24 July, 2015

SECOND EDITION

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

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Shraban 9, 1422, Shawwal 7, 1436

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 99

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www.dhakatribune.com

| 32 pages plus 24-page Weekend | Price: Tk10

KHALEDA LAWYERS FISH TRADERS HELP PIRATES PANGAON TERMINAL REMAINS OF SUNDARBANS PAGE 5 GRILL ACC PAGE 3 VIRTUALLY IDLE PAGE 15

Time for BNP to look in the mirror Over the last nine years, the BNP has typically dealt with its own failures by taking time to regroup and reorganise. But the much touted – and much needed – reorganisation of the party has never actually taken place. Instead, the party has experienced an unrelenting losing streak and fallen into increasing disarray. In this series, the Dhaka Tribune looks into why the party has not been able to put its house in order in nearly a decade. This is the concluding part of the report

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The year 2015 has not been the happiest for people involved actively with the politics of BNP. They exhausted a lot of time, money and energy into a violent movement during January-March that eventually failed.

In return, most have not been able to return home, either because they were arrested or trying to avoid arrest in hundreds of lawsuits filed in connection with those three months’ street violence.

Since the movement faded in early April, senior leaders – also wanted in violence-related cases – have stopped going to their respective areas, rendering the party organisationally dead.

Nazrul Islam Khan, a member of BNP’s standing committee, said: “In some districts, committees have expired. In some places, top

leaders have become inactive. In other places, posts have remained vacant. Addressing all these issues is also part of the reorganisation process. But many of our colleagues have been killed by ruling party men, many were

‘How long does it take to reorganise a party? Is nine years not enough?’ paralysed by torture. So, reorganising the party has been a challenge.”

Eminent political scientist Rounaq Jahan said: “It is true that when political parties are in opposition, they face repression from the ruling regime. Leaders and workers of opposition parties are put in jail or face various forms of harassment. This situation has pre-

26 killed in road accidents

PAGE 3 Minister: Charge sheet against Rajon’s killers soon

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Chittagong Test hanging on knife’s edge

n Tribune Report Atleast 26 people were killed in road accidents with many others injured in various districts of the country yesterday.

Eight people including four of the same family were killed when a train rammed into a CNG-run autorickshaw at a rail-crossing at Hyderabad of Dakkhinkhan area in Gazipur yesterday around 2:45pm.

The deceased are Shah Alam, 27, his wife Peyara Begum, 21, their son Yasin, 4, daughter Sadiya, 6, Peyara’s sister Sofura, 12, Shah Alam’s cousin Al Amin, 27, his neighbour Liton Miya, 22, and the autorickshaw driver Mostofa, 20.

Tongi railway police outpost in-charge Sub-Inspector (SI) Alauddin said: “The DEMU train from Dhaka hit the autorickshaw when it was at the rail-crossing. The autorickshaw got stuck to the train engine and was carried along about half a kilometre, after which the engine driver was able to stop the train. The locals then pulled off the autorickshaw from the train. Seven of the bodies were found strewn along the half-kilometre stretch; the driver’s body was stuck inside the autorickshaw.”

The SI said that the rail-crossing had no signal bar as it did not have approval from the authorities. Police from Joydebpur junction outpost, Joydebpur police station and

vailed under military rule as well as under our elected political governments. So, it is hard to carry on organisational activities when parties are in opposition.”

In such a situation, many local level leaders and activists of the BNP have been joining the ruling party by making open announcements.

Reportedly, thousands of grassroots-level leaders and activists of both the BNP and its political ally Jamaat-e-Islami joined the Awami League in the last three months.

“How long does it take to reorganise a party? Is nine years not enough? So, the repeated announcement of reorganisnig the party will only pave the way for some senior leaders to make some money,” a district level leader told the Dhaka Tribune recently seeking anonymity.

According to Rounaq Jahan, the Awami

n Minhaz Uddin Khan from Chittagong

home to Khailkur from Narsingdi after the Eid holidays.

Amzad Hossain, a real estate businessman of Dakkhinkhan area, said: “At least eight more people were killed at this rail-crossing

The ongoing first Test between Bangladesh and South Africa is hanging finely in the balance following the third day’s play at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium yesterday as the visitors’ openers posted a positive start in pursuit of the home side’s 78-run first-innings lead. Stiaan van Zyl (33*) and Dean Elgar (28*) added 61 unbroken runs and concluded the third day still trailing the Tigers by 17 runs.

Earlier, resuming the day’s proceedings on 179 for the loss of four wickets, Bangladesh were gunning for a substantial lead and the presence of skipper Mushfiqur Rahim and maverick all-rounder Shakib al Hasan gave the side hope.

It was expected that the fifth-wicket pair would guide the Tigers to a healthy lead but it was never met after Mushfiq departed in just the sixth over of the morning session, adding only 12 runs to his overnight score of 16. Mushfiq’s dismissal was paceman Dale Steyn’s first scalp of the innings.

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Police and locals gather near a bus that fell into a roadside ditch from the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway in Goalabazar area under Osmani Nagar, Sylhet, killing three and injuring 20 yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE members of the fire service recovered the bodies and sent them to Gazipur Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital morgue.

Uncle of deceased Al Amin, Shukkur Ali, said Shah Alam and Peyara were returning

PAGE 5 RAB detains six tender snatchers near Rajuk office

PAGE 9 Obama administration takes Iran nuke deal fight public

PAGE 10 Israel troops shoot dead second Palestinian in 24hrs

PAGE 32 Cox’s Bazar to become digital surfing city

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2 NEWS

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

Hasina: Security shouldn’t detach PM from people n UNB Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked the members of Special Security Force (SSF) to be careful so that her contact with general people is not hindered in the name of security.

“We do politics ... general people are the main source of power for us ... you need to keep it in mind that we should not be detached from people,” she said.

Hasina was addressing a function marking the 29th founding anniversary of the SSF at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

She said their politics is for people, not for herself in any way. “It is right you have to en-

sure my security, but you also have to be careful that I am not isolated from people.”

Hasina said her only aim is to utilise every minute for the development of the country and the welfare of people. “That is why I do not want to waste any working hours, and for that those who work with me have to give extra labour too,” she said. “I feel peace in my mind when our labour and efforts bring good for people.”

She said the more the country will get developed the greater welfare of people will be ensured, and Bangladesh will be recognised as a dignified country on the global stage.

Praising the SSF personnel for their efficiency, devotion, dutifulness, loyalty, profes-

ing means to bring the dedicated, committed and experienced leaders to the forefront.

Asked why they have not been able to do it in nine years, he said: “We have not done it nine years does not mean that would not be able to do it ever. Those in charge of reorganising the party in the previous years did not perform well due to various reasons.” But this time, the party will be reorganised, he affirmed.

Political scientist Ataur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune: “In a nutshell, organisation means ideology in action. But the way BNP is trying to reorganise – by holding some meetings and sittings – will not bring any results.”

He prescribed that the party should now launch a membership drive across the country to find out the people who truly believes in the party’s ideologies and bring them under the umbrella.

“The BNP has huge popularity in the country; plus there is dissatisfaction among people against the government. So, the BNP should capitalise on this.

“The central leadership will have to be united. Basically, political parties in Bangladesh are based on patron-client relationship.

As BNP has been out of the office for a long time, it has no patron. The BNP has become dry even for its activists and leaders,” Ataur said. l

Steyn struggled for most parts of the second day and the Bangladesh captain’s departure provided him some much-needed relief. The length ball curled in and smacked the diminutive batsman on the back thigh. The on-field umpire turned down the confident leg-before appeal but skipper Hashim Amla was not convinced and asked for a review. There was a noise but it was due to the bat jamming the pad and the third umpire duly overturned the on-field adjudicator’s decision.

Following Mushfiq’s dismissal, Shakib and Liton Kumar Das were the last two recognised batsmen. Bangladesh had done a good job until then and needed these two to keep the scoreboard ticking. And, the sixth-wicket duo did exactly that, putting on a vital 82 runs.

Shakib, who began the day on one, recorded a few milestones on his way to 47. On 34, Shakib reached the 8000-international run landmark while his knock was his highest score against the Proteas. However, just when he was set to reach his 20th fifty, he mistimed a full-blooded pull off spinner Simon Harmer, only to see JP Duminy grasp a regulation catch.

This left Liton with the tail-enders. The 20-year old wicket-keeper exhibited a lot of courage against a South African bowling attack, hoping to cause rampage with the new ball. Liton however, was extremely composed and came out of his attacking shell, which is his natural game. The Dinajpur lad never attempted any glory shots and alongside Mohammad Shahid, added a valuable 34 runs for the seventh wicket to take Bangladesh past the 300-mark.

The association was brief yet effective as Shahid provided Liton valuable support. Better known for his unrelenting approach while bowling, Shahid dug in for 19 balls and blazed four boundaries and a six on way to 25 before Vernon Philander removed him. His maximum off Harmer was only the Tigers’ second of the innings after Mushfiq.

In the meantime, Liton reached his maiden fifty and at 20, became the youngest stumper-batsman to strike a half-century against South Africa, surpassing Sri Lanka’s Niroshan Dickwella.

Following Liton’s departure for 50, Steyn cleaned up the tail to finish with 399 wickets, one short of becoming the 13th cricketer to reach the 400-club. l

died in a bus accident when a bus of Binimoy Paribahan, while coming to Dhaka, lost control and fell into a ditch near Baoikhola area of the Dhaka-Tangail highway, reports our Tangail correspondent. The incident took place around 3:15pm.

Traffic Sergeant Asad of Tangail said the deceased could not be identified immediately. The injured were taken to Tangail Medical College Hospital; the death toll may increase, he said adding that the rescue work is still ongoing.

Tangail deputy commissioner announced that each of the family of the deceased would be compensated with Tk20,000 and the injured would be paid their medical expenses.

Our correspondent in Sylhet reports a similar bus accident there claimed the lives of three including two women. A surviving passenger said the bus, travelling towards Sylhet from Brahmanbaria, suddenly lost control near a primary school in Osmani Nagari and fell into the roadside ditch around 12pm. He

said the bus was carrying excess passengers.

Sylhet Superintendent of Police Nur-eAlam Mina confirmed the deaths of two women and a man in the incident and said their identities could not yet be confirmed.

In another incident, two people were killed and three others injured when a bus and a CNG autorickshaw collided head-on in the Islamabad area of Sarail upazila of Brahmanbaria on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway. The incident occurred around 10:30am yesterday, reports our correspondent.

The deceased are Darbesh Ali, 38, of Brahmanbaria; and Inzamamul Haq, 22, a thirdyear philosophy student of Brahmanbaria Government College and son of Enamul Haq from Madhabpur upazila in Habiganj.

Sarail Khatihata Highway Police Sergeant Jahangir Alam said a bus of Shyamoli Paribahan going to Sylhet hit the oncoming CNG autorickshaw, killing the two autorickshaw passengers on the spot. The bus have been taken into custody, he added. l

sionalism and skills, Hasina hoped that the force will perform their duties with honesty, sincerity and utmost trustworthiness.

Hasina said the security system is now under a challenge as the type and techniques of militant and terrorist activities have changed across the globe with the advent of new technologies and the terrorists can now carry out their operations from any corner of the world.

Under the circumstances, she said, the level of security measures has been increased across the world and her government also ensured various facilities, including digital technology for the SSF to modernise the force as well as enhancing their capability through imparting training, she added. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Time for BNP to look in the mirror League is an old political party and has a strong sense of identity because it led the nationalist movement. That was why the Awami League succeeded in retaining its support base even when it was out of power for 21 years during 1975-96 and before that during 1949-71.

“But the case is different for the BNP. The Awami League and the Jamaat were formed by people who were not commanding state power. But the BNP was formed by people who used state power to recruit supporters.

Breakaway groups and people from different political parties joined the BNP. There was no strong ideology binding these people who came from both leftist and rightist orientation.

Their mass driving force was an anti-Awami League sentiment,” said the researcher.

“So, it is tough for the BNP to keep its leaders and activists together when they are out of the power for a long time as its support is based on access to patronage which can be delivered when the party holds state power,” she added.

Among the 15 vice chairmen of the party, only four are currently active in politics, while three are severely ill, one is behind bars and one is on the run.

All the joint secretaries were on the run during the movement earlier this year. Aman-

ullah Aman was busy in arranging his son’s wedding during the movement and went into hiding right after. Mizanur Rahman Minu and Barkatullah Bulu were on the run throughout the entire duration of the movement. Mahbub Uddin Khokon was busy with his law practice.

Mohammad Shahjahan was behind bars while Salahuddin Ahmed – who acted as the party’s underground crisis communicator for a brief period – went missing from Dhaka in the middle of the movement and was found several months later in the Indian state of Shillong.

Organising secretary Fazlul Huq Milon has come to be known as an opportunist who is never seen in the streets during movements and only appears to show his face in the media at press conferences.

Ilyas Ali, the one active organising secretary, went missing several years ago and have not been seen since. The rest exist just on papers and have rarely been seen except for a few public meetings.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has often rebuked the senior and mid-level leaders for not being in the field during street movements.

Recently, it is said that she does not trust these leaders anymore and have been making most decisions by herself for months.

According to Mohammad Shahjahan, a joint secretary general of the party, reorganis-

Chittagong Test

26 killed in road accidents before. All the railway authorities did was put up a concrete sign that warned everyone to use the crossing with caution.

Joydebpur railway junction Master Shahidul Islam said: “There are 13 such unapproved rail-crossings across the rail line from Tongi to Joydebpur. The ward councillors of the local city corporation made these crossings to meet the need of the local residents, and the responsibility to look after these crossings is theirs. We face trouble if we talk about these.”

Kamalapur Railway police station Officerin-Charge Abdul Majid said legal action would be taken against the autorickshaw driver as he used the illegal crossing.

Bangladesh Railway regional manager of Dhaka Arifuzzaman told journalists that the unapproved rail-crossings are not level crossings. He said he had information that this is the first time an autorickshaw used that crossing. A special team from BR would be inspecting the site of incident, he added.

In another incident in Munshiganj, our correspondent reported seven people were killed and 12 others were injured as a Mawa-bound bus rammed into a Dhaka-bound four-wheeler, locally known as Leguna, on the Dhaka-Mawa highway at Nimtoli of Sirajdikhan upazila on Wednesday evening.

The deceased are Leguna driver Ershad, 32, Rabbaj Mia’s son Russell, 30, Russell’s wife Seema Begum, Russell’s niece Alo, 10, Shipra Mandal, 28, Alamin, 14, and Madhuri Akter, 18.

After the accident, agitated people vandalised several vehicles and blocked the highway for an hour. The wounded are admitted to different hospitals.

Confirming this news Munshiganj ASP Md Samsuzzaman said, “Four died on the spot, Alo died on the way to hospital, and two others died in the hospital. The bus and the Leguna have been seized but the bus driver fled the scene.”

In Tangail, six people including women

DT

NEWS 3

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

Khaleda lawyers grill ACC in graft case n Ashif Islam Shaon

The deputy director of the country’s graft watchdog found himself in the hot seat yesterday, as BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s lawyer subjected him to a lengthy cross-examination in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia stands accused along with eight others in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case and Zia Orphanage Trust case.

During the 90 minutes of questioning yesterday, defence counsel suggested that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) was a ruling party lackey.

Khaleda’s counsel Khandaker Mahbub Hossain said the ACC had filed at least 15 cases against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina before 2008, but they had all been scrapped after she came to power.

Under cross-examination, plaintiff Harun-or-Rashid, deputy director of the com-

mission, denied the ACC acts according to the wishes of the party in power.

At one point, ACC lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajol said, to date, the watchdog had never withdrawn a case against anyone. He also said that the cases the defence was alluding to were not relevant to the two graft cases under trial.

In response Khandaker Mahbub Hossain said: “The Commission withdrew some cases against Hasina but did not do that in the cases of Khaleda.”

The plaintiff ’s unfinished cross-examination was yesterday fixed for August 3. On June 18, Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of the Special Judge Court 3 fixed yesterday for the hearing in the two graft cases.

Khaleda Zia was present at the makeshift court set up in a parade ground of the Dhaka Central Jail Directorate in the capital’s Bakshibazar area. She reached the site of the court 20 minutes ahead of schedule and waited inside her vehicle until the proceedings

started. She left the court around noon after the hearing was concluded.

When defence counsel asked the plaintiff if the Zia Charitable Trust graft case was filed for embezzlement of government money, ACC Deputy Director Harun-or-Rashid replied that the case was filed for collecting money illegally and spending it using the prime minister’s portfolio.

The plaintiff told the court that according to the trust deeds, the two sons of ex-president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman were made trustees of the Zia Charitable Trust.

“One could only be a member of the trust by donating Tk5 lakh. The documents named several people as trustees. When we investigated the case, we did not find any trustees outside the Zia family. The other so-called trustees denied donating any money to the trust,” he said.

Khandaker Mahbub Hossain suggested that the donors concealed their donations from the investigator out of fear of harass-

ment. The plaintiff flatly denied this possibility, saying: “It is not true.”

The corruption trials against Khaleda and eight others began on September 22 last year.

The ACC filed one graft case in 2008 against Khaleda and five others for embezzling over Tk2.1 crore by forming a “fake” Zia Orphanage Trust that existed only on paper.

The other accused are Khaleda’s son Tarique Rahman, Ziaur Rahman’s nephew Mominur Rahman, Khaleda’s former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, former BNP lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal and businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed.

The other case was filed by the anti-graft body in 2011 for abusing power in setting up the Zia Charitable Trust. The accused are Khaleda Zia, her former political secretary Harris Chowdhury, his assistant private secretary Ziaul Islam Munna and former Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka’s assistant personal secretary Monirul Islam Khan. l

Media urged to portray Bangabandhu as a universal leader n Abu Hayat Mahmud The Awami League has sought the media’s collaboration in portraying Bangabandhu as a universal leader.

Syed Ashraful Islam, general secretary of the ruling party, made the call to the media while addressing a meeting with journalists at the Dhanmondi office of Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday.

“Bangabandhu is the architect of our liberation. So the media should publish more items on him and his extraordinary leadership so that the new generation and also the world can learn the real history of Bangladesh,” said Syed Ashraf, who is also the Public Administration minister.

The Awami League has chalked out a 40day programme to observe the 40th anniversary of the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu and his family on August 15, 1975.

The ruling party’s Joint General Secretaries Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif and several other central leaders were present at the meeting.

Ashraf said while the party observes the death anniversary of the founding father, the media can contribute by publishing and broadcasting various items highlighting the achievements, life and careers of the great leader.

“However, we do not want to force the media to do anything. It all depends on your wish,” he told the journalists.

Ashraf, son of Bangladesh’s wartime acting president Syed Nazrul Islam, also said: “The Awami League has always been a media-friendly organisation. We have never considered media as our enemy. So, you [journalists] can express your constructive opinions with freedom.”

Those present at the meeting included Golam Sarwar, editor of daily Samakal; Manzurul Ahsan Bulbul, chief editor of Boishakhi Television; Abul Kalam Azad, editor of BSS; and Abed Khan, senior journalist. l

Several buses are seen stuck in a long tailback on the Dhaka-Mawa Highway yesterday. The tailback was created because of a human chain formed by the locals protesting for almost an hour the death of four people who came under a bus of Ilish Paribahan on the highway on Wednesday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Minister: Charge sheet against Rajon’s killers soon n Tribune Report The police are likely to file a charge sheet within the next few days over the killing of 13-year-old Rajon, Law Minister Anisul Huq has said, adding that the case would be sent to a speedy trial tribunal for its quick disposal.

“The home minister has assured me that the charge sheet will be filed within three or four days,” he told reporters yesterday at the capital’s Judicial Administration Training Institute after the inauguration of a two-month training course for newly appointed assistant judges.

He said the government would ensure ex-

emplary punishment for the culprits so that nobody dared to commit such an offence in the future.

On July 8, Sheikh Samiul Alam Rajon was beaten to death in Sylhet’s Kumargaon by some men who falsely accused the teen of stealing a van. The video of the brutal beating soon spread on social media platforms, triggering massive outrage among the public.

Another accused confesses

Another suspect in the Rajon murder case yesterday submitted his confessional statement to a Sylhet court.

Ali Haidar, one of the accused in the case,

confessed to the court of Sylhet Metropolitan Magistrate Shahedul Karim for two hours yesterday afternoon, said court sources.

Quoting Ali, Investigation Officer Suranjit Talukdar said the suspect was not present when Rajon was first captured under false allegations; but his younger brother Kamrul phoned him to come to Kumargaon. Reaching there, Ali saw Kamrul and Moyna beating a tied up Rajon; Ali then also joined the beating.

Meanwhile, the same court also placed another accused – Tajuddin Ahmed Badal – under a five-day remand. The magistrate granted the remand after the IO placed a 10-day remand plea. l

DT

4 NEWS

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

ACC questions BASIC Bank MD, former MD skips n Tribune Report BASIC Bank disbursed loans worth Tk4,248 crore in just four years – from 2009 to 2013 – without any reliable securities, the Anti-Corruption Commission has said.

The loans were approved by the bank’s branches at Gulshan, Dilkusha and Shantinagar in the capital, the bank’s new Managing Director Khondoker Md Iqbal told ACC officials during a questioning session yesterday.

A team of ACC officials led by Deputy Director Syed Iqbal Hossain questioned Md

Iqbal from 10am to 1pm regarding the loan fraud of Tk4,500 crore.

Former MD Kazi Faqurul Islam, who was also supposed to be present at the ACC headquarters, skipped the session.

An official of the commission told the Dhaka Tribune that BASIC Bank disbursed loans worth 2,700 crore in 2009. But in four years and three months, the amount of loans rose to Tk9,373 crore.

After the Bangladesh Bank detected the irregularities, the government removed MD Kazi Faqurul Islam from the bank and reor-

ganised its board of directors. The management appointed Md Iqbal as the new MD. Bangladesh Bank’s investigation revealed that loans of Tk1,800 crore from the Gulshan branch, 1,524 crore from Shantinagar branch and Tk923 crore from Dilkhusa branch were disbursed against no reliable securities.

Following Bangladesh Bank’s directive, the ACC in 2012 launched an inquiry into the misappropriation of Tk3,500 crore from the state-owned bank.

The ACC official said the inquiry was near completion. l

War crime accused Abdul Latif hospitalised

Voter list update process begins tomorrow

n Kamrul Hasan

n UNB

War crime accused Abdul Latif Talukdar was hospitalised yesterday afternoon after he fell ill because of old age complications in Dhaka Central Jail.

He was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and is now undergoing treatment at ward 602 of the hospital, said officials.

Dhaka Central Jail Superintendent Neasar Alam said Latif fell ill around 1:30pm and was immediately taken to the DMCH. Abdul Latif Talukdar is accused of killing 42 people during the 1971 Liberation War at Shankharikathi Bazar in Bagerhat’s Kachua upazila.

He was arrested on June, 2014 after International Crimes Tribunal issued a warrant against him. After the hearing on charges against him was over, the ICT 1, on June 23 this year, announced that the verdict would be delivered later. l

The Election Commission will start the countrywide voter list update process tomorrow.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad will open the three-phase data collection for updating the country’s voter list at 11am at Shilpakala Academy in Narsingdi town, said Director (Public Relations) of the Election Commission SM Azaduzzaman yesterday.

Four election commissioners – Abdul Mobarak, Abu Hafiz, Zabed Ali and Shah Nawaz – and EC Secretary Sirazul Islam will be present at the inauguration programme, he added.

The Election Commission will collect data of Bangladeshi citizens born on or before January 1, 2000 during the door-to-door data collection from July 25 to September 22 this year.

Of them, only those who were born on or before January 1, 1998 will be registered as

Envoys open their homes to Bangladeshi art n Shadma Malik The ambassadors of Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland have hosted a joint exhibition titled “Art Weekend” which will be inaugurated today and continue till tomorrow.

The exhibition, which will be curated at their respective residences, will highlight the works of several Bangladeshi artists.

The objective is to enhance interaction among Bangladeshi artists, the international community and art lovers in Bangladesh.

The ambassadors believe the exhibition will provide a platform for young and amateur talents.

German ambassador Dr Thomas Prinz will be hosting photographs of different scenes of Bangladesh. The photographs have been taken from “Bangladesh. Seen from Within” by Drik, a series of books portraying Bangladesh seen through the collective work of local photography enthusiasts.

Regarding the exhibition, the German ambassador said: “It shows Bangladesh through the eyes of Bangladeshis. Most of the photos at the exhibition are by amateur and non-professional photographers.

“In total, the 25 photos are extraordinary, fantastic snapshots which you cannot work out, you cannot plan. This was done by people who live here and this is Bangladesh for them.”

The Norwegian ambassador, Merete Lundemo, will be hosting the art of Rokeya Sultana and her students.

Lundemo said: “We want to lift up the art scene of Bangladesh and make it meet the international community. Rokeya has brought young art students. It is very encouraging and informative to see the work of the ten art students from the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka.”

“There are so many different expressions and this will provide a platform for students to have their work exposed. This is important in the formation of a young artist: to meet people and show their art,” said the Norwegian ambassador.

The Brazilian ambassador will be hosting art by Mahbubur Rahman, Tayeba Lipi and others. Vinita Karim’s work will be showcased at the residence of the ambassador of the Netherlands and the Swiss ambassador will be hosting Abir Abdullah’s work.

The exhibition will remain open from 2pm to 8pm. l

voters in 2016, while the remaining nationals in 2017 and 2018.

Enumerators will collect data in 189 upazilas/thana from July 25 to August 9 in the first phase, while 184 upazilas/thana from August 16 to 30 in the second phase and 141 upazilas/thana from September 7 to 22 in the third phase.

If any possible voter wants to be registered, s/he needs to have birth certificate, land deed (if any), education certificate (if any), receipt of house rent or copies of utility bills, passport (if any), NID Number of father or mother or spouse, EC officials said.

Photographs and fingerprints of the nationals born on or before January 1, 1998 will be taken in three phases from August 11 to October 20 through 5,400 possible registration centres across the country.

But photographs and fingerprints of the remaining citizens will be taken in also three phases from October 22 to February 10 next. l

DT Ctg bureau chief’s father dies n CU Correspondent Father of Tushar Hayat Chowdhury, Chittagong bureau chief of the Dhaka Tribune, passed away in his residence in Swandip upazila of the district early yesterday.

Nurul Huda Chowdhury, 87, breathed his last in Amanullah Chowdhury Bari around 5am. A renowned businessman and a social worker, he had long been suffering from old age complications, said family members.

Nurul Huda was the president of Sontospur High School and Cheuria Primary School governing body. He left behind his wife, four sons, six daughters and a large number of well-wishers to mourn his death.

Nurul Huda was buried at the family graveyard after Zohr prayers.

Chittagong Union of Journalists President Ezaz Yusufi and its General Secretary Hasan Ferdous expressed profound shock at the death and prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul. l

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FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

Fish traders help pirates in the Sundarbans n Our Correspondent, Khulna In the face of stern actions from the administration, notorious pirate groups of the Sundarbans have reorganised in smaller factions with the support of local fish traders.

Fishermen, who are still facing torture and abduction by pirates, alleged that the local fish traders had been helping the bandit groups survive.

They said fish traders smuggle arms, food and other necessities to the pirates groups in exchange of money.

There are at least eight or nine active pirate groups in the Sundarbans. Fishermen are often abducted by them for ransom.

Robiul Sheikh, a fisherman from Golkhali village of Koyra upazila, said some unscrupulous fish traders had been supporting the pirates in various ways. “They supply the pirates with weapons and food in the name of

fish trading. They hide the arms under ice and smuggle them to the forest. In return, the fish traders make a lot of money.”

He further said some fish traders of Paikgachha and Kopilmuni had amassed a lot of wealth by helping the pirates.

“The pirate groups of Munna, Jonab, Noa Mia and Imdadul are very active in the Khulna and Satkhira range. They get support from a fish trader of Kopilmuni. These groups not only abduct fishermen but are also involved in illegal business of deer-meat. Some officials of the forest department are also a part of it,” he added.

Officer in-Charge of Koyra police station Harendranath Sarkar said: “We arrested one pirate with arms from Tala upazila on July 10.

He is a member of Imdadul group. We have learnt from him that his group has contact with a fish trader of Kopilmuni. And since then we had been keeping an eye on the trad-

er.” He however did not give out the name of the businessman.

According to other fishermen, there are about 45-50 fish traders in Koyra and Paikgachha upazila. The relationship between the fish traders and pirate groups is a mutually beneficial one. The traders supply the pirates with daily needs against which the pirates pay hefty amount to the traders.

“If we want to go fishing, we have to bribe the pirate groups. Otherwise they would abduct and torture us. Moreover, motor-driven boats are banned in the Sundarbans now. So only fishing boats can ply. This has given the fish traders exclusive privilege to control the forest,” they said.

There are also allegations of hunting deer against the pirates and fish traders. On July 11, Bangladesh Coast Guard members recovered a huge amount of deer-meat from Golkhali area. And on July 12 two boats with deer traps

were seized from Jholakhali area.

A deer hunter, on assurance of anonymity, said there were 10-15 groups that hunt deer in the Sundarbans. They hunt about 35-50 deer a month and sell them to the fish traders, who sell the meat to various markets of Koyra, Paikgachha, Tala, Chuknagar and Satkhira.

Babul Sheikh, a businessman from Kopilmuni, said the trade had become risky in the Sundarbans because of the pirates. He, however, denied of any involvement with pirates and said he was no longer conducting fish business.

Station Officer of Kashiabad forest range, Mohammad Alauddin, said the number of request for boat passes had decreased in his area. “This means a low number of fish traders are going into the forest.”

He further added that he did not know about the trader-pirate relationship and had no information about deer hunting groups. l

RAB detains six tender snatchers near Rajuk office n Kamrul Hasan RAB detained six people, who were tyring to snatch tender documents, from in front of the Rajuk building in the capital’s Gulistan around yesterday afternoon.

The six are: Kazi Sohel Hossain, 28, Md Rasel, 29, Md Khairul Alam, 37, Md Mizanur Rahman, 56, Md Kazi Mazharul Islam, 51, and Md Selim, 51.

Yesterday was the last day for dropping tender documents for the construction of the internal roads and surface drains at the Purbachal New Town project of the Dhaka city development authority, Rajuk. The project works have been divided in 17 categories and its total cost is Tk350 crore.

Witnesses said that around 3:30pm, some Rajuk officials were heading towards their office after collecting the tender applications from Shegunbagicha area. But they were intercepted on the way by a group of people who tried to forcibly take away the documents.

Some of the RAB members stationed in the area noticed the incident and arrested the six on the spot.

Seeking anonymity, one of the bidders said that three top leaders of the ruling party and its associated bodies are also competing for the tender. They are Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan, organising secretary of the Dhaka city unit of ruling Awami League’s youth front Jubo League; Mizanur Rahman, another Jubo League leader from the BADC; and Nixon Chowdhury, a member of parliament.

He also said that those who tried to snatch the tender documents included Mizanur himself and he was accompanied by the followers of Khaled as well. However, the Dhaka Tribune could not verify whether they were ruling party men or not.

RAB 3 Commanding Officer Lt Col Khandoker Golam Sarowar said Rajuk sought their help suspecting that untoward situations may arise during the tender opening. So, RAB deployed a team in plainclothes in the area.

The officials of the elite force handed over the arrestees to the Motijheel police station later in the evening. l

This road flooded by dirty water leaked through sewerage lines in the capital’s Malibagh area shows the faulty drainage system and a lack of management by the authorities. The photo was taken yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

Charge framing deferred again in Kibria killing case n Our Correspondent, Sylhet For the third time, a Sylhet court has deferred framing charges in the case filed over the killing of former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria; the hearing will now be held on August 3.

Kishore Kumar Kar, public prosecutor of the Sylhet Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal, told the Dhaka Tribune that the tribunal yesterday adjourned the charge framing hearing as suspended Sylhet mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury – one of the charge-sheeted accused – was not produced before the court.

However, other accused men including

former state minister for home Lutfuzzaman Babar and Huji chief Mufti Hannan were produced in front of the tribunal Judge Makbul Ahsan, said sources at the court.

The tribunal set August 3 as the new date after the counsel for Ariful Haque Chowdhury submitted a time petition before the judge.

Mohammad Lala, Ariful’s lawyer, said the suspended Sylhet mayor could not appear before the court as he was undergoing medical treatment.

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.

The new names in the complementary charge sheet included the BNP chief’s former adviser Harris Chowdhury, Ariful Haque Chowdhury, and Habiganj municipality mayor GK Gaus – who was also later suspended.

On January 27, 2005, Shah AMS Kibria, technocrat finance minister of the Awami League government from 1996-2001, was killed in a grenade attack when was returning to Dhaka after attending a rally in Habiganj.

Four others were killed and more than a hundred people were also injured in that gruesome attack. l

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Downpour pushes Jhenidah flower growers at stake n Our Correspondent, Jhenidah At least 1,500 flower growers in the district have been facing a tough time recently as incessant heavy downpour damaged their gardens vastly.

Consequently, they have incurred huge loss due to the untoward move of nature.

Sources at the local agriculture office said about 265-hector was under flower cultivation this season. Of the figure, 85-hector in Kaliganj upazila, 65-hector in Sadar upazila while 30 in Harinakundo upazila, 45 in Moheshpur upazila and 40 in Kotchandpur upazila.

Around 70% of the flower plots in the six upazilas have been damaged, sources added.

Abdur Razzak, former UP chairman and

a flower grower from Baroghighati village, said he cultivated marigold on a land of 5bigha this year at a cost of Tk1.5 lakh and earlier he has already earned Tk1 lakh from the plot.

If the weather remained good, he could sell flowers of Tk4 lakh more but the plot is inundated by the unusual rain during last couple of days.

Another farmer named Abul Hossain of Baliadanga village said he took one-bigha land on lease and cultivated flowers at a cost of Tk20,000. Finally, he managed to earn Tk15,000 from the unit.

In this circumstance, the price of flowers became three times higher duo to the scarcity.

When contacted, several growers, namely Islam Hossain, Mollik Mondol, Abdus salam

and Shariful Islam echoed the aforesaid statement.

In this regard, local Flower Grower Association President Motiar Rahman said: “The flower growers are worried due to damaging their plots because of excessively rain water.

Most of them have taken loan from different NGOs. “How they will repay the loan and maintain their family.”

Jhenidah Agriculture Extension Department Deputy Director Shah Akramul Haq said excessive rain compelled the flower growers to incur a big loss as their plots have got inundated.

Though the price of flower was high, but they would not be able to sell flowers any longer, the official continued. l

Boy dies as marble AL man hacked to death sticks in throat n Our Correspondent, Magura

n Tribune Desk A minor boy died as a marble stuck in his throat at Hamkuriya village in Tarash upazila yesterday afternoon.

The deceased was identified as Zakaria, 5, son of Babu Hossain of the village.

Police said the marble struck in Zakaria’s throat while he was playing in the yard of his house in the afternoon.

Zakaria died within half an hour of frantic effort to bring out the marble. l

A man was killed during a factional clash of the ruling party Awami League at Rupdia village of Mugura Sadar upazila yesterday morning.

Officer-in-Charge of Magura Sadar police station Munshi Asaduzzam said Pannu had been killed over rivalry between two factions of Awami League at the village.

He said there had been a long-standing dispute between Shatrijitpur union AL President Johur Mollah and General Secretary Eklashuddin over establishing supremacy in

Shimulia-Kewrakandi ferry services halted n Tribune Desk

Ro Ro ferry services on the Shimulia-Kewrakandi route was suspended early yesterday due to poor navigability on the route.

BIWTC manager Abdul Alim said around 12:45am, a Ro Ro ferry normally needs seven and a half feet water in the channel for plying while it is now only seven feet.

They could not be able to make the channel navigable until it was dredged, added the official. The suspension of ferry services has caused traffic congestion on both sides of the route. l

Three die in trawler capsize n Our Correspondent, Habiganj Three people drowned and two others were injured as a trawler carrying around 50 Muslim devotees sank in the Gardair haor in Ajmiriganj upazila yesterday afternoon.

The deceased were identified as Idris Miah, 55, of Birat village, Amina Begum, 30, and one-and-half-year-old boy Jihad of Nayagarh village in the upazila.

Police and locals said the trawler with the Muslim devotees capsized in the haor around 5:30pm after it was hit with an unknown hard objective under the water.

All the passengers except Idris, Amina and Jihad managed to swim ashore. Two of them suffered injuries. Later, their bodies were recovered from the water. The tragedy struck the Muslim devotees while they were going to Maniker dargah at Khagra village in Mithamain upazila of Kishoreganj from Biratghat in Ajmiriganj. l

the locality.

In the morning, around 10 supporters of Johur and Eklash locked into the clash after an altercation. Later, being informed a huge number supporters of both group rushed to spot and locked into the clash.

During the clash, Pannu, a supporter of Johur, came under attack. He was hacked to death on the spot. The clash lasted about three hours.

About 25 houses were ransacked and looted during the clash. On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. l

River erosion posing threat to residents n Tribune Report

More than 1,000 people of several villages at Koyra upzila upazila under the district are reportedly in danger as the Kapotakhsa River has devoured a large portion of the Gobra-Ghatakhali embankment recently.

The villages include Koyra Sadar, Gobra, Ghatakhali, Horinkhola, 2 No Koyra, Modinabad and 1 No Koyra, said section officer Abdul Matin of Water Development Board (WDB).

“Around three kilometer area has been devoured by river erosion,” said Koyra Union Parishad member Shaikh Abul Kalam Azad.

“The incident was informed to the WDB authorities but they had not paid any heed to it,” the UP member added.

The UP member also expressed deep concern as the affected people took shelter on the embankment and the erosion was going on heavily.

Aftab Uddin, a social worker, said the total embankment might collapse anytime if the effective measures should not be taken.

Abdus Salam, 50, a farmer of Gobra village said that he had lost his croplands due to the erosion. Osman Goni, 45, a grocer of Ghatakhali village said that the river grasped his shop recently. “Now I am quite helpless,” he lamented with tearful eyes.

“We are living in fear round the clock and passing sleepless night as the river erosion devoured our homesteads,” said Abul Kalam of Modinabad village.

Md Abdul Malek, executive engineer of the WDB, said proposal for protection of the embankment was sent to the authorities concerned. Repairing works would be started after approved the project, he added.

UNO Sayed Eramul Kabir said the information about the incident was sent to the WDB. They would take proper steps in this regard, he also said. l

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‘Works on four lanes of Dhaka-Mawa Highway starts in December’

Govt to install 2,280,000 prepaid gas meters across country

n Our correspondent, Munshiganj

n Tribune Report

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said construction work of four lanes of the Dhaka-Mawa Highway would start in December.

The Bangladesh Army will be entrusted with the work and everything has been fixed in this regard. Not only the construction of Padma Bridge, but also all the connecting projects would be completed in stipulated, the minister said while visiting the Dhaka-Mawa Highway at Nimtali, Sirajdikhan upazila yesterday afternoon.

The minister also said: “CNG-run auto rickshaw will be banned on the highway from August 1. Drive against other illegal vehicles will be conducted from the same day as these vehicles are the main cause of accident on highways.”

During the visit, government officials, local MP Sukumar Ranjan Ghosh, Executive Engineer of Roads and Highway Abu Hena Md Tareq Iqbal and Communication Officer Sheikh Walid Foyez accompanied the minister. l

The government has decided to install 2,280,000 lakh prepaid gas meters in the country aimed at preventing the wastage of natural gas.

“The government under different projects will install prepaid gas meters to prevent wastage of gas during its use at different holdings,” Energy and Mineral Resources Secretary Abubakar Siddique said yesterday.

He said consumers of the natural gas under these projects would get more financial benefits by using the prepaid gas metres, compared to their use in the previous system.

Officials said 1,500,000 prepaid gas meters would be installed in areas of the Gas Trans-

mission and Distribution Company Limited, while 460,000 lakh others in areas of the Karnaphuli Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited.

Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited will introduce 100,000 prepaid gas metres, while Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company Limited will install 220,000 others, reports BSS. Besides, they said, projects are being implemented to install 200,000 prepaid gas metres for the residential consumers in the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited areas in Dhaka and 60,000 others in the Karnaphuli Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited in Chittagong.

Japan International Cooperation Agency

has provided finance for implementation of the two projects.

Meanwhile, the officials said, Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited has already installed 9,100 prepaid meters under a pilot project in the Titas areas.

They said the government has installed pre- paid metres in different areas on a pilot basis to increase efficiency in the household use of gas.

Energy and Mineral Resources Division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources took the projects to install prepaid metres for prevention of wastage of natural gas. The primary proposal of the project is now under scrutiny, an official said. l

WEATHER RAIN OR THUNDERSHOWERS

FRIDAY, JULY 24 DHAKA TODAY

TOMORROW

SUN SETS 6:46PM

SUN RISES 5:24AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

30

25

Chittagong

29

26

Rajshahi

30

25

Rangpur

29

25

Khulna

29

25

Barisal

30

26

Sylhet

26

24

Cox’s Bazar

29

26

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

34ºC

24.6ºC

Rajshahi

Rangamati Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Jumma Asr Magrib Esha

3:57am 5:23am 12:05am 4:44pm 6:46pm 8:16pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

Workers of Swan Garments and Swan Jeans Factory yesterday hold a sit-in in front of Islami Bank Bhaban in Dilkusha, Dhaka, for the 12th consecutive day demanding the payment of all outstanding wages and bonuses, reopening of the two factories and withdrawal of cases against the workers MEHEDI HASAN

RAB arrests two more of yaba trading cartel with 80,000 pills n FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong

The Rapid Action Battalion arrested two people with about 80,000 pieces of Yaba pills from Nimtala-Biswa Road area in Chittagong city early yesterday. The two had smuggled 300,000 yaba pills before Eid-ul-Fitr, according to the RAB. Police arrested Md Jakir, 26, and Jasim Uddin Rana, 35, seven months back, but then they were released from jail and got indulged in yaba trading.

“They are the cohorts of notorious drug peddler Jahidul Islam alias Alo who was arrested with 235,000 yaba pills, one foreign pistol, bullets and a car from Halishahar area in the port city on December 26 last year”, said Lieutenant Colonel Mifta Uddin, commanding officer of RAB 7, at a press briefing.

He said following a tip off a team of the elite forces intercepted a Dhaka-bound -pick up van in the area under Bandar police station.

Later, searching the dash board of the vehicle, RAB personnel found 80,000 pieces of contraband yaba tablets worth of Tk3.20 crore and detained the duo, said the RAB high official adding that during the drive RAB members also recovered Tk1.51 lakh in cash from their possession.

Earlier, the same group had sent two huge consignments of yaba containing around 180,000 pieces of contraband drugs respectively from Chittagong to Dhaka boarding at the same pick-up van before Eid, he said.

The RAB official said after coming out on the bail, the trio have got engaged the same business again while Alo is the mastermind of

the drug peddling.

“Alo leads the gang while the two were carrying the drug items and reached it to the other peddlers safely. The elite force, however, was trying to arrest Alo in this regard while he is on the run after the incident, Lt Colonel Mifta said.

Mifta also said RAB 7 has recovered around 256,0263 pieces of Yaba pills conducting drives in last seven months.

The legislative processes were under processing against the drug smugglers.

It is mentionable that RAB had busted a yaba-ring by arresting Jahidul Islam Alo and his two associates from his residence Halishahar area on December 26 in 2014 along with huge yaba, arms and cash. Later a case was filed against them on following day with Halishahar police station in this connection. l

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India scandals threaten scamfree government pledge n AFP, New Delhi Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bold promise of a squeaky clean government is under threat just over 12 months after his landslide election victory, with a string of scandals erupting across the country.

Embarrassing allegations ensnared Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj along with the chief ministers of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh where the right-wing BJP rules at the state level.

Analysts say the government’s credibility risks damage after it pledged an honest and efficient administration, to attract much-needed foreign investment and win over voters enraged about endemic corruption.

Graft scandals plagued the previous Con-

gress-led government, resulting in policy paralysis and the worst economic slowdown since the 1980s.

The latest allegations also threaten Modi’s critical land, taxation and other legislative reforms, with this week’s new session of parliament erupting in chaos over opposition demands for Swaraj and the chief ministers to resign.

The government has staunchly resisted calls to sack Swaraj over her role in helping corruption-hit former cricket boss Lalit Modi obtain a passport in the UK. The BJP has stood behind Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje, under fire for allegedly supporting Lalit Modi’s UK immigration application while he was under investigation back in India for graft.

But it is also under pressure over Shivraj Singh Chouhan, chief minister of Madhya Pradesh state, where thousands of people are alleged to have bribed officials and politicians in return for jobs or places in training institutes.

India’s top court has ordered a federal investigation into the so-called Vyapam scam after a spate of recent deaths fuelled claims of a mass cover-up by the Chouhan government.

The opposition says dozens of people associated with the scam, including witnesses, have died but state authorities say there is little evidence to connect any of the deaths or to suggest foul play.

Separately, a court has agreed to look into an allegation that national education minister Smriti Irani lied about her education degree. l

A dog is seen on top of a pile of logs at a holding area along the Yangon River in Yangon yesterday. Beijing yesterday hit out at long jail sentences handed to more than 150 Chinese nationals for illegal logging in Myanmar, in the latest tremor to shake relations between the neighbours AFP

China ire as Myanmar jails scores for illegal logging n AFP, Yangon Beijing yesterday hit out at long jail sentences handed to more than 150 Chinese nationals for illegal logging in Myanmar, in the latest tremor to shake relations between the neighbours.

The mass sentencing, which has sparked outraged editorials in Chinese state-run media, comes after the loggers were arrested in January during a crackdown on illegal forestry activities in northern Kachin state, which borders China.

For years China has hoovered up Myanmar’s once abundant raw materials, spurring popular anger in the former junta-ruled country which is set for a general election later this year.

Beijing has asked its smaller neighbour to “deal with this case in a lawful, reasonable

and justified manner... and return those people to China as soon as possible,” foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a statement on the ministry’s website.

But the Myanmar government said it would not interfere in the judicial process.

“When our citizens break the law in other countries, (they) face sentence by those country’s laws. We cannot use diplomacy to intervene. I think China will understand,” government spokesman Ye Htut told AFP. “What is really needed is to stop illegal logging in the future,” he added.

A court official in Kachin state, asking not to be named, told AFP Wednesday that 153 Chinese loggers were jailed for life for illegal logging.

He said a further two males under 18 were

handed 10-year sentences without giving details, while a woman was jailed for 15 years on narcotics charges.

An editorial in China’s Global Times slammed the “severity” of the sentences, expressing hope that intervention from Beijing could “reverse” the outcome.

“A few cases of Chinese engaging in illegal business in Myanmar have been scrutinised by public opinion, exaggerated as China’s economic ‘invasion’ of the latter,” it said, urging the Myanmar public “to look upon China-Myanmar trade in a positive way.”

Logging in Myanmar exploded under the country’s former junta as the ruling generals tossed aside sustainable forestry practices in a rush to cash in on the country’s vast natural resources. l

Japan eyes British help to sink German bid for Australian submarine n Reuters, Tokyo/Sydney

A Japanese government team is in talks with at least two top British firms to help a Japanese consortium land one of the world’s most lucrative defence contracts, sources in Tokyo said, a $50 billion project to build submarines for Australia.

Germany’s ThyssenKrupp (TKMS), a rival bidder, is wooing anxious members of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s ruling Liberal Party with the economic and political benefits of its proposal.

Two Japanese government officials and a company source in Tokyo said Babcock International Group and BAE Systems had approached the consortium of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries with offers of help. Other British defence contractors may also be involved, they said.

A spokesman for Japan’s defence ministry said the Japanese bidders were responding to Australia’s desire to have as much local participation as possible in the project.

“With Mitsubishi Heavy taking the lead, we are gathering information from both Japanese and foreign companies in regard to Australian industry but we are unable to disclose any specific names,” the spokesman said.

Both Babcock and BAE Systems are well established in Australia. Industry sources in Europe said any decision by Babcock to work with the Japanese bid could unsettle TKMS and France’s state-controlled naval contractor DCNS, which is also in the fray for the submarine contract.

According to a company document seen by Reuters, the German bidder TKMS will train local contractors using advanced German manufacturing and production technology and help establish Australia as a naval shipbuilding and repair hub in the Asia-Pacific region. The document is to be shared privately with Australian government ministers as part of the proposal.

“Japan is arguably ahead of the Germans and French in regard to its technology but lags in terms of doing business in Australia and organising an industrial package there,” one of the sources in Japan said.

Parliamentary colleagues of Abbott have told Reuters that the fear of a serious blowback from failing to choose the winner of the contract wisely is one of the most hotly debated topics within the ruling party. The bidders were well aware of this, they said.

Two TKMS executives told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday that the Australian government would struggle politically to turn down the economic incentives built into their proposal.

“There’s an awful lot of politicians across the board ... that will not be very politically happy if this A$50 billion life cost sophisticated programme goes to solve Japan’s deficit problem,” TKMS Australia Chairman John White told Reuters.

Senator Sean Edwards, chairman of the economics committee in the upper house of Australia’s parliament, said no government could say yes to any proposal that did not offer significant economic benefits for Australia. “I think it’s compelling [to build the submarines in Australia]. And I think this is a problem for Japan.” l

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FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

Obama administration takes Iran nuclear deal fight public n Reuters, Washington

US lawmakers sceptical about the nuclear deal with Iran promised to press senior Obama administration officials to make more information about it public at a Senate hearing yesterday as Congress begins its twomonth review of the agreement.

Secretary of State John Kerry, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the first such public appearance by the cabinet officials since the deal was announced on July 14.

They briefed the entire Senate and House of Representatives in separate closed-door sessions on Wednesday, and administration officials have held a series of private telephone conversations and meetings with lawmakers.

Among other issues, lawmakers said they wanted more information about the timing of sanctions relief and ability to “snap back” sanctions if Iran cheats, clarity on the timing of inspections and more answers about how much money would go to Iran.

“We have leverage, but in nine months, they’ll have their cash and all the sanctions will be relieved. People will be in there signing contracts, and then the leverage sort of shifts to them,” said Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Corker has said he is sceptical about the agreement, but would wait until he knows more before deciding whether to vote against the deal.

Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the panel, said the closed-door briefing had been

useful but questions remained. “There are many areas of concern that we want to get clarified,” he said.

Cardin is one of many Democrats who have not yet decided how they would vote on the deal.

Under a bill President Barack Obama signed into law in May, Congress has until September 17 to approve or reject the agreement, in which Iran agreed to rein in its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

With many Republicans lining up to oppose it, Obama needs to convince as many of his fellow Democrats as possible to back the deal. If a disapproval resolution passes Congress and survives a veto, Obama would be unable to waive most of the US sanctions imposed on Iran, which could cripple the nuclear pact. l

Protestors shout slogans as they demonstrate with thousands of others during a rally opposing the nuclear deal with Iran in Times Square in the Manhattan borough of New York City on Wednesday REUTERS

Iran eyes $185 bn oil and gas projects after sanctions n Reuters, Vienna

Iran yesterday outlined plans to rebuild its main industries and trade relationships following a nuclear agreement with world powers, saying it was targeting oil and gas projects worth $185 billion by 2020.

Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh said the Islamic Republic would focus on its oil and gas, metals and car industries with an eye to exporting to Europe after sanctions have been lifted, rather than simply importing Western technology.

“We are looking for a two-way trade as well as cooperation in development, design and engineering,” Nematzadeh told a conference in Vienna. “We are no longer interested in a unidirectional importation of goods and machinery from Europe,” he said.

The United Nations Security Council on Monday endorsed a deal to end years of economic sanctions on Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

Sanctions are unlikely to be removed until next year, as the deal requires approval by the US Congress. Nuclear inspectors must also confirm that Iran is complying with the deal.

While the Iranian and US presidents have been promoting the accord, hardliners in Tehran and Washington have spoken out strongly against it.

Many European companies have already shown interest in re-establishing business in Iran, with Germany sending its economy minister Sigmar Gabriel on the first top level government visit to Tehran in 13 years together with a delegation of leading business figures.

Iran’s deputy oil minister for commerce and international affairs, Hossein Zamaninia, said Tehran had identified nearly 50 oil and gas projects worth $185 billion that it hoped to sign by 2020. OPEC-member Iran has the world’s largest gas reserves and is fourth on the global list of top oil reserves holders.

In preparation for negotiations with possible foreign partners, Zamaninia said Iran had defined a new model contract which it calls its integrated petroleum contract (IPC).

Most European oil majors and oil service companies have so far expressed caution about the prospects of a windfall of deals in Iran, saying their compliance departments will want to first see sanctions being fully removed before any meaningful work can start on projects. l

Greece faces recession warning as bailout talks set to open n Reuters, Athens Greece’s most influential think tank warned yesterday of a sharp drop back into recession in a report that came hours after parliament approved a second package of reform measures aimed at securing a new bailout from international lenders.

In its quarterly report, the IOBE institute said that capital controls imposed last month to stop a bank run pushing the financial system into collapse would exact a heavy toll across the economy.

Reversing a forecast for growth this year of 1 percent made as recently as April, it said the

economy would contract by as much as 2.02.5 percent after growing 0.7 percent in 2014 and would remain in recession next year as well.

The report underlined the headwinds facing left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who must negotiate a bailout worth up to 86 billion euros with sceptical lenders, while struggling to hold his divided Syriza party together.

While his own personal popularity is high, a renewed drop into recession after a modest recovery last year would test his government’s ability to push through the tough mix of tax hikes, spending cuts and economic re-

forms demanded by the lenders.

Formal negotiations with officials from the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund are due to start in Athens on Friday with the aim of wrapping them up by August 20.

But already there have been doubts about whether the severely weakened Greek economy can support the program after a six yearlong slump that has cut national output by a quarter and sent unemployment over 25 percent.

Banks have re-opened after the ECB restored emergency funding last week but capital controls remain in place, hobbling compa-

nies that deal with suppliers outside Greece and highlighting the fragile state of the financial system.

A senior Greek official said yesterday that Greece would not reach a one percent primary budget surplus, net of interest rate payments, this year, missing a target agreed with the lenders prior to the imposition of capital controls.

The banks, which would collapse immediately without the ECB’s emergency funding, face recapitalisation but how much the operation will cost will only be known after banking stress tests due to start in August, the official said. l

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FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

UN envoy in Damascus for briefing on Syria peace talks n AFP, Damascus

The UN’s envoy to Syria met with its foreign minister in Damascus yesterday as part of ongoing efforts to negotiate a solution to the four-year war, state media said.

“Staffan de Mistura presented the latest developments linked to his discussions and meetings in multiple countries” to Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, the SANA news agency reported.

The Swedish-Italian diplomat has been holding meetings over the past two months with key players in the Syrian conflict to try to advance peace prospects.

He met Syrian opposition figures in both Amman and Cairo, and will brief the UN Security Council on his efforts on July 28.

Yesterday, Muallem said he supported de Mistura’s initiative to find a political solution and stressed that Syria continued to stand against extremism. “Syria still considers the end of terrorism, and the drying up of its financial resources and support, to be among the country’s most essential priorities,” Muallem was quoted as saying.

Muallem also expressed support for a recent initiative floated

by Russian President Vladimir Putin “to make a regional effort to end terrorism by implementing relevant UN security council resolutions.” l

US defence chief in Iraq for talks on war against IS n AFP, Baghdad

Pentagon chief Ashton Carter flew to Baghdad yesterday for talks on Iraq’s war against the Islamic State group, whose “caliphate” is shrinking but is ramping up deadly car bombings.

Carter was to meet Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Sunni Arab tribal leaders from Anbar, the province where much of the fighting has taken place in recent weeks.

During his brief visit, which had not been announced in advance for security reasons, Carter will also meet some of the 3,500 US troops deployed to train and advise Iraqi forces.

Current military efforts against IS, which took over close to a third of Iraq last year, are focusing on Anbar, where US forces faced their toughest battles during their eight-year occupation of the country.

Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren, who is travelling with Carter, said efforts in Anbar were focused on isolating Ramadi. He put the number of jihadist fighters defending the city at 1,000 to 2,000. He would not say when he thought a drive to wrest the city back from IS might be launched in earnest but said it should be a matter of “weeks.” l

Israel troops shoot dead second Palestinian in 24hrs n AFP, Hebron

Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian during an arrest operation in the occupied West Bank yesterday, a hospital official said, the second killing within 24 hours.

Falah Abu Maria, 50, was shot in the chest in the village of Beit Omar near the southern city of Hebron, neighbours said.

He had run downstairs at his home to see what was happening when troops stormed it to arrest his son Mohammed, they added.

The hospital said that the 24-year-old son was being treated for a gunshot wound to the pelvis.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said that during the raid to detain Mohammed, wanted on suspicion of security offences, “forces were attacked by a violent mob.” She said that one man attacked a soldier, who in response shot him in a lower limb. The wounded man was taken to hospital, she said.

The spokeswoman could not confirm his identity but acknowledged that the wanted suspect was not taken into custody.

“As the forces left the scene, they were attacked once again by a violent mob who hurled rocks and bricks at them,” she added.

“The forces responded with fire towards the main instigator.”

The incident was similar to one on Wednesday near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, where troops shot dead Mohammed Alawneh, 22, in clashes that followed raids and searches at several houses in the village of Birqin. l

British teen admits inciting Anzac Day attack n AFP, London A British teenager yesterday admitted to inciting an Islamic State-inspired attack on police officers during an Anzac Day parade in Melbourne as part of World War I anniversary commemorations this year.

The 15-year-old, who was 14 when he was arrested, sent thousands of instant messages to Australia-based 18-year-old Sevdet Besim over a 10day period, prosecutor Paul Greaney told the court.

“Those messages reveal the intentions of the plotters and their targets, along with their motivation, which may be summarised as support for ISIS

and their enthusiasm for the attack,” Greaney said.

The bespectacled teenager, who wore a grey shirt and tie, cannot be named under English law because of his age.

He entered his guilty plea at the hearing at London’s Central Criminal Court, the Old Bailey, via video link from a court in Manchester, northwest England.

The boy, who was arrested in nearby Blackburn on April 2, is to be sentenced on September 3.

Judge John Saunders said he had ordered pre-sentence reports because he wanted to find out if there had been any “indoctrination” of the defendant.

Greaney said that as part of their preparations “the defendant sent Sevdet Besim a message that read, ‘suggest you break into someone’s house and get your first taste of beheading’.”

“Sevdet Besim responded to say that this seemed ‘a little risky’ and that aspect of the preparations appears then to have drifted away,” Greaney added.

Besim and another Melbourne teenager, Harun Causevic, have been charged with conspiring to commit a terrorist act, allegedly at a parade on April 25.

They had allegedly planned to run down police officers with a car, behead them and then shoot other people, according to Australian media reports. l

DT

EDITORIAL 11

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

INSIDE

Dancing with death With the dire state of our two-lane highways, where overtaking is only slightly safer than playing Russian roulette, and the traffic mentality of our country as a whole, these numbers come as no surprise

PAGE 12

Ramadan is about more than fasting Now that Ramadan is over, it is time we did some soul-searching as a nation and found out if the month-long fasting and rituals we have gone through have made us good Muslims and better human beings

PAGE 13

B

What makes us Bengali Our culture is vibrant and unique. It is impossible not to fall in love with it PAGE 14

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

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Privatisation the only way to curb Biman’s losses

iman Bangladesh airlines is seeking yet further government guarantees to borrow $109m for two Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

This is a very bad idea. It follows news the state-owned airline incurred losses of over Tk100cr after having one of its two leased Boeing 777s grounded while awaiting delayed engine repairs in Egypt.

This was only one of some 15 times that these two aircraft, which were leased with the intention of re-opening flights to New York, have been grounded, during the last year.

To make matters worse, there is no sign yet of Biman being able to reopen services to the US, meaning that it would have been better off allocating the monies it has spent on planes which are more suitable for short and medium-haul flights.

Biman’s failure to make profitable use of its flagship aircraft adds to the weight of evidence that that its management is unlikely to be able to rein in its heavy losses. Overstaffing and mismanagement are rooted too deeply in the culture of the state-owned airline for changes in CEO to make much of a difference.

It is untenable for the tax-payer to continue to prop up the loss-making airline. The government must stop dragging its feet and act on the logic of turning it into a public-limited company in 2007 and move towards full privatisation.

Putting Biman into the private sector is the only practical way to bring the reforms Biman needs, and to stop its endless drain on tax-payer resources. Passengers will not suffer as they are already well-served by better managed airlines.

Government funds can be better spent on improving airports and expanding flight engineering, training, and maintenance facilities to make the country an attractive hub for air travel.

Overstaffing and mismanagement are rooted too deeply in the culture of the state-owned airline for changes in CEO to make much of a difference

DT

12 OPINION

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

Dancing with death

Getting on the road is nothing if not terrifying

RAJIB DHAR

n SN Rasul

With the dire state of our two-lane highways, where overtaking is only slightly safer than playing Russian roulette, and the traffic mentality of our country as a whole, these numbers come as no surprise

T

he road to Bashundhara, for people living in and around the Ramna region, is a simple one. One straight road, going through Badda, Rampura, Progoti Shoroni, Nordda, and Notun Bazar, before leading to the flyover that takes you to Airport Road. It’s also served by a steady influx of buses -- both “local” and otherwise -- which show up regularly (more so than the “local” ones), and don’t stick around too long waiting for customers to jam pack the bus.

One of the buses that serve that route is the ironically titled Shuprobhat. Recently, I got on their bus at Mouchak, headed towards Bashundhara at about 6:30 in the morning.

The roads were as empty as one can expect Dhaka to be, and usually, the ride takes me no more than 30 minutes (the same journey takes about an hour-and-a-half once the clock strikes eight).

The ride started off normally enough, but pretty soon, we, the passengers, realised that the driver was driving more erratically than was normal, even by Dhaka standards. Every

time he would stop on the left of the road to pick up passengers, I saw, sitting on one of the seats closer to the front, looking back and then, as soon as another Shuprobhat bus came, he would swerve right, which would end up with both the buses colliding.

Granted, the buses weren’t colliding hard enough to cause any real physical damage, but it became clear to us that they were having some sort of feud. After the fifth or sixth time this happened, several of the passengers went up to the driver and started an altercation, both verbally and physically.

The bus came to a standstill and I swiftly got off, unable to see the outcome reach fruition as I was in a hurry. The absolute disregard for human life (of others and their own) was, and is, terrifying.

This incident, though unusual, speaks for a general lack of accountability that the users of the road are eligible to. There is absolutely no real responsibility on the part of the drivers -- be it of rickshaws, CNGs, private cars, taxis, tempos, motorbikes, trucks, and, of course, buses -- and definitely none on the part of the traffic police.

Before I rage against the traffic police for

their incompetence, a sentence or two must be dedicated to the insurmountable force that is the Bangladeshi traffic that they have to deal with. In weathers ranging from the fly-swatting, sweat-pouring, road-raging Bangladeshi summer, to the umbrella-upturning, God-weeping, apocalypse-calling Boishakhi jhor, they stand in the midst with nothing but an umbrella.

And the eternal outpour of the unwilling and unruly drivers is incessant. Relentlessly they come, packing in their arsenal an entire lifetime’s experience of following no rules, of caring little for the supposed sanctity of human life, and inserting themselves into every single crevice they find within traffic.

Lanes aren’t maintained, seatbelts aren’t worn, horns are honked with unparalleled fervour, right turns are taken without indicators and without looking back, traffic lights are an urban myth, and even the hand of the traffic sergeant is barely enough to stop the flow of traffic in any given direction.

But despite that, the police aren’t doing enough to alleviate the problem. A stern warning, which is basically a gali or a baton in the back, will do absolutely nothing to prevent future instances of the crime. And an aptly generous bribe is usually enough if you’re in a private car. And if you have one of those VIP dandas on your petrol-guzzling, environment-ruining SUV? Fuggedaboutit.

Over the last week, which included the spectacularly organised occasion of Eid when, like every year, twice a year, people rushed and risked their lives to go to their hometowns, almost 100 people perished in road accidents across the country.

With the dire state of our two-lane highways, where overtaking is only slightly safer than playing Russian roulette, and the traffic mentality of our country as a whole, these numbers come as no surprise, and every day we embark on a dance with death, not knowing if this will be the day that death takes the lead and twirls us into nonexistence.

We can be in the group that says that it is already too late, and that there is no solution for a nation that is about to implode under its own weight. We can say there aren’t enough roads, the Bengali mentality is corroding from the inside-out, that this entire country is too corrupt, its citizens to apathetic to really give two hoots about the matter. And usually, I would be with them. Most of the time, most of us feel the same.

But we can also be in the group that tries, tries to force the government and its people towards a solution. What that solution is -- if it exists -- perhaps no one knows, or we’re suffering from too much of a case of homeostasis to do anything about. It could be paying the traffic police better so that they do their jobs properly, harsher punishments for breaking traffic laws, decentralising the nation to reduce the strain on the city, proper driving tests, or all of these things.

Because the level of risk that each journey we start upon entails is getting ridiculous and unsustainable. And lives, in whatever form they come, and in whatever mode of transport, must matter. l SN Rasul works for the Dhaka Tribune.

DT

OPINION 13

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

Ramadan is about more than fasting

Fasting and praying alone do not make a true Muslim

NASHIRUL ISLAM

n Brig Gen (Retd) Shamsuddin Ahmed

T

he holy month of Ramadan, which comes once every year with a clear message from Allah for Muslims everywhere, is over for this year.

The message is a clear call from Allah for the followers of Islam to fashion our dayto-day lives as per the teachings of the Holy Qur’an -- seek the forgiveness of Allah for all the sins and the wrongs which we have committed in our lives so far, and make a fresh vow not to tread the path forbidden by Allah. In return, Allah promises to forgive all our sins and wrongdoings and offer us a place in heaven.

This is a redemption offer from Allah peculiar to the month of Ramadan, possibly in vindication of the sanctity and the holiness attached to this month for two reasons. Firstly, the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet of Islam for the first time in this very month. We know that the whole of the Qur’an was not revealed in one day.

It was revealed part by part over a period of 23 years. The initial revelation through Gabriel to our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) “Iqra bisme rabbikallazi khalaq” (Read! In the name of your Lord who has created all that exists, came during the night of al-Qadr in the month of Ramadan).

Secondly, the night of al-Qadr has been hailed as better than a thousand months, meaning that worshiping Allah in that night is better than worshiping Him for a thousand

Now that Ramadan is over, it is time we did some soulsearching as a nation and found out if the month-long fasting and rituals we have gone through have made us good Muslims and better human beings

months. Just imagine the significance of one night! On this night, angels led by Gabriel descend from heaven with Allah’s permission with all decrees of forgiveness and bounties until the appearance of dawn.

Allah is the most merciful and the most beneficent. He does not want to punish and consign us to hell just because we have strayed from the path of righteousness.

Hence, the offer of Allah to Muslims to redeem and deliver them from their sins and damnation by sincere repentance and promise to live and act only as ordained by Allah in the Holy Qur’an. Ramadan comes with a month-long intensive training program from Allah for Muslims, so that we can conduct our lives as true Muslims, not only for the remaining 11 months of the year, but the rest of our lives.

Fasting is mandatory for all adult

Muslims during the month of Ramadan.

Fasting exists in other religions also, but in no other religion is fasting such a rigorous requirement. For Muslims, fasting begins from the appearance of the glow of a thin light in the sky, roughly over an hour before sunrise, and continues till sundown. In summer, the fasting period may last as long as 14 hours or more, that too under scorching heat, during which eating, drinking, and sex are prohibited.

Fasting is mandatory -- if someone has failed to fast, the erring Muslim must fast continuously for 60 days for every missed day. It is only the sick and the ailing and the traveller who are allowed to skip fasting, but they must fast for the missing days later in the year.

Only those who cannot fast for their continued illness and old age are allowed,

in lieu of fasting, either to feed meals to the destitute for the day, or pay the costs of such meals.

But here again, the standard of the meal must not be inferior to the one usually had by the abstainer. This is the importance that Allah attaches to fasting.

But it is not merely fasting and saying Tarawi prayers which Allah demands from Muslims. Allah demands full compliance with all the commandments which have been spelled out in great detail in the Qur’an and the Hadith. Alongside fasting, we must continue to do what we have been ordained to, and abstain from doing what has been forbidden by Allah and His Prophet. It is only after we have a repentant soul, have committed ourselves not to go back to our follies, and have begun anew a life of piety and righteousness in the true sense of the term, that Allah will forgive us and give us salvation.

Let us not forget that Ramadan is not confined to the limits of fasting and praying only.

Ramadan comes with a much larger canvas for us to work upon. Allah wants us not only to fast and pray as we must, but also to practice and abide by the teachings of the Holy Qur’an wherein He has laid down a complete code of life for all Muslims.

The Prophet says if you fast the whole day, but not refrain from lying or doing something malicious, such fasting is not acceptable to Allah. It means we must practice the complete code of life as enunciated in the Holy Qur’an and the teachings of the Holy Prophet during the month of Ramadan, and indeed throughout our lives.

The spirit of Ramadan teaches a Muslim to be humane, tolerant, temperate, and concerned about the distress of fellow human beings, regardless of faith. If you fast the whole day, say prayers the whole night, but do not bother to find out whether your next-door neighbour is in need of food, your fasting is of no avail in the eyes of Allah. If someone abuses you and threatens to physically attack you, as a fasting Muslim you have to exercise maximum restraint not to be provoked to retaliate. This is essentially what the teaching of Ramadan is all about.

Now that Ramadan is over, it is time we did some soul-searching as a nation and found out if the month-long fasting and rituals we have gone through during the month of Ramadan have made us good Muslims and better human beings. In this country, where Muslims constitute the overwhelming majority of the population, can we boast that, as Muslims, we are any better than the non-religious? Can we say that the hydra-like monster of corruption and crime, which has been eating into the vitals of this nation for years, now ceases to exist?

Do most of our power-hungry leaders not continue to lie and pretend to be what they are not? Were our women spared rape and torture and murder during and after Ramadan? Was the 13-year-old boy Rajon not beaten to death during the month of Ramadan, all the killers being “Muslims”? l Brig Gen (Retd) Shamsuddin Ahmed is a former Military Secretary to the President of Bangladesh.

DT

14 OPINION

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

What makes us Bengali n Afra Nawar

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he intoxicating smell from the jasmine garland wrapped around my mother’s hair, her draping red-andwhite sari -- these are the things that remind me of Pohela Boishakh. Then comes the delicious panta bhaat and ilish maach, next the harmonious Tagore songs and folk music. Every Boishakh, I fall in love with the rich Bengali culture. I fall in love with its diversity and with its vivacious ways of celebration.

Culture preserves knowledge and helps transmit it from generation to generation.

Culture unites the people of a country. Culture implements good values and attitudes, and the Bengali culture has always been successful in doing so.

Bengali culture has been influenced by many periods in history. The Mughal Era, the Bengal Renaissance during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and most recently, the Western media, all took part in shaping the magnanimous culture we have today. All of it is still manifested today in various forms of music, dance, drama, arts and crafts, folklore and folktale, languages and literature, philosophy and religion, festivals and celebrations and, not to be forgotten, a distinct cuisine and culinary tradition.

Our culture is vibrant and unique. It is impossible not to fall in love with it

There were, and still are, many artists who have helped us fall in love with the culture again and again through their work. The most famous among them being Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Lalon Shah, Hason Raja, and many others.

Some 90% of the population in Bangladesh is Muslim, so, inevitably, the Islamic festival of Eid is a major festival in Bangladesh. Before Eid-ul-Fitr comes the month of Ramadan, when street food reigns supreme, starting from the deep-fried peyaju-beguni to the mouth-watering jilapis -- you find yourself in street-food heaven.

Then comes the Eid day, more like the pocket re-filling day for us young ones, as, by tradition, elders give us small amounts of money as blessings. Thousands gather in the Idgah Maath to perform their Eid prayers.

Happiness spreads as people embrace and wish each other Eid Mubarak, while at home awaits yummy sweets and the special Eid programs on television.

Before Eid-ul-Adha, the gorur haats are all set for buyers to buy domestic animals such as cows, goats, or for some lavish people, camels as well! On Eid day, the animals get sacrificed and the meat is distributed among relatives and the poor, while some are kept for the households.

As per West Bengali culture, in Bangladesh, the biggest Hindu celebration is Durga Puja. Beautiful sculptures of Durga are made by local sculptors. The lively celebrations last for 10 days and delicious sweets such as narus are made.

However, apart from the religious ones, Bangladesh has other festivals too. The Bengali New Year, Pohela Boishakh, with all its cheerfulness, comes in the month of April.

Huge parades and fairs are arranged. Everywhere you look you can see colourful masks, locally-made handicrafts, and multi-coloured clothing. Schools and other cultural institutions arrange programs, which include Bengali dance, music, poetry, and drama.

On International Mother Language Day, many gather in front of the Shaheed Minar, and the thousand replicas of it around the country, with flowers to pay their respect to our mother tongue and the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for it. You see, we love our language very much, and we are the only country that has fought for their mother language.

Wedding bells ring all over Bangladesh during winter. It’s not just one ceremony that we usually get to attend, we have four or five at least. Apart from the day of the actual wedding, the most awaited event is gaye holud.

Turmeric paste is smeared on the bride and groom and small Bengali delights are fed to attendants by relatives. A popular notion is that the bride and groom's families present small dancing and singing performances for the guests. On her wedding day, the bride dresses up in red or similar hues.

The architecture of the historical monuments in Bangladesh are mostly influenced from the Mughal Era. But in recent times, many new modern buildings are designed in simple, minimalistic styles. In villages, we see houses usually made from mud or tin in very simplistic manners. Our cricket-loving nation boasts an excellent cricket team, whom we lovingly refer to as the Tigers. It is not unusual to find many people gathered in front of electronics stores watching a cricket match like they have nothing else to do.

Apart from cricket, Bangladeshis love to play nouka baich and kabaddi, our national sport.

Let’s talk about food -- we Bangladeshis love steamed rice and fish cooked in various ways, thus comes the saying “machhe bhaate Bangali.” We like it spicy too, so lots of herbs and spices are a must when preparing a dish.

However, an assortment of sweets can be delightful once in a while so we have roshgollas, chom choms, kalojams and many others. As for clothing, men wear lungis, punjabis, or formal clothes.

Women, on the other hand, love wearing saris and kameezes made from cotton, jamdani, Benarosi, etc. Some fashion houses are trying to make Western clothing using Bangladeshi fabrics to bring that Bengali vibe into their non-Benglai outfits.

Bangladeshis are quite diverse in nature, and thus, we cannot be stereotyped. Our culture is vibrant and unique. It is impossible not to fall in love with it. l Afra Nawar is an intern at Bangladesh Enterprise Institute.

Our culture is not just skin-deep

DHAKA TRIBUNE

16

BB to launch $500m funds for export-oriented, green industries

17

Report: 60% entrepreneurs doubtful over budget implementation

19

DSEX hits 5-month high

20

DT

Business

15

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

‘Brexit’ fears haunt London’s roaring trade in euros

Pangaon terminal remains virtually idle Higher tariffs and irregular schedules keep exporters and importers from using the waterways

BARRIERS

16

MORE PANGAON STORY

Located at Keraniganj on the bank of River Buriganga, the terminal virtually remains idle since its inauguration in November 2013.

National Board of Revenue (NBR) would work together with a number of ministries and launch marketing strategies to keep in touch with business and provide benefits for the users, officials said.

It is likely to hold an inter-ministerial meeting with the shipping ministry to rationalise the vessel and port tariffs – considered as a major reason why the terminal is not being used, they added.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) have jointly constructed the Pangaon ICT at a cost of around Tk400 crore to help reduce the cost of carrying goods and ease the traffic congestion on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.

The port has modern infrastructural facilities and international standard equipment, including forklift, tractor trailer, mobile harbor crane, straddle carrier, cargo lifting crane, etc.

It, however, remains inactive as the authorities have failed to attract users mainly due to lack of campaign and marketing strategies, terminal sources said. The government has to spend over Tk40 lakh per month as operational cost and staff salaries.

The terminal has a storage capacity of 3,500 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) and is capable of handling around 1.16 lakh containers annually.

In comparison, it has so far handled nearly 850 containers, mostly empty ones, since its inception. In June, a water vessel reached Pangaon with only 10 goods-laden containers.

In the fiscal year 2014-15, only six vessels

Comparitively higher tariff than the Kamalapur ICD

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Irregular schedule of vessels

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Lack of marketing and campaign

INITIATIVES UNDERWAY

n Syed Samiul Basher Anik The government is set to take a number of initiatives to make Pangaon Inland Container Terminal (PICT) fully operational through encouraging the exporters and importers to use the waterways between Dhaka and Chittagong for transportation of their goods.

l

reached the PICT from Chittagong Port, carrying mostly the empty containers, officials said.

Currently, the users are not using the port for import of capital machinery and raw materials for production, which holds major share of the import. Rather, the Pangaon port is now handling containers with products like glassware and stationary goods. Only 29

‘We are also facing problems while opening Letter of Credit (LC) as there is no office of shipping agents in the terminal’

goods-laden containers remained stored in the Pangaon ICT as of yesterday.

The CPA usually handles major share of containers that come into Bangladesh from different countries. Around 75% of these containers, mostly bound for Dhaka and Narayanganj, are transported through roadways while only some 10% to 12% are being transported through rail links, and the rest through river ways, according to CPA officials.

If PICT is used to transport goods, it can save around 40% cost and help reduce traffic congestion on the highways, officials said, adding that it is only possible if proper campaign is launched.

However, businessmen alleged that the transportation of goods through Pangaon ICT is not cost-effective yet as compared to Ka-

malapur ICD. Irregular vessel schedule is another reason behind the situation.

Exporters Association of Bangladesh President Abdus Salam Murshedy said the transportation of goods through Pangaon is not time consuming, rather it is more expensive than other modes of transportation.

“We are also facing problems while opening Letter of Credit (LC) as there is no office of shipping agents in the terminal,” he said.

“The NBR has to assure us that we can import and export products directly through Pangaon. Otherwise it would not work.”

The Pangaon ICT will have to provide tax rebate like the benefit provided by Mongla Port to attract users, he added.

According to a recent report prepared by Pangaon Customs House, the port remains unutilised mainly due to the higher cost of container vessels and other port charges as compared to Kamalapur Inland Container Depot.

Lack of container and irregular schedule of vessels also discourage importers and exporters, the report said, urging the tax authorities to hold inter-ministerial meeting involving the shipping ministry to solve the problems.

Acknowledging the fact, Pangaon Customs House Commissioner Mostoba Ali told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that the vessel schedules are now irregular due to lack of containers, but it is possible to overcome soon.

“It is true that the tariffs are higher than Kamalapur ICD, thereby discouraging users.

But the shipping ministry is now working on rationalisation of the charges,” he said.

“We are having meeting with stakeholders and the issues will be solved soon.”

Currently, the CPA operates

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Inter-ministerial meeting for rationalisation of charges

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Coordinated efforts with a number of ministries

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Launching of marketing strategies

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Preparation of time-bound action plan

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Benefits for users

three vessels on the route but without schedule due to lack of containers. The authority is inviting multinational companies and big firms to use the port as a legitimate trade facilitation way, he added.

Users have to bear a total of $138.27 for transporting up to 15 tonnes of imported goods from Chittagong to Kamalapur ICD by rail routes as compared to $206.25 through waterways to Pangaon, according to the report.

During exports, the same volume of goods costs $80.87 from Kamalapur to Chittagong by railway as compared to $206.25 from Pangaon to Chittagong - over 2.5 times higher.

Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Mahabubul Alam said the waterway requires three to four days to transport products through Pangaon as compared to only 12 hours through roadways.

NBR Chairman Nojibur Rahman said the board is preparing a plan to make the port operational by three months. “We have decided to remain engaged with a time-bound action plan,” he said, adding the board will work together with the ministries like of agriculture, shipping, telecommunications, science and technology. l

DT

16 BUSINESS

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

BB to launch $500m funds for export-oriented, green industries n Tribune Report Bangladesh Bank will create two special funds of $500m in total to promote exports and encourage green industry, said Governor Atiur Rahman yesterday.

He said details about the funds would be disclosed in next half-yearly monetary policy statement on July 30.

One fund will be of $300m to be provided

by World Bank for export-oriented industries and another of $200m to be supplied by Bangladesh Bank from foreign exchange reserves for green industries.

These will be additional financing to the existing $2bn export development fund (EDF), said the central bank chief at a consultation meeting on monetary policy with the press at a city hotel yesterday.

He said the main objective of the new monetary policy statement would be facilitating sustainable financing to help speed up private investment.

Governor said special attention would also be given to socially and environmentally responsible financing.

The central bank earlier took measures in monetary policy to ensure uninterrupted

Tapan Chowdhury, Simone Sultana elected to Alliance board of directors n Tribune Report

Tapan Chowdhury, managing director of Square Textiles, and Simone Sultana, chair of BRAC UK, have been elected board of directors of Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, a retailers’ platform of North-American buyers.

The duo had been elected at the second annual members’ meeting of the Alliance held in New York yesterday, said a press release.

The Alliance also elected two new members to its board of advisors, including Rumee Ali, former managing director of BRAC Enterprises and Investments, and Vidiya Amrit Khan, director of Desh Garments and director of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

“The Alliance board is focused on more strategic engagement in the coming years and the realignment of the board to include the members elected Thursday that reflects this focus,” said Ellen Tauscher, independent board chair of the Alliance.

Tapan Chowdhury is a respected leader in Bangladesh and brings valuable government and private sector experience across a wide spectrum of industries including the readymade garment.

Simone Sultana is a valued Alliance partner and will assist us in ensuring that the Alliance-BRAC association continues its groundbreaking efforts to provide direct support to factory workers in Bangladesh.

“We are very pleased to have both of them join the Alliance board of directors.” l

credit flow to small and medium enterprises, and agriculture sector as such type of initiatives strengthened the financial inclusion, Atiur Rahman said.

He said Bangladesh Bank had circulated around Tk1,17,000 crore between July 5 and 17 on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, which was 17% higher than that of previous Eid. “The huge money circulation proved that the demand from the consumers is still high,” he said.

‘We are now monitoring every private sector foreign loan to ensure transparency’

He said next monetary policy also would contain such measures to promote financial inclusion.

“New monetary policy will focus on accelerating growth, keeping exchange rate stable, controlling inflation and maintaining strong reserve and remittance inflow,” Atiur stated.

About the banking sector, he said the sector still faced some problems, but the central bank was “making its utmost effort to ensure good governance in it.”

“We are now monitoring every private sector foreign loan to ensure transparency,” Governor said adding that the central bank had already penalised some banks for violation of rules and regulations. l

Islami Bank urged for providing loans to pay 1,300 Swan Garment workers n Tribune Report

The committee formed by the government to pay outstanding wages and other dues of over 1,300 workers of Swan Garments has urged Islami Bank to provide loan for paying the workers.

It is noted that the Swan Garments mortgaged its properties to Islami Bank, which owed Tk42 crore.

“We’ve requested the Islam Bank to provide the necessary loan to the factory management, so the workers can be paid for the month of April,” Inspector General of Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) Syed Ahmed told the reporters after the meeting.

Ahmed said, “Patricia, wife of the factory owner, told us that she wants to run the factory, only if the bank provides more loan.”

“We’ll formally urge the bank management through an email today (Thursday) and the bank will reply us by Tuesday,” said Ahmed.

As per committee’s assessment, the factory owner needs over Tk1.40 crore to pay wages of workers for the month of April and staff for the month of February, March and April.

Apart from the bank loan, the second option is to sell out four bighas of land located in Gazipur, which belongs to the owner of the Swan Garments, to pay the workers’ dues if the bank declines loan request, said Ahmed.

But the process of selling the land is a very complex matter, as the heir to the lands is not yet identified following the death of the factory owner on April 22, said Ahmed.

He continued: On June 26, we’ve published an advertisement for selling the land but nobody responded as the owner of the land is not clear but now we have talked to Patricia, the wife of the owner and the heir of properties would be cleared thorough the court.

The owners have to pay wages for four months and other service benefits, if the factory is declared closed as per the existing labour law and the factory owner shut the factory under article 13/1 of the Labor Act, said Ahmed while replying to a question.

‘Patricia, wife of the factory owner, said she wants to run the factory, only if the bank provides more loan’ The decision was made at the first meeting of the committee held yesterday at the office of the DIFE. The meeting was convened for devising ways to arrange required funds for payments and to settle the crises.

The Labour and Employment Ministry had formed a nine-member committee headed by Inspector General of DIFE Syed Ahmed last week as Swan Garments is closed since April and the workers are demonstrating before Eid for their wages. Representative from trade unions, BGMEA, Industry Ministry, Commerce Ministry, Industrial Police and Islami Bank were present at the meeting. l

Business wants tariff cut in Pangaon ICT n Tribune Report Stakeholders from different sectors yesterday urged the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to rationalise the port tariffs like other transport ways and ensure regular vessel movement to make Pangaon Inland Container Terminal (PICT) operational.

The PICT cannot attract users till these bottlenecks have been removed, they said at a meeting with NBR officials at its headquarters in the capital.

The tax authorities organised the meeting with NBR Senior Member Farid Uddin in the chair.

Representatives from Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BKMEA), Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association (BAFFA), Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association, Customs Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association of Bangladesh were present.

The NBR will prepare a working paper based on the focus group discussion held yesterday and will sit further with the stakeholders, meeting source said.

The stakeholders said the terminal remains idle as the authorities have failed to attract importers and exporters to use the port.

They said the transportation of goods through the ICT is not cost effective.

BGMEA representative Md Iqbal Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune that the transportation of apparel products through the ICT will not be viable for them.

“We always have to meet export deadline set by the buyers. If we send our products through roadways, it will take 10 hours at best, but there is no assurance on when the products will reach if transported through Pangaon,” he said, after the meeting.

“We have to suffer a lot if the shipment is delayed. It may also lead to cancellation of orders.

So we cannot take the risk.”

The vessel movement is not regular in Pangaon, Iqbal said, adding that it may also require a few days if the vessels are even available.

The terminal can only be made functional if the exporters can send goods directly to the destination through Pangaon, he pointed out.

Currently, the CPA operates three vessels on the route, but it has no fixed schedule for running the ships due to lack of containers. The port tariff and container charges are also higher compared to Kamalapur Inland Container Depot.

In the meeting, NBR officials assured the stakeholders that they will consider the proposals and place it to the inter-ministerial meeting to be held with the Shipping Ministry soon.

Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association (BAFFA) President Mahbubul Anam told the Dhaka Tribune the NBR has to dictate businesses, provide incentives to users and regularise its vessel schedule to make Pangaon functional.

“To ensure a sustainable regular vessel movement under the fixed schedules, the government has to dictate businesses by fixing products to be transported through Pangaon as mandatory, like the Mongla port. There should be incentives like Mongla port to make the PICT vibrant,” he said.

Currently, the government provides 50% incentives to the Mongla port users.

“Once the transport of goods becomes regular, the port will fully be operational,” said Mahbubul. l

DT

BUSINESS 17

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

Budget Feedback from

Entrepreneurs 1

Highly Dissatistied

10.5%

Manufacturing 8%

Other 24%

Indifferent

52.6%

Satisfied

5.3%

IT and Software 28%

Satisfaction with the proposed taxation structure

10%

Moderately Dissatisfied

Satisfied

5%

Highly Satisfied

0.1%

IT & e-commerce

Indifferent

Rank 2

Agro & Agro-processing

52%

Rank 3

Transportation

Rank 4

Real Estate

Rank 5

RMG & Textiles

Highly Satisfied

4

5

Education Transport Infrastructure Power Social Security and Safety Net Rural Development Health

6 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4 Rank 5 Rank 6

C o n fi d e n c e o n g o v e r n m e n t ’s ability to implement budget

Sectors which should get budgetary support

Rank 1

32%

3

31.6%

E-commerce 9%

Service Agency 16%

2

Moderately Dissatisfied

Restaurants 7%

Trading & Indenting 8%

Highly Dissatisfied

Sectors that should get additional budget

Enterpreneurs’ feedback with budget

Respondent Composition

Highly Doubtful

Doubtful

Indifferent

18%

45%

18%

0%

Confident

Highly Confident

19%

0%

Report: 60% entrepreneurs doubtful over budget implementation Respondents believe IT and e-commerce sector requires proper budgetary support n Tribune Report More than half of the country’s entrepreneurs are indifferent to the new budget while over 60% doubtful over its implementation, according to a new study.

After finalisation of budget for FY16, LightCastle Partners – a business data firm that works at the intersection of market data and company specifics – conducted a survey on entrepreneurs’ views on the new budget using their proprietary online survey platform.

The study said as many as 52.6% entrepre-

neurs in general are indifferent about budget outcomes with some complaining about VAT imposition on e-commerce sector. However, withdrawal of proposed VAT has contributed to relief on the part of e-commerce entrepreneurs.

Fifty two per cent entrepreneurs are indifferent and 42% dissatisfied about taxation structure, the report said.

Indifference signifies positivity here as the government endeavored to reduce tax burden on companies, especially those willing to enlist in the local stock exchange. The govern-

ment’s withdrawal of some VAT and taxes in the finalised budget lessened dissatisfaction among respondents.

Respondents believe IT and e-commerce sector requires proper budgetary support followed by agro-processing and transportation sectors. About the government’s ability to implement budget, 63% were doubtful, the report said.

Lack of confidence is probably due to slower ADP implementation track record which hovered around 60-65% level and slow implementation of flagship infrastructure projects

like Padma Multipurpose Bridge, it said.

It said education is the most preferred sector for additional budget allocation followed by transport infrastructure and power.

In general, entrepreneurs recognised the importance of investments in education for contributing to human capital as well as potential for growth wrought about by greater connectivity and power availability, the report said.

Respondents have been carefully chosen from diverse sectors with special emphasis on those entrepreneurs operating in the digital space, said LightCastle Partners. l

DT

18 BUSINESS

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

News, analysis and recent disclousers BDLAMPS: (H/Y Un-audited): Net Profit after tax from Jan-15 to June-15 was Tk. 20.19 million with EPS of Tk. 2.16 as against Tk. 5.28 million and Tk. 0.56 respectively for the same period of the previous year. Whereas Net Profit after tax from April-15 to June-15 was Tk. 12.71 million with EPS of Tk. 1.36 as against Tk. 3.08 million and Tk. 0.33 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

TRUSTBANK: (H/Y Un-audited): Consolidated Net Profit after tax from Jan’15-June’15 was Tk. 997.08 m. with Consolidated EPS of Tk. 2.13 as against Tk. 386.43 m. and Tk. 0.82 respectively for the same period of the previous year. Whereas Consolidated Net Profit after tax from April’15June’15 was Tk. 499.38 m. with Consolidated EPS of Tk. 1.07 as against Tk. 140.77 m. and Tk. 0.30 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

NORTHRNINS: Alpha Credit Rating Limited (AlphaRating) has rated the Company as “A” in the long term and “AR-2” in the short term along with a stable outlook based on audited financial statements of the Company up to December 31, 2014 and relevant qualitative information up to July 21, 2015.

BSRMLTD: The Company will be placed in “A” category from existing “N” category with effect from July 23, 2015 as the Company has reported disbursement of 10% cash dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

Dividend/AGM

GP: Interim cash dividend 80%, Record date for entitlement of interim dividend: 29.07.2015.

Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

Sector

8,139.45 174,096,106 52,681

Traded Issues

317

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

198

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

109

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis) Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.) Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

Closing (% change)

Company Al-Haj Textile -A Bangladesh Lamps -A PragatiLife Insu. -Z BSRM Ltd. -A CMC Kamal Tex. -A Central Insur -A Islami Bank BD - A BD Fixed Income MF-A The Ibn SinaA Samata LeatheR -Z

9.99 9.96 9.94 9.93 9.86 9.73 9.57 7.94 7.11 6.38

CSE GAINER Closing (% change)

Company Wata Chemicals -A Central Insur -A BSRM Ltd. -A Prime Insur -A Kay & Que (BD) -Z Islami Bank BD - A Eastland Insur -A Aramit -A Bangladesh Lamps -A Republic Insu.-A

10.19 10.00 9.99 9.92 9.82 9.57 9.26 8.63 8.00 6.88

DSE LOSER Company ICB AMCL 1st NRB -A Meghna PET Ind. -Z Agrani Insurance -A Hakkani P& Paper -B Saiham Cotton-A National Housing Fin.-B BD. Thai Alum -B ACI Formulations-A GeminiSeaFood-B Shahjibazar Power-N

Closing (% change) -5.26 -4.84 -4.46 -4.17 -3.79 -3.40 -2.84 -2.81 -2.79 -2.73

CSE LOSER Company Global Heavy Chemicals-N IFIC 1st MF-A Saiham Cotton-A Rahima Food -Z Delta Brac HFCL-A BD. Thai Alum -B SonarBangla Insu. -A Anwar Galvanizing-B DBH 1st MF-A AB Bank - A

Closing (% change) -5.94 -5.77 -3.72 -3.65 -3.30 -3.09 -3.01 -2.90 -2.38 -2.15

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

DSE key features July 23, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka)

SQURPHARMA: 30% cash and 12.50% stock dividend, AGM: 16.09.2015, Record Date: 13.08.2015.

MEGHNALIFE: 13% cash and 20% stock, AGM: 27.08.2015, Record Date: 30.07.2015.

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.

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.

DSE GAINER

10

2,727.35 33.06

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 870.78 305.89 66.88 1135.34 209.64 1253.72 6.58 537.62 1582.88 20.33 133.72 55.26 326.09 771.38 57.96 59.42 56.58 310.29 144.68 234.29 0.14

% change 10.70 3.76 0.82 13.95 2.58 15.40 0.08 6.61 19.45 0.25 1.64 0.68 4.01 9.48 0.71 0.73 0.70 3.81 1.78 2.88 0.00

Million Taka 23.93 23.28 2.90 110.50 6.98 78.22 32.89 66.64 1.72 7.64 1.28 12.22 76.16 5.32 1.48 3.64 26.37 18.21 26.99 0.05

Average (% change) 8.00 10.10 8.32 3.73 8.56 9.13 9.78 8.79 5.96 5.16 Average (% change) 7.07 10.00 4.83 9.92 9.82 9.67 9.05 8.63 8.04 6.19

Average (% change) -4.94 -5.97 -4.90 0.73 -4.34 -2.27 -1.44 -1.87 -3.52 1.51

Average (% change) -4.40 -5.77 -4.14 -2.22 -3.24 -1.05 -2.78 -3.09 -2.84 -1.79

CSE

Closing average 100.16 122.74 94.89 88.22 15.35 19.96 22.90 6.81 98.95 29.98

Closing average 174.51 18.70 88.93 14.40 12.30 22.90 23.61 248.00 113.44 16.99

Closing average 21.53 5.83 14.94 46.70 20.51 22.86 38.44 212.57 251.16 204.63

Closing average

% change 4.55 4.42 0.55 20.99 1.33 14.86 0.00 6.25 12.66 0.33 1.45 0.24 2.32 14.47 1.01 0.28 0.69 5.01 3.46 5.13 0.01

41.25 4.90 20.62 34.81 85.00 38.53 16.10 40.10 4.10 22.99

Weekly closing 102.40 123.60 98.40 93.00 15.60 20.30 22.90 6.80 100.90 30.00

Weekly closing 176.30 18.70 92.50 14.40 12.30 22.90 23.60 248.00 113.40 17.10

Weekly closing 21.60 5.90 15.00 46.00 20.30 22.70 37.60 210.70 250.50 199.60

Weekly closing

Weekly high 102.40 123.60 98.40 93.00 15.60 20.30 22.90 6.90 101.90 31.00

Weekly high

93.60 111.00 88.60 83.10 14.20 19.00 21.50 6.60 95.20 29.00

Weekly low

176.30 18.70 92.50 14.40 12.30 22.90 23.70 248.00 115.50 17.10

Weekly high

167.00 18.70 83.10 14.40 12.30 22.90 23.10 248.00 109.00 16.50

Weekly low

21.70 6.00 15.10 48.20 21.20 23.40 39.20 217.00 260.00 213.00

Weekly high

41.20 4.90 20.70 34.30 85.00 37.60 16.10 40.20 4.10 22.80

Million Taka 894.71 329.16 69.78 1245.84 216.62 1331.93 6.58 570.51 1649.53 22.05 141.36 56.54 338.31 847.53 63.27 60.89 60.22 336.66 162.89 261.29 0.19

Weekly low

21.30 5.80 14.80 45.20 20.20 22.60 36.90 210.00 243.00 197.50

Weekly low

42.00 4.90 21.00 35.50 85.00 39.20 16.50 40.20 4.10 23.50

Total

41.00 4.90 20.30 34.20 85.00 37.40 15.50 40.00 4.10 22.70

% change 10.32 3.80 0.81 14.38 2.50 15.37 0.08 6.58 19.03 0.25 1.63 0.65 3.90 9.78 0.73 0.70 0.69 3.88 1.88 3.02 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

60.110 40.986 3.765 191.593 36.673 1.339 150.474 0.173 28.884 0.471

Turnover in million

1.07 4.32 2.38 2.16 1.24 2.32 1.00 0.51 4.36 -0.05

Latest EPS

0.092 0.002 31.569 0.003 0.000 3.559 0.014 0.000 0.047 0.177

Turnover in million

93.6 28.4 39.9 40.8 12.4 8.6 22.9 13.4 22.7 -ve

Latest PE

3.80 2.32 2.16 1.12 0.28 1.00 2.60 13.84 4.32 1.55

Latest EPS

0.239 0.063 0.222 5.062 8.867 1.120 100.497 44.669 0.162 232.334

Turnover in million

Latest PE

45.9 8.1 41.2 12.9 43.9 22.9 9.1 17.9 26.3 11.0

Latest PE

2.61 -0.53 1.80 0.29 1.43 1.32 2.80 6.80 9.58 8.44

Latest EPS

0.116 0.004 0.362 0.087 0.017 1.744 0.029 0.084 0.002 2.340

8.2 -ve 8.3 161.0 14.3 17.3 13.7 31.3 26.2 24.2

Latest PE

2.08 0.73 1.43 -0.47 6.04 2.80 1.52 0.68 -0.47 3.88

19.8 6.7 14.4 -ve 14.1 13.8 10.6 59.0 -ve 5.9

CSE key features July 23, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

526.42 13,016,672 20,603

Traded Issues

265

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

169

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

89

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

7

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,623.49

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

31.80

DT

BUSINESS 19

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

DSEX hits five-month high Turnover crosses Tk800 crore n Tribune Report

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS

Volume shares

Company LafargeS Cement-A Square Pharma -A Brac Bank -A RAK Ceramics-A ACI Limited- A Khulna Power-A Grameenphone-A Shahjibazar Power-N Renata Ltd. -A BSRM Ltd. -A

Islami Bank BD - A Beximco Pharma -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A United Power-N Ifad Autos -N

5,453,909 1,426,372 8,341,860 3,935,110 506,224 3,565,434 743,112 1,135,367 164,548 2,171,862

6,570,935 2,207,387 4,179,609 784,602 1,115,868

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company LafargeS Cement-A BSRM Ltd. -A United Power-N Square Pharma -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Olympic Accessories -N Grameenphone-A Shahjibazar Power-N UNITED AIR-A Beximco Pharma -A

BSRM Steels-A RAK Ceramics-A MJL BD Ltd.-A BD Submarine Cable-A ACI Limited- A

Volume shares 572,200 354,976 121,298 67,630 499,696 286,268 46,739 73,603 1,391,622 190,587

142,930 136,851 93,383 75,557 17,684

Value in million 676.53

% of total turnover 8.31

Weekly closing 125.40

Price change 4.67

Weekly opening 119.80

Weekly high 125.90

Weekly low 120.00

Weekly average 124.04

378.15 341.94 317.94 295.61 274.29 250.98 232.33 206.20 191.59

4.65 4.20 3.91 3.63 3.37 3.08 2.85 2.53 2.35

266.80 40.40 81.20 580.90 78.30 337.90 199.60 1270.60 93.00

2.03 -1.70 3.57 -1.79 3.57 1.29 -2.73 6.17 9.93

261.50 41.10 78.40 591.50 75.60 333.60 205.20 1196.80 84.60

267.20 41.00 82.80 594.80 78.80 339.90 213.00 1271.60 93.00

261.00 40.40 78.50 579.10 75.30 333.90 197.50 1200.00 83.10

265.11 40.99 80.80 583.95 76.93 337.74 204.63 1253.15 88.22

Price change 5.64 9.99 -1.47 1.80 -0.30 2.12 1.29 -3.19 -0.93 1.25

Weekly opening 118.70 84.10 162.90 261.10 33.40 56.60 333.80 207.00 10.70 64.20

150.47 143.37 139.54 126.59 115.41

Value in million 70.83 31.57 19.57 17.89 16.70 16.44 15.78 15.01 14.88 12.38

12.09 11.07 10.66 10.58 10.35

1.85 1.76 1.71 1.56 1.42

% of total turnover 13.46 6.00 3.72 3.40 3.17 3.12 3.00 2.85 2.83 2.35

2.30 2.10 2.02 2.01 1.97

22.90 65.10 33.30 160.00 104.50

Weekly closing 125.40 92.50 160.50 265.80 33.30 57.80 338.10 200.40 10.60 65.00

85.90 81.60 113.70 139.20 581.50

9.57 0.93 -0.30 -1.90 3.36

6.18 3.55 -0.87 -1.63 -1.56

20.90 64.50 33.40 163.10 101.10

80.90 78.80 114.70 141.50 590.70

22.90 66.00 33.70 164.90 105.50 Weekly high 125.90 92.50 164.00 266.50 33.70 59.00 339.50 211.00 10.90 65.90

87.90 82.60 115.90 141.50 600.00

21.50 63.70 33.00 158.70 100.30

Weekly low 120.00 83.10 159.90 262.00 33.10 56.20 333.40 198.20 10.60 63.90

80.60 78.90 113.00 138.50 580.00

22.90 64.95 33.39 161.34 103.43

Weekly average 123.79 88.93 161.34 264.60 33.43 57.42 337.70 203.98 10.69 64.95

84.60 80.86 114.12 140.07 585.29

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

12245.85550

(+) 1.40%

1888.83857

(+) 1.69%

14719.83420

(+) 1.30%

12245.85550

(+) 1.67%

8965.25000

(+) 1.32%

▲ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▼

Stocks gained sharply yesterday with the benchmark index DSEX hitting five-month high and turnover crossing Tk800 crore.

Continued fresh fund injection particularly on heavyweights has boosted the volume of trade significantly and helped the turnover of Dhaka Stock Exchange cross Tk800 crore on anticipation of better than expected dividend declarations.

The benchmark of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, surged over 66 points or 1.4% to close at 4,808, extending gaining streak for the ninth consecutive session and its highest since February 23 this year.

The Shariah index, DSES, rose 24 points or 2% to 1,195.

The blue chip comprising index DS30 moved up 31 points or 1.7% to 1,888. The Chittagong Stock Exchange was up 117 points to settle at 8,965.

The rally made investors bullish, leading to amass a total turnover of Tk813 crore, an increase of nearly 14% over the previous session and highest since June 1 this year at DSE. Almost all the major sectors closed higher, with non-banking financial institutions experiencing the highest gain of 3.6%, followed by cement 3.5%, bank 1.5%, pharmaceuticals 1%, food and allied almost 1% and power 0.5%.

Only IT was the unlucky sector that remained out of buying spree as it was down more than 1%.

Lanka Bangla Securities said stocks moved sharply higher throughout the trading session before ending the day firmly in positive territory.

It said the gains extended a recent upward trend, with the benchmark index closing higher for the ninth consecutive session. “Company specific fundamental data continued to attract attention amid earning season, with investors keeping an eye on economic trend at the same time.”

IDLC Investments said the market enjoyed a strong rally based on large cap scrips, with smaller ones participating with significant upward moves.

“Expected earnings declaration played a major role in pricing the scrips while the eventless political frontier yields a facilitating environment.” l

ANALYST Investors keyed up after a week-long vacation and were busy playing on stocks totaling the daily market turnover value Tk715 crore which is close to around two months’ high.

DT

20 BUSINESS

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

Euro firms after Greece passes bailout reforms n AFP, Tokyo The euro traded higher against the dollar and the yen yesterday as Greece’s parliament passed legislation on reforms crucial to securing bailout funds from its creditors.

In Tokyo, the single currency fetched $1.0944 and 135.67 yen, up from $1.0926 and 135.44 yen in New York late Wednesday.

The bill passed by a resounding 230 votes out of the 298 members of parliament present, after a marathon debate stretching into the early hours.

The vote was a key test of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ authority after he suffered a major rebellion in his leftist Syriza party at last week’s vote on a first tranche of tough reforms demanded by Athens’ creditors.

British Prime Minister David Cameronarrives at the European Union (EU) Council headquarters at the start of an EU leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium REUTERS

‘Brexit’ fears haunt London’s roaring trade in euros n Reuters, London If there is a symbol of British ambivalence to Europe then it may be the euro itself.

The capital of euro trading prospers outside the euro zone, but London’s dominance of the $5.3tn-a-day foreign exchange market could wane if Britain left the European Union.

While British leaders have long resisted replacing pounds with euros, traders in the City of London financial center now buy and sell more than twice as many euros as the whole 19-member euro zone and more dollars than the United States.

For four decades, London has been the undisputed king of foreign exchange, but some investors fear that if British voters decide to leave the EU, the City would eventually lose its top position, especially in euro trading.

“If” the UK left the European Union, London’s dominance of foreign exchange including euro trading would gradually decline and then end as the flows moved to Asia and other European capitals,” U.S. investor Jim Rogers, who co-founded the Quantum Fund in 1973 with George Soros, told Reuters.

“London’s dominance of the foreign exchange market evolved “historically but evolution will continue in other places if the UK leaves. It would be foolish to leave the EU, but politicians have done foolish things since the beginning of “time.”

Twelve years after Rogers left Quantum in 1980, Soros used the fund to bet successfully that sterling was overvalued against the Deutsche Mark, culminating in Britain’s biggest financial humiliation since the sterling

crisis of 1976. On so called ‘Black Wednesday’, Sept. 16, 1992, Prime Minister John Major was forced to pull sterling out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM), which had been intended to reduce exchange rate fluctuations ahead of monetary union.

London has thrived as a center for everything from foreign exchange and bonds to derivatives and fund management, making it the largest net exporter of financial services in the world Fast forward two decades: European efforts to forge an enduring monetary union are at the center of a debate within the London elite about post-imperial Britain’s place in Europe and whether it might not be worth striking out alone.

The shadow of the euro falls across Prime Minister David Cameron’s attempt to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with Europe, then hold a referendum on membership by the end of 2017.

Sold sedately for centuries at the Royal Exchange opposite the Bank of England, foreign exchange is now traded at high speed among mostly foreign banks such as Citi, Deutsche Bank, Barclays, JPMorgan and UBS. London accounts for 41% of global foreign

exchange turnover, more than double the nearest competitor, New York, according to the Bank for International Settlements. London’s closest European competitors are Switzerland and Paris, which each take about 3% of global foreign exchange turnover.

Yet London wasn’t always king of forex: The hegemony of the pound sterling in the British empire meant that before 1914, London played second fiddle in forex to Paris, Vienna, Berlin and New York.

And London’s rise was partly due to good fortune.

As the center for global dollar trading, it benefited from the greenback’s rise. The growth of international banking during the 1950s and 1960s put it in pole position to benefit from the foreign exchange trading boom when floating exchange rates were adopted in the early 1970s.

Since UK exchange controls were scrapped in 1979, London has thrived as a center for everything from foreign exchange and bonds to derivatives and fund management, making it the largest net exporter of financial services in the world.

By the end of that decade Britain was top, and its dominance has strengthened ever since. Though the euro’s introduction reduced the number of currencies traded, London emerged as the global center for the most traded currency pair, EUR/USD. “If Britain left the EU, that trade is gone,” said one senior European diplomat, waving his hand. “The first thing Berlin and Paris would do is to sit down and say: ‘How do we bring that business back?’” l

The Canadian dollar rebounded slightly after it hit a 10-year low against the US dollar.

The greenback traded at CAN$1.3033 in Asia Thursday after briefly going in US trade as high as CAN$1.3047, a level last seen in 2004, as Canada’s economy is hurt by the plunge in oil prices Tsipras is negotiating a new bailout worth up to 86bn euros over three years.

The dollar rose to 124.06 yen from 123.96 yen after upbeat US homes data offered hope for the world’s top economy, and boosts the chances the Federal Reserve will lift interest rates soon.

Sales of existing homes in the United States surged in June to their highest level in more than eight years and prices hit a record high, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday.

“It’s not determined yet whether the US rate hikes will be in September or December, but the housing data strengthens the case for a September hike a little,” Mitsushige Akino, executive officer at Ichiyoshi Asset Management, told Bloomberg News.

The Canadian dollar rebounded slightly after it hit a 10-year low against the US dollar.

The greenback traded at CAN$1.3033 in Asia Thursday after briefly going in US trade as high as CAN$1.3047, a level last seen in 2004, as Canada’s economy is hurt by the plunge in oil prices.

The dollar strengthened against a basket of Asia-Pacific currencies.

It rose to 1,162.80 South Korean won from 1,153.05 won on Wednesday, to 63.65 Indian rupees from 63.56 rupees, and to 13,416 Indonesian rupiah from 13,370 rupiah.

The greenback also climbed to 45.29 Philippine pesos from 45.24 pesos, to Sg$1.3670 from Sg$1.3642, to Tw$31.23 from Tw$31.19, and to 34.85 Thai baht from 34.60 baht.

The Australian dollar bought 73.81 US cents, down from 74.14 cents, while the Chinese yuan rose to 19.94 yen from 19.89 yen. l

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FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

T-JUNCTION

Party on your plate Photo: Bigstock

INSIDE

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Tantalise

Mango and Mint Pasta Salad

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Tantalise

Veggie-chicken pot pie

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listology

Om-nomming wrong

24 news

Thomas Tieber to lead DHL Global Forwarding in South Asia

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Tantalise

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

Mango and Mint Pasta Salad After all the hectic and fun days of Eid, it’s time for something refreshing

n Tasmia Momin What could be more relaxing and appetising than a big bowl of cold pasta salad, chilling in the fridge? With the addition of chilled mangoes and mint leaves, it couldn’t be any more refreshing.

Ingredients: • 1 cup uncooked pasta • 1 cup mango cubes • 1 cup yoghurt • 2 tbsp. mayonnaise • ½ tsp. salt • 2 tbsp. sugar • ½ tsp. black pepper • A squeeze of lemon • Zest of a lemon • Handful of mint Method Boil the pasta in salted boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes and let it cool. Cut mangoes in bite size and chill both in the fridge.

In a big bowl, whisk in the mayonnaise and yoghurt until smooth.

Then add salt, sugar, black pepper, chopped mint leaves, and lemon juice & zest. Whisk until smooth. Then pour in the boiled pasta and mango. Top it off with a sprig of mint and serve chilled!

Photos: Tasmia Momin

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FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

Veggiechicken pot pie n Tasmia Momin Enjoy this hearty and creamy mix of colorful veggies and tender chicken, under a layer of crunchy and buttery pastry crust. This could be the perfect comfort food after Eid.

Ingredients: Pie filling 2 chicken breasts A glug of oil 1 chopped onion 1 chopped carrot ½ stick celery 2 cloves of garlic Salt and pepper Handful of green peas 1 tbsp. flour 1 cup of chicken stock ½ a green capsicum chopped 2 tbsp. heavy cream Pastry dough 1½ cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp. salt 2-3 tbsp. sugar ½ cup butter 3-4 tbsp. ice cold water

Photos: Tasmia Momin

Method In a food processor, add in flour, sugar and salt. Then add diced butter and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand or until your butter is the size of a pea. Add one tablespoon of ice cold water at a time, and pulse until dough is crumbly, yet holds together when squeezed. Take out the dough on a floured surface, form a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

Cut the chicken breasts into bit sized pieces. You can also use leftover chicken korma for this.

With a glug of oil, fry the onion, carrot and celery. Add in the crushed garlic and the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes and stir in the green peas. Once the mix is cooked, add in flour, stir and pour in the chicken stock. Stir continuously till you get a smooth silky consistency. Add the capsicum and cream and take it off the stove and into the ramekins.

Preheat the oven at 180 degree Celsius.

Roll out the pastry dough and cut pieces to fit the ramekins. Lay the pastry lids on top of the ramekins, pressing on the sides. Brush the pastry lids with egg wash and bake it for around 20 minutes or till the pie filling is bubbling beneath the pastry lid.

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FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

News

listology

Om-nomming wrong Five common unhealthy practices while you eat

n Rad Sharar Bin Kamal Fast bite We understand, you’re a busy person. You may not have enough time to make your meal or sit down and enjoy the essence of the dish. Hence, fast food seems more ideal and suits your speed, while eating on the road is nothing new to you. But that also means you don’t pay attention to what you eat either.

How this harms you is that the faster you eat, the more you eat as well. The brain doesn’t realise when you’re full, and sends you a warning signal till about 15 to 20 minutes after the first bite. Plus, you don’t really think much about what you’re having as you gobble it down, and your mind stays busy on more important things in that moment. Plus, if it’s fast food that you’re having, you may be in big trouble, quite literally.

Bowling big This is a psychological game your brain gets fooled by, every single time. Food psychologist Brian Wansink, PhD, from Cornell University discovered the bigger your plate is, the more you will unknowingly consume, cause, you know, there’s more food.

How this harms you is obvious, for the aim is to eat as much as your body needs to break even. But let’s not go into the mind-numbing details which will make you hungry, remember to just grab a smaller plate and take smaller portions. This also means you’re not wasting food.

Skipping the brunch Let’s face it. Breakfast for many has become obsolete, so let’s just stick to brunch.

Well, many of us skip that as well, and fill ourselves with anything as we get ravenous after a few hours. A person having junk food as the first meal will be much healthier than

the one who skips it entirely.

How this harms you would rather not be explained using unnecessarily complicated terminology, for the many simply don’t get it and suffer. If you don’t have energy at the start of the day, you won’t be able to cope.

You think you can, but remember this – it takes the phone a lot longer to charge and turn back on once it dries out completely, so better to start with a full battery, yeah?

Stress food Ogh mhy gowd, *gulp* the rain completely ruined my Eid shoes *omn* and a car’s tires sprayed muddy water on my dress. Sound familiar? Yeah, emotional eating is one habit we never realise we do, but it’s actually universal. Nothing can cheer one up so often as food.

How this harms you is by pouring all your hard diets and exercise down the drain at a single go, for stress eating never happens according to plan. To tackle it, clinging

news

Thomas Tieber to lead DHL Global Forwarding in South Asia Deutsche Post DHL’s freight arm DHL Global Forwarding has appointed Thomas Tieber as its new chief executive for ASEAN and South Asia.

26-year DHL veteran Tieber steps up from his role managing the business in Thailand, and establishing operations in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

His appointment took effect from the start of this month.

In his new role, Tieber will also oversee operations in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and other agent operations in the ASEAN area and South Asia.

He will be based in Thailand, reporting

to Kelvin Leung, the chief executive of DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific.

Leung said the appointment came in an important region for DHL Global Forwarding as trade growth accelerates.

“With Thomas overseeing a greater cluster of our operations in Asia Pacific, I’m confident that his rich experience and good relationships with industry stakeholders will benefit our customers and drive greater success for our business in the region,” he said.

In his two and a half decades with DHL, Tieber has held key management roles in sales and marketing, and in business development, in Europe and Asia.

The company said he was “instrumental” in instituting key sales initiatives in DHL, and played a “key role” in various mergers and acquisitions.

Commenting on his new appointment, Tieber said: “As one of the regions with high growth potential within Asia Pacific, DHL Global Forwarding has been investing considerably in ASEAN as well as South Asia over the years. This has allowed our business operations to grow exponentially despite challenging market conditions.

“I am very excited to further expand our footprint and mark greater milestones as markets develop to their full potential in the global forwarding industry,” he added. l

yourself to another stress relieving activity may just do the trick, while keeping you slick.

Midnight munch Oh boy. This one will be tough to get over but we really need to stop thinking about that last slice of pizza and leftover brownies when the clock points up.

Not only does this harm you all through the night, specially if you snooze right after, but it also ruins your morning appetite making you weaker throughout the day. To counter the urge, have a proper dinner, sleep on time and brush your teeth after dinner. This reduces the willingness to hamper a freshly cleaned mouth and clean it again. l

According to US anti-doping agency (USADA) figures released on Wednesday, Justin Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic 100m gold medallist who was suspended between 2006-10 after failing a second drugs test, has been tested 59 times since his return

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DE KOCK FINED FOR SHOULDERING

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FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

BAYERN CONFIRM VIDAL DEAL

BANvSA, DAY 3 SOUTH AFRICA FIRST INNINGS 248 all out (Bavuma 54; Mustafizur Rahman 4-37, Jubair Hossain 3-53) BANGLADESH FIRST INNINGS (179-4 overnight) Tamim Iqbal b Elgar Imrul Kayes st de Kock b van Zyl Mominul Haque v Harmer Mahmudullah lbw b Philander Mushfiqur Rahim lbw b Steyn Shakib Al Hasan c Duminy b Harmer Litton Das c de Kock b Harmer Mohammad Shahid c van Zyl b Philander Taijul Islam c Elgar b Steyn Mustafizur Rahman c Duminy b Steyn Jubair Hossain not out Extras (lb 7, nb1)

R

B

57 26 6 67 28 47 50 25 9 3 0 8

129 73 14 138 61 114 102 19 27 13 8

Total (all out; 116.1 overs)

326

Fall of wickets 1-46 (Imrul), 2-55 (Mominul), 3-144 (Tamim), 4-178 (Mahmudullah), 5-195 (Rahim), 6-277 (Shakib), 7-311(Shahid), 8-319 (Das), 9-325 (Taijul), 10-326 (Mustafizur).

Bowling Steyn 22.1-5-78-3, Philander 20-2-40-2 (nb1), Morkel 19-2-52-0, Harmer 35-8-105-3, van Zyl 13-4-23-1, Elgar 3-0-6-1, Duminy 4-0-15-0

SOUTH AFRICA 2ND INNINGS S. van Zyl not out D. Elgar not out Extras

R 33 28 0

Total (no wicket; 21.1 overs)

61

B 71 56

Bowling Mustafizur 5-0-21-0, Taijul 2-0-4-0, Mahmudullah 1-1-0-0, Shakib 5-0-19-0, Shahid 6-1-12-0, Jubair 2.1-1-5-0

Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Kumar Das cuts one on the way to his maiden fifty during the third day of the opening Test against South Africa at ZACS in Chittagong yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Maiden fifty injects confidence in Liton n Minhaz Uddin Khan from Chittagong Bangladesh had done well to take the first innings lead as their wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Kumar Das thinks restricting South Africa’s lead under 200 runs in the second innings will favour the hosts. The home side, resuming the third day of their first Test in Chittagong at 179-4, should not be pleased with the 78-run first innings lead, but the 20year old Liton, into his second Test, believes they have done a good job.

Tagged as an aggressive and busy batsman, Liton batted out of his characteristics and made a valuable 50 off 102 balls to help the Tigers reach 326 runs. Although the South African openers Stiaan van Zyl and Dean El-

gar had cut the deficit to just 17 before poor light stopped play, Liton believes they are still in control of the game despite not being able to extend their advantage.

“I think we are still ahead of them. It is slightly harder to score runs on this wicket. It may have been better had we taken 2-3 wickets early but still, I would say we are ahead.

It would be better if we can chase 150 to 200 runs in the fourth innings. It would have been better had we scored a bit more but I think 78run lead was good enough,” said Liton after the day’s play at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium yesterday.

Liton’s 82-run sixth wicket stand with Shakib al Hasan was instrumental for the home side while the entertaining cameo

from No 8 Mohammad Shahid, 25 off 19 balls, also made things easier in the middle for Liton, aged 20 years and 283 days, who became the youngest wicket-keeper to score a fifty against South Africa in Tests, beating Sri Lanka’s Niroshan Dickwella (21 years and 32 days).

The right-handed, who made 44 on debut against India, got his maiden fifty in his second batting opportunity in Tests. “I wanted to make a bigger score. I was the only regular batsman at the time, the rest were lower-order batsmen. I think I played quite well, as long as I batted. I wanted to play the maximum number of deliveries with the bowlers,” said Liton.

A regular opener in the domestic circuit,

batting at No 7 is not a familiar spot for the rookie. He holds a reputation of scoring quick boundaries in his innings but yesterday Liton exhibited his patience by waiting for 40 balls and 54 minutes to hit his first boundary, off Morner Morkel flicked over the mid wicket.

“We get a lot of loose balls in domestic cricket, but it is the opposite in international cricket. The wicket was slow so it wasn’t also easy to play shots. I had to be careful.

There is a different need every day so today (yesterday) the demand of the situation was for me to play this way, play as long possible. I am trying to play the way I play in domestic cricket but you see there’s more pressure in international cricket, I need to be careful,” he said. l

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FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

IN NUMBERS

326

Runs scored by Bangladesh in their first innings, their highest against South Africa and the first time they have scored 300-plus runs against them. Bangladesh’s previous highest score against South Africa was 259, also in Chittagong, in 2008.

78

Bangladesh’s lead in the first innings, their biggest first-innings lead against any team when batting second in a Test match.

They have batted second in 36 previous Tests, and the highest lead achieved by Bangladesh was 68, against Sri Lanka in Galle, in 2013.

0

Previous instances when Bangladesh have taken a first-innings lead when batting second against South Africa. In the previous four Tests when Bangladesh have batted second against South Africa, they have conceded leads of 359, 228, 324 and 288, making the average first-innings lead conceded by Bangladesh almost 300.

116.1

South African speedster Dale Steyn sports a smile of relief after dismissing Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (unseen) during the third day of the first Test at ZACS in Chittagong yesterday. Steyn is now a wicket away from the 400-club MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Morning session crucial today, says Harmer n Tribune Report The first Test between world number four ranked South Africa and Bangladesh are evenly poised in Chittagong with the visitors trailing the hosts by 17 runs at the end of day three. Bangladesh were eying a big first innings lead but it was restricted to 78 runs following some strict bowling from Dale Steyn and off-spinner Simon Harmer.

Bangladesh’s highest ever first innings total against South Africa (326) came after fifties from Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah and Liton Kumar Das while experienced Shakib al Hasan also added 47 runs. However, Harmer claimed the wickets of Shakib and Liton in a crucial junction of the game to help the Proteas crawl back.

Harmer, who took 3 for 105, said the pitch has begun to assist the spinners and although there is still two days left in the match, their focus is on the morning session on the fourth day today.

“Yeah it (pitch) has deteriorated quite a bit so far, obviously in the subcontinent you know that coming into day three spinners will come into the game. And I think we can’t look too far ahead in terms of target and stuff like that because there is still a lot of cricket left to be played in this game. Our focus is going to be on the first session tomorrow morning. Dean and Stiaan did a good job today evening to go unscathed in that last session especially with the bad light and the rain around. I think the first session is going to be our target tomorrow and not too much past that,” said Harmer.

TALKING POINTS BANvSA, 1ST TEST, DAY 3 Shakib goes past 8000 Ace Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan crossed the milestone of 8000 international runs yesterday during his 47-run knock in the first innings. The left-handed batsman, resuming the third day on one, required another 33 runs to reach the landmark and yesterday’s innings saw him take his tally to 8013 international runs.

Including the ongoing Chittagong Test, Shakib scored 2788 runs in 41 matches and 77 innings.

The world’s number one all-rounder in all three formats has 4382 runs in 148 innings from 156 ODIs and 843 runs in 38 Twenty20 internationals.

Composed Liton Lower middle-order batsman Liton Kumar Das was selected in the playing XI for the ongoing Test in place of in-form batsman Soumya Sarkar.

The decision perhaps did not raise that many eyebrows due to the fact that regular wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim was not fit enough to stand behind the stumps. Liton has been decent behind the stumps so far in this game but what grabbed all the attention was his composed 50-run knock, his maiden half-century, which enabled Bangladesh to post a 78-run lead. Standing in his second Test, the right-hander was constrained and his effort was unlike his natural game. On occasions, Liton restrained himself from hitting the ball even though bad deliveries were on offer. During his 102-ball innings, Liton hit only seven boundaries. l

A nothing shot from Shakib earned Harmer his second victim in the innings. On 47, Shakib tried to heave a three-quarter delivery from the offie and only managed to top-edge at the hands of short mid-wicket.

“Well, I think he (Shakib) was looking to get to his fifty and without a cow corner there he was looking for anything shot and going to the back-foot and I don’t think that ball was short enough. And it skid on a little bit and rushed on him. He had done that once before in the over and luckily it landed safe, the second time I am lucky,” said the 26-year old Harmer.

However, Harmer also praised the Bangladeshi batsmen saying their chance-less batting made things difficult for the South African bowlers. l

Overs played by Bangladesh in the first innings, their most in a Test innings against South Africa, and the first time they have played 100-plus overs against them. The previous highest they had played against South Africa was 87.5 oversin East London in 2002.

0

Previous instances of three Bangladesh batsmen making 50-plus scores in the same Test innings against South Africa. Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah and Liton Das made scores of 57, 67 and 50 respectively in the first innings of this Test.

4

Number of times that seven of out Bangladesh’s top eight batsmen have posted 25-plus scores in the same Test innings.

They achieved the feat in the first innings of this Test and previously against West Indies (twice) and Pakistan.

50

Runs scored by Liton Das in the first innings, making him the youngest wicketkeeper (20y 281d) to make a 50-plus score in Tests against South Africa. The previous youngest was Sri Lanka’s Niroshan Dickwella (21y 31d) who scored 72 runs against South Africa in Colombo last year.

De Kock fined for shouldering n Minhaz Uddin Khan from Chittagong South Africa’s Quinton de Kock has been fined 75% of his match fee after the wicket-keeper was found guilty of deliberately shoulder barging Bangladesh opening batsman Tamim Iqbal during the second day of their first Test in Chittagong.

Tamim had been in some conversation with De Kock throughout the last over before lunch bowled by Simon Harmer on Wednesday, and the shoulder-barging incident took place as the over came to an end and Tamim turned towards the dressing room. The visiting captain Hashim Amla was prompt to intervene the situation, the second time in this tour, and separate the duo.

“As the over before lunch came to an end, Quinton de Kock walked in front of the stumps to confront Tamim Iqbal. In doing so De Kock deliberately brushed Tamim Iqbal’s shoulder and rib area. This resulted in a heated ex-

change between the two, initiated by the contact made by De Kock. This type of incident has no place on a cricket field,” said match referee Chris Broad explaining his decision.

De Kock breached Article 2.2.7 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel which relates to “Inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other Person (including a spectator) in the course of play during an International Match.”

The charge on De Kock was laid by the onfield umpires Richard Kettleborough and Joel Wilson, third umpire Paul Reiffel and fourth umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid.

Earlier in the second of the three-match one-day international series, South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw was fined 50% of his match fee for deliberately shoulder-barging Tamim when the latter was walking back after being dismissed. l

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FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

Cisse double guides Soccer Club

QUICK BYTES Barca would part with Pedro for right price: coach

n Tribune Desk

Barcelona manager Luis Enrique won’t block the exit of Pedro Rodriguez as long as the striker’s suitor comes up with the right price.

“Those who want to leave the club can do so as long as their buy-out clause is covered,” Luis Enrique said after Barcelona opened their pre-season US tour with a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Wednesday night.

–AFP

Feni Soccer Club’s Gambian forward Dawda Cisse bagged a brace to propel his side to an enterprising 4-2 victory over Farashganj in yesterday’s sole Manyavar Bangladesh Premier League tie at Bangabandhu National Stadium.

Soccer Club’s Ali Hossain broke the deadlock as early as the second minute of the match before Sohel Mia doubled the lead in the first half. Cisse then made it 3-0 seven minutes before the first half whistle only for Russel to reduce the arrears for Farashganj in the 53rd minute.

Alauddin’s own goal further reduced the margin before Cisse restored the two-goal margin in the 79th minute. Farashganj’s struggles continued as defender Jahir was sent off in the dying stages of the game.

Soccer Club are now seventh in the 11-team standings with 15 points from as many matches while Farashganj are mired at the bottom with just five points from the same number of outings as yesterday’s victors. l

Benitez says Ramos ‘100 percent’ staying at Real Manager Rafael Benitez said Thursday he is “100 percent” confident skipper Sergio Ramos will stay at Real Madrid amid fevered speculation linking him with Manchester United. Spain international Ramos has been linked to United in a swap deal with Spanish goalkeeper David De Gea, but Benitez made it clear the defender was going nowhere.

–AFP

Brighton sign Harper from Real Madrid

RESULT

Championship side Brighton have signed teenage Scottish striker Jack Harper from Real Madrid. The 19-year-old forward was born in Malaga to Scottish parents and he has been with Real since he was 13. Albion boss Chris Hughton said: “Even at the age of 19, Jack is a well-known name and having spent the past six years at Real Madrid, there is no doubting his pedigree.

–AFP

Cricket South Africa tweeted this picture of AB and Danielle de Villiers, posing with their new-born son, AB Jr, last Wednesday afternoon. AB Sr said: ‘We all feel very blessed and grateful. Mother and son are both doing well’ COURTESY

Delph to start for Man City, Dzeko could leave

n Minhaz Uddin Khan from Chittagong

New signing Fabian Delph will play for Manchester City in Friday’s pre-season match with Real Madrid in Melbourne while Edin Dzeko may be on his way out, manager Manuel Pellegrini said Thursday. Delph is expected to get a run along with City’s record signing Raheem Sterling against the 10-time European champions in the final game of the International Champions Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

–AFP

Mario Suarez quits Atletico Madrid for Fiorentina Spanish international midfielder Mario Suarez has quit Atletico Madrid to join Italian Serie A outfit Fiorentina. “Mario Suarez will play at Fiorentina. An agreement between the clubs has been reached and will be finalised in the coming hours,” Atletico announced Wednesday. In five seasons with Atletico, Suarez won La Liga, the Spanish Cup, the Europa League, the Spanish Supercup and two European Supercups.

–AFP

Mexico’s Tigres advances in Copa Libertadores Mexican side Tigres advanced to the final of the Copa Libertadores on Wednesday with a 3-1 home triumph over Brazil’s Internacional, booking a showdown with Argentina giants River Plate. Inter led 2-1 after the first match in the home-and-home semi-final, but Tigres erased that edge by half-time on a goal by Andre-Pierre Gignac in the 17th minute and an own goal from Geferson in the 40th.

–AFP

Feni Soccer Club

4-2

Ali Hossain 2 Sohel Mia Dawda Cisse 38, 79

Farashganj Russel 53 Alauddin - OG

Aftab left to rue what might have been The prodigiously talented former Bangladesh hard-hitting batsman Aftab Ahmed could have gone really far in international cricket.

The 29-year old made a flying start to his career, wasting very little time before grabbing all the headlines. However, laziness and a lack of commitment and purpose towards the sport saw the right-hander fade away.

Having failed to realise his dreams in international cricket, the Chittagonian lad turned his attention to coaching and now runs a successful cricket academy – Aftab Ahmed Cricket Academy - adjacent to the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. While some of his friends and former teammates were grinding it out during the third day of the first Test against South Africa at ZACS yesterday, Aftab was busy teaching his disciples the basics of the game.

“I launched the academy in February this year. So far, I have got good response. I am trying to organise whatever is necessary for the coaching and also trying to teach my students what I never did in my playing days,” Aftab told the media yesterday.

What Aftab tried to mean by saying “trying to teach my students what I never did in my playing days” was being dedicated and committed. Aftab, who featured in 16 Tests, 85 ODIs and 11 Twenty20 internationals for

Bangladesh, said, “You see I could have been inside the ZACS (playing against South Africa) [yesterday]. But my lack of commitment, laziness and fitness had put me off the track.

“But Bangladesh are displaying far better cricket compared to the time when I used to play. I am very happy for that.”

Aftab’s last international appearance came against Australia in a group-stage match of the 2010 ICC World T20 in Bridgetown but continued to play domestic cricket. Last year, Aftab played in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League before hanging up his boots from all forms of the game.

“I think I retired in the opportune moment.

I got a team (Brothers Union) in the Dhaka League at the very last moment. It would have hampered my image if I had remained unpicked. I did not want to see myself in a position where I am without a team so I think the decision was right,” said Aftab. l

Dashing Australia opening batsman David Warner sweeps against Derbyshire during their tour match at 3aaa County Ground, Derby yesterday. The left-handed Warner scored a quickfire 101 from 108 balls before opting to retire REUTERS

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Jamaica to meet Mexico in Gold Cup final n Reuters Darren Mattocks and Giles Barnes scored first-half goals to propel Jamaica to an upset 2-1 victory over the United States in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finals in Atlanta on Wednesday.

The victory ensured Jamaica became the first Caribbean team to reach the Gold Cup Final since its inception in 1991.

The Reggae Boyz will face Mexico in Philadelphia on Sunday after El Tri overcame 10man Panama 2-1 with two late penalties in a combustible affair.

The hosts and 2013 champions had reached five successive Gold Cup finals and were fresh off a 6-0 thrashing of Cuba in the quarter-finals but the tournament favourites were left shell-shocked by an early Jamaican onslaught. Mattocks, who was suspended for his team’s quarter-final win over Haiti, struck in the 31st minute with a header before Barnes scored from a free-kick five minutes later.

In the late match at the same venue, Mexico emerged victorious from yet another controversial marathon to reach their fourth final in the last five tournaments. Andres Guardado netted two late penalty kicks to lead Mexico to victory over an unlucky Panama side, who

were reduced to 10 men after 20 minutes when forward Luis Tejada was shown a red card for raising his arm into the face of Rodriguez.

Undeterred, Panama took a surprise 1-0 lead when Roman Torres scored in the 57th minute and looked set to reach the final as they held on to the advantage with just two minutes remaining.

RESULTS Jamaica

2-1

Mattocks 31, Barnes 36

Mexico

United States Bradley 48

2-1

Guardado 90+10-P, 105+1-P

Panama Torres 57

However, American referee Mark Geiger was back in the thick of the action when he awarded a penalty to Mexico after Torres had fallen on the ball in the area and was adjudged to have handled when it wedged under his body. The contentious decision triggered a heated confrontation between both sides and delayed the match for a lengthy period.

Guardado eventually converted the penalty to force extra time then Mexico were awarded another less controversial spot kick.

Guardado once again buried from the spot and Mexico held on to advance to the final.l

Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa makes a save in front of Panama’s Roberto Nurse during their CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal in Atlanta on Wednesday AFP

Davis scores twice as Red Bulls stun Chelsea n AFP, New York

Sean Davis scored twice in the second half as the New York Red Bulls upset Chelsea 4-2 in the reigning English Premier League champions’ first game of their pre-season US exhibition tour.

The Red Bulls scored four times in the second half against mighty Chelsea FC on Wednesday despite using a roster made up of mostly of young developmental players.

They were also coming off a quarter-final loss less than 24 hours earlier to the Philadelphia Union in the US Open Cup competition.

New York head coach Jesse Marsch went

with a youthful lineup and it paid off as midfielder Davis scored in the 73rd and 77th minutes and 16-year-old Tyler Adams scored in the 70th minute.

RESULT New York Red Bulls Rivera 51, Adams 70, Davis 73, 77

4-2

Chelsea Remy 26, Hazard 75

Franklin Castellanos scored in the 51st minute for the Red Bulls, who were playing Chelsea for the first time.

Loic Remy in the 26th minute and Eden Hazard in the 75th scored for Chelsea, who

Benteke signs for Liverpool n AFP, London Liverpool signed Belgian international striker Christian Benteke from Premier League rivals Aston Villa, the Merseyside club announced Wednesday.

Although neither the length of the contract nor the fee were disclosed, several British media organisations said Benteke had signed a five-year deal worth £32.5 million ($50.7 million, 46.8 million euros) -- which was the cost of the buy-out clause in his contract.

The 24-year-old’s 12 goals in as many games at the business end of last season played a key role in helping Villa avoid relegation from the lucrative top flight of English football.

“I’m very happy to be here and I would like to thank the owners, Ian (Ayre, chief executive who pushed the deal through) and of course the manager for their massive effort to bring me here,” Benteke told liverpool’s website.l

are on a three-game tour of North America.

Chelsea field vastly different sides in each half as just three players played the full 90 minutes. It was a difficult Chelsea debut for goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, who came on in the second half. The Blues were without stars Willian and Juan Cuadrado as they were both resting after competing in the Copa America tournament.

Davis was in the right place at the right time on both of his goals in front of a crowd of 24,000 at the Red Bull Arena. He blasted a right footed a shot from the center of the box in the 73rd minute to the top left corner to make it 3-1.l

Bayern confirm deal to sign midfielder Vidal n Reuters, Berlin

Sean Davis (3R) of New York Red Bulls is congratulated by teammates after he scored against Chelsea during their International Champions Cup at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey on Wednesday AFP

Bayern Munich have reached an agreement with Italy’s Juventus to sign Chile international midfielder Arturo Vidal, the German club’s CEO Karl Heinz Rummenigge confirmed on Thursday.

“I can confirm that we have with both parties, Juventus and the player, reached an agreement. What is missing is the medical and the signature of the contract,” Rummenigge told reporters during the team’s trip to China.

Vidal, no stranger to the Bundesliga having played for Bayer Leverkusen for four seasons until 2011, has won four straight Italian league titles and helped Juventus reach the Champions League final last season, where they lost to Barcelona. The 28-year-oldcould join up with his Bayern team mates as early as next week, Rummenigge said.l

DT

Sport 29

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

Shehzad leads Pakistan to series win over Sri Lanka n AFP, Colombo Ahmed Shehzad smashed 95 off 90 balls as Pakistan thrashed below-par Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the fourth one-day match in Colombo on Wednesday to clinch the fivematch series.

Mohammad Hafeez chipped in with 70 as the tourists surpassed Sri Lanka’s 256-9 in the 41st over at the Premadasa stadium to take a decisive 3-1 lead in the series.

BRIEF SCORE Sri Lanka: 256 for 9 in 50 overs (Thirmanne 90, Dilshan 50; Irfan 3-50) Pakistan: 257 for 3 in 40.5 overs (Shehzad 95, Hafeez 70) Pakistan won by 7 wickets and won the sereis 3-1 The series win kept Azhar Ali’s Pakistan in contention for a place in the eight-nation Champions Trophy in England in 2017.

Pakistan are two points ahead of the West Indies at number eight in the rankings, but both teams are due to play a tri-series in Zimbabwe next month that will determine the final spot. Pakistan’s one-day success follows their 2-1 victory over Sri Lanka in the preceding Test series under Misbah-ul Haq’s captaincy.

Skipper Azhar Ali said the series win was the team’s gift to the people of Pakistan who celebrated the holy Muslim festival of Eid last week.

“This is our Eid gift to our fans,” he said.

“With the Champions Trophy qualification in

DAY’S WATCH Gazi TV, BTV, Star Sports 1 9:30AM South Africa Tour of Bangladesh 1st Test, Day 4

Ten Sports 8:00PM Tour de France 2015: Day 19

Star Sports 1 11:30PM Natwest T20 Blast 2015 Surrey v Sussex

Star Sports 2 4:00PM International Champions Cup Real Madrid v Man City Pro Kabaddi League 2015 8:20PM Delhi v Pune 9:30PM Kolkata v Mumbai

Star Sports 4 2:00PM F1: Budapest Hungary GP Practice Sessions 6:00AM International Champions Cup Fiorentina v Benfica

Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad plays a slog sweep during their fourth one-day international against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Wednesday REUTERS mind, every game becomes important, so we want to win the final game also.

“Credit is due to the bowlers who kept the pressure on the Sri Lankan batsmen. And then Shehzad and Hafeez batted so well to bring us victory.”

Sri Lanka are assured of taking part in the

Champions Trophy, but their lacklustre display did not do justice to the former world champions.

Sri Lanka’s captain Angelo Mathews said he was disappointed by the loss because his team did not put enough runs on the board despite a good start.l

Bolt with a lot to prove on return from injury n AFP, London Usain Bolt returns to action after a six-week injury-enforced break in the 100 metres on the opening night of the London Diamond League meeting on Friday with question marks hanging over both his fitness and form just four weeks out from the World Championships in Beijing.

Like Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis-Hill, the British stars of the two-day Anniversary Games, Bolt will be hoping to find the Midas touch that took him to Olympic gold on the same east London track in 2012.

The 28-year-old Jamaican last raced on June 13, when he struggled to get the better of his 19-year-old training partner, the Anguillan-born British recruit Zharnel Hughes, over 200m in the New York Diamond League meeting.

With American Justin Gatlin a clear leader of the world rankings at both 100m (9.74 seconds) and 200m (19.57sec), Bolt desperately needs to rediscover a measure of the form that took him to his second set of Olympic 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m relay golds three years ago.

He has only run one 100m race this year and stands joint 60th in the world rankings courtesy of the modest 10.12 sec that he clocked in winning a challenge event on a specially constructed track at the Rio de Janeiro Jockey Club on April 19.

Bolt, the 100m and 200m world record holder and reigning world champion, has been reported in the Jamaican press to have been “going well” at his European training base at Brunel University in west London but he faces not one but two tests on his comeback, with heats on the schedule at the Olympic Stadium. l

Benitez plays down tension with Ronaldo n AFP, Melbourne Real Madrid manager Rafael Benitez on Thursday hailed his superstar striker Cristiano Ronaldo as the best in the world as he played down reports of tension between the pair.

Real Madrid take on English Premier League heavyweights Manchester City in the

final match of the International Champions Cup in Melbourne on Friday, however Spanish reports say the atmosphere has become testy on the training pitch during the club’s pre-season tour of Australia.

But Benitez, who took over from Carlo Ancelotti in June, suggested he had no problems with Ronaldo.

“Luckily, I have had the opportunity this week to spend quite a few days with him,” Benitez told reporters.

“And I can say that he’s competitive, he likes to win, and for that reason he is the best in the world.

“I would like all players to have that desire to win and to compete. You’ve all seen him train today and I think his performance will be up to scratch.

“I talk to all the players a lot. I have had the opportunity to talk to him, too. We talked about football and yes, he is competitive.

“Seeing Ronaldo up close training, I can see that he’s doing very well.”

Ronaldo, the world’s third-highest paid sportsman this year after boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, played the first-half on Saturday as Real Madrid lost their opening Melbourne match on penalties to Italy’s AS Roma.l

Brazilian club Fluminense’s player Ronaldinho (R) waves to photographers during a clinic with children in Mexico City on Wednesday. Brazilian star Ronaldinho said the national football scene needs more world-class players while also conducting a football clinic with children. At the weekend, Ronaldinho was introduced by new club, Fluminense, with which he will seek the win a title in the Brazilian league REUTERS

DT

30 DOWNTIME

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Exploded mildly (6) 5 Fish eggs (3) 7 Female fox (5) 8 Like better (6) 10 Church seat (3) 12 Accomplished (4) 13 Obtain (3) 14 Whirlpool (4) 16 Regrets (4) 17 Hail! (3) 18 Firm hold (4) 20 Spoil (3) 23 Tell (6) 24 Ancient tongue (5) 25 Secret agent (3) 26 Teacher (6)

DOWN 1 Church leader (4) 2 Gage (6) 3 Happening (5) 4 Dreadful (4) 5 Corded fabric (3) 6 United (3) 9 Enemies (4) 11 Crooked (3) 14 Wicked (4) 15 Leave (6) 16 Spirit (3) 17 Sports enclosure (5) 18 Unrelenting (4) 19 Expensive (4) 21 High mountain (3) 22 Narrow beam (3)

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

You have two letters in the control grid to start you off. Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares.

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

As you get the letters, fill in the other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check off the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them.

A B C D E FG H I J K L M N O P Q RST UVWXYZ

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SUDOKU How to solve: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no number repeating.

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

DT

SHOWTIME 31

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

Jaya-Shakib finalises PDPK-2

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

Bruno Mars @BrunoMars That Cut deep..U always know how to sheer me to the core. I can’t believe we’re Sheeran this in public. How dare u!

Kim Kardashian West @KimKardashian Imma let you finish but... #Vogue #Spain #nofilter

Riteish Deshmukh @Riteishd Osama Vs Saddam epic (rap) war – out at 4pm

n Showtime Desk After a delay of more than eight months, Jaya Ahsan and Shakib Khan finally managed to save time for shooting the second instalment of Purno Doirgho Prem Kahini. The duo recently confirmed to take part in filming of a musical scene in the first week of August.

Directed by Shafi Uddin Shafi, the second instalment of the franchise is scheduled to measure filming in August at

various titillating locations in Hyderabad, India, including the famed Ramoji Film City.

During the break, Jaya and Shakib, were busy with respective ventures. Jaya found herself widening her acting territory, playing few films in Kolkata, including Srijit Mukherji’s Rajkahini.

The film last went on the floor October of 2014, and taking a break of more than eight months the production seems to be in haste to meet the desired release

date. Targetting an Eid-ul-Adha release, which is nearly two months from the day, the production has been initiated to carry out the editing and dubbing duties simultaneously.

Written by Rumman R Khan and produced by Friends Movies, the film also stars Moushumi Hamid, Omor Sunny and Mamnun Hasan Emon. The soundtrack for the film is composed by Showkat Ali Emon and Kosik Hossion Taposh. l

WHAT TO WATCH

For the love of dance n Showtime Desk Nrityajog- Bangladesh Chapter of World Dance Alliance, has organised a dance workshop, with the cooperation of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, by a very renowned and talented dancer from Delhi, Santosh Nair. The workshop will be held from July 22 to July 28 at the Nrityshala rehearsal room of Shilpakala Academy in two sessions, from 10am to 1pm and 4pm to 7pm.

This workshop will be divided into

two parts: one lesson on the famous Mayurbhanj Chhau dance and the other on contemporary dance. The dance showcase at the end of the workshop, on the 28th of July, at the Music and Dance auditorium of Shilpakala Academy will expose what the participants have learnt during the workshop, and also include performance by Santosh Nair himself.

This workshop, like many others before conducted by Nrityajog aims to not only help young dancers in Bangladesh to improve their technical skills in dance, but

also aid in building a proper body language expected from dancers. This also enables them to get in touch with Mayurbhanj Chhau dance, which may be new to a few participants in the workshop. Attempts such as these would definitely encourage dancers from various districts to train properly and also come in contact with dance vocabularies from other parts of the world in order to enhance their own skills. They are sincerely hoping this workshop will be successful in giving new light to dance and technical training. l

conversation amongst those involved with the vibrant art scene in Dhaka.

Exhibitions will remain open Friday, 24 July and Saturday, 25 July 2015, 2 pm to 8 pm.

Road 47, House 9, Gulshan-2, Dhaka

Art Festival The Embassies of Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland are hosting a joint ‘Art Weekend’ on the 24th and 25th of July at their respective residences. The purpose of the Art Weekend will be to highlight and exhibit the works of local artists and photographers, and to foster a dialogue between the expat and local art lovers, senior and young artists. Hopefully, the Art Weekend will provide a platform to both launch young talents, as well as to foster a casual ambience that allows for

Mahbubur Rahman, Tayeba Begum Lipi & Others Ambassador of Brazil’s residence Road 54A, House 8, Gulshan-2, Dhaka Bangladesh. Seen From Within by DRIK Ambassador of Germany’s residence

Vinita Karim Ambassador of the Netherlands residence Road 111, House 18, Gulshan-2, Dhaka Rokeya Sultana & her Students Ambassador of Norway’s residence Road 47, House 21A, Gulshan-2, Dhaka Abir Abdullah Ambassador of Switzerland’s residence Road 4, House 25, Baridhara, Dhaka l

I, Frankenstein, 3/5 HBO, 7:37pm Frankenstein’s creature finds himself caught in an all-out, centuries old war between two immortal clans.

Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto, Socratis Otto Jai Courtney, Kevin Grevioux Sex and the City 2, 3/5 WB, 3:15pm While wrestling with the pressures of life, love, and work in Manhattan, Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte join Samantha for a trip to Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), where Samantha’s ex is filming a new movie.

Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, David Eigenberg Jurassic Park III, 3.5/5 Star Movies, 9:30pm A decidedly odd couple with ulterior motives convince Dr. Alan Grant to go to Isla Sorna (the second InGen dinosaur lab.), resulting in an unexpected landing...and unexpected new inhabitants on the island.

Cast: Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Tea Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan

DT

32 BACK PAGE

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

BB TO LAUNCH $500M FUNDS FOR GREEN INDUSTRIES PAGE 16

MAIDEN FIFTY INJECTS CONFIDENCE IN LITON PAGE 25

JAYA-SHAKIB FINALISES PDPK-2

PAGE 31

Cox’s Bazar to become digital surfing city n Tribune Report The sea beach town Cox’s Bazar is going to be a lot more fun for tourists soon!

The government plans to transform the place into what it dubs a “digital surfing city” featuring a surfing institute and advanced high-speed internet facility.

Under a private-public partnership initiative, Bangladesh Computer Council, the ICT Division and Airtel Bangladesh Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday to build the surfing institute and an ICT club and provide Wi-Fi hotspot across the town.

The project has been taken as part of the government’s vision to build a digital country.

The tourism city will be branded through radio, television, newspaper, social communication tools and a website.

Digital connectivity is expected to improve

the lifestyle of the city dwellers and also support the local and foreign tourists travelling to the city.

Both the residents of and the visitors to the “smart surfing city” will be able to enjoy faster browsing experience at their convenience from any device on the go or from their computers.

Bangladesh Computer Council Executive Director SM Ashraful Islam and Airtel’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Ashraful Haque Chowdhury signed the MoU on behalf of their organisations.

State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak, ICT Division Secretary Shyam Sunder Sikder, Airtel Managing Director and CEO PD Sarma, Chief Technical Officer Sandipan Chakraborty and Chief Service Officer Rubaba Dowla were present at the signing ceremony.

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Project will be implemented under PPP

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A surfing institute and an ICT club to be established

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Cox’s Bazar airport to have free Wi-Fi

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The whole city to have Wi-Fi hotspots

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Campaigns to rebrand image of the city

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Initiative to attract surfers and tourists

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Residents’ lifestyle expected to improve

In recent years, Cox’s Bazar has made steady progress to become a surfing destination for many a surfer – both local and international.

Many tourists and surfers visit Cox’s Bazar to see the world’s longest unbroken sandy beach and to challenge the white waves.

Officials expect that the initiative will redefine Cox’s Bazar and create greater attraction among surfers and tourists.

“This is a path breaking and extremely innovative initiative under PPP programme and I am glad to have Airtel Bangladesh as our partner to establish Cox’s Bazar as an eco-friendly digital surfing city of tomorrow,” said Zunaid Ahmed Palak.

Airtel CEO PD Sarma said: “Connectivity and digitisation are basic necessities in the 21st century. Through innovation and technology the world is coming closer. I am humbled to be a part of this initiative that I believe will not only connect Cox’s Bazar to the rest of the world but will also enhance the lifestyle of its residents.” l

Tourist police loses life fighting muggers n Our Correspondent, Cox’s Bazar

Even though a recent string of autorickshaw-related accidents on the highway prompted the government to ban three-wheelers from operating on highways, several CNG-run vehicles can be seen carrying passengers on the Dhaka-Mawa Highway yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Engineers create emergency origami bridge n BBC Engineers have successfully tested a mobile bridge based on origami that could be deployed in disaster zones.

In a test, Mobile Bridge version 4.0 was set up without any foundations by only a few people over the Hongo River in Fukuyama City, Japan.

A vehicle travelled easily and safely across it.

The bridge is designed to be extended when needed, and disassembled, like a concertina.

The work was recently presented by Dr Ichiro Ario, assistant professor at the Institute of Engineering, Hiroshima University, at a Japanese engineering symposium.

The bridge design uses patented technology with a scissor-like structure and mechanism, which means the bridge and its lanes expand simultaneously. It’s ready for traffic within an hour.

The system is compact enough to be transported in a car trailer.

Earthquakes, floods and tsunamis can occur anytime, anywhere in the world. This can cause damage to infrastructure, slowing down the response of emergency services.

“A crucial point is how to expand a portable bridge. Usually a crane and a team of technicians is needed, but not in this case,” Dr Paolo Beccarelli, Assistant Professor in Architectur-

al Structures at the University of Nottingham explained to BBC News. This makes it a quick and simple solution when emergency bridges are needed.

Mobile Bridge 4.0 can also be deployed as a temporary structure during repair of existing bridges, avoiding interruption to traffic flows. l

Setting an example for the police force, a constable of Tourist Police Bangladesh lost his life while saving a tourist from muggers at Jammu intersection in Cox’s Bazar yesterday.

Around 7:30am, the deceased constable Md Parvez, 25, came forward to rescue a tourist named Zakir in the bus parking area at the intersection.

Six muggers blocked Zakir’s way as he came out of the restaurant in the area. They snatched away Tk6,500 from him, according to a press statement of Bangladesh Police Headquarters.

Hearing Zakir’s screaming, Assistant Superintendent of Tourist Police Zahirul Islam, who was standing in plainclothes nearby, approached with his two constables.

Zakir hailed from Narayanganj and had come to Cox’s Bazar on a vacation. The team chased the muggers and detained Abu Taher, 28, and Abdul Malik, 24, among the six, said the statement.

At one point of fighting, Abu Taher started stabbing Parvez with a knife. He repeatedly stabbed Parvez, however, Parvez did not let go Taher. Soon other constables came forward and caught Taher.

In a severely injured condition, Parvez was taken to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared him dead.

Hospital’s emergency unit doctor Nobel Kumar Barua said Parvez was stabbed eight times on his chest and abdomen.

Expressing profound shock over the death of Parvez, Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque said the heroic act of Parvez would boost up the morals and dutifulness of those involved with the police force of the country. l

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