted after two months of recovery.

Both reports indicate economic conditions remain sluggish, which may be reflected in

China’s first-quarter growth figures on April 15.

“Recent policy actions, such as mortgage rule easing, suggest that concerns at the top level of the government are rising. We believe this suggests that more easing measures, particularly monetary easing measures, will be rolled out,” said Qu Hongbin, HSBC’s chief China economist.

“The March economic activity data are due to be released in the next two weeks. Further confirmation that the real economy is now tracking below the official target will likely prompt easing measures from the PBoC.” Some are also calling for even more stimulus in Japan, including one of the architects of premier Shinzo Abe’s “Abenomics” reflationary policies.

The Bank of Japan must ease policy further at its meeting on April 30, Kozo Yamamoto told Reuters on Wednesday.

“The economy is at a standstill and prices are seen falling ahead. To do nothing isn’t an option for the BOJ,” said Yamamoto, an expert on monetary policy in Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Japanese manufacturing activity expanded more slowly in March than in February as domestic orders contracted for the first time in almost a year, in a worrying sign the recovering economy may be losing momentum.

Figures elsewhere in Asia provided a sobering read.

In South Korea, exports suffered their biggest fall in two years while factory activity in Indonesia - the biggest economy in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - contracted for the sixth straight month as output and new orders dropped at the fastest rate on record. l

DT

18 BUSINESS

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

News, analysis and recent disclosures JAMUNABANK: The Board of Directors has recommended 19% stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

Date of AGM: 04.05.2015, Time: 10:00 AM, Venue: Police Convention Hall, Eskaton Garden Road (East side of Borak Tower), Ramna, Dhaka. Record date: 15.04.2015. The Company has also reported consolidated net profit of Tk. 1,352.74 million, consolidated EPS of Tk. 2.62, consolidated NAV per share of Tk. 20.99 and consolidated NOCFPS of Tk. 10.47 for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

Trading of New Security: Trading of the shares of United Power Generation & Distribution Company Limited will commence at DSE from April 05, 2015 under N category. DSE Trading Code for United Power Generation & Distribution Company Limited is UPGDCL and DSE Company Code is 15318.

SQUARETEXT: As per Regulation 30 of DSE Listing Regulations, the Company has informed that a meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on April 07, 2015 at 3:30 PM to consider, among others, audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

IPO Subscription: Tosrifa Industries Limited Subscription March 24, 2015 to March 31, 2015; NRB UPTO April 09, 2015. Offer Price per share Tk. 26.00, Market Lot (Shares) 200.

Dividend/AGM BSRMSTEEL: 15% cash, AGM: 15.06.2015, Record date:

12.04.2015.

PHOENIXFIN: 20% cash , AGM: 21.05.2015, Record Date: 13.04.2015.

CONTININS: 10% cash, AGM: 01.06.2015, Record date: 16.04.2015.

UNITEDINS: 10% cash, AGM: 26.04.2015, Record date: 09.04.2015.

EASTLAND: 10% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 31.05.2015, Record Date: 08.04.2015.

RUPALIINS: 10% cash and 5% stock, AGM: 27.04.2015, Record Date: 08.04.2015.

APEXFOOT: 55% cash, AGM: 30.04.2015, Record date: 09.04.2015.

ISLAMICFIN: 8% cash and 4% stock, AGM: 14.05.2015, Record Date: 09.04.2015.

SHAHJABANK: 10% cash, AGM: 07.06.2015, Record date: 09.04.2015.

IBBLPBOND: Annual profit rate of 11.18%, Record Date 16.04.2015.

FLEASEINT: 5% stock, AGM: 16.04.2015, Record date: 01.04.2015.

ISLAMIBANK: 15% cash, AGM: 13.06.2015, Record date: 16.04.2015.

UTTARABANK: 20% cash, AGM: 23.04.2015, Record date: 01.04.2015.

BRACBANK: 20% cash, AGM: 23.04.2015, Record date: 30.03.2015.

BERGERPBL: 220% cash , AGM: 19.04.2015, Record date: 30.03.2015.

ONEBANKLTD: 12.50% cash and 12.50% stock, AGM: 30.04.2015, Record date: 29.03.2015.

Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

Company Samata LeatheR -Z 7th ICB M F-A Meghna PET Ind. -Z Dulamia CottonZ Jamuna Bank -A LR Global BD MF1-A AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A Kay & Que (BD) -Z Peoples Insur -A Ifad Autos -N

Closing (% Change) 9.38 9.09 7.02 6.85 5.65 4.88 4.65 4.17 3.37 3.30

CSE GAINER Company Dhaka Ins. Ltd.-A Brac B.C. Bond-A Jamuna Bank -A Asia Insur. Ltd.-A Delta Brac HFCL-A Mozaffar H.Spinning-A Apex Tannery -A Peoples Insur -A ICB AMCL3rd NRB MF-A Rangpur Foundry -A

Closing (% Change) 9.78 6.17 5.65 4.07 3.86 3.46 3.24 2.91 2.56 2.40

DSE LOSER Company Uttara Bank - A First Finance- A AB Bank 1st Mutual Fund-A Imam Button -Z Unique Hotel RL - A Modern Dyeing -Z Renwick Jajneswar-A Saiham Cotton-A Zaheen Spinning -N BD. Autocars -Z

Closing (% Change) -9.61 -8.20 -6.67 -6.54 -5.89 -5.57 -5.42 -4.98 -4.93 -4.92

CSE LOSER Company Uttara Bank - A PragatiLife Insu. -Z I P D C -A Hwa Well Textiles-A First Finance- A Unique Hotel RL - A Rahima Food -Z IFIC Bank - A Zaheen Spinning -N IDLC Finance -A

Closing (% Change) -9.69 -6.96 -6.90 -6.56 -6.50 -6.28 -5.50 -5.41 -4.98 -4.87

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

DSE key features April 2, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka)

DSE GAINER

Sector

2,746.80 53,648,169 76,323

Traded Issues

311

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

64

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

242

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

5

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,518.08

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

30.52

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 146.98 70.93 23.10 257.80 83.83 513.46 11.90 236.25 639.88 5.51 74.29 13.32 8.17 214.28 78.39 13.53 48.14 210.85 38.61 57.41 0.18

% change 5.35 2.58 0.84 9.39 3.05 18.69 0.43 8.60 23.30 0.20 2.70 0.48 0.30 7.80 2.85 0.49 1.75 7.68 1.41 2.09 0.01

Million Taka 13.46 6.02 1.49 18.19 3.27 27.68 29.77 21.02 0.56 5.14 0.71 0.53 19.72 5.97 1.49 1.27 12.90 9.58 8.24 0.04

Average (% Change) 7.63 8.00 8.16 4.79 4.83 6.25 11.00 4.17 2.54 1.10

Average (% Change) 9.53 6.20 5.68 3.84 3.86 2.80 3.03 3.99 2.56 2.40

Average (% Change) -9.64 -6.83 -8.50 -6.17 -5.59 -4.47 -3.97 -3.64 -4.42 -5.00

Average (% Change) -10.13 -6.96 -6.90 -6.30 -5.64 -6.07 -4.27 -1.81 -5.14 -4.72

CSE

ClosingAvg. 17.22 90.00 6.10 7.65 13.02 4.25 4.44 12.50 18.16 65.09

ClosingAvg. 20.12 1075.00 13.02 17.86 78.00 32.72 124.25 17.71 4.00 98.30

ClosingAvg. 20.71 11.46 5.49 10.04 47.13 75.47 256.33 19.34 21.62 17.47

ClosingAvg.

% change 7.20 3.22 0.80 9.73 1.75 14.80 0.00 15.92 11.24 0.30 2.75 0.38 0.28 10.54 3.19 0.80 0.68 6.89 5.12 4.41 0.02

20.50 107.00 13.50 28.57 11.55 47.06 29.58 21.13 21.40 49.62

Closing

DHIGH

17.50 90.00 6.10 7.80 13.10 4.30 4.50 12.50 18.40 65.70

Closing 20.20 1075.00 13.10 17.90 78.00 32.90 124.30 17.70 4.00 98.30

Closing 20.70 11.20 5.60 10.00 46.30 74.60 251.30 19.10 21.20 17.40

Closing 20.50 107.00 13.50 28.50 11.50 46.30 29.20 21.00 21.00 48.80

Million Taka 160.44 76.94 24.60 275.99 87.10 541.14 11.90 266.03 660.90 6.07 79.43 14.03 8.70 234.00 84.36 15.03 49.41 223.74 48.18 65.65 0.21

DLOW

17.60 90.00 6.10 7.80 13.30 4.30 4.50 12.50 18.50 66.00

DHIGH 20.20 1075.00 13.20 17.90 78.00 33.00 124.50 17.80 4.00 98.30

DHIGH

17.50 90.00 6.10 7.70 12.80 4.00 4.30 12.50 17.70 63.30

DLOW 20.00 1075.00 12.80 17.70 78.00 32.00 124.00 17.70 4.00 98.30

DLOW

21.30 12.00 5.60 10.20 49.00 80.90 269.80 19.70 22.40 17.80

DHIGH

20.70 11.20 5.50 10.00 45.80 74.20 249.00 19.10 21.00 17.20

DLOW

20.70 107.00 13.50 29.10 11.70 48.20 31.90 21.30 22.70 50.30

Total

20.50 107.00 13.50 28.50 11.50 46.00 29.20 21.00 20.80 48.50

% change 5.47 2.62 0.84 9.41 2.97 18.44 0.41 9.07 22.53 0.21 2.71 0.48 0.30 7.98 2.88 0.51 1.68 7.63 1.64 2.24 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

Turnover in Million

Latest EPS

0.026 0.045 0.000 0.013 8.862 1.392 0.112 0.004 0.668 106.950

Turnover in Million

-0.46 12.76 -0.44 -4.02 2.62 0.08 0.11 -1.41 2.25 1.92

Latest EPS

0.075 0.022 1.532 0.051 0.001 1.608 0.000 0.005 0.004 0.005

Turnover in Million

-ve 7.1 -ve -ve 5.0 53.1 40.4 -ve 8.1 33.9

Latest PE

2.44 0.00 2.62 2.17 4.26 2.82 3.38 2.25 0.46 3.23

Latest EPS

8.849 1.509 0.010 0.189 24.022 0.004 4.189 1.245 19.156 0.119

Turnover in Million

Latest PE

8.2 5.0 8.2 18.3 11.6 36.8 7.9 8.7 30.4

Latest PE

3.51 0.63 0.68 -1.48 3.05 -0.50 4.36 1.43 1.32 0.14

Latest EPS

1.354 0.010 0.001 0.249 0.036 0.984 0.024 0.079 4.734 0.841

5.9 18.2 8.1 -ve 15.5 -ve 58.8 13.5 16.4 124.8

Latest PE

3.51 2.38 1.31 2.66 0.63 3.05 -0.42 3.39 1.32 4.95

5.8 45.0 10.3 10.7 18.3 15.4 -ve 6.2 16.2 10.0

CSE key features April 2, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

187.05 5,738,484 10,769

Traded Issues

239

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

50

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

183

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

6

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,427.74

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

29.43

DT

BUSINESS 19

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Stocks finish the week in red n Tribune Report

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company LafargeS Cement-Z Grameenphone-A MJL BD Ltd.-A Square Pharma -A Khulna Power-A Ifad Autos -N ACI Limited- A Pharma Aids A ACI Formulations-A Shasha Denims -N

Orion Pharma-N Titas Gas TDCLA Agni Systems -A Shahjibazar Power-N SAIF Powertec-N BEXIMCO Ltd. -A

VolumeShares 1,756,715 534,800 1,238,313 578,967 1,768,747 1,643,235 192,561 241,258 457,509 1,616,672

Value in Million 197.31 186.71 161.52 151.87 111.52 106.95 99.70 75.32 68.90 67.20

% of TotalTurnover 7.18 6.80 5.88 5.53 4.06 3.89 3.63 2.74 2.51 2.45

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company LafargeS Cement-Z Shasha Denims -N Grameenphone-A MJL BD Ltd.-A Shahjibazar Power-N UNITED AIR-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Zaheen Spinning -N WesternMarine -N BD Submarine Cable-A

Square Pharma -A ACI Limited- A Khulna Power-A SAIF Powertec-N Ifad Autos -N Ifad Autos -N Square Pharma -A

1,447,598 786,437 1,834,218 278,226 680,931 2,022,154

154,764 306,746 24,562 64,305 45,356 1,052,688 185,655 221,261 106,794 35,836

15,493 7,493 54,944 52,325 52,866 74,674 18,534

62.75 57.19 57.14 50.93 44.97 65.13

17.41 12.70 8.57 8.38 8.25 8.07 6.03 4.73 4.60 4.32

4.06 3.88 3.47 3.45 3.43 4.87 4.85

2.28 2.08 2.08 1.85 1.64 1.44

9.31 6.79 4.58 4.48 4.41 4.31 3.22 2.53 2.46 2.31

2.17 2.07 1.85 1.84 1.83 1.08 1.08

ClosingP 112.30 348.50 128.80 261.80 63.00 65.70 516.20 304.20 149.00 41.40

43.40 73.10 31.20 183.10 65.70 32.30

ClosingP

Change % -0.97 -1.47 -2.35 -1.32 0.96 3.30 -0.41 -3.09 -1.78 0.00

1.64 0.27 -1.27 0.49 -1.05 0.31

Change %

112.20 41.40 347.90 128.80 184.00 7.70 32.30 21.00 43.00 120.20

261.40 516.20 62.90 65.50 65.20 65.00 262.90

-1.75 0.24 -1.67 -2.50 0.66 -1.28 -1.52 -4.98 -1.15 -1.07

-1.43 -0.42 1.13 -1.06 2.68 0.62 1.04

ClosingY 113.40 353.70 131.90 265.30 62.40 63.60 518.30 313.90 151.70 41.40

42.70 72.90 31.60 182.20 66.40 32.20

ClosingY

114.20 41.30 353.80 132.10 182.80 7.80 32.80 22.10 43.50 121.50

265.20 518.40 62.20 66.20 63.50 64.60 260.20

DHIGH 116.00 354.50 133.50 265.40 64.00 66.00 524.00 324.00 154.00 42.30

43.90 73.40 31.90 186.80 67.30 32.50

DHIGH

115.90 42.00 355.00 133.20 185.80 7.80 33.20 22.70 43.90 122.30

264.50 523.00 64.00 67.20 65.50 66.00 263.20

DLOW 111.40 347.10 128.10 260.50 61.90 63.30 512.30 300.00 148.00 41.00

42.70 72.30 30.80 181.60 65.30 31.90

DLOW

111.00 40.60 347.50 128.30 181.00 7.60 32.30 20.80 42.90 119.10

261.00 511.10 61.70 65.20 63.50 61.50 259.50

AvgPrice 112.31 349.12 130.43 262.31 63.05 65.09 517.77 312.18 150.61 41.56

43.35 72.72 31.15 183.03 66.04 32.21

AvgPrice

112.48 41.41 349.00 130.39 181.92 7.66 32.48 21.40 43.12 120.66

262.37 517.95 63.12 65.85 64.86 65.24 261.51

Daily capital market highlights DSE Broad Index : DSE - 30 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index :

4472.13767

(-) 0.91%

1703.06378

(-) 0.98%

13696.24670

(-) 0.91%

11330.83090

(-) 1.02%

8335.97060

(-) 0.85%

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

Stocks dropped yesterday with low volume of trade as investors still fretted over the deepening political crisis.

The market began with the sale-off that continued till close of the session, led by banking and telecommunications issues.

The benchmark index DSEX lost almost 41 points or 1% to settle at 4,472, extending losing streak for the second straight session.

The Shariah Index DSES dropped nearly 10 points or 0.8% to 1,088. The comprising blue chips DS30 was down 17 points or 1% to 1,703.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, closed at 8,324, shedding 81 points.

Investors still preferred to stay sidelines amidst deepening political crisis, which indicated low turnover. After remaining high in the past five sessions, turnover dipped below Tk300 crore mark and stood at Tk270 crore, sharply down 23.6% over the previous session.

Almost all the sectors declined, with telecommunications, non-banking financial institutions and food & allied suffering heavy losses

of 1.46%, 1.41% and 1.21% respectively.

Cement, power, pharmaceuticals and banks also closed lower in the session.

Lanka Bangla Securities said the last day of the week observed another depressing trading session.

“Investors’ confidence is still shaken which is reflected in the lack of participation. It was a slow day for the market participants with the indices falling quite steadily from the very beginning.”

IDLC Investments said short-term trading has appeared as the primary strategy in recent times, causing strong sell pressure to follow after marginal gains.

It said in absence of investors’ conviction on longterm view, investors aim at exploiting short-term fluctuations to stay in the game.

However, Jamuna Bank shone and surged by 5.6%, following its impressive annual declaration.

Lafarge Surma Cement topped the liquidity chart with a turnover worth almost Tk20 crore changing hands.

It was by Lafarge Surma Cement, Grameenphone, Mobil Jamuna Bangladesh, Square Pharmaceuticals, Khulna Power Company and IFAD Autos. l

ANALYST

Short-term trading has appeared as the primary strategy in recent times, causing strong sell pressure to follow after marginal gains

DT

20 BUSINESS

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

StanChart, The Daily Star launch Celebrating Life Contest 2015 n Tribune Report

Real estate sector wants allowing the use of undisclosed money in the purchase of flats for next 5-10 years

RAJIB DHAR

REHAB seeks indemnity for legalising black money n Tribune Report Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) urged the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to allow legalising the black money with indemnity for the country’s housing sector as it fell into trouble due to the political unrest.

It made the call at a pre-budget meeting with the NBR in the city yesterday. NBR chairman Md Nojibur Rahman chaired the meeting.

“Many REHAB members are now unable to pay the staff salaries. You people (NBR) need to give special attention to the sector,” said REHAB president Alamgir Shamsul Alamin.

He said: “We have received the opportunity to whiten the undisclosed money in the housing sector in last budget. The facility was not utilised properly as there was no indemnity.”

He called for the facility for next 5-10 years in the sector with indemnity by amending

section 19bbb in the Income Tax Ordinance.

Earlier in the Finance Bill 2014, the government had allowed people to use black money for the purchase of flats paying a certain amount of tax for per square metre.

According to a 2011 study endorsed by the Finance Ministry, the black money accounted for 62.75% of the total GDP in 2009, while it accounted for only 7% of the GDP in 1973.

The REHAB also proposed the NBR setting the gain tax at 2% from the existing 4%, stamp duty at 1.5% from current 3%, registration fee at 1% from 2%, local government tax at 1% from 2%, and value-added tax in registration of plots and flats at 1.5% from 3%.

The other demands included reduction of income tax on transfer of per square metre residential lands, buildings and apartments to Tk1,300, Tk1,250 and Tk300 respectively from Tk1,600, Tk1,500 and Tk600 for the areas divided in three different categories.

The REHAB also proposed to reduce tax on transfer of commercial lands, buildings and apartments to Tk4,000, Tk.2,500 and Tk800 respectively from existing Tk6,5000, Tk5,000 and Tk1,600 for the three different categories.

It also recommended that the government should allow import of duty-free fire safety machinery.

The association urged the NBR chairman to attend a function, to be organised by the REHAB on a coming day and provide orientation and advices on tax-related issues to all members of 400 industries that are linked with the housing sector.

NBR chairman said the taxmen will go and visit the offices to check whether businesses are paying custom duties, VAT, and income tax properly.

“Inspectors will also ask about whether you have TIN or other documents or not. Please assist them during their visits,” he added. l

Standard Chartered Bank and The Daily Star yesterday jointly launched Celebrating Life Contest 2015—an event that continued for the eighth consecutive year for hunting talents countrywide in the areas of photography, films and lyrics, which paints various aspects of life in Bangladesh.

The deadline for the entry in the competition is July this year. Any Bangladeshi and any foreigner residing in Bangladesh is eligible for the contest.

This year’s competition followed the theme “The Heritage of Bangladesh.” The winner names will be announced in November this year in a gala event to hand over certificates, crests and cash prizes.

“We want our participants to explore the diversity and richness of Bangladesh’s heritage in their creative pursuits,” said Standard Chartered Bank chief executive officer for Bangladesh Abrar Anwar while giving details about the event at a press conference at a city hotel yesterday.

He said: “We want entries to capture the essence of the Bangladeshi identity. The contestants are allowed complete freedom to explore any subject matter of their choice within this theme.”

The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam, festival coordinator Rafi Hossain and bank’s head of corporate affairs Bitopi Das Chowdhury were also present at the press briefing.

Under the photography category, the best three photographers will be selected from the contestants. The first winner will receive Tk1 lakh, the second Tk75,000 and the third Tk50,000. Under the film category, four prizes will be given in two sections--best film and best debut film. The length of the films for the best film segment should be between 20-45 minutes. Cash awards of Tk2 lakh will be given to each of the two best films.

Under the best debut film segment, entries are invited between three to twelve minutes in length. Cash awards of Tk1 lakh will be given to each of the two best debut films.

In lyrics contest, entries can be in both English and Bengali, and participants can submit a maximum of three entries per person. First winner will receive Tk50,000, second Tk30,000 and third Tk20,000.

The lifetime achievement awards for film, photography and lyric will also be given to those people who are veterans in their fields. l

Training on credit access for women entrepreneurship held n Tribune Report A four-day training on “Credit Access for Women Entrepreneurs – Train of Trainer (ToT)” concluded yesterday at Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) in the capital with an urge of building capacity of SME women entrepreneurs to improve their access to finance.

The European Union funded Bangladesh INSPIRED – component 3, which is managed by the Ministry of Industries, organised the

training programme, in partnership with the BIBM and Bangladesh Bank Training Academy (BBTA), in order to get a comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the women entrepreneur segment from a banking perspective.

Around 30 women from Bangladesh Bank, SME and Special Programmes Department (SMESPD), BIBM and BBTA, and different commercial banks and women associations participated in the training programme, said a press release.

The trainees will become trainers themselves, and in turn train other women entrepreneurs in their respective institutions.

Md Abul Quasem, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank, distributed certificates among the participants as chief guest.

Selima Ahmad, President of Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mousumi Islam, President of Association of Grassroots Women Entrepreneurs, Bangladesh, and Shamsunnahar, Chairperson of For the Women By the Women Forum, were

present as special guests. Professor Dr Toufic Ahmad Choudhury, Director General of BIBM, presided over the event, while Ali Sabet, Team Leader of the INSPIRED, Component-3, and Leif Andersen, Key Banking Expert, also addressed the function.

The purpose of the training programme was to understand why the women entrepreneur segment is very important to pursue both from a country development perspective as well as for the profitability and growth of the financial institutions in Bangladesh. l

DT

Photos: Ayan Choudhury

T-JUNCTION

Oh Tokyo!

21

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

INSIDE

22

review express

24 listology

Don’t you know that you’re toxic?

quiz

The toxicity test

DT

22 T-JUNCTION

Tantalise

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

A taste of Tokyo Shining the spotlight on one of the most talked about sushi joints: Tokyo Express

n N Anita Amreen There’s always that new eatery that creates a buzz, has people clamouring for a tasting and then slowly sizzles out with time. With its compact menu, modest pricing and fairly solid items, Tokyo Express may as well be able to ride the tides and hold their place as the go-to Sushi joint for those of us looking for fair meals at average prices. However, only time will tell if they are able to place themselves above the rest. Here’s our take on dishes that made the cut and didn’t.

The décor/ambience

While the average pricing may have us fooled to believe that this must be another regular joint with a mediocre set up – quite the contrary is true. This casual dining establishment gives a modern flair to quirky, urban style décor. The black washed walls, the paper place mats and the simple seating arrangement gives you a feel of a hip, urban Japanese sushi joint that is alive and kicking. Mute spot lighting extends on each table and chopsticks are the order of the day.

The bang for buck

If you’re looking for high end, top quality sushi, you almost always have to pay a hefty amount. For Tokyo Express, you can easily pack a filling meal for two with a little over Tk2,000, which includes drinks, a rice item, a meat dish and a sushi platter. It’s important to not be deceived by the portion sizes. If you order two or three main dishes as well as rice and perhaps a sushi platter, there’s always plenty to be shared and more left to be tried.

Ultimately, one reason you’ll want to go to Tokyo Express is because of their affordable and quality dishes.

The breakdown Assorted Sushi platter Tk590 The assorted sushi platter features two pieces, each of salmon sushi, cuttlefish sushi and prawn sushi. If you’re looking to try a couple of their sushis, this platter is your best bet since it gives you a good assortment of their basic sushis. When it comes to quality and taste, it’s safe to say these aren’t great examples of raw marvels, but they’re certainly okay for the price you’re paying. The salmon easily triumphs over the cuttlefish, while the prawn remains as a last resort item you may feel reluctant to try. Don’t expect overly thick slices of fresh fish either. Their sushi tastes best when you have moderate expectations.

Jumbo Prawn Tempura Tk550 The Jumbo Prawn Tempura is one appetiser that will leave you with no complains.

It is piece after piece of delectable goodness wrapped in a thin, crisp batter that begs to be devoured. Even when it comes to portion sizes, this appetiser is all about deliciousness and generosity – there are seven large pieces, all hiding a plump, large shrimp. It’s exactly how ideal tempura should be – crisp, delicious and grease-free.

California Maki Tk490 As a popular choice for less daring sushi enthusiasts, the California Maki is perhaps a safe choice. This Plane Jane maki consists of six pieces of rolls that is hard to go wrong with. With a good helping of soy sauce and wasabi, it makes for an easy nononsense order that will leave yourself sated. The wasabi may not pack the most punch, but it’s got enough zing for people who aren’t used to strong wasabi.

T-JUNCTION 23

DT

Tantalise

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Grilled Octopus and Squid Tk590 The Grilled Octopus and Squid are on the greasier side. Its quite rich, salty and a bit spicy.

It comes with a clear yet thick chilli sauce that makes a kicking addition. Plated simply, it’s more like a stir fried dish that is zealously thrown together. Overall, if you’re into grilled squid, it’s a dish that should be given a shot.

Chicken Nanban Tk360 If we’d like to attribute one item to the success of Tokyo Express, it definitely would go to the Chicken Nanban. The best bang-for-your-buck item in the menu, the Nanban is essentially a marinated fried chicken dish served hot and crisp. What makes the dish so magical is the hearty drizzling of the Nanban sauce that is hot, sweet and tangy all at once. The pool of flavours offer an interesting contrast, easily making it a must-order item on their menu.

Tokyo Fried Rice Tk180 The Tokyo Fried Rice is just that – a simple fried rice that goes well with any of the main dishes. It’s not overly impressive but it doesn’t need to be either. Moreover, it does the trick of playing prime partner to any of the items from the Meat lovers section of the menu.

Iced Lemon Tea Tk120 You barely ever find an iced tea that has just the perfect amount of sweetness, tang and the hint of tea. Their iced tea is everything you want it to be and more. If there’s only ONE thing you want to visit Tokyo Express for, it can easily be the iced tea. Yes, it’s that good. Priced at a mere Tk120, it comes in a large mug that takes you a while to chug down. The only reason we’re not giving it a 5/5 is perhaps because it so utterly rich and dense with flavours, it’s not for the lighthearted.

Osaka Spicy Beef Tk450 (Rating: 3.5/5) Contrary to it’s name, the Osaka beef isn’t half as spicy as it claims to be. However, it does have a few redeeming qualities that may make you want to order it, especially if you want an accompaniment for their Tokyo Fried rice. Served on a small platter, the Osaka Spicy Beef consists of small beef strips, chopped scallions and a hint of spice. Not overly tender, the strips are slightly on the sweeter side, and are doused with what tastes a lot like a combo of oyster and soy sauce.

All prices are exclusive of 15% VAT Overall Rating 3.75/5

Photos: Ayan Choudhury

DT

24 T-JUNCTION

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Listology

Don’t you know that you’re toxic?

LISTOLOGY

Here’s a list of five most toxic beings on earth you may come across

n Raisa Rahim Queen bee “I don’t follow the rules, I make them.”

These are the people who talk the talk, and walk the walk. They may appear to be nice, helpful, productive (probably the president of your school’s community service club) at first greeting, but when you get to know them better, you eventually realise that for them. Their needs and wants are the only things that matter. They make the rules, steal the spotlight and you must comply.

It’s funny how these “queen bees” never fail to impress the superiors and teachers, and turn them against you if you refuse to be their “duff”- the one who brings the queen bee her latte.

Laughing Buddha Now this guy, on the contrary, is the hilarious one in the crowd. He is literally a laughing stock, being spontaneous and witty. He’ll never stop going racist, sexist, and whatnot on you with his punch lines, unless you have wet your pants. This person here has the power to impress the crowd with his humour without offending them, even when he is making fun of someone in his jokes.

Manipulative Missie My, oh my! This sneaky-witty fox disguised in a human body can read you like a magazine, extract your weakness with small talks and tactfully use them to make

you believe what they want you to believe.

They can turn you against yourself, your friend or even make you fall in love with a TV series you once hated.

Gossip Girls “Oh, I can tell you’re up to something.

Please, let me in on it. I haven’t been this bored since I believed in Jesus” - Georgina (from Gossip Girls) This good-looking bunch makes it a habit of talking about others behind their backs, judging, passing comments and even spreading rumours. If they were a game, it’d be “Chinese whispers,” they’ve only got a tiny stomach that is mostly filled with make-believe stories that they like to spill out from time to time. Don’t be judgmental readers, it’s just another hobby, they’re real humans too, you know.

The Drama Mama These ladies/lads are wonderfully pleasant to your surrounding. They are polite, understanding and not whinny at all. Well readers, sorry to burst your bubbles but that’s a lie. As a matter of fact these drama mamas are completely the opposite. They are over sensitive, whinny and annoying.

They’ll totally ruin your tea party if you served her tea with one sugar cube and the lady next to her with two. So next time, make your guest list wisely.

Quiz

The toxicity test Harsh question, but we tend to be the greatest lawyers with ourselves and the best critics against others. For the pursuit of selfdiscovery and making amendments, find out how noxious you may be.

1. Enjoying a free road on a Friday, you revved your car up and hit a passenger-less rickshaw to a curb. He’s injured. Which would you do? a. Drive dude! Has GTA not taught you anything? b. Get out of the car and give the moron a piece of your mind. c. Analyse the scenario to see if you can scram without a scene. d. Help the poor guy to a hospital.

2. You go into a friend’s bathroom after a game to take a shower. You see all these fancy products on the stand and... a. It was a looong shower and you came out smelling confusingly good. b. You get curious and try out some, carefully leaving no traces. c. Just look and touch, not use. d. The soap’s just fine.

3. A passenger on a bus is bothering you... a. Laugh and show that passenger how the pros do it. b. You react and snap loud enough for everyone to hear. c. You react smartly, sending a strong yet quiet message. d. Almost there. Almost there. Almost there.

Mostly As Concentrated toxicity Mostly Bs Moderate toxicity Mostly Cs Mild toxicity Mostly Ds You're pure as water

Kevin Pietersen ‘isn’t on the radar’ for an England recall, coach Peter Moores told reporters on Thursday as his squad prepared to fly out to the West Indies

Sport 26

ICC MISINTERPRETED MY LETTER, SAYS KAMAL

27

BPL MISERY STILL HAUNTS COACH PONT

28

25

DT

NO CHANCE

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

‘TEMPORARY’ DE KRUIF FLIES BACK TODAY

We performed well in the World Cup but that is past now. We have the BCL and the Pakistan series coming up and we, the players, are focused on performing there

Walton Central skipper Mahmudullah trains in Mirpur yesterday ahead of the Bangladesh Cricket League one-day tournament starting from April 5

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

BCB-BCCI relation not strained: Nazmul n Minhaz Uddin Khan Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan yesterday termed former International Cricket Council president AHM Mostafa Kamal’s decision to resign as “unfortunate”.

The Kamal-ICC spat was ignited following the quarter-final between Bangladesh and India in the recently concluded 2015 ICC World Cup. Many thought that Kamal’s resignation might sour the bilateral ties between the BCB and the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) but Nazmul believes their relationship with the Indian board is intact and will not be affected by the recent episode.

“I cannot find any reasons for that (strained relationship between the BCB and the BCCI).

It (Kamal’s resignation) has nothing to do with the relation of these two countries. We notified our concerns about the game, not India or its team. We never complained against a certain country. When we made a written complaint [to the ICC] a day after the game (March

20), we only stressed that, despite being available, technology was not being used and it happened more than once,” Nazmul told the media yesterday. Nazmul emphasised that Kamal spoke in his capacity as the ICC president and not as a BCB representative.

We notified our concerns about the game, not India or its team.

We never complained against a certain country Regarding the BCB’s observation on the umpiring in the Bangladesh-India quarter-final, Nazmul said they did their part by voicing their concerns. The BCB boss informed that ICC CEO David Richardson assured him and the board that they would investigate and analyse the game ball-by-ball.

“Just after the Bangladesh-India match, we wrote a letter to the ICC containing our observation. The initial response from the ICC came

from CEO Dave Richardson. He said they will investigate it ball-by-ball and would later let us know following their analysis,” he said.

The ICC, through a media release last Wednesday, said it will discuss the vacant president’s post in its next meeting on April 15-16. In accordance with the constitution of the ICC, Bangladesh will get the chance to name a representative of their choice for the vacant position.

“Kamal was a choice of the Bangladesh government which the BCB passed on to the ICC. If the BCB is asked again, a similar process may be followed. The system indicated that the ICC had asked the BCB to give the name of a candidate. We gave a name following the approval by the Bangladesh government. The next ICC meeting is very important for us to know what they are thinking of at the moment. We have to know the procedure. We also have to speak to the honourable Prime Minister because the last person was approved by her as well,” he said.

The BCB supremo further informed that the board holds healthy relations with most of the ICC member nations and has received support from ICC chairman Narayanaswami Srinivasan in the past.

“We were in real trouble ahead of the Asia Cup and the ICC World Twenty20 in 2014. The situation in our country was very negative but Srinivasan and a few others stepped up in our support and as a consequence of that, we hosted both the tournaments successfully.”

Nazmul also said they are planning to felicitate the national cricketers for their performance in the World Cup. “We are planning to felicitate our cricketers. The programme will be held in a public place so that the general people can cheer for their national heroes. The board has already chalked out the plans and we will discuss it and finalise a date in the next board meeting [this Monday]. We want to finish this part before the Pakistan team arrive for the home series,” informed Nazmul. l

DT

26 Sport

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

ICC misinterpreted my letter, says Kamal n Tribune Desk Former International Cricket Council president AHM Mustafa Kamal has claimed the ICC media release which confirmed his resignation from the ICC president post on Wednesday was distorted.

Kamal through a media release yesterday stated, “It has been observed that some misunderstandings aroused between the contents of the resignation letter submitted

by Mr Kamal and ICC Media Release on this issue.”

ICC confirmed his resignation on Wednesday, but disputed the tone of the departure – saying in a statement: “In his letter to the ICC Chief Executive David Richardson, Mr Kamal said he was stepping down on personal grounds and offered his apologies to all associated with the ICC, while adding that he had no complaints to make against anyone.”

“He wrote in his letter: ‘Let the game of cricket under the leadership of ICC touch the hearts and minds of every cricket lover.’ The ICC Board will now consider the vacant position of the ICC President at its forthcoming

meeting in Dubai on 15 and 16 April.”

However, Kamal, also Bangladesh’s minister fro planning, raised objection and said that the letter from the cricket’s governing body is not right and has been misinterpreted.

According to Kamal, in his resignation letter he mentioned, “For almost 6 years now I am with you people (lCC) in various ca-

It has been observed that some misunderstandings aroused between the contents of the resignation letter submitted

by Mr Kamal and ICC Media Release on this issue pacities. During this period if I had hurt anybody I would like to submit my apology to all of them. I have no complain what so ever against anybody whatsoever. On the contrary, I owe so much to all of you.”

Kamal’s media release further read, “We believe what Mustafa Kamal mentioned in his letter is just a courtesy maintained by a gentleman.” l

Shakib leaves for Kolkata n Minhaz Uddin Khan

BCB North Zone skipper Mushfiqur Rahim attempts a scoop during training at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Ace Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan yesterday left Dhaka to join Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders for the upcoming eighth edition of the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament. Before his departure, the ODI vice-captain appeared highly spirited and looked forward to participating in the tournament.

Shakib briefed the media at his residence yesterday prior to his departure.

“IPL is a very fun tournament. I enjoy playing there more because the level of the tournament is very high with the participation of all the star cricketers from around the globe,” said Shakib, who will feature in two matches,

against Mumbai Indians this Wednesday and Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 11. A day later, the 28-year old will join the national camp for the bilateral home series against Pakistan. Bangladesh will host Pakistan in three ODIs, a solitary T20I and two Tests.

Shakib believes good displays in the recently concluded 2015 ICC World Cup will give him the confidence to perform in the IPL and carry that run of form into the home series against Pakistan.

“Naturally, my confidence level is very high. I will look to give my best effort because I will be representing Bangladesh there,” said the world’s number one T20 all-rounder.

Bangladesh Cricket Board granted Shakib the NOC (No Objection Certificate) until April 11. l

BANGLADESH CRICKET LEAGUE 2015 FINAL SQUADS Prime Bank South Zone

BCB North Zone

Walton Central Zone

Islami Bank East Zone

Mashrafe bin Mortaza Abdur Razzak Imrul Kayes Soumya Sarkar Mohammed Mithun Tushar Imran Mosaddek Hossain Nurul Hasan Ziaur Rahman Shahriar Nafees Sohag Gazi Enamul Haque Jr Rubel Hossain Al-Amin Hossain

Mushfiqur Rahim Naeem Islam Zunaed Siddique Nasir Hossain Sabbir Rahaman Mahmudul Hassan Myshukur Rahman Taijul Islam Muktar Ali Farhad Reza Delwar Hossain Ariful Haque Sanjamul Islam Jahurul Islam

Shamsur Rahman Abdul Majid Mahmudullah Rony Talukder Mehrab Hossain Jr Mosharraf Hossain Elias Sunny Mohammed Shohid Mohammad Sharif Shuvagata Hom Dhiman Ghosh Taskin Ahmed Marshal Ayub Nadif Chowdhury

Tamim Iqbal Mehedi Hasan Mominul Haque Shadman Islam Alok Kopali Nabil Samad Asif Ahmed Arafat Sunny Abul Hasan Shafiul Islam Kamrul Islam Rabbi Liton Kumar Das Jubair Ahmed Tasamul Haq

Ace Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan takes a selfie prior to his departure to Kolkata yesterday

DT

Sport 27

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

BPL misery still haunts coach Pont ‘It seemed impossible to carry on coaching a side that contained players I knew to be corrupt’ Gladiators also left out Chris Liddle, a litpeople and I started to fear the consequences. withdrew without the news coming out and n Cricinfo tle-known Sussex pace bowler, to allow space Yes, I was scared. In the end, I spoke to Peter overshadowing the entire BPL season.

Ian Pont has spoken out in detail for the first time about his courageous part in an anti-corruption sting operation designed to catch match-fixers in the act, but which has resulted in him facing a long and disturbing struggle to protect his reputation.

Pont, who is currently running a pace foundation in India, has lost job offers and endured whispers about his honesty since reporting attempts to fix a match in the Bangladesh Premier League and then working closely with ACU officers to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Now he fears his involvement could have damaging consequences for the rest of his career. “I am a professional cricket coach and I’m 53 years old,” he said. “I need to work. I can’t allow my reputation to be tainted when everything I’ve done has been for the best of intentions and for the good of cricket.”

His compelling evidence, including audio recordings of individuals detailing exactly how matches would be fixed, was largely disregarded by the tribunal in Bangladesh because they erroneously - and almost inexplicably - concluded that salary paid to him during the sting operation was somehow associated with match-fixing.

The money was part of his agreed salary from Dhaka Gladiators in the 2013 BPL tournament and he was cleared, by the ICC’s ACSU, to keep it. But the fallout from the tribunal setup by the BPL into the ACSU investigation still remains after it concluded that it was “disturbing” that Pont had kept the money and that this rendered his evidence unreliable.

Pont had stayed silent until now in the hope that the ICC might successfully appeal what they regarded as a bungled verdict of the BPL tribunal. But he finally opened up.

“It all started on February 1 2013 when Jishan Chowdury, one of the owners of the Dhaka franchise, and one other man came to my room in the evening,” Pont said. “We had just won our fifth game out of six and we were top of the BPL table. Jishan then told me they wanted to fix the game against Chittagong Kings the following day. He had a piece of paper with specific details of what should happen at various stages of the match and it was clear he wanted to fix the result, not just an isolated passage of play.

“My initial response was ‘I want to go home’. My head was spinning and, from the way they were talking, it seemed other people were involved. They wanted the normal captain, Mashrafe Mortaza, replaced for the game with Mohammad Ashraful as they knew that Mashrafe would have no part in any corruption. He had already reported a previous approach and gone public in the media, too.

So they wanted him out of the side.

“They also wanted to bring two new bowlers into the side - bowlers they knew would help them - and they wanted to bring one other batsman in on the plan. I know they approached Owais Shah, who reported the approach, and Darren Stevens, who was very upset by it and told me before the game that he wanted nothing to do with it.

“I phoned my wife and told her I wanted to come home. We talked it through and she said she would support my decision to report the approach the next morning and then leave the tournament. I was concerned how I

“I reported the approach the next morning. I was staying in the same hotel as Peter O’Shea, one of the ACSU’s officers, and asked to talk to him over breakfast. I told him the whole thing and said I just wanted to get on the next flight home. He was very good. He reassured me that I had done the right thing and he told me that he would drive me to the airport that morning if I liked. But then he said, ‘If you really want to help us catch these people, if you want to make sure that they never do this again, then you’ll stay and help us collect evidence against them.’

“I agreed to allow them to bug my room,” he said. “Straight after breakfast, they placed a pen-sized video device in the hotel directory on my desk and an audio device in a drawer. I also recorded the audio on my laptop and

and decided that, for the long-term good of cricket, really, I should stick to the plan and stay in Bangladesh to see it through.

“I was offered money for my involvement.

Jishan offered me $6,000, but I said I didn’t want it. I told him I just wanted my salary. I told him that the second instalment in my contract - $10,000 - was overdue anyway and I’d be happy just to have that. He told me not to worry about it and said I’d be paid in a few days. The audio evidence - evidence submitted to the tribunal - makes it crystal clear that I said I just wanted my salary to be paid as agreed before the tournament.”

The Bangladesh tribunal later made strong criticism of the ACSU’s decision to allow a BPL game to go ahead even though they had strong suspicions that fixing would occur in

I suspected Mashrafe realised what was happening and he was furious put loads of papers on my bed so it appeared I was working and I invited Jishan Chowdury back to my room.

“I asked him to run through the plans again. He did so, in detail, including telling me which players were in on the plan and what they were expected to do. He thought five players would help him. He also told me that Chittagong were not involved in the fix.

As soon as he left the room, I phoned Peter O’Shea and arranged to give him the evidence. I was, by then, desperate to go home.

It seemed impossible to carry on coaching a side that contained players I knew to be corrupt and I didn’t think it was possible that I would be able to concentrate on cricket.”

“I kept thinking about Bob Woolmer. Who knows what happened to him that day in Jamaica?” Pont said. “All I did know was, the more I thought about it, the more I was terrified it would emerge that I had tricked these

it. As a result, the tribunal came to the conclusion that the entire sting operation was flawed and to Pont’s dismay has largely disregarded its findings.

“When we got to the ground it was packed,” he said. “The capacity was meant to be 35,000 but, because there was a batch of forged tickets, there were 47,000 people in the ground. I don’t think the ACSU have the authority to stop a game even if they wanted to but, had they tried to do so at that stage, there would have been a riot.”

To ensure the sting went ahead, Pont had to brazen out some anger from Mortaza, who Pont believes suspected the worst when he was left out of the side. “I was given a report which told me that Mashrafe couldn’t play because of his knee - which was possible, as he had a chronic knee condition - but he was furious when I told him. He kicked some water bottles away and I suspected he realised what was happening.”

for some of the bowlers who knew of the fixing plans. “The game was ridiculous. There were some obvious extras, a ridiculous full toss and then we batted appallingly. Ashraful opened the batting and lasted into the 19th over, scoring 33. I remember one of the Chittagong players said ‘you could have made it less obvious’ as we shook hands at the end.

“I was furious. I also felt conflicted because I knew I had been a part of a game that was an insult to the watching spectators. I didn’t lose sight of the long-term benefits - if we wanted to rid the game of these people, we had to accumulate evidence against them - but at that moment, I just wanted to get away. I refused to go to the post-match press conference and went back to the hotel.

“A couple of days later all of us - the whole playing squad and the coaches - were given an envelope containing some money. That wasn’t unexpected: they owed me $10,000 in salary payments. But I opened it to find it contained just $6,000 which worried me as it was the amount they mentioned. I called Peter immediately and he said ‘keep it; that’s your salary, we’re not going to take that off you, they still owe you $4,000.’ They never did pay the remaining $4,000. Peter said that, as I was expecting my salary, and as long as I didn’t take a dollar more than was contractually obliged, it was ok.

“But when the tribunal started I had new fears. One of the judges kept saying ‘the game shouldn’t have gone ahead’ and said all evidence after I reported the approach would be disregarded. So in the end they cleared nearly everyone involved. They even cleared someone who approached a player who had pleaded guilty to not reporting an approach. How can that happen?

“To make matters worse, they’ve produced a report which I feel questions my integrity.

They have said that I kept a bung and couldn’t explain why. And they have said that, because I couldn’t explain why I took the money, it made my evidence unreliable. So they have disregarded rock solid evidence against people we know are involved in match fixing.

“It’s just not right. I asked the ACSU if I should keep the money and the, knowing that I hadn’t been paid - I still haven’t been paid in full - told me that I should. It was my salary. To disregard my evidence because I accepted it seems perverse and makes me extremely angry.”

Pont is concerned that, unless he tells his story, the damage done to his coaching career could be terminal. Recently, the offer of a lucrative coaching job in India was suddenly rescinded and, as things stand, it is doubtful that the ECB would dare to consider him for the role of England fast bowling coach.

“From a personal perspective, I’ve done everything I was asked to do by the ACSU. I’ve lost my job at Dhaka as a consequence, even though I coached them to the title for two years in succession. That’s ok: I knew what I was getting into. I did the right thing and, when I look back, I’m proud of that. I can live with it if people think I’m a rubbish coach or my methods are ineffective. I think they’re wrong, but I can live with it. But to have my integrity questioned by this tribunal… well, it leaves bad taste in the mouth and leaves me with no choice but to tell the full story.” l

DT

28 Sport

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Bando Design off to Kolkata for corporate football n Tribune Desk

Bangladesh football team coach Lodewijk de Kruif (R) speaks in a press conference at BFF House yesterday in the presence of BFF general secretary Abu Naeem Shohag (C) and goalkeeping coach Christian Schweichler BFF

Bando Design Ltd, a concern of Sterling Group, flew to Kolkata yesterday to take part in the Calcutta Parsee Club Corporate and Club Five-a-Side Invitational Football Tournament. Bando, captained by its managing director Imranur Rahman, are a popular team when it comes to corporate futsal in Bangladesh as they, in the last 12 months, became champions in the Mir Corporate Football Fiesta and runners-up in the Ascent Corporate Cup. Bando will be the first foreign team to play in the Parsee Cup, that has been running for the last 25 years, when they face Hay Inc in their opening match tomorrow. In this edition 25 corporate houses and 44 club teams are participating. The tournament will end on April 18. l

‘Temporary’ De Kruif flies back today n Shishir Hoque Bangladesh national football team head coach Lodewijk de Kruif is scheduled to leave the capital and return to his home Netherlands today morning along with German goalkeeping coach Christian Schweichler. The coaching duo had arrived in Dhaka on March 12 to take charge of the national U23 side for the AFC U23 Championship Qualifiers which concluded on March 31.

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) confirmed that the Dutch will only work with the national team on assignment basis and he is expected to return in June before Bangladesh’s matches in the Fifa World Cup qualifiers starting on June 11.

When a head coach of a team works in phases it is natural for the team not to fare well but the reason behind taking such a step is strictly financial, admitted BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag.

Shohag said, “Financial guarantee comes above all. We had an agreement with them

only for AFC U23 Championship qualifiers and they will leave tomorrow (today) according to the agreement. Now we will work together on assignment basis. Kruif will be working with us and we will let him know about future assignments,”

We want to invite Riasat again who is now playing in Philippines. There are two young guys in Cardiff, one in Newcastle and a guy in Japan “We have the World Cup qualifiers, Saff Championship ahead and considering all these we will take the final decision after talking to the coaches. We will move ahead with a comprehensive plan and schedule and will do the further bargaining in the coming days,” added Shohag.

Meanwhile, De Kruif expressed his desire of working with the Red and Green saying, “I will come when they call me and I’m still will-

SA U19s arrive today for seven-match youth ODIs n Tribune Desk

The South Africa Under-19 cricket team are scheduled to land in Dhaka today morning for a seven-match youth one-day international series. Bangladesh Cricket Board yesterday announced a 14-man squad for the series that will last three weeks with left-handed batsman Nazmul Hossain Shanto named the captain of the home side.

It is understandable from the squad that the BCB is utilising this series to build a strong base for the future as some key names from the age-level side were left out and put in the stand-by list. Previous captain Mehedy Hasan, Shadman Islam and Joyraz Sheikh Emon are few of the names who might be called up as the series progresses.

After a warm-up game at BKSP on Monday,

ing to come.” He added, “The important thing is the World Cup (qualifiers) games are coming and see where we are standing. We are in the lowest pot for the draw so the big teams are coming. Its important to play against big teams.”

Although it should hamper the preparations working in phases, De Kruif opined, “We did a lot of works before. All the players in the Bangladesh team are in my head. A few more is coming as we see their performance in the last Federation Cup. We will bring some extra players when I will come back to see how they perform in our group. Its not big problem for not staying here permanently. Titu has quality enough to see what is happening over here and give me the good report. My message is play games, train good, play as much as you can.”

The Dutchman also plans to bring in Bangladeshi expatriates in the squad like he did in flying in Jamal Bhuiyan who is now one of the most important players for Bangladesh. “We want to invite Riasat again who is now play-

ing in Philippines. There are two young guys in Cardiff but they were born in 1998, young guys. We have a guy in Japan and one in Newcastle. That’s one of the plan that I still have to chase for but there must be a budget.”

German goalkeeper coach Christian Schweichler submitted a 7-8 pages of report to the federation after analysing Bangladesh goalkeepers in clubs and BKSP and he believes with the potential Bangladesh players have, they need proper goalkeeping training.

“There are young players who have potential and talented but they are suffering low level of coaching and training. They have lack of tactical understanding. In this 2015 this is absolutely essential,” said the German coach.

“The high quality goalkeeper is not only about standing on the line, catching the ball but you need football skills as well as tactical understanding, how to read the game, organise your defence, what to do with set pieces.

That is something which is missing here. This is not only a problem in Bangladesh football but in Asia,” he added. l

ITHS SUPER CUP GETS UNDERWAY

the visitors will take on the hosts in the first youth ODI at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday. After the first two matches at SBNS, the teams will move to Cox’s Bazar for the third and fourth encounter before playing the remainder of the matches in Chittagong.

Squad

Nazmul Hossain Shanto (C), Zakir Hasan, Pinak Ghosh, Shafiul Hayet, Mohammad Saif Hasan, Shaif Uddin, Mosabbek Hossain Sun, Mehedy Hasan, Nahid Hasan, Mohammad Abdul Halim, Sanjit Saha, Saleh Ahmed Shawon Gazi, Nihaduzzaman, Prosenjit Das

Stand-by

Mehedy Hasan Miraz, Shahanur Rahman, Joyraj Sheik Imon, Munim Shahriar, Rifat Pradhan, Shadman Islam, Mehedi Hasan. l

The ITHS Super Cup, an inter-school age-level football tournament organised and hosted by International Turkish Hope School (ITHS) at the artificial turf inside the school premises in Uttara, kicked off yesterday.

17 schools are participating in the annual event that comprises three age categories – Under-14, 16 and 19. Hosts ITHS and Canadian School competed in the opening match in the U-14 section which ended in a goalless draw. The tournament will end tomorrow COURTESY

DT

Sport 29

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Murray dumps Austria’s Thiem to reach Miami semis n Reuters, Miami Third-seed Andy Murray recovered from an early setback to beat Austrian Dominic Thiem 3-6 6-4 6-1 on Wednesday to reach the semi-finals of the Miami Open where he will face Czech Tomas Berdych.

Eighth seed Berdych defeated Argentine Juan Monaco 6-3 6-4 in their quarter-final to set up a re-match of their tense and at times acrimonious Australian Open semi-final which Murray won in four sets.

Murray’s 501st career win was far from easy as the 21-year-old Thiem, ranked 52nd in the world, used an impressive backhand and some entertaining tennis to take the first set.

But after Murray, far from his best, forced a deciding set, he took firm control after earning a break at the end of a long fourth game to go up 3-1.

“At the beginning of the match I didn’t return well, especially returning his first serve.

That put me in sort of a defensive position a lot when he was serving. I ended up doing quite a lot of running there,” said Murray.

“In the second set I went up and I was creating quite a lot of opportunities, which was good, but I was just not quite finding the right shot. I think in the third set the difference was really my returning. I returned his first serve extremely well. I put him on the back foot,” he said.

Thiem was philosophical about his loss.

“He won because he was the better player.

It’s very simple. I played a very good first set of course but if I could keep at that level of the first set I wouldn’t be ranked 52nd. l

DAY’S WATCH Ten Sports Sky Bet Championship 8:00PM Middlesbrough v Wigan Athletic 12:45AM Derby County v Watford

Ten Action 02:40PM Australian-League 2014/15 WS Wanderers v Melbourne City Indian-League 2015 04:30PM Mohun Bagan v Salgaocar 07:00PM Bengaluru v Royal Wahingdoh 12:00AM French Ligue 1 AS Monaco v AS Saint-Etienne

Star Sports 2 3:00PM, Maybank Malaysia Open Quarterfinals 12:40AM Spanish La Liga SD Eibar v Rayo Vallecano

Star Sports 3 11:00PM, 5:00AM ATP Miami Open Semi Finals

Serena clinches 700th win, sets up Halep semi in Miami Open n Reuters, Miami World number one Serena Williams overcame a dreadful second set to beat Germany’s Sabine Lisicki 7-6(4) 1-6 6-3 on Wednesday for her 700th career win and a berth in the Miami Open semi-finals.

Williams will face Romania’s Simona Halep for a place in the final after the third-seed beat Sloane Stephens 6-1 7-5.

The pair were due to meet in the semi-finals at Indian Wells earlier this month but Williams pulled out with a knee injury and Halep went on to beat Jelena Jankovic in the final.

The duo are the two form players in women’s tennis at the moment - Williams is on a 19-match winning streak while Halep has a 24-2 record this season.

Williams, who is seeking an eighth Miami title, made a sluggish start but went on to secure the first set in a tie-break and then broke her 27th-seeded opponent in the opening game of the second set before falling apart.

Lisicki’s precise and intelligent play took advantage of a series of unforced errors from Williams as the German won six consecutive games to force a decisive set.

But Williams, the two-times defending Miami champion, quickly rediscovered her form and broke to get a 3-0 lead and held firm for the win. Williams is the eighth player in WTA history to record 700 match wins, putting her in an exclusive club that is led by Martina Navratilova (1,442).

“I didn’t know I had 700 wins,” said Williams, “I just want to keep doing, doing the best that I can. Just staying positive and winning as much as I can,” said Williams.

Halep utterly dominated the first set but Stephens recovered well in the second to open up a 5-4 lead only to see the Romanian power back to win the last three games, to the

delight of a surprisingly large and vocal Romanian contingent in the Key Biscayne crowd.

Halep is the last player to beat Williams after she recorded a victory over the American in the round robin stage of the WTA Finals in Singapore last October.

Days later Halep was crushed 6-3 6-0 in the final of that tournament - by Williams.l

Serena Williams of the US poses with a cake to celebrate her 700th WTA Tour win after her victory against Sabine Lisicki of Germany in their quarter final of Miami Open in Florida on Wednesday AFP

Sri Lanka urges Sangakkara retirement rethink n AFP, Colombo Sri Lanka’s sports minister on Wednesday urged the world’s number one batsman Kumar Sangakkara to reconsider plans to retire from Test cricket and urged him to play on for another year.

Navin Dissanayake told reporters that he hoped a government-ordered overhaul of Sri Lanka Cricket might persuade the 37-year-old to stick around a bit longer after he again underlined his class at the World Cup. “As sports minister, I humbly appeal to Kumar to reconsider (retirement) and play for the country for at least one more year,” the

minister said in Colombo.

Dissanayake said he hoped that the appointment of an interim management team, headed by former Test player Sidath Wettimuny, would demonstrate the new government’s determination to “clean up” the governing body which has been beset by accusations of corruption and mismanagement.

“I spoke with him (Sangakkara) in New Zealand during the World Cup,” the minister said.

“He was very disappointed and unhappy (with the cricket administration) and now that there is a change, I think there is a possibility that he will change his mind.”

The minister said he had “asked Sidath

I’m no money-grabber: Sterling n Reuters, London Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling has denied he is a “money-grabbing 20-year-old”, but is in no rush to sign a new contract, he told the BBC on Wednesday.

England international Sterling has been offered an eye-watering 100,000 pounds ($148,300) a week to sign a new deal with Liverpool, according to media reports, but has yet to commit his future to the club.

He says, however, that money is not a determining factor and ruled out discussing a new contract until at least the end of the season.

“It’s not about the money at all,” Sterling said.

“It’s never been about money. I talk about winning trophies throughout my career.

That’s all I talk about...

“I don’t talk about how many cars I’m going to drive, how many houses I’ve got. I just purely want to be the best I can be.

“I don’t want to be perceived as a money-grabbing 20-year-old. I just want to be seen as a kid who loves to play football and to do the best for the team.”

Liverpool last won a trophy in 2012 when they claimed the League Cup, but came agonisingly close to lifting the league title last season, before being pipped by Manchester City.l

to talk to Kumar” about staying on after the left-hander’s outstanding performances at the World Cup. Sangakarra scored an unprecedented four successive ODI hundreds during the World Cup, racking up a total of 541 in seven innings at an average of over 108.

As well as being the number one batsman in the world rankings for Test cricket, the former captain is also the number two in the ODI rankings. Although Sangakkara had announced before the World Cup that it would be his swansong in one-day international cricket, he caused a stir during the tournament by speaking of his intention to quit Tests within months. l

Messi’s injured foot has improved: Barca n Reuters, Barcelona Lionel Messi’s injured foot has improved, his club Barcelona said on Thursday, suggesting the Argentina forward will be fit for Sunday’s La Liga trip to Celta Vigo.

The top scorer in Spain’s top flight with 32 goals did not feature in either of Argentina’s friendlies during the international break after sustaining a blow to his right foot in last month’s “Clasico” against Real Madrid.

“The inflammation of Messi’s foot has improved and the player will attempt to join the rest of the internationals tomorrow,” they added.l

DT

30 DOWNTIME

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Halt (4) 5 Quick (4) 10 Dwarf buffalo (4) 11 Sheltered side (3) 12 Interior (5) 13 Period of time (3) 14 Time in grammar (5) 16 Light rainfall (6) 18 Bacon slice (6) 21 Out of order (5) 23 Hail! (3) 24 Combine (5) 26 Lump on the skin (3) 27 Legal document (4) 28 Extremities (4) 29 Poem of heroism (4)

ACROSS 2 Dance (5) 3 United (3) 4 Carriers (7) 6 Drinks (4) 7 Calm (6) 8 Afternoon reception (3) 9 Sibilate (4) 15 Obliteration (7) 17 Highest happiness (6) 19 Republic in the West Indies (5) 20 Scottish dance (4) 22 Repair (4) 23 Respectful fear (3) 25 Pinch (3)

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

A B C D E FG H I J K L M N O P Q RST UVWXYZ

SUDOKU

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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.

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

DT

SHOWTIME 31

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Run Out set to go for Eid release n Showtime Desk Tonmoy Tansen’s debut film, which recently received the uncut censor board nod, is all set to hit cinemas during the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.

The romance action star Sajal Noor, Moushumi Nag and Romana Shwarna are in lead roles, while Omer Sunny, Ahmed Sharif and Tarik Anam Khan will be seen in supporting roles. Both Sajal and Moushumi Nag are both going to make their big screen debuts in this film, and apparently are in a trial run to prove they can do justice to their small screen fame in the big screen.

Naila Nayem the model has featured with an intriguing item song, this will also be a debut for her on the big screen.

The story of the film follows of an

Anurag, the gallon of talent

ordinary youngster played by Sajal, unfolding the narrative as his fate leads to something beyond ordinary; dark and deadly, infact.

The director, also a vocalist and musician, left his band Vikings to take care

of all the compositional works, including background score and a total of six tracks have been used in the film. Rupom and Kornia lent their voice in the item number, while Kona and Rinti sung as guest artists with the band. l

Dhaka Art Summit to launch third edition in Feb 2016

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

Alia BhattVerified account @aliaa08 Happy anniversary @GraziaIndia !!!! Thank you for this.. @EktaRajani bigggg HUGGG Anaita Adajania @Anaita_Adajania Stunning @sonamakapoor on our April cover shot by kristianschuller @bloodandco in armaniofficial… https://instagram. com/p/05Dpk1k3TM/ Madhuri Dixit-Nene @MadhuriDixit Naacho chhama chham chhamma Tamma tamma loge.......Learn the #dance moves from #DWM http://goo.gl/9J81Rt

WHAT TO WATCH TELEVISION

n Saudia Afrin

n Showtime Desk

Recently upcoming movie Bombay Velvet made the audience quite curious through its shimmering presence of Karan Johar, Ranbir Kapoor and other casts. If not all yet a big junk of credits goes to its director, Anurag Kashyap.

However, this man of many shades always choose to play more roles as producer, screenwriter, actor along with directing. Bringing in front the social reality is his another signature individuality, in his early fifties honoured by the Government of France has awarded him the “Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” in 2013 for his contribution in film.

Highly inspired by Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver Anurag started pursue his career in film industry through scrip writing. And his travelling into film continues with Dev.D, Gangs of Wasseypur, Bombay Talkies, That Girl in Yellow Boot, Uddan and many more.

Anurag has also made cameo appearances in his nine films.

So far, Anurag’s dedication to work with the newcomers to guiding them, gifted him the tag of the “Poster Boy” of the new wave Hindi cinema. l

Dhaka Art Summit, an initiative of the Samdani Art Foundation, will run from February 5 to 8, 2016, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

The world’s largest platform for South Asian art brings together artists, curators, scholars, museums representatives and numerous visitors from Bangladesh and across the world to discover institutional-quality artworks in a non-profit atmosphere, while this edition’s curatorial team includes representatives from renowned museums, such as the Tete Modern in London, Centre Pompidou in Paris, Guggenheim in New York.

The announcement came out yesterday in a press conference at the auditorium of National Art Gallery where Nadia Samdani, the director of Dhaka Art Summit, Liaquat Ali Lucky, the director general of BSA, Gousul Alam Shaon, a member of the summit organising committee and Muniruzzaman, curator of Bangladeshi contemporary art exhibitions, were present.

Expanding to a four-day-long event, the biennale will include new programmes for architecture, experimental writing and

historic archives in the 2016 edition.

Diana Campbell Betancourt, the artistic director of the foundation, will curate the solo projects, public art projects and the talks programmes like the previous editions, while Nadia Raza from Tete Modern will explore the influence of sci-fi and retro-futurism in South Asia art.

Like the previous edition, the Samdani Art Foundation has collaborated with the Delfina Foundation (UK) to award an outstanding young Bangladeshi artist the opportunity to attend a three-month residency at the Delfina Foundation in London as part of the bi-annual Samdani Art Award. l

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey AHBO 8:30pm The story follows Bilbo Baggins, approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey. Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield.

Cast: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, and Cate Blanchett Mean Girls BZee Studio 5:30pm Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha plastic Regina George.

Cast: Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, and Lindsay Lohan Transporter 2 BStar Movies 12:30pm Mercenary Frank Martin, who specializes moving goods of all kinds, surfaces again this time in Miami, Florida when he’s implicated in the kidnapping of the young son of a powerful USA official.

Cast: Jason Statham, Alessandro Gassman, and Amber Valletta

DT

32 BACK PAGE

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

AIRTEL TOPS THE LIST OF INTERNET USERS PAGE 15

‘BCB-BCCI RELATION NOT STRAINED’ PAGE 25

ATTACK ON BRTA OFFICIAL’S FAMILY

No trace of Kaberi’s killer n Kamrul Hasan

Investigators are yet to locate the key suspect in the murder of college teacher Krishna Kaberi Biswas, the wife of a BRTA official who was killed during an attack on her family in the capital’s Mohammadpur on Monday.

Although three days have passed since the attack, the police are yet to unearth any major lead against the key suspect – KM Jahirul Islam alias Palash.

The only witnesses – BRTA Deputy Director Sitangshu Shekhar Biswas and his two daughters Shruti and Adri – have so far been unable to speak to investigators, as they were all recovering from injuries in hospital and were not in any condition to make a police statement.

The motive behind the attack could be known once the police were able to speak to the surviving victims, said Mohammadpur po-

lice station Sub-Inspector Mahbubur Rahman.

The police have so far searched all possible hideouts of Jahirul but were unable to locate him, said Mahbubur, who is also the investigation officer for the case.

He added that all mobile phone connections belonging to Jahirul and his family members were turned off, barring the police from tracing the murder suspect using network signals.

Sitangshu’s brother Sudhangshu Shekhar Biswas filed a murder case with Mohammadpur police on Tuesday, naming Jahirul as the main accused.

According to the police, Jahirul – who works as manager of Hazi Ahmed Brothers Securities’ Gulshan branch – was familiar to the family.

On Monday night, the killer entered the flat of Sitangshu and attacked the BRTA official and his family members. Kaberi, 36, was

initially hacked with a kitchen sickle and later set on fire; she died the following day.

Sitangshu and Adri regained conscious after surgeries were performed on them, but the doctors recommended against any kind of verbal communication until they were feeling better.

Dr Suprio Sarker, a family friend of the victims, told the Dhaka Tribune that Shruti was also recovering fast.

Sitangshu’s family, meanwhile, claimed that some media houses had been publishing fabricated stories suggesting that the BRTA official had resorted to corrupt means to invest large amounts of money in the stock market. They urged journalists not to publish any story that violated the family’s privacy during their time of grief or might cause the case to be misled.

Himangshu Biswas, elder brother of Sitangshu said the date of Kaberi’s funeral will be fixed after Sitangshu is able to communicate his wishes on this regard. l

An autistic boy started walking back and forth in front of the dais when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was addressing a function on the World Autism Awareness Day 2015 in Dhaka yesterday. When security tried to stop him Hasina asked them to leave the boy be. The boy kept strolling until the end of the programme BSS

RUN OUT SET FOR EID RELEASE PAGE 31 Permission required to portray cops in media n Kamrul Hasan Permission is now required to portray the police in film, on television and in other visual media, police authorities announced yesterday.

Negative and comic representations of the police convey the wrong message and confuse the viewing public, Additional Deputy Commissioner (media and public relations) Jahangir Alam Sarker of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) told the Dhaka Tribune.

“Prior permission must be sought from police authorities before characterising policemen in dramas and cinemas,” he added.

He said letters had been sent to television, media and film companies informing them of the decision.

Several recent cases have involved the use of police uniforms by criminals and the DMP is trying to avoid such situations, he added. l

Two children killed in explosion near Savar’s army firing range n Our Correspondent, Savar An explosion, allegedly caused by an abandoned grenade, killed at least two children yesterday and injured another kid in a field near the firing range of Savar Cantonment.

Hridoy and Shubho, both aged ten years, were killed in Mostapara village in Birulia union; Salman, 11, was also injured in the explosion.

The locals and the families of the deceased said some children were playing in a field near the cantonment’s firing range where Shubho found a grenade lying abandoned on the ground. As he was bringing the grenade back home, it went off.

Savar Model police station OC Abdul Motaleb Miah confirmed that it was a grenade that went off and killed the two children.

Visiting the site of the explosion, the Dhaka Tribune found that army personnel were restricting journalists from taking any pictures there. The army men also refused to comment on what might have caused the explosion.

Local residents, however, claimed that grenades that are used to train army personnel on the nearby firing range had been left abandoned on the field, leading to the accident. l

Study: Road accidents killed one per hour in 2014 n Shohel Mamun

Road accidents caused nearly a death an hour last year, according to a study.

In the study released at a press conference in the capital yesterday, Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a commuters’ association, found that 8,589 people had died in road accidents across the country in 2014. The study is based on data collated from 10 national and five newspapers.

The association’s Secretary General Mozammel Haque Chawdhury said: “This is first time we have published a complete report on the road accident situation in Bangladesh.”

The report’s findings show that 17,523 were hurt in road accidents – with 1,623 suffering life-long injuries – and 8,589 were killed in 5,928 road accidents between January and December 2014.

“This is an enormous death toll, yet the

government has not taken steps to reduce road accidents,” Mozammel said.

“There is no verifiable databank on the number of accidents in the country. That is why we tried to tally the number of accidents and casualties using published newspaper reports. We believe the death toll and number of accidents is actually higher than this,” he said.

The number of deaths caused by accidents

on the roads and highways in Bangladesh is a matter of dispute.

The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) claimed in its annual report published in January that over the last five years, road accidents claimed 2,529 lives on average every year, while last year’s death toll was below 2,000.

The NRSC report is based on data collected from police headquarters. 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