20 Aug, 2015

SECOND EDITION

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

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Bhadro 5, 1422, Zilqad 4, 1436

ROOPPUR MELTDOWN OVER NON-PAYMENT PAGE 3

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 126

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DHAKA WORLD’S 2ND WORST CITY PAGE 32

RAB grabs SC lawyers Shakila Farzana, two others allegedly financed a militant group Mahmud in Chittagong and n Tarek Kamrul Hasan in Dhaka The daughter of a former BNP whip and two of her associates, held allegedly for providing Tk1.08 crore to hybrid militant organisation Shahid Hamza Brigade, were placed on a fourday remand yesterday.

RAB has claimed that Supreme Court lawyers barrister Shakila Farzana, 39 and Md Hasanuzzaman Liton, 30, and Dhaka Judge’s Court lawyer Mahfuz Chowdhury Bapon, 25, were arrested when they came out of their chamber “Law Cornerstone” on Dhanmondi 27 of the capital around 11pm on Tuesday.

Shakila is the incumbent joint general secretary of the Supreme Court wing of pro-BNP Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum. She is

the daughter of Wahidul Alam, a former BNP lawmaker from Chittagong.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion 7 made the arrests with the help of RAB 2 and 4 based on information given by its members now in custody, and disclosed the matter before the media yesterday.

In April, RAB discovered the activities of Hamza Brigade after they detained four of its members along with 10 firearms including five AK47 rifles and a large cache of ammunition from a hill in Lotmoni area under Banshkhali upazila.

Since February 19 until June first week, RAB 7 detained 29 members of the outfit including its second-in-command, wing chiefs and arms suppliers in several drives.

Formed in 2013, it aimed at launching

an armed revolution in greater Chittagong including the hill tracts to protest against the oppression of Muslims in Myanmar and across the world.

During a press briefing at the RAB 7 Headquarters in Patenga of Chittagong, its Commanding Officer Lt Col Mifta Uddin said that apart from the trio, a Dubai resident named Allama Libdi had also been financing the militant group.

Libdi visited Bangladesh several times and gave money to its members, most of who are former activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, Hefazat-e-Islam and other banned militant organisations, RAB said.

The elite crime busters are yet to arrest the chief of the outfit, who is believed to be stay  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

Who is Shakila Farzana?

n Tribune Report

Shakila Farzana, 39, is a practising lawyer at the High Court Division of the Supreme Court.

She is the incumbent joint general secretary of the Supreme Court wing of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, a pro-BNP lawyers’ body.

Daughter of Wahidul Alam, a former BNP whip and lawmaker from Chittagong during 2001-06 tenure, Shakila is also a member of the Dhaka District Bar Association and the Supreme Court Bar Association.

She completed SSC from BMS Girls High School, Chittagong, and HSC from Chittagong College.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

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2 NEWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Hasina meets Modi, discusses bilateral issues n UNB

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday met her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at his official residence and discussed bilateral issues, including strengthening business ties between Bangladesh and India for mutual benefits.

“Both the countries have a huge market… we can do a lot more together for our mutual economic benefits,” she said.

PM returns home from India n UNB Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returned home yesterday ending her brief visit to India to join the funeral of Suvra Mukharjee, wife of Indian President Pranab Mukharjee.

A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourage landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 6:20pm.

During the visit, Hasina was accompanied by her younger sister Sheikh Rehana, daughter Saima Hossain Putul, Foreign Minister AH Mahmod Ali, Principal Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad and Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim. l

HRW: Free speech under attack in Bangladesh n Tribune Report Free speech in Bangladesh is under attack as never before, Human Rights Watch has claimed.

Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director of the US-based rights organisation, made the statement yesterday.

“Free speech in Bangladesh is under attack as never before, held hostage between angry, machete-wielding radicals on one hand and a government, quick to take offence, on the other.”

Four bloggers have been murdered this year by religious extremists for promoting secularism, a principle which these groups consider to be anti-Islam.

In the statement, Ganguly said: “A reasonable government would have swiftly condemned these murders, and tried to hunt down the attackers.”

But she expressed wonder mentioning: “Instead the police’s first instinct was to urge self-censorship, with Bangladesh’s inspector general of police, AKM Shahidul Hoque, warning that hurting religious sentiments is a crime.”

While police were aware of threats to Niloy Neel and the other slain bloggers, they failed to properly protect them, she said.

It took more than a week for police to arrest three suspects in Niloy Neel’s murder, despite the alleged perpetrators’ identities being known to the police.

After the killing of blogger Niloy earlier this month, Ansar Al Islam, an insurgent group linked to Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility, saying they had the “permission of Allah” and warning of further attacks.

Ganguly said the police chief’s comments were shocking, but not surprising, because Bangladeshi authorities are increasingly cracking down on freedom of expression. l

Her Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting. He said the Indian prime minister agreed with Hasina and welcomed the recent initiative of the Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal (BBIN) motor vehicle agreement.

Hasina also welcomed the initiative.

Turning to the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA), Modi expressed his satisfaction over its implementation without any trouble.

“It’s harder to implement any political de-

cision than taking it…it is an example for the world to implement this (LBA) without any trouble,” Ihsanul Karim quoted the Indian premier as telling Hasina.

Recalling his recent visit to Dhaka, the Indian prime minister appreciated the hospitality that he received during the visit, and said he was overwhelmed seeing the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum.

Modi expressed his country’s interest to digitise and modernise the Museum and said

a team would be sent on this purpose.

Citing instances of holding joint military exercises, the Indian prime minister proposed holding joint disaster management exercises among Saarc member countries.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Bangladesh High Commissioner in Delhi Syed Muazzem Ali, Principal Secretary Abul Kalam Azad, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Dr S Jaishankar were present. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Who is Shakila Farzana?

Shakila completed her LLB and LLM from Chittagong University and later went to London for higher studies. She achieved another LLB degree from the University of London and completed Bar Vocational Course at the City University, London, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Before starting her own chamber “Law Cornerstone” in 2008, Shakila worked with renowned jurists barrister Rafique-Ul Huq for two years and barrister Rokon Uddin Mahmud for over four years.

Her husband Md Bahauddin is a Chittagong-based businessman. He has his outlet in the port city’s Agrabad area. They have two children.

Sources in Chittagong said that Shakila used to deal with the cases related to subversive activities conducted allegedly by the BNP supporters.

However, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum Joint Secretary General Sanaullah Mia claimed that she usually did not deal with the political cases. l

Shakila Farzana

PHOTO: FACEBOOK

RAB grabs SC lawyers ing in Malaysia.

“We found that barrister Shakila deposited Tk25 lakh and Tk27 lakh for the outfit in two phases while Liton deposited Tk31 lakh and Bapon Tk25 lakh,” he said.

Lt Col Mifta said that they had come to know about the three financiers after scrutinising the confessional statements of the members arrested earlier. “We conducted investigations in line with the court order and with the assistance of Bangladesh Bank’s Credit Information Bureau.”

Shakila’s husband Md Bahauddin said that he had no idea why his wife had been arrested. Her father Wahidul Alam could not be contacted over his mobile phone despite repeated attempts.

The RAB official said that the organisers had held their first meeting in November 2013 at a hotel near Foy’s Lake of the port city in a bid to support the tormented Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar by forming an NGO named Love for Rohingya. They planned that the Hamza Brigade would be operated under the cover of the NGO. But later they dropped the plan and formed three wings, namely army, media and dawa.

Of those, army has three sub-wings – white, green and blue. The organisers had also planned to create medical, naval and other new groups. The 29 members arrested earlier include its Second-in-Command Nasir Hossen

alias Sajol.

RAB previously said that each of its wings comprises seven members – all trained up as a “one man army.”

On February 19, RAB 7 busted Hamza Brigade’s theoretical training centre “Al Madrasatul Abu Bakar” where the members had been given training using audio-visual materials in the guise of an Arabic language coaching centre.

On February 21, the elite force busted the outfit’s military training centre at Lotmoni Hill of Banshkhali from where a huge stash of arms, ammunition and military training equipment were seized.

A week after the drive, RAB discovered the explosives warehouse of the outfit in Halishahar area. None of the masterminds could be arrested during the three drives.

“RAB 7 previously found five bank accounts from where the Hamza Brigade got money to purchase arms, ammunition, explosives and other tools for running their activities. So far, they received Tk1,38,70,000,” Mifta said.

Of the amount, Tk1.08 crore was given by the three lawyers. “The group has more financiers and we are working to nab them,” he added.

The trio were placed before the court of Banshkhali Senior Judicial Magistrate Sazzad Hossain yesterday evening seeking seven-day

remand for each of the arrestees.

The court granted the police four days to interrogate them, Banshkhali Officer-inCharge Swapan Majumder said.

Following the drives earlier this year, RAB and police said banned militant outfits – JMB, HujiB and Hizb ut-Tahrir – were regrouping in Chittagong to form a new state incorporating Chittagong, CHT, Cox’s Bazar and parts of the bordering areas of Myanmar and India, with the help of Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami. It was also learnt that several members of international terrorist group Islamic State visited Chittagong last year to meet the local militants.

Detectives have also learnt that the detained chiefs of outlawed militant groups including Ansarullah Bangla Team at a meeting inside Kashimpur High Security Jail last year had agreed to work together, since their aim was the same.

Ansarullah was banned on May 25 this year as the sixth militant group. Its chief Jasim Uddin Rahmani, who follows al-Qaeda and Taliban, is accused of promoting armed attacks to establish their radical form of Islamic rule.

Earlier this year, the law enforcers discovered the trace of two new organisations working as umbrella for the banned militant groups – Bangladesh Jihadi Group and Junud Al Towhid Wal Khalifah. l

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NEWS 3

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Old Dhaka JL leader Shawkat Mahmud placed killed over yaba trade under remand n Kamrul Hasan

Dispute over yaba business might have worked behind the killing of Old Dhaka Jubo League leader Mannan, investigators have said, although his family claims it is a political murder.

Abdul Mannan, 32, general secretary of Dhaka South City Corporation’s ward number 31 unit of the ruling Awami League’s youth wing, died in the Apollo Hospital in the capital around 7am yesterday.

He was shot twice in the head and abdomen on late Tuesday night in the street near his Hatkhola residence.

Mannan used to run his own drug store in the medicine market near the Mitford Hospital in Old Dhaka.

But police said he was also involved with the trade of contraband narcotic pill yaba under the cover of his drug store. They also said Mannan was an informer of RAB; he used to tip RAB off about crimes in the Kamrangirchar area.

He came to be known as “Kana Mannan” in Kamrangirchar when he worked as a RAB informer. Later, he got involved in yaba peddling, police said.

There are also allegations that he produced fake drugs and sold them in his drug store. He has a murder case against his name with the Bangsal police station.

He got involved with the politics of Jubo League in the Hatkhola and adjacent Wari ar-

eas around eight years ago.

Reportedly, Mannan’s associate Al Amin was with him when the shooting took place but he had been mysteriously missing since then.

Mannan’s wife Nusrat Jahan Sathi claimed that she had seen from their balcony that Al Amin and two other young men were running away from the crime scene immediately after the murder.

She also said that she had talked to her husband over mobile phone before the shooting. Her husband told her that he was in front of their house and she heard gunshots as soon as she hung up.

Police meanwhile detained two people named Jalal and Rony in connection with the murder. Rony is the manager of Mannan’s drug store, Ajifa drugs.

Syed Nurul Islam, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Wari Zone, said they had found some clues and identified some of the assailants but did not disclose details.

Nusrat said Mannan had received death threats and faced attempts on his life in the past.

“He told me that if anything bad happens to him, local Juba League men Tarek Adel, Shawpan, Jalal and Kashem would be responsible,” Nusrat said.

She also claimed that Mannan had become an enemy to these men after he had turned down their proposal for joining their political group. l

n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday placed Shawkat Mahmud, an adviser to the BNP chairperson and also a journalist leader, on a three-day remand in an arson case filed with Ramna police station in the capital.

Metropolitan Magistrate Shahriar Mahmud Adnan passed the order after Detective Branch Sub-Inspector Md Shafiqul Islam, also the investigation officer of the case, produced him before the court with a 10-day remand petition Showing Shawkat Mahmud arrested in the arson case, the IO mentioned in his remand plea that Shawkat, the president of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), had instigated the arson attack and needed to be questioned to locate the other fugitives.

Opposing the remand plea, defence counsel Md Masud Ahmed Talukdar filed a petition seeking Shawkat’s bail and cancellation of the remand prayer, saying that his name was not mentioned in the FIR and he was implicated in the case as part of a conspiracy to harass him politically.

After hearing both the defence and prosecution, the magistrate rejected the bail petition and granted a three-day remand.

According to the case documents, a group of BNP led-20-party men on January 9, hurled a petrol bomb on a private car in the capital’s

Moghbazar, leaving its driver injured with burns. Later, the driver, Abul Kalam Azad, succumbed to his injures on January 15.

In this connection, Sub-inspector Md Atiqur Rahman Biswas filed a case accusing 13 leaders and activists of BNP lead alliance with Ramna police station.

On Tuesday, detectives arrested Shawkat Mahmud from in front of Samarai Convention Centre in the capital’s Panthapath. The police said he was arrested in connection with three cases filed with Jatrabari and Ramna police stations on charges of arson attacks on vehicles, vandalising vehicles and crude bomb blasts. l

ROOPPUR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

Meltdown over non-payment by Russian contractor n Aminur Rahman Rasel The first phase of the construction of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) has been hit with delays because of the non-payment of fees by the Russian sub-contractor to local contractors doing preparatory work.

Local contractors have brought earth filling and civil works to a halt because Goldenberg, the Russian sub-contractor, has failed to pay them. The project site in Pakshi union, Pabna, sits on 105 hectares of land.

The government signed three deals, worth a total of $500m, with Russian nuclear equipment and service firm JSC Atomstroyexport to conduct the preparatory construction work for Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant.

Atomstroyexport appointed Goldenberg as the sub-contractor for the preparatory work of the plant which is expected to have a capacity of 2000MW. An RNPP official, asking not to be named, told the Dhaka Tribune that Goldenberg did not enter into any written contracts with the local firms working at the site.

Nevertheless, local contractors have completed more than 60% to 70% of the earth filing and civil works necessary during this stage in construction. Goldenberg has yet to pay them for their work.

“Goldenberg also has not paid its rental car bills. It has not even paid its interpreter, who has been working for several months,” he added.

“The situation has made the completion of the work by its November deadline uncertain,” he added.

Bangladesh Foundry and Engineering Works Limited, Toma Construction and Co Ltd, SF Engineering and Construction Limited and several other local firms are working on the earth filling and civil works for the RNPP site.

A director of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), seeking anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that appointing the “sub-standard and inexperienced” Russian sub-contractor for the preparatory work of such a sensitive project would likely cause delays.

Construction and erection base work is an essential part of the physical infrastructure of a nuclear power plant.

“It is crucial to do this job very well at this stage of the first phase of work,” the BAEC director added.

“If the main construction work of the power plant is carried out by this sort of sub-standard contractor, the power plant will pose a risk to the country’s security,” he added.

Md Altaf, managing director of SF Engineering and Construction, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “Goldenberg promised down payments to local contractors and assured them that subsequent payments would be made as each portion of work was completed. But they have not kept their word.”

“For this reason, local contractors have stopped working. We do not think the work will be finished on time,” he added.

Goldenberg owes local contractors several hundred crore Taka, he said.

Md Sabir Ahmed, a proprietor of Aalasa Trade International, said: “Goldenberg used

my rental car services and owes me several lakh Taka. But now they are breaking their word.”

Vladislav Bochkov, vice-president of communications at Rosatom International Network, a Rosatom company, said in reply to an email sent by the Dhaka Tribune: “Goldenberg LLC has been selected by JSC Atomstroyexport under a transparent procurement procedure set forth in the procurement standards of Rosatom.

“It should also be noted that Atomstroyexport is performing the preparatory work in strict accordance with the schedule, the terms and conditions of existing contracts and the customer’s requirements.”

“The scope of work to be performed by Goldenberg includes building a construction and mounting base of the first phase. According to the work schedule, Goldenberg is to complete the first phase of the site work before September 30, 2015,” the email added.

Goldenberg’s representative in Bangladesh, Erick Baratov, was not available for comment. He did not reply to an email from the Dhaka Tribune.

RNPP Project Director Mohammad Shawkat Akbar yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have heard about the complaints.

We have no dealings with sub-contractors.

“We will hold Atomstroyexport responsible for maintaining quality control and will not allow any excuses in this matter.”

Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “Both parties are liable as neither signed a

contract. We will look into the matter. This type of problem is not to be expected in a major international construction project.”

Three deals, worth $500m, were signed between the government and Russian firm JSC Atomstroyexport. Russia had earlier signed an MOU on January 15, 2013 during a visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the Russian Federation for $500m in state export credit for the project.

The earth filling and civil works fall under the third contract – worth $190m – of the first phase of construction, for preparatory work to be completed prior to the pouring of concrete at the Rooppur site.

Under the third contract, mainly three types of work will be carried out – the pioneer base, construction and erection base and industrial construction base.

The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), under the Science and Technology Ministry, will implement the Rooppur project.

The Russian State Atomic Energy Commission, Rosatom, will build, operate and provide fuel to the plant. It will also take the nuclear waste the plant produces back to Russia at regular intervals.

In April 2013, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved the establishment of the first phase of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project.

The total project cost is Tk5,087 crore. The government will provide Tk1,087 crore while project assistance in the form of Russian state export credit is Tk 4,000 crore. l

DT

4 NEWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Probir Sikdar released on bail n Our Correspondent, Faridpur

Journalist Probir Sikdar, sued in a libel case over a Facebook status about LGRD Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, was released on bail yesterday afternoon.

Police produced Probir in court 48 hours before the expiry of his remand, saying they had no objection to his bail.

Judge Hamidul Islam of Faridpur First Cognisance Court granted bail yesterday, a day after he turned down the same plea and sent Probir on three days’ remand.

Probir was picked up by the Detective Branch (DB) of police on the evening of August 16 and taken to DB headquarters on Mintoo Road in the capital.

Advocate Ali Ashraf Nannu, a BNP-backed lawyer, submitted the bail prayer to the court yesterday morning.

The court granted bail until the next hearing

in the case on September 22 against a Tk5,000 bail bond, Nannu told the Dhaka Tribune.

Following the bail order, Probir was taken to Faridpur District Jail and was released around 1:45pm after the bail documents reached the prison. Activists of the local BNP and its associate organisations were seen waiting at the prison gate with garlands to greet the journalist on his release.

Probir’s wife Anita Sikdar told the Dhaka Tribune that they would first visit their ancestral village in Kanaipur and then travel to Dhaka.

Probir thanked journalists, rights organisations and professional bodies for their role in hastening his release.

“I express my gratitude to Bangladesh’s journalists and professionals, to Gonojagoron Moncho and to blogger organisations for their commitment ... the way they took to the streets for my release,” he said.

Probir was sued on August 16 under the ICT

Act for comments made on social media about LGRD Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain.

On August 17, he was taken to Faridpur because lawyer Swapan Paul filed a case with Kotwali police station accusing him of posting a defamatory status against the LGRD minister.

On August 12, Probir, editor of online news portal Uttoradhikar 71 News, in a Facebook post wrote that several gangs had been kept ready in Dhaka and Faridpur to teach him a lesson.

Two days later, he posted that three people – LGRD Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, business tycoon Moosa bin Shamsher and fugitive war crimes convict Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu Razakar, and their supporters – would be responsible if anything happened to him.

On July 22, Probir had attempted to file a general diary at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station over concerns for his personal security, but the police allegedly refused to take down the GD. l

BNP’s Mosharraf secures bail n Tribune Report

The High Court yesterday granted bail to BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain in a money laundering case under the condition that he would not leave the country.

The court also asked him to surrender his passport to the lower court.

The bench of Justice Md Ruhul Quddus and Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty gave the order in response to a petition filed by Mosharraf challenging the rejection of his bail by the lower court.

Defence lawyer Nitai Roy in the bail petition said his client had been behind bars for one year and four months and was suffering from a range of health problems.

“With the bail order from the High Court, there is now no bar to his [Mosharraf] release from prison,” said another counsel Khandaker Maruf Hossain. “He will not be allowed to leave the country without permission from the court and will not be able to make transactions in the account that has been frozen,” he said.

But Anti-Corruption Commission lawyer Md Khurshid Alam Khan said they would challenge the bail order. l

OBITUARY

Lt Col (Retd) Zillur Rahman, son of Lt Col (Retd) Matiur Rahman passed away on Tuesday at his residence at Dhanmondi in the capital.

His Qul Khani will be held at the BaitulAman Masjid, Road No 7, Dhanmondi R/A, on Friday

after Asr prayer.

Family members and friends have been requested to attend the programme.

Zillur left behind his wife, a son, a daughter, a lot of friends and relatives to mourn his death.

A dedicated soldier, Zillur received his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 41st batch of PMA Kakul. Zillur was the commanding officer of various units of the Bengal Regiment including 11 Bengal which served in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. l

Family Planning Association of Bangladesh forms a human chain in front of the National Press Club with a call to ensure safe reproductive health during natural disasters yesterday marking the World Humanitarian Day MEHEDI HASAN

‘Punish RAB for killing Arju’ n Kamrul Hasan

Leaders of the ruling Awami League and its associate bodies as well as family members of Arju Mia yesterday demanded punishment of the RAB personnel who had killed the Hazaribagh unit Chhatra League president early Tuesday.

They also alleged that the elite force members had taken bribes to release Arju, but killed him in a pre-planned manner.

Arju was the key accused in a case filed over the death of 17-year-old Raja Mia. “The elite force members picked him up from Hazaribagh Park area around 5pm on Monday. But they denied having arrested Arju when enquired,” Sadek Hamid Saju, Hazaribagh unit Awami League general secretary, said at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity auditorium in the afternoon.

Leaders of the Hazaribagh unit Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League were also present at that time.

Claiming that RAB members were bribed, Saju said that such “crossfire” incidents had tarnished the image of the police’s elite force as well as the government.

However, the home minister and the Rapid Action Battalion have claimed that Arju died in a gunfight. “A RAB team arrested Arju on Monday night. The gunfight occurred when

the team headed towards Baroikhal area to arrest his associates.

“Some miscreants attacked the RAB patrol team to snatch Arju around 3:30am. Arju was hit by bullets as he tried to flee,” Maj Maksud said adding that two pistols and bullets were recovered from the spot.

At the press conference, Arju’s brother Masud Mia claimed that Raja had not died due to torture by Arju. “He might have slapped Raja for stealing his mobile phones and laptop. But he was killed in mob beating.

“The officers picked up my brother without any reason and killed him in a planned way. Later they staged an encounter drama,” Masud alleged.

He said that Arju could have been brought to trial if he had tortured Raja to death.

Masud Rana on Tuesday threatened Raja’s family members with dire consequences at Dhaka Medical College morgue, saying that his brother could not be killed “centring such a minor issue. Someone must have misled the elite force to achieve their political gains.”

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan reiterated that Arju had been killed in a gunfight, not crossfire. Replying to a question, he said that the law enforcers would take stern action against criminals irrespective of their political affiliations. l

Govt suspends Gazipur mayor n Tribune Report

The government has suspended BNP-backed Mayor of Gazipur City Corporation MA Mannan as he is charged with criminal offences.

The Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Ministry issued a circular in this regard yesterday, reports UNB. One of BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s advisers, Mannan is the third BNP-backed city mayor to face suspension.

Earlier, Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul and Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury were suspended on May 7 and January 7 since they were named in charge sheets in several criminal cases.

The Senior Judicial Magistrate Court of Gazipur accepted a charge sheet against Mannan in a criminal case filed with Joydebpur police. He has been suspended as per the Local Government (City Corporation) Act 2009, said the circular signed by Assistant Secretary AKM Anisuzzaman.

Mannan faces six cases filed with Joydebpur, Kaliakoir and Sreepur police stations on various charges, mainly arson and vandalism during the BNP-Jamaat alliance’s anti-government movement last year. He was arrested on February 11.

He was elected mayor of Gazipur City Corporation in its maiden election held in July 2013. l

Rana Plaza case against Bangladesh withdrawn in the US n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

A lawsuit filed against Bangladesh with a US District Court over the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse has been withdrawn.

“The case was withdrawn last week by the plaintiffs,” confirmed a senior official of the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry yesterday.

Abdur Rahaman, a personal representative of victims Sharifa Begum and Mahamudul Hasan Hridoy, filed the case with the US District Court of Columbia on April 23 this year against Bangladesh, JCPenney Corporation, The Children’s Place and Wal-Mart Stores.

The plaintiffs alleged that the defendants had acted negligently and recklessly in failing to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for garment factory employees at the Rana Plaza building in Savar.

The petition sought an order to pay compensatory damages to the plaintiffs and other victims; to pay the costs of filing case, including attorneys’ fees and expenses; and to require injunctive relief, including requiring defendants to implement labour practices consistent with international standards for worker health and safety protection.

The Bangladesh government appointed law firm Foley Hoag to defend the case, the Foreign Ministry official said adding that they were unaware of the reason why the case had been withdrawn. “One good reason might be that a US court has no jurisdiction over Bangladesh.”

Rana Plaza that housed five factories collapsed on April 24, 2013 killing over 1,130 workers and injuring more than 2,500 others. Owners of the building and the factories were sued in several cases alongside government officials. l

DT

NEWS 5

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Blogger murder suspects placed under remand n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday placed three suspected members of the banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team on a three-day remand in a case filed over the murder of writer-blogger Avijit Roy. Metropolitan Magistrate Shahriar Mahmud Adnan passed the order after DB Inspector Md Fazlur Rahman, also investigation officer of the case, produced the three militants before the court seeking a 10-day remand.

The remanded are Touhidur Rahman, a British citizen of Bangladeshi origin suspected of masterminding the killing; Sadek Ali Mithhu, who RAB accuses of being involved in murdering both Avijit and Ananta Bijoy; and Aminul Mollik, who reportedly made fake passports to help Ansarullah members flee the country.

The court also rejected a bail petition submitted by Touhidur’s counsel ALM Kamal Uddin Hafez. However, there was no defence lawyer for the other two accused.

Hafez told the court that his client was mentally imbalanced and had come to Bangladesh from the UK to visit his ailing mother.

Some people introducing themselves as DB men picked up Touhidur from his sister’s Dhanmondi residence on May 28, the counsel said, adding that Touhidur’s family members later filed a general diary and case with Dhanmondi police station in this connection.

Aminul, one of the detainees, told the court that he worked in a computer shop in Dhaka’s Nilkhet and had been tortured and blindfolded by unknown men who picked him up on May 26. The other accused, Sadek, told the court that he worked at a printing press and was picked up by DB men on May 21. He added that he was coerced by the police

Three suspected members of banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team placed on a three-day remand each in blogger Avijit Roy and Ananta Bijoy murder cases yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE who threatened of killing him in a crossfire unless he confessed to being involved in the blogger’s murder.

On Tuesday, the Rapid Action Battalion

told reporters that the three suspected militants had been arrested from the capital’s Nilkhet and Dhanmondi areas on Monday and Tuesday in connection with the murders

Sabuj murder case accused killed in ‘gunfight’ n UNB An accused in two murder cases was killed in what law enforcers termed gunfight between his associates and Detective Branch (DB) of police at Jagati BATB Forestry Complex in Sadar upazila early yesterday.

The deceased, Jakir Hossain,30, son of Abdur Razzak, a resident of Kalbaria village in Mirpur upazila of the district, is an accused in the cases filed in connection with the killing of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasad) leader Imsail Hossain Panjer and Jubo League activist Sabuj.

Kushtia DB inspector Sabbirul Islam said tipped off, a team of DB police conducted a drive in the area when a gang of criminals, including Jakir, were holding a secret meeting there at about 1:30am.

Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, members of the gang opened fire on them, forcing police to fire back that triggered a gun battle.

Jakir was caught in the line of fire and seriously injured while his other associates managed to flee the scene.

He was rushed to Kushtia General Hospital where on-duty doctors declared him dead.

The body was sent to the hospital morgue

for an autopsy.

Police recovered one shutter gun, two sharp weapons and two bullet shells from the spot.

Earlier, Jubo League activist Sabuj, 23, son of Mobarak of Jhalupara of the town, was killed and five others suffered bullet injuries during a clash between two factions of Awami League over joining a Mourning Day Rally at Milpara in the district town on August 15, 2015.

Imsail Hossain Panjer, 56, former vice-president of Mirpur upazila unit of Jasad, was shot to death in a gun attack by miscreants in Mirpur upazila on April 14, 2014. l

Child worker beaten by employer dies n Our Correspondent, Lakshmipur

A child worker, who was severely beaten up on August 10 by the owner of the shop he worked at in Lakshmipur, died on Tuesday evening.

Md Ramjan, 12, died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

He was buried in the family graveyard in Lakshmipur’s Baghbari yesterday morning but no autopsy was performed on his body.

Ramjan’s family members said he worked at a local shop owned by Ali, who loaded two

milk cartons onto the boy’s head to take those elsewhere.

But Ali indiscriminately beat Ramjan with a rod as the cartons fell from Ramjan’s head because the child could not withstand the weight.

The 12-year-old was taken to Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital with injuries but was later shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital as his condition deteriorated.

Nasim Miah, assistant superintendent of police (circle) in Lakshmipur, said an investigation would be carried out before taking

legal action.

The country has lately seen a number of cases of violence against children that led to public outrage and strong condemnation.

Early this month, Md Rakibul Islam, a 12-year-old garage worker in Khulna, was killed by his previous employer for switching job.

In July, 13-year-old Sheikh Samiul Alam Rajon was brutally beaten to death in Sylhet after he was suspected of theft and the disturbing video was released online, causing widespread anger across the country. l

of bloggers Avijit Roy and Ananta Bijoy.

At a press briefing, RAB authorities said Sadek and Touhidur had already confessed to RAB about planning the blogger killings. l

HC asks jail authorities to admit Rizvi to BSMMU n Tribune Report The High Court yesterday ordered Kashimpur Jail authorities to admit BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.

The bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam passed the order based on a petition submitted by the BNP leader seeking a ruling as he was suffeing from diabetes and high blood pressure.

The court passed the ruling asking the jail authorities as to why steps should not be taken to provide better medical treatment to Rizvi.

The Home Ministry, health secretary, Dhaka deputy commissioner and senior jail superintendent were made respondents to the rule, said Rizvi’s lawyer Sagir Hossain Leon.

The court gave the respondents four weeks to reply the court order.

The BNP leader was arrested on January 31 when BNP-led alliance was enforcing nonstop blockade and shutdown across the country to topple the government.

He was shown arrested in 19 cases. He was granted bail in 17 of them from the High Court while two are still pending with the Appellate Division. l

DT

6 NEWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Four get life-term for killing in Bagerhat n Tribune Report

It is quite impossible to find out a drain in Charmatha area in Gaibandha area as a drain built about four months ago has now been filled with wastes while shops have been also set up on it in some places. The photo was on Monday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Tk225 millions go down the drain Unplanned Gaibandha drain multiplies woes n Our Correspondent, Gaibandha A 225m drain built in Gaibandha’s Sadullapur upazila is of almost no use to locals as the construction was unplanned.

The drain built some four months ago has now been filled with wastes while shops were also set up on it in some places.

Sources in the Gaibandha office of the Roads and Highways Department said the drain stretching from Charmatha to Talertal area on Gaibandha-Madarganj road was constructed at a cost of Tk21.83 lakh and construction was finished in mid-April this year.

The drain was constructed with no holes and hence cannot remove water, resulting in waterlogging even after a little rain. It is also filled with waste materials and is polluting the environment.

Alam Miah, a trader in Charmatha, said the drain is near his shop and he has to endure the stink of waste every day.

“The drain is supposed to remove water but it itself has now turned into a problem.”

Another trader in the area, Ramen Chandra Saha, said many parts of the drain were damaged as it was constructed without a solid plan.

“Shops have been built on some parts of the drain and there is no way to identify the presence of the drain in those places,” he said.

Jahedul Islam, a tea seller, said he set up his tea stall on the drain because it was no longer serving its purpose.

“Also, when I set up my stall, the area was free from mosquitoes and flies but now those have become a daily dose of nuisance.”

The drain was constructed after locals, especially traders, constantly called for the authorities to build something that will remove water and prevent waterlogging.

“But now it is creating problems instead of solving any,” said Abul Bashar Mohammad Hannan, convener of Sadullapur Nagorik

Committee.

“Vegetables produced in 11 nearby unions are sold at Sadullapur market and it was very important to have a drain here. But it was built without any plan, and now traders as well as others are subjected to troubles.

“Not only that, the project seems to have been a complete waster of public money. We have informed the authorities concerned of the problems but no step has yet been taken by them,” Hannan said.

Mahbubul Alam Khan, executive engineer at Gaibandha office of the Roads and Highways Department, admitted that construction of the drain was not based on a solid plan.

But he also pointed out that locals as well as traders doing business near or on the drain were not conscious enough not to throw waste materials in it.

“A lack of consciousness on part of locals is responsible for the present state of the drain,” added the government official. l

Nine, including 4 cops hurt in clash n Our Correspondent, Chuadanga At least nine people, including four cops were injured in a clash between two groups of people at Bishnupur village under Dhamurhuda upazila in the district yesterday.

Kamruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Dhamurhuda police station, said there had been a longstanding feud between the managing committee members and one Abdul Jalil centering the 100-year old playground of Bishnu-

pur High School.

Around 11am, people from the both sides got locked in a clash over the issue.

On information, police went to the spot and tried to bring the situation under the control. At one stage, some villagers attacked the police personnel leaving four cops injured.

Later, the law enforcers opened fire at the villagers which left five people injured.

Advocate Rafiqul Islam Rana, president of the managing committee said, according RSS

record the playground was possessed by the school authorities. But Jalil wanted to grab it illegally.

On the other hand, Jalil said that the land was owned by him and there were legal papers in this connection.

Some police personnel attacked his people comprising with the managing committee members, he said.

The injured were sent to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital. l

A Bagerhat court yesterday sentenced four persons to suffer life imprisonment for killing a man at Piljang village under Fakirhat upazila of the district in 2009.

The court also fined them Taka 10,000 each, in default, to suffer one year more in jail.

District and session Judge Mizanur Rahman pronounced the judgment.

According to the court sources, the convicted persons are- Enamul Sheikh, 20, son of Jalil Sheikh, Jahid Gazi, 23, son of Sahid Gazi, Alamin Sheikh, 21, son of Abul Hasem Sheikh of Kastrobaria village under Rampal upazila and Ekhlak Khandaker, 25, son of Kabir Khandaker resident of Fakirhat upazila in Bagerhat district.

The prosecution story, in brief, is that the convicted persons strangulated van puller Jakaria in the area on February 2009 and snatched his van.

The victim’s mother Sarifa Begum filed a murder case against unidentified persons with Fakirhat Thana on the same day.

Police after investigation submitted charge sheet against six persons to the court.

Later, Judge Mijanur Rahman after examining the witnesses and evidences found the four convicted persons guilty and handed down the punishment. l

Missing child found dead n Our Correspondent, Barisal

An eight-month-old female child, who went missing from Hostishunda village under Wazirpur upazila of the district was found dead yesterday.

Nurul Islam, officer-in-charge of Wazirpur police station, said Fatema Begum had been living in the village with her daughter Mariam and in-laws.

She went out around 1:30am. After returning home she could not find Mariam.

Later, the body of the girl was found in the pond nearby the house. On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital.

Family sources alleged that Mawlana Selim, cousin of Nazrul Islam, might kill the girl after abduction over properties. l

Shibir men beaten at CU n Tribune Report Activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, students’ wing of the ruling party Awami League, yesterday beat up two Shibir men and later on handed them over to police on Chittagong University campus.

Maksudur Rahman Shaon, student of Soil Science department and Abul Kalam Azad of microbiology department, were taken to police custody, said Officer-in-Charge (OC) Hathazari police station Salauddin Chowdhury.

Campus sources said a group of BCL men had beaten them near Dr AR Mallik Bhaban, the administration building of the university, at 12 noon while the Shibir were passing the area. Being informed, police rushed to the spot and rescued the Shibir men. l

DT

NEWS 7

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Cattle trader hacked to death

by BSF n Our Correspondent, Naogon A Bangladeshi cattle trader was hacked to death allegedly by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on Kalmudanga border in Sapahar upazila, Naogon in the early hours of yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Shafiqul Islam, 38, son of Islam Ali, a resident of Kalmudanga village.

Quoting family members, Lieutenant colonel Rafikul Hasan, captain of BGB 14, told the Dhaka Tribune that a group of Bangladeshi cattle traders, including Shafiqul, had gone to India to bring cattle in the early hours of the day.

When they were returning from India with cattle at about 6am, a team of BSF of Adhabanga camp chased them and managed to catch Shafiq while his associates managed to flee.

Later, critically injured Shafiq was found in the border area. He was taken to Sapahar Upazila Health Complex where on-duty doctors declared him dead.

Major Iqbal Akter, deputy commanding officer of Patnitala Border Guard Bangladesh battalion 14, denying perpetration of the killing by BSF said they were looking into the matter. l

WEATHER THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20 DHAKA TODAY

TOMORROW

SUN SETS 6:29PM

SUN RISES 5:35AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

32

26

Chittagong

30

26

Rajshahi

32

26

Rangpur

31

25

Khulna

33

26

Barisal

32

26

Sylhet

26

24

Cox’s Bazar

28

26

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

34.4ºC

24.2ºC

Sayedpur

Rangamati Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:14am 5:34am 12:02am 4:37pm 6:29pm 7:59pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

Komen ruins MoheshkhaliMatarbari Road n Our Correspondent, Cox’s Bazar

Cyclone Komen has hit hard the MoheshkhaliMatarbari Road under Cox’s Bazar district leaving more than 50,000 residents of Matarbari and Dholghata unions into severe adversity.

The road currently lies mostly submerged during both high tide and low tide while saline water intrudes residential areas overflowing the road.

The high tide has devoured the famous prawn enclosures known as “white gold” in the area and crop lands. Locals said the road was in a dilapidated condition and had turned into a death trap.

Master Ruhul Amin, a resident of Maijpara area under Matarbari union, said: “Trade and commercial activities are largely hampered in the area. High tide has devoured more than 1000 thatched houses across the road.”

Selim Ullah, a local Jubo League leader said the main road of Matarbari had collapsed, therefore, more than one lakh people under Matarbari-Dholghata unions were facing difficulties.

During full moon, the level of high tide increases leaving around 15 villages under Matarbari union under Moheshkhali island upazila flooded. In these areas, thousands of people, particularly the homeless ones, are in distress.

Scarcity of food has added to their woes.

The road linking Chaliatoli to Matarbari is in shambles. Even people cannot walk over it, let alone vehicles, a number of villagers told this correspondent.

Daily lives have been paralysed as communication has been snapped between Matarbari and two unions including Dholghata, following the collapse of the road due to cyclone Komen.

Both narrow and wide roads in Matarbari Mogdeil, Rajghat, Fuljanmura villages under Moheshkhali upazila, Telipara, Mudirchhora, Kutubjomer Tajiakata, Sonadiya, Ghotibhanga, Hunaiar Chhora, and Chorpara villages are in a sorry state. Vehicles cannot ply through the roads.

Moheshkhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Anwarul Naser told the Dhaka Tribune: “Top brass government officials including nine secretaries have visited the road and assured of repairing it soon. So I hope it will be repaired soon.”

Ashek Ullah Rafiq, MP of Moheshkhali-Kutubdia seat, said: “It has become hard to send

Following cyclone Komen, the Moheshkhali-Matarbari Road lies in a wrecked condition creating hurdles for commuters and vehicles DHAKA TRIBUNE relief materials to the Komen affected villages through the rickety road.

“As the coal power plant in Matarbari-Dholghata is being constructed, Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina has compared the area with Tungipara. She has ordered to repair the damaged roads. Very soon the roads will be reconstructed,” said the MP. l

Cancellation of CU evening courses demanded

Derailment cuts Khulna rail link

n Tribune Report

The rail communication of Khulna with the whole country remain snapped since yesterday morning following the derailment of a freight train in Daulatpur of the district.

Railway sources said two bogies of a Khulna-bound rice-laden train from Ishwardi veered off the tracks around 6:20am, halting the train communication of Khulna with rest of the country. Kamrul Islam, examiner of West Zone of Bangladesh Railway, said a freight train from Khulna reached the spot and started the salvage operation around 10:15am. l

The Progressive Students’ Alliance at Chittagong University (CU) unit yesterday brought out a procession demanding cancellation of a decision of introducing evening courses under Arts and Social Science Faculty.

Leaders and activists of Samajtrantik Chhatra Front, Bangladesh Chhatra Union and Bangladesh Chhatra Federation brought out a procession from CUCSU premises that ended on Shahid Minar premise after march-

ing different points of the campus.

At the rally the leaders of the alliance said the concept of evening masters programme was contrary with university’s concept. The university authorities had taken the decision without fulfilling basic needs of the students such as transport and accommodation crisis.

Samajtrantik Chhatra Front’s Fazle Rabbi, Bangladesh Chhatra Union’s Mehedi Hasan Nobel and Bangladesh Chhatra Federation’s organising secretary Matiur Rahman addressed the rally, among others. l

n Tribune Report

DT

8 WORLD

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Saudi-led alliance wins Yemen battles, but peace remains elusive n Reuters, Sanna/Dubai Emirati tanks heave across southern Yemen’s stony wastes and Apache helicopters from a Saudi-led coalition, dubbed “black genies” by local media, rule its skies, helping fighters loyal to the exiled government win the initiative against an Iran-allied militia.

The advanced weapons deployed by Gulf Arab states have powered the local fighters into territory controlled by the Houthi group, reversing the tide in a civil war linked to a regional power struggle between Sunni Muslim states and Iran.

But some Yemenis now fear that the coalition’s desire for a knock-out blow on the battlefield may trump chances of a compromise that could piece back together the shattered state and spare the ancient capital Sanaa from a devastating showdown.

“Everyone’s afraid that the war will soon arrive,” said Mohammed al-Awadi, a storekeeper in the city, chewing narcotic qat leaves, a national pastime and a welcome distraction from the problems which rack the nation.

“People are hoarding food or else fleeing to the countryside and there are Houthi fighters everywhere in the streets.”

Yemen’s foreign minister in exile has upped the ante, saying the war may soon end with the violent downfall of the Houthis’

Bundestag backs Greek bailout with large majority n AFP, Berlin

The German parliament voted by an overwhelming majority Wednesday to back a third bailout for Greece, with Chancellor Angela Merkel spared a major rebellion of deputies opposing the aid.

Interrupting their holidays for the second time this summer to cast ballots on a Greek rescue, lawmakers in the Bundestag lower house approved the €86bn($95bn) rescue by 454 votes to 113.

Eighteen abstained and attendance was markedly lower than during a vote last month approving the start of negotiations on the package.

Germany’s powerful finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, had opened the debate telling MPs it would be “irresponsible” not to approve a third bailout for Greece.

He said Athens had earned a fresh opportunity to salvage its economy with the help of its eurozone partners, including its de-facto paymaster Germany.

Meanwhile, underlining the controversy throughout the eurozone surrounding the latest lifeline for Athens, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was to face a grilling in his own parliament, and a possible no-confidence vote, over his cabinet’s support for the bailout.

Austrian MPs late Tuesday approved the latest Greek bailout with all members of Chancellor Werner Faymann’s centrist “grand coalition” voting in favour. l

leader and their ally, ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

“As for the deposed president, I’m sure he’ll go through something awful. Either he’ll flee to another country or meet Gaddafi’s fate, killed in a ditch or basement. Abdul Malik al-Houthi, I think he’ll flee to Iran or some mountains that will then turn into a combat zone,” Riyadh Yaseen told the Saudi newspaper al-Okaz.

Forging an unlikely alliance, Saleh and the Shia Muslim Houthis put aside years of enmity to seize the capital in September and march on the southern city of Aden in March, triggering the Saudi-led intervention and hundreds of air strikes.

The kingdom feared the Houthis’ ties to Tehran meant its southern neighbour would fall under Iranian influence, but the militia denies being beholden to the Islamic republic and says it is trying to save Yemen from jihadists and Western imperialism.

Battle lines barely budged after war erupted on March 26, but Saudi Arabia and the UAE bided their time in training and arming the southern fighters loyal to the exiled government who ejected the Houthis from the port last month.

Though advances towards the capital have been made on three fronts, winning the northern home turf of the Shi’ite militia may

prove a tougher fight for the mostly Sunni opposition. “(There is) a need to ensure that there isn’t a reckless military momentum that develops which ignores the obvious dangers of pushing on,” a diplomat in the Gulf who focuses on Yemen told Reuters.

“The coalition’s military objective of correcting the balance on the ground in such a way that political talks could resume with the government in a position of strength has been achieved. It’s therefore important to ... convert the military momentum into political momentum.”

For the Gulf Arabs, bristling at Iran’s role in sectarian wars rocking Syria and Iraq, the gains in Yemen prove they can seize their collective destiny from their arch-rival, even as their ally the United States has reached a nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic last month.

But while winning moves on Yemen’s battlefield and the region’s strategic chessboard have heartened the Arab world’s richest countries, they face their first test in nation-building in one of one of its poorest and most dangerous.

A branch of the ultraviolent Islamic State group has cropped up in Yemen and launched bombings against the Shias, raising the long distant spectre of a bloodbath among religious groups. l

Ukraine, Russia trade blame for sharp violence spike n AFP, Kiev

Ukraine’s pro-Western leadership and Russia traded blame on Tuesday for a sharp escalation in violence that threatened to see all-out warfare return to the former Soviet nation’s separatist east.

Kiev and the insurgents on Monday reported the deaths of at lest 10 soldiers and civilians – a dramatic escalation that sparked international condemnation and marked the worst bloodshed in more than a month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin pinned the upsurge on alleged preparations by Kiev to grab back territories it had lost in the course of the 16-month war.

“Unfortunately, we are now witnessing an escalation whose blame lies not on the rebels but on their foes,” Russian news agencies quoted Putin as saying.

But Ukrainian army spokesman Vladyslav Seleznyov accused “Russia of trying to pile additional pressure on Ukraine.”

“This once again proves that the (insurgents) are not looking for a peaceful way out of this conflict,” he told reporters in Kiev.

The Ukrainian army on Tuesday reported the death of one serviceman and the injury of another in the Russian-speaking provinces of Lugansk and Donetsk. But the military also noted a “sharp drop-off in the number of provocative attacks on Ukrainian positions. l

Q&A

Hunt for Bangkok bomber - what we know so far Thai police are searching for a man they believe left a backpack bomb at a Bangkok shrine that exploded amid a crowd of worshippers, killing 20 people and wounding more than 100 others.

No one has claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack, which occurred at the Erawan shrine in one of the Thai capital’s popular tourism and upscale shopping districts.

Here is what we know about the investigation so far–

Q1: What do we know about the suspected

bomber?

A1: The first glimpse came a day after the

blast when police disclosed grainy security footage of a man casually walking into the shrine with a backpack on. He sits on a bench close to some iron railings that surround the shrine, puts the rucksack under a bench and slowly walks away while apparently looking at his smartphone. Police said he left on a motorcycle taxi, a common form of transport in Thailand. Three minutes later a bomb explodes in that exact spot. On Wednesday the authorities released a detailed digital sketch of the suspect gleaned from higher quality CCTV footage which has not been released. The portrait shows a young man with blackrimmed glasses, a full head of dark hair and a light complexion. A court Wednesday issued an arrest warrant for an unnamed foreign man.

Q2: Is the bomber acting alone?

A2: Police are increasingly confident the man

seen on Monday night must have had accomplices, both to build the devices and plan the attack. “It’s a network,” national police chief General Somyot Poompanmoung told reporters on Wednesday. “We believe there must be people helping him, Thai people.”

Q3: Who has suspicion fallen on?

A3: Many groups have been discussed as

potential culprits, but security experts say there are strong reasons to discount each and are baffled over who is responsible.

Some of the groups are:

Political rivals:

Bangkok has endured a decade of deadly political violence amid a power struggle between the military, backed by the middle class and elite, and a rural and urban poor loyal to ousted populist former premiers Yingluck and Thaksin Shinawatra. The power struggle has seen repeated rounds of deadly street protests. But experts say neither side had much to gain by launching an attack of Monday’s scale, risking opprobrium from the Thai public.

Local Muslim insurgents:

Insurgents are fighting for greater autonomy in the country’s three Muslim-majority states. But there are no indications Muslim rebels have suddenly taken their localised fight beyond southern Thailand.

Uighurs:

Some Thai media outlets have pointed a finger of suspicion at militants from China’s Uighur minority. Last month Thailand forcibly repatriated more than 100 Uighur refugees to China. But Uighur groups are not known to have ever carried out an attack outside China. while their domestic assaults have shown none of the technical sophistication of the Bangkok bombing.

The Islamic State group:

Militants from the so-called Islamic State have made it clear they wish to export or inspire militant attacks outside of Iraq and Syria. “They’ve done a good job of recruiting Malaysians and Indonesia, so it’s possible,” Zachary Abuza, an expert on Southeast Asian militants groups said. But Abuza said IS networks usually claim credit swiftly for their attacks while Thailand’s Muslim militant groups have been resistant to overtures from global jihadis.

Someone with an anti-China grudge:

The attack on the shrine itself, in a nation where spirituality and respect for faith is assumed, has baffled experts. But the shrine’s popularity with ethnic Chinese visitors – and the fact that a second attack on Tuesday took place near Bangkok’s Chinatown – has led to speculation the blast may have specifically targeted that demographic. l

Source: AFP

DT

WORLD 9

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Pakistan invites separatists ‘to irritate India’ n Reuters, Srinagar

A bonnet macaque sits on consecrated idols of snakes as it eats a pomegranate fruit left behind as an offering by devotees during the Nag Panchami festival inside a temple on the outskirts of Bengaluru, India on Wednesday REUTERS

Palace in Istanbul attacked, 8 soldiers killed n Reuters, Istanbul/Diyarbakir Gunmen opened fire on Turkish police outside an Istanbul palace and eight soldiers were killed in a bomb attack in the southeast on Wednesday, heightening a sense of crisis as the country’s political leaders struggle to form a new government.

The Istanbul governor’s office said two members of a “terrorist group” armed with hand grenades and an automatic rifle were caught after attacking the Dolmabahce palace, popular with tourists and home to the prime minister’s Istanbul offices.

There were no reports of casualties.

Militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) meanwhile killed eight soldiers with a roadside bomb in the southeastern province of Siirt, the military said, intensifying a conflict there after the breakdown of a twoyear ceasefire last month.

The unrest in the Nato member state comes weeks after it declared a “war on terror”, opening up its air bases to the US-led coalition against Islamic State, launching air strikes on Kurdish militants, and detaining more than 2,500 suspected members of radical Kurdish, far-leftist and Islamist groups.

The latest attacks also come a day after Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu gave up on efforts to form a new government after weeks of coalition talks with the opposition failed, paving the way for a new election potentially within months.

“Because of the failure to form a government, we have to seek a solution with the will of the people ... so we are heading rapidly to-

wards an election again,” President Tayyip Erdogan said in a televised speech.

The lira slid to a new low against the dollar as investors took fright at what some have dubbed a “perfect storm” of political uncertainty, slowing growth and deepening violence. The currency has seen its steepest five-day decline this week since May 2010, making it one of the world’s worst-performing emerging markets currencies.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack at Dolmabahce palace, where the assailants opened fire on police guarding the entrance. The building has been targeted before by leftist militants.

Davutoglu was in the capital Ankara as reports of the shooting emerged and did not interrupt a speech he was giving live on television.

Turkey has been on heightened state alert since launching what Davutoglu described a “synchronised war on terror” in July, exposing it to reprisals from Islamic State sympathisers, Kurdish militants and leftist radicals alike.

A fighter proclaiming allegiance to Islamic State appeared in a video this week urging Turks to rebel against “infidel” Erdogan and help conquer Istanbul.

The leftist Revolutionary People’s Liberation Army-Front (DHKP-C) meanwhile claimed responsibility earlier this month for an attack on the US consulate in Istanbul, in which two women shot at the building. One of the attackers was hurt in an exchange of fire but there were no other casualties. l

Pakistan invited separatists from India’s disputed Kashmir region for a meeting in a move that risks further straining efforts to restart a peace dialogue ahead of a rare meeting between top security officials from the nuclear-armed nations.

India called off peace talks with Pakistan a year ago after its neighbour consulted the separatists before a meeting between their foreign secretaries.

Indian and Pakistani troops traded gunfire and mortar rounds along their frontier earlier this week, killing eight people.

Hardline Kashmiri separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani is among the leaders invited to the Pakistan High Commission on August 23, the day talks between the security officials are due to start, Ayaz Akbar, a spokesman for the separatists, said.

“This is deliberate attempt to irritate India,” said S. Chandrasekharan, director of the South Asia Analysis Group in New Delhi.

Manzoor Ali Memon, a spokesman for the Pakistani embassy, confirmed the invitation and declined to comment further.

Earlier Indian governments had grudgingly tolerated meetings between Pakistan and Kashmiri separatists, but Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signalled he would not. l

TIMELINE

The curious case of Chelsea Manning Soldier Chelsea Manning, who is serving 35 years in a military prison for leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks, was found guilty on Tuesday of violating jail rules and given three weeks of recreation curbs.

The former intelligence analyst was convicted in 2013 of providing more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to WikiLeaks.

Manning, who was born a man but identifies as a woman, was facing possible solitary confinement for the infractions at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Manning was found guilty of all charges and sentenced to 21 days without access to recreation, including the gym, library and outdoors.

Here are some of the highlights of her trial – October 2007 Manning, born to an American father and Welsh mother joins the US army at the age of 19.

October 2009 Manning is sent to Iraq, where he has access to top secret information.

November 2009 Makes contact with WikiLeaks for the first time after it leaked 570,000 pager messages from 9/11 April 2010 WikiLeaks posts a video of Iraqi civilians and journalists being killed by a US helicopter gunship some time in July 2007 May 21, 2010 Manning contacts hacker Adrian Lamo online, saying he is the source of the leaks. Lamo records the chats and hands them over to the

US defence department and Wired.com May 29, 2010 Manning is arrested in Kuwait June 5, 2010 Charged with leaking classified information July 25, 2010 A series of reports on the Afghan war, based on US military internal logs, are published by the Guardian, the New York Times and other media groups March 11, 2011 Manning’s charges updated to 22 violations, including ‘’aiding the enemy’’, which carries a life sentence March 2011 US state department spokesman PJ Crowley calls Manning’s treatment ‘’ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid’’, and later resigns.

December 16, 2011 The first pre-trial hearing begins, and 4/5ths of defence witnesses are barred August 2012 Prosecution reveals evidence that Manning’s treatment at Quantico was ordered by a higher command December 17, 2012 Manning turns 25, his third birthday in prison without trial February 28, 2013 Pleads guilty to leaking military information June 3, 2013 Court martial begins July 30, 2013 Cleared of ‘’aiding the enemy’’ but guilty of five espionage charges

Source: Reuters and other newswires

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10 World

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Summer crisis tests Europe’s new nationalisms n Reuters, Brussels High summer and life, for many in Europe, is a beach.

This year again the Mediterranean is the stage for two seasonal dramas: the one, the annual vacations that give many their main chance to meet fellow Europeans from other countries; the other, the washing ashore of desperate refugees from wars and poverty in the Middle East and Africa, some already dead.

The first is a chance for pleasure, discovery and to enjoy the peace and open borders that most cite as the main benefits of the European Union, 70 years after the end of World War II - even if accompanied by national stereotype grumbles about beach-towel Lebensraum, noisy joie de vivre and importunate seaside Romeos.

The second has triggered a poisonous round of every-man-for-himself bickering among the EU’s 28 governments and the Union institutions in Brussels over how to deal with record numbers of migrants arriving by sea and land and heading across Europe.

More even than that other Mediterranean summer theatre that has been the Greek volte-face on German-prescribed austerity to stay in the euro zone, EU divisions on the migration crisis have brought on dire warnings that populist nationalism could propel Europe back toward its nightmarish divisions of last century.

Amid confrontation with Russia in the east, and with Britain soon to vote on breaking away in the west, this summer sees a bout of soul-searching over whether the bloc can ever subsume national rivalries to a common good. Can half a billion citizens can ever feel “European” more than Austrian, Belgian or Croatian?

“If this is your idea of Europe, you can keep it,” a furious Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was quoted telling fellow EU leaders as traditionally Europhile Italy lost patience with a lack of help.

Hungary, which tore the first rent in the Iron Curtain in the daring summer of 1989 before the Berlin Wall fell, is building a fence on its border with Serbia; Britain is adding fencing too, round its Channel Tunnel beachhead at Calais. Even founder members France and Italy have feuded on their frontier.

Flags of the EU countries waive at the European Parliament building in Strasbourg, France

‘Mr Europe’

At the eye of the storm is Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, the bloc’s Brussels executive.

Claiming - despite scepticism from national capitals - a democratic mandate due to being the lead centre-right candidate in last summer’s elections to the European Parliament, Juncker has become a vocal critic of governments for lacking solidarity.

“Je m’en fous!” he snapped - “I don’t give a damn” - in singularly undiplomatic French during a June summit, as equally irritated leaders rejected his demand for mandatory quotas on member states to take in asylum seekers from Italy and Greece.

Juncker meant that as long as they collectively reached his target of 40,000 to be accommodated elsewhere, then quotas did not matter. But offers are still well short of the total.

Clashes between the member states gathered in the Council on one side of Brussels’ Rue de la Loi and the Commission on the other are a fixture of a Union where power - and money - remain overwhelmingly controlled from national capitals but where EU officials see it as their duty to promote closer integration.

However, the struggle has been intensified by the arrival of the outspoken Juncker, at a

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time when economic malaise has left many leaders struggling for votes against anti-EU nationalists.

No slouch himself at pushing national interests when as prime minister he defended Luxembourg’s low taxes from charges of unfair competition, Juncker shrugs off attacks by the likes of the UK Independence Party and French National Front on unelected Eurocrats, and accuses former peers around the summit table of pandering to chauvinists who want to wreck the Union.

Anyone speak European?

Juncker has appealed over governments’ heads to citizens’ consciences. He has also

forged alliances with an EU parliament keen to expand its power despite wariness in member states of a body for which over half of Europeans don’t bother to vote.

He speaks of a “political not technocratic” executive, ready to make up a “democratic deficit” in the Union’s institutions.

That is a forlorn hope, some sceptics say, arguing that the EU has outlived its usefulness to citizens who feel, to use the ancient Greek, part of a national “demos,” not a European one.

The Union’s blue flag may be increasingly ubiquitous, but efforts to promote a sense of European identity face an uphill battle. Yet for all the gloom in Brussels ahead of an autumn of looming arguments, some also see signs of growing EU cohesion.

“Recent reports of the death of the European Union were greatly exaggerated,” Washington’s Pew Research Center reported in June after an annual survey found a recovery to 61% in the share of Europeans holding a positive view of the project, after a couple of years when it dipped close to 50%.

Polling for the Commission’s annual Eurobarometer survey in May showed 38% of people identified only with their own country and not with Europe, down three points on a decade ago and sharply lower than when economic crisis hit in 2010.

The British are outliers, with nearly two in three disowning being European. But across the EU, 60% of people said they felt at least part of their identity is shared with others beyond national borders, up from 51% five years ago.

As they criss-cross those frontiers this summer in search of a taste of the unfamiliar, few expect - or want - to see historic cultures homogenised in a United States of Europe. l

DT

EDITORIAL 11

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

INSIDE

Could we have saved Bangabandhu?

Could Mujib have predicted that he was going to be killed? I was told that Bangabandhu trusted his people a lot. He could never have guessed that someone from Bangladesh could ever point a gun at him. Indian intelligence had also failed

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PAGE 12

Whoever goes to Lanka In their early years they worked handin-hand and co-operated as comrades, for the good of the country. But at the same time, both of them leaned on gaudy politics

PAGE 13

Monarchy or republic?

The constitution is an achievement of independence. Deviation from the basics of the constitution is a betrayal to the liberation struggle

PAGE 14

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Leave no stone unturned to bring Bangabandhu’s killers to justice We hope the renewed request sent through Interpol by the Home Ministry this week will assist Bangladesh police in confirming the updated locations of the six killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who remain at large abroad.

Twelve former army officers were handed death sentences for masterminding and carrying out the August 15, 1975 carnage, following a lengthy trial process begun in 1996, after the government scrapped the shameful indemnity act which until then had protected Bangabandhu’s murderers from justice.

Five of the officers who faced trial in person or were tracked down subsequently, were hanged in 2010 after their appeals were completed. One of the remaining seven has since died, but the other murderers still escape justice 40 years after their heinous crime.

It is welcome that the US ambassador to Bangladesh has made assurances of assistance in responding to requests to extradite one of Bangabandhu’s fugitive killers and an accused war criminal, who are believed to be residing in the United States.

The government needs to undertake all possible diplomatic efforts to help further such efforts.

Another factor which should also be considered in all extradition requests is that some fugitives may be resident in states such as Canada or in the European Union, which do not have the death penalty, or whose courts will refuse to extradite people to countries where they may be executed.

While it is customary for states under international law not to interfere with due legal process in other countries, the government still needs to take cognisance of this factor, as at least one of Bangabandhu’s fugitive killers is understood to be in Canada.

Given a choice between being able to extradite a known killer of Bangabandhu for imprisonment short of the death penalty, and letting that person escape any justice, the former is certainly preferable, because it would ensure the accused is held to account and impunity is ended.

As part of its efforts to trace and extradite Bangabandhu’s fugitive killers, the government should express willingness to allow full rights of appeal and guarantee that any death penalty awarded by the courts will be commuted.

That way at least, justice can be seen to be served and the disgraceful impunity with which Bangabandhu’s killers have remained at large for so long, can be finally ended.

Undertake all possible diplomatic efforts to ensure accused are held to account and do not remain at large

DT

12 OPINION

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Could we have saved Bangabandhu?

40 years later, the nation is still haunted by the man’s assassination

Sheikh Shaheb continues to inspire the youth

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Could Mujib have predicted that he was going to be killed?

I was told that Bangabandhu trusted his people a lot. He could never believe that someone from Bangladesh could ever point a gun at him

n Mamun Rashid

O

ur eighth grade English teacher at Faujdarhat Cadet College, Mr Sufiur Rahman, on August 15, 1975, wrote on the blackboard: “Bangladesh President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has been killed in the early hours, today.”

We didn’t know how to react to this. It was just information to most of us. The next day, some of us saw that President Sheikh Mujib’s portrait had been withdrawn from our dining hall. Were we too bothered? Not really.

Exactly 10 years later, in August 1985, I was invited to attend the 12th Student Youth Festival in Moscow. While attending the program, we were taken to visit some of the local families there. An old lady from one of the families in the Moscow suburb asked me, in Russian (translated by her daughter to us): “Mujib gave you Bangladesh and you killed him?” Apparently, the old lady’s son had lost his life while clearing mines at the Karnaphuli Harbour at the Chittagong port.

And that was the beginning of my studies into Sheikh Mujib, our beloved Bangabandhu

-- the founder of an independent state for his people, the state of Bangladesh. I have read a few books written by Abul Fazal and Dr Mohammad Farash Uddin, as well as many articles written by Dr Moshiur Rahman, Tofael Ahmed, Badruddin Umar, and even our premier Sheikh Hasina.

I have spent several hours with Dr Mashiur Rahman, Dr Mohammad Farshuddin, Mirza Azizul Islam, the late secretary Rezaul Hayat -- all of whom had been associated with Sheikh Mujib. I have heard Dr Akbar Ali Khan, Professor Salahuddin Ahmed, and Professor Rehman Sobhan speak on Bangabandhu as well.

I interacted with an armed forces official from my cadet college, who was responsible for Bangabandhu’s security at that time. We discussed quite a few things: Why could we not save Bangabandhu from being brutally killed? What would have happened if Tajuddin Ahmad was the PM and General Ziaur Rahman the chief of army staff ?

Could Mujib have predicted that he was going to be killed? I was told that Bangabandhu trusted his people a lot. He could never believe that someone from Bangladesh could ever point a gun at him. Indian intelligence had also failed. There were murmurs that they had cautioned Sheikh Shaheb, but he didn’t listen. What were the armed forces seniors of that time doing? What were the intelligence seniors doing? We don’t have any answers, other than seeing the mud-slinging that started between General Safiullah and a ruling AL stalwart.

Even AL seniors are not sure if they did their best to save and protect Bangabandhu and his family members. In fact, some of

them outright betrayed Bangabandhu and joined the killers themselves.

But how did it come to this? Why was Mujib killed? There are no good reasons. I am told by many JSD seniors that: “Mujib was becoming too autocratic during his last days.”

A history professor at Dhaka University told me: “Mujib was facing too much hostility from the international community as well as his party stalwarts. He didn’t know what to do. Some of his trusted lieutenants advised him to seize absolute power and form BKSAL, and that was the end of it.”

I remember someone telling me: “Mujib listened too much to his nephew Fazlul Haque Moni, and that was what forced him to go for the political harakiri.” Many citizens also chimed in, saying: “His people were making Mujib unpopular during those days.

Most of his party men were arrogant and corrupt, eating into the trust of the common people. The common people were feeling the heat, they had nowhere to go, and justice was denied to them.”

“A few disgruntled armed forces officials took advantage of Mujib’s unpopularity and weak security arrangement,” they further speculated.

Bangabandhu was a towering yet soft personality, he was committed to the well-being of his country-men. He was a simple man, a real down-to-earth individual. I have heard from many retired civil servants and armed forces seniors who were close to him and his family how much of a great soul he was, along with his wife, Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib. Apparently, Begum Fazilatunnesa never allowed anyone to leave her house without being properly fed.

When we teach our management class, we always make it a point to mention Mujib’s qualities as a charismatic leader, and exemplify his March 7 address as the perfect example of the oratory of a situational leader.

Many freedom fighter relatives of mine tell me how the “Shunore ekti Mujiborer theke lokkho Mujiborer kontho” song played on Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra moved them during the Liberation War. Mujib was a true leader, yet, not beyond the limitations of your average Bangali. He had too much of emotion. He did not or could not control his political followers. He let others besmirch his good name.

Ultimately, I agree with the Moscow lady -- there can never be a good enough reason to justify killing a president, the Founding Father of Bangladesh. No reason is ever a good enough reason to kill any person. If he really was unpopular, it should have been left to the people to oust him via the ballot box.

The good part is, Mujib has become more popular after his death. A lot of our youths are eager to study Mujib and his philosophy now. They want to know more about the individual, the statesman, and the driving force behind our liberation. No matter who says what, Mujib will live on forever in the history of Bangladesh. He was truly larger than life. l Mamun Rashid is a business professor and financial sector entrepreneur.

DT

OPINION 13

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Whoever goes to Lanka The taste of power can change a leader

What would Aristotle have said about our kind of democracy?

To be fair, yes -- in their early years they worked hand-inhand and co-operated as comrades, for the good of the country. They fought together to kill the dictatorship of Ershad. But at the same time, both of them leaned on gaudy politics

n Mohammad Zaman “In a democracy, the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme” -- Aristotle

A

n observer of democracy as it has unfolded in Bangladesh, may, for good reason, raise questions about the wisdom of the ancient Greek philosopher. Maybe his heart was full of goodness, but he forgot the goons of Machiavelli and/or Kautilya.

Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and a consummate democrat, was rather pragmatic when he voiced his frustration. Jefferson said: “A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where 51% of the people may take away the rights of the other 49%.”

And that’s where the constitution and the judiciary come in to rescue and safe-guard the rights of the minority, thus giving a meaning

DHAKA TRIBUNE

to the affirmation of Abraham Lincoln: “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.”

Abe Lincoln was a wily man, but he never lost sight of democratic equality even in the darkest days of his administration. Can we say the same of our leaders? When the going got tough, the first elected leader of our nascent nation decided to compromise democracy in favour of one-party rule.

A blood-bath followed, wherein Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and hundreds of others including politicians and military personnel had to lay their lives before democracy was restored by a stone-faced ambitious general (Ziaur Rahman), whose foot-prints were awash with non-kosher happenings. Keeping himself personally honest, he paved the path-to-politics with money and treachery.

He, indeed, was a force of nature only to be perished by another natural happening; he too was slain by his own military. Karma perhaps. One should never let the military taste the power of absolute monarchy.

And then it was the still-alive-chameleon general, whose staying power, I bet, shall survive his own demise.

And this brings us to present-day Bangladesh. And the story keeps unfolding …

Both of the ladies were anointed to head their parties on the hilt of tragic family misfortune. Both of them are products of oneman-cults and have steered the politics into a perilous battle of clans -- the Sheihks and the Rahmans. To be fair, yes -- in their early years they worked hand-in-hand and co-operated as comrades, for the good of the country.

They fought together to kill the dictatorship of Ershad. But at the same time, both of

them leaned on gaudy politics and, at times, showed evil inclinations towards monkish versions of politics, thus rehabilitating and rejuvenating the defeated forces of 1971.

The best of their accomplishments came when they showed their pragmatic side by innovating an incredibly suitable system -the erstwhile care-taker government (CTG) that is being emulated in other countries with similar a political fabric.

The first few five-year terms went well.

However, the political banditry that was earnestly cultured by Ziaur Rahman and nurtured faithfully by Ershad, had developed stout roots by then, and taken a life of its own. Haowa Bhabon and its likes flourished.

Being convinced of a one-term nature of political fortune, they began to nibble at the basis of the CTG system.

The ensuing melee lead to the two-yearstint of a strange military-backed civilian CTG of 2007-2009. For right or wrong reasons, politicians of the highest order suffered the brunt. “Never again,” said the post-1/11 prime minister of Bangladesh. She is a determined lady of exceptional style, and voila … the CTG system was gone with the wind. Aspiration for pre-election fairness, by now, has retired to its eternal repose.

Well, it was a great system, but was it good for the country? Nope -- we kept on voting for the same politicians, albeit of different stripes. I have no intention of belittling Ravana, but the age-old adage comes handy: “Whoever goes to Lanka, morphs into Ravana.” l Mohammad Zaman is a physician and occasional writer.

DT

14 OPINION

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Monarchy or republic?

We should be vigil about the dangers of drifting towards autocracy

n GM Quader

M

onarchy was a widely-used system of governance in the medieval ages. With the passage of time, the consciousness of people about their rights starts growing.

Monarchies are being discarded, as a result, and are not seen much in the modern society.

Some countries, mostly the modern and developed ones, maintain a sort of monarchy for the sake of heritage. It is, in fact, monarchy by name, where people, by their own choice, keep a powerless monarch in the highest position of dignity. But these countries are governed by democratic norms and fulfill all the criteria of a republic.

In a monarchy, the king owns a lot of the wealth of a country. The king also has ownership of the people. Being the owner of all the assets, including human resources, the king is authorised to utilise those as per his desire without any accountability to anyone.

In a kingdom, all capital, including human

The constitution is an achievement of independence. Deviation from the basics of the constitution is a betrayal to the liberation struggle

What kind of ruler do the people want? capital, are required to be maintained properly for better utilisation in favour of the king.

Effective administrative set-ups and different forces become necessary for executing those functions. The ultimate objective of those is to ensure the continuation of the power of monarchs and assist in the exploitation of assets by the ruler.

The king appoints family members and cronies to important, high positions of administration in order to guarantee that. In a monarchy, the role of the people is to praise the king and members of the royal family, and devote themselves to serving them.

In a republic, general people become the owners of all the resources of the country.

People also have the ownership of the entire power of the state. They own the government. They can exercise their options to decide who will become king or chief executive (known as prime minister in the parliamentary system of governance, and president in the presidential system), for how long, and in what way he or she operates.

The ownership of the country, including resources and authority, lies with the people.

The chief executive (CE) is selected by the

people to carry out specified jobs under a definite guideline against fixed benefits. The main emphasis for administering the republic is protection or enhancement of public interest and welfare.

The CE’s responsibility lies in ensuring that. Administrative set-up and different forces are to be utilised for achieving said objective only. Using those to fulfill any personal ambitions or for profiteering is to be considered a criminal act.

Since the CE is like an employee of the people to perform as per their expectation, a system of accountability is necessary for assurance. There are different institutions within the frame-work of the republic to ensure accountability of the executive. In the parliamentary system, the prime institution is the parliament, with the judiciary alongside it.

Additionally, the EC, the ACC, Human Rights Commission, etc are institutions to support the system. In addition, the media has been gaining considerable effectiveness.

If the CE becomes too ambitious and tries to cling to power perpetually, gaining personally and hampering public interest, he

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or she has to evade accountability. Institutions of accountability would thereby need to be made ineffective. The republic would be transformed into a totalitarian system by imposing the control of the CE on all of the above institutions.

Restrictions on media would be imposed.

The EC would be made to manipulate election results. The totalitarian system makes the executive head ever-lasting and above answerability, which breeds autocracy.

Autocrats share state power and proceed with family members and cronies.

Irregularities and corruption flourish unabated, human rights are abused, and governance suffers. Generally, autocrats predecide their heir, that too mostly from their immediate family. Even when not, a similar hierarchy is chosen. When hierarchal ascent to power is made mandatory in the system, totalitarianism is transformed to a monarchy.

This is the only difference between a totalitarian autocracy and a monarchy -- both are otherwise similar in all respects.

The name of our state is “People’s Republic of Bangladesh.” Part I of the constitution is “The Republic.” Article 1 of part I says the

country is a republic.

The creation of a sovereign Bangladesh is the outcome of our glorious Liberation War. The constitution is an achievement of independence. Deviation from the basics of the constitution is a betrayal to the liberation struggle.

It is uncertain what disposition the Republic of Bangladesh is holding now. The public feels Bangladesh is drifting backwards, passing transitional stages. They fear their right of ownership of the state is slipping away.

Symptoms of totalitarian rule, autocracy, monarchism, and signs of transitional action are made visible.

Conscious citizens, especially the political leadership, are to find due solutions to stop this from slipping further backwards. Politics should be pushed forward to establish permanent ownership by the people of the state by ensuring their right to vote, to govern, and to have a claim on national assets. Otherwise, Bangladesh may end up an unreliable old car on the expressway of development. l GM Quader is a former Minister of Commerce, Bangladesh.

16

Modi to bet $1.5 billion on palm oil plan as imports surge

Japan exports stumble on China slowdown

17

19

Stocks rally for 2nd day

USE OF MOBILE BANKING BY INDIVIDUALS AND HOUSEHOLDS

20

DT

Business

15

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

State banks walk at snail’s pace to reach performance targets

Study: Youngest people have higher banking knowledge n Tribune Report

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Unlawful mobile banking gains popularity n Jebun Nesa Alo Instead of opening own account, using of others’ mobile bank account that is strictly prohibited by Bangladesh Bank, gains popularity, reveals a recent analysis.

Analysis of the data shows that around 8% households are using own account while 25.40% households are using others’ account to operate their financial transaction through mobile banking in the year 2014.

In case of individual level, around 3% have their own mobile banking account while 12.6% using other’s account during the same year.

The study conducted by Institute of Microfinance (InM) disclosed this at a time when the central bank is in hard line against the use of others’ mobile bank account to stop money laundering and terror financing.

Using other’s mobile bank account goes against the “Guidelines on Mobile Financial Services for the Banks.”

Bangladesh Bank issued the guideline on September 1, 2013, forbidding the banks to allow financial transaction through mobile banking without having own mobile bank account.

Even, the transaction through mobile account from one agent to another agent is also prohibited.

The agents’ license will be canceled if any irregularities are found in this regard and the central bank will also monitor it, according to the guideline.

Attending a seminar held in the city yesterday, Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman, however, did not focus on this issue.

He, however, advised the InM to conduct another fresh survey over the mobile banking to asses the situation.

Stressing the need for further analysis on mobile banking, BB governor stated that financial literacy was going through mobile banking while 80% of the total transaction went to the rural areas from the urban.

According to the study, 26.87% household and 13% individuals have access to mobile banking.

In the rural area, 23.55% household use other’s mobile account to operate financial transaction while 11.53% individual use others account.

In the urban area, 31.46% household carry

out transaction without having own mobile account and the rate is 14.37% in case of individuals. The rate of using own mobile account is non significant as only 6.55% household in rural area use own mobile account while 11.83% in urban area.

The rate for individuals having own bank accounts is 2.47% in rural area while 4.70% in rural area.

In case of poverty status, 30.36 non-poor household and 18.40% poor households have access to mobile banking while the rate for individual is 15 and 9 respectively.

The study observed that in the last few years, financial innovation allied to bank and mobile devices in the developing nations had increased rapidly.

In such a state, mobile banking services, which does not going to any bank branch, is a more fitting service for them. The number of aggregate registered clients reached to 2.5 crore in January 2015. l

The younger segment of population has higher banking knowledge and more access to financial services than the old in the country.

The Institute of Microfinance (InM) came up with its observation following a study on the access to financial services by ages.

Mobile banking and school banking have significant impact on developing financial literacy among the youngest, said MA Baqui Khalily, executive director of InM. Khalily made the remark while presenting the study findings at the seminar on “Financial Literacy and Financial Inclusion in Bangladesh” held at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in the capital.

The analysis shows that 36% of youngest groups aged 30 and less have banking knowledge. The age group ranges between 31 and 40 have almost same banking knowledge.

The trend reveals that banking knowledge declines as the age increases. This segment of population covers 29%, with their age ranging between 51 and 60.

In case of gender, male groups have more banking knowledge than the female. Around 44% male has bank-related knowledge while 26.23% goes for female.

The study found that banking knowledge has positive impact on financial inclusion as people with more bank-related knowledge have more access to savings and credit.

The report finds that people of industry, business, service and professional backgrounds have more banking knowledge as their works are involved with banking activities.

The banking knowledgeable rate increases in line with the level of education. This could be because as people get more educated they are likely to be more exposed to financial services, according to the findings of the study.

The youngest groups have higher knowledge about banking services because literacy has improved significantly in recent two decades, observed Akhtaruzzaman, economic advisor of Bangladesh Bank. l

DT

16 BUSINESS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Modi to bet $1.5 billion on palm oil plan n Reuters, New Delhi

India plans to spend $1.5bn in the next three years to help farmers grow oil palm trees in an area the size of New Jersey, government sources said, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushing to make the nation self-sufficient in edible oils this decade.

Modi is targeting India’s $10bn import bill for edible oils, its third-highest overseas spend after oil and gold, and has already been considering buying oilseeds directly from farmers and boosting government support for growing rapeseed, soybeans and peanuts.

A successful Indian push into palm cultivation would drag on international markets for the commodity, hitting Indonesia and Malaysia as they are currently the only major growers of the crop.

“We’ve identified nine states with suitable climatic conditions but we were apprehensive

that the long gestation period would dissuade farmers from adopting the crop,” said one of the sources involved in the planning. He declined to be named as he was not authorised to speak with media.

“That’s why we’ve decided to earmark 10,000 crore rupees ($1.53bn) that will largely be spent on supporting the farmers.”

Palm, the highest-yielding perennial edible oil crop, needs a fraction of the area used to grow other oilseeds, potentially attractive in a country like India where land is increasingly scarce as the population rockets.

But a gestation period of up to five years and laws limiting the size of each palm development have stymied previous efforts to switch to the crop, putting off local farmers as well as companies such as Ruchi Soya, Cargill and Bunge.

However, the government hopes that its $1.5bn backing will make the difference, with sources saying that direct support from Modi

Dollar edges down ahead of Fed meeting minutes n AFP, Tokyo The dollar broadly weakened yesterday before the release of minutes from the US Federal Reserve’s last meeting, which investors hope will offer fresh clues about the timing for an interest rate hike.

In Tokyo, the greenback traded at 124.32 yen, slipping from 124.38 yen in New York late Tuesday.

The euro edged up to $1.1051 and 137.39 yen from $1.1029 and 137.19 yen in US trade.

Market were eyeing the Fed minutes, due later Wednesday, to see if they back up growing expectations of a rate hike as early as next month. The dollar will likely get a boost if the minutes suggest a rate rise is around the corner.

“The minutes are likely to suggest what traders have known from the actual meeting itself,” Vyanne Lai, an economist at National Australia Bank, told Bloomberg News.

“There aren’t too many impediments in the near term to prevent the lift-off of US rates.”

The Thai baht was marginally stronger at 35.62 against the dollar, a day after slumping to a fresh six-year low of 35.64 in the wake of a deadly Bangkok bombing that killed 20 people and wounded more than 120.

The bombing at a shrine popular with foreign visitors threatened to damage Thailand’s crucial tourism industry.

The bombing came hours after official

data on Monday showed Thailand’s economy slowed in the second quarter, hit by weak domestic demand and exports, with growth expected to be hampered this year by China’s devaluation of the yuan.

The move has sparked fears of a currency war in which countries compete to boost exports by devaluing their units.

Following the yuan cut, Vietnam on Wednesday said it had devalued its dong currency by 1.0 percent, setting its reference rate at 21,890 dong per dollar. It also widened the trading band to 3.0 percent on either side of that rate.

Vietnam hopes the moves will help keep its thriving export trade - including smartphones and other electronics manufactured by Korean giant Samsung in its Vietnamese factories - competitive with regional rivals.

The dollar was mostly weaker against other Asia-Pacific currencies.

It slipped to 46.27 Philippine pesos from 46.36 pesos on Tuesday, to 1,183.54 South Korean won from 1,185.03 won, to 65.24 Indian rupees from 65.31 rupees, and to Tw$32.49 from Tw$32.52.

The US unit also weakened to Sg$1.4035 from Sg$1.4079 and to 13,838 Indonesian rupiah from 13,839 rupiah.

The Australian dollar edged down to 73.33 US cents from 73.63 cents, while the Chinese yuan fetched 19.41 yen against 19.42 yen. l

will also be key.

“It’s a pity that we couldn’t meet our earlier targets,” said the first source. “But he fact that the prime minister is giving a lot of impetus due to unbridled edible oil imports, we’re trying our best to make it happen this time.”

The government is mostly targeting fallow farmland in coastal states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka to grow palm on 2 million hectares, which could produce 8 million tonnes of oil annually once the crop bears fruit in about five years, another government source said.

Food ministry spokesman NC Joshi declined to comment.

Indian consumption of vegetable oils has trebled over the last 20 years as the population grows and incomes rise, while output has increased by less than a third. That has forced it to become the world’s biggest importer of edible oils, with palm oil accounting for 80 percent of that.

Annual edible oil imports have risen 12 times to 14.4 million tonnes per year, with the product used to make everything from bhajis and biryanis to potato chips and noodles.

Togar Sitanggang, secretary general of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association, told Reuters that India’s plan would increase pressure on the Southeast Asian nation to use more biodiesel, made with palm, at home.

The Malaysian Palm Oil Board declined to make immediate comment.

‘Bizarre rule’

Since India’s first major attempt to cultivate palm more than two decades ago, the area devoted to the crop has risen to about 200,000 hectares from around 8,600 hectares.

The country last tried to boost palm cultivation in 2010/11 by setting a target to produce 4 million tonnes of oil in five years. Output has not risen above 70 tonnes a year. l

CORPORATE NEWS

Paragon Group, one of the leading agro-based companies in Bangladesh has recently signed a business contract with Ogilvy & Mather Communications Pvt Ltd. Managing director of Paragon Agro Ltd, Moshiur Rahman and Fahima Choudhury, director of Ogilvy & Mather, Bangladesh have signed the agreement

Jamuna Bank Limited has recently held its 273rd board meeting. The bank’s chairperson, Md Sirajul Islam Varosha presided over the meeting

Google gets in the WiFi router business n AFP, San Francisco Google unveiled a WiFi router Tuesday looking to increase the ease and speed at which people’s increasingly indispensable smartphones and tablets connect at home with its services.

The Internet giant touted OnHub, a partnership with TP-LINK networking product manufacturer, as a “different kind of router for a new way to WiFi.” “Instead of headaches and spotty connections, OnHub gives you Wi-Fi that’s fast, secure,

and easy to use,” Google said in a blog post.

OnHub, priced at $200 for online preorders in the United States, is small and cylindrical, and users can connect on Apple’s iPhones or its own Android devices.

It is due in stores in the United States and Canada in the coming weeks.

The home router even lets users prioritize which device gets the fastest connection speed.

Smart devices - from heating and cooling system regulators to fire and security alarms - are a booming business. l

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited has recently opened its 295th branch at Monohardi in Narsingdi. The bank’s managing director, Mohammad Abdul Mannan inaugurated the branch as chief guest

DT

BUSINESS 17

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Japan exports stumble on China slowdown n AFP, Tokyo Japan’s exports slowed in July, official data showed yesterday, adding to concerns about the fragile recovery in the world’s number three economy as demand falls in neighbouring giant China.

The lacklustre figures come days after news Japan’s economy contracted last quarter, boosting speculation the central bank will be forced to unleash more stimulus as Tokyo’s “Abenomics” growth blitz stumbles.

While the value of Japan’s exports rose 7.6% last month from a year ago, partly driven by rising vehicle shipments, the volume of goods slipped 0.7% from July 2014.

China-bound shipments were off 1.3% from 12 months earlier in volume terms, outstripping a 0.4% fall to the rest of Asia.

Despite a recovery in the US economy, a slowdown in China - Asia’s top economy and a major market for Japanese exporters - has raised a red flag.

The central bank devalued the yuan last week, sparking concern China is growing more slowly than thought and prompting fears it could start a currency war in which countries compete to boost exports by cutting the value of their units.

“The most notable point is that exports are not growing - the Japanese economy cannot rely on overseas demand for future growth,” said Taro Saito, a senior economist at NLI Research Institute.

Workers pull a rope from a crane at a construction site in Tokyo “While the United States and Europe are recovering compared with some other markets ... China is dragging down exports.”

The weak figures were part of broader picture that showed Japan’s trade deficit narrowed a less-than-expected 72.3% in July from a year ago, as the cost of energy imports kept falling.

REUTERS

Abenomics struggling

Japan’s monthly deficit came in at 268.05bn yen ($2.15bn), well below 966.5bn yen a year earlier, the finance ministry said. Economists had predicted the shortfall would shrink to around 53bn yen.

Imports fell 3.2% as weak commodity prices helped bring down the country’s energy

Playing Chinese markets is as simple as ‘follow the leader’ n Reuters, Hong Kong Some foreign investors have found a new and simple way to make money from China’s dysfunctional stock markets - by dispensing with market research and playing “follow the leader” instead.

Rather than crunching data on earnings and stock valuations to come up with investment strategies, they are mimicking China’s so-called “national team”, a group of statebacked financial institutions tasked with propping up share prices.

When this team of brokers, fund managers and insurers intervene to buy up shares at the behest of Beijing, foreign investors quickly follow suit and purchase the same stocks. The only difference is that the foreigners are ready to sell as soon as they can lock in a profit, often within a few hours or days.

The end result, investors say, is that the national team is unwittingly encouraging short-term trading patterns that amplify the detachment of stock markets, which have become less responsive to fundamental drivers such as earnings trends, domestic economic data and shifts in global markets.

“Some of the recent policy measures taken by China’s authorities in the markets have been quite puzzling and it hasn’t really increased confidence among foreign investors,” said Karine Hirn, Hong Kong-based partner of Swedish group East Capital, a $3.5bn fund management firm.

“That has prompted some investors to

closely follow the intervention tactics taken by authorities rather than analyzing and investing fundamentals which we think is required.”

The national team is easy to identify and simple to follow, foreign investors say.

It generally buys index heavyweights opportunistically when the market is tanking to shore up confidence.

PetroChina Co Ltd is one of its favourites: with a free-float of only 2.4% but a weighting of more than 6 percent of the Shanghai Composite Index, it can have an outsized impact on the nation’s biggest stock exchange.

Last week, when the index posted its biggest weekly gain in nearly two months, the top 10 index heavyweights, including PetroChina as well as state-owned banks and insurers, gained even as most other constituents declined, indicating authorities were intervening aggressively.

Most of these purchases happen in the last 30 minutes of trading and in heavy volumes, according to Reuters data analysis of last week’s trades, indicating the aim of this intervention is to ensure benchmark indexes close higher.

By bunching large buy orders in the last few minutes of trade, it also leaves traders who had shorted stocks earlier with no choice but to buy them back and cover their positions.

The only game in town

Goldman Sachs strategists said “supportive capital” had flowed into big blue chips or de-

fensive stocks such as banks, insurers, food companies and healthcare firms. The national team spends relatively little money on buying shares in small caps.

“We watch what the large Chinese brokers are doing everyday and follow them blindly as that can be quite profitable in these illiquid markets,” said the head of an equity derivative trading desk at a European bank in Hong Kong.

The national team is becoming the only game in town. It has pumped 800-900bn yuan ($125-140bn) into stocks, according to Goldman Sachs, yet trading volumes are shrinking.

Though some investors are following the national team, many others are staying out of the market altogether.

Daily combined turnover on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges has more than halved to less than 700bn yuan ($109.5bn) in two months.

In another sign of the growing dysfunction, Chinese shares traded outside the mainland, which are outside the remit of the national team’s buying campaign, are fetching lower valuations.

The Hang Seng China AH Premium Index, which measures the valuation gap for companies listed on both mainland exchanges and in Hong Kong, is near its highest level since March 2009, indicating a widening disconnect.

Investment vehicles that mirror the performance of onshore markets have also suffered outflows. l

bill, which soared after Tokyo replaced nuclear power with pricey fossil fuels in the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis.

Japan’s still-struggling trade picture was highlighted in the GDP data this week, as the economy shrank 0.4% in the three months to June - or 1.6% on an annualised basis.

The contraction, which was not quite as bad as expected, was blamed on weak consumer spending at home and slowing exports after two consecutive quarters of growth.

The figures come more than two years after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe launched a policy blitz, dubbed Abenomics, to kick-start anaemic growth and conquer years of deflation.

The scheme called for big government spending, massive Bank of Japan (BoJ) monetary easing and reforms to cut red tape in Japan’s highly regulated economy - reforms that have now stalled, however. Household spending has also been unsteady following a sales tax rise last year, brought in to pay down a massive national debt, which saw consumers rush to stores before prices rose.

BoJ chief Haruhiko Kuroda has pushed back a timeline for hitting a 2% inflation target, a cornerstone of Abenomics, although he insists healthy price rises are around the corner.

This month, Kuroda said he would consider expanding the bank’s record 80tn yen annual asset-buying scheme - a means to pump money into the economy similar to the US Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing - if weak oil prices keep holding back near-zero inflation. l

Speakers: Microcredit is a rational strategy for poor borrowers n Tribune Report Borrowing money from multiple sources is not a danger, rather a rational strategy for poor borrowers that seeks to strike a balance between financial need and ability, speakers told a seminar.

They said borrowing from multiple sources (overlapping in microfinance) is used for distinct purposes and it is not a sign of distress nor a “dirty” word.

The views came at a seminar titled “Dynamics of Overlapping in Microfinance Market of Bangladesh” held at the capital’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre yesterday. It was arranged by Institute of Microfinance.

SR Osmani, a professor of Ulster University in United Kingdom, presented the keynote paper. He said: “Most of them [peoples who borrow] feel comfortable to proceed in several small [overlapping] steps rather than one big jump.”

“They would rather take a small loan; pay off a bit and feel less of a burden, and then take another small loan which they are more comfortable at managing,” he said.

Sazzad Hossain, director of Microcredit Regulatory Authority, said: “Overlapping is not a problem but over indebtedness is. There is no restriction upon overlapping.”

“We believe in market concept. We’re thinking about how income process could be diversified,” said Iqbal Ahmed, executive director of Padakhep Manobik Unnayan Kendra. l

DT

18 BUSINESS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

News, analysis and recent disclosures DBH1STMF: 4% Cash Dividend.

Record date: 06.09.2015.

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

IFILISLMF1: 10% cash dividend, Record Date: 02.09.2015.

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.

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

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

ICBAMCL2ND: 5% cash dividend, Record Date: 02.09.2015.

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.

ATCSLGF: 7.50% Cash and 2.50% Unit Dividend Record date: 01.09.2015.

SEBL1STMF: 12.50% cash, Record date: 31.08.2015.

NLI1STMF: 13.00% cash, Record date: 31.08.2015.

8THICB: 140% cash.

7THICB: 150% cash .

6THICB: 120% cash.

5THICB: 250% cash.

4THICB: 300% cash.

3RDICB: 300% cash.

2NDICB: 450% cash.

1STICB: 1,000% cash. Record date: 12.08.2015.

BERGERPBL: 100% interim cash dividend. Record date for entitlement of interim cash dividend: 20.08.2015.

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

FAMILYTEX: (Q2 Un-audited): EPS for April-June, 2015 was Tk. 0.42 as against Tk. 1.02 for AprilJune, 2014, EPS for Jan-June, 2015 was Tk. 1.22 as against Tk. 2.17 for Jan-June, 2014. NOCFPS was Tk. 0.73 for Jan-June, 2015 as against Tk. 0.28 for Jan-June, 2014. NAV per share was Tk. 15.44 as of June 30, 2015 and Tk. 14.14 as of December 31, 2014.

Dividend/AGM APEXTANRY: 45% cash, AGM: 04.10.2015, Record date: 09.09.2015.

GRAMEENS2: 10% cash 15% Unit Dividend, Record date: 07.09.2015.

GRAMEEN1: 82% Unit Dividend, Record date: 07.09.15.

GREENDELMF: 4.50% Cash Dividend. Record date: 06.09.2015.

ABB1STMF: 15% Unit Dividend.

Record date: 07.09.2015.

EBLNRBMF: 6% Unit Dividend.

Record date: 07.09.2015.

PHPMF1: 7.50% Unit Dividend Record date: 07.09.2015.

POPULAR1MF: 12% Unit Dividend. Record date: 07.09.2015.

FBFIF: 9% Unit dividend.

Record date: 03.09.2015.

TRUSTB1MF: 8% Unit dividend. Record date: 03.09.2015.

EBL1STMF: 7% Unit Dividend Record date: 03.09.2015.

EXIM1STMF: 8% Unit Dividend.

Record date: 03.09.2015.

IFIC1STMF: 10% Unit dividend.

Record date: 03.09.2015.

1JANATAMF: 12% Unit dividend. Record date: 03.09.2015 RELIANCE1: 11% cash dividend.

Record date: 06.09.2015.

AIMS1STMF: 175% Unit Dividend. Record date: 07.09.2015

Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

Company Apex SpinningA Monno Ceramic -B BD. Autocars -Z The Ibn SinaA National Polymer -A National Feed-A Quasem Drycells -A Rahim Textile -A Miracle Industries -B Standard Ceramic -A

Closing (% Change) 9.89 9.87 9.68 9.54 7.92 7.69 7.34 6.92 6.92 6.67

CSE GAINER Company Apex SpinningA Monno Ceramic -B National Feed-A GreenDeltaInsu -A Sonargaon Tex -Z Miracle Industries -B National Housing Fin.-B The Ibn SinaA Samata LeatheR -Z Quasem Drycells -A

Closing (% Change) 9.89 9.79 9.05 8.58 8.43 8.23 8.23 7.82 7.69 7.00

DSE LOSER Company Eastern Lubricants -A Sun Life Insurance-N Purabi G Insu.A Al-Haj Textile -A Premier Leasing-Z AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A Meghna PET Ind. -Z Sandhani Life -A Pioneer Insur -A GlaxoSK (BD) -A

Closing (% Change) -6.90 -5.65 -5.49 -4.83 -4.35 -4.08 -3.57 -3.29 -3.12 -3.06

CSE LOSER Company Pioneer Insur -A EBL NRB M.F.-A Bata Shoe Ltd. -A IFIC 1st MF-A AB Bank 1st Mutual Fund-A Berger Paints-A Sun Life Insurance-N ICB AMCL3rd NRB MF-A 6th ICB M F-A Popular Life 1st M.F.-A

Closing (% Change) -8.81 -8.16 -5.93 -5.88 -5.17 -4.83 -4.65 -4.44 -4.31 -4.08

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

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

DSE GAINER

Sector

5,501.96 142,624,739 128,836

Traded Issues

320

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

192

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

123

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

5

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,702.71

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

32.76

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 471.29 246.31 106.80 1057.08 219.73 609.58 12.71 776.84 928.56 12.65 128.95 233.95 50.16 145.31 33.41 18.70 71.50 72.24 77.72 228.40 0.06

% change 8.57 4.48 1.94 19.21 3.99 11.08 0.23 14.12 16.88 0.23 2.34 4.25 0.91 2.64 0.61 0.34 1.30 1.31 1.41 4.15 0.00

Million Taka 37.11 17.29 3.30 69.89 12.76 51.67 47.76 527.10 0.88 8.07 14.15 2.78 8.97 2.84 0.90 3.66 5.67 15.12 32.81 0.02

Average (% Change) 7.79 6.76 8.75 10.70 5.16 8.19 5.21 5.67 4.97 3.23

Average (% Change) 7.89 9.28 8.55 8.45 8.30 5.55 7.62 7.91 7.69 5.49

Average (% Change) -6.25 -5.88 -4.65 -4.26 -0.99 -2.66 -3.57 -0.45 -1.84 -2.87

Average (% Change) -5.29 -8.48 -5.93 -5.49 -2.77 -4.83 -5.98 -2.25 -4.28 -2.26

CSE

ClosingAvg. 89.65 41.52 26.98 130.10 110.67 25.09 71.53 293.95 16.70 45.42

ClosingAvg. 90.00 42.38 25.13 54.39 9.00 16.74 24.86 126.16 28.00 72.11

ClosingAvg. 374.92 28.47 15.79 127.96 8.98 4.75 5.40 41.83 34.18 2104.69

ClosingAvg. 32.06 4.53 1,251.10 4.82 5.61 1,951.00 28.64 4.35 57.72 4.75

% change 4.30 2.00 0.38 8.10 1.48 5.99 0.00 5.54 61.10 0.10 0.93 1.64 0.32 1.04 0.33 0.10 0.42 0.66 1.75 3.80 0.00

Closing 90.00 42.30 27.20 132.10 113.10 25.20 73.10 298.20 17.00 46.40

Closing

DHIGH 90.00 42.30 27.20 132.60 114.50 25.50 74.00 300.90 17.20 46.90

DHIGH

90.00 42.60 25.30 54.40 9.00 17.10 25.00 126.90 28.00 73.40

Closing 372.30 28.40 15.50 126.10 8.80 4.70 5.40 41.20 34.20 2105.00

Closing 32.10 4.50 1,251.10 4.80 5.50 1,951.00 28.70 4.30 57.70 4.70

Million Taka 508.40 263.60 110.10 1126.97 232.49 661.25 12.71 824.60 1455.66 13.53 137.02 248.10 52.94 154.28 36.25 19.60 75.16 77.91 92.84 261.21 0.09

DLOW 84.50 39.00 25.20 122.00 106.50 23.90 68.80 285.00 15.90 44.00

DLOW

90.00 42.60 25.50 54.40 9.00 17.20 25.00 129.40 28.00 74.00

DHIGH

89.80 39.90 23.70 54.30 9.00 16.00 24.40 120.10 28.00 70.00

DLOW

400.00 29.00 16.80 134.50 9.20 4.80 5.40 42.50 34.60 2120.00

DHIGH 32.20 5.30 1,251.10 5.10 5.70 1,951.00 30.30 4.40 57.80 4.80

Total

370.00 28.00 15.30 125.00 8.70 4.60 5.40 40.60 34.00 2100.10

DLOW 32.00 4.50 1,251.10 4.80 5.50 1,951.00 27.60 4.30 57.70 4.70

% change 7.99 4.14 1.73 17.71 3.65 10.39 0.20 12.96 22.87 0.21 2.15 3.90 0.83 2.42 0.57 0.31 1.18 1.22 1.46 4.10 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

36.462 12.129 2.132 63.990 75.422 85.750 94.717 8.182 16.728 5.570

Turnover in Million

2.52 0.16 0.19 4.82 3.36 1.26 1.81 9.67 0.36 0.49

Latest EPS

0.613 0.243 10.470 0.000 0.000 1.226 0.100 2.457 0.014 1.851

Turnover in Million

35.6 259.5 142.0 27.0 32.9 19.9 39.5 30.4 46.4 92.7

Latest PE

2.52 0.16 1.26 1.80 -2.26 0.36 2.24 4.82 -0.05 1.81

Latest EPS

0.592 0.802 4.585 78.210 1.407 3.156 0.011 1.643 0.591 0.583

Turnover in Million

Latest PE

35.7 264.9 19.9 30.2 -ve 46.5 11.1 26.2 -ve 39.8

Latest PE

2.48 0.00 1.04 1.07 1.24 4.76 -0.53 2.16 3.44 61.66

Latest EPS

0.051 0.024 0.125 0.134 0.120 0.002 0.043 0.024 0.029 0.051

151.2 15.2 119.6 7.2 1.0 -ve 19.4 9.9 34.1

Latest PE

3.44 0.43 40.26 0.99 1.67 69.64 0.00 0.48 13.93 0.86

9.3 10.5 31.1 4.9 3.4 28.0 9.1 4.1 5.5

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

862.75 12,373,431 17,275

Traded Issues

253

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

142

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

102

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

9

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2607.87

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

31.61

DT

BUSINESS 19

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Stocks rally for 2nd day n Tribune Report Stocks gained marginally with volatility yesterday, extending the winning streak for the second straight session.

The market moved into the red and green before closing slightly higher as investors played both sides of fence.

After coming under pressure in the middle of the trading session, the market eked out a marginal gain in benchmark index

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Square Pharma -A Apex Tannery -A United Power-N Islami Bank BD - A Ratanpur Steel -N FAR Chemical-N Familytex (BD) Ltd.-A C & A Textile -N Central Pharm-A LafargeS Cement-A

Bengal Windsor-A Shahjibazar Power-N Quasem Drycells -A National Feed-A Shasha Denims -N

VolumeShares 1,013,703 1,108,544 983,947 4,858,102 1,977,276 2,170,957 8,370,265 5,758,048 3,508,022 916,048

Value in Million 244.63 183.21 156.35 147.89 135.78 124.13 120.41 116.24 110.44 108.66

% of TotalTurnover 4.45 3.33 2.84 2.69 2.47 2.26 2.19 2.11 2.01 1.97

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Marico BD Ltd-A United Power-N BEXIMCO Ltd. -A UNITED AIR-A Familytex (BD) Ltd.-A Square Pharma -A Islami Bank BD - A Olympic Accessories -N National Feed-A C & A Textile -N

Apex Tannery -A BSRM Ltd. -A S. Alam CR Steel -A Shahjibazar Power-N Beximco Pharma -A

1,355,879 511,920 1,324,070 3,418,021 1,881,082

333,374 170,309 563,022 1,223,784 833,818 48,823 370,135 175,103 416,701 482,326

56,352 81,933 261,800 38,028 109,640

108.02 97.96 94.72 85.75 83.94

480.49 27.04 17.93 12.89 11.99 11.80 11.29 10.70 10.47 9.85

9.41 9.40 8.46 7.28 7.27

1.96 1.78 1.72 1.56 1.53

55.69 3.13 2.08 1.49 1.39 1.37 1.31 1.24 1.21 1.14

1.09 1.09 0.98 0.84 0.84

ClosingP 242.60 164.90 157.70 30.70 68.30 56.60 14.20 20.30 31.60 117.90

78.00 189.60 73.10 25.20 44.80

ClosingP

Change % 1.55 0.92 -1.13 -0.32 0.89 -1.05 -1.39 4.10 2.60 0.08

-2.86 -1.40 7.34 7.69 2.52

Change %

1470.00 157.30 32.30 10.50 14.30 242.40 30.50 60.70 25.30 20.40

167.70 114.20 32.50 189.60 67.50

0.00 -1.19 3.53 0.00 -0.69 1.34 -0.33 -1.78 9.05 4.62

1.64 -1.04 6.21 -1.20 4.01

ClosingY 238.90 163.40 159.50 30.80 67.70 57.20 14.40 19.50 30.80 117.80

80.30 192.30 68.10 23.40 43.70

ClosingY

1470.00 159.20 31.20 10.50 14.40 239.20 30.60 61.80 23.20 19.50

165.00 115.40 30.60 191.90 64.90

DHIGH 243.80 173.00 161.60 31.40 69.40 58.30 14.80 20.70 31.90 120.00

81.50 194.30 74.00 25.50 45.30

DLOW 238.00 160.60 157.10 29.80 67.90 56.20 14.10 19.60 31.00 117.50

75.60 188.20 68.80 23.90 43.60

DHIGH

DLOW

1470.00 160.90 32.50 10.70 14.80 243.60 31.20 62.40 25.50 20.70

1470.00 156.80 31.00 10.40 14.20 238.10 29.80 60.50 23.70 19.60

175.00 117.10 32.90 194.20 67.60

155.00 112.20 31.00 188.20 65.00

AvgPrice 241.32 165.27 158.90 30.44 68.67 57.18 14.39 20.19 31.48 118.62

79.67 191.36 71.53 25.09 44.62

AvgPrice

1441.30 158.75 31.85 10.53 14.37 241.61 30.51 61.09 25.13 20.41

167.05 114.75 32.31 191.46 66.34

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

12427.65520

(+) 0.16%

1849.35994

(+) 0.41%

14763.79070

(+) 0.31%

12427.65520

(+) 0.69%

8991.07080

(+) 0.31%

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

The Dhaka Stock Exchange benchmark index, DSEX, rose 7 points or 0.2% to close at 4,816.

The Shariah index, DSES, edged almost 4 points or 0.4% higher to 1,188.

The blue chip comprising index, DS30, settled at 1,849, rising 7 points or 0.5%.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, gained 27 points to 8,991.

Gainers outpaced losers as out of 319 issues traded, 155 advanced, 116 declined and 42 remained unchanged.

Trading activities improved a bit as DSE turnover stood at Tk550 crore, up 4% from the previous session’s Tk610 crore.

Banks declined marginally 0.7%, breaking two-day rally.

After surging significantly in previous session, telecommunications edged lower.

Non-banking financial institutions and pharmaceuticals soared 3.3% and 0.3%, extending their gaining streak for the second consecutive session.

Textile was back to black snapping its downtrend over the last few sessions. Food and allied, engineering, power and cement ended flat.

Lanka Bangla Securities said after coming under pressure in the middle of the trading session, the market eked out a marginal gain in benchmark index.

It said, “The day was a bit volatile amid the release of a mixed batch of economic data. The country’s banking sector experienced a provision shortfall of Tk2,472 crore in June, which was required to maintain against default loans.”

Square Pharmaceuticals was the most traded stocks with shares worth Tk24.5 crore changing hands, followed by Apex Tannery, United Power Generation and Distribution Company Limited, Islami Bank, RSRM Steel and FAR Chemical. l

ANALYST The day was a bit volatile amid the release of a mixed batch of economic data.

The country’s banking sector experienced a provision shortfall of Tk2,472 crore in June, which was required to maintain against default loans

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State banks walk at snail’s pace to reach performance targets n Asif Showkat Kallol Six state-owned banks have been able to recover less than 25% of annual target of classified loans over the last seven months from January under performance contracts.

Bank and Financial Institutions Division placed the banks’ unsatisfactory loan recovery situation at a meeting recently, presided over by Bank Division Secretary M Aslam Alam. The banks include Sonali, Janata, Agrani, Rupali, BDBL and BASIC. The targets have been set for the calender year 2015 as per performance contracts signed between the banks and Bank Division in April this year.

According to a working paper, Sonali Bank recovered 24.22% of Tk1,500 crore target, Janata 27.29% of Tk750 crore, Agrani 21.92% of Tk900 crore, Rupali 12.90% of Tk240 crore, BDBL 11.62% of Tk90 crore and BASIC 23.03% of Tk800 crore.

Proposal to buy lighterage vessel approved

M Aslam Alam attributed the slow pace in loan recovery to the “structural problems,” but hoped the situation would gradually improve.

‘The slow pace of loan recovery was due to structural problems’ “The slow pace of loan recovery was due to structural problems. However, the situation will gradually improve,” he told Dhaka Tribune, adding that the banks’ financial condition will better if funds are injected by the government.

M Aslam Alam saw a lack of interest among state banks to disburse agriculture and SME credit. During the seven-month period, Sonali Bank disbursed only 1.86% of agriculture loan

target (annual), Janata 2.57%, Agrani 5.02%, Rupali 6.25%, BDBL 5.16% and BASIC 2%.

Between January and July, Sonali Bank recovered 5.95% of agricultural loan target, Janata 2.90%, Agrani 6.07%, Rupali 16.25%, BDBL 12% and BASIC 13.54%.

SME loan recovery rates were Sonali 37.55%, Janata 34.23%, Agrani 97.01%, Rupali 63.85%, BDBL 56.47% and BASIC 41.49%.

The finance division provided Tk11,219 crore to four state banks over the last 12 years to meet their capital deficits but the lenders’ financial position is yet to improve, said an official of the division asking not to be named.

Sources said an amount of Tk5,000 crore has been earmarked in the budget this fiscal year against the capital shortfalls of four state-owned commercial banks.

The banks have accrued a cumulative loss of Tk10,112 crore over the past seven years, for which poor management within the banks has been blamed. l

Bangladesh protecting Rs18.5b NBP loan defaulters

n Tribune Report

n Tribune Business Desk

Cabinet committee on public purchase yesterday approved shipping ministry’s proposal to procure a crude oil carrying lighterage vessel from Turkey.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed presided over the meeting as Finance Minister AMA Muhith went to Nepal to attend SARRC conference.

Bangladesh Shipping Corporation will procure a 12 year-old 15,000-25,000 DWT capacity lighterage vessel from Turkey’s Camlica Shipping, said Additional Secretary Mustafiur Rahman told journalists after the meeting.

Camlica’s local agent M/S Afroz Shipping will arrange the procurement, he added.

According to the proposal, the present two vessels are 27-year old and will not be allowed in the international maritime area after the end of 2015.

According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) provision, the single hull based two oil lighterage vessels - MT Banglar Jyoti and MT Banglar Shourabh - will no longer be allowed to operate in international maritime area from the end of this year.

IMO said the vessels are 27-year old and need to be replaced. It said only the double hull based vessel would be allowed in the international maritime area from 2016.

According to the procurement proposal, the Camlica Shipping will supply a 12 year-old crude oil carrying lighterage vessel in a few months as per condition tagged with tender.

A total of five local and foreign companies participated in the tender.

Turkey’s Camlica Shipping’s local agent M/S Afroz Shipping and M/S Overseas Marketing Corporation passed the technical evaluation of tender process.

Camlica Shipping scored the highest point and agreed to supply MT PULI lighterage vessel with a capacity of 15,857 MT DWT. The vessel will be procured at a cost of Tk156.11 crore. l

The government and courts of Bangladesh were protecting people responsible for Rs18.5b bad debts and default to National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and denying Pakistani officers to probe the matter and ensure recovery, reports Pakistani English daily The Dawn.

According to the report, NBP President Syed Ahmed Iqbal Ashraf told the Senate Standing Committee on Finance that problem with NBP operations started 8-9 years ago when local general manager in Bangladesh exceeded his lending limit by extending credits to the same party on different names and kept on increasing lending portfolio without informing the NBP headquarters in Pakistan.

He said the issue propelled into a problem when the total bad debt reached Rs18.5bn in 2013-14. He said the bank had now made full provision for the bad debt as required under the State Bank of Pakistan rules and was initiating process for the recovery of amount.

Chairman of the Standing Committee Salim Mandviwalla lamented the role of NBP and the SBP in the case.

Ashraf alleged that the Bangladeshi bank officers intentionally did not let the internal reports of the Bangladesh central bank to reach Pakistan and internal and external audits also could not access NBP Bangladesh operations for two years. “It was a total failure on our part to see the signs” which were brewing and no remedial action could be taken head-on for 8-9 years.

He said it was decided in 2014 to order an audit to know what exactly happened in Bangladesh through KPMG and to make provision for bad debt. He said the KPMG report was also submitted to the SBP and the Ministry of Finance that was subsequently forwarded to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

He said based on KPMG report, the NBP

had identified 61 officials including a few former presidents of the NBP who had something to do with the debacle and confirmed that the buck ultimately has to stop at the president, perhaps not because of any direct role but negligence as head of the institution.

Responding to a question, he said the loan default took place in Bangladesh where Bengali staff was involved in fraud in connivance with their local companies which also included a firm having an office in Pakistan.

“It is very sad and unacceptable that nobody had been held responsible for the Dhaka debacle” and no action had been taken so far for the recovery, said Mandviwalla.

Ashraf said the Bangladesh government was all out in support of the culprits and did not let Pakistani nationals to work there as they were denied NOC and four officers who reached Dhaka were accused of being there to topple the government and returned.

He said the only way to take action against Bangladeshi staff was through the courts and whenever the NBP tried to take action the local media exploded the issue that Pakistani banks were treating local workers unfairly.

It was reported that a total of 61 officers had been identified by the NBP for losses suffered by the NBP’s Bangladesh operations during 2003-2008 and the bank had chargesheeted 57 officers. Four former presidents of the bank still remain off the hook.

It may be recalled that about couple of months ago, the ECC led by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had decided to bail out the NBP Bangladesh operations with US$65m (Rs6.6bn) public money. The decision was made after the Bangladesh branch’s equity eroded because of Rs14bn losses due to loans that were deemed unrecoverable from the outset.

Extended after 2003, the non-performing loans (NPLs) of the NBP Bangladesh came to light in 2008 when a borrower defaulted on letters of credit, said the report. l

Government plans to set up 2,000 digital school labs n Ishtiaq Husain The government plans to set up 2,000 digital labs with modern equipment across the country for expanding ICT education to build a digital Bangladesh with its own fund worth around Tk299 crore.

Information Communication Technology (ICT) division under the ministry of Post, Telecommunication initiated the project which was approved at a recent ECNEC meeting as one of the priority projects.

A total of 2,000 digital labs will be established in 2,000 schools in 64 districts to expedite multimedia education, according to project proposal.

Under the project, each school will get 17 laptops, 17 set headphones, one multimedia projector (with a screen), one 3G-pocket router, one scanner and one printer machine. The government will also bear the cost of 3G internet wifi bill for the first 6 months.

According to the project proposal, a total of 563 digital labs will be established in Dhaka division, 387 in Chittagong division, 228 in Khulna division, 295 in Rajshahi division, 218 in Rangpur division, 183 in Barisal division while 46 digital labs in Sylhet division.

Among them, 64 digital labs in 64 districts will be used as language-training labs where students will get opportunity to learn 9 languages.

Under the project, a total of 1,000 teachers will be trained as a master trainers of English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Russian from the selected school.

Besides, the ICT division will also supply a total of 17 chairs, 9 tables to each school along with a cash amount of Tk30,000 for lab room renovation works.

“The government is determined to establish digital Bangladesh by 2021 with an aim to create new jobs along with the on going development,” said Project Director Md. Emdadul Haque, who is also an additional secretary), while talking to the Dhaka Tribune.

Terming the project a revolutionary one, he stated that the project would play a vital role in expanding the country’s ICT education at the grass root level across the country.

According to an estimate of the ICT division, it will cost around Tk299 for setting up 2,000 labs while ICT division will provide all the technical assistances to the schools selected under the project.

As per the directive of Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina, ICT division initiated the project last year. During the same year, ICT division invited 64 Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to submit a list of schools with well-established infrastructure and also MPO enlisted.

Initially, the ICT division got a list of 4,000 high schools, of them an expert team has selected 2,000 school in it’s final list.

The tender for refurbishing works of the project has already been approved and rest of the process will be completed by December next.

A high official of ICT division said, setting up of 2,000 labs in schools would be one of the top priority project which would be a milestone for the development of ICT sector as well as the speedy digitalisation of Bangladesh. l

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T-JUNCTION INSIDE

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Hot Topic

Friend or foe

We are young Photos: Bigstock

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shopping

Lidia May in Bangladesh news

Club Carnival 2015 at Eastern University

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Friend or foe n Zubaida Rana Rahman

Friendship is a concept. That’s really all it is. The bond that one shares with another cannot be described by such a simple term. What might have been a really important factor in one’s friendship five years ago may be nothing more than an insignificant chip at present. Over the years of our lives, we encounter different people and our perspectives progress with character and age.

Change is inevitable, and the way we react to situations changes too. Let’s take a time jump and see how the circumstances change over the years:

I’m 8 years old and

I’m going down the staircase with my friend. We both get pushed by someone else and fall down.

“Hey! Why did you push me?” I ask my friend.

“I didn’t!”

“Yes you did! Stop lying, it’s not nice to push.”

“But I didn’t do anything! Stop accusing me!”

The solution: A witness comes forward and settles the misunderstanding. The two friends then apologise to each other and set out to find the real culprit.

Photos: Bigstock

I’m 10 years old

and bullies from my grade approach me.

They ask me for their lunch money.

“We’ll tell the teacher if you don’t hand us the money.”

“But it’s mine, not yours. Leave me alone!”

They start pushing me but then walk away when they see a teacher nearing.

I’m 13 years old and

I feel like my best friend gives others more importance than me.

“I’ve been your best friend for six years, why are you suddenly closer to her?”

“I’m not! This isn’t a competition!”

“No, but you’re making it one.”

Commence the backbiting – “I can’t believe she’s talking to her;

she’s so weird. I can’t even believe she’s my best friend after the way she’s been treating me. She’s such a horrible person.”

The solution: The situation spirals out of control and everyone ends up being hurt. Don’t let insecurities and trust issues bring out a side of you that could complicate your relationships.

My friends just watched in fear from a corner.

“Why didn’t you come help me?”

“We were scared we’d get hit too.”

The solution: Silent fights like these usually dissolve over time – no one likes to deal with trust issues.

T-JUNCTION 23

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I’m 16 years old

and I’ve been taken for granted. My best friend recently acquired a girlfriend and is now ignoring my presence completely.

I’m not the type to cling to someone but I’m not going to stand for being treated like garbage by someone who means so much to me.

“It doesn’t bother me that you have a new person, but a phone call would be nice once in a while.”

“Don’t you understand anything? I have to give time to her; you’ll always be there for me anyway.”

“Maybe not always.”

The solution: Confrontation worked, though. The tension has eased and I no longer feel neglected.

I’m 18 years old

but I’m treated as if I know nothing. I have different views from my friends hence I’m always lectured and made to feel inferior.

“Why do you think like this? Your perspective is so wrong!”

“My perspective is mine, and only mine. I won’t change it just because it’s bothering you. Stop criticising me all the time, respect me a little.”

The solution: It’s not easy to broaden one’s mind but sometimes it’s necessary to avoid severing bonds.

I’m 22 years old

and I feel depressed. My friends back home are so different now; I don’t know how to act around them. They have their new circles and lives, which I don’t fit into anymore.

“You have your own life; I’m not very significant to you anymore. It’s like you don’t even miss me.”

“You’re misunderstanding completely.

I still love you the same, if not more, but how can you expect me to go on without adjusting my life a little? I can’t let myself be stuck.”

The solution: Communication works wonders. Coming back to the present, it’s funny to reflect on old wars that probably don’t even qualify as wars anymore. The bottomline is, things usually get better with time and if they don’t, do something about it instead of waiting around. Friends don’t just come and go - they are the small wonders that are to be cherished life long. l

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Ticket

shopping

Lidia May in Bangladesh After wooing shoppers in Los Angeles, London and Berlin, Lidia May, a design house that makes beautiful handbags, is now in Bangladesh. They are being launched through the premium handbag e-commerce store called La Rouge. A two day open-house event will be hosted by La Rouge on Friday, August 21, at Amari Hotel in Gulshan from 5pm-8pm and their finely hand-embroidered bags will also be on display on Saturday from 10am-8pm.

Founded in 2014 by American designer May Yang, the brand aims to create skills among slum women and preserve the hand artistry heritage of Bangladesh. The company has also pledged to donate a part of its profit every year to help fund the school in Nuton Bazar.

For a sneak peek into their latest collection, log into www.facebook.com/ larougeshopbd. l

news

Club Carnival 2015 at Eastern University

Eastern University (EU) celebrated “Club Carnival 2015” on August 18 at EU campus, Dhanmondi, Dhaka to promote extracurricular activities. The carnival was inaugurated by Rashed Khan Menon, MP, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism,

People’s Republic of Bangladesh. The chairman of EU Board of Trustees, Abul Khair Chowdhury, Vice Chancellor of Eastern University, Professor Dr Abdur Rab, Pro Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr Abdul Hannan Chowdhury along with deans, chairpersons, faculty members and officials graced the occasion with their presence. A large number of students gathered in the programme.

Eastern University Drama and Theater Club staged the drama “Mohamaya” of Rabindranath Tagore. Eastern University Cultural Club presented a cultural programme. Debating Club organised a friendly debate competition among new and old debaters of EU. Business and Social Entrepreneurship Club presented a flash mob, business games and a quiz

competition. Spark Creative Writers Forum staged a Bengali poem recitation session.

Social Welfare Club organised a free blood grouping camp and blood donation programme in collaboration with Bangladesh

Thalassemia Foundation. Engineering Club organised their robotic exhibition in the Club Carnival. The best participating club was awarded with prizes at the end of the carnival. l

Singer’s surprise offer On the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha, Singer Bangladesh Limited has launched its new campaign “Singer-Eid Surprise Offer.”

Under this campaign, customers will avail the opportunity of winning bedroom sets, fridge or LED TVs each week as by purchasing fridges, TVs, furniture, ACs, microwave ovens or washing machines from any Singer Mega, Singer Plus or Singer Pro outlets across the country.

Besides, customers can get up to a 100% discount on fridges/freezers. In

addition, there will be ensured discounts on LED TVs, furniture items, ACs, microwave ovens and washing machines.

Singer also offers no interest up to 120 days with 12 months Easy Installments facility.

This offer will be valid till September 30, 2015. For more information, please contact Singer Call Center (9884113, 01755550047, 09606600600) or visit www.singerbd.com and www.facebook. com/Singer.Bangladesh. l

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique will miss the first four matches of the new La Liga season for abusing match officials in the European champions’ Spanish Super Cup defeat to Athletic Bilbao

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TURNING POINT FOR JILANI, MARK OF A NEW ERA

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TIGERS TO REGROUP ON SATURDAY

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CHELSEA HIJACKS BARCA’S PEDRO FROM RED DEVILS

‘Some people said I was in the side due to my relation with Mushfiq, that hurt’ n Mazhar Uddin Before the 2015 ICC World Cup down under, none of the Bangladesh cricketers had scored a hundred in the global showpiece event, let alone back-to-back centuries.

Mahmudullah changed all that, scoring blistering centuries against England and New Zealand in the group stage.

However, it has been anything but a rosy ride for the 29-year old.

Since making his international debut in 2007, the Mymensingh lad has witnessed countless ups and downs in his career.

Mahmudullah t h o u g h , eventually

overcame all the obstacles and established himself as one of the most dependable batsmen in the Tigers’ side.

The soft-spoken right-hander took some time out from his holidays to speak candidly with Dhaka Tribune last Tuesday. Below are the excerpts of the exclusive interview:

It has been a little more than eight years since you made your international bow. Have you enjoyed your journey thus far?

So far so good Alhamdulillah. I have experienced a lot of ups and downs in the past eight years. But, I would like to see myself in a much better position when I finish my career.

You encountered a lot of criticism before scoring back-to-back tons in the World Cup. Many were questioning your role in the side. In order to silence the critics, you worked extremely hard and lost a bit of weight ahead of the global showpiece event. Did you set any personal goals before departing for Australia?

Well yes, I have worked hard on my fitness un-

der the supervision of Mario [Villavarayan], the trainer of the national team. I maintained a strict diet. Yes, there was hunger in me to do something special but there were no particular goals for the World Cup. But, it was a great feeling for me to smash back-to-back centuries in the World Cup. I think it was the crowning moment of my career.

You were recently promoted up the batting order. Do you think the promotion helped your batting as you did not get enough time to bat earlier?

I used to bat lower down the order. I did not get enough opportunities to bat for longer periods. Credit goes to Chandika [Hathurusingha], our coach, who supported me and promoted me up the batting order to number four in the Zimbabwe series last year, just before the World Cup. I think it has been the turning point of my career. I am looking forward to holding on to my position and performing for my team in the future as well.

for whatever he has done for me. I would like to take this opportunity and thank him from the bottom of my heart. On the other hand, I like the way India captain MS Dhoni plays in the international arena but he is not my role model.

Mahmudullah is normally a media-shy person but an extremely funny guy in the dressing room. Your take on that?

Smiles.....Generally, I am a soft-spoken person and also a very shy man. But yes, those

My father, mother and wife, who all support me through thick and thin, helped me overcome the toughest phase of my career

You remained absolutely silent, even when bad things were being said about your relation with Mushfiqur Rahim. Many said you were in the team due to Mushfiq, and not for your merit. How did you handle the situation?

It was the most toughest period of my life. I heard these things which hurt me a lot. Some of them even said such things in front of me which made me feel really bad.

But, my family supported me at that time. My father, mother and wife, who all support me through thick and thin, helped me overcome the toughest phase of my career. I was determined to prove myself. However, it was very tough for me mentally.

Currently, you are an integral member of the national side. How do you feel after overcoming the obstacles?

Obviously it feels good to be an important part of the Bangladesh team as I always wanted to perform for my country and win matches. I would like to continue performing well for my team in future as well and try to remain in the team as a performer In Sha Allah.

Who is your role model?

I do not have any role models but [Khaled Mahmud] Sujon bhai has been the cricketer I used to look up to and follow in my childhood days. He has been a great mentor for me. I never had the opportunity to thank him

who know me personally, they can say that. I need some time to gel with an unknown person and it is natural.

Obviously I crack jokes in the dressing room and have fun with my team mates. We are a very nice family. Apart from me there are a few others like Tamim [Iqbal], Mushfiq, Nasir [Hossain] and Mashrafe [bin Mortaza] who also share funny things in the dressing room which we all enjoy a lot. l

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Turning point for Jilani, mark of a new era for Bangladesh n Shishir Hoque

SYED GOLAM JILANI

Syed Golam Jilani is one of the first Bangladeshi coaches to obtain the AFC A license. During his 15-year coaching career, he has been mostly involved with the Bangladesh Football Federation. The 50-year old has guided a number of national age-level teams, including the women's Under-16 team in the AFC U-16 Championship qualifiers last year where the young Bangladesh girls displayed beautiful, passing football. The gaffer's crowning achievement though came last Tuesday when he motivated the U-16 boys to their maiden success in the Saff U-16 Championship.

In an exclusive interview with Dhaka Tribune yesterday, Jilani, who was unable to conceal his happiness and laughter during the entirety of the candid conversation due to the recent Saff U-16 success, shared his views and playing philosophy among other issues. Here are the excerpts:

As a player Arambagh KC (1986-89) Brothers Union (1990-93) Farashganj SC (1994) Victoria SC (1995-98)

As a coach Victoria (2001-03) Rahmatganj (2008) Joined BFF: 2004 AFC A License earned: 2010

Achievements Runners-up in U-13 AFC Festival in 2005 Runners-up in U-14 AFC Festival in 2006 Semi-finalist with U17s in Subroto Cup in ‘10

Bangladesh Under-16 football head coach Syed Golam Jilani is the toast of his charges following their win over India in the final of the 2015 Saff U-16 Championship at Sylhet District Stadium last Tuesday BFF

Did you expect to be champions when the tournament kicked off?

To be honest, I did not think much when the event started but there was no lack of effort on our behalf. The players gave their best effort and were determined to put up a positive display and perform well. We wanted to deliver and give the nation something to cheer about. I am extremely happy that we have claimed the title.

You prepared the team in a very short time. Did you give any common message to the players?

We did not get enough time for training so we had to prepare in other ways. I gave them a general idea as to how we want to train. I made them understand the technical and tactical aspects. The players learned my instructions by heart. They took the whole thing easily and positively.

How did you organise the squad?

Recently, the Sailor U-15 tournament was held

in eight different venues across the country.

From there, we selected 200 players. We cut it off to around 60. It was a challenge for us to select 32 players among them. For the trial, we got around 12-15 days. From there, we selected the very best. Before this camp, I never had the opportunity to conduct long trials. I want to thank the federation for the opportunity.

What is your future plan with these players?

Everyone is so excited at the moment. The federation has the intention of keeping them in its thoughts. If the government provides some support now and we nurture them for a long time in the academy, I will have high hopes for them. If everything goes according to plan, we will get more footballing stars like Mamunul [Islam] and [Zahid Hasan] Ameli in the future.

[BFF president Kazi] Salahuddin bhai told us

after the game that he does not want to give any small or insignificant prize to the team.

Rather, he wants to ensure a platform for the upcoming four years. He wants us to grow and be even better. It was inspirational stuff.

The Bangladesh youngsters took their spotkicks in the tie-breaker in the final with a lot of composure and maturity. What was the mystery behind such calmness?

With the exception of Fahim [Morshed], who is from BKSP, all the other players (Jahangir Alam Sajeeb, Atiquzzaman and Saad Uddin) are from the BFF Academy. I have been training the trio, among others, for the last eight months. We had a lot of practice sessions where we took penalties. Sometimes I offer prizes for the best penalty-takers. They gained confidence after performing the same

routine hundreds of times. Still, I did not expect them to be so cool. All credit to them.

Do you think this is the most significant achievement of your career?

During the 15 years of my career, I have achieved many things with different age-level teams and also with the women's national side in 2013. But this is surely the turning point of my career and the most important one as well.

Many senior coaches had suggested me to be involved in a club career as I was one of the first coaches from Bangladesh to achieve the AFC A license but I stuck with the BFF for the best part of the last 10 years. I always wanted to do something for my country. So winning the Saff U-16 title is the best thing that could have happened to me. l

Home and Away NCL before Eid to prepare the Tigers n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Country’s longest running first-class tournament the National Cricket League has been brought forward from its scheduled date with the intention to get the Bangladesh cricketers ready for their two-Test series against Australia in October.

BCB tournament committee chairman Akram Khan informed of setting September 15-17, before the Eid-ul-Adha holidays, as the tentative date for the start of the 16th edition of NCL. The tournament was initially planned in the first week of October, but the board decided otherwise after national team coach Chandika Hathurusingha requested for an early start to help the cricketers prepare.

“We want to start the NCL tentatively on September 15 or 17. During the last series (against South Africa) our coach (Hathurusingha) asked me to arrange one or two longer version matches, if possible, before the Test series (against Australia),” Akram said.

He added, “We have planned to put on

sporting wickets because along with the NCL we also need to prepare our national cricketers for the home series.”

Australia are scheduled to set foot in Dhaka on September 28 with the first Test to be played in Chittagong from October 9. Dhaka will host the second game from October 17.

Meanwhile, the NCL this season will be played in a home and away format with the top four divisional sides featuring in the first tier and the bottom four in second tier.

The decision of adopting to the format was mainly made to increase the competitiveness in the tournament. According to the new format, the last team in the first tier will be demoted to the second tier and will be replaced by th etop team from the second tier.

BCB director Akram also said that the cricket board will receive the findings of the alleged fixed match between Rangpur and Dhaka Metropolis by the end of coming week.

Khulna accused champions Rangpur and Dhaka for playing a fixed match that decided the title in favour of the Northern division. l

Bangladesh women’s cricketer Jhilik sports a smile during a training session at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Final round of Nat’l U-15 Football C’Ship begins Sunday n Tribune Report

QUICK BYTES BCB to show-cause Elias Sunny, Nadif The Bangladesh Cricket Board decided to showcause discarded national cricketers Elias Sunny and Nadif Chowdhury for taking part in an unofficial Twenty20 tournament in USA without taking the ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the cricket board. Former national fast bowler Tapash Baisya along with under-19 cricketer Shaker Ahmed also took part in the Diversity Cup’ T20 tournament at Michigan in August. However, since Sunny and Nadif are under the BCB’s first-class pay-roll, they will be asked to clarify their position. “We will show-cause both Sunny and Nadif for playing without permission of BCB. Later it will referred to the disciplinary committee and they will be called by them,” said Jalal Younus, chairman of the BCB media committee, yesterday. He also added that their participation in the upcoming National Cricket League will be decided after the outcome of the hearing. Jalal informed that none of the BCB’s contracted players are eligible to take part in a tournament involving a banned cricketer like Mohammad Ashraful.

–MAZHAR UDDIN

Pakistan hopes India talks will help cricket revival Pakistan’s cricket chief has expressed hope that next week’s diplomatic talks between his country and India will help the revival of cricket between the two rivals after a seven-year hiatus. A delegation from Islamabad led by Sartaj Aziz, adviser to prime minister Nawaz Sharif on foreign affairs and national security, will visit New Delhi to meet Indian officials on August 23 and 24. Pakistan is awaiting a green light from New Delhi for a proposed series in the United Arab Emirates starting in December 2015 - the first between the South Asian nuclear rivals since 2007. Doubts were raised over the series in the wake of terrorist attacks in the Indian city of Gurdaspur last month - which India blamed on Pakistan - as well as continued ceasefire violations in disputed Kashmir.

–AFP

DAY’S WATCH Star Sports 1 4:00 PM Australia Tour of England (Ashes) 5th Test Day 1

Ten Sports 5:00 AM ATP 1000 Masters 2 Western & Southern Open Day 3 Match 5

Ten HD 9:00 PM ATP 1000 Masters Western & Southern Open Round of 16

Sony Six 10:30 AM India Tour of Sri Lanka 2nd Test Day 1

Neo Sports 1:00 AM PGA Tour Wyndham Championship

National footballer Wahed Ahmed (L) smiles during the draw ceremony of the Sailor-BFF National Under-15 Championship at BFF House yesterday BFF

The final round of the Sailor-BFF National Under-15 Football Championship 2015 will get underway this Sunday with the opening game between Dhaka and Jessore district at Bangabandhu National Stadium.

Narayanganj will take on Thakurgaon district in the inaugural day’s other match at the Abahani ground in Dhanmondi.

The itinerary was given out in a draw ceremony at BFF House yesterday in the presence of former and current national footballers.

Eight teams qualified from the first round and will take part in the event alongside Dhaka, Narayanganj, Thakurgaon and Jessore in Group A while Group B comprises Sylhet, Barisal, Feni and Natore.

BFF vice president and chairman of the development committee, Badal Roy, and director of Epyllion Group, Mohammad Junaid Abu Salay Musa, were present among others during the occasion.

A total of 61 district teams took part in the first round of the tournament, among which eight regional champions made it to the final round. l

Tigers to regroup on Saturday n Tribune Desk The 19-day break will be over for the Bangladesh cricketers as they are scheduled to return to the field on Saturday. A one month Elite Players Conditioning Camp has been designed for the Tigers that will be held at the home of cricket, Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, till September 22.

The camp comprising of 27 players is the first step of preparation for the two-match Test series against giants Australia. The visitors are scheduled to reach Dhaka on September 28. The first Test will be played at Chittagong’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury

Stadium from October 9 followed by the second at SBNS from October 17. Australia will also play three-day warm-up game against a

SQUAD Tamim Iqbal, Taijul Islam, Imrul Kayes, Arafat Sunny, Mominul Haque, Zubair Hossain, Anamul Haque, Shohag Gazi, Rony Talukdar, Masrafe Bin Mortaza, Mohammad Mithun, Taskin Ahmed, Liton Kumar, Rubel Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Mustafizur Rahman, Mahmudullah, Abul Hassan Raju, Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Shahid, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shafiul Islam, Shuvagata Hom, Robiul Islam, Nasir Hossain, Al-Amin Hossain, Sabbir Rahaman

BCB XI side at Fatullah from October 3.

Bangladesh one-day international captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza and ace all-rounder Shakib al Hasan, who are on leave currently, will join the camp late. Mashrafe accompanied his family to Singapore just yesterday where the veteran pacer will consult doctors for his son Sahil’s check-up and return on August 25.

Meanwhile, Shakib, who is in America neeting his in-laws, will join the camp on August 24.

The 27-member camp will begin its skill training on September 5 and the size of the camp is likely to be trimmed before that. Bangladesh’s last international assignment, that ended on August 3, was at home against South Africa.l

Clarke tells Australia to show ‘grit’ in Ashes finale n AFP, London Outgoing Australia captain Michael Clarke has said the Ashes series climax against England will be a test of his side’s character as they battle to restore some lost pride.

England, at 3-1 up in the five-match contest, have already regained the Ashes following a pair of crushing victories at Edgbaston (eight wickets) and Trent Bridge (an innings and 78 runs) where Australia suffered first innings collapses as they failed to adjust to the movement created by green, seaming pitches.

They can expect a similar surface come the fifth Test at The Oval starting Thursday, where Australia’s top order must somehow put the nightmare of their first innings 60 all out, featuring England paceman Stuart Broad’s eight for 15, in the fourth Test at Trent

Bridge behind them.

England have never won four Tests in a home Ashes series and Clarke, who will retire from international cricket after the Oval match, is desperate Australia avoid further embarrassment.

“This Test is as much about our character as anything else,” Clarke said Wednesday.

“We need to play with that resilience and grit and determination and really fight as hard as we possibly can. The past couple of Tests in particular have only gone two-and-a-half days.

“Part of our responsibility is to try and fight our backsides off and grind our way to a victory in this Test.”

Having looked at the pitch, Clarke - who won the toss and batted at Edgbaston but saw Australia inserted at Trent Bridge - was clear on the likely outcome at The Oval. l

Australia’s Michael Clarke (L) and Chris Rogers during the training session in Oval on Tuesday REUTERS

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28 Sport

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Chelsea hijacks Barca’s Pedro from Red Devils n AFP, London Premier League champions Chelsea have pipped Manchester United to the signing of Spain winger Pedro Rodriguez from Barcelona, according to British press reports on Wednesday.

The BBC reported that Chelsea had agreed a fee of £21 million (29.8m euros, $32.9m) with the reigning European champions and that the 28-year-old was on a flight to London to finalise the terms of the transfer.

If completed, the deal will bring an end to a summer-long transfer saga surrounding Pedro, who had been linked to Manchester City as well as United, although it was the Old Trafford club who appeared most likely to sign him.

Pedro scored the winning goal for Barcelona in last week’s dramatic 5-4 extra-time defeat of Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup in Tbilisi.

However, he has fallen down the pecking order at the Camp Nou under Luis Enrique, who has preferred the all-star front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez and has used the Canary-Islands born player more sparingly. l

Manchester United’s English striker Wayne Rooney (R) is challenged by Club Brugge’s Belgian defender Dion Cools during their UEFA Champions League play off at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on Tuesday AFP

Memphis makes his mark in style n Reuters, London Old Trafford rejoiced on Tuesday in anticipation of their next famous No. 7 after Dutch forward Memphis Depay scored two sublime goals to inspire Manchester United to a 3-1 victory over Club Bruges.

The 21-year-old struck twice in the first half, reviving memories of Wayne Rooney’s United debut 11 years ago when he netted a hat-trick in a Champions League game against Fenerbahce.

Memphis also provided a superb cross to set up the stoppage-time goal by Marouane Fellaini that sealed United’s win in the first leg of their Champions League playoff.

“When you score a goal then you are the hero,” United manager Louis van Gaal told reporters.

“I want to kiss him tonight, because when you score two goals and give an assist also, then normally in the world you are the hero.”

Memphis, who was deployed in his fa-

RESULTS Astana (KAZ)

1-0

APOEL (CYP)

1-0

P Belgrade (SRB)

2-1

CSKA Moscow (RUS)

Dzholchiev 14

BATE Borisov (BLR) Gordeychuk 75

Sporting Lisbon (POR) Gutierrez 12, Slimani 82

Doumbia 40

3-1

Man United (ENG) Depay 13, 43, Fellaini 90+4

Lazio (ITA) Keita 77

1-0

Club Brugge (BEL) Carrick 8-og

Leverkusen (GER)

voured starting position on the left rather than as a traditional No. 10, showed the kind of form that led United to pay PSV Eindhoven a reported 25 million pounds ($39 million) for him in May. Memphis struggled in his first two Premier League games but his contribution against Bruges hinted that he can handle the pressure of the iconic number seven jersey, previously worn by United greats like George Best, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.

“I’m happy that I scored and of course I’m happy that we won,” said Memphis, who missed two good opportunities to complete his hat-trick.

“But I must admit I’m a bit disappointed because I could have scored the last two chances and got a hat-trick. l

Hugged by the hands of God, infamous ref meets Maradona n Reuters, Tunis Diego Maradona kissed and hugged the referee who allowed his handball goal in the 1986 World Cup and presented him with a signed Argentina jersey when the two met in Tunisia this week, local media reported.

Maradona’s quarter-final goal against England in Mexico City gained added notoriety when the tiny Argentine, who tapped the ball over the head of onrushing goalkeeper Peter Shilton with his fist, claimed it had been scored by the “Hand of God”.

Tunisian referee Ali Bennaceur failed to spot the handball and allowed the goal to stand amid furious protests from the England players, prompting a debate, that still rages on today, over the use of referees from smaller

nations in major matches.

The pair exchange gifts for the cameras when they met in Tunis on Monday with Bennaceur handing the former Argentina skipper a framed photo of himself, Maradona and Shilton, who captained England, before the match at the Azteca Stadium.

In return, the 71-year-old former referee received a Maradona shirt inscribed with the words “For Ali, my eternal friend”.

In interviews in later years, Bennaceur blamed his Bulgarian assistant Bogdan Dotchev for failing to alert him to the moment when Maradona punched the ball past Shilton to give Argentina the lead in the match they went on to win 2-1.

Argentina went on to beat West Germany 3-2 in the final. l

29

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Ascent Cup 2015

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Qubee’s goalkeeper is sent the wrong way by IMDhaka.com’s penalty taker during their Plate pre-quarterfinal clash yesterday

Chevron, Delta and IMDhaka continue to dazzle n Arsalan Quddus and Syed Shabab GREEN DELTA vs SWISS CONTACT

The plate championship started with Green Delta taking on Swiss Contact. The insurance company seemed hell bent on scoring as many goals as they conceded in the league stages as they completely overpowered Swiss Contact in a 9-1 drubbing. Swiss Contact did however try to put up resistance but unfortunately for them it is Green Delta who advances into the quarter finals. All most all the players of Green Delta contributed to the cause but it was Sayeed’s hat-trick which stands out.

QUBEE vs IMDHAKA.COM

Next up was the encounter between Qubee and IMDhaka.com which saw the first penalty shootout of the tournament. The match was evenly poised at nil-nil at halftime but Safayet’s goal gave I M Dhaka the lead soon into the second half. Yasir of Qubee evened the score with barely 10 seconds left in the clock.

The penalty shootout was a heart stopping affair with both teams scoring one each at the end of 5 shootouts. However, it was I M Dhaka who had the last laugh when they netted the sixth sudden death shot.

METLIFE vs CHEVRON

We were barely trying to normalize our heart rate when we were presented with another marvelous display between Metlife and Chevron. The regulation time ended with a 2-2 draw which saw both teams willing to shed blood before losing. Bappi and Iqbal both scoring for Metlife while Atik and Latif contributed for the exploration company. It took a mind boggling 9 penalty shots before Metlife emerged victorious to the joy of their supporters. It seems today is a good day for the Insurance companies as Metlife advances to the plate quarter finals for the first time. l

COURTESY

RESULTS, DAY 6 FAS FINANCE

3-0

KAZI FARMS

BEXIMCO TEXTILE

3-2

BATB

GREEN DELTA

9-1

SWISS CONTACT

METLIFE QUBEE

2-2 CHEVRON METLIFE won 6-5 in penalties

1-1 IMDHAKA.COM IMDHAKA.COM won 6-5 in penalties

BOWL KO FIXTURES 5:00pm

Mutual Trust Bank vs IPDC

5:30pm

Le Meridien vs Spellbound

6:00pm

Energy Pac vs Brac Bank

6:30pm

Bay Dev vs Hotel Bengal Blueberry

7:00pm

Asiatic vs Rahimafrooz

HEAVYWEIGHT OF ASCENT CUP BEXIMCO PHARMA

An action during the match between Beximco Textile and BATB during their Plate pre-quarterfinal clash yesterday COURTESY

Simply put, Beximco Pharma is to the Ascent Cup, what Brazil is to the FIFA World Cup. Reigning champions and 5 time winners of this tournament, the comparisons with the Selecao do not end there. They have a knack of retaining possession of the ball and pass it around the pitch with such ease that it makes you wonder whether its a warm-up session rather than high pressure match. They are calm and collected even when trailing a match, and with those nerves of steel they wait for that moment to open up the defense and strike with ruthless accuracy. It’s the killer instinct of a team that possess a winning mindset and a never say die attitude. MAK Shumon, Shuvo, Mukul, Arafat Sunny and the goal machine known as Adil are superstars in this tournament and have a huge cult following...they remain the team to beat.l

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30 DOWNTIME

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Tibetan priest (4) 5 Swift (5) 9 Wise utterance (6) 10 Top card (3) 11 Saucy (4) 12 Manservant (5) 14 Tiny island (5) 16 Region (4) 19 Points a weapon (4) 21 Shoals (5) 24 Trembling poplar (5) 27 Bait (4) 29 Digit (3) 30 Vibration (6) 31 Graceful birds (5) 32 Exploit (4)

DOWN 1 Move with bounding steps (4) 2 Land measure (3) 3 Small crafts’ boat basin (6) 4 Book of the Bible (4) 5 Drive backwards (7) 6 Close friend (3) 7 Frozen treat (3) 8 Discourage from acting (5) 13 Consumed (3) 15 Moums (7) 17 Take for granted (6) 18 Annoying children (5) 20 Choler (3) 22 Ran away (4) 23 Company of cattle (4) 25 Female pig (3) 26 Vegetable (3) 28 Fish eggs (3)

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 13 represents V so fill V every time the figure 13 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

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SHOWTIME 31

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

Contemporary dance performance at EMK Center

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

n Showtime Desk Mashrur Rahman, a contemporary dancer and choreographer, will perform along with brief discussion on contemporary dance at the EMK Center on August 22.

The program, EMK Platform Presents: Let’s Talk about Dance, will highlight small segments of contemporary dance, followed by brief discussions with the audience after each performance. It includes six to seven different pieces of different varieties to create an understanding of how contemporary dance can have variations, through the use of music, style, technique and props.

Mashrur Rahman was first exposed to dance when he went to the University of Texas in Dallas in 2007. Under the arts and performance department, he took courses on contemporary dance, jazz and ballet. As the years advanced, he had performed under renowned international choreographers such as Renana Raz from Israel, Birgitt Bodingbauer from Germany and Lily Cai from China. Soon enough, he became a regular member of the UTD dance ensemble and travelled to American College Dance Festivals. He also helped establish and sustain the contemporary dance club at his university.

After coming back to Dhaka, he has taken dance workshops at Jaatra Biroti and also performed with Shadhona under the direction of Donald Byrd of Spectrum Dance Theater.

Tickets will be available at EMK Center prior to the event. l

Ellie Goulding @elliegoulding Half these songs are about you

Cameron @wizkhalifa It all takes time. jimmy fallon @jimmyfallon My friend was homesick and got letters from his parents.

His mom’s was two pages long. His dad’s just said, “Be a man.” #BummerCamp

WHAT TO WATCH

Dia Mirza on The Lustrous Runway n Showtime Desk Bollywood diva Dia Mirza will be dazzling the audience at the sixth edition of Pond’s presents “The Lustrous Runway” as the celebrity showstopper, which is scheduled to be held at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel on the evening of August 21.

The event is an exciting blend of local young talents and iconic international brands coming together to showcase the season’s trend predictions, and it has gradually become a trendsetter in the

Lux Star of the World Bringing forth a host of celebrity news, gossip and entertainment, Asian TV presents their new show - Lux Star of the World.

Hosted by Era, the show will air today at 10pm.

fashion world of Dhaka over the years.

Celebrity models will be present, showcasing gorgeous wardrobes of renowned fashion designers from Bangladesh including Nova Genuine Swarovski, Rubize, Nisha Ali and Sasha Exclusives.

Jyoti Sachdev Iyer, Komal Sood and Jyotsna Tiwar from India will join in the fashion extravaganza while Shamsha Hashwani from Pakistan will be coming to Dhaka as well.

Event passes for The Lustrous Runway are available at Brews & Bites. l

Cloverfield Zee Studio 4:25pm A farewell party is thrown for Rob who is leaving New York to take a job in Japan. The party is happening in a crowded loft when Rob’s brother Jason gives a camcorder to Hud, a friend, who proceeds to video the happenings. Rob’s ex-girlfriend Beth comes along with her latest boyfriend. While Hud catches the scene on the camcorder, New York is suddenly under attack from an alien. Will anyone survive to tell the tale?

Cast: Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, TJ Miller, Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel I, Frankenstein HBO 9:50pm Two centuries after Dr Frankenstein assembles and reanimates his creature, Adam, he still lives. He becomes embroiled in a war between the traditional protectors of mankind and evil demons. Since Adam is neither human nor demon, gargoyle Queen Leonore and demon Prince Naberius each want him for their own purposes. It is up to Adam to discover his inner humanity and the reason for his continued existence.

Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto, Socratis Otto Jai Courtney, Kevin Grevioux I Am Number Four Star Movies 4:30pm The time is running out and first three victims are already dead. Would prodigy John from planet Lorien be able to survive?

Cast: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer, Dianna Agron, Callan McAuliffe

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32 BACK PAGE

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015

STATE BANKS WALK AT SNAIL’S PACE PAGE 20

TURNING POINT FOR JILANI, NEW ERA FOR FOOTBALL PAGE 26

CONTEMPORARY DANCE AT EMK CENTER PAGE 31

Dhaka second worst liveable city in the world FIVE BEST LIVEABLE CITIES 1 2 3 4 5 6

Melbourne (Australia)

97.5

Vienna (Austria)

97.4

Vancouver (Canada)

97.3

Toronto (Canada)

97.2

Adelaide (Australia)

96.6

Calgary (Canada)

96.6

FIVE WORST LIVEABLE CITIES Tripoli (Libya)

40

Lagos (Nigeria)

39.7

Port Moresby (PNG)

38.9

Dhaka (Bangladesh)

38.7

Damascus (Syria)

29.3

136 137 138 139 140

MAJOR INDICATORS ●

Prevalence of petty crime

●

Prevalence of violent crime

●

Threat of terror

●

Threat of military conflict

●

Threat of civil unrest/conflict

●

Quality of private healthcare

●

Quality of public healthcare

●

Discomfort of climate to travellers

●

Level of corruption

●

Quality of public transport

●

Quality of energy provision

●

Quality of water provision

Rating (100=ideal)

Tenth grader raped at hospital in Lama n Our Correspondent, Bandarban A tenth grade indigenous girl was allegedly raped while receiving treatment at a hospital in Lama upazila of Bandarban district.

An employee of the hospital Nur Mohammad was arrested in this connection.

Victim’s uncle Ajawha Tripura told the Dhaka Tribune that his niece was injured when her mother hit her following a quarrel on Monday.

The next day she was admitted to the Lama Upazila Health Complex to get some first-aid.

While she was on her to buy medicine from a pharmacy outside the hospital, three men – Nur Mohammad, Mohammad Selim and Shah Alam – blocked her way. They forcefully took her inside the hospital compound and raped her there, said Ajawha Tripura.

Mohammad Selim’s wife was admitted to the bed next to the victim in the hospital.

The victim, a student of class ten at Gojaliya High School in the upazila, was sent to Bandarban District Sadar Hospital yesterday for further medical inspection.

Police arrested Nur following a complaint lodged by William Tripura, a relative of the girl, against the three yesterday. l

57 cities have seen decline in liveability due to terrorism, civil unrest and ongoing conflicts in the form of crime, unrest or conflict, has n Abu Bakar Siddique knock on implications for other aspects of Dhaka has become the second worst liveable city in the world, improving on last year’s most unliveable city status.

The Global Liveability Ranking done by The Economist’s intelligence unit revealed the findings on Tuesday.

Out of 140 cities, the capital of Bangladesh secured the second last position with of 38.7 points on a scale of 100.

Syria’s Damascus has become this year’s worst liveable city with a score of 29.3.

Australia’s Melbourne, meanwhile, topped the rankings with 97.5 points, claiming the spot for the fifth consecutive year, followed

by Austria’s Vienna and Canada’s Vancouver.

The content in the report has been derived from extensive economic, financial, political and business risk analysis of over 203 countries.

Although it is usually the top cities that warrant the most attention, the latest findings of marked an increase in global instability over the last 12 months, the report says.

The ranking, which provides scores for lifestyle challenges in 140 cities worldwide, shows that since 2010, average liveability across the world has fallen by 1%, prompted by a 2.2% fall in the score for stability and safety.

“The threat to personal safety, whether

liveability,” it added.

The report said that civil unrest, acts of terror and violence have triggered stability declines around the world. High profile terrorist shootings in France and Tunisia and the ongoing actions of Islamic State (IS) in the Middle East have created a further heightened threat of terrorism in many countries.

Meanwhile, protests over matters like police brutality, democracy and austerity have also raised the threat of civil unrest in many countries.

While this may seem marginal, the report highlights that 57 of the cities surveyed have seen decline in liveability over the last five years. Incidences of terrorist shootings in France and Tunisia have been compounded by civil unrest in the US and ongoing conflicts in Syria, Ukraine and Libya.

The report also listed the top 10 cities that have improved their living conditions over the last five years. Kathmandu is the only South Asian country in the improved liveability index.

The liveability score is reached through 30 indicators under five categories. Some of the major indicators are prevalence of crime, terror, militancy, civil unrest, quality of healthcare, environment, corruption, transport and energy situation. l

PM pays tribute to Pranab’s wife n UNB

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday paid tributes to Suvra Mukherjee, wife of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, by placing a wreath at her coffin.

She laid the wreath on the coffin of Suvra Mukherjee at 13 Tal Katra Road residence of Abhijit Mukherjee, the son of Pranab Mukherjee.

Along with the Indian President, Hasina later joined the funeral of Suvra Mukherjee held at Lodi Road Crematorium in the Indian capital.

Earlier, the prime minister went to Rastrapati Bhaban to console the Indian President and his family members.

Hasina stayed there for some time and recalled her long relations with Suvra Mukherjee.

She said Bangladesh has lost a great friend and well-wisher with her demise and prayed for the bereaved family to have the courage and fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.

Bangabandhu’s younger daughter Sheikh Rehana, Hasina’s daughter Saima Hossain, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Principal Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad and Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim were present on the

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina condoles Indian President Pranab Mukherjee after placing floral wreath at his wife and First lady of India Suvra Mukherjee’s coffin in New Delhi yesterday BSS occasion.

Earlier, Hasina arrived in the Indian capital to attend the funeral of Suvra Mukharjee by a VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Bangladesh High Commissioner to New Delhi Syed Moazzem Ali received the prime minister at the airport. l

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