19 April, 2015

SECOND EDITION

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

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Boishakh 6, 1422, Jamadius Sani 29, 1436

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 8

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www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

‘MEDIA EXAGGERATING KHALEDA JOINS CITY SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT BOISHAKH ASSAULT’ PAGE 2 POLLS CAMPAIGN PAGE 3 DU: ISN’T IT AN ISSUE? PAGE 5

And we say nothing happened

STORIES ON PAGE 2 & 5 

The photo was taken from in front of Ramna Kali Mondir Gate in Dhaka University area at about 5:12pm on the day of Pohela Boishakh. It was one of the spots where over 20 women were sexually assaulted by a band of youths who kept on blowing vuvuzelas to bury the cries for help of those being almost stripped amid thousands of people celebrating the festival. The photo also shows a girl reportedly the victim’s child crying her heart out for help as she got separated from her mother. The Dhaka Tribune obtained the photo yesterday COURTESY

PAGE 6 KSA starts issuing work visa tomorrow

PAGE 8 Manpower crisis cripples Khulna Medical College Hospital

PAGE 11 21 killed in fierce fighting near Libyan capital

PAGE 32 MRP project tenure extended until December

DT

2 NEWS

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Snaps taken from the footage of police’s CCTV camera installed near the TSC roundabout show how a woman was surrounded and assaulted by alleged attackers on Bangla new year’s day

Police: Media exaggerating Boishakh assault Bangladesh Chhatra Union says police have asked them to not stage protest on Monday n Tribune Report Blaming media for exaggerating the incidents, police yesterday claimed that the alleged sexual assault on several women on DU campus on Bangla new year’s day was nothing big.

A spokesperson of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) claimed that they had analysed the CCTV footage from the day and had only found evidence of minor sexual abuses; there was no major incident of tearing apart women’s dresses.

However, in a major development last night, authorities closed the police officer who allegedly freed one of the assaulter caught and handed over to him by a mob.

Sources said that the order for closing Hasan Abu Sayeed, sub inspector of Shahbagh police station, came around 9pm yesterday.

When contacted around 9:30pm, Abdul Baten, deputy commissioner (DC) of DMP’s Ramna zone, however said that the news of the closure was “still” not correct.

Video footage aired by television channels, photographs taken by journalists and individuals at the spot, witness statements and the Facebook statuses of at least three victims over the last four days have all given vivid descriptions of a serious sexual assault on several women on that day.

But Monirul Islam, joint commissioner and spokesperson of DMP, told reporters in his

office yesterday that some of the footage and still photographs published in mainstream and social media were either fake or photoshoped or from past incidents.

He also said that controlling law and order during such massive gatherings on the university campus is never easy. “We have asked the Dhaka University authorities to provide some volunteers the next time there is such a big programme.”

Over the last four days, social media, especially Facebook have been flooded with statuses and comments condemning the assault on women.

Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children throng the Dhaka University campus every year for taking part in the traditional Pohela Boishakh celebrations.

According to witnesses, during this year’s celebrations on April 14, several groups of 1520 young men, taking advantage of the heavy crowd, sexually assaulted at least 20 women at different points on the university campus.

These young men infiltrated into heavy flow of crowd, forced their way around a woman, surrounded her and sexually assaulted her, sometimes touching her private parts and pulling or even reaping her dress apart, witnesses said.

Not just women, children as young as 10-years-old were also reported to have been

assaulted by these groups.

Many witnesses have come down hard on law enforcers, especially those on duty when the assaults took place, for being reluctant in taking actions.

Seeking anonymity, a witness said that he had seen a group of hoodlums sexually assault a woman and beat up her husband in the presence of police.

“We went to the policemen on duty near the spot where the incident took place and sought help. But the cop was reluctant and told us: ‘oil your own machines and get out of here’,” the witness said.

Another witness Liton Nandi, president of leftist student organisation Bangladesh Chhatra Union’s DU unit, was right there and tried to save some of the women.

When contacted, Liton told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that DMP’s statements were reflections of “sheer irresponsibility” and accused police of trying to lead the investigation astray.

“Attackers completely reaped apart some women’s saree and salwar kameez and molested them in the middle of heavy crowd near the Raju sculpture at the TSC roundabout. We later rescued them and took them to the Rokeya Hall,” he said.

Bangladesh Chhatra Union, student body of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB),

Chhatra Union demands Dhaka University proctor’s resignation n DU Correspondent Terming the Dhaka University acting proctor a liar and deceiver, Bangladesh Chhatra Union yesterday demanded that he resigned immediately.

The student body claimed that Amzad Ali had been providing fabricated information about the sexual assault on the university campus on Pohela Boishakh.

It also accused Amzad of concealing information, adding that he had not properly discharged his duties and was holding others responsible for the incident to avoid his own responsibility.

Addressing a press conference at Madhur Canteen, Bangladesh Chhatra Union Presi-

dent Hasan Tarek said: “Regarding the Pohela Boishakh incident, the proctor said there was no proof of that in the CCTV footage and none except Liton Nondi noticed what had happened. He also denied that any vehicle had moved on the campus on that day. But his statements were proved fabricated after police released the CCTV footage.”

He said the proctor had instantly been informed of the incident but he refused to go to the scene to save the women by arguing that he could have done nothing even if he went there.

Hasan said a boy named Sabbir Sajib took some pictures from the scene but the vice-chancellor had directed him not to post those on the internet.

But the vice-chancellor, Professor Dr AAMS

Arefin Siddique, rejected the allegation, saying: “Chhatra Union is trying to direct people’s attention away from what had really happened.”

He also said he had not talked to anyone about the pictures.

The Chhatra Union president presented a six-point demand at the press conference, including exemplary punishment of the offenders and policemen who had failed to discharges their duties and complete security on the university campus.

Hasan also announced further programmes, including countrywide demonstrations for today, procession from Aparajeyo Bangla to Curzon Hall tomorrow and submission of memorandum to the Home Ministry On April 21. l

has been leading the protests. They have announced a countrywide protest programme for tomorrow.

More than 20,000 people from home and abroad have already expressed solidarity on the protest programme’s Facebook event page.

In the same page, the student group alleged that police had asked them to not stage the protest.

The High Court on Thursday directed the inspector general of police and the DU vice-chancellor to investigate the allegations and submit separate reports in a month.

DMP yesterday formed two separate probe committees headed by two additional deputy commissioners of police.

Promising to keep identities secret, DMP has also requested victims and witnesses to contact with them and give actual narrations of the incidents.

ADC Jahangir, chief of one of the committees, said yesterday that they had identified and singled out the photographs of four to five suspects by analysing CCTV footage. They are also planning to publish those photographs through the mainstream and social media soon.

Dhaka University authorities have also formed a seven-member committee, headed

by Pro-VC Prof Nasrin Ahmed, to look into the incident. This committee has been asked to submit report by April 23. l

CU students protest sexual assault at DU n CU Correspondent The left-leaning student bodies in Chittagong University (CU) yesterday demanded immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of the culprits who sexually assaulted women during Pohela Boishakh in the Dhaka University area.

Protesting the assault, leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Bangladesh Chhatra Federation and Samajtantrik Chhatra Front brought out a procession at the CU rail station premises around noon.

Leaders said the DU authorities’ failure to provide proper security on the campus during the traditional festivities indicates how indifferent the authorities, and none was arrested even after three days although the incident was captured by a CC camera.

The incidents are recurring because pervious such cases of sexual assault have not been dealt with lawfully in time, the speakers added. l

DT

NEWS 3

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Khaleda joins city election campaign n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

Putting an end to speculations, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia began formal campaigning for the mayoral election of Dhaka yesterday, stirring up her party’s rank and file.

She started with Dhaka north, where she lives, and campaigned for Tabith Awal who is her adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo’s son. With Mintoo being disqualified, Tabith was endorsed by the BNP, the main political opposition at the moment.

There have also been discussions whether Khaleda’s campaigning for Tabith would amount to a violation of electoral code since all local government elections are supposed to be “non-partisan” affairs.

While she heads one of the largest political parties, Khaleda is not a member of the parliament since she boycotted the last elections. In fact the BNP found itself thrown out of parliament because of that boycott and has been waging a violent campaign to topple the government leading to new elections.

While ministers and MPs are barred from campaigning for Awami League-backed candidates, the Election Commission is yet to react on Khaleda’s decision to campaign.

The three-time former premier has not walked the streets seeking votes before any of the city elections in the recent past but with her joining the polls campaign is likely to encourage BNP leaders and activists to work harder for their candidates in the Dhaka and Chittagong city polls.

Without informing the media, Khaleda all on a sudden came out of her Gulshan residence around 4:30pm and began campaigning for Tabith in Gulshan and Badda.

Flanked by hundreds of activists, the BNP chief first went to Pink City in Gulshan 1 and then to Dhaka City Corporation market in the same area in the afternoon. She also visited Navana Tower and handed out Tabith’s leaflets to the store owners in the markets.

She later distributed leaflets among people

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia seeks vote for BNP-backed mayoral candidate Tabith M Awal at Gulshan DCC market yesterday on the streets as her motorcade headed for Badda.

During Pohela Boishakh celebrations at the party’s Nayapaltan office on Tuesday, Khaleda introduced the mayoral candidates and sought votes for them as she urged the voters to bring a silent revolution through ballots in the upcoming city corporation polls.

Witnesses said Khaleda sought votes for Tabith, asking voters to cast their votes for a change in the city.

“Pray for Tabith. We want vote in Bus symbol for a change,” an aide of Khaleda told the Dhaka tribune.

BNP demands installation of CCTVs at polling centres n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) should be installed at every polling centres to ensure fairness in the results of upcoming elections to the country’s three city corporations scheduled to be held on April 28.

Supreme Court Bar Association President and Bangladesh Bar Council Vice Chairman Khandker Mahbub Hossain came up with the view at a meeting in Chittagong city yesterday.

Bangladesh Sommilito Peshajibi Parishad, Chittagong organised the meeting titled “Contemporary political situation in the country: Context city corporation election” at Smaranika Community Centre in the city.

Speaking on the occasion, the pro-BNP professionals said the party will launch a grand movement to recover the democratic and voting rights the people, if the government grabs the results of the elections.

They also demanded that the election commission deploys army for removing pub-

lic apprehension during elections.

Khandker Mahbub said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina tried to create confusions and divisions in BNP’s ongoing movement by scheduling the elections to the civic bodies.

“But, BNP has decided to join in the elections to prove its popularity and to show common people’s involvement with its ongoing movement,” he said.

“The allegations of Awami League over BNP’s movement would prove to be false by silent ballot revolution in the elections,” he added.

He urged all BNP and 20-party alliance men to work for M Manjur Alam, the mayoral candidate for the election to the Chittagong City Corporation.

Manjur will contest in the election under the banner of pro-BNP professionals organisation Chattagram Unnoyon Andolon.

With Chattagram Unnoyon Andolon Convener Dr Abul Kalam Azad in the chair, senior BNP leaders among others, attended the meeting. l

Shamsul Huda, a ward councillor candidate, told the Dhaka tribune that Khaleda’s campaign would charge up party leaders and activists, and would bring a new wave in the campaign.

“Certainly, it will give party leaders and activists a big moral boost and inactive leaders will also engage in campaign,” he said.

A party insider said Khaleda’s campaign news was not disclosed earlier over apprehension that the government might create obstruction.

On the other hand, Khaleda’s sudden campaign brought enthusiasm for the candidates.

MEHEDI HASAN

“To date, I was fearful of conducting campaigns as many cases had been lodged against me. But my fear is now gone. Why should I fear when my leader [Khaleda] campaigned on the street?” said a ward councillor aspirant.

Tabith joined Khaleda in the campaign on Road 11 in Banani and then campaigned in some other roads there. He then left after taking permission from Khaleda to join a television discussion.

BNP leaders said Khaleda would continue her campaign for a few more days and would campaign in Dhaka South City Corporation as well. l

Tabith alleges attack on supporters n Tribune Report The BNP-backed leaders and activists have been attacked, harassed, kidnapped and killed during the election campaigns, Dhaka North City Corporation’s mayoral aspirant Tabith M Awal claims.

“I cannot say anything in fear of being kidnapped. Recently our activists were picked up from processions. This is not level-playing field at all,” Tabith told reporters during his campaigns in Gabtoli area yesterday morning.

He also demanded that army be deployed in both Dhaka north and south city corporation areas to ensure fair election on April 28.

Tabith also condemned the incidents of sexual assaults of women and children during the Pohela Boishakh celebrations on Dhaka University campus and demanded exemplary punishment of the culprits.

The BNP-backed mayor aspirant later went to Carmichael Road, Shah Ali Mazar, Mirpur Zoo Road, Shialbari, Rupnagar, Mirpur stadium, Monipur School, Paikpara and Kalyanpur Bus stand. Shama Obayed, executive committee member of the BNP; Shafiul Alam Prodhan, president of Jatiya Ganatantrik Par-

ty; and several other leaders of the 20-party alliance accompanied him during the campaign.

Tabith’s mother Nasrin Awal Mintoo campaigned at Muktijoddha Market in Mirpur 1 area yesterday.

On the other hand, Awami League-backed candidate of Dhaka north Annisul Huq along with several TV artists cleaned the street adjacent to Gulshan Park in the capital as part of his election campaign.

In their half an hour effort, Annisul was accompanied by his wife Rubana Huq, ATM Shamsujjaman, Dr Inamul Haque, Ramendu Majumdar, Tarana Halim, Shangkar Shawjal and Auruna Biswas among others.

On the other hand, DNCC mayoral candidates Zonayed Saki campaigned in Mohakhali and Nakhalpara areas while Abdullah Al Kafee in Karwan Bazar.

Bikalpadhara leader Mahi B Chowdhury campaigned in Uttara’s Rajlakshmi Complex area with a broom and met voters in different areas of Uttara.

Dhaka south mayoral aspirant Bazlur Rashid Firoz, backed by BaSaD-CPB, campaigned in Sayedabad and Jatrabari areas. l

DT

4 NEWS

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Sahasra Nagorik Committee starts campaign for Annisul, Khokon n Abu Hayat Mahmud

Communist Party of Bangladesh forms a human chain yesterday near the Raju Sculpture demanding arrest and trial of those who molested women on the Dhaka University campus on Pohela Boishakh SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

JU teachers-students demand proctor’s resignation n JU Correspondent Teachers and students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) yesterday formed a human chain and demonstrated on campus demanding punishment of the perpetrators who on Tuesday night sexually assaulted an indigenous female student of the university.

Under the banner of “Shikkhok-Shikkharthi Oikyomoncho”, the teachers and students also demanded removal of university Proctor Professor Tapan Kumar Saha for failing to ensure security at the campus.

Source said more than hundred teachers and students from various departments and institutes formed the human chain on the Shahid Minar premises at 11am. Some 22 socio-cultural organisations of the university also expressed solidarity with them.

Later, the agitators held an assembly at the

same venue where the demand for the proctor’s removal was raised.

Teacher of the Government and Politics Department and the convener of the Oikyomoncho, Professor Naseem Akhter Hossain, said: “We are demanding the proctor to resign willingly because he had proved himself unworthy of the post.”

Professor Naseem further alleged that the proctor also failed to take action after the incident happened. “Instead he misbehaved with the victim contributing to further harassment.”

A memorandum with a four-point demand was later submitted to JU VC Professor Farzana Islam in this regard.

The demands included arresting and punishing the culprits, ensuring adequate security for the victim, providing security to the indigenous students of the university and filing

a criminal case against the perpetrators.

JU History Department teacher Professor ATM Atikur Rahman, Biochemistry and Molecular Science Department teacher Professor Sohel Rana, Philosophy Department Associate Professor Rayhan Rhyne, History Department Associate Professor Golam Rabbani and Assistant Professor Anisa Parvin Jolly were present at the human chain among others.

On Tuesday night after the Pohela Boishakh celebration, some leaders and activists of the JU unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) sexually harassed a first year student of the Botany Department.

The victim submitted a written complaint to the university authorities who afterwards expelled eight students temporarily.

Meanwhile, JU unit BCL also temporarily expelled five of its members for their involvement in the sexual harassment. l

Sahasra Nagorik Committee, a newly formed pro-Awami League citizens’ platform, has begun campaigns for AL-backed mayoral candidates for the Dhaka North and South City Corporations polls scheduled be held on April 28.

On the occasion, the committee held a press conference at its election office in the capital’s Shahbagh area yesterday.

With its convener eminent writer Syed Shamsul Haq in the chair, Committee Member Secretary Golam Quddus, Nasiruddin Yusuf, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists President Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, Dhaka University Blue Panel Convener Prof Nazma Shahin, Poet Russell Asheki, Firoz Hossain, poet Hanif Khan and Engineer Manju, among others, were present at the programme.

The committee will seek votes for both Annisul Haq and Sayeed Khokon through various programmes and activities.

As a part of the campaign, the committee will hold a rally at the auditorium of Engineers Institution in the capital tomorrow, seeking votes for Sayeed Khokon, the mayoral candidate for Dhaka South City Corporation.

On April 22, it will hold another gathering in front of Sony Cinema Hall at Mirpur-2 Intersection seeking votes for Annisul Haq, another AL-backed candidate for Dhaka North City Corporation.

Members of the committee which is consist of diverse professionals including freedom fighters, teachers, poets, literatures, cultural activists and journalists will attend the rallies.

On April 24, the committee members will release 100 pigeons at the Central Shaheed Minar declaring Dhaka a “city of peace”.

Earlier on April 15, in a meeting of Awami League Central Working Committee chaired by the party chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina finalized the party’s strategies for the elections, including formation of the committee.

As a part of the polls strategy, the AL will also launch campaigning programmes in parallel to the progammes of Khaleda Zia for her party-backed candidates.

Yesterday, Khaleda started her campaign at Gulshan-1 in the capital.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune that his party will observe campaigns by Khaleda Zia and give its official reaction about her moves. l

CHITTAGONG CITY CORPORATION ELECTION

Amir Khashru: Deploy army for free and fair polls n CU Correspondent BNP leader Amir Khashru Mahmud Chowdhury yesterday demanded that the army be deployed ahead of the Chittagong City Corporation polls to ensure a fair election.

He claimed that the ruling party cadres from Feni and Comilla districts are entering the city in a bid to rig the ballots at the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) polls scheduled for April 28.

“Deploy army in the city a week ahead of the election for free and fair polls,” demanded the chief election agent of BNP-backed mayoral candidates M Manjur Alam at a press conference held at his residence in Chittagong city’s Mehedibag area.

Khashru alleged that the gangsters of ALbacked mayoral candidates are threatening the BNP leaders and activists, election agents with dire consequence and barring them from electioneering in the different wards.

“Local thugs in Ward 2 Jalalabad of CCC obstructed our mayoral candidate M Manjur from meeting with the voters,” Khashru added.

Khashru said although the election commissioner and law enforcing agencies have been informed, there was no visible result.

At the press conference the BNP leader also alleged that the ruling party ministers have violated the election code of conduct by giving election related speech and holding meetings.

Criticising the government’s role, Khasru

said it has been conspiracy against the opposition candidates to win the city corporation polls by rigging votes as in the January 5 election. Khashru also urged the law enforcing agencies to become neutral and assist the voters.

During the press conference central BNP committee’s Information and Research Affairs Secretary Sayed Wahidul Alam, city BNP’s Vice-President Abu Sufian and Mahbubur Rahman Shameem were present. l

DT

NEWS 5

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Sexual harassment at DU: Isn’t it an issue?

University authorities and police exchange blames as culprits go unpunished

n Arif Ahmed Neither the Dhaka University authorities nor the law enforcers took the persistent incidents of sexual harassment on the campus seriously. There has been no precedence of strict action taken against any culprit that could stop recurrence of attacks on the women.

The authorities’ reluctance to look into the incidents deeply and failure to bring the culprits to book together with a culture of impunity have only triggered further attacks.

Usually, probe committees are formed and some of the culprits, mostly students of the university and sometimes those from the ruling party, are expelled for several months. But the probe reports are not published while the suggestions put forward by committee members are not materialised.

In some cases, the authorities even failed to identify any accused and ensure justice.

On February 21, thousands of people thronged the campus to visit the Central Shaheed Minar and the Amar Ekushey Book Fair.

In the afternoon, at least three women became victim of sexual assault at the entrance of Suhrawardy Udyan.

The following day, the Dhaka Tribune published two photos on one of the incidents where the attackers were exposed. However, neither the university administration nor the Bangla Academy authorities was interested to take the matter under consideration.

The police members on duty said they had no idea about such incident and claimed that they could not do anything if the victims do not file a complaint.

Since the incident, the photos have still been circulated on Facebook to identify the accused.

On Friday, some activists were able to iden-

tify one of the attackers, Latif Roni – suspected to be a student of Titumir College. Later the Dhaka Tribune photo and screenshots of Roni’s Facebook profile were widely circulated by several social campaign pages on the Facebook.

Sub-Inspector Ohiduzzaman, also incharge of Nilkhet police outpost, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that he had not heard about any such incident on the campus on February 21.

A total of nine DU students faced sexual harassment in separate incidents on the campus premises. But none of the accused was given punishment Officials at Shahbagh police station did not find any complain lodged over the incidents.

After the string of sexual assaults of women and children that took place during the Pohela Boishakh celebrations on April 14, many teachers, students, guardians and visitors expressed concerns over the recurrence of sexual harassment on DU campus.

Asked about the issue, the DU authorities and the police gave contradictory statements blaming each other.

On the other hand, student organisations blame both the DU authorities and the law enforcers for the feeling of insecurity persistent on the campus.

Acting proctor Amzad Ali said it was the duty of the police to prevent miscreants from committing such incidents. “It is their duty to

ensure public safety. The university authorities have repeatedly asked the police to take stern action against the perpetrators but they failed to do so. Who is responsible for the situation then?”

He claimed that the DU authorities had punished all the students found involved in such acts.

However, OC of Shahbagh police Sirajul Islam claimed that the law enforcers had never showed negligence in performing their duties.

Omar Sharif, general secretary of DU unit Bangladesh Chhatra League, alleged that it was the failure of the university authorities for which the incidents of sexual assaults had taken place.

“The authorities did not hold any meeting with the student organisations to manage the large number of visitors gathering on the campus,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

However, Bangladesh Students’ Union President Hasan Tareq said had the perpetrators of the previous incidents meted out exemplary punishment, such incidents on DU campus would have been avoided significantly.

According to the proctor office, a total of nine DU students faced sexual harassment in separate incidents on the campus premises.

But none of the accused was given punishment by the authorities even though the victims had submitted written complaints.

“Though the victims informed us formally about the incidents, but they withdrew their allegations after one or two days following negotiation,” the acting proctor claimed.

“Apart from these, the accused behind some major incidents that created much hype on social media and mass media were punished by the DU authorities and the police,” he added.

On November 5 last year, four students of DU Shahidullah Hall beat up a 38-year-old man and assaulted two of his nieces on the campus. Following the incident, the authorities suspended the accused and formed an investigative committee headed by the hall’s house tutor.

But no further action was taken on the basis of the probe report.

Investigation officer of the case SI Ohiduzzaman said: “The process is under way. We will submit the full report soon.”

On March 9 this year, four more DU students assaulted a female journalist and the university’s Journalists’ Association President Masum Billa in TSC area while they were celebrating Bangladesh’s historic win over England in the Cricket World Cup match.

The authorities suspended the four students and formed a probe body. But the report is yet to be published.

Women were harassed during a concert at the TSC roundabout in 2010 too.

The first incident of sexual assault of a girl that created outcry took place during the turn of the century celebrations in TSC area. Photos of the incident clearly exposed the perpetrators.

The victim filed a case on January 6, 2000 with Ramna police while the investigation officer submitted report identifying three people. But the trial is yet to take place.

Abdul Baten, deputy commissioner of police’s Ramna division, said: “It is not true that the police do not do anything. A large number of people gather on the campus during different festivals and public programmes. For this, some little incidents took place.”

He said the police personnel were instructed to take all necessary action to stop such activities in the coming days. l

Seminar on smart phone ecosystem at ULAB n Tribune Report University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh’s (ULAB) department of computer science and engineering has hosted a seminar titled “Smart Phone Ecosystem: Scope, Applications and Future Technologies” on April 12 on its campus, says a media release.

In the event, Arup Kumar Sarker, technical lead of Samsung R&D Institute Bangladesh and the organisation’s chief engineer Raquibul Hasan addressed.

The speakers discussed the future technologies in the field of mobile applications and also introduced the Samsung’s Tizen operating system.

Professor Dr Sazzad Hossain, HoD, CSE, ULAB gave a warm welcome to the speakers and the audience.

Following the talk, Dr Sifat Momen, course coordinator, CSE ULAB handed over ULAB Crest to the speakers as a token of appreciation.

Other faculty members and many students from the CSE and other departments were present in the seminar. l

Celebrities formed a human chain in front of National Press Club protesting women assault on Pohela Boishakh

DHAKA TRIBUNE

DT

6 NEWS

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

KSA to start issuing work visas to Bangladeshis from tomorrow n Adil Sakhawat The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will start issuing visas for Bangladeshi domestic workers from tomorrow, the KSA labour ministry made the announcement on April 13, reported Arab News.

Starting with the domestic workers, the Kingdom will gradually issue visas for the other category of workers.

A senior official of Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh, requesting anonymity, also confirmed the news to this reporter over phone yesterday.

The official further said the KSA govern-

ment will issue work visas for Bangladeshis in 12 categories.

Meanwhile, Khandaker Md Iftekhar Haider, secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare & Overseas Employment told the Dhaka Tribune that he did not get any information regarding the visa issuance yet.

He, however, said Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh was upbeat about the KSA starting to issue work visas for Bangladeshis.

“I expect it will be resumed very soon,” the secretary said further adding that they had already provided names of 100 recruitment agencies as per KSA’s request of 200 names.

Saudi Arabia recently lifted a 2008 ban on

recruiting workers from Bangladesh. KSA deputy labour minister for international affairs Ahmed Al-Fahaid and Bangladesh Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain signed an agreement in Dhaka two months earlier making way for aspirant Bangladeshi workers to getting KSA work visa again.

For the first time, the Bureau of Manpower, Employment & Training (BMET) has arranged residential training for 80 aspirant female domestic workers.

The training, scheduled to begin on April 21, is expected to equip them with necessarily skills needed for the Saudi domestic work, informed the secretary. l

A platform of general students form a human chain in front of the Raju Sculpture at the TSC roundabout on the Dhaka University campus yesterday protesting sexual assault on women during Pohela Boishakh celebrations RAJIB DHAR

Novo Nordisk to launch Ryzodeg insulin

n Tribune Report Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk is going to launch Ryzodeg for type 2 diabetic patients in Bangladesh on April 24 with a view to providing treatment by ensuring safety in taking injections.

Ryzodeg is a simple regimen with fewer injections than basal-bolus therapy that provides successful reduction of blood glucose with less chances of hypoglycaemia compared to conventional insulins.

People with diabetes currently using basal-bolus regimens may need to take up to four daily injections, which can be inconvenient and stressful. Ryzodeg requires only two injections daily, said A Rajan Kumar, managing director Novo Nordisk Pharma (Pvt.) Ltd. l

Mozammel urges new generation to uphold spirit of liberation war n BSS Minister for Liberation War Affairs AKM Mozammel Haque yesterday said the new generation would have to uphold the spirit of the Liberation War, a ministry release said.

“Without coming forward to uphold the spirit of the liberation war, freedom fighter’s children and their grand children would not get jobs under the freedom fighter’s quota,” he said while speaking as the chief guest at a Freedom Fighters Rally at Alamdanga upazila in the district.

He said the new generation must have trust in spirit of the liberation war, adding, “Freedom fighter’s quota is not the qualification for getting job of freedom

fighter’s children and their grand children.”

“The spirit of the liberation war is aimed at making the country economically solvent and non-communal for which Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had struggled for long,” the minister said.

Mozammel said Bangladesh is on her way to bring about economic revolution under the leadership of Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in absence of Bangabandhu, the release added.

Whip of Jatiya Sangsad Solaiman Haque was also present at the programme.

The minister also said the government is constructing Freedom Fighter Complex at all upazilas and districts, it said. l

Speakers: Protect natural resources from multinational companies n UNB Speakers at a programme in the capital yesterday underscored the need for an effective role of green organisations for protecting the natural resources of the country and preventing the multinational companies from looting those.

They came up with the view at a programme organised on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the environmentalist group Green Voice at the Central Shaheed Minar.

Addressing the programme as the chief guest, Engineer Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah, convener of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Electricity and Port, said the natural resources of Bangladesh are now the target of the multinational companies.

“Multinational companies are waiting like vultures to loot the country’s oil, gas, coal and other natural resources by any means,” he said.

Speaking at the programme, columnist Syed Abul Maksud said Bangladesh will not survive if the people of the country do not protect the natural resources, rivers, forest, playgrounds and parks.

General secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) Dr Abdul Matin urged all to protect the world’s largest mangrove forest Sundarbans from destruction by cancelling the proposed Rampal Coal-Fired Power Plant project adjacent to the forest.

Green Voice central coordinator Alamgir Kabir chaired the programme while environment activist Iqbal habib, Sharif Jamil and activists of several environmental organisations were present at the programme. l

BSBA inks waste management deal with Creative Consultants n Tribune Report Bangladesh Ship Breakers’ Association (BSBA) and Creative Consultants have recently signed a contract for better waste management in the ship breaking sector.

On April 13, the BSBA inked a deal titled “Train the Trainer Programme on Hazardous Waste Management and Oil Pollution Control,” with assistance from the Netherlands, at a restaurant in Dhaka.

BSBA President Abu Taher and Creative Consultant’s Dharmesh Jani signed the contract on behalf of their respective sides.

At the programme, Taher said that the Industries Ministry and BSBA are planning to set up a Central Dumping Zone for the ship-breaking sector.

Zahirul Islam Rinku, BSBA executive committee member charged with the organisation’s foreign affairs, praised the Royal Netherlands Embassy for stepping in at a such a crisis moment of the South Asian ship recycling sector. l

DT

NEWS 7

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Housewife tortured for dowry in Naogaon n Our Correspondent, Naogaon A drug addict brutally tortured his wife to realise dowry at Shesoil village in Manda upazila on Friday night.

The victim is Mahmuda Bibi, 28, wife of Jalal Hossain, from the village.

She was later admitted to Manda Upazila Health Complex.

Mahmuda told the Dhaka Tribune that she married Jalal in 2004 and her family at the time gave him Tk1.10 lakh as dowry.

Jalal after several years began torturing his wife demanding dowry, centring which there were some arbitrations to settle his demand.

On that night around 9pm, drunken Jalal tied up Mahmuda’s hands and legs, and beat her up mercilessly, asking her to bring Tk10,000 from her father anew.

At one stage, he set lit cigarette on different parts of her body before leaving her in the tied-up condition, Mahmuda went on.

However, she later managed to break the confinement and took shelter one of her neighbours, who admitted her to the hospital.

When contacted, the hospital’s duty doctors Sadia Afrin and Mahbuba Akter as well as local UP member Edris Ali acknowledged the torture on Mahmuda. l

BB plans Tk10bn refinance scheme for milk, livestock n Asif Showkat Kallol The central bank has sought the finance minister’s directives in creating a Tk1,000-crore fund for a fresh refinancing scheme to narrow milk production gap in the country.

The scheme will disburse easy loan to milk and food processing projects, farmers and individuals at 5% interest rate, official sources said.

The Bangladesh Bank (BB) has also sought Tk10 crore in the next budget to operating the low-interest refinancing scheme.

BB Governor Atiur Rahaman has recently wrote to the Finance Division seeking the allocations.

An official said: “The demand for milk in the country has risen sharply in recent times.

A large number of farmers badly need work-

ing capital to expand production for meeting the demand surge.”

According to the letter, banks will disburse the loan to farmers at 5% interest and the government will provide another 5% in subsidy to the banks. The subsidy will amount to around Tk10 crore next year.

The scheme’s tenure will be five years and the central bank will the run it through the scheduled banks.

The proposal is currently awaiting scrutiny results from the Bank and Financial Institutions Division (BFID) under the Finance Ministry.

Meanwhile, BFID data shows that the central bank has already sanctioned Tk100 crore each to the Ansar-VDP Unnayan Bank and Karma Sangsthan Bank for disbursing loans for shrimp, fish, milk and livestock farmers.

A Tk650 crore fund from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) is now in the hands of the central bank and it is likely that this fund will be introduced for the livestock sector soon.

Data shows that the scheduled banks disbursed Tk1,010 crore in the livestock sector from July to December.

In 2014, milk production in Bangladesh stood at 6.09 million tonnes meat production 4.52 million tonnes. In 1990, the figures were 0.94 million tonnes and 0.67 million tonnes respectively.

Despite the impressive production, the annual milk deficiency is around 7.93 million tonnes against a total demand of 14.02 million tonnes. The annual meat deficiency is around 2.21 million tonnes against a demand of 6.73 million tonnes. l

WEATHER

DRY WEATHER LIKELY SUNDAY, APRIL 19 DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:21PM

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:34AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

31

25

Chittagong

32

26

Rajshahi

34

24

Rangpur

30

22

Khulna

34

24

Barisal

32

25

Sylhet

29

20

Cox’s Bazar

31

25

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

35.5ºC Rangpur

23.3ºC Sayedpur Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr

4:15am

Sunrise

5:33am

Zohr

11:58am

Asr

4:31pm

Magrib

6:22pm

Esha

7:40pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

Biplobi Nari Sanghati organises a rally yesterday on the Dhaka University campus protesting sexual assaults on women that took place adjacent to TSC on the university campus on the occasion of Baishakh celebrations on April 14 RAJIB DHAR

Sujan urges EC to deploy Army before city elections n BSS Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan), a civil society platform working for good governance, yesterday urged the Election Commission (EC) to be more stringent to check violation of electoral rules and violence ahead of city corporation polls.

The organisation also called upon the EC to deploy army few days before the elections to maintain law and order during the polls to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections to Dhaka and Chittagong city corporations.

“Precautionary measures should be taken to ensure peaceful voting environment and check occupation of polling centres and hijacking of ballot papers and ballot boxes”, Sujan Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar said

while addressing a press conference at Chittagong Press Club this morning.

“Army should be deployed few days before the election, if necessary”, Majumder said adding that the EC will also have to take necessary steps to ensure that all participants maintain discipline during the city corporation polls.

Replying to a query of journalists, Majumder said the incidents of vote rigging, ballot box and ballot paper hijacking, violence and killing occurred during the Upazila Parishad elections.

“Now the EC has to decide whether they can control it without deploying army”, he said.

The Sujan secretary also urged the cabinet ministers and members of parliament to stay away from exercising political influence by using the government machinery. l

Two killed in Ctg n CU Correspondent Two people including a minor girl were killed in separate accidents in Chittagong city’s Panchlaish area and Patenga area yesterday.

The deceased are Fazlul Haque, 65, son of late Kader Khalifa of Patuakhali and Sumaiya Begum, 8, daughter of Nasir Uddin, said Nayek Jahangir Alam of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) Police Outpost.

Nayek Jahangir said Fazlul was critically injured after falling from the rooftop of a three-storied building at road 3 of Hill View residential area around 12:30pm. When he was taken to the CMCH the on-duty doctors declared him dead.

In another incident, Sumaiya was killed around 8:30am when a “Tom Tom” (human hauler) fell into a roadside ditch at Patenga sea beach area after the driver lost control of the vehicle, said Nayek Jahangir. She was declared dead after being taken to the CMCH. l

DT

8 NEWS

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Manpower crisis cripples Khulna Medical College Hospital n Our Correspondent, Khulna Khulna Medical College Hospital has been facing an acute manpower crisis for years, which is preventing the facility from dispensing the desired healthcare services.

The local authorities and even ministers have repeatedly promised to address the hospital’s manpower shortage but the problem still persists.

Caretaker of the hospital, Dr Md Abdus Samad, the crisis has been terribly hindering smooth delivery of medical services for some eight years.

“The skin and venereal disease ward could not be opened yet because of the crisis. I wrote to the authorities concerned for adding 1,200 people to the workforce but they have approved appointment of a mere 159. Scrutiny is now underway for appointing more people and recruitment will begin after the Finance

Ministry gives the final approval,” he said.

“The number of admitted patients averages 800 every day. The physicians we now have can smoothly serve a maximum of 250 patients but they are treating patients eight to ten times more than that. The health minister visited the hospital twice and promised to take steps for resolving the problem, but that is still at the initial stage.”

The hospital’s organogram consists of 713 posts for first-grade officials and physicians.

The number of proposed manpower for the posts is 632 but only 81 are working at present.

The crisis is severe in case of fourth-grade workers where 108 have been employed against a total of 503 posts and 395 names have been proposed.

There is no doctor in several departments, including cardiology (15 proposed), neurosurgery (nine proposed), child surgery (nine pro-

posed), endocrine surgery (nine proposed), psychology (15 proposed), nephrology (12 proposed), respiratory medicine (nine proposed), physical medicine (nine proposed) and casualty (nine proposed).

The hospital was a 250-bed facility and was elevated to a 500-bed one back in 2008 but services did not improve because of the scarcity of doctors.

Most of the wards in the hospital have admitted patients more than two or three times their capacities. Doctors and nurses often get embroiled in disputes with family members and relatives of patients in the overcrowded wards. There have even been scuffles between the two groups in the past.

Tinku Tarafder, in-charge of the orthopaedic surgery department, yesterday said there were 85 patients in his ward against a capacity of 65.

“Besides, each patient comes with at least

three to four relatives who often bombard doctors with questions. They mostly complain about intern doctors, having the prejudice that such doctors do not possess the skills and experience that the patients need. They keep asking for senior and more experienced doctors which often lead to heated arguments,” he said.

Fatema Begum, a patient of the gynaecology department, said doctors sometimes ask to buy the same medicine several times.

“The hospital provides no pricey medicine.

I have taken treatment for four days and had to buy all the medicines myself,” she said.

Nihar Ranjan, who came from Kotalipara, said he was taking her ill mother back to the village as her condition did not improve in the last three days.

“There were no senior physicians. My mother was treated only by novice doctors. I have no way but to get back to the village.” l

Three suspected robbers killed n Tribune Report At least three suspected robbers were killed in Savar and Magura yesterday.

Our Savar correspondent reports: Two suspected robbers were killed in a mob attack at Hindu Bhakurta village in Savar, outskirts of the capital.

The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately.

Quoting the locals, Savar model police station Officer-in-Charge Motaleb Miah said: “A gang of robbers attacked the house of one Sunil around 3am and looted valuables keeping the house inmates at gunpoint.

At one stage, the robbers stabbed Sunil as he tried to resist them.

Hearing screaming, local people rushed in and caught two robbers while the others managed to flee the scene.

The villagers then beat up them, leaving them dead on the spot.

Police recovered the bodies and sent those to local hospital morgue.

In Magura, a suspected robber was killed during a ‘gunfight’ with police in Mugirdal area on the Magura-Jessore Road in Sadar upazila.

The deceased was identified as Rafiqul Islam, 40, of Satkhira district.

Munshi Asaduzzaman, officer-in-Charge of Sadar police station said, on information, a team of law enforcers conducted a drive in the area around 2am when a group of robbers were taking preparation to commit robbery.

When the team reached the spot, the robbers opened fire to police, prompting the law enforcers to fire back that triggered a gunfight.

“Rafiqul was caught in the line of fire and died on the spot while the others managed to flee,” OC said.

Four police constables also sustained bullet injuries during the incident.

Police recovered a rifle, two bullets, five crude bombs and some sharp weapons from the spot, reports our correspondent. l

Activists of Progotisheel Chhatrajot of Rajshahi University bring out a procession on the campus yesterday protesting the humiliation of VC Professor Muhammad Mizanuddin and other teachers by ruling party MP Omar Fruk Chowdhury and district AL leader Dablu Sarkar. On Wednesday, Omar stormed into the VC office and threatened to get the latter sacked for failing to materialise personal gain. A day later, Dablu Sarker, accompanied by some 30 aides, entered the VC’s office and demanded appointment of the people of their choice AZAHAR UDDIN

NEWS IN BRIEF Youth killed for protesting sister’s harassment A man was stabbed to death by some youngsters as he protested teasing of his sister by them at Shaltala in the town early yesterday. The deceased was identified as Sohel Hawladar, 20, son of Abdul Aziz of Gobardia village in Sadar uapzila. SI Imam Uddin of Bagerhat Model police station said Sohel had an altercation with 3-4 young men as they made an indecent approach to his sister at a fair organised for celebrating Pahela Baishakh at the Zila Parishad auditorium. At one stage, the young men stabbed Sohel and his friend while they were roaming at the fair venue around 10 pm, leaving them critically injured.

– Our Correspondent, Bagerhat

Two including Jubo League activist shot

Two people including a Jubo League activist were injured by bullet when a gang of criminals shot

them near KDA New Market area yesterday. The injured Jubo League activist Shaon alias Tenki Shaon and his friend Sayeed were admitted to Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) immediately after the incident. Sonadanga police station Officer-in-Charge Maruf Ahmed said, a gang of miscreants opened fire on Shaon when he was talking with his friends in front of Baitun Nur Mosque near New Market area around 10pm. The miscreants fled immediately after the attack, he said.

– Our Correspondent,Khulna

Woman hacked to death A woman was hacked to death and her husband and daughter were also injured by unidentified miscreants at Bhawraid in the city early yesterday. The deceased was identified as Khorsheda Begam, wife of Anwar Hossain, a resident of the area. Quoting locals, Joydebpur police station Sub Inspector Sujayet Hossain said miscreants entered the house and stabbed the three while they were sleeping. On information, police rushed to the spot

and recovered the body of Khorsheda and rescued Anwar and their daughter Aklima lying in a pool of blood inside the room. Anwar and Aklima were admitted to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital and later shifted to a private hospital at Uttara in the capital.

– Our Correspondent, Gazipur

16 Jamaat-Shibir men held with crude bombs Police in a drive arrested 16 activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir along with six crude bombs and explosives from Dar-us-Salam academy in Bus stand area of Mirpur upazila yesterday morning. On a tip-off, a team of police conducted a drive around 10am and arrested the Jamaat-Shibir activists along with the crude bombs and explosives while they were holding a clandestine meeting in the institution.

Kazi Jalal Uddin, officer-in-charge of Mirpur police station confirmed the incident.

– Our Correspondent, Kushtia

DT

NEWS 9

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

22 killed in road accidents in 7 districts n Tribune Report

Fourth-class employees of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital demonstrate outside the hospital following a scuffle with interns, who allegedly beat up some of the ward boys of the hospital. The tension broke out when one of the ward boys asked an interns, who was not wearing an apron, to leave the ward. The interns swooped on the ward boy and locked him up at ward 4. Hospital authorities later rescued the ward boy AZAHAR UDDIN

Recruitment of clerks in 7 govt primary schools in limbo n Our Correspondent, Joypurhat Complications in the appointment of clerkcum-guard of seven government primary schools of Khetlal upazila of Joypurhat are yet to be resolved due to the intervention of a local parliament member.

Three months after the appointment, upazila primary education office issued a notice declaring the appointments illegal as per the directive of MP Abu Syed Al Mahmud Shopon.

In response, presidents of the managing committee of the seven schools wrote to the Upazila Primary Education Officer (UPEO) protesting the cancellation of the appointments.

As such teachers and guardians of these schools expressed concern over the tug of war between the authorities.

According to the Directorate of Primary Education, the then UPEO Jahanara Begum initiated the recruitment of clerk-cum-guard for 11 primary schools of Khetlal upazila on February 5, 2014.

Only two schools were able to complete the recruitment in due time, after which recruitment process of the rest of the nine schools was halted temporarily. On October 15 and 16 last year, eight schools completed the process but only seven schools sent the test results and panel sheet to Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) between October 26 and 29.

However on November 17, local parliament member Abu Syed Al Mahmud Shopon asked the UNO in a letter to suspend the appointment in those seven schools due to alleged irregularities. He, however, did not specify

the anomalies and was also not available for comment.

According to the primary education regulation, after the selection committee of the schools send the results to the higher authority for approval, the authority would say if there was any suggestion or directive. The selection committee would then fulfill the requirement and the approval body would

‘The appointment of those seven schools has been suspended as per the directive of the local MP. But we will soon revive the recruitment process and start anew’ then have to approve it within 30 days. If the selection committee gets no feedback within that time, they may appoint the first person on the list and issue a notice duly signed by the headmaster.

Since there was no issue from the approval authority about the result forwarded by the selection committee, the management of the seven schools wrote to the UNO to approve the appointments. But getting no response from the UNO, the school committee appointed the clerks and asked the upazila office for their salary.

After the completion of appointment, UPEO Rafiqul Islam on March 12 asked those

seven schools, along with other primary schools of the upazila, to advertise for fresh recruitment. But the school committee wrote to the UPEO on March 18 expressing their inability to do so.

Rabiul Islam Tipu, president of the managing committee of Mohabbatpur Govt Primary School, said their appointment was not approved though they followed the regulation with utmost transparency.

“According to the regulation if the authority does not say anything within 30 days, we can go ahead with the recruitment. But we waited about three months and then appointed the clerk. We will take legal measures if needed,” he added.

UPEO Rafiqul Islam said: “Appointment of clerk-cum-guard in 13 schools, out of 34 government primary schools in the upazila, was completed in two steps. Rest of the 21 schools were asked to publicise the advertisement but seven of them denied to do so. Hence, we have halted the appointment.”

President of the appointment committee, UNO Abdullahel Baki said: “The appointment of those seven schools has been suspended as per the directive of the local MP. But we will soon revive the recruitment process and start anew.”

When he was asked about the regulation of informing the committee within 30 days, he said the committee did not inform him of the appointment.

“Even after 30 days, if they appoint someone, I must be informed. Since I received no such letter, those appointments are incomplete,” he said. l

At least 22 people were killed in road accidents in Dhaka, Manikganj, Sirajganj, Bogra, Chittagong, Mymensingh and Tangail districts yesterday.

Eight people, including four of a family, were killed as two buses hit a private car at Barobaria area in Savar, reports our correspondent.

The deceased were identified as Monowar Hossain, 32, his wife Farida Begum, 26, her two-year-old son Towhid and four-year-old son Toha, car driver Faruk, 29, Dilara Begum, her daughters Shami Aktar, and Ankita.

Dhamrai police station Officer-in-Charge Firoz Talukder said: “A Dhaka-bound bus of Asha Paribahan collided head-on with an Aricha-bound bus of Shohag Paribahan in Bathuli area around 2pm. At that time, a private car crashed into the bus that left four people dead on the spot and 10 others injured.”

The injured were admitted to a local hospital where four others succumbed to their injuries.

Our Manikganj correspondent reported that four people, including a child, were killed when a bus collided with a truck on the Dhaka-Aricha highway in Saturia upazila in the afternoon.

Sirajganj correspondent said five people were killed and 27 others injured as a truck hit a bus at Baniagati area in Kamarkhand upazila early in the morning.

Bangabandhu Bridge Pashchim police station Officer-in-Charge Helal Uddin said a truck hit a Dhaka-bound ‘Anik Paribahan’ bus around 2:30am and the bus overturned on the road, leaving two dead on the spot and 28 injured.

Another three died on the way to district general hospital.

In Bogra, Mamtaj Uddin, 45, and his wife Shefali Khatun, 35, were killed in a road accident in Dhunat upazila.

Locals said, a truck rammed into a bike at Sonahata Bazar area around 9am, leaving the duo dead on the spot.

A sexagenarian woman was crushed under the wheels of a truck on the Dhaka-Tangail highway in Mirzapur upazila in the morning, reports Tangail correspondent.

The dead was identified as Nayanbala, 60.

Our Mymensingh correspondent reports: A pickup van driver was killed in a road accident in Maizbari area on the Mymensingh-Muktagacha Road under Sadar upazila.

The victim was identified as Ali Asgar, 38, hailed from Bajat Kutubpur in Katiadi upazila of Kishoreganj district.

Police said the accident occurred when his pickup van collided head-on with a Mymensingh-bound truck at Maizbari around 8 am, leaving him dead on the spot.

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

Police seized both the vehicles but the truck driver managed to flee.

A case was lodged in this connection.

A minor girl was killed in a road accident in the city’s Patenga sea beach area, reported our Chittagong correspondent.

The deceased was identified as Sumaya Begum, daughter of Nasir Uddin hailing from Nazir Para area. l

DT

10 WORLD

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Afghan suicide bombing claimed

by Islamic State kills 33

Indian troops fire at Kashmir protesters; teenager killed

n AP, Srinagar

Government forces fired on anti-India protesters Saturday and killed a teenage student on the second day of violent clashes in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, police said. Relatives disputed the official account, saying the boy was killed in custody.

The protesters, hurling rocks and shouting slogans, had gathered Saturday morning in the western village of Narbal as shops, businesses and public transportation shut down for a strike called by separatists challenging India’s sovereignty in Kashmir, police said.

Troops fired on the demonstrators, killing the boy, police inspector general Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gillani said. Relatives and villagers contested the official story, however, saying the teen had been picked up by authorities before being shot. l

Afghan security personnel look on after a second explosion following a suicide attack outside a bank in Jalalabad yesterday

n AFP The Islamic State (IS) group claimed to have carried out a deadly suicide attack in eastern Afghanistan Saturday that killed at least 33 people and injured more than 100, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said, in what, if verified, would be the first major attack claimed by the jihadist group in the country.

“Who claimed responsibility for horrific attack in Nangarhar today? The Taliban did not claim responsibility for the attack, Daesh (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack,” President Ghani said on a visit to northeastern Badakhshan province.

A person purporting to be an IS spokesman said in a call to AFP that the group claimed responsibility for the bombing outside a bank in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad.

An online posting allegedly from the group made the same claim, which could not be immediately verified.

“Thirty-three dead bodies and more than 100 wounded were brought to the hospital,” Dr Najeebullah Kamawal, head of the provincial hospital, told AFP. Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, a provincial government spokesman, confirmed the attack – the deadliest since November.

“The explosion happened outside the bank when government employees and civilians were collecting their monthly salaries,” he told AFP. The UN gave a higher toll, saying 35 people had been killed.

President Ghani strongly condemned the attack, which saw children among those killed, his office said in a statement.

“Carrying out terrorist attacks in cities and public places are the most cowardly acts of terror by terrorists targeting innocent civilians,” President Ghani said.

The scene of the attack showed the gruesome scale of the carnage with people lying

AFP

in pools of blood and body parts scattered across the ground.

The bombing comes as Afghanistan braces for what is expected to be a bloody push by the Taliban at the start of the fighting season.

However, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied responsibility.

The militants have stepped up attacks on government and foreign targets since Washington backpedalled on plans to shrink the US force in Afghanistan this year by nearly half.

The Taliban have seen defections to IS in recent months, with some insurgents voicing their disaffection with their one-eyed supreme leader Mullah Omar, who has not been seen since the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

The Afghan government has also raised the ominous prospect of IS making inroads into the country, though the group that has captured swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq has never formally acknowledged having a presence in Afghanistan. l

Saudis answer UN call with $274m Yemen aid pledge

n Agencies

Saudi Arabia, which is leading a three-weekold air campaign against Houthi fighters in Yemen, has announced $274m in humanitarian aid for the Arabian Peninsula nation.

The pledge, which the official SPA news agency said on Saturday was ordered by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, followed a UN appeal for $274m to provide emergency assistance to the millions affected by the conflict.

“Ordinary families are struggling to access healthcare, water, food and fuel - basic requirements for their survival,” Johannes Van Der Klaauw, the UN humanitarian coordinator, said on Friday. The World Health Organisation, in a new toll, says 767 people have died in Yemen’s war since March 19 and more than 2,900 have been wounded. The majority are civilians.

The UN says thousands of families have fled their homes due to the war, which has also killed six Saudi security officers in border skirmishes. l

Australia FM hails Iran effort Jinping urges Yemen resolution in call with Saudi king to defeat Islamic State n AFP Australia’s foreign minister on Saturday hailed Iran’s efforts to crush the jihadist Islamic State group in Iraq, saying on a rare trip to Tehran that the militants can be defeated.

Julie Bishop is Australia’s highest-ranking official to visit Iran in 12 years and she discussed the conflict in Iraq with her Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Australia is part of an international coalition in Iraq and has 500 troops deployed there.

Iran, though not part of the coalition, has run a parallel campaign using Shiite militias and military advisers to reverse the IS surge that came close to felling the Baghdad government last June.

“We are witnessing a more complex and dangerous form of terrorism with Daesh,”

Bishop said at a joint press conference, using an Arabic acronym to refer to the militant group.

“Both countries can contribute in the fight against this terrorist organisation and put an end to the misery of the people in Iraq,” she said, referring to Iran and Australia’s efforts.

Iraq needs “a strong and stable government” added Bishop, who along with Zarif said Australia and Iran were in Iraq at the request of the Baghdad government in fighting IS. “The fight against Daesh and terrorism in Iraq should be managed by the Iraqi government,” Zarif said. “Anything we do in Iraq is in coordination with the Iraqi government.”

Bishop will later meet President Hassan Rouhani and Ali Akbar Velayati, foreign affairs adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. l

n Reuters

Efforts should be stepped up to seek a political solution to the crisis in Yemen, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Saudi Arabia’s King Salman in a telephone call, China’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

A Saudi-led coalition began an air campaign on March 25 after Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who run most of the country, closed in on the southern port city of Aden and forced the Saudi-backed President Abd-Rabbu Mansour to flee to Riyadh.

China, a low-key diplomatic player in the Middle East despite its reliance on oil from the region, has previously expressed concern at the upsurge in violence in Yemen and called for a political solution.

“The situation in Yemen concerns the security and stability of the Middle East, espe-

cially the Gulf region, and efforts on the political resolution process for the Yemen issue ought to be speeded up,” Xi said, according to the Foreign Ministry.

All parties should follow the decisions of the United Nations Security Council and proposals by the Gulf Cooperation Council to ensure stability and normalcy is returned to in Yemen as soon as possible, Xi added.

“China is willing to keep in close touch and coordinate with all parties to jointly push for an appropriate resolution at the earliest stage for the Yemen issue,” he said.

The Foreign Ministry said the call was made on Friday.

Salman explained Saudi Arabia’s position on Yemen to Xi, and said he was willing to make efforts to resume peace and stability there as soon as possible, China’s Foreign Ministry added. l

DT

WORLD 11

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

21 killed in fierce fighting on outskirts of Libya's capital n Agencies At least 21 people have been killed in fighting near Libya’s capital Tripoli, military sources say, as the country’s rival parliaments meet in Morocco for UN-brokered peace talks.

Forces of the UN-recognised government, based in the eastern city of Tobruk, clashed with fighters from the Libya Dawn alliance on Friday in Tajoura, 30km east of Tripoli, after launching an attack in a new bid to take back the capital, which is under the militia’s control.

A pro-government military source told the AFP news agency “14 soldiers, four fighters from Fajr Libya [Libya Dawn], and three women were killed today in Tajoura,” adding that the women were killed accidentally in rocket fire.

Another 24 people were wounded, he said,

without giving a breakdown.

Mohamad Shami, a Libya Dawn spokesperson in Tripoli, confirmed the attack but gave a much higher death toll on the pro-government side.

He said “32 members of the attacking forces were killed.”

“Fajr Libya is in full control of Tajoura, and there are minor clashes near a camp called the 101 camp where some of the attackers are still there and Fajr Libya forces are surrounding them,” he said.

A second pro-government military source told AFP that “there are ongoing fierce battles in Tajoura area, with the help of our air force launching air strikes.”

The fresh fighting marks a new front as forces loyal to the internationally recognised government try to re-enter the capital, under the control of Libya Dawh since August.

The country has had two governments and parliaments since the alliance of fighters seized Tripoli in August and the internationally recognised government fled to the country’s far east.

On March 24, the UN mission in Libya (UNSMIL) unveiled a six-point plan to end the crisis, including the formation of a transitional unity government until a new constitution is adopted and elections held.

The rival parliaments are currently in Morocco to try to reach an agreement.

UNSMIL said Friday that there were still “differences” that needed to be worked out before a consensus was reached.

“We have received the text from the parties on their remarks. There are differences that we are working to narrow,” Samir Ghattas, UNSMIL spokesman, said in statement texted to AFP. l

Sumi Sherpa lights a butter lamp during one-year death anniversary rituals for her father Ang Kaji Sherpa, a victim of last year’s deadly avalanche in Everest, at a monastery in Kathmandu yesterday AP

Researchers: Israeli military networks breached by hackers Hackers have managed to penetrate computer networks associated with the Israeli military in an espionage campaign that skillfully packages existing attack software with trick emails, according to security researchers at Blue Coat Systems Inc. The four-month-old effort, most likely by Arabic-speaking programmers, shows how the Middle East continues to be a hotbed for cyber espionage and how widely the ability to carry off such attacks has spread, the researchers said.

Waylon Grange, a researcher with the Blue Coat [PRJCBB.UL] who discovered the campaign, said the vast majority of the hackers’ software was cobbled together from widely

A series of car-bomb attacks have hit two cities in Iraq, leaving dozens of people dead.

In the capital Baghdad, at least 27 people were killed on Friday in multiple blasts.

The deadliest attack was inside a car dealership in the mainly Shia Habibya neighbourhood in the east of the city. No one has claimed responsibility.

At least eight Iraqi soldiers were also killed in Baghdad due to shelling of the town by ISIL. In Friday’s other attack, a car bomb struck next to the US consulate in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdish region.

Security sources said the blast in the Ankawa district killed at least three people and injured five others.

Government officials in Erbil said the suicide bomber detonated his explosives in a car parked near the consulate building when security guards became aware of his presence.

US officials said no consulate staff were harmed in the attack, which has been condemned by the US administration. l

n Reuters

n AP, Kathmandu

n Reuters

n Agencies

Australia foils alleged terror attack for Gallipoli centenary

Nepal marks anniversary of deadliest Everest avalanche Hundreds of people have gathered in Nepal’s capital to mark the anniversary of the deadliest avalanche to hit Mount Everest.

After 16 Nepalese Sherpa guides died in the April 18, 2014, disaster, the guides refused to work on the mountain, leading to the cancellation of last year’s climbing season.

On Saturday, the government announced that a portion of the permit fees charged to trekkers and mountaineers would be used for a fund to help people working in Nepal’s trekking industry.

Tourism Secretary Suresh Man Shrestha said the fund would be used for the rescue and rehabilitation of injured trekking and mountaineering guides, and to help the families of workers who are killed. Also on Saturday, a memorial was held at the Nepal Mountaineering Association’s office in Kathmandu, the capital. l

Car-bomb attacks kill dozens in two Iraqi cities

available tools, such as the remote-access Trojan called Poison Ivy. The hackers were likely working on a budget and had no need to spend much on tailored code, Grange said, adding that most of their work appeared to have gone into socalled social engineering, or human trickery.

The hackers sent emails to various military addresses that purported to show breaking military news, or, in some cases, a clip featuring “Girls of the Israel Defense Forces.” Some of the emails included attachments that established “back doors” for future access by the hackers and modules that could download and run additional programs, according to Blue Coat.

Using standard obfuscation techniques, the software was able to avoid detection by

most antivirus engines, Blue Coat said. At least some software lodged inside government computers, because Blue Coat detected it “beaconing,” or sending signals to the hackers that it was in place.

An Israei defense ministry spokeswoman referred questions to the military. Military officials said they were “not aware of hacking on IDF operational networks.”

Blue Coat provided Reuters with an advance look at its findings and intends to publish a paper later. The security firm, based in Sunnyvale, California, is set to be acquired by private equity firm Bain Capital LLC. Citing confidentiality agreements with clients, Blue Coat declined to say exactly where the campaign worked, and Grange said he did not know if any vital data had been stolen. l

Hundreds of Australian police on Saturday arrested five teens planning an Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack next week at an event to mark the centenary of the landings at Gallipoli during World War One, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said.

More than 200 police were involved in a series of raids in the southern city of Melbourne in the early hours of Saturday, police said, following a month-long sting operation. Five men aged 18 and 19 were detained.

The run-up to this year’s centenary - a major holiday in Australia and New Zealand - has been marked by numerous television programs and commemorations, sparking concerns that radicals may target the celebrations for a high-profile attack.

“There were a series of raids in metropolitan Melbourne. Five people were arrested,” Prime Minister Tony Abbott told reporters.

“Two will be charged with preparing a terrorist act. l

Israel, Palestinians agree on tax revenue transfer

n AP, Ramallah

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday that he has reached an agreement with Israel in which essential tax revenues it collects for the Palestinians will be transferred following a four-month freeze.

Abbas initially rejected Israel’s unfreezing of the tax funds because it included a deduction to settle debts incurred by his Palestinian Authority, including for unpaid utility bills.

Speaking to a gathering of Palestinians leaders, Abbas said that “There is an agreement; the money will be sent in full.”

Israel typically collects taxes and customs on behalf of the Palestinians and then transfers the sums to Abbas.

They account for 70% of the Palestinian Authority’s revenue. l

DT

12 EDITORIAL

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Thank you to all our readers

A

s Dhaka Tribune celebrates the second anniversary of its launch, we would like to extend a special thank you to all of our readers, contributors and advertisers.

It is the active engagement of readers that allows so many informed, lively discussions to take place on our comments and letters pages. The recent successful launch of our compact print edition forms part of our commitment to continually innovate to fulfill our remit to deliver concise, reliable, timely reporting and to provide a platform for a diverse range of opinions.

We would like to thank everyone who has helped Dhaka Tribune establish itself as a leading quality paper of choice in the marketplace.

It has been a busy two years.

While Bangladesh faces huge challenges and problems, we believe our nation’s resourceful and youthful population heralds many opportunities for Bangladesh to keep moving fast towards a more inclusive and prosperous future.

Every day is a new beginning for a newspaper. We promise every day to strive to be worthy of the trust readers place in us, and to do our best to dig deep into events and speak truth to power when calling the accountable to account.

It is a privilege for Dhaka Tribune to help play our part by presenting new ideas, voices, and ways of looking at the world.

We promise every day to strive to be worthy of the trust readers place in us

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

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Mirrors in the fabric

The sun shines bright on the day of the new year, too bright for some -- burning, burned, burnt. A stream of red and white with other colours in accompaniment, it’s a free flow

of colours and smiles. Two young boys with colourful shirts, mirrors in the fabric reflecting the bright sun, one gets dazzled looking at them. Little kids cannot walk but have to run as young couples look for a quiet shade for the locking of lips. The stoned rickshaw-puller looks hither and thither, he would like to be somewhere else; he looks venomously at frolicking boys and girls.

And the man, never seeing anything but through literary eyes, always in the world of the unreal, honestly mistaking his sensuality for romantic emotions, dithering about his artistic pursuits, idling all the while in the name of philosophical calm, duping himself into believing that he is sincere, practicing vulgarity, almost, in the name of love, steps on the streets. He decides to lose himself in the flow.

DT

Accidents don’t just happen

P

olice believe some 24 out of 45 passengers managed to safely reach the shore after last week’s trawler capsize in the Shitalakshya River near Mulagaon in Gazipur district.

The trawler sank immediately after colliding with two sand-laden trawlers coming from the opposite direction. This incident comes just weeks after at least 13 people died in similar collisions with sand-carrying vessels on the Buriganga and Meghna rivers.

It is appalling that such tragedies, which are manifestly preventable, are so commonplace in our country.

Despite over 500 official inquiries and probe committees into river disasters over the last 40 years, the government and BIWTA have failed to curb the callous disregard for safety rules and negligence which underlies so many of these accidents.

Impunity for flouting basic safety regulations and running aging, unfit and poorly maintained vessels remains endemic.

The collusion of corrupt and incompetent officials is one part of the picture which has allowed 4,500 people to die in river accidents in the last four decades. Lack of punishment and accountability for breaches is the underlying problem.

It is imperative that the government start ensuring proper punishment for negligence and recklessness. Only if it can demonstrate that it takes safety seriously, can the public begin to have confidence that authorities will be properly enforcing rules to put safety first.

A good way to reinforce safety would be to raise insurance requirements on all vessel operators carrying passengers. This would incentivise insurers and vessel owners alike to improve maintenance and address the poor training and corruption which institutionalises reckless practices.

It is imperative the government start ensuring proper punishment for negligence and recklessness

Captors of Oyasiqur’s killers fear being named April 1

RetiredBUET It is our national shame that the brave citizens who apprehended a killer feel unsafe in our land. We should be praising their heroism and shaming those who justify the hatred and violence of those who attack people in the name of religion.

Kamaruzzaman review petition hearing April 5 April 1 Molla A Latif This is heinous cowardice on the part of the defense. Should not take shelter of falsehood in the apex court. And that very lawyer Kh Mahboob Hossain is lacking in morals always.

Why should he fight for the war criminals at all when he himself was its prosecutor once?

BCB lodges official complaint to ICC April 1 Pervez Ahmed Breaking news: ICC has received the complaint and thrown it down the garbage chute. This has made the BD very angry and the country has decided to ban the use of all garbage chutes until further notice.

20 years after Beijing April 1

Dreampie I like women.

Khokon Mia Yes. There is much to be gained by enabling women to occupy the same opportunity spaces as men. It is logic in its purest form.

Underwear on the Dance Floor Empowering our womenfolk is an endeavour worth undertaking.

Oyasiqur killing protested in London April 1 Dev Saha Murders would not deter people writing their thinking freely. Sorry to see another cold-blooded murder when Avijit’s killing is still raw in our minds. The animals are at-large. rose Yes indeed, the blogger’s killing should be protested and the miscreants or the killers need to be punished.

First-ever Bangladesh center opens at US university March 31 Zero-Agenda This centre won’t be completely Bangladeshi until it’s pumped full of bureaucracy and corruption.

DT

OPINION 13

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Attacking Tulip is counterproductive n Muhammad Ahmedullah

T

ulip Siddiq, who has been a Camden local councillor for a number of years, is currently a Labour Party candidate for the Hampstead and Kilburn seat in the 2015 general election. She has been attacked by a section of the British Bangladeshi Muslim community, primarily on two grounds.

2014, which was boycotted by the main opposition parties, Tulip visited Bangladesh and campaigned for her aunt’s party, the Awami League.

This was quite inappropriate as a British national and as a British politician aspiring to be a member of the British parliament.

Her campaigning for her aunt was said to be even more inappropriate since Sheikh Hasina was accused of state killings in 2013. It is said

If some British Bangladeshi Muslims want to discredit Tulip in the eyes of local voters, then they will first have to educate the British public about what is going on in Bangladesh

First, that she must have played an important role in concluding an arms deal between Bangladesh and Russia. A 2013 picture in Moscow with her family, Putin and her aunt Sheikh Hasina, the current prime minister of Bangladesh, is presented as a proof that she must have had some dodgy influence, as a British politician, to secure the arms deal. This dodgy role, which they believe she played, is considered totally inappropriate for a British politician to have undertaken.

Second, it is said that during the dodgy Bangladesh national election in January

that she has never distanced herself from her aunt’s politics, and also deleted Facebook images of her campaigning in order to hide her breach of conduct.

These are the two main reasons given by a strong British Bangladeshi opposition to Tulip’s candidacy in the 2015 British national election. Why do I think it is futile and counterproductive for a section of the British Bangladeshi Muslim community to use the above two reasons to try and damage her prospects for winning the seat?

First, she provided an explanation on why

she visited Moscow at that time with her family. She said that her aunt Sheikh Hasina, had not seen her and the family for a while and invited them to go to Moscow.

Think about what possible role she could have played in securing the BangladeshRussia Arms deal. She was a Camden councillor of Bangladeshi descent. She was not a big shot politician or a business woman in the UK. What role could she have played by that short visit to Moscow? Securing the arms deal would have required top level meetings between officials of the two countries for quite a long time, including the involvement of people with technical, military and financial expertise.

I think in the absence of good journalism and without solid evidence, we have to accept what Tulip says. Perhaps, for Hasina, Tulip and her family joining her in Moscow was a good photo opportunity, in addition to sentimentality.

The British public, particularly residents of Hampstead and Kilburn, probably know very little about what is going on in Bangladesh and unlikely to be interested in getting involved in Bangladesh politics or let Bangladesh politics determine their voting decisions. If some British Bangladeshi Muslims want to discredit Tulip in the eyes of local voters, then they will first have to educate the British public about what is going on in Bangladesh and get them to view things in Bangladesh according to their perspectives.

If British voters in Hampstead and Kilburn have very little knowledge of what is going on in Bangladesh and do not share the perspectives of any particular Bangladeshi

group, then how will the attack on Tulip for going to Bangladesh to participate in the national election in January 2015 produce any positive results?

It is unlikely to produce any benefits to the people who oppose or fear Tulip becoming a British MP. Tulip must have dual nationality, just like most other British Bangladeshis. This means that as a national of Bangladesh she must be free to support and campaign for any groups or parties in the country’s political process.

Is there any legal ban or ethical agreement within Britain that prevents or strongly discourages any British national or politician from participating in any foreign political process? I do not know for sure but I have not yet come across anything in this regard.

The above are weak grounds used to try to discredit and damage Tulip’s chances of winning the parliamentary seat and becoming a Labour MP in the 2015 national election.

Further, the use of these weak arguments is likely to also be counterproductive, because the British public may perceive that a bunch of Muslims are trying to prevent a strong and intelligent woman from their community from becoming a prominent politician in Britain.

In addition, the introduction of Bangladesh politics into the British elections may not only be unwelcome, but also be subject to resentment by the local voters.

The above are weak grounds used to try to discredit and damage Tulip’s chances of winning the parliamentary seat and becoming a Labour MP in the 2015 national election

The actual result is likely to be the opposite of what is intended by those who have been attacking her and in reality have helped generate more sympathy for Tulip.

The total population of the Hampstead and Kilburn parliamentary constituency, according to 2011 census, was 117,046. There were 1,015 Bangladeshi people recorded as living in the constituency in 2011. This constitutes 0.9% of the total. The number of voters is 78,225 and as the Bangladeshi population tends to be younger, the voter percentage is likely to be less than 0.9% The size of the Bangladeshi vote in the parliamentary constituency is insignificant, so voters in Hampstead and Kilburn cannot be influenced significantly by what is going on in Bangladesh. l Muhammad Ahmedullah is Secretary of the Brick Lane Circle in London.

DT

14 OPINION

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Young hopes for north n Aaqib Md Shatil

M

ayfair, a young military official in the Commonwealth forces during the age of Cromwell who was promoted to colonel in his 30s, is the heroic protagonist of Mark Twain’s most popular short stories. The story is about three colonels of the Commonwealth army who were ordered to fake an attack on their enemies so that the force could retreat, as the generals in the army had deemed the battle impossible to win.

However, the three colonels defected in their style and, in a desperate bid to win the battle, actually attacked their foes, ending up with a victory for the Commonwealth army, negating the predictions made by the generals.

Though the actual story is about a totally different event and was inspired by the execution of John Poyer, the battle in that story depicts how the passion of the young can change the game with their spirit of thinking the impossible possible.

However, analysing the reality of Dhaka, many have concluded that it is impossible to revive a city recently ranked the second least livable city in the world, slightly better off than the war-torn Damascus. I assume they forgot about the youths of the city, who have the potential to change their city into a liveable one.

The political parties, however, have counted on the youth extending their support to the young leaders of the parties, so that they may choose them as the mayoral candidates in Dhaka, especially in the north.

The BNP’s candidate, Tabith Mohammed Awal, a George Washington University graduate who is now serving as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Multimode Group, is the youngest among all the candidates who have declared their candidacy for Dhaka North

BIGSTOCK

No doubt all these candidates are prudent and energetic enough to bring changes in the northern part of the capital and to turn it into a liveable one. But only one of them can reach that place

City Corporation. His academic excellence has made him a very astute businessman.

He has also served as the Director of National Bank Limited and is currently serving as the Vice-President of Bangladesh Football Federation.

Additionally, he is a footballer who used to play for Feni Soccer Club. Feni Soccer Club, under his active leadership, managed to finish fourth in the Bangladesh League in 20092010. Tabith, a veritable admirer of football, is now the Chairman of the club.

Tabith Awal has gained valuable experience throughout his career within a short period by serving in different organisations,

starting from his family business to the national governing body of football. It is believed that he has the potential to become a better mayor.

Tabith Awal has pledged to create a new Dhaka for the new generation. His new Dhaka will be a safer one, a Dhaka where the water crisis will be solved, the adulteration of food will be prevented, and the traffic jams will be reduced. Moreover, he has brought some new ideas to the table, like setting up health booths, knowledge centres, 3R waste management etc.

It seems that the manifesto of Tabith has focused on the day-to-day problems of

Dhaka. Tabith, who is a Masters graduate in IT, has emphasised the use of technology to solve the problems Dhaka continues to face.

On the other hand, Zonayed Saki, the chief coordinator of the Gonoshonghoti Andolon, is among those youths who are dreaming of changing the northern part of the capital. Saki, who comes from a leftist political background, has always been vocal on the problems faced by the common people in their everyday life all through his political career.

Zonayed Saki has declared he will provide special financial schemes for the purchase of bicycles with a view to encouraging the use of environment-friendly transport in the roads of the capital. In addition to solving the traffic problem, he has proposed to empower his corporation by buying new public buses if the BRTC fails to increase the number of buses it has under its wing.

Abdullah Al Kafee, the CPB-BSD backed mayoral candidate for DNCC, is another young gun who believes in bringing change in Dhaka North.

Kafee, a left-leaning politician, will provide saplings to all city schools and colleges under a forestation project to make the city “green.” He also pledges to install Wi-Fi

network in popular spots throughout the city.

Kafee is running the race under the slogan “A liveable Dhaka for all.”

Another candidate with the torch of young hope for the north is Mahi B Chowdhury.

Mahi B Chowdhury, a former BNP-backed MP and a Bikalpa Dhara leader, is determined to build a city for the next generation if elected.

Mahi has promised to set up a disaster management department and a department to prevent air, sound, water, and soil pollution. He has said that if elected as mayor, he will install CCTVs everywhere and establish more medical college hospitals to ensure that, at the least, health services are available to mothers, children, and elderly citizens.

No doubt all these candidates are prudent and energetic enough to bring changes in the northern part of the capital and to turn it into a liveable one. But only one of them can reach that place. For him, the best way to bring change is to join hands and march arm in arm with all the candidates for a better Dhaka, the Dhaka we have all dreamt of. l Aaqib Md Shatil is an Executive of Brand Development at Build Better Bangladesh Foundation.

CPD: Comprehensive Indo-Bangla deal stressed to boost farm export

n Tribune Report

Trade analysts have underscored the need for signing a comprehensive agreement between Bangladesh and India for boosting agricultural exports by resolving the non-conforming sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) that undermine the trade potentials of the two next door neighbors.

They came up with the recommendation at a dialogue titled “Non-Tariff Barriers in Bangladesh-India Trade: Addressing Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Concerns,”which was organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) at a city hotel yesterday.

Certification and testing-related requirements in the Indian market for agricultural and food products create problems for exporters, said KhaledaAkhter, senior research associate of CPD while presenting her keynote speech.

Referring to the findings of a CPD perception survey conducted at major India-Bangladesh land ports,she observed that the related concerns are-harmonisation of food standards, mutual recognition of conformity assessment, dispute settlement and technical cooperation with transparency etc.

“Bangladesh’s export to India is not expanding significantly mainly due to the lack of capacity building of the exporters,” said AmitavaChakraborty, director general (WTO cell) of the ministry of commerce, while addressing the dialogue as chief gust. The second impediment is absence of institutional strengthening while the third is lack of product diversification for the export destinations. Policy Analyst of CUTS PrithvirajNath said, “The major challenges are the capacity issues as the customs are not aware of trade certification standards.”

The exporters need to be aware of the drawbacks, organisations like BSTI and the Agreement on the Establishment of South Asian Regional Standards Organisation (SARSO) will need to undergo institutional capacity building and going for an SPS agreement within the context of SAFTA to increase exports to India, opined CPD Executive Director MustafizurRahman.

A bilateral agreement won’t be a viable solution because problems arise from outdated regulations in the trade policies, implementation of import policies in Bangladesh and countervailing duties (CVDs), which are trade import duties imposed under WTO rules to neutralise the negative effects of subsidies, said MostafaAbid Khan, director, Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI).

Any certification issued by Bangladesh Accreditation Board (BAB) should be accepted in all the countries, said MahbuburRahman, deputy director of BAB. “But in reality, the Indian customs is not accepting any accredited laboratory certificates other than from India, and Bangladesh government should settle these issue.”

ZillulHyeRazi, trade advisor, European Union Delegation to Bangladesh, suggested for an efficient administrative system to maintain the hygiene and quality of perishable agro goods for export. l

Stocks resume trading today

19 after a flat week

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed the officials concerned to expedite the process to merge two state bodies - Board of Investment (BoI) and Privatisation Commission (PC), official sources said.

The process has been slow due to wide differences in opinions among high government officials.

Early last year, the government decided to merge the two autonomous bodies under the Prime Minister’s Office, and formed a seven-member committee to draft necessary laws on the merger.

The merger is aimed at reducing public expenditure and boosting efficiency in the organisations.

“Prime Minister at a recent Ecnec meeting ordered officials concerned to speed up the process of BoI and PC merger,” said an official, who was present at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).

Since formation of the committee, the work for merger got stuck as there varying opinions among the PMO senior stakeholders regarding the matter, said another source at the Privatisation Commission.

The unified BoI and PC may be named “Bangladesh Investment and Industries Development Authority.”

For years, the two bodies have been known for their ineffectiveness. By amalgamating them the government would now try to see some positive outcomes.

The PC has long alleged that ministries and divisions concerned have never co-operated with it, making its function difficult.

Over the years, the Ministry of Finance took several attempts to close down the PC as per the directive of the Prime Minister’s Office. However, the ministry later changed its mind.

The foreign direct investment in Bangladesh, particularly in the industrial sector, has been very low for many years.

But both foreign and local investors have been increasingly frustrated over the very slow and inefficient services of the BoI. The cabinet division issued a circular on April 30 last year for forming a seven-member merger proposal preparation committee headed by Additional Secretary M Mainuddin. The other six were from the PC, BoI, public administration division, Prime Minister’s Office and cabinet division.

According to the circular, the committee would enact a new law on merger of the two agencies, submit a report within three

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

BGMEA wants VAT-free safety

20 equipment import

PM asks to speed up BoI-PC merger n Kayes Sohel

DT

Business

15

months and would prepare a coordinated administrative structure.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sent a letter to the cabinet division which said merger of the two agencies would be good for the development of the country’s investment and business sectors and asked the cabinet division to take necessary steps.

For long, there have differences between ministries and the PC regarding privatisation of state-owned enterprises under the ministries. The commission has always alleged that the ministries have never taken any initiative to ensure profits for the firms that have been making losses.

Cabinet division issued a circular on April 30 last year for forming a sevenmember merger proposal preparation committee In 1993, the government formed the Privatisation Board which was turned into the Privatisation Commission in 2000. At present, a total of 70 officials and workers work at the commission.

The PC failed to make a fresh list of divestment of State-owned enterprises (SoEs) since 2009, although the government spent Tk17 crore annually, no public firms were divested during the period. It may also be noted that PC deposited more than Tk700 crore in the national exchequer since 1993.

PC’s works have been stuck because of non-cooperation from the ministries which have SoEs. By now the cumulative loss of SoEs has stood at a huge sum. Other than reflection in the Economic Review of the Ministry of Finance, it has no visible effect and actions.

The BoI, on the other hand, was established in 1989 to draw increased volumes of local and foreign investments in the country. But many from the private sector have expressed their utter disappointment over the Board’s performance in attracting FDI. BoI began its journey with 495 employees. Of them, 359 posts now lie vacant. l

Five state banks seek Tk3,500cr to meet capital shortfall n Asif Showkat Kallol

A fund of Tk3,500 crore is likely to be injected into five state-owned specialised banks to meet the demand of their capital shortfall for the current fiscal year, according to a source close to the Banking Division.

The five commercial banks are Basic, Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB), Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank, Palli Sanchay Bank and Grameen Bank.

The funding decision came at the banking division meeting last week.

Bank and Financial Institutions Division secretary M Aslam Alam presided over the meeting.

“We are now preparing the proposal of capital shortfall of the five state-owned specialised banks for this fiscal year,” Aslam told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

He also said the rest of current fiscal year budget fund will be used to meet the capital shortfall.

According to preliminary estimation, the capital shortfall of Basic Bank stood at Tk3,000 crore, BKB Tk6,643.80 crore and RKUB Tk884.56 crore at the end of December 2014.

Palli Sanchay Bank needs Tk125 crore while Grameen Bank Tk0.58 crore for improvement of their capital base.

Basic Bank will receive Tk2,000 crore while BKB Tk1,000 crore and RKUB Tk374.43 crore for the current fiscal year to meet their capital shortfalls as per the proposal of Banking Division.

The Finance Division injected Tk1,500 crore to meet the shortfall of Sonali Bank and Basic Bank a couple of months ago. The fund was disbursed from current fiscal year budget allocation.

In previous fiscal year, the Finance Ministry injected around Tk4,100 crore into the four state-owned commercial banks to help them meet their capital shortfalls on condition that the banks would go through credit risk-related reforms. l

DT

18 BUSINESS

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

News, analysis and recent disclosures IFIC: 15% Stock dividend, AGM: 17.06.2015, Record Date: 20.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 4.71, NAV per share of Tk. 27.18.

MERCINS: 10% cash dividend, AGM: 09.06.2015, Record Date: 22.04.2015. EPS of Tk. 1.51, NAV per share of Tk. 16.15.

NORTHRNINS: 10% stock dividend, AGM: 13.06.2015, Record Date: 22.04.2015. EPS of Tk. 2.02, NAV per share of Tk. 20.70.

CITYGENINS: 10% stock dividend, AGM: 15.06.2015, Record Date: 22.04.2015. EPS of Tk. 1.59, NAV per share of Tk. 16.10.

SHASHADNIM: 20% cash and 15% stock dividend, AGM: 21.05.2015, Record date: 23.04.2015. EPS of Tk. 3.64, NAV per share of Tk. 59.32.

POPULARLIF: 40% Stock dividend, AGM: 11.06.2015, Record Date: 23.04.2015. EPS of Tk. 4.05, NAV per share of Tk. 659.10.

BGIC: 12% cash dividend, AGM: 11.06.2015, Record date: 23.04.2015. EPS of Tk. 1.31, NAV per share of Tk. 19.63.

Audited/unaudited Financial Reports: BATBC: (Q1 Un-audited): Profit from Jan15 to Mar15 was Tk. 1,790.08 million with EPS of Tk. 29.83 as against Tk. 1,241.82 million and Tk. 20.70 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

HEIDELBCEM: (Q1 Un-audited): Profit from Jan15 to Mar15 was Tk. 492.20 million with EPS of Tk. 8.71 as against Tk. 404.53 million and Tk. 7.16 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

ZAHINTEX: (Q3 Un-audited):

Net Profit after tax from (Jan15 to March15) was Tk. 43.93 million with EPS of Tk. 0.70 as against Tk. 18.45 million and Tk. 0.29 respectively for the same period of the previous year. Whereas net profit after tax from July14 to March15 was Tk. 64.31 million with EPS of Tk. 1.03 as against Tk. 40.24 million and Tk. 0.64 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

Fixed Assets/Right/Investment: POPULARLIF: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to purchase the following floor space: 1. Floor space 5,300 sft. approximately at 4th floor of Life View Ful Kutir, 74, B.B. Road, Narayangonj City Corporation, Narayangonj, with utility charge & car parking at a total price of Tk. 26.31 million approximately 2. Floor space 14,000 sft. approximately at 1st & 2nd floor, J.S. Tower, Holding No. 825, Asrafpur, Comilla City Corporation, Comilla, with utility charge & car parking at a total price of Tk. 57.50 million approximately and 3. Floor space 16,000 sft. approximately at 4th floor of Central Co-operative Tower, Main road Pabna, Holding no. 0881-000 Delalpur, Pabna with utility charge & car parking at a total price of Tk. 42.60 million approximately.

MHSML: The Company has informed that the Board has decided to purchase 2 Rotor Machines by investing Tk. 1.25 crore that may increase the production capacity up to 30% effective from July 2015.

Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

Closing (% change)

Company United Power-N Zaheen Spinning -N S. Alam CR Steel -A Northern Jute -Z WesternMarine -N Khan Brothers-N Paramount Textile Ltd.-A ISN Ltd. -Z RAK Ceramics-A C & A Textile -N

43.01 22.89 21.98 20.40 18.84 18.65 16.99 16.50 16.42 14.94

CSE GAINER Closing (% change)

Company United Power-N Zaheen Spinning -N Khan Brothers-N S. Alam CR Steel -A WesternMarine -N Paramount Textile Ltd.-A C & A Textile -N RAK Ceramics-A Zahintex Ind.-N ISN Ltd. -Z

43.06 22.75 20.94 19.91 19.37 16.99 16.28 16.15 15.38 14.71

DSE LOSER Company Jamuna Bank -A Shahjalal Islami -A Argon Denims Limited-A Phoenix Finance-A Popular Life Insu. -A 4th ICB M F-A PragatiLife Insu. -Z Peoples Insur -A Islami Ins.BD-A Padma Islami Life*-N

Closing (% change) -19.38 -12.73 -10.37 -8.72 -8.44 -7.32 -7.04 -6.78 -6.55 -6.18

CSE LOSER Company Jamuna Bank -A ICB Sonali Bank 1 MF-A Popular Life Insu. -A National Life I -A Shahjalal Islami -A Argon Denims Limited-A Apex Foods -A Northern G Insur-A Daffodil Computers -Z SonarBangla Insu. -A

Closing (% change) -20.00 -15.00 -12.51 -12.08 -11.82 -11.71 -10.35 -9.23 -8.20 -7.59

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

DSE key features April 12-16, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka)

DSE GAINER

Sector

17,099.96 365,748,514 439,002

Traded Issues

318

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

215

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

101

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

2

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,502.87

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

30.34

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 687.47 544.34 65.66 2361.00 1072.23 4490.07 43.75 1990.78 2226.44 59.22 835.16 75.41 112.87 383.11 322.54 72.70 200.43 570.66 479.39 504.69 2.03

% change 4.02 3.18 0.38 13.81 6.27 26.26 0.26 11.64 13.02 0.35 4.88 0.44 0.66 2.24 1.89 0.43 1.17 3.34 2.80 2.95 0.01

Million Taka 51.37 81.85 4.59 221.77 30.36 406.26 0.00 164.51 119.20 12.41 48.95 4.41 13.76 45.19 19.70 1.70 7.87 70.95 64.15 75.20 0.10

Average (% change) 32.48 18.44 21.54 2.40 17.76 18.25 12.28 13.60 12.12 11.71

Average (% change) 32.75 17.08 18.83 21.35 17.36 15.81 13.36 13.11 15.38 15.04

Average (% change) -19.19 -13.32 -10.61 -7.77 -7.56 -7.65 -6.99 -6.71 -6.07 -6.46

Average (% change) -19.69 -15.33 -15.68 -2.93 -10.94 -12.03 -10.35 -9.23 -7.56 -7.59

CSE

Closing average 198.69 20.04 28.10 183.61 48.79 23.20 17.47 11.78 54.66 19.46

Closing average 198.83 19.88 23.10 27.74 48.82 17.73 19.68 55.13 13.50 11.70

Closing average 10.40 9.50 26.72 20.17 150.11 181.00 95.92 16.55 15.78 31.87

Closing average

% change 3.56 5.67 0.32 15.35 2.10 28.13 0.00 11.39 8.25 0.86 3.39 0.31 0.95 3.13 1.36 0.12 0.54 4.91 4.44 5.21 0.01

10.40 5.08 144.19 211.00 9.77 26.40 90.10 17.70 11.25 13.40

Weekly closing 207.80 20.40 28.30 216.00 49.20 22.90 17.90 12.00 56.00 20.00

Weekly closing 207.30 20.50 23.10 27.70 49.30 17.90 20.00 56.10 13.50 11.70

Weekly closing 10.40 9.60 26.80 19.90 147.60 181.00 95.10 16.50 15.70 31.90

Weekly closing 10.40 5.10 149.60 211.00 9.70 26.40 90.10 17.70 11.20 13.40

Million Taka 738.84 626.20 70.25 2582.76 1102.59 4896.33 43.75 2155.29 2345.64 71.63 884.10 79.82 126.63 428.30 342.23 74.40 208.30 641.60 543.55 579.89 2.13

Weekly high

Weekly low

208.40 20.90 29.20 216.10 50.40 25.00 18.20 12.10 56.10 20.10

Weekly high

144.00 16.00 23.10 175.00 40.50 18.90 15.00 10.20 46.70 17.10

Weekly low

207.40 20.70 24.30 29.00 50.50 18.30 20.10 56.10 13.50 11.70

Weekly high

144.00 16.10 18.80 23.10 40.60 15.00 17.00 47.00 11.00 9.80

Weekly low

13.00 10.00 30.50 22.20 169.00 192.10 102.50 17.30 16.50 34.50

Weekly high

10.00 9.30 25.00 19.70 143.50 181.00 92.50 15.50 15.00 30.30

Weekly low

13.00 5.70 171.00 220.00 9.90 30.40 90.60 18.00 12.10 13.40

Total

10.20 4.60 137.00 210.00 9.40 26.10 90.10 17.50 10.30 13.40

% change 3.98 3.38 0.38 13.93 5.95 26.40 0.24 11.62 12.65 0.39 4.77 0.43 0.68 2.31 1.85 0.40 1.12 3.46 2.93 3.13 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

1943.931 84.967 51.507 36.468 570.174 90.399 32.403 0.432 99.062 166.910

Turnover in million

7.11 1.32 1.56 0.96 1.76 1.18 1.84 0.13 1.67 2.48

Latest EPS

244.478 15.188 10.786 8.076 66.063 3.301 14.557 12.379 0.265 0.059

Turnover in million

27.9 15.2 18.0 191.3 27.7 19.7 9.5 90.6 32.7 7.8

Latest PE

7.11 1.32 1.18 1.56 1.76 1.84 2.48 1.67 1.03 0.13

Latest EPS

7.895 19.770 20.006 16.019 57.787 0.187 2.007 1.432 0.718 1.167

Turnover in million

Latest PE

28.0 15.1 19.6 17.8 27.7 9.6 7.9 33.0 13.1 90.0

Latest PE

2.20 1.02 2.89 1.64 4.05 32.50 2.38 2.25 1.48 1.10

Latest EPS

0.642 0.139 0.561 0.315 1.874 0.422 0.027 0.177 0.081 0.001

4.7 9.3 9.2 12.3 37.1 5.6 40.3 7.4 10.7 29.0

Latest PE

2.20 0.98 4.05 12.46 1.02 2.89 3.20 2.02 0.86 1.77

4.7 5.2 35.6 16.9 9.6 9.1 28.2 8.8 13.1 7.6

CSE key features April 12-16, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

1,444.29 40,302,812 70,623

Traded Issues

266

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

160

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

99

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

7

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,407.46

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

29.18

DT

BUSINESS 19

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Stocks resume trading today after a flat week n Tribune Report

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company United Power-N MJL BD Ltd.-A Shasha Denims -N Ifad Autos -N ACI Limited- A WesternMarine -N SAIF Powertec-N BATBCL -A Grameenphone-A Square Pharma -A

Unique Hotel RL - A Khulna Power-A SummitAlliancePort.-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A LafargeS Cement-Z

Volume shares 10,856,039 8,381,279 16,279,471 9,040,649 1,192,444 12,238,049 7,205,117 166,722 1,324,202 1,641,910

7,148,556 5,917,012 5,480,759 9,219,445 2,481,106

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company United Power-N MJL BD Ltd.-A WesternMarine -N Ifad Autos -N BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Intl. Leasing-B Shasha Denims -N BD Submarine Cable-A Grameenphone-A SAIF Powertec-N

LafargeS Cement-Z Unique Hotel RL - A UNITED AIR-A Square Pharma -A Mozaffar H.Spinning-A

Volume shares 1,373,739 618,311 1,423,588 861,538 1,544,910 3,619,656 868,535 311,460 101,259 483,626

304,299 563,752 4,191,999 105,821 741,166

Value in million 1943.93 1117.55 687.14 677.50 672.25 570.17 509.86 501.62 457.76 428.83

380.04 359.13 293.32 286.95 274.73

Value in million 244.48 82.35 66.06 64.82 48.04 43.48 36.37 35.92 35.03 34.47

33.84 30.05 29.57 27.65 25.56

% of total turnover 11.37 6.54 4.02 3.96 3.93 3.33 2.98 2.93 2.68 2.51

2.22 2.10 1.72 1.68 1.61

% of total turnover 16.93 5.70 4.57 4.49 3.33 3.01 2.52 2.49 2.43 2.39

2.34 2.08 2.05 1.91 1.77

Weekly closing 207.80 131.30 44.70 75.50 545.60 49.20 74.50 3015.80 342.00 258.20

53.30 60.30 55.10 32.20 108.10

Weekly closing 207.30 131.50 49.30 75.20 32.10 12.20 44.70 116.60 341.90 74.60

108.60 53.10 7.40 258.40 35.00

Price change 43.01 2.90 7.71 6.94 -2.55 18.84 12.88 0.56 -2.17 -2.82

Weekly opening 145.30 127.60 41.50 70.60 559.90 41.40 66.00 2999.00 349.60 265.70

Weekly high 208.40 139.00 45.00 78.90 586.00 50.40 74.90 3079.00 351.70 267.00

Weekly low 144.00 126.40 39.70 70.90 538.00 40.50 64.50 2950.00 341.10 257.90

Weekly average 198.69 133.12 43.43 76.28 554.87 48.79 72.76 3008.13 343.43 258.83

Price change 43.06 3.22 19.37 6.36 5.59 1.67 9.29 -0.09 -2.06 12.86

Weekly opening 144.90 127.40 41.30 70.70 30.40 12.00 40.90 116.70 349.10 66.10

Weekly high 207.40 138.30 50.50 78.80 32.80 12.80 45.00 118.60 350.90 75.70

Weekly low 144.00 126.50 40.60 70.60 29.50 11.50 39.60 112.00 341.60 64.90

Weekly average 198.83 133.20 48.82 76.10 32.32 12.43 43.30 117.39 342.67 72.88

0.00 3.97 5.96 6.27 -4.84

-3.89 0.19 7.25 -2.38 0.57

53.30 58.00 52.00 30.30 113.60

113.00 53.00 6.90 264.70 34.80

56.00 62.80 56.50 33.30 115.50

115.40 56.00 7.70 266.50 37.00

49.50 57.50 50.10 29.40 107.90

108.20 49.50 6.70 257.40 33.50

53.93 61.05 55.14 32.35 108.68

109.29 53.59 7.46 259.40 35.56

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

4373.33900

(+) 0.63%

1668.34663

(-) 0.17%

13459.1591

(+) 1.13%

11095.7011

(+) 0.22%

8202.4190

(+) 1.38%

▲ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▲

Stocks stayed flat with high volatility in the past week, as some investors bet on stocks at the bottom despite political uncertainty.

In the past week that ended Thursday, the benchmark index DSEX gained 27 points or 0.7% to settle at 4,373, recovering from previous week’s nine-month low.

The comprising blue chips DS30 index lost marginally 3 points or 0.2% to 1,668. The DSE Shariah Index edged almost 5 points or 0.5% lower to 1,061.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Categories Index, CSCX, moved up 101 points or 1.3% to close at 8,192.

Fuel & power continued to remain as the most vibrant sector for the second straight week as the sector surged over 7%, driven by newly listed United Power Generation and Distribution Company Limited which was at the very centre of investors’ attraction.

The company’s share prices saw abnormal rise in the past week, jumping 43% and accounted for 11% of the week’s total turnover with over 10m of its shares exchanging hands, or almost 33% of free-float shares.

The market had four out of its usual five trading sessions in the week due to Pohela Boishakh holiday. The week’s average daily turnover value at the DSE stood at Tk430 crore, up 27% over the previous week.

Engineering, banks, non-banking financial institutions and textile sectors closed positive while life insurance, cement, telecommunication and pharmaceuticals declined.

LankaBangla Securities said the market ended the past week in green zone as BNP-led alliance called off countrywide non-stop blockade ahead of city corporation polls in the country’s two major cities - Dhaka and Chittagong.

Moreover, the psychological support at 4300 level also worked as a catalyst to stop further sell-off.

IDLC Investments said the market seemed to have tried to break out of the agonising downtrend in the past week.

“Amid weakened confidence, funds got injected from the sidelines which improved turnover.

Increased participation exerted a demand pull on scrip prices, causing them to gain somewhat,” said IDLC Investments. l

ANALYST

The market seemed to have tried to break out of the agonising downtrend in the past week

DT

20 BUSINESS

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

IBA wins HSBC Business Case Competition 2015 n Tribune Report

Fire safety equipment on display at a recent fair in Dhaka

DHAKA TRIBUNE

BGMEA wants VAT-free safety equipment import n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) wants Value Added Tax-free import of safety equipment for the next five years.

The apex trade body of the clothing industry will place a set of recommendations for the fiscal year 2015-16 at a pre-budget meeting with the National Board of Revenue set to be held on April 26, BGMEA Vice-President Shahidullah Azim told the Dhaka Tribune.

If the government withdraws VAT on import, it will help RMG sector ensure safety and security by installing safety equipment as per the requirement of global retailers, said Azim.

Due to imposition of VAT on equipment, prices go very high that hinder installation,

he added.

“We also sought some clarification of issues like VAT and Advance Income Tax (AIT).”

The proposal of BGMEA includes continuation of source at tax at 0.30%, 10% income tax for the next five years, incentives for exporters of European Union countries as the price of Euro had been devalued by around 22% last month and suspension of re-audit.

BGMEA also wants duty-free import of colour for prefabricated building as it costs higher.

The clothing manufacturers will seek loan rescheduling facilities like those that have loan over Tk500 crore.

Bangladesh Bank provided loan rescheduling facilities for big borrowers having loans of over Tk500 crore.

After the Rana Plaza building collapse,

safety issue has become the most challenging for the RMG makers. In the current fiscal year, the government allowed duty-free import of safety equipment to give a cushion to the importers, but they had to pay VAT. According a rough estimate of BGMEA and suppliers, the country’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector needs to spend over Tk2,410 crore on the import of fire equipment—sprinklers and fire doors—to comply with fire safety conditions set by the two retailers’ platforms Accord and Alliance.

The sector’s contribution to the national export is over 81%, which amounted to $18.62bn in the first nine months of the current fiscal year. The sector employed over 4.5 million workers, of which 80% are women mostly from rural areas. l

Oil prices fall for first time in seven days n AFP, New York

World oil prices ran out of steam Friday after six days of gains, amid concerns about abundant global supplies, heightened by quota-breaking OPEC production.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in May sank 97 cents to close at $55.74 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Brent North Sea crude for June delivery, the global benchmark, settled at $63.45 a barrel in London trade, down 53 cents from Thursday’s closing level.

The market had gotten ahead of itself in the rally, said Bill Baruch of iiTrader.com. WTI surged 12.5% over the past six trading sessions.

“It couldn’t sustain this level,” Baruch said,

adding that “traders are quick to take their profits,” action that is particularly common ahead of the weekend. The May WTI contract expires Tuesday.

Oil prices have plunged in half since mid2014 in the context of oversupply and weak global demand. The market has been volatile as traders try to determine whether lower prices will eventually curb output or that demand will pick up. Some have focused on the declining US drilling rig count, the apparent recent slowing in US crude oil production and the slower rate of US inventory increases, said Tim Evans of Citi Futures in a research note.

But for Evans, “we continue to see the recent increase in OPEC crude oil production as only expanding the global supply/demand

surplus” and predicted the second quarter would have an oversupply of 1.9 million barrels per day “or more.”

The 12-member Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which pumps about a third of the world’s oil, reported Thursday that its production in March rose by 810,000 barrels per day to average 30.79 mbpd, above the cartel’s quota.

The cartel’s decision in November to not reduce its 30 mbpd quota, despite falling oil prices, had sent prices into a tailspin.

The Baker Hughes US drilling rig count released Friday showed 26 fewer active rigs in US oilfields than in the previous week, bringing the total to 734, about half the number operating a year ago. l

Three teams from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka, won the HSBC Business Case Competition 2015 award in Gold, Silver and Bronze categories.

In Bangladesh finale, the finalists received a business case and later presented their solutions and recommendations to a panel of judges, said a release yesterday.

Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Bangladesh, Francois de Maricourt, handed over the trophies to the winning teams.

The winning team in gold category was from the institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka, and the winners are Abanti Shreya Saha, Mustafa Sian Hossain, Parashar Saha and Sabira Mehrin Saba.

The silver winners are Sajeed Alam, Ishmam Ahmed Chowdhury, Md Ayman Sadiq and Ghazi Kamrul Abedin while Bronze category winners are Sayem Faruk, Nandita Hore, Zeeshan Ahmed and M.Samiul Haque.

The Gold, Silver and Bronze team will receive a team development fund of Tk75,000, Tk50,000 and Tk35,000 respectively.

In addition, the Gold category team will also get the opportunity to compete in the regional grand finale in Hong Kong with other Gold teams from more than 15 Asian countries.

“The Business Case Competition is an important part of HSBC’s sustainability initiatives aimed at building a better community,” said HSBC Bangladesh CEO Francois de Maricourt.

“The young community of Bangladesh has tremendous potential and we are proud to support them in their development endeavours,” he said.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Robert W Gibson, were present at the programme as the chief guest.

“HSBC Bangladesh – IBA Business Case Competition 2015” was open to all undergraduate business school students of Bangladesh to participate.

It is a regional competition designed to encourage young talent to unleash the power of potential. l

Dollar dented by more weak US data n AFP, Tokyo The dollar sank further in Asia on Friday as another round of disappointing US data cast further doubt on the chances of a mid-year Federal Reserve interest rate hike.

The greenback was changing hands at 119.00 yen in Tokyo afternoon trading, slightly down from 119.04 yen in New York and well off the 119.33 yen in Tokyo earlier Thursday.

The euro strengthened to $1.0772 and 128.19 yen against $1.0761 and 128.10 yen in US trade, as investors watch the slow progress in Greece’s bailout talks with its international creditors.

On Thursday, fresh US data showed housing starts rose less than expected in March, while initial jobless claims, a sign of the pace of layoffs, increased well above estimates to their highest level in six weeks. l

DT

21

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

T-JUNCTION

Hot on the spot

INSIDE

22 news

23

trending

Polychroma’s Palette

24 tailored

Sneaking out

PHOTO: FAHAD BIN SAKHAWAT

DT

22 T-JUNCTION

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

News

Pohela Boishakh Shoilpic’s summer celebration at NSU collection

North South University celebrated Pohela Boishakh 1422 this year at their own Bashundhara campus with its students, national and foreign faculty members on April 14, 2015.

The day was started with a colorful rally around the campus with handmade multicolored masks, sculptures and art projects, each welcoming the new and blessed, and wishing past evils away. The program was structured with songs, dances and band performances. A traditional fair organized by NSU Sangskritik Sangathan where traditional items were sold specially handicrafts and

foods. The program was telecasted live on SATV from 12 pm to 6 pm.

Benajir Ahmed, Chairman, BOT was the special guest of the event. Prof Gour Gobinda Goswami, Treasurer, NSU, chaired the opening ceremony program while Khorshed Alam Chowdhury, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, was present as Chief Guest. Dr. Emdadul Haq, Director, Student Affairs, along with faculty members and students of the university took the event with enthusiasm and made it into a successful one of new beginnings. l

Zeenat brings new summer collection Zeenat is a luxury fashion house bringing a new summer special collection for fashion lovers. This season, they have added a new collection of dresses and also offers to create your desired dress considering a budget. Moreover, Zeenat always provides free alter solutions which helps you to get your desired fittings and looks. All products are unique pieces that tell stories of heritage, luxury and status when worn. Each of Zeenat’s products has an aura of uniqueness around them, as if they were made for the individual wearing them.

Address: Ava Nir, House-54 (Apartment1/B), Road- 11, Block- F, Banani, Dhaka.

Contact: 02-9863043, 01818 818515 Facebook link: Facebook.com/ zeenatdoutique

Fashion house Shoilpic has designed its summer collection in different floral, kolka, geometrical motifs. The collection includes sari, shalwar kamiz, tops, punjabi, fatua, t-shirt etc on a colourful theme. The collection is available in all outlets in Dhaka and Chittagong.

Address: 1672, Askarabad, Mojaffar mansion, Deowan haat, Chittagong Mobile: 01855963176 Phone: 0312519133 Website: www.shoilpikbd.com Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ Shoilpik-Furnituer

Pohela Boishakh at BUFT

Bengali new year, Pohela Boishakh, was celebrated at BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology (BUFT) main campus with due solemnity on April 14, 2015. On the occasion, the faculty members, officials, and students took part in the Mangal Shobha Jatra in the adjacent areas of Uttara with lots of colorful banners and festoons. A cultural programme was organized by BUFT Cultural Committee, headed by Kazi Shamsur Rahman, Chairman of BUFT Cultural Committee.

The students took part in the program and made it lively with various traditional

songs. Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, Immediate Past President of BGMEA & Member, Board Of Trustees of BUFT, Faruque Hassan, Ex Vice-President of BGMEA & Member, Board Of Trustees of BUFT, Reaz Bin Mahmood, Vice-President (Finance), BGMEA & Vice Chairman (Finance), BUFT, spoke on the occasion as the special guests.

A three-day-long event was organized at BUFT premises. On the occasion, students, faculty members and officials also enjoyed different varieties of Bengali traditional food.

T-JUNCTION 23

DT

Trending

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Polychroma’s Palette Using colours to rock three of the season’s hottest trends

nSabrina Fatma Ahmad Fashion changes so fast that if you’re really hell-bent on having all the latest trends in your wardrobe, you better have two things: a generous bank account, and a super-fast tailor. If you’re not keen on dropping a lot of dough just to stay current with your couture, but still want to be in vogue, fear not. If you know the rules to follow, you can tweak your existing wardrobe/style and look fresh, no matter what’s ruling the catwalks. We’ve broken down three of this season’s hottest trends, and with a little careful colour mixing, you could be strutting in deshi styles and still be chic on an international stylemeter.

camel, there are plenty of desert-appropriate neutrals to choose from. Pay attention to the undertones, though. If the neutral has a warm undertone, like a reddish brown, for example, you want to choose warm accent colours, like a pop of pink or yellow. Similarly, if it’s a cooler undertone, like steel-grey, pair it with a cooler accent, like a muted blue.

The failsafe: If your matching separates are giving you anxiety, pair them with neutral accessories and you can’t go wrong.

Hot trend:

Colour blocking

Matching separates

Born in the desert

With matching separates being back on the ramp, we’re also seeing a lot of head-to-toe monochromes, which is as daring a style as mixed prints, and probably even easier to get wrong.

For a short while, it seemed like colour-blocking (using two or three bold, solid colours in an outfit) was on its way out, but with eye-catching offerings from the likes of Topshop, Dries Van Noten and Roksanda Ilincic all over the Spring 2015 ramps, the trend has received renewed attention.

How to wear it: If turbans and kaftans aren’t your cup of tea, play with a neutral colour palette, which is always fashionable. From khakis and whites, to sandy greys and

How to wear it: Unless you want to look like a crayon, you don’t want to get too matchymatchy. Vary the shades within your chosen hue, and you’re creating depth and drama.

So if you’ve got matching separates in olive green, for example, wear them with jade jewellery and carry a bright neon green purse for a pop of colour.

How to wear it: The traditional method for colour blocking is to wear separate items, each in a solid colour. For it to really pop, you want to aim for colours that are on the opposite ends of the colour wheel, like wearing a red blouse with a green sari, a good choice for events such as Bijoy Dibosh. Or you could go for the triad effect by picking three items in three different colours that are spaced equally apart on the colour wheel, such as orange, pink and mauve. So an orange kameez, with a hot pink shalwar and mauve bags and shoes.

The hot trend:

The world’s love affair with all things Middle Eastern isn’t going away anytime soon. From the long hemlines to turbans, designers are finding their inspiration in the dunes and oases.

The failsafe: Black and white. This classic combo will never let you down.

Hot trend:

The failsafe: If this wheel business is too complicated for you, opt for an outfit that has a built in colour-blocking pattern, like a Mondrian square motif. l

DT

24 T-JUNCTION

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Tailored

in style

Sneaking out The types of sneakers for your suits

n Mahmood Hossain Suits with sneakers is nothing new. It’s not a trend nor is it a uniform for hipsters. It’s more common than most men like to believe.

It’s only a big deal if people make it a big deal. Now, if you’re one of the many men who are willing to be a little adventurous regarding your wardrobe, getting to know which type of sneakers goes with certain suits will make things easier.

From the weekend to the office When there is an early meeting on a Sunday morning, you’re cutting things close by taking a longer than expected break in the weekend. The best way to stroll from total comfort to semi-formal are donning low-top sneakers like the Stan Smiths from Adidas.

These go best with formally structured suits that make it seem you’ve decided to skip on the classic brogues. The low-tops in question are classics on their own. It’s simple white on white in design and colour; we all know white goes pretty much with everything.

And to make things gel in swimmingly, try out a grandad-collar shirt to let people know

you’re mature enough yet know the meaning of fun.

Get creative Tie-free, dark suits with a fresh white shirt calls for something a tad on the edgier side.

Leather and suede - two-toned - sneakers is a clever way to mesh things in. But make sure they are a darker pair, the only contrast you will see are between the two tones, while possessing a camouflage effect with your suit. It’s an ideal look for an event at the gallery, with a party waiting for you afterward.

sneakers you want to reserve for the most important events or occasions. Not only is it comfortable, it is a fine example of modern sophistication. It’s got the finesse of a formal dress shoe, and to make it stand out there are certain procedures. Make sure the suit is mat, without any lawyer-like patterns or pinstripes. You’ll be showered with complements but don’t feel the need to get too comfortable. Keep in mind, this is a classy outfit so keep your posture and sneakers in check. l

Break from the laces Loafers might be a distant cousin of these slip-on sneakers. No laces call for a more casual touch to the suit. A casual, slightly relaxed-fit suit is the perfect look for those after office hours shindigs. Don’t be so surprised if they feel incredibly comfortable, you are after all in a mood to chill.

Oxford effect You’ll have to shell out a few extra bucks for these babies. Patent leather sneakers are as sexy as a Ferrari on your driveway. These

wardrobecheck

Between the lines No, seriously

n Baizid Haque Joarder With the harsh heat prevailing, cotton panjabis are a great idea for the men out there. And even though we at T-Junction respect the traditional, solid coloured panjabi, we also believe one is allowed to add some funk to it. Enter, stripes.

There are two types of stripes; the horizontal and the vertical kind.

Interestingly, stripes can be a useful tool if you want to deceive your on-lookers. The horizontal can make someone healthier than they actually appear whereas its vertical counterpart can make one look taller and leaner than they really are. And when it comes to panjabis, we believe vertical stripes are the go-to-option. Here are a few types you might want to keep in mind.

Awning Solid coloured stripes on lighter background, that are relatively wide and even in nature.

Balanced The symmetrical type has a “center” stripe, with other stripes are arranged around it.

Unbalanced Asymmetrical, and as the name suggests, unbalanced stripes without a center.

Barcode The pattern with varying stripes, just like the barcode on your favourite pack of crackers.

Candy A smaller version of the awning stripes. This pattern resembles the ones on a candy stick.

Bengal Alternating between light and darker colours, this layout consists of stripes of similar width. Narrower than awning but is wider than candy stripes.

Hairline This stripe pattern is the thinnest possible one, the width of which is just about the diameter of a human hair. Eat your hearts out, anorexic models.

Pencil A pattern with lines which look like as drawn by a pencil with varying distances between the stripes.

Pinstripes A favourite when it comes to suits, this type has very thin stripes which are about a yarn or two thick. l

Pakistan seamer Ehsan Adil will miss the ongoing ODI series in Bangladesh due to a hamstring injury and has been replaced by Umar Gul, PCB said on Saturday

Sport 26

MASHRAFE SAYS VISITORS NOT LACKING STRENGTH

28

JUNIOR TIGERS DOMINATE THEIR WAY TO SERIES WIN

(L-R) Bangladesh cricketers Mushfiqur Rahim, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Rubel Hossain and Mahmudullah share a light moment at the team hotel yesterday

29

25

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

GERRARD EYES ONE LAST BID FOR FA CUP GLORY

Tigers scent series victory

n Mazhar Uddin With regular skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza returning to the side, high-flying Bangladesh will be looking to seal the three-match ODI series today when they face a demoralised Pakistan in the second game at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

Mashrafe, who was ineligible for the first ODI last Friday due to suspension, will surely add strength to the fast bowling department and his addition will no doubt pump the side up against a relatively inexperienced Pakistan unit.

The Tigers will head into today’s match

in a confident mood, having swept aside their opposition by 79 runs to finally break the long-awaited 16-year winless run against their subcontinent rival.

Following a sedate start, the Tigers displayed their ever-growing maturity as opener Tamim Iqbal and stumper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim both smashed brilliant hundreds.

The third-wicket partnership of Tamim and Mushfiq added a record-setting 178-run stand to lead the Tigers to an imposing total of 329/6.

Makeshift opener Soumya Sarkar, who missed out in the first ODI due to an unfortunate run out, will be eyeing to recapture his World Cup form while Mahmudullah will harbour the same expectations after struggling in the previous match.

Young tearaway fast bowler Taskin Ahmed picked up three valuable wickets to continue his impressive start in international cricket while Rubel Hossain bowled some brilliant deliveries to unsettle the Pakistan batsmen.

Left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny also bagged three wickets and his nous will come in handy not only today but throughout the ongoing bilateral home series.

Seamer-allrounder Abul Hasan leaked 42 runs from his five overs and will make way for Mashrafe in the playing XI today.

The SBNS pitch is likely to remain the same, offering a lot of runs and at the same time providing a bit of an encouragement to the slow bowlers.

The Pakistan think-tank, in contrast, has a lot to ponder. The visitors dropped Tamim

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REPLACEMENT

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

and Mushfiq early in the innings and the duo duly made them pay. A good display on the field, therefore, will be crucial if the tourists are to come back to the series today.

The bowling department, often Pakistan’s strongest forte, let down big time in the first ODI with the exception of left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz, who scalped four wickets.

Saeed Ajmal, ranked the world’s third best bowler in ODIs, remained wicket-less in his comeback game, conceding 74 runs from 10 overs.

In their pursuit of a much-needed win, Pakistan received a further blow to their hopes as fast bowler Ehsan Adil was ruled out of the remainder of the ODI series due to a hamstring injury. Experienced pacemen Umer Gul was named as his replacement.l

DT

26 Sport

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Visitors not lacking strength: Mashrafe n Minhaz Uddin Khan Prior to the tour of Bangladesh, the visiting Pakistan were lagging behind in terms of recent performance and experience. Many termed the tourists “inexperienced” and at

Bangladesh ODI skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza exchanges pleasantries with the media at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

times “ordinary”.

The claims somewhat proved to be correct in the first of three ODIs last Friday as the home side romped to a 79-run victory to break the 16-year jinx over their opposition.

Regular ODI skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza, however, disagreed with all the claims and discussions. While talking to the media yesterday, the 31-year old said the current Pakistan outfit is not at all ordinary and informed that the Tigers had to dig deep to take a 1-0 lead.

“I do not think they are an ordinary side.

If you notice, they have the same bowling that troubled all the teams who faced them in the World Cup. Rather, I think this Pakistan bowling line-up is better than what they had in the World Cup. Yes, it is true that they do not have veterans like Misbah (ul Haq) and (Shahid) Afridi and batsmen like (Ahmed) Shehzad and Afridi changed a lots of games

PLAYERS TO WATCH BANGLADESH V PAKISTAN 2ND ODI, MIPUR

TAMIM IQBAL

AZHAR ALI

All eyes will be on opening batsman Tamim when he walks out to bat today. The Tigers’ highest ODI run-scorer with 4257 runs in 141 innings, the lefthander grabbed quite a few headlines in the first ODI last Friday with his sensational knock of 132 off 135 balls. The innings paved the way for the Tigers to stroll to a convincing 79-run win, and in the process end the 16-year winless run against their nemesis.

The southpaw was desperately yearning for such an innings after a lean patch. At times, he was getting starts but was unable to convert them to big scores. His sizzling innings, however, brought him some much-needed relief.

The 26-year old sent the ball crashing to all parts of the park, frustrated the opposition bowlers and brought back memories of the old confident Tamim. Pakistan will be hoping to send him back to the hut early. Otherwise, they might be in for another pounding.

Pakistan came into the Bangladesh series with a shaky batting department. The 2015 ICC World Cup was not an eventful one, despite the quarter-final appearance, and the batsmen were often in trouble in the face of some quality fast bowling.

In the first ODI last Friday, Pakistan did post 250 with some decent contributions but they barely made a fist of the chase. Among the batsmen who did shine with the bat, new captain Azhar was the most impressive.

The right-hander, who returned to the side after more than two years, looked comfortable against the home side’s bowling attack. Opening the batting, Azhar was a man on a mission, and his 72 off 73 balls proved that he was determined to lead the chase.

He will be eyeing one more performance today in order to avoid a second consecutive defeat and keep the series alive.

Bangladesh Probable XI

Pakistan Probable XI

1 Tamim, 2 Soumya, 3 Mahmudullah, 4 Mushfiq (WK), 5 Shakib, 6 Sabbir, 7 Nasir, 8 Mashrafe (C), 9 Arafat, 10 Taskin, 11 Rubel

1 Hafeez, 2 Azhar (C), 3 Haris, 4 Rizwan, 5 Fawad, 6 Sarfraz (WK), 7 Nasim, 8 Wahab, 9 Gul, 10 Junaid, 11 Ajmal

against us,” said Mashrafe.

The Narail Express quipped it is normal for every team to go through a transition period and it is no different for Pakistan.

“They (senior players) had to go someday and new players had to come in but if you observe, Bangladesh also have new players in the dressing room. A team need some time to settle down so I do not think they are behind us in strength,” Mashrafe explained.

Mashrafe will come back to the side today in place of all-rounder Abul Hasan after serving a one-match suspension due to a slowover rate offence incurred during the 2015 ICC World Cup. Even though he missed the 79run victory, Mashrafe was not upset and said, “It always feels good when you are part of the team. Yes, I could not play but I am happy that I was part of the team. We won against them after 16 years and I am extremely happy for that.

“This is a very good opportunity for us.

The game yesterday (Friday) was perfect for us. I felt there were no big glitches in execution but the bowling could have been better.

“It is not possible for a team to do everything right in every game. It is possible to win against any team any time if you are in such a good rhythm. I hope we will be able to win tomorrow (today) if we can hold on to the performance.” l

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SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Tamim explains extravagant celebration n Mazhar Uddin Dashing Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal’s eye-catching celebration upon reaching each milestone is a delight to the eyes of the supporters. Besides the obvious cause of the jubilation, he also tends to send a message to his haters.

And last Friday, Tamim produced yet another special and a fancy celebration to go with it. The left-hander smashed his fifth ODI hundred and his first in two years, reaching his landmark after flicking a Saeed Ajmal delivery towards deep square-leg for four.

The celebration that followed was certainly meant for his critics as he removed his helmet, threw his gloves away before making a gesture with his hands.

When asked whether the celebration was pre-planned, Tamim denied, saying it came from his heart.

“Actually, I do not plan for such things but sometimes my reactions come from my heart as I have seen and heard a lot of things whenever I am not able to perform. But, it’s nothing personal as it came naturally when I reached the century yesterday (Friday),” Tamim told the journalists at the corridor of Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel yesterday.

“It feels bad when I see people criticising my wife and family members whenever I am unable to perform. As I said earlier, I have no problems if the people and media criticise me when I fail and I am happy to accept that but not anything against my family as they have nothing to do with it,” he said.

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal in a relaxed mood at the team hotel yesterday It was not the first time Tamim attracted the headlines for his celebrations. In the 2012 Asia Cup, the Chittagong lad blasted four consecutive fifties and after registering his fourth half-century of the tournament, Tamim dis-

played a similar gesture.

Tamim did not forget to praise his partner in the first ODI, Mushfiqur Rahim, for his scintillating hundred as the pair put on a record-breaking 178-run association for the third wicket.

Holder earns West Indies draw despite Anderson record n Reuters Jason Holder struck his maiden first-class century to lead West Indies to a draw in the first test in Antigua on Friday after James Anderson had become England’s leading test wicket-taker.

Denesh Ramdin and Holder shared a resolute seventh-wicket stand of 105 and although the former became Anderson’s 384th test victim in the final session, the hosts did enough to ruin England’s hopes of going 1-0 up in the three-match series.

Holder ended unbeaten on 103 and Kemar Roach was 15 not out as West Indies finished on 350 for seven, 88 runs short of their improbable victory target of 438.

Paceman Anderson surpassed Ian Botham’s tally of 383 test victims when he had Ramdin caught by captain Alastair Cook at first slip for 57.

Holder held his nerve, however, and he reached three figures by hitting James Tredwell for four in the penultimate over of the match.

Earlier, England looked to be closing in on victory when they dismissed Devon Smith, Marlon Samuels and Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the morning session, leaving West Indies on 162 for five at lunch.

First-innings centurion Jermaine Blackwood fell for 31 soon after the interval, aiming a wild heave at Chris Jordan and edging a catch to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. l

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

“Mushfiq played a tremendous knock and at one stage he took over the charge and scored some quick runs which actually helped me at the other end and made my life easy at the middle,” added Tamim. l

BRIEF SCORE England 399 (Bell 143, Root 83, Stokes 79, Roach 4-94) and 333 for 7 dec (Ballance 122, Buttler 59*, Root 59)

West Indies 294 (Blackwood 112*, Tredwell 4-47) and 350 for 7 (Holder 103*, Smith 65, Ramdin 57) Match Drawn

384

Wickets James Anderson now has in Tests the most by an England bowler.

3

Number of batsmen batting at No 8 or lower to hit a fourth-innings hundred in Tests before Jason Holder in this match.

1930

The last time West Indies batted more than the 129.4 overs they played in the fourth innings of this match to draw or win a Test.

2

Number of times a West Indies lower-order batsman had top-scored in a Test innings with a century before Holder in this match.

52 West Indies’ Jason Holder celebrates at the end of the 5th day of their first Test against England in Antigua on Friday REUTERS

Holder’s highest score in first-class games before this Test, against New Zealand in the Bridgetown Test in June last year.

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28 Sport

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Junior Tigers dominate their way to series win n Minhaz Uddin Khan Bangladesh Under-19 cricket team clinched the seven-match youth ODI series against the visiting South Africa U-19 yesterday at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong.

The junior Tigers registered a nail-biting eightrun win in the fifth match to take an unassailable 4-1 lead heading into the sixth and penultimate game this Tuesday at the same venue.

The home side got the better of the defending U-19 world champions in the first two matches before conceding a narrow two-run loss in the third game. The hosts, however, regrouped and bounced back in the next two matches to seal the series with two games to spare.

Batting first, Pinak Ghosh scored a responsible 116-ball 76 while Mehedy Hasan chipped in with 63 off 73 balls as Bangladesh U-19 posted a competitive 257/9 on the board. Paceman Ziyaad Abrahams, who scalped 6/58, turned out to be the only bowler who troubled the home side.

Later, opener Rivaldo Moonsamy’s 63, aided by half-centuries from Dayyaan Galiem and Wiaan Mulder took the visitors close to the destination only to be thwarted by Mohammad Saifuddin, who bagged a five-wicket haul. l

BRIEF SCORE, 5TH ODI Bangladesh U-19 vs South Africa U-19

Bangladesh Under-19 257/9 in 50 overs Pinak Ghosh 76, Mehedy Hasan 63, Saif Hasan 33, Z Abrahams 6/58

South Africa Under-19 249/9 in 50 overs R Moonsamy 63, AD Galiem 60, PWA Mulder 50, Saifuddin 5/27 MoM: Mohammad Saifuddin (BD U-19) Bangladesh U-19s won by 8 runs Bangladesh U-19s led the 7-match series 4-1

Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi scores his side’s second goal against Valencia in La Liga at Camp Nou, Barcelona yesterday

AFP

Messi nets 400th goal in Barca win n AFP, Barcelona Lionel Messi scored the 400th goal of his Barcelona career as the Catalans beat Champions League-chasing Valencia 2-0 to move five points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga on Saturday.

Luis Suarez got Barca off to a flying start as he slotted home the opener after just 54 seconds from Messi’s through ball.

However, it was Valencia who enjoyed the majority of the chances thereafter and they were left to rue Dani Parejo’s missed penalty in the first half.

And Messi made sure of all three points with the final kick of the game after Diego Alves had saved his initial effort.

LA LIGA Barcelona

2-0

Valencia

Suarez 1, Messi 90+3

Madrid can move back to within two points of the leaders when they host Malaga later on Saturday.

Defeat, meanwhile, leaves Valencia still a point adrift of third-placed Atletico Madrid,

who are in action away to Deportivo la Coruna.

Suarez scored two wonderful individual goals as Barca all but secured their place in the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-1 win away to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

And he took less than a minute to pick up from where he left off in the French capital as Sergio Busquets fed Messi and his pass was fired low past Diego Alves by Suarez for his 12th goal in as many games.

However, Valencia went on to dominate the remainder of the opening 45 minutes and were desperately unlucky still to be behind at the break.l

BFF mulling Afghanistan, Myanmar friendlies n Shishir Hoque

Bangladesh cricketers Mominul Haque and Soumya Sarkar pose for a photo alongside the mascot of Foodpanda, a global online food ordering marketplace. Mominul and Soumya signed a deal with Foodpanda and as part of the agreement, the duo will sport the logo of the company on their bats COURTESY

Bangladesh Football Federation is chalking out its plans for the preparation of the national football side ahead of the second round of the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers where the red and green will begin their journey on June 11 this year.

Bangladesh’s Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif is set to arrive in Dhaka earlier than previously assumed, along with the German goalkeeping coach, Christian Schweichler.

The coaches are likely to meet their disciples within a week and BFF. The postponement of the Indo-Bangla Games allowed the national camp to start a week earlier than expected and the federation is planning to begin the training camp by May 22.

“The coach (De Kruif) may arrive on April 24-25. We will confirm it within two days when exactly he is expected to arrive. The first

phase of the premier league will end on May 20 so we can start the camp two days later.

Then, we will get around 20-21 days for preparation for the first match,”’ said BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag yesterday.

The country’s football regulatory body is also mulling arranging two friendly matches before their first qualifier against Kyrgyzstan on June 11. Afghanistan and Myanmar feature in the wish-list of the BFF. “I talked to the general secretary of Afghanistan and Myanmar. They agreed to play against us. We will confirm and approach them after the president (Salahuddin) returns home from Singapore,” added Shohag.

The BFF also proposed the kick-off time of the qualifiers in Dhaka. The qualifiers against Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are expected to begin at 3pm. The qualifier against Jordan has been set at 6pm while the match against Asian champions Australia is slated for 5:30pm. l

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SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero tries a spectacular scissors kick during a training session at Carrington prior to their Premier League game against West Ham on Sunday

DAY’S WATCH BTV, Gazi TV 2:30PM Bangladesh v Pakistan Second ODI

Star Sports 1 4:00PM Spanish La Liga Rayo Vallecano v Almeria 8:00PM FA Cup 2014/15 Aston Villa v Liverpool 12:45AM Italian Serie A 2014/15 Inter Milan v AC Milan

Star Sports 2 English Premier League 6:30PM Manchester City v West Ham United 9:00PM Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur

Star Sports 4 08:25PM F1: Bahrain Grand Prix Main Race 11:00PM Spanish La Liga Villarreal v Cordoba

Sony Six Indian Premier League 4:30PM Rajasthan v Chennai 8:30PM Bangalore v Mumbai

Ten Action 12:30AM French Ligue 1 2014/15 Olympic Lyon v Saint-Etienne

Ten Sports 6:30PM ATP: Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters Final 9:30PM MotoGP: Argentine Grand Prix, Main Race

City aim to avoid Hammer blow n AFP, Manchester Manchester City’s attempt to remain in the top four of the Premier League has been hampered by a five-man injury list and the news that captain Vincent Kompany may not play again this season.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who have slipped to the fourth and final Champions League qualifying place, will be without Kompany, strikers Stevan Jovetic and Wilfried Bony, inform midfielder James Milner and defender Gael Clichy for the home game against West Ham United at Eastlands on Sunday.

Belgium defender Kompany injured his groin in last weekend’s devastating 4-2 Manchester derby defeat at Old Trafford and Pellegrini conceded he cannot say whether he will play again over the remaining six games of a disappointing campaign.

“He is injured,” said Pellegrini. “It’s very difficult to know the way you will improve if

you are injured.

“We don’t know how many weeks he will be out for,” the Chilean added. “He has a muscle injury. We don’t know if he will be fit from now to the end of the season.”

City’s hopes of a successful Premier League title defence had all but evaporated

EPL FIXTURES Manchester City Newcastle

v West Ham v Tottenham

before their defeat by Manchester United last weekend -- their sixth loss in eight games in all competitions.

Pellegrini is shaping up for a vital six-game run to the end of the season which will decide the fate of his team – and possibly even his own job status, as pressure mounts with every setback and the names of Pep Guardiola, Patrick Vieira and Jurgen Klopp thrust forward as potential replacements.

Gerrard eyes one last bid for FA Cup glory n AFP, London Steven Gerrard is gunning to lead Liverpool against fellow Premier League side Aston Villa in an FA Cup semi-final at London’s Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

The Reds captain, in his final season, with the Anfield club, is available after missing Liverpool’s last three matches through suspension, having been sent off for stamping on Ander Herrera during a 2-1 league defeat at home to bitter rivals Manchester United on March 22.

But now the question is how Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers will deploy veteran midfielder Gerrard.

Liverpool native Gerrard has been a oneclub man in his 17-year professional career so far, but he is set to bring down the curtain on his time at Anfield come the end of the season when he joins Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy.

For Liverpool fans, the fairytale finish would see former England captain Gerrard lifting the FA Cup in a Wembley final on May 30 -- his 35th birthday.

Reds’ staff organised a behind-closeddoors friendly on Monday to help assess Gerrard’s fitness but Rodgers was in no doubt he could feature against Villa “Steven is definitely ready. We had a game here on Monday that he played in,” said Rodgers.

“He’s a special footballer. He has always produced big goals and big moments. The most important thing is having him back for Sunday,” the Northern Irishman added.

“He knows Wembley well. He’s got special quality.”

Liverpool also have a chance of finishing in the top four and qualifying for next season’s Champions League but goalkeeper Simon Mignolet said they shouldn’t have to decide between dreams of Europe or FA Cup success.l

“That is why every time you finish a season you must analyse things, whether you win or lose, that is important,” said Pellegrini.

“I don’t think if we lost the next six games it would be the same analysis as if we won the next six games.

“If we win the next six games we maybe finish second, if we lose the next six games then maybe we finish eighth!

“After that, you must review the complete season, make the correct diagnosis and make the correct solution.”

Pellegrini has also refused to comment on speculation that key players, such as under-performing midfielder Yaya Toure, will be allowed to leave the club after the season and the manager insisted the Ivory Coast international could still be an important figure at City.

“I don’t think he’s happy with his performance this year and nor am I,” said Pellegrini.

“But we must support him and return him to his normal performance. l

DT

30 DOWNTIME

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Wagers (4) 4 Mechanical man (5) 8 Take away (6) 9 Full extent (4) 11 Fierce animal (5) 12 Probability (4) 14 Monkey (3) 15 Things to be done (6) 19 Mock (6) 21 Corn spike (3) 22 Small duck (4) 24 Surpass (5) 27 Sketched (4) 29 Fruit (6) 30 Irritable (5) 31 Whirlpool (4)

DOWN 1 Public transport (3) 2 Merchant (6) 3 Transmit (4) 4 Decay (3) 5 Sheeplike (5) 6 Seek charity (3) 7 Deposit forming on teeth (6) 10 Church leader (4) 13 Unhappy (3) 14 Church period (6) 17 Drew nigh (6) 18 Valley (4) 20 Inactive (5) 23 Border (4) 25 Long-leaved lettuce (3) 26 Non-clergy (3) 28 Crooked (3)

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 12 represents M so fill M every time the figure 12 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

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SHOWTIME 31

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

Furiously record breaking n Showtime Desk

CELEBS ON SOCIAL James Franco @JamesFrancoTV Happy B-Day @ sethrogen

Shahid Kapoor @shahidkapoor Late night training sess . Delts n abs.

Rager!

The “Fast and the Furious” series have always been driving on another gear entirely, and now have even left a major tyre mark with “Furious 7” crossing one billion US dollars at the worldwide box office. This has made it the fastest movie ever to reach a billion US dollars.

Mark Ruffalo @MarkRuffalo Thank you Korea!

Had a wonderful time promoting #AvengersAgeOfUltron here.

We are heading to Beijing now!

Overseas, the blockbuster grossed $735.2 million in just 17 days, while $273.7 million was North America alone in 15 days. The series, in total, have cumulated to nearly $3.4 billion worldwide.

The movie is ranked as the 20th to hit the billion mark, with the second fastest ceiling in 19 days to it’s whopping 17.

The film stars Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Jason Statham and Ludacris. Directed by James Wan, this release was the highest grossing launch at $147.2 million with an international debut at $250 million.

If that wasn’t enough, “Furious 7” also set records as the highest opening weekend in 29 territories, while also becoming the region’s highest grossing Universal production ever.

WHAT TO WATCH TELEVISION The former Chinese record of $36 million from “Transformers 4” was humiliated by its $63.5 million, setting another benchmark to beat. l

Joss Whedon leaving the superhero game? n Showtime Desk Avengers helmer Joss Whedon has spent the last two years writing and directing a much-anticipated sequel under immense pressure. The job has left him exhausted, and he’s ready for a vacation. Nevertheless, the expectations of a billion-dollar franchise still loom over his head.

“I feel like I’ve spent my entire career being bred for this job,” he says.

“I directed TV shows and a movie about superhero teams. I’ve written Marvel comics. It’s not such a surprise to me as it seems to be to everybody else.”

Whedon always worked best when given autonomy over his creations, the most famous one being Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But the tricky transition to work on the Marvel

Universe? Whedon says: “You’re subservient to the process and it can be very gruelling, but we go in with an understanding that this is going to be a ‘Joss Whedon Marvel film’. It’s going to reek of my sweat and my blood by the time it’s done, so it doesn’t feel like it’s in service of anything except the narrative, which is my own creation.”

The geek god has not disappointed. What Whedon achieved with The Avengers was remarkable. He might be tired, but with the hotly anticipated sequel coming up, Whedon’s headaches are far from over. l

The Wolverine AStar Movies 11:31 pm The Wolverine is out of his depth in an unknown world he will face a host of unexpected and deadly opponents in a life-or-death battle that will leave change him forever. He has to confront not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality Cast: Hugh Jackman, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima, Famke Janssen, Will Yun Lee Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban BWB 11:02 pm Harry finds out that Sirius Black, the convict, has escaped from the wizard prison Askaban. He is a Voldemort supporter, and everyone’s convinced that Sirius Black will come to get Harry.

Will Harry survive? Find out.

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman Aeon Flux CZ Studio HD 5:35 pm More than half the human beings being destroyed by a virus, one last city called Bregna is still safe and is ruled by Trevor Goodchild. Aeon Flux is a mysterious assassin who has a job to do - to kill Trevor. See what happens when she uncovers an sinister plot.

Cast: Charlize Theron, Sophie Okonedo, Marton Csokas, Jonny Lee Miller, Pete Postlethwaite

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32 BACK PAGE

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015

ATTACKING TULIP IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE

PAGE 13

PM ASKS TO SPEED UP BOI-PC MERGER PAGE 15

TIGERS SCENT SERIES VICTORY PAGE 25

MRP project tenure extended till December n Asif Showkat Kallol The government has extended tenure of machine readable passport and visa project till December this year, said official sources.

This is to complete the works of giving MRPs to 15m Bangladeshi expatriates.

The decision of extension was announced at a home ministry review meeting on development projects with State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzamzn Khan recently.

Earlier, the home ministry extended the project tenure twice and the last time it was extended to June this year.

The extension came after apprehension that the Malaysian contractor company Iris JV would not be able to deliver all the MRPs by

June this year.

“Considering the challenges, the (home) ministry has decided to extend the tenure for a third time,” a meeting source quoted state minister for home affairs.

After November 24, none will be allowed to travel abroad without MRP. The deadline has been set by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), making MRPs mandatory for all nationalities including Bangladeshis.

The home ministry meeting said necessary kits for issuing MRPs were already sent to different Bangladeshi embassies.

“The project extension is for the betterment of the expatriates particularly living in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and United Arab Emirates (UAE),” said Asaduzzaman Khan.

The meeting also disclosed the plan to set up MRP issuing centres in Chinese city of Kunming and Austria’s capital Vienna instead of Indian city of Mumbai and Iran’s capital Tehran.

The home ministry has also decided to telecast advertisements on television channels on having MRPs by November deadline.

Besides, the expatriates will be asked by the Bangladesh government agencies based in respective countries to have MRPs by the end of the deadline.

On Thursday, the passport authorities claimed to have achieved the milestone of issuing 10m MRPs to Bangladeshi expatriates.

Director General of Immigration and Passports NM Zeaul Alam said some 3.5m non-resident Bangladeshis would be provided with

MRPs by the November deadline.

He said the capacity to print MRPs now increased to 20,000 pieces a day as compared to a daily average demand of 12,000-14,000, indicating that the authorities have now the capacity to meet the deadline.

Meanwhile, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry has expressed concern at slow implementation of the MRP project.

Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Engineer Khandker Mosharraf Hossain said they would seek alternative ways if the Malaysian company failed to issue MRP within the stipulated time.

“The government will look for an alternative way if the Malaysian company Iris fails to do so in time,” he said at an Advisory Committee meeting on issuance of MRP last month. l

At least 27 dead in Yemen’s Taez EC urged to be impartial n AFP At least 27 people were killed in the Yemeni city of Taez in clashes between loyalist forces and rebels as well as Saudi-led coalition air raids, medical sources said Saturday.

Residents said the city in southwest Yemen was rocked by explosions and gunfire overnight as the coalition-backed forces of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi battled pro-Iranian Huthi Shiite rebels.

Nineteen rebels, four soldiers of a mechanised army unit loyal to the president and four other pro-Hadi fighters were killed, a medical source told AFP. On Friday, coalition warplanes carried out heavy air strikes on a presidential palace in Taez, Yemen’s third largest city, and of positions held by special forces units loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh who has

sided with the Huthis.

Hadi fled to Saudi Arabia last month as the Huthis closed in on his refuge in the southern city of Aden, having advanced from their stronghold in northern Yemen last year to seize the capital Sanaa.

Residents and security sources said rival fighters clashed Friday night in districts of Aden, while pro-Hadi forces with the support of air strikes held off rebels battling for the past week for control of Aden’s refinery, 15 kilometres (nine miles) to the west of the port city.

“In total, 13 civilians including three women and three pro-Hadi fighters have been killed since Friday in Aden,” regional health chief Al-Khadher Lassouar told AFP. An aide to the city’s governor said the 16 had been mortally wounded by rebel snipers posted “in their dozens on the roofs of buildings in different parts of the city.” l

n Tribune Report Afroza Abbas, wife of Mirza Abbas, yesterday urged the Election Commission (EC) to work impartially and neutrally during upcoming elections to Dhaka city corporations scheduled to be held on April 28.

She made the call while conducting election campaigns on behalf of her husband, the mayor candidate for Dhaka South City Corporation, in Gopibagh area.

“The government is giving repeatedly assurance of holding fair polls, but I cannot find such environment in the line the assurance.”

She alleged that her party’s supporters were facing attacks and threats during the polls campaign.

Abbas has remained in the hideout as a number of cases filed against him.

Asked whether she informed the EC about

the attacks and threats, she said: “We informed to the Election Commission. But the commission has not taken any step in this regard yet.”

“We hope that the commission will work neutrally and impartially in the future,” she added.

Afroza also alleged that the election commission is yet to create a level playing field for all the candidates.

In the name of ensuring security, members of law enforcement agencies were following Abbas’s supporters and activities during campaigning programmes, she said.

“When we enter any house for seeking vote, the law enforcers started searching the house. Is it issue of security?” she said.

Asked whether her husband would join the campaign, Afroza said the High Court was likely to resolve the issue of his bail on Tuesday.

“We hope the government will arrange bail for him.” she said. l

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