Joishthya 12, 1421

Rajab 26, 1435

Regd. No. DA 6238
Vol 2, No 56

MONDAY, MAY 26, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

7 | THE MOST PERSECUTED MINORITY

9 | THOUSANDS DEFY THAI JUNTA

20 pages | Price: Tk10

11 | VALUES TO WALK THE GALLOWS

14 | ANCELOTTI HAPPY WITH FIFTH TITLE

Mastermind of 46% food products in market adulterated

n
FOOD ADULTERATION
Ekram murder
arrested
Moniruzzaman Uzzal

13 others placed on remand; one

of them JCD member, two others
are related to BNP leaders
n Mohammad Jamil Khan from Feni
Feni police have arrested Jihad Chowdhury, the alleged mastermind behind the killing of Fulgazi chairman
Ekramul Haque, from the districts
Baraipur area.
Based on information that Jihad
was fleeing away on a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, police arrested him from
Baraipur of Sayednagar area of Feni
around 6:15pm, Paritosh Ghosh, superintendent of police in Feni, told the
Dhaka Tribune.
The arrest came a day after RAB
forces arrested eight suspects from the
capitals Bashundhara area. During primary interrogation, one of the arrestees, Abdiul Islam Abid, son of district
Mohila Awami League secretary Layla
Jesmin Boromoni, claimed that Jihad
had masterminded the murder and
provided the arms and money to realise the plan.
Locals, however, claimed that Jihad
the joint general secretary of Fulgazi

unit of Awami League had been out in

public in recent days, while he also reportedly enjoyed snacks at a restaurant
in front of the Feni Model police station
yesterday.
Asked about the delay in arresting
Jihad, Golam Morshed, officer-incharge of Feni Model police Station,
told the Dhaka Tribune that police had
kept eyes on Jihad and only arrested
him after verifying his involvement
with the murder.
Asked about who funded the killing, a senior official of Feni police said
although Jihad and Shiblu were being
marked as masterminds, investigation
has shown that the two men were professional goons. Seeking anonymity,
the official added that Jihad and Shiblu
had been committing crime since 1996
as members of the party steering committee led by former MP Joynal Hazari.
Abul Kalam Azad, investigation officer of the case, said the police have
so far collected some sensational
PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Findings from laboratory tests have

shown that over 46% of the food items
that are available in the market are
adulterated, and all the samples of
some of the most popular items were
found to be contaminated with harmful chemicals.
The tests, which were carried out
over the last two years at the Public
Health Laboratory (PHL) in the Institute of Public Health (IPH), show that
100% of the samples of food products
like chocolate, cake, Chhana, yogurt,
pickles, dried fish, fruit syrup, sesame
oil and vegetable oil (dalda) were adulterated.

Taking bribes, sanitary

inspectors send only
a limited number of
samples for testing
Around 80-99% of other popular items
in the market including ghee, juice,
honey,
Roshogollah,
Chomchom,
Sandesh, candy, soybean oil and powder milk were also found to be adulterated.
IPH Deputy Director Dr Md Shafiqul
Alam, also the head of the PHL of National Food Safety Laboratory, told
the Dhaka Tribune that they had tested 10,289 samples of 92 different food
items over the past two years, and had
found that more than 46% of the samples were adulterated.
The food samples were sent to the
laboratory by district and upazila sanitary inspectors, Shafiqul said, adding

that the findings were passed onto civil

surgeons offices.
The Dhaka Tribune has acquired a
copy of the food testing results from
2012 and 2013 that were carried out by
the PHL.
A total of 5,322 and 4,967 food samples were tested in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Of the samples tested, 2,588
and 2,137 samples were found to be
adulterated in the consecutive years.
Large percentages of samples from
other popular food items that were
found to be adulterated include mustard oil, biscuit, powdered chilli, powdered turmeric, salt, palm oil, milk,
powder milk, and jelly.
On the other hand, the samples from
different products including anchor
pulse, green gram (mung pulse), fenugreek (methi) and black pepper (gol
morich) did not contain any trace of
adulteration.
There are allegations that sanitary
inspectors send only a limited number
of samples for testing as they get bribes
from food manufacturers.
When asked about what actions had
been taken against the perpetrators,
IPH Director Subimal Sinha Choudhury
told the Dhaka Tribune that the institute has no legal power to take actions
against the manufacturers of adulterated food. Its only duty is to submit the
laboratory test results before the civil
surgeon concerned, he added.
When also questioned about the
same issue, Abul Kalam Azad, additional director general (planning) and
director of management information
system of the Health Directorate,
said they did not have any record of

46% food products were found adulterated

out of over 10,000 samples tested in 2012-13

100% samples
of food products
like chocolate,
cake, chhana,
yogurt, pickles,
dried fish,
fruit syrup,
sesame oil and
vegetable oil (dalda)
found adulterated

Around 80-99% of
ghee, juice, honey,
roshogolla,
chomchom,
sandesh, candy,
soybean oil and
powdered milk
found adulterated
Source: Institute of Public Health (IPH)
A H MAMUN/DTINFOGRAPHIC

PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

Traders poisonous
mix in fish busted
n Ashif Islam Shaon

PRO-BNP LAWYERS BOYCOTT COURT

A few HC judges skip

benches until lunch
n Julkar Ali Manik

Even after attending offices, a few High

Court judges yesterday refrained from
conducting their benches during the
first half of working hours when an organisation of pro-BNP lawyers boycotted courtrooms at the Supreme Court.
These judges, who spent the time in
their chambers, were appointed during
the rule of the BNP, said some sources
in the apex court.
The sources also said Chief Justice
Md Muzammel Hossain later called a
few of the judges to his office and asked
them to explain their act.
A few Supreme Court lawyers said on
condition of anonymity because the
matter was related to High Court judges
that judges usually did not come to court
on days of political hartals or blockade
programmes for security reasons.
But it had never happened that a

BASIC Bank MD
removed
n Tribune Report
BASIC Bank Managing Director Kazi
Faqurul Islam has been removed from
his position on charges of irregularities.
Bangladesh Bank made the decision
yesterday after reviewing the allegations of irregularities and involvement
in loan forgery against Faqurul.
Bangladesh Bank Executive Director
M Mahfuzur Rahman said Faqurul has
been removed for two years from all activities in the banking sector.
After two years he will cross the age
limit for working as an MD.
The job duration for the BASIC
PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

group of judges refrained from attending benches at the Supreme Court or

the High Court because of a court-boycotting programme of a lawyers organisation, one of the lawyers told the
Dhaka Tribune.
The Supreme Court registrar could
not say exactly how many judges from
which benches had skipped courtrooms until lunch and why.
The pro-BNP lawyers organisation
Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum had earlier
announced its programme for yesterday from 10:30am to 1pm.
A few court officials said Justice Md
Rezaul Haque had not attended his
bench before lunch and spent the time
in his chamber although another member of the bench, Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore, had wanted to conduct the
bench. Justice Gobinda had to spend
the time at Justice Rezauls chamber.
PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

An executive magistrate and police officials check fish for formalin at Mohammadpur Town Hall kitchen market in the capital
yesterday
RAJIB DHAR

Kamran Reza Chowdhury

Police fear there might be labour unrest in Savar and Ashulia belt as a few
garment factory owners have allegedly
resorted to retrenchment of workers
while investing to improve the safety
standard for workers.
Syed Ahmed, inspector general of
factory and establishment, told the
parliamentary standing committee on
the Labour Ministry yesterday that he
had information, subject to verification, that retrenchment had been reported in some factories.
He told the first meeting of the parliamentary body that around 11,000
workers of 16 factories lost their jobs as

his wing had closed down those factories for poor safety standard.
State Minister Mujibul Haque said
he took the matter seriously and convened on June 4 a meeting of the Crisis
Management Committee dedicated to
settle the unrest in RMG industry.
Abdus Salam, the deputy inspector
general of the industrial police, told the
meeting that many factories, including
one of a leading businessman and ruling party leader, had cut jobs.
If the retrenched workers failed to
get jobs ahead of Ramadan and Eid-ulFitr, there could be unrest in RMG units
in Savar and Ashulia, he said.
The DIG warned the businessman
that the industrial police would not

News

4 Regular occurrences of load shedding

continue to cause anguish in people in
both urban and rural areas, despite
recent assurances from power authorities
that the arrival of rain will reduce load
shedding.

B1 The government has been forewarned of

a volatile edible oil market during the month
of Ramadan.

PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Police fear unrest over RMG job cuts Leaked question paper
n
matches the original
come to his rescue unless he stopped
sacking workers without following the
proper rule.
We have taken the information provided by the DIG [into consideration]
and decided to hold a meeting of the
Crisis Management Committee on June
4, Mujibul Haque told the Dhaka Tribune after yesterdays meeting.
He said he also had information on
job cut at some factories.
The meeting, with chairman Monnujan Sufian in the chair, recommended
that the owners must not go for job cuts.
Syed Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune
that he could not figure out the actual
number of workers who had lost their
PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

n Mushque Wadud
The mathematics question paper for
the Higher Secondary Certificate Examination (HSC) matched the leaked
questions circulated on Saturday night
on a social networking media site.
The Dhaka Tribune looked into the
original question and found that 95%
of the questions were strikingly similar
to that of the leaked question paper.
The questions 1, 2 (or), 4, 5, 6 (or), 7,
8, 9, 10, 11 (or), 12, 13, 14, 15 (or), 16, 16B
(or), 17, and 18 (or) of the original ques-

INSIDE

Business

Textile colour, formalin and juice of

okra can make fishes look fresher for
longer. People see the sticky body of
fish, its reddish gill and confuse them
to be fresh.
The traders at Mohammadpur Town
Hall Kitchen Market were polishing
fishes with okra juice, putting red textile colours in the fish gills and formalin
on the body. But the secret formula was
revealed when a mobile court of the
Dhaka Metropolitan Police raided the
market yesterday.
Previously, using alarming rate of
health hazardous formalin in fishes
had raised concern among the city
dwellers, and now it seems that the
new formula could be the most dangerous invention by the dishonest traders.
The mobile court, amazed by the
new formula, dumped four mounds of
fishes in the dustbin after pouring kerosene on those so that those could not
be sold later.
The sellers, however, fled the

5 After the failed to implement Uttara

Apartment Project, Rajuk says it has planned
to go forward with the project on a G2G basis
with the Malaysian government.

World

Nation

6 Tree plunderers have long been cutting

down valuable wood-oil trees, locally known
as Garjan, from different reserve forests of
the district.

8 Long lines snaked around polling stations

in Kiev yesterday for Ukraines critical presidential election, a stark contrast to the troubled east where heavily armed pro-Russian
rebels intimidated voters by smashing ballot
boxes and blocking access to voting centers.
9 In a historic feat for Indian mountaineering, 13-year-old Malavath Purna yesterday
became the youngest female climber to scale
the Mount Everest.

Sport

13 Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff hit

back on Saturday at criticism voiced by
former soccer star Ronaldo over mishandled
preparations for the World Cup.

tion paper of the Dhaka Board exactly

matched the leaked one.
Rumours were rife on Saturday
night that the mathematics question
paper had been leaked. Some social
media groups posted the leaked question paper.
The Dhaka Tribune downloaded
some of the question papers.
On Sunday, after the Mathematics
examination was held, the Dhaka
Tribune collected the original question
paper.
PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, May 26, 2014

Arrested
ex-army official
sent to jail

NARAYANGANJ SEVEN MURDERS

Rana on 8-day
remand
n

Our Correspondent, Narayanganj

A Narayanganj court yesterday put

Lt Commander MM Rana, former incharge of the Special Crime Prevention
Company of RAB 11, on an eight-day
remand in the second phase in connection with the seven gruesome murders
in Narayanganj.
Following seven days of remand
under Section 54, Rana was shown arrested in two cases filed in connection
with the seven killings and was sent to
court yesterday afternoon where police
sought a 10-day remand order. Following hearing, Narayanganj Senior Judicial Magistrate KM Mahiuddin remanded him for eight days in the case filed
by Selina Yasmin Beauty, wife of slain
panel mayor Nazrul Islam.
The court also ruled that remand
hearing in the lawsuit registered by Dr
Bijoy Kumar Pal, son-in-law of slain
Advocate Chandan Sarker, would be
held when the second-phase remand
hearing would end.
At the hearing, Advocate Sakhawat
Hossain, president of Narayanganj District Lawyers Association, said Rana
should be put on remand and interro-

gated to know whether any outside terrorist worked with RAB officials as accomplice in the seven-murder incident.
It is impossible for three RAB personnel to pick up seven people and kill
them. There were many others who
collaborated with the RAB officers. In
addition, a video clip of the seven abductions has been found during the investigation. Rana should also be interrogated concerning that, he said.
The associations General Secretary
Jakir Hossain and Additional Public
Prosecutor Fazlur Rahman also took
part in the hearing. I have nothing to
say. I will accept any decision taken by
the court, Rana said.
Police arrested Rana, who was sent
to retirement in connection with the
seven murders, from Dhaka Cantonment in the late hours on May 18. He
was then shown arrested under Section 54 and was put on a seven-day
remand.
Earlier, RAB 11 former commanding
officer Lt Col Tarek Sayeed Mohammad
and RAB 11 Major Arif Hossain were
remanded for eight days in the second
phase after showing them arrested in
connection with the seven murders. l

Ex-MP Akram to vie

Narayanganj 5 by-poll
n Our Correspondent, Narayanganj

Former MP and past Narayanganj

district Awami League convenor SM
Akram is going to contest the Narayanganj 5 by-polls slated for June 26.
Akram, adviser of Nagorik Oikya,
yesterday declared his candidature in
the constituency (Shahar-Bandar) at a
press conference held in Narayanganj
Press Club at noon.
I have decided to run the by-polls
at the request from my followers. The
Narayanganj people also want to see
me as MP. I am hopeful of winning the
race,said Akram.
In 2011, the former AL leader quit his
post centring on disagreements with
the party high-ups during the Narayan-

Charge framing
hearing against
Khoka deferred

n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday deferred until

June 25 the hearing on charge framing
against BNP Vice-Chairman Sadeque
Hossain Khoka and three others in an
money embezzlement case.
Judge Md Jalil Uddin of Special
Judge Court 3 granted the defences
time petition and fixed the date.
The case was filed againstKhoka
and others in 2012 for misappropriating
Tk26 lakh from public fund and causing losses of another Tk11 lakh. l

ganj City Corporation elections.

Meanwhile on Saturday night, Krishak Sramik Janata League (KSJL) President Abdul Kader Siddiqui at a party
programme held in Tanbazar area of
the district town declared his candidature in the by-polls. Local activists
of KSJL yesterday bought nomination
papers in favour of its three leaders, including Kader Siddiqui.
In line with BNP, Kader Siddiqui had
also boycotted the January 5 elections.
On Wednesday, Santrash Nirmul
Toki Mancha convener Rafiur Rabbi
also collected nomination papers to vie
for the polls.
On April 30, the parliamentary seat fell
vacant following the death of Jatiya Party
MP Nasim Osman at a hospital in India. l

PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

Bank MD was supposed to expire

on June 6 this year, according to the
source.
Faqurul had admitted of his involvement in loan forgery of Tk4,500 crore
that was carried out between December 2009 and November 2012, Mahfuzur said.
Earlier on May 24, Bangladesh Bank
formed a standing committee to review
the allegations raised against Faqurul.
On May 19, Faqurul faced the standing committee headed by Bangladesh
Bank Deputy Governor Nazneen Sultana but failed to prove his innocence.
The committees recommendation

information on the murder and we

hope that the financier behind the
murder would be apprehended shortly.
According to sources, Ekrams
enmity with Jihad began in 2011, when
the slain leader backed an expatriate
named Harun-ur-Rashid who beat
Jihad in the election for Anandapur
union. Later, Jihad extended his
support for his cousin and BNP-backed
candidate Mahtab Udin Chowdhury
Minar in the recent upazila parishad
poll.
Ekram who eventually won the
election later suspended Jihad from
the local AL committee following the
polls. However, the suspension was
withdrawn after local lawmaker Nizam
Uddin Hazari reportedly intervened.
At the time, Jihad reportedly declared in public that he would retaliate to his suspension from the party
by suspending Ekram from his life,
sources said.
When contacted, Nizam Uddin
Hazari, MP of Feni 2 constituency, said
the identities of the financiers behind
the killing would come out soon
through investigation.
The perpetrators must be punished
irrespective of their political allegiance,
the ruling party lawmaker said, adding
that investigators would be welcome
to arrest him if they could find his
connection with the crime.
Meanwhile, a district court yesterday
granted eight days remand against

each of the nine arrestees, including

the eight who were arrested in Dhaka.
Senior Magistrate Mohammad Khairul
Amin placed the men in remand
after Abul Kalam Azad, investigation
officer of the case and inspector of
Feni Model police station, sought a 10day remand. The criminals, however,
pleaded innocent during hearing of the
remand plea.
The nine arrestees are Ward Councillor Abdullahil Mahmud Shiblu, Abid,
Jahidul Islam Saikat, Chowdhury Mohammad Nafiz Uddin alias Anik, Sajedul Islam Alias Sifat, Kazi Sahman
Mahmud, Shah Jalal Uddin Shipan, Jahid Hossain, and Helaluddin.
The court also placed four other arrestees on five days remand. Anowar,
Iqbal, Alauddin and Shakhawat were
arrested by district police soon after
the crime.
According to district BNP and AL
leaders, three of those arrested from
Dhaka are reportedly linked with BNPs
politics. Saikat, the son of Parshuram
upazila woman Vice-Chairperson and
Mohila Dal President Nasima Kamrul,
is involved with Chhatra Dal; Nafiz is
the son of BNPs Fulgazi upazila unit
former secretary Didar Chowdhury;
while Sajedul was also involved with
Chhatra Dal.
On Tuesday, 47-year-old Ekramul
Haque, a two-time elected chairman
of Fulgazi upazila, was shot and burnt
alive by unidentified criminals in the
Academy area of Feni district town. l

said the committee tried to ask them

everything. The probe is proceeding
and we will also question whoever we
need to, he said.
The probe body chief continued that
their task is in the final stage and they
will try to submit the report to the High
Court within June 4 as per its direction
if possible. Otherwise, we will request
the HC to extend the submission time,
he explained.
The committee will interrogate all
the then officer-in-charges and intelligence agency members of Narayanganj, today.
Nur Hossain, prime accused in the
murder case, went into hiding after the
abductions and killings of the seven
people last month.
Narayanganj City Corporation panel
mayor Nazrul Islam, lawyer Chandan
Sarkar and five others were abducted
on April 27 and then killed. Their bodies were later recovered from the Shitalakkhya River. l

A Chittagong court sent a former

major of Bangladesh Army to jail
yesterday for his alleged attempt
to abduct a businessman, by
impersonating RAB personnel, from
Chittagong citys Chowmuhoni area on
May 18.
Police sources said the accused,
Major (retd) Arif Ahmed, 44, has been
undergoing treatment in Chittagong
Medical College Hospital since May
19. Arif was arrested from the scene
after he was caught red-handed by the
locals, the sources added.
Metropolitan Magistrate Farid Alam
passed the order, rejecting the request
for bail by the defence, after Arif was
produced before the court, six days
after his arrest due to his mental illness,
said Md Rezaul Masud, additional
deputy commissioner of prosecution
in CMP.
Advocate
Iftekhar
Saimul
Chowdhury, counsel for the plaintiff,
said the defence had claimed that
the accused was mentally challenged
but his physician could not show any
evidence before the court.
He said: We pleaded before that
court to reject his bail prayer saying
that it will be risky for other people if
a mentally challenged person was to be
released.
Arif, along with five to six other
accomplices, attempted to abduct
Golam Rabbani Moon, 32, a government
authorised chemical supplier, from
in front of Hotel Eastern View on May
18
around
8:30pm,
identifying
themselves as RAB men.
The locals, however, came forward
and caught Arif after the victim cried
for help but the others managed to flee
the scene. Police said Arif seemed to be
a mentally challenged person and so he
was taken to CMCH.
Moon
lodged
a
case
with
Double
Mooring
police
station
accusing Arif and Nowsad, 40, along
with four to five unidentified persons
in this connectionon the afternoon of
May 19.
Arif was an official of the education
corps of Bangladesh Army. He faced
forceful retirement as the army medical
board found him physically unfit in
2009. l

Police fear unrest

A few HC judges

PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

Members of National Garment Workers Federation rally with red flags in front of the National Press Club yesterday, protesting abduction
of workers' leader Moniruzzaman in Bhaluka of Mymensingh and vandalisim at his house
RAJIB DHAR

Shamim Osman to be questioned

if required
n Mohosinul Karim
Shahjahan Ali Mollah, head of the
high-powered government probe body
formed for the sensational Narayanganj seven-murder case, said yesterday
that they might interrogate ruling party
lawmaker Shamim Osman and others if
it is required to unearth the facts.
In another query whether MP Shamim would be interrogated over the
leaked conversation with Nur Hossain,
Shahjahan Ali said: Our investigation
is going on. If it is required to quiz him,
we will obviously do it. Everyone relating to the incident will be questioned.
The probe body head made the remarks when he was leaving the Secretariat after grilling former Deputy
Commissioner Monaj Kanti Boral and
Narayanganj Superintendent of Police
Syed Nurul Islam.
Requesting anonymity, a probe
committee member told the Dhaka
Tribune that Shamim Osman is likely

to be interrogated by the committee

next week.
On Friday, a private television
channel aired a phone conversation
between Shamim Osman and Nur Hossain, prime accused in the seven-murder case. Later, at a press conference,
the lawmaker admitted to having had
such a conversation.
The committee quizzed the SP from
10:30am till 1:30pm while the DC was
questioned from 2:45pm till 4:35pm.
All of the members of the committee
were present during the interrogation.
However, neither the committee
members nor the officials talked to the
media except Shahjahan Mollah.
After the interrogation, Shahjahan
said they recorded their (DC and SP)
statements and quizzed them about
the incident.
When asked whether the committee
inquired about relations between Nur
Hossain and the two former Narayanganj administration chiefs, Shahjahan

BASIC Bank MD removed

Mastermind of Ekram murder

PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

to the central bank governor for removing Faqurul was approved yesterday,
sources said.
Investigations by Bangladesh Bank
last year revealed that the Basic Bank
had approved loans of Tk4,500 crore,
mostly without proper documentation
or scrutiny.
Most of the irregularities took
place in BASIC Banks four branches Motijheel, Shantinagar, Dilkusha
and Gulshan that granted loans of
Tk4,424.93 crore between December
2009 and November 2012 on poor documents and inflated mortgages. The
bank gave loans to nonexistent companies and promptly approved loans to

clients after they had opened accounts.

In September last year, a memorandum of understanding was signed
between Bangladesh Bank and BASIC
Bank to rein in the financial irregularities, rampant in the state-run scheduled bank for the past few years. But
the central banks latest investigations
still found irregularities at BASIC Bank,
even as recently as January, which
prompted Bangladesh Bank to slap a notice to Faqurul asking why he should not
be removed from his position.
Government also decided to shut
down the Gulshan branch of the BASIC
Bank in Dhaka because of its massive
irregularities. l

jobs. The owners had been renovating

those factories for better working conditions following the Rana Plaza collapse April 24 last year.
But I have information that some retrenchment has been on. We will discuss
the issue at the June 4 meeting, he said.
Garment worker Mohammad Alam,
25, is one who lost job two months ago
and now runs a battery-run rickshaw in
Mirpur area.
I have gone from factory to factory, but
the owners are not willing to recruit any
workerThey will rather cut jobs, Alam
told this correspondent. The owners now
want 10 workers to do the job of 30 as they
have been renovating their factories. l

Traders poisonous mix in fish busted

PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

market sensing presence of the law enforcers, Nur A Alam, an assistant commissioner of the DMP, said.
Police officials who took part in the
morning drive said the sellers first cut
the okras in small pieces and extract
juice. Using the juice makes the fishes
to glitter. Moreover, they put red textile
colours in the gill. The formalin is put
on the body in an old style.
Under the bright bulbs, the fishes on
display look fresher.
Executive Magistrate Abul Kalam
Azad, who led the drive, said the new
formula had been applied normally on
ruhi, katla and boal. The buyers usually prefer sticky surface and reddish

gill of a fish to consider buying it as a

fresh one.
The court found that a boal fish contained 0.53 formalin while ruhi and
katla had 0.35. Some small fishes contained 0.65 formalin.
If a fish contains presence of formalin at 0.01, it becomes harmful for
health.
He said the court used formalin
identification kit to examine its presence.
On May 22, the fish traders swooped
on a mobile court during a raid. They
also locked in clashes with the police
team accompanying the mobile court.
The kitchen market was declared
formalin-free by the administration

last year.
High extent formalin in fruits
During yesterdays drive, over 100
fruit sellers fled the market leaving
their products. Later the mobile court
found presence high degree of formalin in litchi, mango, watermelon and
apple.
The litchis, which were sold at Tk5
each had 9.2 while mango had 7.93 formalin. The court detained a fruit seller
named Abdus Sattar red-handed and
fined him Tk1,000.
Sattar, however, claimed that he
had not mixed formalin with the fruits
himself. He bought the fruits from the
wholesale market in the capitals Badamtali. l

Leaked question paper matches the original

PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

However, Intermediate and Secondary

Education Board Chairman Taslima Begum denied that the leaked questions
matched the original one.
We have collected the leaked questions from Facebook and matched them
with the original questions and found
they were not the same, she said.
When asked, how and from where
the Facebook groups were collecting
the leaked questions, she stated: Only
Allah knows where they were getting
those questions from.
Earlier, the Dhaka Education Board
had to postpone the English Second Paper examination after allegations were

made regarding question paper leakage.

The Education Ministry also formed a
committee to investigate the incident
and the committee is now working.
A Facebook page Porikher Ager
Rater Proshno Nin (Get the question
paper the night before the examination), posted a question paper on Saturday night. The examination was scheduled to be held the next day (Sunday).
Another group Bangladesh HSC
Board 2014 Suggestion and Question
Help Line/Center posted on Saturday
night: Send me message if you want to
get 100% real mathematics questions.
Another group HSC Exam 2014
posted a question and put up a status:

Tell me which boards question you

want.
Comments of many students were
found beneath the leaked questions
saying almost 95% of the questions
were common.
A group Paro Tomar Provur Name
(Read in the name of your God) posted
at 6pm on Sunday: The Mathematics
question paper we provided yesterday
matched 95% of the original one and
this is tomorrows Mathematics Second
Paper question. We hope that you will
find 95% common in this paper too.
Another group Shapno Shoha Pakhi also posted a question on Saturday
night. l

When contacted, Supreme Court Registrar AKM Shamsul Islam told the Dhaka
Tribune over phone that he had been
out of office to attend some businesses and so had not much information in
this regard.
I have heard that two to four
benches did not conduct judicial work
and a few judges left the courtrooms after attending for a short time, he said.
But I do not know the reason behind
the incident.
A number of lawyers said there was
the possibility of the incident having
link with the Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forums court-boycotting programme.
It was not even a programme called
by the Supreme Court Bar Association;
it was a programme of merely an organisation of a political party. Judges
have never refrained from attending
benches during the protest programme
of a partisan lawyers group, said one
of them.
When contacted, former SCBA secretary Rezaul Karim said: There was no
other apparent reason for the benches
for not operating during the period of
the court-boycotting programme called
by the Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum.
Although some sources confirmed
that the Chief Justice had asked explanation from a few of those judges, the
Supreme Court registrar said he did not
know anything in this regard. l

46% food products

PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

punitive actions that had been taken

against those involved in food adulteration.
Health sector sources said the government had passed the food act and
once the rules are finalised they will
go for drastic punitive actions against
those involved with the adulterated
food business.
Health specialists say millions of
Bangladeshis are being affected by food
poisoning every year, and yet people
are unaware of it. Although there has
been no nationwide research on food
adulteration and its affect on health,
food adulteration is a leading cause
behind the increase in non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer,
stroke, hypertension, and heart and
kidney-related ailments, they added. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, May 26, 2014

TIB: Graft, political clout barrier to

local government development
n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla
Corruption and political influence are
the main barriers to the development
of the local government administration, said a study of the Transparency
International Bangladesh yesterday.
The study, however, gave credit
to the government for some achievements in the administration of the local
government.
But it said the achievement could
have been greater if there had been no
corruption and political influence. The
TIB suggested a withdrawal of lawmakers involvement in the local administration to ensure good governance.
The TIB organised a roundtable discussion at Brac Inn Center where the
research report said widespread irregularities and corruption took place in
different tiers of the local government.
Discussants at the roundtable, however, criticised the report saying that it
did not mention any specific proposal
for the way out.
TIB officials Rabiul Islam and Farhana Rahman presented the research
findings while local government expert Zarina Rahman Khan, Salahuddin
M Aminuzzaman and senior Awami
League leader Tofail Ahmed discussed
the paper.
TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman moderated the roundtable dis-

HC splits on
Khaledas petitions
n Nazmus Sakib
A High Court bench yesterday passed
dissenting orders on two writ pleas
lodged by BNP Chairperson Khaleda
Zia questioning the legality of the appointment of Dhakas Special Judge
Basudev Roy.
Justice Farah Mahbub stayed the
trial proceedings for three months in
two corruption cases while Justice Kazi
Ejarul Haque Akondo, the other judge,
summarily rejected the petitions.
After issuing the orders, the bench
said they would send the petitions along
with the orders to Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain so that he fixes a single
judges bench to hear the pleas. Then
the view of the majority would be final.
After yesterdays orders, Attorney
General Mahbubey Alam hoped that
the petitions would be disposed of by
June 19, fixed for the recording of depositions of prosecution witnesses by the
lower court. The testimonies had been
deferred twice due to the petitions filed
by Khaleda challenging the indictment
orders and the judges appointment.
The petitions were filed by lawyer
Asaduzzaman on May 12 on behalf of
Khaleda in the Zia Orphanage Trust and
Zia Charitable Trust corruption cases.
Khaledas lawyer AJ Mohammad
Ali contended that the appointment
of Basudev Roy had been illegal as no
gazette notification was published. On
the other hand, the attorney general argued that publishing a gazette notification was not obligatory. l

TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman speaks at a roundtable on local government in the capital yesterday
cussion. State Minister for Rural Development and Cooperatives Mashiur
Rahman Ranga was present at the discussion as the chief guest.
The TIB put forward an 18-point
recommendation to free the local government bodies from irregularities and
corruption.
M Hafizuddin Khan, member of the
Trustee Board of the TIB, said there
were criticisms about the local government as the negative issues always
come to the forefront in discussions.

But it does not mean that there is

nothing positive. Our main concern is
to identify how much the political leaders are willing to do to end the corruption, he said.
The research reveals that a maximum of 10% bribe is given to the local
government department to get projects
and special allocations and about 10% to
20% is given to the ruling political party
leaders and activists to get work orders.
The research report also said the contractors have to pay bribes to the local

The eighth prosecution witness in the

trial of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Maulana
Abdus Subhan yesterday said he had
witnessed the abduction and torture of
his father and Jayen Uddin Alias Jhoru
Kha during the 1971 Liberation War.
Ashraf Uddin Mia, 57, son of Alauddin Mia an Ansar commander, hails
from Arunkhola in Ishwardi of Pabna.
The witness said he had been a student
of class V during the war.
On a day in the middle of Baishakh
[first month of Bangla calendar], Subhan with his cohorts came to our place

government officials for their work, to

get work orders, working bills and so on.
The paper suggested 18 recommendations to make the local government
more effective.
The recommendations include ending the interference of MPs, proper balance in the power and responsibility
between administration and local government, rewarding honest and good
officials and punishing the corrupt officials, the introduction of e-procurement and digitised taxation. l

A new prosecution witness in the case

against Syed Mohammad Qaisar claimed
yesterday that the accused and his cohorts, with the help of Pakistani occupation forces, had burnt at least 25 Hindu
villages and killed around 100 people in
a day during the 1971 Liberation War.
Abdul Matin alias Jalal, 63, testified
at the International Crimes Tribunal 2
and described the atrocities that took

n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan
Mozena stressed the need for good relations between Bangladesh and India
at a programme yesterday.
Mozena was delivering a speech on
US-Bangladesh partnership at the Bangladesh Institute of International and
Strategic Studies in the city.
The ambassador said Chinese engagement with Bangladesh is a good
thing. We see Chinese engagement
here is very constructive, he stated.
Of course, Bangladesh is going to
have good relations with India; it has
no option but to do that, Mozena said.
He visited many districts in the bordering areas and found potentials for
trade with the seven sisters.
Its not really happening now. It
should be huge. They dont have any
apparel industry. They should get all
apparels from here, he said.
I am hopeful that America will be
able to provide a second [naval ship]
cutter though no decision has been
made yet to this end, he said.
Washington has already provided a
cutter to the Bangladesh Navy. The 378
feet cutter Somudra Joy is the largest
vessel in the Bangladesh Navy. It visited
the Philippines to provide disaster relief
and also joined the international search
for the missing Malaysian Air Flight.
The ambassador said the US believes
those who commit crimes against humanity should be held accountable.

n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday ordered 20
years of rigorous imprisonment for the
outlawed JMBs explosives expert Jahidul Islam Mizan alias Boma Mizan,
who has been a fugitive since February,
in a case filed for possessing explosives.
Dhakas Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan also sentenced Mizans
wife Halima Begum alias Sharmin to
a five year imprisonment in the same
case filed for possessing grenades and
explosives.
In the other case lodged under Arms
Act over the same incident, the couple
was sentenced to 37 years of imprisonment on June 3, 2012.
RAB arrested Mizan and his wife
from Mirpur on May 15, 2009 and recovered arms and a huge amount of explosives from their house in East Monipuri Para of Mirpur.
During the order yesterday afternoon, Halima was present at the court.
Mizan and two of his fellows were
snatched from a prison van in Mymensingh on February 23.
Hailing from Shekhervita village
under Jamalpur sadar upazila, Mizan is
accused in 19 cases filed with different
police stations. He was given 30 years
of jail time in the Mymensingh cinema
hall explosions case, 20 years for illegal
possession of explosives and lifetime

rigorous imprisonment in another case.

According to the case, elite force
RAB arrested Mizan, an explosives expert of the outlawed Islamist group,
and his wife at a house in North Pirerbagh in the citys Mirpur area. After
searching another house at East Monipuri Para, RAB sized a huge amount of
gun powder and explosives.

Mizan is accused in 19
cases. He was given
30 years of jail time
in the Mymensingh
cinema hall explosions
case, 20 years for
illegal possession of
explosives and lifetime
rigorous imprisonment
in another case
The following day, RABs Deputy Assistant Director Md Abdur Rahim filed
two cases with Mirpur police station
one under the Explosives Act and the
other for possessing arms illegally.
The investigation officer of the case,
Md Moshiur Rahman, pressed charges
on June 15, 2009 accusing the duo
while the court indicted them on January 28, 2010. l

and enquired about my father. Some Bihari and members of the Pakistani Army
were with him. The witness said Subhan had ordered to loot the house when
they failed to capture Alauddin. They
also looted the house of Jhoru Kha.
On the first day of Jaishthya [second month of Bangla calendar], Subhan along with the Pakistani Army men
came to Arunkhola and surrounded a
tea stall of the market place. They captured my father and Jhoru Kha from
there and took them to Ishwardi Rest
House, which was used as a concentration camp then, Ashraf said.
His family members later contacted

one Khoda Box for the release of Alauddin. Khoda Box told us to go to Subhan as he was their leader. Alauddin
and Jhoru Kha were both freed by the
razakars following the order of Subhan,
but they were seriously wounded.
After several days, Alauddin told
Ashraf about the confinement. The
witness said Subhan had ordered Khoda Box to torture on them. He was tortured in presence of the accused.
At the end of deposition, the witness
demanded justice saying that though
his family arranged proper treatment,
his father had died because of his weak
health following torture. l

place at Chitna, Gutma, Dawra, Bhurunga and Nishchintapur of Habiganj.

The witness was the chairman of
Guniauk Union Parishad in 1988. He
knew Qaisar, a state minister in Ershads
tenure, since he was a political person.
He had taken part in the 1970 election
campaign for the Awami League as a
student of Chittagong City College.
Jalal said: In November, our informer Kutub Raja told us that hundreds of
army men, along with the Qaisar Bahini,

planned to attack Nasir Nagar. Following

this, we divided in many small groups,
and as per the plan, I went to Chitna, taking five fellow members with me.
On November 15, the anti-liberation forces gathered at one Monjur Alis
place and were planning to attack the
nearby villages. Then we went to a secure place near the cremation ground
and witnessed the atrocities in Chitna,
Gutma and Dawra, he said, adding that
Qaisar had left the place around noon.

They should be held accountable by

processes fully consistent with domestic laws and fully consistent with international obligations, he said.
Human rights situation is an area
where Bangladesh and the US differ. If
you read our human rights report, you
can see our concern about respect for
human rights, concerns about extrajudicial killings, abductions, disappearances its all documented in our annual human rights report. That is one
area of divergence, he said.
The ambassador said he was posted
to Bangladesh as he had simply demanded to be here.
Earlier, the government asked the
United States for military aircrafts under the Excess Defence Article system.
We made the request during the
US-Bangladesh Security Dialogue held
here last month, said a senior official
of the foreign ministry.
After the security dialogue in April,
US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Tom Kelly said Bangladesh sought
more military equipment from the United States. Bangladesh did express its
interest in receiving more equipment
from the US. There are various ways for
Bangladesh to obtain military equipment from the United States, he said.
In 1997, Bangladesh procured four
C130B cargo aircrafts from the US under the Excess Defence Article. Dhaka
received $2.5 million in assistance under the US foreign military financing
programme in 2012. l

JaPa undecided
over Narayanganj
by-polls candidate
n Manik Miazee

City dwellers suffer at a Farmgate footbridge after rainwater became stagnant on it. The
photo was taken yesterday
SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Jatiya Party, main opposition in the

Parliament, is yet to decide over selecting a candidate to vie in the Narayanganj 5 by-elections.
According to a high official of the party, JaPa Chairman HM Ershad wants his
brother GM Quader to fight for the seat.
On the contrary, Opposition Leader Rawshan Ershad wants to nominate Golam
Mochi, her political secretary, while local
leaders favour Parvin Osman, wife of late
Nasim Osman.
Interestingly, Ershad on Saturday
declared the candidature of Parvin at a
meeting arranged on the memory of Nasim Osman, but later he made a U-turn.
There is rumour that Arfin Osman,
daughter of Nasim Osman, may also contest in the constituency (Shahar-Bandar).
As sequel to the deadlock, JaPa postponed its Parliamentary Board meeting, set for yesterday.
Secretary General Ziauddin Ahmed
Bablu said the board would decide on
the candidature and disclose the name
before May 29.
When contacted, Mochi told the
Dhaka Tribune that he wanted to take
part in the by-elections.
Meanwhile, Awami League Parliamentary Board at a meeting chaired
by party President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declined to give any
candidate for the seat and extended its
support to the JaPa candidate. l

Order on contempt of HRW July 15

n Udisa Islam
The war crimes tribunal will pass order
whether to draw contempt proceedings
against New York-based Human Rights
Watch on July 15.
Prosecutors Zead-al-Malum, Tureen
Afroz and Tapas Kanti Baul took part in
the hearing at the International Crimes
Tribunal 1 yesterday and pleaded for
the initiating of contempt proceedings.
They said while the appeals case was
pending before the Appellate Division
of the Supreme Court, the HRW ran
a scandalising report with bias and
malafide intention.
On September 2 last year, the tribunal issued a notice upon the rights body
and two of its officials, asking as to why

Witness: Qaisar killed 100 people, burnt 25 villages

n Udisa Islam

Mozena: Dhaka to have

good relations with India

Notorious Boma Mizan

gets 20 years in jail

Witness in Subhan case describes

fathers abduction in Pabna
n Udisa Islam

NASHIRUL ISLAM

The witness said they had gone to

the place again the following day and
found that at least 30 people had been
killed during the atrocities. When they
went to Rajab Alis house in Lazmipur
village, the locals told us that Qaisar and his cohorts had gone there and
burnt houses after looting goods and
killed at least 100 Hindu people.
The tribunal adjourned the trial until today, keeping the cross-examination incomplete. l

proceedings should not be drawn against

them for contempt of court. The prosecution filed a petition against the organisation for making biased, baseless, utterly
false, fabricated and ill-motivated allegations in its report published on August
16 last year regarding the trial of convicted Jamaat-e-Islami chief Ghulam Azam.
Md Asaduzzaman, counsel for the
defendants, apologised for his clients,
stating, As the defendants are citizens
of foreign countries, they do not have
any knowledge of the contempt law
and proceedings of this country.
The tribunal then said: It seems
your client has much knowledge on
various things, but only lacks information about the contempt law.
Though Asad apologised, the de-

fendants did not mention it in their

replies. The tribunal said: Your reply
and submissions are also contradictory. The counsel claimed that the HRW
had never supported the role of Jamaat
during the Liberation War and that it
never published any one-sided report.
Prosecutor Tureen, however, argued
that the article put on their website can
and will be held for contempt of court
in any country. She said: Offence can
take place anywhere but when it is on
the internet then it has impact everywhere and can be recognised and considered under territorial jurisdiction.
Referring to international human
rights laws, Tureen said the international laws also did not allow them to
comment on any subjudice matter. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, May 26, 2014

Rain fails to bring

respite to load
shedding woes
n Aminur Rahman Rasel
Regular occurrences of load shedding
continue to cause anguish in people
in both urban and rural areas, despite
recent
assurances
from
power
authorities that the arrival of rain will
reduce load shedding.
Although different areas in the
country experienced rain over the
past two days, people are facing
several daily rounds of load shedding,
including midnight power outages,
as the gap between demand and
production continues to exist.

Although it has been

raining for the last two
days, the extreme heat
wave continues. So
load shedding is not
reducing
Although the electricity generation
capacity has increased to 10,341MW,
the Power Development Board (PDB)
was still unable to produce to its full
capacity because of the incapability
of the distribution side, claimed PDB
officials.
PDB sources also said inadequate
gas supply for generating power is
resulting in load shedding across the
country.
Compared to a countrywide demand
of 7,500MW, power authorities are
producing an average of around
6,800MW every day.
Currently, the production of
1,800MW of power is reportedly
suspended because of mechanical

faults, along with a further suspension

of around 900MW of power production
because of gas and oil shortages.
As we are unable to generate
additional electricity because of gas
shortages, we have to manage the gap
with load management, which will be
implemented through load shedding,
PDB Chairman Md Abduhu Ruhulla
told the Dhaka Tribune.
Although it has been raining for the
last two days, the extreme heat wave
continues. So load shedding is not
reducing, he claimed.
Dhaka residents are reportedly
experiencing daily load shedding of
up to six hours, while the situation
is worse outside the capital, where
consumers claim to be experiencing
nine hours of load shedding every day.
Shahadat Hossain, a resident
in Dhakas Azimpur, said they are
experiencing midnight load shedding.
I have suffered four to six hours load
shedding during day and night time.
We are still suffering from the problem
with a little improvement in the
situation, he claimed.
Md Mofazzal Hoque, a school
teacher and resident of the citys
Mohammadpur area, said: We had
experienced load shedding for two to
three hours a few days back.
Dhaka Power Distribution Company
Limiteds Managing Director Nazrul
Hasan admitted limitations of his
areas distributions system, saying
some areas suffer outages because of
localised bottlenecks in the system.
On the other hand, Md Mahbub
Alam, a villager of Paikgacha in Khulna
who is also the manager of a private
bank, told the Dhaka Tribune that
farmers, examinees and children are
suffering because of frequent load
shedding during the ongoing heat
wave. l

Rains on two consecutive days have begun to reduce the heat. Two children are enjoying the rain on Bijoy Sarani yesterday

TK3,500 CRORE MISAPPROPRIATION ALLEGATION

Wealth info of 2 ex-BASIC Bank staff, families sought

n Tribune Report

The Anti-Corruption Commission

(ACC) yesterday asked two former officials of state-owned Bangladesh Small
Industries and Commerce Bank Limited and their family members to submit
their wealth statements within the
next seven days.
The notices were served in connection with an enquiry into alleged
accumulation of illegal wealth. Both
the officials were suspended over the

Court gives RAB

more time to
submit report
n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

NGOs unresponsive
over special schools
for autistic children
n Kamran Reza Chowdhury
The government has not received expected response from potential partners for setting up special schools for
autistic children in the country.
The dismal disclosure came out
at the meeting of the parliamentary
standing committee on the Social Welfare Ministry a couple of days after the
UN had adopted the Bangladesh resolution on autism.
Discussing the progress of work
on starting special schools at district
headquarters, ministry officials told
the committee that it had failed to find
partner schools to finance the scheme.
The district administrations have
been able to select only 20 NGOs
in 20 districts to run these schools,
Monoranjan Shil Gopal, a committee
member, told the Dhaka Tribune.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas
daughter Saima Hossain Putul is the pioneer in advancing the cause of autistic
children, who have very little scope of
education in the country.
Officials said the ministry had been
pushing the DCs to speed up the process to set up more schools. l

allegations.
ACC Deputy Director Syed Iqbal
Hossain served the notices to BASIC
Bank former deputy managing director A Monayem Khan, his wife Shahana
Parvin, former general manager Mohammad Ali, his wife Kismat Ara and
son Abdul Momen Chowdhury.
They were asked to submit statements on all movable and immovable
properties under their ownership before the commission secretary, an ACC
official told reporters.

During primary enquiry, ACC investigators found that the wealth of

Monayem and Ali were inconsistent
with their known sources of income,
prompting officials to serve notices not
only to the two but also to their family
members.
The two were suspended last month
over their alleged involvement in financial scam.
Back in 2012, the ACC launched an
enquiry into alleged misappropriation
of Tk3,500 crore from the bank by a

section of its officials. No visible progress has been made so far as the enquiry is still underway.
The money was allegedly embezzled from different branches of the
bank by sanctioning loans to some fake
companies through letters of credit,
inland bill purchases and counterfeit
documents.
Irregularities mostly occurred in
Dilkusha, Shantinagar and Gulshan
branches when Mohammad Ali was
the in-charge of Shantinagar branch. l

Obaidul: No decision yet on hiring

manpower for Padma bridge project

SAGAR-RUNI MURDER

A Dhaka court yesterday fixed June 29

for the submission before it of the probe
report of the journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi murder case.
Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Erfanullah fixed the date as the investigation officer had failed to submit
the report yesterday.
Sagar, news editor of private TV
station Maasranga, and his wife Runi,
a senior reporter of ATN Bangla, were
killed in the small hours on February
11, 2012 at their rented apartment in the
capitals West Rajabazar.
Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police started
investigations into the case.
Later the case was shifted to the
DB police. However, the High Court
ordered the case to be shifted to elite
force RAB for investigation as the former had expressed its inability to resolve the case. l

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

Floral tributes pour in for national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam at his graveyard on his birth
anniversary yesterday
NASHIRUL ISLAM

Communication Minister Obaidul

Quader said yesterday that the government has yet to take any decision
on recruiting workers for the Padma
bridge project.
In reply to queries from journalists about alleged corruption in hiring
manpower for the project, Obaidul said
the departments concerned, including
the Bridges Division and the Bangladesh Army, had not placed any advertisements for recruitment.

EQUITY BEFORE EQUALITY

Indigenous people demand special budget

n Tazlina Zamila Khan
Speakers at a dialogue held in the capital
yesterday demanded special allocation
for the countrys indigenous population
in the upcoming budget.
The programme, titled We Want an
Indigenous Friendly Budget, was organised by ActionAid and took place in
Kawranbazar area.
Shaktipod Tripura, organising secretary of Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum, said: Indigenous people
are poorer than the poor people in Bangladesh because they are losing their
land to grabbers.
The government, in its election
manifesto, promised to give special
benefits to the community, but in reality nothing has happened.
In FY2013-14, the government allotted Tk755 crore for the Chittagong Hill

Tracts community and Tk16 crore for

plain land indigenous people, when
the allocation should have been at least
Tk4,000 crore, he added.
Sanjeeb Drong, general secretary
of the forum, said around 65% of the
population in the CHT region and 80%
in the plain land were poor due to land
grabbing. He placed five demands to
ensure separate budget and arrangements to maintain that budget for the
development of the indigenous community in all aspects.
Rabindranath Shoren, president of Bangladesh Adibashi Parishad, said: Only
budget allocation is not enough. The
CHT Land Commission Amendment
Act has not been implemented properly,
which gave the grabbers leeway to steal
these peoples land. If the nation and the
government become more accepting towards the indigenous population, it will

be easier to save these communities.

Prof Dalem Chandra Barman,
vice-chancellor of ASA University, said:
The state is not playing its role properly, and it is affecting the indigenous
community.
Fazle Hossain Badsha MP, convener
of the parliamentary caucus of indigenous peoples, claimed a vested group
were plotting against the indigenous
community.
The community in Barendra region
suffer from lack of water, which should
have been brought to the governments
attention, he said.
Those who have lost their land
should be rehabilitated, he added.
Among others, Civil Aviation and
Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon
and member of parliamentary caucus on
indigenous peoples Ushaton Talukdar
MP were also present at the event. l

Five Jamaat, two Shibir men held

n Tribune Report

Police yesterday night held five Jamaat-e-Islami workers as they were

preparing to commit sabotage in Chatak upazila of Sunamganj.
They were Abdul Matin, 45,
Gauchauddin, 45, Ataur Rahman, 40,
Imam Uddin, 30, and Dulal Mia, 27. All
of them hailed from Ballabhpur village
in Charmahallah union.
The five were detained from Tetiarchar Bazar in the union around
8:30pm.
They gathered to commit sabotage,

said officer-in-charge of Chatak police

station Shahjalal Munsi.
Steps are underway to file case
against them, he added.

Two Shibir men held in Rajshahi

Police held a Chhatra Shibir man with

five crude bombs from Dharampur
area of Matihar thana in Rajshahi
around 10:30pm yesterday.
He was identified as Afzal Hossain
alias Faisal. Three policemen were also
injured in a blast while arresting him.
Matihar
police
station
Officer-in-Charge Alamgir Hossain said

Afzal had 18 cases filed against him.

The blast also hurt Afzal who was
later sent to Rajshahi Medical College
Hospital, said Alamgir, adding that
the three injured policemen were given first aid.
Meanwhile, Shahiduzzaman was
detained from Kajla area around
8:15pm on Saturday, according to a
press release signed by Rajshahi University Shibir Publicity Secretary Labib
and issued at 10:30am yesterday.
Police, however, refused to comment on the detention till yesterday
afternoon. l

A ring of frauds, using fake authorisation letters of the army and the
Bridges Division, have reportedly been
swindling poor people out of large
sums of money by promising them
jobs in the bridge project.
Obaidul also warned the public
against exchanging any money for government jobs, saying such a practice
was fraudulent.
The minister spoke to the media after inaugurating two newly-built bridges, Baro Awlia Bridge and Dhamarkhali
Khal Bridge, on the Dhaka-Chittagong

highway in Sitakunda upazila.

We hope to conclude the construction of the four-lane Dhaka-Chittagong
highway by December this year, he
said, adding, The construction work
of 18 bridges, out of 23, and 232 culverts on this highway have already
been completed.
Earlier, the minister inspected different sites of the highway project.
Project Director Ibne Alam Hasan,
Additional Project Director Arun Alo
Chakma and Project Manager Masud
Karim accompanied him. l

Stop damaging shrimp farming

n Abu Bakar Siddique
Speakers at a discussion yesterday
urged the government to control unplanned and illegal shrimp farming,
which is rendering barren the arable
land and ruining sources of fresh water
in the tropical cyclone-hit coastal belt.

According to the World

Fish Centre, 160,000
hectares of land are
being used for shrimp
farming of which
130,000 hectares is in
Satkhira, Khulna and
Bagerhat
The discussion, titled Revisiting Aila:
Cry for Safe WaSh, was organised by
NGO Forum and Bangladesh Centre for
Advanced Studies at the auditorium of
the Department of Public Health and
Engineering in the city.
Influential people, who run unplanned and illegal shrimp related operations here, farm shrimps by leaking
water through the embankment, which
is meant for resisting saline water, into
their shrimp enclosures, they said.
The saline water, brought into the areas of fresh water sources for shrimp cultivation, affects agriculture, making the
fertile land barren. This is causing huge
suffering for the people here, they added.
Peoples sufferings will continue unless the illegal and unplanned
shrimp farming is stopped, said Joyonti Rani Sarker, an inhabitant of Dakope

upazila of Khulna.
On May 25, 2009, tropical cyclone
Aila hit Bangladeshs coastal districts,
particularly Satkhira, Khulna and Bagerhat and damaged the coastal embankment with a massive tidal surge, rendering saline the fresh water sources there.
Apart from Aila, unplanned shrimp
farming is one of the major reasons behind increasing salinity in the coastal
belt, said Dr Abdullah Harun Chowdhury, professor of Environmental Science at Khulna University.
The current trend of increasing salinity in the coastal belt is high, compared
to the time before cyclone Aila hit the
coastal belt, he said.
Justifying his statement, he said, for
instance, the water salinity level was .6
to 23.8 ppm (Parts per million) in 2012
while it was 4 to 22 ppm in 2009.
In addition to the scarcity of fresh
drinking water, the illegal shrimp farming is rendering barren the arable land
in the coastal belt where shrimps are
farmed, he said.
Nurul Islam Sikder, an inhabitant of
Shaymnagar upazila of Satkhira said they
could not cultivate cereal crops, including
paddy, because the coastal land has lost
its fertility due to its increasing salinity.
When the concerns were taken up
with Dr Sultan Ahmed, director (Natural Resource Management) of the Department of Environment, he said, We
have finalised the draft of the National
Environment Policy 2013. It will be sent
to the cabinet for approval soon.
According to the World Fish Centre,
around 160,000 hectares of land are
being used for shrimp farming in Bangladesh, of which 130,000 hectares is in
Satkhira, Khulna and Bagerhat. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

UTTARA APARTMENT PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

Rajuk goes for G2G deal with

Malaysia as housing firms fail
n

Abu Hayat Mahmud

After the ruling party lawmaker Enamul Haques ENA Properties Ltd and two
other Korean firms failed to implement
Uttara Apartment Project, Rajuk (Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha) says
it has planned to go forward with the
project on a G2G basis with the Malaysian government.
Sources say the Housing and Public
Works Ministry and Rajuk are jointly
dealing with the Malaysian authorities
to implement the project that includes
building apartments for low- and middle-income people at Sector 18 of Uttara Residential Model Town in the
third phase. The two previous phases
have already been completed.
Rajuk member (development) Naim
Ahmed Khan told the Dhaka Tribune:
We have decided that no new contract
would be signed with any home company. He claimed the government of
both Bangladesh and Malaysia would
work on a government-to-goverment
basis on the unfinished project.
In February 2012, Rajuk inked a
deal with ENA Properties Ltd, a real
estate firm owned by Awami League
lawmaker of Rajshahi 4 constituency

Enamul Haque, for constructing the

apartments. In June the same year,
a joint venture agreement was also
signed with ENA Properties and two
South Korean construction companies,
namely Dung Ah and DDJ.
For Type A flats measuring 1250sqft
each in 49 16-storey buildings, Rajuk
signed the agreement with ENA, Dung
Ah and DDJ for 75% of the total construction work. For the remaining 25%, there
was another joint venture deal involving
Hamid Construction Ltd, owned by Awami League lawmaker Nasrul Hamid Bipu,
and Building for Future Limited.
Although Hamid Construction and
its associate firms are continuing the
construction, ENA and the two Korean
companies are yet to meet conditions
of the agreement with Rajuk.
Sources say ENA and the other two
Korean firms took more than Tk25
crore by submitting construction bill
but no progress was made in around
the last two years. According to the
agreement, 54% of the construction
was supposed to be completed by now
but the companies have done only 4%.
Because of the dilly-dallying of
ENA, Rajuk had repeatedly sent it
warning letters but no step was tak-

en on the part of the company. This

prompted Rajuk to terminate the ENADung Ah and ENA-DDJ agreements in
December last year.
The companies have just begun piling work of a few buildings, though
construction began in 2012.
ENA is yet to leave the project area
despite Rajuk terminating the deal with
it. It has even contacted another home
company Samin Real Estate to appoint
another sub-contractor for the project.
ENA-DDJ filed a writ petition with
the High Court against officials concerned of Rajuk, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and IFIC bank.
After submission of the writ petition,
the High Court issued a stay order
asking the manager of the branch concerned to deny Rajuk permission to
withdraw Tk72,641,573 deposited by
ENA-DDJ for enchasing performance
guarantee money. The stay order was
also issued on a letter sent by Rajuk
to ENA-DDJ on December 12 last year
mentioning termination of the deal.
Besides, ENA also sent a legal notice
to Rajuk asking them to mention reasons for termination of the agreement.
Project Director Prafulla Chandra
Bhowmik told the Dhaka Tribune that

Monday, May 26, 2014

Rajuks legal section is dealing with it.

The agreement was terminated
due to the delay in construction and
all the decisions were taken by Rajuk
high-ups, he added.
Prafulla claimed he had no personal link
with ENA or Samin Real Estate officials.
Meanwhile, the Public Works Department (PWD) has also been tasked
with constructing 30 buildings under
the project. PWD has signed an agreement with ENA for the project but progress has been slow like the previous
time. This is why PWD is also considering terminating its contract with ENA.
Enamul Haque could not be reached
for comment despite repeated attempts.
In light of this situation, the flat
owners have expressed concern over
whether they would be handed over
the flats on time. Although Rajuk is
supposed to hand over the flats in
2016, it is unlikely that it would be able
to meet the deadline.
Already more than 500 flat owners have withdrawn their installment
money. Rajuk officials, however, said if
ENA did not get rid of the legal complications, they would begin constructing
Type A apartments in the land allocated for Type B apartments. l

1.6 kg gold, currencies

worth Tk32 lakh seized,
10 held at Dhaka airport
n Kailash Sarkar
About 1.6kg of gold and foreign currencies equivalent to Tk32 lakh were
seized and at least 10 people were arrested in separate hauls at Dhaka airport on Saturday night, officials said.
Members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) at Shahjalal International
Airport detained eight passengers who
had arrived on two different flights
from Singapore and found gold bars,
weighing 1.6kg in total, after searching
their bodies.
Meanwhile, acting on a tip-off, Customs Intelligence and Investigation
Directorate (CIID) personnel off-loaded two passengers from a Kuala Lumpur-bound Biman Bangladesh Airlines
flight and confiscated 151,500 Saudi
riyals (about Tk31lakh) and 1,000 US
dollars (Tk77,650) in cash from them.
Alamgir Hossain Shimul, a senior
assistant superintendent of APBn, said
eight Bangladeshi migrants were arrested with the gold, worth about Tk80
lakh, as they attempted to leave the
airport without paying due taxes.
The detained were: Alauddin Bepari, Md Liton, Jasim Uddin, Sazed Ali,
Nahid Al Mamun, Saiful Islam, Mohammad Jasim and Oli Ullah.

Among them, Liton was a passenger of Singapore Airlines and the others arrived by Tiger Airlines, the officer said.
CIID Director General Moinul Khan
told the Dhaka Tribune that US$1,000
and 91,500 Saudi riyals were seized
from Himel Khan, 30, and 60,000 riyals from Jahangir Alam, 31, as they
were trying to go to Malaysia without
declaring the currencies.
They hid the currencies in their
shoes and inside the rods of their luggage, Moinul Khan said.
The DG added that both Himel, from
Shariatpur, and Jahangir, from Dhaka,
were suspected members of a gold
smuggling gang and they were probably trying to take the money to Kuala
Lumpur to purchase gold.
In recent years, international airports in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet
have turned into smuggling hubs for
foreign currencies, gold and other precious metals and stones.
According to law enforcement
sources, around 60 gangs are involved
in smuggling gold, diamonds, currencies and other valuable items through
the airports in collusion with a section
of unscrupulous employees and officials. l

BCL activist beaten

by rivals in CU
n CU Correspondent

Girl rescued after 51

days of abduction
n Our Correspondent, Coxs Bazar

A Bangladesh Chhatra League activist

at Chittagong University was beaten up
by his rivals in the citys Sholoshahar
Railway Station area on Saturday night.
The student, Istiak Ahmed Tanvir, a
second-year student of the Psychology
Department in the university, was taken
to a local hospital for primary treatment.
Protesting the attack, a faction of
the student party brought out a procession on the campus yesterday morning.
Habibur Rahman Robin, secretary
of publicity affairs in Chhatra Leagues
CU unit, said a group of Chhatra League
activists led by Joint Secretary Sumon
Mamun and Vice-President Amit Kumar Basu attacked Tanvir at the railway
station when he was waiting for the
campus-bound shuttle train around
8:30am, leaving him injured.
Earlier, another Chhatra League activist Rasheduzzaman Shuvo, was attacked
by his rivals in Shaheed Minar area of the
campus on Saturday afternoon.
Sources said Shuvo, a third-year
student of the English Department and
secretary of debate affairs in Chhatra
Leagues CU unit, is a follower of Amit
Kumar Basu.
Shuvo said members of VX Group,
a faction of the student party, had attacked him with iron rods and sticks
when he came out from an exam hall.
Later, he went to the universitys
medical centre for primary treatment.
Shuvo filed a case with the CU proctor
and Hathazari Model police station. l

A 16-year-old girl, abducted from

Chakaria of the district 51 days back,
was found in critical condition from a
launch terminal in Khulna yesterday.
She is now undergoing treatment at
Shyamnagar Health Complex in Satkhira. The teenager was an SSC examinee
from Malumghat Memorial Christian
High School in Chakaria. The victim was
rescued in an unconscious state from a
launch at Munshiganj Ghat on Gurigoalini River in Khulnas Sundarbans area.
Chakaria police Officer-in-Charge
Prabhash Chandra Dhar said the girl
had been picked up from Malumghat
Station on Chittagong-Coxs Bazar
highway by some unidentified criminals riding on a microbus around
2:30pm on April 4.
After 10 days, her father lodged a
case accusing three persons. Police also
filed a complaint with the district police
superintendent accusing seven, including those named by the victims father.
The law enforcers later arrested
Jhantu Mallick, an uncle of prime accused Dilip Mallick. But as he did not
give any information about the abduction during interrogation, police
showed him arrested in the case and
sent to jail through court. l

WEATHER

MONDAY, MAY 26
DHAKA
TODAY
TOMORROW
SUN SETS 6:39PM
SUN RISES 5:12AM
FORECAST FOR TODAY
Dhaka

35

27

Chittagong

33

26

Rajshahi

34

26

Rangpur

33

25

Khulna

33

25

Barisal

33

26

Sylhet

36

24

Coxs Bazar

33

27

YESTERDAYS HIGH AND LOW

23.8C
Rangamati

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES
Fajar
Sunrise
Zohr
Asr
Magrib
Esha

Garment workers stage

demo for arrears
n Our Correspondent, Gazipur

HEAVY
RAINFALL

37.2C
Tangail

The photo taken yesterday afternoon from Kazi Nazrul Avenue shows that a huge tailback is created on both sides of the road after a heavy shower

3:47am
5:12am
11:56am
3:17pm
6:39pm
8:05pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org

Hundreds of workers of a ready-made

garments factory, Arcadia Dress,
staged a demonstration protesting the
non-payment of their wages in Savar
on outskirts of the capital yesterday.
The garment workers put up barricades on the Dhaka-Mymensingh
Highway yesterday demanding that the
authority take immediate measures to
pay their arrears.
The agigating workers said the factory authority has been making excuses and delaying the workers payment
for the last few months.

Earlier, the factory authority had

promised the workers that they would
pay all of their arrears on May 25.
Following the pledge, workers went
to the factory in the morning, but
found that the authority had closed the
factory without prior notice.
They became furious and took
to the streets in the afternoon,
causing huge tailbacks on the both
sides of the Dhaka-Mymensingh
Highway, increasing the sufferings of
commuters.
Upon receiving information, police
rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. l

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Admission controversies continue at SUST

n Our Correspondent, Sylhet
Shahjalal University of Science and
Technology (SUST) has got embroiled
in another controversy after a combined
admission test.
Earlier the universitys 2013-14 admission test, scheduled to be held on Nov
30 last year, had to be halted a few times
only to be held on March 21, eventually
scrapping its controversial plan to hold
it with Jessore University of Science and
Technology.
The fresh controversy was provoked
by the admission of seven students to
the university on the basis of the newly-introduced dependant quota system,
which was cleared by the SUST syndicate on May 12.

The Anti-Dependant Quota Movement, a platform for those who oppose

such a quota system, has called for cancelling this quota immediately.
We have submitted a memorandum to the finance minister and education minister and vice chancellor about
it, chief coordinator of the platform,
Shamsher Rasel, told a press conference at Sylhet Press Club yesterday.
The education minister has asked us
to wait until Sunday. By then if we do not
get any positive response we will immediately call a tougher movement, he said.
According to the newly introduced
dependant quota system, any SUST
teacher, officer and employee can have
his two children admitted into the university through this system.

A dependant with GPA-5 in both SSC

and HSC (Both GPA-5 here equal to 30
marks) can be admitted into the university only if he or she gets 10 marks, out of 70,
in the enrolment test but if they have less
than GPA-5 and get a total of 40% marks,
including those of the written test, it will
be enough for them to get admission.
On the other hand, a non-dependant
cannot get admitted into the university
even though he or she has GPA-5 in SSC
and HSC and gets 45 to 45, out of 70, in
the entry test.
Proctor Professor Dr Himadri Shekhor
Roy said: Anybody can notify the university administration about their disagreement and suggestion over this. The administration can consider their disagreement
and suggestion over it, he said. l

Indefinite transport strike

underway in Rajshahi
n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi
The bus-truck owners and workers in
the Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions
began an indefinite transport strike
yesterday morning, demanding an end
to extortions and asking that unauthorised vehicles be banned on highways.
Commuters in 16 districts of the region suffered throughout the day as
they could not find any buses operating
on the road.
Kamal Hossain Robi, president of
the Rajshahi Bus Workers Association,
said they had been pressing their sixpoint demands for a long time.
We were forced into this strike
as the administration was not paying

heed to our demands, Robi said, adding that their strike will continue until
the demands are met.
The demands include an end to police harassment, and bans against the
running of three-wheelers, tractors and
auto-rickshaws on highways.
Robi added that they had initially
called the transport strike for eight districts in Rajshahi and another body of
transport workers-owners in Rangpur
later joined them.
Meanwhile, Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner Mezbah Uddin Ahmed told
the Dhaka Tribune over the phone that
he will call a meeting with bus owners
and workers as soon as possible to ease
the sufferings of commuters. l

A transport worker beats a man in Kashiadang area of Rajshahi city yesterday as he drives his truck during yesterdays strike DHAKA TRIBUNE

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Monday, May 26, 2014

Timbre traders continue cutting

Garjan trees in reserve forests

Dentist, teen girl

rescued alive after
abduction

n Our Correspondent, Coxs Bazar

n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

Tree plunderers have long been cutting down valuable wood-oil trees, locally known as Garjan, from different
reserve forests of the district.
The concerned forest department
has not been paying proper heed to
prevent the misdeed. Consequently,
the century-old trees, worth hundreds
of crores, are facing extinction.
Interestingly, Coxs Bazar forest department also has no census on Garjan
trees, which makes it difficult to figure
out the seriousness of the pillage.
Earlier, the Garjan forests situated in
Dariar Dighi and Purba Desuar of Ramu
upazila have already disappeared because of the actions of the miscreants.
Sources at Coxs Bazar forest department said there are more than 2lakh
Garjan trees in different areas of the
district. Even Chakaria upazila has one
lakh trees.
In 1931 and 1935, Khutakhali and
Medakaschapia Garjan forests, located
on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway,

Murder over land

dispute
n Our Correspondent, Gopalganj
Criminals killed a 24-year old youth in
Gopalganj Sadar upazila yesterday.
Mejbah Chowdhury, son of Zafar
Chowdhury of Amuria village, might
have been killed over a land dispute,
said police, quoting locals.
His mother Taslima Begum said he
had not returned home since he went
out on Friday. He was eventually found
on the land of Fakir Khan of Amuria village yesterday morning, she said. l

were declared reserve forests by the

then British government. Later, the
Bangladesh government declared the
area as a national park, prohibiting all
types of tree-felling there.
It was alleged that the tree plunders
have been looting the trees at nights
with the help of some corrupt forest
officials as it is considered very good
material to make boats and it has high
demand from boat owners.
Shahed-e Alam, divisional forest
official of Coxs Bazar (North) Forest
Department, said they have been taking action against some unscrupulous
people who are carrying out such misdeeds.
This is quite impossible for us to
check the tree-felling unless locals as
well as police come forward to help us.
Denying the allegation, Abdul Awal
Sarker, divisional forest official of Coxs
Bazar (South) Forest Department, said:
We have no census on Garjan, but I
can assume that over one lakh such
trees may be under Coxs Bazar south
forest department. l

The photo taken in a mobile phone shows that labourers take away huge logs of Garjan
from Shilkhali reserve forest in Teknaf upazila of Coxs Bazar yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Wildcat strike in Sunamganj puts commuters in misery

n Our Correspondent, Sunamganj
Thousands of people suffered as transport owners and workers observed a
24-hour wildcat strike in Sunamganj
yesterday, demanding fulfillment of
their five-point charter, including tracing out a missing driver.
During the strike, vehicular movement on five routes remained suspended from 6am to 6pm.

No buses left central bus terminals

of the district town and came to the
district as transport workers kept tough
watchfulness on transport movements
that left thousands of people in misery.
Local people said transport scarcity
caused untold sufferings to the passengers who did not know about the strike.
In a visit to bus terminal, this correspondent found that hundreds of people were waiting to go to their destina-

tions while many people returned back

to their work places as well as homes
after finding no modes of transport.
Abul Kashem, a resident of Netrakona, went to the district to visit one
of his relatives resident, and could not
return as he found no transport.
He said, I was not aware of the situation. Had I known, I would not come
here.
Jhorna Begum, a housemaid, told the

Two fake army

men arrested
n Our Correspondent, Jamalpur
Local people caught two persons posing as army personnel at a village under
the sadar upazila on Saturday night,
police said.
Al Amin, 28, and Irfan, 21, were later
handed over to the police.
SI Alamgir Hossain, in-charge of
Narandi investigation centre in Jamalpur, said the duo had been held by the
locals at Banshchara village for stealing
mobile phones. They had then identified themselves as army personnel in
an attempt to get away. l

Two people, one in Rajshahi and the

other in Natore, were abducted on
Saturday and both were rescued on
the same day from Baneshwar of the
Puthia upazila in Rajshahi.
Milon Kumar Sarker, 32, the son of
Mihir Kumar Sarker of Puthia and a
dentist at the Puthia Upazila Health
Complex, was kidnapped from a microbus while on his way to Rajshahi city at
around 12pm on Saturday. He was later
released at around 9:30pm after his
family paid Tk2 lakh in ransom.
Milons brother-in-law Liton Kumar
Sarker filed a general diary with the
Boalia Model police station in this regard. He, however, alleged that he did
not receive much support from the law
enforcers.
Officer-in-charge of the Boalia Model police station Abdus Sobhan said
since they did not have any speedy mobile tracking system, the general diary
was sent to RAB.
Deputy Commander of Rajshahi

The photo taken yesterday afternoon shows that people wait for transport at Sunamganj bus terminal

NEWS IN BRIEF
One electrocuted
A man was electrocuted in Austagram upazila of the district
yesterday. According to police sources, Anayatullah, 40, of
Deoghar village, came in contact with a live electric wire when
he was getting on the roof of his house. Later, he was sent to
the local upazila health complex in critical condition where the
on-duty doctor declared him dead. Chowdhury Mizanuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Austagram police station, confirmed
the incident.
Our Correspondent

Imam dies in attack

An Imam of a mosque died on Sunday. He was attacked on
Saturday by his rivals over a land dispute at Delduar upazila
in the district. Chan Miah, officer-in-charge of Delduar police
station said Maznu Miah, Abdul Latif and Ismail, the sons
of Montaz, beat up Abdur Rahman, 42, Imam of Madarkol
Mosque, and his family members over a land dispute, leaving them critically injured. Local people rescued them and
admitted them to Tangail General Hospital. Doctors referred
Rahman to Dhaka Medical College Hospital at night when his
condition deteriorated. He succumbed to his injuries there in
the morning.
Our Correspondent

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Clash leaves six hurt in Gazipur

n Our Correspondent,
Gazipur
At least six people, including
a woman, were injured in a
five-hour clash over a piece
of land in Gazipurs Sripur
upazila on Saturday.
In this connection, police
have arrested three persons
who were who were allegedly hired from Mymensingh to
take possession of the land.
Quoting locals, Inspector (investigation) at Sripur

police station Abul Kashem

said the dispute had been
going on between Shamsuddin Morol and Midul Ahmed
for quite a number of days,
Both sides went to take
possession of the land along
with hired men at 11am on
Saturday and they were
locked in the clash, leaving
six persons injured, he said.
During the clash, they
used locally-made weapons,
including sharp machetes
and harpoons, said Inspec-

tor Kashem. On information,

police rushed in and both
sides went at the law enforcers forcing them to fire blank
shots in self-defense, he said.
Shamsuddin Morol filed a
case with Sripur police station
against over 100 persons. l

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IBN-Sina Medical College
01552383728

Two found dead

A youth and a child were found dead in the district yesterday.
SI Razib Sheikh of Joydebpur police station said locals had
found the body of an unidentified youth near the DhakaMymensingh road in the morning and informed police. The
police recovered the body and sent it to a hospital morgue. SI
Mohammad Ali Zinnah of Kaliakoir police station said the body
of a child was found hanging from the ceiling in Purba Chandra
area in the upazila. Ridoy, 10, was the son of Abdul Malek, a
day labourer, and used to live with his father in a rented house
owned by Jamila, who was from Dinajpur. Upon receiving information, police recovered the body and sent it to a hospital
morgue. A case was filed in this regard.
Our Correspondent

Abductors shoot
trader for not
getting ransom
n Our Correspondent, Lakshmipur
A businessman and his father were
shot and beaten up by their abductors,
before being left on the side of the road
in Lakshmipur yesterday.
Armed criminals who allegedly
belonged to the local Nasir Bahini
gang kidnapped Md Raju and his father Joshim Uddin on Saturday night
near their home in Deopara village in
the district sadar upazilas Chandraganj
union.
The victims family members and
locals said Nasir and his cohorts abducted Raju a local cement trader
and his father, and demanded a Tk3
lakh ransom. As they were not paid the
money, the criminals shot Raju on the
leg and beat up his father, before leaving them on the side of the road in Deopara.
The locals found the severely
wounded father and son in the morning and admitted them to a local hospital for medical attention.
Md Iqbal Hossain, officer-in-charge
of Lakshmipur sadar police station,
said assisted by the locals, police forces
rescued the two men from Chandraganj
and had admitted them at a hospital. l

Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh

Ofce of the Chief Engineer/East
Bangladesh Railway
CRB, Chittagong.

Invitation for Tender

1

Ministry/Division

Ministry of Railways.

Agency

Bangladesh Railway.

Procuring Entity Name

Chief Engineer/East, Bangladesh, Railway.

Procuring Entity District

Chittagong.

Invitation for

AT CRB: Thorough repairs to pension ofce including C.I. sheet roong

at CRB.

Invitation Ref. No.

CE/E/Rev-193/2013-2014/W(1)

Date

18-05-2014

KEY INFORMATION
8

Procurement Method

Open Tendering Method (OTM)

FUNDING INFORMATION
9

Budget and Source of Funds

GoB (Revenue)

PARTICULAR INFORMATION
10

Tender Publication Date

25-05-2014

11

Tender Last Selling Date

09-06-2014

12

Tender Closing Date & Time

Date: 10-06-2014

Time: 12.00 Hrs.

13

Tender Opening Date & Time

Date: 10-06-2014

Time: 12.30 Hrs.

14

Tender Validity Period.

120 (One hundred twenty) days.

15

Name & Address of the ofce(s)

Address.

-Selling Tender Document

(Principal)

Ofce of the Chief Engineer/East, Bangladesh Railway, CRB, Chittagong.

-Selling Tender Document

(Others)

(i)

-Receiving Tender Document

Chamber of the Executive Engineer/P&D/East, Ofce of the Chief

Engineer/East, Bangladesh Railway, CRB, Chittagong.

-Opening Tender Document

Chamber of the Executive Engineer/P&D/East, Ofce of the Chief

Engineer/East, Bangladesh Railway, CRB, Chittagong.

Schoolboy killed in road crash

A schoolboy was killed in a road accident in Gazipur municipality area yesterday. According to sources, a speeding
motorcycle hit Shariful Islam, 13, while he was crossing the
road at 9am, leaving him dead on the spot. Shariful was the
son of Abdus Salam and a Class VIII student of Rafiqul Islam
Academy.
Our Correspondent

Dhaka Tribune yesterday afternoon that

she had been waiting for transport at the
bus terminal for the last five to six hours.
God knows when I will get a bus,
she lamented.
Fulbanu, a Dawlatpur village resident under Sadar upazila of the district,
said she had come to the district to visit
a doctor, but she could not return back
home for lack of vehicles.
Mohammad Abdul Hamid, a carpenter, said he could not go to his workplace at Jagganathpur of the district for
non-availability of transport.
General Secretary of District Workers
Union Md Nurul Hoque said: All type of
vehicular movement have been suspended from district sadar to five upazilas, including Jamalganj and Dowarabazar.
The vehicular movement in Sunamganj-Sylhet road is also suspended, he added.
The workers leader also threatened to declare tougher programmes if
Rezaul was not traced soon.
Earlier, private car driver Rezaul
Hoque Sohel went missing while going
to Sylhet on May 4.
After the incident, transport leaders
and workers submitted memorandum
to district administration demanding
measures to trace Rezaul.
Their other demands include renovation of central bus terminal. l

RAB 5 Colony Camp Major Shafiqul Islam said they sought permission for using mobile tracking systems from the
Home Ministry as the general diary did
not have any clue as to the identity of
the kidnappers.
Meanwhile, Sweety Khatun, 17, an
HSC examinee from Natore City College, was abducted from the Belgharia Bypass intersection on Saturday at
noon as she was returning home from
college by auto-rickshaw.
The abductors demanded a ransom
of Tk1 lakh from her father and also
threatened that the girl would be killed
if the money was not paid.
Her maternal uncle Jahurul Islam
filed a case with Natore Sadar police
station in this regard. Officer-in-charge
of the police station Abdus Sattar said
police carried out a drive after the
case had been registered and rescued
Sweety from Baneshwar.
The abductors left her in Baneshwar at around 11pm. She then called
her family and police went to rescue
her, Sattar said. l

(ii)

Ofce of the Divisional Engineer/3, Bangladesh Railway, Kamalapur,

Dhaka.
Ofce of the Divisional Engineer/2, Bangladesh Railway, Pahartali,
Chittagong.

INFORMATION FOR TENDERER

16

Eligibility of Tenderer

As stated in the Tender Document.

17

Brief Description of Works

AT CRB: Thorough repairs to pension ofce including C.I. sheet roong

at CRB.

18

Price of Tender Document

Tk. 1000/- (One thousand) only, Non refundable.

19

Tender Security

Tk. 35,000/- (Thirty ve

thousand) only

20

Time for Completion of the works

60 (Sixty) days from the date of start of the work.

In the form of Pay order/ Bank draft with MICR

shall be submitted in favour of FA&CAO/East,
Bangladesh, Railway, Chittagong.

PROCURING ENTITY DETAILS

21

Name of Ofcial Inviting Tender

A.K.M. Mahbubul Alam

22

Designation of Ofcial Inviting

Tender

Chief Engineer (East), Bangladesh Railway.

23

Address of Ofcial Inviting Tender Central Railway Building (CRB), Chittagong.

24

Contact details of Ofcial Inviting

Tender.

25

The Procuring Entity reserves the right to reject all the Tenders or annul the Tender proceedings.

S-(14) (252), Date: 22/05/2014

GC-64/14 (83)

Tel. No: 031-2863162

e-mail: cee@railway.gov.bd

A.K.M. Mahbubul Alam

Chief Engineer (East)
Bangladesh, Railway
CRB, Chittagong.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

Monday, May 26, 2014

In this June 13, 2012 photo, a Rohingya

Muslim man who fled Myanmar to
Bangladesh to escape religious violence,
cries as he pleads from a boat after he and
others were intercepted by Bangladeshi
border authorities in Teknaf
AP

The most persecuted minority in the world

What can we do to n Ziauddin Choudhury

he Burmese (Myanmar)
prevent an even
governments latest salvo
against the hapless Rohinggreater influx of
yas, by denying them voting
rights, may have created
Rohingyas should
another episode in the endless saga of
the Myanmar
this communitys distressed existence.
But for Bangladesh, the news of disauthorities continue enfranchising the community on the
ground that it does not belong to one
down the path
of about 135 ethnic groups of Myanmar
(former Burma), does not augur well.
that they have
We have had our share of their
misfortune for the last four decades,
followed in the past and continue to do so mainly due to
policy
toward this hapless the repressiveand dueof the Myanmar
government,
to the politics
the Rohingyas have been thrust into in
community?
the past decades. In 1978, Bangladesh
saw the first big exodus of Rohingyas
into the country.
Although most of the refugees
departed for their home after mutual
agreement between Myanmar and
Bangladesh in less than two years, a
new influx of refugees of Rohingyas
would haunt Bangladesh 12 years later.
The latest development in Myanmar
is naturally ominous for Bangladesh.
What can we do to prevent an even
greater influx of Rohingyas should the
Myanmar authorities continue down
the path that they have followed in the
past toward this hapless community?
It is not entirely clear whether the
repressive policy led the Rohingyas
to internationalise their struggle and
plight, or whether the slightly militant
response from them to establish
their rights - including an audacious
demand for a separate homeland once
upon a time - led to this unfortunate

outcome. But the fact remains that

there is a huge chunk of population
in Myanmars Arakan province that
remains in a state of limbo in their
own country.
By unofficial count, this chunk
is close to two million, of which a
significant portion left as refugees to
other countries including Bangladesh.
The group has lived in Arakan region
for several centuries, but had never
blended in with the Rakhine majority, mainly because of their ethnic
difference from the local majority, but
also due to the fact that their religion

co-existence for the Rohingyas with

Rakhines or Moghs in local parlance
in Arakan. Historically, Muslim
settlement in Arakan in an ostensible
way began in the nineteenth century
during the British period; although the
Rohingyas claim that the settlement
began at the same time as Bengal with
Arab merchants visits to the area.
However, Muslim settlement in a
major way began for economic reasons
with demand for seasonal agricultural
labour in Arakan. The major ethnic
community, the Moghs, was agriculture averse and preferred fishing more

Unfortunately, 12 years later, conflict between the

Rakhines and Rohingyas would recur and another
300,000 Rohingyas would flee to Bangladesh. In
this round, negotiations between the countries
were more difficult and much slower
is Islam. They claimed and remained
a community with an affinity to Islam
as a religion, and Bangali as their
ethnicity. Both identities seem to be
an anathema for the larger community
in the region the Rohingyas belong
to. The majority ethnic group, the Rakhines, look upon them as intruders,
and the Burmese authorities seem to
concur with this.
Curiously, for a long period, neither
ethnicity, which is Bangali, nor religion had posed any great problem of

In this photo taken on Sept 8, 2012, Muslims gather during a visit by a delegation of American diplomats at a refugee camp in Sittwe,
Rakhine State, western Myanmar
AP

as a livelihood. To mitigate labour

crisis during sowing and harvesting
season, the land owning Moghs depended heavily on agricultural skills of
the Muslim migrants.
With the need for labour growing
in Arakan, slowly a labour market
developed where the needy Muslims
from neighbouring Chittagong district
of the then East Bengal, and later
East Pakistan found good seasonal
employment.
The peaceful co-existence between
the two ethnic communities started to
show cracks when the seasonal labour
turned their transient and migratory
life to more permanent status. This
happened through a mix of factors
such as migrants marriage with Arakan Muslims of the area, and the initial
lack of any opposition from the local
majority to their continuation in the
region ad infinitum.
It probably would have remained
that way had it not been due to the
Burmese government strife against
various regional ethnic groups to stifle
their demands for sovereignty, and
gradual politicisation of the Rohingyas
themselves. Although not as fierce as
Karens, Shans, or Chins who fight the
Burmese government even today for
independence of their respective regions, the Arakanese also had formed
their parties such as Arakan Liberation
Party, Rakhine Liberation Party, and
even had a militia called Arakan Liberation Army.
In trying to subdue the Arakanese
demand for sovereignty, the Burmese
government found the Rohingyas to
be another group that was trying to
establish their own separate identity. The Rohingyas had no problem
as long as they worked as serfs. But
the trouble began when they tried to

assert their rights as citizens and a

good number of them found that they
were not so. The Burmese army found
the majority Rakhines were equally
unfriendly and even hostile to the
Rohingyas.
The first onslaught on the Rohingyas came in 1978, when the Burmese
government began Operation Dragon
King to drive out people who did not
possess citizen registration card under
the Citizens Registration Act. Since a
majority of the Arakan Muslims did not
have the certificate (because they were
not deemed to be legal citizens) they became targets of arrest and deportation.
The majority Rakhines who began
to consider the Rohingyas as threats
and illegal immigrants, took part in
the attacks on the Rohingyas. The
push of 1978 led to over 200,000 Rohingyas migrating to Chittagong. The
refugees were confined to Coxs Bazar
region in 13 camps, where they were
sheltered and fed with support from
UNHCR, and some other international
relief agencies.
The Bangladesh government at that
time solved the problem diplomatically
with patient dialogue with the Burmese
government, and almost all of the refugees were repatriated. Unfortunately,
12 years later, conflict between the Rakhines and Rohingyas would recur and
another 300,000 Rohingyas would flee
to Bangladesh. In this round, negotiations between the countries were more
difficult and much slower.
Some of the refugees were repatriated, but a substantial number still
remains. The prospects of all these
refugees leaving for Myanmar are not
good, and the policies that Myanmar
has adopted do not indicate that they
are welcome in Arakan.

Commissioner, I had met many older

refugees who eulogised Pakistan and
considered it to be their real friend.
In fact, it was widely believed that
support for the armed Rohingya Liberation Front came from that countrys
intelligence branch.
Saudi Arabia helped the community
financially through its charitable wing,
Rabeta-e-Al Islami. I had met many of
the leaders of the community, living
in Arakan, who identified themselves
primarily as Muslims. But a more
disturbing thought for me was the potential of the group to be a proselytiser
for radicalism.
The Rohingya conflict poses both a
moral and political dilemma for Bangladesh. Morally, Bangladesh cannot
condone denial of human rights to
the Rohingyas and their oppression
by their own government. Politically,
however, any strong vocal support to
their cause is fraught with both the
danger of allowing more influx in our
territory and incurring displeasure of a
close neighbour.
Bangladesh cannot and should not
internationalise this issue but find
ways to work with the Myanmar government to prevent further exodus to
Bangladesh. The issue of whether the
Rohingyas are a distinct ethnic community among many in Myanmar and
whether they should be given voting
rights is for the Myanmar government
to decide. But we can urge Myanmar
authorities to take steps to prevent
their migration to Bangladesh. Our
objectives in this should be mutually
supportive. l
Ziauddin Choudhury has worked in the higher
civil service of Bangladesh early in his career,
and later for the World Bank in the USA.

The peaceful co-existence between the two

ethnic communities started to show cracks when
the seasonal labour turned their transient and
migratory life to more permanent status

The Rohingya situation has been made

more complex by politics. They have
claimed to be a separate and distinct
ethnic group in Arakan, which the Myanmar government denies. They have
tried to enlist support of other Muslim
countries to their cause, notably Saudi
Arabia and Pakistan. In fact, Pakistani
support to the Rohingyas dates back
to the fifties and sixties. Pakistan
established a consular office in Arakan
mainly to liaise with the Muslims of
Arakan.
In 1978 while handling the first Rohingya influx in Chittagong as Deputy

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Ukraine holds vote seen as

key for restoring order
Long lines snaked around polling stations in Kiev yesterday for Ukraines
critical presidential election, a stark
contrast to the troubled east where
heavily armed pro-Russian rebels intimidated voters by smashing ballot boxes
and blocking access to voting centers.
The election came three months after the ouster of the countrys pro-Russia leader, who was chased from power
by months of protests over corruption
and his decision to reject a pact with
the European Union and forge closer
ties with Moscow.
There were no immediate signs of
clashes yesterday after weeks of intense battles in a deadly insurgency.
But it also appeared little voting was
taking place in the east: The regional
administration in Donetsk said that
only 426 of 2,430 polling stations in the
region were open, and none in the city
of Donetsk, which has 1 million people.
There was no voting in Luhansk, the
center of the neighboring province, but
some stations appeared to be open across
the region, according to local officials.
Polls have shown 48-year old billionaire candy-maker Petro Poroshenko far
ahead of the other 20 candidates, but
short of the absolute majority needed
to win in the first round, so a runoff is
expected on June 15.
I am convinced that this election
must finally bring peace to Ukraine,
stop lawlessness, stop chaos, stop bandit terror in the east, Poroshenko said
after casting his ballot in central Kiev,
where many people wore the traditional embroidered shirts that have become
a symbol of patriotism.
People with weapons must be
removed from Ukrainian streets,
Ukrainian villages and cities, Poroshenko said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
promised Friday to respect the choice
of the Ukrainian people and said he
would work with the winner, in an apparent bid to ease the worst crisis in

Ukraines presidential election

Rival pro-western candidates
Petro
Poroshenko
Billionaire, former
cabinet minister,
has changed sides
several times
Yulia
Tymoshenko
Ex-prime minister,
former heroine
of the Orange
Revolution

Vote under high security

82,000
17,500
1,200
over
150

police officers
volunteers
observers
killed in uprising
in the East, inc.
Italian journalist

relations with the West since the Cold

War and to avoid a new round of Western sanctions.
Many voters appreciate Poroshenkos pragmatism and his apparent
knack for compromise, making him
stand out in the nations political environment long dominated by intransigent figures. Poroshenko strongly
backs closer ties with the EU, but also
speaks about the need to normalize ties
with Russia.
Poroshenkos nearest challenger is
Yulia Tymoshenko, the charismatic
and divisive former prime minister.
The 53-year-old blond-braided heroine
of the 2004 Orange Revolution, who
spent 2 1/2 years in prison on abuse of
office charges denounced as political
by the West, is still admired by many
for her energy and will, but detested by
others over her role in political infight-

Under Russias influence

Majority
Russian-speaking

KIEV

RUSSIA

Lugansk
200 km

Two-day Egyptian
election begins today
Sisi poised to stroll to presidency
deployed heavily to secure polling stan AFP, Cairo
tions across the country, which saw a

Ex-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi,

lauded for ousting the Islamist president but feared as a potential autocrat,
is poised to sweep Egypts election on
the back of a yearning for stability.
The election on Monday and Tuesday caps three years of political turmoil
that has seen two presidents ousted
following mass protests, thousands
killed in clashes and militant attacks,
and an economy left in tatters.

Donetsk

BLACK
SEA

RUSSIA

n AP, Kiev

Monday, May 26, 2014

Crimea

Annexed
by Russia
in March.
No voting
reported

Separatists have
declared
independence.
Only 9 of a total
34 constituencies
are voting

ing that weakened the country.

Tymoshenko said after casting her
ballot that Ukraine must join the European Union and Nato.
I am convinced that Ukraine can
be strong, happy and prosperous if it
becomes a member of the European
Union, she said. It is time to conduct a
referendum on Nato membership in order to bring peace back to the country.
Ukrainian election officials said they
have received as little as 26 percent of
the election registers for the Donetsk
region and 16 percent for the Luhansk
region. Ukraines deputy interior minister, Serhiy Yarovyi, said Saturday that
police are ready to ensure order and security at polling stations in just nine of
the 34 electoral districts in the east.
In the center of Donetsk, a team of
insurgents was seen visiting polling stations to make sure they were closed. l

The election on
Monday and Tuesday
caps three years
of political turmoil
that has seen two
presidents ousted
following mass protests
The now retired field marshal is expected to trounce his only rival, leftist leader Hamdeen Sabbahi, amid widespread
calls for a strong leader who can restore
stability in the Arab worlds most populous country.
But true democracy, the ideal millions rallied and fought for in a 2011 uprising that overthrew strongman Hosni
Mubarak, will have to wait, perhaps for
a couple of decades, Sisi has said.
Sisi has called for a high turnout in
the election, billed by the military-installed authorities and the West as a
milestone toward elected rule in the
country of 86 million people.
You need to go down now more than
any other time in (the countrys) history.
Go down, show to the entire world that
there are 40, 45 (million) or even more
voters casting their ballots, Sisi said as
campaigning closed on Friday.
The military and police are being

surge in militant attacks after Morsis

overthrow.
On Sunday, the jihadi group responsible for the deadliest attacks on
soldiers and police denied a top commander had been killed in an ambush,
as reported by security officials.
Ansar Beit al-Maqdis said Shadi
al-Menei was still alive, and it published
a picture on Islamist Internet forums of
the militant reading a report about his
death on a laptop. The picture could
not be immediately authenticated.
With the economy in shambles,
sporadic bloodshed on the streets and
in militant attacks, Sisi has said voters
will have to prioritise stability over
democratic reforms.

New autocrat?

Sisis sole election rival Sabbahi, a veteran dissident, has vowed to defend
the democratic aspirations of the 2011
revolt. We swear to God that symbols
of corruption and despotism (from the
Mubarak era) will not return, he said
in a Cairo speech on Friday.
Sisi, indicating he will not tolerate
protests, has raised fears that Egypt
could see more repression than under
Mubaraks regime.
What tourist would come to a country where we have demonstrations like
this? he asked Egyptian newspaper
editors. You write in the newspapers:
No voice is louder than freedom of
speech! What is that?
Since Morsis overthrow, police has
cracked down on his Muslim Brotherhood, which had swept all elections
since the fall of Mubarak.
Sisi pledges that the Brotherhood,
now blacklisted as a terrorist group,
would cease to exist under his presidency. The crackdown has cost at least
1,400 lives over the past 11 months, including hundreds of pro-Morsi protesters killed on a single day last August. l

Top Nigerian
Islamic cleric calls
for unity against
Boko Haram
n AFP, Abuja
The leader of Nigerias Muslims yesterday called for followers of the faith to
unite against Boko Haram extremists,
pledging the government full support
to ensure their defeat.
But the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Saad Abubakar III, also said the
government should address issues of
inequality towards Muslims, which
have been seen as factors in fuelling
the five-year insurgency.
Terrorism has no place in Islam, he
told a congregation, including Nigerias
Vice-President Namadi Sambo, clerics
and traditional rulers, at the National
Mosque in the capital, Abuja.
We must rise up, as always, with
one voice to condemn all acts of terrorism, condemn those terrorists wherever they are and try our possible best as
Muslims to ensure peace reigns in our
community.
The Sultan, who is president of Nigerias Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, has come under pressure to speak
out against Boko Haram, who have
killed thousands in their quest for an
Islamic state in the north.
In his first public comments since
the militants kidnapped more than 200
schoolgirls from the remote northeastern
town of Chibok last month, he said Muslims were disturbed by the bloodshed.
We are committed to helping the
government at all levels to bring peace
in Nigeria. Whatever we can do, as long
as it is not against Islam, we are ready
to do it 100 percent, he added.
We have to make it very clear... that
the situation in the country is very serious. You are fighting enemies with no
boundary. Terrorists are everywhere.
They are among us but we dont know
them.
Abubakar said the situation was
worse than during Nigerias brutal civil
war from 1967 to 1970 because of the
shadowy nature of Boko Harams fighters and their guerrilla campaign. l

Obama to outline case for Israeli, Palestinian leaders accept Vatican invite
n
a limited foreign policy
AP, Bethlehem

n AP, Washington
Confronting critics of his foreign policy, President Barack Obama will soon
outline a strategy for his final years in
office that aims to avoid overreach as
the second of the two wars he inherited
comes to a close.
The president will make the case for
that seemingly more limited approach
during a commencement address
Wednesday at the US Military Academy
at West Point. The speech will come
amid growing frustration in the White
House with Republicans and other critics who contend that Obama has weakened Americas standing around the
world and faltered on problems across
the Middle East and in Russia, China
and elsewhere.
That criticism has only mounted
over the past year following Obamas
decision to pull back a military strike
in Syria and his inability to stop Russia
from annexing territory from Ukraine.
A White House official said Obama
would specifically address both situations, as well as the status of ongoing
nuclear negotiations with Iran.
The president is also expected to

discuss how he views shifts in the

counterterrorism threat from al-Qaida
and other groups, according to the official, who insisted on anonymity to preview the presidents speech.
Obama came into office vowing to
end the lengthy American-led wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan and seeking to
keep a war-weary nation out of unnecessary conflicts. The war in Iraq ended
in the closing days of 2011 and the Afghan conflict will formally conclude later this year, though the White House is
seeking to keep a smaller contingent of
US troops behind to train Afghan forces
and conduct counterterrorism missions.
While Obama has followed through
on his pledge to end Americas wars,
some foreign policy analysts argue that
he has over-corrected and his aversion
to military action makes it harder for the
US to levy credible threats that force international foes to change their behavior.
Hes far too risk adverse a president, said Aaron David Miller, a Middle East adviser to Republican and
Democratic administrations. And in
a world where no one will lead except
America, he has abdicated and surrendered much of the leadership. l

Pope Francis plunged yesterday into

Mideast politics during his Holy Land
pilgrimage, calling the current stalemate in peace efforts unacceptable
and winning the acceptance from the
Israeli and Palestinian presidents to
pay a symbolic visit to the Vatican next
month to pray for peace.
Francis issued the surprise, joint invitation after landing in Bethlehem, the
cradle of Christianity, in a symbolic nod
to Palestinian aspirations for their own
state. In another unscripted moment,
he prayed at the Israeli separation barrier surrounding the biblical West Bank
town and briefly donned the checkered
black and white headscarf that is a
symbol of the Palestinian cause.
Jubilant Palestinians cheered Francis as he arrived in Bethlehems Manger Square, shouting Viva al-Baba! or
Long live the pope! Giant Palestinian
flags in red, white, green and black and
the Vaticans yellow-and-white flags
decorated the square, which is home
to the Church of the Nativity, built over
Jesus traditional birth grotto.
At the end of Mass in the square,
Francis invited Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President
Shimon Peres to pray with him for peace,

Palestinians spray graffitis on an Israeli army watch tower which makes up a section of the controversial Israeli constructed separation
barrier in the West Bank Biblical town of Bethlehem, where Pope Francis celebrated a Sunday mass yesterday
AFP
saying: I offer my home in the Vatican
as a place for this encounter of prayer.
The offices of the Israeli and Palestinian presidents quickly confirmed

that they had accepted the invitation,

with the Palestinians saying the meeting would take place in June.
The invitation and the acceptances

Mass shooting in California: Another disturbed young man?

n Agencies
Like so many other recent mass shootings,
Friday nights deadly mayhem near a University of California campus in Santa Barbara
seems sure to provoke another debate
about guns and the disturbed individuals
who use them to wreak havoc, The Christian
Science Monitor said.
Authorities have yet to identify the
shooter who killed six people and wounded
seven more, firing a semi-automatic handgun as he drove a black BMW through the
Isla Vista beach neighborhood.
But the attorney for Peter Rodger, an
assistant director on The Hunger Games,
issued a statement saying the family believes the shooter to have been Mr. Rodgers
son Elliot Rodger. In addition to those killed
in the rampage, the shooter was found dead
of a gunshot wound to the head.
The picture thats emerging is of a disturbed, lonely young man who had vowed
revenge on humanity, especially college
sorority girls who refused his attention.
Mr. Shifman said the family had called
police several weeks ago after being
A memorial for shooting victim Christopher Michael-Martinez is seen outside the IV Deli
alarmed by YouTube videos regarding
Mart where he was killed near the University of California, Santa Barbara campus
AFP

suicide and the killing of people.

Police interviewed Elliot Rodger and
found him to be a perfectly polite, kind and
wonderful human, Shifman added. Police did
not find a history of guns, but did say Rodger
didnt have a lot of friends, had trouble
making friends and didnt have any girlfriends.
Describing the shootings as premeditated mass murder, Santa Barbara County
Sheriff Bill Brown said authorities were analyzing a disturbing YouTube video posted that
shows a young man describing plans to shoot
women that appears to be connected to the
attack. Its obviously the work of a madman.
In recent years, Americans have watched
as a series of mass shootings have involved
young, mentally and emotionally disturbed
young men with apparent easy access to
firearms.
They include: 32 killed at Virginia Tech
in Blacksburg, Virginia, in 2007; 27 killed
at Sandy Hook Elementary School in
Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012; 13 killed
at Columbine High School in Littleton,
Colorado, in 1999; 12 killed and 58 wounded
in a shooting at an Aurora, Colorado, movie
theater in 2012; eight killed at a mall in
Omaha, Nebraska, in 2007; six killed and

then-Rep. Gabby Giffords badly injured

in Tucson, Ariz. in 2011; six killed and 21
wounded at a lecture hall at Northern Illinois
University in 2008.
Gun control advocates continue to push
unsuccessfully for stiffer regulations
on gun ownership and limits on the size of
ammunition magazines. The National Rifle
Association and other gun rights advocates
continue to fight those efforts, insisting that
the principal issue is mental health.
In response to Friday nights shooting in
Santa Barbara, the Law Center to Prevent
Gun Violences Executive Director Robyn
Thomas released the following statement:
We are incredibly saddened to learn of
the news of another mass shooting in our
country. Our thoughts are with the families
and friends of all those affected by this
senseless tragedy. While the specific details
of this massacre are still unfolding, we know
that this incident is yet another example of
the epidemic of gun violence that plagues
our country. We dont have to live in a society where so many lives are lost to gunfire.
As a country, we must come together to
enact commonsense, smart laws that will
reduce death and injury from firearms. l

were unexpected given Francis insistence that his three-day visit was strictly religious pilgrimage to commemorate a Catholic-Orthodox anniversary. l

9 killed as Yemen
army, Qaeda clash
near capital
n AFP, Sanaa
Yemens military and Al-Qaeda suspects who fled an army offensive in
the south clashed in a district near the
capital yesterday, killing six troops
and three jihadists, security and tribal
sources said.
And two overnight drone strikes targeted Al-Qaeda suspects in Wasl, a village in Arhab, 20 kilometres (12 miles)
north of Sanaa, tribal sources in the
area said.
The United States is the only country operating drones over Yemen, but
US officials rarely acknowledge the covert programme.
Militants fled the drone strikes to a
village in the same area, Ozer, where
Yemeni troops launched a ground attack, according to the sources.
A security official said Yemeni anti-terrorism forces killed three Al-Qaeda militants and arrested four others.
The tribal sources told AFP that six
members of Yemens special forces also
died in the fighting. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Monday, May 26, 2014

Thousands defy Thai junta warning against protests

n AFP, Bangkok

Public anger at the Thai militarys coup

grew yesterday as more than one thousand protesters shouting Get Out!
marched across the capital Bangkok
in defiance of an army warning against
protests.
Demonstrators began marching in
the Chidlom district and made their
way across the city to the Victory Monument cheered by onlookers, an AFP
reporter at the scene said, after a tense
standoff with armed soldiers in the
citys retail heart.
It was the largest expression of dissent since the army seized power on
Thursday after months of political
turmoil.
There was no sign of soldiers or police on the streets during the march,
which went ahead despite a junta statement calling on people not to protest
and a martial law ban on gatherings of
more than five people.
I am not afraid of them because the
more we are afraid of them, the more
they will stamp on us, protester Kongjit Paennoy, 50, told AFP. We want an
election to choose our own boss.
The military has detained former
premier Yingluck Shinawatra and
scores of other ousted government
leaders and political figures since the
coup, which brought sharp international criticism.
I ask for peoples understanding
on the current situation and that they
refrain from anti-coup rallies, because
democracy cannot proceed normally
at the moment, said junta spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree Sunday
morning, adding a warning against using social media to incite unrest.
Before the main march, minor scuffles broke out as dozens of protesters,
some waving signs reading Junta Out
and Fuck Coup, staged a boisterous
demonstration, jeering angrily and
pushing at lines of armed soldiers outside a Bangkok shopping mall.

At least two protesters were taken

away by the troops, one bleeding, according to AFP journalists.
Bangkok has seen several smaller
outbreaks of protest against the junta since army chief General Prayut
Chan-O-Cha launched his takeover
on Thursday.
Witnesses also reported demonstrations overnight in parts of the Shinawatra familys northern power base, with
rallies in the city of Khon Kaen and a
heavy military presence in Thailands
second largest city Chiang Mai.
The junta on Saturday announced
it had disbanded the Senate and
placed all law-making authority in
Prayuts hands.

The protest was the

largest expression
of dissent since the
army seized power on
Thursday after months
of political turmoil
Civil liberties have been curbed, media
restrictions imposed and most of the
constitution abrogated.

Political figures detained

Thai journalist Pravit Rojanaphruk was

the first reporter to be summoned by
the junta. He reported to a Bangkok
army conference centre on Sunday
with black tape across his mouth in
protest, according to witnesses.
Analysts have said the developments were an ominous signal that the
army is digging its heels in and may be
unwilling to hand over power to a civilian government in the near term.
Winthai said those detained by the
military were being held without restraints and had not been tortured or

13-year-old Indian
becomes youngest
woman to scale Everest

beaten and reiterated that they would

be released within seven days.
Those being held include politicians
and leaders from both sides of the
countrys warring protest movements,
while the army has summoned academics seen as critical of the coup.
Thailand has been rocked by persistent and sometimes violent political
turmoil for nearly a decade, with bitter
divisions intensifying in the years following the 2006 ousting of Yinglucks
brother, then-prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra, by pro-royalist generals.

Racked by protests

In the past seven months the country

has been racked by protests against
the government led by his sister that
have left 28 people dead and hundreds
wounded.
She was ousted by a court ruling before the coup, but her government remained in place till last week.
Thaksin in exile since 2008 and
his allies have won every election this
century, thanks to their strong support
base among the working class and communities in the north and northeast.
But he is reviled by parts of the elite,
the Bangkok middle class and southerners an alliance with wide influence
in the establishment and army but little
electoral success.
Washington, long a key ally, has led
international condemnation of the coup.
It has suspended $3.5 million in
military assistance, cancelled official
visits and army exercises and said its
remaining Thai aid budget was under
question.
We are increasingly concerned
about actions the military has taken,
State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said Saturday, pointing to the
dissolution of the Senate, arrests and
media restrictions.
The military said Saturday that
Prayut had sent a letter about his takeover to the countrys revered but ailing
king, Bhumibol Adulyadej. l

Clockwise from top left: Thousands of anti-coup protesters take part in a gathering at the Victory Monument in Bangkok on May 25. A
Thai soldier keeps a watch ahead of a gathering in Bangkok. Anti-coup protesters scuffle with Thai soldiers ahead of a gathering
AFP

Pakistan frees 151 Indian fishermen

ahead of Nawazs Delhi visit
n Agencies
In a goodwill gesture, Pakistan yesterday freed 151 Indian fishermen, a
day ahead of the visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to India to attend the
swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, the Press
Trust of India reported.
Authorities released 59 Indian fishermen from the Malir jail in Karachi
and another 92 from Nara jail in Hyderabad in Sindh province.
Syed Nazir Hussain, the superintendent of the Malir jail in Karachi, told PTI
that the Indian prisoners were released
on written directives of the interior and
foreign ministries.

Most of these prisoners are poor

Indian fishermen who were arrested and brought here for trespassing into Pakistani territorial waters,
he said.
The freed prisoners were taken in
an air-conditioned bus from Karachi
to Wagah border in Lahore from where
they will be handed over to Indian authorities.
Some of the freed prisoners told Geo
News channel that they were delighted
to be going back to their families.
We were treated well and not as
serious criminals but everyone wants
to go home to their families, one
prisoner said.
Last year in August, Pakistan had

released around 337 Indian prisoners

from jails. Later on Diwali also, 15 Indian fishermen were released as a goodwill gesture.
Pakistan maritime security forces
frequently arrest Indian fishermen and
seize their boats for fishing in its territorial waters.
According to Indian activists, at
present around 229 Indian fishermen
and about 780 Indian boats are in the
custody of Pakistan.
In addition to this, 23 boats of Indian fishermen had been confiscated just
during the ongoing fishing season.
Similarly, around 200 Pakistani fishermen with 150 boats were with India,
according to compiled figures. l

Jayalalithaa to boycott Modis

swearing-in ceremony
n Agencies
In a historic feat for Indian mountaineering, 13-year-old Malavath Purna yesterday
became the youngest female climber to
scale the Mount Everest, the Press Trust
of India reported. Purna was accompanied
by Sadhanapalli Anand Kumar (16), a Class
IX student from the Khammam district of
Andhra Pradesh.

They climbed Everest at 6am today

(Sunday) after a 52-day long expedition,
an official said. Purna created a record by
becoming by the youngest girl to climb the
Everest.
The duo were selected among about
150 children who were initially chosen for
adventure sports as part of an initiative to
promote excellence in the students of the
society, he said. l

n Agencies
Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa will not attend the swearing-in
ceremony of Indias Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, according to TV reports.
Jayalalithaa may not even send any
representative for the ceremony, reports quoting sources say.
The Tamill Nadu chief minister had
earlier expressed dismay over Modis

invite to Sri Lankan President Mahinda

Rajapaksa for his swearing-in to be occurred today.
While the sentiments of Tamils living in India and elsewhere towards
the Sri Lankan Tamils were known,
a change of regime at the Centre in
no way alters the already existing
strained relations between Tamil
Nadu and Sri Lanka, she had said in
a statement.
The AIADMK supremo, a strident

critic of the Rajapaksa administration,

had said Modi could have avoided the
ill-advised move of inviting the head
of the island republic, especially with
regard to the Centre-state relations.
The MDMK and DMK also opposed
the invitation to Rajapaksa.
MDMK general secretary Vaiko on
Saturday said his party would stage
a black flag demonstration May 26 in
New Delhi to protest Mahinda Rajapaksas visit to India for the ceremony. l

Gunmen kill eight

policemen in SW
Pakistan
n AFP, Quetta
Gunmen killed at least eight tribal police
in an attack on a local checkpoint yesterday in Pakistans restive southwest,
officials said. The incident occurred
in the Waadh area of Khuzdar district,
some 350 kilometres (217 miles) southwest of Quetta, the capital of oil- and
gas-rich Baluchistan province which
borders Iran and Afghanistan.
Gunmen attacked the checkpost
early in the morning and shot dead
eight tribal police officials, known as
Levies, provincial home secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani told AFP.
He said one other officer was wounded in the attack but survived, adding police will question him over how the fighting occurred and who the gunmen were
once his condition stabilises. A local intelligence official also confirmed the attack and casualties. So far, no group has
claimed responsibility for the attack.
Baluchistan, Pakistans largest but
least developed and most sparsely populated province, is racked by a separatist insurgency as well as sectarian violence, Islamist militants and banditry.
The separatist conflict was revived
in 2004, with nationalists seeking to
stop what they see as the exploitation
of the regions natural resources and alleged rights abuses.
The idea of giving greater autonomy
to the province is highly sensitive in a
country still scarred by the war with its
eastern portion in 1971, which saw that
region break away to form an independent Bangladesh. l

China, Japan exchange barbs over action by warplanes in East China Sea
n Reuters, Tokyo

Japan and China yesterday accused each

others air forces of dangerous behavior
over the East China Sea, with Japan saying Chinese aircraft had come within a
few dozen meters of its warplanes.
Japans defense minister accused
Beijing of going over the top in its approach to disputed territory. Chinas defense ministry said Japanese planes had
carried out dangerous actions during
its joint maritime exercises with Russia.
Tensions have been running high
between China and its neighbors over
Beijings assertive stance on claiming
land and sea territory.
Japans defense ministry said Chinese SU-27 fighters came as close as 50
meters (170 feet) to a Japanese OP-3C
surveillance plane near disputed islets
on Saturday and within 30 meters of a
YS-11EB electronic intelligence aircraft.

Closing in while flying normally

over the high seas is impossible, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told
reporters in comments broadcast on TV
Asahi. This is a close encounter that is
outright over the top.
Onodera said Japan conveyed its
concerns to the Chinese side through
diplomatic channels. He also said the
Chinese planes were carrying missiles.
A ministry official said it was the
closest Chinese warplanes had come to
aircraft of Japans Self-Defense Force.
Chinas defense ministry said jets
were scrambled in the East China Sea
on Saturday after Japanese aircraft entered its air defense zone during maritime exercises with Russia.
The ministry said the Japanese aircraft had entered the zone despite no
fly notices being issued ahead of the
exercises. China declared its air defense zone last year despite protests by

Japan and the United States.

Japanese military planes intruded
on the exercises airspace without permission and carried out dangerous actions, in a serious violation of international laws and standards, which could
have easily caused a misunderstanding
and even led to a mid-air accident, the
statement said.
China had proposed urgent talks,
it said, and demanded that Japan respect the lawful rights of Chinas and
Russias navies ... and stop all reconnaissance and interference activities.
Otherwise Japan will bear any and all
consequences from this.

Chinese claims

A Chinese SU-27 fighter flies over the East China Sea, in this handout photo taken May 24,
and released by the Defense Ministry of Japan yesterday
REUTERS

China lays claim to Japanese-administered islets in the East China Sea,

known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. It is also pressing its
claim to almost all the South China Sea,

brushing aside claims by several southeast Asian states.

Chinas proclamation last November
of an air defense zone covering disputed islands and areas in the South China
Sea has raised concerns that a minor
incident could quickly escalate.
Sino-Japanese ties have long been
strained by allegations in China that Japan has not properly atoned for its wartime aggression and by the spat over
the uninhabited islands.
Japan scrambled fighter jets against
Chinese planes 415 times in the year
ended in March, up 36 percent on the
year, while in waters near the disputed
islands, patrol ships from both countries have been playing cat-and-mouse,
raising fears of an accidental clash.
Japanese land, sea and air forces
joined last week to simulate the recapture
of a remote island, underscoring Tokyos
concerns about the security of the islets. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Monday, May 26, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Looking forward,
not back

NP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is wrong to claim that the

government does not have the right to set a budget for the next
fiscal year.
The BNP made its own decision to boycott the January 5 election.
It is neither accurate nor constructive for it to be questioning the
legitimacy of the government. The one-sided election was deemed
necessary to ensure a government which was constitutionally legal.
By the same token, the election should not be considered a
popular mandate to serve out
a five-year term. The public
expects the AL to negotiate
with the BNP and hold a fresh
election in which both parties
participate, and every voter has
the opportunity to vote.
We are concerned that
neither of the parties appears
ready to resume dialogue about
the countrys political future.
The government has
demonstrated an unseemly
willingness to deny political space to the BNP by interfering with or
obstructing its programs. The BNP meanwhile has drawn attention
away from its critiques of current policies by ill-advisedly disputing the
legitimacy of the government.
An opinion poll conducted for the Dhaka Tribune in February made
clear that a clear majority of voters, regardless of voting preference,
want the current government to hold new, inclusive elections well
before the end of its term.
The poll also made clear that the public abhors the confrontation
and violence of last years hartals and blockades. Talks must be held
soon to overcome the political divide to remove the possibility of any
reoccurrence.

Talks must be held

soon to overcome
the political divide

ACC needs more

authority

he Anti-Corruption Commissions 2013 annual report says the

ACC could be more effective in its work, if its powers were
independently set out under the constitution.
Unlike similar bodies in other countries, and unlike the Election
Commission, there is no provision in the Bangladesh constitution
delineating the power of the ACC.
In view of the obstacles which the ACC faces in fulfilling its
role, there is merit in its observation that a clearer constitutional
framework would help it in securing co-operation and information
from government agencies and organisations.
Transparency International
Bangladesh has supported this
view, making the case that a
constitutional framework would
help keep the ACC free from
influence and make it truly
independent.
An independent budgetary
allocation for the ACC in the
national budget could help
minimise political pressure.
Unfortunately, political
pressures on the commission
were increased by the change made last year, making it mandatory for
the ACC to obtain government approval for filing cases against judges,
magistrates and public servants.
This requirement greatly hinders the independence of the ACC. It
needs to be removed to give the country the effective anti-graft body
which it needs, and which the government has said it supports in its
pledges to show zero tolerance for corruption.
This would not require any constitutional change, but would
increase public confidence by sending a strong signal that corruption
will not be tolerated.
Acting quickly to empower the ACC in this way would help its
work, while allowing time to consider its proposal for constitutional
independence.

Be heard
Write to Dhaka Tribune
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Day against homophobia

May 20

Zero-Agenda
I still cannot wrap my head around why everyone still
makes such a big deal about homosexuality these
days. The fact that there are people who prefer
partners of the same sex is an almost homogenised
concept these days. Its not progressive or transgressive to support the LGBT community anymore.
I think its best if LGBT folk in Bangladesh just
pretend theres no bigotry or any law prohibiting
them from being who they are and, well, be who
they are. Save the rabble babble for when something
truly eventful against the community arises.
Anonymous LGBTQ+ Responder
Zero-Agenda: As wonderful as it would be to just
feel that way, the harsh reality on the ground is that
there is rampant homophobia in the country. You
want to know why something truly eventful has
not arisen against the community? It is because
the current illegality of homosexual interaction,
the social stigma, and the threats of disinheritance,
violence, and abuse are much too high.
I am speaking as someone who came out to a small
circle of family members, who promptly tried to have
me violently exorcised by the local mosque. And,
because of current laws, I could not pursue any legal
recourse. I apologise for the anonymity of this post and
I truly appreciate your wonderful and open-minded
sentiment, believe me, but I am saddened to say that
that type of acceptance is still a long way away.
Traveller_23
Anonymous LGBTQ+ Responder: I wonder whats
truly eventful enough for Zero-Agenda. Do we need
to be killed en masse or something so that people
can feel bad for us and support us?
Osmania
A good article, making a simple logical case.
Discrimination makes no sense as well as being
unjust. Theres no justification for the bigotry of the
status quo.
VK
Not much about the severe discrimination of the
LGBT communities in Bangadesh, and what the
government will do about it, is it not?

May 19

Sheikh Jinat Mahmid

We all know about the disaster. Lets talk about
disaster management. How can we reduce it!

Shondhaya Tara
What can we do? The world is getting overloaded,
the weather is getting hotter. For comfort, we
use the AC more frequently, and the atmosphere
is getting more polluted day by day. We pollute
the water, then boil that polluted water to purify
it and make it drinkable. We cut trees and burn
them to boil water! So every chain is broken!

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

kmak
As I have argued numerous times before, the
recognition of LGBT rights in Western countries
is a bottom-up phenomenon, preceded by a social
transformation which saw people becoming more
secular, sexually liberal, and morally individualistic.
Bangladeshi society is not individualistic and the
vast majority of people are not secular. There is no
depiction of kissing or nudity in our films, much less
homosexuality. Premarital sex and adultery are still
considered to be condemnable acts. Lets see a gay
parade openly taking place on the streets of Dhaka. I
think we all know what the reaction will be.
Homosexuality cannot thrive in a nation as
conservative as ours.
Osmania
kmak: Homosexuality is part of nature which exists
everywhere. It has nothing to do with debates
about values. Human rights are universal, period.
I dont know if youre right that most people are not
secular, but I do think you underestimate the common
sense and tolerance of ordinary people. Of course
some groups might protest a gay parade in Dhaka, but
you know what, I think theyd be a minority.
Everyone knows that banning natural sexual
behaviour does not make it go away and they can
just as readily appreciate that decriminialising homsexuality wont make it compulsory.
Or are you one of these people who would like to
see the state criminalise premarital sex and adultery?

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 numberrepeating.

kmak
Osmania: My argument is that Bangladesh is not
ready to accommodate homosexual rights because
the conditions arent right. To refute me, you will
have to convincingly argue that sexually liberal
and individualistic attitudes as well as declining
religiosity have no bearing on a societys acceptance
of homosexuality.
Ridwando
kmak: The concept of basic human rights is universal and goes way beyond the issue of cultural
relativism. Denying LGBT rights is objectively
wrong, and cannot be justified by taking refuge to
cultural values.

A clearer
constitutional
framework would
help the ACC

Do you know Antarctic ice

losses doubled?

How to solve: Each number in our

CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 4 represents P so fill P every
time the figure 4 appears.
You have one letter in the control grid
to start you off. Enter it in 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.

Captains, master found

negligent
May 18

Javeed
All it takes is to make use of life jackets compulsory on water transports. But we are too lazy to do
even that much!

CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Arachnid (6)
5 Discharge a debt (3)
7 Speech sound (5)
8 Lessens (6)
10 Thickness (3)
12 Departed (4)
13 Printers measures (3)
14 Close and open eye (4)
16 Meditate (4)
17 Container (3)
18 Amused look (4)
20 Mild explosion (3)
23 Fixed allowance (6)
24 Fundamental (5)
25 Young goat (3)
26 Held principles (6)

DOWN
1 Main actor (4)
2 Likenesses (6)
3 Makes level (5)
4 Flower (4)
5 Vigour (3)
6 Everyone (3)
9 Large volume (4)
11 Tibetan ox (3)
14 Rest in expectation (4)
15 Light (6)
16 Cleaning implement (3)
17 Clamp (5)
18 Firmness of
character (4)
19 Insects (4)
21 Kimono sash (3)
22 Cushion (3)

Sonia, Rahul offer to resign,

party refuses
May 20

Ruhel
End of dynastic politics in India. Now, it is time to
end it in Bangladesh.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

YESTERDAYS SOLUTIONS
CODE-CRACKER

Hundreds wait to get

baby Hilsa confiscated at
Chowdhuryghat

CROSSWORD

May 19

PEANUTS

Sanchay Kumar
The poor want to buy many things. But they
cannot because they dont have money.
They live from hand to mouth. Where will
they go? What can they do?

Dr Kamal issues rejoinder

to PM
May 19

Humaira Chowdhury
This man is a brilliant lawyer. But of late, for
the last few decades, it appears he has not
been the same man whom Bangabandhu
trusted and took under his wings.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed
T

11

Monday, May 26, 2014

Values to walk the gallows

n Towheed Feroze
he alleged killers of the Fulhgazi upazila chairman do
not look like killers. Lined
up by RAB and wearing
colourful t-shirts, these
young boys are no different than those
standing near the tea shop at the street
corner gossiping about the upcoming
World Cup.
These are young teenagers who
possibly spend sleepless nights
watching Spanish League matches, but
behind those youthful dimensions lurk
the profit-driven cruel minds, exploited by the godfathers of society. These
teenagers the arrested are possibly
hardly above twenty bear testament
to an insidious social culture where
all ethics are summarily sidelined
for money and power. Its not certain
if the arrested ones killed Ekramul
Haq, the UP chairman, but its safe to
assume that unless there was adequate
evidence, they would not be arrested.

the mastermind of the whole episode

is the major criminal who, in most cases, remains outside the legal dragnet,
astutely manipulating the political
chessboard.
Its alleged that feud over authority
resulted in the latest killing where both
AL and BNP men were involved. We are
not surprised by the supposition that
leadership tussle superseded political
allegiance. The unsavoury truth of this
society is that when money is involved,
party loyalty and political ideology
become disposable. Its money, power,
and control that dominate. Party label
is merely the support, the safe refuge
during tense times.
Ethics and morality are certainly
not part of this equation. They are
rhetoric used to cleverly coat the
vicious game of profit-making. These
youngsters also took up arms for money and a quick rise to infamy. Shoot a
prominent leader down, develop the
killer instinct. and finally, get rid of
other competitors to rise to the posi-

Lining them in front of the camera and pressing

charges is hardly a solution. The problem lies in the
systematic pollution of general social credo

Several reconstructions of the killing

have showed that the whole operation was not a spur of the moment
act, but something that was planned
meticulously beforehand. One group
created a diversion by inciting panic
while the other, taking advantage of
public fear, carried out the deed. Did
the youngsters plan the whole event
or were they provided the blueprint
by someone else? While the ones that
pulled the trigger need to be caught,

tion of power. In this game, there is no

time for remorse and little patience for
outdated morality.
The arrest of the eight young
delinquents can be seen as a prompt
response from law enforcers. However,
the core issue of the crimnilisation of
the young mind with perturbing ramifications may go unaddressed. Just
lining them in front of the camera and
then pressing charges against them is
hardly a solution. Like I said in an op-

ed a few weeks earlier the problem

lies in the systematic pollution of
general social credo.
When a father or a working mothers sudden abnormal surge in income
is not questioned by children or family
members and is instead deemed as
good luck, we cannot expect any
values to survive. Similarly, when
hypocrisy of the highest order sees
once-corrupt people delivering platitudes about honest living with the prefix Haji placed strategically before
their names, how can youngsters grow
up with any moral compass?
Crime will always be part of society
since no community is perfect. However, when juveniles are seen to be
working as hired killers, a profound
social flaw is detected. To go back to
the history of crime in the city, even
ten years ago, hired killers were mostly
young. Those who pulled the trigger
a decade ago are dead due to internal
struggle for supremacy while those
who live now work as the masterminds
or much sought-after crime strategists.
It goes without saying that these elements would not have thrived unless
they received political blessings. In a
time when getting rich or powerful at
any cost overtakes all other factors, its
foolhardy to expect the young to be
the champions of moral correctness.
Sorry to say, we have corrupt family
atmospheres where venality of all
forms is given impunity through the
forceful legitimisation of the belief
that this is how the world works, if
you cling to ideals, you end up a loser.
Add to this the pervasive culture of
cronyism that has established the firm
understanding that unless one has the
right connections, reaching a certain
level is impossible.
Can anyone show me an example
where an AL or a BNP government
ever spiritedly backed someone from
the opposing side because that person
held the right credentials or possessed
a relatively clean image? Suitable or

Is it their fault or ours?

not, educated or a total rustic, the
preference has always been the party
man. These happen right before us
the blatant safeguarding of political
dogs so is it any shock that teenagers
have done away with all scruples?
Just to give a small example of the
erosion of once strictly followed social
cultures, not too long ago, it was a
norm in Bangladesh for youngsters to
always honour seniors and, as courtesy, not smoke in front of them. Personally, I dont believe that smoking is
disrespectful but that is how society
has interpreted deference for ages. Its

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

similar to addressing a senior as bhai

or apa as opposed to calling them by
their names.
This culture is no longer present
because parents do not emphasise on
these small behaviour-related matters
anymore. How can they when they are
the biggest advocates of crass philosophies?
I do not know what will come of
these youngsters who were caught,
but this much is sure, some of them,
due to their connections or the blind
affection of parents willing to do
anything (read pay whatever amount

Neighbours with benefits

n Syed Ishtiaque Reza

Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently

working in the development sector.

Press for freedom

n Sourajit Aiyer

necessary), will eventually be set free.

The question is, will they change?
I doubt it. It seems we are heading
for an age when it will be normal for
a proud parent to boast: My beloved
son, feared godfather, is extremely
wealthy and owns a lot of property
and is the right-hand man of the
local MP! In response, the one may
think: Oh! What a suitable person for
my marriageable daughter, studying
political science! l

lot has been said in the past

about what Indias new prime
minister might bode for its
neighbours. In Narendra Modis
context, there seems to have been
some skepticism in Bangladesh and
Pakistan for obvious reasons, despite
his stress on economic development
and growth as the singular agenda for
his candidature. Irrespective of those,
it is now encouraging to note the news
of the Saarc region being featured as
being Modis first active engagement
overseas, even ahead of the usual USA,
China, Japan, or Europe.
This start is extremely forward-looking, given that the immediate neighbourhood has a major
bearing for any country. Constructive
engagement with neighbours has
been a drawback of India in recent
years, given the tussle between a
weak federal coalition and strong
regional parties who share borders
with neighbours. Modi had stressed
on economic co-operation and the aim
to work for mutual benefit during his
campaigns, as far as neighbours were
concerned. It is positive to see that he
has taken the first steps to convert that
promise into action, by engaging with
Bangladesh. Following Dhaka, one
hopes that his next engagement would
be with Islamabad and Colombo. He
has already interacted with Pakistans
prime minister, while the Sri Lankan
president might come for the swear-

ing-in ceremony next week.

These four countries offer the
maximum scope for mutually beneficial opportunities within the Saarc
universe, simply because of the scale
of each ones existing industries and
labour pool. Indian products can act
as input products for industries in
these countries, and similarly, they
have products that can be competitive
input products for Indian industries.
This is the textbook format of utilising
backward and forward linkages as part
of the overall value chain of a particular product. This form of economic
co-operation in the production process
of a product means that all the intermediate products that go into it are
naturally produced in the lowest-cost
region, whichever country it is.
This is in line with competitive
advantages and means the best price
for consumers. Of course, it means
that the same industry in the other
country would suffer, whichever it is.
But that is where its ability to compete
and yet emerge as a feasible supplier
would test its own management
skills and reforms. Protectionist-first
policies always appeal to politics
due to emotions related to the
vote bank. But it handicaps local
industries by resulting in inefficient
management, low-quality products,
and unnecessarily higher prices for
consumers. Economics-first policies
actually help sustain a countrys
industrial development in the
long run. It creates productive job

Will Modis Saarc-first approach be a win-win for all involved?

REUTERS

opportunities instead of just disguised

unemployment. Competition compels
businesses to produce the best quality
at the most competitive prices,
which is beneficial for consumers.
It eventually helps boost the overall
output for both economies concerned.
Opportunity for mutual co-operation between India, Bangladesh,
Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are not just
restricted to industrial products. It
includes supply of resources to fuel
industries, sharing technologies on
agriculture or industrial processes,
skill-sharing on manufacturing and
services sector activities, usage of a
countrys soil to transport consignment between two other countries
over land, processes on empowering
people economically to take them out
of poverty, accessibility to healthcare,
opportunity to learn for the others
local small-scale industries to develop
similar establishments in ones own
country, availability of raw materials
and intermediate goods at competitive
prices, etc.
However, it is also important to
maintain the mutual-benefit stance
during all this engagement. Otherwise
there might be chances of someone
ending up disgruntled. But this should
not be at the cost of holding future
engagements at ransom.
Ironically, trust deficits in the past
between Saarc countries often led to
them engaging with other countries,
some of whom are actually low-cost
manufacturing giants, much larger
than any of the Saarc countries. Influx
of their cheap products actually spelt
a doom for the local industries as the
output of the local industries were
not used anywhere in the production
process. This is something which the
mutual co-operation approach within
the Saarc countries might achieve.
Modis start with a Saarc-first
approach seems constructive. It is now
imperative for his administration to
continue the engagement. Statistics
shows that even the neighbouring
countries are far from reaching their
own economic potential. Hence,
committing to mutually beneficial and
constructive engagement processes
would be a win-win for all countries,
and might result in the 21stcentury
becoming the century of South Asia. l
Sourajit Aiyer is a finance professional based
in India.

recently found one of my friends

working in a television channel
very upset. When asked, he said
he was forced to withdraw a news
item (although it was very factual)
upon pressure from the owner of the
channel. The reason is that the news
confronts other business interests of
the channels owners.
News bosses in private channels
have to face this kind of content control by the management almost regularly. Journalists struggle relentlessly
in the face of business and political
interests.
The same week that we were
discussing this issue, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina went to visit the
Ministry of Information where she
addressed some high officials. While
giving them directions to highlight
the governments success stories in
national media, the prime minister
also talked about the situation of the
media in general.
We dont want to control the press.
We expect that the press will be an
auxiliary force of the society and the
country. The press must have liberty,
but along with that, good sense should
prevail on everybody for the sake of
society while disseminating news,
she said. Hasina was speaking in
particular about the electronic media
and announced that she wants a policy
for electronic media television and
radio so that no one can broadcast
anything dirty and harmful to society.
In fact, the media landscape in
Bangladesh has changed a lot over the
past twelve years. Licenses for setting
up television and radio stations are
given completely on political influence, and it was the same case during
the BNP-Jamaat years.
If the prime minister seemed a little
unhappy with national news coverage,
it must be said that her government
approved most of these channels and
radio stations to operate and surely
the owners were chosen politically.
Despite this, it seems that there is dissatisfaction among the policymakers
over the news and program content of
the media houses.
When the draft of the much talked
about broadcast policy was released
early 2009, journalists, leaders, and
civil society watchdogs strongly protested saying that it was aimed at gag-

ging media freedom. At a number of

seminars and roundtables, the media
practitioners and civil society members said that freedom of expression in
the media should be protected. So, a
move is now underway to formulate a
broadcast policy involving journalists
and other stakeholders.
The policy is expected to be announced soon. While we have no idea
about the contents of the policy, we
hope that broadcasting regulation is
left transparent and independent, and
the media is operated by professionals.
A democratic countrys media landscape, including new media, should be
diverse, independent, and sustainable.
Media professionals must deal with
the increasing complexities of politics,
violence, poverty, and other social
issues. There are allegations of sensationalism, yellow journalism, and
political bias against many journalists
and media houses. We cannot really
ignore these allegations. But it is also
true that many newsmen try to carry
out their professional responsibilities ethically. The question is who
controls the content, the journalists or
the owners?

on the streets and the political stalwarts, they also have to fight within
their workplace to be allowed to do
their jobs.
However there are some encouraging aspects also. Bangladeshs citizens
have become much more aware of the
role of media in shaping society. There
are efforts in different areas of society
to allow journalists and media houses
to do their jobs professionally. The media has become more pluralistic, with
news and issues important to ordinary
people being given more airtime. Online media and citizen journalism have
contributed to a more diverse media
landscape in the country.
It is time to think about the kind of
regulations Bangladeshs media needs.
Should they be self or state-regulated?
Self-regulation seems more important
in order to ensure ethical standards.
Without it, we cannot seek to refrain
from the types of media immoderation
that we have been witnessing over the
years. These include identifying rape
victims, showing or publishing dead
bodies, asking intrusive questions to
the relatives of accident or trauma
victims, etc.

The country needs a robust media to support its

democracy, and a strong democracy must ensure a
free media

During the early 60s, proprietors were

more aware that media ownership
was actually a business to earn public
trust. These days, huge investments in
the media by private enterprises have
opened the door to better salaries and
facilities for many newsmen. But the
new media barons are not ready to
focus on the ethical side of journalism;
rather they seek to use their media
outlets for increasing their power,
influence, and wealth. Many of them
do so by structuring newsrooms and
programming operations in a way that
they personally dictate what goes on
air, and even in print.
Journalists in Bangladesh not only
face the muscle-swinging hoodlums

In many ways, our media today is the

last resort of liberals in the society. The
rules of the game they play are defined
by fierce political rivalry between
two major parties, rise of an orthodox fundamentalist force, a fragile
democratic system, and a dominant
muscle culture. Liberal voices prefer to
silence themselves rather than fight.
But the country needs a robust media
to support its democracy, and a strong
democracy must ensure a free media.
The struggle of the media practitioners is to keep their role as storytellers
alive. l
Syed Ishtiaque Reza is director of news,
Ekattor Television.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Turkish film wins Cannes top honour

n Entertainment Desk
Chekhovian drama Winter Sleep was awarded the
much awaited Palme dOr at the final ceremony of
the 2014 Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, and remained one of the frontrunners right into the final
straight.
Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan accepted the award,
handed out by Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman at the French Riviera festival. Ceylan expressed
surprise at the decision, but said he was very pleased
to win, especially in the year which marks the 100th
anniversary of Turkish cinema. In his speech, Ceylan alluded to anti-government protests in Istanbul
that began a year ago and have raged following a recent mining disaster that killed hundreds.
I want to dedicate the prize to the young people
in Turkey and those who lost their lives last year,
said Ceylan.
The film beat out Xavier Dolans hyped-about
Mommy, which settled for the Jury Prize, along
with Jeal-Luc Godards Goodbye to Language.
The runner-up Grand Prix award went to Alice
Rohrwachers Italian-language film The Wonders.
Julianne Moore won best actress for her performance in David Cronenbergs dark Hollywood satire
Maps to the Stars. Screenwriter Bruce Wagner accepted the award for Moore and cheered the town
he savagely parodies in the film: Vive Los Angeles.
Vive David Cronenberg. Vive Julianne Moore. And
vive la France, he said.
One anticipated call was the naming of Timothy
Spall as best actor in Mike Leighs biopic of the artist JMW Turner. He spoke emotionally about a long,
humble career that has often gone without such notice.

Bengal Foundations new cultural

centre titled Daily Star - Bengal Arts
Precinct commenced its journey at

Maqsood O' Dhaka brings

album after 15 years
n Shadma Malik
Maqsood O' Dhaka is about to release
their third album after a hiatus of fifteen years. A total of ten tracks will be
available in the album. About the upcoming release, vocalist Maqsood said:
We are on full-fledged flow recording the songs. The band members are
jamming and practicing songs every
day. Our genre remains jazz-rock fusions with interesting musical motifs
and we are aggressively working on it.
The title of the album has not been
fixed yet. Most of the lyrics and tune
are composed by Maqsood himself

Ive spent a lot of time being a bridesmaid, said

the veteran character actor, whose phone rang as
he t ried to read his speech from it. This is the first
time Ive ever been a bride.
Spalls performance has been much celebrated
for its emotional depth, despite Turners vocabulary in the film often consisting of grunts, snorts and
spitting saliva onto the canvas.
Bennett Miller (Capote, Moneyball) won
best director for his wresting drama Foxcatcher,
the American film that made the biggest impact
at Cannes. Miller dedicated his award to his stars
Channing Tatum, Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo, as
well as producer Megan Ellison.

Poradrishti presents
SM Sultans work

n Entertainment Desk

Monday, May 26, 2014

The Daily Star Centre in Kazi Nazrul

Islam Avenue with an exhibition titled
Poradrishti featuring work by master
artist SM Sultan on Friday evening.
The collection of SM Sultans
works has been accumulated from
the personal collection of Abul Khair,
chairman of Bengal Foundation. The
exhibition
Poradrishti
contains
18 paintings and 15 drawings by the
legendary artist. The exhibition will
remain open for all from May 23 to July
13.
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and
chairperson of BRAC, and Professor
Emeritus
Anisuzzman
jointly
inaugurated both the centre and the
exhibition. Besides, the inauguration
session also featured speech delivered
by Abul Khair and Mahfuz Anam,
editor of Daily Star.
Daily Star- Bengal Arts Precinct
the Foundations fourth arts venue in
Dhaka. At this site, Bengal Foundation
looks forward to broadening and
deepening the scope of its cultural
endeavours. l

Mega serial Lota Kombol, based on a novel with the same title by famous Indian writer
Sanjeeb Chattopadhyay, will be aired on GTV at 8:45pm. The story revolves around the
hiccups in human relations, crises in daily life and moral inconsistency in our society.
Abul Hayat, Ahmed Rubel, Tamalika Karmakar, Nova and many others form the cast of
the series directed by Golam Muktadir

Andrey Zvyagintsevs Leviathan secured the

best screenplay award. Based on the Book of Job,
Leviathan tells the story of a man battling endemic corruption across the church and state and modern-day Russia.
Eighteen features battled it out in the competition strand of the 67th Cannes film festival. The
winners in the sidebars were announced on Friday,
with canine horror White God taking the top prize
in the Un Certain Regard section, while Annie Silversteins Skunk took top honours in the Cinefoundation. The Tribe triumphed in Critics Week, while
Love at First Fight won the top gong at the Directors Fortnight. l

The Oscar nominee is headed to

the final frontier, and one very
lucky, very rich, person will make
the voyage with him.
Actress Sharon Stone presided
over the auction for the Aids charity, which included one prize lot
of a trip into space with Leonardo
DiCaprio.
At this year's star-studded
amfAR's 21st Cinema Against

Members of Maqsood O Dhaka

Chhayanauts tribute to the rebel poet

ROUMMY SIDDIQUIE

TODAY IN DHAKA
Exhibition
Bornil Pandulipi
Time: 12pm 8pm
Gallery Shilpangon
Second Sight
Time: 12pm 8pm
The Daily Star Centre, 64-65
Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue
Mukh O Mukhosh 5
Time: 11am 8pm
Galleri Kaya, House no. 20
Road no. 16, Sector no. 4, Uttara

Students of Chhayanaut perform on the first day of Nazrul Utsab 1421 on Saturday

n Afrose Jahan Chaity

Teachers and students of Chhayanaut performed a number
of Nazruls timeless compositions observing the National
Poets 115th birth anniversary on Saturday at 6:30pm in the
auditorium of Chhayanaut Sangskritik Bhaban.
Chhayanauts tribute to the rebel poet was a two-day
commemorative programme titled Nazrul Utsob-1421
which concluded yesterday. Highlighting the poets inspirational work, the leading artistes celebrated the revolutionary spirit of Nazrul to overcome the demeaning social and political norms. The event featured discussions,
musical performances, dance recitals and recitation. A
total of 60 artistes took part in the festival.
Nazrul Utsab 1421 opened with a choral rendition
Hey Partho Sharothi Bajao Bajao Ponchojonyo Shonkho by the students and teachers of the organisation. Chhayanaut dance department presented a vibrant dance
performance synchronised with the patriotic song of
Nazrul E Ki Oporup Rupe Maa Tomar.
Noted singer and secretary general of Chhayanaut,
Khairul Anam Shakil gave a speech on the legacy of the
literary titan and the impact of his work on our daily life
while Vice-president of the organisation Dr Sarwar Ali
expressed his gratitude towards the littrateur. Professor
Seraj Salekin delivered a speech on the poets inspirational work and his secularist and revolutionary spirit on
the opening day.

Leonardo DiCaprio
auctions off space
voyage!
n Entertainment Desk

while some folk fusions are borrowed

from the national heritage. Maqsood
O' Dhaka has already released two albums with their debut Prapto Boyoshker Nishiddho (Banned for Adults)
in 1997, and Ogo Bhalobasha (O
Love) in 1999.
The current album will be released
digitally worldwide on all existing
platform like iTunes, amazon, Google
and others as singles, with one song
releasing every month. Listeners in
Bangladesh will be able to download
them through bkash and surjomukhi
payment gateways. More details about
the album will be available soon. l

AIDS Gala, held at the Hotel du

Cap-Eden-Roc in France, the
39-year-old Wolf of Wall Street
star auctioned off a chance to take
an outer space trip with him in
2015. The chance to see the stars
with a star sold for around $1.5m
(700,000 Euros).
One star, who admitted she
would not be bidding, was actress
Jessica Chastain, who was put off
last year by the spiraling auction
prices. l

SADIA MARIUM

The soulful presentation of Nazruls songs performed

by promising and prominent singers mesmerised a
houseful audience. Students of Chhayanaut rendered
Nobin Asha Jaglo Je Re Aajand Chondromollica Chondromollica in chorus after the discussion. An array of
solo performances also enriched the programme.
Nazrul exponent Khairul Anam Shakil rendered a solo
titled Pashane Bhangale Ghum. Anindita Chowdhury
presented More Deke Low Sei Deshe, Roksana Hossain
Munni performed Prothom Prodip Jalo, Didaru Karim
presented Pordeshi Bodhuaand Layeka Bashir rendered a romantic piece Ekhono Otheni Chand among
others. The rainy day was further amplified by romantic
solos of the legendary poet and Mahidul Islam recited
one of Nazruls famous poems.
The lively performance of other choral numbers including Ei Amader Bangladesh, and Mora Jhonjhar
Moto Uddam by Nazrul Institute artistes captured the
hearts of the audience.
The programme featured performances of prominent
singers like Shahin Samad, Ferdous Ara, Yeakub Ali Khan,
Kalpana Anam, Lina Tapashi Khan, Mahmudul Hasan,
Shukla Pal Setu, Rezwanul Haque, Nahian Durdana Suchi and many others. A soulful rendition of the number
Rum Jhum Jhum Nupur was worthy of the audiences
admiration which matched the perfect ambiance of the
rainy day. The two-day festival wrapped up with the choral rendition of the National Anthem. l

Super model Naila Nayem who will

debut on the silver screen as an item
girl signed up as the brand ambassador
of Nokia Lumia. She confirmed the
news through her Facebook status:
With immense pleasure, I'm glad to
inform you all that, I have started to
work as a brand ambassador of Nokia
Lumia. Soon, the commercials will be
launched. I anticipate that u all will love
my work

Prosenjits look
inspired by Brad Pitt
n Entertainment Desk
Tollywood actor Prosenjit turns cop
for his next film. Director of the flick
loved Brad Pitts haircut in Mr & Mrs
Smith and his next project Raja
Chandas Force has given Tollywood Badshah Prosenjit Chatterjee
the chance to go for the crew cut.
He is playing a hard cop, an encounter specialist, in the film. And
then again, the haircut also means
respite from the Kolkata heat. After
Baishe Srabon and Bikram Singha:
The Lion Is Back, I will be playing a
cop again, but I make sure that my
looks keep changing. I love to experiment with the way Im seen on
screen and after conceiving my look

for Force, I told Raja that I would be

sporting this Ghajini look, as it went
with the character. And hence, this
Brad Pitt haircut, said Prosenjit.
Arpita will be playing Prosenjits love interest in the film. On
the sets, I am like a senior actor to
Arpita and she maintains that very
well. We hardly talk while at work.
And as it is, ahead of a film and on
the sets, I am into the character. A
few days ago, I was a football coach,
but now, my whole body language
is similar to that of a cops. I am
forever doing my homework. Arpita plays a schoolteacher, who has
a mature relationship with me in
the film, said the Tollywood heartthrob. l

Did you know?

Carlo Ancelotti is
only the 2nd manager
to win three European
Cup/Champions
League titles after
Liverpools Bob Paisley

Sport

Monday, May 26, 2014

14 Ancelotti happy and

lucky with fifth title

14 Seven Champions
League final truths

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Rosberg wins
Monaco Grand Prix

BFFs concert
on June 21
Bangladesh Football Federation is all
set to host its fund raising concert on
June 21 under the theme Celebrating
the World Cup 2014 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
The Development Committee of
BFF initially instigated the thought of
organising the concert for raising funds
that will be used in a countrywide
development programme. Though BFF
is yet to get the official nod from the
National Sports Council, the organising
committee has finalised the date and
began correspondence with the ruling
body of the countrys sports.
Zero Degree, an entertainment
event management firm, who will
be assisting the event, has already
started the proceedings by getting in
touch with global artists. Apart from
noted Bangladeshi artists it was learnt
Armando Christian Prez, better
known by his stage name Pitbull, the
renowned American rapper and Latin
Grammy winning artist is on the top of
the targeted list.
Among the Indian artists Arijit
Singh, Lungi Dance famed Honey

Bangladesh U-19
under pressure
after day one
Bangladesh Under-19 posted 217 runs
on the board losing nine wickets
against Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) at stumps on day one in
the solitary three-day game which began at BKSP yesterday. Only 57.5 overs
were possible in the day before the
game was interrupted by rain.
The Bangladesh batters failed to resist
the MPCA attack and none could stretch
his innings to a solid one. Mohammed
Saifuddin top scored with 37 runs on
the day while top-order batsman Zakir
Hasan and opener Joyraj Sheikh Emon
scored 36 and 31 runs respectively. Bangladesh U-19 skipper Mehedi Hasan
Miraz was unlucky to be run out for
nought after facing just four deliveries.
Sajib Saha and Rifat Pradhan were
at the crease on seven and one respectively when rain triggered a premature
end to the opening days play.
Among MPCS bowlers, Gaurav Patel
and Kuldeep Singh caused most of the
damage as the duo shared seven wickets between themselves. Gaurav picked
up four wickets from 14 overs conceding 59 runs while Kuldeep bagged three
giving away 48 runs from 12 overs. l

Singh, Sunidhi Chouhan and Pakistani

Atif Aslam have also been contacted.
The event management firm is also
poised to add extra flavour with a
number of Indian cinestars.
Abu Nayeem Shohag, the general secretary of the BFF, said they
hope to host a decent concert with
true international flavour. We are
hopeful of combining the countrys culture and the international
flavour amid the spirit of the World
Cup. We will officially put our application to NSC as early as possible, said
Shohag.
The gallery tickets will not be very
expensive and will cost a person from
Tk3000-4000 only. However, the stage
side seats will be costly and ranges
from Tk50,000-100,000.
The search of the title sponsors, TV
right-holders and other associate sponsors are under processing.
However, BFF may face some trouble as Bangladesh Athletics Federation
has categorically stated that they are
against the concert and its general secretary Ibrahim Changish has said he
may go for a hunger strike to protest
against the concert. l

Shinji Kagawa (C) and other Japanese national football team players acknowledge the cheering supporters in the pre-event for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, in Tokyo yesterday

Tigers begin training Brazils Rousseff hits back at

camp from today
Ronaldo World Cup criticism
Bangladesh cricket teams training
camp for next months three match
ODI series against India begins today
at the Sher-e-Bangla National stadium. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)
announced a 23 member preliminary
squad last Friday and the squad will be
under the supervision of new assistant
coach Sarwar Imran.
Tigers new coach Chandika Hathurusingha is scheduled to arrive in
Bangladesh on June 10 although it is
not yet confirmed. Mushfiqur Rahim
and his boys will start the strength and
conditioning camp from today and the
skill training from early next month.
However, Five players from the 23
member preliminary squad will not be
able to join the training camp today as
Imrul Kayes, Nasir Hossain, Mominul
Haque, Naeem Islam and Shamsur
Rahman are now touring West Indies
with the Bangladesh A team while
Shakib al Hasan is playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Kolkata
Knight Riders.
This India series is deemed as a new
beginning for the Tigers under a whole

new set-up after the resignation of

Shane Jurgensen along with some other coaching staffs. So it will be a challenge for both the cricketers and new
head coach Hathurusingha to adapt
quickly with the new set up as early as
possible.

Tigers new
coach Chandika
Hathurusingha is
scheduled to arrive
in Bangladesh on
June 10 although it
is not yet confirmed
On the other hand, it will be a great
platform for some of the cricketers currently touring West Indies with the A
side to cement their place by performing well in West Indies.
Iftekharul Islam, who was earlier
the trainer of the womens team, will
conduct the fitness camp in absence of
Vibhav Singh who will later join the Tigers before the India series. l

Dhaka Div Gold Cup from May 30

The Dhaka Divisional Gold Cup football
tournament comprising all the 17 districts of Dhaka division will get underway from May 30 at 14 venues across
the division.
The champions of the meet will be
receiving a purse of Tk100,000 while
the runners-up side are set to be richer by Tk50,000. Moreover, each of the
district teams will pocket a purse of
Tk40,000 as appearance money.
Zillar Rahman, divisional commissioner of Dhaka, presented the meet
to the media in a presser held at the

Zillar Rahman,
the Divisional
Commissioner of
Dhaka speaks at the
press conference
of the DC Gold Cup
Football at the
conference room of
the BNS yesterday
COURTESY

AP

conference room of the Bangabandhu

National Stadium yesterday. We have
made sure that seven players in the
playing eleven must hail from their respective districts. The other four players can be outsiders or even foreigners.
We took the step to add some extra value in the meet, said Zillar.
We also decided to the host the
meet outside the capital and in the districts so that people can enjoy the game
as well as support their respective districts, added Zillar.
Dhaka Divisional Sports Association
general secretary Kutubuddin Aksir,
tournament committee chairman Ani-

sur Rahman, member secretary Abdus

Salam and co-ordinator Ali Hossain
were also present on the occasion.
The teams have been split into four
groups with only the group champions
moving into the semifinals. The fixture
and venue of the semis are yet to
be declared. Madaripur, Shariatpur,
Faridpur, Narayanganj and Gopalganj
have been pitted in Group A, Tangail,
Manikganj, Rajbari and Munshiganj
make up Group B, Group C contains
Netrokona, Gazipur, Narsingdi and
Kishorganj while Group D comprises
Mymensingh, Dhaka, Jamalpur and
Sherpur. l

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff hit

back on Saturday at criticism voiced by
former soccer star Ronaldo over mishandled preparations for the World Cup.
I am sure that our country will put
on the Cup of Cups, Rousseff said in
a speech in Brasilia, without naming
Ronaldo directly. I am proud of our
accomplishments. We have no reason
to be ashamed and we dont have an
inferiority complex.
In an exclusive interview with Reuters on Friday, Ronaldo lamented that
many infrastructure projects promised
by Brazils government for the tournament were significantly delayed,
scaled-down, or canceled altogether,
while some stadiums remain unfinished just over two weeks from kick-off.
Its a shame. I am embarrassed,
this is my country and I love it and we
shouldnt be transmitting this image
abroad, Ronaldo said, who as a member of the Local Organizing Committee is one of the most visible backers
of soccers world governing body FIFA
and the Brazilian government.
Ronaldos comments were re-pub-

Narinda secure
promotion to
3rd division
Rubel Ahmed and Harunur Rashid
netted a brace apiece as Narinda
Junior Lions Club reached the final
of the Dhaka City Corporation (North
& South) Pioneer Football League
outplaying Kallal Sangha 4-2 in the first
semifinal at the Bangabandhu National
Stadium yesterday.
Narinda Lions also confirmed
their promotion to the 3rd division
football league with the victory. Rubel
put Narinda ahead after just two
minutes in the match before Harunur
Rashid doubled the lead seven minutes
later.
Rubel netted his second in the 37
minute and Harunur doubled his tally
in the 72nd minute. Md Sohel and
Md Arif scored one each for Kallal
Sangha in the 51st and 87th minute
respectively. Harun was adjudged the
player of the match.
Araf Sporting Club will take on Tangail Football Academy in the second
semifinal at the Kamalapur Stadium
today at 4pm. Top three clubs from the
pioneer league will get promotion to
the 3rd division. l

lished on the front page of Brazils

major newspapers on Saturday and
received heavy media play, prompting
the government to fire back.
Earlier in the day Sports Minister
Aldo Rebelo said Ronaldos comments
were tantamount to a shot against
ones own goal, considering the soccer
star was heavily involved in the Cup
preparations himself.
The governments response comes
amid efforts to protect both the nations image and that of Rousseff her-

self as she comes up for re-election in

October.
While Ronaldo agreed in the interview that criticism levied by FIFA over
the Cup preparations were fair, he noted that the event did bring about some
improvements in Brazilian cities such
as Cuiaba, one of the 12 cities that will
host the games.
I saw cities with many construction
projects...who knows how many would
have been done in Cuiaba if it werent
for the World Cup? he said. l

A demonstrator holds a sign during a protest against the 2014 World Cup in Sao Paulo
on Saturday
REUTERS

Punjab maul Delhi by

seven wickets
Delhi Daredevils
final IPL outing
was as woeful
as their opening
one, with table-toppers Kings XI Punjab inflicting a seven-wicket defeat on
the tournaments wooden spooners in
Chandigarh on Sunday.
Batting first, Delhi Daredevils batting flopped once again as they were
shot out for 115 in 18.1 overs with Kevin
Pietersens half-century being the only
saving grace.
In reply, Kings XI Punjab knocked
off the runs with as many as 37 balls to
spare. David Miller (47 no) and Manan
Vohra (47) smashed 96 runs in 10 overs
to seal the issue.
It turned out to be contrasting campaigns for both the sides. On one hand,
Daredevils lost 12 of their 14 matches,
including nine in a row, Kings XI Punjab won 11 of their 14 encounters to end
with 22 points - four clear of second and
third placed KKR and CSK respectively.
Virender Sehwag (9) and Glenn Maxwell (0) were out cheaply but Mannan
and Miller smashed the Daredevils
bowlers into submission. Manan hit

four fours and two sixes in 38 balls

while Miller hit as many fours and sixes
in 34 balls. He lofted Imran Tahir for a
six to end the match in style.
Earlier, Kevin Pietersen (58) finally got a half-century, which had nine
boundaries with a few bearing testimony of the vintage KP but his teammates again showed that most of them
didnt have the application nor zeal to
finish with their heads held high.

BRIEF SCORE
Delhi 115 (18.1ov)
Pietersen 58, Karthik, Awana2/25
Punjab 119/3 (13.5ov)
Vohra 47, Miller 47, Unadkat 1/3
Punjab won by 7 wickets
In the end, they were all out with as
many as 11 balls to spare. Parvinder Awana, Mitchell Johnson, Akshar Patel and
Karanveer Singh got two wickets each.
Save their skipper, none of the Delhi
batsmen scored more than 15 runs.
Mayank Agarwal (2) once again
played an irresponsible shot as has
been the case with him in this edition
and was caught by Virender Sehwag off
Johnson. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

I deserved to be going: Donovan

All-time US scoring leader Landon Donovan answered questions Saturday
for the first time about his snub from the World Cup squad, saying he
absolutely deserved to be going to Brazil. US coach Jurgen Klinsmann announced his 23-man roster for next months global football showdown and
said Donovan, 32, was a step behind the other strikers in training camp. I
respect the decision, but I just feel in my heart that I deserve to be there
and thats the pill thats hardest to swallow, Donovan said.
AFP

Sport

Colombia to make late call on Falcao

Gerrard hints England exit after WC

Colombia will wait until the last minute to decide whether to pick recuperating striker Radamel Falcao in their final World Cup squad, coach Jose
Pekerman said on Saturday. Ill wait until the last day, until the last hour, the
last minute, to give out my list of 23, Pekerman said when he arrived in Buenos Aires with his squad. Weve had lots of problems, from Falcaos injury,
(Camilo) Zunigas, and some players who havent had minutes with their
(club) teams. We have to evaluate all that, he told reporters. Reuters

England captain Steven Gerrard has hinted he could retire from the international stage after the forthcoming World Cup in Brazil. Gerrard will lead
Roy Hodgsons side to south America in June. The Liverpool midfielder,
who turns 34 next week, acknowledges this could be his last taste of the
international scene. Im not going to leave anyone hanging, Dont worry, as
soon as the World Cup is over Ill sit down with the manager at the right
time and Ill make the decision. Gerrard was quoted on Sunday.
AFP

Serene Ancelotti happy

and lucky with fifth title
Victorious Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, his jacket dripping with champagne, said he felt like a very lucky
man after his side beat cross town rivals Atletico Madrid 4-1 in the Champions League final on Saturday.
The urbane 54-year-old Italian was
seconds away from losing the crown
until Sergio Ramos headed home deep
into five minutes of added time to
equalise Diego Godins 37th-minute
strike.
After explaining to reporters that his
greatest joy in winning was the happiness it gave others, he was mobbed by
a group of players who gate-crashed his
press conference, singing and spraying
him with champagne.
I am lucky not just for this game,

Ancelotti said after the dancing group

returned to the changing rooms to continue their celebration. Ive felt a lot of
trust given to me by the club.
Ancelotti added that he did not feel
five minutes of time added on was too
much because there were many stoppages at the start of the second half.
You can say I was a lucky man but
you can also say we never gave up and
tried to do everything till the last second of the game, he said.
In contrast to his flamboyant, constantly gesticulating Argentine counterpart Diego Simeone, Ancelotti cut a
serene figure on the touch line.
Coming into the Lisbon final he already had wealth of experience of the
competition, with four Champions
League victories under his belt, two as a
player and two as a coach with AC Milan.

Monday, May 26, 2014

With his hands thrust deep in the

pockets of his elegantly tailored suit,
only the vigour of his gum-chewing
gave away the tension as his side assaulted the Atletico goal in search of
the equaliser as the minutes ticked
away.
He said had told his players at halftime to up the tempo.
The Italian added he had congratulated Simeone on the domestic title before Saturdays game and felt sympathy
for their Champions League defeat.
You have to respect the team that
doesnt win but fights all the way, said
Ancelotti, only the second coach to win
the European Cup three times along
with Liverpools former great manager
Bob Paisley. They deserved to be in
the final but in the end we deserved to
win I think. l

This will live with

me forever: Bale
A jubilant Gareth Bale said that his crucial extra-time goal, which helped steer
Real Madrid to a 4-1 Champions League
triumph, will live with him forever.
Welsh star Bale, the worlds most expensive player, had missed three regulation time chances before he headed
home to make it 2-1 in extra-time as
Real won the European title for the
10th time.
The price tag means nothing to me,
said Bale who moved to Real last year
from Tottenham in a world record deal.
I would have come here for a penny
if it meant I could play in the big tournaments and win the big titles.
Its unbelievable to lift this trophy
-- it will be a memory which will live
with me forever.
Bale said he never gave up hope
that Real would win the match despite
needing an injury-time header from
Sergio Ramos to take the final into extra-time. l

7 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL TRUTHS

Ronaldo finally had his say

It took until the very last vestiges of added time,

but on his home turf, perhaps it was fitting that
Cristiano Ronaldo had the final say. His was a
disappointing performance in the whole, lacking
the menace he usually possesses, but no one
has contributed more to Madrids success this
season in Europe than Ronaldo, who has now scored a record 17 times in the Champions
League. Overall he finishes the campaign with 55 goals in 45 games for Real Madrid, as
well as clutching the Ballon dOr under his arm. Truly this has been his season, and he
enjoyed the moment when tearing off his shirt to celebrate with the Madrid fans after
converting his late penalty.

Doing La Decima
There is a thin line between an obsession and a
dream, said Carlo Ancelotti in his pre-match press
conference, and though the Real Madrid coach
insisted the club had not strayed into obsessive
territory since their previous Champions League
win in 2002, it did feel as though their hunt for a
10th European Cup had taken on rather stalkerish dimensions. Now the long wait
is over. Repeated disappointments at the quarter-finals and semi-finals over the past
decade can dissipate into the ether: Real Madrid have a 10th European Cup, the round
number they have been lusting after for 12 years, and defeating their local rivals in the
final in Lisbon will only have made the feeling taste sweeter than a pastel de nata.

Bale has joined an exclusive

club, as has Ancelotti
The notoriously insular nature of football on these
isles means British winners of the European Cup
with foreign teams are few and far between. However, Bale is now one of them, joining Paul Lambert
(Borussia Dortmund, 1997), Steve McManaman
(Real Madrid, 2000) and Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich, 2001) in this unusual
honour. Even the great John Charles never conquered Europe with Juventus. Bales feat
is a rare one indeed. The most expensive player in the world has more than justified his
decision to leave Tottenham last summer by collecting the greatest club prize of all in
his debut season in Madrid, and he scored to boot. Furthermore, on a night that was all
about Real Madrid securing their record 10th European Cup, it should not be forgotten
that their manager was enjoying a milestone of his own. In leading Real to victory in
Lisbon, Ancelotti became only the second man after Bob Paisley (Liverpool, 1977, 1978,
1981) to win the competition on three separate occasions. The fact he did so with two
different clubs, having won his first two with Milan, and also managed to win it twice as
a player with the Rossoneri, makes his record all the more special. Does anyone have as
deep an affinity with the European Cup as the mild-mannered Italian who proves time
and again that nice guys can finish first?

The kiss
After Sergio Ramos planted a header inside Atleti
post from a corner in injury time, Iker Casillas
raced half the length of the pitch to embrace his
long-time team-mate and plant a kiss right on his
cheek. It was a moment of pure relief, of gratitude,
as Ramos late, late intervention meant Casillas
would not be held responsible for losing the Champions League final for his beloved
Real Madrid, having made such a horrible error of judgement for Diego Godins opening
goal. It was a touching vignette from a horribly tense and progressively more nasty affair
in Lisbon.

Real Madrid players on board the team bus celebrate their Uefa Champions League final win with fans at Cibeles Square in Madrid on Saturday after the match against Atletico Madrid
held at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, Portugal. Real Madrid won 4-1
AFP

Simeone sheds no tears for heartbroken Atletico

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone
insisted his side must raise themselves
from the disappointment of being minutes away from winning the Champions League and come back even stronger next season.
The recently crowned La Liga champions look set to beat local rivals Real
Madrid as they led 1-0 in Lisbon deep
into stoppage time until Sergio Ramos
header forced the game into extra time.
And in the second period of extra
time, Real ran rampant as goals from

Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano

Ronaldo handed them a 4-1 win to seal
their 10h European crown.
This match doesnt deserve a single
tear, said the Argentine.
When you give everything you cannot ask for more. There is another team
and other players out there and that is
football.
Now we have to rest, relax and prepare ourselves to compete and bother
the big teams again next season.
It is part of the game. You can win,
or you can lose and today it is our turn
to lose but at least knowing that we

have given it everything.

This will make us better. It gives us
the chance to keep improving and now
the rest of the world knows that Atletico can compete.
Simeone ended the game enraged,
though, as he marched onto the field to
confront Real defender Raphael Varane
after the Frenchman appeared to kick
the ball towards the Atletico bench.
He booted the ball towards me and
I got annoyed. That is why, he is young.
I didnt think it was a good reaction and
mine probably wasnt either.
He is great player and with experi-

Spain waits on Real, Atletico

stars to name squad

A Japanese McDonalds employee displays

the new menu item Brazil burger beef BBQ,
one of Fifa World Cup official burgers with a
football shaped bun, at a press preview at a
restaurant in Tokyo yesterday
AFP

Spain manager Vicente del Bosque on

Sunday put off until at least May 31
naming his full World Cup squad to
monitor the fitness of key Real Madrid
and Atletico Madrid players.
Del Bosque announced a list of 19
players for the World Cup holders
friendly against Bolivia on May 30 and
said he would name the final World
Cup squad of 23 the day after that. He
has until June 2 to finalise the list.
Barcelona winger Gerard Deulofeu
won a call-up for the Bolivia match
despite not being on the 30-strong
long-list already announced for next
months World Cup in Brazil.
Sundays list left out for the time being players from the two Spanish teams

in Saturday nights Champions League

final in which Real Madrid beat their
city rivals Atletico 4-1 in extra time.
They include Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas and defender Sergio
Ramos, a hero of the Lisbon final. Midfielder Xabi Alonso and defender Dani
Carvajal are the two other Real players
concerned.
Del Bosque omitted from his list of
19 the Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo and Juventuss Fernando
Llorente, raising hope for Chelseas
Fernando Torres who made it into the
squad to face Bolivia.
Manchester Uniteds Juan Mata and
Negredos City teammate David Silva
also made Sundays list, but a third Manchester City player, forward Jesus Navas,
must wait until after the Bolivia match. l

ence he will learn because he has a big

future ahead of him.
Simeone said he would meet with
the clubs hierarchy on Monday, before
going on holiday, to discuss the possible
comings and goings at the club over the
close season. And Simeone accepted
responsibility for having to replace the
Brazilian-born striker early in the game
for the second time in as many weeks
after rushing him back from injury.
The responsibility is mine. It was
my error. Obviously he wasnt in the
conditions we thought he was in training yesterday. l

Van Persie looking

forward to Van
Gaals arrival
Robin Van Persie said he was relishing
the prospect of linking up with Netherlands coach Louis Van Gaal when the
Dutchman takes over as Manchester
United manager after the World Cup.
Van Gaal signed a three-year deal
at Old Trafford earlier to replace David
Moyes, who was sacked last month after
United finished seventh in the Premier
League and failed to qualify for Europe.
It is a different sort of approach
to what I was used to with previous
coaches but I like it, Van Persie told
The Sun on Sunday.
It is a very Dutch way of doing
things - very direct but intended to
make us better players. l

We saw what happened when

the irresistible force meets the
immovable object
Real Madrid were the Champions League top
scorers heading into the final, with their 37 goals in
12 games averaging out at 3.1 per match making them the only team in Champions League history to average over three goals a game. Meanwhile, Atleti boasted the
competitions meanest defence having conceded only six times in 12 games. They held
out for all of 92 minutes, but then came Madrids resurgence. They could not be halted,
and hit four more to make it 41 in the competition this season.

Simeone was so close to

arguably the greatest
managerial feat of all time
How to put into context Atletico Madrids near-victory here in Lisbon? How can you adequately describe their ridiculous season as a whole? Perhaps
words, in this instance, are not sufficient. Maybe
the enormity of Atletis achievement can truly be glimpsed in the fact that at the start of
the season they were 6,560-1 to win both La Liga and the Champions League. That they
ultimately fell short should not diminish the pride they should feel. Simeones ability to
win a two-horse race as the third horse was amazing as they took the Liga title on the
final day of the season and he was within one minute of trumping that feat in Lisbon. No
wonder Tiago said the players revere him as a God. But today he was one miracle short.

Costa gamble could have

repercussions
When Diego Costa limped off against Barcelona
last weekend clutching his hamstring, some said
his World Cup was in doubt. Remarkably, thanks to
an infamous dose of horse placenta, he returned
to the starting line-up to widespread bafflement,
but only for nine minutes. Having said Costa and
Arda Turan, who did not even make the bench,
were only names in his pre-match press conference, Simeone still allowed himself to
take a big risk with his top scorer and it proved a ridiculous decision when he was forced
off after only nine minutes. The Spain international probably needed unicorn placenta
if he was to be ready for this match. If his World Cup aspirations are also to be placed in
jeopardy, Simeones decision will be even more unfathomable.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

15

Monday, May 26, 2014

QUICK BYTES

SCORECARD
Sri Lanka
T Dilshan b Jordan
88
L Thirimanne c Tredwell b Anderson 10
K Sangakkara c Buttler b Tredwell
40
M Jayawardene run out (Ballance)
2
A Mathews c Bopara b Gurney
30
A Priyanjan c Morgan b Anderson
43
D Chandimal c Bopara b Gurney
14
N Kulasekara c Root b Gurney
0
S Senanayake not out
2
D Prasad not out
7
Extras (lb5, w15)
20
Total (8 wkts, 50 overs)
256

Bangla Club win big

Bangla Club and Prime Sporting Club
registered victories in the Cute Premier
Division Handball League beating
Old Ideals and Surjodoy Krira Chakra
respectively at the Handball Stadium
yesterday. Bangla Club previously won
against Bhatritta Samaj Kalyan Sangha
by 35-13 goals with Titon scoring six
goals while Billal of Old Ideals netted
five goals. Bangla Club led the first half
14-4. Prime Sporting posted a 33-14
goal victory with Imran grabbing 12 and
Zia adding six. The winners led the first
half by 14-8 goals.
RM

Bowling
Anderson 10-1-38-2; Gurney 10-0-59-3;
Jordan 10-0-56-1; Bopara 10-0-57-1;
Tredwell 10-0-57-1; Root 1-0-1-0
England
Carberry c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 6
IR Bell c Sangakkara b Kulasekara
12
GS Ballance lbw b Kulasekara
5
JE Root b Malinga
0
EJG Morgan c Chandimal b Prasad 40
RS Bopara b Senanayake
7
JC Buttler c Senanayake b Mathews 4
CJ Jordan lbw b Senanayake
1
Tredwell c Kulasekara b Senanayake 4
JM Anderson b Senanayake
7
HF Gurney not out
4
Extras
(lb 3, w 5, nb 1)
9
Total (all out; 26.1 overs)
99

Zia, Saiful draw in

Elite Group Chess
Grandmaster Ziaur Rahman drew with
Raghunandan Kaumandun Srihari of
India in the opening round of the Elite
Group 6th KIIT International Chess
Festival which got underway in Bhubaneswar, Odisha in India on Saturday.
Saiful Islam Chowdhury also drew with
Russian Grandmaster Papin Vasily. A
total of 147 players from 19 countries
including 22 GMs, 2 women GMs and
21 International Masters participated in
the tournament.
Tribune Desk

Afghan players
injured in Maldives
bus accident

Afghan team captain Haroon Fakhruddin Amiri and coach Yousuf Kargar were
among five players and two officials
injured in a bus accident in the Maldives
on Saturday, according to a media report. After drawing their Asian Football
Confederation Challenge Cup match
against Laos, the footballers were
returning to the hotel when the bus
carrying them hit a motorcycle that had
cut in front of the motorcade, the Minivan News reported. The hospital said
nobody was seriously hurt. Accidents
happen. We took all the precautions,
security was in place. Police are investigating how a motorcade with sirens
met with such an accident, assistant
secretary general of the Football Association of the Maldives Mohamed Nasir
said. A female protocol officer suffered
head injuries while a police officer
broke an arm in the accident.
Reuters

Fans warned over

WC ticket touts
FIFAs enforcement arm on Sunday
warned fans heading to the World Cup
not to buy match tickets from touts,
whether virtual or physical, saying they
could end up out of pocket and unable
to see the matches they want. MATCH
Enforcement, the division of Zurich-based firm MATCH Hospitality that
monitors such fraud for FIFA, said it
had even seen black market tickets on
offer for almost $40,000, as the June
12 kick-off looms for the tournament.
Ticket mark-ups are one of the main
risks that fans face when purchasing
from illegitimate, unauthorised or
illegal sources, in that they will be
paying highly inflated prices for tickets
which are very likely to be invalid or
counterfeit, a MATCH spokesman told
AFP. We have repeatedly seen fans
reporting to us as having paid two to
three times the face value on the ticket
prices published by FIFA, he said.
AFP

Redknapp relieved
after QPR promotion
Harry Redknapp admitted he was a
relieved man after Bobby Zamoras lastgasp strike fired QPR back into the Premier League and eased the clubs precarious financial situation. Redknapps side
hit the jackpot at Wembley on Saturday
as they rode their luck to steal a 1-0
victory against Derby in the Championship play-off final. Zamoras fine finish in
stoppage-time was QPRs first and only
shot on target and came completely
against the run of play after Derby had
dominated following the 60th minute
dismissal of Hoops midfielder Gary
ONeil. The frenzied celebrations by
QPRs Malaysian owner Tony Fernandes,
who was drenched in champagne by the
time he left the on-pitch party after the
final whistle, made it clear how important promotion was for the west London
club, who would have been in danger of
sinking into financial chaos if they had
been condemned to another season in
the second tier following their relegation
in 2013. Fernandes has funded a 70
million wage bill reportedly higher than
Spanish champions Atletico Madrid.
AFP

DAYS WATCH
Sony Six
6:30AM
Nba Play Off 2013-14: Conf Final
Oklahoma City v San Antonio

Sri Lankas Sachithra Senanayake (2L) celebrates after dismissing Englands Chris Jordan during the second ODI at the Riverside ground in Chester-le-Street yesterday

Sri Lanka hammer clueless

England to level series
Sri Lankas bowlers ripped through a
fragile England batting line-up to win
the second one day international at
Chester-le Street by 157 runs to tie the
five match series 1-1.
Tillakaratne Dilshan top-scored
with 88 as Sri Lanka posed a respectable total of 256-8 from their 50 overs.
The total looked achievable for an England side who easily won the first ODI
but they collapsed to 99 all out with Nuwan Kulasekara and Sachithra Senanayake taking seven wickets between them.

After winning the toss and electing

to bowl first, England were frustrated
by Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara who
piled on the runs to take the visitors to
129-1.
Sangakkara, who signed a shortterm deal with Durham earlier in the
season in preparation for the tour, fell
for 40.
Englands fielding, an issue of late,
was again sloppy with both Harry Gurney and Ravi Bopara dropping relatively
routine catches as Dilshan continued
his expertly controlled innings but he
was eventually bowled by Chris Jordan

just 12 runs short of an 18th ODI century.

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Matthews
and Ashan Priyanjan shared a 66-run
partnership for the fifth wicket as the
visitors passed the 200 run mark.
England took four wickets towards
the end of Sri Lankas innings for just 23
runs, including the impressive Priyanjan (43) who became James Andersons
250th ODI wicket.
Englands reply got off to a steady
yet unspectacular start before Michael
Carberry, replacing injured captain
Alastair Cook, was caught behind off
the bowling of Kulasekara with En-

REUTERS

gland 19-1.
Kulasekara claimed a wicket in each
of his next two overs with the dismissal of Ian Bell and Gary Ballance sandwiching Joe Root being clean bowled
for a duck by Lasith Malinga as England
crumbled to 29-4.
Bopara then became the first of
Senanayakes four victims as he also
accounted for Jordan, James Tredwell
and Anderson.
Eoin Morgan top-scored for England
with 40 before becoming the ninth victim as England finished with just two
batsmen in double figures. l

Bowling:
Kulasekara 6-3-15-3, Malinga 4-1-17-1,
Prasad 6-0-36-1, Senanayake 7.1-1-13-4,
Mathews 2-0-9-1, Dilshan 1-0-6-0
Sri Lanka won by 157 runs

Records ignite
World Relays
Two blistering world records in front of
a raucous crowd seemingly ambivalent
to the Champions League: the IAAFs
inaugural World Relays could hardly
have had a better launching pad than in
a sultry Nassau on Saturday.
The almost sell-out crowd at the
floodlit 15,000-seat Thomas A. Robinson
stadium, buoyed by a military brass band
and high-stepping carnival dancers, lent
massively to an amazing atmosphere so
often found lacking at major meets but
one which the athletes seemed to lap up.
There might have been no Usain
Bolt, nursing an injury and not due
back in action until mid-June, but
training partner Yohan Blake stepped
into his shoes with aplomb.l

Federer, Raonic breeze Rosberg regains championship lead

through in Paris
Roger
Federer kicked off his
16th consecutive
French Open with
a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win
over
Slovakias
Lukas Lacko on
Sunday, his first victory since
becoming a father of twins for the second time.
The 32-year-old Swiss, who won his
only Paris title in 2009, was watched by
wife Mirka and older twins Myla and
Charlene but not three-week old Lenny
and Leo.
Sundays triumph was also his 59th
at Roland Garros, tying eight-time
champion Rafael Nadal as the tournaments win specialist.
Federer was never troubled by
Lacko, the world number 88 who has
not won a claycourt match for three
years.
Breaks in the fifth and seventh
games of the opening set followed
by another in the third game of the

second put the 17-time major winner in

total control.
Federer broke again in the first and
fifth games of the third set against the
hapless Lacko to seal victory in just 84
minutes, a performance highlighted by
40 winners.
Federer goes on to face either Portugals Gastao Elias or Diego Sebastian
Schwartzman of Argentina for a place
in the last 32.
It was important for me to attack
and stay aggressive, said Federer. I
also served well.
Federer was joined in the second
round by big-serving Canadian eighth
seed Milos Raonic who unleashed 27
aces in his 6-3, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 win over
teenage Australian wildcard Nick Kyrgios.
Raonic, a semi-finalist in Rome and
who made the last eight in Madrid,
goes on to face either Lukas Rosol or Jiri
Vesely, Czech Davis Cup teammates, in
the next round.
Russian 15th seed Mikhail Youzhny
needed five sets to see off Spains Pablo
Carreno Busta, 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-0. l

Nico Rosberg turned his controversial

pole position into faultless victory for
Mercedes on Sunday when he regained
the lead in the drivers world championship by winning the Monaco Grand Prix.
The 28-year-old German came home
9.2 seconds clear of nearest rival and
team-mate Lewis Hamilton who coped
with loss of vision in one eye as he held
off Australian Daniel Ricciardos Red
Bull in the closing laps.
It was Rosbergs second consecutive
victory in his home event, his second
win of the 2014 season and the fifth win
of his career.
Fernando Alonso finished fourth
for Ferrari ahead of Nico Hulkenberg
of Force India and Jenson Button who
finished sixth for McLaren.
Felipe Massa came home seventh
for Williams, Jules Bianchi was eighth
for Marussia ahead of fellow-Frenchman Romain Grosjean of Lotus and
Kevin Magnussen finished 10th in the
second McLaren.
Rosbergs win carried him to 122
points in the title race ahead of Hamilton, who was only half a second ahead of
Ricciardo as they crossed the line, on 118.

Creinse Ltd to
showcase 2014 Fifa
World Cup album
Creinse Limited attained the exclusive
marketing and distribution rights of the
2014 Fifa World Cup official album in
Bangladesh. The album titled One Love,
One Rhythm was produced by Sony
Music Entertainment and features songs
from eminent artists like Carlos Santana,
Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull, Shakira, Avicii,
Wyclef, David Correy and Ricky Martin.
The album was launched throughout the
world on May 14 and comprises 14 songs
including We Are One (Ole Ole) by Pitbull featuring Jennifer Lopez and Claudia
Lette along with the official anthem of
the 2014 Fifa World Cup Dar Um Jeito
(We Will Find A Way) featuring legendary guitarist Carlos Santana, Avicii, Wyclef
and Alexandre Pires. Limited editions of
the album will be available online and at
selected outlets. l

(From L) Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg pose on the podium of the
Monaco street circuit after the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix in Monte Carlo yesterday AFP
Its another special day for me, for
sure, said Rosberg.
Lewis drove well and pushed me
massively hard. The pressure was on
but I kept it cool and pulled a bit of a
gap at the end because of the refreshed
tyres. Thanks to the team for all their

great work.
On an overcast afternoon in the
Mediterranean principality, with an
air temperature of 20 degrees Celsius
and a track temperature of 28, there
was palpable tension in the air before
the start. l

Ajmal hits back at Broad

over bowling action jibe
Saeed Ajmal hit back at England star
Stuart Broad on Sunday in a furious war
of words over the Pakistan off-spinners bowling action.
Ajmal was angered by a Twitter exchange between England pace bowler
Broad and former England captain Michael Vaughan which contained barbs
after the Pakistanis style of delivery.
Broad was responding to Vaughans
tweet, which attached a freeze-frame
picture of Ajmal bowling and read:
You are allowed 15 degrees of flex in
your delivery swing ...
Broad replied: This has to be a fake
photo?!
He then added: Bowlers can bowl
very differently in a lab while being
tested compared to needing wickets in
the middle.
Ajmal, who took a career-best seven

for 19 for Worcestershire against Essex

last week, was irked by the insults and
told Pakpassion.net: Broads dig hurt
me the most.
Former players will sit in the commentary box or wherever else and say
some things for attention, but you
dont expect such things from a fellow
professional cricketer who is still playing cricket.
It was disappointing to read Broads
comments, but we are dealing with it
and we hope to get an explanation from
the ECB about Broads comments.
It is not the first time Ajmal, whose action has previously been cleared by the
International Cricket Council, has found
himself under fire for his bowling style.
Two years ago former England captain Bob Willis queried Ajmals action
on television during Pakistans Test series victory over England in the United
Arab Emirates. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Monday, May 26, 2014

NHRC boss warns RAB, bats for its reform

Having name,
mobile number
How the killers managed to flee the country if they were under government surveillance questioned of passenger on
tickets suggested
Sara Hossain, honorary director of
Talking on the abduction and killing
forms. The force also should work with means saving the killers, showing negn Ashif Islam Shaon
the NHRC and pay heed to its recom- ligence in bringing the culprits to book of nine persons including Narayanganj Bangladesh Legal Aid Services Trust,
n Kamran Reza Chowdhury
or just allowing the culprits to flee the city panel mayor Nazrul Islam, the criticised the culture of impunity saying
National Human Rights Commission mendations to save face.
Chairman Mizanur Rahman yesterday
warned RAB against violation of human rights, and asked the elite force to
be cautious and respectful to the countrys laws.
Be careful, RAB. You have to obey
the law. Everybody must obey and respect laws, the NHRC boss said at a
discussion titled Strengthening Police
Accountability in Bangladesh: Challenge and Strategies at the Cirdap auditorium in the capital.
Saying that the goodwill of Rapid
Action Battalion had already been destroyed entirely, he suggested its re-

But if they avoid the social criticism, rather than bringing positive
change within the force, the crisis will
be intensified, he warned.
However, Mizanur admitted that
the NHRC did not hold enough power
to bring dramatic changes. We are not
paper tiger either.
He claimed that had the RAB listened
to the recommendations given by the
NHRC in the past, the elite force would
not have to face such image crisis.
The law enforcement agencies often say they just follow the high-ups
orders. But if following the orders

country, that will be of great concerns,

he said.
The law professor also said: If the
NHRC is given the authority for further
investigation [into incidents] upon
High Court order someday, it will not
spare the offenders, not even the highups who give the orders.
The day-long programme was arranged by the NHRC and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiatives of India.
Mizanur expressed discontent since
there had been no RAB official at the
event. However, police high officials
attended the programme.

NHRC chief questioned how the killers

had managed to flee the country if they
were under the surveillance by the government.
Director of Commonwealth Human
Rights Initiatives Maja Daruwala said
accountability of a law enforcement
agency did not mean that the agency to
be made accused. Accountably rather
enhances power of the force.
She said: Its not fair that everyone
in power will use the law enforcers or
the cops will do whatever the government wishes. Rule of law should be
maintained first.

that it had been practiced since the independence. Even the first elected government of the country practiced this.
She claimed that the Supreme Court
was also facing trouble to work independently. We saw many honourable citizens have to appear before the
court as they spoke the truth. There
are many such examples I cannot talk
about [now].
Because of lengthy procedure, she
said: Sometimes people do not get
help from the court in the incidents
of abduction, torture or other crimes
committed by the law enforcers. l

Nganj murder money

transacted through
financial institutions
n Tribune Report
The Tk6 crore, said to have been used
to fund the sensational seven murders
in Narayanganj, might have been channelled through financial institutions
rather than banks, a finance ministry
high official has said.
This view was expressed at the conference of the chief anti-money laundering compliance officers (CAMLCO)
of commercial banks at a city hotel
yesterday.
Finance Secretary M Aslam Alam
said: The source of the money [Tk6
crore] might have been a financial institution from where it could have been
withdrawn. After changing hands, it
might have been deposited to another
similar institution.
He also said: Money laundering
nowadays takes place mainly through
the capital market and the insurance
companies instead of the banks. This is
because the banks are now much more
equipped to prevent laundering.
After the murders in the port city,
Shahidul Islam, father-in-law of slain
panel mayor Nazrul Islam, alleged that
the killers carried out the murder for a
payment of Tk6 crore.

Following the allegation, a Bangladesh Bank probe team started looking

into the accounts of the accused including the three ex-RAB officials to
trace any unusual transactions before
and after the crime.
Mahfuzur Rahman, an executive
director of the central bank, said: We
are still investigating...We have found
some transactions in the accounts of
the said persons, but we have not yet
found anything abnormal.
Also present at the conference, M
Shefaq Ahmed, chairman of the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IRDA), said: The main asset
of insurance companies is customers
confidence. If a company is found involved with money laundering activities, it will lose clients confidence and
business.
Central bank Governor Atiur Rahman urged the managing directors of
the insurance companies to comply
with the Bangladesh Bank circulars to
prevent money laundering.
The Financial Intelligence Unit of
Bangladesh Bank and the IDRA jointly organised the conference in which
MDs of all insurance companies and
the CAMLCOs of banks took part. l

Three street children sit on a mosquito canopy that they found abandoned near the capitals High Court yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Bangladesh Railway always tries to

shrug off allegations of ticket scalping,
but the chairman of the parliamentary
watchdog on Railways Ministry yesterday said he had his own experience of
not getting tickets as a passenger because of touts.
ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury,
chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on Railways Ministry,
said the smuggling of train tickets by a
group of railway officials had become
excessive.
At the second meeting of the watchdog, he said he had personally investigated the allegations and detected
touts buying hundreds of tickets at a
time while actual passengers were refused at the counters as there were no
more tickets.
The 10-member watchdog suggested introducing a system with the
provision of writing the name, mobile
number and the national ID number of
a passenger on the ticket sold to him.
The railways minister and the director general of the Bangladesh Railway
promised to implement the suggestion
after examining its operational modalities.
They [the touts] sell a ticket costing
Tk600 for Tk1,000 at Reazuddin Bazar
[in Chittagong]. Smuggling of tickets
has turned excessive. We have to stop
it, Fazle Karim told the Dhaka Tribune
after the meeting.
He said the railway authorities sold
tickets 10 days in advance of journeys
and this gave touts an opportunity to
swindle the system with the help of a
section of the staff.
So, we have also suggested reducing the lead time for tickets to five
days, he said.
He said smugglers would not be able
to provide the names and mobile or national ID numbers of so many passengers at a time. The authorities, in case
of necessity, can check the authenticity
of the passengers identity.
Besides, we have asked the authoritiesto install closed circuit cameras
to detect whether the same group of
people have been standing in queues to
collect tickets, said Fazle Karim.
Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Ali
Azghar, Mizanur Rahman, Sirajul Islam
Mollah, Mohammad Noman and Yeasin
Ali attended the meeting. l

Abed suggests tasking NGOs

with pre-primary education
Shirin set to
meet Modi
tomorrow

n Kamran Reza Chowdhury

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury is
set to meet Narendra Modi on May 27, a
day after he takes oath as Indian prime
minister, in New Delhi. She will also
meet Indian President Pranab Mukherjee the same day.
The bilateral issues will come up
for discussion, the speaker told the
Dhaka Tribune yesterday evening over
phone from the Indian capital.
She said her meeting with Modi
might take place between 12:30pm and
1pm while the meeting with the Indian
president would be around 5pm.
The speaker left Dhaka for Delhi in
the morning, leading a Bangladesh delegation that will attend the inauguration of prime minister-elect Narendra
Modi.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sent
Shirin Sharmin to represent her at the
function as the PM has been on a bilateral tour in Japan. l

Lawyers using PILs for

career advancement

n Mushque Wadud

Public interest litigations (PILs) are conducted to serve the people. But there is
a rising tendency for some lawyers to
use it as a tool for personal gains.
A lawyer named Azam Khan, who
got permission in 2010 to practise at
the High Court, recently filed a public
interest writ litigation along with
three other lawyers, representing an
organisation Legal Action Bangladesh
Foundation to ensure adulterationfree food.
Azam said: I want to be a heavyweight lawyer. So, I want to use the PIL
as a technique to pursue my career. If
we get ruling and an interim order, we
will get many cases from the respondents to conduct. We will run the writ
plea for two years. In future, we have
planned to conduct 100 more PILs.
He said: We might obtain a ruling
and an interim order as the petition has
strong grounds. In that case, we will
hold a press conference. We have been
told by many electronic media that if
we get a ruling, we can have coverage.
There is no dishonesty in conducting PILs for the sake of a career. I have
done nothing wrong. As a member of
the lawyer community, I know who
uses the PIL as an instrument for personal gains, he added.
The Supreme Court has delivered
many landmark judgements on PILs to

Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and chairperson of Brac, has suggested that the
government should leave pre-primary
education affairs to NGOs.
He made the proposition in light of
the report styled State of Pre-primary
Education in Bangladesh which said
pre-primary section in the government
primary schools lack facilities and a
good number of students are still out
of pre-primary education. The report
was yesterday unveiled by Campaign
for Popular Education which releases
reports every year under the title Education Watch Report.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony,
Abed said the government can leave
pre-primary education to NGO-operated schools and those who are ready
to work as a considerable number
of children are still being deprived of
pre-primary education.
Funding education for these children is a big issue for the government,
he said.
Describing government schools,
Abed said some 60 to 70 students attend
classes in a single classroom in those institutions which contradicts the philosophy of pre-primary education. He said
pre-primary learners require support
and should be taught with fun.

Abed said pre-primary education is

important for early development and it
helps reduce drop-out rates in the primary education sector.
The report said nearly 15% and 41.3%
of the government and non-government primary schools (with MPO status)
respectively had no separate classroom
for pre-primary students. These schools
offered pre-primary education along
with grade I students in the same classroom and often at the same time.

Brac has 22,618 primary

schools where 670,815
students study
This was not the case in kindergartens,
NGO-operated as well as mosquebased schools, the report said, adding
that 1.5 million students aged five are
still out of school.
The report described kindergartens
as the top pre-primary education providers with a 27.9% enrolment rate.
According to the report, in 10.8% of
the cases, pre-primary classes are held in
school verandas, head teachers offices,
roofs of school buildings or open spaces.
Nearly three-quarters of the classrooms in the government schools are
not tidy, the report said.

Speaking at the programme, Kazi

Rafiqul Alam, president of Dhaka Ahsania Mission, supported Abeds proposition, saying the government should
take initiatives so that NGOs, under
the leadership of the government, can
work in pre-primary section.
In 2008 when the army-backed
caretaker government was in power,
a government move to give Brac the
task to supervise and improve quality
of education in all primary schools in
20 upazilas was halted in the wake of a
countrywide protest staged by primary
teachers. Campaign for Popular Education Executive Director Rasheda K
Choudhury was an adviser to the then
government.
Commenting on Abeds suggestion,
Primary and Mass Education Minister
Mostafizur Rahman said: The ministry will have a discussion on the idea.
The government will take ideas from
everyone but it will take the ultimate decision on its own and the ministry will
move forward with the plan, he added.
Brac is a major stakeholder in the
primary and pre-primary education
in Bangladesh. It has 22,618 primary
schools where 670,815 students study
and the number of teachers is 22,699.
The organisation also has 15,164
pre-primary schools with 433,658 students and 15,164 teachers. l

Mozena: Regaining GSP must for free market access

n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman
Bangladesh will not get duty- and quota-free market access to the USA unless
it regains the generalised system of
preferences facilities.
If ever there were duty-free, quota-free regime in America, it would be
implemented most likely through GSP.
So, [if] Bangladesh does not have the GSP

privileges, then it would be hard to implement [the] duty-free quota-free [market access], US ambassador to Bangladesh Dan Mozena said.
He was speaking at a country lecture
programme at the Bangladesh Institute
of International and Startegic Studies
in the city yesterday.
So, the first step is to get the GSP
back; and then Bangladesh will need to

strategise how best to make its case to

the Congress, Mozena said.
Last year, US scrapped the facility
for Bangladesh on grounds that labour
conditions here were poor.
The US ambassador said reinstatement of GSP facility was now not the
issue in his views.
I believe the issue is when will
Bangladesh have taken the steps need-

ed to ensure that the country never

again experiences another Rana Plaza,
that it never again experiences another
Tazreen Fashions fire, he said.
He also said Bangladesh might well
be on the road to transforming the apparel sector and bringing it to international standards in terms of fire safety,
soundness of factory structure and respect for workers rights. l

n Nazmus Sakib

serve the interests of the people. But it

is not possible for the court to know the
ulterior motive behind every PIL.
Azam said the petition was on the
list of the High Court bench of Justice
Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM
AltafHossain for possible hearing today.
At first, he had said the report could
be published because he was not doing
anything dishonest. Later, however,
Azam requested this correspondent
not to report the story behind his writ
plea because he had not realised that it
could ruin his career.
How can I build my career if the
Bangladesh Bar Council cancels my
licence to practise because of the report? he said.
The petition filed on May 21 seeks
a ruling as to why the government
should not be directed to establish the
Bangladesh Safe Food Authority as required by the Safe Food Act 2013.
The plea seeks a directive on constituting an independent inquiry committee to find out reasons behind non-enforcement the act.
It also seeks a directive for the home
secretary, a director concerned of the
Bangladesh Standards and Testing
Institution, the IGP, the RAB director
general and the Dhaka Metropolitan
Police commissioner on operating mobile courts in different cities immediately to check food adulteration in the
wake of growing health hazards. l

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B3 Some elephant hunting

tips for Warren Buffett

B4 World Cup: money

making no-brainer or
costly folly?

MONDAY, MAY 26, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Market syndicates active

An intelligence report alerts the government ahead of Ramadan

n Asif Showkat Kallol

The government has been forewarned
of a volatile edible oil market during
the month of Ramadan.
An intelligence agency report issued the warning just weeks before
the holy month begins.
The report predicted a section of
unscrupulous traders might increase
the prices of edible oil along with other essential products through market manipulation ahead of the holy
month of fasting.
Manipulators, to be acting as a
syndicate, will slow down production
and import process, the report added.
But a commerce ministry official
ruled out the possibility of the price
hike of essentials as there are sufficient stock of the products.
We have ensured sound supply
and stock of all those items. Although
opening of letters of credit for importing the edible oil in last three months
is not sufficient enough during Ramadan, he said.
But the commerce ministry largely
depends on the report of the intelligence agencies to learn about the market due to lack of different market as-

sessment mechanism, according to him.

There are monitoring teams for
essential commodity market but they
are not enough, he said.
The report said the low import
of the edible oil could push sudden
price hike of the essential ahead of
Ramadan.
Intelligence report was submitted
to the commerce secretary last week,
which recommended taking necessary measures to prevent the hike.
According to the intelligence
agencys report, the businessmen of
the Khatunganj of Chittagong want
to make up the losses which they had
incurred in chickpea business last
year.

Plastic goods export to

US rises by 4% sans GSP
n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi
Bangladeshs plastic goods export
to the United States rose by 4% to
US$3.82m in the first 10 months of the
current financial year compared to
$2.75m for the same period of 2012-13,
despite suspension of the Generalised
System of Preferences (GSP).
After the suspension of the trade
preference, the experts had feared that
the export earnings from the plastic
goods might see a downtrend as Ban-

gladesh plastic goods used to get access to the US market under the GSP
trade benefits.
Export earnings from the plastic sector would be much more, if we could
have enjoyed the GSP facilities in the
US markets, Md Jashim Uddin, president of Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association
(BPGMEA), told the Dhaka Tribune.
American buyers are very keen to
buy Bangladeshi plastic products but
B3 COLUMN 1

Remittance from Middle

East falls by 12%
n Jebun Nesa Alo
Remittance inflows from the Middle
Eastern countries dropped by 12% in
the last 10 months of the current fiscal
year due to the fall in manpower export and the political unrest over January 5 polls.
The country received US$6.92bn in
July-April period in fiscal year 2013-14
compared to $7.87bn in the same period of the last fiscal year.
However, remittance inflow from
the Western countries increased by 8%
to $4.80bn during the 10 months from
$4.43bn in the same period of the previous fiscal year, according to the Bangladesh Bank data.
The downward trends both in the
labour migration and remittance continued since 2013 due to a gradual
shrinking of recruitment of the migrant workers, said a senior executive
of Bangladesh Bank.
The major recipient countries of
Bangladeshi workers in the Middle
East are now interested to recruit only
skilled female workers instead of the
male workers, he said.
Overseas employment decreased
by 10.73% in January-March period,
according to he statistic of the Bangladesh Manpower Export and Training
(BMET).
A total of 96,068 workers went
abroad with job offer from January to
March of the current year while some
1,07,626 had gone abroad with jobs
during the same period in 2013, showing a decline of 11,567 overseas em-

ployment in three months.

BMET also recorded that about four
lakh workers including male and female got overseas jobs from January to
December in 2013 against over six lakh
workers in 2012.
Of the Middle Eastern countries,
remittance inflow from Kingdom of
Saudi Arab decreased to $2.58bn in
July to April period of the current fiscal year compared to $3.35bn in the
same period of the last fiscal year followed by from UAE $2.21bn compared
to $2.41bn, Qatar $210m compared to
$247m and from Oman $564m compared to $511m.
Of the Western countries, remittance inflow from USA increased by
24% to $1.91bn in the first 10 months
of the current fiscal year compared
to $1.54bn in the same period of the
last fiscal year while country received
$757.80m remittance from the United Kingdom (UK) in the same period,
which is 12% down from $851.26m.
The country received $862m remittance from Malaysia in July-April period of the current fiscal year compared
to $831m in the same period of the last
fiscal year.
Of the total $11.72bn remittance that
country received in the 10 months of
the current fiscal year, $1.32bn came
through Argani Bank, $1.08bn through
Janata Bank, $1.21bn through Sonali
Bank and $130m through Rupali Bank
compared to $1.35bn, $1.14bn, $1.33bn
and $107m respectively in the same period of the last fiscal year, according to
the Bangladesh Bank data. l

Regarding possible price hike of

the edible oil, the report noted that
the Chittagong-based company S
Alam Group has opened less number
of letters of credit this year compared
to demand.
The Group maintained a good supply of edible oil last year, which might
result in the shortage of the edible oil
during Ramadan.
Edible oil might face another crisis
in the local market as the countrys
largest edible refinery Shah Amanat
refinery still remains idle for long
time.
The intelligence agency report
also identified 15 unscrupulous onion
traders and shoppers across the country, who allegedly smuggled currency
through under-invoicing in the name
of import of onion from India.
The 15 onion traders are Bogra
Banjo Bhandar, Kashi enterprise of
Satkhira, Mamoni enterprise, Satkhira, Khan traders, Dinapur, M/S Rosni
International, Chapainawabganj, Ful
Mahammad, Rajshahi, Priyo enterprise Rajshahi, Miss Firoza enterprise, Satkhira, Miss Nizara Trading,
Satkhira, Ms Ghosh enterprise, Raju
Thakur, Satkhria, Haque and Sons en-

terprise, Satkhria, M/S Khan Traders

Dinapur, M/S Babu Enterprise Dinapur, and M/S Dhrubo Faria Traders,
Joypurhat.
The intelligence agency suggested eleven-point recommendations
including encouraging commercial
banks to continue loan facilities to
the essential commodity importers.
The commerce ministry will warn
the unscrupulous businessmen in
Khatunganj to control essential items
before Ramadan.
Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will sell imported essential items with small amount of profit
as it has planned to import essentials
throughout the year, the report said.
The report suggested that the
demand order or sale order of edible
oil
will be completed within 15
days and the government will take
legal initiative against the people
who are involved in the extortion in
transports.
There is no possibility of the
price hike of edible oil during Ramadan as supply is adequate. We have
discussed it in two meetings, Commerce Secretary Mahbub Ahmed told
the Dhaka Tribune. l

Online property market

getting popular
n Kayes Sohel

and Milton, nowadays, are using online marketplaces to avoid middlemen,

according to the industry people.
The online marketplaces have empowered property buyers to analyse
the documents of property as well as
giving them the opportunity to have
transparent and direct negotiation
with the property sellers, they said.
In January this year, the total number of property advertisements for sale
was 20,500. In April 2014, the number
of advertisements went up by about
10% to 22,500, according to a study of
Bikroy.com.
It said there were about 11,000 advertisements of apartments in Dhaka
city posted in April 2014. The most
popular areas are Uttara and Mirpur
where the number of advertisements
is 2,000 and 1,500 respectively.
Online marketplaces have started
working as a bridge among the sellers
and buyers, said Eshita Sharmin, marketing manager at Bikroy.com.
To buy and sell property, online
marketplace has become a trusted
name as we take extra caution to ensure the quality of advertisements. We
are manually checking all advertisements before it goes live to the website. l

Kamrul Hossain, an employee of a textile buying-house, has always dreamed

of owning a house in Dhaka.
He had a plan to buy a plot. After
searching for a long time, he finally
decided to buy a plot in Bashundhara
area. He checked all the documents by
a lawyer and made the first installment
payment.
Eventually, he came to know that
the government is the actual owner of
the plot. He had to go through a lot of
hassles to recover the money he paid in
advance.
Later, he came across Bikroy.
com, a leading online marketplace in
Bangladesh, and bought a plot in the
same area.
Another property buyer, Md Milton
decided to buy a flat, but failed finding
a suitable one. In March this year, he
purchased an apartment through an
online marketplace.
Milton said: The advertisements at
online market place are very informative and credible. I found a good deal
and made the primary contact over
phone. I am very happy that I bought
the flat without any problem.
Many property buyers like Hossain

WiMAX on
the wane
n Muhammad Zahidul Islam
After peaking with over 5 lakh subscribers in June last year, the wireless communication service WiMAX started witnessing gradual decline in its business.
Bangladeshs telecom regulators
April data shows the number has now
shrunk to 2.96 lakh, marking more
than 40% decline compared to one
year earlier.
There was a sharp fall in August
2013 as the number drastically dropped
to 3.15 lakh from 5.05 lakh in July. Then
the figure would not rise further except
for a slight increase to 3.16 lakh in December only. In April 2014 it dropped
to 2.96 lakh.

'3G is a new service in

Bangladesh and most
of the users are young,
who would adopt it to
have a taste'
The WiMAX service operators said the
fall was due to the launch of third generation mobile broadband although
the drop began weeks before the official launch of the fastest data service.
Data showed the shrinking of WiMAX users began in August last year
two months prior to the official launch
of 3G in October by private mobile
phone operators.
In a recent talk with the Dhaka Tribune, WiMAX operator Ollos chief
technical officer Md Mizanur Rahaman
described the fall as a shifting to a new
technology by the users.
3G is a new service in Bangladesh
and most of the users are young, who
would adopt it to have a taste. A shifting
is taking place in the market, he said.
The market insiders think the limited coverage of WiMAX network is another reason behind the shifting as
the service is mostly available in only
city areas.
Limited network coverage is a
shortfall of the WiMAX service which
fails to satisfy the customers need in a
wide scale, prompting the users choose
other options, according to another
WiMAX operator executive asking not
be named.
Meanwhile, the number of Internet users is on the rise and presently
stands at 3.72 crore. l

Allocate funds to develop tourism

infrastruture, say analysts
n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi
Bangladesh tourism sector is said to
remain mired in infrastructural bottlenecks despite having potentials of
growth.
A demand has, therefore, been
raised for an allocation in the upcoming
budget for implementing infrastructural development works such as improving road communication system.
Policy analysts said such funding
will help the sector expand and contribute better to the countrys gross
domestic product.
They said the countrys tourism
sector can be developed to a well-performing industry through removing
the bottlenecks. Sufficient fund is
required to establish special tourist
zones, analysts added.
Improved communication to
the tourist spots is a must and the
government should allocate sufficient funds in the next fiscal years
budget, said Mojib Uddin Ahamed,

chairman of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management in

Dhaka University.
Mojib Uddin Ahamed also laid
emphasis on developing exclusive
tourist zones in the country since the
government recently announced the
tourism sector as an industry.
Earlier, the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) placed
its budget demands seeking duty-free
import of tourist vessels, withdrawal
of 10% advance income tax, cash incentives and easy-term loans for its
members.
The people involved with the sector say they have been suffering from
fund shortage and pay high bank interest. Toufiq Rahman, director of
TOAB, is optimistic about the support
from the government.
Though we have not received any
clear message from the authorities
concerned, we are optimistic as the
government has declared the tourism
sector as an industry, he said.

Mojib Uddin Ahamed suggested introducing a tourism banking like SME

banking in efforts to ensure necessary
financial supports for the sector.
In this regard, Bangladesh Bank
can direct banks to provide funds to
the tourism sector at a certain rate, he
added.
The persistent political unrest
has badly damaged the image of the
country in abroad, which might deter
the arrival of foreign tourists.
Analysts said branding Bangladesh in abroad is necessary to attract
foreign tourists.
To attract foreign tourists, the
government and the tour operators
should concentrate on image building of Bangladesh, said former adviser to last caretaker government Mirza
Azizul Islam.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon said: We
have received a set of budget demands
from TOAB and will discuss them with
finance minister for consideration. l

WTTC: Tourism contribution to GDP to grow 8% this year

n Tribune Business Desk

The World Travel and Tourism

Council (WTTC) has forecasted
that total contribution of travel and
tourism sector to Bangladesh GDP
will rise by 7.9% in the 2014.
The total contribution of travel
and tourism to GDP was Tk460.3bn
(4.4% of GDP) in 2013 and is forecast
to rise by 7.9% in 2014 and to rise by

6.5% annually to Tk935.5 billion

(4.7% of GDP) in 2024, WTTC said
in its recently published Bangladesh Economic Impact Report 2014,
reports BSS.
In 2013, the report said, Bangladesh travel and tourism sector directly supported 13,28,500 jobs that
is 1.8% of total employment and it is
expected to rise by 4% in 2014.
In Bangladesh, travel and tourism

investment in 2013 was Tk40.5bn

that is 1.5% of total investment, it
said, adding that the investment
should rise by 3.4% in 2014.
The report said expenditure by
foreign visitors are expected to grow
by 7% in 2014 to Tk8.9bn and rise by
5.7% per annum to Tk15.5bn in 2024.
The Leisure travel spending by
both foreign and domestic tourists
generated 73% of direct travel and

tourism GDP in 2013 in amount

Tk276.9bn that is 26.9% more compared with business travel spending
of Tk102bn in the same period. Leisure travel spending is expected to
grow by 6.5% in 2014, it added.
The report said business travel
spending is expected to grow by
8.6% in 2014 to Tk110.7bn and rise
by 5.5% per year to Tk188.4bn in
2024. l

B2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

45,543,873
50,601

Traded Issues

291

Issue Gain
(Avg. Price Basis)

75

Issue Loss
(Avg. Price Basis)

210

Unchanged Issue (Avg.

Price Basis)

Market Capital Equity

(Billion. Tk.)

2,237.11

Market Capital Equity

(Billion US$)

27.12

CSE key features

May 25, 2014
Turnover (Million Taka)

150.76

Turnover (Volume)

Daily capital market highlights

DSE Broad Index :

1,828.18

Number of Contract

continued its ongoing trend, commented IDLC Investments, in its

regular market analysis.
Consequently, activity declined,
making turnover came down to
Tk182 crore, lowest in last seven
months, said the merchant bank.
Participants remained passive
and watchful throughout the session. These factors trapped overall
market compartment, putting investors in a state of indecisiveness,
the merchant bank added.
Market remains volatile in early trade with the DSEX hovering
around 4,400 level as investors are
cautious about stifled market participation ahead of announcement
of budget for the FY2014-15, said
LankaBangla Securities, in its daily
market analysis.
Market has factored weaker than
expected quarterly earnings and
selling pressure of banks to reduce
the capital market exposure over last
few weeks, said the stock broker.
Amid increased volatility and
fading sell order, investors are
looking forward for a new equilibrium in the market, the stock broker
added.
Out of 291 issues traded, 128 declined, 120 advanced and 43 closed
unchanged on the DSE. l

Stocks ended flat into the red yesterday amid choppy trading with
turnover remained sluggish as investors were remained cautious
ahead of the national budget to be
placed in parliament on June 5.
DSEX, the prime index of Dhaka
Stock Exchange (DSE) went down
by 5.81 points or 0.13% to close at
4,378 points.
The DS30, comprising blue
chips, lost 2.23 points or 0.14% to
close at 1,587 points. However, the
DSE Shariah Index (DSES) managed
to close positive with gaining 0.71
points or 0.07% to close at 973.63
points.
The port city bourse Chittagong
Stock Exchange (CSE) closed positive with its Selective Categories
Index CSCX gaining 3.16 points to
close at 8,438.
Total turnover at DSE was 29.4%
lower than that of the previous session, dipping below Tk200 croremark and amounting to Tk182
crore. It was the lowest turnover
recorded at DSE in the last seven
months since recording Tk167 crore
on October 21, 2013.
With shaky sentiment and apparent lack of direction, market

Company

Turnover
(Million Taka)
Turnover
(Volume)

4,156,142

Number of Contract

6,246

4378.25005

(-) 0.13%

Traded Issues

187

973.63094

(+) 0.07%

Issue Gain
(Avg. Price Basis)

45

1587.37172

(-) 0.14%

Issue Loss
(Avg. Price Basis)

135

CSE All Share Index:

13556.87080

(+) 0.02%

Unchanged Issue (Avg.

Price Basis)

CSE - 30 Index :

11122.77030

(+) 0.01%

Market Capital Equity

(Billion. Tk.)

2,151.58

8438.40530

(+) 0.04%

Market Capital Equity

(Billion US$)

26.08

DSE Shariah Index :

DSE - 30 Index :

CSE Selected Index :

DSE LOSERS

4th ICB M F-A

DBH 1st MF-A
Kohinoor Chem -A
MJL BD Ltd.-A
Beximco Pharma -A
Jute SpinnersA
MBL 1st M. F.-A
Reckitt Benckiser -A

-8.01
-4.69
-3.90
-3.47
-3.36
-3.33
-3.17
-3.15

Average (%
change)
-8.11
-1.11
4.74
-4.15
-2.40
-3.98
-2.37
-3.20

1st ICB M F -A
Anwar Galvanizing-B

-3.13
-2.97

-3.40
-2.73

Company

Closing (%
change)

CSE LOSERS
Company

Closing (%
change)

Rahima Food -Z
MJL BD Ltd.-A
The Ibn SinaA
Power Grid Co. -A
Golden Son -A
Dutch Ban. Bnk- A
Orion Infusions -A
MBL 1st M. F.-A

-4.56
-3.71
-3.65
-3.51
-3.38
-3.36
-3.20
-3.13

Average (%
change)
-2.83
-3.46
-3.63
-3.42
-3.36
-3.42
-3.52
-3.13

Sun Life Insurance-N

Shinepukur Cera-Z

-2.76
-2.75

-2.19
-2.94

ANALYST

Closing
average

Closing

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
205.25
57.51
28.41
230.81
107.77
155.15
0.75
354.72
245.17
0.30
33.60
20.71
6.21
136.77
9.44
34.83
46.54
82.61
34.56
36.58
0.51

Turnover
in million

Daily low

Latest
EPS

Latest
PE

201.00
6.25
363.45
77.82
40.75
61.00
6.18
1030.91

201.00
6.10
365.00
77.80
40.30
61.00
6.10
1031.30

201.00
6.40
370.00
80.00
41.90
61.00
6.30
1032.10

201.00
6.10
350.00
72.60
39.00
61.00
6.10
1031.00

0.020
1.472
0.264
16.810
3.260
0.003
3.762
0.567

23.11
0.81
9.37
4.72
3.60
-43.81
1.44
41.12

8.7
7.7
38.8
16.5
11.3
-ve
4.3
25.1

946.67
26.40

949.30
26.10

955.00
26.80

942.00
26.10

0.142
2.231

38.55
0.27

7th ICB M F-A

Aziz PipesZ
BSRM Steels-A
Progressive Life-A
Shampur Sugar -Z
Mercantile Bank -A
National Tea -A
GPH Ispat Ltd-A
Al-Haj Textile -A
Rangpur Foundry -A

Closing (%
change)
8.25
7.38
5.53
4.98
4.29
3.53
3.31
3.19
3.05
2.96

CSE GAINERS
Company
PragatiLife Insu. -A
Bay Leasing.-A
BSRM Steels-A
Marico BD Ltd-A
Reliance1 M.F.-A
Mercantile Bank -A
AMCL (Pran) -A
Federal Insu.-A
NLI 1st M F-A
Sinobangla Indu.-A

Closing (%
change)
6.67
5.75
4.79
4.46
4.40
3.55
3.43
3.29
3.26
3.03

Average (%
change)
8.25
4.85
1.99
4.93
0.41
1.64
3.20
(0.12)
2.43
2.82
Average (%
change)
6.71
3.33
2.52
3.54
3.94
2.13
3.93
2.40
4.15
3.64

Closing
average
105.00
16.00
72.88
120.20
7.30
17.40
835.94
48.05
117.83
100.76

Closing
average
171.00
26.97
72.96
1160.00
9.50
17.28
238.60
21.73
9.53
23.90

Closing
105.00
16.00
74.40
120.20
7.30
17.60
836.80
48.50
118.20
100.90

Closing
171.00
27.60
74.40
1160.00
9.50
17.50
238.20
22.00
9.50
23.80

Daily high
105.00
16.00
74.70
120.20
7.30
17.80
840.00
49.30
119.90
102.50

Daily high
171.00
27.70
75.00
1160.00
9.50
17.60
240.00
22.10
9.80
24.00

Daily low
105.00
16.00
65.00
120.20
7.30
15.50
820.00
46.00
105.90
99.50

Daily low
171.00
26.40
70.00
1160.00
9.50
15.30
237.00
20.00
9.50
23.80

Turnover
in million
0.053
0.001
84.568
0.180
0.008
54.389
0.577
15.052
16.854
1.864

Turnover
in million
0.086
0.121
6.458
0.058
0.086
3.772
1.193
0.365
0.105
0.048

Latest
EPS
12.01
0.68
4.72
2.30
-61.36
1.16
-71.72
2.42
2.00
3.08

Latest
EPS
2.38
1.44
4.72
43.99
1.86
1.16
5.85
1.36
1.36
0.80

Latest
PE
8.7
23.5
15.4
52.3
-ve
15.0
-ve
19.9
58.9
32.7

Latest
PE
71.8
18.7
15.5
26.4
5.1
14.9
40.8
16.0
7.0
29.9

News from trade server

ARGONDENIM: The Company has
informed that it has credited the Bonus
shares for the year ended on December 31,
2013 to the respective shareholders' BO
Accounts. Cash Dividend for the year 2013
has been credited through BEFTN.
FAMILYTEX: The Company has informed
that it has credited the Bonus shares for
the year ended on December 31, 2013 to
the respective shareholders' BO Accounts.
Thus will be placed in ''A'' category from
existing ''Z'' category with effect from 26
May 2014
BIFC: The Company has informed that
it has credited the Bonus shares for the
year ended on December 31, 2013 to the
respective shareholders' BO Accounts on
May 22, 2014.
GLOBALINS: The Company has informed
that Ar. Mubasshar Hussain has been
elected as the Chairman of the Company
with immediate effect.
RIGHT SHARE: DELTASPINN: Subscription 05.08.2014 to 31.08.2014. RD for
entitlement of rights share: 28.04.2014.
IPO Subscription: Tung Hai Knitting &
Dyeing Limited subscription date 18-22

May 2014, NRB upto 31 May 2014. @

taka 10, face value taka 10 and market lot
500. Far East Knitting & Dyeing Industries
Limited subscription date 15-19 June 2014,
NRB upto 28 June 2014. @ taka 22, face
value taka 10 and market lot 200. Shurwid
Industries Limited subscription date 08-12
June 2014, NRB upto 21 June 2014. @ taka
10, face value taka 10 and market lot 500.
Saif Powertec Limited subscription date
06-10 July 2014, NRB upto 19 July 2014.
@ taka 10, face value taka 30 and market
lot 200.
Dividend/AGM
AMBEEPHA: 15% cash and 20%
stock, AGM: 16.06.2014, Record Date:
28.05.2014.
MBL1STMF: 3% cash, Record date:
02.06.2014.
AIBL1STIMF: 5.5% cash, Record date:
02.06.2014.
ORIONPHARM: 15% cash, AGM:
22.06.2014, Record Date: 21.05.2014.
PURABIGEN: 15% stock, AGM:
29.06.2014, Record date: 21.05.2014.
SALVOCHEM: 10% stock, AGM:
27.08.2014, Record date: 25.06.2014.

ISNLTD: No dividend, AGM: 17.06.2014,

RD May 20, 2014.
GOLDENSON: 25% stock, EGM and AGM:
21.06.2014, Record Date: 15.05.2014.
MERCINS: 10% cash, dividend for the
Public Shareholders (B-Group) only, AGM:
16.06.2014, Record Date: 15.05.2014.
CMCKAMAL: 12.50% stock, AGM:
30.06.2014. Record Date: 29.05.2014.
RUPALIBANK: 15% stock, AGM:
31.05.2014, Record date: 14.05.2014.
LEGACYFOOT: 5% stock, AGM:
21.06.2014, Record Date: 12.05.2014.
BDTHAI: 5% stock, AGM: 21.06.2014,
Record Date: 25.05.2014.
MEGHNACEM: 15% cash, AGM:
29.05.2014, Record Date: 14.05.2014.
MONNOSTAF: 10% cash, AGM:
26.06.2014, Record Date: 19.05.2014.
INTECH: 10% stock, AGM: 23.06.2014,
Record Date: 15.05.2014.
ISLAMIINS: 15% stock, AGM: 09.07.2014,
RD: 12.05.2014.
BXPHARMA: 10% cash & 5% stock, AGM:
21.06.2014, RD: 18.05.2014.
STANDARINS: 15% stock, AGM:
18.06.2014, RD: 15.05.2014.

24.6
97.8

Closing
average

Closing

Daily high

Turnover
in million

Daily low

Latest
EPS

Latest
PE

53.28
77.61
100.22
44.00
43.20
83.25
48.50
6.19

52.30
77.80
100.20
44.00
42.90
83.30
48.40
6.20

54.80
78.40
101.00
44.00
44.70
83.50
49.10
6.30

52.00
77.40
100.10
44.00
42.60
83.00
47.00
6.10

0.160
0.532
0.241
0.110
1.966
0.167
0.262
0.170

-1.01
4.72
3.12
2.13
4.08
6.72
4.81
1.44

-ve
16.4
32.1
20.7
10.6
12.4
10.1
4.3

56.65
10.56

56.30
10.60

63.60
10.60

56.30
10.50

0.030
0.038

0.00
0.64

16.5

With shaky sentiment and apparent

lack of direction, market continued its
ongoing trend

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS

Company
CMC Kamal Tex. -A
BSRM Steels-A
LafargeS Cement-Z
Square Pharma -A
Mercantile Bank -A
Grameenphone-A
Hwa Well Textiles-N

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

Sector

Daily high

Monday, May 26, 2014

DSE GAINERS

DSE key features

May 25, 2014

Stocks end
flat amid poor
turnover
n Tribune Report

Stock

% change
11.23
3.15
1.55
12.63
5.89
8.49
0.04
19.40
13.41
0.02
1.84
1.13
0.34
7.48
0.52
1.91
2.55
4.52
1.89
2.00
0.03

Million Taka
25.62
4.63
1.75
21.96
6.16
13.18
21.85
19.14
6.91
1.30
7.39
0.21
16.60
0.95
0.58
1.89
10.15
6.10
4.34
0.00

CSE

% change
15.01
2.71
1.03
12.86
3.61
7.72
0.00
12.80
11.21
4.05
0.76
4.33
0.12
9.73
0.56
0.34
1.11
5.94
3.57
2.54
0.00

Million Taka
230.87
62.13
30.16
252.77
113.93
168.33
0.75
376.57
264.30
7.20
34.90
28.10
6.42
153.37
10.40
35.41
48.43
92.76
40.66
40.91
0.51

Total

% change
11.55
3.11
1.51
12.65
5.70
8.42
0.04
18.84
13.22
0.36
1.75
1.41
0.32
7.67
0.52
1.77
2.42
4.64
2.03
2.05
0.03

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

Meghna Petroleum -A
Mithun Knitting -A
Delta Life Insu. -A

Matin Spinning-N
HeidelbergCement -A
Padma Oil Co. -A
BD Submarine Cable-A
Olympic Ind. -A
CSE TURNOVER LEADERS
Company
HeidelbergCement -A

Square Pharma -A
BSRM Steels-A
Rupali Bank - A
Appollo Ispat CL -N
Grameenphone-A
Hwa Well Textiles-N
BD Submarine Cable-A
Meghna Petroleum -A
Mercantile Bank -A
UNITED AIR-A
LafargeS Cement-Z
Matin Spinning-N
BEXIMCO Ltd. -A
UCBL - A

Volume
shares
4,111,493
1,160,399
1,113,850
286,288
3,125,098
198,346
1,142,500
167,780
415,515
193,300

783,600
68,050
102,605
178,365
128,918

Volume
shares

20,350
26,980
88,510
100,600
206,800
20,800
123,500
26,900
14,819
218,300
319,034
51,000
67,600
125,794
111,543

Value in
million
95.00
84.57
76.91
74.12
54.39
50.69
48.43
47.02
40.30
36.25

35.12
34.92
33.39
31.92
29.20

Value in
million

10.35
7.01
6.46
6.04
5.62
5.33
5.23
4.82
4.15
3.77
3.69
3.51
3.03
2.96
2.92

% of total
turnover
5.20
4.63
4.21
4.05
2.98
2.77
2.65
2.57
2.20
1.98

1.92
1.91
1.83
1.75
1.60

% of total
turnover

7.02
4.75
4.38
4.10
3.81
3.62
3.55
3.27
2.82
2.56
2.50
2.38
2.06
2.01
1.98

Daily
closing
23.30
74.40
69.10
259.80
17.60
257.40
42.60
279.80
97.20
186.20

44.70
513.60
323.90
177.60
225.50

Daily
closing

513.70
261.30
74.40
60.10
27.20
257.00
42.50
177.90
280.20
17.50
11.60
69.00
44.60
23.40
26.30

Price
change
1.30
5.53
-0.29
1.88
3.53
0.82
0.71
-0.89
2.32
-1.27

Daily
opening
23.00
70.50
69.30
255.00
17.00
255.30
42.30
282.30
95.00
188.60

Price
change

Daily
opening

-1.11
0.04
-1.07
-1.44
-1.66

0.25
1.87
4.79
-0.17
0.37
0.51
0.71
-1.22
-0.71
3.55
0.87
0.00
-1.55
-1.27
-0.38

45.20
513.40
327.40
180.20
229.30

512.40
256.50
71.00
60.20
27.10
255.70
42.20
180.10
282.20
16.90
11.50
69.00
45.30
23.70
26.40

Daily
high
23.70
74.70
70.00
261.90
17.80
258.60
43.00
282.30
99.00
190.90

45.30
519.70
340.00
195.00
230.00

Daily
low
21.00
65.00
63.30
250.00
15.50
250.00
41.70
260.00
93.50
183.90

44.40
508.00
310.00
170.00
220.00

Daily
average
23.11
72.88
69.05
258.88
17.40
255.55
42.39
280.23
97.00
187.55

Daily
high

Daily
low

Daily
average

519.00
262.50
75.00
60.10
27.60
259.80
42.80
180.70
281.50
17.60
11.70
69.40
45.80
23.90
26.40

507.00
255.00
70.00
60.00
26.80
252.00
41.80
177.10
279.70
15.30
11.50
68.00
44.30
21.40
26.00

44.82
513.17
325.41
178.98
226.54

508.40
259.80
72.96
60.05
27.19
256.33
42.33
179.00
280.38
17.28
11.56
68.86
44.88
23.52
26.16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Some elephant hunting tips for Warren Buffett

n Reuters
Far be it from us to offer tips to Warren Buffett, the most celebrated stock
picker of his age, but here goes:
The Oracle of Omaha has suggested
he will hunt for his next elephant his favourite word for big acquisitions
- among energy companies. That could
dovetail with the bet he made in 2009
when he bought Burlington Northern
Santa Fe railroad, which has turned
into an indirect play on the U.S. oil
production renaissance: BNSF moves
about a third of oil-by-rail, a surging
segment of freight rail.
So, we have some ideas. Reuters
screened for US and Canadian companies with relatively low debt and market capitalizations above $5bn, among
other criteria.
First, because Buffetts Berkshire
Hathaway has about $49bn to spend,
hes said hes looking at capital intensive companies, which offer plenty of
chances to put that money to work.
He might like a hot niche like oilfield
services or pipelines: good candidates
could be Baker Hughes in drilling services or Williams Partners in oil and gas
distribution, which would also expand
the scope of his recently rebranded
Berkshire Hathaway Energy unit.
Alternatively, he could opt for a
safer play by scooping up another regulated utility to add to previous purchases such as NV Energy in Nevada and
MidAmerican Energy, which serves
customers in eleven states and added
about $1.47bn to Berkshires profits in
2013. While not spectacular earners,
regulated utilities tend to be steady, reliable cash generators, a feature Buffett
likes. One candidate could be Pinnacle
West Capital, though it may be a little
smaller than what hes looking for.
None of Baker Hughes, Williams
Partners and Pinnacle West responded
to requests for comment.
Electric generation, electric trans-

tations on a 7% increase in North American revenue, with better North American margins even as well count dropped.
The company also has significant
presence overseas, including the Middle East, Latin America and Asia, offering a chance to broaden Berkshires
geographic reach.
One risk may be that Baker Hughes
will be too closely tied to oil prices and
the capital expenditure cycle for major
petroleum producers for Buffetts taste.

Williams

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett throws a newspaper during a competition at a trade show, at the company's annual meeting in
Omaha, Nebraska
REUTERS
mission and long-haul pipelines - theyre
being about as blunt as they can be that
theyre going to grow in that area, said
Kevin Birzer, a senior managing director
at Tortoise Capital Advisors, which specializes in energy investments.

Pinnacle

Check out Pinnacle West, owner of

the Arizona Public Service Company,
which provides electricity to about 1.1
million customers and trades at a discount to peers by several measures,
including price-to-cash flow and priceto-earnings. Between the companys
$6.1bn market cap and its $3.6bn in net
debt, for an enterprise value of $9.7bn,
the company may be smaller than Buf-

Plastic goods export to US

rises by 4% sans GSP
B1 COLUMN 2

weve lost our competitiveness because of the imposed import duty on

our products soon after we had lost the
GSP facilities, said Jashim.
If the government can restore GSP
through fulfillment of the conditions
set by the US government, it would
help us to grab the markets, he added.
Meanwhile, political unrest had cast
negative impact on the export earnings
as the buyers were unwilling to place
their orders fearing delayed shipments
from the country.
Since the political turmoil caused
financial losses, we have urged the
government to offer us cash incentives
along with reduction of advance income tax to 0.30% as like as the RMG
sector, said Jashim.
To reduce dependency on certain
markets, the sectoral people are now
focusing on Asian countries, especially, on China and India because of its
huge population.
In the current fiscal, Bangladesh
plastic products stepped into the 22
new markets including Angola, Azer-

baijan, Switzerland, Chile, Colombia,

Cyprus, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland,
Hungary, Lebanon, Liberia, Madagascar, Mongolia, Nigeria, Panama, Papua
New Guinea, Romania, Sierra Leone,
Uganda, Uzbekistan and Yemen with
its high quality products at a reasonable price.
The countrys total export earnings
from the plastic sector marked a
3.18% fall to $68m in July-April
period of 2013-14 due to slow down
in the economy of the European
Countries. In July-April of 2012-13,
Bangladesh had earned $70m from
plastic sector.
Jashim, also vice chairman of Bengal Group, a leading plastic manufacturer said: Total export value of the
sector declined due to slowdown in
the economy of European Union country as they are also the major buyers of
Bangladeshi plastic products.
Among plastic products, PVC bag
registered 16.6% rise to $31m, while
plastic waste earnings declined by
29.6% to $23m and other products rose
by 30% to $13m. l

fett wants.
Still, analysts from TheStreet Ratings noted Pinnacle Wests reasonable
debt and good cash flow from operations in calling the company a buy earlier this month.
We feel these strengths outweigh
the fact that the company has had subpar growth in net income, they wrote
in a report dated May 18.

Baker hughes

If Buffett wants a company more closely tied to oil production, he could opt
for Baker Hughes.
With a market cap of about $30bn
and net debt of about $3.9bn, Baker
Hughes enterprise value of $33.9bn

comes in at the high end of what Buffett

could spend while leaving himself the
$20bn cash cushion hes said he wants.
Even so, that large a deal might require him to team up with an outside
partner as when he bought HJ Heinz,
an option Buffett has said he may pursue again.
Baker Hughes, which supplies oilfield services such as drill bits and fuel
additives and has annual revenue above
$22bn, is trading at a discount to peers
on several key metrics, including ratios
measuring its enterprise value against
both sales and earnings before interest,
taxes, depreciation and amortization,
or EBITDA, according to Reuters data.
Its first-quarter earnings beat expec-

In that case, Williams Partners could

appeal.
Williams, which focuses in part on
natural gas and oil transportation, has
a market cap of about $22.8bn, but with
$8.3bn of debt, its enterprise value is
not all that much lower than Baker
Hughes, about $31.1bn.
Also like Baker Hughes, Williams,
with total revenue of about $6.7bn last
year, scores well on a number of relative valuation markers, trading at discounts to peers on price-to-earnings
and price-to-cash flow.
The company keeps generating cash
thanks to the combination of a core
interstate gas transmission system and
a liquids-leveraged midstream business, according to Morningstar.
Thats an important attribute given
its debt-to-equity ratio of 0.8, which is
a bit above the industry norm.
Negotiating a deal with Williams
could be complicated, given its status
as a limited partnership 70% owned by
Williams Cos.
But the company has another advantage Buffett likes - a wide moat, or
competitive advantage, thanks to its
ownership of the Transco gas mainline,
which runs from Texas to New York.
We think of the Transco pipeline
system as a classic wide-moat asset,
one that presents a highly attractive set
of organic growth opportunities, the
Morningstar analysts wrote. l

Thai coup leader sets out economic

priorities: Rice and budget
n Reuters, Bangkok
Thailands ruling military laid out its
economic priorities on Sunday, telling
financial officials from the public and
private sectors that it wanted to quickly
pay farmers money owed under a failed
subsidy scheme and work out a budget
for 2015.
The army has consolidated its power
since ousting the government on Thursday, detaining scores of politicians and
activists whose rivalry has bedeviled
the country for years, and trying to
stamp out criticism with censorship
and a ban on protests that an increasing
number of people have defied.
On Sunday, the focus was on fixing
an economy that even before the coup
was stumbling into recession.
The economy needs to recover.
If there is something wrong, we have
to find quick solutions, Thawatchai
Yongkittikul, secretary general of the
Thai Bankers Association, told reporters, citing coup leader General Prayuth
Chan-ocha, who summoned up to 60

B3

Monday, May 26, 2014

officials to the meeting.

The burning issues that need to
be solved are the rice buying scheme
and the budget plan for the 2015 fiscal
year, Thawatchai said.
Southeast Asias second-largest
economy shrank 2.1% in the first quarter of the year and there is little prospect of a quick improvement.
People are not spending, government investment has stalled and consumer sentiment fell to a 12-year low in
the months before the coup.
Many countries have issued travel
warnings for Thailand, which was already expecting the lowest number of
foreign visitors in five years in 2014.
Tourism accounts for about 10% of the
economy.
On top of that, a huge problem
for the last government of Yingluck
Shinawatra was a failed rice-subsidy
scheme, a major policy in a populist
electoral platform that brought her to
power in 2011.
The scheme was meant to cement
rural support for Yingluck and her self-

exiled brother, deposed former Prime

Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
But the scheme was criticized by opponents in the Bangkok middle class
and royalist establishment who said it
was riddled with corruption and was a
cynical bid by the Shinawatras to lock
in electoral success.
SELLING RICE
Farmers are owed more than $2.5bn
under the scheme and paying them
would be a big public relations victory
for the military.
Somchart Soithong, director-general of the Commerce Ministrys Internal
Trade Department, said the military
was eying 90bn baht ($3bn) for the
farmers.
We have about 40bn baht from the
BAAC (Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives) and the Finance
Ministry will seek loans of another
50bn baht, he said.
A military spokesman said it was
hoped farmers would begin to get paid
in one or two days and every farmer
would be paid in a month. l

Business aviation
picks up, but jet
surplus persists
n Reuters, Seattle
Business aircraft are taking to the skies
again as many economies around the
world improve, but a surplus of jets delivered just before the recession means
the equivalent of 2,750 jets remain
parked in hangars.
An excess of jets is depressing prices
for planes, particularly older ones, and
clouding the outlook for manufacturers of new jets, such as Bombardier Inc,
Gulfstream and Cessna.
Some companies are cutting back
on corporate jet travel and reducing executives use of corporate jets for personal trips.
With so many jets not being flown,
businesses are finding it more difficult to
justify new purchases, said Rolland Vincent, president of Rolland Vincent Associates, a jet consulting firm that works
with Utica, New York-based JetNet.
Its like having a lot of cars in your
driveway, Vincent said. If you dont
use them that much, youre not going
to be out shopping for another one.
The recovery in business flying is
uneven around the world, and prone
to setbacks. A global survey of private
aircraft, including helicopters and
charters, showed a 2% decline in the
hours flown in the first quarter, from a
year ago.
Flight hours in Asia, Europe and
the Middle East rose in the past year
through March, but declined in the
United States and Latin America, according to the survey by Jet Support
Services Inc (JSSI), a Chicago-based
company that supplies service and
support for aircraft.
The harsh US winter played a big
role in depressing demand for flying,
while political issues in Eastern Europe
and slower economic growth in Asia affected flying in those regions, JSSI said.
But demand should bounce back
in the spring, said Neil Book, chief executive of JSSI. As the overall economy
ramps up, we expect to see overall flight
hours increase more quickly, he said.
Indeed, the longer term trend in
operations tracked by the Federal Aviation Administration shows US flying
steadily picking up.
In the United States, which is by far
the largest business-aircraft market,
business jet flights rose about 3.4% in
the 12 months through March, according to the FAAs tracking of takeoffs and
landings. Thats a sharp upswing from
the prior 12-month period, when flights
rose only about 0.3%.
But because the industry was cranking out jets at a high rate from 2005
to 2009, the amount of flight time per
plane remains well below the peak of
2007, just before the financial crisis.
Some companies are throttling back
on personal plane use, or shifting to
less expensive options than owning,
including new club membership
plans that dont involve capital outlays
that can cost hundreds of thousands or
millions of dollars annually.
Several S&P 500 companies said in
recent filings that they have set limits on executive use of corporate jets.
Many already require executives to reimburse the company for personal use
of the plane beyond a set limit of hours
or dollars. l

Asian millionaires turn to

independent wealth advisers
n AFP, Singapore

bKash Limited has recently signed an agreement with Dnet to disburse monthly
commission to the latters health agents who are assigned to register expectant and new
mother for its mobile phone health service known as Aponjon service. Rezaul Hossain,
chief commercial officer of bKash Limited and Sk Masudur Rahman, chief programme
coordinator of Dnet, Muhammad Tariqul Islam Khan were present at the signing ceremony
among others

Runner Automobiles recently signed an agreement to enjoy loan facility from EBL with
lower processing fee and quicker turnaround period. The photo shows Hassan O Rashid,
the banks deputy managing director and Brig Gen Shafiquzzaman (retd), managing
director of Runner Automobiles Ltd exchanging documents after signing the agreement

First Security Islami Bank Limiteds Pahartoli Chowmuhoni Branch has recently received
an award in silver category of Western Union Ambassador Competition 2013 at an award
giving ceremony held at a hotel in Dhaka. Md Matiur Rahaman, business development
manager of Western Union Singapore Pvt Ltd handed over the award to Mohiuddin,
branch manager at Pahartoli Chowmuhoni Branch, Raozan

NRB Commercial Bank Limited inaugurated its 16th branch at Dargha Gate, Sylhet
yesterday. The banks vice char and chair of its executive committee, Dr Toufique Rahman
Chowdhury was present at the opening ceremony along with the mayor of Sylhet City
Corporation, Ariful Haque Choudhury

When the value of his $20m portfolio

plunged in the 2008 global financial
crisis, luxury car enthusiast Gerard Tan
followed a growing trend among Asias
elite investors by turning to an independent adviser for help.
His bank had put most of his cash in
volatile emerging market bonds, which
were hammered by the financial turmoil.
Tan, who asked that his real name
not be used, kept his money in the
bank, but engaged the services of an
adviser unrelated to the institution in
order to staunch the losses.
Six years after the crisis, a growing
number of Asias millionaires are turning to independent wealth advisers,

who offer professional advice for a fee

much like doctors and lawyers do.
Without pushing clients to buy financial assets, they offer an alternative
to wealth managers working for private
banks, which traditionally generate
revenues on commission.
Banks put the focus on selling and
this can sometimes lead to risks being
overlooked in favour of revenue, according to analysts.
My positions were restructured
and portfolio risks were managed, said
Tan, a publicity-shy father of two who
owns a range of high-end cars.
I feel a lot more comfortable now
about my market exposure, added the
self-made businessman whose assets
are now more than $40m. l

Trust Bank Limited recently held its 15th annual general meeting at Army Golf Club in
Dhaka Cantonment. The banks vice chair, Major General Ashraf Abdullah Yussuf presided
over the meeting where the shareholders approved 12% stock dividend for the year
ended on December 31, 2013

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Monday, May 26, 2014

World Cup: money making no-brainer or costly folly?

n AFP, Rio De Janeiro
The World Cup will cost Brazil more
than $11bn, a sum that sparked outraged protests and sent economists
dashing for new data on an old question: is hosting global sports events
worth it?
The protesters who have taken to the
streets, sometimes violently, say Brazil
would be better off spending on education, health and transport - areas where
the gaping divide between rich and poor
is most conspicuous in this sprawling
country of 200 million people.
But Brazils leaders say hosting the
tournament is about more than building stadiums and throwing a party.
The Cup is not an economic panacea but a catalyst for Brazilian development, tourism minister Vinicius Lages
told AFP. It was a key factor behind
Brazil finally overhauling its infrastructure.
He predicted the event would add
about $13.6bn this year to the Brazilian
economy - the worlds seventh-largest
at $2.25tn - thanks to a tidal wave of
foreign and domestic tourists.
Then there is the long term impact.
According to a 2012 report by consulting firm Ernst & Young and the
Getulio Vargas Foundation, a Brazilian
economics institute, the cup will produce a surprising cascading effect on
investments.
The report estimated the Cup and
2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will
between them create 3.6 million jobs
and add four percentage points a year
to economic growth through 2019.

But it also warned that Brazil must

ensure the benefits accrue to the entire
population.
Ernst & Young said Brazil would be
judged on its ability to capitalize on
the Cups legacies, turning them into
permanent assets thereby reaching
another socioeconomic and structural
level.

Brazilian way

Logical politics, absurd economics

The experts are not unanimous.

In March, a report by ratings agency
Moodys forecast the World Cup would
have a negligible effect on the economy, given Brazils sluggish growth
since 2011.
Senior analyst Barbara Mattos said
the tournament will provide shortlived sales increases that are unlikely
to materially affect earnings.
Meanwhile, she warned, disruptions associated with traffic, crowding
and lost work days will take a toll on
business.
Studies show little long-term financial gain from sports extravaganzas,
said Wolfgang Maennig, an economics professor at Hamburg University in
Germany.
There have been many investigations into the benefits derived from
World Cups and Olympics, mostly
showing that any benefit is just temporary, said Maennig.
For Germany (in 2006) there were
high hopes but in the end people said,
Great event, great fun but did we gain
financially? No.
Maennig, an Olympic rowing champion in 1988, said Brazils decision to

Youngsters play football next to a mural with the portraits of famous football players at Tavares Bastos shantytown (favela) in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
AFP
build some of its shiny new stadiums in
far-flung host cities with no discernible
footballing tradition was politically
understandable -- but absurd in terms
of pure economics.
Then there are the intangibles that
are impossible to calculate accurately.
Maennig said a repeat of mass protests like those that marred last years
Confederations Cup, a World Cup

warm-up tournament, could nullify

any financial gains by damaging Brazils brand.
If there is violence, that will be a
huge negative for Brazils image. But
if Brazil can show it is a friendly country, then that would be a huge plus, he
said.
Brazil expects 600,000 foreigners
and 3.1 million domestic tourists to at-

tend the tournament, spending an estimated $2,500 each.

If things go well, there is plenty of
room for long-term tourism growth.
Despite world-famous attractions
ranging from its rainforests to its
beaches to its Carnival, the country received just six million tourists last year.
The Eiffel Tower alone received two
million more.

Professor Rafael Alcadipani, a World Cup

specialist and the Getulio Vargas Foundation, pointed out that the economy
was struggling compared to when Brazil
was awarded the Cup seven years ago.
Then, it seemed Brazil was finally
getting its act together. But people underestimated the costs, the public cash
thrown at stadiums of doubtful longterm value, he told AFP.
I think a more modest and concentrated event would give a better result.
President Dilma Rousseff, who is up
for reelection in October, says Brazilians should welcome the legacy of Cuprelated investment.
Nobody coming here will put
the airports, ports, urban mobility schemes, stadiums in their suitcase
when they leave. This is our legacy,
she insisted.
But her chief of staff Gilberto Carvalho admits in the wake of ongoing
protests that the government has been
incompetent in having a dialogue
with Brazilian society regarding the
World Cup.
Lages called for patience on all sides.
We must not over-inflate expectations. This is about long-term planning, said the tourism minister.
Sergio Bampi, a computer science
professor and logistics expert at Rio
Gande do Sul federal university in the
southern host city of Porto Alegre,
meanwhile urged realism.
The thing many people dont
realize is that Brazil does things in its
own fashion. This is not Europe, he
told AFP. l

Sony, still a Walkman in an iPad age, say analysts

n AFP, Tokyo

Russian President Vladimir Putin (centre) applauds as Rosneft President Igor Sechin
(right) shakes hands with Pirelli's CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera during an agreement
signing ceremony at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2014 (SPIEF 2014)
in St Petersburg on May 24. The Saint Petersburg Economic Forum is touted as Russia's
answer to Davos, an annual meeting of global business leaders which President Vladimir
Putin has attended every year since 2005 and often uses to sign major deals and rub
shoulders with state leaders
AFP

Forget apps, old-school

mobiles ring in a comeback
n AFP, Paris
They fit in a pocket, have batteries that
last all week and are almost indestructible: old-school Nokias, Ericssons and
Motorolas are making a comeback as
consumers tired of fragile and overlywired smartphones go retro.
Forget apps, video calls and smiley
faces, handsets like the Nokia 3310 or
the Motorola StarTec 130 allows just
basic text messaging and phone calls.
But demand for them is growing
and some of these second-hand models are fetching prices as high as 1,000
euros a piece.
Some people dont blink at the
prices, we have models at more than
1,000 euros. The high prices are due to
the difficulty in finding those models,
which were limited editions in their
time, said Djassem Haddad, who started the site vintagemobile.fr in 2009.
Haddad had been eyeing a niche
market, but since last year, sales have
taken off, he said. Over the past two to
three years, he has sold some 10,000
handsets, with a real acceleration
from the beginning of 2013.
The ageing population is looking for
simpler phones, while other consumers
want a second cheap phone, he said.
Among the top-sellers on the website is
the Nokia 8210, with a tiny monochrome
screen and plastic buttons, at 59.99 euros.
Ironically, the trend is just starting as
the telecommunications industry consigns such handsets to the recycling bins,
hailing smartphones as the way ahead.
Finnish giant Nokia, which was undisputedly the biggest mobile phone company before the advent of Apples iPhone
or Samsungs Galaxy, offloaded its handset division to Microsoft this year after
failing to catch the smartphone wave.
But it was probably also the supposedly irreversible switch towards smartphone that has given the old school
phone an unexpected boost.

Back to basics

For Damien Douani, an expert on new

technologies at FaDa agency, it is simply
trendy now to be using the retro phone.
There is a great sensation of finding
an object that we knew during another
era - a little like paying for vintage
sneakers that we couldnt afford when
we were teenagers, Douani told AFP.
There is also a logic of counter-culture in reaction to the over-connectedness of todays society, with disconnection being the current trend.
That includes the need to return to
what is essential and a basic telephone
that is used only for making phone
calls and sending SMSes, he added. It
is also about being different.
Today, everyone has a smartphone
that looks just like another, while ten
years ago, brands were much more creative.
It is a mostly high-end clientele that
is shopping at French online shop Lekki, which sells a range of vintage, revamped mobile phones.
Too many online social networks
and an excess of email and applications, have made us slaves to technology in our everyday life. But Lekki
provides a solution, allowing a return
to basic features and entertainments,
it said on its website.
A Motorola StarTac 130 - a model
launched in 1998 - and repainted bright
orange was recently offered for 180 euros, while an Ericsson A2628 with gold
coloured keys for 80 euros.
We have two types of profiles: the
25 to 35 year-olds attracted by the retro
and offbeat side of a telephone that
is a little different, and those who are
nostalgic for the phone that they used
when they were younger, said Maxime
Chanson, who founded Lekki in 2010.
Some use it to complement their
smartphone, but others are going for
the vintage, tired of the technology
race between the phone makers. l

Sonys latest bid to halt years of losses

and resuscitate its brand has provoked
snorts of derision among analysts who
say it falls a long way short.
The criticism came after Sony president Kazuo Hirai on Thursday pledged
to drag the electronics giant out of a
painful restructuring in the current fiscal year and pointed to ultra-high-definition technology as a possible saviour
for its money-losing TV unit.
Hirai, appointed in 2012 to revive a
company mired in losses, has centred
his attention on shaking up a troubled
consumer electronics business, including the television unit, which alone has
lost about 790bn yen ($7.8bn) over the
past decade.
A week ago, Sony shocked investors
with a $1.26bn annual loss - after several earnings downgrades - and warned
it would be in the red again in the year
to March 2015. Sony lost money in five
of the last six years and Moodys downgraded its credit rating on the firm to
junk in January.
Hirai said the company was aiming
for a 400bn yen operating profit in the
next fiscal year, but that did little to
impress analysts. Sony has long relied
on profits it generated from a lesserknown insurance business, as well as
movies and music operations to fill
some of the yawning deficit in its higher-profile electronics segment.

Our impression is quite negative.

We believe the firm needs to engage in
a radical restructuring, said Deutsche
Bank analyst Yasuo Nakane.
He added that Thursdays session
revealed absolutely no new information, ideas or strategies such as to
change our view on the company.

There is a real risk of

earnings deterioration
in hardware, making it
unlikely that Sony will
be re-rated as a premier
content/network
company
Earnings deterioration

Hirais efforts to drag the TV business

into the black have so far failed, but he
has repeatedly shrugged off pleas to
abandon a division that he insists remains central to Sonys core business.
The firm also rejected a call from a
US hedge fund billionaire to spin off
part of its profitable entertainment
arm, which includes a Hollywood studio that produced the latest instalment
of The Amazing Spider-Man series.
Much of the losses last year stemmed

from costs tied to Sonys exit from the

personal computer business, part of its
wider shakeup which has seen layoffs
and asset sales -- including its Manhattan headquarters for more than $1bn.
Making money in consumer electronics has been a tough ask for Japanese manufacturers in recent years as
razor-thin margins and tough competition from South Korea and Taiwanese
competitors dented their finances.
Sony rivals Panasonic and Sharp
have also suffered massive losses, although both recently reported annual
profits for the first time in years after
major restructurings.
Japanese firms have also trailed in
the global smartphone business where
Apple and Samsung dominate, while
digital camera sales have been decimated as consumers turn to picturetaking phones and tablets.
Hirai argued that a plan to split up
Sonys TV business, exiting personal
computers, driving into the medical
equipment business and slashing costs
would turn around Sonys fortunes.
He also pointed to stronger sales of
4K ultra high-resolution TVs, which
tend to have better profit margins than
lower-end models, as the firm shrinks
losses in the beleaguered business.
Sony is a leader in the next-generation technology which is currently
found on large televisions from 50
inches and above, although a high price
tag has so far been a barrier to big sales.

Run out of steam

Record sales of Sonys new PlayStation 4

games console are a potential bright spot,
but the expensive launch of the system
kept its games division in the red last year.
We think it is premature to assume
that Sony will be able to make the structural changes needed to stem losses
given smartphone and digital camera
market trends and commoditisation,
Goldman Sachs said in an analysis.
Absent any news of a potential sale
of the TV business after it is split out,
risk of further earnings deterioration
will remain.
There is a real risk of earnings deterioration in hardware, making it unlikely that Sony will be re-rated as a premier
content/network company, it added.
A Japanese analyst who covers the
company said Sonys goal of a 400-billion operating profit was too ambitious. He also pointed to the costs tied
to abandoning its PC division.
He added that the firm - once a byword for cool which revolutionised
the way people listened to music with
its Walkman portable cassette player needed more hit products.
Mr. Hirai may have run out of
steam said the analyst, who asked not
to be named.
In the absence of appealing products to drive overall earnings ... we
question whether the restructuring
will be adequate to the scale of the
challenges facing this company. l

Output of Ambassadors halted, iconic car of official India

n Reuters, Mumbai
The maker of the iconic Ambassador
has halted production of the car that
was long the choice of Indian officialdom, citing weak demand and a lack of
funds, casting doubt on the future of a
vehicle that has looked essentially the
same for more than five decades.
Hindustan Motors Ltd said in a
statement that it had suspended work
at its Uttarpara plant, outside Kolkata,
until further notice.
Modelled after the British Morris Oxford, the Ambassador was the first car to
be made in India and was once a status
symbol, but began losing its dominance
in the mid-1980s when Maruti Suzuki introduced its low-priced 800 hatchback.
It lost further cachet and market
share when global automakers began
setting up shop in India in the mid1990s, offering models with contemporary designs and technology.
The Ambassador has remained the
choice of a dwindling share of bureaucrats and politicians, usually in white
with a red beacon on top and a chauffeur at the wheel. It is also still in use as
a taxi in some Indian cities.
In a statement on Saturday, Hindustan Motors cited worsening conditions
at its Uttarpara plant which include very
low productivity, growing indiscipline,
critical shortage of funds, lack of demand for its core product the Ambassador and large accumulation of liabilities.
The company sold about 2,200 Am-

bassadors in the fiscal year ended in

March 2014, a tiny share of the 1.8 million passenger cars sold during the year
in India, according to industry data.
A new Ambassador in Kolkata starts
at 515,000 rupees ($8,800), according
to a dealer in the city.
The suspension of work will enable
the company in restricting mounting liabilities and restructure its organisation
and finances and bring in a situation
conducive to reopening of the plant,
the company said in its statement.
Some industry watchers said it
would be difficult for the grand old
lady of the Indian car market to make
a comeback.
In the present shape I dont think
the Ambassador has got any chances
of revival, said Deepesh Rathore at research firm Emerging Markets Automotive Advisors.
It doesnt make any business
sense, he said.
Abdul Majeed, a partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers India, said that to revive demand, Hindustan Motors would
need to invest in shrinking the Ambassador and making it more fuel efficient,
with success hardly assured.
Despite its dwindling sales, the distinctive car with its bulbous design and
roomy interior has many admirers and
was last year named the worlds best
taxi by the BBCs popular Top Gear television show.
In Kolkata, there were some 33,000
Ambassador taxis at the end of 2013.

There are newer cabs in Kolkata of

different companies now, but we still
drive an Ambassador and cannot think
of the city without it, said Ashok Kumar Singh, 32, who has driven a yellow Ambassador taxi in Kolkata for a
decade.

DILBERT

She is my livelihood, he said.

Struggling with falling sales, Hindustan Motors accumulated losses exceeding its net worth at the end of its
financial year ended Sept. 30, 2013, and
the company has been looking for investors. l