24 Sep, 2015

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

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RAWHIDE PRICES CUT ONCE AGAIN PAGE 3

Ashwin 9, 1422, Zilhaj 9, 1436

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 161

TOFAIL: TICFA MEANINGLESS WITHOUT GSP PAGE 15

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

DOCTORS WARN OF DENGUE DANGER PAGE 32

Slaughtering spot plan may turn out useless n Abu Hayat Mahmud With the aim to keep streets clean during this Eid-ul-Azha, city authorities of Dhaka fixed more than 500 places in Dhaka and urged dwellers to slaughter their cattle there.

However, with just a day to go before Eid, because of serious lack of coordination and preparation, Muslims fear that this noble initiative may only end up in harassment for them and the streets will remain just as unclean as the previous years.

The two city corporations – north and south – of Dhaka have prepared their own ward-wise list of places. People from each of  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

Eid-ul-Azha tomorrow n Tribune Report Eid-ul-Azha, the second biggest religious festival for Muslims, will be celebrated across the country tomorrow with due solemnity and religious fervour.

Muslims across the country will offer prayers in congregations and sacrifice animals in the name of the Almighty on the occasion.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages, greeting Muslims in the country and all over the world on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

NOTICE All offices of the Dhaka Tribune will remain closed for three days from today for Eid. Therefore, there will be no issue of the daily on September 25, 26 and 27. However, our online service will be on to keep readers updated.

Monsoon rain compounds home-bound people’s misery n Shohel Mamun Every mode of transport including bus, train and launch yesterday saw a huge rush of holidaymakers bound for village homes with a day away from Eid-ul-Azha.

People leaving Dhaka had to go through immense sufferings as it happens every year but this time their misery was compounded by intermittent rain.

The highways were not completely congested but the train and bus stations and launch terminals were crowded with homebound people desperately trying to secure a

PAGE 5 Indictment of MP’s son deferred

berth to make their journey back home a bit comfortable.

Visiting Gabtoli and Syedabad bus terminals yesterday this correspondent found people jostling for their coveted seats.

Rafikul Islam, a passenger waiting for bus at Gabtoli Terminal yesterday said: “We are going to Kurigram. The bus was scheduled to start at 10am but we have been waiting for over three hours. The bus is yet to come.”

Arif, a bus counter man of Hanif Enterprise, said their buses could not return in time due to tailback on the highways.”

PAGE 6 Three held for threatening lawmaker, DIG

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

PAGE 7 Ruling party syndicate rules NCC cattle market

PAGE 9 New York pupils get first Eid holiday

PAGE 32 Muslim pilgrims throng Arafat

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2 NEWS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Ansarullah’s global hit list n Tribune Desk

Outlawed Islamist militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team has issued a hit list of bloggers, writers and activists around the world, in a statement on the internet.

The list internationalises Bangladesh’s hitherto localised problem with home-grown extremists.

Nine bloggers based in the United Kingdom, seven in Germany, two in the United States, one in Canada and one in Sweden were named on the list, the UK’s Guardian reports.

Some of the targeted writers are Bangladeshi citizens living overseas. Others are dual nationals or citizens of western countries.

Individuals on the list have said they intend to keep writing and blogging, the Guardian reports.

The police blame the outlawed group for a spate of killings of secular bloggers over the last 18 months.

All those killed were prominent critics of extremist religious doctrines, especially in Islam.

There has been no previous indication that Ansarullah was targeting bloggers overseas.

It is unclear if Ansarullah has the capability to carry out their threats, but its call for action may prompt individuals to mount “lone

wolf” attacks.

The origin of the list is unclear and some doubt it is an official statement from Ansarullah but was compiled or published from the UK or elsewhere in the west.

Police have charged an Ansarullah organiser and four supporters with the murder of 27-year-old blogger Oyashiqur Rahman Babu in Dhaka in March.

Oyashiqur’s death came weeks after Bangladeshi-American atheist blogger Avijit Roy was murdered in Dhaka by machete-wielding attackers. His US-based widow is among those named on the new list.

The list is accompanied by a demand, apparently addressed to the Bangladesh government, to strip the bloggers of their Bangladeshi citizenship even though many of those on the hit list have dual nationality or are citizens of other countries.

The government has been previously criticised for requesting local bloggers and activists to avoid provocative statements on sensitive religious issues.

Human Rights Watch last month said: “It is shocking that Bangladesh authorities not only failed to protect the bloggers despite complaints to the police about threats against them, but instead are proposing self-censorship.” l

PM flies to the US to attend 70th UNGA n Tribune Report

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has left Dhaka for New York on an eight-day official visit to the US to attend the 70th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourage took off from Shahjalal International Airport in the capital at 10am yesterday, the UNB reported.

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon and the PM’s Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury were present at the airport to see the prime minister off.

The prime minister landed at the Heathrow International Airport in London, the UK around 3:20pm London time for a three-hour stopover, her Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told the BSS over phone.

After the stopover, she was scheduled to fly to New York by a British Airways flight and reach John F Kennedy International Airport at 10pm, New York time, yesterday.

The prime minister’s entourage include Fi-

nance Minister AMA Muhith, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Nurul Islam, PM’s Political Affairs Adviser HT Imam, International Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi, Economic Affairs Adviser Mashiur Rahman, State Minister for Women and Children Meher Afroz Chumki and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam.

This year’s UNGA is being considered as very important for Bangladesh as the “Champions of the Earth,” the highest environment-related award of the UN, and the “ICTs in Sustainable Development Award” of the International Telecommunication Union will be handed over to the prime minister.

On September 28, the prime minister and other heads of state and the government will attend the opening session of the 70th UNGA. She will deliver her speech, in Bangla, in the general debate of the UNGA on September 30.

Apart from attending the general debate of the UNGA, Hasina will also attend several meetings with global leaders to discuss economic, development, climate and security issues as well as Bangladesh’s stand on them.

She will return home on October 3. l

were on patrol to ensure that passengers faced no harassment during the journey.

Thousands of people from the southern districts thronged the Mawa-Kawrakandi ferry terminal to set off for their hometowns yesterday.

The terminals were crowded since the morning with passengers boarding launches, speedboats and ferries to reach their destinations.

Salam Hossain, manager of Kawrakandi ferry terminal, said the number of passengers leaving the terminal for their village homes was huge.

“We are putting in our best efforts to en-

sure a hassle-free journey for holidaymakers ahead of Eid,” he added.

Despite heavy rainfall and recent storms, thousands have chosen the waterways as their preferred mode of travel. The entire Sadarghat Launch Terminal and its surrounding areas were packed to the brink with people looking to secure a seat in launches bound for their homes.

Most of the trains departed Kamalapur Railway Station on time yesterday.

However, some passengers at Kamalapur said this was only a short delay compared to their experiences in the previous years. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Eid-ul-Azha tomorrow In his message, the president urged all to expedite the national development being imbued with the spirit of Eid-ul-Azha and the country’s tradition of secularism in their personal and social life.

In her message, the prime minister called upon the people of the country to build a happy and prosperous Bangladesh free from discrimination by participating in people-welfare based activities as well as realising the spirit of Eid-ul-Azha.

Eid congregations

The Eid celebration will begin with Eid congregations followed by sacrifice of cattle in the Almighty’s name.

The biggest congregation in the country will be held at Sholakia Eidgah in Kishoreganj at 9am.

Tens of thousands of devotees are expected to join the congregation at the historic Sholakia Eidgah Maidan, sources at Kishoreganj district administration said.

In the capital, the main Eid congregation will be held at National Eidgah at 8am to be attended by President Abdul Hamid and other dignitaries along with hundreds of people.

In case of bad weather, the congregation will be held at 8:30am, said a press release issued by the Islamic Foundation yesterday.

Meanwhile, five congregations will be held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at 7am, 8am, 9 am, 10am and at 10:45am, the statement said.

The Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporations will arrange 362 Eid congregations around the capital; of them, 228 will take place in Dhaka South.

Following the Eid prayers, the president is scheduled to exchange Eid greetings with dignitaries including judges and foreign diplomats as well as common people at Bangabhaban in the morning. Outlying city corporations and district and upazila administrations have drawn up similar programmes. l

Monsoon rain The monsoon rain caused water-logging in and around the Syedabad Terminal disrupting smooth movement of passengers.

The road between Syedabad and Jatrabari went under rainwater and caused huge traffic tailback.

However, a number of buses mostly bound for Chandpur, Noakhali, Daudkandi were seen carrying extra passengers on the roofs.

With the day progressing bus terminals at Mohakhali also saw increase of passengers.

Police were deployed at all the terminals to maintain law and order while mobile courts administered by the local administration

Slaughtering spot plan may turn out useless the wards have been asked to slaughter their cattle in the place or places fixed for their localities.

These lists were published in a number of national daily newspapers a couple of days ago. But this Dhaka Tribune correspondent talked to many people from different areas over the last two days and have found that none of them know the place they are supposed to take their cattle to.

City corporation officials said they were going to do loudspeaker publicity at the ward level in the evening of yesterday and today.

They also said the local ward councillors have been asked to coordinate and monitor the publicity activities.

In terms of implementing and monitoring if everyone is abiding by the new rule, the city corporations have asked the ward councillors to form committees at all the localities comprising local senior and influential citizens.

According to the Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters Association, on an average, around 1.2 million cattle are slaughtered in Dhaka

during Eid-ul-Azha every year.

On that count, on an average, each of these 532 designated places will have to accommodate the slaughtering of over 2,000 animals.

Usually, it takes an expert butcher and his associates two to three hours to fully finish the butchering of a medium-sized buffalo that may give around 120kg of meat. The butchering involves slaughtering, skinning, separating bones from meat, and cutting the meat into pieces.

When contacted, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Chief Estate Officer Md Aminul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that the cattle owners will have to manage and take all the responsibilities for the slaughtering. “It is just that earlier they used to do it at home. This year, they will do it at the designated places.”

The DNCC official also said that the authorities have ensured Imams, butchers, cleaners, pickup vans, dustbins and slaughtering equipment at the 532 designated places. Cattle owners will be able to avail their services against certain payments.

Asked what steps would be taken if anyone

flouts the new rule and slaughter his cattle at an un-designated place, a DNCC official, seeking anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that they have not had any discussion or preparation regarding this.

The official also said that they are not expecting 100 percent success for the initiative; they are just seeing this as the beginning and based on this year’s outcomes, they might lay out more detailed plans in the coming years. l

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Reduced prices draw more buyers in city cattle markets n Abu Hayat Mahmud

A cattle market illegally set up on the Kamalapur stadium premises in the capital. The photo was taken yesterday

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Traders cut rawhide prices once again n Kamrul Hasan Just like last year – citing falling global prices of leather as excuse once again – tanners have cut down the prices at which they are going to purchase sacrificial animals’ rawhide during this Eid-ul-Azha.

They have fixed the purchasing price of per square foot of salted cowhide at Tk50-55 in Dhaka and Tk40-45 outside Dhaka. The price of goatskin was set at Tk20-22/sq-ft, bakri goats at Tk15-17 and buffalo skin Tk35-40.

Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters Association (BFLLFEA), Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA) and Bangladesh Hide and Skin Merchants Association (BHSMA) jointly announced the prices in a press conference at a city hotel yesterday.

Last year, they bought per square foot of salted cowhide for Tk70-75 in Dhaka and Tk6065 outside and goatskin for Tk30-35.

BTA President Shaheen Ahmed claimed that the price of leather has been falling in the international market and therefore they have reduced the rates.

Moreover, he said that the demand for Bangladeshi leather has also been falling.

It was said in the press conference that the tanners still have in stock 40% of the rawhide collected during last year’s Eid-ul-Azha.

BTA data shows that more than six million cows and 3.5 million goats were slaughtered during Eid last year.

According to the Department of Livestock Services, 48% of the annual demand for leather in the country is met during the Eid-ul-Azha while 10% is collected during Eid-ul-Fitr and Shab-e-Barat. Around 2% of rawhide is collected during Kali Puja and the rest are collected from various sources round the year.

Minister warns smugglers

During a visit to several cattle markets in the

city, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said the government has taken all-out measures to stop smuggling of hides of sacrificial animals.

He said if anyone tries to smuggle hide, they would be booked and punished. The traders will have to buy the raw hide at fixed rate.

On September 7, Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque told reporters that no trucks or vehicles carrying hides will be allowed to leave Dhaka city during and until a few days after Eid to prevent smuggling. However, vehicles carrying hides will be allowed to enter the city, he said.

Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) Public Relations Officer Mohsin Reza said the authorities have taken measures marking some smuggling-prone areas.

Meanwhile, leather traders said regular businessmen might not be interested in getting into the trade this year because of low prices and this might open gates for smuggling. l

All-out security measures taken ahead of Eid n Kamrul Hasan

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday said the government had taken allout security measures ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

He was speaking to journalists while visiting the Gabtoli cattle market yesterday afternoon.

Ensuring security for holidaymakers and for cattle buyers is the prime target of the measures taken, he said.

According to the minister, highway police, district police, city police along with Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Armed Police Battalion members were working hard to maintain law and order.

He said little traffic, due to continuous rain, was causing trouble for the home-goers but the situation was gradually coming under control and the vehicles continued their movement.

Vehicles were moving slowly but there was no traffic jam there, he added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General of Dhaka Range Police SM Mahfuzul Haque Nuruzzaman at a press briefing at his office

said enough steps were taken for the security on highways and in Eidgahs.

Besides, police o0fficials were ordered to be alert so that no untoward situation could erupt centring cattle rawhide trade.

On September 7, Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque asked all police units to ensure foolproof security so that no unpleasant incidents occur centring Eid-ulAzha.

He also directed members of law enforcement agencies not to stop any vehicle carrying sacrificial animals on the highways for checking without any specific information, for the sake of easy traffic movement.

The IGP gave the directives during a meeting on Eid security held at police headquarters.

Briefing reporters at police headquarters after the meeting, the IGP said 14 watch towers will be set up on highways to monitor traffic movement so that high officials can take instant initiatives to reduce traffic congestion.

He also said police would not allow any roadside cattle market for the sake of smooth vehicular movement.

He said no truck or vehicle carrying hides of sacrificial animals will be allowed to leave Dhaka city during and after several days of the Eid-day to prevent smuggling of animal hide.

But the vehicle carrying hides will be allowed to enter the city, the IGP added.

Check-posts will be set up at all six exit points of the capital to prevent smuggling of hides.

Shahidul also warned against extortion on highways and said initiatives have already been taken so that no-one can extort money from cattle-laden vehicles on the eve of Eid. Director General of RAB Benzir Ahmed meanwhile told journalists that RAB would be on streets and roads as security measures.

Watch tower will be set up at the National Eidgah and other Eidgahs and additional forces will be deployed to meet emergency situation.

Several outposts would be set up at the capital’s exit points, while patrolling would also be increased to maintain law and order and to prevent untoward incidents over the sale of cattle hide, the RAB DG said. l

Cattle markets in the capital saw a rise in the number of buyers yesterday after prices were lowered by traders.

There have been complaints by customers in the past few days that cattle prices are much higher this year but most of the buyers yesterday said prices had gone down since markets officially opened on Saturday.

Both traders and customers said prices would fall further today as the nation prepares to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha tomorrow.

Cattle prices at the city’s largest market in Gabtoli reportedly went up as high as Tk22 lakh for a single cow in the last couple of days, with trader Matin Miah from Rajshahi putting a Tk13 lakh price tag on his cow yesterday.

Traders said the Tk22 lakh cow was eventually sold for Tk10.5 lakh.

Mazurul Alam, who took his son along to the Balur Math cattle market, told the Dhaka Tribune he also visited the market on Tuesday but failed to purchase a cow because traders demanded very high prices. “Today, prices seem to be more reasonable than Tuesday.”

He bought a cow weighing around 1.2 tonnes for Tk48,000. “On Tuesday, traders demanded Tk75,000 for a cow of the same size.”

Latif Siddique, who lives in Dhanmondi, bought two cows from Gabtoli cattle market for a total of Tk120,000, each weighing around 1.4 tonnes.

Babul, a livestock breeder who came from Jamalpur to Khilkhet cattle market, said prices fell suddenly due to availability of Indian cows.

“There is another reason – traders have only one day left before Eid and it is natural that they will try to sell all the animals they had brought. This is somewhat compelling traders to expedite sales even if they need to lower prices beyond their expectations."

Babul said traders initially asking for higher prices should not be considered strange because that is what they usually do.

Meanwhile, like previous years, the authorities concerned have again failed this time to keep the promise that no cattle market will be allowed to be set up illegally in the city corporation area ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

Awami League members have been involved in setting up cattle markets on or near busy roads in many areas of Dhaka, including Tejgaon, Shukrabad, Kamalapur, Gopibagh, Mohammadpur and Azimpur among others.

Locals in some of the areas told the Dhaka Tribune that no permission was obtained from two city corporations of Dhaka, Dhaka deputy commissioner’s office and police for setting up any of the markets.

Meanwhile, cattle markets in Chittagong have also drawn huge crowds.

Traders in different markets of the port city said there was adequate supply of sacrificial animals but buyers said prices were exorbitant.

Sagorika cattle market, one of the biggest in the district, was abuzz with a large number of buyers yesterday.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Md Abdul Aziz, a cattle trader at the market, said he brought six cows to the market but could sell only one till Tuesday evening.

Abdur Razzak, another trader from Chapainawabganj, said the supply of Indian cattle was poor.

“But still I am optimistic about making a hefty profit this year,” he added. l

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4 NEWS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

20 held in capital on drug, robbery charges n Kamrul Hasan Police in the capital detained 20 people on Tuesday for their suspected involvement in a number of crimes, including robbery and drugs trade.

Among the detainees are 13 dope gang members, five robbers and three drug traders, said police.

The dope gang members Ali Hossain, Sazzad Hossain, Monu Miah, Omar Faruq alias Kalu, Amir Hoissain Tukun, Rony, Sohel, Badal Miah, Selim, Liton Miah, Babu, Abul Kalam and Akbar Hossain – were detained after a tip-off, said Joint Commissioner of the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Monirul Islam.

“Doping substances and drugs were seized from their possession. They would mainly

target cattle traders and buyers, and would also steal the belongings of holidaymakers after doping them,” he said.

Badal said he had been involved in the crime for the last four to five years and was arrested before.

Another team of detectives arrested the five robbers Mizan, Mamun, Kabir Hossain, Ruhul Amin and Sagor Hossain – from Tejgaon area and seized locally-made lethal weapons and other materials used for hijacking cattle-laden trucks.

Monirul said the five men, after hijacking trucks, would sell the cattle.

The three drug traders Abdul Khaleque, Milon and Akhtaruzzaman – were also detained from Tejgaon area.

Police seized 211 grammes of heroin and 10kg marijuana from their possession. l

Direct Fresh to support Thrive’s mission of feeding children n Tribune Report Dhaka’s premium online grocery store Direct Fresh has announced its agreement to deliver food at cost to Thrive, a non-profit volunteer-run organisation, and to make it easy for its customers to donate to Thrive at checkout.

Thrive and Direct Fresh have partnered to provide nutritious meals to children living in the slums of Dhaka, said Thrive President Priscilla Heffelfinger.

The commitment made by Direct Fresh to Thrive includes preparing and delivering to them foods such as eggs, carrots, vegetables, seasonal fruit, milk, and other healthy items.

This will result in cost savings for Thrive, and because Direct Fresh has agreed to deliver the food directly to Thrive’s volunteers, it will save the volunteers the trouble of navigating the capital city’s notorious traffic to travel to the market to obtain food.

Direct Fresh is also encouraging its customers to donate to Thrive. Each time customers of Direct Fresh checkout from the online grocery store, they will be prompted with a request to make a donation to Thrive.

“This partnership makes perfect sense,” said Heffelfinger. “Thrive’s mission to feed children nutritious meals will greatly benefit from Direct Fresh’s expertise in food delivery and their focus on premium, healthy produce.”

Direct Fresh founder and CEO Mishal Karim said, “Our company is committed to charitable work in Bangladesh.

When we saw the great work that Thrive was doing to feed some of the most vulnerable children in Dhaka, we knew we could help them. It has been a great partnership that we hope continues well into the future.”

Thrive is a non-profit organisation that connects global donors and local volunteers to schoolchildren living in Dhaka by providing nutritious food and promoting healthy habits for a chance at a better life.

The non-profit delivers more than 13,000 healthy meals a month to slum schools in the capital city, while teaching proper hygiene habits to prevent deadly water-borne illnesses.

The meals, which cost nearly Tk25-Tk35 per child, include eggs, bananas, peanuts, seasonal fruits and/or vegetables, and a glass of milk. l

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

USTR: Improved freedom of association a must for GSP reinstatement n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Freedom of association for workers must be improved in order to fulfil the requirements of the 16-point Generalised System of Preferences Action Plan, according to US Assistant Trade Representative Michael Delaney.

At a programme at the EMK Centre in the capital yesterday, Delaney said: “There is notable progress in certain areas, particularly regarding improved workplace safety. Challenges remain, however.

“One example is the need to improve freedom of association. We are looking for greater transparency with unfair labour practices and union registration both inside and outside the EPZs [Export Processing Zones].”

He said Bangladesh was making progress implementing the Action Plan and preparing for the Sustainability Compact review scheduled to be held in Dhaka in November.

Delaney and his delegation arrived in Dhaka on September 19 on a five-day trip and held a series of meetings with government officials, manufacturers, NGOs, workers and members of civil society.

Asked when Bangladesh would regain GSP status, he replied: “The timeline for GSP reinstatement is largely up to Bangladesh.”

Despite concrete progress regarding worker safety, other elements of the action plan such as freedom of association had to be addressed, he said.

He said the decision to suspend the GSP

was not politically motivated, adding that GSP criteria were transparent and equally applied to all countries.

“President [Barack] Obama decided not to grant GSP status after the US government had conducted six years of intensive public reviews and engagement with the government of Bangladesh,” he said.

US Ambassador to Dhaka Marcia Bernicat said at the programme that completing the previously agreed upon Action Plan was the way forward.

“We will continue to work together on all of these issues with the government of Bangladesh and the European Union in preparation for the Sustainability Compact review in November,” she said.

“Adopting the international standards that are inherent in the Action Plan will be essential to helping the ready-made garments sector remain competitive so that it can improve its productivity moving forward,” she added.

The United States has invested over $12 million to improve labour conditions in Bangladesh and USAID will launch a $22 million loan guarantee to help manufacturers make necessary safety improvements to their factories, Bernicat said.

Following the collapse of Rana Plaza, the US administration suspended Bangladesh’s GSP status in June 2013. A 16-point roadmap to restore GSP status was announced the same year. l

No power troubles for holidaymakers this Eid n Aminur Rahman Rasel The authorities have assured that people of the country will get uninterrupted power during the Eid vacation because there will be excess supply over demand as offices and factories remain closed.

“We do not see any shortfall in power generation, but there are some shortcomings at the distribution end,” said Khondakar Maqsudul Hasan, chairman of the state-run Power Development Board (PDB). He said the PDB has already taken a series of projects to overcome the distribution shortfall.

Against an average demand of 6,500 megawatt (MW) during the Eid vacation, there will be a production of around 8,000MW, he added.

The PDB has requested the authorities to keep the fertiliser factories shut to ensure uninterrupted power for holidaymakers.

The Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has also asked Petrobangla to lay out a plan to ensure undisturbed gas supply to the power plants. The Rural Electrification Board (REB) said they are prepared to supply adequate power to the rural areas as well during Eid. REB Chairman Brig Gen Moin Uddin said they had given the necessary instructions to the general managers of the Palli Bidyut Samitis (rural electricity associations) in this regard. l

Indictment of MP’s son deferred n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday deferred until November 22 the hearing on charge framing against Awami League lawmaker Pinu Khan’s son Bakhtiar Alam Rony.

Dhaka’s Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Shamsunnahar passed the order responding to a time plea filed by the state lawyer.

On August 13, another Dhaka court accepted the charge sheet against Rony in a case filed over the killing of two people in Dhaka’s Dilu Road on April 13.

On July 21, DB Sub-Inspector Dipak Kumar Das, also investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet in the court under section 302 of the penal code. l

Readymade garment workers hire buses to set out for home right after finishing work yesterday, a day ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. The photo was taken at Kalshi, Mirpur in the capital SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

ACC files 15 more cases over BASIC Bank scam n

Adil Sakhawat

The Anti-Corruption Commission has not charged former chairman of BASIC Bank Abdul Hye Bachchu in any of the 56 cases it filed over the loan scam involving Tk4,500 crore.

The anti-graft body lodged 15 more cases regarding the embezzlement of Tk825.18 crore from the bank’s Gulshan and Motijheel branches against 128 accused including former managing director Kazi Fakhrul Islam.

Of those, five were filed with Motijheel, six with Paltan and four with Gulshan police stations last night, ACC’s Public Relations Officer Pranab Kumer Bhattacharya said.

The ACC filed 18 and 23 cases on Monday and Tuesday regarding the scam involving Tk747.13 crore & Tk781 crore.

The former MD, the branch managers, and members of the loan committee and the loan

verification committee of the head office have been made accused in most of the cases for embezzlement and mismanagement in sanctioning the loans.

None of the cases mentioned former chairman Abdul Hye Bacchu as an accused.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith several times alleged that the former chairman had been involved with the loan scam.

The commission even did not find the proof of involvement of any member of the board of directors in the scam. It has so far given approval to filing 56 cases regarding the irregularities.

Asked why Bachchu was not named in the charges, ACC Chairman M Bodiuzzaman said: “In primary inquiry, the commission did not find any information regarding his involvement. But the allegations will be scrutinised during the investigation.” l

Three killed as bus hits human haulier n FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong At least three people were killed and four others injured when a bus rammed a human haulier in Chittagong city’s Dewanhat area yesterday morning.

The dead were Md Nizam, 20, Nayeem, 25, and Joynal, 55, said police sources.

The injured Khalil, 40, Jahangir, 25, Nur Mohammed, 65, and Faruk were admitted to the causality ward of Chittagong Medical College Hospital, said the Assistant Sub-Inspector Pankaj Barua of CMCH Police Outpost.

Officer-in-Charge AKM Nurul Alam Talukdar of Double Mooring police station said the route 10 city-based bus rammed the parked human haulier after its driver lost control over the vehicle near Dewanhat intersection area around 9am, leaving seven people injured.

ASI Pankaj said all of them, who were day labourers by profession, were brought to CMCH after which three were declared dead by the duty doctors. l

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Three held for threatening lawmaker, DIG n Our Correspondent, Habiganj

Police in Habiganj have held three people on charge of threatening to kill the Habiganj 3 lawmaker and the deputy inspector general of police of Sylhet range.

The three - Karanya Sarker, 38, son of Baneshwar Sarker of Baniachang upazila, Borhan Uddin Rumon, 24, son of Motiur Rahman of

the same upazila, and Mizanur Rahman, 25, son of Abdul Hannan of Ajmiriganj upazila – were detained from different areas of the district. The Habiganj superintendent of police, Joydeb Kumar Bhadra, told a press briefing at his office yesterday that 16 SIM cards, two passports, a laptop and some mobile phones were seized from the possession of the detainees.

He said Karanya gave Habiganj 3 lawmak-

er advocate Md Abu Zahir, also the president of Awami League’s Habiganj district unit, and Sylhet range DIG Mizanur Rahman death threats over the phone on September 16.

“Karanya used a SIM card which he does not own to threaten the two dignitaries in order to set his rivals up. An inquiry into if the three detainees have any accomplice has been launched,” added Joydeb. l

Youth killed in Bogra n Tribune Report

A young man was stabbed to death allegedly by his friend at Talore Bazar in Dupchanchia upazila of the district on Tuesday evening.

The deceased was Muktar Hossain, 35, son of late Sona Miah, a resident of Talore Bazar.

Witnesses said Muktar along with his two friends was having a chat at Talore Bazar around 6.00pm. l

DT

NEWS 7

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Man hacked to death in Chittagong n Tribune Report

A youth was hacked to death by some miscreants at Amanat Colony, Hathazari upazila in Chittagong early yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Salauddin Lavlu, 26, son of Abdul Malek, said Officer-inCharge of Hathazari police station Salauddin Chowdhury.

The OC said a group of miscreants hacked the youth with sharp weapons at midnight, leaving him dead on the spot.

On receiving information, police went to the spot and recovered the body. But he said motive behind the killing could not be known immediately. A case was filed in this connection. l

Couple killed in wall collapse

Ruling party syndicate rules NCC cattle market n Our Correspondent, Narayanganj A local leader of Jubo League has allegedly set up a cattle market on the land of Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) illegally.

According to local sources, the NCC invited tenders three times for its cattle market in Borofkal area under the city in September this year on the occasion of the upcoming Eid-ulAzha.

Chanchal Mahmud, a local leader of Jubo League, submitted Tk10 lakh each time which was the highest amount this year.

The sources said some people loyal to Chanchal submitted tender which was very

poor. Moreover, general people could not dare to submit tender fearing different types of hassles from the ruling party men.

The market was also leased out by the NCC at Tk32 lakh in 2014.

The ruling party syndicates have ruled the roost of the cattle market ahead of Eid-ulAzha this year, said locals.

Chanchal took the lease of the market for four days from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), owner of the place. When contacted, Arifuddin, deputy director of the BIWTA, Narayanganj, said the land was given to Chanchal in rent.

But, Kamal Majumder, executive officer of

Road accidents kill 14 across country

n Tribune Report

An elderly couple was killed as a wall collapsed on them at Purbo Gubrakura in Haluaghat upazila, Mymensingh yesterday.

Police said Monindra Mankin, 90, and his wife Romila Ritchil, 80, resident of Kalakuma village under Nalitabari upazila in Sherpur, came to visit their daughter’s house in the area on September 17.

SI of Haluaghat Thana Khokon Chandra Sarker said the old earthen wall of the house fell on the couple at about 3:30 am while they were sleeping. Both of them died on the spot. l

n Tribune report

WEATHER THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 DHAKA TODAY

TOMORROW

SUN SETS 5:55PM

SUN RISES 5:48AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY 34 32 33 32 33 30 32 30

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

25 26 24 26 24 26 26 26

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

33.0ºC

24.2ºC

Chittagong

Dinajpur Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:30am 5:46am 11:51am 4:13pm 5:55pm 7:25pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

the NCC, said as they had not got satisfactory response after inviting tender, they decided to lease out the market with ‘Khas collection’ process.

“No body has right to set up any market on the land of the city corporation without its permission. The cattle market has been set up illegally,” he said.

“We will take steps against the persons who are responsible for this,” he added.

Chanchal said that he had submitted tender several times. But the city corporation authority did not grant his tender. Later, he took permission from the BIWTA authority to set up the market. l

Detective Branch officials arrest 13 members of a dope gang from different parts of the capital yesterday.

The photo was taken at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police media centre MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Chaotic ferry movement leads to passengers’ suffering n Our Correspondent, Lakshmipur

Hundreds of homebound passengers are suffering as ferry movement through the Goduria terminal in Bhola is taking an extra eight to ten hours more than the usual time.

After the Ilisha ferry terminal in Bhola was transferred to Goduria, ferries are not being able to reach Mojuchowdhuryhat ferry terminal in Lakshmipur on time.

Seeing no other way, hundreds of people coming from the northern zone are taking engine-run boats and trawlers to reach destinations through the mighty Meghna River.

Barisal-bound passenger Kamal Hossain said: “I did not get a ferry even after waiting for two days. So on Monday I started with my wife and children risking our lives.”

Poly Akter from Chittagong said: “Even after waiting a whole day I did not get any ferry or launch, so I started for Bhola on an engine-run boat. Though it is risky, I could not find an alternative way.”

Manager of Mojuchowdhury Hut Ferry Terminal Md Foysal said: “As the ferry

terminal was transferred to Geduria, the ferries leaving for Mojuchowdhury terminal are taking eight to ten hours more than the usual time. Same amount of time is spent to reach Lakshmipur terminal from there. So, passengers travelling on the river route are facing hassles.”

Due to mismanagement in the schedule, hundreds of passengers coming from remote areas are bearing the brunt. Two ferries leave the Goduria ghat in between 5am and 6am and return around 1:30am the next day.

Ferry movement remains at a halt at night.

Therefore, only a few vehicles are able to cross the ghat while most of the passenger and goods laden vehicles wait for hours to reach the Mojuchowdhuryhut ferry terminal.

People of different ages, ignoring the adverse weather, have set out for Bhola and Barisal on small boats and trawlers through the mighty flows of Meghna River.

Boats are restricted to ply through the Meghna estuary as it is considered a danger zone during this season. Accidents may occur any time. l

At least 14 people were killed in separate road accidents in several districts across the counrty.

In Sunamganj, four people were killed as a truck crashed into a CNG-run auto-rickshaw at Hasnabad on the Sylhet-Chhatak highway in Chhatak upazila of Sunamganj in the morning.

Identity of the deceased could not be known immediately.

Officer-in-charge of Chhatak Police Station Ashok Suja Mamun said the Chhatak-bound truck smashed the three-wheeler in the area at about 8am, leaving its four passengers dead on the spot. On information, police recovered the bodies.

Police also seized the truck but its driver and helper managed to flee the scene.

An unidentified woman was killed at Bhogra bypass intersection, Gazipur.

The 45-year-old woman was hit by a bus when she was crossing the road, said Bahar Alam, sub-inspector of Gazipur Highway police, adding that she died on the spot.

In Tangail, three people, including a cattle trader were killed in a road acciden.

Sergeant Asad told the Dhaka Tribune that a human haulier collided head on with a bus in Kandila area around 8am, leaving four people injured.

They were taken to Tangail Sadar Hospital where Sudev Chandra Ghotok, 38, and Bulbul, 35, died.

In Jamalpur, Five people were injured in a head on collision between two vehicles in Durmuth Hatiza Tuesday night.

Of the injured, Hasibul and Jihad died in Mymensingh Medical College Hospital yesterday afternoon.

In Brahmanbaria, three women were killed when a bus plunged into a roadside ditch Islamabad area in the afternoon. The deceased are Shamsunnahar, 40, Aziza Begum, 45, and Afia Begum, 45.

In Patuakhali, a woman was killed after a good-laden truck ran over her near Bosak Bazar around 11am. The deceased was identified as Jahanara Brgum, a resident of Maidan Madrasa area under Awliapur upazila. l

DT

8 WORLD

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

INSIGHT

Biscuits for some, buffets for others at hajj n AFP, Mecca They may be equal before God inside Mecca’s Grand Mosque, but the rich and poor pilgrims at the annual hajj clearly reveal their differences just beyond the gates.

Outside the southern end of the sprawling compound lies a temple to consumerism.

Several high-end hotels, malls and restaurants are found inside the six towers of the gargantuan Abraj al-Bait complex. It includes the Mecca Royal Clock Tower, the world’s third-highest building which rises behind the mosque.

In contrast, beyond the eastern entrance of Islam’s holiest site, water drips from air conditioners, garbage is piled beside the roads, and a stench fills the air.

Elderly vendors in tiny shops shout the prices of their simple goods – from traditional miswak (a teeth-cleaning twig) to prayer rugs, wooden rosaries and plastic slippers.

“Here it’s cheaper,” says 60-year-old shop owner Abu Mohammed.

“The poorer people come to buy from here because in the other district the shops are more sophisticated and for people who have more money.”

Saudi Arabia’s social security department has opened the small retail outlets to help elderly local men try to make a living.

“The government pays everything, in-

cluding the rent of the shop and the electricity. I only buy the goods,” says Hasan, a 74-year-old vendor.

Across from them, African women sit selling seeds to pilgrims willing to feed flocks of pigeons, a common sight around the massive mosque’s courtyards.

Volunteers outside the eastern gates hand out boxes of food to pilgrims who sit on the roads eating despite the heat of around 40°C.

‘High-class pilgrims’

Back in the air-conditioned Abraj al-Bait complex, elevators swiftly rise and descend, and cutlery gently clinks. Pleasantly smiling staff and security men make sure pilgrims find their way around polished lobbies.

“Our guests are generally the high-class and well-to-do pilgrims who are willing to pay more in return for comfort,” says an employee at one of the hotels, requesting anonymity.

The hotel charges an average of about $1,000 a night during hajj season, with a seven-night minimum, according to another employee.

Many of the rooms overlook the Grand Mosque’s holy Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure towards which Muslims around the world pray.

Yasser Riad, a guest at one of the hotels who came with his wife from Egypt,

says they paid around $5,000 each for the whole trip.

“We try to be close to the Grand Mosque so we can save time for prayer,” says the 45-year-old lawyer. The couple shop at the mall connected to their hotel “because it’s usually too hot outside.”

Biscuits and beans

For Um Hani, a 55-year-old pilgrim dragging her feet as she sweats under the heat of the eastern district, this is unimaginable luxury.

“The shops there are expensive. These open-air markets here are cheaper,” she says.

Um Hani could not have even made it to the hajj had her name not been randomly selected in the Egyptian government’s annual electronic lottery to perform the pilgrimage.

She is satisfied with the free “biscuits, tuna, beans, and juice” the pilgrims are offered at her shabby highrise hostel, typical of the accommodation for poorer hajjis.

Biscuits for some. Buffets for others.

But rich and poor all wear the same ihram clothes for hajj – a seamless white twopiece garment for men and any loose dress, typically white, for women.

No matter which gate they enter from, the pilgrims gather side-by-side for prayer at the crowded mosque and leave together for the nearby tent-city of Mina to begin the hajj which peaks on Wednesday. l

EU court: US-EU data sharing deal invalid n AFP, Luxembourg A major data-sharing deal between the EU and US is ‘invalid’ given the spying revelations in the Edward Snowden scandal, the top EU court’s main legal adviser said Wednesday in a case brought against Facebook.

The case stems from a complaint against Internet giant Facebook lodged at Ireland’s data protection authority by Austrian law student and right-to-privacy activist, Max Schrems.

The complaint focused on a landmark deal reached by the European Commission with Washington 15 years ago that allows thousands of businesses operating in the EU to send the private data of Europeans to servers in the US. That 2000 data sharing deal, known as Safe Harbour, “is invalid,” said the advocate general’s recommendation.

The adviser, lawyer Yves Bot, said EU member states have the power to probe and even suspend the transfer of information with the US if the privacy of European citizens is undermined.

His recommendation singled out the US government for the “large scale” hoarding of European citizens private data.

It now goes to the court for a final ruling, but judges often follow the findings of their legal adviser.

Snowden’s revelations showed that the US National Security Agency used Silicon Valley giants Apple, Google and Facebook to gather user data.

In the wake of the Snowden scandal, the EU and Washington began talks to revamp “Safe Harbour” and Wednesday’s opinion will certainly complicate those talks. l

DT

WORLD 9

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

FOCUS

Myanmar RMG workers long for manufacturing renaissance n AFP, Yangon Wearing an expression of intense concentration, Myanmar garment worker Htet Myat Nyein stitches jackets bound for wealthy foreign high streets, part of a booming industry fuelling much of the country’s modernisation drive.

“I learned to sew at this factory,” she tells AFP, her soft voice almost lost in the clatter of sewing machines at the Shweyi Zabe factory on the fast-industrialising outskirts of Yangon.

Most families in her hardscrabble Hlaing Thar Yar neighbourhood still survive on remittances from abroad – the legacy of decades of brutal rule and economic mismanagement under the former junta.

Htet Myat Nyein, her cheeks dusted with circles of traditional thanaka powder, says there are just two career paths for those who remain in her neighbourhood: “Garment work and beauty parlours, that is all.”

Myanmar has pinned its hopes on industrialisation as it looks to reshape an economy long-dominated by subsistence agriculture and resource extraction that enriched a tiny elite but did nothing to lift living standards in one of the world’s poorest nations.

Plans to build a prosperous Myanmar, which still languishes around the bottom of global development tables, rest on the outcome of the November 8 elections pitting the army-backed ruling party against Aung

New Yorker pupils get first Eid holiday n AFP, New York New York marks a milestone in the fight for equality Thursday when 1.1m children in America’s largest school district will take the day off to mark Eid-ulAzha.

For the first time, more than 1,800 public schools in New York will close for the Muslim feast of sacrifice, a day after also closing for Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled the new policy in March, announcing that New York public schools would get two days off for Eid-ul-Fitr, which falls during the summer, and Eid-ul-Azha, in addition to major Christian and Jewish holidays.

“It is a huge victory to actually see the day come,” says Linda Sarsour, a member of the Coalition for Muslim School Holidays and a New York activist with three children.

There are an estimated seven to 10m Muslims in America, of whom a million are believed to live in New York – about 10% of the city’s population.

New York follows at least seven other school districts that close for Eid in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Vermont, but activists are still campaigning in other parts of the country.

Activists hope that embracing Eid in the school calendar will make Islam more mainstream and counter Islamophobia.

But even New York sets a precedent, it is still an uphill struggle. l

San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD).

Suu Kyi, who recently toured a garment factory with Angelina Jolie, is widely expected to lead her party to a sweeping win in the first nationwide election it has fought in a quarter century.

Fast growing economy

Nonetheless with the World Bank’s projections placing Myanmar as the world’s fourth fastest growing economy, the emergent nation is a tempting prospect.

Ideally located between China and India it boasts a 51m strong population offering both cheap labour and potential new consumers.

Garment making is expanding fast. Exports last year reached $1.5bn– 14% of the country’s total exports – according to the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association, which says some 70% of industrial jobs in Yangon are now in the sector.

The country has already attracted major fashion brands, including high street staples Gap and H&M. Overall foreign investment to Myanmar jumped to $8bn this year, double the government’s target, while the country’s first Special Economic Zone (SEZ), the Japan-backed Thilawa project near Yangon, is stirring to life.

But Myanmar will have to develop fast if it is to challenge regional garment manufacturing hubs like Cambodia, Vietnam and Bang-

ladesh. Between 60% and 70% of Myanmar’s citizens still work in agriculture.

Sean Turnell, an expert on Myanmar’s economy who has advised Suu Kyi’s party, said a “manufacturing renaissance” could see the sector as a whole account for up to 30% of the economy.

The West has welcomed many of Myanmar’s reforms, including better labour rights and ending draconian media censorship, although there have been rising fears of backtracking in recent months.

‘Broken dreams’

But not all garment workers find success.

Earlier this year Myanmar set its first ever daily minimum wage – of MMK3,600 ($2.80) – in an effort to balance cut-price competitiveness with rising calls for fair pay from workers faced with surging consumer prices.

The move was welcomed by Western brands whose consumers are increasingly conscious of the human cost of their clothing after high-profile scandals like the deadly 2013 collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh.

But some employers said they could not afford the new wages, which still leave Myanmar labour among the cheapest in the region.

Activists say more than a thousand people were sacked in response to the changes while state media recently reported some factories have simply stopped paying overtime or transportation costs. l

FBI finds deleted Clinton emails n AFP, Washington, DC

Personal and work-related emails that Hillary Clinton said had been deleted from her email server have been recovered by the FBI, US media reported.

Clinton, the front-runner for the 2016 Democratic Party presidential nomination, has been dogged for months by revelations that she used a private email account and home server in lieu of the official government email system while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013.

Clinton said the server was wiped clean after aides determined which messages were personal and which were work-related and should be turned over to the State Department.

The New York Times, however, said Tuesday that the FBI had found the emails, citing two government officials, one of whom said the process of recovery had not been too difficult.

The Times added that it was unknown whether the FBI had found all 60,000 of Clinton’s emails.

In a recent court filing, the US Department of Justice said that Clinton had the right to delete messages from her personal e-mail account that she deemed non-work related while she was secretary of state.

“There is no question that former Secretary Clinton had authority to delete personal emails without agency supervision – she appropriately could have done so even if she were working on a government server,” the Justice Department wrote in a document filed in US District Court in Washington. l

INSIGHT

American Muslims fear a fresh wave of Islamophobia n Reuters, Anaheim, California Muslim Americans responded with a mix of frustration, exasperation and anger to what many see as a growing wave of Islamophobia fueled by two of the Republican Party’s most popular presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Ben Carson.

At the Islamic Institute of Orange County, which houses a mosque and a school in Anaheim, in southern California, tensions were already mounting since a group of white men screamed at mothers and children arriving at the center on this year’s anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks, calling them cowards who did not belong in America.

Many of the country’s 2.8m Muslims say such tensions could become uglier during a presidential race that they fear is already tapping a vein of anger and bigotry.

Carson, a retired neurosurgeon who on Sunday said Muslims were unfit for the presidency of the US. Carson’s campaign defended his comments on Monday, saying he was not suggesting a Muslim should be barred from running for president. But his campaign said he would not advocate for that person becoming a leader and would not support it.

Later on Monday, Carson said he “absolutely” stood by his comments but would be open to a moderate Muslim candidate who denounced radical Islamists.

The remarks by Carson, who is near the top of opinion polls for the crowded field of Republican candidates for the 2016 election, followed billion-

aire Trump’s failure to challenge comments made on Friday by a supporter who labeled US President Barack Obama a Muslim.

Trump later clarified his silence, saying he was not obligated to correct an audience member and that “the bigger issue is that Obama is waging a war against Christians in this country. Christians need support in this country. Their religious liberties are at stake.”

Some Muslims say they fear that the remarks could strengthen the appeal of Carson and Trump, who have cast themselves as non-politicians in a race in which blunt comments laced with misogyny and xenophobia have done little to derail the popularity of Trump, who is leading in opinion polls of likely Republican voters.

The comments also come after a 14-year-old Muslim boy from Texas was taken away in handcuffs last week for bringing to his Dallas-area school a homemade clock that staff mistook for a bomb.

Ahmed Mohamed’s arrest sparked allegations of racial profiling and turned his school into an object of online outrage that culminated with Obama inviting Mohamed to the White House.

‘We are also voters’ While the US Constitution forbids religious tests for those seeking public office, religion and presidential politics have long been a combustible mix.

In 2007, as Republican Mitt Romney campaigned for his party’s nomination, he faced fears among Evangelical Christians over his Mormon faith. In

1960, John F Kennedy stressed the separation of church and state while campaigning to become the country’s first Roman Catholic president.

Aicha Fokar, 20, said Carson’s comments perpetuated “a really sick stereotype that’s been kind of embedding itself in the American culture.”

In Dearborn, a Detroit suburb home to the country’s largest Muslim population, Marshal Shameri said Trump should have done more to dispel misconceptions of Islam. But he did not view the comments as an attack on his faith.

Anti-Muslim tensions have been on display in another Detroit suburb, Sterling Heights, where city officials this month denied an Islamic group’s request to develop a mosque in a residential neighborhood. The mosque’s backers faced protests and filed a petition on Monday with the US Department of Justice, seeking an investigation into whether their civil rights were violated.

In Kentucky, tensions flared last week when vandals defaced a mosque by spray-painting in bright red the words “Moslems - Leave the Jews Alone,” “This is for France” and “Nazis Speak Arabic.” Waheed Ahmad, president of the Louisville Islamic Center, played down the vandalism, blaming it on “a bunch of little rascals” who “got drunk or something.”

At Texas Tech University, Saba Nafees, 23, saw some irony in Carson’s comments.

“What is being portrayed in the media is extremism,” she said. “That’s what Islam is mistaken for, even though it’s not.” l

DT

10 Advertisement

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

DT

EDITORIAL 11

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

INSIDE

Shall we change?

As much as we’re concerned about giving meat to the poor people of our locality this Eid, we should also be equally concerned about the poor helping hands inside our homes being able to enjoy their Eid too

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

PAGE 12

Profit, people, and the planet While profit and people are adjusting well with one another in the corporate world, they are, in togetherness, gradually, if not already, making this world unlivable PAGE 13

Tina and the left While the non-mainstream left cry to the heavens about the pains of austerity, they do not have anything to say about productivity and competitiveness. One gets the feeling that conservatives are not widely off-the-mark when they say that the left believe in magic money trees PAGE 14

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

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Eid-ul-Azha’s message of community

T

he festival of Eid-ul-Azha unites Muslims around the world in marking the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

We hope all Bangladeshis can take forward the spirit of compassion and community that it represents.

As an occasion for thanksgiving celebrated with the sacrificing of animals, it reminds believers of the value of sharing and the duty to show solidarity with the less fortunate in their daily lives.

While we take advantage of the welcome break in routine, we should remember the ongoing need to help more people work their way out of poverty and improve social welfare.

Although Bangladesh’s people have made many strides forward in development, there is still a long way to go before everybody in the nation can share in the benefits of a growing economy.

This year’s joint study by Unicef and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics reported over 5 million children between the ages of five and 17 years, engaged in child labour, of whom at least 2 million are actively involved in hazardous work.

When thinking of the less fortunate, we should all ask the government to redouble implementation of the 2011 National Child Labour Elimination Policy so that in future Eid festivals, all children in our nation will be ensured proper access to education and a supportive start in life.

The forthcoming holiday is also a time for family and relaxation, as well as special prayers and get-togethers.

In uniting to celebrate this cultural landmark, all people in Bangladesh can resolve to take forward the spirit of giving and generosity that the festival inspires.

We hope everyone has a enjoyable and fulfilling holiday and wish all our readers a very heartfelt Eid Mubarak.

All people in Bangladesh can resolve to take forward the spirit of giving and generosity that the festival inspires

DT

12 OPINION

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Shall we change?

Eid should be a time of joy for all of us

n Rubaiya Murshed

I

t was the last Friday before Eid and I was changing the TV channels idly. A headline on a particular channel’s scroll suddenly caught my eyes. “All employees must be given September’s salary before Eid,” the government had announced. My eyes fell upon Asma Apu, the helping hand in our house who was quietly mopping the floor. Despite her hard work, she wasn’t even recognised as a laborer in our society. Would she get her salary before Eid? The last Eid of 2015 is about to pass us by.

By this time of the year, many people might have already had significantly wonderful things happen to change their lives. Others might be leading the same hard lives they always had, or maybe even harder ones.

While many of our grievances in life circulate around what our CGPA is going to turn out to be or whether our boyfriends/girlfriends will become our life partners or not, there are others who spend every day of their lives yearning to see their lost dear ones just one more time and others who can’t sleep at night due to their stomachs aching from hunger.

It is sad but true that, these days, we’re not too concerned about anything other than our own lives. Something bad happens and we feel bad for a while. We become vocal against what happened and we post upset statuses on Facebook. Then, soon enough, we forget it all. Only those who fall victim

Let’s give our help a break, and use paper plates this Eid

As much as we’re concerned about giving meat to the poor people of our locality this Eid, we should be equally concerned about the poor helping hands inside our homes being able to enjoy their Eid too

are never able to forget, no matter how much they might want to. We’re a rather helpless generation, aren’t we? We see a lot of wrongdoings around us, yet we can do very little to bring about the change our society so badly needs. We want to make a difference, but we’re lost as to what we can actually do.

I don’t know either. I don’t know what we can do to keep the Rajons of our society safe or what we can do to make sure the poor people in our community one day find peace in their lives. All I know is that we can’t bring about the change overnight. The mission of change that we’ll embark on today, future generations will carry that into a brighter future tomorrow. In that brighter tomorrow, every Bangladeshi, poor or rich, will taste happiness. To take today to that tomorrow, we each have to play our parts.

If our mentalities are such that we’ll only play the “parts” where we can take selfies and post them online to get showered with

admiration or parts which we can include in our resumes to get accreditation, then how far of an impact it will make in reality, is a question filled with doubt. It is because of such defected mentalities that we spend an afternoon outside in a clothes-donating program to street children and then come home oblivious to the little girl cleaning our house, wearing torn, ragged clothes. A true humanitarian caresses a street child lovingly and affectionately befriends the domestic help at home as well. No tale of misery misses his/ her eyes, be that inside our homes or outside.

But most people are not true humanitarians.

They forget to care for the poor people living inside their own homes, probably because there’s less scope to show-off there.

We really need to refine our mentalities.

If we really want the sorrow of the masses around us to be lessened, we have to want it from our hearts and we have to do so selflessly. And so, as much as we’re concerned about

giving meat to the poor people of our locality this Eid, we should be equally concerned about the poor helping hands inside our homes being able to enjoy their Eid too.

Let’s make this Eid more enjoyable for our domestic help in all our houses. To lessen their woe of not being close to their own families, let’s make them part of our own families on Eid day and let them get a share of the joy.

Let them wear new clothes and roam around freely. Call them to watch some of the Eid natoks with you. Your household won’t break down if the floors aren’t swept for one day.

Eid, after all, is a day for everyone to enjoy.

How about we start using disposable plates and utensils in our Eid parties instead of the usual glass/ceramic ones? That will relieve the helping hands of the tiresome duty of washing cutlery on Eid day. One-time-use disposable plates and similar dinnerware are available now in different departmental stores like Meena Bazar, Shwapno, etc and at very reasonable prices too.

The problem in implementing this is that, most people in our society think of shining, heavy, expensive dinnerware as a “status symbol.” The heavier and shinier the glass plates, the richer the household. “Borolok,” and often, “Bhodrolok” today mean big houses, cars, crystals in drawing rooms, and heavy plates on the dining table. So, for many, it is unimaginable that guests would be given disposable plates to eat on. “Amar bashai ki plate er obhaab?” would be the majority response. People might even consider it as disrespecting the guests. Yet, it shows no sign of disrespect at all; it is rather a sign

BIGSTOCK

of humanity towards the helping hands who would have had to spend half their Eid day cleaning the cutlery.

It’s time we change our definition of being “rich.” Instead of how big one’s wealth is, it’s time we measure richness by how big one’s heart is. A family that is serving you food on disposable plates in their parties to give relief to their maids are good-hearted people, not cheapskates. It’s time we start thinking right, time we start valuing things worth being valued. In developed countries all over the world, plastic/paper disposable plates are used for big parties. They probably resorted to that sooner than we have because, in most developed countries, the family members themselves wash their own dishes. It’s a smart way to make life easier. Why can’t we do the same to make our helping hands’ lives easier, at least on Eid day?

On behalf of Shomman, this Eid, I invite everyone to figure out ways to relief the workload of helping hands on the day of Eid festivities. Using disposable utensils is one way -- there are many others. Let’s find ways to bring smiles to the faces of these people living in our houses and make it an Eid everyone can cherish the memory of.

Isn’t it about time that we change?

Whether you are a socialite, a teacher, a friend, a street child, or a helping handShomman wishes you an Eid filled with happiness and peace. Eid Mubarak. l Rubaiya Murshed is a co-founder of Shomman, a non-profit organisation that advocates the rights of the helping hands.

DT

OPINION 13

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Profit, people, and the planet We need to prioritise Mother Earth above everything else

What good will profits do when our planet has sunk?

BIGSTOCK

While profit and people are adjusting well with one another in the corporate world, they are making this world unlivable.

Too much torture has been done on Mother Earth, perpetrated by its children, in the name of profit, growth, and development. And the world is suffering for it now

n Mamun Rashid

H

istory tells us that everyone wants to work for profitable companies, even though profit itself is a real moral-buster. Companies are supposed to make enough of a profit to sustain its investors and shareholders’ interest, take care of their own people, and also contribute some of the profit to the national exchequer for the good of the country.

These days, a piece of the pie must also be shared with the common people, for the public good, or CSR, as it is known. Share prices of profitable companies are always good. Large, profit-making companies are better tax-payers, creating jobs for more people, and sharing the success with multiple stakeholders. Profitable companies with better corporate governance and management efficiency, have created many brands in this world. Loss-making companies demotivate employees, can’t pay taxes, and don’t share their success with people, be it shareholders, employees, or the government.

These companies, usually state-owned or family-owned, also reek of corruption and failure in governance. In Bangladesh, most

public enterprises are loss-making, but their directors, though government-nominated, are very rich or above-average rich. These organisations don’t encourage a culture of performance, thin or flat organisation structures, or even corporate governance. “Morbid” is the only way to describe such organisations.

Tax-payer money is wasted on them, most of the owners of loss-making private organisations are tax-evaders or loan defaulters -- they can easily take shelter under the government. Though they don’t pay taxes to the national exchequer, often, they pay money to certain political leaders, be it the party in power or the ones sitting in the waiting room.

While profit has been the most important driver for most of companies, they soon realise that, without good people, they can’t even protect their earnings or revenue, not to mention increasing them. Most customercentric organisations have a “people first” attitude, even in order to retain or grow their clients. Though it may be deemed as a catch-22 -- whether its “customer first” or “people first,” as people like Vineet Nayar or Richard Branson show, entirely firm on their conviction -- good people are the only differentiating factor in a fiercely competitive, customer service-driven world.

Many enterprises want to be known as “investors in people.” AT&T would agree, claiming to offer “a winning combination of our people and the customer.” It is always the “man behind the machine,” not the machine itself. While in Bangladesh, too many people are running after too few jobs, large entrepreneurs or investors are always seen lamenting the dearth of good people. Companies retaining or recruiting good people can only be described as a rat race -- be it in textiles, pharmaceuticals, or FMCG, the price is going up for good executives.

Even a small company feels that they

need to attract good resources and retain them to serve their purposes better. Global corporations, even here, would recruit six guys, pay them the salary of eight people, and try to get the contribution performance of 10 people out of them. They create a better environment for the employees to work and feel empowered, and most importantly, to invest on them. Now, many local companies are also realising this and including young and energetic employees in decision-making positions. People-centric organisations are the most profit-making, it appears.

While “profit” and “people” are adjusting well with one another in the corporate world, they are, in togetherness, gradually, if not already, making this world unlivable.

Too much torture has been done on Mother Earth, perpetrated by its children, in the name of profit, growth, and development.

And, unfortunately, the world is suffering for it now -- the rise in sea-level and the effects of climate change are made manifest due to man-made disasters.

Companies and their leadership have contributed significantly towards water pollution, air pollution, as well as sound pollution. The countries which were known to be winter-prone cold countries are facing the worst summers, vice versa for warmer countries.

Industrialists and entrepreneurs, in the name of growth, have made too many compromises. Governments kept mum as they thought they needed to grow fast to employ more people. Standard of living was compromised, with rapid industrial growth and lop-sided development processes.

However, more and more global brands are signing up for sustainable growth, or the equator principle. More companies are going for green energy, alternative energy, green financing, or green environment. However, poor governments, SME owners, or microborrowers can’t make adequate investments for this, deviating from standards thereby.

Corporate leaders, shakers, and drivers are now talking of the Triple Bottom Line theory, objectives to rapidly bring in the environmental and social dimension to enterprise management. They think that there must be a balance between profit, people, and most importantly, our planet. There must be a winning combination between these three attributes. Good companies should be making good profits, but must also look after their people, and, above all, ensure that their business model is environment-friendly and sustainable.

Mother Earth has started reacting to us -we have to smarten ourselves up, before we feel her full wrath. In Bangladesh too, despite accumulation of wealth and national wealthbuilding, we are seeing the adverse effects of the sheer torture on nature, while the incidental expenses are becoming too high.

This is our loud wake-up call. If the country is submerged in knee-deep water or finds itself mingling with the Bay of Bengal, where will entrepreneurs make money from? l Mamun Rashid is a business professor and financial sector entrepreneur.

DT

14 OPINION

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Tina and the left The left are not always right

n Shafiqur Rahman

O

nly a few naïve supporters of left politics, throughout the world, could muster up the enthusiasm to cheer the Greek left coalition Syriza’s resounding re-victory after a tumultuous seven-month first stint at power.

Probably a streak of defeat after defeat of leftist parties to regain or hold on to power, has made some of its supporters desperate enough to clutch on to straws, even imaginary ones. But most of the more astute followers of left-of-centre politics, recognised that Syriza’s win actually puts another seal on the apparent indomitability of the free-market orthodoxy.

A senior EU official said that Syriza’s victory is good for the bailout program because it is better that the party carry out the bitter reforms itself than rouse the rabble in the streets. Empires know that nobody can pacify a rebellious province better than a rebel general who has defected to the side of the empire. A Spanish politician from the anti-austerity Podemos Party who campaigned in Greece opposing PM elect Tsipras, and for the anti-bailout ex-Syriza rebels, despaired after the election saying: “What Tsipras did was consolidate the

ties had a robust and often-used economic strategy profile in their arsenal. It consisted of government intervention in monetary policy, expansion of the social welfare state, and statist control of vital economic sectors and public expenditure to stimulate the economy. But the failure of expansionary policies during the 70s, declining productivity and return on capital investment, and the seemingly immovable state of stagnant growth with inflation produced a wide-spread crisis throughout the West.

After Paul Volcker’s successful central bank policies tamed inflation and Reagan and Thatcher’s revolutionary make-over of the government’s role in state, economic orthodoxy significantly shifted to the centre-right.

The new canon of economic policy consisted of deregulation of labour and enterprise, privatisation of services and industries, international free-trade agreements, central bank independence, etc. Although the strategy also called for fiscal tightening, countries always seem to find excuses to increase spending with borrowing, against the future generations.

Many of the centre-left parties spent the 80s and early 90s in exile from power. As the Soviet Union crumbled and communism turned into yet another failed challenger to

While the non-mainstream left cry to the heavens about the pains of austerity, they do not have anything to say about productivity and competitiveness. One gets the feeling that conservatives are not widely off-the-mark when they say that the left believe in magic money trees

dominant discourse of bi-partisanship that there is no alternative, no possibility of change.”

Tina (there is no alternative) is an acronym that is again haunting the politics of the left -- in particular the European left. First coined during former British PM Margaret Thatcher’s regime during the early 1980s, to drill home the message that there is no alternative to economic liberalism in the form of opening up the economy to internal and external competition, if a developed country wants to maintain its status as a rich and growing economy in the rapidly globalising world.

Although the actual record of Thatcher’s revolution in British economy and society is decidedly mixed, there is no doubt that her unwavering zeal transformed economics in the West by moving the centre of orthodoxy significantly further away from statist policies to the right. The global milieu has changed in these three decades, and the Western economic canon too has changed a lot, but the seemingly inexorable power of the orthodoxy has made the relentless message of Tina more pertinent than ever.

Until the late 1970s, mainstream left par-

capitalism, the mainstream left gradually shifted their policy platform to the right.

While the Labour Party in the UK enthusiastically followed Thatcher’s policy, the Social Democrats in Germany went even further.

They enacted far-reaching deregulation and reforms that changed welfare state fundamentally. Economic competitiveness, rather than welfare of the community, became the new mantra for the centre-left. While the mainstream left once looked for socialism with a human face, they now became avid fans of neo-liberalism with a caring face.

Neo-liberal economics faced its biggest crisis following the financial crisis of 2008. It showed the world that financial deregulation and banking wizardry do not turbo-charge a country’s economic efficiency, but set it up for big bubbles and bigger crashes. But at this biggest crisis of capitalism since the Great Depression of 1930s, the centre-left found that it has no solutions to offer, rather than meekly follow the right’s prescription of austerity, wage deflation, and adherence to fiscal rules.

Some in the far left talked about the nationalisation of banks, but the voices did not

Does Syriza's win ensure an end to Greece's financial hardship? break into the mainstream. The US, because of its unique position as the issuer of the global currency, the dollar, and “risk free” bonds, could indulge in Keynesian spending to some extent. Moreover, the massive and deregulated US economy could easily shade millions of jobs and less efficient assets to gain productivity and regain competitiveness for economic growth. But the smaller and more regulated economies of Europe did not have the policy freedom of the US, they had to follow the more painful path.

Countries in Europe that were hardest hit by the crisis had to face more pain in their struggle to climb out of the economic abyss.

The sheer amount of distress faced by the common people in peripheral economies like Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, etc generated the wide-spread leftist movement to ease austerity and restore growth through spending. But Germany and the northern countries in the European Monetary Union have stood rigid on the prescription of austerity and wage-deflation. And despite all the opprobrium that celebrity economists have hurled on North European rigidity, their stance has strong support too.

The core EMU countries point out that, in absence of a central authority, the monetary union is a rule-based group of countries. If the rules are not adhered to, then simple incentive incompatibility will bring the whole house down rapidly. If a country wants to abandon austerity and make fiscal expansion, it can only do so by borrowing against the future. Also, Keynesian spending is only a short-term solution anyway, but the problem in developed Europe is much too systemic for a quick solution.

The rapid globalisation of the world economy since the 90s has brought several billion

REUTERS

producers in the world market who can do many of the things that people in the West used to do, at a fraction of the previous cost.

In this free-trade world, unless blessed with unfathomable riches from natural resources, a country’s worth is measured in productivity and competitiveness. If a country wants to enjoy a $30,000 per-capita lifestyle, its economy must also produce $30,000 per-capita worth of values in a very competitive world market.

While the non-mainstream left cry to the heavens about the pains of austerity and demand spending to alleviate said suffering, they do not have anything to say about productivity and competitiveness. One gets the feeling that conservatives are not widely offthe-mark when they say that the left believe in magic money trees.

There is no doubt that neo-liberalism, in its European, American, or Asian versions, has caused tremendous problems in economies and societies -- extreme inequality may be the worst of them. While the non-mainstream left shows brilliance in diagnosing the ills of capitalism, it offers very little in realistic solutions. Its policies reek like snake oil; even in democracies, people lose faith on snake-oil merchants after some time, and grudgingly undergo painful surgery.

Sections of the left may cheer election of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in Britain as yet another kick in the face on neo-liberal orthodoxy, but there is little sign he will offer a genuine alternative to the neo-liberal paradigm. Unless the left talk equally of pain along with the visions of gain, they cannot dislodge Tina from its all-pervasive dominance. l Shafiqur Rahman is a freelance contributor.

16

EU-Bangladesh JC meeting in Nov

BB staff to get existing salary till new pay structure declared

n Asif Showkat Kallol Finance Ministry has been asked to continue the existing salary structure for the employees of the Bangladesh Bank till the new pay scale is declared in line with the eighth pay structure.

Senior Secretary of Public Administration Ministry Kamal Chowdhury has sent a letter to the implementation wing of the finance ministry on September 16 in this regard.

He also advised the finance ministry to prepare a new pay structure for Bangladesh Bank staffs similar with the eighth pay scale although a separate pay scale has been implementing for BB employees for the last six years.

According to the letter, the authorities concerned may implement a new pay structure in other stateowned banks and the financial institutions, keeping similarities with the newly announced pay scale.

Besides, an initiative may be taken to give stipend to all the children of the civil servants from the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund of banks, financial institutions and other corporate organisations.

Public Administration Ministry gives directives to authorities concerned to monitor the implementation of the government decision of government will be submitted to the cabinet division within first four days of every month, according to the letter.

“It is illogical to implement a separate pay scale of Bangladesh Bank because it will encourage other state-run financial institutions to raise their demand for separate pay scales for their respective organisations,” a top official of the Bank and Financial Institutional Division told the Dhaka Tribune. As Bangladesh Bank is financially solvent enough, the BB staffs’ demand is much more legitimate, they claimed.

National Pay and Services Commission for 2013 recommendeda separate pay scale for Bangladesh Bank that will be approved by its board of directors.

Besides, a secretary-level committee also suggested for a new pay scale for BB employees with similar to eighth pay scale structure.

The government cleared the Eighth Pay Scale on September 07 last. Senior Cabinet Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan had earlier stated a cabinet committee on removing salary discrepancies has been asked to evaluate the teachers’ proposals along with other government institutional and make recommendations. In November 2013, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved a separate pay scale for the state-owned banks but it could not be implemented because of legal complications.

The argument was that the central bank is an autonomous organisation and cannot be brought under a same pay structure with state-owned banks, bringing forth the issue of a separate pay scale for BB. Bangladesh Bank and four-state owned banks have a total of 61,000 staff whose salaries would increase by 70% after implementation of the separate pay scales. Bangladesh Bank has 4,958 staffs while Sonali Bank 23,363, Janata Bank 15,146, Agrani Bank 13,558 and Rupali Bank 4,293. l

17

Volkswagen CEO resigns over diesel scandal

19

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Business

15

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Stocks post modest move for 2nd straight week

Tofail: Ticfa meaningless sans GSP n Tribune Report Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed yesterday said the Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (Ticfa) would be insignificant if the GSP (General System of Preference) facilities to the US market are not restored.

“We have already met all the 16 conditions laid down in the Bangladesh Action Plan,” the minister said after a meeting with a US delegation.

During a meeting with the visiting United States Trade Representative (USTR) team Tofail said, “As USTR delegation is satisfied with the initiatives in ensuring factory safety and labour rights, there should be no bar in getting the GSP back in the US market.”

An eight-member delegation of USTR led by its Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Michael J Delaney held a meeting with the commerce minister at the latter’s secretariat office in the city.

Tofail argued: “Bangladesh has signed the Ticfa with the US government in November 2013 mainly to restore the generalised system

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed of preference facilities to the US market.

The Ticfa is nothing but a platform for settling any trade-related dispute through mutual discussion between Bangladesh and the USA, the minister clarified.

Attending the meeting, the USTR delegation, however, suggested the government to form a separate, single trade union in each EPZs through merging the existing Workers’ Welfare Associations (WWAs) for the restora-

tion of the GSP to the US market.

In Bangladesh, the WWAs are considered as workers’ platforms in the factories housed in the Export Processing Zones (EPZs) to protect their rights in absence of trade unions.

“We have little to do. We have done a lot to regain the GSP (generalized system of preference),” Tofail told journalists during a briefing at his office.

As asked whether the government has any plan to merge all the WWAs to a single trade union or not, the minister has categorically said: “No, this is not a condition for us.”

“We cannot introduce the trade unions in the factories located in the EPZs because the government signed an agreement with the investors in 1999 assuring them that there will be no trade unions in the EPZs to protect the workers’ rights,” Tofail reminded.

In this regard, the minister also said, “So, instead of the trade unions, the government allowed the WWAs, which have been functioning like unions in those specialised economic zones, where mainly the overseas entrepreneurs have invested.” l

Eid tourism business feels the pinch n Ishtiaq Husain

The country’s tourism sector is facing a leaner time during this Eid ul-Azha as a good number of people have called off their holiday trip due to untimely torrential rain and cheaper outbound tourist destinations.

Currently, most hotels in Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati and Bandarban witness a lacklustre room occupancy.

The hotels in Cox’s Bazar have only 20% to 30% occupancy, which might shoot up to 60%-70% during the Eid, but still that would be much lower than that of the last years when the occupancy stood at nearly 100%, hotel sources said.

Jashim Uddin Ahmed, senior manager, Seagull Hotel, said a maximum number of rooms were booked one or two weeks before Eid ul-Azha last year, but this year the scenario is totally different.

The hotelier attributed untimely rain and affordable packages offered by different airlines to outbound tourists and a little Eid vacation this year to decline in their business.

The Shibal Hotel Manager Zalal Uddin Md Akbar echoed the same as Jashim.

He said the rain has hampered their business over the last couple of months.

“We were waiting for Eid ul-Azha to recover the losses, but till today, hotel occupancy is not satisfactory.”

On the contrary, a lot of people are planning to go outside the country to rejoice in their vacation.

Affordable air packages are leading the holidaymakers to opt for going abroad to enjoy their Eid holidays.

Flydubai, AirAsia, Emirates, Airarabia, Malindo have offered packages for outbound tourists of the country.

In the meantime, the UAE-based Flybubai announced 30% discount on airfare from Dhaka to 90 destinations to tap Bangladeshi passengers ahead of Eid ul-Azha.

The Malaysia-based AirAsia and Malindo Air are drawing passengers due to their low fares in the South Asia and far East Asia.

Air Arabi operates Dhaka-Sharjah services en-route to middle-eastern countries at a lowest fare in comparison with other airlines operating services in the route. Air Arabia’s low fare destinations are Istanbul, Cairo, Alexandria, Moscow, Nairobi, Amman and Tiblisi are also favourite destinations for Bangladeshi tourists.

With five to six flights to and from Dhaka every day, Air Arabia’s weekly flights stand at between 38 and 40, the highest number of flights operated by any foreign airline in this route.

Throughout September and Eid ul-Azha, Emirates is expecting over 1,90,000 passengers to arrive at Dubai from destinations in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, UK, India, Germany, Australia, US and South Africa.

Drukair, Bhutan national flag carrier, has also offered special

discount for the SAARC countrys’ visitors. As the most popular destination, Nepal, is yet to overcome earthquake shock, hundreds of Bangladeshi travellers now opt to go to Thimphu for making their holidays.

Tito Siddique, managing director of Excellence Asia Limited, a tour operator, said due to rainy season domestic tourists movement is less compared that last year.

An unexpected rain is also hampering travellers’ trip to different tourist spots.

Moreover, there is a trend that during Eid ul-Azha most people rush home celebrate their Eid with their near and dear ones.

“We offer 20% discount on room and cottage fares during the Eid vacation to draw travellers, but at this moment our room occupancy of the resort is not adequate, said Syed Yameenul Haq, head of sales, The Place Resort in Habiganj. l

DT

16 BUSINESS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Expatriate Engr EU-Bangladesh JC meeting in Nov ‘China will not Shahjahan made devalue currency n Asif Showkat Kallol new BTRC chairman to boost exports’ n

Tribune Report

The government has appointed Shahjahan Mahmood, an expatriate engineer, as new chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission changing the appointment of retired secretary Iqbal Mahmud just in a month.

Ministry of Public Administration issued an official order yesterday regarding the new appointment effective from 23 next month as the current chairman Sunil Kanti Bose leaves on 22.

Engineer Shahjahan Mahmood, also president of Washington metropolitan unit of ruling Awami League, will be in the post until May 11, 2018 as per the contract. l

Bangladesh and the European Union will sit in the seventh Joint Commission meeting in Dhaka on November 11-12 to review their current relations and find ways to expand trade ties.

The meeting will focus on improving trade relations between Bangladesh and the EU nations, identifying trade barriers and steps needed to remove the barriers, said a senior official at the Economic Relations Division (ERD).

A letter signed by ERD official Murtoza Julkarnine Noman has been sent to Finance Secretary Mahbub Ahmed requesting a report on progress of the decisions taken at the last JC meeting held in December 2012 before the next meet.

The letter also sought progress report on

the decisions made at the development co-operation meeting held in February and on implementation of EU development projects in Bangladesh.

Besides, an inter-ministerial meeting will be held on 30th this month with ERD Joint Chief at the Planning Commission office.

The EU is one of the biggest trading partners of Bangladesh, accounting for nearly 58% of the country’s garment exports, according to the commerce ministry.

The trade balance between the 28-nation bloc and Bangladesh has been in favour of the latter.

In fiscal year 2013-14, Bangladesh exported goods and products worth $16.4bn to the EU against imports of $2.38bn. The EU is also the top investor in the country. l

n AFP, Seattle Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged Tuesday to not push the value of the yuan currency lower just to strengthen Chinese exports.

Speaking to a large audience of US businessmen and state officials with strong interests in Chinese commerce, Xi said the government was sticking to its plan to let the yuan, or renminbi (RMB), eventually adjust by market forces. The modest August devaluation of the currency, which shook international markets, “achieved initial success in correcting the exchange rate deviation,” he said. l

China manufacturing gauge falls to lowest in more than 6 years n AFP, Beijing A key measure of manufacturing in the world’s second largest economy fell to a new six-and-a-half-year low in September, financial publisher Caixin said yesterday.

The preliminary figure for its Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) came in at 47, down from August and missing expectations.

The PMI survey is closely watched by investors around the world for clues on the health of the Chinese economy, a crucial driver of global growth, as it is the first regular statistic to be announced for each month.

International stock exchanges have been rocked in recent weeks by concerns about the Chinese economy, which is both a huge buyer of commodities and a vital market in itself, and is also buffeted by global trends.

A PMI result below 50 indicates the manufacturing sector is contracting, while anything above shows expansion.

The figure for September was the worst since 44.8 in March 2009, and fell from a final figure of 47.3 in August. It was also below the median forecast of 47.5 in a poll by Bloomberg News.

“The decline indicates the nation’s manufacturing industry has reached a crucial stage in the structural transformation process,” He Fan, chief economist at Caixin Insight Group said in a statement accompanying the figures.

He blamed the weakness mainly on sluggish external demand for Chinese goods and lower export prices.

Chinese authorities are trying to rebalance

Construction workers build a high rise commercial residential project at a business district the economy from one reliant on exports and heavy government investment in infrastructure to one where domestic consumption is the main driver. But data generally regarded as weak in the current third quarter has raised alarm bells over how rapidly the old economy is slowing and whether the new is expanding fast enough to take up the slack.

At the same time authorities’ heavy-handed intervention to try to shore up prices as a bub-

NCC Bank has recently concluded a month long foundation training course for its management trainee.

The bank’s chairperson, SM Abu Mohsin was present on the occasion as chief guest

REUTERS

ble burst on China’s own stock exchanges has raised questions over their economic management and their commitment to market reforms.

‘Downward risks’

China’s economy expanded 7.3% last year, the weakest pace since 1990, and slowed further to 7% in each of the first two quarters this year.

The government has cut interest rates five times since November and in a single week

lowered the Chinese currency’s central rate against the US dollar by nearly five percent in part of efforts to shore up growth.

The finance ministry earlier this month also vowed to adopt “stronger” fiscal policies.

Caixin’s He said fiscal expenditures surged in August, suggesting the government had stepped up its support, but the effects would take time to kick in.

“Patience may be needed for policies designed to promote stabilisation to demonstrate their effectiveness,” he said in the statement.

Nomura economists said they saw “downward risks” to their GDP growth forecast from the weak PMI figures.

A falling new export orders sub-index suggested that “demand – especially external demand – remains sluggish”, they said in a note.

Other details in the figures, they added, did “not bode well for future production” and were “possibly pointing (to) severe overcapacity and weak demand”.

Capital Economics analyst Julian Evans-Pritchard was less concerned, arguing that the current pessimism about China was “overdone”.

Although the country still faces “structural drags” on growth including a continued slowdown in property construction, key leading indicators such as fiscal spending and credit growth were showing positive signs, he said.

“We continue to expect a cyclical recovery in economic activity over the coming quarters,” he wrote in a note. l

HSBC has recently arranged a long-term debt financing of 43 USDmn for Akij Particle Board Mills to support Akij’s expansion plan in implementing a manufacturing facility for Particle and Medium Density

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BUSINESS 17

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Volkswagen CEO resigns over diesel scandal n Reuters, Berlin Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned on Wednesday, taking responsibility for the German carmaker’s rigging of US emissions tests in the biggest scandal in its 78-year history.

“Volkswagen needs a fresh start - also in terms of personnel. I am clearing the way for this fresh start with my resignation,” Winterkorn said in a statement.

He said he was shocked by events of the past few days, above all that misconduct on such a massive scale was possible at the company.

A five-member executive committee had grilled Winterkorn, 68, since morning at the company’s headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. The company was under huge pressure to take decisive action, with its shares down more than 30 percent in value since the crisis broke, and the bad news still coming.

German prosecutors said on Wednesday they were conducting a preliminary investigation into the manipulation of vehicle emission test results at Volkswagen, while French Energy Minister Segolene Royal said her country would be “extremely severe” if its investigation into the firm found any wrongdoing.

German prosecutors said on Wednesday they were conducting a preliminary investigation into the manipulation of vehicle emission test results at Volkswagen, while French Energy Minister Segolene Royal said her country would be “extremely severe” if its investigation into the firm found any wrongdoing.

US authorities are planning criminal investigations after discovering that Volkswagen programmed computers in its cars to detect when they were being tested and alter the running of their diesel engines to conceal their true emissions.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged Volkswagen to move “as quickly as possible” to restore confidence in a company held up for generations as a paragon of German engineering prowess.

But the board is in a tricky situation, with the 68-year-old CEO showing no sign of resigning after a hitherto highly successful eight year reign that saw the company double sales and almost triple profits. Volkswagen passed

FACTBOX Diesel engines and how VW’s ‘defeat device’ worked Diesel engines They are higher compression than gasoline engines and do not require spark plugs or distributors. They tend to be more durable and less prone to expensive early repairs. However, they require more frequent oil, air and fuel filter changes, to prevent damage to fuel injectors.

Diesel fuel It is less refined and more energy dense than gasoline, converting heat into energy more efficiently, sending less heat out the tailpipe than gas-powered vehicles. In the US, its price is currently above the price for gas.

Fuel economy Diesels can get up to 30% more miles per gallon of fuel than similar gas powered cars and can be more economical than gasoline-electric hybrids.

Toyota in the first half of this year to become the world’s top selling carmaker.

A story in the Tagesspiegel newspaper, denied by Volkswagen, said the board would replace him with Matthias Mueller, head of the automaker’s Porsche sports car business.

Shockwaves

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Friday Volkswagen could face penalties of up to $18bn for cheating emissions tests on some of its diesel cars.

US authorities are planning criminal investigations after discovering the anomalies The story has sent shockwaves through the car market, with dealers in the United States reporting people holding back from buying diesel cars and “#dieselgate” trending on Twitter.

Diesel engines account for less than 3% of new cars sold in the US but around half of cars in Europe, where governments have encouraged their use to meet fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas targets.

Their biggest selling point is their fuel economy and low carbon emissions compared to standard gasoline engines. But they also emit far more nitrogen dioxide, a toxic gas blamed for health problems. The suggestion that their emissions in real world condi-

tions are worse than reported in tests could harm the whole sector and alter the future of the car industry worldwide.

Volkswagen said on Tuesday it was setting aside €6.5bn ($7.3bn) to help cover the costs of the crisis.

The US Justice Department has launched a criminal probe, a source familiar with the matter said.

New York and other state attorneys general are also forming a group to investigate, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said, while other countries in Europe and Asia say they will investigate Volkswagens and other vehicles as well.

Performance

“Investor’s nightmare”

Pollution controls

Deutsche Bank called the scandal an “investor’s nightmare” and cut its recommendation to “hold” from “buy”, predicting rising costs for making diesel cars would wipe out the company’s cost-cutting programme.

Nevertheless, the precipitous two-day collapse in the company’s share price reversed on Wednesday morning. At 1345 GMT, Volkswagen shares were up 7.7% at €114.5, after earlier touching a four year low of €95.51.

Traders say the plunge has stoked speculation that Volkswagen could become a takeover target, with Fiat Chrysler openly looking for a partner, though there is no sign Volkswagen’s controlling Piech-Porsche clan is looking to sell.

Volkswagen is strong in the small US diesel sector and has spent millions on television ads promoting its “clean” diesel cars, central to its strategy to revive its business there. l

Because of their higher compression, diesel engines generate a lot of torque, providing strong acceleration and pulling/towing power. Diesel cars once had a reputation for being noisy and slow.

Emissions Because diesel fuel is heavier and oilier than gasoline it can be more polluting, earning a reputation for sootiness when it came into wider US automotive use during the 1970’s oil crisis.

But the pollution from diesel engines is mainly nitrogen compounds. They emit lower amounts of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide than does gasoline.

The biggest challenge for automakers is controlling emissions of nitrogen oxides, or Nox. Many automakers use pollution control systems that inject a derivative of urea into the exhaust-cleaning process, in order to meet strict US and European standards.

VW’s defeat device The software switched on when the automobiles were being tested for compliance with EPA standards, turning off during normal driving to allow maximum engine performance. The algorithm used information about how the car was being steered, how long the engine ran and atmospheric pressure to “precisely track” the conditions that corresponded to a federal emissions test, according to the EPA. Source: REUTERS

US to warn China against quick fixes for economy n Reuters, Washington The United States will press China during a state visit by President Xi Jinping to avoid “quick fixes” for its economy such as devaluing its currency to boost exports, White House chief economist Jason Furman said recently.

Furman said China’s recent loosening of controls on the yuan currency “caused turmoil” in global financial markets and that US officials would also raise the issue of China’s volatile stock market.

The overarching message from the Americans is that China needs to make profound changes in its economic model so that growth

is powered by consumer spending rather than by investment and exports, he said.

“You need to not be doing quick fixes in terms of using your exchange rate or exports,” Furman said in an interview with Reuters.

Xi and President Barack Obama are expected to have intense talks about cyber espionage during the Chinese leader’s time at the White House today and tomorrow, but economic issues are also expected to be high on the agenda.

Furman said the White House, which is concerned that economic fragility abroad will taint US growth, had been monitoring fluctuations in Chinese stock markets closely.

“It’s certainly something we pay attention

to and it’s something we’ll be engaging with President Xi on this week,” he said.

China shocked investors in August by allowing the yuan to devalue sharply. Many analysts took this as a sign China’s leaders were so worried about a slowing economy that they wanted a weaker currency to prop up exports.

Beijing said the shift was part of a currency reform, but US officials have bristled over what they saw as opacity.

“It’s not consistent with a transparent rules-based international system,” Furman said.

A senior U.S. Treasury official said last week that since the devaluation in August,

Chinese authorities have been intervening to stem losses in the yuan, which has been under pressure due to doubts over China’s growth prospects.

Critics for years complained that China kept its currency artificially weak to boost exports.

America is pressing Beijing to enact fiscal stimulus measures that would boost household consumption.

“What we’re asking is for China to play a responsible role in the global economy and to expand consumer spending and support its growth through consumer spending,” Furman said. l

DT

18 BUSINESS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

DSE GAINER

News, analysis and recent disclosures APOLOISPAT: The Board of Directors has recommended 3% Cash dividend and 12% Stock dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2015. Date of AGM: 19.11.2015, Time: 12:00 Noon, Venue to be notified later. Record Date: 14.10.2015.

The Company has also reported EPS of Tk. 1.77, NAV per share of Tk. 24.37 and NOCFPS of Tk. 2.20 for the year ended on June 30, 2015.

SAIFPOWER: The Board of Directors has recommended 29% stock dividend for the year ended on 30th June, 2015. The Board has also decided to increase the Authorized Share Capital of the Company from Tk. 100.00 crore to Tk. 500.00 crore subject to the approval of the shareholders in the AGM by amending Clause IV of the Memorandum of Association and Article 4 of the Articles of Association of the Company. Date of AGM: 12.11.2015, Time: 10:00 AM, Venue: Institute of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB), 160/A, Kakrail, Dhaka. Record Date: 15.10.2015. The Company has also reported EPS of Tk. 3.07 (weighted), NAV per share of Tk. 24.50 and NOCFPS of Tk. (0.52) for the year ended on 30th June, 2015 which was Tk. 1.89 (weighted), Tk. 26.84 and Tk. (4.87) for the same period of the previous year.

BEACHHATCH: The Board of Directors has recommended 5% stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2014. Date of AGM: 08.12.2015, Time: 11:30 AM, Venue: Factory Premises at Moheshkhalia Para, Teknaf Sea Beach, Teknaf, Cox’s bazar. Record Date: 28.10.2015. The Company has also reported EPS of Tk. 0.54, NAV per share of Tk. 12.38 and NOCFPS of Tk. 0.25 for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

AZIZPIPES: (Repeat) (Q2 Un-au-

dited): EPS for Jan-June, 2015 was Tk. (1.06) as against Tk. 0.21 for Jan-June, 2014; EPS for April-June, 2015 was Tk. (0.40) as against Tk. 0.04 for April-June, 2014. NOCFPS was Tk. 1.07 for Jan-June, 2015 as against Tk. 0.20 for Jan-June, 2014. NAV per share was Tk. (51.93) as of June 30, 2015 and Tk. (50.87) as of December 31, 2014.

Accumulated profit/ (loss) of the Company was Tk. (472.70) million as on 30.06.2015 resulting total shareholders’ equity stands at Tk. (251.85) million.

BBS: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to invest in the shares of BBS Cables Ltd. for the amount of Tk. 20.00 crore for 2 crore shares at par subject to the approval of the Shareholders in the AGM. NORTHERN: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors has decided to purchase machineries for increasing the production capacity to 30 metric tons per day to meet the demand for jute yarn/ twine in the international market.

The approximate cost to complete the modernization scheme will be Tk. 10.00 Crore and the modernization work is expected to be completed by March, 2016.

NBL: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has approved the purchase of floor space measuring 8,000 sft. (approximately) at the 1st floor and 4 car parking spaces of the under constraction building named Rahman AJ Trade Centre at Plot No. K 1/A, Jagannathpur, Basundhara, Dhaka at the rate of Tk. 40,000 per sft. totaling Tk. 32.40 crore (approximately) in the name of National Bank Limited subject to approval from Bangladesh Bank.

DSE key features September 20-22, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

Company

13,023.62 294,196,582 281,924

Traded Issues

324

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

185

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

133

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

6

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,720.60

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

32.98

Zahintex Ind.-A Apex SpinningA ISN Ltd. -Z Bangladesh Lamps -A Northern Jute -Z Bangas -A BSRM Steels-A Shampur Sugar -Z Agrani Insurance -A Renwick Jajneswar-A

Closing (% Change) 13.33 13.08 10.91 9.49 8.25 8.14 7.50 7.25 6.94 6.09

CSE GAINER Company Zahintex Ind.-A Apex SpinningA Kay & Que (BD) -Z Samata LeatheR -Z Prime Insur -A PragatiLife Insu. -Z Bangladesh Lamps -A ISN Ltd. -Z Bangas -A BSRM Steels-A

Closing (% Change) 17.07 14.05 13.24 9.96 9.82 9.68 9.24 9.17 8.08 7.40

DSE LOSER Company Beach Hatchery -A BD Building Systems -A Saiham Cotton-A AIMS First -A Monno Stafllers -A Aman Feed-N Green Delta M.F.-A Modern Dyeing -Z DBH 1st MF-A Grameen M F One-A

Closing (% Change) -15.24 -14.93 -9.60 -9.46 -7.08 -6.59 -6.38 -6.35 -6.25 -5.94

CSE LOSER Company Aziz PipesZ BD Building Systems -A Beach Hatchery -A Saiham Cotton-A Islami Ins.BD-A Eastern Cables-A Eastern InsurA LR Global BD MF1-A AIMS First -A EBL NRB M.F.-A

Closing (% Change) -18.52 -15.74 -15.31 -8.59 -8.04 -7.78 -7.69 -7.41 -7.27 -6.38

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector 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 883.35 628.65 111.80 2379.67 626.79 1918.32 24.32 1115.53 2364.03 41.36 529.56 266.21 182.75 479.52 52.21 59.10 80.94 300.90 331.26 646.85 0.48

% change 6.78 4.83 0.86 18.27 4.81 14.73 0.19 8.57 18.15 0.32 4.07 2.04 1.40 3.68 0.40 0.45 0.62 2.31 2.54 4.97 0.00

Million Taka 61.92 39.94 6.75 166.94 33.31 155.72 0.00 157.72 198.42 2.63 41.81 8.45 12.61 35.19 7.10 1.98 4.37 33.47 39.40 82.77 0.03

Average (% Change) 13.26 10.25 9.67 4.83 8.89 9.32 5.31 8.70 6.28 4.47

Average (% Change) 14.19 12.52 13.53 9.89 9.61 9.68 4.63 6.50 8.40 5.93

Average (% Change) -14.79 -15.54 -10.53 -9.33 -7.56 -4.04 -4.94 -5.76 -5.63 -6.45

Average (% Change) -18.52 -15.27 -14.76 -9.37 -7.67 -8.08 -7.69 -7.41 -7.74 -6.17

CSE

ClosingAvg. 23.49 80.75 12.02 204.29 349.37 389.82 94.44 7.50 15.41 276.23

ClosingAvg. 23.50 81.69 15.44 30.90 17.90 119.00 204.97 11.64 387.72 94.69

ClosingAvg. 18.04 39.63 17.76 20.12 283.66 66.67 4.43 153.60 4.53 18.99

ClosingAvg.

% change 5.68 3.66 0.62 15.31 3.05 14.28 0.00 14.46 18.19 0.24 3.83 0.77 1.16 3.23 0.65 0.18 0.40 3.07 3.61 7.59 0.00

22.00 39.72 17.96 17.99 18.30 124.50 24.00 5.00 20.39 4.41

Closing 23.80 83.00 12.20 212.20 346.30 388.10 96.00 7.40 15.40 280.60

Closing 24.00 82.80 15.40 30.90 17.90 119.00 214.00 11.90 388.10 95.80

Closing 17.80 39.90 17.90 20.10 283.30 66.60 4.40 153.50 4.50 19.00

Closing 22.00 39.60 17.70 18.10 18.30 124.50 24.00 5.00 20.40 4.40

DHIGH 24.20 83.60 12.50 215.00 352.20 396.90 96.80 8.00 15.80 282.00

DHIGH 24.80 82.80 16.00 30.90 17.90 119.00 214.00 12.30 396.90 96.50

DHIGH 21.40 42.00 18.40 22.00 310.00 73.30 4.70 163.00 4.90 20.10

DHIGH 26.00 40.90 21.50 18.90 20.00 124.50 24.00 5.00 22.00 5.00

Turnover in Million

DLOW 21.10 73.40 10.90 187.00 310.00 362.10 89.50 7.30 14.60 258.40

20.90 72.60 14.00 30.90 17.90 119.00 190.00 10.40 363.00 89.00

17.50 39.00 17.30 19.70 280.00 65.60 4.40 145.00 4.40 18.80

22.00 39.20 17.00 17.70 18.30 124.50 24.00 5.00 20.10 4.40

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

Latest EPS 1.03 2.52 -0.24 -0.05 1.80 2.38 4.32 -0.20 6.04 6.18

Latest EPS

78.914 68.937 19.325 15.385 1.363 309.357 1.779 4.252 2.288 6.525

Turnover in Million

DLOW

1.03 2.52 -0.20 4.32 1.75 6.04 6.18 -69.41 1.78 3.91

3.638 0.595 0.115 0.046 0.000 0.000 0.188 0.117 5.648 38.316

Turnover in Million

DLOW

Total Million Taka % change 945.27 6.70 668.59 4.74 118.56 0.84 2546.62 18.04 660.10 4.68 2074.04 14.69 24.32 0.17 1273.25 9.02 2562.45 18.16 43.99 0.31 571.37 4.05 274.66 1.95 195.36 1.38 514.71 3.65 59.31 0.42 61.08 0.43 85.31 0.60 334.37 2.37 370.66 2.63 729.62 5.17 0.51 0.00

39.755 44.881 1.534 44.532 17.624 120.550 495.817 0.040 0.691 1.883

Turnover in Million

DLOW

Latest EPS

0.54 2.33 1.00 1.55 0.70 3.60 0.49 1.16 0.45 1.39

Latest EPS

0.013 5.880 13.207 0.238 0.039 0.075 0.016 0.003 0.959 0.029

-2.12 2.33 0.54 1.00 1.26 1.12 2.76 0.40 1.55 0.41

Latest PE 22.8 32.0 -ve 47.3 199.6 64.5 15.3 -ve 8.7 70.6

Latest PE 22.8 32.4 -ve -ve 9.9 50.0 47.4 -ve 64.2 15.3

Latest PE 33.4 17.0 17.8 13.0 405.2 18.5 9.0 132.4 10.1 13.7

Latest PE -ve 17.0 33.3 18.0 14.5 111.2 8.7 12.5 13.2 10.8

CSE key features September 20-22, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

1,090.53 29,099,871 40,280

Traded Issues

269

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

159

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

107

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

3

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,613.04

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

31.67

DT

BUSINESS 19

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Stocks post modest move for 2nd straight week n Tribune Report

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Renata Ltd. -A BSRM Steels-A Khulna Power-A Square Pharma -A Beximco Pharma -A Aman Feed-N Ifad Autos -N UNITED AIR-A BSRM Ltd. -A LafargeS Cement-A

Islami Bank BD - A United Power-A FAR Chemical-A SummitAlliancePort.-A Grameenphone-A

VolumeShares 425,317 5,317,621 5,254,823 1,522,483 4,918,910 4,481,042 2,816,401 27,260,545 2,064,192 2,443,777

Value in Million 529.57 495.82 390.50 382.23 355.53 309.36 309.20 295.22 276.98 263.29

% of TotalTurnover 4.07 3.81 3.00 2.93 2.73 2.38 2.37 2.27 2.13 2.02

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

8,647,050 1,688,667 4,722,174 4,042,486 773,704

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Mozaffar H.Spinning-A ACI Limited- A Aman Feed-N Beximco Pharma -A BSRM Steels-A United Power-A UNITED AIR-A Khulna Power-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A LafargeS Cement-A

BSRM Ltd. -A Grameenphone-A UCBL - A SAIF Powertec-A Olympic Accessories -N

2,661,017 158,055 592,616 543,080 411,535 249,987 3,352,759 416,442 852,755 235,959

189,498 72,061 980,887 244,908 351,544

258.14 257.84 237.79 235.16 230.90

96.72 88.57 40.95 39.18 38.32 38.19 36.29 30.95 26.68 25.46

25.42 21.52 20.96 20.50 19.13

1.98 1.98 1.83 1.81 1.77

8.87 8.12 3.76 3.59 3.51 3.50 3.33 2.84 2.45 2.33

2.33 1.97 1.92 1.88 1.75

ClosingP 1250.60 96.00 75.00 251.10 71.70 66.60 107.00 10.80 137.00 108.20

30.00 150.80 49.20 58.30 299.90

ClosingP

Change % 0.38 7.50 3.45 0.00 -0.83 -6.59 -0.74 1.89 3.95 0.28

-1.32 -1.11 -3.72 3.00 -0.83

Change %

37.50 569.20 66.70 71.50 95.80 150.50 10.70 74.90 30.90 108.60

137.20 300.50 21.70 83.00 53.40

3.31 1.55 -5.79 -0.97 7.40 -1.25 0.94 3.03 -1.28 0.46

4.33 -1.02 4.33 0.24 -0.37

ClosingY 1245.90 89.30 72.50 251.10 72.30 71.30 107.80 10.60 131.80 107.90

30.40 152.50 51.10 56.60 302.40

ClosingY

36.30 560.50 70.80 72.20 89.20 152.40 10.60 72.70 31.30 108.10

131.50 303.60 20.80 82.80 53.60

DHIGH

DLOW

1260.00 96.80 76.00 252.40 73.40 73.30 113.00 11.00 138.00 109.10

1239.70 89.50 72.30 250.00 71.00 65.60 106.60 10.60 129.90 106.70

30.50 156.90 52.40 61.30 304.00

28.90 150.60 49.00 56.80 295.00

DHIGH

DLOW

38.50 579.90 73.00 73.20 96.50 157.00 11.00 75.90 31.80 109.30

138.40 303.80 21.80 85.00 55.70

37.00 557.50 65.70 70.80 89.00 150.10 10.60 72.20 30.80 106.70

130.40 295.00 20.80 82.60 53.10

AvgPrice 1247.53 94.44 75.19 251.23 71.63 66.67 107.21 10.85 135.43 108.18

29.86 151.07 49.41 58.26 300.47

AvgPrice

36.63 569.94 66.90 71.48 94.69 150.89 10.82 75.09 30.99 108.51

135.33 301.09 21.61 83.49 53.78

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

1860.35663

(+) 0.70%

1860.35663

(+) 0.66%

14868.4434

(+) 0.70%

12905.6269

(+) 0.99%

9047.7017

(+) 0.68%

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

Stocks witnessed modest move for the second consecutive week. But volatility and low turnover dominated all the sessions of the past week as investors looked for exit ahead of Eid-ul-Azha to be celebrated on Friday, brokers say.

During the week that ended Thursday, the benchmark of Dhaka Stock Exchange DSEX gained about 34 points or 0.7% to settle at 4,853.

The blue-chip comprising index DS30 went up 12 points or 0.7% to 1,860. The DSE Shariah Index, DSES, was up 4 points or 0.4% to 1,191.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Categories Index, CSCX, closed at 9,047, rising 61 points or 0.7%.

The week featured with three out of five sessions, as five-day festival holiday began from Wednesday. Trading at DSE will resume on September 28. The week’s average daily turnover on DSE stood at Tk430 crore, down 3.8% compared to the previous week’s daily average.

All large cap sectors continued to rally marginally in the past week except telecommunications which declined for the second straight week.

In the financial sector, non-banking financial institutions and banks advanced by 2% and 0.5% respectively. Power gained almost 1%, pharmaceuticals 0.8%, food and allied 0.2%. Low-cap engineering sector was the week’s best performer.

Lanka Bangla Securities said participation remained a bit lower as market turnover was 3.8% lower compared to previous week.

Construction materials, pharma and engineering stocks were the movers in the past week, it said.

Engineering sector remained in the spotlight through the week, led by BSRM Steels – the country’s leading steel maker that topped the turnover list with shares worth about Tk50 crore changing hands.

It was followed by Khulna Power Company Limited, Beximco Pharma, Aman Feed, IFAD Autos, United Airways and Bangladesh Steel Re-Rolling Mills. l

ANALYST In the financial sector, nonbanking financial institutions and banks advanced by 2% and 0.5% respectively.

Power gained almost 1%, pharmaceuticals 0.8%, food and allied 0.2%. Low-cap engineering sector was the week’s best performer.

DT

20 DOWNTIME

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Plant’s support (4) 5 Given shoes (4) 10 Declare (4) 11 Period of time (3) 12 Flowed back (5) 13 Narrow beam (3) 14 Disease of rye (5) 16 Reluctant (6) 18 Reduces gradually (6) 21 Remains (5) 23 Spoil (3) 24 Oily fruit (5) 26 Mature (3) 27 Single entity (4) 28 Sly look (4) 29 Prophet (4)

DOWN 2 Furniture item (5) 3 Day before (3) 4 Freedom from vanity (7) 6 Brave man (4) 7 Public speaker (6) 8 24 hours (3) 9 Table-shaped hill (4) 15 Grounds for belief (7) 17 Face (6) 19 Select group (5) 20 Cast off (4) 22 Woody plant (4) 23 Traveller’s aid (3) 25 Falsehood (3)

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 12 represents M so fill M every time the figure 12 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 F G H I J K L M N O PQ R ST U V WX Y Z

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SUDOKU How to solve: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no number repeating.

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

DT

21

THURSDAY, SEPT 24, 2015

Photo: Photo: Mehedi BigstockHasan

T-JUNCTION

Freeinto Let the be light you and me

INSIDE

22

News

Tosrifa Industries Limited holds 13th AGM

23

Hot Topic

Kids react to gender roles and prejudice

24 diy

The indoor sky

DT

22 T-JUNCTION

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

News

Tosrifa Industries Limited holds 13th AGM The 13th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Tosrifa Industries Limited was held at Army Golf Club on September 21, 2015. The meeting was chaired by Rafiq Hassan, director of the company.

Managing director, Mohim Hassan and directors Naim Hassan, Lyra Rizwana Quader, and Anjuman Ara Begum were present at the meeting.

Among others, independent directors Professor Dr Khondaker Mohammod Shariful Huda and Md Nasirul Islam, chief financial officer Md Zillur Rahman FCMA, company secretary Hayder Ali and a number of shareholders attended the meeting.

The managing director announced that the board of directors has recommended a 12% dividend for the year ended 31 December, 2015 which includes a 7% bonus and 5% cash.

It is to be noted that the shareholders present in the 13th annual meeting announced unanimous approval of all proposals given by the board of directors. l

Ekhanei.com launches Haat-on-Wheels

This Eid ul Adha, Ekhanei.com has launched a unique initiative titled “Haat-on-Wheels.”

From September 20 to September 23, 2015, Ekhanei.com’s highly equipped van will visit different haats around Dhaka every morning and evening, continuously uploading details of cows on sale.

Details of nearly 40,000 cows have already been uploaded on Ekhanei.com.

Till date, no other classified website in Bangladesh has been able to store data on so many cows at a time. Customers will get instant updates on the cows on offer.

If people dial the contact numbers given for each cow owner, they will be able to contact them and book the cow over the phone. They can also visit them physically to bargain and purchase the cow. Two teams deployed by Ekhanei.com, consisting of four members each, will visit a separate haat each

day. They will ensure updates of incoming cows on the website, with complete details of individual cows (approximate weight, colour, origin, price, contact info, etc) for the convenience of consumers.

An information booth with tabs and LED screens will be available at the individual haat gates on the appointed day for individual haats. Visitors will be able to browse through the tabs and enquire for further information if they have any question. They can also directly contact the owner from the number provided. The van is perfectly equipped to allow customers to relax and rest, offering an escape from the heat while they browse through Ekhanei. com.

The morning shift will begin at 10am ending at 2pm, while the evening shift will start at 4:30pm going on till 8:30pm. l

T-JUNCTION 23

DT

Hot Topic

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Kids react to gender roles and prejudice “I will not laugh at your hijab, please don’t make fun of my short dress”

n Khan N Moushumi Ever heard of the story of two best friends who had different genders, religions, skin colour, family backgrounds but despite it all, stuck together like two peas in a pod, without anyone judging them? Yeah, neither did we.

We’ve always been a nation that has never wasted a second to hand out a set of prescribed norms to our children.

Anything outside these norms will be considered unacceptable and whatever sense of individualism our children may have, should be “curbed” as early as possible by transplanting our very own traditional values and expectations in them.

Gender stereotyping “Ma cooks and Baba goes outside in nice shirts,” says four-year-old Anha. 12-year old Ishmam* tells us: “Girls should wear long dresses that

cover their whole body. Only bad girls wear less clothes.” She also says that girls should have long hair and should never cut it short.

Refayat, an eight-year-old says, “Boys are better than girls. They are stronger.”

Different genders are expected to exhibit different sets of predetermined behaviour.

These traditional gender roles require women to be subservient and shy, and men to be the breadwinners and go-getters.

Daughters are taught to be ladylike and it’s okay for them to express their emotional feelings and cry, but boys are taught to hide them, because they are emasculating.

Social grading Second grader Orin made new friends at school but she often plays with Sayma, the daughter of their domestic help. “Mom said it’s okay to share toys with her because she doesn’t have any of her own.” But the neighbour’s children are not allowed to come over when Sayma is home because they were

told that she may steal their toys, recalls Orin’s mother.

Religious division Ishmam* likes to cover herself. She described one incident at school when one of her classmates wore a dress and some of the kids started to laugh at how short it was. Ishmam advised the girl not to wear such clothes but what she said in return was truly amazing: “I will not laugh at your hijab, please don’t make fun of my short dress.”

We sought expert opinion on the subject matter.

Photos: Bigstock

Is it important to teach children different gender roles?

Structurally, all children’s brains are the same, so gender roles are just something that is taught to them. It makes no sense to teach them these things in this day and age because everyone is equal. Gender roles are just something society teaches you,

it’s irrelevant in today’s world. Instead we should teach our children that boys and girls are equal.

- Professor Shaheen Akhter, pediatric neurologist at BSMMU, Dhaka What would happen if we didn’t tell our children how to behave or think, and just let them grow up to be whoever they want to be?

They will lack direction and wouldn’t know what to do. Naturally, as a parent, I would want my children to grow up with similar values that I have, and I am responsible for helping them with their whole outlook on life. Wouldn’t you restrain your kids from doing drugs? So asking them to behave and think properly will be a way to stop them from doing things that are in the wrong. l - Zahid Rahman, 42, father of two *Certain names or characters have been altered to protect the privacy of individuals.

DT

24 T-JUNCTION

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Try Out

diy

The indoor sky Your very own LED cloud light

Materials • • • • • • •

Cotton batting Paper lanterns (preferably white) Wooden dowel Fishing line or string Hot glue gun Battery-powered LED lights Screw hook

Take a paper lantern of any size and start gluing on some cotton batting with your hot glue gun. Use enough cotton to entirely cover the whole surface.

Make a few of these with your paper lanterns; the more the better. For best results use paper lanterns of varied sizes.

Tie the string or fishing line around your dowel.

Attach a screw hook to the ceiling and tie the end of the string or fishing line to it to hang the dowel from it.

Now attach to the dowel the cotton covered paper lanterns you made. Vary the heights to your desire to create some contrast and create the illusion of clouds.

Now attach some LED lights to the base of the paper lanterns. And then turn the lights on!

Magical, isn’t it? Turn off your lights and gaze at your own little cloud, which, by the way, you created yourself. That’s reason enough to get you to cloud nine.l

n Farhana Shahnaz Don’t we all sometimes wish we could escape reality and lie unobstructed on a fuzzy cloud, without a care in the world? What if we say we can grant your wish? But of course, that comes with bit of a twist. You may not be able to make it to the clouds unless, of course, we come up with some kind of extreme technological discovery, but now you can bring the cloud to your room! No, it doesn’t involve going through some complex scientific procedure like you might have read in articles in ASAP science. All it involves is the use of cotton batting, a paper lantern, a bit of artistry, some imagination and a whole lot of glue. Still confused? Read ahead to find out how to have your very own LED cloud light installed in your bedroom.

Baseball legend Yogi Berra, whose humorous quotes made him one of America’s most beloved sports icons, has died at the age of 90, the Yogi Berra Museum announced that on Tuesday evening

26

ANAMUL LEADS BANGLADESH A FIGHTBACK

27

‘PAKISTAN WILL NOT BEG INDIA FOR CRICKET SERIES’

28

25

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Sport

REST IN PEACE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

STARS SWOON FOR ‘THE INCREDIBLE’

Police defend Shahadat search efforts n BBC

Bangladesh national team defender Atiqur Rahman Meshu (R) slides in dangerously to thwart an Under-19 attack during their practice match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. The seniors won 1-0, courtesy Shahedul Alam Shahed’s 65th-minute strike DHAKA TRIBUNE

Police in Bangladesh have defended their efforts to find missing Test cricketer Shahadat Hossain.

Hossain, 29, and his wife have been missing for more than two weeks after allegations they abused and tortured an 11-year-old housemaid, who was found on the street in Dhaka on 6 September.

Police have been criticised for failing to find the pair.

Nazrul Islam, the investigation’s senior officer, told the BBC’s Bengali Service they were “serious about it”.

He added: “We have conducted raids in Shahadat’s father’s house, and his in-laws’ house.

“It doesn’t matter if he’s a national cricketer or not - he’s an accused before the eyes of the law. We will track him down and put him before the court.”

Authorities have come under scrutiny for their failure to find Hossain in the 17 days since he disappeared.

Mozammel Haq - who found Hossain’s maid and is now the plaintiff in the case - is among those to have expressed their frustration.

“I found the girl in a street near my house - she was severely injured,” Mr Haq told the BBC’s Bengali Service.

“She alleged that she had been tortured by Shahadat Hossain.

“I took her to the police station and filed a case. It is very frustrating that he has not been arrested.”

Hossain has been suspended from all cricket by the Bangladesh Cricket Board while the allegations are investigated. l

‘Players will fly on the field’

Bangladesh coach Fabio Lopez is confident the booters will improve their fitness in two months three teams, I want to congratulate the BFF astro-turf and BNS. 1-0 victory against their younger opponents n Shishir Hoque Under-19 team because they really did very Lopez tested 35 players yesterday throughin a practice match at the water-clogged Bangladesh national football team Fabio Lopez is confident that his players will reach the peak of their fitness in two months as he said they will ‘fly’ on the pitch. It has been only around a week that the newly appointed Italian trained his new charges while yesterday he witnessed their match fitness and skill level during a muddy affair between the Bangladesh national side and the Under-19s.

The national booters had to toil hard for a

Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday afternoon. The initial 40-man squad is expected to be trimmed down to 29 who will attend the residential training camp in BKSP from September 27, following the three-day break for Eid-ul-Adha starting today.

“What you saw today you will forget it after two months. They will fly on the field,” expressed the 43-year-old Lopez who have trained the booters for the last five days at the

out the 90 minutes and the only goal of the match came from Shahedul Alam Shahed Jnr, who was among the last set of substituted players in the second half, in the 65th minute.

The coach said he was impressed by the performance of each and every player, but also acknowledged the dominating effort put in by the Under-19s who had a better start compared to their seniors.

“We tried 35 players, split across

good job. I had very good test today because I saw that we have lot of job to do. Especially with the fitness,” said the Italian coach after the game.

“I’m not interested with the result because its a friendly match so I don’t care with the result. For me I was interested to see the players’ motivation, their technical skill and their tactical move what they did in the training sessions,” added Lopez. l

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26 Sport

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

SCORECARD, DAY 2 BANGLADESH A 1ST INNINGS 158-ALLOUT (Shuvagata 55, Liton 50; Krishna 5/49) KARNATAKA 1ST INNINGS Samarth lbw Shuvagata Hom Agarwal b Saqlain Sajib Reddy lbw Shuvagata Uthappa c Nasir Hossain b Saqlain Gautam c Anamul Haque b Saqlain Gopal c Jubair Hossain b Shuvagata Bhavane c Liton Kumar Das b Jubair Suchith c & b Shuvagata Patel c Soumya Sarkar b Saqlain Sharath b Al Amin Hossain Krishna not out Extras (b 8, lb 3, nb 1)

R 25 16 28 1 3 17 88 41 40 12 4 12

B 42 26 38 15 8 28 175 115 60 25 24

Total (all out; 92.3 overs) 287 FoW: 1-28 (Agarwal), 2-52 (Samarth), 3-65 (Uthappa), 4-69 (Gautam), 5-75 (Reddy), 6-100 (Gopal), 7-227 (Suchith), 8-227 (Bhavane), 9-258 (Sharath), 10-287 (Patel)

Bowling Al Amin 16-2-47-1, Kamrul Islam Rabbi 17-5-49-0, Saqlain 22.3-4-85-4, Shuvagata 25-8-45-4, Jubair 9-2-44-1, Nasir 3-2-6-0

BANGLADESH A 2ND INNINGS Anamul c Sharath b Patel Rony Talukdar c Samarth b Suchith Mominul Haque lbw b Patel Liton not out Soumya not out Extras (b 1)

R 89 15 22 37 24 1

B 87 27 33 77 40

Total (3 wickets; 44 overs) 188 FoW: 1-30 (Rony), 2-99 (Mominul), 3-142 (Anamul)

Bowling

Bangladesh A opening batsman Anamul Haque, who made 89 off 87 balls in the second innings, stands tall in his follow through after a big shot as Karnataka wicket-keeper Chidanbharam Gautam looks on during the second day of the lone three-day match in Mysore yesterday COURTESY

Anamul leads Bangladesh A fightback n Mazhar Uddin Bangladesh A fought back in the second innings and managed to overcome Karnataka’s 129-run lead as the visitors ended the second day’s play on 188/3 in their opening three-dayer in Mysore yesterday.

National opener Anamul Haque was unlucky to miss out on a well-deserved hundred when he was dismissed for an 87-ball 89.

Anamul smote eight boundaries and five sixes and registered a few useful partnerships alongside opener Rony Talukdar (15), captain Mominul Haque (22) and wicket-keeper Liton Kumar Das (37 not out).

Liton and Soumya Sarkar (24 not out) will be looking to stretch the second-string Bangladesh side’s lead, which currently stands at 59.

Earlier, resuming on their overnight score of 163/6, Karnataka were bundled out for 287 in their first innings, adding 124 runs for the loss of their remaining four wickets on the penultimate day.

Shishir Bhavane, who began yesterday’s proceedings on 55, eventually scored 88 off 175 balls with the help of 13 fours and two sixes.

Jagadeesha Suchith and Udit Patel boosted Karnataka’s tally by posting handy knocks of 40-odd runs.

Shuvagata Hom followed up his first-innings 55 with a four-wicket haul while Saqlain Sajib also bagged as many wickets. l

Chelsea doctor Carneiro leaves after Mourinho row n Reuters, London Doctor Eva Carneiro has left Premier League champions Chelsea in the wake of last month’s public spat with manager Jose Mourinho, according to several media reports on Tuesday.

The club would not confirm the reports.

“Afraid I cannot comment on internal staffing matters,” a spokesman told Reuters.

The Gibraltar-born doctor and physio Jon Fearn upset Mourinho by going on to the pitch to treat playmaker Eden Hazard during the opening league match of the season against Swansea City, a game at Stamford Bridge that

ended in a 2-2 draw.

It meant Hazard had to leave the field, putting Chelsea temporarily down to nine men as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had already been sent off.

Mourinho said his medical staff had been “impulsive and naive” in a TV interview after the match, and took Carneiro and Fearn off first-team duty.

The FA are investigating a complaint from a member of the public that the manager used obscene language against her at the time of the incident. Carneiro joined Chelsea in 2009. l

Sharath 9-3-29-0, Krishna 10-2-28-0, Suchith 5-0-45-1, Gopal 11-0-39-0, Patel 8-0-44-2, Samarth 1-0-2-0 Bangladesh A lead by 59 runs

Griezmann double as Atletico down Getafe n Reuters, Barcelona In-form Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann struck twice to earn a comfortable 2-0 derby victory over toothless visitors Getafe that sent his side top of La Liga on Tuesday.

The France striker, who is developing into a talisman for Atletico, scored at the start of the first half and the end of the second after a competent display by the hosts.

Atletico have 12 points from five games, having only dropped points against Barcelona who have a 100 percent record from four games and visit Celta Vigo on Wednesday when Real Madrid, with 10 points from four matches, visit Athletic Bilbao.

Atletico controlled the game but they eased off for long spells against a side incapable of putting them under sustained pressure.

Griezmann netted after four minutes with a volley from six metres and wrapped up the win with another close-range finish from a Jackson Martinez pass in the final minute.

“We scored quickly and we were well placed but we stopped looking to build play,” l

LA LIGA Atletico Madrid

2-0

Getafe

1-0

Valencia

Griezmann 5, 90

Espanyol Victor Alvarez 18

Granada

0-3

Real Sociedad Agirretxe 7, 33, 79

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Morgan, Wood given Eng central contracts n AFP, London

‘Pakistan will not beg India for cricket series’ n AFP, Lahore

Limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan and fast bowler Mark Wood have been granted England central contracts for 2015-16.

Durham quick Wood, 25, has won a central contract for the first time after an impressive season in which he represented England in Test, one-day and Twenty20 formats.

ODI and T20 captain Morgan, 29, rejoins an 11-strong list that also features Test captain Alastair Cook, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Joe Root and Ben Stokes.

“We congratulate Mark Wood on winning a central contract for the first time,” said ECB director of cricket Andrew Strauss in a statement.

“This award reflects his excellent performances for England this summer and our expectation that he will have a role to play in all three formats of the international game over the next twelve months.

“Eoin Morgan’s award reflects his status as captain of our limited overs teams and the wider importance we place on white-ball cricket as we prepare for a busy period of T20 and one-day international cricket over the next twelve months including the World T20 tournament in India next year.”l

Pakistan cricket chief Shaharyar Khan Tuesday ruled out giving an ultimatum to India to play a proposed cricket series, saying if it does not go ahead he will make alternative fixtures.

Earlier this month the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wrote a letter to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) seeking confirmation as to whether or not India would play two Tests, five one-day and two Twenty20 matches in the United Arab Emirates in December and January.

But India has so far not replied and current political tension between the two countries has cast serious doubt over the first full series between them since 2007.

Khan said Pakistan will not beg India to agree to the matches which are due to be played in December-January in the UAE. “I don’t want to give any ultimatum to India but I am going to talk to them on the sidelines of ICC (International Cricket Council) meeting next month,” Khan told media.

“I will tell them that you (BCCI) have not yet taken permission from the government which is unfair and there will be two fall outs of that: one that we are not going to beg.”l

Ride of Fame creator and producer David W Chien (2L) poses with professional footballers (L-R) David Villa, Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo during the New York City Football Club Ride of Fame Induction Ceremony at Pier 78 on Tuesday in New York City AFP

QUICK BYTES Siddikur begins Diamond Cup challenge today Maverick Bangladesh golfer Siddikur Rahman will tee off today in the Asia Pacific Open Mitsubishi Diamond Cup at Otone Country Club, West Course in Ibaraki, Japan. 30-year-old Siddikur will compete against the likes of India’s SSP Chawrasia, Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa and Canada’s Richard T Lee for the $1.2m title.

–TRIBUNE DESK

Costa banned for three matches Striker Diego Costa will miss Chelsea’s next three domestic matches after a Football Association charge of violent conduct was upheld. Costa denied the charge, relating to an incident involving Laurent Koscielny during Saturday’s 2-0 win over Arsenal. Costa, 26, put his hands in Koscielny’s face before clashing with Gabriel, who was sent off but had a three-game ban overturned earlier on Tuesday.

–BBC

Belgium to host Davis Cup final in Ghent Belgium will host Great Britain in November’s Davis Cup final in Ghent, the International Tennis Federation said on Wednesday. The November 27-29 final will be played indoors at the Flanders Expo in Ghent on a claycourt, with 13,000 spectators to be accommodated.

–AFP

German diver dies at Pacific’s Bikini Atoll A German diver has died exploring the Pacific’s famed Bikini Atoll, officials said Wednesday, the first visitor fatality at the former nuclear test site since it opened to tourists in 1996. The 75-year-old, believed to be from Berlin, was diving at a World War II wreck on Monday when he became separated from his group, local dive master Martin Daly said.

–AFP

Wozniacki downs Konjuh Number one seed Caroline Wozniacki outclassed Ana Konjuh of Croatia 6-2, 6-2 at the Pan Pacific Open Wednesday, advancing to a quarter-final against German fifth seed Angelique Kerber. The Danish former world number one, winner here in 2010, took one hour and 22 minutes to complete the night match.

–AFP

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28 Sport

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Lewandowski 51’ 52’ 55’ 57’ 60’ n Reuters, Munich Bayern Munich substitute Robert Lewandowski single-handedly destroyed VfL Wolfsburg by scoring five times in nine minutes, including the league’s fastest hat-trick, as the champions crushed their rivals 5-1 on Tuesday to extend their perfect Bundesliga start to six wins.

The Poland striker came on after the break and stunned Wolfsburg with three goals in four minutes, starting in the 51st from close range, to turn the game on its head.

He struck twice more in the next five minutes, including a spectacular volley for the fastest five-goal haul in the Bundesliga’s 52-year history, leaving coach Pep Guardiola looking around in complete disbelief with his hands on his head.

The win lifted Bayern to a maximum 18 points, three ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who are in action at Hoffenheim on Wednesday.

Wolfsburg, who had not conceded a goal in their last four matches in all competitions and played an outstanding first half to keep the Bavarians at bay, are third on 11.

It was Wolfsburg, however, who had the

BUNDESLIGA Bayern Munich

2-0

Cologne

Ibisevic 43, 90+5

Ingolstadt

Hamburg

2-1

Werder Bremen

Wagner 31-P, 84

Johannsson 19

Stars swoon for ‘The Incredible’ n AFP, Berlin

FASTEST EVER HATTRICKS Jimmy O’Connor (Shelbourne) 133 seconds v Bohemians James Hayter (Bournemouth) 140 seconds v Wrexham Abdul Hamid Bassiouny (Egypt) 155 secs v Namibia Sadio Mané (Southampton) 176 seconds v Aston Villa Robert Lewandowski (Bayern) 202 seconds v Wolfsburg

Robert Lewandowski’s sensational fivegoal haul in just nine minutes for Bayern Munich sent Bundesliga records tumbling and had Germany’s sports stars swooning on Wednesday.

“The man from my sleepless night has just arrived in the dressing room. Chapeau,” tweeted Lewandowski’s Bayern team-mate Thomas Mueller at Bayern training next to a picture of the smiling pair.

Defender Jerome Boateng even learnt Lewandowski’s language to express his amazement.

“Naprawdę? Gratulacja! (Really?

Congratulations!) I’ve learnt Polish after that performance,” wrote Bayern’s Germany centre-back.

Lewandoski’s former Borussia Dortmund team-mate Mat Hummels, who also played in the 4-1 Champions League semi-final win over Real Madrid in April 2013 when the striker scored four goals, was just as incredulous.

“Hahahhahahahah - I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,” tweeted Hummels.

Former England striker and tv pundit Gary Lineker simply wrote “Utterly ridiculous!”, next to a picture of the Bayern-Wolfsburg scoresheet and ex-Norway international Jan Aage Fjortoft, who played in the Bundesliga, tweeted: “That’s a miracle.”

Lewandowsi’s haul caught the attention of Germany’s NBA star Dirk Nowitzki, who supports Bayern: “5 of them in 10 minutes??????”

The result, Munich’s sixth straight league win, put Bayern top of the table from Borussia Dortmund, who are at Hoffenheim on Wednesday. l

Higuain dropped, Dybala gets first call n Reuters, Buenos Aires

Stylish City down Sunderland, Villa win League Cup derby

Aston Villa

Forward Gonzalo Higuain has been dropped

by Argentina for their opening two World Cup qualifiers while Juventus striker Paulo Dybala has been called up for the first time.

Higuain had a disappointing Copa America tournament in July, scoring two goals during the competition and missing his spot kick as Argentina lost on penalties to Chile in the final.

He also pulled out of this month’s tour to the United States, where Argentina played Bolivia and Mexico, with a stomach problem.

Squad Romero, Guzman, Marchesin, Zabaleta, Otamendi, Martin Demichelis, Mas, Rojo, Roncaglia, Garay, Casco, Funes Mori, Mascherano, Biglia, Di Maria, Pastore, Banega, Pereyra, Perez, Messi , Dybala, Aguero, Tevez, Gaitan , Correa, Lavezzi l

n Reuters, London

Hull

Manchester City produced a blistering firsthalf performance to win 4-1 at Sunderland in the League Cup third round on Tuesday, inflicting more misery on Dick Advocaat’s struggling side.

There were also victories for Leicester City, who needed extra time to beat West Ham United 2-1, Aston Villa, who won 1-0 at home to local rivals Birmingham City, and Everton who came from behind to beat Reading 2-1.

Swansea City suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat at Hull City, Stoke City booked a spot in the next round by winning 1-0 at second-tier Fulham and top flight Bournemouth came through a penalty shootout with Preston North End. There was never even a hint of an upset in

0-1

Gregoritsch 87

Darmstadt 98

– PEP GUARDIOLA

VfL Wolfsburg Caliguiri 27

Hertha Berlin

better start with Caligiuri controlling a deep cross from Julian Draxler and thundering an unstoppable shot past Manuel Neuer.

Wolfsburg almost scored again when Neuer charged out of the box to clear a ball but chested it into the path of Josuha Guilavogui who tried his luck from 40 metres with the ball hitting the post and rolling wide.

Guardiola brought on Lewandowski for the second half and the 27-year-old exploded into action six minutes later.

Nine minutes after that Bayern, who host Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League next week, were 5-1 up and the Wolves were in a complete daze as Lewandowski, the league’s top scorer two seasons ago, took his tally for this campaign to eight goals.

“What can I say?,” Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking said. “A world-class striker shot five times on goal and could have scored seven.

That is how it happened. l

“This is something I have never experienced before. Five goals in nine minutes. Robert has been a great player in Germany and the world for some time now.

“I am very happy for Robert. For his confidence and our future this was extremely important.

“I can’t really understand it. Five goals.

Neither as a coach nor as a player did I ever experience something like this and I can’t really explain it. Five goals against Wolfsburg are never easy.”

5-1

Lewandowski 51, 52, 55, 57, 60

the offing at Sunderland, whose lack of confidence after a poor start to the season was ruthlessly exposed by a rampant City.

Black Cats coach Advocaat was feted as a hero after steering the north-east club to safety last season, but his star has waned at the start of the current campaign as his side are without a win in six Premier League games.

They fell behind after nine minutes to a Sergio Aguero penalty after Patrick van Aanholt clattered into Jesus Navas and the Argentine forward dispatched the spot kick with a deft chip.

The floodgates then opened as three goals in 11 minutes from Kevin De Bruyne, an own goal by Sunderland keeper Vito Mannone and a Raheem Sterling strike put City 4-0 ahead at halftime, before Ola Toivonen headed a consolation in the second half.l

CAPITAL ONE CUP 1-0

Birmingham

Gestede 62

Fulham

0-1

Stoke Crouch 33

1-0

Swansea

2-1

West Ham

Meyler 41

Leicester Dodoo 6, King 116

Middlesbrough

Zarate 27

3-0

Wolves

Adomah 37, 64, Fabbrini 57

Preston

2-2

Bournemouth

Hugill 84, Johnson 118-P Bournemouth win 3-2 on penalties

Reading

1-2

Blackman 36

Sunderland Toivonen 83

MacDonald 23, Pugh 96

Everton Barkley 62, Deulofeu 73

1-4

Man City

Aguero 9-P, De Bruyne 25, Mannone 33-og, Sterling 36

DT

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Japan’s ‘Golden Bolt’ stuns medical science to set world record n AFP, Kyoto A fleet-footed Japanese centenarian raced into the Guinness World Records reference book yesterday and declared himself a “medical marvel” as he continues to stalk sprint king Usain Bolt.

Hidekichi Miyazaki, dubbed “Golden Bolt” after the fastest man on the planet, clocked 42.22 seconds in Kyoto to set a 100 metres world record in the over-105 age category one for which no mark previously existed - a day after reaching the milestone age.

“I’m not happy with the time,” the pintsized Miyazaki told AFP in an interview after recovering his wind. “I started shedding tears during the race because I was going so slowly.

Perhaps I’m getting old!”

Indeed, so leisurely was his pace that Bolt could have run his world record of 9.58 four times, or practically completed a 400 metres race - a fact not lost on Miyazaki.

“I’m still a beginner, you know,” he said, grinning from ear to ear. “I’ll have to train harder. Training was going splendidly, so I had set myself a target of 35 seconds. I can still go faster.”

“I will say this: I’m proud of my health,” added Miyazaki, the poster boy for Japan’s turbo-charged geriatrics in a country with one of the world’s highest life expectancies.

“The doctors gave me a medical exam-

Balotelli off the mark n Reuters, Milan

ination a couple of days ago and I’m fit as a fiddle.

“My brain might not be the sharpest but physically I’m tip-top. I’ve never had any health problems. The doctors are amazed by me. I can definitely keep on running for another two or three years.”

Dressed in his trademark red, tight shorts

DAY’S WATCH

THURSDAY Ten Action 10:45PM Ligue 1 Montpellier v Monaco

FRIDAY Star Sports 2 11:55PM Bundesliga Cologne v Ingolstadt

Sony Kix 2:00AM La Liga Real Betis v Deportivo 9:30PM

Huddersfield v Nottingham Forest

SATURDAY Star Sports 4 English Premier League 5:45PM Tottenham v Man City 8:00PM Man United v Sunderland 10:20PM Newcastle v Chelsea

Star Sports 2 English Premier League 8:00PM Liverpool v Aston Villa Bundesliga 10:15PM Hamburg v Schalke

Star Sports 1 IRB Rugby World Cup Argentina v Georgia

Sony Six 12:45AM IRB Rugby World Cup New Zealand v Namibia

Ten Action 11:50PM Ligue 1 Stade Reims v Lille

Ten Sports 12:45AM Sky Bet Championship

hiked alarmingly high, Miyazaki got off to a wobbly start before finding a gentle rhythm and trotting across the finish line to loud cheers, greeted by his great-grandchildren carrying bouquets.

Cheekily, he celebrated by striking Bolt’s famous “lightning” pose before being presented with a certificate from Guinness officials.l

Mario Balotelli scored his first goal since rejoining AC Milan to set them on the way to a 3-2 win at Udinese in Serie A on Tuesday.

Milan raced to a 3-0 halftime lead before surviving a second-half fightback from the hosts as they picked up their third win in five Serie A outings under new coach Sinisa Mihajlovic.

Balotelli, on loan from Liverpool, needed only six minutes in his first start of the season to open his account when he curled a 20 metre free kick past Ornestis Karnezis who barely moved.

Giacomo Bonaventura volleyed in from Riccardo Montolivo’s pass and Colombia defender Cristian Zapata headed the third from Bonaventura’s corner in first-half stoppage time.

Emmanuel Badu and Duvan Zapata scored in a six-minute spell early in the second half to bring Udinese back into the match and set up a dramatic final half hour.l

English Premier League 8:00PM Leicester v Arsenal

Sony Kix La Liga 12:30AM Valencia v Granada 8:00PM Barcelona v Las Palmas 10:15PM Real Madrid v Malaga

Sony Six IRB Rugby World Cup 7:15PM Italy v Canada

7:15PM Scotland v USA

9:30PM South Africa v Samoa

English Premier League Watford v Crystal Palace

Ten Action

Star Sports 2

7:00PM European Tour Porsche European Open Day 3 Ligue 1 9:20PM Nantes v PSG 11:50PM Bordeaux v Lyon

Bundesliga

Ten Sports

7:15PM Eintracht Frankfurt v Hertha Berlin 9:15PM Dortmund v Darmstadt

Sony Kix Spanish La Liga 12:30AM

12:45AM

Villarreal v Atletico Madrid 2:30AM Eibar v Celta Vigo

9:30PM Ireland v Romania 12:40AM Serie A Inter v Fiorentina

Ten Action 9:00AM WTA: Toray Pan Pacific Open Final 7:00PM Porsche European Open Day 4 08:30PM Ligue 1 Guingamp v Monaco

Ten Sports 2:00PM

03:30PM Sporting Gijon v Real Betis Sky Bet Championship Fulham v QPR 4:30PM Moto GP: Qualifying Gran Premio Movistar De Aragon 8:00PM Sky Bet Championship Brentford v Sheffield Wednesday

SUNDAY Star Sports 4 11:00AM FIA F1 World Championship Main Race: Suzuka Circuit Suzuka Japan 08:50PM

6:00PM Real Madrid v Malaga 8:00PM Deportivo v Espanyol 09:45PM Getafe v Levante 12:00AM Real Sociedad v Athletic Bilbao

Sony Six IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 12:45AM England v Wales 4:45PM Australia v Uruguay

Moto GP: Race Gran Premio Movistar De Aragon

Ten Cricket 5:30PM Pakistan Tour of Zimbabwe 2015 1st T20I

DT

30 SHOWTIME

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Tv

Drama

Premiere

Common Gender

Zero Degree

Channel i September 26, 10:30am An unconventional psycho thriller that was released earlier this year will be aired on TV for the first time. Starring Jaya Ahsan, Mahfuz Ahmed and Ruhee in lead roles, this film weaves a complex story of love, lust, deception and revenge.

Other actors who star in this thriller include Iftekhar Rajib, Tarique Anam Khan, Teli Samad, Iresh Zaker and Mir Rabby.

Directed by Animesh Aich, the film is made under Playhouse Production.

Channel i September 27, 10:30am

Common Gender is filmmaker Noman Robin’s most distinctive work on transgender and transsexual people in the country. It depicts the love affair between a transgender person and a Hindu boy, a taboo which is eventually unaccepted by society.

This film’s cast includes Dilip Chakraborty, Doli Zohur, Saju Khadem, Rozi Siddiqui, Shahidul Islam Sachhu and others. It has been said that this film played a pivotal role in Bangladeshi lawmakers’ decision to acknowledge hijras as the “third gender,” under a law in 2013.

Ochena Megher Sondhaney

Eid-er Natok

In this play Afran Nisho plays the role of a physically disabled man whose lower half is paralysed.

Unable to move, he spends most of his time lying in bed. His only muse is Neela, played by Sharleen Farzana, a charming girl-next-door who comes to Nisho’s place as a teacher.

Afran Nisho took more than six months to get into the character’s look and feel.

Kowshik Shankar Das has written and directed the play.

This could be one of the biggest entertainment shows to be aired this Eid. This mini-series comprises of the funniest bloopers and behind-the-scenes from several Eid programmes.

Sajal, Nadia Afrin, Kollan, Asif, Arfan, Monira Mithu and Pial are featured in this show. It has been written by Rumman Rashid Khan and directed by Nuzhat Alvi Ahmed.

Maasranga TV September 30, 12:10pm

Maasranga TV September 25-30, 6:15pm

Meyetir Nam Agnes Ekushey TV September 25, 7:20pm

Gaariwala

Channel i September 29, 10:30am

This new drama revolves around Agnes, a young girl who unintentionally enters Intekhab Dinar’s apartment one fine day.

As he hears her name, he gets nostalgic as he is reminded of a pet name he had for his girlfriend from his college days.

The cast includes Srestha, Sanjida Prity, Majnun Mijan and Papia Sarkar. The drama is written by Majumdar Biplob and directed

by Rakesh Basu

Aspiring filmmaker Ashraf Shishir’s debut film tells the story of two siblings and their mother fighting against extreme poverty in rural Bangladesh. The film has already garnered immense praise from outside the country, earning eight accolades at different international festivals.

The cast includes Rokeya Prachi, Raisul Islam Asad, Masud Aziz, Imran, Saki Farzana, Kabbo and others.

Chokro

NTV September 27, 2:30pm

Tele-Film

Director Wahid Anam’s new telefilm tells the story of a gruesome human trafficking incident revolving around two sisters who are kidnapped and trapped to be traded by a group of smugglers.

Nusrat Imrose Tisha, Lutfor Rahman George, Satabdi Wadud, Mishu Sabbir play major roles in this telefilm, which is the latest production by Shunno Entertainment.

Rainbow

BanglaVision September 28, 2:10pm This lengthy fictional show revolves around three women who stand up for themselves, leaving the miseries of their past life

behind. It is a story of liberty, self-esteem and of hardships that have been overcome.

The telefilm stars Ricchi Sulaiman, Sadia Jahan Prova and Zinat Sanu Swagata as lead characters. Written and directed by Mahmud Didar, the telefilm is made under Invention Production.

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SHOWTIME 31

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

In Cinemas

Tv Show

Aashiqui Biggaponer Ontorale Maasranga TV September 29, 7:40pm

Amitabh Reza Chowudhury, leading advertisement guru turns into a TV anchor for this special show. Although people know him as a successful director who works his magic behind the scenes, this time they are going to witness his anchoring skils as he takes centre stage.

The programme is about TVC makers and the artists featuring in them. Gausul Alam Shaon, the MD of Grey Advertising, Nehal Quaraisy, photographer and Ripon Nath, voice artist, will be guests at the programme.

They will all talk about the different aspects of TVCs.

Star Moments

ATN Bangla September 25, 11:45pm A celebrity TV chat show which will be telecasted as a special Eid programme. This celebrity chat show will feature popular big screen TV celebrity guests as they chat, play quiz competitions and stage performances.

The first episode will include Nusrat Faria, Shipon and Moushumi. Ananta Jalil and Barsha will be the guests in the second episode. This programme will be hosted

by Ferdous Bappi and directed by Rumana Afroze.

Aashiqui (True Love) is an IndoBangladeshi romantic drama film directed

by Ashok Pati and Abdul Aziz, starring Ankush Hazra and Nusraat Faria Mazhar in lead roles while Moushumi plays a supporting role.

Rajababu- The Power

Bodiul Alam Khokon’s directorial venture, this romantic action movie casts Dhallywood’s most powerful faces: Shakib Khan, Apu Biswas and Bobby.

The film revolves around a character named Rajababu played by Shakib Khan.

Misha Sawdagar and Uzzal have played supporting roles here. This film is produced

by Bhawal Pictures.

The entire movie was shot in United Kingdom. The film is produced under the banner of Jaaz Multimedia. In her debut work, Nusrat Faria enthralls viewers with her charming performance and dance skills as shown in video teasers.

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32 BACK PAGE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

SHALL WE CHANGE? PAGE 12

EU-BANGLADESH JC MEETING IN NOV PAGE 16

‘PLAYERS WILL FLY ON THE FIELD’ PAGE 25

Doctors warn of dengue danger n Tribune report Dhaka is experiencing a worse-than-usual attack of potentially deadly dengue fever this year, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has said.

Four people have died from the disease and some 1,500 people were admitted to hospital around the country so far this year, according to the DGHS. The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) says this is the worst attack of dengue fever in the last five years.

The first two weeks of September saw more than 500 hospital admissions for dengue fever, 135 more cases than the previous year.

A week ago, Aman Momtaj, son of BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed, succumbed to dengue fever.

Experts say dengue fever is usually prevalent from June to September with patients complaining of fever, severe bodily pain and headache.

DGHS National Crisis Management Centre sources and Control Room sources said this year there were zero dengue patients in February, two in March, two in April and one in May. High levels of rainfall cause increases in mosquito-borne illnesses and June saw 15 people infected with dengue, July saw 156 and August saw 583 cases admitted to hospital.

The DGHS said 373 dengue cases were admitted to hospital in 2014; 1,478 were hospitalised in 2013; 1,286 in 2012 and 1,362 in 2011, but no deaths from the disease were reported.

Six people died and 409 were hospitalised for dengue in 2010.

Experts said they were concerned that heavy rainfall would cause in increase in the incidence of the sometimes fatal disease.

They counselled the public to become aware of the symptoms and treatment of the disease and to go to the hospital if there is any suspicion of infection. l

Pre-1947 Suhrawardy, Sher-e-Bangla Muslim pilgrims throng Arafat meeting minutes to be declassified n AFP

n Tribune Desk After the declassification of Netaji files, the West Bengal government is planning to make public the minutes of the cabinet meetings from 1937-47 — the crucial pre-Independence decade, when two iconic Bengali politicians Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy were elected chief ministers of Bengal province respectively, next week.

Sher-e-Bangla's Krishak Praja Party (KPP) formed the provincial government of Bengal in alliance with Muslim League in 1937 and he became the chief minister. Suhrawardy estab-

lished and headed a Muslim League government in Bengal 1946. It was the only Muslim League government in India at that time.

While speaking at the state assembly, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserted that this move is crucial to properly evaluate Netaji's contribution to the independence of the Indian sub-continent from British rule, Times of India reported.

She also said her government would also digitise files of cabinet decisions taken by the British administration between 1937 and 1947. Sources said this could be done as early as next Monday. l

Around two million white-clad Muslims on Wednesday poured into the vast Saudi plain where Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his final sermon, for the peak of the hajj pilgrimage.

Many of the faithful from around the globe camped at the foot of Mount Arafat where they slept, exhausted from their journey, and prayed despite the scorching sun.

Carrying colourful umbrellas, they walked from dawn in massive crowds towards the slippery, rocky hill which is also known as Mount Mercy.

Here they believe Mohammed gave his fi-

nal sermon 14 centuries ago after leading his followers on hajj.

To organise the flow of pilgrims, security forces formed human chains along the roads of the vast Arafat plain.

For many pilgrims, hajj is the spiritual highlight of their lives.

"We feel blessed. I got goosebumps, a feeling that cannot be explained, when reaching the top of the mountain," said Ruhaima Emma, a 26-year-old Filipina pilgrim.

For Akram Ghannam, 45, from war-torn Syria, being in Arafat is a "feeling that cannot be described. I pray to God for the victory of all those who are oppressed." l

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