20 May, 2015

SECOND EDITION

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015 | Jyoistha 6, 1421, Sha’ban 2, 1436

HIJRAS TO BE RECRUITED AS TRAFFIC POLICE PAGE 3

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 37

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www.dhakatribune.com

NEW HYDRO-POWER COMPANY PLANNED PAGE 5

| 32 pages plus 8-page Treehouse | Price: Tk10

PHILIPPINES TO HELP BOATPEOPLE PAGE 32 JATRABARI ARSON CASE

Khaleda, others charged under Special Powers Act n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Rohingya boy, who recently arrived in Indonesia by boat, holds a ball as he walks at a shelter in Kuala Langsa in Indonesia's Aceh Province yesterday. UN agencies urged Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand to stop preventing thousands of migrants from reaching land REUTERS

Bus route transit may get nod during Modi’s visit Mamun with Delhi n Shohel Correspondent

Several deals, including one for transit, will be signed between Bangladesh and India during the upcoming Dhaka visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Responding to India’s demand, Bangladesh will allow direct bus service between Kolkata and Agartala via Dhaka, which is seen as almost similar to a road transit.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, now visiting India, has already met his counterpart Nitin Gadhari and both have agreed on the road transit.

PAGE 3 Many Ekram murder accused hold posts

Apart from this, Bangladesh and India agreed to start the Dhaka-Shilong-Guahati bus service which will be given a test run on May 22. If the trial goes well, then the route will be opened permanently.

The two governments are also thinking about opening bus services on Kolkata-Chittagong, Shillong-Chittagong, Khulna-Kolkata and Jessore-Kolkata routes, Obaidul Quader told reporters in Delhi on Monday.

During a meeting between the ministers, India positively responded to a request for a second L/C for 500 trucks, 300 double-deckers, 100 articulated buses and the relevant equipment for BRTC.

PAGE 4 Fakhrul charged in three more cases

Detectives yesterday submitted one more charge sheet against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 37 others in a case filed under the Special Powers Act over petrol bomb attack on a bus in the capital’s Jatrabari in January.

Sub-Inspector Md Jahidul Hasan of the Detective Branch (DB) of police submitted the charge sheet with the Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.

The IO also appealed to the court for issuing arrest warrants against the 30 fugitive accused, including Khaleda. Seven of the charge-sheeted accused including Ruhul Kabir Rizvi are now in jail.

Four of the arrestees – Parvez, Sohag, Liton and Jony – gave statements before magistrates on different dates. During the confessional statements, they said they had been hired by some central and local BNP leaders to carry out the arson attack with an aim to creating anarchy in the city.

Names of 30 other accused were dropped from the case as the charges against them were not found true during the primary investigation in the case, the officer said.

On May 6, DB Sub-Inspector Bashir Ahmed submitted two charge sheets – one under the  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Salahuddin’s lawyer finalised n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

“The Kolkata-Dhaka bus service was introduced in 1999 and Agartala-Dhaka service in 2003. Considering positive feedbacks from passengers, we thought about launching the Dhaka-Kolkata-Agartala bus service. Soon, a draft will be prepared in this regard,” the Bangladesh minister said.

The Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura lie on the west and east of Bangladesh respectively.

To travel from West Bengal to Tripura and vice-versa by road, Indians have to undertake a long, roundabout, three-day journey around

The family of BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed, who is now in police custody in India’s Shillong, wants to take him to Singapore for better treatment.

“Yesterday, Hasina Ahmed met her husband Salahuddin at the Under Trial Prisoners cell in the civil hospital of Meghalaya. They discussed various legal processes for about half an hour,” BNP’s Assistant Office Secretary Abdul Latif Jony, who is also in Shillong now, told the Dhaka Tribune over phone.

After meeting Salahuddin, Hasina told journalists that she wanted to take Salahuddin to Singapore for better treatment.

Police in Meghalaya have lodged a case against the BNP leader for entering India

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

Road Transit

PAGE 5 HC order on DU sexual assaults June 28

PAGE 7 Over 50 job seekers missing on way to Malaysia

PAGE 8 Homeless Nepalis sleep in the open as rains come

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2 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

PM orders all-out steps to achieve revenue target

Home boss: No official report from India yet on Salahuddin n Tribune Report n Tribune Report The government has not yet received any official report from India over reappearance of BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed, said State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.

Asked about the government’s initiative in bringing back home the spokesperson of the BNP, the minister said: “We are yet to get any official report from India on him [Salauddin].

“We will decide on the procedure to bring him back to the country once we get it.”

He also said: “Salahuddin was absconding to us. Recently he has been traced in India. As soon as we get him he will be arrested and after his remand we will know how he landed in India.”

On Monday, while talking to newsmen as he was being taken to do a CT scan at a Shillong hospital, the BNP leader said: “I want to go back home as I am neither a criminal nor an absconder.” Salahuddin Ahmed also termed the criminal charges levelled against him as a political ploy by the Awami League-led Bangladesh government. l

Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday discussed outlines of the next budget with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“The prime minister has suggested that the budget should allow the government to achieve the long-term goals within the time frame,” according to an official who attended the meeting held at Ganabhaban.

The prime minister is set to sit with the cabinet members including finance, planning and commerce ministers next week The meeting also discussed the revenue collection target when the premier asked the officials to take all-out measures to achieve the target of Tk1.76tn for fiscal 2015-16.

In the current fiscal year, the revenue target could not be achieved due to different

reasons including political turmoil, meeting sources said.

In the long-run, Bangladesh plans to become a middle-income country by 2021.

In the outgoing fiscal year, the country’s economy registered a 10.42% growth in per capita income – rising to $1,314, based on nominal value, from $1,190 – putting Bangladesh at the 58th position among the middle-income countries.

The prime minister is set to sit with the cabinet members including finance, planning and commerce ministers at the end of next week, before the proposed budget is placed in parliament on June 4.

The proposed budget of around Tk3 trillion will be 23.85% higher than the revised budget of Tk2.4tn in the current fiscal. The estimated GDP target for the next fiscal year is 7.2%.

The budget deficit in the next fiscal year is likely to cross Tk900bn from the earlier estimated Tk862bn since the allocation for Annual Development Programme has been fixed at Tk970bn. l

BNP welcomes PM’s statements n Tribune Report Welcoming Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s statement that her government wants peace, not confrontation, the BNP yesterday urged the government to stop repressing the opposition and take initiatives for talks.

“On Monday, the honourable prime minister said they do not want confrontation; they want peace. We welcome her such attitude.

The BNP has always been against confrontational politics; it has favoured politics of compromise. We never allow bloodshed in politics,” Asaduzzaman Ripon, acting spokesperson of the party, said.

Addressing a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters, the BNP leader alleged that the government had snatched away political parties’ constitutional rights to holding meetings and rallies. “This sort of environment is barrier to good governance and democracy.”

Ripon urged the government to create a sound atmosphere for political activities.

The prime minister on Monday said her government’s aim was to create, not to destroy; ensure peace, not to unleash confrontation. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Khaleda, others charged under Special Powers Act

Bus route transit to get nod during Modi’s visit

Penal Code and another under the Explosive Substances Act – against the same accused over the same incident.

The charge sheet would be placed before the court of Tarique Moinul Islam Bhuiyan today, Sub-Inspector Md Ujir Ali, general recording officer of the CMM court, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Other senior BNP leaders shown as accused in the case include MK Anwar, Amanullah Aman, Barkatullah Bulu, Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, Mir Sarafat Ali Sapu, Azizul Bari Helal, Sultan Salauddin Tuku, former BNP lawmaker Salauddin Ahmed, Khaleda’s advisors Khandker Mahbub Hossain and Shawkat Mahmud, her special assistant Shimul Biswas and Press Secretary Maruf Kamal Khan.

According to the case, at least 28 people suffered burns as two petrol bombs were thrown by suspected blockaders at a bus in Jatrabari area. Of the injured, Nur Alam, 60, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on February 1.

A day after the incident, police filed two cases with Jatrabari police station against 68 BNP-Jamaat leaders and activist mentioning Khaleda’s name as abettor. The cases were later transferred to the DB. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on May 7 directed the law enforcement agencies to speed up investigations and submit charge sheets in the violence-related cases filed against the leaders and activists of the BNP and its allies perpetrated before and after the first anniversary of the January 5 polls this year.

At least 102 people were killed since the non-stop blockade was called on January 6.

Most victims did not have any political affiliation. A total of 1,717 cases were filed over the incidents across the country. l

the north of Bangladesh and change transport several times. If they can use Bangladesh’s territory, then the Kolkata-Agartala journey will take less than 24 hours.

India’s longstanding demand for this transit has been hanging in the balance for a long time because of bilateral problems.

BBIN motor vehicle deal

Hasina Ahmed, wife of BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed, breaks down in tears after meeting her husband after more than two months at a Shillong hospital on Tuesday FOCUS BANGLA

Salahuddin’s lawyer finalised without legal documents. So, if Salahuddin has to go to a third country, then he will have to finish legal procedures.

SP Mohonta, a senior lawyer of the Meghalaya High Court, will fight the legal battle in behalf of Salahuddin.

Hasina Ahmed also told journalists that Salahuddin’s physical condition was very bad.

He cannot not keep standing for two minutes at a stretch.

“His hands and legs start trembling. He needs better treatment immediately. Apart from this, Salahuddin has heart disease and kidney problems too,” she said.

Asked why they are thinking about taking him to a third country, Hasina replied: “Sala-

huddin Ahmed has been taking treatment in Singapore for the last 20 years. He has also been taking treatment for heart and kidney problems there. That is why we are thinking about Singapore.”

Hasina also said: “We are talking to criminal lawyer SP Mohonta regarding this.”

On Monday, she met Salahuddin for the first time since the BNP leader had gone missing from Dhaka on March 10. He reappeared in Shillong on May 11. Hasina Ahmed had alleged after he disappeared that he had been picked up by Bangladeshi law enforcers.

Salahuddin has recently said that he does not remember much of what happened to him after March 10. l

The two neighbours have drawn very close to signing the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) motor vehicle agreement.

If the agreement is signed, private, public and commercial vehicles will be able travel to any of these countries without having to face any transshipment hassle.

Bangladesh’s Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary MAN Siddique told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “Once the BBIN is signed, tourists will be allowed to travel on private transports between these countries.

Moreover, permitted public bus services and commercial vehicles like those carrying goods will also be allowed without transshipment.”

India offered to sign a deal at last year’s Saarc Summit in Nepal’s Kathmandu but Pakistan opposed that. So, keeping Pakistan out, these four countries have been trying to sign the deal. But, before finalising the deal, road transport ministers of the four countries will sit at a meeting at Bhutan’s Thimphu.

Others deals

Obaidul Quader also said the decision for building a bridge between Ramgarh in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and Subrum in Tripura is likely to be finalised during Modi’s visit.

According to a Bangladesh official, after the bridge is constructed, two land ports will be built in Bangladesh and India. There will be a four-lane 58km road touching Ashuganj, Akhaura and Agartala. l

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NEWS 3

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Many Ekram murder accused not arrested, hold posts n Mohammad Jamil Khan No disciplinary action has been taken against the ruling party leaders, charged in former Ekramul Haque Ekram murder case, even though the police filed charge sheet in August last year.

Police have also failed to arrest around two dozen people out of the 56 accused, mostly affiliated with the Awami League.

On year into the brutal murder, Ekram’s family expresses frustration over the case’s pace and doubts they will get justice.

Ekram, the ruling Awami League-backed incumbent chairman of Feni’s Fulgazi upazila, was killed in broad daylight on May 20 last year by a group of assailants – some of who are close aides of local Awami League lawmaker Nizam Hazari. They shot Ekram and later set his vehicle on fire.

Tasmin Akhter, wife of the slain leader, alleged that the charge sheet was nothing but an eyewash. “Our only demand was a fair

judgement. But we do not know what is actually happening with the case,” she told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

She doubts whether her children will be able to see judgement in the case in their lifetime.

Marking the first anniversary of Ekram’s death, the Fulgazi unit Awami League has taken different programmes including special prayers and distributing foods, Abdul Alim, general secretary of the unit, said.

Police filed the charge sheet on August 28 last year against 56 people naming BNP leader Mahtabuddin Ahmed Chowdhury Minar, who had contested the upazila elections against Ekram, as the prime accused.

Though his name came since the killing, the investigators never interrogated lawmaker Nizam Hazari before submitting the charge sheets.

“So far 35 accused have been arrested by the police and the Rapid Action Battalion.

Seven of them got bail from courts,” Inspec-

tor Abul Kalam Azad of Feni model police station, also investigation officer of the case, told the Dhaka Tribune over the phone.

Some of the key accused affiliated with the Awami League and its associate bodies are Jahangir Mohammad Adel, the district Awami League joint secretary; Jahidul Islam alias Jihad Chowdhury, joint secretary of Fulgazi upazila Awami League; Councillor Abdullah Hil Mahmud Shiblu; Ziaul Haq Mister, municipality Jubo League joint convener; and Belal Hossain Patwary, a local Awami League leader.

Some ruling party leaders and legal experts have expressed frustration over the charge sheet terming it flawed.

Lawyers said police had not seized the mobile phone with which the attack on Ekram was recorded. Moreover, addresses of many of the accused were not mentioned in the charge sheet while some of those were wrong.

Some local lawyers, preferring anonymity, said the police had filed the charge sheet putting the names that came during the confes-

sional statements.

On the other hand, most of the arms used in the murder are yet to be recovered.

The killers had gathered people at the murder spot saying that they would hold a political programme there. But the police did not mention about it in the charge sheet.

Shamsul Alam Sarker, additional superintendent of police, claimed that the charge sheet had been submitted following through investigation and analysing the statements of 16 accused who gave confessional statements before the court.

Asked why the accused Awami League leaders have not been removed from their posts, district unit President Abdur Rahman said they were yet to take a decision about it.

He said they would call a meeting very soon and suggest action against the accused.

Feni public prosecutor Hafiz Ahammed said the trial would begin soon. “The court has issued arrest warrants and ordered to confiscate properties of the 21 fugitive accused.” l

Law enforcers arrest 10 fake DB officials in the capital n Kamrul Hasan In seperate drives, the law enforcers yesterday arrested 10 persons for extorting money by posing as officials of the Detective Branch of police in the capital.

Six of the detainees – Md Alauddin, Md Selim, Md Jahangir Alam, Md Emdad, Nikul and Masuma – were arrested in Badda, while the others – Mostafa, Mizanur Rahman Mizan, Al Amin and Sohel – in Mirpur, sources at the DB police said.

The Badda gang was arrested when a team of detectived led by Senior Assistant Police Commissioner Mahmuda Afroz Lucky raided the area in the morning following a tip-off, said SM Jahangir Alam Sarker, acting deputy commissioner (media) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

During primary interrogation, the accused confessed to the allegations against them.

The Mirpur gang, on the other hand was caught in the act of robbery, police said.

The four were part of a seven-member gang who, posing as DB officials, forcefully picked up a person and forced him to withdraw Tk350,000 from a bank at Darus Salam Road. As they rushed away from the bank, they caught Senior Sergeant Sazzad Hossain’s eye, said Matiur Rahman, a traffic sergeant on duty in the area.

Finding the microbus’s movement suspicious, Sazzad chased the vehicle until it got stuck in traffic near Sony Cinema Hall.

With the locals’ help, Sazzad was able to detain four of the criminals and rescued the victim. But the three others managed to escape with the money.

The arrested were later handed over to Mirpur model police station. Identity of the victim could not be known.

When contacted, Inspector (investigation) Moinul Haque of the police station confirmed the incident and said along with the microbus they seized a walkie-talkie and two handcuffs from their possessions. l

Ostracised by society and denied proper employment opportunities, hijras often have to rely on bullying techniques to sustain themselves. In this recently taken photo in the capital’s Banglamotor, a hijra is trying to extort some money from a rickshaw-rider MEHEDI HASAN

Hijras to be recruited as traffic police n Tribune Report The government has decided to recruit hijras as traffic police officials from the next fiscal year, as part of an attempt to rehabilitate individuals of the gender and offer them new avenues of employment.

A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Social Safety Net, chaired by Finance Minister AMA Muhith, reached the decision at the ministry’s auditorium yesterday.

The appointments, however, would be based not only on the gender identity, but also the educational qualifications of the hijras, the meeting also discussed.

Details about the recruitment process would be fixed following further analysis by the government.

Hijras, who are neither male nor female,

have officially been recognised as a separate gender in Bangladesh since 2013 and get priority for education and other rights.

However, the hijra community have long complained that they were being denied all basic rights and were ostracised by society.

According to a 2013 survey by the Ministry of Social Welfare, there are 10,000 hijras living in the country.

Meanwhile, the cabinet committee yesterday also gave its consent for allotting an additional Tk800 crore – on top of the existing Tk1200 crore – as allowances for freedom fighters.

Sources said allowances for over two lakh freedom fighters in the country might be doubled from the upcoming fiscal year and an announcement might come in the budget speech.

According to meeting sources, a freedom fighter now gets Tk5,000 per month, while the Liberation War Affairs is proposing to double the amount.

“Every year, the social safety net and allowances are raised; but right now, I cannot say how much increase allowances would see for the next fiscal year,” Finance Minister Muhith said after the meeting.

Under the social safety net, several new initiatives are also expected to be introduced in the next fiscal year for the welfare of the specially-abled people, beggars and the destitute people.

Yesterday’s meeting was also attended by Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haq, Social Welfare Minister Syed Mohsin Ali, and State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroz Chumki. l

DT

4 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Fakhrul charged in SC upholds bail for Shamsher Mobin three more cases n Tribune Report

n

Tribune Report

BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was shown arrested in three arsony cases filed with Paltan police station in connection to attacks on vehicles in the capital in January.

Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court passed the order yesterday following petitions filed by Paltan police.

The three investigation officers of the cases also submitted petitions seeking a total of 30-day remand for interrogating Fakhrul.

Confirming the matter, Sub Inspector Aminur Rahman, General recording officer (GRO) of CMM court told the Dhaka Tribune that the hearing on the remand petitions is set for today with the court of Magistrate Ashok Kumar Dutta According to court sources, one of the three cases were filed by police on January 5 against Fakhrul and 28 others for vandalising and torching a bus in front of Bangabandhu Hawkers Market in Gulistan area of the capital.

The second case was filed against Fakhrul and 49 other leaders and activists of BNP on charges of setting fire to a police motorbike in Fakirapool area on January 5.

Another case was filed against Mirza Fakhrul and 33 others for torching a BRTC bus at Purana Paltan area on January 6. l

Govt’s failure to control fake drug questioned n Tribune Report The High Court issued a ruling against the government yesterday questioning its failure to control smuggling of drugs and stop the production of counterfeit medicine.

The bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman passed the ruling following a writ petition filed by a non-government organisation named Organisation of Social and Environment Changes.

It also asked the government to explain why its inaction to take steps to control smuggling of drugs and surgical equipment and manufacture of fake medicine should not be declared illegal.

The court asked the health secretary and the director general of drug administration to respond to the ruling within four weeks.

The Organisation of Social and Environment Changes moved its petition the same day when a media report was published saying some dishonest businessmen have been smuggling expired drugs and surgical equipment, and manufacturing fake medicine, and selling those at pharmacies and people, putting public health at serious risk.

The petitioner also alleged that the government has been taking no steps to stop such activities. l

Illegal gas connections delinked in Narayanganj n Tribune Report Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited cut off illegal gas connections to 11 commercial establishments in Araihajar and Rupganj upazilas of Narayanganj on May 13 and 14.

In a press release yesterday, Titas said it also fined the illegal users Tk3.93 lakh for stealing gas from the national grid.

A mobile court in presence of local police, an executive magistrate and assistant commissioner (land) of Narayanganj conducted the drives. Gas connections of a cast iron factory in Shibpur, Bhuiyan Textiles and Ratan Dyeing of Kalibari, Khadija Textiles of Banti and one other factory were disconnected at the time.

Bhuiyan Textiles and Khadija Textiles were fined Tk1 lakh each.

During the drive at the cast iron factory, police arrested two people and rescued one in chained condition. A case was filed in this regard.

Meanwhile, gas connections were also snapped at six restaurants at Rupganj’s Boropa and Rupsha bus stand areas. A total of Tk1.93 lakh was collected from them in fines. l

There is now no bar against releasing BNP leader Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury from jail as the Supreme Court has upheld his bail which was given earlier by the High Court.

Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, chamber judge of the apex court’s

Appellate Division, passed “no order” on two appeals moved by Additional Attorney General Momtaz Uddin Fakir challenging the High Court bail yesterday.

Last year, Shamsher was named in two cases filed over an attack on Awami League’s Netrokona lawmaker Chhabi Biswas and violence near Dhaka Med-

ical College Hospital on December 24.

Detectives detained the BNP leader from his Banani residence on January 8 this year in connection with the case filed with Shahbagh police for attacking MP Biswas.

On May 6, the HC granted Shamher Mobin ad-interim bail in the two cases after he moved two petitions. l

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NEWS 5

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Government planning new hydro-power company n Aminur Rahman Rasel

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon inaugurates a free wi-fi zone in Azimpur of Old Dhaka yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

High Court order on DU sexual assaults on June 28 n Ashif Islam Shaon The High Court yesterday directed the police chief to submit a progress report by June 28 on what steps police had taken against the incidents of sexual assault on women and children on Dhaka University campus during the Pohela Boishakh celebrations on April 14.

The bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman will pass further order on the matter.

The court on April 16 issued a rule on its own volition asking the authorities concerned of the government and the DU to explain as to why they should not be directed to take appropriate legal steps against the perpetrators.

The office of the IGP, earlier in the day, placed a progress report through Deputy Attor-

ney General Tapash Kumar Biswas before the bench. The report says the police formed two separate probe committees to examine whether there was any negligence of the on-duty officials during the incident. A case was filed with Shahbagh police and police are trying to arrest the offenders, the report adds.

During the hearing, Tapash told the court that police had already recognised eight persons and declared bounty of Tk1 lakh for information on each of them.

According to reports, on April 14 some rowdy youths sexually assaulted around 20 women and children in the afternoon till evening at some points near the TSC area.

A probe body has already identified three police officials responsible for negligence in performing properly, sources said. l

Verdict in Mahidur-Afsar case today n Ashif Islam Shaon A war crimes tribunal is set to pronounce its verdict today in the case against former Muslim League leaders Mahidur Rahman and Afsar Hossain alias Chhutu, five months into their indictment on charges of killings, arson and loot during the Liberation War. The International Crimes Tribunal 2 led by Chairman Obaidul Hasan fixed the date yesterday. The case was kept for verdict on April 22.

The prosecution submitted three charges against the duo that include killing of 24 people, plundering and torching of 70-80 houses, and killing of four people after abduction during the war. The tribunal framed the charges on December 11 last year.

The duo were arrested on September 16 last year in a criminal case, and later shown arrested in the war crimes case. Mahidur hails from Dadanchak village while Afsar from Satrashia in Shibganj, Chapainawabganj.

After yesterday’s order, prosecutor Shahidur Rahman told reporters that they were able to prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt. “I hope that death penalty will be given for both the accused,” he said.

On the other hand, the defence said justice

would be done through acquittal of the two elderly men. “Please deliver a verdict which will not raise question in the international community,” lawyer Abdus Sattar had told the court during arguments.

Replying to his remarks, the tribunal chairman said: “We bother less about the local and foreign reactions. Don’t give that excuse... don’t try to frighten us. We have sworn in to ensure justice.” The judge also said the defence could go to the Appellate Division to challenge the tribunal verdict.

Mahidur and Afsar, aided by hundreds of armed razakars and members of the Pakistani Army, had attacked Chandshikari, Chamatol, Kabirajtola and Eradot Biswasertola villages, and abducted 39 people in two phases on October 6, 1971. They were later tortured in confinement and 24 of them shot dead.

According to the second charge, the duo, accompanied by razakars, launched a systematic attack at Kabirajtola and Eradot Biswasertola and burnt down houses after looting on October 13. The other charge says the duo together with 30-35 armed razakars attacked the houses of Kalumuddin Mondol, Abdur Rashid, Gajal and Ilias Mondol of Sherpur Bhandar village, detained and tortured them on November 2. l

The government is planning to set up a hydro-power company in Bangladesh which will not only generate but also import this kind of pro-environment electricity from the neighbouring countries.

It is likely to be named the Hydro Power Generation Company Limited and will look to import electricity from the hydro-power plants in high altitude countries like Nepal and Bhutan.

“This will be the country’s first ever hydro-power generation company that will both generate and import … We have made a decision on principle to set the company up,” said a high official of the government’s Power Division.

He said that the division had already directed the Power Development Board (PDB) to prepare articles of association and relevant memorandum of association required to form the company.

“The legal infrastructure for setting up the company under the Power Division is now being prepared and it will be registered with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and

Firms,” said the official who did not want to be named.

The 230MW Karnafuli Hydroelectric Power Station, built in 1962, is currently the only major source of hydro-power in Bangladesh.

A recent study conducted by a US consultancy firm said that two rivers in the Chittagong Hill Tracts could potentially generate 79MW. The Power Cell, under the Power Division, supervised the study conducted by Streams Tech, Inc (STI).

The study said that 58.33MW power can be generated from the Sangu River and 20.83MW from the Matamuhuri River.

The Power Division official also said that the government is also planning to form a company to conduct the operations and maintenance of public and private power plants and the activation of two new distribution companies – South Zone Power Distribution Company and North-west Zone Power Distribution Company.

A new distribution company – the Central Zone Power Distribution Company – will also be formed and the 740MW Ghorasal power plant will be transformed into a corporation. l

DT

6 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Risky run of six govt offices at abandoned buildings Correspondent, n Our Moulvibazar

At least six government offices situated at two dilapidated buildings at Rajnagar upazila in Moulvibazar are running amid high risks as authorities concerned have declared these buildings abandoned.

Though the Public Works Department (PWD) has declared the two government buildings abandoned a few years back and asked its officials to vacate these, above mentioned six offices still using these as offices with high risk.

According to local sources, Moulvibazar Public Works Department (PWD) declared a building which is located on Rajnagar upazila parishad complex premises abandoned for its rundown state. But defying the ban, activities of four government offices are now continuing at abandoned building, posing life threat to its staff.

The four offices are – Upazila Cooperative Office, Upazila Fishery Office, Upazila Secondary Education Office and Muktijuddha Sangsad Upazila Command office.

Apart from the four offices, other two offices - “One House, One Farm Project” office and Bangladesh Rural Development Board office are also running in another abandoned government staff quarter building near Rajnagar upazila parishad complex.

Rajnagar Upazila Cooperative Officer Md Sadrul Islam said he had gotten notice to vacate the risky building, but there was no space available at the upazila parishad complex

building.

“We are compelled to work in the dilapidated risky building amid life risk,” he said. Like him, upazila level officers of other five offices echoed the same.

Officer of the Bangladesh Rural Development Board Md Oliullah Khan said there was no vacate building at its own compound.

He said: “So there is no way to vacate this risky building at present.”

Md Abul Hussin, upazila secondary education officer, said there was no allocation of fund to rent an office space at private building in Rajnagar.

So, they were working at the risky building.

Sajal Chakraverty, upazila commander of the Muktijuddha Sangsad, said his office was also running here amid risk.

He told the Dhaka Tribune that he had already informed the authorities concerned about the matter and they assured him that they would take measures in this regard.

“Now, I am waiting for a new office space,” Sajal added.

Ayinun Akter Panna, upazila nirbahi officer of Rajnagar, told the correspondent that she had joined Rajnagar upazila recently and she was informed about the matter. Now, she was looking the way how the problem is solved.

Md Qunrul Hasan, deputy commissioner Moulvibazar, said he was informed about the matter.

“I am trying to find out sufficient spaces so that the offices could shift from existing buildings as soon as possible.” l

Newly married housewife killed Correspondent, n Our Tangail A newly married housewife was allegedly killed for dowry in Hasra area under Kalihathi upazial of the district yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Akhi Akter, wife of Abdur Rashid, expatriate in the United Arab Emirates.

Sources said Akhi, daughter of Anwar Hossain had been married of with Rashid, son of Hasan Ali in the area nine months ago. After, marriage

Rashid went to Arab-Emirate keeping his wife at his father’s house.

Anwar said the father-in-law of Akhi used to torture her for dowry.

“Hasan along with his family members strangulated her daughter for dowry,’ he alleged.

A case was filed with Kalihathi police station in this connection.

Nazrul Islam, officer-incharge of the police station said no body could be arrested in this connection. l

DT

NEWS 7

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Over 50 job seekers missing on their way to Malaysia n Our Correspondent, Meherpur In the last two years, over 50 people from Gangni upazila of Meherpur seeking jobs abroad have gone missing on their way to Malaysia. Their families, not knowing if they are alive or dead, are passing a dreadful time.

It is being feared that the missing job aspirants were thrown overboard or killed by the traffickers for not being able to pay for their illegal passage to Malaysia by sea. Struggling to make ends meet, the families are still waiting for their missing loved ones.

Over the years the business of sending workers to the Middle East and several other countries seem to have gradually turned into human trafficking. Like in many parts of Bangladesh, human trafficking is increasing in Meherpur.

With such rural areas like Meherpur not having many job opportunities to offer, the youths of lower and lower middle class families in these areas are easily manipulated by human trafficking brokers. The youths are selling off their lands and belongings to pay the brokers for the illegal passage to Malaysia.

The trafficking rings are active in over 60 villages of the upazila. They are using lucrative jobs in Malaysia as bait and making the youths pay for the opportunity with hundreds

of thousands of taka, and at times with their lives.

An investigation by Dhaka Tribune and Bangla Tribune identified the missing as Ajit Ali, Minarul Islam, Lalon Mia, Ahsan Ali, Zakirul Islam, Wasim Ali, Zia, Rustom Ali, Asadul Islam, Minarul Islam, Jahidul Islam, Jinnat Ali, Ariful Islam, Rifa, Babul, Gonjer, Ahad Ali, Amzad Hossain, Habibur Rahman, Mahabul, Anarul Islam, Akhtarul Islam, Abul Kalam.

Apart from them, on October 10 last year, a Mamun of Terail village drowned at sea en route to Malaysia when he was thrown off the boat by the traffickers. Beltu, Aziruddin, and Hafizul Islam of the same village were held for ransom by the trafficking ring. Beltu’s father paid them a ransom of Tk2,30,000 through Bkash to save his son from torture.

Deceased Mamun’s older sister Nasrin informed that Jahid Hossain of Hemayetpur village and Jahangir Hossain of Terail village lured his brother into going to Malaysia. “In the last conversation we had with Mamun, he told us to pay Jahid and Jahangir Tk2,50,000 after he reaches Malaysia,” she said.

Pijer Mandal, father of missing Zakirul Islam of Kharampur, said his son was going to Malaysia through broker Ahmed Ali of the same village. “It has been two years my son has been missing,” he added.

14 Bangladeshis return after serving jail in Myanmar n Tribune Report

Fourteen Bangladeshis returned home yesterday after serving different terms in jail in Myanmar.

Among them, 11 were arrested while illegally heading for Malaysia.

Myanmar Immigration Department handed them over to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) yesterday at 10am after holding a two-hour long flag meeting in Mongdu in Myanmar, said sources in BGB. Confirming the matter, Lt Col Abu Zar Al Zahid, commanding officer of BGB 42

Battalion, said more than hundreds of Bangladeshis are still languishing in the jail of Myanmar. Their rehabilitation was under processing.

The 14 Bangladeshis are Abdur Rahim from Maheshkhali, Joynal Uddin, Ebadullah and Nur Kabir from Ukhiya, Nuurl Amin from Teknaf, Syed Alam from Nazirpara, Yusuf from Hila union, Bablu from Bandarban, Yu Kyo Mong from Kheyang, Amin from Haji Guramiyapara, Yunus from Dulupara, Abdur Rahim from Bajaliya of Chittagong, Badshah Miya of Lohagora and Rajib Khan from Moksudpur of Dhaka. l

Two ‘robbers’ lynched n Tribune Report Two suspected robbers were beaten to death by a mob at Keraniganj, outskirts of the capital city Dhaka, on Monday night.

Locals said a gang of robbers were going to Manikganj’s Singair to commit robbery around 9pm on Monday through Rasulpur village of Keraniganj.

Noticing their suspicious movement, locals started ques-

tioning them, but they could not reply of those question properly. At one stage, they started running from the scene.

Then, the local residents chased them and managed to caught all of them. The agitating people gave them good beating in which Rejaul Islam alias Reju, 28, hailing from Louhojong area of Munsiganj and Aminul Islam, hailing from Shibchar area of Madaripur, died on the spot. l

Family of the missing alleged that atleast 15 including Ahmed Ali, Jahid Hossain of Hemayetpur village, Bakhal, Abul Kashem, Bajlu and Kalu of Jhorpara are involved in human trafficking in Gangni upazila. They could not be contacted for a statement in any way possible.

It was apparent that it would be difficult for the local administration to bring most of the human traffickers to book, apart from the small timers. Most were either leaders or cadres belonging to the ruling party, or were under the shelter of such people.

Meherpur District Administrator Mahmud Hossain said: “We did receive a proper complaint of human trafficking. We will take legal actions if we get one.”

Meherpur Superintendent of Police Hamidul Alam said no one filed a complaint of human trafficking.

Gangni police station Officer in Charge (Investigation) Moktar Ali said he is investigating a case of 18 people going to Iraq but has no complaints of people being trafficked to Malaysia.

Dhankhola Union Council Chairman Abdur Razzak informed that there are 10-12 people missing from his union. He demanded that the government find these people in any way possible. l

WEATHER THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 TODAY SUN SETS 6:36PM

DHAKA

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:13AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY 36 34 34 34 34 34 35 33

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

28 27 27 25 26 27 25 27

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

36.4ºC

24.0ºC

Mongla

Sylhet Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

3:50am 5:14am 11:55am 4:35pm 6:36pm 8:01pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

DT

8 WORLD

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

A woman stands next to tents set up after earthquakes in Bhaktapur, Nepal on May 18

REUTERS

Homeless Nepalis sleep in the open as monsoon rains approach n Reuters, Thali Nepali tea shop owner Phurba Sherpa has spent four nights cramped under a tarpaulin with his wife and nine others on a school field outside Kathmandu since falling rocks triggered by an earthquake last week demolished his distant mountain village.

The Nepali government is struggling to provide shelter for more than a million people like Sherpa who were uprooted by two massive earthquakes, first on April 25 and then 17 days later.

Tens of thousands are sleeping in the open, with monsoon rains possibly little more than a fortnight away.

“I lost everything – my house, tea house and all that I owned. I am a refugee in my own country now,” said the 28-year-old, one of about 120 people who made the 110-km (70 miles) trip from Tatopani, a village on the Chinese border, to the town of Thali near the capital, Kathmandu.

Sherpa said he left his village after the second quake triggered landslides that left almost no space for shelter.

“We don’t have any place to go and this is not enough when it starts raining,” said Sherpa, who shared the cost of the blue-and-yellow plastic sheet with three other families.

Parts of Nepal have returned to relative normality since the quakes. But families such as Sherpa’s making do under plastic sheets are a visible reminder of how much authorities need to do almost a month after the first quake struck. More than 8,600 were killed in Nepal’s worst natural disaster on record.

Aid organisations worry about the possible spread of disease and the risk of further displacement in a country ill-equipped to help those most in need.

Nepal’s government has raised $70 million of the $200 million it needs to give shelter and medical help to see the homeless through the monsoon before more permanent reconstruction work can begin.

Exposed to the elements

The situation in Thali is mirrored across dozens of settlements throughout the Kathmandu valley and in Himalayan hamlets where the ability of state and non-government aid groups to help will be even more limited when the rains arrive.

“You will have villages that are completely cut off. The monsoon is going to change the game,” said Natasha Reyes, head of Medecins Sans Frontieres’ Nepal Mission.

She said downpours washing through camps could cause a rise in diarrhoea and respiratory tract illnesses, as well as cutting off remote areas from further help.

Working out of a tent in the grounds of the quake-damaged central government complex, the man in charge of the rescue and relief operation said a government fund would provide each homeless family with two bundles of corrugated iron roofing to build structures that can better withstand the three months of downpours that begin as early as June 1.

However, Nepal can only produce 8,000 bundles a day, said National Planning Commission vice-chairman Govind Raj Pokharel. It also lacks the diggers, excavators and cranes needed to clear rubble and make space for better temporary housing.

“Our production is limited. We need to procure from neighbouring countries. We have approached them for help,” Pokharel said.

Back in Thali, residents help new arrivals draw water at the school under overcast skies.

The school has told them they must be off its land by the time it reopens at the start of June.

Kumar Pariyar, 85, arrived on Monday. Visibly weak, he said Thali was the fourth place he had been moved to since last week’s quake destroyed his house.

“I came here because my relatives are here.

But I don’t know where to go as everything I had was destroyed in the earthquake and landslide. Maybe I have to live here until I die,” he said. l

DT

WORLD 9

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

US fears Shi’ite militias could worsen Iraqi sectarian fires n Reuters, Washington

The use of Shi’ite militias to try to take back the Iraqi city of Ramadi from Islamic State risks unleashing more sectarian bloodletting, current and former US officials said, but Washington and Baghdad appear to have few other options.

The prospect of Iranian-backed militias leading efforts to retake Ramadi underlines Washington’s dwindling options to defeat Islamic State in Iraq, with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s grip on power weak, a national army still in its infancy and Tehran increasingly assertive.

Islamic State’s capture of Ramadi, despite months of US-led air strikes and military advice, marked a fresh low for the shattered Iraqi army, which beat a chaotic retreat from the city over the weekend.

Abadi immediately turned to the Shi’ite militia groups, backed by Iran, which together have become the most powerful military force in Iraq since the national army first collapsed last June in the face of sweeping Islamic State gains.

A column of 3,000 Shi’ite militia fighters arrived on Monday at a military base near Ramadi, the capital of Sunni-majority Anbar province that has long been a centre of opposition to Iraq’s Shi’ite-led government.

One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described Ramadi as “a powder keg” and said any use of militia has “got to be dealt with very, very delicately.”

US officials said Washington was deeply divided about the involvement of Shi’ite militias with links to Iran, a US rival that has been expanding its influence throughout the Middle East. After spearheading the recapture of Tikrit, some Shi’ite fighters last month went on a spree of burning, looting, and violence in the Sunni Iraqi city, according to local residents.

Sanaa sees heaviest attacks since truce expired n AP, Sanaa Residents of Sanaa say a Saudi-led coalition has carried out the heaviest strikes on the Yemeni capital since the expiration of a truce with Shiite rebels, striking weapons depots and shaking residential areas several miles away.

Witnesses say the strikes began shortly after midnight Tuesday and kept residents awake throughout the night.

The Saudi-led strikes were focused on two mountains, Fag Atan and Noqom, where missiles, tanks and artillery are kept. The conflict is widely seen as a proxy war between regional adversaries Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The coalition has repeatedly struck the two sites since launching the air campaign against Iran-supported rebels, known as Houthis, on March 26. But Tuesday’s assault was the heaviest since the expiration of a five-day humanitarian truce, which was repeatedly violated. l

“There are people in our government who see any involvement of Iran as anathema.

There are others who say the Shi’ite involvement will promote sectarian violence. There are others who say that’s not true,” a second US official said on condition of anonymity.

One US intelligence official said one concern was that Islamic State could use the involvement of Shi’te militias to itself stir up sectarian hatred.

Risk of alienating sunnis

But the reality, analysts said, is that Iraq’s government does not appear to have enough Sunni forces at its disposal to make an assault on Ramadi.

US President Barack Obama reluctantly started bombing Islamic State targets last year after it seized swathes of Iraq but he has made clear his desire not to let US troops get sucked back into a conflict he vowed to end when he first ran for president.

The loss of Ramadi comes a month after Obama gave Abadi a warm welcome in Washington, backing the Shi’ite politician to bridge Iraq’s sectarian divide and forge a strong national army to take the fight to Islamic State.

“We never tried to stop it,” the second official said of Abadi’s recourse to Shi’ite militias.

“You got to fight with the army you got, and this is the army they got.”

To be sure, atrocities by Shi’ite militias could force the United States to rethink its support.

Republican senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, among the most outspoken critics of Obama’s foreign policy, called the fall of Ramadi “a sad reminder of this administration’s indecisive air campaign” and a broader lack of strategy. They also expressed concern about Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias launching an offensive. l

Afghan investigators inspect the site of a suspected suicide bombing in a parking lot in central Kabul yesterday. At least five people were killed in the attack AFP

Four killed, dozens wounded in central Kabul blast n AFP At least four people were killed and dozens wounded when a suicide car bomber struck the parking lot of the justice ministry in Kabul yesterday, the latest in a string of attacks in the Afghan capital.

“The suicide attacker detonated his explosives-packed car inside the parking lot of the justice ministry,” Kabul police spokesman Ebadullah Karimi told AFP. “We can confirm that at least four people have been killed and a further 24 have been wounded.”

The area was cordoned off by security officials as firefighters doused the smouldering wreckage.

Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Ayoub Salangi said four men and one woman had been killed, but it was impossible to say whether one of them was the suicide bomber.

“The body of one of the victims was torn into pieces and we cannot verify if he was the

Thai polls delay raises questions about return to democracy n Reuters, Bangkok Thailand’s junta delayed a general election by at least six months yesterday, hours after former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was banned from travelling overseas, raising questions about a promised return to democracy.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Kreangam, installed after the military seized power in last May’s coup, told reporters that the polls would take place in August 2016 at the earliest to allow for a referendum on the new constitution.

“It will take place around August or in September,” he said. The government had said voting would take place in February 2016.

Since taking power, the junta has come under domestic and international pressure to hold elections, which they say can only take place under a new constitution.

Yingluck was forced from office last year after the Constitutional Court found her guilty of abuse of power. Weeks later, the military

removed the remnants of her government.

She is accused of negligence and dereliction of duty for her role in a multi-billion dollar rice subsidy scheme that anti-corruption authorities alleged was plagued with graft. Yingluck, who denies the charges against her, faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. She has accused her enemies of conducting a witch-hunt against her in order to handicap her family.

The court banned her from traveling overseas and agreed bail terms of 30 million baht. l

suicide attacker,” Salangi told AFP. The health ministry said at least 53 people had been brought to various Kabul hospitals.

“We are getting more every minute,” ministry spokesman Mohammad Ismail Kawoosi told AFP. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes in the midst of the Taliban’s traditional spring-summer fighting season. The insurgents have stepped up attacks on government and foreign targets after launching their offensive late last month.

Yesterday’s bombing was the third recent deadly attack to jolt the Afghan capital.

A British security contractor and two teenage girls were killed Sunday when a Taliban insurgent rammed an explosives-laden car into a European Union police vehicle in Kabul.

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

Burundi police beat antipresident protesters

n Reuters, Bujumbura Burundi police fired tear gas and beat protesters who were demanding President Pierre Nkurunziza end his bid for a third term.

A Reuters photographer said at least eight of the flag-waving and chanting demonstrators were dragged off by police yesterday.

Some in the crowd responded by pelting officers with stones and rocks.

Rights groups say at least 20 people have died in three weeks of clashes between security forces and protesters who say Nkurunziza’s ambitions violate the constitution and a peace deal that ended an ethnically fuelled civil war in 2005.

Crowds gathered again in the capital’s suburb of Nyakabiga yesterday, shouting: “We will not stop until he gives up the third term.”

Diplomats say the longer unrest continues the more chance that a conflict, which up until now has been largely a struggle for power, reopens old wounds in a region with a history of ethnic killing. l

DT

10 ADVERTISEMENT

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Steinem, Nobel laureates in North Korea for march across DMZ n AP, Pyongyang A group of female peace activists including Gloria Steinem and two Nobel laureates arrived in North Korea’s capital yesterday for a march across the Demilitarised Zone that they hope will bring world attention to calls for a resolution to tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The rare crossing of the DMZ, approved by both Koreas, is to take place Sunday.

North and South Korea have technically been in a state of war since the 1950-53 Ko-

rean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. Their border along the DMZ is one of the most heavily fortified in the world and it is highly unusual for crossings to be allowed.

The event has raised controversy, with critics accusing the group of being propaganda pawns for the totalitarian North Korean government.

But participants say the march is intended to be a symbolic step toward ending the tensions between the Koreas, not an endorsement of either side’s policies.

“There is nothing in this action that reflects prioritizing of one or another government,” the group said in materials released to the media. “To the contrary, we have prioritised reunification of families, equity and justice for women living on both sides of the DMZ and a peaceful solution to the only remaining Cold War division.”

Steinem, 81, an iconic figure in the equal rights movement in the United States, said she was immediately interested in joining the march when she was contacted by organiser

Christine Ahn, a Korean-American peace activist.

“It seems so surrealistic that here we are with the DMZ” despite the end of the Cold War in other parts of the world, Steinem said in Beijing before the group’s arrival in Pyongyang.

Also on the trip are Nobel Peace Prize laureates Mairead Maguire and Leymah Gbowee.

Maguire received the Nobel prize for her work toward ending the conflict in Northern Ireland and Gbowee for her role in the Liberian peace movement. l

DT

EDITORIAL 11

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

INSIDE

I am an entrepreneur. Will you marry me?

Trust me when I tell you this from my own experience -- kids with a kicking entrepreneur parent will learn just as much at home (or probably more) as they will learn at school PAGE 12-13

BIGSTOCK

What does ISIS really want?

With the establishment of a Caliphate a pipe dream, one would be justified to ask what ISIS really wants. The answer is very plain and unnerving -- they want American boots on the ground in Iraq!

PAGE 14

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opinion.dt@dhakatribune. com www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook. com/DhakaTribune

Raise gas prices to end waste

E

xperts warn that overproduction from the Bibiyana gas field in Habiganj is causing a major drop in pressure which could prematurely block its ability to produce gas.

As this is the largest gas field in production in Bangladesh, the country cannot risk its lifespan being shortened by technical hazards caused by overproduction.

The premature closure of the offshore Sangu gas field has already shown us the damage that can be done to gas production by extraction rates exceeding sensible limits.

Following Chevron’s $500m expansion project the government agreed last year to revise extraction rates at Bibiyana to over a third higher than the original production sharing contract rate of 7.5% of confirmed reserves.

Petrobangla officials report however that even this higher extraction rate is occasionally exceeded.

The government needs to urgently ensure expert attention to ensure proper safeguards are respected to prevent vital supplies being interrupted.

More importantly, it needs to cut subsidies and raise the price of gas. International companies will be more willing to avoid overproduction and invest in new gas fields if prices are raised to enable higher returns.

Increased revenue from gas sales could also be used to buy meters to help deter wasteful behaviour by households which leave the gas burning all day just to save matchsticks.

Only by cutting out waste can we secure the future investment we need in more reliable, secure and sustainable power supplies to allow industries to plan for growth without fear of interrupted connections.

Cutting waste is vital to secure investment in energy security

DT

12 LONG FORM

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

I am an entrepreneur. Will you marry me? what an ass my wife has married.

What will the relatives say when you marry an entrepreneur? Well, even God doesn’t know!

The good? You would have married someone who has no care for pretense and showmanship. He is someone who will be truthful, till death do you part.

Most entrepreneurs will speak the truth to people they trust and that’s a great qualification in itself.

Time and timing?

He will not be home for dinner every night.

He will miss out on a lot of dinner parties at your parents’ or relatives’ place. You might not even get him on weekends to watch a movie with you. But when he is home, he will make up for lost time.

He will feel “guilty” for not giving you enough time, thus he will make sure he is a very engaged father and husband. His finetuned management and problem-solving skills that make him a great entrepreneur also make him a great family man.

Also, because he is his own boss, he will never have to calculate how to manage only 20 odd days of leave if he was doing a job.

So you will get to meet him at an hour of the day when your friends or colleagues never expect their husbands to be. He will catch up with you on that movie you were waiting for, maybe on a weekday, because he can!

Bread, butter ... Nutella?

BIGSTOCK

n Mohd Fahad Ifaz

W

ell, that’s not exactly how I proposed to my wife, probably because she was already in love with my dream of starting on

my own.

But over the past few years, I have met several talented people who are afraid to take that leap, thinking that they will never get married being an entrepreneur in Bangladesh. For some, the only purpose of doing a boring job is to get married!

So ladies, we need your help. We need your help to make us do things that we will love for the rest of our lives (just the way we will love you). We need your help so that we are never embarrassed in telling your parents that we are entrepreneurs!

Here’s a scenario from a Bangla comedydrama. The scene is set on the well-trimmed and decorated lawn of a spacious garden owned by the rich father, whose ravishing daughter is going to introduce her “hero” to the parents. The mother, father, and the girl are dressed in the finest clothes and are exchanging casual pleasantries with the boy.

The boy, with his unruly hair and faded jeans, is sipping on a cup of tea. Finally, the girl’s father looks at the “boy” with cloudy eyes and asks: “Son, I hope you earn a lot of

money! My daughter has lived her entire life like a princess and now I hope you can make her live like a queen!”

The “boy” chuckles, smiles, and tells his future father-in-law: “Daddy, Daddy … actually I am going to live off your dowry and your daughter’s bank accounts! I can even stay at your house, and be your son. I am an entrepreneur! I don’t earn money …

And I don't know if I ever will … but I have some excellent ideas, one day I will make you proud!”

I will leave to your imagination what happens next.

So, seriously, should you marry an entrepreneur? Of course you should. But before you do, remember these speedbumps.

What will your favorite aunty say?

Aunty: What is our son-in-law up to? (In the past, this is probably the moment most women wait for all their lives. This is what they wanted to say: “Oh, he works as a hotshot manager for XYZ bank, and he gets his own car too!”)

But this is what you will actually say.

You: He is selling groceries online.

Aunty (shocked): What are you saying?!

Selling vegetables?

So, you married an entrepreneur. Will he be capable of making sure that there is bread plus butter on the table every day? What about the Nutella that you love so much? Can your entrepreneur husband afford to feed you?

In today’s ‘l want and need everything’ lifestyle, being married to a potentially bankrupt person is not a very hot idea

You (depressed): Yes. Aunty: Is our son-in-law seriously a salesman, a vegetable salesman?

You (about to cry): Something like that.

Imagine going to one of those insanely boring dinners that close relatives host for you. What happens when the “Aunty” asks your spouse: “Son, what do you do? I hear you are a vegetable salesman!”

Now, if I was the “Son”, I would say, “Aunty, even I don't know! I thought I would make money selling groceries online, but my virtual consumers are not buying. Sniff … sniff … do you have any ideas?”

Aunty would probably spend the next 20 years making fun of me and telling everyone

Don’t build your appetite on that promise.

Entrepreneurs, honestly, are risk-takers.

They bet on their hard work, with a bit of luck thrown in.

Most of them don't come up as winners, but manage to survive and make ends meet.

But this gives you a chance to take over the finances and make sure if there is one bread on the table, you both share it with love. A lot of you might argue about this, but I have seen this happen in my own house.

My mother probably understands financial matters better than any CFOs out there! This is the lowest and toughest aspect of being married to an entrepreneur. In today’s “l want and need everything” lifestyle, being

DT

LONG FORM 13

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

married to a potentially bankrupt person is not a very hot idea.

But there is a flip side to it: Consider the real life stories of any successful entrepreneur. When their hard work clicks at the right time and place, then all the tables turn. But even then, they don't bring the bread and butter home -- they just go and buy the factories which make them!

So when is the “good news”?

Let’s change sides for a bit. So, you are a promising woman entrepreneur and married to a happy, hotshot banker. You have just launched your brand new e-commerce page on Facebook delivering made-to-order clothing within the city.

The going is tough and the startup is killing you. Now, in between all this mayhem, your husband’s grannies and aunties keep poking their elbows into you, asking: “So, bou, when is the good news?”

What they mean by “good news” is NOT the good news you are looking forward to at the moment! You want to hear that orders are coming in, there is “virality” to the page, the payment gateway is working smoothly, and the deliveries are being made on time. The last thing you want to think of is when you will be in the delivery room!

As an entrepreneur wife, you will have to dodge off the silly and stupid social pressures imposed on young married couples. For guys, if you are married to a woman entrepreneur, you will have to be prepared to let your wife give birth first to her enterprise before she gives birth to your kids!

Congratulations! You are a partner in crime!

You married an entrepreneur. You married an unending source of ideas and passion -- the eternal optimist. You may not have known it at the time, but you agreed to travel down an ever-changing path of life.

Yes, there will be countless moments when your spouse appears unfocused, spread too thin, and/or distracted by impossible dreams. (In most cases, you’re probably right!)

intimacy required.

But it’s not true if you marry an entrepreneur. Because there will be a life-long source of new ideas to talk about, new problems to solve, new successes to celebrate. Plus, what fun would it would be if you were married to a person who knew just exactly what to do all of the time? Stability is overrated.

Embrace your spouse and enjoy the journey. Celebrate the ideas that are implemented and learn from those that

Trust me when I tell you this from my own experience -- kids with a kicking entrepreneur parent will learn just as much at home (or probably more) as they will learn at school

Well, I may not be able to match the “perks and cars and houses” that my friends' “banker dads” possessed, but I can say that my siblings and I have grown up to be streetsmart and bold, unlike a lot of other kids.

I think having a parent who never takes things at face value, who always examines how to create efficiency in every little thing, who demonstrates the ability to take calculated risks and measure performance, and above all who always does something new all the time, has a very positive impact on young minds.

Trust me when I tell you this from my own experience -- kids with a kicking entrepreneur parent will learn just as much at home (or probably more) as they will learn at school.

Most importantly -- kids brought up by entrepreneur parents will be supremely independent and capable of surviving in the real world.

So you decided to say “yes” and are already thinking of your honeymoon?

You will try to reason with them, challenge them, and even periodically guilt them into taking a more stable route in life, but you know how that goes. You will find yourself rolling your eyes from time to time at their next “new big opportunity” and their inevitable “I’m so close” mantra.

Most marriages fail because couples, at some point in life, exhaust the resources that they could share, the stories that they could tell each other, and they start lacking the

don’t. Communicate often and honestly without becoming pessimistic. Refuse to give up the thought that we truly can live out our passions.

What will the kids learn?

My parents have two sons and a daughter.

We have all grown up with a bizarre, “weird” entrepreneur dad around us. How has this impacted us?

You might prefer going to the beaches, you might like the mountains, or even prefer crowded, busy cities, or maybe a Eurotrip.

But if you ever wanted to spend your honeymoon on a roller coaster or you want your honeymoon to last forever, then marry an entrepreneur. They will keep giving you surprises. Forget the honeymoon -- the marriage itself will be the ride of your life! l Mohd Fahad Ifaz is a private sector development consultant and co-founder at EDGE Consulting ltd. and amarCV.com

BIGSTOCK

DT

14 OPINION

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

REUTERS

What does ISIS really want? n SM Shahrukh

D

espite recent analysis suggesting that the Islamic State is losing, the terror group is far from being beaten back. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) aka ISIL (replacing Syria with The Levant) is not done and dusted as some Western observers wrongly noted earlier in the year and neither is their charismatic leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi dead or grievously injured, as a result of US air attacks. A recent audio recording of the leader, who aspires for a Caliphate, has put all such speculations to rest.

It is true, however, that earlier in the year, the Peshmerga fighters, aided by the US and its allies, regained some territory from ISIS in the Kurdish controlled areas of Iraq. But it has not proven damaging enough for the juggernaut to stop.

It is also believed that the attempts to recruit young disillusioned Muslim youths from various European cities have also been thwarted somewhat, but the fact remains that ISIS still has an appreciable manpower that is well-equipped with arsenal needed for modern warfare. The arms market is fluid in nature and state-of-the-art armaments will satiate a hand that offers greenback with the other; ISIS is not short on cash.

“Without anti-ISIS forces developing a clear long-term strategy for the volatile region, reports of the group (aka ISIL, and Daesh) losing territory in some areas won’t have that much significance as it continues its brutal campaign to win over radicals in

the Middle East.”

Events seem extremely volatile in the region and there is no room for any complacency as of yet.

The overpowering presence of ISIS becomes more obvious with the latest happenings in the Al Anbar province of Iraq with reports now claiming that ISIS has total control of Ramadi, the capital of the province. The escalation in the group’s offensive started immediately after al-Baghdadi’s call for fresh recruits in the aforementioned audio recording.

CNN reports: “The months-long fight for the key central Iraqi city of Ramadi now appears to be going ISIS’s way, with the Islamist extremist group capturing police headquarters, the Ramadi Great Mosque, and even raising its trademark black flag over the provincial government building, sources said.

The ISIS push began Thursday, with armoured bulldozers and at least 10 suicide bombings used to burst through gates and blast through walls in Ramadi, according to a security source who has since left the city.

Dozens of militants followed them into the city centre.”

This report is from Saturday, May 16.

Al Anbar Governorate (or Anbar province) is the largest governorate in Iraq.

“Encompassing much of the country’s western territory, it shares borders with Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The provincial capital is Ramadi, and other important cities in the province include Fallujah and Haditha.”

Nearly all the inhabitants of the province

are Sunni Muslims and mostly from the Dulaim tribe.

“The violence marks the latest in the tug-of-war for Ramadi. That city is just a few miles from an Iraqi army headquarters that ISIS blew up in March, and it's also just 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Baghdad and in the middle of Iraq’s Sunni Muslim heartland,” CNN reports further.

The US, on Friday, pledged an enhanced assistance package to the Iraqi military in addition to the air-attack support and equipment support that are already in place.

Air attacks were launched by the US on Friday, but they failed to dampen the progress of the “monster” that is ISIS. The current government of Iraq, under Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, is seen as a stooge of the neighbours next door, Iran. It is more a rudderless ship than a well-oiled machine one would require to fight the scourge of ISIS. The Iraqi military, put in place after the US spent over a trillion dollars and lost 4,500 of its soldiers and caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians in a fateful escapade in the desert, is vastly inefficient. Personnel fleeing from it has become a random affair; some have even left to join ISIS, apparently a more lucrative position than the Iraqi army.

With the establishment of a Caliphate a pipe dream, one would be justified to ask what ISIS really wants. The answer is very plain and unnerving -- they want American boots on the ground in Iraq!

The “heart of darkness” or the high command of ISIS has been impenetrable for

journalists. Journalists were also wary of an exploration into “that dark heart”’ because of many beheadings and summary executions of Western journos.

Enter Jurgen Todenhofer, a German journalist. Todenhofer, with what one might consider a “magic trick” got access to Mosul, Iraq, last year. He roamed the city and to his surprise found that the populace were relieved that ISIS was in power; they were going about their lives.

But one problem -- Todenhofer was not allowed an iota of access into the lives of the womenfolk of the city. He found ISIS militants issuing license plates for cars, collecting taxes, even giving traffic tickets.

Todenhofer, after mixing with ISIS militants and having interviewed several of them, came to the grim realisation that firstly, ISIS governance is both frightening and mundane and secondly, and more importantly, “the ISIS objective of luring the West into a grand battle. The terror group wants its unique vision of a caliphate -- and American boots on the ground in combat.”

(The western Iraqi city of Ramadi fell to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Sunday, after the militants relentlessly bombarded the capital of the Anbar province with suicide bombers, Al Arabiya News Channel reported. Ramadi fell after the Iraqi army deserted the city, the channel added, in a withdrawal echoing the military’s shock departure from Iraq’s second largest city of Mosul in June last year.) l SM Shahrukh is a freelance contributor.

16

Robi suffers revenue loss for free internet

17

‘Global energy subsidies to hit $5.3tn this year’

19

DSE turnover crosses Tk800 crore-mark

BB: Lending rates to fall further n Tribune Report Bangladesh Bank yesterday expected the average lending rate would fall further in the coming days thanks to the reduction in interest rates on all types of National Savings Certificates by around 2%.

“Bangladesh Bank has been actively working towards reducing the lending rate to a rational level so as to ensure an investment-friendly economic environment,” it said in a statement. “At present, banks have sufficient liquidity to expand loans to the potential borrowers.”

The lending rates have witnessed a substantial fall in the recent months, registering 11.93% in March compared to 13.36% in the same period last year.

The interest rate on lending is going down due to rationalisation of various service charges, fees, commission charges etc, avoiding high expenditure to establish bank branches,

and adoption of policies towards limiting expenditure for the purchase of transport vehicles, said the statement.

The central bank, however, pointed out the lending rates declined not at the same pace

‘At present, banks have sufficient liquidity to expand loans to the potential borrowers’ the deposit rates. The deposit rate dropped to 7.06% in March from 8.21% in the same month last year.

Though the banks cut the interest rate on deposits rapidly on excuse of reducing lending rate, the central bank did not intervene into it to protect the depositors’ interest, said a senior banker.

On the other hand, he said, the government has also announced interest rate cut on

savings instruments while the depositors are turning their investment towards the savings certificates.

Bangladesh Bank is trying to protect the entrepreneurs’ interest by reducing lending rate only, but it is not caring about general people, he said.

However, both lending rate and interest rate spread decreased to 11.93% and 4.87% respectively in March, thanks to intensive monitoring by Bangladesh Bank.

At the same time, the rate of inflation has been falling steadily with prudential monetary management from Bangladesh Bank.

The average annual rate of inflation stood at 6.57% at the end of April, according to the release.

Bangladesh Bank has therefore been promoting credit flows to the productive sectors at a lower rate of interest through various financial inclusion activities contributing towards socioeconomic development along with ensuring financial and macro stability. l

Tofail sees stable kitchen market during Ramadan with sufficient stocks n Tribune Report Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed yesterday said prices of essential commodities will remain stable during the month of Ramadan and even over the year as the stocks of essentials are enough to meet the country’s demands.

Tofail made the remarks while exchanging views with the businessmen and leaders of the trade bodies to know about the supply, stock of essential commodities and price situation in the kitchen market ahead of Ramadan at his secretariat.

“There is adequate stock of essential commodities including sugar, edible oil, pulse, onion, garlic, ginger in the country while there are some import orders in the pipeline,” he said.

Like the previous year, businessmen made commitment not to raise prices of essentials and to keep the market stable during Ramadan, added the minister.

He also said the business people assured the government of enough stocks of essential commodities.

The government will take necessary steps to ensure supply chain and control the price and if any shortage the government will import to meet the demands.

In the last five years of the Awami League government and present tenure, precises of essential commodities, especially sugar, edible oil, pulse, onion, garlic, ginger, red chili

Stock position of essential commodities as compared to annual demand Commodities Edible oil Sugar Pulse Lentil Date Onion Garlic Ginger Turmeric

Source: Commerce Ministry

Demands

Stocks

14.50 14 3.75 0.60 0.15 22 5.27 3 1.8

16.59 16.32 4 1.3 0.17 23.92 5.52 3.04 1.87 (in lakh tonnes)

and turmeric were stable and will remain stable in the upcoming Ramadan, Tofail claimed.

The government has been able to keep the prices of essentials at normal level due to its effective measures and business community’s cooperation.

In reply to a question on recent hike of onion prices, the country’s businessmen blamed weather on onion import from some of Indian provinces.

Suddenly, the prices of onion went up abnormally and are being sold at Tk45 per kg, which was Tk30 per kg last week.

The business people also blamed Trinamool Congress leadership for the abnormal price hike of beef as they put bar to export of

cows to Bangladesh.

At present, 1 kilogram of beef is being sold at between Tk380 and Tk400 in different kitchen markets of the capital, which was Tk290 some days back.

About the stock position of some essentials, the minister said 14.82 lakh tonnes of sugar have been imported against the country’s annual demand of around 14 lakh.

Besides, Sugar Corporation has a stock of 1.5 lakh tonnes sugar, he added.

Around 11.67 lakh tones of edible oil have been imported against the demand of 14.50 lakh tonnes and the country’s production reached over 3 lakh tonnes.

About onion, the commerce minister said the country has produced 19 lakh tonnes of onion against the annual demand of 21 lakh or 22 lakh tonnes.

Some four lakh tones of onion have already been imported. The country has a stock of 5.52 lakh tonnes of garlic against the annul demand of 5.27 lakh.

Tofail said the country has a stock of 3.26 lakh tonnes against the demand of 60,000 tonnes for the month of Ramadan. The 17,000 tonnes of date have already been imported against the demand of 15,000 tonnes for the month of Ramadan. l

20

DT

Business

15

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

WB doubles education financing to $5bn for five years

‘WB to help reform secured lending policy’ n Asif Showkat Kallol The World Bank has planned to help Bangladesh’s banking sector reform secured lending and movable collateral policy, which is expected to bring more people under the banking services, said a senior official.

“Local commercial banks are lending to customers, but there are no established rules or policy regarding the secured lending and movable collateral credit,” said Bank and Financial Institutions Division Secretary M Aslam Alam yesterday.

He presented a keynote speech at the concluding session of a two-day workshop in the city.

World Bank organised the event styled as “Secured lending and moveable collateral reform in Bangladesh: promoting the use of movable collateral for greater access to credit.”

It was aimed at helping the authorities formulate a coordinated policy for movable collateral loans.

World Bank Group global product leader Alejandro Alvarez de la Campa, financial infrastructure lead (South Asia) Swati Sawhney and global secured transactions and collateral registry specialist Murat Sultanov also presented papers on the subject.

Aslam Alam said the poor people will benefit from the secured lending and movable collateral credit and the World Bank will help formulate a policy in this regard.

The Bank Division will remain sincerely engaged with the task of materialising the needed reforms because access to credit is crucial for economic growth and development, he pointed out.

According to the policy, the movable goods of potential clients will be registered in the board and the banks will give loans according to valuation of goods.

Low income people will get financial benefits from a movable goods policy.

Bank Division secretary said almost 80% of the country’s businesses are SMEs and they generate about 40% of total employments with an around 25% contribution to the country’s GDP. l

DT

16 BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Robi suffers revenue loss for free internet n Tribune Report Robi Axiata Limited yesterday said introduction of the free internet services in cooperation with internet.org caused the mobile phone operator in Bangladesh a revenue loss of Tk20 lakh per day.

Mahtabuddin Ahmed, chief operating officer (COO) of Robi Axata Limited, made the disclosure at a press conference at its corporate office in the capital.

Being the country’s first operator, Robi launched the free internet access on May 10 to selected websites by internet.org – a non-profit group that allows free online browsing through mobile gadgets.

The internet.org app is an invention of the social media platform Facebook.

“Many internet subscribers, who were not using it, came back. During last one week, increase of free data was 40% than average

time period and if all the mobile operators in Bangladesh join this free internet access programme, total internet penetration will be increased by 8%,” said Mahtabuddin Ahmed.

He said: “Robi continued to offer most affordable data pricing across the country, which has made adoption of data services easier and cost effective. Robi has also offered ‘Best Roaming’ in 100 countries with special and affordable rates.”

The operator launched a customer loyalty programme called ‘Dhonnobad’ to reward loyal customers. Robi also introduced several business solutions aimed at enhancing the value addition to Enterprise and SME customers.”

“Revenue recorded growth of 4.1% reaching over Tk1200 crore in the first quarter of 2015. Data business performance has witnessed an unprecedented growth of over 170% during the same period underpinned by deployment of best in class 3.5G services

across the country. Total data customer base exceeded 12 million at the end of the quarter,’’ Yap Wai Yip, chief financial officer (CFO) said.

Despite these challenging conditions in the first quarter, Robi was able to acquire another 1 million new subscribers to reach 26.3 million subscribers, representing 21.3% subscriber market share, the CFO added.

“We would like to be enlisted in the capital market but we got time from the stock exchange,” said Robi Managing Director and CEO Supun Weerasinghe. He said, “We experienced strong growth in data services during the first three months of 2015.”

“However, unrest in macro environment due to political turmoil negatively affected the growth across all the dimensions of the business. Despite these challenges, we continue to invest towards expansion of 2.5G/3.5G network across the country to provide a superior experience to our subscribers.” l

BB enhances LC limit for coal import n Tribune Report Bangladesh Bank has enhanced the upper limit of LC (letter of credit) against coal import to $10,000 from existing $7,500.

The central bank relaxed the upper limit for import of coal through land without using SWIFT with immediate effect, said a circular Bangladesh Bank issued yesterday.

SWIFT is an internationally recognised organisation that provides a communication platform for financial institutions.

Banks have to bear a certain cost for using SWIFT message while issuing LC. “We have allowed the banks to issue LC without SWIFT message to reduce the cost,” said Zakir Hossain Chowdhury, deputy general manager of Bangladesh Bank.

Earlier, the central bank enhanced the LC limit for coal import to $7,500 from $5,000 in the year 2012, he said. l

IBFB urges govt to ensure political stability for economic development n Tribune Report International Business Forum of Bangladesh (IBFB) has urged the government to ensure political stability to continue the process of the country’s economic development.

The business forum made the request at the annual general meeting of IBFB held at a city hotel yesterday.

“We are requesting the political leaders and parties to resolve the political crisis for the sake of brining stability, so the country’s business can be run without any interruption,” said Hafizur Rahman Khan, president of IBFB who chaired the function.

The US Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat attended the event as chief guest while Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed was

present as special guest. Hafizur also urged the government to allow Bangladeshi entrepreneurs to invest abroad explaining that it would help boost the private sector growth.

He proposed the government to seriously consider for constructing two new more highways-one from Thakurgaon to Cox’s Bazar and second is from Mongla to Sylhet.

He hopped that the new highways would bring radical changes in the country’s economy.

He demanded for reducing bank interest rate at single digit and requested FBCCI to take necessary initiatives in this regard.

Hafizur, who sought technical and financial support from America to prepare skilled manpower, drew attention of US Ambassador Bernicat in this connection. He also requested the ambassador to play an effective role on duty free excess of Bangladesh products to the US market. l

CORPORATE NEWS

Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) and small, medium entrepreneurs of JDPC have recently met in order to exchange suggestions and opinions. The chairperson of BJMC, Major General Humayan Khaled (retd) presided over the meeting, among others

Union Bank Limited has recently opened its Mawna Branch at Razzak Plaza in Sreepur, Gazipur. The bank’s managing director, Md Abdul Hamid Miah inaugurated the branch

Oil rig pumpjacks, also known as thirsty birds, extract crude from the Wilmington Field oil deposits area REUTERS

DT

BUSINESS 17

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

‘Global energy subsidies to hit $5.3tn this year’ n AFP, Washington The International Monetary Fund voiced alarm Monday about energy subsidies across the world, saying they were expected to reach $5.3tn in 2015, more than government health spending.

“These estimates are shocking,” the IMF said in a report, noting the figures were among the largest negative factors for economic growth it had ever estimated, piling up adverse effects on efficiency, growth and inequality.

The report estimated that this year’s energy subsidies represent 6.5% of the global economy, likely exceeding government health spending across the world.

Long an opponent of energy subsidies, the IMF defines them as the difference between the amount of money consumers pay for energy and its “true costs”, plus a country’s normal value-added or sales tax rate.

In addition to what is required to produce and distribute energy, the “true costs” include environmental effects like carbon emissions that lead to global warming and the health effects of air pollution. According to the Fund, China is by far the largest spender on energy subsidies, at $2.3tn a year, followed by the United States at $699bn and Russia at $335bn.

The report said that overall energy subsidies had more than doubled since 2011, the year covered by a similar IMF report in 2013.

The IMF explained that more than half of the increase was due to more precise evidence of the damaging effects of energy consumption on air quality and health, such as premature deaths.

“The IMF has long argued that getting energy prices right can help national governments achieve their goals not only for the environment but also for inclusive growth and sound public finances,” the report said. l

Gold climbs to fresh 3-month high on sluggish US data n Reuters, Singapore Gold jumped for a fifth straight session on Monday, climbing to fresh three-month highs, as soft US data bolstered hopes the Federal Reserve would not hike interest rates soon.

Spot gold jumped to $1,232.20 an ounce, its highest since February, before paring some gains to trade at $1,229.55 by 0644 GMT. The fifth day of gains is gold’s longest winning streak since March.

The metal has been supported in recent days by sluggish US economic data, which has hurt the dollar and altered expectations regarding the Fed’s monetary policy.

The dollar languished

around a three-month low against the euro yesterday, after weak data on US industrial production and consumer sentiment.

“In addition to constructive technicals, we see no change in our weaker dollar outlook; this in turn should continue to provide an element of support to commodities in general and to gold in particular,” said INTL FCStone analyst Edward Meir.

The weak data bolstered views the economy was not recovering strongly enough for the US central bank to raise rates from record lows.

This has supported non-interest-paying bullion, which would have seen demand decline with higher rates. l

Only one-fourth of the world’s workers have solid jobs 2008 financial crisis, ILO said. n AFP, Geneva The organisation’s main Only a fourth of the world’s workforce have stable contracts, leading to growing job insecurity, a UN report said yesterday.

The International Labour Organization report revealed a clear shift away from reliable full-time jobs, as short-term contracts and irregular hours become more widespread.

ILO chief Guy Ryder said the shift was contributing to the “widespread insecurity” affecting many workers worldwide.

The dwindling share of steady jobs comes against the backdrop of soaring global unemployment, with 201 million people jobless last year - 30 million more than before the

annual report, covering more than 180 countries and 84% of the global workforce, said a full three-quarters of workers have temporary or short-term contracts, held informal jobs or were in unpaid family work.

Among workers who earn salaries, only 42% have permanent contracts, said the ILO’s 2015 World Employment Social Outlook Report titled The Changing Nature of Jobs. Many of the world’s workers find themselves in dire poverty, with nearly a quarter of them last year living with their families on less than $2 a day, and 10% of the global workforce lived on earnings of less than $1.25, the report said. l

The International Monetary Fund voiced alarm Monday about energy subsidies across the world, saying they were expected to reach $5.3 trillion in 2015, more than government health spending AFP

DT

18 BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

News, analysis and recent disclosures BDTHAI: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to issue Rights share 1R:1 (i.e. 1 Rights share for every 1 existing share) at an issue price of Tk. 25.00 (including premium of Tk. 15.00 each) subject to approval by shareholders in EGM and the Regulatory Authorities. The Company has also decided to amend the clause 4 of the Memorandum of Association and the Article 4 of the Articles of Association of the Company so as to increase its Authorized capital from Tk. 100.00 crore to Tk. 200.00 crore. Date of EGM: 22.06.2015, Time: 10:30 AM, Venue: Trust Milonayoton, 545, Old Airport Road, Dhaka Cantonment Road, Dhaka-1206. Record date for EGM: 28.05.2015.

Another record date for entitlement of the proposed rights shares to be notified later after obtaining approval from BSEC. EXIMBANK: Credit Rating Information and Services Limited (CRISL) has rated the Company as AA- in the long term and ST-2 in the short term along with a stable outlook in consideration of audited financials up to December 31, 2014, unaudited financials up to March 31, 2015 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

KEYACOSMET: The Company has further informed that in its 18th AGM held on May 16, 2015 their Board and shareholders have approved 20% stock dividend instead of earlier declared 20% cash dividend for the year ended 30th June 2014.

IPO Subscription: Aman Feed Limited Subscription 25.05.2015 TO 04.06.2015. Offer Price per share Tk. 36.00, Market Lot (Shares) 200.

Dividend/AGM

BDWELDING: 5% stock dividend AGM: 25.06.2015, Record Date: 09.06.2015.

NBL: 10% stock dividend, AGM: 14.09.2015, Record date: 30.08.2015.

ORIONPHARM: 15% cash dividend, AGM: 28.06.2015, Record Date: 21.05.2015.

ISNLTD: No dividend, AGM: 28.06.2015, Record date: 16.06.2015.

PURABIGEN: 15% stock dividend, AGM: 30.07.2015, Record date: 07.06.2015.

JANATAINS: 10% stock dividend, AGM: 25.07.2015, Record Date: 21.05.2015.

AMBEEPHA: 28% cash dividend, AGM: 14.06.2015, Record Date: 25.05.2015.

ISLAMIINS: 5% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 13.06.2015, Record Date: 19.05.2015.

NCCBANK: 10% stock dividend, AGM: 24.06.2015, Record Date: 18.05.2015.

PEOPLESINS: 13% cash dividend, AGM: 09.06.2015, Record Date: 18.05.2015.

Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

Company BGIC -A Shurwid Ind. -N Anlima Yarn -A Global Heavy Chemicals-N Khulna Printing-N Beach Hatchery -A National Feed-N Salvo Chemicals-B Rahima Food -Z Rangpur Dairy-Z

Closing (% Change) 10.00 9.95 9.88 9.84 9.68 9.66 9.65 9.62 9.51 9.38

CSE GAINER Company Khan Brothers-N Global Heavy Chemicals-N National Feed-N Shurwid Ind. -N Northern G Insur-A Beach Hatchery -A Salvo Chemicals-B BGIC -A Deshbandhu Polymer-A Rangpur Dairy-Z

Closing (% Change) 9.93 9.92 9.87 9.86 9.85 9.66 9.62 9.59 9.38 9.38

DSE LOSER Company BD. Thai Alum -B Progressive Life-A N C C Bank -A Aziz PipesZ BD Submarine Cable-A Peoples Insur -A Safko Spinning-A Wata Chemicals -A ACI Formulations-A Apex Footwear-A

Closing (% Change) -7.14 -6.71 -5.71 -5.63 -4.64 -4.38 -4.12 -4.03 -3.86 -3.76

CSE LOSER Company LR Global BD MF1-A Eastern Bank - A Peoples Insur -A BD. Thai Alum -B MBL 1st M. F.-A N C C Bank -A PrimeFin. 1st MF-A Samorita Hospital -A Pragati Gen. I -A ACI Formulations-A

Closing (% Change) -9.30 -8.30 -7.95 -5.94 -5.13 -4.81 -4.76 -4.54 -4.33 -3.90

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

DSE key features May 19, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka)

DSE GAINER

Sector

8,087.52 210,296,719 180,084

Traded Issues

312

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

247

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

61

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

4

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,521.39

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

30.56

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 395.60 245.12 42.02 1285.63 387.33 1639.81 3.65 617.28 1208.36 50.45 336.46 13.54 298.17 103.90 147.94 65.62 82.10 487.83 394.88 281.37 0.47

% change 4.89 3.03 0.52 15.90 4.79 20.28 0.05 7.63 14.94 0.62 4.16 0.17 3.69 1.28 1.83 0.81 1.02 6.03 4.88 3.48 0.01

Million Taka 40.65 24.91 2.05 126.47 24.25 129.23 69.84 67.14 3.54 22.23 1.81 15.15 7.95 8.18 2.00 11.56 53.96 50.70 31.60 0.01

Average (% Change) 12.47 11.46 7.26 8.39 4.91 7.70 7.63 8.09 8.95 7.14

Average (% Change) 9.81 7.63 7.12 13.15 9.54 7.50 8.29 9.44 7.02 6.60

Average (% Change) -5.19 -8.41 -6.70 -3.44 4.03 -4.52 -6.89 -1.53 -3.91 -2.22

Average (% Change) -9.30 -7.59 -4.68 -5.29 -2.58 -4.99 -2.14 -4.46 -4.41 -4.48

CSE

ClosingAvg. 17.41 22.86 18.47 39.79 20.09 19.03 24.54 16.83 28.62 10.20

ClosingAvg. 29.55 39.79 24.37 23.23 22.28 19.06 16.85 16.00 13.72 10.17

ClosingAvg. 40.35 54.55 9.88 15.44 162.40 15.43 16.21 187.47 202.55 326.76

ClosingAvg.

% change 5.86 3.59 0.30 18.24 3.50 18.64 0.00 10.07 9.69 0.51 3.21 0.26 2.19 1.15 1.18 0.29 1.67 7.78 7.31 4.56 0.00

3.90 26.67 16.10 40.31 3.77 9.90 12.33 73.63 24.30 201.28

Closing

DHIGH

17.60 23.20 18.90 40.20 20.40 19.30 25.00 17.10 28.80 10.50

Closing

17.60 23.20 18.90 40.20 20.40 19.30 25.00 17.10 28.90 10.50

DHIGH

29.90 39.90 24.50 23.40 22.30 19.30 17.10 16.00 14.00 10.50

Closing 39.00 55.60 9.90 15.10 154.30 15.30 16.30 185.90 199.10 322.50

Closing 3.90 26.50 16.20 39.60 3.70 9.90 12.00 73.60 24.30 197.20

Million Taka 436.25 270.03 44.07 1412.10 411.59 1769.04 3.65 687.12 1275.50 53.99 358.69 15.34 313.32 111.85 156.12 67.62 93.66 541.79 445.58 312.97 0.48

DLOW 16.70 21.40 17.80 36.80 19.20 17.80 23.10 15.80 27.40 9.60

DLOW

29.90 39.90 24.50 23.40 22.30 19.30 17.10 16.00 14.00 9.90

DHIGH

27.90 39.00 23.10 21.60 22.20 18.30 15.90 16.00 13.10 10.00

DLOW

42.90 56.20 10.00 16.60 170.00 15.70 16.80 196.90 208.60 344.80

DHIGH

38.00 54.00 9.60 14.80 152.90 15.00 15.30 185.00 197.00 317.00

DLOW

3.90 30.00 16.90 43.80 3.90 10.00 13.30 75.00 24.30 206.80

Total

3.90 26.30 16.00 38.50 3.60 9.80 12.00 73.00 24.30 195.00

% change 4.97 3.08 0.50 16.08 4.69 20.15 0.04 7.83 14.53 0.61 4.08 0.17 3.57 1.27 1.78 0.77 1.07 6.17 5.07 3.56 0.01

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

Turnover in Million

Latest EPS

6.597 22.297 2.874 21.039 49.888 27.625 60.020 31.092 0.429 7.070

Turnover in Million

3.48 0.53 0.83 2.08 1.71 1.29 1.61 0.60 -0.47 0.80

Latest EPS

8.404 0.540 7.899 4.195 0.011 3.226 4.755 0.124 4.771 0.929

Turnover in Million

5.0 43.1 22.3 19.1 11.7 14.8 15.2 28.1 -ve 12.8

Latest PE

1.52 2.08 1.61 0.53 4.80 1.29 0.60 3.48 0.13 0.80

Latest EPS

183.080 0.012 7.297 0.802 334.727 2.961 14.290 4.686 151.245 4.390

Turnover in Million

Latest PE

19.4 19.1 15.1 43.8 4.6 14.8 28.1 4.6 105.5 12.7

Latest PE

2.80 2.30 1.86 -2.64 0.64 1.20 0.60 5.79 6.80 -37.80

Latest EPS

0.020 1.032 0.110 14.189 0.106 4.095 0.208 0.050 0.000 5.698

14.4 23.7 5.3 -ve 253.8 12.9 27.0 32.4 29.8 -ve

Latest PE

-0.70 4.16 1.20 2.80 -0.42 1.86 0.40 2.11 1.64 6.80

-ve 6.4 13.4 14.4 -ve 5.3 30.8 34.9 14.8 29.6

CSE key features May 19, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

693.22 23,685,375 30,290

Traded Issues

242

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

185

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

52

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

5

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,445.36

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

29.64

DT

BUSINESS 19

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

DSE turnover crosses Tk800 crore-mark n Tribune Report CHANGE OF DSE BROAD INDEX VS SECTORAL INDEX

6%

FuelPowerIndex

5%

DSE BroadIndex

4% 3% 2% 0% -1%

11 25 08 22 06 20 03 17 01 15 29 12 26 09 23 07 21 04 18 02 16 30 13 27 10 24 10 24 07 21 05

1%

-2% -3% -4% DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company United Power-N Khulna Power-A BD Submarine Cable-A RAK Ceramics-A Baraka Power-A BD. Thai Alum -B MJL BD Ltd.-A SAIF Powertec-N Unique Hotel RL - A UNITED AIR-A

Square Pharma -A ACI Limited- A AFC AgroBiotech-A FAR Chemical-N Grameenphone-A

VolumeShares 1,749,967 5,168,458 2,061,094 3,721,357 5,748,739 4,537,649 1,481,733 2,254,703 3,021,213 19,599,846

Value in Million 384.89 341.44 334.73 281.97 203.50 183.08 183.03 181.06 180.90 180.70

% of TotalTurnover 4.76 4.22 4.14 3.49 2.52 2.26 2.26 2.24 2.24 2.23

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

649,232 346,173 2,810,048 2,873,320 457,192

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company BD Submarine Cable-A UNITED AIR-A United Power-N WesternMarine -N BSRM Ltd. -N Khulna Power-A MJL BD Ltd.-A BD. Thai Alum -B Familytex (BD) Ltd.-A SAIF Powertec-N

RAK Ceramics-A Central Pharm-A Baraka Power-A Aftab Auto.-A Mozaffar H.Spinning-A

302,920 4,867,326 175,447 551,818 418,987 367,347 151,039 351,994 861,432 174,119

178,572 436,580 323,957 167,176 290,965

163.25 161.57 157.71 155.18 153.10

48.92 44.47 38.54 25.76 25.08 24.44 18.69 14.19 14.17 13.96

13.54 13.46 11.49 11.11 11.07

2.02 2.00 1.95 1.92 1.89

7.06 6.42 5.56 3.72 3.62 3.53 2.70 2.05 2.04 2.01

1.95 1.94 1.66 1.60 1.60

ClosingP 220.60 66.50 154.30 76.00 35.10 39.00 124.50 79.10 59.20 9.10

252.90 462.70 56.80 55.30 334.40

ClosingP

Change % 3.71 3.10 -4.64 3.54 0.00 -7.14 1.06 -0.13 4.23 7.06

1.28 -1.95 6.97 7.38 1.43

Change %

154.40 9.10 220.80 45.90 59.60 66.60 124.70 39.60 16.40 79.10

75.90 30.10 35.10 68.00 38.30

-3.44 8.33 3.91 -1.29 4.01 2.94 1.63 -5.94 7.19 0.00

4.40 0.00 -0.57 5.43 3.51

ClosingY 212.70 64.50 161.80 73.40 35.10 42.00 123.20 79.20 56.80 8.50

249.70 471.90 53.10 51.50 329.70

ClosingY

159.90 8.40 212.50 46.50 57.30 64.70 122.70 42.10 15.30 79.10

72.70 30.10 35.30 64.50 37.00

DHIGH 224.90 68.40 170.00 77.80 36.00 42.90 125.00 82.00 61.50 9.30

255.00 473.00 58.30 55.90 337.00

DHIGH

169.00 9.20 224.90 47.80 61.70 68.40 125.90 43.80 16.80 82.00

77.60 31.80 36.50 68.50 38.90

DLOW 213.40 63.90 152.90 72.80 34.90 38.00 121.60 78.60 57.60 8.60

250.30 461.00 53.90 51.20 332.10

DLOW

153.00 8.60 213.00 45.70 58.00 64.20 121.30 38.50 15.50 78.70

74.00 29.70 35.00 65.00 37.30

AvgPrice 219.94 66.06 162.40 75.77 35.40 40.35 123.53 80.30 59.88 9.22

251.45 466.73 56.12 54.01 334.87

AvgPrice

161.50 9.14 219.69 46.68 59.87 66.52 123.74 40.31 16.45 80.15

75.82 30.82 35.48 66.44 38.05

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

4459.28590

(+) 1.18%

1686.44080

(+) 1.24%

13756.83220

(+) 1.31%

11078.76250

(+) 0.96%

8408.95060

(+) 1.26%

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) turnover has crossed Tk800 crore-mark after seven months, spurred by fresh fund injection.

Strong buying binge also pushed up the stocks for the third consecutive session with all indices gaining more than 1% each.

The DSE benchmark index, DSEX, soared almost 52 points or 1.2% to 4,459.

The Shariah Index DSES was up 14 points or 1.4% to 1,083.

The comprising blue chips DS30 closed at 1,686, rising 20 points or 1.3% to 1,686.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, rose 100 points to 8,404.

Factors like recent subdued political impasse and declining interest rate have promoted investors to pour funds on stocks, leading to higher turnover, dealers say.

The DSE turnover recorded Tk800 crore, highest since October 16 last year and more than 7% higher over the previous session.

All the large cap sectors continued to move up with non-banking financial institutions leading the rally. The sector surged 4.5%.

After sharp rise in the previous session, banks gained 1.4%, followed by telecommunication and food and allied, and power around 1% each.

IDLC Investments said investors continued investing in the equity market hoping for recovery of stock prices. “The fund seemed to be diverted from the money market to the capital market as return from fixed income instruments fell and equity became cheaper.”

Lanka Bangla Securities said DSEX have extended winning streak into the third session as bullish stance in capital market has lured more buyers with fresh fund.

A total of 310 issues traded on the day. Of which, 203 closed in green, 74 in red and 33 remained unchanged.

United Power Generation and Distribution Company Limited topped the liquidity chart with a turnover of more than Tk38 crore. It was followed by Khulna Power Company Limited, Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited and RAK Ceramic. l

ANALYST

A total of 310 issues traded on the day. Of which, 203 closed in green, 74 in red and 33 remained unchanged

DT

20 BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Tourism fair begins in capital tomorrow WB doubles n education financing to $5bn for five years Munir Momtaj

n Tribune Report On the eve of the landmark World Education Forum 2015, the World Bank Group announced that it will double results-based financing for education to $5bn over the next five years, says the World Bank in a statement yesterday.

The new financing is part of the Group’s commitment to end extreme poverty in the world by 2030 by improving both the quality and equity of education, so that all children are learning the skills they need to lead more prosperous lives.

More than 160 countries are meeting in Korea this week to discuss on a new goal and framework for action on education for the next 15 years.

This will be part of the Sustainable Development Goals to be adopted by the United Nations in September, which will replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) coming to an end this year.

Despite much progress, 121m children around the world remain out of primary and lower secondary school. Most of these kids are the hardest to reach, due to poverty, gender barriers, remoteness, and disability.

The new global goal for 2030 is not only to get all the remaining children in school but also make sure they are learning the literacy, math, and non-cognitive skills they need to escape extreme poverty, share in the benefits of economic growth, and drive innovation and job creation.

“The truth is that most education systems are not serving the poorest children well. An estimated 250m children cannot read or write – even though many have attended school for years. This is a tragedy and has serious consequences for ending extreme poverty,” said Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group.

“With nearly a billion people remaining trapped in extreme poverty today, sustained efforts to improve learning for children will unlock huge amounts of human potential for years to come.

Better results in classrooms will help end extreme poverty.”

During the MDGs period (2000-2015), the World Bank Group fulfilled its promise that no country with a credible education plan would go unfunded—with millions of children from poor families gaining access to school, including girls.

As the world’s largest financier of education, the institution has invested $40bn in the sector since 2000, supporting education through its own lending as well as supervision of grants through the Global Partnership for Education, of which it is a founding partner.

Increasingly, the Group has tied education financing to the achievement of pre-agreed results, devoting $2.5bn to results-based financing over the past five years.

The new financing will help boost accountability, attract resources and accelerate progress towards the new global goal of learning for all.

World Bank Group analysts have cited three reasons why equity and learning will help end extreme poverty by 2030.

First, education helps people escape poverty at very high rates, increasing earnings by 10% for every year of education for employed workers. Second, educated women and girls can be very effective agents of socio-economic change, benefiting themselves and their families. Third, the quality of learning outcomes—how much workers actually learned at school—is a strong predictor of economic growth rates. l

The new financing will help boost accountability, attract resources and accelerate progress towards the new global goal of learning for all

A three-day Bangladesh International Tourism Fair-2015 begins tomorrow in the capital to promote Bangladesh tourism sectors and build tourism linkage with other countries.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed khan Menon is scheduled to inaugurate the fair as the chief guest while secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism will attend the programme as a special guest.

Ratan Bhowmik, minister for tourism, Government of Tripura, India, will

also attend the programme.

HM Hakim Ali, chairman of Bangladesh Federation for Tourism (BFTD) made the announcement at a press conference held in the capital’s Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel yesterday.

He said the fair will provide scope for booking hotels and their packages and Bangladesh will earn $15m-20m through this fair.

The exposition will accommodate 135 stalls of several international hotels, motel, resorts, tour operator companies and 55 airlines of 15 countries.

Participants from India, Nepal, Bhutan,

Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and Myanmar will take part in the fair, added Hakim.

Though tourism is an important sector for other countries, Bangladesh does not pay heed to this, observed the chairman of Bangladesh Federation for Tourism.

“We arranged the fair to introduce Bangladesh to the tourists from other countries.” The fair organiser urged the government to create an easy access to Bangladesh for foreign tourists and introduce visa-on-arrival programme so that they can visit Bangladesh from India or Nepal. l

DT

21

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Photo: Bigstock

tribute

T-JUNCTION

Graphic content

INSIDE

Late Feroza Begum to be honoured by the West Bengal government Legendary Nazrul geeti artiste, late Feroza Begum is to be awarded with the highest civil award posthumous “Bangobibhushon” by the government of West Bengal, India.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee invited Shusmita Anis, disciple and niece of the late Feroza Begum to receive the award on behalf of the family.

M Anis ud Dowla, chairman, ACI Group (brother of late Feroza Begum) will also attend the ceremony to be held on May 20 at the Nazrul Mancha in Kolkata.

In the invitation letter, Mamata Benerjee appraised the outstanding talent of the late Feroza Begum and her efforts in developing the classical music in this subcontinent.l

22

interview

Step into my kitchen

23

trial room

Get on with it

24 decor

Timeless home décor tips

DT

22 T-JUNCTION

Trial Room

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Step into my kitchen interview

Cooking 101 n Sabah Rahman We asked Misha Ali a couple of questions.

He just happens to be the director of culinary operations, as well as one of the co-owners of The Farmer’s Market, one of the most popular destinations in Dhaka, where the options on the menu promise to satiate all your cravings, whether it’s local or fusion cuisine your stomach desires.

Read on to find out about what the man behind a handful of glorious dishes has to say about one of his favourite places to be the kitchen.

What’s the first thing you do when you step inside your kitchen?

I say, “Where’s the beef ?” I do actually say that because I need to know if all the meat has been defrosted, since you never want to cook with meat that is frozen or even cold. It has to be at absolute room temperature.

Who taught you your cooking skills?

I mainly taught myself, but thank God for the Internet! It’s hard to remember so many different steps for the perfect meal.

Sometimes, I tend to forget specific steps, so various sites really help me keep everything in check. However, instead of blindly following one recipe, I mix and match a few so the end results are something new and exciting.

What’s your favourite ingredient to work with?

I have three. Other than meat, there is always butter and cream. It may not be the healthiest option out there, but come on! Call me classically French. Even if you don’t happen to possess mad cooking skills, butter and cream are guaranteed to make everything taste amazing. That is always the easy way out.

What is the one thing you couldn’t live without when it comes to your kitchen?

My cast iron skillet. Whatever you’re cooking, it’s all about maintaining the perfect temperature on the stove. Only a cast iron skillet can keep the heat even.

Photos: Courtesy Do too many cooks really spoil the broth?

It depends, really. I have really good kitchen chemistry with my sister Srabonti Narmeen Ali and her husband, Adnan Karim, both coowners of The Farmer’s Market. They are both great cooks and know their food. I’m really in synch with both. They are kind of like my sous chefs. We have a system. One will do all the preparation, one will cook and the other will plate and put on the finishing touches.

What do you like to snack on while cooking?

Nuts and perhaps a non-halal beverage. Did I mention nuts?

Is it absolutely necessary to have expensive, rare and exotic items on hand to cook up the perfect meal?

Absolutely not! The real trick to making delectable meals lies in simplicity, as long as your ingredients can be found fresh from the

local market. Don’t forget the butter, cream and meat.

Olive, soybean or coconut oil? Why? Olive oil is obviously the best bet. What you need to know, however is that you should not use the extra virgin variety for cooking. That one should be reserved for drizzling on as a dressing. l

news

BRACU hosts the inauguration of Chess Club and Programme The inauguration programme of BRAC University Chess Club & BRAC School Chess programme is scheduled to be held on May 21 at 11am at BRAC University Auditorium. The club aims to utilise chess as a tool to develop students’ analytical skills and cognitive abilities. In addition to that, BRAC

School Chess Programme intends to hunt chess talents from underprivileged children who are currently studying at different BRAC schools.

Honourable vice chancellor of BRAC University Professor Syed Saad Andaleeb will attend the programme as the chief guest and Grandmaster Niaz Murshed,

the first grandmaster from South Asia, and also the trainer of the club, will present the key-note speech. Profulla Candra Barman, programme head, BPPS, BRAC Education Project and Saiful Tariq, secretary general, Bangladesh Chess Federation will attend as special guests.

Among others, Dr Aparna Islam, director,

Office of Co-curricular Activities; Shams Ud Duha, advisor of the club and Sameer Hossain, president of the club will also speak on the occasion. Apart from inauguration, there will also be a rapid chess match between the vice chancellor and the Grandmaster.l

T-JUNCTION 23

DT

Trial Room

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Get on with it

5 things you must know before starting at your first research job

Photos: Bigstock

n Tasfia Zaman For a fresh graduate, making the leap into the world of research can be a daunting task. Even though many of us have gathered invaluable research experience over the course of our academic careers, the transition from academic to applied research can be challenging. This article will shed light on some of the key lessons that I have learnt in making the same transition while working for the research team at the Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC) after completing my undergraduate degree.

Understanding the context In research, it is very important to work with various stakeholders to understand the complexity of the issue and frame recommendations suited to the context.

For example, at BYLC, I was working to draft a revised National Youth Policy (NYP) and Action Plan. In drafting these recommendations, it was not only important to look at empirical evidence, but also gain a deep understanding of the multitude of interests of various stakeholders within the youth development space. Understanding the context is of critical importance in applied research, and the researcher must develop a sense of “situational awareness� to be able to connect the findings of the empirical study to the big picture.

Thinking analytically While doing research, the ability to think logically and independently about complex issues is of the utmost importance. For example, when conducting a comprehensive literature review, a researcher has to develop a process for quickly vetting journal articles and relevant literature to make sure that they add to the narrative of the larger writeup. Without such a process, a researcher can spend a lot of time reading articles that are irrelevant and tangential. The job

of a researcher can be akin to looking for needles in a haystack. In that endeavour, it is critically important to exercise analytical thinking to sift through a plethora of information and converge quickly on the pieces of evidence that are the most compelling.

Cultivating attention to detail A good researcher should have an immaculate sense of attention to detail.

This can mean cross checking references repeatedly to make sure that they are correct, proof-reading a write-up several times to rectify errors, and sanity checking models to ensure that they are properly set up. In my

own sphere of work, I have been managed by research supervisors who were very focused on attention to detail. Although at first, their attitude might have seemed a little intimidating; I quickly realised that their approach was actually helping me develop my ability to produce accurate and high quality work. Attention to detail is definitely something you can develop with practice and dedication, and it can pay big dividends over the course of your research career.

Developing teamwork, project management, and networking skills Some of the most important lessons you can learn for your professional growth and

development include being able to handle your project responsibilities, maintaining good relationships with your colleagues, and ensuring that you keep in touch with your connections through LinkedIn/email. You also need to develop the tenacity for project management with your team members to make sure that you are making progress every day. Imagine if you are rowing a boat, you have to depend on other rowers to move forward. Similarly, a research team also has the same kind of interdependency. Every member in a research team is dependent on their colleagues to complete their deliverables on time so that the project itself meets its deadline. So, you need to do your job! Furthermore, if you have research interns and other young researchers reporting to you, you know that you just cannot let down your team. Hopefully, as a result of all your hard work, you can earn a credible reputation in the research community for your excellent work! Your reputation will follow you and help you expand your network.

Complying with ethical standards Regardless of which professional field you are in, you have to ensure that you are upholding a high degree of ethical standards, and that your work product is unbiased and transparent. For example, all the researchers for the NYP were aware of how to comply with data collection best practices and build control mechanisms to ensure that surveyors could not fabricate data. This enabled us to create unprejudiced, evidence based, and nationally representative findings that in turn guided the drafting of the policy document.l Tasfia Zaman is a research assistant at the Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC). She is a graduate of Smith College in Massachusetts, USA

DT

24 T-JUNCTION

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Tucked In

decor

Timeless home décor tips

news

Anowar Habib Kazal awarded by Bangladesh Chhatra Kallyan Trust

Fads are fleeting

n

Photos: Bigstock Adila Hoque

Trends are whimsical, and keeping up with them can be quite frustrating. Our advice don’t.

Don’t follow the latest and the greatest because soon they’re going to turn into back-shelf sale items. Choose timeless simple home décor styles that will stay with you for a countless number of years, keeping it fresh for years to come. Here are some ideas you could hopefully benefit from.

A minimalistic approach Less is always more. The less you have crowding your shelves and tables, the more organised your home will look. Also, you’ll have less surface area to dust every weekend.

It’s the same for every room. Stick with furniture that’s proportional to the size of your room, and you’re good.

Colour accents Every year has its own “it” colour, but a room will always need a little bit of fun to really pop. Instead of getting an orange couch or painting your walls a very beautiful seagreen, choose accessories and pillows in the bolder spectrum; they’re usually way easier

to replace.

Functional furniture No matter how chic something looks on the magazine, always place comfort over style on your priority list. What good is that bean bag chair in the study room if it hurts your back?

Furniture are meant to be used, not admired from a distance.

Md Anowar Habib Kazal, senior assistant director (Public Relations) of Daffodil International University has been awarded for his contribution to the field of education as PR and communications personnel

by Bangladesh Chhatra Kallyan Trust, a voluntary organisation working for students’ welfare. Deputy speaker of the Parliament, advocate M Fazle Rabbi Mian handed over the crest on May 17, 2015 as chief guest at a national seminar titled “Only Virtuous Education Can Help Building Corruption – Free Society” and award giving ceremony held at National Press Club in the capital.

The function was inaugurated by Professor

Emeritus of University of Dhaka Dr Anisuzzaman. Founder of Bishaw Sahittya Kendra Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed, vice chancellor of Daffodil International University Prof Dr M Lutfar Rahman and former vice chancellor of Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Prof Dr Pran Gopal Datta were present as the special guests.

The function was presided over by executive director of Bangladesh Chhatra Kallyan Trust and 8 no sector commander of Liberation War, Lt Col (Retd) Abu Osman Chowdhury and moderated by Nure Alam Talukder, CEO of the Trust. l

room of the week

Quality over quantity Just because you own a shelf doesn’t mean it has to be stocked and completely cluttered, and just because your home has walls doesn’t mean they need to be covered in priceless paintings and your grandma’s photos. Instead, invest in something unique for the coffee table – something high-quality and antique.

Lighting If your room has windows, opt for curtains that let in plenty of sunlight. If your room does not have curtains, please try to invest in high-quality lighting that gives your room a taste of natural light.

Durability This should probably be one of your most important deciding factors. Be a wise shopper. Don’t choose 10 new trendy-looking items that will make their way to the waste bin in less than a month over something well-made and which would be your friend for years to come.

Warm colours They will always, always make your room look super cosy and rarely run out of style, unlike the latest trends - they never stand the test of time. l

Soaring space

Study cubicles have never looked so personalised before. Sticking anything from your favourite quote to an animated character to it, customise your study or work station with anything that you may find amusing.

Name: Farhana Shahnaz Area: Dhanmondi Photo: Courtesy

In working with the Red Cross, Valencia players wore shirts with Nepali writing against Celta Vigo Sunday and will now auction the shirts for earthquake victims

Sport 26

TIGERS FITNESS CAMP STARTS FROM TODAY

27

BCB TO FOLLOW PAK-ZIM SERIES CLOSELY

28

25

DT

CLASSY MOVE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

MOURINHO OUTRAGED BY CECS RED CARD

HEAD-TO-HEAD PREMIER LEAGUE

Matches- 15 Abahani win- 5

Draw- 7 Mohammedan win- 3

Mohammedan and Abahani footballers in jolly mood during their respective training sessions yesterday

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Pride, points up for grabs in Dhaka derby n Shishir Hoque The ever-so anticipated traditional derby clash between Abahani Limited and Mohammedan Sporting Club will lower their curtains of the first phase of the Manyavar Bangladesh Premier League. A lot will be at stake for the arch-rivals when they meet at the Bangabandhu National Stadium at 4:45pm today.

In recent years, four-time champions Abahani failed to stamp their domination in the league while Mohammedan are also not the same “giants” as before. Jointly sitting at No 3 in the league chart with 17 points, a win for either side will see them close the gap to three points with leaders Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.

The sides met five times last season across different leagues and tournaments where Mohammedan came out on top with two wins compared to Abahani’s one while the other two encounters didn’t see a winner.

However, this time around Abahani are wearing the favourites tag given the strength

derived from the blend of youth and experience along with the guidance of Austrian-Hangarian coach George Kottan. Beating Sheikh Jamal for the first time in 28 games

George Kottan

Abahani head coach I’m a little bit worried about the injury status of a few players before the game. Ariful [Islam], [Nasirul Islam] Nasir and [Emon] Babu are not fully fit and we will wait for them till tomorrow (today) noon. Then, we will decide the starting eleven. We had a problem in scoring before but after Wahed [Ahmed] netted two against Sheikh Jamal in the last match, it is not the same anymore. Hopefully, we will continue our playing style the way we did against Sheikh Jamal.

in their previous match will also give the Sky Blues immense confidence.

Striker Wahed Ahmed netted a brace against Sheikh Jamal to relieve Kottan’s

Jasimuddin Joshi MSC head coach

Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel are the two strongest sides in the league. We drew against Jamal and lost against Russel despite playing better football. We will, of course, play for the victory and it will be no surprise if we beat them.

Abahani are good in passing and ball possession but they are not their best at scoring. On the other hand, our striker [Ismail] Bangoura is in great form and if our defenders do not commit any major blunders, we will not lose points.

headache of finding a replacement for Hungarian forward Szabolcs Csorba, who flew back home due to injury, and the Dhanmondi-based giants will be eyeing another difference-making performance from the former Mohammedan forward.

On the other hand, despite losing most of their key players during the transfer window, Mohammedan’s youth power has seen them remain unbeaten in the last five matches including a huge 5-0 victory over Rahmatganj on Saturday.

Jewel Rana and Towhidul Alam Sabuj will be mostly responsible for success up front, but their Guinean striker Ismail Bangoura, who scored eight goals in nine matches including a hat-trick, must fire from all cylinders if they are to stun their opponents.

The result and performance in the match will also give a clear indication as to whether they need to add to their arsenal during the mid-season transfer window opening on May 30.l

DT

26 Sport

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

BCB begins probe into claims of match-fixing n Minhaz Uddin Khan The Bangladesh Cricket Board yesterday launched its investigation into allegations of match-fixing in the final round of the 16th National Cricket League. The BCB, abiding by its anti-corruption code, assigned Major (Retd.) Abu Mohammad Humayun Morshed, head of the board’s anti-corruption unit, to investigate claims of fixing made by NCL side Khulna Division.

As part of the investigation, Khulna Division assistant coach Monowar Hossain Monu was made to visit the BCB’s ACU chief yesterday. During the one-and-a-half-hour meeting, Monowar was asked to describe the 35-minute voice file which Khulna earlier submitted as evidence.

Allegations of match-fixing arose following Rangpur’s 102-run win over Dhaka Metropolis at BKSP on March 12. Consequently, Rangpur clinched the country’s premier domestic first-class title, denying Khulna, who were among the front-runners for the crown.

Khulna could have won the four-day competition if Rangpur had failed to earn an outright victory.

Seven days later, the Khulna officials lodged a formal complaint and claimed that the Rangpur-Dhaka Metro encounter was rigged. To support their claims, Khulna pro-

vided a 35-minute recorded conversation between their officials and Dhaka Metro coaches Hannan Sarkar and Mehrab Hossain Opee.

The match referee of the match in question, however, did not mention any “suspicious” happening while Nazmul Karim Tinku, chairman of the BCB’s umpires committee, informed that the match referee’s report was a “standard” one.

We had cameras in the first few matches of the NCL but later we could not continue it as the venues in BKSP did not have the facility Tinku though said a lack of video evidence in the Rangpur-Dhaka Metro tie was hampering their investigation.

“A few matches in the NCL had video cameras while in the NCL one-day format, the tournament had cameras to aid the decision-making of the umpires and thwart the chances of any wrongdoing. We had cameras in the first few matches of the NCL but later we could not continue it as the venues in BKSP did not have the facility,” said Tinku.l

Mahmudullah (L) and Abdur Razzak talk with each other during an optional training session in Mirpur yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Tigers fitness camp starts from today n Minhaz Uddin Khan The two-day fitness camp of the 23-member Bangladesh preliminary squad ahead of the home series against India will get underway today under the supervision of national team trainer Mario Villavarayan at the Sher-eBangla National Stadium.

The cricketers after the fitness camp will join their respective Bangladesh Cricket League sides for the last-phase of the longer

version tournament.

However, ace all-rounder Sakib al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal will not take part in the fitness camp and the BCL. The dynamic duo have been advised to take rest ahead of their home series next month, informed the national team management.

Swashbuckling batsman Tamim, however, will be present today and tomorrow and work individually on his needs. He is in the second phase of his three-week rehabilitation from a

knee injury.

Shakib was allowed to skip the fitness test keeping in mind the number of matches he played in last two months. He returned from India after playing couple of matches for IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders to represent Bangladesh in the home series against Pakistan before again returning for KKR’s last two league stage game.

Following a short break after the BCL, the preliminary squad members will begin their

skill training from May 29. Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha will arrive from Australia on May 28.

Two times world champions India will set foot in Dhaka on June 7. The series will start with the lone Test match at Fatullah from June 10-14.

The three-match ODI series at Sher-eBangla National Stadium will be played on June 18, 21 and 24 respectively with a reserve day allocated for each ODI.l

Sponsors bidding at noon n Minhaz Uddin Khan Bangladesh cricketer Rubel Hossain controls a ball during an optional training session in Mirpur yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) received six technical proposals yesterday for the sponsorship rights for the Bangladesh national cricket team for next two years. The companies participating in the bid will have to submit their financial proposals today before the BCB starts the bidding process at noon.

“Tuesday was the deadline for the technical proposal. We will take financial offers tomorrow (today). There have been six offers so far. It is for next two years,” confirmed BCB chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury yesterday.

Taka 300 million has been set as the base price for the bidding. According to sources most of the bidders hold experience of participating in earlier BCB biddings for the Bangladesh-Pakistan series in April and May this year.

Top of Mind, a media planning company, was awarded the national team sponsorship last month for Bangladesh’s home series against Pakistan. The winning quote was reportedly more than Taka 30 million.

Top of Mind and Grameenphone, the team sponsor for the eight years before Sahara, were the two highest bidders during this tender but had to bid again as they didn’t quote a price favoured by the BCB. BCB’s decision to bid the team sponsorship deal came in after it terminated a fouryear contract with Sahara India Parivar. The termination saw the contract cut short by 15 months.

Their four-year deal with Sahara, which included branding rights for the national team and the national cricket academy, title sponsorship and in-stadia sponsorship for 2012-13, was worth USD 14 million.l

DT

Sport 27

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

BCB to follow Pak-Zim series closely n Minhaz Uddin Khan

QUICK BYTES Barca stalwart Xavi heading to Qatar: father Barcelona’s captain Xavi Hernandez will leave the club he has served since boyhood for Qatari side Al Sadd at the end of this season, his father said on Tuesday.

The 35-year-old midfielder is a stalwart of the Catalan side over recent years and one of the heroes of Spain’s Euro and World Cup-winning squads.

–AFP

Italian police on Tuesday detained some 50 people, including team managers, players and a suspected Calabrian mobster, accused of fixing dozens of soccer matches in the country’s third division and its top semi-pro league. “The probe demonstrates there was a heinous pact of corruption in the world of soccer,” Andrea Grassi, investigator for Italy’s elite SCO, an Italian anti-mafia police unit, told Reuters.

–Reuters

Zimbabwean cricketers take part in a net practice session at the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium in Lahore yesterday. Zimbabwe arrived early to become the first Test playing team to tour Pakistan since a militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009 suspended all international cricket in the country AFP

Over the last four years, the relation between Pakistan Cricket Board and Bangladesh Cricket Board turned sour as the latter repeatedly refused to send the national side to terror-stricken Pakistan citing safety concerns. In reply, the PCB, under the regime of the then president Zaka Ashraf, barred its cricketers from featuring in the Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 and the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League.

The scenario, however, changed drastically recently following Bangladesh’s bilateral series at home against Pakistan. The tour took place after the BCB agreed to the PCB’s demands, one of which included compensating the latter for the cancelled tours of Pakistan.

The PCB also demanded that the BCB should send its national women’s side to Pakistan.

According to the BCB sources and media reports, the board is indeed planning to send the Bangladesh women’s team to Pakistan in August-September this year. If everything falls into place, the Bangladesh women will play three ODIs and as many Twenty20 internationals against their Pakistani counterparts.

For that to happen though, a lot will depend on Zimbabwe’s ongoing tour of Pakistan.

The southern African nation, who reached Lahore yesterday for two T20Is and three ODIs, became the first Test-playing country to tour Pakistan ever since Sri Lanka’s ill-fated tour back in 2009. The Lankans were the victims of a brutal terrorist attack and no Test-playing nation since then have toured Pakistan. As a result, Pakistan had to play their home tours in neutral venues like the United Arab Emirates. The Pakistan-Zimbabwe series, therefore, will be an acid test for the PCB in order to attract the other nations to tour the country.

It was learnt that the BCB is observing Zimbabwe’s tour closely and if the series is completed without any security lapses then they would have no reservation sending the national women’s team to Pakistan.

The Bangladesh women’s tour of Pakistan is slated to get underway on August 31.l

Zimbabwe ‘understood Pakistan’s isolation plight’

Afridi praises Zimbabwe ‘courage’ n AFP, Lahore

n AFP, Lahore

Ramsey appointed permanent QPR head coach

Zimbabwe’s cricket chief said Tuesday his team had decided to tour Pakistan because they too had experienced the cost of isolation as the African team embarked on the first series by a Test playing country since 2009.

Speaking at a press conference alongside Captain Elton Chigumbura after arriving overnight in the city of Lahore, Ozias Bvute likened Pakistan’s six years without top-flight cricket at home to the removal of Zimbabwe’s Test status from 2005 to 2011.

“For many years Zimbabwe was isolated so therefore we understand the politics of isolation. We’ve therefore said no, isolation is not the right way,” he said.

“We must break the barriers that exist in between us. We are therefore here to firm our position that brotherhood supercedes everything else and cricket unites us. We hope to give you a decent show.”

Zimbabwe’s Test status was removed after senior players quit to protest the sacking of

Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi Tuesday led his country in welcoming the Zimbabwe team and praised the visitors’ “courage” after they became the first Test-playing nation to visit in six years.

Zimbabwe arrived early Tuesday under top-level security, and are set to play two Twenty20 internationals on Friday and Sunday followed by three one-day matches on May 26, 29 and 31, all in Lahore.

“I am delighted to see the return of international cricket to Pakistan,” Afridi told AFP. “It is like the spring of cricket after six years of autumn.”

“The courage of the Zimbabwe team must be praised and they delighted our fans who have been waiting for international cricket for quite some time now.”

Zimbabwe are the first Test team to tour Pakistan since militants attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009, killing eight people and leading to the suspension of all international cricket in the country. l

ICC panel encourages day-night Tests

An advisory panel of the International Cricket Council has recommended that Test-playing nations should look at holding five-day matches under floodlights to attract more spectators. International one-day and Twenty20 games are played at night with white balls, bringing in fans after office hours, but day-time Tests have seen dwindling crowds especially in the influential Indian sub-continent.

–AFP

Israel slams Palestinian bid to oust it from Fifa

Israel Football Association chief Rotem Kamer said Tuesday that a Palestinian attempt to oust it from world football governing body FIFA was “cynical” and counter to the spirit of sport. Kamer’s remarks came as FIFA chief Sepp Blatter was in the region in a bid to reach a resolution on the Palestinian bid to expel Israel at a meeting later this month.

–AFP

Italy breaks up fixing network involving mafia

Chris Ramsey has been appointed as the head coach of Queens Park Rangers on a permanent basis, the relegated Premier League club announced on Tuesday.

–AFP

Root named England’s Player of the Year

Yorkshire batsman Joe Root has been elected England Cricketer of the Year for 2014-15 by British sports journalists, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Monday. The 24-year-old has scored 1,135 Test runs at an average of nearly 95 over the past 12 months, including four scores of 149 and over, and also hit three one-day international centuries.

–AFP

then-captain Heath Streak, who was appointed after Andy Flower retired in a stand against the policies of the government of Robert Mugabe.

Zimbabwe are the first Test team to tour Pakistan since militants attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009, killing eight people and leading to the suspension of all international cricket in the country.

The tour was almost called off last week after gunmen massacred 45 minority Shiites in the city of Karachi, but Zimbabwe finally decided to go ahead.

Bvute confirmed there were fears but denied any player was forced to tour.

“Being human beings those events (in Karachi) unnerved a lot of people and created doubts in members of our fraternity as whether it (the tour) was the right thing to do.

We obviously weighed the pros and the cons of what we wanted to achieve,” he said.

“The position was that our players were offered the opportunity to voluntarily come to Pakistan. They accepted the position and that’s why we have (a) full strength team.”l

DT

28 Sport

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

EPL TOP SCORERS 25 Sergio Aguero (City) 20 Harry Kane (Tottenham) 19 Diego Costa (Chelsea) 17 Charlie Austin (QPR) 16 Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) 14 Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) Eden Hazard (Chelsea) Saido Berahino (WBA) 13 Christian Benteke (Villa) 12 David Silva (City) Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) Graziano Pelle (Southampton) 11 Wilfried Bony (City) Papiss Cisse (Newcastle) Nacer Chadli (Tottenham) 10 Danny Ings (Burnley) Romelu Lukaku (Everton) Leonardo Ulloa (Leicester City) Yaya Toure (City) Robin van Persie (United) Sadio Mane (Southampton) Christian Eriksen (Tottenham) Diafra Sakho (West Ham) 9 Juan Mata (Utd) Mame Biram Diouf (Stoke)

3-0

Chelsea players remonstrate with the referee as he points towards Cesc Fabregas (R) before showing him the red card against West Brom at The Hawthorns on Monday AFP

Mourinho outraged by Fabregas red card n AFP, West Bromwich Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho expressed his frustration after Cesc Fabregas was sent off in bizarre fashion as the champions were defeated 3-0 at West Bromwich Albion.

The Spanish midfielder is set to miss the first two matches of next season plus the final game of this campaign at home to Sunderland on Sunday following his first half dismissal after he kicked the ball against Chris Brunt.

Mourinho felt that a more experienced referee than Mike Jones would have resolved the situation with a mere lecture after tempers flared following a Diego Costa and Gareth McAuley off the ball coming together 29 minutes into the action at the Hawthorns.

“I’ve not seen a sending off like that. I would like to see it again. What is this for a sending off ? Where is the danger of the situation to get a red card in a friendly game almost? I don’t understand. Darren Fletcher was aggressive yes, he pushed in the chest.

He’s experienced. It was much more aggressive than what Fabregas did,” said Mourinho.

“A top referee with big personality has a

few words and controls the game. It’s a bizarre red card.

“Three game ban for this? Jesus Christ. Of course it’s harsh. We lose all the time (when we appeal) but I’ve not spoken to him.

“Diego Costa was targeted, of course. But it’s the same story.

“It depends on the referee. If the referee wants to protect the talent and punish the bully it is easy for him.

“Congratulations to West Brom for the season and this three points. And let’s go home.”

Mourinho felt this first defeat in 19 matches was the net result of claiming the title three games ago as Saido Berahino scored on nine minutes and added a penalty two minutes after the break before Brunt scored a third on the hour.

“The ideal scenario is to be champions and don’t play again, go home and have holidays,” he said.

“When you have three more matches it can happen with Bayern Munich three defeats in three and we claim one point in two.

“When you play since August with motivation and commitment and feeling the pressure, when you are champions you breathe

and everything changes.

“It is difficult to play. Let’s blame the players a bit, myself and the top contenders for the title as they were not good enough to fight with us. This is a consequence of being champions so early.”

West Brom manager Tony Pulis insists any criticism of Chelsea is unwarranted.

“It’s a great finish, we will finish 13th in the table but I don’t think anything should be taken away from the team we played,” he said.

“The team we’ve played have been by far the best team in England. They have won the league by a country mile and they have been much better than anyone else.

“Although we have won this game, all the praise should go to Jose, his coaching staff, the people of Chelsea and the players.

“Jose was very good. I’ve managed against him twice and managed to beat him twice with Palace and West Brom.

“He was very gracious in defeat and for all what we have done, they have been worthy champions. They are a fantastic football club with wonderful players and for some people to criticise them is unbelievable.l

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho gestures to the fans after the final whistle at Hawthorns on Monday

Walcott urges Arsenal to seal top-three finish n AFP, London

Int’l ambassador for French mineral water company Evian, Maria Sharapova poses during a photocall prior to the start of the sporting season for the Evian brand (Tennis and Golf) in Paris on Monday AFP

Theo Walcott has urged Arsenal to seal their place in next season’s Champions League group stage by keeping Sunderland mired in the relegation dog-fight on Wednesday.

Arsene Wenger’s side will be certain of securing a top-three finish in the Premier League if they defeat the Black Cats at the Emirates Stadium.

Even a draw is likely to be enough to guarantee they finish above fourth placed Manchester United, who remain two points behind the Gunners with a significantly inferior goal difference and only one game remaining. The reward for finishing in the top three is automatic entry into the group stages of the Champions League, which avoids the inconvenience of having to

take part in a two-legged play-off tie to qualify for the competition early next season.

Wenger admits he has found that experience a major headache in the past, but Arsenal winger Walcott, who set up his side’s equaliser in their 1-1 draw against United at Old Trafford on Sunday, is confident his manager won’t have any need to reach for the pain-killers. l

EPL (TOP 5) Team Name

P

W

D

L

GD

Pts

1 Chelsea

37

25

9

3

39

84

2 Man City

37

23

7

7

43

76

3 Arsenal

36

21

8

7

32

71

4 Man United

37

20

9

8

25

69

5 Liverpool

37

18

8

11

9

62

DT

Sport 29

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Napoli stay in UCL hunt n AFP, Milan A brace by Belgian international Dries Mertens helped Napoli to an unconvincing 3-2 win over relegated Cesena but still saw them close to within three points of Lazio and remain in the hunt for a Champions League spot on Monday.

Napoli surprisingly went behind on the quarter-hour when Frenchman Gregoire Defrel beat ‘keeper Mariano Andujar to score the first of a brace of goals at the San Paolo.

But the hosts replied in style, Mertens levelling from close range following a defensive mix-up and Manolo Gabbiadini pulling the hosts in front only two minutes later.l

RESULTS Fiorentina

3-0

Parma

Rodriguez 13, Gilardino 30, Salah 56

3-2

Napoli

Cesena

Mertens 19, 57, Gabbiadini 21

Defrel 15, 45+2

#MARCHISIO300

SERIE A (TOP 5) Team Name

P

W

D

L

GD

Pts

1 Juventus

36

25

8

3

46

83

2 Roma

36

18

13

5

23

67

3 Lazio

36

20

6

10

32

66

4 Napoli

36

18

9

9

20

63

5 Fiorentina

36

16

10

10

11

58

SERIE A TOP SCORERS 20 Tevez (Juventus) 19 Icardi (Inter) Toni (Verona) 16 Higuain (Napoli) Menez (Milan) 15 Gabbiadini (Napoli) 14 Berardi (Sassuolo) Di Natale (Udinese) 13 Dybala (Palermo) Iago Falque (Genoa) Quagliarella (Torino) 12 Klose (Lazio) 11 Callejon (Napoli) 10 Anderson (Lazio) Maccarone (Empoli) 9 Candreva

(Lazio) Defrel (Cesena) Eder (Sampdoria) Mauri (Lazio) Paloschi (Chievo) Parolo (Lazio) Pinilla (Atalanta) Thereau (Udinese) Vazquez (Palermo) Zaza (Sassuolo)

DAY’S WATCH Channel 9 4:35PM Bangladesh Premier League Abahani v Mohammedan

Sony Six 8:30PM Indian Premier League Eliminator: Bangalore v Rajasthan

Ten Action 12:45AM Coppa Italia 2014/15 Final: Juventus v Lazio

Star Sports 4 4:30PM AFC Champions League 2015 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma v Guangzhou Evergrande 1:00AM English Premier League Arsenal v Sunderland

Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio has his shirt displayed at Juventus Museum after crossing the 300 appearance milestone in April’s 3-2 win over Fiorentina. Claudio Marchisio becomes the third current squad member after Gigi Buffon and Giorgio Chiellini to have his shirt displayed in the Juventus Museum exhibition

‘Juve focus on Cup final, not Barca’ n AFP, Milan Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio insists the Turin giants are firmly focused on ending their 20-year wait to lift the Italian Cup as their Champions League final date with Barcelona looms.

Juventus, who defended their league title a fortnight ago, remain in contention for a treble of trophies this season.

If successful, Juventus would emulate the feats of Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan in 2010.

Juventus face Barcelona in Berlin on June 6 aiming to win Europe’s premier club competition for just the third time, but Marchisio insists they are fully focused on winning their first ‘Coppa Italia’ since 1995. “Our number one target at the moment is the Coppa Ita-

lia. After that we can start thinking about the Champions League,” said Marchisio.

Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri said last week: “Making the Champions League final is a great achievement, but we can’t lose sight of a very important objective, the Coppa Italia, which Juventus hasn’t won for 20 years.”

Marchisio, who scored from the penalty spot at the weekend as Juve came from behind to beat Inter Milan 2-1 at the San Siro, is one of two key players missing from Massimiliano Allegri’s side for Wednesday’s clash.

Alvaro Morata, the Spanish striker whose late leveller against Real Madrid proved decisive for Juve in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, will also be missing due to suspension.

Otherwise, Allegri has a full squad at his

disposal having rested a number of key regulars -- including Gianluigi Buffon, Patrice Evra, Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez -- for Saturday’s win at the San Siro.

However Juventus are up against a Lazio team who have vastly improved since suffering a 3-0 league defeat at their shared home ground of the Stadio Olimpico at the end of November.

Stefano Pioli’s men failed to get the better of Juve on their visit to Turin last month, losing 2-0, but they have been one of the strongest teams in the second half of the season and fought their way into contention for a place in next season’s Champions League.

While Juve have lost three Cup finals since their 1995 win, losing in 2002 (Parma), 2004 (Lazio) and 2012 (Napoli), Lazio have made the most of their Cup final chances.l

England interest ‘flattering’, says Gillespie n AFP, London Former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie said on Tuesday that it was “very flattering” to be linked with the vacant England coaching job.

The Yorkshire coach was named by the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) new director of cricket Andrew Strauss last week as a potential successor to Peter Moores, who was sacked earlier this month. But the 40-year-old said he would be reluctant to leave his role at Yorkshire, having led the team to last year’s County Championship title.

“It’s very flattering,” Gillespie told BBC Sport. “But, look, I haven’t had any contact and until that happens, I can’t say anything.

We’ll just have to wait and see. “He (Strauss) mentioned my name publicly, so I may get a call. We’ll just have to see what happens.”

Gillespie, who was appointed Yorkshire coach in November 2011, added: “The Yorky boys have been giving me enough grief about it, which has been quite funny.

“I love my job here. It’s an exciting time at my club. It would certainly take some persuading (to leave). I wake up every morning and I’m in my dream job. It’s just fantastic, but I don’t know what the future holds.”

Gillespie’s former Test colleague Justin Langer has also been linked with the England job, but ruled himself out of the running by signing a new two-year contract with Western Australia.

Langer backed Gillespie for the England role, saying: “He’s one of the most loyal people I ever played with.

“He was extraordinary in terms of his discipline, particularly at the front end of his career. He was like an Olympic athlete.”l

New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum gears up to bat at Lord’s yesterday AP

DT

30 DOWNTIME

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Spirit (3) 3 Country (6) 8 Object of worship (4) 9 Cleaning implement (3) 10 Flexible (6) 11 Governing body (6) 14 Of birth (5) 17 Classifies (5) 20 Happenings (6) 24 Suffer (6) 26 Excavate (3) 27 Present (4) 28 Cricket team (6) 29 Tree (3)

DOWN 1 Decays (4) 2 Bearing (4) 3 Young horse (4) 4 Foreign (5) 5 Boundary (5) 6 Female deer (3) 7 Month (5) 12 Self (3) 13 Liable (3) 15 Tool (3) 16 Perform (30 17 Undressed kid (5) 18 Long narrow elevation (5) 19 Strong fabric (5) 21 Blood vessel (4) 22 Musical sound (4) 23 Slender (4) 25 Nothing (3)

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 1 represents T so fill T every time the figure 1 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

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Screenings around town

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

n Showtime Desk May 21, Good Night, and Good Luck Helmed by George Clooney, starring David Strathairn, Robert Downey Jr, Patricia Clarkson and Clooney himself, the movie will be screened at the American Center in Baridhara at 3pm.

The 2005 drama portrays the conflict between veteran radio and television journalist Edward R Murrow and US Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin.

Focusing on the theme of media responsibility, the black and white film also addresses what occurs when the media offers a voice of dissent from government policy.

May 22, The Hole The 1998 drama-musical directed by Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang will be screened at the Pathshala Cinema Department, Dhanmondi at 5:15pm.

The film was entered into the 1998 Cannes Film Festival and won the FIPRESCI Prize for its daring combination of realism and apocalyptic vision, desperation and joy, austerity and glamour. It depicts a state of affairs when a strange disease hits

It all ends in disaster

n Showtime Desk

In the wake of recent natural disasters, and movements towards environment awareness, Ice and Sky, a documentary by Luc Jacquetas will be screened as the Closing Film on May 24 at the 68th Festival de Cannes.

In this documentary Luc Jacquet presents a discussion on Claude Lorius, French glaciologist’s scientific discoveries. Lorius had embarked on his journey to Antarctica in 1957, and in 1965 he informed the world for the first time about the threat of global warming and its consequences for the planet. Today, at the age of 82, he looks at the future with hope.

Director and writer, Luc Jacquet has previously won an Oscar for his documentary film March of the Penguins(2005). Along with devoting all his work towards addressing environmental issues, as evident in his films Le Renard et l’enfant (2007) and Il était une forêt (2013), Jacquet initiated the environment rights organisation Wild Touch.

Luc Jacquet said “Cannes is a huge opportunity for this film and for what it says...I am pleased and impressed, much like The Fifer from the tales that is welcomed at the palace. Showing this film in the world’s largest film festival is contributing to this huge challenge facing humanity as quickly as possible to secure its future and the future of the planet. My language is cinema. In different times, I would have made other films. But I make fierce cinema, political cinema, cinema that has no choice.” l

Hugh Jackman @ RealHughJackman Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow.

Karan Johar @karanjohar Ambition has to always be greed free....

Taiwan, and despite evacuation orders, a shop owner Hsiao-Kang stays in his apartment. One day, a plumber arrives at his apartment and drills a small hole into the floor, which leads to some tension between Hsiao-Kang and a woman living

downstairs.

Prior to the screening of The Hole, a 10-minute short titled Sniffer, which won Palme d’Or in 2006 in the Best Short Film category, will also be screened at the venue. l

The ever evolving Jatra Biroti continues its journey

Sidharth Malhotra @S1dharthM Thank you Cocacola India team for this !!!

Drinks on me !

WHAT TO WATCH

Thursday May 21st- “Bhaab” This lovely evening has been gaining popularity. Its meditative environment produces the “Bhaab” This weeks event will have the honour of having Maqsud Haque joining to talk about his journey into the bhaab space.

Friday May 22nd- Open Mic. This is one of Jatra’s most unique events. Each time is different as it is based on audience participation.

Speakeasy crew. This week’s special guest will be Bangladeshi/New Zealand drummer Fahim Imam. The funk is sure to flow!

Saturday May 22nd- Electro/Acoustic featuring Don Donadoni and The

Entry for Tk500, inclusive of refreshments. l

Warner Bros: 6:47pm Just go with it!

A professional plastic surgeon tries to convince his much younger girl firend that he has completely dissolved his marriage with his ex, in the process involving his assistant to play his wife and her children as his as well. His back and forth struggle to solidify the struggle is exciting and full of suspense.

Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Adam Sandler, Brooklyn Decker.

Star Movies: 9:00pm Thor 2: The Dark World Thor faces an enemy of the old, malekith while protecting the nine realms from any sort of harm. The movie takes a crazy as turn as Thor releases his evil brother Loki out of prison to help him defeat the enemy and bring peace to the world.

Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Chris Hemsworth HBO: 9:00pm Real Steal A father faces difficulty to bond with his long lost kid. But with time, and fight after fight their relationship develops and they become best friends. The movie is filled to the brim with action scenes of robots fighting and breaking steal, with a little unexpected twist at the end.

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Evangelina Lilly, Dakota Goyo

DT

32 BACK PAGE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

BB: LENDING RATES TO FALL FURTHER PAGE 15

PRIDE, POINTS UP FOR GRABS IN DHAKA DERBY PAGE 25

SCREENINGS AROUND TOWN

PAGE 31

Philippines ready to help boatpeople n Agencies The Philippines yesterday said it was ready to help Rohingya and Bangladeshi boatpeople, as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand sparked outrage for turning many of them away.

The International State Crime Initiative (ISCI), based at Queen Mary University of London, has called the persecution of the Rohingya minority by the Myanmar government “genocide.”

In a joint statement yesterday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Organization for Migration and other UN groups said they “strongly urge the leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand to protect migrants and refugees stranded on vessels ... to facilitate safe disembarkation and to give priority to saving lives, protecting rights and respecting human dignity.”

Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said: “I think humanitarian consideration should transcend any other consideration.

“We’re talking here about human beings drifting at sea and gradually dying.”

But the justice secretary yesterday said that genuine asylum seekers would need to be sorted from those “just seeking greener pastures” before Manila takes in migrants. That process can take years. The Philippines is a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.

“As the only predominantly Catholic nation in South-east Asia, it is our duty to provide succour to those in need,” a Philippine presidential spokesman told AFP. The Rohingya are a Muslim minority group in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, where they have no legal rights, making them a target for human traffickers.

Malaysia and Thailand have called on My-

anmar to stem the flow of the Rohingya but Myanmar has refused to take responsibility, claiming the group is composed of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Bangladesh State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday said very few of the boatpeople are Bangladeshis, describing them as mostly Rohingya.

Vitriol against the migrants appears to be on the rise on Thai social media, which the government said justified its policy.

“Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is worried about the social media trend right now that shows that the government should not help irregular migrants in the Indian Ocean …” a deputy government spokesman said on Monday.

Indonesia’s foreign minster yesterday said that Indonesia had “given more than it should” to help hundreds of stranded Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Indonesia had sheltered 1,346 Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants who washed onto Aceh and North Sumatra provinces last week.

“Indonesia has given more than it should do as a non-member-state of the Refugee Convention of 1951,” she said.

About 3,000 migrants have reached land in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, but all three countries have pushed some ships away.

Aid groups estimate that thousands more are stranded in the Andaman Sea. The Philippines and Myanmar have been invited to attend a conference on the crisis to be hosted by Thailand on May 29.

Bangladesh, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia and the United States are among 15 other governments attending the meeting. l

Coast Guard to get Tk470cr for upgrades n Tribune Report

Minister: Boatpeople are not Bangladeshis n Shohel Mamun

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday allocated Tk468 crore to beef up the Coast Guard, as the Asian human trafficking crisis continued to grab international headlines.

The force will procure three in-shore patrol vessels, six high-speed boats and one floating crane under the upgrade project.

After the Ecnec meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal told reporters the recent rise in human trafficking prompted the government to take up the project.

“The move will help strengthen Coast Guard surveillance of the country’s inland waters and maritime boundary,” he said.

Ecnec yesterday also approved eight development projects valued at Tk1,591 crore. l

Very few of the migrants stranded off the coasts of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are Bangladeshis, the state minister for home affairs has said.

State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal described the majority of boatpeople as Rohingyas, at a press conference at the secretariat yesterday.

“Although they speak Bangla, they are not Bangladeshis. Their identities can be ascertained by their physical structure, clothes and language,” he said.

Asaduzzaman said: “The government has decided Border Guard Bangladesh will set up Border Operational Posts in the Chittagong Hill Tracts - around 250kms of border area - to tackle the human trafficking problem.” l

Rohingya migrants, who recently arrived in Indonesia by boat, sit while waiting for their breakfast inside a shelter in Kuala Langsa in Indonesia’s Aceh Province yesterday REUTERS

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