Professional Documents
Culture Documents
05 March 2014
05 March 2014
www.dhakatribune.com
SECOND EDITION
FORCED DISAPPEARANCE
Jan-Feb 2014
41 53
2013
Bangladeshi supporters are extremely disappointed as their team lost to Pakistan, even after setting a remarkable batting display at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in the capital yesterday MUMIT M
newspapers. The victims include politicians, businessmen, students, teachers, and leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League and the BNP. Families of the victims keep waiting for their loved ones to return some day since most of the victims could not be traced until date. According to Ain O Salish Kendra, among this years abductees four were from Bangladesh Chhatra League
Ex-state minister Babar took Tk3 crore to suppress case, son alleges
n Tushar Hayat, Chittagong
Family members of murdered millionaire businessman Jamal Uddin Chowdhury have alleged that former state minister for home Lutfuzzaman Babar received Tk3 crore as bribe from ex-MP Sarwar Jamal Nizam to suppress the case. Sarwar, who was arrested during the army-backed caretaker government, confessed in the taskforce interrogation cell that he had given three crore taka to Babar for suppressing the case relating to the abduction and killing of my father, claimed Chowdhury Farman Reza, Jamal Uddins elder son. Talking to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday, Farman also said there was a stay order from the High Court on the proceedings of the case. He added that if the trial were to begin, the role of the former BNP lawmaker and several other top leaders of the then ruling party would be revealed concerning his fathers abduction and killing. Now that BNP is not in power, I hope we can get justice now, Farman said, adding that although his father was a BNP leader, the family did not get any justice when the party was in power. Jamal Uddin, the then senior vice president of BNPs district (south) unit, was abducted as he was returning to his residence at Chandgaon from his Chawk Bazar office on July 13, 2003. Jamal Uddin had competed thrice against Sarwar Jamal for the party nomination in parliamentary elections from Anwara, which may have led to his killing by his rivals, family sources said. Nazma Akhter Khanam, Jamal Uddins widow, said they had been deprived of justice during the reign
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INSIDE
Business
B1 Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) yesterday moved to set up a commodities market to provide a platform for producers to discover fair prices and hedge risks of their products.
News
5 The High Court has issued a stay order against a directive from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to suspend all academic activities in 13 private medical colleges and one dental college, until the completion of a review of the institutes by inspection teams.
Nation
6 Rajbari Adhunik Sadar Hospital has almost failed to provide proper healthcare services to patients as it is facing acute crisis of doctors, staffs and accommodation facilities.
World
9 A US-led resolution calling for an international probe into allegations that 40,000 civilians were killed at the end of Sri Lankas separatist war has been filed with the UNs top rights body.
Op-Ed
Sonia Akter, wife of Mahmudul Wasim, sitting with their children claims that her criminal husband was a victim of extrajudicial killing abductors Wasim and Sangram. Three RAB officials were also injured, said the elite crime buster. When the Dhaka Tribune contacted Director of RABs media wing Habibur Rahman said there might be such allegations from the relatives but we have nothing new to tell you. Sonia ditched the explanation saying that it was a common story the RAB
11 Scenario 1: A new department opened. The course was a professional one. Teachers were available. But they did not belong to the group that ruled the campus.
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n Aminur Rahman Rasel
The technical evaluation committee of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has recommended raising power tariffs at the consumerlevel for two distribution companies. The recommendation came yesterday after a public hearing on proposals by the Power Development Board (PDB) and the West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd (WZPDCO) last month for hiking electricity prices by15.50% and 8.59% respectively to minimise losses from supplying electricity to retail customers at low cost. The committee recommended increasing average per unit (each kilowatt-hour) tariffs for PDB and WZPDCO consumers by 6.66% and 7.51% respectively. PDB serves 26.54 lakh consumers in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Rangpur metropolitan area and most district headquarters of the country. WZPDCO
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina speaking to her Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh during a meeting at Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar yesterday
PID
They killed my husband in front of my eyes. They sprayed two to three rounds of bullets on him. I lost consciousness, she added. Sonias mother said after killing Wasim, the officials took him down by his legs and hands and sent him to hospital as if he was alive. The officials also left two female officials inside the flat who stayed until the evening and threatened us with dire consequence if we opened our mouths. Sonia also alleged that the law enforcers had not recovered any arms from the flat. The officials kept two arms on my bed, took photos and circulated to different media. This is nothing
but a drama of the RAB...they killed my husband in a pre-planned way. She alleged that her husband was killed as a sequel to a conflict with Alam Super Market owner Alam on extracting toll. RAB 10 officials arrested Wasim earlier too, Sonia said. When he begged for life one of the officials said: Alam gave us Tk3, 000,000 for killing him [Wasim]. If you want to survive you have to pay Tk6, 000, 000, she said quoting Wasim. On Payment of the amount, RAB released him two days after the arrest. The other accused, Sangram Chowdhury, 42, who was the manager of Wasim, was staying on the rooftop of the building on the day.
Sensing the presence of law enforcers, he tried to escape by using a pipe but he was shot in the leg and fell down on a tin-shed house. He again tried to flee the spot but the law enforcers shot him after taking him on the ground floor of the building, said the family members of Wasim who witnessed the incident. Taslima Akter, a tenant of Wasims house, said she had heard two to three bullet shots but would not open the doors and windows out of fear. However, she saw some RAB officials at the building on Monday noon. Mohammad Yasin, a tenant of an adjacent building, said he had been sleeping at that time but heard several gunshots. l
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while different stakeholders including Indian main opposition party BJP strongly opposed the hurried ratification of the land boundary agreement. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina went to Myanmar on Monday to attend the third Bimstec summit in Naypyitaw, where she also had sideline meetings with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. Following the two-day visit, Hasina returned to Dhaka at 9pm yesterday. l
The innings was a performance of complete dominance from the home side as it saw Pakistan bowlers erred in line and length. Anamuls 132-ball innings ended on 100 after he was swallowed at midwicket, but with the score 204 for 2 in the 40th over, a solid platform had been built for his senior team-mates to launch from. Anamul had less of the strike than his partner Imrul Kayes, who was making a comeback. But a whip in the fifth over to the midwicket off Mohammed Hafeez got Anamul charge and put some efficient runs on the board. The right handed batsman took 19 deliveries to move from 90 to 100. Imrul, one of those from the five changed in the Bangladesh side, bagged his 10th ODI fifty off 62 balls in the 24th over. This included two sixes over
midwicket off Afridi at the end of the 17th over and at the start of the 22nd over and used his chances. He was dropped in the first over by Ahmed Shehzad before he had scored, survived a strong lbw appeal, and was caught off a high full toss from Abdur Rehman. Number three batsman Mominul perished after an efficient fifty while Mushfiqur hammered 51 off 38 balls with eight fours. Shakib, returning from a three-match suspension, slammed 44 off only 16 balls with six fours and two sixes. This also saw Mushfiqur and Shakib put on 77 in 5.4 overs for the fourth wicket with which Bangladesh could not have asked for a better finish. Later Bangladeshs bowling and fielding had let them down in defending their hard work. The fielders were sloppy on the boundary and Mushfiqur Rahim dropped Afridi on 52 in the final
moments to add more woes. Shehzad scored 103 off 123 balls and aided Pakistan with 105 runs for the fourth wicket with FawadAlam. Shehzad got dismissed in the 39th over. This was followed by another wicket, of Abdur Rehman. This had Afridi walk to the middle to make or break the game. Pakistan needed 102 off 52 balls when Afrdi took the charge to hit the ball so hard and far during the assault. Before he was dismissed off a run out in the 46th over, Pakistan needed 33 off 19 with Umar Akmal and Fawad in the middle. The duo took the score to 325 which had Fawads to sixes off AbdurRazzak in the 48th over. Fawad walked back to the dressing room scoring a useful 74 off 70 with Pakistan needing two runs off two balls to win which came with a four from Akmal. He scored 14 runs. l
of BNP as several ministers got involved to save the real culprits. She also called for a reinvestigation of the case to bring the killers to trial. Farman Reza filed a case with Chandgaon police station on July 27, 2003 in connection with his fathers abduction. The businessmans skeleton was recovered from a remote hilly area of Kanchan Nagar in Fatikchhari upazila in August 2005. In July 2006, the investigating officer of the case, CID inspector Mohammed Anwar Hossain, submitted a chargesheet accusing 16 people, including then union parishad chairmen Abul Kashem
Chowdhury and Shahidul Islam. The police arrested seven of the accused, while nine others, including the prime suspect, Abul Kashem, remained at large. The plaintiff of the case, however, filed a discontent petition against the charge-sheet as the alleged mastermind behind the heinous crime, ex-MP Sarwar Jamal and his brother, Maruf Nizam, were not named. Jahedul Islam Talukdar, a lawyer for the family, said the masterminds behind the abduction and killing filed a petition with the High Court in 2007 through one of the accused, Sobhan, for staying the case proceedings. Thus, the trial proceedings have not started
even after seven years, he added. The discontent petition against the charge-sheet will be heard whenever the court vacates the stay order, the lawyer said. He also asked for further investigation into the case to unmask the faces of the masterminds. Of the charge-sheeted accused, only Shahidul Islam remains behind bars, Mahabub alias Kala Mahabub, who located Jamals skeleton, died in the prison, Shawkat and Mansur were killed in crossfire with law enforcers, while Sultan Driver was arrested from Coxs Bazar on Sunday night. The other accused are still on the run. l
Bangladesh Chhatra Union former vice-president Shamim Akther was picked up on September 29, 2011 while a youth named Obaidur was picked up by the law enforcers on December 26, 2012 from Dhaka and Gopalganj. In March 2012, Sylhet district Chhatra Dal Joint General Secretary Dinar and another leader Junayed were picked up in the same manner. All these persons remain missing until date. Rights activists and lawyers have expressed their grave concern over such rise in enforced disappearance saying that such state-backed crimes are more heinous than the crimes committed by individuals or gangs.
Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmood Khandker said if anybody could prove the involvement of the law enforcement agencies in such abduction, the authorities would take action against those personnel. We are also sincere in investigating such issues whenever the families [of victims] file cases alleging abduction by law enforcers, he said claiming that the law enforcers maintain their duties and responsibilities properly. Lawyer Sigma Huda labels enforced disappearance as a ferocious incident. Sometimes I wonder whether being kidnapped by criminals is safer than being picked up by the law enforcers or not. At least, if one is kidnapped
by criminals there is a chance of rescuing him after fulfilling the kidnappers demand. On the other hand, if one is subjected to enforced disappearance, then nobody can hope he/she can be rescued. She also alleged that there had been a number of cases where the law enforcers committed such crimes being influenced by the politically- and financially-powerful people. Pointing out that from 2009 to 2013 more than 156 persons were subjected to such disappearance, Sultana Kamal, executive director of ASK, said: The state still has to develop itself with regard to protecting and promoting human rights. l
committee on the second week of February; and was also unable to follow through in what was reportedly its plan of forming the new committee after the release of Dhaka city unit BNP Convener and party Vice-Chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka. Reorganising the party is a regular job and it is not possible to do within a specific time frame. The reorganising process of the party is going on and the chairperson will announce the committee whenever the time will come, Abdullah Al-Noman, vice-chairman of the party, told the Dhaka Tribune. He, however, did not mention any time-frame. Sources at the party chairpersons Gulshan office said Khaleda herself was looking after the reorganising process of the associate and front bodies. However, many leaders have expressed frustrations as there was no visible progress in reshuffling since the January 5 national poll.
Party insiders said a section of leaders were against reshuffling BNPs Dhaka city unit now, as the upazila elections were ongoing. If committees were reshuffled now, intra-party feuds might come to the forefront, which would backfire; rather the committee should be formed after the stepping down of the government, a senior leader, seeking anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune. However, preferring to stay unnamed, a standing committee member said: Khaleda Zia wants to cut trees by keeping the weed. She has to decide whether she will keep the tree or the weed. With the fate of the city unit still undecided, Khaleda Zia as well as central leaders of the party have also kept mum about the BNPs national council, which has been due for more than a year. Some senior leaders have reportedly advised the party chief to shorten the list of executive
committee members, as most of the 486 members remained inactive during the partys movement for toppling the previous government. In the meeting with Dhaka University Chhatra Dal leaders, Khaleda said the new committee would be formed soon with regular students. Chhatra Dal leaders however said the new committee would be formed after the student wings president, general secretary and senior vice president were released from jail. Sources said Khaleda had also expressed similar views. Except the senior leaders, it is tough to identify who are the regular students And there is a chance of infiltration of Shibir. That is why the committee formation might take some time, a Chhatra Dal leader said. Reshuffling process has started and some time might be needed to complete the process, Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, student affairs secretary of the party, said. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
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to know that her husband had played a vital role in establishing Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra. He also worked as a liaison officer of sector 1. While on duty, Harun and his colleague Shahidul Alam were picked up by the al-Badr men on November 28, 1971 and taken to the citys Daleem hotel where they were tortured for three to four days. Harun was also confined at Salma Manjil, a torture cell in Panchlaish led by Mir Kashem, where the accused attempted to kill him five or more times. He was confined in a toilet for a couple of days. She heard that al-Badr members had killed at least 15 confined pro-liberation people there. After her deposition, defence counsel Mizanul Islam questioned Zulekha for some time. The tribunal then adjourned the hearing until March 18. Jamaat Executive Council member Mir Kashem, who is facing 14 charges for committing crimes against humanity in 1971, was produced at the tribunal during the deposition. l
In single letters issued on February 24 and 25 respectively, the commission approved transfers of 30 police personnel and 35 government officials
Sources said the applications for transfer were mostly coming from the in administration and police
department. On Monday, a high official of police administration came to commission with a transfer application and later received his permission on the same day. Even transfer applications from huge number of officials from different ministries and department were also pouring into the commission. In single letters issued on February 24 and 25 respectively, the commission approved transfers of 30 police personnel, 35 government officials, including additional deputy commissioners, additional district magistrates and upazila nirbahi officers. l
n Nazmus Sakib
n Udisa Islam
The International Crimes Tribunal 2 will record on March 9, the testimony of the first prosecution witness against Syed Mohammad Qaisar, a former state minister for agriculture from Jatiya Party. The tribunal fixed the date yesterday after hearing the prosecutions opening statement. According to Rana Das Gupta, the conducting prosecutor of the case, the prosecution has submitted a list of witnesses who would testify against the former MP. The prosecutors also read out the charges brought against Qaisar and prayed for recording of the witnesses. The tribunal then ordered the defence to submit on March 9, the documents and the witness list that they want to rely upon. On February 2, the tribunal indicted Syed Mohammad Qaisar on 16 charges, according to which, Qaisar had conspired with the Pakistani occupation forces with his Qaisar Bahini, and incited crimes like murders, genocide, mass killing, rapes, and destruction of property, as well as being responsible for the commissioning of international crimes in 1971. After framing the charges, the ICT 2 set March 4 for beginning Qaisars trial with the opening statement from the prosecution. Earlier on November 10 last year, the prosecution submitted the formal charges against the former state minister. Qaisar was arrested on May 16 last year, just a day after the tribunal had ordered his arrest, and was admitted to a private hospital in the capital. The tribunal later granted him conditional bail considering his age. Meanwhile, the defence counsel continued the cross-examination of second witness Mostafa Mia, in the case against ATM Azharul Islam yesterday. Defence counsel Abdus Sobhan Tarafder later cross-examined the witness, quizzing him on his training in India in 1971 and claiming that Mostafa had never fought for the country. l
Protesting students of Dhaka College bring out a rally in front of the National Press Club in the capital yesterday, demanding the recognition of their college as a full-fledged university. The rally created a long tailback on all sides SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
ACC seeks documents to probe six secretaries for obtaining forged freedom fighter certificates
n Tribune Report
The Anti-Corruption Commission has sought relevant documents from the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs to probe against the six secretaries alleged for obtaining freedom fighter certificates through forgery to extend their retirement age. The notice has asked the ministry to submit the six secretaries application letters for freedom fighter certificates, certified copies of the freedom fighter certificates that they had obtained, their applications for extension in service under the freedom fighters quota, and other relevant documents by March 9. On February 6, ACC decided to open an investigation into five secretaries and a joint secretary who obtained freedom fighter certificates over the last five years. They six alleged are Health Secretary Niaz Uddin, Liberation War Affairs Secretary KH Masud Siddiqui, Science and Technology Affairs Secretary AKM Amir Hossain, Housing and Public Works Affairs Secretary Khandaker Shawkat Hossain, Prime Ministers Former Secretary Mollah Waheduzzaman and Liberation War Affairs Joint Secretary Abul Kashem Talukdar. The anti graft body is currently conducting inquiry on how the officials had obtained the certificates prior to their retirement as they did not claim themselves to be freedom fighters at the time of joining. According to a circular issued by Prime Ministers Office, one has to declare himself as a freedom fighter at the time of joining any service to avail the benefits allotted to freedom fighters. Such claims may not be considered later. ACC has also sought the lists of freedom fighters prepared in 1980, in between 2001 and 2006, and in 2009, for verification. A letter would be issued to the ministry of public administration in a day or two asking it to send the service books of the six alleged secretaries and other documents related to their services, said an ACC official. l
The High Court yesterday issued a contempt rule against 12 people, including four secretaries, for breaching its order regarding installations on forest department land in Coxs Bazar. The order came following a writ petition filed by Bela in December last year against the construction of a housing project on a land of the forest department in Coxs Bazar. The bench of Justice Mohammad Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Mohammad Ashraful Kamal passed the order at the end of a preliminary hearing on a contempt plea filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA). The four secretaries are Environment Secretary Shafiqur Rahman Patwari, Land Secretary Mokhlesur Rahman, Housing Secretary Golam Rabbani and Civil Aviation Secretary Khurshid Alam Chowdhury. The other respondents are Chairman of Bangladesh Tourism Corporation Maksudul Hasan Khan, Chittagong Divisional Commissioner Mohammad Abdullah, Director General of the Environment Directorate Raisul Alam Mondol, Deputy Commissioner of Coxs Bazar district Ruhul Amin, Coxs Bazar district Superintendent of Police Azad Mia, Chittagong Divisional Forest Officer Sarker Abdul Awal, Coxs Bazar Sadar Upazila Executive Officer Shahidul Islam and Director of the Environment Directorate (Chittagong circle) Jafar Alam. They have been given two weeks to explain. Advocate Iqbal Kabir Liton, who argued for the petitioner at the hearing yesterday, told the Dhaka Tribune that the High Court, in a verdict on June 8, 2011, had ordered the government to remove all installations from the land within a month. But the government had gone ahead with executing the project on the land defying the court order, he said. He told reporters that 51 acres of land in Jhilanja Mouja in Coxs Bazar was considered environmentally vulnerable. The High Court had asked the government to submit a report after implementing the order. But the government is persisting with the housing project instead of implementing the court order, he added. l
Erstwhile premier Sheikh Hasina in 1998 decided to acquire 1.75 acre land and allotted 94 lakhs for implementing the project
On that day, his father and three other family members had been killed by the collaborators of the Pakistani army, he said. Murshid said: Erstwhile premier Sheikh Hasina in 1998 decided to acquire 1.75 acre land and allotted 94 lakhs for implementing the project. But the BNP led government in 2005 cancelled the project which prompted
the eight citizens to challenge the decision of writ petition through High Court. But the HC on January 16, 2011 disposed of the petition but did not overturn the then four party alliances government decision. Then the eight lodged an appeal with the Appellate Division against the HC verdict. The court yesterday cancelled the BNP governments decision and paved the way for preserving the field, he said. During the hearing, the apex court ordered the government to form a committee to ensure the position of the mass killing field. The government formed a committee headed by Major General (retd) KM Shafiullah, one of the sector commanders in 1971. Shahriar Kabir, a member of the committee, said according to the description of the eye witnesses, over ten thousand persons were killed in 1971 in the field. It would be the biggest mass killing field in the country, he said. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid addresses the inaugural ceremony of the three-day workshop on Building Sustainable and Peaceful Cities: Bangladesh in Comparative Global Perspective, in the capital yesterday RAJIB DHAR
WEATHER
US-based Bangladeshi photographer Tapas Barua briefs visitors at his third solo exhibition titled The Beauty of Boston at the Drik Gallery in the capital yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
PRAYER TIMES
Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha 5:02am 6:17am 12:10am 4:24pm 6:03pm 7:18pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
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told the Dhaka Tribune that a meeting would be held with the minister on this issue after receiving all the inspection reports. The health ministry has also reportedly formed 18 separate teams to inspect other private medical and dental colleges. Those teams were yet to finish inspection, a ministry official said. The first private medical college in the country, Bangladesh Medical College, was established in 1985 in Dhanmondi. From 1985 to 2005, only 26 private medical colleges were given permission. Another 56 private medical colleges were approved since 2005. l
Cricket fans enjoy Bangladesh vs Pakistan cricket match on a big screen at TSC, Dhaka University yesterday
NASHIRUL ISLAM
Probe report blames negligence of officials for fire at Jamuna oil depot in Chittagong
n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong
The probe report of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) said negligence of officials concerned and lack of fire safety measures were behind the fire at the depot of Jamuna Oil Company Limited in Chittagong citys Patenga on February 28. Assistant General Manager (Terminal) Abul Bashar was suspended after getting the probe report while Managing Director Alimuddin Ahmed and Deputy General Manager Md Manjur Rahman of Jamuna Oil Company Limited were asked to show cause over the incident. Four officials of state-run Jamuna Oil Company Limited were blamed for their negligence while the probe report recommended replacing the officials from such important posts and taking departmental action against them. SM Rejoan Hossain, chief of the five-member probe committee of BPC, also a director (marketing) of the corporation, submitted the 16-page probe report to BPC Chairman Md Eunusur Rahman yesterday morning a day later of its scheduled time, said BPC sources. On February 28 evening, nine employees of the depot sustained burn injuries. Of them, seven are undergoing treatment at the Burn and Plastic Surgery unit of Dhaka Medical College. Two separate probe bodies were formed on the following to investigate the incident. The workers opened the lid of the blank tank, which was actually full of octane gas, and switched on the pump machine at a time. As the switching on and off of the pump create spark normally, the switch box needed to be fire proof but the switch box of the affected tank was not fire-proofed, said the report. Besides, there was a little measure at the depot for firefighting, the report said, adding, it proved the irresponsibility of Engineer concerned Mushfiqur Rahman and Assistant General Manager (Terminal) Abul Bashar as they were not present on the spot during the maintenance work, said the probe report. The report also said as they were informed about the risks, they were supposed to be present on the spot according to official system, but they had not done it, which was directly responsible for the incident. Engineer Mushfiqur Rahman was suspended temporarily after the incident. The report also blamed Managing Director Alimuddin Ahmed and Deputy General Manager Md Manjur Rahman of Jamuna Oil Company Limited as they did not discharge their duty properly. The report also put six-point recommendations. Of them, the prime and foremost one is to replace the irresponsible officials from such kind of important establishment and re-shuffle the posts with the deployment of capable and responsible officials into the sector. Second one is to introduce separate and specialised firefighting unit for such depots with all kinds of modern amenities and vehicles. Third one is to introduce training and practice sessions for the workers and employees of such establishments regularly to face such an incident that happened on February 28. Receiving all kinds of findings and the recommendations, the probe report was forwarded to Mojammel Haque Khan, secretary of the ministry for power, energy and mineral resources, said the BPC chairman. l
Meher Afroz Chumki MP, state minister for women and children affairs, inaugurates Caf Joyeeta at the department of women affairs in the city yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
village and Kotalipara Kendrio Kalibari. He talked to the locals during the visit. Jogen was born on February 17 , 1939. His father is Promoth Chowdhury. He went to Kolkata at the age of 9 in 1948.He studied Art in India and served as an international Indian art professor. He said: This is the second time I am visiting my motherland after 21 years. I will visit my country whenever I get to manage time. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Nation
Unidentified miscreants cut down a large number of trees from Dhalchar in Bhola
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sultan Foundation president Abdul Gaffer Khan presided over the concluding session
Different cultural groups in association with cultural ministry, SM Sultan foundation and district administration arranged the fair.
Corrigendum
on Tender Notice for supply and installation of 2 (two) redundant sets of Diesel Generator each capacity 150 KVA.
Ref. No. & Date: H.O./Engg-5(4)Part-2/2013-14,24/02/2014 Sl. No. 08 Description Proposed Should be replaced by 25-03-2014 at 5.00 pm in Engineering Department (8th oor), Bangladesh Krishi Bank, Head Ofce, 83-85 Motijheel C/ADhaka-1000. Primary Place: Engineering oor), Department (8th Bangladesh Krishi Bank, Head Ofce, 83-85 Motijheel C/ADhaka-1000. Secondary Place:Bangladesh Krishi Bank Training Institute, Mirpur-13, Dhaka-1216 (a) The Tenderer should have a minimum of 07 years of overall experience in the supply of goods and related services. The Tenderer shall have a minimum of 5 years of specic experience in the supply of similar goods and related services. The minimum supply quantity is 5 Diesel Generator set each capacity Minimum 100KVA or Minimum Value of supplied Generators is Tk. 1 (One) Crore under a single contract in the last 5 years in any Govt./Semi Govt./ Autonomous body/ Commercial Bank/ Multinational Company.
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Eligibility of Tenders
(a) The Tenderer should have a minimum of 07 years of overall experience in the supply of goods and related services. The Tenderer shall have a minimum of 5 years of specic experience in the supply of similar goods and related services. The minimum supply quantity and value of goods under a single contract in the last 5(ve) years is 2(Two) Diesel Generator sets valuing Tk. 1 (One Crore) in any Govt./ Semi Govt./ Autonomous body/ Commercial Bank/ Multinational Company.
All other terms & conditions of the Tender Notice will remain unchanged (A.N.M Hanifur Rahman) Deputy General Manager
DG-40/14 (9"3)
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Feature
I have not come to be a poet, I have not come to be a leader. I came to give love, I came to get love. Because I have not had that love, I depart in quiet pique from this love-lorn, insipid world forever.
PHOTO: COURTESY
On 28th January, 1929 Muktadir and one of his friends, Salimullah Chowdhury accompanied Nazrul to Sandwip where he was put up in the government bungalow. On the following day, the people of the island accorded Nazrul a civic reception at the local Kargil High School ground. The meeting was chaired by Prasanna Kumar Moktaar and the address of honour and welcome on behalf of the islanders was read by Mohammad Waliullah. In his speech, Nazrul heaped praise on the courage and hospitality of the people of Sandwip. He was fascinated by its natural beauty, he added. Nazrul also rendered a few songs and recited a part of his poem Rebel. In that meeting, a resolution was passed criticising the baseless slander that was leveled against Nazrul. Nazrul also visited Muzaffar Ahmeds ancestral house in the village of Musagram in Sandwip, where he was born. Muzaffar later wrote, I do not know why Sandwip was liked by Nazrul. After returning to Kolkata, he expressed his desire to go to Sandwip once more, of course, if I went along with him. But that did never happen as very soon after that Muzaffar was arrested and sent to Meerut Jail. Although Nazrul also could not visit Sandwip again, he did return to Chittagong once more; his third and final visit to the land of another great revolutionary, Masterda Surya Sen was in May, 1933 when he came to attend the Chittagong District Literary Conference held at Raozan as the chief guest. Among others, Professor Abul Fazal, Mahbub ul Alam, Wahidul Alam and Habibullah Bahar took part in the conference. The editor of The Musalman, Mujibur Rahman and Mohammed Modabber also came from Kolkata. This conference was a huge success with an estimated ten thousand people coming to join the various sessions. Local leaders like Moulvi Nurul Afsar Chowdhury, Nurul Huda Chowdhury, Abul Kashem (who later became a Sub-Judge) and Ahmed Kabir Chowdhury played a prominent role in organising this conference, the
This last visit of Nazrul to Chittagong was very short and in less than a decade, he was affected by a disease that took away his voice and his memory. For 34 long years, he had to suffer a life of silence, which was equally unbearable to millions of Bengalis. The poet of love and humanism also had this remorse in life, which could be easily deciphered from this writing: I have not come to be a poet, I have not come to be a leader. I came to give love, I came to get love. Because I have not had that love, I depart in quiet pique from this love-lorn, insipid world forever. l Uday Sankar Das is a senior journalist who worked for BBC World Service Radio in London and is presently based in Chittagong.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
n AFP, Washington
Ukrainian servicemen look on from inside a military post in the Crimean city of Kerch. Russia has agreed to a meeting with representatives from NATO on Wednesday to discuss the Ukraine crisis, Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini said yesterday REUTERS shoot the Ukrainians if they continued to march toward them. The shots reflected tensions running high in the Black Sea peninsula since Russian troops estimated by Ukrainian authorities to be 16,000 strong tightened their grip over the weekend on the Crimean peninsula, where Moscow's Black Sea Fleet is based. Ukraine has accused Russia of violating a bilateral agreement on conditions of a Russian lease of a naval base in Crimea that restricts troop movements, but Russia has argued that it was acting within the limits set by the deal. Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, said on Monday at the UN Security Council that Russia was entitled to deploy up to 25,000 troops in Crimea under the agreement. Churkin didn't specify how many Russian troops are now stationed in Crimea, but said that "they are acting in a way they consider necessary to protect their facilities and prevent extremist actions." There was no sign of tensions elsewhere in Crimea early on Tuesday. A supposed Russian ultimatum for two Ukrainian warships to surrender or be seized passed without action from either side, as the two ships remained anchored in the Crimean port of Sevastopol. l
A man walks in front of the partially frozen American side of the Niagara Falls during sub-freezing temperatures on March 3. For the second time in what has been a frigid winter in the Northeastern United States, Niagara falls has come to an icy halt as the six million cubic feet of water that typically flow over the falls every minute has frozen over REUTERS
A vote for independence would not mean ending ties with the UK
Salmond wants an independent Scotlandto keep using the British pound in a currency union with the rest of the UK and the services of theBank of England, but the three main British parties have joined forces to rule this out. Some financial heavyweights such as the Edinburgh-based Standard Life andRoyal Bank of Scotlandhave voiced concern about uncertainties over the currency, regulation and tax regimes in the event ofScottishindependence. By contrast, the heads of the International Airlines Group , the owner of British Airways, and discount airlineRyanairhave said it could be good for business as Scotland would probably cut air passenger tax. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
9
NATO supply trucks under fire in Pakistan n Agencies
Two people were killed in northwest Pakistan after gunmen attacked fourvehicles carrying NATO supplies for Afghanistan, according to of icials. The vehicles came under fire in the Jamrud area of Khyber Agency, one of seven districts that make up Pakistans semi- autonomous tribal belt. The four containers were on their way to Afghanistan when four gunmen riding two motorbikes opened fire at them in Jamrud, killing two helpers and wounding one driver and one helper, Jehangir Azam Wazir, a senior localadministration official, told AFP news agency. Wazir added that one of the helpers died at the scene, while the second succumbed to his injuries in hospital. No group has yet admitted responsibility, but the Taliban have in the past claimed such attacks to disrupt supplies for US-led international troops fighting in Afghanistan. Sources said, Pakistan is a major transit supply route for NATOs mission in landlocked Afghanistan. Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked fighters frequently launch attacks across northwest Pakistan and the lawless tribal belt, which Washington calls the most dangerous place in the world. The Pakistani Taliban declared a month-long ceasefire on Saturday to encourage the resumption of peace talks with the government in Islamabad. From November 2011 to July 2012, Pakistan shut its Afghan border to overland NATO traffic after botched US air raids killed24 Pakistani troops. l
Pakistani relatives mourn as they look at the body of a victim of a suicide attack in an ambulance outside a hospital mortuary following a gun and suicide attack on a court in Islamabad. Eleven people including a judge were killed in the attack AFP
Saturdays bloodshed in Kunming stands out for its brutality and targeting
State media were quick to point the finger at Xinjiang separatists, code for Uighurs, the largest single group in Xinjiang. Some analysts outside mainland China, however, are wary of such assertions until hard evidence emerges, given the states overwhelming control of domestic information and media. Clarke said that if eventually proven, it really signals a new level in development in terms of the conflict
Sahara group boss attacked with ink at court n AFP, New Delhi
A protester splattered the boss of Indias giant Sahara group with ink yesterday as he arrived at the Supreme Court for a hearing over delays in repaying billions of dollars to small investors. The shirtless protester attacked flamboyant billionaire Subrata Roy, whose face was blackened with the ink, as he reached the top court in New Delhi following his arrest last week. As guards whisked away Roy, the protester yelled thief before a group of lawyers and Sahara supporters starting beating him up, as police dragged him away from the court, an AFP photographer said. Roy wilfully submitted himself to police on Friday, two days after the court ordered his arrest over delays in repaying billions of dollars collected from rural savers through illegal bond sales. The court issued the order after Roys lawyers said he could not appear in person at a hearing last week because his elderly mother was ill, frustrating the judges and further delaying the 18-month-old case. Sahara, a famous name in India through its former sponsorship of the national cricket team, raised about 200 billion rupees ($3.2 billion) from millions of savers in a process judged by authorities in 2012 to be against the law. l
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Editorial
LETTER OF THE DAY
Letters to
the Editor
ngoing incidents of lawbreaking by members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) are an embarrassment to the government. We call on the prime minister to take concrete steps to rein in wrongdoers within the ruling party, before any more damage is done to the credibility of the Awami League. The government has significant achievements to its credit during its previous term in maintaining economic growth, and has made some positive policy moves during the first two months of its second term. However, there are disturbing signs of a continuation in illegal activities by BCL activists including intimidation, extortion and violence. Highly visible incidents have not only harmed the lives of citizens and undermined the rule of law but are harming the reputation of the AL. This threatens to overshadow notable positive aspects of the governments record. While high level AL leaders have condemned criminal acts by BCL members, and the party has on occasion been quicker than past governments in reacting swiftly to expel wrongdoers, this is still proving insufficient to deter fresh infractions. The government needs to be more assertive in ensuring the rule of law. If governmentaffiliated thugs are found breaking laws, it should make sure they always be duly apprehended and brought before the courts. By taking clearer action to demonstrate that heinous behaviour has no place within the AL, the PM would benefit both the public and improve the standing of her government.
Action against wrongdoers would benefit both the public and the standing of the government
In good faith
February 28 Sam This is one of the finest pieces by the editor ... brave, lucid, and reflective of his pluralist, constitutional, and classical liberal ethos. To say well done would be a rank understatement. Mahmudul Islam Greatly appreciating the articulate explanation. Criticising part of something or particular characteristics of it never means criticising or opposing the whole thing. I think emotional maturity to understand the other side of the coin is of paramount importance when it comes to dealing with sensitive issues. Some in Bangladesh, oddly enough, are yet to develop that essential maturity. deep purple blue Good piece thank you Mr Editor! And I like your honesty the full disclosure. Asif Khan The best op-ed I read in DT. If only our fellow countrymen could understand this Bangladesh could have gone 20 years ahead. WaliulHaqueKhondker Needless to restate that it is an outstanding oped! This condones David of all the misunderstanding prevailing in the corridors of trial process and in the minds of the trial watchers about him. But David owes me a lecture for my learning, when he told me this war crime and crime against humanity trial is not comparable to the Nuremberg trial process! David dear, are you listening? :) Ronnie Its actually a timely indictment of our highly politicised, emotionally charged, nuance-free, absolutist attitudes regarding the ICT trials, that Mr Sobhan has to even write such an article explaining the vital and necessary distinction to be made between an anti-trial and pro-fairness stance. Ill admit that I have been consistently somewhat sceptical and critical about the levels of due process and fairness of the ICT trials, so far. And I can testify to the fact that my criticisms have disappointed, or enraged many people I know. Isnt it also very obvious how any stance that runs counter to the interests and propaganda of the AL is predictably pounced upon as anti-liberation (and in this case, anti-trial, Jamaat-loving etc)? Besides, in the prevailing political environment where the PM and her ministers have embarked on a relentless and cynical campaign falsely depicting the war crimes issue as the #1 public issue of the day, and themselves as the sole guarantors of justice on this issue, any dissent regarding the trials process is depicted as perfidy. Theres also the broader Us vs Them rhetoric of the PM and AL that I find odious in its destructive divisiveness. It is unfortunate and unwarranted. Discussions on the ICT trials are an obvious casualty of this intolerance. nds Constructive criticism is a sort of blanket that may be used both to provide warmth to one feeling the cold and it may also be used to cover the dirt that needs to be swept outright. Here in Bangladesh, BNP enjoying the support of a huge number of people, in spite of their pretentious statement opposed to the trial, will catch hold of any criticism, be it constructive or anything, and twist it against the trial to confuse or even mislead the people with the ultimate goal to foil it lock, stock and barrel. Therein lies the real danger.
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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
BIGSTOCK
cenario 1: A new department opened. The course was a professional one. Teachers were available. But they did not belong to the group that ruled the campus. So, another one had been chosen, who had no degree, no certificate, not even a minimum level of experience in the subject. But he was made the chairman of the department, as he was a stalwart of the group that decides everything in the university. The result was a lack of quality teachers being hired, and a high dropout rate. Scenario 2: A teacher of a public university is a leader of a party too. First, he was chosen for a top ranking position, but there were feuds within his group. He was then sent to another public university to a top position. Scenario 3: A teacher, surely a front line activist of the ruling party-backed teachers group, contested the teachers association polls. He lost. But the next day, he got a big administrative post in the university, as the ruling team did not want to see him disappointed. These are only three scenarios out of hundreds of immoral, illogical, and crooked practices going on in public universities these days. Recent events in Jahangirnagar, Rajshahi, Begum Rokeya in Rangpur, and other public universities give clear signals that grave problems are there. As private universities are still at an elementary level, public universities are highest seat of learning. There are many criticisms of the violent activities of student organisations. The campuses in most public universities are being badly affected by corruption and nepotism. Teacher politics is so strong now, that universities these days actually recruit voters, not teachers. Many academics say that the cur-
rent trend of highly politicised teacher politics is responsible for demeaning the image of the universities in the country. As these universities are financed by the government, public universities turn into havens for those who are pro-ruling party. No one will disagree that political awareness is a must for educated citizens. But will teachers understand that their politics should be different from that of the countrys political parties? Teachers involvement in party politics always results in the abuse of power in the name of autonomy. The blue-white-pink political identity of teachers damages their academic identity.
made these institutions highly undemocratic, as only the ruling party enjoys everything there. The situation is so political that every government has been following their own methods to run these universities, flouting their autonomy. University teachers also get directly involved with politics. And the ultimate result is the spread of corruption. A former student of Rajshahi University told this scribe that 554 teachers and employees (all on political consideration) were recruited during the past BNP Jamaat regime. And the same way, over 600 have been recruited during the last five years.
Will teachers understand that their politics should be different from that of political parties?
Be it academic or administrative, everything is controlled by pro-ruling party teachers. Transfers, postings, and recruitment are all based on political loyalty, not merit. One of the main causes of deterioration of the public universitiesis said to be too much autonomy granted under the 1973 university ordinance. The ordinance was believed to have been contributing positively towards the democratisation of the administration of the universities.Once seen as a great virtue, university ordinance is now being looked down upon as a vice, as it is misused seriously. Teachers say public universities are given full freedom by the 1973 ordinance. But the much talked about ordinance
Now, he said, the university was facing difficulties to pay their salaries. In most of the public universities, recruitments were done without UGC approval. The approvals were managed later. Teachers want comfortable positions either inside the university or outside. For this, they do not hesitate to sacrifice their values. They resort to any kind of acts they want. When a new government takes over, it appoints a vice-chancellor upon political consideration, and the VC starts recruiting others in different positions the same way. As it is said earlier, they employ new teachers on the basis of their party allegiance, not on the basis of merit and
academic performance. It is strongly perceived even by university teachers, that successive regimes, through their appointees in the public universities, have recruited many teachers who have seriously undermined the academic standards of these institutions. In any discussion of public universities, a section of teachers and students try to talk about the glorious past of student politics in national movements. In fact, those days are gone. Student politics contributed to the enrichment of national politics, and to the struggle for the rights of the people in the past. But today, it has grossly degenerated into all out attempts by political parties to occupy campuses and establish influence and authority. Politics by teachers are rather fuelling the violence among feuding student organisations. Even if we accept the contributions of student movements in different historical turning points, the question comes as to whether we should say that public universities were established for political purposes, not academic ones. In fact, the problems are built in. Political spirit always gets preference over academic excellence in these universities. The expectation is also not clear. The priority is also not fixed. The general expectation is education, but since the very beginning, the universities are used for political gain. Today, the overall focus is on politics, not on education. The intellectual environment is gradually overtaken by sectarian political grouping. Most teachers, students, and employees (if not all) feel that it is better to have links with politics, not with academic work. If they can reach the desired position without doing academic work, why should they bother? l Syed Ishtiaque Reza is Director of News, Ekattor Television.
According to Jo B Paoletti, historian and author of Pink and Blue: Telling the Girls from the Boys, pink and blue designations area rather recent phenomena. Earlier, it was more widespread to wear white, a shade that entailed neutral clothing. Then, in the mid-19th century, pink and blue started to gain more acceptance for babies, although at that time it was pink for boys and blue for girls. A June 1918 article from the trade publicationEarnshaws Infants Departmentwrote: The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger colour, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl. Clearly, times have changed and with it, a persons thinking habits. In Bangladesh, it is difficult to find baby clothes outside of this colour palate; colours such as green, white, and brown are almost unavailable. Also, people insist on sticking to these two colours, often saying things like girls look cutest in pink, and often implying that a boys manliness might be put under the microscope if he is made to wear pink. Speaking from personal experience, I can vouch for this as my daughter has a closet full of pink dresses, accessories, bedspreads, the works all of which are gifts from others. So what does this mean for growing children in general? Overall, the movement was more a marketing ploy than anything else according to Philip Cohen, a sociologist at the University of Maryland. Beinggender normal is very important to us, and as a marketing technique, if retailers can convince you that being gender normal means you need to buy a certain product cosmetics, plastic surgery, blue or pink clothing, etc it just makes sense from a production or mass marketing perspective, says Cohen. Thus, like many other products that are mass-produced to sustain capitalistic needs, the colour-coding mechanism reads no differently. Customers are drawn to such distinctions and apply it to their daily lives without
Parents should also refrain from generalised comments such as girls wear bangles, and boys dont cry. Again, if a girl opts to play with balls and a boy with dolls, let them do so. Most importantly, growing children need to witness their parents sharing an equal pedestal at home where chores are divided, and both parents respect one another. Finally, breaking free of such colour patterns that clearly distinguish one gender from the other might be a starting point. l Syeda Samara Mortada is the Associate Editor of ICE Today, a lifestyle magazine, and a freelance writer.
Gunday has chosen to parrot the official Delhi fiction of Bangladesh being a product of a brief Indo-Pak war
Not too many films are produced in Assamese and when a good one is made with help from the Assam Film Development Corporation, this is the fate. Cultural diversity, even cultural competition, can only flourish in a level economic playing field. Let me describe a scenario. Dubbing
stroy your cultural roots, replace them with mine, and you will finally clap along the way. If that does not make me a goonda, I dont know what does. The acts of some gangsters have international manifestations. Gunday has chosen to parrot the official Delhi fiction of Bangladesh being a product of a brief
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Entertainment
n Afrose Jahan Chaity
Impress Telefilm Limited organised a muharat for their new film Tobuo Bhalobasha. The film is jointly produced by Impress Telefilm Limited and Reggae Entertainment and Tourism. The event was held onboard of MV Flamingo, a luxurious ship docked at the Buriganga river. The reason for holding the muharat on a ship is that it is related to the subject of the film as it addresses the drastic climate change issues. The plot includes climate refugees and the assumption that 50% of Bangladesh will be under water in 2050. Through this film, Swapan Ahmed wants to create more awareness about global warming and the effects of climate change. However, aside from the serious aspects, the film also has the elements of a love story. Scripted and written by Anisul Haque and directed by Swapan Ahmed, the film will introduce a new silver screen duo Anisur Rahman Milon and debutant Ritu Islam in lead roles. Other members of the cast includes Hena, Pronob Sarker Opu, Lutfur Rahman Jorje, Chashi and more. Actors of the film joined the muharat a bit later as they were attending a campaign to save the river by holding placards with the message Love for river, love for country. Shooting of the film will start from March 6 in Kurigram, different islands on Megna and other locations of Dhaka. About the film, Swapan Ahmed said: The storytelling of the film will be different, it will be done in such a manner that the international audience will also be able to connect with the story. l
Anisur Rahman Milon and Ritu Islam pair up for Tobuo Bhalobasha
n Entertainment Desk
Celebrated actor Mahfuz Ahmed and Mili paired up for an upcoming drama serial based on late legendary author Humayun Ahmeds novel Ekjon Mayaboti. The novel was published in 2002 from Anyaprokash Publications Limited and the head of the publication, Mazharul Islam is all set to direct the 52-episode serial. Mazharul believes if Humayun Ahmed was alive today, he would love the script written by Arun chowdhury. He also informed that the series will be aired on Channel i soon. Mahfuz Ahmed
will be seen as Monjur and Mili as Jahnara who are the lead roles of the series. Mahfuz shares: Just because its Humayum Ahmed sirs story and Mazharul Islam is giving the direction, I left all my agendas. Mahfuz, who is currently directing a mega serial Mago Tomar Jonyo, further added: May be it will be the only drama series where I will be acting this year. Mili shares: This is the first time Im working in a Humayun Ahmed story. I will try to give my best effort since the audience will have a big a expectation from the production and I dont want to leave any stone unturned to do my best. l
TODAY IN DHAKA
Film
Avatar 3D 47 Ronin (3D), Aakash Koto Dure, Thor: The Dark World 3D, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in 3D, Frozen in 3D, Shunte Ki Pao, Agnee Time: 10am - 10pm Star Cineplex, Bashundhara City Robocop, Gravity, Captain Phillips, Elysium Time: 12:30pm 9:30pm Blockbuster Cinemas, Jamuna Future Park, Ka- 244, Pragati Avenue, Kuril
Exhibition
ON TV
DRAMA
5:30pm Star Plus
Diya Aur Bati Hum The Sixth Sense
COMEDY
4:00pm ATN News
News Now
Fragments of the Unknown By Najma Akhter, Time: 12pm 8pm Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts House 42, Road 16 (New) / 27 (old) Dhanmondi War and Colonies 1914 1918 Rare photographs of World War II Time: 3pm 9pm Alliance Francaise de Dhaka
10:00pm Maasranga Tv
Leonardo DiCaprio must be one of the unluckiest devastatingly good-looking Oscar-nominated movie stars in the world. Leonardo DiCaprio did not get an Oscar this year, yet again. Many had hoped that the 39-year-old actor would finally get his first Oscar almost 20 years after he was first nominated. However, Matthew McConaughey was throughout the frontrunner for the best actor Oscar for his turn in Dallas Buyers Club and finally went home with the prized statuette. DiCaprios been nominated thrice before for roles in Blood Diamond (2006), The Aviator (2004), and Whats Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), and many thought he was an obvious pick this year for his portrayal of financial crook Jordan Belfort in Martin Scorseses The Wolf of Wall Street. Despite a stellar body of work DiCaprio hasnt come away with the sauce yet. Hes never won an Oscar. Ever. Ever since DiCaprios Titanic (1997) sunk all competition at the box office, the guys been a consistent
Leonardo DiCaprio Oscar snub: Why he never wins Preity Zinta to try her n hand in politics
Entertainment Desk
box office draw. Not only does he pack the house, the films hes chosen to be a part of are breathtakingly quirky but not too dark to scare viewers off. Known for starring in Oscar-winning films like Inception and The Departed, whats holding DiCaprio back from that win? Well, here are a few things. tomed to his great acting, they tend to forget that it takes a certain level of mastery to make thesbianism look effortless.
2. The films
n Entertainment Desk
After her almost retirement from Bollywood and subsequent flop show in the IPL, actress Preity Zinta is reportedly aspiring to try her luck in politics now. According to sources, Preity Zinta has plans to contest election against Sanjay Dutts sister, Priya Dutt. It has been reported that the dimpled cheek girl, Preity Zinta has been offered nomination by Bharatiya Janata Partys General Secretary, Rajiv Pratap Rudy to fight election from the North-Central Mumbai constituency against Munna Bhais sister, Priya Dutt. As a matter of fact, Rudy happens to be a distant kin of Preity Zinta and it has been learned that the BJP leader wanted to fix some Bollywood
Perhaps the films so great that theyre eclipsing his powerful performances. Maybe its time for our star to slow down with the powerful, well-written numbers and headline the dud of all dud. His performance will stick out like a sore thumb and the Academy will take note of how DiCaprio took an ordinary film to the extraordinary. That type of charity would stand to be rewarded.
3. Good looks
People have seen Leo act for the past 20 years, since Growing Pains. Perhaps the masses are so accus-
Do his sculpted from clay chiseled good looks get in the way from judging him with integrity? Are his movies hard to keep up with because of the overwhelming amount of times people must avert their eyes so as not to be receive the Jack Dawson effect? His career is brilliant so far. He doesnt need an Oscar to validate that. But we bet he sure wouldnt mind one. l
celebrity against Priya Dutt for the said constituency in the upcoming polls. l
Feel the heat of Agnee, the girl with the big guns
knows her true identity, or her motive. To keep safe, the mob hires Dragon (Arifin Shuvoo), a boxer who has won the Thai Boxing Championship, and orders him to kill her straightaway. But cruel fate plays its card and the deft Dragon falls in love with her instead. In course of time, they find themselves in a world where nobody can be trusted. The movie is a Jazz Multimedia production and is directed by Iftakhar Chowdhury. The cinematography is noteworthy. Scenic depiction of Thailand and the smooth colour tone is very soothing to the eyes, a rare quality seen in our mainstream movies. Thanks to Digital Media, we can now see some Bengali movies where the screen would not dance and go nuts, but rather give us the scope to really concentrate on the story. The costumes were a delight with both Mahi and Shuvoo sporting youthful and fashionable attires, with modern makeup which accentuated their positive features. The music of the movie has the ability to bring in cash but the ambience audio is still lagging behind. Tanisha screaming every time she sees her hero was hell of an experience for the audience too. People in the theatre have been having their share of enjoyment by screaming and whistling loudly whenever they saw Mahi or her moves, but her screams were so loud that even a hall of audience had to go silent to adjust their hearing. But the blame does not rest with the ambience only, the director has failed to live up to the expectation elsewhere - somewhere gross. The script is a bummer. Yes its a commercial flick, but it could have been made into an interesting story with the sharp bends, the unanticipated twist, or the heart-wrenching story of any character can really make the audience wait and be pleased. The script of Agnee is lacklustre, the characters, with the exception of Tanisha, do not have any depth, the dialogues are clich, the humour is primitive and continuity falls apart to accommodate some unnecessary songs. The biggest turnoff was the lack of thoughts in building the character of Dragon. During the length of the movie, he seemed to be good for nothing except for some overstretched romantic gestures, like in some romantic songs. While scopes were enough to present a new Mr Smith, alongside a kung-fu Ms Smith. Mahi had everything: the break, the lead and the scope. But she needs to learn to put on some expressions on her face and study some moves to rock the dance floor and use all those opportunities. She also needs to work on her acting skills and scream a little less the next time she needs to act terrified. People love skills in flicks. The production unit should have thought about it too. Having said it all, here is a serious note to consider. Being critical is easy, doing right is not. But Iftakar Chowdhury has tried things right. The team of Agnee have ambitions to be on the top and they will eventually learn what to do in order to bring that about. Nonetheless, Bangladesh is seeing smarter moves in its film industry these days. Hope the bad old days will be gone very soon. If you want to be a part of a revolution in the most critical and creative art sector of this country, and we believe which you should be, then you must book a seat to feel the heat of Agnee. l
role of a trained Killer Mahi, as Tanisha in the film, has definitely proved that she can pull off such roles as easily as she can change between her getups without raising a single eyebrow from people nearby! To give our readers a glimpse of this newest action thriller, let us tell a bit of the story without any spoiler. Tanisha is out on the loose and is killing off members of a criminal gang (Gulzar Ali Raj, Haider Misha Shawdagar and others). The targeted men are notorious criminals of the Bangladeshi underworld, currently residing in the safe havens of Thailand. Nobody
Sport
eryone goes through a bad patch. But you cant just remove some one. Sunny bhai is performing well yes, luckily. But Razzakbhai is a senior player and he was playing well. It could have gone either way, because it didnt go our way, we have to take the blame, he added. Why seamer Ziaur Rahman was not even handed a single over Mushfiq said,Pakistanis one of the best bowling attack, to go with six batsmen is a risk. Zia is not someone who can bat for long overs, he can play in the last 10 15 overs. Taking an extra batsman, was because of their good bowling attack and also our batsmen werent playing very well. Our target was to bat first. I think that was a right selection. Rubel had a knee injury, but he still played said Mushfiq. On the other hand Misbahul Haq informed that the turning point of the match was the two sixes by FawadAlam on the 48th over which turned the match for them, I think those two sixes by Fawad turned the match for us as we needed 31 runs in the last three overs, said Misbah. However the Pakistani skipper gives the credit to Afridi along with Ahmed Shehzad and Fawad Alam for the win, I think Afridi deliverdhis one of the best innings and turned the match into our side by his big hitting. But Shehzad and Fawad also played brilliantly and without their contribution it would have not possible to chase such a huge total, added Misbah. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
13
0 1 1
DAYS TO GO
14 Last chance
15 Bangladesh
SCORECARD
Bangladesh Anamul Haque c Shehzad b Ajmal Imrul Kayes c Akmal b Talha Mominul Haque c Hafeez b Ajmal Mushfiqur Rahim not out Shakib Al Hasan not out Extras: (lb3, nb3, w15) Total: (for three wkts; 50 overs) Fall of wickets 1 150, 2 204, 3 249 Bowling Hafeez 10 0 27 0, Gul 10 1 76 0, Rehman 0 0 8 0 (3nb), Alam 2 0 12 0, Talha 7 0 68 1, Ajmal 10 0 61 2, Afridi 10 0 64 0, Maqsood 1 0 7 0 Pakistan Ahmed Shehzad b Razzak 103 Mohammad Hafeez c Kayes b Haque 52 Misbah-ul Haq b Shakib 4 Sohaib Maqsood c Anamul b Haque 2 Fawad Alam run out 74 Abdur Rehman c Zia b Mahmudullah 8 Shahid Afridi run out 59 Umar Akmal not out 14 Umar Gul not out 0 Extras: (b1, lb3, w9) 13 Total: (for seven wkts; 49.5 overs) Fall of wickets 1 97, 2 102, 3 105, 4 210, 5 225, 6 294, 7 325 Bowling Islam 5 0 49 0 (3w), Hossain 6.5 0 500, Shakib 10 2 53 1, Razzak 9 0 72 1 (2w), Haque 9 1 37 2, Mahmudullah 7 1 47 1, Nasir 3 0 17 0 Result Pakistan won by three wickets 329 100 59 51 51 44 21 326
POINTS TABLE
Teams Sri Lanka Pakistan India Afghanistan Bangladesh Mat Won Lost Pts Net RR 3 3 0 13 +0.971 4 3 1 13 +0.349 3 1 2 4 -0.027 3 1 2 4 -1.127 3 0 3 0 -0.285
Bangladesh opener Anamul Haque celebrates his century during the Asia Cup match against Pakistan at SBNS yesterday
MUMIT M
Bangladesh reached 100 for no loss in the 18th over before Imrul reached his ninth ODI fifty in a time when Bangladesh team is desperately seeking for a opening partnership. He was adjudged caught behind off Umar Gul for 59 off 75 balls with two sixes and five boundaries. However, the replays showed the ball had brushed his arm on the way to the wicketkeeper. By then Bnagladesh had 150 on the scorecard, which helped them reach their biggest total against any team in ODIs. l
MOMENTS
The beamer shame
Pakistan left-arm spinner Abdur Rehmans inclusion in the playing XI was supposed to boost the teams bowling attack. But the opposite happened as the 34-year-old from Sialkot was brought into attack in the 11th over. His first ball of the over slipper out of his hand and went way up and way wide to opener Imrul Kayes on strike. The second ball was also a full toss outside off and Imrul slapped it straight to deep midwicket but the umpire called delivery another no for its height and warned Rehman for another beamer. The disaster happened in the third delivery which was again a no ball and definitely a beamer this time to Anamul Haque. It was full toss on the body which was slapped to the midwicket boundary. The umpire handed the bowler his cap and he was not allowed to bowl in the innings for the two beamers. Rehmans game was over with humiliation and a record which was to give 8 runs off zero balls. However this was not unique in cricket. There have been at least four occasions on record where a bowler had to go off for the comical error but never after giving eight runs!
Bangladesh allrounder Shakib al Hasan celebrates a wicket with teammates at SBNS yesterday
MUMIT M
320/8 against Zimbabwe on 2009. Shakib remained unbeaten on 44 off just 16 balls smashing six fours and two sixes with Mushfiq scoring 51 off 33 balls, and the pair added 77 runs in 34 balls. The all-rounder made his mark when he came on to bowl in the fifth over with a maiden and the left arm bowler took the important wicket of Misbah ul Haq when he clean bowled the Pakistani skipper in his fifth over. The star of Bangladesh was everywhere in the field yesterday as he ran out the dangerous Shahid Afridi in the 47th over when he had a direct hit from cover, after Afridi struck 59 off just 25 balls. l
The journey of the Asia Cup 2014 so far has seen abundance of support for Pakistan for Bangladesh people, the team which was concerned of their participation in the tournament due to security reasons. But when it comes down to a Bangladesh game, the cricket crazy nation is uncompromising. The stands at Mirpur during the Bangladesh-Pakistan game were packed with Bangladesh flag. However there was a supporter for Pakistan at Shaheed Jewel Stand who was wrapped around with a Pakistan flag. But the lone Pakistan supporter after heavy boos fried by the stand full of Bangladesh supporters, had to fold the Pakistan flag and put inside in his backpack a move for survival. Minhaz Uddin Khan
14
Seventh heaven for Cech
Czech Republic international goalkeeper Petr Cech was named Czech player of the year for the seventh time on Monday. The 31-year-old Chelsea star capped 106 times since making his international debut in 2002 beat Tomas Rosicky, who plays for Chelseas Premier League rivals Arsenal, and Vladimir Darida, who plays for Bundesliga outfit Freiburg, in a vote by coaches, players and club officials. It is an award so therefore one never wants to let ones standards slip, said Cech. AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
KEY FRIENDLIES
Japan South Africa Romania Austria Switzerland Belgium Germany England France Portugal Spain Mexico v v v v v v v v v v v v New Zealand Brazil Argentina Uruguay Croatia Ivory Coast Chile Denmark Netherlands Cameroon Italy Nigeria
Spain's Diego Costa controls the ball during a training session at Soccer City grounds in Las Rozas, near Madrid on Monday REUTERS
be staging any of Wednesdays matches. Hosts Brazil head for South Africa, surprising observers who would have expected them to face top-level opposition, while Argentina - with Carlos Tevez again overlooked by coach Alejandro Sabello - visit Romania. Colombias ability to play without Radamel Falcao, should the prolific striker not recover from a knee injury in time for the World Cup, will be tested against Tunisia in Barcelona. Coach Jose Pekerman has called up Hertha Berlin striker Adrian Ramos, the
FIXTURES
Oman Jordan Thailand Iraq Saudi Arabia Yemen Qatar Uzbekistan Vietnam v v v v v v v v v Singapore Syria Lebanon China Indonesia Malaysia Bahrain UAE Hong Kong
Guangzhou Evergrandes Marcello Lippi had been hotly tipped. Lippi later signed a new three-year deal with the Chinese and Asian champions. Perrin, the well-travelled, 57-yearold former Marseille and Portsmouth coach, arrives with none of the pedigree of the World Cup-winning Lippi. His greatest success was leading Lyon to the French double in 2008.
Italy's coach Cesare Prandelli (L) and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon (R) pose during a press conference to present the new jersey of Italy's national team at Malpensa on Monday AFP
Revellers from the Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school are suspended by wires on a float made to resemble a vertical football field, as they participate in the annual Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome yesterday REUTERS
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
15
Being one of eight U-20 players in the team, Mohammedan midfielder Hemanta Vincent Biswas is also likely to make debut as substitute with Mamunul, Sohel Rana and Jamal Bhuiyan start in midfield. The main concern in the team in recent time is lack of goals but striker Zahid Hassan Emilys recent form in the league could boost Kruifs confidence. After conducting the final practice session yesterday evening, Kruif said all the players are fit and are ready to go. Its a match of prestige and pressure, after the SAFF Championship its more than six months and the national team has not played any matches, we look forward to put a good show, said the Dutch coach. Kruif is positive about Bangladeshs chance adding that he will mix youth and experience. The team is new as a number of players have earned their first call, India are a strong team and they are the hosts, we have to put a good show in the middle and commit less mistakes and when we get our chances we have to take them and hope for a good result, he added. There is a little change in Indias Dutch coach Wim Koevermans squad as he kept most of the players who were selected for friendlies in November last year. The Dutchman is likely to go with two strikers, one of them is of course captain Sunil Chhetri. We are not underestimating Bangladesh. We respect every opposition we play and we will respect them too, said Koevermans yesterday. l
QUICK BYTES
Bangladesh and Indian coaches Lodewick de Kruif and Wim Coevermans, skippers Mamunul Islam and Sunil Chettry seen in the official presser of the Fifa International Friendly at Goa yesterday COURTESY Championship in Nepal is still intact which could give Lodewijk de Kruifs men inspiration to fight till the end. Adding to the matter, the last meeting between the two sub-continent sides ended with Sunil Chettris lastgasp 93rd minute free-kick helping India narrowly escape defeat - which eventually saw them make an early exit from the group stage of Saff Champinship. India are also giving the game more importance after seeing Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Clubs performance in the IFA Shield where the Bangladesh Premier League club defeated two I League clubs to reach the final of worlds 4th oldest club cup competition. Apart from the foreigners, defender Nasir, midfielders Mamunul Islam and Sohel Ranas performance caught the attention of many. The trio along with seven other players in the 21-man squad are from Sheikh Jamal and their recent experience and performance away from home would be vital for Bangladesh. Ahead of team selection, Kruifs only concern is the right wing. With both Jahid Hossain and Mobarak Hossain injured, the Dutch coach could opt for giving youngster Toklis Ahmed a chance at right wing and if not, Brothers in-form forward Rubel Mia could make his debut for the national team.
Veteran Euro MP Daniel Cohn-Bendit on Tuesday urged European governments to threaten a boycott of the 2018 World Cup in Russia over Vladimir Putins actions in Crimea. There has to be a response. The worst thing to do would be nothing at all, Cohn-Bendit told France Inter radio. The one thing that would really hit Putin would be saying that the Europeans and everyone who will go along with them will not go to the World Cup in four years time if he does not stop. He has to be isolated, politically and personally. Cohn-Bendit, a member of the Green group in the European Parliament, said European leaders should try to engineer a situation in which Putin feels pressured to make political concessions, as he did in the run-up to the recent Winter Olympics in Russias Black Sea port of Sochi. AFP
It is not going to be just a friendly match for Bangladesh. Concerning national teams disappointing display in the last Saff Championship despite being followed by a fine year, the men of red and green have a lot to prove ahead of their Fifa international friendly against rivals India kicking at Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa today at 6.30pm BST. Ten Action will telecast the match live. After six months without playing any international matches, the wound Bangladesh endured in the Saff
INDIA v BANGLADESH
Total matches played:-------------------- 30 Matches won by India: ------------------- 17 Matches won by Bangladesh: ----------- 5 Matches drawn: --------------------------- 8 Goals scored by India:-------------------- 41 Goals scored by Bangladesh: ----------- 20 Last Meeting : Sep 3, 2013 (2013 SAFF C'ship, Kathmandu) India 11 Bangladesh Sunil Chhetri 93 Meshu 83
T H E L A ST WA L K
SCORECARD, AUS v SA
Australia, first innings, 494 7 dec South Africa, first innings, 287 Australia, second innings
(overnight 27 0) C Rogers run out (Steyn) D Warner c De Villiers b Abbott A Doolan c Abbott b Morkel S Watson c Duminy b Abbott M Clarke c sub (De Kock) b Abbott S Smith not out B Haddin not out Extras (b3, lb12, nb3) 39 145 37 25 0 36 3 18
303
Bowling
Morkel 13 1 67 1, Abbott 14 2 61 3, Philander 6 0 42 0, Duminy 19 3 76 0, Steyn 3 1 24 0, Elgar 3 0 18 0
71
Bowling
Harris 8 5 10 1, Johnson 13 3 31 2, Pattinson 9 6 13 1, Lyon 5 3 3 0, Watson 3 2 1 0, Smith 3 0 13 0
South Africa's Graeme Smith leaves the pitch as Australia celebrate his wicket during the fourth day of the third cricket test match at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town yesterday REUTERS
Ave
SR
100 27 10 0
50 38 47 5
6s 24 44 26
BBI 3/30 -
Ave 52.83 -
2/145 110.62
Match situation
South Africa need 440 to win with six wickets remaining
DAYS WATCH
Sony Six NBA 2013 14 7:00AM Houston v Miami 9:30AM La Lakers v New Orleans 1:30AM Fifa Friendlies 2014 Romania v Argentina 01:45AM Fifa Friendlies 2014 Germany v Chile Channel 9 & Star Sports 1 2:00PM Arise Asia Cup Afghanistan v India Ten Cricket 02:30PM South Africa v Australia 3rd Test, Day 5 Ten Action 06:30PM Fifa Friendly India v Bangladesh Ten HD 7:15PM West Indies v England 3rd ODI
Bangladesh Rugby Union general secretary Mousum Ali speaks at the press conference of Health First Rugby yesterday COURTESY
16
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
Protesting students of Jagannath University break the boundary walls an empty plot of Bangladesh Shomobay Bank, demanding the establishment of the universitys TSC at the site, in the capitals Bahadur Shah Park area yesterday RAJIB DHAR at Vice-Chancellor conference room to discuss options for recovering the halls. After the meeting, he urged the students to suspend the demonstration as they had started working in full swing to recover students halls and other demands would be met shortly. The students had been agitating for long to recover 13 halls from illegal occupants since the university started its journey on October 20, 2005. The latest protests began on February 12, with teachers and staff joining in while 200 students and teachers got hurt during a clash held around campus on Feb 22 between students and police. l
A new-born baby boy receives treatment at DMCH after being recovered alive from a roadside in front of Pubali Banks head office in Motijheel area yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
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
It plans providing customers with smartphone sets at Tk3,900 next month its internet subscribers grow at least n Muhammad Zahidul Islam 45%, said Grameenphone CEO.
Commodities market will help rice growers learn about prices in advance The three committees have been asked to submit their study reports to the commission as early as possible, said Saifur Rahman, also a spokesperson of the commission, told the Dhaka Tribune. He said the committees will look into present market condition, guideline on trading, disciplinary, membership rules and other required rules to introduce the derivative and commodity market. Last year, a feasibility study has been carried out by the Asian Development Bank under its capital market development project (phase-III). Some broker firms have already trained their executives on how to execute trade in the commodities market, said a broker. They have been trained mainly on gold trading, he said. Experts believe a commodities exchange could be developed in the country to help stabilise the commodities market. Derivative market expert and Chairman and Managing Director of Alliance Capital Asset Management Ltd Wali-Ul-Maroof said most of our agricultural producers are small farmers who have inadequate access to updated market prices and are vulnerable to price shocks. Small and medium traders and middlemen are usually engaged in marketing of agricultural commodities and farmers generally have no bargaining power, he said.
So, they do not have much choice but to accept prices offered by middlemen in the marketing chain, he said. Establishment of a commodities exchange might bring positive changes in this context, he said. Allowing growers to sell futures contracts for their commodities helps them ensure guaranteed prices and better plan for the future, he said. Futures take out the uncertainty in the market and help ensure price predictability. They allow you to know your income without uncertainty. A well-functioning marketing system with a commodity exchange can handle the demand-supply uncertainties, reduce transaction costs and improve food security, he said. l
Grameenphone bought 10 Megahertz spectrum in 3G auction in September last year. After that a significant number of 3G connections were sold. The number is increasing every day. The mobile companies in different countries in Europe, America and Middle East are witnessing drop in voice revenue and rise in data use. Some of those countries are offering free voice service with data package, and Bangladesh may also plan such package if necessary, according to the mobile operator sources. At its internet campaign Grameenphone provided21 lakh free internet hours for school children last month. The Internet for All campaign involved popular Bangladeshi cricketers Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal and Nasir Hossain for promote their WhatsApp is a massage application free for the mobile phone users, which is a threat for the mobile phone operators. Facebook has bought it and declared they will add voice on it which will also be free. Jon Fredrick Baksaas, president of Telenor Group, said it has created an enormous threat for the telecom companies, especially the mobile phone operators. At present, 45 core people are using WhatsApp around the globe, and in Bangladesh it is becoming popular among the users. Vivek Sood said mobile phone operators, telecom vendors and the OverThe-Top (OTT) content operators like Facebook, twitter, WhatsApp were trying to find some solutions and set up new business models. The revenue can be shared by both OTT operators and mobile phone operators, and we can find some solutions to it, he said. l
Tofail holds talks on GSP with foreign diplomats today n Asif Showkat Kallol
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed holds a meeting with six foreign diplomats and ILO representative in Bangladesh today to discuss the progress on execution of the action plan in getting back the generalised system of preferences (GSP) in the US market, official sources said. Minister will inform them about the status of implementation of the fire and safety issues in the garments factories in the country, and how the government would make efforts to enhance bilateral trade with the countries, a senior official of the commerce ministry said yesterday. He said the diplomats would communicate the bilateral trade issues with the high-ups of their countries. The diplomats are United States ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena, Netherlands ambassador Gerben De Jong, European ambassador Willium Hana, Canadian ambassador Heather Cruden and Spanish ambassador Luis Tejada. ILO representative in Bangladesh Srinivas Reddy is also scheduled to attend the meeting. Bangladesh has been asked to fulfill 16 conditions, including trade unions for workers and factory inspection procedures, to get back the GSP the US authorities suspended after the Rana Plaza tragedy. The commerce minister earlier said 13 of the conditions have already been met and implementation of the rest would not take much time. l
It is very unfortunate for us to see that the work for the software park still remains pending
State minister for Information Communication Technology (ICT) division Zunaid Ahmed Palak yesterday expressed his utter frustration over the progress of the software park while he was visiting the Janata Towerat Kawran Barzar in the city. During his maiden visit, the state minister found the video-conference equipment lying abandoned in the storehouse, which cost Tk50 lakh and also showed his anger to the officer responsible for their negligence in performing their duties. Only three institutions: e-soft Arena International ltd. Millennium Information Solutions ltd and Square Informatics ltd. were found at the software park in three different floors. The others IT companies are yet take over their position as the construction
n Tahmidur Rahman
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) can play a significant part to increase intra-industrial productivity in Bangladesh but infrastructural shortcomings like energy crisis are deterring the investors, said a top German diplomat in Dhaka.
Charge D Affairs of the German embassy, Ferdinand von Weyhe was talking with the Dhaka Tribune on the sidelines of a business networking lunch at city hotel yesterday. Bangladesh German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BGCCI) organised the event. The German diplomat pointed out
Atiur: Easy transfer system helps Bangladesh achieve high remittance growth
n Tribune Report
The countrys remittance inflows have gradually witnessed a growth of an average of 11% against 7.15% in the other Asian countries during the last four years (FY2009-13) thanks to easy and hassle-free remittance transfer system. Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman came up with the disclosure while addressing an inaugural session of the World Conference Series-2014 titled NRB Talent, Remittances and Investment for Development held at a city hotel yesterday. Remittances in Bangladesh now stand around 10% of the GDP, rising from 5% of the GDP in the beginning of year 2000, he said. Despite global economic recession and political turmoil in the Middle East, Bangladeshs financial and external sectors continued to remain resilient with the foreign exchange reserves of more than $18bn, which was mainly aided by the robust growth in exports, moderate growth in imports and due to unflinching remittance inflows. Describing the growth trends in remittance inflows, Atiur said: The remittance inflow in the FY 2012-13 were around $14.46bn, a 12.59% growth, leading a current account surplus for the last five years, only in south Asia, despite being a trade deficit country. This demonstrates inherent strength of our external sector and hence that of our currency. And one must give credit to NRBs for attaining this strength, said the governor. Pointing at the central banks steps for ensuring easy and hassle-free remittance transfer system, he said Bangladesh Bank had already simplified approval policy for drawing arrangements between foreign exchange houses and domestic banks. Thirty-seven banks have already been permitted to set up 1,084 drawing arrangements with 288 exchange houses all over the world for collecting remittances. Responding to this arrangement, some banks have already established exchange houses abroad. Bangladesh Electronic Fund Transfer Network (BEFTN) and mobile banking are operating in full-swing to ease remittance disbursement. Micro-finance Institutions (MFIs) are also involved as partners in smooth delivery of inward remittances. The central bank has already given licenses to at least three NRB banks to further improve the pace of remittances & foreign investment inflows in the country, said the governor. l
B2
Stocks end flat amid dull trading
n Tribune Report
Stocks ended flat amid dull trading yesterday, breaking four consecutive days of losses. The benchmark DSEX edged 16 points or 0.4% higher to close at 4,703, pulled up by market bellwether banks that rallied on better-than-expected earnings. Shariah DSES was marginally up 5 points or 0.5% to 1,006. The blue-chip comprising DS30 ended at 1,695 with a loss of 7 points or 0.5%. strong upward movement, driving the benchmark index. The strength in the sector came amid beaming corporate earnings of the banking stocks. Cement, engineering and power sectors showed strength in mid-day trading. On the other hand, food and allied, life insurance, tannery and telco stocks saw a dip of 2.8%, 0.8%, 2% and 2.7% in their market capitalisation respectively restricting the days gain in index. IDLC Investment said four declining sessions prompted for natural reversal in the bourse. In addition, volatility was prominent, with more than 70 scrips posting gains of more than 3% movements. Meanwhile, a handful of stocks continued to dominate turnover, yielding another session with top five stocks having over 25% turnover. Lafarge Surma Cement rose over 8% and Southeast Bank 5% due to their earnings announcement. Zenith Investment said market emerged from its vulnerable position, albeit it is still difficult to measure how long the rally would continue. There has been a wide sector wise rotation, from blue chip stocks into stocks belonging to main index. Most attracted stock was Square Pharmaceutical, the countrys top drag maker, with shares worth Tk31 crore changing hands. It was followed by Olympic Industries, Lafarge Surma Cement, Bangladesh Submarine Cable and Company Ltd, Southeast Bank, Grameenphone Meghna Petroleum and Heidelberg Cement. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Stock
DSE GAINERS Company
Closing (% change) 8.05 7.29 7.01 6.82 6.05 6.04 5.99 5.79 5.79 5.73
LafargeS Cement-Z Beach Hatchery -A aamra technologies-A Metro Spinning -A ICB AMCL IslamicMF A Maksons Spinning-A Sonargaon Tex -A Anlima Yarn -A BDCOM Online-A Golden Harvest Agro-N CSE GAINERS Company SonarBangla Insu. -A Metro Spinning -A LafargeS Cement-Z aamra technologies-A Beach Hatchery -A Golden Harvest Agro-N Rangpur Dairy-N Maksons Spinning-A ICB -A Southeast Bank-A
Average (% change) 3.46 4.30 4.32 3.98 3.83 2.33 2.68 3.70 3.29 5.95 Average (% change) 12.10 2.97 2.80 3.90 4.65 5.07 2.83 3.50 5.67 6.14
Closing average 40.02 30.79 39.11 18.56 22.50 15.39 17.21 25.48 32.38 41.13
Closing 41.60 30.90 39.70 18.80 22.80 15.80 17.70 25.60 32.90 40.60
Daily high 42.20 31.40 40.30 19.00 22.90 16.00 18.00 25.90 33.30 42.20
Daily low 38.10 27.00 35.00 16.00 21.80 13.50 16.70 25.00 29.20 35.00
Turnover in million 229.235 28.254 53.641 5.155 3.150 20.230 1.497 0.790 9.372 26.055
Latest EPS 2.19 0.79 1.88 0.88 2.56 0.64 -0.69 0.80 1.70 1.62
Latest PE 18.3 39.0 20.8 21.1 8.8 24.0 -ve 31.9 19.0 25.4
Closing (% change) 9.49 8.00 7.57 7.53 7.29 5.68 5.49 5.33 5.15 5.02
Closing average 27.70 18.05 39.64 39.19 30.63 41.00 24.73 15.66 1849.04 23.18
Closing 27.70 18.90 41.20 40.00 30.90 40.90 25.00 15.80 1840.00 23.00
Daily high 27.70 18.90 42.00 40.40 31.40 42.00 25.20 16.00 1849.80 24.80
Daily low 27.70 17.90 36.10 37.50 28.50 38.90 24.00 15.00 1840.00 22.70
Turnover in million 0.125 0.224 44.099 7.805 9.051 3.149 2.014 2.693 1.572 19.089
Latest EPS 1.85 0.88 2.19 1.88 0.79 1.62 1.13 0.64 40.46 3.87
Latest PE 15.0 20.5 18.1 20.8 38.8 25.3 21.9 24.5 45.7 6.0
'There has been a wide sector wise rotation, from blue chip stocks into stocks belonging to main index'
The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, gained 22 points to close at 9,214. Turnover remained poor as confidence was somewhat less solidified on a market reversal, causing investors hesitant to stay inactive. As a result, turnover declined by 8.5% to Tk462 crore at the Dhaka Stock Exchange. After showing a lack of direction in index for more than a week, DSEX has moved modestly higher over the course of trading, said Lanka Bangla Securities in its market analysis. Banking stocks have maintained a
(+) 0.36% (+) 0.45% (-) 0.44% (+) 0.45% (+) 0.48% (+) 0.31%
Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis) Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis) Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis) Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.) Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)
BATBCL -A
-3.52
Average (% change) -8.68 -5.85 -3.08 -2.61 -3.13 -5.24 -5.62 -7.17 -4.29
Closing average 130.69 484.55 165.45 8.20 16.39 1057.64 108.29 326.67 167.50
Closing 125.60 484.60 161.90 8.00 16.20 1045.00 107.80 326.40 167.20
Daily high 140.00 490.10 172.00 8.50 16.80 1079.90 112.00 327.00 171.00
Daily low 125.60 480.00 161.00 8.00 16.00 1042.00 103.00 326.00 166.00
Turnover in million 44.848 1.066 2.945 1.562 3.949 9.413 20.794 0.196 0.067
Latest EPS 2.06 3.04 5.10 1.03 -0.21 46.53 10.00 5.25 6.44
Latest PE 63.4 159.4 32.4 8.0 -ve 22.7 10.8 62.2 26.0
-4.73
2113.61
2096.50
2218.00
2070.00
5.719
81.14
26.0
CSE LOSERS Company Dutch Ban. Bnk- A Pragati Gen. I -A Mercantile Insur -A ICB AMCL 2nd NRB -A Rangpur Foundry -A Marico BD Ltd-A Apex Tannery -A PragatiLife Insu. -A Eastern Cables-Z Closing (% change) -7.52 -7.34 -6.91 -6.42 -5.36 -5.33 -4.75 -4.10 -4.00
-3.70
Average (% change) -6.66 -7.34 -7.55 -6.22 -5.31 -5.34 -3.45 -4.10 -4.02
Closing average 106.81 58.10 25.60 10.25 106.05 1,044.00 179.30 236.00 120.05
Closing 105.80 58.10 25.60 10.20 106.00 1,044.00 176.40 236.00 120.10
Daily high 110.00 58.10 25.60 10.40 106.10 1,044.00 185.20 236.00 120.10
Daily low 105.50 58.10 25.60 10.20 106.00 1,044.00 175.00 236.00 120.00
Turnover in million 0.748 0.006 0.026 0.031 0.106 0.052 3.730 0.236 0.024
Latest EPS 10.00 4.19 1.49 1.46 3.03 46.53 4.86 2.38 1.40
Latest PE 10.7 13.9 17.2 7.0 35.0 22.4 36.9 99.2 85.8
Impact after declaration: Price of SOUTHEASTB up by 5%, close at 23.20 with PE 5.97, DUTCHBANGL price slided by 4.34%, close at 107.80 with PE 10.78. With no dividend declaration LAFSURCEML price shot up by 8.05% and closed at 41.60 with PE 19. 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. BRACBANK: Subscription 20.04.2014 to 15.05.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 10.02.2014. GENNEXT: Subscription 18.03.2014 to 09.04.2014, Record date: 25.02.2014. IPO Subscription: Hwa Well Textiles (BD) Limited subscription date 17 23 February 2014, NRB upto 04 March 2014. At per, face value taka 10 and market lot 500. Far Chemical Industries Limited subscription date 10 16 February 2014, NRB upto 25 March 2014. At per, face value taka 10 and market lot 500. The Peninsula Chittagong Limited subscription date 30 March-03 April 2014, NRB upto 12 April 2014. @ taka 30, face value taka 10 and market lot 200. Shahjibazar Power Co. Limited subscription date 06 04 April 2014, NRB upto 19 April 2014. @ taka 25, face value taka 10 and market lot 200.
-3.67
112.00
112.00
112.00
112.00
0.006
4.95
22.6
ANALYST
Market emerged from its vulnerable position, albeit it is still difficult to measure how long the rally would continue
DSE TURNOVER LEADERS
DSE Million Taka 410.06 375.54 96.99 381.26 371.46 659.10 3.37 319.16 728.45 0.79 21.01 106.19 13.43 326.84 49.98 67.93 350.05 528.19 53.60 190.63 0.26
% change 8.11 7.43 1.92 7.54 7.35 13.04 0.07 6.31 14.41 0.02 0.42 2.10 0.27 6.47 0.99 1.34 6.93 10.45 1.06 3.77 0.01
Million Taka 47.06 26.88 5.37 41.59 27.41 32.45 26.67 59.23 1.37 1.29 8.97 1.95 16.43 4.48 1.67 14.75 93.79 9.25 34.55 0.08
CSE
% change 10.34 5.90 1.18 9.14 6.02 7.13 0.00 5.86 13.01 0.30 0.28 1.97 0.43 3.61 0.98 0.37 3.24 20.60 2.03 7.59 0.02
Million Taka 457.12 402.42 102.37 422.85 398.87 691.55 3.37 345.83 787.69 2.16 22.30 115.16 15.38 343.28 54.46 69.60 364.81 621.99 62.85 225.18 0.34
Total
% change 8.30 7.30 1.86 7.67 7.24 12.55 0.06 6.28 14.30 0.04 0.40 2.09 0.28 6.23 0.99 1.26 6.62 11.29 1.14 4.09 0.01
Company Square Pharma -A Olympic Ind. -A LafargeS Cement-Z BD Submarine Cable-A Southeast Bank-A Grameenphone-A
Meghna Petroleum -A
Jamuna Oil -A
Volume shares 1,149,875 1,141,956 5,728,500 913,165 8,348,390 679,200 405,491 1,089,011 234,050 416,226
448,287
Value in million 319.76 254.42 229.24 212.05 193.02 146.74 116.10 115.31 107.90 105.53
104.19
% of total turnover 6.91 5.50 4.95 4.58 4.17 3.17 2.51 2.49 2.33 2.28
2.25
Daily closing 275.10 220.50 41.60 227.30 23.10 214.20 284.60 106.80 453.80 251.20
231.50
Price change 0.29 -2.35 8.05 -2.28 5.00 -2.77 -1.08 3.19 -2.26 -1.64
-1.20
Daily opening 274.30 225.80 38.50 232.60 22.00 220.30 287.70 103.50 464.30 255.40
234.30
240.00
Daily high
Daily high 285.00 227.80 42.20 238.50 26.00 220.80 290.00 108.80 467.00 265.00
220.00
Daily low
Daily low 254.00 215.00 38.10 219.00 20.00 213.40 270.00 99.00 451.60 240.00
Daily average 278.08 222.79 40.02 232.22 23.12 216.04 286.32 105.89 461.02 253.55
232.41
Volume shares
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
LafargeS Cement-Z BSC A Southeast Bank-A Grameenphone-A Square Pharma -A Singer BD -A Olympic Ind. -A Beach Hatchery -A UCBL - A
227,155 1,112,500 31,670 823,420 82,200 55,008 60,062 62,500 295,487 300,977
Value in million
52.58 44.10 19.89 19.09 17.76 15.29 15.24 13.97 9.05 8.64
% of total turnover
12.18 10.22 4.61 4.42 4.12 3.54 3.53 3.24 2.10 2.00
Daily closing
226.20 41.20 619.50 23.00 214.20 275.70 251.20 220.80 30.90 28.60
Price change
-2.42 7.57 -1.71 5.02 -2.68 0.40 -1.34 -2.21 7.29 -0.35
Daily opening
231.80 38.30 630.30 21.90 220.10 274.60 254.60 225.80 28.80 28.70
238.00 42.00 648.00 24.80 220.90 280.00 257.80 229.00 31.40 28.90
224.50 36.10 618.00 22.70 213.00 273.20 250.00 219.00 28.50 28.50
Daily average
231.47 39.64 628.18 23.18 216.09 277.91 253.78 223.55 30.63 28.71
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
B3
Hwa Well IPO oversubscribed by 44 times
n Tribune Report
The IPO (Initial public offering) of Hwa Well Textiles (BD) Ltd has been oversubscribed by more than 44 times on offer. Investors ordered shares worth over Tk881 crore against the offer of Tk20 crore, according to the Chittagong Stock Exchange. Of the total subscribed amount, resident Bangladeshis deposited Tk870 crore and non-resident Bangladeshis Tk11 crore against offer. The company offered two crore ordinary shares of Tk10 each. In December last year, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission approved the companys IPO for purchasing and developing land, construction of factory building, changing existing machines and meeting IPO expenses. The companys earnings per share stood at Tk3.66 each and net asset value of Tk28.25, according to its financial statement at the end of June 30 this year. It will be 34th textile company to be listed with the Dhaka Stock Exchange. l
Bill Gates reclaims top Dollar gains on upbeat data n of Forbes billionaire list from Slim
AFP, Tokyo
n Reuters
Bill Gates has returned to the top of Forbes magazines annual list of the worlds richest people, as rising stock markets swelled the ranks of billionaires, which included a record number of women.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who left office two months ago, was 16th at $33bn, built mainly through his eponymous media company
With a net worth of $76bn, the Microsoft Corp co-founder reclaimed the top spot after a four-year hiatus, toppling Mexicos telecommunications mogul Carlos Slim Helu, who placed second at $72bn, Forbes said in announcing the list on Monday. Amancio Ortega, the Spanish founder of clothing conglomerate Inditex SA, which includes the Zara fashion chain, ranked third at $64bn. Investing icon Warren Buffett, who runs Berkshire Hathaway Inc and is a frequent bridge partner for Gates, was fourth at $58.2bn. Oracle Corp chief Larry Ellison came in fifth at $48bn. Gates has topped the list in 15 of the last 20 years.
A record 1,645 billionaires with a total net worth of $6.4tn made Forbes list, up from 1,426 last year. Just over 10 percent were female, with 172 women compared with 138 a year earlier. Wal-Mart Stores Inc heiress Christy Walton was the highest-ranking woman, in ninth place, at $36.7bn. Frances Liliane Bettencourt, who got much of her wealth from cosmetics company LOreal SA, was next among women at $34.5bn, and ranked 11th overall. The Internet was well-represented. Google Inc founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin ranked 17th and 19th, worth a respective $32.3bn and $31.8bn, while Amazon.com Incs Jeff Bezos was between them at $32bn. Facebook Inc founder Mark Zuckerberg, 29, more than doubled his net worth to $28.5bn, and ranked 21st. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who left office two months ago, was 16th at $33bn, built mainly through his eponymous media company. Forbes said the years biggest loser was Brazilian tycoon Eike Batista, whose net worth fell below $300m from $10.6bn as his oil and natural resources empire collapsed amid too much debt and falling output. Roughly two-thirds of the worlds billionaires, or 1,080, were self-made. The United States had the most billionaires, with 492, followed by China at 152 and Russia at 111. Algeria, Lithuania, Tanzania and Uganda joined the list with one each. l
The dollar rose in Asia yesterday, supported by a pickup in US manufacturing activity, but fears about the escalating crisis in Ukraine hung over currency markets. In afternoon trade the greenback fetched 101.67 yen, up from 101.44 yen on Monday in New York where it touched a one-month low of 101.20 yen as investors flocked to the safety of the Japanese unit. The euro strengthened to 139.63 yen from 139.34 yen, while buying $1.3732 against $1.3737. On Monday, Russias intervention in Ukraine sent Moscow stock markets tumbling more than 10% and the ruble plunging to historic lows - prompting a surprise rate hike by the central bank in Moscow. Russias parliament voted Saturday to allow President Vladimir Putin to send troops into Crimea, a mainly Russian-speaking Black Sea peninsula in the southeast of the ex-Soviet state. The move sparked global outrage and Western powers have threatened
to expel Russia from the Group of Eight leading industrial countries, while the United States is pushing for strict economic sanctions. Markets are on edge, watching the headlines and waiting to see how the escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia play out, National Australia Bank said. On a far more positive note, the US ... manufacturing series was better than expected, despite the poor February weather.
'Markets are on edge, watching the headlines and waiting to see how the escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia play out'
US manufacturing activity picked up last month, data showed Monday, after slowing in January owing to severe winter weather, while home building pushed US construction
spending higher. Consumer spending, the main driver of the US economy, climbed 0.4% in January from December. Despite the upbeat data, tensions in Ukraine are likely to fuel demand for safe-haven currencies such as the yen, dealers said. However, the Japanese was facing pressure as the threat of higher global energy costs meant a possible boost in demand among Japanese importers for dollars to pay the nations rising postFukushima energy bills, they added. The dollar was mostly higher against other Asia-Pacific currencies. It rose to Sg$1.2703 from Sg$1.2674 on Monday, to 11,630 Indonesian rupiah from 11,575 rupiah and to 62.08 Indian rupees from 61.91 rupees. The greenback firmed to 44.82 Philippine pesos from 44.73 pesos and to 1,072.54 South Korean won from 1,070.45 won while slipping to 32.55 Thai baht from 32.59 baht. The Australian dollar edged up to 89.29 US cents from 89.11 cents and the Chinese yuan bought 16.50 yen against 16.47 yen. l
Japan FM: Gathering facts on bitcoin, unsure whether crime involved n Reuters, Tokyo
Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said yesterday that the government is still trying to figure out what has led to the collapse of the Tokyo-based bitcoin exchange Mt Gox and is not sure whether crime is involved. "We still have not had a clear grasp of the situation," Aso said in response to a reporter's question after a cabinet meeting. "(We) don't know if it was a crime or just theft." l
FMC Dockyard Limited has recently signed an agreement with IDLC Investments Limited to raise capital through initial public offering (IPO). IDLC Investments Limited will act as Manager to the Issue in this regard. Pankaj Datta, executive director (corporate affairs), FMC Dockyard Limited and Md Moniruzzaman, managing director of IDLC Investments Limited has signed the contract
Bangladesh Commerce Bank Training Institute recently organised a training workshop on prevention of money laundering and combating terrorist financing. The banks MD and CEO, Abu Sadek Md Sohel, inaugurated the course as chief guest
A seminar on stress management and counseling was arranged by Mercantile Bank Training Institute for its senior executives and branch managers at citys spectra convention centre on Saturday. The chairperson on the board of directors of the bank, M Amanullah inaugurated the daylong seminar
Pubali Bank Limited has been honoured with a plaque from the Centre for Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) for remarkable support service to increase the flow of inward foreign remittance. On behalf of Pubali Bank Limited, managing director and CEO Helal Ahmed Chowdhury has received the award from Dr Atiur Rahman, governor of Bangladesh Bank
Bangladesh Krishi Bank on Sunday held its half yearly review meeting for its divisional general managers at the banks head office. The chairperson on the board of directors, Alauddin A Majid addressed the review meeting as chief guest
Bank Asia provided a three-week foundation training to its 35 officers in an effort to improve their professional efficiency. A Rouf Chowdhury, the banks chairperson handed over certificates to the participants Monday
B4
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
Reuters, Geneva
French carmaker Renault has trimmed its growth forecast for the global market this year, in a sign the industry is becoming increasingly worried about volatile emerging markets even as demand in Europe starts to pick up. Renault sales chief Jerome Stoll told the Geneva auto show on Tuesday the group now expected global car sales to rise by slightly less than the 2% previously forecast. "While Europe is showing some signs of recovery, we are at the same time seeing some headwinds from emerging markets," he said, citing weaker than expected demand in Russia, Argentina, Turkey and Algeria in particular. After a six-year sales slump, Europe's car market is finally showing signs of recovery as even countries hardest hit by a sovereign debt crisis move out of recession. Industry data on Monday showed car sales in Germany, Italy and Spain rose last month, although they dipped in France. But some emerging markets such as Brazil and Russia have seen a slowdown in demand, and executives are concerned the latest bout of volatility sparked by Russia's military intervention in Ukraine could lead to a further weakening. "Some countries have seen their currencies devalue by 20, 30 or 35%. That always has consequences ... very strong consequences if one doesn't produce locally," Christian Klingler, sales chief at Europe's biggest carmak-
Carmakers fret emerging markets gloom could Russia warns it overshadow European recovery could 'reduce to n zero' economic dependency on US
n AFP, Moscow
Russia could reduce to zero its economic dependency on the United States if Washington agreed sanctions against Moscow over Ukraine, a Kremlin aide said yesterday, warning that the American financial system faced a "crash" if this happened. "We would find a way not just to reduce our dependency on the United States to zero but to emerge from those sanctions with great benefits for ourselves," said Kremlin economic aide Sergei Glazyev. He told the RIA Novosti news agency Russia could stop using dollars for international transactions and create its own payment system using its "wonderful trade and economic relations with our partners in the East and South." Russian firms and banks would also not return loans from American financial institutions, he said. "An attempt to announce sanctions would end in a crash for the financial system of the United States, which would cause the end of the domination of the United States in the global financial system," he added. He said that economic sanctions imposed by the European Union would be a "catastrophe" for Europe, saying that Russia could halt gas supplies "which would be beneficial for the Americans" and give the Russian economy a useful "impulse". Glazyev has long been seen as among the most hawkish of the advisors to President Vladimir Putin but many observers have seen his hand in the apparent radicalisation of policy on Ukraine since the overthrow of president Viktor Yanukovych. Economists have long mocked his apocalyptic and confrontational vision of global economics but also expressed concern that he appears to have grown in authority in recent months. A high ranking Kremlin source told RIA Novosti that Glazyev was speaking in the capacity of an "academic" and his personal opinion did not reflect the official Kremlin policy. Glazyev descrived the new Ukrainian authorities as "illegitimate and Russophobic", saying some members of the government were on lists of "terrorist organisations, they are criminals". "If the authorities remain criminal then I think the people of Ukraine will get rid of them soon," he added. l
The Porsche 918 Spyder is presented during a preview show by Volkswagen Group yesterday, on the eve of the press day of the Geneva Motor Show in Geneva AFP er Volkswagen (VW) , told Reuters at the show late on Monday. "We're a major trade partner of Russia and are looking at the Ukraine and Russia with concern," added VW Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn. Nonetheless, executives remain mostly upbeat about prospects for the global car industry, pointing to the continued strength of demand in China, the world's biggest autos market, and to recovery in the United States. "It's a question of tenths of a percentage point," Renault's Stoll said of the French group's cut in its growth expectations. Stoll said he was still confident of recovery in the French market, despite a drop in February sales, and added the strength of recovery in previously crisis-hit European countries such as Italy, Portugal and Spain was a "good surprise." l
iOS 36
The ability to work effectively across cultures comes from worldwide and regional assignments with Johnson and Johnson. This includes 12 years of strategic line responsibility for innovation and product development in Asia and elsewhere. Beths formal training as a coach includes certification in Gestalt Facilitation and Coach, a programme in Ontological Coaching from Newfield in Australia; and the New Ventures West Coaching to Excellence program. In addition, she is certified in Emotional Intelligence, Spiral Dynamics, NLP, MBTI and Firo-B. Beth attended the University of Pennsylvania (MS candidate for Leadership, Dynamics of Organization), University of the Philippines, the Asian Institute of Management and Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science. Her client base includes multinational corporations and leading-edge Asian companies with a focus on the senior and upper-middle managers of organisations. At the Leadership Summit 2014, she will be inspiring the audience with her presentation under the title: Leadership Mindset and its impact on Business Decisions. l
Hindi heartland
Much of what is today known as India's Hindi heartland was once home to the rich and powerful Mughal empire. But in
A transformed countryside
Perhaps the renaissance of the north is best reflected in the spectacular growth of the