August 12, 2013

Education

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How to handle your kids during exams

Shraban 28, 1420 Shawwal 4, 1434 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 140

International

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Iraq bombs kill nearly 80, target Eid festivities

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MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013 | www.dhakatribune.com

A regulation to guide receipts of private donations is underway, says inspector general of police Law enforcement agencies are increasingly becoming dependent on donations from scores of organisations almost for everything—from a road sign or umbrella to a pick-up van—to deliver their services.

While such wholesale sponsorships raise the question of ethics for an agency like police, retired and in-service top officials tend to defend the practice citing lack of facilities provided by the government.

Of all the agencies, Dhaka Metropolitan Police have received the most donations, sponsorship or other benefits which include vehicles, motorcycles, computers, signboards, umbrellas, police boxes, traffic police booths, traffic equipment, road barricades, road dividers, etc.

The police turn to the wealthy people and their commercial organisations for such aid.

The significant contributions being received by the lawmen raise questions about their ethics and neutrality.

The law enforcement agencies carry logos, monograms, names or signs of those companies, firms, organisations and other donor agencies facilitating their publicity.

In the name of better policing and public welfare, they welcome donations which violate government service rules.

‘Mobile cannot be reached at this moment’ n Muhammad Zahidul Islam “The mobile cannot be reached at this moment” or “The number you have dialled is unreachable” were the most-repeated sentences after “Eid Mubarak” one might have heard during the immediate past Eid festival.

Most people who desperately wanted to talk or communicate with their relatives either by making a phone call or texting a message had a bitter experience this time around.

From the Chaand Raat (The night before the Eid-ul-Fitr) people could not enjoy smooth mobile network while communicating with their near and dear ones. Even the SMS “Eid Mubarak” or any other forms of good wishes were delivered much later, even sometimes after the Eid Day. After the Eid prayer the mobile network collapsed and it had been persisting over the last three days.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Real estate companies, garments companies, beverage companies, steel mills, chemical factories, NGOs, and various other unknown companies or firms and nameplate-based social organisations are among the donors.

Of the donors, many are accused of land-grabbing, oppressing employees and causing environmental hazards whilst some are allegedly engaged in antisocial activities using their muscle power.

Sources said, under the guise of supporting the police department for the public’s welfare, donor companies capitalise on the situation while a section of police officials also enjoy some benefits.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Sultana Kamal, chairperson of the Board of Trustees at Transparency International Bangladesh, expressed her frustration.

She said: “Police are not expected to be seen in such a state.”

The lawmen must not get involved in any commercial activities or receive any donations or other benefits from individuals and private or commercial organisations, said Sultana Kamal, who is also the executive director of Ain o Salish Kendra.

She said: “Whenever any benefit is received from any individual or organisation, the question of indebtedness to them comes up.”  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Van Persie double gives Moyes first trophy at United

16 pages | Price: Tk10

Police rely heavily on sponsorships n Kailash Sarkar

Sport

Signboards of DMP police stations and police boxes on capital’s road dividers bear the names and signs of corporate groups and their products DHAKA TRIBUNE

Ministry searching new GB chairman n Asif Showkat The finance ministry has taken an initiative to find an appropriate person to chair Grameen Bank after Khondaker Muzammel Huq offered to resign as its chairman.

“A new chairman will be needed for smooth operation of Grameen Bank,” Bank and Financial Institutional Division Secretary M Aslam Alam told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Khondaker Muzammel submitted his resignated to Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Monday citing personal ground amid criticism about a government-sponsored commission recommending splitting Grameen Bank and raising the government’s stake in it.

The GB chairman earlier told the media that he was facing trouble to perform as the chairman due to opposition from nine woman directors in the GB board.

The banking division yesterday said the resignation of Khondaker Muzammel has not been accepted yet and the division is yet to decide about forming a search committee to find a potential person to head Grameen Bank.

Banking division officials said a meeting will be arranged to form a search committee after the government accepts the resignation letter.

Once a close associate of Dr Muhammad Yunus in the years of formation and expansion of Grameen Bank, Muzammel hit headlines several times after he returned to the organisation as its chief. He recently sparked a debate saying that an amount of Tk 100bn was supposed to be transferred from Grameenphone to Grameen Bank but the money never came. l

BNP to devise movement strategy soon Five operators may n apply for 3G today Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

The main opposition BNP will soon plan its next course of actions to “compel” the government to meet its demand for introducing a non-partisan interim government to oversee the next general elections.

The party will hold a meeting of its Standing Committee on August 14 at 8:30pm at party Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office, Shamsur Rhman Shimul Biswas, special assistant to the party chief, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador in Dhaka Dan W Mozena will hold a meeting with opposition leader Khaleda Zia this evening at the latter’s Gulshan office, Maruf Kamal Khan, press secretary to Khaleda, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Shimul Biswas also said Khaleda would sit with her alliance partners at a meeting on August 15 to devise the next course of action.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has called a countrywide 48-hour strike for August 13-14 to protest the High Court’s

verdict that declared the party’s registration with the Election Commission illegal.

Senior leaders of the BNP said they would wage a movement simultaneously with that of Jamaat, keeping a strategic distance with the Islamist political party.

Before Eid holidays, a number of party high-ups had said they would sit with the alliance partners to devise the next course of action soon.

“We are yet to finalise the programmes…The party will hold a meeting of the Standing Committee, and then sit with the alliance leaders. After that we will announce our next course of action,” BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told the Dhaka Tribune before Eid. He said the anti-government movement would be intensified in phases while protests and public meetings would be held in the meantime.

Party insiders said the movement was expected to gather a momentum ahead of October 25 when the incumbent government would complete its

INSIDE

term. They anticipated tougher programmes such as non-stop hartal, blockades, hunger strikes and street demonstrations.

“We have not discussed this issue yet at the party forum. Until now we have observed soft programmes, but the government has failed to pay any heed. Obviously, we will go for a tougher movement after Eid,” MK Anwar, a member of the Standing Committee, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The BNP will organise the protest programmes along with its allies and other like-minded organisations.

“We will announce our programmes, considering those of Jamaat and Hefazat-e-Islam,” a senior leader said on condition of anonymity.

But before waging that movement, the BNP was now planning to bring all opposition forces under its umbrella, party insiders said.

The political situation of Bangladesh has been volatile since the cancellation of the polls-time caretaker government provision in 2011 through the 15th amendment to the constitution. l

Odhikar Secretary Adilur placed on 5-day remand n Tribune Report

News

4 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said there might be differences of opinion among political parties but has urged all to remain alert in order to restrict any unconstitutional force from capturing power.

A Dhaka court on Sunday placed Adilur Rahman, secretary of the rights group Odhikar, on a five-day remand.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate, Amit Kumar Dey passed the order rejecting the bail petition filed by Adilur’s lawyer Mohammad Ali, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

Inspector of Detective Branch (DB) of police Ashraful Islam, also the investigation officer of the case, produced Adilur before the court seeking 10 days’ remand.

After hearing the DB, the court ordered five days’ remand in the case filed under the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Act 2006.

The court also granted permission to the DB to search Adilur’s residence and office for documents.

On Saturday night, plainclothes policemen arrested Adilur Rahman Khan from near his Gulshan residence.

Adilur was with his family when he was arrested without a warrant by

Business

6 Seven objections have been raised by the finance division to a proposal of the share market refinance scheme committee regarding how the Tk9bn package would be disbursed.

International

8 Tensions have recently flared up in the heavily militarised Kashmir valley as Pakistan Sunday accused Indian forces of firing on its border posts close to eastern city of Sialkot, Punjab province.

Entertainment

12 The long awaited telefilm “Impossible Five” will be aired today at 11:15pm on NTV. The story is about humans with special supernatural powers such as sixth instinct, levitating objects defying the laws of gravity, speed and stopping time.

Adilur Rahman being taken to court yesterday

RAJIB DHAR

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VAT on spectrum reduced to 5% not extending the deadline for submitn Muhammad Zahidul Islam ting applications, which it has so far Today is the last day for private mobile operators to file applications for 3G licences, but they were yet to finalise their decision on the matter as of yesterday.

But sources within different mobile operators said they would submit their applications by today.

“All operators will submit their applications and at the same time will continue their fight for realising different demands,” a high official of a leading mobile operator told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The sources with the operators also said their CEOs had met on Eid day to discuss the 3G issue.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has been strict about its decision on

extended four times.

BTRC sources claimed that all five private mobile operators had taken application forms but no one had submitted those as of yesterday evening. The state-owned operator Teletalk submitted its application on July 27.

Although Teletalk does not have the 3G licence yet, it has been running 3G services on a trial basis since October 14, 2012 and so far around 150,000 subscribers are enjoying the service.

Meanwhile, a statutory regulatory order of the revenue department issued Sunday reduced the 3G spectrum VAT to be paid by mobile phone operators from 7.5% to 5%.

The BTRC guideline had first proposed 15% VAT on 3G spectrum, which  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Government to appeal against Azam verdict

by August 14 n Nazmus Sakib The government is set to appeal by August 14 against what it called “inadequate” sentence handed down to former Jamaat chief Ghulam Azam for masterminding crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War. “Our preparation for lodging an appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court to challenge the tribunal verdict is in its last stage. We will appeal by August 14 seeking death penalty for the Jamaat kingpin as the jail sentence is not adequate,” Additional Attorney General MK Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune.

On July 15, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), led by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, said Azam was found guilty of all five charges – conspiracy, planning, incitement, complicity and murder. Although the crimes were punish-

able to death, the tribunal gave him “90 years in prison” considering his age and health.

The former Jamaat chief was 91 years old at the time the verdict was delivered by the tribunal.

“There is not another example in the history of war crimes cases where a court reduced punishment considering old age of the accused,” said Tureen Afroz, a prosecutor who argued at the tribunal against Azam’s “superior responsibility” for the atrocities in 1971.

After the verdict was delivered, Azam’s chief counsel Abdur Razzaq also admitted that such an example was still to be found in the world in which the age of a convict had been taken into consideration and the punishment got reduced in the verdict.

According to the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973, the  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, August 12, 2013

Mozena hints at Ticfa signing to take place in US capital n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena has hinted that the Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (Ticfa) between Bangladesh and US might be signed in the US capital.

“If everyone agrees to signTicfa, the best place to do so would be Washington,” he told the Dhaka Tribune after meeting with Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque at the ministry on Wednesday.

Commerce secretary of Bangladesh and an official of the US Trade Representatives would sign the agreement, he said after the hour-long meeting.

The cabinet in June endorsed Ticfa and later the foreign ministry sent it to Washington along with its Bengali version for US approval in July.

When asked whether it would be signed, Mozena said: “I cannot give you any timeframe.”

Meanwhile, the foreign secretary said they were working on fixing the modalities.“The ambassador came back from Washington recently and met me to brief on the development there,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

Ministries of Foreign, Labour and Commerce are working together to fulfil the conditions of the plan of action announced by Washington on July 19 for restoring the generalised system of preference (GSP), the secretary said.

Mozena on the other hand said, “We continue to working together on how to best address the restoration of GSP.” Labour rights, fire safety and factory soundness are the three major issues to be addressed under the action plan, he added.

Bangladesh, in December, will get the opportunity to place its case for restoration of GSP before the US authorities, Mozena said.

US President Barrack Obama on June 27 announced suspension of Bangladesh’s GSP facility on grounds of poor labour rights situation.

Bangladesh has been under the spotlight of international stakeholders after the twin tragedies – fire incident at Tazreen Fashions in November last year and collapse of Rana Plaza this April.Both the tragedies caused death of about 1,300 people mostly garment workers. l

US Congressman Levin due in Dhaka August 19 n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman US Congressman Sander Levin will come to Dhaka on August 19 on a fourday visit to see the labour condition.

“He will have meetings with people from public and private sector,” Director General of foreign ministry Mahfuzur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune.

He is the second congressman who is visiting Dhaka after the collapse of Rana Plaza in April.

US Congressman George Miller came to Dhaka in June to learn about the labour conditions in the country after the

Rana Plaza collapse, which killed over 1,100 people.

Levin – the ranking Democrat of the US House Ways and Means committee, is scheduled to meet leaders of BGMEA, BKMEA, different labour associations and visit several factories, said another official of the foreign ministry.

“He will also meet Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and discuss labour conditions,” he said.

A reputed labour leader, Levin, served as chairman of Ways and Means committee in 2010 when Democrats held the majority in the US House. l

Khudey Gaanraj singer Jhuma handed over to mother n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi

Jhumjhum Akter Jhuma, the first runner-up of Meridian-Channel-i Khudey Gaanraj said she fled away from her mother who used to abuse her both physically and mentally, after being rescued from a victim support centre of Tejgaon Police Station in the capital.

“Nobody kidnapped me. I managed to flee away from my mother,” she said.

The 14-year-old ninth grader of Cambrian School and College in Dhaka, who had been abducted two weeks ago, was handed over to her mother on Thursday Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Begum Laila Ferdous ordered police to hand over Jhuma to her mother, Jesmine Begum, when the girl was produced before the court in the afternoon.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Narisngdi police rescued Jhuma from the victim support center in Tejgaon, 15 days after she was abducted by an acquaintance in Narsingdi.

On August 5, Jesmin Begum filed a petition with Nari O Shishu Nirjatan

Daman Tribunal, Narsingdi, against Md Israfil, 35, a businessman in Ashulia and his his driver Faisal, 25, for kidnapping her daughter.

She said, on July 23, the two men forcibly dragged Jhuma into a microbus in Narsingdi district town when she was on her way to her village home in Shibpur upazila from her residence by a rickshaw.

Jasmine alleged that she went to file an abduction case against Israfil and Faisal at the Narsingdi Police Station but the police unwilling to do so.

Later she filed a petition with Narsingdi Nari O Shishu Nirjatan Daman Tribunal.

Directed by their order, the Officer-in-Charge of Narsingdi Police Station filed the case and took necessary actions, said Jasmine.

Israfil sent Jhuma to the victim support center to save himself from the kidnapping charges.

Jhuma said she fled away because Israfil influenced her to say so, she added.

Jhuma came out as the first runner-up in the talent hunt programme for child singers in 2008. l

Patients, including children, wait outside the BSMMU outdoor as they find the department under lock and key yesterday

BSMMU outdoor stays closed

Patients suffer as the hospital takes an additional day off without notice During his visits to the public hospi- who came to the hospital during Eid had were disappointed by the continued n Moniruzzaman Uzzal closure of the section. Many people had tals in the city, this correspondent talk- sustained injuries in road accidents.

government, informant or complainant and the convict have the right to appeal within 30 days from the pronouncement of the judgment.

“The aggrieved party has to appeal within the period mentioned in the ICT Act as it is a special law.

It is decided by the Appellate Division in its judgment that if the party did not appeal within the time specified

in the special law, they will not get a time extension,” Deputy Attorney General Jahangir Alam told the Dhaka Tribune.

On August 5, Ghulam Azam filed an appeal against the verdict with the Appellate Division seeking acquittal.

The hearing on the appeal against Ghulam Azam verdict will start after the Supreme Court concludes hearing on the appeals filed by Delawar Hos-

Finance Minister AMA Muhith reduced to 7.5% in March. But the operators have been against it too.

The operators met with the NBR chairman yesterday to discuss revenue sharing and SIM replacement tax issues.

Last Monday the revenue collector exempted the operators also from 15% VAT on revenue sharing only on 3G. But the operators had been demanding the exemption for 2G as well.

Sources said the mobile operators

would wait until August 18 and then they would make their final decision.

A BTRC source said market leader Grameenphone had confirmed about its participation in the 3G spectrum auction to be held on September 8. Airtel had earlier given the confirmation on its participation.

According to the guidelines, the BTRC will award three licences to bid winners from among the five existing operators and a new one.

If no new entity is found, the licences will be given to the existing opera-

She said more than 150 such patients came to the emergency of Nitor and a total of 52 got admitted to the hospital.

CHILD HOSPITAL SKIRMISH At 12pm yesterday, while visiting the Child Hospital in the city, this correspondent saw that the table of the on-duty doctor at the emergency was broken.

According to the doctors, the outraged relatives of an infant had created mayhem in the emergency room, claiming that the hospital staff did not give the requisite services on time, leading to the death of the baby.

Dr Hossain Shahid Kamrul Alam, deputy director of the hospital, said the baby was already dead when it was brought to the hospital; but the relatives were not ready to accept the fact and held the hospital staff responsible for the death of the child.

When the hospital staff refused to admit the baby, the relatives destroyed the furniture in the emergency room, Dr Kamrul added.

He also claimed that apart from that incident, the hospital authorities successfully ensured impeccable service to the patients already admitted at the hospital as well to the emergency patients during the holidays. l

come from different parts of the capital and some even from outside the city.

None of them apparently knew anything about the unscheduled closure.

This correspondent yesterday visited some other public hospitals such as the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (Nitor), Dhaka Child Hospital, and the National Heart Institute Hospital in the capital.

He found outdoor facilities at these hospitals fully operational.

On the last working day before the Eid holidays, i.e. on Wednesday, BSMMU Director Brigadier General (retd) Abdul Mazid Bhuyan had told the Dhaka Tribune that like the other public hospitals, BSMMU too would reopen on the first working day after the holidays.

Professor Dr Mohammed Shahid Ullah, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) of BSMMU, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that an internal notice had been circulated informing that all services, other than a few emergency services, would remain closed for four days (August 8-11) for Eid. He, however, could not confirm whether any such notice had been made available to inform the patients.

Odhikar Secretary

Police rely heavily on sponsorships

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sain Sayedee and Mohammad Kamaruzzaman.

Both Sayedee and Kamaruzzaman were handed down death sentences by the ICT for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War. A five-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain, fixed September 17 to start the appeal hearing of the Sayedee case. l

‘Mobile can’t be reached at this moment’

eight to ten law enforcers wearing civilian clothes. In a statement, the director of Odhikar, ASM Nasiruddin Elan alleged that they had tried to lodge a general diary with the Gulshan police station but the Officer-in-Charge refused to file it.

Meanwhile, members of the Detective Branch of the DMP conducted a drive at Odhikar office for more than an hour starting from 8:45pm. They examined the computers, contents of communications and other documents at the office in Gulshan. l

Five operators may apply for 3G today  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

ed to a number of patients and learnt that, except for some objections, they were more or less happy with the services that the hospitals provided.

The patients said they would have ideally liked the number of doctors and nurses to be more.

The authorities of a number of these hospitals also admitted to the shortage of manpower and claimed that they had tried their level best to ensure good care for the patients.

Dr Musfiqur Rahman, deputy director of DMCH, told the Dhaka Tribune that on the Eid day, the number of patients was only 900, as against 2500 on other days. He also said special duty rosters were made for the doctors and nurses to ensure uninterrupted emergency and other services to the patients.

He added that the number of patients had started rising from yesterday.

Aklima Begum, who was accompanying a patient admitted at the DMCH, said she had seen a lone nurse take care of 20-30 patients.

However, apart from the shortage of staff, she said the holiday services at the DMCH were satisfactory.

Anita Biswas, on-duty nurse of the Nitor emergency, said bulk of the patients

At 11am yesterday, the first working day after the Eid vacations, patients arriving at the outdoor section of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital in the capital, had to turn away in despair as the section was locked.

Like all the other major public healthcare facilities in Dhaka, the BSMMU outdoor was also supposed to resume work yesterday, following three days of closure for Eid. Abul Kalam, Imam of the Pagla Shahi Mosque in Narayanganj near Dhaka, thinking the same, arrived at the hospital with his wife and two kids yesterday morning but found the outdoor section closed.

When he asked the on-duty security guard as to why was the section shut, the guard shot back: “Don’t you know that the outdoor services will remain closed today [Sunday]?”

Abul Kalam did not know what to do because he had travelled a long way to get specialised care for his wife, which could only be availed at the BSMMU. He asked this correspondent whether there was any notice that the outdoor services would remain closed on Sunday.

Kalam is only among hundreds who

Government appeals against Azam  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

tors. A 3G licence will remain valid for 15 years.

The BTRC will offer a 5MHz slot for spectrum in 2100 band; the floor price of 1MHz spectrum has been fixed at $20m.

The earnest money for 3G is also $20m, which will have to be deposited

by August 18.

According to the guideline, 60% of the total price of spectrum assignment has to be paid in the first instalment within 60 days of the auction and the remaining 40% by the next 180 days. l

“It also gives scope for losing neutrality on the part of law enforcers, as well as intensifying the difference between the poor and the rich to them (police),” she added.

Nurul Huda, a former inspector general of police, however, partially supported the police receiving some sort of aid from donors on the grounds of a lack of government facilities.

He also drew attention to examples of police abroad.

Admitting irregularities and breaches of trust by the law enforcers, the former IGP said: “A regulation is a must in this regard. There must be proper monitoring as to whether the lawmen cross their limitations.”

The advertisements of donor companies are visible everywhere on the roads, with various advertisements on

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Sometimes callers were connected only to be disconnected immediately and sometimes connection is there but both caller and receiver could not hear each other.

Market sources said the number of phone calls increased by at least 30% to 40% while text message three to four times during the Eid festival. It also added millions of foreign call minutes.

But the capacity of mobile operators is limited.

Telecom watchdog and the people who work in different mobile operators acknowledged the fact.

The mobile operators, however, said the problem people had to face was very little.

“Operators always design their network depending on their regular call pattern. And it may have created prob-

police boxes, traffic cones, etc.

Sometimes, it is even difficult to identify whether or not it is a police box due to the numerous advertisements of different companies covering the boxes.

Road barricades near Mohammadpur police station were financed by “Visa Worldwide” and Ramna police’s barricades by beverage brand “Mojo”.

Vehicles for police in Adabar were donated by “Adabar Elakar Sudhijon” whilst “Tropical Homes Ltd” financed the vehicles for Dhanmondi police station and “BSRM Steels” sponsored their signboard.

Gulshan police station’s signboard was sponsored by “Gulshan Youth Club”, Shahbagh police station’s was paid for by beverage brand “Speed Energy Drinks”, and Ramna police station’s by “Walton Group”.

lems during Eid festival,” a high official of the telecom regulator – Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) – said.

He said the operators also have scarcity of spectrum. Top operators sell excessive connections though their capacity is not upgraded.

Users said red and orange colour operators created the highest level of problems.

But the Banglalink, the second largest mobile operator in the country in terms of the number of subscribers, said there were no problems in their network.

Perihane Elhamy, chief technical officer of the Banglalink, yesterday said: “If there was a massive problem definitely we were informed, and I can say no complaint had come to me so far.

Our network is the best and the Bangla-

BRAC Bank donated road dividers, traffic cones, police vests and umbrellas; Dhaka Stock Exchange- two pickup trucks and five motorcycles; Dutch Bangla Bank- a pick up van; Samsung- 2 LED monitors; Bangladesh Corrugated Accessories Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association- a microbus and 12 televisions; Amin Mohammad Groupmotorcycles; and Prime Bank- three microbuses.

IGP Hassan Mahmood Khandker however claimed that the lack of government support sometimes prompted them to accept the gracious contributions from different organisations.

Asked about the ethical grounds and scope for irregularities, the IGP said: “There is no question of irregularities.”

In a response to another query, he added that a regulation to this end was underway. l

link users can enjoy their Eid without any disruption.”

An official from the industry said may be the capacity of ICX (inter connection exchange) is a problem.

When a call is made it should go through the ICX and if its capacity is limited it can’t deliver all the calls smoothly, he added.

The Grameenphone, the largest operator which has 45 million customers, are very much satisfied with its network quality during Eid festival.

“From our point of view we passed the most successful Eid compared to that of the last two or three Eid festivals.

We have had a big preparation since April and our report says we could manage it nicely,” Tanveer Mohammad, the chief technical officer of the Grameenphone, said yesterday. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Monday, August 12, 2013

Obaidul Quader fears people’s suffering due to Jamaat’s 48-hour hartal n Mohosinul Karim Communication Minister Obaidul Quader is anxious about the 48 hour general strike called by the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh from August 13. He believes Jamaat would withdraw the hartal considering the inconvenience of people returning to the capital after Eid holiday.

The minister expressed his anxiety while talking to journalists at his ministry conference room in the Secretariat on Sunday.

Jamaat called for the hartal on August 13 and 14 protesting the high court verdict declaring the registration of the party with Election Comission illegal.

“We fear that the upcoming hartal would cause severe traffic congestion on roads tomorrow as a number of vehicles might start plying before hartal. We are trying to keep the roads free from traffic congestion as much as possible. But, we believe Jamaat will withdraw their hartal considering the suffering of the people,” said Obaidul Quader.

Terming the traffic free roads during Eid-ul-fitr as a ‘success of the government,’ the minister told: “We are satisfied with our attempts to ensure hassle-free movement of people during Eid. We have kept the roads safe and smooth for travelling.”

“Till the end of our tenure we will keep the roads under strong watch to ensure their stable condition. In the next two and a half months, we will try to reduce at least 2.5% suffering of the people regarding movement on roads,” he added.

We are satisfied with our attempts to ensure hasslefree movement of people during Eid. We have kept the roads safe and smooth for travelling The minister said: “We are monitoring the roads so people can return to their work places peacefully after celebrating Eid. We have given directives to the concerned authorities, transport owners and labour leaders to maintain the peaceful condition.”

Citing the success in annual development programme (ADP), he said the government have successfully implemented 99.5% of the ADP during last fiscal year and had been working to continue with the progress. They believed that more success would come in the next two and half months left to their tenure.

He informed reporters that 1,246 buses of the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) have carried 125,000 passengers during the Eid. l

People start returning to Dhaka after spending Eid holidays in hometowns. The photo was shot at Kamlapur Railway Station on Sunday

No cabinet meetings for Suranjit

MP Rony sued for embezzling n Mohosinul Karim Tk790m Minister without portfolio Suranjit has not been attending the n Anisur Rahman Swapan, Barisal Sengupta cabinet meeting after he tendered his A case has been filed against ruling party lawmaker Golam Maula Rony and 20 of his associates in Patuakhali for misappropriating development funds worth Tk790m.

The case was filed by one Zamal Hossain, a resident of Dashmina upazila, with the Patuakhali District and Sessions Judge’s Court.

Advocate Abdul Khalek, complainant’s lawyer, said the acting district judge accepted the case and fixed August 20 for passing the next order in the case.

According to the case statement, Rony, the MP for the Galachipa-Dashmina constituency, and his associates from the notorious “Bhaiya Bahini” allegedly misappropriated public funds of Tk100m meant for development of local educational institutions.

They also allegedly pocketed Tk100m meant for roads development, Tk560m for test relief and food for work projects, and Tk30m for felling and selling trees planted under various public projects.

Iqbal Mahmud Liton, Gazi Mizanur Rahman, Zakir Hossain Bhutto, Abdul Hye, Zafar Talukdar, Tiger Shahin and 14 others were also accused in the case, Advocate Khalek said.

“Four more cases might be lodged against Rony on charges of irregularity, corruption, and misappropriation of public funds.”

Golam Maula Rony has been custody since July 25 in a case filed for assaulting two journalists of private satellite channel Independent Television. l

Police attack AK Azad’s motorcade

n Our Correspondent, Faridpur At least 10 people were injured after police charged batons on a motorcade of former FBCCI president at Mujib Road near Faridpur General Hospital yesterday morning.

According to local sources, around 10am, a motorcade of around 200 motorbikes was stopped for creating traffic congestion in the area. A police vehicle carrying ASP Bijoy Boshak halted the motorcade and asked the riders to drive in a line.

Officer-in-Charge Sayed Mohinul Haque of Kotwali police station said as the riders refused to follow the order, an altercation started. Later, the police charged batons in order to disperse the supporters of AK Azad.

The incident left several injured who were later treated at the Faridpur General Hospital.

The former FBCCI president AK Azad was headed for Char Tepakhola High School in Faridpur town from his Jheeltuli residence to attend a reception ceremony arranged to elect him as chairman of Shahjalal Islami Bank.

resignation letter as a railway minister on April 16, 2012.

According to the cabinet division officials, the minister was not invited to the cabinet meeting since the day he submitted his resignation letter.

The notices of the cabinet meeting are not being served to Suranjit Sengupta on the instruction of the prime minister.

Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan also confirmed the information “The prime minister does not expect him in the cabinet meeting. The prime minister decides who to attend the cabinet meeting. It’s up to the discretion of the premier. We are following her directions,” he added.

He also said the rule allows the prime minister to invite anyone to the cabinet meeting. And according to the rules of

business, a cabinet member must inform the cabinet division beforehand if he cannot attend the meeting.

Suranjit declined to make any comment when this correspondent tried to communicate with the minister over phone on Sunday.

Former Railway Minister Suranjit Sengupta resigned from the railway ministry on April 16, 2012 following a scandal linked to “bribe money,” only four months after taking office.

The veteran Awami League leader took the decision amid fierce criticism from both the ruling party and the opposition after the alleged bribe scam came to light.

After resigning from his ministry, the senior lawmaker from Sunamganj-2 constituency said he was resigning to set an example in the 40 years of the country’s history shouldering the blame for all “failures”.

Later he was made minister without portfolio.

The beleaguered former minister, well-known for his sharp tongue and

rhetoric, denied accusations that the money recovered from a vehicle at the entrance to Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) headquarters on April 9 night was bribes from job seekers applying for employment at the state-run Railway.

Instead, he said he had resigned to help “bolster democracy”.

He told reporters: “Even though I was not linked to the unexpected incident I am resigning to facilitate a fair and credible investigation into it.”

The minister expressed the hope that all the suspicions and confusions would be removed through his resignation, as most people, including those in the ruling party and the opposition, thought that the investigation process could be impaired if he did not step down.

He came under pressure after his Assistant Personal Secretary Omar Faruq Talukder and two railway officials were nabbed before BGB’s Pilkhana headquarters with an amount of Tk7m kept in the car that was reportedly moving towards his residence. l

Witness absence slowing Nizami trial n Udisa Islam Trial of the charges against Jamaat-e-Islami chief Matiur Rahman Nizami for alleged crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War was deferred again yesterday to August 19 with the prosecution failing to present their witness before the tribunal.

The witness was initially supposed to appear before the court on August 1, and the deposition was deferred to August 11 after the prosecution failed.

The trial’s pace has come into question with only 15 prosecution witnesses being heard in more than a year since the deposition started on July 22, 2012.

Meanwhile, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) had already handed down its verdict against former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Ghulam Azam. The war crimes charges against Ghulam Azam were taken into cognisance only four days before Nizami’s were on January 9 last year.

However, Nizami’s trial still awaits end of deposition of prosecution witness, defence witnesses, prosecution and defence arguments.

Those related to the trial could not singly attribute the slow pace to a particular reason. Nizami was indicted on May 28 for 16 charges. The prosecution was to start its opening statements on July 1. However, they started reading their 51-page statement 16 days later.

The prosecutor of the case has been changed three times already. Altaf Uddin was the first and was followed by Mir Iqbal. After Abdul Quader Molla’s trial, Nizami’s case was handed over to Haider Ali. However, only three witnesses had given their depositions in the last one month. Haider Ali admitted that the trial was progressing slowly and promised, “Now it will go faster.”

He justified the slow prosecution witnesses deposition saying, “It is the

duty of the investigation agency to present the witnesses on time. However, they failed for a number of reasons including the strikes and the Eid. Ramadan was not a proper time for presenting witnesses so the case had slowed down.”

However, when asked why only 15 witnesses had deposed over the last one year, the prosecutor said, “We have our limitations. It will be faster in the future.”

The chief coordinator of the investigation agency, Hannan Khan, said, “Everything is going through a legal process and we are placing witnesses in our way.”

Nizami was accused of murder, torture, conspiracy, planning, incitement and complicity to commit genocide and other crimes against humanity based on 16 incidents where at least 601 unarmed people were killed and 31 women were raped during the war. l

Indian firms to get Bhairab, Titas bridge jobs n Asif Showkat Kallol The government is likely to decide on two Indian firms soon to construct the second Bhairab and Titas bridges over rivers Meghna and Titas respectively, after more than one-and-half years of scrutinising tenders.

The railway ministry’s proposal will be placed before the cabinet committee on economic affairs on Wednesday for approval, said a senior official of the ministry yesterday. Only Indian companies participated in the bid for the projects that will be financed from the Indian $1bn credit line, as per the terms of the credit.

The official also said once the approval from the cabinet comes through, the railway ministry would start on the project of constructing the two bridges.

The timeline for implementation of

the projects was from November 2010 to June 2014. However, they are yet to begin because of a delay in the selection of construction firms, the official said.

The acting secretary for the railways, Md Abul Kalam Azad told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday the main reason for the delay was due to the fact that the seven Indian applicant firms had spent a large amount of time in preparing the designs for the bridges before submitting their financial tender offers.

“The railway bridge is heavy compared to the normal bridge, so it requires more time to design railway bridges,” he added.

“We hope that the two bridges will be completed in due time as the project duration is till June 2014,” he said.

Under the proposal, in Lot-A, which involves the construction of the two bridges, the railway ministry has select-

ed the lowest bidder IRCON-AFCONS JV, while in Lot-B the lowest bidder is GANNON-FLCL Consortium for the construction of approach roads along the side. The cost of the project is Tk5.675bn for the construction of the second Bhairab Bridge while the construction of the bridge over river Titas will cost Tk1.926bn, according to the proposal.

Seven Indian firms submitted financial offers last month, which included firms like Larsen and Toubro Ltd and Simplex-GPT JV. Cost of the construction of Lot-A increased by 8.36% compared to projected cost while Lot-B costs increased by 0.68% in the proposal.

In November 2010, a Tk9.59bn allocation for the constructions was approved at an ECNEC meeting. The government has allocated Tk2.2bn for the projects in 2013-14 fiscal. l

NASHIRUL ISLAM

‘No movement if interim government demand met’ n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia said no movement would be forged against the government if the party’s demand for a poll-time nonpartisan interim government is to be met.

“There is still time for you (government) to act. If you love the country and its people, then pass a bill on interim government and let it take the helm of affairs. We will not stage any movements if you do so and accept whatever results the polls come up with,” she said. Khaleda made this comment to journalists after having exchanged Eid greetings with diplomats and eminent citizens at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on Friday.

In her first post-Ramadan reaction to the existing political situation, the chief opposition leader said a fair election would not be possible under the incumbent government which, she said, had “heavily politicised” the judiciary, administration and the election commission. Deeming the election commission a “failure” and “subservient to the government’s interests,” she said, “A fair election cannot be held under this commission. It will work under the direction of the government.” She reiterated her party’s stance that it believed in peace, stability and politics of unity, not in division. However, she said, the key task of continuing democratic legacy hinges on

the will and sincerity of the government.

“The government should hold the next general election under a nonpartisan interim government to ensure a smooth journey of democracy and peaceful transfer of power,” she said.

The former premier then proceeded to chastise the ruling party’s move to advertise its development work through billboards, saying it only served to waste public money. “People of the country did not get any benefit from the said development work in the last five years. I would urge the government to stop propagating and take the path that is straight.”

“The people could not observe their fast and Eid as well as they could have had there been political and financial stability in the country. They are passing a hard time now, because of the government’s failure in all the spheres of public life.”

When asked whether she had talked with her sons on the occasion of Eid, Khaleda said, “My family members are living abroad. I talked to them over phone and exchanged greetings. I think though they are abroad, I have with me the people of this country who are to me no less than my own relatives. I observed the Eid with them. ” After the greeting exchange programme, Khaleda Zia went to her late husband Ziaur Rahman’s graveyard, placed floral wreaths and offered her prayers for his soul. l

Mujaheed appeals against tribunal verdict n Nazmus Sakib Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujaheed yesterday appealed against the International Crimes Tribunal verdict which sentenced him to death on July 17 for leading Al-Badr, a death squad of Pakistani Army, during the 1971 Liberation War. He sought acquittal from all charges in which he was convicted. Mujaheed’s lawyer Zainul Abedin filed the appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court around 12.10pm.

On July 17, ICT 2 headed by Justice Obaidul Hassan gave Mujaheed death penalty saying it would be a failure of justice if capital punishment was not

awarded to him for committing crimes against humanity and genocide which tremble the collective conscience of mankind.

According to section 21 of the ICT Act 1973, the aggrieved party has to appeal within 30 days from the pronouncement of the judgement.

So far, four Jamaat leaders convicted by the tribunal have appealed to the Appellate Division. The ICT 2 awarded death sentence to Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and life imprisonment to Abdul Quader Molla.

ICT 1 handed death penalty to Delwar Hossain Sayedee and 90 years imprisonment for Jamaat kingpin Ghulam Azam. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, August 12, 2013

8th wages board review committee formed n MohosinulKarim The cabinet division issued an order yesterday, constituting a cabinet committee to review the recommendations of the 8th Wage Board, for newspapers and news agencies, with the Cultural Affairs Minister Abul Kalam Azad helming the committee.

The committee will look at the recommendations made by the wage board, proposing increased pay structures for the journalists and press workers and submit its suggestions on the implementation of the new pay structure to the cabinet division within a month from its formation, as per decision taken at the cabinet meeting held last Monday.

The order had been communicated to the cabinet committee members, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Tribune on Sunday, adding that the committee would begin its work immediately and the minimum wage structure for journalists would be effective, depending on the suggestions of the review committee.

According to the order of the cabinet division, members of the committee will be –Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu, Communication Minister Obaidul Quader, Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Environment and Forest Minister Hassan Mahmud and State Minister for Housing and Public Works Abdul Mannan Khan. The ministry of information will give secretarial assistance to the review committee, through the information secretary.

Following the cabinet meeting on Monday, Khondakar Iftekhar Haidar, additional secretary of the cabinet division said the 8th Wage Board has recommended 70 per cent increase on an average in the basic wage under the 7th Wage Board for journalists and employees of newspapers and news agencies.

The minimum wages structure was divided into 15 categories, which had been divided into 9 categories by the 7th Wage Board and the newspapers of the country will be classified into five categories depending on theircirculation, he added.

The highest basic wage of the journalists will be Tk34,850-55,850,while minimum wages will be Tk3,700-5,615 as per the categories.

The journalists of Dhaka and Chittagong cities will get 70% of their basic pay as house rent, while journalistsin other cities of the country will get 60%.

But low paid employees of the newspapers will get 75% of their basic pay as house rent. The medical allowance for all newspapers journalists and employees will increase to Tk1,500 from Tk1,000.

Iftekhar said the most important recommendation by the current wage board was that the rural and root level journalists would get Tk3,500 as monthly retainer allowance, Tk1,500 as conveyance, two festival allowances annually and Tk1,000 as monthly medical allowance. l

WEATHER

Temperature unlikely to change n UNB Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at most places over Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions until 6pm today.

Moderately heavy to very heavy falls were also likely at places over the country, Met Office said.

Day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The sun sets in the capital at 6:34pm today and rises at 5:33am tomorrow.

Country’s highest temperature 33.5 degree Celsius was recorded at Rajshahi and lowest 24.0 degrees at Sandwip and Hatiya yesterday.

Highest and lowest temperatures recorded in some major cities yesterday were: City

High

Low

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

30.8 29.5 33.5 32.3 30.2 31.3 29.5 32.2

24.5 25.9 25.9 25.5 25.5 26.5 25.9 25.0

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:13am 5:32am 12:04pm 3:30pm 6:34pm 7:55pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

GCC mayor, councillors take oath n UNB The recently elected mayor of the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC), Prof MA Mannan, and its 75 councillors, including 19 women, took their oaths yesterday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina administered the oath to the first mayorof GCC while LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam administered the oath to the councillors at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the morning. A total of 76 candidates were elected as councillors but of them, Giasuddin of ward 58 was not able to take oath yesterday.

After the oath-taking ceremony, the PM congratulated the first GCC mayor and the councillors and assured them of her full cooperation in discharging their duties and responsibilities. The GCC was formed on January 16 and its first election was held on July 6.

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Industries Minister Dilip Barua, Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Mashiur Rahman, State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanak and State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroze Chumki were present at the ceremony among others. l

Relatives of Rana Plaza victims stage a sit-in at the Central Shaheed Minar on Eid day demanding compensation

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Stay alert to keep unconstitutional force at bay: PM n UNB Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said there may be differences of opinion among political parties but all need to remain alert so that no unconstitutional force could capture power.

“There may be differences of opinion among political parties, but weneed to remain alert so that no unconstitutional force could grab state power,” she said.

The Prime Minister made the remarks while addressing the oath-taking ceremony of newly-elected Gazipur City mayor and councilors at the International Conference Centre (ICC) at her office in the morning.

“We’ve multi-party democracy in the country. There will be differences of opinion, but it does not mean the differences will cause harm to the country,” she said.

Hasina also said that the differences of opinion do not mean that taking advantage of such an opportunity the unconstitutional forces will usurp the state power. “It doesn’t mean the undemocratic forces will play with the

fate of the people by capturing the powerillegally.”

Expressing her firm belief and confidence in the judgment of thepeople, she said she had confidence in the people and the country will run as per their wishes.

The Prime Minister said: “Who is elected from where was not a bigdeal for us. We wanted to have a balanced development in the country.”

After assuming office, her government got involved in the over alldevelopment of the country, she added.

Hasina requested the elected Mayor and councilors to work sincerely for the development of Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) and assured that the government will extend its all out support to them.

“We believe in the development of the people and we will work for that,” she said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina administered the oath to the first Mayor of newly created Gazipur City Corporation Prof MA Mannan while LGRD &Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam administered the oath to the

councilors.

Firmly stating her government’s belief in the democratic process, the Prime Minister said the present government has ensured the voting rights of the people and they are electing their representatives according to their will.

In this regard, she mentioned that 5,691 elections were held during the last four and half years in “free, fair and neutral manner and noone could raise any question about their results.”

Hasina said her government always wants to protect democracy in the country, mentioning that the desired development could not be achieved without democracy.

In this regard, she urged the elected representatives including thenewly elected Mayor and councilors of the GCC to work together forthe welfare of the nation, rising above political opinions.

Describing various achievements of her government in the last fourand half years, the PM said food security has been ensured, poverty reduced to below 26 percent from 41 percent of 2009 while the GDP growth remained over

6 percent despite worldwide financial crises.

Citing the socio-economic development and prosperity of the country achieved in the last couple of years, she said Bangladesh is now in the fifth position in respect to attaining GDP growth and progressingtowards self- dependence.

She urged all irrespective of party affiliation to work unitedly forthe welfare of the people.

Congratulating the first Mayor and councilors of the GCC, Hasina assured them of all cooperation in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities.

It may be mentioned that Gazipur City Corporation was formed onJanuary 16 this year while the first election to GCC was held on July6.

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Industries Minister Dilip Barua, Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Mashiur Rahman, State Minister for LGRD advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak and State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroze Chumki were, among others, present. l

Female engineer killed in Chittagong n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong A young woman was killed in Chittagong on Saturday night as unidentified miscreants hurled bricks at a moving Dhakabound train, critically injuring her as one of the bricks hit her on her head.

The deceased, Prity Das, 27, was the wife of Mintu Das, and was working towards her MPhil at Northern University in Dhaka. She had earned her engineering degree from Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet), according to police and her family members. Officer-in-Charge Ahsan Habib of Government Railway Police outpost of Chittagong railway station said a handful of miscreants hurled bricks at the Dhaka-bound inter-city train Turna Nishita near Bhatiari area of Sitakunda upazila at around 11pm.

Quoting family members, the OC said Prity and her husband, along with two other relatives, were returning to Dhaka after having celebrated Eid at the port city. After the train reached Bhatiari, some people started to throw bricks at the train when one broke a windowpane and hit Prity on the back of her head, he added.

The train was later halted on emergency and Prity was taken to Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex, the OC said.

According to hospital sources, Prity was shifted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) as her condition worsened but she was declared dead by the on-duty doctors at the health institution. l

Road accidents kill 11 in three days

Uncle kills nephew over land feud n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah n Tribune Desk A man was stabbed to death allegedly by his uncle following a feud over land ownership at a Jhenaidah village on Saturday night.

The deceased, Saidur Rahman Rana, 24, was a resident of Ghugri Pantapara village at the Moheshpur upazila of Jhenaidah. Police said there was a family feud surrounding possession of a piece of land in the village measuring eight “decimals”, which led to the killing.

Jalil Sarker, the alleged killer, brother to Saidur’s father, first “tortured” his own father before he proceeded to stab his own nephew, said Akram Hossain, officer-in-charge of Moheshpur police station. Neighbours rescued Saidur, with severe stab wounds, and took him to a local health complex. He died at around 8.30pm while being transferred to the Jessore general hospital upon a referral by doctors, Akram said. l

At least 11 people were killed in separate road accident across the country in last three days.

A tragic road accident left at least three people killed in Bogra yesterday.

Witnesses said a Dhaka bound SR Plus Paribahan bus from Rangpur collided head-on with a truck at the Bonani intersection of Bogra at 3pm, leaving three people dead on the spot. Both vehicles fell on to a roadside ditch after the collision, they added.

Superintendent of Police Mozammel Haque of Bogra confirmed the news.

A man was killed after being run over by a train at the Tongi railway junction on Saturday.

The identity of the deceased could not be known. Sub-Inspector of Tongi railway police outpost Emdad Hossain told that they recovered the body and sent it to Dhaka Medical College Hospital

morgue for autopsy, adding they suspected that the deceased was a drug addict.

Elsewhere in Barguna, an unlicensed motorcyclist Mashiur Rahman Azar, a student of class IX at Patuakhali Government Jubilee School, ran over Abdul Motaleb, 44, leaving him spot dead on Friday afternoon at the Fakirbari area of Amtali upazila.

Azar, who lacked the necessary papers, including a driving license, was riding from Kuakata to Patuakhali.

Police arrested Azar, seized his vehicle and sent Abdul’s body to a local hospital morgue for autopsy. A case was lodged with the Amtali police station in this regard.

At least two people were killed and five others were injured as a Dhaka bound passenger bus struck a threewheeler at Pachgaon village, Mirzapur upazila on Gorai-Shakhipur highway in the district on Saturday.

The deceased, two sisters, were

identified as Amena Begum, 30, and Anna Begum, 25, of Itahata village, Joydebpur upazila, Gazipur.

Assistant Sub-Inspector of Banshtail police outpost Alauddin said the accident took place at Panchgaon Hossain Market area of Banshtail union. Both the sisters succumbed to their injuries at Mirzapur Kumudini Medical College Hospital, while two of the injured were admitted to Savar Enam Medical College Hospital.

A motorcycle rider Shipon, 22, was killed as he lost control and hit a graveyard wall on Tangail-Delduar road on Friday evening.

Officer-in-Charge of Tangail police station Nazrul Islam confirmed the news.

Also on Friday, a minor boy was ran over by a pickup, while crossing the Dhaka-Bangabandhu Setu highway to perform the Eid-ul-Fitr prayer.

The deceased Nahid, 7, of Vatkura

AI for restoring ethnic minorities’ land rights in CHT n Tribune Desk Amnesty International has recommended that Bangladesh should take concrete steps to restore the land rights of ethnic minorities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

In a recent article published in its official blog, the AI also claimed that about 90,000 people of the ethnic minority communities still remain internally displaced, reports UNB. Published in the AI global human rights blog, Live Wire, the article says: “Bangladesh must respect its obligations under international human rights law - including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and

the International Labour Organisation Convention on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples No.107 - and take concrete steps to return the Paharis’ traditional lands to them, with the effective participation of Pahari women and men in the process.”

The article titled ‘Bangladesh must restore land rights of indigenous people’ was written by Madhu Malhotra, director of Amnesty International’s Gender, Identity and Sexuality Programme.

Madhu observed that years of official neglect and exclusion of Paharis from its decision making has turned the CHT Land Commission ‘little more than an empty shell.’

The CHT Land Commission could

play a crucial role in solving the protracted land disputes, she wrote.

“A new bill on the Commission was introduced in parliament in June this year - this has to be taken seriously by the government, and the Commission should be assigned the resources and priority it needs to perform its function,” she added.

Madhu noted that the authorities’ failure to address land rights in the CHT has not only left tens of thousands of ethnic minority people homeless, deprived of traditional land rights, but also fueled tensions with Bengali settlers, frequently leading to into violent clashes.

“Pahari tend to suffer disproportionately in the violence, which has over re-

cent years left hundreds of Pahari families homeless,” she wrote.

“The peace accord also called for the removal of all temporary army camps from the region, but the CHT still remains the country’s most militarized region today,” she added.

Madhu observed that the combination of heavy military presence, the inflow of Bangalee settlers and the unresolved land issue ‘makes for a violent mix.’

“Clashes between the Pahari and Bengali settlers are common, often affecting the Pahari badly, who feel the military tend to take the Bengalis’ side,” she added. l

Uttorpara in Sadar upazila was a class two student of Hatila Government Primary School, Officer-in-Charge of Tangail police station Nazrul Islam said.

Following the accident, agitated locals vandalised five CNG-run auto rickshaws and blocked the highway for one hour.

On the other hand, a truck ran over a motorcycle at Malauri area, Madhupur upazila on Friday morning, leaving the motorcycle rider dead on the spot and another critically injured.

Officer-in-Charge of Madhupur police station Mojibor Rahman said the deceased was identified as Rashid Lalon, 35, of Bekarkona village of the upazila.

Elsewhere at Natia Para, Delduar upazila, a woman fell off a running motorcycle on the Dhaka-Bangabandhu Setu highway on Friday morning and died on the spot. Officer-in-charge of Delduar police station Chan Miah confirmed the death. l

Heist attempted at Agrani Bank branch n Tribune Report Thieves broke into the walls of the Nawabganj branch of state-owned Agrani Bank sometime during the three-day Eid vacation, but failed to get away with anything but a computer monitor.

Harun-or-Rashid, deputy commissioner of police of Lalbagh division, told the Dhaka Tribune that an unidentified group of thieves attempted a heist sometime between Thursday and Saturday – when the branch was closed. “The vault remains safe,” said Kazi Motiur Rahman, the branch incharge. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Education

5

Monday, August 12, 2013

How to handle your kids during exams n Samira Mostafa During exam time, it is not just the teachers and school, but the parents that are most fundamentally PARENT’S important to a child.

However, to be effecCORNER tive during this critical time, parents need to adopt a set of discipline in their lives to lead with example. Effective and caring parenting can easily help a child realise full potential during examinations.

Assist with revisions

BIG STOCK

The best way to do well is to plan well from the start. Help your kids in planning and creating a revision method to study accordingly and timely. Here are a few tips for revision planning:  Work out a revision timetable for each subject.  Break up the sessions into small chunks instead of hour-long ones and take short breaks in between.  Have a study corner or table with all the necessary study materials right in hand.  Have summarised notes on flash-





cards to act as revision prompts.

Have a new set of stationery with colorful pens and highlighters to make revision less dull.

Time your child’s attempts at practice papers.

Provide supportive home environment

The proper way of supporting your child during examinations is to keep a calm and quiet atmosphere at home; all members of the family should respect the fact that this is a crucial time for the child.

It is important to get a good night’s sleep before an exam, so discourage your child from staying up late to cram. Make sure that he or she eats a good breakfast on the morning of the exam Your availability around your child is a mental support; make sure you are around your child during studies so that they can take a break and chat with you to release the built-up pressure.

Another important aspect is to keep plenty of healthy snacks in the fridge and try to provide good, nutritious

food at regular intervals. Encourage your child to join family meals, even if it is a busy revision day – it is important to have a change of scenery and get away from the books and computer for a while.

Avoid any sort of added demands from your child and unnecessary arguments during their exam times.

It is important to get a good night’s sleep before an exam, so discourage your child from staying up late to cram.

Make sure that he or she eats a good breakfast on the morning of the exam.

Bribes, treats, and rewards

Bribing your child to do well in exams with cash, gifts, and other expensive things is not the right thing to do. This sends a negative signal, and giving out the wrong message for your growing child is not the right way of getting good grades. You need to instill good values by stating that you have trust in their hard work. The achievement at the end of an exam is good results, which is its own reward.

Finally, at the end of exams one can celebrate with a treat that everyone can look forward to, such as a meal out or a trip to the cinema. l

University of California, Berkeley

n Education Desk

The University of California, Berkeley (also referred to as UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, or simply Cal) is a public reMILES AWAY search university located in Berkeley, California, United States. The university occupies 1,232 acres (499 ha) on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay with the central campus resting on 178 acres (72 ha).

Berkeley is considered a Public Ivy and the flagship institution of the 10-campus University of California system.

Established in 1868 as the result of the merger of the private College of California and the public Agricultural, Mining, and Mechanical Arts College in Oakland, Berkeley is the oldest institution in the UC system and offers approximately 350 undergraduate and graduate degree programmes in a wide range of disciplines.

Berkeley faculty, alumni, and researchers have won 71 Nobel Prizes (including 28 alumni Nobel laureates), 9 Wolf Prizes, 7 Fields Medals, 15 Turing Awards, 45 MacArthur Fellowships, 20 Academy Awards, and 11 Pulitzer Prizes.

History

In 1866, the land comprising the current Berkeley campus was purchased by the private College of California.

Because it lacked sufficient funds to operate, it eventually merged with the state-run Agricultural, Mining, and Mechanical Arts College to form the University of California, the first full-curriculum public university in the state.

Ten faculty members and 40 students made up the new University of California when it opened in Oakland in 1869.

Student housing

Students at UC Berkeley live in a variety of housing that cater to personal and academic preferences and styles.

The university offers two years of guaranteed housing for entering freshmen, and one year for entering transfer students. The immediately surrounding community offers apartments, Greek (fraternity and sorority) housing and cooperative housing, twenty of which are houses that are members of the Berkeley Student Cooperative.

Requirements for international freshman students

To be considered for admission to UC Berkeley, international applicants must: • Finish secondary school.

• Earn a certificate of completion, which allows admission to a university in their home country or country of graduation.

Students who have completed the IGCSE or O-level examinations have not yet met the requirements for admission evaluation at UC Berkeley. The university re-

quires further study, either completion of the 2-year A-level programme with a minimum of 3 academic exams, the IB diploma programme, or another similar academic curriculum.

Language requirements

Proficiency in English is critical to success at UC Berkeley. One of the following exams is required of all international applicants from non-English speaking countries: • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – a score of 7 or higher on the academic module.

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) – a score of 80 or higher on the TOEFL iBT or 550 or higher on the paper-based exam.

Financial documentation

Before a US consul will grant a visa, you must prove that you will have sufficient money to meet all your expenses while studying in the United States. You must explain the source of your funds and guarantee that you will receive them while at UC Berkeley.

When you leave your country, you must have enough money to

• Pay for travelling expenses to UC Berkeley.

• Pay fees for the entire term.

• Meet living expenses until more money reaches you.

• Pay the return fare to your home.

If your country’s government requires verification of enrollment before money can be forwarded to you, you may request the campus International Student Advisor to provide verification after you have completed your UC registration.

Student visa information

COURTESY

I have problems memorising for exams. I do science and have much to memorise. What should I do?

Ms Pop: Memorising is not ASK always the best solution; MS POP work on understanding the material. Use mnemonics to help you remember. Take it slow and understand works in-depth, and hopefully your problem will go away.

I love reading. My problem is I can’t find like-minded people who like reading.

I want to start a book club to read and discuss books. How do I go about this?

Ms Pop: You may try to search Facebook to find such book clubs. If not, I would suggest you take the lead and set up a book club and circulate the idea among friends. Best place these days to start a group is Facebook.

Make a group and invite people you know.

Try to have a meeting once or twice a month to meet these people. Always have these sessions at a public place and make sure you are not inviting any bad influence. l

Students, teachers and parents are encouraged to send in their queries or share their problems at education@dhakatribune.com

BYLC to host Youth Leadership Bootcamp Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC) is hosting a Youth Leadership Bootcamp, a three-day residential leadership programme from October 5th to the 7th at BRAC Learning Centre in Chittagong. 100 selected participants will receive full scholarship from the US Embassy, the title sponsor of the event.

Youth Leadership Bootcamp will interweave class discussions and activities with panels, reflective exercises, exposure visits and simulations over the three days to provide participants with a deeper sense of purpose, clarity of vision and equip them with leadership tools necessary to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Each day will focus on different learning outcomes. After exploring their own leadership styles on the first day, partici-

pants will experience real-world challenges and business practices by visiting different industries on the second day.

On the final day, participants will learn to write effective resume and cover letter, perform better in interviews, and prepare personal action plans for their professional development. The

After exploring their own leadership styles on the first day, participants will experience real-world challenges and business practices programme will end with a networking event where the bootcamp participants will get an opportunity to share knowledge and build relationship with many leaders from private, public and nonprofit sectors.

University students are encouraged to apply online between August 6 and September 7 on http://www.bylc.org/ bootcamp/ l

All admitted international students will be required to complete a Nonimmigrant Information Form (NIF).

A guarantee by the applicant’s financial sponsor proving sufficient funds for the first year of study is required.

Upon receipt of the completed NIF, the Berkeley International Office (BIO) will issue the document needed for student visa application. l

6 steps to smarter study n Education Desk Learning smartly is a process and requires practice. Working on your study skills will keep your edge sharp over time. It will TIPS & make it easier for you TRICKS to learn. Here are six steps to smarter studying:

Pay attention

When you pay attention in class and take notes, you are starting the process of learning.

Do you have trouble paying attention in class? Are you sitting next to a loud person? Is it hard to see the board?

Make sure you are sitting in a good seat that lets you pay attention. Tell your teacher or parents about any problems that are preventing you from paying attention and taking good notes.

Good notes = Easier studying

Not sure how to take notes? Start by writing down facts that your teacher mentions or write on the board during class. Try your best to use good handwriting so you can read your notes later. It is also a good idea to keep your notes, quizzes, and papers organised by subject in separate notebooks or files for each subject.

Plan and you’ll be glad you did

Waiting until the last day to prepare for study will get you in to trouble. The best way to make sure you do your best is to plan.

Get a calendar for your desk or study area and write down your test and assignment due dates. You can then plan

how much to do after school each day, and how much time to spend on each topic. Are lessons or extracurricular activities making it hard to find time to study? Ask your mom or dad how to make a schedule of what to do when.

Break it up!

When there is a lot to study, it can help to break things into chunks. Let us say you have a test on 20 spelling words.

Instead of thinking about all of the words at once, try breaking them down into five-word chunks and working on one or two different chunks each night.

Make smaller notes for each exam.

Transfer those notes on to flash card so that it is easier to carry and to remember when you are trying to memorise or internalise it.

Most brains can only pay attention for about 45 minutes. So if you have been working for a while and find it hard to pay attention, try taking a break for some water or a walk around the house. Just fight the temptation to turn on the TV or stop working!

Ask for help

You cannot study effectively if you do not understand the material. Be sure to ask your teacher for help if you are confused about something. You can check for yourself by reading through your notes. If you are at home when the confusion occurs, your mom or dad might be able to help.

Sleep tight!

Your brain needs time to digest all the information you have given it. Try to get a good night’s sleep and you will be surprised by what comes back to you in the morning. l

Know your words Flippant - [flip-uhnt] adjective Meaning: frivolously disrespectful, shallow, or lacking in seriousness VOCAB Origin: Late Middle LESSONS English Synonyms: saucy, impertinent, impudent Gaffe - [gaf] noun Meaning: a social blunder; faux pas.

Origin: French Synonyms: boner, boo-boo, howler, impropriety, indecorum, indiscretion, putting foot in mouth, slip, solecism Hiatus - [hahy-ey-tuhs] noun Meaning: a break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action Origin: Latin Synonyms: blank, breach, break, chasm, discontinuity, gap, interim, interval, lacuna, lapse, opening, rift, space Ignoble - [ig-noh-buhl] adjective Meaning: of low character, of low grade or

quality; inferior Origin: Late Middle English Synonyms: coarse, common, contemptible, corrupt, craven, dastardly, degenerate, degraded, despicable, disgraceful, dishonorable, heinous, humble, infamous, inferior, lewd, low, mean Incognito - [in-kog-nee-toh, in-kog-ni-

toh] adjective Meaning: having one’s identity concealed, as under an assumed name, especially to avoid notice or formal attentions.

Origin: Italian Synonyms: camouflaged, concealed, disguised, hidden, incog, isolated, masked, masquerading, obscure, under assumed name, unknown, unrecognised l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

Stock market refinance scheme faces objections n Asif Showkat Kallol The finance division has raised seven objections to a proposal of the share market refinance scheme committee on how the Tk9bn package would be disbursed.

Their differences are mainly on interest rate, duration of the fund and the authorities, who will administer the fund, a senior official said yesterday.

The committee, headed by Commissioner Arif Khan of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission, submitted the recommendation to the division on July 18 to disburse Tk3bn of the fund.

The finance division suggested the ICB to get the government fund at an interest rate of 5%, but the committee wants the rate should be 4%.

It wants ICB to distribute the fund to the merchant banks at 6% interest, including one percent for them as service charge, while the merchant banks will provide loan to the affected small investors at a maximum interest rate of 10%.

The committee wants the service charge for the ICB should be 2% and the merchant banks will charge 8% interest from the affected investors.

The finance division wants the fund will be monitored by the BSEC, but the

committee suggested it to be administered by a new supervision committee comprised of Bangladesh Bank, BSEC and ICB. The supervision committee will administer the fund with advises and guidelines from Bangladesh Bank and banking division if the committee seeks services from the government agencies.

The finance division recommended that the refinancing fund will remain effective till December while the committee suggested it to continue till December 2016.

Banking Secretary Dr M Aslam Alam told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that ICB would suffer financial losses if the government approves the finance division recommendations instead of BSEC committee.

The finance division objections are now being scrutinised before sending it to the finance minister for approval, he said. “We hope the fund will be released within a week.”

Following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s direction last year in providing the fund support, Bangladesh Bank and the finance ministry had asked the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh to collect the first phase of Tk9bn to implement the refinance scheme for the small-scale investors affected by the stock market crash in 2010. l

Stock market opens today after Eid vacation n Tribune Report Stock market opens today after a sixday Eid vacation, amid looming political uncertainty that hit investors’ sentiment over the months.

Trading at the Dhaka and Chittagong stock exchanges starts from 10:30am and will continue to 2:30pm while office hours will be from 9:30am to 5:30pm as usual.

The market witnessed lower volume of trade as well, indicating investors remained skeptical over the immediate rebound of the market, analysts said.

Before closing for holiday starting from August 6, the benchmark index DSEX ended at 3,892 with a gain of 58 points or 1.6%. The rise came after four-day losses.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, gained 102 points to 7,668.

Essentials dearer amid supply shortage n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi Prices of essentials in the city’s kitchen markets increased due to supply shortage as suppliers went to enjoy Eid vacation.

Retailers said they had to buy essentials at higher prices from the wholesale markets where traders asked for higher prices on excuse of supply shortage.

While visiting different kitchen markets in the city yesterday, it was seen the prices of essentials rose by a range between Tk5 and Tk10 per kilogram amid very thin presence of consumers.

Green chilli was selling at Tk80 per Kg at Karwan Bazaar and Farmgate kitchen markets while onion at Tk65, which was Tk 50 before the Eid vacation.

Meanwhile, Brinjal were being sold at Tk50 per kg, Tomatoes Tk120-130, ladies finger at Tk35, pointed gourd (potol) at Tk30, potato at Tk20 and garlic Tk60-65.

Meanwhile, broiler chickens are being sold at Tk160-165 per kg while local variety of chicken Tk300 per kg.

“Prices of commodities at the kitchen market rose due to supply shortage,” said Md Emran Master, president of Bangladesh Kanchamal Arot Samity (an association of wholesale traders), adding that most of the workers went on Eid holiday hidering the supply.

Suppliers were not bringing goods to the markets as the city dwellers just started returning to Dhaka after the Eid vacation, he added. He expressed concern over further price hike due to 48hour hartal on July13-14.

“I bought onion at Tk65 per kg which was Tk50 per Kg before Eid,” said Sumon Howlader, a shopper at Karwan Bazar. He said retailers hiked prices without any valid reason.

“The supply of onions is not sufficient due to Eid holiday, pushing up the price,” said Halim Khan, a trader at Karwan Bazar. l

Over the several months, the market has gone through volatility as investors, even institutional ones, felt shy for betting long term investment out of fears of political chaos perceived to take place in the days ahead.

The total DSE turnover stood at Tk2.2b on Monday, the final day before the Eid holidays. The turnover figure is considered too low taking the present market size into the account.

“Investors were upholding their judgment to be much more careful in respect of their day-to-day trading as they were observing turnaround situations, especially upcoming political developments,” said IDLC Investment in its analysis. Consequently, participation maintained slower level due to lack of optimistic incentives and investors’ watchful tendency over future directions, it said. l

Banks open understaffed n Tribune Report

Banks witness a thin presence of clients as they open after Eid vacation yesterday

Green banking policy released n Tribune Report

Bangladesh Bank has released a policy guideline for green banking to operate in a formal and structured manner in line with the global norms to protect environmental degradation and ensure sustainable banking practices.

The initiative is to help develop green banking practices in the country, said a circular issued yesterday.

It said the indicative Green Banking Policy and strategy framework has been developed for the Financial Institutions.

The central bank said the policy needs to be covered in a time bound manner which will be segregated into three phases.

The financial institutions have to develop green banking policies and show general commitment on environment through in-house performance.

The time lining for the actions to be taken under Phase-I should not exceed June 30 next year.

The actions under Phase-I include policy formulation and governance, incorporation of environmental risk in CRM, initiating in-house environment management, and introducing green finance.

The time line for the actions to be taken under Phase-II should not exceed December 31 next year.

The time line for the actions to be taken under Phase-III should not exceed June 30, 2015. l

RAJIB DHAR

Global retailers defer Rana Plaza compensation meet n Kayes Sohel A meeting to fix compensation for victims of Rana Plaza collapse and Tazreen fire incidents was postponed until next month as a union leader fell sick.

The meeting venue was also shifted from Dhaka to Geneva to avoid shutdowns often called by political parties in Bangladesh.

The meeting aiming to put together a full and fair compensation package for all the victims and their families of the two fatal accidents was initially planned for yesterday and today in Dhaka.

After rescheduling, the meetings will now be held in Geneva in September and the exact date has not yet decided, says IndustriAll, a global union federation, in a statement.

“With the sudden illness of a key union official and a strike threat in Bangladesh, we feel that the meetings will be more fruitful at a later date,” said IndustriAll General Secretary Jyrki Raina, who is organising the meeting.

He said: “We thought it was a better solution to do this in Europe in September. The problem is Rana Plaza workers and families aren’t receiving money, so it’s not as it should be.”

IndustriAll estimates the long-term compensation cost will be $71m for the Rana Plaza collapse, where 1,131 people were killed in the nation’s worst industrial accident, and $5.7m for the Tazreen garment factory fire, which killed 112.

Responsibility in giving compensation is shared between the global brands and retailers sourcing from Tazreen and Rana Plaza, the factory owners, the BGMEA and the government of Bangladesh.

The compensation will be given in line with the ILO Convention 121 on employment injury benefits. The compensation mechanism was developed after the Spectrum factory collapse in Bangladesh in 2005.

The formula sets out clear guidelines for payment to families of dead and injured workers and takes into account loss of earnings, pain and suffering, and also medical costs, funeral costs and other important family expenses.

“It is a clear priority for IndustriAll that international standards are respected on this important issue of compensation in the case of Rana Plaza and Tazreen. What we all want is to make the mechanisms agreed in the Bangladesh Accord quickly a reality so that compensating dead and injured garment workers in Bangladesh becomes a thing of the past,” said Raina.

Nearly three weeks into the world’s worst industrial accident at Rana Plaza, more than 80 American and European retailers and brands signed three accords – National Action Plan, Fire and Building Safety Accord, and North American Alliance – separately for improving working condition in the garment factories in Bangladesh. l

Fast Retailing signs Europe-led Bangladesh fire and safety accord n Tribune Business Desk Fast Retailing Co Ltd, Asia’s biggest retailer and operator of the Uniqlo clothing chain, said on Thursday it had signed a Europe-led safety pact for Bangladesh garment factories after a building collapse in April killed more than 1,100 people.

A spokesman for the Japanese firm said the company had taken several months to join the accord - already signed by European clothing companies H&M and Zara operator Inditex SA - because it wanted to thoroughly consider the pact’s conditions, reports Reuters.

“Our reason is quite simple - our priority is to work across the industry to improve conditions for the workers in Bangladesh, so we just wanted to join in,” said Aldo Liquori, a spokesman for the firm in Tokyo.

Fast Retailing’s clothes were not being manufactured in the factory that collapsed on April 24 but the company said it had also completed an investigation into its subcontractors’ factories in Bangladesh.

Several firms have decided not to sign the pact and instead adopt their own initiatives to tighten safety and improve worker conditions in the country, including US firms Wal-mart Stores Inc, Gap Inc and Target Corp.

In a release, the company said: “The accord commits to safeguard garment workers in Bangladesh against building collapse and fire and, using funds from its signatories, plans to survey all manufacturing facilities for related risks within the next two years and subsequently implement required reforms to improve working conditions.”

In 2010, Fast Retailing launched a social business initiative in Bangladesh to address issues of poverty, education, hygiene, gender-inequality and the en-

vironment.

In July 2013, the company launched two stores in Dhaka, under the Grameen UNIQLO name, to further contribute to the local community by sharing best work practices, creating jobs, and offering quality, affordable clothing to the people of Bangladesh.

Fast Retailing began a review of the accord following the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza in Savar in April 2013, said the company.

Upon disclosure of the full details of the Accord on July 8, Fast Retailing confirmed that it effectively ensures the safety of garment workers in Ban-

gladesh and committed to fully back the initiative.

Independent of its review of the accord, Fast Retailing initiated on May 27 its own investigation into fire and building safety at the facilities run by its manufacturing partners in Bangladesh, working with an independent third party.

“This investigation is now complete, and follow up confirmation of building safety is planned, working with experts from Japan. Full final results on the facilities run by its partners are expected

by November 2013.”

In 2004, Fast Retailing introduced a

Code of Conduct for all of its manufacturing partners, and today continues to work with outside experts to monitor conditions at its partners’ facilities to ensure compliance.

Its current independent investigation is an aspect of this process, aimed at strengthening building and fire safety.

While investing in not only manufacturing but also in brick and mortar stores in Bangladesh, Fast Retailing aims to advance the working environment in the country, and continue to contribute to the development of the local economy, to improve people’s lives. l

Banks, financial institutions and insurance companies have re-opened their respective offices and branches yesterday after a three-day Eid vacation amid poor presence of staffs as well as their clients.

The staffs were seen exchanging greetings on the first day after the vacation.

A senior officer at Kawran Bazar branch of United Commercial Bank Limited (UCB) said presence of clients is low due to the Eid vacation. “It will take two to three days to get the momentum.”

He apprehended whether his colleagues, who are enjoying extended holidays, would be able to make timely return due to the 48-hour hartal.

“More staffs are expected to return to their jobs from today, said an officer of a AB Bank branch.

He expressed concern over hartal as it may hamper safe return of officials. l

Oil prices rise on upbeat China data n AFP, London Oil prices rose on Friday after a run of losses and as China posted upbeat industrial output data that bolstered the outlook for the world’s top energy consumer.

The data came as the International Energy Agency (IEA) trimmed its outlook for world oil demand growth over the next 18 months and highlighted threats to the dominance of producer cartel OPEC. Brent North Sea crude for delivery in September climbed 75 cents to stand at $107.43 a barrel in London midday deals.

New York’s main contract, West Texas Intermediate for September, jumped $1.15 to $104.55 a barrel.

China’s industrial production growth accelerated in July to a fivemonth high of 9.7% year-on-year, the government announced Friday.

July’s factory output figure, higher than June’s 8.9%, exceeded analyst expectations.

The country also posted lower-thanexpected inflation, which held steady at 2.7% in July, marginally below market expectations of 2.8%, potentially giving the government more room to stimulate the economy.

The IEA said that new data on the difficulty the global economy is having in picking up speed meant that demand for oil would grow by slightly less than it had foreseen in July. l

VoIP takes toll on Banglalink revenue n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Banglalink, the second largest mobile phone operator in the country, has reported 13.8% revenue drop in second quarter as affected allegedly by the application of regulatory directives of deactivation of VoIP customers.

VimpelCom, parent company of Banglalink, released the report last week – acknowledging for the first time that VoIP affected their business.

Earlier, the telecom regulator had fined this operator Tk1.68bn for involvement in VoIP operations during the last caretaker government regime.

From April to June, Banglalink’s revenue stands at Tk10.1bn, which was Tk11.7bn in the same period of previous year. In the first half, their revenue stood at Tk19bn, down from Tk22bn of the first half of 2012.

In the second quarter of 2013, Banglalink’s year-on-year Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) dropped by 16%.

The report explained: “As previously communicated, the deactivation of high value suspected VoIP customers, in compliance with regulations set by the regulator, is expected to have a prolonged negative impact during 2013.”

Total deactivations related to suspected VoIP customers during 2Q13 stood at 190,000 customers, in addition to the combined total of 1.06 million customers deactivated in 4Q12 and 1Q13.

In addition, fourteen days of national strikes in 2Q13 negatively impacted business, the report adds.

Banglalink also said its mobile data revenues increased 115% in Q2 2013.

Its subscriber base increased 6% to 27.1 million, driven by high gross additions and lower churn rate.

The government reduced SIM tax to Tk300 from Tk600 previously.

The government imposed 7.5% VAT on 3G spectrum fees in May 2013, while also increasing corporate tax rates on listed companies to 40% from 35%. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

7

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

PayPal keen on collaboration for cash-free future n AFP, San Francisco Online financial transactions titan PayPal says it is keen to collaborate with others as it strives for a cash-free future.

“We are all about working with developers to let them take advantage of the heavy lifting we’ve done when it comes to moving money around the world,” Hill Ferguson, the company’s vice president of global product, told AFP. PayPal - founded 15 years ago with a vision of becoming a global currency - has also been working with stores in the United States and abroad to let people pay for almost anything with Internet-Age digital wallets.

The trend is proliferating around the globe, according to Ferguson.

“People use their identities to represent themselves when they want to buy something, and merchants get easier ways to know who their customers are and focus on the personalized experiences,” he said.

“We really see the future of money as being completely digital - bringing the experience to the front and the payment to the background,” he add-

ed. “Right now, it is just the opposite.”

Ferguson spoke on the sidelines of San Francisco’s Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, where PayPal had quite a setup to tune people into the prospect of going cash-free.

For one, a mock police force patrolled for “visible wallet bulge” as the crowd jammed to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and other acts in Golden Gate Park.

‘We are all about working with developers to let them take advantage of the heavy lifting we’ve done when it comes to moving money around the world’ “A music festival is a place where you shouldn’t have to carry cash and worry about your wallet,” Ferguson said.

“That is the future of commerce, and we want to show that and share that with the rest of the world.”

The popularity of PayPal and rival Square, brainchild of Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey, suggest people are growing increasingly comfortable with the idea of smartphones and tablets being a new way transact business. l

BOJ chief calls for fiscal discipline n Reuters, Tokyo Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda issued a strong warning on Thursday against easing up on fiscal discipline, stressing that the country can raise the sales tax and still keep the economy strong enough to put an end to grinding deflation.

His remarks came amid an intensifying political debate on whether Japan should proceed with a planned two-stage hike in the sales tax from next year, or opt for a more moderate rise to ease the pain on an economy just emerging from stagnation.

At a two-day rate review that ended earlier on Thursday, the BOJ kept monetary policy steady and held off on revising up its assessment of the economy, preferring to wait for more clues on whether increasingly positive data will encourage companies to ramp up spending.

While refraining to comment directly on whether Japan should go ahead with the tax hikes, Kuroda said that without efforts to rein in Japan’s huge public debt, investors may sell government bonds en masse and push up yields to punishing levels.

Royal Bank of Scotland sells India businesses n AFP, New Delhi The Royal Bank of Scotland Group has said it plans to sell some of its Indian assets, including its credit card and mortgage business, to a domestic bank as it disposes of more of its once sprawling empire.

RBS, now more than 80% owned by the British government following the 2008 global financial crisis, plans to sell its business banking, credit card business and mortgage loan portfolio to India's Ratnakar Bank, the two banks said.

Ratnakar Bank is one of India's smallest commercial banks but has fared well in recent years by selling stock to private equity funds. The banks gave no value for the deal, which is subject to approval by India's competition regulator, in a joint statement late Friday.

"RBS had built an extremely high quality business in India which is rich in current accounts and it will be our endeavour to ensure we not only maintain the existing customer proposition, but enhance it," Rajeev Ahuja, head of strategy and markets at Ratnakar Bank, said in the statement.

RBS was bailed out by the British government after the financial crisis and has been disposing of non-core assets.

RBS first signed an agreement in 2010 with Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corp to sell its India retail assets but that agreement collapsed late last year.

The latest agreement involves the transfer of some of RBS' employees as well as over 120,000 customers to Ratnakar Bank.

The Edinburgh-based RBS will keep a retail presence in 10 places in India including Mumbai, Kolkata, New Delhi, Bangalore and Pune but will close 21 other branches. l

“The BOJ is buying huge amounts of government bonds. This in itself is necessary to achieve our 2% inflation target,” Kuroda told a news conference after the rate review. “But if markets start to worry that Japan’s fiscal discipline is loosening...or that the BOJ is monetizing public debt, long-term interest rates may spike and reduce the effect of our quantitative easing,” he said.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is wavering on whether to proceed with the scheduled tax hikes, has instructed the government to hold meetings with business leaders and academics later this month to assess the impact on the economy.

Economics Minister Akira Amari said a final decision would be made in late September through early October.

As widely expected, the BOJ maintained its policy launched in April of nearly doubling the monetary base to 270tn yen ($2.8tn) by the end of 2014 to end deflation and achieve its 2% inflation target. A slew of positive data released since the BOJ’s previous meeting had heightened expectations it may offer a rosier view of the economy to say more convincingly that it is recovering. l

Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S4 (L) and Apple’s iPhone 5 are seen in this picture illustration taken in Seoul. A US appeals court on August 9, 2013 wrestled with a request by Apple Inc for a permanent injunction against Samsung Electronics Co Ltd in a case that could have a deep impact on US patent litigation REUTERS

Apple patent wins could mean US import ban for Samsung n Reuters, Washington

Some older Samsung Electronics Co. mobile devices face a sales and import ban in the United States after a US trade panel ruled for Apple Inc. in a high-profile patent infringement case.

The US International Trade Commission on Friday ruled that South Korea’s Samsung infringes on portions of two Apple Inc patents on digital mobile devices, covering the detection of headphone jacks and operation of touchscreens.

The decision is likely to inflame passions in the long-running dispute and could spark a rebuke from South Korea.

The panel moved to prohibit Samsung from importing, selling and distributing devices in the United States that infringe on certain claims on the patents. It is unclear how many Samsung phones and devices would be subject to the ban.

All exclusion orders are sent to President Barack Obama, who has 60 days to review them. If he does not veto the order, it will go into effect.

Apple was ebullient. “The ITC has

joined courts around the world in Japan, Korea, Germany, Netherlands and California by standing up for innovation and rejecting Samsung’s blatant copying of Apple’s products,” said company spokeswoman Kristin Huguet.

The ruling was the latest in a patent battle between Apple and Samsung that has spread across several countries as the companies vie for market share in the lucrative mobile industry.

Samsung and Apple are the Nos. 1 and 2 smartphone makers.

But it comes less than a week after the Obama administration overturned an ITC decision from June that would have banned the sales of some older-model Apple iPhones and iPads in the United States for violating Samsung patents.

US Trade Representative Michael Froman vetoed the ban on Saturday, cited its “effect on competitive conditions in the US economy and the effect on US consumers.”

That move, the first veto of an ITC ruling in decades, triggered concerns in the South Korean government and

led to closer scrutiny of Friday’s ruling than usual.

Letting the ban on Samsung devices stand after having so recently intervened in the Apple case could spur allegations the administration is showing favoritism toward Cupertino, California’s Apple.

But a key difference between the cases is that the patents Apple was said to have infringed were so-called standard essential patents, which cover technology that must be used to comply with industry standards. The patents in the latest case are considered commercial and non-essential.

Four other patent infringements asserted by Apple were turned down on Friday by the ITC panel, which declared its investigation closed.

“We are disappointed that the ITC has issued an exclusion order based on two of Apple’s patents. However, Apple has been stopped from trying to use its overbroad design patents to achieve a monopoly on rectangles and rounded corners,” Adam Yates, a Samsung spokesman, said in a statement.

Apple had filed a complaint in mid-

Egypt businesses thrive in crush of economic downturn n Reuters, Cairo Egypt’s smaller companies have struggled since the uprising that pushed aside Hosni Mubarak in 2011. But in a few corners of the economy, businesses are doing just fine.

Against a background of unrest, access to credit and foreign currency has dried up. Government officials have stopped taking decisions and security has all but disappeared from the streets.

Factories and workshops have been hit by interruptions in subsidized diesel and gasoline and by regular power outages as the government runs low on the dollars it needs to import petroleum products from abroad.

Gross domestic product grew at an annualized rate of just 2.3% in the nine months to end-March, well below the 6% a year thought necessary to absorb new entrants to the labour force.

But for many in the food production, building supply and other businesses, even though the economy may have slowed, people keep demanding services.

“Last year we had in sales volume terms and in value terms our best-ever year in the Egyptian market, and this year will be even better,” said Taher Gargour, managing director of sanitary ware and tile-maker Lecico Egypt.

“We’re selling more at higher prices than we’ve done in any year, even the best years of the Mubarak economy when overall GDP growth was at its peak.”

At a time when mainstream contractors were suffering for lack of business, Lecico has been supplying toilets and tiles to small and individual builders who were taking advantage of a breakdown in government zoning rules.

Across the country, skylines have turned brick-red as people add illegal floors and build concrete and firedbrick buildings on agricultural and other restricted land.

The building boom has also been

Traders work at the Egyptian stock exchange in Cairo. The Egyptian pound edged stronger at a central bank foreign exchange auction on Thursday, a day after the military ousted the country’s president REUTERS driven by Egypt’s bulge of young adults at marriage age seeking a place to live.

“The other story is that given uncertainties about the economy and the strength of the Egyptian pound, people are moving to real estate as a sort of safe haven investment,” Gargour said.

Lecico’s net profit jumped 28% yearon-year to 16.3m Egyptian pounds in the first quarter of 2013, while revenue climbed 15% to 331.9m pounds.

Hussien Mansour, chief executive of Aller Aqua Egypt, a maker of extruded feed pellets for fish farms, says the business environment has become insufferable.

“Egypt’s currency problem makes it harder to import,” Mansour said. “The diesel shortage is hurting production.

Wages are rising and security on roads has become a problem.”

As the government borrows to finance a steadily growing budget deficit, private borrowers are being crowded out.

Banks are giving fewer loans, demanding more rigorous guarantees and setting more conditions. They now typically charge 18% interest on loans, plus administrative costs and fees, Mansour said.

The lack of access to credit means

businesses have to prepay with cash, which ties up capital and is painful for companies whose products have an expiry date.

“The collection time that used to take a week can now take two months.

This is affecting very big companies as well as small companies,” he said.

Yet this hasn’t stopped Aller Aqua, an Egyptian-Danish partnership, from taking advantage of the economic downturn to build a new factory in Sixth of October City west of Cairo.

“Lots of contractors are suffering because the market is bad. Many have suspended operations,” Mansour said. l

2011, accusing Samsung of infringing its patents in making a wide range of smartphones and tablet. Apple has alleged that Samsung’s Nexus 4G and some Galaxy and Intercept devices were among those made with the infringing technology.

Samsung has said its newer models incorporate features that work around disputed technology.

In a busy day in the long-running series of patent spats by the two archrivals, a US appeals court earlier on wrestled with a request by Apple for a permanent injunction on sales of some phones made by Samsung for other alleged violations.

Apple is appealing a lower court ruling that rejected the iPhone maker’s request that some older-model Samsung phones be permanently banned.

At stake is whether judges can permanently ban the sale of a complex device like a smartphone if a court finds that it violates a patent that covers just one of the device’s hundreds of features. Samsung and other smartphone makers say a decision in favor of Apple could cripple the market. l

Japan’s national debt: one quadrillion yen and counting n AFP, Tokyo Japan’s eye-watering national debt has topped one quadrillion yen, official data showed Friday, a record figure that underlines Tokyo’s struggle to curb its huge borrowing.

The figure supplied by the finance ministry of 1.008 quadrillion yen by the end of June amounts to about $10.42 trillion at current exchange rates.

A quadrillion is one thousand trillion. Tokyo has the dubious distinction of having, proportionately, the biggest debt pile among industrialised nations, more than twice the size of its economy.

The lion’s share of that debt is from long- and short-term Japanese government bonds, as well as other borrowing.

The staggering figure, about 1.7 percent higher than the previous quarter, comes a day after Japan pledged to slash its budget and get spending under control.

Japan has not faced a public debt crisis like the kind seen across the debt-riddled eurozone, largely because most of its low-interest debt is held domestically rather than by international creditors.

But the International Monetary Fund and others have issued warnings about Tokyo’s ever-increasing borrowing, after a series of sovereign credit rating downgrades in recent years.

This week, the IMF called on Japan to adopt a “credible” fiscal plan to repair its books, including raising sales taxes to generate new revenue.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government is mulling whether to go ahead with a series of sales tax rises that would double the rate to 10 percent by 2015, a key source of new income but one that some fear would stall his economy-boosting plan dubbed “Abenomics”. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Pakistan accuses India of attack on border posts n AFP, Islamabad Pakistan Sunday accused Indian forces of firing on its border posts close to eastern city of Sialkot, Punjab province, sparking an “intermittent exchange of fire” between the two sides.

The fighting is the latest in a spate of recent cross-border skirmishes between the two nuclear-armed neighbours who have fought three wars since independence from the British rule in 1947, two over the Muslim-majority region of Kashmir.

Tensions have recently flared up in the heavily militarised Kashmir valley with both accusing each other of cross-border firings but Sunday’s incident took place near the border in neighbouring Punjab province.

“Indian Border Security Forces resorted to unprovoked firing on Pakistani Rangers posts near Pukhlian, Head Marala area, in Sialkot sector,” a senior military official, told AFP. “Intermittent exchange of fire continues. No loss reported so far,” the official added on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to talk to media.

Indian Defence Minister A K Antony on Thursday hinted at stronger military action along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir after Delhi accused Pakistan’s army of involvement in a deadly overnight ambush on Monday that killed five Indian soldiers.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif tried to ease tensions with India by urging both sides to work swiftly to shore up a 10-year ceasefire threatened by the recent attacks.

But in a fresh allegation of their own on Thursday, Pakistani military officials accused Indian troops of opening fire and seriously wounding a male civilian in the Tatta Pani sector along the LoC. The picturesque Himalayan territory of Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan by the UN-monitored LoC, the de facto border, but is

Curfew extended in Indian Kashmir after clashes n AFP, Srinagar

Modi attacks India’s Pakistan policy at Hyderabad rally

Authorities extended a curfew across nine towns in disputed Indian Kashmir as sporadic clashes between Hindus and Muslims continued for a third day Sunday and the death toll rose to three, police said.

Stores and buildings were torched during unrest which erupted Friday in the town of Kishtwar, 150km southeast of Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar, after prayers marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Omar Abdullah, the state’s chief minister, said local authorities would do “everything possible to restore calm in the region.”

“Curfew is extended...to prevent clashes from spreading”, Ashok Prasad, the state’s director general of police, told AFP after reports of fresh violence emerged late Saturday. l

Gujarat chief minister and BJP poll campaign panel chief Narendra Modi launched blasted the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on a myriad of issues including its foreign policies with Pakistan while addressing a crowd in Hyderabad’s Lal Bahadur Shastri stadium on Sunday, Times of India reported.

He started his speech in Telugu, the official language in Hyderabad, and eventually changed to Hindi. He thanked all the people who gathered to hear his speech and promised to speak before the others who couldn’t make it inside the stadium, according to the Indian news website.

Modi then went on to attack the Centre’s “inaction” against Pakistan’s attack across the line of control (LoC)

Supporters of ousted Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi called more rallies for Sunday to demand his reinstatement, amid last ditch efforts for reconciliation ahead of a threatened crackdown on protests.

The Anti-Coup Alliance said 10 marches would take off from various parts of the capital “to defend the electoral legitimacy” of Egypt’s first freely elected president Morsi, ousted by the military on July 3.

His supporters, led by the Muslim Brotherhood, have kept up two huge protest camps in Cairo and said nothing short of his reinstatement will persuade them to disperse.

The call for fresh rallies comes as Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam’s highest seat of learning, called for reconciliation talks in the latest of a string of attempts to

n Tribune Desk

BJP activists shout anti-Pakistan slogans as they burn an effigy of Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif during a protest against the death of five Indian Army soldiers in cross-border exchanges, in Kolkata AFP claimed in full by both countries.

A deadly flare-up along the LoC in January brought peace talks to a halt.

They had only just resumed after a three-year hiatus sparked by the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 peo-

find a peaceful solution to the political deadlock.

Al-Azhar’s Grand Imam, Ahmed alTayyeb, is to begin contacts with political factions on Monday aimed at convincing them to sit down to talks later this week, state media reported.

“Al-Azhar has been studying all the proposals for reconciliation put forward by political and intellectual figures... to come up with a compromise formula for all Egyptians,” Tayyeb’s advisor, Mahmud Azab, told the stateowned al-Ahram.

Morsi’s turbulent single year in power polarised Egyptians and his ouster by the military only deepened divisions.

The army-backed leadership is under immense pressure at home to crack down on the protests, and immense pressure from the international community to avoid bloodshed. l

WORLD WATCH Afghan police: Chinese shot to death during party

Afghan police say that three Chinese citizens found dead in an apartment building in Kabul last week were shot to death during a party. Gen. Mohammad Zahir, who is chief of the criminal department of the Kabul police, confirmed on Sunday reports in the Chinese media that authorities found four bodies including three Chinese citizens — two women and one man — in an apartment on Thursday. The incident is currently under investigation. Gen. Zahir also confirmed that two more Chinese went missing, but one had been found. He said the fourth body was an Afghan, without giving further details.

In Jamaica, transgender teen murdered by mob

On July 22 Dwayne Jones, 16, was beaten, stabbed, shot and run over by a car when he showed up at a street party dressed as a woman. His mistake: confiding to a friend that he was attending a “straight” party as a girl for the first time in his life.

The teenager was viciously assaulted and apparently half-conscious for some two hours before another sustained attack finished him off. Even though some 300 people were at the dance party in the small riverside community of Irwin, police have yet to make a single arrest in Dwayne’s murder. International advocacy groups often portray Jamaica as the most hostile country in the Western Hemisphere for gays and transgendered people.

n Tribune Desk

that has resulted in the deaths of many Indian soldiers. Modi also rebuked the Centre for compromising Indian interests during the recent Chinese incursions into Indian territory and the stand-off between Indian and Chinese armies in Ladakh.

Regarding the Telangana issue, Modi said, “When Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar, both Bihar and Jharkhand celebrated...Similarly, both Uttarakhand and UP celebrated when Uttarakhand was created. Then, why are the people of Seemandhra and Telangana so divided? “Who is responsible for the rift between people of Telangana and Seemandhra?” he asked indirectly referring to Congress’s role.

Modi then raised the issue of India’s slacking economy, falling rupee and unemployment, ending his speech by prompting the crowd to raise the slogan “Yes, we can. We will do.” l

Gujarat’s Ahmedabad mall charges Muslims entry fee on Eid day

ple. India blamed Pakistani militants for the attack.

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

A trip in the celebratory spirit of Eid turned out to be an experience in discrimination for many Muslims in Narendra Modi’s Gujarat as the Himalaya Mall, among the five biggest malls in Ahmedabad, on Friday announced a fee of Rs 20 from visitors from the minority community, Times of India reported Saturday.

The fee, apparently imposed to ensure safe and calm environment inside the mall, was to be returned to them only if they bought anything from the mall, and retained if they didn’t.

Many felt it was discrimination against a specific group on Eid when footfalls at the mall peaked, the Indian news website read.

“The security personnel were being selective. We saw people walking past without paying any fee. When we asked the security guards, they said that they

Morsi loyalists call fresh protests in Egypt n AFP, Cairo

Monday, August 12, 2013

Detained migrants in Greece attack guards

A protest by illegal migrants detained at a facility northeast of Athens has ended, police said Sunday. The protest started when some detainees attacked guards at nightfall.

According to police, the attack on the guards was unprovoked. The detainees also set fire to their bedding and some of the housing containers. Police said at least 10 prison guards were injured, none of them seriously.

There were no signs of a breach at the detention centre itself, according to a police announcement. There are about 1,700 migrants at the facility. They added that the main cause for the protest was the announcement to the detainees that maximum detention time at the camp was to be increased from 12 to 18 months. Also, electricity had been cut due to maintenance work, leaving the containers without air conditioning.

Elephants take revenge on village as herd member is struck

Last week near the village of Matari in eastern India, a train struck and killed an elephant — an accident that is unfortunately commonplace in that region. About 15 elephants appear to be mourning the loss of one of their own and have returned to the site of the incident, the Times of India said.

The elephants have refused to move the last several days, causing train disruptions.

The elephants also appear to be grieving in a more destructive way: They’ve damaged surrounding houses and even demolished part of a schoolhouse. Efforts to disperse the elephants using firecrackers have been unsuccessful. The elephants have persisted in their vigil.

have orders to follow and asked us to pay up. We’re shocked,” Times of India quoted Saiyad Shaikh as saying. Shaikh, a resident of Delhi Chakla, had come to the mall with his family.

Iliyas Ansari, who stays in Shahpur, told the news agency: “We’re willing to pay entry fee provided the mall charges it from everybody. Why discriminate against just one community?”

Himalaya Mall’s manager (operations) Deepa Bhatnagar told the news agency that it was a “routine move” to check visitors on a busy day.

“We had employed the same mechanism in the past to keep troublemakers out.

We are planning to charge entry fee during the coming festive season including Diwali.

The fee is being returned if any purchase is made, so the entry is practically free,” she said.

Mall officials said that against a routine

Search continues as volcano erupts in Indonesia, kills six n AP, Maumere, Indonesia

A supporter of Egypt’s Morsi waves a national flag as he stands on top of a wooden makeshift hut outside Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque at Nasr City, Cairo AP

daily footfall of around 10,000, Friday saw a surge in the numbers to around 30,000.

About the selective demand of entry fee, she said the administration had decided to exclude women and senior citizens only.

“There was no attempt to exclude anybody or charge specific persons. And, Rs 20 is hardly a deterrent,” she said.

However, a Times of India correspondent observed a “distinct” pattern in which entry was allowed. Youth from specific age groups of the minority community were being scrutinised and asked to pay the fee while whereas women and many others were allowed to walk in without being charged.

Mall officials said last year during Eid they saw two group clashes inside the mall and a glass wall was broken. On Friday, the number of security personnel was increased and a team of policemen was deployed inside as well as outside the mall as authorities did not want any “trouble.” l

Officials were searching Sunday for the bodies of two children as small explosions could be heard from a volcano that erupted a day earlier, killing six people on a small island in eastern Indonesia.

Ash and smoke shot about a mile into the air after Mount Rokatenda in East Nusa Tenggara province erupted early Saturday morning. Nearly 3,000 people have been evacuated from the area on Palue island, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.

The volcano has been rumbling since last October.

The victims who died included three adults and two children, said agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, adding the age of the sixth

person killed was not known. He said that the adults’ bodies were recovered, but that the children’s remains had not been found.

Tini Thadeus, head of the local disaster agency, said Sunday he was pessimistic about recovering the bodies since they were buried under heat volcanic material.

He said small explosions could be heard coming from the peak, which was still sending smoke up to 600 metres into the sky.

The eruption lasted about seven minutes, said Frans Wangge, who heads the volcano’s monitoring post.

He said hot lava burned trees around the beach and villages, and made it difficult to reach the area where the victims were killed. l

100 killed in tribal fighting in Darfur Al-Qaeda attack kills 5 Yemenis n AFP, Khartoum Fighting between two Arab tribes has killed 100 people in Sudan’s Darfur region, where worsening unrest has left hundreds dead this year, one of them said on Sunday.

The battle between a group of Rezeigat and the rival Maaliya tribe happened near Adila in East Darfur state on Saturday.

“We clashed with Maaliya... and we

destroyed a compound of theirs and killed 70 of them,” said a Rezeigat source, who declined to be named. “There is still high tension and men from both sides are gathered,” the source said.

A Maaliya source told AFP: “We still expect more fighting today.” He said the Rezeigat “attacked” and burned villages.

The Maaliya source declined to say how many from his tribe had died but said his group “killed 40” of their adversaries. l

n AFP, Aden, Yemen An attack by “al-Qaeda elements” at a gas terminal in Yemen killed five soldiers on Sunday, a military source said, as Washington kept its embassy in Sanaa closed.

The soldiers belonged to an army unit responsible for security at the Balhaf terminal in Yemen’s Shabwa province, part of which is run by French company Total.

The terminal, through which the bulk

of Yemen’s gas exports pass, was not among the reported targets of a largescale al-Qaeda plot that Yemeni authorities say they foiled in recent days.

But a government spokesman said that pipelines leading to the terminal were among the targets.

Al-Qaeda also plotted to assault the Canadian-run Mina al-Dhaba oil terminal in Hadramawt province further east and take staff hostage, including Western expatriates, said spokesman Rajeh Badi. l

Curfew in Sri Lankan capital after mosque attack n AP, Colombo Sri Lankan police on Saturday declared a curfew in the capital, Colombo, to prevent possible religious clashes after a Buddhist mob threw rocks and vandalised a mosque, injuring at least seven worshippers.

A trustee for the mosque in Colombo, A Hameed, said that four of the seven worshippers hurt in the attack on Masjid Deenul Islam have been hospitalised.

Police spokesman Buddika Siriwardena said two police officers were injured while trying to prevent clashes between the Buddhist mob and Muslim youth who gathered to defend the mosque.

The attack comes amid a growing anti-Muslim campaign by Buddhist nationalist groups who consider

Muslims, who make up nine percent of the island nation’s 20 million population, to be a threat to the political and economic well-being of the 70% ethnic Sinhalese-Buddhists.

“There is a limit to our patience, there is no point regretting if this breaks out into a major clash.

But some fools do not understand this,” said Mohamed Miflal, a Muslim community worker.

“I ask the authorities give us enough protection.”

Buddhist nationalist groups complain that Muslims are dominating businesses and are conspiring to take over the country demographically by increasing their birthrate and secretly sterilising Sinhalese.

Since September 2011 more than 30 attacks on Muslim-owned businesses have been reported. l

A Sri Lankan Muslim man peeps through at the vandalised mosque gate in Colombo

AP

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

9

Monday, August 12, 2013

blame Iraq bombs kill nearly 80, target Eid festivities Iraqis government for Interior Ministry says Iraq faces ‘open war’ fuelled by sectarian divisions, has ramped up Baghdad security

n Reuters, Baghdad A series of car bombs in mainly Shia areas of Baghdad killed 57 people and wounded more than 150 on Saturday, in what appeared to be coordinated attacks on people celebrating the end of Ramadan.

The 12 separate blasts targeting markets, busy shopping streets and parks where families like to mark Eid were part of a surge in sectarian violence in Iraq since the start of the year.

This has been one of the deadliest Ramadan months in years, with regular bomb attacks killing scores of people, especially in the capital. The latest bombings were similar to attacks in Baghdad on Tuesday in which 50 died.

More than 1,000 Iraqis have been killed in July, the highest monthly death toll since 2008, according to the United Nations.

The Interior Ministry has said the country faced an “open war” fuelled

by Iraq’s sectarian divisions and has ramped up security in Baghdad, closing roads and sending out frequent helicopter patrols.

Eighteen months since the last US troops withdrew from Iraq, Sunni Islamist militants have been regaining momentum in their insurgency against the Shia-led government, and have been emboldened by the civil war in neighbouring Syria.

On Saturday, the president of Iraqi Kurdistan said his region was prepared to defend Kurds living in neighbouring Syria, in what appeared to be the first

Pictures showed metal shop fronts contorted by one of the blasts, with blackened scraps of debris littering the ground. Two tires on an axle were all that was left of one of the cars used in the attack.

Car bombs also hit the Shia city of Kerbala, killing four and wounding 11, and targeted a Shia mosque in the northern city of Kirkuk, killing one worshipper and wounding five.

Tensions between Shia, Kurdish and Sunni factions in Iraq’s power-sharing government have been rising, and the renewed violence has sparked fears of a return to the sectarian slaughter of 2006-2007.

On Saturday, the president of Iraqi Kurdistan said his region was prepared to defend Kurds living in neighbouring Syria, in what appeared to be the first warning of a possible intervention

People clean up the aftermath of a car bomb attack on a convenience store in the Shaab neighborhood of Baghdad warning of a possible intervention and a further sign that the conflict is spilling over Syria’s borders.

Outside Baghdad, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb in a car on a busy street in the town of Tuz Khurmato, 170km north of the capital, killing at least 10 people and wounding 45, med-

ical and police sources said.

Tuz Khurmato is located in a particularly violent region over which both the central government and autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan claim jurisdiction.

Police believe the bomber was trying to reach the local headquarters of

AP

a Kurdish political party, but was unable to reach the building because of increased security in the area, a police source said.

In the town of Nassiriya, 300km southeast of Baghdad, twin car bombs near a park killed six people and wounded 25, police and medical sources said.

Iraqis have endured extreme violence for years, but since the since the start of 2013 the intensity of attacks on civilians has dramatically increased, reversing a trend that had seen the country grow more peaceful.

In recent months insurgents have moved beyond attacking shopping districts to targeting youths playing football and people watching matches on television at the Baghdad cafes which have dared to stay open. l

not stopping Eid attacks n AFP, Baghdad Iraqis angrily blamed the authorities on Sunday for failing to prevent bombings that killed 74 people as they marked the Eid holiday ending Iraq’s bloodiest Ramadan in years. The violence was condemned by the international community.

Authorities, though, have highlighted major security operations which they say have led to the killing or capture of numerous militants.

Iraqis voiced frustration with the government and the security forces for failing to prevent the 16 car bombings which killed 74 people on Saturday, 47 of them in the capital.

“There will not be any improvement in the Iraqi situation,” said a man who gave his name as Abu Samer, near the site of a twin car bombing in Shaab, north Baghdad, where eight people were killed.

“I cannot trust any politicians, because they make many promises, and the result of their work is what happens in our country each day.”

In east Baghdad, at the site of another car bombing, Ali al-Shammari said Iraq’s long-running political deadlock was to blame.

“I will never vote for another person again,” the father-of-three continued.

Elsewhere in the capital, security forces tightened searches at checkpoints, leading to long queues of traffic, a blunt measure often employed in the immediate aftermath of deadly attacks.

New attacks on Sunday killed seven people nationwide, officials said. l

Israel to invite bids to Assad sends air force to build 1,000 settler homes prevent rebel advances n AFP, Jerusalem Israel is inviting bids to build over 1,000 settler homes in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, the housing ministry said on Sunday, ahead of peace talks with the Palestinians.

“Tenders will be published” later in the day for 793 units in annexed east Jerusalem and 394 elsewhere in the West Bank, the ministry said in a statement, three days before the next round of talks.

Housing Minister Uri Ariel, of the far-right Jewish Home party, dismissed international criticism of settlement building on occupied Palestinian land as illegal and an obstacle to peace.

“No country in the world accepts diktats from other countries on where it is allowed to build or not,” he said in the statement. “We shall continue to market apartments and build throughout the country.”

The statement said that plots were to be offered in Har Homa and Gilo, both on east Jerusalem’s southern outskirts and in Pisgat Zeev, on the city’s northern edge.

Tenders would also be invited for homes in Ariel, in the northern West Bank, in Maaleh Adumim, east of Jerusalem, and in Efrata and Beitar Ilit, around Bethlehem, it said.

The US State Department said last week that Israeli and Palestinian negotiators would resume talks in Jerusalem on Wednesday on ending their

long-standing conflict. They resumed direct negotiations in Washington last month ending a three-year hiatus after painstaking US mediation.

The last talks in 2010 broke down on the issue of settlement building.

Palestinian negotiator Mohammed Shtayeh said the latest move was proof of Israel’s intentions.

“It is clear that the Israeli government is only interested in illegal settlement building, throwing away American and international efforts to resume negotiations,” he said in a statement.

Lior Amihai, of settlement watchdog Peace Now, said that if negotiations collapsed to a background of Israeli settlement activity, the Jewish state could find itself in a worse situation than it was before talks.

“We need to push and encourage the negotiations,” he said. “It’s a pity that the government chooses to place more obstacles in the way.”

Israeli’s chief negotiator in the talks, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, was to meet with Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon and Science and Technology Minister Yaakov Peri, a former head of the Shin Bet security agency, later on Sunday to approve a first batch of 26 prisoners to be freed ahead of Wednesday’s talks.

A total of 104 long-term Palestinian and Israeli Arab prisoners, in jail since before the 1993 Oslo peace accords, are to be freed in four stages, depending on progress in the talks. l

US owes Snowden ‘debt of gratitude’: Assange n AFP, Sydney Americans owe US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden a debt of gratitude because he prompted President Barack Obama to promise an overhaul of secret surveillance, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said.

Australian-born Assange said the US President had “validated Edward Snowden’s role as a whistleblower” by announcing plans which promised greater oversight and transparency.

Assange said had it not been for Snowden’s disclosures, no one would have known about the programmes and no reforms could have taken place “Today was a victory of sorts for Edward Snowden and his many supporters,” Assange said Saturday in comments published on his Australian website.

“As Snowden has stated, his biggest concern was if he blew the whistle and change did not occur.

“Well reforms are taking shape, and for that, the President and people of the United States and around the world owe

Edward Snowden a debt of gratitude.”

Weeks after former US contractor Snowden leaked details of massive US snooping on private Internet and telephone usage, Obama stood firm in denying any abuse but acknowledged that he needed to address growing concerns.

Snowden, who has fled to Russia, revealed some of the more sweeping aspects of US surveillance on Internet searches and telephone records.

Obama, who cancelled a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in part over Russia’s decision to grant asylum to the 30-year-old, insisted that he has always tried to prevent abuse of surveillance programmes. “I don’t think Mr Snowden was a patriot,” Obama said.

But Assange said had it not been for Snowden’s disclosures, no one would have known about the programmes and no reforms could have taken place. He went on to criticise the Obama administration’ handling of whistleblowers.

Assange has been holed up at the Ecuador embassy in London for over a year after claiming asylum from that country to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over allegations of sexual assault against two women. l

in home province n Reuters, Beirut Warplanes bombed a village in Syria’s north overnight in an apparent effort

by President Bashar al-Assad to prevent rebels fighting him from advancing on communities in the stronghold region of his Alawite sect.

Assad’s forces are on the defensive in his family’s home province of Latakia, and recent rebel gains across northern Syria, including a military air base captured last week in Aleppo province, have further loosened his grip on the country.

Assad controls much of southern and central Syria, while insurgents hold northern areas near the Turkish border and along the Euphrates valley towards Iraq. The northeast corner of the pivotal Arab state is now an increasingly autonomous Kurdish region.

As many as 20 people were killed in the air strikes on the village of Salma, including 10 civilians, six Syrian fighters and four foreign fighters, the anti-Assad Syrian Observatory for Human Rights group said on Saturday.

Amateur video footage posted on the Internet showed a large apartment block with all its outside walls blown out. Men, some in military fatigues, were seen loading bodies onto a pickup truck.

Salma is a Sunni village in the Jabal Akrad mountain range which overlooks the Mediterranean. Salma-based rebel forces comprised of mainly Islamist brigades, including two al-Qaeda-linked groups, have killed hundreds in offensives this month and have seized several Alawite settlements.

Rebels captured the religiously-mixed village of Kharratah three kilometres south of Salma, video posted online by rebels on Friday showed. The insurgents could be seen walking around the village, surrounded by green fields and orchards.

No civilians could be seen and houses appeared to be empty.

Assad has deployed extra forces in the region and the air raids reflected an urgent priority to protect the main region of his Alawite sect – 12% of Syria’s 21 million people.

The president’s forces have also been pushing to retake lost ground in neighboring Aleppo province, where insurgents have made significant headway over the past few weeks.

After the rebel capture last month of Khan al-Assal, a town southwest of Aleppo city, activists said on Saturday soldiers killed 12 civilians, including a woman, in a nearby town. l

An Afghan boy stands in flood water in the Surobi district of Kabul

AP

Flash floods kill 21 near Kabul n AFP, Kabul Flash floods triggered by heavy rain and hail storms killed more than 20 people on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghan officials said Sunday, with a mosque, houses and farmland also damaged.

The flooding hit the Shakardara and Paghman districts to the north and west of Kabul after the unseasonal rains left knee-deep water across many parts of the war-battered city.

“Twenty people, including several children and a woman, were killed in Shakardara,” said Ghulam Farooq, an official at the National Disaster Management Authority.

A mosque, several houses, three

schools and some crops were also damaged by the torrential downpours which struck on Saturday as Afghanistan celebrated Eid to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Harsh winters and heavy snowfalls often cause swollen rivers that lead to floods in the mountainous country in spring and summer.

But Afghanistan has had one of its hottest summers in decades, and the sudden storms quickly overwhelmed Kabul’s poor drainage systems.

Last week flooding in six eastern and southeastern provinces and some districts of the capital killed more than 40 people, destroying hundreds of hectares of farmland and displacing hundreds of people. l

EID CELEBRATIONS IN PALESTINE

Palestinian children play in Gaza City, on August 10, 2013, on the third day of Eid al-Fitr celebrations

AFP

10 DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Monday, August 12, 2013

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

The last minute is now

E

id, one of the most joyous times in the year for Bangladeshis, has come to a close and the nation is now forced to focus on much less pleasant affairs, such as the ongoing political turmoil that is only likely to heat up in the run up to the national election.

Jamaat has already called for 48 hour hartals on August 1314, which will cause much grief to the people returning home after spending Eid with their families. Meanwhile, the standoff between BNP and Awami League continues with neither party showing any signs yet of conciliation to find a way forward.

In fact, BNP has already threatened The country to escalate unrest if their demand deserves more for a caretaker government is not than just three met. days of calm and The AL general secretary respite from the recently said that he is hopeful political chaos that a “last minute” solution will be only serves the found on the poll-time government interests of the and claimed that this is an parties, at the cost acceptable state of affairs because of the nation it is our “national characteristic.”

The climate of uncertainty and fear created by the ongoing political disputes has already caused grave economic damage to the country. Under these circumstances, callous remarks such as the above only demonstrate the total disregard our political leaders have for the wellbeing of the country.

The country deserves more than just three days of calm and respite from the political chaos that only serves the interests of the parties, at the cost of the nation.

We call on the government and the opposition parties to act responsibly and resolve these disputes around elections and other issues without harming the public interest.

facebook.com/DhakaTribune

BUET admission test August 10

I am one of the GPA-5 holders of the total 27,873 from the Science group in this year’s (2013) Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations. But instead of celebrating my achievement I and my parents are literally in a state of mourning. This is because I missed the A+ in English. I got an A. With this score my long-cherished dream of studying at the premier engineering university, the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), now looks uncertain.

Last year, BUET made it mandatory for candidates to have 20 points to be eligible for its admission test instead of the previous 19 points. The points are counted on the basis of 5 for each of the three papers of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry and also English. Before, an A for English would have been enough. This year’s results are generally poorer on all counts.

The BUET authorities might have assumed that results were getting better with every passing year. But there has been a reversal this year.

The number of GPA-5 achievers has dropped. Those who, like me, have scored an A+ in all subjects from the Science Group should not be disqualified from the BUET admission test simply because they scored an A in English. Many brilliant Science students will be left out if this is done. They must be given an opportunity to prove themselves in the admission test. If the BUET authority reverts to the criterion of 19 points, allowing only those who have scored no less than an A in English, we will be able to sit for the admission test. A greater emphasis necessarily should be on results of the three science subjects. Let the authorities do this favour in the interest of tougher competition among students excelling in science subjects.

Anish Halder Dhaka

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fficials at Shahjalal International Airport indicate that only a single jewellery house representing Bangladesh’s 30000 jewellery shops has imported a cache of gold via the airport in the last two years.

At a time of increasing seizures of smuggled gold by law enforcement officials, with up to 300kg of gold intercepted at the airport in the last seven months alone, one claimed reason for such smuggling is a lengthy Business and procedure for importing gold society would through letters of credit and a benefit from 58% tax rate. reforms to make Whatever the root cause of such smuggling, law enforcement import and tax laws officials in practice only capture more fit for purpose a fraction of illegally imported in facilitating items. international trade The consequences of such and investment smuggling are easy to assess.

Not only does it increase opportunities for corruption among airline crews and law officials, but consumers end up paying a higher price.

In the global market, an ounce of pure gold sells at $1,313 or the equivalent of Tk37,914, for one bhori of gold. Yet, ornaments of 22-carat gold sell locally for Tk49,572 per bhori, a disparity that is not explained by demand alone. The high domestic price also limits Bangladesh’s jewellery industry’s efforts to export their products overseas.

Whilst the government did last year halve taxes on imported gold from Tk400 to Tk200 per tola, the legal framework remains 65 years old and slow by international standards.

Business and society would benefit from reforms to make import and tax laws more fit for purpose in facilitating international trade and investment, rather than providing an incentive for smugglers.

CROSSWORD

August 7 Tahmid Islam Why’s everyone calling it a disaster? It’s murder.

Abdur Rashid This picture makes me so sad.

dhakatribune.com

Changing names a bad tradition: Ashraf

Decade long commercial plan for Biman

August 6

August 7

The only viable 10 year plan for Biman is to shut it down. Biman only exists so MPs can fly without tickets. It provides no useful service to Bangladeshis and it’s tragic that the rickshaw driver who will never see the inside of a plane is supporting Biman with his tax money.

Saif Ahmed Let’s hope he isn’t sacked before he can turn Biman around.

Donruhel

Update import laws to reduce smuggling

Man with flowers visits ground zero of Rana Plaza

Kajol to make a comeback by year end August 7

I hope you will come back and make super hits movie again in Bollywood. afriza amri

This govt is trying to name everything after one dead president. Why doesn’t it give others a chance? rutland

Government determined to eliminate rabies by ‘20 August 6

Dear Moniruzzaman, thanks for the wonderful reporting.

There are a few corrections to be made. The number of rabies cases is about 2,000 not 30,0000. Actually number of dog bites is 30,0000.

We have done mass dog vaccinations (MDV) in 54 district municipalities and dog population management in Dhaka city north. Prof Be-Nazir Ahmed, Director Disease Control, DGHS. Prof Be-Nazir Ahmed

Sakhawat Husain I think the government should force BGMEA to use this land to build a 1000 bed hospital and trauma centre, plus a monument for all the dead in various garments factory accidents.

Not just a monument.

Fakrul Upal There are still decent people in this world.

Bangla Art How many more monuments?!?!? Why not erect proper multistory buildings in all the grabbed land Rana took and make a trust that would give stipends to all the victims of Rana Plaza?

Be Heard

Write to us at: Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email us at: letters@dhakatribune.com Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion@dhakatribune.com Visit our website: www.dhakatribune.com Come join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

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Op-Ed

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Monday, August 12, 2013

Film-maker tests limits of freedom in Myanmar n Jared Ferrie

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yanmar movie director Zay Par is doing what would have been unthinkable two years ago – putting the finishing touches to a film that harks back to a 1988 student uprising brutally put down by military rulers.

Hunched in front of a computer in a cramped room in Yangon, Zay Par says he is testing the boundaries of newfound artistic freedom that has blossomed since the junta handed power to a hand-picked civilian government in 2011 - but very carefully.

Snowden’s asylum papers, the detonator for the neo-cold war

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Snowden’s frost How one whistleblower revives the cold war era

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n Towheed Feroze

t is only apt that a person named Snowden should be the cause for freezing relations between the world’s two top nuclear powers.

The scene aired across the globe, showing a stolid-faced Putin alongside a rather resigned Obama, says it all – Russia is not for bending.

The US president looked helpless at times because it is not every day that the head of a major state shows this type of steely resolve to disregard American authority in full view of the international media.

The much talked about security contractor Edward Snowden may be at the heart of all this but perhaps his whistleblowing is just a small factor.

This writer sees the furore created

by Russia’s granting of asylum to Snowden as the perfect situation Russia had sought to prove to the world, that whilst the Soviet Union may have crumbled long ago, Russia alone can stand as a potent balancing factor.

Putin’s Russia has been defying western positions on international affairs for quite some time now, particularly in Syria.

More active Western military intervention may have taken place in Syria long ago, had not China and Russia maintained their veto stance.

In fact, it is only now that the actual situation in Syria is becoming clear.

Sectarian Shia-Sunni divisions lie at the heart of the violent conflict as much as the call for a change to the leadership by the masses, inspired by toppling of autocrats in other Arab states.

To be very honest, if the US and the British decide to help the rebels in Syria they will also be aiding some religious radicals who have sided with the anti-Assad forces.

While the death of civilians has been truly appalling, Syria has now turned into a conundrum of sorts.

Coming back to recent strained US-Russia relations, someone needs to raise this question – what would have happened if Snowden had been a Russian seeking sanctuary in the US? Common sense suggests that in such a scenario, Russia would be ferociously denounced as a violator of democratic rights and freedom of speech and the whistleblower might be given permission to stay in the US. The US defence’s line – by exposing surveillance programmes, Snowden has jeopardised anti-terror strategies – is flimsy and downright silly. The former NSA contractor’s action prove one thing, that the US spies indiscriminately.

Excuses about containing potential terror threats only masquerade an irrepressible American desire to know

what others are doing! Snowden’s revelations also show that the British listened in on their European counterparts. They surely did not expect fellow EU and Nato partners to be colluding with al Qaida?

Whatever the case, it is perhaps no bad thing that Russia and the US are poles apart if one takes into consideration the implications for geopolitics.

Using Syria and Snowden, Russia has sent a message – she is not going to play along

It is not always that one superpower always takes the correct approach so a global balance of power is important.

The observation can be made that the world does not need a post-Soviet era Russia enfeebled by corruption, lack of leadership and stagnation.

Using Syria and Snowden, Russia has sent an unequivocal message.

She is not going to play along with the tunes of others.

Thus Mr Snowden has found a place, albeit temporary, in Russia, and whistleblowing has not left him stuck with life in the transit lounge.

Perhaps there is a lesson here if we shift to Bangladesh, where there have not been any emulations of Snowden yet. But we need some whistleblowers too.

The question is who will grant safety to such people? Most importantly, there is no guarantee that such a person would not regrettably die in an “encounter.”

Here is a hypothetical situation. Let us imagine someone privy to illegitimate events within the government decides to spill the beans and then seeks refuge with the Americans or the British. Would (or could) the respective countries offer help?

This may be a valid debate because today or tomorrow there will be someone whose moral sense will overpower his/her impulses to remain quiet and go with the flow.

As some of us wait for such a day, let us try to understand that tension between the US and Russia is not necessarily harmful.

The history of human civilisation suggests top powers must never be too intimate. Snowden has been but a catalyst ensuring power divisions.

Without such people or factors, efforts for US world domination would be pedestrian. l Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently working in the development sector.

Fundamentally open-minded On the fundamentalisms in the perceived openness of the world n Shahtab Mahmud

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he idea of an open society predates many Semitic religions.

The idea was well-implemented in Athenian Greece but it must have been conceptualised much longer ago.

The Athenian statesman Pericles had identified humanitarianism, equality and political freedom as fundamental characteristics of an “open society.”

This was in the 6th century BC. Now, imagine an open society, the epitome of progress - Basically a collective of non-homogenous humans who may not dress alike, talk alike, eat alike, live alike and may have different beliefs situated in different schools of thought, but must think alike. This congruence on thought comes from their acceptance of diversity.

The burning question now is, would it be acceptable for someone to bring in and hitch a camel in a parking lot lined with fancy, state of the art automobiles? Or if it would be acceptable for an individual to wear a shemag or a kimono to a party where most people are clad in lounge suits?

Is it even imaginable for someone eating with their hands, in an occasion where everyone else is using forks and knives, and not be ridiculed, even behind their backs?

I am certain that answers to a majority of these questions would be ”yes” from a small group of people and I know, for a fact, judging from the way people have reacted in such situations, is that even amongst people who would affirm their acceptance to these notions, there are many who would find such circumstances “awkward.”

The picture that “progressive open society” brings to mind, is that of a group of people educated in colleges,

preferably situated in North America or Europe, or at least have followed their methods of institutionalised education.

They have to speak English, preferably fluently; they would wear business suits or dress shirts and pantaloons; dressing gowns for women are also “acceptable.” They have to have a taste in continental European food or the American renditions of continental and oriental food. The people must, and absolutely must, eat using cutlery.

abhorrent gazes from many sharing the same table with him – that is so not cool, because it’s not western.

Even globalisation has not been able to bridge the East-West divide – the hole is still gaping.

I remember going to a cousin’s birthday party who was seemingly well educated in “liberal arts” across the West. When a guest arrived, clad in a white cloakish-gown – usually worn by Arabs, my cousin was laughing hysterically – it was as if she was seeing a clown.

Would it be acceptable for someone to bring in and hitch a camel in a parking lot lined with fancy, state of the art automobiles?

The normal and expected reaction to the idea that an open society is very “western,” would be ridicule. “Isn’t all that very normal?”

That is exactly the point. Normalcy varies across societies and when an open society casts normality in likeness, it fails to remain open. Openness is in being able to accept what is unknown, unforeseen and is surely beyond being normalised.

In MasterChef Australia, we often see crocodile meat being cooked as a delicacy – not considered edible throughout many cultures; yet, the world seems to accept it. I believe food is the basic feature indigenous to a society. In my opinion, we accept the idea that crocodile or pig is meat because it is accepted in the West.

Advertisements of alcoholic beverages do not bother us for the very same reason.

Then, if an Arab man burps loudly while having his meal it would attract

Forgive me if I was under the impression that her open and liberal acceptance was utterly dependent upon her ingrained thoughts and beliefs on acceptable attire that had firm roots in the “modern” western cultures.

The idea of globalisation was to erase the divide across borders and bring different communities closer to each other.

The cynic will say it was designed to promote international trade and I would agree these are norms that are accepted across the international business community; trade has been a major player in the change of politics, societies and culture throughout the course of history.

Greek and Roman were important languages 3000 years ago, then Arabic became the language of knowledge and trade before the colonial era and now after the British colonisation and American imperialism, it’s English. In a century, it may well be Chinese.

However, the focus now is on open societies. Cosmopolitanism, secularism, sexual and racial equality, cultural diversity, acceptance, affirmative action is some of the many orders of the day. I have issues when in a nude show of imperialist strength, utilitarian motives are coloured in ideology and diversity is dismissed for the false sake of intellectual superiority.

I am a staunch advocate of the open society. The social movement has, in its slow, indirect and direct course, rid the world of much malice.

Slavery, bigotry, racism, fundamentalism, and sexism - the list is long. I fear that the approach that “open societies” take on “closed societies” will actually make the two opposing ideas a mirror image of each other rather than being opposites to each other.

Thus, the gap may forever remain.

To be truly open, the West should follow as benchmark the seemingly unenlightened African tribes that have been actually practising pluralism without being the flag-bearers of progress.

Open societies, again, I am generalising, require people to behave a certain way, believe in certain things.

As opposed to being fundamentally closed, we are slowly approaching being fundamentally open.

This is simply another form of bigotry, fundamentalism that feeds on the belief of being culturally, economically, politically and often being racially superior to the “others.”

Now, one may feel good about being an enlightened individual and being open to differences, in actuality the open society may cease to exist. It is in danger of being a case of same old same old, only under a different name. l Shahtab Mahmud is journalist.

The country now makes only 17 to 20 films a year, he said in a colonial-era house that serves as a museum of Myanmar cinema, with movie posters of stars and starlets past hanging on the walls.

These days, he said, movies are shot in a couple of weeks or less. In the past it might have taken three years.

Because most cinemas have ageing projectors, new movies have to be converted from digital to film before distribution. But people prefer to shell out 1,000 to 5,000 kyat ($1 to $5) to watch Hollywood and Bollywood films. Thai and Korean movies are also popular.

The movie would have been banned just a couple years ago, when the military ran the country, and the producer and director would have been in hot water

“We will show our edit to the censorship board and they will decide whether to allow it or not,” the 35-year-old said.

The protagonist of the film is an activist jailed during the student uprising. Now a freed political prisoner, he is looked up to by villagers who have sought his help in a dispute with a Chinese mining company.

As he shares his experience with them, there are flashbacks to 1988.

The movie would have been banned just a couple years ago, when the military ran the country, and the producer and director would have been in hot water. Even today a quasi-civilian government’s reforms go only so far and film makers remain reluctant to touch on sensitive subjects.

After 49 years of military rule, President Thein Sein, a former army general, is spearheading sweeping changes that include lifting restrictions on freedom of speech. There has been an explosion of news media, but movies are still light on politics and heavy on action or comedy. Zay Par’s film will be the first to depict scenes of the 1988 uprising, when authorities killed at least 3,000 people and arrested thousands more, holding some as political prisoners for years.

But Zay Par isn’t showing soldiers gunning down unarmed protesters. In the scene he’s editing, students march and chant slogans while the camera pans slowly across, showing only the back of a soldier facing the crowd.

Zay Par said it’s not just government censors he’s worried about: he doesn’t think the general public is ready yet for graphic scenes of political violence.

Myanmar’s political transformation has yet to bring stability. Ethnic militias still face off against government troops in the hinterlands while clashes between Buddhists and Muslims have killed more than 200 people over the past year.

“In the present situation I decided not to use soldiers shooting students,” Zay Par said. “I will show only what I should show.”

‘I’ve lived in a box for 25 years.

Now the government gives us freedom, but it’s hard because we are afraid’

The good old days

It wasn’t always this complicated.

Myanmar had a vibrant film industry, with a movie-mad population and 244 cinemas in the late 1950s, according to the Myanmar Motion Picture Organisation.

“We produced about 80 to 100 pictures every year. That was the golden age,” recalled San Shwe Maung, a 78-year-old actor and director who is a member of the organisation.

The number of cinemas has dwindled to perhaps 100 around the country, with about 20 in Yangon, down from 40 in the 1970s, according to San Shwe Maung.

Yangon has two theatres that show mainly Western action films in 3D, but most are older places, paint peeling on the outside. Inside, the seats are dilapidated and there is no air conditioning to provide respite from the tropical heat.

The old cinemas are popular with young couples seeking privacy in Myanmar’s conservative society, if they can put up with the mosquitoes, or the mice running around their feet.

Wrecking ball

As if to underscore the decline of a once-thriving industry, two more cinemas are being demolished in central Yangon.

But the industry’s fall began almost five decades ago when a 1962 coup by military officers turned the country into a police state largely cut off from the outside world.

Wary of any criticism that could stir up the masses, the junta imposed strict censorship. Politics and corruption were off-limits and censors would also chop anything approaching a sex scene, said San Shwe Maung.

Then, in 1968, the government nationalised the film industry. It became difficult to fund productions or even buy film to shoot on.

“After that there were no more good pictures, up to nowadays,” San Shwe Maung lamented.

The veteran movie star did manage to make a movie depicting the conflict between the army and ethnic Karen rebels. He played a Karen fighter who falls in love with a nurse treating government soldiers. His character switches to the government side to be with her and is eventually killed for it by his fellow rebels, a plot twist that satisfied the censors.

“We could do it, because at the end I was punished,” he said with a laugh.

San Shwe Maung won the award for best supporting actor for that role in the country’s Academy Awards in 1974. Winners were chosen by officials at the Ministry of Information until last year, when members of the Motion Picture Organisation convinced the ministry to let them choose half the awards themselves.

Zay Par’s movie about the 1988 student uprising is another sign the government is loosening up. And the censorship rules have eased considerably. But breaking out of the creative confines of the past is still a challenge, according to the film’s producer, Phyo Yadana Thwe.

“I’ve lived in a box for 25 years.

Now the government gives us freedom, but it’s hard because we are afraid,” she said. “We have no idea of free thinking.” l This article was first published by Reuters.

Former prisoner demonstrating behind a fake cell, marking the 25th anniversary of “8888.”

Myanmar is on the road to democracy and films, now, are allowed less censorship REUTERS

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Eid special single episode dramas on TV ‘Obsession’ airs on Banglavision

“Obsession” directed by Abul Hayat will air at 11:55pm today. Toukir Ahmed, Bipasha Hayat and many more have acted in the drama. Afsana, a village girl became obsessed about her village life when she steps into metro life. Very quickly she started to feel out of place in the city and the lifestyle did not suit her rural taste. Most of the time, her husband kept busy with the task of making money. Overcome by loneliness, desperation took hold of her and one day, she leaves home to run away from her unfortunate life.

‘Bhor Holo Dor Kholo’ airs on Boishakhi TV

“Bhor Holo Dor Kholo” directed by Chayanika Chowdhury features Apurbo – Tania for the very first time in small screen at 7:35pm today. The story revolves around a married couple who stays away from their relatives as they got married against the consent of their family. Sharif a writer by profession loves his wife Ripa very much.

Although love is a healthy catalyst of a successful marriage, his obsessive love becomes a problem factor in their married life.

‘Chandra Mallika’ airs on ETV

“Chandra Mallika” directed and written by Anjan Aich will be telecasted at 10pm today. Mou, Nisho and many more have acted in the drama. It’s a story about a television director and actress, both of whom want to work in cinema.

They share about their dream and start to work together.

One day, they were on the verge of achieving their dream, but, fate played a cruel card and in the last minute, their producer backed off from financing their film.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Eid special telefilms on TV ‘Dhoa’ televises today on Channel i

Channel i is telecasting “Dhoa” at 4:30pm today. Written and directed

by Wahid Anam, the star studded cast of the telefilm features Kusum Sikdar, Arif, Lutfur Rahman George and others. The story is about a boy name Javed who is a gangster and a girl, Papri, who works in a garments factory. Papri rescues Javed from an incident and an affair blooms between the two youngsters. Javed decides not to continue with the underworld anymore, but the biggest problem that remains is the fact that Javed’s godfather Rabbani will never accept relationship between Javed and Papri.

‘Impossible Five’ on NTV

The telefilm “Impossible Five” will be aired today at 11:15pm on NTV today. Written by Debashish Hawlader and directed by Tanim Rahman Anshu, the telefilm features Iresh Zaker, Shompa Reza, Munira Mithu, Allen Shubro, Archita Sporshia, Priota Iftekhar, Tarif Rahman, Turjo and others.

The story is about humans with special supernatural powers such as sixth instinct, levitating objects defying the laws of gravity, speed and stopping time. The amazing part of the story is that, each character has weak points alongside their special powers that set them apart from ordinary beings.

‘Cha Othoba Coffee’ on at Maasranga TV

The telefilm “Cha Othoba Coffee” is about a boy name Rakib who is always confused and contradicts himself in his preferences. He suffers from dilemma even when he has to make simple choice between tea and coffee. The moment he tastes tea, he wants coffee and when he goes shopping, he is rarely satisfied with his purchases.

In fact, Rakib is also confused to choose the right girl for him. After being in a relationship with a girl, he imagines to go after his lover’s friend. Written by Litu Sakhawat and directed by Sajin Ahmed Babu, the telefilm features Mosharraf Karim, Bhabna, Archa, Papu, Johny, Shimul, Al Amin and others. The telefilm will be aired today at 2:30pm.

‘Pora Prem’ airs on Maasranga

“Pora Prem” directed by Chayanika Chowdhury will air at 7:40pm today. Mahfuz Ahmed, Farah Ruma and many more have acted in the drama. It’s a thriller about a story of a man who is afraid of stormy nights. His fears are not without reason, once, he felt the presence of a ghost of a woman, who was raped before she died. The ghost in question is out for revenge on those who caused her great misery and by sheer bad luck, the man sees a glimpse of that ghost in his wife.

Eid drama series ‘Bhul Thikanay Jatra’ on ATN A five episode drama “Bhul Thikanay Jatra” written & directed by Mohon Khan will telecast on ATN Bangla till the 5th day of Eid at 6:15 pm. Sajal, Shahed, Rumana, Shokh, Mehazabien, Sababa Mohan, Ashraf Kabir and Anjana acted in this drama.

Shimul is the top terror of the city.

The police have been after him for a long time and finally ACP Shahed Ahmed tracked him & cordoned his house.

But Shimul took flight and is chased by the police again, he then takes shelter in a country home of his previous crime acquaintance.

‘Khoj: The Search’ on Maasranga TV today

Ayub Bachchu to perform live today at a concert which will be aired on RTV at 11.45pm

‘Chennai Express’ on a record-smashing spree n Entertainment Desk Shah Rukh certainly seems to be controversy’s favourite child. Sunday’s collections are not yet in, and “Chennai Express” is embroiled in another controversy.

While some trade analysts claim the film has beaten Salman starrer “Ek Tha Tiger’s” first day collections, others beg to differ.

The trade pundits of Bollywood film industry consider the first day opening of “Chennai Express” to be second highest ever after “Ek Tha Tiger” collecting Rs 29.50bn on the first day. Trade analyst Amod Mehra said, “Had they not kept the paid preview of the film which has collected Rs 6bn, the numbers of the first day would’ve been bigger than ‘Ek Tha Tiger.’’’

An industry insider said, “Most of the first day first show audience went and the watched the film during the paid preview otherwise the total collection of ‘Chennai Express’ would’ve gone up to Rs 35bn.’’

Box office India website reports first day collection of “Chennai Express” to be 29.32bn and “Ek Tha Tiger” at Rs 30.52bn.

Exhibition sector is thrilled with the overwhelming response the film is getting at the box office. Senior Vice President Operations of Fun Cinema Vishal Anand

said, “‘Chennai Express’ opened with a bang- and is the biggest opening for Shah Rukh and Rohit Shetty.

The first three day collection along with paid previews should be in the range of Rs 80bn and also will be the fastest Rs 100bn film for SRK and maybe for the records too.’’

Meanwhile “Chennai Express” is moving towards becoming biggest weekend opener ever. Distributor Aman Gill said, “‘Chennai Express’ will make about 8590bn in the first weekend and I see the total collection touching about Rs 180bn.’’

A solo release this weekend, the film opened with 3,500 prints in India and 700 plus screens overseas.

Early morning shows in the capital were not houseful but the film picked momentum by mid-day. The overseas report card of “Chennai Express” looks equally impressive. Taran Adarsh gives the figures: “Chennai Express takes a huge start in USA-Canada. Thursday night preview shows: $ 260,000. Final numbers yet to come in. Awesome!”

In UK “Chennai Express” witnessed the highest opening day for a Hindi movie. “Chennai Express” is on a record-smashing spree.

“Chennai Express” is also doing well in South India thanks to the clever title and Shah Rukh Khan’s appeal. l

Ananta Jalil’s debut film “Khoj: The Search,” for the first time, will be televised today at 9:40pm on Maasranga TV. The film is directed by Iftakar Chowdhury, produced by Ananta Jalil and the film was released on April 16, 2010.

Today’s two heart-throb heroines Barsha and Bobby also debuted in the movie which made a huge business in the box office. Besides, advanced technological use and innovative

action stunts made the film a trend setter.

The film features Major Mahmud (played by Ananta), a secret service agent working for Bangladesh Counter Intelligence (BCI), a fictional agency conceived in the Masud Rana series

by Qazi Anwar Hussain. With the help of Captain Bobby (, Major Mahmud thwarts the international arms syndicate headed by the notorious villain Nino.

Did you know?

Most consecutive Test matches were played by Allan Border of Australia. 153 in all without missing a single Test. Mark Waugh played 107, Sunil Gavaskar of India comes at 3rd with 106

Sport

Monday, August 12, 2013

14 Van Persie double gives Moyes first trophy at United

15 Nadal defeats Djokovic to reach final

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Farah reigns supreme over world 10,000m

Acsu lands today with final report n Mazhar Uddin

Tamim Iqbal of St Lucia Zouks attempts a reverse–sweep as Jamaica Tallawahs wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh looks on during their Caribbean Premier League match at Beausejour Cricket Ground in St Lucia on Saturday

Tamim scores in Saint Lucia loss n Tribune Sports Desk Jamaica Tallawahs eased to a comfortable six-wicket win over Saint Lucia Zouks yesterday in the Limacol Caribbean Premier League despite a hard hitting 75 off 62 balls by Zouks’ Bangladeshi opener Tamim Iqbal.

Darren Sammy, the Saint Lucia captain, won the toss and elected to bat first, but the decision backfired as the Zouks started badly with Andre Fletcher and Misbah-ul-Haq dismissed before the fifth over. It was left to Tamim and South African Herschelle Gibbs to put the innings back together.

Tamim, who had only scored 62 runs in the previous four matches, batted with discipline, and the two batsmen were content to take singles and keep the scoreboard moving along. By the end of the Powerplay, the Bangladeshi had already struck three fours, but no one took him seriously as in his last four matches, he started off similarly, striking boundaries, and then getting out. It was almost a question of when he would get out.

But Tamim buckled down after the Powerplay, intent on building a partnership with Gibbs, and building an innings. In fact, so serious he was about staying at the crease, between the seventh and tenth over, he struck one

four and one six, residing to keep rotating the strike with Gibbs. It worked for him. Both batsmen rotated the strike nicely, but the run-rate never climbed above six runs an over.

After Gibbs was run out for 22, the Bangladeshi accelerated the tempo and in the 14th over, struck Muralitharan for two boundaries. Tamim and Darren Sammy put on 53 runs before the opener was out for 75 in the 18th over. Notable hard hitters Albie Morkel and Devon Smith were also dismissed, along with Sammy who made 26 from 18 balls, before the innings closed at 142/7.

The target looked like it might be enough as the Tallawahs struggled to maintain pace with the required run rate. When Andre Russell came to the crease, his side needed 77 runs from 47 balls at a challenging 9.50 runs an over.

Russell took singles from the first five balls he faced before turning the match decisively in his side’s favour.

Smashing 47 from just 19 balls, Russell was well supported by Vernon Philander who made 18 from five deliveries. The unbroken partnership was worth 41 from 13 balls and saw Jamaica to their target. Russell picked up all three awards – the Limacol Super Six prize, the Digicel 4G Fastest Scorer award and the Man-of-the-Match. l

Pakistan cancel tour n Raihan Mahmood

The Pakistan national football team cancelled its tour of Bangladesh due to unavoidable circumstances yesterday.

Bangladesh Football Federation revealed the decision at 1:00pm just a hour before the scheduled arrival. Pakistan football team was scheduled to play two practice matches against BFF XI on August 13 and the Bangladesh national team on August 16.

It was learnt that the message that was received by BFF contained the words “political unrest”. Pakistan’s tour collided with the two day long general strike called by Jamaat-e-Islam and also with National Mourning Day of August 15.

The abandonment deprived Bangladesh national team of an opportunity of a good practice match and assistant coach Rene Koster was quick to express his frustration. “It’s terrible. We want more matches for the national team but things are not going well. We did not play against Thailand national team in the Thailand tour and now the match against Pakistan is also cancelled,” he said.

Meanwhile the Saff Championship kick off has been pulled forward one day by the orgasnisers and now it will start from August 31 instead of September 1.

National head coach Lodewijk de Kruif will arrive in Dhaka on Tuesday. l

CPLT20

ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (Acsu) team will arrive in the capital today afternoon to reveal their final report surrounding the spot-fixing event. The report might spill out a few names other than suspended cricketer Mohammad Ashraful, who earlier admitted his involvement in fixing. Following a board meeting on August 13 Acsu is expected to hold a press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

However, the ICC’s chief executive officer Dave Richardson, who was expected to lead the four-member team including two Acsu officials and ICC media manager Sami-ul-Hasan, has not confirmed his arrival yet, but the other members will be arriving today, informed Bangladesh Cricket Board’s acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury.

Earlier, former Bangladesh captain Ashraful confessed of his wrongdoings to the Acsu members which made the cricket board suspend him until the full report was published.

It’s evident that Ashraful will be banned for at least a few years, but it was also learnt that cooperating the Acsu members with valuable information and helping them investigate the matter deeply might earn the 29-yearold right-handed batsman mercy to his punishment. According to a close source, Ashraful might be looking at a ban of three years from all forms of cricket. l

Specialist Dutch GK coach joins national fold n Raihan Mahmood Kees Cornelius Kalk, the specialised Dutch goalkeeping coach of the national football team termed the Bangladesh goalkeepers as more reactive than anticipating after his first session with the booters at the artificial turf of the Bangladesh Football Federation yesterday.

Kees Kalk is the first overseas specialised goalkeeping coach of the national team as Bangladesh received guidance from many foreign coaches, but never had any coach for the particular. However, he will be serving the team for a short term as he will be involved with the team until the Saff Championship.

The 56-year-old Pierre Luigi Collina lookalike goalkeeping coach arrived at the capital in the early hours yesterday and was busy with his job in the afternoon. When asked about his first impression of the goalkeepers Kees said, “There are two extremes in goalkeeping. At one extreme are the ones that are good in anticipation and at the other are those that are good in reaction, the rest falling in between. I was looking at the techniques of the goalies. I think, the goalkeepers here are good in reaction and I’ve got to work on developing their anticipation skills.”

With only 19 days left for the Saff event the big question was whether Kees will be able to make a significant

difference over the keepers’ approach.

The Dutch followed with a diplomatic answer, “Whether I can improve the technique of the goalkeepers considerably before the Saff is difficult to say.

Because the goalkeepers’ performance depends not only on his own, but also on the team combination and the cohesiveness with his players. So it got to be a holistic effort. Lodewijk (de Kruif) would arrive day after tomorrow and he will have plans on how we would work,” he said.

Kees holds a Uefa pro license of goalkeeping and a Uefa B license. He has been active as a goalkeeping coach since 1997 and has worked with a good number of clubs in Holland and USA. He worked with AZ Alkmaar, the Dutch premier division football club. He is also a video analyzer and can work in the psychological aspects of a goalkeeper.

The Dutch, on a different note, said he doesn’t “enjoy” when people compare him with renowned referee Collina and added that “Sometimes I have been resembled with Bruce Willis also, but I want to be what I am.”

Kees is the third Dutch coach involved with the Bangladesh national team after head coach Lodewijk de Kruif and assistant coach Rene Koster. l

Southeast Bank sponsors hockey n Raihan Mahmood

Walton-Cute Singna Nouka Baich ends n Raihan Mahmood

Junior Tigers beaten

by Pakistan U-19

Southeast Bank, a prominent private sector banks of the country, will sponsor the Bangladesh national hockey team in the Asia Cup, scheduled to start at Ipoh, Malaysia on August 24.

Anjan, the leading boutique house of the country and ATN Bangla will also accompany the team as co-sponsors. Bangladesh are in Pool B with South Korea, India and Oman and will opens their campaign against Korea on August 25, play Oman on August 26 and finish their group formalities against India on August 28.

After some successful performances in the AHF Cup where Bangladesh retained the title and in the second round of World Hockey League Bangladesh hockey team has attracted some big sponsorships and it’s the latest addition in this regard. l

Md Amir Hossain’s team lifted the title of the 50-Malla category of the WaltonCute Singna Nouka Baich held at Singna, Kalihati, Tangail yesterday.

The second and third places went to Fazlul Haque and Abdul Karim’s team respectively. In the 25-Malla section Juran’s team clinched the title and was followed by teams of Sadek and Ibrahim.

The title of 7-Malla was won by Akash’s team while the 7-Malla women’s section was clinched by Kalpana’s team.

Kalihati upazila chairman Hasan Imam Khan Sohel Hajrai distributed the prizes as the chief guest. AFM Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn, the additional director of Walton, was present as the special guest.

Convener of the competition Mir Kaiser Sadik Sajib spoke on the occasion. l

n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Md. Amir Hossain receives his 1st prize of the Walton Cute Singna Nouka Baich at Kalihati, Tangail yesterday COURTESY

Pakistan U-19 defeated Bangladesh U-19 by seven wickets in the England Under19s Tri-Nation Tournament at Kibworth Cricket Club New Ground yesterday.

Bangladesh won the toss, opted to bat first and posted 149 runs for the loss of seven wickets. The loss of early wickets knocked back the young Tigers team. Opening batsman Sadman Islam lost his wicket to the second delivery of the innings with zero runs scored.

The second blow for Bangladesh came in the ninth over with the departure of number three batsman Joyraz Sheik (9).

However middle order batsman Nazmul Hossain Shanto managed the disaster and was the only player to

make a significant contribution for the Tigers. The left-handed batsman scored 46 runs to aid Bangladesh in making a respectable target for their South-Asian counterparts. Pakistani left-arm spinner Kamran Ghulam made the most damage in the Bangladesh batting line-up, picking up four wickets in 10 overs for 18 runs.

In reply, an unbeaten 71 off 84 by Pakistan opening batsman Hussain Talat steered the side to a convincing victory.

The other opening batsman, who is also the skipper of the side, Sami Aslam was also amongst the runs with 58 from 64 deliveries. The win was Pakistan’s second over Bangladesh in the tournament.

The young Tigers will face host England at Leicester today. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Monday, August 12, 2013

Van Persie double gives Moyes first trophy at United n AFP, London

New Manchester United manager David Moyes put a testing pre-season behind him as his side beat Wigan Athletic 2-0 in the Community Shield at a sun-soaked Wembley yesterday.

The successor to the legendary Alex Ferguson had to endure transfer market frustration and speculation surrounding the future of Wayne Rooney during a disappointing run of two wins in seven friendly games.

nal, Wigan showed enough quality to suggest they are well placed to bounce back from relegation to the Championship at the first attempt.

For his first official outing in the United dug-out, Moyes aligned his new charges in a fluid 4-3-3 formation in which the peerless Ryan Giggs was the most advanced central midfielder.

Van Persie led the line, dovetailing with Danny Welbeck, and it took the Dutchman, scorer of 30 goals last sea-

Match Result Manchester United Van Persie 6, 59

Manchester United's Robin Van Persie (C) celebrates with teammates against Wigan Athletic during their English FA Community Shield match at Wembley Stadium in London yesterday

Guardiola starts reign with victory n Reuters, Munich Treble winners Bayern Munich launched their Bundesliga title defence with a commanding 3-1 victory over Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday to mark a winning German league debut for new

Bayern Munich's Arjen Robben celebrates a goal for Munich against Borussia M'gladbach in Munich on Friday AFP

coach Pep Guardiola.

Two first half goals in four minutes from Arjen Robben and Mario Mandzukic and a 69th minute penalty by David Alaba after Thomas Mueller had his spot kick saved a minute earlier, secured three points in a largely one-sided affair.

“We need results like this to build up our confidence because some of our players are still missing match practice,” Guardiola told reporters.

“Obviously we are satisfied with this win. We need to control the pace a bit more as those first 15 minutes in the second half the ball was going up and down,” said the former Barcelona coach, who spent most of the game standing on the sidelines and gesticulating wildly.

Guardiola, who took over from Jupp Heynckes in the close season, fielded 10 of the 11 players who beat Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final in May. New signings Thiago Alcantara and Mario Goetze, brought in for more than 60 million euros in total, were ruled out with fever and a lack of training following injury respectively.

It did not take long for Bayern’s welloiled machine, which also clinched the German league and Cup double last season, to start clicking.

Robben, who scored the last-gasp winner in the Champions League final, chipped in a pin-point Franck Ribery de-

Falcao swoops as Monaco leave it late at Bordeaux n AFP, Paris Colombian striker Radamel Falcao helped pay back some of his record 60-million euro transfer as he struck a late goal in Monaco’s 2-0 win over Bordeaux in their French top-flight opener on Saturday.

After Emmanuel Riviere scrambled home an 82nd minute goal, Falcao showed all his predatory instincts as he pounced on a loose ball in the box to slide the ball home with just two minutes remaining.

“We controlled the match and I think it was a deserved victory,” said Monaco playmaker Jeremy Toulalan.

There were also opening day victories for Lyon, Rennes, Valenciennes and Lille while champions Paris Saint-Germain were held to a 1-1 draw at Montpeller on the opening day of the season on Friday.

At the Stade Gerland, seven-time champions Lyon coasted to a 4-0 win

over hapless Nice after taking a 13thminute lead when Alexandre Lacazette won a battle in the box before banging home from what replays appeared to indicate an offside position.

Clement Grenier then doubled the lead for Remi Garde’s men nine minutes inside the second half after good work from former French player of the year Yoann Gourcuff as the team got the ideal preparation to face Real Sociedad in the final round of Champions League qualifying in the first leg on August 20.

Lacazette added a second and guaranteed top spot albeit on goal difference with his second of the match with 22 minutes remaining before Gourcuff put a gloss on the scoreline with a late fourth.

Nantes got off to a flying start on their return to the top flight for the first time since 2009 when Serbian international Filip Dordevic slipped the ball past Bastia ‘keeper Mickael Landreau who began his fine career with Nantes at 17. l

Arsenal draw Fenerbahce in Euro play-offs n AFP, Paris

livery in the 12th minute for the lead as the pair, known as ‘Robbery’, picked up where they left off last season.

It only took four more minutes for Bayern to strike again when Robben set up Ribery and keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved the Frenchman’s effort but Croatia forward Mandzukic was on hand to tap in the rebound.

With Ribery’s darting runs wreaking

Results Hoffenheim Bayer Leverkusen Hannover 96 Augsburg Hertha Berlin E Braunschweig Bayern Munich

2-2 3-1 2-0 0-4 6-1 0-1 3-1

Nuremberg Freiburg VfL Wolfsburg B Dortmund E Frankfurt Werder Bremen B M’gladbach

havoc in the Gladbach defence and the Bavarians twice hitting the woodwork, the hosts could have added more goals.

Their back line, however, was less impressive, with Max Kruse left unmarked to squander a golden opportunity from close range. A mix-up between goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and defender Dante briefly put Gladbach back in the game four minutes before the break, with the defender sliding in for an own goal against his former team. l

English Premier League side Arsenal were handed a tricky tie against Turkish giants Fenerbahce in the Champions League play-off round after the draw was made on Friday at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon.

The Gunners, who reached the 2006 final where they lost 2-1 to Barcelona, will travel to Istanbul for the first leg to be played August 20-21 before returning to London for the second leg, scheduled for August 27-28.

Fenerbahce’s potential participation in the group stage though depends on a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport, expected at the end of the month, having been banned from European competition by UEFA for match-fixing in domestic competition.

Meanwhile, seven-time winners AC Milan face Dutch runners-up PSV Eindhoven -- a rematch of the 2004-05 semi-final which the Italians won on away goals -- while French side Lyon will play Real Sociedad of Spain.

German outfit Schalke were paired with Ukraine’s Metalist Kharkiv, who face a UEFA hearing into match-fixing claims next Tuesday that could determine whether they are eligible to take part in the competition.

In the champions route, Scottish title-holders Celtic were drawn against Shakhter Karagandy, which will see Neil Lennon’s men make a 4,000-mile (6,400-kilometre) trip to Kazakhstan. l

His luck changed in the traditional curtain-raiser to the English season, however, as Robin van Persie scored a goal in each half to give Moyes his first piece of silverware at the helm of the English giants.

The 50-year-old’s Scot attention will now turn to next Sunday’s Premier League opener at Swansea City, although the Rooney questions are unlikely to subside while the striker’s future remains unclear.

Three months on, meanwhile, from their shock win over Manchester City in the FA Cup fiAP

2-0

Wigan

son, just six minutes to open his account for 2013-14.

He sprayed a pass wide to Patrice Evra on the left and with Giggs’ run distracting the Wigan defence, Van Persie had time and space to direct a firm header into the bottom-left corner from the Frenchman’s cross.

Leon Barnett had to be alert to prevent Welbeck from making it 2-0 from debutant Wilfried Zaha’s low centre, but United received a setback in the 16th minute when Rafael had to hobble off with an injury.

Chris Smalling came on but almost made a disastrous start when he let Stephen Crainey’s hopeful chipped pass bounce over him, which enabled Wigan debutant James McClean to drill a cross across the six-yard box. There was little spark to United’s play, but in the 59th minute they took the game beyond Wigan with a second goal. l

Gunners too strong for City n AFP, Helsinki Arsenal underlined why they are still in the hunt for Liverpool’s controversial Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez on Saturday when they scraped a largely unconvincing 3-1 win over Manchester City in a pre-season friendly played in Helsinki.

The Gunners were distinctly short of firepower upfront, and although French striker Olivier Giroud got on the scoresheet, all the attacking initiative came from midfield and they could muster only four shots on target.

Big-spending City, on the other hand, appeared to have little appetite for the contest and after a bright start faded and failed to produce more than a single goal through Alvaro Negrado 12

minutes from the end - but it was too little too late.

The first goal came as early as the ninth minute when Arsenal winger Theo Walcott glided on to an incisive through ball from Aaron Ramsey to chip the ball over a stranded Joe Hart in the City goal.

Fot all their running, Arsenal had noone to apply the finishing touch until Ramsey cut through a static defence on the hour, collected Walcott’s pass and slottted past Hart with Vincent Kompany stranded on the line.

Minutes later, Giroud, a half-time substitute, made the most of a defnsive mix-up between Hart and Kompany to nip in and only had to apply a deft fnishing touch, delicately chipping home for the third. l

Barca end Asia tour with win n AFP, Kuala Lumpur

Spanish giants Barcelona wrapped up their Asian tour with another comprehensive victory Saturday, beating a Malaysian XI 3-1 at the Shah Alam Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.

With World Player of the Year Lionel Messi on the bench over injury concerns, Brazilian wonderkid Neymar was the star of a tight first half, showcasing his talents to make one goal and score another. First, the 21-year-old wriggled free on the left before sending a pinpoint cross for Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas to head home.

It was a tame header and Malaysian goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat should have done better, but he may

have been distracted by a firecracker that was set off by a fan.

Malaysia, who had gone closest to opening the scoring, equalised in the 40th minute when the ball fell to Amri Yahyah, and the striker curled in from the edge of the box.

The home fans’ joy was short-lived as two minutes later, Neymar -- who was this week reportedly diagnosed with anaemia -- broke free and beat two defenders before shooting home.

Neymar joined Barcelona after a summer move from Santos and opened his account for the club in the 7-1 win over the Thai national team on Wednesday, on the first leg of a tour designed to promote Barca’s brand in the region. l

Soldado finds target on Spurs debut n AFP, London

Spain striker Roberto Soldado claimed a debut goal as Tottenham Hotspur completed their pre-season preparations with a 1-1 draw against Spanish side Espanyol at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Welsh winger Gareth Bale, strongly linked with Real Madrid, was absent from the Tottenham squad with a foot injury, but manager Andre Villas-Boas was able to hand debuts to both Soldado and Brazil midfielder Paulinho.

After narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification last season, Spurs have spent an estimated £50 million ($77.5 million, 58.1 million euros) to improve their squad during the close season, including a club-record £26 million to prise Soldado from Valencia.

Soldado told ITV: “Of course, it’s always what a striker wants to do, score goals, and hopefully this is the first of many more to come.” l

Porto's players celebrate with their Super Cup trophy after defeating Vitoria Guimaraes in the final at Aveiro's city stadium on Saturday.

Porto won the Portuguese Super Cup final 3-0 REUTERS

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Quick Bytes

Injured Zanetti turns 40, determined to keep playing Inter Milan captain Javier Zanetti turned 40 on Saturday and said he was determined to keep playing despite rupturing his Achilles tendon in April. “I will continue to play and at the end of the season, I will weigh up my options for the future,” Zanetti, who has made over 840 appearances for Inter and won a record 145 caps for Argentina, told Sky Sports Italia. “For my birthday present, I want Inter to be back amongst the title challengers again,” he added after Inter finished a dismal ninth last season to miss out on European football. “I’m fine, I’m getting better all the time. Everything is going according to plan, next week I will undergo some tests and, if everything goes well, I will start running again,” he added. “It’s premature to make a prediction about my return.”

– Reuters

Suarez must apologise to club, says Rodgers Wantaway Liverpool striker Luis Suarez must apologise to his club and team mates if he wants to be welcomed back into the squad, manager Brendan Rodgers said. Rodgers said Suarez, who was seeking a move away from the Merseyside club during the off season, will need to mend relations when he returns from playing for Uruguay in a friendly in Japan on Wednesday. “Initially there will be an apology to his team mates and the club, then a recognition that he is ready to fight for the club,” Rodgers told reporters after Liverpool had lost to Celtic in their final pre-season friendly in Dublin on Saturday. “I know that we are not seeing the Luis Suarez I know. He has spent some days working on his own. When he comes back from (international duty with) Uruguay we will see how it goes further,” he added.

– Reuters

Villas-Boas calls time on Bale talk Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has refused to be drawn any further on the future of Gareth Bale who is widely expected to make a record switch to Real Madrid before the September 2 transfer deadline. Bale, who has a foot injury, was missing once again from the Spurs line-up as the Londoners ended their pre-season programme with a 1-1 draw against Espanyol at White Hart Lane on Saturday where summer signing Roberto Soldado marked his home debut with a goal from the penalty spot. “The only thing I can say about the stories is I am not going to comment because everybody has speculated a lot,” said Villas-Boas of Bale.

– AFP

Sport

Nadal defeats Djokovic to reach final n AFP, Montreal Rafael Nadal held off Novak Djokovic in three tense sets Saturday and will now try and stop Canadian Milos Raonic from making more tennis history at the Montreal Masters.

Fourth seed Nadal, champion in the event in 2005 and 2008, defeated top seed and two-time defending champion Djokovic 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2) to reach his 10th final of the season.

Raonic, meanwhile, became the first Canadian into the tournament’s final since 1958, when Robert Bedard won it.

Raonic booked his place with a 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7/4) victory over compatriot Vasek Pospisil, and with the win ensured he’ll be the first Canadian ever to reach the top 10 in the ATP world rankings.

Raonic will have his work cut out against Nadal. The Spaniard has won all three of their prior encounters, including two on hardcourts.

Nadal’s two-hour, 20-minute struggle with Djokovic was a tight affair, with small margins determining victory.

Nadal dominated the third-set tiebreaker, taking a 6-0 lead. Djokovic saved two match points before falling.

“I tried my best in the tiebreaker,” said Nadal, winner of seven titles this season. “I had to hit some fantastic

shots to compete well against a big player like Novak. I’m very, very satisfied.”

Nadal let the second set slip as he lost the eighth game from a position of strength, letting go of a 40-0 lead to drop serve and trail 3-5.

“You cannot let up against the top players for even a minute,” said Nadal, whose 57 career titles include a dozen Grand Slams.

Nadal has now won two of three meetings with world number one Djokovic this year, including a five-set thriller in the semi-finals of the French Open, just weeks after Djokovic had taken the Spaniard’s Monte Carlo crown in the final.

Djokovic’s defeat ended a 13-match win streak in Canada for the Serbian, who also won the title in 2007 before his back-toback triumphs in 2011 and 2012.

“It was a very close match, there were very few points that decided the winner,” Djokovic said. “I had my chances. He had his chances, at the end he played better. l

Serena downs Radwanska, books final with Cirstea n AFP, Toronto

Rafael Nadal of Spain celabrates his victory against Novak Djokovic of Serbia during their semifinal match at the Uniprix Stadium during the ATP Rogers Cup in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on Saturday AFP

Farah wins world 10,000m gold n AFP, Moscow Briton Mo Farah was pushed all the way in an ultimately well-executed victory in the men’s 10,000m at the world championships on Saturday to carry on where he left off at last year’s London Olympics.

The Somali-born 30-year-old clocked 27min 21.72sec in his first outing since his victory in the British capital over the 25-lap race, the longest around the track in athletics’ biennial showpiece.

Ibrahim Jeilan of Ethiopia, who outsprinted Farah for the title in Daegu, won silver in 27:22.23, with early pace-setting Kenyan Paul Tanui taking bronze (27:22.61).

“I had the experience of a couple of years ago. This time I saw Jeilan coming,” said Farah.

“I almost went down a few times but I covered every move and me and my training partner (Galen Rupp) worked together.

“I was digging in and digging in, looking across. I knew I had won only

when I crossed the line.”

Farah had become one of the faces of the London Games after he claimed double gold in the 5,000 and 10,000m, a year after sealing a gold and silver in the Daegu worlds in the events respectively.

“It was great to come here and win the one that was missing,” he said.

“I have trained hard. I have spent a lot of time away from my family. When I won in the Olympics, my daughter didn’t recognise me because I had been away so long. l

Lin takes world title after Lee retires hurt Chinese superstar Lin Dan took the badminton world title for a fifth time Sunday after his arch rival Lee Chong Wei was stretchered off the court in the third game. The current world number one from Malaysia dropped to his haunches at 16-19 down and tried to recover but had to retire from the match at 20-17 -- leaving Lin, who is world and Olympic champion, to take the title 16-21, 21-13, 20-17.

Lee had been hoping to end a run of high-profile defeats at the hands of Lin -- widely regarded as the game’s best-ever player -- who beat him in the previous world title men’s singles final and in the two last Olympic finals.

– AFP

Day’s Watch Star Cricket 4:00pm The Ashes LIVE Test 4 Day 4 Ten Sports 8:45pm IAAF World Championships Day 3 LIVE

World number one Serena Williams defeated Agnieszka Radwanska 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 on Saturday to reach the WTA Toronto final, where she’ll face giant-killer Sorana Cirstea.

Williams maintained her perfect record over Radwanska, her six wins over the world number four from Poland including a triumph in the 2012 Wimbledon final and, more recently, in the semi-finals at Miami this year.

Williams next faces unseeded Romanian Cirstea, who toppled fourth-seeded Li Na of China 6-1, 7-6 (7/5).

The victory over 2011 French Open champion Li continued a dream run for 27th-ranked Cirstea in the $2.4 million hardcourt tournament.

She also beat former world number ones Caroline Wozniacki and Jelena Jankovic, as well as defending champion Petra Kvitova, en route to the final.

“Gosh, she hits really hard,” Williams said of Cirstea. “She has a really big serve. She moves well, she’s definitely not an easy player to play.

“She is a player who has finally found herself, and she’s playing better and better and getting more confident.”

Williams found herself in a tight battle against Radwanska, twice recovering a break in the opening set before holding to force the tiebreaker. She took control early in the tiebreaker, taking a 3-1 lead, and gave herself a triple set point with a cross-court winner for 6-3.

She needed just one of those set points, firing an ace to seal the set. l

Bolt leads Gatlin, Jamaican trio into 100m final n AFP, Moscow

Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt remained on course to regain his 100 metres world title as he progressed into Sunday’s final at the World Athletics Championships.

Bolt, the 26-year-old world record holder, shadowed the diminutive American Mike Rodgers for most of his semi-final heat, the third of three.

Eyes pinned on the big screen, Bolt was in complete control of the race and

edged Rodgers at the line by one-hundredth of a second in 9.92sec.

The six-time Olympic gold medallist, who also has five world gold medals, has three Jamaican teammates in the final for company: Nesta Carter, Nickel Ashmeade and Kemar Bailey-Cole.

They will be joined by Rodgers and his US teammate Justin Gatlin.

The fastest losers going through to the eight-man final were Briton James Dasaolu and Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre. l

Hot Spot inventor calls for removal of bat coatings n AFP, Chester-Le-Street

Bubka takes Mandela line in election race Pole vaulting legend Sergey Bubka’s main policy in his manifesto to be the next president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is to get young people around the world enthused into taking up sport. The 49-year-old Ukrainian — one of six men vying to replace incumbent Jacques Rogge when he steps down on September 10 — quoted a line by former South African president Nelson Mandela to support his case.

– AFP

15

Monday, August 12, 2013

Great Britain's Mohamed Farah (C) wins the men's 10,000 metres final ahead of Ethiopia's Ibrahim Jeilan (L) and Uganda's Timothy Toroitich at the 2013 IAAF World Championships at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow on Saturday AFP

Bell keeps hosts alive after Harris treble n AFP, Chester-Le-Street Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell halted Australia’s advance after a treble strike by Ryan Harris on the third day of the fourth Ashes Test at Chester-le-Street yesterday.

At tea, England in their second innings were 123 for three, a far from decisive lead of 91 runs, with both Pietersen and Bell 37 not out having so far added an unbroken 74 for the fourth wicket.

England, who at 2-0 up in the fivematch series had already retained the Ashes, were in dire straits at 49 for three as 33-year-old fast bowler Harris inflicted their latest top-order collapse this series.

Harris, playing a third straight match for just the second time in a 15-Test career plagued by injuries, took three wickets in 24 balls either side of lunch.

Before the interval, Harris bowled Joe Root (two) with a superb seaming delivery that clipped the top of off stump.

Soon afterwards, with conditions still overcast, he induced England captain Alastair Cook, on 22, into nicking a loose drive outside the left-hander’s offstump to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.

Jonathan Trott, with Australia captain Michael Clarke attempting to restrict his run-scoring by packing the

on-side field, then gloved Harris and was well caught down the legside by a leaping Haddin for 23.

Pietersen, fresh from his 113 in the drawn third Test at Old Trafford, showed fellow South Africa-born batsman Trott how it should be done by pulling a short ball from Harris for four.

Bell then late cut Peter Siddle for four and played an even finer variant of the same shot, also for a boundary, against all-rounder Shane Watson.

England dismissed Australia for 270 earlier Sunday, the tourists held to a slender first innings lead of 32 after they added 48 runs to their overnight 222 for five.

Australia resumed with Chris Rogers 101 not out following the 35-yearold left-handed opener’s painstaking maiden Test hundred on Saturday, made in the face of excellent seam bowling from Stuart Broad, who finished the innings with five wickets for 71 runs in 24.3 overs.

Rogers had added just nine to his overnight score when, pushing forward defensively to off-spinner Graeme Swann, he was brilliantly caught off glove and pad for 110 by wicketkeeper Matt Prior, diving in front of the stumps. l

The inventor of cricket’s controversial Hot Spot system has called for the removal of coatings on bats to improve the accuracy of his device.

The coatings are, however, perfectly legal under current regulations.

Australia’s Channel Nine alleged on Wednesday that players in the current Ashes series between England and Australia were using silicone tape on their bats to avoid nicks being detected by the Hot Spot thermal imaging system.

The allegations prompted swift de-

nials from both teams while the International Cricket Council (ICC) said the claims were incorrect.

However, the ICC confirmed that the Australian inventor of Hot Spot, Warren Brennan, raised concerns with them this week over the effect of bat coatings.

But ICC umpires manager Simon Taufel subsequently revealed that not a single international batsman has failed a bat inspection for using silicone tape.

Taufel said umpires had been conducting about 12 random bat inspections in every Test for three years and not once had silicone tape been uncovered. l

At Tea England 1st Innings 238 (A Cook 51; N Lyon 4-42) Australia 1st Innings (overnight: 222-5) C Rogers c Prior b Swann 110 D Warner b Broad 3 U Khawaja c Prior b Broad 0 M Clarke c Cook b Broad 6 S Smith c Prior b Bresnan 17 S Watson c Prior b Broad 68 B Haddin lbw b Swann 13 P Siddle c Cook b Anderson 5 R Harris lbw b Broad 28 N Lyon lbw b Anderson 4 J Bird not out 0 Extras (b2, lb11, w1, nb2) 16 Total (all out, 89.3 overs) 270 Bowling Anderson 25-8-65-2; Broad 24.3-7-71-5 (2nb, 1w); Bresnan 19-3-63-1; Swann 18-5-48-2; Trott 3-0-10-0; England 2nd Innings A Cook c Haddin b Harris 22 J Root b Harris 2 J Trott c Haddin b Harris 23 K Pietersen not out 37 I Bell not out 37 Extras (lb2) 2 Total (3 wkts, 36 overs) 123 Bowling Harris 12-1-40-3; Bird 9-2-30-0; Watson 5-1-17-0; Siddle 5-1-27-0; Lyon 5-1-7-0; Match position England lead by 91 runs with seven second-innings wickets standing

Australia's Ryan Harris (R) celebrates after taking the wicket of England's Alastair Cook (L) during play on the third day of the fourth Ashes cricket Test at the Riverside stadium in Chester-le-Street, north-east England yesterday AFP

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Monday, August 12, 2013

Bangladesh fails to seize job scopes in Japan Only 41 workers migrated in 8 years of Commerce and Industry, recruiting n Rabiul Islam agencies concerned, Japan Accepting Successive governments have failed to grasp the opportunity to send technical interns to Japan even after an agreement was signed between the two countries.

Bangladesh and Japan signed the agreement in 2005. Over the past eight years only 41 migrant workers have been sent to Japan.

As per the agreement, technical interns from Bangladesh would be sent under the arrangement of the Japan International Training Cooperation Organisation (Jitco).

The Jitco contributes to human resource development in the developing countries by providing support to technical interns with training after their entry into Japan.

Under the agreement Bangladeshi workers can work in Japan for three years during which they can each earn at least 3 to 6 times more than what a Bangladeshi worker gets in the Middle Eastern countries and return home with world-class training and experience.

According to the officials of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), only 41 workers have so far gone to Japan since the agreement with Japan.

A high official of the expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry said at the beginning only BMET was entitled to send workers but the government organisation could send only 12 workers.

Following the failure of BMET, Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) and 20 private recruiting agencies were given licenses at the end of 2010, said BMET officials adding that two agencies have withdrawn their licenses. The private recruiting agencies have sent only 29 migrant workers to Japan, BMET officials said.

The BMET has a selection committee headed by its additional director general (training).

The other members of the committee are representatives from the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry, Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers

Organisation, an assistant director and a director of the BMET. The officials also said there is huge demand for Bangladeshi workers in small industries in Japan. But the potential market could not be tapped due to language barrier, the officials said.

Recruiting agencies say it is very difficult to prepare workers by teaching them Japanese language before they are sent there.

They also alleged a section of expatriate Bangladeshis in Japan misguided the Japanese employers saying that would supply workers free of cost.

“Not only that, they also take money from the workers in Bangladesh,” Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury (Kiron) told the Dhaka Tribune over phone on Sunday.

Hasan, who has a license (Merit Trade International) to send workers to Japan, pointed out that going there involves a long administrative procedures.

Abdul Hye, proprietor of the Green Land Overseas, said: “The authorities concerned do not cooperate in sending technical interns to Japan.”

JBCCI Secretary General AKM Moazeem Hussain said Bangladesh could not avail the opportunity as the workers were not prepared in the way the Japanese government wants.

He said Japan wants technically fit people who knows Japanese language.

“Bangladesh could not seize the opportunity as workers were not selected properly,” the secretary general said over phone on Thursday.

A high official of the expatriates’ welfare ministry said some technical interns were selected, but when the Japan embassy investigated it, they found that the selected person did not work in the company, he (the selected worker) had mentioned in the application.

The BMET, which looks after the overseas jobs, Director General Begum Shamsun Nahar told the Dhaka Tribune that there were huge demands for workers in small enterprises in Japan.

BMET DG said the Japan embassy in Bangladesh interviews workers and refuses to issue visas as they find the workers do not know Japanese language.l

It was a day for children and also for their guardians who thronged the Shishu Park at Shahbagh on Eid day to enjoy different rides

Himalayas to be warmer in next century n Tribune Desk

The river systems fed by the glaciers of the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau are a vital source of water, food and energy for hundreds of millions of people downstream.

Trying to predict the impact of climate change on glaciers in such a large and inaccessible area as the Himalayas – with research made more difficult by bitter intra regional rivalries – is no easy task. While some studies say rising temperatures in the mountains and the melt of glaciers will lead to falling river levels downstream and drought in what is one of the most densely populated regions on the planet, other reports paint a more sanguine picture.

In a study in the journal Nature Geoscience, scientists say that in two of the region’s most important river basins – the Ganges and the Indus – water levels are unlikely to drop over the next century. This contrasts with earlier studies – including one by the same authors – suggesting water levels in these riv-

Six children waiting for parents n Mohammad Jamil Khan

Six children, who got lost at different recreational parks in the capital during Eid-ul-Fitr holidays and were later rescued, have been kept at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police victim support centre so their guardians can take them back.

The youngest of the children is just two years old, wearing a frock and a nappy. The girl cannot even say her name, so the officials at the centre have named her Mim. She can only utter the word “mama.”

The five others cannot also say anything beyond their names and their home districts.

As per what the DMP officials could glean from the children, they are Shirina, 4, and Sagarika, 8, both from Bhola, Hridoy Sutradhar, 6, from Mymensingh, Sajib, 6, from Sylhet, and Chan Mia, 6, from Mirpur in the capital.

The officials yesterday presented the children before the media for publicity and advised parents who had lost their kids to contact the DMP victim support centre at Tejgaon.

ers would drop significantly by 2050, threatening the livelihoods of millions.

The new report, Rising river flows throughout the twenty-first century in two Himalayan glacierized watersheds, says that in some parts of the Himalayan region, river flow losses as a result of less glacial meltwater will be compensated by an increase in monsoon rains.

The lead author of the report is Dr Walter Immerzeel, a mountain hydrology and climate change specialist at Utrecht University and at present a visiting scientist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Nepal.

Four years ago Immerzeel and his colleagues published a report predicting a considerable drop in water levels in the same rivers by 2050.

“We are now using a more advanced glacier model that takes into consideration how slowly glaciers respond to climate change” says Dr Immerzeel.

Marc Bierkens, professor of Hydrology at Utrecht and a report co author,

Rohingya population on the rise in Cox’s Bazar n Our Correspondent, Cox’s Bazar

Chan Mia’s parents Mozzammel Haque and Sakhina Begum had already contacted the victim support centre yesterday morning, said Ayrin Akter, sub-inspector at the centre. “We will verify their identities before handing over Chan Mia to them,” she said.

Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner of the DMP, told the Dhaka Tribune that the children had been rescued by officials of different police stations in the capital.

SI Ayrin Akter said although the kids were away from their parents, they were not crying. “We gave them toys and space to play so that they can spend the time in happiness until their guardians take them back.

“We are also giving them quality food,” she said.

About the youngest child, Ayrin said she had been rescued from Gulistan Golap Shah Mazar area. “We are calling her Mim as she cannot tell her name.” l

says the modelling research shows the size of the glaciers in the watershed of the Indus and the Ganges will decrease during the 21st century.

“Yet, surprisingly enough, water discharge in this region is increasing, rather than decreasing. The reasons vary greatly from one watershed to another.

Bierkens told Climate News Network that the latest research findings were the result of using a more sophisticated ice model together with a new set of climate models and the fact that, especially in the western Himalayas, the increase in rainfall with height is larger than previously thought.

To understand the impact of climate change on river discharge, researchers created computer models of glacier movements and water balance in both the Indus and the Ganges watersheds.

The models indicated that in the eastern watershed – in Langtang in Nepal where the Ganges has its source – the relatively smaller glaciers melt quite quickly but an increase in monsoon rains leads to a growth in water discharge. l

The number of Rohingyas who took refuge in Bangladesh has been increasing in Cox’s Bazar through childbirth because of the government ration, religious and social fanaticism and a lack of public awareness.

Registered Rohingyas in two camps at Ukhia of Teknaf have been brought under family planning activities, but many more in other camps and different places are still out of the programme.

According to government statistics, 25,852 Rohingyas in 2,969 families are now living in the two camps at Ukhia.

Around 80,000 unregistered Rohingyas live illegally in two other camps nearby. Another 300,000 Rohingyas are reportedly residing in different places of Ukia and Teknaf upazilas.

Earlier in 1980, a large number of Rohingyas entered Bangladesh.

A total of 46,765 children were born in Rohingya refugee families in the last

21 years, of whom 10,636 had died.

Dr Dipak Talukder, deputy director of Cox’s Bazar Family Planning Division, said there were 33,658 couples in Ukhia who were capable of multiplying.

Of them, 25,140 couples (70.66%) were provided with birth control materials.

The number of such couples in Cox’s Bazar district is 373,166, of whom only 78,388 could be brought under the family planning umbrella, which is 21%.

Experts say religious fanaticism and a lack of knowledge are the other reasons behind the increase of childbirth among the Rohingyas.

Nasrin Akhter Monica, a family planning worker in Kutupalong camp of Ukhia, said most Rohingya refugees did not have the basic literacy. The families already had two or three children when they had come to Bangladesh from Myanmar.

“Birth control is difficult without creating awareness among them,” she said. l

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Jamaat’s 48-hour hartal hits Kuakata tourism n Anisur Rahman Swapan, Barisal The tourism industry of Kuakata faced a severe blow as most of the tourists cancelled their bookings for the Eid holidays, due to the 48-hour countrywide general strike called by Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh.

Bayezid Ashraf, manager of the 240bed Motel Youth Inn of Parjatan Corporation in Kuakata said more than 80% of the bookings in different hotels and motels in Kuakata had been cancelled due to the announced shutdown and the inclement weather.

“We receive the highest number of tourists during Eid vacations, but the announcement of the shutdown has ruined our expectations, resulting in huge losses,” Hasanul Iqbal, spokesman of Kuakata Investors Forum said.

“Every year 5,000-10,000 tourists visit Kuakata, famous for its beautiful views of the sunrise and sunset from the beach.

However, we are facing pressures for cancellations of the advance bookings and refunding the amounts paid. The number of tourists will not exceed 500 this year,” said Motaleb Sharif, president Kuakata Hotel Motel Owners Association.

The tourism sector of the country has been going through a rough phase due to the political instability and frequent hartals, resulting in losses to the industry, he added.

Jamaat has called for a countrywide shutdown for August 13-14, in protest against a High Court verdict that cancelled its registration with the Election Commission, forcing the holidaymakers to reschedule their travel plans After the huge expenses incurred during Eid, people have a limited budget for tourism.

In such a scenario, if the tourists have to remain confined to certain places due to the hartal, then it is not feasible for the families to incur the extra cost of travel for a holiday, the business community leaders explained.

“We have cancelled our tours considering the hartal, because we do not like to be confined to the beach for 48 hours under adverse weather,” Ahmed Raju, a businessman of Barisal said. l

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