August 16, 2015

SECOND EDITION

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

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KHALEDA CUTS BIRTHDAY CAKE PAGE 3

Bhadro 1, 1422, Shawwal 30, 1436

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 122

MIGRANTS FROM TURKEY FLOOD INTO GREECE PAGE 9

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

STUDY: MERCURY EXPOSURE A MAJOR THREAT PAGE 32

‘Bring back Mujib killers’ in the air The demand raised everywhere as the country observes the National Mourning Day Hasina placed floral wreaths at the portrait of n Tribune Report Bangabandhu at Dhanmondi 32 and stood in The 40th anniversary of death of the founding father of the nation and most members of his family was observed across the country yesterday when people of all spheres demanded that the six fugitive killers now staying abroad be brought back and executed at the soonest.

The government, ruling party Awami League and different socio-cultural, political and professional bodies organised elaborate programmes to pay their homage to the greatest Bangali of all time.

Syed Ashraf: The govt is trying its best to bring the fugitives back. The process is on and none of the killers will be spared The national flag was flown at half-mast at all government, semi-government and autonomous offices, educational institutions, private buildings and Bangladesh missions abroad.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated in a bloody coup along with his family members and relatives at his Dhanmondi 32 residence on August 15, 1975 by a group of disgruntled army officers. The murders set the stage for decades of military rule when the killers had enjoyed diplomatic privileges and political rehabilitation.

President Abdul Hamid and Premier Sheikh

solemn silence for some time in the morning.

A contingent of the Armed Forces gave a state salute and bugle played the last post.

Later, flanked by her senior party colleagues, Hasina, also the head of the Awami League, placed another wreath at the portrait on behalf of the party.

In front of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, Bangladesh Mahila Awami League arranged milad and doa mahfil. The premier and her family members joined the event.

From there, Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana went to Banani Graveyard and paid respect to their mother Fazilatunnesa Mujib, brothers Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel and other martyrs of the August 15 carnage.

The prime minister then went to Tungipara at the shrine of Bangabandhu and placed floral wreath there. The chiefs of the three services also gave salute to the father of the nation.

The speaker placed wreaths at the grave of Bangabandhu followed by the central leaders of the party. Supporters of AL’s different associated bodies and several socio-political organisations also placed floral wreaths there.

A milad mahfil was organised at Bangabhaban, the president’s office and residence, said UNB. President Abdul Hamid attended the event held at the Darbar Hall after Asr prayers.

Meanwhile, Sangbadik Samaj, a journalist platform, organised an all-religion prayer meeting in the capital seeking salvation of the departed souls of Bangabandhu and other  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana offer prayers at the grave of Bangladesh’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Gopalganj’s Tungipara to mark the National Mourning Day yesterday FOCUS BANGLA

Five killed in Rangamati ‘gunfight’ n Our Correspondent, Khagrachhari Five persons have been killed in a “gunfight” with the members of Bangladesh Army in Rangamati’s Baghachharhi upazila.

The army members claimed that the deceased were members of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (MN Larma faction), while the JSS denied the claim.

One of the deceased was identified as Rupayon Chakma, 30.

PAGE 3 Wasa digging city roads flouting rules

Officer-in-Charge Zakir Hossain Fakir of Baghaichhari police station said: “Tipped off that the gang was taking preparation to commit crime, a team of army led by Baghaihat zone captain Lieutenant Colonel Ali Haider Siddique went to Dokhaiapara around 2:30 am yesterday.

“Sensing presence of the army team, the criminals opened fire on them, prompting the army personnel to fire back, triggering a gunfight. Five members of the gang were killed

PAGE 4 Mariners cheated in the name of jobs on foreign vessels

in the two hours long gunfight that ended around 4:30 am.”

Army trooper Liakat Ali was also injured in the clash, said the OC. “He has been admitted to Combined Military Hospital in Chittagong.”

Army arrested three members of the gang while their other associates managed to flee.

Seven firearms, including one machine gun, one SMG, two rifles, three SLRs, and 500 rounds of bullets were recovered from

PAGE 6 Food, water crisis hits 5,000 Khulna villagers

1 killed in Kushtia AL factional clash at mourning rally n Tribune Report A local Jubo League activist was killed and five others sustained bullet injuries during a clash between two groups of Awami League supporters over joining a mourning day rally in Kushtia yesterday, UNB reports.

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

PAGE 8 China blast residents evacuated over chemical fears

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

PAGE 32 Elevated expressway construction begins today

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2 NEWS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

First case filed 48 hours after Badda killing n Kamrul Hasan More than 48 hours after the killing of three ruling party supporters in Dhaka’s Madhya Badda, the families of two of the deceased filed a case late last night with the local police station.

Asked what took them so long, the families said although many people were present in the area when the shooting took place, none of the witnesses were ready to testify fearing retaliation.

Around 9pm on Thursday, Mahbubur Rahman Gama, 40, Shamsuddin Molla, 53, Firoz Ahmed, 40, and Abdus Salam were having their customary chat in front of the Adarshanagar water pump in Madhya Badda when three to four armed criminals came there and opened fire at them.

Shamshuddin, a ward-level leader of Awami League, and Firoz, caretaker of a local private hospital, died soon after they were taken to hospital.

Mahbubur Rahman Gama, leader of the

ruling party’s volunteers’ wing Swechchhasebak League, died on Friday from the bullet wounds that he had sustained.

Police and local residents said that Gama was probably the main target of the shootout and the other four were just victims of the situation.

Local residents said Gama had a conflict of interest with another local Awami League leader named Baul Sumon over the possession of a readymade garment factory name Star Garments.

Last month, police arrested Sumon based on Gama’s tip off. Sumon later died in police custody from a brain stroke. After he died, Gama took over the factory’s possession.

Police now suspect that Sumon’s wife Afroza Akhter and close associate Milon, a local Jubo League leader, might have plotted the killing.

They have already detained Milon but have yet to confirm his involvement with the killing. Afroza has also been interrogated by police and asked not to leave the area until further notice. l

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina offer prayers at Dhanmondi 32 in the capital on the 40th death anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman yesterday BSS

No breakthrough in Niloy murder probe n Kamrul Hasan Detectives have got some names of persons suspected to be involved in the murder of secular activist Niladri Chatterjee Niloy on August 7.

They are also trying to arrest three to four militants, who are now on bail, by tracking their locations, investigators said yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Detective Branch of police yesterday quizzed Niloy’s wife Ashamoni and her sister Isratun Tani in connection with the

murder. The duo went to the DB Headquarters in the afternoon, DB (east) Deputy Commissioner Mahbub Alam.

The duo were kept in the balcony at gunpoint when the three of the four killers hacked Niloy to death in their Goran flat. After the murder, Ashamoni filed the case with Khilgaon police.

The DB officials were supposed to show them the photos of the duo, arrested in this case, for identification.

Detectives are now interrogating the two

suspected members of Ansarullah Bangla Team, a militant group banned on May 25, arrested on Thursday. They were placed on an eight-day remand the following day.

The arrestees are State Minister for Labour and Employment Md Mujibul Huq Chunnu’s nephew Saad Al Nahiyan and another youth named Masud Rana. Of them, Nahiyan is a charge-sheeted accused in an attempted-murder case filed for the attack on blogger Asif Mohiuddin in 2013.

On the other hand, Masud is a close rel-

ative of Ariful Islam – one of the two killers of war crimes trial activist Oyasiqur Rahman Babu who were caught red-handed.

A critic of religions and religion-based politics, Niloy, 28, was an active supporter of Gonojagoron Moncho. Before his death, Niloy said that he had been named in a hit list prepared by Shafiur Rahman Farabi, a leader of outlawed Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Niloy also sought police protection in May and was looking for scopes to leave the country. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

4 cops killed as train rams police van in ‘Bring back Mujib Nilphamari killers’ in the air n UNB

Four policemen were killed and eight others injured when a train rammed a police van at Gola Hat Colony level crossing in Saidpur upazila of the district on Friday night.

The dead were identified as Maidul Islam, 26, Shamsul Islam, 55, Shariful Islam, 36, Faruk Hossain, 39, all constables of Saidpur police station.

Tanzilur Rahman, superintendent of Railway Police, said the accident took place around 11pm when the Dhaka-bound Neel Sagar Express hit a police on the level crossing, leaving Shamsul dead on the spot and eleven others injured.

On information, a team of Nilphamari police and a fire fighting unit rushed to the spot and rescued the injured. At first, the injured were admitted to Sayedpur 100-bed hospital.

As their condition was critical, they were referred to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

Shariful and Maidul died on the way to the hospital and Faruk died in the hospital on Saturday morning. l

victims. Verses from holy religious scriptures the Qur’an, Bible, Gita and the Tripitaka were recited.

A portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib was installed on the National Press Club premises, for the first time since the country’s independence.

Awami League General Secretary and also Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam said that the death sentences of all the killers would surely be executed.

“The government is trying its best to bring the fugitives back. The process is on and none of killers will be spared,” he said at the Banani Graveyard.

On the other hand, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith paying homage to Bangabandhu in Sylhet, said that the highest tribute would be paid to him by implementing his ideology and building a “Sonar Bangla” as dreamt by the great leader.

“Bangabandhu dreamt of a poverty-free and non-communal Sonar Bangla. He was a friend of the people of Bangla.” l

Five killed in Rangamati ‘gunfight’ the spot, reports our Khagrachhari correspondent.

When contacted, Kakoli Khisha, secretary of information and publicity of the breakaway JSS faction, said he did not know any information about the incident.

Lieutenant Colonel Ali Haider Siddique told the Dhaka Tribune: “The terrorists had taken shelter at the house of a man named Joyti Chakma in the area. They hold the residents of that house hostage while firing. They

were preparing for conducting a massive operation in the area with the firearms and explosives.”

In a statement to the media, United People’s Democratic Front Rangamati unit Coordinator Shochol Chakma said: “Some television reports have mentioned the name of UPDF while telecasting reports on the gunfight between Army personnel and terrorists on Sunday. This was done to tarnish the image of UPDF.” l

1 killed in Kushtia AL factional clash The deceased was Sabuj, 23, son of Mobarak of Jhalupara.

The incident coincided with the National Mourning Day, which was observed across the country marking the 40th death anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Witnesses said a group of Awami League supporters brought out a rally from Milpara area around 12 at noon marking the National Mourning Day. The clash broke out when members of another Awami League group, led by Awami League Kushtia unit’s former general secretary

Mominur Rahman Momiz, tried to join the rally.

Both groups carried hockey sticks, sharp weapons and firearms, and several rounds were fired during the clash, leaving five people, including Sabuj, Bidyut, 38, and Ajmal Hossain, 28, injured.

They were taken to Kushtia General Hospital where doctors pronounced Sabuj dead.

Doctors said two of the injured were in a critical condition.

According to police, the clash was the result of a previous row between the two groups. l

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NEWS 3

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

Wasa digging city roads flouting rules n Abu Hayat Mahmud The Wasa authorities have been digging the streets of Dhaka during this monsoon too, in violation of the city corporation regulations, which is hampering traffic movement and increasing people’s sufferings.

As per the rules, no development work can be carried out after May and before October, said officials of Dhaka south and north city corporations.

Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) – a local government body – has repeatedly been carrying out the development activities at different parts of the mega city including Kanthalbagan, East Rajabazar and Mirpur.

Due to the construction and repair works amid rain, most of the streets have become unfit for transports as well as pedestrians, residents of Kanthalbagan area complained while talking to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

While it is a common allegation that the Wasa deliberately chooses the monsoon for starting such activities, the state-run agency claims that they try to avoid the rainy season but sometimes they cannot avoid it for different reasons.

Moreover, in most cases the authorities show reluctance to fill the holes created due to the digging activities. Therefore, pedestrians and vehicles face much troubles while using those roads after rains.

“Of course, we want development. But the government bodies should follow the rules too. I think they should stop digging during the monsoon,” said Tanveer Alam, a resident of Kanthalbagan.

The Wasa authorities completed installing

Pedestrians endure severe trouble as this road in the capital's Kathal Bagan area has become significantly narrow because of the ongoing digging by Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority. The photo was taken yesterday RAJIB DHAR sewerage lines in Panthapath and Kanthalbagan areas two months back. But after that they started digging the same roads to install new water pipes, Mahfuza Begum of Kanthalbagan said.

Raju Das, a resident of East Rajabazar, said that installation of sewerage lines had begun in the area two months ago, but left incomplete. “Those roads are increasing miseries of the city dwellers,” he added.

When contacted, Wasa Managing Director

Khaleda cuts cake on her birthday n Tribune Report

Flanked by party leaders and activists, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday celebrated her 70th birthday by cutting a cake at her Gulshan office.

Central and Dhaka city unit BNP, Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal brought four cakes weighing 70kg each.

The office was decorated with colourful flowers, ribbons and balloons. Hundreds of leaders and activists welcomed the BNP chief with bouquets and chanting “Happy Birthday to Khaleda Zia.” Khaleda cut her birthday cake with senior colleagues. A doa was offered before the cake cutting programme.

When reporters asked her how she was feeling, Khaleda said: "I am a little bit sick. The pain in my leg has got stronger. I seek people's doa for my recovery."

Asked when she would go abroad, the former prime minister said the schedule had yet to be finalised.

Earlier, Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal, the women wing of BNP, cut a birthday cake at the residence of party’s Vice-Chairman Selmia Rahman. Mohila Dal leaders offered a doa mahfil for the ling life of their leader Khaleda Zia. This year Khaleda skipped her customary cake-cutting in the first hour of her “birthday.” Every year, she usually cuts a cake at one minute past midnight at 12am on August 15.

Each year August 15 is observed as the National Mourning Day in memory of 1975 assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members by a group of disgruntled military officers.

The Awami League has repeatedly urged her not to celebrate her birthday on this day. The actual birth date of Khaleda Zia, has long been a matter of contention. l

Taksim A Khan said: “We always try to avoid the monsoon. But sometimes some projects are extended to the rainy season for delay in getting foreign funds or other reasons.”

The Wasa boss claimed that they could stop the activities during monsoon, but it would not improve the situation if started after the rainy days.

“We continue work during monsoon to avoid double harassment of the people,” he added.

Locals also alleged that apart from Wasa’s mindless activities, most of the development works are done without proper coordination among the city’s utility providers.

The Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC), Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (Desco), Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTCL) and the two city corporations are blamed for carrying out development activities during or just before the monsoon. l

Foreign missions observe August 15 n Tribune Report Different foreign missions of Bangladesh have observed the National Mourning Day with due solemnity yesterday.

Bangladesh embassy in Warsaw hosted a programme to pay homage to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his 15 family members who had been assassinated on August 15, 1975.

The programme includes hoisting national flag half mast, discussions, special prayer and a film show on Bang-

abandhu’s works, says a press release.

The messages from President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Mohammad Shahriar Alam were read out at the beginning of the discussions.

Ambassador Mahfuzur Rahman mentioned the success and achievements of the present government and urged everyone to work in a unison to make Bangabandhu’s dreams a reality.

Besides, Bangladesh Embassy in

Bangkok observed the day with utmost respect through at first hoisting the national flag half-mast by ambassador Saida Muna Tasneem.

Expatriate Bangladeshis living in Thailand attended a Milad Mahfil followed by a special prayer.

Bangladesh embassy in Tashkent organised a discussion and Dua and Munajat at the Chancery premises, where the speakers cautioned that the anti-liberation forces are still active to mar the progress and achievement of the state. l

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4 NEWS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

Three killed in road accidents n Our Correspondent, Jessore

Three people including two women were killed in separate road accidents in the district yesterday.

Two of the dead were Kohinoor Begum, 55, wife of Dukhe Morol, and Sakhina Begum, 50, wife of Abul Quashem,of Bolla village in Jhikargachha upazila. The identity of the man could not be known immediately.

In the first accident, a sand-laden truck ran over three women at Bolla Bazar area in Jhikargachha upazila around 9am, killing two on the spot and injuring another, police said.

Critically injured Sakhina Begum, 60, wife of Omar Ali, was admitted to the local hospital.

In another accident, a pick-up van hit a bicycle at Barandipara in the district around 11:30am, leaving its unidentified rider critically injured.

The 55-year old cycle rider was declared dead at Jessore Medical College Hospital. l

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Awami League leaders pay tribute to the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi 32 in the capital on the National Mourning Day yesterday BSS

Mariners cheated in the name of jobs on foreign vessels n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman More and more Bangladeshi mariners are being cheated in the name of jobs on board foreign vessels.

Last month, 19 Bangladeshis were cheated by a broker who took money from them and asked them to go to India to get jobs on a foreign ship.

Five other Bangladeshis contacted with the Bangladesh mission in New Delhi on Thursday with similar stories.

“This is alarming. They are not ignorant adventure-loving people but they are very bright and intelligent people. Yet they fall prey to cheaters,” said a foreign ministry official.

All the cheated people are students of different marine academies that have been mushrooming in Bangladesh.

The popular perception is that poor and uneducated people fall prey to such cheating but this GPA 5 Facebook generation is also not immune to human trafficking as they are allured by cheaters with promises of lucrative jobs on foreign vessels, the official said.

“Not only that, they [the five who contacted the Bangladesh mission] claimed that they had paid Tk3 lakh each to their brokers,” he added.

Lack of public awareness is the main reason behind such cheating, the official felt.

It is very much clear that there is no difference between the educated and uneducated classes in Bangladesh as far as opportunity to go out of the country is concerned.

Citing example, he said due to awareness programmes of the government, the number of such incidents is much lower in India.

At present, Bangladesh has 19 marine academies in both private and public sectors and they enroll about 900 cadets each year.

Compared to this large number of cadets, there are only four flag carriers in the public sector and 27 in the private.

“It is impossible to provide training to such a large number of cadets with such a few ships,” said another government official.

The Shipping Department must have known about such cases of cheating as they had given clearance to such adventurous undertakings, the official said.

In recent months, countries including Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong have informed the Bangladesh government that they would not recruit any Bangladeshi mariners due to widespread use of false documents. l

Smart transport ticketing system soon n Shohel Mamun The state authorities have adopted an initiative to facilitate the city dwellers through an integrated transport ticketing system.

According the new system the commuters can use a digital card for paying fare of vehicle to travel in the capital and the adjacent areas.

The same card will be usable for BRTC bus, metro rail, bus rapid transit and other privet transports if the private companies agree with the government.

A clearing house authority on daily basis will end the transaction among the parties, for which the government has already set a project steering committee.

Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary MAN Siddique is chairman of the committee that’s meeting will be held on August 18 in the Secretariat.

MAN Siddique told the Dhaka Tribune that the digital card will be global standard and highly secured. l

Girl gang-raped in hotel

Police informer murdered

n Kamrul Hasan

n Kamrul Hasan

A girl was allegedly raped by two youths in the capital’s Moghbazar area on Friday night.

The 18-year-old girl was admitted to Onestop Crisis Centre of Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Saturday afternoon.

Police were yet to arrest the youths – Shawon and Niloy – who allegedly raped her and locate the place of occurrence.

The girl completed Higher Secondary Examination from Jamalpur and came to Dhaka for university admission coaching.

She was living in a mess at Mauchak.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner for Media and Public Relation Muntasirul Islam said Shawon, a friend of the girl, asked her to meet him for coaching materials on Friday afternoon.

When she went there Shawon took her into a room of a hotel where his friend Niloy was already waiting.

They forcibly raped her there.

The girl informed the matter to her parents who, later, came to Dhaka and brought the incident to the notice of Ramna police station.

Police sent her to the One-stop Crisis Centre of the DMCH for medical test.

Shawon was student of BBA at Tejgaon College, said police quoting the victim.

Muntasirul said the victim alleged that she was taken to a hotel having an elevator but they did not find any residential hotel with a lift.

Police were investigating the matter and trying to locate the place of occurrence, he added. l

A man who worked as an informer to the police and Rapid Action Battalion was hacked to death in the capital’s Shah Ali area yesterday.

The dead Jasim Uddin, 35, hailed from Munshiganj.

Police recovered his body from road 6 of Gudaraghat area under Shah Ali police station around 5am.

Three persons – Alamgir, Raju and Rafique – were arrested in this connection.

Jasim’s elder brother Mohammed Wasim claimed that Zia, a local drug dealer, murdered Jasim along with associates.

Shah Ali police station Officer-inCharge AKM Shahin Mondol told the Dhaka Tribune: “We primarily suspect that he was murdered as he worked as a source to police

and supplied information over illegal drug business.”

His body was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for autopsy.

Jasim used to live with his family in a tinshed house in Kingshok Balurmath slum of Mirpur area.

Locals said he had been living in that house for long. Many local drug peddlers were unhappy with him. He was attacked by criminals twice before.

Deceased’s elder brother Mohammad Wasim said Jasim was not occupied with any other job. He went out of home for work on Friday night and did not return. Later his body was spotted after the Fazr prayers.

A case was filed in this connection and drives were on to arrest other suspects, said OC Shahin. l

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SPOTLIGHT 5

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

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The nation observed the 40th death anniversary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman across the country yesterday 3

1. The premises of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum becomes colourful with floral wreaths as people from different walks of life pay their tributes to the Father of the Nation. 2. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana sprinkle flower petals on the graves of their family members at Banani graveyard. 3. Members of the National Press Club inaugurate a portrait of Bangabandhu inside the club building. 4. A child draws a picture of Bangabandhu while participating in an art competition arranged by the Institution of Fine Arts. 5. Visitors write down comments on a photo exhibition on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. The Dhaka North City Corporation organised the exhibition marking the National Mourning Day RAJIB DHAR/FOCUS BANGLA/ MEHEDI HASAN/ SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

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6 NEWS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

Food, water crisis hits 5,000 villagers n Our Correspondent, Khulna Almost 5,000 people in six villages in Khulna’s Batiaghata upazila face an acute shortage of pure drinking water and food due to river erosion.

Life became miserable when the villages – Sundarmahal, Matbari, Kodla, Shambhunagar, Ruhitmari and Bararia – were inundated.

Many people lost their homes and road communications were seriously disrupted when erosion destroyed embankments.

Zahur Kha, who lives in Shambhunagar village, said he had been forced to live under the open sky as his house was submerged.

“Also, I do not have access to pure drinking water as well as food. I have to go hungry more often than not,” he said.

Debashish Mondol of Bararia village said the woes of commuters increased when large potholes appeared on Bararia-Dumuria road.

“Walking on the road even on foot involves much risk. People are marooned and have no way to get drinking water,” he said.

Sundarmahal village resident SM Shahin Alam, a fish enclosure owner, said at least 1,000 enclosures in Akra and Ruhitmari marshes have gone under water.

“The erosion-hit villagers are voluntarily trying to repair the embankment but the crisis of food and drinking water persists.”

Batiaghata Upazila Engineer Mahmud Hasan said the pitch on a 3km road from Sundarmahal Bazar to Purbamatha was damaged and the authorities had been urged to repair it.

The upazila parishad chairman, Shaharul Islam, said some of the people who lost their homes had moved to the cyclone centre and two primary schools but the rest were living on street.

People in Sundarmahal village of Khulna’s Batiaghata upazila gather to collect pure drinking water transported by trawler from distant locations as last month’s erosion resulted in inundation of six villages, leading to an acute shortage of fresh drinking water DHAKA TRIBUNE “They intolerably suffer when it rains. This is a very pitiful situation.”

Ashraful Alam Khan, chairman of Batiaghata, said water was being transported by

trawlers from distant locations but the demand far outweighed the supply.

“There have to be immediate measures for preventing further erosion,” he said.

The embankment in Dumuria’s Chandgarh village was destroyed on July 30, inundating the six villages, while the water level of the Ghangrail River increased dramatically. l

Housewife raped, 2 arrested Students deprived of n secondary education Our Correspondent, Joypurhat

At least two people were arrested yesterday in connection with rape a housewife in Mastarapara Girls’ School area in Joypurhat on Friday night. The arrested were Akash Rajvar and Jibon Rajvar.

Police said the accused raped the housewife around 10pm forcefully picking her up in a field in the area while she was going to her relative’s house.

On Saturday morning, the housewife filed

the case under Women and Children Repression Prevention Act accusing three people.

Following the case, police arrested the two young men from the area. The other accused in the case remained absconded since then.

Police sent the housewife to Joypurhat Modern Hospital for medical test.

Superintendent of Police Mollah Nazrul Islam said the police arrested the two raiding immediately after getting complaints.

Drives to arrest the other accused were underway till filing of the report. l

Lightning kills schoolgirl in Panchagarh n Our Correspondent, Panchagarh

A schoolgirl was killed and her mother and sister were injured by lightning in village Gomostapara under Boda upazila of Panchagarh district yesterday.

Deceased Tanya Akhter, 15, was daughter of Salekul Islam of the village and a student of class ten of nearby Chandanbari High School.

Police said the tragic incident occurred when thunderbolt stuck kitchen at their house while Tanya, her sister Sabina Yasmin, 30, and

mother Lailey Begum, 50, were engaged in cooking lunch there amid inclement weather.

All of them were injured in the incident and taken to Boda Upazila Health Complex where attending Medical Officer Dr M R Reza declared Tanya dead. Tanya’s mother Lailey Begum and her sister Sabina Yasmin were undergoing treatment at the Health Complex.

Boda police station Officer-in-Charge Abul Kalam Azad and Chairman of local Chandanbari Union Parishad Moazzem Hossain confirmed the incident. l

n Our Correspondent, Kurigram The fifth-grade students in char areas of the district have long been deprived of the secondary school as the number of high schools there is very poor than the demand.

Consequently, female students from the 269 char areas, landmass emerged from riverbed, have been compelled to victim of early marriage by guardians while the male learners enter into risky jobs like the seniors.

Moreover, the people living there are engrossed in various sort of superstitions due to being deprived from education in this stage.

It was learnt that there are a total of 16 rivers in the district creating such higher number of char lands and its residents are about 3lakh.

Although there are 360 secondary schools across the district, only five high schools are available in the char lands while the figure is very thin to meet the large number of pupils. Some 20,000 students study in more than 100 primary schools in the char areas and the five high schools ensure enrolment for only 1,000 pupils.

Besides, the students who try to study in these schools have to face many difficulties because of poor communication system in the river surrounding areas.

A report prepared by United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) reads that the early marriage rate in Kurigram is 78% solely while the whole country’s figure is only 66%. Ulipur Mohidev Jubo Somaj Kollyan Samity worker Shefali Rani Sarkar said the early marriage rate was on increase day by day for want of secondary education facility in the char lands.

A local farmer named Azizar from Jatrapur area in Sadar upazila said there is no high school in his locality and that was why despite having acute eagerness, they were unable to ensure secondary education for their children.

Umme Salma, assistant teacher of Parbatipur Government Primary School in Sadar upazila, said the figure of female students is highest among the dropout pupils.

They have been deprived of education owning to the problem resulting a rise in early marriage appeared, she continued.

When contacted, Kurigram Education Officer Vabo Shankar Borma said: “The long-running crisis can be lessened a little bit if non-government initiative comes forward for establishing some secondary schools in the char lands. Especially affluent locals can play a pivotal role in the problem.” l

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NEWS 7

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

Stolen CMCH newborn yet to be found n FM Mizanur Rahaman A month has passed since an infant was stolen from Chittagong Medical College Hospital but police are yet to find it.

On July 16, the 14-day-old baby boy was stolen from the hospital’s postnatal ward when his mother, Jesmin Akhter, 30, was undergoing treatment. Jesmin, wife of Md Safiul Islam, hails from Kadalpur of Raozan upazila in Chittagong.

Saiful, a CNG-run autorickshaw driver by profession, filed a case with Panchlaish police station accusing unnamed persons, and RAB later detained a couple - Rina Dey, 30, and her husband Sujon Dutta, 32 - in this connection.

“They were grilled about the theft but no information could be obtained. RAB then handed the couple over to police, who are now investigating the case,” RAB 7 Commanding Officer Lt Col Mifta Uddin told the Dhaka Tribune.

The hospital’s CCTV footage showed the baby was stolen by a woman from the ward.

Lt Col Mifta said how the woman entered the ward and stole the baby could not be seen in full as the CCTV camera installed in the ward was dysfunctional at the time of the incident. “We are trying to find the baby.”

Panchlaish police station Officer-in-Charge Mohiuddin Mahmud told the Dhaka Tribune police interrogated Rina and Sujon in custody but no clue could be gleaned from them. l

WEATHER THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16 DHAKA TODAY

TOMORROW

SUN SETS 6:31PM

SUN RISES 5:34AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY 32 31 33 31 31 31 29 30

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

26 26 26 26 26 26 25 26

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

34.5ºC

25.2ºC

Bogra

Tangail Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:12am 5:33am 12:03am 4:38pm 6:32pm 8:02pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

National Mourning Day observed across the country n Tribune Report People across the country yesterday observed the National Mourning Day and 40th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with due solemnity.

In Rajshahi

Our correspondent reports: The day was observed with a fresh vow to materialize the dreams of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to build a ‘Sonar Bangla’ and bring back the fugitive convicted killers of Bangabandhu to execute verdict of the murder case.

Various government and non-government organizations, political parties, socio-cultural organizations and educational institutions, including Rajshahi University and RUET chalked out elaborate programmes to observe the day.

The day’s programms began with hoisting of national flags and black flags, placing of wreaths at the portraits of Bangabandhu and four national leaders, offering special prayers and bringing out mourning processions.

In Chittagong

Marking the death anniversary of the founder of independent Bangladesh different socio-cultural organizations and political parties organised day long elaborate programmes in the city and elsewhere of the district, said our correspondent.

The authorities of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and district police had taken extra security measures to avert any untoward incident in observing the occasion.

The educational institutions, different socio-cultural and professional bodies in the district have chalked out detailed programmes to observe the day.

The Chittagong district administration brought out a mourning procession in the morning with the participation of people from all walks of life and placed wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu at Shilphakala Academy around 10am.

Exhibition of a documentary on the life of Bangabandhu was also held as well as special prayers at religious institutions, essay competition, poetry recitation and discussions.

Other organisations that arranged separate programmes were-the city units of Bangladesh Communist Party, Gono Forum, Chittagong Press Club and Chittagong Union of Journalists, Islamic Foundation, Shishu Academy, Press Information Department, Chittagong, Institution of Engineers, Chittagong centre, Civil Surgeon’s Office, Chittagong, Bangabandhu Parisad Chittagong, Sheikh Russel Smriti Parisad, Greater Chittagong Development Action Council, Projonmo 71 and Shaheed Smriti Pathagar, among others.

In Rangpur

Rangpur City Corporation (RCC) hoisted the national flag at half-mast at the City Bhaban at sunrise, placed floral wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu at Central Shaheed Minar and observed one-minute silence around 9:30am, reported our correspondent.

A milad mahfil was arranged and special

Children of different schools in Gazipur participate in an art competition marking the National Mourning Day yesterday at Sreepur Upazila Complex premises DHAKA TRIBUNE prayers were offered for Bangabandhu and his family members.

Besides, the RCC authority distributed foods among the poor and distressed people.

In Gaibandha

Our correspondent said a discussion, doa and milad mahfil took place for the past few days in observation of the day.

A discussion was held on the premises of Badiakhali High School under Sadar upazila, arranged by Awami League’s Badiakhali union unit.

In Khulna

A two-day programme to observe the National Mourning Day began in the city and district, chalked out by Khulna district administration, said our Khulna correspondent.

The programmes included poem recitation and art competition, which took place yesterday at Khulna Shishu Academy as well as a video show on the life of Bangabandhu.

An essay competition on Bangabandhu and Liberation War, and Bangabandhu and Bangladesh, began among the school children at Khulna Zilla School.

National flags were hoisted at half mast in all government, semi-government, autonomous and private buildings in the city.

Besides, mourning processions, discussions, placing of wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu, screening of film show on life and works of Bangabandhu and special milad mahfils and prayers at all religious institutions had also been arranged.

Khulna district information office, Islamic Foundation, Khulna Betar, Khulna University, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Khulna Press Club and other institutions observed the day.

In Noakhali

Our correspondent reported that the day’s programmes started with hoisting of the National Flag at half-mast and raising of black flags atop all public and private buildings.

Marking the day, the district Awami League and its wings and administration placed wreaths of flowers before the picture of Bang-

abandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Later, they arranged a discussion at Shilpakala Auditorium where Badtre Munir Ferdous, Deputy Commissioner of Noakhali was on the chair while Law-maker Ekramul Karim Cshowdhury and also the secretary district Awami League attended as a chief guest.

According to our Barisal correspondent’s reports, District and city units of AL and its front organisations, different political, socio-cultural, educational institutions, district administration and family members of the eight martyrs of August 15 black-night separately organised different types of programmes.

The programmes included discussion on life and achievements of Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujib, holding condolence rally, Quran Khawani, Hamd-Naat, Milad and DOA, feeding the poor, cultural function, voluntary blood donation, painting competition, poetry recitation, broadcasting lectures of Bangabandhu and songs of liberation war, placing wreaths at the portrait of Sheikh Mujib, Abdur Rob Serniabad and other victims of the August 15.

In Sylhet

Our correspondent said local administration had taken up elaborate programme to observe the the 40th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in the district with due respect and befitting manner.

The day-long programme was adopted at a meeting in presence of leaders of Bangladesh Awami League and its front organizations, heads of educational institutions, representatives from socio-cultural organizations and journalists of print and electronic media.

Local administration organized the meeting and Deputy Commissioner (DC) M Joinal Abedin presided over it. The meeting was held at the conference room of the district.

Besides, district AL and its front organizations have also chalked out the elaborate programmes to observe the day, party sources said.

The day was also observed in many other districts including Madaripur, Shariatpur, Thakurgaon, Bhola , Meherpur, Chuadanga, Kurigram, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat and Mymensingh. l

DT

8 WORLD

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

Pakistani boy ‘killed himself after police ignored plea’ n AFP, Multan

A victim of the explosions carrying his belongings walks out of his home in a residential area near the site of the explosions in Tianjin on August 15, 2015.

Residents near the site of two giant explosions in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin were being evacuated on August 15 over fears of toxic contamination, the official Xinhua news agency said AFP

A Pakistani teenager believed to have been kidnapped and repeatedly sexually assaulted has committed suicide after police refused to help and even taunted him, the victim’s father said yesterday.

One police official has now been suspended for “negligence,” police have confirmed.

Muhammad Ikram, 14, who worked at a furniture workshop in the Rahim Yar Khan district of Punjab province, was kidnapped by a gang and raped for two days, his father said.

Ikram was then dumped on a road near his home after his condition worsened but police did not act immediately after he and his father Muhammad Iqbal approached a police post in Khanpur city.

Apparently upset by the attitude of police, on Friday he threw himself into the path of a train and was killed. Ikram’s relatives, carrying his body, then blocked a local highway in protest. The road was opened only after local legislators and senior police officials assured the family action would be taken against the alleged kidnappers.

Police said they have suspended one official and arrested a suspect accused of rape following the victim’s suicide. l

beheads 12 in China blast residents evacuated ISbattle for Libya’s Sirte over chemical fears n AFP, Tripoli

n AFP, Tianjin Residents around the site of giant chemical explosions in the Chinese port of Tianjin were evacuated yesterday over fears of highly-poisonous sodium cyanide, state media said, as fresh blasts were heard and the death toll rose to 85.

A days-long fire intensified at the hazardous goods storage facility and the series of new explosions sent a thick black column of smoke into the air, the official Xinhua news agency said.

The decision to relocate anyone within three kilometres (1.9 miles) of the site came three days after gigantic explosions sent a huge fireball soaring into the sky and left a

vast swathe of destruction. It also came despite official assurances that the disaster had not released dangerous levels of toxic substances into the environment.

“Residents in a relocation site of the blasts have been evacuated in fear of chemical pollutants in the air,” Xinhua said.

Armed police were carrying out the evacuation after sodium cyanide was found at the site, the Beijing News said.

Officials said earlier that specialists from sodium cyanide producers were being sent in to the devastated industrial area where the blasts occurred.

Reports have said there could have been as much as 700 tonnes of the substance – exposure to which can be fatal – at the site.

In the dark

There were 21 firefighters among the dead, authorities said, and 721 people had been hospitalised, 25 of whom were in critical condition.

China has a dismal industrial safety record and authorities have only released limited information about the accident, a criticism often levelled at Chinese officials in the aftermath of disasters.

Furious victims’ relatives railed against officials outside a news conference yesterday for the lack of transparency and information.

“Nobody has told us anything, we’re in the dark, there is no news at all,” screamed one middle-aged woman, as she was dragged away by security personnel. l

Islamic State group jihadists have beheaded 12 people and hung them on crosses during a battle for the coastal city of Sirte, the national news agency LANA reported yesterday.

The fighting for control of Sirte, hometown of slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi, has been raging since Tuesday, with one top Libyan diplomat warning of a “massacre” in the city.

LANA said the 12 people beheaded were local gunmen who had been battling IS in the eastern Sirte district known as “neighbourhood three.”

The agency also reported that IS militants executed 22 other Sirte residents who had taken up arms against the jihadist group as they lay wounded in a city hospital. It said the jihadists also set the hospital on fire. l

Greek PM faces revolt after eurozone approves huge bailout n AFP, Athens Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was yesterday battling a major revolt amongst members of his radical-left party who oppose the third huge bailout for the crisis-hit country.

Finance ministers from the 19-member eurozone approved a package late Friday that will see Greece receive 86 billion euros ($96 billion) over three years in exchange for far-reaching pro-market reforms.

The green light for the deal, designed to stop Athens from defaulting on its huge debts and crashing out of the euro, came hours after Greece’s parliament voted through the agreement after a bitter all-night debate.

A third of MPs in Tsipras’s radical-left party Syriza rebelled against him and he only managed to win the vote with opposition help – prompting fresh expectations that he will be forced to call early elections.

But Tsipras insisted the bailout was in Greece’s best interests, saying: “The agreement will advance Greece by making its financial system more stable, starting right now.”

Critics accuse Tsipras of caving to blackmail from the creditors in agreeing to more painful reforms in exchange for badly-needed cash.

European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said Athens had come perilously close to tumbling out of the eurozone and

into the unknown, but six months of fraught negotiations had paid off.

Greece will receive a first instalment of 13 billion euros next week, helping cover a debt payment due to the ECB next Thursday.

Eurozone ministers said the first main 26-billion tranche of the bailout will include an “immediate” payment of 10 billion euros to Greece’s banks, which are desperately short of cash after panicked customers flocked to withdraw their money.

The deal must still be approved by parliaments in several European countries to go ahead – notably in Germany, Europe’s effective paymaster, where lawmakers are set to vote on Wednesday.

Tsipras now faces the unenviable task of implementing the reforms – many of which must be voted into law, a worrying prospect in a parliament where so many of his lawmakers have turned against him.

Greece’s Kathimerini newspaper yesterday counted nearly 40 measures on tax, competition, social security and pensions that must be voted through and brought into force by the end of the year.

Tsipras has made it known to his European partners that early elections are inevitable, according to Greek media reports.

But the question of when to hold the vote represents a major headache for the prime minister. l

DT

WORLD 9

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

Migrants from Turkey flood into Greece, scuffles on boat n AP, Bodrum Migrants on a Turkish beach scuffled over places on one inflatable dinghy and frantically bailed out another to keep it from sinking during a dramatic night that highlighted their desperation to reach the Greek island of Kos — and the safety of Europe.

The scenes of human trafficking, captured early yesterday by Associated Press journalists on a moonless night, came as Turkish authorities reported that 2,791 migrants have been caught in the Aegean Sea in the past 5 days alone, most of them Syrians.

Tensions were high early yesterday at Fenerburnu Beach near the Turkish tourist town of Bodrum. Two migrants tried to clam-

ber onto a small dinghy only to be forced off by angry fellow passengers, one of whom shouted: “You haven’t paid!” One passenger was also upset that the male intruders had touched the arm of a female migrant wearing an Islamic headscarf.

The two ejected migrants fled up the beach and into the bushes just as a Turkish military police vehicle, its siren wailing, approached.

Earlier, in the darkness well away from the shore, two migrant smuggling boats appeared to be intercepted by another vessel and their passengers taken into custody. It was not immediately clear if Greek authorities were once again intercepting migrants at sea.

Later in the night, another inflatable dinghy setting off from the beach appeared close to

sinking under the weight of its human cargo, which included at least one of the men forced off the earlier vessel. Three women jumped out and ran away shouting “No, no, no!,” clearly terrified at the prospect of making even the short crossing to Kos in the flimsy boat.

Their panic spread to other passengers, leaving just four men to bail out the water using only plastic paddles. Then, using a tiny electric motor, they steered the boat toward the lights of Kos. Issa Jaefer, a Syrian waiting in Bodrum to make the crossing to Kos, said the migrants are aware of the dangers.

“We were left to die in Syria,” he said earlier in the week. “It doesn’t matter if we die on the rough sea.” l

Pakistani, Iranian and Afghani migrants scuffle outside the police station of the city of Kos over priority at a registration queue on the Greek island of Kos yesterday REUTERS

Migrants brawl on Greek island n Reuters, Kos

Migrants desperate to get off the Greek island of Kos fought each other yesterday while nearby a passenger ship chartered to house and process refugees lay empty 24 hours after it had arrived.

Outside the island’s main police station, about 50 migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran threw stones and exchanged blows as tempers boiled over in the intense mid-summer heat. Riot police stood by without intervening.

The migrants have little chance of getting aboard the ship, the Eleftherios Venizelos, as priority is being given to Syrians, who are treated as refugees as they are fleeing their country’s civil war and have greater rights under international law than economic migrants.

All have crossed the narrow stretch of water from Turkey in small boats and dinghies as they try to find a better life in Europe and leave behind either conflict or poverty.

A few hundred Asian migrants were at the police station when the brawling began, hoping to register and obtain papers which will allow them to stay temporarily in Greece.

They then want to head for the mainland in the hope of finding a route to northern Europe, where more support and jobs are available than in Greece, which is in the grip of an economic crisis.

The police station was closed off yesterday, a religious festival in Greece, but some migrants still thought those from other countries might get preferential treatment.

To rival chants of “Afghanistan!,” “Pakistan!” and “Iran!,” fists and stones flew. At least one man was kicked on the ground, while others wandered around with blood on their faces.

Riot police watched from the sidelines.

“We didn’t intervene because our priority is to protect the police station,” one riot policeman told Reuters.

Later, a group of Iranians tried to break the police line blocking access to the police station. The riot police beat back the crowd with batons during the brief affray.

Just after dawn yesterday, Reuters witnesses saw three dinghies each carrying around 30 to 50 people, mainly families from Syria and Iraq as well as young men, coming ashore.

Later, six men, a woman and a baby from Iran arrived, some crying and nearly fainting, after a 3-1/2 hour journey from Turkey. l

Modi: Corruption eating away at India ‘like a termite’ n AFP, New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday warned that corruption was eating away at India “like a termite” as he used an independence day speech to pledge his commitment to eradicating graft and poverty.

In an address from Delhi’s Red Fort, Modi sought to silence growing doubts about his leadership after key reforms stalled in a rancorous parliament session dogged by allegations of corruption involving some of his top lieutenants.

Modi, who has a reputation as a hardline Hindu nationalist, also warned against the “poison” of communalism in a wide-ranging speech that lasted for more than an hour.

But it was his comments on the dangers

posed by corruption that drew most attention, including his admission that the problem went right to the top.

“I want to reaffirm that this nation will get rid of corruption. We can rid the country of corruption, we have to start from the top,” said Modi.

Modi’s speech comes after some of the most senior figures in his Bharatiya Janata Party became embroiled in corruption scandals, including Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and the chief ministers of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh states.

The scandals have been particularly embarrassing as Modi’s election win last year was built in part on a pledge to clean up government after a series of scams under the previous Congress administration.

Modi said there had been no cases of mon-

ey being siphoned off on his watch and that a new law on declaring income had led to the disclosure of around one billion dollars in hitherto hidden assets which will now be liable to tax.

Mohan Guruswamy, who heads the Delhi-based Centre for Policy Alternatives think tank, said Modi had set himself an impossible task in pledging to completely eradicate corruption as it was endemic at every level of officialdom.

“The common man doesn’t care so much about people at the top gobbling up millions but they are concerned about whether a policeman or another government official is taking bribes from them,” Guruswamy told AFP. “If that doesn’t stop, nothing is going to change.”

Power for villages

The right-wing premier, who has been accused of being too close to big business, portrayed himself as a champion of the poor by promising to help farmers and lower-caste dalits, formerly known as untouchables.

Modi set a 1,000-day deadline for every village in India to get electricity, urging state governments which are responsible for power to ensure every community is finally linked to the national grid.

“Even after so many decades of independence there are 18,500 villages in India which do not have electricity,” he said. “I appeal to the states and all other stakeholders to connect these villages with electricity system within 1,000 days.” l

DT

10 ADVERTISEMENT

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

DT

EDITORIAL 11

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

INSIDE

Lessons from last week If the few people who think differently, or outside the box, stop thinking as they do, then how will society change for the better?

PAGE 12

BIGSTOCK

A 50-50 partnership Marriage still, largely, defines the role of a woman in our society. Due to a lack of mental and physical support, many women with promising careers resign from work, unable to cope with family and work life simultaneously PAGE 13

Because she’s a girl One of the major problems in Afghanistan still remains access to education, especially among young girls. Often, the schools are not located in proper buildings, to keep away from the eyes of insurgents who strictly oppose girls going to schools PAGE 14

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

Send us your Op-Ed articles:

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

Stop illegal gas connections to help industry

T

he government must heed the call made by the parliamentary standing committee on energy to put a stop to corruption and mismanagement in the country’s energy sector.

It is long overdue for action to be taken against illegal gas connections.

Titas Gas officials estimate that there are over 250km of illegal gas pipelines and 200,000 illegal connections around Dhaka and Gazipur alone.

Such illegal connections are believed to use over 200 million cubic feet of gas each day, causing the government to daily lose several hundred crore taka.

Aside from causing corruption and revenue losses, not to mention the risk to public safety posed by irregular connections, their persistence causes huge harm to the country’s industrial sector.

Over 2,300 applications by business users have been pending since July 2009 for new gas connections and load expansions.

The government needs to take firm steps against illegal connections to ensure that new supplies can be provided to these industrial customers. The free for all manner in which illegal connections have been allowed to proliferate and steal precious resources is hugely damaging.

Priority must be given to guaranteeing supplies to industry and new entrepreneurs.

To maximise the benefits, the government should also ensure new gas connections are used to run power plants for on-site industrial units. New gas connections should not be given to companies simply to operate boilers, which can be readily fueled with furnace oil or diesel.

Captive power plants are the best use for an industrial gas connection as they not only provide power where it is needed, but help lessen demand on the electricity grid, and thereby reduce load shedding, which benefits everyone.

It is vital for the economy that illegal gas connections are stopped to help guarantee supplies to industrial consumers and prevent industrial growth stagnating.

It is vital to stop illegal connections and get supplies to industries and new entrepreneurs

DT

12 OPINION

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

Lessons from last week

Allowing extremists to dictate how we live our lives stunts our nation’s progress n SM Shahrukh

T

he Awami Olama League (AOL) is an enigma of sorts. It claims to be affiliated with the AL, but its recent statements and activities go against AL’s long-standing ideals of democracy and secularism, in addition to some of its stated decisions. Some observations portray AOL being split into two, if not more, factions, with each faction having heavy-weight AL leaders in their camps.

One of those factions has recently accused the current administration of “favouring the Hindus.” This faction is also dead against having any minimum marriageable age for women, claiming that there is no such sanction in Islam when it comes to marriages.

The leaders of this faction want a blasphemy law which would give the death penalty for people whom they deem as apostates.

They want the government to scrap all peace deals hitherto made with the adivasis of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), and to take all Indian channels off the air in Bangladesh. They want the government to confiscate all textbooks containing works by people like Humayun Azad, Kabir Chowdhury, Selina Hossain et al -- writers they deem to be atheists. They have even staged a manobbondhon (ie a human chain) to protest Dr Zafar Iqbal, the renowned writer and thinker, tagging him as being “anti-Islamic.”

This virulent faction of AOL also calls the current education policy “anti-Islamic” and cites the policy adopted in 2010 as an attempt to promote atheism. It has sent letters containing its demands to the media and, apparently, is led by Abdul Hasan Sheikh Shariatpuri, who claims to be the general secretary of AOL. Echoing the views of Hefazat-e-Islam, they wish to ban Pohela Boishakh too, calling it, like many other fronts who think in chorus with the Hefazat proclamations, a “Hindu” festival.

On the other hand, Ismail Hossain Bin Helali, president of another faction of AOL, declared to certain media people that he was against Shariatpuri’s demands and labeled him a paid agent of Jamaat-e-Islami. The factions use the address of the central office of the AL on Bangabandhu Avenue as their head office.

Needless to say, these factions and their non-secular demands and the obvious infightings have caused embarrassment for the AL, a party whose politics has always been rooted in principles of secularism and the peaceful co-existence of all religions.

The AOL has become a headache for the main organisation, and it has become the “runt of the litter” that the mother organisation is trying to evade or hide but, unfortunately, its yelps are way too audible. This gives rise to a conundrum and a lesson to this observer: Is Awami Olama League a wing of AL or not? Isn’t life all quantum physics?

Schrödinger’s cat lives on or not? AOL is AL or not? Now you see it, now you don’t.

Nobody knows. Or it’s too obvious and I am blind. Or am I? Yes, I see, and then I don’t -– that’s it! My dear God ... life is tough, identifying things is tougher!

Thinking outside the box shouldn’t be a crime I was listening to the law minister and the director general of RAB on Ekattor TV during the weekend -- it was a Friday morning talk show. Speaking of the spate of blogger murders, they insisted that people should not poke at anyone’s religious sentiments and that the law enforcement agencies were doing their best to catch the killers.

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question -- maybe the law-enforcers would like to answer a different question, like in examination papers where two questions are provided with an “or’ in between, and you have to answer the one you choose.

At the time of writing, two suspects had been apprehended in the Niloy murder and they have been taken on police remand. Let’s

If the few people who think differently, or outside the box, stop thinking as they do, how will society change for the better?

Regarding the latter, it has become obvious now that their efforts (at nabbing the perpetrators) are not proving very fruitful. Where are the two killers apprehended by the people (and not the police) in the Oyasiqur murder? Where is their alleged mastermind?

It has been months, but why have they not yet been produced in front of the courts and prosecuted?

According to Ajay Roy, father of the slain Avijit Roy, killed almost six months ago, the police informed him of five to seven possible suspects. The bereaved father’s question: Where they are then? Good question, a tough

see how that ball rolls. One of the remanded, Nahin, was earlier arrested for an attempt on the life of another blogger, Asif Mohiuddin, two years ago, but was released on bail a year after that arrest.

The lesson, obviously, is that law-enforcement is difficult, and detection of criminals, even more so. And once detained, the alleged criminals may or may not face the consequences of their alleged crimes.

Another lesson comes from the honourable law minister himself. He suggests that we can practice free speech and that freedom of expression is guaranteed, but one should not

say or do anything that the greater portion of society does not approve of or looks down upon. But he insists that the state allows and ensures freedom to all its citizens.

Double-speak? I think so. But, sir, there are no absolute beliefs in a society and what the majority thinks is not always correct.

There was a time when people believed that the Earth was flat and the sun was an ornament in the sky. It took mavericks to bring to light the real picture and they had to pay a heavy price for it.

If the few people who think differently, or outside the box, stop thinking as they do, how will society change for the better? I myself abhor those people who write horrible things to deliberately hurt the religious sentiments of the masses using foul language, mostly on social media, and from malice in many cases, twisting facts in a such a way that it allows them to profess profane and unwarranted abuse of many faiths, not only Islam.

Some sites spew venomous defamations on other religions too, inciting the often unsuspecting and gullible people to fulfill their agenda. I condemn these self-serving inciters unequivocally, but those idiots must not make a voice of reason or a contrary view to shut up and shut down.

The lesson from the minister, it seems, is to be a dead fish and hence, go with the flow.

This last week was full of lessons. I feel truly enlightened! l SM Shahrukh is a freelance contributor.

DT

OPINION 13

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

A 50-50 partnership When will our society see marriage as a partnership of two equals?

Marriage still, largely, defines the role of a woman in our society.

Due to a lack of mental and physical support, many women with promising careers resign from work, unable to cope with family and work life simultaneously

It’s time to re-think gender roles in marriage

n Naima Nuren Khan

I

n Bangladesh, the collective mind-set of the people has been through numerous progressive changes. Today, generally a working man prefers a working woman, and recognises a marriage that stands strong on the contribution of both the partners.

Women have more decision-making power, more individuality, and a sense of self-actualisation. Yet, various problems still persist which, instead of empowering women, hinder their chance to explore their full potential.

For the younger, more aware generation, the idea of marriage has evolved. They embrace a marriage that shares responsibility, both emotionally and financially. A lot of these “young people” marriages consist of both partners contributing to the workforce and focusing on their respective careers.

Our society has embraced the concept of shared financial responsibility to some extent. Yet, the patriarchal hold persists, preventing men from helping with household tasks or caring for children. While women are single-handedly expected to care for the household responsibilities, men undergo extreme pressure to provide financial security.

With gender roles strictly defined, our society is still reluctant to open its mind when it comes to the equal sharing of perceived

gender-specific responsibilities.

Marriage still, largely, defines the role of a woman in our society. And, due to a lack of mental and physical support, many women with promising careers resign from work, unable to cope with family and work-life simultaneously. As a result, the work-force ends up with a scarcity of women in leading positions.

BIGSTOCK

Similarly, men are expected to be the sole bread-earners. The lack of sharing of responsibilities in the different spheres of life is what births and enhances power struggles and dominance between the sexes. If men are expected to take charge of the household tasks, women must also share the financial burdens. One must simply facilitate the other.

It is high time that our mind-set broadened to allow a marriage that shares the emotional aspects, financial responsibilities, and the duties that come with family life

In a typical family where both the parents are working, the day will end with the mother taking care of the household tasks, preparing the next day’s meals, and caring for the children after arriving from work. Evidently, while we understand the importance of women’s empowerment, we seem to have overlooked how to actually implement it.

Our society has come a long way and it still has a long way to go. We have realised the benefits of a progressive marriage that is defined by each partner’s independence, decision-making power, and shared responsibility. Yet, we fail to see it in practice, the sharing of responsibilities designated to only certain aspects of a marriage.

It is high time that our mind-set broadened to allow a marriage that shares the emotional aspects, financial responsibilities, and the duties that come with family life. This enables the division of work in a marriage, be it emotional, financial, or simply taking care of the household chores or the children.

A commendable fraction of the workplace is represented by women. Over the last decade, development work, better HR policies, change in societal mind-set, and awareness programs have all worked together to bring forth this change. The fraction of the change, however, is still a meager one and we must strive to include more women in the workforce, participating and taking on responsibilities.

Marriage is a relationship that should not restrict or constrain but should, through the partner’s support, facilitate an easier life. For this to work, we need more men willing and enthused enough to participate in perceived female-specific responsibilities, and we need more working women who share the financial burden. This will without doubt enable a rise in independent women contributing to the workforce and a society that does not emphasise on gender-specific roles, allowing its participants to live as they wish, independent and strong. l Naima Nuren Khan is a freelance contributor.

DT

14 OPINION

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

Because she’s a girl BRAC Afghanistan is working to increase the participation of women and girls across all sectors

One child could change the world

n Syeda Samara Mortada

O

ver 28% of Afghanistan’s population is literate, and among women, the rate is only 12.6%, according to the CIA world factbook. Malala Yousafzai once said: “One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world,” and that is exactly in line with the education program operating in BRAC Afghanistan.

BRAC, which started its journey in Afghanistan, is currently operating two education projects, namely the Girls’ Education Challenge project funded by DFID-UK and Community-based Girls’ Education project in Afghanistan funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD-Canada) to educate 123,984 girls and boys through 4,115 schools, reaching a total of 91.77% girls.

The main purpose of these projects is to provide education through community-based schools, giving Afghan girls and boys a chance to attain standard literacy and numeracy skills.

One of the major problems in Afghanistan still remains a lack of access to education, especially among young girls. Often, the schools are not located in proper buildings, to keep away from the eyes of insurgents who strictly oppose girls going to schools.

In such scenarios, there is a constant

dearth of textbooks and other reading materials. As such, BRAC is working towards access to education for young girls through the mobilisation of the community shura (religious) leaders, and is doing so in collaboration with the ministry of education. The goal of the program is to remove barriers that stand in the way of girls accessing education, for reasons such as early marriage, long distance to

BIGSTOCK

education, Professor Asadullah Hanif Balkhi; deputy minister for academic affairs, Ghulam Jelani Humayun; and the governor of Baikh province, Atta Mohammad Nur. So how is BRAC’s philosophy of work in sync with the Afghan government?

The vice president acknowledged the fact that BRAC started working in Afghanistan during a volatile period and helped improve

One of the major problems in Afghanistan remains access to education, especially among young girls. Often, the schools are not located in proper buildings, to keep away from the eyes of insurgents who strictly oppose girls going to schools

and from schools, and an inherent tradition that does not encourage girls’ education.

To address these issues and others, from July 23-31, the executive director of BRAC international, Faruque Ahmed, visited BRAC Afghanistan. During his visit, he met with the second vice president of Afghanistan, Mohammad Sarwar Danesh, minister of labour, social affairs, martyrs and disabled, Dr Nasrin Oryakhil; honourable minister of

its socio-economic condition. EDBRAC International mentioned that BRAC had started its program operations based on the Afghan government’s priorities. Under the capacity development program, BRAC trained several government officials and school teachers, and provided scholarships on the Masters program on Public Health for BRAC Afghanistan staff and ministry of health staff.

BRAC Afghanistan was one of the organi-

sations who worked with the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan to develop its strategic plan, and also trained all 34 provincial officers of MRRD in managing rural development projects.

The minister of labour, social affairs, martyrs and disabled shared that she is trying to create jobs for people, especially women. Currently, more than 65% of the staff in her ministry comprises of women, but they are not in decision making roles. Discrimination against women is still one of the big challenges in the path of development for Afghanistan.

During the meeting with the education minister, he also asked for more capacity building and teachers training programs.

The ED noted that the education program of BRAC Afghanistan primarily focuses on girls’ education and creates employment opportunity, since all the teachers are female, and can help in this regard -- to increase the participation of women in all sectors across the country.

Like all the other BRAC operating countries, in Afghanistan too BRAC is working for the betterment of the most disadvantaged groups and with the government’s support, change is already in progress. l Syeda Samara Mortada is working in the Communications Department of BRAC International.

16

Euro zone economy slows as France stalls and China risks loom

17

Global gold demand slid to 6-year low in second quarter

19

Stock markets down on profit booking in last week

20

DT

Business

15

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

Exports to India rise 15%

60% banks’ bottomline go up despite lending rates fall Almost 60% of the listed banks have witnessed an inflated bottomline in the first half of this year, despite fall in lending and deposit rates as well as political unrest in the first quarter 2015.

The banks made profits after keeping provision for tax thanks to the central bank’s continued relaxation in loan provisioning norms, say analysts and bankers.

However, some banks struggled to boost their earnings because of some factors, including foreign loan inflow, drop in interest income in the wake of falling interest rate, that had affected their incomes to some extend.

A total of 17, out of 29 listed banks (ICB Islamic Bank is yet to publish), reported positive sign in their respective net profits during the first half of the current year while Islami Bank was leading with a jump of 249% to over Tk339 crore, reads the banks’ half-yearly statements.

Trust Bank became second with 158% while Prime Bank third with 114% in net profit.

Net profit growth of both the two banks-Dhaka Bank and City Bank, rose more than 90%, which was particularly triggered by their operating performances.

Standard Bank, SIBL, Exim Bank and Al-Arafah Bank were the worst performers in profit earnings as they failed to make any profit.

GROWTH OF BANKS' NET PROFIT AFTER TAX

300% 250% 200%

HY 2015 growth against HY 2014 net profit after tax

150% 100% 50% 0% -50% -100%

Islami Bank Trust Bank Prime Bank Dhaka Bank City Bank NCC Bank MTBL EBL One Bank DBBL Uttara Bank Premier Bank Bank Asia Southeast Bank UCBL AB Bank BRAC Bank FSIBL NBL IFIC Rupali Bank Mercantile Bank Pubali Bank Al-Arafah Bank EXIM Bank SIBL Standard Bank

n Kayes Sohel

“Continued ease in provisioning norms have gave will on the earning of some banks,” said Mohammed Nurul Amin, managing di-

rector of Meghna Bank.

He observed that factors like foreign loan borrowed by local entrepreneurs and recent

falling interest rates held back some banks’ profitability.

About the banks’ future prospects, he explained that the country’s export-import situation was slowly improving but this is not good enough to spur the banking sector.

Over the last few years, Bangladesh Bank continued to relax loan provisioning for banks against the rising bad loans.

Banks need to maintain a provision coverage ratio a certain amount of their gross bad loans.

According to Bangladesh Bank, the weighted average deposit rate fell from 7.71% in July 2014 to 6.99% in May 2015. The average lending rate fell from 12.84% in July 2014 to 11.82% in May 2015.

Net income from interest of 19 banks grew significantly mainly due to better spreads management resulted from earlier deposit rates adjustment, said an analysis of IDLC. Among those, MTBL’s interest income rose 120%, followed by Uttara Bank 93% and Pubali Bank 73%.

However, rise in bank profits has so far failed to attract stock investors because of rising bad loans that eat up the profit of the banks, analysts say.

Bad loans rose 8.97% in the first quarter of the current year to Tk54, 657crore owing to political unrest during the period, according to the central bank and bankers. l

Biman to recruit over 1,000 under revitalising efforts n Ishtiaq Husain

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has decided to increase its workforce by more than 1,000 from its present number as the new management thinks such move is necessary to bring dynamism into the national carrier.

It will also abolish some senior posts like deputy general managers and executive directors under a proposed organogram.

The state-owned airlines, which has been a loss-making organisation for years, currently operates with a total of 3,400 employees while as per the decision the number will be increased to 4,575.

The authorities will also introduce a service rules to make it more accountable and dynamic. The highest policy making body Board of Directors already gave a positive signal to finalise the organogram.

“Proposed organogram will bring dyna-

mism among employees of the airlines,” said Biman Chairman Air Marshal (retd) Jamal Uddin Ahmed. There will no posts of executive directors and deputy general managers, but the organogram will include new posts like chief commercial officer and chief finance officer.

Presently the airlines has 17 DGM posts and eight ED posts, which the management thinks redundant. The move caused fear of losing jobs among officials holding the posts.

After his joining in January this year, Managing Directer and CEO of Biman Kyle Heywood began working to form a new organogram.

Sources said Kyle thinks that an organogram is essential for any organisation and without organogram and service rules, the airlines cannot run properly.

He said the organogram is currently getting prepared in line with the board’s guidelines.

Over the last 44 years, manpower of the airlines has doubled in the name of introduc-

ing different new posts.

A high official of Biman said due to lack of skilled and expert technical officers, poor management with scheduling, fleet and human resources had made the airlines a lose-making carrier.

He said as all executive directors of Biman would go into retirement in a year or two, management would then fulfil the vacant posts as per new organogram. In June 2007 Biman, however, sacked 1,862 employees under Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and reduced the workforce to about 3,400 from 4,706.

The step was taken to cut costs and make the carrier a healthy and profitable organisation. In July 2007, among

the sacked through VRS, Biman re-appointed 1,100 employees on casual basis.

In 2007 the national flag carrier started its journey as a public limited company with a view to ensuring better operation and development of air transport service. l

DT

16 BUSINESS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

Euro zone economy slows as France stalls and China risks loom n Reuters, Berlin

Economic growth in the euro zone slowed in the second quarter as France stagnated and Italy lost momentum, held back by an uncertain global outlook that is even weakening investment in powerhouse Germany.

Growth in the 19-country currency bloc slowed to 0.3%, missing expectations for a 0.4% quarterly expansion that would have matched the first quarter.

This relatively meagre growth came against a backdrop of heavy monetary stimulus from the European Central Bank and a weak euro that boosted exports.

A Reuters poll on Thursday found economists expecting a 0.4% per quarter plateau for the euro zone until the end of next year.

“The impact from slower growth in China will likely be largely offset by robust demand from the US and the UK,” said Holger Schmieding at Berenberg bank, forecasting 0.3% growth in the third quarter and 0.4 percent in the fourth.

In Germany, Europe’s largest economy, growth accelerated slightly to 0.4% in the second quarter from 0.3% in the first, but was below expectations for a 0.5% expansion as weak investment acted as a drag.

Friday’s euro zone growth readouts came a day after the minutes of the European Central Bank’s last meeting showed it was concerned that volatility in Chinese markets may have more impact than expected on the euro zone.

China has seen a run of weak economic data. China’s decision to devalue the curren-

A street musician plays the accordion in front of a closed store in central Athens cy on Tuesday by pushing its official guidance rate down 2% has also sparked fears of a “currency war” and roiled global financial markets.

“Of course, if China were to cause major contagion across emerging markets, growth in core Europe would suffer a little despite positive domestic fundamentals,” said Schmieding.

Such uncertainty is holding back businesses.

The mood among analysts and investors in Germany worsened in August due to concerns about the effect of an unstable global economic backdrop on the country’s export-depend-

IMF warns of ‘disorderly correction’ if China reform slows n AFP, Washington The IMF warned Friday that China, the world’s second-largest economy, could face a “disorderly correction” followed by slower growth if its reform program slows.

Presenting its annual assessment of China, the International Monetary Fund expressed satisfaction with its transition to a more market-oriented economy.

But it also warned Beijing to stay the course, despite recent warning signs.

“The faster the progress, the sooner the benefits will materialize,” said Markus Rodlauer, head of the IMF mission to China and one of the authors of the review.

The report forecasts 6.8% growth for this year, relatively low by recent Chinese standards but this was expected as Beijing transitions to a more sustainable model.

It also said the yuan is no longer undervalued, despite Beijing ordering this week’s steep fall against the dollar, noting it was still well up over the year.

The IMF was also sanguine about the recent turmoil on Chinese stock markets, which it said does not threaten the wider economy.

But it urged Beijing to quickly unwind its massive state intervention to support falling share prices, and warned that the true risk

would come from slowing reform.

“Insufficient progress in containing vulnerabilities and advancing structural reforms continues to pose the biggest risk to the outlook,” Rodlauer warned.

“If there were going ahead insufficient progress that would be the biggest risk that, if realize, could result over the medium term in a disorderly correction and a protracted period of slower growth.”

Markets and some world governments have been alarmed by this week’s decision by China to devalue the yuan, but the IMF said it should be seen as a step toward a more market-oriented exchange rate approach.

“The exact impact will depend on how the new mechanism is implemented going forward,” Rodlauer told reporters.

“China can and should aim to achieve a full floating exchange rate system within two to three years.”

Asked whether the yuan’s fall would help China’s in its quest to see the yuan become one of the reserve currencies in the IMF’s SDR (special drawing rights) basket, Rodlauer was cautious.

“The announced change has no direct impact on the criteria used in determining the composition of the basket,” he said, calling for a “more market-oriented” rate. l

REUTERS

ent economy, a survey showed on Tuesday.

Around half of Germany’s 30 blue-chip companies reported consensus-beating financial results for the April-June period. More than two thirds nonetheless stuck with their guidance for the year as a whole as geopolitical and economic uncertainties remain for the second half of the year.

Euro factor

Germany’s Federal Statistics Office said of the GDP numbers that weakness in investment

and a marked drop in inventories weighed on growth in the second quarter, while the weaker euro helped support exports.

The euro fell sharply at the start of the year, shedding more than 8% on a trade-weighted basis between January and March - its weakest quarter ever. The single currency did gain back some ground in the second quarter, rising just over 2%, but since the start of the year it is down almost 6%.

In France, the currency area’s second biggest economy, a jump in exports was not strong enough to offset the impact of weak consumer spending and changes in inventories and growth came to a standstill after a strong first quarter.

The ECB described the recovery in the 19-country euro zone as moderate and gradual, a trend it called “disappointing”, and said an increase in US interest rates might slow the upturn.

Italy’s economy grew by 0.2% in the second quarter after 0.3% in the first as a weak recovery from three years of recession lost momentum.

Economic reports from northern euro zone economies also gave little reason for optimism even though they have been spared the worst of the currency bloc’s debt crisis.

In the Netherlands, the economy grew by 0.1% on the quarter in the April-June period.

In Finland, the economy contracted in April-June for the fourth consecutive quarter as the Nordic euro zone member struggles to revive exports to its major markets, Europe and Russia. l

CORPORATE NEWS

WINGS (Women in Need Group), a support group for women has recently held its first monthly general meeting. Its president, Farzana Chowdhury who is also the MD and CEO of Green Delta Insurance, talked about various activities and initiatives of WINGS at the meeting

NCC Bank Limited has recently held a two daylong half yearly business conference for its branch managers and executives. The bank’s chairperson, SM Abu Mohsin inaugurated the conference as chief guest while its MD & CEO, Golam Hafiz Ahmed presided over the function

DT

BUSINESS 17

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

US Fed likely to raise interest rates twice this year n Reuters, Washington

A saleswoman checks the weight and quality of gold jewellery inside a showroom in Mumbai, India

REUTERS

Global gold demand slid to 6-year low in second quarter n Reuters, London Gold demand hit a six-year low in the second quarter, a World Gold Council report showed on Thursday, as sluggish price movement and the prospect of better returns in equities curbed interest in the metal.

Demand fell 12% to 914.9 tonnes, with declines in China and India accounting for nearly half of the drop, the WGC said. Globally, jewellery buying fell 14%, investment slid 11%, and central bank buying was 13% lower.

“Jewellery demand came under pressure from negative consumer sentiment, while investment was a casualty of directionless prices and stock market gains,” the WGC said.

Chinese consumer demand fell 3%, with consumer sentiment damaged by volatility in equities and concerns over decelerating growth. With offtake of 216.5 tonnes, China remained the world’s biggest gold consumer.

In number two buyer India, jewellery

consumption fell 23% as rural incomes were knocked by severe weather, while investment slid 30% to a six-year low, hurt by competition from equities and uncertainty over price direction.

Spot gold was heavily rangebound in the second quarter, with the spread between its highs and lows the narrowest of any quarter in eight years. Prices have since dropped sharply, hitting a 5-1/2 year low late last month.

Lower prices should lead to better demand in Asia in the full year, the WGC said. This week’s devaluation of the Chinese yuan is also expected to boost demand, it added.

“One of the big narratives for the development of the global economy is that the renminbi (yuan) will attain an ever greater role in global financial markets,” the WGC’s market intelligence manager Alistair Hewitt said.

“For it to do that, it needs a floating exchange rate, and it needs to internationalise.”

“As that happens we’re going to see greater

degrees of volatility within currency markets and within financial markets. Those factors will ultimately underpin gold demand as people look to hedge their risk.”

Consumer demand fell by nearly a quarter in the Middle East in the last quarter, while Turkish buying was down 50%.

U.S. and European consumer demand rose, however, with European investors buying on concerns over Greece.

European bar and coin demand rose 19% or 7.3 tonnes, against average declines of 1.7 tonnes across other markets. Investment in European exchange-traded funds rose 6.6 tonnes in Q2, compared to an outflow of nearly 23 tonnes in ETFs globally.

“Demand for bars, coins and ETFs was boosted by the Greek crisis and the possible threat to the stability of the euro area,” the WGC said.

In the full year the WGC expects global demand to reach 4,200-4,300 tonnes, it said.

Last year it totalled 4,220 tonnes. l

The US Federal Reserve will probably raise interest rates twice this year, with the first increase in almost a decade coming as early as next month, according to a Reuters poll of economists published on Thursday.

The survey gave a median 55% chance that the US central bank would raise its short-term lending rate twice this year. Economists put a 60% probability on a September rate hike and an 85% chance that it would move by year-end.

“If the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) acts in September, there is a good possibility that it will in December as well,” said economist Terry Sheehan of Stone & McCarthy in Princeton, New Jersey. The case for a September monetary policy move was bolstered by solid job gains and a rebound in wages in July. In addition, economic growth accelerated in the second quarter after bad weather constrained it at the start of the year.

After China’s surprise devaluation of the yuan, US financial markets have slightly pushed rate hike expectations to December.

The Fed, currently targeting a range of zero to 0.25%, has not raised interest rates since 2006.

The midpoint of the range of federal funds rate expectations in the survey came to 0.375% by the end of September and 0.625% at the turn of the year, unchanged from a July poll.

Even if the Fed raises interest rates twice this year, the tightening process would still be gradual, economists said, citing a strong dollar.

“Their credibility requires a rate increase this year,” said Georgia State University professor emeritus Donald Ratajczak. “The strong dollar suggests that a very slow pace is needed until currency values stabilize.”

Average hourly earnings are expected to rise slightly beginning in 2016, according to the poll.

The economists forecast wage growth averaging 0.5% in the first quarter of 2016 and 0.6% in the second. They had previously expected 0.3% for both periods.

The more than 80 participating economists saw little impact on the economy from the anticipated slight tightening in monetary policy.

The growth estimate for 2015 was unchanged at an average of 2.3%. The survey showed growth accelerating to 2.7% next year, little changed from the July poll.

“Monetary policy will still be very accommodative even after the first couple of Fed rate hikes,” said Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James & Associates in St. Petersburg, Florida. “Raising rates will be a sign that the Fed believes the recovery has made substantial progress and will continue to improve.” l

German recovery gathers modest pace in second quarter n AFP, Frankfurt

Growth of the German economy, Europe’s biggest, picked up marginally in the second quarter of 2015, driven by the weaker euro and healthy consumer spending, official data showed on Friday.

German gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 0.4% in the period from April to June, up from 0.3% in the first quarter, the federal statistics office Destatis said in a flash estimate.

Analysts had been projecting marginally

stronger growth of 0.5% for the second quarter.

“The German economy continued along its positive growth path,” the statisticians said.

“Positive impulses came primarily from foreign trade. Exports grew a lot faster than imports thanks to the weak euro, with goods exports in particular growing strongly.”

But consumer spending and government spending also increased. Weak investment, on the other hand, weighed on growth, Destatis added.

On a 12-month basis, GDP growth stood

at 1.6% in the second quarter compared with 1.2% in the first quarter, it said.

‘Broad footing’

“Overall, the data show that, despite the uncertainty surrounding Greece’s continued membership in the euro, the German economy managed to gain some momentum in the spring,” said BayernLB economist Stefan Kipar.

“The German economy is on a broad footing and is being driven by both domestic demand and positive foreign trade,” he said.

And given the continued low oil prices and economic recovery in the United States and the euro area, “the outlook for coming quarters remains positive,” Kipar noted.

ING DiBa economist Carsten Brzeski said that “neither Greece nor China were able to stop the German economy.” A full breakdown of the different GDP components would only be published at the end of August.

“But available monthly data... indicate that growth was driven by exports and domestic consumption,” Brzeski said. l

DT

18 BUSINESS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

News, analysis and recent disclosures AGM/Dividend

dend, Record Date: 02.09.2015.

EPU=Tk. 0.54, NAV per unit of Tk. 8.50.

ICB2NDNRB: 10% cash dividend, Record Date: 02.09.2015.

EPU= Tk. 0.87, NAV per unit of Tk. 10.99.

ICB1STNRB: 32% cash dividend, Record Date: 02.09.2015.

EPU= Tk. 2.46, NAV per unit of Tk. 24.17.

ATCSLGF: The Trustee Committee of the Fund has approved the audited accounts of the Fund for the year ended 30th June 2015. The Fund reported net profit of Tk. 37,845,219.00 with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.62. Taking into consideration previous years retained earnings of Tk. 82,463,773.00 the Board has approved 7.50% Cash dividend and a dividend of 2.50% on the Capital Fund of Tk. 605,905,000.00 in the form of Re-Investment Units to be issued at a valuation based on last published NAV per unit before Record date. Record date: 01.09.2015.

SEBL1STMF: The Trustee Committee of the Fund has declared 12.50% cash dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2015.

Record date: 31.08.2015. The Fund has reported net profit of Tk. 140.82 million and earnings per unit of Tk. 1.41 for the year ended on June 30, 2015 as against Tk. 141.24 million and Tk. 1.42 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

NLI1STMF: The Trustee Committee of the Fund has declared 13.00% cash dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2015.

Record date: 31.08.2015. The Fund has reported net profit of Tk. 75.42 million and earnings per unit of Tk. 1.50 for the year ended on June 30, 2015 as against Tk. 70.89 million and Tk. 1.41 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

ICBSONALI1: 10% cash dividend, Record Date: 02.09.2015.

EPU= of Tk. 1.03, NAV per unit of Tk. 9.69.

IFILISLMF1: 10% cash dividend, Record Date: 02.09.2015. EPU= Tk. 1.02, NAV per unit of Tk. 9.86.

ICB3RDNRB: 5% cash dividend, Record Date: 02.09.2015. EPU= Tk. 0.51, NAV per unit of Tk. 7.58.

PF1STMF: 5% cash dividend, Record Date: 02.09.2015. EPU= Tk. 0.53, NAV per unit of Tk. 7.86.

PRIME1ICBA: 7% cash dividend, Record Date: 02.09.2015.

EPU= Tk. 0.56, NAV per unit of Tk. 8.37.

ICBEPMF1S1: 7.5% cash dividend, Record Date: 02.09.2015.

EPU= Tk. 0.62, NAV per unit of Tk. 8.13.

ICBAMCL2ND: 5% cash divi-

Audited/unaudited Financial Reports:

BIFC (HY): EPS for April-June, 2015 was Tk. (1.14) as against Tk. 0.43 for April-June, 2014, EPS for Jan-June, 2015 was Tk. (1.36) as against Tk. 0.47 for Jan-June, 2014. NOCFPS was Tk. (13.82) for Jan-June, 2015 as against Tk. (8.98) for Jan-June, 2014. NAV per share was Tk. 14.77 as of June 30, 2015 and Tk. 16.13 as of December 31, 2014. Accumulated profit/(loss) of the Company was Tk. (88.22) million as on 30.06.2015.

Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

Closing (% change)

Company Northern Jute -Z Rahima Food -Z CVO PetroChem RL-A Apex Tannery -A Jute SpinnersA Zeal Bangla Sugar -Z Kohinoor Chem -A Saiham Cotton-A Argon Denims Limited-A Islami Bank BD - A

27.27 12.53 11.07 10.18 9.49 8.96 8.84 8.54 8.46 8.30

CSE GAINER Closing (% change)

Company 4th ICB M F-A EBL NRB M.F.-A H.R. Textile -A Rahima Food -Z Kohinoor Chem -A Pioneer Insur -A CVO PetroChem RL-A Libra Infusions-A EXIM Bank 1 MF-A Wata Chemicals -A

26.24 20.45 18.63 13.20 12.16 11.39 11.14 9.76 9.52 9.15

DSE LOSER Company Sandhani Life -A 4th ICB M F-A Beach Hatchery -A 2nd ICB M F -A 6th ICB M F-A Bangladesh Welding -B 8th ICB M F-A ISN Ltd. -Z Northern G Insur-A Deshbandhu Polymer-A

Closing (% change) -19.15 -14.84 -14.04 -11.18 -9.66 -9.23 -8.25 -7.41 -7.34 -7.14

CSE LOSER Company Sandhani Life -A Beach Hatchery -A AB Bank 1st Mutual Fund-A ISN Ltd. -Z Bangladesh Welding -B Deshbandhu Polymer-A Mercantile Insur -A National Polymer -A National Housing Fin.-B Tosrifa Industries -N

Closing (% change) -18.96 -15.65 -9.38 -8.26 -8.11 -7.79 -7.25 -6.99 -6.97 -6.65

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

DSE key features August 9-13, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka)

DSE GAINER

Sector

30,998.43 732,463,762 703,838

Traded Issues

325

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

125

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

198

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

2

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,702.27

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

32.75

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 2193.47 704.79 604.26 6506.89 1528.80 5365.24 69.29 3570.19 4498.01 85.67 469.04 253.17 274.89 1192.44 217.82 126.39 551.81 987.39 730.37 1067.11 1.40

% change 7.08 2.27 1.95 20.99 4.93 17.31 0.22 11.52 14.51 0.28 1.51 0.82 0.89 3.85 0.70 0.41 1.78 3.19 2.36 3.44 0.00

Million Taka 148.63 49.14 19.02 557.87 691.92 475.75 0.00 279.39 256.02 7.79 32.03 19.93 17.66 124.47 22.12 4.08 37.23 96.53 77.68 105.53 0.23

Average (% change) 27.95 18.08 12.64 9.91 7.85 4.31 9.55 10.15 9.97 7.62 Average (% change) 26.24 20.45 18.75 14.82 12.16 7.12 12.76 9.76 9.52 9.58

Average (% change) -18.25 -14.78 -13.00 -11.14 -9.69 -8.09 -8.35 -8.18 -5.93 -6.11

Average (% change) -17.44 -12.69 -9.38 -3.76 -6.95 -5.86 -7.25 -3.49 -7.65 -6.01

CSE

Closing average 279.54 46.23 438.79 134.36 53.16 7.02 414.85 21.81 28.67 30.10

Closing average 255.00 5.30 24.19 45.02 415.00 33.85 438.59 450.00 6.90 180.44

Closing average 43.73 210.00 19.95 290.00 58.90 24.07 67.80 9.99 20.30 14.29

Closing average

% change 4.92 1.63 0.63 18.45 22.89 15.74 0.00 9.24 8.47 0.26 1.06 0.66 0.58 4.12 0.73 0.14 1.23 3.19 2.57 3.49 0.01

43.85 20.02 5.80 10.49 24.37 14.29 12.80 115.46 22.70 29.70

Weekly closing 277.70 44.90 432.60 134.20 54.20 7.30 416.10 21.60 28.20 30.00

Weekly closing 255.00 5.30 24.20 44.60 415.00 35.20 431.00 450.00 6.90 180.10

Weekly closing 43.90 210.00 19.60 290.00 58.90 23.60 67.80 10.00 20.20 14.30

Weekly closing

Weekly high 301.40 47.60 459.90 139.00 55.00 8.00 442.00 22.20 29.50 31.20

Weekly high 255.00 5.30 24.60 46.50 419.90 35.20 460.00 450.00 6.90 188.00

Weekly high

216.10 38.20 394.50 116.00 48.60 6.50 389.00 19.00 25.80 25.80

Weekly low 255.00 4.40 20.10 38.60 400.00 33.50 395.00 401.00 6.90 170.10

Weekly low

55.00 245.00 23.50 320.00 67.00 27.80 76.80 10.80 21.70 15.60

Weekly high

43.60 19.40 5.80 10.00 23.80 14.20 12.80 110.40 22.70 29.50

Million Taka 2342.10 753.93 623.28 7064.77 2220.71 5841.00 69.29 3849.58 4754.03 93.46 501.07 273.10 292.54 1316.91 239.94 130.47 589.03 1083.92 808.05 1172.65 1.63

Weekly low

43.30 210.00 19.20 290.00 58.90 23.50 67.80 9.90 20.00 14.10

Weekly low

55.10 23.50 5.80 11.00 27.60 15.70 13.30 117.90 25.00 32.20

Total

42.00 19.20 5.80 9.50 23.60 14.10 12.80 109.20 22.70 29.20

% change 6.88 2.22 1.83 20.77 6.53 17.17 0.20 11.32 13.97 0.27 1.47 0.80 0.86 3.87 0.71 0.38 1.73 3.19 2.38 3.45 0.00

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

Turnover in million

Latest EPS

21.224 17.819 599.663 135.341 0.667 0.244 13.057 89.480 193.276 917.895

Turnover in million

1.75 -0.47 6.89 2.19 -31.68 -45.17 8.25 1.43 2.78 4.22

Latest EPS

0.012 0.053 0.305 1.898 0.108 0.041 52.141 0.207 0.000 1.482

Turnover in million

36.29 0.61 0.85 -0.47 8.25 3.44 6.89 3.38 0.56 4.30

Latest EPS

14.873 0.398 165.800 0.543 11.071 254.115 8.538 1.946 4.511 41.213

Turnover in million

2.16 36.29 1.29 55.89 13.93 -0.80 17.26 -0.20 3.90 0.13

Latest EPS

1.886 33.660 0.018 0.048 14.770 7.182 0.033 5.102 0.251 19.869

2.16 1.29 0.76 -0.20 -0.80 0.13 1.96 3.36 2.24 3.26

Latest PE 159.7 -ve 63.7 61.4 -ve -ve 50.3 15.3 10.3 7.1

Latest PE 7.0 8.7 28.5 -ve 50.3 9.8 63.7 133.1 12.3 42.0

Latest PE 20.2 5.8 15.5 5.2 4.2 -ve 3.9 -ve 5.2 109.9

Latest PE 20.3 15.5 7.6 -ve -ve 109.9 6.5 34.4 10.1 9.1

CSE key features August 9-13, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

3,023.04 62,689,289 98,648

Traded Issues

285

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

102

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

178

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

5

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,610.14

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

31.64

DT

BUSINESS 19

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

Stock markets down on profit booking in last week n Tribune Report

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company United Power-N Islami Bank BD - A FAR Chemical-N LafargeS Cement-A Shahjibazar Power-N Ratanpur Steel -N Bengal Windsor-A BSRM Ltd. -A Appollo Ispat CL -N Square Pharma -A

CVO PetroChem RL-A Grameenphone-A UNITED AIR-A Al-Haj Textile -A Ifad Autos -N ACI Limited- A

Volume shares 10,631,374 32,408,879 15,165,015 6,899,649 4,191,307 11,442,039 8,705,951 5,781,456 26,666,914 2,323,640

1,387,021 1,727,715 48,724,284 3,827,951 4,299,338 790,423

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company BATBCL -A United Power-N LafargeS Cement-A BSRM Ltd. -A Olympic Accessories -N Square Pharma -A WesternMarine -N UNITED AIR-A BD Submarine Cable-A Shahjibazar Power-N

Singer BD -A Islami Bank BD - A CVO PetroChem RL-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Mozaffar H.Spinning-A

Volume shares 200,005 1,453,052 765,464 721,372 1,328,520 249,588 1,389,791 5,867,079 451,613 283,887

305,197 1,868,973 120,035 1,488,367 1,369,802

Value in million 1760.94 917.90 848.44 846.96 790.03 729.77 694.60 662.23 626.30 623.31

599.66 554.71 531.76 511.11 461.86 457.35

Value in million 600.02 240.31 93.91 82.52 82.38 66.97 64.38 63.91 63.56 53.62

52.90 52.50 52.14 49.42 49.27

% of total turnover 5.68 2.96 2.74 2.73 2.55 2.35 2.24 2.14 2.02 2.01

1.93 1.79 1.72 1.65 1.49 1.48

% of total turnover 19.85 7.95 3.11 2.73 2.73 2.22 2.13 2.11 2.10 1.77

1.75 1.74 1.72 1.63 1.63

Weekly closing 161.60 30.00 56.10 121.20 188.10 64.10 82.40 117.10 23.60 268.00

432.60 316.50 10.80 130.40 104.40 566.30

Weekly closing 3050.00 161.40 121.00 118.00 60.80 267.90 45.70 10.80 136.90 188.50

170.10 30.00 431.00 32.70 36.20

Price change -6.10 8.30 7.27 -1.70 4.38 5.43 7.01 7.53 3.51 0.83

Weekly opening 172.10 27.70 52.30 123.30 180.20 60.80 77.00 108.90 22.80 265.80

Price change 1.67 -5.34 -1.63 8.76 -3.49 1.02 0.88 -3.57 0.00 4.32

Weekly opening 3000.00 170.50 123.00 108.50 63.00 265.20 45.30 11.20 136.90 180.70

11.07 -2.25 -3.57 2.44 0.29 -1.51

0.65 7.53 11.14 -3.25 2.84

389.50 323.80 11.20 127.30 104.10 575.00

169.00 27.90 387.80 33.80 35.20

Weekly high 175.40 31.20 58.80 126.20 196.80 66.40 83.80 123.90 24.00 269.70

459.90 326.10 11.60 144.60 112.80 590.00

Weekly high 3050.00 174.80 126.00 123.90 64.20 270.00 47.70 11.50 147.00 196.00

178.90 31.00 460.00 34.10 37.90

Weekly low 158.60 25.80 50.00 121.00 180.00 61.10 75.00 107.60 22.90 266.70

394.50 315.80 10.60 119.50 103.80 564.60

Weekly low 3000.0 158.70 120.70 108.00 60.50 265.50 45.00 10.60 136.50 180.10

168.50 25.60 395.00 32.70 34.60

Weekly average 164.03 30.10 56.68 121.82 192.45 64.69 82.30 118.86 23.79 268.08

438.79 318.11 10.91 133.26 105.55 569.17

Weekly average 3000.00 164.12 121.57 119.48 61.23 267.98 46.09 10.92 137.83 192.61

170.92 29.77 438.59 32.86 35.86

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

4808.87121

(-) 1.14%

1859.39590

(-) 1.45%

14781.5104

(-) 0.86%

12410.7134

(-) 0.21%

9000.0818

(-) 0.88%

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

Stock markets witnessed profit-booking fall in the past week with sharp decrease in turnover, after a modest rise in the previous week.

Most profit booking took place mainly on telecommunication, food and allied and power stocks, which contributed to close the market lower.

During the week that ended Thursday, the benchmark of Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, fell over 55 points or 1.2% to 4,809.

The blue-chip comprising index DS30 was down 27 points or 1.5% to 1,859. The DSE Shariah Index, DSES, shed 6 points or 0.6% to end 1,191.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, fell 80 points or almost 1% to 9,000.

Meanwhile, a technical glitch disrupted trading on Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) Wednesday that forced the authorities to delay the trading. The glitch, however, could not mar the market sentiment on that day.

The daily average turn-

over on DSE stood at Tk620 crore, sharply down 25% over the previous week. During the week investors concentrated on engineering, power and pharmaceuticals sectors, which grabbed 21%, 17% and 15% respectively of the week’s total turnover.

“Investors remained cautious about price levels and some of them preferred booking a portion of the profit generated in recent rally,” said IDLC Investments.

As most of the earnings declarations that were due passed by and market lacked any new lucrative story, profit booking dominated the market sentiment.

Though the fourth session of the week showed sign of completion of consolidation, investors disagreed and kept being bear, it observed.

Lanka Bangla Securities said market eroded 55 points last week as investors remained cautious. The DSEX 4,800 level acted as a strong resistance level for the benchmark index last week, it said.

“Investors remained in the sideline and observed market movement.” l

ANALYST

Investors remained cautious about price levels and some of them preferred booking a portion of the profit generated in recent rally

DT

20 BUSINESS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

Exports to India rise 15% n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

GP WiFi on Green Line buses n Tribune Business Desk Passengers of Green Line Bus Service operating on the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar and Dhaka-Sylhet route will be able to use Internet availing WiFi connectivity provided through Grameenphone’s 3G devices.

The service has been inaugurated yesterday by Md Abdus Sattar, general manager, Green Line Paribahan, and Mr Sazzad Alam, head of Direct Sales, Grameenphone, in presence of Mr Mohammad Alauddin, proprietor of Green Line Paribahan and Md Baqui Billah, head of Business Sales, Grameenphone, along with other officials from both sides.

This is the first such initiative to provide Internet connectivity to inter-district bus passengers in Bangladesh, reports UNB. l

120

RMG EXPORTS TO INDIA VALUE IN $M

100

n Ishtiaq Husain

96

80

104

75

60

40

20

0

600

500

36 2010-11

27

Source: EPB

Bangladesh’s exports to Indian market have risen by 15.45% to $527m in last fiscal year as some products including textiles got duty and quota-free access.

According to Export Promotion Bureau data, the country earned $527.16m in FY201415 compared to $456.63m in FY2012-13.

Readymade garment export to the neighbouring country also increased by 8.31% to $104.25m in the year compared to $96.25m in the previous year.

“Bangladesh has to compete with India’s local producers as they made same products.

Besides, the Indian government patronises local industry to boost economic growth, which caused slow RMG export growth to the neighboring country,” Khondaker Golam Moazzem, additional research director of Centre for Policy Dialogue, told the Dhaka Tribune.

He put stress on enhanced communication between Bangladesh’s RMG manufacturers and Indian retailers to increase bilateral trading.

Besides, the government should negotiate with its Indian counterpart to lift the countervailing duty on the RMG products, he added.

BGMEA vice president Shahidullah Azim said RMG export growth to the Indian market was not satisfactory.

He said Lilliput, the largest kids’ wear brand in India, did not pay $5.5m to 22 garment exporters of Bangladesh and this also discouraged RMG exports to India, which led to the slow growth.

Shahidullah Azim said the government should take measures through embassy in Delhi to ensure the payment of dues as the exporters were in the risk of shutting down their factories.

A BGMEA director said Bangladesh has a bright export prospects in densely populated India which has a wide middle-class consumers base.

He said garment exports to India were increasing due to high demands for Bangladeshi products like trousers, shirts, blouses, skirts, kids wear, cotton nightwear and jeans.

Exporters Association of Bangladesh president Abdus Salam Murshedy said Bangladesh’s export to Indian market rose due to tariff waiver along with geographical proxim-

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

TOTAL EXPORTS TO INDIA VALUE IN $M

513

498

564 457

400

527

300

200

100

0

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

ASMAUL HOQUE MAMUN/DT INFOGRAPHIC

ity, but the growth was slow compared to the previous year.

He said more capable Indian manufacturers to supply to local market also caused slow

growth of RMG exports.

Abdus Salam put emphasis on organising fairs in India to attract consumers as well as the retailers to grab the big neighboring market. l

BTRC begins survey on mobile internet speed from today n Tribune Report Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is going to launch a countrywide survey to monitor the speed of mobile internet from today to measure the quality of data services.

Three teams comprising 5 members each will conduct this survey in 45 Upazilas under 15 selective districts. Representatives from the top three mobile operators will accompany the BTRC team.

After getting lot of complaints for low-speed from the subscribers, especially in rural areas, the regulatory body planned to conduct this kind of survey to see the real picture on ground.

The survey will be conducted in every

edotco may lose mobile phone network business

three upazilas of the 15 selected districts to know the actual status of internet speed.

During the first phase of the survey, the teams will start working in Khulna, Bogra and Habiganj districts and the work will continue till September.

An official of the regulatory body said, based on the survey reports, BTRC would soon introduce a ranking of internet services quality.

Due to increasing call drops, poor networks coverage and unsatisfactory customer support, the regulatory body had issued a quality service directive last year.

Despite those initiatives from the BTRC, mobile operators didn’t take any effective measures to improve their respective services. l

The network infrastructure service provider edotco would not be able to continue its business in Bangladesh if the guideline for tower sharing licence is introduced as drafted.

According to the draft, any of the shareholders – local or foreign – of mobile phone operators and Broadband Wireless Access operators licenced by BTRC are not eligible to apply for the licence.

So far, edotco has been operating in Bangladesh by taking an NOC only.

An official of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said the mobile operator, Robi Axiata Limited, has around 50% share of edotco’s ownership.

Launched as an independent business entity on June 1, 2013, edotco is a part of the Malaysia-based Axiata Group performing mobile, telephone and network infrastructure operations in eight countries.

‘We want to do business in Bangladesh abiding by the existing laws’ If the draft guideline gets the go-ahead, edotco’s business will come to an end.

Wishing anonymity, an official of the company said: “As a foreign investor, it would be tough for Bangladesh government to put a bar to our doing business here.”

“It will give a negative message to foreign investors if the government finally does anything against us as edotco has already invested millions of $dollars in Bangladesh,” he added. edotco owns and operates more than 6,000 BTS tower sites across the country and continues expanding operations. It also claims to be the market leader in Bangladesh with 11 customers including six mobile phone operators.

The draft guideline also reads: The existing licenced telecom operators who have so far shared, leased and rented towers, will gradually roll back these tower sharing/leasing/ renting services.

The government is going to introduce the Tower Sharing Licence as part of its plan to carry out the maintenance of mobile phone base stations through two separate companies.

But, opposing the government decision, some mobile phone operators said around 2,500 engineers will lose their jobs if the plan is implemented and the move also goes against the 3G licencing regulations.

As of now, six mobile operators have around 3,000 engineers. Of them, some 700 are working for GP, 600 for Banglalink, 500 for Robi and 1,000 for Teletalk, Citycell and Airtel, according to sources.

Since 2010, around 7,500 towers were set up by six operators across the country, of which 5,500 have already been shared.

Suresh Sidhu, edotco Group CEO, said: “We want to do business in Bangladesh abiding by the existing laws.”

“If the new guideline comes into effect and prevents us from getting licence, we will transfer our ownership from Robi to edotco.” l

DT

Photo: Courtesy

T-JUNCTION

Jam(dani) session

21

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

INSIDE

22 news

Gentle Park summer collection

23

interview

All in the weaving

24

wardrobe check

Bag ‘em

style session

The unlikely combination

DT

22 T-JUNCTION

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

News

Gentle Park summer collection

National Mourning Day observed at ULAB On the occasion of National Mourning Day, the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB http://www.ulab.edu. bd/) held a session at its own campus in Dhanmondi on August 13, observing the 40th year of Martyrdom of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and National Mourning Day. ULAB Emeritus Professor Rafiqul Islam conducted the ceremony.

Professor H M Jahirul Haque, ProVice Chancellor of ULAB, delivered the welcome speech along with one minute silence, which was followed by a rendition of “Shono ekti Mujiborer theke” by the ULAB Shangskriti Shangsad.

Kazi Nabil Ahmed, MP, and Member, ULAB Board of Trustees, delivered a somber speech at the programme. In the speech, he highlighted different aspects of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujubur Rahman’s life’s ideals. He especially

mentioned the immense sacrifices made by the Father of the Nation. He called on today’s youth to build up their lives in the light of Bangabandhu’s life, and encouraged everyone to read Bangabandhu’s biography from various books and other resources.

Among ULAB Faculty members, Dr Tapati Rani Sarkar, Professor Kazi Madina and Lecturer Arzoo Ismail recited poems in the ceremony. ULAB Deputy Registrar of Admissions Mohammad Zamal Uddin Bhuiyan also recited a poem. The programme concluded with a performance of “Ei Padma, ei Meghna” by ULAB Shangskriti Shangsad.

Among others, ULAB Board of Trustees Members; Registrar Lt Col Md Foyzul Islam, faculty members, admin members and students of ULAB were present in the programme. l

Performance of ULAB Shangskriti Shangsad

Gentle Park, a lifestyle brand, introduces their trendy summer collection, with a classic touch, for both men and women

CEO of Magnito Digital Limited awarded one of ‘Asia’s Most Influential Digital Media Professionals’ Riyad Shahir Ahmed Husain, CEO of Magnito Digital Limited, one of the country’s leading digital advertising agencies, has recently been awarded the citation, one of “Asia’s Most Influential Digital Media Professionals” at the 24th Edition of the World Brand Congress, held at the Pan Pacific, Singapore on August 11 and 12.

The World Brand Congress is an annual event to celebrate and explore the power of brand building. It is a meeting place for business leaders and influential marketing organisations from across the globe. The theme for this year’s World Brand Congress was, “If not now, when?”

The keynote speaker at the event was Frederique Covington, international marketing director of Twitter Asia Pacific.

Some of the other speakers included Damien Cummings, global head of digital marketing, Standard Chartered Bank, Aseem Puri, brand director, Unilever Asia and Nilesh Shah, chief marketing officer, GE Healthcare. l

A Whole New World of Social Business Youth Chinese Youth Social Business Competition is the first of its kind, organised jointly by Social Business Youth Alliance (SBYA) - Global, Yunus Centre and Youthink Center China. Among hundreds of applicants, 14 social entrepreneurs were selected by Youthik Center China. The competition started on August 11th and ended on August 15th in Dhaka.

The competition kicked off on August 11th, Nobel Laureate Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus was the chief guest.

After, the young entrepreneurs were trained by Ferdous Mottakin, CEO of Offroad Bangladesh, Wahid Hossain, CEO of Oikkotan and Shazeeb M Khairul Islam, CEO of SBYA Global on Social Business development and investors pitch. On the following day, Yunus Centre and SBYA Global organised a special tour at Grameen Industrial park so that they could see some actual social businesses live in action. This helped them understand the mindset and motivation of someone who actually conducts a social business on a daily basis.

Then, the young entrepreneurs were paired up with seven mentors to develop the final social business plan. Each of the delegates had come up with their own idea and all that was needed was help from the mentors to make the idea viable as a Social Business, in accordance

with the guideline prescribed by Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus. At first the mentors sat with the delegates and discussed their ideas and the requirements for their idea to become a Social Business. The first round of presenting happened on 13th August in KIB Complex with special guest judge Tafsir M Awal, Director of Panther Social, a social business also under the guidance of the Social Business Doctrine.

The top seven finalists once again teamed up with their SBYA Global mentors to finalise their proposals and presented in front of the judge panel, which comprised of Lamiya Morshed, Executive Director of Yunus Center, M F M Amir Khashru, General Manager, Alex Wang, President of Youthink Center and Shazeeb M Khairul Islam, Founder & CEO of SBYA Global at The Westin, Dhaka. Top three teams and three special category winners were awarded by judges followed by a small networking session. l

T-JUNCTION 23

DT

Trending

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

interview

All in the weaving Munira Emdad from Tangail Saree Kutir gives us the know-how on our traditional wear Photos: Courtesy

n

Khan N Moushumi

Tangail Saree Kutir started its journey in 1982. The person who has been steering its gear, Munira Emdad, is also the former president of the Taat Council of Bangladesh. This week, she tells us what to pick and what to ditch when you’re a traditional wear aficionado.

What are the latest trends in saris?

Our market is flooded with imported georgette saris that we are competing with at the moment.

Their demand has skyrocketed amongst the general public lately.

We have our very own handloom, tie-dyed/natural dyed saris in cotton, muslin, etc, but our production capacity is somewhat limited.

What’s the future of jamdanis?

Young people these days don’t even know what jamdani is. Back in the day, we would go miles to

convince our parents to get us a jamdani sari but these days, the youngsters are unaware of its importance or significance.

How do you feel about embellished jamdanis?

I honestly believe they’re unnecessary. If anyone has naturally beautiful hair, wearing a wig would be utterly redundant. Likewise, there’s no need to add extra embellishments to something as sophisticated and delicate as jamdani.

What’s the future of taat?

Taat has gone through some dramatic transformation over the years and somewhat lost its originality. What’s known as taat now is worlds apart from the original taat that I worked with in 1982, when Tangail Saree Kutir started off. Over the years because of a number of factors, including the market demand and the weavers preference to produce semiautomated taat, taat saris have evolved and become something completely different. We still have people who can’t do without it so taat will hopefully continue to be what it is right now.

What’s the future of khaadi?

Khaadi was initially produced in Comilla.

They used to be delicately hand woven but their production quality has deteriorated over the years. Nowadays, they are woven using waste materials from mills. However, India has stepped up their khaadi game and they have been producing quality khaadi in Murshidabad, which are pretty popular. We are not being able to make fine khaadi like them. We aren’t even able to pay the weavers properly, which is a major drawback.

For someone who’s looking to buy jamdanis for the first time in their life, how should they go about it?

It’s all in the weaving. Go for something that’s very densely woven. Cotton jamdanis are very eloquent and classy. It’s good to have a few jamdanis in your closet as they never go out of style. You can wear them to work, weddings, wherever you want. It is crucial to understand that jamdanis are labour-oriented which is why they are a little on the pricier side. It actually takes at least two weavers to weave a jamdani sari that takes about a month to complete. l

DT

24 T-JUNCTION

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

Tailored

wardrobe check

Bag ‘em Five key bag styles of this year

his style

The unlikely combination It’s one thing to sport a summer suit with a t-shirt, it’s another to match a t-shirt with dress shoes

n Mahmood Hossain n Baizid Haque Joarder Still figuring out which bag to carry? Fret not.

T-Junction has the perfect guide to bags for 2015 at your disposal.

The cross-body

Make sure you don’t carry unnecessary junk to ruin its lean shape. It might not be the handiest bag you own but it surely makes an impression at the meeting room.

The tote

proper over your variety of jeans.

Oh, boy. Are we missing the scent of rain already? The summer heat is upon us with great vengeance. You know, the type that makes you sweat just sitting there, confused to whether you’re in a sauna or making your way into your bedroom. And with this heat comes a very difficult task of dressing smart and stylish. We want to feel comfortable, but remain as stylish as possible. Here’s how to sport a t-shirt with dress shoes, taking semi-formal into an entirely different road.

Golden rule Common combo

Said bags might have lost its popularity over recent years but it is making a comeback this time around. Cross-body bags are perfect for students since they give off a casual vibe, but make sure that the strap is of right length, and not lower than your hipline.

The backpack The otherwise bland backpacks are taking the fashion world by storm, as high-end designers are making leather ones look luxurious to the point where they can be an unexpected yet brilliant accessory to your suit. Perfect for the workplace, affordable versions of the same can be found around.

However, while choosing one, opt for structured bags which don’t lose their shape.

The folio Smart, sleek and sophisticated, leather folios make sure that you look like you mean business. The slimness of the folio would depend on how many pages you’re carrying.

A stylish alternative to the sturdy old briefcase, the tote is one the most fashionable options a man can afford this year. Perfect to carry your laptop, keys, notepads and your daily work essentials.

Usually available in canvas and leather, the tote is a great accessory as it can be found in almost all colours imaginable.

The duffle bag

Predominantly used for a trip to the gym, 2015 has seen the duffle bag or a holdall grow to become a major style statement for men for overall usage. And like all the other bags this year, the duffle is most preferable if its made of leather. A detachable strap would be convenient if you need to carry it all day long.

Finally, it doesn’t matter how much you’ve spent on a good looking bag if it fails to meet your requirements. Keep in mind your taste in clothing and opt for colours which would compliment your style. l

Always keep things simple. We’re working from neck down, so make sure the t-shirt you’re working with isn’t as graphic as those ridiculous Ed Hardy shirts. A simple striped or blocked pattern t-shirt is your best option. The message is quite clear. If you’re going to sport dress shoes, you’ll need a more sophisticated top to go with it. So leave all those graphic t-shirts for your fresh sneakers.

Swap from the denim

Our natural choice would be to reach for our dressy jeans. Take a couple of steps back. This is where the array of chinos and other casual, yet fitted, trousers come into play. Remember, you’re aiming for a semiformal look with that laid back attitude.

Chinos look a bit more clean-cut and

You’ll have to use a little common sense in this next step. You can’t simply put on a bright green t-shirt on and hope it’ll look good with your dress shoes. Coordinating the entire outfit, to make a more fluid appeal, will require you to take on an attractive contrast in clothing. If your t-shirt is black, reach for black shoes. If it’s a shade lighter, like olive green, reach for brown shoes. A white or grey t-shirt can match up with either black or brown. You get the idea.

Without the jacket

You might even itch to put on that extra layer to round the outfit out. Don’t. In the absence of a suit jacket, or any jacket for that matter, your man-jewellery will do a fine job as a supporting cast. Go for a dressier wristwatch or bracelet. But don’t over do it. Layering the accessories is a

job left for the fashionable ladies. Again, keep things simple with one item at a time. You want to look comfortable and sophisticated for the summer.

When all is said and done, the best way to keep this look completely safe is reaching for some quality loafers that might have been matched up with a suit. Brogues and other in similar styles could become a bit tricky so tread carefully. l

Japan’s Hiroshi Iwata matched the lowest score ever shot in a men’s major championship on Friday, scorching Whistling Straits for a nineunder par 63 in the second round of the 97th PGA Championship

26

SPARKS SET TO FLY IN DHAKA DERBY TODAY

26

BANGLADESH U16S A STEP AWAY FROM FINAL

27

25

DT

Sport

MAJOR RECORD

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

7-STAR HERATH SPINS SRI LANKA TO DRAMATIC WIN

Team comes first for sensational Sabbir n Minhaz Uddin Khan

when I got out after making 40s but you see, most of the time I was out trying to play according to the merit of the situation. I am not unhappy about it to be honest. I score one or 99, I will only be happy if it is good enough for the team,” said Sabbir.

Sabbir stated that he always dreamed of representing the national side and doing well but he never believed success would come so early in his career.

“I never thought I would get to see the team bag so much triumphs in such a short time. I was lucky the team was performing when I got the call. That allowed me to be confident and play my way. If everything is on track, I believe more successes will follow, given the rhythm the team are in right now,” said Sabbir before adding, “Playing in the World Cup and representing my country has been my biggest achievement so far. And it got better as we qualified for the quarter-final. As a team, we had dreamed of qualifying and our hard work paid off.”

Sabbir is a handy leg-spinner. He bagged six wickets conceding only 43 runs in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League 201415 season. However, it is his electric fielding displays that is talked about the most among his followers, besides his batting.

“I used to spend a lot of time in the field back home and was always doing something or the other. Most of the time the seniors used to make me do fielding during a game of cricket. I think my experience has allowed me to become a good fielder and on top of that, I think I do well in this department because I enjoy fielding a lot,” he said.l

Until last August, the Bangladesh cricket team were in a dreadful shape. They had suffered some morale-shattering defeats and a few close losses. The Tigers however, turned things around in remarkable fashion and reached a new height that they had never achieved before.

One by one, the Tigers disposed off Zimbabwe, Pakistan, India and South Africa and in between, they also qualified for the quarter-final of a World Cup for the very first time in history. During this time, the Tigers also improved their performance in the longer-version.

Besides savouring success with a fearless brand of cricket, Bangladesh were also able to unearth some young talents which drastically changed the dynamism of the side. Chief among them is Sabbir Rahman.

The 23-year old right-hander has featured in 28 appearances – 20 ODIs and eight Twenty20 internationals - for Bangladesh and is now considered as one of the country’s best limited-over specialists. Coming in at No 7, Sabbir’s slogging style of play is currently a highlight of the Bangladesh batting-order.

The Rajshahi lad has shown a lot of potential with the willow but his batting position denies him to play a big innings. In his 20 ODIs, Sabbir has managed to bag only one half-century at an average of 32.58. He is however, not upset about that.

While talking to Dhaka Tribune yesterday, Sabbir informed that the team’s requirement is more important than personal achievements.

“It is true that I have missed many opportunities. There have been many occasions Mat

Inns

Runs

HS

Ave

100/50

Wickets

Eco

ODIs

20

16

391

53

32.58

0/1

1

6.66

T20Is

8

7

106

51*

21.20

0/1

1

5.33

BCB keen on Lahore for women’s tour n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Pakistan Cricket Board has planned to host the matches between the Pakistan women and their Bangladesh counterparts in Karachi. But the Bangladesh Cricket Board has notified the PCB of their interest to play only in Lahore due to security concerns.

The Bangladesh women cricketers will play three ODIs and as many Twenty20 internationals against the hosts during their

12-day tour of cricket-abandoned Pakistan.

The touring side are expected to leave here on August 31 this year but then again a final call will only be made following the submission of the report by the BCB’s security delegation. If there are further delays, Pakistan’s bilateral home series might be pushed back to this October.

According to the BCB high-ups, Bangladesh are only interested in playing in Lahore because of safety concerns. The BCB believes

Lahore is much safer as a cricket venue compared to Karachi. It was learned that the BCB had also thought of sending the men’s team to Lahore two years ago but the series did not materialise later.

In the meantime, the Bangladesh cricketers, who are currently undergoing a preliminary camp at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, are anxious over the tour of Pakistan. Bangladesh captain and all-rounder Salma Khatun has been expressing her concerns right from the

opening day of the Pakistan training camp.

Ever since the disastrous terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009, the PCB has made a lot of effort to bring back the gentleman’s game to the country. And they somewhat succeeded as Zimbabwe toured Pakistan three months ago, the first touring side to make such a visit in nearly six years.

The Bangladesh women cricketers need not worry as the series will only go ahead after the BCB’s security team gives the green signal. l

DT

26 Sport

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

Sk Jamal reach AFC Cup play-offs n Shishir Hoque Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club advanced to the play-offs of the 2016 AFC Cup after playing out a 1-1 draw against hosts FC Alga at Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan yesterday. Courtesy the draw, Sheikh Jamal emerged as the champions from Group B. A first-half goal by Alga midfielder Amirov Ildar gave the visitors the lead before Nigerian striker Emeka Darlington cancelled out the lead in the second half to ensure Sheikh Jamal's place in the play-offs.

This is the first time Sheikh Jamal are taking part in the AFC Cup and they made it to the next round with an unbeaten record. The Dhanmondi-based club are experiencing an amazing season where they have already secured three silverwares at home and abroad, including the premier league title and the King's Cup in Bhutan.

Sheikh Jamal goalkeeper Shahidul Alam Sohel had a superb game and saved his side from conceding on more than one occasion.

The national goalkeeper began his job with a decent punching save to deny Alga forward Filatov Ivan shot in the 10th minute.

However, Sohel failed to rescue his side from conceding the first goal in the 22nd minute when Amirov Ildar sent the ball home on a rebounder after Sohel initially punched away a cross from winger Rustamov Tursunal. Sohel made a diving save in the seventh minute to deny a powerful effort from Rustamov.

Sheikh Jamal's Nigerian head coach Joseph Afusi made three changes in the second half with Rayhan Hasan, Shakhawat Hossain Rony and Kasto Kumar coming off the bench in place of Sohel Rana, Didarul Islam and Ashraf Mahmud Linkon respectively.

In-form forward Emeka brought parity in the 77th minute to give the Bangladesh champions a lifeline. Gambian midfielder Landing Darboe did all the hard work and beat three defenders to break into the penalty area before providing a cross from which Nigerian striker Emeka made no mistake heading home.

Sheikh Jamal earlier began their qualifying campaign with a resounding 4-1 win over Macau club Casa Benfica last Thursday. l

The Mohammedan footballers listen intently to the head coach yesterday at their training ground

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Sparks set to fly in Dhaka Derby today n Shishir Hoque The two most popular and successful clubs in the history of top-flight football in Bangladesh, Abahani Limited and Mohammedan SC, will lock horns with each other today in the season's second and final Dhaka Derby in the Manyavar Bangladesh Premier League.

The encounter kicks off at Bangabandhu National Stadium at 6:30pm and will be preceded by the other league match between Sheikh Russel KC and Rahmatganj MFS. These two matches will determine who will finish as the runners-up side.

Both the traditional arch-rivals have been ruled out of the title race a long time ago.

HEAD-TO-HEAD (Professional League)

Matches Abahani wins Mohammedan wins Draws

16 5 4 7

While the Black and Whites are third with 37 points, the Sky Blues are fifth with 34 points having played a game less. The season's first derby was won by Mohammedan, courtesy a solitary strike by Mohammad Ibrahim.

“It has become a game of pride since both of us are out of title contention. We have to win against Mohammedan to keep our pride

intact. We also want to beat Sheikh Jamal in the last match as well,” said Abahani's interim coach Amalesh Sen yesterday.

“As a former player and coach, it is really sad to be out of the race so early. We could not score many goals in the first phase but things improved after we signed Sunday [Chizoba] in the second phase. Losing points against Brothers [Union] and Chittagong Abahani cost us heavily,” added the veteran coach.

Mohammedan coach Joshimuddin Joshi on the other hand said, “[Today's] match is a match of pride for us. We won the game in the first phase. We want to finish the league on a winning note. They are a good team so hopefully it will be an interesting contest.” l

Bangladesh U16s a step away from final n Shishir Hoque

The Bangladesh footballers share a light moment during training yesterday ahead of their semi-final clash against Afghanistan today COURTESY

A confident Bangladesh will take on Afghanistan today in the first semi-final of the Saff Under-16 Championship 2015 at Sylhet District Stadium at 3pm. Later today, defending champions India and Nepal will face off in the other semi-final at the same venue at 3pm.

The young Tigers have been in fine form so far in the tournament, having defeated the holders 2-1 and Sri Lanka 4-0 in their two group-stage matches.

The Afghans are not new opponents for the home side as they faced each other in the thirdplace decider in the last edition with Bangladesh winning 1-0. However, the Bangladesh

squad is totally different than two years ago.

Under the stewardship of head coach Syed Golam Jilani, the current Bangladesh team look more formidable than the previous side.

Bangladesh's semi-final opposition struggled to beat Maldives in the group stage and lost against Nepal. Both Bangladesh and Afghanistan will target their maiden final appearance in the third edition of the age-level tournament.

The other two semi-finalists – India and Nepal – contested the final in the last edition.

History favours the Indians while current form makes Nepal the favourites to win the last-four clash. Nepal have won both their group-stage matches. l

DT

Sport 27

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

SLvIND, DAY 4 SRI LANKA 1ST INNINGS 183 (A. Mathews 64, D. Chandimal 59, R. Ashwin 6-46, A. Mishra 2-20) INDIA 1ST INNINGS 375 (S. Dhawan 134, V.Kohli 103, W. Saha 60, T. Kaushal 5-134) SRI LANKA 2ND INNINGS 367 (D. Chandimal 162 not out, L. Thirimanne 44, J. Mubarak 49, R. Ashwin 4-114, A. Mishra 3-61)

Sri Lankan players carry Sangakkara on their shoulders as they walk around the field AP

DAY’S WATCH Star Sports 1 6:20 PM Barclays Premier League Crystal Palace v Arsenal 8:45 PM Manchester City v Chelsea

Star Sports 2 Pro Kabaddi League 2015 8:20PM Pune v Delhi 9:30 PM Jaipur v Kolkata

Star Sports 4 7:15 PM Bundesliga VfL Wolfsburg v Eintracht Frankfurt 9:15 PM VfB Stuttgart v FC Koln 1:00 AM ATP 1000 Masters Rogers Cup Montreal Final

Ten Sports 2:00 PM Moto GP: Race Bwin Grand Prix Ceske Republiky 11:00 PM WTA: Rogers Cup Final 3:00AM PGA Championship 2015: Day 4

Ten HD 12:50 AM French Ligue 1 Paris Saint-Germain v GFC Ajaccio

Ten Action 5:50 PM French Ligue 1 Stade de Reims v Olympique de Marseille 8:50 PM FC Lorient v SC Bastia

Ten Cricket 6:00 PM New Zealand Tour of South Africa 2nd T20I

Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath (2L) and teammates celebrate after dismissing India batsman Ajinkya Rahane during the fourth day of their opening Test at the Galle International Stadium yesterday AFP

Seven-star Herath spins Sri Lanka to dramatic win n AFP, Galle Veteran left-arm spinner Rangana Herath grabbed seven wickets as Sri Lanka stunned India by 63 runs in a thrilling first Test in Galle on Saturday.

The tourists, set a victory target of 176 runs, were skittled for 112 in their second innings after lunch on the fourth day to give Sri Lanka the lead in the three-match series.

Ajinkya Rahane top-scored with 36, but only three other batsmen reached double figures as India folded up in just 49.5 overs.

In a remarkable turnaround, Sri Lanka won after being reduced to 95-5 in their second innings before lunch on the third day, still 98 runs away from avoiding an innings defeat.

Dinesh Chandimal smashed a brilliant 162 off 169 balls, sharing valuable partnerships with Lahiru Thirimanne (44) and Jehan Mubarak (49) to lift the hosts to 367.

India’s hopes of celebrating Independence Day in style vanished in a dramatic morning session in which six wickets fell after the tourists started the day at 23-1.

The 37-year-old Herath picked up four of those wickets to finish with seven for 48 in 21 overs, his 22nd five-wicket haul in 61 Tests.

Sri Lankan captain Mathews said he was “speechless” at clinching victory after his team was down in the dumps on the third morning.

“What a turnaround this has been, I am quite speechless,” he said. “It was a great effort to come back from where we were.

“Chandimal was outstanding and he single-handedly got us to a fighting score. The wicket was pretty demanding and we knew it won’t be an easy target to chase.

“Rangana is, of course, a quality bowler and we were really not surprised how well he bowled. He may be 37 but he keeps coming up with such match-winning spells. l

Kohli rues lack of intent n Reuters, Galle

India captain Virat Kohli slammed his team’s batsmen for lack of intent during their failed chase of 176 in the opening Test at Galle and said the touring side did not do enough to counter Sri Lanka’s spin threat.

“We did not counter what was being thrown at us. The need of the hour was to take calculated risk when you are chasing a small total,” Kohli told reporters.

“The intent has to be there which I think was lacking. It’s something we need to improve on.

“It was a case of us not playing fearless cricket and not going out there and being positive. We have been let down by our batting today. There are no excuses.”

The lack of runs allowed Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews to surround the batsmen with close fielders, hastening India’s capitulation.

“We have had batting collapses in the past

INDIA 2ND INNINGS (overnight 23-1) L. Rahul lbw b Herath S. Dhawan c and b Kaushal I. Sharma lbw b Herath R. Sharma b Herath V. Kohli c Silva b Kaushal A. Rahane c Mathews b Herath W. Saha st Chandimal b Herath H. Singh c Silva b Herath R. Ashwin c Prasad b Herath A. Mishra c Karunaratne b Kaushal V. Aaron not out Extras: (lb2, w1, nb1)

R

B

5 28 10 4 3 36 2 1 3 15 1 4

14 83 23 16 10 76 11 7 20 36 4

Total (all out, 49.5 overs)

112

Sri Lanka won by 63 runs, lead series 1-0

1

IN NUMBERS

Number of previous instances out of 21 attempts of India failing to achieve a target of less than 200 in the fourth innings of a Test - when they were chasing 120 against West Indies at Bridgetown in 1997.

112

India’s total in the second innings, their lowest score in or against Sri Lanka. Their previous lowest score in Sri Lanka was 138 at the SSC in 2008. Three out of India’s four lowest scores in Sri Lanka have come in Galle.

270

Test wickets taken by Rangana Herath, the third-most for any left-arm spinner after Daniel Vettori (362) and Derek Underwood (297). Herath went past Bishan Bedi (266) during his seven-wicket haul in the fourth innings of this Test.

22

Number of five-wicket hauls taken

by Herath in Tests, going past Clarrie Grimmett (21). He is now among the top-five spinners with the most five-wicket hauls after Muttiah Muralitharan (67), Shane Warne (37), Anil Kumble (35) and Harbhajan Singh (25).

7-48

Herath’s figures in the fourth innings, the second-best for any bowler in a Test innings in Galle, after Muralitharan (7-46) against England in 2003.

5

Number of innings per five-wicket haul for Herath, the fifth-fewest for any bowler in Test history (min. 20 five-fors).

He has taken 22 five-wicket hauls from 110 innings (61 Tests). The four bowlers to take five-wickets hauls at a greater frequency than Herath are Sydney Barnes (24 in 50 innings), Grimmett (21 in 67), Muralitharan (67 in 230) and Richard Hadlee (36 in 150).

37

as well where we have lost wickets in bunches,” Kohli added.

“Every time if you sit down and analyse it’s been because we have ended up being too tentative. Today was a classic example of guys not backing themselves enough to express their ability out there. You have to do something to disrupt a bowler’s length.” l

Herath’s age, making him the oldest Sri Lanka bowler to take a seven-wicket haul in Tests. Herath and Muralitharan are the only Sri Lanka bowlers to take more than one five-wicket haul after the age of 35.

35

Number of dot-balls played by Shikhar Dhawan at the start of the fourth day. His first runs came when he inside-edged his 36th ball for a boundary.

DT

28 Sport

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

Man City spy chance to add to Chelsea’s woes

Foxes march on, Spurs held

n AFP, London

Leicester City moved above Manchester United at the top of the embryonic Premier League table on goal difference with a 2-1 victory at West Ham United on Saturday.

Romelu Lukaku struck twice in Everton’s 3-0 victory at St Mary’s while new signing Andre Ayew scored for the second week running as Swansea cruised to a 2-0 home win. Sunderland followed their 4-2 defeat by Leicester

n Reuters, London

Manchester City will attempt to exploit the internal turmoil at Chelsea and land an early blow in this season’s Premier League title race when the sides face off on Sunday.

The Swansea game already represented an underwhelming start to Chelsea’s title defence after five games without victory in pre-season, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’s dismissal ruling him out of Sunday’s contest.

Sunday’s game, meanwhile, will be the first at the Etihad since the opening of a new 6,000-seat tier on the South Stand and the addition of 1,500 extra pitch-side seats, taking the capacity to 55,097 -- another sign of the club’s growing ambition.

Victory would put City five points above Chelsea and although it is early days, Pellegrini knows that Sunday’s encounter represents an opportunity to disrupt the stride of a title rival.

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger expects Arsenal to produce a strong response after their dismal opening day defeat when they return to action at Crystal Palace on Sunday. l

EPL RESULTS Southampton

v Arsenal v Chelsea

Sunderland Watmore 88

Aritz Aduriz’s second half hat-trick sent Barcelona spinning to a shock 4-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Friday.

An under-strength Barca side were seeking

1-3

Norwich

Martin 26, Whittaker 37, Redmond 57

Swansea

2-0

Newcastle

2-2

Stoke

Gomis 9, Ayew 52

Tottenham Dier 19, Chadli 45+2

Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland makes a save at the feet of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Nacer Chadli during their English Premier League match at White Hart Lane in north London yesterday AFP

their fifth trophy of the year but went behind after a stunning drive from the centre circle

by Mikel San Jose sailed over keeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen after 13 minutes.

Aduriz headed his first after 53 minutes and then sloppy defending allowed him to drive Bilbao’s third.

Athletic Bilbao’s Aritz Aduriz heads the ball to score against Barcelona’s Marc Andre ter Stegen during their Spanish Super Cup first leg match at San Mames stadium in Bilbao on Friday REUTERS

RESULT Athletic Bilbao

4-0

Barcelona

San Jose 13, Aduriz 53, 62, 68-P

Dani Alves then fouled Xabier Etxeita and Aduriz sent Ter Stegen the wrong way from the penalty spot to complete his treble after 68 minutes. The return leg is at the Nou Camp on Monday but even for Lionel Messi and company it may be asking too much to turn the tie around, though coach Luis Enrique is confident they can.

“If anyone can turn this result around then it is Barca and if not we will still try with all we’ve got,” he told a news conference.”

Barca beat Sevilla 5-4 after extra-time to lift the European Super Cup on Tuesday and Luis Enrique had made several changes with Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic and Gerard Pique among the players that began the game on the bench as the coach looked to rest them after the Sevilla match.

“There were a lot of changes but it had to be that way after playing for 120 minutes,” he added. “I have made changes to the side and I accept the responsibility for the loss.” l

Arnautovic 78-pen, Diouf 83

Watford

0-0

West Ham

1-2

Payet 55

Bilbao hammer Barca in Super Cup first leg n Reuters, Bilbao

Everton Lukaku 22, 45, Barkley 84

FIXTURES Crystal Palace Man City

0-3

West Brom Leicester Okazaki 27, Mahrez 38

on the opening day with a 3-1 home loss to Norwich City and are bottom of the standings.

Stoke City recovered from 0-2 down at Tottenham Hotspur to draw 2-2 and promoted Watford drew 0-0 at home with West Bromwich Albion. l

Amla guides South Africa to six-wicket win n AFP, Durban Hashim Amla guided South Africa to a comfortable six-wicket win in the first Twenty20 international against New Zealand at Kingsmead on Friday.

New Zealand squandered a good start, losing seven wickets for 49 runs as they made 151 for eight in their 20 overs. Amla hit 48 and shared half-century partnerships with AB de Villiers and Rilee Rossouw before being caught off fast bowler Adam Milne with only five runs needed to win.

South African T20 captain Faf du Plessis was a late withdrawal because of a knee injury, with De Villiers, the ODI, taking over.l

BRIEF SCORE New Zealand 151 for 8 (Williamson 42, Guptill 42, Wiese 2-24)

South Africa 152 for 4 (Amla 48, Rossouw 38) South Africa won by six wickets

29

DT

Ascent Cup 2015

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

RESULTS GREEN DELTA

0–8

GEMCON

BITOPI

0–12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

ENERGY PAC

0–10

BEXIMCO PHARMA

BAY DEVELOPMENTS

1–17

HRC

BEXIMCO

0–4

ASCENT

SECUREX

3–1

FAS FINANCE

SAJEEB GROUP

6–0

QUBEE

RUNNER GROUP

4–1

ASIATIC EXT

I AM DHAKA

2–1

RAHIMAFROOZ

BANGLA CAT

3–3

ACCENTURE

SPELLBOUND

2–6

BATB

COMFIT

6–0

BENGAL BLUEBERRY

STERLING GROUP

4–0

BATB

HIGHEST GOAL SCORERS Name Sharif Jalal Adil Rajib Imran Faruq Riqta Rohan Sunny Sohel

Team Securex HRC Beximco Pharma Dhaka Tribune Bando Design Ascent Gemcon Dhaka Tribune Beximco Pharma Gemcon

Goals 12 11 8 7 7 7 6 3 3 3

TODAY’S FIXTURES 5pm 5:30pm 6pm 6:30pm 7pm 7:30pm

Le Meridian VS Beximco Textile Adcomm VS FAS Finance Edge Consulting VS Sajeeb Group General Electric VS Runner Group IM Dhaka.com VS Bongo Swiss Contact VS Centro Tex

Dhaka Tribune’s Ashikul Islam Rajib is about to score against Bitopi in the Ascent 5-a-side Corporate Soccer Cup yesterday

Goals galore in Corporate Football n Arsalan Quddus and Syed Shabab Yesterday started with a minute’s silence which was observed by the players and audience at STM Hall in remembrance of the death anniversary of the father of our nation. The players wore black ribbons as a symbolic gesture to the occasion of National Mourning Day.

Green Delta v Gemcon

The first match saw the current champions make small work of Green Delta in an 8-0 hammering.

Gemcon’s knack of retaining possession and passing the ball around the pitch with ease has become a trademark of their overall play. The crowds packed around the STM hall witnessed a masterclass display. Riqta was in fine form dispatching four goals, while Munu added a brace to the Gemcon cause.

Nipul of Green Delta will live to fight another day, alas. it was not today.

Bitopi v Dhaka Tribune

A wounded Dhaka Tribune made amends from last Friday’s loss by putting an even dozen inside the Bitopi net. The Ad firm were left to reflect on better days and prepare a new game plan for the next match against Bando Design – they will surely need it. In the meantime Tribune’s Rajib puts himself in a position to content the golden boot after his seven-goal haul. Captain Rohan also scored a hattrick.

Energy Pac v Beximco Pharma

Energy Pac’s return to the Ascent Cup wasn’t a happy one as Beximco Pharma went on a goal-scoring rampage in a 10-0 onslaught.

The old goal machine Adil is showing no signs of retiring his title as he coolly dispatched five behind the bewildered Energy Pac goalkeeper. Mukul and Shuvo both added a brace while our very own Tiger Sunny added one to the cause.

Bay Developments v HRC Beximco Pharma’s national cricket star Arafat Sunny shows off his skills yesterday MI MANIK

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Rezwan Haq’s extensive experience of this tournament paid no dividends as Bay Developments faced a blitzkrieg from HRC in the

form of 17 goals. This has been the highest goal tally of the tournament so far. A whopping 11 goals was scored by Jalal alone while Milon and Murad scored five between themselves.

Mahfuz of Bay Development pulled one back but it only served as a scant consolation.

Beximco Textiles v Ascent

Ascent continued their winning ways with a 4-0 rout over Beximco Textiles. Faruk and Nipu both scored two apiece to firmly put the home side in a leading position in their group. We hope to see them continue their fine run in the second round. Beximco Textiles on the other hand had very little to show for their efforts.

Securex v FAS Finance

After last Friday’s heroics, Securex found the going tough against the very obstinate FAS Finance. The newcomers gave a very fine account of themselves, especially the second half when they almost staged a comeback.

However, Securex’s Sharif added another two to his goal tally and at the moment sits pretty on the top of the goal-scoring chart and ensured that Securex goes through to the Cup Championship as the group champion.

IM Dhaka.com v Rahimafrooz

IM DHAKA.com with their female midfielder, Alyssa Will, showed Rahimafrooz Solar how important girl power is in winning football matches. Rahimafrooz were left to rue their chances at the end of the match but it was the IT firm took the spoils. Sakib scored both goals for IM Dhaka.com.

Bangla CAT v Accenture

Battle of the stalwarts were next as Bangla Cat took on Accenture in a nail-biter which saw the first draw of the tournament. The match was locked at 3-3 but the crowd were treated to a high-intensity affair with both teams unwilling to give an inch to the other. This is why we love this game folks. Nasfiq and Sourav scored a brace for either team.

Spellbound v BATB

Spellbound’s misery continued in this tournament when a rampant BATB more or less ran circles around the PR firm. In the end, the tobacconists ran away with it, 6-2. Nafees and Fuad both scored two goals apiece, while Rezaul and Safwan added a goal apiece.

Comfit Composite v Bengal Blueberry

This event’s co-sponsor Sajeeb Group got off to a flyer with a 6-0 drubbing over old boys Qubee. Mesbah and company did not know what hit them as Foyez claimed a brilliant hattrick, while Moyeen, Shayan and Asif all scored a goal apiece for Sajeeb Group.

We were mesmerized by the total control displayed by newcomers Comfit Composite as they demolished Bengal Blueberry to a 6-0 humbling. However, we are pretty certain Blueberry will learn from their mistakes and come back a stronger team in the next round.

Comfit’s Zakir putting himself in the scorebooks with a cool hattrick.

Runner Group v Asiatic

Sterling Group v BATB

Sajeeb Group v Qubee

Runner Group hit the ground running as they systematically dismantled Asiatic EXP in a 4-0 thriller. Captain Saiful Islam of Runner scored all the goals in the match.

However, it should be mentioned that the player who stole the show was the talismanic Japanese Akihiro Ueda, who more or less created all the goal-scoring chances for Runner. Asiatic did pull one back from Sagor which only served to be academic in the greater scheme of the match.

Sterling Group’s superb debut run in the Ascent Cup continue as they easily beat BATB in 4-0 encounter. The pedigree of Sterling Group is ought to be no surprise as they are a sister concern of this year’s title contender Bando Design. BATB were firmly brought down to earth in their second game of the day. Maybe the tobacconists will think twice before requesting to schedule two matches in a day. Saikat of Sterling Group scored a superb hattrick. l

DT

30 DOWNTIME

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Thin fog (4) 5 Tricks (5) 8 Set as a burden (6) 9 Blemish (4) 10 Past (3) 12 Become blended (6) 13 Climbing palm (6) 15 Season (6) 18 Good name (6) 20 Numeral (3) 21 Token (4) 23 Checked (6) 24 Insignificant (5) 25 Domestic animals (4)

DOWN 1 Niggard (5) 2 Little devil (3) 3 Fried diversion (5) 4 Small child (3) 5 Body of retainers (7) 6 Hidden obstacle (4) 7 Footwear (4) 11 Adhesive (4) 12 Upper hand (7) 14 Prayer ending (4) 16 American state (5) 17 Tears (5) 18 Frolic activity (4) 19 Raw hide (4) 21 Drink slowly (3) 22 Obtain (3)

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

You have two letters in the control grid to start you off. Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares.

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

As you get the letters, fill in the other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check off the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them.

A B C D E FG H I J K L M N O P Q RST UVWXYZ

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SUDOKU How to solve: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no number repeating.

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

DT

SHOWTIME 31

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

Borshamongol: Celebrating Tagore’s love for monsoon

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

Ariana Grande @ArianaGrande macrobiotic hijiki & tofu moments #yas #happyaf @alfredoflores

n Showtime Desk Eminent cultural organisation Robi Raag successfully organised Borshamongol, on August 14 at the Shawkat Osman auditorium, Central Library. It was a beautiful affair that celebrated a few of Tagore’s iconic monsoon themed songs accompanied by a felicitous choreographed

Kardashians dropping the show like flies

performance.

Borshamongol featured a total of 28 songs by artists consisting of the secretary of Robi Raag Amina Ahmed, Golam Haider, Shondha Bhattacharya, Roma, Ronju, Parveen Yasmeen and so forth. Sadi Mohammed played the harmonium for the talented performers. l

Nusraat Faria’s first hit on the movie screen

n Showtime Desk After the mind-boggling news about Caitlyn Jenner’s gender transition, the next season will perhaps start with another shocker. Sources say that one of the most popular cast members, Kendall Jenner, is planning to quit the show.

Keeping Up With the Kardashians has had its highs and lows, but never did the Kardashian girls have to stop counting the tonnes of money they make from letting E! camera crews capture and broadcast their private lives. From divorces to welcoming more Kards to the family, the viewers have seen and dealt with it all. But are the audiences ready to say goodbye to Kendall Jenner?

According to the source, Kendall Jenner wants to focus on her modeling career and dedicate all her time doing only that. However, it has been out in the air that it’s not her only reason to quit the show. Mommy Jenner (Kris) is pimping her up for ratings by trying to set her up for dates on the show. Since Kendall is dating Nick Jonas, she is put off by the idea of it. l

Farhan Akhtar @FarOutAkhtar Happy Independence Day.

James Franco @JamesFrancoTV It’s a good day directing a Stephen King mini series.

Take a picture or it didn’t happen.

WHAT TO WATCH Destroyed in Seconds Discovery Channel 06:30pm This half-hour series packs a punch as host Ron Pitts presents the most shocking destructions ever caught on film, be they acts of nature such as a rampaging tornado, a well-orchestrated implosion of a massive structure or the hard-to-fathom violence of a sudden terrorist attack.

Presented by: Ron Pitts

n Showtime Desk When Nusraat Faria first stepped into the film industry, many had been speculative about how well she would do on the big screen.

Well, the time has finally come to take a look at the very first big screen debut of the starlet in a romantic song: Tor aashiqui from the movie Aaashiqui.

The song was released on Friday via Youtube.

Appearing with co-star in the film, Ankush Hazra, Nusraat enthralled the viewers with her charming performance and dance skills.

The song was sung by Jubin Nautiyal and composed by Savvy Gupta, and the film is jointly directed by Abdul Aziz from Bangladesh and Ashok Pati from India.

Jointly produced by Jaaz Multimedia

and Eskay Movies, the film is set to be released on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr this year. Along with Ankush and Nusraat, Bangladeshi film actress Moushumi also makes a special appearance. l

The Anupam Kher Show — Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai Colors 08:30pm In its second season, The Anupam Kher Show – Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai delves into the deeply-rooted pages from the book of life of celebrities as they reveal lesser known facts, experiences on the way to stardom, hurdles faced on the path to success, heartbreaks, moments of resurrection and more. The conversations, this year, will focus on the importance of hard-work and selfbelief in overcoming challenges to taste success and achieve accolades.

Hosted by: Anupam Kher Let’s Football Star Sports 3 03:30pm Take a look at all the updates, fixtures, auction and drafts from the second season of India’s premier football competition.

DT

32 BACK PAGE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

60% BANKS’ BOTTOMLINE GO UP PAGE 15

TEAM COMES FIRST FOR SENSATIONAL SABBIR PAGE 25

‘CELEBRATING TAGORE’S LOVE FOR MONSOON’ PAGE 31

Study: Mercury exposure a major environmental, health threat n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Absence of quality alternatives, standardisation and certification of products and high costs are some of the barriers to shifting from the use of mercury in healthcare instruments and dental amalgam, a recent study has concluded.

Bangladesh does not yet have any specific guidelines regarding the management of mercury release into the environment or how to safely manage the use of products and equipment that contain mercury, mercury compounds or other specific chemicals, it said.

Around 60 tonnes of mercury was imported in 2014 and it is estimated that more than 1100kg of the metal waste was generated and released into the environment through waste deposition, land filling and waste water treatment, the study said.

SECTOR WISE TENTATIVE MERCURY EMISSION

ENERGY

(possible source)

Gas, Furnace oil and High Speed Diesel Coal

3.058158 Tonnes

INDUSTRIES Cement Industry Paper and Pulp Mills

2.003 Tonnes

HEALTHCARE Thermometer Sphygmomanometers Dental amalgam

7.645 Tonnes

‘If the government fails to phase out mercury by 2020, Bangladesh will be declared a mercury-exposed country.

It will be economically disastrous for Bangladesh’ The study titled “Mercury added products: Country situation analysis in Bangladesh [Product inventory and emission source identification]” was conducted by the Environment and Social Development Organisation (Esdo) in association with UNEP. It was conducted in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi and their outskirts to find out mercury sources, products containing mercury and their hotspots.

Primary information was collected on the basis of purposive sampling of consumers from various sectors such as industries, energy, healthcare, electronics and electrical equipment, battery, cement, chemical, jewelry and beauty products. These surveys were conducted during January-May 2015.

The study found: Total import of mercury was 58,500kg or 58.5 tonnes in 2014. Mercury-containing instruments, mercury containing devices, etc are also imported in large quantities. Total import of thermometer was 6.39 million units and clinical measuring devices 0.41 million units.

It identified the industries sector (chlor-alkali, paper and pulp, cement production), healthcare sector (instruments, dental amalgam), energy sector, electronic sector (electronic device, batteries, CFLs), cosmetics and jewelry sectors as the major consumers.

Chlor-alkali plants can emit up to 8.97 tonnes of mercury per year, the 33 cement factories in Bangladesh up to 0.56 tonnes, and paper and pulp mills up to 1.44 tonnes.

Intentional use of mercury in industrial process Chlor-alkali production

ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC CFL light bulb Button cell batteries

Waste deposition/land filling and waste water treatment

8.97 Tonnes

0.186 Tonnes

1.12135 Tonnes

Source: Esdo

Bangladeshis use nearly 900,000 thermometers per year of which 37.8% or over 300,000 break and release mercury to the environment because they are not properly disposed. More than 275,000 sphygmomanometers also do the same thing after being broken due to improper disposal.

A person with amalgam dental fillings absorbs, on an average, between three and 17 micrograms of mercury vapour into their blood each day.

The study says Bangladesh will become a major mercury emitter in the near future by burning coal in power plants. Potential mercury emissions from the energy sector (coal, gas, oil refining, etc) is estimated at over 3,000kg.

During 2012-14, more than 19.5 million compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), better known as energy saving bulbs, were manufactured in Bangladesh. The mercury release from these bulbs is 0.118 tonnes. The jewelry sector mercury release was estimated to be 4.1 tonnes.

The report said that most users are not aware of the importance of proper disposal of

ASMAUL HOQUE MAMUN/DT INFOGRAPHIC

mercury waste or mercury containing compounds. There are also no systems for largescale disposal of mercury in Bangladesh.

Dr. Shahriar Hossain, secretary general of Esdo, said: “Mercury tolerance limit is zero.

In Bangladesh, the situation is very alarming.

The data we have collected is associated with the legal import. But we the amount of import and emission from illegal import of mercury has not been documented. Based on the current level of mercury exposure, the entire food chain will be contaminated in near future.”

He also said: “This will not only affect environment but Bangladesh will face economical consequences as well.

“As per the Minamata Convention, mercury should have to be phased out by 2020. Bangladesh is a signatory of that convention. The Government should therefore immediately ratify the convention and take steps accordingly.

“If the government fails to phase out mercury by 2020, Bangladesh will be declared a mercury-exposed country. It will be economically disastrous for Bangladesh,” he warned. l

Elevated expressway construction finally begins today n Shohel Mamun After missing three deadlines, the construction of the first phase of Dhaka elevated expressway will begin today.

Road Transport and Bridges Ministry’s Public Relations Officer Abu Naser said the minister, Obaidul Quader, would open the construction in the capital’s Kawla at 11am.

The project missed three deadlines because of fund crisis, wrong design and land acquisition difficulties.

According to Bangladesh Bridge Authority, elevated expressway construction was scheduled to begin in December 2011 but was delayed for over three years due to lack of funding.

On April 1 this year, Obaidul Quader said construction would begin on June 1 but it will start today.

Kazi Muhammad Ferdous, director of the project, said all the problems over the start of the structure’s construction had been solved.

“Now the challenge is to complete work by 2018 according to the schedule,” he said.

The expressway starts at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and runs along New Airport Road via Mohakhali, Tejgaon and Moghbazar to Kamalapur Railway Station before connecting with Dhaka-Chittagong highway via Sayedabad and Jatrabari.

It measures 20 kilometres in straight length but the total length is 47 kilometres, including 27km ramps.

In January 2011, the government signed an agreement with a Bangkok-based firm to build the four-lane expressway at a cost of Tk8,703 crore under the public-private partnership scheme.

The deal was later revised and a fresh one was inked on December 15, 2013. l

Bangabandhu’s portrait installed at Jatiya Press Club n Tribune Report For the first time since the country’s independence, a portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was installed at the Jatiya Press Club yesterday.

Prime Minister’s media adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury unveiled the portrait on the ground floor of the National Press Club to mark the National Mourning Day and recalling the contributions of Bangabandhu to building the club.

Among others, senior journalists Golam Sarwar, Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, Jatiya Press Club President Shafiqur Rahman and journalist leaders were present on the occasion.

Later, the journalist leaders placed wreaths at the Bangabandhu’s portrait. l

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