26 April, 2015

SECOND EDITION

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

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Baishakh 13, 1422, Rajab 6, 1436

CAMPAIGN TO END BEFORE MIDNIGHT PAGE 3

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 15

ADMISSION TRADE MASTERMIND HELD PAGE 4

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

KIDS ILLEGALLY USED IN CAMPAIGNS PAGE 5

Catastrophic earthquake rocks Nepal Death toll around 1,500 in 7.8 magnitude trembler whose shock waves are felt across South Asia

Three women die as earthquake hits Bangladesh n Tribune Report

People walk past a collapsed bullding in Kathmandu after a massive 7.8 earthquake hit Neptal yesterday, killing hundreds as it ripped through large parts of the country, toppling office blocks and towers and triggering a deadly avalanche that hit Everest base camp AFP

n Tribune Desk Described by disaster specialists as the scenario that keeps them awake at night, a major earthquake hitting Nepal’s heavily-populated Kathmandu valley has long been anticipated – and dreaded.

Yesterday’s earthquake has already claimed over a thousand lives on the first day of the disaster. Experts fear the death toll will rise.

The massive trembler measured 7.8 on the Richter scale according to the United States Geological Survey.

A police official said the death toll in Nepal alone had reached around 1,500 at about 1:30am [BST] today, more than half of them in the Kathmandu Valley, agencies report.

Nepal’s National Society for Earthquake Technology previously estimated that a largescale earthquake in mid-Nepal could displace over 1.8 million people, kill over 100,000 and injure a further 300,000.

The Himalayan nation which straddles the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates was hit by the earthquake at 6:11 UTC.

COURTESY: KALYAN RAUT

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Three women died in Bogra, Pabna and Tangail districts after a powerful 7.8-earthquake jolted the country yesterday afternoon.

In Bogra, a woman named Morsheda Begum, 55, was killed after a mud-wall collapsed on her during the earthquake in Unahoto Singra village under Dupchanchia upazila.

In Pabna, panic-stricken Rokeya Khatun, 67, resident of Shahid Siddique Road in the town, died of cardiac arrest while trying to come out of her residence in a hurry. She is a retired teacher of the Gopalpur Primary School and a secretary the local unit of the Awami League.

In Tangail, Morina Begum, 22, a resident of Sayedpur of Mirzapur upazila, got panicked and fainted when she saw her house shaking during the tremor. She was taken to the Kumudini Hospital where the on-duty doctors declared her dead.

One of the strongest to have hit the country in recent times, the quake – that came in two phases – lasted for about two minutes or so in the capital city. The people in many areas in and outside Dhaka, mostly out of panic, rushed out of their homes and offices.

In Comilla, at least 58 female garment workers were injured in the EPZ area in the city as they scrambled to come out of the four-storey building of Kadena Sports Wear Ltd, director of the factory M Abdul Majed said.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Hefazat-e-Islam wants to teach government a lesson n Tushar Hayat, Chittagong

Qawmi madrasa-based radical Islamist platform Hefazat-e-Islam has been trying to take revenge on the government through campaigning against the ruling party-backed mayoral candidate in Chittagong City Corporation election slated for April 28.

Several intelligence agencies confirmed the information to the Dhaka Tribune while

PAGE 3 DMP: 1,429 polling centres need more security

top Hefazat leaders also admitted that they want to see mayoral aspirant AJM Nasir Uddin defeated because of the government’s stance during the May 5, 2013 rally at Shapla Chattar.

“The mayoral candidates nominated by the government were defeated in the five city corporation elections held earlier. We will in no way allow the government-backed candidate to win in Chittagong, where the Hefazat headquarters in located,’’ Mainuddin Ruhi, joint sec-

PAGE 4 Father hands over rapist son to police

retary of the platform, told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said the countrymen knew that the pro-government candidates had been defeated due to the oppression on Hefazat.

“The Chittagong voters will never vote for those who opened fire on the sleeping people at Shapla Chattar in Dhaka on May 5,’’ he said adding that the April 28 election was the appropriate time to give a reply to the oppressor government.

PAGE 7 At least 10 mayor hopefuls likely to lose deposits

“This time we will do everything for the defeat of the government-nominated candidates, particularly in Chittagong,’’ Ruhi added.

A top leader of Hefazat, who was present during the conversation with Ruhi, said Hefazat had more than 2,00,000 votes in Chittagong city and they must give a reply to the government.

PAGE 11 Statue of Liberty evacuated over suspicious package

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PAGE 32 Bangladesh to launch Rohingya head-count

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Three women die as earthquake hits They were taken to Comilla Medical College Hospital.

In Savar, more than 100 garment workers were injured in a stampede in the multi-storied building of Al-Muslim Group at Karnapara as they tried to rush out of the building in panic. They were taken to the Savar Upazila Health Complex and Enam Medical College Hospital.

Over 60 other panic-stricken people were injured in Narayanganj, Chapainawabganj, Brahmanbaria and Rajshahi districts as well.

At least five buildings were damaged in Dhaka city in the twin jolts that shook most parts of

the country from 12:12pm to 12:40pm yesterday.

Enayet Hossain, officer-in-charge of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters, said: “We have learned that six buildings have become risky after the earthquake.”

He said that three of these buildings, including one of a garment factory, are located at Majar Road in Mirpur; and the other three are in old Dhaka.

One of the buildings in Old Dhaka is located in Bangabazar; one is an eight-storey building near the police outpost at Nawabpur Road in Old Dhaka which developed cracks; and the

last one is six-storey building at Ershad Road in Lalbagh’s Islambagh which tilted.

The fire service official said all these buildings were immediately evacuated and the residents in the nearby structures were advised to move away for safety.

Meanwhile, outside Dhaka, five buildings – three in Sagarpara, Malipara and Kadirganj of Rajshahi city and two in Borobazar and Rupsha of Khulna city – caved in because of the tremor.

Our Natore correspondent said that the building of a private clinic tilted and two rooms in a school developed cracks in the quake.

District and upazila administrations have ordered the concerned authorities to stop all the activities until engineers certified the safety of these risky structures.

According to witnesses in Natore, the three-storey building of Ekota Clinic and Diagnostic Centre in the town’s Chokrampur area developed several cracks and got tilted to one side.

Our correspondent in Sunamganj reported that several crop protection embankments in the haor – marshland – areas were destryoed in the jolt. l

Hefazat-e-Islam wants to teach government a lesson According to political sources, the leaders and activists of Hefazat have been working for the BNP-backed mayoral candidate M Manjur Alam under the banner of Islami Oikyo Jote from the very beginning of the election campaign.

Intelligence sources said city unit BNP President Amir Khashru Mahmud Chowdhury, also an adviser to the party chairperson, and Hefazat leaders held meeting when the campaigns began.

The Hefazat leaders held another meeting with Abdullah Al Noman, vice-chairman of the BNP, at the latter’s residence recently. The BNP leaders assured the Hefazat leaders of meeting their demands if Manjur was elected.

A policymaker of Hefazat said their organisation was a non-political one, which never asks anyone to vote in favour of any party or any symbol. “But people sought our advice before casting their votes, particularly in

Catastrophic earthquake rocks Nepal Shock waves convulsed neighbouring India, Bangladesh and Bhutan, Reuters reported.

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in separate statements expressed deep shock at the loss of lives in Nepal, India, Bangladesh and other parts of the region. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia also expressed deep shock at the huge loss of lives and property.

Bangladesh will send humanitarian assistance, including medical teams and medicine, to work with the Nepalese government in assisting the affected people there, said a Foreign Ministry statement.

Besides, Bangladesh Embassy in Nepal opened a helpdesk for its nationals living in the country soon after the strong tremor jolted the Himalayan country.

However, no Bangladesh nationals have so far been reported to be injured or killed in the quake, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Bangladesh nationals have been asked to contact Ambassador Mashfee Binte Shams +9779851039352, Khan M Moinul Hossen +977 980818401402 and Shamima Choudhury +9779808765071 for any support.

The tremor was felt as far away as Pakistan and Tibet, according the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), which is gearing up for a response to the disaster.

Thirty-six fatalities were reported in northern India, 12 in Chinese Tibet and three in Bangladesh.

Tremors felt in Dhaka and New Delhi were reported to have lasted up to a minute.

The quake sent waves of fear and panic across northern South Asia, leaving hundreds dead, toppling a 19th-century tower in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu and touching off a deadly avalanche on Mount Everest.

As search and rescue efforts continue, hospitals in the Nepalese capital continue to function but are stretched to capacity, the IFRC reported.

Powerful aftershocks continued to be felt after the main quake, causing a risk of further

damage to buildings and increasing the climate of fear among the population, many of whom are fearful of returning to their home, the IFRC reported on the situation in Kathmandu.

The earthquake’s epicentre was 80km east of Kathmandu in Lamjung, Gorkha district, the US Geological Survey said.

Most of the casualties reported are in the Kathmandu valley where buildings, including the historic Darahara Tower, have collapsed in densely populated areas.

“We are extremely concerned about the fate of communities in towns and villages in rural areas closer to the epicentre,” said Jagan Chapagain, the IFRC’s Director for Asia Pacific. “Access roads have been damaged or blocked by landslides and communications lines are down preventing us from reaching local Red Cross branches to get accurate information. We anticipate that there will be considerable destruction and loss of life.”

The international disaster response organisation said it was releasing funds from its Disaster Response Emergency Fund to support the initial emergency response.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi dispatched a military air transporter with three tonnes of supplies and a 40-strong disaster response team to Nepal. Three more planes were to follow, carrying a mobile hospital and further relief teams.

But international assistance is currently hindered by the closure of the Kathmandu airport.

“We do not yet know the scope of damage, but no doubt this is the most deadly and devastating earthquake since the 1934 tremor which devastated Nepal and Bihar,” Chapagain said.

Nepal, sandwiched between India and China, has had its share of natural disasters.

Its worst earthquake in 1934 killed more than 8,500 people. There were reports of devastation in outlying, isolated mountainous areas after the midday quake of magnitude 7.8, Nepal’s worst in 81 years, centred 50 miles (80 km) east of the second city, Pokhara.

Chittagong.”

“We asked people not to vote for the atheists and anti-Islamist forces in the past five city elections,’’ the leader said adding that the people had responded to their calls.

Formed in 2010, Hathazari madrasa-based Hefazat surfaced again in 2013 when youths launched a historic movement at Shahbagh demanding death penalty for all war criminals and ban on Jamaat-e-Islami.

All the leaders of the platform, except for its chief Ahmad Shafi and his deputy Junaid Babunagari, are from the BNP-led 20-party alliance.

Hefazat placed 13-point demands before the government that include formulating anti-blasphemy law, banning free mixing of men and women, removing sculptures and stopping observance of Bangalee culture. They held two mass rallies in Motijheel, on April 6 and May 5, 2013 demanding realisation of the demands. l

A collapse in communications hampered relief efforts, raising fears of a humanitarian disaster across the impoverished Himalayan nation of 28 million people.

The quake was more destructive for being shallow, toppling buildings and opening gaping cracks in roads.

his father, King Birendra Shah, before killing himself.

A Maoist rebellion subsequently transformed the kingdom into a republican democracy and abolished the monarchy altogether in 2008. A new constitution has yet to be agreed, however.

Tourists in trouble

Tower toppled

Indian tourist Devyani Pant was in a Kathmandu coffee shop with friends when “suddenly the tables started trembling and paintings on the wall fell on the ground.

“I screamed and rushed outside,” she told Reuters by telephone from the capital.

“We are now collecting bodies and rushing the injured to the ambulance. We are being forced to pile several bodies one above the other to fit them in.”

A tourism official said at least 10 people were killed when an avalanche unleashed by the earthquake swept through the Everest base camp, where more than 1,000 climbers had gathered at the start of the annual climbing season.

Choti Sherpa, who works at the Everest Summiteers Association, was unable to call her family and colleagues on the mountain.

“Everyone is trying to contact each other, but we cannot,” she said. “We are all very worried.”

A second tourism official, Mohan Krishna Sapkota, said it was “hard to even assess what the death toll and the extent of damage” around Everest could be.

Around 300,000 foreign tourists were estimated to be in various parts of Nepal for the spring trekking and climbing season in the Himalayas, and officials were overwhelmed by calls from concerned friends and relatives.

Political instability does little to boost Nepal’s resilience; it has still not upgraded its weather forecasting system despite being surprised by unseasonal blizzards last autumn that killed 32 in the Annapurna massif.

In 2001, Nepal burst into global headlines when the crown prince, Dipendra, gunned down 10 members of his family, including

Among the Kathmandu landmarks destroyed by the quake was the 60-metre-high (100foot) Dharahara Tower, built in 1832 for the queen of Nepal, with a viewing balcony that had been open to visitors for the last 10 years.

A jagged stump just 10 metres high was all that was left of the lighthouse-like structure. As bodies were extracted from the ruins, a policeman said up to 200 people had been trapped inside.

At the main hospital in Kathmandu, volunteers formed human chains to clear the way for ambulances to bring in the injured.

Across the city, rescuers scrabbled through the rubble of destroyed buildings, among them ancient, wooden Hindu temples.

“I can see three bodies of monks trapped in the debris of a collapsed building near a monastery,” said Devyani, the tourist.

With aftershocks continuing throughout the afternoon, many residents chose to stay out in the streets.

Everest avalanche

The Everest avalanches, first reported by climbers, raised fears for those on the world’s loftiest peak a year after a massive snow slide killed 16 Nepali guides just above base camp.

Romanian climber Alex Gavan tweeted that there had been a “huge avalanche” and “many, many” people were up on the mountain. “Running for life from my tent,” Gavan said. “Everest base camp huge earthquake then huge avalanche.”

Another climber, Daniel Mazur, said the base camp had been severely damaged and his team were trapped.

“Please pray for everyone,” he tweeted. l

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

DHAKA CITY CORPORATION POLLS

DMP: 1,429 polling centres need more security n Mohammad Jamil Khan A total of 1429 polling centres out of 1982 of the up coming Dhaka South and North City Corporation elections have been identified as important, Asaduzzaman Miah, commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said yesterday.

The DMP boss said they had planned the security measures based on the importance of the polling centres. At the important polling centres, there will be 24 police and Ansar officials, including 12 armed persons, on duty while at general polling centres there will be 22 police and Ansar officials, including 10 armed persons.

Besides, two teams in each ward of the capital will be patrolling to ensure security of voters, said Asaduzzaman.

He further added that 31 reserved striking forces will add to the patrolling teams. And four control rooms will monitor the total election situation.

Addressing a briefing about security steps ahead of the city polls, the DMP boss asked all

Ban on motorcycle movement from yesterday midnight Non-voters asked to leave the capital Journalist, observers would not be allowed to stay longer in polling centres Security effort increased in DSCC rather than DNCC people who had come to Dhaka for the purpose of the city polls but are not enlisted voters in the capital to leave the city by yesterday midnight.

“Directions have already been given to the Deputy Commissioners (DC) of eight crime divisions of the capital. One additional commissioner of DMP will coordinate the reports from the two DCs of two crime divisions,” he said.

Along with police, members of the Border Guard Bangladesh, Rapid Action Battalion and Ansar officials will also be on duty. Besides, nine mobile teams will be deployed in Dhaka North while 12 others will on duty in Dhaka South.

The DMP boss further said processions, rallies and outdoor public programmes would

be banned from April 26 midnight till April 30 midnight in the city corporation areas.

The DMP has also put restrictions of motorbikes from yesterday midnight till 6am of April 29 while other vehicular movement would be barred from April 27 midnight to April 28 midnight.

Only journalists, policemen and polling officers can use motorcycles and others vehicles by taking permission from the returning officers of the two city corporations.

Ballots and necessary instruments will be distributed from 16 points in the city. Ballots of Dhaka North City Corporation will be counted at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre while the ballots of Dhaka South City Corporation will be counted at Mohanogor Natyamancha.

Asaduzzaman also said no candidates would be allowed to set up election camps within 400 yards of polling centres.

With permission from the Election Commission, journalists and election observers would be allowed to oversee the voting process in polling centres but they would not be

allowed to stay in a centre for too long.

‘Accredited journalists and observers cannot stay at any centres for long. They will observe, move around and leave the centres,’ said Asaduzzaman.

However, a group of journalists and observers cannot consist of more than five members in a single visit.

Talking about the security measures, DMP said action would be taken against those found spreading money to buy votes. “Our officials are already deployed at various crowded places to check the issue,” he added.

An official of police, preferring not to be named, said though most of the polling centres in the capital were risky, centres in Dhaka South City Corporation was riskier.

Since Dhaka South has many public universities and colleges, which are a den for ruling party’s associate organisation Chhatra League, there could be possibilities of untoward incidents there.

The official further said polling centres in Mirpur of Dhaka North were also deemed to be risky. l

Annisul: Focus on competence more than political affiliation n Munir Momtaj

Dhaka North City Corporation mayoral aspirants Annisul Huq and Tabith Awal busy in carrying out their election campaigns in the capital yesterday RAJIB DHAR / DHAKA TRIBUNE

Campaign to end before mid-night Hayat Mahmud, Adil Sakhawat n Abu and Nur Alam Durjoy

Today is the last day for the mayoral and councillor aspirants of Dhaka and Chittagong city corporations to campaign seeking votes.

As per the election code of conduct, the candidates will have to stop campaigning 32 hours before the voting starts at 8am on Tuesday.

As the deadline got closer, candidates backed by the ruling Awami League, BNP, Jatiya Party, left-wing parties and socio-cultural organisations passed busy day yesterday.

Dhaka north mayoral aspirant Tabith M Awal, backed by the BNP, campaigned in slums and colonies in Uttara section 8 yesterday morning. Later in the day, he visited Malibagh, East Khilgaon, Hazipara, Moghbazar, Farmgate and Geneva Camp.

Talking to reporters, he expressed doubt whether the election could be free and fair.

“The delay in deploying troops worries me,”

Tabith added.

Ruling party-backed candidate for Dhaka south Sayeed Khokon carried out campaigns in wards 4, 5, 6 and 7 in the first hours of the day, and later went to wards 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 38, 39, 41 and 42.

At that time, Khokon, son of Dhaka’s first mayor Mohammad Hanif, urged the voters to give him a chance.

On the other hand, the wife of Dhaka south mayoral candidate Mirza Abbas yesterday alleged that the government wanted to invite conflicts. Afroza Abbas was talking to reporters while campaigning in Mir Hajirbagh area of Old Dhaka.

“We thought that the election will be held in a peaceful environment, and in a free and fair manner. But the ruling party activists are continuously threatening our supporters and polling agents,” Afroza claimed.

Criticising the Election Commission for preventing the BNP chairperson from using

motorcade during the campaigns, she said: “The commission did not take any action when the ruling party activists attacked on Khaleda Zia during campaigns for three consecutive days. But when she started campaigning with her own security personnel, the commission has issued notice on her. Now it is proved that the EC is biased.”

Former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Emajuddin Ahmed accompanied her during the campaign.

“If the upcoming city polls are not held in a free and fair manner and any kind of criminal activities take place, the political condition will turn volatile again. The government and the Election Commission will be held responsible for such situation,” Prof Emajuddin said. l

Awami League-backed mayoral candidate Annisul Huq has urged voters to caste votes by evaluating a candidate’s competence rather than taking his political identity into account.

“The Election Commission will find suitable ways to deploy the armed forces if candidates demand so in the city corporation elections,” he said while addressing a rally at Tajgaon College in the capital yesterday.

Annisul campaigned in different areas of Dhaka North City Corporation, and also in Uttara.

At 5pm, he joined a concert at Harun Molla’s field in Pallabi which was arranged as part of his campaign.

The Awami League-backed candidate mentioned a survey of Bangla Tribune where he came out as a top favourite mayoral aspirant for Dhaka North City Corporation.

But he said there was no reason to be happy with the survey outcome as the situation could change overnight.

“To build Dhaka city, we need a cool-headed person who also has experience. I think I have both,” Annisul said.

“I want to work with you for the next five years.” he said, referring to voters. l

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

Father hands over rapist son to police n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah

Indigenous People’s Development Services (IPDS) forms a human chain in front of the National Press Club yesterday protesting eviction of 72 Khasi families from their lands in Jhimai Punji, Moulvibazar SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Mastermind of private university admission trade arrested 40 cell phones and 53 SIM cards recovered n Mohammad Jamil Khan Detective Branch (DB) of police in a drive yesterday arrested a leader of gang engaged in private university admission trade from the capital’s Gulshan area.

The arrestee Rahimul Kabir Zamil, 29, used to operate among noted universities including North-South University, East West University, American International University-Bangladesh, Brac University and Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology.

Assistant Commissioner Aminul Islam of DB police said a DB team led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Manosh Kumar Poddar raided Rahimul’s residence in Gulshan fol-

lowing a tip-off and arrested him. During the raid the team found 40 cellphones and 53 SIM cards which were used in admission trade, he added.

Rahimul was awarded six month jail by a mobile court of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

In primary interrogation, Rahimul confessed that he operated with the help of private university staffs.

He collected detailed information of students seeking admission and later phoned them with an offer of a secured admission in exchange of Tk30,000 to Tk80,000 depending on the university.

Quoting Rahimul, the AC Aminul said some guardians used to respond to the calls

and give the money he demanded. Then, using his good relation with people in admission sections, he would get the candidate admitted to the desired university.

At least 25 to 30 people used to help him in this job and in the last three years Rahimul was able to collect nearly Tk50 lakh.

AC Aminul further said Rahimul used nine bank accounts to keep the money collected from admission trade. He used to change his SIM numbers so that no one was able to trace him after the trade, Aminul added.

Hailing from Raypura area of Lakshmipur, Rahimul completed his SSC in the year 2005 and later completed BBA from East West University. l

A father handed over his 14-year-old son to the police yesterday morning for raping a nine-year-old girl in Kaliganj.

This rapist, son of Asgar Ali of Mostabapur village under Kaliganj upazila, is a student of class eight at a Qawmi madrasa under Chowgacha upazila in Jessore district.

The victim is a student of class two of Mostabapur Government Primary School of Kaliganj upazila of the district. The minor girl is fighting for her life at Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital.

The victim’s uncle Sayeed Ahmed said, on Friday evening the rapist tempted her with a mango and raped her, forcing a napkin in her mouth to muffle her screams.

However, neighbours heard her and rushed to rescue her. She was first admitted to Kaliganj local health complex. As her condition deteriorated, she was transferred to Jhensidah Sadar Hospital. The boy’s father Asgar said after learning of the rape, he handed over his son to Kaliganj police for due punishment yesterday morning around 9:30am.

Officer-in-Charge Anwar Hossain of Kaliganj Police Station confirmed the matter and said a case has been filed with the police station. l

Business Club opened n Tribune Report BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology (BUFT) launched its Business Club under the Faculty of Business Studies April 20 at the BUFT Auditorium in Dhaka.

The club aims at making the business students more capable in a multi-dimensional way in today’s competitive world.

On the occasion a seminar titled “RMG Sector: Its Contribution and Challenges” was organised. Prof Mustafizur Rahman, executive director, Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), was present as the chief guest.

Muzaffar U Siddique, founder, BUFT and chairman, Board of Trustees, chaired the programme. Shafiul Islam, ex-president of BGMEA and member, Board of Trustees, attended the progamme as principal discussants.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Syed Masud Husain was present as special guest. Prof Md Saiful Islam, dean, Faculty of Business Studies and head, Department of Business Administration, was the keynote speaker.

Pro-VC Prof Ayub Nabi Khan, Registrar ANM Rafiqul Alam, Head of Logistics Wg Cdr Shahidullah, faculty members, officials and students also attended the seminar. l

Restoration of historic heritages will bring more tourists n Tribune Report Restoration of historic heritage like Baro Sardar Bari at Sonargaon, the capital of Isa Khan, would help Bangladesh attract more tourists from home and abroad, said Lee Yun-yong, Korean ambassador in Dhaka yesterday.

He came up with the comment during his visit at Folk Arts Museum to see the progress of Baro Sardar Bari restoration projects.

Youngone Corporation as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has taken the initiatives to restore the heritage through renovation, to represent it to the young generation

of the country as well to the global tourists. The estimated cost for the project is about $1.7m.

“Bangladesh has beautiful heritage and we are very happy to be a part of that regarding the renovation of historic heritage, said Lee Yun-yong. If these project is completed, it would attract more tourist from the globe and Bangladesh as well as, said Lee. We will also concentrate on the renovation of Panam Nagor another heritage of the area, he added.

To uphold the glorious and beautiful heritage of Baro Sarder Bari, we have taken the initiative in cooperation with Youngone Corporation, said Rabindra Gop, director of Folk Arts Muse-

um. The renovation will help Bangladesh to learn the young generation about its prestigious historic places and establishment, he added.

Kihak Sung, chairman of Youngone Corporation, has undertaken the initiative to conserve this building in an authentic and scientific manner as a part of their social responsibility and commitment towards Bangladesh.

The purpose of this initiative is to restore the Baro Sardar Bari as much as possible to its original beauty and splendor, which will represent the culture, history and heritage of this nation to the visitors. After physical intervention, the life style of the Sardars will be displayed in the frontal

block of this edifice and the other or rear part will be used as National Folk and Crafts Museum.

This ongoing restoration work includes of all highly ornamented surfaces, floor finish, chinnitikri ornamentation, replacement of wooden beams, doors, windows, main entrance, glass roof for courtyard, the embankment and two ghats of the western bank of the pond.

Sonargaon was a medieval administrative and maritime center in Bengal and described by several travellers, including Ibn Batuta, Ma Huan, Ralph Fitch, as a thriving centre of trade and commerce connected with the historic silk and spice route. l

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

Chittagong kids illegally being used in campaigns n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Money is being traded for loyalty in Chittagong, where city corporation candidates are paying underprivileged children to campaign for them and bolster participation in election processions.

The use of children – who are excluded from the franchise and whose use in such activities are a violation of the Child Act, 2013 – is not new in Bangladesh, experts said.

But the practice is damaging to children, they added. They are at risk of injury as they run alongside loud-speaker mounted campaign vehicles. And the risk of getting caught in clashes between rival camps is always there.

The Dhaka Tribune found Chittagong’s street children deployed to the front line of election processions in the port city, marching and chanting slogans for their candidate-employers. Several election camps were

found being operated by children.

Working for snacks and small sums of cash, many of them told the Dhaka Tribune they had joined the campaigning to earn pocket money.

Advocate Mili Chowdhury said: “While there is no specific provision in the electoral code of conduct about the use of children in campaigning, the practice is unethical.”

“Children are not voters and there is no reason they should be involved in electioneering,” said the lawyer who is involved with women and children’s issues.

Chittagong City Corporation Assistant Returning Officer Md Shafiqul Islam said using children in campaigns violates children’s rights.

He said the electoral code of conduct prohibits election processions, so the participation of children in such activities automatically violates the rules.

Chittagong Bar Association president Ad-

vocate Mujibul Haque said: “Sometimes underprivileged children are enthusiastic about joining election campaigns, but we must discourage them.

“Most adult campaigners use children to misappropriate candidates’ election funds, bagging campaign fund money for themselves.”

Mujibul said while there is no specific provision in the electoral code of conduct about the issue, the use of children violates the Child Act, 2013.

The chairman of the Psychology Department at Chittagong University, Syed Mohammad Sajjad Kabir, said children might not be affected by such risky work in the short-term but there could be longer term detrimental effects.

“They could lose their belief in others, kindness, honesty, dignity and peacefulness as a result of seeing election campaigns at close quarters,” he said. l

A delegation from Awami League-led 14-party alliance is going meet Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad to place a complain against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. The alliance’s senior leaders will meet the CEC in the commission at 10:30am, says Health Minister Mohammad Nasim at a press conference following its meeting yesterday. The meeting was held at AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s political office in Dhanmondi.

Nasim, also Spokesman of the ruling 14-party alliance and AL Presidium Member said: “We will meet CEC Rakibuddin Ahmed to table complaints against Khaleda Zia as she has breached the electoral code of conduct by taking part in campaign for her party-backed candidate.”

He went on that the city people have faced trouble in movement due to the Khaleda’s campaign included motorcade and public gathering on the busy roads.

Meanwhile, AL parliamentary board meeting with the PM in chair will be held at Gonobhaban at 7pm today, where she will take interviews of the candidacy seekers for Magura- 1 by-polls. l

leaders to create favourable conditions for peaceful, inclusive, transparent and credible elections to take place. Voters must be given the opportunity to express their democratic choice freely.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy has confirmed that its observers will monitor the upcoming mayoral elections.

Earlier, the US and UK have expressed their concerns and condemned the political violence surrounding municipal elections in Dhaka.

Both the countries had issued statements last week, just after BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s

motorcade came under attack while she was campaigning for a BNP-backed candidate.

The United States through a statement said it condemned in the strongest terms the use of violence for political objectives.

“We call on all of those involved in the municipal elections to uphold their responsibility to ensure the elections are free, fair, and non-violent,” the statement said.

It urged the security forces to permit free expression and association during the election campaign, to protect candidates against political violence, and to prosecute those who violate the law.

In a separate statement, British High Commissioner Robert W Gibson expressed concern over reports of violent incidents that have occurred during the past two weeks of campaigning for city corporation elections in Dhaka and Chittagong.

Gibson stressed that it was the responsibility of all political parties, as well as the law enforcement and election authorities, to ensure that the campaign is conducted without violence or intimidation.

The high commissioner said he looked forward to the electorate having a real democratic choice on April 28. l

EU urges political forces to end violence n Tribune Report

The European Union has urged all political actors to take concrete steps to end violence, de-escalate tensions and engage in a constructive manner, for the long-term stability and democratic development of Bangladesh.

A statement issued by Maja Kocijancic, the spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said in the run up to the vote for the mayoral elections in Dhaka and Chittagong, all sides must refrain from any actions that could spark further violence.

The European Union looks to political

14-party complains about Khaleda to CEC n Abu Hayat Mahmud

Hasina and Khaleda to address press conferences today n Tribune Report Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will address two separate press conferences today, just two days before the city corporation polls of Dhaka and Chittagong.

“Prime Minister will hold a press conference at 4pm at Ganabhaban on her recent visit to Indonesia,” said AKM Shameem Chowdhuri, PM’s press secretary.

The PM paid an official visit to Indonesia from April 21 to 23 to attend the 2nd Asian-African Summit.

Meanwhile, the main political opposition BNP’s Chairperson Khaleda Zia will hold a press conference at her Gulshan political office on the same day.

Issuing a press statement, Khaleda’s press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan Sohel said the press conference would be held at 2pm.

The former premier will talk about the country’s overall political situation and the upcoming city elections, the press statement added. l

A clash ensues between Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad and Swadhinata Forum, while the latter was protesting attack on BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s motorcade recently, through forming a human chain in front of the National Press Club yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

DT

6 NEWS

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

RAJIB DHAR

Quotable quotes

Six mayoral candidates for the Dhaka south city elections were recently brought to a common platform in a programme styled ‘Meet Dhaka’ organised jointly by Dhaka Tribune and ATN News

n Rajib Bhowmick Opening remarks

Shahidul Islam: My bus is not the one to get charred in petrol bomb. I doing this election with the symbol bus as a protest to those people who destroy buses by hurling petrol bombs. In order to ensure security, the entire Dhaka south needs to be brought under CCTV coverage.

Golam Mawla Rony: The citizen do not have the faith that the person sitting there has been elected by their votes. My motto is to keep my doors always open for the citizens.

My phone will always be open for them. For solving the citizens’ problems, I will work as hard as needed and earn as much knowledge as I can.

Mohammad Saifuddin Ahmed Milon: I have been involved with the movement of building a congestion-free beautiful city. I will not be able to beautify the city alone. My plan is to involve the urban planners. So I call upon the voters to not get tied up in the illusion of a party, question your conscience and cast your vote for the honest and capable candidate.

Sayeed Mohammad Khokon: I know that we have many problems. I know that Dhaka today is considered an unliveable city. Still, when we laugh our hearts at the smallest of happiness, many people wonder what the source of such happiness is.

Mohammad Shafi Ullah Chowdhury: I fully agree with emotional words Milon Bhai, Rony Bhia and Khokon Bhai. You do not need to do too many things to give Dhaka a facelift.

Waste management

Bazlur Rashid Feroz: The city corporation can supply special bags to every households.

Shahidul Islam: One of the ground-breaking initiative of the current government is the PPP

[public-private partnership]. We will try to solve the city’s power crisis by producing electricity from garbage through the PPP initiative.

Sayeed Mohammad Khokon: There are many local arbitration bodies still active in many parts of old Dhaka. There are also many community clubs. I want to give them the task of managing waste. The city corporation will give them the money for carrying out their expenses. This will be on trial basis. If this is successful then I will spread this system all over Dhaka.

Water logging

Sayeed Mohammad Khokon: Dhaka City Corporation looks after the city’s drainage system. But the sewerage system is under Dhaka Wasa. There is a communication gap here. If I become the mayor, I will first try to do the things that fall under my jurisdiction.

The first thing I do will be to make the drains deeper so that they can carry more water.

I will also get those drains cleaned that are clogged with sand and waste.

Bazlur Rashid Feroz: Take the example of the Sylhet railway station. Our Saifur Rahman [late finance minister of former BNP governments] built a new modern station building there. But you will still see the centuries-old British era old station building there. When it rains hard, the new building gets water logged, but the old building remains dry. So, one got to have the vision to see and plan for what will happen one or two hundred years later. Otherwise, problems will keep coming back.

Traffic congestion

Sayeed Mohammad Khokon: Because of the high price of petrol-octane, most cars are run by gas these days. Many families have more than one car. We often see there is only one passenger in one car. Instead, if we can have three to four people travel in one car, then I think the problem of many cars

coming to the streets at a time can be solved.

I have seen in China that many people use bicycles. Recently, the popularity of bicycles has increased in Bangladesh. But our women or girls do not use bicycles at all. I think they should be encouraged.

If I am elected by the grace of almighty, I will appoint a professional consultant and take necessary steps in line with their recommendations.

Bazlur Rashid Feroz: An Ideal city should have 25% of its area as roads. But Dhaka has only 8%. In those roads, more than 180 cars come in every minute. Who gives them the registration? It is not the mayor of Dhaka.

The BRTA gives them the approval to ply the roads. Moreover, there are three types of roads in Dhaka – some under Rajuk, some under the Roads and Highways Department, some under the City Corporation. In that case, even if the mayor pledges to solve all the problems, it will not be possible.

Golam Mawla Rony: For example what happens in developed countries? Say there are eight lanes in a road – four on this side and four on the opposite. During rush hour, what we can do is give two more lanes to the side of the road that is experiencing heavy traffic.

Then bring things back to normal again when there is less rush.

Mohammad Saifuddin Ahmed Milon: In many countries, there are underpasses at busy intersections. If the cars in Dhaka did not need to stop at intersections, then congestion would have been much less.

Shahidul Islam: We cannot allow rickshaw to ply on roads that are less than 12 feet wide. We will have to build overpasses at the intersection of those roads which are more than 40ft wide. I have talked about CCTV. If we see on CCTV that there is pressure of cars in one road then we can turn the cars around towards alternative roads.

Playgrounds Sayeed Mohammad Khokon: One big problem is that when city corporation authorities try to evict some illegal occupier, they file a small writ with any of the courts and the eviction has to be stopped then and there.

The hearing takes five sometimes 10 years, sometimes more. We will need to strengthen the legal department of our city corporation...

I will assure you that this [compromising with ruling party men] will never happen with Sayeed Khokhon. This is for sure and guaranteed.

Bazlur Rashid Feroz: The power of the mayor is coming back in our discussion again and again. Say for example, the mayor of a local municipality outside Dhaka. The municipality mayor has the authority to approve or disapprove the construction of a building. The mayor of Dhaka do not have that authority.

City government system

Shahidul Islam: Considering the existing city corporation laws, making somebody the mayor of Dhaka is equal to tying up their hands and legs and throwing them into the river. He cannot work independently. There is term called “self-local governance.” Our city corporation does not govern itself, rather it is governed by the various ministries. We need to get every permission from them. If I am elected the mayor of Dhaka, I will push for passing a “local-self-governance act” by amending the parliament.

Sayeed Mohammad Khokon: I want to start by forming a coordinated authority. If I am elected, I will right away form a committee comprising representatives from the 52 autonomous bodies and ministries that work with the Dhaka City Corporation. Honourable Prime Minister [Sheikh Hasina] likes me a lot.

If I request her to form that committee for me, I am confident that she will not say no. l

DT

NEWS 7

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

30 BGB platoons deployed in Ctg n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Following orders from the local returning officer of the upcoming city corporation election, a total of 30 platoons of BGB personnel were deployed in Chittagong yesterday.

BGB 28 Battalion’s Deputy Director Maj Tanveer Mahmud told the Dhaka Tribune that they had deployed their personnel across the city ahead of the April 28 elections.

CCC Election Returning Officer Md Abdul Baten said they had passed the order for the sake of maintaining law and order in the port city before and during the polls.

A total of 12 mayoral and 278 general and reserved ward councillor candidates are contesting in the election this year. More than 1.8 million voters in Chittagong will be able to practice their rights at 719 polling centres around the city.

More than 17,000 police and Ansar men would be deployed at the polling centres to ensure internal security. More police and RAB personnel remain stationed as the striking forces in addition to the BGB men, the returning officer said.

Besides, a battalion of Bangladesh Army would be ready during election period while 140 executive magistrates and 10 judicial magistrates have been appointed for maintaining law and order in the city.

Moreover, 14 teams, led by assistant returning officers, are currently monitoring all the election activities, the top election officer of the port city also said. l

WEATHER

RAIN OR THUNDERSHOWER SUNDAY, APRIL 26 DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:25PM

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:27AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY 34 31 32 32 26 30 30 31

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

24 23 23 22 17 22 22 23

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

30.5ºC Khepupara

19.0ºC Tangail Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr

4:11am

Sunrise

5:30am

Zohr

11:57am

Asr

4:30pm

Magrib

6:24pm

Esha

7:43pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

Last-minute campaigns gather momentum in Chittagong n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Candidates of Chittagong City Corporation elections were busy conducting campaigns yesterday, with voting due on the day after tomorrow.

Awami League-backed candidate AJM Nasir Uddin and BNP-backed aspirant M Manjur Alam were among the mayoral and councillor hopefuls who campaigned in full swing in the port city. They were accompanied by volunteers and supporters who chanted slogans using loudspeakers to woo voters.

Nasir, also the general secretary of Awami League’s Chittagong city unit, conducted daylong campaigns in Oxygen, Kulgaon, Baluchhara and adjoining areas while Manjur did so in Dewan Bazar, Chandanpura, Chawkbazar and some nearby areas.

Accusations of violating the electoral code of conduct were levelled against the candidates but the CCC election returning officer, Md Abdul Baten, said those were trifling.

“The scale of the violations is rather usual in the context of Bangladesh but we, nonetheless, are observing the way campaigns are being conducted.

“We largely focus on attempts to use money illegally to buy votes during campaigns and maintain a very strict stance on this,” he added.

There are 12 mayoral aspirant and 278 councillor candidates in the CCC elections while a total of 1,813,449 voters are expected to cast their votes at 719 polling centres in the port city.

The returning officer, meanwhile, said ballots and other electoral tools had arrived in Chittagong and would be distributed amongt 719 presiding officers today.

He said police, Ansar, RAB and BGB personnel would be deployed at the polling centres and in the city before the day of voting.

The Election Commission has imposed restrictions on motor vehicles that took effect

Ballot boxes arrive yesterday at MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong amid tight security ahead of the city corporation elections scheduled for April 28 MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU from Saturday midnight.

“All the outsiders who came to the city to campaign for candidates will have to leave early tomorrow [Sunday] and the commission, with the assistance of law enforcement agencies and the local administration, would raid residential hotels, guest houses and similar facilities,” said Baten.

He said no motorbike would be allowed on roads from this midnight till Wednesday midnight while all motor vehicles, except bicycles, rickshaws, ambulances and transports of service providers, would be banned from Monday midnight till Wednesday midnight.

“But the restriction will not apply to vehicles required for election tasks and that of journalists (upon permission).”

Candidates will have to end campaigns within this midnight and results will be announced from MA Aziz Stadium.

“Security will be tightened at the stadium from tomorrow. None will be allowed to move around the stadium area on the polling day and also 12 hours before and after that day,” Baten said.

A total of 17,000 police and Ansar members will be deployed for the inner security of 719 poll centres while police, RAB and BGB will be deployed as striking forces outside the centres.

Besides, a battalion of the armed forces will act on call, and 140 executive magistrates and 10 judicial magistrates will be working to maintain law and order in the city. l

10 mayoral hopefuls likely to lose deposit in CCC elections n Ashif Islam Shaon Out of the total 12 mayoral candidates to the Chittagong City Corporation elections, at least 10 might lose their security money, opined a number of voters, local politicians and election observers in the zone.

According to the Election Commission a candidate is not refunded with the deposit money, which is Tk50,000, if he fails to bag at least one-eighth of the total votes cast.

In the previous CCC polls held on June 17, 2010, majority of the votes were cast to BNPbacked M Manjur Alam, who won the race, and Awami League-backed candidate Mohiuddin Chowdhury.

Rest of six candidates who either belonged to other political parties or were independent candidates had to lose the money deposited to the Election Commission for poor turn out of votes for them.

This time, Manjur is competing with the election symbol orange from BNP while with

ticket from the Awami League Nasir is running with the symbol elephant.

Upon talking to the voters and local politicians it was found that Manjur and Nasir were standing way ahead in terms of campaigning and drawing attention of the media compared to the other candidates.

A number of voters opined that a massive junk of votes might go to the two candidates.

Supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami might cast their votes to BNP, as no candidate is running the race from Jamaat.

Jatiya Party backed candidate Solaiman Ali Sheth who bagged 2,083 votes in the previous polls, claimed that he might bag more votes this time. This year, a total of 1,813,449 voters will cast votes in 719 polling centres in the CCC polls.

To avoid loss of the deposit money, a candidate must bag a minimum of 103,609 votes. In the last two city corporation polls, candidates other than the BNP and Awami League backed ones, no one gained more than 20,000 votes.

Interestingly, a few candidates are taking part in the polls with the apprehension that they may not get desired number of votes which might save them from losing the security money. Syed Sajjad Zoha, who is running as an independent candidate with cricket bat symbol, bagged only 667 votes last time.

“I will get more votes this time. However, it is true that I will not get back the deposit money,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

Zoha, who has an academic education up to Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC), added: “I am taking part in the polls for my publicity. Tk50,000 is not a matter for me. If I had to deposit Tk5 lakh, still I would have participated. I will take part in the next polls in 2020 too.”

Beaming with confidence, Arif Moinuddin, a candidate backed by National Democratic Front, said: “Although, the media is not giving me enough coverage and I am not running a massive election campaign with plenty of posters, I believe that I will be the next mayor.” l

DT

8 NEWS

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

JOYPURHAT MASS-KILLING DAY

371 Hindu villagers’ killers yet to be tried n Our Correspondent, Joypurhat

Adivasi female farmers carry freshly harvested paddies home, where they would also take part in the husking, cleaning and parboiling process. The Barind area in Rajshahi is now abuzz with Boro harvesting making way for extra income for many people. The photo was taken at Mohammadpur village of Tanor upazila yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Harvest and natural calamities causing low attendance in haor schools n Our Correspondent, Sunamganj The primary schools in the haor areas of Sunamganj have been experiencing a low turn out of students for the last few weeks due to the harvest and inclement weather.

During the busy harvest period, it is common for children to work in the fields and help their families. Since it is not possible for the poor families to hire extra manpower, they depend on their young family members to do the small chores.

Moreover, the haor areas stay submerged during this season making it difficult for children to commute to their schools.

There are more than hundred haors in Sunamganj district. During the dry season, haor residents remain engaged in agriculture and MarchMay is the time when they do the harvesting.

Haor residents depend on this harvest to survive the rest of the year, when there is no opportunity but some limited fishing to earn livelihood.

Though the government has aimed to en-

Man shot dead by BSF

n Our Correspondent, Panchagarh A Bangladeshi cattle trader was shot to death by members of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in Ghagra bordering area under Sadar upazila early yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Samiul Haque, 35, son of Safiz Uddin of Shenpara village in the upazila. Commanding officer of BGB-18 Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Ariful Haque said the BSF members of Shingpara camp opened fire on a group of Bangladeshi cattle traders while returning to the country with cattle around 4am, leaving Samiul injured.

Later he died on way to hospital. l

sure primary schooling for all, it has been difficult to ensure that in the haor basin given the various challenges facing the haor people.

The percentage of enrolment in the haor schools is 99 percent but 14.25 percent students cannot finish their primary education due to poverty.

Abdul Khalek, a farmer from Gabhigram of Selborosh union in Dharmapasha upazila said he was forced to ask his children to give a hand since manpower in Boishakh was unavailable and expensive.

Belly Akter, a student from the same village said she had to take lunch for her father, who works in the field.

A housewife of Dirai upazila Abharani Chowdhury said the children of the family usually spend a busy time at home at this time of the year. “They help us to dry the paddy, do household chores and carry food to the field.”

Headmistress of Siriarchar Government Primary School of Dirai upazila, Himani Saha opined that a school holiday during the harvesting would have suited better.

Anowarpur Government Primary School headmaster Selim Reza said it was not only because of harvest, students also were discouraged to attend school due to bad communication system.

The rain during this season wreaks havoc on the dirt roads which are already in dilapidated condition. Also, a rise in the water level due to incessant rain means students are more or less stuck in their homes.

Headmaster of Raibangali Government Primary School Masum Mia said the students in his school had been failing to attend classes due to work at home.

When contacted, Mohammad Hazrat Ali, district education officer said despite the fact that the first terminal exam was going on in the schools, there was still low attendance of students.

“We have requested the higher authorities to make a separate education calendar considering the realities of the haor families. If it could be merged with the harvest, the attendance could be boosted,” he said. l

Outlawed leader killed in ‘gunfight’ n Our Correspondent, Khulna An outlawed leader of the Purba Bangla Communist Party was killed in a ‘gunfight’ with police at Jugnipasha Telipukur of Phultala upazila early yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Sohel Rana, 25, son of Wahab Ali, a resident of Abhoynagar upazila in Jessore district. He was the second-in-command of the party.

Elias Fakir,officer-in-charge of Phultala police station said on a tip-off, a team of police conducted a drive in Paigram Kosba and arrested Sohel on Friday.

He was wanted in several cases, including three murder cases, the OC added.

After interrogation, police along with Sohel conducted a drive in Jugnipasha Telipukur area for recovering firearms around 3am yesterday.

Sensing presence of the law enforcers, associates of Sohel opened fire at police, prompting the law enforcers to fire back, triggering a gunfight, police said. Sohel was caught in the line of fire and injured while his associates managed to flee the scene.

Later, he was rushed to Phultala Upazila Health Complex where on-duty doctors declared him dead. l

Today, April 26, is the Koroi-Kadipur mass-killing day in Joypurhat. On this day in 1971, 371 innocent Hindu villagers of Koroi and Kadipur villages were massacred by the invading Pakistani army with the help of local anti-liberation forces. Their homes were homes were looted and burnt down later.

A memorial was built on the mass grave of Koroi-Kadipur to remember the martyrs, but even after 44 years of independence none of the local anti-liberation supportes involved in the mass-murder have been tried yet. Like every year, Srijoni – a local welfare organisation – took on various programmes to commemorate the day.

Local anti-liberation forces targeted the Hindu majority villages Koroi and Kadipur. For the planning of the operation, on the night of April 25, 1971, a meeting was held in the adjacent Hanail-Bombu village at the house of now-deceased Moulana Moslem Uddin. On April 26, a Monday, when the Pakistani army officers were having breakfast at Moslem Uddin’s place, the anti-liberation supporters from nearby villages surrounded the Koroi-Kadipur villages. Pakistani troops fired empty shots to scare the Hindu villagers.

Moulana Moslem Uddin then gave assurance that they will not be killed and asked them to gather at the field beside the local Dome pond.

Then six members of the Pakistani army stood them in lines and shot them dead. Although some were still alive, they were buried along with those killed in a mass grave. A total of 366 families from the two villages fell victim to the Pakistani invaders. Those who were alive left everything behind to save themselves. All their belongings were taken over by the local anti-liberation supporters.

Dasrat Kumar, 65, who lost a family member that day, said: “I would have gotten some peace of mind if I could see those who killed my loved ones brought to justice.”

Sudha Rani, 60+, still cannot get over the loss of her husband Subal Chandra to the massacre.

“I lost consciousness when I saw them shooting my husband. After that day, I am just surviving with my three children somehow,” she said.

Eyewitness of the mass-killing Jogen Pal expressed great resentment when asked about the incident. He said: “It is no use talking about that day. In 2013, miscreants exploded crude bombs at the memorial built for the deceased. Are you still going to ask how we are?”

Wounded freedom fighter and Commander of Joupurhat Sadar Muktijoddha Sangsad Afsar Ali said: “It has been 44 years since independence but the Koroi-Kadipur mass-killers have not yet been tried.” He demanded a trial under this government’s tenure.

M Nurunnabi, resident of the upazila’s Saguna village, retired professor and ex-chairman of Commerce department of Notre Dame College in Dhaka, said he on behalf of Srijoni organises various programmes to remember the martyrs every year on April 26. He expressed displeasure saying: “Let alone holding a trial for the mass-killing, the government does not even have any official programmes to remember these 371 villagers who gave their lives.”

District Administrator Md Abdur Rahim said every year on the Martyred Intellectuals Day on December 14 they pay respect to the Koroi-Kadipur martyrs, but there are no official programmes for April 26. l

DT

NEWS 9

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

Last phase of Surma bridge construction beckons a new era of prosperity n Our Correspondent, Sunamganj The much awaited Surma bridge on the Surma River in Sunamganj is fast becoming a reality as 97 percent of the construction has been completed so far.

People of the area are elated to see the bridge come to life in 10 years since the work began. They are hopeful of a brighter and prosperous future once the bridge is opened to public.

Authorities said if everything goes as planned, people would be able to use the bridge from June this year.

Four upazilas of Sunamganj – Biswambharpur, Tahirpur, Dharmapasha and a part of Jamalganj – have no direct road link with the district headquarters. This bridge will create direct road link between the district town and the upazilas.

This will eventually have a direct impact on the economy, communication, health, education and other sectors of the district.

Farmers and fishermen of the haor basin will be able to transport their products to other parts of the country for less cost.

Moreover, coal and limestone imported through the land port of Charagaon and Bagli could be easily transported. Also tourism centring the Tanguar Haor and unparalleled natural beauty of Sunamganj will get a boost.

Everyday hundreds of locals are visiting the construction spot to see the progress of the work with their own eyes. Many were seen to take photos in front of the bridge and share it on social media enthusiastically.

Arfan Ali Khan, 60, said: “I have been hearing since my childhood that a bridge would be built on Surma. But finally it is nice to see the bridge in my last days.”

The project, taken up by former finance minister late M Saifur Rahman in fiscal year

After going through various hurdles in the last 10 years, the bridge on the Surma River in Sunamganj is fast taking its shape. With 97 percent work completed, authorities are hopeful of opening the bridge by June. The photo was taken yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE 2005-2006 at a cost of Tk23 crore, was scheduled to be completed in three years.

However, the project was shut down for unknown reasons after the contractors spent about Tk7 crore.

After the grand alliance came to power in 2008, the project was revived with a revised cost of Tk64 crore 54 lakh and 31 thousand.

The project again experienced a setback when it was dropped from the Annual Development Programme (ADP) in 2012. But it was later included as locals, along with the then parliament member of Sunamganj-4 constituency Motiur Rahman, demanded completion of the bridge.

The 402.61-metre-long bridge has six piers, seven spans, 30 girders, two-kilometre approach road, 115 metre steel truss and four underpasses.

At present, the work to add the steel truss, the last phase of the work, is going on.

Proprietor of JON-JV Consortium, the contractor of the project, AKM Ashraf Uddin said they had been working with utmost sincerity to complete the project within the stipulated time.

“We had to bring the steel truss from China and it took us some time. But the work is going on full swing and we are hopeful of completing it even before June.”

Mokhlesur Rahman, a trader from

Fresh water crisis hits 500 Satkhira households n Tribune Report Nearly 500 households of three villages in Shyamnagar upazila of the district are facing actuate fresh water crisis after two canals of the area have been leased out to local influential people for fish cultivation.

The inhabitants of the three villages Khutikata, Kachiharania and Katalbaria under Kashimari Union Parishad used to depend on Shuta and Sangkranti canals, the only freshwater reservoirs in the areas, to meet their household and drinking water demand, reports UNB. They also used to use the canal water in their agriculture, and fish in the canals to meet their household protein demand. But the two important canals were leased out in 2013.

The leaseholders are now cultivating shrimps in the two canals allowing salt water to enter into those, affecting the ecosystem and biodiversity of the area apart from triggering the fresh water crisis.

The two canals were the sources of drinking water for the villagers as their tube-well have long been pumping out saline water.

“When there was sweet water in the canals, there was peace in the villages. Now we’re facing the scarcity of water after saline water entered the canals for shrimp farming,” said Shibani Mondal, an inhabitant Khutikata village who lives on the bank of the Shuta Khal.

She said villagers are facing drinking water crisis now and arable land is losing fertility gradually due the salinity intrusion.

The government re-excavated Shuta and Sangkranti canals in 2009. But local musclemen started fish framing in the canals after taking those on lease in 2013, destroying the sweet water sources.

Villager Nishikanta said when sweet water was stored in the 2-km longShuta Canal, farmers used its water in agriculture. “Farmers once used to produce boro and aman paddies with that water. But they’re now strongly prevented from using the canal water after those were leased out,” he added.

Ratikanta Das, another villager, alleged that two local musclemen in association with some others are now farming fishes in the Shuta and Sangkranti canals.

“Farmers aren’t allowed to use the canal

waters. Leaseholders also impose restriction on the locals’ movement on the banks of the two canals,” he said.

Villagers alleged that they repeatedly urged the authorities concerned to cancel the leases of the canals, allow local people to use the canal water and impose a ban on taking saline water into the canals, but all the appeals fell into the deaf ears.

Condemning the local administration’s decision to lease out the canals, general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan (Bapa) Dr Abdul Matin said no canal could be leased out to an individual as it is a public property.

He said the government should immediately cancel the leases of two canals and allow people to use their water as the scarcity of freshwater is growing in the coastal region.

Contacted, local MP SM Jaglul Hayder said he has no knowledge about the leasing out of the two canals and he will talk to the local administration to take necessary steps to cancel the leases.

Deputy Commissioner of Satkhira District Nazmur Hasan said necessary actions will be taken in this regard after probing it and the leases will be cancelled, if necessary. l

Biswambharpur, expressed satisfaction with the work. “Once the bridge is operational, we would be able to send our goods much faster with less cost.”

Executive Engineer of Sunamganj Roads and Highways Department, Mohammad Anwarul Amin said about 97 percent work has been completed so far and the rest would be done within June.

Pir Fazlur Rahman Misbah, parliament member of Sunamganj-4, said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader had assured him of completing the bridge as soon as possible and help open up a door of opportunities for Sunamganj residents. l

Suspected robber injured in gunfight with cops

n Our Correspondent, Satkhira

An alleged robber was injured in a gunfight between his cohorts and police at Kumira Motorcycle Stand in Tala upazila early yesterday.

The injured was identified as Shajahan,40,son of late Gahar Sarder of Dhandia village of the upazila.

Patkelghata Police Station officer-in-charge Tariqul Islam said on a tip-off a team of police launched a drive in the area at night while a gang of robbers was taking preparation to commit robbery in the area by placing logs.

Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, the gang members opened fire on them prompting the police personnel to retaliate with firing that triggered a gunfight, leaving Shahjahan injured with bullets.

Later, police recovered injured Shahjahan while his other associates managed to flee the scene.

Injured Shahjahan was admitted to Satkhira Sadar Hospital under police custody.

Police also recovered bullet shells, a machete and some logs from the spot.

There are three murder cases filed against Shahjahan, the OC added. l

DT

10 WORLD

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

IN PICS: NEPAL EARTHQUAKE

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Left top: (1) People gather near a collapsed house after a major earthquake in Kathmandu yesterday. A strong magnitude-7.9 earthquake shook Nepal’s capital and the densely populated Kathmandu Valley before noon, (2) Volunteers work to remove debris at the historic Dharahara tower, (3) A damaged road after a powerful earthquake, (4) A collapsed building is pictured after an earthquake hit AP/AFP/REUTERS

Google launches Person Finder for Nepal earthquake

Earthquake: 34 people killed, hundreds injured in India

Eight dead, more missing in quake-triggered avalanche on Everest

The world’s top search engine Google has launched a Person Finder tool to help the victims of earthquake in Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal. The web application is aimed to help people gather and relay information about those affected by the devastation.

The web application is aimed at helping individuals to post details of and search for the status of family members or friends affected by the earthquake.

The application has two boxes: one, ‘I’m looking for someone’; and two, ‘I have information about someone’.

For those who are looking for someone trapped or lost in the disaster, they can click on ‘I’m looking for someone’ and type in his/ her name. Similarly, if an individual wants his relatives or friends to know that he is safe, or if he has heard from someone or about someone stuck in the disaster affected area, then he can share the information through ‘I have information about someone’.

Google is offering People finder support in both English and Nepali. The internet giant has used this application previously too during natural calamities in Jammu & Kashmir last year. l

n Agencies

An avalanche triggered by a massive earthquake in Nepal smashed into a base camp at the foothills of Mount Everest on Saturday, killing at least eight climbers and guides, injuring many and leaving an unknown number missing near the mountain’s most dangerous spot, officials said.

The avalanche struck between the Khumbu Icefall, a notoriously treacherous rugged area of collapsed ice and snow, and the base camp where most climbing expeditions are, said Ang Tshering of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

An official with Nepal’s mountaineering department, Gyanendra Shretha, said the bodies of eight people had been recovered and an unknown number remain missing or injured. Their nationalities were unclear as climbers described chaotic attempts to treat the injured amid fears of more landslides and aftershocks that continue to rattle the region.

Chinese media reported a Chinese climber and two Sherpa guides were among the dead.

The world’s highest mountain is scaled by hundreds every year who brave extreme weather, a hostile terrain and unpredictable avalanches, one of which killed 16 Sherpa guides almost exactly a year ago. l

n Agencies

At least 26 people were today killed and over 100 injured as a powerful earthquake that originated in Nepal shook large parts of northern and eastern India, damaging houses and buildings and sparking panic among the people.

In Bihar, which adjoins Nepal, 17 people died and 48 were injured in incidents of wall and roof collapse as the quake measuring measuring 7.9 on Richter scale and the aftershocks sent ripples across the country around noon.

Tremors were felt in almost all states in northern, eastern and northeastern parts of India, including national capital New Delhi, over 1100 kilometres from the Nepalese capital.

Three people were killed in West Bengal in the temblor and at least 69 others including 43 school children were injured. In Uttar Pradesh, at least six persons were killed and over a dozen injured.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the chief ministers of various states and convened a high-level meeting to take stock of the situation. He directed immediate dispatch of relief and rescue teams to earthquake-affect-

ed areas of the country as well as Nepal and ordered proper arrangements for evacuating stranded tourists from that country.

Six people died in Bihar’s East Champaran and four in Sitamarhi districts which share borders with Nepal, the epicentre of the quake, special secretary to the disaster management department Anirudh Kumar told .

Darbhanga reported two deaths, while one death each were reported from Supaul, Araria, West Champaran, Sheohar and Saran, he said adding 48 people were injured in quake-related incidents in various parts of the state, which was hit by a devastating storm that claimed 55 lives on Tuesday night.

National Disaster Response Force teams have been rushed to many districts and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is rushing back to Patna from New Delhi.

In West Bengal, where a state-wide civic election is on, theree persons were killed in quake related incidents. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said two persons had died in Darjeeling and one in Jalpaiguri district. l

n AP, Kathmandu

DT

WORLD 11

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

Thousands march in South Korea anti-government protest n AP, Seoul

Thousands of South Koreans marched in Seoul for the second straight day Saturday to protest government labor policies and the handling of a ferry disaster that killed more than 300 people a year ago.

Thousands of demonstrators supporting the relatives of ferry disaster victims gathered for a rally on the same downtown street where protesters violently clashed with police last weekend, leaving dozens injured.

Saturday’s rally ended peacefully without any reported injuries, said an official from the National Police Agency, who didn’t want to be named, citing office rules.

Hundreds of people marched silently from several locations to participate in the

Clashes rage in Yemen as calls for peace talks grow

n AFP, Taez, Yemen

Fierce fighting raged Saturday in south Yemen between Iran-backed rebels and loyalists of exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, as pressure mounted for the warring factions to hold political talks. The Huthi rebels, who have overrun large parts of the country and forced Hadi to flee overseas, have demanded a complete end to a month of Saudi-led air strikes against them as a condition for UN-sponsored talks.

Clashes left at least 38 people dead on Saturday in towns in the south of the impoverished country, strategically located next to oil-rich Saudi Arabia and key shipping routes.

Former strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, who still holds sway over army units allied with the Shiite rebels, late on Friday urged the Huthis to heed UN demands to withdraw from territory they have seized. US Secretary of State John Kerry also called on the anti-government forces to enter into political dialogue to end a conflict that the UN says has killed more than 1,000 people since late March. l

evening rally, many of them wearing face masks and yellow scarfs and jackets, the color that has come to symbolise the plight of the families.

Waving candles and illuminated cellphones, the demonstrators chanted “Salvage the truth” and “Park Geun-hye, step down,” criticising the South Korean president for her reluctance to accept a more thorough investigation into the sinking, before voluntarily dispersing.

They were joined by some of the estimated 40,000 unionised workers who had demonstrated in front of the Seoul City Hall hours earlier to denounce government policies that they fear will reduce wages, job security and retirement benefits for state employees, said Park Seong-shik, a spokesman for the Korean

Rebels enter northwest Syrian town as government withdraws

n AP, Beirut

Confederation of Trade Unions.

A large number of police officers closely watched the demonstrators, many wearing helmets and body armor and holding riot shields. Dozens of police buses were parked nearby, as were some vehicles that appeared to be equipped with water cannons.

South Korean police often use their vehicles to create tight perimeters to block protesters from advancing, as they did last weekend when more than 70 police buses were destroyed.

The ferry disaster continues to haunt the presidency of the increasingly unpopular Park, despite her bowing to relatives’ demands to proceed with a difficult and potentially dangerous operation to salvage the 6,800-ton ferry. l

Statue of Liberty evacuated over suspicious package

Military: Ukrainian serviceman killed in rebel attack near Mariupol

n Reuters, Kiev

One Ukrainian serviceman was killed and two were wounded in shelling attacks by pro-Russian separatists on Saturday near the port of Mariupol in Ukraine’s southeast, Kiev’s military said.

A military spokesman said rebels opened artillery fire on forces from the government’s National Guard at Shyrokyne, a village to the east of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov, despite a ceasefire agreed in Minsk, Belarus, in mid-February.

“Today at 0625 hours, the adversary used 122 mm artillery. They are banned under the Minsk agreements,” spokesman Dmytro Gorbunov told 112 television channel, adding that a 42-year-old Kiev-born serviceman was killed as a result and two others were badly wounded. l

Indonesia informs convicts of execution, Frenchman excluded

Pentagon’s Carter: Iran moves ships, reducing tensions near Yemen

n AFP

n Reuters, Washington

A flotilla of nine Iranian naval and cargo ships that US officials feared was carrying arms to strife-torn Yemen sailed northeast in the direction of Iran on Friday, and this should ease US concerns, a Pentagon spokesman said.

The Iranian state news agency IRNA, however, quoted Iran’s top navy commander, Admiral Habibollah Sayyari as saying on Saturday that the flotilla was still carrying out its mission in the Gulf of Aden.

Iranian-allied Houthi militia sidelined the Yemeni central government after seizing the capital Sanaa in September. The Shi’ite Muslim Houthis have advanced southwards since, capturing more territory and drawing Saudi-led air strikes.

On Friday, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter told a small group of journalists traveling with him after a trip to California: “The (Iranian) ships have turned around ... Obviously what their onward plans are, we don’t know. l

Hard-line Syrian rebel groups entered a strategic town Saturday in northwestern Syria, sending government troops fleeing after intense clashes that have seen them take nearly all of a crucial province.

If they can hold the town of Jisr alShughour in Idlib province, rebel fighters from Islamic factions — including the al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front — likely have cut government supply lines by land leading to the Mediterranean coast and a refuge of embattled President Bashar Assad. The town is one of the last bastions of the Assad’s government in the area and fighting around it continued Saturday.

The offensive, which rebels have called the “Battle of Victory,” comes less than a month after the provincial capital, also called Idlib, fell to the opposition. l

Statue of Liberty

n BBC Hundreds of tourists were evacuated from New York’s Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island as a precaution due to a bomb threat and suspicious package.

A 911 caller said “they were going to blow up the Statue of Liberty,” the National Park Service said.

Federal police arrived and when sniffer dogs found “an area of interest” near lockers at the statue’s base, the island was evacuated.

After a sweep, the area was declared safe by late afternoon.

The city’s fire department said it had been called at 12:57 local time (16:57 GMT) for the investigation of “a suspicious package.”

AFP

Statue Cruises, which takes tourists to the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island, said ferries were postponed after officials found a suspicious package at Liberty Island.

Karen Mason, 68, of Cincinnati, Ohio, said they had just boarded a boat at Ellis Island at 12:40 p.m.

“All of a sudden, they said ‘Disembark, disembark, disembark. We have to evacuate the boat,’” she said.

There was no sense of danger, she added.

“But we saw helicopters and we knew something was going on,” she said.

The statue was given to the US by France in 1886, in recognition of the friendship between the two nations. l

Indonesia said Saturday it has officially notified eight foreign drug convicts that they will be executed, but a Frenchman was granted a temporary reprieve after Paris stepped up pressure on Jakarta.

The eight – from Australia, Brazil, Nigeria and the Philippines – have been transported to the high-security prison island of Nusakambangan where they will face the firing squad along with an Indonesian prisoner, despite strident international criticism.

“Today, just now, we just finished notifying every convict, nine people except for Serge,” a spokesman for the attorney-general’s office, Tony Spontana, told AFP, adding it would be at least three days until the sentences are carried out.

“We have also asked for their last wish,” he added.

Officials said earlier that Frenchman Serge Atlaoui, who was expected to be among the group being put to death, will not be included in the forthcoming batch as he still has an outstanding legal appeal. l

DT

12 EDITORIAL

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

No margin for error in building safety

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

Y

esterday’s earthquake is a timely reminder of the importance of building safety.

While Rana Plaza has focused much needed attention on factory safety, it is vital to improve building construction and disaster preparedness across all aspects of life in Bangladesh.

The tragic deaths and damage in Nepal where the quake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale had its epicentre highlight the severity of the risks posed by earthquakes.

With ever greater numbers living in densely populated cities, the need for Bangladesh to enforce better precautions is greater than ever.

Dhaka’s rapid growth and dense population means it is rated as one of the 20 world cities whose citizens are most vulnerable during earthquakes.

Urbanisation means that even with seismic activity staying within historical parameters, we will continue to have far more people exposed to potentially devastating conditions than ever before.

The government has to treat this risk with the seriousness it deserves by becoming more vigilant in improving and enforcing construction standards and raising safety awareness.

Ultimately, measures to improve public awareness and disaster response systems can only go so far. What matters most is placing more emphasis on earthquake-proofing buildings.

This means doing more to incorporate lessons from countries with greater earthquake activity, such as Japan, into our building codes.

It also makes it imperative to regularly survey and audit older buildings and major public highways and bridges to guard against hidden vulnerabilities.

There is no room for cutting corners in improving Bangladesh’s preparedness against the risks posed by earthquakes.

https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

The Dhaka that we want April 6

Earthquake a reminder of the vital need to reduce risks

The Tigers’ future looks bright

rose Indeed, Dhaka needs to be a better place for everyone to live in and breathe in.

Nazma Latif Haven’t we heard it before? Don’t you all get tired of yakking about the same thing? Give it a rest, will ya? Dhaka is beyond salvation.

Move to the countryside.

DT Runa Laila set to celebrate 50th anniversary concert April 6

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e congratulate the Bangladesh cricket team for their emphatic T20 victory over Pakistan on Friday night.

Coming hot on the heels of the Tigers’ heartening 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series, it bodes well for the test match starting in Khulna on Tuesday.

The depth in teamwork and individual performances shown by the Tigers is a testament to the hard work and preparation of the players. This good news is added further by the convincing victories by the under-19 squad against South Africa.

Bangladeshi cricket is developing and maturing for the better. Gone are the days when a mis-hit by a star player would result in the collapse of the whole team. Now Bangladesh stands as a contender for amongst the best, boasting terrific batting and bowling which complement each other in a manner befitting an international side.

We, as fans, are also instrumental in the Tigers’ performances. We should support them, even when our players are suffering from a lack of form.

The likes of Tamim and Soumya were heavily criticised during the World Cup even though it is our duty as fans to stick with them through thick and thin. Both have played compelling cricket this time round, and we are confident there is more to follow.

The Bangladesh team has come a long way since the World Cup. We hope the nation’s support and faith will continue to inspire them to even greater heights.

The maturity and teamwork in this week’s victories bodes well

R Hadi Nazma Latif: You know, to some extent I believe you. I’ve also written a series on making Dhaka better and I believe if the residents of the city want to, it is possible. But that’s where the problem is, us residents, we’re too busy with everything else and we don’t really mind living in a place where there is feces, garbage, and waste scattered everywhere, nor do we mind the extensive pollution of all sorts, the aggressive volume of construction work going on everywhere, and on top of everything, the administration not caring about it at all and not encouraging people to start decentralising. All we can do is keep on yapping about it, and maybe we will keep doing so until the day we can’t even stand ourselves yapping like that.

Khan A wonderful talent and a beautiful voice -- we remember you Runa. Why don’t you visit us in Pakistan?

Probationary diplomat caught shoplifting in The Hague April 6

Joshim Fire the thief upon his return. No, come to think of it, prosecute him with the full force of law.

Build a better future for Rana Plaza survivors April 6

Monesa S Yes, we must. We owe it to the workers to help them. It won’t bring back lives, but it’s the least we can do.

Simply a matter of law April 5 Azad O Maybe Mintoo knew he could never win, as he can’t even campaign since he’s in hiding for corruption etc. So he made this mistake on purpose so he has an excuse for not being mayor -- a position he thought he would achieve for so long. Haha!

Rabuj The mistake was made by his sons, who filed his paperwork and not Mintoo himself as he is in “hiding.” I wonder if the son made the mistake on purpose so that the elder brother could get the BNP party backing or simply because they are not “smart.”

So, what has the BNP achieved?

April 6

M Sirajullah I wrote 14 months ago that BNP committed suicide by not going to election and I still hold the same opinion. Now all the attempts are to get buried. There is no other way left. Hope some other party will emerge to contest AL. Otherwise, AL will be in power up to perpetuity.

Dr Ahsan Habib One big win of the movement is that Hasina agreed to hold elections for Dhaka city. How sad that a natural election has to be gained by force. The reason BNP did not achieve anything else is because it failed to harbour any issues good for common people.

DT

OPINION 13

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

The neck that turns the head n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

W

ith the city corporation elections nearing, everybody is talking about the mayoral candidates and they have already stolen the show. The ward councillor candidates, on the other hand, have as usual remained out of focus -- both in print, electronic, and social media.

The three city corporations -- two in Dhaka and one in Chittagong -- will have only three mayors. But councillors? The number is more than 100.

Now, the harsh reality for the city fathers is that a mayor cannot work alone no matter how powerful s/he is. If a mayor wants to be successful, s/he has to work in close consultation with the ward councillors.

What is also important is for them to take the councillors in their confidence and earn their confidence in return.

A ward councillor is considered the local guardian of an area. A resident of Dhaka city has to go to the councillor, not the mayor, for availing different kinds of citizen services or in case there is a problem.

From one’s birth until death, a city dweller needs the councillors’ assistance in every step: For a birth certificate, a death certificate and burial of a deceased, holding taxes, etc. The first person to contact is the ward councillor.

There can be no alternative to having good councillors for getting better amenity services.

Imagine a ward with no dirt in the streets, no spilling dustbins, functioning street lights,

and where the councillor is always there for solving the problems of the residents.

Everybody expects to live in a ward like that.

The reality, however, is almost the opposite in the city corporation areas in Dhaka and also in Chittagong.

can and should be well aware of his/her ward's problems. So, to ensure impeccable services, there is no alternative to having -- or should I say electing because the polls are less than a week away -- an honest person as a councillor who will be committed and

Without a good councillor, building a modern city, especially the capital, will remain an illusion. If a mayor is considered the head of a city, councillors constitute the neck

Even a healthy competition might ensue if one councillor is bold enough to take up the challenge of making his/her ward the ideal one. And a competition like that can make the city a liveable one.

Many of the councillor candidates contesting the upcoming polls are institutionally well educated and also have clean images -- at least in terms of criminal records -- compared to most of the previous councillors. So, will these young community leaders be able to take this opportunity and prove their worth towards bringing on meaningful and expected changes?

Surely a mayor does not always know about all the problems of a city; it is not possible either. But ideally, a ward councillor

dedicated to bringing some real changes.

On the other hand, even if a mayor wants to make the city liveable, s/he cannot work without cordial support and cooperation from the councillors because it is a team effort. It is the councillors who are supposed to provide the mayor with the courage and support to implement the mayoral vision.

Unfortunately, people rarely talk about councillors. The city dwellers have very little idea about the councillors; in most cases they are not even familiar with the name of the councillors in their respective areas.

The reason for this is that it has become a tradition that councillors will do a lot of publicity before city elections and literally disappear after being elected. Even those

who lose the polls race, they also become visible only before another election. Instead, they could do themselves a lot of good if they take the absence of the elected councillors as an opportunity to showcase their capabilities for the next elections.

So, the media should focus on the ward councillor candidates so city residents can carefully choose whom to vote for as their local guardian.

If a councillor can successfully complete his/her tenure, s/he might one day become a competent candidate for the mayoral post.

This will certainly stop the lateral entry of businessmen and other professionals from getting major political parties’ blessings for the mayoral post.

One can recall Indian prime minister's Gujarat Model although there is controversy about the model. One thing is clear that Narendra Modi was successful with his model, especially with wooing people in Gujarat.

This success gave him a huge boost on the way to becoming the prime minster of the world's largest democratic government.

The common perception that criminals and goons become ward councillors should be changed. Without a good councillor, building a modern city, especially the capital, will remain an illusion.

If a mayor is considered the head of a city, councillors constitute the neck. And everyone knows, it is the neck that turns the head. l Mohammad Al-Masum Molla is a political reporter at the Dhaka Tribune

DT

14 OPINION

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

A very British pantomime n Tim Steel

T

he UK election is acquiring colour, more of an entertainment variety than political. Already cross-dressing brothers, stealing each other’s policy clothes, a wicked uncle, fairy godmothers, and someone -- it is hard to tell whether the wicked witch of the north, or another, more powerful, fairy -- have all arrived on stage.

And it isn’t even pantomime season!

There has even been plenty of scope for the traditional cries from the audience of “behind you!” and “oh yes you did!” “oh no I didn’t” when appealed to by the players.

Good clean fun. Or not.

Political “brothers,” Ed and Dave, who between them might as well be described as the “Ugly Brothers,” have spent the past few days exchanging clothes.

Dave, at present the stronger one, is very busy playing to the gallery, scattering goodies for the audience, including over a million homes for sale at over 30% discount, and promising no more taxes on family homes worth less than a million pounds, all whilst explaining how his “brother” has been naughtily misrepresenting him as planning to sell off the last of the family silver ie the National Health Service.

Meanwhile, the younger “brother” is laying claim to a financial credibility that most people think ought to belong to Dave, who has been claiming the credit to saving family finances that Ed and his friends had frittered away.

For Bangladeshis, the Wicked Uncle, “Nigel,” may be of greater interest, since he certainly wants to put a stop to any more handouts to foreign countries, and whose immigration policies suggest some admiration for Idi Amin’s way of dealing with too many South Asian migrants in Uganda by simply bundling them up and shipping them home.

No one is very sure whether the young leader of the Scottish Nationalists, Nicola Sturgeon, is a potential Fairy Godmother or a Wicked Witch, ready and willing to break up the Union, and willing to support anyone

who might help; but, no doubt, as the election draws nearer, that may be revealed.

Two other pretty ladies, one dressed in Green, and one wrapped in a red Welsh Dragon, seem to have walk-on parts, although their potential role in the development of the plot of the show is still unclear.

It would all be rather fun, perhaps, if it weren’t so serious. And if those ominous and lengthy shadows cast by the wicked uncle and the indeterminate Northern influence seemed less menacing.

The word “pantomime” has an ancient Greek origin, and through centuries of tradition embracing masques, morality plays, and other forms -- many of which utilised humour to make meaningful points -- may have eventuated at today’s children’s entertainment at Christmas, but have, throughout history, contained serious messages and ominous threats.

Even Shakespeare’s plays have included such serious warnings. Macbeth, Akroyd explains in his biography of the great dramatist, was written around Lady Macbeth’s important message on the subject of treason, evidently referring to the recent plot of Guy Fawkes to assassinate King James (“every one that does so is a traitor, and must be hang’d”). The play itself may have been a real populist entertainment, but also, like most, it is open to serious interpretation.

The audience at Christmas pantomimes certainly look to be humoured and entertained, but it is sometimes worth a little time reflecting on what message is contained within. No less so in this British general election.

Amongst the goodies being thrown from the stage by Ugly Dave, at least two seem more than a trifle dangerous to more alert observers. The promise to sell, at discount, another one and a quarter million of the country’s already much depleted stock of social housing, may put a stop to the growing trend amongst younger, less affluent voters, to rent homes, rather than buy, by considerably depleting the stock of homes available to rent. But it may well also facilitate home ownership to a younger middle class

generation of Margaret Thatcher’s ideal of “a home-owning democracy.”

Greater homelessness, however, seems inevitable. Promises to house more of Britain’s rising numbers of the homeless, and disposing of social housing stock, appear mutually contradictory.

The greatest contradiction, however, appears in Dave’s evident readiness to take sides with Wicked Uncle Nigel Farage and his associates, who are rather indistinguishable from Dave’s more “fundamentalist” supporters, who readily invade the stage at every opportunity to demand that UK severs its ties with all foreigners, especially those based in Brussels. It may, of course, simply be a part of the entertainment; sleight-of-hand also has a great tradition.

Indeed, only six months ago, Dave took every opportunity he could to tell everyone that the Union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland meant “a thousand times more” to him than any consideration of dumping connections in Europe.

But polling consistently shows people in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland -- who are, with smaller populations and greater rural communities than England, the most frequent beneficiaries of “European” funds -- wanting to remain part of Europe. Dave has, so far, failed to explain how, if the far greater number of voters in England -- also the heartland of Farage’s friends -- manage a majority for exit, he can meet expectations as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, not only England.

Of course, it is the growing suspicion that Dave, in fact, feels much more comfortable associating with the social cream of England, where, together with the offspring of ancient land grabbers in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, he was educated in the socially desirable tradition: Eton and Oxford.

The polls, sadly, have pointed to his need, should the audience acclaim his supremacy on May 7, to consider the impact on the Union that, he said, was so important to him, of, presumably with reluctance, sheepishly following only the wishes of the English.

For most of the audience, the pleasure of a relatively harmless spectator sport akin to the Colosseum of ancient Rome, but without the blood -- so far -- is so lacking in attraction that the real implications may await discovery when it is far too late to rectify the position; at which point there may well be, not just figurative, but possibly even, actual, blood, in the arena.

Exit from the Union, Dave made clear to the Scots, means exit for good. It is not hard to imagine that the attitude of the European Union will be expressed in similar terms, should the voters of England lead that charge to the EU exit. Sadly, all politicians, at least in Europe, have, somehow, managed to acquire the reputation for seldom meaning what they say, so, who knows?

Uncle Nigel’s determination to limit, if not stop financing the development of countries that, whilst they may become competitors, could also become burgeoning markets for British businesses -- if there are any left -- may also, potentially, become another ominously looming shadow in the aftermath of May 7.

Breaking up as a Union, cut off from Europe, with a declining defence capacity that will inevitably reduce its appeal to the United States as a “partner,” England could yet return to its state of a millennium ago, divided within itself, and vulnerable to everyone.

And that could include its own neighbours.

For historians, perhaps, a fascinating prospect; privileged to witness a return to the ancient Kingdom of Northumbria as rampant threats to the Southern and Eastern folk of Sussex and Wessex. The UK may yet bear witness to Karl Marx’s maxim, “history repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.” If the devolution of powers in 1998 was a tragedy, what comes next may well have more elements of farce. l Tim Steel is a communications and marketing consultant. His half-century experience in politics includes speech-writing, research, and consultancy to two Labour Party prime ministers and leaders of the opposition.

16

China April flash HSBC PMI oneyear low

17

Global growth outlook steady despite oil fall, stimulus burst

NGOs: New VAT law to hurt poor, SMEs n Tribune Report The non-government organisations said the VAT and Supplementary Duty Act 2012 may increase poverty and hinder the growth of small and medium enterprises.

They urged the government to reconsider “prescriptions” made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the new VAT law before it came into effect.

A number of 23 NGOs made the call from a human chain formed in front of the National Press Club in the city yesterday.

The NGOs are Arpan, Oline Knowledge Society, COAST Trust, EquityBd, Udayan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Labour Federation, SDO, Coastal Development Partnership, Kishani Sobha, DOCAP, National Labour Alliance, Nature Campaign Bangladesh, Prantojon, BAFLF, Bangladesh Krishak Federation, Voice, Labour Resource Centre, Sirajganj Flood Forum, Sangram, Synergy Institute and Humanity Watch.

The government is set to implement the new VAT and Supplementary Duty Act-2012 from July 1, 2016 that will have no provisions for package VAT or truncated value-based VAT system. With the introduction of the law, all level of business has to pay a unique and a single VAT rate at 15%.

EquityBD Coordinator (Tax Justice Network) Ahsanul Karim alleged that the government finalised the VAT law in 2012 in line with the IMF prescriptions.

“This law proposes 15% flat rate which will result in price hike of daily essentials. IMF does not make this type of prescription for the welfare of the countries like Bangladesh; rather the intention of such prescriptions is to serve the interest of multinational companies,” he said.

“Currently, 80% of the en-

trepreneurs are from SME sector, among which, a major portion are rural SMEs. It is very tough for them to obtain VAT rebate for many reasons creating financial losses for them.

The government should introduce reduced VAT rate for the SMEs so they can benefit from the law,” said Ahsanul Karim.

He said the price of commodities like oil, pulse, rice will increase as there will be 15% Vat rate applicable on the products, having a negative impact on poverty rate.

Badrul Alam of Bangladesh Krishak Federation thinks the new VAT law will create burden on the farmers.

He said the government should focus on collection of direct tax from multinational companies than inflicting a new burden on the poor.

Sanat Kumar Bhowmik of COAST Trust said contribution of direct tax in Bangladesh is lower than other developing countries. In India direct tax is 35% of total revenue collection, in Sri Lanka 38% and in rich countries about 70%.

Mustafa Kamal Akanda of EquityBD, Subal Sarkar of Bangladesh Bhumiheen Samity, Sanat K Bhowmik of COAST Trust and Zayed Iqbal Khan of Bangladesh Krishak Federation also spoke on the occasion.

Addressing the programme, they said 70% share of the total revenue is generated from the poor people as VAT while only 30% are collected from big multinational firms as income tax.

VAT is regressive for poor, they said urging the government to develop its dependency on direct tax.

The other demands include no-expansion of VAT on essentials, formation of separate tax unit, reduction of non-development expenditures and strict actions against black money. l

19

Heavy sell-off pulls stocks sharply down in past week

20

DT

Business

15

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

World Bank: Projects plagued by corruption

DT

16 BUSINESS

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

China April flash HSBC PMI one-year low n Reuters, Shanghai China’s factory activity contracted at its fastest pace in a year in April, a private survey showed, suggesting that economic conditions are still deteriorating despite increasingly aggressive policy easing by the central bank.

The flash HSBC/Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 49.2 in April, below the 50-point level that separates growth in activity from a contraction on a monthly basis.

After a brief rebound in February, the index has now been back in negative territory for two consecutive months.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a reading of 49.6, equal to March’s final reading.

The sharp decline in employment witnessed in March moderated somewhat and export orders rose for the first time in three months, but most of the news was bad. New orders declined further to a one-year low of 49.2 from March’s 49.8, pointing to softer domestic demand.

Meanwhile, declines in input and output prices, which had appeared to moderate in March, showed signs of accelerating again, signalling intensifying deflationary pressures which are a key worry for policymakers.

The weak PMI adds to a growing number of signs that China’s economy is decelerating more rapidly than most analysts had expected, and perhaps some policymakers as well.

March money supply and industrial production year-on-year growth both came in at or near multi-year lows, with the latter posting its worst performance since the global financial crisis.

Economists have cautioned that some of the extreme weakness in March may be a reflection of the very late Lunar New Year celebrations in 2015, which distort year-on-year comparisons based on the western calendar.

Many factories and offices shut for lengthy periods during the holidays.

But the continuing weakness in the April flash PMI adds to evidence that the world’s second-largest economy is still slowing.

Employees work at a steel factory in Dalian, Liaoning province Particularly worrying from a policymaking perspective are renewed signs of rapidly falling prices. The Chinese government and central bank have closely studied lessons from neighbouring Japan, Asia’s former dynamo whose policy mis-steps plunged it into decades of deflation from which it is still struggling to escape.

Weighed down by a cooling property market, industrial overcapacity and local debt, China’s economy grew 7.4% in 2014, its slowest expansion in 24 years. Economists expect

growth to cool further to 7% in 2015, even with additional stimulus measures.

The central bank has cut interest rates twice since November, on top of a raft of other monetary and fiscal measures announced over the past year, most recently a 100 basis point cut to banks’ required reserve ratios early this week.

More such support measures are seen in coming months, with the central bank expected to embark on its boldest easing campaign since the depths of the global financial crisis.

ECB board member: Eurozone recovery ‘is there’ n AFP, Frankfurt Economic recovery has arrived in the 19 countries that share the euro, but it is up to governments to ensure it endures, European Central Bank executive board member Benoit Coeure said on Thursday.

“The eurozone recovery is clearly there.

Growth is coming back, all business and household confidence indicators are pointing upwards. And the good news is that this recovery is rooted in domestic demand and in consumer spending in particular,” Coeure told AFP in an interview.

For the time being, however, the recovery is still “insufficient and somewhat unequally spread from country to country,” he cautioned.

“Our concern is that the current upturn is merely a cyclical one, that it’s merely a flash in the pan.”

To help get the economy back on its feet, the ECB launched a massive one-trillion-euro bond purchase programme, known as quantitative easing or QE, at the beginning of March, under which it aims to buy 60bn euros ($64bn) of bonds per month until September 2016, or more than 1tn euros in total.

Coupled with the weaker euro and falling energy prices, the ECB scheme “is injecting a lot of fuel” into the economy, Coeure said.

But these factors “are only transitory,” he added, urging governments to turn up the pace of economic reform.

QE on track

“It’s extremely important to ‘convert the try’, so that growth can become long term,” the central banker said, using a term from the game of rugby.

“This can be achieved via labour market reforms and by more generally creating a business environment that is more conducive to investment,” he argued.

“The real test will be a pick-up in investment in Europe this year,” he added.

To achieve this, “favourable financing conditions are needed. That’s what we’re doing, that’s the role of the ECB. But people must also have plans and the desire to do business.

That’s the task of the governments.”

Coeure insisted there was no question of the ECB rolling back its QE programme for the time being.

“That’s a discussion we might have later

down the line,” he conceded.

At this stage, however, “we haven’t encountered any technical problem in the implementation of the programme. It’s going very smoothly in all eurozone countries and market reaction has been exactly as we hoped,” he said.

QE “will have an accelerating effect on recovery, we’re certain,” Coeure said, adding that fears of a scarcity of bonds for the ECB to buy had proven unfounded.

“We don’t see any difficulty in buying all of the assets that we had planned to buy as part of this programme,” he insisted.

Grexit ‘no working hypothesis’

Asked about Greece’s future in the euro area, Coeure said “there is still a lot of work to do,” even if a possible “Grexit” - or Greek exit from the single currency - was “not a working hypothesis” for the central bank.

“A very large majority of the Greek population wants to remain in the eurozone. It’s up to the Greek government to take the necessary action to make that possible, which is to say, reach agreement with the euro area,” Coeure said. l

REUTERS

“Although momentum appears to have weakened recently we don’t see a reason to be overly concerned,” said Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics in Singapore.

“Monday’s cut to the required reserve ratio will have come too late to have much impact on today’s reading but should help shore up activity over the coming months and we also expect policymakers to roll out more support measures to ensure that growth doesn’t slip much further.” l

EU clears key hurdle to giant Lafarge, Holcim merger n AFP, Brussels The EU on Friday removed a key hurdle to the merger between French cement giant Lafarge and Swiss rival Holcim, approving the sale of assets demanded for the deal to go through.

Lafarge and Holcim agreed to their 40bn euro tie-up to form the world’s biggest cement company last year, but EU regulators said they would have to sell assets worth 6.5 billion euros to ease fears the new firm would hurt competition. The European Commission said it had now approved the sale of those assets to Irish building materials group CRH, finding that it posed no separate competition risk.

“CRH’s activities overlap with the divested businesses in a number of areas, such as cement, aggregates, ready-mix concrete and asphalt,” the Commission said in a statement.

However, it added that because these materials are sold close to where they are manufactured, in local markets, CRH would not gain an unfair advantage and would still face competition. l

DT

BUSINESS 17

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

China’s ‘real’ economy wants to be neither borrower nor lender n Reuters. Shanghai

People walk past office buildings at the central business district in Singapore

REUTERS

Global growth outlook steady despite oil fall, stimulus burst n Reuters, London A collapse in oil prices that gave a windfall to the world’s energy consumers and a flurry of policy easing from central banks might have been expected to brighten the outlook for global economic growth.

But Reuters polls of more than 250 economists across Europe and North America show only modest upgrades to growth forecasts and a reluctance to relinquish a depressed inflation view, despite the rush of rate cuts and central bank cash that most respondents believe is far from over.

The biggest policy change, sovereign bond buying by the European Central Bank that started in March, has lit a fire under European stock markets and government bonds but has boosted the economic growth outlook only a little.

Germany’s DAX index has rallied more than 20% since the start of the year alongside a plummeting euro that has given way to an ascendant dollar. Most of Germany’s sovereign bonds are so expensive they are now paying a negative yield.

And yet the expected quarterly growth rate for the euro zone has only moved up to a modest 0.4 percent pace across the forecast horizon - certainly better than prospects for no growth but not enough to make sizeable reductions in high unemployment.

The outlook for inflation, which the ECB wants to get back from near zero to its target of just below 2%, is more benign for 2015 than it was at the start of the year before QE even began. And the spectre of Greece leaving the

euro zone is hovering.

“The world economy is looking increasingly surreal, so much so that policymakers are really struggling to deliver the economic outcomes they’d ideally like to see,” noted Stephen King, chief global economist at HSBC.

The same goes for Britain, where the consensus for a first interest rate hike from a record low near zero has slipped to the first quarter of next year - and even then it’s a close call

The consensus for global growth this year has fallen to 3.4% from 3.7% polled back in July, around the start of the collapse in oil prices that was meant to give a boost to consumer spending even while hurting major oil exporters.

The outlook for 2016 has only risen by 0.2 percentage points over the same roughly nine-month period to 3.7%.

In the meantime, the dollar has soared over 20% against a basket of currencies. Economists singled it out as the biggest threat to growth this year in the United States, which

has been leading the global expansion.

The Federal Reserve appears strongly inclined to raise rates from the zero bound this year, but the latest poll shows that the expected start date keeps slipping as does how high rates are likely to climb over the coming year.

That is based on a series of disappointing data since the start of the year, a pattern that has repeated itself several times in the long recovery back from the financial crisis and has left many analysts and investors sceptical.

“While the commitment to keep the monetary sluice gates open is alive and well in many parts of both the developed and the emerging world, the Federal Reserve is, in effect, the elephant in the room,” wrote King.

“Even though global growth is weak, world trade growth is slow and deflationary pressures abound, the Fed is much more focused on domestic US economic developments.”

So far at least, inflation is not a problem for the Fed. The latest Reuters poll forecast the price index for consumer spending tracked by the Federal Open Market Committee will be benign this year before rising towards the central bank’s 2% target next year.

The same goes for Britain, where the consensus for a first interest rate hike from a record low near zero has slipped to the first quarter of next year - and even then it’s a close call.

Much will depend on how much China, the world’s second largest economy, is set to slow this year. It, too, has had a spectacular stock market rally based on hopes that more stimulus from the central bank is ahead. l

Beijing is pushing trillions of yuan into its banking system to boost business investment and arrest slowing growth, but a combination of unwilling borrowers and selective lenders is blunting its efforts.

As recently as Sunday the central bank cut the amount banks must keep in reserve by a full percentage point, and it has repeatedly lowered guidance lending rates, but weak demand means businesses aren’t taking the bait.

A Reuters survey of listed Chinese firms showed they expect earnings growth to hit a three-year low in 2015.

“We don’t need new loans at the moment,” said Luo Renxiang, chief financial officer of bath fixture manufacturer Yatin Bath Corp.

“There are no immediate expansion plans that require fresh funding ... We’re only using 70% of our current factory capacity in the first place,” said Lou from his headquarters in Hangzhou in the coastal export powerhouse of Zhejiang province.

According to Lou, his company has 1,300 workers and assets of 350m yuan ($57m), with 60% of its sales of faucets, shower stalls and sink cabinets from exports, and the rest domestic. That leaves him exposed to a real estate decline in China and weak demand overseas.

His 250,000 square-metre factory, built in 2009, is short on customers, not credit, and he said interest rates were prohibitive for many who did want to borrow.

“Most Chinese manufacturers have a thin profit margin, and borrowing costs are quite high. Banks charge us 5% more than the benchmark rates, but many smaller companies need to pay interest rates which are 20-30% higher ... The problem is, you don’t make much profit.

Many manufacturers have gross margin of only 10 percent, and mind you, that’s gross margin.”

Such circumstances, repeated across China, mean banks are struggling to find fresh business. “From this year particularly, we’ve found it very difficult to lend, especially RMB lending,” said a mid-level loan officer at one of China’s big five state-owned banks.

“It’s not that we don’t have funds. We do, but good borrowers are difficult to find.”

Frustrated officials, including Premier Li Keqiang, have begun hectoring bankers to increase lending for productive investment.

Bankers say they would gladly lend to companies with collateral and decent margins, but they are being encouraged to lend to small businesses with murky books and no collateral, companies in dead-end industries looking to roll over existing debt, or a struggling real estate market.

“With loan demand weak, and banks lending to an increasingly select clientele, freeing up more capital won’t do much for growth most firms with access don’t want to borrow anyway,” said Leland Miller, president of China Beige Book International, which conducts a quarterly survey of Chinese companies that has repeatedly identified weak borrower demand.

The first quarter Beige Book survey showed growth in capital expenditure dropping to its weakest level on record among corporate respondents. l

DT

18 BUSINESS

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

News, analysis and recent disclosures AGRANINS: The Board of Directors has recommended 10% cash dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2014. Date of AGM: 30.05.2015, Time: 11:00 AM, Venue: Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh, 160/A, Kakrail, VIP Road, Dhaka. Record Date: 29.04.2015.

The Company has also reported EPS of Tk. 1.84, NAV per share of Tk. 15.56 and NOCFPS of Tk. 0.43 for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

PROVATIINS: The Board of Directors has recommended 12% stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2014. Date of AGM: 25.06.2015, Time: 10:30 AM, Venue: Bangladesh Co-Operative Book Society Ltd. 125 Motijheel C/A (3rd Floor) Dhaka-1000. Record Date: 04.05.2015. The Company has also reported EPS of Tk. 1.84, NAV per share of Tk. 16.15 and NOCFPS of Tk. 4.57 for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

IBNSINA: The Board of Directors has recommended 30% cash dividend and 5% stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2014. Date of AGM: 06.06.2015, Time: 9:30 AM, Venue: Emmanuells Convention Center, Shimanto Square Market (Rifles Square) 5th Floor, Dhanmondi, Dhaka. Record Date: 10.05.2015. The Company has also reported EPS of Tk. 5.95, NAV per share of Tk. 31.77 and NOCFPS of Tk. 8.12 for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

BDTHAI: The Board of Directors has recommended 10% stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2014. Date of AGM: 22.06.2015, Time: 11:30 AM, Venue: Trust Milonayaton 545, Old Airport Road, Jahangir Gate, Dhaka Cantonment, Dhaka-1206. Record Date: 04.05.2015. The Company has also reported net profit after tax of Tk. 73.20 million, EPS of Tk. 1.54, NAV per share of Tk. 51.63 and NOCFPS of Tk. 6.05 for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

PIONEERINS: The Board of Directors has recommended 5% cash dividend and 25% stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2014. Date of AGM: 21.05.2015, Time: 11:00 AM, Venue: Officers Club, 26 Baily Road, Dhaka-1000. Record Date: 04.05.2015.

The Company has also reported EPS (after tax) of Tk. 3.90, EPS (after tax and reserve) of Tk. 2.02, NAV per share of Tk. 26.33 and NOCFPS of Tk. 5.13 for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

NTC: The Board of Directors has recommended 20% cash dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2014. Date of AGM: 31.07.2015, Time: 10:00 AM, Venue: Hotel Purbani 1, Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka-1000. Record Date: 14.07.2015. The Company has also reported Net Profit after Tax of Tk. 42.09 million, EPS of Tk. 6.38, NAV per share of Tk. 126.20 and NOCFPS of Tk. 16.38 for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

BSC: The Board of Directors has recommended 10% cash dividend (i.e. Tk. 10.00 per share of Tk. 100.00 each) for the year ended on June 30, 2014. Date of AGM: 06.06.2015, Time: 11:00 AM, Venue: Shaheed Mohammad Fazlur Rahman Munshi Auditorium, Chittagong Port Area, Chittagong. Record date: 07.05.2015. The Company has also reported Basic EPS of Tk. 2.47, NAV per share of Tk. 619.00 and NOCFPS of Tk. (2.60) for the year ended on June 30, 2014.

Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

Closing (% change)

Company Sonargaon Tex -Z GeminiSeaFood-B Dulamia CottonZ FAR Chemical-N Premier Leasing-Z AFC AgroBiotech-A Alltex Industries -Z Shampur Sugar -Z BD Submarine Cable-A Meghna PET Ind. -Z

30.85 18.39 14.49 14.29 13.51 11.53 11.11 9.68 7.61 7.14

CSE GAINER Closing (% change)

Company Sonargaon Tex -Z Central Insur -A Premier Leasing-Z FAR Chemical-N AFC AgroBiotech-A Alltex Industries -Z Samata LeatheR -Z BD Submarine Cable-A BDCOM Online-A Imam Button -Z

31.18 16.95 16.00 13.91 11.78 10.73 9.36 7.80 7.08 6.98

DSE LOSER Company Dhaka Bank -A United Finance - A Islami Bank BD - A Fareast Finance-Z Peoples Insur -A Apex Tannery -A FAS Fin. & Inv. Ltd-B National Housing Fin.-B Standard Bank -A Northern G Insur-A

Closing (% change) -24.12 -16.91 -16.49 -16.41 -16.36 -16.05 -15.79 -15.56 -15.32 -14.92

CSE LOSER Company

Closing (% change)

Dhaka Bank -A First Finance- A Fareast Finance-Z Pragati Gen. I -A Rahima Food -Z Standard Bank -A Islami Bank BD - A Phoenix Finance-A Peoples Insur -A Union Capital -A

-23.62 -20.35 -17.69 -17.27 -16.79 -16.07 -15.63 -15.42 -14.97 -14.84

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

DSE key features April 19-23, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka)

DSE GAINER

Sector

23,667.30 531,006,078 597,347

Traded Issues

318

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

61

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

255

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

2

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,398.94

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

29.08

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 1053.25 641.27 113.66 3077.80 697.20 6806.69 101.22 2771.94 3139.43 65.08 1393.31 81.28 240.90 390.24 684.39 89.62 250.28 926.22 507.75 601.96 33.81

% change 4.45 2.71 0.48 13.00 2.95 28.76 0.43 11.71 13.26 0.27 5.89 0.34 1.02 1.65 2.89 0.38 1.06 3.91 2.15 2.54 0.14

Million Taka 65.30 50.61 6.43 266.28 33.55 696.13 0.00 236.58 167.36 18.26 81.55 4.53 29.80 53.55 42.23 4.05 10.65 156.65 88.24 112.43 0.29

Average (% change) 43.33 18.51 14.64 12.99 11.73 10.90 13.57 10.57 16.45 7.14

Average (% change) 50.00 17.15 15.73 13.45 7.74 12.83 9.36 16.82 7.18 5.44

Average (% change) -23.15 -16.92 -14.03 -18.72 -16.44 -18.06 -16.16 -13.73 -15.17 -14.82

Average (% change) -24.29 -14.84 -18.96 -17.27 -16.44 -15.36 -13.71 -16.75 -14.19 -14.90

CSE

Closing average 13.43 205.45 7.91 30.36 8.38 44.77 26.69 6.80 136.83 6.00

Closing average 13.74 20.70 8.68 30.37 44.66 26.39 18.70 137.13 25.67 9.11

Closing average 15.24 17.43 16.24 10.55 13.83 96.48 11.26 19.16 9.45 15.40

Closing average

% change 3.07 2.38 0.30 12.53 1.58 32.77 0.00 11.14 7.88 0.86 3.84 0.21 1.40 2.52 1.99 0.19 0.50 7.37 4.15 5.29 0.01

15.02 9.47 10.64 27.30 21.80 9.42 16.36 17.00 14.33 13.19

Weekly closing 12.30 207.30 7.90 30.40 8.40 44.50 26.00 6.80 125.80 6.00

Weekly closing

Weekly high 14.90 207.30 7.90 31.10 8.40 46.10 28.20 6.80 150.00 6.00

Weekly high

12.20 20.70 8.70 30.30 44.60 25.80 18.70 125.70 25.70 9.20

Weekly closing

Weekly high

Weekly low 10.20 18.30 7.00 26.50 41.40 23.60 18.70 112.00 23.70 8.10

Weekly low

20.00 20.90 18.10 13.40 17.20 118.80 13.50 23.50 10.10 18.40

Weekly high

15.20 9.00 10.70 27.30 21.80 9.40 16.20 17.00 14.20 13.20

Million Taka 1118.55 691.88 120.09 3344.08 730.75 7502.82 101.22 3008.53 3306.78 83.34 1474.86 85.81 270.69 443.79 726.62 93.67 260.93 1082.87 595.99 714.39 34.11

10.30 167.60 7.00 26.70 6.60 39.80 23.50 6.20 112.50 5.50

14.80 20.70 8.80 30.90 46.90 28.00 18.70 150.10 26.10 9.30

15.10 17.20 16.20 10.70 13.80 97.30 11.20 19.00 9.40 15.40

Weekly closing

Weekly low

15.10 17.00 16.20 10.20 13.50 93.10 11.10 18.80 9.10 15.00

Weekly low

20.20 11.60 13.00 33.00 27.50 9.90 18.50 20.00 16.20 14.70

Total

14.80 9.00 10.50 27.30 21.80 9.40 16.00 17.00 14.20 13.10

% change 4.34 2.68 0.47 12.97 2.83 29.09 0.39 11.66 12.82 0.32 5.72 0.33 1.05 1.72 2.82 0.36 1.01 4.20 2.31 2.77 0.13

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

7.434 10.108 0.198 139.809 5.397 114.792 205.713 0.029 416.746 0.296

Turnover in million

-0.84 -6.36 -4.02 2.76 0.08 2.65 2.02 -52.72 0.64 -0.44

Latest EPS

0.951 0.511 2.133 14.941 3.992 17.811 0.000 102.262 2.490 0.117

Turnover in million

-ve -ve -ve 11.0 104.8 16.9 13.2 -ve 213.8 -ve

Latest PE

-0.84 2.96 0.08 2.76 2.65 2.02 -0.46 0.64 1.68 -1.48

Latest EPS

22.624 16.781 41.148 16.798 3.406 30.792 2.886 3.876 17.123 1.393

Turnover in million

Latest PE

-ve 7.0 108.5 11.0 16.9 13.1 -ve 214.3 15.3 -ve

Latest PE

3.35 2.10 2.46 1.88 2.25 2.19 1.27 1.97 1.85 1.84

Latest EPS

0.879 0.300 2.103 0.142 0.330 1.984 3.040 0.409 0.066 0.403

4.5 8.3 6.6 5.6 6.1 44.1 8.9 9.7 5.1 8.4

Latest PE

3.35 0.63 1.88 2.47 -0.42 1.85 2.46 1.64 2.25 1.50

4.5 15.0 5.7 11.1 -ve 5.1 6.7 10.4 6.4 8.8

CSE key features April 19-23, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

2,124.45 54,036,802 99,494

Traded Issues

268

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

55

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

210

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

3

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,314.57

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

28.06

DT

BUSINESS 19

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

Heavy sell-off pulls stocks sharply down in past week n Tribune Report

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

Grameenphone-A Agni Systems -A BD Submarine Cable-A Baraka Power-A Shahjibazar Power-N

Volume shares 13,224,372 18,286,308 18,952,115 18,276,124 1,519,507 10,461,233 6,035,254 8,486,796 2,243,970 9,957,534

1,529,540 14,091,912 3,167,479 12,750,275 1,941,732

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company United Power-N WesternMarine -N BD Submarine Cable-A MJL BD Ltd.-A UNITED AIR-A Khulna Power-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Grameenphone-A Ifad Autos -N SAIF Powertec-N

Shasha Denims -N LafargeS Cement-Z Shahjibazar Power-N ACI Limited- A SummitAlliancePort.-A

Volume shares 1,919,090 2,101,203 782,013 593,833 8,610,376 982,055 1,932,449 162,762 659,425 670,759

1,048,760 393,034 250,705 73,540 521,907

Value in million 2830.58 1202.62 976.36 814.32 809.76 790.02 786.27 675.67 571.76 564.24

509.48 439.60 416.75 414.35 324.78

Value in million 407.78 107.68 102.26 77.46 67.01 64.60 59.71 54.39 51.88 50.77

46.32 42.90 41.81 38.84 29.60

% of total turnover 11.96 5.08 4.13 3.44 3.42 3.34 3.32 2.85 2.42 2.38

2.15 1.86 1.76 1.75 1.37

% of total turnover 19.19 5.07 4.81 3.65 3.15 3.04 2.81 2.56 2.44 2.39

2.18 2.02 1.97 1.83 1.39

Weekly closing 198.20 64.50 50.60 43.90 528.70 73.60 125.30 79.50 251.00 54.00

324.80 29.80 125.80 32.60 165.30

Weekly closing 198.20 50.20 125.70 125.50 7.50 64.80 29.10 323.50 79.50 73.60

43.60 108.40 164.40 524.90 53.90

Price change -4.62 6.97 2.85 -1.79 -3.10 -1.21 -4.57 5.30 -2.79 -2.00

Weekly opening 207.80 60.30 49.20 44.70 545.60 74.50 131.30 75.50 258.20 55.10

Weekly high 233.90 68.90 55.10 47.50 570.00 79.00 135.40 84.80 262.50 59.00

Price change -4.39 1.83 7.80 -4.56 1.35 6.75 -9.35 -5.38 5.72 -1.34

Weekly opening 207.30 49.30 116.60 131.50 7.40 60.70 32.10 341.90 75.20 74.60

Weekly high 233.80 55.00 150.10 135.30 8.40 68.90 32.60 349.00 84.00 79.50

-5.03 -0.67 7.61 4.82 7.06

-2.46 -0.18 6.89 -3.81 -1.46

342.00 30.00 116.90 31.10 154.40

44.70 108.60 153.80 545.70 54.70

344.50 32.40 150.00 33.70 184.00

47.30 115.00 183.00 565.00 59.40

Weekly low 190.20 60.50 46.80 41.70 485.00 72.20 125.00 75.60 248.70 53.20

324.00 29.60 112.50 31.00 154.60

Weekly low 189.20 46.90 112.00 125.00 7.20 61.30 29.00 322.60 75.80 71.30

41.80 105.30 157.00 488.50 53.20

Weekly average 207.77 66.66 51.34 42.99 533.86 75.46 126.27 80.70 251.43 55.56

325.41 30.11 136.83 32.81 165.97

Weekly average 208.00 50.97 137.13 126.49 7.61 66.73 29.44 324.63 80.68 75.15

42.73 108.65 164.26 531.44 54.64

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

4192.20744

(-) 4.14%

1592.75523

(-) 4.53%

12858.7487

(-) 4.46%

10444.7839

(-) 5.87%

7815.0005

(-) 4.72%

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

Stocks suffered heavy losses in the past week, as heavy selloff took place due to the recent lower economic growth forecast by different local and global agencies.

In the past week that ended Thursday, the benchmark index DSEX was sharply down more than 181 points or 4% to settle at 4,191, which is 17-month low. It was flat in the previous week.

The comprising blue chips DS30 index lost over 75 points or 4.6% to 1,592. The DSE Shariah Index fell 36 points or 3.4% to 1,024. The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Categories Index, CSCX, also saw steep decline, tumbling over 377 points or 4.6% to 7,815.

Steep decline in share prices of heavyweights-Grameenphone, Square Pharmaceuticals and Titas Gas, which lost 5%, 2.8% and 4.9%, significantly contributing to the fall of the market. Strong selling pressure, however, helped turnover increase as the week’s average daily turnover was Tk473 crore, up nearly 11% over the previous week.

Power, pharmaceuticals and engineering dominated the trading throughout the week as the sectors together accounted for 56% of the week’s total turnover.

“Wiping out the previous week’s promising trading activities, market again caved in facing tidal sell pressure, as investors found no solid ground to expect a turnaround,” said IDLC Investments.

Although, many issues have reached a lucrative pricing level owing to indiscriminate sell off, investors were not motivated, lacking confidence on the stocks future growth and profitability in face of unstable political condition, it said.

Lanka Bangla Securities said unstable political scenario, lowered investors’ confidence and lack of foreign participation pulled down the benchmark index in the week as all went for hefty sell off.

“Market ended in red zone last week with higher volume.

Situation remains bleak as investors are worried about Q1 corporate profitability.”

Most sectors declined sharply. Among them, non-banking financial institutions was the week’s worst loser dropping more than 7%, followed by banks that was down 5.6%.

Telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, power and, food and allied shed 4.6%, 3.6%, 2.9% and food and allied 1.2% respectively. l

ANALYST

Market ended in red zone last week with higher volume. Situation remains bleak as investors are worried about Q1 corporate profitability

DT

20 BUSINESS

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

WB-funded projects plagued by corruption n Kayes Sohel The World Bank-financed several developing projects have allegedly been marred by graft, angering the bank that asked the government to return the funds by June this year.

Due to unfair tendering and procurement processes, some projects ended up in the hands of unqualified companies which failed to execute them at the required level, officials said.

The largest multilateral lending agency recently wrote to the Economic Relations Division (ERD) about the projects afflicted by corruption as procurement and bidding processes were not followed in accordance with their guidelines.

National Agricultural Technology Project worth $109,741 under the Department of Agri-

culture Extension is one of the projects.

The bank has found that equipment like AC and computer software were mis-procured, and bidder’s bank guarantee was fictitious.

In the $10,401 project titled Employment Generation Programme for the Poorest under the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry, it also found that daughter of the project director was the only bidder in one of the packages of the project and no existence of winning bidders for another package was found.

In the $28,166 Reaching Out-of-School Children Project-II under the Primary and Mass Education Ministry, the global lender observed that a bidder provided fake documents related to income tax, VAT registration and bank guarantee and the bidder won more than a package under the project.

In the $19,537 Strengthening Regional Cooperation for Wildlife Protection in Asia project under the Environment Ministry, WB said the procurement was made without any agreement.

In the $9,367 project styled under the Clean Air and Sustainable Environment of the Environment Ministry, it said the bidders were generated from the same sources as price was being printed in same style with similar spelling mistakes, alignment and orientation in all four quotations.

The bank has found mis-procurement in four other projects including Bangladesh Disability and Children and Risk, Second Rural Transport Improvement, Bangladesh Skills and Training Enhancement and Bangladesh Higher Education Quality Enhancement.

This has prompted the government to investigate the allegations, officials say.

Western Marine inks mega deal to build ships for Jindal

SCB top official arrives n Tribune Business Desk

n Tribune Report Western Marine Shipyard, a leading shipbuilder of the country, has said it will build 10 cargo ships for Jindal Group – a business conglomerate of India.

To this effect, the company recently made a deal worth Tk4.8bn, which is considered the largest ever contract in the ship building industry.

“It is a pride for Bangladesh’s shipbuilding industry to have associated with renowned business enterprise Jindal that has huge contribution to India’s power and steel sectors,” said Saiful Islam, chairman of the company, at a press conference in a city hotel yesterday.

The local ship building company made the deal with Jindal Steel Works Limited back in March 5 last in Mumbai, India for building 10 units of mini-bulk carrier – a commercial ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore and cement in its cargo holds, according to Saiful.

The six units of these ships are expected to be delivered in next 18 months in first phase and the rest four units in the second phase after successful completion of the first phase.

Bank Asia is the financial partner to Western Marine for construction of first two ships of the series.

The ships will carry iron-ore and coal to the Group’s steel factory and power plant in Joigarh.

Western Marine Managing Director Sakhawat Hossain said for the first time Bangladesh will build ships for India.

“Previously we only concentrated on the European Market but now the market in Asia and Asia Pacific is also growing,” he said.

At present, Western Marine is engaged in ship construction for New Zealand, Kenya, Uganda, India and Bangladesh.

Industries Minister Amir Hussain Amu, Indian Deputy High Commissioner Sandeep Chakravorty and Bank Asia Chairman A Rouf Chowdhury were, among others, present at the press conference. l

“We are now justifying the allegations. If it is proved, the proper action will be taken against corrupt people involved with the tendering and procurement process,” said a high official on anonymity.

He said many development projects are being implemented below standard due to corruption, as many parts of the country where some schemes other than the WB-funded projects are introduced, has only fed the middlemen and local politicians at village level.

“We should work hard to fix all corruption loopholes since the vice is a major factor for underdevelopment of our country.”

In the past, the WB cancelled or withdrew funds from its financed many other projects alleging mis-procurement, unfair bidding process and many other malpractices. l

A group of NGOs form human chain against the new VAT and Supplementary Duty Act before the National Press Club in Dhaka yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Daniel Mobley, regional head of corporate affairs, India & South Asia of Standard Chartered Bank, is in Dhaka for a short visit.

During his stay in Dhaka, he will be meeting with important external & internal clients of the Bank. Daniel is based in Mumbai, India. l

Conference on vocational training on April 30 n Shadma Malik A three-day international conference on “Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for Sustainable Development” is going start on Thursday in the capital.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the conference, first ever of its kind in Bangladesh, at Osmani Memorial Auditorium.

The Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh and Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC), Manila have hosted the conference in cooperation with the education ministry, Canada and the World Bank aiming to enhance the number of skilled manpower and build a skill culture.

Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEM) General Secretary Md Shamsur Rahman and President AKMA Hamid disclosed it at a press conference in IDEB Bhaban yesterday.

Representatives from development partners based in Dhaka will also join it while TVET specialists from home and abroad will present over 50 papers during different sessions.

“The international conference will include reorienting TVET policy and barriers towards education for sustainable development, challenges and future trends, innovative practice and approaches in teaching, green, clean technology approach in industry and professional integration,” said GS Shamsur Rahman. l

Kazi Food Industries Limited has recently signed an agreement with world renowned cricket star, Shakib Al Hasan for making him their brand ambassador for Za n’ Zee, a popular ice cream brand. The MD of Kazi Farms Group, Kazi Zahedul Hasan, MD of Kazi Food Industries Limited, Kazi Zeeshan Hasan and CEO for Kazi Food Industries Limited, Tanvir Haider Chowdhury were present along with Shakib Al Hasan at the signing ceremony

Building Technology & Ideas (bti) Limited, a real estate company has recently signed a partnership agreement with Lamudi Bangladesh, an online property portal. Under the agreement Lamudi Bangladesh becomes the online promotion partner for bti

DT

21

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

T-JUNCTION

Pattern play MODEL: Tazkira Sattar PHOTO: Sadia Afrin

INSIDE

23

trending

Fresh Prints

When pairing two geometric prints together, throw a bold print, like a large plaid next to a more subtle motif, like a teensy weensy polka dot.

With summer here in full force, cotton and cottonbased fabrics will be in high demand, so own it with some pretty prints.

24 in style

Officewear decoded Even with menswear, office attire has a language all its own.

Flip to page 24 to find out how to make sure your suit game is on point.

22 news

24

wardrobe check

Know thy collar

DT

22 T-JUNCTION

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

News

Kaalmegh’s Villa Handover

The first of the many two-storey luxury villas in Gazipur’s Leisure Kaalmegh Villas and Country Club was handed over to its owners yesterday in a ceremony at The Westin Dhaka.

Leisure Bangladesh Limited’s Chairman Omar Sadat, Managing Director Sarwat Siraj, Head of Sales

Shoilpic in summer Fashion house Shoilpic has designed its summer collection in different floral, kolka and geometrical motifs. The collection includes saris, shalwar kameez, tops, punjabis, fatuas, T- shirts and much more.

Colors like red, maroon, orange, white, magenta and yellow have been highlighted this time. The collection is available in all outlets in Dhaka and Chittagong.

Details: 1672, Askarabad, Mojaffar mansion, Deowan haat, Chittagong.

Mobile: 01855963176. Phone: 0312519133.

Website: - www.shoilpikbd.com

and Marketing Aysha Siddiqua, and Dhammaras B Kasem, chief executive officer of Unique Luxury Hotels of Asia, were present at the programme.

Razib Hasan and Syeda Nigar Sultana – the first customers of the project – received keys to their luxury villa with a private swimming pool; with it, the

Zeenat’s summer collection

Leisure Kaalmegh Villas and Country Club also began its official journey.

The award-winning project, being developed on a 52-bigha land by Leisure Bangladesh Limited, is located in Sreepur of Gazipur, right at the edge of the Kaalmegh Reserve Forest.

Zeenat, a luxury fashion house brings us a special summer collection for fashion lovers. Zeenat also offers to make your dreams come true when it comes to dresses. They offer to create your dresses within your budget so it is possible for you to get your desired look. Zeenat has always provided free alterations which will help you get optimal results. All products are unique statement pieces that tell stories of heritage, luxury and status when worn. Call it one of a kind or difficult to find; each of Zeenat’s products have an aura of uniqueness around them, as if they were made for the individual wearing them.

Details: Zeenat, Ava Nir, House54(Apartment1/B),Road- 11, Block- F, Banani, Dhaka, 02-9863043, 01818 818515.

Facebook.com/zeenatdoutique.

T-JUNCTION 23

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Trending

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

Pattern-all Instinct Master the art of mixing prints

n By Sabrina Fatma Ahmad Mixing prints is like cooking dessert: easy to fudge up, but oh so satisfying when you get it right. If you feel like your pattern-pairing game is like a sloppy mess, fear not. We’ve broken it down to a science so that you’ll be able to put together entire outfits as easy as pie!

For beginners

If you’re new to this trend, it’s okay to start slow. Most likely, you’re pairing your prints with a solid colour item. The easiest way to slide into the mix is to replace it with a monochrome print in that same colour. So let’s say you were planning to wear a bright orange kameez with a floral shalwar. Instead of solid orange, why not pick out a subtle polka dot or stripe print in that same shade of orange?

For the experts

So now you’re able to mix at least two wildly different prints with ease, and have even used the base colour method to go for three prints. Want to take it to the cutting edge? Let’s look at two ways to do it.

Neutral gear If you’ve got two different prints with one unifying colour, add a third in a neutral or monochromatic print.

So let’s say you’ve got a charcoal top with a busy floral print that you’ve paired with polka-dotted charcoal jeans. You can totally throw on a grey and white striped jacket without anything clashing.

Think in 3D Another way to add another dimension to your mix is to play with textures. If you think of texture as “print”, you can wear a georgette top with printed denim and throw on a houndstooth wool scarf, and tie it all in with a leather belt.

For intermediaries

So let’s say you’re past the basic print pairing, and want to up the ante a bit. There are two ways to go about this:

Focus on colour Choose one common colour as the base. It’s best to match the shade. And then you go crazy with two, maybe three prints, all of which have that colour somewhere in the pattern to tie it all together, et voila!

So if you have a white kurti with navy stripes, and wear them with floral palazzos which have a navy base, you can throw on a navy scarf with a busy print and still look put-together.

Pro tip: Remember that animal prints, particularly leopard, are considered as “neutrals” in the print world; they can be paired with anything.

Matching prints, different colours This trick is particularly effective when dealing with shalwar kameez or custom saris. Choose the exact same print, but with completely different colours, and you’ve got yourself an eye-catching winner.

Pro tip: Don’t forget to mix up print sizes! Pair large florals with tiny geometric details, or bold stripes with delicate polka dots

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24 T-JUNCTION

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

Tailored

in style

Dress code upgrade Fab four, money men n Mahmood Hossain

Channeling the Medici The Italian House of Medici were the most famous family in banking. These Florentine men had incredible political power. And why not, they were the wealthiest family in all of Italy during the Renaissance. The image of bankers was inspired by them. Not to mention, they contributed the double-entry bookkeeping system. Ah, getting flashbacks of Accounting 101 are we? Unlike the flashy and grotesque display of wealth of the 16th century, modern-day bankers are a tad more conservative.

Conservative dressing is what warms the clients when facing a banker. Don’t worry there is a small yet significant way to show a bit of flair. Wristwatches are the finest examples of acceptable peacocking. Be careful though, flashing a Rolex here and there carries certain assumptions. You want to steer clear of that. It’s all about location and the occasion. If you’re seeing a client, there’s no need to strap on a Patek Philippe (that’s if you can afford one). Instead, wear something a bit simpler that tells the time in a classic design. Timex/J.Crew or even an Omega would be a suitable choice.

Men who find themselves in the financial industry won’t find it too difficult to dress up for the role. However, menswear and office wear have changed over the years. The new kids on the block now must seek a perfect balance between taken seriously and looking good while getting down to business. It’s all about new money with old school thoughts.

Hedge fund swagger By definition, a hedge fund is a legitimate investment vehicle and business structure that gathers capital from a number of investors, which is then invested in liquidated assets. These money men are considered the crème de la crème in the finance field. But you don’t have to be an Ivy Leaguer from Wharton or break the bank to look like them. The really high-end net worth individuals tend to dress in the classic manner. They like to keep things old school, which means dressing in loud suits shouldn’t be your first choice.

In other words, don’t try making a fashion statement. Keep things classic. Your suit should fit, be tailored made, and your overall look should be welcoming. You want people to trust you so it’s important to keep your look safe. Clean-shaven is always the right way to go, but no one will trust you any less if you’re rocking a lined up stubble. You can play around with designs like plaid and window pane but keep the colours darker in tone. As for your casual Fridays and laid back business meetings, you can always lean towards more muted colours in your wardrobe.

Analyze this Taking on the role of a senior analyst of a financial firm shouldn’t be as seriously as you would assume it to be. These men have it a little easier. Not easy, but easier. Your personality can definitely shine through your wardrobe if you’re in this position. There’s a slight leniency and the ticket to blur the lines between casual and formal. Semi-formal

wear is the go-to look for you. That balance thing we keep mentioning plays a huge role for your day-to-day office wear.

A dark blue or navy, subtle checked blazer, chosen with a light blue shirt and dark brown trousers is one of the many ways to go on about it. To compliment the look, you can wear a brown cotton tie (a different shade than your trousers) and a similar shade of blue for the pocket square.

And if you wear either reading glasses or seeing glasses, it’s always a bonus to rock tortoiseshell for your frames. Whether you’re an analyst or at the managerial level, there’s plenty to play with.

The Founder The boss, head hancho, el jefe, whatever you want to call him, he’s the guy that writes the cheques. The Fortune 500 company, the co-founder or sole owner, and employees

under him that display more loyalty and hard work than the spartan army of King Leonidas. And if you think, for a second, that the CEO or high-level executive sits on his ass and bosses people around, you are highly mistaken. Being at the top holds countless responsibilities and sleepless nights. And last not but not least, his wardrobe has to be impeccable.

As a leader of industry, there is no rest and there are no excuses. The same goes for your personal style. We’re talking about tailored double-breasted suits, quality dress shoes, and a statement wristwatch. Before you jump the gun, remember to keep things grounded. Just because you’re the CEO doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spend an entire executive’s salary just to look good.

It’s all in the details. People will notice how well you where the suit and that you walk with confidence. l

wardrobe check

Know thy collar Collars which are hard to miss

n Baizid Haque Joarder Men's fashion has come a long way and with so many different styling options, anyone and everyone can look like a dream with just a tad bit of thinking. And getting the collar right is precisely, as important as putting on the shirt itself. We at T-Junction know it and have listed the prominent types for you to keep in mind when you need a new shirt.

Straight Collar The most widely used collar which is easy to style with most options.

Button Down Collar As the name suggests, this collar is secured at the end with a small button.

Introduced in the 1800s, this type became popular as it helped polo players keep their collars in place during the game. If you want a sporty look, the buttondown collar is right there waiting for you. (Richard Marx style!)

Cutaway Spread Collar A collar type, on which the two points are wide enough to for the entire necktie

to be seen. Make sure you get your knot right for this one!

Windsor Spread Collar Another version of the spread collar, which is universally seen as the collar for all occasions.

Varsity Spread Collar Relatively shorter in extent than the Windsor spread, this collar is revised with slight curvier features.

Club Collars Far from the traditions of the collar family, the rounded edges are very much in vogue.

Back in 1800s, the “softpointed” collar was part of the Eton College’s dress code in England, which left a mark in the British look. It is now usually used for the casual look and works best on almost all faces, except maybe the round ones. Sorry guys!

Park Avenue Collar Probably the most popular one with similar influenced by both the traditional Straight and the Windsor spread, the Park Avenue collar serves as a middle ground with a wider gap between the points than the straight but lesser spread than the Windsor. l

Fast bowler Rahat Ali has joined the long list of Pakistan’s injured players in being ruled out of the two-Test series in Bangladesh, the country’s cricket board (PCB) said yesterday

Sport 26

OF MIRPUR, CRICKET AND ENTERTAINMENT

27

DE KRUIF GETS TWO-MONTH TENURE

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cuts the cake during the reception programme of the national cricketers at Ganobhaban yesterday

29

25

DT

ANOTHER ONE!

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

SCHMUACHER JNR BEST ROOKIE, NINTH ON DEBUT

Tigers rewarded by Prime Minister n Mazhar Uddin Bangladesh cricket team were rewarded Taka two crore as bonus by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for their brilliant performance in the 2015 ICC World Cup and the outstanding ODI series sweep over Pakistan. The Premier handed over the bonus to the cricketers during their reception programme at Ganobhaban yesterday.

“On my own behalf, I am announcing a reward of Taka one crore for the stunning performance in the ICC World Cup and Taka one crore for the ‘Banglawash’ against Pakistan and the crushing win in the one-off T20,” she said.

In total, the Tigers will receive a total of around Taka 8.5 crore as bonus - Taka one crore as winning bonus, Taka three crore from the International Cricket Council, Taka 1.3 crore from the Bangladesh Cricket Board and Taka one crore from industrial conglomerate Beximco.

The Premier informed that the cricketers who did not receive cars as gifts from the government following the ODI series sweep over New Zealand in 2013 will now each get a car.

She also announced her plans to allocate housing facilities for the cricketers and said she has already forwarded the matter to the concerned authorities. She said each cricketer will receive two flats.

Hasina, who is a big sports lover, added that the government is planning to form a welfare fund for all the cricketers of the country.

“We will allocate a good amount of money for the fund so that the sportspersons of all disciplines can enjoy financial assistance during their bad times,” she said.

All the members of the Bangladesh team, including head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, fast bowling coach Heath Streak, national selectors along with BCB president Nazmul Hasan were present at the reception ceremony that was followed by lunch. The cricketers thoroughly enjoyed their time and took selfies with the Prime Minister. l

BSS

The cricketers pose for a ‘selfie’ alongside Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

DT

26 Sport

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

The lowest point in our international history: Rameez n Cricinfo

Ace Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan (L) and Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul Haq arrived in Khulna yesterday ahead of the first Test starting this Tuesday. The two teams arrived in Khulna yesterday night DHAKA TRIBUNE

Of Mirpur, cricket and entertainment n Mazhar Uddin The home of cricket, the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, has always been a place of joy for the Bangladesh supporters. Besides cheering for their heroes, the fans have a wonderful time when they visit the home of cricket due to the festive atmosphere that prevails there every time Bangladesh take the field.

The year 2014 though was a disappointing one for the Tigers and more often than not, the dejected fans had to return home empty-handed as Bangladesh suffered one defeat after another.

However, ever since the start of the bilateral home series against Zimbabwe last year in November, the mood changed drastically at the home of cricket. The spectators experienced several memorable outings as the Tigers whitewashed the southern African nation in the ODI and Test series.

The Tigers continued to perform admirably in the recently-concluded 2015 ICC World Cup and carried their dominance onto the ongoing bilateral home series against Pakistan where the home side crashed the visitors in the three-match ODI series and the solitary Twenty20 international.

The consistent displays by the Bangladesh cricketers elevated the fans’ joy to an all-new level and the home of cricket emerged as the hub of entertainment for the people of Dhaka. The electric atmosphere inside the stadium and non-stop music only added to the joy of the supporters.

Rayhan Kawasar, who has been a stadium jockey in Mirpur for nearly two years now, is one of the personalities responsible for keeping the crowd on their feet. He often interacts

with the huge crowd during over-breaks and admitted that even the cricketers urge him to play their favourite tracks during international matches.

“Cricket and music blends pretty well.

Whenever I work as a stadium jockey at Mirpur stadium, I try to pump up the environment. Everyone seems to enjoy their time at the stadium and I try to boost the audience

RJ Raihan (L) and DJ Rokon

and cheer them up at the same time. They can spend their time relaxing,” said Rayhan, who works as a radio jockey at local radio station Colours FM. “Sometimes, I even receive song requests from the Bangladesh cricketers. Recently, Arafat Sunny asked me to play Don Omar’s Danza Kuduro during the third ODI against Pakistan,” he added. l

Former Pakistan captain Rameez Raja has described the national team as a “rudderless ship” after they were whitewashed 0-3 in the ODI series and beaten convicingly in the only T20I on their ongoing tour of Bangladesh.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Rameez said he was disappointed by the “lack of direction” and the lack of “fresh ideas” from the PCB. “They have gone to the players who have put a mute button on Pakistan cricket for a long time,” Rameez said. “There’s no freshness of ideas or direction. It’s the same old logic to keep wickets in hand and then go hard in the last 10 overs. This is a throwback to the 80’s and 90’s stuff. I was hoping that the situation would improve but there is hardly any new direction given by the new coaching staff.”

Rameez, who is currently in India as a commentator for the IPL, believes Pakistan need to urgently set up a T20 league on similar lines as that “environment will help the players understand the game better.”

“That (a T20 league) will really help them to concentrate on the game and play the game in the way that it should be played,” he said. “I hope the Pakistan Cricket Board works on it and somehow makes it happen. If not in Pakistan, then in the middle east. It’s not about money, it’s about the environment that Pakistan cricket so badly needs to share that experience and to learn from the greats of the game.”

Describing the series in Bangladesh as “embarrassing” and the “lowest point in our international history”, Rameez said the outcome was the culmination “of a badly thought out strategy.” According to him, Pakistan are no longer producing the same assembly line of talent as they did in the past, and even the players coming through are not being “used properly” by the team management.

“I’m deeply concerned because I was hoping that some of the younger players would step up but they weren’t good enough,” Rameez said. “Timid is the right word, boxed in mentality, which is not expanding your range in T20 or 50-overs cricket. It’s the way they’re brought up.

“They have technical and mental issues.

They don’t know how to construct a knock; those who know it don’t have the technical know-how. Some of them are suppressed by the environment because they are not sure whether they’ll play the next game. The overall strategy needs to improve. The coaching staff has to come to their rescue because gone are the days when Pakistan would have a well rounded and talented side.”

The lone bright spark for Pakistan in the one-day series was newly appointed captain Azhar Ali, who scored a hundred and a fifty in his three innings to emerge as the team’s toprun getter. While complimenting Azhar on his solid start, Rameez, who had advocated Wahab Riaz for the captaincy after Pakistan’s World Cup exit, believes the door should be kept open on that option.

“I believe that Pakistan cricket needs a tonic of aggression,” Rameez insisted. “What I saw of Wahab Riaz convinced me that he has got the potential and arsenal to give Pakistan that all important positive direction. He could lead them into action. He would make things happen,” he said.l

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Sport 27

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

Sabina receives multiple offers n Shishir Hoque

QUICK BYTES BD U14 girls contingent safe in Nepal All the players, coaches and officials of the Bangladesh Under-14 girls football team are safe but were visibly shaken after a strong earthquake of 7.9 magnitude rocked Nepal yesterday. The final of the AFC U-14 Girls Regional Championship for the South and Central Zone between Bangladesh and hosts Nepal has been deferred due to the powerful natural calamity. The final was scheduled to be played yesterday afternoon. “The girls left the hotel and moved to the field after knowing about the earthquake. The final was postponed. After talking to AFC, we will decide when our girls will return,” said Mahfuza Akter Kiron, vice chairman of the Bangladesh Football Federation’s women wing, yesterday. Bangladesh earlier reached the final after defeating Iran 2-0 in the semi-final last Friday.

–Shishir Hoque

Gladiators, Dhumketu face off today

Dhaka Gladiators and Dhumketu Club swept into the final of the Citycell Basketball Federation Cup yesterday. The two sides will meet in the grand finale at Dhanmondi Basketball Gymnasium today at 4pm. Hot favourites Dhaka Gladiators, who topped Group A, had to toil hard before beating BKSP by 80-70 points in the first semi-final yesterday.

Binod caged the highest 30 points for the victors. In the second semi-final, Dhumketu outplayed Group B champions Hornets SC by 90-68 points with Tarek netting 36 points for the winning side.

Dhaka Gladiators defeated Dhumketu in the group stage.

–Shishir Hoque

Marseille powerless to stop five-goal Lorient

Lorient caused a mighty upset on Friday, winning 5-3 in a thriller at Marcelo Bielsa’s Olympique de Marseille to all but end the home team’s Ligue 1 title chances and ease their own relegation worries.

It was fourth-placed Marseille’s fourth league defeat in a row and, with only four matches left, qualification for next season’s Champions League as a top-three finisher is also now in danger. “We were absent in the first half and disorganised in the second,” said Argentine coach Bielsa.

–Reuters

Watford take another step towards the EPL

Watford moved four points clear at the top of the English Championship with a gritty 2-0 win at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. Troy Deeney’s neat finish after 28 minutes and a stoppage-time strike by Matej Vydra gave Watford breathing space at the head of the battle for promotion to the Premier League.

Watford, who have one game left, are four points ahead of Bournemouth and Middlesbrough and six clear of Norwich City who all have two matches to play.

–Reuters

Indian cricketer Virat Kohli launches his chain of gyms ‘Chisel’ with a 75-fitness centre expansion plan across the country. The picture was taken in New Delhi yesterday AP

Ace Bangladesh women’s football team striker Sabina Khatun said she has received more than one offer to play in Maldives in the upcoming season.

The 21-year old goal-machine, who began her international career in the 2010 South Asian Games, returned from Maldives last week after playing for Police Club in the Women’s Futsal Fiesta. She scored a total of 36 goals in six matches, making her the top-scorer in the tournament. She was also adjudged the best player on five occasions.

“Overall, every player and coach were very helpful and always supported me. They are satisfied with my performance. The club has offered me the chance to play there again next season,” Sabina told the media at BFF House yesterday.

“I’m happy that I gained experience from the tournament. The other clubs, including the Army team, also offered me to play for them.

But, I am yet to respond to any offer,” she said.

Sabina added that the clubs from Maldives want two more players from Bangladesh.

Army offered her $1500, which is three times more than what she received from Police. l

MSC, Soccer Club post narrow wins n Shishir Hoque Mohammedan returned to winning ways in the Manyavar Bangladesh Premier League after beating Farashganj SC 2-1 at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Meanwhile in the day’s other match, Feni Soccer Club earned their first points as well as they secured their first victory in the league this season when they edged past Rahmatganj MFS 1-0 at the same venue.

The traditional Black and Whites, who came to the game on the back of two consecutive losses against Sheikh Russel and Brothers Union, had to wait more than half an hour to have their first real foray in the opposition terrain when Guinean striker Ismail Bangoura’s close-range shot was brilliantly saved by Farashganj goalkeeper Sujan Chowdhury.

National forward Towhidul Alam Sobuj,

however, did not make any mistake converting the very next opportunity, putting Mohammedan ahead in the 35th minute. Sabuj sent a rebounder crushing against the back of the net after Mobarak Hossain Bhuiyan’s shot was blocked by the custodian.

RESULTS Rahmatganj

0–1

Feni Soccer Club Shahran Hawladar 40

Mohammedan

2–1

Towhidul Alam Sabuj 40 Ismael Bangoura 52

Farashganj Akinyele Peter 51

Nigerian midfielder Akinyele Peter though equalised the margin six minutes into the second half. Collecting a through pass from defender Mamun, Akinyele rounded off Mohammedan goalkeeper Nehal at the edge of

Tangail, Ansar battle for Pioneer title today n Shishir Hoque Following four semi-final exits, Tangail Football Academy are finally confident of taking the trophy home as they take on Bangladesh Ansar and VDP in the final of the Pioneer Football League 2014-15 today at Bangabandhu National Stadium.

The Tangail team are solely operated by coach Atikur Rahman Khan Jamil, who sold his property and land in order to build and run the academy. His dream was and still is to produce footballers for the nation and can count national full-back Rayhan Hasan as one of his disciples. Rayhan is currently playing in the Premier League for defending champi-

ons Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and is also a vital part of the national side.

“We played in the semi-final four times before but never managed to reach the final.

This time we made it to the last two. Hopefully, we will win tomorrow (today) if luck favours us,” said Jamil yesterday. In 11 matches, Tangail have won nine and drawn two.

Ansar on the other hand are playing in the Pioneer Football League for the very first time and they have not lost a single match yet, having won 10 and drawn one.

Ansar coach Hasan al Masud said, “All the credit goes to the players for making it to the final. We will try to play positive football and come up as champions.” l

the box before slotting into the empty net.

It took Mohammedan less than a minute to take the lead again and this time Bangoura made no mistake. The Guinean striker headed home from the centre of the box following a Jewel Rana cross from the left flank.

The victory lifted Mohammedan to fifth place with nine points from five matches while Rahmatganj remained at seventh with four points.

In the day’s first match, Shahran Hawladar netted the all-important goal in Soccer Club’s maiden victory in the league. In the 40th minute, the Feni midfielder unleashed a left-footed strike from 25 yards that went over the onrushing Rahmatganj goalkeeper Masum before hitting the back of the net.

Eighth-placed Soccer Club have three points from four matches while Rahmatganj are yet to open their account. l

De Kruif gets two-month tenure n Shishir Hoque

Bangladesh’s Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka tomorrow to take charge of the national side for around two months ahead of the second round of the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers. The Dutchman will be accompanied by German goalkeeping coach Christian Schweichler.

De Kruif, however, will not be able to train his charges before May 21 when the first phase of the top-flight draws to a closure.

“For now, De Kruif will watch the league games and pick the best possible squad. He will get at least three weeks as preparation time,” said Bangladesh Football Federation general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag yesterday.

The national side will begin their qualifying campaign against Kyrgyzstan on June 11. l

DT

28 Sport

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

Neymar, Messi guide 10-man Barca to crucial win n AFP, Madrid Neymar and Lionel Messi were on target as Barcelona produced a sensational first-half performance to take a huge step towards the La Liga title with a 2-0 win at local rivals Espanyol on Saturday.

The visitors dominated from the off and two goals in eight minutes sealed the win as Neymar and Messi rounded off excellent team moves.

Barca were reduced to 10 men early in the second period as Jordi Alba was given his marching orders for taking his protestations towards referee Mateu Lahoz too far, but Luis Enrique’s men held on comfortably and could have even added to their lead had Neymar not blazed a glorious chance over 25 minutes from time.

Victory takes Barca four points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table with Los Blancos not in action until Sunday when they travel to Celta Vigo.l

RESULT Espanyol

0-2

Barcelona Neymar 17, Messi 25

Barcelona’s Argentinian starlet Lionel Messi scores his goal past Espanyol goalkeeper Kiko Casillas during their Spanish La Liga match at Power8 stadium in Cornella de Llobregat near Barcelona yesterday REUTERS

Arsenal aim to redraw lines of Chelsea rivalry n AFP, London Chelsea’s trip to Arsenal this Sunday is being billed as a Premier League title decider, but in reality it is likely to have more of a bearing on next season.

With 11 wins and two defeats since the turn of the year, Arsenal have amassed more points per game in 2015 than any other team in Europe’s top five leagues, but still they trail Chelsea by 10 points.

Chelsea will be champions if they beat Arsenal and win at Leicester City on Wednesday, but even though defeat on Sunday would probably only delay their coronation, it could herald the start of a north London revolt.

Fixtures between Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal and Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea have traditional-

ly represented a collision of competing ideologies, with Wenger the style-obsessed romantic and Mourinho the cold, hard pragmatist.

While clubs around the world fell over themselves to ape the possession-based approach of Barcelona and Spain during the high point of ‘tiki-taka’ - emboldening Wenger to

FIXTURES Everton Arsenal

v Manchester United v Chelsea

cram even more small, technical midfielders into his starting XIs -- Mourinho remained true to his counter-attacking convictions.

Those principles were in evidence last weekend when Chelsea beat Manchester

United 1-0 at Stamford Bridge despite seeing only 30 percent of the ball.

It had been a similar story last October, when Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0 after enjoying less possession and mustering only five attempts at goal to their opponents’ 10.

Wenger reacted to Mourinho’s provocations that day by shoving the Portuguese in the chest during a touchline confrontation, and it was not the first time the Chelsea manager has got under the Frenchman’s skin.

Speaking on Friday, Mourinho declared that Wenger was “not my rival”, adding: “He’s the manager of a big club in the same city where I work. It is a big club with the same objectives we have.”

The retort was seen as an attempt to deflect attention away from the pair’s frosty

Tottenham keep Saints in check n AFP, London

De Gea offered big money deal to stay at United: Van Gaal n AFP, London

Tottenham Hotspur remain a point above Southampton in the Premier League’s Europa League qualifying race after twice cancelling out goals by Graziano Pelle in a 2-2 draw on Saturday.

Erik Lamela equalised just before half-time when Eric Dier’s cross hit his arm and flew past Kelvin Davis. Nacer Chadli put Spurs level five minutes later after running onto a pass from Dier. The result left Spurs a point above Liverpool in fifth place in the table.l

RESULT Southampton Pelle 29, 65

2-2

Tottenham Lamela 43, Chadli 70

relationship, but with Wenger having never beaten Mourinho in 12 attempts and having claimed only two major trophies to the Chelsea manager’s six during the time they have both spent in England, might it have been intended as a statement of fact?

The hope, for Arsenal’s fans, is that the savvy shown by their team in recent weeks will yield a transformative victory.

After years of parsimony, Arsenal can now compete with Chelsea for the game’s star names - as demonstrated by the acquisitions of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez - and the gap may be closing on the pitch, too.

With former fringe player Francis Coquelin anchoring the midfield, Arsenal have begun to beat their rivals in a fashion that even Mourinho might be moved to admire.l

Southampton’s Italian striker Graziano Pelle (R) heads the ball to score his second goal past Tottenham Hotspur during their EPL match at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton yesterday AFP

Louis van Gaal claims Manchester United have made David de Gea a big-money offer in a bid to persuade the Spain goalkeeper to remain at Old Trafford.

Van Gaal said in January he expected the 24-year-old to extend his current deal, which expires at the end of next season, but three months on there are no signs of progress.

However, van Gaal on Friday revealed United have offered the Spaniard a bumper new deal to convince him to stay.

“It takes a long time now,” the United boss said when asked how negotiations with De Gea were progressing.l

DT

Sport 29

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

Nishikori cruises past Klizan into final n AFP, Barcelona Reigning champion Kei Nishikori booked his place in the Barcelona Open final with a 6-1, 6-2 thrashing of Slovakia’s Martin Klizan on Saturday.

Klizan had won the only previous meeting between the two in a shock straight sets win over an injury-plagued Nishikori at last year’s French Open.

However, there was never any danger of a repeat in the Catalan capital as the Japanese romped through the first set in just 28 minutes.

Klizan offered some more resistence at the start of the second set as he held onto his serve in a marathon opening game that included eight deuces.

Nishikori, though, won the next five games to take him to the brink of victory before serving it out comfortably. The world number five will face either David Ferrer or Pablo Andujar in Sunday’s final. l

Juventus boss relaxed before derby which could seal title n Reuters

Japanese player Kei Nishikori celebrates after winning against Slovakia's Martin Klizan during the ATP Barcelona Open ‘Conde de Godo’ tennis tournament in Barcelona yesterday

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri sounded relaxed ahead of a Turin derby which could see his side retain their Serie A title on Sunday.

Allegri told a news conference he was “in no hurry to end the league but would like to keep on earning points.”

Juve have a 15 point lead over Lazio and AS Roma with seven games remaining. A derby win against Torino (1400 GMT) would secure the club’s fourth successive ‘Scudetto’ should both second placed sides lose out.

Lazio are at home to Chievo Verona on Sunday, with Roma at Inter Milan on Saturday.

“We need six more points to win the title,” said Allegri, whose side face Real Madrid in a Champions League semi-final next month. “I don’t think we can win it all tomorrow; I haven’t really thought about it.”

Juventus haven’t lost the “Derby della Mole”, named after a Turin landmark, in 20 years but Torino have plenty to play for.

They are eighth in the table on 44 points, five adrift of sixth-placed Fiorentina and a spot in next season’s Europa League qualifying rounds.

“Torino have done well this season in Europe and in the league,” Allegri added.

“They’re a difficult team to face as they’re very good at slowing the pace of the game.”l

AFP

DAY’S WATCH Sony Six Indian Premier League 4:30PM Kolkata v Rajasthan 8:30PM Delhi v Bangalore

Star Sports 1 09:30PM Barcelona Open: Final 12:45AM Italian Serie A Napoli v Sampdoria

Star Sports 2 4:00PM Spanish La Liga Malaga v Deportivo La Coruna 9:00PM UD Almeria v SD Eibar 10:25PM Sevilla FC v Rayo Vallecano 12:25AM Celta de Vigo v Real Madrid

Star Sports 4 English Premier League 6:30PM Everton v Manchester United 9:00PM Arsenal v Chelsea

Ten Action 11:00AM A-League 2014/15 Wellington Phoenix v Sydney FC French Ligue 1 6:00PM Saint- Etienne v Montpellier Herault 9:00PM Racing Club De Lens v AS Monaco 12:30AM Stade De Reims v Olympic Lyon

Ten Sports 6:30PM WTA: Porsche Tennis GP: Final

Wozniacki in Stuttgart final after marathon encounter n AFP, Stuttgart Caroline Wozniacki reached her third final of 2015 when she saw off Simona Halep after a marathon match over nearly three-hours in Saturday’s semi-final clash at Stuttgart’s WTA tournament.

The former world number one, who ran the 2014 New York marathon for charity, needed two hours, 58 minutes to claim a 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 victory and will now meet either Germany’s Angelique Kerber or American Madison Brengle in Sunday’s final.

“I felt good right through until the end,” said Denmark’s Wozniacki.

“I love these long matches and if I can run a marathon, then I can play in great games like that.

“We needed nearly three hours and that would be a pretty good marathon time.”

Wozniacki took the first set with the first break at 6-5, but the second was a topsy-turvy affair with five of the 12 games finishing in a break -- three to Wozniacki and two to Halep before the Romanian levelled.

Wozniacki turned the screw in the third to

Schmuacher Jnr best rookie, ninth on debut n AFP, Berlin Mick Schumacher Jnr lived up to the famous name on his Formula Four debut by claiming a trophy as the best rookie after finishing ninth despite starting 19th on Saturday.

The 16-year-old son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher celebrated by spraying a bottle of champagne he is still too young to drink after winning the trophy.

Schumacher Jnr finished 10.065sec behind eventual winner Germany’s Marvin Dienst, 18, who completed the 18 laps in 31mins

02.192secs.

Schumacher Jnr has more chances to prove his skills as the F4 season kicks off this weekend at Oschersleben, between Hanover and Berlin, with another two races to follow on Sunday.

“After yesterday’s qualifying and my start position, I am really happy,” said Schumacher Jnr Schumacher will start 20th on the grid for Sunday’s second race which starts at 0900 local time (0700 GMT) and then in the first row for the third and final race at 1520 when the order is reversed. l

break her opponent when her 3-1 lead quickly became 5-1 and although Halep rallied to bring it back to 5-2, Wozniacki served out to convert her fourth match point.

Having lost the final in Auckland last January, but won in Kuala Lumpur in March, the 24-year-old will be bidding for her second title in 2015.

There was some consolation for Romania’s Halep, who will take over from Maria Sharapova as the second ranked player in the world on the back of her run to the Stuttgart semis on clay court.l

DT

30 DOWNTIME

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Tibetan priest (4) 5 Mortuary table (coll) (4) 10 Part of speech (4) 11 Frozen treat (3) 13 Drinking vessel (3) 14 Mohammedanism (5) 16 Find out (6) 18 Hid (6) 21 Scottish musician (5) 23 Offer (3) 24 Suspension of fighting (5) 26 Metal-bearing rock (3) 27 Honey drink (4) 28 Equipment (4) 29 Stains (4)

DOWN 2 Ward off (5) 3 Adults (3) 4 Item (7) 6 Peruvian capital (4) 7 Quickness of perception (6) 8 Seek charity (3) 9 Musical group (4) 15 Commenced (7) 17 Widespreading dominion (6) 19 Ooze out (5) 20 Swarm (4) 22 Notion (4) 23 Wet spongy ground (3) 25 Narrow beam (3)

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 11 represents G so fill G every time the figure 11 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

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

DT

SHOWTIME 31

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

now-showing

gossip

Age of Adaline

first look

The Joker gets a makeover

CELEBS ON SOCIAL jimmy fallon @ jimmyfallon Reminder - we got a fresh new show tonight Chris Pratt (Jurassic) Elizabeth Olsen (Avengers) and kid inventors. #FallonTonight Russell Crowe @ russellcrowe #TheWaterDiviner opens in the US and Canada today.

Take a snap of your ticket.

RDJ still peeved by interview

Kylie Jenner @ KylieJenner Understandingly, this has been very hard for me. You will hear what I have to say when I’m ready to but...

n Showtime Desk

n Showtime Desk Lionsgate’s new fantasy romance Age of Adaline has already raked in $575,000 in latenight showings when it opened in 2,100 US theaters on April 23.

Helmed by Lee Toland Krieger, the film stars Blake Lively in the titular role of Adaline, a woman who, following a car accident, stops ageing. Also present in the cast are Michiel Huisman, Kathy Baker, Amanda Crew, Harrison Ford and Ellen Burstyn.

Described by some critics as “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button meets Nicholas Sparks”, the film has polarised viewers, arriving at a freshness rating of 54% on the Rotten Tomatoes site. Recent forecasts say the opening figures may jump to as high as $12 million in the coming week. l

obituary

Krishnan Guru-Murthy strikes again. Two years ago, the British journalist goaded director Quentin Tarantino towards an onscreen meltdown, videos of which quickly went viral. It appears that he is still in top trolling form, as he managed to push all the wrong buttons for yet another celebrity.

Last week, while interviewing actor Robert Downey Jr about his role in Marvel’s recently-released Avengers: Age of Ultron, Guru-Murthy tried to steer the conversation towards RDJ’s past battles with addiction.

The actor, visibly upset, stormed out of the interview, commenting “It’s just getting a bit Diane Sawyer...”

It became apparent that Downey Jr. wasn’t about to let it slide so easily, when, following an appearance on Live! With Kelly and Michael later in the week, the Iron Man actor tweeted a picture of himself and Diane Sawyer, who is known for her probing interviews, applauding her “legitimate journalism”.

Has Krishnan Guru-Murthy learned his lesson yet? We can only wait and watch. l

n Showtime Desk DC fans are in for a real treat as David Ayer revealed the first look at the new Joker, in an Instagram post on the character’s 75th anniversary.

The freshly revamped villain, to be portrayed by Jared Leto in DC Entertainment’s Suicide Squad movie, is a dramatic departure from all traditional depictions of the character. Leto’s new avatar sports a more street-friendly look, with short-cropped hair, metal fillings and a plethora of tattoos. He retains the green hair and purple glove as a nod to his origins.

Suicide Squad is slated for release in 2016. l

Film critic Richard Corliss dies at 71 n Showtime Desk Time magazine’s renowned film critic Richard Corliss has died in New York after spending 35 years with magazine. He was 71.

The veteran critic died following complications caused by a stroke.

Richard Corliss, along with his colleague Richard Schickel, became a name instantly recognised by all readers of Time magazine as one of the most authoritative names in film criticism.

Eschewing the bite-sized movie reviews that are often seen today, Corliss preferred a more in-depth style, digging into his vast knowledge of film history and theory. Corliss was the thinking

person’s movie critic.

His cinephilia was broad. His tastes ranged from Bergman to Tarantino, from Disney to the martial arts genre. He stood against the auteur theory that lionised directors over all others. He had the utmost respect for screenwriters, and also adored stars of the silver screen.

In a 1985 review, he described Michelle Pfeiffer as “drop dead gorgeous,” thereby coining the now-widely used phrase.

Not limited to reviews in magazines and newspapers, Corliss wrote books that delved into cinematic theory. His books include a volume defending American screenwriters, and an in-depth study of Stanley Kubrick’s transgressive film Lolita. l

WHAT TO WATCH TELEVISION

The Lego Movie A HBO 1:30pm This BAFTA Award winner for Best Animated Film is the best way to enjoy your Sunday afternoon if you happen to be home. The stellar cast who voice the the characters include favourites such as Elizabeth Banks and Will Arnett. Watch your childhood toys come to life.

X-Men: Days of Future Past B+ Star Movies 7:00pm If you missed this one in the theatres last year, don’t miss the chance to experience one of the best from your favourite mutants this time around. Check out Wolverine try to change history after being sent to the past.

Marley & Me B Romedy NOW 11:20pm This romantic comedy caused quite the stir in viewers hearts after it’s release.

Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston star in this heart warming tale that starts out with a man gifting his wife a puppy that has a deep impact on their lives.

DT

32 BACK PAGE

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

NGOS: NEW VAT LAW TO HURT POOR, SMES PAGE 15

TIGERS HONOURED BY PRIME MINISTER PAGE 25

FILM CRITIC RICHARD CORLISS DIES AT 71 PAGE 31

Bangladesh to launch Rohingya head-count n Asif Showkat Kallol The government has decided to start counting the Rohingya refugees of Myanmar living across the country from mid-September for proper documentation, official sources said.

The documentation would also help expediting repatriation of the Rohingya Muslims to their homeland.

The decision was made fearing fresh influx of the Rohingyas due to possible deterioration of political condition ahead of the general election in the Rakhine state of Myanmar, likely to be held in November.

The decision and concerns came from the seventh meeting of the National Task-force on Implementation of the National Strategy Paper on Myanmar Refugees and undocumented Myanmar Nationals held at the Foreign Ministry on March 31.

It was arranged by the United Nations wing of the ministry. Representatives of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) informed the meet-

ing about the possible influx.

State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have already ordered the BGB to push back Rohingya refugees if they try to enter Bangladesh territory ahead of the national election in November.

“We do not care what the foreign communities will say about our action because the Rohingya refugees are destroying livelihood of the local people and the environment.”

He said: “The daily wage rate in Cox’s Bazar has declined due to availability of Rohingya refugees as day labourer.”

The meeting also decided that the number of police camps would be increased. Moreover, the BGB is carrying out construction of border outposts and observation towers which is likely to be completed by the middle of next year.

According to the meeting, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistic would carry out photo-based listing or census among the undocumented Rohingyas in September for 10-15 days in

Cox’s Bazar and four other districts.

They have been asked to work in coordination with the Election Commission. The BBS is expected to prepare the preliminary report

by January next year.

According to official estimation, there are around 28,000 registered Rohingyas living in two camps in Cox’s Bazar. But the number of undocumented Rohingya Muslims is over 5,00,000 and they spread in Chittagong, and the three hill districts.

For the first time since 2005, the Myanmar government last year agreed to take back the registered Rohingyas in phases.

It is alleged that the political influential people in the coastal areas are using Rohingya refugees for illegal yaba trade which has increased criminal and unsocial activities in the country. Moreover, they have been used

by Islamist militant groups of Bangladesh and the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation – a separatist group banned in Myanmar.

The home state minister said: “It is neces-

Health sector far from achieving desired progress

JABBARER BOLI KHELA

n Abu Bakar Siddique

Didar Bali and Oli Bali battling it out for championship at the Lal Dighi ground

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Didar Boli retains championship n CU Correspondent

Didarul Alam alias Didar Boli of Cox’s Bazar once again emerges winner of the traditional wrestling competition Jabbarer Boli Khela in Chittagong yesterday, defeating Oli Bali of Brahmanbaria district in the competition’s 106th event.

It took Didar only three minutes to beat his rival Oli at the traditional Lal Dighi ground in the city.

Didar has so far secured the championship title six times individually and six times jointly.

The Boli Khela was inaugurated by Housing and Public Work Minister Engineering Mosharraf Hossain as the chief guest with Channel I Chittagong office’s

sary to count the Rohingya refugees as many of them have acquired Bangladeshi passports and are allegedly running terrorists dens here.”

A large number of undocumented Rohingyas hold Bangladeshi passports and many of them went to the Middle-East countries pretending to be Bangladesh workers.

“Our workers are banned in the UAE because the Rohingyas in disguise were found involved in criminal activities there,” Kamal said.

“Such incidents are tarnishing the image of Bangladeshi workers in other Middle-East countries. This should be stopped.”

In 2007, the Saudi Arabia government deported a number of Rohingyas for their involvement in criminal incidents.

The meeting also discussed that the undocumented Rohingya Muslims living in makeshift settlements were sending their children only to madrasas and mosques for eduction.

The task-force agreed to provide those children with informal education. l

head Chowdhury Farid and Chittagong Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Kamrul Amin present.

“I am feeling really proud for becoming the title champion again. It was a great honour for me,” said Didarul Alam. This year around 78 wrestlers of various ages from different parts of the country participated at the event.

The champion and the runner-up were given Tk 15,000 and Tk 10,000 respectively as prize money with trophies while the winners of general bout got Tk500 with crests each, organisers said.

The event was organised by Abdul Jabbar Smriti Kusti Pratijogita O Baishakhi Mela Udjapan Parishad Committee in collaboration with Banglalink. l

The country’s health sector is behind the target of achieving the desired health, population and nutrition sector developments by 2016, says Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2014.

The preliminary report of the BDHS published yesterday also said that out of the 18 indicators, only eight show great progress and two are in track, and the remaining eight needs more attention.

The major indicators that need attention are total fertility rate; contraceptive prevalence rate; antenatal care coverage; postnatal care within 48 hours; and neonatal mortality rate.

According to the report, the total fertility rate – the average number of children per women – is 2.3 children, which has remained the same as 2011; the national target for 2016 is 2.0.

The use of contraceptives among women aged 15-49 has increased from 58% to 62% in the last ten years, although the 2016-target is 72%.

Sylhet and Chittagong divisions have the worst figures in the country.

After seening the survey results, Health Minister Mohammad Nasim said he was not happy with the services that that health staff and doctors provide. One big reason for failing to ensure proper health services is their unwillingness to stay in rural areas, he said.

The minister, who attended publication of the survey in Dhaka yesterday as the chief guest, also said that his ministry has been trying to overcome the hurdle by taking different initiatives.

The report also says that under-five mortality rate is 46 per 100 lives births, indicating

that this particular Millennium Development Goal (MDG) has been achieved ahead of time, although one in every 22 children born in Bangladesh in the past five years have died before reaching that age.

Infant mortality rate has also continued to decline from 43 per 1,000 live births in 2011 to 38 in 2014.

About a third of the children are too short for their age. Fewer children are too thin, with the proportion of underweight children decreasing from 43% in 2004 to 33% in 2014.

Better maternal health care has contributed to these improvements in child health. However, only three in ten expecting mothers are currently receiving the recommended number of pregnancy check-ups. The proportion of pregnant women receiving the recommended four or more antenatal care visits has almost doubled from 17% to 31% in the last ten years.

The report says that Bangladesh is now very close to achieving the national target of 50% of births attended by a trained provider by 2016.

The proportion of births attended by trained providers has increased from 16% to 42%, which indicates that every four in 10 births were attended by a medically trained personnel.

The 2014 BDHS was implemented under the authority of National Institute of Population Research and Training (Niport) with support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The survey – the seventh of its kind and is being conducted in Bangladesh since 1993-94 – collected data from about 17,900 married women aged from 15-49 in 17,300 households. l

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