Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Print Edition: 16 January, 2014
Print Edition: 16 January, 2014
www.dhakatribune.com
SECOND EDITION
7 | SEMINAL DECISIONS
13 | CENTRAL IN COMMAND
Investigation reveals five, not two, were raped on January 8 morning medical examinations of the two comn Emran Hossain from Jessore plainants, significantly reducing the
chances of finding any evidence at all, which ultimately led to the conclusion that there had been no rape. However, contradictions in the first information reports (FIRs) filed by the two victims, video footage recorded by local journalists and statements of witnesses still substantiate that at least five women of the families of two neighbouring brothers were raped on the same night. The victims are the wives of the two brothers, their daughters, and a daughter-in-law. We decided to leave the village and not to file any case as we barely have a hand-to-mouth existence and cannotbear the cost of running a case, said the husband of a victim.
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The first question the rapists asked before storming into the homes of two neighbouring brothers and gang raping their wives, two daughters and a daughter-in-law was: Did you vote? Who did you vote for in the election? The victims, who could barely guess from this question what awaited their fate, and replied at once in the negative.
The houses were a few hundred yards away from the periphery of Hrishipara in Monirampurs Haridashkati union. Chairman of the union Niranjan Prosad Biswas believes the incident is related to the national election as 95% of about 750 voters in the Hrishipara are known to be Awami League supporters. In the first three hours, after the voting began on January 5, about 200 votes were already cast at the Katakhali
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INSIDE
Business
B1 While the law says the ministry is the authority to approve 3G tariff proposals, the BTCL gave the approvals for the private mobile phone operators.
News
5 Even after 17 years of its inception, Dhaka Mohanagar Mohila College is yet to establish itself as a strong educational institute.
News
11 Last year was an interesting one for Bangladesh. Political turbulence, strikes, intolerance and stubbornness dented the economic potential of the country.
Entertainment
2
AL: Nation wanted Khaleda to apologise for violence
n Emran Hossain Shaikh
The Awami League yesterday said the nation had expected an apology from BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia during her press conference for the recent activities by the members of her party across the country. They set fire to vehicles and burnt people and even declared a war against environment. We thought Khaleda Zia would apologise for such activities, but she did not, said AL Publicity and Publications Secretary Hasan Mahmud. Instead, she defended these activities and accused others, he said at a press conference at the partys Dhanmondi office yesterday evening. On the BNP chiefs demand for a po-
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
litical dialogue, Hasan said they would take such initiatives if the BNP stopped violence and cut ties with Jamaat-e-Islami. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia had addressed the media at the Westin Hotel in the capital earlier in the evening. Hasan accused the BNP and its allies of attacking minority communities before and after the January 5 poll. He claimed that those who had been arrested for attacking the minority communities were BNP and Jamaat activists. Awami League central leaders Abdul Mannan Khan, Abdus Sobhan Golap, Afzal Hossain and Mrinal Kanti Das, among others, were present at the press briefing. l
29 bombs found Mozena meets foreign ministry bosses near BTV n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman Kailash Sarkar
n
At least 29 crude bombs and a pistol magazine were found abandoned near the Bangladesh Television Centre in Rampura, last morning. A traffic police sergeant first noticed a bag left abandoned on the road island on Rampura Bridge near the BTV Centre around 9am. The bombs and the magazine were found inside the bag. After discovering the weapons the bag was handed over to Rampura police station. Police could not ascertain who had left them there or deduce any possible motives. Ripa Sindhu Bala, the officer-in-charge of Rampura police station, said: Criminals might have left the bag either as a part of an attempt at a subversive act or they were forced to leave it there in order to get past law enforcers.l The US Ambassador to Dhaka Dan W Mozena had two hours of separate meetings with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque. The contents of their discussions were not known despite several attempts. However, the US State Departments deputy spokesperson Marie Harf at a press briefing on Monday said Washington would work with the new government but had concerns about the election. We obviously work with governments who are elected, but in regards to these elections themselves, we have already made clear our disappointment with the polls, which in our view did not credibly reflect the will of the Bangladeshi people since almost all of the seats of the new parliament werent contested or had only token opposition, she said.
Meanwhile, Alam will brief the foreign diplomats on the recent political developments and election today, said a diplomat. He will explain what the prime minister said after the swearing-in ceremony. The prime minister on Sunday told reporters that her government wanted to create a national consensus in a bid to save public life and property, ensure security to the minorities, stop political vengeance and maintain political activities without violent activities. l
HC orders
PAGE 1 COLUMN 1
bye to him saying that being a student I did not have that much money. Later I came to know that a large section of people in the area are involved in illegal border-trespassing and smuggling. Contacted, Abdur Razzak, Inspector (investigation) of Shibganj police station, said people of the area are mainly engaged in mango farming during the summer season but at other times they either idle away their times or are involved in illegal trans-border business. You never find anyone involved in clash or violence during the mango season but it is something different at other times. People in the bordering area are so impoverished that they do everything even for a piece of chapatti and a plate of lentil. We have arrested some people and seized several vehicles used in drug smuggling, Inspector Razzak continued pointing to some trucks and ve-
hicles on police station premises that were seized during smuggling. What was most surprising to this correspondent was that Modasser Ali, a Jamaat leader, Golam Azam, secretary general of Upazila Jamaat unit and Kibria operate a smuggling racket in the area, said police and locals in return for anonymity. They smuggle Phensydle, hemp and others Indian items into the country, they said. About the funding of Jamaat-Shibir Abdur Razzak said members of the Islamist outfit mainly collect money from drug smuggling to run their political activities in the area. Contacted Modasser said he used to operate a mobile cell phone shop at Shibganj Bazar and during that time he brought best quality items from India. I have a trade license. The ruling party men vandalised my shop and since then it has remained closed. In the course of conversation Modas-
ser denied being involved in smuggling. However, people in the area said Modasser provide fund to Jamaat-Shibir to operate their political activities. When asked, Modasser said he did not need to finance anybody. People love me and they follow my instruction. Almost similar reply came from Azam, another Jamaat leaders, who said they mainly cultivate mango and tomato. They have no time to smuggle things into the country. AKM Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Shibganj police station, said that smuggling was not a new trend in the area. We are working on it and a number of illegal shipment has already been recovered in a couple of months. Rab-5 Lieutenant Colonel Anwar Latif Khan of Shibganj said members of the elite force are active and a large quantity of drugs had been seized in recent drives. l
It directed them to submit the test reports within four weeks. The High Court also issued a ruling upon the health and food secretaries, inspector general of police, RAB director general, BSTI DG, BCSIR chairman and director of the BSTI chemical testing wing, asking why their inaction in taking any step in this regard should not be declared illegal. It also sought reply in two weeks as to why the court should not direct them to test spices of other companies to identify harmful ingredients, if any. Supreme Court lawyer Manzill Murshid contended for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Mokleshur Rahman represented the government. l
polling centre before BNP Jamaat men bombed the centre, forcing the authorities to suspend voting, he said. Two of the women raped were under 18 and did not even have the right to vote. They were raped on their veranda, mother listening to the cries of daughter, daughter thinking about the life of his husband held hostage at gun point, and the husband unable to move, so that they let his wife live. One of the families now lives in Panchkari village in the house of their in-laws. One has taken shelter inside the village. As hope fades away for the victims who were threatened out of their homes, the morning following the
rape, dried yellow leaves are piling up gradually covering the tiny abandoned thatched huts. Leave the land and do not come back here ever. If you tell anyone about this, your blood will flood this place, said one of the rapists. There is hardly any chance for the victims to get back to their place, separated only by a small paddy field from the nearby village called Bhomorda, locally known as Pakistan. People of Bhomorda were the first in the country to raise a platform for the release of death row convict war criminal Delwar Hossain Sayedee. One of the victims believes attackers footsteps could still be traced on the isle leading to Bhomorda through the paddy field. l
Khaleda alleged that the Awami farce in the name of an election once again proved the necessity of holding elections under a non-partisan interim government. It has proved that national polls cannot be free, fair and neutral under a partisan government. She thanked people for rejecting the poll, saying not even 5% people cast votes while the Election Commission nudged it to 40%. Stressing a peaceful movement, Khaleda said: We do not believe in violence and confrontation. We want to do politics peacefully and in a democratic way. When the BNP briefed diplomats of 34 countries recently they urged her to shun violent political programmes such as blockades and hartals. Expressing her firm determination to continue the movement, she yesterday said: This movement is not for going to power, rather for democracyand the victory is just a matter of time. Khaleda claimed that the big achievement of the movement was that the Awami League formed the government without public endorsement calling it illegitimate and undemocratic. The BNP chief said around 200 lead-
ers and activists had been killed since the announcement of election schedule, at least 22 on the election day. During a good part of her 40-minute briefing, Khaleda spoke on her partys future plans if voted to power. The future election manifesto apparently aimed at pleasing all parties. Khaleda promised to honour properly Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and ensure education and jobs for women. The BNP supported Hefazat-e-Islam, which placed 13-point demands that took stand against womens liberty. In the 40-minute speech, Khaleda alleged that attacks on Hindus had been launched in different parts of the country to divert peoples attention from the farcical poll and called upon party leaders and activists to build up strong resistance in the attack-prone areas. She demanded fair investigation into those incidents and punishment to the culprits and compensation to the victims. If steps are not taken to ensure trial of those criminals, it will be done through forming a judicial probe body and, if necessary, the UNs human rights organisation would be tasked to identify the criminals. Urging the government for talks to re-
solve the prevailing political crisis, Khaleda said there was no alternative to an election under a non-partisan government to bring normalcy, peace and stability. Tagging a set of conditions for talks, Khaleda asked the government to create an atmosphere for talks and compromise, stop harassing 18-party men, withdraw false cases and lift restriction on political programmes, rallies and the media. Unusual to her nature, this time she entertained questions from the media, saying she would talk to them from time to time. Asked if her party received any proposal for talks, the BNP chief said they were yet to get it. In response to the prime ministers comment that the BNP lost everything by boycotting the poll, Khaleda said: We did not lose anything; rather it was the ruling party that lost everything as they became isolated from people. On the Awami Leagues call to cut ties with Jamaat, she said: In 1986 the Awami League formed alliance with Jamaat and took part in the general election. When Khaleda came out of the Westin Hotel a number of angry activists of the BNP chanted slogans against the senior party leaders for their hiding and staying off the streets during party programmes. l
The victims are Dalits,members of the Rishi community, who are cobblers by profession and are socially considered at the lowesttier in the Hindu caste system the untouchables. Neighbours suspect when one of the families left the area with all their belongings the morning following the rape, the other took shelter in a date orchard near Rishiparawhere they had bought three kathas of land. The Rishiparaincident took place three days after some 300 families of Malopara village of Abhaynagarhad been driven away by the activists of Jamaat-e-Islami, its student wing IslamiChhatraShibir and their key ally BNP. The question is whether the rapestook place at all. Does a husband lie with his wife the next day she was raped? saidMonirampurpolice stations Officer-in-Charge Mir Rezaul Hossain in his first reaction to a question asked by thisreporter about the rape. Rezaul went on speaking in the same manner at his office on January 14 evening, claiming that those women had come up with the stories of rape for getting money or aid. Rape is not a matter for them [Dalits]. Theydo not hold it [having sex] in high regard like us. They can compromise their honour for anything, for mere fun! They make a mountain out of a molehill. They lie a lot, Rezaul said. The OC insisted that the number of rape victims three as mentioned in the FIRs was not true and it would be two, and that too was highly doubtful. The Dhaka Tribune has copies of the FIRs filed by two rape victims one of
the daughters and the daughter-in-law, who mentionedthe name of a third victim. The half-page FIRssound incomplete, only describingthat seven to eight masked men stormed into their houses around 1:30am and 2:30am on Wednesday andthat only one of them raped the complainants. The other members of the group held the family members hostagesfor an hour. The name of a fourth rape victim appears in the statement ofAshutoshMandal, a member of the Village Defence Police posted in the area. He told the Dhaka Tribune thathehad encountered the family while they were leaving the village the next morning. Video footage recorded during a visit to the area by two local journalists on January 9, a copy of which is available with the Dhaka Tribune, shows the fifth victim. I addressed them as my sons and begged for not dishonouring me, but they defiled me! criesone of the mothersin the footage.The husband of a victim is seen saying: They entered the house one after another. Ashutosh said: I heard three men raped[name withheld]. He confirmed that the Monirampurupazila nirbahi officerhad been informed by Union Parishad Member Afzal Hossain around 3:30pm on Wednesday. Police visited the area twice that evening, said Govinda Das, one of the youths who have been guarding the area at night since the incident. OC Rezaul, however, claimed that he had not learnt the matter until Thursday evening, a statement that contradictsthat of the districts Police Superintendent Joy DevBhadra, who
told the Dhaka Tribune: We came to know about it in the evening of January 8 [Wednesday]. A local journalist said police had forced the two complainants to lodge stories of being raped by a single man in the case as a case of a gang rape would have caused further backlash against the law enforcers failure to protect Hindus. But they could not hide it entirely as the media had already interviewed some of the victims, said a journalist. According to the two complainants, they had not been taken to the police station until Thursday night, and had their tests done two days later on Saturday morning. Jessore General Hospital Superintendent Yakub Ali and several forensic experts told the Dhaka Tribune that the chances of finding rape evidence in the body of a victim were slim after 24 hours, especially in case ofmarried women. The Dhaka Tribune has copies of the medical tests that found no proof of rape. The case could have been proved in another way byexamining the victims clothes they were wearing during the violence. But police appear not to have even given it a thought. I donot see any hope because of the role police are playing, said Niranjan Prasad Biswas, chairman of Haridaskathi union. Police have arrested two people who are not even suspected by the victims. The four suspected by victims are still at large. Although the police claim that the two arresteesare activists of the BNP and Jamaat, the one identified as a Jamaat activist is known as a supporter of the Awami League in the area. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
3
Eight BNP men charged in Lalmonirhat attack n Tribune Report
Police pressed charges yesterday against eight union level activists of BNP and its associate bodies in the attack on the Hindu community of the village Satpatki Majhipara in Lalmonirhat Sadar. The village came under attack on November 4 last year when villagers refused to pay tolls to them. The local Mohendranagar unit BNP has already expelled the accused from the party. Of the eight, police so far has only arrested Hamidul Islam, who is now in the district jail. The others Shaon Islam, 25, Alamgir Hossain, 25, Maznu Miah, 50, Abu Taher, 45, Badsha Miah, 45, Soleman Miah, 60, Hamidul Islam, 44, and Rabi Hossain, 24, are on the run, according to police. During the incident, the gang ransacked and looted four Hindu families, assaulting some of them, including women and children. The victims alleged that police were not trying to arrest the culprits and the attackers had threatened them several times to withdraw the case, our Lalmonirhat correspondent reports. They said police did not arrest the mastermind of the attack Shaon Islam. They had arrested Hamidul but did not seek remand for further interrogation. Victims lawyer Nikhil Chandra Roy said the investigating officer did not bring any charges against attacker Lion Islam, 19, who was also in the frontline of the attack. However, investigating officer SI Asaduzzaman said the charge sheet was submitted after thorough investigation. l
Awami League supporters greet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after she visited Tungipara yesterday to inaugurate the Upazila Parishad Bhaban PMO
in shootout
n Tribune Report
An activist of Jamaat-e-Islami was killed in a shootout during a raid by law enforcers at a village in Debhata upazila of Satkhira on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Anwarul Islam, 28, of Nangla village. We went to conduct a raid at Ghona village around 9:30am on information that Jamaat-Shibir men were gathering there to launch subversive activities, said Md Mahiduzzaman, additional superintendent of Satkhira police. The officer claimed that the gunfight ensued when Jamaat-Shibir activists hurled brick chips, crude bombs and fired guns at the police, who then fired back. Anwarul was found lying with a bullet wound in his leg after the gunfight, and he was declared dead after we rushed him to Satkhira Sadar Hospital, Mahiduzzaman told reporters yesterday. The officer also claimed that during the shootout, officer-in-charge Tarek Biswas, inspector Tanveer Hasan and three constables of Debhata police station were injured by bullets and
bomb splinters. Police also recovered a shutter gun, six rounds of bullets, two machetes and two homemade bombs after the incident. According to police, Anwarul was an accused in the murder cases of local Awami League leaders Abu Rayhan, Abdul Aziz and Alamgir Hossain. Following Anwaruls death, a mob vandalised and set fire to the residence of Naopara Union Parishad Chairman Abdul Khaleque, who is also a local Jamaat leader, at Kanta village, our Satkhira correspondent adds, quoting local villagers. Police were deployed in the area after the attack. Meanwhile, in separate drives at Kolaroa upazila overnight on Tuesday, law enforcers detained 10 BNP supporters. Police also arrested a Jamaat leader from Ullapara in Sirajganj. Meanwhile, a dawn-to-dusk hartal called by Islami Chhatra Shibir in Chittagong and Noakhali yesterday to protest the killing of a Shibir leader in a clash on Sunday was observed peacefully. l
Nomination papers for election to the reserved women seats begin to sell at the Awami League office in Dhanmondi yesterday
MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
n Moniruzzaman Uzzal
Cervical cancer patients in the country are set to receive affordable treatments soon, with the introduction of hightech Brachytherapy facilities at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). A Brachytherapy machine, worth Tk2.5 crore and donated by the Indian government as a gesture of goodwill, will be inaugurated by Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pankaj Saran at the BSMMU oncology department today. Brachytherapy also known as internal radiotherapy allows a physician to use a higher total dose of radiation to treat a smaller area and in a shorter time than is possible with external beam radiation treatment for cancer patients.
Sources at the BSMMU said although the machine is being inaugurated now, its operation will begin after at least a months time when the radiation source materials would arrive. Professor Saidur Rahman, registrar of the university, credited BSMMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Pran Gopal Datta for taking the initiative to introduce the latest cancer treatment facilities at the hospital. Sources said the country currently has four active Brachytherapy machines one at National Cancer Institute and three more at private hospitals (United, Delta and Khaja Yunus hospitals). The cost of each round of Brachytherapy treatment is around Tk2,000 at the public hospital and between Tk10,000 to Tk12,000 at the private hospitals. The BSMMU would
provide a more affordable option with only Tk1,000 for every round of therapy. Cervical cancer is the most common form of cancer among Bangladeshi women, with most patients (over 80%) being diagnosed at stage II and stage III. Radiotherapy (both teletherapy and brachytherapy) is the most important modality of treatment at these stages. Cancer specialists of the BSMMU have said Brachytheraphy can also be used for treatment of various other cancers including cancers of the prostate, head and neck, breast, gallbladder, uterus, vagina, lung, rectum and eye. The oncology department of the BSMMU, however, will initially use this machine only for the treatment of cervical cancer.
yun from the citys Sayedabad. Later, based on his information, members of the elite forces arrested four others. Aftab was found dead with his hands and legs tied up with ropes at his Rampura residence in the capital on December 25 last year. Aftab, recipient of the Ekushey Padak, had captured historic moments of the Liberation War, including the surrender document signed by General Niazi for Lieutenant Jagjit Singh Aurora on December 16 in 1971. His family claimed that he had been murdered for the stash of money which Aftab kept at his residence. Driver Kabir, the main suspect, was on the run since the murder. Victims son Monowar Ahmed filed a murder case with Rampura police station in this connection. On January 12, the home ministry entrusted RAB for the investigation of the killing case. l
Family members of Ismail Hossain Rajib, a suspect in the police constable killing case, break down in tears at the news of his death yesterday. He was killed during a gunfight with law enforcers DHAKA TRIBUNE
RMG workers want minimum wage, Four top BNP leaders bail hearing on Dec 30 protest owners unethical acts
n Kailash Sarkar
Workers of a readymade garment (RMG) factory on Tuesday staged daylong demonstrations in the capitals Manda area under Mughda police station, demanding immediate implementation of the minimum wage scale fixed by the government. During the demonstrations, the workers of Ethical Garments Factory protested against unethical practices of the factory owners, saying they have been deprived of their rightful payment. According to witnesses and police, some 2,000 workers of the factory took to the streets in front of the factory around 7:30am instead of joining work. They paraded along the area, chanting slogans against the factory authority for dilly-dallying in implementing the minimum wage scale.
The government fixed the minimum wage at Tk5,300, which was to be implemented from December. The workers claimed that the factory owners have been paying them Tk4,200
The workers claimed that the factory owners have been paying them Tk4,200 as minimum wage, instead of
Tk5,300 as fixed by the labour ministry. They further added that they were forced to take the streets as the factory authorities paid no heed to their repeated demand for implementation of the new wage scale. Earlier, the government fixed the minimum wage at Tk5,300, which was to be implemented from December. Meanwhile, Mughdah police station Officer-in-Charge Omar Faruq said the workers had been carrying out their movement over the entire month peacefully. We are trying for a solution through talks with the workers and the factory authorities, he added. l
A Dhaka court yesterday fixed December 30 as the date for bail hearing of four senior BNP leaders including MK Anwar, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Rafiqul Islam Mia and Shimul Biswas in two cases filed over the Hefazat-e-Islam violence in the city on May 5 last year. Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Jahurul Haque set the date when defence counsel Sanaullah Miah and Taherul Islam Towhid filed petitions with the court for bail. Of the cases, one was filed in connection with the killing of sub-inspector Md Shahjahan during a clash between law enforcers and Hefazat men
in the capital on May 5 last year. Police filed three cases over the incident one relating to the murder and two others in connection with vandalism and arson with the Motijheel police station. Earlier on December 9, Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mizanur Rahman rejected the bail plea. The defence counsel filed criminal miscellaneous case before the court against the bail rejection order. BNP leaders Moudud, Anwar and Rafiqul were detained from in front of Sonargaon hotel on November 8 last year while Mintoo and Shimul from outside Khaleda Zias Gulshan residence a few hours later on the same day. l
WEATHER
n UNB
Weather is likely to remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country until 6pm today. Moderate to thick fog may occur over the country during night till morning, Met Office said. Night temperature may fall slightly and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country. The sun sets in the capital at 5:33pm today and rises at 6:44am tomorrow. Countrys highest temperature 28.0 degree Celsius was recorded yesterday in Sylhet and lowest 10.7 degrees in Chuadanga. Highest and lowest temperature recorded in some major cities yesterday were: City Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Coxs Bazar High 17.7 22.6 14.7 20.4 18.2 19.2 28.0 26.0 Low 14.0 14.3 12.4 12.8 12.5 12.0 13.9 15.0
PRAYER TIMES
Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha 5:24am 6:42am 12:08am 3:57pm 5:33pm 6:53pm
Ballot boxes are being taken to polling centres of Gaibandha yesterday ahead of the re-poll today constituencies. The army would stay deployed at upazila level in these constituencies till January 19. EC officials said 43 army personnel would be deployed for every 10 centres, 132 police personnel for every three, 82 RAB personnel for every five and 43 BGB personnel for every 10 cen-
FOCUS BANGLA
Source: IslamicFinder.org
tres as striking force. Twenty police personnel each would also be deployed at polling centres in Jessore and Lakshmipur, which
The commission would take action against two MPs-elect from Jessore 1 and 2 after examining their replies of show cause notices. Election Commissioner Md Shah Newaz also said the EC would hold hearing on the matter if needed. The EC withheld the results of two Awami League lawmakerselect for their alleged violation of electoral code of conduct. Sheikh Afil Uddin, who was elected uncontested from Jessore 1, and Monirul Islam, who won the polls in Jessore 2, were served show cause notices in this regard. According to the RPO, if any candidate violates the code, the commission can cancel their candidature and mete out punishment. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
No progress in 17 years
n Abu Hayat Mahmud
Even after 17 years of its inception, The Dhaka Mohanagar Mohila College is yet to establish itself as a strong educational institute. Most students and even teachers complain of neglect and dereliction of duty from college administration as the main stumbling block in the progress of the institution. Educational standards in the girls-only college have slipped consistently since it was established in 1997 by the then Dhaka City Corporation, as evidenced by its declining enrolment rate and more or less stagnant student performance. Locals have pointed to a number of reasons restraining its development: mismanagement, inadequate infrastructure, lack of educational and other facilities and failure to attract high-performing students. Md Imam Hossain, a resident of Laxmibazar, where the college is located, said: The present condition of the college has something to do with the negligence of the authorities. It doesnt attract brilliant students anymore and those coming are mainly students with poor grades. I think the college should pay more attention to improving its educational standards as well as transport and accommodation facilities. Md Ansar Ali Khan, chief executive officer of Dhaka South City Corporation, which is now in the custody of the institution, attributed its relative underperformance to having not enough high-performing students. Those enrolling for courses offered by the college are mainly students from poor backgrounds, both academically and financially. It has impacts on the its overall performance. When asked as to what DSCC was doing to reverse the situation, he cited fund constraints as the cause of the failure to bring out suitable infrastructural changes and said the college au-
thorities were responsible for taking care of its academic affairs. DSCC doesnt directly run the institution; its management does. It only provides funds for its development. According to sources, the college offers education at the HSC, Honours and Masters levels as well as several professional courses, and has an average yearly enrolment of 3,000 students. The total number of its existing students was said to be 10,000 in the college website although Principal Prof Md Shazeedul Islam contradicted the figure, saying it would be around 5,000. The total number of teachers both part-time and full-time is 117. More than half of the students come from places on the outskirts of Dhaka and either stay in private dormitories or lodge with relatives. The college provides only a nominal residential facility, where only 42 students live, on the top floor of Building A. The first four floors of the five-storey building as well as the first two floors of the now under-construction Building C are used for all academic and administrative purposes. Building B currently lies abandoned because of its dilapidated condition. The construction of Building C which is to address the shortage of classrooms and residential facilities started in 2007 with a project value of Tk33.94 crore. The construction was suspended after the completion of second floor but resumed about six months ago. Prof Md Shazeedul Islam, however, stressed that the college would have done better had there been more brilliant students. Students coming here are mainly those who didnt get the chance to get admission in other colleges and universities of the capital. The average past result of most of our students is between 2.5-3.5 GPA. They are relatively less competitive. l
Top: Garbage is piled up at the end of an alley inside the college premises. The photo taken yesterday shows some of the walls damaged, with broken concrete layers. The signboard at the entrance gate of Dhaka Mahanagar Mahila College, bottom right, states that the institution is operated by the Dhaka City Corporation, currently under DSCC . The walls of one of the buildings inside the premises are blackened with moss and missing concrete layers due to lack of maintenance and repairs from authorities NASHIRUL ISLAM
LIMONS CASE AGAINST RAB PCJSS supporter shot in Rangamati n Our Correspondent, Rangamati
A Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) supporter was shot on Tuesday by a group of unidentified miscreants in Kaokhali upazila of Rangmati district. The victim was identified as Sohel Marma, 39, from Karbaripara, Kaukhali sadar upazila. Police and local sources said a group of armed miscreants opened fired on Sohel around 8:30pm. He had sustained bullet injuries to his left leg, they added. Sajeeb Chakma, PCJSS central unit assistant press and publication secretary, accused anti CHT-accord groups for the incident. He said Sohel might have been attacked because he worked for and supported a PCJSS candidate during the 10th parliamentary election. l
SAKRAIN FESTIVAL
Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University AAMS Arefin Siddiqui at a rally at TSC arranged on the occasion Sakrain festival DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sakrain is a festival of flying kites. On the day people soar kites; play music as loud as they want to; wear colourful dresses; visit neighbours and relatives; eat sweets and various types of handmade cakes such as Culi, Vapa and Vapapuli. The foggy sky, the biting cold nothing could resist people to lough out loudly, to greet each other, to make fun out of ecstasy of the festivity this year. Sounds of music were coming from alleys,
6
n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi
Hundreds of acres of cultivable land in Narsingdi district are losing fertility as local brokers who work for brick kilns, and brickfield owners, are collecting topsoil of the agricultural land for making bricks. There are at least 125 brick kilns at six upazilas in the district that need to collect earth on a regular basis from agricultural land as their brick kilns cannot provide the total amount of earth they need for making bricks. As a result of shifting the topsoil of agricultural land the production of IrriBoro paddy and vegetables have been reduced remarkably in the area. According to the governments existing rule, a brick kiln cannot use more than two acres of land. But this amount of land is not enough to meet the increasing demands for the bricks. So, to meet the boosted demand brick owners try to convince farmers to sale the topsoil of their land.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Nation
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Four jailed for life for killing a man n Our Correspondent, Netrakona
Netrakona Additional District and Session Judge Mohammad Abdul Hamid yesterday sentenced four individuals to life term imprisonment for killing a man and fined Tk20,000 each, default to one more year of imprisonment. The convicted were Mohammad Abdur Rahaman, Moju Mia, Nuru Mia and Althu Mia, all residents of the districts Korardhumvillage in Atpara upazila. According to the case files, on July 2, 2004, the convicts killed Althu Mia, 35, (same name as one of the convicts) of the village, attacking him with sharp weapons, concerning previous enmity. The victims younger brother Sobuj Mia filed a killing case with Atpara police station, accusing the convicts in this connection. Police after inquiry had submitted the charge sheet against the convicted persons. The judge yesterday after examining the witnesses and evidence found them guilty and pronounced the verdict. l
Crab farming is gaining popularity in Coxs Bazar coastal areas as it has become a protable business to the farmers.
More than 5,000 fishing families in eight upazilas including Moheshkhali, Chokoria, Pekua and Teknaf live on crab cultivation instead of shrimp. According to sources, farmers earn Tk 4,00000 by cultivating crabs on 1 hectare of land. According to locals, crabs were always available in the district but people had little idea about how to cultivate them. But increased knowledge has meant that cultivating crabs has become a profitable business. Sangkar Barua, a crab farmer, said, A big crab is sold at Tk 80-Tk 120. A lot of foreign currencies could be earned through exporting the fish to Hong Kong, China and other countries, he said.
Farmer Aman Ullah started selling crabs in local markets by buying them from fishermen. At one stage, he became interested about cultivating crabs, and within two years, had made substantial profits. Many unemployed youths go to him in order to learn the techniques of cultivating crabs. Farmer Suvash said, More than 500 farmers and 8000 people earn money by catching crabs and delivering them to farmhouses. Earlier, farmers used to hunt crabs. But, now they earn Tk 500- Tk 1100 per day through the cultivation. A farmer of Teknaf upazila, Sohidullah said, A team of 5-6 hunters catch crabs from rivers and sell them to local farmhouses. Coxs Bazar District Fish Officer Ferdous Ahmed said; If the farmers want help, they will get it. A report about the cultivation was sent to upazila fishery officer, he said. l
Locals form a human chain in front of the Awshini Kumar Hall in Barisal city yesterday, demanding steps against the people who grabbed land of two schools in the city DHAKA TRIBUNE
Bangladesh Krishak Federation and Bangladesh Krishani Sava organised the programme presided over by Zohra Rekha, president of Bangladesh Krishani Sava district unit. Speakers at the programme said within a week of forming the new cabinet, ruling Awami League backed influential men illegally and forcibly
occupied land of two government primary schools located at ward 8 and 9 in the city and started constructing walls, stalls and other structures there. Usually, children of lower income group families study at government primary schools where they face different types of problems and such encroachment by influential quarters
Locals visit the bailey bridge after it collapsed with a truck in Khagrapur area in Khagrachhari on Tuesday BANGLAR CHOKH
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Juris
7
JURIS QUOTE
LAW CARTOON
DHAKA TRIBUNE
M
n MD Monir
Inn in 1959. He served as a judge of the High Court Division (197685), as a judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (1985-95), as an acting chief justice (1990-91) and as chief justice of Bangladesh (1995). His juristic competence is demonstrated in his opinions and interpretations as pronounced in many Bangladesh Supreme Courts decisions concerning vital issues such as admiralty jurisdiction, amendment of the constitution, citizenship, habeas corpus, administrative tribunals and court jurisdictions. The renowned personality breathed his last on Saturday, January 11 this year. Let us look into some of his celebrated decisions delivered as a judge for the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. Anwar Hossain Chowdhury v Bangladesh The case was about the legality of the famous Eighth Amendment of the constitution of Bangladesh. The constitution (Eighth Amendment) Act, 1988, was passed amending article 100 of the constitution by setting up Permanent Benches of the High Court Division outside the capital city Dhaka. The amendment was challenged by two writ petitions on the ground that the High Court division of the Supreme Court, with judicial power over the republic, is a basic structure of the constitution and cannot be altered or damaged, and therefore the impugned amendment is void. A division Bench of the High Court Division summarily dismissed the said two writ petitions. Leave was granted by the Appellate Division.
uhammad Habibur Rahman, a former chief justice of Bangladesh and the chief advisor of the non-party caretaker government in 1996, was educated in Dhaka and Oxford. He was called to the Bar from Lincolns
In his judgment as a judge at the Appellate Division, Justice Habibur Rahman opined: The validity of an amendment will be examined on the touchstone of the preamble. In the judgment, he stated that one of the fundamental aims of our society is to secure rule of law for all citizens. The parliament cannot by itself amend the preamble. It cannot indirectly, by amending a provision of the constitution, impair or destroy the fundamental aim of our society. It is contended that the impugned amendment had destroyed a basic feature of the constitution by damaging the integrity and oneness of the High Court Division, an integral part of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, he added. Finally the Constitution (Eighth Amendment) Act was declared null and void by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. Bangladesh v Prof Ghulam Azam This is another landmark judgment delivered by Justice Habibur Rahman that clarifies quite a lot about citizenship rights. A writ petition was filed under Article 102 (2) (a) of the Constitution before the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, challenging the legality of a government notification by which the citizenship of Prof Ghulam Azam was cancelled. In this case, Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman provided a meticulous account of the law and delivered a bold judgment without being influenced by fear or favour. In his judgment, he said: Citizenship, though not mentioned as a fundamental right in our constitution, is to be considered as the right of all rights as on it depends ones right to fundamental rights expressly provided for a citizenship in Part III of the Constitution, and his right to seek the Courts protection of those rights. Citizenship is neither conferred by giving a passport nor is it acquired by receiving a passport. A passport is not regarded a conclusive evidence of the citizenship or the nationality of its holder.
Hussain Hohammad Ershad v State The case involved a question of whether a criminal proceeding can be quashed on the ground of lodging a FIR by the informant under order of the home ministry or on the denial of prosecution allegations by the accused. Justice Habibur Rahman put forward the following arguments in favour of his judgement delivered in that case: It is contended that the arms seized were in the possession and control of the petitioner in his capacity as President and hence in view of Article 52 (1) of the Constitution there is a complete bar against any criminal prosecution against the petitioner. We find no substance in this contention. Immunity is available to the president while he is in office. With regard to the alleged amnesty, no paper was produced before the High Court Division. No paper in this regard has been placed before us either, whether the arms in question were surrendered in response to the amnesty or recovered by law enforcement agencies is a question of fact and can only be decided at the trial. With regard to the petitioners contention that he is entitled to keep the seized arms as a former president of the country, all emphasis has been laid on the size of the bore of the pistols. The question whether the seized arms satisfy the requirements for an exemption, as laid down in Table 1 of Schedule 1 to the Arms Rules, 1924, should better be left for decision to the trial judge who will have the benefit of the opinion of the arms expert, cited as a witness in the charge -sheet, and not in this summary proceeding under section 561A of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman will be remembered by the legal fraternity for his immense contribution as a member of both the Bar and the Bench. l The writer is a Research Assistant at Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (BILIA).
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ecently a Dhaka trial court sentenced eight activists to death and 13 others to life sentences in connection to the killing of Bishwajit Das last year. Unsurprisingly, this turned out to be sensational news since the general members of the public have eagerly awaited knowledge about the verdict. The eight accused individuals are to walk the gallows for killing an individual and yet, apparently, the general members of the public perceive that due process has not been interfered with by the government and that justice has been done. It is to be noted that this case was tried in the speedy trial tribunal and was completed within a period of just over a year since the incident had occurred. The defence lawyers rejected the verdict, as per their right. There was no fuss regarding impartiality, procedural fairness or sternness of the punishment from any faction of the people nor was there any concern about human rights being violated, that any of the accused to be hanged may be entitled to. Newspapers even reported that people demanded the immediate execution of the verdict. It would be hard to find someone who would not find death to be the fairest punishment for such a heinous act. Anyone willing to advocate on abolishing the death penalty would find it very difficult to gain any support at all from the ordinary citizens of our country, as far as Bishwajits murder is concerned. It comes as a great shock to consider, in hindsight, the discussions that took place regarding the execution of the infamous Quader Molla for his horrifying acts during the Liberation War. The execution of the death sentence suddenly turned to be of great concern, not only for human rights activists but also for general members of the public. Discussions regarding the justifiability of the death penalty were put forward by a group of professionals, including lawyers and journalists. Surprisingly, a large number of people even echoed the request of the international human
rights organisations for abolishing capital punishment, at least in case of Quader Molla. The logical question arises: Do we, the ordinary citizens, really even want to be treated equally by law, let alone the notion to be put to practice? The criminal Justice system plays a crucial role in main-
taining law and order and upholding the same. Penal measures are present in all jurisdictions across the globe although they vary to some extent from country-to-country due to differences in the legal traditions, economic realities and social structures. The demand for abolishing capital
punishment on humanitarian grounds should not be rejected; rather, such a higher standard of rights is something to aspire to for every developing nation. These differences of opinion regarding the penal measures do not interfere with the objective of establishing the rule of law. Equality before the law is fundamental to the notion of rule of law, and before we can fight for the enforcement of our right to be treated equally, we must firmly believe in our right to be treated equally before the law. Our constitution protects this right clearly. An individual has every right to advocate his conviction, but advocacy for different treatment by the system based upon the political, social, economic, religious or ethnic identity should in no way be supported. Such dubious mentality will only make us more susceptible to unequal and unfair treatment by the government. Let us not be divided on issues of politics in such a manner that we give up our rights to pleasing those who have created a false impression of being superior. Culprits should be punished in the same manner for the same misdeed, irrespective of their political, social, economic, religious or ethnic identities. It would be unwise to assume that these propositions stated above are based on an autocratic mindset that forbids one to question the fairness or legitimacy of any act of the government or the judiciary. One does have the right to question the non-enforcement of rules and non-compliance with procedural fairness, but that should not pave the way for inconsistent stipulations, especially by those who are perceived as a source of insight into delicate matters by the general mass. A rule of law will never be established unless we all start believing in the fundamental notions that it is based upon. Let us develop a mentality for resenting every instance that violates the notion of equality before the law and it will eventually result in the system treating us all equally. l The writer is an Associate at Legacy Legal Corporate. www. legacylegalcorporate.com.
BIG STOCK
DHAKA TRIBUNE
International
ists as part of an African Union force. Interpol and the FBI have assisted Kenya in trying to identify four bodies believed to be those of the attackers. However, a New York police report said the lack of concrete evidence of their death means that they may have escaped. Two of the gunmen are named in court documents as Mohammed Abdinur Said and Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow, a 23-year-old Somali who spent time in Norway. Like the attackers, the four on trial are all ethnic Somalis, but it is unclear whether they are Somali or Kenyan citizens. Western officials have suggested that as many as 94 could have died in total in the attack. Bodies were buried under tonnes of rubble after part of the malls roof collapsed at the end of the raid following an intense fire that burned for weeks. l
The four men charged in connection with the Westgate mall massacre, Mohamed Abdi Ahmed, Omar Liban Abdulle, Adan Mohamed Ibrahim, and Hussein Hassan Mustafa sitting at court in Nairobi AFP
Reuters
A mosque in the Israeli-occupied West Bank was partly set on fire on Wednesday in what Palestinian residents said was an attack by Jewish settlers living nearby. The main gate of the mosque in Deir Istiya village and some of the carpeting inside were charred by the flames. Graffiti in Hebrew, reading Revenge for spilled blood and Arabs Out, was scrawled on an outside wall and a door. Such slogans have been used in previous attacks on Palestinian property which police suspect were carried out by settlers. The incident comes at a delicate time in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which were revived last year and are set to expire in April. The United States is trying, with little obvious success, to narrow gaps between the two sides. Israeli soldiers entered Deir Istiya after the attack and an Israeli police spokesman said a search for the suspects was under way. A series of vandalism acts involving arson and writing graffiti on homes apparently perpetrated by settlers - in Palestinian villages in recent weeks has raised tensions. Last year, the Israeli Defence Ministry announced a crackdown on settler vandals, saying they were tantamount to terrorists and their attacks could fan sectarian violence. l
n Reuters, Baghdad
Bomb attacks hit the Iraqi capital Baghdad and a village near the northern town of Baquba on Wednesday, killing at least 52 people, police and hospital sources said. In the deadliest incident, a bomb blew up in a funeral tent where mourners were marking the death two days ago of a Sunni Muslim pro-government militiaman, police said. It killed 18 people and wounded 16 in Shatub, a village south of Baquba. Two years after US troops left Iraq, violence has climbed back to its highest levels since the Sunni-Shiite bloodshed of 2006-2007, when tens of thou-
sands of people were killed. Al Qaeda-linked militants are pursuing a campaign of attacks, mostly directed at state targets, Shiite civilians and Sunnis seen as loyal to the Shiite-led government. Half a dozen car bombs exploded across the Iraqi capital on Wednesday, mostly in Shiite districts, killing 34 people and wounding 71, police and medics said. The violence occurred amid a continuing standoff between the Iraqi army and Sunni militants who overran the city of Falluja west of Baghdad more than two weeks ago in a challenge to Prime Minister Nuri al-Malikis government. l
Israels defence minister has accused the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, of having an incomprehensible obsession with his push for Middle East peace, but later apologised for his remarks via a statement released by his ministry. The US State Department on Tuesday described the Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalons comments as offensive, in a mark of the degree of outrage in Washington at the latest public spat between the two allies, which follows a major disagreement over Iran policy. The American plan for security arrangements that was shown to us isnt worth the paper it was written on, Yaalon was quoted as saying in private
conversations with Israeli officials. Yaalons office issued an apology late on Tuesday, saying: Israel and the United States share a common goal to advance the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians led by Secretary Kerry. We appreciate Secretary Kerrys many efforts towards that end. The defence minister had no intention to cause any offense to the secretary, and he apologises if the secretary was offended by words attributed to the minister. The State Department said Yaalons reported remarks were inappropriate for a minister in the government of a close ally. The remarks of the defence minister, if accurate, are offensive and inappropriate especially given all that the United States is doing to support
Israels security needs, spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki told reporters. Psaki said Kerry and his team have been working day and night to try to promote a secure peace for Israel because of the secretarys deep concern for Israels future. To question his motives and distort his proposals is not something we would expect from the defence minister of a close ally, she said. Kerry coaxed Israelis and Palestinians back into direct negotiations last summer and has since shuttled between the two leaderships. His proposals include a security plan for the border between a future Palestinian state and neighbouring Jordan, involving high-tech equipment to enable Israel to reduce or end its troop presence on the ground, Israeli media say. l
n Agencies
The United States has implanted devices in nearly 100,000 computers to spy on institutions such as the Chinese and Russian military, EU trade groups and agencies within Saudi Arabia, India and Pakistan. The New York Times on Tuesday cited documents from the National Security Agency, computer experts and US officials stating that the NSA uses radio wave technology to gain access to otherwise encrypted computers or machines that are not connected to the internet. The Times reported that the agency has been inserting tiny circuit boards into computers for several years. The technology allows non-internet connected computers to be hacked, and bypasses encryption and anti-spyware systems that otherwise prevent hacking over the world wide web. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
International
Pakistan road accident kills Congress set to announce 17 children on school trip Rahul Gandhi as PM candidate n
n AFP, New Delhi
AFP, Karachi
Indias ruling Congress party is expected to name the unproven 43-year-old Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate on Friday as it turns once again to the countrys top political dynasty to revive its fortunes. The Nehru-Gandhi family have dominated Indias post-independence history and Rahuls mother Sonia, current party president, is credited with engineering a surprise victory in 2004. But after two terms in power and with Prime Minister Manmohan Sihgh retiring, Congress is widely forecast to promote Rahul in the hope that he can help avoid a looming defeat for the party in national elections due by May. The elevation would cement Rahuls faltering rise to the top of the party, answering questions about his appetite for power but still leaving doubts about his ability and instincts. Asked whether the decision would be announced at a meeting of top Congress leaders in New Delhi on Friday, Information Minister Manish Tewari declined to answer but gave his backing to Rahul. Sentiments (of support for Rahul) have been expressed and I am sure, as our party president has already indicated, a decision would be taken at the right time, Tewari told AFP. But analysts and media reports see the party as readying an announcement on Rahul, who gave a rare interview this week in which he indicated that he was finally prepared to bow to the wishes of his colleagues. I will take up whatever responsibility is given to me by my party in the future and do it diligently to the best of my abilities, Gandhi told the HinAt least 19 people including 17 children were killed in Pakistan on Wednesday when a school van smashed head-on into a heavy truck, officials said. The van collided with the loaded dump-truck near the town of Nawabshah, around 270 kilometres (170 miles) north of Karachi in the southern province of Sindh. The children, who were students of the Bright Future School from the nearby town of Daulatpur, had come to Nawabshah for a school trip. Their van was on its way back to Daulatpur when the accident happened.
We have 19 dead bodies out of which 17 are children, said doctor Hashim Langa, chief of the government-run Civil Hospital in Nawabshah. Their ages range from five or six to 16, he told AFP. Apart from the dead, some 15 to 20 injured were also brought to the hospital, he added. Police said that reckless driving might have caused the tragic accident. We are investigating the reasons but apparently it must have been irresponsible driving by one of the drivers, senior police officer Asif Ali Pechuho told AFP. The driver of the school van was among the dead, he said. l
Indian National Congress party prime ministerial candidate Rahul Gandhi di-language Dainik Bhaskar newspaper on Tuesday. Rasheed Kidwai, who has written two books on Congress including a biography of party president Sonia, says the party has been more or less pushed to make an announcement, given its prospects.
AFP
I will take up whatever responsibility is given to me by my party in the future and do it diligently to the best of my abilities
It had initially said it would not reveal its candidate for premier, but then U-turned in the face of gains by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and its popular leader, hardline Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi. On January 16 and January 17 there will be a concerted effort (within the party) to have Rahul Gandhi accept his
nomination as a PM candidate, Kidwai told AFP. Rahul, whose father, grandmother and great-grandfather were prime ministers, is widely portrayed as a reluctant leader whose refusal of the political spotlight has frustrated colleagues. In January, as he accepted a promotion to party vice-president, he talked about power as poison. As an elected MP, he has maintained a low profile inside and outside parliament and his track record as a figurehead for the Congress party in state elections is poor. The Economic Times sounded a note of caution Wednesday with a report citing unnamed Congress sources that said a decision might yet be delayed. One survey published last week in The Times of India newspaper found that only 14% of voters believed Rahul Gandhi would make the best prime minister for India. l
US, India meet to get ties back on track after dispute n Reuters, Washington
A senior US diplomat met Indias ambassador to the United States on Tuesday with the aim of getting bilateral ties back on track after the arrest and strip search of a female Indian diplomat and tit-for-tat expulsions. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns hosted a productive lunch meeting with Indian Ambassador S. Jaishankar and both sides affirmed the importance of the US India strategic partnership and discussed initial preparations for a range of upcoming bilateral meetings and exchanges, a statement from the US State Department said. They agreed that the past several weeks have been challenging, and affirmed that we are both committed to moving forward to resume cooperation on the broad range of bilateral issues, the statement said. The two officials also discussed matters raised by Indias Foreign Ministry during the dispute, including alleged issues with the American Embassy School, the statement said. Burns said Washington took the concerns very seriously and will continue to address them via appropriate diplomatic channels. l
n AFP, Singapore
Singapore on Wednesday denied that a riot last month by some 400 South Asian migrant workers in the city-state was triggered by discontent over their wages and living conditions. In a letter reacting to a New York Times editorial in late December, its ambassador to the United States Ashok Mirpuri said we will treat our migrant workers with respect, but will take firm action against those who break the law. Migrant workers do contribute to our economy. They work legally and voluntarily. We strive to ensure that they are fairly treated and properly paid, he said. The letter was released by the Singapore information ministry, which said the newspaper declined to publish it. The New York Times editorial board on December 27 suggested that the December 8 riot in a district known as Little India was caused by migrant workers frustration over low wages and poor living conditions. Mirpuri said the New York Times offered scant evidence to support its assertions on why the workers went on a rampage after they saw an Indian construction worker struck and killed by a private bus in the area, where tens of thousands of them congregate on weekends. The riot left 39 police officers and emergency responders injured. A total of 25 vehicles including 16 police cars were also left damaged or burnt after the fracas, the first riot in strictly governed Singapore in more than 40 years. More than 50 workers have been deported while at least 25 Indian nationals are facing rioting charges that could land them in jail. l
A sign for the Pahar Ganj Police station is seen in New Delhi, one day after a Danish tourist visiting India was allegedly raped many men had been detained over the incident on State Entry Road opposite the New Delhi Railway Station, but local media put the number at 15. The victim was obviously traumatised but was still clearly able to recall the entire crime sequence, another investigating officer told AFP on the condition of anonymity. It helped speed up the process of narrowing down the possible suspects from the area, he added. Kuldeep Singh, a receptionist at the victims hotel, said the woman had
AFP
appeared calm when she returned at about 8:30pm (1500 GMT) but then confided in a fellow traveller. She first came to me at the reception desk and told me that she needed 200 rupees to give to the auto driver as she had been robbed, Singh said. l
Myanmar steps into role Bribery, corruption worsening in Malaysia of ASEAN chairman
n AFP, Naypyidaw
Myanmar begins its first international political role in decades this week as host of Southeast Asias regional bloc, with experts warning against over-inflated expectations as the group grapples with territorial disputes and ambitious economic integration plans. The country will host foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for an informal meeting on Friday in the ancient capital Bagan the first major gathering of the group under Myanmars debut year-long stewardship. The long-isolated country has won international praise and the removal of most Western sanctions for wide-ranging reforms since the end of junta rule nearly three years ago, raising the promise of an investment boom. The former pariah state has freed political prisoners, welcomed opposition parties into parliament and launched economic reforms. Fresh from hosting the World Economic Forum on East Asia and Southeast Asian Games in the sprawling remote capital Naypyidaw last year, the country is confident that it can meet the diplomatic and logistical challenge of hosting the regional bloc, despite its creaking infrastructure. Myanmar is ready for the ASEAN chairmanship, said Than Htut, a senior official at the national planning ministry. ASEAN is a rising star in the worlds politics and economy. We hope that our chairmanship will support that, he said, adding that businesses had donated a fleet of BMW cars and limousines to ferry delegates to meetings. Sean Turnell, associate professor at Australias Macquarie University, said that while Myanmar has previously been seen as a drain on the bloc, it now promises to make a positive contribution. The biggest danger to Myanmar in being ASEAN chair might be over-inflated expectations, he told AFP, adding that the countrys successful management of the Southeast Asian Games could raise unrealistic hopes of its ability to tackle strategically substantive challenges. The international community didnt expect much from (previous chairs) Laos, Cambodia etc, so these countries quite easily exceeded expectations. This might not be the case for Myanmar, he said. l
bribes solicited by police to refrain from issuing traffic tickets to multi-million dollar contracts awarded without a transparent tender process is routine in Southeast Asias third-largest economy. Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose 57-year-old ruling coalition was re-elected last May with a reduced parliamentary margin due in part to voter weariness with corruption, has repeatedly vowed to crack down on graft since he took office in 2009. But critics say little has changed, and successful prosecutions of high-profile figures are rare. On Monday, the government dropped corruption charges against the ruling coalitions former transport minister Chan Kong Choy in relation to the development of a free trade zone at the countrys biggest port, after another former transport minister got off last year. The acquittals have sparked outrage from the opposition. The projects costs reportedly ballooned to more than a billion dollars in one of the countrys biggest financial scandals. l
S Korea activists launch leaflets, USB keys into North n AFP, Paju
South Korean activists launched thousands of anti-Pyongyang leaflets and Wikipedia-loaded USB keys across the border Wednesday, despite past North Korean threats to shell the human scum involved. Packages floated over the heavily-militarised border by balloon also contained 1,000 United States one dollar bills and DVDs detailing human rights abuses in the North. There is clearly enormous hunger for outside information in North Korea, said Thor Halvorssen, president of the US-based Human Rights Foundation, which supported the event in the border town of Paju. USB keys are one of the most powerful tools, because theyre small, can be hidden and shared easily, and carry massive amounts of data, he said. Each of the 1,500 USB flash drives launched on Wednesday had been loaded with the Korean-language version of the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia. The 500,000 anti-North leaflets in the packages were also accompanied by around 50 tiny transistor radios. l
10
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Editorial
LETTER OF THE DAY
Letters to
the Editor
January 7 A culture of reverence which is fast disappearing in the Western public life still reigns supreme in the subcontinent. In order to maintain their privileged status in the society, it seems that elites feel it necessary to restrict access to them by the ordinary folk lest they pester them for favours. For shame. Lunik
BTRC has done the right thing and should now act to enforce the demand for monies owing from Teletalk
Be Heard
Write to us at: Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email us at: letters@dhakatribune.com Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion@dhakatribune.com Visit our website: www.dhakatribune.com Come join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune
angladesh exports of bicycles have grown for some years with numbers topping 472,000 bikes shipped to the EU in 2012. It is Europes 5th biggest bicycle supplying country. There is now further prospect for this growth continuing, as the food-products corporation PRAN RFL Group is investing $10m in a bicycle assembly plant near Dhaka. Production which is due to start in April will have a focus on exports to European Union countries. This new investment adds to those made in Bangladeshs bicycle sector by longer established bicycle manufacturers such as the Meghna Group and the Taiwanese backed Altia. With demand for bikes growing both at home and abroad, this is welcome news for customers. It will add to competition and help to improve the choice and quality of bicycles available for local cyclists. As well as helping to increase export earning streams, improvements in manufacturing capacity should also reduce the demand for imports. We congratulate the businesses who have taken the initiative to build bicycle manufacturing in the country. It is worth noting that one impetus for growth has been the EUs Generalised Scheme of Preferences. This allows Bangladesh to export bicycles, parts & accessories to the EUs 28 member states without the regular 14% import duty on complete bicycles and 4.7% duty on parts and accessories. The GSP role in influencing new investment to add value to the economy should therefore not be underestimated. We hope these new investments will allow the sector to grow further. Not only can they benefit exports, but they help diversify the economy and add new skills and value.
January 8 No more hard lines. Tough talk, strong action, and a punitive line please! Lets have some peace! Aksha
These new investments will allow the sector to grow further, and help diversify the economy
PEANUTS
CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1 Servant (4) 3 Pace (4) 7 Land measure (3) 8 Undressed kid (5) 11 Refuse of grain (4) 12 At no time (5) 13 Vestment (5) 15 Employs (4) 18 Netlike fabric (4) 19 Bishops headdress (5) 20 Clamour (5) 21 Corrosion (4) 23 Distributed cards (5) 24 Anger (3) 25 Submissive (4) 26 Old stringed instrument (4) DOWN 1 Book of the Mass (6) 2 Peaceful (6) 4 Sailor (3) 5 Rubber (6) 6 Female swan (3) 9 Seemly (6) 10 First woman (3) 11 Contusion (6) 14 Ripe (6) 16 Firm (6) 17 Become established (6) 19 Central (3) 21 Edge (3) 22 Bishops territory (3)
SUDOKU
YESTERDAYS SOLUTIONS
Crossword
How to solve Sudoku: 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.
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Op-Ed
11
f Justice Habibur Rahman were alive today, he would have been annoyed with the title of this article, because he preferred the name Muhammad Habibur Rahman without the title Justice. The sudden demise of Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman has been a great loss for the nation. He was regarded as the conscience keeper of the nation. He was a prolific writer, a multilinguist, a distinguished historian, a talented chief justice and an able administrator all rolled into one.Whatever position he held, he distinguished himself. He became chief justice in 1995 and chief adviser of the 1996 caretaker government.During the time of the caretaker government, he skillfully dealt with a delicate situation relating tothe attempt of the coup by the army chief when the president dismissed him. He was born onDecember 3,1928 in the village of Jangipur of Murshidabad district, West Bengal. His father was a lawyer. He joined Presidency College in 1947 and passed the intermediate examination, and in 1949, he got a BA degree in history, securing first class first from the Rajshahi University. He took his Masters degree in history, securing first class first from Dhaka University in 1951.
the first, with another student, who was courageous enough to break the Section 144. He went to prison for his active involvement in the language movement. In the early 50s, although he secured first class first in both BA and MA in history, he got into trouble getting employment because of the DIB report. He introduced an innovative way of protest for not securing a job by selling cigarettes at the main gate of the then Dhaka University (now Dhaka Medical College Hospital). When we asked, he used to say: I have to work for a living. The government was embarrassed, and he was awarded a Commonwealth scholarship for higher studies in England. He went to Worcester College of Oxford University and obtained a degree in modern history in 1958 and earned the professional degree of barrister-at-law from the Lincolns Inn, London. At Lincolns Inn,I met Shelley Bhai again in 1958, where I was also studying at the same time. Whenever I met him, he used to inform me about the lectures and seminars which I should attend. We returned to Dhaka from England. He joined Rajshahi University as a history teacher for a few years and returned to the High Court Bar in 1964. We sat on the same table at the High
legal knowledge. I left the Bar for the Pakistan Foreign Office in the mid 60s and he continued his law practice at the High Court. He became a justice of the High Court division in 1976. Once or twice, I met him in Islamabad.
He was a remarkable person. Modest, humble, and firm in his beliefs and convictions
Although he was 85, he continued to engage himself in writings and delivering speeches in various seminars until his last day.His thinking was very clear and spot on. He did not mince matters and what he felt and believed, he said unhesitatingly. His remarks were simple on matters which we often ignore. Recently, at a seminar, speakers discussed their right to vote in the election of January 5, and when he spoke, he mentioned that the right to vote was an important constitutional right, but the right to live under the violent situation of the country came first. He always alerted the audience that what people generally believed in might not be correct. He had great confidence on the younger generation, and urged them to study with critical thinking. At the last convocation address at the Independent University, he underscored the need for quality of education for the younger generation, and requested the private university to spend adequate funds for research. His love for Tagore led him to write many thought-provoking books on the great poet. At the same time, he criticised Tagore on social issues. He was deeply religious, and translated in Bengali the verses of the Holy Quran. Yet he was strongly against communalism, and believed in a secular Bangladesh. After our retirement,we became very close. He was modest enough to come to my house and gave me a few books to review, which I did, and he was very happy. He said to me that he
I first met Habibur Rahman in the early 50s and we knew him as Shelley Bhai. He was senior to us by a few years in the university.He was a tall and thinly built person with a sharp face. No one could miss him. He was VP in the Salimullah Muslim Hall, and he was honest enough to say that as a VP, he could not pass the budget.This demonstrated his modesty, honesty, and integrity. He was a Bhasha Shainik,and on February 21, 1952, it was he whowas
Court Bar and discussed many social and political issues. At that time, he wrote a small book on Section 32Aof the Requisition Act 1952, which was at that time employed by the district commissioners to requisition private lands for public interest. The requisition law was complex, and many cases were pending at the High Court. The book was immensely helpful to lawyers, and his analytical views on the ramifications of the law reflected his depth and dimension of
did not deserve the accolade which I recorded in my reviews. He used to call me quite often, and asked for information which I readily provided. Only a fortnight ago, he came to my house and said that he wanted to publish a book of all his speeches and asked me to suggest a title for the book. I told him: My Thoughts or Observations. He smiled and said that he wanted a modest title, and not high sounding ones. I was taken aback because of his humility. He was a remarkable person.
Modest, humble, and at the same time firm in his beliefs and convictions. He was so candid in his public speeches that political leaders felt unease. In one of his writings, he considered our hardworking farmers as ideal persons who we should follow for proper direction of the nation. Justice Rahman published about 90 books.He received the Ekushey Padak in 2007, and in 1984, the Bangla Academy Literary award for writings on diverse subjects, from religion, to the constitution, to Tagore and Nazrul.
He has left this mortal world, but has also left a rich legacy for which he will be always remembered. His thoughts and ideas will inspire us, and younger generations for years to come, and he will live among us forever. He left his wife and three daughters to mourn him. May Allah give them the courage to bear this irreparable loss. Mayhis great soul rest in peace. l Barrister Harun ur Rashid is former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN, Geneva.
Challenges ahead
n Mamun Rashid
he last year has been an interesting year for Bangladesh and its financial sector. Political turbulence, strikes, intolerance, and stubbornness have dented the economic potential of the country. We did not see many strikes or blockades during the first four years of the government. However, 2013 alone almost made up for those four years. The countrys apparel exports are still holding up, with an annual volume of about $24bn, though there has been some apprehension around the suspension of the EU GSP facility due to human rights violations and worker safety failures. Other exports, including frozen food and leather, also seemed to be on track towards a $30bn annual export. Imports are a little dull with a sluggish investment scenario. Foreign exchange reserves have shot up, which is now equivalent to six months imports. Inward remittance is a little down these days, but still healthy. So is foreign aid disbursement. The foreign portfolio investment in local bourses has also gone up. The Rana Plaza collapse that took away over 1,100 garment workers lives was the single worst disaster in 2013. That showed the dismal picture of our workers safety, building safety, and overall administration. This incident also expedited the GSP withdrawal process by the US. The issue of workplace safety in Bangladesh has garnered much global attention. It has also caused important stakeholders to do some soul-searching, and for the first time, put some pressure on buyers and decision makers. The signing of the Ticfa (Trade and Investment Cooperation Framework Agreement) with the US was in discussions throughout the year. As a precondition, the government wanted the reinstatement of the GSP. Reportedly, the government lost the bargain due to the Rana Plaza tragedy and disturbing political developments at home. The Padma Bridge graft allegation didnt help with bridge construction financing coming from the World Bank
and other associated agencies. There were also discussions and media reports about rampant corruption in telecom and the banking sector throughout the year. Banking and insurance licenses were granted purely on political considerations. For the same reason, the government and the central bank could not be harsh on the wrongdoers. Licenses were granted even during the election time government, which was supposed to conduct routine work only. Serious irregularities were identified in the banks, mainly run by ruling party cronies or loyalists.
n William B Milam
olitically, Bangladesh has come full circle to the tipping point it faced almost 40 years ago. The election of January 5 brought the one-party government back. History tells us that the next likely step is a consolidation of a one-party government into a one-party state. But history does not always determine politics. It aint over til its over, and Bangladesh has a way of confounding pundits who predict its future. Remember, for example, that famous 1972 prediction that it would be (forever) a basket case. The Awami League is now totally in charge. The BNP, which polls said would win any free and fair election, even after two rather dismal previous turns in power, chose to boycott the election as it saw certain defeat in the absence of a neutral government to oversee it. The result was predictable: The AL swept the polls and the BNP was completely shut out. But politics aside, it is 2014 in Bangladesh. The chronic instability and near-anarchy, as well as the abject poverty that prevailed in 1975, have long since disappeared. Bangladesh, while still poor and in the stage of economic development where gains can easily be reversed, is now wired into the global economy with its vibrant garment and other export industries.
Clearly, this election does not reflect the will of a population far advanced from those early days. The AL claims a turnout of nearly 40% in the 147 (of 300) districts in which voting took place. But neutral observers insist that even including the large-scale ballot-box stuffing at the end of the polling day, reliably reported by neutral observers, the number is no more than 20%.
But the bulwark needed is one against a takeover of the state by a party bent on one-party rule. In a democratic system, it would be the next election. But will there be one before the opposition has been decimated? Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has turned rather coy on the timing of the next election. Will there be an opposition worthy of the name, or will it have been frag-
Never in the past has the right political environment mattered so much for Bangladesh
The ruling party of most one-party states started with elections, legitimate or not, which gave them power far beyond their popular support
The central bank was found quite focused with financial inclusion through measures such as the expansion of bank branches to rural areas, mobile banking, increases in farm loans, opening of Tk10 accounts, and green banking. However, efforts were short-handed with regards to ensuring governance and risk management in the state owned banks. Large and politically connected borrowers were reportedly favoured by banks boards and regulatory agencies too. This has seen massive increases in politically driven default loans in private commercial banks. The HallMark and Bismillah episodes eroded confidence in the banking sector. There were serious concerns regarding almost every banks loan portfolios in Chittagong. There were also discussions around the excessive borrowing by a few large borrowers, where money was reportedly diverted to unrelated sectors, or even transferred overseas. There has been a marked increase in classified loans and provision short-
Will there be an opposition worthy of the name, or will it have been destroyed?
Growth has been strong for most of the past two decades, and the country as a whole is much more prosperous. More importantly, it has a much more literate and healthy population because of the strides that have been made in mass education and in reducing gender disparity.
Expert sources tell me the real turnout was likely closer to 12%. In comparison, turnout in previous elections was about 86% in 2008, 74% in 2001, 75% in June 1996 and 55% in 1991. But history shows that the ruling party of most one-party states started with elections, legitimate or not, which gave them power far beyond their popular support. These parties consolidated their position primarily by picking apart the opposition, putting its leaders in jail or into exile, cracking down with force on enemies and on their protests, co-opting others with the temptation of profiting from a share of the economic rents that come with political power, and quite often finding an enemy of the state to justify their authoritarian methods. The AL government began this process before the election, putting a large number of BNP leaders in jail, and has followed up the election with more arrests. Its election campaign was based primarily on the assertion it was the bulwark against an Islamist onslaught especially by the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami to turn the country into an Islamic state ruled by Sharia. The same drumbeat continues.
mented and effectively destroyed as a political force by the uncertain time of a future election? This will be a historic challenge for the BNP. Its very existence and the political future of Bangladesh are on the line. Its answer should be to embrace a truly centre-right agenda, a transformational one with emphasis on democratisation and modernisation (rebuilding the independent institutions of the state), secular but inclusive, and which promotes its open and vibrant economy an agenda that would appeal to the 48 million disenfranchised voters. Khaleda Zia should jettison the strategic alliance with Jamaat, but support a court that brings justice for the victims of the 1971 war, with the proviso that it be moved to a neutral country in which the perpetrators of crimes will find true justice. The hard part is that she should forswear dynastic politics a pledge to democratise the party as well as the country. l William B Milam is a Senior Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington, DC, and former US Ambassador to Pakistan and Bangladesh. This article was first published in The Express Tribune.
WIKIMEDIA
He continued to engage himself in writings and delivering speeches in various seminars until his last day
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Entertainment
Popular actor Anisur Rahman Milon and National Film Award winner Zakia Bari Momo will come together for the first time in a film titled Prem Korbo Tomar Shathe. The shooting of the film started yesterday. Written by Abdulla Zahir Babu and directed by Rakibul Alam Rakib, the film is an amalgamation of both love and action. About this film, Momo states: I have started to work again in films with everyones blessing and encouragement. I hope my audience will go to the theatres and watch my movies. Milon compliments Momo by saying, Momo is very charismatic and her onscreen appeal is undeniably good. We wish to see Momo regularly working with us. About his character in the film, he said: I am thrilled to work in such a rare character and definitely the credit goes to the director. Film Prem Korbo Tomar Shathe also features Zaid Khan and Sharmila Ahmed.
ON TV
MOVIE
9:30pmStar Movies
John Carter
DRAMA
8:30pm Sony TV
Main Naa Bhoolungi
the birth of his half brother, the princes stepmother conspires to have him murdered, so that her own son would inherit the crown. A loyal soldier senses the impending danger on the princes life and takes him to a village, out of the reach of his wicked stepmother. The village headman adopts the little boy, without knowing his true identity and the prince grows up to be a handsome and skillful farmer. On the event of the kings death, the rescuers plan to bring back the real heir to the throne. Which genre of films do you prefer to work with? I have studied film making and made a few documentaries and shorts earlier. Now, I only work on feature films. I directed eight feature films so far. All of my works have won many international awards in various world festivals. Interestingly, my films are not only artistic successes, but also commercial successes. This new film Siri Parakum
NEWS
4:00pm ATN News
News Now
11:30pm Independent Tv
Rongomoncho
Activists of Dhaka Theatre and Bangladesh Gram Theatre offer floral wreaths to the grave of iconic theatre personality Selim Al Deen on the occasion of his sixth death anniversary on January 14
TODAY IN DHAKA
Exhibition
DeReal Solo exhibition by Bahram Time: 3pm 8pm Dhaka Art Center (DAC) House-60, Road-7A, Dhanmondi Dhabomaan By Dhaka Theatre Time: 6:30pm National Theatre Hall Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Segun Bagicha
n Entertainment Desk
At the Screen Awards held in Mumbai on January 14, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan greeted the beaming Rekha with a namaste (folded hands) and a smile. The cold vortex has finally lifted after almost 33 years between the two rumoured ex-lovers. The incident took place when the actor was on his way back from the stage after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from Shatrughan Sinha, Vi-
nod Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan. As he walked to his designated seat he greeted Rekha with a smile and the gorgeous actor acknowledged the gesture with a warm smile. The fearsome and vocal Mrs Bachchan (Jaya) also greeted Rekha at the same occasion. Jaya Bachchan was seen clasping Rekhas hand, greeting her and sharing a laugh. It is rumoured that Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha were in a serious relationship in the late 70s and 80s, and
Theatre
Chitrangoda Time: 6:30pm 8:00pm Studio Theatre Hall Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy
Comedy Show
Live Stand-up Comedy Time: 8pm 10pm Naveeds Comedy Club, Junction Cafe, House 22, Road 13/A, Block D, Banani
Sport
the second innings. In the other match East Zone were bowled out for 303 in the first innings and Central Zone took a lead of 172 runs after posting 475, bolstered by a brilliant double hundred by Shamsur Rahman. East Zone scored 234/1 in their second innings but bad light and fog forced play to be abandoned on the final day, leading to the match to be drawn. After the first round of the tournament, Walton Central Zone and South Zone lead the table with five points each, with Central Zone ahead on run rate. South Zone is at number three position with three points and North
DHAKA TRIBUNE
13
0 5 9
DAYS TO GO
Central in command
n Mazhar Uddin
The two matches of the first round of the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) - in which BCB North Zone faced Prime Bank South Zone and Walton Central Zone met Islami Bank East Zone both ended in draws at the BKSP yesterday. At the BKSP-3 ground, Prime Bank South Zone did not need to bat in the second innings, while at the BKSP2 ground, there was not a single ball been bowled due to bad light and fog. Shamsur Rahman who started the third day on 229 eventually missed a triple hundred and was dismissed for 267 runs - the third highest score in Bangladesh first-class history after Rakibul Hasans 313 and Marshal Ayubs 289. Later, BCB North Zone skipper Mushfiqur Rahim who had made a duck in the first innings - and Naeem Islam smashed hundreds to close the match out. In the other match, East Zone opener Nazim Uddin missed his hundred after retiring hurt on 97 runs in the second innings. However there was three more centuries as South Zones Imrul Kayes and Mithun both scored centuries helped them post 427 runs to take a six run lead against the North Zone in the first innings. North Zone made 341/6 in Zone, with two points, are at the bottom of the table. The second round of the BCL will start from January 18. Meanwhile Bangladesh national and BCB North Zone skipper Mushfiqur Rahim was happy with the overall performance of the cricketers as they were playing the longer format after quite some time. He pointed out that the national players have scored runs and that is a good sign. The wickets were flat for the bowlers and they did not get many wickets but they bowled well in spells. The wicketkeeper-batsman felt that scoring over 250 runs in each innings for all the sides was a positive thing as it will help grow the players believe that they can always score. Mushfiq praised Shamsur Rahman for his brilliant 267 and said he deserves to play in the opening position for Bangladesh team as he has also been playing well in the domestic arena in last few years. The basic thing is, if you play well, your place will remain confirm and if you dont, it wont. Even for me as a captain, I still need to perform to still be in the team. Everyone knows this message. So, I think thats why everyone is trying to perform. Everyones being more serious and trying to work hard honestly, he added. l
BRIEF SCORES
Islami Bank East v Walton Central Islami Bank East Zone 303/10 and 234/1 Nazim Uddin 97 Walton Central Zone 475/10 Shamsur Rahman 267, Mashrafe 98/3 Result: Match drawn BCB North v Prime Bank South BCB North Zone 421/10 and 341/6 Naeem Islam 106, Mushfiqur Rahim 100 Taiabur Parvez 27/2 Prime Bank South Zone 427/8 Imrul Kayes 127, Mithun 107, Taijul Islam 97/4 Result: Match drawn
Nasir Hossain (L) and Mushfiqur Rahim of BCB North Zone share a light moment during the last day of their BCL match against Prime Bank South Zone at BKSP yesterday COURTESY
MSC seal first win Perfect practice - runs, n runs and more runs
Raihan Mahmood
Mohammedan Sporting Clubs Portuguese coach Hose Rui Capela Batista, during the post match briefing, rued the missed opportunities as his team registered their maiden victory in the Bangladesh Premier League beating Team BJMC 2-0 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. Mohammedan, who earlier drew with Muktijoddha and Uttar Baridhara, wasted at least six easy scoring chances to be content with a two-goal victory. Batista vowed to work on his attackers in the next practice sessions and said he would dig deep to see where the problem lies. It was Mohammedan all the way and their two strikes were attained in either half of the match. The two goals were the result of good efforts as forward Wahed Ahmed placed a low cross cut by Zahid Hossain in the far post net in the 28th minute before Zahid himself scored in the 82nd minute with a precise chip from the right edge of the box. Zahids performance in this match was a satisfying point for the club management. However apart from these two strikes it was the story of Mohamnedans squandered chances. Egyptian midfielder Mostafa Seddik alone wasted three chances in the 18, 27 and 52 minutes among which the first and the last chance came in the form of a one-on-one situation, but BJMC goalkeeper Arifuzzaman Himel was equally up to his task. Himel pulled out another dashing save in the 34th minute after he dived into the feet of Wahed to stop his from striking on goal. Team BJMCs lone effort went in vein in the 64th minute when Guinean forward Ismael Bangoura sneaked through the Mohammedan defence and pushed a square pass to Aminur Rahman Sajib. Mohammedans custodian Mamum Khans timely dive blocked the placing shot as it bounced off the gloves much to the dismay to BJMC before Mintu Sheikh cleared the goal-bound ball. Youngster Vincent Hemantas miss added to the misery of missed opportunities to the Black and Whites. Hemantas placing shot from the top of the box beat onrushing Himel, but whiskered past the side post. Zahids strike late in the game however sealed the fate of the match and settled Mohammedans nerve. After three matches, Mohammedan now have five points while BJMC have three.l
Tons of runs and a tough time for the bowlers is probably the perfect way to summarise the first round of the franchise-based Bangladesh Cricket League that concluded yesterday. Played over the two grounds in BKSP, the matches were dominated by the bat and produced 2201 runs and included five hundreds, eight fifties and a mesmerizing double hundred by Shamsur Rahman while the bowlers gave their heart out on placid pitches and restored little parity by accumulating 45 wickets out of the available 80. The BCL has been scheduled ahead of the National Cricket League, the lone first-class competition until last year, as a platform for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. The players were looking for a competitive opportunity to cement a place in the national team and it has so far served its purpose for the batsmen at least. After a bright ODI and T20 start for the Tigers, the right-handed Walton Central Zone opener Shamsur put up a strong case in front of the selec-
tors with his dominating 267 from 286 balls. In the same game, Nazimuddin opened for Islami Bank East Zone and registered back to back fifties and he should consider himself unlucky having to retire hurt on 97 on the second innings. While Anamul Haque (Prime Bank South Zone), Jahurul Islam and Junaed Siddique (BCB North Zone) all fared below par, Imrul Kayes also made a strong statement of himself for the opening slot alongside Tamim Iqbal in the national team. After a fruitful Dhaka Premier League, Kayes notched up 127 in the second innings of South Zone to stay in the race for getting a call-up to the Test squad. All of these players have should have one eye on an openers position after Anamul had a poor series against New Zealand. However, given the circumstances Shamsur is ahead of the pack for a Test call-up and looks to be the favourite. Naeem Islam and Mushfiqur Rahim also scored centuries for BCB North Zone while all-rounder Farhad Reza played an innings of 157 that brought him back on the radar for selection,
though it might not happen immediately. Nasir Hossain and future prospect wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan can blame themselves for missing hundreds after getting out on 99 and 94 respectively. Meanwhile, though the bowlers went for runs there are positives that cannot be neglected. The experienced Mashrafe bin Mortaza was expensive as he gave away 98 runs off his 14 overs and claimed three wickets. His return to the longer version of the game was possibly more important than his figures. Robiul Islam, who missed the New Zealand series due to injury, showed excellent signs and swung the red ball on his way to picking up five wickets across two innings. In the game between BCB North Zone and Prime Bank South Zone 1189 runs were scored for the loss of 24 wickets while 1012 runs were scored against 21 wickets in the game between Walton Central Zone and Islami Bank East Zone, thus only highlighting the bats domination over the ball. The batsmen seem prepared, but what about the bowlers? l
Usha KC players celebrate their UCB Club Cup Hockey title at the hockey stadium yesterday
COURTESY
14
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
Arsenal's English midfielder Jack Wilshere (2R) celebrates after scoring against Aston Villa during their English Premier League match at Villa Park in Birmingham on Monday
AFP
5 trophies clearly not enough for Ballon dOr: Ribery n Reuters, Berlin n AFP, Madrid
Franck Ribery missed out on the 2013 Ballon dOr accolade but said there was little more he could have done to win the award after helping Bayern Munich win five trophies in the year. Ribery finished third in the voting despite enjoying his best season with Bayern as they won the domestic league and cup double, the Champions League, the European Super Cup and Club World Cup. What more could I have done after winning all those titles, he told Bild newspaper on Tuesday. It does not matter if you are second or third. I am not selfish and this title is not my goal. I prefer to win everything again with Bayern this season and also win the 2014 World Cup. That is what is important. Obviously I would have liked to have won but its alright. l
Ive changed, says Suarez, and Liverpool are back n Reuters, London
Luis Suarez thinks his enforced absence from the game last year has changed him and believes Liverpool are ready to claim a Champions League berth for the first time in five years. Suarez has scored 22 goals in 16 English Premier League games since returning in September from a 10-match ban. When you are a child, you imagine a lot. Now many people or players speak about that (being one of the best in then world), and its unbelievable for me, Suarez, 26, told Liverpools website on Tuesday. And also for Liverpool, because in the last two or three years we have not played very well and not demonstrated our level. Now we are back to that. You work hard for the supporters and the people. Its important because the last few months were a little difficult for me. Now Ive changed and its okay. l
Holders Atletico Madrid moved into the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey with a 2-0 win at home to Valencia on Tuesday to progress 3-1 on aggregate. Atleticos prowess at set-pieces once again proved vital as Uruguayan defender Diego Godin nodded home the opener from Gabis corner six minutes after half-time. Valencia responded well to going behind, but just as in the first-leg they found it difficult to beat Thibaut Courtois as the Belgian produced fine saves to deny Helder Postiga and Michel. And Atletico sealed victory when Raul Garcia headed home another corner a minute from time to set up a meeting with Athletic Bilbao or Real Betis in the last eight. Atletico boss Diego Simeone made
RESULTS
Almeria
02 20
Racing Santander
Atletico Madrid
Valencia
Third-tier Racing Santander also continued their amazing cup run as they became the first side into the quarter-finals by winning 2-0 away at Almeria to progress 3-1 on aggregate. The Cantabrian side, who are currently in administration, will face Real Sociedad or Villarreal in the next round. l
RESULT
Bordeaux
Biyogo Poko 49
13
PSG
brought Bordeaux level in the second half at the Stade Chaban-Delmas. It is the first time that PSG have reached the semi-finals of any knockout competition since the Qatari takeover of the club in 2011 and the win keeps them on course for what would be an unprecedented domestic treble. l
Atletico Madrid forward Diego da Silva Costa (R) kicks the ball past Valencia midfielder Javi Fuego (L) and defender and captain Ricardo Costa (C) during their Spanish Copa del Rey round of 16 second-leg match at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid on Tuesday AFP
RESULTS
Eder 16-pen, 47, Gastaldello 87
Sampdoria
30 11
Udinese
Inter Milan
Nagatomo 12
Paloschi 8
Chievo
back on level terms, Yuto Nagatomo leaving Chievos static defence behind to meet Ricardo Alvarezs pass across the face of goal and beat Christian Puggioni in the Chievo net on 12 minutes. Earlier, Sampdoria continued their promising run under new coach Sinisa Mihajlovic to move two places up to 12th. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
15
QUICK BYTES
SCORECARD
West Indies Simmons c Neesham b McClenaghan 29 J Charles c Guptill b Milne 7 Fletcher run out (Munro/Milne/Ronchi) 40 D. Bravo b N. McCullum 12 C. Walton c Ronchi b Milne 0 D. Ramdin not out 55 A. Russell not out 10 Extras: (lb2, w4) 6 Total: (5 wickets; 20 overs) 159 Bowling McClenaghan 4 0 29 1, Milne 4 0 222, Neesham 4 0 39 0 (2w), Anderson 4 0 50 0 (2w), N. McCullum 4 0 17 1 New Zealand M. Guptill c Ramdin b Holder 1 R. Ryder c Simmons b Holder 23 B. McCullum lbw Narine 17 R. Taylor c Walton b Narine 39 C. Munro c Miller b Russell 5 C. Anderson c Charles b Russell 6 L. Ronchi not out 51 J. Neesham not out 14 Extras (lb3, w4) 7 Total: (six wickets; 20 overs) 163 Bowling Holder 3 0 34 2 (1w), Best 3 0 37 0 (1w), Bravo 3 0 31 0 (2w), Narine 4 018 2, Miller 3 0 24 0, Russell 3 0 16 2 Result: New Zealand won by 4 wickets Series: New Zealand 2 0
The Abahani Supporters Forum congratulated its chief patron Sheikh Hasina for being elected as the prime minister of the country for the third time. In a press release the forum also congratulated patron Anwar Hossain Monju, directors AHM Mustafa Kamal, Nasrul Hamid Bipu, Shahriar Alam, for being nominated as ministers and state ministers and directors Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Kazi Nabil Ahmed, Sheikh Helaluddin and Nazmul Hasan Papon as the lawmakers. The forum hoped that under their able leadership the country and sports arena will flourish and raise the standards. - RM
England skittle out PMs Novak, Serena run hot in Melbourne n XI for first tour win
AFP, Melbourne
AFP, Canberra
SCORECARD
England Cook c Handscomb b Lee 1 Carberry c Lee b Cutting 47 Root lbw Lee 1 Ballance c A. McDermott b Muirhead 56 Morgan b Muirhead 4 Bopara c Spaseski b Muirhead 18 Buttler b Bird 61 Bresnan c B. McDermott b A. McDermott 36 Jordan not out 11 Tredwell not out 18 Extras (5w, 2nb, 4b) 11 Total (for 8 wickets) 264 Bowling Lee 7 1 22 2, Bird 10 0 58 1, A. McDermott 8 47 1, Rose 5 0 18 0, Cutting 10 0 63 1, Muirhead 10 0 52 3 Australian PMs XI Handscomb b Jordan 8 Pomersbach c Buttler b Rankin 1 Hodge c Carberry b Tredwell 28 McDermott c Root b Rankin 1 Spaseski c Root b Bresnan 13 Cutting c Ballance b Bopara 9 Rose runout 8 Lee b Bopara 12 Muirhead b Bopara 0 Bird lbw Bopara 0 McDermott not out 1 Extras (lb1, w10) 11 Total (all out 26 overs) 92 Bowling Rankin 8 0 39 2, Tredwell 4 0 10 1, Bresnan 6 1 26 1, Bopara 3 0 3 4 Result: England win by 172 runs
DAYS WATCH
Sony Six NBA 2013 14 7:00AM San Antonio v Utah 9:30AM LA Clippers v Dallas 12:00PM Pakistan v Sri Lanka 3rd Test, Day 1 Ten Golf 10:00AM Asian Tour 2014 Kings Cup, Day 1 3:00PM European Tour 2014 Abu Dhabi Championship Day 1 Ten Action 3:00AM Copa del Rey 2013/14 Getafe v Barcelona Star Sports HD2 2:00PM & 6:00AM Australian Open 2014 Star Sports HD1 2:40PM Big Bash T20 Perth Scorchers v Adelaide Strikers
Englands bowlers ripped through the Australian Prime Ministers XI for a morale-boosting first tour victory of 172 runs ahead of Fridays second one-day international. Chasing 265 to win in the Australian capital, the hosts lost wickets at regular intervals and were all out for 92 in the 26th over Tuesday. Ravi Bopara grabbed four wickets for three runs in just three overs to wrap up the match and end a winless streak going back to the first Ashes Test in Brisbane back in November. Skipper Alastair Cook admitted his relief after a run of poor performances which saw an Ashes whitewash and dour, drawn tour games. Its great to win. Its been a longtime coming, Cook said. We needed to start winning and winning puts you in the right frame of mind and gives you a little bit of confidence. We know weve got a huge amount of work to do, he added. The tourists had however laboured to 264 for eight off 50 overs on what was thought to be a good batting wicket, if a little slow. Cook won the toss and decided to bat but rival captain and former Test quick Brett Lee knocked him over for just one, edging a full length ball to the wicketkeeper. The 37-year-old Lee was in vintage form and had Joe Root lbw to leave England on two for 12 runs in the day-night 50-over game at the Manuka Oval. l
Title favourites Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams shrugged off a second day of intense heat to reach the Australian Open third round Wednesday alongside Chinas Li Na. Djokovic, watched by new coach Boris Becker, flew past against Argentinas Leonardo Mayer 6-0, 6-4, 6-4, extending his Melbourne streak to 23 straight wins. With temperatures close to 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) Williams also took the fast route with a 63-minute demolition of Serbias Vesna Dolonc. Li, twice a finalist at Melbourne Park, subdued a challenge from Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic, touted as the new Martina Hingis, to make the third round for the fifth year in a row. Spanish third seed David Ferrer beat Frances Adrian Mannarino to progress alongside Tomas Berdych, the world number seven, who downed Kenny De Schepper. Ice packs and energy drinks remained in high demand after Canadas Frank Dancevic fainted and Chinas Peng Shuai vomited in extreme temperatures on Tuesday. After a tournament-record nine withdrawals in the first round, Croatias Ivan Dodig became the latest casualty when he pulled out with cramp in the fourth set of his match against Damir Dzumhur. Djokovic, a previous casualty of the Australian heat after retiring during his 2009 quarter-final, said his switch to a gluten-free diet had helped him cope. The three-time defending champion
Novak Djokovic of Serbia walks past magazines featuring pictures of himself as he signs autographs after winning his men's singles match against Leonardo Mayer of Argentina at the Australian Open 2014 in Melbourne yesterday REUTERS had been off his clinical best in his firstround match, but he returned to his familiar precision against Mayer, hitting 30 winners to just 11 unforced errors. Williams also lived up to her destructive reputation against Dolonc as she goes in search of her 18th Grand Slam title, a tally which would match Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. Li raced through her first set against the 16-year-old Bencic, but was forced to fight for the second before taking the match 6-0, 7-6 (7/5). The former French Open champion admitted she was not at her best but said she was glad to make it through and escape the steamy conditions in straight sets. Ferrer dropped the second set against Mayer but came back to win 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 in a typically dogged display. Jeremy Chardy prompted a racquetsmashing fit from Ukraines Alexandr Dolgopolov when he edged their ultratight four-setter, which included three tie-breaks. Big-serving Polish 20th seed Jerzy Janowicz ousted Spains Pablo Andujar in four sets, and French ninth seed Richard Gasquet beat Russian veteran Nikolay Davydenko in three. Among the evening matches, eighth seed Stanislas Wawrinka battled past Alejandro Falla in four sets, and Serbias Ana Ivanovic thrashed Annika Beck 6-1, 6-2. l
16
RANA PLAZA COLLAPSE
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
People begin to feel the cold bite in Rajshahi as drizzle adds woe to their sufferings
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Dipu Monis car barred at National Memorial in Savar n Emran Hossain Shaikh
Former foreign Minister Dipu Moni reportedly got into a heated argument with security staff at the National Martyrs Memorial at Savar as they prevented her car from entering the venue. Police said they barred the former ministers vehicle from going inside as only ministers flag cars were allowed to enter the monument premises during a visit by the newly-formed cabinet on Tuesday. Witnesses said law enforcement agents stopped Dipu Monis car at the main entrance of the monument. At one point, she had a heated talk with the on-duty security personnel, who would not budge. They then tried to contact their superiors over mobile phones, but they did not get any response. The law enforcers apparently did not even allow her to park near the Savar monuments boundary wall. Habibur Rahman, superintendent of Dhaka district police, told the Dhaka Tribune that they were instructed not to allow in any vehicles without flags. That is why former minister Dipu Moni was not allowed to enter the monument in her car, the police officer said. As far I know, the former minister went inside the venue on foot, he added. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and members of her new cabinet went to the national monument to pay homage to the Liberation War heroes. Dipu Moni finally entered the venue after the new ministers had finished paying their respects, the witnesses said. l
Three-year-old girl violated, housewife DMP launches Android app n kills felon over rape attempt
Tribune Report
Tribune Report
A three-year-old girl was violated at Fatulla in the capital on Monday. Police arrested the alleged raper on Tuesday. He was identified as Riaz, hailing from Barguna district. Fatulla police station Sub-Inspector Hamid said the victim used to live in a rented house beside Fatulla rail station. She is the youngest of her five siblings. All of her family members were at their workplaces during the incident. Riaz, who was jobless, also lived in her sisters house in the area. On Monday, he summoned the girl child who went to him along with her playmate. The guilty party tied the girl and violated her. Seeing the girl tied at Riazs home, the victims sister asked Riaz
why she was kept tied. The felon answered that he did it out of mischief. The victim fell ill on Tuesday after the incident. Asked, the girl child and her playmate narrated the incident. Riaz also confessed to violating the girl after he was given a sound beating by locals, who handed him over to police later. Fatulla OC Akter Hossain said, A case has been lodged in connection with the incident yesterday morning. He is going to be sent to the court. In Jessore, a suspected rapist was beaten to death by a woman at a garden in Shahapur under Jessore Sadar upazila. The deceased was Mohammad Ali, 32, of Marua village under Chaugachha upazila in Jessore. Ali was hit with a brick allegedly by
the woman while he tried to violate her Monday morning, our correspondent in Jessore reported. Police exhumed the body from near the residence of the housewife at night. The housewife hit Ali with a brick while the latter tried to rape her inside the garden Monday morning, police said. The 32-year-old tried to take the advantage of the womans husbands absence in the house, added police. Her husband was the caretaker of the garden belonging to a physician. Police recovered the body and sent it to Jessore Medical College Hospital. The housewife was also arrested. Emdadul Haque Sheikh, officer-in-charge, Kotwali police station, told journalists he heard the women kill the young man to save herself from being violated. l
Dhaka Metropolitan Police has launched an Android application to provide residents of the capital with digitally receivable services, including important information, all in one place. The application was developed with a view to making police services more easily accessible to the general people. DMP Commissioner Benazir Ahmed launched the application named Dhaka Metropolitan Police: DMP on Tuesday and it is available at the Google App Store for free download. The application features searching for the nearest police station and locating police stations on Google Maps, calling the nearest police stations OC or duty officer, getting direction to the police station on emergency, detailed information about various services of the DMP, and informing the police about any incident.
The commissioner said one would be able to take help of the traffic department during heavy traffic in any area of the city and call traffic police official of the area concerned from the application. Benazir also said people would be able to share any information on criminals through this app by sending emails or SMSs to the DMP. Women would receive quick police service from the DMP women support and investigation department, he added. He said apart from benefitting from the service, users could also help their relatives and friends as they would be able to share any police service details through the app. Benazir expressed hope that the application would help develop a good relation between the police and city dwellers. DMP additional commissioners Ibrahim Fatemi, Abdul Jalil Mondol and Abdul Jalil were present at the launching ceremony, among others. l
Girl rescued from locked trunk Jail authority asked to explain failure to
n Our Correspondent, Mymensingh
A schoolgirl was rescued by some garage workers from a trunk at Shambhuganj of Mymensingh while she was being taken to Sherpur from Bhaluka yesterday. The girl, a student of class X and whose parents are teachers, was kidnapped by Monir Hossain, 16, and Morshed Alam, 14, sons of Manjurul Haque of Haldibata village, Jhenaigati, Sherpur, from her home upon returning from school around 11:30am yesterday. The youths had come to the girls house and made unconscious their maid with an injection and tied her with a rope. Monir and Morshed, who used to work at Badsha Spinning Mills in Bhaluka, also made the girl unconscious and tied her hands and feet and put her in the trunk and locked it. They then boarded a Sherpur-bound bus around 1pm. There was a mechanical glitch when the bus reached Shambhuganj Chinamore and it was taken to a garage where the workers heard sounds of movement from the bus luggage box. The trunk was brought out and the two youths were asked to open it. As they dillydallied, the garage workers broke the lock and opened the trunk to find the girl. The workers and passengers caught the youths and handed them over to RAB and police officials. Some sources said the boys had kidnapped the girl as she had refused one of them of an affair. l
were recovered from their Chamelibagh residence in the city. The couple had lived in the rented house with their two childrenOishee and Oihee and their housemaid Sumi. Twenty-two hours after the recovery of the bodies, Oishee showed up at the Paltan police station. Later on the same day, detective police arrested her friend Mizanur Rahman Rony and domestic aid Sumi.Oishee confessed to the killing after surrendering to the police, but later retracted her statement. The case stirred up a sensation throughout the country at the time. On August 24, Oishee and Sumi gave confessional statements before a magistrate under section 164 in the case. l
Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207. Phone: 9132093 94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com
Business
B4 WB sees stronger
3G tariff offers of the private mobile phone companies are in place without ministrys approval though the law requires it
Price per MB in Taka (1Mbps speed)
0.353 0.251 0.204 0.384 0.384
We offer the cheapest rates for all services, and 3G service is also not an exception of that, said Md Mujibor Rahaman, the managing director of Teletalk. Currently, Teletalk is the market leader of the fastest service in Bangladesh with 7 lakh customers making the 3G journey in October 2012. Airtel Bangladesh is offering Tk0.251 per MB with 1 Mbps speed while Banglalinkis making it at Tk0.353. Robi is charging Tk0.384 for the service, and Grameenphone offers Tk0.384 per MB with 1 Mbps speed. Teletalks MD said the state-owned operator wants to dominate the 3G data market. Thats why we always offer special packages for the subscribers. According to the BTRCs report, Airtel India offers only $0.00199 for one MB bandwidth with 2 Mbps speed while Grameephone charges $0.00673 for the same service with same speed. Robi offers it at $0.0051. When Teletalk launched the service in Bangladesh, it compared the prices with neighboring India. We however may need to check it again for readjustment if necessary, said Md Mujibor Rahaman. l
Teletalk
Airtel
Banglalink
Robi
GP
can be approved retrospectively, but 3G tariff proposals are related with charging customers, so if there is any problem about the tariff, we would correct it. But no such chance is left for the government now? When contacted, the officials of private operators declined to make any comment on it as it is not their business. They claimed proposals were made properly and the regulator approved it. Recently, BTRC discussed the issue
at its meeting. A commissioner expressed his disappointment over the violation of law. As a regulator, BTRC cant violate the law. It must ensure compliance. According to a BTRC report, Teletalk is offering the cheapest tariff for 3G data service in Bangladesh with Tk0.204 for per Megabyte at a speed of 1 megabyte per second (Mbps) speed. But its still higher than that of Airtel India in the neighbouring country, the report said.
BO account holder asked to give necessary info to DPs by this month dling and reduce IPO subscription n Tribune Report time, the regulator plans to receive
Board seeks list of RMG workers not included in new wage structure
n Tribune Report
The wage board formed for the readymade garment workers has finally asked the RMG workers leaders and the factory owners to provide it a complete list of the RMG workers who are not yet included in the new wage structure. As soon as we will get such a list, we will sit again with the responsible stakeholders to find a way to resolve the crisis, Md. A.K Fazlul Haque, president of the wage board, told reporters yesterday, emerging from a meeting held at his office at Tokhana Road in Dhaka. The meeting was convened following an allegation that some positions in RMG units are not yet incorporated in the new wage structure and thats why they are being deprived of getting the new wages as per the wage board. Regarding the next meeting, he said it would to be held within a week or two and this issue would be hopefully settled after having consultations among all the stakeholders at the upcoming meeting. As per the wage board gazette, if any post is created in any RMG units, which is not yet included in the wage board, it could be in cooperated in the new wage structure. The positions, which were mistakenly remained outside of the structure, could be replaced in the wage structure and those workers would be able to enjoy the all the facilities as per wage board decision, said Arshad Jamal Dipu, a representative of the owners to the wage board. He also said no worker would get below the minimum level of wage and all the confusions would be over very soon. A good number of positions belong to washing, dyeing and printing section of the RMG units is yet to be included in the wage structure, which created a crisis in disbursing wages of those workers, said Sirajul Islam Rony, a workers representative to the wage board. On November 21 last year, the wage board had announced Tk5,300 as minimum wage with a basic of Tk3,000 for entry-level garment workers. As per the government instruction, the factory owners already started implementing the new wage structure from December 1. l
the amount in the investors bank account blocked during the subscription period. The money will be transferred from the investors account to the issuer companys escrow account if the investor gets share allotment after IPO lottery. The practice will avert the hassles the investors face in getting refunds in cases of unsuccessful IPO applications. Many refund warrants get missing and the investors do not get back the money on due time. The retail investors, if the plan implemented, will be able to apply for IPO shares allotment through their respective brokerage firms and merchant banks and deposit money to their BO accounts. A BSEC official said the proposed process will eliminate expenses and unnecessary times which the issuers require in refunding warrant money of unsuccessful investors in the IPO lottery. Moreover, huge amounts of money remain stranded from the date of application to refunding of warrant under the existing system, he said. l
FY14 GDP may slow down to 5.7% DFID tags tough conditions
Political uncertainties and disruptions related to national elections in Bangladesh would hold back the countrys economic growth, says the World Bank. In its report on Global Economic Prospects (GEP) released yesterday, it forecast the GDP growth for the current fiscal year would remain at 5.7%, lowering 0.4 percentage point from its earlier estimate of 6.1% in June last year. In October last year, the WB in its quarterly economic update on Bangladesh had also predicted the countrys GDP growth at 5.7% for this fiscal year. The WB publishes its flagship GEP report twice a year, one in January and the other in June. Political uncertainties and disruptions in the run-up to elections in Bangladesh will contribute to slow growth, said the report. Entrenchment of inflation expectations (which could reduce space for monetary easing and adversely affect also pose significant risks to the outlook, it said. The global lender warned that coupled with earlier safety problems in garment factories, continued social unrest could adversely affect the countrys manufacturing and export performance. Inflation picked up in Bangladesh towards the end of 2013 amid intensification of political unrest, it said adding: Political uncertainties related to national elections in Bangladesh in early 2014 could hamper a sustained revival of business confidence and investment. The report said unrest and disruptions in the run-up to national elections slowed private sector investment growth, although that was compensated to some extent by public investment. Remittance from non-resident Bangladeshis rose by 12.6% in the 2012-13 fiscal, but it dropped by 8.4% in the first six months of 2013-14 fiscal. ing political instability for downgrading growth forecast. Growth appears to be strengthening in both high-income and developing countries, but downside risks continue to threaten the global economic recovery, said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim. For fiscal 2013-14, the IMF forecast the GDP growth to be 5.5%, significantly less than the government target of 7.2%. On South Asia, the report said GDP growth in South Asia is projected to rise to 5.7% in 2014 and will gradually rise to 6.7% in 2016, led mainly by recovering regional investment and rise in demand in high income countries. Global GDP growth is projected to firm from 2.4% in 2013 to 3.2 percent this year, stabilising at 3.4% and 3.5% in 2015 and 2016, respectively, with much of the initial acceleration reflecting stronger growth in highincome economies. l earlier pledged grant worth 27.5m for implementing a project for the poor in Bangladesh. The project titled Business Finance for Poor in Bangladesh aims at developing rural economy along with diversification of exports. The goal of this programme is to promote inclusive economic growth and to improve income and livelihood opportunities for poor men and women. The purpose and expected outcome of the programme is to improve access to financial services for medium and small enterprises in Bangladesh. DFID Country Representative Sarah Cooke sent a letter to Finance Minister AMA Muhith last week, seeking his opinion about the recently imposed two conditions and implementation of the new project. The conditions are the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) can be terminated with a three-month prior written notice by either side, and, if at any stage, the government should become aware of, or suspect, any misappropriation or diversion of funds or any possible fraud or corruption related to project activities funded by the DFID grant, the government of Bangladesh must report the matter immediately to DFID. As per the draft project titled Business Finance for Poor in Bangladesh the concept notes for which has been approved by both DFID and Bangladesh government. The grant will start from January 2014 and will end on January 2019, according to the proposal. The foreign lenders put tougher
with 27.5m grants WB holds political uncertainties and disruptions in the conditions in the wake of corruption run-up to elections responsible n Asif Showkat Kallol charges raised by World Bank on The global lending agency attribut- UK donor agency DFID has imposed tender process of Padma Bridge, investment) and lack of progress in reTribune Report n ed a drop in manpower export and ris- tough conditions in releasing its said a senior official of the Economic ducing supply-side constraints might
Relations Division.Because of the Padma Bridge corruption syndrome, the Department for International Development (DFID) imposed two major inflexible conditions at a time of holding a questionable election, he said.
The foreign lenders put tougher conditions in the wake of corruption charges raised by World Bank on tender process of Padma Bridge
Development partners are not questioning about the economic situation and the Padma bridge corruption issue, rather they are now questioning about holding a fair poll and how the next poll would be held, Muhith told the Dhaka Tribune on Sunday. Meanwhile, foreign aid disbursement increased only 2% year-on-year in the first five months of the fiscal year due to slow project implementation as a fall out of the political turmoil ahead of the national election held on January 5. Between July and November, some $987m of foreign aid was disbursed, which is 29% of the target for the fiscal 2013-14, according to Economic Relations Division (ERD). Despite the increment, the disbursement target of $3.37bn is unlikely to be met due to the political turmoil, said an ERD official, requesting not to be named. l
B2
Turnover close to Tk700 crore-mark
n Tribune Report
Stocks continued to gain for the sixth session in a row yesterday with the benchmark index hitting its all time high. Trading activities was also upbeat as reflected in a healthy turnover that was almost close to Tk700crore.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Stock
DSE GAINERS Company
Closing (% change)
LafargeS Cement-Z
'As ruling government has taken power, investors are probably expecting government to take large projects like Padma Bridge into serious consideration as they could not fulfill it last time'
The benchmark DSEX gained 39 points or 0.9% to settle at 4,494. It was launched in January 27, 2013 with a base point of 4000. The blue chip comprising index DS30 rose 12 points or 0.8% to 1,583. The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, closed at 8,835 with a rise of over 65 points. Strong buying pressure mostly on fundamental scrips has pushed up the total DSE market turnover to stand at Tk693 crore, which is 6.5% higher over the previous session. In its daily market analysis, Lan-
ka Bangla Securities said the market maintained its strong momentum on big volume of trade in large and mid cap stocks. As ruling government has taken power, investors are probably expecting government to take large projects like Padma Bridge into serious consideration as they could not fulfill it last time, it said. Heavyweight banks played supportive role to lift index up close to 4,500 point mark. Banking sector gained market capitalisation of 0.7%. Cement sector came to spotlight on the day with a rise of 6%, led by Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd. Among other large cap sectors, non-banking financial institutions and pharmaceuticals were the main market movers. Market was buoyant from early in the session, and reached the psychological barrier in the midday. The index hovered around the barrier for the rest of the session while activities remained vibrant, said IDLC Investment. Gainers beat losers as out of 287 issues traded, 197 closed higher, 75 lower and 15 remained unchanged. Trading concentrated mainly on engineering, textile and pharmaceuticals. Top turnover leaders included Appollo Ispat, Lafarge Surma Cement, Olympic Industries, Square Pharmaceuticals, United Commercial Bank, Golden Son, Bengal Windsor and Thermoplastics, Lanka Bangla Finance and Summit Purbanchol Power. l
Meghna Con. Milk -B Kay & Que (BD) -Z Alltex Industries -Z Imam Button -Z Dulamia CottonZ Meghna PET Ind. -Z Miracle Industries -B ISN Ltd. -A PragatiLife Insu. -A
CSE GAINERS Company Alltex Industries -Z
9.71 9.66 9.50 8.86 8.42 8.14 7.95 7.62 7.41 7.41
Closing (% change)
Average (% change)
Closing average
Closing
Daily high
Daily low
Turnover in million
Latest EPS 1.63 -4.60 -0.89 -1.56 -2.20 -1.90 -0.52 0.12 -0.36 2.38 Latest EPS
Latest PE 22.6
9.16 12.48 9.93 5.68 11.13 8.11 7.81 3.39 4.56 12.81
36.82 15.86 21.69 8.37 10.38 9.33 9.52 23.81 19.95 198.21
Closing average
37.30 15.90 21.90 8.60 10.30 9.30 9.50 24.00 20.30 197.20
37.40 15.90 22.00 8.60 10.40 9.40 9.60 24.40 20.50 200.80
34.20 15.50 20.90 8.00 10.00 8.90 9.00 20.20 19.10 180.00
244.682 2.886 4.522 3.811 0.899 0.251 0.419 20.189 3.291 22.528
Turnover in million
198.4
83.3 Latest PE
PragatiLife Insu. -A LafargeS Cement-Z Kay & Que (BD) -Z Miracle Industries -B GreenDeltaInsu -A Imam Button -Z ISN Ltd. -A Reliance1 M.F.-A Beacon Pharma Ltd.-Z
10.00 9.96 9.82 9.69 9.50 9.47 8.33 7.33 6.82 6.77
Average (% change)
Closing
Daily high
Daily low
10.61 9.99 7.95 8.51 4.67 9.47 6.95 5.72 5.74 5.35
8.65 184.30 36.12 21.30 23.98 104.00 10.31 20.13 9.39 13.97
8.80 184.30 36.90 21.50 24.20 104.00 10.40 20.50 9.40 14.20
8.80 184.30 36.90 21.50 24.30 104.00 10.50 20.90 9.60 14.50
8.00 184.30 34.40 20.80 22.80 104.00 10.00 19.10 9.20 13.40
1.051 0.092 9.555 0.415 3.955 0.229 0.119 0.936 0.925 2.997
-1.56 2.38 1.63 -0.89 0.12 5.34 -2.20 -0.36 1.86 0.08
WED
-ve 77.4 22.2 -ve 199.8 19.5 -ve -ve 5.0 174.6
15-Jan
SUN
12-Jan
MON 13-Jan
(+) 0.88% (+) 0.77% (+) 0.90% (+) 1.06% (+) 0.74%
Daily high 61.00 68.00 75.50 76.70 49.00 320.00 77.70 43.30 76.40
Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis) Market Cap. Equity (Billion. Tk.) Market Cap. Equity (Billion US$)
Daily low 61.00 65.70 67.00 70.00 44.00 305.00 68.90 42.20 69.00 Turnover in million 0.006 13.956 150.615 7.705 44.369 7.569 113.466 5.588 150.333 Latest EPS 0.40 4.72 4.52 -0.64 1.48 12.46 3.28 1.76 2.75
Closing average 61.00 66.26 72.91 73.38 47.94 309.56 75.36 42.66 74.21
Closing 61.00 66.10 70.90 71.20 47.10 307.50 73.70 42.20 73.60
Latest PE 152.5 14.0 16.1 -ve 32.4 24.8 23.0 24.2 27.0
116.74 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.85 as against Tk. 70.99 million and Tk. 0.52 respectively for the same period of the previous year. GRAMEEN1: (H/Y): As per un-audited half yearly accounts as on 31.12.2013 (July'13 to Dec'13), the Fund has reported net profit of Tk. 43.24 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 1.70 as against Tk. 26.80 million and Tk. 1.05 respectively for the same period of the previous year. AIMS1STMF: (H/Y): As per un-audited half yearly accounts as on 31.12.2013 (July'13 to Dec'13), the Fund has reported net profit of Tk. 103.54 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 2.50 as against Tk. 93.51 million and Tk. 2.26 respectively for the same period of the previous year. RIGHT SHARE: ARAMITCEM: Subscription 23.03.2014 to 17.04.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 09.01.2014. RUPALILIFE- Subscription 06.04.2014 to 05.05.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 16.01.2014. IPO Subscription: Emerald Oil Industries Limited subscription date 06 12 January 2014, NRB upto 21 Januray 2014. At per, face value taka 10 and market lot 500. Matin Spinning
Mills Limited subscription date 26 30 January 2014, NRB upto 08 Feburay 2014. @ Tk. 37/-, face value taka 10 and market lot 200. Dividend/AGM ECABLES: 10% cash, AGM: 01.03.2014, RD: 29.12.2013. USMANIAGL: 11% Cash & 10% Stock, AGM: postponed, RD: 07.11.2013. DESCO: 10% Cash & 15% Stock, AGM: 04.01.2014, RD: 05.11.2013. ANWARGALV: 7% Case for general shareholders, AGM: 13.01.2014, RD: 11.11.2013. MPETROLEUM: 70% Cash & 20% Stock, AGM: 17.01.2014, RD: 28.11.2013. POWERGRID: 15% Cash, AGM: 25.01.2014, Time: 10:00 AM. RD: 01.12.2013. EASTRNLUB: 30% Cash, AGM: 25.01.2014, RD: 04.12.2013. JAMUNAOIL: 90% Cash & 10% Stock, AGM: 25.01.2014, RD: 04.12.2013. SAVAREFR: No dividend, AGM: 30.01.2014, RD: 19.12.2013. PADMAOIL: 90% Cash, 10% Stock, AGM: 15.02.2014, RD: 23.12.2013. SAMORITA: 30% Stock, AGM: 11.01.2014, RD: 25.11.2013.
3%
Apex Foods -A
CSE LOSERS Company Samata LeatheR -Z National Life I -A Rahima Food -Z Delta Brac HFCL A I P D C -A GPH Ispat Ltd-A LankaBangla Fin. -A Republic Insu.-A Orion Infusions -A
-2.33
-0.15
Average (% change) -9.66 -6.90 -2.05 -4.33 -3.88 -2.65 -1.95 -2.94 -2.24
111.83
109.20
114.70
107.90
9.601
3.96
28.2
2%
Closing (% change) -9.69 -5.83 -5.70 -4.65 -3.48 -3.40 -2.91 -2.88 -2.77
Closing average 26.10 304.96 72.46 67.18 19.30 54.27 74.34 43.90 42.34
Closing 26.10 307.00 69.50 67.70 19.40 54.00 73.50 43.90 42.10
Daily high 26.10 307.00 77.50 68.50 19.40 55.00 76.00 44.00 42.60
Daily low 26.10 305.00 69.20 66.00 18.80 54.00 73.10 43.50 42.00
Turnover in million 0.013 0.213 0.543 0.584 0.035 0.950 14.165 0.110 0.838
Latest EPS -0.08 12.46 -0.64 4.72 0.91 2.42 2.75 3.03 1.76
Latest PE -ve 24.5 -ve 14.2 21.2 22.4 27.0 14.5 24.1
1%
0%
03
05
07
09
11
13
15
17
19
21
23
25
27
29
31
02
04
06
08
10
12
- 1%
- 2%
- 3%
Peoples Insur -A
-2.60
-2.60
33.69
33.70
33.70
33.50
0.088
2.20
15.3
DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Appollo Ispat CL -N LafargeS Cement-Z Olympic Ind. -A Square Pharma -A UCBL - A Golden Son -A Bengal Windsor-N LankaBangla Fin. -A Summit Purbanchol Power-N ConfidenceCement A
ANALYST
SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY
Sector Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture
Market was buoyant from early in the session, and reached the psychological barrier in the mid-day
CSE Total
DSE Million Taka 520.34 416.56 150.72 1374.20 215.38 664.13 1.27 955.34 750.18 0.65 41.04 137.58 41.27 627.92 91.81 118.32 348.28 213.03 130.98 130.92 0.23
% change 7.51 6.01 2.17 19.83 3.11 9.58 0.02 13.79 10.82 0.01 0.59 1.99 0.60 9.06 1.32 1.71 5.03 3.07 1.89 1.89 0.00
Million Taka 48.95 38.06 11.46 179.08 27.08 57.92 88.72 58.78 0.31 3.14 7.68 6.06 37.79 22.64 5.58 12.59 16.08 18.41 23.32 0.01
% change 7.38 5.73 1.73 26.98 4.08 8.73 0.00 13.37 8.86 0.05 0.47 1.16 0.91 5.69 3.41 0.84 1.90 2.42 2.77 3.51 0.00
Million Taka 569.29 454.62 162.18 1553.28 242.46 722.05 1.27 1044.06 808.96 0.96 44.17 145.26 47.33 665.71 114.45 123.89 360.88 229.11 149.38 154.24 0.23
% change 7.50 5.99 2.14 20.45 3.19 9.51 0.02 13.75 10.65 0.01 0.58 1.91 0.62 8.77 1.51 1.63 4.75 3.02 1.97 2.03 0.00
Meghna Petroleum -A Delta Life Insu. -A Malek Spinning-A Paramount Textile Ltd.-N Active Fine Chem.-A BD Building Systems -A Grameenphone-A Generation Next Fashions-A BD Submarine Cable-A HeidelbergCement -A
565,213 487,000 4,313,430 2,309,140 1,275,970 1,505,750 540,350 2,884,060 586,831 236,160
Volume shares 8,069,600 6,646,000 1,385,963 947,018 5,732,027 2,338,336 2,065,641 2,025,895 2,030,070 996,665
Value in million 325.37 244.68 234.65 200.26 155.28 155.06 150.62 150.33 144.78 135.69
134.58 132.24 130.44 130.21 122.56 113.47 111.14 106.50 101.89 101.21
% of total turnover 4.69 3.53 3.39 2.89 2.24 2.24 2.17 2.17 2.09 1.96
1.94 1.91 1.88 1.88 1.77 1.64 1.60 1.54 1.47 1.46
Daily closing 40.80 37.30 171.50 215.40 27.20 65.50 70.90 73.60 70.50 137.10
239.00 269.40 30.30 56.40 95.90 73.70 204.50 36.70 174.00 429.50
Price change 4.35 9.71 3.13 4.01 2.26 -1.36 -3.93 -2.39 -2.08 4.18
2.31 -1.03 3.77 3.30 1.59 -2.64 -0.68 1.10 -0.74 4.40
Daily opening 39.10 34.00 166.30 207.10 26.60 66.40 73.80 75.40 72.00 131.60
233.60 272.20 29.20 54.60 94.40 75.70 205.90 36.30 175.30 411.40
240.50 274.90 30.70 60.00 98.00 77.70 207.30 37.30 176.80 436.00
Daily high 41.40 37.40 180.00 216.50 27.40 68.00 75.50 76.40 75.00 138.00
230.00 269.00 27.00 49.20 87.00 68.90 200.00 33.00 162.00 405.00
Daily low 39.50 34.20 150.00 195.00 24.50 60.00 67.00 69.00 66.00 125.00
CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Appollo Ispat CL -N Summit Purbanchol Power-N Paramount Textile Ltd.-N aamra technologies-A UCBL - A Golden Son -A Bengal Windsor-N LankaBangla Fin. -A UNITED AIR A Olympic Ind. -A
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
Volume shares 2,083,800 333,350 415,890 497,935 658,958 262,075 227,000 190,540 792,214 78,300
Value in million 84.00 23.84 23.44 19.15 17.87 17.44 16.47 14.16 13.47 13.30
% of total turnover 12.66 3.59 3.53 2.89 2.69 2.63 2.48 2.14 2.03 2.00
Daily closing 40.90 70.60 56.40 38.10 27.40 65.70 71.00 73.50 16.90 173.10
Price change 4.60 -2.49 3.49 2.70 3.40 -1.35 -3.53 -2.91 -0.59 4.21
Daily opening 39.10 72.40 54.50 37.10 26.50 66.60 73.60 75.70 17.00 166.10
Daily high 41.30 73.10 57.50 38.90 27.60 67.70 75.60 76.00 17.20 175.00
Daily low 39.50 70.20 55.30 37.40 26.40 64.90 70.50 73.10 16.80 155.20
14
Daily average 40.32 36.82 169.31 211.46 27.09 66.31 72.91 74.21 71.32 136.15
238.11 271.54 30.24 56.39 96.06 75.36 205.68 36.93 173.63 428.55
Daily average 40.31 71.50 56.36 38.46 27.11 66.55 72.55 74.34 17.00 169.83
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
AFP, Beijing
Farmers in one of the poorest counties in a Chinese province built a wall of cash from more than $2m paid out in year-end bonuses, a report said yesterday. The farmers, members of a co-operative in Liangshan county in the southwestern province of Sichuan, stacked bundles of 100-yuan banknotes into a wall two metres (seven feet) long and half a metre high before handing out the dividends, the semi-official China News Service reported. The co-operative which runs vegetable fields, fruit farms and an investment arm paid out more than 13.1m yuan ($2.2m) to about 340 families, said the agency. The cash was brought to the farmers in Jianshe by militiamen in camouflage uniform and stored in the village office under the close watch of seven guards, with three people sleeping on top of it at night. We used eight million yuan as a mattress and 4.2m yuan for pillows, said Jin Hongzhong, one of the guards, adding they were so nervous that they stayed awake all night. It was not comfortable sleeping on top of so much money, he said. It was too hard. Residents of the village contribute to the co-operative in land, cash or other means, and their payouts are proportionate to their input. It was not immediately clear whether
B3
farmers build wall of cash with $2.2m payout Lafarge comes to China n spotlight at DSE
n Tahmidur Rahman
Lafarge Surma Cement Limited stocks have emerged the top gainer and second most traded stocks yesterday at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE). As soon as the market opened, its share prices hit the upper limit circuit breaker. At the end of the day, its share prices rallied 9.7% to settle at Tk37.3 each share and moved between Tk34.2 and Tk37.4 during the trading session. The heavyweight company at the DSE topped the turnover chart with shares worth Tk24.4 crore changing hands, making up 3.5% of the total trade value at the bourse. In the third quarter ended on September, 2013, the cement maker made net profit after tax of Tk36 crore against a profit of Tk61.6 crore in the same period a year earlier. Unlike poor third quarter performance, its nine month profitability increased in 2013 as its net profit after tax stood at Tk142.2 crore against Tk123.6 crore in the corresponding period a year earlier. The outstanding performance of the first two quarters in 2013 due to higher other operating income around Tk17 crore and lower financing cost, according to its half-yearly financial report. The financing cost in 2013 has decreased due to absence of derivative expense of Tk10 crore approximately as it was during 2012. Additional Tk17 crore was a final settlement of an insurance claim against machinery breakdown. However, the performance earlier has failed to generate enthusiasm among the investors last year as the current stock price is one-year high without any recent disclosure. The Z category company falling under cement segment at bourses have a net asset value of Tk6.19 per stock as in 2012 along with basic earnings per share of Tk1.6 at the same year-end. In mid-2011, Indias Supreme Court gave French cement giant Lafarge permission to resume mining limestone in the countrys mineral-rich northeast Meghalaya state, rejecting environmental opposition. In February 2010, the court halted Lafarge from extracting limestone for the Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd plant at Chhatak in Bangladesh. l
This picture taken on January 14, 2014 shows villagers waiting before a two-metre-long "money wall" built with cash for their year-end bonus at Jianshe village of Lianshan municipality, southwest China's Sichuan province. More than 13 million yuan are distributed to the 340 households from the village, who are shareholders of a rural cooperative that owns farm enterprises and investment companies, local newspaper Huaxi Metropolis Daily reported AFP the dividend was unusually high for the organisation but official figures show that Chinas rural residents average net income stood at 7,917 yuan in 2012. The highest shares in Jianshe were around 300,000 yuan, about 38 times as much, the report said. One of them went to the family of Jin Ou, who was quoted as saying: Ive been counting for so long and my hands are sore, but still Im not sure whether the number of notes is correct. l
Pakistans central Dollar jumps in Asia on bank forecasts upbeat 4% growth US sales report tive for the dollar. n AFP, Tokyo However, a senior bank dealer in n AFP, Karachi The dollar rose in Asia yesterday, ex- Tokyo told Dow Jones Newswires that
Pakistans central bank yesterday estimated economic growth for the current fiscal year of up to four percent, surpassing forecasts by international agencies. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced its forecast in its belated annual report reviewing the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013. SBP projects GDP growth in the range of 3-4% for FY14 which is higher than the IMFs growth forecast of 2.5 to 3%, the bank said. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a $6.7bn loan package for Pakistan in September last year, subject to strict economic reforms, particularly in its troubled energy sector and tax system. The central bank forecast that the three-year deal should bring stability to the domestic foreign exchange market during the current fiscal year. In the last fiscal year Pakistans economy grew at 3.6%, the bank said, and inflation fell to single digits. But it warned inflation could rise as high as 11% in the current fiscal. Cash-strapped Pakistan, plagued by a bloody homegrown Taliban insurgency, is battling to get its shaky economy back on track and solve a chronic energy crisis that cripples industry. l tending gains it recorded in New York after a better-than-expected US retail sales report. In afternoon trade in Tokyo the dollar bought 104.42 yen, compared with 104.20 in New York and much stronger than the 103.43 yen in Asia earlier Tuesday. The euro fetched $1.3633 compared with $1.3677 in New York. The euro was also easier at 142.39 yen against 142.52 yen but well up from the 141.27 yen Tuesday in Tokyo. On Tuesday, the US Commerce Department said retail sales rose 0.2% in December, surprising analysts who had predicted no change. The news eased concerns about the economy after Fridays disappointing jobs report that had fuelled speculation the Federal Reserve could hold off announcing any further cuts to its stimulus programme when it meets this month. The solid US number soothed investors concern on the economy caused by the disappointing jobs report last Friday, Credit Agricole said. Tuesdays data revived the possibility the Fed would again cut back its bond-buying programme after last month saying it would reduce the scheme by $10bn to $75bn in January. A further pullback would be a posi-
'At a macro level, this restores credibility to the Indian aviation sector'
Low-cost carrier GoAir, which began operations in 2005 but has fewer than 20 aircraft, could also be a beneficiary. Indias overall air passenger traffic is expected to triple from 2010-20 to 452 million annually, as rising income levels help more people fly in the country of 1.25 billion.
for the market to test a new (dollar-yen) high we need more proof that the US economy grows in a balanced manner. The euro won support after eurozone industrial output rebounded sharply in November, offering some reassurance that a modest recovery remains on track after heavy falls in October. Industrial output in the bloc jumped 1.8% in November after a slipping 0.8% in October, the Eurostat statistics office said. Adding to downward pressure on the yen was was data Tuesday showing Japans current account deficit in November tripled year-on-year to a record $5.7bn as the weak currency pushed up the countrys post-Fukushima energy bill. The current account is the broadest measure of Japans trade with the rest of the world, including not only trade in goods but also services, tourism and returns on the countrys foreign investment. The greenback was higher against other Asia-Pacific currencies. It inched up to Tw$30.09 from Tw$30.02 on Tuesday, to Sg$1.2712 from Sg$1.2672 and to 1,062.79 South Korean won from 1,058.50 won. l
Managing Director A M M Farhad signed the MOU on behalf of their respective organisations. Among others, Ministry Planning CPTU Director Md Aziz Taher Khan and SIBL Senior Vice President and Head of IT Md Sultan Badsha were present in the programme. l
gladesh-Sri Lanka Cluster Head Reazul Haque Chowdhury and the Management Committee were present during the session. l
special guest, CEO & Managing Director Abu Sadek Md Sohel, Additional Managing Director Muhammad Asaduzzaman, Institute Principal M Abu Hena, AVP Md Mobarak Hossain and other faculty member were present on the occasion. l
B4
n Reuters
The World Bank on Tuesday raised its forecast for global growth for the first time in three years as advanced economies started to pick up pace, led by the United States. The rosier outlook suggests the world economy is finally breaking free from a long and sluggish recovery after the global financial crisis. The poverty-fighting institution predicted global gross domestic product will expand 3.2% this year, from 2.4% in 2013, according to its twice-yearly "Global Economic Prospects." In the bank's last forecast in June, it expected global growth to reach 3% in 2014. The bank said the global economy had come to a "turning point," as fiscal austerity and policy uncertainty no longer weighed as heavily on most richer economies. The bank expected stronger growth in the United States in particular, of 2.8% in 2014, from 1.8% last year. "For the first time in five years, there are indications that a self-sustaining recovery has begun among high-income countries - suggesting that they may now join developing countries as a second engine of growth in the global economy," the bank's chief economist Kaushik Basu said in the report. The bank again shaved its forecasts for developing countries, to 5.3% for 2014, from the 5.6% it predicted in June. Emerging markets have grown at their slowest pace in a decade for the past two years, after chalking up growth rates of around 7.5% before the
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
Smooth unwinding
As advanced economies strengthen, countries may begin pulling back from the massive monetary stimulus launched at the height of the crisis. The US Federal Reserve has started winding down its monthly asset-purchase plan this month, though it expects to keep interest rates low for at least another year. The World Bank said it expects rates around the world to inch up gradually, causing minimal disruptions for developing countries as capital inflows slow down. "Whatever drag this implies for developing country growth is more than offset by the additional export demand due to stronger high-income country growth," the report said. However, if rates jump suddenly, countries with high debt levels or large current account deficits such as Thailand and Malaysia would be most vulnerable. The bank said that while risks to its global outlook, including a sharp rebalancing in China, a protracted recovery in the euro zone, and fiscal policy uncertainty in the United States, have not been eliminated, they have subsided. l
The World Bank chief economist Kaushik Basu speaks during a business conference in New Delhi
REUTERS
Reuters
NEWS IN BRIEF
Global stocks, dollar rally on hopes for global growth
Share markets were mostly higher yesterday as the World Bank upgraded its outlook for the global economy, while the dollar extended gains in the wake of surprisingly strong US consumer spending figures. European stocks started with a spring in their step too, as confirmation that Germany saw robust growth last year prompted the biggest rise of the year so far for Frankfurts DAX. Reuters
Intel Corp (INTC.O), hit by slumping personal computer sales, has put off opening a major chip factory that President Barack Obama once held up as an example of US manufacturing potential. The "Fab 42" facility built in Chandler, Arizona, originally slated as a $5bn project that in late 2013 would start producing Intel's most advanced chips, will remain closed for the foreseeable future while other factories at the same site are upgraded, said Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy. Intel's decision not to open the chip plant was first reported by the Arizona Republic on Tuesday. "The new construction is going to be left vacant for now and it will be targeted at future technologies," Mulloy told Reuters. Despite not opening the new factory, or fab, Intel has exceeded a target to hire over 1,000 employees since construction started in 2011, Mulloy said. Intel received state tax benefits for hiring those people. Obama, while campaigning for re-election in 2012, made a stop at the factory's construction site, where he called for government incentives to attract manufacturing lost to Asia in recent years back to the United States. Intel is the world's top chipmaker but it was caught off guard by smartphones and tablets, a computing revolution that has cut into demand for PCs, the company's core business. Global PC shipments fell 10% in 2013, the worst year since market research firm Gartner began tracking those products. "The newer fab has not been equipped with the capital equipment. It has heating and air conditioning but the actual tools, the expensive stuff, are not in there," Mulloy said. Much of Intel's strength has historically come from its chip manufacturing technology, which is the most advanced in the world and is ahead of rivals by around two years. Intel originally meant to install its most advanced manufacturing technology at the plant and make 14 nanometer microchips with transistors so tiny that over 100 million of them could fit on the head of a pin. Existing factories at the Chandler site using Intel's previous generation of manufacturing, 22 nm, are being converted to also make chips at 14 nm and many of Intel's new employees are working there, Mulloy said. "It boils down to better capital utilization," Mulloy said. The Santa Clara, California-based company says it makes around two thirds of its microprocessors in the United States, with others produced in Ireland, Israel and China. It is currently expanding a plant in Oregon where engineers will work on a long-term plan to manufacture microchips on silicon wafers measuring 450 millimeters - about the size of a large pizza. The largest wafers currently used in the chip industry measure 300 mm across. l
IMF quota reform is an important matter to address and we hope that the matter will be discussed at the G 20 level with the end-January deadline approaching
"The IMF quotas reform is an important decision made by the organisation," Hong said at a daily news briefing. "The relevant organisation's members should earnestly implement the decision, and honour and enhance the voice and representation of developing countries within the IMF." The reform of the voting shares, known as quotas, cannot proceed without the United States, which holds
the only controlling share of IMF votes. After putting off the request in 2012 because of the US presidential election, the US Treasury has sought to tuck the provision into several bills since March. The administration's requests, however, have been met with scepticism from some Republicans, who see them as tantamount to approving fresh funding in a tight budget environment. Some lawmakers have also raised concerns about how well the IMF is helping struggling economies in Europe and the risks attached to IMF loans, suggesting Congress is in no hurry to approve any changes India's Finance Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But an official at the ministry, who has been dealing with multilateral institutions including the IMF, said India was "disappointed" at the Congress lack of action. The official declined to be identified because he was not authorised to talk
to the media. A South Korean Finance Ministry official, who declined to be identified, said: "While we appreciate the US government's efforts, we regret the fact that the proposed funding measure fell through in Congress at the last minute. "IMF quota reform is an important matter to address and we hope that the matter will be discussed at the G-20 level with the end-January deadline approaching." Developing nations have longed viewed the IMF with suspicion for promoting disastrous privatisations that complicated the transition from communism for some emerging nations in the early 1990s, and for pushing budget cuts that exacerbated debt crises in Asia and Latin America a few years later. That suspicion has been compounded by a power structure that dates to IMF's founding in 1944. The structure was shaped by the victors of World War Two - the United States and Europe. l
Sensex closes at five-week high; easing inflation cements rate pause view
The BSE Sensex rallied yesterday to mark its highest close in five weeks as rate-sensitive stocks such as ICICI Bank rose after data showing sharply easing inflation reinforced expectations the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will keep interest rates on hold. Headline inflation eased to a five-month low of 6.16% in December, helped by a softening in vegetable prices, data released yesterday showed. Reuters
Visitors are silhouetted against the logo of the International Monetary Fund at the main venue for the IMF and World Bank annual meeting in Tokyo REUTERS