07 July, 2015

SECOND EDITION

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

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Ashar 23, 1422, Ramadan 19, 1436

POLICE DISOWN BOISHAKH ARREST CLAIMS PAGE 5

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 85

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PLAYING NATURAL GAME IS THE MANTRA PAGE 25

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

‘DON’T CRY. YOU HAVE A HOME HERE’ PAGE 32

Sold into slavery for a few thousand taka Victims are sold to Tier 2 brokers for

Tk5,000 to Tk20,000 depending on how far they are from

n Abid Azad, back from Cox’s Bazar Teknaf, which has the Bay of Bengal on its south and west, and Arakan state of Myanmar on the east beyond the beautiful Naf River, could have become a beautiful tourist zone in the country.

Instead it has now become a hub for human traffickers and human smugglers, and has gradually become a threatening place for tourists and local inhabitants.

“I cannot remember when I last walked on the beach. Except for the main Teknaf beach, we are scared to visit any place in Teknaf for fear of kidnapping,” said local inhabitant Mozammal Hoq while walking with this reporter from Teknaf beach to Khurer Mukh and Katabunia area.

“We are passing such risky places like Khurer Mukh, Katabunia, and Kachubunia. All these are among the major points for traffickers to start voyage towards Thailand-Malaysia.

No one dares to walk here alone,” he added.

Both smugglers and traffickers have worked hard to expand their networks to get

They are then kept in safe houses, such as in the picture, near the sea

The victims are taken to ships waiting off the coast of Sittwe, Myanmar

Sittwe, Myanmar

Tier 3 brokers buy them for

Tk25,000 to Tk30,000

Shita Pahar

Thailand Malaysia-bound victims are brought into Thailand, held captive in the forests, and tortured for money.

The families of victims are asked for ransom.

Padang Besar

Demand begins at

Tk1,80,000 Payments are made through mobile banking or bank accounts

Malaysia

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Victims who can pay the traffickers are helped cross over to Malaysia

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Those who cannot are sold as slaves to plantations

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Women are sold into prostitution

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Many victims die in captivity from torture, illness, malnutrition

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Bonya identifies blogger Avijit’s killers n Mohammad Jamil Khan Seven members of Ansarullah Bangla Team were involved in the murder of Avijit Roy, investigators said, adding that two of them had been positively identified by the blogger’s wife.

Two of the culprits directly carried out the attack on Avijit and his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya, while the other five reportedly tracked the blogger’s movement and helped the killers flee the scene. All the perpetrators have now been identified.

“We have not only identified the seven killers but also collected photos suspected to be of them,” a senior official of the Detective Branch of police told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Requesting anonymity, the official added that they had sent the photos to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for verification, and Avijit’s wife – who was also injured in the attack – has already identified two of the suspects as being at the scene of the murder.

On February 27, Avijit Roy was murdered near the TSC intersection while he was visiting the ongoing Ekushey Book Fair. His wife, Bonya, lost a finger in the attack.

The following day, Avijit’s father Ajay Roy filed a case with Shahbag police station. Along with the DB police, the FBI also assisted in the investigation as Avijit was a US citizen.

Investigators say seven Ansarullah men were involved in the murder “We have got all possible details of Avijit’s killing and we are certain that all the killers belong to banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team,” said Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of DB police.

Monirul, however, said the location of the suspects are yet to be figured out. He also refused to disclose the identities of the killers as the investigation was still going on.

Another senior DB official, also wishing

not to be named, told the Dhaka Tribune that the killers – posing as fans – collected information about the science writer from a friend of Bonya, before the blogger couple arrived in the country from the US on February 16.

“Actually, Bonya’s friend had no idea about the killers’ identities and she helped them unknowingly,” the DB official added.

He added that detectives have also extracted some sensational information from nine militants including three Ansarullah members who were arrested last month.

The seven killers were identified after verifying information provided by the arrestees, analysing phone call data, and going through video footage collected from 70 CCTV cameras installed at book fair premises, the official added.

Following Avijit’s death, a Facebook page named Ansar Bangla Seven claimed responsibility for the murder. Law enforcers have so far arrested only one youth named Shafiur Rahman Farabi on charges of instigating the murder of Avijit. l

TOWSIF OSMAN, ASMAUL HOQUE MAMUN/DT INFOGRAPHICS

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN OUR TIMES - III

Tier 1 brokers lure migrant aspirants from all over Bangladesh

Tigers looking to bounce back n Mazhar Uddin Following a comprehensive defeat in the first Twenty20 international, Mashrafe bin Mortaza and his troop need to fire from all cylinders if they are to salvage something against South Africa in the second and final match today at Sher-eBangla National Stadium.

Last Sunday, the Tigers restricted the mighty Proteas to 148/4 but an awful batting display from the home side enabled the visitors to register a convincing 52-run win. Including openers Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar, each and every single Bangladesh batsman came out with the intention of crushing their opponent without having a set plan in the back of their minds. As a result, the Tigers were skittled out for just 96 with seven deliveries of their inning still remaining.

T20 skipper Mashrafe would have been  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

DT

2 NEWS

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

survey kicks off Khaleda asks leaders Enclaves n to stand by the repressed activists A joint team of Bangladeshi and Indian officials started a joint survey of the 162 enclaves yesterday by conducting a headcount and gathering the citizenship options.

The programme kicked off at Kalir Hat Bazar of Dashiar Chara -- the biggest Bangladeshi enclave. The census began with the enlistment of Razzak and Shahida.

Local Deputy Commissioner Khan Mohammad Nurul Amin assured the enclave residents that there was no reason for uncertainty. The has allocated Tk200 crore for the 111 Bangladeshi enclaves.

Meanwhile a 15-member Indian delegation arrived here for the census of the 12 Indian enclaves in Fulbari and Bhurungamari. A Bangladesh team is already in India to do similar work in the 51 Bangladeshi enclaves there.

On Sunday, a three-hour workshop was held with the Indian delegation at the hall room of Kurigram Sadar upazila. Besides, a control room has been set up at the DC office

for coordination of land survey.

Mokhlesur Rahman, 27, of Dashiar Chara said that he would opt for Bangladesh as most of his relations stay here. But his father Ehsan Ali, 65, works in Delhi and so he does not know what his father’s choice would be.

Magistrate Sohel Maruf, who is in charge of the control room, said that 75 people from the two countries were working in the 162 enclaves for the census.

The headcount would be based on the Census of 2011 and only those who were born in the enclaves after that or were married to people settled there would be enumerated.

People living in the enclaves would have the choice of choosing their nationality even after the current survey, if they complete all formalities between August and November.

The enclaves will be transferred to the respective countries on the midnight of July 31.

The current survey will continue till July 16.

It will take into account population, households, possessed land, finances and socioeconomic status of the enclave dwellers. l

Proteas batsmen to a gettable target but it will be a tough task if the hosts do not pick up early wickets, especially that of the menacing AB. In order to do that, the Tigers will be praying for a suitable deck for their bowlers, especially the spinners. The pitch for the first T20I did indicate that there will be purchase for the slower bowlers so the Tigers will be looking to exploit that.

The Tigers however, will need to be wary of the Proteas pace-bowling attack which was outstanding in the first T20I. The likes of Kyle Abbott, Kagiso Rabada, David Wiese and Wayne Parnell troubled the opponent with their line and length while Jean Paul Duminy and Aaron Phangiso did a decent job.

The match will begin at 1pm and BTV, GTV and Star Sports 1 will telecast the game live. l

BSS

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has asked her colleagues to go to their respective constituencies and strengthen organisational activities by standing beside the repressed leaders and activists of the party.

She gave this instruction in a meeting with the senior leaders of the party at her Gulshan office late last night.

The meeting also decided to strengthen the reorganisation process of the party after the Eid vacation.

“The latest political situation was analysed in the meeting. Madam [Khaleda] asked the leaders to stand beside those who have been facing

repression,” Nazrul Islam Khan, a standing committee member of the party, told reporters.

Sources said that the meeting also discussed sending a delegation to the chief justice to clarify the party’s stance regarding the judiciary. Khaleda had recently been cautioned by a court after she had said that the judiciary had become biased.

This was Khaleda’s first formal meeting with her senior colleagues after she had come back home from a nearly four-month stay in the Gulshan office from January to April.

The former prime minister is expected to leave Dhaka on Wednesday night for Saudi Arabia to perform the holy Umrah. She is also scheduled to meet her son Tarique Rahman there. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Tigers looking to bounce back disappointed with the performance of their batsmen, given that the bowlers had maintained a tight line and length earlier. The dangerous AB de Villiers was dismissed cheaply while the talented Quinton de Kock was unable to get going and were it not for captain Francois du Plessis’ unbeaten 79-run knock, the Proteas would have ended up with a below-par total.

The Bangladesh spinners were brilliant, espe-

cially left-arm spinners Arafat Sunny and Shakib al Hasan, who were both economical. However, Sohag Gazi, who returned to the national side after doing remedial work on his bowling action, remained wicket-less and might make way for young leg-spinner Jubair Hossain today.

Mashrafe will be hoping for a repeat of the bowling showing today and just like the first T20I, the Tigers will be looking to restrict the

Sold into slavery for a few thousand taka people to Malaysia in any way they can over the last few years.

Brokers term the Malaysia-bound people “buffaloes,” according to the victims.

To identify them, brokers use different types of identification marks on the bodies of those being trafficked, like buffaloes have during selling and purchase.

Some have alphabets or signs to identify the different brokers, while others have hand belts of different colours.

Raihan’s story

Md Raihan is an 18-year-old who was captured in Moheshkhali area of Cox’s Bazar when he wanted to go to Malaysia for employment in April last year.

Raihan was the only kidnapped boy who returned alive after he experienced the horror of life as a slave in both Thailand and Malaysia.

He revealed to the Dhaka Tribune how brokers play their roles.

After two days and a night, the boat he was in reached Shita Pahar from Moheshkhali and he was shifted to another cargo boat where around 300 people were kept forcefully at gunpoint, he said.

“When we reached Thailand all of us were divided into two big groups – those who could pay money and those who could not.

“Of the 300 persons, the women were sold separately. Different buyers bought them. Those buyers never buy any men but only women.

“Another group bought several people to send them for work on a rubber plantation in

Thailand for about three-five years,” Raihan told the Dhaka Tribune.

“Another broker named Hazi bought 25 of us including me for Malaysian Ringgit 6,000 each.

He later sold us to another Malaysian buyer.”

The brokers

Brokers maintain a strong network to operate their business from both inside and outside the country.

In Bangladesh, the first tier of brokers collect people who are interested to go to Malaysia.

These brokers influence people in any way they can, as their main target is collecting people by any means.

The first tier brokers have a good number of associates around the country who are also working to collect people.

According to the Cox’s Bazar police, so far they have found people from as many as 30 districts in the country who came to Cox’s Bazar and Teknaf area to go to Malaysia through sea route.

The BGB commanding officer in Teknaf told the Dhaka Tribune: “Mostly people come from Sirajganj, Narsingdi, Satkhira, Jessore, and Jhenaidah.”

The Malaysia-bound people are later sold for Tk5,000-20,000 to the second tier brokers.

The price of people varies according to the distance. People from Teknaf area are sold at Tk3,000-5,000, while the going rate is Tk10,000 for Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong area and as much as Tk20,000 for people from Dhaka or other districts.

The safe houses

Once they have brought them from the first tier brokers, the second tier brokers transport their unfortunate victims to safe houses where they are kept.

The safe houses are unremarkable from the outside and all are situated close to the sea.

They are little more than shacks, mostly made of bamboo and polythene or tin sheets.

When they have collected a good number, the brokers then send them to a ship, anchored near Shita Pahar in Myanmar, first through small fishing boats, locally known as tangkhoano, that can carry 15-20 people, then on a bigger fishing boat, carrying 150-250 voyagers, and then taken to the anchored ship.

Shita Pahar is about 15-20km south-west from Shah Porir Dwip and 30-40km from Teknaf. The journey from Teknaf takes fivesix hours.

Shita Pahar is not a port for ships but a safe zone for trafficking. Different kinds of ships including large boats remain anchored there.

This is safe for the traffickers, because if the Myanmar navy moves forward to catch them they enter into the Bangladesh sea territory and if the Bangladesh navy makes a move, they enter into the Myanmar sea territory.

The second tier brokers sell their purchased people to the third tier brokers on the ships for Tk25,000-30,000.

The voyage begins

The third tier brokers bring the Malaysia-bound people to Thailand initially.

People who can pay are helped to cross the Thailand-Malaysia border, and people who cannot pay are sold to another gang who purchase people to work as modern day slaves in plantations.

However, often even those who say they are willing to pay are forced into working as plantation slaves while the women are sold into prostitution.

It depends on the whim of the third tier brokers, said sources. If a man is handed over to a kidnapping gang, only God knows what will happen to him, they told the Dhaka Tribune.

If the third tier broker works only to bring people to Malaysia, he will send them to Malaysia after receiving payment, but if he is a slave businessman, then he will sell everyone of his purchased people.

The minute the people are brought to the Thailand jungle, the third tier brokers start all kinds of torture. They then make phone calls to their relatives to get the money.

The transaction is processed through mobile banking accounts or actual bank accounts between the victims’ families and the brokers.

This is how the third tier brokers make back their investment. They charge anywhere from Tk1,80,000 per person, depending on how much they have had to lay out.

The traffickers torture their victims in order to expedite payment and many die from this torture or from illness or malnutrition during this time, waiting for the ransom payments to arrive.

Those who fail to pay are sold as slaves. l

DT

NEWS 3

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

1,200kg bomb-making chemicals recovered n Mohammad Jamil Khan In one of the biggest hauls of chemical products in recent times, the police have recovered around 1,200kg of chemicals they suspect were being used to make crude bombs.

In separate drives in Dhaka and Chittagong early yesterday, the police also arrested four people suspected of using the chemicals to create crude bombs and supplying it across the country.

However, no links have so far been found between any militant organisations and the arrestees: Saidul Islam, 45; Md Awal, 38; Sharif Alam, 28; and Jahangir Alam, 42.

Detective Branch Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam made the disclosure at a press conference in the DMP media centre yesterday.

Monirul, the chief of DB, said detectives posed as buyers to meet Awal – who had offered to sell two kilograms of bomb-making material – before arresting him from the capital’s Lalbagh and seizing the explosives from

his possession. Based on his information, the DB later detained two of his associates – Sharif and Alam – from the Chawkbazar area.

The arrested men told the police that they had collected the materials from a person named Saidul who lived in Chittagong. Acting on the information, the DB team conducted a raid at a house in the port city’s Sadarghat Road and arrested Saidul.

It was here that they found 1,198 kilograms of bomb-making chemical products tucked away in small sacks. Saidul claimed he had been stockpiling the legally-bought materials for the past seven years.

Only 2kg of the seized chemicals would be enough to produce thousands of bombs, while combined – the materials would cause massive destructions, Monirul said.

The police, however, had no lead on where the explosives might have been imported from.

“We would check out whether the arrestees have any political link as the explosive might have been used to create crude

bombs,” he added.

Asked about which kind of explosives were recovered, the joint commissioner said there were three types of chemicals in the sacks – most of it was sulphur, while there was also lithium and some hexachloride substance which detectives could not identify immediately.

“Using some additional materials and mixing it properly, bombs can be made,” Monirul said.

A senior DB official, who was present during Saidul’s arrest, said the detainee claimed that he had legally bought the explosives through a bank tender; but Saidul failed to name the bank or produce any document supporting his claim.

DB chief Monirul said they would need to verify the claims; but during primary interrogation, the detectives have found that the materials were purchased in order to be supplied to professional bomb makers.

“Saidul was searching for customers for

the explosives as it is not possible to preserve the explosives for a long time because it [exposure] causes skin diseases to the people who live nearby,” the DB spokesperson said.

On June 19, detectives arrested four people including a lab assistant of Dhaka University, suspected of supplying explosives to militants.

Asked whether the latest arrestees had any link with that group, Monirul said they did not have any information on that regard yet.

Following yesterday’s arrests, a case was filed with Lalbagh police station and detectives placed the arrested men before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court seeking a 10day remand.

“However, the DB team placed the arrestees in the court at 5pm and the court timing ends at 3:30pm; for which reason, the arrestees were sent back. The hearing in this regard will be held tomorrow [Tuesday],” Ashraful Alam, general recording officer at the CMM court, told the Dhaka Tribune. l

Man allegedly tortured to death

by BSF in Satkhira, two arrested n Our Correspondent, Satkhira

A team of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) recovered a man’s body from the Ichhamati River near the Bangladesh-India border in Debhata upazila, Satkhira on Sunday evening.

The victim’s family claimed that Rubel Hossain, 23, was tortured to death by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on his way back to Debhata from India on Wednesday night.

Rubel, along with his companions Kawsar Ali and Asadul, from Harhadda village in Satkhira Sadar upazila, had gone to India to bring cattle. As they were crossing the Ichhamati back to Bangladesh, BSF arrested Kawsar.

Meanwhile, a BSF patrol team chased Rubel in the river and ran him over with their

speedboat, which severely injured him. Later they picked him up on their boat and tortured him, before dumping him back in the river, causing him to die.

Asadul, who managed to cross the river, was arrested by the BGB and handed over to police.

Lt Col Khalid Bin Yousuf, captain of 34 BGB Battalion, told the Dhaka Tribune that whether the BSF had actually been involved in Rubel’s death could not be confirmed yet.

However, members of the 34th battalion said they had received word that the BSF had indeed tortured Rubel to death. They also refuted Rubel’s family’s claim that they had crossed over to bring cattle, and said Rubel and his companions had gone to work in a brick field. l

Detective Branch officials present arrestees and the explosive materials at Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s media centre yesterday. The detectives seized around 1,200kgs of raw materials used to make explosives and arrested four people after conducting raids in Dhaka and Chittagong MEHEDI HASAN

Muhith: GB reforms caught in legal tangles n Asif Showkat Kallol

The planned reforms in Grameen Bank could not be executed due to the cases filed against government moves by pro-Yunus directors, Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said.

The minister held Muhammad Yunus, the founder and former managing director of the bank, for the impasse.

These views came from the minister at the launching function of two financial working papers at the Secretariat in Dhaka yesterday.

Muhith said that the development of Grameen Bank (GB) has been hanging in the balance because of some conflicts of interest over the last five years.

“We want Grameen Bank’s development, but Prof Yunus does not want that.”

The minister lauded Yunus’s efforts for institutionalising micro-credit by establishing the GB, but also critised the Nobel laureate saying “he became the GB himself.”

When contacted, pro-Yunus GB director Tahsina Khatun told the Dhaka Tribune: “Grameen Bank used to operate smoothly without the government’s intervention. We

[elected female members of the board of directors] are the legal directors of GB until an election is held.”

Legal challenges have continued to bar the government’s attempts to take control over the board of directors of the Nobel-laureate micro-credit organisation.

On March 30 this year, the Bank and Financial Institutions Division sent a notice to the GB which said that the posts of the nine elected female directors of the micro-lender had become vacant since their three-year tenure had expired on February 7.

The notice also said that the chairman along with the two other directors nominated by the government would be sufficient to hold board meetings.

On April 6, Tahsina Khatun filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the legality of the government notice and seeking a stay.

One of the two books that Muhith unveiled yesterday is an annual publication on the state-owned banks and financial institutions and the other is titled National Strategy for Preventing Money Laundering and Combatting Financing of Terrorism 2015-17.

The minister said: “We came out of the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list in February last year because of good performance in tackling money laundering ... The anti-money laundering activities will continue according to the recommendations of the Asian Pacific Group [APG].

He also said: “We have prepared a threeyear strategic paper on the action plan for 15 ministries and divisions regarding anti-money laundering activities.”

The national strategy on preventing money laundering and terrorist financing says that the 15 government offices will implement 138 actions under 11 strategies outlined in the ongoing mutual evaluation assessment of the APG on Bangladesh.

As per action plans, the Finance Ministry will ensue appropriate legal frameworks for asset recovery at home and aboard by December.

The ministry will also ensure that no salaries of employees are paid in cash from June 2017.

Yesterday, the finance minister also said that the country’s insurance sector was the most vulnerable with corruption and irregularities still prevailing. l

Argument over SQ appeal to end today n Tribune Report The Supreme Court has asked the lawyer of the war criminal and death sentence convict Salauddin Quader Chowdhury to complete the defence’s arguments by today.

If Salauddin’s lawyers can finish the appeal hearing arguments today, the court may fix a date to pass an order on the appeal.

A four-member bench of Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha asked defence lawyer SM Shahjahan to complete his argument in an hour.

The court has been hearing the appeal arguments for the last 12 days.

On October 1, 2013, ICT-1 found Salauddin guilty of nine of the 23 charges of committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War of 1971. It awarded him the death penalty on four charges, 20 years in jail for three charges and five years in jail for two other charges.

Salahuddin appealed to the SC against the verdict, seeking acquittal of all charges on October 29, 2013. l

DT

4 NEWS

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

Tofail: Be alert about multi-level marketing companies n Tribune Report

Government in plans to turn garbage into power

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed has urged people to remain alert about the multi-level marketing companies.

After failing to get licence from the ministry, they are running business on the basis of a stay order of the High Court, he said.

“They went to the High Court and filed petitions against the ministry and our decisions had been stayed. They are deceiving innocent people by doing business taking advantage of the writ petition,” he said in parliament under section 300 of the rules of procedure.

The commerce minister said that after the enactment of the Multilevel Marketing Activities (Control) Act and rules in 2013 and 2014, a total 27 MLM companies applied for licences to the registrar of joint stock companies.

“But only five companies were awarded the licences following scrutiny and field investigation,” he said.

Those five companies are MXN Modern Herbal Food Ltd, Rich Business System Ltd, Shadhin Online (Public) Ltd, World Mission 21 Ltd and Jar Electronics Ltd. The minister also said that in March this year, four companies had appealed for licence renewal, but their appeals were not granted. The licences of the remaining companies were automatically cancelled as they did not apply for renewal. l

n Aminur Rahman Rasel The government is preparing to set up the country’s first waste-based power generation company that will take recycled garbage and turn it into green energy.

Despite repeated attempts to set up solid waste-fuelled power plants in the country over the last 15 years, the ruling Awami League government has not been able to execute its ambitious plan due to the negligence of the authorities concerned and political rivalries.

“This will be the country’s first ever waste based-power generation company. The division had already directed the Power Development Board (PDB) to prepare a memorandum of association (MOA) and articles of association (AOA) required to form the company,”

the director general of the Power Cell, a stateowned entity under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Mohammad Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

He said a meeting will be held at the Prime Minister’s Office in this regard tomorrow.

“The legal infrastructure for setting up the company under the Power Division is being prepared and it will be registered with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms,” he said.

The Power Division official said 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.

The AL-led government in November 2011 initiated the setting up of two solid wastefuelled power plants in the capital in a bid to ease electricity shortages.

During its tenure in 2000, the AL government ambitiously planned to set up a solid waste-fulled power plant in the capital jointly with three private companies at a cost of Tk3,096 crore.

Later in 2013, an Italian firm, Management Environment Finance SEL Ltd, signed an agreement with the Local Government Division, Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka South City Corporation to build two 50 megawatt power plants. But there has been no progress in the power projects. l

Draft CBDA act gets final approval n Tribune Report The cabinet yesterday gave the final approval to the draft of Cox’s Bazar Development Authority Act 2015.

The approval came in a weekly regular meeting held at the cabinet room of the Parliament with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

“The development authority will have 15 members and would be headed by a government appointed chairman,” said Cabinet Secretary M Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyanin a press briefing at the secretariat after the meeting.

He said: “After the formation of the development authority, it will make a master plan to develop the beach town Cox’s Bazar and work as a regulatory body to protect unplanned urbanisation.”

Earlier, the cabinet gave a principle approval to the draft of Cox’s Bazar development authority act on 2013.

On Sunday, Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain told the Dhaka tribune the development authority would carry out carefully planned development projects in Cox’s Bazar.

The minister said Cox’s Bazar’s development is currently monitored by a municipality which is not powerful enough to deal with unplanned development tasks.

Two years ago, the government estimated that it would cost Tk50 crore to develop Cox’s Bazar into a mega city, and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the figure.

The planned project includes construction of a five-star hotel, a three-star hotel, setting up tourism villages and a 14-hole golf course. l

Workers of Asia Design Ltd, an RMG factory based in Ashulia, stage a sit-in in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka yesterday demanding immediate payment of three months’ dues and reopening of the factory MEHEDI HASAN

AL leaders demand legal action against Khaleda’s court remarks

‘Implicate Zafrullah with contempt’ n Tribune Report

n Abu Hayat Mahmud

A petition was filed with International Crimes Tribunal-2 yesterday requesting the initiation of contempt proceedings against Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury for his comments over a court order.

The tribunal fixed today to hear the petition against the Magsaysay Award winner and freedom fighter.

The five individuals who lodged the complaint are freedom fighter Monoranjan Goshal, Ajgar Ali, Sheikh Nazrul Islam, Gonojagoron Moncho organiser Kamal Pasha Chowdury and FM Shahin. l

Two ruling party leaders have called for legal action against BNP chief Khaleda Zia for her controversial statement on judiciary. Khaleda had earlier said the judiciary has become politically biased and controlled.

“Khaleda’s speech has tarnished the country’s image in the world arena. Such speech is unacceptable and tantamount to contempt,” said Awami Advisory Council Member Suranjit Sengupta while addressing a discussion in Dhaka yesterday.

Claiming that the judiciary is independent, Suranjit said that the BNP chief had been taking position against it.

Meanwhile, Awami League Publicity and Publication Secretary Hassan Mahmud said Khaleda had dishonoured the court, which is undesireable.

“Khaleda Zia has been making false statements in Iftar gatherings organised by proBNP men. In the holly month of Ramadan, she made such statements to ignite of violence.

He also said no conspiracies will see light as people are with the government. l

DT

NEWS 5

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

Kamal claims some Boishakh assaulters held, police decline n Mohammad Al-masum Molla

Junior home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday said in parliament that several culprits of the Pohela Boishakh assault on women had been arrested, although police said they had not yet made any arrests in this connection.

“We have arrested some of them. I can tell you that those who have done this have been identified and some of them have already been handed over to the law enforcement agencies ... Others will face the same action,” Kamal told the house in response to a query.

However, when contacted a couple of hours later, a spokesperson of police’s Detective Branch (DB), the lead investigators, denied the minister’s claim.

“I do not know anything about the state

minister’s statement on the arrest of some culprits of the Pohela Boishakh assault. But no one has been arrested until now,” said Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of DB. He also said that after that incident, analysing video footage, some were branded as culprits. But two alleged assaulters – two men and a woman – had met the investigators and said that they had not been involved; they said they went to take part in the celebrations on that day.

Investigators have later found their claim was true, the DB boss said.

He also said: “Police also went to the house of one alleged culprit in Barisal. But only an elderly person was found there who had not come to Dhaka in five years.”

In parliament, describing Pohela Boishakh as one of the biggest festivals in the country, the junior minister said: “We have put in place

some rules this time, but people’s emotions were so high that the law enforcement agencies were awfully busy tackling the situation.”

The culprits carried out the assaults taking advantage of the fact that law enforcers were really busy tackling a massive crowd, he explained, adding that his ministry would be on high alert to avert such incidents in the future.

On May 17, police declared Tk1 lakh bounty for providing information on eight people for their involvement in the series of sexual assaults on women and children on Dhaka University campus during Pohela Boishakh.

They said they had narrowed down eight faces from video footage but did not know their names or whereabouts.

As of yesterday, nobody has provided police with any accurate information on those eight people. l

54 deals signed with India since 2009 n Tribune Report

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali told parliament yesterday that Bangladesh had singed a total of 54 agreements, memorandums of understanding and protocols with India since 2009.

Responding to a query in the Jatiya Sangsad, the minister said that Bangladesh had so far signed a total of 87 agreements, MoUs and protocols.

Of those, 18 were signed in 2015, two in 2014, seven in 2013, 10 each in 2011 and 2010, one each in 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006, three in 2001, two in 2004, three in 1999, one each in 1996, 1993 and 1992, two each in 1991 and the remaining 24 were signed between 1972 and 1985.

Apart from these, the incumbent government has renewed some old deals signed with India after assuming office in 2009. l

Charge framing in Kibria killing July 14 n Our Correspondent, Sylhet A Sylhet court yesterday adjourned until July 14 the framing of charges in former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria killing case.

Charges were scheduled to be framed yesterday but Judge Makbul Ahsan gave the adjournment order as the majority of the accused did not appear in court.

He also ordered the jail authorities to produce all the accused before the court on that day.

Only five of the 32 people accused in the case were present in the court yesterday.

Among the 32, 14 are in jail, eight have been granted bail and the remaining 10 are in hiding.

Habiganj municipality mayor GK Gaus, who had been temporarily suspended, and Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami member Nayeem Arif were among the five produced before the judge yesterday.

Sylhet Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal’s Public Prosecutor Kishore Kumar Kar said the accused except the five could not be produced before the court because of illness. “Some of them appeared in other courts to attend hearings on other cases.”

Sylhet City Corporation mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury, who had been temporarily suspended, was ill and failed to come to the court, sources said.

Earlier, charges were slated to be framed in the murder case on June 21 but the court had to put it off until July 6 for the same reason as yesterday’s.

On December 21 last year, the Criminal Investigation Department’s Senior ASP Meherunnesa Parul submitted a complementary charge sheet to court, accusing 35 people in the case.

In the charge sheet, the court was petitioned for clearing three people – Yusuf Bin Sharif of Chittagong, Abu Bakar alias Abdul Jalil of Moulvibazar and in the case and Ahsan Ullah Kajol of Faridpur – in the case and the court accepted it.

Kibria, also an Awami League leader who was the finance minister of the Awami League government from 1996 to 2001, and four others died in a grenade attack at a rally in Habiganj on January 27, 2005. l

Armed activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League gather inside Government Titumir College yesterday after wreaking havoc on the street in front of the college protesting an alleged attack on a fellow activist DHAKA TRIBUNE

Ershad: Raushan cannot apologise for my words n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad has said in parliament that his wife Raushan Ershad, leader of the opposition in Jatiya Sangsad, does not have the jurisdiction to seek apology for his comments.

The former military dictator yesterday also asked the parliament speaker to expunge that part of Raushan’s recent speech in which she sought the apology.

In his speech during a budget discussion on June 29, Ershad said that the prime minister, deputy leader of the house, speaker, and opposition leader, who are all women, are “showpieces.”

No sooner had he made the comment, other lawmakers, especially the female ones, loudly protested and Speaker Shirin Sharmin

Chaudhury expunged that part of Ershad’s speech from the day’s proceedings.

A few minutes later, Ershad’s wife Raushan, while speaking on the budget, apologised on behalf of her husband.

Yesterday, Ershad also questioned the necessity of expunging that part of his speech when he had already withdrawn his statement on women.

Ershad, who is a special envoy to the prime minister, also said: “I was deeply shocked to see my withdrawn words being expunged. I have never hurled bitter words at anyone in parliament.”

Yesterday, Ershad said that gender disparity in parliament could be removed by giving equal allocation to the female lawmakers from the reserved seats.

“Charity begins at home,” he said. l

Titumir college BCL men go on rampage n Kamrul Hasan Activists of Chhatra League’s Titumir College unit yesterday took to vandalism following an intra-party clash in the capital’s Mohakhali.

They vandalised dozens of vehicles and blocked the road in front of the college, creating a traffic congestion.

The BCL members alleged that one of their activists had been beaten by the local members of Jubo League. Some 50 activists took to vandalism on the main road.

A college student said Sunny, a BCL college unit member, had been beaten by supporters of Delwar, president of the local Awami League labour front Sramik League.

Vehicular movement on the Mohakhali to Gulshan 1 link road came to a halt during the rampage, said police.

Banani police Inspector Shahinur Rahman said the police fired several rounds of blank shots to bring the situation under control. l

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Closure of schools make future blurry for 5,000 students Teachers of 83 schools will also lose their jobs

n Our Correspondent, Bandarban The fate of over 5,000 school-going children in Bandarban have become uncertain after their schools – which are run under a UNDP project – are soon expected to shut their doors.

As funding has run out, teachers of the 83 schools concerned will also be out a job, unless the United Nations Development Programme assures to continue the project – which expired this June.

Sources at the Bandarban district administration said the UNDP launched the project in 2008 to extend primary education services to children in the hilly areas where there were no primary schools. But as the project is now over, the UNDP-funded schools are unlikely to reopen following the Eid holidays.

Under the Chittagong Hill Tracts Primary Education Assistance project, 5,141 students in Rowangchhari, Ruma, Ali Kadam and Thanchi upazilas received education in classes one to five. The schools also employed 193 teachers.

Kwa Shwe Hla, administrator at Bandarban Zila Parishad, said the schools will close down as there was no new funding allocated in the new fiscal year. He, however, said the district administration was trying to convince the UNDP high-ups to continue the education programme in the district.

Pankajmoy Tripura, an education officer for the UNDP project, said many children of Bandarban would now be denied of education, as there is a low number of government schools in the district.

Bandarban Primary Education Officer Shahidul Azam said the closure of the UNDP-funded schools would hurt education in the hilly areas.

Parents also expressed concerns about what would happen to their children – who would now have nowhere to go in the middle of school year.

Locals also told the Dhaka Tribune that they cannot fully benefit from the development projects as donor agencies did not continue long-term projects in the region. l

Salesmen are busy showing clothes to shoppers as sale surges on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr. The photo was taken from a shopping mall in Barisal city yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Acid attack burns woman in Gazipur

Fratricide over property

A woman has been burnt in an acid attack in Boktarpur area under Kaliganj upazila in Gazipur. Shumoti Rani Das came under the acid attack early Monday. She is the wife of Komol Chondro Das. Kaliganj Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Abdul Alim said: “Shumoti was sleeping in her room when unidentified miscreants threw acid on her from the window around 2am Monday.”

“Hearing her scream, the family members went to her room and took her to upazila health complex,” he said. l

A man has allegedly hacked to death his younger brother over sharing their ancestral property at Baghasura village in Madhabpur upazila in the district.

The family member sources said Ujjal and his elder brother Kased Miah had long been loggerheads over sharing of their ancestral homestead and they used to altercation over the matter.

During the yesterday’s brawl, Kased repeatedly hacked his younger brother who succumbed to his injures on the way to the district hospital. l

n Our Correspondent, Shariatpur

n Our Correspondent, Habiganj

Weavers working round the clock to meet Eid demand n Our Correspondent, Tangail

Weavers in Tangail are toiling hard ahead of Eid, the largest Islamic holiday, to meet the demand of Tangail sari lovers.

Taant saris are largely produced in Pathrail, Chandi, Nalua, Mangolhor under Delduar Balla, Rampur, Chati Hati, Alenga under Kalihati upazila and Bajitpur, Korotia, Santosh and Kagmari under Tangail sadar upazila.

Hasan, a resident of Mongolhor area and also a weaver, said: “We produce saris from early in the morning to midnight, as demand for the home-made sari has increased extensively.”

He said the traditional sari is the first choice for many women for any occasion, and its demand has soared ahead of Eid. Ratan Bosak, owner of New Jagneswar and Company on Pathrail union parishad road, said labourers in the locality were working hard to prepare taant saris. He said: “We still have not reached our expected selling target.”

Ratan, also convener of the Tangail Taant Sari Traders’ Association Adhoc Committee, expressed hopes that hand-loom owners would be able to pocket large profits.

He said traders had to count a huge loss at the start of the year during the hartals and nonstop blockade sponsored by the BNP-led 19-party alliance, demanding a non-partial election under the caretaker government. He also hoped that handloom traders would be able to recoup that loss.

Weavers produce casual hand-loom saris

as well as exclusive ones at prices that range from Tk330 to Tk50,000.

He said they had brought a new dimension in the designs of Baluchuri, Jamdani, silk and half-silk saris for the upcoming Eid. The price of cotton saris range from Tk330 to Tk5,000, while half-silk saris range from Tk800 to Tk4,000 and silk saris are priced from Tk5,000 to Tk80,000.

Sapan Pal, an owner of handlooms, said: “It will not be possible to recover the loss due to the political unrest. But now I am busy with running all my taants round the clock ahead of Eid to recover that loss.”

Another sari trader, Nitto Rangan Saha, in the Bajitpur area of Tangail sadar upazila said: “Ahead of Eid, we used to sell products worth Tk6 lakh to Tk7 lakh at every haat (weekly bazaar) in Karotia. But ahead of this Eid, we can sell products worth Tk2 lakh to Tk2.5 lakh in the weekly market.”

Munshi Maksudur Rahman, owner of Sureshar Sari Bitan in Mirpur area of Dhaka, told the Dhaka Tribune that every day they normally sold items produced in Tangail of Tk50,00, but this year they could not reach their selling target.

According to Tangail Taant Sari Traders’ Association, there are around 60,000 handloom units in the district. Of these, 8,305 are pit loom, 51,141 Chittorangon and 892 are power loom units. Around 3,25,000 workers are employed as Tangain sari weavers. l

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TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

Six held with 26 gold bars n FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong Police in a drive arrested six persons along with 26 gold bars worth about Tk1 crore from Forest Gate area in the port city’s Sholoshohar yesterday noon. The arrestees are Safiul Azam, 24, Nejam Uddin, 26, Md Sahajahan, 21, Md Bahdur, 30, Kaisar Bin Yusuf, 24 and Md Hasan, 32, confirm police sources.

Being tipped-off, police intercepted a private car and a CNG-run autorickshaw carrying two and four people respectively from Ruby Gate area and detained the six, said Chittagong Metropolitan Police (North Zone) Deputy Commissioner (DC) Paritosh Gosh.

Later police recovered eight gold bars from the authorickshaw while 18 bars from the car.

The weight of the bars is about 3kg.

Sources said Safiul landed in Chittagong airport from Dubai in the morning, who tactfully hid 18 gold bars in his waist belt.

During primary questioning, the six, from two different gangs, confessed they collected the gold bars from Hill View Residential area.

Earlier on June 23, Baizid police arrested two people along with 120 gold bars from Ruby Gate area and police believed the gold haul was delivered from Hill View area as well.

Police have seized the private car and investigating into the incidents to find the link between them, DC Paritosh continued. l

Online shopping gains ground n FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong

Online shopping is gaining popularity day by day among the youth in the port city of Chittagong, as Eid-ul-Fitr knocks at the door.

Famous brands and companies are using online shopping to digitally introduce their products to customers as online sales have seen an upsurge in comparison to average times.

Young people who want unusual, innovative and fashionable products, who wish to avoid hassles and not waste their time buying dresses or other products from the market are the primary customers, said online businessmen.

In addition, various brands have displayed their products, opening pages, on Facebook.

Nusrat Jebin Mou said: “I always shop online, where sellers provide me with their

products through courier as per my demand.”

“I have done my Eid shopping from different Facebook pages in the last two years,” added Mou, who is a BBA student at International Islamic University, Chittagong.

Kamrul Islam Bappy, a student of the computer science and engineering department at University of Science and Technology Chittagong, said: “Entrepreneurs offer stylish, affordable products which I can buy anytime.”

Sheikh Md Jahid Alam, operation manager of Ctgshop.com, told the Dhaka Tribune that hits on the website were surging, and they were also getting huge response from customers on their Facebook page ahead of Eid. “The customers, especially female, are ordering dresses ahead of Eid where they can pay us or deny us on seeing our products afterward.”

Ctgshop started its journey in January this

Fake food factories busted in Joypurhat; 7 held n Our Correspondent, Joypurhat

Police in an overnight drive have sealed off two counterfeit food factories in Nisabazar and Panchim Amtta areas in Akkelpur upazila sadar.

During the drive that continued till early yesterday starting from Sunday evening, the law enforcement personnel detained seven people including the owner on charge of the illegal activities and they seized goods worth about Tk7 lakh.

Police said they being tipped-off conducted the drive in two units of “Barno Food and Bevarage” belonged to one named Feruj Hossain and found various sorts of food items with fake brands.

When asked, Akkelpur police station OC Ashraful Islam confirmed the incident, saying they have launched a case against Feruj Hossain in this connection. l

WEATHER THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

TUESDAY, JULY 7 DHAKA TODAY

TOMORROW

SUN SETS 6:50PM

SUN RISES 5:17AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY 33 32 32 32 32 33 32 31

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

27 26 26 26 26 27 26 27

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

35.5ºC

24.3ºC

Comilla

Srimangal Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

3:47am 5:15am 12:03am 4:44pm 6:50pm 8:20pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

year, with around 15 different retail shops and brands having joined with their products under the e-shop, said the entrepreneur.

“We offer all types of products, including medicine,” he said.

The Ctgshop gets 40 to 50 orders from buyers on average via daily phone calls.

Not only Ctgshop but also a number of Facebook shop pages, especially dress-makers, are now doing brisk business.

Sabrina Jahan Nansi, founder of the Facebook shop page “Aboron” which mainly sells gold jewelery for women, said: “I get 30 to 40 jewelery orders in a month and my products are imported from India.”

Sabira is also the founder chairman of Online Entrepreneurs Association. She opened Aboron’s page on Facebook in 2011.

“We will deliver our products not only in Chittagong but across the country.” l

A mobile court raids a vermicelli factory in Sanarpar area, Dhaka yesterday. The factory was charged with a Tk100,000 fine for running production in an unhygenic environment MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Mobile court fined Tk3.6 lakh, three factories sealed n Tribune report

Mobile courts yesterday sealed three polythene-making factories in the capital and fined four restaurants and food product factories. The courts in separate drives fined them Tk3,60,000.

A mobile court of Rab 1, led by Magistrate Md Firoz Ahmed and Sub Adjutant Md Haliuzzaman in the city’s Uttara Model Town area, fined the owners of Safe the City, Falguni Restora and Broccoli Restora Tk1,10,000.

The drive took place around 1:30pm to 3:30pm. The court gave a fine of Tk20,000 to Safe the City, Tk30,000 to Falguni Restora and Tk60,000 to Broccoli Restora.

In another drive at Bangshal in the Armanitola area, a mobile court led by Rab 2 executive magistrate Md Helal Uddin, in the presence of Rab 2 deputy director Md Didarul Alam and environment directorate Director Md Almgir, sealed three polythene-making factories – Shihab Printing and Press, Makka Printing and Press and Mim Printing and Press. The court also fined Tk50,000 to the owner of each factory.

Besides, another mobile court led by Rab executive magistrate Golam Sarowar at around 3pm at Staff Quarter area of Demra fined a food product factory for manufacturing food in an unhealthy environment.

The court fined the owner of Bhuiyan Food Products in the Demra area Tk1,00,000. l

Woman hacked to death in Bagerhat n Tribune Report

A woman was hacked to death allegedly by her drug addicted step-son at Kartikdia village in Sadar upazila yesterday evening.

The deceased was identified as Hasina Begum, wife of Moksed Miah, a resident of the village.

Family members said Hasina’s step-son Faruk Sheikh, 35, was a drug addict and used to torture her for money.

In the evening, Faruk demanded money from Hasina. As Hasina refused to give the money, he hit her in the head with a sharp weapon, leaving her critically injured.

Injured Hasina was rushed to the Bagerhat Sadar Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

On information, police recovered the body.

Police also arrested Faruk in connection with the murder.

Mohammad Tozammel Haque, officer-incharge of Bagerhat Model Police Station, confirmed the incident. l

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Iran talks drama enters knife-edge final act n AFP, Vienna

The last act of high-stakes Iran nuclear talks began yesterday with foreign ministers seeking to resolve a few remaining issues blocking a historic accord on the eve of a final deadline.

With ministers back in Vienna on a 10th day of talks, both sides warned however that success in their quest to nail down an agreement ending a 13-year-old standoff was far from guaranteed.

On Sunday, US Secretary of State John Kerry, in Vienna since July 27 facing off against his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, said “it is now time” to seal the deal.

“While I completely agree... that we have never been closer, at this point this negotiation could go either way,” he said, with talks “not yet where we need to be on several of the most difficult issues.”

The point was rammed home by France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini as they returned to Vienna late Sunday.

“The main question is to know whether the Iranians will accept making clear commitments on what until now has not been clarified,” Fabius said, adding that “all the cards” were “now on the table.”

Yesterday, an Iranian official said that Tehran has “made a number of concessions and “shown a good amount of flexibility” and that “only a few items.. need to be tackled by the ministers.” The official, asking not to be identified, said however that “there are tough issues ... which were not resolved at expert level or the deputy minister level, those are not easy issues.”

Also present were Russian Foreign Minis-

ter Sergei Lavrov and China’s Wang Yi, who said yesterday that a “comprehensive agreement is within reach.”

“What is important is that today and tomorrow all parties, especially the United States and Iran, should make their final decisions as quickly as possible,” Wang said.

The US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany want Iran to sharply curb its nuclear programme to make any push to acquire the atomic bomb all but impossible, in return for sanctions relief. Iran denies wanting nuclear weapons, saying its activities are purely for peaceful purposes such as generating electricity and treating cancer patients.

The deal, capping almost two years of rollercoaster talks following the 2013 election of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, would build on a framework accord reached in April in Switzerland. l

Philippines confirms second MERS case n AFP, Manila

A foreigner who flew to the Philippines from the Middle East has become the second confirmed case of MERS in the country, the health department said yesterday, as a deadly outbreak in South Korea spreads alarm across Asia.

The 36-year-old male patient, whose nationality was not disclosed, has been put in isolation at a government facility to contain the virus, Health Secretary Janette Garin said.

“We can see he is getting better,” Garin told a news conference, adding the man had a “low viral load” indicating his infection was not extremely serious. “There is no reason to panic and we appeal to the public to respect the privacy of the patient.”

The man fell ill on July 2, having earlier arrived in the country from Saudi Arabia by way of Dubai, she said, declining to give more details.

A Filipina nurse who returned from Saudi Arabia in February became the first person in the Philippines to test positive for MERS but she later recovered.

Although Garin stressed that there had been no cases of MERS infection through casual contact in the Philippines, the health department was tracing people who may have had contact with the patient.

They include all those who were on the same flight as the infected man, Garin said. l

Kenya protesters warn Obama against bringing up gay rights during visit n AFP, Nairobi

Pope Francis greets the crowd of faithful from a popemobile in Quito, Ecuador, July 5. Francis landed in Ecuador’s capital Quito on Sunday to begin an eight-day tour of South America that will also include visits to Bolivia and Paraguay. On his first visit as pontiff to Spanish-speaking Latin America, the Argentina-born pope is scheduled to conduct masses in both Quito and the coastal city of Guayaquil before flying to Bolivia on Wednesday REUTERS

44 killed in bomb blasts in Nigeria’s Jos n AFP, Jos

China downplays Hillary Clinton claim it hacked US information

At least 44 people were killed in twin bomb blasts in the central Nigerian city of Jos, the country’s main relief agency said yesterday, after a bloody week of violence blamed on Boko Haram.

“At the moment we have 44 dead bodies and 47 others injured from the scenes of the two attacks,” said Mohammed Abdulsalam, from the National Emergency Management Agency.

Earlier, police in Plateau state, of which Jos is the capital, said at least 18 people had lost their lives in Sunday night’s attacks at a shopping complex and near a popular mosque.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks but religiously divided Jos has been targeted before by the Islamist militants. l

n Reuters, Beijing China yesterday downplayed an accusation

by US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton that Beijing had tried to “hack into everything that doesn’t move in America.”

At a campaign event in New Hampshire on Saturday, Clinton said the US must be “fully vigilant” about China’s military, adding that Beijing had stolen commercial secrets from defence contractors and “huge amounts of government information.”

Beijing has in the past expressed outrage over US government claims it engages in state-sponsored hacking of commercial in-

formation, saying China is itself a victim of hacking attacks.

Asked about Clinton’s remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the two sides had taken a “constructive spirit” in tackling the issue.

“China and the US have taken a constructive spirit and approach to strengthening dialogue and cooperation to jointly face various challenges in line with the interests of both sides in a way that is conducive to peace and prosperity in the region and the world,” Hua told a regular news briefing.

Clinton is the front-runner to win the Democratic nomination for the November 2016 presidential election. l

Kenyan anti-gay protesters marched in Nairobi yesterday warning US President Barack Obama not to speak about gay rights when he visits the country of his ancestors later this month.

“We do not want Obama and Obama, we do not want Michelle and Michelle,” they chanted. “We want Obama and Michelle and we want a child!” “It is important for us as Kenyans to know that the US is not God, and thus we cannot follow them blindly,” said protest organiser and evangelical Christian pastor Bishop Mark Kariuki.

Kariuki said Obama was welcome to visit “his father’s home” but should not “talk about the gay issue.”

The demonstration drew around 100 people, wearing T-shirts and waving posters with the slogan “Protect The Family.”

It came a day after Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto, who is on trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague accused of crimes against humanity, told worshippers at a church service that homosexuality was “against the plan” of God. “We have heard that in the US they have allowed gay relations and other dirty things,” Ruto said, according to the Daily Nation newspaper.

“I want to say as a Christian leader that we will defend our country Kenya, we will stand for our faith and our country.”

Homophobia is prevalent in many African countries and gay sex remains illegal in several nations, including Kenya where it was outlawed under British colonial legislation. l

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TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

Iraq jet accidentally bombs Baghdad, eight dead n AFP, Baghdad

A man carries an injured child found in the rubble after an Iraqi Sukhoi jet accidentally dropped a bomb in Ni’iriya district in Baghda yesterday

REUTERS

Germany dismisses Greece bid for new bailout after ‘No’ vote n AFP, Athens Germany yesterday dismissed Greece’s bid to clinch a quick new debt deal after the country delivered a resounding ‘No’ to more austerity, appearing little moved by the surprise resignation of the Greek finance minister.

Yanis Varoufakis, who had irritated his European counterparts with his blunt negotiating style, announced he was resigning at Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s request in a move to placate creditors.

His departure came a day after Greek voters overwhelmingly rejected more austerity required by international creditors under a bailout deal, heightening fears of a “Grexit.”

But Berlin said the departure of Varoufakis did not change anything.

“It is not about people but rather positions,” Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said, adding that there is currently “no basis to enter into negotiations on a new aid programme.”

“It is up to Greece” if it wants to stay in the eurozone, he said. “We are waiting to see which proposals the Greek government makes to its European partners.”

A Greek government source said Tsipras and Merkel had spoken by telephone and agreed that Athens’ proposals would be presented at a hastily called eurozone summit on Tuesday.

Berlin’s reluctance to reopen negotiations underlined a sharp divide within Europe over

the Greek crisis, with France, Italy and Spain adopting a more conciliatory tone.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said on his Facebook page that Europe needs to “talk not only about austerity and balance sheets but about growth, infrastructure,” while Spain said it was open to new negotiations for a new Greek bailout.

And although last week Greece defaulted on a 1.5 billion euro repayment to the IMF, effectively cutting them off from further financial assistance, the fund’s chief Christine Lagarde said the global crisis lender was “monitoring the situation” and stood “ready to assist Greece if requested to do so.”

As eurozone leaders weighed the cost of the vote, Tsipras also spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin by telephone as Athens scrambled to restore liquidity to its battered banking system.

After jubilant celebrations by ‘No’ voters following their 61 percent referendum victory, Greeks returned to the reality of queuing at ATMs for their daily withdrawal limit of 60 euros.

Fears were growing that the cash machines could soon run out despite government-enforced caps on withdrawals, and emergency funding was urgently needed from the European Central Bank to stave off economic collapse.

“I’m very afraid we will get no cash anymore in the coming days. They really have to fix it, end of this week at the latest, otherwise it’s collapsing,” pharmacist Lambros Vritios

said in reference to the banking system.

Despite its hardline approach to debt talks, Germany said eurozone leaders should discuss humanitarian aid for the austerity-fatigued country with widespread poverty and high unemployment.

“We must now cover their needs very quickly. The people there need help and we should not refuse it just because we’re unhappy with the result of the referendum,” German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said.

‘Greece in limbo’

Ahead of the eurozone summit, Europe scrambled to calm fears that the ‘No’ vote could end up splitting the bloc.

“The stability of the euro area is not in question,” European Commission vice president Valdis Dombrovskis told a press briefing.

“We have everything we need to manage the situation.”

A flurry of meetings also took place yesterday, with German and French finance ministers holding talks in Warsaw, while the Euro Working Group of top treasury officials was to meet in Brussels.

Holger Schmieding, analyst at Berenberg bank, also warned that the change in finance minister may be “more symbolic than a change of substance” as Varoufakis has not been leading the negotiations since April.

“Greece is in limbo until further notice, sliding towards Grexit unless Athens changes course,” he said. l

A bomb fell from an Iraqi Sukhoi warplane and exploded in eastern Baghdad yesterday because of a “technical problem,” killing at least eight people and wounding 17, officials said.

“One of the bombs became stuck because of a technical problem, and during its (the aircraft’s) return to base it fell on... houses in Baghdad Jadida,” security spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan said.

The pilot tried six times to drop the bomb, which became stuck while he was carrying out strikes against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, but was unable to dislodge it “mechanically or manually,” the defence ministry said in a statement. But the bomb came loose as the plane overflew Baghdad to land at its base, the ministry said. The explosion ripped through small houses in Baghdad Jadida, tearing down walls, smashing roofs and leaving bricks and other rubble piled in the street.

“Our house was destroyed,” said Ali Jassem, a 27-year-old interior ministry employee.

Jassem said that if an accidental bombing can happen in an area where there is no fighting, “God knows the extent of the events happening” in combat zones.

Iraq received Sukhoi Su-25 jets from Russia and Iran last year as it sought to bolster its fledgling air force to combat IS, which overran large parts of the country. l

Eurozone’s poorer nations take hard line on Greece n AFP, Bratislava

The eurozone’s poorer former communist nations, having themselves endured painful market reforms and austerity programmes, are taking a hard line on Greece after its people voted to reject bailout terms.

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia have long insisted they are too poor to pay for the mistakes made by wealthier Greece and that it should have stuck to the reforms and austerity measures laid out in its massive 240 billion euro ($273 billion) bailout.

“I hear some Greeks have pensions over 1,000 euros ($1,100) a month. That’s outrageous. I refuse to pay for their debt while they are making fortunes compared to my salary,” Bratislava waitress Martina Lelovicova told AFP yesterday in a country where the average monthly salary is 880 euros.

“It’s good news for the eurozone. Greeks should leave it, this will only make it healthier,” a Bratislava entrepreneur in his thirties who wished to remain anonymous told AFP of Sunday’s Greek referendum result.

Estonian President Toomas Hendrick Ilves tweeted yesterday that “Greece’s creditors (are) not just banks.”

“Eurozone countries poorer than Greece stand to lose up to 4.2 percent GDP,” he wrote.

Prime Minister Taavi Roivas for his part said Greece “now only has bad and worse choices left” and reforms “are unavoidable.”

“We expect the Greek government to understand the situation and show decisiveness and action within hours,” he added. l

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Anti-Lee video teen walks free n AFP, Singapore The Singaporean teenager behind online attacks on former premier Lee Kuan Yew was given a four-week jail term yesterday but freed in view of time served since being accused of offending Christians and posting an obscene image.

Amos Yee, 16, was jailed for three weeks

In this photograph taken on July 5, Afghan girls who fled from Kot district of the eastern Nangarhar’ province, following threats from the Islamic State group to leave their homes, look around a corner next to their temporary homes in Jalalabad. Authorities said more than 250 families had moved from Kot district of the eastern province to Jalalabad, with representatives of the displaced families telling AFP that Islamic State fighters had ordered families whose members were working for the government or Afghan National Security Forces to leave their homes AFP

Indian court grants mother child custody without father’s consent n AFP, New Delhi India’s top court ruled yesterday that an unwed mother could be the sole legal guardian of her child without naming the father or getting his consent, a verdict hailed by activists.

The single mother had approached the Supreme Court in New Delhi after two other courts told her that she needed to reveal the identity of the biological father and required his consent in order to be the legal guardian of her child.

Yesterday, she argued that she had been raising her fiveyear-old without any help from the father, who she said was married and not aware of the child’s existence, and did not wish to name him to avoid her child being “marred by any controversy regarding his paternity.”

Judges Vikramjit Sen and Abhay Manohar Sapre finally ruled that “in this scenario, the interest of the child would be best served by immediately appointing the appellant (the mother) as the guardian.”

“Furthermore, it is also pressed to the fore that her own fundamental right to privacy will be violated if she is compelled to disclose the name and particulars of the father of her child,” the court order said.

The current law in India makes it mandatory to get the consent of a child’s father when there is a petition for guardianship. Activists and lawyers applauded the latest ruling, describing it as a step forward for women’s rights.

“Great, needed to start bringing Guardianship laws in line with equality,” Karuna Nundy, a Supreme Court lawyer and women’s rights activist, posted on Twitter. l

for wounding religious feelings in an expletive-laden YouTube video comparing Lee Kuan Yew to Jesus. District Court judge Jasvender Kaur backdated the sentence to June 2, when Yee was already in remand, saying the offences “were not serious in nature but not trivial either.” “We are very happy and delighted that we have come to this,” Yee’s lawyer Alfred Dodwell told reporters. l

DT

EDITORIAL 11

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

INSIDE

Hullabaloo in the Maldives One Bangladeshi worker recently stated that his community was ‘afraid to go out on streets, they (Maldivians) are stabbing us and beating us’

PAGE 12

British summer, Rina Latif, and a national dress This is the British summer. This is holiday season. For me, only the late evenings and nights are fun now, but not when the burning sun stares down at you

PAGE 13

BIGSTOCK

Transparency begs the question.

Where is accountability?

T FIFA’s problems run deep Would things change with the replacement of a couple of bureaucrats at the head of FIFA?

PAGE 14

Be heard Write to Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email letters.dt@ dhakatribune.com

Send us your Op-Ed articles:

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

he state minister for power is right to express determination to end the corruption which delays or stops consumers from getting electricity connections.

His remarks were made in response to a survey for the power division, which found that 40% of rural customers are forced to pay a bribe to get electricity connections. Figures for cities were lower, but as the minister rightly says, any toleration of bribery is unacceptable.

The findings are no surprise to consumers who have become used to corruption and poor service. Power sector insiders, moreover, suggest the reality may be even worse as the study was conducted when demand was relatively low.

While we welcome openness in sharing data, the results simply confirm what the public already knows.

The same can be said about the finance minister’s candid disclosures in parliament last week, blaming political protection for the government’s failure to take punitive action against officials of state banks implicated in the Hallmark and Basic bank loan scandals.

Likewise the chief justice’s comments blaming faulty training and supervision of police and prosecutors, for the failures that allow accused human traffickers to go free, largely confirm what the public already knows.

Admitting to problems must be seen as only the first step towards fixing them, The institutionalised lack of enforcement of river safety rules which lies behind the high accident rates on ferries, is a key example of the chronic shortcomings which everybody is forced to live with, because noone is held properly accountable to fix them.

Transparency without accountability is not sufficient. The government needs to be more responsive to public concerns and hold wrongdoers to account if it is to fix recurring problems.

Admitting to problems must be seen as only the first step towards fixing them

DT

12 OPINION

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

Hullabaloo in the Maldives One Bangladeshi worker recently stated that his community was 'afraid to go out on streets, they (Maldivians) are stabbing us and beating us’

Abdulla Yameen’s tenure as prime minister doesn’t bode well for Bangladeshi migrants

n Selina Mohsin

A

ircrafts zoom towards the Maldives, carrying wealthy tourists to enchanting island resorts where they are welcomed with champagne and strawberries. They will be unaware of the political chaos in the capital of Maldives, Malé, as they enjoy their stay in bungalows over dazzling transparent waters of lagoons.

All is not well in this paradise of islands.

Democracy has turned to farce and autocracy. President Yameen became president through questionable means, violating articles 107, 262, 268 of the constitution. A new anti-terrorism bill grants him exclusive authority to declare people and groups as terrorists. Thus, former president Nasheed has been convicted and imprisoned for 13 years for terrorism, for his 2011 detention of the corrupt and ill-qualified Judge Abdulla.

Fair trial procedures were discarded to convict Nasheed, who was also portrayed as a threat to “traditional Islamic values.”

The global spotlight fell on Yameen. His “politicised judiciary” was condemned by countries across the world, yet the two judges who sentenced Nasheed have since been promoted to the High Court.

On May 1, the air was filled with pepper spray and tear gas from pitched battles between the protestors and the police when 20,000 people came out in the streets of Malé to seek the release of Nasheed and demand that the government negotiate with opposition parties. Police violence and arrests resulting in fear and intimidation has reduced the momentum of later demonstrations.

The Supreme Court’s sui motu has severely restricted the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) which had criticised the judiciary. UN experts pointed out that this ruling against HRCM is contrary to the tenets of the constitution and the country’s international obligations. Although Western nations have recommended that the country take steps to “ensure administration of

justice that conforms to international human rights standards through separation of powers and training of judges,” this has largely gone unheeded.

The political upheaval and authoritarian actions of the government have been accompanied by i) the rise of Islamic conservatism, ii) a politically influenced judiciary, iii) militarisation of the police, iv) close collaboration with China, and v) heightened xenophobia among the local people, increasing harassment of migrant workers.

The Maldivian constitutional assembly has declared Islam to be the state religion and that laws enacted in the country must follow the Sharia. The luxury island resorts that break the tenets of Islam were left unaffected. Perhaps for the assembly, God and Mammon can exist together happily where financial gains are concerned.

Religion among average Maldivians has gained impetus. It is estimated that by March, around 70 to 200 Maldivians had gone to Syria to join IS or other extremist groups.

Yameen began his tenure in 2013 with close collaboration with China by transferring the $511m airport project from India’s GMR Group to China. Now China is involved in a massive initiative to connect the capital Malé with the island of Hulhulé Malé. The next investment forum of Maldives will be held in China. India’s earlier confidence viewing the Indian Ocean as its backyard is being challenged.

Tourism necessitated building over-water bungalows and recreational facilities, and the wealth generated from tourism required extensive housing projects in Malé for the new Maldivian rich. The capital comprises only two sq-km, which has made rent there amongst the highest in the world. The construction boom increased demand for migrant workers, mostly Bangladeshis who earn around $100 or less. Their lives are unbearably painful.

REUTERS

In 2007, the government, then under Gayoom, prevented Bangladeshi workers from staging a demonstration in the capital by threatening to deport them. In 2009, gangs of youths assaulted Bangladeshi workers in the island of Kulhufushi. A man was castrated and killed. One worker was chained in a room while another was tied to a tree. The writer, then Bangladesh high commissioner, immediately called a press conference and threatened to pull out the workers. The situation improved for a time.

Yet again, in March 2015, thousands of Bangladeshi workers in luxury resorts were ordered to leave Maldives if a planned demonstration against alleged discrimination went ahead. The protest was organised after a series of attacks on Bangladeshi workers in luxury resorts.

Many Maldivians possess the worst characteristics of “small island mentality” -- insular, cruel, suffering from xenophobia, and treating labourers as inhuman beasts.

“Hate crimes” are common as there is a background of “entrenched discrimination” and hostility against workers, who contribute greatly to the economy.

One Bangladeshi worker recently stated that his community was “afraid to go out on streets, they (Maldivians) are stabbing us and beating us.” The current Bangladesh high commissioner has asked workers to refrain from demonstrating after he received assurances from the government that the security of the Bangladeshi labourers would be improved.

But the government has failed to implement established laws and is utilising the political turmoil to militarise the police service and enact legislation that strips away protection of marginalised groups and human rights enshrined in the constitution.

In 2014, a group of Bangladeshi workers employed by a Maldivian approached Transparency Maldives (TM) with complaints of ill-treatment and 13 hours of back-breaking, hazardous work. They had earlier com-

plained to the Labour Relations Authority and were met with reprisals. The electricity line of their living quarter was cut off. In desperation, they approached TM, who intervened and the electric line was restored. The case is under investigation with HRCM, but they are now severely restricted by the court.

The situation improved in 2009/10 under President Nasheed when the writer was able to legalise over 12,000 workers. But the condition has again deteriorated with the lack of good governance and increasing political strife.

The US Dept of State “Trafficking in Persons” Office last year claimed that migrant workers suffered “forced labour, confiscation of identity, and travel documents, with-holding or non-payment of wages, and debt bondage.”

Examination of the automatic formula “Xpat online system” shows that worker quotas issued under the formula are more than requested by employers. It also reveals that 19 websites for which quotas were issued were fictitious.

Furthermore, the immigration department has faced difficulties in implementing the PICES border control system donated in 2013 by the US. Bangladeshi agents, in collusion with employers, custom officers, and brokers in Maldives, are involved in fraudulent recruitment. With an approximate Maldivian population of only 350,000, there are an estimated 200,000 expatriate workers, most of whom are Bangladeshis. Over a quarter do not have legal status. Human trafficking is a lucrative industry and generates over $123m in illegal profits.

Now the political situation might at last show signs of improvement. David Cameron is the first head of government to demand Nasheed’s release. After his party supported a change in the constitution, Nasheed was transferred to house arrest for eight weeks, on medical advice. Yameen has spoken to the UN secretary general for help in resolving the political crisis. This is a positive move.

But what of the Bangladeshi migrant workers, toiling under extremely hazardous conditions and at least one dying every week? Will their situation improve? l Selina Mohsin is a former High Commissioner of Bangladesh to the Maldives.

DT

OPINION 13

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

British summer, Rina Latif, and a national dress n Nadeem Qadir

W

ould I like to flee to the luxury of air coolers in Dhaka to escape the heat of London? Well, that is something that has crossed my mind a couple of times this week, as the temperature rose to 36 degrees in London -the highest in decades.

During the daytime, it is not even pleasant in or outside my home or office. It is just uncomfortable and sweaty, as there are only fans to cool me. Oh Dhaka air coolers, I am missing you.

I knew before coming to London that summer was getting worse here -- possibly thanks to climate change -- but I did not realise that it will only be up to the table-fans to cool me.

It is time to have air coolers in our homes and offices. In fact, many already do.

Since coming here in May, I had been enjoying the cool and sometimes very chilly weather. But, over the past weeks, temperatures have soared and I am starting to dislike London. For the heat only, of course.

However, the coin has its other side.

The heat has given me the chance to dump the regular formal dress for work or other appointments.

I have to mention the talented fashion designer Rina Latif here, whose panjabis are just awesome.

They may be a bit expensive, but very comfortable, so I always used to buy a few from her boutique.

I took out my panjabis and have been wearing them everywhere -- ignoring warnings that I could not be “informal” in my official duties.

I am happy to say that the high commissioner and my other colleagues said I looked great, as did my British friends.

Ah great! Long live fashion! I have broken a taboo.

I must mention and give thanks to my friends Saifur Rahman and Kaniz Almas Khan, who did a story on me with the headline “The stylish newsman” some time back in their fashion magazine Canvas.

That story made me more fashion conscious.

Saifur has recently started a new venture

The parks are filled with tourists ... this is the British summer. This is holiday season. For me, only the late evenings and nights are fun now, but not when the burning sun stares down at you

My garden, which was just a lawn with overgrown grass, is now taking shape with roses and other flowers that I planted. The terrible heat is taking a toll on my garden and the greenery of London.

Unless profusely watered, everything turns yellow and the flowers start drooping.

The colours fade.

The parks are filled with tourists ... this is the British summer. This is holiday season.

For me, only the late evenings and nights are fun now, but not when the burning sun stares down at you.

I remember having tea in the lawn with British high commissioner to Peru, Anwar Choudhury, back in his official residence in Dhaka.

It was late November and a bit foggy.

His Excellency told me that it was like the British summer, and I am sure he has to bow down to climate change now and admit the situation is far worse.

It is not the same. I wonder how the present high commissioner, HE Robert Gibson, is doing in the Dhaka heat with all the air coolers!

of magazines, including Bangladesh’s first culinary one, called Roshuighar.

Many people asked me what the dress I was wearing was called, during my walkabouts or visits in London. They praised it (Rina Latif, that means you) and just took it as a matter of fact that it was our national dress.

When I said it wasn’t, they wanted to know what our national outfit was.

Well, I have written before that Bangladesh needs to establish a national dress. I hope we will have it sooner rather than later.

But for me, there is nothing better than these panjabis, which can be elegant as well as comfortable depending on how you wear it. Fashion wins, and I am glad. London heat, thank you for that.

Last but not the least, heat reduces food intake, and for those who want to slim down like me -- welcome to London! l Nadeem Qadir, a senior journalist, is Press Minister to the Bangladeshi High Commission in London and a UNCA Dag Hammarskjold Scholar in journalism.

Dhaka’s air coolers beat London’s heat

BIGSTOCK

DT

14 OPINION

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

FIFA’s problems run deep Is the world’s most popular sport run by a sort of mafia?

n Sushovan Dhar

W

orld soccer’s leading body, FIFA, is once again rocked by allegations of bribery and vote-trading. A number of top honchos were arrested for suspected corruption and President Sepp Blatter resigned amidst heavy criticism. The image of the international football federation has been, over the years, increasingly tarnished by legitimate charges. FIFA’s actus reus includes all kinds of accusations, from corruption to money-laundering to electoral manipulation.

In spite of raging controversies, Blatter and his entourage remained, as this “sovereign” body is not answerable to anyone.

Corruption rules

For decades, FIFA has been mired in corruption, acting as a sort of mafia whose officials manipulated the allocation of the World Cup, promoting self-interest entwined with that of huge business corporations, ie “sponsors.”

It would also be naive to assume that such finagles are limited in the cases of Russia and Qatar. FIFA officials have been embroiled in accusations of corruption for decades. This is only being confirmed now officially, indicting top individuals with fraudulence, felony, and misappropriation.

The Brazilian strongman, João Havelange, was FIFA’s president for two-and-a-half decades. From 1974 to 1998, he ruled the body with an iron fist. A Swiss court, in 2013, accused him of receiving pay-offs amounting to millions of American dollars from different financial partners.

Havelange would be remembered for introducing the process of distributing handouts to its member national associations since being elected. The money for “member-country sustenance” ensured that the officials were re-elected time and again with no member associations questioning FIFA’s dark side. Blatter remained the Brazilian’s strongest accomplice and a faithful assistant for most of the period. Havelange resigned from his post in 1998 and was exonerated.

Commercialisation by FIFA

The current criticism of FIFA by the media is largely limited to the corruption of the FIFA leadership. What evades our scrutiny is that FIFA is a pioneer of the commercialisation of football in general, and the World Cup in particular. FIFA is run like a mercantile association. It functions as a chamber of commerce and is in its core a capitalist group.

FIFA has most effectively milked the common people’s passion, sentiments and affections for the most popular sport in the world. Between 2011-2014, it received $5.718bn, mostly for television rights and advertising contracts of which $338m remained as profit. In 2014, it declared a capital of $1.523bn. However, it hardly pays any taxes, as its headquarters are in Switzerland, which is largely exempt from tax. During the World Cup in Germany in 2006, it forced full tax-exemption from the German government.

These revenues and the collaborations

Removing Sepp Blatter and his cronies isn’t enough

REUTERS

ish state for many decades.

Whither FIFA?

Would things change with the replacement of a couple of bureaucrats at the head of FIFA? Certainly not; these are not going to be anything more than cosmetic changes and would only aid the discredited association with a face-lift

with various major sponsors who are accorded exclusive rights for advertising and marketing at the World Cups are the material basis for kickbacks, bribery, and all the corrupt machinations. And FIFA, with its partners, patronises vested interests for economic and commercial expansions.

It is nice to see the World Cup being held at different parts of the world, the game is enjoyed by more people, and footballing standards pick-up in different corners. Therefore, a World Cup in Asia or Africa is a matter of immense interest to us. However, for FIFA, the prime motivations are the commercial interests and markets. Therefore, countries are rewarded with the World Cup tournament -- even the African and the Arabian -- regardless of the fact whether there is a footballing culture or any mass appeal.

Authoritarian culture

After commercialisation, the second, essential fundament for corruption at FIFA is their opaque and authoritarian structure. Their system of wages, allowances, and bonuses is completely murky. In 2011, FIFA spent at least $97m for such payments, for which it is

publicly not accountable.

Moreover, FIFA’s decision-making is done by a small clique of bureaucrats where the mass of fans has no control or influence.

FIFA’s authoritarian system clones national associations along their lines. If they act belligerent they risk facing threats, and sanctions, even undermining the country’s legal systems where they are based.

In sum, with the total control of the sport, FIFA has established a reactionary culture of sanctions in football. Dictatorial regimes are often courted (think of the Argentine military junta in 1978), corrupt politicians are accommodated, and product advertising is omni-present.

However, political messages and legitimate or moral demands from players or fans are ruthlessly punished -- an utter mockery of democracy and the freedom of expression.

This prohibitive culture continues at the national levels as well. In the Spanish Cup final of 2015, FC Barcelona and Atletic Bilbao were punished as their fans whistled at the Spanish anthem. The Catalan and the Basque people have been fighting for secession and seeking to liberate themselves from the Span-

Would things change with the replacement of a couple of bureaucrats at the head of FIFA? Certainly not; these are not going to be anything more than cosmetic changes and would only aid the discredited association with a face-lift. Probably the new top officials are trying to give themselves a clean image and make FIFA a little more transparent.

A fair number of scams and acts of patronising might be unearthed but that would not fundamentally change the organisation.

FIFA, with its current structure, would continue to work like a business corporation. Indeed, it is a giant trans-national corporation (TNC) and works for the benefit of capital as all capitalist corporations do.

Nothing will change as long as their present structures remain intact. A reform of FIFA is a far-fetched dream. For sure, the linchpin of corruption, Sepp Blatter and his cohorts, need to be removed, but it will not solve the problems plaguing football’s leading body.

This hugely authoritarian and commercial enterprise can be dismantled if it is only replaced by an international football association which is controlled by genuine football fans and not by giant business corporations and their agents. That task seems difficult but not impossible. The necessary financial resources can be raised through grants by countries, which can be raised by capital taxation of the giant multi-national companies.

For the sake of the game, the exclusivity of the FIFA officials and the corporations have to be ended, sooner or later. l Sushovan Dhar is an activist based in Kolkata.

16

Life after default: Malaysia’s tips for Greece

Britain’s banks call on government to phase out industry levy

17

19

Stocks end flat with volatility

20

DT

Business

15

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

Corporate tax cut for nine new banks may create disparity

Export records lowest growth in 13 years n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

The country’s export earnings posted a 3.35% growth in the just concluded fiscal year, which is the lowest in last 13 years.

Back-to-back political unrest in the last two years, economic slowdown in the export destination countries and devaluation of Euro against dollar are attributed to the fall of export growth.

According to the provisional data of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh earned $31.19bn in the financial year 2014-15, which is 3.35% higher compared to $30.18bn in FY2013-14.

Bangladesh set an export target of $33.2bn for the last fiscal year, but it failed to reach the target by around 6%. It earned $31.19bn.

Trade analysts and manufacturers identified external and internal reasons for slow export growth.

Political unrest has been named as domestic problem while global economic recession and fluctuation of demand and exchange rate external.

“The back-to-back political unrest in the last two years and industrial accident cast shadow on export earnings as it hindered production at factories and delayed shipments,” Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB) President Abdus Salam Murshedy told the Dhaka Tribune.

Due to violent political programme in the first part of the year, manufacturers especially in the RMG sector failed to attract buyers to capture orders, said Salam.

EXPORT GROWTH TREND 50 Factors affecting growth ● Political unrest ● Devaluation of Euro against dollar ● Rise of production cost ● Fluctuation of demands for economic slow down ● Inspection for improving safety standards ● Image crisis for industrial accidents ● Losing competitiveness to competitors ● Less production due to factory closure

40

30

41.5%

21.6% 20

16.1%

15.9% 15.7%

13.8%

10

11.3% 11.7%

10.3%

9.4% 0

5.9%

4.1% 2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

The exchange rate, particularly the devaluation of Euro against dollar, might have impacted the export earnings, he added.

If the budget is implemented and business people are entertained with gas and electricity connections to establish new factories, the situation can be overcome, he added.

“Fluctuation of demand for clothing products in exporting destinations due to economic slowdown, and fluctuation of exchange rate, which lowers competitiveness acted as the external factors for slow growth of export

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

3.35% 2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

earning,” Khondaker Golam Moazzem, additional research director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, told the Dhaka Tribune.

While competitors like Pakistan are doing better in the EU countries because of GSP, plus trade facility, he said.

On the other hand, the buyers might have placed less orders to Bangladesh due to lack of sufficient progress in compliance issues, and also due to political unrest, said Moazzem.

He expressed doubt about reaching the export target of $50bn by 2021 if the present

situation prevails in the country.

To overcome the situation, all stakeholders have to be strategic to ensure better compliance and send a good message to the global buyers, he suggested.

“The compliance issue that led to the rise of production cost and the implementation of new wage structure also acted as a catalyst for the slowdown of export earning,” BGMEA President Atiqul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

He explained why RMG orders are shifting to another country.

It will take 10 years to rebuild image that had been tarnished in the 92-day political unrest in the first part of the year, Atiqul said.

Trade analysts and sector people put emphasis on the increase of productivity to deal with the production cost and to remain competitive in the global market.

They urged the government to pave the way for setting up of new business to tame unemployment.

A good number of factories have been shut due to compliance issues that dented production and rendered workers jobless, said Salam.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, EPB Vice-Chairman Subhashish Bose also blamed external and internal factors for the slow export growth.

He also held the devaluation of Euro against dollar responsible for the slowdown.

“We are going to set 4% growth target for the current fiscal year.”

The government has already made a draft to set $33.56bn export target for the current fiscal year. l

Deposit rate falls below 7% in May Trend of banks' deposit rates (weighted average) 9.0%

Series 1

8.5% 8.0% 7.5%

July 11 Sep 11 Nov 11 Jan12 Mar12 May12 Jul 12 Sep12 Nov 12 Jan 13 Mar13 May 13 Jul 13 Sep 13 Nov 13 Jan 14 Mar 14 May 14 Jul 14 Sep 14 Nov 14 Jan 15 Mar 15 May 15

7.0%

n Tribune Report The weighted average interest rate on deposit came down to four-year low at 6.99% in May due to lack of credit demand, and increased foreign loan inflow.

The deposit rate was 6% in 2010 and the weighted average rate stood at 6.08% at the end of the year, according to the Bangladesh Bank data.

The lending rate also continued to fall for the past one year, but the falling rate was relatively less than the deposit rate.

The interest rate on advance stood at 11.82%, slightly lower from 11.88% in April. The lending rate was 11.34% at the end of 2010 while the banking sector experienced the lowest deposit rate.

The country’s banking sector is reluctant to collect deposit as it has to pay more interest to depositors than they can earn from lending due to sluggish investment climate, said a senior executive of Bangladesh Bank.

Though political crisis has ebbed, private sector credit growth has slightly improved to 13% from 12% from February because the business confidence is still in confusion, he said.

The major earning source of the state-owned banks are now the government bonds and bills instead of lending, said a senior executive of a private bank.

The government borrowing that was set at over Tk38,000 crore from the banking system to meet the deficit of new budget for 2015-16 will be blessing for the banks as it will be the chance for their earning by using huge excess liquidity, investing in bonds and bills, he said.

The interest rates that ranged between 12% and 14% on saving instruments have recently been slashed down to between 11% and 13% by the government.

The depositors are now looking towards share market to get relatively more returns by investing their money.

Moreover, the government shows positive mood towards

the share market by declaring several incentives which would boost investment, believe the retail investors.

The investment ceiling as a percentage of total income has been increased to 30% from 20%. In that case, the proposed tax rebate would be 15% against the existing 10%.

The listed companies also got corporate tax reduction to 40% from 42.5% in the new budget which eventually impacted positively the share market as it would enable the companies to declare handsome dividend, said analysts. l

DT

16 BUSINESS

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

Life after default: Malaysia’s tips for Greece n Andy Mukherjee

had creditors breathing down your neck, demanding large primary surpluses in a shrinking economy. My Finance Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, had turned equally austere.

He went into 1998 targeting a fiscal surplus.

That’s the kind of lunacy IMF used to preach in those days.

As he prepares for a referendum that could determine Greece’s future in the euro zone, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras could seek some inspiration from Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s leader during the 1998 financial crisis. Breakingviews imagines a conversation between the two.

AT: Wait until you meet Wolfgang Schaeuble.

MM: I take no pleasure in your misery. But like yours, our economy needed stimulus, not pain. So I sacked Anwar, and started running big budget deficits. I dropped the capital controls, and creditors returned.

Today, foreigners own 29% of our sovereign debt.

AT: Good afternoon Dr Mahathir. Thank you for taking my call.

MM: It’s good to hear from you Mr. Tsipras.

Allow me to congratulate you on your brinksmanship. You’ve surely outdone me, but I’m a little scared you have gone too far.

AT: Have no fears. The Germans will fall into line after the Greek people reject the creditors’ preposterous offer on Sunday.

MM: If that’s the case, then why are you calling?

AT: Nobel laureates like Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz keep telling me Greece would be better off quitting the single currency and returning to the drachma. You were in a similar boat in 1998, when you pegged your currency after a steep devaluation and rejected the International Monetary Fund.

What’s your advice?

MM: Well, I wouldn’t start from here. Though we suffered a recession it was nothing like the 26 percent drop in GDP that your country has endured in the last seven years. Besides, our external debt was 49 percent of GDP in 1998; yours is almost five times as large. It was relatively easy for me to reject the IMF’s advice because we didn’t need their money.

AT: Is it the situation hopeless for Greece?

AT: Hang on, didn’t you send your finance minister to jail?

MM: Not entirely. Your current account has swung into surplus. If you stop paying off your international debt, you could thumb your nose at foreign creditors and run a self-sufficient economy on drachmas.

AT: What should we do with the new currency?

MM: Fix it at a low rate against the euro. I imposed capital controls after all the money that wanted to leave Malaysia had already fled. Then I pegged the currency against the U.S. dollar, and we enjoyed an export boom.

AT: We don’t have much to export, but we do have tourism.

MM: Yes, and it’s your golden goose. Your creditors initially wanted to slap a 23 percent value-added tax on hotels. That was too

much for tourists paying in euros. But they’ll hardly notice when they’re settling the bill in devalued drachmas. Besides, you’ll need money to fix the banks.

AT: Do we have to? We’ve managed to ignore the problem for five years.

MM: True, but only with the help of the European Central Bank. Besides, the last time I checked, Greek banks were closed. We realised that recapitalising Malaysian banks would cost 12 percent of GDP, and made the money available swiftly. Did I bail out some cronies in the process? You’ll have to ask my enemies.

AT: This is all very helpful. What about fiscal policy?

MM: It should be expansionary. You have

MM: I did, and I don’t regret it. Dissent at that crucial time could have been costly. I don’t think you need to lock up Yanis Varoufakis.

Though it would be interesting to see how he copes with a “prisoners’ dilemma” in real life.

AT: Thank you very much for your time Dr Mahathir. Is there anything you want to ask me?

MM: Just one question. What exchange rate did you have in mind for the new drachma?

I’ve always fancied owning a small Greek island.

AT: Let’s see what happens on Sunday first.

MM: Yes, it’s important to respect the democratic process. l Andy Mukherjee is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The article was initially published at Reuters.

Asia markets sink after Greece votes ‘No’ to austerity Oil tumbles in Asia n AFP, Hong Kong Asian stocks mostly fell yesterday after Greek voters rejected more austerity demands from creditors, fuelling fears the country will crash out of the eurozone, but the euro recovered from initial losses as dealers wait for European leaders’ next move.

In a separate drama, Chinese shares surged almost eight percent in the first few minutes of trade after Beijing introduced measures to support mainland markets, which have plunged by a third over the past three weeks.

Despite warnings from European leaders that Sunday’s referendum was effectively an in-out poll on the euro, more than 60% of the voters heeded the government’s call to vote “No”, sending traders running for the doors.

Tokyo fell 2.18% in the afternoon, Seoul shed 1.83 percent, Sydney lost 1.18% and Wellington was off 0.98%.

Shanghai opened up 7.82% before but eased to sit 2.16% higher by lunch. Hong Kong climbed 0.70% in early trade - riding the coattails of the mainland gains - but ended the morning session 3.18% lower.

In Japanese trade the euro was at $1.1038 and 135.20 yen, clawing back some of the losses suffered in New York electronic trade Sunday, when it fell to $1.0963 and 134.91 yen.

Shinya Harui, currency analyst at Nomura

Securities in Tokyo, said: “There is no particular reason for the euro to be holding up, but markets are still assessing the spill-over risks in the case of a Greek exit from the eurozone.”

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had campaigned against accepting debt reform proposals from its creditors - the ECB, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - claiming a “No” vote would strengthen his hand in negotiations.

‘Very regrettable’

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande hastily called a European summit for Tuesday after stating the Greeks’ decision must “be respected”.

German and French finance ministers were set for talks beginning in Warsaw at 0800 GMT yesterday, while the Euro Working Group of top treasury officials will meet in Brussels.

But Jeroen Dijsselbloem, leader of the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers, who had warned ahead of the poll that a “No” vote would likely lead to Greece exiting the single currency, termed the result “very regrettable”.

And German vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel took an even dimmer view, saying Tsipras had “torn down the last bridges which Europe and Greece could have crossed to find a compromise”.

He added that, despite Tsipras’ assertions, a fresh round of bailout talks now were “difficult to imagine”.

European Commission president JeanClaude Juncker was to speak to the European Central Bank (ECB) and eurozone finance ministers on Sunday and yesterday.

But analysts warned the decision had likely put Athens on course to exit the eurozone.

Nomura’s Harui said: “I personally think the chance (of the Greek exit) is very high, at around 70-80%.

“A Greek exit would shake confidence in what had been 19-nation solidarity, which could fuel anti-euro movements within Europe.”

And Mark Lister, head of private wealth research at Craigs Investment Partners in Wellington, told Bloomberg News: “There’s a whole range of unpredictable outcomes.

“It’s surprising that the ‘No’ vote won so convincingly, certainly more decisively than the polls had suggested. This puts us in limbo for so much longer and it’s very negative for risk sentiment.”

On oil markets, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for August delivery fell $1.97 to $54.96 a barrel and Brent crude for August eased 56 cents to $59.76.

Gold fetched $1,168.21 compared with $1,168.43 late Thursday. l

as Greek vote shakes world markets n AFP, Singapore

Oil fell in Asia yesterday as investors digested the implications of Greece rejecting tough austerity demands from creditors which could send the debt-strapped nation crashing out of the eurozone, analysts said.

Greek voters overwhelmingly rejected the bailout terms demanded by international creditors, with official figures from Sunday’s referendum.

“The result of the Greek referendum has thrust the world into uncharted territory,” Singapore’s DBS Bank said in a market commentary.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in August plummeted $2.10 to $54.83 a barrel and Brent crude tumbled 75 cents to $59.57 in afternoon Asian trade.

“With the No result announced in early Asian trade, we are seeing big mark downs as markets open,” said Nicholas Teo, market analyst at CMC Markets in Singapore.

He said the result of the Greek vote could lead to either a watering down of the bailout demands by creditors or to a “full blown” exit by Athens from the eurozone currency union. l

DT

BUSINESS 17

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

Euro steady as investors weigh risks of Greek exit n AFP, Tokyo

The Canary Wharf financial district is seen at dusk in east London

REUTERS

Britain’s banks call on government to phase out industry levy n Reuters, London Britain’s banks have called upon the government to phase out the bank levy, saying it is damaging the competitiveness of the industry and causing them to lose business to overseas rivals.

The levy was initially introduced in 2011 not only to raise money but also to discourage banks from risky borrowing, replacing a previous one-off tax on bankers’ bonuses by the Labour government following the 2007-9 financial crisis.

Its emphasis has changed to focus on generating revenue with Britain’s finance minister George Osborne saying in March banks needed to make a greater contribution to repair the country’s finances.

Osborne increased the levy in March to 0.21% of a bank’s assets from 0.16% previously. That lifted the amount the government aims to raise from the tax to 3.4bn pounds ($5.3bn) a year from 2.5 billion.

Anthony Browne, chief executive of the British Bankers Association, said in a letter to Osborne on June 23 that the government should consider ways of reforming the tax.

“Proposals to consider could include the levy to be capped in terms of its rate and a sunset clause introduced so that banks can begin to plan for a future without the levy,” he said.

The Chancellor will outline his economic plans in an emergency budget on Wednesday following May’s general election. The Treasury would not comment on whether he will address the issue of the levy, which was a pledge in the Conservative party’s election manifesto.

Europe’s biggest bank HSBC has said the levy will be a factor in whether it decides to keep its headquarters in the UK. It plans to make a decision this year.

“The levy is already causing damage,” Browne said in his letter to Osborne. “For example, activities are being booked outside London and marginal investment decisions

are seeing activity placed outside the UK.” Browne said banks wanted more certainty around the issue and assurance that banks were part of broader plans to make sure the UK remained competitive on taxation.

“This is important not only from the perspective of the location of international banking and capital markets activities, but also in terms of impacting upon the provision of credit to the domestic economy,” he said.

Osborne struck what some bankers believed to be a conciliatory tone in his annual speech to bankers in the City of London last month, saying he wanted Britain to be the best place for global banks to be headquartered and talking of a “new settlement” for the industry.

Other suggestions for reform of the levy have included the possibility of making it a tax on UK banking assets only, which would mean those with a high proportion of overseas assets, such as HSBC and Standard Chartered, would not be unfairly penalized. l

Japan policymakers pledge to temper potential market volatility after Greek upset n Reuters, Tokyo Japanese policymakers on Monday pledged to work closely to guard against financial market volatility after Greek voters rejected euro zone austerity measures.

“The direct economic and financial relations between Japan and Greece are limited.

But government and Bank of Japan officials have held discussions early this morning” to

ensure Japan responds smoothly to any market response as needed, BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said in a statement.

Finance Minister Taro Aso also said that while Japan was in close contact with overseas policymakers on the Greek referendum, it was confident that Europeans have sufficient safeguards in place to respond to market disruptions.

“I understand that European countries ...

are calling on the Greek government to act responsibly” in the wake of the referendum results, Aso said in a statement.

The yen rose against the dollar and euro in early trade after Greece voters rejected European bailout terms by a wider margin than expected.

Japanese financial institutions have very limited exposure to Greek debt, while Japan’s direct trade with Greece is also minimal. l

The euro held its ground in Asia yesterday despite the odds of a Greek exit from the eurozone spiking after the country rejected creditors’ austerity demands in a landmark weekend referendum.

The 19-nation currency was changing hands at $1.1027 and 134.82 yen, down from $1.1102 and 136.70 yen Friday.

However, it clawed back some of the losses suffered in New York electronic trade Sunday, when it fell to $1.0963.

The dollar fetched 122.28 yen against 123.05 yen on Friday. The uncertainty stoked yen-buying as investors flocked to the Japanese currency, a safe haven in times of turmoil.

“It’s hard to see how risk assets can rally for an extended period in this kind of toxic environment, at least in the near-term,” said Chris Tedder, a research analyst at Forex.com in Sydney.

“We need more clarity on how this is going to play out; the real test will come when European markets” open, he added.

There were widespread fears that the euro would plunge in the aftermath of a “No” vote, but analysts said investors were still in the process of weighing the broader impact of the shock result.

“There is no particular reason for the euro to be holding up, but markets are still assessing the spill-over risks in the case of a Greek exit from the eurozone,” said Shinya Harui, currency analyst at Nomura Securities in Tokyo.

“I personally think the chance (of the Greek exit) is very high, at around 70-80 percent,” he added.

“A Greek exit would shake confidence in what had been 19-nation solidarity, which could fuel anti-euro movements within Europe.”

‘Worst possible outcome’

As Greece was unable to repay a key International Monetary Fund debt, it cannot borrow money from international institutions and will be shut out of financial markets, Harui warned.

“Inflation risks (in Greece) are very high...

People voted ‘No’ without being fully aware of the ensuing risks,” he said.

The government of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had campaigned against accepting debt reform proposals from its creditors - the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - claiming a “No” vote would strengthen his hand in negotiations.

But Jeroen Dijsselbloem, leader of the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers, who had warned ahead of the poll that a “No” vote would likely lead to Greece exiting the single currency, described the result as “very regrettable”.

“The ‘No’ vote is the worst possible outcome from an ‘uncertainty’ perspective,” Ray Attrill, global co-head of forex strategy at National Australia Bank, said in a commentary. “’Grexit’ risk has clearly risen sharply, and is now the singularly most likely scenario following the referendum.

“Of one thing we can be sure: the ‘moral hazard’ risks arising from immediately granting Greece a soft deal with substantial debt relief... makes this a less likely scenario than Grexit,” he added. l

DT

18 BUSINESS

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

News, analysis and recent disclosures BIFC: No dividend, AGM: 03.09.2015, Record Date: 23.07.2015.

SANDHANINS: 22% stock, AGM: 01.09.2015, Record Date: 12.08.2015.

PRIMELIFE: 15% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 31.08.2015, Record Date: 14.07.2015.

UTTARAFIN: 20% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 29.07.2015, Record date: 08.07.2015.

NATLIFEINS: 45% cash , AGM: 09.08.2015, Record Date: 30.06.2015.

RUPALILIFE: 10% stock, AGM: 10.08.2015, Record Date: 09.07.2015.

ASIAINS: 10% cash, AGM: 11.07.2015, Record Date: 23.06.2015.

LAFSURCEML: 5% interim cash. Record date for entitlement of interim dividend: 02.07.2015.

FAMILYTEX: 10% stock dividend, EGM & AGM: 07.08.2015, Record Date: 09.07.2015.

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

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.

TAKAFULINS: 12% stock dividend, AGM: 25.07.2015, Record Date: 21.05.2015.

SALVOCHEM: 10% stock dividend, AGM: 27.07.2015, Record date: 29.06.2015.

GHCL: 10% cash dividend for the shareholders except Directors, AGM: 09.07.2015, Record Date: 18.05.2015.

STANCERAM: (Repeat): (Q3-Unaudited): Net Profit after tax from Jan’15 to March’15 was Tk. 0.69 million with EPS of Tk. 0.11 as against Tk. 2.97 million and Tk. 0.46 respectively for the same period of the previous year. Whereas Net Profit after tax from July’14 to March’15 was Tk. 2.39 million with EPS of Tk. 0.37 as against Tk. 6.38 million and Tk. 0.99 respectively for the same period of the previous year. Accumulated profit/(loss) of the Company was Tk. (1.56) million as on 31.03.2015.

MJLBD: The Company has informed that the bonus shares and cash dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2014 has been credited to the respective shareholders’ BO Accounts and Bank Accounts respectively.

SQURPHARMA: As per Regulation 30 of DSE Listing Regulations, the Company has informed that a meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on July 14, 2015 at 2:00 PM to consider, among others, audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended on March 31, 2015.

ZAHINTEX: News:National Credit Ratings Limited (NCR) has assigned the surveillance rating of the Company as “A” in the long term based on audited financial statements of the Company up to June 30, 2014.

Dividend/AGM FAREASTLIF: 35% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 16.08.2015, Record Date: 23.07.2015.

STYLECRAFT: 60% cash, AGM: 27.08.2015, Record Date: 30.07.2015.

Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

Company Imam Button -Z Sonali Ansh -A Standard Ceramic -A Olympic Accessories -N Samata LeatheR -Z Monno Ceramic -B BD Fixed Income MF-A Savar Refractories-Z United Insur -A Eastern Cables-A

Closing (% Change) 10.00 9.97 9.96 9.90 9.77 9.75 9.09 8.64 7.96 7.67

CSE GAINER Company 7th ICB M F-A Monno Ceramic -B Bangladesh Lamps -A Standard Ceramic -A Olympic Accessories -N Kay & Que (BD) -Z Imam Button -Z Samata LeatheR -Z Midas Financing-Z Phoenix Insur -A

Closing (% Change) 10.00 10.00 9.99 9.93 9.93 9.91 9.89 9.68 8.33 8.29

DSE LOSER Company PragatiLife Insu. -Z R. N. Spinning-Z ICB AMCL 1st NRB -A Stylecraft -A Eastern Lubricants -A Padma Islami Life*-N Phoenix Insur -A Reliance1 M.F.-A Prime Bank 1st MF-A Union Capital -A

Closing (% Change) -9.37 -7.03 -6.19 -5.95 -5.77 -4.79 -4.24 -4.05 -4.00 -3.95

CSE LOSER Company GreenDeltaInsu -A R. N. Spinning-Z BDCOM Online-A Kohinoor Chem -A 6th ICB M F-A Prime Bank 1st MF-A FAR Chemical-N Beach Hatchery -A United Power-N Zahintex Ind.-N

Closing (% Change) -7.60 -6.69 -6.32 -6.22 -4.76 -4.08 -3.90 -3.72 -3.36 -3.07

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

DSE key features July 6, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka)

DSE GAINER

Sector

4,233.17 113,185,199 103,149

Traded Issues

322

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

105

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

211

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

6

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,557.89

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

31.00

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 178.37 88.77 27.36 731.80 205.54 464.85 16.08 340.79 942.61 24.83 89.64 27.60 76.63 213.10 27.71 18.93 27.53 141.19 300.60 289.25 0.01

% change 4.21 2.10 0.65 17.29 4.86 10.98 0.38 8.05 22.27 0.59 2.12 0.65 1.81 5.03 0.65 0.45 0.65 3.34 7.10 6.83 0.00

Million Taka 9.56 3.89 1.13 80.71 9.02 53.80 31.11 45.55 2.66 6.13 3.23 3.05 17.36 3.28 0.77 2.47 7.35 44.74 24.38 0.06

Average (% Change) 8.10 7.54 9.96 3.67 9.78 12.74 8.50 8.64 10.62 5.67

Average (% Change) 10.00 10.00 9.99 9.93 3.16 9.91 7.56 9.68 6.67 8.29

Average (% Change) -7.29 -7.37 -5.87 -5.18 3.02 -4.15 -3.14 -3.53 -5.37 -3.63

Average (% Change) -7.60 -5.13 -6.14 -6.22 -4.76 -2.86 -4.62 -3.09 -4.69 -1.88

CSE

ClosingAvg. 9.61 114.07 50.80 64.99 29.19 30.08 6.00 44.00 25.00 129.23

ClosingAvg. 93.50 28.60 111.20 45.40 64.35 12.20 9.67 23.80 12.80 23.50

ClosingAvg. 81.36 24.13 21.16 1000.00 343.40 29.99 22.80 7.11 4.76 14.61

ClosingAvg.

% change 2.73 1.11 0.32 23.04 2.57 15.36 0.00 8.88 13.01 0.76 1.75 0.92 0.87 4.96 0.94 0.22 0.70 2.10 12.77 6.96 0.02

46.20 24.21 25.22 347.00 60.00 4.75 44.77 18.21 159.40 16.18

Closing

DHIGH

9.90 116.90 50.80 66.60 29.20 30.40 6.00 44.00 24.40 132.00

Closing

9.90 116.90 50.80 66.60 29.20 30.40 6.00 44.00 24.50 133.90

DHIGH

93.50 28.60 111.20 45.40 66.40 12.20 10.00 23.80 13.00 23.50

Closing 79.30 23.80 21.20 984.30 344.70 29.80 22.60 7.10 4.80 14.60

Closing 46.20 23.70 25.20 347.00 60.00 4.70 44.30 18.10 158.20 15.80

Million Taka 187.93 92.66 28.49 812.51 214.55 518.65 16.08 371.90 988.16 27.49 95.76 30.83 79.68 230.46 30.98 19.70 30.00 148.54 345.33 313.63 0.07

DLOW 9.00 107.50 50.80 59.70 29.10 28.90 6.00 44.00 24.40 123.00

DLOW

93.50 28.60 111.20 45.40 66.40 12.20 10.00 23.80 13.00 23.50

DHIGH

93.50 28.60 111.20 45.40 59.40 12.20 9.10 23.80 12.00 23.50

DLOW

86.10 25.50 21.90 1011.00 345.10 31.50 23.50 7.40 4.90 15.00

DHIGH

78.80 23.50 21.00 982.00 342.10 29.50 22.50 7.10 4.70 14.50

DLOW

46.20 24.80 25.50 347.00 60.00 4.80 45.90 18.80 162.30 17.20

Total

46.20 23.50 25.10 347.00 60.00 4.70 44.00 18.00 157.30 15.80

% change 4.10 2.02 0.62 17.73 4.68 11.32 0.35 8.11 21.56 0.60 2.09 0.67 1.74 5.03 0.68 0.43 0.65 3.24 7.53 6.84 0.00

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

Turnover in Million

Latest EPS

0.714 15.720 8.826 207.286 2.068 2.275 0.006 0.004 0.004 1.596

Turnover in Million

-1.21 0.87 0.49 1.41 -0.05 0.16 0.51 -0.64 2.48 1.12

Latest EPS

0.018 0.003 0.039 0.002 46.607 0.001 0.189 0.012 0.006 0.024

Turnover in Million

-ve 131.1 103.7 46.1 -ve 188.0 11.8 -ve 10.1 115.4

Latest PE

9.73 0.16 3.20 0.49 1.41 0.28 -1.21 -0.05 -1.55 3.12

Latest EPS

0.838 9.264 0.293 0.606 0.091 1.463 0.666 0.106 0.136 1.952

Turnover in Million

Latest PE

9.6 178.8 34.8 92.7 45.6 43.6 -ve -ve -ve 7.5

Latest PE

2.38 0.44 2.61 62.57 2.48 1.10 3.12 0.62 0.75 0.60

Latest EPS

0.002 1.665 0.090 0.003 0.018 0.014 5.626 3.039 21.361 0.348

34.2 54.8 8.1 16.0 138.5 27.3 7.3 11.5 6.3 24.4

Latest PE

2.96 0.44 1.67 8.25 8.68 0.75 3.23 1.29 9.52 1.03

15.6 55.0 15.1 42.1 6.9 6.3 13.9 14.1 16.7 15.7

CSE key features July 6 , 2015 Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

350.22 11,811,405 15,505

Traded Issues

244

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

86

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

148

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

10

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,467.60

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

29.91

DT

BUSINESS 19

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

Stocks end flat with volatility n Tribune Report

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company UNITED AIR-A ACI Limited- A Olympic Accessories -N ACI Formulations-A Square Pharma -A Ifad Autos -N Grameenphone-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Khan Brothers-N LafargeS Cement-A

United Power-N Olympic Ind. -A Beximco Pharma -A HeidelbergCement -A FAR Chemical-N

VolumeShares 25,522,960 359,924 3,189,368 751,885 683,229 1,393,885 364,742 3,427,449 4,069,186 960,937

Value in Million 278.17 209.06 207.29 180.69 175.88 146.47 119.70 114.40 114.38 110.72

% of TotalTurnover 6.57 4.94 4.90 4.27 4.15 3.46 2.83 2.70 2.70 2.62

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Olympic Accessories -N UNITED AIR-A United Power-N LafargeS Cement-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Square Pharma -A MJL BD Ltd.-A Beximco Pharma -A Tosrifa Industries -N BSRM Ltd. -N

Khulna Power-A Keya Cosmetics -A Khan Brothers-N Summit Power -A Familytex (BD) Ltd.-A

668,549 436,893 1,676,160 147,387 1,707,450

724,219 4,000,668 134,010 132,043 408,754 36,330 87,966 138,755 257,975 116,837

111,258 369,446 244,962 169,896 416,907

106.55 106.41 103.84 87.33 76.51

46.61 43.75 21.36 15.15 13.64 9.35 9.17 8.61 8.40 8.29

7.51 7.21 6.92 6.54 6.21

2.52 2.51 2.45 2.06 1.81

13.31 12.49 6.10 4.33 3.90 2.67 2.62 2.46 2.40 2.37

2.14 2.06 1.98 1.87 1.77

ClosingP 11.20 591.70 66.60 242.60 258.20 106.50 328.60 33.20 28.40 115.80

158.00 244.20 61.90 599.20 44.20

ClosingP

Change % 6.67 5.15 9.90 2.88 -0.39 1.04 0.00 -1.78 4.41 -0.09

-3.95 1.29 -1.28 4.52 -3.91

Change %

66.40 11.20 158.20 115.30 33.10 257.00 104.80 62.00 32.40 70.90

67.30 19.50 28.50 38.40 14.90

9.93 6.67 -3.36 0.44 -2.07 -1.00 0.38 -1.27 0.31 -0.84

-1.17 -1.02 4.78 -0.26 0.00

ClosingY 10.50 562.70 60.60 235.80 259.20 105.40 328.60 33.80 27.20 115.90

164.50 241.10 62.70 573.30 46.00

ClosingY

60.40 10.50 163.70 114.80 33.80 259.60 104.40 62.80 32.30 71.50

68.10 19.70 27.20 38.50 14.90

DHIGH 11.40 599.00 66.60 248.00 260.50 107.90 331.00 34.00 28.90 116.40

164.90 246.70 62.90 602.10 46.30

DHIGH

66.40 11.40 162.30 115.90 33.90 260.10 105.80 62.50 33.40 71.90

68.50 19.80 28.80 38.90 15.00

DLOW 10.10 559.00 59.70 232.00 256.00 103.50 325.50 33.00 26.80 114.70

156.00 240.20 61.60 571.50 43.70

DLOW

59.40 10.20 157.30 113.80 33.00 256.00 103.00 61.80 31.80 70.10

66.70 19.30 27.00 38.30 14.80

AvgPrice 10.90 580.84 64.99 240.31 257.42 105.08 328.16 33.38 28.11 115.22

159.37 243.56 61.95 592.49 44.81

AvgPrice

64.35 10.94 159.40 114.77 33.38 257.48 104.25 62.07 32.56 70.99

67.51 19.52 28.27 38.52 14.91

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

11365.65380

(-) 0.20%

1764.49463

(+) 0.16%

13938.8897

(-) 0.14%

11371.0898

(-) 0.05%

8487.5254

(-) 0.13%

▼ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▼

Stocks ended flat with volatility yesterday with multinational companies remaining in focus.

The benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, has edged 9 points or 0.3% to close at 4,526, extending losing streak for the third straight session.

The Shariah index, DSES, witnessed fractional losses of 0.5 points to 1,110. The blue chip comprising index DS30 rose marginally almost 3 points or 0.2% to 1,764.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange was down nearly 11 points to settle at 8,487.

Activities decreased at the DSE where trade and volume were down 12.79% and 8.67% respectively. Trading at DSE also remained relatively weak, as turnover stood at Tk423 crore, down 9.6% over the previous session’s value.

Most large cap sectors showed mixed performance.

Cement was the highest gainer with almost 1% rise.

Pharmaceuticals also advanced by 0.5%.

Telecommunication remained flat with no change in the session. Power and life insurance were the worst loser falling more than 1% each, followed by non-banking financial institutions 0.8% and banks 0.5%.

IDLC Investments said

the bourse observed a mildly negative session while investors pondered on stories for coming days. It said with the passing of the month June, annual declaration of many companies have fallen due.

“As a full quarter of the financial year was lost to political violence, investors needed to be cautious to determine what to expect from the ensuing declarations.”

Lanka Bangla Securities said Dhaka stock market

‘Few bluechip stocks were actively traded, as current market price of those enticed buying interest among investors’ was mostly traded mixed, following two days of losing streaks, where traders were reluctant to take fresh positions in broader market.

However, few blue-chip stocks were actively traded, as current market price of those enticed buying interest among investors, it said.

Consumer goods stocks were on the top turnover list and multinational companies were in the buying radar, it said. l

ANALYST

Dhaka stock market was mostly traded mixed, following two days of losing streaks, where traders were reluctant to take fresh positions in broader market

DT

20 BUSINESS

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

Corporate tax cut for nine new banks may create disparities n Tribune Report The government decision to reduce corporate tax for fourth generation new nine banks irked banking experts as they said the decision will create disparity between the non-listed banks and the nine ones.

The new banks are Midland Bank, NRB Bank, NRB Commercial Bank, NRB Global Bank, The Farmers Bank, Meghna Bank, Modhumoti Bank, South Bangla Agriculture and Commerce Bank and Union Bank.

On June 4, the government reduced the corporate tax rate for listed banks to 40% from the existing 42.5%.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, however, on June 29, provided the same benefit for the emerging banks during the passage of finance bill 2015.

The banks, commonly known to be politically-considered, were approved in 2013. The owners of the banks are all politicos, either from the ruling party or from its alliance.

Despite not being listed with the stock exchange, they are enjoying the tax rebate like the listed ones, insurance and non-banking financial institutions.

As per the Bangladesh Bank rules, the new banks will not be allowed to be listed with the

Name of the bank Midland Bank Ltd Union Bank Ltd Modhumati Bank Ltd Meghna Bank The Farmers’ Bank Ltd South Bangla Agriculture and Commerce Bank NRB Commercial Bank NRB Global Bank, NRB Bank

Major shareholders Moniruzzaman Khan Khandker, PM’s income tax adviser Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad, Shahidul Alam, Golam Moshi.

Fazle Noor Taposh MP, Humayun Kabir, Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury MP HM Ashikur Rahman MP, Nasrul Hamid MP. Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir SM Amjad Hossain, Abdul Mannan Chowdhury and Qazi Abdul Majid Farasath Ali, former Awami League USA unit President Nizam Chowdhury, US expatriate Iqbal Ahmed, UK expatriate

stock market till 2016, but the government has provided the special benefit only because of political considerations, experts said.

Currently, 30 listed commercial banks, 23 non-banking financial institutions and 46 insurance companies are listed in the capital market, according to the stock market data.

In his concluding budget speech, the finance minister said the banks would be listed when they would complete their three-year operation since their inception.

Former finance adviser to the caretaker government, Mirza Azizul Islam, told the Dhaka Tribune the corporate tax cut to nine

new banks will create disparity.

The government should not have taken such decision of giving special benefit to them, he said.

Bangladesh Bank former deputy governor Khondkar Ibrahim Khaled said the regular rule was not applied to the new financial institutions while making the tax reduction.

“All these banks have got approval in this government tenure and they have influence,” he said.

The another reason could be to bring all the banks together in one phase as all the other banks have already been listed, added the former banker. l

Muhith frustrated, calls meeting with BASIC Bank board today Finance Minister AMA Muhith expressed his deep frustration over poor performance of BASIC Bank’s current management in recovering default loans, according to official sources.

He has convened a meeting today with the board of directors of the financially troubled bank to discuss the matter.

Muhith asked the Banking Division to report him before the meeting about performance of the bank’s chairman and managing director who were appointed last year, the Bank Division officials said.

The bank had already been rejected Tk2,000 crore demand from the budget’s recapitalisation fund and was given Tk400 crore as it failed to show satisfactory performance in default loan recovery.

The bank, in fact, has fallen into a trap of liquidity shortage now, which keeps it unable to run foreign trade and earn money.

Officials said only sufficient fund injection could rescue the bank from the crisis.

“BASIC Bank is in badly need of enough fund injection to run foreign trading. In fact, the bank needs to be provided with Tk2,000 crore from recapitalisation fund. But it continues to exhibit failure in default loans recovery. ” Bank Division Secretary M Aslam Alam told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said the bank planned to earn a sufficient amount of money from foreign trading if it was given the fund.

According to the latest data, BASIC Bank, a

GROWTH OF BASIC BANK’S CLASSIFIED LOANS Classified loans (Tk in Cr) 100% 90%

Unclassified loans (Tk in Cr)

8,517

10,850

8%

12%

8,939

80% 70% 60%

91%

50%

Figure shows total loans

n Asif Showkat Kallol

40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

2012

state-owned specialised bank, incurred Tk169 crore loss during the January-June period compared to Tk40 crore profit in the same period last year.

Besides, the bank’s new management has only recovered Tk14 lakh against the target of Tk500 crore from its 20 top defaulters in the past six months.

2013

2014

The bank’s total loan figure currently stands at Tk6,310 crore, of which, 20 top defaulters owe Tk1,793 crore.

Historically a well-run bank, BASIC Bank’s woes started when the Awami League-led grand alliance government came to power in 2009 and appointed Sheikh Abdul Hye Bacchu as its chairman. l

Bandwidth export to India may begin on August 15 n Ishtiaq Husain Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL) will start bandwidth export to India on August 15, one month earlier than the stipulated time.

On June 6, the company signed a deal with the Indian state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for exporting bandwidth during Indian prime minister’s visit to Bangladesh.

According to the agreement, BSNL decided to import 10 Gbps bandwidth for Tripura state from September this year, but finally the export has been fixed in August.

The submarine cable company will export 10 Gbps per second to the north-eastern Indian state.

‘We are a little behind than our Indian counterpart, but we hope to complete the task within the scheduled time’ BSCCL Managing Director Monwar Hossain said the setting up of cable lines on Indian side bordering with Bangladesh is almost complete.

“We are a little behind than our Indian counterpart, but we hope to complete the task within the scheduled time,” Monwar said.

The state-owned company has the capacity to export bandwidth up to 50 Gbps, he told the Dhaka Tribune.

The Indian state of Assam and Meghalaya had also shown interest in importing bandwidth from Bangladesh.

“Though India has shown its interest in importing more bandwidth for other two states, our priority is to complete the work of first phase. After launching the bandwidth export to Tripura, we will emphasise the next phase of export,” said the company’s top brass.

He further said since the lifetime of Bangladesh’s submarine cable will end within the next 12 years, there is no other alternative to exporting bandwidth.

“We have a bandwidth capacity of 200 Gbps, of them 33% is utilised.”

Industry insiders say the country’s demand for bandwidth may reach 210 Gbps by 2021.

The deal has been signed initially for a year and can be extended for two more years, a BSCCL official said, adding that the bandwidth price will be reviewed after a year.

The submarine cable company will get the payment at the beginning of each quarter while Bangladesh will earn Tk9.6 crore by exporting 10 Gbps bandwidth to India in a year.

The bandwidth export price is 33% higher than that of domestic market price though there are also opinions against the latest price of bandwidth.

In 2006, Bangladesh got connected to the current submarine cable at a cost of $63m.

The country will be connected to another undersea cable of around 14,00 Gbps next year. l

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21

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

T-JUNCTION INSIDE

22 News

Sailor now at Uttara and Gulshan

I’ve got a blank space for you, baby Photos: Bigstock

23 Gaming

Heroes of the Storm

24 T ech

Secure Wi-Fi

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22 T-JUNCTION

News

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

Daffodil International University students to attend Asia Summer Program 2015 in Japan

Sailor now at Uttara and Gulshan

17 students of Daffodil International University attending Asian Summer Program-2015, Japan in a photo session with Prof Dr M Lutfar Rahman, vice chancellor, Prof Dr Engr A K M Fazlul Haque, registrar and Prof Dr Md Fokhray Hossain, director, international affairs before their departure.

17 students of Daffodil International University left for Japan on Sunday, July 5 to attend Asia Summer Program-2015 (ASP) which is supported by Asian University Presidents Forum (AUPF) at Josai International University (JIU), Japan. The Program spans from July 7 to July 28, 2015. Students and teachers from all around the Asia from 13 universities of 10 countries including Bangladesh are attending this summer program. The

program is designed as global get together in Japan promoting global exchange in Asia for the students, with the aim of building cross-culture communication, personal soft skill development, confidence building, career enhancement as well as mutual friendship among the participating countries producing a highly international environment, allowing them to learn directly about the diverse cultures of Asia. l

AIUB signs a MOU with SRBD Sailor, the lifestyle fashion brand of Epyllion Group, now has its outlets at both Uttara and Gulshan. New outlets have opened on June 17 at Concord Police Plaza, North Gulshan Avenue and June 18 at Uttara, Sector 11, Sonargaon Jonopoth road. Managing director of Epyllion Group Reazuddin Al-Mamoon inaugurated both

Samsung Research and Development Institute Bangladesh Ltd (SRBD), one of the research and development operations of the electronic industry giant Samsung International, based in Korea, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) as research and technical partners to mutually promote the mobile and other consumer driven program and system development.

This partnership with the university is the first undertaking of SRBD to launch their innovative approach of research and development involving students and employees of an educational institution in Bangladesh. The MOU was formalized upon the signing of Dr Carmen Z Lamagna, vice chancellor of AIUB and Dr Nam Kyu Lee,

managing director of SRBD. The signing ceremony was also witnessed by Dr Tabin Hasan, head (postgraduate program), Dr Dip Nandi Head (undergraduate program), Prof Dr Hasan Jamil (visiting professor) of department of computer science from AIUB, Mohammad Shahidul Islam, director of mobile development, Wahidur Rahman, senior chief engineer and Raquibul Hasan from SRBD. As a take-off activity within the spirit of the MOU, SRBD is working with the Tizen system and solution with AIUB as the very first project on the current semester.

The university, particularly the faculty of science and information technology, is confident that the collaboration will be productive and beneficial to both AIUB and SRBD in the years to come. l

the outlet along with other top officials of Epyllion Group and stakeholders.

All Sailor outlets are now open with designer outfits, fashionable footwear and accessories for the customers within very affordable price range. A unique Eid collection and competitive price will remain the center of attraction for all shoppers.

UltraTech foresees bigger bazaar in Bangladesh UltraTech cement, a premium brand of Emirates Cements Bangladesh Ltd, aims to strengthen its foothold in Bangladesh and has entered into an agreement with Select Marketing, a pioneer in promoting industrial products to major institutional and corporate business houses of Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a promising market with a GDP growth of six percent plus in last decade and the cement demand which is likely to grow at ten percent per annum provides ample scope of growth for quality products from

multinational group.

B K Singh, head of sales and marketing of Emirates Cement Bangladesh Limited and Shafin Ahmed of band Miles and CEO of Select Marketing exchange documents of an agreement at a city hotel this evening.

Gautam Chatterjee, country manager of Emirates Cement Bangladesh Limited and Syed Arif Ali, senior general manager, Emirates Cement Bangladesh were also present along with dignitaries of the construction world and corporate houses of Bangladesh. l

T-JUNCTION 23

DT

Gaming

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

review

Heroes of the Storm Blended all together

n Chisty Rahim In a lot of ways “Heroes of the Storm” is like the gathering of an alumni of gamers.

Anyone who is a die-hard fan of Blizzards and simply loves their games do not need to wait longer. In the new game of Blizzards, players can have a showdown against one of the most famous characters ever created by them. In the all new game Heroes of the Strom, released on June 2, player can do all that and much more!

The game features all of Blizzards’ most famous characters, which include Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft. The game has been developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. It is operational on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS platform.

The game has been rated 6.5 by IGN.com and

4.5/5 by Metacritic.

It is often referred to “Hero Brawler” online. This game is in the same league as the other games released by Blizzard with characters from their other games recurring in this one too.

Operated online through battle.net, this new online game primarily focuses on showdown between two teams. Each team has a set of five heroes. The primary objective is to destruction the enemy base.

As per a certain news report, there are 47 heroes in the game.

According to Gamespot, “The new game has seven unique maps. Players will be afforded the opportunity to play with the computer or against it.”

Each of the character possesses some unique power or capability. However, players are required to play as a team to destroy the enemy base. The heroes’ strength and capabilities subsequently increases with the gain of “talent point.” The game also allows players to ride on a horse for agility and quick movement from one place to another.

In an addition to the previous comment, Gamespot also said, “Heroes of the Storm is fantastic, assembling Blizzard’s colorful characters into a highly absorbing tactical arena game.”

Although the map objectives in the game provide an advantage in the game, however, are not mandatory. It’s like a game of chess, and every move is a calculated risk. And the character needs to be modified, so be prepared to spend some on your favorite character, to upgrade it to a superior level of competence. With increase of levels

the players receive gold. This free-to-play game is absolutely free, can be downloaded without any cost. There are many modes that players can choose from to play this game.

The tutorial mode aims at teaching, while the training mode affords players the opportunity to brush up their skill set. In the versus AI mode, players can compete against five AI players. The quick match mode is player versus player combat. The Hero league is unlocked when the player reaches level 30 and the Team league is unlocked at level 40 and 10 heroes are required.

The game is a must play for die-hard blizzard fans. So get on your consoles and keyboards and enjoy the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genre of Heroes of the storm today! l

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24 T-JUNCTION

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

Tech

Secure Wi-Fi It’s free but not without risk

n Mahmood Hossain Free Wi-Fi is something people can never get enough of. It doesn’t matter if you’re roaming the markets in Dhaka or sitting at a cafe abroad, saving up on your data usage is always good practice. However, things can get a bit tricky and dangerous when you aren’t aware of the security issues one can face if not careful.

More and more venues provide free Wi-Fi hotspots, even your smartphone can become a hotspot for your other devices. The problem is there are individuals out there that might take advantage of those security holes by intercepting your data. But not to worry, there are ways to save your laptops and smartphones from being hacked.

Windows If you’re using a Windows device, the procedure is quite simple. Head to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Centre > Change Advanced Sharing Settings. Once there, under Public heading, turn the file sharing toggle off. While you’re at it, you might want to turn on the Windows Firewall when connecting to a public network. This can be found in Control Panel > Windows Firewall.

Mac The process on a Mac device is as simple as in Windows. Open up System Preferences and head to the Sharing icon. From there, uncheck the box next to File Sharing. You’ll also be able to turn the firewall on by heading to System Preferences, Security & Privacy and click the Firewall tab.

Using VPN If you’re desktop or laptop isn’t already hooked into your office’s VPN, there are some proper alternatives. SecurityKISS offers ad-free VPN access with a 300MB per day limit. Which is actually a pretty good deal, just enough to check emails, look through maps or casually use the Web. There are also software to protect you from having your browsing session being hijacked, like Disconnect.me, which is an extension for Chrome, Opera and Safari.

Never too safe

A sure way to keep the hackers away, or at least minimise the damage is to simply check for HTTPS. That “S” after the HTTP keeps the browsing experience a very safe one. You can add this to any URL, just as long as the site allows it. But rest assured the majority of sites you will visit well allow this addition to the browsing setup. Check for the recommended HTTPS Everywhere extension.

The extra steps

If you’re on your smartphone or laptop, never update your apps through public Wi-Fi hotspots. There is a big chance of malware being installed with the update, and no one desires such a thing. Well, maybe those pesky hackers. This can happen anywhere, from hotels, a popular cafe to rarely visited restaurants. In addition, it’s a good idea to enable a two-factor authentication.

If someone figures out your password somehow, you’ll always have an extra level

of security waiting to block entry.

Done and dusted The last little step to ensure you’ve successfully and safely used a public Wi-Fi is to simply forget the network. That’s right, don’t think about saving the network unless you know it’ll be 100 percent safe, like the one at your relatives home or a friend’s home. On Windows, go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Centre and click on the recently added network name. Click on Wireless Properties and uncheck Connect automatically when this network is in range.

On the Mac, go to System Preferences, then to Network. Under the Wi-Fi section, click Advanced. From there, uncheck “Remember networks this computer has joined.” There are other options you can check and uncheck underneath the first option.

For Android devices, head to your Wi-Fi network list, long press the network name and select Forget Network. For iOS, head to Settings, choose Wi-Fi networks, click the “i” icon next to the network name, and choose Forget This Network. l

Micronesia was thumped 38-0

by Fiji at the Pacific Games, just days after conceding 30 goals to Tahiti. However, Micronesia is not a FIFA member and it was an U-23 tournament so it is unlikely to go in the record books

Sport 26

LANGEVELDT BRINGS AGGRESSION INTO PROTEAS BOWLING

27

PAKISTAN RATTLE SL WITH MASOOD, YOUNIS SHOW

29

25

DT

68 GOALS IN 2 GAMES?

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

HOME-MADE HERO HAMILTON ‘LIVING A DREAM’

‘Playing our natural game is the mantra’

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

n Mazhar Uddin Bangladesh did not practice on the eve of their second Twenty20 international against South Africa, rather stayed back at their hotel and planned for their mission to rescue the series. Already down 1-0, the home side are eager to level the two-match series today at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium as Tigers opening batsman Soumya Sarkar expressed their desire to return to winning ways.

Left-hander Soumya rued their batting performance in the opening game which he said overshadowed the good work they did during their bowling and fielding. However, the 22-year old believes they are well capable of making a comeback.

“We did execute our plan while fielding and bowling in the first Twenty20 but our batting let us down. If we could have batted well then the result would have been in our favour,” said Soumya before adding, “But I still think we can make a comeback in the series as we played some brilliant cricket against India and Pakistan recently and our main aim is to return to the winning streak.”

Getting bowled out for just 96 runs, needing 149 to win, will have no negative impact on the team morale informed Soumya as he said it was the lack of proper application and plan that was missing when they were out to chase.

“I don’t think it will make a huge impact upon us since we were bowled out below 100 runs in the first game, we were going well at a certain point but failed to execute the plan, like scoring 50 runs in the first six overs and then look for a good partnership,” Soumya said.

He informed that their coach Chandika Hathurusingha chalked out a plan for the second game where the main aim is to play natural.

“We had a team meeting today (yesterday) where the coach informed us our roles according to our game plan. But we are not planning anything over-attacking rather our goal is to play the natural game which has been the main mantra for us.”

The Satkhira-lad said they need to play more T20 games to understand the format better. According to him T20 requires a combination of both power and skill to execute the plan which Soumya believes is the only way to become a more balanced side in the format. l

DT

26 Sport

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

Sk Jamal thrash Feni in premier league n Shishir Hoque

Defending champions Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club rode on hat-trick hero Emeka Darlington as they returned to winning ways by thrashing Feni Soccer Club 6-2 in the Manyavar Bangladesh Premier League at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Nigerian Emeka netted his first league hattrick of the season while Gambian midfielder Landing Darboe slotted home two goals and Haitian Wedson Anselme added one to salvage full three points and take the Dhanmondi outfits four-point clear at the top with 30 points.

It took Jamal only 27 seconds to open the scoring. The second fastest goal in the history of Bangladesh Premier League came from the first attack after kick-off as Landing’s header on Sohel Rana’s cross ricochet off the side post before crossing the goal line.

Dawda Ceesay was unlucky not to equalise the margin six minutes later, his chip from the edge of the box was just over the crossbar.

However, Wedson doubled the lead at the quarter-hour mark when the rounded off the Feni keeper and slotted home into an empty net.

Emeka made it 3-0 in the 24th minute with a cool finish from the far post and the goal galore continued with Emeka netting his second three minutes later. Gambian Jatta Mustapha, however, pulled one back for Feni with a screamer from outside the box in the 37th minute.

The match remained goalless for the next 40 minutes before Kanding scored his second and Jamal’s fourth on the night in the 77th minute.

Emeka completed his hat-trick in the 87th and it the Nigerian’s 11th in the league this season, one less than top scorer Augustin Walson. Substitute midfielder Sharan Hawlader scored another consolation for Feni eight minutes from the whistle. They could have scored one more from the penalty spot, but Jamal goalkeeper Hemel’s heroics neutralised the threat. l

Members of South Africa’s one-day international and Test squad – (L-R) opening batsman and Test skipper Hashim Amla, leg-spinner Imran Tahir and fast bowler Morne Morkel – arrived in Dhaka yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Langeveldt brings aggression into Proteas bowling n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Taijul Islam (L) and Jubair Hossain share a light moment during their brief practice session at SBNS yesterday. While the full team opted not to train, Taijul, Jubair and Mushfiqur Rahim practiced ahead of Bangladesh’s second Twenty20 international against South Africa today. Legspinner Jubair is very likely to make his debut in the format today MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

South Africa pace-bowling coach Charl Langeveldt believes beating Bangladesh in the second match to sweep the Twenty20 international series 2-0 will not be an easy task.

The former Proteas paceman credited the aggression shown by his charges behind the easy win in the first game and hinted of sticking to the plan.

“It is an international game so we expect them to come hard, to be honest. I think they are playing good cricket at the moment.

They have also got good skilled bowlers like the left-arm pacer (Mustafizur Rahman). So I think we expect it to be a good play tomorrow (today),” said Langeveldt to the media at Shere-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.

The visitors rode on their four-man pace attack on a slow and low SBNS wicket in the first match to land a comfortable 52-run win.

Since arriving in Dhaka the South African team, who are said to have their second-string pace attack at their disposal, have played a warm-up and an official T20 and on both occasions their opponents – BCB XI and Bangla-

desh – were bundled out below 100 runs.

In the first match, Kyle Abbot and Kagiso Rabada generated pace with the new ball before David Wiese and Wayne Parnell mixed up their pace to get the most off the pitch. Langeveldt, who has 100 ODI, 16 Test and 15 T20I wickets to his name, said it’s all about coping with the situation and sensing what is needed.

“I think our game plan for the bowlers is to be aggressive against the Bangladesh batsmen. But if you look at it, we weren’t bowling that many bouncers. I think our guys have ex-

ecuted well,” he said.

“We try to use our aggression that’s why we play four fast bowlers. I think it worked for us yesterday (Sunday) and might not work another day. The whole thing about South Africa’s bowling now is adapting with the moment. You cannot just be aggressive say against Shakib al [Hasan] who is playing to win. So I think for our guys it is just about adapting with the situation.”

The character of the wicket was more helpful for the visiting spinners earlier and Langeveldt expects a different turf today which might be more helpful for the home side.

“I think it all depends on the groundsmen.

I think he makes that decision. Obviously home ground advantage is up to them. I still think JP [Duminy] bowled well in the first game and the wicket did deteriorate in the second inning so it helped us when we were bowling. Well, it is up to them. The wicket should be depending on how they are planning their eleven,” said Langeveldt, who took charge as the South African pace-bowling coach last month after Allan Donald stepped down from the post. l

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Sport 27

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

QUICK BYTES

SL v PAK, DAY 4

Yemen lose World Cup match over banned player

Sri Lanka 1st innings: 278 (D. Karunaratne 130, U. Tharanga 46; Yasir Shah 5-78, Rahat Ali 3-74) Pakistan 1st innings: 215 (Azhar Ali 52, Sarfraz Ahmed 78 not out, D. Prasad 3-78, N. Pradeep 3-29, T. Kaushal 3-37)

FIFA on Monday ordered Yemen to forfeit their World Cup qualifying match against North Korea 3-0 for fielding a banned player in the game. North Korea won the June 11 game 1-0 anyway. But FIFA said it increased the score in North Korea’s favour because Mudir Al Radaei lined up in the Yemen defence when he should have been serving a one match ban after getting two yellow cards in previous matches.

“The match is declared to be forfeited and awarded 0-3 in favour of DPR Korea, with the Yemen Football Association also receiving a fine of 6,000 Swiss francs ($6,350/5,750 euros),” said a FIFA statement.

AFP

No happy homecoming for Liberia

SRI LANKA D Karunaratne b Rahat K Silva c Misbah b Ehsan U Tharanga c Azhar b Yasir L Thirimanne b Rahat A Mathews c Sarfraz b Imran J Mubarak c Azhar b Yasir D Chandimal lbw b Imran D Prasad c Sarfraz b Imran T Kaushal c Sarfraz b Imran S Lakmal c Sarfraz b Imran N Pradeep not out Extras (b4, lb9, w3)

R B 10 26 3 16 48 47 0 11 122 252 35 94 67 103 0 1 8 16 0 4 4 4 16

Total (all out, 95.4 overs)

313

Fall of wickets 1-12, 2-22 (Silva), 3-35, 4-80, 5-161, 6-278, 7-278, 8-290, 9-306, 10-313

There was no happy homecoming for Liberia at the weekend as a 1-1 draw with Guinea spelt elimination from 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifying. The west African nation had been barred from hosting international football for more than a year because of the Ebola epidemic, which the World Health Organization estimates has claimed 11,200plus lives in the region. Liberia was declared Ebola-free two months ago and Guinea were the first national team to visit since.

Bowling Rahat 21-3-82-2 , Ehsan 17-4-66-1, Imran 20.43-58-5 , Yasir 32-7-80-2, Azhar 5-1-14-0

AFP

AFP

Liverpool appoint coaches O’Driscoll and Lijnders Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers moved to reinforce his depleted coaching set up with the left field appointment of Sean O’Driscoll and the promotion of Pepijn Lijnders from the academy. O’Driscoll, sacked by second tier Bristol City 18 month ago, leaves his head coach position with the England under-19s to become Rodgers’ assistant following the axing of Colin Pascoe after a review of a disappointing season by the club’s American owners.

REUTERS

Nani joins Fenerbahce from United for 6m euros Portuguese star Nani on Monday joined Fenerbahce from Manchester United for six million euros as the Istanbul giants seek to add a glittering array of foreign talent to their ranks ahead of the new season, the Turkish club said.

After last month’s signing of Danish centre back Simon Kjaer, Fenerbahce are reportedly also pursuing Manchester United striker Robin van Persie.

AFP

R B 114 198 0 3 5 14 101 166 10 1

Total (for two wickets, 63 overs)

230

Fall of wickets

McIlroy Open hopes hit by ankle injury Rory McIlroy could miss the defence of his British Open crown after announcing on his Twitter account Monday that he had ruptured a ligament in his left ankle. “Total rupture of left ATFL (ankle ligament) and associated joint capsule damage in a soccer kickabout with friends on Saturday,” the Northern Irishman said. “Continuing to assess extent of injury and treatment plan day by day. Rehab already started..... Working hard to get back as soon as I can.”

PAKISTAN Shan Masood not out Ahmed Shehzad b Lakmal Azhar Ali c Chandimal b Prasad Younis Khan not out Extras: (lb6, w1, nb3)

1-0 (Shehzad), 2-13 (Azhar).

Bowling

Pakistan’s Shan Masood (R) is congratulated by teammate Younis Khan after scoring a half-century during the fourth day of their third and final Test match against Sri Lanka in Pallekele yesterday AFP

Prasad 13-2-42-1, Lakmal 12-2-34-1, Pradeep 10-2-32-0, Mathews 6-1-15-0, Kaushal 20-192-0, Mubarak 2-0-9-0 Pakistan need 147 more runs to win

Pakistan rattle SL with Masood-Younis show n AFP, Pallekele Shan Masood and Younis Khan compiled unbeaten centuries to keep Pakistan in the hunt for a landmark victory in the series-deciding third and final Test against Sri Lanka on Monday.

Set a challenging target of 377 runs, the tourists recovered from a shaky 13-2 to move to 230 without further loss by stumps on the rain-free fourth day in Pallekele.

Masood, the five-Test old left-hander, was

unbeaten on 114, having reached his maiden century by lofting off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal for a six over long-on towards the end of play. Younis, who made his 100th Test appearance in the second match of the series, got to his 30th century in the day’s last over. The pair have put on 217 so far for the third wicket with Younis on 101.

Pakistan will enter the final day’s play on Tuesday needing a further 147 runs with eight wickets in hand on a wearing, but easy-paced

Serena downs Venus n Reuters, London

Serena Williams stood three wins away from hoisting her fourth successive grand slam title by trumping elder sister Venus 6-4 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of Wimbledon.

A contest featuring two women who between them have hoisted the Rosewater Dish 10 times should have been a blockbuster but turned out to be yet another awkward anti-climax -- as has been the case in their previous 25 meetings.

Serena started off by thundering through the first eight points of the match, bagged the opening set by hurling down three aces, and completed her 15th win over Venus by breaking the 35-year-old to love.

The top-ranked American will meet either former world number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus or rising Swiss talent Belinda Bencic in Tuesday’s quarter-final.

Serena becomes earliest Finals qualifier

World number one Serena Williams added yet another record to her glittering tennis resume by becoming the earliest qualifier for the endof-season WTA Finals.

The Australian and French Open champion, who is bidding for a rare calendar grand slam, booked a spot at the eightwoman championship in Singapore, still more than three months away, after her Wimbledon third round win over Britain’s Heather Watson. l

pitch at the Pallekele International Stadium.

If Pakistan win, it will be the first time a visiting team will have scored more than 300 runs in the fourth innings to win a Test on Sri Lankan soil. Earlier, Sri Lanka’s captain Angelo Mathews was last man out for 122 as the hosts took their overnight score of 228-5 to 313 before they were all out at the stroke of lunch.

Pakistan’s fast bowler Imran Khan took all the five wickets that fell in the morning session in the space of 33 balls. l

DT

28 Sport

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

TWITTER REACTIONS “What a win for Team USA! Great game @CarliLloyd! Your country is so proud of all of you. Come visit the White House with the World Cup soon.”

- US President Barack Obama.

“Japan’s Nadeshiko were runner’s up for Women’s World Cup. They went to the final two consecutive times and they united to play hard till the end. They gave courage to the Japanese people.”

- Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. “A #FIFAWWC hat-trick for the #USA. Congratulations on becoming the 1st team to win 3 Women’s World Cups.”

- FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

“Here’s to fearless women chasing their goals.

Congratulations, Team #USA!” - US Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

“Fitting end to 4th of July weekend. Congrats @ CarliLloyd and #USWNT on their 3rd World Cup title!”

- US Presidential candidate Jeb Bush.

“Love watching history being made. There is nothing like it. Go USA!” - US golfer Tiger Woods.

“Way to go @ussoccer_wnt !!! World Cup champs!! #USA.” - US swimmer Michael Phelps.

“My Goodness!! #Magisterial @CarliLloyd.”

- US basketballer Kobe Bryant. “amazing performance #USWNT !! Congrats Jill and the entire team!! WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!”

- US men’s national coach Juergen Klinsmann.

“Well done #JPN! We are proud of what you achieved at the #FIFAWWC.” - Asian Football Confederation.

“Am so proud of you, Nadeshiko. Entire nation is, again, encouraged by your earnest effort. Thank you, #FIFAWWC15Final.”

- Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa.

“They always provide a dream. The fact that they got to the final shows how strong they are. We (the men) must learn from them.”

- Japanese striker Shinji Okazaki.

“Congrats ladies! Proud of you aboard @Space_ Station.”

- US astronaut Scott Kelly.

Tears in Tokyo as Japan thumped in final n Reuters, Tokyo Japanese soccer fans were left wiping away Monday morning tears in Tokyo sports bars as their beloved “Nadeshiko” were smashed 5-2 by the United States in the Women’s World Cup final in Vancouver.

The Japanese team, though, won praise for fighting back from such a woeful start and not collapsing like Brazil had in the semi-finals of the men’s World Cup last year when they were walloped 7-1 by Germany.

“I’m sad but that one goal was fantastic.

They didn’t lose without scoring, and I think that showed Japan’s resilience, which was fantastic,” 38-year old Tokyo resident Naomi Ushimi told Reuters TV as she wiped away tears.

The loss of the world title was sorely felt but Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the women had proven role models for the rest of the country. l

United States midfielder Carli Lloyd (10) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Japan at BC Place Stadium on Sunday

AP

Lloyd inspires USA to 3rd WC title n AFP, Vancouver Carli Lloyd became the first woman to score a hattrick in a World Cup final as she inspired the United States to a 5-2 demolition of defending champions Japan on Sunday.

The United States, winners in 1991 and 1999, became the first nation to win the crown three times and avenged their loss to Japan on penalties in the 2011 final.

Lloyd, 32, scored a 13-minute hattrick opening with her first after just three minutes on the pitch at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium with the second coming two minutes later, and her third after 16 minutes.

“I was on a mission today,” said Lloyd, whose teammates Lauren Holiday (14) and Tobin Heath (54) also found the net.

Yuki Ogimi got one back on 27 minutes for the Asian champions with their second coming thanks to a 52nd-minute own-goal by US defender Julie Johnson, in what was the highest-scoring final ever in the women’s tournament.

RESULT USA Lloyd 3, 5, 16, Holiday 14, Heath 54

5-2

Japan Ogimi 27, Johnson 52-og

“It’s unreal, it just hasn’t sunk in yet,” Lloyd said. “I’m mentally fried.

“We knew that if we took it to Japan they would get nervous on the pitch.”

Coach Jill Ellis said her only thought after the early goal-fest was: “Pinch me, wake me up!”

“We’d talked about starting fast, and I just knew that the players could deliver.

“These players were born for the big moments,” she added. “I envisaged us winning the trophy. I think five (goals) is a dream come true.”

It was the third meeting between the two teams in a major championship with the Americans winning the Olympic gold ahead of Japan in 2012, when Lloyd scored both goals in a 2-1 win.

The stunned ‘Nadeshiko’ were in disarray just minutes into their title defence.

Wearing the captain’s armband Lloyd, who was one of three US players to miss a penalty in the 2011 final, got her first two goals from set pieces as she delivered a performance that saw her presented with the Golden Ball award as the tournament’s best player. l

PREVIOUS WINNERS 2015 in Canada USA bt Japan 5-2 2011 in Germany Japan bt USA 3-1 on penalties - 2-2 after ET 2007 in China Germany bt Brazil 2-0 2003 in United States Germany bt Sweden 2-1 - after ET 1999 in United States USA bt China 5-4 on penalties - 0-0 after ET 1995 in Sweden Norway bt Germany 2-0 1991 in China USA bt Norway 2-1

Japan’s Megumi Kamionobe (12) and Saori Ariyoshi (19) react after losing to the United States in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Vancouver, Canada on Sunday AP

DT

Sport 29

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

Did Messi refuse to accept ‘Player of the tournament’ award? n Agencies According to the media reports, Argentina skipper Lionel Messi refused to accept their “Best player of the tournament” award which forced Copa America officials into removing the trophy from the podium.

In a video showed on minutouno.com an official can be seen removing the trophy from the stage just before the presentation ceremony. It is believed that the Barcelona forward instructed officials not to give him the trophy at Chile’s National Stadium.

This is not the first time in this tournament Messi refused to accept an award. After the match against Paraguay on June 13, when Argentina drew 2-2, Messi refused to accept the man of the match award. After his refusal, other players from the team were asked to accept the award. But the players followed the suit with their captain, reports goal.com.

Chile won the Copa America for the first time in the tournament’s 99-year history on Saturday when they beat Argentina 4-1 on penalties after 90 minutes and extra time failed to produce a goal.

Alexis Sanchez netted the clinching goal from the spot after Gonzalo Higuain and Ever Banega had missed for Argentina.

The nail-biting finish came after a tense 0-0 draw in which neither side dominated and clear-cut chances were few and far between. l

Cummins ready to take the red ball n Reuters, Sydney

Australian quick Pat Cummins has not played a first class match for two years but is confident his body will hold up to the rigours of Yest cricket should he get the call during the Ashes series against England.

The 22-year-old right-armer was called into the Australia squad on Saturday when Ryan Harris announced his retirement after scans ruled him out of the series, which starts in Cardiff on Wednesday.

Cummins, who had been in Queensland since the World Cup preparing for an Australia “A” tour to India, said he felt fighting fit even if he was aware his chances of getting a game were slim.

“Really fortunate to get the call now. Not the nicest circumstances with ‘Ryno’ going down but just a wonderful opportunity for myself,” he told reporters in Brisbane before his departure for England.

“I’m certainly hopeful but I know I haven’t played a first class game for a year or two so the jump up for a Test series was always going to be a big call.

“My body feels really strong and the jump up shouldn’t be too much. There’s a tour match after the second Test so I’d love to get an opportunity in that and get used to bowling hopefully two or three days in a row.” l

Home-made hero Hamilton ‘living a dream’ n AFP, Silverstone

Lewis Hamilton is the British Grand Prix’s most modern home-made hero.

This was clear when he claimed his third British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday.

But he is also a global icon and a happy man of the world.

Clearly comfortable with his status as a double world champion, he revels in his connection with Britain’s younger generation of sports fans as much as he enjoys the trappings of fame and fortune.

After several years of occasional public tan-

trums and impetuous reactions, the 30-yearold Englishman appears to have found himself.

He seems to be at ease with life as he races with unprecedented speed, elan and control and, between Grands Prix, flies from one red carpet to the next.

From Cannes to Glastonbury and Manhattan to some of the Mediterranean’s most glamorous resorts via various recording studios and film sets, Hamilton has indulged in what he concedes is a “rock ‘n roll lifestyle”.

“Yes, I’m living my dream,” he said. “I love it and I want to do it now because you never

know if you will have the opportunity again if you don’t take it. So, yes, I’m on a lot of planes and I’m in a lot of hotels!”

His flamboyance, in appearance and lifestyle, is approved of by some including F1’s long-serving ring-master Bernie Ecclestone, 84, but questioned by others, including another fellow-British world champion Damon Hill.

Hamilton cares not a jot. He has retained his connection with his fans in Britain and beyond, giving Formula One a marketing platform that Ecclestone appreciates. At Silverstone, he feels the support gives him energy. l

Crash at NASCAR race at Daytona injures fans

DAY’S WATCH Gazi TV, BTV, Star Sports 1

n Agencies

1:00PM South Africa tour of Bangladesh 2nd T20I

Ten Sports 7:35PM Tour de France 2015 Day 4

Ten Cricket 10:30AM Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka 3rd Test, Day 5

Star Sports 2 6:00PM Wimbledon Championships 2015

Sony Six 5:00AM Caribbean Premier League T20 Jamaica Tallawahs v St Lucia Zouks

Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, is involved in an on-track incident following the checkered flag during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida yesterday AFP

Debris from a car that crashed into the catchfence at Daytona International Speedway sent a spectator to the hospital, officials said.

The incident took place during the final lap early Monday morning of the rain-delayed Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

When Austin Dillon’s car was making a turn, it went flying into the catchfence, sending a massive cloud of debris in to the grandstand.

Thirteen spectators were medically evaluated, said Joie Chitwood III, president of the speedway. Eight declined treatment, four were treated on site, and one was taken to the hospital in stable condition, he said.

“I’m really proud of the fact that the fence worked,” he said. “We will take this situation, we will learn from it, we will analyze it.”

Dillon’s car landed on the tracks upside down and was struck by another. He however walked away. l

DT

30 DOWNTIME

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Cattle trough (6) 4 Gull (3) 7 Banishment (5) 8 Tempt (6) 11 Domestic animal (3) 12 Neckwear (4) 13 Incline (4) 15 Short gaiters (5) 16 Weapon (5) 20 Swarm (4) 23 Observes (4) 24 Concealed (3) 25 Makes up for (6) 26 Notions (5) 27 Perfect score (3) 28 Formal agreement (6)

DOWN 1 Encounters (5) 2 Cartilage (7) 3 Stagger (4) 4 Electric insulator (4) 5 Dash (4) 6 Raining (3) 9 Pinch (3) 10 Beverages (3) 14 Serial part (7) 17 Marsh (3) 18 Sheltered side (3) 19 Composition (5) 20 Season (4) 21 Paradise (4) 22 Sail support (4) 24 Success (3)

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 18 represents L so fill L every time the figure 18 appears.

You have two letters in the control grid to start you off. Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares.

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

As you get the letters, fill in the other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check off the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them.

A B C D E FG H I J K L M N O P Q RST UVWXYZ

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SUDOKU How to solve: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no number repeating.

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

DT

SHOWTIME 31

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

The Eid mashup

CELEBS ON SOCIAL Riteish Deshmukh @ Riteishd Riteish Deshmukh retweeted Genelia Deshmukh 2014: has been a great year -wanna thank each n everyone of you for all the love and support. Time to work harder.

Lupita Nyong’o @ Lupita_Nyongo Tea in the savannah. #anytimeisteatime #MaasaiMara https:// instagram.com/ p/4yV8EznuZZ/

n Showtime Desk This Eid, Elita along with Bappa and friends are going to present a unique music fusion.

Along with some of their popular songs, they will be performing fusion tracks from Rabindra Sangeet, Lalon Geeti and Hasan

Songs of Love, Devotion, and Surrender Date: July 9 Time: 7:30 PM Venue: Red Shift Auditorium Ticket: Tk600 each The month of Ramadan is a celebration of love and devotion. Red Shift’s veteran Chotu Khan, together with Shahbaz Khan Pilu (Renaissance), Fahim Huq (Stone Free), and Kaartik have put together a set list particularly for this celebration. They will be performing their rendition of songs

by George Harrison, Santana, The Beatles, U2, Bill Withers, Jeff Buckley, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, James Taylor, and many others.

Events at Red Shift Coffee Lounge.

Location: Radius Centre, 5th Floor, Bay’s Galleria, 57 Gulshan Avenue, Gulshan, Dhaka. Telephone 8833471-3 or 01730054403(Shiuly).

Opening hours : Saturday-Thursday 10am - 11pm, Friday 3pm -11pm Website: www.radiuscentre.com.bd Facebook: www.facebook. com/pages/Red-Shift-CoffeeLounge/264098628025?ref=hl

Raja classics.

The show will be presented on the “Music Fusion” Eid special segment on Maasranga Television and was shot at the FDC. Bappa Mazumder said that they enjoyed performing in completely

different styles of programs. They have made mixed tracks of a few songs with Elita as well. He believes that it will add an extra dimension to the Eid entertainment for viewers. This program will be broadcast on the fifth day of Eid at 7:40pm and is produced by Z I Faisal.l

Prachyanaut to bring Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne on stage n Showtime Desk Satyajit Ray’s famous fantasy adventure comedy film Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne has been adapted to a stage production.

Theatre troupe Prachyanaut is staging the adaptation of the extraordinary film which has quickly become a popular culture icon after released in 1969.

The play, based on an original story written

by Upendra Kishore Roychowdhury, will be staged today at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy at 7:30pm. The 28th batch of the Prachyanaut School of Acting and Design who concieved abd designed the play as part of a graduation finalproject, will perform in the production.

Satyajit Ray’s screenplay has been used for the stage adaptation which Shahriar

Biroti Bulletin Thursday July 9th-”Bhaab” Featuring Saymon Zakaria and The Bhabnagor foundation. Saymon Zakaria is Bangladesh’s top researcher on folk music. 500BDT. Friday 10th “Open Mic”. Music, poetry, magic, anything goes 300BDT.

Ferdous Sazeeb. “It’s difficult to work on a film’s script for theatre production and from this perception we changed a few things in Satyajit’s screenplay but kept the original story unchanged.

We took as much as we reckon would be enough for stage,” Sazeeb said talking on the stage adaptation which apparently the first stage work in the country based on the film.

Satyajit’s original songs from the film well restored for the stage adaptation while new things have introduced in designing the play.

Besides the staging, the troupe has also arranged an open poster exhibition just outside of the auditorium. l

Saturday 11th Electro/ Acoustic featuring Don Donadoni, Fahadzaman and The Speakeasy Crew, and various artists Doors open at 7pm during Ramadan.

Tea and Phuckha included in the ticket price.

Jimmy sheirgill @ jimmysheirgill Thank you patiala ..see you on the 10 th in the theatres.

WHAT TO WATCH

Final Destination 2 HBO 11:12pm When Kimberly has a violent premonition of a highway pileup she blocks the freeway, keeping a few others meant to die, safe...Or are they?

The survivors mysteriously start dying and it’s up to Kimberly to stop it before she’s next.

Cast: Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith, Kristen Cloke, Daniel Roebuck The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift Star Movies 3pm A teenager becomes a major competitor in the world of drift racing after moving in with his father in Tokyo to avoid a jail sentence in America.

Cast: Lucas Black, Bow Wow, Zachery Ty Bryan, Sung Kang, Brian Tee Monsters University Z Studio 2:50pm A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at Monsters University -- when they weren’t necessarily the best of friends.

Voices: Billy Crystal (Mike), John Goodman (Sullivan), Steve Buscemi (Randy), Helen Mirren (Dean Hardscrabble),

DT

32 BACK PAGE

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015

‘Don’t cry. You have a home here’

T

wo sisters, Jamina and Amina, were about to be given up for adoption. “But Amina would not stop crying. So her name was stricken off the document, leaving just my name – Jamina – on the form,” Esther says, referring to herself by her middle – and birth – name.

Thirty-eight years after her adoption, Esther Jamina Jording, a Bangladesh-born woman who was adopted by an American couple as an infant, is back in Bangladesh for a reunion with her long-lost birth family.

Her story has captured the imagination of Bangladesh, the United States and the Facebookverse. For days social media accounts of her journey from the Pacific Northwest to the edge of the Sundarbans have been told and retold, shared and liked.

Not surprisingly, inaccuracies have crept into the reports picked up by the media. I have been invited to hear a first-hand account of her journey and help set the record straight.

This is the most non-judgemental place I have ever been to In a beautifully appointed penthouse flat awash with sunlight in Dhaka’s Banani neighbourhood, I sit with Esther and her friends Naheed and Dan Brown, without whose help she might never have tracked down her family. The flat belongs to Naheed’s brother Reza Amin and his wife Sonia, and serves as base camp for the final leg of Esther’s odyssey.

Naheed’s sister Naureen Saira, who lives in Arizona, can be credited with catalysing, in earnest, Esther’s hunt for her kin. Their cousin, Sharif Ahmed Nipu, senior regional sales manager of the Coca-Cola depot in Khulna, where Esther’s birth family are from, organised the door-to-door search for a family that fit the description.

Long before she had found her birth family, Esther had already acquired a family in Bangladesh that she could call her own. “Family doesn’t always mean you have to be blood related – I’ve always known that.”

Esther’s blog reads: “I was only a week old when my father, Mohon Gazi, placed me in an orphanage in Khulna.”

“My mother was out working in the brick fields when I was adopted,” she tells me.

Visiting Bangladesh in the sweltering heat of July, Esther is aware of how tough a working class life here can be.

She believes she was put up for adoption as a chance to escape the poverty of the rural Bangladesh of the late ’70s.

“Was I sold for Tk500? I don’t know. I know that money was exchanged during the adoption process. I might have been, but we’re not sure because he [her father] is not alive,” Esther says. “I think he was trying to give us a better life.”

Dan’s eyes glisten with emotion as he describes how Esther’s mother catches fish for the table and for sale by hauling a dragnet through the shallows of a river.

It is this gruelling work that occasioned Esther’s tearful farewell remark, picked up by Bangladesh’s news media: “No more fishing.”

“She won’t have to do that kind of work ever again,” Esther tells me.

Her oldest sibling and only brother, Sattar, drives a rickshaw van. Her sisters Monowara, Anowara and Amina work at a betel nut sorting and packing company.

Whatever the intentions, the adoption proved a source of conflict for the family.

“My mother, distraught at the fact that he took me from her, became so angry with him that he left the family and fled. My father was gone for about four years. When he returned, he suffered from an infection which eventually took his life,” Esther writes in her blog.

Esther was adopted by the AG Mission orphanage, where missionaries Mary and Pate signed her adoption papers and helped process her transfer to Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada. At ten-and-a-half months of age, a couple from Portland, Oregon, in the United States, drove up to Canada and adopted Jamina. They named her Esther.

“I grew up in a white community, and was raised a Christian.”

“My [adoptive] mother always told me I was from Bangladesh. But I was told there was no information about my parents.”

But a chance Twitter exchange leading to a friendship with Naureen in 2012, empowered Esther to feel that she might yet track down her birth family in Bangladesh.

Her adoption papers – hiding in plain sight inside a Manila envelope tucked away inside her baby book – were soon found. Inside the envelope she found her certificate of abandonment, on which, in faded letters, were written the

Even if it wasn’t a match, I’d call her my mother

names of her mother and her village.

Naureen enlisted the support of her older sister Naheed and brother-in-law Dan who live near Esther, in Portland. They were able to make out that Esther’s mother’s name was Nurjahan Khatun.

“Next we had to decipher the name of the village but this was difficult because the writing was faint,” Esther says.

Naheed says: “I was able to figure out a few letters and began googling various letter combinations hoping to find a match.”

Dan adds: “We finally felt that she was from Gunari village in Dakop Thana. This is such a remote village that I was only able to find it on a single map.”

The results of this investigative googling were passed on to Reza and Nipu, both in Bangladesh. An employee at the Coca-Cola depot, Akhtaruzzaman Milu, said he knew a schoolteacher named Amit Babu who taught in Gunari village.

“Amit was asked to search for a family that had given up a child for adoption in the late seventies,” Esther says.

But he was kept in the dark about Esther’s identity and circumstances as a precaution against attracting impostors. Amit went doorto-door on his motorcycle until he got word of a family that fit the bill.

On Esther’s 36th birthday, June 24, 2013, Nurjahan Khatun was found.

She told Nipu that her daughter had been given up for adoption over 30 years ago.

Nipu sent pictures of Nurjahan and her other daughters to the United States.

“One look at her mother and we felt we had a lock,” Naheed says.

The resemblance between Esther and Nurjahan was striking – but ties of blood still had not been proven. Esther felt a DNA test was the way to go, and a friend, Lamia Karim, ferried the test kit from the US during a trip to Dhaka.

PHOTOS: ESTHER JAMINA JORDING

Esther Jamina Jording, in a three hour interview with the Dhaka Tribune’s Asif Islam, describes how tears, Twitter and the ties of friendship helped her find her way home

The results of the DNA test were not due until the first week of January 2014.

On Christmas Eve 2013, Esther and Nurjahan spoke for the first time ever on Skype and Facetime with Naheed translating as she held her smartphone up to her laptop screen.

“I cried,” Esther says.

“Don’t cry. You have a home here,” she recalls Nurjahan saying to her.

Emotionally, having the conversation was a risky thing to do – Esther still was not certain whether Nurjahan was her mother.

“What if it wasn’t a match? Even if it wasn’t a match, I’d call her my mother.”

She needn’t have worried – the results showed a 99.999% match.

On June 24, 2015, her 38th birthday – and two years to the day after her mother had been located – Esther was on a flight en route to Dhaka.

Last week in Khulna, after 38 years, mother and daughter finally met face to face. “The language barrier did not matter. I felt instantly connected to my mother and sisters. You can communicate if you have to and want to.”

She smiles: “My mother is just like me, she can’t sit still.”

Genuinely overwhelmed by the warmth of the welcome she received, she says: “This is the most non-judgemental place I have ever been to.”

Esther hopes to bring her mother and sister Amina on a visit to the United States soon.

She is blessed to have family yearning for her wherever she goes. Back in Vancouver, Washington, her sons Jackson, 7, Lincoln, 6, and Taft, 7 months – The Presidents – are impatient for her to get home.

She says Lance, her husband, has written to her, saying: “I miss you more than anything in the world.”

Esther, mildly amused, tells me: “I took a screenshot of that.” l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207. Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com