18 May, 2015

SECOND EDITION

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

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Jyoistha 4, 1421

EX-COP JAILED FOR TORTURING STUDENT

Rajab 28, 1436

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 36

MAYOR SEEKS TK500CR FOR DNCC HQ PAGE 5

PAGE 3

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

FAITH KILLINGS TURN INTO COLD CASES PAGE 32

Is over-production killing Bibiyana?

Production this year is 60.5% in excess of the 7.5% of remaining reserves allowable for extraction

n Aminur Rahman Rasel and Asif Islam The pressure in the wells at the country’s top gas field which supplies the lion’s share of gas to the national grid has plummeted because of over-production.

The well-head pressure in most wells at Bibiyana gas field has dropped by an average of between 1,050 pounds per square inch (psi) and 1,400 psi, down from a pressure of over 3,000 psi when the field began operating.

Experts say over-production of gas could damage the field’s internal structure and cause the premature death of the gas field, as happened with Sangu gas field.

According to the data, if Chevron continues to extract at the level it has been this year, it will produce 60.53% more gas per year than the maximum allowed by the Production Sharing Contract (PSC).

According to the PSC, a company should not produce more than 7.5% of the proven and provable reserve of gas in a year. Usually 6.5 percent should be extracted. An extraction rate of over 7.5% can put the structure at risk.

TREND OF GAS EXTRACTION FROM BIBIYANA GAS FIELD AS COMPARED TO LIMIT 70 60 50 40 30 20 10

RESERVE 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

0

-16.5%

-10 -20 -30

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

5,754 bcf 4,767 4,486 4,203 3,899 3,480 (projected)

+60.5%

Maximum allowable production limit

7.5% of remaining reserve

+4% -10%

-29% 2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

Bounty for 8 Pohela Boishakh sex offenders n Mohammad Jamil Khan

Police yesterday declared Tk1 lakh bounty for providing information to capture eight people for their involvement in the series of sexual assaults of women and children on Dhaka University campus during the traditional Pohela Boishakh celebrations.

They were recognised from footages of the police’s CCTV cameras installed in the TSC area of the university.

However, the Detective Branch of police earlier said they had found the involvement of at least 12 wrongdoers. Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam, though could not confirm their identities, claimed that the accused were not DU students.

According to media reports, at least 20 women and children were reported to have been sexually assaulted by several gangs of stalkers in the afternoon and evening on April 14 near the Suhrawardy Udyan gate of the TSC. Some youths of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, including its DU unit President Liton Nandi,

PAGE 3 IGP: More time needed to extradite Salahuddin

2013-14

2014-15

Salahuddin’s wife arrives in Shillong today

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

caught two of the assualters and handed them over to the police. But they were later released.

Through yesterday’s announcement, the police have acknowledged the incidents of sexual assaults on that day. Earlier both the

PAGE 4 Cricketer Rubel gets fresh bail

police and the DU authorities claimed that the allegations were baseless. They also mentioned that none of the victims had filed any complaint with the police.

BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed’s wife Hasina Ahmed went to Kolkata in a 9:20pm Air India flight last night, just hours after she got visa.

Their family said Mahbubul Kabir Moonmoon, husband of Salahuddin’s sister, is accompanying Hasina.

“They will come to Shillong in the Indian state of Meghalaya today,” BNP leader Abdul Latif Jony, who is now in Shillong, told the Dhaka Tribune last night.

The Dhaka Tribune has learned that Tabith M Awal, the BNP-backed mayoral candidate in recently concluded Dhaka North City Corporation polls, has also gone to Shillong to meet Salahuddin.

Salahuddin, a joint secretary general of BNP, had been kept at the Undertrial Prisoner’s Cell at the Shillong Civil Hospital on charges of entering India without valid documents.

According to Indian media reports, local police have not produced him before court

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

PAGE 5 Habiganj siblings charged in war crimes case

PAGE 6 Diarrhoea outbreak kills two in Meherpur

PAGE 8 Three dead in Taliban attack on EU vehicle in Kabul

DT

2 NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Salahuddin’s wife arrives in Shillong

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina became emotional when reminiscing her six years in exile, following the murder of most of her family members, at an event on the anniversary of her return to home yesterday BSS

because he is still not fit enough. He might be brought to a court today or sometime later this week, if doctors give him the fitness clearance.

On Friday, Abdul Latif Jony, assistant office secretary of BNP, met Salahuddin for the second time at the Civil Hospital. Jony went to India a few days ago on business purposes and had travelled to Shillong to meet his senior party colleague.

He told Indian media on Friday that Salahuddin needs to go to Singapore – where he had been taking treatment for kidney and heart problems – as facilities are not good at Shillong.

“He seems to be weak and is not sleeping well due to heart and kidney problems,” the Shillong Times quoted Jony as saying.

The BNP functionary also said that he and his family members will approach the local authorities to discuss the possibilities of taking Salahuddin outside India for treatment.

They have also been in touch with some local lawyers for fighting the legal battle once Salahuddin in taken to court.

Meanwhile, Rajiv Mehta, director general of Meghalaya police, told the Times of India

yesterday: “We will go strictly by law and produce him in court once the hospital issues his release order … He cannot be taken to Singapore just like that. The court will make the decision.”

Mehta also said that police would seek his custody to find out how he entered India or who brought him here without valid documents.

According to the DGP, police are yet to receive any direction from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for initiating any process for his extradition.

“If the court gives any such order, Salahuddin will be taken to the international border at Dawki and handed over to BSF officers, who in turn will ask Border Guards Bangladesh [BGB] to take him into their custody.”

Section 14 of the Foreigners’ Act of India, under which Salahuddin has been booked, provides imprisonment for up to five years.

The Dhaka unit of the Interpol has also issued a red corner notice against the BNP leader, who is wanted in violence-related cases in Bangladesh. l

Bounty for 8 Pohela Boishakh sex offenders “We have been able to recognise faces of eight people but we do not know their names or whereabouts. Anyone who comes forward and helps in the capture of an assaulter will be given Tk1 lakh as reward,” AKM Shahidul Haque, the inspector general of police, told reporters at the Police Headquarters.

He assured that identity of the informer would be kept secret and the person given proper security.

The IGP said they had earlier provided the CCTV footages to the media and invited information through email and phone. “But we did not got anything.”

After the briefing, police released apparently blur photos of the eight suspected sexual abusers.

During the primary stage, police denied having any evidence of sexual assault while DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah termed the incident merely scuffle. He also

blamed media for exaggerating the issue.

The IGP last week deplored the inaction of the people around the spots where the incidents had taken place. He said the alleged incidents were actually naughtiness of some youths.

On April 22, the police claimed to have recognised four to five youths from CCTV footages.

The incident sparked a wave of protest throughout the country with people from all quarters condemning the incident and demanding immediate arrest of the culprits.

Student bodies of Dhaka University have been staging protests since the incident while many organisations in home and abroad expressed solidarity with the call. Police filed a case over the incidents on April 15.

Condemning police inaction and negligence in performing duty, the student groups

on May 10 marched towards the DMP Headquarters in Minto Road but were barred by the police. At least 34 activists were injured as they had been beaten up mercilessly.

Activists have also been campaigning on social media including Facebook and blogs circulating photos and videos. Some TV channels and Facebook pages also published some photos which were shared widely. However, none of the recognised persons could be identified so far.

The police have also been investigating the role of law enforcers during the Pohela Boishakh assaults and the action on protesters on May 10.

The probe bodies found DMP Assistant Commissioner Sahedur Rahman, Inspector of Shahbagh police station Saidul Haque Bhuiyan and Sub-Inspector of the police station Ashraf responsible. In mid-April, police suspended Ashraf for his negligence, but the in-

formation could not be confirmed.

AC Sahedur who was on duty in TSC area on that day could not fathom out the importance of the incident. SI Ashraf and Inspector Saidul released two assaulters without discussing it with their higher authorities even after a mob handed the molesters over to them.

However, no action has been taken against the trio.

On April 26, a police probe body found no fault of the law enforcers deployed in TSC area.

On the other incident of May 10, a naikranked official was suspended for attacking a female protester and torturing her.

The probe bodies are still working on why the protesters were allowed to reach Minto Road, a VVIP area, and the allegations of excess. Sources said several other police officers may face action too. l

said the field held a reserve of over 7.2 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas, according to a Petroblangla official, who asked not to be named.

In Chevron’s first assessment report on the gas field submitted to Petrobangla in 2000, the field was assessed to hold a reserve of over 2.4 TCF. In 2008, the field’s reserve was reassessed to over 5.7 TCF. Several Petrobangla officials expressed concern that Chevron might use its revised reserve claims to justify increased extraction, thereby depleting the field’s reserves.

In its report, Chevron said it would be able to supply about 1,400 mmcfd, an increase over the current supply of 1,250 mmcfd, by the end of 2015.

The production rate has already increased by over 350 mmcfd over the past five months from 900 mmcfd in November 2014.

The Petrobangla official said sand was being emitted by some wells at Bibiyana field because of the high gas extraction rate.

The field has experienced interruptions in production four times late last year and early this year.

Shaikh Jahidur Rahman, communication manager (external affairs) of Chevron Bangladesh, denied that well-head pressure had anything to do with problems with production.

“A decline in gas pressure was not responsible for any of the production shutdowns.”

Cairn Energy, the then operator of Sangu gas field in the Bay of Bengal, had increased gas extraction to about 220 mmcfd in 2002 from 60 mmcfd in 1999 after the company said it found an extra trillion cubic feet of gas in its reassessment of the reserve.

The country’s first offshore gas field, Sangu was shut down permanently in October, 2013 after its reserves were severely depleted.

Chevron’s communication manager said: “Chevron’s global practice and the confidentiality clause of the Production Sharing Contract both preclude us from disclosing reserves of our gas fields to the public.” l

Is over-production killing Bibiyana?

Since the estimated remaining reserve at Bibiyana field is 3.4 TCF, annual production should not exceed 261 billion cubic feet (bcf), which translates into a daily production rate of 715 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd).

In January 2015, the company announced that it would produce 1,200 mmcfd. Production occasionally exceeds this amount.

“We have asked Chevron officially not to extract over 1,200 mmcfd. But they are not observing this limit,” Petrobangla Director (PSC) Md Quamruzzaman told the Dhaka Tribune.

Professor Badrul Imam of Dhaka University’s geology department said: “I think that gas is now being overproduced at Bibiyana field. Too much pressure on Bibiyana could damage the natural structure and lead to a Sangu-type situation.”

Bibiyana supplies a major portion of gas that goes to the national grid; supply problems pose a serious threat to the country’s energy security.

“A technical glitch at Bibiyana will result in a gas blackout in the country. I think Chevron should not be allowed to further increase gas output from Bibiyana,” Quamruzzaman said.

A low well-head pressure means gas extraction is becoming increasingly difficult.

Chevron has urged Petrobangla to allow it to install a gas compressor station at Bibiyana field to increase the volume of gas extraction.

The company claims a compressor will increase the field’s lifespan.

“We are very concerned about the matter,” Petrobangla Chairman Istiaque Ahmad told the Dhaka Tribune.

The country is already in a tight situation because the supply of gas across the country is expected to start deteriorating from 2018, including at Bibiyana gas field. Over-production is feared to compound the crisis.

US-based Chevron Corporation operates Bibiyana gas field located under block 12 in the country’s north-eastern region.

In February, the international oil major

DT

NEWS 3

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

EX-cop jailed for torturing DU student n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced Helal Uddin, former OC of Khilgaon police, to three years’ simple imprisonment for torturing then Dhaka University student Abdul Kadar with a machete in custody and falsely implicating him in three cases in 2011.

Dhaka’s Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Alamgir Kabir Raj pronounced the sentence in a jam-packed courtroom, and also issued arrest warrant against the convict.

At the police station, Helal had hit Kadar’s leg with a machete to force a confession about his involvement in various crimes he had never committed.

Helal and then SI Alam Badshah and ASI Shahidur Rahman of Khilgaon police were suspended in 2012.

Kadar was freed on bail on August 3, 2011,

after 18 days of his detention. Later, the court acquitted him from the false cases.

Then a master’s student at Dhaka University’s biochemistry and molecular biology, Kadar filed the case on January 23, 2012 with Khilgaon police against Helal in line with a court order. The charge sheet was submitted on March 26.

Kadar is now serving as a teacher at a government college.

During the verdict, Judge Alamgir Kabir said: “The punishment will be effective from the day of his arrest or surrender before the court in the case.”

The court also fined Helal Tk10,000; in default, he would have to serve three months more in jail.

According to the case, Kadar was detained at Segunbagicha on charges of robbery when he was returning to his dormitory Fazlul Huq

Hall from a relative’s house at Eskaton around 1:30am on July 16, 2011. Some plainclothes police hit him with sticks.

The police members became angry when Kadar identified himself as a DU student. He was taken to the police station and tortured.

The then OC Helal took Kadar to his office and tried to force him to admit to various crimes. Failing, Helal injured him on the back, leg and various other parts of the body, and at one stage he hit Kadar’s left leg with a sharp machete.

After arresting the student, police filed two cases against him – for robbery and possession of an illegal firearm. He was also shown arrested in another false case filed with Mohammadpur police station over stealing of a car.

Following outcry in the media and by DU students, the High Court on July 28 that year ordered the police chief to probe the incident. l

Regret for publishing wrong news Two news reports titled “HC summons 3 factory officials over baby birth in toilet” and “What happened to Haimda Akhter on Saturday” were published on May 11 and May 12, respectively.

We regret that these reports included wrong facts.

Contrary to the first report, the worker concerned never applied for maternity leave nor did she inform anyone she was pregnant.

The specific claim in the second report, that a supervisor was seen coming out of the factory gate with a shoe box and that he showed locals the box with the 5-month old foetus inside, is completely erroneous.

Journalistic oversight and lack of proper verification of facts resulted in our publication of these incorrect facts, and we express our deepest regrets to Ms Akhter and Apex Footwear Ltd. l

IGP: More time needed to extradite Salahuddin n Mohammad Jamil Khan

Undaunted by a string of accidents caused by pedestrians and motorists ignoring boom barriers that indicate a train is about to pass, an assortment of vehicles find themselves caught in a dangerous gridlock on the railway tracks at the Tejgaon level crossing in Dhaka yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

SCBA protests CJ remarks on inept lawyers n Tribune Report

The Supreme Court Bar Association yesterday humbly protested the chief justice’s remarks on incompetent lawyers, who he said are responsible for defeats of plaintiffs in more than half of all cases filed.

AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, the association’s secretary, told a press conference at the Supreme Court auditorium that a five-member delegation of lawyers led by him met Chief Justice SK Sinha at the latter’s office to express humble disagreement with the comments.

On Saturday, the chief justice at a programme of lawyers at the association’s auditorium said plaintiffs lose in 60-70% of cases because of mistakes made by their counsels.

Mahbub yesterday said lawyers always try to ensure that their clients get justice. “The

bar council is the highest regulatory body for lawyers but the government does not provide us with any financial assistance or training.

No government has enacted any guideline on appointing judges either. There are of course questions about the skills and competence of many judges.”

He said the remarks of the chief justice had brought dishonour for all lawyers across the country. “His comments are not true. Incompetence and unskilled judges are also to be blamed for defeats of plaintiffs in lawsuits.”

The pro-BNP lawyer pulled “those inept judges” up and said even a third-class degree holder was appointed as a High Court judge because of the lack of specific guidelines on appointment.

“This is why bright students are appointed as lower court judges,” said Mahbub.

The chief justice on Saturday said the extent of role that judges can play to establish rule of law chiefly depends on lawyers.

He said lawyers are like architects but they in many cases fail to articulate the key point during hearing.

“There are over 30 lakh lawsuits still pending in trial courts and the High Court, and rule of law cannot be established if such a staggering number of cases await disposal.”

Speaking about the High Court, the chief justice said initiating quick disposal of cases is important.

“We want to entertain 25-30 cases every day at the Appellate Division but after 11am, we unfortunately find no lawyers there.

“In the past, lawyers used to lobby to include their cases in the cause list, but they nowadays lobby not to include their lawsuits.” l

Bringing back BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed from Shillong would only be possible once Indian courts resolved the case against him for intruding into the neighbouring country’s territory, the Bangladeshi police chief has said.

“Salahuddin cannot be brought back from India soon,” said Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque, adding that the extradition would be made under the existing prisoner exchange treaty between Dhaka and New Delhi.

“The Indian authorities have arrested and filed a case against Salahuddin as per their law, and once the legal procedure of the case ends, we would be able to bring him back,” Shahidul added.

“It is our responsibility to inform the governments concerned if anyone facing a criminal case is found in another country, and we have carried out our responsibility properly,” the IGP told a press conference at the police headquarters in Dhaka yesterday.

More than two months after he disappeared from a house in Uttara, BNP Joint Secretary General Salahuddin Ahmed was found in Shillong on May 11.

How he ended up there remains unclear, even though the BNP leader insists that he had been kidnapped by a group of unidentified people and had no recollection of how he landed in the northeastern Indian city.

Since his disappearance on March 10, Salahuddin’s family – as well as his party – had been claiming that the leader had been abducted by law enforcers.

Meanwhile, after detaining Salahuddin from a street in Shillong, the Meghalaya police filed a case against him under the foreigners act, as he had no valid papers, proof of identity or travel permit. The BNP leader is currently receiving treatment in an under-trial prisoner cell at the Shillong Civil Hospital.

According to India’s law, if anyone entered or tried to enter the country without any valid documents or illegally, then the person would face imprisonment for three months or more, or face a financial penalty. l

DT

4 NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

RAB arrests five Cricketer Rubel gets fresh bail kidnappers, recovers n ransom money Sanaul Islam Tipu

n Mohammad Jamil Khan The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) yesterday arrested five members of a kidnapping gang in the capital’s Uttara area, recovering a hefty sum of ransom money.

“The elite force recovered Tk1.8 crore and cheque books of various banks from the possession of the abductors in a drive in the Koshaibazar area of Dokkhinkhan in Uttara,” Commander Mufti Mahmud Khan, director of RAB’s legal and media wing, said.

The arrestees were identified as Mizanur Rahman alias Mizan, 34, Rezaul Karim, 36, Nazrul Islam, 32, Jahir Uddin Babor, 37, and Shah Waliullah, 37.

The RAB commander identified Abir, the boy who had been abducted, as the only son of Shahadat Hossain Shamim, managing director of the Teenage group of companies.

“The brains behind the scheme was Mizanur Rahman,” Mufti Mahmud said.

The RAB commander said Abir was kidnapped on his way home to Mohakhali DOHS from Uttara, when his abductors, posing as law enforcement personnel, stopped his car on the Banani flyover.

Mufti Mahmud said Abir was taken to a location on Airport Road and the car he was travelling in abandoned in Bashundhara residential area.

Abductors demanded Tk10 crore in ransom money from Shahadat Hossain Shamim and finally agreed to take Tk2 crore, the RAB official said. The abducted boy’s father paid out Tk1.73 crore through Mercantile Bank and Dutch-Bangla Bank.

After paying out the final Tk27 lakh in cash, Shamim was reunited with his son near the Radisson Hotel on May 6.

The RAB officer said Abir’s family did not inform them about the kidnapping. RAB intelligence discovered the plot independently, contacted Shamim after Abir’s return and then launched their drive. l

A Dhaka court yesterday granted a fresh bail to national team cricketer Rubel Hossain in a rape case filed by film actress Naznin Akhtar Happy.

Judge Tanjina Ismail of Prevention of Women and Children Repression Tribunal-5 passed the order after the cricketer appeared before her court seeking fresh bail in the case.

Meanwhile, the complainant Happy filed a no-confidence (naraji) petition before the court rejecting a final report submitted by police in the case.

On April 6, police inspector Halima Khatun, also investigation officer (IO) in the case, submitted the final report appealing to the court to relieve Rubel

from the charge.

The IO mentioned in the report that no evidence of rape by Rubel was found during the probe in the case; so, he may be acquitted from the allegation.

In the Sunday’s no-confidence petition, Happy mentioned that investigators did not interrogate the eight witnesses including her family members before preparing the final report.

So, she rejected the probe report and sought the court’s order for a further investigation into the matter.

However, the tribunal Judge fixed May 20 for hearing on the no-confidence naraji petition.

Actress Happy came into media focus after she filed a case with Mirpur police station on December 13 last year

accusing Rubel of luring her into an affair with false promises of marriage.

The next day, the actress told media that she would withdraw the case if Rubel married her.

On December 24, a report by the DMC forensic department after conducting test of Happy said the actress was not raped.

On January 8, a Dhaka court sent Rubel Hossain to jail rejecting his bail petition on his surrender before the court in the case but he was granted bail in the case on January 11.

According to the case statement, Rubel promised Happy they would marry and had an affair that included physical relations for nine months. The couple was together as recently as December 1. l

DT

NEWS 5

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Experts: Bangladesh lacks proper food marketing chain n Abu Bakar Siddique Bangladesh still lacks a proper food marketing chain despite having ample food production in the country, according to food experts.

Speaking at a discussion titled SouthSouth Cooperation for Food Security at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka yesterday, the experts said the country still needed an improved food distribution and storage system in order to meet the growing demand of food in the increasing urban population around the country.

Mike Robson, country representative of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Bangladesh, said the country needed to take initiatives such as low-energy post-harvest food processing and storage, integrated models of resource use and safety measures to avert pre- and post-harvest damage of foods to ultimately strengthen food security.

In addition, Bangladesh should emphasise on introducing more high-yielding, short-duration and stress-tolerant crop varieties to meet the growing demand of food, he said.

According to the government, the country currently produces around 34m tonnes of rice – around 3.5 times the amount produced in 1970.

Dr Rafiqul Islam Mondol, director general of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), said the government had already taken several initiatives to develop several short-duration and stress-tolerant crop varieties, including rice, wheat, maize and vegetables.

Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) has already developed rice varieties tolerant of different stressful condition, such as salinity, drought, submergence and cold, in recent years.

Mike Robson also suggested that the government take necessary measures to check the abundant use of fertiliser to produce more food in the country, as it causes damage to the soil fertility to some extent.

He also expressed concern over the excessive use of groundwater for irrigation in some areas, which could make a vast area of arable land barren in near future. l

The aesthetic beauty of Hatirjheel, considered as one of the most popular recreation spots in the city, is fading fast as the lack of maintenance by authorities concerned has resulted in a thick layer of waste floating on top of the water. The photo was taken yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

Annisul seeks Tk500cr for DNCC Bhaban construction n Tribune Report Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Annisul Huq has sought Tk500 crore from the Finance Ministry for the construction of the city corporation headquarters, along with the implementation of his other electoral promises.

The newly elected Dhaka North mayor asked for the fund yesterday when he met with Finance Minister AMA Muhith at the Secretariat in the capital.

“I have assured the Dhaka North mayor that we would help him with the construction of a new building for the DNCC,” Muhith told

reporters after the meeting.

Talking to reporters, Annisul said: “The finance minister has always been a mentor to me; I just met him after I took office on May 5 as the mayor of Dhaka North.”

He said the ward councillors had joined their office on May 14.

“We sought fund from the finance minister for the construction of DNCC head office as well as to meet the concurrent expenditure of this organisation.

“We have a total of 60 people working on a single floor. That is not enough space to smoothly run the DNCC.” In reply to a question, Annisul said the

Call for the youth to change political culture n Tribune Desk A discussion titled “A movement for change: The journey continues” was held at the Lakeshore Hotel in Dhaka yesterday aiming to encourage the country’s youth to get involved in politics and bring positive change through a democratic process.

Organised by Projonmo Bangladesh, the discussion was attended by former president Dr AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, members of the diplomatic community, members and leaders of Facebook-based youth movement Blue Band Call, Centre for Generational Change, and other youth leaders and activists.

At the event, Blue Band Call Founder Mahi B Chowdhury read the keynote speech.

“Our values resonate with the dreams and aspirations of the projonmo (generation) for positive political change, politics of merit and knowledge instead of muscle, politics of

unity, inclusiveness and harmony instead of division, politics of programmes and development instead of emotional rhetoric, and politics of tolerance and non-violence instead of confrontation.

Study: Only 1% young people belong to a political party, 74% have no interest in politics and 76% believe young people have no capacity to influence policy “We seek to promote a positive political culture based on tolerance, accountability and respect, prioritising human dignity,” he said in his speech.

He also presented statistics gathered by the British Council Next Generation Report

2010, which states that only 1% of the country’s young people belong to a political party, while 74% have no interest in politics and 76% believe young people have no capacity to influence government decision.

Mahi said the political scenario change in the major milestone historical events, such as the movements for language, liberation and democracy in 1952, 1971 and 1990, were led by youth. But now they are rejecting politics because of the use of muscle, division, emotional rhetoric, and violence.

He said the young generation aspires for a land of religious, ethnic, social and economic equality, seeks to promote human dignity, respect and rights, and aims to uphold the spirit of 1971 and Bangladeshi nationalism.

If the youth does not come forward for a positive change in the political scenario, politics will be confined to a handful people and political prospect will be static, Mahi said. l

DNCC would take stern action against officials and staff who were found to be involved in corruption.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved another project titled “Construction and Improvement of the Roads, Drains and Footpaths of Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara Diplomatic Areas” five days ago, with an estimated cost of Tk200 crore.

The project, to be implemented by the DNCC, was placed before the Executive Committee on Economic Council early last month, but the Election Commission objected to the move saying it might affect the city elections results. l

Habiganj siblings charged in war crimes case

n Tribune Report

The prosecution yesterday pressed four charges against two siblings for their alleged involvement in committing crimes against humanity in Habiganj during the Liberation War. Prosecutor Sultan Mahmud Simon submitted the formal charges to the tribunal’s registrar yesterday. After receiving the charges, the International Crimes Tribunal 2 fixed May 25 for further order in the case.

Former chairman of Khagaura union Mohibur Rahman Bara Mia, 65, and its incumbent Chairman Mujibur Rahman Angur Mian, 60, have been charged with killing, rape, arson and torture. They were arrested from Imambari area of Nabiganj upazila on February 10 this year.

The tribunal yesterday also issued an arrest warrant against Abdur Razzak, in response to a petition filed by the prosecution. l

DT

6 NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Diarrhoea spreads in Meherpur, two die n Our Correspondent, Meherpur

Meherpur district has been witnessing outbreak of diarrhoea over the last 25 days. Over 100 diarrhoea patients, mostly children and women, were admitted to Meherpur Sadar Hospital on Saturday.

In the last 25 days, two people died and over 1,000 people were infected with the water-born disease.

Hospital sources said about 70 people were getting admission to the hospital every day.

According hospital sources, Pinki Khatun, 26, wife of Rashed Ahmed, a resident of Berpara area of the district town, had taken admission to the hospital on Wednesday morning. Later, she died in the evening.

Besides, Aroz Ali, a resident of Raipur village under Sadar upazila, got admission to the hospital on Wednesday afternoon and he died on Thursday morning.

Patients and their attendants lie floor as

well as corridor of Sadar Hospital as the 10bed Diarrhoea Ward of the hospital is too inadequate to deal with increasing number of patients.

Local people demanded test of water supplied by Meherpur municipality after 30 people were infected by the water-born diseases in Chakrapara and Stadiumpara areas on May 4.

District civil surgeon office conducted a tests of water, seasonal fruits and food. According to the report, diarrhoea in the locality has spread due to heatwave, stale food and consumption of chemical mixed seasonal fruits.

As the situation is not improving, a medical team from Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) visited the hospital on Saturday night.

The team led by Dr Narayan Chandra Das visited diarhoea ward and different places of the district and collected samples of seasonal fruits, food and water. l

First foot-over bridge in Sylhet, businessmen protest Correspondent, n Our Sylhet In order to facilitate pedestrian crossing and smooth traffic flow on the busy roads of Court Point area, the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) is going to set up the city’s first foot-over bridge.

SCC sources said, Chittagong Dry Dock Limited, an enterprise of Bangladesh steel & Engineering Corporation, is constructing the bridge at a cost of Tk1.63 crore.

Meanwhile, the businessmen of the Modhubon market staged a human chain in the market premises yesterday morning protesting the project.

They claimed that if the project was implemented, it would adversely affect around 300 businessmen of the market.

Nur Azizur Rahman, acting engineer of the SCC said the bidders started the construc-

tion work in April and would finish the work in 2-3 months.

“The foot-over bridge will have six stairs at Collectorate Mosque, Central Market and Modhubon Market areas. To ease the traffic congestion, we are installing the project with special allocation from Finance Minister AMA Muhith. We will built another bridge in the Surma Market area,” he added.

Md Mujibur Rahman, assistant technical officer of the Chittagong Dry Dock Ltd said: “Currently the foundation work is going on. Main steel structure of the bridge is already done in Chittagong. The bridge will be opened to public in 3 months.”

President of Modhubon Market Businessman Association Turon Miah said they would incur huge loss as the bridge would obstruct the market entryway. He urged the concerned authorities to reconsider the project. l

Security guard killed Correspondent, n Our Savar Alleged robbers hacked a security guard to death yesterday during robbery in a readymade garments at Sonia Market in Gazirchot area under Ashulia of Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka.

The deceased was identified as Abdul Sattar, 50, son of Mohiuddin Sarkar of Rahimpur village in Naogaon.

Aminul, son of deceased said: “A group of robbers swooped on the market in the morning. My father tried to

resist them while they were trying to break the locks of the godowns.”

“They tied up the hands and legs of my father and hacked him indiscriminately,” he added.

The robbers robbed goods worth about Tk20 lakh and fled the scene.

Ashulia police station Officer-in-Charge Mostofa Kamal said: “On information, police went to the spot and took Abdul to hospital where on duty doctors declared him dead.”

No one was arrested in this connection, he said. l

Patients and their attendants lie in corridor at Meherpur Sadar Hospital as the 10-bed diarrhoea ward of the hospital is too inadequate to deal with increasing number of patients. The photo was taken yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

DT

NEWS 7

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Cigarette worth Tk70,000 destroyed n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi A huge amount of foreigner-made cigarette worth about Tk70,000 was destroyed during several drives in Rajshahi city yesterday.

District administration conducting anti-smoking drives at different cigarette stalls at Zero point, Sonadighi and CNB intersection seized a huge amount of foreign-made cigarette.

Executive Magistrate Shimul Akhter said: “We have seized the cigarette and destroyed those.”

District Executive Magistrates Alamgir Kabri and Raihan Ahmed were also present during the drive. l

Fire catches RMG factory in CEPZ n Tribune report

Authorities: Attack on Preparatory principal, staff well-planned n Kamrul Hasan Teachers and governing body members of Mohammadpur Preparatory Higher Secondary Girls’ School yesterday alleged that the principal, rector and teachers were attacked on Saturday in a planned way.

A number of teachers, staff members and general students, however, agreed that the complaint of sexual harassment of a few girls was partially true.

They said the incident in which a Class I student was involved might be true but they did not want to make any remark on it as a committee was yet to submit its probe report.

A second-year college student said the incident involving a student of Class V was fab-

ricated. If something like that had happened they would have heard about it and the identity of the girl would have surfaced.

Protesters cannot assault female students while seeking justice for the minor, she said.

M Tamim, a member of the school’s Board of Trusty, at a press briefing yesterday alleged that the principal and rector of the school had been physically assaulted by the protesters.

In the name of protest, protesters physically assaulted some three to four teachers along with many female staff of the school, he said.

He demanded that the persons involved in assaulting school staff should also be brought to book like the molesters.

When asked about the probe report, Principal Belayet Hossain said he knew nothing

about the report. “The findings of the report will be presented at the board meeting.”

Several persons at the school said the committee found nobody that resembled any person the Class I girl described. That is why the committee sought three more days to confirm if any staff member was involved in the sexual assault.

A female teacher said almost all the protesters involved in the attack on teachers were outsiders. Very few of them could be identified as parents of students who read in the school.

Principal Belayet Hossain said if the report was submitted yesterday, they could hold a press briefing today to let people know about what exactly happened. l

A fire broke out at a readymade garment factory inside the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) area early yesterday in Chittagong.

None was injured in this connection, said fire brigade sources.

Chittagong Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters in Agrabad sources said a fire had originated from an air conditioner’s fault on the third floor of five storied factory building of Youngone Company around 5am.

The fire burned several cutting machines, furniture and documents down into ashes, added the sources. l

WEATHER THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

MONDAY, MAY 18 TODAY SUN SETS 6:35PM

DHAKA

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:14AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY 32 32 32 31 33 32 30 31

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

26 26 26 24 24 25 23 25

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

37.0ºC

22.8ºC

Mongla

Sylhet Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

3:48am 5:14am 11:55am 4:34pm 6:35pm 8:05pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

Workers of Swan Garments stage demonstration in front of Ministry of Labour and Employment in the capital yesterday demanding payment of arrears and reopening of the factory RAJIB DHAR

Students of IHT taking classes amid risks

Gazipur mayor faces another charge sheet n Our Correspondent, Gazipur

n Our Correspondent, Barisal

Police yesterday submitted a charge sheet against detained Gazipur City Corporation Mayor MA Mannan and six local BNP leaders and activists in a violence case filed last year.

Gazipur court police Inspector Md Rabiul Islam said another charge sheet against Mannan, for a case under the Explosives Act, had been submitted at the Joydebpur police station on May 14 which accused six people including Mannan.

The charge sheet was forwarded to the District and Sessions Court by Justice Begum Abeda Sultana. On Sep 2, last year, an explosion occurred at the Jorpukur area of Gazipur around 10:30pm. l

Students of Institute of Health Technology situated in Barisal Sher E Bangla Medical College campus has became panicked as at least six rooms of only four-year old academic building developed cracks recently.

School sources said cracks had developed in the room no. 101,103, 108, 118, 119 and toilet on ground floor of the four-storied building.

The panicked students denying disclosing their identity said they noticed the cracks in only four-year old building after recent earthquake in the country.

The students alleged that authority know-

ing everything, forcing students to continue their classes amid risk after doing some petty repairing works which failed to stop spreading of developing cracks in the building.

A source who preferred to be unnamed told the Dhaka Tribune that authorities of the school constructed the building defying building construction code in collaboration with contractor and Public Works Department’s officials and for that reason the building turns risky within four years of construction.

Dr Swapan Kumar Mitra, principal of Barisal IHT, said they had informed higher authorities and Public Works Department about the development of cracks. l

DT

8 WORLD

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Russia deploys troops amid fears of Afghan spillover n AFP

Afghan and foreign security forces keep watch at the site of a car bomb attack in Kabul yesterday that killed at least three people

Three dead in Taliban strike on EU vehicle in Kabul n AFP Three people including a British national working with the European Union police were killed Sunday when a Taliban militant rammed his explosives-laden car into a foreign convoy in Kabul, the latest attack of Afghanistan’s fighting season.

At least 18 people were wounded in the assault, which comes three days after 14 people – mostly foreigners – were killed in a Taliban attack on a Kabul guest house that trapped dozens attending a concert.

The suicide bomber targeted the foreign convoy, which included two vehicles of the European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL), during the Sunday morning rush hour near Kabul airport.

“A suicide bomber detonated his Toyota sedan targeting a foreign forces convoy near Kabul airport today at 9:00 am,” Kabul police spokesman Ebadullah Karimi told AFP.

“The target of the attacker was the foreign forces convoy. So far we have two women dead, 18 others wounded, all of them civilians,” he said, adding that three children were among those wounded.

EUPOL in a statement confirmed that one of the mission’s vehicles was hit by the explosion near Kabul airport resulting in the death of one security personnel.

Two mission members who were also in the vehicle suffered injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening, EUPOL said in the statement.

In London, UK foreign secretary Philip Hammond confirmed that the victim was a British national and “strongly condemned (the Taliban’s) cowardly actions.”

“I can confirm that a British security contractor is among those killed in the attack,” Hammond said in a statement. “His family has been informed and my thoughts are with them at this incredibly difficult time.”

REUTERS

An AFP photographer at the scene saw troops hauling away the body of a person in military-style uniform, pulled out from the twisted wreck of a badly damaged sedan.

Taliban insurgents, who have stepped up attacks on foreign targets after launching their spring offensive late last month, claimed responsibility for the car bombing.

“A suicide attack was carried out on foreign forces near the gate of Kabul airport,” spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter.

On Friday the militant group justified its targeting of foreigners, saying that people from “invading countries” do not count as civilians.

“Every foreigner from an invading country especially NATO is considered an invader. We don’t classify any of them as civilian,” Mujahid said on Twitter.

Afghan forces are facing their first fighting season against the Taliban without the full support of US-led foreign combat troops. l

Russia has deployed hundreds of troops for drills in Central Asia with its ex-Soviet allies in a show of force as anxiety grows over a surge in fighting in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Around 2,500 personnel from the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) are taking part in joint exercises due to run to Wednesday in Tajikistan. The move is seen as re-enforcing Moscow’s role as the main guarantor of the fragile region’s security after US troops leave Afghanistan.

The Russian deployment of about 500 troops for the drills started last week, bolstered by soldiers from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Belarus.

Tajikistan is in a strategic spot, bordering Afghanistan’s Kunduz province where over 200 people have died and 10,000 been displaced by a militant offensive.

Russia’s foreign ministry says it is “particularly concerned” by the violence, which Afghan local authorities claim has seen the Taliban link up with jihadists from the Islamic State group battling in Syria and Iraq.

The uptick in Afghan fighting has rattled Moscow’s ex-Soviet allies in Central Asia, and some have looked towards Russia for reassurance. l

Burundi president sounds al-Shabab warning n Reuters, Bujumbura Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza yesterday made his first public appearance in the capital Bujumbura since an attempted coup last week failed to oust him from power, saying he was monitoring a threat posed by Islamist militants from Somalia.

The east African nation was plunged into crisis after Nkurunziza said he was seeking a third term of office. Critics said the move would be unconstitutional, and there have been almost daily protests since Nkurunziza’s announcement.

At a news conference, Nkurunziza, who has not been seen in the capital for days, did not address the crisis in his country but said he was “very preoccupied” by the threat posed by the al-Qaeda linked militant group al Shabaab. l

Syria army pushes IS back from ancient Palmyra n AFP

Syrian troops pushed Islamic State group jihadists back from the ancient city of Palmyra yesterday, easing fears over the world heritage site, after fighting that left hundreds dead.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said nearly 300 people have been killed in four days of fighting since IS launched an assault on the desert oasis city on Wednesday.

The toll comprised 123 soldiers and loyalist militiamen, 115 IS fighters as well as 57

civilians, dozens of whom were executed by the jihadists, the Observatory said, quoting sources on the ground.

On Saturday the jihadists pressed their offensive and seized the northern part of the modern town of Palmyra, known as Tadmur in Arabic, but were driven out by regime forces.

“IS’s attack was foiled,”said provincial governor Talal Barazi.

He told AFP the army was “still combing the streets for bombs” after recapturing the northern districts.

“The situation in the city and its outskirts

is good,” he said.

But the Observatory said clashes were still under way Sunday in the northern suburb of Al-Amiriyah, around the prison east of the city and around Haql al-Hail gas field northeast of Palmyra.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the jihadists were still just a kilometre (less than a mile) away from the UNESCO-listed heritage site and its adjacent museum housing thousands of priceless artefacts.

“IS is still present outside the city, to the south and east,” Abdel Rahman said.

Syrian antiquities chief Mamoun Abdulkarim expressed relief that IS, known for its wanton destruction of archaeological sites in territory it controls in Syria and Iraq, did not attack the site.

“We have good news today, we feel much better,” Abdulkarim told AFP by telephone.

“There was no damage to the ruins, but this does not mean we should not be afraid.”

The jihadists launched their offensive from their stronghold in the Euphrates Valley to the east, triggering ferocious fighting with the army, which has a major base just outside Palmyra. l

DT

WORLD 9

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Thousands rally against US military base on Japan’s Okinawa n AFP Thousands of people rallied in Okinawa in southern Japan yesterday in protest against a controversial US airbase on the island, as a two-decade-old bitter row over the relocation of the site drags on.

Okinawa is home to more than half of the 47,000 US service personnel stationed in Japan as part of a defence alliance, a proportion many islanders say is too high.

Futenma airbase has become emblematic of that ill-will since Washington announced plans to move it in 1996, hoping to ease tensions with the host community after the gang-rape of a schoolgirl by servicemen the previous year.

But locals have blocked the move to relocate the base, insisting the facility should go off-island instead, queering relations between Tokyo and Okinawa – a once independent kingdom that was annexed by Japan in the 19th century.

“The government says we are to blame that the issue has stalled for 19 years and they tell us to find an alternative place (for the base relocation). That’s outrageous,” shouted the anti-US base mayor of Nago, Susumu Inamine.

“The government is thrusting their responsibility on us,” Inamine told a packed 15,000-seat baseball stadium.

Organisers estimated that about 35,000 people also turned up for a rally in Naha, Okinawa’s capital.

Deadlock has deepened recently after preparatory building work on the coast begun in the face of vehement opposition from the local government in Okinawa.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last month insisted the current re-location plan was “the only solution,” while anti-base Okinawa governor Takeshi Onaga hit back saying that three recent popular votes in Okinawa all showed overwhelming opposition to the move.

Some 35,000 protesters raise their hands during a rally to protest against a US airbase in Naha, on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa yesterday. The presence of US bases has met with popular opposition since the gang-rape of a schoolgirl by US servicemen in 1995 AFP “The current government is pushing the plan. Is it really a democratic country?” said protester Kiku Nakayama, 86, who as a teenager worked as a nurse for soldiers towards

the end of World War II. “We have to remove the risks of exposing Okinawa to war again,” she said.

While most Japanese value the protection

the US alliance gives them, especially in the context of Beijing’s growing regional assertiveness, a sizable proportion of Okinawans want a dramatic reduction in their numbers. l

UN: Shelling kills eight children in Benghazi n AFP

Erdogan condemns Morsi verdict as return to ‘ancient Egypt’

IS fighters killed in US special operations raid n Agencies

Shelling of residential areas of Libya’s second city Benghazi killed at least eight children this week, the United Nations said, warning that such attacks may amount to war crimes.

The UNSMIL mission to Libya, in a statement posted on its website, did not specify exactly when or where the children were killed nor indicate who may have been behind the deadly attacks.

It condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the targeting of residential areas of Libyan cities.

UN envoy “Bernardino Leon strongly deplores the death of at least eight children and the injury of four more, as a result of the shelling of residential areas of Benghazi on two occasions this week,” said the UNSMIL statement issued late Friday.

Libya’s internationally recognised government said on its Facebook page that seven children and one man were killed in shelling that hit residential areas of Benghazi on Tuesday night. l

n AFP

At least 32 Islamic State members, including four of its leaders, were killed in air strikes and a US special forces raid that targeted the group in eastern Syria, a group monitoring the Syrian war said yesterday.

US officials said the raid killed a senior Islamic State leader identified as a Tunisian who helped to manage its black-market sales of oil and gas to raise funds. A US official said that about a dozen fighters were killed in the raid.

British-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights gathers its information from sources in the region.

The operation in the eastern Deir al-Zor province marked a departure from Washington’s strategy of relying primarily on air strikes to target militants in the area.

US President Barack Obama approved the special forces operation, a rare use of “boots on the ground” by the United States, which has fought the jihadists almost entirely from the air. l

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday condemned the death sentence handed out by an Egyptian court to former president Mohamed Morsi, saying it recalled “ancient Egypt.”

“The popularly elected president of Egypt, chosen with 52 percent of the vote, has unfortunately been sentenced to death,” Erdogan said at a rally in Istanbul, to howls of protest from the crowd.

“Egypt is turning back into ancient Egypt,” Erdogan said, referring to the old Pharaonic rule of the land that ended over two millennia ago.

“The West, unfortunately, is still turning a blind eye to Sisi’s coup,” he added. Morsi was overthrown in 2013 by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who is now president after winning elections last year.

“While they [the West] abolished the death penalty in their own countries, they just look

on as spectators at this execution in Egypt,” he added.

Turkey, like the EU, has itself abolished the death penalty.

The Islamic-rooted government under Erdogan was a strong supporter of the Islamist Morsi after he won the 2012 elections with just under 52 percent of the vote, hoping he would help restore Turkey’s Ottoman-era influence in the region.

However Turkey reacted furiously to the overthrow by Sisi of Morsi, a move supported

by Saudi Arabia. Diplomatic relations were severely degraded.

Erdogan has repeatedly attacked Sisi in speeches since. However until the death sentence verdict, there had been tentative signs of a rapprochement as Turkey seeks to improve ties with Saudi Arabia.

An Egyptian court sentenced Morsi to death on Saturday for his role in a mass jailbreak during the 2011 uprising that ousted former president Hosni Mubarak. l

DT

10 WORLD

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Over 20,000 rally to oust Macedonian government

Protesters wave Macedonian flags during an anti-government demonstration in Skopje, Macedonia yesterday REUTERS

n AFP More than 20,000 people rallied in Macedonia’s capital yesterday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski’s government which is grappling with a deep political crisis and an outbreak of violence.

Waving Macedonian and also Albanian flags, opposition protesters chanted “Victory! Victory!” at the demonstration in Skopje, the culmination of months of wrangling between Gruevski and his centre-left opponents that has already sparked clashes.

Macedonia’s problems deepened last weekend when 18 people were killed in a shootout in the northern town of Kumanovo between police and ethnic Albanian rebels.

The main opposition leader, Zoran Zaev, has vowed that yesterday’s protest will be peaceful, although the police brought in large supplies of anti-riot gear.

On a warm day, volunteers left bottles of water in front of the government building, in expectation of a long day.

Zaev said protesters would remain in front of the government building until Gruevski – who has been in power for nine years – and his cabinet stands down. l

Lengthy appeals process ahead for condemned Boston bomber n Reuters Condemned to die for his part in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is likely to await his fate over the course of years, if not decades, locked up in grim prisons under extreme conditions while his lawyers appeal his sentence.

He will pass into the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which will determine where he should be held.

Tsarnaev’s death sentence, once confirmed at the hearing, would make him one of just 59 prisoners condemned to execution in US federal courts, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

If the sentence is carried out, he would join a group of just three federal prisoners executed since 1988, when capital punishment by the US government was reinstated. l

DT

EDITORIAL 11

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

INSIDE

The grass is hardly greener Despite mounting tales of woe and suffering, the allure of plenty on a faroff land never fails to win over gullible minds PAGE 12

A death unnoticed Scores of poor families from Bangladesh visiting India often become victims of fraud, rape, or murder PAGE 13

Challenge, change, and some hope You can be sure that Modi and Xi had built up enough trust to discuss a few track routes for intractable issues PAGE 14

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Why did it take the police so long?

W

e hope the Tk1 lakh reward announced by police for assistance in capturing persons suspected of sexual assaults during Pohela Boishak celebrations at Dhaka University, will prove helpful.

It is concerning, however, that the police have waited till now to seek help when the High Court issued a ruling on the matter some weeks ago, and it has been the subject of continual protests and debate.

The fact that this step has taken so long, despite huge public attention, is a reflection of the the apathetic manner in which many institutions treat sexual assault and harassment.

It was only after parents and pupils at a girls school in Mohammadpur began demonstrating against incidents of sexual assault on school pupils by staff, that authorities chose to dismiss two accused staff and a Vice-Principal accused of protecting them. Despite the furore created by this case, it is still not clear if the perpetrators will be brought before the law as the school did not file a case with the police.

As a society, we must become better at upholding the law and making sure that all incidents of sexual assault are treated as a criminal offense subject to the harshest punishment.

In order to do do this effectively, society needs to change the misogynist attitudes which embolden perpetrators to target women for harassment or assault.

People in authority must not look the other way or to seek to cover up sexual assaults. It is the perpetrators who need to feel shame and fear, not their victims.

Change attitudes so authorities do not cover up sexual assaults

DT

12 OPINION

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

The grass is hardly greener n Towheed Feroze

W

ith the contorted faces of illegal boat people trying to end up in a better country to work plastered all over the newspapers, the complex issue of the “foreign bug” comes to the fore once more. Many of the people stranded at sea in the flimsy boats with little or no shade, have opted to dare this highly risky voyage to end up in a country where they can either claim refugee status or simply disappear, adding to the millions of unregistered labourers.

In most cases, the goal is straightforward: Work in a different country and earn a living.

But these boat journeys are not hastily assembled operations -- on the contrary, they are part of illegal migrant trafficking which demands that each passenger in a boat pay a hefty amount.

In recent weeks, we have seen several newspaper reports elaborating precise locations in Teknaf, from where countless people, caught by the foreign bug, have headed for the sea in rickety vessels, based on vague promises by unscrupulous traffickers.

The trend is never-ending. What is surprising is that, despite mounting tales of woe and suffering, the allure of plenty on a far-off land never fails to win over gullible minds. In certain cases, we hear that Tk3-4 lakh have been exchanged just for a passage to a different state, with no certainty about possible work once the voyage ends safely.

To give a realistic picture -- many trips end with death at sea; some often make it to shore but people landing illegally either end up in jail or are sent back.

The truth remains, suffering linked to foreign travel for employment is not a new phenomenon; it dates back to the late 70s when the Middle-East-oil-boom-triggered economic development required workers from developing countries by thousands.

While most people who worked in the Gulf states in the 70s will say unanimously that it was the golden period of overseas employment, it would be wise to recall the proliferation of “Hai Hai Companies” even at that period, swindling many with false promises of the desert dream.

Just for clarification, the term “hai hai” roughly translates to “all is lost.”

In the 80s, the hai hai was replaced by the term “adom,” literally meaning man, but again, this was used pejoratively to hint at dodgy manpower exporting organisations.

Adoms never disappeared; they only transformed their modus operandi. Today, countless such foreign manpower exporters operate individually without an office, using only their power to convince. And trust me, persuading someone of a better life abroad is possibly the easiest task.

As some target working-class people, others have well-furnished offices, creating the hallucination of the immigrant status where dollars flow because life is filled with roses and honey.

The reason why traffickers and illegal human exporters thrive is because, deep down in us, and that includes people from all classes, a desire persists, which believes there is something far better waiting for us.

REUTERS

The trend is never-ending. What is surprising is that, despite mounting tales of woe and suffering, the allure of plenty on a far-off land never fails to win over gullible minds

By the laws of nature, from every 1,000 people who go abroad, one will obviously, through luck, make it big, and this case is held up as the example.

In rural Bangladesh, in every little village, there is such a miracle story -- one Ramizuddin or Khairullah who is now a foreign citizen, earning good money, owning land and property back in Bangladesh.

This one success overshadows all failures.

Therefore, once the foreign bug is in, there is no way to end the dreaming.

A few months ago, a known person came to me asking for advice about sending his brother to France by a visa obtained by a so-called Europe returnee who purportedly owned an IT café in Paris.

Not too many read newspapers nowadays and the mere mention of Europe for them conjures up images of abundant wealth and luxury. Very few know and understand what recession actually means.

Dare I say, almost all of Europe is in a sluggish state, with France not doing too well either. In such a condition, how could a Bangladeshi manage to hire a fellow from his country to work in Paris? I asked the man this, telling him to disassociate from this venture.

He listened intently, nodding to every word I said deferentially but went and paid the money anyway. The man from Paris disappeared without a trace, which in a way was good for the victim because he did not have

to endure a tortuous boat ride or deportation from a foreign airport.

It’s indeed heart-wrenching to see helpless young men sobbing on the phone while talking to relatives back home.

However, some rational forethought is needed before embarking on a journey for the unknown.

If someone can pay Tk3-5 lakh to catch a dream which is just make-belief, then why not spend that money to set up a small shop or business here in the country?

The return may be small, but one thing is certain -- death from starvation on the sea, in a cramped prison, or in an impenetrable slave camp will always remain distant.

While Bangladesh has sent workers abroad since the mid-70s, with many coming home with a secured future, it’s prudent to keep in mind that, with the economies in many developed nations in shambles, anti-immigration sentiments are rising, making situations dire for newly-arrived foreigners.

Know the facts first before going, understand what economic downturn means. Most importantly, stop clasping onto the common saying: Ekbar gele kichu ekta paoa jaibo (once you are there, some opportunity will eventually arrive). l Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently working in the development sector.

DT

OPINION 13

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

A death unnoticed n Abdul Matin

T

he body of a 32-year old Bangladeshi woman, Nargis, was recovered from a railway station in India and was handed over to her family by the immigration police at Benapole on April 20. The victim’s family alleged that she was abducted, raped, and killed. However, police said they had yet to find any definitive proof as to how she died.

Nargis took her blind mother, Manimala, and her daughter, Kakoli, to India on March 9 for her mother’s treatment. They went to Kolkata through the Benapole check-post and took a train to New Delhi. Nargis requested a few young male passengers in the compartment to inform her on the arrival of the train in Delhi.

Around 3:30am, the men told Nargis that the train had reached Delhi and she got down there with her mother and daughter.

“As soon as we got off, the men abducted my daughter. I am blind. I could not see what was happening. All I could hear were my daughter’s screams. The train left after a while. I kept crying and asking for help,” Manimala told the police.

Scores of poor families from Bangladesh visit India for treatment or other purposes. They often become victims of fraud, rape, or murder

“We spent a few days waiting for my daughter to come back to the station. We learned later that we had gotten off at Kanpur. When she did not return, I came back to Bangladesh with my granddaughter on March 16 -- illegally because Nargis had all our passports,” Manimala further explained. On March 19, Sonadanga police contacted the family and informed her that Indian police had found Nargis’ body in a railway station.

This is not the first incident of its kind in India. The gang rape of an Indian student, who later died, aboard a private bus in Delhi in December 2012 caused mass outrage in India and received worldwide media attention.

Four men were sentenced to death for the brutal gang rape and murder. Judge Yogesh Khanna, who awarded the judgement, said it was important that the men were given exemplary punishment to put a stop to the type of “gruesome” sex crimes which had become “rampant” in India.

Three months after this incident, a Swiss woman was gang-raped by eight men in front of her husband while they were camping

in a remote region in Madhya Pradesh. A week later, a female British tourist suffered leg injuries after she jumped out of a hotel window over fears of a sex attack in Agra.

The government of India deserves credit for taking prompt actions to bring all the culprits to justice.

The accused persons in the case of the Madhya Pradesh incident were tried in a fasttrack court and sentenced to life imprisonment in July 2013.

These incidents, however, had a negative impact on tourism in India. The number of female tourists, particularly from Western countries, dropped significantly soon after the incidents. Nargis was obviously unaware of the risks involved in travelling without a male escort.

While the incidents involving the Indian and European citizens received worldwide attention in news media and social networks, the tragic death of poor Nargis went practically unnoticed, except by the news media in Bangladesh.

I did not notice any statements from Human Rights Watch (HRW) on the matter.

There was no protest by any human rights group in Bangladesh. Why was there so much apathy in this case? Is it because poor people deserve no justice?

The Bangladesh government has sought details from India regarding the death of Nargis.

“We have already established contact with the concerned department of the government of India, seeking details about the incident,” the deputy high commissioner of Bangladesh in New Delhi said. “New Delhi has not yet responded ... we are waiting for a reply.”

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh police chief said that Nargis was not raped. According to the post-mortem report, she was killed after she had been run over by a train, he claimed.

The incident deserves further investigation as many questions remain unanswered. Did the Indian police investigate who kidnapped Nargis and for what purpose? How could the incidence of a forceful abduction escape the attention of the railway police? Prompt action could perhaps have saved Nargis. Was her death an accident, a suicide, or a homicide? Was any autopsy done by the Bangladesh police in view of the allegations made by the victim’s family?

These are very pertinent questions which must be addressed by the respective authorities.

Scores of poor families from Bangladesh visit India for treatment or other purposes, often without male escorts. If there is any lax of security, even a male escort becomes helpless. They often become victims of fraud, rape, or murder. In many cases, the culprits are never caught.

We hope that the government of Bangladesh will pursue the matter seriously, in cooperation with the government of India, till Nargis’ family gets justice. It is important, not only for the sake of justice, but also to prevent similar crimes in the future. l Abdul Matin is a retired nuclear engineer.

BIGSTOCK

DT

14 OPINION

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

REUTERS

Challenge, change and some hope n MJ Akbar

D

r Henry Kissinger, master of international relations and lifetime student of its practice, writes that the long-serving foreign minister of the Soviet Union, Andrei Gromyko, would spend an hour each morning poring over a world map. It was wise investment of a veteran’s intellect at a time when the Soviet Union was still a superpower.

We retain, subconsciously, a schoolboy’s attitude to an atlas, as a static fact, vulnerable only to some cataclysmic shift of history.

But policy-makers know that the contours of power, and fluid lines of influence, are in continuous motion. Foreign policy is more akin to the management of underwater and overwater currents than a field trip through designated parcels of land.

The great challenge that Delhi and Beijing face today is how to steer their difficult relationship towards a mutually beneficial destination. This is not yet a journey to a grand horizon. That may yet happen, but will take a while. The pragmatic way is to ensure that every stop is something better than the last station.

Over two meetings, replete with much-crafted symbolism, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have done much to create a momentum that had gotten lost in the shallows of indolence and perhaps indifference. They defined the present in their own ways. Doing nothing, said India’s PM, was not an option, nor was reversal a good idea, the only thing that made sense was forward movement.

President Xi quoted chairman Mao Zedong:

“10,000 years is too long, we must seize the day, seize the hour.”

Can we seize anything without staring long and hard at the map? The border map is fraught with an intense history and therefore essentially fragile. India and China have addressed their boundary disputes with some degree of maturity, ensuring that any confrontation does not escalate into conflict.

But this is a band-aid solution for a deep wound, which is why it frays so easily and prickles rise when summits run their course.

There has to be pace and direction during talks in order to take them out of the clutch of vested interests.

its dialogue with India, that its secessionist troubles in Xinjiang get aid and abetment from forces within Pakistan. China has also ameliorated its Pak-centric objection to India’s claim for permanent membership in the UN Security Council.

The second significant layer of the India-China axis is economic. The cost to India, through a massive trade deficit, is unsustainable. If the gap cannot be filled by Indian exports, then there has to be some reciprocal investment by China. Since 2000, China has enjoyed the pleasures of roaming on a one-way street. It has contributed less than 0.5% to foreign investment in India. China

You can be sure that when Modi and Xi huddled at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xian, they had built up enough trust to discuss a few track routes for intractable issues

Pakistan has an obvious vested interest, and Beijing has an active Pakistan lobby which employs familiar methods of provocation.

China has invested heavily in Pakistan as a strategic ally south of the Himalayas, and is now seeking to bolster its protectorate by lifting Pakistan’s sagging economy. But at long last Beijing is ready to acknowledge, in

has put $10bn on the table, but that is only half the story. The Chinese have at long last opened the gates of the world to their people.

Outward tourism is booming. With a Beijing prod, India can become a prime destination.

The electronic visa facility makes sense in this light.

The third layer is as important, without

being equally quantifiable. An armchair optimist might conclude that the rapport between Modi and Xi is warmer today than between India and China. Personality matters because partnerships are built on trust. The great harmony between India and China began to wither after Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai started to resent Jawaharlal Nehru’s patronage at the Bandung conference in 1956; within four years it had given way to antagonism laced with personal rancour.

You can be sure that when Modi and Xi huddled at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xian, with only their translators for company, they had built up enough trust to discuss a few track routes for intractable issues. Xi quoted Mao’s dictum with a nod to history.

Chairman Mao threw that line into the wind during the historic talks with President Richard Nixon in 1972, while pointing to Kissinger as the man who could shape the opportunity.

Mao’s subsequent sentences were more revealing, says Kissinger in his book On China: “I think that generally speaking, people like me sound a lot of big cannons. [Zhou laughs.]

That is, things like ‘the whole world should unite and defeat imperialism, revisionism, and all reactionaries, and establish socialism.'’” At which Mao laughed uproariously.

Mao’s message was that ideology is best kept out of bilateral relations. You can always live with an obstacle by going around it. China believed it could do business with Nixon in 1972. It believes it can do business with Modi in 2015. 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

India’s export slump cast shadow on growth prospects

17

Fed rate hike doubts support Asia FX for week

19

Stocks end flat with choppy trading

20

DT

Business

15

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Mujibul: US envoy to recommend tariff cuts on RMG import

BB introduces rules to settle ATM transaction disputes n Tribune Report

Speakers at the high-level meeting on South-South and Triangular Cooperation in the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The Economic Relations Division of Bangladesh, UNDP and UNOSSC have jointly orgranised the two-day event at a city hotel, which began yesterday RAJIB DHAR

South-South cooperation in science, technology key to meet SDGs n Tribune Report As a number of countries in the south have achieved significant scientific progress, evolving South-South cooperation in science, technology and innovation between least developed countries (LDCs) and emerging economies require close attention, said national and international analysts yesterday.

They were also of the view that investment in agriculture is also important to boost agriculture production for a sustainable development.

A panel of national and international experts made their observations at the second session on technology, science, and innovation of a high-level meeting on South-South and Triangular Cooperation in the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Financing for Development in the South and Technology Transfer in a city hotel in Dhaka.

Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance in partnership with UN Office for South-South Cooperation and UNDP arranged the two-day meeting.

Professor of Law at Kyung Hee University and Policy Adviser to the President’s Office, Republic of Korea, was the moderator of the second session.

Analysts said the countries such as China and India are becoming significant sources of environmentally friendly technologies for the countries of the South and the North, showing that there is an immense potential for south-south collaboration on sustainable development aided by scientific and technological know-how.

Harnessing this potential is of critical importance to sustainable development, growth and resilience to economic, social and environment shocks, they said.

Director of South-South and Resource Mobilisation Division, Food and Agriculture Organisation Jong-Jin Kim said investment in agriculture is one of the most effective means to eliminate poverty and hunger as agriculture generates income and food.

“Without agriculture and rural development, no development is sustainable,” he said.

So, south-south cooperation might play a key role to implement Social Development Goals (SDGs), particularity second agenda that is end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture, added Jong-Jin Kim. South-south cooperation has unique characteristic compared to other cooperation as any developing countries having financial and technological resources can provide solution, which is very cheap and highly relevant, to other developing countries, he observed.

Kim laid emphasis on strong local ownership, expanded partnership, increased investment, innovation and technology for implementing SDGs. Bangladesh Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman said for capacity building, it is very much important for bringing all people from every sector to make project a success.

But implementing any plan taken by the government is a problem due to bureaucracy, he said.

“Bureaucratic problem in any country is a problem, which is true. They do not want to listen. They have their own idea with what they move forward.”

Public and private partnership is also important to make any project successful, said Kim. Chair of the Global Coordination Bureau, HE Jean-Francis Regis Zinsou, also LDC Group and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Benin to the United Nation, said the role of science and technology, innovation is very important to ensure rights of future generation.

He said good practices in developing countries can be applied to other developing or LDC countries for getting good result through south-south cooperation.

Jean-Francis Regis Zinsou added that research-based industrialisation is also important for making policy so that any country can have productivity in such a way that it can connect global value chain.

Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority Chairman Professor Naiyyum Choudhury said the role of science and technology is vital for increasing agriculture production as a little bit of innovation has a fantastic production.

“But fist we have to change our mindset in adopting new technology,” he said, underscoring the need for mutual collaboration between public and private sector. l

Bangladesh Bank has set a guideline for settling disputes between the ATM (automated teller machine) cardholders and issuers to ensure development, safety, efficiency and regulation of the payment system in the country.

All the banks attached to the National Payment Switch Bangladesh (NPSB) will initiate a dispute resolving process after submission of a claim with valid documents, according to a Bangladesh Bank circular issued yesterday.

“Disputes may arise when cardholders claim that they are unable to execute a specific transaction or fail to receive the services as committed, said the BB guideline titled “NPSB Switch Operating Rules and User Manual: Dispute Management Rules”.

According to the guideline, the settlement team at NPSB, which will handle all the disputes of the member banks, will store dispute details and its staff might investigate on the alleged transactions.

NPSB will be responsible for monitoring dispute time frames, fulfillment, fee collections and arbitration requests.

An issuer (who issues card) and Acquirer (who have ATM booth) can communicate urgent fraud-related transaction information to each other via NPSB online Urgent Investigation Request (UIR) system.

An acquirer, who fails to respond to any UIR initiated by an issuer within a 72-hour period, will be considered as valid transaction.

So, acquire must check the UIR on a daily basis to ensure a timely response against the requests, said the guideline.

Issuers have to report all of their confirmed fraud activity to NPSB by next working day immediately after the verification, according to the guideline.

“The arbitration process will start whenever both the issuers and the acquirers fail to resolve the claim.” l

DT

16 BUSINESS

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

France and China aim to win developing markets n AFP, Beijing

Workers signal to a mobile crane operator as he moves a container to stack it at Thar Dry Port in Sanand in Gujarat

REUTERS

India’s export slump casts shadow on growth prospects n Reuters, New Delhi India’s exports slumped for the fifth straight month in April from a year earlier, dragged down by fall in global demand that has cast a shadow over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of achieving over 8% growth in 2015/16 fiscal year.

The ongoing weakness in merchandise exports, which account for about 16% of India’s roughly $2tn economy, will weigh on January to March economic growth numbers due to be released on May 29.

Modi sees manufacturing and export-led growth as the best way to create jobs for the millions of young people who helped him gain power last year.

He aims to almost double goods and ser-

vices exports to $900bn in the next four years.

But merchandise exports contracted 14% in April. The trade deficit narrowed to $10.99bn as oil imports declined by more than 42% from a year earlier, data released by Ministry of Commerce and Industry showed on Friday.

Exporters said falling global commodity and crude oil prices had so far partly offset their lower overseas sales, but they fear more gloom - as demand is falling further, particularly in oil exporting and Latin American countries.

“There is a fall in order booking for coming months, particularly from buyers in the Middle East, Africa and Latin American countries,” said Ajay Sahai, a senior executive at the Federation of Indian Export Organisations.

He warned that exporters could be forced

to lay off workers if sales orders continued to decline over the next 4-5 months.

Some relief could come from the Reserve Bank of India, which has cut policy rates twice this year to 7.5% because of slower consumer inflation, and is expected to make borrowing cheaper again when it meets for a policy review on June 2.

To counter slack global demand, Modi has vowed to modernise overloaded roads, ports and railways in a bid to make India’s exports more competitive. This week, he is visiting top trading partner China, hoping to invigorate exports.

India’s economy expanded 7.5% year-onyear during the three months ending in December, higher than China’s 7.3% growth recorded in that quarter. l

France and China are interested in expanding their cooperation to win markets in Africa or Asia, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Friday as he confirmed Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s upcoming visit to Paris.

“It is taken for granted that (Li) will travel to Paris and Toulouse at the end of June, start of July,” the French minister said during his 10th visit to China.

Fabius met Li in Beijing Friday in the Zhongnanhai government enclave, near the Forbidden City, to discuss topics for the Chinese leader’s trip.

It would in particular include “the development of joint projects in third markets, be they Asian or African markets,” said Fabius.

China faces serious industrial overcapacity and slowing domestic demand, which are pushing its companies to expand their markets.

It could benefit from the expertise of French groups in markets where they are long-established.

The two countries also intend to strengthen cooperation in “food, health, services, finance,” the minister said.

French investment in China jumped 29.8% year-on-year in the first four months of 2015, Beijing said Friday, and Chinese investment in France has thrived, as evidenced by the acquisition of the iconic Club Med by Chinese conglomerate Fosun.

“The volume of trade has also grown,” said Fabius.

France, however, still has a colossal trade deficit of around 26bn euros ($30bn) a year, “it is obviously necessary to gradually reduce it”, he said.

In a meeting Friday with Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng, Fabius also “recalled French expectations in aviation cooperation,” according to an official source.

European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, based in Toulouse, has a Chinese medium-haul A320 assembly plant and has discussed with its Chinese partners an expansion of their industrial cooperation on the long-haul A330. l

CORPORATE NEWS

Advertising firm Ogilvy and Mather has recently signed a deal with Polar Bangladesh and Dan Foods Ltd on providing marketing and communication services. CEO of Polar Bangladesh, Shah Masud Imam and marketing manager of Dan Foods Ltd, Sohel Shahriar Rana were present at the signing ceremony along with Director Fahima Choudhury and Finance Director SM Hadiuzzaman of Ogilvy and Mather

Marcel has recently opened its exclusive showroom named Electro Point at Zindabazar in Sylhet. The company’s brand ambassador, film actor, Amin Khan has inaugurated the showroom at the presence of Md Khandokar Sipar Ahamed, director of Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industries

DT

BUSINESS 17

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Fed rate hike doubts support Asia FX for week n Reuters, Singapore Most emerging Asian currencies rose on Friday to see weekly gains on growing expectations the US Federal Reserve will delay interest rate hikes after soft economic data.

Malaysia’s ringgit hovered near a two-week high as the economy grew at a faster-than-expected pace in the first quarter and its current account surplus almost doubled.

The South Korean won turned higher on stop-loss dollar selling after the central bank kept its policy rate steady as expected and Governor Lee Ju-yeol dented expectations of further easing soon. Exporters also bought the currency for settlements.

The Indonesian rupiah advanced with a higher-than-expected trade surplus in April.

The currency also found support on catch-up buying after Thursday’s local holiday when its Asian peers rose.

The U.S. dollar stayed around a four-month low against a basket of major currencies as softer-than-expected US producer prices deepened concerns over slowing growth in the world’s top economy. The inflation data came a day after April’s disappointing retail sales numbers.

“There is some pull back in shorting Asian currencies, and much of this behaviour in markets is due to the rates lift-off being delayed,” said Suresh Kumar Ramanathan, head of regional interest rate and FX strategy at CIMB Investment Bank in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysian ringgit bank notes of different denominations are seen in this picture illustration taken in Kuala Lumpur REUTERS “It is time to take stock that USD’s upward trajectory perhaps has come to an end.”

Most emerging Asian currencies have eased so far this year on concerns that the Fed’s eventual rate hike will undermine the appeal of the region’s higher yields, and due to a slowdown in China’s economy.

Sentiment towards regional currencies has deteriorated in the past two weeks as China’s economy continued to lose momentum, a fac-

tor worsened by the global bond rout, a Reuters poll found on Thursday.

Weekly gains

Most emerging Asian currencies, however, were set to see weekly gains, led by the Taiwan dollar.

The island’s currency has advanced 1% against the US dollar so far this week, Thomson Reuters data showed. Foreign investors

Oil glut worsens as OPEC market-share battle just beginning n Reuters, London A global oil glut is building as OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia pumps near record highs in an attempt to win a market-share battle against stubbornly resistant US shale production, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said recently.

The West’s energy watchdog said in a monthly report that although higher-than-expected oil demand was helping to ease the glut, growth in global oil consumption was far from spectacular.

As a result, signs are emerging that the crude oil glut is shifting into refined products markets, which could make a recent rally in oil prices unsustainable.

“Despite tentatively bullish signals in the United States, and barring any unforeseen disruption elsewhere, the market’s shortterm fundamentals still look relatively loose,” said the IEA, which coordinates energy policies of industrial nations.

Global oil production exceeds demand by around 2 million barrels per day, or over 2%, following spectacular growth in US shale production and OPEC’s decision last year not to curtail output in a bid to force higher-cost US producers to cut theirs.

As a result, benchmark Brent oil prices more than halved from June 2014 to $46 per barrel in January. They have since rebounded to around $65, however, on fears of a steep slowdown in US production growth.

“In the supposed standoff between OPEC and US light tight oil (LTO), LTO appears to

have blinked. Following months of cost cutting and a 60% plunge in the US rig count, the relentless rise in US supply seems to be finally abating,” the IEA said.

But it added that the recent oil price rebound was giving US producers a new lease on life.

“Several large LTO producers have been boasting of achieving large reductions in production costs in recent weeks. At the same time, producer hedging has reportedly gone steeply up, as companies took advantage of the rally to lock in profits,” the IEA said.

“It would thus be premature to suggest that OPEC has won the battle for market share. The battle, rather, has just started.”

Despite a certain slowdown in US oil output growth, global crude supply was up by a staggering 3.2 million bpd in April year-onyear, the IEA said.

Beyond high OPEC production, the IEA cited strong performance of non-OPEC countries including Russia, Brazil, China, Vietnam and Malaysia.

The IEA lifted its 2015 forecast for nonOPEC supply growth by 200,000 bpd since last month’s report, saying non-OPEC producers will contribute 830,000 bpd of additional supplies in 2015.

Glut in refined products

The IEA left its 2015 oil demand growth forecast broadly unchanged from last month at 1.1 million bpd, to 93.6 million bpd, up from 0.7 million in 2014.

It said an improving economic outlook for

Europe was offset by reduced expectations for oil demand growth in the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and Latin America.

In another bearish sign for oil prices, US product stocks built counter-seasonally in March, and China posted record-high distillate builds, the IEA said.

“Preliminary data show OECD-wide product stocks stopped drawing and swung into growth in April. More such builds may follow as global demand goes through a seasonal soft patch and refining activity increases worldwide,” it said.

Adding to the bearishness, the IEA said it saw little sign of OPEC curtailing its output in the next month, saying early soundings suggested the producer group will sustain rates at around 31 million bpd during May. “Bucking the global trend, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are all raising their rig count and expanding their drilling programs.

Iraq and Libya, meanwhile, continue to raise production against all odds. And Iranian supplies hit their highest since July 2012,” it said.

April marked the 12th consecutive month in which OPEC production ran above the group’s self-imposed 30 million bpd supply target and was up nearly 1.4 million on the year before as top exporter Saudi Arabia held flows above 10 million.

The IEA said it cut its call on OPEC crude by 0.3 million bpd to 30 million bpd for the second half of 2015 due to upward revisions to non-OPEC supply growth. l

bought a combined net T$8.0 billion worth of local stocks in the first four days of the week, according to the Taiwan Stock Exchange data.

The ringgit has risen 0.7% against the dollar so far this week, according to Thomson Reuters data. Earlier on Friday, it rose to 3.5600 per dollar, its strongest since May 5.

Oil prices were set to end the week stronger, further supporting the ringgit. Higher crude prices eased concerns that fiscal and trade accounts of Malaysia, a net oil exporter, may deteriorate on lower oil prices.

India’s rupee has gained 0.5% on solid local shares and a weaker greenback.

The Singapore dollar has also appreciated 0.5%, while the rupiah has advanced 0.4%.

Thailand’s baht bucked against the regional appreciation with a 0.4 percent loss so far this week. Foreign investors continued to sell local bonds as top policymakers said they preferred a weaker baht.

Investors were awaiting US data such as April industrial output due later on Friday to check if the economy has recovered growth momentum. Emerging Asian currencies are likely to see corrections if upcoming data bring forward the expected timing of Fed rate increases.

Still, some analysts said only solid data is likely to restore such expectations, given recent dismal indicators.

“It’s about timing, as always. It is still too early to get back on the long USD trade,” said Sean Yokota, head of Asia strategy for Scandinavian bank SEB in Singapore. l

‘China infrastructure bank will uphold standards’ n AFP, Beijing China’s foreign minister worked on Saturday to allay concerns that Beijing’s new regional infrastructure bank would not meet international standards as he met with US Secretary of State John Kerry.

The US declined to become a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) amid doubts over how it would be managed, but several of Washington’s closest allies signed up, including Britain, France and Germany.

The concerns include transparency of the AIIB, which will fund infrastructure in Asia, as well as Beijing using it to push its own geopolitical and economic interests as a rising power.

“The United States welcomes new multilateral institutions, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank provided they share the international community’s strong commitment to high quality standards,” Kerry said at a press conference with Wang Yi in Beijing.

Those standards include “including genuine multilateral decision-making, ever improving lending requirements and environmental and social safeguards”, he added.

A total of 57 nations have applied for founding membership, including China, and Wang rebuffed Kerry’s concerns, saying: “The AIIB is a multilateral institution, so naturally its operation will observe international rules.”

“The AIIB is also ready to carry out cooperation with other multilateral institutions, including the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank,” he added. l

DT

18 BUSINESS

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

News, analysis and recent disclosures AGRANINS: (Q1): 0.45/0.40.

NORTHRNINS: (Q1): 1.33(restated 1.20)//1.60(1.46).

EASTLAND: (Q1): 0.71(restated 0.65)/1.06(0.96).

CENTRALINS: (Q1): 0.62(restated 0.58)/0.91(0.84).

PEOPLESINS: (Q1): 0.30/0.57.

INTECH: (Q1): -0.18(restated -0.17)//-0.20(-0.18).

MONNOSTAF: (Q1): 0.27/0.28.

ISNLTD: (Q1): 0.04/0.05.

EASTERNINS: (Q1): 0.88/0.86.

RUPALIINS: (Q1): 0.68(restated 0.65)/0.66(0.57).

JANATAINS: (Q1): 0.26(restated 0.24)/0.35(0.32).

CITYBANK: (Q1): 0.63(restated 0.60)0.25(0.23).

RENATA: (Q1): 10.82(restated 9.01)9.14(7.62).

UTTARAFIN: (Q1): 2.03/2.21.

SALVOCHEM: (Q1): 0.16(restated 0.15)/ 0.29(0.27).

RUPALIBANK: (Q1): 1.68(restated 1.46)/ 0.99(0.86).

UTTARABANK: (Q1): 0.67/0.61.

PARAMOUNT: The Company has further informed that the 16th AGM of the Company will now be held on July 05, 2015 instead of June 25, 2015. Other information of the AGM will remain unchanged.

SUNLIFEINS: Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB) has announced the rating of the Company as BBB3 in the long term along with a stable outlook based on audited financial statements of the Company up to December 31, 2013, and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

NBL: 10% stock dividend, AGM: 14.09.2015, Record date: 30.08.2015. EPS of Tk. 1.70, NAV per share of Tk. 17.27..

MBL1STMF: No dividend, Net loss of Tk. -42,021,163.00 and loss per unit of Tk. -0.42.

AIBL1STIMF: No dividend, Net loss of Tk. -32,202,604.00 and loss per unit of Tk. -0.32.

Financials: [Company: (Quarter): Current EPS/Previous EPS in taka] BSRMSTEEL: (Q1): 0.89/1.18.

PRIMEFIN: (Q1): -0.40/0.23.

LEGACYFOOT: (Q1): 0.05/0.05.

SPPCL: Q1): 1.48/1.05.

PURABIGEN: Q1): 0.26(restated 0.23)/0.23(0.20).

ISLAMIINS: (Q1): 0.36 (restated 0.33)/0.48(0.43).

NBL: (Q1): 0.26(restated 0.23)/ 0.23(0.21).

SUMITPOWER: (Q1): 0.98/ 0.75.

RNSPIN: (Q1): 0.11/0.78.

BDSERVICE: (Q1): -0.75/0.78.

MJLBD: (Q1): 0.82(restated 0.71)/ 1.18(1.02).

UNIQUEHRL: (Q1): 0.76/0.71.

GOLDENSON: (Q1): 0.30/1.02.

SAPORTL: (Q1): 0.25/0.24.

ARGONDENIM: (Q1): 0.64(restated 0.54)/1.01 (0.84).

PREMIERBAN: (Q1): 0.42(restated 0.38)/0.37 (0.33).

UCBL: (Q1): 0.81/0.96.

PARAMOUNT: (Q1): 0.37(restated 0.33)/ 0.41(0.37).

ORIONPHARM: (Q1): 1.41/1.63.

DHAKAINS: (Q1): 0.47(restated 0.44)/ 0.46(0.43).

PRIMEINSUR: (Q1): 0.30(restated 0.28)/0.23(0.21). ILFSL: (Q1): -0.77/-0.32 BDTHAI: (Q1): 0.77(restated 0.70)/0.21(0.19).

GREENDELT: (Q1): 0.74/0.69.

KAY&QUE: (Q1): 0.07/-0.23

Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

Company BD Submarine Cable-A RAK Ceramics-A Power Grid Co. -A Midas Financing-Z SAIF Powertec-N Samata LeatheR -Z Khan Brothers-N Khulna Power-A Central Pharm-A M.I. Cement-A

Closing (% Change) 9.99 9.98 9.38 8.91 8.20 8.12 7.85 6.94 6.72 5.75

CSE GAINER Company BD Submarine Cable-A RAK Ceramics-A Nitol Insurance -A Shinepukur Cera-Z Power Grid Co. -A SAIF Powertec-N Khan Brothers-N Central Pharm-A Dhaka Ins. Ltd.-A Baraka Power-A

Closing (% Change) 9.99 9.98 9.57 9.20 9.06 8.05 7.85 7.81 7.73 6.25

DSE LOSER Company In Tech Online -A Wata Chemicals -A Premier Bank -A Standard Insurance-A AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A Intl. Leasing-B Golden Son -A Argon Denims Limited-A AsianTigerSandhani GF-A Bay Leasing.-A

Closing (% Change) -16.78 -15.66 -13.27 -11.71 -11.36 -10.00 -9.87 -9.72 -9.59 -9.57

CSE LOSER Company Standard Insurance-A AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A In Tech Online -A Wata Chemicals -A Premier Bank -A City G Insu.-A Intl. Leasing-B Legacy Footwear -A Daffodil Computers -Z Bay Leasing.-A

Closing (% Change) -18.57 -18.18 -16.31 -16.28 -11.46 -10.00 -9.93 -9.76 -9.68 -9.48

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

DSE key features May 17, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka)

DSE GAINER

Sector

7,106.08 153,775,682 149,699

Traded Issues

308

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

90

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

216

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

2

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,451.76

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

29.72

Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture

DSE Million Taka 288.95 124.96 34.89 1190.41 110.86 1599.41 1.18 452.33 1501.63 26.20 380.05 12.37 329.27 100.05 102.87 44.44 68.69 415.33 124.24 197.88 0.07

% change 4.07 1.76 0.49 16.75 1.56 22.51 0.02 6.37 21.13 0.37 5.35 0.17 4.63 1.41 1.45 0.63 0.97 5.84 1.75 2.78 0.00

Million Taka 25.11 15.52 2.13 123.90 6.08 119.71 38.83 57.43 2.75 26.86 0.73 23.51 454.26 9.24 1.31 4.92 66.22 17.17 30.85 0.01

Average (% Change) 10.67 7.07 6.62 8.81 5.09 8.12 3.67 4.69 6.21 2.99

Average (% Change) 10.30 7.11 9.57 2.94 5.26 5.47 3.54 4.97 7.46 3.57

Average (% Change) -13.67 -14.78 -13.30 -11.19 -10.11 -10.58 -5.44 -8.19 -9.43 -8.73

Average (% Change) -14.08 -18.18 -14.70 -16.28 -11.46 -8.74 -9.35 -5.94 -9.53 -5.86

CSE

ClosingAvg. 150.44 70.61 33.98 10.99 78.51 21.30 25.71 65.59 28.20 76.78

ClosingAvg. 149.70 70.63 22.90 9.09 34.22 78.85 25.74 28.28 19.45 34.86

ClosingAvg. 12.44 184.28 8.41 18.26 3.91 12.68 28.35 26.44 6.63 19.24

ClosingAvg. 17.09 3.60 12.24 180.00 8.50 12.74 12.80 19.01 11.20 19.93

% change 2.45 1.51 0.21 12.07 0.59 11.66 0.00 3.78 5.59 0.27 2.62 0.07 2.29 44.25 0.90 0.13 0.48 6.45 1.67 3.01 0.00

Closing

DHIGH

151.90 71.60 35.00 11.00 80.50 21.30 26.10 66.30 28.60 79.10

Closing 152.00 71.60 22.90 9.50 34.90 80.50 26.10 29.00 19.50 35.70

Closing 11.90 183.70 8.50 18.10 3.90 12.60 27.40 26.00 6.60 18.90

Closing 17.10 3.60 11.80 180.00 8.50 12.60 12.70 18.50 11.20 19.10

Million Taka 314.07 140.48 37.02 1314.31 116.94 1719.12 1.18 491.16 1559.06 28.94 406.91 13.10 352.78 554.32 112.11 45.76 73.61 481.55 141.41 228.73 0.08

DLOW

151.90 71.60 35.20 11.10 81.80 21.30 26.30 66.90 29.30 80.00

DHIGH

143.00 65.90 31.70 10.50 74.40 21.30 24.20 62.80 26.10 73.60

DLOW

152.00 71.60 22.90 9.50 35.20 81.90 26.40 29.30 19.80 36.00

DHIGH

142.00 66.00 22.90 8.70 29.10 74.70 24.20 26.00 19.10 33.00

DLOW

13.50 189.90 8.70 19.00 4.10 12.90 30.60 28.60 7.30 20.40

DHIGH

11.80 180.80 8.20 17.00 3.70 12.60 27.40 26.00 6.60 18.90

DLOW

17.20 3.60 13.10 180.00 8.60 13.50 13.50 21.30 11.20 20.80

Total

17.00 3.60 11.70 180.00 8.20 12.60 12.70 18.50 11.20 19.10

% change 3.86 1.73 0.46 16.16 1.44 21.14 0.01 6.04 19.17 0.36 5.00 0.16 4.34 6.82 1.38 0.56 0.91 5.92 1.74 2.81 0.00

Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

Turnover in Million

Latest EPS

344.278 323.256 8.479 0.378 273.915 0.000 50.651 310.741 99.377 12.209

Turnover in Million

0.64 2.76 -0.15 -1.55 2.69 -0.05 1.52 6.36 1.97 4.49

Latest EPS

62.865 22.913 0.000 0.019 0.745 17.828 4.917 4.944 0.039 10.875

Turnover in Million

235.1 25.6 -ve -ve 29.2 -ve 16.9 10.3 14.3 17.1

Latest PE

0.64 2.76 3.14 0.12 -0.15 2.69 1.52 1.97 1.76 3.00

Latest EPS

9.119 6.708 11.597 0.226 1.967 16.824 50.581 21.956 1.040 6.684

Turnover in Million

Latest PE

233.9 25.6 7.3 75.8 -ve 29.3 16.9 14.4 11.1 11.6

Latest PE

-0.68 5.79 1.52 2.88 -0.32 -3.08 1.20 2.16 0.60 0.76

Latest EPS

0.024 0.002 0.955 0.018 2.570 0.160 2.864 0.379 0.001 0.766

-ve 31.8 5.5 6.3 -ve -ve 23.6 12.2 11.1 25.3

Latest PE

2.88 -0.32 -0.68 5.79 1.52 1.72 -3.08 0.20 0.80 0.76

5.9 -ve -ve 31.1 5.6 7.4 -ve 95.1 14.0 26.2

CSE key features May 17, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

1,026.55 20,118,899 25,215

Traded Issues

231

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

71

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

157

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

3

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,385.64

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

28.92

DT

BUSINESS 19

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Stocks end flat with choppy trading n Tribune Report

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company GlaxoSK (BD) -A United Power-N BD Submarine Cable-A RAK Ceramics-A Khulna Power-A SAIF Powertec-N ACI Formulations-A MJL BD Ltd.-A WesternMarine -N BD. Thai Alum -B

Baraka Power-A ACI Limited- A BSRM Ltd. -N Shasha Denims -N FAR Chemical-N

VolumeShares 321,671 2,441,567 2,288,471 4,578,178 4,737,798 3,489,095 1,147,723 1,873,562 4,745,432 4,244,012

Value in Million 540.40 538.41 344.28 323.26 310.74 273.92 247.91 224.39 210.23 188.27

% of TotalTurnover 7.60 7.58 4.84 4.55 4.37 3.85 3.49 3.16 2.96 2.65

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

5,387,296 326,017 2,339,616 3,260,449 2,314,713

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company LafargeS Cement-Z BD Submarine Cable-A United Power-N BSRM Ltd. -N WesternMarine -N RAK Ceramics-A MJL BD Ltd.-A ACI Formulations-A SAIF Powertec-N BEXIMCO Ltd. -A

Khulna Power-A UNITED AIR-A Baraka Power-A Appollo Ispat CL -N National Feed-N

4,235,248 419,956 225,419 582,680 760,497 324,425 186,591 102,790 226,095 453,929

192,210 1,552,282 311,995 642,615 376,486

186.59 155.07 136.92 130.73 113.48

453.15 62.87 49.60 34.16 34.06 22.91 22.36 21.96 17.83 14.06

12.65 12.17 10.88 10.05 8.64

2.63 2.18 1.93 1.84 1.60

44.14 6.12 4.83 3.33 3.32 2.23 2.18 2.14 1.74 1.37

1.23 1.19 1.06 0.98 0.84

ClosingP 1672.40 219.40 151.90 71.60 66.30 80.50 210.10 124.20 44.10 43.30

35.50 472.50 57.90 40.10 48.60

ClosingP

Change % -0.42 0.41 9.99 9.98 6.94 8.20 -2.14 3.59 -7.55 1.41

5.34 -2.94 4.32 -0.50 4.74

Change %

105.90 152.00 219.10 58.30 44.60 71.60 124.20 209.80 80.50 31.10

65.80 7.70 35.70 15.60 22.00

-1.67 9.99 0.83 5.05 -7.08 9.98 3.33 -2.28 8.05 0.00

5.96 0.00 6.25 1.30 -1.35

ClosingY 1679.50 218.50 138.10 65.10 62.00 74.40 214.70 119.90 47.70 42.70

33.70 486.80 55.50 40.30 46.40

ClosingY

107.70 138.20 217.30 55.50 48.00 65.10 120.20 214.70 74.50 31.10

62.10 7.70 33.60 15.40 22.30

DHIGH

DLOW

1680.00 226.50 151.90 71.60 66.90 81.80 226.00 125.00 45.90 46.90

1666.00 215.50 143.00 65.90 62.80 74.40 207.20 115.50 43.00 41.90

DHIGH

DLOW

35.90 486.60 61.00 40.80 50.70

107.80 152.00 224.30 61.00 46.80 71.60 125.50 223.90 81.90 31.40

67.00 8.00 36.00 15.90 23.90

33.20 470.10 56.30 39.30 47.00

105.60 142.00 215.00 56.50 43.80 66.00 116.00 207.80 74.70 30.30

63.40 7.70 33.00 15.10 21.70

AvgPrice 1679.97 220.52 150.44 70.61 65.59 78.51 216.01 119.77 44.30 44.36

34.64 475.66 58.52 40.10 49.02

AvgPrice

106.99 149.70 220.03 58.63 44.78 70.63 119.83 213.64 78.85 30.98

65.81 7.84 34.86 15.64 22.94

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

4315.99655

(+) 0.03%

1630.19654

(+) 0.40%

13351.31690

(+) 0.15%

10805.97130

(+) 0.80%

8164.22500

(+) 0.34%

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

Stocks finished flat amid choppy trading yesterday as some investors were cautious ahead of national budget to be announced early next month.

The market moved heavily between red and green throughout the session as intra-day volatility was around 30 points. The benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, edged 1 point higher to settle at 4,316.

The Shariah Index DSES was also slightly up 2 points or 0.5% to 1,051. The comprising blue chips DS30 shed 6 points or 0.4% to 1,630.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, ended at 8,154, losing 21 points.

A rally in power, telecommunication and pharmaceuticals sectors offset losses in other sectors, including banks, non-banking financial institutions, textile, cement and food and allied.

The low-cap ceramic sector jumped more than 9%, led by robust gain in RAK Ceramics that rose 10%.

However, trading activities at DSE continued to increase because of strong selling pressure as turnover crossed Tk700-crore mark

and stood at Tk710 crore, which is up 6.2% over the previous session and the highest in last seven months.

IDLC Investments said market entered into sideways move as investors were cautiously weighing investment alternatives.

It said while deep discount in multiple scrips attracted opportunistic investors from the sidelines, mostly negative earnings growth declarations kept valuation timid, making investors to tread discreetly.

Lanka Bangla Securities said after a volatile session, market ended flat but the DSEX managed to sustain above the psychological 4,300-level.

It said investors were active on the both fence of the trading pushing the market turnover value to a new high.

A total of 307 issues traded on the day. Of which, 98 closed in green, 193 in red and 16 remained unchanged.

United Power Generation and Distribution Company Limited topped the liquidity chart with a turnover of almost Tk23 crore. It was Western Marine Shipyard, Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited, BSRM and Khulna Power Company Limited. l

ANALYST

Market entered into sideways move as investors were cautiously weighing investment alternatives

DT

20 BUSINESS

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Mujibul: US envoy to recommend tariff cuts on RMG import n Tribune Report State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque said the US ambassador to Bangladesh would inform the US congressmen about the improvements in workers’ safety and rights status in Bangladesh garment industry and ask for cutting tariff on the RMG import.

“US ambassador will place a report (on workers’ safety and rights) to the US congressmen. She will seek to reduce tariff on import of Bangladeshi RMG products,” he told journalists at his office yesterday after the US envoy Marcia Bernicat paid a courtesy call to him.

Mujibul said the US diplomat sought to know about the present situations of trade unionism, labour rights and factory inspections in the garment industry. “She has been updated about the status and current priorities.”

“I also inform her about what initiatives have been taken to improve working environment in the clothing industry and ensure workers’ safety and rights after the tragic Rana Plaza incident,” the state minister added.

US ambassador will place a report (on workers’ safety and rights) to the US congressmen. She will seek to reduce tariff on import of Bangladeshi RMG products Currently the US importers of Bangladeshi RMG products have to pay about 16% duty, which is much higher compared to other com-

petitor countries.

Mujibul said the GSP issue was also discussed in the meeting and the envoy observed that most of the conditions imposed by the US government to restore the trade facility have been met by Bangladesh except the workers’ rights.

“We have told the envoy that all the conditions outlined by the US government have been addressed,” the state minister said.

After the meeting, Marcia Bernicat also talked to the journalists.

In reply to a question about migrants crisis, the US ambassador said: “We are working with the Bangladesh government and other countries related with the ongoing migrant issue. The US was also working on providing humanitarian assistance.”

Labour and Employment Secretary Mikail Shipar was also present as the envoy called on the state minister. l

First ever mango export to UK supermarket begins n Tribune Report Bangladesh has started exporting mangoes to the United Kingdom’s supermarkets creating a huge commercial prospect for growers to get higher prices of their best quality produce.

The first shipment of mango will enter the Walmart Chain Shop in UK in current season and it is the first export of Bangladesh’s mangoes to mainstream international supermarket.

This was revealed yesterday at the opening ceremony of mango export in the Giasuddin Milky Conference room of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), reports BSS. The mango export to UK will open door of earning foreign currencies and will also help the government to start for product diversification, said Shubhashish Bose, Vice-Chairman of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

Bose was addressing the inauguration cer-

emony of mango export to Walmart as the chief guest at the Department of Agriculture Extension auditorium yesterday.

“I am really excited to say that mangoes from Bangladesh have market access to UK’s chain shop, meaning it will open a gateway for other supermarkets in Europe,” said Mike Robson, representative of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to Bangladesh.

Mango exports to European markets will ensure better livelihood of Bangladeshi farmers for receiving high prices of mangoes, he said.

In the last mango season, FAO and Hortex Foundation in collaboration with DAE arranged field visits of UK international experts of mango at three growing areas --- Satkhira, Chapainawabganj and Rajshahi and made a sample shipment of nine mango varieties to International Procurement Logistics (IPL), said a Senior Value Chain Expert of Hotex

Foundation, Md Saleh Ahmed.

He said ASDA, one of UK’s leading submarket chains under Walmart Group, selected three mango varieties – Himsagar, Langra and BARI Aam-3 (Amrupalli).

This year, as many as 180 farmers under nine upazilas in three districts of Satkhira, Chapainawabganj and Rajshahi have been registered to supply mangoes, Saleh said, adding that “These collected mangoes will be exported through ensuring adequate safety and package standard.”

As mangoes produced from Sathkhira came to market two or three weeks earlier than Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj, a total of 2.73 metric tons of mangoes from the districts were exported today, he added.

In the current season, another shipment of mangoes will be exported to the UK supermarkets when mangoes of Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj are matured. l

Regent to spread its wings for more routes abroad n Tribune Report Regent airways, a private airliner, plans to spread its wings, introducing a few more new routes within next three months.

After launching its commercial operation in South and South East Asia, the airliner is now going to commence three more international routes for four new destinations in four countries like Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

“It will be a big jump for us to introduce three more new routes within a very short time as we are going beyond the boundary of South and South East Asia for the first time,” Ashish Rai Choudhury, chief operating officer (COO) of Regent airways told the Dhaka Tribune.

Massive expansion work on different routes is still going on under the $100m new investment programme, which will create 1000 more new jobs in Bangladesh, he added.

According to the strategic plan, Regent is going to introduce its maiden flights en route for Dhaka- Muscat-Dhaka. It will also run its flights on Dhaka-Colombo-Male and Dhaka-Jeddah-Dhaka routes.

Regent officials noted that it got permission in all the routes from the respective civil aviation authorities of those countries.

Regent management is now working on setting up offices, appointment of General Sales Agent (GSA), recruiting manpower in different positions for those new routes.

Meanwhile, Regent also got a slot en route for Dhaka-Kathmandu-Dhaka. But it is yet to begin its flight there because of the recent devastating earthquake in Nepal.

Regent Airways, a sister concern of Habib Group in Chittagong, currently operates its flight in four international destinations along with its regular domestic flights.

Regent began its domestic commercial operation on 10 November 2010. It launched its first international flight en route Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur-Dhaka in 2013.

It also launched commercial flights en route Dhaka-Kolkata-Dhaka, Dhaka-Bangkok-Dhaka and Dhaka-Singapore-Dhaka.

At the same time, the airliner plans to increase frequencies in Dhaka-Singapore and Dhaka-Bangkok routes. Regent airway has five aircrafts in its fleet as yet. l

China economy loses more steam in April, further stimulus on the cards n Reuters, Beijing China’s money supply grew at its slowest pace on record and investment growth sank to its lowest in nearly 15 years as April data showed the world’s second-largest economy was still losing momentum despite a concentrated burst of policy easing.

Wednesday’s data added to concerns that Beijing’s growth target of around 7% for the year is already at risk, and reinforced views that authorities need to take bolder measures to head off job losses and debt defaults by local governments and companies.

The central bank is expected to follow this week’s interest rate cut with more stimulus in

coming months, while the government may ramp up spending to try to energise the economy, which looks set for its worst year in 25 years.

“It’s again worse than what most people had expected, especially on the investment side. All of this suggests that the downward pressures on growth in China are persisting, especially in the industrial part of the economy,” said Louis Kuijs, China economist at Royal Bank of Scotland in Hong Kong.

“This type of data will motivate policymakers to further ease on the monetary and fiscal sides.”

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has cut benchmark interest rates three times in the past six months.

BGMEA vice president Shahidullah Azim hands over clothes for the Nepalese earthquake victims to Nepal ambassador to Bangladesh Hari Kumar Shrestha yesterday BGMEA

DT

21

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

T-JUNCTION

Blushing belle

Model: Dwitiya Jawher Photo: Anup Munir

NEWS

INSIDE

Global Brand Pvt Ltd at Laptop Fair-2015 At the recently held Laptop Fair2015, Global Brand Pvt Ltd, the authorised distributor of Lenovo announced the lucky winner of a smartphone. The winner was selected from a group of people who purchased laptops during the fair.

Global Brand’s chairman Abdul Fattah and Lenovo’s business development manager Hasan Reaz handed over the prize to the winner.

Global Brand Pvt Ltd participated in the Laptop Fair-2015 as the distributor of ASUS, Lenovo, Panda, Huntkey and Rappo.

22

school survival

Professional photography

23 hair

5 easy hair hacks

24 health

Beware the chair

DT

22 T-JUNCTION

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Schoologistics

school survival

Professional photography A career experience which is dynamic and rewarding

n Nakibul Hoq Professional photography traces its roots to the very early periods of photography itself. Back in those days, newspapers were the primary employers of photographers looking to establish a career by selling their photographs. However, these photographers were often brought in by the upper class, elite families to take their family photos. But ultimately the lion’s share of their income came from the news media.

Needless to say, the scenario today has changed drastically. While once upon a time photographers had to rely on only a few sources of income and prestige, today’s commercial men-behind-the-lenses have a lot of career pathways to choose from.

Photographers can basically be divided into two groups - amateurs and professionals. The amateurs pursue the art of photography as a hobby rather than any definitive long-term career. Professionals on the other hand look into this area with more than just passion. They want to dedicate their entire lifetime to this art and build a fulfilling career in something they believe in very strongly.

“If we think commercially, I am more

interested in a few specific fields - wedding, fashion, advertisements and agencies,” says Redoy Mahmud Boishakh, an aspiring professional photographer enrolled at the Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka. “Also, digital agencies now often buy photographs from freelancers and use them as part of their campaigns.

Same goes for international agencies too who appoint photographers to capture images of events or situations.”

But most of today’s young and the more famous photographers are primarily interested in nature and the complex relationships of people. They capture and portray the diaspora of natural phenomena, while also focusing their lenses on people’s lives and livelihoods. Most of these artists start their photography as amateurs, but due to their intrinsic abilities to see through and connect with people, they reach the apex of recognition and fame more quickly. Popular Bangladeshi photographers specialising in this arena are GMB Akash and Andrew Biraj.

Globally, wedding photography is a colossal business opportunity for photographers looking to work independently. Similarly here in Bangladesh, wedding photography companies hire the best talent and look for

ambitious photographers who want to advance themselves in their career. In fact, yearly fairs solely on wedding photography are also held in Dhaka, implying how important this sector has become in this country.

Photographers are also driven by campaigns and their passion to tell a story. In photo exhibitions, they work with particular themes and help tell a story through images. They concentrate on visual media and fuel the need to talk about the real world and real people, and how their subjects are affected by particular situations.

One such currently trending example is the “Marlboro Boys,” a photography initiative by the Canadian photographer Michelle Siu, where the photographer examines the loss of innocence that smokers as young as three years of age exhibit.

Regardless of whatever options today’s aspiring professional photographers consider, there is a multitude of different careers they can choose from and succeed.

In fact, most of these artists should consider specialising in a few particular areas. That

Photo: Bigstock way, they will not only be able to focus their energy and talent, but also create a personal brand through which everyone will remember them. l Nakibul Hoq is the lead manager, Content and Analytics at GradInsights, the research service of GradConnect

news

UNYSA Bangladesh United Nations Youth And Students Association Of Bangladesh is a voluntary youth and student movement working with the motto of spreading leadership through volunteerism. UNYSAB is dedicated to convey the voice of young generation regarding current global issues. It is an organisation that reflects the unique strength of togetherness while working on the current global issues such as MDG, CoP, SDG, human rights and development, leadership and management skills, natural disarmament, social justice and many more.

Since its journey from 2001, UNYSAB has mobilised the conscious society with a number of events. Shaikh Imtiaz Shimul was the founder president of the organisation. UNYSAB is the pioneer of MUN in Bangladesh. Model United Nations (also known as Model UN or simply MUN) is an educational simulation that focuses on civics, communications, and multilateral diplomacy. During a Model United Nations conference, students take on roles of foreign diplomats and participate in a simulated session of an intergovernmental

organisation (IGO). Participants research on the geopolitics of a country, take on the role of a diplomat, investigate international issues, debate, negotiate, consult, and then develop solutions for the issues. MUN is something that conveys the ideals and

strategy of the UN. This year, students of schools and colleges will be warmly welcomed to the BANMUN-2015 to be held at Adamjee Cantonment Public School and College. For details please visit, www. banmun.org. l

T-JUNCTION 23

DT

Tempt

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

hair

5 easy hair hacks How to tame that mane when the going gets tough What you’ll need • A small bag - to carry the items in, duh!

• A few bobby pins.

• A mini brush and comb.

• Dry shampoo. (If you STILL have no clue what a miracle this product is, it’s time to wake up.) You can also put a bit of corn starch in a container. It’ll do the trick.

• A travel size container of light-weight lotion if you don’t have a portable serum.

• Hair elastics.

n Sabah Rahman It’s time to get real. Very, very real. We spend an alarming amount of time in our cars and various types of transportation just trying to get to our destination of choice. We probably spend more time getting to and back from point A to B than we actually hang around where we intended to go in the first place.

Here are a few great ideas we have up our sleeves for those days that you just can’t seem to get right when it comes to your crowning glory.

Emergency kit Yes, it’s superficial. When you think about emergency kits, tools that may help you straighten out that mop won’t be the first things to pop into your head. Regardless, some days, when you’re all geared up to impress, certain essentials can help get you out of a rut.

Flat out What appeared to have been a killer blow-out goes limp as soon as you’ve been out and about for a bit. This is where dry shampoo will come to your rescue. Tilt your head forward and lightly spray those roots or apply corn starch to the parts that are sticking to your face. Fluff with your fingertips and brush out the top layer softly.

We emphasise on the word softly, because if you brush too deeply, you’ll go right back to that flat phase.

All frizzed up Living in Dhaka, humidity seems to be that one annoying friend that will always have your back even when you don’t want them to. If you’re sporting curls, emulsify a tiny bit of serum or lotion between your palms and apply evenly to smooth out the issue. Do not overdo it, since looking like a grease ball hasn’t had its moment in the limelight just yet. If your hair is straight, work it into a cute side braid and secure it with a hair elastic.

Rain check It may not be raining men, but a sudden downpour can put a serious damper on that hair. The best thing to do in this situation is to duck into the ladies room before you approach other people and

styling

Two ‘dos in under 5 minutes

try to give yourself a few minutes until most of the water drips off.

Use your brush to pull your hair away from your face and into a high ponytail.

Sure, the “Blonde Ambition” ponytail isn’t back, but neither is a sopping wet ‘do. It also works like a mini face-lift.

What goes up Most of us have had to deal with up-dos getting messed up by a strong gust of wind. Here’s where those bobby pins will come in handy. Just take the random strands that have come undone and secure them with pins.

Whatever style you had on top of that head does not need to look too polished anyway. A bit of an unkempt look adds interest.l Twist and shout

Photos: Bigstock Braided glory

Short on time and still want to look chic? We’ve got just the thing for you Ain’t nobody got time for that. Elaborate hairstyles, that is…

Twist and shout It doesn’t get easier than this one. You can achieve the look in under five minutes! Who would have thought this easy, breezy bohemian look would be so simple?

1. Take two sections of hair from each side of your head.

2. Twist them like it’s nobody’s business.

3. Bring them together and use a hair elastic that resembles your natural or

fake shade.

4. Loop the bit that is hanging loose over the hair band so it looks like it never existed.

Braided glory 1. If you happen to have bangs, separate them from the rest of your locks.

2. Pull the rest of your hair up in a high ponytail.

3. Pull up that tail and twist it around until you seem to have the perfect, textured bun. Lock it in with pins if you have to.

4. If your bangs happen to be on the long side, twist those babies as well and clip them on to your bun. l

Photos: Anup Munir

n Sabah Rahman

DT

24 T-JUNCTION

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Take Care

health

Beware the chair

There are way more cons than there are pros

n Adila Hoque One study after another has proven that

sitting is bad for you. This daily “activity” of yours is linked to worse mental health, a higher risk of having heart disease and

even a shorter life expectancy. It also slows down your metabolism, gives you high blood pressure and adds just a few more pounds to your mid-section.

Apart from lying down, sitting down probably uses up the least number of calories. Fidgeting or eating a banana uses up more calories. And when you keep repeating that activity every day for a considerable amount of time, those effects are likely to pop out of their minimal-show pretense.

Chronic sitters have it way worse than most of sedentary workers, but it doesn’t mean that they’re in any less trouble. You are probably worrying about your crazy weight gain every day, and how it just won’t go down. Here are some problems that you’re facing that are probably caused by your every day sitting regime in front of the television:

Watch that waistline If you sit around a lot, it is quite likely that you’ll slowly notice tires around your waist, one after another, dropping an extra five pounds on that weight machine of yours.

Photo: Bigstock

It makes you hungry You might think that sitting

is, in fact, going to help you not be hungry.

However, the reality could not be further from this. A new research has shown that your level of activity has no effect at all on your appetite, so if you thought that your calorie intake has gone down a notch since you started parking your bottom on the couch every evening, you were wrong.

That is also the reason why you’ve been complaining about that weight gain. It’s not rocket science.

It messes with your digestion When you sit down for long periods of time after a meal, sometimes those digestive juices fling back into the esophagus, giving you a heart burn. This, unfortunately, also means your food takes longer to digest and that is going to hurt your metabolism too.

Take a break If you think not sitting is the solution, you’re wrong. It is suggested that you break up your sitting time keeping in mind that you should get up and take a nice walk around the house every 30 minutes or so, that is, between two sitcoms.

Couch potato Try to replace your couch with a standing desk, and keep reminding yourself to sit less. Use the TV commercial breaks to go get yourself a small glass of water so that your trips to the dining room are more frequent.

Once you start sitting less, you’ll be more open to the idea of finally using your gym membership. Good luck! l

therapy

Massage myths Don’t always believe what you hear

n Pareezah Shahnaz Khan Who doesn’t love a good old massage?

You close your eyes and drift into a complete state of relaxation as all the knots are kneaded away. Not only does it feel great, it’s good for you. There do seem to be a few myths about this treatment. It’s time to dispel them.

Not with a baby on board You can go ahead and roll your eyes at those ladies who tell you to avoid getting a rubdown if you’re expecting.

It’s actually good for the mom as well as the baby as it helps lower stress levels and improves your quality of sleep. There are institutes that have special massages targeted at expecting moms. Even if there are benefits, always take the safe route and go to a therapist who specialises in working with mothers to be.

See you later, cellulite!

As much as we wish regular massages would smooth out our skin and get rid of the pesky, bumpy bits, it’s not so easy.

Yes, massages along with a healthy diet

and exercise will definitely tone the skin, but getting rid of cellulite is tricky. It can be done with laser therapy, however.

Detox drama Don’t waste wads of cash on therapies that tout themselves as “Super Detox Massage.” Our bodies have a host of their own ways to flush out toxins on a daily basis. While massages do indeed stimulate circulation, which is always a plus, there is no scientific proof that having someone rub your body down will get rid of the toxins that lay deep within.

So addictive Apparently, some village idiots have been claiming that massages can become an addiction. When you stop having yourself a chuckle about the fact that anyone would think that, getting weekly massages are absolutely okay and great for you. Just because our bodies release endorphins that make us feel great throughout the process doesn’t mean we’ll be curled up in a corner, shaking from withdrawals just because our favourite masseuse went on a holiday. l Photo: Bigstock

Virat Kohli and his actress girlfriend Anushka Sharma were spotted during the IPL match between RCB and DD in Bengaluru yesterday

Sport 26

DOMINANT RUSSEL CLOSE GAP AT THE TOP

27

ZIMBABWE TOUR TO PAKISTAN IS ON: COACH

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LOVEBIRDS

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

SHARAPOVA CLINCHES ITALIAN OPEN

No surprise in Tigers prelim squad n Mazhar Uddin Bangladesh Cricket Board yesterday announced a 23-member preliminary squad for the upcoming bilateral home series against India starting next month. The short series comprises a solitary Test and three one-day internationals.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Anamul Haque returns to the side after recovering from a right shoulder injury sustained during Bangladesh’s 2015 ICC World Cup Pool A match against Scotland in Nelson on March 5.

Young paceman Mustafizur Rahman, who had an impressive Twenty20 international debut against Pakistan in Mirpur on April 24, received his maiden call-up in the squad while openers Liton Kumar Das and Rony Talukdar were also named in the 23man squad.

All-rounder Abul Hasan and right-arm paceman Mohammad Shahid, who toiled hard in the deciding Test against Pakistan in Dhaka in the absence of the injured Shahadat Hossain, also retained their place in the national side.

The Tigers will face the visiting Indian side in the lone Test at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah, from June 10-14. The five-dayer will be followed by three ODIs on June 18, 21 and 24 respectively in Mirpur.l

BACK TO BUSINESS A puzzled Shahadat Hossain (L) walks through the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s National Academy yesterday.

(Top) Taskin Ahmed laughs at a Shafiul Islam joke while Imrul Kayes lifts weights during an optional training session at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium

SQUAD Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar, Shuvagata Hom, Liton Kumar Das, Nasir Hossain, Anamul Haque, Sabbir Rahman, Arafat Sunny, Jubair Hossain, Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Abul Hasan, Mohammad Shahid, Shafiul Islam, Rony Talukdar

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Anti-corruption unit to investigate fixing claims n Mazhar Uddin Bangladesh Cricket Board CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury yesterday said allegations of match-fixing in the 16th National Cricket League will be investigated by Abu Mohammad Humayun Morshed, chairman of the board’s anti-corruption unit, in accordance with the anti-corruption code. Nizamuddin’s statement comes just a day after BCB president Nazmul Hasan’s declaration that they would form a probe committee to investigate the final match between Rangpur and Dhaka Metropolis on March 12.

Prior to the Rangpur-Dhaka Metro tie at BKSP 2, Khulna topped the standings with 120 points. Rangpur required a victory against Dhaka Metro in their final match to leapfrog Khulna and seal the title of the country’s premier first-class competition. Rangpur did just that, bundling out Dhaka Metro on the fourth and final day to finish on 121 points, thus paving the way for the Khulna officials to claim that the match had been rigged.

“BCB is not going to form any committee as the matter will be investigated by the anti-corruption unit and according to the anti-corruption code. The chairman of the

unit, Abu Mohammad Humayun Morshed, has been given the responsibility to look after the matter,” Nizamuddin told the media at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

Earlier, in a press conference held at his Gulshan residence last Saturday, Nazmul had said, “The match referee did not provide any comment. But, we will not sit down idle. We will form a probe committee, probably on [Sunday]. Then, the disciplinary committee will take the due course of action. We will not take any decision lightly.”

Dhaka Tribune contacted Humayun over

the issue but the anti-corruption chief refused to say anything, instead informing that the board asked him not to talk about this matter with the media.

Meanwhile, former national opener Hannan Sarkar, who is under the spotlight of match-fixing, might have been part of the Dhaka Metro coaching staff but still, he is putting on a brave face as he recently gave an interview to the board for the position of local coach in the BCB’s HighPerformance Unit and also for the vacant selector’s position in the Game Development department.l

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26 Sport

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Sheikh Russel’s Nigerian striker Kingsley Chigozie (2L) is denied by Chittagong Abahani goalkeeper Selim during their Manyavar BPL at BNS yesterday

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Dominant Russel close gap at the top n Shishir Hoque Sheikh Russel KC strolled past Chittagong Abahani with a comfortable 2-0 victory in the Manyavar Bangladesh Premier League at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. Skipper Mithun Chowdhury and Bosnian defender Bojan Petric’s strike before the breather was enough for Russel who leapfrogged Mohammedan, Abahani and Brothers Union to climb to second in the league table.

Meanwhile in the bottom-of-the-table clash, riding on a brace from Doudou Sonko Team BJMC, into their ninth match, finally saw the face of a win as they crushed Farashganj 4-0.

The win took Russel’s point tally to 19 from nine matches and cut the gap to four points with the defending champions and leaders Sheikh Jamal DC. The defeat saw the port city side slide down to eighth place with only five points.

The return of the Bosnian Bojan, who sat out the last five matches due to injury, stabilised the Russel defence as they eventually claimed a cleen-sheet after four matches.

“Bojan is a key player in our team. He was missing in the team along with Reza and he made the difference on his return after five matches,” said Montenegrin coach Dragan Djukanovic after the game. “We missed our defenders in the last few matches. The young players who replaced Bojan and Reza are not good enough to play at this stage and need

more experience.”

Mithun broke the shackles in the 21st minute with a cheeky header through the near post after Nigerian striker Kingsley Chigozie failed to connect Topu Barman’s delivery from the right flank. The margin could have been doubled inside the half-hour mark but Mithun’s effort from the edge of the box flew inches over the crossbar.

However, Bojan smashed home the second in the 39th minute on the back of Paul Emile’s strike on Waly Faisal’s free-kick.

In the day’s other match, the vital win against the Old Dhaka club allowed BJMC move out of the relegation zone who spent most of the season at the bottom.

Mehedi Hassan Tapu opened the scoring for BJMC in the 20th minute with a low

header before Senegalese forward Doudou doubled the lead seven minutes into the second-half. Jakir Hossain Ziku made it 3-0 five minutes later and Doudou completed the rout in the injury time.

With four points Farashganj are now at the bottom of the league table while BJMC climbed to ninth place with five points.l

RESULTS Sheikh Russel

2-0

Chittagong Abahani

4-0

Farashganj

Mithun Chowdhury 21 Bojan Petric 39

Team BJMC Mehedi Hassan Topu 20 Doudou Sonko 52, 90+1 Zakir Hossain 58

BFF Awards Night returns after six years n Tribune Desk

JFA U14 Women’s Football begins today n Tribune Desk

The regulatory body of football in the country will host the Bangladesh Football Federation Awards Night at National Sports Council this Saturday.

A total of 63 awards and certificates will be awarded for the last five seasons (2009-2014).

The BFF Awards Night last took place in 2009.

The Japan Football Association Under-14 Women’s National Football Championship will get underway today at six different venues across the country following a three-year hiatus.

A total of 33 teams, split into six groups, will take part in the event. The six venues that will host the matches are – Rupsa (Khulna), Tista (Thakurgaon), Padma (Rajshahi), Surma (Mymensingh), Kapotakkho (Meherpur) and Buriganga (Faridpur).

Following the first round, which will be held according to the knock-out basis, six group champions along with the best runners-up side will join the hosts in the second round, making it an eight-team affair.

The JFA will provide $47,172 to organise the tournament.l

A total of 63 awards and certificates will be awarded for the last five seasons The champions of the top-flight, first, second, third division and the Pioneer Football League will receive their trophy during the Awards Night. l

Bangladesh Football Federation general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag (2L) addresses a press conference alongside women’s wing chairman Mahfuza Akter Kiron (2R) yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

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MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

QUICK BYTES Djokovic to meet Federer in Rome Masters final For the first time this week Novak Djokovic needed only two sets to triumph at the Rome Masters, beating Spain’s David Ferrer 6-4 6-4 as he reached the final to close in on a 24th Masters 1000 title.

The world number one, who is chasing a fourth title in the event, next meets Roger Federer who knocked out fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 6-2.

–Reuters

Fraser-Pryce downed in Shanghai surprise

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the world’s fastest woman, was surprisingly beaten in her opening 100 metres of the year as Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor crushed a high-quality field in the Shanghai Diamond League meeting on Sunday.

–Reuters

Lyon to let Gourcuff go The rollercoaster career of former France international Yoann Gourcuff suffered a new blow Sunday when Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas revealed he was surplus to requirements. “He’s a great player but he just couldn’t fit in,” Aulas said of the 28-year-old he signed in 2010 for 22 million euros ($25million) on a five year deal worth 450,000 euros per month for the former AC Milan and Bordeaux attacking midfielder.

–AFP

McIlroy shoots stunning 61 for Quail Hollow lead

World number one Rory McIlroy fired an electrifying 11-under par 61 in Saturday’s third round to vault into a four-shot lead at the US PGA Tour Wells Fargo Championship. The 26-year-old had 11 birdies with no bogeys to break his own Quail Hollow course record of 62.

–AFP

Ayew confirms OM exit Ghana international forward Andre Ayew moved a step closer to a dream move to the English Premier League after announcing he would be ending a 10 year stay at French giants Marseille. The 25-year-old winger -- a member of the Ghana side that lost to Ivory Coast 9-8 on penalties in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations final -- said despite Marseille still being in contention for a Champions League place next term it wasn’t enough for him.

–AFP

Sheffield United suspend Baxter for failing drug test

English League One side Sheffield United have suspended striker Jose Baxter for failing an drugs test, the third-tier club have confirmed. “The Club has learned that one of its players, Jose Baxter, was found to have traces of a banned substance in his sample following a routine FA out-of-competition drug test,” –Reuters

A cricket fan buys a ticket for next week’s cricket series between Pakistan and Zimbabwe at a superstore in Lahore, Pakistan on Saturday

Zim tour to Pakistan is on: coach n Reuters, Cape Town Zimbabwe will fly to Pakistan on Sunday for a limited-overs tour, their coach Dav Whatmore told Reuters.

The tour, the first in six years by a test-playing nation to Pakistan, was throw in doubt last week when a terrorist attack on a bus killed 47 people in Karachi.

“The tour is going ahead and we leave tonight,” Whatmore said via telephone from Harare before reconfirming his belief the tour would be successful and that security measures put in place by Pakistan will be adequate.

Zimbabwe will play two Twenty20 internationals, starting on May 22, and a three-match one-day series that begins four days later. All

the matches are in Lahore.

Zimbabwe Cricket released a statement on Thursday saying a decision had been reached not to tour on the advice of the country’s supreme sports regulatory authority, the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC). The SRC cited concerns over the safety of the squad.

However, just minutes later the statement was withdrawn and Zimbabwe Cricket spokesman Lovemore Banda said discussions were still ongoing.

It is understood that concerns also emanated from the players themselves, some of who were reluctant to travel but have now been persuaded to tour after additional security measures were announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

AP

Those were still deemed not good enough for the International Cricket Council, though, which released a statement on Sunday saying they would not be sending match officials for the series.

They cited a report by a security consultant who advised against sending a team of officials to the country.

The ICC said the PCB would have to appoint its own officials, but that this would not affect the status of the games which would remain as full internationals.

Zimbabwe are the first test-playing nation to tour Pakistan since a 2009 gun attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in Lahore left six Pakistani policemen and a van driver dead. Some players and a local umpire were injured.l

Pakistan appoint attack survivor after ICC withhold umpires n AFP, Karachi Pakistan appointed a local umpire who survived a 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team for their home series against Zimbabwe after cricket’s governing body refused to send officials.

Ahsan Raza, now 40, will officiate during the series featuring two Twenty20s and three one-day internationals against Zimbabwe, who are set to become the first Test-playing nation to tour Pakistan for six years.

Major cricketing nations suspended tours to Pakistan following the March 2009 assault on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, which killed eight people and injured seven visiting players.

Raza suffered multiple bullet wounds and fought for his life for over a month.

Pakistan said Aleem Dar, Shozab Raza, Ahmed Shahab and Khalid Mahmood would also officiate along with Zimbabwean umpire Russell Tiffin. Pakistan appointed the officials after the International Cricket Council (ICC) said earlier Sunday it would not send its elite panel neutral umpires.

“The ICC’s decision has been made after receiving a report from its security consultant,” the council said in a statement.

The world body said it decided in April that the mandatory requirement of neutral umpires for international matches would be waived due to security conditions in Pakistan should the series with Zimbabwe go ahead.l

Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor reacts after winning the women’s 100m race at the IAAF Diamond League in Shanghai yesterday REUTERS

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MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

LIGUE 1 RESULTS Montpellier

1-2

Mounier 40

1-1

Lyon Fekir 9

Monaco

PSG Matuidi 17, Lavezzi 26

Bordeaux Crivelli 3

2-0

Metz

Silva 45, Germain 88

Lille

0-4

Marseille Gignac 1, Fanni 27, Alessandrini 70, Ayew 76

Evian

1-2

Duhamel 42

1-1

Bastia Ayite 12

Guingamp

2-1 1-1

Lorient Djilobodji 4-og

2-1

Amavi 30, Digard 78

Reims

Toulouse Ben Yedder 25-P

Audel 6

Nice

Caen Privat 10

Mandanne 4, Beauvue 49

Nantes

St Etienne Gradel 12, 81-P

Lens Touzghar 14

1-0

Rennes

Charbonnier 59-P

1-2

Paris Saint-Germain’s players react after winning the French L1 match against Montpellier at the La Mosson Stadium in Montpellier, southern France on Saturday AFP

PSG claim 3rd straight French title n AFP, Paris Paris Saint Germain won a third straight French Ligue 1 title on Saturday when a 2-1 win at Montpellier gave them an unassailable lead over second-placed Lyon with just one match to play.

PSG came into the match knowing either a point, or Lyon’s failure to beat Bordeaux at home, would be enough to clinch the title -as it happened, Lyon drew 1-1.

Goals from Blaise Matuidi and Ezequiel Lavezzi powered Laurent Blanc’s Parisians to an impressive eighth consecutive league win, as they emerged victorious from a cat-

and-mouse struggle over the latter part of the season with Lyon.

It was a fifth title in total for Paris Saint-Germain, who were only founded in 1970.

Blanc said he was over the moon watching his players dance around the Montpellier pitch, and the fans celebrate in the stands after the game.

“We had to wait until this penultimate game to win the title but that makes it even more pleasurable than last year in a way. I love this job and I have to thank my staff because without them a coach is nothing,” said Blanc.

Lyon may have come up short after leading

the table for much of the second half of the season, but they can at least console themselves with a return to the Champions League group stages next season.

Missing injured striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic the Parisians settled their nerves in the 17th minute when Matuidi ran onto a brilliant defence splitting pass from Adrien Rabiot.

He picked up the ball on the edge of the area, ran in on goalkeeper Jonathan Ligali and whipped the ball round him into the bottom right corner for a screaming opener.

Ten minutes later, Lavezzi produced a stunning low drive to round off a piece of collective play that mesmerised the Montellier

defence, leaving Ligali no chance due to the ferocity of the Argentine’s finish.

Montpellier pulled one back in the 40th minute when winger Anthony Mounier picked up the ball out on the right and produced a dipping lob that beat Salvatore Sirigu’s clutching grasp.

After a tense second half where Javier Pastore hit the crossbar for Paris, the players leapt for joy at the final whistle as their 700 travelling fans lit flares and celebrated wildly in their enclosure. There was also a measure of closure for the Parisians, who were beaten to the 2012 title by Montpellier despite being overwhelming favourites.l

Berardi treble ends Milan’s European dream n AFP, Rome

Melbourne Victory players and officials celebrate with the A-League championship trophy after defeating Sydney FC 3-0 yesterday INTERNET

A hat-trick from Sassuolo striker Domenico Berardi in a 3-2 home win over AC Milan on Sunday has ended the seven-time European champions’ hopes of playing in Europe next season.

Filippo Inzaghi’s visitors travelled to the Mapei Stadium hoping for the win that would maintain their chances of claiming one of three Europa places on offer.

But Berardi, whose first goal was awarded despite Milan protests having appeared not to fully cross the line, gave the hosts a 2-0 lead by 31 minutes.

Despite Giacomo Bonaventura and Alex bringing Milan on level terms by the 51st minute, Berardi completed his hat-trick 13 minutes from time to seal the points.

Milan remain in 10th place, 37 points be-

hind Juventus after the champions’ 2-1 win at Inter Milan on Saturday, and eight points behind sixth-placed Sampdoria.

Because Juventus and Lazio will contend the Italian Cup final on Wednesday and neither are in contention for the Europa League, the competition’s qualifying place normally given to the Cup winner will now go to the team that finishes sixth this season.l

SERIE A RESULTS Sassuolo

3-2

Berardi 13, 31, 77

AC Milan Bonaventura 33, Alex 51

Played Saturday Inter Milan

1-2

Icardi 9

Sampdoria

Juventus Marchisio 42-P, Morata 83

0-1

Lazio Gentiletti 54

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MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Sharapova clinches Italian Open

Hamburg on brink of historic relegation n Reuters, Berlin

n AFP, Rome Russia’s Maria Sharapova warmed up for the defence of her French Open title by securing her third Italian Open crown with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 win over Spain’s Carla Suarez on Sunday.

Suarez, bidding for only the second title of her career but first from the Masters 1000 series, made a stunning start at the Foro Italico where the players faced sweltering conditions.

The Spanish 10th seed broke the world number three midway through the opening set and had Sharapova on the ropes in a tight second before Sharapova found the breakthrough.

Sharapova broke the Spaniard in the eighth game of the second set for a 5-3 lead and after going on to hand her opponent three break points in the next game she recovered to level the match.

The diminutive Suarez struggled with Sharapova’s movement and variety of shots, in particular the Russian’s two-handed backhand, which she used to devastating effect throughout.

However Sharapova will be looking to improve several aspects of her game -- notably in terms of unforced errors -- if she is to go all the way in Paris in the coming weeks.

American rival Serena Williams, the winner in Rome the past two years, withdrew before the third round earlier this week citing an elbow injury and will be desperate to avenge her first round defeat in Paris last year.

Sharapova, who secured her final spot with victory over Victoria Azarenka, handed Suarez a break point in the opening game of the third set and despite twice saving the game Suarez moved ahead when Sharapova hit an easy return just wide.l

Boca Juniors thrown out of Libertadores for fan violence n Reuters, Asuncion Boca Juniors have been thrown out of the Libertadores Cup after players from Argentine rivals River Plate were sprayed with an irritant that left them needing hospital treatment and caused their last 16 clash to be abandoned, the continent’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said on Saturday. Paraguay-based CONMEBOL also hit Boca with a $200,000 fine and ordered the club to play four home games behind closed doors and another four away games without its fans.

Four River Plate players were taken to hospital after they were sprayed with an irritant by fans of their bitter rivals on Thursday, causing their Libertadores Cup derby to be abandoned at halftime.l

DAY’S WATCH Star Sports 2 1:00AM Italian Serie A 2014/15 Napoli v Cesena

Star Sports 4 1:00AM English Premier League West Bromwich Albion v Chelsea

Former European champions Hamburg SV are a game away from a first relegation from the Bundesliga after slumping to 2-1 defeat at struggling VfB Stuttgart on Saturday.

Instead of making sure of at least a playoff spot ahead of next week’s final match against Schalke 04, Hamburg now face the prospect of relegation, sitting in 17th place on 32 points, with Stuttgart in the playoff spot a point ahead.

The northerners are the only club to have played in the Bundesliga every season since it was created in 1963.l

BUNDESLIGA Schalke

1-0

Paderborn

2-0

Hoffenheim

Huenemeier 88-og

Bayer Leverkusen

Calhanoglu 45+1, Kiessling 61

VfL Wolfsburg

2-1

Caliguiri 1, Naldo 49

Mainz 05

Dortmund Aubameyang 11-P

2-0

Cologne

1-2

Hanover 96

Koo 47, Jairo 83

Augsburg Verhaegh 30-P

2-4

Stindl 24, 54

Hertha Berlin

0-0

Werder Bremen

0-2

Eintracht Frankfurt M’gladbach Raffael 53, 86

Freiburg

2-1

Mehmedi 33, Petersen 89

Manchester City’s Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure (R) celebrates scoring the opening goal with Sergio Aguero during their EPL match against Swansea City at The Liberty Stadium yesterday AFP

VfB Stuttgart Gentner 27, Harnik 35

2-1

Bayern Munich Schweinsteiger 13

Hamburg Kacar 12

Gerrard ‘devastated’ after last Anfield game n AFP, Liverpool Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard told supporters he was “devastated” about leaving the club during a heartfelt on-pitch address after his final game at Anfield on Saturday.

Gerrard, 34, will join the Los Angeles Galaxy in July after almost 17 years at his hometown club and following a 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace, he paid an emotional tribute to Liverpool’s fans.

“It felt very strange. I’ve been dreading this moment. I’m going to miss it so much,” Gerrard told the crowd at a sunny, sold-out Anfield.

“I’ve loved every minute. I’m absolutely devastated I’m never going to play in front of these supporters again.”

He added: “I’d like to thank everyone at the club who’s helped me over the last 17 years. There are too many people to name.

“I would like to thank all my team-mates, all the ex-players. They’ve made me the player I am today.

“I’ll save the last thanks to the most important people at the football club. These supporters stand out more than anyone.”

He was then interrupted by cheers and applause from the fans, before continuing: “Before I go, before the tears come, I’ve played in front of most supporters around the world, but let me tell you, you’re the best.”

Gerrard was joined on the pitch at the final whistle by his team-mates, all of whom

wore shirts with his name and squad number, eight, on the back, before going on a lap of honour.

He was also presented with a keepsake by former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier, who handed Gerrard his debut against Blackburn Rovers in November 1998.

Liverpool took a 26th-minute lead through Adam Lallana, but Jason Puncheon equalised with a free-kick shortly before half-time and second-half goals from substitutes Wilfried Zaha and Glenn Murray gave Palace victory.

The defeat ended Liverpool’s paper-thin mathematical hopes of Champions League qualification, but Gerrard predicted a bright future for the club despite his imminent departure.

“The club’s in good hands,” said the former England captain, who has made 709 Liverpool appearances and scored 185 goals since joining the club at the age of eight.

“We’ve two fantastic owners, Ian (Ayre, chief executive) underneath that and a fantastic manager in Brendan (Rodgers).

“There’s unbelievable potential in the squad. I’m sure there’s going to be new signings in the coming weeks.

“I just look at the players I’ve shared a dressing room with. I love them to death and I wish them every success in the future.”

Rodgers said he was disappointed that Gerrard had not been able to sign off in winning fashion. “He gave everything right to the very end,” said the Northern Irishman. l

DT

30 DOWNTIME

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Legal expenses (5) 6 At the stern (3) 7 Advises strongly (5) 10 Heavenly bodies (5) 12 Sour (4) 13 Water lily (5) 15 Incline (4) 16 Corded fabric (3) 18 Australian state (abb) (3) 20 Notion (4) 22 Inactive (5) 23 Bridge tax (4) 25 Scolded (5) 27 Soviet labour camp (5) 28 Respectful fear (3) 29 Proprietor (5)

DOWN 1 Coffin (6) 2 Frequently (poet) (3) 3 Plays for time (6) 4 Support for time (7) 5 Dry, of champagne (3) 8 Fuel (3) 9 Weak glue (4) 11 Fish eggs (3) 14 Experience (7) 16 Climbing palm (6) 17 Meditate (6) 19 Astonished (4) 21 Period of time (3) 22 Sick (3) 24 Ear (coll) (3) 26 Female sheep (3)

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 10 represents G so fill G every time the figure 10 appears.

You have two letters in the control grid to start you off. Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares.

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

As you get the letters, fill in the other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check off the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them.

A B C D E FG H I J K L M N O P Q RST UVWXYZ

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SUDOKU How to solve: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no number repeating.

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

DT

SHOWTIME 31

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

Miles does Europe

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

n Showtime Desk The members of Miles are currently visiting several countries of Europe as a part of the band’s 11 day long Europe tour.

One of the most prominent rock bands of country, Miles’ tour in Europe kicked off in Frankfurt, Germany on May 16, and will continue through to Vienna and more, before finishing up at a gig in Zurich on May 24.

Dinat Jahan Munni, an artist from Bangladesh, will share the stage along with the band in the Frankfurt and Zurich gigs.

The concerts are arranged by the communities of Bangladeshi expatriates that reside in the featured cities, marking the celebration of Bangla New Year. Miles will return to home on May 25. l

Understanding Classical Dance, Chapter 5

Boman Irani @bomanirani Nothing compares!!!

No matter how much I love her; her’s in return has no definition!!! #lisa

Come join the cult of sterility A.R.Rahman @arrahman Going to miss Chennai for a while... North America, excited to begin the Intimate Tour

n Showtime Desk Bengal Foundation presented the fifth episode of the monthly series, “Understanding Dance” a demonstration which is based on “Rabindra Nrityadhara” or “Tagorean Dance,” which took place on Sunday, May 17, 2015 at 7 pm, at Daily Star Bengal Arts Precinct, Farmgate.

A week after Rabindranath’s 154th birthday, Bengal Foundation presented the lecture and demonstration programme titled “Understanding Dance-Rabindra Nrityadhara.”

The series was curated and presented by celebrated artist, choreographer and educator, Sharmila Banerjee.

The event featured audio-visual content, spoken explanations and practical demonstrations of Rabindranath’s ideas and conceptions of dance; blending elements from several Indian classical dance styles, as well as many other folk and foreign dance forms to emerge into a new kind of style very apt to express the emotions of the Bengalis.

Ed Sheeran @edsheeran Las Vegas !

WHAT TO WATCH Iron Man 3 C Zee Studio 2:50pm Iron Man 3, as the name suggests, is the third installment in the Iron Man Franchise. The movie showcases brash-but-brilliant industrialist, Tony Stark embarking on a quest to battle a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin.

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle.

n Rubaiyat Kabir Local H – bet you haven’t heard that name in a long while. Yes, the band does indeed extend beyond their more recognisable tracks from the 90s such as “Bound for the floor” and “Eddie Vedder,” in fact, they’ve managed to form quite the discography throughout the noughties - albums which I personally have yet to go through; apologies. But this is not about the past, in their eighth studio offering Hey, Killer, sole founding member Scott Lucas and newbie drummer Ryan Harding play it fast and loose, resurrecting the kind of rock that hasn’t rolled since Henry Rollins threw in his towel.

The album proceeds rather unceremoniously with “The Last Picture Show in Zion,” a real slow-burn way to start off a rock record for sure, but soon enough the band bombards the eardrums with the relentless “City of

Knives,” “Freshly F***ed,” “Gig Bag Road,” and the crowning jewel of the album, “The Misanthrope”- it’s entirely possible to write a review of this one track in particular, the first single off the album which premiered in SoundCloud.

The track hit me with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the temple, and the aftershock was most impossible to shake off. Ryan Harding, magically imbued with the kind of strength and vigour that once powered a young Jimmy Chamberlin during the heydays of The Smashing Pumpkins, beats the skin off of his set and refuses to let you forget about it, while Mr Lucas exhibits the sort of anger and lashing-out that being mugged and left for dead in a foreign land is bound to result in.

Hey, Killer is hard rock in all its fuzzy, bass-ey, thunderous, and (I really hate using this word) “grungey” goodness.

No pretensions of being anything more, and not settling for anything less.l

X-men: The Last Stand B Star Movies 3:30pm The Last Stand revolves around the battle between the X-men, led by Professor Charles Xavier and the mutants led by Magneto, Xavier’s former ally. A cure to completely eliminate mutation is discovered which stirs up trouble among the X-men.

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen.

Main Tera Hero C Zee Cinema 9:30pm Main Tera Hero is a love story between a mischievous, charming guy named Seenu and a girl named Sunaina, who is already engaged to a rogue police officer.

Cast: Varun Dhawan, Ileana D’Cruz, Nargis Fakhri.

DT

32 BACK PAGE

MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015

SOUTH-SOUTH TO MEET SDGS PAGE 15

ANTI-GRAFT UNIT TO PROBE FIXING CLAIMS PAGE 25

Faith killings turn into cold cases n Mohammad Jamil Khan With seven major religion-based murder cases lying unsolved for two years, the police yesterday reached out to the media to help solve the crimes.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque yesterday sought assistance from the media to help bring the killers of several prominent secular bloggers to book.

He earlier called for the creation of a counter-terrorism bureau to solve such crimes.

A testament to the difficulty of tracking down cell-based terrorists, not just the Detective Branch (DB) of police but the Rapid Action Battalion that deals with militancy has failed to shed light on the cases of extremist violence.

The murderers of five atheist and secular bloggers barely left a digital footprint, eschewing the use of cell phones, using aliases on Facebook and other social media, and operating from web sites without valid IP addresses.

The killers of two Islamic religious personalities – a local holy man and a television preacher – also carried out their crimes with considerable stealth. The murderers are thought to be motivated by Islamist extremist ideologies.

At a briefing in the conference room of police headquarters yesterday, the IGP said the police had made out the facial features of some of the killers but had no further details about them.

“The attacks on the bloggers utilised specialised techniques, making it difficult to employ countermeasures,” the IGP said, adding that information from the media could help lead to arrests.

Asked about providing bloggers with se-

curity, the police chief said his staff did not currently have a list of bloggers but were preparing one.

The IGP said: “Individual bloggers can make themselves known to us, then we can work to ensure their security.”

Although the police have made arrests, the masterminds behind the terrorist networks remain beyond reach because operatives often do not know the others in their group, know very little about overall operations and so have little information to divulge, investigators said.

The IGP said investigations of all the unsolved cases were being carried out, adding that such crimes would be more quickly solved if a proposed counter-terrorism bureau was set up.

In addition to the slaying of the five bloggers, two murders believed to be connected to religious sentiments have also lain unsolved for two years.

The Gopibagh Six murder case of 2013, in which local holy man Lutfor Rahman and five others were slain on December 21, 2013 in the capital’s Gopibagh area remains an inscrutable mystery to investigators.

The murder of faith-based television show presenter Nurul Islam Faruqi on August 27 last year also remains a cold case.

One prominent criminologist and academic has said strict punishment of the killers is the best way to stop the spate of killings and to deter further violence.

Professor Zia Rahman, chairman of the criminology department of Dhaka University, told the Dhaka Tribune that ensuring the killers are punished is the surest way to tackle the menace of ideologically-driven murder.

“Killing people for expressing their views is a horrific crime,” he said.

Blogger Ahmed Rajeeb Haider was killed on February 15, 2013. The charge-sheeted accused of the case, Redwanul Azad Rana, is still at large despite a Tk5 lakh bounty on his head.

Last September 30, Daffodil University computer science student and online activist Ashraful Alam was killed. His killers have not been tracked down either.

Scientist and blogger Avijit Roy was murdered on February 26, blogger Oyasiqur Rahman Babu was murdered on March 30 and, most recently, blogger Ananta Bijoy Das was murdered on May 12.

Their killers have not yet been tracked down and law enforcers admit that the motives for the murders remain unclear.

Investigators say the only thing they know for sure is that all of the victims were bloggers.

DB Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that Islamist extremists had adopted sleeper cell tactics to carry out the killings. This involves operatives unfamiliar to each other working together to carry out a mission.

The technique is called the “cut off ” or “cut to cut” system, investigators said.

“We are aware of these tactics and are trying to trace the killers using our experience in solving such cases,” Monirul said.

The DB joint commissioner said some of the suspects initially were involved with Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, but all are now affiliated with Ansarullah Bangla Team.

“We believe the killers belong to Ansarullah.”

Asked about moves to ban Ansarullah Bangla Team, IGP Shahidul yesterday said the proposal was with the Home Ministry. “If this outfit is ultimately banned, then six militant outfits, Ansarullah inclusive, will have been banned so far.” l

MILES DOES EUROPE PAGE 31 Unregistered bikes to be taken off streets from June 3 n Kamrul Hasan Motorcycle owners across the country have been told to register their vehicles with the authority concerned by the next 15 days, or else have their motorbikes seized by the police.

“Fifteen days will be given for completing the registration process. Within these days, if they [owners] fail to register, the police will start seizing bikes and cases will be filed under the vehicle act,” warned Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque yesterday.

Addressing a press conference at the capital’s police headquarters, he said: “A lot of unregistered [motor] bikes are seen on the streets … To prevent such illegal activities, we have decided to impose a ban against unregistered bikes.”

If the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) fails to complete any registration procedure by the deadline, the riders would have to show law enforcers the money receipt in favour of the registration process, the IGP added.

For years, the government has been losing large amounts of revenues because of motorcycle owners’ tendency of not registering their vehicles. Many of the unregistered vehicles are seen with nameplates reading “On Test” or “Applied for Registration (AFR).”

On another note, the police chief said lanebased traffic system will soon be introduced on VIP roads in the capital, while 14 such routes have already been selected to fall under the system. The technique has been in place on one of the streets since last friday, he added. l

Pope canonises first Palestinian saints n AFP

Two 19th-century nuns on Sunday became the first Palestinians to gain sainthood during an open-air mass celebrated by Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square attended by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

The pontiff urged the faithful to follow the “luminous example” of the two 19th-century sisters and two others, from France and Italy, who were canonised along with them on a sunny spring morning.

Marie Alphonsine Ghattas was born in 1843 in Jerusalem during its rule by the Ottoman Empire, and died there during the British mandate period in 1927.

She was beatified -- the final step before canonisation -- in 2009.

Mariam Bawardy was born in Galilee, now in northern Israel, in 1846. She became a nun in France and died in Bethlehem in 1878 and was beatified by pope John Paul II in 1983.

Around 2,000 pilgrims from the Palestini-

an territories, Israel and Jordan, some waving Palestinian flags, attended the mass as well as Abbas, who had a private audience with the

pope on Saturday.

Ghattas, through her focus on women’s education and community work, left behind

a network of convents, schools and religious centres -- a more palpable legacy than Bawardy, who lives on more through the memory of her tough and mysterious life.

For sainthood, the candidate must have lived a holy life, as determined by the Catholic Church, and must usually have at least two miracles to their name, attributable to prayers made to them posthumously.

A miracle that led to Ghattas’s canonisation was the resuscitation of a Palestinian engineer in 2009, who was electrocuted and suffered a heart attack, but regained consciousness two days later after relatives prayed for her intercession.

During her life, Ghattas is said to have seen the Virgin Mary in several apparitions, and nuns talk of miracles she performed then, including saving a girl who had fallen down a well by tossing her rosary into the water.

Bawardy, after becoming a nun of the Carmelite order, helped found the Carmelite Monastery in Bethlehem. l

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