02 August, 2015

SECOND EDITION

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

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Shraban 18, 1422, Shawwal 16, 1436

BNP WANTS TO TALK WITH THE GOVT PAGE 3

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 108

BANK BORROWING EXCEEDS TK28,000CR PAGE 15

Embracing

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BULLET-HIT NEWBORN’S CONDITION STABLE PAGE 32

our new land The first to be born with rights

n Tribune Report The dwellers of former Indian exclaves hoisted the red and green flag at daybreak yesterday to celebrate their first day as Bangladeshis.

On behalf of the government, the local upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) hoisted Bangladesh’s flags in the presence of the dwellers of the new land. The hoisting was accompanied by singing of the national anthem of Bangladesh.

In order to maintain law and order in the new teritorries, law enforcers set up security camps and the primary education centres started operation at the local mosques.

Laila Muntajeri Deena, UNO of Panchagarh sadar, said: “We have received the new Bangladeshi citizens, who remained stateless for 68 years, and the new lands by hoisting our national flag,” she said.

Locals celebrated the day by cutting cakes and distributing sweets among fellows.

Altab Hossain, now a resident of a new land and president of the coordination committee of former exclave Dasiar Chhara, said: “We have observed the first day of our citizenship through various programmes.”

A discussion was held after cutting cake at 9am followed by cultural events in the second half of the day.

“The day is historic for us...It came after decades of darkness,” he said.

A total of 111 former Indian exclaves were added to the Bangladesh territory at 12:01am yesterday.

Sixty-eight candles, one for each year that the so-called chhitmahals have been in existence, were lit up at the same time across all the 111 new territories that passed into Bangladeshi sovereignty. l

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

In the wake of the historic territory exchange between Bangladesh and India, the eighth report of a series explores how the rights situation has changed in the former Indian exclaves

n Jebun Nesa Alo, from Lalmonirhat

The people of former Indian exclave Dasiar Chhara greet the first sunrise of independence yesterday by hoisting the flag of Bangladesh – a right that they have got just now SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Previously a neglected exclave resident, Sahara Begum lost her son in a truck accident while working in a brick field in India. In mid-July, she gave birth to another son on Bangladeshi land.

She saw her son Sujon die and was denied justice only because she was an exclave resident. But now she hopes that her second son, Sumon, will get a secured life.

Sumon was born on July 10, a month after the signing of the historic Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh.

Sahara and her husband Danesh went to India for work around 12 years ago with their two children – a boy and a girl. They found job at a brick field where their son Sujon died in an accident.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

NBR asks private varsities to pay VAT by August 15

Khaleda likely to go to London in mid-August

n Syed Samiul Basher Anik

n Mohmmad Al-Masum Molla

The revenue authority has asked the private universities and medical and engineering colleges to register as VAT-paying entities immediately.

These educational institutions have been told by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to submit their monthly VAT returns to the relevant circle offices in their areas by August 15.

This means three things. First, these institutions will have to register as VAT-paying entities by that date. Second, they will have to submit monthly returns on the VAT they had

collected by providing services in the month of July, also by that date.

And third, they are now liable to submit monthly returns of VAT on the fees collected from students in June as well. According to a government notice, this has to be done because the regulation became effective on June 4 when the FY2015-16 budget was announced in parliament.

An SRO (statutory regulatory order) issued by the NBR on July 1 listed these private tertiary education providers as liable to pay 7.5% VAT starting this fiscal year.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is likely to go to the United Kingdom in the second week of August to meet her elder son Tarique Rahman, who has been living in London for ‘medical treatment’ since 2008.

They are likely to discuss current political situation of the country, party insiders say.

It will be their first meeting since Khaleda’s younger son Arafat Rahman died of cardiac arrest in January this year.

A senior leader of the party said though the visit would be a personal one, it would also

have a huge political implication.

“Discussion about reorganising the party after failed movement against the government may take place. There can also be some changes in the party high commands,” he said adding that the exact date for Khaleda’s tour was yet to be fixed but she might fly in the second week of August.

The mother and the son were scheduled to meet for Umrah in Saudi Arabia during the last Ramadan but the reunion fell through as Khaleda cancelled the visit in the last moment.

Earlier in 2014 the duo met during Umrah and stayed in Saudi Arabia for over a week. l

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2 NEWS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

Khaleda: We want election under neutral government n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has said that the next election should be held under a neutral government, not the incumbent government.

“In the last programme, I said we want election and want to participate in the election. That election should be held under a neutral government. It is clear. But some newspapers has misinterpreted it. Our posi-

tion did not change. We said clearly that people will not get the chance to cast votes under [Sheikh] Hasina. So election should be held under a neutral government and BNP will participate in that election,” she said.

Addressing a meeting with a delegation of lawyers from Rajshahi district at her Gulshan office last night, the former prime minister also said that her party would introduce a new breed of politics after going to office.

“We want to bring change in politics.

We have to bury the politics of revenge and vengeance. We want do politics for the development and welfare of the people. So, if we are voted to power, we will introduce such kind of politics in the future.”

Slamming the Election Commission for registering minors in the voter list, the BNP chief reiterated her demand for the EC’s resignation. She also demanded a proper updating

of the voter list.

Regarding the reorganising process of the party, Khaleda said: “The party will have to be strengthened. No committees will be announced from Dhaka. You will be given the charge to form committees. Dedicated, honest and competent people will have to be elected. The new generation should have to be in the leadership and aged people will be made council members.” l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The first to be born with rights The couple was threatened not to file a complaint with the police station and also forced to leave the workplace. They were given some money as compensation with which they returned to Bangladesh.

“I did not get justice for the death of my son as we were illegal in India although we were residents of an Indian exclave,” said Danesh, 40.

He also failed to ensure a normal life for his only daughter Swapna.

Swapna, 22, got married to a Bangladeshi named Aminul while working in the brick field. But Aminul abandoned her soon after she gave birth to a child.

She too had not been able to take legal actions against Aminul only because of being an exclave dweller.

Before Sumon’s birth, Sahara recalled, she had been kicked out of a Bangladeshi hospital as she did not have any proof national identity.

The Sahara-Danesh couple now hopes that their new child will get access to all citizen rights and benefits.

Sumon’s future would be different from the two other children, she hopes. “He is the only lucky member of my family.” l

Sahara is delighted to be on the Bangladesh land with her little son, Sumon, as the family now hopes to get citizen rights after the historic exchange of exclaves between the neighbours SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

NBR asks private varsities to pay VAT by August 15 When contacted, Sheikh Kabir Hossain, president of the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that they have a meeting on Tuesday, August 4 and he would be able to make their position clear after that.

The Dhaka Tribune also contacted Mohammad Abdul Majid, former chairman of the NBR. Asked whether NBR circulars to the private universities mean that they are now bound to pay the VAT, he said he should not make any comment without seeing the circulars.

“However, there are still scopes for the government to review the decision. If the authorities want, they can make a new summary and send it to the Law Ministry for vetting.

If they get the vetting, they can issue another SRO and revoke the VAT imposition. This practice is not rare.”

The former NBR boss also said: “There are many scopes for misunderstanding in the SRO that the government had issued. The SRO should have explanations in easy terms so that everyone, especially the students, understand everything.”

This is the first time the government has implemented a 7.5% value added tax (VAT) on the fees that private universities, medical and engineering colleges collect from students.

Other industries pay a uniform 15% VAT in Bangladesh, but these educational institutions are getting what is known as “truncated VAT.”

The initial budgetary proposal was for a 10% rate, but upon Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recommendation, the rate had been later reduced.

Once before in 2010, the government moved to impose indirect tax on private tertiary education, but had to pull out in the face of student protests.

This time as well, educationists and guardians strongly opposed the move, saying the VAT will only mean that students will have to pay more. Several student groups have also been protesting since the government made the announcement about bringing private tertiary education under VAT. Students roughly pay between Tk3 lakh and Tk7 lakh for a four-year graduation degree from a private varsity. The fee for the students of private med schools is Tk13.9 lakh, which was fixed by the government.

The amounts mainly include tuition, admission and registration fees; library card and ID card issuance fees; and certificate, transcript and testimonial withdrawal fees.

The Dhaka Tribune has learned six universities have already made preparations to submit the returns.

As per law, return of VAT collected or paid in one month has to be submitted to local revenue offices by the 15th of the next month, unlike income tax returns, which are submitted annually.

This reporter has obtained copies of a

number of notices served by the VAT office to these institutions.

According to a notice – dated July 5 – issued from a field office under Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate, Dhaka (West), universities under its jurisdiction were asked to get VAT registration and send information related to fees and charges to the concerned revenue offices.

The commissionerate is relevant for areas including parts of Dhanmondi, Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Pallabi, Kazipara and Shewrapara where a number of private universities are located.

Another notice – dated July 26 – was sent to the registrar of the American International University of Bangladesh (AIUB) from the office of the revenue officer of the Gulshan Circle 5 of Mohakhali.

The notice asked AIUB authorities to present VAT return by August 15.

This revenue office falls under the Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate, Dhaka (North) that collects VAT from organisations located in Uttara, Nikunja, Khilkhet, Mohakhali, Gulshan, Niketon, Banani, Baridhara, Banani DOHS, Mohakhali DOHS, Baridhara DOHS and the adjacent areas.

Sheikh Kabir Hossain, president of the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh, said subsidising the education in some institutions and bringing others under VAT at the same time represents the government’s

double standard.

“The guardians, mostly from middle-income background, will be affected by this additional burden. We do not support the imposition of VAT on education as it should be considered a fundamental right, not a commodity,” he said.

According to the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Bangladesh Private Medical College Association, there are now around 461,000 students at 83 private universities and over 20,000 students at 64 private medical colleges.

Protests

Meanwhile, students of several private universities have announced a set of programmes including placing a memorandum on August 6 to President Abdul Hamid seeking his intervention.

Under the banner “No VAT on Education,” they will place the memo as the government has not responded to their July 31 ultimatum for scrapping the regulation.

They will hold a rally at Shahbagh at 11am on that day 6 and raise their memo, said organisers.

Other programmes include organising a solidarity and cultural gathering at 3pm today at Shahbagh, collecting signatures from students from August 3-5, and protest programmes at all private universities on August 5. l

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NEWS 3

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

People of Dhaka suffer as this street in Karwan Bazar, like most others in the city, is waterlogged due to heavy downpour yesterday

Midterm polls not on AL’s mind n Tribune Report The ruling Awami League has again brushed aside any scope of holding midterm election.

“No discussion was held within the party forum regarding the midterm polls. Even, the prime minister did not discuss the issue with me. The Awami League is preparing for taking part in the polls after five years [in 2019]... under Sheikh Hasina and with the participation of all,” party’s General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said yesterday in response to queries by reporters at Tungipara, Gopalganj.

Senior party leader and Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed echoed Ashraf. “There will be no election before 2019. No alternative proposal on the matter is acceptable.”

The party’s 40-day programme commemorating the 40th anniversary of martyrdom of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman kicked

Huda asks Khaleda not to cut birthday cake Aug 15

n UNB Bangladesh National Alliance (BNA) Chairman Barrister Nazmul Huda yesterday urged BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia not to celebrate her birthday on August 15.

“I would like to request BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia not to celebrate and cut her birthday cake on August 15. You please cut cake and celebrate your birthday at any day except this day. This is a national mourning day”, he said while addressing a rally on the national mourning day, organised by Jatiya Ganatantrik League in front of Jatiya Press Club.

He also requested Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to declare a government holiday to mark BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s death anniversary on May 30. l

off yesterday. Ashraf and senior leaders of the party attended a mild mahfil.

Also the public administration minister, Ashraf said that the election could be held any time as per the constitution if the prime minister wants.

“The prime minister enjoys this power.

She can dissolve parliament and write to the president to arrange the election,” he said after placing wreaths at Bangabandhu’s shrine.

Stating that the culture of boycotting election is not appreciable, he said the BNP should not boycott the election. “There will be no existence of the BNP if it skips the next polls.”

He also said the Awami League always has respect for election and a commitment to democracy. “This is why it participated in elections even under the rules of military rulers like Ayub Khan and Ziaur Rahman,” he

said.

Replying to another question on BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s birthday celebration on August 15, the day of Bangabandhu’s assassination in 1975, Ashraf said: “We have repeatedly requested her [Khaleda] not to do so. We requested her to celebrate it in any other day than this mournful day, even if it had been her real birthday.

“If she continues to do that, it evidently shows her feelings and respect for the people of the nation.”

Three-time former prime minister Khaleda last week renewed her call for election during a meeting at her office. Terming the incumbent government “illegal,” she said: “I would not say that election should have to be held under caretaker government. Whatever the name is, we want a fair election under a neutral government.” l

6 die, 3 hurt in Bandarban landslide n Our Correspondent, Bandarban Six people, including three children, were killed and another three injured in a landslide in Bandarban’s Lama upazila early yesterday.

The dead are Amena Begum, 36, her son Arafat, 14, Rozina Akhter, 25, her son Md Sazzad, 4, Bashir Ahmed, 50, and her granddaughter Fatema Akhter, 11.

The landslide occurred at Haspatal Para amid heavy rains around 2am, said police.

All the injured were admitted to Lama Upazila Health Complex.

Firefighters launched a rescue operation and called it off around 5pm yesterday after six bodies were recovered, said Sirajul Islam, officer-in-charge of Lama police station.

He said the victims who died were asleep and could not sense any danger when the

landslide occurred.

“Locals joined firefighters to recover the bodies,” he said.

Kazi Mujibur Rahman, a member of Bandarban Hill District Council, said the landslide originated some 500 feet above the ground.

Bandarban Hill District Council Chairman Kyaw Shwe Hla said the families of the six victims who died had been provided with Tk10,000 each.

The local authorities since last week have been advising people living in hill slopes in seven upazilas of the district to move to safety to ward off landslide casualties but the warnings have largely been ignored.

In June this year, two people died and more than 300 injured in landslides.

Incessant rains meanwhile have aggravated the district’s flood situation. l

MEHEDI HASAN

BNP wants to talk with the government n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The BNP yesterday renewed its call to the ruling party for holding talks in response to Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam’s statement that the next general elections would be held under the incumbent government’s supervision.

“The Awami League general secretary’s statement has frustrated us. The government might be planning to hold another farcial election like that of January 5 [2014] and we are concerned about that,” Asaduzzaman Ripon, the acting secretary general of BNP, told reporters at a briefing in their Nayapaltan office yesterday.

Ripon said that the country is now going through a crisis and fair election is the way of getting out of this. “Our chairperson [Khaleda Zia] has said that we need a fair election under a neutral government...[We want to say to the ruling party] please give people their voting rights back burying the whimsical and rigid stance.”

The BNP has not been rigid about its demand for a caretaker polls-time administration; now the demand is for an election under a neutral government because a fair election is not possible under the current ruling party, he said.

Ripon prescribed that discussions could be held with all political parties and the civil society for deciding on the nature and duties of the “neutral government.”

The BNP spokesperson and also the international affairs secretary of the BNP, Ripon added: “We want to move away from the politics of division and vengeance.”

Pointing at Gonoforum President Dr Kamal Hossain’s concerns over the situation in the country, Ripon said: “Our party has the same view as the civil society. Our party supports all the initiatives taken for restoring democracy taken by any political parties or civil society organisations.” l

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4 NEWS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

Onion prices shoot up to Tk70 per kg n Asif Showkat Kallol

Rising price of onions has triggered an outrage among end-level consumers.

The Commerce Ministry, worried over the spiralling price, has asked wholesalers to supply the popular spice at less than Tk50 per kilogram.

This comes at a time when prices are hovering around Tk60-Tk75/kg in local kitchen markets.

Due to a supply shortage because of several day’s rain, yesterday, the price of Indian onion – bigger and sweeter than local breeds – rose sharply to Tk70 although it was only Tk60 a day before. However, local onion have been still selling for Tk40-45 per kilogram.

Another reason for the soaring prices of the imported onion is that the Indian government has recently increased the export price of the spice to $250 from $175.

Senior Commerce Secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamoon told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “We will definitely take action against the unscrupulous onion traders who have raised the price of onion without any reason.”

He also said that there is enough stock of the popular spice in the country and so people need to panic. “We will sit with the wholesalers on Sunday [today] to ensure a healthy supply in the local market.”

The ministry has decided to procure onion from Myanmar within a short time to ease price pressures on the local market, the secretary said.

The annual domestic demand for onion is 2.2 million tonnes, of which, 1.923 million tonnes are grown locally. l

Carrying her ailing sister, a woman helplessly waits for a transport on the first Buriganga bridge at Postagola in Old Dhaka yesterday. Protesting a fresh toll hike, transport workers blockade the Dhaka-Mawa Highway causing commuters to suffer due to an acute shortage of public vehicles on the busy bridge that connects the capital city with its southern outskirts MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

PM: Aug 15 massacre aimed at avenging defeat in liberation war n UNB

keeping its head always high.

“This was proved once again through the brutal killing of four national leaders, who fought the Liberation War as per the directives and planning of Bangabandhu and won it, in jail,” she said.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim, local MP Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, AL agriculture secretary Dr Abdur Razzaque and Bangladesh Krishak League general secretary Advocate Khandaker Shamshul Huq Reza also spoke at the programme with Bangladesh Krishak League president Alhaj Mohammad Motahar Hossain Mollah in the chair. l

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday categorically said the August 15 carnage was not just a strike on a family only, but its main aim was to take revenge against the establishment of a country and state through defeating Pakistani occupation forces in the Liberation War. “The massacre on August 15 was carried out on a family only, but in the true sense, it was not just on a family,” she said while speaking at a blood donation programme organised

by Bangladesh Krishak League on the premises of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the

city marking the National Mourning Day. The Prime Minister described the assassination of Bangabandhu along with most of his family members on August 15, 1975 as a strike against the victory of the Bangalee nation, its emergence and establishment of a state and as a revenge of the defeat of Pakistani occupation forces in the Liberation War. “The main objective of the killing was to take revenge of the defeat in the Liberation War,” she said.

In this connection, she mentioned that the massacre was carried out to ensure that the Bangalee nation would never be able to stand

FFs to get Tk10,000 a month from Jan 2016 n BSS

BGB seizes smuggled items worth Tk59cr

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq yesterday said Freedom Fighters will get Taka 8,000 per month as honorarium from July 2015 and it will be increased to Tk10,000 from January 2016.

Freedom Fighters regardless of their age would be provided with the allowance at that rate, he said. The minister said these at a rally for Freedom Fighters organized by Hemayet Bahini at Kotalipara of Gopalganj. l

n Tribune Report

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members have seized drugs and smuggled goods worth around Tk58.68 crore during the countrywide drives in last month, says a press release.

The release, issued from the BGB headquarters yesterday, claimed that they seized 2.05 lakh pieces yaba, 47,789 bottles of phensidyl, 662kg marijuana, 24,023 bottles of for-

eign liquors, 180gm heroin, 15,605 pieces of stimulants, 7,996 ampoules of drug injection and 18.94 lakh intoxicating tablets.

Besides, 12,015 pieces of sarees, 4,748 three-pieces, 22,554 lakh meters plain cloth, 3,159 pieces of garment product, 8,673 pieces machine parts, 1,510 cft wood and 2 stone statues were recovered. The seized volume included 4 pistols, 22 rounds of bullets and 7 magazines and 19 people got arrested in the aforesaid incidents.l

Chittagong University reopens after 45 days n CU Correspondent After a 45-day vacation centring Eid-ulFitr, Ramadan and monsoon, the academic activities of Chittagong University resumed yesterday.

When contacted, CU Deputy Registrar (Information and Photography) Md Farhad Hossain said the academic activities there resumed on the day after a long vacation of one and a half months.

However, presence of the students appeared thin on the opening day.

The shuttle train service, prime transport for the pupils between the campus and the port city, has became operational from Chittagong Railway Station as per the previous schedule as usual. Besides the residential students have started coming back to the dormitories ending the vacation.

CU Assistant Proctor Md Anwar Hossain Chowdhury told the Dhaka Tribune that additional policemen were deployed on the campus to prevent any possible clash, where many shuttle train-based groups remain active. The CU had gone on vacation on June 16. l

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

Students of various medical colleges form a human chain in front of the Rajshahi Medical College yesterday to press home their demand for restoration of the carry-on system that allowed them to get promoted to the next semester even if they failed in one course in prof examinations RAJSHAHI AZAHAR

Medical students demand restoring carry-on system n Tribune Report Medical students from different medical colleges have urged the government to reinstate the carry-on system in their professional examinations.

The system allows them to continue the classes in the next year despite being failed in last professional examinations. Medical students have to face three such sort of examinations to cross the MBBS benchmark.

They claimed that the withdrawal of carry-on method in professional examinations would create session jam in their academic life.

The students made the demand at a human chain organised by a student platform called Sommilito Medical College Students” in front of the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka yesterday.

Addressing the programme, students said they would have to face year loss if they fail in any subject of a semester examination under the new system and they would have to prepare and sit for the exam again after six months.

It was learnt that the students can get promoted to the next semester even if they fail in a single subject in professional examinations under the carry-on system. In 2012, the government scrapped the system.

Apart from this, human chains were also formed at Chittagong Medical College, Kustia Medical College, Barishal Medical College, Rajshahi Medical College, Islami Bank Medical College in Rajshahi, Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College in Bogra, TMSS Medical College in Bogra, Diabetic Association Medical College in Faridpur, Faridpur Medical College, Khulna Medical College, Gazi Medical College in Khulna, Manikganj Medical College, Jamalpur Medical College, Jessore Medical College, Satkhira Medical College, and Pabna Medical Colege demanding restoration of the carry-on method. l

Hundreds protest move to set up carbon factory n Our Correspondent, Kishoreganj Hundreds of local people in the district has held a mass rally on the field of a local primary school protesting the initiative of setting up a carbon factory there.

The factory supposed to be set up at Aila village in Karimganj upazila of the district and a local organisation named “Poribesh Protibesh Samajik Andolon” called the programme in protest of the move.

Defying the incessant rain the protesters joined the rally held on the Aila Government Primary School premise yesterday.

Sources said the protesters started taking position on the premise around 11am through holding placards read the slogans against the carbon factory. Later, they paraded the thoroughfares before holding the rally there.

A local farmer named Abdul Aziz who presided over the rally urged upon the authorities concerned to abandon the environmentally harmful project inside the farm lands.

He threatened of adopting greater movement unless the process of setting up the factory see the end within one week.

The organisation’s organiser and popular folk singer Kabi Kafil Ahmed also addressed the programme echoing the voice of Abdul Aziz. Besides, local municipality councillor Osman Gani spoke there among others.

The speakers claimed that carbon is a harmful element that would harm their farm lands vastly in line with the health of the workers of the factory as well as the villagers.

Ignoring the heath hazard some unscrupulous and money-monger businessmen have

taken the decision of establishing the factory in the populous area, they alleged.

When contacted, the factory owner Md Shafique denied the concerns raised by the protesters and said: “Considering the employment of the locals I have bought a 28-decimal land to set up the carbon factory and its boundary wall has already been erected.”

“The smoke of the factory could be controlled by highly sophisticated equipment easily and that is why it will not have any bad impact on the villagers’ health as well as on the environment,” Shafique claimed.

It was learnt that the works of the factory named JC Charkole Industries has started in the village to produce carbon powder and the local farmers started protesting it apprehending the ecological disaster and health hazard there. l

Rapist lured the working girl into an affair n Mohammad Jamil Khan

Establishing a fake love affair, the colleague along with three others raped the working girl in Uttara, said the investigators yesterday.

“The 17-year-old girl came to the capital to live with her elder sister after completing the secondary school certificate (SSC) examination and recently took the job at a chain department store located at Rajlakshmi Complex in Uttara’s Azampur area,” said Biplab Kumar Shil, inspector (investigation) of Uttara west police station.

Inspector Biplab said at her workplace, Mehedi Hasan alias Arif, 22, established fake relationship with the girl and made plans to rape her.

“We have so far arrested two associates of

Arif, identified as Sadiqul Islam Babu, 21, and Aslam Uddin, 22, but another associate Haider is still absconding,” said the inspector.

Babu and Aslam were taken to the court yesterday and then sent to jail as they gave confessional statements under section 164 of the penal code, said Biplab.

“We, however, will not be able to take Arif to court as he was arrested by Rapid Action Battalion. The RAB members handed him over to us yesterday,” said the official adding that Arif might be placed before the court today.

When contacted, Bidhan Tripura, deputy commissioner of police of Uttara division, told the Dhaka Tribune that the prime accused was arrested by RAB and two of his

associates have already been arrested. One is still absconding but we hoping to arrest him soon, he added.

Meanwhile, doctors have found evidence of gang rape in their primary medical observation. The girl is now undergoing treatment at the One-stop Crisis Center (OCC) of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Bilkis Begum, coordinator of the OCC, told the Dhaka Tribune that forensic tests have been conducted and in the primary medical test “we have found evidence of rape.” Besides this, some more tests including x-ray were also conducted on the victim to know her actual age.

“Once we have all the test results we will be able to say more in details,” she added. l

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6 NEWS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

Bagerhat signboard-Bogi Highway in tattered condition n Our Correspondent, Bagerhat One of the main thoroughfares connecting the Sundarbans with Bagerhat, the Signboard-Bogi regional highway has become a death-trap due to its poor condition.

At least 40km stretch of the 50km highway is dotted with small and large potholes making it risky for vehicles and commuters. During the monsoon, the potholes, camouflaged by stagnant water, can cause fatal accidents.

A recent visit to the highway found several broken down trucks bound for Morelganj-Shoronkhola from Chittagong and Dhaka lying on the sides. The drivers said their vehicles suffered engine failures due to the bad condition of the road.

According to the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), Tk90 crore was allocated in 2010 to upgrade the road to a regional highway. The work finally began in 2013 with an increased cost of Tk123.47 lakh.

However, there has been very little progress till now. Only 28 culverts and 3 small bridges were built. A case filed by the RHD halted the work and made the construction company pay Tk1.53 crore as compensation.

More than 600,000 people of three upazilas of the district use this highway amid great risk.

Rafiqul Islam, a resident of Morelganj, said it took 2-3 hours to cross only 40km. “Sometimes we have to walk a good length as the ride is too bumpy. After the cyclone Sidr, we demanded to repair the road but it has not

been materialised yet.”

President of Bagerhat Inter-district Motor Workers’ Union, Talukdar A Baki, said: “Our vehicles and passengers are always in great risk of accidents because of the road. During monsoon it becomes even more dangerous and we really do not want to use that highway.”

When contacted, Executive Engineer of Bagerhat Roads and Highways Department Dewan Abul Kashem Mohammad Nahin Reza said the upgrade work of the highway was disrupted by the court case.

“We fined the contractors for not doing the work properly. We have floated fresh tenders and have already awarded the contract to two companies this year. The construction work will begin soon,” he said. l

1.40 lakh yaba tablets seized n Our Correspondent, Cox’s Bazar Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in a drive recovered 1.40lakh yaba tablets in new Jetty Ghat area under Teknaf upazila yesterday.

On a tip-off, a team of BGB-42 challenged a boat from Myanmar carrying smugglers while crossing the Naf River in the area near the residence of MP Abdur Rahman Bodi of Cox’s Bazar-4 constituency around 8:30 am, said Lieutenant Colonel Abu Jar Al Zahid, commanding officer of BGB-42.

Sensing the presence of the BGB team, the smugglers managed to flee, leaving behind the drug kept in three packets.

Later the BGB team recovered 1.40 lakh yaba tablets from the three packets worth Tk4.20 crore.

None was arrested in this connection. l

Five killed in road accidents in two districts n Tribune Report

At least five people were killed in road accidents in Sylhet and Comilla districts yesterday.

Our Saylhet correspondent reports: An elderly man and his son were killed as a pickup van collided head-on with a truck on the Sylhet-Jokiganj Road at Golapganj upazila in the district.

AKM Fazlul Haque Shibli, officer-in-charge of Golapganj police station said the truck collided head-on with the pick-up van in Fulbari area of the upazila around 8am, leaving pickup van passengers Altaf Uddin, 35, dead on the spot his father Ekhlas Uddin, 70, critically injured.

Ekhlas died on the way to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital.

In Comilla, three people were killed and six others injured as a bus rammed a human hauler in Shikarpur area of Sadar Dakhhin upazila, said our correspondent.

The deceased could not be identified immediately.

The accident took place when the Econo Paribahan paribahan bus rammed the human hauler on Comilla-Noakhali Highway around 3:30pm, leaving one dead on the spot and 15 others injured, said ASP Mohammad Sulaiman Miah of Highway police.

Later, the injured were sent to Comilla Medical College Hospital where two died. l

Teachers and employees of non-government educational institutions in Barisal held a rally in front of Aswini Kumar Town Hall yesterday demanding their inclusion in the new pay-scale DHAKA TRIBUNE

Non-government teachers threaten to lock institutions n Our Correspondent, Barisal

Teachers and employees of non-government educational institutions in Barisal continued their protests yesterday, calling for their inclusion in the new pay scale.

They held a rally in front of Aswini Kumar Town Hall and threatened that they would lock institutions if their demand was not met.

The rally was organised by Barisal unit of Jatiya Shikkhak Karmachari Front.

Barisal divisional convener of the association, Professor Mohsin-ul-Islam Habul, presided over the rally and demanded nationalisation of jobs of those working at non-government educational institutions.

Aminul Rahman Khokon, Mojibur Rahman, Gouranga Kundu, Rezaul Karim and other leaders of the front addressed the rally.

They said education is the backbone of a nation and socio-economic progress of the country is not possible without educational

development. They called for removing all forms of discrimination between government and non-government educational institutions.

One of the protesters said only nationalisation of jobs in the education sector could end injustice in the existing education system, which he described as discriminatory.

He said inclusion of teachers and employees of non-government institutions in the new pay scale had not been announced.

“A separate pay scale for us has not been

announced either but teachers and employees of state-run educational institutions, like other public servants, will automatically be included in the new pay scale,” he pointed out.

The protesters also demanded adequate medical and house rent allowances for the staff of non-government institutions.

After the rally, the protesters marched through city roads and submitted a memorandum to acting deputy commissioner Abul Kalam Azad to highlight their demand. l

DT

NEWS 7

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

20 rescued in Joypurhat, trafficker held

BAN ON THREE-WHEELERS ON HIGHWAY

Dawn-to-dusk strike on August 13 Transport owners, drivers protest on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway

n Our Correspondent, Joypurhat Detectives in Joypurhat on Friday and yesterday rescued 20 people from two hotels who were to be trafficked into Nepal.

They also detained a man, Lablu Akand, who is a member of a trafficking gang.

Police said the 20 people were sent to Joypurhat by Sumon Hossain, who works at Dhaka counter of SI Paribahan, and Lablu arranged their stay at the hotels. The rescued persons, who hail from Narsingdi and Gaibandha, were to be trafficked into Nepal via India.

Manik, after he was rescued, said he was lured by a local man named Ramjan to go to the Himalayan country to work as a mason.

“Ramjan lives in Nepal and he told me and two others that it would cost Tk75,000 to go to Nepal. He said we could make a lot of money there and told us to contact his nephew, Jasim, a lemon seller in Dhaka.

Joypurhat Additional Police Super Belayet Hossain said police were tipped off about the location of the 20 people. He said two cases had been filed with Joypurhat Sadar police station in this connection. l

n Tribune Report

WEATHER

DRIZZLE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2 DHAKA TODAY

TOMORROW

SUN SETS 6:41PM

SUN RISES 5:28AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

31

26

Chittagong

31

26

Rajshahi

29

26

Rangpur

32

26

Khulna

30

26

Barisal

30

26

Sylhet

32

25

Cox’s Bazar

30

26

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

31.4ºC

23.3ºC

Sylhet

Khepupara Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

Defying a government ban, a CNG-run auto-rickshaws still operates on the Dhaka-Mawa Highway yesterday. The ban on three-wheelers and other non-motorised vehicles was enforced on August 1 amid sharp rise in road fatalities MEHEDI HASAN

4:03am 5:27am 12:05am 4:43pm 6:41pm 8:11pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

The CNG-run autorickshaw owners, drivers and workers in Chittagong yesterday declared a dawn-to-dusk strike in greater Chittagong area on August 13 protesting the government’s decision to ban all three-wheelers on all highways of the country, reports our correspondent in Chittagong.

Chittagong Divisional CNG-run Autorickshaw and Tempo Shramik Union’s Chief Advisor Waziullah, also the advisor of four organisations of auto-rickshaw and tempo owners and workers in Chittagong district, confirmed the news of strike to Dhaka Tribune.

The strike would be enforced in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban, Khagrachhari, Lakshmipur, Noakhali and Feni districts, he said. They would begin their protest on August 4 by staging human chains and protest demonstrations on the Dhaka-Chit-

tagong, Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong-Rangamati-Khagrachhari highways.

“We will also stage protest rally at the Chittagong Central Shahid Minar and submit a memorandum to Roads and Bridges Minister through the Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong district on August 9. Afterwards, we will hold a grand rally at the port city’s Laldighi Ground on August 13 after enforcing the strike,” he added.

Waziullah further said the decisions were made after a meeting amongst the organisations of three wheelers in Chittagong after staging demonstrations on the three highways in Chittagong district yesterday.

PROTESTS ALONG THE DHAKA-CHITTAGONG HIGHWAY In the wake of deaths of over 240 people in road accidents before and after the Eid-ul-Fitr across the country, the government clamped a ban on the movement of three-wheelers, au-

Dykes collapse in Barguna n Our Correspondent, Borguna

More than 50 villages in Borguna district have been flooded following collapse of flood control dykes.

Locals and Water Development Board sources said high tide under the impact of cyclonic storm Komen and full moon had led to the collapse of the dykes in Burishwar, Boleshwar and Bishkhali rivers in the district.

Acres of agricultural land and fish enclosures in these villages have gone under water. Communication between the villages are snapped, severely hampering daily lives of the inhabitants.

Sources in Borguna Water Development Board said yesterday the water level during high tide rose up to 3.05 metre in the rivers which was 20cm higher than the danger level.

Due to Komen and the impact of full moon, water levels in different rivers and canals in the district have marked a sharp rise.

The high tide has submerged Dema Gul-

ishakhali, Majherchar, Patakata, Bhater Char under Badarkhali union, Chhoto Baliatoli, Paler Baliatoli under Baliatoli union, Dhalabhanga, Lotabariya, Golbuniya, Majhkhali, Uttor Dalbhanga, and Dokkhin Dalbhanga villages under Dhalua union.

Uttor Betagi, Jheelbunia, Chhopkhali, Jhopkhali, Bholanathpur, Jogaikhali, Kalikabari, Gabtoli, liabad, Joarkoruna, Gromordon villages got flooded as high tide entered these areas overflowing the poorly constructed flood control dyke in Betagi upazila. The town protection dyke in the upazila might collapse anytime, said locals.

Chechnang, Lokkhipura, Dushkhali, Amtoli, Golaghata villages under Bamna upazila have gone under water following heavy downpour, reports our correspondent.

Tidal water submerged Boithakata, Ghotakhali, Betmor, Chondra, Uttor Kanda and Baliyatoli villages breaking the dyke in Chowra union under Amtoli. Amtoli town protection dyke was lying under the risk of collapse. l

to-rickshaws and non-motorised vehicles on highways across the country with effect from August 1.

Protesting the decision, different CNGrun three-wheelers organisations of Mirsarai upazila in Chittagong enforced an indefinite strike in the upazila since yesterday.

Baro Awlia Highway Police Outpost Officerin-Charge Md Shahidullah said the demonstration however could not hamper the vehicular movement of the most important highway of the country.

Besides, some other protesters blocked the important highway at Fouzdarhat area under Sitakunda upazila around 2:30pm; police removed the blockade within half an hour, he added.

Another group of protesters also took position on both sides of the Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar highway in Vellapara area under Potiya upazila, said local sources.

The protesting three-wheeler owners and drivers said about 10 lakh people across the country would be jobless by this sudden decision.

They said it is not true that the three-wheelers are always responsible for accidents on the highways. They also asked if any accident occurs after the ban of three-wheelers on the highways, would the minister resign from his post?

Waziullah said the government should introduce substitute measures for the people of this sector, otherwise thousands of transport workers and their families would suffer immensely.

Meanwhile, our correspondent in Munshiganj reported that protesters also blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in the Gajaria upazila area of Munshiganj around 11am yesterday, causing immense traffic jam on that highway section. Traffic movement became normal after the barricades were removed from the highway in the afternoon.

Gajaria Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mahabuba Bilkis said the administration took prompt steps to remove the blockaders. l

Abducted youth rescued, 3 held n CU Correspondent

Police in a drive yesterday rescued a youth who was abducted by a gang of robbers from Bahaddarhat area in Chittagong on Friday.

Md Ismail, 25, hailing from Shahporir Dip of Teknaf upazila in Cox’sbazar, was admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital after rescued from Rest House area of Roads and Highway Ministry of Rahmatganj, said Md Jasim Uddin, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station.

The police also arrested three alleged abductors from the scene in this connection.

The OC said on a tip-off, a team of police raided the area and rescued Ismail in the evening.

He was abducted by a band of miscreants numbering 7 to 8 from in front of Bhat Ghat hotel in Bahaddarhat area in the city.

Later, the criminals phoned Ismail’s family members and demanded Tk5 lakh as ransom. l

DT

8 WORLD

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

North Iraq urges PKK to leave as Turkish strike toll mounts n AFP, Istanbul

Soldiers ride a motorbike on a flooded road at Kawlin township, Sagaing division, Myanmar July 23

REUTERS

Severe flooding hampers rescue efforts in Myanmar, at least 27 dead n AFP, Yangon Severe flooding across Myanmar hampered rescue efforts yesterday as thousands sheltered at monasteries after rising waters triggered by torrential rains killed at least 27 people, officials said.

Heavy monsoon rain has battered vast swathes of the country in recent weeks and on Friday the government declared the four worst-hit areas in central and western Myanmar as “national disaster affected regions,” indicating the severity of the damage.

Around 150,000 homes and fields have been decimated, leaving people stranded in remote villages and destroying their livelihoods in a disaster testing the government’s limited relief operations.

“Most of the country is flooded now,” said a director at the social welfare ministry who did not want to be named, explaining that all

but one of Myanmar’s 14 provinces and regions were affected by the flash floods, rising waters and landslides caused by the downpour.

Rescue efforts by Myanmar authorities and local aid groups were under way but they are “struggling to access flood-hit areas,” the official said, adding that there was no update to Thursday’s death toll of 27 due to disrupted communications.

Western Rakhine and Chin states are among the four worst affected areas.

In Maungdaw township in Rakhine, houses and office buildings have been destroyed, trees uprooted and damaged roads sealed off due to violent storms, a local government official told AFP. He added that rescue camps have been opened at monasteries while transport in the area was reduced to “almost zero” due to the continuous rainfall.

Rakhine already hosts some 140,000 displaced people, mainly Rohingya Muslims, who live in exposed make-shift coastal camps following deadly 2012 unrest between the minority group and Buddhists.

“More than 7,000 people are sheltering in rescue camps at 23 monasteries in Minbyar town. We need drinking water urgently. Our road communication is cut,” Khin Zaw Win, a resident in Minbyar, a town in northern Rakhine, told AFP. A video on the news website Democratic Voice of Burma showed rescuers in the central township of Kawlin evacuating some residents by stretcher while wading through chest high waters.

Yesterday a United Nations envoy for Myanmar expressed serious concern over the flooding in a statement, saying assessment teams had been dispatched to the worst-hit areas to identify immediate relief priorities. l

Firefighter dies as thousands battle California wildfires

Greece arrests three suspected migrant boat raiders

n AFP, Los Angeles

n AFP, Athens

A firefighter died while battling one of the 18 large wildfires raging in California, its governor said Friday, declaring a state of emergency.

About 8,000 firefighters have been deployed across the state, said the California National Guard, which has been called into action.

“California’s severe drought and extreme weather have turned much of the state into a tinderbox,” California Governor Edmund Brown said in a statement. “Our courageous firefighters are on the front lines and we’ll do everything we can to help them.”

The dead firefighter was named as Dave Ruhl, 38, from South Dakota, who was killed Thursday while fighting the Frog Fire in the Modoc National Forest outside Alturas. l

Greece’s coastguard yesterday said it had arrested three men suspected of preying on migrants seeking to cross over from neighbouring Turkey, following several complaints made to a rights group.

The three Greeks, aged between 21 and 31, were arrested on the island of Samos with the assistance of a Latvian helicopter from EU border agency Frontex.

The three suspects were dressed like Greek coastguards and wore hoods.

One of them was spotted on Thursday aboard a boat carrying migrants to the island.

As soon as the migrants had landed onshore, the suspect made off with the boat engine, the coastguard said.

The two other suspects were similarly dis-

guised and were waiting aboard another vessel nearby.

A search of the suspects’ homes and storage areas belonging to relatives turned up the sum of 15,000 euros ($17,000) in various currencies, five boat engines and a box containing wet, mostly children’s clothes.

Activists have received numerous reports of raids on migrants in the eastern Aegean Sea. In past weeks, victims said they had been confronted by men dressed like “commandos,” who ripped their clothes and underwear in search of cash, and made off with their boat engines.

Nawal Soufi, an Italian activist who has handled numerous distress calls from Syrian refugees at sea, said she had heard of around 20 boats whose passengers had been attacked in recent months. l

Turkey has killed 260 Kurdish militants in a week-long air offensive on targets in northern Iraq, official media claimed yesterday, as regional Iraqi authorities said it was time the rebels pulled out due to growing concern over the civilian toll.

Ankara has launched a two-pronged “anti-terror” offensive against Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants after a wave of attacks inside the country.

But so far the bombardments have focused far more on the Kurdish rebels and a report by the official Anatolia agency of 260 alleged PKK militants killed was the first concrete indication of the scale of the casualties.

In the latest air strikes on Friday, 28 Turkish F-16s destroyed 65 targets of the PKK including shelters and arms depots, Anatolia said.

The heaviest air strikes were on Thursday, when 80 Turkish aircraft hit 100 targets of the PKK, Anatolia added.

Without citing its sources, Anatolia said that among those wounded was Nurettin Demirtas, the brother of the leader of pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Selahattin Demirtas.

“Up until now 260 terrorists have been rendered ineffective (killed) and 380-400 terrorists have been identified as injured,” Anatolia said.

Demirtas openly acknowledges that his elder brother Nurettin had gone to the Kandil Mountain in northern Iraq where the PKK’s military headquarters are based.

But he said Sunday he could not confirm the Anatolia report as Nurettin was no longer at Kandil Mountain. He is “resisting IS on behalf of the people,” said Demirtas, without giving further details.

Iraqi Kurds tell PKK to go

The PKK’s insurgency for greater rights and powers for Turkey’s Kurdish minority, begun more than 30 years ago, has left tens of thousands dead. The current violence has shattered a ceasefire declared in 2013.

The presence of the PKK has long been tolerated in Kurdish-ruled northern Iraq and more fighters also crossed into the area from Turkey as part of the 2013 ceasefire.

Yet the PKK’s relations with the autonomous Iraqi Kurdish authorities in Arbil have been beset by tensions, while Iraqi Kurds have expanded economic cooperation and relations with Turkey.

The office of the region’s president Massud Barzani said in a statement yesterday that the PKK rebels should move out of the region to prevent civilian casualties.

“The PKK must keep the battlefield away from the Kurdistan region in order for civilians not to become victims of this war,” it said.

Iraqi Kurdish officials said yesterday six people had been killed in a pre-dawn strike

by Turkish war planes on the village of Zarkel and there have been reports of civilian casualties.

Kifah Mahmud, a Barzani adviser, told AFP that “if the PKK did not have bases inside the region, Turkey would not be bombing civilians,” he said. l

DT

WORLD 9

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

Exiled Yemen PM return to Aden n AFP, Aden

Yemeni Prime Minister Khaled Bahah flew to the devastated port of Aden from Saudi exile yesterday, two weeks after loyalist forces ousted Shiite rebels from the city, an airport source said.

Bahah became the highest ranking official to return to the southern city since the government announced its liberation in mid-July.

He was followed by officials whose task will be to restore normality and public services to a city battered by four months of ferocious combat.

Bahah, who is also vice president of the internationally recognised government, fled into exile with President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and his team earlier this year when the rebels entered Aden.

Impoverished Yemen has been rocked by fighting between the Huthi rebels and Hadi

loyalists, who have received air support from a Saudi-led Arab coalition.

The United Nations says the war has killed nearly 4,000 people, half of them civilians, while 80 percent of the 21-million population is in need of aid and protection.

On Monday, a humanitarian pause declared by the coalition went into effect but collapsed the next day. An airport source said Bahah flew in on a Saudi military plane.

He promised in an arrival statement that “normal life” would return to a “liberated Aden.” He later visited several districts and was briefed on damage to the presidential palace, state broadcaster and military headquarters, a security source said.

He was also to visit people wounded in the fighting during his symbolic visit of a few hours, a member of his delegation said.

“Aden is the key to victory” in reconquering the country, the premier’s spokesman

Rajeh Badi told Al-Arabiya television, adding that Hadi could also return “at any time.”

Several government officials also arrived in Aden on a separate plane from Saudi Arabia, said Human Rights Minister Ezzedine al-Isbahi.

The interior and transport ministers toured parts of Aden in mid-July during a brief visit to assess the damage.

They also looked at ways to fully reopen the ports and airport to allow the delivery of desperately needed relief supplies.

The head of the Red Crescent in Aden, Ahmed Mansur, told AFP the charity had received food aid from the United Arab Emirates and was able to hand out 20,000 rations to residents of three neighbourhoods.

Yemen depends on imports for most of its supplies, including food, medicine and fuel.

More than 10 million people are struggling to obtain food and water, the UN says.

An AFP correspondent who toured Aden said authorities have managed to partly reopen main roads after removing debris, including burned out military vehicles and cars.

Residents have also ventured outdoors to take stock of the damage, some returning from other areas of the city to homes devastated in the fighting.

Government forces were pressing an advance yesterday north and east of Aden to dislodge rebels still entrenched in Lahj and Abyan provinces, officials and witnesses said.

Coalition warplanes stepped up raids late Friday and early yesterday against rebels in the strategic Al-Anad airbase in Lahj province, military sources said.

Strikes also targeted the southeastern province of Taez, where fighting killed 47 rebels and five pro-government forces, they added. l

Palestinian toddler’s parents, brother fighting for life n AFP, Jalazon refugee camp

The parents and brother of a Palestinian toddler burned to death by suspected Jewish extremists were fighting for their lives yesterday, as demonstrators held a second day of protests over the arson attack.

The firebombing of the family’s home in the occupied West Bank that killed 18-monthold Ali Saad Dawabsha sparked an international outcry over Israel’s failure to get to grips with violence by hardline Jewish settlers.

The child’s father, Saad, was being treated for third-degree burns at the Soroka hospital in southern Israel, where a spokeswoman described his condition as “critical.”

Mother Riham and four-year-old brother Ahmed were being treated at Tel Hashomer hospital near Tel Aviv, where a spokeswoman described their condition as life-threatening.

The family’s small brick and cement home in the village of Duma was gutted by fire, and a Jewish Star of David spray-painted on a wall along with the words “revenge” and “long live the Messiah.”

The arson attack followed days of tensions over West Bank settlements, with right-wing groups opposing the demolition of two buildings under construction that the Israeli High Court said were illegal. l

Protesters march with placards to an entrance to the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone, south east England yesterday, during a gathering in support of the migrants trying to cross into England through the channel tunnel from France. French police yesterday said yesterday some 300 migrants in Calais attempted to reach Britain via the cross-Channel tunnel overnight, a significant drop from previous nights as the security presence is beefed up AFP

New Taliban leader calls for unity first audio message n AFP, Kabul

New Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour called for unity in the movement yesterday in his first audio message since becoming head of the group that faces deepening splits following the death of longtime chief Mullah Omar.

Barely a few hours after Mansour’s appointment was announced on Friday, powerful rivals within the fractious Taliban questioned the selection process, saying it was rushed and even biased.

Mansour’s comments are apparently aimed at fending off the emerging risk of the group splintering into factions at a time when there is growing discord over the direction of peace talks with the Afghan government.

“We should all work to preserve unity.

Division in our ranks will only please our enemies, and cause further problems for us,” Mansour said in the audio recording posted on the Taliban website.

The 33-minute recording was released from an undisclosed location and the sound of a crying baby was briefly heard in the background.

In his speech, Mansour also implored Taliban cadres to continue waging their 14-year insurgency and be wary of foreign propaganda to sow disunity within the group.

“Our goal and slogan is to implement sharia law and an Islamic system, and our jihad will continue until this is done,” he said in the message.

Mansour faces staunch internal resistance from some members of the Taliban’s ruling council, the Quetta Shura, who accuse Pakistan of hijacking the movement.

Mansour also has powerful rivals with-

in the Taliban who are strongly opposed to peace talks with the Afghan government and some are unhappy at the thought he may have deceived them for more than a year about Omar’s death.

“A large majority in the powerful Quetta Shura are opposed to Mansour’s selection,” said Jawed Kohistani, a Kabul-based military analyst. “It will be difficult for Mansour to preserve the unity in the ranks but it won’t be surprising if some insurgent members are made to accept his leadership under Pakistani pressure.” l

DT

10 WORLD

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

Palestinian teen killed in clash with Israel army n AFP, Ramallah

A Palestinian teen shot during clashes with the Israeli army in the West Bank died of his wounds early yesterday, Palestinian medical and security sources said.

The sources said 14-year-old Laith Khaldi of the Jalazon refugee camp was shot in the chest during clashes with Israeli forces near the Atara checkpoint on Friday evening and died hours later in hospital.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli army told AFP that “a Palestinian suspect hurled a Molotov cocktail at an army post in Bir Zeit. In response to the immediate danger, the soldiers fired toward the assailant, identifying a hit.”

Clashes had erupted in the West Bank on Friday after a Palestinian toddler was burnt to death as the result of an arson attack by suspected Israeli settlers.

Also on Friday, a Palestinian man was killed and another wounded by Israeli fire when they approached a security fence separating the Gaza Strip from Israel, medical officials said. l

Relatives of Palestinian youth Laith al-Khaldi mourn during his funeral near the West Bank city of Ramallah yesterday

Iran’s parliament has no power over nuclear deal, top negotiator says n Reuters, Dubai Iran’s parliament does not have authority over the nuclear agreement signed with world powers last month, the Islamic Republic’s top nuclear negotiator was quoted as saying yesterday.

The comments from Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran’s atomic energy agency, are the latest volley in a lengthy battle between Iranian officials supportive of the deal, and hardliners who are sceptical of it.

The conservative-dominated parliament in June passed a bill imposing strict conditions on any nuclear deal, such as barring international inspectors from Iran’s military sites.

Under the terms of the final deal, howev-

er, Iran must provide access to suspect sites including at its military facilities within 24 days, or risk sanctions being reimposed.

“It is absolutely not the case that the government must bring before parliament any agreement it wants to sign with a foreign country,” Salehi was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA. “The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is not a treaty or a convention, and I don’t know under what definition it would go to parliament.”

Iran nuclear deal reached with six world powers on July 14 imposes strict limits on its nuclear programme in exchange for relief from international sanctions, breaking decades of mounting hostility with the West.

Hardliners in parliament and the security establishment began sniping at the deal within days but have been unable to persuade Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s highest authority, to withdraw his cautious support for it.

The deal is also under threat from US lawmakers, who have until Sept. 17 to accept or reject the agreement. Some members of Congress have objected to the deal as not tough enough, and rejection would prevent President Barack Obama from waiving most US-imposed sanctions on Iran.

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, Yukiya Amano, will meet US Senators this week to discuss his agency’s monitoring role of Iran’s nuclear programme. l

Bin Laden’s mother, sister killed in UK plane crash n AFP, London Members of Osama bin Laden’s family were among four people killed when a private jet crashed into a car auction lot in Britain, Saudi Arabia’s embassy in London said yesterday.

While the embassy did not identify the dead, a source close to the family speaking to AFP and Saudi media indicated that they were bin Laden’s stepmother Raja Hashim, his sister Sanaa, the sister’s husband Zuhair Hashem, and a Jordanian pilot.

The Saudi-registered Phenom 300 jet came down on Friday as it tried to land at Blackbushe Airport, a small airfield in Hampshire, southern England.

Police confirmed that three passengers and the pilot had died. Officers have launched an investigation into what caused the crash alongside the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.

The Saudi ambassador “offered his condolences to the sons of the late Mohammed bin Laden and their relations for the grave incident of the crash of the plane carrying members of the family at Blackbushe airport,” a statement posted on the embassy’s Twitter account said. The embassy also said it would work with British authorities to investigate the incident and repatriate the bodies for burial in Saudi Arabia.

Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al-Qaeda militant network and the man behind the 9/11 attacks, was killed by US special forces in Pakistan in 2011.

His father Mohammed, a construction magnate with 54 children, died in a plane crash in Saudi Arabia in 1967.

Footage of the aftermath of Friday’s crash showed plumes of black smoke rising into the sky and several cars on fire in the outdoor

area of British Car Auctions, where vehicles were parked awaiting sale.

Robert Belcher, a local plane enthusiast who witnessed the aftermath of the crash, said the jet had been a “regular visitor” to the airport in recent months. “I was passing the airport on my way home and there was a big column of smoke in the air,” he said.

“I could see the plume of smoke waving from about five miles away and was hoping it was just a car fire rather than an aircraft accident.”

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said in a statement Friday that the plane was registered in the Gulf state and that it would work with British investigators to determine the cause of the crash.

British media reported that the aircraft had taken off from Milan’s Malpensa airport in Italy. l

REUTERS

Airplane debris arrives in France for Malaysia crash investigation n Reuters, Paris/Kuala Lumpur

Airplane debris that washed up on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion and may belong to a vanished Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 arrived in France yesterday for investigators to study its origin.

An Air France flight carrying the debris landed at Orly airport near Paris and it was then transferred by road to a military-run laboratory near the southwestern city of Toulouse that specialises in analysing aviation wreckage.

French investigators are not expected to begin examining the wreckage before Wednesday afternoon and their Malaysian counterparts will also be present, the Paris prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

Experts hope the barnacled 2-2.5 metres (6.5-8 feet) long wing surface known as a flaperon and a fragment of luggage also found on Reunion could yield clues as to the fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished without trace in March 2014. There were 239 passengers and crew on board. Some families of the victims are demanding further compensation from the airline.

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai told Reuters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday that additional Malaysian officials were headed to Reunion to look for more debris and others would go to France.

“If the flaperon does belongs to MH370, it is actually in accordance with the drift pattern seen in the southern Indian Ocean. But we do not want to speculate. We will wait for verification from the French authorities,” he said.

Discovery of the debris may finally confirm the plane crashed into the sea after veering off course from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, helping to end 16 months of lingering uncertainty for relatives. l

DT

EDITORIAL 11

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

INSIDE

Salafi secularists of Bangladesh Why do AL supporters try to propagate such an exclusive and idiosyncratic vision of the secularist foundation of Bangladesh?

PAGE 12

Remembering Sister Joseph Mary The most important thing she taught us that I’ll never forget, is the approach of looking at life as an uphill climb. We should never stop at the top, she used to say PAGE 13

Make sure no child misses out on education

Domestic workers need the law on their side In the absence of any formal recognition as labourers, domestic workers suffer from various types of exploitation PAGE 14

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T

he planning minister is right to call for a massive awareness program across the country to address the barriers which prevent a large number of children from receiving education.

It is shaming that Unicef estimates that around 4 million children aged between six and 10 years are out of school. This is nearly a quarter of the total number for this age group.

While nearly half this number are suffering from delayed admissions and some have dropped out, this still leaves around two million children who have never gone to school at all.

The highest concentrations of out-of-school children can be found in areas where there are high proportions of children engaged in domestic and agricultural labour. Correlations can also be found with areas of extreme poverty and where there are high rates of child marriage.

What these figures show is that while some aspects of the problem can be addressed by building more schools and increasing resources, attitudes must also change to reduce the social acceptance and prevalence of child labour and underage marriage.

More effort also needs to be put into improving monitoring and implementation of social safety net programs to help identify and assist children who are missing out on access to schooling.

Initiatives which have been found to increase enrollment and retention of poorer students such as the provision of free breakfasts and lunches should also be encouraged by communities and schools.

There is no substitute for making sure children do not miss out on primary school. Education is the key foundation for helping to lift people out of poverty.

Policy-makers and the government must make sure no stone is unturned in efforts to increase school enrollment.

Make sure no stone is unturned in increasing enrollment and retention

DT

12 OPINION

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

Salafi secularists of Bangladesh n Shafiqur Rahman and Esam Sohail

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ecently, the editor of Dhaka Tribune wrote an op-ed which said the AL government should desist from its manifestly open program to eliminate BNP as a political entity for the sake of democracy and development of this country.

Mr Omar Shehab, in response, wrote an amazingly partisan and dogmatic response to that op-ed arguing that, not only should the AL and the country be “agnostic” about the existential fate of the BNP, but also a party like BNP does not deserve to exist in Bangladesh in the first place because of its heretical stance towards some foundational principles of Bangladesh. This is a response to that response.

The disingenuous argument begins with elections. Mr Shehab faithfully toes the AL party line that BNP missed the bus by boycotting the elections and a political party should not boycott elections. He makes no distinction on the mechanism and context of elections and conveniently omits that his own party boycotted the elections held under the Ershad regime, the February 1996 elections, and had announced that they would boycott the January 22, 2007 elections, which, fortunately for them, were never held.

All kinds of elections are okay for him, as long as they are held under his own party’s thumb. There is a case to be made that BNP made a mistake by not participating in the January 5 elections, but the mistake was not due to a disengagement from the democratic process. The mistake was a failure to seize the best possible opportunity for political balancing under a regime that was ruthlessly controlling and using every facet of state power.

BNP’s stated reason for not participating in the January 5 national elections was amply validated by the widespread and documented rigging in the April 28 municipal polls, a point made bluntly by the newspaper’s editor in his first post-election analysis in May. Mr Shehab parrots the favourite “domestic opposition” trope of AL intellectuals by saying that the need for an external opposition is superfluous, as the AL itself will provide its own opposition by capitalising on popular anti-incumbency. He unashamedly ignores that, without fair elections, anti or pro-incumbency, popular opinions do not matter at all; the ruling party always wins.

An open Facebook page of a cabinet minister cannot replace free and fair elections, contrary to the fond hopes that Mr Shehab holds out for an AL-style “democracy.” The AL has amply demonstrated that it has no intention of giving up power. It will do anything to try to hold on to the massive power and wealth advantage that occupying the halls of government provides. And politicians know which side of the bread is buttered.

In Bangladesh, was there ever anyone successful after breaking away from an incumbent party? In fact, other than being rudely thrown out, no one leaves the gravy train.

A main strand of Mr Shehab’s case against BNP is the party’s culpability in the atrocities committed during both 2013 and 2015 antigovernment agitations. Yes, the large-scale vehicle-arson and people-burnings represent

Something is wrong with the AL’s version of secularism

Why do AL supporters try to propagate such an exclusive and idiosyncratic vision of the secularist foundation of Bangladesh, when they know very well that religious values have been playing an overwhelming role among an overwhelming number of people?

an unprecedented abyss in Bangladesh’s history of generally abysmal politics, but these are not new additions to the litany of political violence. Although not in the same scale, buses and people being set on fire also happened when BNP was in power and AL was agitating anti-government movements.

One suspects that Mr Shehab is in no hurry to prosecute those past cases of political violence. Since the AL government wiped the slate clean after it came to power and dropped all ongoing cases against itself, Mr Shehab can now pontificate freely against political crimes like a righteous oldtestament prophet.

AL doesn’t owe BNP the latter’s assured existence. BNP must live or die on its own.

Bangladesh has a dark history of attempts of political annihilation by violent means. BNP’s last government will be forever tainted by the black day of August 21, and no patriotic citizen can take exception to the demand that all perpetrators of that incident must be brought under justice.

But while that dark incident is disavowed and condemned by all, with varying sincerity, ALs current prosecution of BNP leadership goes beyond the conventional political-legal process; this is a transparently eliminatory program using the full extent of legal and physical power that the state possesses, with the goal openly proclaimed by AL leaders .

A religion-like conviction is the source of the takfiri zeal that compels people of Mr Shehab’s ilk to dismiss as deserving of existence a large and repeatedly

democratically elected party like BNP. People like him believe that Bangladesh was founded on some “principles” in 1971 that were subsequently articulated in the 1972 constitution -- democracy, secularism, socialism, and Bengali nationalism.

Any party that does not fully adhere to these principles does not have the right to do politics in Bangladesh. Well, the actual importance of these “farz” principles to the Awami supporters is well known: If any one party in Bangladesh deserves to be banned for directly working against democracy, that party should be AL, given their Baksal record and current clear and outspoken opposition to multi-party, participatory, democracy.

As for socialism, which sane and viable political party or personality in Bangladesh believe in socialism today? Demanding to pay even lip-service to socialism would be a ridiculous exercise, and the AL government’s continuing, though inefficient, efforts at privatisation amply show what it really thinks of socialism. The less said about Bengali-Bangladeshi nationalism is better; there is little hope of gleaning any coherence from that morass of a debate.

The four principles of the 1972 constitution were put there by meritorious young men imbued with the spirit of the times and planning grand social engineering.

These are not commandments set in stone by the god of the Bengali tribe.

Actually, contemporary AL supporters believe that Bangladesh was founded on one principle: Secularism; a unique and a peculiar

REUTERS

secularism at that. There is no scope here for an excursus on secularism but it suffices to say that in no democratic and “secular” country of the world, doing politics based on religious values or religious identities is banned. Repeat for emphasis. India, Britain, France, Sweden, Germany, USA; you name a secular country and you will see political parties based on religion or religious identity.

A democratic country recognises that doing politics according to own value, ideology, or identity is fundamental political right, unless the specific ideology has been implicated for past crimes or directly instigates physical violence.

Contrary to the made-up ideologism of AL supporters, its leaders know very well of the artificiality of that principle. Its own website proudly showcases traditional Muslim slogans and it has steadfastly refused leftist demands to scrap the constitutional provision of Islam as the state religion, a provision put into the Constitution by the pen of AL’s coalition partner, the former military dictator HM Ershad.

Why do AL supporters try to propagate such an exclusive and idiosyncratic vision of the secularist foundation of Bangladesh, when they know very well that religious identity and religious values have been playing an overwhelming role among an overwhelming number of people currently and throughout our history? The answer is, once again, elections.

Their peculiar version of secularism gives their party and their leaders a sacred exclusivity to rule over the pavitravumi of Bengalis. They know very well by now that their claims of exceptionality do not resonate with a decisive majority of the people in this country. That is why they hold on to their Salafist creed of secularism to ward off all the claims emanating from democracy, rationality, and sheer common sense, and continuously hark back to a pure, wondrous time. l Shafiqur Rahman is a freelance contributor. Esam Sohail is an educational research analyst and college lecturer of social sciences.

DT

OPINION 13

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

Remembering Sister Joseph Mary

Sister Joseph Mary’s legacy will never fade

n Rubaiya Murshed

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ery few of us are so blessed in life to have come across teachers who change our lives forever. These teachers live by principles and forever remain examples to follow. Wherever each of us are, any news of these teachers takes us back to the good old days, filled with the best of memories. These teachers always remain an important part of those memories, and we carry what they taught us into the more complicated years of life.

Sister Joseph Mary was one such teacher, and the news of her departure from this world left all of us who knew her with a heavy heart. Every “Crossian” fortunate enough to have had her be a part of their Holy Cross College experience will remember her forever, and will cherish her memories forever. The immense love that her students and colleagues had for her alone is enough for anybody who didn’t know her to understand that she was a very special person indeed.

Sister Joseph Mary was born on February 14, 1930, and took her last breath at 6:50am on July 28 this year. She was a renowned educator and had served in the education field of Bangladesh from 1956 to 2014. In her lifetime of working in the education sector, she had been the director of students’ affairs and the principal of Holy Cross College. She was also the co-ordinator of the Holy Cross Sister’s Association of Asia.

Her personality made her the best person to be around. She had a cheerful, witty disposition and was always seen smiling.

She livened up the environment around her everywhere she went. In the few special classes we were fortunate to be taught by her, she made us laugh harder than any other teacher. She had a unique drama-filled style of teaching and that made what she taught us hard to forget. I remember her acting with funny facial expressions to make a point about how watching MacGyver during exam time would negatively affect our concentration in studies.

My mother and aunts, who were also her students, still recall her animated lectures on “Daffodils,” a poem which was in the English curriculum back then. When we were students at Holy Cross College, Sister had grown very old. Yet, she was always there to encourage us and cheer us on, be it on sports day or in cultural programs or science fairs.

Her never-ending support meant a lot to each and every one of us.

The most important thing she taught us that I’ll never forget is the approach of looking at life as an uphill climb. We should never stop at the top, she used to say. To stop at the top of the hill meant that we would eventually have to come down the hill to move forward. She taught us to only aspire to reach the top of the hill and to move that “top” to further heights whenever we came close to reaching it -- we would always be moving up in the battle that is life.

We’ll reach for the stars like you inspired us to, Sister Joseph Mary. You were one of the reasons why Holy Cross, instead of being just a name, became a legacy as an institution.

We’ll keep you in our prayers, along with Sister Marian Teresa, Sattar miss, and Mitra sir.

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Our memories of college wouldn’t have been the same without any one of you.

These personalities opened my eyes to how noble the profession of teaching is.

Teachers play unparalleled roles in shaping the people we turn out to be, and their greatest satisfaction lies in our triumphs. They feel sorrow with us in our stumbles and joy with us in our leaps.

The most important thing she taught us that I’ll never forget is the approach of looking at life as an uphill climb. We should never stop at the top, she used to say. To stop at the top of the hill meant that we would eventually have to come down the hill to move forward

Inventors get world-wide recognition and writers get prizes, but the greatest prize these teachers ever yearned for was to see us succeed in life. Their names might not be written in the pages of history, but they’ll be etched forever onto our hearts.

I can hear you calling my name like it was just yesterday, Sister Joseph Mary. The skies have gained a shining star and the world has lost one. Sister Joseph Mary, you will be missed. May your soul rest in peace. l Rubaiya Murshed is an ex-Holy Cross College student and co-founder of the organisation Shomman.

DT

14 OPINION

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

We need to address the issue of domestic worker rights within a legal framework

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Domestic workers need the law on their side n ASM Ali Ashraf

M

ore than 2 million poor women and children are employed as domestic workers in Bangladesh.

It is a harsh reality that they operate in a legal and policy vacuum, a result of the national labour laws of 2006 and 2013, both of which exclude domestic workers from legal coverage.

The only piece of legislation that comes closer to governing domestic workers is the Domestic Servants’ Registration Ordinance 1961. Although the 1961 ordinance requires self-registration of domestic workers with local police stations in Dhaka, it fails to offer any legal redress against abuse and harsh work conditions.

The problem of a legal vacuum is enormous. In the absence of any formal recognition, domestic workers suffer from various types of exploitation, such as longer working hours, and verbal and physical abuse. In addition, the concept of a formal contract or negotiated wage is almost alien when it comes to employing domestic workers.

Interestingly, Bangladesh is not an exception in this regard. A 2013 study conducted by ILO finds that that only 10% of domestic workers in the world receive protection from general labour laws, while another 30% are excluded from the scope of any national labour laws.

There are at least two possible ways to extend legal coverage to domestic workers in Bangladesh: The first is relying on existing penal codes, human rights laws, and international conventions. The second would be getting the domestic workers policy process on right track. The second deserves more attention.

The existing code of criminal procedures can be employed to prosecute violence against domestic workers. In addition, various national instruments, such as the Women and Children Repression Prevention (Amendment) Act 2003 and National Child Labour Elimination Policy 2010, can provide a legal framework to protect the rights of women and children, including those employed as domestic workers. In addition, Bangladesh is party

to numerous international laws, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC) 1989, and ILO conventions on forced labour, minimum age (industry), abolition of forced labour, and worst forms of child labour.

One problem relates to a weak inspection and monitoring system in implementing the national laws. A second challenge comes from the lack of an accurate birth registration system, which makes it difficult to implement the legal provisions governing their rights.

Between 2010 and 2014, the draft policy was debated at the inter-ministerial process, and at the Tripartite Consultative Council meetings. Such a lengthy and formal policy process has produced another fine-tuned version of a draft policy, widely known to be the Draft Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy 2014.

Among the 16 provisions in the 2014 draft policy, the most important ones focus on fair wage, minimum age, decent working conditions, and fixed working hours. The draft

In the absence of any formal recognition as labourers, domestic workers suffer from various types of exploitation, such as longer working hours, and verbal and physical abuse.

To what extent are the provisions of international instruments applicable for Bangladesh? Expert opinions suggest that, unless provisions of international conventions ratified by Bangladesh are incorporated in a domestic law, such conventions have no practical utility. Having observed the limits of existing national and international laws, none of which focuses exclusively on domestic workers, it is high time we recognised the need for a national policy on domestic workers. Interestingly, the idea of such a policy has been floating in the Ministry of Labour and Employment since 2007, albeit with limited success.

In 2006, a group of national trade unions and leading human rights NGOs in Bangladesh established the Domestic Workers Rights Network as a an advocacy coalition to push the domestic workers agenda. After initial consultation among civil society groups, trade unions, and the government, a draft of Domestic Workers Code of Conduct was developed in 2007, which was later evolved into a Draft Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy 2010.

policy also includes identity cards, contract of employment, maternity leave, vocational training, healthcare support, compensation for accidents, and legal actions against physical or verbal abuse and sexual harassment. It suggests the formation of a central monitoring cell at the labour ministry and local monitoring cells at the Dhaka city corporation and at the district and sub-district levels. It also calls for the government to form a 24-hour help-line and create more public awareness.

Although most senior government officials have openly supported the need for a national policy on domestic workers, the human rights community and trade union activists have expressed their disappointment at the delay in formulating such a policy. Three factors appear to have caused this delay in policy formulation: (a) Low priority given to domestic workers policy; (b) uneven commitment by the advocacy coalition members; and (c) scepticism towards an intrusive domestic workers policy.

First of all, the labour ministry appears to be over-burdened with several “high priority” commitments, such as issuing labour

act implementation rules, and promoting decent work conditions in RMG. As a result, it has little time and energy to invest in a “low priority” policy area concerning domestic workers.

Second, members of the Domestic Workers Rights Network (DWRN) appear to have varying levels of commitment to push the policy agenda. While some of them are motivated by a passion for promoting labour rights, others do not show such enthusiasm due to a lack of international donor support.

In the absence of any sustained and co-ordinated pressures from the NGOs and civil society, the government is unlikely to give domestic workers a top priority.

A third challenge comes from the employers’ representatives, who fear that a liberal domestic workers policy would open the floodgates for disruptive trade unionism in this informal sector, which would not only hurt the career prospect of poor domestic workers but also alienate the private citizens employing such workers. In addition, several provisions in the 2014 draft policy, especially on negotiated wage, minimum age requirement, and registration of domestic workers are simply unrealistic in the current socio-economic context of Bangladesh.

What can be done to get the policy process on the right track? First, the labour ministry needs to own the Draft Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy, and provide strategic leadership to convert the “draft” to an “official” policy. Second, the DWRN members need to promote awareness among the general population, and revisit some of the provisions that alert the employers’ representatives. Finally, there is a need to draw policy lessons from other countries which have not only enacted national laws on domestic workers, but also ratified the ILO Domestic Workers Convention 2011. Academics need to come forward to generate such policy lessons. l ASM Ali Ashraf is Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Dhaka. He is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), London.

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China stocks look set for biggest monthly loss in six years

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Oil prices tank as OPEC heightens oversupply worries

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Modest profit booking breaks 4-week rally

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DT

Business

15

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

Bangladesh Bank awards 31 NRBs

Bank borrowing exceeds Tk28,000cr n Asif Showkat Kallol Finance Division has expressed its worries over excessive government borrowing from banking sector, which has nearly crossed Tk28,000 crore as of July 22 this year.

The ministries and divisions encashed cheques for development projects at the end of the last fiscal year without making substantial progress in implementation works, official sources said.

Major part of the ADP funds was released in May-June period through cheques this year too in continuation of previous two fiscal years.

“The May-June syndrome hit the government’s financial transaction in development projects again for the third consecutive year, while last year the practice was the most of it,” said a finance division official.

It was also alleged that there were massive irregularities with the eleventh hour encashing of most of the cheques by officials concerned and project directors.

Public Works Ministry, Local Government Division, Home Ministry, Roads and Highway Division, Industry Ministry and Power Division are among the authorities which with-

drew the money through cheques.

More than Tk9,000 crore was borrowed from the country’s banking sector on July 2. It was unprecedented as the government never withdrew such a big amount from banks on a single day since independence.

A high official termed the day as “Black Thursday” in the country’s cash withdrawal history from banks by government.

Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said: “It’s good that finance division has identified the problem, but that’s not enough. The corrupt officials must be brought to justice setting example for others. Internal control and mechanisms must be strengthened.”

However, Bank and Financial Institutions Division Secretary M Aslam Alam emphasised the need to make proper use of the funds.

“The government’s high borrowing will be good for the country’s banking sector as it now has excess liquidity. But it’s necessary to make sure that the funds are utilised rightly,” he said.

According to the finance division data, as of July 22 the total borrowing from the country’s banking sector was Tk27,973 crore and the payment was Tk20,889 crore.

Of July 2 withdrawal, the power division got Tk4,099.13 crore on the same day, one of the big receipts.

Power division sources alleged that a Chinese company withdrew Tk70 crore from the finance division to procure energy-saving light bulbs under the power division development project in last fiscal year.

They also alleged the trumped-up land owner of Matarbari project withdrew fund from power division which was allocated for the development project in last fiscal year.

Power division withdrew Tk4,099.13 crore, and most of the which went to the payment to quick rental power plants.

As of 22 July local government division spent Tk1,242.09 crore to pay for development projects while public works ministry spent Tk1,106.56 crore, railway division Tk603.42 crore, roads and highways division Tk945.63 crore for the same purpose.

Other ministries and divisions that withdrew money at the end of the fiscal year include home ministry Tk1,578.04 crore, health ministry Tk1,463.56 crore, primary education Tk1438.17 crore, education ministry Tk1,302.28 crore, industries ministry Tk911.37

crore, agriculture ministry Tk861.62 crore, Bangladesh Army Tk543.44 crore and Bangladesh Navy Tk479.15 crore.

Besides, the government spent Tk1,114.21 crore to pay interest against domestic loans, Tk524.29 crore to pay interest of foreign loans, Tk3,827.04 crore for treasury bill and Tk308.67 crore for National Saving Instruments.

“But there is a great possibility of the development project funds being misused if the project bills are drawn from banks without showing progress of projects,” Dr AB Mirza Azizul Islam, former adviser to caretaker government, told Dhaka Tribune.

He added: “There is a risk of corruption if funds are taken in large scale for development projects.”

He said when the National Board of Revenue failed to collect sufficient revenue, the bank borrowing increased.

Meanwhile, bankers said the sluggish demand for money has been affecting banks’ business and swelling their unutilised funds.

Now, the banking sector has nearly Tk1,00,000 crore in excess liquidity while total liquidity of banking system is Tk6,00,000 crore. l

Italy wants to import 58GB NSIC to train SME entrepreneurs bandwidth from Bangladesh n Tribune Report

n Ishtiaq Husain Telecom Italia Sparkle, an Italian company, intends to import 58 GBPS of international bandwidth from the unused capacity of Bangladesh.

An official of Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company limited (BSCCL) told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

BSCCL has also shown its interest to export the bandwidth at a meeting with its board of directors.

In response to the foreign company’s request, BSCCL has formed a subcommittee to evaluate the Telecom Italia’s proposal.

At the same meeting, the submarine cable company has decided to cut the wholesale prices of bandwidth by around 50% according to the directives of Sajeeb Wazed Joy, ICT affairs advisor of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Recently, Joy gave the instruction at a meeting with the company high-ups at Ganabhaban.

Meeting sources said the new price would be effective on August 7 after getting the final approval of the telecommunication division.

Bangladesh’s submarine cable, whose lifetime will end in the next 12 years, has a band-

width capacity of 200 Gbps, while it sells only 32 Gbps. Bangladesh will get another undersea cable of around 1,400 Gbps in 2016.

“We have set up a plan to evaluate Italy’s proposal by forming a subcommittee. The decision would be taken according to the subcommittee’s recommendation,” said BSCCL Managing Director Monwar Hossain.

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

Bangladesh has a scope to export 100GB bandwidth to the seven sisters of Indian North-East region.

BSCCL will start to export 10GB bandwidth to India this month at $10 per MBPS – which is 33% higher than its local market price – and earn $1.2m (Tk9.6 crore) annually.

In February 2015, Telecom Italia expressed its interest to buy 10GB bandwidth from Bangladesh. After a few months of discussions with BSCCL, Telecom Italia changed its import decision.

But this time the company has shown its interest to import more bandwidth than earlier.

An official of the state-owned company said BSCCL will primarily finalise the deal for a year at the rate of around $14,000 a month. l

National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), India, has planned to establish an incubator centre in Bangladesh to train Bangladeshi SME entrepreneurs in technical know-how.

The plan was shared with Bangladeshi business leaders during a meeting between a delegation of NSCI led by General Manager Pralay Dey and Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) leaders in the city yesterday.

In his address, Pralay said NSIC has been working for the last 60 years for the development of SME in India, and it intends to serve the interests of Bangladeshi SME entrepreneurs through various projects.

There are about 40 million SME entrepreneurs in India that contribute 9% to the country’s GDP. During the meeting, DCCI President Hossain Khaled said micro, small and medium enterprises are the lifeblood of Bangladesh’s economy. “SMEs can generate 25% employment for people.”

He urged the government and the private sector to take holistic approach to developing skill in SME sector.

The entrepreneurs will benefit much from appropriate technology, training and guidelines, added Khaled.

“If we can ensure SME capacity building, large industries will be able to outsource raw materials from this sector, which will reduce dependency on the import of raw materials from abroad.”

SME can help establish backward linkage industry, creating more employment opportunities and expanding import substitute industry in the country, he suggested.

Deputy General Manager of Bangladesh Bank SM Mohsin Hossain and DCCI Directors AKD Khair Mohammad Khan, Alhaj Abdus Salam, Asif A Chowdhury and Nessar Maksud Khan, among others, attended the meeting. l

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16 BUSINESS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

Russia’s central bank makes small rate cut as ruble weakens n AFP, Moscow

China stocks look set for biggest monthly loss in six years n Reuters, Hong Kong China stocks fell on Friday and looked set to suffer their biggest monthly loss in nearly six years even as Beijing rolled out a series of support measures and promised to step up efforts to bolster the flagging economy.

Stocks have plunged more than 30% since mid-June, threatening further risks to an economy that is expected to post its slowest growth in a quarter of a century this year.

The Shanghai Composite Index fell 1% to 3,669.45 points in morning trade. For the month so far, it has slumped 14.2%, the biggest monthly drop since August 2009.

The CSI300 index dipped 0.1% to 3,812.34.

China CSI300 stock index futures for August fell 0.1% to 3,678.6, but were still 133.74 points below the current value of the underlying index, pointing to investor expectations

of further losses.

Still, some analysts said a flurry of unprecedented support measures by Beijing in recent weeks may be slowing putting a floor under the market, even if it remains vulnerable to wild daily swings.

“The bottom of the A-share market has gradually been lifted since the previous collapses, from 3,400 points to 3,500 points, and now around 3,600 points,” said Tian Weidong, head of reserch at Kaiyuan Securities.

Others, however, say any rebounds may be short-lived as nervous investors will be more quick to take profits on any bounces and worry about when the government will begin to wean markets off support measures.

China’s Politburo said Beijing had yet to find new drivers to power its economy at a time when old engines are flagging and has promised to step up “targeted” adjustments

to economic policy to foster stable growth, media said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, China’s securities regulator said it had restricted 24 stock trading accounts for suspected trading irregularities, and was investigating investors who used automated trading strategies in its stock exchanges, as Beijing intensifies pressure on its financial industry in the wake of the share-price plunge.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index added 0.4% to 24,595.51 points.

The Hong Kong China Enterprises Index gained 0.5% to 11,191.86.

The index measuring price differences between dual-listed companies in Shanghai and Hong Kong stood at 135.39.

A value above 100 indicates Shanghai shares are being priced at a premium to shares in the same company trading in Hong Kong, and vice versa. l

Russia’s central bank on Friday made its smallest interest rate cut this year as it juggled attempts to resuscitate the economy with inflation fears after a recent slide in the ruble.

The bank cut its key rate by 50 basis points to 11% in its fifth reduction since January, as it struggles to breath life into an economy battered by lower oil prices and Western sanctions over Ukraine.

Following the announcement the Russian currency on Friday briefly dropped past 67 rubles against the euro and 61 rubles against the dollar, a new four-month low.

The Bank of Russia said the rate cut was made “taking into account that the balance of risks is shifting towards considerable economy cooling despite a slight increase in inflation risks”.

Analysts had widely predicted a more limited cut but a recent fall in the ruble - which has lost around 15 percent of its value since May - had cast doubt whether even that would happen.

“Such a cautious movement is explained by the growing volatility on the market, the weakening of the ruble and the high rate of inflation,” said Dmitry Lepetikov from VTB24 bank.

Annual inflation rates in July rose for the first time in several months to 15.8% from 15.3 in June on the back of a hike in utility charges, the central bank said Friday.

‘Shift in tone’

“The recent fall in the ruble triggered a clear shift in the [Central Bank] Council’s tone, and policymakers are no longer committing themselves to lowering interest rates further,” Capital Economics said in a note.

The bank said on Friday it will “further decide on its key rate depending on the balance of inflation risks and economic cooling”.

Oleg Kouzmin, an economist at Renaissance Capital, said expectations were that the Russian central bank would leave the rate untouched at its next meeting in September. l

CORPORATE NEWS

Modhumoti Bank Limited has recently held a board meeting at its head office. The bank’s chairperson, Humayun Kabir was present on the occasion, among others

NCC Bank Ltd has recently elected its director, Md Nurun Newaz Salim as chairperson of the bank’s executive committee. He was also the bank’s chairperson for more than four years in the past

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BUSINESS 17

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

Oil prices tank as OPEC heightens oversupply worries n AFP, New York Oil prices plummeted Friday as traders digested the latest OPEC signal that crude production would not be cut despite global oversupply and falling prices.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for September delivery dived almost 3%, shedding $1.40 to close at $47.52 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Brent North Sea crude for September dropped $1.10 (2.1%) to settle at $52.21 a barrel in London trade.

Both contracts had tumbled on Thursday, snapping two consecutive days of gains.

On Friday, the WTI futures contract clocked a fifth straight week of decline and was heading closer to its lowest level in six years, following an attempt at stabilization around $60 a barrel in the spring.

“The week hasn’t been particularly kind to oil,” said Bart Melek of TD Securities.

“Despite the fact we got a surprise draw in the US crude inventories on Wednesday, the market remains quite worried ... that there is an oversupply situation in the crude market globally,” he said.

The New York market totally erased the timid rebound it staged Wednesday after the Department of Energy reported a sharp drop in US commercial crude inventories last week.

“The US crude inventories decline of 4.2 million barrels didn’t really convince the situation is going to change,” Melek said.

He added that OPEC had produced in July some two million barrels per day above its production quota set in June.

On Thursday, Abdullah El-Badri, secretary-general of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, said the group would not cut output in response to lower prices.

A worker looks at a pump jack at an oil field Buzovyazovskoye owned by Bashneft company north from Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia REUTERS The OPEC chief, speaking in Moscow after meeting Russia’s energy minister on Thursday, he said the cartel is “not ready” to cut production, which it has officially capped at 30 million barrels per day for nearly four years.

Analysts said the statement shows OPEC is determined to defend its market share as it fends off competition from US shale oil.

Chart analysts say oil futures still look very weak.

Tamas Varga, analyst at London brokerage PVM Oil Associates, said a brief pause in the downtrend appeared to be over.

“Today hopefully will (tell us) if the relatively stable performance of the last two days is a correction, or the market actually is about to bottom out. From the technical perspective

Windows 10 entices millions in first day n AFP, Washington Some 14 million people installed the Windows 10 operating system in the first 24 hours following its release, Microsoft said, calling the response “overwhelmingly positive.”

The company said its new operating system aimed at computers, mobile devices and other gadgets got off to a strong start toward its goal of reaching one billion devices.

“We’re humbled and grateful to see the response to Windows 10,” corporate vice president Yusuf Mehdi said in a blog post late Thursday.

“We have seen unprecedented demand for Windows 10, with reviews and customer feedback overwhelmingly positive around the globe.”

The stakes are high for Microsoft as it pushes out the new operating system for both traditional computers and mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones.

The company is hoping the new system

can help it gain traction in mobile, where it lags behind Google Android and Apple iOS, and in emerging technologies for computing.

Windows 10 - Microsoft skipped directly from Windows 8, which got a lackluster response - is being offered as a free upgrade for most devices, making it possible to be available quickly on billions of devices.

It will allow for voice, pen and gesture input, and in some cases biometric identification for improved security.

Mehdi said the company is rolling out the software in phases to make the transition easier.

“Our top priority has been ensuring that everyone has a great upgrade experience, so, we are carefully rolling out Windows 10 in phases, delivering Windows 10 first to our Windows Insiders,” he said.

“While we now have more than 14 million devices running Windows 10, we still have many more upgrades to go before we catch up to each of you that reserved your upgrade.” l

it is probably the former,” Varga said.

“OPEC is telling the market that cuts will not come from them,” said Daniel Ang, an investment analyst with Phillip Futures in Singapore.

OPEC is “emphasizing that it is fighting for market share,” he added.

Investors awaited the release of US employment data later on Friday for indications on the direction of the dollar.

Dollar strength has also weighed on oil prices in recent weeks as a higher US currency makes fuel more expensive for oil importers who earn euros, pounds and other currencies.

The US data could provide further clues to whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in September. l

Slow Asian demand despite multi-year low gold prices n Reuters, Manila

Asian gold demand hardly perked up this week even as the price of the precious metal languished near its lowest since 2010 with many would-be buyers predicting further price declines, keeping premiums steady in the world’s top gold consuming region.

Gold is on course to post a sixth consecutive weekly loss, its longest retreat since 1999, after US economic expansion in the first half backed expectations for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this year.

“Demand was only on the first day, Monday. The next day, it was down and the next days too,” said Ronald Leung, chief dealer at Lee Cheong Gold Dealers in Hong Kong where, he said, gold is still sold at 90 cents to $1.10 an ounce over the global benchmark, the same as last week.

“I think people are still bearish on gold and because everyone is seeing all these bad news like a rate hike in September, no one wants to buy for now.”

A US rate increase cuts the appeal of assets that don’t earn interest such as gold.

Gold’s draw thinned even more after a July 20 rout that spurred more selling, pushing prices to $1,077 an ounce on July 24, the lowest since February 2010.

“Despite trading at multi-year lows, physical demand has been on the low side with premiums in China and India hardly moving,” MKS Group trader Jason Cerisola said in a note.

On the Shanghai Gold Exchange, premiums remained at just over $1 an ounce while those in Singapore stayed at about $1, traders said.

A sustained selldown in Chinese equities, headed for their biggest monthly loss in six years, is not helping gold.

“In China, I think a lot of them are forced to sell gold at really discounted prices to pay off their stock losses. l

Dollar rally takes breather in Asia n AFP, Tokyo The dollar eased against the yen Friday after a three-day rally driven by upbeat US economic growth and expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike as early as September.

In Tokyo, the greenback bought 123.97 yen against 124.15 yen in New York, where it briefly jumped to 124.50 yen.

The euro strengthened to $1.0945 from $1.0931 while it edged down to 135.69 yen from 135.70 yen in US trade.

On Thursday, the US Commerce Department said the world’s top economy expanded at an annualised rate of 2.3% in the April-June period, the strongest since the third quarter of 2014.

And while the figure was a little below expectations, the department also revised up its estimate on the first quarter of the year - which was hit by severe winter weather - to growth of 0.6 percent, from a 0.2% contraction.

“The US dollar remains supported by the looming Fed tightening cycle,” Imre Speizer, a senior market strategist at Westpac Banking Corp. in Auckland, told Bloomberg News.

“As we get closer to that date and get possible clues from speeches by officials over the

next few weeks, I expect the dollar to auto-resume its upward trend.”

The Fed has suggested that it will hike interest rates by the end of the year, with analysts tipping September or December as being the most likely months for an announcement.

The latest growth figures have fuelled speculation the bank will move sooner than later.

Earlier Friday, another round of soft Japanese inflation data fanned talk of more monetary easing by the country’s central bank.

The internal affairs ministry said household spending fell 2% year-on-year in June against market expectations for an increase after a rise of 4.8% in May. Core inflation, excluding volatile fresh food prices, was up 0.1%, well short of the Bank of Japan’s 2% target.

“The BoJ is having a little trouble with that inflation data, in that it isn’t doing what they would like. It is stubbornly staying low,” National Australia Bank said in a commentary.

The dollar was largely higher against other Asia-Pacific currencies.

It rose to 13,487 Indonesian rupiah from 13,470 rupiah on Thursday, to 35.14 Thai baht from 35.08 baht, and to 64.03 Indian rupees from 63.95 rupees. l

DT

18 BUSINESS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

News, analysis and recent disclosures LINDEBD: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors has approved 200% interim cash dividend for the year ending 31 December 2015.

Record date for entitlement of interim dividend: 03.08.2015.

APEXSPINN: 20% cash dividend for the year ended on March 31, 2015. AGM: 30.09.2015, Record date: 18.08.2015. The Company has also reported net profit after tax of Tk. 23.20 million, EPS with fair valuation surplus/deficit of Investment of Tk. 2.27, EPS without fair valuation surplus/ deficit of Investment of Tk. 2.76, NAV per share of Tk. 50.02 and NOCFPS of Tk. (1.79) for the year ended on March 31, 2015 as against Tk. 18.80 million, Tk. 3.35, Tk. 2.24, Tk. 49.75 and Tk. 2.50 respectively for the year ended on March 31, 2014.

SUNLIFEINS: The Board of Directors has recommended 6% stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

Date of AGM: 15.09.2015, Time: 10:00 AM, Venue: Trust Milonayaton, 545, Old Airport Road, Tejgaon, Dhaka-1206.

Record Date: 18.08.2015.

PRAGATILIF: 17% cash and 5% stock dividend AGM: 29.09.2015,. Record Date: 20.08.2015.

SHASHADNIM: 10% interim cash dividend for 2015, Record date for entitlement of interim cash dividend: 20.08.2015.

Audited/unaudited Financial Reports: LINDEBD: (H/Y Un-audited): Net Profit after tax from Jan-15 to June-15 was Tk. 243.48 million

with EPS of Tk. 16.00 as against Tk. 294.95 million and Tk. 19.38 respectively for the same period of the previous year. Whereas Net Profit after tax from April-15 to June-15 was Tk. 95.01 million with EPS of Tk. 6.24 as against Tk. 157.29 million and Tk. 10.34 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

ISLAMIBANK: (H/Y Un-audited): Consolidated Net Profit after tax (excluding non-controlling interests) from Jan-15 to June-15 was Tk. 3,395.24 m. with consolidated EPS of Tk. 2.11 as against Tk. 974.06 m. and Tk. 0.61 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

Whereas consolidated Net Profit after tax (excluding non-controlling interests) from April-15 to June-15 was Tk. 2,994.46 m. with consolidated EPS of Tk. 1.86 as against Tk. 590.01 m. and Tk. 0.37 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

HEIDELBCEM: (H/Y Un-audited): Profit after tax from Jan-15 to June-15 was Tk. 846.13 million with EPS of Tk. 14.97 as against Tk. 817.07 million and Tk. 14.46 respectively for the same period of the previous year. Whereas Profit after tax from April-15 to June-15 was Tk. 353.93 million with EPS of Tk. 6.26 as against Tk. 412.54 million and Tk. 7.30 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

CITYGENINS: (H/Y Un-audited): Net Profit after tax from Jan-15 to June-15 was Tk. 55.89 million with EPS of Tk. 0.99 as against Tk. 52.27 million and Tk. 0.93 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

Closing (% change)

Company Zaheen Spinning -N Bangladesh Lamps -A ISN Ltd. -Z BD Fixed Income MF-A GeminiSeaFood-B Olympic Accessories -N National Housing Fin.-B Apex Foods -A Hakkani P& Paper -B BD Finance-B

30.10 26.46 22.45 17.65 17.25 14.36 13.22 13.08 12.83 11.88

CSE GAINER Closing (% change)

Company PragatiLife Insu. -Z Bangladesh Lamps -A Zaheen Spinning -N EXIM Bank 1 MF-A ISN Ltd. -Z BD Fixed Income MF-A Apex Foods -A Olympic Accessories -N Hakkani P& Paper -B National Housing Fin.-B

106.90 35.80 31.37 25.00 24.75 23.75 15.74 14.01 12.77 12.61

DSE LOSER Company Fareast Islami Life -A Republic Insu.-A Linde (BD) Ltd. -A Savar Refractories-Z Central Insur -A Apex Footwear-A Rupali InsurA MeghnaCement -A BGIC -A R. N. Spinning-Z

Closing (% change) -19.09 -11.83 -11.09 -10.16 -8.87 -8.81 -8.42 -7.69 -7.29 -7.26

CSE LOSER Company Fareast Islami Life -A Republic Insu.-A MeghnaCement -A Wata Chemicals -A Continental Insur. -A Apex Footwear-A Aramit -A BGIC -A Eastern Cables-A Linde (BD) Ltd. -A

Closing (% change) -19.40 -12.28 -10.11 -9.81 -9.04 -8.84 -8.67 -8.02 -7.69 -7.66

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

DSE key features July 26-30, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka)

DSE GAINER

Sector

33,833.62 860,187,521 720,680

Traded Issues

325

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

158

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

165

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

2

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,705.57

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

32.79

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 1844.26 2136.40 525.85 5065.86 1110.82 5789.09 25.42 3680.36 5834.16 111.95 598.89 126.01 857.96 2422.38 232.39 164.47 315.00 926.75 745.99 1317.74 1.88

% change 5.45 6.31 1.55 14.97 3.28 17.11 0.08 10.88 17.24 0.33 1.77 0.37 2.54 7.16 0.69 0.49 0.93 2.74 2.20 3.89 0.01

Million Taka 99.55 147.43 20.50 548.31 138.89 405.76 0.00 271.87 339.30 12.50 44.03 7.36 36.06 205.72 17.85 4.15 17.74 130.71 93.43 142.57 0.06

Average (% change) 31.63 27.96 31.22 20.56 15.79 15.40 13.12 14.25 12.29 10.01 Average (% change) 101.61 38.14 30.14 25.00 26.98 24.53 17.09 14.72 11.96 14.55

Average (% change) -18.25 -10.59 -12.32 -3.12 -6.86 -9.96 -10.08 -9.01 -5.66 -7.10

Average (% change) -16.46 -11.65 -9.24 -8.89 -11.03 -8.31 -8.67 -6.53 -7.69 -7.69

CSE

Closing average 27.38 157.06 12.82 8.21 290.81 66.15 25.86 124.06 52.44 11.21

Closing average 150.00 156.71 26.94 8.00 12.80 9.90 126.46 65.87 52.60 26.37

Closing average 64.09 15.03 1186.03 50.00 18.59 331.35 17.31 112.04 17.85 23.03

Closing average 65.76 15.01 111.25 159.00 15.09 339.25 226.50 17.18 120.00 1,225.33

% change 3.71 5.49 0.76 20.43 5.18 15.12 0.00 10.13 12.64 0.47 1.64 0.27 1.34 7.67 0.67 0.15 0.66 4.87 3.48 5.31 0.00

Weekly closing 26.80 156.30 12.00 8.00 293.70 66.10 25.70 123.60 51.90 11.30

Weekly closing 150.00 154.00 26.80 8.00 12.60 9.90 125.00 65.90 52.10 25.90

Weekly closing 64.00 14.90 1206.70 45.10 18.50 336.50 17.40 111.70 17.80 23.00

Weekly closing 64.00 15.00 111.20 159.00 15.10 337.30 226.50 17.20 120.00 1,225.40

Million Taka 1943.81 2283.83 546.36 5614.17 1249.71 6194.85 25.42 3952.23 6173.47 124.45 642.92 133.37 894.02 2628.10 250.24 168.62 332.74 1057.46 839.42 1460.31 1.94

Weekly high

Weekly low

28.50 164.90 13.50 8.40 294.00 66.90 27.90 129.80 55.40 11.30

Weekly high

21.00 125.00 9.90 6.90 255.00 58.80 22.20 108.00 45.70 10.00

Weekly low

150.00 164.30 27.90 8.30 13.50 11.00 128.00 66.70 55.20 27.80

Weekly high

150.00 124.70 20.90 7.00 9.30 8.00 104.20 59.00 44.10 22.20

Weekly low

69.00 17.30 1310.00 52.00 20.80 374.90 19.10 131.70 19.90 25.20

Weekly high 71.90 16.00 130.00 162.00 16.50 347.00 226.50 19.40 123.00 1,280.10

Total

62.60 14.80 1150.00 45.00 18.30 328.00 17.10 110.50 16.70 22.70

Weekly low 61.60 15.00 111.00 157.00 15.00 335.00 226.50 16.90 117.00 1,150.00

% change 5.32 6.25 1.50 15.37 3.42 16.96 0.07 10.82 16.91 0.34 1.76 0.37 2.45 7.20 0.69 0.46 0.91 2.90 2.30 4.00 0.01

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

Turnover in million

Latest EPS

213.651 168.541 11.053 3.637 14.820 824.386 21.960 57.959 60.796 33.392

Turnover in million

1.18 4.32 0.16 0.51 11.77 1.41 2.24 0.36 0.29 0.06

Latest EPS

0.000 3.144 14.893 0.009 0.964 0.132 0.674 196.328 8.957 0.778

Turnover in million

23.2 36.4 80.1 16.1 24.7 46.9 11.5 344.6 180.8 186.8

Latest PE

2.38 4.32 1.18 0.56 0.16 0.51 0.36 1.41 0.29 2.24

Latest EPS

19.287 8.457 156.787 0.036 1.284 44.510 9.115 78.342 19.874 58.752

Turnover in million

Latest PE

63.0 36.3 22.8 14.3 80.0 19.4 351.3 46.7 181.4 11.8

Latest PE

4.60 2.18 32.00 -0.64 2.32 -24.62 2.60 7.30 3.00 0.44

Latest EPS

0.864 0.114 2.290 0.535 0.057 0.137 0.023 0.388 1.131 0.919

13.9 6.9 37.1 -ve 8.0 -ve 6.7 15.3 6.0 52.3

Latest PE

4.60 2.18 7.30 3.80 3.02 -24.62 13.84 3.00 1.12 32.00

14.3 6.9 15.2 41.8 5.0 -ve 16.4 5.7 107.1 38.3

CSE key features July 26-30, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

2,683.81 72,804,556 101,610

Traded Issues

278

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

146

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

129

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

3

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,604.43

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

31.57

DT

BUSINESS 19

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

Modest profit booking breaks 4-week rally n Tribune Report

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company LafargeS Cement-A Square Pharma -A Khulna Power-A Beximco Pharma -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Shahjibazar Power-N Olympic Accessories -N Shasha Denims -N RAK Ceramics-A ACI Limited- A

FAR Chemical-N Grameenphone-A United Power-N People`s Leasing-A DESCO Ltd. -A Ifad Autos -N

Volume shares 15,441,269 4,996,605 13,106,887 13,923,212 25,571,657 4,430,291 12,898,235 18,479,533 10,142,318 1,361,055

14,525,519 2,176,338 4,393,122 39,345,532 8,923,476 5,696,805

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

Familytex (BD) Ltd.-A MJL BD Ltd.-A Shahjibazar Power-N Khulna Power-A People`s Leasing-A

Volume shares 3,071,401 1,497,442 692,721 1,095,645 3,024,771 286,822 328,930 1,374,748 7,451,413 275,590

4,611,609 542,742 281,218 681,147 2,993,603

Value in million 1932.85 1353.44 1021.17 944.56 864.22 858.03 824.39 803.81 793.60 786.71

749.65 732.87 719.37 666.46 665.54 669.83

Value in million 196.33 186.45 113.68 103.31 102.24 96.58 94.54 93.27 80.35 74.52

64.09 60.49 54.26 53.10 50.84

% of total turnover 5.71 4.00 3.02 2.79 2.55 2.54 2.44 2.38 2.35 2.33

2.22 2.17 2.13 1.97 1.97 1.79

% of total turnover 7.32 6.95 4.24 3.85 3.81 3.60 3.52 3.48 2.99 2.78

2.39 2.25 2.02 1.98 1.89

Weekly closing 127.00 272.70 77.30 69.70 33.80 190.40 66.10 44.40 77.80 585.20

53.20 330.50 165.00 16.90 74.60 114.30

Weekly closing 65.90 126.50 165.00 97.00 33.80 330.60 277.10 69.90 10.90 272.60

13.90 113.00 190.40 77.50 17.00

Price change 1.28 2.21 -1.28 7.07 1.50 -4.61 14.36 6.47 -4.19 0.74

Weekly opening 125.40 266.80 78.30 65.10 33.30 199.60 57.80 41.70 81.20 580.90

Weekly high 130.00 276.00 80.50 70.40 34.60 204.40 66.90 44.80 82.80 596.00

Price change 14.01 0.88 2.80 4.86 1.50 -2.22 0.22 7.54 2.83 2.56

Weekly opening 57.80 125.40 160.50 92.50 33.30 338.10 276.50 65.00 10.60 265.80

Weekly high 66.70 129.70 170.00 98.00 34.70 342.00 278.90 70.80 11.30 277.00

9.92 -2.19 3.13 4.97 3.61 1.06

1.46 -0.62 -4.99 -1.15 6.25

48.40 337.90 160.00 16.10 72.00 113.10

13.70 113.70 200.40 78.40 16.00

53.70 340.40 169.00 18.30 76.40 124.50

14.50 114.20 204.00 80.30 18.00

Weekly low 121.50 263.50 75.50 65.00 32.90 185.20 58.80 41.90 75.90 567.00

49.10 329.00 155.70 15.20 71.00 110.10

Weekly low 59.00 121.40 157.30 87.60 33.00 330.00 268.00 65.00 10.40 263.80

13.50 108.60 186.00 75.70 15.40

Weekly average 125.69 271.74 76.96 69.28 33.91 189.17 66.15 43.93 77.17 580.67

52.57 331.32 164.86 16.66 74.20 116.84

Weekly average 65.87 125.07 165.04 96.75 33.92 335.00 288.51 69.46 10.90 271.58

13.95 111.77 188.96 76.97 17.21

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

4792.30659

(-) 0.33%

1883.91037

(-) 0.26%

14715.2371

(-) 0.03%

12222.3955

(-) 0.19%

8959.5953

(-) 0.06%

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

Stock markets declined in the past week as investors went for profit booking on previous four-week gains.

Throughout the week that ended Thursday, cautious trading was noticed amid mixed corporate earnings news and over latest monetary policy statement unveiled in the last session.

During the week that ended Thursday, the benchmark index DSEX was marginally down 16 points or 0.4% to 4,808.

The blue-chip comprising index DS30 edged 5 points or 0.3% lower to 1,884. The DSE Shariah Index shed 5 points or 0.5% to end at 1,189.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Categories Index, CSCX, lost 5.7 points to 8,959. on Thursday, Bangladesh Bank announced cautious monetary policy for the first half of the current fiscal year, keeping the policy rate unchanged, increasing broad money supply, cutting private sector credit growth and creating $500m fund for encouraging exports and local green industries.

Out of five sessions in the week, three closed lower and rest two ended marginally higher.

The Dhaka Stock Ex-

change’s daily average turnover in the past week was Tk677 crore – an increase of 0.5% over the previous week.

Pharmaceuticals, power and engineering witnessed active trading as they together accounted for almost 50% of the week’s total turnover.

Most of the sectors witnessed price correction in the week. Among the major sectors, telecommunication lost 2.2%, financial institutions 1.5%, fuel and power 0.9%.

Textile posted the highest gain of 2.8% while engineering 2%.

“As half yearly earnings figures are hitting onto the screen, investors are carefully considering their positions on stocks,” said Lanka Bangla Securities.

Average daily turnover was slightly up in the week, indicating cautiousness among investors ahead of monetary policy, it said.

IDLC Investments said as the week saw a good number of corporate earnings declaration, the market priced the stocks accordingly.

Certain issues failed to meet investors’ expectations and the index started to move sideways as sale pressure started to pile up, it said, adding that the investors’ optimism, however, prevailed as evidenced by buoyant turnover. l

ANALYST

As half yearly earnings figures are hitting onto the screen, investors are carefully considering their positions on stocks

DT

20 BUSINESS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

Bangladesh Bank recognises non-resident Bangladeshis for sending home the highest amount of remittance at a function in Dhaka yesterday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Bangladesh Bank awards 31 NRBs n Tribune Report Bangladesh Bank awarded 31 non-resident Bangladeshis for sending home the highest amount of remittance and for investing in bonds in 2014.

The central bank also gave awards to two exchange houses for their contributions to increase in remittance inflow to the country by providing NRBs with necessary services for sending their earnings.

BB Governor Atiur Rahman handed over crests and certificates of the Bangladesh Bank Remittance Award at a function in Bangladesh Bank Training Academy in the capital.

The central bank Deputy Governor SK Sur Chowdhury presided over the award giving ceremony.

Bangladesh’s economy showed stability despite global economic recession and domestic problems and the credit goes to the non-Resident Bangladeshis and expatriates for sending their earnings home, said the governor.

To recognise their contributions and to encourage sending money through banking channel instead of “Hundi”, the award is given to them, he added.

Atiur emphasised skill development of workers as remittance mostly come from lower-income expatriates, who are basically unskilled.

“At present, we cannot utilise our higher educated and skilled manpower and they are earning a huge amount of money, staying abroad.”

Being trained in several subjects, women are also going abroad and helping increase remittance flow, he said.

Sound remittance will help Bangladesh reduce poverty and generate employment as the money is being invested in farming, fishery, poultry and small and cottage industry, added the governor.

Currently, remittance contributes 6% to the country’s GDP and over 60% of foreign exchange are from remittance.

Japanese Cow beauty soap brand enters Bangladesh market n Tribune Business Desk World famous Japanese Cow brand beauty soap formally entered the Bangladesh market yesterday, targeting consumers above the middle class.

The formal launching ceremony was held at a city hotel in presence of Teiji Miyazaki, President of Cow Brand Soap Kyoshinsha Co. Ltd, reports UNB. “We’re delighted to be here and will win consumers through our quality products,” Teiji Miyazaki told reporters at the event adding that they have been providing a wide variety of products for beauty, cleanliness and health since our inception in 1909.

MissMe Cosmetics & Toiletries Limited brought the product in Bangladesh market in partnership with Japanese company.

Japanese ‘Cow Beauty Soap’ is a No1 best selling soap with 106 years rich history. Cow beauty soap takes the purest, highest-grade ingredients and combines them with saponification technology that truly delivers results. The company also produces various other beauty products, including beauty soaps, liquid body washes, liquid hand soaps, face washes, makeup removers, shampoos, conditioners, hair treatments, bath agents, and shaving cream. l

The governor talked about the central bank’s measures to ease the process and lower the cost of remitting money from overseas to Bangladesh and assured that BB would continue these efforts in future.

He thanked the NRBs, banks and financial institutions to help increase remittance inflow to the country, which resulted in the record of $25 billion foreign exchange reserves, well enough to meet the country’s seven months import demand.

Last year, BB awarded 24 NRBs, of them 20 were awarded as the highest remittance senders while the rest four got the award for investing in bonds. l

Chittagong chamber to open trade promotion centre in Sydney n Tribune Business Desk Citi Foundation awards micro-entrepreneurs for their oustanding business performances at a programme in the city yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Citi Foundation honours micro-entrepreneurs n Tribune Report Citi Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Citigroup, yesterday honoured micro-entrepreneurs and organisations for their outstanding performances in the business arena.

M Abdul Mannan, state minister for finance and planning, handed over awards to the winners at 10th Citi Micro-entrepreneurship Award-giving ceremony held in the city.

Md Oli Ullah from Chuadanga was adjudged the best micro-entrepreneur of the year in male’s category while Md Nur Islam Sheikh from Bogra won the runner-up title.

In female’s category, Fatema Khatun from Thakurgaon was nominated as the best woman micro-entrepreneur of the year while Mom-

ena Akter from Gazipur became the runner-up.

The other winners are Prohallad Bormon and Md Usman Goni in agriculture sector from Jessore from Chuadanga respectively.

Of the winning organisations, Sajida Foundation and Center for Development Innovation and Practices were picked up as the best micro-finance institutions of the year.

Rokia Afzal Rahman, former advisor to the caretaker government and acting chairperson of the CMA advisory council, Regina Seow, managing director, corporate affairs and head of corporate citizenship, Asia Pacific, and Sajedul Islam, acting Citi country officer for Bangladesh, and Md Abdul Awal, chairperson of CMA Screening Committee, and executive director of Credit and Development Forum attended the event. l

Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) is going to set up a trade and investment promotion centre in Australian city of Sydney, reports UNB. The centre will work to expand market of Bangladeshi products in the country, boost bilateral trades and attract Australian investment to Bangladesh.

CCCI President Mabbubul Alam and Ex-President M Abdul Latif, among others, were exchanging views with Australian Linden Group Chairman Dr John Saunders in Sydney on Friday.

“The main goal of the centre is to exploit the optimum economic potentials between Bangladesh and Australia through public-private joint efforts,” said Abdul Latif.

He hoped the centre would play a strong role as a platform of businesspeople from both the countries.

Mahbubul Alam said the centre would open a new era in bridging businessmen of two nations.

Commercial Councilor of Bangladesh High Commission, Australia Dr Nasim Ahmed, Chairman of Global Cosmetics Ltd Mukitur Rahman and its MD Foysal Hasan were also present. l

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Celebrating the arts of autism

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style session

I write sins, not tragedies Leatherex brings in a new twist in footwear fashion in their SS 2015 collection, which includes a range of ladies pumps, short to long boots, sandals, and men’s casuals, basics, and classics. With exclusive designs, they provide options for both men and women in their five Dhaka outlets. l

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Celebrating the arts of autism

Apollo Hospitals Dhaka inaugurates dedicated hip centre

Apollo Hip Centre was formally inaugurated in OPD level 1 at Apollo Hospitals Dhaka on August 1, and set to run under the direct supervision of orthopadic durgeon Dr Prashant Agrawal. The centre is designed to address all hip related problems associated with trauma, arthritis and age related wear and tear.

Dr Prasad R Muglikar, director of medical services, expressed his hope that this centre will cater the needs of patients with hip problems in coming days in comprehensive manner. Consultants, patients and their attendants and members of senior management were present at the inauguration ceremony. l

n Tribune Desk Blissful Spirits, a youth organisation that works with children suffering from autism, organised a day of art-therapy yesterday at Society for the Welfare of the Intellectually Disabled (SWID).

With 30 volunteers participating, the daylong event was part of the Blissful Spirit’s “Make a Change” campaign, which is a seven-day awareness-raising program that aims to raise awareness on intellectual disability through public events of art therapy and panel talks. They will have a similar event on Wednesday at Autism Welfare Foundation, scheduled from 9am to 12:30pm.

“It is a small effort with a lasting impact which will hopefully make people understand that intellectually disabled kids are no different from us. We believe that every child has a unique talent,” says Arnab Bainik, one of the founders of Blissful Spirits.

These pieces of artwork will be exhibited at SWID after the event, and the registration fee is Tk150.

Volunteers can also participate in the blissful conference on intellectual disability which will take place at Daffodil University on Thursday, and include a panel talk from members of the press, NGOs and other stakeholders who work on this issue.

For further information, please visit: http://blissfulspirits.org/ l

New collection of Men’s World Men’s World has brought in a new collection of clothing choices, including exclusively designed panjabis, short and long sleeved casual and formal shirts, formal pants and many more. l

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I write sins, not tragedies Common fashion flubs and how to avoid them

nSabrina Fatma Ahmad Say what you will about Dhaka’s liveability or lack thereof; among the handful of things we can thank this city for is the almost infinite variety of sartorial choices for men and women. From traditional saris and kameezes to Western wear, from the daring to the conservative, there’s something for everyone, and it’s all surprisingly affordable, relatively speaking. Given this cornucopia of couture choices, you’d think that people would dress better. That, unfortunately, is another story, and we’re hoping to rewrite it.

Here are three baby steps to get you started.

Gym gear is not daily wear Unless you’re a gym instructor, please save your workout clothes for when you’re actually working out. We know a lot of this year’s hottest styles are athletica inspired, which is why if you want to rock the sporty chic look, swap those sweatpants for some nice cotton/viscose joggers, those bulky running shoes for some cute loafers, and we promise, you’ll be just as comfortable and still look put together.

Leggings aren’t substitutes for jeans We’ve actually said this over and over again, but somehow, people have been slow on the uptake. Leggings are super comfortable and versatile, particularly when you’re used to mixing and matching ethnic and western wear. As great as they are, they’re still not a pair of pants, so don’t pair them with crop tops or tiny tees. Any top you wear with your leggings needs to be long enough to cover your privates. Save us those whale-tails and camel toe sightings, please.

A little colour won’t kill you We get it. Somewhere along the line, you learned that black was slimming, and you went all Wednesday Addams with your wardrobe. Fun fact: after 35, an all-black wardrobe can actually make you look older, not young and fun. Take some baby steps by incorporating pops of colour into your outfit, and maybe experiment with other dark colours, such as aubergine or navy, which are still slimming, still understated, but add more energy. l

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Tailored

Boys II men wardrobe check

his style

Before you head out

It’s always better to set out your outfit the night before

Four items which you don’t need in your closet, boys

n Baizid Haque Joarder The tale of mothers complaining about the atrocious amount of unnecessary clothing (read, junk) taking up precious space in your closet, is an age-old one. Let’s face it, either these clothes have immense sentimental value to you or you’re simply lazy. No matter what, that boyhood wardrobe needs a clean up while transforming into that of a stylish man.

That being said, here are four items which are probably sitting somewhere in your closet; swap them out with some “grown-up” gear.

Swap: Your go-to bootcut jeans With: Slim or straight fitted denim

Swap

With

Swap: Your shiny club shirt With: A classic Oxford button-down shirt

Swap

We all have owned that one shiny shirt that never fails to grab the attention of on-lookers. However, new trends suggest that such heed is probably because you’re looking like an eyesore.

With

On the other hand, a plain cotton buttondown shirt would make their jaws drop.

Why? As Leonardo da Vinci would answer, “Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication.”

Swap: T-shirts with comic slogans With: Plain or printed t-shirts

It’s been years since the bootcut revelation in the denim industry. Although a few retailers would still bring out the old bootcuts, it has long been out of fashion for you, unless you’re a 30-year-old mom or an actor playing a 70’s cowboy, that is. Fitted is what the contemporary designers are aiming for, and honestly, it looks way better.

Swap Swap: Those comfy cargo shorts With: Chino shorts

With

Swap

With

There’s no denying that most of us guys have had a soft spot for the cargo shorts at some point in our lives, but the sagging pouches doesn’t compliment anyone’s legs. And if you have skinny legs, said shorts probably look like tents on them.

Enter, chino shorts. The smarter cuts not only make you appear sharper but effortlessly stylish, if donned right.

Pastel shades and nautical prints are also trending this season.

Making a statement through your clothes is one thing but less-than-creative slogans slapped across your chest is another. Saving them for sleepovers might be a better idea.

This season, keep it simple and classic with plain cotton crew neck tees with subtle prints. If you’re a hipster, notes will help. l

n Mahmood Hossain If you’re fortunate enough to find yourself in a job you love and are passionate about, mornings can be easier than most people’s start to the day. While you’re strapped and ready to head to the office, you might even catch yourself in the mirror saying, “Damn. I look good.” Unfortunately, sometimes when you reach your work place and realise maybe what you had on wasn’t too great to begin with. The problem is some of you are in a rush to get ready in the morning, taking 15 minutes to run out the door.

In order to look your best, you have to be prepared before hand, specifically the night before. Here is the best possible way to be on top of your work look for the day.

1. Always make sure of the weather, and change your outfit accordingly.

2. Pay attention to every detail, from the clothing to the accessories. Leave nothing out, and lay everything out.

3. Iron your shirt or trousers, if they need it.

4. Hang all of your clothes on a hook.

You can always instal a small hood on the back of your bedroom door or in your closet. Keep all other personal belongings nearby so nothing is forgotten.

5. Now, breathe, take a step back and evaluate what’s in front of you. You have to remind yourself that work is several hours away in the morning, not in 15 minutes. Take the morning to groom youself, while the rest has been taken care of the night before.

When all is said and done, it would be wise to invest in a full-body-length mirror if you don’t already have one.l

Sri Lanka seamer Chanaka Welegedara has migrated to Australia after being overlooked for the home Tests against Pakistan.

His club, Tamil Union, hosted a farewell event for him on Monday

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U16S GROUPED WITH INDIA, SL IN SAFF C’SHIP

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GUARDIOLA STILL UNDECIDED ABOUT BAYERN FUTURE

Mohammad Shahid (L) and Mustafizur Rahman (C) stretch while maverick all-rounder Shakib al Hasan plays keepy-uppy with the ball during training at Mirpur’s SBNS yesterday

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

It is extremely frustrating, says Liton n Minhaz Uddin Khan Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Kumar Das yesterday expressed disappointment with the persistent rainfall that is causing havoc in the ongoing two-Test series between the hosts and the visiting South Africa side.

Incessant showers yet again reared its ugly head yesterday as the entire third day’s play of the second and final Test at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium was washed out without a ball being bowled and Liton informed the media that it is frustrating times for the Tigers.

“We had Nasir [Hossain] unbeaten with two wickets in hand. I think it was possible

for us to post something more than 300, which could have been good for us,” said Liton yesterday.

“We thought there would be some game [yesterday].

The weather looked fine but it was only for a while. It is frustrating but then again, you have to accept it as you do not have control over the weather,” the 20-year old Dinajpur lad added.

The third day however, was slightly better compared to the second day’s proceedings.

Yesterday, cricketers of both the sides at least came to the ground as the sun briefly peeked

through the cloud covers.

Both the teams arrived at the home of cricket at 12:30pm and played some football as part of their warm-up. Match officials inspected the ground at 1:30pm and announced that the five-dayer will resume at 2:15pm, only to see rain pouring down just when the clock struck 2.

Officials waited for an hour before calling off the day’s play, much to the disappointment of the two sides.

In all likelihood, the Dhaka Test is heading towards a sure draw due to the continuous downpours. This will be the third such in-

stance in recent times that a Test in Bangladesh ended in a draw owing to rain, starting with the lone five-dayer against India last June.

If the South Africa Tests end 0-0, ninthplaced Bangladesh will gain five rating points, taking their tally from 41 to 47 rating points. If the Dhaka Test does conclude in a draw then the Tigers would trail eighth-ranked West Indies by 34 points.

But for the South Africans, who are the world’s number one Test side, it is the total opposite. The tourists will lose six rating points, which would decrease their tally from 130 to 124. l

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Bangladesh grouped with India, SL in Saff U16 Championship n Shishir Hoque Bangladesh were pitted alongside India and Sri Lanka in Group A of the 2015 Saff Under-16 Championship, scheduled to be hosted in Sylhet from August 9-18.

Nepal, Afghanistan and Maldives, meanwhile, were placed in Group B during the draw ceremony at BFF House in Dhaka yesterday. The tournament’s fixture however, is yet to be announced.

A total of six teams will take part in the 10day event. First edition champions Pakistan earlier decided not to participate in the tournament.

India are the defending champions of the competition, having defeated hosts Nepal in Kathmandu two years ago, while Bangladesh finished third after beating Afghanistan in the third-place decider.

There will be no prize money for the champions or the runners-up side. However, each of the six teams will receive $5,000 as participation money while Bangladesh will pocket $50,000 as the host nation. l

(L-R) BCB pitch curator Belal, former Bangladesh cricketer and ICC umpire Enamul Haque Moni and commentator Shamim Ashraf Chowdhury had no control over the weather like everyone else. Hence they too spent another leisure day at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium as the third day of the second Test between the home side and South Africa was washed out MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Group A India Bangladesh Sri Lanka

Group B Nepal Afghanistan Maldives

Clarke demands more of bowlers

BCB announces women’s prelim squad for South Africa series n AFP, Birmingham Australia captain Michael Clarke called for an n Tribune Desk improved performance by his attack and was Bangladesh Cricket Board yesterday named a 26-member women’s squad for the upcoming home series against South Africa women’s team. The cricketers will undergo a 10-day camp, beginning this Friday at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

The South Africa women’s team are scheduled to tour Bangladesh this October. The fixture of the bilateral series however, is yet to be confirmed.

Squad:

Salma Khatun, Ritu Moni, Jahanara Alam, Lily Rani, Farzana Haque, Tithi Rani, Rumana Ahmed, Shamima Sultana (WK), Lata Mondal, Sharmin Sultana, Ayasha Rahman, Rubaya Haider, Panna Ghosh, Nigar Sultana (WK), Shaila Sharmin, Tazia Akter, Fahima Khatun, Nahida Akter, Nuzhat Tasnia (WK), Shorifa Kathun, Sharmin Akter, Sumona Akter, Sanjida Islam, Suraiya Azmim, Khadija Tul Kubra, Jannatul Ferdous l

even harder on himself after an eight-wicket defeat by England in the third Test at Edgbaston on Friday left his side 2-1 down in the fivematch Ashes series.

A remarkable match ended inside three days as England pacemen James Anderson and Steven Finn took six wickets each in below par Australia scores of 136 and 265 respectively on a seaming but far from unplayable pitch in Birmingham.

As a result, Australia’s bowlers didn’t have anything like sufficient runs to play with, particularly when England were chasing a modest target of 121 for victory.

That England needed a three-figure score to win was in large part down to the fact that Australia’s last three wickets added 97 runs between them on Friday.

This was a rebuke to Australia’s specialist batsmen, with opener David Warner (77) the only member of the top six to make a double-figure score in the innings.

Nevertheless, it was true that Australia’s attack lacked England’s accuracy, after their extra speed proved a trump card in the second Test at Lord’s where the tourists won by 405 runs on a placid pitch to square the series at 1-1.

It is time for the captain to get off the plane and turn up. With my performances so far, I certainly haven’t led from the front as I’d like to do as captain “We had perfect bowling conditions. Overcast, a little bit of rain around and we just couldn’t hit the areas consistently,” Clarke said.

“The ball swung and seamed for the whole game. We had to be better than what we were,” he added ahead of next week’s fourth Test across the Midlands at Trent Bridge.

Mitchell Johnson, in the course of becoming just the fifth Australian to take 300 Test

wickets, started Thursday’s second day in sensational fashion with a couple of sharply rising deliveries that had both Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes caught behind off the glove.

And fellow left-arm quick Mitchell Starc gave Australia a glimmer of hope on Friday when he bowled England captain and opening batsman Alastair Cook with a full and swinging ball for seven.

Australia’s difficulties against the swinging and seaming ball have led to accusations their batsmen are “flat-track bullies”.

Meanwhile the 34-year-old Clarke, one of the leading batsmen of his generation, didn’t spare himself from critical analysis after scores of 10 and three at Edgbaston left him with a meagre series aggregate of 94 runs in six innings at an average of under 19.

“I think it’s always going to be hard to beat any opposition when they’ve got 11 and we’ve only 10,” Clarke said.

“It is time for the captain to get off the plane and turn up.

“With my performances so far, I certainly haven’t led from the front as I’d like to do as captain.” l

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QUICK BYTES Sk Russel-Farashganj tie postponed Yesterday’s Manyavar Bangladesh Premier League encounter between Sheikh Russel KC and Farashganj SC at Bangabandhu National Stadium has been postponed once again due to heavy downpour in the capital. The game was initially scheduled to be held last Friday but was later postponed after four minutes of play. The tie was rescheduled to resume yesterday, only for the rain to cause havoc yet again.

–SHISHIR HOQUE

Brazil’s Fred tests positive for banned substance Brazil midfielder Fred tested positive for the banned substance hydrochlorothiazide during the June-July Copa America, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Friday. The 22-year-old Shaktar Donetsk player has denied using the substance, which is a diuretic, and the CBF added in a statement that it would support him as he bids to clear his name.

–REUTERS

England call up Plunkett and Footitt for fourth Test England have added two pace bowlers to their 14-man squad for the fourth Test against Australia starting at Trent Bridge on Thursday as possible replacements for the injured James Anderson. Liam Plunkett and uncapped Mark Footitt were called up after Anderson sustained a side injury during England’s victory at Edgbaston which put them 2-1 ahead in the five-match Ashes series.

–REUTERS

Haddin omission hardest decision of my career: Lehmann n Reuters, Birmingham Overlooking Australia vice-captain Brad Haddin for the third Ashes Test was the “hardest decision I have had to make as coach”, Darren Lehmann said.

The 37-year-old Haddin asked to be stood down for the second Test at Lord’s because his daughter was sick and was not recalled for the match at Edgbaston for which understudy Peter Nevill retained his place.

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden labelled Haddin’s axing as ‘outrageous’ but Lehmann said the decision was taken because the wicketkeeper was out of form with the bat.

“Let’s make it perfectly clear. Brad has been a fantastic cricketer for Australia for a long period of time and that would be the hardest decision I have had to make as a coach, or even as a player,” Lehmann told reporters after England won by eight wickets on Friday to take a 2-1 series lead.

“I know there has been a very unbalanced view from a lot of people. We certainly care about Brad and his family. We had to make a decision on what we thought was the best 11 for this particular game.”

Haddin had a poor game in the first Test in Cardiff, scoring 29 in two innings and dropping centurion Joe Root before he had scored on the first morning when England had lost three wickets with only 43 on the board.

Australia handed Nevill a Test debut at

Lord’s and he made a good impression with seven catches and a knock of 45.

He also kept tidily at Edgbaston and scored a patient 59 in the second innings -- occupying the crease for 147 balls, the most of any batsman in the match.

“The cold hard facts were that he’s (Haddin) played the last 12 Test matches, made 250 runs at 15, 16 (average). It gets down to performance. I know there has been a big hoo ha about family first,” Lehmann added.

“Pete did a good job at Lord’s. Very hard to change that side and did a really good job in

Cook sets sights on back-to-back wins n AFP, Birmingham

Lambert leaves Liverpool to join West Brom Rickie Lambert has left Liverpool after a solitary season at Anfield to join West Bromwich Albion on a two-year deal, the clubs said on Friday.

Lambert, who has 11 caps for England, leaves Merseyside for an undisclosed fee, estimated to be around 3 million pounds ($4.7 million), according to British media reports.

–REUTERS

West Ham forward Valencia sustains ‘significant’ injury West Ham United’s Ecuador forward Enner Valencia suffered a “significant injury” in Thursday’s 2-2 draw with Astra Giurgiu in a Europa League third qualifying round first-leg tie, the club said in a statement. “Enner Valencia sustained what initially appears to be a significant injury to his right knee and right ankle...” the Premier league club said on their website.

–REUTERS

Tiger catches fire, in hunt to end two-year drought Tiger Woods matched his low round of the year with a sizzling five-under-par 66 Friday and moved into contention to end a two-year win drought at the PGA Quicken Loans National.

Woods, a 14-time major champion who also serves as tournament host this week, sank a 36-foot birdie putt on his penultimate hole to highlight a day where he leaped into a share of fifth on eight-under 134 for 36 holes, three back of leader Ryo Ishikawa.

–AFP

this game.

“A really tough decision to make and one that everyone’s going to have different emotions with it. That’s part of professional sport.”

Lehmann said Haddin had been “fantastic” in accepting being left out.

“I can’t speak highly enough of how good he’s been with Pete,” he said.

“He’s taken over the wicketkeeper coaching role as well as trying to do his own stuff to keep ready... one of the best blokes I’ve ever coached.” l

Pakistani cricket legend Wasim Akram delivers a ball during the 13-day camp organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board in Karachi yesterday AFP

Wasim confident in Pakistan’s pacer reserves n AFP, Karachi Pace legend Wasim Akram said Saturday he was confident Pakistan’s pool of young fast bowling talent would secure their future as he prepared to train a group of budding bowlers.

“Pakistan has enormous talent,” said Wasim at the launch of the 13-day camp under the Pakistan Cricket Board. “Talent keeps coming because there is a passion for bowling fast in Pakistan so we need to nurture the talent and I

am confident that the future is secure.”

The 49-year-old, regarded as one of the best left-arm paceman to have played the game, will train around 20 young bowlers from across the country, in particular from the tribal areas along the Afghan border and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

“I am happy that bowlers from remote areas have come to the camp and even though the 13-day period is short but I am sure these bowlers will learn the basics, like I did when I was young,” he said.l

England captain Alastair Cook has challenged his side to end their frustrating inconsistency by winning two Tests in a row and regaining the Ashes at Trent Bridge.

Cook’s men took a 2-1 lead in the fivematch series with a dominant eight-wicket win completed inside three days in the third Test at Edgbaston on Friday.

Yet since drawing their series opener against the West Indies in Antigua in April, England have been unable to string two wins together in their subsequent seven Tests in 2015.

Friday’s victory came on the back of a 405run defeat in the second Test at Lord’s, which in turn followed England’s 169-run success in the first Test in Cardiff.

Should the sequence be maintained, England would regain the Ashes 3-2 with a win in the series finale at The Oval.

But Cook, understandably would rather England headed to south London 3-1 up - and believes they can do even in the absence of injured fast bowler James Anderson.

“If (the sequence) goes to nine matches I will be just as happy but it would be nice to break that trend at Trent Bridge,” he said on Friday.

“Discussions over a beer tonight will be on that line but we have to enjoy the performance here first.

“Come tomorrow (Saturday) morning we wake up with the challenge of Trent Bridge ahead of us. l

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Falcao can play as dual striker, says Mourinho n Reuters, London

Arsenal seek title proof in Chelsea encounter n AFP, London

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said he could adopt a two-pronged attack with Colombian Radamel Falcao offering more options for the coming season after joining on loan from Monaco.

Falcao struggled to impress during a similar spell at Manchester United last season, but Mourinho has great faith in a player who will wear the number nine shirt for Chelsea.

Diego Costa shouldered most of the striking burden last season as a lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 system, but laboured after an explosive start.

Loic Remy offers pace and width but Falcao, Mourinho believes, could play in tandem with either.

Falcao only joined up with his new team mates in New York where Chelsea drew 2-2 with Barcelona in a friendly.

But Mourinho has already seen enough to believe he can make a big impact at Stamford Bridge.

“In the last 20 minutes against Barcelona (in last week’s friendly) we played with Loic Remy and Falcao,” Mourinho said.

“They did very well not just to bring the team forward but also with one less player in midfield they closed the spaces in front of the midfield line. We can play with two.”

“Falcao came on and suddenly the team was direct and objective. They closed the lines and played in the opposition half. Falcao held the ball up very well.

“I’m very happy with his first week. I like him a lot as a player. The team play very well with a striker of his quality. He’s not just a guy that can score a goal; he can also contribute a lot to the quality of the game.”

Falcao is expected to play a role in Sunday’s Community Shield against Arsenal with Diego Costa a slight injury doubt. l

Arsenal’s readiness to mount a sustained title challenge in 2015-16 will be tested at Wembley on Sunday when they face Premier League champions Chelsea in the Community Shield.

Arsene Wenger’s team finished last season at a gallop, winning 20 of their final 26 games in all competitions and retaining the FA Cup by swamping Aston Villa 4-0 in a one-sided final.

They have carried that momentum into pre-season, winning all four of their matches, and having finally addressed their longstanding goalkeeper problem by signing Petr Cech from Chelsea, optimism is abundant.

“We want to win the league, of course we do,” midfielder Jack Wilshere told the Arsenal website ahead of the English football season’s traditional opening fixture.

“We feel we’ve been together a few years now, we’ve brought in world-class players who have had time to settle, we’ve added a world-class ‘keeper with all of his experience - he’s been there and he’s done it; he’s won everything - so we really feel we’re in a strong position.”

With the experienced Cech between the posts, Arsenal look much more robust defensively, the Czech international having been allowed to join a major rival due to his close relationship with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

Cech, 33, spent 11 hugely successful years at Chelsea before being dislodged by Thibaut Courtois last season, winning four league titles and the 2012 Champions League, and former team-mate Branislav Ivanovic has urged the club’s fans not to jeer him.

To date, Cech is the only new player that Arsenal have signed, but they announced on Friday that forward Theo Walcott and midfielder Santi Cazorla have penned new contracts. l

Chelsea skipper John Terry (R) attends a training session in Stoke D’Abernon, south of London, ahead of their FA Community Shield match against Arsenal today AFP

FIVE QUESTIONS AHEAD OF THE COMMUNITY SHIELD Premier League champions Chelsea face FA Cup winners Arsenal in the Community Shield today. Here AFP looks at five questions to ponder in the traditional curtain raiser to the English season

Is Costa fit for purpose?

Although the Spain striker played a huge role in Chelsea’s title triumph with 20 goals in 26 appearances, Diego Costa’s debut season with the Blues was marred by the recurring hamstring injury that forced him to the sidelines on several occasions. The 26-year-old still hasn’t completely recovered from the problem, missing Chelsea’s pre-season friendly against Barcelona as a precaution.

And, while manager Jose Mourinho insists Costa is fit enough to withstand another gruelling campaign, the Blues boss was also quick to snap up Colombian forward Radamel Falcao, on loan from Monaco, to act as back-up to the injury-prone star.

Will Cech pay dividends?

Despite Mourinho’s best efforts to keep Petr Cech from signing for Arsenal, the intervention of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who wanted to reward the 33-year-old Czech goalkeeper for his loyal service, has gifted Arsene Wenger a solution to a problem that had plagued his team for several years.

After watching the likes of Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski commit costly errors while between the posts, the £10 million fee for Cech must have seemed like the bargain of the century to Wenger, who finally has a world-class keeper, and an underrated dressing room leader, to bolster the confidence of a sometimes shaky defence.

Can Hazard join the greats?

After an outstanding season as the creative fulcrum of Chelsea’s attack, Eden Hazard has established himself as the second best player in the world according to Mourinho.

In Mourinho’s view, even Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or, is no longer on the same level as Hazard, leaving only Barcelona legend Lionel Messi as a more prodigious talent than the 24-year-old Belgium playmaker. And with the Champions League high on Chelsea’s agenda this season and the Euro 2016 finals looming next year, the scene is set for Hazard to illuminate the sport’s grandest stages and cement his reputation as a true great.

Wenger’s striking dilemma Theo Walcott repaid Wenger’s faith with the crucial opening goal in Arsenal’s FA Cup final rout of Aston Villa last season and the England winger hopes his manager still believes he can shoulder the burden of leading the Gunners’ attack. Despite his lack of strength and aerial ability Walcott has long craved the sole central striker’s berth and Wenger finally seems to believe the 26-year-old is a worthy alternative to the inconsistent Olivier Giroud.

Walcott is certainly doing all he can to prove he should be selected ahead of Giroud, scoring the winner after starting up front in the recent Emirates Cup friendly against Wolfsburg, and then committing his long-term future to the club by signing a new four-year contract on Friday.

Will Mourinho extend Wenger mastery?

While the result of the Community Shield will be long forgotten by the time the major trophies are handed out in May, it still presents a chance for Mourinho and Wenger to set the tone for another year duelling for supremacy.

Both ended last season with silverware, but it was the Chelsea manager who had the upper hand as he won the Premier League and the League Cup, while Wenger had to settle for the FA Cup, and also extended his unbeaten run against the Frenchman to 13 matches. Wenger professes not to care about that barren streak, but his barely-disguised disdain for Mourinho’s provocative personality l

DT

Sport 29

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

Jovetic leaves City for Inter Milan on loan n Reuters, London Manchester City striker Stevan Jovetic has joined Inter Milan on an 18-month loan deal with a view to a permanent transfer, his Premier League parent club announced on Friday.

The 25-year-old joined City from Fiorentina for 22 million pounds ($34.4 million) in 2013 but has struggled to impose himself at the Etihad Stadium where his progress was hampered by injury.

“Everyone at City wishes Stevan well for his time with Inter,” the club said in a statement on their website.

The Montenegrin netted 11 times in 44 games for City but never came close to living up to the standards he set in Italy despite occasional flashes of his ability.

A double in a 3-1 win over Liverpool at the start of last season was a rare bright spot in an otherwise difficult time at the club.

After the arrival of striker Wilfried Bony in January, Jovetic was left out of manager Manuel Pellegrini’s Champions League squad, underlining his place in the pecking order at City, who have an embarrassment of attacking riches.

Following the 49 million-pound signing of Raheem Sterling, who was frequently deployed as a central striker for Liverpool last season, Jovetic’s opportunities were always likely to be limited heading into the new campaign.

He leaves, however, having claimed the Premier League and League Cup trophies in his two years at the club. l

DAY’S WATCH Gazi TV, BTV, Star Sports 4 9:30AM South Africa Tour of Bangladesh 2nd Test, Day 4

Star Sports 2 12:45 PM Supersports World Championship Race : Malaysia Pro Kabaddi League 2015 8:30PM Pune v Jaipur 9:30 PM Patna v Kolkata

Star Sports 4 12:50 AM International Champions Cup ACF Fiorentina v FC Barcelona

Ten Sports 5:00 PM ATP World Tour 500 Bet At Home: Final

Ten Cricket 1:30 PM New Zealand Tour of Zimbabwe 1st ODI

Sony Six 3:30 PM Swiss Open Gstaad, Final 1:00 AM BB & T Atlanta Open, Final

Andy Roddick returns an overhanded forehand to Artem Sitak of New Zealand and Eric Butorac during the BB&T Atlanta Open at Atlantic Station on Friday in Atlanta, Georgia AFP

Zimbabwe look to grow against Kiwis n AFP, Harare

Zimbabwe plan to tap into the renewed energy that sparked a victory over India recently as they take on an under-strength New Zealand side in a three-match one-day international series that starts on Sunday.

After sleepwalking their way through a one-day series whitewash at the hands of India, Zimbabwe came to life in the final match of the tour as a fresh desire drove them to a 10-run victory in a Twenty20 match.

While New Zealand will be without regular captain Brendon McCullum, new-ball bowlers Trent Boult and Tim Southee, and top all-rounder Corey Anderson, Zimbabwe coach Dav Whatmore says his team need to repeat the energy from their last game to

have a chance.

“I just think we can do a bit better than what we did against India,” Whatmore said.

“To win the last game was very good, there was a different energy out there, and I think if we can reproduce that against New Zealand then we should have a little bit more joy.

“Despite McCullum, Southee and Boult not being here, they’ve still got a pretty decent team, but it’s our home conditions so we have the ability to surprise.”

The hosts have been bolstered by all-rounder Luke Jongwe’s recovery from injuries sustained in a car crash, and the return of fast bowler Tinashe Panyangara from a side strain, while off-spinner John Nyumbu has been recalled.

Whatmore said that he planned to make an

Guardiola still undecided about Bayern future n AP, Munich Shortly before kicking off his third and possibly final season in charge, Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola is still undecided about his future with the Bundesliga club.

Guardiola’s three-year contract ends after the upcoming season, and the coach said Friday there was “still time” to discuss his future with Bayern officials, who are eager to keep him.

“I have not received any offer from any other club in the world,” Guardiola said.

Guardiola was speaking one day before the German Super Cup launches the season. Bundesliga champion Bayern plays German Cup winner Wolfsburg, which was runner-up in the league.

The Spanish coach acknowledged Bayern officials may “not be happy” with his

decision-making delay but stressed he was “thankful to be here.”

“I have done my best, I am doing my best, and I will do my best,” Guardiola said. “But three years are a long time. I am not completely convinced that I am the right person for this club.”

In his first season in charge, Guardia’s star-studded team swept the domestic double but had to settle for only the Bundesliga title last season. In both seasons, Bayern was eliminated in the semifinals of the Champions League.

Guardiola has still to win the lightly regarded Super Cup. He lost his two previous attempts, both against Borussia Dortmund.

“It’s a big title for me and Wolfsburg is a big rival,” said Guardiola, whose team lost 4-1 at Wolfsburg at the start of the second half of the Bundesliga last season.l

unexpected tweak to the batting line-up, but felt the bowling department was the one with the most room for improvement.

“We gave India too many runs -- we had them in trouble two out of the three ODI games and they still ended up scoring 25 or 30 runs too many, which put our batsmen under pressure chasing,” said Whatmore.

Having rested McCullum and Southee, and seen Boult and Anderson forced out of the tour by injury, New Zealand will get a glimpse of some future talent as they plot their path from a World Cup final appearance earlier this year to the 2019 edition of the tournament.

Kane Williamson will captain the Black Caps on the tour, which also comprises a Twenty20 match against Zimbabwe followed by two T20s and three ODIs in South Africa.l

DT

30 DOWNTIME

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Long detailed story (4) 3 Seraglio (5) 8 Part of the verb ‘to be’ (4) 9 Brutal robber (4) 11 Indifferent (5) 12 Female horse (4) 14 Favourite (3) 15 Washes (5) 18 Replenish (5) 19 Fuss (3) 21 Merriment (4) 24 Pastelike in colour (5) 26 Lively frolic (4) 27 Region (4) 28 Cosy retreats (5) 29 Catch sight of (4)

DOWN 1 Location (4) 2 Gloomily sullen (4) 4 Boring tool (3) 5 Harvests (5) 6 Celtic tongue (4) 7 Encounters (5) 10 Strong wind (4) 11 Surface slant (5) 13 Slender and longlimbed (5) 16 Water pitcher (4) 17 Country (5) 18 Flowers (5) 20 Venture (4) 22 Vast ages (4) 23 Nimble (4) 25 Make lace (3)

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 16 represents H so fill H every time the figure 16 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

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

The boys are back, but with a bang? n Mahmood Hossain The hit HBO show Entourage has gathered a hardcore, almost cult-like, fan base over their eight-season run on the premium network. Since its conception and presentation in 2004, watching lead character, Vince Chase (Adriane Grenier), and his band of loyal boyhood friends has been nothing short of pure entertainment.

Now, that was the show. The full length featured film desired to accomplish the same. Unfortunately, and it pains us to say this, it was a disappointment.

It should be stated that the film was never over hyped, there still seemed to be this warm welcome of sorts for the boys from Brooklyn. Doug Ellin - the creator/ writer/director - has done a brilliant job getting the right cast and crew together, and generously injecting more cameos by celebrities than any other show in history.

Attempting to replicate the same formula in a 104 minute run time is a very difficult task. This is possibly where Ellin somehow slipped up.

The performances by the main actors and supporting cast were spot on, as no one lost a step. However, the story and writing fell a tad short. It simply did not feel like the audience was watching a full length featured film. There was no real cinematic experience. It’s not to say this movie was

ORCHESTRAA presents “Symphony no. 1”

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

Khloé @khloekardashian I’m truly beyond blessed and grateful for these moments that will last me the rest of my life terrible, because it wasn’t. But even for loyal fans, this felt like two, very long, episodes spliced together.

Ultimately, the familiar elements of the show were apparent. The cameos were good, but not great. It almost seems like Ellin and crew exhausted their contacts during the eight seasons of the show. We saw several faces from the past and new ones to spice things up a bit.

Nearing the ending credits, hardcore fans

of the show would have been more satisfied if the show runner and studio decided on a final ninth season. Either that or an Ari Gold spinoff. How amazing would that be?

Entourage should have taken a page from Breaking Bad, and giving Jeremy Piven a contract for a new show revolving around him. That would have been a better choice over an entire so called film. We recommend you watch it at least once. After that, well, possibly go back to season one? l

‘Focus on Choreography’ by Mamata Shankar

Farah Khan @TheFarahKhan Do cars multiply when it rains??!!!

Like Gremlins when water falls on them??!

Serena Williams @serenawilliams Practice faces with @venuseswilliams while sitting and watching her practice. #doublesteam…

WHAT TO WATCH

Terminator 2: Judgment Day Star Movies 6:43pm A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her young son, John Connor, from a more advanced cyborg made out of liquid metal.

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong

n Showtime Desk An underground concert “Symphony no.1” is being organised by ORCHESTRAA organisation at the National library auditorium, Agargaon, on August 7. Renowned up-coming bands from over the country are coming together for the event, including Aamulet, Audybik, Dark’z, Dinantor, Implicit, Infernal damnation, Nevan, Solitary Carnival, The Triad, Vital Force among many others.

The gates are set to open from 9:30am and tickets will be available at the venue, priced at Tk150 each. l

n Showtime Desk Accomplished dancer, choreographer and actress Mamata Shankar is organising a choreography workshop at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy from August 4. The three day event wil proceed till August 8, and is aimed at senior dancers with previous experience in choreography. The participation fee is Tk2,000 per person with limited seating.

Mamata has organised and choreographed numerous dance-dramas and short performances for the past 29 years, ranging mostly on contemprariy themes such as Tagore’s Chandalika, Horikhela, Aajker Ekalabya, Milap and many more. She is even positively recognised by dance critics worldwide also received several awards, recognition and noteworthy reviews. l

Real Steel HBO 6:50pm In the near future, robot boxing is a top sport. A struggling promoter feels he’s found a champion in a discarded robot.

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Dakota Goyo Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows HBO 6:50pm Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr Watson join forces to outwit and bring down their fiercest adversary, Professor Moriarty.

Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Jared Harris

DT

32 BACK PAGE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2015

ITALY WANTS 58GB BANDWIDTH FROM BANGLADESH PAGE 15

‘IT IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING’ PAGE 25

THE BOYS ARE BACK, BUT WITH A BANG? PAGE 31

Incessant rain continues in south n Abu Bakar Siddique The capital and the southeastern part of the country have experienced moderate to heavy rains for the last two days as cyclone Komen hit Noakhali coast early on Friday morning.

Persistent rains have aggravated flood situations in the southern districts while some areas in Dhaka faced waterlogging problems.

Cyclone Komen, after hitting Noakhali coast, turned into a land depression and remained there since then.

According to the Met Office, Chittagong division saw at least 838mm rainfall in 24 hours till 6pm yesterday, with Cox’s Bazar singly experiencing 208mm rainfall.

In other areas such as Chittagong, Kutubdia, Teknaf and Rangamati, rainfalls were measured at 145mm, 112mm, 90mm and 71mm in the same period. The capital, Dhaka, experienced 74mm rainfall.

Bazlur Rashid, on-duty meteorologist at the Met office, said intensity of the land depression centred over Noakhali and its adjoining areas would fall within next 24 hours or so.

The situation, under the influence of the depression, will continue to some extent across the southeastern region as well as the capital today, he added.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said floods might continue in some areas of Noakhali, Feni, Chittagong, Bandarban and Cox’s Bazar in the next 24 hours.

The centre said in a bulletin three rivers in southeast and southwestern regions - San-

Sacks full of food grains are damaged as tidal water, fuelled by cyclone Komen-triggered heavy rain, enters the warehouse of a wholesale market in Chittagong city’s business district Khatunganj yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

gu, Matamuhuri and Kobadak – were flowing above danger level.

Of the three, the Sangu River in Bandrban and Dohazari points is flowing 145cm and 97cm above the danger level respectively, the Matamuhuri River at Lama and Chiringa is flowing 83cm and 136cm above the danger level and the Kobadak River in Jhikargachha is flowing 52cm above the danger level.

Besides, at least seven people died in a landslide triggered by heavy showers in the district yesterday. Of them, six were buried alive and the seventh victim died after being rescued.

In Munshiganj, at least 34 people remained missing after two sand-laden trawlers sank in the Padma River near Louhajang upazila due to strong currents and winds yesterday evening. l

Bangabandhu’s memoirs translated into Japanese language n Tribune Report A prestigious publishing house in Japan, the Ashahi Shoten Publishers, has published “The Unfinished Memoirs” of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Japanese language.

The 600-page Japanese version of the memoirs of Bangabandhu was translated by Kazuhiro Watanabe of NHK Bangla Department, says a press release of the Foreign Ministry.

Watanabe arrived in Dhaka on Friday to handover the Japanese version of the memoirs to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a formal meeting Sunday at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali and Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan Masud Bin Momen are expected to be present at the programme of handing over of the publication to the prime minister.

The translation of “The Unfinished Memoirs” into Japanese language would provide an opportunity to the Japanese people to understand the Bangali people through the life and thoughts of Bangabandhu, the greatest Bangali of all time.

This will also act as a tool of connectivity between the peoples of Bangladesh and Japan and eventually enhance understanding and friendship. l

Bullet-hit newborn’s condition stable after breast milk n Mohammad Jamil Khan

After a day of anxiety about the decline of the baby’s condition, doctors yesterday said the bullet-hit newborn was stable as she responded positively to breast milk.

The 8-day-old baby, Suraiya, however was still suffering from fever and jaundice amid risk of blood infection.

Meanwhile, a new medical board consisting of ten specialised doctors had been formed to look after the newborn round-theclock.

“We want to ensure the best treatment for the child and that is why we have put together an expert board with 10 specialists. We are hopeful of returning the child to her mother

soon,” Professor Ashraful Haque Kazal, chief of the child surgery unit of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Though there were still come complications due to the pre-mature birth, Professor Ashraf said there was nothing major to be worried about.

“She has started to take breast milk. This is a positive sign,” he added.

Along with the eight existing doctors from the previously formed medical team, Assistant Professor Dr Sadika and DMCH burn unit Professor Dr Rayhana Awal would look after Suraiya from now on. They will be supervised

by Professor Ashraf and chief of child unit Professor Abid Hossain Mollah.

Dr Kaniz Hasina, paediatric department’s associate professor who had been with the baby since she arrived at DMCH, told the Dhaka Tribune that the child was not vomiting any more.

“Previously she would throw up if we gave her powder milk. But now that we are feeding her breast milk, she has stopped vomiting and responded well,” Dr Kaniz said.

Suraiya is fed 5ml of breast milk through test tube in every two hours, she added.

However, the baby would still need to be in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as she had high jaundice and low count of platelet.

Nazma Begum, the child’s mother who had been in the DMCH for three days now, could not yet meet her daughter as doctors said she

was still suffering from some post-caesarian infections.

Contacted, Bachchu Bhuiyan, father of the child, told the Dhaka Tribune that he was able to see the child from time to time.

“She is still at the NICU covered with bandage. We have given breast milk to doctors but I am not sure if she is able to drink it as she is still weak,” he said.

Meanwhile, Magura police arrested two of the accused in the case lodged by Bachchu Bhuiyan on July 25.

The arrestees were identified as Sumon Hossain and Abdus Sobahan. However, Bachchu claimed that the main accused were still not arrested and he was passing days in fear as the culprits threatened his family. l

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