August 7, 2013

Special

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Shraban 23, 1420 Ramadan 28, 1434 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 138

The Rana Plaza building collapse, 100 days on

International

9

5 Indian soldiers killed

by Pakistani troops in Indian Kashmir

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2013 | www.dhakatribune.com

Solicitor’s office’s inaction to be blamed, says commerce minister The commerce ministry is facing a contempt of court charge for executing the government rule against the import of polluting vehicles.

Officials have pointed the finger at the solicitor’s office which allegedly took no effective measures to file an ap-

peal against a High Court order asking the commerce ministry to release 48 vehicles, each more than five years old, that the Chittagong-based AY Corporation imported from Japan in violation of import laws.

The current import policy prohibits procurement of reconditioned vehicles more than five years old, considered as

a major source of air pollution, which kills at least 15,000 people every year.

If the vehicles, dumped in Japan, are allowed to ply on the streets, they will spew harmful chemicals such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, nitrogen oxide and particulate matters, which are responsible for air pollution, especially in cities. The substances are

known to cause respiratory problems and lung cancer.

Commerce Minister GM Quader told the Dhaka Tribune he would bring this ‘inaction’ of the solicitor’s office to the cabinet if necessary. Ministry officials fear that the contempt of court charge may harm their career.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Jamaat now calls hartal for Aug 13-14 n Manik Miazee

Families share a traditional Tomtom from Gulistan to Sadarghat to catch homebound launches yesterday as Eid vacation already started unofficially SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

AL to get 83 new assistant secretaries n Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee Ruling party Awami League has inducted 83 new assistant secretaries for the party’s central sub-committee in a bid to increase its organisational strength.

The names will be declared within a day or two.

The party President Sheikh Hasina on Monday approved the inclusion of the new assistant secretaries and the send list to her political office at Dhanmondi yesterday.

AL Joint General Secretary Mahabub-Ul-Alam Hanif told the Dhaka Tribune that the party president had already approved the names of the assistant secretaries and the names would be announced in a day.

The party sources said 83 new assistant secretaries will be: Dr Jakaria Swapon, Suvash Singha Roy, Sahajahan Alam Saju, Manjurul Haque Manju, Shafiqur Rahman, Tareque Sams Himu, Sheikh Mohammad Hasan Mehedi, Khakon Paul, Farad Hossain Sangram, Salauddin Mahmud Chowdhury, Khan Mainul Hossain Mostaque, Aslam Sani, Simanto Talukder, Saifuddin Nasir, Manjurul Alam Tokon, Moniruzzaman Manir, Reazul Ahsan Khan, Dr Azam, Barrister Sajjad Hossain, Barrister Biplob Barua, Zobaidul Haque Russel, Jakir Hossain Maruf, Anawarul Azim Sadek, Sayeed Ahmed Babu, Dr Mahabubur Rahman, Ahakam Ullah, Faisal Biplob, Arifuzzaman Miah Tutul, Dr Samiul Alam Liton, Rakib Hossain, Altab Hossain Biplob, Gazi Hafizur  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Rising menace of ATM card forgery Hossain Ovi and n Ibrahim Jebun Nesa Alo Despite reports of growing incidents of card forgery, the central bank and commercial banks are yet to come up with concrete measures that would assure the clients of the safety of their money.

Measures taken so far by the banks are scanty and wrapped in confusion, with some banks still in a state of denial about high-tech forgeries taking place in ATM booths.

“The central bank has nothing to do about it if bank officials are themselves involved with card forgery and illegal transaction. Banks employing those officials should take stern measures against them,” said M Mahfuzur Rahman, executive director of Bangladesh Bank (BB).

However, wishing anonymity, a high official of the BB said the central bank has no specific guidelines on the credit card and debit card services – which could be useful in protecting the clients’ interests.

Commercial banks usually follow their own sets of rules in this regard.

Sources said, the first major incident of credit card fraud was discovered in June last year, at the United Commercial Bank Limited (UCBL) – with over Tk100m withdrawn from it illegally.

The money was withdrawn over a period of 5-6 years – between sometime in 2007 and May 2012 – by a gang of hightech swindlers, using 21 credit cards.

UCBL authorities found involve-

ment of four of its officials in the incident and handed them over to the police.

On July 24, the detective branch of police arrested four credit card fraud suspects for stealing around Tk20m from different banks in the last two years.

Of them, two were IT officials at the Mutual Trust Bank, one employed with Advanced Data Network, an institution providing ATM networking services, and the other, a former employee of Aamra Technologies.

Bangladesh Bank and commercial banks are yet to come up with reassuring preventive measures During police investigation, the disgraced bank officials confessed to having stolen information of clients and passed it on to others for forgery.

Mahbubur Rahman, a client of Brac Bank (A/C: 1525201986238001), told the Dhaka Tribune that he had lodged a complaint with the BB after fraudsters took away Tk63,000 from his account using fake debit cards.

Though BB directed Brac Bank to pay him the full amount in compensation, Mahbubur said, the latter paid only Tk35,000.

Rakibul Hasan, another victim of fraud, said he had lost Tk43,000 from his account (A/C: 13710174370) in Dutch Bangla Bank Limited (DBBL).  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

INSIDE News

4 The Primary and Mass Education Ministry decided to extend the duration of primary terminal examination amid concerns that the newly introduced question pattern is “too hard” for students to finish their exams in time. It is 30 minutes more than what they got in the previous years.

Nation

6 Intrusion of saline water has kept crop farming in the south-western region at stake, causing an ultimate reduction in the supply to the food bank here. Several thousand hectares of arable land have disappeared in five districts of the region

due to impact of saline water used in shrimp farming.

Metro

7 Leaders of different organisations working for the protection of the environment have accused Rajuk of damaging the environment in the name of implementing the Purbachal New City Project. Visiting the site, the environmentalists observed that the project has caused destruction of local ecology, arable lands, plants, etc.

Op-Ed

11 Less than 1% of the student population attend English medium (EM) schools,

which, located mostly in the affluent neighbourhoods of Dhaka and Chittagong, promise quality foreign curricula to students and parents. Shafin Fattah writes on the gap between Bangla and English mediums need to be bridged.

Business

B1 Bangladesh’s tourism industry is set to suffer badly due to the looming political uncertainty after the Eid holidays, as tourists from home and abroad have started to cancel their bookings at hotels and resorts across the country. Tour operators and hoteliers are apprehending little to no return on their investments this season.

Sport

Mourinho ready for Real grudge match

16 pages with 8-page business tabloid, plus 8-page Treehouse children’s supplement | Price: Tk10

Ministry facing contempt of court n Kamran Reza Chowdhury

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Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami rescheduled its nationwide 48-hour shutdown for August 13-14, a party statement said yesterday.

Earlier the Jamaat called a countrywide general strike for August 12 and 13 protesting a High Court verdict that declared the part’s registration with the Election Commission illegal.

The party deferred the hartal in a media statement on Tuesday. The statement was signed by its acting secretary general Rafiqul Islam.

The government is trying to eliminate the Jamaat-Shibir. In the name of war crime against humanity, the government has arrested most of the senior Jamaat leaders who have been in custody for the last three years, said the media release.

Even Jamaat activists were not spared during Ramadan, the statement reads.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

BTRC suggests Tk11bn yearly loss for the government! n Muhammad Zahidul Islam The BTRC is in favour of accepting a yearly loss of Tk10.73bn from incoming international telephone calls generated by international gateway (IGW) companies that are beyond its control because of their “powerful political connections”.

In a set of recommendations sent to the post and telecommunication ministry last week, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has also suggested that the government reduce the call termination rate by 50% – from $.03 to $.015 per minute.

At the same time it proposed a change in the government’s revenue sharing structure, reducing the government’s share from existing 51.75% to 40%.

A number of sources at the telecom regulator told the Dhaka Tribune that the BTRC also claimed that at present 35 million minutes international calls were generated a day and it had estimated the loss of Tk10.73bn based on this count.

But they said at least 50 million minutes of international calls were generated now, considering which the government’s yearly losses would cross Tk15bn. They said incoming calls generally increased up to 90m minutes a day during Eid and other festivals.

“We cannot approve it. Who will take the responsibility of this huge

loss?” a high official at the telecom ministry told the Dhaka Tribune on Sunday, requesting anonymity.

BTRC Chairman Sunil Kanti Bose could not be contacted for his comments after repeated attempts.

Every international call now generates $.03 per minute, which is shared by the IGWs, interconnection exchanges, the mobile or land operators and the government. The BTRC has recommended re-fixing the rate at $.015.

Currently the BTRC gets 51.75% of $.03,

It proposes halving call termination rate, reducing its revenue share the ICXs get 15%, the ANS operators get 20% and the IGWs get 13.25%.

The commission has recommended only 40% as the government’s share, 17.50% for the ICX, 22.50% for the telephone operators and 20% for the IGWs. The BTRC proposal recognises that lowering the call termination charge and the government’s share will result in a revenue shortfall of Tk10.73bn – from Tk18.51bn earned from the IGWs and ICXs last year to Tk7.77bn.

The BTRC also acknowledges that it cannot manage the situation and take the right steps to reduce illegal call termination.

Supreme Court lawyer barrister Aneek R Haque told the Dhaka Tribune:  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

16 Awami League teams to motivate grassroots for upcoming polls n Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee Awami League, moved by their defeats in the last five city polls, has decided to dispatch 16 teams across the country in a bid to inspire and motivate grassroots-level activists to prepare and work for the upcoming polls.

Party joint general secretary Mahabub-Ul-Alam Hanif admitted that the teams have been finalised when talking to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

“Party President Sheikh Hasina have already approved the lists and sent them to her office in Dhanmondi on Monday. They will be declared from there.”

The teams are to be headed by advisory council members, Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed and Suranjit Sengupta; presidium members, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Matia Chowdhury, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Mohammad Nasim, Kazi Jafrullah, Shatish Chandra Roy, Shahara Khatun and Obaidul Kader; general secretary, Syed Ashraful Islam, and joint general secretaries, Mahabub-Ul-Alam Hanif, Dipu Moni and Jahangir Kabir Nanak.

Responding to a query, Hanif, also the special assistant to the prime minister, said the teams would visit every districts and upazilas to boost party activists.

“These teams will hold rallies and workers-meeting in each upazilas and highlight the incumbent government’s achievements,” he said adding they would also counter BNP and Jamaate-Islami’s propaganda to mislead the people.

Awami League Organising Secretary Khalid Mhamud Chowdhury told the Dhaka Tribune that the teams would give guidelines to prepare the party

leaders and activists across the country for next national polls. “These teams will work till elections and make the party-men concentrate on polls.”

The decision to dispatch the teams was taken at a July 18 meeting of the central working committee, the highest decision-making body of the party. It was part of the initiative to maximise efforts to reorganise the party after Eid to reverse the public opinion towards AL. AL is passing a crucial time for its fifth consecutive defeat in mayoral polls in less than a month time and thus the party has taken the decision to reorganise the party ahead of the national polls and to regain party activists and supporters’ moral.

Last year, the ruling party formed 12 teams headed by party’s senior leaders to strengthen party’s organisational base and hold conferences in district and upazila levels within the shortest possible time.

Besides this, the party central sent official directives to president and general secretaries of each upazila units to assist the teams and take necessary arrangement to hold the council sessions. However, those committees apparently failed to complete the council sessions and strengthen the party at its grass root levels.

Meanwhile, Awami League’s volunteers’ front, Swechchhasebak League, finalised 26 teams comprising of the front’s central leaders which would tour across the country from August 11-20.

The front’s general secretary, Pankaj Devnath, told the Dhaka Tribune the teams would hold rallies and other mass programmes to draw public attention to the government’s achievements and counter BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami’s propaganda. l

AL to get 83 new assistant  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

Rahman Liku, Narayan Shah, Mohammad Rakib Hossain, Ashraf Siddiqui Bitu, Nironjon Bhoumik, Abul Kalam Azad Illias, Hasibur Rahman Manik, Sadequr Rahman Chowdhury Parag, Masud Pathik, Engineer Ataul Bullet, engineer Mohammad Mojaffor Hossain, Saikhul Arafin, Afzalur Rahman Babu, engineer Habib Ahmed Murad, Naimur Rahman Durjoy, Professor Arafat Hossain, adv F R Khan, Mamunur Rashid Shuvro, Nurul Amin Ruhul, Kazi Nabil Ahmed, Hasanuzzaman Liton, Fazlul Haque, Rafiqul Alam, Farhan Ahmed, Mizanur Rahman Shahin, Saiful Islam, Rezaul Karim Titon, AHM Tarik Uddin, Abu

Abbas Bhuiyan, Mohammad Alam, Shakawat Hossain Shafique, Jamil Hossain, Saiful Azam Bashar, engineer Nazrul Islam Noman, Gazi Mesbahul Hossain Sacchu, Masud Pervez, Dr Mostofa Kamal, Barrister Jakir Hossain, Sheikh Obaidul Rahman, Mohammad Salehin Reza, Asif Mohammad Joly, Saidur Islam Khan , Masum Iqbal, Mahiuddin Khoka, Aminul Kabir and Dr Mostofa Jaman Babul.

The party announced the names of 66 assistant secretaries when its central committee was declared following its 19th tri-annual conference held on December 29 last year. With the new appointments, the total number of the assistant secretaries stands at 149. l

Bikers are stuck in a traffic gridlock along with other vehicles at Bangla Motor in the city yesterday

WAR CRIMES CHARGES AGAINST SALAUDDIN QUADER CHOWDHURY

Prosecution unhappy with defence counsel’s ‘professional misconduct’ n Udisa Islam The prosecution has expressed discontent with what it called “professional misconduct” of the chief counsel of Salauddin Quader Chowdhury in the war crimes cases at the International Crimes Tribunal.

It has also hoped the tribunal would caution the chief defence counsel for using “satirical” language for criticising the prosecution lawyers at open court.

Since the two sides began placing arguments before tribunal 1, Ahsanul Haque, SQ Chowdhury’s lawyer, had been reportedly trying to “humiliate” all the prosecution lawyers.

He even tried to allegedly demean the amici curie, appointed by the tribunal for giving advice on certain complications surrounding the lifetime sentence handed down to war criminal Abdul Quader Molla, saying “they did not know even the word ‘C’ of criminal cases.”

Constitution expert Shahdin Malik said: “When the court thinks that the

amici curie are important, then nobody can criticise them.”

“One of the amici curie conducted a war crimes trial himself,” Malik added.

Often times, prosecution lawyer Tureen Afroz has been the biggest target of Ahsanul Haque’s attacks.

On Monday, when the defence was placing arguments, Ahsanul termed Afroz “kangaroo barrister,” apparently because she got her bar-at-law degree from Australia.

The defence counsel said: “Why are they [the prosecution lawyers] committing all kinds of errors in the legal process when they have a kangaroo barrister in their team?”

While placing arguments on Monday, the defence counsel also criticised the lower courts with words that prosecution termed inappropriate.

The defence counsel raised questions about the ways the criminals secured bails from the lower courts.

“They [the criminals] come to us to proceed with their bail petitions. After checking their papers, when I tell them

Rising menace of ATM card forgery  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

“Tk43,000 was swindled from my account using fake debit cards, although I am pretty sure I had never disclosed my PIN code or any other information to anyone else,” he said.

Based on his complaint, the central bank asked DBBL authorities to file a report on the alleged forgery, Rakibul said, adding the bank did not do that yet.

A DBBL official, wishing to remain anonymous, said, “We have a very secure networking system. No one can steal money even if they can fake our cards, as these cards are built with processor chips used in computer.”

According to sources, the central bank had identified several ways that may lead to a client getting cheated of his or her money.

These include withdrawal of money from ATM booths without the clients’ knowledge, account statements not showing up money debited in this way, and unauthorised purchase and transaction through internet banking.

Another problem that a client has to suffer sometimes is unsuccessful transactions at the ATM booths – in which case the asked amount is deducted from his or her account but the cash machine fails to produce that.

Often clients have to face difficulties in having the money reimbursed by the bank concerned, sources said.

On February 4, the BB directed eight banks to submit reports on the problems identified above, but except for a few, most banks did not reply yet.

The banks are Brac Bank, DBBL,

Prime Bank, Eastern Bank, Standard Chartered, Bank Asia, City Bank and Mutual Trust Bank.

Generally, commercial banks claim that the problem with cash machine, not producing the money asked of it, may occur due to network fluctuation or a technical glitch with the ATM booth.

However, the central bank is yet to come up with concrete measures to curb the growing incidents of illegal and ineffective financial transaction that occur inside ATM booths.

IT professionals at banks also do not shoulder the responsibility, saying ensuring security of ATM cards and booths is not their job. `Recent forgeries were held by using fake card which is not related with IT department of the banks as card

Ministry facing contempt of court  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

“Why should they face contempt charges for executing a law?” the minister said.

Solicitor AKM Salimullah told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that his office had already instructed a panel advocate-on-record to file an appeal against the court order. But the appeal is yet to be filed.

According to law, any government wing aggrieved by any court order or judgment must appeal through the solicitor’s office of the law ministry. The solicitor’s office appoints some panel lawyers to fight in favour of the government.

When asked about the import of outdated polluting vehicles, AY Corporation owner Musa Chowdhury said he was aware of the law prohibiting their import but had done so anyway, since the commerce ministry “often issues permits to importers for vehicles older than five years.”

His application to the commerce ministry however, says otherwise. On April 28 AY Corporation sent an application to the ministry seeking a clearance permit

(CP) for the polluting vehicles. The Dhaka Tribune has obtained a copy of this application.

In the application, the importer said it had “inadvertently” shipped vehicles manufactured in 2005 and 2006 instead of 2008, which was stipulated in the conditions in the letter of credit.

Without the CP, Mongla Port will not release the 48 vehicles—21 dump trucks, 14 ambulances, six 12-seater microbuses, five microbuses and two freezer vans.

The commerce ministry on May 14 turned down the proposal, prompting Musa Chowdhury to file a writ petition with the High Court challenging the decision.

On May 28, the High Court asked the

Solicitor’s Office

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

commerce secretary and four other officials to issue the permit within three days.

Attaching the court order, the AY Corporation once again applied to the ministry on June 9 asking for the CP by June 12.

The commerce ministry on June 11 sent the necessary papers to the solicitor’s office requesting that it file an appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the High Court order. But the appeal was not filed.

On June 13, AY Corporation sent a notice of contempt of court.

The ministry then sent two letters—on June 24 and July 7—to the solicitor’s office requesting them to file the appeal. Md Shahidullah, an assistant secretary of the commerce ministry, met the advocate at

Solicitor’s Office takes care of and monitors litigations by or against of the government in different courts. This office is also responsible for appointment and discipline of all government pleaders and public prosecutors. Appointment of the attorney general and other attorneys in the Supreme Court are also processed by this office. Payment of salaries and fees of the government law officers and disbursement of all other expenses connected with litigation management are made by the Solicitor’s Office.

that they did not stand a chance to get bail, they tell me to proceed with the case. When I ask them how, they tell me that they have their own ways of managing bail.”

At this point, the prosecution complained. Justice Jahangir Hossain of tribunal 1 told Ahsanul that he could not proceed with those clients.

While arguing about the statement of the investigation officer in the war crimes cases against his client SQ Chowdhury, Ahsasul said: “Free my client or hang him – do whatever you want. But I will say this. The prosecution has cooked a hodgepodge with the documents. It is difficult to find the truth from these documents. Everything the prosecution presented was conflicting.”

Prosecutor Tureen Afroz told the Dhaka Tribune that the defence counsel could not use such words against his counterparts. “When the defence counsel tries to tease us, we never react. But we hope that the tribunal will caution him.”

“This is nothing but setting bad examples for the next generation of lawyers. If such practices go unaddressed, the young lawyers will assume that it is the right way to become a big lawyer.

We hope that the court will never allow him to go beyond legal issues,” the prosecution lawyer said.

She also said: “Deliberately trying to kill time could amount to contempt of court. The tribunal can charge him with contempt because he [Ahsanul] humiliated the lower court. Anyone can apply for his disqualification from the Bar Council because of what he said at the open court. That will be harmful for him.”

On Tuesday, when Ahsanul Haque was apparently speaking on irrelevant issues, Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, chairman of tribunal 1, said: “He has no argument. So he is trying to kill time.”

The defence lawyer’s reply was: “It is not possible for me to continuously keep on placing arguments. This is my style. If I cannot do this, the session seems boring to me.” l

Jamaat now calls hartal on Aug 13-14 and IT departments are fully different.

Some global frauds were involved with such forgery and usually they enter the ATM booth as maintenance engineer.

So banks should ensure ID card for the maintenance engineer and also become careful about ATM booth security to prevent such forgery’, said Tapon Kanti Sarkar, President of Chief Technical Officer (CTO) Forum.

In this regard, Association of Bankers Bangladesh (ABB) President Nurul Amin said the incidents of card forgery would cast a negative impact on the banking sector.

“The banks should be more careful with their transaction system and take stern measures against officials who have become involved with forgery,” he said. l

least five times, but without any results.

“The advocate does not file the appeal making an excuse of not getting necessary papers from the concerned court,” said a commerce ministry report on the issue.

“Public servants have been facing a contempt of court charge as the solicitor wing and the advocate-on-record have not filed an appeal,” it said.

The advocate on July 22 filed a civil miscellaneous petition to the Chamber Judge instead of the appeal.

On July 29, the High Court filed contempt petition against the commerce secretary and the other officials and finally ordered issuing contempt rule against them.

Law minister Shafique Ahmed on Monday summoned the solicitor and two of his deputies to his office and asked for clarification of the delays in filing the appeal.

The solicitor reportedly could not answer his question but assured him of taking necessary measures for filing the appeal as soon as possible. l

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

The statement said the party deferred the countrywide hartal to ease the

journey of people from their village home to their respective working places after Eid holidays.

BTRC suggests Tk11bn yearly loss  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

“What the BTRC has recommended is totally unlawful. It cannot violate a public auction decision!”

Aneek, who had held the auction of IGWs in 2008, said by changing these decisions the BTRC had unsettled the whole sector.

The commission, however, said the shortfall could be managed if the move reduced illegal call termination.

In its recommendation, it observed that the market had turned dull because of issuing too many IGW licences and lowering the rates would help the new IGWs sustain.

In its letter to the telecom ministry, the BTRC also claimed that the call termination rates in the neighbouring countries were much lower than what was in Bangladesh, such as in India it was only $.01.

Requesting anonymity, an official of the ministry said as the BTRC was favouring the IGWs it only presented information that would help these companies.

“India generates a huge volume of calls. On the other hand, Pakistan’s call termination rate is $.06 while in Sri Lanka it is more than $.06 and in Maldives $.25. Even a lot of European countries have rates of at least $.10,” the official said.

Incoming international calls were like exporting products, the official said, adding that the government had to think about it carefully.

“If the government wants to

lose foreign currency by exporting products, we have nothing to say. But it is clear that the BTRC is not working in favour of the country.”

A high official at the BTRC said: “The situation is deteriorating every day. If the policymakers do not take control of the situation, nobody else can help.”

He said if the government fixed the call termination rate at $.015, the BTRC would urge it to reduce it again after a few days.

The rate was $.06 before 2009. It was later re-fixed at $.04 and again at $.03 in May 2011.

Sources claimed that when the call termination rate was $.06 the number of legal incoming calls was around 40 million, but the calls had not increased even though the rate was half now. Fixing the rate at $.015 would not help improve the situation, they said.

The BTRC awarded 1,000 VoIP licences allegedly on “political consideration”, which many said would create anarchy in the industry.

Mir Nasir Hossain, president of the Telecommunication Infrastructure Operators of Bangladesh, praised the BTRC proposals for reducing the call termination rate and the government revenue sharing.

“As the market is overpopulated there is no discipline. I assume no IGW can survive in near future and we are very frustrated,” he said. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

City people in panic ahead of Eid

Steward held with gold bars freed

Mugging and extortion rise in Dhaka despite ‘increased’ vigilance of law enforcers Advocate Asaduzzaman Miah, a mugged in past week, but it has been area, a group attacked a roadside busin Mohammad Jamil Khan n Kailash Sarker reported that many victims preferred nessman and snatched Tk50,000. The lawyer of the Dhaka Metropolitan MagDespite the vigilance of law enforcers, mugging and extortion have been increasing at alarming levels in the capital over the last few of weeks.

Groups of snatchers and muggers have been active in various markets and shopping malls and surrounding areas in the capital, targeting Eid shoppers.

At least 40 victims of muggings were admitted to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in the last three weeks, with over 40 people admitted with stab injuries, according to a report by our medical correspondent based on the hospital’s registrar.

A large number of people were

not to report the incidents to the police to avoid further hassle.

On Friday, Agyan party members stole valuables from Sumon, 34, a passenger on a Kamlapur-bound train coming from Gazipur, after knocking him unconscious using sedatives.

He was later thrown from the moving train in the Tejgaon rail crossing area. Critically injured, Sumon was admitted to DMCH. On the same day, muggers stabbed a boy working at a hotel in the Bangshal area of the city, and nabbed his cell phone and Tk1500.

Earlier that day in the Nazirabazar

group brandished firearms in order to create panic amongst onlookers, ensuring them a clean escape after the mugging.

On Thursday, a gang of muggers stabbed and robbed a marketing officer of Tk350,000 in the city’s Moghbazar area.

Many more people have been victims of similar attacks in recent days.

To control the rampant mugging ahead of Eid, Dhaka Metropolitan Police launched a fresh programme and opened three hotline numbers to receive information on mugging and extortion cases.

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Wednesday, August 7, 2013

istrate Court, said the actual number of crimes was higher than was reported to police stations due to the often unfriendly behaviour of law enforcers.

In this regard, Hassan Mahmood Khandker, inspector general of police, claimed some isolated incidents have been taking place, but that overall the law and order situation was under control.

ATM Habibur Rahman, director of the legal and media wing of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), said they deployed forces at various important spots in the city to ensure the security of Eid shoppers. l

Customs officials on Tuesday freed an air hostess of the state-run Biman Bangladesh Airlines at the Hajarat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. She was arrested on Monday with five bars of gold, weighing 583grams, which were smuggled from Dubai.

“Although air hostess Sadiya Afroz Kumu, 30, was freed, the gold she was carrying had been seized”, said Ayesha Akhter, assistant commissioner of Customs. “She was freed following directives from the higher authorities of the Customs Department and Biman Bangladesh Airlines, who had discussions among themselves,” Ayesha added The assistant customs commissioner also said they had yet to decide whether the gold would be returned to her or should it be deposited to the central bank treasury. Kumu was serving at the BG-026 of the Bangladeshi flag carrying flight, which arrived at Dhaka from Dubai at around 10am on Monday. According to sources, the gold bars were found in her bag while the customs officials searched passengers, the pilot and the cabin crew. General-

ly, a person is allowed to carry a maximum of 200 grams of gold provided taxes are paid.

Sources said a section of officials and employees of various agencies deployed at the airport were involved with the nexuses active in smuggling gold, precious stones and other valuables through the country’s main airport. Customs commissioner Zakiya Sultana said they had seized 192kg of gold in the last seven months.

On September 29, 2010, customs authorities arrested another air hostess named Kamrunnahar of the government carrier while she was trying to smuggle in currencies worth Tk250m.

Airport sources said more than 3,600 people, including airline crew, civil aviation officials, customs and immigration officials, members of the National Security Intelligence (NSI) and Ansar, have been arrested in the last three and a half years for complicity in smuggling.

Among the arrestees, more than 110 are airline employees, including 10 female flight attendants, 400 are officials of the civil aviation authorities, 34 are customs and immigration officials and 210 are members of Ansar. l

Tk1.8m fake notes seized, one arrested n Kailash Sarkar

People leave Dhaka even on the roof of a train on Tuesday to spend the Eid holidays with their families

ACC seeks Biman’s Airbus repair documents n UNB In the wake of allegations of irregularities, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), for the second time has sought necessary documents from Biman Bangladesh Airlines on an Airbus that had underwent repair works in Singapore.

According to an inquiry officer at the ACC, the anti-graft body has recently served a notice to the Managing Director and CEO of Biman, Kevin Steele, asking him to provide necessary documents of the repair work to the Commission within August 13, reported UNB.

Rab rescues abducted businessman n Tribune Report The members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) yesterday rescued a kidnapped businessman and arrested three alleged kidnappers from a rented flat in the city’s East Rampura.

Rab sources said M Akbar Hossain, 45, a resident of Khulna city, was kidnapped, when he left Khulna for Dhaka on July 29 on business purpose.

The kidnappers demanded Tk1m as ransom over phone. The victim’s family deposited Tk4, 98,000 in the bank account of the kidnappers and lodged a complaint with Rab-3 office.

Acting on a tip-off, a Rab team raided a flat located at East Rampura at 12:35am and arrested Mominul Islam Sagar, 26, Anwar Hossain, 32, and Mozammel Hossain Appal, 35 and rescued Akbar from the flat. They also recovered 14 passports, one laptop, 97 pieces of Yaba tablets and cash Tk400,000 from their possession.

“We found him in a room tied up with shackles,” said Anisur Rahman, Rab-3 Operation Officer, adding they also found nine more shackles in the flat. “We think more people are involved into the abduction. They will be arrested soon.”

It could not be known immediately who rented the flat, he added. l

The national flag carrier, back in 2008 signed a $2.4m deal with Singapore International Airlines Engineering Company to maintain and overhaul its Airbuses, said ACC officials.

Under the deal, the Biman authorities in 2011 sent its Airbus-310 to Singapore for repair works. It was brought back 10 days later, after spending an additional amount of Tk20m.

“Allegations have it that the Airbus was kept in Singapore for a longer period of time than required thus a section of Biman officials misappropriated a good amount of public money,” the ACC inquiry officer said.

He said the Commission earlier

served notice to the MD of Biman to submit necessary documents, but the notice went unheeded. “So, we have sent a fresh notice to the Biman authorities on July 31.”

The ACC official said the graft watchdog could not carry out its probe into the Biman irregularities properly for lack of necessary papers.

“After the scrutiny of Biman documents, we’ll be able to determine our next course of action and who need to be grilled,” he added.

ACC Deputy Director Khairul Huda is currently conducting inquiry into the irregularities of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines. l

Nightmare awaits travelers on Dhaka-Chittagong highway n Tribune Desk A 40-km tailback was created on the busy Dhaka-Chittagong Highway yesterday following a road crash in Daudkandi upazila, causing sufferings to thousands of homebound people ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Officer-in-charge of Daudkandi Highway Police Station M Mizanur Rahman said two covered vans collided head-on on the Meghna-Gomti Bridge in Daudkandi upazila around 2am, disrupting traffic on the highway.

The accident caused a 40-km tail-

back on both sides of the bridge from Kutumbpur of Chandina to Bhaterchar in Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj.

Though the accident-ridden vehicles were removed from the highway around 4 am, the long tailback was created in the meantime. The situation was aggravated by haphazard and reckless driving, overtaking and illegal parking on both sides of the highway.

Huge tailbacks were also created on connecting roads - Gauripur-Homna, Gauripur-Matlab, and Gauripur-Kachua following the traffic jam on the highway. l

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

38 trade unions formed in RMG sector in 7 months

Khaleda returns home from KSA

n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

BNP Chairperson and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia returned to Dhaka yesterday from Saudi Arabia after performing Umrah, following an invitation of the Saudi government.

A flight of Emirates Airlines carrying the leader and her entourage landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 6:06pm, Maruf Kamal Khan, press secretary to BNP chairperson told the Dhaka Tribune.

Senior leaders of the party including the acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee member MK Anwar, Vice Chairmen Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury and Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi welcomed her at the airport.

She performed Umrah, offered prayer at the holy Rawja Mubarak of Hazrat Muhammad (sm) and offered special prayers at Masjid-al-Haram during her 10-day visit to the Saudi Arabia. She had left for Saudi Arabia on July 27.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of Eidul-fitr, the opposition leader, will exchange greetings with the eminent citizens of the country, foreign dignitaries, and mass people at the Bangabadhu International Conference Centre at city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, confirmed Maruf Kamal Khan while talking to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. l

The government allowed registration of 38 trade unions in the RMG sector from January to July in a bid to improve the labour situation in Bangladesh.

“In Dhaka, 29 trade unions were registered while in Chittagong the number was nine,” Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar told the Dhaka Tribune.

The secretary hoped that the number of trade unions would exceed 100 by the end of the year.

“These 38 trade unions got registration under the previous regulation which was much rigid. But after the amendment to labour law in July, the regulation has been relaxed to a great extent,” he said.

There were over 150 registered trade unions till 2012 but most of them were inactive, he said.

After the twin disasters – fire at Tazreen Fashion in November and collapse of Rana Plaza in April – the government and the owners are under intense pressure from different stakeholders to allow trade unions in the business establishment.

The government made amendment to labour law 2006 to ease rules and regulations of registering trade union.

“We expect to formulate five to seven guidelines in different areas includ-

Dhaka Bank sues two officials n Anisur Rahman Swapan, Barisal A case was filed against two officials of Dhaka Bank, Barisal Branch, by authorities for misappropriating deposits of clients.

Shakhawt Hossian, Barisal Kotwali police station in charge, said Abdul Malek Howladar, vice president and manager of the Barisal branch of Dhaka Bank, lodged a case against the two absconding officials on Monday night.

It was alleged that KHM Asaduzzaman, former manager of the branch, was transferred to internal control and

compliance division at the bank’s head office in Dhaka on the first of July. After joining there on July 3, he remained absent on duty since July 10.

The other accused official named Humayun Kabir, assistant vice president and credit officer of Barisal branch, also became absent in the office from July 8.

The bank authorities formed an investigation committee and found that the absconding officials misappropriated approximately Tk64.6m from different accounts of the clients from May 16, 2010 to July 8, 2013.

The Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in an overnight drive arrested a counterfeiting gang member with fake notes amounting to Tk1.8m from the capital’s Demra and seized currency-making equipment.

The arrestee Md Rabbi recently got release on bail 10 months after he was arrested with a huge amount of counterfeit money last October, said senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Fazle Rabbi, operation officer of Rab 10.

He told the Dhaka Tribune that a team led by Major Jahangir Alam first arrested Rabbi with some fake notes from a house in Dogair Monday night.

“Following information extracted from the arrestee, the elite force went to his residence in Fatullah of Narayan-

ganj and recovered fake notes, five digital printers, a laptop, various chemicals and other materials used to make fake currency,” added the operation officer. The Rab official said the materials and equipment recovered from the hideout were enough to produce Tk120m counterfeit notes.

When asked, Assistant Superintendent Fazle Rabbi said the gang led

by Md Rabbi comprised of at least 16 members and its key figure was one Sumon, an expert in making fake currency notes who, however, escaped arrest.

Detectives and Rab seized fake notes worth more than Tk30m and arrested several gangs who were out to circulate the fake notes in the markets throughout this month ahead of Eid ul-Fitr. l

They also committed many irregularities and violated rules and regulations in giving loans and credits in the branch. Both of them were asked to join in their respective duties within July 17 through official letters to their permanent addresses. As no replies were received, they were served final notices to join within July 30 through advertisements on newspapers.

As they did not join their duties within the given deadline, the authorities decided to lodge the case against them, the plaintiff said. l

ing profit sharing, inspection and trade union,” Shipar said.

“Our top priority would be guidelines on profit sharing and we hope to complete it by three months,” he said.

The International labour Organistaion (ILO) and Manusher Jonno Foundation would provide assistance to formulate the guidelines, he added.

“We need technical advice and financial assistance from them.”

Meanwhile, the government is planning to appoint 200 inspectors through a project by this year.

“We discussed the issue at a meeting on Monday at the commerce ministry but no decision was taken so far,” said an official of the foreign ministry who attended the meeting.

The government is committed to recruiting 200 additional inspectors to improve the business establishment monitoring system in the country.

According to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the country had 0.242m manufacturing organisations and over 2m shops, restaurants and other service organisation in 2001.

The Department for Inspection for Factories and Establishments has 56 factory inspectors and 39 shop inspectors to cover all the organisations, and it has offices in four old divisional cities and shop inspectors, one each in 20 districts. l

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

BIWTC stops special steamer service during Eid n Tribune Report State-run water transport system, known as a safer and reliable transportation system, has been in a dangerous state to tackle the Eid departure from major cities. The river vessels which were in poor condition with inconsistent maintenance and persistent repair, disrupting good transportation and passenger services.

Usually, a special steamer on DhakaBarishal route carries passenger during Eid vacation. That steamer failed to provide service due to its deplorable conditions.

Mojibur Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) said, “We are trying our level best. But, the water vessels are in poor condition. We cannot provide special services unless PS Ostrich is repaired,” according to banglanews24.com.

PS Ostrich and PS Lepcha went out of service while operating its passenger service on Dhaka-Morelganj route earlier on July 22 and 23 respectively.

Although, Lepcha was repaired but, Ostrich has less possibility to function before Eid. MV Shela was in poor condition while MV Sonargaon and PS Masud have been remained unused and kept in the dockyard for several days.

PS Tern was able to carry passengers before Eid. Water transport has been in dilapidated state due to corruption and neg-

Chhatra League leader held with firearms n Our Correspondent, Chandpur Rab arrested Hajiganj Chhatra League president with arms and marijuana from Hajiganj upazila in Chandpur yesterday.

Police said Shukur Alam Shuvo, 32, was arrested with two pistols, seven round of bullets, 120 yaba pills and 100gm marijuana.

Dewan Abul Hossain, officer-incharge of Hajiganj police station, said Rab-11 handed Shuvo to police and lodged two cases against him in arms and narcotics control act.

The OC added that except from the two new cases there are several cases against the arrestee. l

ligence. A huge amount of money has been manipulated under the pretext of renovation. Although, number of passengers, good transportation and fares were increasing, the condition of the steamers has been deteriorating day by day. However, no steps has been taken to solve the problem, alleged the government officials, seeking anonymity.

It is also alleged that the owners of private water transport give a huge amount of money as bribe to government official for drawing passenger’s attention towards their transport services.

A new ship-MV Sonargaon goes out of order during every trips for last ten years. It was sent to the dockyard for repair work. But, nothing has done to send it back to service.

The Chairman of BIWTC said, “We are planning to sell it at auction.”

Earlier, four ships were capable of carrying passengers on Dhaka- Barishal route. The renovation work of MV Alauddin was finished a few days ago.

Besides, MV Bar has been undergoing repair for several days.

MV Abdul Matin and MV Manirul Huq were unable to operate though new engines were replaced. Passenger service on Chittagong-Barisal has come to a halt due to the dilapidated condition of these two ships.

Chairman of BIWTC said MV Alauddin would operate its passenger service on Chittagong-Sandwip route ahead of Eid. l

News

J OY F O R A L L

An underpriviliged child takes a look at her new dress for Eid given away by the Forum SDA, a platform for Bangladeshi youths

Odhikar for strong security on borders n Tribune Report The human rights watchdog Odhikar urged the government to develop a strong social security system and concentrate on creating employment opportunities in border areas so that people living there do not have to peruse risky cattle trading.

The organisation made the observation in its fact finding report issued yesterday.

It found that extreme poverty forced many people in the bordering Lalmonirhat district to get involved in cattle trading despite the risk that they can get shot any time.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

It said that despite the recent incidents of cattle traders being shot by Indian Border Security force in different bordering areas the poor still tend to get involved in cattle trade endangering their lives.

It points out that people choose the risky profession as they do have very few employment opportunities in the border areas.

Mentioning a recent killing in Lalmonirhat area it said Sirajul Islam (22), son of Abul Hossain, from the Kani Lotabor village in Kaliganj Upazilla of Lalmonirhat, who was shot dead on March 31 was also a cattle trader. l

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Bay Cruise rescued after 20 hours n Anisur Rahman Swapan, Barisal

Day-time express passenger carrier and river cruising vessel Bay Cruise-1 of the Dhaka-Barisal-Dhaka route was rescued 20 hours after it stranded on shoal near Barisal river port with Eid passengers.

Some parts of the vessel were broken and it needed repair to restore operation on the route today, said the port authorities and the vessel agent.

Abul Bashar Majumdar, deputy director Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and river safety and traffic management in charge of Barisal port, said the vessel stranded on shallow water shoal on Kirtankhola River near ShayestabadCharmonai area, about 4km away from

Barisal port, while coming from Dhaka with 87 passengers on board on Monday.

On information, the BIWTA authorities sent rescue vessels and evacuated the stranded passengers within 9pm.

However, the repair work of the vessel was delayed due to lack of vessels and equipments to rescue such kind of vessel.

The officials of the liner Bay Cruise International Limited could not be reached for comments in this regard.

The crews of the vessel, requesting anonymity, blamed the BIWTA for failure in marking the underwater shoals needed for safe navigation when water flows on rivers increased during the monsoon.

The BIWTA officials partially ac-

knowledging their failure in marking shallow and under water shoals said the vessel claimed to had been equipped with global positioning system, radar, automated hydraulic wheels to avoid such type of accident.

Either the vessel was not equipped with the claimed modern equipments or the crews of the vessel were inefficient to ply on inland waterways, said Saidur Rahman Rintu, vice-president of the launch owners’ association of the route.

Md Nasiruddin, a businessman and passenger of the vessel, claimed that within a very short time of the inauguration of the vessel, its service became irregular as regular mechanical faults of the vessel forced cancellation of trips. l

Change in temperature unlikely

Punishment of Twoki’s killers demanded

n UNB

n Our Correspondent, Narayanganj

Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at most places over Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions in 24 hours till 6 pm today.

Moderately heavy falls are also likely at places, Met Office said.

Day and night temperature may fall slightly over the country.

The sun sets in the capital today at 6:38 pm and rises on at 5:31 am tomorrow.

Country’s highest temperature 33.0 degree Celsius was recorded yesterday at Rajshahi, Sayedpur, Kutubdia and Srimangal and lowest 24.6 degrees at Srimangal.

Highest and lowest temperature and humidity recorded in some major cities and towns were:

Shantrash Nirmul Twoki Mancha, an anti-crime citizens’ platform, formed a human chain in front of the Narayanganj press club yesterday demanding trial of the killers of Tanvir Mohammad Twoki.

Addressing the protesters, SM Akram Hossain, ex-convenor of Narayanganj Awami League, said the district’s deputy commissioner and head of police would be “tried in the court of the people” if they failed to bring Twoki’s killers to justice.

He also alleged that former AL lawmaker Shamim Osman, his brother, Nasim, and their followers were terrorising

WEATHER

City

High

Low

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

28.0 30.5 33.0 31.6 31.6 28.4 32.2 32.6

25.5 26.0 26.3 25.5 25.5 24.8 24.9 24.8

Shehri and Iftar time Day

Shehri

Iftar

Ramadan 28/Aug 7 Ramadan 29/Aug 8 Ramadan 30/Aug 9

4:04am 4:05am 4:06am

6:41pm 6:41pm 6:40pm

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:09am 5:29am 12:04pm 4:41pm 6:45pm 7:59pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

the local community, with patronisation from the head of the government.

Twoki’s father, cultural activist Rafiur Rabbi, along with representatives of different cultural bodies and left-leaning political parties, participated in the protest.

Twoki, 17, an A-level student, went missing on March 6. Police recovered his dead body from a local canal two days later. On March 18, Rabbi submitted a written complaint to the district police accusing several people of complicity in his son’s murder. Different civil and cultural organisations have been staging demonstrations demanding punishment of the schoolboy’s killers. l

Port accident kills worker n Tushar Hayat, Chittagong A customer buys artificial flower bouquets at the city’s New Super Market to decorate home ahead of Eid

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Barguna 2 by-polls in September

One killed in a road accident in Tangail n Our Correspondent, Tangail

n Mohammad Zakaria

A Businessman was killed and two people were injured in a head-on collision between a truck and a private car on Dhaka- Tangail- Bangabandhu Setu highway at Kamakkha intersection, Kalihati upazila, Tangail yesterday.

The deceased was Mojammel Hossen, 40, a garments businessman of Ulaahpara, Sirajgonj.

Bangabandhu East police station Officer-in-Charge Harech Miah said a Dhaka bound truck from North Bengal collided head-on with a Sirajgonj bound private car around 10am, leaving one person dead on the spot. l

The Election Commission (EC) has planned to announce the election schedule of the Barguna-2 by-election after Eid and hold the election in the last week of September.

After receiving the parliament secretariat gazette announcing the constituency vacant, the EC has started making preparations for the by-election, EC officials said yesterday. On July 26, Awami League lawmaker Golam Sabur Tulu was killed in a road accident in Faridpur. The Barguna-2 seat has been

vacant since his death.

According to the constitution, the by-election must be held within 90 days from the day the constituency falls vacant. As per the constitution, the Barguna-2 by-polls must be held within October 23. The parliament secretariat’s gazette was published on July 26 and reached the EC on July 28.

The EC usually announces general or by-election schedules keeping 40-45 days in hand. Election Commissioner Mohammad Abu Hafiz said the EC would hold the Barguna-2 by-election as per the constitution. l

A dock worker was killed after being hit by a container at the jetty of the Chittagong Port yesterday.

The deceased was Wahed Mia, 42, of Kazirdighirpar area in Laksmipur.

According to port sources Wahed sustained critical injuries when a container, which was being unloaded by a

crane from a vessel, hit him at around 9:30am at Jetty 11.

Jahirul Islam, in-charge at the police outpost at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital, said the injured was rushed to the hospital, where the on-duty doctors announced him dead.

Earlier, another worker named Abdus Sattar was killed in a separate accident at the port’s Jetty 10 on Monday. l

One killed in Chittagong road accident n CU Correspondent A passenger was killed and at least ten people were injured as a bus plunged into a ditch on Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Shitakundu upazila in Chittagong yesterday.

The identity of the deceased could not be known immediately.

Sub Inspector of Kumira police station Alamgir said a Noakhali-bound bus

of Resalah transport carrying around 50 passengers skidded off into roadside ditch around 9:30am after being hit by a goods laden truck at Baradarogahat area on Dhaka-Chittagong highway leaving a passenger dead on the spot.

Later, aided by the locals, the other injured were rushed to different hospitals including Chittagong Medical College Hospital, said the SI. No case was filed, he added. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Special

5

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

The Rana Plaza building collapse, 100 days on A number of initiatives have been launched in response to the Rana Plaza building collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which expand upon ILO action following previous accidents in the country. The director of the ILO Office in Dhaka, Srinivas B Reddy, explains what these initiatives are and the steps that have been taken on the ground

the disaster and those who were left unemployed.

The Joint Statement also called on the ILO and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to consider launching a Better Work Programme for Bangladesh. Better Work is a partnership programme between the ILO and the IFC, which aims to improve both compliance with international labour standards and competitiveness in global supply chains.

How does this plan fit with the other response initiatives established by brands, retailers, global unions and other institutions since April?

NASHIRUL ISLAM/DHAKA TRIBUNE

What action has been taken during the past three months?

What does the response agenda consist of?

Since April 24, when the Rana Plaza building collapsed, claiming 1,127 lives and injuring many more, the ILO has played a lead role in seeking to address the root causes of the disaster and help rehabilitate injured victims. We are working closely with the Government and employers’ and workers’ organisations (the ILO’s tripartite constituents), to help improve workers’ rights and safety in the ready-made garment (RMG) sector.

The Joint Statement committed the Government of Bangladesh to submitting a set of amendments to its Labour Law, which it did on July 15, and ILO has commented on it. The response agenda also requires an assessment of all the active RMG factories for fire safety and structural integrity, as well as measures to fix the issues discovered.

It also commits the government to recruit, within 6 months, 200 additional inspectors and to ensure that the Department of the Chief Inspector of Factories and Establishments will have been upgraded to a Directorate with an annual regular budget allocation adequate to enable the recruitment of a minimum of 800 inspectors and the development of the infrastructure required for their proper functioning.

It recommends expanding the existing National Tripartite Action Plan on Fire Safety, signed after the Tazreen Fashions factory fire in November 2012. Progress has already been made through an agreement reached on July 25 by the Government, employers and workers to integrate this plan and the Joint Statement to form a comprehensive National Tripartite Plan of Action on Fire Safety and Structural Integrity in the RMG sector.

For those directly affected by the Rana Plaza collapse, a skills training and rehabilitation programme will be launched for those disabled by

Workers in ready-made garment factories will receive safety training and those injured during the disaster and in previous accidents will begin to receive rehabilitation and skills training

In the immediate aftermath of the accident, the ILO sent a high-level mission to Dhaka, headed by the Deputy Director-General for field operations, Gilbert Houngbo. The result of the mission was a Joint Statement, signed on May 4, by the Government and employers’ and workers’ organisations, which set out a six-point response agenda.

These emerging response initiatives have endorsed and echoed the now integrated National Tripartite Plan of Action on Fire Safety and Structural Integrity (NTPA) and, in several cases, the ILO’s technical support has been asked for to help ensure their implementation and coordination.

For example, the ILO fulfills the role of neutral chair of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety, signed by global unions and over 80 fashion brands and retailers. The Accord is a five-year programme aimed at ensuring health and safety measures, including the assessment and remediation of structural integrity and fire safety in factories used by the signatories.

Another initiative, the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, brings together 17 US retailers and brands and aims to inspect and set safety standards in 100% of the factories used by the signatories over the next five years.

The Sustainability Compact, between the EU, Bangladesh Government and the ILO, published in July, builds on the NTPA and seeks action on labour rights, in particular freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, building structural integrity and occupational safety and health, as well as responsible business conduct by all stakeholders engaged in the RMG and knitwear industry in Bangladesh.

The Compact has assigned a coordinating and monitoring role to the ILO. Coordination between these various initiatives will be vital, to ensure they have the desired impact.

These plans sound good in theory but what tangible action has been taken so far?

For its part, the ILO Office in Dhaka is implementing a $2m, six-month programme from July to December this year.

The first element is assisting the constituent partners in establishing a system to undertake a preliminary assessment of the safety of factory buildings. The ILO will work with the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) to train 30

specialist teams of structural engineers to undertake these assessments.

In parallel, workers in ready-made garment factories will receive safety training and those injured during the disaster and in previous accidents will begin to receive rehabilitation and skills training.

During the last three months, the ILO has also developed a broader three-year programme to take these actions forward and provide support to several key components of the National Tripartite Action Plan on Fire Safety and Structural Integrity.

This includes ensuring structural integrity assessments by trained engineers of the almost 2,000 factories not covered by the Accord and Alliance and the purchase of necessary equipment. It will also involve training of the 800 labour inspectors referred to earlier and worker and management training in occupational safety and health and worker rights.

factory workers in the country and is working on a number of outreach efforts to improve knowledge of occupational safety and health best practices.

What are the next steps in the response?

We will work closely with the Government and employers’ and workers’ organisations as they implement the National Tripartite Action Plan on Fire Safety and Structural Integrity in the RMG sector, over the coming weeks and months.

A priority will be to help ensure that skilled engineers are making initial structural integrity and fire safety assessments of garment factory buildings. These will be undertaken by the engineering teams led by BUET and will be underway by September.

Skills training of disabled workers, in partnership with the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee

A priority will be to help ensure that skilled engineers are making initial structural integrity and fire safety assessments of garment factory buildings

Is this the first time that the ILO has worked in this area in Bangladesh?

We have in fact been working closely with the Government and employers’ and workers’ organisations for some time on labour conditions in the garment industry.

For example, since January 2012 a dedicated project on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work has focused on improving workers’ rights in Bangladesh, particularly in the RMG sector. It has worked with the ILO constituents to improve labour legislation and practices in Bangladesh and to develop labour relations based on rights and responsibilities.

Technical experts from the ILO office in Dhaka have been working closely with the Government during the last year on amendments to the country’s labour law, with a view to bringing it into line with international labour standards.

As previously mentioned, we also promote safer work places and have assisted the Government and social partners in developing the national response to the Tazreen factory fire in November 2012. ILO projects have also produced a fire safety video designed to be shown to and understood by all

(BRAC), will also be up and running and we will help coordinate services to injured and unemployed Rana Plaza victims through the National Skills Development Council Secretariat.

Training programmes for trade union leaders, mid-level managers and supervisors on occupational safety and health and workers’ rights are also due to begin, along with training to strengthen the labour inspection system. l The interview was first published on the ILO website. It has been republished with permission from ILO.

NASHIRUL ISLAM/DHAKA TRIBUNE

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

BWDB constructing Tk136.8m sand embankment in Bogra n Hasibur Rahman Bilu, Bogra Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has started construction works at an estimated cost of Tk136.8m for a flood control embankment using sand at Kutobpur village, Sariakandi upazila, Bogra.

The government allocated fund from the “Climate Change Trust Fund” to construct the embankment

Bangladesh Water Development Board has started construction of a flood control embankment using sand at Kutobpur village, Sariakandi upazila, Bogra

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Executive Engineer of the BWDB at Bogra, Md Nurul Islam Sarker confirmed the high level decision for the BWDB to begin construction work of a 3.7km embankment from Kutobpur village to Rohodhaho village, last May. The government has allocated finance from the “Climate Change Trust Fund” to construct the embankment with a view to saving significant cul-

tivable lands and villages at Sonatola, Sariakandi, Gabtoli and Dhanut upazilas of the district.

“We have acquired more than 36 acres of cultivable land and have to move about 500 families to complete the work of the embankment,” said Nurul Islam.

BDWB sources report that authorities have allocated Tk76.8m for sand purchase and Tk60m on the land value for the project.

Previously, the BWDB had built two hard structures at the cost of Tk280m to protect the right bank of the river Jamuna in the same area, but these infrastructures were severly eroded by the Jamuna river.

“I have never heard in my 90 years of life that it is possible to control flood by sand made embankment,” said Gada Pramanik, a local of the area. He is one of many locals of the area who are very anxious about the planned embankment. l

Brac achieves 97% Drought hits 6 lakh hectares in Rangpur, good aman harvest unlikely success in tuberculosis n Tribune Report Drought has engulfed eight districts of Rangpur with land becoming uncultivable, much to the worries of the farmers.

Once a vast tract of cropland has now given way to pasture.

Farmers cannot sow seed due to lack of water, besides irrigation is also at stake since there is much shortage of electricity.

According to the Department of Agriculture Extension, there are still 3.5 lac hector of land remaining uncultivable.

They said 10.25 lac hector land was targeted to be cultivated by Aman paddy in eight districts of the division, but seeds had been sowed in 71% land by irrigation.

Meteorologist Mofijul Islam of Rangpur Meteorological Office said 623mm rain has been recorded in June and July which is one third of the previous year of the same time, according to banglanews24.com.

Though the perfect time for sowing Aman seeds has already crossed, cultivable land of Sadullupur and Polashbari of Gaibandha, Peerganj and Mithapukur of Rangpur, Birampur and Parbitipur upazila of Dinajpur remain empty.

There are some land where Aman has not been sowed. Monwar Hossain of Mohisbondhi village of Sadullupur upazila claimed that Aman had not been sowed in 10% land in the area.

Some farmers having shallow engine sowed Aman seed in their lands, he said, adding that Aman seeds are damaged for the lack of rain and also for scorching heat.

The perfect time for sowing seeds has expired many days ago.

Farmer Shamsul Alam of Badarganj said the electricity connection of tube well and deep tube well was cut for safety reasons after Boro cultivation was done.

It was alleged that farmers are not getting electricity even after giving connection fee and extra fee.

Sahanur Islam Lenin, a farmer of Peerganj area, said Tk900 is being realised as connection fee.

On the other hand, there are also complexities with state-run deep tube well, he added.

The farmers in the area also demanded reintroduction of the staterun irrigation system.

Peerganj upazila agriculture official Rejaul Karim said drought hit the region this time.

Aman seeds are being damaged, and it may also lead to a bad harvest, he added.

Rejaul said 178mm rain was recorded in the area in last June whiel it is 41mm this year.

Again, 440.6mm rain was recorded in July of the last year which is 110.3mm this year. He acknowledges that seed has not yet been sowed in many land.

Additional Director Sikandar Ali of the Department of Agriculture Extension, Rangpur division, said the farmers were waiting to sow seeds.

Now, they have started to sow seeds.

Irrigation has already begun by 61749 tube well and 1871 deep tube well.

The official claimed that time had not yet passed away though it had been already late.

He said the worst condition was in Kurigram. Only 22% seed had been sowed till August 4 in the district where 113695 hector land was targeted to bring under Aman cultivation.

The second worst condition was in Gaibandha where 42% land had been sowed, and in Rangpur, 67% of 1,53,732 hector land had been sown.

Rangpur 6 Lawmaker Abul Kalam Azad said: “I have seen the cracked land caused by the lack of rain. Most of the farmers could not sow Aman paddy. If the condition persists it will bring a bad harvest.”

He added that he had already talked to the secretary of agriculture ministry.

Further decision will be made after the minister returns home on August 6, said the lawmaker. l

treatment in Magura n Our Correspondent, Magura The Brac health programme has gained a 97% success rate in the treatment of tuberculosis in Magura, which at present has the highest rate across the country. Death was an inevitable result of tuberculosis in the past, but surprising advances in science has helped in overcoming this deadly disease.

Nazma Begum of Barashia, sadar upazila, Magura, was diagnosed with tuberculosis two years ago, and fell under the treatment of Brac health worker Moriam Begum. 6 months later Nazma overcame her illness and is now fully treated. Nazma said: “When I got tuberculosis I was seized by extreme panic as it I knew tuberculosis as a deadly disease. Moreover I thought the treatment of the disease would be beyond my reach. But Brac health worker Moriam Begum came to me as a blessing .She gave me treatment including medicine for free.”

Radhanath Biswas from the village of Alukdia in sadar upazila, Magura, said: “I sustained tuberculosis two years ago. As I am peasant, tuberculosis left me far from my agricultural work. Then, I came in contact with Brac health worker Morzina Begum.

After 6 months I got cured completely.

Now I am leading normal life.”

Brac began their work towards fighting tuberculosis in 2004, a total of 5223 tuberculosis patients from Magura have come under their treatment. Of those patients, 4823 have been treated successfully. A total of 167 health workers were engaged in Magura within this program, said Brac sources.

Two senior district managers of Brac health department, Shekh Azmal Hossen and Shajahan Mian, said Magura has become a model in the treatment of tuberculosis in the country due to dedication exhibited by Brac’s health workers, who are also working to raise awareness of tuberculosis. l

180 sued over arson, looting in Khagrachhari

Man killed in Satkhira n UNB

n Tribune Report

A man was tortured to death, allegedly by his brother-in-law, at Bularati village, Alipur union, sadar upazila in Satkhira early yesterday.

The deceased was Hayat Ali, 40, from Nowapara village of Debhata upazila. Hayat, along with his wife, used to live in his father-in-law Ajihar Sardar’s house in Bularati village.

According to locals, Hayat would often have heated arguments with his wife Monu Khatun and that Hayat had physically assaulted her, which had escalated from a feud between the families of the couple, on Monday night.

Hayat’s father Shahadat Sardar alleged that Monu’s brother Shahidul Islam, and a local union parishad member Abdul Hamid, tortured Hayat shackling him to a chair.

Hayat succumbed to his torture and died after a certain point.

Investigating Inspector Nasir Hossain of Satkhira Sadar police station said police recovered Hayat’s shackled body which bore several marks of injury.

The exact reason behind his death would be confirmed after they receive the autopsy report, he added.

Alipur union ward member Hamid said he was called by Monu’s family after Hayat had assaulted her but he denied his involvement in the killing. l

A case was filed against 180 people on charges of torching and looting around 50 houses of indigenous families in Matiranga upazila of Khagrachari district.

Miscreants set fire to 50 houses at Bandar Shing Para, Boga Para, Manudas Para and Laku Headman Para in the upazila following the alleged abduction of a motorbike rider from Taindang area in the uapzila on Saturday.

Anil Bikash Chakma, a victim of Boga Para, filed the case with Matiranga police station against 30 identified and 150 unnamed people.

Police detained four men in this connection, said M Main Uddin Khan, officer-in-charge of Matiranga police station.

The detainees are local Awami League leader M Abid Ali, kidnapped biker Kamal Hossain, Qamrul Hasan and Abu Taher, reports UNB. A leader of the Parbatya Chattagram

Motorcyclist killed in Rajshahi road crash n Tribune Report A motorcyclist was killed in a road accident at Tarpor, Putia upazila in Rajshahi on Monday.

The deceased was identified as Majnu, 30, from the upazila’s BaneshwarKhutipara village. Witnesses said the accident took place on the upazila road of the area around 2pm when a Rajshahi-bound truck hit Majnu’s motorcycle from behind and fled away, leaving him critically injured.

Majnu succumbed to his injuries and died on the way to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, reports UNB. A case was filed regarding the incident, said Poba police outpost in-charge Amanullah. l

Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) was injured in a gun attack by miscreants in Dighinala upazila, Khagrachhari on Monday night.

The victim was identified as Samdhananda Chakma, 46, member of PCJSS district unit and younger brother of PCJSS central committee General Secretary Tatendralal Chakma alias Major Pele.

Pritimoy Chakma, president of PSJSS of Dighinala upazila unit, said a gang of armed terrorists opened fire targeting Samdhananda in Collegetila area at 9pm on his way home by a motorcycle, leaving him injured.

He also blamed the members of Santu Larma group for the attack on Samdhananda.

The injured was first admitted to Dighinala Upazila Health Complex and later shifted to District Sadar Hospital as his condition deteriorated.

Officer-in-Charge of Dighinala police station Sahadat Hossain confirmed the incident. l

As shopping ends, young girls are now gather beauty parlor. The photo was taken from a Bogra beauty palour

FOCUS BANGLA

Indigenous Mola fish being produced in beel of Gaibandha n Tribune Desk Indigenous Mola fish is being produced in a beel (swamp) under Sadar upazila of the district through active participation of farmers.

Sources concerned said an initiative was also taken to farm the fish in different beels to enhance its production in the years of ahead.

The objective of the Mola fish production is to meet the growing demand of protein for all particularly the children in a bid to help build a healthier nation.

To change the socio-economic condition of the poor and marginal farmers living surrounding the beels

through involving themselves in income generating activities is another objective of the fish production, the sources said.

World Fish Bangladesh, a reputed organization, has been implementing the programme in the district since 2012 under the project ‘Flood Plain Fisheries and Aquaculture in Bangladesh and India RIU PN 35’ in cooperation with Consultative Group of International Agriculture Research.

Under this project, 92-kg Mola fish fries were released into Bhelakuba Beel at Kisamatfolia under Gidari union of Sadar upazila in the month of September in 2012, said Shariful Islam Bablu, a

field staff of the organisation.

After three months, as many as 1,385-kg of Mola fish were harvested. Per kg of Mola Fish is being sold at TK250 in local markets, he also said.

Besides, over 100-kg of Mola fish has been conserved in the beel for next year production, said Lutfar Rahman, a beneficiary farmer of the project.

Terming Mola fish as a nutrition rich and delicious one, Senior Sadar Upazila fisheries Officer Abdul Latif said the production rate of Mola fish is very high as the fish breed four times in a year.

Bibhu Bhusan Majumder, research associate of the project, said as the

farmers were benefited economically through farming Mola fish in the beel in 2012-2013 year; a plan was also taken to release 100-kg of Mola fish into Batikamari Beel under Badiakhali union of the upazila this month.

In phases, more beels of the district would be brought under Mola fish production within few years to increase the native small fishes in the flood plain of the district, he also said.

District Fisheries Officer SM Rashedul Haque said Mola fish production in beels of the district by the organisation was very praiseworthy as it plays a significant role in meeting up the nutrition demand of the people. l

Idol torched in Gazipur n Tribune Desk Miscreants torched an idol of a Hindu Goddess in a temple at Chapair village in Kaliakoir upazila on Monday night.

Locals said some unidentified criminals entered the 50-year old temple at night and set fire to the idol. The cloths and accessories of the idol were gutted. On information, police visited the spot. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Metro

7

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Rajuk defies HC order, continues Purbachal project n Abu Hayat Mahmud Gazipur locals have alleged that Rajuk has been continuously filing up wetland and cutting vegetation at its Purbachal project in Gazipur’s Kaliganj, violating a High Court order.

High Court on August 1 directed Rajuk to stop land development and financial transactions for the extended part of its proposed Purbachal New Town Project in Gazipur until it obtains environmental clearance. The court passed the order after responding to a writ petition jointly filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers’ Association and six other rights groups.

The project staff, however, is saying that their work has stopped. Purbachal Project Director Md Anwar Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune: “The project work is stopped as temporarily due to a High Court directive. After Eid, when the HC will open, we will seek withdrawal of the directive for starting work.”

Environmentalist groups that visited the Purbachal extended project site observed that implementation of the project was severely damaging local ecology, arable land and flora. Abu Naser Khan, chairman of Poribesh Bachao Andolan (Poba), told the Dhaka Tribune, “Rajuk turned the whole area into a barren land by cutting down all sorts of fruit-bearing trees and filling in arable land and wetlands.”

Madrasa student commits suicide in Khulna n UNB A madrasa student allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his house near Sheikhpara area, Khulna on Monday.

The deceased, identified as Al Amin, 17, hailed from Gazi Kalu area in Morrelganj upazila, Bagerhat. Police said Al Amin’s family, after not getting any responses from him despite repeated requests, forced entry into his room at 10:30am and found his body hanging from the ceiling.

Police later recovered the body and sent it to Khulna Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. Al Amin’s classmates alleged he was accused of stealing a mobile phone set a few days prior to his death, which might have instigated him to commit suicide. l

“We urge Rajuk to cancel the second phase of the Purbachal Project for the sake of environment, otherwise we will continue our legal battle against them,” he added.

Earlier in April the High Court directed Rajuk not to cut any tree in its Purbachal housing project area till further notice. Landowners in the area alleged that Rajuk and law enforcers had acquired their land demolishing homes and cutting down trees without any previous notice. Nakul Biswas, a resident of Barakau village in the area, said, “Without any notice, the Rajuk contractors who are working in the project site filled up my fields which were ready for harvesting with sand.”

“The government offered a small amount of money, Tk100,000 per bigha of land. We are denying the offer and protesting the government’s project,” he said. Local Union Parishad Chairman Md Kamal Uddin and several other residents of the area also voiced similar complaints.

Purbachal Director Anwar Hossain denied these allegations. “The government sanctioned money and plots for the landowners following the law. But the landowners are not taking the money and not applying for flats. Instead they are staging violent protests,” he said.

Anwar Hossain also alleged that the landowners had attacked the workers of the project and law enforcers. l

A man walking on empty ground at Purbanchal area on Monday

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Dhaka Zoo beset with shortage of vets n Moniruzzaman Uzzal

The Dhaka zoo, which is home over to 300 wildlife animals, is operating with a lone veterinary surgeon who has no wildlife expertise. Dhaka zoo veterinary surgeon Dr Najmul Huda has studied veterinary sciences and animal husbandry during his university years, learnt a bit about veterinary treatment of wildlife but has no real-life training that could have equipped him to better handle wildlife issues.

Having worked with zoo animals for a long time, he is now somewhat capable of treating ill animals.

The exotic and endangered wildlife in display at the Dhaka Zoo may draw the hearts and admiration of hundreds every year but it does not help mask the fact that a number of these animals have recently died due to the lack of proper care.

According to sources from Dhaka

Zoo, a number of animals have died in the last few months due to inadequate infrastructure, grubby cages, lack of veterinary personnel and unscientific enclosures. The animals which have died included lions, monkeys, tigers, elephants, bears, wild zebras, ostriches and snakes.

Many wildlife experts opined that administering sedatives without knowing anything about the animal may be fatal for the animal A few numbers of birds have died recently as well, said Veterinary Surgeon of the zoo Dr Najmul Huda, adding, “It is quite natural for animals to die while being confined in zoo.”

A Dhaka Zoo official, wishing to remain anonymous, told the Dhaka Tribune that the zoo procures wild animals worth millions but has not

devolved the infrastructure or recruited skilled veterinary personnel to take care of the animals. “The tremendous pressure and burden of work has forced many zoo surgeons to quit their work in the past. Many of them are now working in some other zoos of some middle-eastern countries and receiving much higher salaries,” he said.

Dr Najmul Huda said there should be at least four veterinarians to take care of the four different kinds of species – herbivores, carnivores, birds and reptiles. “I have to handle so many animals on my own as the zoo only has one sanctioned post of veterinary surgeon.” Ideally, there should be a system to collect animals’ blood, saliva, urine and stool sample to conduct their pathological test, but there is no easy way to do that, he said.

The ministry concerned could not take measures to train the lone veterinary surgeon after repeated calls.

Scientific Officer Dr Md Waliur Rahman said many animals bear lacerations on different parts of their body and taking the opportunity, insects such as houseflies invade the wounds which causes “maggots” to grow. Another source said when an animal becomes critically ill the zoo officials administer sedatives to make it unconscious in order to examine the animal’s body more closely.

But many wildlife experts opined that administering sedatives without knowing anything about the animal may be fatal for the animal.

The curator of Dhaka Zoo, Dr Enayetur Rahman, said due to the zoo being a national asset and a recreation centre, employees and officials of need proper training for its maintenance.

The curator, however, said despite having many limitations, efforts are ongoing to keep the zoo animals healthy and safe. l

Man stabbed to death in Rajshahi n Tribune Report A man was killed in an alleged attack by his maternal uncle at Hargaram Koraitala in Rajshahi city on Monday night.

The deceased was identified as Al Amin, 30, reports UNB. Sources said there had been a longstanding dispute between Al Amin and his mother’s step brother Malek over various issues.

As a sequel to it, Malek and his associates swooped on Al Amin and stabbed him with a dagger when he was returning home after saying tarabi prayers at about 9:30pm, leaving him injured, they said.

Critically injured Al Amin was taken to the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital where the on-duty doctors declared him dead. The victim’s father Abdul Wahab filed a case against four people including Malek with Rajpara police station. l

Preparations completed for Eid congregations in Chittagong n Tribune Desk

A labourer setting up tents in the capital yesterday for Eid congregations

FOCUSBANGLA

All preparations, including setting up structures for 244 Eid congregations at traditional and temporary venues, have been completed in the port city.

The congregations will be held under the supervision of Chittagong Central Eid Jamaat Committee (CCEJC) and the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC).

Local administration, CCC and CCEJC sources said all kinds of preparations have been completed in the port city under the auspices of the Chittagong district administration, Metropolitan Police, and other religious organisations for peaceful celebration of the Eid-ul-Fitr with due solemnity.

The preparations will include organising of Eid congregations, safety and security in the port city, as well creating

a favourable atmosphere so that devotees can perform their religious rituals comfortably.

The CCEJC has completed preparations to hold a total of 98 Eid congregations at different venues in the city while the CCC has prepared the instalment of 146 structures for Eid congregations at various venues in 41 wards, under the supervision of respective ward councillors.

The main Eid congregation of the CCEJC will be held at MA Aziz stadium at 8.45 am. Principal of the Baitus Sharaf Madrasha, Moulana Saiyed Abu Noman, will conduct the prayer.

The other Eid congregations of the CCEJC, also to be held at 8.45am, will take place at Andarkillah Shahi Jame Mosque, Laldighi Maidan, Parade ground, Pologround Maidan, Shah Amanat Shah

Three-tier security for Chittagong on Eid Mobile court for smooth n movement of home-goers Tribune Desk

A three-tier security arrangement has been made for the port city and its adjacent areas for peaceful celebration of the Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival of the Muslims.

According to sources of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) and district police, the additional security measures will be in place a day ahead of Eid and continue for next three days.

Shafiqul Islam, sommissioner of CMP, said all the police stations and camps have already been given instructions to ensure extra security measures in all the celebration points including the Eid congregations. Besides deployment of additional forces, detective vigilance was intensified at all the busiest market points and shopping malls.

All the entry points of the city like Shah Amanat Bridge, City Gate and Oxygen area were brought under tight security measures. Necessary instruction was also given to find suspicious persons at any points during the celebration.

The movement of boarders of residential hotels will also be watched.

On the other hand, RAB-7 has taken all-out security measures to make the festival a total success.

Meanwhile, Chittagong Central Eid Jamaat Committee (CCEJC), Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and all others concerned have chalked out elaborate programmes to celebrate the holy Eidul- Fitr in the city with due religious fervor.

They have completed all kinds of preparations in the port city under the auspices of Chittagong district admin-

istration, Metropolitan Police and religious organizations for peaceful celebration of the Eid-ul-Fitr.

CCEJC has completed preparations to hold a total of 98 Eid congregations at different venues in the city while CCC completed 146 congregation structures on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr at traditional and temporary venues including its 41 Wards under the supervision of respective ward Councillors.

To make the city’s Eid congregations successful, CCC is facilitating necessary decoration for around 146 Eid jamaats.

Marking the celebration, special diets will be served to the inmates of different hospitals, jails and Government Shishu Sadan.

Besides, seven prisoners were released from the Chittagong central jail ahead of Eid. l

n Tribune Desk Mobile courts will operate on highways and inter-district roads during the Pre and Post-Eid days in Rajshahi district to ensure uninterrupted communication and ease movement of passengers during Eid. District Administration took the decision at an emergency meeting held at its conference hall in the city yesterday with Deputy Commissioner Majbah Uddin Chowdhury in the chair, reports BSS. Sources said there are significant numbers of Shaw Mills beside the important highways in the district. The mills usually stockpile timber logs on

the roads haphazardly which creates congestion and may cause fatal road accidents.

The meeting unanimously asked the mill owners to remove the timber logs on an emergency basis. The sources said a decision was taken that the mobile courts will take legal actions against them if the logs are not removed within the next 24 hours.

SP of Rajshahi Alomgir Kabir, Godagari Upazila Chairman AKM Ataur Rahman Khan, Charghat Upapzila Chairman Abu Sayeed Chand, Bagmara Upazila Chairman DM Ziaur Rahman and Puthiya Upazila Chairman Morjina Begum took part in the meeting, among others. l

(Rh) Dargah Maidan, Port Colony Jame Mosque, Metropolitan Police Lines Maidan, Agrabad Jamboree field, Bayzeed Bostami (Rh) Dargah maidan.

The main Eid congregation of the CCEJC will be held at MA Aziz stadium at 8.45 am.

Principal of the Baitus Sharaf Madrasha, Moulana Saiyed Abu Noman, will conduct the prayer The two grand Eid congregations under the supervision of the CCC will be held at Jamiatul Falah Jatiya Mosque where the first Jamaat will be conducted by Khatib of the Mosque Principal Mowlana Mohammad alaluddin Al Quadery at 8.15am.

The second one will be led by Mowlana Nur Mohammad Sadeque at 8.45am. l

Madrasa student commits suicide n UNB A madrasa student allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his house near Sheikhpara area, Khulna on Monday.

The deceased, identified as Al Amin, 17, hailed from Gazi Kalu area in Morrelganj upazila, Bagerhat. Police said Al Amin’s family, after not getting any responses from him despite repeated requests, forced entry into his room at 10:30am and found his body hanging from the ceiling.

Police later recovered the body and sent it to Khulna Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. Al Amin’s classmates alleged he was accused of stealing a mobile phone set a few days prior to his death, which might have instigated him to commit suicide. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

5 Indian soldiers killed by Pakistani Musharraf murder charges adjourned troops in Indian Kashmir n AFP, Rawalpindi

The killings took place 200 kilometres south of the state capital

Pakistan’s ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday failed to appear in court where he was to be indicted over the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto due to what police said were security concerns.

Musharraf, who ruled the nuclear-armed state from 1999-2008, had been summoned to face charges of criminal conspiracy and the murder of Bhutto in December 2007.

But police and his lawyer told the court in Rawalpindi, the city where Bhutto was assassinated, that it was not safe enough to bring Musharraf to the court due to threats against his life.

Judge Chaudhry Habibur Rehman adjourned the indictment until August 12.

Musharraf, who has been under house arrest at his plush villa on the edge of the capital Islamabad since April 19, had appeared before the court in person on July 30. l

Gunmen kill 13 bus passengers in Pakistan n AP, Quetta

Indian army soldiers patrol near the Line of Control that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan, in Churunda village, about 150km northwest of Srinagar

n AFP, Srinagar Pakistani troops killed five Indian soldiers Tuesday in an attack on a military post in Indian Kashmir.

“Pakistani troops simply attacked the Indian post, violating the ceasefire and they killed five of our soldiers,” a senior army official in Indian-administered Kashmir said on condition of anonymity.

Sources in the defence ministry in New Delhi confirmed the Monday

night incident, which occurred just days after Pakistan proposed restarting peace talks with India.

The killings took place 200 kilometres south of the state capital, Srinagar.

The picturesque Himalayan territory of Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan by a UN-monitored de facto border known as the Line of Control (LOC), but is claimed in full by both countries.

Omar Abdullah, the state’s chief minister, tweeted about the attack and

Nigerian Boko Haram accused of heinous crimes n AP, Amsterdam The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court says that after a preliminary investigation she believes that acts attributed to the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram are likely crimes against humanity.

“Information available provides a reasonable basis to believe that since July 2009 Boko Haram has launched a widespread and systematic attack that has resulted in the killing of more than 1,200 Christian and Muslim civilians in different locations throughout Nigeria,” Fatou Bensouda wrote in a report.

She said the potential crimes against humanity include murder and persecution. But she said she will only move to a full-fledged investigation after further study and depending on whether Nigerian authorities themselves are willing

and able to prosecute “those who appear to bear the greatest responsibility.”

Her report was based on evidence gathered through December 2012.

Nigeria declared a state of emergency on May 14 to fight an Islamic uprising by militants in the northeast who want to impose Islamic law across a country divided almost equally between the predominantly Muslim north and mainly Christian south.

Boko Haram’s centre of power is in the northeast, but last month Nigeria’s army arrested 42 suspected Islamic extremists in the southwest states of Lagos and neighbouring Ogun.

Bensouda noted that while that Nigerian government forces may also have violated human rights while conducting operations against Boko Haram, as of December 2012 there was no evidence they were targeting civilians. l

said: “Was briefed early this morning about news that five of our soldiers had been killed on the LOC. My heartfelt condolences to their next of kin.”

“These incidents don’t help efforts to normalise or even improve relations with Pak & call in to question the Pak Govt’s recent overtures,” he tweeted.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan army denied killing the Indian soldiers as reported by Indian officials.

“No Pakistani troops either crossed

into India or carried out any unprovoked firing. The Indian allegations are totally baseless,” a military spokesman said.

More than a dozen armed rebel groups have been fighting Indian forces since 1989 demanding independence for Kashmir or a merger with Pakistan.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since their independence from Britain in 1947, two of them over Kashmir.l

Sudan floods kill 11, affect almost 100,000: United Nations n AFP, Khartoum Heavy rains and flash floods in Khartoum and other parts of Sudan have killed 11 people and affected almost 100,000 in the past week, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

Giving the first official figures for the impact of the flooding, which began on August 1, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)said the capital and Nile state to its north were the worst hit, but that five other states were also inundated.

OCHA said “an estimated 98,500 people have been affected by heavy rain and flash floods” in a zone from Red Sea state in the east to South Darfur in the west.

It cited figures from the Sudanese Red Crescent Society and another local humanitarian group, for the period to August 4.

UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the capital and Nile state to its north were the worst hit, but that five other states were also inundated

Newspapers are displayed at a vendor's stand along a road in Obalende district in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos REUTERS

AP

Dozens of gunmen disguised in police uniforms shot to death 13 people they pulled off of a convoy of buses in southwest Pakistan and dumped their bodies in a nearby ravine, officials said Tuesday.

The motive for the attack Monday night was unclear since no one has claimed responsibility. But suspicion may fall on separatists who have been waging a low-level insurgency in southwest Baluchistan province for decades.

The buses were headed to central Punjab province, and the separatists have a history of attacking Punjabis who they view as outsiders encroaching on their independence. The province is also home to many Islamic militants who have carried out attacks in the past, especially on minority Shia Muslims.

Paramilitary troops provide protection for bus convoys moving through Baluchistan. But gunmen distracted the troops by shooting at a nearby oil tanker, said Kashif Nabi, a local government administrator.

Meanwhile, dozens of other gunmen dressed in tribal police uniforms stopped the convoy of five buses at a security checkpoint about six kilometers (four miles) away after overpowering the nine policemen who were stationed there, said Abdul Waheed,

“The flash floods have killed 11 people and destroyed or damaged more than 14,000 houses in the states affected,” OCHA said, citing local aid groups.

“Immediate needs of the affected people include emergency shelter, health and water and sanitation services,” OCHA said. l

WORLD WATCH Japan marks 68th Hiroshima bombing anniversary

Japan marked the 68th anniversary Tuesday of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima with a somber ceremony to honour the dead and pledged to seek to eliminate nuclear weapons. Some 50,000 people stood for a minute of silence in Hiroshima’s peace park near the epicentre of the early morning blast on August 6, 1945, that killed up to 140,000 people. The bombing of Nagasaki three days later killed tens of thousands more, prompting Japan’s surrender to the World War II Allies.

Hassan Rouhani

WIKIMEDIA

Rouhani urges ‘serious’ nuclear talks without delay n AFP, Tehran President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday that Iran was ready for “serious” negotiations on its nuclear programme with the major powers “without wasting time.”

“We are the people of interaction and talks, with seriousness and without wasting time, if the other sides are ready,” he said at his first news conference since assuming office on Saturday.

“Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme is a national issue... we will not give up the rights of the Iranian people,” he said.

“As the president of the Islamic republic, I am announcing that there is political will to solve this issue and also take into consideration the concerns of the other sides,” he said.

Rouhani hit out a call by 76 US senators for tougher sanctions from Washington even as he took office with a call for constructive engagement.

He said Friday’s letter from the US lawmakers to President Barack Obama, which was published on Monday, showed a lack of understanding of Iranian politics.

“Recent declarations from the the White House show that some US officials do not have a correct and realistic assessment of the situation here and the message that the Iranian people gave in the election,” Rouhani said.

On Sunday, the White House said Iran will find the United States a “willing partner” if Rouhani is prepared to engage substantively and seriously on its nuclear programme.

In a message congratulating Rouhani on his inauguration, the White House said it “presents an opportunity for Iran to act quickly to resolve the international community’s deep concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme.” l

WikiLeaks founder Assange upbeat on chances in Australia polls n AFP, Sydney

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Tuesday he had a good chance of winning election to Australia’s upper house next month, pledging to give lawmakers a whistleblowing tool to report corruption.

Assange, who is standing along with six other WikiLeaks Party candidates in the September national poll, said his

numbers were strong.

“We have polling over many polls now including the (ruling) ALP’s own polling company UMR showing that I have 25 to 28% of the voting intention – 40% for people under the age of 30,” Assange told Australia’s SBS television.

Assange’s WikiLeaks Party has vowed to be an “independent scrutineer of government activity” on a range of issues in-

cluding tax reform, asylum-seekers and climate change policy.

Assange said one of the party’s early priorities would be distributing secure WikiLeaks drives to fellow lawmakers to leak information about corruption.

“One of the first things that we will do when we have someone in the Senate is go and give every senator a secure USB communications system where

deputy commissioner of Bolan district, where the attack took place.

The attackers surrounded the buses, and two gunmen entered each vehicle to check the identities of passengers, said Waheed. While they were doing this, a paramilitary soldier tried to sneak into the area, but he was killed by the gunmen, said Waheed.

The attackers took 22 passengers with them, including nine tribal policemen, said Waheed. But they dropped the policemen off a few kilometres away because they were locals, and continued on with the remaining 13 hostages, said Waheed.

Police found the dead bodies of the 13 hostages on Tuesday in a ravine near the town of Machh, around 10km from the checkpoint where the buses were stopped, said Nabi, the local administrator who works in Machh.

Elsewhere in Pakistan, gunmen killed three senior security officials in a northern area of the country where the Taliban shot to death 10 foreign mountain climbers over a month ago, a local government officials said Tuesday.

The officials were ambushed in their vehicle at around 1:30am on Tuesday morning in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district, said Ajmal Bhatti, the district’s deputy commissioner. They were attacked shortly after leaving his house. l

they can convey to WikiLeaks information about corruption within Australian political parties and so on that they’ve observed but can’t reveal.”

Were his Australian political experiment to work Assange said he planned to export the WikiLeaks Party model to the United States, Ireland and elsewhere.

Assange has been living inside Ecuador’s embassy since June 2012 as he

fights extradition from Britain to Sweden, where authorities want to question him over alleged sex crimes.He revealed that WikiLeaks was campaigning within Australia’s 300,000-strong expatriate community in London, about 10%of whom he said voted in the last national elections in their home country. Voting is compulsory in Australia and failure to do so is punishable by a Aus$20 fine. l

Opposition vows protest over Cambodian election deadlock

The result remains hotly disputed, but Cambodia’s recent general election has put long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen on a collision course with a resurgent opposition and revealed widespread unhappiness with his iron-fisted rule. Both Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party have claimed victory in the July 28 poll. The official result will not be announced until Thursday.

Philippines adds 2nd major warship to fleet

The Philippines on Tuesday celebrated the arrival of a decommissioned US Coast Guard cutter as its second major warship to challenge China’s massive territorial claims that Filipino officials say have intruded into their country’s potentially oil-rich offshore seas. A military brass band played nationalist songs and a few hundred students waved small Philippine flags. Loud 21-cannon fire thundered in the background.

Decade-long Australia mining boom turns to bust The Australian mining boom built over a decade on the Chinese hunger for energy and raw materials is turning into bust for many business owners as China’s cooling growth reverberates through a country accustomed to winning from the rise of an Asian economic giant.

Australia’s dilemma underscores that China’s long run of supercharged growth has given it enough weight in the world economy to create not only winners, but losers too when its own fortunes change.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

US urges citizens to leave Yemen ‘immediately’

A Yemeni soldier stops a car at a checkpoint in a street leading to the US embassy in Sanaa, Yemen

n Tribune Online Report The Chinese State Oceanic Administration (CSOA) on Sunday said they are aware of being charged with administrative misconduct for giving production restoration permission to the US-based ConocoPhillips in Bohai Bay, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea, in northeastern part of the country, Global Times reported.

The official response came after a lawsuit was filed on Friday by the All-China Environment Federation.

“We will give the public an explanation soon,” Li Mousheng, director of the CSOA’s press office, said.

ConocoPhillips was ordered to suspend its production in the bay in September 2011, following a series of oil spills in the oil field jointly owned by the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation and ConocoPhillips in June of that year. The spills, rated as “severe accidents” by the SOA, tainted some 10% of Bohai Bay. Xu Hongliang, the lawyer representing the federation, said the CSOA approved ConocoPhillips production in February 2013 without public hearings or feasibility studies, which contradicted some regulations.

“The federation demanded the SOA make public how it handled the permission, as ConocoPhillips’ environmental assessment was approved within a month of it being submitted in October 2012,” Xu said, adding that the assessment was carried out by a party that has

AP

Several US allies, including Britain, France, Germany and Norway have also announced closures of some of their missions in the region.

The US closure list includes 15 embassies or consulates that were shut on Sunday – the fifteenth anniversary of al-Qaeda’s attacks on US embassies in East Africa – as well as four additional posts.

Lawmakers in Washington described the threat level as very serious, with some invoking the September 11, 2001 attacks.

ABC News cited an unnamed US official as saying there was concern

al-Qaeda might deploy suicide attackers with surgically implanted bombs to evade security.

The posts to be closed include Abu Dhabi, Amman, Cairo, Riyadh, Dhahran, Jeddah, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Manama, Muscat, Sanaa, Tripoli, Antananarivo, Bujumbura, Djibouti, Khartoum, Kigali and Port Louis.

New closures were announced in Madagascar, Burundi, Rwanda and Mauritius. The outposts that are reopening include those in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Mauritania, Iraq and Israel. l

Yemen releases 25 Tunisia Ennahda chief: wanted al-Qaeda Demos will not topple govt men names tion is able to topple a regime. n AP, Sanaa, Yemen n AFP, Tunis A mixed bag of opposition parties,

Morsi backers march as envoys seek Egypt solution n Reuters, Cairo

Yemeni authorities released the names of 25 wanted al-Qaeda suspects on Monday, saying they were planning terrorist attacks in the capital, Sanaa, and other cities across the country.

The development came as Washington ordered the closure of 20 U.S. diplomatic missions in the Muslim world through the week, following warnings of a possible al-Qaeda attack.

A statement from Yemen’s Interior Ministry said the suspects were going to target foreign offices and organisations, as well as Yemeni government installations in the impoverished Arab country.

The statement listed some allegedly senior figures in the branch, known as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. It also said security forces will pay $23,000 to anyone who comes forward with information that leads to the arrests of any of the wanted men. l

cealed in printers.

The United States in turn has launched scores of drone strikes in Yemen, where the militant group thrives in vast, lawless areas largely outside of the government’s control.

A drone strike in Yemen early Tuesday struck a vehicle, killing four suspected al-Qaeda militants “in a ball of fire,” a tribal source said, adding that all four men were Yemeni.

It was not immediately clear if the strike was linked to the global alert. US officials rarely speak about the drone programme.

Tunisia’s Islamist ruling party chief has said the government will not step down under pressure from the opposition, even as fresh protests were being readied Tuesday to demand just that.

And Prime Minister Ali Larayedh took a swipe at demonstrators, saying they were hampering efforts by security forces to root out gunmen linked to al-Qaeda.

Rached Ghannouchi’s remarks, published by La Presse newspaper, will likely deepen a crisis that has gripped the North African nation since a political assassination in February was followed by another last month.

“There are excessive demands at protests for the dissolution of the elected government,” Ghannouchi told La Presse.

“In democratic regimes, protests don’t change governments; it’s under dictatorial regimes that a demonstra-

running from the extreme left to the centre-right, is planning a massive protest in Tunis at 2000 GMT to mark six months since opposition politician Chokri Belaid was gunned down outside his home.

Government detractors say the Ennahda-led cabinet has failed to rein in radical Islamists blamed for Belaid’s murder and the assassination of MP Mohamed Brahmi on July 25.

Tunisia has been rocked by anti-government protests since Brahmi’s death, and protesters have clashed with police, who have used tear gas to disperse them.

Protesters are also calling for the dissolution of the National Constituent Assembly, which was elected nearly two years ago and has still not managed to complete its task of writing a new constitution. l

At least 2,000 Islamist supporters of deposed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi marched through downtown Cairo on Monday calling for his reinstatement and denouncing the army general who led his overthrew.

The protest took place as international envoys spoke to leaders of both sides of the crisis in the search for a political solution and avert further bloodshed.

Marchers chanted “Morsi, Morsi” and “We are not terrorists,” and waved pictures of the ousted leader.

Others sprayed graffiti on walls and statues insulting army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who led the overthrow of Morsi on July 3 following mass protests against his presidency.

Security forces made no immediate attempt to disperse the protesters, who marched 10 abreast, stretching several blocks. l

Oil spill in China

Syria’s war splits nation into three distinct regions n AP, Beirut More than two years into Syria’s civil war, the once highly-centralised authoritarian state has effectively split into three distinct parts, each boasting its own flags, security agencies and judicial system.

In each area, religious, ideological and turf power struggles are under way and battle lines tend to ebb and flow, making it impossible to predict exactly what Syria could look like once the combatants lay down their arms. But the longer the bloody conflict drags on, analysts says, the more difficult it will be to piece together a coherent Syrian state from the wreckage.

The geographic dividing lines that have emerged over the past two years and effectively cleft the nation in three remain fluid, but the general outlines can be traced on a map.

The regime holds a firm grip on a corridor running from the southern border with Jordan, through the capital Damascus and up to the Mediterranean coast, where a large portion of the population belongs to President Bashar Assad’s Alawite sect. The rebels, who are primarily drawn from Syria’s Sunni Muslim majority, control a chunk of territory that spans parts of Idlib and Aleppo provinces in the north and stretches along the Euphrates river to the porous Iraqi border in the east. Tucked into the far northeastern corner, meanwhile, Syria’s Kurdish minority enjoys semi-autonomy.

Those contours provide the big picture view. The view from the ground, however, is slightly muddied. While Sunni rebels control large swathes of Syria’s rural regions in the north, the government still controls provincial capitals there, with the exception of Raqqa city and parts of Aleppo city. The regime also still retains some military bases and checkpoints in the overwhelmingly rebel-held countryside, but those are besieged and isolated and supplies for troops are air-dropped by helicopters or planes.

Moreover, the opposition movement itself is far from monolithic, and there have been increasing outbursts of infighting between al-Qaeda affiliated extremists and moderate rebel groups, as well as between Kurds and rebels of a radical Islamic bent. That violence holds the potential to escalate into a fullblown war among armed opposition factions.

The Assad regime has made headway in recent months in the strategic heartland of Homs, clawing back territory long-held by rebel fighters. Those gains have helped the government secure its grip on Damascus and the pathway to the coast. They also have reinforced opposition accusations that Assad’s military is driving out local Sunni communities to try to carve out a breakaway Alawite enclave that could become a refuge for the community if the regime falls.

For now, Assad’s overstretched and war-weary troops appear unable to regain the vast territories they have lost to rebels

and jihadists who now control oil wells and other key resources such as dams and electricity plants in the north and east.

Black al-Qaeda flags that carry the Muslim declaration of the faith now fly over many areas there, as a way to mark their turf distinctly from the three-starred green, black and white flag flown by the various rebel brigades that make up the loose-knit, Western-backed Free Syrian Army.

In the north, fighter brigades have set up judicial councils known as Shariah courts that dispense their own version of justice based on Islamic law, including executions of captured regime soldiers and supporters.

In the northeast, Kurdish flags now flutter proudly over buildings after the country’s largest minority carved out a once unthinkable degree of independence. Kurds, who make up more than 10% of Syria’s 22 million people, were long oppressed under Baathist rule. Now, they have created their own police forces, even their own license plates, and have been exuberantly going public with their language and culture. Schoolchildren are now taught Kurdish, something banned for years under the Assad family’s rule.

“While there are shifts in momentum on the battlefield, Bashar Assad, in our view, will never rule all of Syria again,” Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, told reporters in Washington last month.

The comments appeared to leave open

9

China authority charged for ConocoPhillips’ oil misconduct

Unnamed United States official says there was concern al-Qaeda might deploy suicide attackers with surgically implanted bombs to evade security n Washington, AFP The US State Department on Tuesday ordered all non-essential staff out of Yemen and told US citizens to leave the country “immediately” over terrorism concerns.

The latest warning comes after the closure of some two dozen US missions across the Middle East and Africa and reports of intercepted messages from al-Qaeda’s top leader ordering its Yemen franchise to carry out an attack.

Intercepts between al-Qaeda chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri and the leader of the group’s Yemen affiliate sparked the closure of the US missions and a global travel alert, US media reported Monday.

The New York Times said in its online edition that the electronic communications last week revealed that Zawahiri had ordered Nasser al-Wuhayshi, the head of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, to carry out an attack as early as this past Sunday.

CNN meanwhile reported that Zawahiri told Wuhayshi to “do something,” causing officials in both Washington and Yemen to fear an attack was imminent.

As a result, roughly two dozen US diplomatic posts were shuttered across the Middle East Sunday, and the State Department, insisting it was acting “out of an abundance of caution,” said 19 would remain shut through Saturday.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is seen as the terror network’s most capable franchise following the decimation of its core leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan in recent years.

The Yemen-based group has attempted a number of attacks on US soil, including a bid to bring down a passenger plane in 2009 by a man wearing explosives in his underwear and a failed plot to send bombs con-

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

the possibility that while Assad has lost control over large parts of the country, he may well be able to hang on and even expand his core territory in the future.

This view has been reinforced recently with steady regime gains in and around the capital Damascus, and in Homs province, a strategic linchpin linking Damascus with predominantly regime strongholds on the Mediterranean coast. Homs is a crossroads, and if the regime were to secure its hold on the city — where a few rebel-held neighborhoods are holding out — it would put it in a stronger position to strike out at the opposition-held axis running through the middle of the country.

Already, the government has been successful in clearing key routes leading to the Alawite community’s heartlands of Tartus and Latakia, which have been largely spared the fighting in other parts of the country.

Recent visitors to Tartus speak of beaches dotted with swimmers and night clubs packed with revelers.

Despite the geographic split into three regions, none of the sides can speak of confidently retaining the terrain they control.

Northern Latakia, for instance, has a notable presence of Islamic extremists, while in the capital, Damascenes live in constant fear of a repeat of the so-called “Damascus Volcano,” when rebels briefly overran several neighborhoods in an assault in the summer of 2012. Mortars launched from rebel-held

pockets around the capital constantly crash into the city, killing and wounding people.

In rebel held areas, regime warplanes swoop down at random, dropping bombs over targets that often kill civilians instead.

The rebels have proved they are able to strike back despite significant advances by the military that have bolstered the confidence of the regime.

Rebels on Thursday sent a wave of rockets slamming into regime strongholds in Homs, triggering a succession of massive explosions in a weapons depot that killed at least 40 people and wounded dozens, according to opposition groups and residents.

The conflict has laid waste to the country’s cities, shattered its economy and killed more than 100,000 people since March 2011. The bloodshed also has fanned sectarian hatreds, and many fear that the divisions now entrenched in a country where Alawites, Sunnis, Shiites, Druse and Christians coexisted for centuries will make it hard in the future for people to reconnect as citizens of a single nation.

Syria’s partition into mini-states is an ominous scenario for a country that sits along the Middle East’s most turbulent fault lines. Any attempt to create an official breakaway state could trigger a wave of sectarian killings and have dangerous repercussions in a region where many religious, ethnic and tribal communities have separatist aspirations. l

business links with the company.

Two spill-affected aquaculture companies in Dongying, Shandong Province, also sued the SOA for administrative inaction after it failed to use the compensation from ConocoPhillips to fix the damages following the spills.

“Some 1.09bn yuan ($116m) was paid to the SOA by ConocoPhillips to clear up the pollution, while the ministry of agriculture (MOA) received another one billion yuan as compensation to affected households and enterprises,” Xu added.

“The best time to salvage the damaged ecologic environment has passed,” Xu said, adding that the two cases have been submitted to the No 1 Intermediate People’s Court in Beijing.

“Only some households in neighboring Hebei Province have been compensated and the MOA could not give us an explanation why,” Xu noted, adding that the SOA replied that they were still seeking public opinions from related departments to decide how to use the money.

The court should give a response within seven days, either accepting or rejecting the case, according to Xu, pointing out that courts usually chose to be silent when dealing with ConocoPhillips-related cases.

Tang Huadong, a lawyer from Deheng Law Firm, said he wonders who is behind ConocoPhillips as his application for information disclosure from the SOA in February was unsuccessful. l

AFP

Syrian rebels push into Assad’s Alawite stronghold n Reuters, Amman Syrian rebel fighters armed with anti-tank missiles pushed toward President Bashar al-Assad’s hometown of Qardaha on Monday, the second day of a surprise offensive in the heartland of his minority Alawite sect, opposition activists said.

Forces comprising 10 mainly Islamist brigades, including two al-Qaeda-linked groups, advanced south to the outskirts of the Alawite village of Aramo, 20km from Qardaha, taking advantage of rugged terrain, the activists said.

On Sunday rebel fighters captured half a dozen villages on the northern tip of the Alawite Mountain, located east of the port city of Latakia.

Those pro-Assad fighters are mostly centered in Damascus where they are spearheading operations against mainly Sunni rebels battling against four decades of rule by Assad and his late father.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights opposition monitoring group said nine rebel fighters were killed in the mountain battles on Monday.

The anti-Assad Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 12 rebels and 19 pro-Assad fighters - including soldiers and members of his militia - were killed in a recent fighting. l

10 DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

This one can’t miss

T

he ruling AL’s latest initiative to win public approval could not have been more misguided had it been the brainchild of an opposition mole working from deep inside the party.

It is hard to imagine what made the party think that blanketing the capital city with posters touting this government’s achievements would be either popular or effective.

The postering hurts both the billboard owners and those whose own advertisements or messages have been covered up by the government’s self-congratulatory messages, and is a pretty good example of the kind of high-handed action that has diminished the government’s popularity during its term of office.

In addition, this kind of clumsy propaganda campaign bears all the hallmarks of the AL’s tone The AL still has deaf and out-of-touch time to make approach to running the its case for recountry. Winning the election to the upcoming elections will public, but this not be about telling people latest campaign is about the achievements exactly the kind and accomplishments of of thing that the the government, it will be voters dislike about showing the people that the government is lisabout incumbent tening to them and cares governments about what they think.

The government’s principal failing isn’t one of communication, it is one of public disenchantment over a whole range of issues.

The solution is therefore not to tout one’s achievements, but to engage with the public and to win its loyalty.

This latest poster campaign will do nothing to raise the government’s image in the public’s eye.

The AL still has time to make its case for re-election to the public, but this latest campaign is exactly the kind of thing that the voters dislike about incumbent governments.

Time for the truth on Grameen Bank

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he Grameen Bank chairman has claimed that around Tk100bn of the microcredit organisation’s profit from Grameenphone is missing.

It is astonishing that he is continuing to make such misleading statements in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Indeed, the government is in fact claiming that the money was diverted into private institutions owned

by Dr Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank.

These allegations fly in the face of facts and logic – Grameenphone is a legally separate entity from Grameen Bank and therefore is in no way obligated to contribute its earning to the bank. Moreover, Dr Yunus does not own any personal institutions to The country which these funds can be has paid a high diverted. enough price for These facts have been the government’s pointed out publicly efforts to and in great detail by undermine the Yunus Foundation, Grameen. It is time among others; however, to put a stop to that seems to have done this campaign of little to stop the flow of misinformation misinformation from the government and the commission.

As we have previously pointed out, the government’s vendetta against Grameen is seriously damaging to the country. The latest example is the delay in the 3G spectrum auction due to the statements of the Grameen Bank Commission, which called into question the operating license of Grameenphone, the largest mobile operator in the country. This was done in spite of the fact that the BTRC, the appropriate regulating body in this matter, has raised no issues with the license.

The country has paid a high enough price for the government’s efforts to undermine Grameen. It is time to put a stop to this campaign of misinformation.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

the Editor facebook.com/DhakaTribune

LETTER OF THE DAY

International standard university in Bangladesh August 2

The news item “Government plans to allow foreign universities’ branches in Bangladesh” has drawn my attention with many others. Once Dhaka University was called the Oxford of Asia and many came from across the world to complete their education in Bangladesh. Dhaka College, Dhaka Medical College and engineering university, along with many other educational institutions in Bangladesh, were best choices for their studies like many other institutions.

Bangladesh has many brilliant professionals who are working in foreign countries as they could not find suitable places to study and teach. In the meantime, Bangladesh has achieved significant progress in the area of microcredit and a few other areas. So, a few NGOs of Bangladesh are working in some countries for the betterment of their people.

In the meantime, Bangladesh Army has also achieved remarkable appreciation in the UN peacekeeping force for their valued service.

So, we urge the government to establish international standard educational institutions secondary to tertiary in some suitable places in Bangladesh facilities, like EPZ, so that students from other countries along with Bangladeshis can study there together.

Mawduda Hasnin Rajshahi

dhakatribune.com

August 3

Life is likely to be easier for us!

Giving people chemical-laced produce is tantamount to attempted murder. These people should be handed out sentences to that effect. Testing kits should be made so cheap and easy that we can all test as we buy and reject accordingly.

When nobody is buying adulterated goods, they will soon disappear from the market.

Samantha Khan

AL grabs city billboards overnight

This will of course all be temporary. Traffic will never improve in Dhaka if there is no enforcement.

Saif Ahmed

Cell phones added to Eid shopping lists August 4 People should think about the less fortunate, who can’t even afford a new dress for Eid. Shamima Sharmin Tania

Eid holiday may extend August 5

August 4 This shows the govt can do anything for its publicity. What they don’t realise is this will give us no good impression about them, but one thing they are certain of.

The boat is sinking and it’s already too late. shawkat haider Pathetic act from AL. You come to the next term through good work, not through advertisements. Politics is not a product that you sell. Forgot, this is Bangladesh.

Obni_aaaaa

Be Heard Write to us at: Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath

It should be extended. It takes one whole day to go home and one whole day to come back during Eid if you live in North Bengal or CHT. Sheikh Jinat Mahmid

Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email us at: letters@dhakatribune.com Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion@dhakatribune.com Visit our website: www.dhakatribune.com Come join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

Psychiatric disorder makes children anti-social August 5

Very timely and necessary article.

Ershad Khandker

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

SUDOKU DOWN 1 Gratis (4) 2 Horrifies (6) 3 Pungent (5) 4 Cast off (4) 5 Ignited (3) 6 Do wrong (3) 9 Part of the eye (4) 11 Sweet potato (3) 14 Alone (4) 15 Tendencies (6) 16 Colour (3) 17 Famous (5) 18 Swift rodent (4) 19 Paradise (4) 21 Band’s engagement (3) 22 United (3)

6 9

Zahurul Islam

The forbidden fruit August 3

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Disorderly fight (6) 5 Zodiac sign (3) 7 Singers (5) 8 Widespreading dominion (6) 10 Attempt (3) 12 Dry (4) 13 Cover (3) 14 Slender support (4) 16 Sibilate (4) 17 And not (3) 18 Cavity (4) 20 Self (3) 23 Made up for (6) 24 Come into use (5) 25 Mature (3) 26 American inventor (6)

PM opens Kuril Flyover

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS

8

6 2 3 4 1 5 4 6 8 7 8 5 2 3 8 9 3 5 6 9 2 3 2 7 6

Crossword

Code-Cracker

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

11

Embassy closures sharpens US net snooping debate n Mathieu Rabechault

T

Bangladesh has never really moved away from subsistence farming

Shifting away from Boro

MUMIT M

Farmers choice is positive change in crop selection

O

n Shafiur Rahman n July 30, Dhaka Tribune published an informative report based on the fact that Bangladeshi “farmers are losing interest in boro” cultivation and shifting to other robi crops like maize, wheat, potato, soya and pulse, facing challenges due to “high production cost against a low market price.”

This is in fact a very positive change in our farmers’ crop selection as it is a highly beneficial practice both nationally and environmentally.

The Bangladesh government has already started promoting crop diversification considering the hazards associated with the general practice of growing a single type of crop around the year.

In March this year, the government instructed the Department of Agriculture Extension to promote crop diversification at district and upazila levels, while many other non-governmental organisations have also been working on this issue for a long time.

Crop diversification is considered very good practice for many reasons and in the Bangladeshi context it is best to avoid the boro, which is cultivated with non-natural irrigation during the dry season.

A comparison of the benefits of robi versus boro crops is as follows.

Groundwater

Boro is a very water-hungry crop, which needs nearly five times more irrigation compared to wheat, since a paddy field needs to be submerged under a certain level of water for most

of the time.

Another alarming hazard regarding irrigation on boro land is that most of the water is extracted from underground reserves, depleting the precious ground water level.

Ground water is considered to be one of the purest sources of water and therefore it is better to be considerate about using the source, especially in the dry season when the recharge rate is almost zero.

n

I

often run into two groups of altruistic people at World Economic Forum events. The first are specialists such as doctors and engineers who deliver their expertise directly to people in difficult situations. The second are those who have switched careers to help a cause they believe in.

Both groups are inspiring, not least because they approach their calling full-time and at the expense of alternative careers in the mainstream and possibly more lucrative arenas. There are also people who are not quite ready to give it all up, yet are keen to give back in any way that they can.

Paying a small percentage of one’s income by direct debit into some charity ticks the basic box, but it is impersonal and often doesn’t provide a sense of contribution.

Energy efficiency

Irrigation requires fuel and energy, increasing the electricity crisis and power outage during the boro season.

The farmers also struggle to get diesel for irrigation purposes, despite the subsidised price.

It costs farmers a lot of labour to carry the fuel to the farmlands, since fuel stations are not abundant in Bangladesh, with almost none in the remote areas.

Soil

The practice of cultivating one crop throughout the year is detrimental for the soil, as different crops demand different types of nutrition elements and minerals in the soil. For example, paddy needs more ammonia, a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen.

This is why if only rice is cultivated in all seasons, this mineral runs low in the soil runs low, and the soil quality deteriorates.

advantage and trade with each other as opposed to allocating resources to every area of absolute advantage.

This approach – when applied to social enterprise – begins with the acknowledgement that similar to other professions, the delivery of social outcomes is a specialised job that requires specialist skills. It is perhaps challenging for someone to step into a certain role for a few hours on a weekend and expect to make meaningful impact.

Instead, the following two-step approach might achieve more impact: Do something that productively employs your core skills (outside of your day job and outside normal working hours) at a fully professional level of competence. For this, you should expect to get paid full commercial wages Donate the money to those who specialise in charitable services.

Similar to other professions, the delivery of social outcomes is a specialised job that requires specialist skills For a donor to feel good about giving, they need to sacrifice time and effort.

This is the reason that people brave a challenge, conquer a fear or run a marathon to raise funds. This is also the reason that people volunteer time, on weekends for example, for charity work, whether it’s visiting the elderly or picking litter up off a beach.

There is yet another alternative, one that I call the “comparative advantage approach” to doing good. About 200 years ago, British Economist David Ricardo argued that it makes more sense for countries to specialise in their areas of relative productivity

Diversification of crops also helps in pest control, since there are usually designated pests for each type of crop. It gives the pests a permanent residence if the farmers keep growing a single type of crop on the same farmlands around the year.

However, the pests get confused and lose their breeding and feeding grounds if the farmers diversify the crops they cultivate.

In the Bangladeshi context it is best to avoid the boro – the shift is resulting in an increase in the farmers profits

Rethinking how we give to charity Lutfey Siddiqi

Pest control

Whether it’s teaching at a night school on weekends, writing a book, giving a concert or providing accounting services, you should volunteer in your core area of competence.

Choose an area that gives you the highest earning power for a finite number of hours.

The result of your money and your personal time will now stretch that much farther. l Lutfey Siddiqi is Adjunct Professor at the Risk Management Institute, National University of Singapore.

The pests decrease significantly, and the use of pesticides decreases as well, which is good both for human health and for the environment.

Food security

While the boro crop struggles and faces different challenges to its growth, and has to be produced in artificial conditions created by irrigation and other support, robi crops like wheat, potato, maze, pulse and soya grow more comfortably in their favorable conditions.

The robi crops are short-day plants which means they need a shorter period of light to mature. Therefore, these crops can be harvested earlier.

Thus, they are not vulnerable to early flooding or the norwester which often damages the boro crop.

Economic

With so many problems related to boro cultivation and benefits of

switching to some other crop, the farmers are wisely choosing to grow other robi crops rather than boro to get better yields.

It has been found that while boro gives a yield of 90 mounds per acre, maize has a yield of 150 mounds.

Coupled with the low production costs of robi crops which need very low irrigation and less pesticides, plowing and fertilisers, the shift is resulting in an increase in the farmers profits.

Some may argue that the shift towards robi crops by the farmers could be a threat to our national food security because the staple food of our nation is still rice.

However, the shift towards crops like wheat, maze, pulse and potato rather helps to ensure food security through its high yield from low input.

The only thing we will have to do is make some changes in our food practices. We will have to practice eating some other food items, rather having rice three times a day.

Otherwise, to meet the increasing demand for rice, the government will have to keep subsidising diesel, electricity and fertiliser for boro production.

Without subsidies, the farmers will not go for boro production, since they can only make a very low profit.

Lowering Boro production will also improve our environmental situation relating to soil, water and some other relevant components. l Shafiur Rahman is a media professional.

he United States’ unprecedented decision to close two dozen diplomatic missions in the Middle East and Africa has intensified the debate on its spy agencies’ vast Internet surveillance program.

The embassies and missions were shut down until the end of Ramadan after what the State Department said were credible intelligence reports that Al-Qaeda is preparing a major attack on US interests.

Defenders of the National Security Agency’s digital dragnet seized upon this as evidence that the controversial web surveillance is both effective and necessary to protect American lives.

But opponents of the programs, which were revealed in June by rogue intelligence contractor Edward Snowden in a leak of classified documents, expressed skepticism at the value of the vague warnings.

I’m proved wrong later that program - which collects vast amounts of domestic data, domestic telephony data, contributed to information about this particular plot.”

Lawmakers were reacting after Vice President Joe Biden gave them a classified briefing on the threats, and after NSA number two John Inglis claimed the controversial programs had thwarted 54 planned attacks.

“It is scary. Al-Qaeda is on the rise in this part of the world and the NSA program is proving its worth yet again,” insisted Republican hawk Senator Lindsey Graham.

But the vague nature of the apparent threat - despite claiming to have precise intelligence, the State Department has closed dozens of disparate installations - has led many to question its worth.

Some commentators even went as far as to imply that the US government had exaggerated the risk in order to justify the NSA action.

The White House is still smarting over criticism of the administration’s handling of the attack on its mission in Benghazi

“It’s a very credible threat, and it’s based on intelligence,” said Dutch Ruppersberger, the ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives’ intelligence committee.

“The good news is that we’ve picked up intelligence. That’s what NSA does.

NSA’s sole purpose is to get information and intelligence to protect Americans from attack,” he told ABC television.

If the latest dire warnings do prove justified – or even if a week goes by without violent incident – defenders of the NSA will say the ongoing threat from Middle East extremists justifies the surveillance.

But some of those who have expressed concerns about the programs, which have scooped up web traffic and telephone meta-data from millions of Americans as well as from foreign targets, were unconvinced.

“You have to be very careful about how much you represent that any particular program has contributed to our security,” said Democratic lawmaker Adam Schiff.

“If you look at the one that’s most at issue here, and that’s the bulk metadata program, there’s no indication - unless

But others said the administration faced a genuine dilemma: Go public with vague intelligence at the risk of scaremongering, or stay quiet and run the risk of being accused of missing a threat.

The White House is still smarting over criticism of the administration’s handling of the September 11, 2012.

On its list of concern are the attacks on its mission in Benghazi, Libya, which left four Americans dead, including the US ambassador.

“Remember we’re still in the wake of Benghazi where people criticised the government for not doing enough,” former CIA and FBI agent Phil Mudd told CNN. “In the FBI or the agency, you’re between a rock and a hard place.

You’re out there warning people knowing that the warning is so vague, I need more information to take action.

That being said, if you don’t warn them and something happens, what you say, you had information and you didn’t tell us.” l This article was first published by AFP.

India’s need to fulfil Bangladesh promises n Suhasini Haidar

E

ven until six months back, when journalists asked Bangladesh’s foreign minister Dipu Moni about chances that India would overcome difficulties with clearing the Teesta water settlement and the Land Border Agreements, Dr. Moni sounded upbeat. When asked pointedly if she would address the concerns of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Bannerjee or the BJP, that forms the main opposition to those agreements, she said, “We are in negotiations with the Government of India. Period. It is not for us to convince the stakeholders within India.”

On her recent visit to Delhi however, Dr. Moni no longer held the same kind of optimism. The highlight of her trip to Delhi was a meeting with Arun Jaitley, leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament, where she spoke about the need for the opposition to help ratify the Land Border agreement(LBA), exchanging of about 6879.7 hectares for 2832.8 hectares of enclave land on the India-Bangladesh border, in the upcoming Monsoon session of the parliament.

“Disappointing if the agreement is not cleared by the parliament in this session,” Dr. Moni told CNN-IBN in an interview, “And definitely it would have consequences…” she said referring to Bangladesh’s expected elections due this December.

A day later, Bangladesh’s high commissioner, Tariq Karim, travelled to Ahmedabad and called on the BJP’s campaign chief.

The truth is, to see the India-Bangladesh accords go through, time isn’t running out for Sheikh Hasina’s government in Dhaka only. After the monsoon session of the parliament, the window for ratifying internation-

al agreements is closing on prime minister Manmohan Singh’s UPA as well. With that, a chance to keep his word that he gave when he travelled to Dhaka in 2011 is also fading away.

For that he may need to go the extra mile – convincing his own party, as well as reaching out to the opposition to ensure that the LBA is listed early in the session, and passed.

There are several reasons why the impact of the UPA’s actions on the LBA will count in both Bangladesh and in India. Contrary to what many think, it is Bangladesh, not Pakistan that shares the longest land border with India.

Zia has made it clear she doesn’t need to be friendly with India in the same way as Hasina, going to the extent of snubbing President Pranab Mukherjee when he visited Dhaka in March by calling a hartal/bandh on all the days he was there in protest of the tribunal verdicts against Jamaat e Islami leaders. She even cancelled her scheduled meeting with Mukherjee.

As members of the Indian Parliament prepare for their elections – scheduled a few months after Bangladesh’s – they must consider what kind of government in Dhaka they would like to engage with, and vote accordingly.

The UPA government has used several excuses to explain its inability to deliver on its promises to India’s neighbours

Bangladesh is India’s most influential neighbour and the benefits of settling a decades-old land dispute between them can hardly be discounted.

The obvious impact, of course, is on the elections in Bangladesh that are due to be completed by January 2014.

While Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League may or may not win the elections on the basis of the LBA and the Teesta accords, an electoral loss will most definitely be attributed to her “over-accomodating” India. All her actions, from the crackdown on the Harkat Ul Jihad’s Islamist camps, and handing over India’s most wanted even before the two countries had an extradition treaty, will simply be seen as a sign of weakness that Khaleda Zia’s BNP will capitalise on.

The Indian leadership, both UPA and its opposition, must also think about the message on terror it is giving out for the whole region. For years India has held that it is willing to go the extra mile so long as its neighbours eschew terror.

How can India justify stalling talks with Pakistan until it acts on terror, while Bangladesh, a country that has demonstrably acted on terror is given short shrift?

The Indian Parliament may take heed of the public opinion that has perceptibly changed during Hasina’s term. A survey conducted by CNN-IBN found that more Indians felt Bangladesh was a country that should trusted more than any other country. It remains to be seen if a similar survey in Bangladesh would evoke similar results – provided India is unable to

keep its word on the key issues this year.

Not just on terror, strained relations with Bangladesh at this juncture could jeopardise all the other significant gains made in bilateral ties.

Bangladesh is now India’s largest trading partner in the SAARC region, with bilateral trade hitting $5bn, and imports from Bangladesh have crossed $56m. India has effectively outbid China and Japan on several key projects in the country, including the biggest ever Bangladeshi joint venture for $1.6bn for a 1320 MW power plant at Bagerhat.

Through better road connectivity, Bangladesh is increasingly being seen as India’s link to its own North East, as well its window to South East Asia.

Last, but not the least, this is about prime minister Manmohan Singh’s legacy. His neighbourhood-policy has often been touted as the most significant part of his world-vision. In the past few years, India has broken many promises to its neighbours: supporting democracy in the Maldives, backing Sri Lanka on the LTTE issue, more transit trade routes for Nepal, of uninterrupted and subsidised fuel supplies to Bhutan, and of a visit to Pakistan.

The UPA government has used several reasons to explain its inability to deliver on those promises: for Sri Lanka, it cited compulsion of coalition partners. With Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives the reason is the need to counter-balance the influence of China. With Pakistan, “public mood,” fierce resistance to peace overtures from the opposition, as well as Pakistan’s failure to deliver on its promises on trade and fighting terror have led to unfulfilled promises.

With Bangladesh, none of those reasons would suffice and the time to keep those promises is now. l Suhasini Haidar is Foreign Affairs Editor, CNN-IBN.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Music industry marks Eid with new albums

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n

Afrose Jahan Chaity

Every year looking forward to celebrating the occasion of Eid, the music industry is knocking on the door of music lovers with plenty of new albums by prominent and talented new comers of the music arena of the country.

In Bangladesh, piracy is a rampant issue affecting intellectual property.

Artistes, musician, composers of music industry on the whole are being victimised by this unfair practice by corrupted groups. Artistes feel the need to figure out an effective way out of this situation and owing to this situation, this Eid market will have many albums from promising bands. The bands include Chirkut, who is famous for rock, alternative rock and soft music has released its second album “Jadur Shahar” and Minerva has come up with their debut album “Biday Shongbidhan,” Savagery has releases their first solo album and many more are in the list.

Moreover, Shironamhin’s self-titled album released on August 2 was a big Eid gift for the rock music lovers.

Laser Vision has releases six albums from different genres of music. Milon Mahmud’s “Alingon,” “Amar Akash Purotai” by Lutfor Hasan, “Amar Bijon Ghore” by Shobnom Abedy, “Ashar Bhela” by Lopa, “Moromia” by Shobnom Abedy and “Sufiyana” by Rafat.

Leading production houses have

already released most of the Eid albums while other unreleased new albums will hit the market today and tomorrow. G-series and Agnibina releases seventy albums from different categories of music in the Eid market.

“Akash Pane Haat Baralem” by Papia Sarwar, “Bhalobasha” by Mamun Hossain, “Chitron” by Aungar, “Creation Vol 2” by Ryan, “Dorodiya” by FA Sumon, “Ektu Jayga De” by Nazu, “Jhor” by School of Niloy, “Joyguru”

by Kishor Palash, “Kanta 1” by Kanta, “Shondha Godhuli” by Leena Taposhi, “Adho Shur Adho Shura” by Layeqa Bashir, “Dokhina Hawa” by Syed A R Hasan, “Dui Dhara” by Bappi Salekin and mixed albums “The Hit Album 4,” “Daakbaksho,” “Silverspoon” and many others has been released.

Musician by passion, Barrister Khaled Hamid Chowdhury’s solo musical album “Samne Takao” is a mix album with six English cover songs and six Bangla tracks under the banner of G-Series.

Fahmida Nabi’s 12th solo album “Ichchhe Hoy” has hit the market and is composed by two great musician brothers Naquib Khan & Shahbaz Khan Pilu.

The album has released under the banner of Laser Vision. Another album by Fahmida Nabi under the banner of Agnibina, “Ay Bhalobasha” already gathered positive response from listeners.

With the Savar tragedy in mind,

Alice In Wonderland

popular singer Fakir Alamgir has released his new album under Impress Audio Vision Ltd banner.

Eminent Rabindra Sangeet singer Rezwana Chowdhury Bonna releases her solo album titled “Chhutir Banshi” under the banner of the Impress Audio Vision while Nazrul singer Ferdous Ara releases another solo album “Dao Shourjo, Dao Dhoirjo.” This production house released a mixed album of folk songs by prominent singers, “Tumi Kon Kanoner Phul” by Fahim Hasan Shahed, “Meghla Mon” by Shilpi Emon and “Shamne Milon Shorgo” by Ovik.

Sabrina Porshi’s 3rd solo album “Porshi 3” is out, where for the first time music composers from the two Bengals have composed an entire album for a singer.

Sangeeta has produced a couple of mixed and solo albums that are usually very popular with the listeners.

“Joto Bedona” by Baby Islam, “Poran Pakhi” by Asha, “Tumy Toh” by Enamul Haque Apu, “Only Richi” by Richi, “Ak Jonom” by Shimul Khan, “Bangla Mon” by Shompa and many other solo albums are out in the market for the benefit of music lovers. Sangeeta also features albums like, Rabindra Sangeet mixed album titled “Mayabono Biharini,” “Shunnotar Ghuri,” “Mugdhota” and many more. They have also produced some religious Hamd-Nath albums. l

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Kiran and Aamir pledge to donate their organs n Entertainment Desk

Single-episode play Ekti Oshombhob Sundor Swapno will be aired on Channel 9 at 9.35pm

Radio Shadhin’s celebrates Eid with special programmes n Entertainment Desk To celebrate the grand occasion of Eid, Radio Shadhin will feature a list of funfilled programmes for the holidays.

The sessions range from 3 hour long song request programme to presenting the audience with the much loved Baker Bhai live in FM. “Your Eid Your Rules” will broadcast all three days of Eid from 4 to 7pm.

The show will take on song requests from audience and many well liked requests will have the opportunity to win gift coupons of the international ice-cream chain Cream and Fudge Factory.

Another programme “Run Chadni Run” will feature the outdoor team of Radio Shadhin visiting different shops and shopping malls, taking in the rush of the night before Eid, and playing a quiz game with the shoppers. What’s at stake? Amazing gift vouchers for the participants. Also, songs requested by listeners and popular hits will be played in the show.

On the fourth night of Eid, from 11PM onwards, “I Don’t Mind” will bring back the legend of Baker Bhai, Chhoto Mirza, and other such wonderful characters that have mesmerized the TV screens in the past, and of course, the man who has played all these characters, Asaduzzaman Noor!

The man himself will be live on air, to talk about anything and everything,

and answer any questions from the listeners.

On Eid day from 10pm onwards, “The Big Band Theory” will bring the stars of the music scene of Bangladesh for the audience’s enjoyment.

The stalwarts of the music industry Bappa, Buno, Pantho Kanai and Fuad will be entertaining the listeners.

And on the following two nights, Shadhin will present two other big acts of our time, Joler Gaan and Arnob & Friends respectively, from 11 PM onwards.

“Hamla Shamla” will be an actual attack, of the culinary kind! Keeping with the Eid tradition of guests attacking house after house, Radio Shadhin’s very own Bartman and Arifeen will begin this year’s Eid-ulFitr with an attack on the dining tables of celebrated singers Kona and Jon Kabir!

In “Hamla Shamla Returns” on the second day of Eid, model and actor duo Shimul & Nadia, and the legendary Ayub Bacchu take revenge on Shadhin with a counter attack! On the third day of Eid, “Hamla Shamla Rises” when Shadhin, already bruised and battered from this cat and mouse game, has to rise up against the final hamla, by famous actress Opi Karim, and the celebrity couple Tisha and Mostafa Sarwar Farooki. This entertaining session will broadcast from 8 AM to 12 PM on the three days of Eid. l

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Just For Laughs

Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan have been inspired by their latest production ‘Ship of Theseus’ to begin talking about donating organs: What was the flashpoint for you to decide on donating your organs?

Kiran Rao: I would often tell Aamir that I would, in fact, like to give my body to science as against just burning or burying it, but then I came to know that there are a lot of unclaimed bodies available to medical colleges for research. And then I saw “Ship Of Theseus” and the idea that you can pass this gift of life that each one of us has and can use our bodies to change the life of not just one person, but many people, made me renew my pledge and catalysed me to do it. I used to tell Aamir, “I want to do it” and he would always say, “Yaar, do it legally. You write and give it to me that you want to harvest your organs.”

So I’m trying to find out the legal way in which I can donate. I will donate everything possible to donate, which is typically your eyes, kidneys, liver, heart and even your lungs. Once you are clinically dead, none of the organs are of any use to you anyways, so as against just getting burnt or getting buried, you can help several people.

It’s also important that once we pledge our organs, we need to create the right kind of systems to help facilitate the donation easily and use the organs correctly. What I have heard is that the logistics is nightmarish and people don’t come to collect them on time. So, people

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Pirates of the Carribean are waiting with the bodies of their loved ones to complete the last rites while they have to wait for the organs to be taken.

When a person close to you dies, you don’t think of those things. Every hospital should have the setup and should be handled in a sensitive way. Imagine, one person’s body can change the lives of so many people.

The passing of life is the greatest gift you can give someone.

What made you take the decision of donating your organs?

Aamir Khan: I have to say that it is something I have been thinking about for a long time, in a loose manner. Kiran and I have discussed it, but we never discussed it seriously till she saw “Ship of Theseus.”

This time, we spoke about it in a concrete manner and realised that it was so true

that we could help alter the lives of others without harming ourselves in anyway. We, in any case, would have already died and led a full life, so we thought we should do it. I would only be too happy to donate all parts of my body that can be donated, which can help any other person. When I die, I would like Kiran to be able to just call up a number to execute my wish of harvesting my organs. But, the process needs to be clarified and made simple, so that we could just make a phone call and they should come and take our organs. If I am not mistaken, a lot of people have fears that they will mutilate the body, but they should know that it is done with a lot of care, and you look just the same after that.

So, you are only helping another person. It is also a time when you need prayers the most and this way, you will get it. l

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Katy Perry burns her signature blue wig

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MISC

n Entertainment Desk

9:30am FTV

Pop star Katy Perry is seen burning her signature blue wig and burying her “California Gurls” getup as she teases her forthcoming single, “Roar.”

Days after announcing her forthcoming album, “Prism,” due out October 22, the pop star is teasing her next single with a pair of morbid promos.

In the first, released recently, Perry is seen holding a lighter and setting fire to her signature blue wig. In another, revealed Monday, she wears shades and a smirk as funeral onlookers mourn the death of her “California Gurls” persona. Perry calls the promo “The Third Coming.”

By the looks of it, it seems that someone is revamping her image again.

But even with a new look, Perry isn’t likely to stray far from her signature sound. The singer reportedly got back together with longtime collaborators Dr Luke, Max Martin and Bonnie McKee on “Roar,” which will be released officially on August 12. l

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Did you know?

On February 10, 1949, “Jumping Joe” Fulks introduced the jump shot, scoring a then-NBA record 63 points against the Indianapolis Jets

Sport

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

14 Mueller hat-trick eases Cup holders Bayern through

14 Mourinho ready for Real grudge match

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Venus happy to be back in action in Toronto

Shared series still in Clarke’s sights n AFP, Manchester

The Bangladeshi contingent of 2nd Asian Youth Games poses with BOA secretary general and other official at the BOA House yesterday

MUMIT M/DHAKA TRIBUNE

Youths look forward to excel Asian Youth Games team announced, Afnan to carry Bangladesh’s flag n Raihan Mahmood Shooting, golf and weightlifting will be the disciplines of attention as 19 Bangladeshi athletes prepare themselves for the 2nd Asian Youth Games, scheduled to start at Nanjing, China from August 16.

The 29–member Bangladesh contingent will fly to China on August 14 and will participate in the disciplines of athletics, badminton, swimming, basketball, golf, shooting, taekwondo and weightlifting. At a press conference held at the Bangladesh Olympic Association yesterday, BOA officials hoped that the Bangladesh athletes will at least topple their personal bests in the aforementioned disciplines. The athletes have been training in different camps since June 15.

Taekwondo was the last discipline that was included in the list and the

Olympic Council of Asia approved the inclusion on July 11, so that the Bangladeshi athletes in the discipline might be under-prepared.

Syed Shahed Reza, the secretary general of BOA hoped the participation would raise the temperament of the athletes. “Without participating in the top level meets, the athletes will not foster at their levels. The Asian circuit is highly competitive but our athletes will be earning valuable experience from the meet,” he said.

Mabia Khatun and Reshma Akter are the two weightlifters who will be trying to raise their performances. Mabia’s personal bests are 67 in the snatch and 82 in the jerk, and she will be competing in the 53 kg category. Johura Akhter Reshma won a bronze in the Asian Youth Weightlifting Championship in Doha a couple of months back and her personal bests are 50 and 62 kg in

snatch and jerk respectively. Reshma is a competitor in the 48 kg category.

The golf team is made up of Afnan Mahmud Chowdhury and Liza Akhter.

Afnan will also be carrying the flag of the country.

Afnan, a prolific young golfer, has won more than 40 local titles, hopes to do something special. “Though the competition is big, we draw the inspiration from the Junior World Golf Championships where we finished 10th. I hope to perform the best,” said Afnan.

The hope of shooting success rests on Sharmin Sultana and Sharmin Akter in the 10 metre air rifle. Coach Asbab Ali Fayez said if the shooters, who are shooting 489 in training, can cross the 490 barrier than they can find themselves amongst the medals.

Badminton sensation Aiman Ibn Zaman has completed a one month train-

ing in Malaysia and was optimistic going into the event.

Kazi Razibuddin Ahmed Chapal, the treasurer of BOA, will be the chef de mission of the tour. The team is scheduled to return on August 25.

The athletes- Shooting-Sharmin Akter, Sharmin Akter Sultana, Hasanul Banna Akash and Risalatul Islam (All 10 metre air rifle) WeightliftingMabia Akhter, Jahura Akhter Reshma (53 and 48 kg). Golf- Afnan Mahmud Chowdhury and Liza Akter . AthleticsAshik Kumar Halder (100 metre sprint), Aireen Akter (100 metre sprint). Swimming- Asif Reza (50 metre butterfly and 50 freestyle), Najma Khatun (50 metre freestyle). Badminton- Ayman Ibn Zaman. Basketball 3 a side- Sajid Istiaque, Saquib Hossain, Chowdhury Abdul Mumin Ishmam, Mubtashin Quader.

Taekwondo- Fatiha Ummul Islam (-57 Kg) and Amirul Islam Mehedy (-62). l

Australia captain Michael Clarke said drawing the Test series with England would still be a notable achievement after dreams of regaining the Ashes were washed away in Manchester.

The tourists had to win at Old Trafford to regain the urn and were in a commanding position as England collapsed to 37 for three on Monday’s final day after Clarke’s declaration left them needing 332 to win.

But then rain prevented any further play and the match was abandoned as a draw with England, now 2-0 up with just two to play in the five-match series, assured of retaining the Ashes after wins by 14 runs and a mammoth 347 runs in the first two Tests at Trent Bridge and Lord’s respectively.

Nevertheless this result stopped a run of six successive Test defeats for Australia, their worst in 29 years, and spared them the shame of equalling the national record losing streak of seven set long ago by the teams of 1885-88.

And it meant Clarke’s men could still end this series all square at 2-2.

The last time an Ashes series finished level was in England in 1972

Top performers after 3rd Test Runs HS I Bell (Eng)

Ave 100/50

381

109 49.48

2/2

M Clarke (Aus) 319

187 58.21

1/1

Wkts BBI BBM

Econ

G Swann (Eng) 19

5/44 9/122 3.00

P Siddle (Aus)

5/50 8/135 2.80

16

and then Australia captain Ian Chappell credited that 2-2 campaign as the springboard for the several successful years that followed.

Now Clarke wants to follow suit, insisting he still has ambitions in this series that could yet prove a moralebooster for his side ahead of the start of the next Ashes series in Australia in November.

“If we can level the series we will take a lot of confidence back to Australia,” said Clarke, man-of-the-match at Old Trafford for his brilliant first innings 187.

“I’m confident if we play the type of cricket that we have through the four days here that we will give it a real good shake.”

The teams have just a few days’ respite before the fourth Test, the first

Ashes clash to be staged at north-east county Durham’s headquarters in Chester-le-Street, gets underway on Friday.

This could prove particularly tough for Australia’s seamers, with the tourists already a man down in that department after James Pattinson was ruled out of the rest of the tour after Lord’s with a stress fracture of the back.

Ryan Harris bowled impressively at Old Trafford but, if selected at Chesterle-Street, the 33-year-old will be appearing in three straight Tests for just the second time in his career -- the only previous occasion was when he broke down in the 2010/11 Boxing Day Test at Melbourne, a match England won by an innings to retain the Ashes.

“Not bowling much today (Monday) certainly helped them and gave them (the bowlers) a day off,” Clarke said.

“I’m confident they are in good hands.”

For all their vast improvement at Old Trafford, this was the earliest Australia had conceded an Ashes since losing the first three Tests of the 1928/29 series.

“There’s no doubt our goal and my goal was to come here and win the Ashes and that hasn’t happened. I can guarantee everyone in that changeroom is hurting. I think we’ve shown in this Test match that we are here for the challenge and the fight.

“But in saying that I certainly don’t want to take any credit away from England. They outplayed us in the first two Test matches, especially at Lord’s.”

Indeed, Clarke said Australia being bowled out for just 128 in their first innings at Lord’s was as bad a display as their infamous 47 all out against South Africa at Cape Town in 2011.l

BCB finally making BPL payments

Spurs ‘can’t force Bale to stay’: director

n Shishir Hoque

n Mazhar Uddin

n AFP, London

The players transfer dispute among the premier league clubs and the players has yet to be resolved as Mohammedan SC want the players who they have paid while Sheikh Russell KC are as still unwilling to let their players leave the club. Mohammedan have even threatened to file a legal case against BFF if the situation is not soon remedied.

Earlier, BFF asked the clubs and players to resolve their internal problems in the matter by August 5. National players like Emily, Zahid Hossain, Shakil Ahmed, defenders Ariful Islam, Mamun Miah and Nahidul Islam reportedly received a token payments of Tk1m each as a first-phase payment but later decided to remain with the clubs they played for in the previous season.

“There is no chance of mutual understanding with the players. The players who took money from us to play for the club, they must have to wear Mohammedan jersey next season,” said director in-charge of MSC Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan.

Some of the players claimed that they did not receive their second-phase money from Mohammedan despite repeated promises. Lokman said, “There was nothing like this. Those who received advanced money will get their due during the transfers’ window.”

The players’ transfer window for the season 2013-14 will be open from August 16. l

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) who earlier promised that they would deliver the outstanding payments due to the players of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) claim to be doing just that. Ismail Haider Mollick the secretary of BPL said yesterday at an Iftar party organized by Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metro (CCDM) that the board have started paying the players payment and almost 10-12 players have already received their payment check from the board.

“25% of the payments are ready and some of the checks have already dispatched and almost 10-12 players have received their payments already and rest of them will get their payments after Eid,” said Mollick.

The BCB ad-hoc committee member also informed that some of the franchises’ have given statements to the BCB and the board has paid the players in question. “The decision was earlier made that we are going to pay 25% of the payment to the players.

We are doing the calculations with the franchisees and some of them have already given us the list, we have started giving payment to those players,” said Mollick.

He also informed that all the checks are ready but since some of the franchises have yet to submit statements to the board, payments for some of the players will be delivered after Eid.

Clubs and players at crossroads

He added that some of the franchisees have made their foreign and local player’s payments directly and the board also needs to know the specifics of those transactions before making remunerations.

Mollick informed that two franchisees have already given the statement to the board but still the BCB need to know the exact statement of all the franchisees and some of them made contracts with the players outside auction. “Rangpur, Rajshahi have already given us the statement - we need to know the exact amount. Some of the franchisees, have given the payment straight to the players, so we need to know that, and some of them have contracted with the players outside the auction,” he said.

Mollick was confident that the payments promised by the BCB would be fulfilled. “We are hopeful that almost 50% players will get their payments before Eid and the rest will receive after Eid,” he said.

While dealing with payments, the BPL secretary warned that there would be consequences for the franchises who did not fulfill their financial obligations.

“We have already said that those franchisees that will not clear their dues will not be able to take part in the next edition of BPL. Right now BCB is paying the payments of the players as the franchisees have not paid,” he said. l

BCB boss Nazmul Hasan and suspended cricketer Md Ashraful exchange greetings at CCDM’s iftar mehfil at the handball stadium yesterday MAZHAR UDDIN/DHAKA TRIBUNE

Real Madrid were given renewed hope in their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur winger Gareth Bale on Tuesday when a Spurs director admitted they cannot hold onto him against his will.

Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said last week that his club were in talks with Tottenham over Bale’s transfer but Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas says the former Southampton player is not for sale.

However, although club director Keith Mills says Spurs “very much want Bale to stay”, he accepts that the London side cannot force the player to remain at White Hart Lane against his wishes.

“If a player is desperate to leave, it’s very difficult to force him to stay,” Mills told London’s Evening Standard newspaper.

“We’ve seen it in other clubs. Even if he has a contract, you can’t force somebody to play for you.”

Bale, 24, reported for training on Tuesday morning, despite reports in the Spanish media that he would go on strike in a bid to force through a move to the Spanish capital.

The Wales international was driven into Spurs’ training complex in Enfield, north London at around 10:30 am local time (0930 GMT).

Bale missed Spurs’ 5-2 friendly loss to Monaco at the weekend due to a foot problem and has not played for the club since a 1-1 draw against Swindon Town on July 16. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Mueller hat-trick eases cup holders Bayern through n

AFP, Berlin

A hat-trick by German international Thomas Mueller inspired holders Bayern Munich to a 5-0 win over fifth Division SW Rehden on Monday in their first round German Cup clash.

Mueller’s hat-trick - one a penalty and goals by Swiss Brendan Shaqiri and Dutch veteran Arjen Robben saw them dispose of their hosts and into Saturday’s second round draw.

It gave Bayern and their coach Pep Guardiola an ideal lead in to the opening match of the defence of their league title on Friday at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach, who exited the Cup on Sunday beaten on penalties by Third Division Darmstadt.

Guardiola, whose first competitive match in charge on July 27 saw his side beaten 4-2 by Borussia Dortmund the side they beat in the Champions League final last term, allowed himself the luxury of not starting several first choice regulars such as Franck Ribery and captain Philipp Lahm while new signing from his former club Thiago Alcantara also had to be content with a place on the bench.

Schalke mull Raul as club ambassador n AFP, Berlin

Bundesliga team Schalke 04 are set to offer former striker Raul a role as a club ambassador, Bild daily on Monday quoted owner Clement Tonnies as saying.

“I told him the door is still wide open to him - he can have a role as soon as he likes,” said Tonnies, who indicated he saw the former Real Madrid and Spain star, who played for Schalke between 2010 and 2012, as filling an “ambassadorial role.”

Earlier on Monday Schalke had made hard work of beating another fifth division outfit FC Noettingen 2-0, with Dutch ace Klaas-Jan Huntelaar giving them a 30th minute lead but they had to wait till the fourth minute of time added on to double their lead as new signing Leon Goretzka netted.

Results BSV Rehden (IV) 0-5 Bayern Munich

I told him the door is still wide open to him - he can have a role as soon as he likes

FC Nottingen 0-2 Schalke 04 Saarbrucken (III) 3-1 Werder Bremen SV Schott Jena 0-4 Hamburg SV SV Lippstadt 08 1-6 Bayer Leverkusen Schalke despite their unconvincing performance are through to the next round, the matches taking place on September 24 and 25, but three others from the top division joined Moenchengladbach in failing to make it to the second round.

The highest profile casualty apart from Moenchengladbach was Werder Bremen, who went out beaten 3-1 by Third Division Sarrebruck. l

Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller (L) and BSW Rehden's Viktor Pekrul (R) fight for the ball during the first round German cup (DFB-Pokal) match in Osnabrueck on Monday REUTERS

Mourinho ready for Real grudge match n AFP, Miami Jose Mourinho has a golden opportunity to make a point to Real Madrid when the Chelsea manager faces his old club in Miami on Wednesday.

Mourinho will go head to head with Madrid in the final of the International Champions Cup just three months after his acrimonious departure from the Spanish giants.

After feeling unloved for much of his time in Madrid, the Portuguese coach is enjoying his second spell at Chelsea, where he is treated with total respect following his Premier League title triumphs in 2005 and 2006.

The hero worship that follows his every move in the Premier League is a far cry from the hostile reaction to his presence in Spain.

By the time he departed Madrid, Mourinho had made numerous enemies among the squad, with his decision to drop iconic goalkeeper Iker Casillas an

Jose Mourinho

Carlo Ancelotti

especially sore point, as well as falling out with some of the club’s hierarchy, while fans jeered the manager in the final weeks of last season.

However, Mourinho’s exit and the arrival of the more affable Carlo Ancelotti as his replacement has been the trigger

for the kind of spending spree that the out-spoken 50-year-old would have relished.

While Mourinho was always given fairly substantial funds for signing during his time at Madrid, since his exit Real owner Florentino Perez has given

the green light to a spending spree that is likely to approach £150 million ($230 million, 170 million euros) by the close of the transfer window.

In a bid to make a fresh start after Mourinho’s divisive spell, Perez has already splashed out £63 million on Asier Illarramendi, Isco, Daniel Carvajal and Casemiro.

But the biggest purchase is still to come, with the nine-time European champions on the verge of signing Wales winger Gareth Bale from Tottenham for a world record fee of around £85 million.

If the Bale deal goes through it will be the fifth successive time Real have broken the transfer record.

Since signing Luis Figo for £37 million in 2000, Real have gone on to shatter their own record with swoops for Zinedine Zidane, Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet none of those deals occurred during Mourinho’s reign and he may be wondering why he wasn’t afford such riches. l

“He told me he will think about is seriously,” added Tonnies.

Raul, 36, is currently winding down his playing career with Qatari side AlSadd.

The Spaniard won six league crowns with Real and three Champions League crowns in 16 years at the club before landing the 2011 German Cup with Schalke.

He was back in Germany a week ago with Al-Sadd for a farewell match at the Veltins Arena, where a 78,000 crowd gave him a standing ovation. l

French star Remy joins Newcastle on loan n AFP, London Newcastle finally made their first significant signing since the end of last season as France striker Loic Remy joined the Premier League club on a season-long loan from QPR. Magpies director of football Joe Kinnear had been under fire for his failure to land any new players since his controversial appointment in June, but he secured Remy’s services after several days of negotiations with the player and his Championship club.

Kinnear’s only other capture was teenager Olivier Kemen from French side Metz, meaning before the Remy deal Newcastle were the only top-flight team without a major signing during the close-season.

Remy, who almost joined Newcastle in January from Marseille before sealing a move to Loftus Road, scored six goals in 14 appearances for QPR last season, but that wasn’t enough to prevent Harry Redknapp’s team being relegated from the Premier League.

The 26-year-old made it clear he was keen to avoid playing in the second tier with the World Cup looming at the end of this season and he got his wish after

Newcastle made their approach.

“I’m very happy to be a Newcastle player. It will be a huge honour to play for such a big club,” Remy told Newcastle’s website.

“I was very flattered by the club’s interest in me back in January and also very happy that they showed interest in me again this summer.

“The Premier League is the best league in the world and that’s where I want to play.

“I am very motivated this year to get into the World Cup squad for my country. I know in order to do that I need to have a big season and a successful campaign with Newcastle United.

“I am focused on helping the team achieve success this season and scoring as many goals as I can.”

Kinnear, whose appointment sparked claims that owner Mike Ashley was trying to undermine manager Alan Pardew, believes Remy will prove a major coup for Newcastle, who have struggling for goals since the January departure of Demba Ba to Chelsea.

“The need for us to strengthen up front was a priority and I have been working very hard to secure one of our targets in this position,” Kinnear said. l

Fletcher concerned by Rooney speculation n AFP, London Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher admitted on Tuesday that he is worried by reports that team-mate Wayne Rooney could be about to leave the Premier League champions.

United on Monday announced that that they had “immediately rejected” a second bid from Chelsea for the England striker, which was reported to be worth an initial £25 million ($38.5 million).

With United braced for a third bid from Jose Mourinho’s club, Fletcher, who is currently sidelined by a bowel condition, says he would hate to see the 27-year-old leave Old Trafford.

Ince’s Blackpool suffer cup shocker n AFP, London Paul Ince’s Blackpool suffered an embarrassing exit from the English League Cup on Monday as the Championship club were beaten 1-0 by local rivals Preston in the first round.

Ince, a former Manchester United, Liverpool and England star, had fielded a strong side at Deepdale, but it was League One Preston who took the bragging rights and a place in the second round.

Blackpool had opened their second tier campaign with a 3-1 win at Doncaster.

But they were dumped out of the Cup in painful fashion.

There were just three minutes left to play when Tom Clarke got the only goal, the defender heading in a freekick at the far post to give Preston their first home win over Blackpool since 1999.

Just 14 miles separate the two clubs and passions were running high at the final whistle.

Fans flooded onto the pitch to celebrate and then taunt the Blackpool supporters massed at one end, with mounted police called on to get between the two factions before trouble could break out. l

“It’s not the type of thing I have asked him. You do worry he might leave because he’s a fantastic football player.

“But we will leave that sort of thing to Wayne and the club. Me personally, I hope he stays because he has been fantastic for Manchester United and a big part of all we have achieved in the last nine, 10 years since I have been in the squad. “In that respect I hope he stays and we achieve more things together for United.”

Rooney has been ruled out of United’s friendly against Swedish side AIK in Stockholm later on Tuesday after injuring his shoulder in a behind-closed-doors match against Real Betis on Saturday. l

Barcelona's Lionel Messi (R) and Jose Manuel Pinto plays football with children at a hotel in Bangkok yesterday. According to the organisers, the FC Barcelona-UNICEF partnership event promotes social inclusion and improved development for children and youth, including those with intellectual disabilities through participation in sports and sporting competitions REUTERS

Stoke’s Jerome charged over betting n AFP, London

Stoke striker Cameron Jerome on Monday admitted charges of breaching the Football Association’s betting regulations.

Jerome, a former England under-21 international, has been charged with betting on a competition in which his team plays, which is contrary to FA regulations.

It is understood that there is no suggestion of any match-fixing allegations or that the 26-year-old has gambled on games he has been involved in.

An FA statement said: “The FA has charged Stoke City’s Cameron Jerome with breaches of its rules in relation to a number of betting offences.

“Jerome has admitted the charges.

A date for an Independent Regulatory Commission to hear the case will be set in due course.”

Stoke said they would be supporting the striker at the disciplinary hearing.

A statement from the club read: “Stoke City can confirm that Cameron Jerome accepts the FA charges made against him in relation to breaches of its betting rules.

“Cameron has admitted the charges and will in due course attend an Independent Regulatory Commission, at which he will be supported by the club.

“The club or the player will not be making any further comment at this time.”

In June, Tottenham midfielder Andros Townsend was fined £18,000 and

banned for four months, three of those months suspended, for a breach of betting regulations.

The charges meant that he missed playing for England under-21s in the European Championships after he withdrew from the squad.

Meanwhile, Accrington Stanley’s managing director Robert Heys was also charged with a number of betting offences by the FA on Monday.

The FA’s rules prohibit players or officials betting on any matches in competitions with which their club is involved.

Heys, who has been at the League Two club for more than 10 years, has been charged with alleged breaches of FA rules in relation to a number of betting offences and has until August 9 to respond to the charges. l

Ecuadorean keeper apologises over slapping incident n Reuters Ecuadorean side Barcelona’s goalkeeper Maximo Banguera has publicly apologised for slapping an opponent in the face which left his victim needing hospital treatment following a fiery local derby at the weekend.

TV pictures showed that immediately after Sunday’s match in Guayaquil, Banguera slapped Emelec captain and Pedro Quinonez violently in the face.

Emelec officials said that Quinonez was knocked to the ground by the force of the impact, suffered convulsions and nearly lost consciousness. He spent the night in hospital complaining of dizziness and was released on Monday. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Quick Bytes Usain Bolt and team-mates tested at training camp All 44 athletes on the Jamaican team, including sprint superstar Usain Bolt, were tested Monday at their Moscow training camp for the athletics World Championships. Team officials confirmed that agents from the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) arrived at the camp in Moscow, where all of the athletes had blood taken in the sweeping operation. It wasn’t clear if an entire national team had ever before been asked to undergo testing on the eve of a major competition. The Jamaican track and field program has been under increased scrutiny over the last two months after former World 100m record holder Asafa Powell and his training partner Sherone Simpson were among five athletes who tested positive at the Jamaican championships in Kingston in June. Powell and Simpson returned positive tests for a stimulant oxilofrine, results that came just weeks after two-time Olympic women’s 200m champion Veronica Campbell was also tested positive.

– AFP

Manchester City’s Nastasic to miss start of season

Manchester City defender Matija Nastasic will miss the start of the season with an ankle injury, the Premier League club said on Tuesday. The 20-year-old Serbia international, who impressed during his first season in England, was stretched off in the win over Sunderland in a pre-season tournament in Hong Kong last month. He is expected to be sidelined for another four to six weeks, the club said on its website (www.mcfc.co.uk).

– Reuters

Taarabt set to join Fulham says Jol Fulham manager Martin Jol on Monday revealed that QPR midfielder Adel Taarabt is set to join the Premier League club on loan. Taarabt had made it clear he wants to leave Loftus Road following QPR’s relegation from the Premier League last season and Jol has made an approach for the Morocco international. Jol, speaking after Fulham’s 1-1 friendly draw against Real Betis on Monday, revealed Taarabt is due to have a medical on Tuesday ahead of his proposed loan move. The 24-year-old has made more than 150 appearances for QPR since joining, initially on loan, from Tottenham in 2009 and was named the Championship’s player of the year.

– AFP

Thais suspended for fighting at Canada Open

The Badminton World Federation Tuesday banned Thai shuttler Bodin Issara for two years while his former doubles partner Maneepong Jongjit was hit with a three-month suspension over a violent brawl. Bodin and Maneepong were punished for an on-court fight in July, which unfolded during the Canada Open men’s doubles final in front of shocked spectators. Video footage showed Bodin chasing Maneepong, his partner at last year’s Olympics who then teamed up with Nipitphon Puangpuapech, onto a neighbouring court and dragging him to the ground. He then punched his prone countryman twice and appeared to try to stamp on him before being dragged away from 22-year-old Maneepong, who got up shirtless and was helped away.

– AFP

Sport

Dilshan powers SL in last T20 n AFP, Hambantota

Sri Lanka won the final Twenty20 international against South Africa by six wickets in Hambantota on Tuesday to retain their number one ranking in the shortest format.

Sri Lanka put on a spirited chase of South Africa’s commanding 163-3 and won with 11 balls to spare as Tillakaratne Dilshan hit an unbeaten 74 off 51 balls.

South Africa won the series 2-1. Sri Lanka would have slipped to number three behind Pakistan and South Africa had they been whitewashed 3-0.

Earlier, skipper Faf du Plessis hit 85 off 65 balls as South Africa piled up a commanding 163-3 in the final Twenty20 international against Sri Lanka in Hambantota on Tuesday. Du Plessis, who won the toss for the third time in a row and elected to bat, smashed 10 boundaries and three sixes during a third-wicket stand of 112 with JP Duminy.

Left-handed Duminy remained unbeaten on a 34-ball 51 that contained three fours and two sixes as South Africa put on a thrilling exhibition of power hitting in the day-night match.

The Proteas, already enjoying an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, will look for a clean sweep to make amends for the 1-4 defeat in the preceding one-day internationals.

Sri Lanka, the world’s top-ranked Twenty20 side, will slip to number three behind Pakistan and South Africa if they lose the series 3-0. But the hosts rested their two main players, batsman Kumar Sangakkara and fast bowler Lasith Malinga, and recalled Tillakaratne Dilshan and Suranga Lakmal.

Du Plessis and Duminy put on their century stand after opener Henry Davids had beeen dismissed off the first

ball of the match, leg-before to seamer Nuwan Kulasekara.

Quinton de Kock helped his captain carry the total to 45-1 in the eighth over, before he was leg-before off Ajantha Mendis’ second delivery. Duminy hit his 100th six in Twenty20 internationals when he lofted Kulasekara over the midwicket fence in the 17th over.

Du Plessis was dismissed in the final over, bowled by Lakmal. l

Score Card South Africa

H. Davids lbw b Kulasekara Q. de Kock lbw b Mendis F. du Plessis b Lakmal JP Duminy not out AB de Villiers not out Extras (lb1, w9)

0 16 85 51 1 10

Total (for three wickets, 20 overs) 163 Bowling

Kulasekara 4-0-37-1, Lakmal 4-0-29-1 , Senanayake 4-0-20-0, T. Perera 1-0-100, Mendis 4-0-31-1, Mathews 1-0-14-0, Dilshan 2-0-21-0 Sri Lanka

T Dilshan not out M Jayawardene c de Villiers b Parnell K Perera c Parnell b Wiese D Chandimal*† st Kock b Imran Tahir A Mathews b Wiese T Perera not out Extras (lb 1, w 1, nb 1) Total (4 wickets; 18.1 overs)

74 33 1 14 14 25 3 164

Bowling

LL Tsotsobe 4-0-49-0, M Morkel 3.1-033-0, WD Parnell 3-0-37-1, Imran Tahir 4-0-20-1, D Wiese 4-0-24-2 Result: Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets South Africa won the 3-match series 2-1

Sri Lankan batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan plays a shot during the third and final Twenty20 match against South Africa at the Suriyawewa Mahinda Rajapakse International Cricket Stadium in the southern district of Hambantota yesterday AFP

Sharapova tops Forbes rich list Tomic’s hopes of n AFP, Paris Tennis stars dominated the list of the world’s 10 best-paid female athletes, Forbes magazine said on Tuesday, but highlighted the yawning earnings gap with their male counterparts in most sports.

Russia’s Maria Sharapova headed the list, published on forbes.com, earning a total of $29 million (£18.9 million, 21.9 million euros) between June 2012 and June this year.

Tennis took the top four positions, with world number one Serena Williams of the United States second ($20.5 million), China’s Li Na third ($18.2 million) and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus fourth ($15.7 million).

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark was in seventh ($13.6 million), followed by Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland ($7.4 million) and Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic ($7 million).

US Nascar driver Danica Patrick (fifth with $15 million), South Korean figure skater Kim Yuna (sixth with

$14 million)and American golfer Paula Creamer (10th with $5.5 million), were the only non-tennis stars in the top 10.

But the business magazine said disparities remained between men and

Top 10 Forbes richest female athletes 2013 1. M Sharapova (RUS), tennis, $29m 2. S Williams (USA), tennis, $20.5m 3. Li Na (CHN), tennis, $18.2m 4. V Azarenka (BLR), tennis, $15.7m 5. D Patrick (USA), Nascar, $15m 6. Kim Yuna (KOR), figure skating, $14m 7. C Wozniacki (DEN), tennis, $13.6m 8. A Radwanska (POL), tennis, $7.4m 9. Ana Ivanovic (SRB), tennis, $7m 10. P Creamer (USA), golf, $5.5m women in terms of earnings in sport.

World number one golfer Tiger Woods, for example, was the highestpaid athlete on the planet with earn-

ings of $78 million in the 12 months between June 1, 2012 and June 1 this year.

Los Angeles Laker basketball star Kobe Bryant will earn $30.5 million next season but the highest salary in the women’s equivalent of the NBA is $107,000.

Park Inbee of South Korea won $585,000 for winning the women’s US Open but men’s winner Justin Rose was awarded $1.4 million, the magazine noted.

Forbes said that there was increasing parity in terms of pay in tennis, after moves in recent years to put prize money on a more equal footing.

Endorsements that come on the back of Grand Slam wins such as Sharapova’s 2012 French Open title dwarf most players’ winnings.

The 26-year-old, for example, earned $23 million in endorsements with sportswear manufacturers Head and Nike after her victory at Roland Garros.

She has also launched her own brand of sweets, Sugarpova. l

Djokovic clash dashed n AFP, Montreal German Florian Mayer defeated Bernard Tomic 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 on Monday, ending the Australian’s chances of playing top seed Novak Djokovic at the Montreal Masters.

Tomic, who was knocked out in the second round of the Washington tournament last week by eventual champion Juan Martin del Potro, complained of windy conditions but was more upset with his own lack of initiative after winning the opening set of the first-round encounter.

He will now have to hit the practice courts after missing a chance to build up some valuable hardcourt experience before the start of the US Open in three weeks.

Qualifier Marinko Matosevic produced some good news for Australia by following up his defeat of Canadian Milos Raonic last week in Washington with

Venus happy to be back in action in Toronto

Suarez out of Reds' Norway trip

n AFP, Toronto

Striker Luis Suarez has been ruled out of Liverpool’s trip to Norway for Wednesday’s friendly game with Valerenga due to a foot injury, the Premier League club revealed on Tuesday. Liverpool said the Uruguay international would remain in England “as a precaution following an injury in training yesterday (Monday)”. He was due to undergo a scan on his foot later on Tuesday. Suarez, 26, has been linked with a move away from Liverpool and has been the subject of two unsuccessful bids from Arsenal in recent weeks.

– AFP

Day’s Watch Ten Sports 10:00pm ATP 1000 Masters 2013 LIVE Round 2: Rogers Cup Montreal Sony Six 6.00am CPLT20 LIVE Zouks v Tridents

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Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Venus Williams (L) of the US dances during a break with retired tennis star Monica Seles and Eugenie Bochard of Canada during an exhibition doubles match at the Rogers Cup tennis tournament in Toronto on Monday REUTERS

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, set to launch her Toronto WTA campaign on Tuesday, believes the back trouble that forced her out of Wimbledon is behind her.

Williams suffered her earliest French Open exit in 12 years in May, when she crashed to a first-round defeat to Poland’s Urszula Radwanska.

She then pulled out of Wimbledon, but said Monday she thinks she’s fit enough to mount a challenge on the hardcourts at Montreal, with an eye to the last Grand Slam of the year at the US Open later this month.

“I just started to realize that I couldn’t play, especially since I didn’t have a serve,” she said of her decision to take a lengthy break. “It was just really hard to play without a serve, I found out — especially such a huge part of my game.”

“I feel like I’m at the point now where I can hit the ball pretty well,” she added.

Williams was scheduled to face Belgian Kirsten Flipkens in the first round on Tuesday.

She warmed up for that with a doubles exhibition on Monday night with

sister Serena, the world number one and top seed, along with retired WTA great Monica Seles and young Canadian Eugenie Bouchard.

First-round action got underway earlier in the day, when Belgian Yanina Wickmayer defeated American lucky loser Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 to book a second-round meeting with third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.

Mattek-Sands gained a place in the draw after Britain’s Laura Robson withdrew Monday morning with a right wrist injury. Robson was the latest injury casualty in the event, which had already seen world number two Victoria Azarenka and number three Maria Sharapova opt out.

In other early matches, Italy’s Flavia Pennetta beat Urszula Radwanska — younger sister of Angieszka — 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

The Italian next faces either 16thseeded Serb Ana Ivanovic and Hsieh Su-Wei of Taiwan.

Germany’s Mona Barthel rallied after dropping a first-set tiebreaker to beat China’s Zheng Jie 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/1). l

a 6-2, 6-3 victory against Germany’s Benjamin Becker.

Jesse Levine earned the first Canadian win of the week as he beat Belgian Xavier Malisse 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) to book a clash with Rafael Nadal.

Spain’s Nadal will be playing for the first time in six weeks, when he was toppled in the first round at Wimbledon.

Japan’s Kei Nishikori, seeded ninth, ended the hopes of another Canadian, downing Peter Polansky 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

A run of poor form continued for Janko Tipsarevic and the 16th seed was defeated by Uzbek Denis Istomin 6-4, 6-3.

Croatian Ivan Dodig beat Grega Zemlja of Slovenia 6-1, 6-1 to set up a meeting with del Potro Andreas Seppi of Italy needed three sets to get past Czech Lukas Rosol 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4). Latvia’s streaky Ernests Gulbis found his game to dispatch Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (7/4), 6-4. l

Batsmen fail as ‘A’ team lose n Mazhar Uddin

Bangladesh ‘A’ team narrowly lost their first match in their England tour against the English County side Hampshire by 8 runs at the Rose Bowl Southampton yesterday.

Chasing a target of 224 to win, the touring party got off to a poor start losing both the openers with 13 runs on the board. The 'A' side could not live up to their reputation as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals and were eventually reduced to 99-7. Middleorder Marshal Ayub (39) and Mominul (28) made some contribution before number nine and eleven, Elias Sunny and Robiul Islam, made an effort to clinch a win from nowhere. Robiul clobbered five sixes in his blistering 19-ball 34 while Sunny scored 39 off 58 balls as they added 58-runs before being restricted to 215-9.

Earlier, after opting to field first, the second string national side restricted their opponents to 223 runs. It was right-handed middle-order batsman Liam Dawson who made a fighting 97 to take Hampshire to a safe total.

Dawson, however, could not reach the magical three figures as he was caught off Mominul bowling in the last over. l

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Wednesday, August 7, 2013

suspends 55 Free reign for private medical colleges Govt UP chairmen There are allegations that none of the colleges submit ‘annual audit reports’ to the ministry n Tribune Report

n Moniruzzaman Uzzal

Jhuma not abducted: Police n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi Police yesterday said nobody had kidnapped Meredian-Channel i Khudey Gaanraj Jhuma since she had eloped with her lover Israfil and tied knot with him.

Quoting Jhuma, Officer-in-Charge of Sadar police station Ashaduzzaman said Jhuma had gone with her husband Israfil and would come back to her maternal home shortly.

Earlier, Jhuma’s mother Jesmin had filed a case, accusing that Israfil abducted her daughter while she was going to her native home at Dattergoan under Shibpur upazila on July 23. l

Although the existing regulations suggest that private medical colleges must submit “annual audit reports” to the health ministry, in practice, none of them do. As a result the ministry or the health directorate do not have any trace of the actual revenues and expenditures of the 54 private medical schools throughout the country.

There are allegations that these med schools, which charge students millions as “development fees,” hardly ever spend any for actual development. Consequently, most of these colleges lack the necessary infrastructure including learning equipment and an adequate number of competent educators.

A number of responsible officials of the health ministry and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), preferring to remain anonymous, told the Dhaka Tribune that none of these colleges submit annual audit reports to them. They said, had these colleges regularly submitted the reports the authorities would have been able to have

clear ideas about how much money is being collected from students and how much is actually being allocated as developmental expenditure, like setting up more practical classes, purchasing new equipment, paying the salaries of doctors and staff, and so on.

Other sources said up until a couple of years ago, 15-20% of the med schools used to submit their reports but had stopped doing so recently. The Dhaka Tribune has learnt that the authorities cannot force these colleges to submit the reports because many of them are owned by influential ministers, ruling party lawmakers, and leaders of government-backed doctors’ associations.

According to the Private Medical College Establishment and Management Policy 2011, the private med schools must methodically preserve the records of all the transactions that they had made. Professor Dr ABM Abdul Hannan, director (medical education and health manpower development) of DGHS said he had joined the post about six months ago and none of the colleges had submitted their reports since. The health ministry,

however, could not tell whether any of these colleges had presented their reports.

The Dhaka Tribune has learnt that these private schools charge students between Tk1.5m-Tk2.5m as development fees when the students enrol, while also charging them many hundreds of thousands more during different periods of their academic tenure on various purposes.

There are allegations that the only thing these colleges care about is how quickly they can become rich. Most of the college authorities are very reluctant in spending money for even the most basic infrastructural development. The college authorities are also reportedly very enthusiastic about increasing the number of seats without actually expanding the facilities to accommodate the increased number of students. There are also allegations against some owners that they invest the money abroad instead of spending them for development.

Seeking anonymity, the guardians of a number of students said the government should monitor what these col-

leges are doing. They said, apart from a few, most of these colleges do not have the most basic level of teaching and learning facilities despite charging millions to students. Also seeking anonymity, a number of senior specialist doctors told the Dhaka Tribune, with resentment, that almost none of these colleges have ever managed to graduate good and competent doctors. They also said the graduates of these private schools were falling behind in competition in the Bangladesh Civil Service examinations as well.

Professor Dr Shah Mohammad Selim, secretary general of the Bangladesh Private Medical College Association, claimed that all the colleges methodically and regularly prepare the audit reports. But due to a lack of initiative and interest from the health ministry, sometimes they do not submit the reports.

DGHS Director General Professor Dr Khondaker Md Shefyetullah told the Dhaka Tribune that authorities were going to take stern actions to ensure that the private med schools duly submitted their audit reports. l

Fifty-five union parishad chairmen and members have been suspended temporarily on allegations of involvement in violent activities at different parts in the country in recent times after International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee to death.

They have been asked to hand over responsibilities within three days of receiving the suspension notice. Most of these local government representatives are local leaders and activists of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.

The government also temporarily suspended 31 UP chairmen and members.

Officials said several cases under the speedy trial act and anti-terrorism act 2009 have already been filed against these UP chairmen and members.

Jamaat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir ran riot in March in Rajshahi, Jhinaidah, Satkhira, Manikganj, Chapainababganj, Joypurhat, Pirojpur, Chuadanga, Khulna, Dinajpur, Gaibandha, Jessore and Noakhali protesting the verdict against their leaders on war crimes charges. In some cases local leaders and activists of BNP and Awami League also took part in the mayhem. l

New seaport approved n Mohosinul Karim

The government has given the primary go ahead to the country’s third seaport, after the cabinet approved “Paira Seaport Authority Bill, 2013” on Monday to build a new seaport in the Ramnabad area of Kalapara upazila under Potuakhali district.

The approval came at the regular weekly meeting of the cabinet held at the prime minister’s office with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Division Khondakar Iftekhar Haidar, confirming the development said at a briefing after the meeting: “Under the proposal, the port will be set up under the public-private-partnership (PPP) programme of the prime minister’s office. A detailed feasibility study will be conducted before ensuring the total investment plan for the port, which is likely to be named after the Paira River, The expense of establishing the port will be provided from the port authority’s own fund, government’s fund and foreign investments. The authority will also have the power of issuing bonds, shares and taking loans from others.

A six-member executive board will be formed to operate the activities of the port while different specialists’ panel and advisory councils will be

formed to assist the board.

In the meantime, the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) will provide technical and financial support to establish the Paira sea port. It will begin primary works by setting pontoons at the Ramnabad Channel.

He said, “The cabinet has approved the proposal of shipping ministry with some amendments and direction. It will be sent to the law ministry for vetting following the amendments. Later, it will be placed to the cabinet for final approval.”

Terming the approval as the primary foundation towards establishing the third seaport in the country, he said: “The Ramnabad channel is 31km away from entry point of the sea while the at Chittagong and Mongla ports the distances are 16km and 130km respectively.

The government has taken the initiative to establish the new sea port to continue the improvement of export and import trading, developing the infrastructure and total development of The port will open up new economic possibilities for the mid-southern region of the country as it will include facilities for establishing an economic or industrial zone, dock yards, ship breaking yards, fisheries and other agro businesses.

Last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had assured of setting up a new seaport in Paira at a rally in Patuakhali. l

The resorts at Bandarban are likely to see a less number of tourists during Eid holidays this year, as many have already cancelled bookings with Jamaat-e-Islami’s announcement of back to back hartals on August 13 and 14 DHAKA TRIBUNE

Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban losing tourists for hartal n Tribune Report

Every year a large number of tourists from home and abroad go to Cox’s Bazar on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr, the major festival for Muslims community, but this year is an exception because Jamaat called hartal on August 13 and 14.

This time tourists are not coming as expected to the tourist city of world’s longest sea beach to celebrate the Eid vacation. Bandarban, another tourist spot is also experiencing the same situation.

Two day’s hartal, first called on August 12 and 13 by Jamaat-e-Islami and later rescheduled for August 13 and 14, have marred the hope of owners of hotels and motels.

The tourists who booked hotels have cancelled it due to hartals.

It is learnt that the tourists have already taken away Tk20m by cancelling hotel booking, according to our correspondent in Cox’s Bazar.

Mohammad Ruhul Amin, HR (admin) of Sea Place hotel in Cox’s Ba-

zar, said the visit of tourists came to a standstill for the last six months due to political instability and various other reasons.

The owners expected they would cover loss during the festival vacation when the tourists would visit.

Front Desk Manager Abu Taleb of Hotel Cox Today said they returned 50% of the advance money due to hartal. Besides, the rest of the tourists are contacting every day to cancel their booking.

Finance Controller of Ocean Paradise Hayat Khan said his hotel was incurring a loss of Tk10m every month and it had been very difficult to continue hotel business.

According to sources of Cox’s Bazar tourism industry, about 700,000 tourists booked hotels and motels on the eve of Eid festival. About Tk20m was given in advance for booking purposes in around 400 hotels and cottages.

Cox’s Bazar Hotel Motel Association President Raza Shaha Alam said if there was no hartal, tourists would come as

expected.

Alam called upon all to keep Cox’s Bazar out of hartal and political activities.

Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Ruhul Amin said everything was going smoothly, but the upcoming shutdown acted as a bar to the tourists’ visit.

“I have talked to local leaders as to how the Cox’s Bazar can be kept out of political activities,” Amin said.

Bandarban did not see tourists visit the area for political unrest over the last five months causing a huge loss to local resorts. Many said Jamaat stopped the businessmen to push forward their business.

Meghla, Nil Achool, other tourist spots, hotels and motels of the district were found vacant.

The businessmen here said many tourists cancelled the pre-booked rooms in forty five hotels and motels of the district due to hartal.

Rahat Elahi, manager of hotel Hill View, said: “We cannot continue our business even after minimising our

staff as we do not have sufficient income to continue the business.”

Asish Dhar, manager of Green Hill, said, “We are going through a very bad time. We have only received one booking although we have sixteen vacant rooms.”

Bandarban was treated as a peaceful tourist area as Rangamati and Khagrachori became notorious for issues like killing, abduction and extortion.

While visiting Nil Achool, Jannatul Tamanna, who came from Narsingdhi, said, “We were supposed to visit Bandarban after Eid but we have come now to avoid risk as there is hartal after Eid.” The district Superintendent of Police Kamrul Ahsan said the security of the district had been beefed up although the businessmen feared for the tourists’ safety during Eid. Once Bandarban lagged behind economically, but tourism brought its economic well-being.

People in the tourism business in the area claimed that they were in great loss due to political unrest. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed at Romask Limited, 184, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1215. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.

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Business

Business

B2 World Bank still the single largest loan provider

B3 Banking shares fall

below Tk20 on poor feat, scandals

www.dhakatribune.com/business

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Revive bank modernisation scheme: WB n Asif Showkat Kallol The World Bank wants to launch a project to upgrade the governance of Bangladesh’s state-owned commercial banks (SOCBs) which have recently been hit by large loan forgeries.

A similar project was conducted by the global lender earlier to modernise the state-owned commercial banks. The project was titled “Enterprise Growth and Bank Modernisation” starting from July 2004 to December 2010.

Under the $500m project, there was a plan of divestment of Rupali Bank and corporatising three state-owned banks Sonali, Janata and Agrani.

A World Bank evaluation report said three state-controlled banks (SCBs) Sonali, Janata and Agrani - have made noticeable progress in their operational and financial performance after execution of EGBM project.

Actual non-performing loans have dropped by 21.5% in Sonali Bank, 23.9% in Janata Bank and 19.8% in Agrani Bank in 2008, according to the Information Note in 2008.

“If the World Bank’s modernisation project had continued, the country’s banking sector performance would have been improved and we could have avoided those big forgeries,” said Former Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed.

Now the World Bank wish to introduce a project like EGBM from this year to help the banks overcome capital shortfall faced after the big loan scams, said a senior government official at the Bank and Financial Institution Division.

He attended a meeting of the Division on Sunday which discussed about the project of the World Bank.

World Bank’s Vice President for South Asia region Phillip Horrare will visit Bangladesh at the end of September or early November to sign agreements on financing of the project, the official said.

With the Bank Division Secretary Dr

The file photo shows the entrance of Sonali Bank Limited headquarters in Dhaka. The state-owned commercial bank is hit by a large loan scam that affected the country’s entire banking industry Dhaka Tribune Aslam Alam in the chair, the meeting was attended by the World Bank’s country director and the members of the lender’s Bangladesh Financial Sector Monitoring Mission.

The Mission is led by financial sector specialist Shamsuddin Ahmed while other members include financial specialists Niraj Verma, Shah Nur Quayum, Damodaran Krishnamurti and programme assistant Bridget Rosario. They will stay in Dhaka until August 8.

Statistics shows that the Sonali Bank and Janata Bank incurred losses Tk12,77bn and Tk5.42bn respectively in 2012. Although Agrani bank and Rupali Bank made profits Tk6.77bn and Tk1.31bn respectively in the same year.

Banking Division officials said the state-owned commercial banks have been incurring losses for a long time.

Mismanagement is a major reason while some voluntary activities the banks carry out on behalf of government are also

15mmcfd gas added to national grid from Titas field n Aminur Rahman Rasel

Bangladesh Gas Field Company Ltd (BGFCL) has started supplying gas amounting to 15 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) to the national grid from the 18th well of Titas Gas Field in Brahmanbaria after five months of drilling.

BGFCL Managing Director Shafiqur Rahman has confirmed the news to the Dhaka Tribune. “The national grid is being supplied with gas from the well from

yesterday and the amount is 15 mmcfd.”

He hoped the amount would “help the country ease its gas crisis.”

The company, a subsidiary of the state-owned Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation (Petrobangla), initiated drilling the well through Bapex for exploration of gas on March 22 and continued till the end of May. It was drilled up to 3,300 metres from surface.

On June 16, BGFCL began extracting gas experimentally from the well. But

a day later, water surfaced in the well, stopping the gas production.

Bapex then conduced remedial work in the well and resume extraction from yesterday.

Shafiqur Rahman said Bakhrabad Gas Systems Ltd, the distribution company, is supplying the gas to the consumers.

According to the official sources concerned, 15mmcfd gas is an amount of fuel which can generate more than 75 megawatt of electricity. l

responsible for chronic losses.

Due to influence of the government high-ups, the state-run banks have to approve large amount loans to the corrupt businesses showing fake documents. Most of such loans become default, the putting the banking sector in trouble.

The loan forgeries have come to spotlight after the revelation of Hall-Mark Group and Bismillah Group scams which left a long time scar on the country’s banking sector. l

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

World Bank still the single largest loan provider n Tribune Business Desk Out of all the development partners, the World Bank provided the highest amount of foreign aid to Bangladesh in the last fiscal year, despite a row with the government over the muchhyped Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project.

The disbursements of their financing for Annual Development Program (ADP) of Bangladesh increased in 2012-13, said an official at the World Bank resident mission. He said the disbursements for the World Bankfunded projects are on track, reports UNB. At the end of FY13, the bank’s portfolio in Bangladesh stands at US$4.8bn in 29 projects (IDA ones only).

The official said the disbursements to Bangladesh reached $764.5m in FY13 (from IDA, TFs, PPFs, and closed projects) in their grace periods compared to $600m disbursed in FY12.

The World Bank had committed $1.6bn concessionary lending in FY13 for Bangladesh.

The official said the World Bank in recent years has focused more on achieving development results in its supported projects and operations.

An official at the Economic Relations Division (ERD) said with the World Bank funding, positive outcomes are seen in many areas such as increasing school enrolment, improving health status, expanding renewable energy, and providing infrastructure like rural roads and water supply.

Since independence, the World Bank has provided more than $15bn support to Bangladesh and helped the country to significantly reduce poverty and boost human development.

According to the ERD, foreign aid flow to Bangladesh in the last fiscal year was around $3bn lower than its commitments,but aid

City Bank MD quits n Tribune Report The World is Bank leading the list of all the developing partners of Bangladesh in the foreign aid segment. Other partners are Asian Development Bank, Australia, Canada, Denmark, European Union, Germany, the Islamic Development Bank, Japan, Republic of Korea, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United Nations, United States.

disbursement was higher totalling $ 2,786.13 million in the last fiscal compared to $2bn fetched in fiscal year 2011-12.

The official said the disbursements to Bangladesh reached $764.5m in FY13 (from IDA, TFs, PPFs, and closed projects) in their grace periods compared to $600m disbursed in FY12 The commitment for the FY13 was much higher as it was close to $6bn compared to $4.7bnbn during the same period of previous year (FY12), said an official at the Economic Relations Division (ERD).

During the FY13, Bangladesh made a repayment of $1.1bn, including $0.92bn in principal amount while the rest of $ 202m as interests.

During the previous fiscal year (2011-12), Bangladesh made a repayment of $ 966m including $759m as principal amount.

Of the disbursed amount of $2.8bn for the FY13, the ERD official said Bangladesh received $2bn in loans while it received $652m as grants.

Apart from the World Bank financing in the last fiscal year, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) provided $670.4m, followed by JICA $ 630.4m, UN system $203.9m, IDB $10.2m, EU $68m. l

PDB to install 139K pre-paid meters in Ctg by Jan n Tribune Business Report A total of 139,000 power subscribers of Chittagong will be brought under pre-paid meter system from January next, according to Power Development Board (PDB) sources.

They said the installation of 139,000 prepaid meters in Chittagong is part of PDB’s move to set up 2.2m pre-paid meters across the country for checking system loss and pilferage of power and outstanding bills, reports BSS. PDB and Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) are jointly implementing the project at an estimated cost of Tk490m.

“The preparation of unified pre-paid software is now at the final stage and if everything goes on, 139,000 power subscribers of Chittagong will be brought under pre-paid meter from January next,” said Belayet Hossain, Project Director of Pre-Paid Meter.

He said the post-paid meters will be removed and all the 650,000 power subscribers of Chittagong will be brought under prepaid meter in phases.

The PDB is implementing the installation of pre-paid meter throughout the country and sufferings of the power subscribers of Chittagong will be minimized on completion

of the project, said PDB Engineer of Chittagong office Uday Shekhar Dutta.

Sources within PDB said PDB launched a pilot project in 2008 to bring 20,000 power subscribers of Chittagong under pre-paid meter. But the project remained stalled for long time and it (project) started again in 2012, they said. l

City Bank’s managing director K Mahmood Sattar has resigned from his post.

He, however, will continue to work as the bank’s chief executive officer till the end of October. The resignation was approved on Sunday by the board of directors, said the bank sources.

Mahmood Sattar, 54, has ended 32 years of experience in the banking sector. Further, he was the most experienced bank MD working 12 years in the post.

“I have resigned from the job. But I will continue to work in the sector from an independent position,” said Mahmood Sattar.

“I want to do something different in the banking sector.”

Mahmood Sattar started his career with ANZ Grindlays Bank in Dhaka in 1981 and went on to serve at the bank’s offices in India and Australia.

Between 2001 and 2007, he worked as the managing director of Eastern Bank Ltd and in 2007, he joined City Bank.

Sattar is also the immediate past chairman of the Association of Bankers Bangladesh. l

Oil prices slip to $106.52 n AFP, Singapore

Oil prices slipped in Asian trade Tuesday as a rebound in Libyan oil production eased concerns about global supply, analysts said.

New York’s main contract, West Texas Intermediate for delivery in September, was down four cents at $106.52 a barrel in afternoon trade, and Brent North Sea crude for September shed 13 cents to $108.57.

“Crude retreats as the Libyan exports are expected to resume next month,” Kelly Teoh, market strategist at IG Markets in Singapore, said in a note. Libyan petroleum minister Abdelbari al-Aroussi on Monday said production in the country’s western oilfields had resumed after making progress in ending protests at its main shipping terminals.

Libyan oil exports had plunged by more than 70% after protesters, including policemen and border guards, forced the terminals to shut over demands for back pay.

Others insisted the chief of security for the terminals withdraw his resignation.

Aroussi on Monday said output was now running at 700,000 barrels per day, up from a low of 330,000 bpd recorded at the peak of the protests last week but still far short of the pre-protest average of 1.42 million bpd.

The Libyan protests had exacerbated investors’ concerns about a disruption in global supply, amid fears that Egypt’s ongoing political crisis could force a closure of the Suez Canal and Sumed Pipeline. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Banking shares fall below Tk20 on poor feat, scandals ICB Islami Bank’s share price lower than face value n Tribune Business Desk The share prices of the listed banks have come close to the face value amid free fall due to their very poor performance in terms of profit deepening the frustration of the investors.

Banks’ poor performance, their lower exposure to the share market and frequent scandals in the banking sector, including Hall-Mark scam, took heavy toll on their shares, according to market analysts.

They said once the investors who did not dare to take the risk in investing share market used to buy bank shares for certain gains with little risk, but the investors these days are unwilling to buy bank shares fearing further fall in the coming days as pre-election political instability looms large.

“Banks’ performance has been very poor.

Most of the banks suffered losses or saw a sharp fall in profit. Besides, indiscipline in the banking sector has demoralised the investors,” Dr Mohammad Saleh Jahur, Chairman, Department of Finance and Banking, Chittagong University told UNB on Tuesday.

On top of it, he said, there was a liquidity crisis in the capital market though it is going to be resolved.

The banks’ exposure to the stockmarket has been well below the legal limit due to a guarded stance taken by the banks. Banks’ total exposure to the market, as of January 31, stood at Tk172bn, which is 2.89% of their total liabilities.

On February 1, 2012, the banks’ investment in the share market was Tk155bn. After the current government assumed power in 2009, the stockmarket had showed a bullish trend, and many banks invested beyond their limits.

The International Monetary Fund and the Asian Development Bank recommended that the banks’ investment in the capital market should be 25% of their capital instead of deposits (liabilities).

“More importantly, the capital market has not been corrected properly after the price debacle in early 2011,” said the analyst.

Responding to a question, Dr Jahur said the government has a big responsibility and it should fulfill all the commitments it made to stabilise the market. “If the investors can’t be brought into confidence, the market won’t be vibrant.”

Asked about possible political violence after Eid ahead of the next elections, he said, “Yes, political violence might intensify. It’ll have an impact on the market. But the investors’ confidence is the most important thing.

We’ve political instability almost round the year. So, we first need to restore confidence.”

Responding to another question, Dr Jahur

said the new monetary policy is a balanced one and it will work in the desired way if the government does not interfere in it.

“I never want to take high risk while investing in the capital market. I always had confidence on banking shares as the banks give good returns. My hope this time has shattered with big losses. It’s because of sharp fall in bank share prices,” said Touhid Alam, a small investor, who bought shares of National Bank Limited, United Commercial Bank Limited, Jamuna Bank Limited and Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited.

“The prices of these shares are now close to the face value (Tk 10). NBL price has come down to Tk11.9 while UCB is now Tk18.5 and Jamuna Bank Tk14.1,” he added.

Nur Uddin, another small investor, said the share of NBL was very popular as it used to give high dividend every year. “But this year it gave only 6% cash dividend bringing a big loss for me.” l

Dollar mixed in Asian afternoon trade n AFP, Tokyo The dollar weakened against Australia’s currency in Asia on Tuesday after the Reserve Bank of Australia cut rates to a new record low, while the US unit rebounded against the yen.

The greenback fetched 98.48 yen in Tokyo afternoon trade from 98.27 yen in New York on Monday afternoon, underpinned by higher risk appetite among investors as Tokyo stock prices turned up.

The euro was mixed at $1.3251 from $1.3259, and 130.41 yen from 130.30 yen.

The Australian dollar rose after the central bank cut interest rates to a record low of 2.5%, shaving 25 basis points off the previous rate.

The “Aussie” bought 89.84 US cents against 88.76 US cents Monday afternoon and 89.23 cents immediately before the rate decision with some investors expecting a more drastic 50-basis-point cut.

India’s rupee, meanwhile, plunged to a fresh record low against the US dollar.

The rupee, Asia’s worst-performing major currency this year, was at 61.45 to the dollar in afternoon trade against 60.91 Monday afternoon, after hitting a lifetime low of 61.51 earlier Tuesday.

The Indian unit’s decline - stoked by concerns that foreign capital could flow back to the United States as the American economy picks up - has come despite measures by the central bank to prop up the currency.

Upbeat US service sector data has spawned fresh speculation that the Federal Reserve could soon start tapering its bond-buying programme.

The Fed has said it would start rolling back the scheme once the world’s biggest economy showed signs it was on a stable footing. A draw down on the stimulus would mean fewer dollars in the financial system, boosting demand and the unit’s value.

On Monday, the Institute for Supply Man-

agement said its purchasing managers index for services surged to 56% in July, 3.8 points higher than the level in June and above the 53.2 average forecast by analysts.

A reading above 50 indicates growth and one below 50 shows contraction.

The report showed strong improvement in business activity and new orders, helping reverse the dollar’s downward slide after Friday’s US employment report showed job gains lagged expectations.

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

It inched up to 43.53 Philippine pesos from 43.50 pesos the previous day, to 10,283 Indonesian rupiah from 10,276 rupiah, to 31.39 Thai baht from 31.34 baht, and to 1,115.51 South Korean won from 1,115.07 won.

It weakened to Sg$1.2677 from Sg$1.2700 while holding steady at Tw$29.95.

The Chinese yuan changed hands at 15.99 yen against 16.12 yen. l

3

Banks’ last day before Eid vacation today

n Tribune Report The banks and non-bank financial institutions are open today, the last day of transactions before going on Eid vacation.

They will remain closed from tomorrow until August 11.

Meanwhile, the stock exchanges are already closed from yesterday and will remain closed till August 11.

Trading and official activities of the stock exchanges will be resumed on August 12 after the Eid vacation. The trading hours will be from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm and office hours from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm.

The banks also remained closed yesterday due to Lailatul Qadr, but the branches related with garment industry and located at the industrial areas of Dhaka City, Savar, Ashulia, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Khulna and Chittagong were opened to facilitate the garment workers to withdraw their wages.

The AD branches of the commercial banks at some points have been asked to continue operation on the weekly holidays during the Eid vacation until further order to facilitate foreign trade and transactions.

The places include Dhaka and Chittagong airports, Chittagong and Mongla sea ports and Benapole, Sonamosjid and Hili land ports along with Kamalapur Inland Container Depot.

Any bank branches dealing with export-import trade can be kept open on the weekly holidays if the banks consider necessary, according to Bangladesh Bank instruction. l

Ukraine state firm to export 200,000 tonnes wheat to Bangladesh

n Reuters Ukraine, which plans to raise its wheat output by a third this year, will supply 200,000 tonnes of wheat to Bangladesh in the 2013/14 season under an intergovernmental agreement, APK-Inform agriculture agency said on Monday.

Wheat will be exported by the state-run GPZKU company at the price of $307 per tonne, it said.

Ukraine plans to harvest 21 million tonnes of wheat this year versus 15.8 million tonnes in 2012.

Agriculture Ministry has said wheat exports could rise to about 9 million tonnes in the 2013/14 July-June season from about 7 million tonnes in 2012/13.

Wheat flour prices in Bangladesh have increased 20% since end-December, to BDT30 a kilogram, making wheat flour costlier than rice, a reversal of the usual relationship. Rice prices have declined 15% to Tk22/kg.

Bangladesh has purchased 160,000 tons of wheat from Ukraine in two intergovernment deals since September, more than 112,000 tons of which have been delivered.

Ukraine did not export wheat to Bangladesh last season.

According to the Grain Ukraine, in July February 2011/12 Ukraine exported 3.26 million tons of wheat, including 118,000 tons to Bangladesh. l

4 Growth in China trust assets slows as shadow banking crackdown bites

n Reuters, Shanghai Growth of China’s trust sector, the largest component of the country’s so-called shadow banking system, slowed markedly in the second quarter after a government clampdown on risky lending.

China’s top leaders have signaled concern over runaway credit growth and the risk of a debt crisis sparked by local governments and firms borrowing at high interest rates from non-bank lenders, especially trust companies. In June, the central bank engineered a short-term cash squeeze as a warning to banks and trusts to scale back risky lending practices.

Data published by China Trustee Association late on Monday showed total assets managed by China’s 67 trust firms reached a record-high 9.45tn yuan ($1.54tn) by the end of the second quarter.

While that was up 8.3% from the end of the first quarter, growth decelerated sharply from the 16.9% rise seen in the first quarter.

In 2012, total assets managed grew by an explosive 55.3%.

“We’ve seen other signs before (of a slowdown in shadow banking), but this is more authoritative,” said May Yan, China banks analyst at Barclays in Hong Kong.

Yan said that rules put in place by the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) in March restricting the proportion of a wealth management product’s (WMP) underlying assets that may be comprised of loans and other illiquid credit assets to 35 percent contributed to the slowdown.

Reining in shadow banking is a key element in the leadership’s campaign to shift the country’s growth model away from its heavy reliance on debt-fueled investment.

Beyond the rules set in March, the CBRC and other watchdogs have issued a slew of new rules to curb banks’ risky business.

Trust companies, together with other non-bank financial institutions such as securities brokerages, have become a vital source of credit, allowing banks to arrange off-balance-sheet refinancing for maturing loans that risky borrowers such as the local government financing vehicles (LGFV) cannot repay from their internal cash flow.

The scale of trust assets still pales in comparison to total banking sector assets of more than 100tn yuan as of the end of June.

But without trusts, the banking system’s non-performing loans (NPL) ratio might be much higher, although accurate estimates are not possible.

Trust companies sell WMPs to raise funds so they can purchase loans that banks want off their books. WMPs are then marketed through bank branches as a higher-yielding alternative to traditional bank deposits.

China’s banking regulator recently said that outstanding bank-issued WMPs totaled 9.08 trillion yuan by end-June. The new data on trust company assets appears to encompass about 70% of that total, as bank WMPs usually involve cooperation with a trust. l

Business Japan needs ‘credible’ midterm economic plan DHAKA TRIBUNE

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

n AFP, Washington The IMF said Japan’s “three arrows” economic stimulus program is boosting growth yesterday but warned that the country must still follow through with fiscal and structural reforms.

It urged Tokyo to adopt a “credible” medium-term program that includes raising consumption taxes and deregulating farming and the service industry.

In its annual review of Japan’s economy, the International Monetary Fund said aggressive stimulus efforts by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had given a strong boost to growth.

And it forecast that the economy would hold to a two percent pace this year and inflation would pick up gradually.

But the IMF warned that, in addition to monetary and fiscal stimulus efforts, the government must follow through with the so- called “third arrow” economic reforms.

“All three arrows need to be launched for the policies to succeed. Uncertainty about the ambition of fiscal and structural reforms is adding to underlying risks,” the Fund said.

“Failure to follow through on fiscal and structural reforms could, however, lead to overreliance on monetary policy with negative consequences for Japan and the global economy.”

The IMF reiterated its strong support of “Abenomics”, the three-point program to revitalize Japan’s economy after more than a decade of stagnation.

It credited the program - which began this year with a combination of increased, debt-financed government spending and quantitative easing from the Bank of Japan - with kickstarting the world’s third-largest economy to a 4.1% rate of growth in the first quarter.

The resulting surge in domestic demand should continue to build, and the economy is expected to achieve a 2% growth rate for all of 2013.

The IMF said the efforts also appear to be bearing fruit in terms of sparking inflation,

A man walks past the Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo. The Bank of Japan is expected to keep monetary policy on hold at a review next week while presenting a more upbeat view of the economy, based on growing signs that positive effects are rippling through from the government’s reflationary strategy Reuters which the Bank of Japan wants to push to 2% to be able to sustain consumption and overall economic growth.

Year-on-year, prices remain lower, but, in a promising sign, gained in the three months to May, the IMF said.

The stimulus efforts have sent the yen lower, enhancing exports, and have boosted share values on Japan’s stock markets as well as property values.

Even so, Japan’s recovery outlook remains “favourable, but unusually uncertain,” the IMF said.

For one, it said, the country has little policy experience to draw on to map out a path for escaping a period of sustained deflation.

Secondly, Tokyo has only broadly sketched out reforms that the IMF says are essential to keeping its turnaround on track.

“Monetary policy cannot do the job alone - all three of Abe’s arrows are required,” the

IMF said.

“The government recently put forward a broad growth agenda, but critical details remain to be fleshed out in the coming months.”

“Concrete steps to raise employment, increase labour market flexibility, deregulate agriculture and the services sector, and enhance the role of the financial sector in supporting growth, would be key.”

In addition, it said, the government needs a “clear and convincing plan” to reverse its rising mountain of debt.

“Much can still go wrong,” the IMF added, pointing to the volatility in the global economy and the threat of a general slowdown.

“But the bigger risk is domestic, that through complacency or political obstacles we get a partial version of Abenomics, missing one or more of its key elements and failing to convince that ‘this time is different’.” l

Britain’s Aviva may sell India insurer stake n AFP, New Delhi Aviva Plc may sell its stake in its Indian joint-venture life insurance firm as part of the British financial service giant’s turnaround drive, media reports quoting unnamed sources said Tuesday.

Aviva is seeking buyers for its 26% holding in Aviva India, its life insurance joint venture in which the remaining 74% is held by the food and personal care products Dabur group, The Times of India and other media said.

Aviva India, valued at around $500m, refused to comment on the reports which said it was hiring corporate advisors to carry out the sale.

“We do not comment on market specula-

tions or rumours as a policy,” Aviva India said in a statement.

Aviva Plc has been seeking to cut costs and exit less remunerative markets as part of a restructuring to bolster its financial performance.

The insurer’s overhaul calls for the sale of 16 underperforming businesses globally.

The possible exit by the British insurer comes as the Indian government is trying to hike the foreign direct investment cap in the insurance sector to 49% from 26% as it seeks to draw new funds from abroad.

Aviva Plc would be the third multinational insurer to leave India.

Aviva had earlier described India as a key investment destination, seeing a big future

in its underpenetrated market.

But Aviva India reported an 11% drop in total premium collections in the last financial year. Insurance has proved to be a less popular product with the Indian public than companies initially had hoped.

Last year, New York Life exited its life insurance joint venture with Max India, while in January, Dutch financial services group ING sold its stake in its Indian insurance joint venture.

Aviva Plc reported a three-billion-pound ($4.5bn) net loss for 2012 stemming mainly from the sale of its US business.

This year, Aviva Plc has exited from its Malaysian insurance joint venture and quit Russia. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

ECB has easing bias, not out of ammunition: Praet n Reuters, Frankfurt The European Central Bank’s forward guidance on low interest rates includes an easing bias and further cuts are an option if warranted by the inflation outlook, ECB policymaker Peter Praet said in a paper published yesterday.

Praet, who has the influential economics portfolio among his tasks on the ECB’s Executive Board, told policy research portal Vox that the ECB has “not run out of ammunition”.

ECB President Mario Draghi left markets uncertain last week about the chances of another cut, but Praet stressed that the central bank could still ease its policy stance.

“Against the conditions that we see prevailing over a meaningful horizon, our guidance includes an easing bias,” Praet wrote in the paper, dated August 6.

“This conveys the notion that we have not reached the lower bound on our key interest rates,” he added. “Further cuts in policy rates remain an option for the ECB if the outlook on price stability so warrants.”

As holder of the ECB’s economic portfolio, Praet’s views carry weight because he makes a presentation at the beginning of Governing Council meetings that forms the basis of the policy discussion.

The ECB kept interest rates unchanged at a record low of 0.5% at its policy meeting last Thursday and confirmed they will remain there for some time to come and could fall

European Central Bank Executive Board member Peter Praet gives a speech during a meeting organised by the Grand Conferences Catholiques in Brussels Reuters further.

The apparent absence of a discussion about cutting rates last Thursday contrasted with the previous monthly meeting, when Draghi said the Council had an “extensive discussion” about a cut before deciding to hold.

Despite promising economic data from the euro zone, the ECB policy options are complicated by market responses to the US

Federal Reserve’s plans to slow its stimulus program.

The ECB reacted in July to market turmoil sparked by the Fed’s exit plan by breaking with precedent and offering forward guidance on the future path of its interest rates. “The ECB’s forward guidance has contributed to more clarity over our assessment of the outlook and our reaction function,” Praet said. l

Australian central bank cuts rates to record low n Reuters, Sydney Australia’s central bank cut its main cash rate by a quarter point to a record low of 2.5% on Tuesday as it tries to prepare the economy for life after the mining boom.

The Australian dollar edged up on the news as the market had considered it almost certain the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) would cut rates at its monthly policy meeting.

“The Board has previously noted that the inflation outlook could provide some scope to ease policy further, should that be required to support demand,” RBA Governor Glenn Stevens said in a brief statement.

“At today’s meeting, and taking account of recent information on prices and activity, the Board judged that a further decline in the cash rate was appropriate.”

This was the eighth move in an easing cycle that began back in November 2011 and takes rates below the depths hit during the global financial crisis. Markets have already baked in another move to 2.25% by Christmas and there is no hint of a tightening priced in for at least the next year.

That outlook is reflected in government bond yields, with the cost of borrowing out for one year hitting an all-time low of 2.24% this week. Even two- and three-year yields are under the cash rate.

In large part, Australia is a victim of its own good fortune. Its embarrassment of natural resources was just what China needed to fuel its growth miracle, leading to a truly massive boom in mining.

As a result, mining investment has quadrupled as a share of the Australian economy but now looks to have peaked. Having risen so rapidly the risk is that spending could fall quite sharply from quarter to quarter, taking chunks out of economic growth.

The RBA has been seeking to enliven the rest of the economy with lower borrowing costs but consumers and business have been slow to respond. Households favour saving over borrowing, while business confidence is low and political uncertainty high ahead of a federal election next month.

The government is in no position to provide fiscal stimulus, having slashed its revenue projections by AU$33bn over four years to reflect slower economic growth.

The prospect of lower rates has dragged the Australian dollar down over 15% against its US counterpart since April. On Tuesday, the currency was at $0.8950, having hit a three-year low on Monday.

Yet the fall has been welcomed by policymakers as it eases competitive pressures on domestic industry while boosting profits for miners who price their product in US dollars.

Analysts estimate every US cent it falls

adds around AU$100m to the bottom line for BHP Billiton.

“It is possible that the exchange rate will depreciate further over time, which would help to foster a rebalancing of growth in the economy,” the RBA’s Stevens said on Tuesday.

The long run-up in mining investment is also lifting export volumes, a trend that has years to run. Figures out Tuesday showed the country boasted a trade surplus of A$602 million in June, the fifth straight month of surpluses.

Lower mortgage rates are also feeding though to the housing market. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported house prices jumped 2.4% in the second quarter, the biggest gain in over three years.

Immediately after the RBA move, National Australia Bank became the first of the four major banks to announce a 25 basis-point cut in mortgage rates.

Fortunately prices more broadly remain benign, providing the RBA with plenty of room to ease as needed. Inflation ran at 2.4% last quarter, well within the RBA’s long-term target band of 2 to 3%.

That is a major departure from previous experience for Australia, as almost every other mining boom has ended with runaway inflation which necessitated a severe tightening in policy and led inexorably to recession. l

5

Amazon’s Bezos to buy the Washington Post for $250m

n Reuters Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos will buy the Washington Post newspaper for $250m in a surprise deal that ends the Graham family’s 80 years of ownership and hands one of the country’s most influential publications to the businessman whose Internet company has transformed retailing.

Bezos, hailed by many as technology visionary, called his acquisition a personal endeavor and reassured employees and readers of the 135-year-old newspaper he will preserve its journalistic tradition.

The acquisition, the latest in a flurry of deals for print publications including the New York Times Co’s sale of the Boston Globe for $70m, is a another sign of the unprecedented challenges newspapers face as advertising revenue and readership decline.

Shares of the Washington Post Co climbed more than 5% to $599.85 after hours - their highest level in almost five years.

Donald Graham, the chairman and CEO of the Washington Post Co, said in an interview that he and his niece Katharine Weymouth, the Post’s publisher, made the decision to put the newspaper up for sale earlier this year after looking at its financial forecasts.

“For the first time in either of our lives we said to each other: is ownership by the Washington Post Co the best thing for the newspaper? We could keep it alive, that wasn’t the issue. The issue was could we make it strong?”

Graham and Bezos discussed the deal at two meetings in Sun Valley, Idaho during the annual Allen & Co media and tech conference in July. The investment bank had been retained earlier in the year to gauge potential buyer interest, and is now the banker on the deal.

Graham’s company had talked to no more than a dozen parties about selling the paper.

He declined to name the other parties.

“I named a price and Jeff agreed to pay it,” said Graham, who initially thought Bezos would be an unlikely buyer. “To my surprise, when (Allen & Co) said they would call him, I said that would be great but I didn’t think he would be interested.” The investment bank ended up advising on the deal.

At a meeting in January, Graham said longtime friend and former Washington Post board member Warren Buffett referred to Bezos as the best CEO in the United States for his technology and business acumen.

“I asked (Bezos) why he wanted to do it and his reasons are the best ones: he believes in what newspapers do and what the Post does and that it’s important to the country,” Graham said.

The Amazon CEO took that message directly to employees in a letter posted on the newspaper’s website. “I understand the critical role the Post plays in Washington, DC and our nation, and the Post’s values will not change,” Bezos wrote in the letter. “There will of course be change at the Post over the coming years. That’s essential and would have happened with or without new ownership,” Bezos added. “We will need to invent, which means we will need to experiment.” l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Share

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

DSE Broad Index: 3891.98 ⇓ 0.51% Turnover: 4190.15 M.Tk ⇓ 73.61%, PE: 12.11 Turnover: 4,516.39 MTk. ⇓ 73.77% Weekly MarketCap. 1,885.96 BTk. ⇓ 1.05% CSE All Share Index: 12088 ⇓ 0.45% Turnover: 326.25 M Tk. ⇓ 75.63%, PE: 12.00 Combined Turnover Leader Olympic Ind. -A

1640931

Meghna Petroleum -A

1220122

BD Submarine Cable-A Padma Oil Co. -A Square Pharma -A

CompanyCode | EPS | BV | Volume Traded (Share) DSE/CSE: ClosePrice ⇓/⇑ Chn % | Avg.Price | Hi / Lo

BANK ABBANK | 2.95 | 32.60 | Vol. 306167 D: 24.60 ⇑ 3.36% | 24.33 | 26.00 / 21.50 C: 24.50 ⇑ 1.24% | 24.25 | 26.20 / 22.50 CITYBANK | 1.15 | 25.97 | Vol. 783002 D: 16.70 ⇓ 1.76% | 16.55 | 17.80 / 15.00 C: 16.90 ⇓ 1.74% | 16.67 | 17.10 / 16.00 IFIC | 1.10 | 18.34 | Vol. 1323281 D: 21.70 ⇑ 3.33% | 21.45 | 23.20 / 19.00 C: 21.90 ⇑ 7.35% | 21.49 | 22.00 / 20.40 ISLAMIBANK | 3.78 | 27.16 | Vol. 395489 D: 36.20 ⇑ 0.84% | 36.03 | 36.50 / 33.00 C: 36.30 ⇑ 1.97% | 36.09 | 36.50 / 35.30 NBL | 1.05 | 15.76 | Vol. 3183092 D: 11.80 ⇑ 0.85% | 11.71 | 12.50 / 10.90 C: 11.90 ⇑ 0.85% | 11.82 | 12.00 / 11.50 PUBALIBANK | 1.92 | 21.18 | Vol. 751326 D: 30.60 ⇓ 1.92% | 30.81 | 32.90 / 28.00 C: 31.10 ⇓ 0.32% | 30.93 | 32.40 / 30.40 RUPALIBANK | 6.70 | 64.27 | Vol. 45200 D: 59.50 ⇑ 1.02% | 59.06 | 61.00 / 57.00 C: 60.20 ⇑ 2.73% | 60.25 | 61.80 / 60.10 UCBL | 1.90 | 21.72 | Vol. 2566409 D: 18.30 ⇓ 1.08% | 18.32 | 20.00 / 16.30 C: 18.20 ⇓ 1.09% | 18.19 | 18.40 / 18.00 UTTARABANK | 3.42 | 26.97 | Vol. 258341 D: 25.10 ⇓ 0.40% | 25.01 | 27.50 / 22.50 C: 25.20 ⇓ 0.40% | 25.10 | 25.60 / 24.70 ICBIBANK | -1.60 | -13.03 | Vol. 171500 D: 6.00 ⇑ 3.45% | 5.97 | 6.20 / 5.50 EBL | 3.91 | 28.22 | Vol. 161400 D: 26.40 ⇓ 2.22% | 26.46 | 26.90 / 26.00 C: 26.50 ⇑ 1.92% | 26.40 | 26.60 / 26.00 ALARABANK | 2.03 | 14.91 | Vol. 825818 D: 14.80 ⇑ 0.68% | 14.86 | 15.00 / 13.20 C: 14.80 ⇑ 2.78% | 14.80 | 15.00 / 13.80 PRIMEBANK | 2.89 | 22.40 | Vol. 213973 D: 21.00 ⇓ 0.47% | 20.73 | 21.60 / 19.00 C: 20.40 ⇓ 7.27% | 20.41 | 21.00 / 20.00 SOUTHEASTB | 1.89 | 22.66 | Vol. 652584 D: 16.20 ⇓ 2.41% | 16.19 | 18.00 / 14.50 C: 16.30 ⇓ 1.21% | 16.14 | 16.50 / 16.00 DHAKABANK | 1.46 | 18.08 | Vol. 202914 D: 20.30 ⇑ 2.01% | 19.95 | 20.80 / 18.00 C: 19.90 ⇑ 2.05% | 19.90 | 21.60 / 19.50 NCCBANK | 1.90 | 15.88 | Vol. 795857 D: 12.00 ⇑ 0.84% | 11.93 | 12.50 / 10.80 C: 12.20 ⇑ 1.67% | 12.17 | 12.40 / 11.80 SIBL | 2.05 | 14.47 | Vol. 683000 D: 12.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 12.54 | 13.50 / 12.00 C: 12.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 12.50 | 12.80 / 12.40 DUTCHBANGL | 11.57 | 54.27 | Vol. 73370 D: 98.30 ⇓ 0.30% | 98.20 | 99.00 / 90.00 C: 103.6 ⇑ 5.71% | 103.25 | 104.9 / 103.0 MTBL | 1.17 | 17.27 | Vol. 83170 D: 14.50 ⇓ 0.68% | 14.54 | 15.10 / 13.20 C: 15.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 15.00 | 15.00 / 15.00 STANDBANKL | 2.33 | 14.41 | Vol. 828152 D: 13.50 ⇓ 2.17% | 13.45 | 14.00 / 12.50 C: 13.80 ⇑ 0.73% | 13.76 | 13.90 / 13.20 ONEBANKLTD | 2.35 | 15.34 | Vol. 925375 D: 15.10 ⇓ 0.66% | 14.99 | 16.00 / 13.50 C: 15.00 ⇓ 1.32% | 15.02 | 16.70 / 14.00 BANKASIA | 1.35 | 20.80 | Vol. 45015 D: 18.10 ⇓ 1.63% | 18.01 | 19.00 / 16.80 C: 18.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.00 | 18.00 / 17.80 MERCANBANK | 2.07 | 16.59 | Vol. 378904 D: 12.00 ⇑ 1.69% | 11.94 | 12.10 / 10.90 C: 12.00 ⇑ 2.56% | 11.89 | 12.00 / 11.00 EXIMBANK | 1.80 | 14.31 | Vol. 1311320 D: 12.00 ⇓ 0.83% | 11.91 | 12.50 / 10.90 C: 12.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 11.95 | 12.10 / 11.00 JAMUNABANK | 2.47 | 18.56 | Vol. 814515 D: 14.00 ⇑ 1.45% | 13.99 | 14.20 / 12.50 C: 14.10 ⇑ 1.44% | 14.05 | 14.50 / 13.00 BRACBANK | 1.51 | 24.87 | Vol. 223194 D: 29.40 ⇓ 1.01% | 29.11 | 32.10 / 26.00 C: 29.90 ⇑ 1.70% | 29.38 | 29.90 / 26.50 SHAHJABANK | 2.61 | 14.47 | Vol. 903546 D: 14.70 ⇑ 1.38% | 14.50 | 14.80 / 13.00 C: 14.70 ⇑ 1.38% | 14.50 | 14.80 / 14.00

Vol.

1068640 598566 836298

TO M. Tk.

% of TTL

367.59 322.16

8.14 7.13

Avg. P 224.01 264.04

DSE Loser

DSE Gainer

C%

A%

CP

PrimeFin. 1st MF-A

10.19

8.54

17.30

ICB AMCL 1st M F-A

8.03

5.95

53.80

MeghnaCement-A

6.33

6.20

117.60

310.51

6.88

290.57

200.21

4.43

334.48

BEXIMCO Ltd.-A

5.57

2.28

34.10

181.30

4.01

216.79

ICB AMCL 1st NRB-A

5.54

3.96

30.50

PREMIERBAN | 1.18 | 13.95 | Vol. 912267 D: 10.20 ⇑ 0.99% | 10.11 | 10.50 / 9.00 C: 10.20 ⇑ 0.99% | 10.19 | 10.30 / 9.50 TRUSTBANK | 0.50 | 18.00 | Vol. 89916 D: 17.80 ⇑ 2.30% | 17.82 | 18.20 / 16.00 C: 17.40 ⇓ 0.57% | 17.39 | 17.40 / 17.00 FIRSTSBANK | 1.85 | 13.89 | Vol. 205196 D: 12.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 12.32 | 13.00 / 11.00 C: 12.30 ⇓ 0.81% | 12.29 | 12.40 / 12.10 NON BANKING F I IDLC | 4.43 | 29.18 | Vol. 404483 D: 55.60 ⇓ 1.42% | 55.59 | 58.00 / 49.50 C: 54.90 ⇓ 2.66% | 54.99 | 55.80 / 54.70 ULC | 1.80 | 14.90 | Vol. 122774 D: 26.80 ⇓ 2.19% | 26.71 | 27.50 / 25.00 UTTARAFIN | 7.16 | 41.54 | Vol. 98424 D: 74.90 ⇑ 0.27% | 74.17 | 76.00 / 67.30 C: 73.80 ⇓ 0.40% | 73.85 | 74.50 / 73.00 MIDASFIN | -1.99 | 10.05 | Vol. 23940 D: 29.50 ⇓ 4.84% | 29.84 | 32.00 / 28.50 C: 34.00 ⇓ 8.11% | 34.00 | 34.00 / 34.00 FLEASEINT | 2.34 | 13.93 | Vol. 192500 D: 24.20 ⇓ 2.81% | 24.15 | 25.00 / 23.90 C: 26.00 ⇑ 5.69% | 25.95 | 26.00 / 24.30 PLFSL | 1.37 | 17.48 | Vol. 518171 D: 22.90 ⇑ 0.44% | 22.72 | 24.00 / 20.20 C: 23.30 ⇑ 1.30% | 23.22 | 23.40 / 21.00 PRIMEFIN | 0.87 | 17.88 | Vol. 302098 D: 24.80 ⇓ 1.59% | 24.69 | 26.00 / 23.00 C: 25.00 ⇓ 1.19% | 24.78 | 25.10 / 23.70 PREMIERLEA | 0.10 | 11.37 | Vol. 182900 D: 10.50 ⇓ 3.67% | 10.52 | 10.70 / 10.00 C: 10.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.91 | 11.10 / 10.70 ISLAMICFIN | 1.03 | 15.48 | Vol. 380863 D: 15.20 ⇓ 1.94% | 15.13 | 15.40 / 14.00 C: 14.90 ⇓ 1.97% | 14.94 | 15.10 / 14.80 LANKABAFIN | 1.61 | 31.07 | Vol. 1089824 D: 46.80 ⇓ 4.10% | 45.89 | 49.00 / 40.70 C: 47.00 ⇓ 4.67% | 46.26 | 48.00 / 45.00 BIFC | 0.15 | 18.58 | Vol. 160259 D: 12.70 ⇓ 4.51% | 12.71 | 13.40 / 11.70 C: 12.90 ⇓ 8.51% | 12.90 | 13.10 / 12.80 IPDC | 1.23 | 19.43 | Vol. 40165 D: 16.20 ⇑ 0.62% | 16.25 | 17.00 / 15.00 C: 16.20 ⇓ 2.41% | 16.15 | 16.30 / 16.10 UNIONCAP | 0.54 | 17.85 | Vol. 288398 D: 27.60 ⇓ 8.31% | 27.69 | 33.00 / 26.00 C: 28.40 ⇓ 7.79% | 28.00 | 29.80 / 27.80 BDFINANCE | 0.57 | 14.77 | Vol. 144792 D: 17.50 ⇑ 4.17% | 17.34 | 17.80 / 15.20 C: 17.60 ⇑ 2.92% | 17.56 | 17.70 / 15.40 ILFSL | 0.35 | 12.19 | Vol. 597640 D: 12.00 ⇓ 0.83% | 11.98 | 12.90 / 11.00 C: 12.30 ⇓ 1.60% | 12.17 | 12.40 / 12.00 PHOENIXFIN | 2.46 | 19.39 | Vol. 393514 D: 30.20 ⇓ 5.33% | 30.06 | 32.50 / 28.80 C: 31.00 ⇓ 9.88% | 31.00 | 31.00 / 31.00 FASFIN | 0.19 | 13.56 | Vol. 454525 D: 13.30 ⇑ 1.53% | 13.34 | 13.70 / 12.00 C: 13.50 ⇑ 1.50% | 13.48 | 13.60 / 12.90 DBH | 3.40 | 16.80 | Vol. 64650 D: 61.90 ⇑ 2.82% | 62.15 | 65.00 / 59.00 C: 61.00 ⇑ 3.57% | 61.00 | 61.00 / 59.00 NHFIL | 0.57 | 12.70 | Vol. 193545 D: 27.80 ⇓ 0.36% | 27.50 | 28.00 / 25.00 C: 27.90 ⇑ 3.33% | 27.90 | 28.50 / 27.50 BAYLEASING | 0.72 | 25.55 | Vol. 153172 D: 28.30 ⇑ 1.43% | 27.95 | 28.50 / 25.50 C: 28.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 27.90 | 28.00 / 26.00 ICB | 109.65 | 595.98 | Vol. 10857 D: 1814 ⇓ 2.17% | 1804 | 1830 / 1780 C: 1775 ⇓ 2.47% | 1775 | 1775 / 1775 GSPFINANCE | 1.63 | 22.23 | Vol. 68254 D: 23.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 23.53 | 24.10 / 22.00 C: 23.50 ⇓ 2.08% | 23.43 | 24.00 / 22.00 INVESTMENT 1STICB | 64.70 | 137.05 | Vol. 650 D: 889.9 ⇓ 1.67% | 890.00 | 900.0 / 880.0 2NDICB | 33.02 | 76.34 | Vol. 450 D: 342.1 ⇑ 1.63% | 342.22 | 346.5 / 318.0 3RDICB | 24.83 | 58.91 | Vol. 250 D: 220.0 ⇑ 2.23% | 220.00 | 220.0 / 220.0

4THICB | 23.40 | 58.63 | Vol. 2000 D: 198.5 ⇓ 5.48% | 197.50 | 210.0 / 198.0 5THICB | 18.93 | 41.95 | Vol. 600 D: 171.0 ⇓ 5.58% | 171.00 | 180.0 / 171.0 6THICB | 10.58 | 26.73 | Vol. 120300 D: 74.30 ⇓ 1.98% | 74.64 | 76.20 / 73.70 C: 75.00 ⇓ 1.32% | 75.00 | 76.00 / 75.00 7THICB | 13.47 | 32.05 | Vol. 3500 D: 100.0 ⇓ 6.45% | 100.00 | 110.0 / 100.0 8THICB | 12.33 | 29.54 | Vol. 76000 D: 76.80 ⇑ 0.26% | 76.77 | 80.00 / 74.30 C: 79.00 ⇑ 9.72% | 79.00 | 79.00 / 79.00 1STBSRS | 14.43 | 161.88 | Vol. 10000 D: 97.80 ⇓ 2.49% | 97.90 | 100.0 / 94.20 AIMS1STMF | 2.27 | 15.70 | Vol. 443100 D: 46.70 ⇓ 2.71% | 46.38 | 47.50 / 45.00 C: 47.50 ⇓ 0.84% | 47.12 | 47.90 / 46.00 ICBAMCL1ST | 7.14 | 48.54 | Vol. 112000 D: 53.80 ⇑ 8.03% | 52.91 | 54.50 / 49.00 ICBISLAMIC | 2.21 | 26.81 | Vol. 20000 D: 21.60 ⇑ 4.35% | 21.68 | 22.00 / 20.80 GRAMEEN1 | 6.26 | 33.23 | Vol. 356000 D: 50.00 ⇑ 1.42% | 49.32 | 52.50 / 45.50 C: 49.90 ⇑ 3.31% | 49.47 | 50.00 / 46.10 ICB1STNRB | 4.06 | 35.31 | Vol. 147500 D: 30.50 ⇑ 5.54% | 30.21 | 31.00 / 28.20 ICB2NDNRB | 2.49 | 16.24 | Vol. 332500 D: 13.70 ⇑ 0.74% | 13.55 | 13.80 / 13.20 C: 13.60 ⇑ 1.49% | 13.49 | 13.60 / 13.40 GRAMEENS2 | 2.17 | 16.41 | Vol. 840100 D: 18.10 ⇑ 0.56% | 17.78 | 19.00 / 16.50 C: 18.00 ⇓ 0.55% | 17.75 | 18.00 / 17.00 1STPRIMFMF | 0.64 | 11.63 | Vol. 415500 D: 17.30 ⇑ 10.19% | 17.16 | 17.70 / 15.80 C: 17.30 ⇑ 8.81% | 17.10 | 17.40 / 16.00 EBL1STMF | 0.99 | 12.62 | Vol. 440000 D: 8.40 ⇓ 1.18% | 8.43 | 8.50 / 8.20 C: 8.30 ⇓ 4.60% | 8.32 | 8.50 / 8.10 ICBAMCL2ND | 0.60 | 12.12 | Vol. 47500 D: 6.30 ⇑ 3.28% | 6.36 | 6.50 / 6.10 C: 6.80 ⇑ 6.25% | 6.80 | 6.80 / 6.80 ICBEPMF1S1 | 0.52 | 11.32 | Vol. 240000 D: 6.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.44 | 6.70 / 6.20 C: 6.70 ⇑ 1.52% | 6.67 | 6.80 / 6.60 TRUSTB1MF | 0.61 | 11.65 | Vol. 907000 D: 8.70 ⇑ 1.16% | 8.57 | 8.90 / 8.20 C: 8.80 ⇑ 2.33% | 8.75 | 9.00 / 8.20 PRIME1ICBA | 0.42 | 11.18 | Vol. 143000 D: 6.10 ⇓ 4.69% | 6.14 | 6.30 / 6.00 C: 6.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.20 | 6.20 / 6.20 DBH1STMF | -1.12 | 10.15 | Vol. 1143000 D: 5.80 ⇓ 3.33% | 5.74 | 5.90 / 5.50 C: 5.80 ⇓ 4.92% | 5.76 | 5.80 / 5.20 IFIC1STMF | 0.47 | 11.88 | Vol. 366500 D: 7.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.74 | 7.90 / 7.50 C: 7.90 ⇑ 2.60% | 7.90 | 7.90 / 7.90 PF1STMF | 0.51 | 11.11 | Vol. 233500 D: 5.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.72 | 5.90 / 5.60 C: 5.70 ⇓ 1.72% | 5.70 | 5.70 / 5.50 ICB3RDNRB | 0.00 | 10.60 | Vol. 521000 D: 5.70 ⇓ 1.72% | 5.76 | 5.90 / 5.70 C: 6.00 ⇑ 3.45% | 5.86 | 6.00 / 5.80 1JANATAMF | -1.23 | 10.68 | Vol. 313000 D: 6.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.18 | 6.30 / 5.80 C: 6.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.20 | 6.20 / 5.80 GREENDELMF | -0.82 | 9.72 | Vol. 554000 D: 5.50 ⇓ 3.51% | 5.56 | 5.70 / 5.00 C: 5.60 ⇓ 3.45% | 5.60 | 5.70 / 5.30 POPULAR1MF | -0.47 | 11.38 | Vol. 1439000 D: 6.50 ⇑ 3.17% | 6.53 | 6.60 / 6.20 C: 6.60 ⇑ 4.76% | 6.53 | 6.60 / 6.20 IFILISLMF1 | 0.00 | 10.45 | Vol. 452000 D: 5.20 ⇓ 1.89% | 5.26 | 5.40 / 5.10 C: 5.30 ⇓ 3.64% | 5.27 | 5.40 / 5.20 PHPMF1 | -0.67 | 10.92 | Vol. 843000 D: 6.00 ⇑ 1.69% | 5.98 | 6.10 / 5.70 C: 6.00 ⇓ 1.64% | 6.03 | 6.10 / 5.80 AIBL1STIMF | -0.07 | 9.25 | Vol. 232000 D: 6.70 ⇑ 4.69% | 6.75 | 6.80 / 6.10 C: 6.50 ⇓ 5.80% | 6.50 | 6.50 / 6.50 MBL1STMF | -0.16 | 9.08 | Vol. 217000 D: 6.50 ⇑ 3.17% | 6.50 | 6.70 / 5.80 SEBL1STMF | 1.48 | 11.86 | Vol. 1307000 D: 10.20 ⇑ 2.00% | 10.07 | 10.40 / 9.50 C: 10.10 ⇑ 1.00% | 10.08 | 10.50 / 9.70

Familytex (BD) Ltd.-N Savar Refractories-Z Union Capital-A Delta Life Insu.-Z GeminiSeaFood-A

C%

A%

CP

-13.31

-13.07

30.60

-8.68

-8.68

62.10

-8.31

-9.18

27.60

-7.37

-7.87

4384.10

-6.79

-6.79

130.50

EBLNRBMF | 0.22 | 10.88 | Vol. 40000 D: 7.80 ⇓ 2.50% | 7.80 | 8.00 / 7.80 RELIANCE1 | 0.35 | 11.36 | Vol. 788000 D: 10.90 ⇑ 4.81% | 10.73 | 11.10 / 10.10 C: 11.30 ⇑ 5.61% | 10.81 | 11.30 / 10.30 LRGLOBMF1 | 0.50 | 10.82 | Vol. 3500 D: 7.20 ⇑ 2.86% | 7.20 | 7.40 / 7.20 ABB1STMF | 0.46 | 10.63 | Vol. 58000 D: 8.50 ⇑ 4.94% | 8.59 | 8.60 / 8.10 NLI1STMF | 0.71 | 10.33 | Vol. 934500 D: 11.60 ⇑ 3.57% | 11.48 | 11.80 / 10.60 C: 11.40 ⇑ 4.59% | 11.45 | 11.70 / 10.50 FBFIF | 0.00 | 10.27 | Vol. 2000 D: 9.80 ⇑ 3.16% | 10.00 | 10.00 / 9.50 NCCBLMF1 | 0.00 | 10.48 | Vol. 12000 D: 9.20 ⇓ 3.16% | 9.17 | 9.70 / 9.00 ICBSONALI1 | 0.00 | 10.39 | Vol. 567500 D: 7.70 ⇓ 1.28% | 7.74 | 7.90 / 7.50 C: 7.80 ⇓ 1.27% | 7.69 | 7.90 / 7.60 EXIM1STMF | 0.00 | 10.91 | Vol. 31000 D: 7.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.93 | 8.00 / 7.70 ENGINEERING AFTABAUTO | 4.29 | 52.65 | Vol. 617224 D: 106.1 ⇓ 1.85% | 105.07 | 108.2 / 94.00 C: 106.3 ⇓ 1.67% | 105.28 | 107.0 / 103.0 AZIZPIPES | 0.39 | -42.04 | Vol. 8450 D: 15.30 ⇓ 1.29% | 15.38 | 15.50 / 15.30 OLYMPIC | 5.94 | 14.91 | Vol. 1640931 D: 227.7 ⇑ 0.44% | 226.03 | 228.3 / 214.9 C: 227.8 ⇑ 0.04% | 225.17 | 229.5 / 217.0 BDLAMPS | -5.31 | 37.07 | Vol. 3350 D: 125.9 ⇓ 2.02% | 126.32 | 127.5 / 122.0 C: 120.6 ⇓ 3.67% | 120.60 | 124.0 / 120.6 ECABLES | 2.04 | 18.87 | Vol. 5900 D: 58.60 ⇓ 1.18% | 58.72 | 59.80 / 57.10 C: 55.40 ⇑ 0.36% | 55.40 | 55.50 / 55.20 SINGERBD | 9.99 | 45.74 | Vol. 134612 D: 185.5 ⇓ 3.74% | 184.85 | 193.5 / 175.0 C: 185.4 ⇓ 3.99% | 184.49 | 188.5 / 182.1 ATLASBANG | 11.98 | 207.70 | Vol. 14092 D: 177.2 ⇑ 0.57% | 176.38 | 179.0 / 165.0 BDAUTOCA | 0.25 | 6.23 | Vol. 6450 D: 21.30 ⇑ 1.91% | 21.62 | 22.10 / 20.50 QSMDRYCELL | 1.65 | 58.49 | Vol. 153000 D: 33.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 33.32 | 34.10 / 32.60 C: 33.40 ⇓ 0.30% | 33.36 | 34.00 / 32.20 RENWICKJA | 5.62 | -90.00 | Vol. 15100 D: 141.8 ⇑ 4.65% | 139.33 | 142.8 / 125.5 NTLTUBES | -2.52 | 312.10 | Vol. 30412 D: 60.30 ⇑ 1.34% | 60.10 | 61.50 / 55.00 BDTHAI | 0.43 | 39.35 | Vol. 85273 D: 19.60 ⇓ 0.51% | 19.61 | 21.00 / 17.40 C: 20.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 19.81 | 20.50 / 19.00 ANWARGALV | 0.51 | 8.08 | Vol. 35000 D: 13.90 ⇓ 4.14% | 14.00 | 14.20 / 13.90 KAY&QUE | -3.89 | 6.03 | Vol. 5500 D: 13.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 13.00 | 13.10 / 13.00 C: 13.40 ⇓ 7.59% | 13.40 | 13.40 / 13.40 RANFOUNDRY | 2.84 | 18.62 | Vol. 65000 D: 62.90 ⇑ 1.45% | 62.98 | 63.40 / 61.50 C: 60.10 ⇓ 8.10% | 60.10 | 60.10 / 60.10 SALAMCRST | 3.31 | 20.00 | Vol. 233150 D: 37.80 ⇑ 1.34% | 37.27 | 38.50 / 33.00 C: 38.30 ⇑ 1.59% | 38.13 | 38.50 / 36.10 GOLDENSON | 3.70 | 28.70 | Vol. 434965 D: 38.60 ⇑ 0.26% | 38.68 | 40.40 / 34.70 C: 38.70 ⇓ 1.78% | 38.48 | 40.80 / 38.00 BSRMSTEEL | 3.06 | 19.53 | Vol. 165209 D: 69.70 ⇑ 0.29% | 69.59 | 70.00 / 64.00 C: 69.60 ⇓ 0.29% | 69.34 | 70.00 / 68.00 NAVANACNG | 4.09 | 27.04 | Vol. 165660 D: 69.90 ⇑ 2.34% | 68.80 | 70.30 / 62.00 C: 70.00 ⇑ 1.74% | 69.54 | 70.50 / 66.00 DESHBANDHU | 1.16 | 12.02 | Vol. 162300 D: 19.50 ⇓ 1.52% | 19.37 | 19.70 / 18.00 C: 19.70 ⇓ 1.01% | 19.61 | 19.80 / 18.20 GPHISPAT | 2.94 | 14.51 | Vol. 125700 D: 48.20 ⇑ 0.21% | 47.85 | 48.90 / 44.00 C: 49.80 ⇑ 5.29% | 49.80 | 50.00 / 46.30 BENGALWTL | 2.42 | 20.72 | Vol. 172600 D: 42.30 ⇑ 1.68% | 41.74 | 42.80 / 40.50 C: 41.60 ⇑ 0.48% | 41.61 | 42.30 / 40.80

NPOLYMAR | 2.01 | 324.37 | Vol. 24700 D: 40.10 ⇓ 1.23% | 40.10 | 42.10 / 39.40 FOOD & ALLIED APEXFOODS | 2.54 | 90.81 | Vol. 37850 D: 70.50 ⇑ 0.28% | 69.05 | 70.70 / 62.00 C: 69.00 ⇓ 1.85% | 69.00 | 69.00 / 69.00 BANGAS | 7.20 | 50.27 | Vol. 84080 D: 526.7 ⇓ 3.07% | 527.65 | 570.0 / 510.0 C: 528.3 ⇓ 4.79% | 528.27 | 577.0 / 523.0 BATBC | 65.69 | 117.22 | Vol. 11010 D: 1379 ⇓ 3.85% | 1371 | 1450 / 1350 GEMINISEA | 10.88 | 9.69 | Vol. 1800 D: 130.5 ⇓ 6.79% | 130.50 | 140.0 / 130.0 NTC | 29.88 | 110.05 | Vol. 1250 D: 832.7 ⇓ 4.27% | 832.63 | 855.0 / 821.0 CVOPRL | 2.66 | 13.28 | Vol. 41550 D: 426.3 ⇓ 0.19% | 424.25 | 427.3 / 410.5 C: 420.0 ⇓ 3.67% | 420.00 | 420.0 / 420.0 AMCL(PRAN) | 6.53 | 53.37 | Vol. 44100 D: 169.9 ⇓ 0.35% | 167.96 | 171.7 / 165.0 C: 170.0 ⇓ 3.41% | 170.00 | 176.0 / 170.0 RAHIMAFOOD | 0.62 | 4.46 | Vol. 15000 D: 14.90 ⇑ 3.47% | 14.92 | 15.10 / 14.30 C: 14.30 ⇓ 2.05% | 14.27 | 14.80 / 14.00 FUWANGFOOD | 1.26 | 12.37 | Vol. 480117 D: 23.10 ⇓ 1.70% | 22.89 | 24.50 / 20.90 C: 23.10 ⇓ 2.12% | 23.07 | 23.50 / 22.70 MEGHNAPET | -0.58 | -1.02 | Vol. 2000 D: 5.80 ⇑ 3.57% | 6.00 | 5.90 / 5.60 MEGCONMILK | -6.68 | -16.22 | Vol. 8000 D: 7.10 ⇑ 2.90% | 7.17 | 7.20 / 6.90 BEACHHATCH | 1.01 | 12.48 | Vol. 131330 D: 16.40 ⇑ 2.50% | 16.28 | 17.00 / 14.90 C: 16.50 ⇑ 1.23% | 16.39 | 17.00 / 15.00 FINEFOODS | -0.11 | 10.58 | Vol. 28250 D: 16.20 ⇑ 2.53% | 16.11 | 16.40 / 15.00 C: 16.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.50 | 16.00 / 16.00 RDFOOD | 0.91 | 16.84 | Vol. 307555 D: 19.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 19.87 | 20.10 / 18.00 C: 20.00 ⇑ 0.50% | 20.18 | 21.40 / 19.40 GHAIL | 1.01 | 22.08 | Vol. 498960 D: 41.80 ⇓ 2.11% | 41.77 | 42.30 / 37.80 C: 42.00 ⇓ 0.24% | 41.96 | 42.20 / 40.00 FUEL & POWER LINDEBD | 31.71 | 144.00 | Vol. 4110 D: 591.7 ⇓ 3.03% | 592.50 | 610.0 / 580.0 PADMAOIL | 16.38 | 43.67 | Vol. 598566 D: 342.0 ⇓ 2.31% | 335.89 | 348.0 / 315.0 C: 340.2 ⇓ 2.63% | 336.12 | 345.9 / 326.4 EASTRNLUB | 6.32 | 68.68 | Vol. 300 D: 303.6 ⇑ 4.12% | 303.33 | 309.0 / 300.0 BDWELDING | 0.33 | 16.82 | Vol. 97657 D: 17.20 ⇓ 0.58% | 17.06 | 18.00 / 15.80 C: 17.00 ⇓ 1.73% | 16.92 | 17.00 / 15.00 SUMITPOWER | 3.17 | 19.26 | Vol. 348927 D: 35.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 34.90 | 36.00 / 31.10 C: 35.10 ⇓ 1.13% | 34.95 | 35.30 / 34.00 DESCO | 2.80 | 35.25 | Vol. 266011 D: 79.30 ⇑ 0.38% | 78.58 | 79.90 / 73.00 C: 79.30 ⇓ 0.75% | 78.47 | 80.00 / 76.60 POWERGRID | 2.56 | 48.08 | Vol. 69942 D: 55.30 ⇑ 1.10% | 55.35 | 56.70 / 54.00 C: 54.30 ⇑ 0.56% | 54.25 | 55.00 / 50.00 JAMUNAOIL | 22.78 | 50.24 | Vol. 591197 D: 227.0 ⇓ 3.45% | 225.96 | 234.0 / 212.0 C: 228.6 ⇓ 2.64% | 227.48 | 230.0 / 222.5 MPETROLEUM | 16.98 | 40.41 | Vol. 1220122 D: 269.0 ⇓ 2.89% | 264.90 | 275.0 / 241.0 C: 268.1 ⇓ 3.04% | 266.68 | 275.0 / 260.0 TITASGAS | 9.01 | 36.56 | Vol. 1448782 D: 83.10 ⇓ 0.95% | 82.46 | 84.40 / 74.00 C: 83.30 ⇓ 0.24% | 82.68 | 83.70 / 81.50 KPCL | 4.73 | 15.86 | Vol. 731427 D: 51.30 ⇓ 1.35% | 51.28 | 54.00 / 46.20 C: 51.90 ⇓ 0.57% | 51.41 | 52.10 / 50.00 BEDL | 1.57 | 17.89 | Vol. 567018 D: 33.10 ⇓ 1.19% | 33.01 | 34.00 / 30.00 C: 33.40 ⇓ 1.18% | 32.84 | 33.50 / 30.50 MJLBD | 2.73 | 30.24 | Vol. 131187 D: 70.70 ⇓ 0.28% | 70.79 | 71.30 / 64.00 C: 71.30 ⇑ 0.99% | 70.58 | 71.90 / 63.60

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7

AUG 04 - 05, 2013 Sectotal Index: BANK: 33,596.91 ⇓ 3.12% NBFI: 19,144.13 ⇓ 4.28% INVS: 5,225.34 ⇓ 4.41% ENGG: 5,819.25 ⇓ 0.26% FOOD: 7,100.59 ⇓ 0.99% F&P: 10,607.65 ⇓ 1.45% TEXT: 2,811.00 ⇑ 0.06% PHAR: 16,353.17 ⇑ 2.20% PAPR: 794.67 ⇓ 0.68% SERV: 3,029.52 ⇓ 0.30% LEAT: 4,433.44 ⇑ 0.86% CERA: 472.59 ⇓ 2.49% CMNT: 4,083.55 ⇑ 1.68% INFO: 6,712.98 ⇓ 1.71% GINS: 8,975.38 ⇓ 3.95% LINS: 94,224.52 ⇓ 2.18% TELC: 1,364.69 ⇑ 0.44% MISC: 6,091.60 ⇓ 9.76% INTECH | 0.94 | 10.08 | Vol. 106640 D: 12.90 ⇑ 4.88% | 12.61 | 13.10 / 11.30 C: 13.00 ⇑ 1.56% | 13.00 | 13.00 / 12.40 AGNISYSL | 1.07 | 25.52 | Vol. 94000 D: 21.40 ⇓ 0.47% | 21.35 | 21.80 / 21.10 C: 21.60 ⇑ 0.93% | 21.69 | 22.40 / 21.40 DAFODILCOM | 1.12 | 11.14 | Vol. 245758 D: 16.00 ⇓ 1.23% | 16.02 | 17.00 / 15.00 C: 16.30 ⇓ 0.61% | 16.18 | 16.30 / 16.00 AAMRATECH | 1.17 | 20.44 | Vol. 507850 D: 36.50 ⇓ 0.27% | 36.32 | 36.80 / 33.20 C: 36.50 ⇓ 0.27% | 36.28 | 36.60 / 35.00

GBBPOWER | 1.86 | 22.63 | Vol. 332475 D: 25.30 ⇑ 0.40% | 25.08 | 25.50 / 23.00 C: 25.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 25.08 | 26.00 / 24.30 SPPCL | 3.81 | 23.34 | Vol. 908690 D: 56.60 ⇓ 3.08% | 56.46 | 58.50 / 50.50 C: 56.70 ⇓ 3.24% | 56.51 | 58.60 / 53.00 JUTE JUTESPINN | 2.06 | 17.42 | Vol. 3300 D: 70.80 ⇓ 5.35% | 70.83 | 72.70 / 70.00 SONALIANSH | 5.54 | 218.80 | Vol. 15850 D: 122.7 ⇑ 0.66% | 121.13 | 125.0 / 115.4 TEXTILE AL-HAJTEX | 1.35 | 15.64 | Vol. 4586 D: 54.40 ⇓ 1.27% | 54.50 | 54.90 / 50.00 RAHIMTEXT | 0.51 | 73.88 | Vol. 800 D: 192.3 ⇑ 3.83% | 192.50 | 196.9 / 184.0 SAIHAMTEX | 2.75 | 29.50 | Vol. 507300 D: 30.00 ⇑ 2.39% | 29.59 | 30.50 / 28.00 C: 30.10 ⇑ 2.03% | 29.62 | 30.70 / 28.60 MODERNDYE | 1.09 | 12.93 | Vol. 50 D: 65.00 ⇑ 4.84% | 65.00 | 65.00 / 65.00 DSHGARME | 0.72 | 12.00 | Vol. 3200 D: 26.50 ⇓ 0.75% | 26.67 | 27.40 / 26.00 DULAMIACOT | -8.46 | -27.78 | Vol. 3600 D: 8.00 ⇑ 1.27% | 7.69 | 8.50 / 7.80 TALLUSPIN | 2.56 | 12.06 | Vol. 889599 D: 33.30 ⇓ 1.77% | 33.20 | 33.80 / 30.00 C: 33.40 ⇓ 1.47% | 33.16 | 33.50 / 32.70 APEXSPINN | 2.01 | 49.32 | Vol. 1000 D: 55.60 ⇓ 6.40% | 56.00 | 57.10 / 54.70 MITHUNKNIT | 4.54 | 30.39 | Vol. 32580 D: 82.10 ⇓ 0.97% | 82.19 | 83.50 / 80.00 C: 82.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 81.78 | 83.00 / 81.00 DELTASPINN | 3.06 | 18.12 | Vol. 230200 D: 31.50 ⇑ 1.29% | 31.11 | 31.70 / 30.70 C: 31.40 ⇑ 0.96% | 31.34 | 32.20 / 30.70 SONARGAON | 0.27 | 34.50 | Vol. 38250 D: 13.00 ⇓ 0.76% | 13.03 | 13.50 / 11.90 C: 13.50 ⇑ 5.47% | 13.50 | 13.50 / 12.70 PRIMETEX | 1.01 | 63.54 | Vol. 135000 D: 22.20 ⇑ 1.37% | 22.22 | 22.50 / 21.70 C: 22.00 ⇓ 1.79% | 22.20 | 23.00 / 21.90 ALLTEX | -0.11 | 23.81 | Vol. 82500 D: 7.30 ⇓ 1.35% | 7.36 | 7.50 / 7.30 C: 7.80 ⇑ 5.41% | 7.66 | 7.80 / 7.20 ANLIMAYARN | 1.19 | 11.01 | Vol. 305600 D: 28.90 ⇑ 2.85% | 28.77 | 29.20 / 27.30 C: 27.20 ⇓ 2.51% | 27.19 | 29.00 / 25.30 HRTEX | 2.08 | 14.92 | Vol. 35600 D: 25.20 ⇑ 0.40% | 25.23 | 25.50 / 24.50 C: 24.20 ⇓ 1.22% | 24.20 | 24.20 / 24.20 CMCKAMAL | 1.37 | 19.31 | Vol. 1211975 D: 24.90 ⇑ 0.40% | 24.88 | 25.30 / 22.40 SAFKOSPINN | 0.95 | 21.78 | Vol. 93710 D: 16.80 ⇓ 1.18% | 16.60 | 17.70 / 15.20 C: 17.00 ⇓ 0.58% | 17.00 | 17.00 / 17.00 SQUARETEXT | 4.32 | 31.82 | Vol. 133063 D: 87.00 ⇑ 0.12% | 87.30 | 88.00 / 77.80 C: 86.40 ⇓ 0.46% | 86.42 | 86.50 / 86.30 METROSPIN | -1.00 | 19.59 | Vol. 99241 D: 14.20 ⇑ 1.43% | 14.19 | 14.50 / 13.50 C: 14.20 ⇑ 1.43% | 14.16 | 15.20 / 13.80 MAKSONSPIN | 0.16 | 20.55 | Vol. 1336881 D: 13.20 ⇓ 2.22% | 13.14 | 13.50 / 12.00 C: 13.30 ⇓ 1.48% | 13.20 | 13.40 / 11.90 DACCADYE | 1.21 | 31.13 | Vol. 292913 D: 25.90 ⇓ 0.77% | 25.96 | 26.20 / 25.30 C: 25.90 ⇓ 2.63% | 25.87 | 26.10 / 25.70 RNSPIN | 2.80 | 16.58 | Vol. 2754479 D: 26.60 ⇓ 0.75% | 26.36 | 27.00 / 23.90 C: 26.50 ⇓ 1.12% | 26.30 | 26.70 / 25.90 BXSYNTH | 0.93 | 25.42 | Vol. 540204 D: 14.60 ⇑ 3.55% | 14.32 | 15.00 / 12.50 C: 14.70 ⇑ 1.38% | 14.41 | 15.00 / 14.00 MALEKSPIN | -1.44 | 46.87 | Vol. 676075 D: 26.40 ⇓ 1.86% | 26.17 | 27.00 / 23.40 C: 26.30 ⇓ 0.75% | 26.16 | 26.40 / 25.80 ZAHINTEX | 1.91 | 35.25 | Vol. 393150 D: 30.20 ⇓ 2.27% | 30.03 | 30.90 / 28.50 C: 30.30 ⇓ 5.31% | 30.30 | 30.50 / 30.10 SAIHAMCOT | 2.48 | 22.87 | Vol. 691000 D: 27.00 ⇑ 0.37% | 26.53 | 27.20 / 26.00 C: 27.10 ⇑ 0.74% | 26.54 | 27.30 / 26.10

GENNEXT | 1.68 | 15.15 | Vol. 1215180 D: 20.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 20.85 | 21.10 / 18.50 C: 20.80 ⇓ 0.48% | 20.71 | 20.90 / 20.10 ENVOYTEX | 3.26 | 39.26 | Vol. 779410 D: 47.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 46.93 | 48.50 / 45.00 C: 47.30 ⇑ 1.07% | 46.67 | 47.90 / 46.10 ARGONDENIM | 1.89 | 38.86 | Vol. 3201360 D: 37.10 ⇑ 3.63% | 36.81 | 37.50 / 32.30 C: 36.60 ⇑ 3.68% | 36.84 | 38.00 / 33.10 FAMILYTEX | 3.72 | 14.68 | Vol. 1409000 D: 30.60 ⇓ 13.31% | 30.60 | 36.80 / 30.60 C: 30.70 ⇓ 13.03% | 30.67 | 36.50 / 30.60 PHARMACEUTICAL & CHEMICAL AMBEEPHA | 3.94 | 26.15 | Vol. 19203 D: 249.0 ⇓ 4.89% | 249.86 | 267.0 / 245.1 C: 246.0 ⇓ 5.53% | 245.53 | 260.0 / 230.0 BXPHARMA | 3.77 | 52.55 | Vol. 345091 D: 45.60 ⇑ 1.11% | 44.74 | 46.20 / 39.90 C: 45.40 ⇑ 0.22% | 44.68 | 45.80 / 43.00 GLAXOSMITH | 20.25 | 123.32 | Vol. 7900 D: 839.9 ⇓ 4.72% | 832.34 | 869.0 / 800.0 ACI | -5.82 | 126.42 | Vol. 12230 D: 144.9 ⇑ 1.83% | 143.14 | 145.9 / 129.0 C: 145.0 ⇓ 1.63% | 133.00 | 145.0 / 145.0 RENATA | 33.57 | 138.83 | Vol. 61931 D: 672.1 ⇓ 0.99% | 660.54 | 675.0 / 630.0 RECKITTBEN | 27.16 | 78.89 | Vol. 100 D: 696.4 ⇑ 0.90% | 696.40 | 696.4 / 673.0 PHARMAID | 5.06 | 26.30 | Vol. 44500 D: 169.3 ⇓ 0.76% | 168.72 | 171.0 / 164.0 IBNSINA | 3.44 | 34.02 | Vol. 7635 D: 83.20 ⇑ 2.46% | 83.13 | 86.00 / 76.00 C: 82.50 ⇓ 0.36% | 82.50 | 82.50 / 82.50 ORIONINFU | 8.72 | 1.73 | Vol. 42400 D: 39.10 ⇓ 1.01% | 39.04 | 39.90 / 37.70 C: 41.00 ⇑ 2.50% | 41.00 | 41.00 / 38.30 SQURPHARMA | 9.01 | 50.83 | Vol. 836298 D: 219.2 ⇑ 0.00% | 217.73 | 220.5 / 196.7 C: 218.4 ⇓ 0.41% | 217.51 | 219.6 / 212.2 IMAMBUTTON | -1.68 | 5.67 | Vol. 4500 D: 7.00 ⇓ 1.41% | 7.00 | 7.00 / 6.80 KEYACOSMET | 3.19 | 19.99 | Vol. 908859 D: 27.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 27.82 | 28.00 / 25.20 C: 27.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 27.63 | 28.00 / 26.90 BERGERPBL | 32.46 | 100.20 | Vol. 6850 D: 799.2 ⇓ 3.24% | 797.42 | 831.0 / 780.0 ACIFORMULA | 3.33 | 38.08 | Vol. 20250 D: 68.70 ⇓ 1.72% | 68.35 | 70.00 / 67.50 C: 68.50 ⇓ 6.04% | 69.25 | 70.00 / 68.50 MARICO | 27.53 | 62.47 | Vol. 22100 D: 611.3 ⇓ 6.47% | 608.68 | 620.0 / 604.6 C: 603.8 ⇓ 6.75% | 603.75 | 610.0 / 599.0 BEACONPHAR | 0.33 | 11.97 | Vol. 223350 D: 14.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.34 | 14.50 / 13.00 C: 14.50 ⇑ 0.69% | 14.50 | 14.60 / 14.00 ACTIVEFINE | 3.23 | 13.89 | Vol. 878147 D: 82.90 ⇓ 0.72% | 82.52 | 83.30 / 73.80 C: 83.00 ⇓ 1.19% | 83.81 | 85.00 / 80.20 SALVOCHEM | 0.68 | 10.57 | Vol. 198392 D: 18.00 ⇑ 1.69% | 17.83 | 18.60 / 15.50 C: 17.90 ⇓ 0.56% | 17.77 | 17.90 / 16.20 GHCL | 2.14 | 57.31 | Vol. 88750 D: 42.00 ⇓ 0.94% | 42.00 | 42.30 / 41.10 C: 42.50 ⇑ 0.71% | 42.15 | 42.70 / 41.50 ORIONPHARM | 5.02 | 68.68 | Vol. 1009780 D: 63.60 ⇓ 0.31% | 63.16 | 64.00 / 56.70 C: 63.60 ⇓ 0.31% | 63.39 | 65.00 / 57.50 JMISMDL | 1.12 | 12.83 | Vol. 115000 D: 83.30 ⇓ 2.69% | 83.52 | 85.50 / 77.90 C: 83.40 ⇓ 2.91% | 83.32 | 84.90 / 80.00

SERVICE SAMORITA | 2.31 | 17.25 | Vol. 686 D: 72.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 69.89 | 72.00 / 68.00 C: 74.40 ⇑ 13.59% | 74.40 | 74.40 / 74.40 SAPORTL | 1.23 | 38.39 | Vol. 112728 D: 24.80 ⇑ 0.40% | 24.60 | 25.50 / 22.00 C: 24.80 ⇓ 0.40% | 24.71 | 25.00 / 23.70 EHL | 2.87 | 18.48 | Vol. 158578 D: 45.60 ⇑ 0.66% | 45.55 | 46.80 / 44.60 C: 45.80 ⇑ 0.88% | 45.89 | 47.00 / 44.00 LEATHER APEXTANRY | 7.07 | 66.44 | Vol. 89300 D: 89.50 ⇓ 3.24% | 89.35 | 95.90 / 87.10 C: 88.70 ⇓ 2.53% | 88.22 | 91.90 / 85.50 BATASHOE | 49.12 | 135.53 | Vol. 8800 D: 611.7 ⇓ 5.43% | 611.50 | 640.0 / 603.0 APEXADELFT | 23.01 | 203.26 | Vol. 71600 D: 290.8 ⇑ 0.66% | 287.24 | 294.9 / 272.0 LEGACYFOOT | 0.63 | 17.19 | Vol. 28619 D: 13.10 ⇓ 0.76% | 13.13 | 14.00 / 12.40 C: 12.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 12.99 | 13.00 / 12.90 SAMATALETH | -0.07 | 12.08 | Vol. 1500 C: 9.00 ⇓ 18.18% | 9.00 | 9.90 / 9.00 CERAMIC MONNOCERA | 0.71 | 96.33 | Vol. 15600 D: 25.80 ⇓ 0.39% | 26.84 | 27.70 / 25.50 STANCERAM | 1.07 | 15.97 | Vol. 1000 D: 33.00 ⇓ 1.79% | 33.00 | 33.00 / 33.00 C: 29.00 ⇓ 9.38% | 29.00 | 29.00 / 29.00 FUWANGCER | 1.43 | 13.25 | Vol. 164200 D: 17.50 ⇑ 1.16% | 17.42 | 18.00 / 16.70 C: 17.30 ⇓ 1.14% | 17.28 | 17.30 / 17.20 SPCERAMICS | 0.62 | 30.92 | Vol. 296415 D: 15.30 ⇑ 1.32% | 15.14 | 15.60 / 13.80 C: 15.40 ⇑ 1.32% | 15.30 | 15.50 / 14.70 RAKCERAMIC | 1.98 | 16.76 | Vol. 80018 D: 49.80 ⇓ 2.16% | 49.54 | 55.50 / 44.20 C: 50.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 50.40 | 50.80 / 48.60 CEMENT HEIDELBCEM | 22.85 | 111.50 | Vol. 30700 D: 307.1 ⇓ 0.20% | 307.94 | 313.8 / 300.0 C: 300.1 ⇑ 0.00% | 300.10 | 300.1 / 300.1 CONFIDCEM | 6.23 | 90.76 | Vol. 364128 D: 124.6 ⇓ 0.64% | 122.76 | 126.8 / 115.0 C: 124.5 ⇓ 1.03% | 122.93 | 125.5 / 120.3 MEGHNACEM | 6.28 | 33.81 | Vol. 144900 D: 117.6 ⇑ 6.33% | 117.46 | 119.5 / 114.2 C: 116.6 ⇑ 8.06% | 116.36 | 117.0 / 110.2 ARAMITCEM | 3.03 | 14.65 | Vol. 51500 D: 67.20 ⇓ 1.18% | 66.60 | 68.50 / 66.00 LAFSURCEML | 1.60 | 7.22 | Vol. 1128500 D: 31.90 ⇑ 2.57% | 32.08 | 32.50 / 31.00 C: 32.20 ⇑ 3.54% | 32.19 | 33.90 / 31.10 MICEMENT | 4.14 | 40.00 | Vol. 161513 D: 88.00 ⇓ 0.34% | 87.44 | 89.00 / 80.00 C: 88.00 ⇓ 0.34% | 87.69 | 90.00 / 78.50 PREMIERCEM | 3.59 | 22.92 | Vol. 245200 D: 116.3 ⇓ 0.60% | 115.35 | 119.0 / 110.8 C: 115.6 ⇓ 3.67% | 115.55 | 125.4 / 112.1 IT IINDUSTRIES ISNLTD | 0.28 | 17.31 | Vol. 7500 D: 13.00 ⇓ 0.76% | 13.00 | 13.40 / 12.10 C: 12.30 ⇓ 8.89% | 12.30 | 12.30 / 12.30 BDCOM | 1.00 | 14.91 | Vol. 82550 D: 19.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 19.96 | 20.20 / 19.00 C: 20.40 ⇑ 0.99% | 20.31 | 20.50 / 19.40

GENERAL INSURANCE BGIC | 1.65 | 20.33 | Vol. 114158 D: 29.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.78 | 30.00 / 28.40 C: 29.30 ⇓ 0.34% | 29.17 | 29.50 / 28.70 GREENDELT | 4.05 | 64.44 | Vol. 113117 D: 102.3 ⇓ 1.92% | 101.64 | 108.5 / 96.00 C: 100.0 ⇓ 1.57% | 100.00 | 100.0 / 100.0 UNITEDINS | 2.47 | 21.04 | Vol. 11100 D: 50.90 ⇓ 0.78% | 50.98 | 51.90 / 50.50 PEOPLESINS | 2.05 | 20.72 | Vol. 45595 D: 27.00 ⇑ 0.37% | 26.95 | 27.40 / 25.50 C: 26.50 ⇑ 0.38% | 27.35 | 28.50 / 26.40 EASTERNINS | 2.22 | 35.88 | Vol. 31450 D: 36.90 ⇑ 1.65% | 36.94 | 39.00 / 34.50 JANATAINS | 7.84 | 170.69 | Vol. 6298 D: 216.0 ⇓ 2.26% | 216.02 | 225.0 / 205.0 PHENIXINS | 2.70 | 20.96 | Vol. 18718 D: 39.90 ⇑ 3.91% | 39.40 | 40.20 / 35.50 EASTLAND | 4.06 | 23.29 | Vol. 217422 D: 45.90 ⇑ 2.23% | 44.35 | 46.40 / 39.50 C: 44.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 42.00 | 44.00 / 44.00 CENTRALINS | 1.54 | 19.04 | Vol. 47382 D: 28.30 ⇑ 0.35% | 28.30 | 29.00 / 26.50 KARNAPHULI | 1.56 | 19.42 | Vol. 60780 D: 21.70 ⇓ 2.25% | 21.77 | 22.50 / 21.50 RUPALIINS | 2.76 | 23.38 | Vol. 89034 D: 32.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 31.80 | 32.70 / 30.10 C: 32.70 ⇑ 1.24% | 31.70 | 32.70 / 31.10 FEDERALINS | 1.10 | 10.98 | Vol. 111807 D: 22.10 ⇓ 1.34% | 22.17 | 23.00 / 20.50 C: 22.60 ⇓ 0.44% | 22.58 | 22.80 / 22.00 RELIANCINS | 3.93 | 61.52 | Vol. 1942 D: 70.80 ⇓ 2.07% | 69.83 | 72.50 / 67.00 PURABIGEN | 1.05 | 18.71 | Vol. 99174 D: 20.80 ⇓ 0.95% | 20.63 | 21.10 / 19.10 PRAGATIINS | 2.01 | 50.30 | Vol. 25043 D: 56.10 ⇑ 0.72% | 56.10 | 57.00 / 52.00 PRIMEINSUR | 2.14 | 14.14 | Vol. 86037 D: 25.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 25.70 | 27.50 / 24.50 PIONEERINS | 3.11 | 23.84 | Vol. 155544 D: 71.30 ⇓ 3.26% | 71.53 | 74.70 / 67.00 MERCINS | 1.53 | 14.50 | Vol. 60177 D: 26.30 ⇑ 3.54% | 26.21 | 27.00 / 22.70 AGRANINS | 1.73 | 14.39 | Vol. 96295 D: 22.90 ⇓ 2.55% | 22.93 | 23.40 / 21.00 GLOBALINS | 1.09 | 11.78 | Vol. 167920 D: 28.40 ⇓ 2.07% | 28.48 | 30.40 / 27.50 NITOLINS | 2.59 | 15.41 | Vol. 825 D: 32.90 ⇑ 2.17% | 31.76 | 32.90 / 30.00 ASIAPACINS | 1.84 | 13.76 | Vol. 141500 D: 26.10 ⇓ 1.14% | 26.09 | 27.10 / 25.60 SONARBAINS | 1.68 | 13.38 | Vol. 45640 D: 22.60 ⇑ 3.67% | 22.44 | 23.20 / 20.00 C: 21.60 ⇓ 6.09% | 21.55 | 21.80 / 21.30 PARAMOUNT | 1.26 | 13.19 | Vol. 60383 D: 20.60 ⇓ 1.44% | 20.61 | 21.40 / 20.00 C: 20.20 ⇓ 9.01% | 20.20 | 20.20 / 20.20 CITYGENINS | 1.65 | 14.26 | Vol. 148310 D: 24.50 ⇑ 1.24% | 24.13 | 25.00 / 23.10 C: 24.80 ⇑ 3.33% | 24.60 | 24.90 / 23.40 CONTININS | 1.41 | 15.68 | Vol. 65738 D: 28.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.50 | 28.90 / 26.00 TAKAFULINS | 2.19 | 15.17 | Vol. 96700 D: 28.90 ⇓ 3.34% | 29.13 | 30.00 / 28.10 C: 29.70 ⇓ 4.19% | 29.67 | 31.00 / 29.00 STANDARINS | 2.58 | 13.99 | Vol. 17500 D: 37.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 37.67 | 38.90 / 36.50 C: 37.00 ⇑ 1.93% | 37.00 | 37.00 / 37.00 NORTHRNINS | 1.77 | 11.15 | Vol. 73022 D: 46.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 46.38 | 47.00 / 41.30 REPUBLIC | 2.14 | 12.42 | Vol. 109654 D: 52.70 ⇓ 1.68% | 51.98 | 56.60 / 49.90 C: 51.10 ⇓ 4.66% | 51.10 | 51.10 / 51.10 ASIAINS | 1.56 | 17.34 | Vol. 35046 D: 26.10 ⇓ 1.51% | 26.06 | 27.10 / 23.80 C: 26.00 ⇓ 1.89% | 26.00 | 26.00 / 25.50

ISLAMIINS | 1.29 | 11.96 | Vol. 4967 D: 26.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 26.26 | 26.70 / 25.00 PROVATIINS | 1.90 | 14.30 | Vol. 7476 D: 25.70 ⇑ 1.98% | 25.10 | 26.00 / 22.80 C: 24.00 ⇓ 1.64% | 24.00 | 24.00 / 24.00 DHAKAINS | 2.84 | 18.02 | Vol. 51000 D: 40.50 ⇑ 4.11% | 39.91 | 40.90 / 37.70 LIFE INSURANCE NATLIFEINS | 12.34 | 80.99 | Vol. 8454 D: 244.4 ⇑ 1.08% | 244.10 | 250.0 / 235.0 C: 229.2 ⇓ 6.45% | 227.26 | 229.2 / 225.0 DELTALIFE | 38.53 | 189.40 | Vol. 10000 D: 4384 ⇓ 7.37% | 4400 | 4740 / 4359 SANDHANINS | 2.39 | 28.22 | Vol. 51700 D: 67.60 ⇓ 0.29% | 66.32 | 68.80 / 60.00 C: 68.00 ⇓ 1.02% | 67.21 | 68.00 / 60.00 POPULARLIF | 3.70 | 715.41 | Vol. 20500 D: 144.8 ⇓ 1.09% | 144.81 | 144.9 / 141.1 FAREASTLIF | 9.21 | 60.79 | Vol. 39938 D: 107.2 ⇓ 0.56% | 106.66 | 109.0 / 100.0 C: 103.5 ⇑ 1.07% | 103.50 | 103.9 / 103.5 MEGHNALIFE | 10.82 | 48.87 | Vol. 25199 D: 90.70 ⇑ 1.23% | 91.09 | 92.00 / 80.70 C: 90.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 89.21 | 90.00 / 88.90 PRAGATILIF | 0.60 | 30.15 | Vol. 24500 D: 93.00 ⇓ 2.82% | 93.37 | 97.00 / 90.40 PRIMELIFE | 5.51 | 27.10 | Vol. 8614 D: 94.00 ⇑ 3.87% | 94.15 | 94.90 / 86.00 RUPALILIFE | 3.75 | 31.25 | Vol. 7000 D: 89.80 ⇓ 0.77% | 90.00 | 92.50 / 87.10 PADMALIFE | 1.63 | 25.76 | Vol. 44000 D: 56.40 ⇑ 4.44% | 56.56 | 57.70 / 52.40 C: 57.00 ⇑ 5.36% | 57.00 | 57.00 / 57.00 SUNLIFEINS | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 146500 D: 45.80 ⇓ 2.76% | 45.61 | 46.70 / 44.70 C: 45.70 ⇓ 4.19% | 45.38 | 46.50 / 45.00 TELECOM GP | 12.96 | 26.26 | Vol. 881442 D: 178.9 ⇓ 2.67% | 178.47 | 182.0 / 168.0 C: 179.1 ⇓ 2.72% | 178.46 | 184.0 / 176.5 BSCCL | 7.14 | 23.70 | Vol. 1068640 D: 293.3 ⇓ 0.81% | 292.71 | 300.0 / 269.8 C: 292.7 ⇓ 0.61% | 292.51 | 299.9 / 270.0 TRAVEL & LEISURE UNITEDAIR | 1.60 | 15.12 | Vol. 6005841 D: 19.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 19.79 | 20.50 / 18.10 C: 19.90 ⇑ 0.51% | 19.83 | 21.00 / 17.90 UNIQUEHRL | 4.02 | 86.29 | Vol. 948645 D: 88.80 ⇑ 1.83% | 87.65 | 89.10 / 77.50 C: 88.20 ⇑ 1.61% | 87.09 | 88.80 / 83.70 MISCELLANEOUS ARAMIT | 16.07 | 99.93 | Vol. 1300 D: 212.0 ⇓ 1.21% | 212.17 | 213.0 / 207.0 BSC | 1.77 | 565.82 | Vol. 154275 D: 508.3 ⇓ 2.45% | 507.94 | 525.0 / 500.0 C: 509.8 ⇓ 2.21% | 509.66 | 518.0 / 503.0 GQBALLPEN | 6.55 | 250.45 | Vol. 147464 D: 137.8 ⇓ 4.37% | 137.56 | 144.0 / 129.7 C: 139.1 ⇓ 2.80% | 138.42 | 139.9 / 136.8 USMANIAGL | 0.50 | 26.03 | Vol. 32035 D: 112.3 ⇑ 0.99% | 110.85 | 115.0 / 103.9 C: 109.4 ⇓ 0.55% | 109.93 | 112.0 / 109.0 SAVAREFR | 0.23 | 12.32 | Vol. 5050 D: 62.10 ⇓ 8.68% | 62.10 | 68.90 / 62.10 BEXIMCO | 3.24 | 86.74 | Vol. 2274163 D: 34.10 ⇑ 5.57% | 33.20 | 34.80 / 28.60 C: 33.90 ⇑ 3.99% | 33.20 | 35.20 / 29.00 SINOBANGLA | 1.75 | 21.01 | Vol. 67500 D: 18.90 ⇑ 2.72% | 19.00 | 19.00 / 17.90 C: 18.90 ⇑ 4.42% | 18.92 | 19.00 / 17.50 MIRACLEIND | 0.14 | 14.90 | Vol. 18500 D: 11.50 ⇑ 0.88% | 11.52 | 11.70 / 11.40 C: 11.30 ⇓ 3.42% | 11.25 | 11.30 / 11.20 BOND IBBLPBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 160 D: 943.0 ⇑ 0.24% | 944.00 | 945.0 / 940.0 ACIZCBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 16 D: 840.0 ⇑ 0.12% | 840.00 | 840.0 / 830.0 BRACSCBOND | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 35 D: 1070 ⇓ 1.56% | 1070 | 1075 / 1070

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Turkey lira defense a lesson for India n Reuters, London The rupee tumbled to a new record low against the dollar on yesterday, raising the stakes for the RBI, whose stop-start currency defense strategy is widely seen as inadequate.

If the Reserve Bank of India wants some pointers on how to lift the rupee decisively off record lows, it could try asking Turkish central bank governor Erdem Basci.

Many are contrasting its hesitation with the Turkish central bank’s more successful efforts to stave off a currency collapse.

On the face of it, both central banks have responded similarly to a selloff which has reduced the value of the rupee and lira by almost a tenth against the dollar this year.

Both have balked at offering investors significantly higher interest rates to staunch the bleeding, instead opting to tighten policy by squeezing money market liquidity. Yet investors remain unconvinced of the RBI’s stomach - and ability - to defend the rupee.

“We are down to central bank credibility and I think Turkey has been more credible,” said Murat Toprak, emerging markets strategist at HSBC in London.

“There is (disconnect) between India’s monetary policy stance and the currency moves, there is no line in the sand...In Turkey, the stance is clear: ‘we are here to defend the currency if needed’.”

Compare the two central banks’ tactics in recent weeks.

The RBI followed up a raft of fairly bold policy tightening measures in July by inexplicably failing to drain cash at auctions a few days later. Governor Duvvuri Subbarao then effectively unwound all the tightening impact by saying the steps would be rolled back once the rupee stabilized.

For investors, that was tantamount to an admission that the RBI has not abandoned its long-standing growth bias. In other words, big currency-defensive moves were off the table.

Money market conditions remain fairly loose, with rates on overnight call money - short term loans from one bank to anoth-

A cashier counts Indian rupee currency notes inside a bank in Mumbai. Mixed signals from India’s central bank and the government over how to handle the fall in the rupee has contributed to its decline, investors say Reuters er - well below the RBI’s 10.25% target rate and banks’ cash reserve ratios standing at a record low 4%.

Turkey’s central bank also disappointed markets with a 75 basis point widening of its interest rate corridor, rather than the 150-200 bps that was hoped for.

But Governor Basci twinned the move by pledging additional daily policy tightening when needed. On such days, the funding rate for banks would rise to 7.25%, effectively a 200 bps rate hike, analysts say. Basci has also hinted the main one-week repo rate could be raised if needed.

“For 2013 and beyond, exchange rate stability seems to be the over-riding goal of the central bank,” said Umit Ozlale, an economics professor at Istanbul’s Ozyegin Univer-

sity who advised Turkey’s central bank for almost 10 years.

Markets appear to have believed Basci, lifting the lira more than 2% off July’s record lows. Rupee forwards on the other hand see the currency trading beyond 63 per dollar in six months’ time, compared to the current record low around 61.7.

DEEPER PROBLEMS

The RBI’s hesitation is all the more surprising given the rupee’s problems run far deeper than the lira’s.

India’s huge current account deficit and inflation can be blamed squarely on the government’s fiscal profligacy and foot-dragging on key reforms. It will run a budget deficit this year of almost 5% of its gross domestic

product.

In contrast, Turkey has run a tight fiscal ship and its problems are essentially down to years of over-loose monetary policy that encouraged a credit explosion.

“Turkey has cyclical problems but structurally it is sound. India has severe structural problems,” said Angus Halkett, a portfolio manager at Stone Harbor Investment Partners. “If you look at the underlying story in India there is still a deteriorating fiscal picture, and significant twin deficits.”

India’s foreign investment mix may also go against it. It is one of the few big emerging markets where foreigners’ bond market presence is negligible but equity investors hold almost a quarter of the free float, according to Morgan Stanley data.

Unlike bond buyers who can be lured back with a big yield premium, equity investors may react negatively to growth-crimping rate rises.

“If you have proper policy tightening in Turkey, say 300-400 bps, it could be effective in appeasing investor concerns,” UBS strategist Manik Narain said. “RBI tightening is helpful but it won’t address the root cause of the rupee’s problem.”

MORE NEEDED

Investors will be looking for more resolute steps from the RBI, such as an outright rate hike that will increase the yield appeal of the rupee. Big emerging markets that have raised interest rates outright include Brazil and Indonesia.

But despite 125 basis points of rate rises, Brazil’s real is down 11% versus the dollar this year. Stone Harbor’s Halkett attributes this to a lack of policy clarity from the central bank another reason for Subbarao to speak up.

“We have Brazil, Peru, Russia, Indonesia, all of them are doing various things at various times on an ad hoc basis but what the market always looks for from central banks at times like this is a clear message,” he said.

“What makes a policy effective is to communicate it in a way that the market is left in no doubt of the priority.” l

Sony rejects Loeb’s proposal to spin off entertainment unit n Reuters, Tokyo Japan’s Sony Corp on Tuesday rejected a proposal from activist shareholder Daniel Loeb to partially spin off its entertainment business but the billionaire investor vowed to keep talking with the company and to explore other options.

Sony said it could still squeeze synergies from its decades-old marriage of content and hardware and promised more disclosure in its entertainment operations.

Loeb’s Third Point LLC hedge fund has waged a three-month campaign to convince the company to sell as much as one-fifth of its money-making entertainment arm - movies, TV and music - to free up cash to revive the electronics business.

“Sony’s board of directors has unanimously concluded that continuing to own

100 percent of our entertainment business is the best path forward and is integral to Sony’s strategy,” Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai said in a letter to Loeb, which was released by the company.

Loeb had cast his proposal for a public offering of part of Sony’s entertainment business as consistent with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s drive to boost economic growth through structural reform in Japan.

But a source familiar with the discussions said Sony’s decision reflected worries about listing a subsidiary, not resistance to corporate reform in Japan.

The company did not need the cash from a subsidiary IPO, which would have created possible conflicts and cumbersome requirements from such a listing, he added.

“I can’t believe this is a statement on Japanese companies not being willing to be flex-

ible,” said the source.

Loeb, who owns around 7% of Sony through shares and cash-settled swaps, said he was disappointed with the decision, even while acknowledging that Sony was showing a greater commitment to transparency.

He also made it clear the saga was not over.

“Third Point looks forward to an ongoing dialogue with management and intends to explore further options to create value for Sony shareholders,” Third Point said in a statement.

Sources familiar with the situation were skeptical, however, about the prospects for a proxy fight taken directly to shareholders, given the history of failures of such efforts in Japan.

Sony’s shares fell 4.6% on Tuesday but are still more than double their value at the

start of the year, boosted by Loeb’s calls for reform at the company and by the prime minister’s reflationary “Abenomics” policies.

The company’s promise of improved transparency in its entertainment business includes quarterly updates on revenue in its music and pictures segments, as well as other metrics.

Sony’s board had been expected to reject Loeb’s proposals, the Nikkei newspaper said last week, with directors arguing Sony could compete better by maintaining ties with the entertainment arm of the business.

Chief Financial Officer Masaru Kato subsequently assured a quarterly earnings briefing last Thursday, however, that Sony was still discussing Loeb’s proposal and would make a decision after thorough consideration. l