28 April, 2015

SECOND EDITION

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

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Baishakh 15, 1422, Rajab 8, 1436

BNP WARNS AGAINST FOUL PLAY PAGE 3

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 17

CONCERNS OVER VOTE BUYING IN CTG PAGE 5

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

NEPAL QUAKE DEATH TOLL PASSES 3,700 PAGE 32

Fear could keep voters away n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla A fear of violence threatens to keep voters away from the ballot box today, as six million voters in the country’s two major cities – comprising three city corporations – get ready to cast their votes.

The question of voter turn-out, especially in the early hours of polling, is critically important to the two major political parties – the ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP. Tofail Ahmed, a local government expert, said: “Voter turnout will be the deciding factor. If more than 50% of votes are cast, there will be a clear victor. If only 40% of votes are cast, then it will be a neck and neck race.”

Instead of the festivity that is usually associated with the franchise in Bangladesh, fear has dominated the scene ahead of the polls, which will take place today between 8am and 4pm.

Election observer group JANIPOP Chairman Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah said: “The recent violence has sent a message to voters that violence might take place.”

Shahdeen Malik, an eminent lawyer and political commentator, said: “I believe a high voter turnout will improve the BNP-backed candidates’ chances while a low voter turnout will help the Awami League favourites.

“But voters are afraid. Voter turnout is largely dependent on the first two or three hours of polling. If no major incident takes place in the early hours of voting, then the turnout will be good,” he added.

A string of violent attacks on prominent  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Amid fears of violence centring the city corporation polls, Border Guard Bangladesh patrols the streets of the capital to ensure security and maintain law and order. The photo was taken at Bakshibazar in the capital yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

DMP invites 10,000 additional personnel

Heavy monitoring for poll centres

n Mohammad Jamil Khan

n Abu Bakar Siddique

Voting in the two city corporations of the capital is set to take place today amid tight security measures as around 60,000 law enforcers of different agencies would be performing duty to ensure a free and fair election.

Security is one of the most crucial issues during the polls when over 18 lakh people will exercise their franchise.

Of the 1,982 polling centres in 93 wards, the law enforcers have identified 1,429 as vulnerable. Moreover, intelligence sources say

PAGE 2 Bangladesh airports open for Nepal relief effort

contract killers, arms dealers and listed criminals are out to jeopardise the much-awaited elections.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), which already has around 30,000 regular forces, sought 10,000 additional members from outside the capital.

Apart from the police, some 2,100 members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and around 3,000 Rapid Action Battalion personnel will be on duty during the elections.

Moreover, nearly 12,000 Ansar members will  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

PAGE 4 Port city expects better turnout

The Election Commission’s (EC) preparations for today’s three city corporation polls will rely on the monitoring and security duties of more than 139,000 people.

Each polling centre in today’s city corporation elections in Dhaka North, Dhaka South and Chittagong city will be monitored by three observers.

That translates into some 9,000 observers working at some 2,701 polling centres in the three city corporations, EC records show.

PAGE 5 Election fever grips Chittagong

Some 3,671 local observers from 39 different election observer groups, around 5,000 journalists from various local and international print and electronic media firms and around 150 foreign observers from several international agencies will keep watch as six million voters cast their ballots.

The election will remain under the close surveillance of the poll observers, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed said yesterday at a press briefing.

A total of 1,180 candidates for mayor and

PAGE 6 AL men blamed for coercing BNP supporters

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

PAGE 32 Muhith: Pay scale review report in two days

DT

2 NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

Bangladesh airports open for Nepal relief effort n Shohel Mamun Bangladesh may be used as a staging area for the humanitarian aid to disaster-stricken Nepal, according to a cabinet source.

Cabinet yesterday decided that foreign aircraft could transit here en route to Nepal.

The source said when State Minister for

Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam raised the issue, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina decided to open all airports for the relief effort. At least 3,700 people are known to have died in the earthquake on Saturday.

The cabinet meeting also approved the final draft of Bangladesh Academy of Rural Development (BARD) Law yesterday. l

PM to vote at City College n Tribune Report

Mild tremor jolts country again n UNB

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will cast her vote at Dhaka City College polling centre today as a voter of Dhaka South City Corporation.

PM’s Press Secretary AKM Shamim Chowdhury said she would go to the poll centre at 8am.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will not be able to cast her vote as she is not listed under any of the city corporations in Dhaka. l

A mild earthquake jolted Dhaka and other parts of the country again yesterday.

The tremor, measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale, was felt around 6:35pm. However, there was no immediate report of any damage or casualty, according to the Dhaka Met office.

The epicentre of the earthquake was near Siliguri, India, some 413km north-west of Dhaka’s earthquake observatory. l

Teams of Rapid Action Battalion were seen patrolling the streets of Dhaka yesterday, hours before the city corporation polls. The photo was taken at Manik Mia Avenue RAJIB DHAR

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Heavy monitoring for poll centres councillor are competing for 182 posts in the three city corporations.

Forty-eight of them were aspiring for the three mayorships, he added.

In Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), 20 aspirants are contesting the elections for the mayoral post, 97 women are running for 19 reserved seats and 390 contenders are vying for 57 general councillor posts.

Some 1,870,753 DSCC voters – 1,009,286 males and 861,467 females – will cast their votes at 4,746 booths in 889 polling stations.

In Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), 16 aspirants are running for the mayoral post, 89 women are vying for 12 reserved seats and 281 contenders are fighting for 36 general councillor posts.

There are 2,345,374 voters on the DNCC roll – 1,224,701 males and 1,120,673 females – served by 5,892 booths at 1,093 polling stations.

In Chittagong City Corporation, 12 candidates are running for the mayoral post, 62 women are contesting14 reserved seats and

DMP invites 10,000 join the police to guard the polling centres.

SM Jahangir Alam Sarker, acting deputy commissioner of DMP, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that they had taken all necessary steps to ensure peaceful election.

The law enforcers will perform duties in every polling centre considering importance.

At the important polling centres, there will be 24 police and Ansar members, including 12 armed persons, on duty while 22 police and Ansar officials, including 10 armed persons will guard the general polling centres.

Along with the regular forces, a total of 279 magistrates will be on duty in the election areas.

The election instruments, including ballot box, ballot paper, pad, seal and ink, have already been sent to the 1,093 polling centres in Dhaka north and 889 in Dhaka south from 16 distribu-

213 hopefuls are competing for 41 general councillor posts.

The EC said it had already sent polling materials, including ballots and rubber ink stamps, to polling centres yesterday.

Voting will take place from 8am and will continue uninterrupted until 4pm.

Some 50,000 polling agents will conduct balloting in the three city corporations.

To guard against trouble, the EC has deployed around 500 magistrates, along with the army and regular law enforcement agencies, for four days from Sunday to Wednesday morning in the three city corporations – Dhaka South City Corporation, Dhaka North City Corporation and Chittagong City Corportion.

Magistrates – backed by some 80,000 regular law enforcement personnel including members of the police, RAB, BGB, Coast Guard and Ansar – will deal with disturbances through summary trials.

The army will remain inside the cantonments but may be called up by returning officers if needed, according to the EC. l tion points under tight security measures.

The ballots of Dhaka North City Corporation will be counted at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Agargaon while those of Dhaka South City Corporation at Mohanogor Natyamoncho in Gulistan.

Additional forces will be deployed at the two spots to avert any kind of unwanted incident.

The law enforcers have also banned movement of all kinds of vehicles in the capital during the election. The ban would be lifted after 6am tomorrow.

However, vehicles of different news media and election observers are out of the purview of the ban. Those vehicles will be allowed to move given that they produce valid identity cards and permission of the returning officer.

DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah said: “All steps have been taken to conduct a violence-free city election for the city dwellers.” l

Fear could keep voters away non-ruling party-backed candidates and their campaigners in the run up to the vote has subdued public enthusiasm.

Shahdeen said electronic media will play a critical role in the polls. “If the media sensationalises minor anomalies in the first two or three hours, the people will panic and voter turnout will be poor.”

Political commentator Afsan Chowdhury said the public seemed indifferent about voting.

“The prevailing atmosphere will affect voter turnout, which will, in turn, affect the results. But will the people risk their lives to cast their votes?” he asked.

Nobody appeared to be interested in talking about the elections, an anomaly in a society usually given to passionate political discussions.

What started out as a positive campaign period quickly deteriorated after the triple attack on BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s motorcade and an attack on Bikalpadhara-backed mayoral candidate Mahi B Chowdhury.

On Sunday, the prime minister in a telecast media briefing spent nearly an hour declaiming the BNP’s nationwide blockade and castigated the press for failing to report even-handedly on campaign violence.

Instead of calming people down, political commentators said, the political arch rivals heated things up a day ahead of the voting.

The Election Commission adjusted its policy on deploying troops for polls duty three times, adding to the atmosphere of uncertainty.

The final position is that the army will remain in the cantonments but may be called up by returning officers if they are needed.

Above the city election fray, both Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia traded blame for the deteriorating situation.

Many BNP-backed candidates, including mayoral hopeful Mirza Abbas, are in hiding and have relied on proxy campaigns.

ELECTION FACT BOX Mayoral Candidates

48

Councillor Candidates

891

Reserved Seats

249

Voters

6,029,576

Polling Centres

2,701

Polling Booths

15,444

Journalists (approx)

5,000

Observers Polling Agents

3,671 49,333

He and others like him who face charges, are either in hiding or have been arrested. Police have arrested 7 BNP-backed candidates ahead of the polls.

Yesterday, the capital’s Dhanmondi, Shankar, Tejgaon and Moghbazar neighbourhoods were festooned with posters and banners of Awami League-backed mayoral candidate Annisul Huq. By contrast, posters of BNP-backed Tabith Awal or Mirza Abbas were nowhere to be seen.

“If I can, I will cast my vote. But it depends on the situation,” Moshiur Rahman, a banker, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Private university student Shafayetul Akram said: “I will surely cast my vote, whatever the situation.” l

NEWS 3

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CITY CORPORATION ELECTIONS

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

BNP warns against foul play in city polls n Tribune Report

Issuing a note of warning, BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said the government would be held to account if free and fair elections were not held.

Allegations of intimidation and harassment against BNP-backed candidates and their campaign offices in Dhaka North and South were rife on the eve of the city corporation polls.

“Tomorrow is voting day. We have made our preparations in the face of severe obstacles and have appointed agents and volunteers at every polling centre,” Moudud said at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters.

Moudud said his party had lodged 10 complaints concerning Dhaka North and three concerning Dhaka South, but the Election Commission was yet to take action.

The BNP leader said opposition leaders and activists had been arrested and harassed by law enforcement and ruling party men.

BNP-backed campaign offices are a rarity compared with election camps set up by candidates backed by the ruling party, allegedly because of harassment.

After the arrest Wednesday of Ward 30 councillor candidate Abul Hashem in Mohammadpur, police officials from Adabar police station on Friday shut down his campaign office, sources said.

Sub-Inspector (SI) Ismail Majumder of Adabar police station denied that police had closed down any campaign office. “That is a baseless allegation.”

But police admit to shutting down the election campaign office of Ward 28 councillor candidate Jashim Uddin on Friday.

SI Jahid of Shere-e-Banglanagar police station was one of the officials who closed it down.

Asked about it, SI Jahid said it had been closed down based on complaints of illegal activities in the area.

Asked about the harassment of BNP supporters, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police SM Jahangir Alam said

the police could visit any house on suspicion of illegal activity or possession of weapons.

“The police are doing their duty to hold peaceful city corporation elections.

“If you have proof of false arrests, then you can file a complaint. We are just doing our duty as per the law,” he said.

Urging the Election Commission to take stern action, the BNP yesterday alleged that its favoured candidates, agents and supporters were

Annisul skips media on election eve n Tribune Report

Tabith confident about Khokon will cast his win if polls are fair vote in Old Dhaka n Tribune Report n Abu Hayat Mahmud

Abbas may come out to cast vote today n Adil Sakhawat

Awami League’s mayoral candidate for Dhaka north Annisul Huq skipped talking to media on the eve of the city corporation polls yesterday.

Family sources said Annisul and his wife Rubana Huq were recluse in memory of their child who died on this day 13 years ago. One of his close aides said the business tycoon and his wife visited their child’s grave and offered special prayers.

They usually do not work on this day. Rubana in particular abstains from work throughout the month of April in memory of their child.

Annisul will cast his vote at 8:30am at the Banani Biddyanikatan polling center today along with his family.

His campaign coordinator said Annisul passed the entire day with his family and only attended an official meeting at the Lotus Kamal Tower in Khilkhet area in the afternoon. l

Tabith M Awal, BNPbacked mayoral candidate for Dhaka north, said that he is sure about a win if the polls are free and fair and people can cast votes without fear.

At 36, Tabith is the youngest of the men part in the mayoral race in the north.

Yesterday, he passed a busy time in his Tejgaon election office, fixing last-minute strategies with election agents. He held a series of meetings with his supporters and BNP leaders.

Tabith said the harassment and repression on his agents has frustrated and scared him.

“If fair elections are held, people of Dhaka north will choose an educated, honest and young man. Despite all the intimidation, I will be present in the election field no matter what.”

Tabith also said he will cast his vote at the Manarat International College polling centre in Gulshan at 8am. l

Dhaka south’s BNPbacked mayoral candidate Mirza Abbas has not come out even once since electioneering began two and a half weeks ago, but he might cast his vote today, his wife Afroza Abbas said.

She visted a number of different areas, met supporters and polling agents and gave them instructions. “Ruling party men have been threatening polling agents to not work for Abbas,” Afroza said.

Asked about media reports that they are struggling to find polling agents because of threats, Afroza said: “We have got polling agents for every centres. All of them will work despite all the threats from ruling party supporters.”

She also said that she would cast her ballot at the Mirza Abbas Women’s Degree College centre at Shahjahanpur today. l

A policeman talks casually on cell phone as he guards ballot papers and boxes being transported on a rickshaw yesterday. The photo was taken at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital yesterday RAJIB DHAR being subjected to threats and harassment.

Asaduzzaman Ripon, international affairs secretary of the BNP, said at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters: “Because the Election Commission did not get a green signal from the government, they did not deploy the army for election duty.”

He alleged that ruling party men and law enforcers were raiding BNP leaders’ and activists’ homes and asking them not to be the

Sayeed Khokon, Awami League’s choice for the mayor of Dhaka south, spent almost the entire day yesterday in Old Dhaka.

He began the day at 2:15pm from his central election office at Bangabandhu Avenue.

In reply to a journalist’s query, Khokon said: “I will not talk to you now. If I give an interview, it will be a violation of the code.”

Around 3pm, he went to his ancestral home at Nazirabazar and also visited his election office there.

Khokon’s press secretary Md Suman said his boss was scheduled to stay in Nazirabazar until evening, then visit his election office and head for his Banani residence.

Suman also said that Sayeen Khokon will cast his vote at the Islamia Government Primary School centre in Nazirabazar in in the first hour of voting today. l

agents of BNP-backed candidates.

Ripon said an organisation called Mousus had received election observation permission and said his party would not accept this organisation’s election reports.

Denying allegations that BNP-backed candidates were buying votes, Ripon said his party does not believe in corruption.

He said a cell had been opened at the party’s headquarters to monitor the elections. l

DT

4 NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

Calmer port city expects better turnout n Tarek Mahmud, Chittaong

People who have seen previous city corporation elections in the port city have said that this year’s voter turnout may surpass the previous two.

They said that because of a more stable political situation than before, greater number of contestants, and the enthusiasm of those who could not cast their votes in last year’s national election may end up boosting voter presence this time.

Moreover, compared to the capital city Dhaka, the law and order situation in the port city has been much better during the electioneering period, with very few untoward

incidents reported.

Senior journalist Sarwar Sumon, Chittagong bureau chief of Bangla daily Samakal, thinks that the situation in the port city is much better than the previous occasions.

“Two things may give voter turnout a boost.

One is if the female voters turn up in big numbers. And second is the presence of those who could not cast votes in last year’s national election either because it was boycotted by one of the major parties or because the MP candidates in their areas were elected uncontested,” said Sarwar who has the experience of covering the last two city elections in the port city.

According to the Election Commission (EC), more than 1.8 million male and female

adults will be able to practice their democratic rights this year.

Shahiduddin Mahmud, a former city polls presiding officer, said that there were fears among the voters in 2010; but this year, things appear to be much more stable than before.

Seeking anonymity, another former election officer from the last election told the Dhaka Tribune: “The situation has been stable because ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury [a former mayor and one of the most influential leaders of Awami League in Chittagong] is not in the race this year.”

In the city polls 10 years ago, the number of voters in the port city was more than 1.13 million. That year, around 54% voters cast

their ballots and Mohiuddin was elected the mayor.

The elections that were held five years later, around 56% of more than 1.68 million voters cast their ballots and BNP leader M Manjur Alam defeated Mohiuddin to become the mayor.

The BNP is once again backing Manjur for the mayoral race in the port city. Among others, he will be up against AJM Nasiur Uddin, general secretary of the Chittagong unit of the ruling party.

CCC Election Returning Officer Md Abdul Baten said it is hard to predict the voter turnout.

“In the previous elections, voter turnouts were below 60%. But the EC hopes to see better figures this year,” he said. l

1 YEAR OF NARAYANGANJ SEVEN MURDERS

Charge sheet only progress n Kamrul Hasan The government is yet to bring back Nur Hossain, prime accused in Narayanganj seven murders that took place one year back, from Kolkata, India, while the law enforcers have failed to arrest over a dozen other absconding accused in the case.

Ward councillor and suspended Awami League leader Nur is now under trail for illegal entry.

The Detective Branch of police on April 8 submitted charge sheet in the sensational case accusing 35 people including Lt Col Tareq Sayeed Mohammad, the sacked chief of RAB 11. Twenty other RAB personnel have also been named in the charge sheet. Of the accused, 13 are now on the run.

A Narayanganj court has set May 11 for hearing on the charge framing matter.

On April 27 last year, Narayanganj City Corporation panel mayor Nazrul Islam, his three associates and driver were abducted from Fatullah area. At the same time, senior lawyer of the Narayanganj District Judge’s Court Chandan Kumar Sarker and his driver were also abducted on their way to the capital.

The bodies of six people were recovered from the Shitalakkhya and Dhaleshwari rivers

on April 30. The body of Nazrul’s driver Jahangir was recovered from the Shitalakkhya River on May 1.

Two cases were filed in connection with the murders. Nazrul’s wife Selina Islam Beauty filed a case against six people, including former councillor Nur Hossain, while Chandan’s son-in-law Bijoy Kumar Paul filed the other case against some unknown people.

Later, Shahidul Islam, Nazrul’s father-inlaw, claimed that RAB officials had killed Nazrul and others in exchange for Tk6 crore from Nur Hossain and other accomplices.

Even though Bijoy is content about the charge sheet, Nazrul’s family members have expressed dissatisfaction as five of the FIR-listed accused were exempted from the charge sheet.

Narayanganj Superintendent of Police Khandakar Muhid Uddin, however, said persons who had minimum involvement with the murder were included in the charge sheet.

Two other sacked RAB officials – Maj Arif Hossain and Lt Commander SM Masud Rana – have also been named in the charge sheet.

Nur was arrested on June 14 last year along with his aides from an apartment in Kolkata for illegal entry and possession of arms. The government has since been working to bring him back to Bangladesh. l

Bangkok wants antitrafficking deal with Dhaka n Tribune Report Thailand has expressed its desire to have a memorandum of understanding with Bangladesh on anti-trafficking, said a press release issued by the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry.

Thai Minister for Social Development and Human Security Adul Saengsingkaew said during a call on him yesterday by the Bangla-

desh Ambassador to Thailand Ms Saida Muna Tasneem that “Thailand has signed MoUs with its neighbouring countries on anti-trafficking and expressed the desire for similar cooperation with Bangladesh,” said the statement.

Both sides reiterated the need for humane treatment of the victims of trafficking, especially those from Bangladesh to Thailand and discussed future areas of bilateral and regional cooperation to address this common challenge, the statement added.

The Thai minister informed that the prevention of human trafficking is part of their national agenda and that the Thai prime minister himself chairs their National Committee on anti-trafficking. l

Students of Dhaka’s Eden College leave the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib hall, built only two years ago, as several rooms develop cracks in the recent earthquakes MEHEDI HASAN

NEWS 5

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CITY CORPORATION ELECTIONS

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

Concerns over CCC candidates buying votes n Ashif Islam Shaon Many voters as well as candidates of the Chittagong City Corporation have expressed concern over the alleged distribution of money among slum dwellers and other floating voters, as was reported during the 2010 election.

Their apprehension grew stronger as the leaders of the Awami League and the BNP blamed each other in the last two days for spending money to buy votes ahead of today’s election.

The law enforcers earlier claimed that they had taken different measures to stop the use of black money during the election. But so far, none of those responsible for buying votes could be arrested.

Election observers and party insiders say money is distributed usually the night before the election – locally known as “Chand Raat” or “field day.”

There are around 2.5 lakh voters living in

slums of the port city that constitute around 14% of the total voters under the CCC. Observers say these voters would play a key role in influencing the results.

For instance, the biggest slum in the city, “Amin Colony,” is situated in Paschim Sholoshahar area. There are seven more slums in the vicinity. Of the total 82,000 voters in the ward, some 35,000 live in the slums.

In the port city, there are at least five big slums and several other small slums. In the last two elections, these slums had the highest number of voter turnout, around 60%-70%. These voters played a vital role behind the BNP-backed candidate’s victory in 2010, say observers.

On the eve of the December 2008 parliamentary election, a close relative of a city BNP leader was arrested with Tk54 lakh meant for distributing among the voters.

This time, most mayoral and councillor candidates have expressed concern over the widespread use of black money ahead of the election.

Chittagong University’s political science teacher Prof Dr Muhammad Yahia said: “A community can become a factor during an election if it has two or three percent votes of the total voters. So, 14% voters will be a big factor.”

He mentioned that most of the slum dwellers generally are not bothered by the political ideology and the pledges of the aspirants. “They will consider the candidates who will give them financial benefits instantly.”

At a views-exchange meeting with the chief election commissioner on April 11, around 25 out of the 36 councillor candidates had asked the EC to intensify vigilance and stop buying votes, especially in the two nights before the polls.

Later on April 26, Awami League-backed mayoral candidate AJM Nasir Uddin alleged that the BNP-endorsed mayoral aspirant, M Manjur Alam, was trying to woo voters with money.

“Manjur is a cunning person. He won the last mayoral election in 2010 by distributing money among the voters. This time too, he is trying to

buy votes in exchange for money in the slum areas,” Nasir said.

Yesterday he once again told reporters that Manjur’s men had been giving the slum dwellers money.

In response to the allegations, BNP leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury blamed Nasir for hatching conspiracy. He also alleged that the AL-backed candidate himself was trying to woo the voters by distributing money.

When contacted, CMP Commissioner Abdul Jalil Mandal said any use of money during the polls was illegal. “We will take necessary measures whenever we get information about such move by any candidate.”

The law enforcers will keep an eye on the mayoral and the councillor candidates until late night to stop the use of black money.

Returning Officer Md Abul Baten said it is difficult for them to control the use of money ahead of the election unless the voters and the candidates became conscious. l

Chittagong all set for city polls today n Ashif Islam Shaon and Tarek Mahmud

Police fine and take away motorcycles which were plying on the streets defying a ban imposed by the Dhaka and Chittagong police ahead of the city corporation polls. The photo was snapped at Kazir Dewri area of Chittagong city yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Manjur concerned about fair polls n Tarek Mahmud

Nasir confident about winning n Tarek Mahmud

Ahead of tomorrow’s city elections, BNP-backed mayoral candidate M Manjur Alam yesterday expressed concerns about whether a free and fair election would actually take place in the port city.

Blaming Awami League supporters of attacking his polling agents, Manjur said law enforcers were also assisting in intimidating and threatening his supporters to stop them from heading to polling centres.

He again blamed the EC for ignoring the presence of a large number of Awami League men from outside the city ahead of the elections.

Manjur passed yesterday at his own residence, giving media interviews throughout the day as well as handing out instructions to his polling agents and party leaders, said his family members.

“I hope for a free, fair and neutral election,” Manjur said, urging voters to cast ballots against criminals and extortionists. l

With city elections just a few hours away, Awami Leaguebacked mayoral candidate AJM Nasir Uddin yesterday said he was confident about winning the mayor’s seat as the people of the port city were yearning for a change.

Nasir told the Dhaka Tribune he was the candidate who could fulfil the desires of the port city’s residents.

Nasir passed most of yesterday at his own home – passing out his election instructions over the phone or the internet to election agents, leaders and supporters.

Nasir was also busy giving interviews to print and electronic media throughout the day.

“I hope for a free, fair and neutral election, and would accept any result that would be announced; but I am confident [about a win],” he said.

Nasir further urged voters to exercise their voting rights against saboteurs and unsuccessful men. l

Chittagong is prepared for the city corporation election today.

The Election Commission’s Chittagong office has sent voting materials to the polling centres and law enforcers have started patrolling the city and guarding the centres.

Presiding officials collected all the necessary equipment from the gymnasium of MA Aziz Stadium, Assistant Returning Officer Shafiqur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune.

“We took the control of the entire stadium area with four phases of security belts. No one is allowed to enter the area 12 hours before and after the election date, except for the designated EC officials and law enforcement members,” Returning Officer Md Abdul Baten said.

Police barred movement of any kind of motor vehicles for 24 hours starting from 12am today; only ambulances and service providing vehicles are allowed to ply the city streets.

Also, vehicles carrying the EC permit, as well as vehicles for press election observers are out of the purview of the restriction, Shafiq said.

A total of 1,813,449 voters in Chittagong are expected to vote today to elect the mayor

and ward councillors for Chittagong City Corporation. Voting is scheduled to start at 8am and continue until 4pm.

A total of 12 candidates are running for mayor, while 216 are contesting in 41 general wards and 62 women are contesting in 14 reserved seats for ward councillor posts.

A total 17,000 police and Ansar members have been deployed inside 719 poll centres across the city, while 5,000 personnel of Rapid Action Battalion and 30 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh have been deployed outside the poll centres. Besides, a battalion of Bangladesh Army are on standby to tackle untoward situations.

Across the city, 140 executive magistrates and 10 judicial magistrates have been appointed to maintain the law and order situation. Fourteen vigilance teams, each led by an assistant returning officer, will monitor all polls activities.

Chittagong Metropolitan Police have installed check posts at all entry points of the port city. CMP Commissioner Abdul Jalil Mandal said the check posts would be monitored round the clock from the CMP headquarters through close-circuit television cameras. l

Election fever grips Chittagong n Tarek Mahmud Election fever has gripped Chittagong on the eve of the city polls, with a festive mood lingering among most port city residents; however, some expressed concerns about the security situation on election day.

Besides being able to elect a new city mayor after a five year wait, Chittagong residents have an extra reason to be happy about – as many as 100,000 of their respective family members who live in other districts have returned to the city to cast their ballots tomorrow.

Abu Bakar Siddique, a bakery owner in the city’s Madarbari area, said he was excited about the election as it was being participated by all political parties, while it was also coming after a grim political situation in the country.

Garment worker AKM Saiful Islam of CEPZ urged the media to play a neutral and active

role to ensure a fair election.

“We want to choose [representatives] on our own, not by the influence of others,” said Meshkater Nesa, a sexagenarian living in the city’s Bowbazar area.

A new voter, Chittagong University student Nurul Alam Jewel, said: “As the major mayoral candidates are raising allegations against each other, we become confused regarding who is correct.”

Sharmin Akhter, a housewife of Halishahar area, said she would observe the security situation of her polling centre until noon before deciding whether it was peaceful enough to go there.

CCC Election Returning Officer Md Abdul Baten, however, assured the voters saying enough security measures will be in place for the security of voters. He also expressed hopes that voter turnout would be high for tomorrow’s elections in the port city. l

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6 NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

Awami League men blamed for coercing BNP supporters in Chittagong Mahmud and Ashif Islam Shaon n Tarek from Chittagong As Chittagong voters ready themselves to head to the polling centres tomorrow, allegations have again been raised against Awami League men of attacking and intimidating BNP supporters with threats to keep them away from voting.

“A huge number of Awami League’s men from outside [Chittagong] have taken positions across the city, attacking the residences our polling agents and some BNP-backed ward councillors as well as issuing threats to stop them from working for [mayoral candidate] Manjur,” said BNP’s Chittagong city unit President Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.

“Non-residents in the Chittagong city were supposed to leave the city within early Sunday but several ministers, Awami League law-

‘Both plainclothes and uniformed law enforcers conducted illegal raids on our supporters’ residences and threatened them’ makers, some leaders with criminal records are still staying here. They came for campaigning but nobody left the city.

“We heard that more outsiders will come tomorrow [today] morning. Those who are al-

Two RMG workers gang raped n Our Correspondent, Tangail Two garments workers were allegedly raped by miscreants at Gabshara union of Bhuiyanpur upazila in Tangail on April 13.

Though the family of the victims hesitated to lodge a case due to death threats from the culprits, with the help of the locals the victims’ father filed a case on Sunday night.

According to the case description, the girls, belonging to the same family and employees of a garment factory in Gazipur, were coming back home for the Bangla New Year holiday.

They informed their father to wait for them at the ghat since it would be late at night for them to arrive.

Accordingly the girls came to Gobindashi ghat of Jamuna River at around 9pm and started towards their house on a boat hired by their father.

Around 10pm, a group led by Asadul, 30 in cooperation with the boatman Sujal, 28, surrounded their boat and tied up the father while they dragged and raped the two girls on a nearby shoal.

They also looted money and ornaments from the family.

Nazrul, 30, Rokman, 22 and Saidul 25 were also mentioned as other accomplices.

Later at one point the incident became known in the locality and the residents urged the family to file a case, which was subsequently lodged with Bhuiyanpur police station.

Mohammad Fazlul Kabir, officer in-charge of the police station, said they had already conducted a raid to arrest the rapists.

Meanwhile, the victims have gone through medical tests and also recorded their statement in front of the senior judge Hakim Golam Kibria. l

Bdjobs.com announces ULAB, GWA present research on gender Best Employer Award in aquaculture n Tribune Report Bdjobs.com, the largest job portal in Bangladesh has announced the winners for the Bdjobs.com Best Employer Award 2014.

Around 4,000 professionals took part in an online perception survey to select 10 best employers in the selected 10 sectors. These sectors have been selected based on their importance in the national economy and overall employment creation.

The winners for 2014 are: Bangladesh Bank in the banking sector, Save the Children in the development arena, British American Tobacco in the FMCG category, Channel i in the media, Samsung in the IT sector, Walton in the electronics and consumer durables, Epyllion Group in the garments and textile sector, Rahimafrooz Superstores Limited in the retail and trading, Square Pharmaceuticals in the pharmaceuticals and in the telecommunication sector the winner is Banglalink.

Bdjobs.com’s Chairman Ahmad Islam Muqsit and General Manager Prokash Roy Chowdhury were present in the programme. l

n Tribune Report University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) and Gender and Water Alliance (GWA) organised a seminar to disseminate research on “Gender in Aquaculture: A Study in Division of Power and Work” at ULAB Auditorium in Dhanmondi.

This research was conducted by ULAB’s Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) in collaboration with GWA from December, 2014 to March 2015 in the southwest coastal region of Bangladesh.

The main objective was to map the distribution of tasks between men and women involved in aquaculture.

The mapping showed that women play an active role in household-based aquaculture, but their roles remain unrecognised.

The seminar was inaugurated by the VC of ULAB Prof Imran Rahman with the presence of Michiel Slotema, advisor of Water Resource Management of the Netherlands Embassy. l

ready here are threatening the polling agents not to go to the polling centre.”

Addressing a press briefing in his residence yesterday, Khasru also blamed the EC for playing a silent role. “The Election Commission, police and administration are assuring their [outsiders’] safe stay by ignoring them.”

Khasru, the chief polling agent for BNPbacked mayoral candidate M Manjur Alam, added: “Both plainclothes and uniformed law enforcers conducted illegal raids on our supporters’ residences and threatened them against working in the election.”

“Many of our leaders and activists were picked up and harassed by ruling party men and plainclothes [police] men, while some incumbent councillors were also harassed,” he added.

The BNP leader also alleged that the ruling party candidate were distributing money to both voters and poll officials including the presiding officers.

“Already most of the guest houses, rest houses and residential hotels of the city are filled with the ruling party’s terrorist and cadres from outside [the city] who would create anarchy on election day,” he said.

However, Awami League-backed candidate AJM Nasir Uddin denied the allegations, saying the BNP was falling victim to such incidents because of their internal conflicts.

“If I want to influence the election process, I can do many other activities by power,” Nasir said; adding that he wanted a fair, free and neutral election. l

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NEWS 7

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

BSF torture, killing on the rise on borders n Our Correspondent, Chapainawabganj

People living in the Chapainawabganj border areas are spending their days in utter panic and consternation due to the recent rise in border killings and oppression by the Border Security Forces (BSF) of India.

The local human rights organisations have sternly condemned these recurring incidents and accused BSF of breaking the law. Despite the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) and BSF having an agreement to bring the border killings down to zero, these killings are on the rise. BGB informed that they have continued protesting these incidents through the proper channels.

This year, four people have been killed so far by the BSF in shootings and torture at the Chapainawabganj border; many have been rendered disabled. According to BGB 9 sources, in 2014, two were killed and two others injured in those border areas.

However, many residents of those border areas on condition of anonymity said people do not report all the border killings to avoid the legal processes and ensuing harassment.

It is also alleged that many wounded, in fear of retribution by BGB, go to private clinics to get treated.

There were also several complaints that

although one or two awareness workshops were held before Eid-ul-Azha, no such programmes are held the rest of the year for these uneducated-poor borderland people, the victims of such border killings.

This year, four people have been killed so far by the BSF in shootings and torture at the Chapainawabganj border; many have been rendered disabled Shafiqul Islam, Lecturer of History department of Binodpur Degree College in Shibganj upazila, said: “These incidents of border-killing and torture by the BSF has been going on for over two decades as the government and the international community have not taken any effective measures. The BGB should play a better role in raising awareness among the poor people living in the border areas. Even the educated youths are getting involved in smuggling and other criminal activities for lack of jobs.”

Durlobhpur UP Chairman Nazmul Kabir Mukta said: “Most of these border people are

farmers who are poor, uneducated and unaware. Many a times they work very close along the borders. But we have seen the BSF attacking these innocent farmers and at time taking them away and torturing them. This is still happening quite frequently. Nowhere in international law does it say that trespassers can be ruthlessly tortured and killed.” He too stressed on raising awareness of border laws among the locals.

Bangladesh Human Rights Commission Chapainawabganj General Secretary Advocate Syed Shahjamal said: “Two neighbouring countries have to coexist. If either of their citizens crosses the border illegally then they should be tried under international law, not shot or tortured.”

Confirming the rise in border-killings, BGB director general, in a meeting with journalists during a visit to Chapainawabganj on April 15, asked everyone not to illegally cross the border into India.

BGB 9 commander Lieutenant Colonel Abu Zafar Sheikh Mohammad Bazlul Haq said: “People are being asked not to cross the borders illegally in regular awareness programmes. Their one mistake can affect their entire family. After the recent border-killing, the joint BGB-BSF patrols along the border have been strengthened.” l

RMG factory catches fire

n Tribune Report A readymade garment (RMG) factory caught fire in Mansurabad area under Double Mooring police station in Chittagong city yesterday.

However, no causality, was reported in this connection, said fire brigade sources.

Deputy Assistant Director of Chittagong Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters in Agrabad’s Jasim Uddin said a fire had broken out at the Packaging section of Miles Fabric Ltd from an electric short circuit at the eighth floor of a 10-storied building of Asian Group on DT road of Mansurabad area around 12:30pm.

On receiving information, fire fighters with five units from Agrabad and Bandar fire station rushed to the spot and doused the blaze after one hour’s effort, added the DAD. The extant of losses caused by the fire would Tk50,000. l

3 killed in road accident n Tribune Report Three people were killed as a truck rammed a human hauler on Naogaon-Rajshahi highway in Manda upazila yesterday.

The deceased were identified as Ujjal Hossain, 28, Tajer Uddin, 35 and Mozammel Haque, 47. Mozaffar Hossain, officer-incharge of Manda Police Station, said the accident took place around 2 pm when the truck plunged into a roadside ditch after hitting a human hauler, leaving three passengers of the human hauler dead on the spot. l

WEATHER

RAIN OR THUNDERSHOWER TUESDAY, APRIL 28 DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:26PM

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:26AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY 32 32 32 30 31 31 31 31

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

23 23 22 22 22 23 22 22

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

34.0ºC Comilla

20.7ºC Sayedpur Source: Accuweather/UNB

Students of Rajshahi University paint alpona, a traditional decorative art form, on the road in front of the residence of RU vice-chancellor, protesting recent sexual assaults on women during Pohela Boishakh, the first day of Bangla year, celebrations DHAKA TRIBUNE

NHRC chief: City polls will be fair and free PRAYER TIMES Fajr

4:07am

Sunrise

5:27am

Zohr

11:56am

Asr

4:30pm

Magrib

6:26pm

Esha

7:46pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

n Our Correspondent, Jessore

Voters should feel safe to cast their votes freely and fairly during the city corporation polls in Dhaka and Chittagong today, said Dr Mizanur Rahman, chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

“There is no reason for the voters to feel that cannot cast their votes freely. Whether someone wants to vote or not, however, is up to him or her,” the NHRC chief said at a press

briefing in Jessore yesterday morning.

Asked about government rewarding police for resisting opposition activists, Dr Mizan said: “Police are responsible for upholding the law and order situation. If any police members resist those who disrupt said situation, the state can certainly reward them.”

Prior to the press briefing, the NHRC head attended a discussion on prevention of violence against children, organised by a Women and Children Affairs Ministry project, sponsored by Saarc

Development Fund and South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children, Bangladesh.

He said children must not be exposed to politics, especially in programmes such as rallies and processions. “This ultimately make them vulnerable to political violence.”

The discussion was also attended by Jessore Deputy Commissioner Dr Md Humayun Kabir, Additional Police Superintendent KM Ariful Haque, and District Education Officer Mohammad Nasir Uddin, among others. l

DT

8 NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

Land grabbing rampant on both sides of Cox’s Bazar-Chittagong Highway n Our Correspondent, Cox’s Bazar Local influentials in Cox’s Bazar have taken illegal possession of the government acquired lands in Chakaria and Pekua upazila on the two sides of the Cox’s Bazar-Chittagong regional highway and set up makeshift shops and bazars.

In many areas, they have erected concrete structures and rented them out. The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) in Cox’s Bazar confirmed the matter of land grabbing and

said it would go for an eviction drive soon.

When the 18km ABC highway from Anwara to Chakaria was built in 2002-2003 by the then government, RHD acquired the lands within 120ft along the width of the road with Tk6 crore compensation.

The concerned natives of Pekua and Chakaria complained that as RHD did not put up pillars to demarcate the acquired lands, the landowners who were compensated got into a competition to illegally repossess the lands. They alleged that some RHD officials are also involved

with the land grabbers and take monthly kickbacks. According to sources, in the 18km of Toitong, Pekua to Badarkhali, Chakaria there are over 200 illegal structures. The grabbers have established three bazars and built concrete structures for those on the highway lands.

Cox’s Bazar RHD Executive Engineer Rana Priyo Barua confirmed the illegal land grabbing and said: “The land grabbers have been instructed to remove all the illegal structures.

Soon a magistrate will be appointed to evict them.” l

Septuagenarian woman burnt alive in Natore n Our Correspondent, Natore A 70-year-old woman died in a fire in her house in Natore on Sunday night.

Nili Kundu, sister of Dhiren Kundu of Palpara area, was burnt alive in the fire when she was asleep in her room around 10:30pm.

Abdur Rauf, station master of Natore fire service, said locals called the fire department after seeing the flame in the house.

Rauf said it was not clear what caused the fire but he suspected that it might have originated from mosquito coil or kerosene lamp. l

DT

NEWS 9

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

KCC-district council dispute holds on work of Khulna Trader Centre n Our Correspondent, Khulna Construction work of the much talked about Khulna Trade Centre is going on a slow pace due to some complications between Khulna City Corporation (KCC) and Khulna Zilla Parishad.

The lack of coordination and the issue of ownership have led to this stagnant position.

Despite several attempts, the issues could not be resolved yet.

Under this circumstances, the Local Government Ministry on March 4 handed over the responsibilities to Khulna Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).

According to Zilla Parishad sources, the initiative to build a 20-storey commercial

building in Khulna was taken jointly by Khulna Zilla Parishad and Khulna City Corporation in 2012. The Tk100 crore building was decided to be built at Dakbanglo Mor, the busiest part of the city. A contractor was also appointed subsequently to build the first phase – first six floors – for a cost of Tk49 crore, out of which Tk2 crore was allocated by Zilla Parishad.

However, while Khulna Development Authority was designing the building, the city corporation demanded ownership of a part of the land. And in the meantime, Khulna Chamber of Commerce demanded priority shop allotment to the businessmen affected by the construction.

In the follow up meetings, a list of 55 affected businessmen was prepared but the

authorities could not reach to a consensus regarding the list.

On May 4, 2014 a committee, with representatives from all the concerned stakeholders, was formed to resolve the issues. The meeting chaired by an additional secretary also failed to reach to any decision regarding the modification of the memorandum of understanding.

Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Parishad, Howlader Rafiqul Bari, said: “The LGED has decided to implement the project since Zilla Parishad and KCC failed to agree.”

With that end, a new committee was formed on October 15, 2014. Khulna LGED director was made the project director, two representatives from Zilla Parishad and KCC

were appointed as deputy project directors and Khulna deputy commissioner was given the job of an adviser.

This committee has already been approved by the ministry. The project director has been given all financial and administrative power.

When contacted KCC official Mohammad Abdul Hannan Biswas said a satisfactory situation had not been created but the hurdles were addressed and the project was on its way to implementation.

General Secretary of Dakbanglo Shop Owners Association, Moniruzzaman Khan, said 72 traders had been doing business on that land since 1952. But the decision of building the trade centre had affected them and that is why they demanded adequate rehabilitation. l

Schoolboy found dead in Sylhet n Our Correspondent, Sylhet Police recovered the decomposed body of a schoolboy from Malonichhora area in Sylhet yesterday.

The deceased is Babul Mia, 12, son of Somsul Hoque of Chargaon village and a class IV at Dorshondoiri Government Primary School.

Babul’s father Somsul filed a case with Sylhet Airport police station when his son went missing on Sunday.

Later, locals noticed Babul’s body and informed the police about the matter on Monday morning.

On information, police recovered and sent it to Osmani morgue for autopsy around 12am Monday.

Jalalabadh OC Gousul Hossain said: “He might have fallen in the pond and died because of not knowing how to swim.”

However, he said they are trying to investigate the matter. l

Security guard rescued three days after abduction n Our Correspondent, Jhenidah A security guard was rescued from Lakshmipur village, Jhenaidah sadar upazila yesterday three days after his abduction.

Osman Ali, 55, a resident of Sundarpur village under Kaliganj upazila of the district, is now undergoing treatment at Kaliganj Health Complex.

Officer-in-Charge Anwar Hossain of Kaliganj police station said Osman was abducted from his workplace located at Sundarpur village on Friday afternoon.

On Saturday, his family members filed a general diary with Sadar police station after kidnappers demanded Tk10 lakh as ransom from his family members.

Acting on a tip-off, police conducted a drive in Lakshmipur village and rescued him from the clutches of kidnappers. Police also arrested an alleged kidnapper Abul Kashem in this connection. A case was filed. l

A bus plunges into a roadside field in Suhilpur area of Brahmanbaria yesterday as its driver lost control over steering. At least 20 people were injured in the accident DHAKA TRIBUNE

Quader: Khaleda will be sued if she can’t prove graft allegations in Padma Bridge project n Our Correspondent, Comilla Throwing a challenge at BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said if she could not prove the alleged graft in the Padma Bridge project, cases would be filed against her.

“Begum Zia must give evidence as to her allegations. I challenge her to show if there was any corruption in the Padma Bridge project,” he said while visiting the construction work of an underpass at Comilla’s Padua Bazar yesterday.

“A vested quarter does not want the bridge to be built. That is why they have been con-

spiring against the government. The project will be completed with our own money within this tenure,” the minister added.

About the up coming Dhaka and Chittagong city corporation elections, he criticised Khaleda Zia’s comment about the fairness of the polls. “From her statement, it seems like she has accepted defeat even before the polls. She made similar statement before the previous city corporation polls, where they won in majority.”

Director of the Chittagong highway four-lane project Engineer Hasan Ibne Alam and Roads and Highways Department’s Additional Chief Engineer Shibib Ahmed were present at the time .l

Expat killed over land row, two held n Our Correspondent, Brahmanbaria An expatriate man was killed in an attack over land disputes in Brahmanbaria yesterday.

Zakir Hossain, 35, son of Akbar Ali of Haripur village in Pakshimul union, was attacked by some 40-50 men after he went to his arable land in the morning.

The attackers were led by Hiron Mia, a man of neighbouring Saatbaria village who Zakir had a dispute with.

Zakir, who recently came home from Saudi Arabia, was attacked with lances, and was rushed to Brahmanbaria District Sadar Hospital but he succumbed to injuries on the way.

Officer-in-Charge of Sarail police station, Ali Arshad, said two men were detained in connection with Zakir’s death but could not give their details. l

DT

10 WORLD

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

US, Japan to unveil new defense guidelines amid China’s rise

n Reuters, New York

From (L-R) Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Laos’ Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak, Myanmar’s President Thein Sein, Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Philippine President Benigno Aquino pose for a group photo during the opening ceremony of the 26th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur yesterday AFP

ASEAN warns Chinese actions may undermine peace in S China Sea n AFP Chinese island-building efforts in the disputed South China Sea, where airstrips are being built on coral reefs, risk undermining “peace, security and stability” in the region, Southeast Asian leaders warned at a regional summit on Monday.

Beijing’s assertion to almost the entire strategic body of water – also claimed in parts by several Asian nations – has set off alarm bells with its neighbours and beyond as China stakes its claim with growing boldness.

A statement to be issued at the close of the one-day summit notes “serious concerns” over land reclamation on reefs whose sovereignty is contested, which has triggered fears of tightening Chinese control of the seaway.

“We share the serious concerns expressed by some leaders on the land reclamation being undertaken in the South China Sea, which has eroded trust and confidence and may undermine peace, security and stability,” said the statement by summit chair Malaysia, seen by AFP. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-states Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei claim parts of the sea, which is rich in energy reserves, fishery resources, and is a vital conduit for much of world trade.

But Beijing says nearly all of it is “indisputable” Chinese maritime territory.

Satellite photos released earlier this month provided fresh evidence of the scale of the Chinese programme, depicting a flotilla of Chinese vessels dredging sand onto a feature

known as Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands.

Other photos showed a runway and ship harbour taking shape on Fiery Cross, also in the Spratlys, which was little more than a reef when work began late last year.

China projects its power

Similar work is taking place at a handful of other sites, according to defence analysts, who say the construction drive will give China a permanent forward presence far out at sea from which to project its growing power.

The closing statement by Malaysia – which holds the rotating chair of 10-member ASEAN this year – instructs the region’s foreign ministers to “urgently address this matter” under dialogue mechanisms set up between the bloc and China. l

Drones – One white death can change everything n Agencies “Let us kill the people who are trying to kill us,” President Obama has been reported as telling his aides in relation to drone attacks.

Indeed, drones have been the darlings of the Obama administration; their remote capabilities and their reputed precision allowing them to claim the heads of a bunch of Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives without ever having to worry about American soldiers returning in caskets.

Reducing brown bodies in other countries to dots on digital screens, the drone campaign with its 514 hits in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen has been feted and applauded as no cost killing at its best.

Then this January came the death of a white, American hostage: Warren Weinstein, an American who was being kept hostage in the tribal areas of Pakistan. In an instant, what had been a near round celebration of remote controlled killing has transformed into calls for an honest investigation of the program.

The over 2350 drone casualties documented by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism could not provoke the calls for accountability that one white American death has provoked.

While 38 Westerners have been killed by drone strikes over the past several years; most have been non-white, hence deserving of lesser attention and no analysis.

So important was the announcement that an American had been accidentally killed by an American drone strike, that it was announced by the American President himself, his tone and body language appropriately apologetic and solemn.

Following his statement, the view of drones that is visible to the rest of the world was (at least for an instant) made apparent to the public of the country that uses them to kill and never bothers with the details. The New York Times called it a “a devastating acknowledgment for Obama, who had hoped to pioneer a new, more discriminating kind of warfare.”

With Warren Weinstein’s death: a darling technology, a nifty way to kill others elsewhere, had become questionable, problematic, worthy of reckoning and questioning.

The realities of places like Pakistan, the demographic changes and internal strife that are a result of drone strikes and security operations, are not visible to far away Americans. Like the bombing of Yemen, the droning of Pakistan is a low-cost way to wage war; its casualties impos-

ing no political cost in global politics.

Just as Yemen appears mysterious and dehumanised, so does Pakistan. The fact that terror attacks and organisations have both proliferated and increased their capacity in the decade of drones also seems to have little or no effect on their use.

The fact that drones can make mistakes, and do make mistakes that are counted in human lives, is a point that has been made by the death of Warren Weinstein.

The fact that it could not be noticed until it killed a white American civilian underscores the calculus which says that the losses of certain lives belonging to certain countries are inherently more tragic than the rest.

The value of other innocent civilians – Pakistanis, Yemenis and Somalis – do not register on the indicators of global tragedy determined by these discriminatory mathematics.

They occasion no international mourning, no worldwide outcry.

In Pakistan, and at close range, there is no ignoring the devastation, whether it is in the droves of homeless, hapless refugees; the rekindling of ethnic wars; the submerging of a whole country into a darkness borne via remote control. l

The Japanese military could expand its role and missions around the world under new US-Japan defense guidelines that are expected to be released on Monday and may cause unease in China.

A centerpiece of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s US visit this week, the guidelines are part of Abe’s wider signal that Japan is ready to take more responsibility for its security as China modernises its military and flexes its muscles in Asia.

The conservative Japanese leader, who is scheduled to meet US President Barack Obama on Tuesday, will likely want fresh assurances that America will come to Japan’s aid if necessary in a clash with China, Japanese politicians and experts said.

The first update of the US-Japan defense cooperation guidelines since 1997, the revisions will reflect the biggest change in Japanese security policy in decades.

The current guidelines focus on the defense of Japan and on “situations in areas surrounding Japan” – widely interpreted as a possible conflict on the Korean Peninsula – where Japan’s military is relegated to giving US forces “rear-area support.”

The new guidelines are likely to expand the geographic scope of cooperation and to include areas such as cybersecurity and counter-terrorism, according to a recent article by Adam Liff, a fellow at the Princeton-Harvard China and the World Program.

They are expected to be unveiled when Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Ash Carter see Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Defense Minister Gen Nakatani in New York on Monday as a week of choreographed diplomacy unfolds.

Abe meets Obama at the White House on Tuesday and will address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, the first Japanese leader to do so. l

Report: Obama gave CIA ‘secret waiver’ for Pakistan drone strikes

n Agencies

President Barack Obama secretly exempted the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from carrying out adequate intelligence-gathering missions in Pakistan before conducting drone strikes in the country.

The Wall Street Journal quotes current and former United States (US) officials as saying President Obama made rules for the US drone programme stricter in 2013, but secretly approved a waiver allowing the CIA more flexibility when it comes to conducting drone strikes against suspected militants in Pakistan.

The rules introduced in 2013 were meant to reduce the possibility of civilian casualties, and required that targets must be an imminent threat to the US. The waiver, however, exempts the CIA from adhering to these rules while launching drone strikes in Pakistan.

The deaths of two hostages, Warren Weinstein and Giovanni Lo Porto, who were killed in a drone strike targeting Al-Qaeda militants, could have been avoided had the exemption not been in place for Pakistan. l

DT

WORLD 11

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

RSS steps in to deny Nepal rescue act tweet: That’s not us

n Agencies

The news of more than 20,000 RSS workers participating in relief activities in earthquake-ravaged Kathmandu, doing the rounds on social media, is false and an image used is that of RSS volunteers during the Gujarat temblor of 2001.

BJP national executive member ShainaNC tweeted on Sunday: “20000 RSS swayamsevaks goin to Nepal to assist in rescue-relief operations media won’t report this @RSSorg @RSS_Org “ The post was retweeted more than 400 times and went viral. A few hours later, she tweeted about being proud of associated with the RSS, considering how 20,000 of its volunteers were helping people in Nepal.

Social media users shared the tweets hailing the good work done by the organisation considered the ideological mentor of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

But things changed when the RSS tweeted that reports of large numbers of its volunteers working in Nepal were false. It accused the media of reporting wrong facts.

“Media is reporting inflated figures of RSS Swayamsevaks reaching Nepal for rescue work,” the RSS tweeted from its official handle.

It further tweeted that its volunteers would only work with the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, the Nepalese wing of the RSS, only after a proper plan is devised along with the Nepal government.

The tweet said: “RSS Swayamsevaks from Bharat ready to join hands with HSS Nepal after a proper plan is chalked in coordination with Govt of Nepal.”

Senior RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale, who is in Nepal to coordinate relief activities with the HSS, told the Economic Times. l

Kerry, Iran’s Zarif to meet at UN anti-nuclear arms conference

At least 44 people were killed and more than 200 wounded when a mini-cyclone, described by Met Office as the third worst in the country’s history, struck Peshawar and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday.

Most of the victims were women and children as torrential rains lashed Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera and other areas of the province causing roofs to cave in and walls to collapse.

Rescuers rushed victims to hospitals as roads submerged in water hindered their operations. Ambulances and rescue vehicles found it difficult to enter into some areas due to fallen trees and electric poles.

Residents carried some of the injured on their backs to cars heading to hospitals.

An emergency has been declared at all local hospitals in

n AFP

An Australian drug trafficker married his girlfriend Monday on the Indonesian prison island where he is set to be executed soon, his brother said, urging the country’s president to show compassion to the newlyweds.

Andrew Chan, 31, married his Indonesian girlfriend Febyanti Herewila in a ceremony on Nusakambangan Island, home to several high-security prisons, his brother Michael said.

He could be put to death by firing squad as soon as Tuesday, along with seven other foreign drug convicts, after authorities at the weekend gave then formal notice of their executions.

“We’ve had a special day today,” Michael Chan said as he announced the marriage after returning from a visit to Nusakambangan. l

Australia: Halt Indonesia drug executions until graft claims probed

n AFP, Sydney Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif

n Reuters, United Nations Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will meet US Secretary of State John Kerry at the opening of a UN conference on the global anti-nuclear weapons treaty on Monday, as they try to make progress in talks on a long-term atomic deal.

Iran’s top diplomat will be the first state party to the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to address its 190 signatories at the United Nations headquarters in New York on behalf of 118 non-aligned nations that have

With 44 killed, more rains forecast in Peshawar n Agencies

Australian trafficker marries before Indonesia execution

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Most of the victims were shifted to Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital. As the number of casualties kept increasing LRH could not cope with the influx of injured and, therefore, fresh arrivals were taken to the Khyber Teaching Hospital.

While extending his condolences on the loss of life and property due to the torrential rains, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif approved a package of Rs500,000 for the family of each deceased person and Rs50,000 for each person injured.

The severe storm uprooted trees, blew away billboards, and damaged power transmission lines, causing a blackout.

Many areas were without power in parts of Peshawar and Charsadda districts.

A huge shed at the toll plaza on the motorway was also torn away by the strong winds. l

AFP

signed the NPT, the world’s benchmark disarmament pact.

Zarif and Kerry will meet on the sidelines to discuss negotiations on a landmark nuclear deal with the United States and five other global powers as they try to secure a final agreement with Iran by a June 30 deadline.

In a tentative deal reached on April 2 in Lausanne, Switzerland, between Iran and the six powers, Tehran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons, agreed to curb sensitive nuclear work for at least a decade in exchange for ending sanctions that have crippled its economy. l

Australia urged Indonesia Monday to wait before executing two men on drugs offences until a corruption investigation into the judges that sentenced them was completed.

“Bali Nine” drug traffickers Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan could face the firing squad within days, along with others from Brazil, Nigeria, the Philippines and an Indonesian prisoner. Australian media showed photos of crosses prepared by a mortician that will be used to mark their coffins on Monday, inscribed with the date 29.04.2015. But Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the death row convicts should not be shot while legal question marks hovered over their cases. l

DT

12 EDITORIAL

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

Make your vote count

W

e urge all eligible residents of Dhaka and Chittagong to cast their votes in today’s mayoral and city corporation elections.

As the first fully contested local government election in the capital for nearly 20 years, it is vital for as many citizens as possible to exercise their right to vote.

In our view, the lack of local accountability in Dhaka has been a huge detriment to making its city corporations functional. Today is a much needed opportunity to change this and let citizens set a course for a better future.

It is encouraging these elections have attracted a more youthful and diverse range of candidates, and have inspired widespread public debate.

With the growing challenges and rapid population growth of Dhaka and Chittagong, both urban centres need fresh leadership and initiative to address the concerns of residents.

Strong leadership from newly-elected mayors can help make all the difference to providing the vision and strategy our leading cities need to become more liveable and functional.

We are also encouraged that the elections have provided some respite to the many months of blockades and violence suffered by the country. We hope that the opening up of the democratic process provided by these elections will help bring forth the dialogue the whole country needs to bring political stability.

Today offers a chance to not only improve the governance of Dhaka and Chittagong, but to encourage more constructive and inclusive politics.

The more people vote and engage with the candidates, the better.

A chance to overcome the lack of local accountability which has harmed Dhaka

Ensure fair and safe polling

P

olls open at 8am today for the Dhaka and Chittagong city corporation elections.

It is vital that the voting and counting process be kept inclusive, peaceful, and totally impartial.

With the Election Commission having made extensive preparations to allow some 5 million registered voters to cast their ballots, citizens expect and hope to see fair and free elections.

Despite some untoward incidents, the democratic process has seen a healthy upturn in the last few weeks, with enthusiastic debate and campaigning following months of political turmoil.

We hope this is a sign of better days to come. Ensuring a fair and free vote today not only gives city residents a chance to choose a fresh start to improving the governance of the country’s two leading cities, but offers hope that the country can return to a more politically stable path.

The Election Commission must work pro-actively with law enforcing agencies to guarantee a safe and peaceful process. It should deal promptly and transparently with all complaints and guard against any improprieties to assure all voters that their right to vote will not be impeded in any way.

There must be no tolerance for any behaviour or actions which disturb the electoral process and undermine rule of law.

Safeguard the democratic process

Be heard

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

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The vague Vogue story April 7

lifestyle she talks about in this video and its her choice that she does so. What she says here is that no one should judge her or any other woman for her choices. We watch worse ads all day so people need to get over this. It is not like she is advertising “murder.”

:/ “Empowerment and liberty cannot be defined through the lack of a curfew or sex out of wedlock; it is essentially what we obtain through experience and self-actualisation that helps us to grow as a society, in unison.”

You just had to slut shame, didn’t you?

Dreampie :/: I’m a slut and I don’t feel shamed by this at all.

Rickey Dreampie: Hello Dreampie, how you doin’?

Dreampie Rickey: … I am, however, a heterosexual guy slut. Snip snap. bruno It’s embarrassing how badly you completely and utterly missed the point of the video.

Did you have to write this for class or something?

Barely Legal Alien bruno: Yeah, and the teacher felt so good about the piece that he/she coaxed the writer to send it to a newspaper -- it all makes sense now!

N Naz Chowdhury I feel the video is about someone’s choices.

I disagree that Deepika is being a hypocrite here. She is an actress … probably lives the

R Hadi Good points! And if I may, the video concentrates on the things that are already being done by a majority of women around the world, and does not in any way symbolise empowerment of any sort. Most people believe that the freedom to exercise free will is empowerment for women, or people, while women are being suppressed about completely different things. What’s worse is that the media people are now using women to deliver such wrong messages to other women – women who, at a moment’s notice, take their clothes off for money in the name of entertainment. While it’s just an advert for some people, for many, it’s an influence, and I say it’s not the right kind.

Parties, boyfriends, sandals, bags, jewelry, and dresses will come and go, but the self-respect and the respect people have for a woman will always count and always stand above all. Women and people need to understand that. Thanks for the great article!

Pamela It’s only an advert for a glossy magazine which women choose to buy. If you’re uncomfortable with the message that women should be free to make their sexual choices, don’t hide behind faux-feminist frippery about self-actualisation -- whatever that means. I bet you that a 12-year-old girl in a Dhaka slum has a fairly good idea of the difference between the choices open to her and those open to Deepika. Doesn’t mean she can’t decide to agree with her, if she sees her adverts.

DT PM spits fire on suited cabinet members April 7 Garmentwallah Who is more patriotic and less servile? The Western suited businessman who brings in foreign currency by exporting shirts, or the Boishakhi attired bureaucrat or minister who spends their money abroad on medical treatment which could be delivered here? I think we should be told.

Nasim denies compromise between govt and BNP April 7 M Sirajullah There cannot be a compromise with a dead party waiting to be buried, ever. Again, BNP cannot sit with an illegal government if they want to maintain their stance.

AL was put in power by the people and cannot give up power to any non-elected party.

DT

OPINION 13

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

The fear over city polls n Abdullah Zobair

A

fter completely dissolving people’s confidence on the electoral system and the Election Commission since the January 5 elections, the EC now has a second chance to regain people’s trust in the constitutional institution -- the nucleus of the electoral system. The role of the EC in arranging a level playing field for all stakeholders, aiming at free, fair, and credible city polls today, is very important.

However, it seems that all the orders and actions by the commission, from the declaration of the election schedule to the revised stance on army deployment, are meant to serve the ruling party-blessed candidates and to please the government. The constitutionally powerful but virtually spineless commission is too weak to compel the ruling party-blessed mayoral and councillor aspirants to follow the electoral code.

Till today, the biased attitude of the commission, mainly the chief election commissioner, have spelt the fear that a credible election is impossible under the EC. Considering the controversial role of the EC, its silence over the heinous, hectic attacks on Khaleda Zia while she was campaigning in favour of BNP-backed mayoral candidates in the capital city, breaching of the electoral code by the prime minister, ministers, and advisers, and the lack of action against ruling party men and cabinet

members despite their provocative speeches, the credibility of the city polls are likely to come into question.

Despite the city corporation polls being non-partisan in nature, it was our prime minister who first breached the rule by declaring her party’s support for mayoral candidates in the cities. But the EC did not take any steps against the chief of the government. Meanwhile, ministers, cabinet members, and even advisers to the prime minister have been electioneering in favour of their party-blessed candidates, hurling abusive words. But the EC remains blind.

When ruling party thugs and armed BCL leaders smashed the vehicles of Khaleda Zia’s motorcade and severely injured her security personnel, the EC issued a warning notice to the BNP-supported mayoral candidates citing “using motorcade violates election law,” though it was the duty of the commission to provide security to the three-time premier.

One of the BNP-backed mayoral candidates in the city asked the EC about the attacks, but the EC is yet to take any action, though the identities of the attackers were revealed in electronic media.

The EC plunged into full-on controversy for revising its decision of army deployment as a striking force, a demand by the BNP. Last Tuesday, the commission made a decision for army deployment, and then on Wednesday said that the army would remain in cantonment. They will only emerge if the returning

RAJIB DHAR

officer summons them. The EC had apparently taken a firm stand on army deployment, but that firmness didn’t even last 24 hours.

The people feel that if the army is deployed in polling centres, it will be hard to rig the votes.

Many dailies reported that the ruling ALbacked candidates have violated the electoral code of conduct by seeking votes in mosques on Friday, after Jumma prayers, even though campaigning in religious establishments is prohibited. AL-backed aspirants for Dhaka City South asked for votes after offering prayers at the Baitul Mukarram mosque and even the imam of the mosque, whilst offering prayers, sought blessings for Khokon.

Meanwhile, the BNP-backed Dhaka City North mayoral aspirant was obstructed from offering Jumma prayers by the police at a mosque in Tejgaon area. While the AL-backed aspirants are staging and arranging street

meetings, obstructing vehicular movement, the BNP candidate was served a warning notice. Another BNP candidate’s wife alleged that the police arrested their campaigners to intimidate their leaders and activists.

The subservient activities of the CEC and other commissioners are enough to engineer the city polls. The EC proved its partisan role in the January 5 elections, and this time, the high voltage city polls may be the last nail in the coffin for the election system in the country.

It now seems impossible to hold a fair election in this country. It is feared that the upcoming polls will not be fair and credible, but will rather bring about another tense atmosphere. l

hosted by Dr Ashikur Rahman last Thursday, Annisul highlighted how hard work got him where he is today and will continue to guide him in solving problems of Dhaka North residents if he is elected. He is determined to set a positive legacy as mayor through performance instead of rhetoric.

disposal, drainage, disaster management and anti-pest drives.

Abdullah Zobair is Executive Director, Bangladesh Initiative for Political Development.

The better candidate n Mohammad A Arafat

T

he Dhaka and Chittagong City Corporation elections will be held amidst much excitement and fanfare on April 28, 2015. After three months of bomb explosions and arson attacks by BNP and Jamaat-led opposition coalition killing common people, the upcoming urban municipality elections can be considered as a victory of democracy over terrorism. We have seen a spirited and energetic campaign by the candidates over the last few weeks.

Dhaka North

The main contenders for Dhaka North mayor are Annisul Huq, Tabith Awal, Mahi B Chowdhury, and Junaid Saki. Though municipal elections are held above partisan lines officially, major political parties have nominated their candidates unofficially. Annisul Huq joined the race as the AL-backed frontrunner from the outset, but there was confusion over the BNP-JI candidate until the eleventh hour. Tabith Awal was not the first choice but backed by the BNP-JI as a fall back option after his father Abdul Awal Mintoo’s nomination was found to be invalid.

Positive leadership

Annisul Huq made a conscious choice to run for public office after over three decades of experience as a business leader, media personality and social worker. He served as the president of FBCCI and BGMEA. He has worked tirelessly to improve our business

environment, export competitiveness, and labour relations.

He was instrumental in negotiations between the government, employers, and employees for a minimum wage in the readymade garments sector. He has also led lobbying efforts for duty-free access of Bangladeshi products in the United States and other markets. He also sits on the board of various charitable organisations.

Constructive relationship

Annisul has a proven track record of constructive engagement and relationship with the government. As president of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), he worked with governments to improve regional trade and accelerate poverty reduction in Bangladesh and other countries. Annisul can build on his positive relationship with the government and other stakeholders to improve life for Dhaka North residents.

Household name

In the mid-90s, Annisul Huq became a household name as an emerging business leader, as well as a renowned media personality.

He was a popular host of various television programs, and was far ahead of his time.

Self-made leader

Annisul stands out from his contenders as a self-made entrepreneur who emerged as a prominent business leader through his vision, dynamism and perseverance from humble beginnings. At a citizen’s dialogue

Groundwork for solutions

Annisul has led one of the most organised and meticulous campaigns we have ever seen in a bid for city corporation mayor. He has done extensive groundwork identifying and devising solutions to improve the quality of life for Dhaka North residents if he is elected. His homework has been reflected in his fact-based comprehensive manifesto with the message of “Ebar Shomadhan Jatra” (“Movement for Solution, Now”).

In his manifesto, Annisul has unveiled his plan for a clean, green, safe, mobile, healthy, compassionate and smart Dhaka with participatory good governance. He has reiterated his commitment to build an inclusive city for all residents irrespective of their socioeconomic status. Furthermore, he has outlined a youth- oriented, gender sensitive, environmentally conscious and tech-savvy manifesto with pledges on better civic amenities, public transportation, footpaths, cycle tracks, housing, security, traffic management, food safety, education, vocational training, civic centre, media centre, cultural spaces, healthcare, narcotics prevention, day-care facilities, public toilets, parking, tree plantation, recreational parks, pollution reduction, waste

Positive culture

Annisul Huq has led a creative, spirited and energetic campaign connecting to voters from diverse backgrounds in the last few weeks.

He deserves credit for upholding the highest level of ethics and principles in sync with his personality to set a positive culture in our politics. He has called for equitable media coverage for all candidates and not only forerunners like himself, while refusing to be dragged into negative campaigning even in the face of provocation by other contestants.

The ticking clock

It is only appropriate that Annisul’s electoral symbol is the table clock. This symbol stands not only for the urgency of ticking time, but also perpetual motion and reassurances of a tomorrow with constant hand movement in the clock face. The table clock will be a reminder to our voters in polling booths that we must not lose further time, while Annisul’s “Movement for Solutions, Now” will work for us relentlessly and serve as our hope for a better future.

We need professionalism, not rhetoric.

We need a candidate running by conscious choice, not accidental circumstance. I am confident voters will make the right choice for Annisul Huq, the better candidate today. l Mohammad A Arafat is Executive Director, Shuchinta Foundation.

DT

14 OPINION

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

Tremors in the time of city elections

A

s I sat down to write this piece late Saturday night, BBC news told me that the death toll in Nepal had already exceeded 1,500. The casualty would end up being manifold of the figure given so far. What a crying shame!

The earthquake, a little after noon Bangladesh time, recorded 7.9 in the Richter scale, causing a massive upheaval of the ground we always consider to be so steady and firm, the tectonic plates in a danse macabre. The ravaged sites of the Himalayan state make a grim sight, our hearts go out to all those affected.

The ripple effect of the massive tremor has also jolted Northern India and scores of deaths had been reported early Saturday evening. Ripples drifted to Bangladesh as well, albeit at a gentler magnitude.

When Dhaka started shaking gently, I was sitting on my comfy sofa enjoying a book.

The ripples of the tremor came and it felt like a lullaby, but not to my matronly bua, who cooks for us and protects us like a mother.

She felt nauseous and her instincts told her what was going on. My son, after a night of surfing the world with his computer, was sleeping late.

I live in an apartment block where most of the living places have long changed to offices. There was a noise of shuffling feet, panic-stricken, going down the fire escape stairs. My bua screamed to push both my son and myself out of our apartment and made us join the rushing office-goers. We were downstairs and on the street in a jiffy.

The tremor was different from the occasional jolts we experience in this city. Instead of seconds, it lasted minutes, gentle but unnerving for most people. It was later reported that some buildings were leaning at various angles and showing cracks as a result of the slight tremor, but nothing serious had yet been reported. Then again, buildings have a habit of leaning on a whim here without any massive tectonic plate action. But that’s a different story.

In half an hour, things were restored to normalcy. But we are a race apart from the

BIGSTOCK

n SM Shahrukh rest of the world.

People seemed very reluctant to go back to work or to their domiciles. There seemed to be a picnic mood in the streets. Tea, cigarette, and common street food sellers were making brisk business. There was, of course, the hot topic of discussion -- the city elections.

The mayoral elections (and those of commissioners) have been quite a nuisance for a person going about his/her business.

Lives were disrupted to no end because of them. But most, if not all, welcomed this scenario after three months of petrol bombings.

Some people for the last few years have started calling mayors nogorpita, or “father of the city.” Talk of cockamamie derivations and/or translations. A father has many duties and has a comprehensive job of rearing children. Also, one does not elect one’s father.

The mayors only get to arrange the reduction of mosquito menace, cleaning the streets and sewage drains, taking garbage away in the mornings (although the sight of garbage trucks plying in the middle of the day is quite common), and some other small jobs. They do not do it themselves, but are in charge of making sure that they are done.

The mayor of Dhaka quite often presents the “key of the city” to a powerful foreign dignitary. Now, with Dhaka North and Dhaka South, who will get the honours? A toss, maybe? Or do they wrestle for the honour like the famous Jabbar’s Boli Khela of Chittagong? A point to ponder.

The television is abuzz 24/7 with “talk artists” frothing at the mouths at defending their party favourites in these allegedly non-political elections. They are dissecting every action from a partisan view, and verbal thrusts and parries are a common sight -- talk

shows have become quite an audience-puller.

Mayoral candidates and some aspiring commissioners are regularly appearing before the TV cameras. They are asked about matters of which they will have no say over.

But they’re trying to answer with full gusto.

I wonder if a winning mayor would start thinking that he will now run the country and decide to barge into the PMO! How will you tackle the unemployment situation? What will you do to improve the worsening traffic situation? When will you build the culvert that our area needs posthaste? Why is the street in front of my house waterlogged? How many buses will you introduce? How will you improve the education system? What measures will you take to give women a dignified position in society? How will you cut down corruption?

I am often surprised that someone in the audience has not yet asked how many egg yolks are safe to eat per week.

One sees recurring scenes of the candidates and their agents in the campaign trail. Candidates embracing a befuddled rickshaw-puller, shaking hands with a day laborer (with an embrace to follow), bowing to an old man, sitting at a roadside tea-stall to have a cup of tea, dunking a cheap biscuit in it in solidarity with the common man. The common man gives a wry smile, well-aware that he will never see the unctuous face again.

For the last few days, the loud-speakers of the agents of aspiring mayors and commissioners have taken a heavy toll too. One is walking down the street and, suddenly, this cacophony. It is even worse when you are trying to catch 40 winks in the blistering summer afternoon. They play patriotic songs in between extolling the virtues of “watermelon” or “telescope” but in the sultry summer afternoon Runa Laila or Sabina Yasmin songs are worse, almost, than

water-boarding at Guantanamo Bay. And where in the world did the Election Commission find such symbols? Watermelon, telescope, sofa set, eagle, mug (for tea or for pouring water over your head)? What was wrong with mango, jack fruit, banana, crow, cow, goat, and some others? But then again, the EC is an enigma.

Now, a woman who smiles with her eyes but says no with her lips to a man is an enigma; a bowler who takes five wickets for nothing one day and then goes for five dozen in five overs on another is an enigma; and in Bangladesh the EC is an enigma. A few days ago, they decided to deploy the army during elections, but then, like a twist from a Hitchcock movie, they said the army would stay within the confines of the cantonment, but remain a striking force.

Riddle me this: If there is some massive election-related fighting at Laxmi Bazaar, extreme south of the city, and the election officials require the army to “strike,” then how can a contingent reach the scene fast enough from the far north of the city, considering the Dhaka traffic? A force that strikes two hours after the call is made is hardly a force, let alone a striking force. But then again, what does Joe Public know in comparison to the acumen and wisdom of the EC commissioners?

And the straw that broke the camel’s back for me on that hot and humid Saturday afternoon was the intoxicated canvasser for the “tiffin carrier” shrieking about the benevolent character of his benefactor.

I am looking forward to the morning of April 29 when I can go back to the regular cacophony of the city without any embellishments. l SM Shahrukh is a freelance contributor.

16

Central banks meet, but ability to pilot economies in doubt

17

Like shale oil, solar power is shaking up global energy

19

Stocks edge higher with rollercoaster ride

20

DT

Business

15

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

Telcos want elimination of SIM tax

56 individuals to get CIP status for FY14 n Tribune Report The government has finalised a list of 56 businesspersons under seven categories to recognise their contribution to the economy as Commercially Important Person, commonly known as CIP, for the year 2014.

The recognition will be made based on their contribution to job creation, development of industries, manufacturing of goods, increase in national income, and above all, their contribution towards economic growth of the country.

The government is providing the award in line with CIP (Industry) Policy 2012.

On the list, 12 were selected as ex-officio, 21 from recommendation of large industry, nine from medium industry, 6 from small industry, two from micro-industry, one from cottage industry and five from service industry, according to a gazette published on April 21, 2015.

The Ministry of Industries will formally award the CIP (Industry) 2014 status at a function in Dhaka later.

CIPs from ex-officio category are The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, Bangladesh Chamber of Industries President AK Azad, National Association of Small and Cottage Industries of Bangladesh President Mirza Nurul Gani Shovon, Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters

Association (BGMEA) President Atiqul Islam, Bangladesh Employers Federation President Tapan Chowdhury, Women Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh President Nasreen Fatema Awal, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) President AKM Salim Osman, Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Sangita Ahmed, Bangladesh Jute Mills Association President Mohammad Shams-Uz-Joha, Foreign Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Rupali Haque Chowdhury, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry former president Mohammad Shahjahan Khan and Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry former president Rokia Afzal Rahman.

From the large scale industries, selected persons are Jabber and Jobayer Fabrics Ltd Managing Director (MD) Abdus Samad Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, MD Abdul Monem of Abdul Monem Limited, MD M Parvez Rahman of BRB Cable Industries Ltd, MD Selim Ahmed of Super Refinery Ltd, MD Mohammad Asadul Islam of Fariha Knit Tex Ltd, MD M Azharul Islam of Islam Re-Rolling Mills Ltd, MD M Shamsur Rahman of MRS Industries Ltd, MD Mirza Salman Ispahani of Pahartali Textile and Hosiery Mills, MD Kutubuddin Ahmed of Envoy Textiles Ltd, MD Tanvir Ahmed of Cosmopolitan Industries Ltd, Fuji Inc Industries Limited Chairman Farhana Monem, MD

MA Jalil of Polo Composite Knit Industry Ltd, MD Nasir Uddin of Universal Jeans Limited, MD Anjan Chowdhury of Square Consumer Products limited, BSRM Steels Ltd Chairman Ali Hossain Akbar Ali, ACI Formulations Ltd Chairman M Anis Ud Dowla, Pacific Jeans Ltd Director Syed Mohammad Tanvir, MD M Shahjahan of Jalal Ahmed Spinning Mills Ltd, Runner Automobiles Ltd Chairman Hafizur Rahman Khan, FARR Ceramics Ltd Chairman Khodeza Farhad Ruhi and Gem Jute Ltd Managing Director Kazi Enam Ahmed.

CIPs selected under medium industry category are Citadel Apparels Ltd Managing Director Mahidul Islam Khan, BD Seafood Ltd Director Mohammad Badrul Haider Chowdhury, Oeko Tex Ltd MD Abdus Sobhan, Basumati Distribution Ltd MD Z M Golam Nabi, BRB Polymer Ltd MD Mojibur Rahman, Gemini Sea Food Ltd Managing Director Kazi Shahid Ahmed, BD Foods Ltd Director Mohammad Tafhim Al Azmi, Atlas Sea Food Ltd MD SM Mizanur Rahman and Igloo Foods Ltd Director ASM Moinuddin Monem.

CIPs selected under small industry category are Kiam Metal Industries Ltd MD Mizber Rahman, Baly Yarn Dyeing Ltd MD Masud Zaman, Footbed Footwear Ltd MD Aniruddho Kumer Ray, Karim Spinning Mills Ltd Chairman Abdul Hai Sarker, Amanat Shah Weaving Processing Ltd director Lutfa Begum, and Technomedia Ltd MD Joshoda Jibon Debnath.

RMM Leather Industries Chairman Mohi-

uddin Ahmed Mahin and AB Fashion Maker proprietor Sanaul Haque Babul were selected under micro-industry category while Janani Weaving Factory proprietor Rafiqul Islam was selected under cottage industry category.

Under the service sector, names of CIP recipients are Navana Real Estate Vice-Chairman Sajedul Islam, STS Holdings Ltd Managing Director Khandaker Monir Uddin, Shanta Properties Ltd Director Jasmine Sultana, Navana Limited Chairman Shafiul Islam and Sheltech Limited Managing Director Taufiq M Seraj.

The selected CIPs will enjoy a number of facilities including a card to be used for entering secretariat, invitation in national programmes and city corporation’s citizen reception programmes for the next one year since the receiving date of the card.

During their business-related visits, they will get reserved seats in government’s air services, rail, road and waterways.

With regard to their visit abroad, they will be awarded with a letter of introduction from the Foreign Ministry which they can submit to high commissions and Embassies for getting visa.

The CIPs, their spouses and children will get priority in getting cabin facilities in government hospitals for medical treatment. They will also be allowed to use VIP lounge II in airport.

The government can also include their names as members while formulation of industry-related policy. l

Muhith: Budget to be bigger Mobile banking transactions restricted for today if foreign aid increases n Tribune Report Finance Minister AMA Muhith said the outlay of the national budget would be larger if the disbursement of annual foreign assistance was raised. He said around $24bn of foreign assistance is now in the pipeline and only 20% of the sum will be disbursed.

“The capacity of disbursing foreign aid is below $5bn while a budget size is more than Tk2,60,000 crore. This is not good enough,” he told journalists after a meeting with top bureaucrats at Bangladesh Secretariat yesterday.

Regarding the slow disbursement of foreign aid, the minister blamed the project directors and tagging of conditions by the donors.

He said procedural bottlenecks are also responsible for the slow disbursement.

The project directors discuss with the officials of development partners for disbursement of funds. which is also a time-consuming matter, he said.

Muhith said there should be one project director for a project to speed up the process.

“Prime Minister has strongly directive to appoint one project director for one foreign-funded development project. It may increase the speed.”

In January, the government was forced to cut the annual foreign aid disbursement target to $3.30m for the current fiscal year due to slow implementation of projects by various implementing agencies.

The foreign aid commitment to Bangladesh had plunged by 60% to $896.6m in July-November period in 2014 compared to $1.44bn in the corresponding period last fiscal, Economic Relations Division data showed.

As per the ERD, the foreign assistance disbursement during the 5-month period was recorded at $902m, compared to $887.3m in the corresponding period of last fiscal year.

The government received a record $3.0bn foreign aid in the FY2013-14 following a significant rise in disbursement by World Bank and China.

In the FY2012-13, the government received nearly $2.78bn foreign loans and grants from the development partners. l

n Tribune Report

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has imposed a restriction on all sorts of money transactions through mobile banking till 5pm today.

All the transactions at the client levels through mobile banking have been suspended in response to a request made by the Election Commission, said a BB circular issued yesterday.

visit our website @

www.dhakatribune.com

BB also asked the banks with mobile financial services to take necessary steps in this regard.

The central bank came up with the decision in the wake of an allegation made by a mayoral aspirant that money was being circulated illegally by the candidates through mobile financial services.

The candidate in his complaint also urged the election commission to take necessary measures in this regard. l

DT

16 BUSINESS

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

Gold falls to one-month low as global equities hit all-time highs n Reuters, New York Gold hit its lowest level in more than a month on Friday, falling for the third straight week as strength in global equities diverted interest from the precious metal, although uncertainty over the timing of a US rate rise kept prices in a tight range.

Spot gold XAU was down 1.4% at $1,177.03 an ounce at 2:34 pm EDT (1834 GMT), while US gold futures GCv1 for June delivery settled down $19.30 an ounce at $1,175. That marked spot gold’s largest single-session decline since March 6.

Spot prices are down 2.2% this week, their biggest weekly loss in seven weeks.

World stocks hit all-time highs on Friday

A man holding an umbrella walks past the Bank of Japan headquarters building as he is reflected in a puddle of water in Tokyo REUTERS

More central banks meet, but ability to pilot economies in doubt n Reuters, London Most central banks have been easing policy since the start of the year and are set to do more, but it still isn’t clear whether that new activism, which has pushed stock markets to record highs, will help the global economy much.

Several meet this week to set policy, including the US Federal Reserve, the Bank of Japan and Sweden’s Riksbank, which all have turned to government bond purchases as stimulus after running out of interest rates to cut.

Yet recent easing - and the halving of oil prices, which was meant to be a windfall for consumers -- have not changed the global outlook much, according to Reuters polls of hundreds of economists published last week. The Fed shut its quantitative easing (QE) program just over six months ago. But it seems likely it will be forced to wait until later this year, instead of June as was expected a short time ago, before raising rates from record lows.

A disappointing start to the year from another punishing winter and trade disruption at West Coast ports, together with a rally in the dollar that is now restraining inflation and U.S. exports, is chiming a familiar refrain: low rates for longer.

Few expect the Fed to use its two-day meeting as a launching pad for what will eventually be the first interest rate hike in nearly a decade. Wages and inflation still are not rising significantly and even hiring has had a setback.

Many, however, expect the central bank to make it clear in its policy statement on Wednesday that it is inclined to take the first solid opportunity it can find to set extraordinarily accommodative interest rate policy back on a more normal path.

“Further labor market progress, moving to a ‘more balanced’ outlook and gaining confidence in the inflation outlook would send clear smoke signals that lift-off is only shortly ahead,” wrote analysts at BNP Paribas in a note to clients.

What does not appear any more balanced is the global growth picture, nor does trading behav-

ior in world financial markets. Just this week, Wall Street re-captured its record high on the Nasdaq struck during the last technology stock boom.

German stocks have soared more than 20% this year in anticipation of European Central Bank sovereign bond purchases, which began last month and have hammered the euro and bond yields about as much as they have boosted share prices.

The euro zone outlook certainly has brightened over the last several months. But the still-modest growth will not bring down high unemployment, and the risk remains real Greece, which is running out of cash to pay its debts, may be forced to default.

ECB data due next week will show whether private lending by euro zone banks to companies is really on the up. In Japan, where the central bank has been printing money for about a decade and a half to escape deflation, questions about the effectiveness of further aggressive monetary easing there will be on full display.

Two years after the authorities ramped up stimulus in a multi-trillion yen volley to boost inflation, the economy has escaped a self-imposed recession via a sales tax hike and is now left with a price outlook very similar to 2013.

“Wage and price-setting behavior have changed little since the program was launched,” wrote Mark Williams, Chief Asia Economist at Capital Economics, an independent consultancy.

The BOJ is likely to trim its inflation forecast for the current fiscal year, according to sources familiar with its thinking. Further stimulus is still likely, but not until later this year, perhaps in October.

Sweden’s Riksbank, which has slashed its main policy rate to below zero and is conducting asset purchases to ward off deflation but also has solid growth and soaring house prices and household debt to contend with. If that were not enough to at least give the impression to outside observers that central bankers are not entirely in control of the economies they oversee, Brazil’s central bank meets next week facing a completely different dilemma. l

as corporate updates in Europe and a postdotcom-boom peak for the US Nasdaq stoked investor optimism.

“That takes investment demand away from gold,” said Bill O’Neill, co-founder of commodities investment firm LOGIC Advisors in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. O’Neill noted that significant funds were flowing toward European and Japanese equities as well, which he called the “flavour of the moment.”

The losses came despite a decline in the US dollar, which hit a near three-week low against a basket of currencies DXY after US March durable goods orders data showed weakness in business investment spending, suggesting the economy is not strong enough for the US Federal Reserve to lift rates. l

3 projects win 2015 Global Holcim awards for sustainability n Tribune Business Desk Three winners of the fourth Global Holcim Awards for sustainable construction have been selected recently. All three prizes recognize architectural interventions that deliver tangible benefits to local communities.

The international competition, occurring

every three years, recognizes designs that provide sustainable solutions to local issues faced by communities throughout the world.

An international jury of industry leaders, led by Mohsen Mostafavi (Dean of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design), determined the winners of the 2015 Global Holcim Awards. l

Shohoz.com, a premium online travel service provider in Bangladesh, has recently announced special deals and offers for MasterCard debit and credit cardholders on purchase of bus tickets online during the next couple of months. Syed Mohammad Kamal, country manager of MasterCard Bangladesh and Maliha M Quadir, MD of shohoz.com were present at the agreement signing ceremony

Professional Advancement Bangladesh Limited (PABL), a subsidiary of Green Delta Insurance has recently held a call on meeting with Dr M Aslam Alam, Secretary, Bank and Finance Institutions Division of Ministry of Finance. Director of PABL and MD & CEO of Green Delta Insurance, Farzana Chowdhury was present at the meeting with finance secretary where the importance of insurance education of the insurance professionals was discussed in detail

DT

BUSINESS 17

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

Sweets and soup vanish as Pakistan aims for halal export boost n AFP, Islamabad

An employee of Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc (TEPCO) stands in front of solar panels at a solar power field in Kawasaki

Like shale oil, solar power is shaking up global energy n Reuters, Singapore One by one, Japan is turning off the lights at the giant oil-fired power plants that propelled it to the ranks of the world’s top industrialised nations. With nuclear power in the doldrums after the Fukushima disaster, it’s solar energy that is becoming the alternative.

Solar power is set to become profitable in Japan as early as this quarter, according to the Japan Renewable Energy Foundation (JREF), freeing it from the need for government subsidies and making it the last of the G7 economies where the technology has become economically viable.

Japan is now one of the world’s four largest markets for solar panels and a large number of power plants are coming onstream, including two giant arrays over water in Kato City and a $1.1bn solar farm being built on a salt field in Okayama, both west of Osaka.

“Solar has come of age in Japan and from now on will be replacing imported uranium and fossil fuels,” said Tomas Kåberger, executive board chairman of JREF. “In trying to protect their fossil fuel and nuclear (plants), Japan’s electric power companies can only delay developments here,” he said, referring to the 10 regional monopolies that have dominated electricity production since the 1950s.

Japan is retiring nearly 2.4 gigawatts of expensive and polluting oil-fired energy plants

by March next year and switching to alternative fuels. Japan’s 43 nuclear reactors have been closed in the wake of the 2011 meltdown at the Fukushima power plant after an earthquake and a tsunami - since then, renewable

energy capacity has tripled to 25 gigawatts, with solar accounting for more than 80% of that.

Once Japan reaches cost-revenue parity in solar energy, it will mean the technology is commercially viable in all G7 countries and 14 of the G20 economies, according to data from governments, industry and consumer groups.

‘Solar has come of age in Japan and from now on will be replacing imported uranium and fossil fuels’ A crash in the prices of photovoltaic panels and improved technology that harnesses more power from the sun has placed solar on the cusp of a global boom, analysts say, who compare its rise to shale oil.

“Just as shale extraction reconfigured oil and gas, no other technology is closer to transforming power markets than distributed and utility scale solar,” said consultancy Wood Mackenzie, which has a focus on the oil and gas industry.

Oil major Exxon Mobil says that “solar capacity is expected to grow by more than 20 times from 2010 to 2040.”

Investors are also re-discovering solar, with the global solar index up 40 percent this year, lifting it out of a slump following the 2008/2009 financial crisis, far outperforming struggling commodities such as iron ore, natural gas, copper or coal.

REUTERS

By starting mass-production of solar panels, China is the driving force in bringing down solar manufacturing costs by 80% in the last decade, according to Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute.

In Japan, residential solar power production costs have more than halved since 2010 to under 30 yen ($0.25) per kilowatt-hour (kWh), making it comparable to average household electricity prices.

Wood Mackenzie expects solar costs to fall more as “efficiencies are nowhere near their theoretical maximums.”

Solar is already well-entrenched in Europe and North America, but it is the expected boom in Asia that is lifting it out from its niche.

China’s new anti-pollution policies are making the big difference. Because of these policies, Beijing is seeking alternatives for coal, which makes up almost two-thirds of its energy consumption.

China’s 2014 solar capacity was 26.52 gigawatt (GW), less than 2% of its total capacity of 1,360 GW. But the government wants to add 17.8 GW of solar power this year and added 5 GW in the first quarter alone, with plans to boost capacity to 100 GW by 2020.

Coal-dominated India, with its plentiful sunlight, could also take to solar in a big way.

Despite this boom, fossil-fuelled power is far from dead.

“Additional generating capacity, such as natural gas-fired plants, must be made available to back up wind and solar during the times when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing,” Exxon says. l

Fruity sweets and packets of chicken soup that fall foul of halal laws are disappearing from Pakistan’s shop counters as the country looks to clean up its Islamic food credentials to boost exports to rich Gulf states.

At the start of the year the government published a list of around 20 imported food products it said were not halal, or permitted under Islamic law.

Shops in Pakistan, an Islamic republic where 97% of the population are Muslims, already do not stock pork or alcohol - with a few extremely rare exceptions for foreigners and the small Christian minority.

Now the government wants to crack down further on products using alcohol and pork derivatives as ingredients.

So amongst other things, Pop-Tarts are off the shelves in many stores, along with imported jelly, sweets and several European brands of chicken soup. They have been found to contain ingredients banned in Islam such as wine or gelatine derived from pork, or extracts from chickens not killed in accordance with Koranic doctrine.

There is so far no extra obligation on shopkeepers to pull products from the shelves, but some have decided to act.

“We heard about the new rules and decided not to take any chances,” one Islamabad shopkeeper told AFP. Other shopkeepers are putting up signs warning customers to check the ingredients of imported products carefully before buying.

Some are even quietly telling customers not to buy certain products over fears, sometimes misplaced, that they contain banned substances.

Halal certification

A draft law seen by AFP and due to be scrutinised by lawmakers in the coming months plans to sort out which products are halal and which are not, and set up an inspection service.

The aim is to create a Pakistani Halal Authority with the goal of boosting food and agricultural exports to wealthy Gulf states.

Pakistan has been undergoing a process of Islamisation since the late 70s, but it is a late arrival to the international market for halal products that has been growing in recent years and is estimated to be worth up to $700bn worldwide.

“Now there is awareness about (halal), people go through the composition, the contents.

Earlier, the awareness was not there, nobody was aware of this non-halal contents,” Mian Ijaz, a senior official at the Ministry of Science and Technology, told AFP. The science ministry is taking the lead on the bill as it has laboratories for testing products.

One of the architects of the proposed federal halal authority, retired judge Khalil-ur-Rehman Khan, said the plan would mean products were clearly labelled and should give Pakistani shoppers peace of mind.

“Anyone importing for instance chicken from sources that are dubious or which people have doubt, like from China... will have to have accreditation from the authority working under the Pakistan Halal authority,” he told AFP. l

DT

18 BUSINESS

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

News, analysis and recent disclosures EXIMBANK: 10% stock, AGM: 08.06.2015, Record Date: 10.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 1.92, NAV per share of Tk. 17.90.

BSRMLTD: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to issue 40,10,523 Ordinary shares of the Company at a premium of Tk. 28.00 each to convert 12% convertible bond of Tk. 15,24,00,000.00 as per approval of Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission. The share will be issued on April 29, 2015 to entitled bond holders. The converted shares shall be locked-in for one year from the date of issue.

UnAudited Financials:

SAMORITA: (Q3- Unaudited): NPAT= Tk. 23.47 million with EPS of Tk. 1.58 as against Tk. 22.43 million and Tk. 1.51 respectively.

NORTHERN: (Q3- Unaudited): NPAT= Tk. 2.34 million with EPS of Tk. 1.31 as against Tk. -14.12 million and Tk. -7.91 respectively.

AMCL(PRAN): (Q3- Unaudited): NPAT= Tk. 37.11 million with EPS of Tk. 4.64 as against Tk. 35.12 million and Tk. 4.39 respectively.

CNATEX: (Q3- Unaudited): NPAT= Tk. 359.51 million with EPS of Tk. 1.85 as against Tk. 297.30 million and Tk. 1.78 respectively.

BSRMLTD: (Q3- Unaudited): NPAT= Tk. 207.06 million and basic EPS was Tk. 1.33 (restated after IPO 1.19) as against profit after tax of Tk. 656.36 million and basic EPS of Tk. 4.21 respectively. NAV per share would be Tk. 51.67 as on 30 September 2014.

IFIC: (Q1 Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 351.12 million with consolidated basic EPS of Tk. 0.80 (Restated 0.70) as against Tk. 557.13 million and Tk. 1.27 (1.11) respectively.

MTB: (Q1 Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. 249.44 million with consolidated basic EPS of Tk. 0.81 (restated 0.68) as against Tk. 185.42 million and Tk. 0.60 (0.50) respectively.

HRTEX: (H/Y Unaudited): NPAT= Tk. 10.98 million with EPS of Tk. 0.43 as against Tk. 20.40 million and Tk. 0.81 respectively.

LRGLOBMF1: (H/Y Un-audited): NPAT= Tk. -107.64 million with earnings per unit of Tk.-0.35 as against Tk. 241.73 million and Tk. 0.78 respectively.

DSE GAINER Company

Closing (% Change)

R. N. Spinning-Z GeminiSeaFood-B AIMS First -A Provati Insur.-A Eastern InsurA IFIL Islamic M.F.1-A Olympic Ind. -A Asia Insur. Ltd.-A Modern Dyeing -Z Green Delta M.F.-A

9.82 8.60 8.42 8.33 6.25 6.25 6.24 5.84 5.80 5.26

CSE GAINER Company Fine Foods A Bangladesh Welding -Z R. N. Spinning-Z Miracle Industries -B Provati Insur.-A AB Bank - A Marico BD Ltd-A Argon Denims Limited-A Dhaka Ins. Ltd.-A Grameenphone-A

Company Samata LeatheR -Z Nitol Insurance -A United Power-N National Feed-N Zaheen Spinning -N Libra Infusions-A Rahima Food -Z United Insur -A Samorita Hospital -A Midas Financing-Z CSE LOSER

Dividend/AGM

Prime Islami Life -A Republic Insu.-A Anlima Yarn -A Popular Life Insu. -A BGIC -A City G Insu.-A Zaheen Spinning -N CVO PetroChem RL-A Hwa Well Textiles-A Premier Leasing-Z

Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

Company

Closing (% Change) -7.69 -7.23 -6.52 -6.47 -6.28 -6.22 -6.19 -5.50 -5.33 -5.15

Closing (% Change) -10.00 -9.64 -9.43 -9.18 -9.09 -8.26 -6.77 -6.76 -6.67 -6.33

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

DSE key features April 27, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka)

9.41 9.03 7.20 6.96 6.87 5.08 4.95 4.68 4.47 3.69

DSE LOSER

IPO Subscription: Olympic Accessories Limited Subscription 19.04.2015 TO 23.04.2015, NRB UPTO 02.05.2015. Offer Price per share Tk. 10.00, Market Lot (Shares) 500.

CITYBANK: 15% cash and 5% stock , AGM: 28.06.2015, Record Date: 10.05.2015.

CENTRALINS: 7% cash and 8% stock, AGM: 23.06.2015, Record Date: 07.05.2015.

MARICO: 50% final cash dividend, AGM: 13.08.2015, Record Date: 18.06.2015.

BSC: 10% cash, AGM: 06.06.2015, Record date: 07.05.2015.

Closing (% Change)

Sector

3,234.09 75,809,120 106,687

Traded Issues

309

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

105

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

193

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

8

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,373.68

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

28.77

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 311.87 71.43 17.81 730.97 133.30 795.32 1.43 250.19 362.51 6.22 110.35 12.40 14.88 62.61 49.00 13.13 24.41 131.38 43.69 89.08 2.13

% change 9.64 2.21 0.55 22.60 4.12 24.59 0.04 7.74 11.21 0.19 3.41 0.38 0.46 1.94 1.52 0.41 0.75 4.06 1.35 2.75 0.07

Million Taka 8.70 55.12 0.87 133.12 4.17 99.10 29.61 21.90 3.31 5.09 0.44 1.62 2.83 2.53 1.27 1.21 24.76 8.94 15.81 0.02

Average (% Change) 11.31 3.87 5.56 6.68 5.42 5.32 3.11 0.36 5.80 5.33

Average (% Change) 6.12 9.03 6.68 7.23 6.79 4.37 4.59 2.04 4.64 2.15

Average (% Change) -8.41 -7.95 -6.20 -7.37 -6.39 -5.65 -9.55 3.20 -5.57 -5.54

Average (% Change) -10.00 -9.64 -9.43 -9.16 -9.12 -8.11 -6.53 -3.59 -7.07 -6.80

CSE

ClosingAvg. 24.40 223.65 21.64 14.05 23.71 5.15 209.97 13.84 73.00 3.95

ClosingAvg. 9.02 15.70 24.93 12.31 14.00 18.39 1250.00 24.04 18.71 326.92

ClosingAvg. 16.67 21.88 180.73 19.10 18.30 310.00 19.23 20.64 68.36 9.20

ClosingAvg.

% change 2.07 13.11 0.21 31.66 0.99 23.57 0.00 7.04 5.21 0.79 1.21 0.11 0.38 0.67 0.60 0.30 0.29 5.89 2.13 3.76 0.01

40.50 15.00 14.40 99.92 12.96 11.10 18.31 361.44 28.00 7.40

Closing 24.60 229.90 21.90 14.30 23.80 5.10 212.80 14.50 73.00 4.00

Closing 9.30 15.70 25.30 12.30 14.00 18.60 1250.00 24.60 18.70 331.20

Closing 16.80 21.80 173.40 18.80 17.90 307.70 19.70 20.60 67.50 9.20

Closing 40.50 15.00 14.40 99.90 13.00 11.10 17.90 365.50 28.00 7.40

Million Taka 320.56 126.54 18.68 864.09 137.47 894.42 1.43 279.80 384.41 9.53 115.44 12.84 16.50 65.44 51.53 14.40 25.62 156.14 52.64 104.88 2.16

DHIGH

DLOW

24.60 230.20 22.20 14.40 23.90 5.20 213.80 15.00 73.00 4.10

DHIGH 9.30 15.70 25.50 12.40 14.00 18.80 1250.00 24.90 18.90 334.70

DHIGH

23.00 207.20 20.70 13.10 22.60 5.00 202.50 13.50 73.00 3.80

DLOW 8.60 15.60 23.50 11.30 14.00 18.00 1250.00 23.10 17.20 322.10

DLOW

17.50 22.30 195.00 20.00 19.40 315.00 20.20 21.50 70.00 9.20

DHIGH

16.40 21.20 170.00 18.60 17.70 305.00 18.90 20.10 66.60 9.20

DLOW

40.50 15.00 14.40 99.10 13.00 11.10 19.20 369.00 28.00 7.50

Total

40.50 15.00 14.40 100.00 12.90 11.10 17.60 355.00 28.00 7.20

% change 8.77 3.46 0.51 23.64 3.76 24.47 0.04 7.66 10.52 0.26 3.16 0.35 0.45 1.79 1.41 0.39 0.70 4.27 1.44 2.87 0.06

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

11.179 4.189 0.559 0.923 0.309 1.266 75.186 0.420 0.001 0.778

Turnover in Million

2.19 -6.36 1.70 1.84 2.31 1.04 6.12 2.17 -0.50 -0.12

Latest EPS

0.011 0.683 6.373 0.115 0.055 0.989 0.004 0.214 0.327 7.282

Turnover in Million

11.1 -ve 12.7 7.6 10.3 5.0 34.3 6.4 -ve -ve

Latest PE

-0.36 0.44 2.19 0.30 1.84 3.88 42.69 2.89 2.44 14.67

Latest EPS

0.025 0.128 349.396 7.445 5.791 0.062 0.737 0.481 1.121 0.037

Turnover in Million

Latest PE

-ve 35.7 11.4 41.0 7.6 4.7 29.3 8.3 7.7 22.3

Latest PE

-0.46 3.61 7.11 1.37 1.32 3.38 -0.42 2.92 2.18 -3.24

Latest EPS

0.004 0.015 0.043 0.022 0.011 0.001 0.490 2.030 0.048 0.029

-ve 6.1 25.4 13.9 13.9 91.7 -ve 7.1 31.4 -ve

Latest PE

4.95 2.56 0.74 2.89 1.31 1.45 1.32 8.56 2.66 0.08

8.2 5.9 19.5 34.6 9.9 7.7 13.9 42.2 10.5 92.5

CSE key features April 27, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

420.42 11,913,412 22,269

Traded Issues

216

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

66

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

140

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

10

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,310.74

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

28.01

DT

BUSINESS 19

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

Stocks edge higher with rollercoaster ride n Tribune Report

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company BSRM Ltd. -N United Power-N MJL BD Ltd.-A ACI Limited- A Khulna Power-A Shahjibazar Power-N WesternMarine -N Olympic Ind. -A Square Pharma -A Grameenphone-A

Brac Bank -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Shasha Denims -N SAIF Powertec-N BD Submarine Cable-A

VolumeShares 5,805,005 1,933,270 829,527 186,422 1,387,433 504,888 1,534,076 358,086 301,751 228,543

Value in Million 444.13 349.40 102.95 94.19 88.29 86.53 75.83 75.19 75.14 74.78

% of TotalTurnover 13.73 10.80 3.18 2.91 2.73 2.68 2.34 2.32 2.32 2.31

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

2,120,164 2,426,548 1,552,247 844,534 495,443

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company BSRM Ltd. -N United Power-N Intl. Leasing-B BD Submarine Cable-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A WesternMarine -N Mozaffar H.Spinning-A MJL BD Ltd.-A Shahjibazar Power-N Grameenphone-A

UNITED AIR-A R. N. Spinning-Z Square Pharma -A Khulna Power-A ACI Limited- A

1,396,549 379,304 4,005,870 152,576 470,721 209,637 287,205 69,537 44,319 22,275

74,956 255,630 22,545 86,711 7,298

71.00 63.28 60.02 57.71 56.60

107.27 68.32 50.08 17.48 12.29 10.41 9.77 8.54 7.53 7.28

6.91 6.37 5.62 5.49 3.68

2.20 1.96 1.86 1.78 1.75

25.52 16.25 11.91 4.16 2.92 2.48 2.32 2.03 1.79 1.73

1.64 1.52 1.34 1.31 0.87

ClosingP 78.00 173.40 126.10 515.40 63.50 173.20 48.90 212.80 249.30 331.20

33.20 26.10 39.20 68.40 113.80

ClosingP

Change % 0.00 -6.52 3.45 1.38 0.63 3.40 -3.36 6.24 0.44 3.44

-0.30 -5.09 2.35 -0.73 -0.96

Change %

77.40 172.70 12.80 114.30 26.20 48.80 34.10 125.90 171.00 331.20

7.10 25.30 250.20 63.50 509.00

0.00 -5.99 1.59 -0.09 -4.38 -3.56 -2.01 3.28 2.33 3.69

0.00 7.20 0.97 1.60 0.24

ClosingY 0.00 185.50 121.90 508.40 63.10 167.50 50.60 200.30 248.20 320.20

33.30 27.50 38.30 68.90 114.90

ClosingY

0.00 183.70 12.60 114.40 27.40 50.60 34.80 121.90 167.10 319.40

7.10 23.60 247.80 62.50 507.80

DHIGH 83.00 195.00 127.00 526.80 64.50 175.20 52.00 213.80 251.00 334.10

34.00 27.90 39.50 70.40 119.90

DHIGH

82.00 196.00 12.90 118.90 27.30 51.80 34.50 126.60 173.80 334.70

7.40 25.50 254.80 64.30 519.00

DLOW 60.00 170.00 120.00 485.20 62.80 166.00 48.10 202.50 247.30 318.50

32.80 24.90 38.00 66.70 112.00

DLOW

70.00 170.00 12.10 112.40 25.00 48.20 34.00 119.00 166.00 322.10

7.00 23.50 246.30 62.50 490.00

AvgPrice 76.51 180.73 124.10 505.25 63.64 171.39 49.43 209.97 249.00 327.19

33.49 26.08 38.66 68.33 114.24

AvgPrice

76.81 180.12 12.50 114.57 26.11 49.67 34.02 122.83 169.96 326.92

7.09 24.93 249.25 63.31 503.58

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

4118.48000

(+) 0.59%

1567.79093

(+) 0.62%

12685.55840

(+) 0.94%

10298.00870

(+) 1.24%

7700.25160

(+) 0.98%

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

Stocks closed slightly higher amid rollercoaster ride yesterday, just a day ahead of much-hyped elections in the country’s two major cities.

The market swung between positive and negative heavily with around 70 points intraday volatility, as investors played in the both sides of fence.

The benchmark index DSEX gained 24 points or 0.6% to close at 4,118, ending its five-day consecutive losses.

The Shariah Index DSES was up 9 points or 1% to 1,013.

The comprising blue chips DS30 gained 9 points or 0.7% to 1,567.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, closed at 7,693, rising 45 points.

Selling pressure dominated the morning trade. However, the sellers became exhausted after five days of selling frenzy.

Besides, late buying interest helped the market close marginally higher.

The trading activities continued to decline as investors wait to see political situation after the city corporations polls as scheduled for today.

Dhaka Stock Exchange turnover exceeded Tk323 crore, down over 5% over the previous session.

There will be no trade today as stock exchanges will remain closed due to general holiday in the three city corporation area of Dhaka and Chittagong on polling day.

LankaBangla Securities said the benchmark index closed in green territory reverting the falling trend of last five trading sessions.

“The market was volatile before the city corporations elections. Most of the investors remained cautious to see the post-election situation,” it said.

IDLC Investments said after previous session’s sharp fall, there was a natural demand of shares in the market, which was fueled by lucrative prices in many stocks.

BSRM Limited, in its first trading day, rallied nearly 123% to Tk78 a share on its offer price, before rising as high as Tk83.

Among the major sectors, engineering, telecommunication and banks rose 12.3%, 3.3% and 1% respectively.

On the other hand, the non-banking financial institutions, fuel and power and pharmaceutical sectors fell 1.1%, 0.4% and 0.4% respectively. l

ANALYST

The market was volatile before the city corporations elections. Most of the investors remained cautious to see the post-election situation

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20 BUSINESS

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Muhith for lowering treatment costs to boost health tourism n Tribune Report Finance Minister AMA Muhith said the medical tourism in Bangladesh would not grow unless the leading private hospitals operating here lower their treatment costs.

He said many patients from Nepal and Bhutan wanted to visit Bangladesh for treatment purposes, but high costs discouraged them.

Most of the private hospitals didn’t even maintain regulations, he alleged while talking to the journalists after a meeting of the steering committee for tourism at the Secretariat yesterday.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon also attended the meeting.

Finance minister criticised the hospitals for not spending a part of their profits for the poor patients’ welfare.

He also said only corporate social respon-

sibility spending of the hospitals would enjoy tax waiver facility.

“Hospital owners’ association recently held a meeting with me and demanded tax waiver. But I told them only the funds of CSR of their hospitals will get the facility, but import of materials for hospitals will not be exempted from tax,” Muhith said.

Under the referral rules of the private hospitals, the hospitals’ owners can enjoy tax exemption in the import of 156 medical machinery, according to National Board of Revenue sources.

Earlier, the National Board of Revenue recently sent a letter to 10 top private hospitals to regularly pay value added tax. Officials said five percent of the VAT would be spent for treatment of the poor patients.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to launch efforts to develop the country’s tourism sites, said finance minister.

Under a three-year plan to boost the local tourism industry, the country will observe the year 2016 as the year of tourism.

Civil aviation and tourism ministry had sought Tk200 crore for investment in the sector but the decision in this regard was yet to be made, said Muhith.

But the tourism ministry will get Tk15 crore as preparation costs for observing tourism year in 2016.

He also stressed the need to launch campaign in foreign media to popularise the country’s tourism sites. He said the government had decided to issue more visas on arrival to the foreigners.

A ministerial conference on tourism will be held in October in Dhaka, to be attended by representatives from 11 countries.

The tourism ministry had a plan to exhibit sculptures of Buddhism in the event, said Rashed Khan Menon. l

CSE chairman Abdul Mazid elected SAFE vice chairman n Tribune Report Chittagong Stock Exchange chairman Muhammad Abdul Mazid has been elected senior vice chairman of South Asian Federation of Exchanges (SAFE).

Annual General Meeting of the SAFE in Sri Lankan capital Colombo held the election yesterday.

The election also picked Colombo Stock Exchange chief executive office Rajeeva Bandaranaike as chairman of the SAFE. l

Regent air to fly to Kathmandu, other destinations n Tribune Report Regent airways, a private airline, has announced that it will fly new routes and add flights to its existing international destinations.

The move is a part of the earlier announced $100 million expansion plan, said a Regent statement.

“We will start our operation to Kathmandu on July 15 with initially three flights a week from Dhaka, add one more flight to Singapore per week from May 10 and Muscat to our network by mid-July next,” Regent Airways Managing Director Mashruf Habib said.

The airline will then have daily flights to Singapore from Dhaka, he said, adding that weekly frequency to Bangkok via Chittagong will be increased to four flights from May 15.

Tickets for all these flights are available for sale, the statement adds.

“We are concentrating our growth more on international destinations,” said Mashruf. l

Rejoinder Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division sent a rejoinder against a report on “Government flouts rules to favour software vendor” published in Dhaka Tribune on April 22 and said it was “false, baseless and motivated.”

The division claimed it had purchased three software packages including Bangla Corpus, Bangla OCR and Text-to-Speech at a cost of Tk6.34 crore from a company named Team Engine in line with the Public Procurement Act and other relevant rules.

The Division said the allegation of purchasing the software packages at higher prices was false.

It said the packages were bought following proper procurement process with the allocated funds provided by the finance ministry. l

The removal of SIM tax will help them contribute more to the government exchequer, thus leading to the growth of reveneus

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Telcos want elimination of SIM tax n Tribune Report

The country’s mobile network operators yesterday requested the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to eliminate Tk300 as tax on Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards in the upcoming budget.

They said the operators are paying the tax out of their own pockets to keep the SIM price affordable for customers, but the mobile market growth shrunk alarmingly when operators opted for an unsubsidised sale.

The removal of SIM tax will help them contribute more to the government exchequer, thus leading to the growth of revenues.

Leaders of Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) made the proposal while placing a set of recommendations for consideration in the coming budget at a meeting with NBR at its headquarters.

“SIM tax does not exist in any country of the world so it acts like penalising the opera-

tors. Given the economic conditions of people in Bangladesh and market competitiveness, mobile operators do not collect SIM tax from their subscribers. They just pay tax by themselves,” Robi Chief Operating Officer Mahtab Uddin Ahmed said, demanding complete withdrawal of SIM tax.

Calling for a uniform corporate tax rate for all sectors, the association also demanded 30% corporate tax rate for listed mobile phone operators and 35% for those non-listed.

At present, the corporate tax rate for listed mobile operators is 40% while for non-listed it is 45%.

It also said NBR should provide 10% tax rebate for paying dividend.

The association also demanded withdrawal of 0.3% minimum tax on gross receipt as the section of minimum tax is against the spirit of income tax law.

AMTOB also requested the government to harmonise the customs duty on telecom

equipment import as different types of tax are imposed on different equipment import.

The customs duty on telecom equipment import ranges between 3% (computer server and software) and 25%.

They said all types of imported telecom equipment supported by NOC from Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission should be brought under SRO benefit with 5% customs duty.

The AMTOB also urged the government to exempt tax over internet modem import and 15% VAT over mobile internet services.

It also recommended that ‘treasury challan’ be allowed as an approved instrument to get VAT rebate as per section 9 of VAT act 1991 for any goods and services.

NBR senior member Farid Uddin chaired the meeting while AMTOB secretary general TIM Nurul Kabir, and high officials from all telecom network operators attended the meeting. l

Local social networking platform - og0 This year on Pohela Boishakh, the launching of a Bangladeshi social networking platform took place. It’s called og0. It has been specifically designed to serve the populace of Bangladesh.

The software caters to a wide segment of the local market and is aimed at increasing the use of Internet for communications. This local social platform is designed and operated entirely by homegrown Bangladeshi engineers. It includes special features that allow users to make calls even in low signals, or where 3G is not available.

Such robustness of the programme will allow for multiple usages while effectively setting the stage for a deep rural reach. One of the goals behind the creation of og0 is to increase data usage and Internet all over the country and especially in the deep rural pockets.

The company behind this venture is InterCloud. A company run by Bangladeshi techno entrepreneurs who harbour a far sighted vision of a fully digitised Bangladesh. The app can be downloaded from Google’s Play Store and iOS.

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T-JUNCTION

Through the fast lane

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TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

INSIDE

22 explode

Tricks and bits

24 wheels

Stunts of insanity

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22 T-JUNCTION

Basketball Diaries

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

explode

Tricks and bits!

Photo: Bigstock

Tourney facts •

Another frenzied basketball tournament comes to an end, as the Dhaka Gladiators emerge as the champions of the Federation Cup 2015. They beat Dhumketu in the final match (held on April 26) with the score board to a halt at 92-66.

•

Beg Gen (Retd) Fakhruddin Haider, director general of Bangladesh Olympic Association, Lnt.Commander (Retd) A K Sarker, Suman Bhattacharjee, human resources director, Taslim Ahmed, head of corporate communications and public relations of Citycell attended the event.

•

The award giving ceremony was held immediately after the final match. The player-of-thetournament trophy was awarded to Tareq Aziz of Dhumketu.

His performance throughout the whole tournament was consistent, and even though he couldn’t take his team all the way, his personal stats were well above the rest.

Eat, train, play, repeat

n Chisty Rahim Our last issue was concerning the whole height factor when it comes to the sport of basketball. But many who lack the advantage of being tall can overcome their shortcoming (pun intended) with a well-built physique.

Whether you’re tall or not, with just the right amount of cardio and weight training thrown into a balanced daily routine, anyone can dominate the court in a few months.

Gear up Sneakers worn during running and cycling should fit right. Wearing shoes that are too big can result in an ankle-twist. Even though standard running sneakers will work just fine, specialised basketball shoes are much more convenient when you get used to them.

Dedicated basketball brands are hard to come by in our country, although fairly accurate replicas are available in the markets of Elephant Road, New Market and Farmgate Bazaar. Beware of what you buy, though.

Shoes with inadequate cushioning and faulty soles with little or no traction at all, can do more harm than good. We can always order online, even if this is a little costly. And there’s a lot to choose from on the online stores.

NBA STORE: store.nba.com/ Footwear?ab=bm-nbacms-TopNavFootwear-091014 Push your limits Running is the best way to lose fat, increase stamina and speed, right after swimming, and the most active time to do that is early morning before breakfast. Don’t just jog, run! Sprinting is the fastest way to reach the peak of your stamina and start pushing. Time and distance are two factors that need to be taken into account. In order to make an early morning run much more effective, try to cover a certain distance, say 10km, in a fixed period of time. The same goes for swimming - cover a number of laps within a fixed time period. Always remember, just when you’ve run out of breath and your whole body starts to ache starting with your legs, which is when you’re actually burning fat or pushing your limits. All the exercise before that was just burning your calories and getting you ready!

If it hurts, it’s working The more it hurts the better! Even though some say weight training might cause serious damage to the shooting accuracy of

a basketball player, it is the only way to build your core energy to become explosive on the court. Excessive weight lifting in any case, can be truly harmful, hence, always keep a professional trainer nearby.

Use proper technique and a fixed time schedule when you’re training with weights; 2-3 times per week should be enough. It is crucial that you drink a lot of water and take one-minute breaks in between each set.

If you train hard and maintain high level of intensity in the weight room, it should be enough to keep the adrenaline flowing through your veins, and you can always motivate yourself with some good pump-up songs during your work-out.

Core energy comes from the pivot area of your body. To increase your vertical jump, at first you need to work on your abs, five sets, 20 reps for each, of twisting sit up and hanging leg raise will effectively increase your core muscle strength; meanwhile, three sets of five reps pull-up in between will work on your whole upper body mainly the hips lower back, upper back, and shoulders.

And then comes the good ol’ squats. 10 sets of squats with weights on the shoulders put the right amount of pressure on the thighs, hips, hamstrings, quadriceps, groin, and lower back. Many physicians suggest

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Photo: Ronjit Chondro Das, BBF vertical height. This particular exercise has proven to be risky but effective!

Always be extra careful when lifting weights. A minimum-weight five-kilo dumbbell, if dropped on the feet, can cause serious damage, so imagine what greater weights can do.

At the end of it all, take some time to stretch!

Pick your protein Eating healthy is very important when it comes to muscle building. Without a proper diet the body starves of the fuel it requires to grow and hence all your exercise and hard work go in vain. No fat, a little carb and a lot of protein is the basis of a healthy diet for an athlete.

The best source of protein is an egg; a large one can provide you with six grams of protein, add a big glass of milk and you’ll

news

Cholo Bangladesh

have a perfect nutritious breakfast after a good morning “run.” Most physicians suggest having eggs without the yolks, since they contain both cholesterol and fat.

Any kind of meat has a much higher density of protein as well. 86grams of cooked salmon, roast chicken breast and cooked lamb contain 19g, 26g and 23 grams of protein respectively, so try to add those to your diet based on their availability and your budget.

app feature

Right here, right now n T-Junction Desk Ekhanei.com recently launched their own smartphone app in the Google Play Store.

It’s bringing the web version into your hands, with a simple touch and swipe away. Now that Ekhanei.com operates in seven different cities, within the borders of Bangladesh, it makes things easier for people on the go. The rules are the same in the app as it is on the website. Anyone can post items that are legal to own and trade in Bangladesh, which makes shopping for specific items a very simple task.

This app is free to download for all Android devices. l

Magnito Digital has won the Judge’s Award for the best Integrated Digital Media Campaign for Grameenphone’s “Cholo Bangladesh” and the People’s Award for the best Social Media Video for Grameenphone’s “Ami Bangladeshi” at the DIGIBUZZ 2015. The event was organised by SD Asia. l

Some people prefer taking protein supplements instead of setting up a diet.

Fortunately we’re actually spoiled for choices of protein supplements available in our country, starting from ISO soy protein to Whey gold. These supplements have a balanced mixture of Vitamin-D, calcium, protein and amino acids, which help in the fast recovery of muscles and also strengthening the bones. l

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Tires

wheels

Stunts of insanity

Here’s a trip down memory lane, in fifth gear

n Mahmood Hossain

resources so this was just an appetiser.

We still can’t get over the ridiculous car stunts The Fast and the Furious franchise continues to dish out to the audience. The first installment of the series started out as a celebration of the fast car culture, pitting import cars against domestic beasts like Dominic Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) Dodge Charger R/T. From very humble (and we use that term loosely) beginnings in the streets of Los Angeles to flying from building to building in Dubai, Furious 7 has gotten us scratching an itch we’ve had for a while. Naturally, we had to share with you the top stunts from all seven films.

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) A not so great sequel to the original, it had the case of the sophomore curse. No Vin Diesel this time, but there was a proper introduction of Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Ludacris). We were also treated to the stunning Eve Mendes, which leads us to the best stunt in the film. Both Brian and Roman are in a classic, Lemans Blue 1969 Chevrolet-Yenko Camaro, and while Roman nearly pees his pants, Brian punches the acceleration to top speed.

With the assistance of a ramp, the Camaro launches into the air, over the water, and onto the top deck of an expensive yacht.

Unfortunately, the valet was nowhere to be seen.

The Fast and the Furious (2001) Based in a new century, this movie had high school juniors and seniors taking the streets of California with reckless abandon. With a fair warning of “drive responsibly,” from the film-makers, the real streets of LA were never the same. There’s plenty of explosions and hand-to-hand combat in all seven films, but most of the outrageous stunts involved cars.

Obviously. The most exciting scene would be the drag race of near death in broad daylight between Dom and Brian O’Conner (the late Paul Walker).

Brian, in his 1995 Toyota Supra Turbo, goes head-to-head with Dom’s Dodge Charger R/T as both came inches away from crashing into a moving train. Soon after, Dom takes one of the nastiest wipeouts, being side swiped by a truck. This is what set the tone. Keep in mind, the stunts get better and better only because of the advancement of

The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) From LA to Florida, and now the franchise went off road into foreign territory, without their main stars. Besides starring a not so convincing lead in Lucas Black, the film was more about introducing the rest of the world to drifting. Whether the film did bad or terrible was not the major concern, the franchise remains as trendsetters. The Japanese world has the highest concentrated drifters around, or at least that’s what the film-makers were trying to portray. However, Japan was one of the earliest birthplaces of drifting - techniques that were developed in the 1970s. Near the end of the film, the race down the mountain had some of the best drifting displays recorded on film.

Fast & Furious (2009) Dom and Brian made their comeback, this time working for the FBI. The most insane stunt in this film has to be Dom and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) against an exploding oil tanker. While Letty attempts to complete the mission and hop off the tanker onto Dom’s 1984 Buick Grand National, it becomes a race for life and death through the mountains.

The fun and thrills don’t end there as Dom has found himself between a rock and a hard place. So what do you do if that rock is on fire (in this case a tumbling tanker) and is hurling down to flatten you? Kick the pedal to the floor and zoom right under it, and hope it doesn’t decapitate you.

Fast Five (2011) “This is Brasssiiilll!” The crew went down south this time with the addition of Dwanye “The Rock” Johnson as their pursuer. Brian and Dom are pulling out an entire locked and secure safe through the streets of Rio de Janeiro. Oh, and using it as a weapon to brush the cops aside as well. This was the crew’s most chaotic stunt and caused the most public damage. In some ways, the scene was just about tearing the streets apart for the hell of it. The next town hall meeting won’t go down too well. Imagine the cost of destruction Dom and Brian created.

Fast & Furious 6 (2013) The best action scene in this film was a first in cinematic history. The gang ends up going up against an operational tank on the highway. A tank! Everything about

this particular scene was a jaw dropping, thrilling ride. The catch of Roman, from car to car, was just the beginning, as the crew continued their pursuit of the unstoppable tank. The highway splits into two as a bridge, Letty gets propelled into the air and Dom jumps across from one road to the other to catch Letty in mid-air. Realistically, you’d have to time this jump and catch perfectly.

And the chances of you failing and falling to your death is 99.9%. Consider yourself witnessing a miracle if you successfully catch a person in the air at high-speed trajectory.

Furious 7 (2015) Where do we begin? Frankly, this is the best film in the franchise. It also has the most insane stunts. The only problem is how will the film-makers outdo themselves in the next sequel. The top two scenes that stand out the most have to be the skydiving cars and Dom driving that over-the-top and overly expensive supercar from one building to another. Twice. What leaves us speechless is that even though some of these stunts seem unbelievable, they are somewhat not impossible or completely outrageous. They leave us with a glimmer of hope that, “Yes, this can be done. It’s totally insane, but I can see it happening.”

Let’s face it, these have to be out of the box stunts that will have you at the edge of your seats. The Fast and Furious franchise is all about action and thrill. They never pretend to be something they aren’t. No Oscars? No problem. This crew is about high numbers at the box office, and they do it quite well. l

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge’s frustrating season looks like ending prematurely, his manager Brendan Rodgers said on Monday

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SHEIKH JAMAL, ABAHANI POST NARROW WINS

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THE LION BEHIND THE TIGERS

Pakistan batsman Younis Khan (L) and head coach Waqar Younis go through their motions during Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha (L) and Test skipper Mushfiqur Rahim discuss team training in Khulna yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK strategies during training in Khulna yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Upbeat Tigers brace for red-ball cricket n Minhaz Uddin Khan from Khulna Hosts Bangladesh will look to maintain their dominance in the ongoing bilateral home series against Pakistan and register their maiden win over the opposition in five-day cricket when they face other today in the first of two Test matches at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium.

The first session will begin at 10am and the BTV and GTV will telecast the Test live.

The Tigers are in their best possible shape as they posted a memorable series sweep in the three-match ODI series before thumping the visitors in the solitary Twenty20 International. However, the home side, in all likelihood, are expected to encounter their first real test today against the world’s fourth-best Test side.

Bangladesh and Pakistan have locked horns against each other in eight Tests so far and the latter has emerged victorious in all of them. Having said that, given the momentum the Tigers are in at the moment, Pakistan’s 14-year unbeaten run against Bangladesh in Tests is under severe threat.

As expected, the onus will be on star all-rounder Shakib al Hasan to lead the Tigers from the front. The track-record at SANS indicates that the spinners have largely dominated proceedings so a lot will depend on Shakib and his two subordinates – left-arm spinner Taijul Islam and right-arm leg-spinner Jubair Hossain.

Bangladesh’s main concern, however, is their fast-bowling department. Although Rubel Hossain is in fine form with the leath-

er, he has disappointed more often than not whenever he donned the white clothing.

Shahadat Hossain or Mohammad Shahid will get the nod today to partner Rubel and early strikes from them will be crucial if the Tigers are to make a good start to the Test match.

In contrast, the Tigers’ batting department is in great touch as almost all of the batsmen are among the runs. The uncapped Soumya Sarkar will add power to the batting order while opener Tamim Iqbal and captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who are both heading to the Test series on the back of a scintillating run in the just-concluded three-match ODI series, will eye to continue their recent purple patch.

The visitors, on the other hand, will be desperate to bounce back in the series. The

change in format saw experienced cricketers Misbah-ul Haq and Younis Khan return to the side and much will depend on the duo if Pakistan are to salvage something or anything from the tour of Bangladesh.

The arrivals of Misbah and Younis will no doubt strengthen the Pakistan middleorder. Younis, especially, is in great form in five-day cricket, having scored five hundreds last year, including a double century against Australia.

Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajaml, the other veteran campaigners of Pakistan, will try to complement the effort of Misbah and Younis. Hafeez and Ajmal have had a disappointing tour so it will be imperative for them to perform well and end the tour on a bright note. l

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Nothing but a win will suffice for confident Mushfiq n Minhaz Uddin Khan from Khulna An upbeat Bangladesh will be eyeing to continue their supremacy over Pakistan when the two sides take on each other today in the first Test at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium. And on the eve of the first Test, skipper Mushfiqur Rahim’s message was quite clear: No team plays a Test to draw or lose and it will not be different for us either.

“Our aim is of course to win the game. We won matches in the last session in our previous two Tests (against Zimbabwe) so it is not that easy. We have the confidence and belief that our bowlers are capable of picking 20 wickets and our batsmen are capable of scoring 600 runs. And, if the fielders do their job well, I think a win is very much possible,” Mushfiq told the media yesterday in the preTest press conference.

“We did not have any win against them in the last 16 years but now, we have ended up winning all the matches against them. Many said they have sent a weak team but if you ask me, we knew what we were up against. It is very natural that when we score runs it is said that the opponent bowlers are not that good and when we fail, they say we cannot bat against a weak attack. This is our culture but to be honest it is not like that for us,” he said.

Bangladesh have faced Pakistan in eight Tests and have lost all of them. The closest the Tigers came to winning a Test against Pakistan was back in 2003. Pakistan narrowly avoided defeat and snatched a one-wicket victory at the last moment, riding on the then Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq’s unbeaten knock of 138.

Tour Tidbits

n Minhaz Uddin Khan from Khulna

Mushfiq – first in, last out Bangladesh Test captain Mushfiqur Rahim is experiencing a brilliant run of form with the bat but this should not come as a surprise as he had to work extremely hard. One of the most disciplined cricketers around, Mushfiq might not be immensely talented as all-rounder Shakib al Hasan or opener Tamim Iqbal but his loyalty towards the gentleman’s game is rivalled by no other. He caught everyone’s attention in Khulna with his dedication in the practice sessions.

Accompanied by the team-boy, Mushfiq arrived at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium a full 40 minutes before training was scheduled to begin. The 26-year old was seen knocking at the nets prior to the training session. And following the conclusion of the practice session, he was the last to leave the ground as he did some more knocking and extra training. As the saying goes, practice makes a man perfect.

Parse Fish confuses Pakistan cricketers Bangladesh batsman Mahmudullah plays football with his teammates during training session in Khulna yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK Mushfiq informed that he remembers the game vividly and said they will be looking to right the wrongs of the past. The 26-year old, however, said it will not be easy against Pakistan as they are the world’s fourth-best Test side.

Mushfiq added that he will be looking to lead the side from the front with his batting and he will not be short of confidence on that front, having blasted a century and fifty in the just-concluded three-match ODI series.

“This plays a vital role in any format. It always has a positive impact on the team when a captain scores runs, takes wickets or makes right decisions. This is what a team want from a captain eventually. The captain should lead from the front. We have the gameplan and it will be expected that those in form will do their responsibility well. And, my aim will be to play a big innings for the team,” he concluded. l

“Parse Fish Do-Pyaza” is a trademark culinary dish in Khulna. The salty and moist taste of the sea-fish does not fail to capture the imagination and the tourists are always encouraged by the locals to give the delicious dish a try. Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul Haq, spinner Saeed Ajmal, spin-bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed and a few others visited the team hotel’s restaurant yesterday night for dinner. Misbah was probably the one who asked the waiter to suggest a local fish. The waiter duly said “Parse Fish” without hesitation but the dish being a rare one, unknown to even most of the Bangladeshis, had the Pakistan cricketers confused. The waiter though cleared their confusion and explained the dish in details. Bangladesh cricketers

Tickets selling like hot cakes n Hedait Hossain, Khulna

A huge crowd queues up in front of the ticket-counter in Khulna yesterday

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Coloured clothing will now make way for white outfit as Bangladesh take on Pakistan today in the first of two Test matches at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium.

The dominant Tigers swept the threematch ODI series and the lone Twenty20 international and the mood in the Bangladesh camp is at an all-time high as they prepare for their first Test this year.

Coupled with their performance in the 2015 ICC World Cup, the Tigers have given the people of Khulna every reason to flock to the field today.

The cricket-mad faithful of the south-western city have duly obliged as the craze for tickets was quite visible yesterday.

A huge crowd started gathering in front of the two designated United Commercial Bank Limited branches last Sunday night even

though the tickets were scheduled to be sold yesterday.

Seezan, who lives at Dowlotput, said he had to wait a whole night in order to collect the tickets. Others, however, were not so lucky as they did not get tickets even after standing in the line for the entirety of Sunday night.

According to Mohammad Moslehuddin, UCB vice president and chief of Khulna branch, only those who had booked their tickets via Ucash were able to acquire their allotment without any hassle while those who came to purchase tickets directly faced some trouble. At one stage, the law enforcement authorities had to take control after the crowd went wild. The situation though soon came under control.

Bangladesh last played a Test in Khulna in November last year, against Zimbabwe. On that occasion, the Tigers thrashed the southern African nation by a huge margin of 162 runs. l

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PLAYERS TO WATCH BANGLADESH V PAKISTAN FIRST TEST, KHULNA

MUSHFIQUR RAHIM

YOUNIS KHAN

The diminutive wicket-keeper is undoubtedly Bangladesh’s best batsman right now across all formats of the game. His Test average of 33.48 might be lagging behind Mominul Haque’s astonishing average of 63.05 but it is the former’s blistering form that should worry and trouble the Pakistan bowlers the most. Mushfiq is the first and only double centurion for Bangladesh in Tests and had a decent 2014, scoring 433 runs in seven matches, including a century and two half-centuries. The figures might not make for great reading but Pakistan will surely be aware of his scintillating run of form in the just-concluded three-match ODI series.

The Bangladesh bowlers will be desperate to get rid of veteran top-order batsman Younis Khan, and early. Even though the 37-year old did not have a memorable campaign in the 2015 ICC World Cup, one should not forget his Test form in 2014.

The right-hander totalled 1064 runs in nine Tests, including five hundreds, two fifties and a highest score of 213 against Australia.

Among the current batch of Pakistan cricketers in Tests, Younis is the joint-highest run-scorer against Bangladesh alongside Mohammad Hafeez. Both have scored 418 runs each in five Tests.

Bangladesh Probable XI Bangladesh - 1 Tamim, 2 Imrul, 3 Mominul, 4 Mahmudullah, 5 Mushfiq (C & WK), 6 Shakib, 7 Soumya, 8 Taijul, 9 Jubair, 10 Rubel, 11 Shahadat/Shahid

Pakistan Probable XI Pakistan - 1 Aslam, 2 Hafeez, 3 Azhar, 4 Younis, 5 Misbah (C), 6 Shafiq, 7 Sarfaraz, 8 Wahab, 9 Junaid, 10 Ajmal, 11 Zulfiqar

Determined Misbah vows to comeback n Minhaz Uddin Khan from Khulna Pakistan Test skipper Misbah-ul Haq believes his side will be able to bounce back in the ongoing bilateral series against Bangladesh when the two sides take the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium today in the first Test.

Pakistan recently experienced one of their greatest lows in cricket history, losing the three-match ODI series 3-0. The convincing defeat in the lone Twenty20 International made things worse as the side were bombarded with criticism by the media and the supporters.

Misbah’s retirement from ODIs coincided with the crushing losses so a lot will be ex-

pected from the veteran middle-order batsman. His primary job will be to remove all the negative energy from the dressing room and boost the morale of his players.

“Our Test side are quite experienced and this combination has been consistently performing well for quite a long time now. It’s a different ball game and these players have a better understanding of Test cricket. Everyone in the team is in good shape and in the best of their form. Also, condition here is similar like in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and we are hoping to carry on the form in the format,” the 40-year old skipper told the media at SANS yesterday.

Misbah admitted that there will be

pressure on his side but then again he termed it a norm. What he and his side will be aware of though is their opposition, Bangladesh, who are in great momentum. Misbah, however, said they will come hard at the home side.

“There is always pressure in international cricket and obviously the opposition is playing good and you have to be at your best.

We are aware of them and we have to respect the opposition as they are good at their home condition and are coming with high confidence since the [2015 ICC] World Cup,” he said.

“But, at the same time, we have also done well in the format previously against Austra-

lia and New Zealand so we are just focusing on our strengths,” added Misbah, who retired from ODIs following the World Cup. Misbah informed that Pakistan will be more focused on their own performance rather than what their opponents are doing. “We have our focus and we know our strengths.

We should concentrate on our basics, which is the main reason behind our recent success in this particular format. It’s important for us to break the confidence of Bangladesh team and for this we have to play our best cricket,” he said.

Bangladesh have faced Pakistan in eight Tests and lost all of them so Misbah will be eager to maintain their unbeaten record. l

Sheikh Jamal, Abahani post narrow wins n Shishir Hoque League leaders and defending champions Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club registered their sixth consecutive victory when they edged past Sheikh Russel 1-0 at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

RESULTS Sheikh Jamal

1–0

Sheikh Russel

1- 0

Brothers Union

Landing Darboe 56

Abahani Gabor Demjen 21

A second-half header by Landing Darboe was enough for the Dhanmondi giants to salvage all three points against their namesake.

Landing broke the deadlock in the 56th min-

ute, heading home a corner from Mohammad Linkon.

The victory consolidated Sheikh Jamal’s place at the top of the points table with maximum 18 points from six matches while Sheikh Russel remained at sixth with nine points having played a game less than their rival.

Meanwhile in the day’s other match at the same venue, Abahani jumped to second place following their 1-0 win over Brothers Union.

Hungarian midfielder Gabor Demjen netted the all-important goal in the 21st minute. Receiving a low cross from Emon Babu, the Hungarian placed home past Brothers goalkeeper Biplob Bhattacharjee from the edge of the box.

Abahani now have 13 points from six matches while Brothers are two places below in fourth with 10 points from six matches. l

Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel players vie for the ball during their Manyavar Bangladesh Premier League match at BNS yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

DT

28 Sport

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

The Lion behind the Tigers n Minhaz Uddin Khan from Khulna Bangladesh cricket was in turmoil. Everything looked down. The Tigers had just ended a disappointing campaign in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 where they went down to a shocking defeat against Associates Hong Kong.

Prior to that, the Tigers suffered a traumatic defeat at the hands of Associates Afghanistan in the Asia Cup. The Asia Cup was supposed to usher in a new era given the fact that Bangladesh had bravely contested the final against Pakistan in the previous edition in 2012. Hopes and expectations were high among the cricket-mad supporters ahead of the continental showpiece. However, only disappointment followed.

CHANDIKA HATHURUSINGHA

RECORD AS BANGLADESH HEAD COACH

l Tests 5 Won 3 Lost 2 l ODIs 21 Won 11 Lost 8 NR 2 l T20Is 2 Won 1 NR 1

We try to do our best and if we do that, I think we have the ability to beat any team The series of defeats saw the then national head coach Shane Jurgensen resigning from his job following disagreements with the Bangladesh Cricket Board. People started wondering whether Bangladesh would be able to approach the 2015 ICC World Cup in the right mindset. The global showpiece event was just seven months away.

Given the short window of time available, doubts started to creep in as to whether the Tigers would be able to find the right person for the job.

In came former Sri Lanka cricketer Chandika Hathurusingha. The ex-Lankan batsman fronted up to the challenge and inked a two-year deal with the BCB in May, 2014. His first assignment – a three-match ODI series at home against a second-string India side. The 46-year old, however, was more an observer than a coach as Bangladesh lost the series 2-0. In the second ODI, Bangladesh capitulated to 58-allout while chasing a paltry 106 for victory.

The entire country was in shock and following the India series, all eyes were on new coach Hathurusingha. The man in question had the reputation of working with Australian sides New South Wales and Sydney Thunder.

Under his stewardship, NSW won the Sheffield Shield title after a five-year hiatus. His tactical prowess was highly acclaimed during his tenure as the shadow coach of the Sri Lankan side.

His first real assignment though was a challenging tour of the West Indies. Although the tour was not a fruitful one, it was only due to the series of changes that took place in the dressing room. The out-of-form cricketers were soon replaced and within a short span of two months, he instilled a never-say-die spirit among the cricketers. More importantly, he gave the cricketers absolute freedom to express themselves.

Bangladesh soon started reaping the rewards as they thrashed Zimbabwe at home in both the Tests and ODIs. The series was pretty much the Tigers’ final preparation heading into the World Cup. Hathurusingha initially targeted a quarter-final spot and although some backed him, others were not so hopeful.

However, to everyone’s amazement, Bangladesh dashed into the last eight for the very first time in their history, riding on a historic win against England. To add to that, Bangladesh ran co-hosts New Zealand extremely close before falling to a narrow yet encouraging defeat.

The whole nation felt a change in the Bangladesh team. A drastic difference was observed in the cricketers’ body-language, temperament and approach towards their opponents. At that point of time when Bangladesh were going great in the World Cup, many suggested that Hathurusingha’s qualities of being fearless and independent rubbed off well on his charges. The cricketers initially found it difficult to cope with his methods, given that Bangladesh did not have such a strong character as coach in recent times.

The cricketers though soon started to adjust themselves to the new set of rules, much to Hathurusingha’s pleasure. Following their successful World Cup campaign, he said the players had trusted him and informed that he was astonished to see how quickly things had turned around.

He added that the changes in the squad suggested by him contributed greatly to Bangladesh’s success and stated that if some of his suggestions on the World Cup squad were not overruled, the Tigers could have performed even better.

This particular statement on squad selection irked a few, most notably national chief selector Faruk Ahmed and Naimur Rahman, chairman of the BCB’s cricket operations committee. They claimed Hathurusingha was “blowing his own trumpet” and “singing his own praises”.

Hathurusingha, however, was hardly bothered. He said he did not want to distract the focus of the cricketers and he was proven right as the determined Tigers swept the three ODIs and lone T20I against Pakistan.

No force was able to thwart the Tigers as they dominated the visitors in all the three departments – bat, ball and fielding. A few Bangladesh cricketers were so confident that they termed themselves as favourites prior to the start of the ongoing bilateral series against Pakistan and they ended up proving it on the field.

Hathurusingha’s influence on the team in the shorter formats of the game has been clearly visible for quite some time now. All that remains to be seen is whether the former Lankan cricketer can exert his influence and improve the Tigers’ fortune in the longer-version. One does not have to wait long to find that out as the Tigers take on Pakistan today in the first of two Test matches in Khulna.

In the pre-Test press conference at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium yesterday, Hathurusingha said, “Our expectation is to win every series.

We are not over-confident and don’t take the opposition for granted. We try to do our best and if we do that, I think we have the ability to beat any team.”

And, very few will disagree with him. l

DT

Sport 29

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

Hernandez stars for Real in six-goal thriller n AFP, Madrid Javier Hernandez struck twice as Real Madrid kept the pressure on Barcelona at the top of La Liga by reducing the Catalans’ lead to two points with a enthralling 4-2 win at Celta Vigo on Sunday.

Nolito fired the hosts into an early lead before goals from Toni Kroos and Hernandez turned the game around.

RESULTS Malaga

1-1

Deportivo

Amrabat 47

Almeria

Oriol Riera 60

2-0

Eibar

2-0

Rayo Vallecano

2-4

Real Madrid

Thievy 8, Verza 68-pen

Sevilla Iborra 16, Carrico 43

Celta Vigo Nolito 9, Mina 28

Kroos 16, Hernandez 24, 68 Rodriguez 43

Santi Mina brought Celta level, but James Rodriguez’s deflected effort put Madrid in front once more before the break and Hernandez rounded off the scoring in style 22 minutes from time.

“It was the kind of game we like,” said Real boss Carlo Ancelotti.

“To play on the front foot and take risks as did Celta. That made for a spectacular and very open game.

“Hernandez is enjoying his moment

DAY’S WATCH Star Sports 1 Pakistan Tour of Bangladesh 9:55 AM 1st Test Day 1 Italian Serei A 12:40 AM Udinese v Inter Milan

Star Sports 2 Spanish La Liga 11:55 PM FC Barcelona v Getafe CF 1:55 AM Athletic Bilbao v Real Sociedad

Star Sports 4 English Premier League 12:35 AM Hull City v Liverpool

Sony Six Indian Premier League 8:30PM Chennai v Kolkata

Ten Action DFB Pokal (German Cup) 12:30 AM Bayern Munchen v Borussia Dortmund

Ten Sports French Ligue 1 1:00 AM Paris Saint-Germain v Football Club De Metz

and helping the team a lot. The whole team worked very hard. We struggled in many moments during the game, but up front we were very efficient.”

Hernandez had starred with the only goal of the tie as Real beat Atletico Madrid for the first time in eight meetings this season to reach the Champions League semi-finals in midweek.

However, they were pushed onto the back foot straight away by a Celta side that had already claimed the scalps of Barcelona and Atletico in La Liga this season. Nolito opened the scoring after just nine minutes as he eased past the weak challenges of Dani Carvajal and Asier Illarramendi before leaving Iker Casillas flat-footed with a low shot that rolled in at the near post.

Celta’s lead lasted only seven minutes as Cristiano Ronaldo’s dangerous cross from the right was cleared only as far as Kroos at the edge of the area and the German curled home just his second goal for Madrid.

The visitors then went in front as Hernandez’s scoring streak continued with a fine low finish after a neat one-two with Rodriguez.

Yet, again the lead was short-lived when Fabio Orellana’s through ball split the Madrid defence wide open and Mina slotted into an empty net at the second attempt after his initial effort came back off the post.

Celta’s offensive approach was allowing Madrid plenty of space to counter-attack and Ronaldo nearly took advantage of another lightning break when he struck the post from Hernandez’s pass. l

Kei Nishikori of Japan holds the Japanese flag as he poses with the trophy after beating Pablo Andujar of Spain to win the Barcelona Open tennis tournament in Barcelona on Sunday REUTERS

Klopp out to shatter Bayern’s treble hopes n AFP, Berlin Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp plans to shatter Bayern Munich’s dreams of a treble-winning season in Tuesday’s German Cup semi-final clash.

The 47-year-old brings Dortmund to Munich’s Allianz Arena for the last time as Borussia coach having announced he will quit at the end of the season after seven years in charge.

Klopp wants to bow out with one last title and only holders Bayern stand in the way of

a German Cup final appearance on May 30 at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.

In Wednesday’s other semi, third division leaders and cup giant-killers Arminia Bielefeld host VfL Wolfsburg.

Having already beaten Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin, Werder Bremen and Moenchengladbach en route to the semis, Bielefeld are one game away a first cup final appearance.

But Dortmund-Bayern is the key tie with Pep Guardiola’s Bavarians bidding to repeat their 2013 treble having already captured the

Hazard wins England’s PFA Player of the Year award n AFP, London Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard’s impressive season was recognised by his peers when he won England’s Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year award on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Belgian playmaker has scored 18 goals in all competitions so far this term, helping Chelsea win the English League Cup and leaving Jose Mourinho’s side poised to bring the Premier League trophy back to Stamford Bridge for the first time since 2010.

Hazard, speaking at an awards ceremony at the Grosvenor House hotel that took place

hours after Chelsea’s goalless draw with Arsenal across London at the Emirates Stadium, said: “I’m very happy. One day I want to be the best and what I did this season is play very well, Chelsea played very well.

Meanwhile Harry Kane won the PFA Young Player of the Year award for 2014/15 after a stunning breakthrough campaign with Tottenham Hotspur, the club he has supported since boyhood.

The 21-year-old forward has scored 30 goals so far this season, a figure all the more remarkable given he did not command a regular starting spot until November. l

league title on Sunday for the 25th time.

Bayern had planned to present Klopp with a bouquet before kick-off after his side won the 2011 and 2012 German league titles before finishing as runners-up to Bayern for the last two seasons.

But the 47-year-old is more interested in giving Bayern a proverbial black eye than picking up floral tribute.

“It’s a very nice gesture, but on Tuesday we’ll be spoiling for a fight and we don’t want to weaken ourselves with flowers,” said Klopp. l

‘Vermaelen will have to win his Barca place’ n Reuters, Barcelona Barcelona defender Thomas Vermaelen will have to win a place in the team like any other player now that he finally appears to have put his long-term injury woes behind him, coach Luis Enrique said on Monday.

The Belgium centre back sustained a hamstring injury at last year’s World Cup in Brazil before he signed for Barca, prompting some to question why the club completed the deal to sign the 29-year-old from Arsenal.

He eventually needed surgery and has yet to make his debut for the La Liga leaders but Vermaelen has been given the all-clear by Barca medical staff and has returned to full training. l

DT

30 DOWNTIME

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Missing (4) 5 Indifferent (5) 8 Tempt (6) 9 Far down (4) 10 Employ (3) 12 Stifled laugh (6) 13 Widespreading dominion (6) 15 Shuns (6) 18 Country (6) 20 Permit (3) 21 Opening (4) 23 Public speaker (6) 24 Take exception (5) 25 Observed (4)

DOWN 1 Shelf-like surface (5) 2 United (3) 3 Precipitous (5) 4 Gratuity (3) 5 Credit (7) 6 Be adjacent (4) 7 Water pitcher (4) 11 Transmit (4) 12 Farming aid (7) 14 Deep mud (4) 16 Angry (5) 17 Part of a ship (5) 18 Ran away (4) 19 Minute particle (4) 21 Fuel (3) 22 Digit (3)

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 9 represents D so fill D every time the figure 9 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

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

Rumours of resignation stirs concern:

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

Farhana Nisho

n Showtime Desk Newsreader, model, and actress have been rumoured to have resigned from her post at Boishakhi TV, for which a buzz was created and Dhaka Tribune cared to investigate on the matter. When asked, if the sayings are true, Farhana Nisho denied, “Truthfully, I did not resign but took a leave for three weeks. Maybe that’s why many thought I was leaving Boishakhi. The news is completely untrue.”

There were also hearsay concerning disagreements between Farhana and the authorities of Boishakhi TV. When asked, she replied, “No no. Nothing of the sort

tv news

occurred. I am adored immensely at Boishakhi TV and whoever spread the news are merely trying to spread negative words against me. In addition, I am just an employee of Boishakhi, not the owner. If I do not comply with their rules, they have every right to let me go.”l

Ranveer Singh @RanveerOfficial Sunshine people! :) @AnushkaSharma #ZoyaAkhtar #DilDhadakneDo #DDDTitleTrack

tv review

Shake it off

Hugh Jackman @RealHughJackman

n N Anita Amreen On April 25, Ekushey TV aired their live show “Ekushey Dupure” with Julia hosting as the anchor while popular singer Beauty featuring the guest interviewee. A little after 12pm as the show went under way, the studio began swaying as the earthquake ensued.

The 53 second video clip that went viral on Facebook shows how the earthquake cut short their discussion on Lalon music, interrupted by tremors that shook the studio. As the studio began moving, the anchor suddenly found herself silenced by fear, torn between her duty to continue the show and run for cover. Unable to decide, despite being unsettled by what was going on, she retained her composure and held a smile for the viewers.

A nervous silence ensued but was quickly replaced by Julia addressing the audience as the quake continued, calmly telling them they were experiencing an earthquake right as of then and wouldn’t be able to continue the show.

As she was ending the show with her closing statement, another tremore had the cameras swaying and Beauty was heard whispering in the background saying “I’m feeling very scared.” The next thing viewers see is the camera zooming into Julia stating that they would be unable to continue the show due to the earthquake. Before she could finish her statement, Beauty could no longer keep her calm and ran straight out of the studio leaving Julia seated as perfectly calm as the beginning of the clip. l

Spring time in lower Manhattan! These trees are spectacular. #ILoveNewYork

Ellen DeGeneres @TheEllenShow

Out of sea n Mahmood Hossain Not everything you see in the high seas is produced by Disney. Black Sails - a Starz original - is a swashbuckling adventure drama for the grownups. So far, there are two seasons and that means you’ve got a good chunk to binge on for at least two sitdowns in the weekend. This show revolves around, at the time, the most infamous pirate Captain Flint and his crew. Believe it or not the story takes place 20 years prior to the classic “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson.

After 18 episodes, we can safely say this is possibly the most realistic version

Monthly English Standup Comedy Show Performers: Naveed Mahbub, Max Mystel Venue: Caspian, 3rd floor, RM Centre, 101 Gulshan Avenue, Gulshan, Dhaka 1212 Date: April 30, 2015 Time: 7:30pm Info: 01755618541 Organiser: Naveed’s Comedy Club

of a pirate’s life in the early 18th century.

With borrowed elements by another Starz hit, Spartacus, this makes for a very entertaining watch. But this goes past the action and overall intrigue. The performances by each cast member is spot on, as each character consistently draws in the audience after every scene. Mind you, this a raw portrayal of the day in the life of a pirate. The island of Nassau (piracy capital, and of the Bahamas) possessed a very hedonistic way of living for pirates and all of its natives. In other words, there is plenty of adult content alongside the thrilling drama. Keep the kids away and enjoy. l

Happy birthday, @ ChanningTatum!

You’ve got it all.

You’re incredibly Channing. And you’ve got a great Tatum.

WHAT TO WATCH TELEVISION

Wolf of Wall Street A Movies Now 3pm Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey Sex and the city 2 CWB 9:30pm Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon The Dictator C+ Zee Studio 9:30pm Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley, Anna Faris, Sayed Badreya

DT

32 BACK PAGE

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015

TREMORS IN THE TIME OF CITY ELECTIONS PAGE 14

MOBILE BANKING RESTRICTED TODAY

PAGE 15

UPBEAT TIGERS BRACE FOR RED-BALL CRICKET PAGE 25

BNP supporters arrested over vote buying Jamil Khan and n Mohammad Kamrul Hasan Police arrested 13 supporters of the BNP yesterday for distributing money among voters so they would cast votes for the candidates backed by the party in today’s Dhaka North and South city corporation polls.

Police officials claimed that they had not found involvement of any ruling party men in such activities.

However, during a field visit yesterday two Awami League activists told the Dhaka Tribune that their rebel party members had paid voters.

Bahulol Khan, a former president of Jubo League Ward 12 unit, who was campaigning for Shirin Roksana in Paikpara area, said a supporter named Anwar Hossain of rebel candidate Iqbal Hossain Titu had paid voters in Ahmednagar in the area in favour of the pull cart symbol.

Asked if the police had any knowledge of the incident, he said: “Police know about this very well, but they remained quiet as Iqbal is blessed with the support from the local MP. “Police do not help us at all.”

When contacted, Anwar Hossain refuted the allegation, saying: “Yes, I visited some houses seeking vote for my brother, but it does not prove I gave them money.”

Sub-Inspector Rafiqul Islam of Mirpur Model police station, who arrested six BNP supporters in the area, told the Dhaka Tribune that he had not received any complaint about ruling party men distributing money among voters.

Even after the expiry of the campaign period, this photograph taken yesterday shows hundreds of posters obscuring the sky over Azimpur in Dhaka SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN The Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested the BNP-backed supporters in Mirpur, Hazaribagh, Shantinagar, Moghbazar, Kamrangirchar and Khilkhet areas in separate drives.

The law enforcers claimed to have arrested a Mohila Dal leader named Sharfin Akhter and her five associates – Farsim Akhter Ani, Shamsuddin, Jony, Samiul Bashir, Rafi and Nazrul Islam – at Ahmednagar of Paikpara around 1:30pm.

SM Jahangir Alam Sarker, acting deputy commissioner of the DMP, told the Dhaka

Tribune that the police had also seized Tk3 lakh from them and that the amount was meant for buying votes for councillor candidate Runu Akhter and BNP-backed mayoral candidate Tabith Awal.

In Shantinagar, police arrested Juba Dal’s Shantinagar kitchen market unit President Abu Sufian and Jamaat-e-Islami activist Abu Taleb around 3pm and seized Tk27,000 from their possession, said Paltan OC Morshedul Islam.

Hazaribagh police also claimed to have ar-

rested Md Alauddin, Juba Dal’s Dhanmondi unit vice-president, with Tk 25,500 early yesterday.

Two more BNP men were arrested by Ramna and Khilkhet police along with Tk28,000.

Kamrangirchar police arrested three women named Shetara Begum, Shilpi Begum and Hosne Ara on the same charge and recovered Tk25,000 and leaflets from their possession.

OC Shaikh Mohosin Alam said the three had been found trying to buy votes for BNPbacked candidate Nayem of Ward 56. A mobile court later sentenced the three to three to seven days’ jail term.

The BNP protested against the police claims, terming them lies, at a briefing conducted by party spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon.

The party’s rebel candidate in Dhaka North Ward 33, Sukkur Mahmud, meanwhile alleged that Awami League-backed and rebel supporters were buying votes but police remained inactive.

Visiting Karwanbazar area, this correspondent found similar allegations. Seeking anonymity, a tea stall owner said supporters of Dhaka North Ward 26 councillor aspirant Shamim Hasan were buying votes. The man anticipates that Shamim would win as he is nominated by the ruling party.

Asked if he got any money himself, he replied with a smile.

Several small businessmen, like the teastall vendor, said the person who was buying votes was Raju, a cousin of Ward 26 Awami League unit President Zahirul Haque Zillu.

Asked about it, Zillu declined to comment. l

Nepal earthquake death toll passes 3,700

Muhith: Pay scale review report in two days

n AP

n Tribune Report

The death toll from Nepal’s earthquake soared past 3,700 yesterday, and how further it will rise depended largely on the condition of vulnerable mountain villages that rescue workers were still struggling to reach.

Reports received so far by the government and aid groups suggest that many communities perched on mountainsides are devastated or struggling to cope.

Udav Prashad Timalsina, top official for the Gorkha district, near the epicenter of Saturday’s quake, said he desperately needed help.

“There are people who are not getting food and shelter. I’ve had reports of villages where 70% of the houses are destroyed,” he said.

He said 223 are confirmed dead in the district but he presumed “the number would go up because there are thousands injured.”

Saturday’s 7.8 earthquake spread horror from Kathmandu to small villages and to the slopes of Mount Everest, triggering an

avalanche that buried part of the base camp packed with foreign climbers.

Udav said his district had not received enough government help, but Jagdish Pokhrel, army spokesman, said nearly the entire 100,000-soldier army was involved in rescue.

“We have 90% of the troops out there... We are focusing our efforts on that, on saving lives.”

Nepal police said that the death toll had risen to 3,617. That does not include the 18 people killed in the avalanche, which were counted by the mountaineering association.

Another 61 \were killed in neighboring India, and China reported 20 people dead in Tibet.

Well over 1,000 of the victims were in Kathmandu, the capital, where an eerie calm prevailed Monday.

Tens of thousands of families slept outdoors for a second night, fearful of aftershocks that have not ceased. Camped in parks, open squares and a golf course, they cuddled children or pets against chilly Himalayan nighttime temperatures. l

The secretary-level committee reviewing the pay commission’s recommendations for a government pay-scale will submit report in two days, Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said.

“Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, head of the committee, will submit the report to me on Wednesday. I will review it and present it before the cabinet for scrutiny,” the minister told reporters at his office following a pre-budget meeting.

He also said the pay commission’s recommendations would be effective from July 1, as promised earlier.

Regarding the implementation of the recommendations, Muhith said he could not say anything definitive before going through the review report.

A Cabinet Division member, who is also in the committee, said the pay commission’s proposal to reduce the number of pay grades from 20 to 16 would not be implemented.

“Doing so would create complications in amending the service rules, as well as discriminations within the grades,” he said, seeking anonymity.

However, the committee has reportedly approved the recommended basic salaries and the annual 5% increment, effective from the the first day of FY2015-16.

But the highest salary for government employees will be fixed at Tk70,000 instead of the proposed Tk100,000, while the lowest salary will be Tk8,500 instead of the proposed Tk8,200.

There will be no change in the salary structure recommended for the mid-level tier, sources said.

A Finance Division official said Tk13,000 crore had been allocated to implement the new pay scale in the next fiscal year.

The Finance Division is preparing an estimated budget of nearly Tk300,000 crore for FY2015-16, which includes allocation for the new salary structure. l

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