May 4, 2015

SECOND EDITION

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

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Boishakh 21, 1422, Rajab 14, 1436

CHINA, JAPAN SPECIAL ZONES COMING PAGE 3

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 22

MAYWEATHER CEMENTS LEGACY PAGE 25

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‘I WAS SCARED STIFF AS THE STREET GAPED OPEN’ PAGE 32

Al-Qaeda claims responsibility for secularists’ murders

Rajeeb Haider

AKM Shafiul Islam

n Mohammad Jamil Khan Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) claimed responsibility for the murder of a Bangladeshi-American secularist blogger, a number of other Bangladeshi liberal bloggers and a well-known secularist academic, according to SITE Intelligence Group.

In a video circulated online, AQIS leader Asim Umar said al-Qaeda operatives murdered bloggers Avijit Roy, Oyasiqur Rahman Babu, Ahmed Rajeeb Haider and Rajshahi University teacher AKM Shafiul Islam.

The AQIS leader said his organisation was responsible for the attack in a video posted on jihadist forums on Saturday, the same day Avijit’s wife Rafida Ahmed Bonna, who was severely injured in the attack, won German broadcaster Deutche Welle’s Best of the Blogs award.

Avijit Roy

Police unsure of al-Qaeda links n Mohammad Jamil Khan

On November 15 last year, unidentified assailants hacked Prof Shafiul to death with machetes in broad daylight near his Choddopai residence close to the Rajshahi University campus.

Bangladeshi militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) also claimed responsibility for Roy’s murder via a twitter account which police have not been able to verify as genuine.

Roy was well known for his Mukto-Mona (Free-mind) blog where he wrote against all forms of organised religion.

Joint Commissioner of Detective Branch of Police Monirul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that the murder were believed to be carried out by ABT. We have been saying this since the beginning of our investigation, he said.

Investigators have claimed to have identified two of the killers of secular blogger Avijit Roy, a Bangladeshi-American, but are still to trace their locations.

One of the investigators, who is a high official of police, told the Dhaka Tribune on condition of anonymity that one of them is Redowanul Azad Rana and the other is one of his followers.

He also said that the duo might have fled by crossing the border with a neighbouring country soon after the murder.

On Saturday, a regional branch of global terrorist organisation Al Qaeda claimed responsibility of Avijit’s murder through a video message circulated on the Internet.

When asked about this, the investigator said they are not so sure about the claim.

“We have been saying from the beginning that a local extremist group named Ansarullah Bangla Team [ABT] is behind the murder. There can be links between ABT and Al Qaeda. But we cannot say for certain that Al Qaeda is directly involved with the murder,” he said.

Two months have already elapsed but the only notable progress in the case is the arrest of Shafiur Rahman Farabi, who has threatened Avijit on social media. Although, Detective Branch of police has been investigating the case, the arrest was made by RAB. A team of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has visited Bangladesh to assist the local investigators in solving the murder case. The US investigators have collected DNA samples and other evidences but there has been no breakthrough from that end either.

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for the post by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

When asked why she had chosen him, he is charmingly matter-of-fact: “Only she can answer that, I think.

“I’m here from a sense of responsibility.”

He dismisses claims that he sat on his laurels as the premier’s pick, saying he campaigned as hard as the next man. “I wanted the people to feel I was committed. We ran a good and effective campaign.”

His wife and chief election agent, Rubana Huq agrees: “We campaigned like crazy. Our effort was genuine and intense.”

His voice hoarse from campaigning, An-

nis takes a puff from the inhaler his doctor has prescribed to help him recover from the strain. “I expected to win. I was confident – I worked hard. I gave my best to this effort.”

Then he becomes thoughtful again and says: “I did not expect it to get so political.”

The Huqs are not exactly new to public life.

Annis has served two terms as president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, and as president of both the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Oyasiqur Rahman

Avijit Roy was hacked to death by two assailants with machetes on the streets of the capital Dhaka in February as he returned from a book fair with his wife.

“Al-Qaeda operatives in the Indian sub-continent have recently assassinated several blasphemers.

“The killing mission started in Pakistan wit0h the murder of the secular Dr Shakeel Auj and blogger Aneeqa Naz. “And extended to Bangladesh where Rajib Haider had earlier been assassinated.

“Meanwhile, the accused atheist professor of Rajshahi University and the American citizen Avijit Roy have also been killed using a butcher’s knife,” the video said.

Haider and Rahman were also killed by machete-wielding attackers. Haider died in 2013 and Rahman was hacked to death in March.

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

‘This is my dream job’ n Asif Islam Annisul Huq seems, at first, a little taciturn as we sit down to talk on Saturday. He smiles and talks about the city poll elections in Dhaka. “I would have been happier if the BNP had stayed in the race – then there would be no questions.”

I later realise he is reluctant to comment on the work ahead before he has the chance to meet his staff and survey the problems at hand. “If I say anything before I have a chance to really understand what the issues are, then I’d just be making pretty speeches.”

PAGE 3 Ex-BNP lawmaker Pintu dies

Speechifying for the sake of it is simply not Annis’ style. The mayor-elect seems genuinely committed to his campaign manifesto, a set of objectives distilled from the results of a survey his camp conducted.

The central focus of the six-point manifesto is the cleaning and greening of the capital. “But not just the capital ... the whole country.”

“We want a clean Dhaka, in every sense of the word. This is my dream job,” the mayor-elect says.

The ruling party’s favourite for the Dhaka north mayorship, Annis was asked to stand

PAGE 6 Community raises alarm over footbridge

PAGE 8 New migrant rescues in Mediterranean

PAGE 9 Britain braces for hung parliament

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PAGE 28 Chelsea clinch English Premier League title

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2 NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

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Police unsure of alQaeda links Asaduzzaman Miah, commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said: “Farabi used to give threats to Avijit on Facebook. We have arrested him. But our officials are now trying to get hold of those who staged the murder at the spot.”

Avijit’s father Ajay Roy, a former professor of physics at Dhaka University, is disappointed with the progress of the investigation.

When contacted, he told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “I do not have any idea about what is happening in the case. Investigators told me that two of the killers have been identified. But it will not be any relief until all the killers are arrested.”

Sources in the Detective Branch of police said that they are now waiting for DNA test reports from FBI. “Once we get that report in our hands, the investigation will make progress,” the source said. l

Al-Qaeda claims responsibility for secularists’ murders Lt Col Abul Kalam Azad, director of intelligence wing of RAB, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that his force was unsure of the video’s claims. “We first need to check from where and which link the video was uploaded and to see if it is a fake ID.” “Once we are sure that this is an authentic al-Qaeda video, we need to launch another investigation to check if the claim is true,” he said.

In March, police arrested two madrassa students over the killing of Rahman. Police are investigating whether they belonged to ABT and whether they had any connection with Roy’s murder. l

Buddhist devotees offer prayers at the altar of the Buddha statue at the Jagannath Hall premises in Dhaka University on the occasion of Buddha Purnima yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

‘This is my dream job’ But the relatively genteel work of managing stakeholders in business forums is a far cry from the rough and tumble world of party politics.

Rubana explains: “Some of the other candidates come from political families: They knew what to expect. We are learning as we go. Annis is a deeply private individual; privacy is now a luxury.”

Both Annis and Rubana appear committed to the theoretically non-partisan character of Dhaka’s two mayorships.

“There is really no way to look at this as a political assignment. If he [Annis] did think of it this way, he would be wrong,” Rubana says.

“He sees it as a combination of an administrative and political job. It has to be teamwork,” she says.

Annis agrees and intends to bring the entirety of his personal network to bear on Dhaka north city’s problems. “I want to make an effort to create employment. And I will ask my friends in business to help make this possible.”

He envisions a Private-Public Partnership model and considerable citizen engagement and cooperation to get things done for the city.

“I want to mobilise mass contact efforts to encourage tree planting and greening in individual homes. Of course this will cost householders some money as well, but we all have a stake in how we take care of our city.”

He hopes to work in collaboration with the federation of chambers of commerce and citizen-led action is another thing he wants to foster.

“In addition to the mayorship, we intend to remain active with the Amra Dhaka platform,” Rubana says.

But the mayor-elect is open to admitting that he doesn’t yet have a plan for every issue raised in his campaign manifesto.

For instance, on the question of dealing with sky-rocketing rents and the need for affordable housing, Annis does not feel ready to comment.

“We are talking to experts. We are working out how to get the land for low-cost housing projects.

“Some of our six manifesto objectives are immediately actionable. Others are mid- and

long-term targets.”

Annis has all of the makings of Dhaka’s first technocratic mayor, driven to squeeze the most out of technology. “E-tendering is high on my agenda to clean up corruption. Digitising a range of services and public sector products will change things for the better.”

The Mohammadi Group which Annis founded and is managed by his wife owns a power plant, an IT services firm and garment units with a production capacity of three quarters of a million items of clothing per month.

The consummate manager, Annis’ style appears to be to identify problems, get his managers to present alternatives, host a team of experts to suggest best practices, lobby stakeholders to get involved and then get to work.

He has put together a 12-member advisory committee to tackle the issues on his six-point manifesto and regularly entertains experts on a variety of urban management issues to sound them out about options.

“Shobuj Dhaka is waiting to meet me in

the next room. City corporation officials have been given three days to give me a PowerPoint presentation on the clean-up situation. I want to start the cleaning as soon as possible,” Annis says.

Aside from cleaning up the city, tackling Dhaka’s mosquito menace is high on the list of priorities. “This will require dealing with sewerage lines, drains and water bodies beyond Dhaka north. We will have to work with neighbouring areas to get things done.”

Annis, despite his sore throat, is now passionately running down his to-do list. His excitement is infectious.

I dampen the mood slightly as tea is being served, asking him what he thinks his biggest obstacle will be in working with the city corporation bureaucracy.

He thinks for a moment, looks me in the eye and replies frankly: “I do not have the answer – yet. Perhaps they do not have the right orientation ...

“I think they may not have the right mindset or orientation to solve problems.”

The divisiveness and violence of party pol-

This file photo from last month shows Annisul Haque in full swing electioneering days before the elections, in which he was elected the mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation

itics appear to have affected Annis and Rubana deeply, and one senses they are wary of excessive politicisation of public works issues.

The memory of the city elections evidently still rankles.

“The mayoral and councillor elections should be held separately.

“Why should we have to pay for their [council candidates’] actions?” Annis asks.

Rubana agrees: “We ran an honest campaign. Why are we being criticised?”

Therein lies the Achilles heel to sensible management and well-laid plans: The sheer unpredictability of political life.

Two days after the polls, a police escort accompanying a Dhaka north official with magistracy powers opened fire on civilians at Banani Super Market, injuring 15.

Since the buck stops with the mayor-elect, I ask him about it.

“The shooting was unfortunate. These incidents shake the confidence of neighbourhoods. I will look into it right after I start working as a mayor.”

Annis’ family appears to be aware that there is a learning curve to being a city mayor. Rubana emphasises that they are every bit as invested as stakeholders in Dhaka’s future as any other citizen. “We are his kitchen cabinet. Annis has to answer to us every morning.”

At one point in the interview, Annis gives me a hug. It is genuinely warm. For a second, I recall childhood memories of Annis on the other side of the interview, as a BTV talkshow host asking the questions instead of answering them.

It helps give context to the man who has just been elected to take on the other most thankless job in the country.

Annisul Huq is a phenomenally successful businessman who has just won an election to run half the capital because the prime minister called him up and asked him to run. All that is true.

But his passion for the job appears to be a personal thing.

I ask Annis about his timeline for delivery on the promises he has made. He is thoughtful.

“Talk to me 15 days after I am sworn into office.” l

DT

NEWS 3

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

Mayor-elects ready to face challenges n Abu Hayat Mahmud and Tushar Hayat Following the much-hyped city corporation elections on April 28, residents in Dhaka and Chittagong are eager to see whether their new mayors would follow through or renege on their electoral pledges in the coming days.

Amid widespread allegations of vote rigging on election day, all three Awami Leaguebacked candidates won the mayor’s chairs; Annisul Huq won in Dhaka North, Sayeed Khokon in Dhaka South, and AJM Nasir Uddin in Chittagong.

Prior to elections, all three of them had promised their constituents they would work hard to make their respective cities liveable, modern and digital ones. Following the wins, they reiterated that advise would be sought from those involved with planning and running the metropolitans, in order to solve the cities’ problems.

But with the poor track records by city corporations over the years, experts said the newly elected mayors would face many challenges ahead.

Prof Nazrul Islam, chairman of the Centre for Urban Studies, said the lack of coordination between government bodies along with corrupt officials have hindered growth at all city corporations including the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City City Corporation (DSCC).

“The newly elected mayors should always develop the interlinks between the service-providing agencies, and also work to eliminate corruption and irregularities,” he said.

Professor Sarwar Jahan, head of Buet’s department of urban and regional planning, said: “If the new mayors do not change the system [of the city corporations], corruption and irregularities will continue to rise while quality of services will deteriorate in the future.”

Residents of the capital and the port city have long complained of receiving poor services from the city administration, and different issues that plague daily city life dominated the mayoral debates ahead of the recent polls.

However, all three new mayor-elects said

Road digging takes place in the capital’s Palashi area to install sewerage pipes backing up traffic and obstructing pedestrian paths yesterday. Such road works would be less disruptive if completed before the advent of the monsoon. Delaying the works is a common practice of utilities like the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority. Confronting poor planning like this is a burning challenge for the newly-elected mayors MEHEDI HASAN they were optimistic about solving all the problems as soon as possible. To achieve this goal, they are planning to initiate a crash programme for their first 100 days in office.

DSCC mayor-elect Sayeed Khokon said he would launch the Dhaka Dialogue he promised in his election manifesto, as soon as he takes oath as the new mayor on Wednesday.

“The dialogue will be held with civil society members, urban planners, architects, engineers, relevant government authorities and professionals,” he said.

Replying to a question about city government, Khokon said: “Setting up a city government fell under the jurisdiction of the govern-

Ex-BNP lawmaker Pintu dies n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi Former BNP lawmaker Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu, who was serving life imprisonment for his involvement with the BDR carnage, died yesterday in Rajshahi.

Doctors at the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, where the convict was brought from Rajshahi jail, said Pintu had died after suffering a cardiac arrest. Dr Rois Uddin, chief of RMCH cardiac department, said Pintu was pronounced dead around 12:20pm.

Dr Rois, as well as RMCH Director Brig Gen AKM Nasir Uddin, told the Dhaka Tribune that Pintu had already died before reaching the hospital around noon yesterday.

Pintu was initially taken to the jail hospital when he started feeling chest pain in the morning, but was later rushed to the RMCH, said Rajshahi Central Jail Superintendent Shafiqul Islam.

He added that Pintu, a former president of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, had been staying at the Rajshahi Central Jail since April 20 after he was transferred from Gazipur’s Kashimpur Jail.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has expressed her deep shock at the death of the former lawmaker.

Meanwhile, after visiting the RMCH, BNP Central Committee member Motiur Rahman Mantu blamed prison authorities for not bringing Pintu to the hospital in time.

The deceased BNP leader’s brother, Rintu, also blamed jail officials, saying: “My brother has died because of negligence from the jail authorities.”

On November 5, 2013, Pintu was awarded life imprisonment and fined Tk500,000 for his involvement in the killing of 57 army officers during the BDR mutiny in February 2009 at Pilkhana.

Later in January 2014, the convict filed an appeal with the High Court, challenging his conviction in the BDR carnage case.

In March this year, the BNP leader collected a nomination form to contest in the Dhaka South City Corporation mayoral race. However, the Election Commission cancelled his nomination paper as he was a convict in the BDR carnage case. l

ment, not the city corporation.”

“I will try my best to coordinate between the government agencies providing service to the city,” Khokon added.

Meanwhile, DNCC mayor-elect Annisul Huq said his first goal after taking office was to identify the internal problems of the corporation. “Later, plans will be formed with help from city experts, architects, engineers and others.”

Annisul added that his philosophy was to turn Dhaka city into a humane city fit for both the rich and the poor, where respect for the citizens will be the top priority.

The views of the new Dhaka mayor-elects

were echoed by Chittagong’s winner AJM Nasir Uddin.

He said a plan would be made through a dialogue with city experts and others concerned, as part of his attempt to coordinate between different service-providing agencies of the city.

Terming water stagnation the biggest problem of the port city, Nasir told the Dhaka Tribune he would immediately sit with the Chittagong Wasa and city planners to find a solution.

Answering to a separate query, he said: “My stance over irregularities and corruption is clear.

If I found anybody involved with corruption, tough steps would be taken against them.” l

Pintu is killed, alleges Khaleda Zia n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has alleged that Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu was killed as per Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s directions.

“Pintu was killed. Why was court order not followed? We know everything is operated as per direction of Hasina. None will be spared.

Pintu was taken outside upon her order.

Hasina is responsible for this killing,” Khaleda claimed.

“I learned that a doctor came in Rajshahi jail but he was not allowed. They did not allow a doctor to see a patient. Are they human beings?”

Khaleda also said: “Pintu was a lawmaker.

As per rules, his Namaz-e-Janaza should have been held in the parliament plaza but I heard that they [government] would not allow Pintu’s body there.”

Regarding BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed

who disappeared months ago, Khaleda said: “We want to know where Salahuddin is. I want Salahuddin returned to his family. None will be spared if he is not returned. We sit silent and our leaders killed one after another, that will not happen.”

The BNP chief also said that the April 28 polls have made it clear why they had boycotted the January 5 elections.

“You have seen how Chhatra League, Jubo League rigged votes with help from police and law enforcers. Many believe that if we were allowed to participate in the January 5 elections, we would have won. But April 28 has proved our hunch.”

Referring to Chittagong mayor-elect Nasiruddin, Khaleda said: “He is a notorious criminal of Chittagong. He was in hididing for 14 years and got bail after submitting nomination paper.” l

DT

4 NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

Chinese, Japanese economic zones soon to be a reality n Asif Showkat Kallol

Japanese and Chinese authorities will finalise setting up several economic zones in four months as part of a bid to bolster foreign direct investment in Bangladesh.

Besides, India authorities are now conducting surveys to build a number of dedicated economic zones of their own in Bangladesh.

Paban Chowdhury, executive chairman of Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “If there was no unrest here over the last four months, the Indian authorities would have already finished the studies to choose investment zones in Bangladesh.”

The Japanese are expected to finalise their decision by June 30 on chosing two locations for building their own economic zones in Bangladesh. Similar decisions are expected from the Chinese by the end of August, Paban said.

“But the investment decisions from these two Asian countries will depend on political stability here,” he added.

BEZA has already acquired 206 and 279 hectares of land in Gazipur and Narsingdhi respectively for the Japanese; and 341 and 3,122 hectares in Anwara and Mirsarai in Chittagong respectively for the Chinese investors.

The proposed name for the Chinese investors

is “Chinese Economic and Industrial Zones.”

This came up in a recently meeting of the BEZA with PM Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

The Chinese authorities will bring gas from Myanmar for powering up the industries set up in economic zones in Chittagong.

Paban Chowdhury said: “We will develop infrastructure outside the economic zones.

But the investors from the relevant countries will have to carry out the developments needed on the inside.”

The Indian authorities have shown intersts about setting up industrial zones in Jamalpur, Panchagarh and Sirajganj.

In 2010, the government decided to offer 22 economic zones to both local and foreign investors. BEZA is now highlighting 17 of these locations saying they are more or less ready to take in investments.

BEZA has so far issued operational licenses to local private investors AK Khan Group and Abdul Monem Ltd. Meghna Group, a local conglomerate, is trying to acquire license for two zones.

Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) will develop yet another private special economic zone in Munshiganj.

The interested local and foreign developers will sign 50-year contracts for getting hold

of each of these economic zones.

According to a draft policy, a license will cost a local investor Tk5,000 crore and a non-refundable $20,000 dollars.

The Prime Minister’s Office has prepared a draft incorporating 20 types of incentives relating mostly to customs, VAT and income tax. Foreign investors will be able to repatriate 100% of their profits which existing rules do not allow.

Economist AB Miza Azizul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that Bangladesh needs $35bn investment every year to attain a 8% year-onyear economic growth and graduate to a middle-income country by 2021.

“That is why the government has taken the initiative to build the economic zones to attract more foreign investment. But without political stability in the country, none of these will work.

“We cannot but wonder why the Koreans, the first foreign investors to set up their export processing zone in Bangladesh, have been treated so shoddily.

“One part of the more than 1,000 hectares of land allotted to the KEPZ will be reacquired by the government for what appears to be violations by Korean firms. This hardly garners confidence among prospective foreign investors,” said Mirza Azizul Islam, who was a finance adviser to a former caretaker government. l

One shot dead in Badda n Kamrul Hasan

One person was killed while another was injured when some unidentified miscreants opened fire at them in the capital’s Badda area last night.

The deceased was Mozammel Hossain Rahin, 32, a resident of South Badda, and the injured is Manu Miah, 30.

Abdul Aziz, OC of Badda police station confirmed the incident and said they were the victims were shot inside a room of South Badda Jagarani Sangsad at Alfatunnesa School Road around 8pm. “The attackers are still identified.”

Locals rushed Rahin to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where he pronounced dead around 9pm. Manu was taken to the Apollo Hospital in Bashundhara residential area, the OC said.

Rahin’s elder brother Tofazzal Hossain Tuhin told the Dhaka Tribune that he was notified about the incident by the witnesses. “I have no idea why they shot my brother,” he said.

An witness, who took Rahin at the DMCH, said Rahin was chatting with his friends in the room when some four or five people entered the room, opened fire at them, and left the scene hurriedly.

Around 50 or 60 locals, who were at the DMCH, tried to take away Rahin’s body from the hospital without the post-mortem.

To tackle the ruckus, Shahbagh police station was contacted for back-up, and police officials went to the DMCH to bring the situation under control and let the DMCH authorities perform the post-mortem.

When contacted, Shahbagh OC Sirajul Islam said police would hand over the body to his family only after the post-mortem was complete. l

Samsung to set up LNG terminal, power plant n Aminur Rahman Rasel On the occasion of the 86th birth anniversary of Shaheed Janani Jahanara Imam, members of Ekattorer Ghatak-Dalal Nirmul Committee arranges a discussion in the capital yesterday RAJIB DHAR

Speakers: Rigging damaged city polls credibility n Shadma Malik Ballot stuffing, intimidation of voters, capture of polling stations and clashes have undermined the credibility of the April 28 city corporation elections in Dhaka and Chittagong, said speakers at a discussion yesterday.

They said such acts had also damaged the transparency of polls.

The discussion held at WVA auditorium in the capital’s Dhanmondi focused on the city corporation polls and the sexual assault of women on Dhaka University campus during Pohela Boishakh celebrations.

“A strong organisational power is needed for holding acceptable elections in the country. The BNP failed in city polls for not having polling agents and also for weak enforcement of law among several other reasons,” said ad-

vocate Monjil Morshed.

“Elections would not have been rigged if held with the spirit of independence. Besides, there are many people who hold a non-partisan view and they could have voted for the candidates who they think deserve their votes if the government could arrange a free and fair election.”

He said electoral fraud during elections and the sexual assault of women during Pohela Boishakh festivities could have been avoided had there been strong enforcement of law as well as good governance.

But Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said at the programme that the city polls were fair.

He said the media had its own agenda and exaggerated what had happened during voting to have the agenda served.

“Boycotting the city elections was BNP leader Moudud Ahmed’s predetermined act.”

The minister also said there would be a time in the future when Jamaat-e-Islami would no longer exist as a political party.

Speakers who talked about the incidents of sexual assault during the Bangla new year celebrations on April 14 said women in the country are still not safe even though there are several laws to deal with such unpleasant cases.

Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha Executive Director, Rokeya Kabir, urged the younger generation to come forward to support women in the society.

“The elite are always concerned about the country’s demands and their own well-being.

They talk about democracy and good governance but those are confined to the areas they operate. They do not reach out to the grass roots of the country to learn what these people want from the state,” she added. l

Samsung C&T Corporation of South Korea has shown interest in setting up a receiving terminal for imported regasified liquefied natural gas (LNG ), along with a gas-fired combined cycle power plant, at Moheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar.

Samsung’s GM Gwa Keun Park sent a proposal letter in this regard to State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid on March 27 this year.

The plant will be set up on a “build, own and operate” basis. The Power Ministry is considering Samsung’s proposal and will forward it to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. after Hasina’s approval, the ministry ask for the final proposal from the South Korean company.

Samsung, jointly with Isolux Ingenieria SA of Spain, is currently constructing the Bibiyana South, a 400MW gas-based combined cycle power plant, in Habiganj as an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.

The Moheshkhali plant is one of the seven imported regasified LNG power plants that the government is planning to install, with the total production capacity of 8,125MW. l

DT

NEWS 5

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

Stop Rampal, Orion PM: Airport to be built in Munshiganj n power plants construction UNB

n Abu Bakar Siddique Environmental groups yesterday demanded immediate cancellation of the construction of coal-fired Rampal power plant and Orion power plant near the Sundarbans, arguing that the forest’s ecology will be damaged by pollution caused by the use of coal.

They also suggested an independent and science-based assessment of the environmental, socio-cultural and health impacts of the two plants and other coal-based electricity generation facilities elsewhere in the country.

The recommendations were made at a two-day conference on coal energy, which was jointly organised by Waterkeepers Bangladesh, National Committee for Saving the Sundarbans (NCSS) and Waterkeepers Alliance. The programme held at Brac Centre in the capital ended yesterday.

With financial assistance of an Indian power company, the government is currently setting up a 1320MW coal-fired power plant some 10 kilometres from the Sundarbans, which it had declared as Ecologically Critical Area.

But environmental experts warned that implementation of the proposed power plant project would destroy the ecosystem, biodiversity and wildlife of the world’s largest mangrove forest.

The green activists at the conference urged the government to take deliberate action regarding coal-fired power plants as those are highly responsible for polluting the environment.

“A comprehensive and integrated energy and coal policy

along with other energy efficient management as well as green development policies must be adopted in the country,” said Dr Abdul Matin, member secretary of NCSS, at the conference.

“Such a policy has the capacity to reduce irregularities, corruption and misuse of power, and to eliminate or minimise the use of coal and other destructive projects in the country.”

Matin said proper public hearings and transparent eco-protective measures for site selection, financing, business agreement, land acquisition and asset evaluation for power plants of any category must be ensured for sustainable development and also to avoid possible environmental damages.

The green groups also suggested the government consider the impacts of climate change while talking about such kind of power projects.

Bangladesh ranks among the countries that have the lowest energy consumption per capita, and is in dire need of energy for its future development.

To meet the demand, the government has been trying to increase energy generation capacity from a range of sources, and Rampal and Orion plants are part of the measures.

According to Waterkeeper Alliance, coal is a dirty fuel and clean coal is a dirty lie.

It says coal will heavily pollute water, air and soil, with profound negative impacts on all living species during every stage of production and burning, including mining, dumping, transportation, combustion and post-burn waste disposal. l

Inu:Drive Khaleda out for the sake of democracy n UNB Branding BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia as an educated devil, Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu yesterday said the BNP chief has to be driven out of the country for the sake of democracy.

“Some educated devils speak for democracy but lead the fight of fire-terrorism.

Khaleda is the mentor of these educated devils. Khaleda Zia has to be driven out of the

country for the interest of democracy,” he said.

Inu, also the president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Inu), made the remarks while addressing a discussion arranged

by Bangladesh Primary Assistant Teachers Society at the Jatiya Press Club.

The minister also alleged that the BNP chief is hatching a conspiracy to topple an elected democratic government to create a new crisis in the country. l

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday rejected a plea from Munshiganj area to reconsider the plan to construct the Bangabandhu International Airport there, saying that it will be on the other side of the Padma River.

Hasina said this while holding a vid-

eoconference with Munshiganj and other districts of the country inaugurating four power generation and two transmission projects from Ganabhaban.

During the videoconference, local MP of Munshiganj Mrinal Kanti Das repeatedly requested her to reconsider the construction of the Bangabandhu International Airport in Munshiganj.

“No, it will be constructed on the other side of the Padma River,” she said.

After the ninth general election, the Awami League government had taken a plan to construct the Bangabandhu International Airport atArial Beel of Munshiganj. But later the government back-tracked from their decision as the local people opposed it. l

DT

6 NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

Community raises alarm over collapsing footbridge n Our Correspondent, Kurigram

Residents at Nageshwari upazila in Kurigram district have raised the alarm over a pedestrian bridge on the Bhitorband-Kaliganj Road which is on the verge of collapsing.

The community, which is separated from 22 miles by a swamp, has the pedestrian bridge as its only link with the district town.

The bridge was said to have been constructed in 1986.

The bridge stands on six vulnerable pillars which may collapse any time. Crack develops here and there and the bricks have been stolen.

Yakub Ali, a resident near the bridge said accident on the bridge became regular phenomena.

“The people who tried to cross the bridge with sacks of rice or wheat sometimes fell

down as the bridge is so vulnerable,” he said.

Rois Mukul, another resident said sometimes there was fatal accident as there was no railing.

Isam Uddin said few days ago, two cyclists fell down from the bridge while they were crossing it.

They were critically injured and admitted to Sadar hospital, he said.

Nur Islam, chairman of Kaliganj Union Parisad said: “A total of 1.5 lakh people of Bhitorband, Kaliganj, Kedar, Narsaynpur and Bolverkhas use

Suspected cattle thief killed by mob Correspondent, n Our Gazipur An alleged cow lifter was killed in a mob beating in Polashtali area in Kaliakoir upazila here yesterday.

The deceased is Hasmat Ali, 25, son of Md Oahidul Islam, from Noapara Tatanga village in the upazila.

Confirming the incident, Mauchak police outpost SI Saiful Islam said villagers caught Hasmat red handed at dead hours while he was lifting a

cow belong to one Omar Ali in the area and they gave them a good number of beating, leaving him critically injured.

Being informed, policemen from the outpost under local police station rescued the injured and got admitted him to Kaliakor Health Complex where he died around 10am.

The body was sent to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital for autopsy.

Case filing was under process in this regard, the SI continued. l

Jubo Dal man stabbed to death him indiscriminately while n Tribune Report he was visiting his paddy field A local Jubo Dal leader was stabbed to death by some miscreants in Dhanmondi area in the district town yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Afzal Hossain Loro, 28, vice-president of district unit Jubo Dal and son of Samsuddin Mandal of Sabujnagar area in the town.

Anwar Hossain, officer-incharge of Joypurhat police station, said a group of miscreants swooped on Loro and stabbed

around 12 pm, leaving him critically injured. Later, he was rushed to district Modern Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Police arrested Mohon, son of Shahjahan Ali, from Muslimnagar area in the town for his suspected link in the murder.

During primary interrogation, Mohon reportedly confessed that he along with his associate Afzal killed Loro following previous enmity. l

Man killed by son-in-law Correspondent, n Our Jessore A man has allegedly murdered his father-in-law by hacking in Bajitpur primary school area in Keshabpur upazila here yesterday. The deceased is Hossain Ali, 45, a resident of Hasanpur village in the upazila.

Biddanandakati UP Chairman Khalilur Rahman said Ajharul Islam, a resident of Teghori village in the upazi-

la, and Hossain’s daughter got married several years ago without family consent and since then Hossain did not continue any relation with the couple.

Recently, his daughter gave birth a baby in a local hospital and as usual her parents did not visit her, which infuriated the son-in-law. He was admitted to Khulna Medical College Hospital. He died when he was shifted to Dhaka as his condition deteriorated. l

the bridge to go the district town.”

No vehicles can ply over the bridge as it had been lying in vulnerable condition for four years, he said.

“The people of the area raised their voice many times to repair the bridge as there is no alternative way for communication for them,” he said.

“I have also asked the concern authorities

to repair the bridge,’” he added.

Farmer Riazul Islam of Kaliganj village said: “ We have incur losses as we cannot send the crops to the town easily.”

“We urge the concerned authorities to repair the bridge urgently,” he said.

Roads and Highway engineer Hamidul Haque said: “The bridge has been brought under the Periodic Maintenance Programme.” l

DT

NEWS 7

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

Quader: Withdrawal of BNP from city polls suspicious

SEXUAL ASSAULT ON INDIGENOUS STUDENT AT JU

Anger mounts among teachers, students over glacial pace of probe n n JU Correspondent Anger has mounted among teachers and students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) over the delay in submission of a report on sexual assault on an ingenious student that took place on Pohela Boishakh, the first day of Bangla year.

Teachers and students of the university said the authorities were trying to save leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) university unit.

They said anti-sexual harassment cell had not been co-operating with the victim rather it repeatedly harassing her in the name of questioning.

Campus sources said anger has mounted among teachers and students as the cell has allegedly attempted to make the victim guilty during questioning which is delaying submission of its review report regarding the sexual harassment committed by university unit Chhatra League.

Prof Naseem Akhter Hossain, teacher of government and politics department and con-

venor of Oikyomoncho, said “The anti-sexual harassment cell was the results of our movements, but now the victims are not getting proper supports from the cell as university authorities have taken control of the cell.

“Although three weeks have passed since the incident took place, the cell is yet to submit its report, rather it has repeatedly harassed the victim in the name of questioning and tried to make herself guilty. We have no faith on this cell and we demand its constitutional change in order to make it really useful for the victims.”

Students alleged that the incidents of sexual harassment had increased on campus as the authorities were not taking stern actions in this regard. They said as most offenders were from political leaders and activists, the university authorities feel hesitant to take actions against the ruling party men.

Student of English department Palash Raihan said: “It seems that the ruling party students’ wing and the university administration are serving for each other. If our authorities do not take stern action against the sexual of-

fenders immediately and implement the punishment properly, the campus would be more unsafe for the female students.”

President of JU unit Chhatra Union Tonmoy Dhar said: “General students are very much angry as submission of report over sexual on a female student is delayed for unknown reason.

JU anti-sexual harassment cell chief Prof Rasheda Akhter said initial works of the review report were done and the report would be submitted within a few days.

Five BCL men of Shahid Salam Barkat Hall at the night of Pohela Boishakh, assaulted an indigenous female student of botany department and snatched her money and valuables.

The authorities of the university handed over the case to anti-sexual harassment cell of the university and expelled the five students.

JU unit BCL also expelled its five leaders and activists for their alleged involvement with the harassment.

Since then the Oikyomoncho, a platform of students and teachers, has been continuing their movement to arrange permanent punishment of the offenders. l

Our Correspondent, Brahmanbaria

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said BNP had not only failed in the city polls but also in waging their movement.

Neither they have enough activists for waging movements nor they had agents in the recent elections, the minister made the statement while speaking as the chief guest at a rally organised by the Awami League on the Nabinagar Pilot High School field in Brahmanbaria.

While meeting the queries of the reporters he said it was suspicious how BNP boycotted the polls despite getting enough votes. This proved that the election was fair but the BNP had pulled out suspiciously, he said.

He also criticised other countries of the United Nations for interfering with the internal affairs like a local election of Bangladesh.

Quader visited the Nabinagar-Radhika Road in the morning yesterday.

State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Captain (retd) ABM Tajul Islam and Brahmanbaria Awami League’s Chairman Obaidul Moktadir Chowdhury were present as special guests. l

WEATHER

DRY WEATHER MONDAY, MAY 4 DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:28PM

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:22AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

36

26

Chittagong

33

26

Rajshahi

36

25

Rangpur

35

24 25

Khulna

36

Barisal

35

25

Sylhet

33

23

Cox’s Bazar

34

25

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

37.0ºC Mongla

20.5ºC Srimangal Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr

3:58am

Sunrise

5:22am

Zohr

11:55am

Asr

4:32pm

Magrib

6:28pm

Esha

7:58pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

Students and teachers of Mass Communication and Journalism Department of Rajshahi University form a human chain on the campus yesterday, demanding a fair probe into the murder of Wahida Sheefat, a former student of the department AZAHAR UDDIN

2 Biman staff held with 40 gold bars in Ctg airport n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong The Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation officials yesterday nabbed two employees of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines with 40 gold bars at Shah Amanat International Airport.

Following the detention, the Biman Bangladesh Airlines dismissed the detained employees –Traffic Helpers (temporary) Sheikh Kamal and Belal Hossain – as the authorities found their involvement with the smuggling of gold bars, said Station Manager (acting) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Selina Akhter of Shah Amanat International Airport.

Assistant Director of Directorate of Cus-

toms Intelligence and Investigation, Chittagong Syed Mukaddesh Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune that the duo had been caught with 40 gold bars which they kept in two cartons of cigarettes around 10am.

Noticing their suspicious movement, custom officials searched them and recovered the gold from their possessions. They were handed over to Patenga police station.

The seized gold bars worth about Tk2.30 crore were handed over to Bangladesh Bank through Chittagong Customs House, said the official.

Last year, Chittagong customs had seized gold worth Tk250 crores.

Earlier, the customs intelligence nabbed

two cleaners of the airport with 30 gold bars on March, 2014 while a staff of the airport manager was found involved with gold smuggling. However, the three were suspended from their jobs.

Airport sources said at least 23 rackets have been actively smuggling gold into Bangladesh. Eleven of them directly smuggle gold and the others operate in the guise of money exchange traders. Of the 11 syndicates, seven were based at Dhaka airport, three at Chittagong and one at Sylhet.

Intelligence data also said gold weighing around 1,000 kilograms were seized from different flights in different airports of the country in 2014. l

DT

8 WORLD

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

New migrant rescues in Med as nearly 3,700 taken to Italy

This image grab made from a handout video released by the Italian Coast Guard yesterday shows an Italian coast guard taking part in a rescue operation of a boat carrying migrants in the Mediterranean Sea AFP

n

AFP

Italy’s coastguard attempted to rescue more migrants in the Mediterranean Sunday after nearly 3,700 were picked up trying to reach Europe on Saturday alone.

Although it was not a record, the number saved was one of the highest ever recorded in a single day, and raised fears that the tide of desperate people trying to reach Europe has not been slowed by recent disasters.

Italian coastguards said 3,690 migrants were rescued on Saturday without giving details of Sunday’s ongoing operations.

Coastguards coordinated the rescue of a record 3,791 migrants on April 12 and another

2,850 the following day.

Saturday’s operations in the Mediterranean involved four Italian coastguard vessels, two Italian navy ships and two customs boats, as well as four cargo ships and tugs.

The Italian frigate Bersagliere took 778 migrants on board while the patrol boat Vega plucked another 675 from the water.

French patrol boat Commandant Birot, which was sent last week to boost the EU’s Operation Triton patrols dealing with the influx of migrant boats, also picked up 219 people off the coast of Libya Saturday.

It was due to dock Sunday at 17H00 (15H00 GMT) in the port of Crotone in Cal-

North Korea’s Kim vows more satellite launches

Guessing game for royal baby’s name

n AFP Britain’s newborn baby princess

abria in the south of Italy, and sailors were to pass two suspected traffickers on to the Italian police.

EU leaders have tripled the budget for patrols off war-torn Libya, from where most of the migrants set out for Europe, after more than 1,200 drowned in a series of tragedies last month.

Most of the migrants rescued Saturday were being taken to Sicily or southern Italy, while some have already landed on the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Several hundred migrants, mostly Africans but also including many fleeing the civil war in Syria, set out from Libya every day on rickety boards hoping to make it to Europe. l

AP

n AP, London Britain’s newborn princess has spent her first night at home in Kensington Palace — but the guessing game continues over what her name will be. It’s possible she will be named Sunday by her parents, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, but there’s no fixed timetable for the announcement.

Britain’s legal bookmakers say the names Charlotte and Alice have emerged as favorites for the princess, who is fourth in line for the British throne after her grandfather Prince Charles, her father William and her older brother, Prince George. Other top possibilities included Olivia, Victoria, Elizabeth and Diana, the name of William’s late mother. l

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un vowed to launch more “satellites” in order to become a space power, state media said Sunday, despite global condemnation on past launches, dubbed disguised ballistic missile tests.

Kim, during a visit to the North’s newly-built satellite command centre, urged scientists to work harder to “further glorify the (North) as a space power,” state-run KCNA said.

“The status of the (North) as a satellite producer-launcher remains unchanged though the hostile forces deny it and its space development can never be abandoned, no matter who may oppose,” Kim was quoted as saying.

The new, 13,770 square-metre command centre will provide a “solid springboard for continued launch of various working satellites,” the KCNA said.

More satellites will be launched into outer space at the time and locations set by

the ruling Workers’ Party, Kim said, adding that such projects are “legitimate rights” of the country.

The impoverished but nuclear-armed North in December 2012 launched a satellite into orbit, describing it as a purely peaceful scientific project.

But the UN condemned the move as a disguised ballistic missile test, banned under the UN resolutions triggered by its nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009.

Pyongyang, angered by fresh UN sanctions following the launch, conducted its third nuclear test – its most powerful to date – in February 2013.

The 2012 satellite launch was seen as a major step forward for the North’s nuclear weapons programme, as long-range missile delivery capability had long been cited as its main weakness.

There is little doubt that the North has an active ballistic missile development programme, but expert opinion is split on just how much progress it has made. l

Former President Jimmy Carter: Gaza situation ‘intolerable’

n AP, Jerusalem

Former US President Jimmy Carter said Saturday that eight months after a bloody war in the Gaza Strip the situation there remains “intolerable.”

Carter and his delegation were supposed to visit the isolated territory but earlier this week called it off siting unspecified security concerns. Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem, Carter said he was still determined to work for a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza.

“What we have seen and heard only strengthens our determination to work for peace,” he said. “The situation in Gaza is intolerable. Eight months after a devastating war, not one destroyed house has been rebuilt and people cannot live with the respect and dignity they deserve.”

More than 2,000 Palestinians were killed in the 50-day summer war between Israeli forces and Hamas militants who fired rockets into Israel.

Earlier in the day, Carter, 90, visited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah and laid a wreath on the grave of former leader Yasser Arafat. l

NYPD officer shot in head recovering; suspect in custody

n AP, New York

A New York City police officer shot in the head while attempting to stop a man he suspected of carrying a handgun was recovering Sunday as detectives continued to gather evidence in the case, the fifth shooting of an officer in as many months, officials said.

Officer Brian Moore, 25, underwent surgery after being rushed in a patrol car Saturday to a Queens hospital after he and his partner pulled up in an unmarked police car to a man who was adjusting his waistband suspiciously, said police Commissioner William Bratton.

The officers exchanged words with the man before he turned suddenly and fired at least twice, striking Moore, Bratton said.

“They did not have an opportunity to get out and return fire,” the commissioner said at a Saturday night press conference at a Queens hospital. l

Taiwan ruling party chairman visits mainland China

n AP, Shanghai

The chairman of Taiwan’s ruling Nationalist party said yesterday that further cooperation between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan was of utmost importance ahead of expected talks with President Xi Jinping as the former bitter enemies continue their 2-decade-old rapprochement.

“Cross-strait relations are something we all have to face,” said Eric Chu, leader of the Nationalists, or Kuomintang. “The 21st century is one of cooperation, not one of confrontation.

Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of China’s top legislative advisory body, told the forum that the key to the peaceful development of crossstrait relations was opposing Taiwan’s independence. l

DT

WORLD 9

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

With nobody set for majority, Britain braces for hung parliament n Reuters, London

British Prime Minister David Cameron

AFP

Britain is heading towards a hung parliament after Thursday’s national election, fuelling uncertainty about the country’s future in the European Union, its economic policy, and Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom.

Four days before Britain’s closest election in decades, the prospect of no single party winning an overall majority and which alliances could be struck with smaller parties afterwards is dominating debate.

Opinion polls show Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives and the opposition Labour Party, led by Ed Miliband, neck and neck, with neither on track to win control of the House of Commons on their own.

“No one is going to win. I know David Cameron and Ed Miliband go around robotically that they’re going to win. They’re not, and they know it,” said Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who in 2010 became junior partner in a coalition with the Conservatives.

He was speaking on BBC television.

Residents: Saudi-led alliance hits airbase in Yemen’s Sanaa n Reuters Warplanes from a Saudi-led coalition struck Sanaa’s al Dulaimi military airbase overnight, residents of the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital said yesterday.

The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out air strikes in Yemen since late March against the Houthis and their allies, whose rapid advances forced Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government into exile in Riyadh.

Iran, which backs the Houthis, does not recognise Hadi.

Last week, Saudi Arabia said coalition jets destroyed the runway of Yemen’s Sanaa airport to prevent an Iranian cargo plane from landing there.

In the southern city of Aden, fighting continued in the central districts of Mualla and Khor Maksar, near the main commercial port, as well as in the city’s north, around a military camp and the airport, where there have been fierce clashes for three days, local sources said.

Sources in the southern resistance, which is fighting the Houthis and Saleh’s forces, said four of their number were killed in clashes on Saturday to the death of 15 members of the Iran-allied militia.

Fighting around Yemen has killed more than 1,000 people, including an estimated 551 civilians since the bombings started on March 26, the United Nations said on April 24.

Its children’s agency UNICEF said at least 115 children were among the dead. l

Boko Haram victims get food, medical care

7 Pakistani police kidnapped by gunmen

Hundreds of girls and women, many bewildered and traumatised, are being registered, fed and given medical care in their first day out of Nigeria’s war zone.

The group of 275 women and children are among the nearly 700 released in the past week by the Nigerian military from Boko Haram extremists and the first to be transported to the safety of a Malkohi refugee camp here in Yola in the country’s northeast.

Officials yesterday are still registering the 61 women and 214 children, almost all girls. Many critically malnourished babies and children have been put on intravenous drips in the clinic and 21 have been hospitalised for gunshot wounds and fractured limbs, said a camp official. l

Dozens of gunmen from criminal gangs kidnapped seven Pakistani police from a checkpoint in the normally peaceful province of Punjab yesterday, officials said.

Sunday’s attack, by gunmen from different gangs, targeted a police checkpoint in Obaro, inside Punjab but at the intersection of three provinces, said District Police Officer Sohail Chatha.

Police are poorly trained, paid and equipped. Rather than instituting reforms, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government has handed much of the responsibility for security to the powerful military, which has a history of mounting coups and is frequently accused of extrajudicial killings. l

n AP, Yola, Nigeria

n Reuters

If Cameron is re-elected, he has promised to hold an in-out EU membership referendum in 2017, while the rise of Scottish nationalists - who lost an independence referendum last year - is generating continued uncertainty about Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom.

The uncertain outcome of Thursday’s election reflects the fact that Scottish nationalists threaten to overrun Labour in an area it once considered a stronghold, and the rise of the anti-European Union UK Independence Party (UKIP) which risks splitting the Conservative vote in its English heartlands.

Labour and the Conservatives are likely to win less than 300 seats each, short of a majority in the 650-seat parliament. The Scottish National Party (SNP) could take over 50, the Liberal Democrats between 20 and 30, and UKIP less than 10.

The two main parties are refusing to publicly countenance a second-successive hung parliament, something that would be taken as evidence that their decades-old grip on power has been permanently weakened. l

Three survive eight days under Nepal quake rubble; but many trekkers dead

n Reuters, Kathmandu Three people were pulled out alive from the rubble of their home eight days after Nepal’s devastating earthquake, an official said yesterday, but rescuers have found about 50 bodies on a popular trekking route that was hit by an avalanche.

The current toll of 7,056 dead is likely to rise as an entire village was carried away by the avalanche. A home ministry official said police and army rescued three people from the rubble in the district of Sindhupalchowk, northeast of the capital Kathmandu. In the northern Rasuwa district, a police team has pulled out the bodies of about 50 people, including some foreign trekkers, from the avalanche-hit area, officials said.

The entire village of Langtang was wiped out by the avalanche, said Ganga Sagar Pant, the head of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal, who has a representative in the area.

None of the recovered bodies has been identified. At least 200 other people are still missing in Langtang, said Uddhav Bhattarai, the seniormost bureaucrat in the district. l

DT

10 ADVERTISEMENT

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

DT

EDITORIAL 11

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

The first 100 days

D

haka Tribune is pleased to publish an interview today with Annisul Huq, the newly elected mayor for Dhaka North City Corporation.

We welcome the renewed impetus provided by the local elections in Dhaka and Chittagong to public debate about the future of our nation’s two leading cities.

As a major economic centre and the largest city corporation, Dhaka North’s future development is of key significance.

We look forward to seeing the fresh leadership provided by the new mayor help overcome the poor planning and mismanagement which has blighted quality of life for all residents in the capital.

The attention he can bring to fighting neglect and improving governance can play a huge part in overcoming inertia and bad practices. In particular, he can help improve the day-to-day management and delivery of basic city services such as waste management, recycling, parks, and green spaces.

He can also use his authority and influence to improve strategic planning and provide the leadership and co-ordination Dhaka needs to develop in a more sustainable and prosperous manner.

As part of fulfilling his manifesto commitments, the new mayor should set bold targets so that he can start to inspire and show improvements that matter to all citizens during his first three months in office.

Making Dhaka more livable by improving infrastructure and reducing congestion is vital to help attract the investment Bangladesh needs to drive growth and spread development.

Set bold targets to help make Dhaka more liveable

Be heard

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

https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

Are we poor?

April 11

you think aid is such a big deal anyway? Remittances to Bangladesh are 11% of its GDP, which is many times more than the sums aid agencies spend this way.

Osmania Rich, poor, white, black, brown -- I know you’ll find men the world over spending cash on tobacco, gambling, and the cinema.

Should not the poor be able to afford simple pleasures? More importantly, how can you talk about east and west without talking about the legacy of colonial rule? Why do

sundar Osmania: The real objective of the author lies elsewhere. He advises the donors to have ideas of our culture, tradition, etc to help reduce poverty in less developed countries. And the best source of having those ideas are local NGOs and the so-called expert consultants. In other words, if the donors want to really bring the people of poor countries out of the poverty trap, they have to appoint the NGOs and consultants as their executing agencies.

DT

Reliable power supplies require proper pricing

W

e welcome the prime minister’s inauguration of six new power plant projects this week.

Bangladesh needs more reliable power supplies to support industrial growth and create new jobs.

Four of the plants have been built by independent power producers in Munshiganj, Natore, Narayanganj, and Narsingdi. Together they will add 314.7MW of electricity to the national grid.

The projects form part of a program to construct some 13 more power plants by next year and increase power generation capacity to 20,000MW by 2021. Current generation capacity is now above 13,265MW, up from 3,268MW in 2009.

It is vital these projects be supported by continuing investment in more reliable power lines to reduce system loss and inefficiencies.

To achieve these goals, the government still needs to raise the price of electricity so that revenue from sales of electricity can be used to finance more new power plants and incentivise investment in more solar home power systems.

Higher energy prices are essential to attract further investment in new power plants and fuel resources. They can also help cut waste, improve reliability, and save the large amount of taxpayer funds which are wasted on inefficient public subsidies.

Creating new jobs and raising living standards is an integral part of the steps Bangladesh has to take to build the increased resilience which our population needs to adapt to the negative consequences of climate change.

The government must make better use of market mechanisms to encourage sensible use of energy and encourage companies to invest in sustainable energy supplies.

Market prices are essential to cut waste and attract further investment

Kamaruzzaman lives to see another day April 11 MAS Molla Now the game really is over. SC judges pass a dismissal order two days before signing, shibirites attack vehicles, a convict is “thinking” about submitting a mercy petition, the minister gives no time, and people anxiously “enjoy” the show!

DNCC polls: Annisul pledges green, clean city April 11 sundar We know that as far as making promises is concerned, we are unsurpassed in the world.

Boost tourism to help economy April 12 Masud Ijaz One problem is that our rich people prefer to fly to Malaysia, Kolkata, Singapore, etc. A 40-minute flight to CB or Sylhet is beneath them. This does nothing to reassure foreigners that Bangladesh is worth travelling to.

Why was HRW out to save Kamaruzzaman?

April 12

sundar If they think that execution should be deferred as there are allegations of flaws in the trial process, then on the same ground, all activities, including their obnoxious habit of poking their dirty noses in another country’s judicial system, should be kept deferred as there are more serious allegations against them of taking huge amounts of bribe from Jamaat for lobbying in favour of the accused criminals.

Raihan Jamil Wonderful points are made here. Thank you for this Mr. Rashid.

April 12

riazo These international, gassy, talking shops are paid to do what they do. We can do two things. First, ignore or dismiss them. Second, not ignoring/dismissing them entirely by coming up with rebuttals such this one you have come up with. Thank you for the article. I do wish these gassy opinion houses would just shut up. But they won’t. We have our work cut out.

Tom Major Viva Fidel. You lived to retire in peace on your own term. Salut!

That Jamaati Guy I guess it might have something to do with the fact that he is a human being ... warts and all.

Obama meets Raul Castro

DT

12 OPINION

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

All that is wrong n Sara Zaker

T

he dead awaken from the Rana Plaza collapse and utter these words: “Nobody has murdered me.” It is a line from a street play based on the Rana Plaza collapse, Jotugriho written by Samina Luthfa.

It has been two years since Rana Plaza collapsed. The above line – “Aamarey keo khun korey nai” -- sung and chanted by a young garment worker, is haunting.

Many other issues were raised in the play, shaking the audience awake from the stupor of everyday living. The questions raised time and again are on the issue of compensating the families of the dead. When the dead awaken, they are above the physical pain of their bodies being burned or the limbs being broken to pieces.

Not only at the social level, but at the personal level too, we are witness to corruption and sexual violence and choose to silently bear it

Sameena Luthfa, the playwright, uses her mighty pen to ask the tough questions: If one jumps from the third floor and drops dead, does she receive any compensation?

And, suppose both the husband and the wife are dead, who gets the compensation then?

The characters are all adorned in a plasticlike body-bag material to indicate that they are dead, and all of them are curled up in a three-wheeler van.

Nabi, the driver of the van, speaks to the audience and the dead.

On Friday, April 24, Raju Bhashkorjo island on the TSC crossroad (in front of the infamous Suhrawardy gate) was abuzz with programs and protests.

The protests were about the planned molestation of women on Pohela Boishakh, the Rana Plaza tragedy, and in Dhanmondi, the tragic and mysterious death of Nasreen Pervin Huq nine years ago.

One can feel the camaraderie in such a place. One feels that, though this very spot has been the witness to so many tragic incidents, the powerful street plays and the protests make one feel that not all has been lost, that all is not in vain.

Now, other issues have come to the fore, the incident of the molestation during Pohela Boishakh and the Rana Plaza collapse taking a backseat.

The natural disaster -- an earthquake that has taken close to 10,000 lives in Nepal.

The man-made disaster -- a chaotic election (where one party tries to outsmart the other) is still fresh on everybody’s mind.

In this country, whenever people feel the need to look towards a Bangladesh full of positivity, the ceaseless crises make it difficult to do so.

Bangladesh is a country of both disasters and possibilities. When disaster strikes, all hope is lost. Issues that were relevant and immediate only a week ago become irrelevant and insignificant, and impunity from all kinds of heinous acts is the order of the day.

Whether it is stuffing the ballot box with false votes, parties withdrawing from election in the early hours of election day, constructing a building for a garment factory that can be collapsed by merely shaking its pillars, leaving thousands dead, or how we take eve teasing for granted as everyday entertainment on the part of hooligans, then of course there is the fact that our city was planned without taking any preparations for earthquakes -- and all of these fall within impunity.

Starting from today, let’s put this culture of impunity behind us. Not only at the social level, but at the personal level too, we are witness to corruption and sexual violence and choose to silently bear it.

And we do so to safeguard the family honour.

We put our highest priority on the pain that we may cause our families and our next of kin, and in the process, we expect the victim to understand the issue. But are we right in doing so?

If the culture of impunity is not rooted out from our personal spheres, can we ever expect to root it out from our social and political ones?

I would like to end with a writing by Zara Jabeen Mahbub, an optimist and an agent of change:

Hey you

Hey you … yes you, You have no right to play with my present.

You have no right to play with my future.

You have no right to take away my child.

You have no right to subject me to torture.

Hey you … yes you, You have no right to cast my vote.

You have no right to burn my car.

You have no right to make my choices.

You have no right to fight my war.

Hey you … yes you, You have no right to touch me.

You have no right to make me ashamed.

You have no right to put me in a box.

You have no right to give me names.

Hey you … yes you, You have no right to call me a nationalist.

You have no right to call me an atheist.

You have no right to call me a mullah.

You have no right to call me a fundamentalist.

Hey you … yes you, You have no right to tie my feet.

You have no right to silence me.

You have no right to take away my freedom.

You have the right to just let me be. l Sara Zaker is a cultural activist

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

DT

OPINION 13

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

Degrees of salvation Moves are afoot to lower expectations ahead of the upcoming Paris deal, with long term costs for the planet

n Saleemul Huq

Y

ou can already hear the sounds of the goalposts shifting.

As the 21st conference of parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) looms, some countries and groups are managing expectations.

Levels of ambition, funding, and the temperature target are all being questioned.

There’s a reason for this. Many blame heightened expectations for the collapse of the 2009 UN climate summit in Copenhagen, the previous attempt to reach an ambitious global agreement.

Hence, there is an attempt being made to lower expectations for COP21 so that the outcome can be couched as a success even if it fails to achieve an ambitious and legallybinding agreement.

This is clearly happening with regard to the 2C temperature target.

The globally agreed target of warming of 2C above pre-industrial levels represents the threshold of globally dangerous temperature rise which must be avoided.

An alliance of vulnerable developing countries, including the least developed countries, small island developing states, and the Africa group have argued for the target to be made 1.5C. The UNFCCC has a review of the temperature target ongoing.

There are arguments now being made by some that the 2 degree target is “unrealistic” and should be dropped.

This argument is based on the perception of political situations in developed countries where there is reluctance by some groups of vested interests, primarily the fossil fuel industry and their lobbyists and paid politicians, to take the decisions and implement the actions that are needed.

BIGSTOCK

There is a real price to be paid by some poor people who will die and some threatened ecosystems which will inevitably disappear

What these “political realists” fail to realise is that there is another “realism of physics” that trumps their political realism where an increase in global temperatures above 2C will condemn many millions of poor people in the developing world.

The rich won’t escape the consequences.

Its children will face the costs, of which, will be many multiples of the costs of taking action now.

There are limits of applying a cost-benefit analysis to the problem of taking action to tackle climate change: The costs of inaction are borne by others (namely the poor and future generations) while the benefits of inaction are accrued to the rich polluters of today.

Hence, why should the polluters pay for action to stop polluting when they will not benefit from those investments in pollution

control?

As one polluter has been known to say: “What have future generations ever done for me?”

Thus, there is really no incentive for polluters to stop polluting, other than regulation.

Even with regard to the 2C temperature target, there is a real price to be paid by some poor people who will die and some threatened ecosystems which will inevitably disappear at 2C which would be saved if the temperature target was made 1C. In other words, the difference between a 2C target and a 1.5C target is in the order or several tens, if not hundreds, of millions of people in poor counties losing lives and livelihoods and some key ecosystems, including coral reefs, being irreparably damaged or even lost.

Hence, even a decision to stick with the 2C global target is to agree to condemn millions of our fellow citizens of the planet to possible loss of lives and some critical ecosystems being lost.

The LDC group, the AOSIS group, and the Africa group all strongly urge that the global target be changed from 2C to 1.5C, and argue that it is both economically and technologically feasible to achieve, but the deficit lies in the lack of political will to act by the polluters.

The report released on Friday by the Climate Vulnerable Forum under the leadership of the Philippines, reiterates this point.

Therefore, the leaders meeting in Paris in December must be aware of the consequences.

A decision to stick to the 2C target is a deliberate decision to condemn millions of their fellow citizens of planet Earth to misery and possible death. l Saleemul Huq is Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Environment and Development in London and Director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development at the Independent University, Bangladesh. This article was previously published in www.rtcc.org.

DT

14 OPINION

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

BIGSTOCK

Nothing absurd about the IPL theatre n MJ Akbar

W

hich of the two provides a better portrait of contemporary urban India: The stadium scenes of people watching an IPL cricket match, or the advertisements that interrupt broadcast after every over, and during the periodic breaks pompously called strategic time-outs? The relevant word is “better;” for both give you a glimpse of real life with the clarity that can only be achieved in the artificially-induced jollity atmosphere of theatre.

The Indian Premier League has very distinguished ancestry. Roman emperors, it has been famously observed, knew that the essence of survival lay in keeping citizens happy with bread and circus. Man, after all, does not live by bread alone, and it is extremely good news that the same can be said for woman these days.

Today’s circus is evident, and equally useful. The cricket stadium is built exactly like Rome’s coliseum; nothing much has changed apart from the addition of a partial roof.

The modern appetite for violence is more nuanced, so we have batsmen in helmets rather than gladiators in armour. Killing is no longer acceptable, so ferocious glee (with attendant warrior gestures) is reserved for the death of an innings, rather than a batsman.

The umpire has the power of putting a finger up, rather than placing a thumb down, a minor variation on an old theme. The ruling

class sits in exclusive boxes, while citizens throng the tiers in all their finery.

So, what do the cameras tell us about citizens?

Young Indians of the 21st century are certainly far better looking than their papas and mamas. This is not just about a stage of life. The young always have the beautyhandsome advantage, for they are glued to the future while the ageing are trapped in a mirror. There is health and radiance that reflects better times. If you do espy a pot it is more likely to be in a middle-aged belly.

There is freedom in dress, and imagination in casual wear.

As a nation, India may still be some distance from gender equality, but there is what I would like to describe as gender equanimity. Young Indians are more relaxed with one another. Compare this to film scenes from the 1950s and 1960s where boys and girls were kept apart in a university auditorium. Politicians who don’t get this will never get the youth vote, which means they will never win anything apart from the morbid endorsement of moralists long past their sell-by date. This is good news.

But the whiff of India’s famous hypocrisy has not totally disappeared. Every team has a hired choir of women cheerleaders, blowing flying kisses on cue and winking with paid dexterity. However, they are all foreigners.

Good Indian girls should never be seen in such scanty dresses; what will everyone say? When Indian girls are permitted into this hallowed choir, they don a sari and do

something vaguely classical. Modern dress and a glad eye has been permitted into the interview area, but kept away from cheerspace. Do not get disheartened. It is only a matter of time.

No more proof needed that Indians are colourprejudiced just below the skin, and just above the skin too

Evidence? The advertising. Indian women appear in shorty shorts, and male ones display breast-chests. One ad for deliriously inexpensive male perfume manages to mix every cliché with hilarious abandon. A man struts towards the camera, with admiring air hostesses streaming longingly past him.

The catch-line is unambiguous. If you want to pick up women, or indeed if you want women to pick you up, just drench yourself with this perfume.

Obviously the ad works, or it would not be

on air.

White is the colour of successful sale currency. The European multinational, Philips, buys time on television for its electric shaver. Opening shot: Dark-chocolate man with jungle growth across face. His cheeks spark, literally, when he attempts to rid some of that beard conventionally.

Then arrives the Philips shaver, and not only does the beard begin to disappear with rapid ease, but the man begins to get fairer, not just in his face but across the visible shoulders as well. By the time the miracle is complete, not only is the chin as smooth as an ice-rink but the man has become as white as a native of Holland. This is not a shave, this is resurrection.

Obviously this ad works too, or it would not be on air. No more proof needed that Indians are colour-prejudiced just below the skin, and just above the skin too.

Multinationals are actually colour blind; their sole devotion is towards the balance sheet.

They do not create or instigate prejudice, but if there is money to be made out of someone else’s stupidity, they are always delighted to pick it up.

Such ad-artifice works only because it is an extension of what we want to be. Rich companies know the formula for turning fantasy into profit. Don’t pass laws against the company. Check out the consumer. l MJ Akbar is an Indian journalist. He is the founder of The Sunday Guardian. This article was first published in The Sunday Guardian.

16

Forward oil prices anchor around $75

18

Policymakers: Fed rate hike in June ‘on the table’

19

Online store merger prods luxury goods makers towards Internet

Janata Bank waives loan interest violating rules n Jebun Nesa Alo Janata Bank has waived interest of more than Tk30 crore in the last two years against some loans, violating the interest waiver rules.

The board of directors of the state-owned bank is waiving the interest on loans at a time while the government trying to recover it’s financial health by injecting more public money as capital support.

The government provided the bank with a fresh fund of Tk814 crore in the year 2013 as the bank was suffering from capital shortfall of Tk1,620 crore.

Moreover, Bangladesh Bank investigation has recently identified the provision shortfall of Tk318 crore during last year.

The board recently decided to waive interest of over Tk10 crore against the loan of BI Industry, debiting income account, which is subject to Bangladesh Bank’s approval, according to the central bank source.

Though Bangladesh Bank has denied extending its consent on this approval as, what it said, the board has the authority to take its own decision in this regard in line with the interest waiver policy of the finance ministry.

According to the interest waiver policy, the board of the bank could waive interest on loan

subject to confirm the recovering cost of the fund. The policy does not allow any bank to waive interest on loans deducting income at any means.

Earlier, the bank had waived the interest of Tk8.45 crore against the loan of Goodman Pharmaceuticals in the year 2013 and also interest of Tk12.48 crore against the loan of Dhaka Hatchery.

The interest amount that has already been charged was waived debiting income, which was against the interest waiver policy of the finance ministry.

Meanwhile, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has also raised objection over the move to waive the interest but the bank did not pay heed to it.

In an objection report over the interest waiver issue of Dhaka Hatchery, CAG said, “Bank owes Tk21.58 crore to the client against which mortgage property is worth Tk26.15 crore. As the amount of collateral is more than the debt amount, there is no way to waive interest by simply debiting income.”

Despite the objection, the bank waived the interest lowering the market price of property to Tk18 crore. A bank could charge interests and show in the income statement until the loan account is identified as substandard.

Later, the charged interests are taken in the suspense account till the identification of the account as bad loan. After this stage, interest on loan remains to be charged.

According to the accounting norms, the bank could only waive interest from suspense account and the uncharged interest. However, the bank could not waive interest, debiting income by any means.

Though it is not required to get Bangladesh Bank’s approval in case of interest waiver, the board of the bank is trying hard to get formal approval of the authority for waiving interest of BI Industry’s loan in an attempt to put the blame on the shoulder of the central bank if any questions arise in future.

“Letters are being exchanged repeatedly between the two organisations, creating a situation where Bangladesh Bank is trying hard to avoid direct response over the case and the bank is strongly pursuing the central bank for getting its approval,” said a senior executive of Bangladesh Bank.

As contacted, Janata Bank Managing Director admitted the fact that it was not a right move to waive interest, by just debiting the income.

He, however, said the bank waived interest on loans after confirming recovery of the cost of fund. He would not detail anymore. l

20

DT

Business

15

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

Qazi Irteza announces his panel to contest FBCCI election

Review report on pay recommendations this week n Tribune Report The secretary-level review committee on the National Pay and Service Commission’s recommendations is expected to submit its report by Thursday, official sources said.

Finance Division officials said the lowest grade salaries might see a slight increase due to shortage of fund in the upcoming budget which might allocate Tk13,000 crore for implementation of the commission’s recommendations.

“If the increase was high, it would cast a huge impact on the budget outlay. So, the increase should be little,” said an official.

The highest salary will be Tk70,000 instead of the proposed Tk1 lakh while the lowest salary will be Tk8,050 instead of the proposed Tk8,200, said a review committee member.

The pay commission’s proposals to reduce the number of grades from 20 to 16 and time scale and selection grades will be placed at a cabinet meeting for its opinion.

The advantages and disadvantages of the matter will also be discussed in the meeting.

However, the committee has reportedly gave its consent to the recommended basic salaries and the annual 5% increment, effective from the first day of next financial year.

The recommendations also include giving low-interest house loans to the government employees. l

Banks lose market cap crown for first time n Kayes Sohel Banking sector has lost its crown to telecommunication sector in market capitalisation for the first time on Dhaka Stock Exchange, as share values of most banks keep falling in last four years.

The telecommunication sector surpassed banking sector in June when the market cap of Grameenphone, the lone listed telecommunication company, exceeded Tk44,000 crore after its share prices crossed Tk300 a share during the period on the DSE, according to the DSE. Market capitalisation is calculated by multiplying a company’s floating shares by the current market price of one share.

The investment community uses this figure to determine a company’s size, as opposed to sales or total asset figures.

As of January this year, the banking sector market cap stood at Tk41,300 crore, making up 15.78% of total market cap and telecommunication sector accounted for 17.6% or Tk50,600 crore of total market cap.

Now, the share price of Grameenphone is

‘As long as political dust is settled down, nothing will be fixed’ being traded at more than Tk300 a share.

The banking sector comprising 30 banks continued to see its value dipping with stock prices of five banks—Exim Bank, First Security Islami Bank, ICB Islami Bank, National Bank and Premier Bank - falling below their offer value.

“This is because of political instability

and partly loan scam that hit banking sector badly,” said Asad Khan, managing director of Prime Finance and Investment Limited.

He said the slowed down investment and rising non-performing loan (NPL) were some of prime concerns of investors over the bank.

“Businesses are suffering. No new investment was made in recent years. Only reason is the restive political situation.”

The bank is now awash with liquidity as demand from entrepreneurs for credit declined over the past several years.

According to Bangladesh Bank, the private sector credit growth rose 13.6% in February, slightly up from 13.3% in January. In recent months, credit growth hovered between 11% and 12%.

The credit growth failed to reach the ceiling set in the monetary stance since December 2013.

“As long as political dust is settled down, nothing will be fixed,” said Khan.

He, however, added despite political turmoil, earning performance of some companies is not bad, which was backed by relaxed improvising by the central bank.

The benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, reached near 4,000-mark threshold after 18 months, as investors continued to release their holdings taking cue from the confrontational politics.

Since October last year, the index lost more than 1,300 points or 25%. l

DT

16 BUSINESS

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

Forward oil prices anchor around $75 n John Kemp

Market participants expect the price of Brent to average around $75 per barrel through the rest of the decade, not much above the current level.

Spot Brent prices have risen around $20 per barrel from their mid-January low, from $46 to $66, an increase of more than 40%.

Over the same period, however, futures prices for oil delivered at the end of 2017 have increased just $4.50 per barrel and remain semi-fixed a little over $70.

As spot prices have risen, the slope of the forward curve has become flatter, ensuring prices for 2017 and beyond are almost unchanged.

Forward prices have settled in the centre of this range, which suggests marginal cost estimates are acting as an anchor for expectations Analysts tend to cite the curve selectively, quoting it when it coincides with their own view and ignoring it when the curve is at variance with their forecasts.

In any case, the forward curve is a notoriously poor predictor. Back in June 2014, it pointed to an oil price around $100 per barrel at the end of 2017. There is no evidence the market can successfully anticipate prices more than about 6 months ahead.

And the curve is not a consensus forecast.

The curve is what traders bet against. There will be as many traders who believe prices will be above the curve as below it. For a market to exist there must be uncertainty and a diversity of views.

That said, the curve can provide some indication about the state of market views on average. At the moment it indicates many market participants think oil prices will trade

Drilling wells are pictured in Los Angeles, California around $75 for the next few years.

That level corresponds roughly to most estimates of the breakeven price needed to sustain modest growth in global oil production.

Published estimates by industry sources range from a marginal cost of $55 or $65 to as much as $75 or $85 per barrel.

Forward prices have settled in the centre of this range, which suggests marginal cost estimates are acting as an anchor for expectations.

Those expectations appear roughly reasonable. North Dakota’s Department of Mineral Resources estimates the state’s shale producers need at WTI price of $65 per barrel to sustain their current output of 1.2 million barrels per day.

Cost reduction throughout the supply chain

REUTERS

should help lower the marginal cost of production in the next 2-3 years, which could pull medium-term prices below their current level.

On the other hand, if Brent prices stabilise around $75, growth in oil demand, which has been subdued, is likely to accelerate, tending to push up prices in the medium term.

There is no such thing as an “equilibrium” price in the oil market. Supply and demand are characterised by long lags and deep cycles which ensure prices are always unstable in the medium and long term.

But as a very rough estimate for planning and investing purposes, assuming an average of $75 per barrel over the next 3-4 years is reasonable (though that could just be me invoking the forward curve as it agrees with my own assessment).

Prices much above that level look unsustainable because they would encourage too much new supply, especially from the shale sector, and restrain demand.

Prices much below look equally unstable because they would not sustain healthy capital investment and boost demand too much.

The only certainty is that predictions about oil prices are always wrong (newspapers and academic books are littered with dozens of forecasts that went badly awry and it is hubris to assume this time will be any different).

But if you want a figure to plug into a medium-term model, $75 is not a bad place to start. l John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst. The article was initially published at Reuters.

Warren Buffett denies that Berkshire Hathaway ‘too big to fail’ n Reuters, Omaha

HeidelbergCement Bangladesh Ltd (HCBL) has recently signed an agreement with Max-Ranken Joint Venture on supplying cement for Muradpur-Lalkhanbazar flyover project in Chittagong. Syed Abu Abed Saher, director (marketing & sales) of HCBL and Md Mashek Ali, general manager (supply chain management) of Max-Raken Joint Venture have signed the agreement

Warren Buffett on Saturday rejected the idea that Berkshire Hathaway Inc, a sprawling conglomerate he has built over 50 years, has grown so big that it is now too big to fail and requires tighter regulatory oversight.

“There is no reason, in logic or in terms of what we’ve heard, to think that Berkshire would be designated as a SIFI,” Buffett said at Berkshire’s annual meeting, using the acronym for systemically important financial institution. “I do not think Berkshire comes within miles of qualifying as a SIFI.” The SIFI designation forces companies to submit to Federal Reserve oversight, and could make them adopt tighter capital and liquidity requirements that could impede growth and profitability.

Buffett and his second-in-command, Charlie Munger, were fielding questions at

the annual shareholder meeting. Buffett was responding to a question about how the SIFI designation would affect Berkshire.

The focus on Berkshire’s size has grown over the years as Berkshire has amassed more than 80 businesses, including capital-intensive businesses such as the Burlington Northern railroad, and units that insure against major catastrophes.

Those catastrophes can be costly, and both the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon as well as Hurricane Katrina in 2005 cost Berkshire billions of dollars.

Buffett, however, has pledged to maintain a $20bn cash cushion at Berkshire - it has $63.7bn now - to protect against such problems.

Moreover, Berkshire gained a reputation during the global financial crisis as a source of liquidity, investing in companies as diverse as Goldman Sachs Group Inc, General Electric Co and motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc. l

DT

BUSINESS 17

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

China, Japan, South Korea commit to economic policies supporting demand n Reuters, Baku Central bankers and finance ministers from China, Japan and South Korea said on Sunday they remained committed to policies to support demand in the face of moderate and uneven global growth.

The policymakers for the three North Asian economies held a trialateral meeting, chaired by Japan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso, on the sidelines of an Asian Development Bank Meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Their joint statement noted that global economy was passing through an uncertain phase, and growth remained moderate and was following divergent paths.

“We are committed to continue implementing timely and effective macroeconomic policies in order to help boost demand,” the statement said.

“Structural reforms to increase potential growth should continue to remain a high priority for a sustainable and balanced growth.”

The statement also urged a caution in monetary policy.

“In an uncertain environment of global economy, monetary policy settings should be carefully calibrated and clearly communicated to minimize negative spillovers,” it said.

Many economists have warned that expected interest rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve at a time when many other central banks continue to pursue loose monetary policies could cause volatility in capital flows and exchange rates.

“When dealing with possible macroeconomic and financial stability risks arising from volatile capital flows, the necessary macroeconomic policy adjustments could be supported by macro-prudential policies,” the statement said.

For many years the engine of global economic growth, Asian economies are struggling

Japan’s Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso makes remarks during a news conference, in Washington to maintain momentum. Growth in China, the world’s second largest economy, slipped to a six-year low of 7% in the first quarter.

Japan, the third largest economy, rebounded from recession in the final quarter of last year, but the 2.2% growth was still regarded

as subdued, and the economy has some way to go before fully emerging from years of debilitating deflation.

South Korea’s Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan told journalists in Baku that his country’s growth rate this year was likely to

REUTERS

be similar to the 3.3% growth posted in 2014.

He said policymakers were likely to wait until the end of June before assessing whether more stimulus measures were needed.

The four-day annual meeting of the ADB’s board of governors began on Saturday. l

New York Times not giving Gold falls more than 1% up on print just yet to 6-week low n Reuters For the New York Times, it will be “All the News That’s Fit to Print” - literally - for a while yet.

Mark Thompson, chief executive of the New York Times Co, says that while the company’s digital business is the future, he isn’t giving up on print.

“We are determined to do everything we can do to defend print advertising,” Thompson said in an interview.

“Print advertising is not going to be a part of the growth story of the New York Times, but for economic reasons it matters very much that we hold it as much as we can.”

The Times, like other newspapers, has been under immense pressure to find new avenues of growth as print advertising revenue shrinks and spending moves toward digital

ads, which are cheaper and offer quick and quantifiable returns.

But revenue from print advertising still accounts for more than two-thirds of the Times’ advertising revenue.

The paper scrapped its Home and Automobiles sections recently, but debuted a Men’s Style monthly section in April that focuses on fashion and lifestyle.

The Times also, in Thompson’s words, “brilliantly relaunched” the New York Times Magazine in February.

The magazine, as well as “T: The New York Times Style Magazine”, were growing revenue, he said.

“Digital is the main growth area. But where we can invest in what I call ‘islands of growth’ or ‘segments of growth’ in the print side, we will do that,” Thompson said. l

n Reuters, London Gold slid to six-week lows on Friday in holiday-thinned trade, as disappointment at its failure to hold above $1,200 an ounce this week and longer-term expectations for a US rate rise undermined investor confidence.

Technical factors were also at play, with downward momentum picking up sharply as prices broke through their April low at $1,175 an ounce.

Spot gold was down 0.9% at $1,173.11 an ounce at 1308 GMT, while US gold futures for June delivery were down $9.90 an ounce at $1,172.50. Earlier spot prices fell more than 1% to $1,170.90, their lowest since March 20.

Gold hit its highest since early April at $1,215 earlier this week, but failed to hold that level after the Federal Reserve signalled on

Wednesday that it sees the recent slowdown in the US economy as transitory, not ruling out an interest rate rise this year.

“There is still fall-out from the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) - there has been a hiccup in the US recovery, but certainly the view is that interest rates are going up, so gold is struggling,” said Simon Weeks, head of precious metals at the Bank of Nova Scotia.

“On a thin bank holiday weekend, that will be exacerbated,” he added. “$1,175 is just about holding at the moment, but that should open up the charts to $1,150.”

Gold has traded in a narrow range over the last month on uncertainty over the timing of the Fed’s first interest rate rise in nearly a decade, despite weakness in the dollar, which suffered its worst month in four years in April. l

DT

18 BUSINESS

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

Policymakers: Fed rate hike in June ‘on the table’ n Reuters The Federal Reserve could well raise interest rates as soon as June, two top US central bankers said on Friday, so long as economic data strengthens as expected from a dismal first quarter.

That view - from the hawkish-leaning chief of the Cleveland Fed and from the centrist head of the San Francisco Fed - is at odds with the view of many traders, whose bets in the interest-rate futures markets suggest they have all but discounted a June rate hike and now expect the Fed to wait until December before raising rates for the first time since 2006.

The Fed has kept interest rates near zero since December 2008.

The key, both Loretta Mester, president of the Cleveland Fed, and John Williams, president of the San Francisco Fed, said, is that by a quirk of the calendar there will be two more months of data for many of the key gauges the Fed follows, including the US jobless rate, jobs gains, retail sales and others.

All scheduled Fed policy meetings, including the next one, in June, are “on the table,” Mester told reporters in Philadelphia. “There are a whole bunch of data releases that will come out between now and June. But to me the employment reports will be indicative of a lot.”

The US economy’s weak winter performance, including near-zero growth in gross domestic product, has pushed back market expectations for a policy tightening to September or December, when key Fed meetings are also scheduled.

Yet the Fed has telegraphed a rate hike this year, and unemployment, at 5.5%, is not too far from what many economists believe represents full employment.

“I agree with the way my colleague Loretta Mester put it,” Williams told reporters after a speech at Chapman University, repeating Mester’s phrase that all meetings are “on the table.”

“Really positive data trends, improvement in the labor market, signs that improve the

John Williams, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, speaks in San Francisco confidence and the expectation that inflation will move back to 2% - I mean could imagine that constellation of data coming in, whether before June or meetings right after that too,” Williams said. “But that would require the

data to be good.”

Both Mester and Williams pointed to recent data showing inflation may be firming, suggested they are gaining confidence it is heading toward the Fed’s 2% target.

REUTERS

Looking beyond the Fed’s first rate hike, Williams said the US central bank should put some “space” between the start of policy normalization and the decision to allow the Fed’s giant balance sheet to shrink. l

Anemic US factory data points to moderate growth bounce n Reuters, Washington US factory activity failed to gain steam in April after slowing for five straight months and demand for automobiles softened, suggesting the economy was struggling to find momentum after growth almost stalled in the first quarter.

Other data on Friday showed construction spending hit a six-month low in March, also indicating that the anticipated acceleration in growth in the second quarter could disappoint. That could see the Federal Reserve delaying raising interest rates until later this year.

The economy expanded at a 0.2% annual pace in the first three months of the year, slammed by bad weather, a strong dollar and a now-resolved labor dispute at the West Coast ports, as well as lower oil prices, which have undercut domestic energy production.

“The reacceleration in growth will not come fast enough for many, especially those looking for a liftoff by the Fed to happen sooner,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial in New York.

The Institute for Supply Management said

its index of national factory activity was at 51.5 in April, matching the March reading, which had been the lowest since May 2013.

The index had declined since November and economists had expected it to rise to 52 in April. A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector.

While new orders rose last month, a gauge of factory employment contracted for the first time since May 2013 and recorded its lowest reading since September 2009.

Manufacturing has been hit by the dollar’s 12% appreciation against the currencies of the United States’ main trading partners since June.

The buoyant currency has hurt export growth and profits of multinational corporations, including Procter & Gamble Co, the world’s largest household products maker, and prompted Colgate-Palmolive and healthcare conglomerate Johnson & Johnson to cut their profit forecasts for the full year.

Whirlpool Corp, the world’s largest maker of home appliances, lowered its profit forecast and sales outlook for 2015.

Manufacturing, which accounts for about

12% of the US economy, is also being pressured by the lower oil prices, which have caused oil-field companies to slash spending on exploration and well drilling.

Caterpillar Inc has warned the dollar and weak oil prices will hurt profits this year.

US stocks closed higher. The dollar rose against a basket of currencies, while US Treasury debt prices fell.

Regaining footing

separately, auto sales fell to an annualized pace of 16.45 million vehicles last month from a 17.15 million-unit rate in March. However, General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co reported stronger-than-expected US auto sales in April on robust demand for trucks, and crossover and sports utility vehicles.

Demand for autos is likely to pick up in the months ahead. In another report, the University of Michigan said its overall index on consumer sentiment rose to 95.9 this month, the second highest level since 2007, from 93 in March.

Consumers were upbeat about both current conditions and expectations for the fu-

ture. More consumers said it was a good time to buy a major household item and a vehicle.

There was also an increase in consumers saying it was a good time to buy and sell a house, which should support home sales.

“This suggests that there may be some upside risk for durable goods spending in the second quarter ... and that perhaps housing market activity will pick up in the months ahead,” said Mark Vitner, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In a fourth report, the Commerce Department said construction spending slipped 0.6% to an annual rate of $966.6bn in March, the lowest level since September.

Construction spending was weighed down by a 1.6% decline in private residential construction spending, the biggest such decline since June. Public construction outlays were also weak.

“We think the outlook for residential construction is positive in 2015 as household formation appears to have picked up and as house price gains have remained firm,” said John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics in New York. l

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MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

In India’s grain bowl, recent rains ease weak monsoon worries n Reuters, New Delhi

People stroll past Prada’s fashion store in downtown Milan

REUTERS

Online store merger prods luxury goods makers towards Internet n Reuters, Paris The merger of the world’s two biggest online fashion stores, Net-a-Porter (NAP) and Yoox , sends a warning to luxury brands to embrace the Internet with more vim after years of resistance.

Top brands such as Prada and LVMH’s Christian Dior still baulk at the idea of selling clothing online as well as through their plush boutiques.

“Considering the level of sophistication and image of our ready-to-wear, we feel the shopping experience has to remain immaculate and in-store,” says Stefano Cantino, head of marketing and commercial development at Prada.

“You need the physical environment to try the product on and you need an exclusive service which you can only get in a boutique.”

But as more people choose to buy through a website instead of going to Rue St Honore or New Bond Street, that position looks increasingly untenable. Brands whose goods are not available online risk losing customers to rivals.

Luxury executives understand the Internet will be vital for future sales, particularly to so-called Millennials - web-savvy customers born between 1980 and 2000.

Yet top brands such as LVMH’s Louis Vuitton, Hermes , Prada and Chanel have been slow to invest in e-commerce as other retail sectors have done in the last decade.

Some have focused as much on the shopping experience as on the products themselves, spending heavily on worldwide expansion and revamping stores with help from famous designers.

“Many luxury brands have not figured out

yet how to be innovative and creative online,” said Anant Sharma of consultancy Matter of Form. “It looks like they are scared to try things out.”

Sharma said many brands’ websites mimicked the appearance of Net-a-Porter’s blackand-white portal. “If they had the same approach to physical retail, we’d all be shopping in whitewashed rooms with clothes lined up against the four walls.”

Immediately after the Yoox/NAP deal was unveiled last month, Chanel said it would start retailing online next year. This month, it is selling a new jewellery line exclusively through Net-a-Porter (NAP) for just three weeks.

“The merger between Yoox and NAP sends the message that you need to be online or you may be out of the game,” Euromonitor luxury goods analyst Fflur Roberts said.

Euromonitor expects 40% of all luxury goods sales will be made via the Internet in less than five years.

Online annual luxury goods sales have been growing at 15-25% while the industry’s average growth rate has slumped to 5% this year from above 10% four years ago as brands have completed big global roll-outs.

Analysts estimate that 5-6% of luxury goods are purchased online, although that jumps to around 8% for leather goods such as shoes and handbags.

Designer websites vary in usability but few offer customers as much help as sites like NAP, which shows clothes on models, gives details of fit and sizing and carries styling tips.

Prada’s e-commerce site carries no ready-towear, sticking to bags, shoes and other accessories. Kering’s Saint Laurent and Gucci have slicker sites, offering a wide range of clothing

and proposing complete looks. Saint Laurent also features designer Hedi Slimane’s black and white photographs of musicians such as Marilyn Manson and Marianne Faithful.

But Hermes’s iconic 8,000 euro Birkin or Kelly bags still cannot be bought online - and may take more than year to arrive after being ordered from a store.

Department stores push

while many big luxury brands are still figuring out an Internet strategy, high-end department stores already sell their products online.

The Neiman Marcus chain, which includes New York’s Bergdorf Goodman, does 24% of its business online, up from 15% five or six years ago. Last year, it acquired German online fashion retailer My Theresa, aiming to better serve customers outside the United States.

London’s Harrods, whose website gets 3 million visitors a month and sells brands such as Valentino and LVMH’s Givenchy, is also stepping up online investment.

“Our customer demands an omni-channel shopping experience, and to remain at the forefront of luxury retail we need to respond to this,” Harrods managing director Michael Ward said.

Chief Executive Bernard Arnault said at LVMH’s annual general meeting last week that “more and more products would be sold online” and the group was “currently adapting to this situation”.

LVMH labels such as Fendi, Kenzo and Emilio Pucci already offer many products online - Fendi sells 750 euro baguette bags and 6,180 euro blue feathered dresses - but Louis Vuitton sells only accessories, pens, watches and jewellery. l

Recent unseasonal rainfall in India has come as a blessing for some farmers as it has replenished reservoirs in parts of the country, allaying concerns stemming from forecasts for a weak summer monsoon this year.

High water levels should also help ease the pain for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government which is struggling to address rural distress after the unseasonal rains damaged winter crops like wheat, rapeseed and potato.

But these rains have driven up reservoir levels in paddy-growing states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, the country’s grain bowl in the north, to higher than both a year ago and the average of the past decade, government data showed on Friday.

“This is a case of cold comfort, but the excessive rainfall that we have witnessed in the past six weeks have replenished reservoirs which would help mitigate the impact of deficient monsoon rains,” said Aditi Nayar, senior economist at ICRA, the Indian arm of ratings agency Moody’s.

India is expected to see below-average rains this year as the emergence of an El Nino weather pattern will likely cause dry spells across South Asia.

The monsoons are vital for India as its farm sector accounts for 14% of its economy, and half of its farm land lacks irrigation. Weak rains have cut farm output in the past, stoking food price inflation in the country. l

Russia signs up to $100 bn BRICS fund to rival IMF n AFP, Moscow Russian President Vladimir Putin ratified an accord Saturday to set up a $100bn reserve fund for the so-called BRICS - the five leading emerging economies that include Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa.

Moscow is expected to contribute $18bn to the reserve, well behind the $41bn China has promised to pour into the fund that was set up after an agreement signed in July 2014 in Brazil.

The emerging economies also plan to form their own international bank based in Shanghai to challenge western dominance over international money markets.

“The accord on the creation of a common reserve fund for BRICS countries has been ratified,” a document from the Kremlin quoted

by RIA Novosti news agency said.

The fund is meant to shield the BRICS against “short-term liquidity pressures” and promote greater cooperation between the five member countries.

Russia - which has suffered huge currency fluctuations since the outbreak of the crisis in Ukraine - sees the fund as an alternative to international financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank that are dominated by the United States.

The BRICS countries between them account for 40% of the world’s population, and a fifth of the planet’s GDP. l

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20 BUSINESS

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

ICCB: Political stability vital for sustainable growth

n Tribune Report

A group of businessmen declare their panel to contest FBCCI election for the 2015-17 term at a press conference yesterday

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Qazi Irteza announces his panel to contest FBCCI election n Tribune Report A panel under the title of “Babosaye Oikkya Parishad” has been announced to contest the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) biennial election for 2015-17 term.

The election is scheduled to be held on May 23.

Panel leader Qazi Irteza Hasan made the announcement at a press conference at a city hotel yesterday.

Two other key players of the panel are Syed Moazzem Hossain, former president of Bangladesh Indenting Agents Association, and Md Shafqat Haider, president of Bangladesh Association of Call Center and Outsourcing.

Addressing the function as chair, Irteza alleged that the activities of the apex trade body came to a standstill and FBCCI failed to play its proper role in policy making.

He also said the leaders of the apex trade

body have also failed to resolve the demands and problems of the businessmen and industrialists of the country.

The panel vowed to ensure the common interests of businessmen in general and expedite the overall economic development of Bangladesh.

Babosaye Oikkya Parishad will work to resolve the problems of businessmen, especially small and medium entrepreneurs, set Tax and VAT at a rational level, restore business confidence and provide all-sorts of facilities for women entrepreneurs.

The panel also pledged to ensure utilisation of information technology for the development of business and establishment of a strong modern research and development cell.

Other members of the panel include Khondoker Ruhul Amin of Four Stroke CNG Association of Bangladesh, Md Mijanur Rahman Babul of Bangladesh Steel Mill Owners Association, Md Jamiul Ahmed of Tourism Develop-

ers Association of Bangladesh, Md Ali Jaman of Bangladesh Steel Mills Owners Association, Jakir Ahammad, Bangladesh Boutique House Owners Association, Abul Ayes Khan of Bangladesh Auto Spare Parts Merchants Association, Haji Moajjem Hossain of Bangladesh Footwear and Footwear Accessories Importers Association, Md Aslam Ali of Bangladesh Sub-Contracting Owners Association, MGR Nasir Majumder, Bangladesh Inbound Tour Operators Association, Taher Ahmed Siddique of Bangladesh Egg Producers Association, Md Ibrahim of Bangladesh Master Stevedores Association, Mohammad Ullah Palash of Bangladesh Acid Merchants Association and Mahmuda Mustakima Rubi of Bangladesh Beauty Parlour Owners Association.

Earlier, two panels led by Nitol Niloy Group Chairman Abdul Matlub Ahmad and FBCCI first Vice-President Monowara Hakim Ali were announced to contest the election of the apex trade body. l

Political stability is vital for sustainability of Bangladesh economic achievements, said an annual report of ICCB Council on Saturday.

It observed Bangladesh is on the way to become middle income country by 2021, but to attain this the country must increase its investment.

The on-going political unrest may deal a blow to the vision, International Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh (ICCB) said, adding that the economy has maintained a healthy 6%-plus growth rate, despite global shocks.

Sustained growth has generated higher demand for improved infrastructure including uninterrupted power supply, better transport and telecommunication services. All these require increased private investment, according to the report. It said the unstable political situation would have an adverse effect on the economy if prolonged.

“We must, therefore, work together to overcome all hurdles and come out of the stagnant 6% GDP growth,” the ICCB Council observed. l

3G enabled Walton tab hits market today

n Tribune Report

The Walton, a local manufacturer of electronic products, is going to lunch its 3G enabled Walpad Pro, to the tab-lovers with latest stylish multifunction, featuring Windows 8.1 operating system.

The local brand Walpad Pro tab, which features an 8.9-inch display, will hit the country’s tab market today, said a Walton statement released yesterday.

“Walton’s new tab is an excellent device for the multimedia users, who will be able to enjoy clear sound, dialogue, consistent volume levels and superior audio to further enhance the overall multimedia experience,” said ArifulHaqueRaihanof Walton research and development wing. l

OPINION

Bangladesh’s $50bn RMG export target by 2021 n Peter Leahey The garment manufacturing sector in Bangladesh has a new slogan: “$50 billion by 2021.” It’s an ambitious vision to reach $50bn in exports by 2021, the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Bangladesh.

In December, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Brand Forum Bangladesh held a summit to develop a “collaborative and coordinated approach” to achieving this goal.

Bangladeshi government and industry leaders are determined, and international partners, including the US government, have pledged to support their ambition.

Today the Bangladeshi garment industry is worth $25bn. The NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights looked at recent export data and industry trends to assess whether the industry could double in the next six years.

To make the $50bn target, Bangladesh will have to grow exports by 10.9% annually (assuming they can reach their projections this year). Over the past six years the garment industry has grown by an average of 13.9% annually – which makes $50bn by 2021 seem within reach.

But there are a few caveats to consider

Rethinking the growth rate: The average growth rate of 13.9% over the last six years is skewed by a 43% jump in garment exports between 2010 and 2011 - a jump we’re unlikely to see again. Excluding that year, export growth averaged just 8.8% during the other five years. Looking forward, a more accurate annual estimate might be somewhat lower than 13.9%. #Counting on global demand: To meet their projections, Bangladesh will have to outperform the global apparel industry. The

Asia-Pacific apparel export market is expected to grow by 9% annually through 2017, while the global apparel industry is expected to grow by just 5.1% through 2018. To achieve 10.9% growth, Bangladesh will have to gain market share from competitors like China and India all while they seek to grow their own garment exports. #This year’s setback: Over the last three months, the World Bank estimated political unrest cost Bangladesh’s economy $2.2bn.

Partially as a result, fiscal year 2014-15 began on a low note, with garment exports achieving an annualized growth rate of just 3.2%.

The more Bangladesh struggles to meet near-term growth projections because of instability, the less confidence we can have that the garment sector will meet its long term targets consistently.

Addressing weak infrastructure: In 2014, the World Economic Forum rated Bangla-

desh’s infrastructure 127th out of 144 countries evaluated. In order to accommodate an additional $25bn in RMG exports, the Bangladeshi government will need to make considerable infrastructure investments in the coming years.

Our assessment is that a valuation of $50bn by 2021 is achievable, but far from guaranteed. To stay on track toward this goal, Bangladesh can’t afford the unsustainability that political unrest, poor working conditions and inadequate infrastructure bring to the garment sector. To make the “$50 billion by 2021” slogan a reality, the garment industry in Bangladesh will have to adopt another refrain since Rana Plaza: “Business as usual is not an option.”

Peter Leahey is a second year MBA student at the Stern School of Business and a Graduate Research Fellow for the Center for Business and Human Rights

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MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

T-JUNCTION

Summer Nails Photo: Saudia Afrin

NEWS

INSIDE

22

Asiatic Mindshare wins Bronze Award in “Goa Fest 2015” One of South Asia’s biggest advertising festivals, “GOA FEST” has been held for over the last 10 years. This time in GOA FEST-2015, Airtel-Prothom Alo presented “Ankbo amra, Dekhbe bishwa” Boishakhi Alpona campaign. Asiatic Mindshare won a bronze award in the category of the “Best use of integrated campaign” in South Asia. The biggest challenge was to communicate this integrated

campaign throughout all mass media. This Boishakhi Alpona festival was broadcasted on radio, TV, daily newspaper and social media simultaneously. Along with the partnership of Prothom Alo since 2012, Airtel has been arranging for an Alpona Festival.

Last year the size of the Alpona was 320,000 square ft. People were drawing on the street late into the night and Channel 9 and RTV

school survival

Swaying the toll on the school roll

23 beauty

Power pout

24 health

telecasted it live. Manik Mia Avenue road became an open canvas for all people who participated in the event. Since 2012 Airtel started

this event, and the Alpona drawn last year was the longest one in the history of Bangladesh.

Hydration therapies

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Schoologistics

school survival

Swaying the toll on the school roll Safety measures on public transport

n Rad Sharar Bin Kamal While many may have it easier, many also have to travel to school using the transport of the masses. Buses, CNGs and rickshaws may become the option at numerous moments, for which situations arise causing unprecedented scenarios. Here are a few tips and must-have’s when placed in similar circumstances when going to and coming from school.

Not dying before Considering the drop-dead heat of the mornings and afternoons, bodily sweat is a frequent unwanted visitor. Not only does it ruin your uniform or attire when going to the venue, it even tires you before classes even begin. The mood to start the day fresh and energized leaks out by the time assembly is over. Hence, it may be helpful to carry a bottle of cold water and a small towel with you.

Tip to keep: When starting from home, wrap the towel around the cold water bottle.

This helps keep the water cool longer while

making the cold, wet towel feel like heaven on your face. Keep the towel inside the bag though; you don’t want to rub your dusty face with a dusty cloth.

Keeping you and your stuff safe Well that part was not dying by yourself, but what happens when someone else gives an effort? Buses are breeding grounds for theft, and it helps to never show any valuable possessions when inside. After the first few times, a dangerous confidence begins to arise that nothing might happen to you. You got this, right? Nope. No one expects to be mugged or harmed, no matter how much of an expert they are.

Tip to keep: Pick the first seats of the bus, and keep an eye or hand on your pockets when entering or jumping off. In a CNG, insist on using main roads. You can be late to school once, but you’ll miss your iPhone every night.

Entering smart As it may be deemed fashionable to enter late, the foul odour from your body may not be as well accepted. Let’s face it, you can’t

help but sweat in this situation can you? But there is a remedy. Wear a T-shirt and carry a deodorant.

Tip to keep: If you’re a dude, wear the shirt right before you enter in a really hot day.

Carrying two T-shirts to change halfway doesn’t hurt either.

If cats and dogs fell from the sky, it would actually be better than annoying cold, dirty water pouring on your ironed uniform.

Check the weather on your phone or look out the window before you leave.

Tip to keep: A small umbrella tucked in your bag. l

news

12th Foundation Day celebrated at Eastern University

Eastern University (EU) celebrated its 12th anniversary on April 29, 2015.

Having the slogan in heart “A leader in quality education,” Eastern University started its journey on April 29, 2003.

The mission of Eastern University is to be a “Center of Excellence” by setting a new standard of quality teaching and quality education in Bangladesh, keeping in view the challenges of the 21st century.

The daylong Foundation Day event was entertained by a series of colourful activities. The programme started off with a seminar titled “Higher Education in Bangladesh.”

Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, former adviser to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh graced the occasion as the chief guest. Professor Dr Ainun Nishat, former vice chancellor of BRAC

University and Professor Dr Abdur Rab, vice chancellor of Eastern University presented the papers on selected topics.

Mohammed Enayet Ullah, chairman, Board of Trustees, Eastern University presided over the session while pro vice chancellor Professor Dr Abdul Hannan Chowdhury welcomed the guests in his speech.

At the event, member of EU board of trustees, registrar, deans, chairpersons, faculty members, officials and a large number of students were present. The celebration also included a cultural programme organised by the faculty members and officials of the university.

The university has been able to produce 5093 graduates over the last 12 years. Many of them are working in top positions of different organisations of our country. l

Seminar on Manufacturing, Regulations and Marketing of Pharmaceuticals:

Prospects and Challenges The Department of Pharmacy of the East West University arranged a seminar on “Manufacturing, Regulations and Marketing of Pharmaceuticals: Prospects and Challenges” on April 30, 2015 at Aftabnagar. Mohammed Nasim, MP, minister of the Health and Family Welfare, and Syed Monjurul Islam, secretary of the Health and Family Welfare and the president of the Pharmacy Council of Bangladesh, were present as the chief guest and the special guest, on the occasion.

In the presentation session, Parvez Hashim, executive director (Operations) of Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd, gave a presentation on “Generic business in USA: Challenges and opportunities for Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies.”

He said, “the large market of the USA could be a great opportunity for export of the pharmaceutical products of Bangladesh. And two big players of Bangladesh, Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Beximco pharmaceuticals Ltd have already successfully completed the first step towards the US Food and Drug Authority (FDA) approval.” He also talked about the challenges on the way to fulfill the requirements.

Minister Mohammed Nasim assured about the government’s full cooperation

on this aspect. He mentioned that Bangladesh government will help in importing raw materials and other machineries as needed in the process.

Syed Monjurul Islam praised the pharmaceutical sector’s excellent growth in the country and abroad market. M Mosaddek Hossain, managing director of UniMed and Unihealth Ltd and Prof ABM. Faroque of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Dhaka, were present as the designated discussants of the seminar.

The vice chancellor of East West University, Prof Ahmed Shaee, delivered the welcome address. Dr Mohammed Farashuddin, chairperson, board of trustees, founder vice chancellor of East West University and former governor of Bangladesh Bank, expressed the vote of thanks to the honourable minister, the secretary, and all distinguished guests, faculty members of pharmacy and non teaching officers and staffs of the university. l

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Tempt

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

outmoded

Bye, bye, bye!

beauty

Power pout The natural route to fuller lips

5 beauty trends that we wish would disappear

n Sabah Rahman When it comes to the business of beauty, new trends are always welcome and sometimes a breath of much needed fresh air. Sometimes, on the other hand, the media can steer us in the wrong way by overhyping a certain craze. At T Junction, we’re all about embracing whatever makes us feel beautiful, but let’s get real. Always keep in mind that what works on the runway does not always translate well into real life.

Bushy business Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re well aware that thin eyebrows have taken a backseat to a thicker version. All of a sudden, women everywhere are yearning for thick, bushy brows however they can. Sadly, there is only so much you can do if you weren’t blessed with naturally dense brows. While it’s absolutely okay to subtly fill in your brows with a matching powder, do not go buck wild with that black pencil and try to “draw” on hair where there isn’t any. You’re better off getting eyebrow implants than walking around with garishly fake, dark brows. And yes, everyone knows what you’re up to.

Rainbow bright Three shades of eye shadow used to contour and highlight is what will always be the safest and prettiest bet. Bright lids rule right now, but there are some big time don’ts. Please don’t attempt to use every single shade in your eye compact on your poor lids. Blue, layered over green, topped

Deep lips Yes, Lorde wears black lipstick and seems to make it work. The rest of us individuals who happen to not be stars and have to bear the daily grind, may face a few issues when it comes to sporting super funky coloured pouts. Black and blue and deep purple shades on our lips can resemble a mouth that’s been bruised badly. Ouch! You really don’t ever want to look like you’ve just walked out of the set of a budget goth music video. It also makes our pucker appear smaller, as darker shades usually do, and we’re all about full lips right now, aren’t we? If you’re still intrigued by this trend, try a few shades of orchids or plums.

Nailing it Let’s talk about nails - really long, pointy ones that give you flashbacks of all those evil witches from the books you read as a kid. We’re going to have to bring up celebrities again here. Just because Rihanna has super long talons in her videos doesn’t mean you have to follow suit.

The truth is they’re not really functional.

As you carry on with your day to day activities, those claws will crack, peel and even break. We shudder to think of all the germs and gunk underneath those nails.

Photo: Bigstock off with peach and highlighted with gold is a look that may only work for circus performers. What’s even worse? Using a dark hue to highlight your brow bone.

Ladies, it’s referred to as “highlighter” for a good reason. Light shades can really open up your eyes as opposed to slapping on a magenta powder that just results in an overall sloppy statement. l

n Sabah Rahman Ladies and their never ending quest to find ways to plump up those kissers. Don’t pretend you’ve never wanted to have Jolieesque lips. Most of us have been there.

There is absolutely no need to follow the dimwits participating in the Kylie Jenner lip challenge and risk bruising your pout after using the mouth of a bottle as a suction device. The results are hideous and you look really silly while you do it. Don’t know what we’re talking about? It’s gone viral. Check it out. Let’s talk about a few ways we can naturally get towards a fuller mouth without bottles and needles involved.

Cinnamon oil This baby boosts circulation and will make the blood rush right to your lips. Can’t find any locally? Make your own version. Ground some cinnamon sticks into a fine powder and mix it with olive oil. Even if you happen to have a fancy bottle of this essential oil from abroad, it’s best not to use it directly on the skin. The olive oil works as a base oil that is safer to use. FYI, this is one of the main ingredients in the plumping glosses manufactured by cosmetic giants.

Clove oil The same rule applies to this essential oil as well. Do not apply directly. Mix a drop with your favourite lip balm or just good old petroleum jelly and apply a couple of times a week. Women who follow this ritual swear that it really works as a plumper.

The best part is that you can find it in local pharmacies.

Hot tips You can use peppermint oil as well. It kind of has the same effect as cinnamon. Some people even use cayenne pepper, but we won’t get into that since it can be a bit risky and actually burn. Before trying any of these tricks, exfoliate your lips with a mixture of sugar and honey to prime them.

The combination is indeed delicious, but remember to wash it off as opposed to eating it! l

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MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

Take Care

health

Hydrating therapies

Because summer is back with an agenda of its own

n Adila Hoque With the rising temperature every year, summer is becoming more and more intolerable these days. The exhausting heat of mid-summer will take away all your will to go on in life, and you will be left with a deadly sluggishness that demands you to stay in your air conditioned room all day.

Beat the exhaustion by increasing your water intake so your body is well-hydrated, helping you to prevent headaches caused by it. Here are some of nature’s best aquacandies: Cucumber Cucumber has a water content of nearly 95%, and therefore, a cup of sliced cucumbers will be as useful in quenching your thirst as a glass of water. But hold on, they’re not just limited to being water substitutes; they are an excellent source of fibre and vitamin C. It is time you started giving it more credit than a side fruit - it can be eaten in soups, dips and, of course, pickles!

Salad greens Salad greens, too have a water content of approximately 90%, and to add to its usefulness is the presence of other valuable nutrients like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that keep your eyes and skin

healthy and elastic. What’s even better is that they are extremely low in calories – only a meager 15%.

Strawberries They provide the highest amount of vitamins compared to other berries, and since it is 90% aqua, keep popping those chocolatelathered strawberries at your will. The folate present in them helps in the production of new cells, so the damage caused to your skin by the sun is easily reversible.

Watermelon The name says it all. This fruit is 92% water and it also has plenty of vitamin C. The red melons usually have a compound called lycopene that may help protect against heart

diseases and cancer. Enjoy your wedges and blocks or straight up make a juice out of them.

Papaya Ahh, papayas! At 88% water, papayas will help you keep hydrated for as long as six hours, depending on the amount you take.

Just know that they deliver three grams of fibre in one cup for only 55 calories. All you diet-freaks, take note!

Yogurt Yogurts are 85% to 88% water and contain plenty of calcium, probiotics and vitamin B. The advantages of choosing yogurt over milk are endless. A cup of strawberries and yogurt will help you feel fresh for eight hours at a stretch. l

heat therapy

Beat the heat

A surviving guide to help you get through this summer ‘Tis the season of excessive sweating, unexplained anger due to the constant raging heat we’re faced with on a daily basis and sometimes-nauseating headaches.

Stay cool The regular scorching heat will often make you sweat like a pig as mentioned earlier, so always keep a cooling deodorant, bodyspray, or a menthol-based talcum powder handy. This way your body is always cool and your temper calm.

Hot weather in our country is also a major cause for rashes and applying oils to your hair that have a cooling effect (almond, mustard or even lavender or eucalyptus oil) may not be a bad idea, as this will moisturise your dry scalp and promote hair growth. This will also help cool that hot head of yours that’s always burning like a stove. The heat is a great excuse for taking multiple showers a day, once in the morning before you head out for work or school, once after you get back and once before you go to sleep. If you can’t take a shower just wash your hair, if you have long hair that takes ages to dry, you can try applying a wet towel to your head and

neck area to feel a little refreshed. You can even add some ice to that if you want. If you really want a scintillating and cooling effect, you can add some crushed menthol crystals to the water and then apply the solution all over your body if you don’t feel like taking a shower.

Remember to hydrate Since it’s summer, the sun is constantly going to be greeting us with it’s sunny and warm presence. That often makes us sweat and the rays that directly hit us, make our eyes and head hurt. Please make sure you remember to drink plenty of water. It may be a wise idea to carry a bottle of water with you at all times to prevent dehydration. Also if you like you can switch from drinking hot tea to iced tea. A few suggestions include adding “Tang” to your regular black tea and keeping it in the fridge overnight before you take it out with you in the morning. You can alternatively add fresh pomegranate juice to your black tea and doing the same.

Iced coffee can also be enjoyed with just a little bit of vanilla essence added to it, along with your regular milk and sugar. But again here’s a kind reminder - there is no substitute for water. Stay fresh, healthy and keep it cool people. l

Photo: Bigstock

n Pragya Rahman

Britain’s former two-time lightwelterweight world champion Amir Khan has said he wants to be the next opponent for Floyd Mayweather

Sport 26

REALISING THE IMPORTANCE OF CHACHA, BHATIJA

27

SHEIKH RUSSEL WIN ON DAY OF PENALTIES

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NEW CHALLENGER

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

CHELSEA CLINCH PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE

Unbeaten Mayweather cements legacy n Reuters, Las Vegas Floyd Mayweather Jr cemented his place among the pantheon of boxing greats by improving to 48-0 with a unanimous decision over Manny Pacquiao on Saturday in a fight that lived up to its immense hype and price tag.

Mayweather weathered an early assault from the Filipino southpaw before winning the later rounds using his reach and jab to finish ahead on all three scorecards in a welterweight showdown set to be the top grossing prize fight of all-time.

Though Pacquiao repeatedly forced Mayweather to backpedal, the wily American blunted his opponent’s best efforts by using his renowned defensive skills while getting in several telling jabs and punches of his own.

Mayweather and Pacquiao had promised to deliver on years of hype and give fans their money’s worth and were true to their word in delivering an entertaining contest that had the capacity crowd on its feet roaring from the opening bell to the end of the 12 round showcase.

The fight between the two greatest boxers of their generation was one that appeared might never happen as Pacquiao resisted Mayweather’s demands for blood-testing for five years.

When the two camps finally hammered out a deal, it was the richest in boxing history, setting new records for pay-per-view (PPV) buys and gate receipts.

The fighters were also paid royally for their night’s work, with Mayweather guaranteed $120 million and Pacquiao $80 million although both men could pocket much more.l

Floyd Mayweather Jr. (L) connects against Manny Pacquiao during their welterweight unification bout on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather remains undefeated with an unanimous decision AFP

ROUND BY ROUND IN ‘FIGHT OF THE CENTURY’ ROUND 1

Fighters feel each other out. Floyd connects on a counter uppercut. Both fighters cautious. Hard right to the head by Floyd. Manny moving his head and feet nicely. Another hard right by Floyd connects.

ROUND 2

Floyd with a right, and Pacquiao comes back with a combination in the corner as Floyd ties him up. Floyd lunges forward and misses a right, then ties Manny up. Manny comes back and throws a hard flurry in the corner.

ROUND 3

Floyd lands a low blow that referee Kenny Bayless warns him on. Manny getting Floyd on the ropes, and Floyd ties him up again.

Manny’s trying to make a fight of it, and Floyd won’t engage. Manny is going for it. Just before the bell, Manny gets him on the rope.

ROUND 4

Several combinations in the corner by Manny.

He does it a third time. Floyd looks as if he’s looking for Manny to tire himself out.

ROUND 5

Floyd not looking sharp, as Manny is being the aggressor. Floyd swings with a right and misses. Left jab by Floyd catches Manny. Again, Floyd ties him up, grabbing him around the head. Manny stalks and Floyd runs as the crowd boos.

ROUND 6

Mayweather comes out swinging and connects with a couple of hard rights, one straight and one a hook. Manny throws a right jab, then lunges in and connects with a left and right to the head. Again he lunges but misses.

Floyd making Manny miss with his speed and quickness. Floyd keeping Pacquiao away, as Manny appears to be losing steam. Floyd just tiring Manny out by avoiding punches and countering.

ROUND 8

Floyd throws a straight right that misses, but then he connects on a right uppercut. Floyd gaining confidence as we move along. Manny can’t penetrate Floyd’s defense. Floyd pot-shotting, and Manny looks helpless. Roy Jones says Floyd’s hands seem to be almost 10 mph faster than Manny.

Manny comes out swinging and missing.

Floyd jabbing, then throws a right and potshots Manny. In the corner, Floyd blocks Manny’s punches; nice left hook by Floyd connects. Floyd moving nicely in this round, gliding around the ring.

Manny throws a counter right then gets Floyd on the ropes and unloads as the crowd roars.

Right by Floyd connects. Again, Manny unloads on the ropes. Floyd jabbing, but not doing much more.

Pacquiao throws a hard lunging left hand, then gets tied up again by Floyd. Manny throwing lefts but not connecting. Floyd connects on a right as Pacquiao turns away.

ROUND 7

ROUND 10

ROUND 9

ROUND 11

ROUND 12

Unless Manny does something big here, he is not going to win this fight, especially in this town. Manny smiles. He’s trying to knock Floyd out but as they say, you can’t hit what you can’t see. Manny throws a combo in the corner but to no avail. This one is over.l

DT

26 Sport

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

Resurgent Tigers reach Dhaka n Mazhar Uddin Mushfiqur Rahim and his side returned to Dhaka yesterday following their heroic performance in the drawn first Test against Pakistan in Khulna.

After landing in Dhaka, most of the cricketers spent time with their families as there was no training scheduled for yesterday. The Tigers will begin training from tomorrow ahead of the second and final Test at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, slated for this Wednesday. Pakistan, meanwhile, will start practising from today.

Despite exhibiting brilliant cricket in the shorter formats of the game, there were slight concerns over the Tigers’ ability to cope with Test cricket but the fearless Bangladesh side proved their mettle in the longer version as well, having drawn the first Test after being in the backfoot for the majority of the opening five-dayer against the visitors.

The Tigers crafted a scintillating come-

back, riding on the record-breaking opening partnership between Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes. Tamim smashed his maiden double hundred in Tests while Imrul registered his third century as the home side ended the five-dayer with a commendable 259-run lead.

Following their maiden draw against Pakistan in nine Tests, a confident Bangladesh will now target a series win when the two sides lock horns against each other in the Dhaka Test.

Shakib al Hasan, Wahab Riaz fined

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib and Pakistan fast bowler Wahab were both fined 30 percent of their match fees after their heated argument during the fifth and final day of the Khulna Test. At one point, Shakib and Wahab both came face-to-face and pointed their fingers at each other before being separated.

Match referee Jeff Crowe handed out the punishment after the end of the Test match.l

Taijul Islam poses alongside Mominul Haque who is about to drive away from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport following their arrival in Dhaka yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Realising the importance of Chacha, Bhatija n Mustafizur Rahman Khan Akram Khan and Tamim Iqbal, the Chacha Bhatija (uncle and nephew) of Bangladesh

cricket, are often the object of sarcasm. We often forget that the two of them have played the two most important innings in our cricketing history.

In the 1997 ICC Trophy in Malaysia, we lost four wickets for 15 runs while chasing a score of about 140-odd in a crucial second-round encounter against the Netherlands. Chacha, with a nerveless hand of 60-odd, saw us through. Think. If we had lost that match, we would not have qualified for the 1999 ICC World Cup in England. No World Cup in 1999, no Test status in 2000. It has rightly been commented on Cricinfo that never has the development of cricket in any one country owed so much to one single innings of one batsman.

We now forget about that innings. I was in London at that time, and on that day, I happened to be taking a guided tour at Lord’s, along with a group of Australians. When they heard that I was from Bangladesh, they were curious to know whether the game was played in Bangladesh. When we broke for tea, the result appeared on Teletext on the television, and I was able to show them! I also gather that the match was being relayed live on Radio Bangladesh. When the fifth wicket fell for Bangladesh, I could picture the old

groundsman at the Bangabandhu National Stadium standing in prayer on his faded prayer mat, and his supplications to the Almighty did not abate until we won the match, upon which he broke down in tears.....

When I think of cricket, and my country, and my love for both, that unseen groundsman still remains the most enduring image in the corner of my mind.

Fast forward 18 years. To me, the genesis of the “Rise of the Tigers” was our win in the World Cup, not against England, but Scotland. The opposition may have been modest, but chasing 319 was a stiff challenge. Imagine what would have happened if we had failed.

We would have again been the object of derision of our cricketing big brothers. More importantly, the old self doubts would again have recurred. Who was it that saved the day?

Why, of course, Bhatija, with his chanceless 95. The rest is unfolding history.

And so, when we pour mirth and ridicule on Chacha Bhatija in the future, we should be mindful of the debt of gratitude we owe them.l

North Korea, Afghanistan friendlies on the horizon n Shishir Hoque If everything falls into place, Bangladesh will host North Korea in an international football friendly at Bangabandhu National Stadium on May 14 this year. The east Asian nation expressed their interest of playing in Dhaka as part of their two-week preparation tour ahead of the second round of the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.

The Bangladesh Football Federation is likely to respond positively to North Korea Football Association’s offer as Bangladesh are also preparing to face Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in their opening two World Cup qualifi-

ers on June 11 and 16 respectively.

The biggest problem, however, that the BFF is likely to face before hosting the North Korea friendly is the schedule of the Manyavar Bangladesh Premier League as the first phase of the top flight will not conclude before May 21. In order to discuss the issue, the national team management committee sat for a meeting at BFF House yesterday.

And according to BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag, North Korea have indeed revealed their interest during the AFC Congress at the end of last month in Bahrain.

“They informed us that they would go on a two-week preparation tour ahead of the

World Cup qualifiers and they are interested to play in Dhaka against Bangladesh on May 14. They can only play on this date,” said Shohag.

BFF president Kazi Salahuddin informed that besides North Korea, Bangladesh are also mulling arranging an international friendly against defending Saff champions Afghanistan.

“We are planning to play two international friendlies, probably against Afghanistan and North Korea. They are both good teams. We want to play against strong opponents and we want to play both games in Dhaka,” said the BFF supremo.

“Myanmar and Singapore want to play us at their backyard but we only want to play against those nations who want to come here,” he added.

If the BFF does confirm the friendly on May 14, the premier league will have to be pushed back by a week. Bangladesh’s Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif said, “When it is finalised, of course we need a [national training] camp.

At this moment, the league is going on so we have to pick the players out and stop the league. It’s simple. To me it is not yet hundred percent finalised and when it will be finalised we will make a plan.”l

DT

Sport 27

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

East edge Central in thriller

QUICK BYTES Celtic win Scottish title

n Mazhar Uddin

Celtic won the Scottish league title for the fourth year in a row after Aberdeen lost 1-0 to Dundee United on Saturday.

Celtic beat Dundee 5-0 on Friday to move to the brink of the championship and Aberdeen’s loss left them 11 points clear at the top of the table with three games left. “We have achieved a big thing,” Celtic manager Ronny Deila told the club’s website.

–Reuters

Islami Bank East Zone posted a brilliant three-wicket win over Walton Central Zone on the fourth and final day of their Bangladesh Cricket League encounter at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong yesterday.

Openers Shadman Islam and Nafees Iqbal registered a solid 127-run stand as East chased down the challenging target of 224 in just 30.5 overs to clinch an emphatic win.

Shadman top-scored with a breezy 67ball 78 while former national opener Nafees chipped in with a 61-ball 56 to propel East to their destination. Sharif Ullah, Elias Sunny and Abu Haydar scalped two wickets apiece for the losing side.

Central, earlier, resuming on their overnight score of 215/5, declared their second innings on 348/9 to go with their first innings tally of 179-allout. East scored 304-allout in their first innings.

East jointly lead the four-team standings alongside Prime Bank South Zone, who thumped BCB North Zone by 216 runs in the BCL opener. l

Dinamo Zagreb secure 10th title in a row

Dinamo Zagreb on Saturday secured their 10th consecutive Croatian title by thrashing hosts Split 5-1. With four games remaining, Dinamo now have 80 points, 15 points more than second-placed Rijeka. Dinamo, coached by Zoran Mamic, have now won 17 Croatian championships since the former Yugoslav republic’s independence in 1991.

–AFP

Federer needs three sets to make Istanbul final

Roger Federer stood one match away from his first claycourt title in three years after reaching the final of the inaugural Istanbul Open with a 2-6 6-2 7-5 win over Argentine eighth seed Diego Schwartzman on Saturday. The top seed fired six aces as he advanced to his fourth ATP final of the year and the 128th of his career.

–Reuters

Halep stunned by Cornet, Sharapova through

World number two Simona Halep slumped to a shock 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 defeat to France’s Alize Cornet in the first round of the Madrid Open on Sunday. Halep reached the final in the Spanish capital last year, but looked out of sorts as a double fault handed Cornet the opening set in a tie-break.

–AFP

McIlroy, Casey duel in the dark in WGC

World number one Rory McIlroy and England’s Paul Casey battled to a standstill in the $9.25 million WGC-Championship Match Play in California Saturday and face a dawn start to resume their match for a place in the last four. In near-darkness at Harding Park, the two European stars finished all square after 21 holes and will continue their sudden death battle on Sunday morning at 6:45 am.

–AFP

Rodgers hails Gerrard Brendan Rodgers claimed Steven Gerrard will prove irreplaceable after a 2-1 victory over QPR. “A lot of players when they miss a big penalty their game goes and their confidence goes. He is the total opposite. He is one of a unique group of players that when they need to respond, they do,” Rodgers said.

–AFP

BRIEF SCORE Walton Central Zone 179/10 and 348/9 dec. (Sharif Ullah 75)

Islami Bank East Zone

Argentina’s legendary ex-footballer Diego Maradona (L) and his partner Rocio Oliva arrive for the opening of the Soccerex Asian Forum yesterday at the King Hussein Convention Center in Amman AFP

Sheikh Russel win on day of penalties n Shishir Hoque National striker Jahid Hasan Ameli was on target as Sheikh Russel KC returned to winning ways after their 2-1 win over Team BJMC in the Manyavar Bangladesh Premier League at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

The defeat against namesake Sheikh Jamal DC in the previous match had no bearing as Sheikh Russel began the game brightly, creating their first opportunity in the ninth minute but BJMC goalkeeper Hemel made a brilliant save to deny Jamaican forward Akeem Sayeed’s header.

The Blues, however, did not have to wait long to take the lead as they went ahead in the 20th minute courtesy of a cool finish from Paul Emile. BJMC came agonisingly close to equalising just two minutes before the firsthalf whistle but captain and midfielder Samson Illiasu hit the sidepost. Ameli doubled the lead eight minutes into the second half.

Nigerian defender Olabanji Oyeyemi felled Hemanta inside the box and Ameli made no mistake rifling home the spot-kick.

BJMC forward Nabib Newaj Jibon pulled one back in the 84th minute from the penalty spot after a Topu Barman foul on Mehedi Hasan Tapu.

The victory took Sheikh Russel to fifth in the 11-team standings with 12 points from six

Australia dismisses Indian rebel league n AFP, Sydney

matches while BJMC are second-from-bottom with just one point from the same number of matches.

Meanwhile in the day’s other match, second-placed Mohammedan stumbled again in their pursuit of the title as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Feni Soccer Club.

With 13 points from seven matches, Mohammedan trail table-toppers Sheikh Jamal by six points while Soccer Club are eighth with five points from six games.

Mohammad Ibrahim put the traditional Black and Whites ahead with just five minutes into the clock when he placed home into the far-post netting after an Ismail Bangoura cut-back. Mohammedan’s delight, however, did not last long as Soccer Club brought parity in the 22nd minute. Gambian midfielder Jatta Mustapha scored from the penalty spot after Sohel Rana fouled him inside the box. l

RESULTS Mohammedan

1-1

Mohammad Ibrahim 5

Sheikh Russel Paul Emile 20

304/10 and 227/7 (Shadman Islam 78, Nafees Iqbal 56) Islami Bank East Zone won by 3 wickets

Soccer Club, Feni Jatta Mustapha 22 – P

2-1

Team BJMC Nabib Newaj Jibon 84 - P Jahid Hasan Ameli 53 – P

TODAY’S MATCH

Farashganj v Chittagong Abahani, 5PM

Cricket Australia rejected as “highly speculative” reports Friday that leading stars Michael Clarke and David Warner could be offered Aus$50 million ($39.5 million) contracts to play for an Indian-financed rebel league.

Essel Group, owned by billionaire Indian media mogul Subhash Chandra, has confirmed plans to launch a new global Twenty20 tournament similar to Kerry Packer’s creation of World Series Cricket in the 1970s.

The conglomerate, which was behind the now-defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL), also reportedly wants to create a breakaway world governing body for the sport, prompting the International Cricket Council (ICC) to investigate.

Fairfax Media on Friday reported that captain Clarke and opener Warner have been earmarked for tempting 10-year deals, as Essel tries to lure the world’s leading players away from their national boards. Neither Clarke nor Warner have commented on the matter.

“We are aware of the reports around a rebel league and they remain highly speculative, particularly given the proposed scale and complexity,” Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards said in a statement.

“Australian cricket has never been in better health. Record crowds, television audiences, grassroots participation and commercial support continue to drive record revenue which means player payments have never been higher and will only increase.” l

DT

28 Sport

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

(L-R) Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois, John Terry, Eden Hazard, Willian and Branislav Ivanovic celebrate after winning the Barclays English Premier League following their win over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge, London yesterday REUTERS

Chelsea clinch Premier League title n Reuters, London Chelsea clinched their first Premier League title for five years as Jose Mourinho’s side produced a typically stubborn display to grind out a 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace at a jubilant Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Playmaker Eden Hazard scored the crucial goal in the 45th minute when he headed home the rebound after Palace keeper Julian Speroni had saved his weak penalty.

Chelsea were tested at times by a dangerous Palace side but the final whistle was greeted by raucous scenes as Jose Mourinho’s side clinched their fifth top-flight title and first since 2010.

Chelsea have 83 points from 35 games and cannot be surpassed by closest rivals Manchester City, who visit Tottenham Hotspur later on Sunday, and Arsenal both of whom trail by 16 points. Palace remain 12th with 42 points.

Blustery, grey conditions had lingered for much of Sunday morning but kickoff in west London was greeted by the sudden emergence of sunshine which reflected the celebratory mood created by Chelsea’s expectant fans inside Stamford Bridge.

Visiting manager Alan Pardew had won four of his previous six matches as an opposition coach against Chelsea and from the opening stages it was evident his side - nestled safely in mid table - had designs on postponing the Blues’ title celebrations.

The hosts were almost gifted a fortuitous lead in the 22nd minute when Speroni punched wildly at Cesc Fabregas’s free kick but Nemanja Matic, afforded the freedom of the Palace penalty area, dithered and his shot was diverted for a corner.

Then it was Palace’s turn to go close but Jason Puncheon was denied by a desperate block from Chelsea defender John Terry -though replays suggested the ball may have

struck the Chelsea captain’s arm.

With frustrations slowly building it was talisman Hazard, who after a relatively anonymous half by his own standards, burst into life drawing a challenge from James McArthur to win a controversial penalty.

The resultant spot kick was tame and easily saved by Speroni though the Belgian was quickest to react to nod home the rebound.

The game followed a similarly fractured pattern after the break and Chelsea had chances to extend their lead before Jason Puncheon fired inches wide for Palace in the 69th minute.

Palace have won more points from losing positions than any other Premier League side this year and they continued to cast warning shots with their counter-attacking threat. At the other end, Chelsea continued to fire blanks in search of a clinching goal but a fervent atmosphere had already engulfed Stamford Bridge long before the final whistle was blown. l

RESULTS Aston Villa

3-2

Benteke 10, 45, Cleverley 64

Leicester

Everton Lukaku 59-P, Jagielka 90

3-0

Newcastle

Ulloa 1, 48-P, Morgan 17

Liverpool

2-1

Coutinho 19, Gerrard 87

QPR Fer 73

Manchester United

0-1

West Brom

Sunderland

2-1

Southampton

Olsson 64 Gomez 21-P, 55-P

Swansea

Mane 22

2-0

Stoke

1-0

Burnley

1-0

Crystal Palace

Montero 76, Ki 90

West Ham Noble 24-P

Chelsea Hazard 45

Freshmen Spring 2015 lift Football Crusade title n Tribune Desk The football lovers of Brac University assembled at Army Hockey Field yesterday to witness the final of Football Crusade 2015, which got underway on April 24. The finalists freshmen Spring 2015 batch and Summer 2012 semester team - reached the final for the very first time.

In the high-tempo final with an even flow, the score was still equal at the end of regulation and extra time. In the tie-breaker, Intiser, Abir and Alam scored for Spring 2015. For Summer 2012, Rumi scored but Koushik had his spot-kick saved while Irtiza and Sharon missed theirs as Spring 2015 became the first ever freshmen team to win the auspicious honor.

The event was graced by the presence of Saif Hossain, honorable advisor of Football Club, Brac University. The other faculties of Brac University were also present on the occasion.l

The finalists of the Football Crusade 2015 Championship, organised by the football lovers of Brac University, pose for a photo at Army Hockey Field yesterday. Freshmen Spring 2015 (blue jersey) became the champion COURTESY

DT

Sport 29

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

Bayern injuries leave Guardiola guessing n AFP, Berlin Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has no idea who will play against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final this week as injuries take a mounting toll.

While a rampant Barcelona warmed up for Wednesday’s tie with an 8-0 hammering of Cordoba in La Liga, Guardiola watched an ailing Bayern lose 2-0 to Bayer Leverkusen and then acknowledged his Champions League doubts.

Bayern already know they will be without Arjen Robben who tore a calf muscle in his return from injury last week and will now miss the rest of the season.

Top scorer Robert Lewandowski fractured his cheekbone and suffered concussion in the same German Cup semi-final defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

French ace Ribery has been sidelined since injuring an ankle on March 11.

Bayer Leverkusen scored twice past Germany’s World Cup hero Manuel Neuer to stop the goalkeeper claiming a slice of Bayern Munich history. Neuer needs one more clean sheet to beat Oliver Kahn’s record of 19 Bayern games in a season without conceding a goal.

Guardiola remained upbeat about the performance. “We had plenty of chances and some clear one-on-one situations, but could not convert. I am actually quite satisfied.”l

RESULTS Bayer Leverkusen

2-0

Bayern Munich

3-2

VfB Stuttgart

Calhanoglu 55, Brandt 81

Schalke 04 Huntelaar 9, 78, Klein 89og

VfL Wolfsburg

Harnik 22, Kostic 51

2-2

Dost 24, Perisic 45

Augsburg Hoffenheim

Briand 47, Sane 58

0-0 1-1

Volland 33

Werder Bremen

Hanover 96

Cologne Borussia Dortmund Hummels 35

1-0

Eintracht Frankfurt

Selke 66

Freiburg Petersen 40

1-2

Paderborn Rupp 70, 80

Juventus’ players celebrate with their coach Massimiliano Allegri after winning the ‘Scudetto’ at the end of the Italian Serie A match against Sampdoria on Saturday at ‘Luigi Ferraris Stadium’ in Genoa. Juventus won 1-0 AFP

Juve win 31st Serie A, target Real n AFP, Rome Juventus won the Italian title for the 31st time on Saturday after Arturo Vidal’s first half strike saw Massimiliano Allegri’s side defeat Sampdoria 1-0.

It was Juventus’ fourth league title in a row with as many games to spare this season and set them up perfectly for their upcoming Champions League semi-final duel with Real Madrid.

Chilean midfielder Vidal met Stephan Lichtsteiner’s deep floated cross with a perfectly placed header in the 32nd minute to put Juventus 17 points ahead of second-placed Lazio.

The Rome side travel to relegation-threatened Atalanta on Sunday with only 15 points available to them from their remaining five games.

Juve needed just a point to finally end the

one-horse race for the Serie A crown.

Vidal’s first league goal since January was enough for them to both win the league and become the first side to win at Sampdoria this season despite resting Andrea Pirlo, Giorgio Chielini and Alvaro Morata ahead of their

RESULTS Sampdoria

0-1

Juventus Vidal 32

Sassuolo

0-0

Palermo

Champions League first leg clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Beating Madrid would set this season out from the previous three title-winning campaigns, in which they underwhelmed in Europe, and would be further vindication for Allegri, who was sacked by AC Milan midway through last season and panned by Juve fans

CR7 nets treble to keep La Liga title race fight alive n

Reuters, Barcelona

Luis Suarez’s hat-trick fired Barcelona to an 8-0 rout of Cordoba and Cristiano Ronaldo hit a record-breaking 25th La Liga treble as Real Madrid beat Sevilla 3-2 on Saturday.

Champions Atletico Madrid were held to a 0-0 draw by Athletic Bilbao but remained in the driving seat for third place with a seven-point lead over Valencia who play Eibar on Sunday.

Ronaldo now has the highest number of hat-tricks in La Liga history, one more than Messi.

He headed home an Isco cross after 36 minutes and Javier Hernandez flicked on a James Rodriguez cross to the Portuguese who

DAY’S WATCH Star Sports 2

beat keeper Sergio Rico from six yards.

Substitute Gareth Bale crossed for a fine header by Ronaldo to complete his hat-trick and condemn Sevilla to their first home defeat in 35 matches in all competitions.

Sevilla fought back and Carlos Bacca scored a penalty.l

RESULTS

0-0

Sevilla

2-3

Bacca 45+2-P, Iborra 79 Borges 50

Spanish La Liga 12:40 AM UD Almeria v Celta de Vigo

Star Sports 4 English Premier League 12:50 AM Hull City v Arsenal

Ten Cricket

Atletico Madrid

Deportivo

when he was announced as the replacement for the beloved Antonio Conte in pre-season.

Sampdoria started the match in fifth place, eyeing a spot in the Europa League, and the game got off to frantic start.

However the best chance for the home side in the opening period was a long range shot from Pedro Obiang in the 10th minute that failed to trouble Buffon.

Juve’s first clear sight of goal was Vidal’s winner, which he expertly flashed back across Sampdoria keeper Emiliano Viviano and off the post after racing on to a Lichtsteiner cross that evaded striker Fernando Llorente before arriving at the midfielder.

Sampdoria were full of heart and kept pressing the away side, but they lacked invention and struggled to break down Juve’s solid backline. It was Carlos Tevez who nearly doubled Juve’s lead with a smart snap shot that was brilliantly tipped away by Viviano. l

Athletic Bilbao Real Madrid Ronaldo 36, 37, 69

1-1

Villarreal Costa 49

8:00PM England Tour of West Indies 3rd Test, Day 4

Ten Sports 6:30 PM ATP 1000 Masters Madrid Open Round 1 Day 1

DT

30 DOWNTIME

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Marine growth (5) 4 Large volume (4) 7 Anger (3) 8 Male swan (3) 9 Pale colours (5) 12 Weary (4) 13 Landed properties (7) 15 Male sheep (3) 16 Great gladness (3) 18 Wildebeest (3) 19 Band’s engagement (3) 21 Withdrawn (7) 24 Receptacle for flowers (4) 26 Trap (5) 27 Female swan (3) 28 Forefront (3) 29 Burden (4) 30 Game of skill (5)

DOWN 1 Quote (4) 2 Prayer (6) 3 Torn (4) 4 Small children (4) 5 Kimono sash (3) 6 Very hard mineral (5) 10 Sailor (3) 11 Raised platform (5) 14 Sends out (5) 17 Musical dramas (6) 18 Chairman’s hammer (5) 20 Spirit (3) 21 Water grass (4) 22 Utter wildly (4) 23 Lairs (4) 25 Mineral spring (3)

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

You have one letter in the control grid to start you off. Enter it 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

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

Topu’s forth project

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

Farah Khan @TheFarahKhan

Tonight the maddest episode of @ FarahKiDaawat .. @The_AnuMalik n @ MikaSingh bring the kitchen down..

Victoria Beckham @victoriabeckham Amazing evening with my girls last night x vb #DB40 @MelanieCmusic @EmmaBunton @EvaLongoria @denisevasi @ TanaRamsay

n Showtime Desk Rasheduddin Ahmed Topu, popularly known as Topu, is all set to release his fourth solo album during the upcoming Eid holidays.

One of the most prominent young artists in the contemporary music scene, Topu, has

Obituary

written and tuned the nine tracks for the yet to be named album. Pavel, the drummer and percussionist of Chirkut, has composed the music for all the songs.

Currently enduring hectic days working on the album, Topu has said, “The special part of this album is the fact that it emphasises on acoustic instruments. There

playlist

Michael Blake takes his last breath Michael Blake, best known for winning an Oscar for the script of the classic movie “Dances with Wolves”, passed away after a long battle with an undisclosed illness on May 2nd in Tucson, Arizona. The novel that the movie was based on was penned by this illustrious writer. It sold 3.5 million copies and was translated into 15 languages.

Blake, who was 69 years of age, died peacefully and left his spouse and three children behind. The family has requested that anyone who wishes to donate should do so in the name of the horse charity, International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Broncos. l

are no duets featured. The whole idea is to provide the audience with an experience of unplugged music.”

The singer, celebrated the creation of melodious tracks like Ek paye nupur and Meye. He has also released three solo albums, “Ar Tomake,” “Bondhu Bhabo Ki” and “She Ke,” earlier in his career. l AMAZING voice.

Hugh Jackman @ RealHughJackman Good morning.... https:// instagram.com/ p/2N5UHfChAZ/

WHAT TO WATCH

Bob Marley Natural mystic His songs reminds me of my childhood.

Damien Rice Cheers darling This song makes me feel all tipsy without any alcohol!

Turn it up n Showtime desk This week, we’re proud to have touched base with Xefer Rahman, who started off as a Youtube sensation and has gained an infinite fan base with her stunning voice.

This young lady sure is going places, with an upcoming project with Ayub Bachchu and a few other big names on her plate.

Here is what Xefer has on repeat: Michael Jackson Earth Song Words can’t explain this artist and his songs. I still get goosebumps when listening to this number.

Florence and the Machine Over the love I like their sound and Welch has an

Lana Del Ray Gods and monsters Dark songs attracts me big time.. 90% of my playlist is filled with dark songs.

Nina Simone Feelin’ good Everyone knows this epic song.

Amy Winehouse Back to black I appreciated her voice and her songs ever since I discovered her music. This is one of my favourites by Winehouse.

Arctic Monkeys Do i wanna know?

Everything bout this song is so awesome!

The Weeknd Devil may cry I have listened to this countless times and still i am not done with it.

Evanescence Lithium I literally grew up with Amy Lee’s songs.

She happens to be one of my biggest inspirations.l

MTV Select B MTV India 5:00pm In this show you can choose your favourite songs online and dedicate them to your friends and loved ones. You can also add a special personalised message that will be aired for the whole world to see.

Hit Factory AVH1 4:30pm Hit factory, as the name suggests is a non-stop music show featuring the recent chart-busters and a few yesteryear favourites.

Solid Hits B B4U Music 8:30pm Catch all you favourite Bollywood songs back-to-back on Solid Hits – the latest hits, the all-time favourites all in one package.

DT

32 BACK PAGE

MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015

COMMUNITY RAISES ALARM OVER BRIDGE COLLAPSE PAGE 6

ALL THAT IS WRONG PAGE 12

TOPU’S FORTH PROJECT PAGE 31

‘I was scared stiff when the street gaped open as if ready to devour me’ A Bangladeshi visitor to Nepal narrates her first-hand experience of surviving the deadly earthquake

n Shadma Malik It was a gloomy day. The Himalayan sky was overcast with dark, heavy clouds.

Dr Zareen Khair, Bangladesh country manager of the Fred Hollows Foundation (FHF), decided to utilise her last day in Kathmandu and do a bit of sightseeing.

She, along with some colleagues, went to Nepal on April 19 for a regional meeting, which was held on April 20 – 24 at a resort in Dhulikhel, some 30 kilometre south-west of Kathmandu.

Since there was no flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines on April 25, Dr Zareen and her colleagues decided to check into a hotel at Kathmandu and spend a day exploring the city before flying back on April 26.

Their choice of accommodation, Hotel Shanker, is a historic luxury hotel situated at the heart of Kathmandu. The hotel started in 1964 at its famous neoclassical building dating back to 1894.

On April 25, Zareen decided to go near the China border and explore the landscapes. She was to be picked up at 4 in the morning but the driver did not show up on time. One of her colleagues from Australia asked if she was upset that the tour got cancelled.

Zareen replied in negative. “There is a saying in Bangla ‘Whatever the Almighty does, does it for a good reason’. So I am not upset,” she added.

Instead she decided to venture out on her own. The sky was getting darker with a high possibility of a heavy downpour.

“I got out at 11:45am. As soon as I hit the main road, the ground started to shake vehemently all on a sudden. Initially, my reaction was that it was not an earthquake. I thought the vibration was caused by subway trains.”

“I asked a security guard if there was a subway line beneath the ground. He gave me a perplexed look and started running.”

“Again there was a big tremor and I was about to fall.”

A man held her from behind. She asked him in English: “What is happening?”

He replied in one word: “Bhumikombh!”

“It was only then that I realised what was going on.”

Both of them sat down on the middle of the road and witnessed scenes from films unfolding before them.

“Some of the houses started falling apart.

The big windowpanes began to crack and shatter with loud bangs. A crack suddenly bifurcated the road they were crouching on in the middle.”

“I was scared stiff when the street gaped

COURTESY: KALYAN RAUT

Every time something shakes, I am instantly reminded of the horrible experience open as if ready to devour me. I started saying my prayers.”

“Although the main tremor lasted for about a minute or two, it felt like an eternity.”

She could hear sounds of catastrophe – buildings cracking, houses collapsing and people shouting for help – coming from afar.

She sat on the road for about an hour. There were 10 to 15 aftershocks one after another.

Slowly she got up and managed to walk back to the hotel.

She noticed the boundary walls of the hotel had collapsed along with the top part of the hotel. The century old pillars also developed big cracks.

The hotel manager did not let her into the building and asked her to join other guests at the courtyard where there was a swimming pool. Because of the quake, half of the pool water came up and splashed on the lawn.

Though no guest was injured, they were

tired, scared and sick. Meanwhile, aftershocks continued to happen.

They could not get any information as to what has happened since communication was also disrupted. One hotel guest said the earthquake was a big one with a magnitude of seven.

“We spent the night at the courtyard. There was an umbrella beside the pool. We tried to convert it into a tent. The swimming pool had a shower room which we used.”

“But we could not sleep a bit for the whole night. It was one of the most dreadful nights since we did not know what was coming.”

The morning of April 26 started with shocking news of devastation all around Kathmandu. But it also brought relief for Zareen who, around 9:30am, was taken to the airport on a private vehicle since no taxi was available.

The roads between the hotel and the airport were open and traffic had continued to flow throughout. But she could not make out the extent of destruction from the snippets seen from the road.

“When I went to the airport, it was in an utter chaos with so many people trying to board whatever flight they could avail to escape the country.”

Zareen’s scheduled return flight of Bang-

ladesh Biman was supposed to arrive at 3pm.

But the flight was turned away as it did not get permission to land. The airport was already struggling to operate.

She was afraid that she might be stranded at the airport like hundreds of other people.

Basis facilities, like water, food, sanitation, at the airport were also running short.

Suddenly she was informed that a rescue team from Bangladesh Air Force had arrived with relief goods for the earthquake victims.

But there were only 35 seats, which were reserved for the Under-14 girls’ football team who came for a tournament.

Luckily few more seats became available after boarding the football team. Zareen and few other women were allowed to board.

The weather was still dark with continuous raining making the return flight in a non-passenger aircraft extremely difficult.

“But thanks to the expert Air Force pilot, the flight landed safely in Dhaka at 9pm.”

“It was the Almighty God who sheltered us. None of the participants had a scratch. But we all are going through a trauma. Every time something shakes, I am instantly reminded of the horrible experience. ” “Yes, it will be difficult and will take us some time to get back to our normal life.” l

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