August 25, 2013

Long Form

5

Boycotts, burgers and illegal settlements

Bhadra 10, 1420 Shawwal 17, 1434 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 153

International

9

Fast-moving wildfire threatens power in San Francisco

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2013 | www.dhakatribune.com

BTRC changing guideline to favour one firm

Sport

14

Dortmund down Bremen to stay top of Bundesliga

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LIFE ON BOAT

Selling spectrum at a low price, facilitating both voice and data services over an unprecedented 54mhz of spectrum subsections to empower the governn Muhammad Zahidul Islam ment to decide fees, charges, and specThe Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is likely to change its licensing guidelines apparently to facilitate a new Wi-max licence to the Bangladesh Internet Exchange Ltd (BIEL), operating under the brand name of Ollo.

According to the four recommendations proposed by the BTRC, it wants to change section 10 of the Technology and Spectrum Allocation under the BWA (broadband wireless access) Service Guideline. The original guideline was published back in 2008.

The amendments would especially allow Ollo to run LTE (long-term evolution, a fourth generation telephone and mobile broadband communication standard) services, which will enable it to handle both voice and data, making it the most influential operator in the country.

The BTRC also recommended new

trum allocations, even those fixed earlier by the auction.

“The licensee(s) will be authorised to develop nationwide BWA services, based on the international standards as approved by the commission,” the recommendation says.

Sources said through the new recommendations, Ollo will be eligible for the FDD (frequency-division duplexing) spectrum instead of the TDD (time-division duplexing) spectrum, meaning it would be able to provide mobile phone services.

“Whereas mobile operators will have to pay $20m [Tk1.55bn] for each megahertz of 3G spectrum, Ollo will get the same type of spectrum through a Wi-max licence paying only Tk2.15bn for 20MHz. It will be a huge financial crime,” a chief technology officer at one of the mobile operators told the Dhaka Tribune.

US backs UN and Chinese move n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Awami League still sticks to its guns BNP over the moon n after Moon’s call

and Syed Shoeb

Against the backdrop of the United Nations secretary-general’s move to end the ongoing political impasse in Bangladesh, US Ambassador Dan Mozena yesterday renewed his call for both sides to engage in constructive dialogue and to hold the next general elections in a free, fair and credible manner.

“The major parties need to have constructive dialogue to find a way forward, because there is a way forward,” Mozena said, while talking to reporters following the inaugural session of an international conference titled “United Nations Peacekeeping and South Asia” at Dhaka University.

Referring to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon telephoning the country’s two top leaders in an effort to resolve the political stand-off, Mozena said the initiative was a very encouraging thing.

“That was a very constructive and helpful thing that the secretary general  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

INSIDE

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee

The ruling Awami League, despite UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s call for a dialogue to end the political deadlock, seems to be reluctant to respond to the move positively.

The party leaders believe that Moon’s call will not work until BNP comes up with any specific proposal on the modality of the interim government.

The ruling party is still stiff on its stance and waiting for the BNP’s proposal on the formation of a poll-time government in parliament.

Paying no heed to the UN chief’s call, the ruling AL is taking its all-out preparation to launch formal electoral campaign from September 1.

At this stage, the party is not interested in thinking about anything other than elections, said party insiders.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Awami League Presidium Member and Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said if BNP wants any solution they have to come to the

A band of snake charmers prepare breakfast on their boats anchored by the bank of Dhaleswari River in Munshiganj yesterday. Members of this community reside on boats and travel from one place to another SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

parliament with specific proposals.

Responding to a query about any possibility of dialogue with the opposition, she said: “If the government agrees to meet the demand of BNP then we have to bring amendments to the constitution and parliament is the right place for this.”

They are also confident that BNP will participate in the upcoming national polls under the present government It is not possible to bring amendments to the constitution outside the parliament, Matia added.

Replying to another question about BNP’s participation in the upcoming national polls, the AL presidium member said if BNP doesn’t want any unconstitutional change then the party must have to join the polls.

As the UN secretary general didn’t come up with any recommendation for solution, the only way to solve the problem is that BNP has to put forward its proposals in parliament.

And the government is ready to discuss it only in parliament, noted some top leaders.

They are also confident that BNP will participate in the upcoming national polls under the present government.

They also believe that BNP grassroots leaders and activists are already taking preparation to take part in the election and it is very tough for BNP high-ups to refrain them from the polls. BNP has to join the race to retain their existence.

Meanwhile, the UN chief on Friday made phone calls to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia and discussed the recent political situation as well as the upcoming general elections.

During the telephone conversation with the UN secretary-general, the PM told the UN chief that if BNP places any proposal on polls-time administration’s structure in the next parliamentary session, it would be discussed in the House.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Apparently elated by Ban Ki-moon’s conversation with Sheikh Hasina, opposition leaders see the UN secretary-general’s telephone call to the prime minister as a reflection of global “diplomatic persuasion” of the ruling party.

They hoped that the telephone call may play a key role in staving off the eruptive political climate it is feared Bangladesh would face in the coming months over the restoration of the non-party caretaker administration.

Most of the senior leaders the Dhaka Tribune spoke with said the UN chief’s suggestion of credible polls coupled with peaceful transfer of power would motivate the two top leaders to seriously think about resolving their political differences for the sake of greater good.

With the national election just a couple of months away, both the ruling

Awami League and the opposition BNP are still sticking to their guns, creating uncertainty about the upcoming polls.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told the UN secretary general that her government believed in solving problems through peaceful means while the leader of the opposition said her party was ready for dialogue but would not participate in any polls under the incumbent government.

Abdul Moyeen Khan, a standing committee member of BNP, said it was obvious that the political uncertainty, as well as the confrontational politics of Bangladesh, was not only bothering the people inside Bangladesh but was also drawing the attention of policymakers abroad.

“The recent phone call by the UN secretary general is nothing but a reflection of that concern,” he told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Formal charge against Jamaat in mid-Sept

Teachers’ agitation sparks fears of session jam in public universities

Nation

n Udisa Islam

n Mushfique Wadud

Brahmaputra, Dhorola, Teesta, and Dudhkumar has made thousands of families homeless in Rajbari and Kurigram, with sufficient measures yet to be taken by authorities.

A week after filing a complaint against “anti-liberation” political party – Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami – for its complicity in crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, the investigation agency of the war crimes tribunal is ready to submit its probe report.

Moreover, the prosecution now hopes to place the formal charges in mid-September.

Abdul Hannan Khan, chief coordinator of the tribunal’s investigation agency, last week said they appointed Motiur Rahman as the investigation officer (IO) while filing the complaint.

Motiur said he was working on it following the verdict against Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Molla on February 5, and that they were near the end of probe.

He said in the mean time, “we get some judgements that make our task easier. The last few verdicts identified Jamaat as a criminal organisation which is a milestone for our investigation.”

Prosecutor Tureen Afroz told the Dhaka Tribune: “I am working on the issue since getting appointed as a pros-

News

3 The transmission line constructed for importing electricity from India will go for test from August 26, a move aimed to rid Bangladesh of nagging power crisis.

6 Massive erosion of rivers in Padma,

Metro

7 A significant portion of Dholai Khal in the capital’s Sutrapur area has been taken by the encroachers who seem immune to any sort of legal action or awareness campaigns.

International

9 The United States on Friday was repositioning naval forces in the Mediterranean to give President Barack Obama the option for an armed strike on Syria.

Op-ed

11 My grandfather loved to read detective stories. Everyone did back then. Not so much anymore. Maybe it’s because we don’t have the time anymore, with jobs being so 24-hourish nowadays.

ecutor at the tribunal. There is many evidence against Jamaat, which is already known as an ‘anti-liberation’ political party.”

About the investigation process, IO Motiur said: “The prosecution provided me with some evidences. I have to scrutinise and place the proper statements of witness.”

Asked why they filed the complaint at the end of investigation, he said: “It is just a procedure. But we are working on this informally since February.”

There had been some misconceptions on the process of trying Jamaat.

On August 17, Hannan said they were not prepared to start the procedure whereas Chief Investigation Officer Sanaul Haque confirmed that the probe began in February.

Moreover, the next day, the investigation agency filed the complaint in their registration book.

Now, Tureen is hopeful about submitting the formal charge by mid-September. She said: “Internationally, there is not a single example that the party which had acted as war criminal enjoyed their organisational right after  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Lengthy closures and forced boycott of classes and examinations in some public universities may set off prolonged session jams, officials at the University Grants Commission (UGC) warned.

They said students of three universities would suffer the most because of teachers forging ahead with their protest programmes and resultant disruptions in the regular academic schedules.

These are frustrating times for the students who are generally more used to the idea of session jams being caused by the student wings of political parties and the violence wrought by them.

Right now, Jahangirnagar University, Comilla University and Begum Rokeya University are facing threats of prolonged session jams thanks to agitating teachers, although teachers of the third one called off their protest yesterday.

On the other hand, the situation at Shahjalal Science and Technology University (SSTU) and Khulna University has improved to some extent in recent times.

“There is a growing fear that at least one of the universities, Jahangirnagar, might not be able to hold its admission tests this year if the ongoing crisis continues without abatement,” a senior official of UGC said.

Earlier, UGC Chairman AK Azad Chowdhury, expressing concern over the situation, told the Dhaka Tribune that a prolonged session jam might set in some of the embattled universities. “We have sent our emissaries to some universities urging them to find solutions.”

P2

JU TALKS SUCCESSFUL

In Jahangirnagar University, teachers are demonstrating to demand resignation of Vice-chancellor Prof Anwar Hossain, who had been kept confined to his office for the third consecutive day yesterday.

The agitating teachers put up a barricade in front of the VC office since Wednesday noon when he entered it, ignoring a two-day comprehensive strike called by the General Teachers’ Forum demanding his removal.

Sources said, academic activities in

the university had been seriously hampered in the last two years owing to controversy surrounding its vice-chancellors. The previous vice chancellor Shariff Enamul Kabir had to resign giving in to the pressure of teachers, the same who are now pressuring his successor, a former professor at the Dhaka University, to step down.

“It’s the students who have been suffering because of the distrust and crisis of confidence among the teachers. For two years we have suffered and I don’t know how long more we’ll have to continue to do so,” said Ijaj Hossain, a student of BBA department of the university.

In Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, it was like one pile of problem after another. First, the teachers demonstrated to demand the resignation of Vice-chancellor Abdul Jalil Miah who was terminated following a probe body’s report, in which he was found guilty of corruption.

Then unrest spilled over into other areas when teachers, recruited during the tenure of the sacked VC, started demonstrating with the demand to  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Talks with JU teachers fruitful: Nahid

PM’s Chittagong rally venue changed for security n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, after an almost five hours’ close door meeting with the agitating teachers of Jahangirnagar University, said the meeting was fruitful and ministry would investigate complaints and demands lodged by the teachers.

“The meeting was fruitful. Teachers will withdraw their agitation for the interest of students,” he said.

General Secretary of Sadharon Shikkak Forum Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan said they were assured in the meeting and hope the minister would implement what they were assured.

He, however, did not clarify if they would withdraw their demonstration.

‘We will let you know this after going to campus,” he said.

Sources within education ministry said the ministry will form a probe committee regarding the complaints of teachers soon and will be asked to submit a report within 15 days. The ministry will take actions in accordance with the report.

18 agitated teachers were present at

The venue of Prime Minister’s public rally at Fatikchhari upazila in Chittagong, has been changed for security reasons to the Roads and Highway Department grounds at Folagazi about two kilometres away from the previous venue.

Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to attend a programme of Bangladesh Navy at Chittagong’s Naval Academy on August 29, while she will also attend as the chief guest, a public rally at Fatikchhari, organised by the upazila Awami League (AL) unit, added the sources.

MA Salam, administrator of Chittagong District Parishad and president of AL (north) unit, told Dhaka Tribune that security forces assessed that security might be compromised as the previous venue is always overcrowded.

Therefore, the venue has been changed for security reasons. l

n Tribune Report

the meeting along with education secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and senior officials were also present.

However, JU VC Prof Anwar Hossain was kept confined for the fourth day till filing this report at 10:30 pm yesterday.

Earlier in the afternoon, over 150 teachers from different departments demonstrated by holding black flag in front of the administrative office of the university and demanded immediate resignation of the VC. By arranging a press conference in the administrative office around 11am yesterday, the secretariat member of General Teachers’ Forum Prof Kamrul Ahsan told journalists, “29 among 33 syndicate members of the university, 13 among 15 hall provosts, four among five deans, 25 among 34 departmental chair and all teachers’ representatives of the university have expressed solidarity to our agitation against VC Prof Anwar Hossain.”

On the contrary, the confined VC Prof Anwar Hossain repeated again that he will not stand down from his post by irrational demands of some agitated teachers yesterday. l

JP won't take part in polls under current EC: Ershad n Manik Miazee In a programme yesterday at a hotel in the capital organised by the former leaders and activists of Jatiya Chhatra Samaj, the student affiliate of Jatiya Party, party Chairman HM Ershad said his party would not participate in an election under the current Election Commission.

Expressing doubts about the incumbent EC's neutrality, Ershad said: "No fair election can take place under it [EC]."

He criticised Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina’s decision on holding the national election as per the provision of the country’s constitution.

“This cannot be a political statement. Democracy means compromise and flexibility,” he said.

He, however, held his previous stance against the caretaker government system.

"I never supported caretaker system, but while I was in power, I always wanted to strengthen the Election Commission to hold free and fair election," he said. l

Teachers’ agitation sparks  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

regularise their jobs. They called off their strike yesterday, although earlier they had announced that they would continue it until their demands were met.

The teachers of Comilla University had long been pressuring its vice-chancellor to realise their set of demands, having already triggered a session jam

of some sort.

Recently, they postponed their strike but threatened to resume it if their demands remained unmet.

About unabated teachers’ unrest and agitation, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid told the Dhaka Tribune that his ministry was working to solve the problems in the public universities. l

Formal charge against Jamaat  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

liberation. So they will have to face trial.”

Meanwhile, Sanaul said: “The activities of razakars, al-Badr, al-Shams and Peace Committee – all the auxiliary forces of the Pakistani occupation army – will also come under investigation in this case.”

Evidence says these forces were formed following the political decision of Jamaat. He added that they were studying the international instances of trials like the Nuremburg and others.

In the verdict against Kamaruzzaman, the tribunal said in its observation: “Jamaat-e-Islami had played substantial role in organising and establishing its two wings conceivably to join the [Pakistan] military’s efforts.

Therefore, it is now history based on old authoritative documents that chiefly it was Jamaat-e-Islami that played substantial role in formation of al-Badar, razakar, al-Shams and peace committees and of course not with intent to guard the civilians and their property.”

The tribunal in its verdict in Ghulam Azam case said Jamaat had played a “foul role” during the independence of Pakistan, under the leadership of the party’s founder Syed Abul A’la Maududi during the independence of Bangladesh and under the leadership of Maududi’s disciple Ghulam Azam.

On August 1, the High Court bench of justices M Moazzam Husain, M Enayetur Rahim, and Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque cancelled Jamaat’s registration with EC. l

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena speaks at the international conference titled ‘United Nations Peacekeeping and South Asia: Trends and Prospects’ at Dhaka University yesterday RAJIB DHAR

Regional co-op needed for UN peace policy change n

troop-providing countries would come in handy.

The Bangladesh Army has been doing a praiseworthy job in UN peace operations. The country’s constitution encourages upholding the ideals of peacekeeping, he said.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Benazir Ahmed said although the UN missions continue to shrink in size, the challenge of security is increasing day by day.

“To address the mounting challenge, a coordinated approach is needed, which would help us share our resources and tap into our regional potential,” he said.

Presenting the India paper, Major General (retd) Dipankar Banerjee expressed his concerns at the “non-representation” of South Asian countries at the higher levels of UN peacekeeping.

He also noted that the UN should come forward to devise policies to address the challenges of cyber security threats.

DU Vice-Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique and Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque also spoke at the conference. l

More regional cooperation is required among the five troop- contributing South Asian nations to collectively put forward their proposals on policy changes in United Nations peacekeeping operations, experts told a conference in the capital yesterday.

If the five countries – Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal – join hands to address their issues over peace missions, at a time when UN peacekeeping is undergoing a policy change, then they would be able to maintain their high profile in the global security arena, they said while addressing an international conference on United Nations Peacekeeping and South Asia: Trends and Prospects at the Dhaka University (DU) senate auditorium.

DU International Relations department and the American Center in Dhaka jointly organised the two-day conference.

Adam Smith, research fellow at the International Peace Institute in New York, said there has been a policy shift in peacekeeping in recent times, with

the UN adopting a capability-driven approach that focuses on maximising the capability of troops, instead of increasing their numbers in war-torn regions.

“The UN is more focused on increasing the number of troop- contributing countries that has effectively reduced the presence of South Asian countries in UN missions. At present, troops from South Asian nations constitute 33% of the total peacekeepers, down from 51% in 2007, while the number of troops in peace operations from three sub-regions increased substantially,” Smith said.

The three sub-regions are West Africa, South-East Asia and East Africa.

As the largest troop contributor, Bangladesh should have a say while the UN is setting the capability standards for its peacekeeping operations, Smith said.

“A regional-level strategic engagement might help the country to advance their cause,” he added.

Brigadier General Abu Sayeed Khan, Director General of the Armed Forces Division’s Operations and Plan Directorate, said the UN needs to address the root causes of conflict in war-ravaged regions, where consultation with

Awami League still

US backs UN and Chinese move

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Syed Shoeb

The ruling AL is going to hold an emergency meeting of the party’s central working committee, the highest decision-making body of the party, within this month and there the party will fix up its strategy for election campaign, said a leader in return for anonymity.

Another party Presidium Member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim said: “Solution outside the parliament is beyond any scope. BNP has to come to the parliament with their proposals,” he said while talking to the Dhaka Tribune. “Election will be held under the present constitutional provisions and the government has no alternative to holding polls,” Selim said adding that if BNP did not join the polls it would meet the same fate as Muslim League. l

did yesterday- I am very encouraged by that,” he said.

Emphasising the need for dialogue to end the crisis, Mozena said: “Bangladeshi people want to have elections that are free, fair and credible. So, I think leaders of all the parties need to find a way (so) that such elections are possible.”

The UN secretary general on Friday personally called Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and main opposition leader Khaleda Zia to discuss the election process and the ongoing political crisis. He also urged the two leaders to hold talks to resolve the crisis.

On a similar initiative taken by the Chinese ambassador in Dhaka, Moze-

na said Washington and Beijing were on the same page as far as a dialogue between the two parties was concerned.

“He expressed views identical to my own. And there is a need for the leaders of major political parties to have their lieutenants begin a constructive dialogue to find a way forward,” he said.

“So, I agree fully with the sentiments of the Chinese ambassador.”

Chinese Ambassador Li Jun on Wednesday said he had taken the initiative to hold face-to-face dialogue between ruling Awami League and opposition BNP leaders.

Li Jun said he would continue to make efforts to encourage negotiations between the two sides, saying he had

BNP over the moon after Moon’s call BTRC changing guideline to favour one firm  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Moyeen, also a former minister, said although Bangladesh was a country tiny in size, its population was huge and so was the geopolitical strategic importance of Bangladesh due to its unique location, connecting with south Asia in the west and South-East Asia and china not so far to the north.

“Added to this is the recently growing interest in the Bay of Bengal than no other than the United States. All this is adding up to the idea of a smooth transition of government through a free, fair, neutral and participatory general election due to take place within the next few months,” he said.

Khandakar Mosharaaf Hossain, another BNP standing committee member, said: “As a political crisis is going on in the country the UN secretary general expressed his concern. I think he said it out of his responsibility. Now everything depends upon the government.”

MK Anwar, also a standing committee member of the party, said like the people of Bangladesh the international community have also expressed concern over the prevailing political standoff.

“The international community also knows that there is no alternative to holding free and fair elections to protect democracy. So, Dialogue is essential to hold a free and credible election.

The ruling party asked us to join the

parliament to discuss the issue. We have joined the parliament and raised the issue but the government did not respond positively,” he said.

Anwar also said debates take place in parliament, not discussions.

“We hope that the government will take the initiative to resolve the deadlock, realising the concern of the people of the country and also the international community,” he said.

“It was not diplomatic pressure, rather it was diplomatic persuasion.

After Moon’s call, I did not notice any change in the politics of the country.

Now the ball is in the prime minister’s court. She has to play now,” Osman Faruk, adviser to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Earlier, in May, Moon sent Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, assistant secretary general for political affairs of the UN, apparently to create grounds for political dialogue between the two arch rivals and to ensure a smooth transfer of power through a credible and participatory election.

Taranco met with the prime minister, leader of the opposition, speaker of the house, the chief election commissioner and selected members of civil society.

After the meetings he expressed his concern: “Time is running out to find a solution so that Bangladesh can hold free, fair, credible and non-violent elections.” l

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

Earlier in April this year, the BIEL (Ollo) applied for a Wi-max licence, and the BTRC gave recommendations in its favour.

In its reaction, however, the telecommunication ministry asked the BTRC if the disparity in the prices of 3G and LTE spectrum would put the 3G auction at risk.

The BTRC recommended awarding the BIEL the Wi-max licence for Tk2.15bn based on a “dead auction” as it had been held five years ago. Experts and lawyers protested the decision, saying it was unlawful.

The BIEL had attended the auction in 2008 and placed sixth. But it had withdrawn it earnest money of Tk30m immediately and refused to take the licence after an auction winner refused to avail it.

In the face of huge criticism from different quarters, the BTRC finally decided to change its guideline at its meeting on August 14.

Sources said the BTRC chairman and the commissioners had attended the daylong meeting, but their letter sent to the telecommunication ministry said the recommendations were sent the same day.

“It means that the BTRC sent the set of recommendations to us before approving it in the commission meeting,” a high official at the telecom ministry said.

The present Wi-max operators were

very concerned about the decision.

“As the conditions may change because of this proposed amendment, we would like to request the regulator to discuss the extent of the modifications with us in detail because it may impact the way we do business and run our operations,” Faisal Hyder, CEO of Augere Wireless Broadband Bangladesh Ltd (Qubee), told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said: “We also believe our experience in this field can be useful in deciding the right course of action to achieve the ‘Digital Bangladesh’ goal.”

Wi-max licence without auction

According to the proposed changes, the BTRC recommended that the government decide the terms and conditions, including fees and charges.

But barrister Aneek R Haque, who conducted the auction in 2008, said: “The licensing procedure of the BTRC clearly says, nobody can award Wi-max licence without auction. It means if the BTRC recommends doing so, it will be unlawful.”

Self-contradictory guideline

It is clearly told in the existing guideline in section 4.03 that “two licences will be awarded to the prospective application(s) to provide national BWA service in 2.3GHz and one licence will be awarded in 2.5GHz spectrum bands.”

But following the proposed amendment, the regulator will only change

the spectrum allocation place in section 10.03, where it proposed three licences but in 2.5 and 2.6 bands.

A high official at the ministry said: “It proves that the BTRC is not aware of the complete guideline. They have got an assignment to award a licence to a specific operator and are only trying to fulfil that task.”

Ollo could hold two ISP licences

According to the current guideline, no Wi-max operator can hold ISP licences.

But the BTRC recommended deleting two clauses of the guideline, which can help Ollo get two ISP licences with a total of 14MHz spectrum.

The BIEL and its partner New Generation Graphics Limited (NGGL) already have 7MHz each in 3.5 band. The NGGL has also been awarded another multimillion-dollar spectrum of 20MHz in 800 band free of cost. Telecom operators have termed it a “digital dividend.”

The BTRC is now facing a writ-petition against the allocation.

The NGGL and BIEL already have 34MHz spectrum jointly. “If they get another 20MHz, they will be the spectrum Mughals of the country,” a high official of the BTRC said, requesting anonymity.

He said there was proof that the Access to Information (A2I) project of the Prime Minister’s Office requested that the NGGL get the 800-band spectrum in 2011.

Prof Jamilur gets Ahsanullah Gold Medal-2012 n Tribune Desk Speakers at an award giving ceremony yesterday said a nation is honored when its worthy citizens are recognized, respected and encouraged for their welfare works.

They were addressing the "Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah Gold Medal- 2012" award giving ceremony at Dhaka Ahsania Mission office in the capital, according to BSS. The gold medal was given to Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury in recognition to his outstanding contributions to the field of education, architecture and research. BIRDEM Ombudsman Prof. Wahid Uddin Ahmed formally handed over the medal.

DAM President Kazi Rafiqul Alam presided over the program while Professor of Philosophy Department of Dhaka University Dr Aminul Islam read out the keynote paper.

Former secretary and ex-chairman of the National Board of Revenue Dr Abdul Majid and Vice-Chancellor of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST) Dr A M M Shafiullah were present as the discussants. DAM Executive Director M Ehsanur Rahman delivered the welcome speech. l

friends in both the parties and was in touch with them.

Mozena, meanwhile, praised Bangladesh for its contribution to UN peacekeeping missions, saying the world community was grateful to the country.

He noted that the United States would provide $5m to the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) to enhance its capacity to better contribute to peacekeeping operations.

Earlier, in May, Ban dispatched his deputy on political affairs, Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, to create a ground for dialogue between the two parties for a smooth transfer of power through credible elections. l

BTRC criticises operators unethically

In its recommendation, the BTRC also attached unethical remarks as it criticised the existing Wi-max operators – Banglalion and Qubee – apparently to justify the amendments.

They claimed that both operators had failed to fill the vacuum of broadband wireless services.

In reply of the criticism, the Augere Wireless Broadband CEO said: “Qubee has an extensive network that is working very well.

It has been expanded recently and for the most part Qubee has met its rollout plan objectives.

“We have right now many other challenges and limitations which need to be fixed by working together.

It’s mostly about building right infrastructure, taking appropriate policies and setting right guidelines which will complement the growth of the industry. We always welcome and believe in competition at playing level field.”

Regarding the issue, the Dhaka Tribune tried to get in contact with BIEL Managing Director Yulia Aksyutina through email, but she did not reply the mail.

It also tried to reach BTRC Chairman Sunil Kanti Bose over phone, but he did not take the call.

A BTRC commissioner said: “The chairman does not like us to make comments on the matter. He has put pressure on us about this issue.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, August 25, 2013

3

ELECTRICITY IMPORT FROM INDIA

Transmission line test from Aug 26 n Aminur Rahman Rasel The transmission line constructed for importing electricity from India will go for test from August 26, a move aimed to rid Bangladesh of nagging power crisis.

“We will start energising the transmission line prior to a full-fledged import of electricity from India,” acting Managing Director of the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), Chowdhury Alamgir Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

He said 400 kilovolt transmission line on the Bangladesh side would be energised throughout a month before India started supplying electricity to Bangladesh.

“Electricity can be received from India at the end of September or in the first week of October. Both sides have already completed construction of transmission lines and substations,” he added.

Bangladesh was supposed to get 250MW of electricity from India in July 2013, but New Delhi missed the deadline because of the delay in setting up transmission line on the Indian side.

Kazi Ishtiak Hasan, project director of Grid Interconnection between Bangladesh and India, said: “The construction of 27km 400KV transmission line and the High Voltage Direct Current substations has been completed.”

A total of 400KV DC electricity would be supplied to Bheramara of Bangladesh from Baharampur of India.

Obaidul Quader slams BCL n Arif Ahmed Communications Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday slammed members of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student front of ruling Awami League, saying some of the activists do not uphold Bangabandhu’s ideology.

He made the remark while addressing a programme marking the 38th death anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, organized by BCL at Dhaka University’s Teacher Student Center (TSC).

Commenting on Friday’s BCL clash at Bangabandhu Avenue, he said “those who committed the heinous act - do not nourish the ideology which Bangabandhu followed.”

“If they had any respect for the father of the nation, they could not have committed the heinous act at the remembrance programme for Bangabandhu,” the minister added.

On Friday, several people were injured when BCL activists clashed over seating arrangements at a remembrance program for Bangabandhu, organised by BCL’s Dhaka Metropolitan (south) unit in the city’s Bangabandhu Avenue.

Terming the BCL as a weak force, Obaidul Quader said “If BCL’s Rajshahi University unit practiced their true political power, the miscreants would not have been able to attack the unit’s general secretary.”

On a separate note, he accused main opposition BNP for the incidents of August 15 and August 21 attack.

“The same forces carried out the brutal attacks on August 15 and 21. In 1975 they killed the father of the nation along with his family members to erase the nation’s existence from history, and in 2004, their motive was to eradicate those who support the Liberation War. But they failed. The masses will protest the anti-liberation and fanatic forces,” Obaidul Quader claimed.

He also urged the youth and student leaders to practice the ideology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

He further called on everyone to be conscious and careful about anti-liberation forces who killed Bangabandhu and tried to kill his daughter on August 15 and 21 respectively.

Iqbal Sobhan Chaudhary, Information Advisor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said Bangabandhu would stay eternally in our minds. As long as the nation exists, Bangabandhu’s legend will be respected, he added.

He however praised BCL activists for their role during 1/11 and urged current members to act according to Bangabandhu’s ideals.

AL member Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, former BCL President Mahmud Hasan Ripon, General Secretary Mahfuzul Haidar Chowdhury Roton, current BCL President HM Bodiuzzaman Sohag and GS Siddique Nazmul Alam were present at the programme. l

The electricity would be added to the National Grid through substations at Ishwardi and Khulna, he added.

The cost of per kilowatt electricity from India is expected to be Tk4 although the Indian side is yet to fix the wheeling charge.

The Power Grid Company will charge Bangladesh Power Development Board about Tk0.23 for a single unit of electricty.

Bangladesh took the project to import electricity from India to reduce the nagging power crisis in the country.

Dhaka and New Delhi signed a Memorandum of Understanding to import 500 megawatt of electricity in January 2010 during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India.

Some 250MW electricty is expected to enter Bangladesh within a month and the rest within this year.

On July 28, the cabinet committee on public purchase has approved the import of 250MW electricity from India’s open market.

Power Trading Corporation India Limited will supply the electricity to Bangladesh for three years from the power plants in West Bengal and the eastern region at a tariff rate of Tk6.34 with Tk0.31 wheeling charge for a single unit.

Sources at the Power Development Board said electricity generation in the country yesterday was about 6000MW against a projected demand for 7000MW. l

A bamboo structure built over a bridge on the Dhaleswari River in Munshiganj for political campaigning currently lays in a risky slanted position, which can lead to an accident anytime.

The photo was taken yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport radar operates only for 12 hours a day n Asif Showkat Kallol The radar systems at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport are almost three decades old and operate for only 12 hours a day putting thousands of passengers travelling everyday ay risk.

“We badly need to replace the old radar of the airport with a new one.

The radar in operation gets hot after 12 hours and some of its spare parts have become obsolete,” a senior official of the Civil Aviation Authority (on condition of anonymity) told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The official added that the old radar is unable to provide the air navigation services for other airlines as it ceases to function round the clock.

Foreign airliners will not use Bangla-

deshi air navigation services after 2015 if Shahjalal International Airport is not updated in line with ICAO guidelines.

The civil aviation ministry has already submitted proposal to the cabinet committee on economic affairs for upgradation of the existing radar system to meet the international standard.

The current radar system depends on the age-old primary radar established in 1984 and secondary one which is set up in 1986 pose risk to the aircraft’s take-off and landing.

The secondary radar had a lifetime of 10 years.

In June, the cabinet body sent back the civil aviation ministry proposal for what it said “fund constraint”.

The cabinet committee said it would decide in the coming week whether to

install a new radar and build a control tower to improve the system.

The Civil Aviation Authority has projected a good income from the aviation industry. Tk130bn is expected to be earned from the air navigation charges for the use of Bangladeshi air navigation services by other airliners over the period of next 10 years.

The current figure of aviation income stands at Tk7bn.

If the Civil Aviation Authority deposits the amount of money in the commercial bank, interest will come around Tk8.5bn.

Civil aviation and tourism Secretary Khurshid Alam Chowdhury said the Civil Aviation Authority would pay the radar setup debt by the installment money that will come from the interest of Tk8.5bn.

A new radar would cost Tk2.5bn, according to civil aviation source.

The international Civil Aviation Organisation put the total radar setup cost at Tk720m while an unsolicited bidder Karim Associates at Tk2.5bn, added the source.

The civil aviation minister, in the proposal, has emphasised the need for update and installation of the primary and secondary radar, Air Traffic Control centre, Control Tower Building, VHF Air Ground stand by Transceiver, Extended VHF Radio Communication, Master Clock, Recording system, Voice Communication and Control Systems and new Air Traffic Control centre in order to conform to the ICAO guidelines and ensure safe aircraft movement on the country’s airspace. l

Matuail body parts yet to be identified n Tribune Report

Dhaka University VC Prof AAMS Arefin Siddiqui tries to calm White Panel teachers, who were staging a sit-in yesterday to protest the call for a special Senate session to select the VC panel RAJIB DHAR

DU senate elects VC panel n DU Correspondent Dhaka University senate members yesterday formed a three-member panel for the forthcoming VC election in a special session of the senate members, held at 3pm at Nabab Nowab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building.

36 members among 50 were present in the special session. The selected members of the panel were Vice-Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) Nasrin Ahmed and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Admin) Shahid Akthar Hossain.

Dean of Social Science Faculty, also a senate member and Al backed Blue panel Convenor Farid Uddin Ahmed submitted the names which were supported by Dean of Earth and Environment Department ASM Maksud Kamal.

BNP backed White panel senate members boycotted the session and participated in a sit-in in front of the Senate Building during the session.

Earlier, a writ petition was submitted on Thursday by former pro vice-chancellor of the university AFM Yousuf Haidar, Prof Abdul Aziz and journalist Mahfuzullah with the High Court challenging the legitimacy of the special session. The hearing of the writ petition will be held today. l

Law enforcers are yet to make any breakthrough into the recovery of 29 human body parts and skeleton from Dhaka South City Corporation’s landfill in Matuail on Friday.

“We are still not sure if there were three, four or five bodies in the sacks,” Abani Sankar, Jatrabari police inspector, said yesterday.

There was no option except DNA test,

Government gagging our voice: Odhikar n Muktasree Chakma Sathi Human rights organisation Odhikar yesterday said it maintains a non-partisan stand and alleged that the government was gagging its voice because of its credible election monitoring capacity.

In a statement, the Dhaka-based group claimed that the government was taking repressive actions against the organisation and its Secretary Adilur Rahman Khan because of Odhikar’s bold steps regarding human rights violations by the state and also “for its credible election monitoring capacity.”

Adilur was arrested earlier this month allegedly for distorting information regarding the death toll of Hefazat-e-Islam rally in Motijheel on May 5-6.

Odhikar also said for the first time in its establishment of nineteen years, it could not publish the monthly human rights monitoring report for August.

“Due to its credible human rights reporting and non-partisan stand, Odhikar is a constant target of state harassment,” the statement said.

It claimed that both the ruling and the

opposition parties had used their report whenever they were not in the power.

“When the present government party was in opposition, it used Odhikar’s information on a regular basis…The present opposition party also uses Odhikar’s information, data and fact finding reports. This proves that Odhikar’s information is credible and reliable in the eyes of all political parties.”

Odhikar in the statement also expressed concern over the recent amendment to the Information Communication and Technology Act 2006 particularly in sections 54, 56, 57 and 61 which say crimes under this act would be cognisable and non-bailable, and the maximum imprisonment would be 14 years from the existing 10.

Mentioning that all these provisions had been amended after Adilur’s arrest, the statement said: “Odhikar is concerned that it will be a repressive law to be used to take revenge as all other bad laws. The government has been enacting such laws to shut down the voices of the human rights activists, journalist and general people.” l

the report of which would take at least a week to reach their hands, he said.

SI Monir Hossain filed a case against in connection with the recovery.

An insider said the law enforcers had been trying to find out how and when the bodies had got to the landfill site. - if the dead bodies dumped by criminals after murders or they were from hospitals or anatomy departments of medical schools.

The police declined to disclose the number of people questioned. l

Law enforcers to use EC’s database to identify bodies n Mohammad Zakaria Law enforcement agencies have started to make use of the Election Commission’s citizen database to identify dead bodies and criminals by matching individuals’ fingerprints.

EC officials said the database is being used to identify people and find personal details of unidentified bodies.

On August 19, officials at the city’s Shah Ali police station sent the fingerprints from the body of an unidentified woman to the EC for identification. Using automated finger print identification software which matched her fingerprints with the EC reserved database, the EC managed to provide the woman’s name and address to the law enforcement agencies.

Abdul Bari, deputy project director of the National Identity Card project of the EC, said the commission provided the name and address of an unidentified woman to the Shah Ali police station last week.

According to statistics from Anjuman Mufidul Islam, a private charity, the past 10 years have seen over 27,000 bodies buried without identification.

According to the EC, information on more than 91.9 million citizens above the age of 18 is kept in the EC database. The National Board of Revenue (NBR) signed a 10-year agreement with the EC to use the citizen database to seek information on Tax Identification Number (TIN) holders, in a bid to prevent tax evasion. Furthermore, Bangladesh Bank also signed a similar agreement with the EC to identify loan defaulters. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Loan defaulters in Barisal remain scot free n Anisur Rahman Swapan, Barisal About 16,000 cases against defaulters of different types of loans worth Tk14bn with seven banks in Barisal region have been pending for disposal since long.

Officials at the Bangladesh Bank’s Barisal branch said the total amount of defaulted disbursed loans stands at Tk12bn including Tk5.92bn agricultural loans.

The amount was paid out by Sonali, Janata, Agrani, Krishi, Rupali, Uttara and Pubali banks in the last three to 20 years.

The amount rose up to Tk14bn with eight to 13% annual interest rates while the number of cases lodged and pending in this connection is 15,825.

Out of the defaulted principal loans, Tk7.03bn was disbursed by the Krishi Bank, Tk1.5bn by Janata, Tk1.44bn by Agrani, Tk1.39 by Sonali, Tk333m by Rupali, Tk232m by Uttara Bank and Tk126m by Pubali Bank.

Realisation of the agricultural loans is satisfactory, but most of the businesses dillydally in paying the dues with the influence of ruling party’s people during different government tenures. With this advantage and by bribing bank officials, they often manage to reschedule their loans or get fresh loans.

Of the key defaulters, Rephco Laboratories owes the highest Tk710m, which is lying with Janata Bank. The amount was sanctioned without proper collateral assets.

Despite that, the bank is now preparing to approve more loans to Rephco as per recommendations of influential people of the ruling Awami League, a source at the bank said.

The other major defaulters are Devine Aqua Culture that owes Tk7.1m, Jhalakathi Huq Builders Tk4.8m, Star Furniture Tk3.3m and Huq Press Tk3.2m.

As the big amount of loans were sanctioned by the banks’ head offices after being processed by local officials, at least 5-10% of the approved amounts are to be paid to those officials, different channels and directors of the concerned banks as “speed money.”

One of the loan receivers said to manage the loans, the officials help the loan-takers by over-valuing the assets and machinery, and without providing sufficient security deposits.

Moreover, the assets are lying under possessions of the loan receivers – not with the banks – and the documents lack proper rights of title and ownership.

“This discourages buyers to take part in auctions to purchase those properties,” said lawyer Manabendra Batobayal, legal advisor of a bank and former president of the District Bar Association.

Kazi Nurul Amin, general manager BB’s Barisal branch, said: “Since the cases have been left pending for a long time, the banks now cannot realise the dues by selling the collateral property or increase interests or reschedule the instalments.” l

News

Sunday, August 25, 2013

FISHING IN MONSOON

A group of fishermen catching fish in the Padma River, taking advantage of the river’s high water level this monsoon. The photo was taken yesterday from Bhaggokul in Munshiganj SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

More trawlers to cause over-fishing Experts call for survey to assess fish resources and determine netting strategy in Bay

n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid addresses the 2nd convocation of Gono Bishwabidyalay COURTESY

10 held for firearms n Our Correspondent, Narayanganj

Araihazar police arrested ten people as well as five rounds of bullets and a loaded pistol from Jalakandi on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway on Friday night.

The arrestees were Alauddin Sarkar, Khorshed Alam, Yasin Ali, Al- Mamun, Momen Hossain, Arif Hossain, Fazal, Naimul Islam, Shohel Rana and Mintu.

Police said all the arrestees were

WEATHER

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

Day and night temperature might remain nearly unchanged over the country, Met Office said.

The sun sets in the capital at 6:23pm today and rises at 5:38am tomorrow.

Country’s highest temperature 35.8 degree Celsius was recorded in Rajshahi and lowest 23.9 degrees Sandwip 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

33.8 31.8 35.8 34.0 34.0 33.5 33.2 32.0

27.8 26.4 27.3 27.7 27.4 27.5 27.0 26.2

aged between 25 and 30 years.

Md Akter Morshed, officer-in-charge of Araihazar police station, said the detainees were heading to Dhaka by microbus.

He added that when the microbus reached the Jalakandi check post, police challenged the passengers and recovered the firearm.

All the accused were produced before the Judicial Magistrate Court with police seeking seven days remand. l

Fishermen and researchers have criticised the government’s decision to provide licenses for new commercial trawlers without survey.

“Survey on fishing in the Bay of Bengal is a must to locate new fishing grounds and to get a real picture of fish stock and fishing data,” said Dewan Ali Ahsan, professor of Dhaka University’s fisheries department.

Commenting on 25 new trawler licenses, Ahsan told the Dhaka Tribune that the decision is unwise as it may lead to over fishing. Ahsan also emphasised on carrying out the survey every four years.

The last survey was done in 1984-85 to estimate fish stock, catching capacity and other statuses.

80 percent of the country’s 5.5 metric tons fish from the sea comes from small trawlers and the rest from commercial trawlers.

Ahsan also informed that according to the Marine Fisheries Ordinance of 1943, there is no provision of seasonal restriction on catching fish in the Bay of Bengal and Ahsan observed that a

4:19am 5:36am 12:01pm 4:35pm 6:25pm 7:44pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

new licenses after conducting a survey to get the real figure of fish stock, but the government has ignored our demands.”

“We are against new licenses, because there is over-fishing with existing mechanised, non-mechanised and commercial trawlers,” he added.

Saif Rahman claimed that allowing more commercial fishing vessels will pose a great threat to coastal residents as their livelihood is largely dependent on fishing.

Rahman alleged that around 90 percent commercials trawlers, which are supposed to catch fish at more than 40 meters depth, are breaching rules by fishing within the 40 meter range, as they are not getting ample fish. This makes the necessity of more trawlers invalid.

Fish production declined because a high proportion of juvenile fish are being caught, jeopardizing species, he continued.

Mohammad Ali, president of BSMABMS told the Dhaka Tribune that the new licenses are “completely irrational.” He added the sea will be fishless, because the commercial trawlers catch

fish with gears that kills fish eggs and small fishes. The government should fix the gears to be used for fishing, Ali observed.

Earlier, the government permitted 25 new trawlers for fishing in the exclusive economic zone(EEZ) of the Bay of Bengal to ensure smooth, sustainable and tolerable extraction of sea fish resources.

Of them, 15 mid-water trawlers will fish at depths of 40 to 200 metres at sea, while the other 10 long-liners will fish within 200 metres depth.

Currently, sea fish resources are extracted in three tiers — up to 40 metres depth from the coastline where normal fishing boats operate, from 40 metres to 200 metres of depth where mid-water trawlers operate, and from 200 metres of depth to the exclusive economic zone where long-liner trawlers run.

According to ministry statistics, 299 licensed trawlers are operating in the second and third tiers with permission from the government.

About 54.6 million metric tons of sea fish resources were extracted during the 2010-2011 fiscal, with 91 percent contributions coming from small trawlers. l

Chittagong University Chhatra League Night guard chopped to demands ban on Shibir politics death in Meherpur n FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong Protesting Shibir’s attack on a Chhatra League leader in Rajshahi, activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League from Chittagong University (CU) yesterday brought out two processions demanding a ban on the politics of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Islami Chhatra Shibir.

After the processions a group of activists locked the main gate of the university.

The Chhatra League activists alleged that a group of Shibir activists carried out the attack on Touhin Al Hossain, the Joint Secretary of the Rajshahi University Chhatra League unit, cutting the tendons of one hand and one leg on Thursday night.

Two factions of CU Chhatra league — one led by the university unit’s General Secretary MA Khaled and another led

by CU Vice-President Abul Mansur Shi-

After the assurances of the CUTA representatives, the activists opened the gate around 3:45pm, after keeping it locked for around two hours kdar — brought out the processions on the campus at the same time from the university rail station around 1:30pm.

After the processions Abul Mansur Shikdar along with his supporters held a rally in front of the CU administrative

building, while the other procession, led by the General Secretary, ended at the zero point of CU. Later, the General Secretary’s group locked the main gates of the university demanding the ban on Shibir activists at the campus.

Dr Ali Asraf, president of Chittagong University Teachers Association (CUTA) and Prof Sekandar Choudhury, general secretary of CUTA, assured demonstrators that they will consider Chhatra League’s demand and convey it to the VC after getting a written complaint against Chhatra Shibir.

After the assurances of the CUTA representatives, the activists opened the gate around 3:45pm, after keeping it locked for around two hours. l

n Our Correspondent, Meherpur A night guard was hacked to death at Kashba village, Gangni upazila, Meherpur in the early hours of yesterday.

The victim was Nizamuddin, 40, of the village. Kawsar Mia, a resident of the village, has been commercially cultivating fish in a water body and the victim had been working as a night guard at the site for a long time.

Police and villagers said a group of miscreants, consisting of ten to twelve members, went to the area and confined the victim in the guardroom.

They then killed Nizam by stabbing him with sharp weapons and kept the

body hidden under a stack of rotten jute at Kashba boro Khal, another water body in the area.

Later, after recovering the body, police sent it to Meherpur General Hospital for post mortem examination.

Masudul Haque, officer-in-charge of Gangni police station, said a financial matter may be the cause of the murder though the real motive could not be known immediately.

Nizam was suspected to be a member of a terrorist group. But nowadays villagers knew him to be fair person.

People of the locality suggested that he may have become a victim of village politics.

A case was lodged with Gangni police station. l

Dredging at Mongla jetty and buoy area to start in September n Mohosinul Karim

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Jumma Asr Magrib Esha

fish catching limit in the ordinance is a necessity.

Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) is the best way for catching fish as it limits our catching capacity.

The MSY is the maximum annual catch of a species’ over an indefinite period, without jeopardising that stock.

Instead of allowing new trawlers, the government should introduce fishing vessels with modern technologies, which will be able to catch fish in deep sea and help increase in fish production, said Ali Ahsan.

For sustainable growth of fish, the government should declare a zone of Bay of Bengal as Marine Protected Area (MPA), as it will help breeding without disturbance, he added.

Meanwhile, ministry sources said the government is going to import modern survey vessel next year, financed by Islamic Development Bank (IDB), which will be used to conduct the survey regularly.

On the other hand, Saif Rahman, secretary general of Bangladesh Samudrik Motshya Ahoronkari Boat Malik Samity (BSMABMS), said “we urged the government to make its decision on

Members of Garment Sromik Shanghati, a joint platform of workers affected by the Rana Plaza collapse, stage a sit-in programme in front of the BGMEA building in the capital’s Hatirjheel area yesterday, demanding compensation as four months have passed since the collapse DHAKA TRIBUNE

The planned dredging work of the Mongla Port has been scheduled to begin in September in order to ensure the depth of the river at more than 7.5metres around the Mongla jetty and mooring buoy area.

The Mongla Port Authority (MPA) will be undergoing an expenditure of Tk1.32bn for implementing the dredging work and the project is expected to be executed by China Harbour Engineering Company within 15 months of initiating work.

An agreement between MPA and the China Harbour Engineering Company would be signed at the shipping ministry today in presence of Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan.

Ministry’s Public Relation Officer Jahangir Alam Khan yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune the company has been awarded the dredging work as they were the lowest bidder in a tender process. The depth of the port area would be enhanced by up to 3.5 metres by the dredging, he added.

He also said that the dredging work would be finished within November

next year, as per terms of the agreement.

MPA Chairman HR Bhuiyan and China Harbour’s Bangladesh representative Huang Daojun will sign the agreement on behalf of Bangladesh and the company.

According to the ministry, the company will dredge a total of 3.511mcm area of the port conferring to the Hydrographic survey comprising Sabur beckon turning ground, front area of the jetty, jetty channel, confluence channel, mooring buoy and base creek area. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

5

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Boycotts, burgers and illegal settlements By building at record levels what are internationally denounced as illegal settlements, Israel is creating facts on the ground that make a settlement based on the pre-1967 boundaries increasingly untenable

McDonald’s, which has 180 outlets in Israel, recently declined an offer to open a restaurant in a shopping mall under construction in Ariel as they have a policy not to operate across the pre-1967 green line. Ariel, a vast Jewish settlement that juts deep inside the West Bank, has seen a vast number of new constructions. Many such Israeli settlements have been termed illegal internationally as they breach pre-1967 boundaries AFP

A

n Niaz Alam s long-stalled peace talks between Palestinians and Israel splutter back into a form of life, Israeli intransigence over the building of settlements on Palestinian land across the 1967 borders remains the biggest obstacle to securing a lasting peace.

By building at record levels what are internationally denounced as illegal settlements, Israel is creating facts on the ground that make a settlement based on the pre-1967 boundaries increasingly untenable.

That successive Israeli governments should persist with this policy for the convenience of a relative minority of aggressive expansionist settlers tells its own story about Israel’s pure proportional representation system, which secures the settlers a major voice in government coalitions.

The European Union has latterly applied pressure by officially restricting its economic dealings with Israel to the pre-1967 border, much to the consternation of Israelis who view any form of economic embargo as an attempt to delegitimise their state.

Interestingly, McDonald’s, the world famous burger franchise, which has 180 outlets in Israel, recently declined an offer to open a restaurant in a shopping mall under construction in Ariel, a vast settlement that juts deep inside the West Bank.

Followers of the vaguely comical ‘Golden Arches Theory of conflict prevention,’ which postulates that societies with branches of McDonald’s do not go to war with each other, may have an interesting time determining the implications of the decision for peace prospects

The Israeli-owned franchise rejected the invitation, citing a long-term policy not to operate across the pre-1967 green line. “This has always been the policy of Dr Omri Padan [the franchise owner],” McDonald’s said. Padan, chief executive of McDonald’s Israel, was a founding member of Peace Now, the Israeli antisettlement organisation.

Followers of the vaguely comical “Golden Arches Theory of conflict prevention” popularised by Thomas Friedman in the 1990s, which postulates that societies with branches of McDonald’s do not go to war with each other, may have an interesting time determining the implications of this decision for peace prospects. (Whilst Bolivia and Iceland stand out as countries which have seen the chain close due to lack of popularity, Pakistan and India have both had McDonalds branches since 1998 so it would be nice to imagine the theory worked.)

Predictably, settlers’ representatives have condemned the move and in turn called their own boycott of the chain’s restaurants.

The present furore represents the latest link in a chain of sanctions called against Israel which date back historically to the Arab League’s conspicuously impotent boycott of Israel.

With its increasingly high-tech diversified economy, Israel’s ability to resist economic pressure and to impose its military might on neighbours remains unparalleled.

Pressure of the type exercised by the EU is thus wholly symbolic in impact. But the power of symbolism should not be underestimated. Gandhi’s salt and cotton boycotts against British rule in India had such a powerful moral impact that even Lancashire cotton workers, whose goods were a victim of his success, turned out in solidarity when he visited Britain for negotiations in 1931.

The cultural boycott of apartheid era South Africa (advocated by the ANC, the UK Anti-apartheid movement and official policy of the UK Musicians Union since 1961) played a huge role in expressing global outrage at the racist regime.

Such was its power that after Nelson Mandela’s historic achievement in the early 1990s in parlaying his popularity on release from imprisonment into a peaceful transition to democracy true to the ANC’s founding principles, one of the most powerful acts of reconciliation occurred at the 1995 Rugby World Cup when Mandela donned the hated Afrikaner Springboks shirt to demonstrate his support for South Africa’s victorious team.

More historically, late 18th century and early Victorian century advocates of abolishing slavery held successful boycotts of slave-produced sugar

and actively promoted “not made by slaves” labelled products in early examples of fair trade activism.

Whilst individual boycott calls against companies can often have significant impact as major global companies like Starbucks and Google have shown by responding to public criticisms of their (legal) tax minimisation strategies, sanctions calls against states are rarely successful.

For instance, the United States’s single-minded embargo against Cuba has achieved nothing to prevent investment by its allies from Canada and Europe or to disallow Fidel Castro from defying ten US administrations to choose the time of his own retirement.

Likewise, the minority white UDI regime in Rhodesia defied British sanctions to such a humiliating extent that major UK oil companies in the ’70s including BP, which at the time was owned by the British government, actively participated in sanctions busting, until armed guerrillas ultimately forced the negotiations that led to Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980.

The mercurial Myanmar military junta was similarly little put out by calls for sanctions, (which saw the likes of Nike leave Burma) after its regime prevented Aung San Suu Kyi from taking power after her election win in 1990.

Needless to say boycotts can be counterproductive. Notably, it ill-behoves advocates for human rights and better working conditions to enact boycotts that harm the livelihoods of the people or workers whom they are seeking to help.

Hence, engagement with companies and countries usually trumps risking workers losing their livelihood via a boycott; just as people tend only to go on strike as a last resort so the pros and cons of proposed boycotts are closely debated.

This is very much the case today with the Boycott Sanctions Divestment (BDS) lobby against Israel. Despite influential celebrity backers such as Desmond Tutu or Roger Waters, creator of Pink Floyds “The Wall,” who uses the symbolism of the celebrated album to campaign against the infamous Israeli security fence which winds its way through Palestinian towns, vastly limiting economic opportunity and freedom of movement, BDS lacks the support of the Palestin-

ian leadership which fears it would have a negative impact on Palestinian development.

Thus, it is that solidarity with Palestinians is more concretely expressed in Europe by support for fair trade products from the disputed territories coupled with calls for clear labelling of products produced on illegal settlements.

It is worth remembering that the apartheid boycotts did little to realistically undermine the regime’s ability to

tion and privileges from all the men until they make peace. It helpfully provides an old example of both a boycott and “making love not war” – a lesson which people the world over in whatever country would still benefit from relearning today. l Niaz Alam has worked on ethical business issues since 1992. A version of this article was published in “Ethical investors and consumers in cultural history,” available at scribd.com.

Whilst individual boycott calls against companies can often have significant impact as major global companies like Starbucks and Google have shown by responding to public criticisms of their (legal) tax minimisation strategies, sanctions calls against states are rarely successful

coerce opponents and resist pressure. And indeed towards the end, the great transition was significantly helped by the unlikely combination of Cuban soldiers (who helped grind the regime’s powerful army to a halt at Cuito Cuanavale in Angola in 1988) and an employee of a British gold company with major operations in South (Michael Young of Consolidated Gold Fields), who shortly afterwards facilitated covert talks between the ANC and the regime in the run-up to Mandela’s joyful release.

So, both armed communists and publicity-averse capitalists deserve more credit than they get. But without the anti-apartheid movement’s advocacy of boycotts, the question remains: would global companies have been persuaded as quickly of the business case for ending apartheid?

Long before the term boycott was coined during a tenants’ rights campaign in rural Ireland in the 19th century, with the shunning of Captain Boycott, land agent for an absentee landlord, the ancient Greeks premiered “Lysistrata,” a play by Aristophanes from classical Athens first performed in 411 BC. The play tells the story of a woman who seeks to end an interminable war between Athens and Sparta by leading all the women of Greece into withholding sexual atten-

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Riverbank erosion claims livelihood in Rajbari, Kurigram Locals allege that authorities have always turned a blind eye towards the predicament Correspondents, Rajbari n Our and Kurigram Massive erosion of rivers in Padma, Brahmaputra, Dhorola, Teesta, and Dudhkumar has made thousands of families homeless in Rajbari and Kurigram, with sufficient measures yet to be taken by authorities.

With a recent rise in water levels, erosion of the Padma River has taken a turn for the worse, rendering around 1,400 families of seven villages in the Pangsha and Goalondo upazilas of Rajbari homeless.

In the last few days, vast areas of arable land, at least 1,400 residences, parts of the LGED road, educational institutes, mosques and others establishments have been devoured due to erosion of the Padma River.

Sources at the Water Development Board (WDB) said Padma waters began swelling after receding over the last seven days, with strong currents causing the erosion.

Our Rajbari correspondent recently visited various unions in Goalondo and Pangsha upazilas and found people living in miserable conditions under the open sky or makeshift houses. The locals had an acute shortage of drinking water due to a lack of tube-wells, while hygiene was also a concern as there were limited toilet facilities.

Anser Ali and Felu Mandal, residents of Sajpur village who were forced to take shelter on a nearby embankment, said they had been living in poor conditions in makeshift houses with their families for a week. Assistance or relief is yet to arrive from the local UP chairman or members, they claimed.

Abdul Karim, another victim from Char Habaspur, said riverbank erosion has made at least seventy families in the village homeless in the last ten days.

Mofizul Islam, of Delundi village, said a large number of people have already left their homesteads to take shelter at relatives’ homes in nearby villages or along the river banks of Goalondo upazila.

Mohammad Ator Ali Sarder, Chairman of Debogram union, said the river devoured a large number of homesteads in the union. “We have informed the authorities about the matter, but to

The department of archaeology is going to build a museum in Kuakata to preserve a historic 200-year-old wooden boat discovered last year, hoping it would “improve” the region’s tourism potential.

The project was launched through a formal cornerstone-laying ceremony on Wednesday, at the Zero Point area in Kuakata on the shores of the Bay of Bengal.

Mahbubur Rahman, local lawmaker and state minister for water resources, Shirin Akhtar, director general of the Department of Archaeology (DoA),

If built, it is going to attract a lot of tourists in Kuakata, said Marre, who had exhibited scores of self-made replicas of traditional Bangladeshi wooden boats in French and elsewhere in Europe Yves Marre, a French-born Bangladeshi expert on traditional boats, Amitav Sarkar, Patuakhali deputy commissioner, and local community leaders were present on the occasion.

Yves Marre, who first suggested the government take initiatives to preserve the boat, given its historical context, and put in on display in a museum, believes it can attract tourists’ attentions.

“The museum would significantly improve the beach’s tourism potential.

If built, it is going to attract a lot of tourists in Kuakata," said Marre, who had exhibited scores of self-made replicas of traditional Bangladeshi wooden boats in French and elsewhere in Europe.

Local people from Joy Mangal village in Shibpur upazila, Narshingdi, formed a human chain in front of Narshingdi Press Club yesterday, demanding the capital punishment of those who murdered a local youth.

Hundreds of people- including UP members, teachers and studentsjoined the programme at 10:30am. Locals said UP Member Kafil Uddin, social worker Kawsar Mia, teacher Kiron Mia and the mother of the deceased Razia Begum spoke at the programme.

Speakers urged the police administration to take necessary actions against those who killed Taleb Khan, a youth from the area.

They requested that the government ensure capital punishment for Taleb’s killers.

After hearing the petition, the additional chief judicial magistrate ordered the Officer-in-Charge of Shibpur police station to record the case and take necessary action against the killers

River erosion seriously threatens the West Dhaniram Community Centre which is also a flood shelter, built at a cost of Tk7.2m in Kurigram no effect,” he said.

Executive Engineer at Rajbari WDB, Mohammad Abdul Awoal, said a letter has been sent to the higher authorities, seeking funds to cope with the situation.

On August 20, local officials accompanied Rajbari-1 lawmaker Kazi Keramat Ali to inspect the eroded sites, but no relief materials were distributed among the people in distress.

Meanwhile, Kurigram residents are facing similar woes from the Brahma-

Museum to preserve historic wooden boat in Kuakata Rahman Swapan, n Anisur Patuakhali

Human chain demands capital punishment of killers n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi

The boat, made from Gorjon tree timber, is believed to have carried the first generation of Rakhine settlers – an ethnic minority displaced from Myanmar – more than 200 years ago.

It was discovered during a low tide on June 29, 2012 and is 72 feet long from one end to another, 22.5 feet wide and nearly 90 tonnes in weight, sources said.

On July 11, 2012, a three-member team of archaeologists from the Khulna office of DoA examined the boat and confirmed that it was used by the first Rakhine settlers fleeing their home state.

The DoA then forwarded a proposal to the government requesting to form a committee, provide funds for lifting the boat – then partially buried beneath the sandy beach – and make arrangements for its conservation.

Afroza Khan Mita, an assistant director for inscription and coin at the DoA, said a fund of Tk1.7m had been sanctioned for the recovery and restoration work on November 2012.

In addition, a piece of land previously owned by the Water Development Board, at the Kuakata Zero Point area, was selected as the site for its conservation.

However, during Cyclone Mahasen on May 15-16, the boat went under sand again making it difficult for rescuers to heave it up.

It was finally lifted and restored in its current state after a month-long rescue operation launched by the army in July.

Hasanul Huq Iqbal, a spokesman of the Kuakata Investors Forum, said the boat is an asset of the country and a part of its ethnic history. “By preserving it in a proper manner, we can boost the region’s tourism industry and attract a lot of local and foreign tourists here.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

er, which also provides flood shelter, is itself under threat of being destroyed by the Dhorola River at any moment.

Fulbari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sheikh Mohammad Belayet Hossain said around 90 percent of the residential project had already been claimed by riverbank erosion, with the community center also facing threat of being washed away. Reports on the issue have been sent to higher authorities and further measures will be taken once they reply, the UNO added. l

Sources from the police and family of the victim said on June 22 Razia was digging on a piece of land to allow rain water to pass.

The accused- Rasel Mia and Abdul Malek- blocked her and proceeded to beat her. Her son, Taleb, rushed to the spot and protested the beating of his mother.

Malek and Rasel, with four others named as Chanchal, Salma, Surabhi and Nasima, allegedly took Taleb to a house where he was stabbed with sharp weapons. Local people later rescued him and sent him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.

The deceased’s mother, Razia, filed a murder petition with the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate court against the six accused.

After hearing the petition, the additional chief judicial magistrate ordered the Officer-in-Charge of Shibpur police station to record the case and take necessary action against the killers.

Police are yet to arrest any of the accused, Razia and local people claimed.

At the programme, villagers urged the administration to take necessary action against the accused. l

putra, Dhorola, Teesta, and Dudhkumar rivers, with large areas of arable land and many homesteads being devoured by the waters.

Our Kurigram correspondent visited the remote Borobhita area in Fulbari and found that the Tk50m Pashchim Dhaniram residential project- which provided housing to 180 destitute families- was washed away by the eroding Dhorola River. The families are now living in distressful conditions on the nearby embankment.

Shahina, 30, who used to live at the residential project, said “The erosion of the project forced us to take shelter on the embankment. We fear that the embankment itself will collapse. Where are we to go?”

Sources said the 5-acre Pashchim Dhaniram residential project was carried out by the Local Government Engineering Department in 2008, rehabilitating 180 families in 18 barracks.

Meanwhile, the Tk7.2m three-story Pashchim Dhoniram Community Cent-

Youth jailed for teasing girl in Magura n UNB

Jute farmers to adopt new method

A mobile court on Friday sentenced a young man to one year of imprisonment for teasing a schoolgirl at Shotokhali village, Shalikha upazila, Magura.

The convict was Tukul Hossain, 22, of the same village.

Police said Tukul had for a long time been making indecent comments towards the girl, a class VI student of Shotokhali High School.

The victim’s father submitted a written complaint to the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of the upazila.

Following the complaint, a mobile court led by the UNO, as well as an executive magistrate, conducted a drive in the area and arrested Tukul.

The mobile court later handed down the jail term. l

n Our Correspondent, Lalmonirhat

The farmers of Lalmonirhat have been dipping jute plants in the rivers and other water bodies, causing the environment pollution in the district. Due to inadequate rainfall, pollution of rivers and other water bodies fishes and other water creatures are in danger.

“Ribbon retting,” a new method for rotting plants with less water was supposed to gain popularity in Lalmonirhat. The method was introduced among local farmers in a very limited scale some years ago, but became ineffective due to lack promotion.

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) took an initiative to re-introduce the system this year but lack of training and response from the farmers dampened the effort.

Agriculture officials said, generally farmers remove fibre after rotting jute

2 arrested for releasing rape video on internet

Decomposed body of youth recovered in Savar n UNB n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi Police recovered the decomposed body of a young man from a canal in the Jamsing area of Savar on Friday.

The deceased was identified as Saiful Islam, 22, a laundry business worker, from Sreenodi village, Rajoir upazila, Madaripur.

Sheikh Farid, sub-inspector of Savar police station, said locals spotted the body of Saiful in a canal near Nabin Market and informed police.

Later, police recovered the body and sent it to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for post mortem examination.

Sources from Saiful’s family said he there had been no trace of him since Tuesday.

The victim’s father, Khalilur Rahman, had filed a general diary with Savar police station after he went missing, which was later changed to a case after the discovery of the body. l

plants in water for two to three weeks, but “ribbon retting” system takes less time and requires less water. Ribbon retting needs polythene and a big hole in the soil. After separating raw fibre from jute stalk, the fibre can be kept in the water hole.

“Only ten farmers were imparted training in each upazila. Local farmers were provided with Tk300 each for purchasing polythene and digging hole to re-introduce the system. It may take time to adopt the system in a large scale,” said Abdul Mazid, deputy director of DAE in Lalmonirhat.

This year a total of 9,260 hectares of land were under the jute cultivation at five upazilas in Lalmonirhat, official said.

“We are not familiar with the system. A few farmers were informed about the new system but they did not show interest,” Abdul Hossain, a farm-

Police arrested two persons from the Nehabo village in Narsingdi sadar upazila on Friday night, on charges of releasing video footage of an alleged rape on the internet.

The arrestees have been identified as Elias Khan, a local shop owner, and his associate Bulbul Mia, both residents of the Nehabo village.

Police and witnesses said Awlad Hossain, also a Nehabo resident and an HSC second year student from the Madhabdi College, developed a romantic relationship with the victim who was a student of the Narsingdi College.

Pledging marriage, Awlad allegedly developed a physical relationship with the victim, and secretly captured footage of their encounters on his mobile phone.

Awlad reportedly raped the girl on

several occasions, after threatening her with releasing the footages.

The victim eventually disclosed the affair to her family and some village elders.

On August 22, Awlad Hossain and his friends allegedly released the video on the internet.

The victim’s family and village elders detained two persons in connection with the incident, while police later arrested the duo after being informed.

Awlad Hossain, however, remains in hiding.

Officer-in-Charge of Sadar police station Badrul Alam said the victim’s father has filed a case under the Woman and Child Repression Prevention Act, Pornography Act and Blackmail Act. Police said a drive was on to round up Awlad Hossain, the prime accused in the cases. l

er of Mostofi village, Lalmonirhat sadar upazila said.

Momen Uddin Shaikh of Haziganj village, Aditmari upazila, said he had heard about ribbon rotting system but he does not know how to apply the method.

Krishna Chandra Pal, another farmer of Teesta village, Lalmonirhat sadar upazila said, “Ribbon retting method is very easy but we had only a day’s training which is insufficient.”

It was found that water of a few rivers, canals, ponds and other water bodies has turned black and stinky.

Thousands of people catch fish in those polluted water bodies that contains dead or diseased fish.

The Aditmari Upazila Fishery Officer Hasmot Ali said due to inadequate rainfall, jute retting is hampering the fish production, their movement and breeding system. l

5 held with Yaba in Cox’s Bazar, Comilla n Tribune Report Rapid Action Battalion and the Detective Branch of police arrested five people with Yaba tablets in two separate drives in Cox’s Bazar and Comilla on Friday.

Rab arrested three alleged drug traders along with 27,550 pieces of Yaba tablet in Ukhia bus stand area in Cox’s Bazar, reports UNB. The arrested were Mohibullah, 25, Saleh Ahmed, 38, and M Burhan Uddin, 28.

Major Sarwar-e-Alam, commanding officer of Rab 7, said acting on a tip-off, a Rab team intercepted a power tiller heading towards the district town on the Teknaf-Cox’s Bazar Highway around 11:30pm. They also seized the power tiller and a case was filed in connection.

In Comilla, DB police arrested two people, including a union parishad member, along with 52 pieces of Yaba tablet at Amratoli village in the sadar upazila of Comilla, reports UNB. The arrestees were Khorshed Alam Kalu, an UP member and Liton Mia. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Metro

7

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Grabbers rein free in capital’s Dholai Khal Encroachers seem immune to all kinds of legal action and awareness raising campaigns garbage and, when the ground gets being dumped into the canal, filling up n Abu Hayat Mahmud filled up, they stake their claim for it,” whatever vacant spaces were left and A significant portion of Dholai Khal in the capital’s Sutrapur area has been taken by the encroachers who seem immune to any sort of legal action or awareness campaigns.

The once-mighty drainage canal can now be recognised by the thin streak of water that it has been turned into over the years, looking more like a dumping ground for garbage and a breeding haven for mosquitoes.

Locals said the present state of the canal is largely due to the negligence of the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA), which is responsible for overseeing the drainage and sewerage systems of the capital.

Md Hanif Sheikh, 70, a resident of Sutrapur, said encroachment was not a new phenomenon. “I don’t know when it started, but encroachment of the canal has been taking place since as far back as I can remember.”

“Most of the people dump their household waste in the canal and many have even occupied a significant portion of it. They start by discharging

he said.

Another resident, Mohammad Kalu, said canal dredging projects that are undertaken by the DWASA- usually before the monsoon- “do not yield any lasting dividends.”

According to sources, Dholai Khalwhich originated from Babubazar, winding its way through Nawabpur, Narinda, Sutrapur and Jaluanagar and finally falling into Buriganga and Balu rivers- remained an important landmark of Dhaka city until the 1970’s.

Mughal Subedar Islam Khan had it excavated in the early years of the 16th century in a bid to defend Dhaka from invasion- dividing it into two parts- and also to carry off excess water from the city and provide its residents with an internal means of communication.

Through the centuries, the canal has been turned into a rubbish dump, existing only in the areas between Sutrapur Lohar Pool (a now defunct suspension bridge) and Farashganj, Buriganga.

During a recent visit to the area, it was found that sewage and garbage are

making way for further encroachment.

The water has become dark in colour, poisonous and filled with plastic bags. The air is heavy and foul-smelling. The entire area is waterlogged each time heavy rain falls, especially during the monsoon.

Locals said if encroachment of the canal and the culture of random rubbish dumping continue unabated, soon the canal may cease to exist at all.

Superintendent Engineer of DWASA, Md Zaki Mostafa Chowdhury, said he was “not aware” of any incident of encroachment as no one had brought any allegations.

“Sometimes people dump rubbish near the lakeside area. We will arrange awareness-raising programmes to make them understand the harmful effects of such activates. In regards to clearing the lakesides, we have already started working with the assistance of the World Bank,” he said. He added that if any incidents of encroachment come to their attention, they will take steps against those involved. l

A major portion of the capital’s Dholai Khal is gobbled up by enchroachers

NASHIRUL ISLAM

Punishment of Shibir activists demanded in RU

Lives at risk in rickety old buildings

n RU Correspondent

n Syed Shoeb

Bangladesh Chhatra League of Rajshahi University unit yesterday demanded punishment to the attackers on its general and social affair secretaries.

RU unit Chhatra League President Mizanur Rahman Rana, at a press conference at 12:30pm, vowed to resist Shibir activists on the campus.

He alleged that RU unit Shibir President Ashraful Alam and General Secretary Saifuddin Eyahia had been threatening them which proves that Shibir activists were responsible for the brutal attack.

He also demanded immediate arrest of the attackers and urged the authorities and police administration to take strict actions.

Among others Khaled Hossain Nayan and Amanullah Sarker, assistant secretary of central BCL, Mehedi Hasan, vice president of BCL, Shahanur

Shakil, joint secretary of BCL addressed the programme.

However, the student wing of ruling party canceled their scheduled demonstration programme on the campus as the university authorities imposed a restriction on political activities in the university premises.

On Thursday night a group of Shibir men hacked Chhatra League General Secretary Tawhid-al-Hossain Tuhin and Social Affairs Secretary Shawan Sarker.

The attackers severed the tendons of Tuhin’s legs and right hand. He was undergoing treatment and fighting for his life in the Dhaka Pangu Hospital.

Shawan was bullet-hit and was undergoing treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

Motihar police on Friday detained 15 Shibir activists suspecting their alleged involvement in the attack though no case was filed in this regard, said Officer-in-Charge Abuds Sobhan. l

DHAKA UNIVERSITY DORMITORIES

It was a Thursday evening when Shafayat Ahmed, a student of the Law department of Dhaka University, settled in to watch a movie in his room at Surja Sen hall.

All Shafayat had expected at the time was an evening full of joy and delight. But the evening turned into a dreadful memory.

“I was sitting in front of my computer, deeply engrossed in the movie.

Suddenly, a very loud sound woke me up. For a split second, I felt confused as to whether the creepy sound just came out of my computer,” said Shafayat.

Then he saw concrete rubble in the middle of his room, just a couple of feet away from him.

Shafaya then started to inspect the rest of the ceiling in his room and found some more spots where concrete was also coming loose.

Students of the dormitory said this

was not the first time that plaster and concrete had detached from the roof at Surja Sen hall. It happened many times before.

Ahsan Habib, a resident of the hall, said the building has been crumbling and it is now about to collapse.

He added that “If the building collapses, the disaster would certainly be much more tragic than the Rana Plaza tragedy.”

About 50 yards away from the Surja Sen Hall there stands Muhsin Hall which houses over 2000 students.

In 2008, when the roofs and pillars of Muhsin Hall begun to fall apart and the building was about to fall down, authorities installed wooden logs to support the ceiling.

Some of its pillars were later renovated with new foundations, but residents do not think the move was enough to fix the problem.

A number of students left the hall after the incident as they were feeling

Students alleged that the university administration has not been considering the risk of collapsing the building.

Of the four dormitories, Fazlul Haque Hall was built more than 70 years ago, in 1940, while Surja Sen Hall, Muhsin Hall and Zahurul Haque Hall were built in 1957, 1962 and 1967 respectively.

Prof Guy Houlsby, chairman of the civil engineering department of Oxford University, told the Dhaka Tribune that the dormitories must be inspected and assessed by structural engineers immediately.

Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique said they have been allocated Tk100m to repair the buildings and would take steps in this regard soon.

He also admitted that only repairing the buildings would not be sufficient as the buildings are in a very fragile state. l

REHAB claims its prompt action forced DAMAC to retreat

Clash over cricket match leaves 20 injured in Sylhet n UNB At least 20 people were injured in a clash between two groups of people over a cricket match in Sylhet on Friday.

Manir Hossain, sub-inspector of Kotwali police station, said residents of Noyapara beat up some children of Bhatalia over a dispute about a cricket match on Friday morning.

When the news spread, a group of Bhatalia residents swooped on some houses at Noyapara and tried to vandalise the office of Abdur Rakib Babul, a former ward councillor, triggering a clash that left 20 people injured.

Of the injured, Babul was admitted to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital while others received first aid.

After being informed, police rushed to the scene and brought the situation under control. l

insecure living in the building.

Saddam Hossain was one of those who left his hall after the incident after he jumped off the second floor of Muhsin hall in a panic during an earthquake back in 2010. Saddam, who suffered a broken leg in the incident, said the dormitory seems to sit on top of some broken columns and modest shaking would cause it to collapse.

A total of four dormitories – Haji Muhammad Muhsin Hall, Surja Sen Hall, Fazlul Haque Hall and Zahurul Haque Hall – are all in shambles.

Students from the halls said huge cracks have developed in the walls and ceilings of the buildings. When it rains, water penetrates through the cracks and leaks into the buildings, drenching everything.

Parts of the ceilings have been coming loose all over the dormitories posing a threat to the residents, and the building needs to be torn down immediately, students said.

n UNB, Dhaka

Women leaders speak at a programme at the National Press Club focusing women empowerment

Chhatra League activist hurt in attack at SUST n UNB

Women lawmakers advocate women empowerment

An activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League was injured in an attack by some miscreants on the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) campus on Friday night.

The victim was Ruhul Amin, an activist of the SUST unit of Chhatra League and a Masters student of the English department.

Witnesses said a group of masked miscreants, consisting of eight to ten members, swooped on Ruhul and stabbed him around 8:30pm, leaving him severely injured.

Police visited the spot.

“Shibir activists might have launched the attack on me,” said Nayan, sub-inspector of Jalalabad police station, quoting the victim. l

To eliminate gender discrimination, the political parties should ensure 33% of the positions allotted to women in their party hierarchical structure by 2015, and include this in their election manifesto ahead of the 2014 general elections.

The call came at a meet the press yesterday organised by Bangladesh Alliance for Women Leadership (BDAWL) at the National Press Club.

The Election Commission has a vital role to play in ensuring women’s participation as well as achieve the target by 2015, they said.

The speakers demanded that the parties nominate more women for parliamentary and local government elections to ensure their greater participation at all levels.

n Tazlina Zamila Khan

To ensure women’s participation in policy making level of public and private sector, the government should target to allocate 50% positions to women leaders by 2021, the speakers urged.

Awami League Lawmaker Sarah Begum Kabori said: “There was a time when women could not even think that they would work together with men.

However, now they have come forward overcoming many social hurdles. Our goal is to see 50% of the positions occupied by women in the parliament by 2021.”

“It will also enable them to voice out opinions over national issues from a gender neutral perspective,” she added.

Nasim Ferdous, Executive Director of BDAWL said media should highlight women members of both parties and also the independent candidates.

RAJIB DHAR

She said: “Studies have shown that women voters can make a marked difference by electing more women candidates.

Every electoral zone must have enough booths dedicated to women particularly during the hours when most women come to vote.”

Professor Ishrat Shamim of Dhaka University said: “Change cannot be brought in a day. A Presidential Ordinance could be passed under constitutional provision 28(4) to increase the number of women MPs within shortest possible time.”

Among others, Ambassador Shafiullah, Professor Shahriar Akhter Bulu, Tahmina Rahman, treasurer of BDAWL, Shila Tasnim Haque, founding member of BDAWL were also present at the programme. l

The Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) yesterday said no one from REHAB is involved in the foreign company’s advertisement campaign to buy apartments in Dubai.

“We confirm you that no REHAB member is involved in it. We strongly protested it and our rapid action forced them to shut their operation here,” REHAB vice president Liakat Ali Bhuiyan told reporters at a press conference at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel.

After the meeting, he, however, said certainly there were some people from Bangladesh but nobody new who they were. “I believe it will come out one day,” the leader said thanking the Bangladesh Bank for its rapid reaction over the issue.

Recently, Dubai-based DAMAC Properties offered luxury apartments, villa, condominiums and town houses in the UAE city for sale and planned for an exhibition here which was later cancelled.

The press conference was arranged to brief media about the three-day “REHAB Housing Fair New York 2013” to be held at the Soundview Broadcasting Avenue, Actoria in New York city from September 1 to 3.

REHAB general secretary M Wahiduzzaman read out a written statement outlining the fair while Vice-Presidents Maj Gen (retd) M Abdur Rashid, Joint Treasurer Engineer M Ansat Ali, Executive Committee Members M Mostafa Shahid and M Abu Bakar Siddique and Fair Convener M Anwaruzzaman were present.

Wahiduzzaman said the fair will be held with the slogan, ‘Earning Abroad, Housing Back at Home’ which will be the 11th version of the fair in New York.

“The real estate companies will present their best products for the expatriates to get their dream house at

their homeland,” he said.

The REHAB leader said the sector is regaining momentum slowly after the budget announcement and mentioned that still there are a number of challenges that need to be addressed.

“Political instability, absence of loan facility with flexible conditions and electricity with conditions are still big barriers to the country’s housing sector,” Wahiduzzaman said.

The REHAB leader said they expect immediate steps to resolve those problems.

Organisers said it is an effort to facilitate the REHAB members and clients by bringing both on the same platform.

The REHAB members will join the fair with their approved projects and the event will help disseminate information about the real estate sector and the present scenario of Bangladesh to the valued clients and visitors which expected to help them make the right choices for a “dream home” in Bangladesh.

Some 50 companies will participate in the fair to attract prospective Bangladeshi-origin US citizens to buy apartments and plots back at home.

A code of conduct has already been set for the members and they will keep their approved certificates in favour of their projects in the stall, which is mandatory.

Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Akramul Qader will inaugurate the fair as the chief guest. Consul General Monirul Islam will also attend it.

With the increasing housing demand amid the growing population, “apartment culture” has grown in the country, especially in Dhaka and Chittagong.

The apartment housing was first introduced in capital Dhaka by formal private developers in the early 1980s.

Currently, buyers are more interested in buying flats than building their own houses, industry insiders say. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

US repositions naval forces, no decision on Syria strike

Iran president points to chemical weapons use in Syria n AFP, Tehran

n Reuters, Washington

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani on Saturday pointed to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, three days they allegedly killed hundreds of people in attacks near Damascus.

Syria’s main opposition group, the National Coalition, accused the government of “massacring” more than 1,300 people in chemical weapons attacks on Wednesday.

“The situation prevailing in Syria today and the death of a certain number of innocent people caused by chemical weapons is very distressing,” Rouhani said, according to a government website.

Rouhani added that Iran, itself a victim of chemical attacks in its 1980-

The United States on Friday was repositioning naval forces in the Mediterranean to give President Barack Obama the option for an armed strike on Syria, although officials cautioned that Obama had made no decision on military action.

A defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US Navy would expand its presence in the Mediterranean to four destroyers from three.

Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel, en route to Asia, said Obama had asked the Pentagon for options on Syria, where an apparent chemical weapons attack that killed as many as 1,000 civilians has upped pressure on Washington to respond.

“The Defence Department has responsibility to provide the president with options for all contingencies,” Hagel said. “And that requires positioning our forces, positioning our assets, to be able to carry out different options – whatever options the president might choose.” He did not elaborate.

The defence official, who was not authorised to speak publicly, said the USS Mahan, a destroyer armed with cruise missiles, had finished its deployment and was due to head back to its home base in Norfolk, Virginia. But the commander of the US Sixth Fleet has decided to keep the ship in the region, the defence official said.

The official stressed the Navy had received no orders to prepare for any military operations regarding Syria.

Obama’s senior national security advisers will convene at the White House this weekend to discuss US options, including possible military action, against the Syrian government, another US official said on Friday.

A senior State Department official said no final decisions were expected from the meeting, pending a further

review of intelligence on the attack.

Secretary of State John Kerry planned to attend via videoconference. The meeting was expected to take place on Saturday.

The US president has been hesitant to intervene in Syria’s two-and-a-half year-old civil war, sentiments he repeated earlier on Friday.

But, in a development that could increase the pressure on Obama, American and European security sources said that US and allied intelligence agencies had made a preliminary assessment that chemical weapons were used by Syrian forces in the attack near Damascus this week.

The security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the as-

29 dead in Bolivia prison violence n AFP, La Paz

North Africa al-Qaeda blames Hezbollah for Lebanon bombings

At least 29 people were killed and about 50 others wounded Friday at a prison in eastern Bolivia as clashes between rival gangs ended in a huge fire.

One of the dead was a child living with incarcerated parents in the maximum-security Palmasola prison in the eastern city of Santa Cruz – a facility that houses about 5,000 inmates.

“The latest information we have is that the number of dead is already at 29.

Of those hospitalised, 35 have serious injuries,” prisons director Ramiro said. l

A man whose heart stopped beating for 45 minutes credits his faith for his survival and says stunned doctors who declared him dead aren’t sure what happened. The body of Ohio diesel mechanic Tony Yahle was being prepared by nurses to be seen by his family on August. 5 when he began to show signs of life, doctors said. He fully awakened at the hospital five days later. Yahle, a 37-year-old West Carrollton resident, has been a topic of conversation since, said cardiologist Dr Raja Nazir. Yahle says it is a miracle and doctors could not find any defects in his heart. Their last guess was that it was all the result of a possible viral infection, he said.

Rare French 17th-century ‘pocket’ calculator set for London sale

It will take someone with pretty deep pockets to purchase and transport what is being described by auction house Christie’s as one of four surviving 17th-century French “pocket” calculating machines, to be sold in London in October. With an estimated price of between 70,000 pounds and 100,000 pounds, and with dimensions of 14.5 cm by 32.5 cm, the “pocket” description is pretty much a euphemism. But the compact size of the paper-and-wood box with a fascinating array of 24 dials embedded in the lid was one of its main selling points, James Hyslop, head of Christie’s science department, said.

Masked hero hauls bags, babies up and down Tokyo subway stairs

In a green outfit with silver trim and matching mask, a superhero waits by the stairs of a Tokyo subway station, lending his strength to the elderly,

1988 war with Iraq, “totally and vigorously condemned the use of chemical weapons.”

During the conflict, chemical strikes by the Iraqi armed forces killed thousands of Iranians, particularly in civilian areas.

“The Islamic republic of Iran, which was the victim of chemical weapons, asks the international community to do everything to stop the use of these weapons anywhere in the world,” Rouhani said.

The president did not say who might be responsible for the use of chemical weapons, but Iran’s foreign ministry rejected claims the Syrian regime, its chief regional ally, had deployed chemical weapons, saying if such an attack were proven rebels would be responsible. l

UN envoy arrives in Syria for talks on chemical probe n Reuters, Damascus The body of a victim who was killed by what activists say was a chemical weapons attack

n Reuters, Dubai Al-Qaeda’s North African branch blamed Lebanese Shi’ite Muslim militant group Hezbollah for twin bombs that hit the northern city of Tripoli on Friday and threatened retribution, a US-based intelligence monitoring website reported on Saturday.

Although al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, is not operational in Lebanon, its statement shows a grow-

WORLD WATCH Doctor: Ohio man revived 45 mins after heart stops

Sunday, August 25, 2013

passengers lugging heavy packages and mothers with baby strollers. The slender 27-year-old has spent three months being a good Samaritan at the station on Tokyo’s western side. Like many in the city, it has neither elevators nor escalators and a long flight of dimly lit stairs.

Inspiration came from the children he met at his job at an organic greengrocer, which also prompted the color of his costume.

Woman to cops: Help! There’s a gator in my tub Here is a call police probably do not get every day: There’s an alligator in my bathtub! But that’s what they heard on Monday when 67-year-old Sarah Boston called to complain that her son was keeping an alligator in her tub. Sean Lewis, 45, of Deltona, Florida- who was arrested and charged with poachingsaid he got the creature from a female friend several days earlier. He told his mother he would get rid of it after a few days, according to the police report, which was obtained by Yahoo News.

No race motive in Australian’s murder: prosecutor

US prosecutors handling the case of two black teenagers accused of shooting dead a white Australian baseball player said there was no evidence to suggest the killing was racially-motivated. The murder ofChris Lane, 22, in the small Oklahoma town of Duncan has triggered a race debate in America after it emerged that one of the victim’s alleged killers had posted racist comments on Twitter earlier this year. Several commentators have questioned why authorities had not pressed to have hate crime charges added to the indictment ofJames Edwards, 15, and Chancey Luna, 16, who are both charged with murder.

sessment was preliminary and, at this stage, they were still seeking conclusive proof, which could take days, weeks or even longer to gather.

Opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad braved the front lines around Damascus to smuggle out tissue samples from victims of Wednesday’s mass poisoning.

The Syrian government denies being responsible and has in the past accused rebels of using chemical weapons, an allegation that Western officials have dismissed.

In his first public comments since Wednesday’s attack in the Damascus suburbs, Obama called the incident a “big event of grave concern” and one that demanded US attention, but said

REUTERS

he was in no rush to get war-weary Americans “mired” in another Middle East conflict.

Members of Obama’s National Security Council, the Pentagon, State Department and intelligence agencies met at the White House late on Thursday, but made no decisions on what to recommend, officials said.

One US official acknowledged that the participants in Thursday’s White House meeting aired “differing viewpoints,” but rejected the notion that the administration, whose Syria policymaking has been marked by internal dissent in the past, was sharply divided on a response.

“It’s not like people were screaming at each other,” the official said. l

UN Under Secretary General Angela Kane arrived in Syria’s capital Saturday for talks aimed at establishing the terms of an inquiry into alleged chemical weapons attacks.

Kane’s visit comes after UN chief Ban Ki-moon handed her the task and called for Syria’s regime and its opponents to cooperate in the UN efforts to establish an investigation into the attacks said to have killed hundreds of people near Damascus on Wednesday.

President Hassan Rowhani of Iran, Damascus’s chief regional ally, earlier pointed to the use of chemical weapons in Syria for the first time, three days after the deadly attacks that a growing number of Western states are blaming on the Syrian government.

Against that backdrop, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel strongly suggested the Pentagon was moving forces into place ahead of possible military

ing regional hatred against Hezbollah by radical Sunni Muslim groups and a wider, deepening sectarian divide in the Middle East.

AQIM said in tweets it knew “with certainty” that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah was responsible for the attack that killed more than 42 people in Tripoli.

“That vile party ... should know that it will meet retribution soon,” AQIM said, according to the site monitoring service.

Hezbollah, which was once lauded by both Sunnis and shiates for its battles against Israel, has lost support from many Sunnis since it joined Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s side in his fight against a majority Sunni uprising.

Al-Qaeda groups follow a hardline ideology that rejects all non-Sunnis as infidels and regularly incites antagonism towards the shiates. Assad’s family is from the Alawite sect, an offshoot of shiates Islam. l

China’s Bo admits knowing of embezzled funds n Reuters, China

India PM appeals against media ‘witch hunt’

Ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai accepted responsibility for 5 million yuan ($817,000) in funds he is accused of embezzling which ended up in his wife’s bank account, saying he had let his attention wander, in testimony read out in court on Saturday.

Bo, once a rising star in China’s leadership, is facing charges of corruption, bribery and abuse of power in China’s most dramatic trial since the Gang of Four were dethroned in 1976, at the end of Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution.

On the third day of the trial, the court read out testimony it said Bo provided on April 2, in which he admitted to knowing about the money, siphoned off from a government building project.

Bo said Wang Zhenggang, former director of the urban and rural planning bureau in Dalian, where Bo once served as mayor, told him in 2002 that he suggested to Bo the money be used

by Bo’s wife and son, who was studying overseas.

“I refused him. Afterwards, Wang Zhenggang came and found me again, told me why the money was difficult to deal with, and said if I were busy he could talk to Gu Kailai about it,” Bo said, according to his testimony.

Bo’s wife, Gu Kailai, was given a suspended death sentence, effectively life in prison, last year after being found guilty of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood, a death which led to the scandal surrounding Bo after Bo’s then police chief alleged Bo had tried to cover up the crime. l

India’s embattled prime minister appealed Saturday to the media, increasingly critical of his scandal-hit government, not to launch a “witch hunt” while investigating corruption.

Manmohan Singh’s call came as his Congress-led government struggles to restore order in parliament where opposition parties have stalled business in a row over allegedly illegal allocation of mining rights.

“The spirit of enquiry must not morph into a campaign of calumny,” Singh, 81, said while launching a statebuilt media centre in the Indian capital.

“A witch hunt is no substitute for investigative journalism,” the prime minister said and urged media groups to rise above “personal prejudices.”

Singh’s shaky government, which hopes to win a third consecutive term in elections that must be held by next May, has been weakened by a string of corruption scandals involving cabinet ministers and top officials.

Lebanese army soldiers stand near damaged buildings caused by the two explosions outside two mosques in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli REUTERS

Pakistan court rejects Musharraf security fears in rebel death case n AFP, Quetta

n AFP, New Delhi

‘A witch hunt is no substitute for investigative journalism’ The controversies include the awarding of mobile telephone spectrum at below-market prices and huge cost-overruns during the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Singh’s comments came as leading news magazine India Today in its latest edition accused his government of failing to deliver at a time when the economy has slowed sharply, inflation is stubbornly high and the currency

action against Syria, even as President Barack Obama voiced caution.

US commanders have nevertheless prepared a range of “options” for Obama if he chooses to proceed with military strikes against Damascus, Hagel told reporters aboard his plane en route to Malaysia on Friday.

“The Defence Department has a responsibility to provide the president with options for all contingencies,” he said.

“And that requires positioning our forces, positioning our assets to be able to carry out different options – whatever the president might choose.”

But Hagel declined to provide any details on the positioning of US ships, aircraft or troops, as the Obama administration reportedly contemplated cruise missile strikes against President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.

Ban Ki-moon stepped up the pressure by announcing that Under Secretary General Angela Kane was headed to Damascus for talks, his spokesman said.l

Indian PM Manmohan Singh

AFP

has tumbled against the dollar.

“He is today the meekest head of a moribund government that has already abdicated its responsibilities,” the magazine said in lead story.

One TV station has begun lampooning the economist-turned premier and his finance minister, broadcasting animated cartoons of the two chasing a giant rupee coin downhill.

The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party plan to attack Singh’s Congress party-led government over the scandals during the next election campaign.

Singh’s government was reduced to a minority last September when a key ally withdrew support from the ruling coalition to protest changes aimed at liberalising India’s still mainly closed economy. l

A Pakistani court on Saturday dismissed a petition by former military dictator Pervez Musharraf for his trial over the death of a rebel leader to be transferred due to security fears.

Musharraf was head of state in 2006 when the main rebel leader in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, Akbar Bugti, died during an army operation.

The retired general, who returned to Pakistan from four years of self-imposed exile in March, has been under house arrest at his villa on the edge of Islamabad since April 19.

He is facing charges in several high-profile cases, including the 2007 murder of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto, as well as the killing of Bugti.

Musharraf’s lawyers on Saturday asked the Chief Justice of Baluchistan High Court to shift his trial over Bugti’s death to Rawalpindi, twin city of the capital Islamabad, in Punjab province.

“The court has dismissed our petition saying it is not maintainable,” Ilyas Siddiqui, a lawyer who represented Musharraf in the court in southwestern city of Quetta, said.

“We had requested that Musharraf has serious security threats in Baluchistan so his case be shifted from the province but the judge did not agree,” Siddiqui said.

Earlier, the Chief Justice of the Baluchistan High Court allowed the provincial government to withdraw a similar petition. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Suicide bombing in park, attacks kill 36 in Iraq n AP, Baghdad A suicide bomber attacked a park in northern Baghdad crowded by cafeand restaurant-goers Friday night, the bloodiest attack in a day of violence that killed at least 36 people across the country, authorities said.

Attacks have been on the rise in Iraq since a deadly security crackdown in April on a Sunni protest camp. More than 3,000 people have been killed in violence during the past few months, raising fears Iraq could see a new round of widespread sectarian bloodshed similar to that which brought the country to the edge of civil war in 2006 and 2007.

The suicide bomber struck a park in the Qahira neighbourhood of Baghdad late Friday night, an area popular

Deadly Delhi gangrape inspires awardwinning play

n AFP, New Delhi

with locals, police said. The bomber detonated his explosives in a crowd of people, killing at least 26 people and wounding 55.

Violence has stepped up in strikes on so-called soft targets in Iraq — like civilians at coffee shops or those shopping along busy commercial streets.

There was no claim of responsibility for Friday’s suicide bombing. Sunni extremists such as al-Qaeda’s Iraq arm that seek to undermine the Shiite-led government are frequently blamed for attacks targeting civilians.

Later in the night, gunmen in Baghdad’s northern Azamiyah neighbourhood killed four men walking down a street, an army officer and a medical official said. The motive behind the shooting wasn’t immediately clear.

Elsewhere in the country, police

said gunmen broke into a house of a Shiite merchant at dawn Friday in the northern town of Dujail, killing him, his wife and elderly mother. Authorities said the motive behind that attack wasn’t immediately known.

Dujail, about 80km north of Baghdad, is a Shia Muslim town surrounded

by Sunni areas.

Meanwhile, two police officers said bombs exploded near Sunni mosques in two neighbourhoods in Baghdad as worshippers were leaving after Friday’s sermon, killing three people and wounding 18.

Police officers and medical officials confirmed the casualty figures from the attacks Friday. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to release the information to journalists. l

9

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Karzai says no rush to sign US pact n Reuters, Kabul

Afghanistan is in no rush to sign a pact with the United States setting out how many US troops will stay after a Nato mission ends next year and may even delay a decision until after a presidential election, President Hamid Karzai said.

Foreign combat troops are due to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014, when the Nato-led mission winds up and the responsibility for fighting Taliban insurgents is handed over to Afghan forces.

But Nato plans to keep a slimmeddown training and advisory mission in Afghanistan after 2014 although the United States and other Nato allies have been slow to provide detailed numbers of troops for the force.

The United States has been putting pressure on Afghanistan to finalise a bilateral security agreement (BSA), which will mandate how many, and where, US soldiers will remain once the Nato mission ends.

US diplomats have said they want

Afghan President Hamid Karzai

REUTERS

the security pact signed by October, to prevent it becoming an issue in the campaign for next year’s Afghan presidential election.

“Although the Americans asked for October, we are not in a hurry and if the document is agreed upon during this government, good,” Karzai told reporters at his Kabul palace on Saturday.

“And if not, the next president can discuss whether to or not to accept it.”

The collapse of a similar pact be-

Fast-moving wildfire threatens power in San Francisco

tween the United States and Iraq in 2011 - sparked partly by Iraq’s refusal to provide immunity to US soldiers serving there - led to the United States pulling its troops out of Iraq.

In a recent interview with Reuters, the commander of international forces in Afghanistan, US General Joseph Dunford, said he had talked “at every level from district and province to members of parliament ... to President Karzai” and he was adamant the pact would be signed.

Nato’s former top military commander, James Stavridis, recently said he thought about 15,000 foreign troops should be kept in Afghanistan, made up of about 9,000 US troops and about 6,000 from other countries.

But US officials support a smaller force of 8,000 to 12,000.

Last month, a senior US defence official said the United States could pull out all forces, the so-called zero option, in the event of a failure to reach a deal with Kabul on legal guarantees for troops. l

Afghan president calls for US style contest in election n AFP, Kabul

Award-winning playwright Yael Farber, whose new work focuses on the fatal gang-rape of an Indian student last December, was inspired by the protests that erupted across the country after the attack.

“I remember feeling this extraordinary sense of envy when I looked at India...I mean – who takes to the streets anywhere else in the world to speak for a young single woman?” the South African said in an interview.

Shocked by the attack, she posted about it on Facebook. Bollywood actress Poorna Jagannathan saw the post and invited her to India where the idea for a play about sexual violence began to take shape.

“Stories stay in public consciousness for a limited time, you have to grab that window,” Farber said, explaining how she chose to write and stage the play just eight months after the assault.

The show premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and ends its run Monday.

“Nirbhaya,” or “fearless,” opened to rave reviews and won the Scotsman Fringe First award for outstanding new plays. Faber now has won the award three times. l

n Reuters, San Francisco

Mumbai police arrest second man in gang-rape case n Reuters, Mumbai

Guardian teams up with New York Times

Iran arrests 10 drug traffickers

n Reuters, Washington

n AP, Tehran

The Guardian has agreed with the New York Times to give the US newspaper access to some classified documents leaked by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden, both papers said on Friday.

In a brief story posted on its website, the Guardian said it “struck a partnership” with the Times after the British government threatened the Guardian with legal action unless it either surrendered or destroyed files it received from Snowden about Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) – Britain’s equivalent of NSA. “In a climate of intense pressure from the UK government, the Guardian decided to bring in a US partner to work on the GCHQ documents provided by Edward Snowden. We are working in partnership with the NYT and others to continue reporting these stories,” the British newspaper said in a statement.

The Times’ executive editor, Jill Abramson, confirmed the collaboration.

“We don’t usually comment on our reporting before publication, but in this case we will make an exception since it is already public. The Times is reporting on material from The Guardian as well as other matters related to Edward Snowden,” the Times quoted

A senior Iranian official says police have arrested 10 drug traffickers and confiscated more than 7 tons of narcotics in a bust of an international smuggling network.

Gen Ali Moayedi, head of Iran’s anti-narcotics police, was quoted Saturday by the semi-official Mehr news agency as saying that the international

Mumbai police arrested a second man on Saturday who was part of a group accused of gang-raping a female photojournalist in the Indian financial hub, an attack that has renewed anger over the country’s treatment of women.

Echoing a similar assault in New Delhi in December that sparked nationwide protests, five men gang-raped a woman in her early twenties in central Mumbai while she was on a magazine assignment with a male colleague on Thursday evening.

Officers arrested the first suspect on Friday, and a second arrest was made later that night, police spokesman Satyanarayan Choudhary said.

“Yes, in the night,” he confirmed, without giving further details.

The attack – which shocked a city considered far safer for women than the capital – sparked outrage on social media sites, uproar in the Indian parliament and protests in Mumbai led by journalists. “While we may still believe that Mumbai is a safe city for women, today that belief lies badly bruised,” said a front-page editorial in the Mumbai Mirror on Saturday.

The latest attack “only reaffirms Mumbai’s rapidly declining safety record and its decaying moral core,” the Mirror said. The local Mid Day newspaper, under the headline “Real change needed.” said the challenge is “to build society that looks at women as equal citizens.”

The Mumbai victim was recovering in hospital and in stable condition.

The incident comes eight months after a 23-year-old woman was gangraped by five men in a moving bus in New Delhi, while her male companion was beaten up. She died two weeks later from severe injuries.

A trial is in its final stages in that case, which sparked massive protests and led to a tougher anti-rape law.

The Mumbai gang-rape happened in an abandoned mill compound next to a fashionable area of apartments, office blocks, shops and restaurants. l

A wildfire raging at the edge of Yosemite National Park is threatening power lines that provide electricity to San Francisco, prompting California Governor Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency.

The fire has damaged the electrical infrastructure serving the city, and forced the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to shut down power lines, the governor said in his declaration.

There were no reports of blackouts in the city, which is about 320km west of the park.

The wildfire swept further into Yosemite National Park on Friday, remaining largely unchecked as it threatened one of the country’s major tourist destinations.

The so-called Rim Fire, which started last week in the Stanislaus National Forest, had blackened 11,000 acres at the northeastern corner of Yosemite as of Friday afternoon after exploding in size overnight, park spokeswoman Kari Cobb said.

The blaze burning in the western Sierra Nevada Mountains is now the fastest-moving of 50 large wildfires raging across the drought-parched US west that

In this undated photo provided by the US Forest Service, the Rim Fire burns near Groveland Ranger Station in Groveland, California AP have strained resources and prompted fire managers to open talks with Pentagon commanders and Canadian officials

about possible reinforcements.

The reservoir provides water to 2.6 million customers in the San Francisco

Former South African President Nelson Mandela, who has been in hospital since early June with a lung infection, is showing “great resilience” although he remains in a critical but stable condition, the presidency said on Saturday.

“While at times, his condition becomes unstable, the doctors indicate that the former president has demonstrated great resilience and his condition tends to stabilise as a result of medical interventions,” it said in its latest update on the condition of the 95-year-old anti-apartheid hero.

smuggling network was dismantled after six months of tracking the suspects in cooperation with police in the UAE. Iran lies on a major trafficking route between Afghanistan and Europe, as well as Persian Gulf states. Large drug seizures are common across the region.

Moayedi said Iran has confiscated more than 215 tonnes of drugs in the past five months alone. l

Sri Lankan editor held at knifepoint as home searched Copies of the Guardian newspaper are displayed at a news agent in London her as saying.

A source familiar with the matter said the partnership deal had been struck several weeks ago and that Abramson was personally involved in negotiating it.

The website Buzzfeed reported that Scott Shane, a Times reporter who covers national security and intelligence, was working on a series of stories expected to be published next month jointly with the Guardian.

The Guardian said in its story that its partnership with the Times would enable it to “continue exposing mass surveillance by putting the Snowden

REUTERS

documents on GCHQ beyond government reach.”

It said Snowden, who disclosed documents on US internet and phone surveillance programs in June and has obtained asylum in Russia, was aware of the deal.

The Guardian’s editor, Alan Rusbridger, revealed earlier this week that under the supervision of representatives of GCHQ, Guardian staffers had destroyed computer equipment containing Snowden files after the newspaper was threatened with possible legal action by senior British government officials. l

South Africa says Mandela showing ‘great resilience’ n Reuters, Johannesburg

area. Should the blaze affect the reservoir, the city’s water supply could be affected, Brown said in his declaration. l

Afghan president Hamid Karzai on Saturday called for next year’s crucial election to be a US-style head-to-head contest between two candidates, and named three possible runners in the wide-open race.

The April 5 election to succeed Karzai, who has ruled since the Taliban hardliners were ousted in 2001, is seen as the key test whether 12 years of massive international military and aid intervention has been worthwhile.

“My desire is that we should have a limited number of candidates as this is good for the country,” Karzai told a press conference in his palace gardens.

“In the United States there were only two candidates.”

“If we have two presidential candidates, it would be better, but if we had four that is also not a problem.”

After serving two terms, Karzai must stand down next year for an election that will be the first ever democratic transfer of power in Afghanistan. But there is widespread uncertainty over who and how many people will run.

More than 40 candidates stood in the chaotic 2009 election, which was marred by massive fraud and delays until Hamid Karzai emerged triumphant. l

“Doctors are still working hard to effect a turnaround and a further improvement in his health and to keep the former president comfortable,” the presidency added in the statement.

It was the first update in almost two weeks on the health of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. News of his hospitalisation in June with a recurring lung infection attracted worldwide attention for the revered statesman, who is admired as a symbol of struggle against injustice and of racial reconciliation.

Mandela celebrated his 95th birthday in hospital on July 18, showered with tributes from around the world.

He spent nearly three decades in prison before being released and being elected South Africa’s first black president in multi-racial elections in 1994 that ended apartheid rule.

Mandela’s 27 years in prison under white minority rule included 18 years on the notorious Robben Island penal colony. His lung infection dates back to his time, when he and other prisoners were forced to work in a limestone quarry.

South Africa’s current president Jacob Zuma will fly to Malaysia on Saturday on an official visit where he will receive a global peace award on behalf of former president Mandela. l

n AFP, Colombo Five armed men held a Sri Lankan newspaper editor at knifepoint as they searched her home on Saturday before police burst in and shot one of the intruders dead.

The attack was the latest in a string of violent incidents involving the staff of the Sunday Leader and media activists said they suspected the incident at the Colombo home of Associate Editor Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema was an attempt to intimidate her.

Police spokesman Buddhika Siriwardena said three officers were injured when the intruders attacked them with knives. “One intruder was shot dead and the other four have been arrested,” he said.

Police described the pre-dawn intrusion as an attempted armed robbery but the island’s main press freedom organisation, the Free Media Movement (FMM), said they suspected the attack was linked to her work.

Abeywickrema has been critical of the government in her political commentary and recently set up a trade union for journalists.

“The intruders spent a lot of time inside the house going through files and documents,” FMM convenor Sunil Jayasekera said.

“If they wanted only the valuables, they could have taken them and got out much earlier. But they were clear-

ly looking for something else.”

In 2009, the Sunday Leader’s editor, Lasantha Wickrematunge, was shot dead near his office just outside the capital. He had been a fierce government critic.

Six months ago, gunmen shot and wounded another of the paper’s journalists at his home near Colombo.

The investigative newspaper was considered anti-government until last year, when it was bought by a businessman who is widely seen to favour President Mahinda Rajapakse’s administration.

In September, the newspaper’s new owner dismissed the editor, Frederica Jansz, who said she was fired after resisting demands to water down criticism of the president.

She has since fled to Canada saying she received death threats.

The latest incident came a day ahead of a fact-finding mission to the island by the UN’s human rights chief Navi Pillay.

Media rights groups have said Sri Lanka remains a dangerous place for journalists despite the end of a decades-long war between the military and Tamil separatist rebels in 2009 and that attacks against journalists and news outlets have continued.

Sri Lanka lifted a state of emergency in 2011, but media activists say journalists have been forced to self-censor their work due to fear of attacks.l

10 DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

Please, do not wake up the neighbours

A

s the major political parties continue to play cat and mouse on the poll-time administration issue, the dynamics of our economy is showing signs of adversity. Both investments and imports have slowed down.

The ominous, depressing and discouraging signs have not only been registered domestically, but also have raised eyebrows internationally. In the last two weeks, the US ambassador, the Chinese ambassador, and most recently, the UN secretary general have expressed concerns on the issue.

It would be better if we were able to solve this internal crisis The polls-time internally and devoid of any administration international interference. It issue ought to would have shown that our be easily solved politics have matured enough to by simply sitting be able to take internal decitogether, finding sions internally. Family matters common ground should be solved from within, and reasonably without waking up the neighaddressing the bours.

Unfortunately, as has been core areas of the case for quite some time, disagreement we do not listen to each other unless we are under international pressure and have a foreign arbiter driving the conversation. However, such initiatives have not always succeeded and 1/11 is a perfect example of what we may have to deal with when, and if, these initiatives backfire.

It is disgraceful that our major political leaders have little regard for the country and its people when it comes to solving matters of national interest. The polls-time administration issue ought to be easily solved by simply sitting together, finding common ground and reasonably addressing the core areas of disagreement.

The nation hoped that we would have been spared the long-running ego war through petty arguments and the two parties would mature and place national interests ahead of party preferences.

Where are the doctors?

I

t is shameful that the government has been incapable of fully staffing the 397 district healthcare complexes it has built to serve the healthcare needs of the local population in those districts.

In fact, these complexes have a mere fraction of the doctors and specialists that are needed to provide them with the best care possible. For instance, Kishoreganj has posts available for 49 doctors, but The government only seven doctors work there. must take up the This is but one shocking examresponsibility ple, of countless others, that one of making up will find in the districts. for the shortage Most posts in rural healthcare by hiring more facilities remain empty, with the doctors to fill the doctors who had been posted posts there finding ways to shift to the big cities. Indeed, there is a surplus of doctors working in public health facilities in the capital as well as the major cities.

The government must take steps to correct this imbalance, whether it means providing additional benefits to the doctors, or other such measures.

No doubt much money was invested in creating the rural area health complexes. However, if the government is unable to do the necessary follow-up work, if it is unable to staff these complexes with the doctors and specialists who will remain in their posts to treat the local residents, then this is nothing more than a huge waste, and that is unfortunate.

In order to ensure this does not become the case, the government must take up the responsibility of making up for the shortage by hiring more doctors to fill the posts. It must fulfill its promise of providing citizens with access to needed healthcare.

CROSSWORD DOWN 1 Rim (5) 2 Tool (3) 4 Skilled (4) 5 Bricks carrier (3) 6 Divine messenger (5) 8 Company of lions (5) 9 Pace (4) 12 Muscular weakness (5) 14 Molten rock (4) 15 Fruit of the oak (5) 17 Speed and rhythm (5) 18 Reflected sound (4) 20 Cleaning implement (3) 22 Tree (3)

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

Tengratila gas blowout: ICSID decision comes in favour of Petrobangla’s claim

Be Heard

August 20

The report is seriously flawed. The ICSID ruling on jurisdiction has not cleared Petrobangla at all. Niko’s claims were against Petrobangla and BAPEX, and Bangladesh, the state, was added as a third respondent (more as a matter of form). ICSID arbitration tribunal has ruled unanimously that it has jurisdiction in respect of claims against Petrobangla and BAPEX, but has no jurisdiction against Bangladesh.

Petrobangla and BAPEX, both being state-owned entities, striking out Bangladesh does not make any practical difference. Furthermore, Niko has referred to the tribunal Petrobangla’s non-payment on the ground of the BELA proceedings and the Money Suit filed against NIKO. As the tribunal has maintained jurisdiction over the claims against Petrobangla, the tribunal will also consider the implications, if any, of the two proceedings in the Bangladesh court. Hence, the statement that the ruling has “paved the way for Bangladesh’s claim to release $106m from Niko Resources Ltd” is a gross misrepresentation.

THS

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dhakatribune.com

Tell me who you are before I vote August 19

Kaiser Kabir Orthodox Islam doesn’t champion female leadership?

Seriously? So presumably the following are anomalies which shouldn’t have happened: The Prophet’s (SM) first wife, Bibi Khadija, was a successful businesswoman.

Bibi Aisha accompanied the Prophet (SM) on several military expeditions and even led the Battle of the Camel.

Umm Salama was the Prophet’s (SM) political counsel.

Nusaybah shielded Muhammad (SM) from the arrows of the enemy, and received several wounds while fighting Battle of Uhud.

Ashifa bint Abdullah was deputed by Caliph Umar ibn AlKhattab to be market inspector and manager.

Amra bint Abdurrahman was one of the greatest scholars among the second generation of early Muslims.

Aisha bint Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqass was a jurist and scholar. She also taught the famous Muslim man jurist Imam Malik, the founder of the Maliki juristic school.

Sayyida Nafisa, the Prophet’s (SM) great granddaughter, was a teacher of Islamic jurisprudence. She taught Imam Shafi’i, another great founder of the Shafi’i school of law. She financially supported him as well.

Aisha bint Muhammad ibn Abdel Hadi in Damascus; she possessed the shortest chain of narration back to the prophet of any other scholar alive in her time. She taught Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani, the greatest latter-day Hadith scholars.

Umm Darda was a female scholar who taught at the great Ummayyad mosque in Damascus as well as

in Jerusalem; one of her students was Caliph Abdul Malik ibn Marwan himself.

Shuhadah bint Ahmad al-Ibrii studied in Baghdad with the latest scholars and became herself a great scholar of Hadith and jurist. She was known as “the pride of women.”

Salvation is Joshua Kaiser Kabir: When the Prophet (SM) heard that the Persians chose a woman to lead them after an uprising, his reaction was, “no nation can attain success if it appoints a woman to lead itself.” This is an authentic narration and can be found in the Sahih (“correct” for Arabic) hadith collections. Notice the straightforwardness of the narration. It is impossible to derive a crooked meaning from it.

It is necessary to understand the essence and significance of the Prophet’s (SM) statement in the aforementioned hadith because it is not very easy to understand its meaning. There are many female “leaders” who have “led” their nations to “success.”

There are, if names must be mentioned, Angela Merkel, Margaret Thatcher and Indira Gandhi etc who have shown us that it is possible for women to lead with “success.” These examples can easily fool a person in to believing that the Prophet (SM) simply was mistaken. The truth is, “success” to the believers is very different from “success” to most. Success to the believers is most definitely not about earning more money, making industrial expansion and ensuring richness and affluence. It is indeed a violation of the very essence of Islam to limit “success” to material

gains only. In fact, the Quran reminds us repeatedly, and so do the hadith, that this world is only a very brief part of our existence and it would be over soon and it is extremely foolish to concentrate only on gaining more and more in this temporal world. The real success or the “grand success,” as the Quran describes it, is the attainment of eternal peace and permanent separation from all that is impermanent and evil. According to the Prophet (SM), while a female leader of a community or a nation may lead you to affluence, she would never be able to provide you the “spiritual guidance” required to attain the grand success. You need to meet a few spiritual leaders to understand the qualities Islam wants in a leader.

They have become almost nonexistent in the present world and surely the Jamat leaders or the Saudi kings are not the kind of leaders Islam wants.

Leading a nation and guiding the nation spiritually are impossible for a woman. A woman can rear cows and make them fat and may even rear people to make them fat but to instill the very notion of Faith in the hearts of people and to lead them spiritually is beyond women. It is not to be thought that women are inferior to men because they are unable to play some roles. We men are unable to play their roles as well. We have been given separate roles and we must do what we do best. As I always say, asking women to do what we do best is like asking a shirt to do what pants are supposed to do. There is nothing called gender equality. Can a shirt be equal to a pair of pants? They have different purposes and they must respect their respective responsibilities.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

CODE-CRACKER ACROSS 1 Forefront (3) 3 Skin eruption (4) 6 Summit (4) 7 Corded fabric (3) 9 Snow vehicle (4) 10 Joke (3) 11 Scold (4) 13 Select group (5) 16 Take as one’s own (5) 18 Flat (4) 19 Self (3) 20 Electric insulator (4) 21 Sweet potato (3) 23 Whirl (4) 24 Scheme (4) 25 What person? (3)

Sunday, August 25, 2013

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS Crossword

Sudoku

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Got time to kill?

Enclave populations: The humanitarian angle n Md Ariful Islam

B

File photo showing a stall at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair

M

n Mohammad N Miraly

y grandfather loved to read detective stories.

Everyone did back then. Not so much anymore.

Maybe it’s because we don’t have the time anymore, with jobs being so 24-hourish nowadays. But, the detective story is still unbelievably popular on television. There, police procedurals like CSI. Everyone is gobbled up like a “turkey” at a Hannibal Lector Thanksgiving.

Why are these often-macabre stories so engrossing? The great writer Borges said: the police story’s relevance is that it maintains classic virtues in the midst of chaos – “it is saving order in an epoch of disaster.”

Perhaps that’s true. After all, the detective genre is a symptom of the disruptive effects of the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution was a temporal meteor that left people in an unresolved state, struggling to come to terms with life’s new uncertainties and the suddenly quickened pace in which they had to deal with them.

The two terrific/terrible results of the revolution – innovation and urbanisation – intersected monstrously at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, which was the backdrop for one of America’s earliest and more successful killing sprees.

Erik Larson’s 2003 novel: The Devil

in the White City describes chillingly how Dr HH Holmes lured victims from the World’s Fair to a nearby hotel he’d specially designed to conceal dozens of murders with the help of new technologies, such as soundproof bedrooms fixed with gas lines able to asphyxiate its occupants at any time and a secret chute to the basement where bodies were stripped to their skeletons and later sold to medical schools.

WIKI COMMONS

Scotland Yard in 1829, one of the first organised police forces. Inevitably, the rise of the official police detective gave birth to the genre of detective fiction as we know it, in which the reader follows the thinking of official police detectives.

A detective’s traits of thought are invariably linear and sturdy, even as he combats what is perhaps his (and our) greatest enemy – time.

The Industrial Revolution was a temporal meteor that left people in an unresolved state, struggling to come to terms with life’s new uncertainties and the suddenly quickened pace in which they had to deal with them This type of homicide, says scholar Peter Vronsky, requires leisure time: both to contemplate the pleasure of and then to carry out the minutiae of the crimes. Leisure time in past centuries was the preserve of privilege, granted to those like 17th-century Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who bathed in the blood of virgins to preserve her beauty, or the 18th-century aristocratic killer of children, Giles de Rais.

With the Industrial Revolution’s gift of wealth and time to all who worked for it, anyone could be a serial killer.

The new crime of the new cities gave rise to the world’s first established police forces, like London’s

11

A hero who performs so stoically in the face of the enemy is certainly a comfort to the modern audience.

The notion of time as a commodity, a constriction – as we think of it today, is a subtle but nonetheless truly identifying mark of industrialised society.

Workers in agrarian economies were not paid wages, they did not hold jobs; their lives and deaths were up to nature’s whims and their own physical abilities. If they had a good harvest, they lived till the next; if they did not, they did not.

“The industrial revolution changed all that,” say futurists Alvin and Heidi Toffler, who wrote: Clocks and watches

made it possible to monitor and measure time more accurately. And how long or fast you worked did make a difference.”

Certainly, the post-Industrial Revolution world was magical and wondrous, filled with fantastic new technologies like steel and electricity, which fuelled the creation of staggering wealth and allowed people of all types to move more quickly and broadly throughout the world, enabling the sort of truly global event that was Chicago’s World’s Fair. It also created a world that was much darker and much scarier – evident by that Fair itself and the nocturnal activities of Dr Holmes it facilitated.

In this kind of world, it’s easy to see why the detective story – a bastion of goodness and order prevailing in world of evil and chaos – offers a salve to the modern individual, unintentionally upended by the very world he created, struggling forever against the tyranny of his on-again/never-off relationship with his Blackberry.

All of us feel out of place here – in this new, forever-altered world of infinite ability but never-enough time.

Maybe that’s why my grandfather and I both love detective stories. Maybe it’s also why I don’t read enough of them. I probably should, though. After all, I’ve got time to kill. l Mohammad N Miraly holds a PhD in public policy from McGill University.

angladesh and India are neighbouring countries with a shared history and common cultural and linguistic ties. Although all countries in the world have some inter-state problems at one level or another, the enclave problem between Bangladesh and India is unique in its complex and unresolved nature.

The Bangladesh-India enclave issue is usually always highlighted in political or territorial terms, but its impact is felt more as a human rights and socio-economics related problem.

An enclave is defined as “a portion of territory entirely surrounded by a larger (foreign) territory.’’ There are 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in India. The Indian enclaves within Bangladesh amount to 17,149 acres and Bangladeshi enclaves within India amount to 7,110 acres. A joint head count conducted in July 2011 found 37,334 persons living in Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and 14,215 persons in Bangladeshi enclaves in India.

Over 50,000 people living on both sides of the India-Bangladesh border have in effect been treated as “stateless citizens” since 1947 as a result of these enclaves. Their suffering and lack of access to some basic human rights is not often considered. In addition to restricted freedom of movement, unnecessary harassment

by BSF and BGB and trade barriers, the enclave populations have limited economic opportunities and poor education and medical facilities.

The genesis of this problem lies in the hurried drawing up of partition boundaries by Sir Cyril Radcliffe in 1947. The adversely located territories of the Rajah of Cooch Behar and the Maharaja of Rangpur were not demarcated. After the partition of Bengal in 1947, Rangpur joined East Pakistan, and Cooch Behar merged with India in 1949. This is still causing problems for residents today.

While both states have undertaken numerous initiatives with regard to this problem, solutions mostly remain only on paper. The then Pakistan government signed what is called the Nehru-Noon Agreement with India as early as 1958. The Nehru-Noon treaty of 1958 sought a solution which is still being sought today, to solve the enclave problem through an exchange of lands. But this agreement did not

see light of day because of mutual distrust.

After the independence of Bangladesh, another attempt to resolve the issue was made in 1974. The enclave issue was included under sections 12 and 14 of the 1974 land boundary agreement. In this agreement, a full exchange enclaves was agreed upon.

But again we did not see its implementation. Although the Bangladesh government quickly ratified this agreement in parliament, to this day, the Indian government is yet to ratify that agreement.

In addition to restricted freedom of movement, unnecessary harassment

by BSF and BGB and trade barriers, the enclave populations have limited economic opportunities and poor education and medical facilities

In a more recent attempt to resolve the issue in September 2011, the Prime Ministers of the two countries, Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh and Manmohan Singh of India signed an accord on border demarcation agreeing an exchange of adversely held enclaves.

However, the Indian parliament is still to ratify it due to internal political debates.

Under the proposed agreement, enclave residents could continue to reside at their present location or move to the country of their choice. Until it is ratified and implemented, people in the enclaves remain in a form of legal and physical isolation.

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of human rights states that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and right. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

In this age of globalisation, more should be done by the respective governments to fulfil their responsibility to fulfil this fundamental obligation and to reduce the problems experienced by long suffering residents of enclaves. l Md Ariful Islam is a freelance contributor.

Syria: What are the West’s military options n Mathieu Rabechault

F

ollowing reports of a large-scale chemical weapons strike, pressure is mounting on the United States and its Western allies to act to halt the violence in Syria.

But, with politicians and public alike loathe to get sucked into another drawn-out land war in the Middle East, what military options remain on the table?

Buffer zones Some experts suggest buffer zones could be created along Syria’s Turkish and perhaps Jordanian borders to serve as a safe area for refugees and as a rebel rear base.

Although most of the estimated 100,000 dead in the civil war have been killed with conventional arms, the international community has been outraged by Assad’s alleged use of chemical weapons.

This would limit the area that international troops would need to control but, as America’s top general Martin Dempsey warned in a letter to US lawmakers, it would be no easy task.

“Lethal force would be required to defend the zones against air, missile, and ground attacks,” the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

“This would necessitate the establishment of a limited no-fly zone, with its associated resource requirements.

Thousands of US ground forces would be needed, even if positioned outside Syria, to support those physically defending the zones.”

Meanwhile, security expert Anthony Cordesman of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies warned that the tactic might not be enough to ensure President Bashar

al-Assad’s defeat.

“It may well mean rebel defeat or giving the Assad regime control over so much of Syria that little is left to the rebels except for the equivalent of armed refugee camps at Syria’s margins or borders,” he said.

“They might also end up shielding Syrian refugees near the border area without offering any real hope for the future.”

Institute for the Study of War. Cordesman said such a campaign would require access to airfields in the region, and support from US allies such as Britain, France and Arab Gulf monarchies.

And even with such a coalition, it might not have the desired effect, according to the retired US commander for the Middle East, General James Mattis.

holds hundreds of tonnes of sarin, VX and mustard gas, and some have called on American forces to lead an operation to destroy or secure the stockpile and prevent it being used on civilians or falling into terrorist hands.

Again, Dempsey was unenthusiastic.

“At a minimum, this option would call for a no-fly zone as well as air and missile strikes involving hundreds of

“Can we do it? Absolutely,” he said.

“And the killing will go on the ground because they are not using aircraft to do most of the killing.”

aircraft, ships, submarines, and other enablers,” he said.

“Thousands of special operations forces and other ground forces would be needed to assault and secure critical sites,” he warned, adding that even this would offer no guarantees.

“The impact would be the control of some, but not all chemical weapons,” he said, adding: “Our inability to fully control Syria’s storage and delivery systems could allow extremists to gain better access.” l

No fly zone Influential voices, including some US lawmakers, have called for allied air power to enforce a no-fly zone over Syria in order to prevent Assad’s regime from bombing rebel forces and civilian populations.

Senator John McCain, a senior figure on foreign policy and former naval aviator, has argued that this could be accomplished relatively easily, but other experts have warned that it would not be without risk.

According to a US Air Force study: “Syria’s air-defence network at the start of the civil war ranked among the most capable and dense in the world, perhaps second only to North Korea’s and Russia’s.

“The overlapping coverage of missiles and radars consisted of approximately 650 static air-defence sites, the most worrisome of which housed the SA-5 Gammon, having a range of 165 nautical miles and an altitude capability of 100,000 feet.”

The US Joint Chiefs of Staff warn that the campaign to establish a no-fly zone would not simply involve patrolling fighter jets, but also bombing runs against air defence sites and Syrian airbases, backed by re-fueling tankers and electronic countermeasures.

“We would require hundreds of ground and sea-based aircraft,” Dempsey said.

Just closing down Assad’s main air bases would require a salvo of at least 72 cruise missiles on the first night alone, according to a report by the

Destroy or secure Syria’s chemical weapons Although most of the estimated 100,000 dead in the civil war have been killed with conventional arms, the international community has been outraged by Assad’s alleged use of chemical weapons.

Western experts believe the regime

This article was first published by AFP.

A girl, with cheeks painted in the colors of Syria’s flag, shouts slogans while taking part in a protest in front of the United Nations building in New York August 21, 2013 REUTERS

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Celebration of Tagore’s 100 years of wining Nobel Prize today n Afrose Jahan Chaity

Tagore’s monsoon songs presented by Chhayanaut observing the Nobel Laureate’s death anniversary

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Chhayanaut observes Tagore’s 72nd death anniversary n Afrose Jahan Chaity Teachers and students of Chhayanaut performed a number of Tagore’s timeless compositions observing the Nobel laureate’s 72nd death anniversary, which in actuality falls on August 6, at the Chhayanaut Sanskriti Bhaban Auditorium on August 23.

Due to Ramzan, Chhayanaut could not manage to organize the programme on time. However, the soulful presentation of Tagore’s songs performed by promising and prominent singers mesmerised a houseful audience.

The evening featured an array of Tagore’s exclusive songs narrating the exquisiteness of the season of monsoon, which is, perhaps, the most favourite season of the great poet.

From melancholic to joyful—Tagore explored different emotional states of human being on the backdrop of the mysterious period of nature.

The artistes started the programme with a choral rendition of the song “Andhar Ambare Prochondo Dombru.” Noted singer and secretary general of Chhayanaut, Khairul Anam Shakil delivered a speech on the legacy of Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore and the impact of his works on the our daily life.

Bhaskar Bandyopadhyay, well known for his recitation skills, delivered a speech on of Tagore’s poetry and recited

Rabindra Sangeet Shammilon Parishad, in collaboration with Russian Centre of Science and Culture has organised a special programme to mark the occasion of Rabindranath Tagore’s 100 years of winning the Nobel Prize. The programme will be held today at 6pm in RCSC’s main auditorium.

The programme will start with a prayer recitation of “Amar Matha Noto Kore Dao Hay Tomar Choron Dhular Tore” by Sajid Akhand. It will include a discussion, musical soiree and poetry recitation. Renowned singers and recites will take part in the cultural programme.

Bhashkar Bandyopadhyay, Rezina Wali Lina and Kazi Madina will stage poetry recitation, while Shama Rahman and Fahim Ahmed Chowdhury will render Rabindra Sangeet from the major parts of “Gitanjali” respectively.

Syed Mohammad Shahed will preside over the programme.

A discussion on “Gitanjali” and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore will be held with Dr Harun Ur Rashid and Syed Mohammad Shahed will also speak on the occasion. Masud Mannan will deliver a welcome speech. Russian ambassador Aleksandar A Nikolaev will take part in this event as guest of Honour. l

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TODAY IN DHAKA Exhibition

some parts of a few of Tagore’s poems. He also emphasised on narrating the poet’s compositions with appropriate tune and words.

Dipti Das’ soulful rendition of the number “Badol Diner Prothom Kodom Phul” followed suit.

Bikram Das, Momi Monjuri Chowdhury, Partha Pratim Rai and Shemonty Monjuri performed “Ogo Santali Chhele,” “Badol Meghe Madol Baje,” “Amar Din Phuralo,” and “Kokhon Badol Chowan Lege” respectively at the event.

The lively performance of another choral number “Dhoronir Gogoner Miloner Chhonde” captured the hearts of the audience.

Shutopa Saha, Mohua Monjuri Sunanda, Deepanjan Mukharjee and Shukla Paul Setu rendered solos “Onek Kotha Bolechhilam,” “Aj Kichhu Tei Jai Na,” “Aji Hridoy Amar Jai Je Bheshe,” and “Kichu Bolbo Bole Eshe Chilam” respectively.

Mahmuda Akhter recited another Tagore’s heartwarming poetry in the event.

Naima Islam Naz, Ummul Wara Binte Naim, Boishakhi Barua, Makhsura Akhter, Shukanta Chokrobortee and Abhoya Datta were the other participating artistes who lent their voices to solos at the event.

The programme wrapped up with the chorus rendition of the National Anthem. l

11:40pm WB

Bulletproof Monk

Time: 10am- 10pm Zainul Gallery-2, Charukala Dhaka University

‘Nature – Color and Vision’ Khurshid Alam Saleem Time: 12 pm- 8pm Shipangan, House 7, Road 13 New Dhanmondi ‘Automated Subjectivity’

By Mustafa Zaman and Shuvo Rafiqul Time: 7pm (inauguration) Bengal Art Lounge House No 60, Road No 132, Gulshan Avenue, Circle 1 ‘Here is There – There is Here’ Toyomi Hoshina Time: 12pm – 8pm Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts House 275, Road 27 Old Dhanmondi Shahabuddin The Painter, The Fighter Iftekhar Wahid Iftee

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Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma

‘MKP Doodle World’ Mustapha Khalid Palash Hot Breads Bakery Banani, Road-11

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Film

‘The Wolverine in 3D’ ‘Nishwartha Bhalobasa’ ‘Fast & Furious 6’ ‘World War Z in 3D’ ‘Despicable Me 2 in 3D’ Star Cineplex, Bashundhara City, Panthapath

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MKP Doodle World presents colourful doodle art n Limana Solaiman

Traditional puppet theatre goes to international carnival n Entertainment Desk The traditional theatre of our country, popularly known as “Putulnatyo,” will be displayed at “World Puppet Carnival” which will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia from September 1 to 8.

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy’s puppet theatre troupe will represent Bangladesh in the festival which will be participated by a total of 50 countries.

The troupe has prepared a production titled “Bangladesher Golpo” for the grand show. The production is a com-

bination of different folklores and significant aspects of the lifestyle of our rural people.

A 10-member team led by BSA secretary Jahangir Hossain Chowdhury will take part in the programme.

Before going to the festival, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy is holding a three-day puppet theatre show which began on August 23 at the Studio Theatre Hall. The puppet theatre lovers, who missed the previous shows, can still enjoy it today evening. l

When one walks into the Hot Bread bakery at Banani road 11, they are transported into a contemporary setting and an art savvy world. The eatery has been around for more than a decade and its current modern interior and architecture is done by none other than the internationally acclaimed architect Mustapha Khalid Palash. His mastery is not only confined to architecture, but the versatile personality is also a gifted painter, singer and a social activist.

His current art exhibition “MKP Doodle World” is going on at the Hot Bread bakery, where a large space is dedicated to displaying artworks. The exhibition is a treat for art enthusiasts of the country and will continue till September 5.

A total of 36 art pieces are on display at the current exhibition, created using pen, felt, pastel and graphite.

His works are wonderful rendition

of random patterns in bright colours and bold strokes. Architect Professor Shamsul Wares said: “Although Palash is a professional painter, it was doodle that he fancied more often, at school, college and university class rooms and in between by pulling a sheet of paper from his notebook. Thus, the doodles otherwise useless gradually began to take curious shapes and patterns and emerged into consolidated unified and independent works of art.”

A seasoned art critic, Wares shares his view of Palash’s ongoing exhibition by stating that the artist in a way connects to what is metaphysical. He also shares that many of Palash’s works portray a pleasing psycadelic spectrum, as they are done with oblique geometry having dominant warm or cool colours.

Mustapha Khalid Palash is one of the most celebrated architects in the country and is the designer of many prominent landmarks of the city. Among his

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architectural masterpieces, the Unique Trade Centre [UTC], Grameenphone Corporate Head Quarter, Bashundhara City, The Westin Dhaka Hotel, Peoples Insurance Bhaban, Lab Aid Cardiac Hospital, Bangla Link head office, Robi Head Quarter, Siaam Tower, SPL Western Tower, Abdul Monem Business District and Delvistaa Building are praiseworthy and extraordinary to say the least.

His passion for art and its innate understanding comes from his parents, both of whom were talented painters and Palash’s first solo exhibition was inaugurated by famous painter Kamrul Hasan in 1978 when he was 16. Born in Dhaka in 1963, Palash was educated at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, from which he received his Bachelor of Architecture in 1988. His line of business led him to partnership with fellow graduates, Mohammed Foyez Ulla and Shahzia Islam, to establish Vistaara Architects. l

Nurjahan

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SYED LATIF HOSSAIN

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Salman secures release dates on Eid and Christmas in 2014

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n Entertainment Desk

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Salman Khan’s fans were eagerly waiting to see their favourite star on silver screen in 2013, but were disappointed as he has no release this year.

Here’s a piece of information which will give Dabangg Khan’s followers a reason to cherish. Salman, who will be soon seen hosting the most controversial reality show “Bigg Boss 7” on TV, has blocked all major dates in 2014 to release his films.

Sajid Nadiadwala’s “Kick” staring Salman and Deepika Padukone is all set to hit the theatres during Eid.

His next with Prabhudheva might grab a Christmas or Diwali opening and Sohail Khan’s “Mental” on Republic Day. According to reports, Salman and Katrina Kaif will also be seen doing an item number in Atul Agnohotri’s next. However, there is no confirmation about the same as everyone seems to be tight-lipped on it.

With Salman blocking all the major dates in 2014, how are other superstars planning to release their films or are all set to lock horns with Dabangg Khan at the box office. l

MISC Style And The City

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Did you know?

Liverpool have scored more English Premier League goals (41+) in 2013 than any other side

Sport

Sunday, August 25, 2013

14 Podolski brace help 14 Dortmund down Gunners put three Bremen to stay past Cottagers top of Bundesliga

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Record-setting Shehzad leads Pakistan to victory

Bangladesh national football team for the Saff Championship poses for photograph at the BFF House premises yesterday

SAFF CHAMPIONSHIP

Keep expectations realistic: Kruif n Raihan Mahmood The Dutch coach of Bangladesh national football team, Lodewijk de Kruif expressed concealed optimism but at the same time tried to be realistic about his expectations in the Saff Championship campaign while speaking at the official press conference held at the BFF House yesterday.

The Dutch man, keeping the expectations low, said: “We are outsiders along with Pakistan. The favourites are India. They are well-organised, and spend a lot of money. Nepal are playing at their home, so they are strong too.

Don’t mix it up thinking I don’t want to win. I’m a sportsman, I always like to win. Everybody in the team, in the BFF board worked very hard. Hopefully we will succeed in Nepal.”

“We will do our best. We have very talented players, a talented team. We want to fight for the country. We don’t

want to disappoint anyone so we will give everything we can,” he said.

“I’m not going to talk about securing a place in the final or semi-final or whatever. Of course, as sportsmen, we are going there to win our games,” he added.

I’m not going to talk about securing a place in the final or semi-final or whatever. Of course, as sportsmen, we are going there to win our games However, he was confident with the preparations: “We worked very hard for almost eight or nine weeks. We faced troubles and we faced good things. But at the end of the day everybody in and around the team are supporting our players and they are giving the best.

We did a strong and tough selection.

I took my time to make the final squad.

There were several reasons, most im-

Lipu slams McInnes remarks, A team n Minhaz Uddin Khan The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chairman of game development, Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu yesterday slammed Sahara-BCB National Academy manager Richard McInnes’ recent comments in the media regarding the below average performance of the Bangladesh A, U-23 and U-19 team.

McInnes in an interview with a national daily on Friday, blamed the BCB’s increased focus on the upcoming election and an inexperienced management group as the reasons behind the failure of Bangladesh cricketers in their recent tours.

Lipu, however, while talking to the media yesterday, said: “I think everyone has their limitations and they should act accordingly. At the same time, one should always think well and wise before making any comment in the media.” Over the last month, the BCB had the Bangladesh A, U-23 and the U-19 team assigned in different tours, but none of the teams could live up to the expectations.

Bangladesh U-23, which travelled to Singapore to participate in the ACC Emerging Cup, shockingly crashed out of the tournament after losing to UAE by 59 runs. While, earlier in the month, the U-19 team failed to qualify for the final of a tri-nation series in England.

On the other hand, Bangladesh A team, which comprised 13 national

players in its 15-man squad, performed poorly despite being presented with some good batting conditions.

The tour was seen as an opportunity for the players to prove their worth and secure spots in the national side for the home series against New Zealand in October.

However, the tour gave a shocking reality check, as the visitors lost five warm-up limited over matches, and were trailing the three-match ODI series against England Lions by 2-0.

“We are not satisfied with the U-19’s performance and to be honest we didn’t expect much from them. But we expected that few batsmen will score and that the matches will be more competitive,” said Lipu.

“We had a meeting with the team management (U-19), McInnes and the selectors to find out the problems. We have two series against the West Indies before the U-19 World Cup, so we have to execute our plans by then. Injuries, the conditions and failure to play big innings made us suffer,” he said.

However, Lipu claimed of not having any lack in the A and U-23 teams’ preparations, except playing any warm-up games.

“The English condition can be a vital reason behind the unimpressive display, but this cannot justify A Team’s loss by 200 or 190 runs, They will have to give answer for this kind of performances once they return,” said Lipu. l

portantly, we are still facing injury problems,” de Kruif said.

Explaining why he took time to shape the final squad, Kruif said: “The captain suffered an injury in the last match. That is why I like to keep my squad as big as possible. Last week we had six injuries, but all of them have now recovered.”

We came to know that there will only be 20 players in the squad instead of 22, just three weeks ago. That is also an issue. Now we have to use players, who can play in several positions.

Meanwhile, skipper Mamunul Islam said he was hopeful of being fit before the first match against Nepal: “Two days ago things were bad as I got injured and there was a lot of pain.

I thought I may not go. But after two days rest I am feeling fine. The team and the coaches supported me. MRI, CT scan revealed nothing serious. I will be going to Nepal.” l

MUMIT M

Booters register win in last practice match n Raihan Mahmood Bangladesh national football team yesterday registered a 1-0 victory over the BFF XI in their last practice match before leaving the country today.

Forward Wahed Ahmed scored the winner in the second half of the match.

However, there was an injury blow as midfielder Sohel Rana walked off the pitch in the same half.

Head coach Lodewijk de Kruif omitted defender Rezaul Karim Reza after the match. The 21-member Bangladesh squad that will fly to Nepal today are: GoalkeepersMamun Khan, Shahidul Alam Sohel, Biplob Bhattacharjee.

Defenders- Nasiruddin Chowdhury, Waly Faisal, Md Linkon, Raihan Hasan, Ariful Islam, Atikur Rahman Mishu.

Midfeilders- Mamunul Islam, Jamal Bhuiyan, Omar Faruk Babu, Sohel Rana, Zahid Hossain, Mobarak Hossian Bhuiyan, Monaem Raju Forwards- Zahid Hasan Emily, Shakahwat Hossian Rony, Toklis Ahmed Wahed Ahmed and Mithun Chowdhury. l

New DPL players’ recruitment system takes stage today n Mazhar Uddin After a long wait of almost six months the cricketers have something to cheer about as the new players’ recruitment programme of the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) is going to take place as per schedule at the Ruposhi Bangla hotel today. However, the starting date of the league has been pushed back seven days to September 10.

This is the first time in DPL’s history that the league will be adopting the players’ recruitment system. The new system will see the top flight clubs seeded for the lottery according to their 2011-12 standing who will then choose players from each category turn by turn.

The new process will allow each club to grab maximum two players from the A category, two from B+, four from B, three from C while four players can be registered from the categories D and E. The players will be chosen in 15 rounds in which 11 rounds will be occupied for categories A to D and four rounds for category E. Meanwhile for the four players of category A+, the first

Local channel tipped to land BCB TV rights

four clubs coming up from the lottery will get the golden opportunity to rope in a superstar, but if any club is not interested in purchasing it will open the door for another club.

The clubs will not be allowed to pass their turn and it is mandatory to recruit at least 11 players from categories A to D. the four rounds of the last category will only begin after the completion of the above categories.

However, it is mandatory for all clubs to recruit at least one player from category E while they are allowed maximum four players. The cricketers not picked by any side will be considered as a free player and can be registered by any club while the cricketers who are not included in the list will also go through the same process.

If board calls up any player for national duty the clubs will be allowed to register a replacement who will be paid in a pro–rata basis. The new system carries the chances of creating confusions for which the board will select a commissioner who will be present during the ceremony to sort any misunderstandings. l

ASIA CUP HOCKEY

n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Bangladesh, South Korea face off today

One of the private satellite channels of Bangladesh is expected to get the television rights of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for the upcoming home series against New Zealand scheduled to be held in October-November this year.

The BCB ad-hoc committee member Ahmed Sajjadul Alam informed to the media yesterday that the deal is under process and will be confirmed soon.

“Few local and foreign firms have shown interest in buying the television rights of the bilateral series (New Zealand’s tour of Bangladesh). Hopefully we will get a result in a day or two,” informed Sajjadul.

“The local firms have shown interest in taking both the marketing and the production while the foreign firms are only looking for the production part,” he added.

The BCB had floated the tender of the television rights in July, but was surprised for not having any interested applicant.

The BCB failed to pen down a longterm TV right since the expiry of the previous contract with Nimbus in April 2011. However, Nimbus brought the rights of the home series against West Indies and Pakistan in 2011 while Channel 9 bought the rights of the home series against West Indies last year. l

Bangladesh today starts their Asia Cup Hockey campaign against South Korea at Ipoh, Malaysia at 4pm.

Coached by Pakistan’s Naveed Alam, the national hockey team underwent nearly two months of training before leaving for Malaysia. Bangladesh reached there four days ago and played two practice matches, where they lost 5-0 to Pakistan and beat Chinese Taipei 3-1.

Bangladesh unfortunately had to adjust with the new playing conditions of the blue turf, and the yellow ball.

In Dhaka the turf is green and the ball used is white.

Head coach Naveed Alam over phone said: “The players have adjusted to the conditions. Yes, there was a little difficulty in the beginning, but after two matches the players are comfortable now, they are ready to put their best against Korea.”

However, he was realistic about his target against Korea: “They are ahead of us in standard. We will play a compact defines-based game with counter attacks. We want to get the ingredients ready and obtain the motivation for the next game. If we can play according to plan, we will put a good show.”

The head coach said there are no injuries in the team and the players were raring to go. l

n Raihan Mahmood

Zobera Rahman Linu, the Brand Ambassador of Walton speaks at the press conference of Invitational International Women’s Kabaddi at NSC yesterday Courtesy

Intl Invitational Women’s Kabaddi starts today n Raihan Mahmood The Walton International Invitational Women’s Kabaddi tournament comprising Nepal, West Bengal, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and BJMC will start at the kabaddi stadium today.

The five teams will play in the league basis with the top two to feature in the final, scheduled to be held on August 29.

At a press conference held at the National Sports Council yesterday, Md Nazrul Islam, the general secretary of

Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation revealed that Bangladesh Games champions BJMC will represent Bangladesh.

The federation’s efforts to bring Bangladesh Ansar to the meet were not successful due to an embargo of the Ansar authority. Nazrul said the three teams coming from India are first choice state teams.

FM Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn, the additional secretary of Walton said they are with the country’s national game and hoped its success both in home and abroad. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Gunners put three past Cottagers n AFP, London Lukas Podolski claimed a brace as Arsenal kicked their Premier League campaign into gear on Saturday with a 3-1 win over Fulham at a sodden Craven Cottage.

Arsene Wenger’s side were beaten at home by Aston Villa on the season’s opening day, but they beat Fenerbahce 3-0 in mid-week in the first leg of their Champions League play-off and carried that momentum into Saturday’s game.

Heavy downpours in west London made for a saturated playing surface, but it did not stop Arsenal taking the lead in the 14 minute when Olivier Giroud gathered a low shot from Aaron Ramsey and stabbed the ball past Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale.

Podolski made it 2-0 four minutes before half-time when he side-footed home after Stockdale saved from Theo Walcott, and the Germany forward sealed victory in the 68th minute by gathering a pass from Santi Cazorla and arrowing a shot into the bottom-right corner.

Darren Bent pulled one back for the hosts in the 77th minute, tapping in

a low cross from Dimitar Berbatov to mark his debut with a goal following his loan move from Villa.

Roberto Martinez will experience his first competitive home game as Everton manager later on Saturday when his new side welcome West Bromwich Albion to Goodison Park.

West Brom striker Nicolas Anelka will not feature after he was granted com-

Result Fulham

Bent 77

1-3

Arsenal

Giroud 14, Podolski 41, 68

passionate leave following the death of his close friend, the agent Eric Manasse.

Newcastle United will attempt to bounce back from their 4-0 thrashing at Manchester City when they take on West Ham United, while the late game sees Villa tackle Liverpool at Villa Park.

On Sunday, City visit Cardiff City and Tottenham Hotspur host Swansea City, before the first major head-to-head meeting of the campaign on Monday, when Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea travel to champions Manchester United. l

Arsenal's Polish-born German striker Lukas Podolski (L) celebrates with teammates after scoring their second goal during the English Premier League football match against Fulham at Craven Cottage in London yesterday AFP

Dortmund down Bremen to stay top of Bundesliga n AFP, Berlin

Last season’s Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund strengthened their position as early Bundesliga leaders with a 1-0 win at home to Werder Bremen on Friday.

Dortmund earned their third straight league win of the new season as Poland striker Robert Lewandowski

showed why Borussia recently raised his wages from a reported 20,000 to 60,000 euros (US$80,286) per week for the last 10 months of his contract with the winning goal.

Lewandowski celebrated his 101st Bundesliga appearance when he converted Marco Reus’s cross from the right in the 55th minute to claim the three points.

Pellegrini warns City to respect Cardiff

“I had a lot of chances and we’re happy that we won, but we have to improve our game, 1-0 at home is not enough,” admitted Lewandowski, who turned 25 on Wednesday.

With reigning European champions Bayern Munich, who are joint second with Bayer Leverkusen, hosting Nuremberg on Saturday, Dortmund’s win at the Westfalenstadion leaves

Result

Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Lewandowski 55

Borussia Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski (L) celebrates a goal against Werder Bremen during the German first division Bundesliga match in Dortmund on Friday REUTERS

Werder Bremen

them three points clear with a goal difference of six compared to Bayern and Leverkusen’s three.

“In a way it was good that we didn’t score earlier, because it would have taken some of the fire out of the players,” said Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp.

“This way, they had their feet on the gas for the whole 90 minutes.

“Having nine points after only three games and talking about how we can improve is almost a luxury problem.”

This was Bremen’s first league defeat of the season, and their first under new coach Robin Dutt, after they saw off promoted Eintracht Braunschweig and Augsburg on the first two weekends. l

Bale price tag a lack of respect to world: Martino

Barca confirm Messi out of Malaga clash

n Reuters, Barcelona

n AFP, Madrid

Real Madrid’s bid to land Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur for a world record fee in the region of 100 million euros is out of place in the current economic climate, Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino said on Saturday.

“Bale’s a very good player,” the Argentine told a news conference when asked about Real’s pursuit of the Welsh winger.

“The numbers are lack of respect to the world in general.”

Barca, Real’s arch-rivals, splashed 57 million euros on their major signing of the close season to date, Brazil forward Neymar.

Nine-times European Cup winners Real appear to be close to securing the signature of Bale with local media reporting that after weeks of negotiations an agreement has been reached with Spurs, pending a final confirmation.

The player is expected to be presented next week probably after Real’s next league match away to Granada on Monday evening.

Champions Barca travel to play Malaga on Sunday, but will do so without World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, who is recovering from a bruised left thigh. l

World Player of the Year Lionel Messi will miss Barcelona’s trip to Malaga on Sunday due to a thigh injury, the club have confirmed.

The Argentine was taken off at halftime in Barca’s 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the first-leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday and won’t travel with his teammates to Andalusia.

“His progress is satisfactory, but he has been left out as a precaution,” said a statement released by the club on Saturday.

However, manager Gerardo Martino refused to confirm that Messi’s absence

would mean a first start in a Barca shirt for Neymar.

The Brazilian came off the bench to score his first goal for the club against

Fixtures Levante v Sevilla Malaga v Barcelona Real Betis v Celta Vigo Atletico in midweek, but Martino is still not convinced that he can last 90 minutes having missed much of preseason due his participation in the Confederations Cup and an operation to remove his tonsils.l

Rooney braced for United start n AFP, Manchester Manchester United manager David Moyes has revealed that Wayne Rooney could start Monday’s Premier League showdown with Chelsea despite being regularly linked with a move to the London club.

Rooney, who has been the subject of two failed bids from Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, has been suffering from hamstring and shoulder injuries.

But the 27-year-old came on as a

second-half substitute in last weekend’s opening win at Swansea, setting up goals for Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck.

“Wayne has recovered and has a good chance of starting,” Moyes said.

Earlier Friday, Moyes reaffirmed United’s stance that Rooney will not be sold to Chelsea.

Mourinho has suggested he will make a third bid for the England international following Monday’s game at Old Trafford.l

n AFP, Cardiff

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has warned his side not to underestimate new-boys Cardiff in their Premier League clash on Sunday.

City produced a stylish 4-0 victory over Newcastle in Pellegrini’s first competitive match in charge last weekend, while Cardiff suffered a losing start on their return to the top flight at West Ham. But former Malaga coach Pellegrini is determined to ensure his players do not take victory for granted against the Welsh side, who will be playing their first game at home in the top flight for half a century.

“We will not underestimate them because they are new to the division,” he said. “They will be very tough opponents on their own pitch. We know we have to play at our best to take three points but we will be focused and prepared for the challenge.”

City defender Joleon Lescott is also wary of how tough a trip to Cardiff can be having played with his former club Wolves in south Wales.

“I’ve played there before with Wolves and I know how intense the atmosphere can be,” he said. “I’m sure Craig Bellamy will be stirring it up to show them how important the game is. “If we do it the right way we are confident we can come away with three points.”

Lescott will not be playing alongside defender Vincent Kompany after the Belgium international suffered a groin injury against Newcastle and could be out for up to a month.

However, Matija Nastasic has resumed first-team training after suffering an ankle problem in July’s Asia Trophy and Pellegrini is hopeful the Serbian defender will be fit to face Cardiff.

“It is a blow to lose our captain so early in the season but there is nothing

Fixtures Cardiff City v Manchester City Tottenham v Swansea City we can do about it,” said Pellegrini.

“He is a very important player for us but we are hopeful Matija Nastasic could be available for Cardiff. It is too early to say but we will see.

“Micah Richards is also improving and he could be available for next weekend, but again, we will wait and see how he progresses.

“I’m aware of course that Micah can also play in central defence so we have options while Vincent is recovering.”

Meanwhile, Cardiff boss Malky Mackay has called on his club’s fans to raise the roof in an attempt to make it an intimidating atmosphere for City and every other team that visits south Wales.l

Bale already in Spain ahead of move n AFP, Madrid Gareth Bale has arrived in Spain ahead of the completion of his move from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid, Spanish sports daily AS reported on Saturday.

Bale is reportedly set to become the world’s most expensive player should the deal go through with Real ready to pay more than the £80 million ($123.6 million, 93.2 million euros) they spent to bring Cristiano Ronaldo to the Bernabeu four years ago.

The newspaper claims that Bale flew into a private airport in Malaga at 1.00pm local time (1100GMT) before heading to Marbella, a coastal city 30 miles (48 kilometres) away.

Several Spanish media sources printed pictures on Friday that showed a stage had been erected in the directors box at the Bernabeu which is normally used for the presentation of bigname signings.

And Real were also forced to briefly shut down the club shop on their website earlier in the week after a link appeared offering Real shirts with Bale and the number 11 on the back.

Meanwhile, Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino has labelled the sum Real are set to pay for Bale as having a “lack of respect.” l

Monaco left frustrated by Toulouse n AFP, Paris Monaco dropped points for the first time in this Ligue 1 season as Claudio Ranieri’s side played out a goalless draw against Toulouse on Friday.

Having beaten Bordeaux 2-0 and then thumped Montpellier 4-1 in their opening two matches, the principality club would have been confident of extending their perfect start against a limited Toulouse outfit.

However, they could not find a way through the visitors’ wellmarshalled defence and will be left to wonder how the game might have turned out had they had they been able to enjoy the backing of their own supporters.

In the event, the match was played behind closed doors as a punishment for incidents at the end of Monaco’s last home game of last season, when fans set off flares and invaded the pitch.

The principality club have been derided in the past for their poor attendances at the Stade Louis II, but on this occasion the total absence of supporters made for a surreal atmosphere, as the shouts of the players and the orders of the coaches echoed around the ground.

“It was very difficult to play in an empty stadium,” Monaco coach Claudio Ranieri admitted to French television.l

Monaco forward Radamel Falcao (top) vies with Toulouse defender Uros Spajic during a French L1 football match at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco on Friday AFP

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Quick Bytes

BPL transfer window opens tomorrow

The players’ transfer window for the Bangladesh Premier League local players officially begins tomorrow and will end on October 15, confirmed the professional league committee of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) after a meeting yesterday. The transfer window for the foreign players began yesterday and will finish on November 15. The players’ transfer process was earlier scheduled from August 15-September 30, but BFF withheld the ceremony after few clubs raised a few issues that were not included in the by-laws. The newly included threephase league was the major point not included in the by-laws. The meeting also decided, BFF will give 72-hour ultimatum to solve the problem in case of situation where a player took transfer money from more than one club. If the player fails to come to a conclusion BFF will hand him a one year ban. Besides, the player will have to give back the money taken to the club within seven days. For the 2013-14 season, a premier league club is allowed to register nine officials instead of seven out of which seven will only be eligible to stay inside the technical area during a match.

-SH

Eva, Shimmi, Moly lead women’s chess Nazrana Khan Eva, Shamiha Sharmin Shimmi and Mahmuda Hoque Chowdhury Moly jointly led the Preliminary Phase of the 34th National Women Chess Championship yesterday. All three players registered 4.5 points each at the end of their respective 5th round match. WFM Zakia Sultana is in 2nd position with 4 points. Dilara Jahan Nupur, Jahanara Haque Runu, Kishwara Sajrin Evana, Shukannya Saba, Tanzina Akter Tani, Zohuratul Zannat Zisha, Hamida Rahman and Sumaiya Khondokar are sharing the 3rd spot with 3.5 points each. In the 5th round, Eva drew with Zakia, Shimmi beat Afrin Jahan Munia, Moly beat Dilara Jahan Nupur, Evana drew with Shukannya, Runu drew with Hamida, Zisha beat Tasmin Sultana, Tani beat Zhorna Begum and Sumaiya beat Debjana Ahmed.

-RM

Wenger goes gooey over Suarez Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says his pursuit of Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is like chatting up a member of the opposite sex, but admits he is braced for disappointment. The London club have had two bids for the Uruguay international rejected and Suarez has now been linked with a move to Real Madrid, but Wenger says he will not feel too downhearted if that happens. “That can happen. You’ve certainly tried to go out with a girl, but find she has chosen someone else. You don’t commit suicide,” he said.

– AFP

Day’s Watch Star Sports 2:00pm 2013 Asia Cup Men’s Hockey LIVE Korea v Bangladesh 8:50pm Cardiff City v Manchester City Ten Sports 3:05pm MotoGP World Championship 2013 LIVE Main Race Star Cricket 4:00pm The Ashes LIVE – Test 5 Day 5 ESPNHD 5:35pm Barclays Premier League 2013/2014 LIVE Fulham vs. Arsenal ESPN 5:45pm FIA F1 World Championship 2013 LIVE Main Race

15

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Record-setting Shehzad leads Pakistan to victory n AFP, Harare Ahmed Shehzad hit the highest international Twenty20 score by a Pakistani to lead his country to a second win in two days over Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.

Shehzad smashed 98 to follow on from his 70 on Friday which had set Pakistan up for a 25-run victory in the first game of the tour.

On Saturday, he followed that up with 98 not out as the tourists clinched a 19-run win and 2-0 series sweep.

The right-hander struck six sixes en route to the highest score by a Pakistani batsman in the Twenty20 format, but missed an opportunity to reach three figures when he could only manage a single from the final ball of the innings.

After Pakistan finished on 179 for one, with skipper Mohammad Hafeez unbeaten on 54 from 40 balls, Zimbabwe mustered 160 for six in reply.

Although Pakistan made a circumspect start after being put in to bat, scoring 37 for one in the opening six overs as Nasir Jamshed was dismissed for 23, Shehzad opened up beautifully from the ninth over and regularly found the boundary.

At the other end Hafeez rotated the strike effectively as the pair built an unbroken 143-run stand, and then went to his half-century with a huge six over midwicket off Shingirai Masakadza.

“It’s important to be consistent I think so I’ve been trying very hard to achieve that and it’s paid off,” Shehzad said.

“In the first six overs I didn’t get much strike and I could easily have had a panic attack, but as soon as the captain came in that changed.”

In reply, Zimbabwe raced to 44 without loss in the first five overs, but the introduction of the spinners saw the home side strangled as the next five overs yielded just 21 runs for the loss of Vusi Sibanda and captain Brendan Taylor. l

Score Card Pakistan Ahmed Shehzad not out 98 NJamshed c Chigumbura b Masakadza 23 Mohammad Hafeez not out 54 Extras (3w, 1nb) 4

Total (1 wkt, 20 overs)

179

Bowling Utseya 4-0-35-0, Vitori 4-0-41-0, Panyangara 4-0-29-0, S. Masakadza 4-0-42-1, Williams 2-0-15-0, Chigumbura 1-0-13-0,

Zimbabwe

V Sibanda c Sohail Tanvir b Hafeez H Masakadza c Umar Amin b Hafeez B Taylor c Sarfraz Ahmed b Hafeez S Williams st Sarfraz b Zulfiqar Babar E Chigumbura not out T Maruma c Hafeez b Zulfiqar Babar M Waller c Shahid Afridi b Anwar Ali S Masakadza not out Extras (7lb, 5w, 1nb)

Total (6 wkts, 20 overs)

23 41 3 25 35 0 20 0 13

160

Bowling Sohail 4-0-28-0, Asad 3-0-26-0, Anwar 2-0-24-1, Babar 4-1-21-2, Afridi 3-0-24-0, Hafeez 4-1-30-3.

Result: Pakistan won by 19 runs.

Series: Pakistan won two-match series 2-0.

Pakistan's batsman Ahmed Shehzad plays a shot during the second and final Twenty20 international against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club yesterday AFP

Pakistan should not force Kaneria to confess n AFP, Karachi Former captain Rashid Latif on Saturday said Pakistan cricket authorities should not force leg-spinner Danish Kaneria to plead guilty to spot-fixing until he has exhausted all legal options available to him.

A disciplinary panel of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) banned Kaneria for life last year after he was convicted of luring Essex team-mate Mervyn Westfield in to conceding a set number of runs in exchange for money during a 2009 country match.

Kaneria last week launched another appeal in a London commercial court against the ban after earlier appeals to the ECB, first to overturn, then to reduce the punishment, were rejected.

Napoli seal Zapata deal: president Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis announced on Friday that the Serie A club have agreed a deal to sign soughtafter Colombian forward Duvan Zapata. The deal will see Zapata, who had reportedly been a target for clubs in England as well as Serie A newboys Sassuolo, leave Estudiantes of Argentina to join up with new Napoli coach Rafael Benitez. “We have sealed a deal with Zapata. We have signed it with Estudiantes. The player is on his way to Naples by train for a medical,” De Laurentiis wrote on Twitter.

– AFP

Sport

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), possibly mindful of its reputation in the wake of a series of fixing scandals, has urged Kaneria to end his legal battle and confess.

But Latif said questions remained over Kaneria’s conviction.

“I request the PCB not to force Kaneria to accept his guilt until his appeal at all forums is not decided,” the former wicketkeeper said at a press conference.

During the British proceedings against Kaneria, it was alleged that an Indian bookmaker named Anu Bhatt paid 6000 pounds to Westfield in a deal brokered by the leg-spinner.

But Latif contested the allegations and said Bhatt and was hosted as a guest of the PCB in 2005 and 2006, a

claim rejected by the body.

On Friday the PCB sent Latif a notice to either prove his allegations or apologise within three days.

Latif said he will answer the PCB’s notice and was ready to share proof in private.

“I will reply the PCB notice and offer them to see the evidence in private in the presence of legal advisers so that no one is wrongly involved if these evidences go public,” said Latif.

“Bhatt is a central figure in Kaneria’s case therefore, I will not talk on this matter publicly because it may affect the appeal hearing in the court.”

Latif, who as a player blew the whistle on match fixing teammates admitted he has put his clean reputation on stake. l

Rain hits Australia’s victory hopes

Kvitova to face Halep in New Haven n AFP, New Haven n AFP, London Reigning champion Petra Kvitova breezed into her second straight New Haven WTA final on Friday, where she’ll face red-hot Romanian Simona Halep.

Kvitova didn’t put a foot wrong in a 6-0, 6-1 semi-final victory over her Czech FedCup teammate Klara Zakopalova.

Halep defeated fourth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki — a former world number one and four-time winner of this event — 6-2, 7-5. Halep broke Wozniacki three times in each set to claim the victory in one hour and 20 minutes. l

Australia’s hopes of forcing a consolation win in their Ashes finale against England were left hanging by a thread after rain washed out the whole of the fourth day’s play at The Oval on Saturday.

Conditions worsened throughout the day and, with rain pelting down under increasingly dark skies, the umpires finally abandoned play for the day at 4.06pm local time (1506GMT) with only a handful of hardy spectators, some sheltering under umbrellas, still in the ground.

The bad weather was especially frustrating for Australia, who were seeking a first win in nine Tests and trying to avoid their first Ashes series without a Test victory since 1977.

England, who at 3-0 up had already won the five-match series and retained the Ashes, were 246 for four at stumps on the third day in reply to Australia’s first innings 492 for nine declared, That left England 245 runs behind and still requiring a further 46 runs to avoid the follow-on.

Ian Bell, who came into this match having scored exactly 500 runs in the

series with three hundreds, was 29 not out and Test debutant Chris Woakes unbeaten on 15.

The way England batted on Friday, scoring at barely two runs per an over, suggested they were in no mood to give arch-rivals Australia a sniff of victory.

Australia now face the improbable task of having to take 16 wickets for victory on Sunday’s final day — if the weather allows.

However, England did take nine Australia wickets in under a session as they won the fourth Test in Durham by 74 runs with more than a day to spare. l

FSIB hands Tk10m to BHF

Favourites Beximco, Gemcon register easy wins n Raihan Mahmood

n Raihan Mahmood

First Security Islami Bank (FSIB) yesterday handed over a cheque of Tk10m to the Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF), as the first instalment for the national school hockey, through a simple programme at the Bangladesh Olympic Association auditorium.

A deal worth Tk20M in this regard was signed about a month ago. Khwaja Rahmatullah, general secretary of the hockey federation was elated with the deal: “We will start the tournament in the next winter. Earlier, we could accomdate 20 to 21 districts, but this time we will try to include all the 64 districts of the country.”

Rahmatullah revealed that at least ten venues across the country will host the tournament. Air Marshal Enamul Bari, president of Bangladesh Hockey Federation said the money will be put to optimum use for hockey’s development.

AAM Zakaria, managing director of the FSIB hoped Bangladesh hockey will be benefitted with their endeavour. l

US President Barack Obama kicks a football as he stops to speaks with Tully Junior-Senior High School football team members at the school field in Tully, New York, on Friday. Obama is on a two-day bus tour through New York and Pennsylvania to discuss his plan to make college more affordable, tackle rising costs, and improve value for students and their families AFP

Results

An action from the match between Rahimafrooz REL and Ice Retail during their Ascent Corporate 5-A-Side Indoor Soccer Cup match at the STM Hall of Scholastica School yesterday MUMIT M

Bexi Pharma Gemcon Lanka Bangla Securex Chevron Texmart Ascent Group IIDFC Airtel Metronet Dhaka Tribune

6-0 5-1 7-0 3-1 1-1 1-9 4-3 10-2 4-3 2-0 7-1

Unilever MTB Aarong Grey Swisscontact Bando Design Radio Foorti Santos-Sangu Qubee Tesco Pepsi

Holders Beximco Pharma and runners up Gemcon were on song registering facile victories in the 8th Ascent Corporate 5-A-Side Indoor Soccer Cup at the STM Hall of Scholastica School yesterday.

Beximco Pharma beat Unilever 6-1 while Gemcon outplayed MTB 5-1 respectively.

IIDFC, Bando Design and Lanka Bangla were the other heavy hitter as they beat Santos Sangu, Aarong and TexMart 10-2, 7-0 and 9-1 respectively.

In the other matches, Securex beat Grey 3-1, Ascent Group overpowered Radio Foorti 4-3, Airtel beat Qubee 4-3, Metronet beat Tesco 2-0.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Tribune thrashed Pepsi 7-1, with Imran, Moon scoring a brace each and Rohan, Monu Shakib each netting a piece. Chevron and Swiss Contact played out the only stalemate of the day with a 1-1. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

New migration law likely

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Sunday, August 25, 2013

CAREFREE CHILDHOOD

Bill to be placed in coming JS session

n Rabiul Islam The government is likely to enact a law with the intent of creating opportunities for overseas employment, introducing safe migration mechanisms and protecting the rights of all migrant workers.

Under the proposed new law, a cheated migrant worker could directly file a case with magistrate courts.

A senior official said there was a big flaw in the Emigration Ordinance, 1982 since a cheated migrant worker could not directly file a case against fraudulent manpower recruiters.

The Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) could file cases on behalf of the victims with the four special courts set up in four (old) divisions.

The official said that in 31 years only 250 cases had been filed with the four courts despite thousands of incidents of cheating in the processing of overseas jobs had taken place during that period.

The official said a total of 90 cases had been settled while the rest are under the process of undergoing trials.

“We hope the proposed law would bring transparency and accountability in the migration sector,” Expatriates’ Welfare Secretary Zafar Ahmed Khan recently told the Dhaka Tribune.

The government will fix the cost of migration.

Recruiting agencies will not be allowed to appoint their representatives in Bangladesh but with permission from the government they will be allowed to appoint their representatives abroad The secretary also said the rights of migrant workers would be protected and the cheated migrants would get justice.

Zafar said about eight million workers have been working in various countries, contributing hugely to the national economy by sending remittances. “It is our responsibility to protect our migrant workers.”

According to BMET, the country received $14.17bn in remittances in 2012.

The draft of the law proposes a maximum of 10 years imprisonment and a penalty of at least Tk500,000 for not sending a person to the designated destination.

The draft also proposes a seven year term of imprisonment and a fine of at least Tk300,000 for illegally collecting demand letters, visas, or work permits from abroad and trading them at home.

It also suggests one year of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Tk500,000 for the publishing or publicising of advertisements for overseas employment without prior permission from the government or the BMET. The offences under the law will be included in the Mobile Court Act 2009 for quick disposal of cases and the court will dispose of cases within four months from the date of charges being lodged.

If this does not occur, the magistrate concerned can increase the processing period by two months by recording reasonable grounds for the extension.

The magistrate would also be required to send reports on the development of the case to the chief judicial magistrate.

As per chapter seven of the draft law, the potential migrant workers will have the right to obtain information about migration processes, job contracts and the work environment of the destination country.

The proposed law stipulates that the government will fix the cost of migration. Recruiting agencies will not be allowed to appoint their representatives in Bangladesh but with permission from the government they will be allowed to appoint their representatives abroad.

On August 12, the cabinet finally approved the draft of the Overseas Employment and Migration Act-2013 placed by the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry.

Officials of the ministry said the proposed bill would be placed in the upcoming parliament session scheduled to be held in September.

When contacted, Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) founding Chair Tasneem Siddiqui declined to make any comment on the proposed law: “I have not seen the draft finally approved in the cabinet.”

Noting that the proposed law was much better, Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) Secretary General Ali Haidar Chowdhury said: “It is still better than never.”

The Baira Secretary General observed some weaknesses in the bill as it has been prepared in a hurry but he did not elaborate on his observation.

Bangladesh Obhibashi Mohila Sramik Association founding Director Sumaiya Begum said there was no separate provision for female migrant workers.

Sumaiya said female migrants were cheated at home as well as in destination countries but the proposed law did not address their problems. l

With little concern of their health, a group of children play with junks dumped in front of a sewerage canal near Rayer Bazar slum yesterday. Open playgrounds are scarce in the city MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU/DHAKA TRIBUNE

Morgues need autopsy for themselves n Moniruzzaman Uzzal The wretched condition of the morgues in various hospitals around the country has been a long-standing problem.

Drawbacks such as the shortage of aptly trained and competent forensic experts, unavailability of necessary equipment, very little or no accommodation facility and unhealthy surroundings have rendered the morgues almost ineffective.

A doctor from the Forensic Medicine Department of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) told the Dhaka Tribune that the condition of the country’s biggest healthcare facility could give an idea of how bad the conditions of the other morgues in the country could be.

“There is no mortuary table. We do the dissection on the floor with old school hammers and shovels. There is no

operating light. At times the heat inside the morgue gets unbearable as all three air conditioners are out order. There is no water supply for cleaning the dirt.”

“Since there is no proper drainage system, water stands on the floor every time there is a bit of rain. Medical students have to stand for hours during practical classes because there is no gallery. The two mortuary coolers have also gone out of order, resulting in fast decomposition.

“I think the morgue itself now needs autopsy more than the dead bodies,” the doctor quipped.

Experts say an ideal morgue should have an adequate number of trolleys for carrying bodies; mortuary coolers for preserving unidentified bodies; properly air conditioned rooms; arrangements for hot and cold water for cleaning stains; portable x-ray machines for identifying minute wounds; modern cameras for taking pictures from different angles of bodies with bullet wounds or those resulting from bomb blasts, poisoning, electrocution and rape; focusing lights for closely observing body parts; electric saws for cutting through skulls; stainless autopsy knifes and a gallery for medical students.

On that count, there is no morgue in

Bangladesh that can actually be termed as “modern” in the proper sense of the word, experts say. The Dhaka Tribune has learnt that MBBS doctors, and not forensic experts, conduct autopsies in most of the morgues in the country.

Many hospitals even do not have separate morgues. They often use general hacksaw blades for opening up rib cages.

Three years ago, the murder of a schoolgirl from Shariatpur and the manipulation that a doctor made with her autopsy report, made media headlines.

Following that incidentm and a subsequent High Court order, a high-powered committee was formed and tasked with recommending measures for development.

That committee placed four recommendations including: ensuring the presence of at least one assistant professor during an autopsy in a government hospital; arranging special training at home and abroad for the doctors, especially those working outside the capital; setting up modern morgues around the country and ensuring the supply of required equipment; and setting up an independent DNA profiling laboratory similar to that of the DMCH. Seeking anonymity, a forensic medi-

cine expert told the Dhaka Tribune that although there was a specific allocation under the Improved Hospital Management Operation Plan of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), due to mysterious reasons the authorities had never begun implementing the recommendations.

However, DGHS officials claimed that steps were already being taking for setting up a state-of-the-art morgue and the DMCH and training up the doctors.

On the other hand, a forensic doctor from the DMCH claimed that although the authorities have reportedly spent around Tk6m for this purpose recently, there had been no visible improvement.

When asked why the mortuary coolers in the morgues had been left unattended, Dr Habibuzzaman Chowdhury, head of DMCH Forensic Medicine Department, told the Dhaka Tribune that the authorities had already taken the necessary steps having them repaired.

DGHS Director General Professor Dr Khandkar Md Shifyetullah assured that the process of modernising the morgues and training up the forensic doctors was on. He also claimed that facilities at some of the morgues in the country had already been improved. l

Political turmoil may encourage acid crime: Experts n Moniruzzaman Uzzal

Sharifa Begum (not her real name) is a student of class four in a local Madrasa

at Chokoria in Cox’s Bazar. On June 6, a local goon named Hasan (not his real name) forcibly took Sharifa to a jungle inside the Dulahazra Safari Park, wrote

Tahmina Islam, a victim of acid violence, talks on resistance and remedy of acid violence at a press conference yesterday RAJIB DHAR

his name on her chest and threw acid on her face.

Following the incident, Sharifa’s father filed a case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. Since then, the girl has never been able to stay at home because of constant threat from Hassan. She now lives with her grandmother.

Selina Ahmed, the newly elected executive director of the Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF), told the Dhaka Tribune that the severity and dimension of acid crime had been changing in the recent times. “The case of Sharifa is just another example.”

She said there had been 38 incidents of acid crime between January and August in which a total of 48 people had been victimised. Of them, 12 were attacked between July 1 and July 23

alone. About 67% of this year’s victims were women and were attacked over land disputes.

Selina also expressed concerns at the allegations that the government had decided to withdraw several acid crime cases on political considerations.

According to the government Acid Crime Case Monitoring Cell, there are more than 3,500 victims in the country and a total of 1,812 cases have been filed accusing 4,682 people Shahina Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation, said experiences had shown that as the country’s political situation worsened, violence against women, especially acid crime increased. One reason for this

was that law enforcers remain busy controlling political turmoil.

Although the government enacted two strict laws to prevent acid crime nearly a decade ago, people who work with acid survivors alleged that slag in implementation had rendered the laws nearly ineffective. They said, although there were provisions in the laws to settle a case within 90 working days, in reality, it would be hard to find any such example.

According to the government Acid Crime Case Monitoring Cell, there are more than 3,500 victims in the country and a total of 1,812 cases have been filed accusing 4,682 people. Police, however, have managed to round up 12% and only 10% of the cases have seen conviction. The High Court and the Supreme Court have so far sentenced 13 con-

victs to death, but none of them was executed.

Former ASF executive director Monira Rahman said the home minister-led National Acid Control Council (NACC) which was supposed to sit every month, had unfortunately not had a meeting since December last year.

The Dhaka Tribune has learnt that the government has allocated Tk40m for helping acid victims but lack of adequate initiative from the NACC has resulted in only Tk13m actually disbursed.

The ASF met the press at a conference at the capital’s National Press Club yesterday and urged all to stand beside the acid victims. The group also demand quick response from law enforcement agencies and speedy trial of the offenders. l

EC to hold an emergency meeting n Mohammad Zakaria The Election Commission (EC) has called an emergency meeting with the foreign diplomats of 14 countries and donor agencies on August 27 to discuss on resolving the crisis regarding the next parliamentary elections.

EC officials said the EC wanted to hold an acceptable general election with participation of all political parties and it started the diplomatic preparedness. The meeting will take place at the EC secretariat, they added.

The EC invited ambassadors and donor agencies from the USA, the UK,

Canada, Germany, Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, United nations/UNDP, and European Union.

Officials concerned informed that the EC did not invite diplomats of Middle East and South Asia.

Election Commissioner Md Shah Newaz said there was no formal rule to discuss with any foreign diplomats regarding the parliamentary elections, adding that as the EC got different types of assistance and suggestions from some foreign institutions during the elections, it planned to sit with them.

EC Secretary Dr Mohammad Sadik said it was a routine work of the EC to sit with foreign donor agencies.

The commission would hold the meeting, seeking suggestions to hold the next parliamentary elections in a free, fair and neutral manner, while the EC would also discuss for new ways to resolve the existing crisis in the country, EC sources said.

The agenda of the meeting included election method, stance of diplomats regarding the next general elections, election preparations, solving political crisis, discussion on holding election under the incumbent EC and reforms of electoral laws, they added. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed at Romask Limited, 184, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1215. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.

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Continue to the Business section...

Business

B2 ICT industry seeks support from Indian counterparts

B3 Investors call for political

stability ahead of election

sunday, August 25, 2013

Business www.dhakatribune.com/business

Toll-free phone service to be launched soon n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) would introduce tollfree phone services for both local and international connections soon after completing the 3G auction.

The telecom watchdog has drafted a set of directives in this regard, which is now awaiting final approval, sources said.

After introduction of this services, the caller could call without bearing any cost and get information about different products and services.

“We have discussed about the issue at different meetings of the commission, but no final decision has been made yet,” Md Giashuddin Ahmed, vice chairman of BTRC told the Dhaka Tribune on Friday.

“A directive in this regard has already been drafted. But before it is finalized, we need to hold a public consultation with the stakeholders.”

Sources said informed, the vice chairman placed the draft guideline at the 157th commission meeting on August 5 and the meeting decided to approve the service.

“Before the 3G auction, we are not giving any new directive to the operators,” said an official.

According to the draft guideline, BTRC proposed 0888-XXXXXXX for international toll-free services and also proposed 0800-XXXXXXX for local toll-free services.

Interested business entities can choose the last seven digits on first come first served basis, while all emergency numbers will be based on three digits.

For international toll-free services the proposed call rate is $0.075 per minute while

For international toll free services Numbers 0888-XXXXXXX Call rate $0.075 per minute Number allocation fees Tk50,000 For Premium numbers Tk100,000 Early renewal fees Tk24,000 For local toll free services Numbers 0800-XXXXXXX Call rate Tk0.60 per minute Number allocation fees Tk25,000 For Premium numbers Tk50,000 Early renewal fees Tk12,000 revenues will be shared by three parties – the international gateway, interconnection exchange and BTRC. For local toll-free services, the call rate has

been proposed at Tk0.60 per minute. Number allocation fees would be set at Tk25,000 and early renewal fees at Tk12,000 for local numbers.

For the international service, the respective fees would be set at Tk50,000 and Tk24,000.

Earlier at a meeting on May 12, the BTRC vice chairman placed the first proposal about the toll-free services number. According to the data on that proposal, USA citizens have made 240 million calls per year on 911 number.

All European Union countries have been using a single number 112 for tollfree calls. Pakistan has chosen 117 and India uses different numbers for different services.

According to the 2G licensing renewal guideline, mobile operators are bound to establish toll-free services.

“It has also clearly been specified in the National Numbering Planning, but operators are not interested as far as we understand,” a high official of the BTRC told the Dhaka Tribune.

“We have speeded up the procedure as the issue has been pending for long. We will sit with the stakeholders soon to discuss the procedure in detail of the emergency tollfree numbers,” he said.

The BTRC in a recent draft of Customer Protection Guideline mentioned that tollfree numbers will be made mandatory for the mobile phone operators.

The toll-free emergency numbers will be for police, ambulance services, hospitals, fire services, coast guards, border guards and immigration services, according to the draft guideline. l

BGMEA to propose 50% wage hike for workers n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) is going to propse Tk5,400 as minimum wage for the garments workers.

The proposal would be submitted to the wage board on September 2 as decided at a meeting at the BGMEA office in Dhaka yesterday. Directors, former presidents and stakeholders were present at the meeting.

According to the last wage board for the garment workers, the minimum wage is Tk3000, which was declared in 2010.

“We are considering to icrease the wage by 50%,” Shahidullah Azim, vice president

of BGMEA told the Dhaka Tribune. “We decided to fixed the wage considering inflation, price index, nutrition, transportation and house rent.”

He said the apparel sector trade body is going to propose the hike based on the views expressed by the factory owners and former presidents of BGMEA. He said it would be very tough for them to comply with the new wage board although the prices of apparel items incredsed by 2025% since awarding the last wage board. In the meantime, the cost of doing businbess also went up.

On Tuesday last, leaders of garments workers placed their proposals to the chair-

man of minimum wage board formed to fix a fresh minimum wage level for garment workers, proposing a minimum of Tk8,114 as monthly wages.

A minimum wage board was formed in 2010 and a new minimum wage, effective from November 2010, was defined in August.

The wage board raised the minimum monthly pay for garment workers to Tk3,000 from Tk1662.50 per month. Wages increased by 67% to 81%, depending on job category.

The first minimum wage board, constituted in 1994, had fixed Tk940 as minimum wage per month for garment workers. The second one, formed in 2006, set the minimum wage at Tk1662.50 per month. l

GP invites entries for Telenor youth summit

n Tribune Report

Leading mobile phone operator Grameenphone has invited young and talented people to submit their innovative ideas through applying mobile phone technology to participate a competition titled “Telenor Youth Summit 2013.”

The competition is open for students aged between 18 and 25 who have passions and aspiration to bring a change in the society. The participants have to apply as a team of two.

Grameenphone announced the launching of the competition in Bangladesh yesterday, aiming to create a positive social change.

The summit is a flagship project of Telenor Group, the majority shareholder of Grameenphone, which harnesses education and development for the youth.

Participants have to submit their ideas via Grameenphone’s facebook fan page. The last date of entry is September 7. The grand finale of the competition will be held after two weeks.

The winning team will be selected to participate in the Telenor Youth Summit in Oslo, Norway between December 9 and 11 this year during Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony. The team will also get a chance to attend different workshops and seminars during the ceremony. l

Dhaka eyes emerging donors in Brics

n Tribune Business Desk

Dhaka is keen on pursuing aid-effective development partnership in setting up its future development agenda, Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said yesterday.

Expressing pessimism about the discharge of the official development assistance (ODA) committed by the developed countries to the least developed countries (LDCs), he said the LDCs must find out a way to be linked with the emerging donors in the Brics (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa), reports UNB. He said the global architecture of resources has been changing, and there is a need for pursuing a triangular cooperation – which is a new form of global partnership among the global north, the south and the emerging economies.

The remarks were made at a press conference at the ERD ahead of a three-day Asia Workshop on the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation, beginning in Dhaka today.

Dhaka is hosting the workshop to discuss ways to enhance development cooperation among the Asian countries, and recommendations gathered in the workshop will be presented in the upcoming Global Partnership Ministerial Meeting in Mexico next year. l

Business ICT industry seeks support from Indian counterparts

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

sunday, August 25, 2013

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Bangladeshi ICT entrepreneurs yesterday sought training and business supports from their Indian counterparts for the betterment of the sector in Bangladesh.

They stressed the need for cooperation from the entrepreneurs of the neighbouring country, which is leading the ICT business globally, at a seminar on “ICT Development in Bangladesh: Opportunities and Challenges” in Dhaka.

A delegation of Indian ICT entrepreneurs is now in Dhaka on a three-day visit to Bangladesh. They are scheduled to exchange views and experience, and make business plans with the Bangladeshi counterparts in next two days.

Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS), Bangladesh Association of Software & Information Services (BASIS) and India-Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (IBCC) jointly organised yesterday’s event as part of the initiative.

“The country has huge shortage of skilled IT professionals as the educational institutes cannot support properly. The IT institutions provide trainings to the professionals and then engage them in the firms,” Mustafa Jabbar, president of BCS told reporters in response to a question after the seminar.

However, Utpal Das, managing director at Gazelle Information Technologies, a training institute based in Kolkata, said the prime minister of India has formed a fund a couple of years ago with more than Rs5bn to provide training for IT professionals that is bridging the gap between fresh graduates and professionals.

“The Bangladesh government will have to be proactive and India is ready to provide

Cellbazaar.com launches new features

n Tribune Business Desk

(From left) Indian High Commissioner Pankaj Saran, ICT Minister Mostafa Faruqe Mohammed and ICT Secretary Nazrul Islam Khan seen smiling at a seminar in Dhaka yesterday Rajib Dhar training to Bangladeshi IT professionals,” he said, stressing the need for engaging more women participation in the sector as they are very good workforce. He suggested not to depend on other countries rather depending on own power to create new opportunities.

Abdul Matlub Ahmad, president of India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) said: “We want to go for joint venture with Indian entities.” He expected that the IT business in Bangladesh will grow in a way to reach the second largest exporting sector after the readymade garments.

In a technical session P M Sundararajan, a member of the delegation and Chief Executive Officer of SunSmart Global Ltd, suggested Bangladesh to showcase its products and skill to create value to get business.

India took 20 years to reach the current

position, but the industry trend is changing very fast and new opportunities are opening for new players.

Sundararajan suggested Bangladeshis concentrating on mobile and tablet related software application as the use of desktop computer or laptop is shrinking globally.

In the inaugural session, ICT Minister Mostafa Faruque Mohammad hoped that the event will increase the business opportunity for both of the countries and will of course help the Bangladeshi business people.

Indian High Commissioner, Pankaj Saran, said Indian government is always helping to develop the IT sector of Bangladesh.

He added that Indian government will arrange scholarships for Bangladesh business people and offer easier business visas to promote the IT business. l

Oil jumps after new US home-sales data n AFP, New York World crude oil prices rallied yesterday after a disappointing US new-home sales report fueled speculation about the Federal Reserve’s intentions to wind down stimulus.

New York’s main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for October, closed at $106.42 a barrel, a gain of $1.39 from Thursday.

The European benchmark futures contract, Brent North Sea oil for delivery in October, added $1.14 at $111.07 a barrel in London trade.

Sales of new homes in the United States fell sharply in July and June’s strong numbers were revised lower, casting doubts on the nascent housing recovery that the central bank currently views as a rare growth center in the economy.

The poor Commerce Department report raised questions about whether the Fed would go ahead with its expected announcement of stimulus tapering at its September 17-18 policy meeting.

“Strangely, we have a data set that is pretty lousy, the home sales pretty disappointing, and the market is getting higher,” said

Bart Melek of TD Securities.

“But it is all about tapering. If indeed the US economy is not as strong as we thought, then the Fed will not be as aggressive and taper later.”

PRICE Futures Group analyst Phil Flynn said that oil was rallying because the market was looking at better prospects for demand.

“It looks like the market has priced in the taper and now is ready to focus on those old-fashioned fundamentals like supply and demand and geopolitical risks to supply,” Flynn said, pointing to strong manufacturing data in China and the US that boosted de-

mand hopes.

“Geopolitical worries also served as a backdrop for the buying,” he added.

Deadly blasts in Lebanon helped to ratchet up tensions in the oil-rich Middle East.

Two powerful car bombs in the Lebanese port city of Tripoli killed 42 people and wounded hundreds in the deadliest attack since Lebanon’s 1975- 1990 civil war.

The attack has further stoked fears that Syria’s civil war could boil over into neighboring Lebanon, where clashes have periodically erupted between supporters and opponents of the regime in Damascus. l

The country’s online free advertisement website Cellbazaar.com has officially relaunched its brand.

Its chief executive officer Arild Klokkerhaug and chief technical officer Mirza Asif introduced a host of new features yesterday at a press conference in Dhaka yesterday.

It is now be available to the customers along with a fresher logo, said a press release. BASIS President Fahim Mashroor was also present at the event.

All features and services on Cellbazaar. com are now available in both Bangla and English over web and mobile, with an easy tab option to switch between the two languages.

“We feel this new addition will greatly help our users to better access items as well as buyers most relevant to them, especially in the market outside Dhaka, which has been steadily growing over the recent years,” said Klokkerhaug.

The website’s new Facebook integration feature was also introduced at the event.

Users can now directly log into Cellbazaar. com using their Facebook account and share their items for sale with friends with just the click of a button. Alternatively, customers may continue to use their existing account separately from Facebook if they wish to retain their privacy.

The site is also expected to add numerous more new features. l

Dollar mixed after disappointing US homes sales report n AFP, New York The dollar traded mixed on Friday after a disappointing US new-home sales report fueled questions about the timing of a Federal Reserve stimulus wind-down.

The euro was buying $1.3381 around 2100 GMT, up from $1.3354 late Thursday.

The dollar edged up to 98.71 yen from 98.68 yen, while the euro rose to 132.11 yen from 131.80 yen.

The US currency was under pressure after the Commerce Department reported than new-home sales in July plunged more than expected from June, by 13.4%, the biggest month-on-month drop in more than three years.

The Commerce Department’s data raised questions about whether the Federal Reserve would go ahead with its expected announcement of stimulus tapering at its September 17-18 policy meeting. “That really poured cold water on the market,” said Charles St-Arnaud of Nomura. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

sunday, August 25, 2013

Investors call for political stability ahead of election Fear of unrest frustrates foreign investors: DCCI president n Tribune Report Investors have urged the political parties to ensure political stability in the country to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) as well as domestic investment.

The appeal was made from a roundtable in Dhaka yesterday in the backdrop of the ongoing political turmoil and amid apprehension of further unrest ahead of next general election.

The foreign and local investors already operating in the country also reiterated the call for removing other longstanding bottlenecks like complex business start up process, corruption, and inadequate infrastructure.

“The investor confidence in Bangladesh may depend on the reduction of these risk factors,” DCCI President Sabur Khan told the discussion. “The extent of such obstacles frustrate foreign investors.”

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) organised the roundtable titled “Opportunities and Challenges for Foreign Direct Investment” to discuss the investment environment, opportunities, prospects and incentives prevailing in Bangladesh, and to contribute formulating policy guideline in attracting more FDI. The DCCI president also stressed on removing bureaucratic inertia, reformation of policies, ensuring conducive policies, land acquisition and availability, and energy and power security.

“To attract not only foreign direct investment but also to attract local investments, Bangladesh has to make sure of infrastructure development, energy and power security along with political stability, which is a must for attracting FDI,” Jahangir Saadat, President of Korean EPZ said in his presentation.

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry organises a discussion on foreign direct investment in Dhaka yesterday Vivek Sood, Chief Executive Officer of Grameenphone strssed on four factors – transperency and stability in regulation, reducing cost of regulation that is very high, commercial freedom for the development of telecom sector and minimising hassles of spectrum mamnagement.

He stressed on updating the telecommunication policy in consultation with the stakeholders and forming an investment-friendly tax regime.

President of Santos Bangladesh Andrew De Garis urged for a politically congenial atmosphere for the sake of attracting more FDI. He stressed on formulating an energy regulatory policy.

Former DCCI President Sayeeful Islam urged the government to include investors in budget making process. He requested DCCI to develop a common platform of the government, foreign and joint trade bodies

to work on attracting FDI. He said it is the high time to sit for dialogue with political parties to resolve the crises and protect the rule of law in the country.

“Instability and lack of confidence is a great obstacle on the way of attracting FDI and local investment,” said former DCCI President Hossain Khaled. “We have to look on reducing cost of doing business and simplification of business policy.”

CEO of Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute Dr Mozibur Rahman said shortage of land is one of the major concerns in Bangladesh and proposed establishing more special economic zones and extensive infrastructure development in the country. “We should give more importance on establishing a deep-sea port to facilitate FDI and export activities.”

He informed that a comprehensive trade policy will be formulated soon under the guidance of the Ministry of Commerce. l

3

Banking scams growing faster than BB actions

n Tribune Business Desk

The recent scam is nothing but a straight cheating by some so-called companies in connivance with a group of bank officials and influential group, ICC,B Vice President Latifur Rahman said yesterday.

Bangladesh Bank is taking measures to prevent the scams, but the incidents are growing faster than their actions, he told a workshop on new ISBP (International Standard Banking Practices) 2013 and URBPO (Uniform Rules for Bank Payment Obligation) in Dhaka.

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the world business organisation, has revised the ISBP that became effective from July 2013, and formulated the URBPO, reports UNB. Latifur urged the participants to take full advantage of the presentation by the expert and get clarified on all issues.

He said Bangladesh Bank must be given full autonomy for monitoring the activities of state-owned banks as is done in case of private commercial banks and their should not be any interference of the Banking Division of the Ministry of Finance in the operating of the state-owned banks for the betterment of the banking sector as well as businesses and economy of the country.

He said companies engaged in international trade are facing a growing threat from fraud and forgery. Besides, the recent scam in some of our state-owned banks have shaken entire banking sector.

“Thus, the commercial banks are taking extra precautionary measures in opening of LCs, may be due to which we observe lesser import in the recent past. If this trend continues, the much-needed development of our industrial base will be in jeopardy,” said the leader of International Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh (ICC,B).

To face these challenges, officers and authorities must be skilled about the trade finance practices, he added.

Vincent O’Brien and Digby Bennett who conducted the workshop and ICCB Secretary General Ataur Rahman also spoke on the occasion. l

Stocks rally for second week n Tribune Report Stocks rallied for second straight week ended Thursday as some investors took fresh position amid relatively calm political situation.

Well performance of the multinational companies, energy and textile stocks helped the market close higher during the week thanks to investors parked their money into relatively safer and steady stocks.

During the week, the DSE broad index (DSEX) gained 142 points or 3.6% to close at 4,125.

The blue-chip DS30 index ended at 1,561, rising 46 points or 3%.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Category Index, CSCX, surged 247 points or 3% to 8,092.

Investor participation on DSE increased in the past week, the average daily

‘This week, market has seen initiation of the bullish rally, relying on the listed multinationals, textile, fuel and power and other manufacturing equities’ turnover stood at Tk5.9bn, an increase of 110% over the previous week's average of Tk2.8bn.

“This week, market has seen initiation of the bullish rally, relying on the listed multinationals, textile, fuel and power and other manufacturing equities,” said Lanka Bangla Securities in its weekly market analysis.

Specially, last trading day of the week was completely overwhelmed by the bullishness of the multinationals, it said.

It said: “Revive of market activities started after the Eid holidays as the signs of political agitation abated for the short term.”

Strong and healthy external balances are helping to maintain the overall calmness, which in effect is improving investors' sentiment, it said.

It said multinational companies helped fuel the market rally as the investors tried to park their money into relatively safer and steady stocks amid political upheaval.

IDLC Investment said apparent ease in political frontier coupled with series of positive economic news facilitated the market to keep on and accelerate over the last week's gain, amid natural corrections and profit taking.

“News of robust growth in RMG export, half-yearly earnings surprise and BTRC’s nod regarding upcoming 3G auction mostly decided this week's market sentiment,” it said.

A tripartite memorandum of understanding was signed Thursday among the

Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission and Investment Corporation of Bangladesh for releasing the first installment of the fund starting today, contributing boost to the market sentiment.

The gainers took a strong lead over the losers, as out of 295 issues traded at DSE, 206 advanced, 72 declined and 17 remained unchanged.

The week’s top gaining sectors were telecommunications 11.75%, followed by financial institutions, pharmaceuticals and fuel and power, which ended 7.9%, 3.8% and 2.9% higher respectively.

Banks ended flat.

Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company became the week's top turnover leader with shares worth Tk1.9bn changing hands followed by Padma Oil, Meghna Petroleum, Grameenphone and Square Pharma. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Career

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Fight your work stress, don’t flee! Write for goodwill effect

n Career Desk Working too much or too little leads to stress buildup according to various sources.

Hard work is a healthy indication of being sincere at work. But overworking causCAREER es stress, depression and slow ASCENT erosion of motivation; all that are responsible for falling productivity. At the same time people who do not work at all, those dealing with long term unemployment also experience chronic stress.

Numerous researches in the fields of medical science and psychology show that stress takes lasting and harmful tolls on both your mind and body. Tangible damages done by stress to your health include diabetes, headache, obesity, high blood pressure and even heart attack. It also leads to psychological problems like anxiety and distrust which can disrupt your mental balance.

Coping with stress is a two-step process.

Identify the source of what triggers your stress and take actions to mitigate it. Work stress is caused from various factors such as job insecurity, dissatisfaction at work, overworking etc. Whether it is fear of doing a presentation or nightmares of not getting due work done, whatever leads to stress should not be ignored. There is no permanent cure for stress relief, but knowing how to balance work with the right amount of relaxation helps.

Know your limits: There is no end to work. No matter how much you work, there

n Career Desk For a long time, business language has been perceived as rigid and straightforward.

When it comes to writing business documents this is CORPORATE the appropriate style because HANDBOOK the purpose of these documents is to convey information. Thus there is no scope or need for relationship building through these writings.

find the attached catalog ü‘Please you asked about.’ will always be work remaining. On top of that when your boss dumps extra work, you gleefully accept them to impress him not looking at your desk inundating with due assignments. You just gave birth to stress. This is when you should pause before nodding to your boss, look at your list of assignments and then give a reasonable answer. If the extra work is too much for you then politely offer to do it at a later date.

Start ahead to stay ahead: If poor time management issues like not meeting deadlines or arriving late at work are the sources of your stress, simply start early. Do not wait for last minutes. They never work. Plan your daily work ahead of time and get them done one by one. This will minimise stress levels by keeping adrenaline at bay.

Have a break: Do not work continuously for long hours. Take intervals between assignments to break the monotony. Go out to the cafeteria, see what your colleagues are doing and chat with them. Talking your way through stress is a surefire way to calm yourself. You will be amazed at what petty gossips among colleagues can do at these times to take your mind off of the tension. But remember to get back to work on time.

Brown bagging it n Ahsan Sajid The lunch hour is sacred. It is a moment of respite at work where you get to recharge before the usually busier half of the day begins. You can spend this time taking YOUR CUP a stroll to clear your mind, OF TEA networking in and around the office, or eating.

While it is very popular to eat out with your colleagues or at the cafeteria, the quality of food, level of nutrition, and the amount of money you’re spending every day leaves something to be desired. The obvious way to overcome these problems is of course to bring your own lunch. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Cook big batches: Cook during the weekend when there’s no work, and put portions

in the fridge separately to indicate each day of work so you have to spend no time packing before work.

Make foods that reheat well: Most soups tastes as good as when first cooked if you reheat it. Other foods that reheat well are curries, pasta (leave it al dente), rice etc.

Bring foods that can be eaten cold: If you don’t even have time to reheat or don’t want the trouble, bring foods that are best eaten cold like sandwiches, cold pasta, salads etc.

Pack filling lunches: No one wants to be hungry an hour after lunch break. Pack filling lunches like rice, lentils, beans and other fibre-rich foods.

Go for leftovers: Leftovers from last night, if they don’t get eaten by lunch the next day, are ending up in the trash. Bring them to work whenever the situation allows (some dinner items may be a bit much to carry). l

Work stress is caused from various factors such as job insecurity, dissatisfaction at work, overworking etc. Whether it is fear of doing a presentation or nightmares of not getting due work done, whatever leads to stress should not be ignored Keep calm and exercise: Nothing refreshes the mind better than an hour long stride along the park after a long day’s work. Just like talking, you can also walk yourself out of stress. Some exercise on the way is not a bad idea. If you believe the power of mediation and yoga can help you relax, then you are already on your way to achieving nirvana.

Know yourself: Ask yourself the following questions: Am I getting what I want from my job?

Am I confident at what I do?

If your answers are negative, it might be time to change your job or improve yourself.

Job security and job satisfaction might not be correlated but these are signs that you are not happy with your life which leads to anxiety. l

However, when writing business messages, for example an email to a client, there is both the need and scope for establishing good relations. Clients like to transact more with businesses which seem to care for their clienteles. To achieve this caring attitude in your write-ups, adopt a friendly yet courteous approach in composing the text of your messages.

Get rid of the monotony: Using clichés like “to add insult to injury” does not impress anymore. Using such age-old phrases does not make clients feel special.

be informed that attached û ‘Please herewith is the catalog about which you enquired in your May 7th email.’

Do not use formal language: It does not help you connect with the reader. Adapt to conversational styles in your writing. Be direct.

Write in short, simple sentences.

Emphasize on your reader: Engage with your readers actively by writing from the reader’s perspective. Use “you” instead of “we” or “us” so that the reader takes it more personally. Using the you attitude helps to persuade people in your favor. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Career

5

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Business partnerships: Insider’s perspectives n Tasnuva Amin Nova

Eeman: I think it has only made our business stronger and brought us closer to each other.

We always try to separate the business from the friendship and the friendship from the business which is not always easy but every situation has its pros and cons. A lot of people say that friends should not get into business with each other but I would disagree. I think our understanding of each other has helped Andeem a lot.

Starting a business requires so many resources that a single person might not have them all. When starting out, it is usually wiser to seek partners with compleSTARTUP mentary skills who will help 101 take the business forward.

However, partnerships are conceived as controversial on the grounds that personal differences among partners can result in dilution of the business. This is one of the reasons why entrepreneurs across the world shy away from partnering.

We seek advice whenever there is confusion. After doing some research we found a business whose brand name epitomises the spirit of partnership, Andeem.

An interview with the owners of the fashion house Eeman Ahmed and Farha Deeba revealed the secrets of its partnership success.

What is the mystery behind your unique business name?

Andeem: When we started out with this venture, there were 3 of us. We discussed a lot of names amongst ourselves. People around us suggested a lot of names too. But we wanted something that was just ours, something that was different,something that would stand out and make people stop and wonder. That is when we came up with Andeem.

It has no meaning but yet was perfect to describe our brand; a brand in which all 3 of us had equal parts to play. ‘An’ from Eeman, ‘De’ from Deeba and ‘Em’ from Emmy created Andeem.

Tell us about the early days of Andeem.

Andeem: It was both difficult and easy back when we started. It was a spur of the moment decision to go into business together and design clothes for a living, yet now we

Know Your Job Position: Supply Chain Manager Company: Global Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Level: Mid-level Responsibilities: l Lead

cross functional teams including purchasing, engineering, R&D and factories, ensuring smooth flow of production pipeline

l

Cost forecasting and analysis of supply chain to manage delivery of products according to quarterly targets

l

Integration of acquisition (i.e. new purchases of materials, equipment etc.), sourcing (i.e. new raw material sources) and closures (closing up of certain part of the supply chain i.e. production lines)

l

Cash flow control: Financial analysis of capital and inventory control

l Gross

margin optimisation for significant increase in the part of purchase of raw materials and other production materials

What is something you would like to change in your partner?

Eeman: Due to recent turn of events, this question can only have one answer - I would like Deeba to be here in Dhaka and not Canada! (Deeba is currently doing her Master’s from a university in Canada) Deeba (from Canada): I would want her to give other colours (but hot pink) a chance.

Haha!

If you were to start afresh, how would you do things differently?

wonder how life used to be before Andeem.

I had just left my job and was looking to invest myself into something.During one of our hangouts, Emmy and I decided to start a clothing line; we called up Deeba, who at the time was still working at an MNC and she jumped at the opportunity.

Thus, Andeem was born. A lot of people around us were cynical and discouraging; on the other hand, so many others were more than excited and positive that we would be successful. We still have a long way to go and a lot more obstacles to overcome but thanks to our families, friends and of course Allah that we have come this far at the least.

ties, strengths and weaknesses complement each other. I think from the outside, Deeba and I look like we’ve known each other since forever. We met in our 1st year of University and I think from the very first day we became the closest of friends. That is also very important. We are alike in so many ways and absolutely different in so many others. She’s tough where I am not and vice versa. As a result, when we work, it just clicks!

Partnerships are often likened to marriages.

So what makes this relationship work?

It is great to find a business partner in a good friend. But has friendship ever come in the way of business?

Andeem: Just like a marriage, our personali-

Has the discontinuity of one of the partners changed anything?

Andeem: Apart from the fact that we miss her, thankfully no.

Andeem: We would probable change nothing.

We’ve loved our journey so far and can’t wait for years and years more of “Andeem-ing!”

Where do you see Andeem in the next 5 years?

Andeem: Bigger than ever before. We want to be among the top boutiques of Bangladesh. We wish to see ourselves grow internationally; participate in Fashion Weeks and so much more!

What is your advice to entrepreneurs interested in starting business partnerships?

Andeem: Just do it. If you have a good business idea, and you feel good about it, just start planning and get on with it. Over-thinking will only lead you to focus on the things that could go potentially wrong which will lead you away from things that could go right and make your business a success. l

Know Your Organisation About RobiAxiata Limited Robi Axiata Limited is a joint venture company between Axiata Group Berhad, Malaysia and NTT DOCOMO INC, Japan. It was formerly known as Telekom Malaysia International (Bangladesh) which commenced operations in Bangladesh in 1997 with the brand name AKTEL. On 28th March 2010, the service name was re-branded as ‘Robi’ and the company came to be known as Robi Axiata Limited.

They have the widest International Roaming coverage in Bangladesh connecting 600 operators across more than 200 countries. The customer centric solution includes value added services (VAS), quality customer care, easy access call centers, digital network security and flexible tariff rates.

Specialties: Provide affordable, available and according to customer need telecom solutions.

Headquarters: Robi Corporate Office, 53 Gulshan South Avenue, Gulshan-1 Dhaka, 1212 Bangladesh Website: www.robi.com.bd Industry: Telecommunications Type: Privately Held Company Size: 1001-5000 employees

Follow these career experts on Twitter to stay on the edge of your career Salima Nathoo @SocialSalima: Salima is Founder & Chief Igniter at GLOW Consulting where she powers clients with social-savvy workplace & HR solutions. As an Authentic Leadership Conversation Facilitator™ Salima designs simple ways to invite authenticity with ease into social media engagement to ignite the 21st Century organisation. She integrates these passions to lead next generation learning as a Volunteer with Social HR Camp, a globally unprecedented camp event for the Human Resources profession.

Suzanne Lucas @RealEvilHRLady: The Evil HR Lady aka Suzanne Lucas spent 10 years in corporate Human Resources departments where she hired, fired, and analysed the numbers. She uses that experience to explain just what is going on behind the scenes and what should be going on behind the scenes in your small business.

6

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

sunday, August 25, 2013

DSEBroadIndex:4125.27⇑3.56%Turnover:29332.09M.Tk⇑250.55%,PE:13.01 Turnover:31,650.02MTk.⇑247.27% August22,2013 MarketCap.2,032.48BTk.⇑5.26% CSEAllShareIndex:12765⇑3.12%Turnover:2320.92MTk.⇑210.54%,PE:12.85 Combined Turnover Leader BD Submarine Cable-A Padma Oil Co. -A

BANK ABBANK | 2.95 | 32.60 | Vol. 1674199 D: 24.60 ⇓ 0.40% | 24.58 | 27.50 / 22.40 C: 24.80 ⇓ 0.80% | 24.86 | 25.50 / 23.00 CITYBANK | 1.15 | 25.97 | Vol. 1944435 D: 17.10 ⇓ 3.93% | 17.27 | 18.60 / 15.90 C: 17.30 ⇓ 3.35% | 17.30 | 18.00 / 16.00 IFIC | 1.10 | 18.34 | Vol. 1904533 D: 21.00 ⇓ 3.23% | 21.03 | 22.50 / 19.00 C: 21.10 ⇓ 2.76% | 21.15 | 22.50 / 21.00 ISLAMIBANK | 3.78 | 27.16 | Vol. 2599154 D: 37.70 ⇑ 4.14% | 37.65 | 38.30 / 33.00 C: 37.30 ⇑ 3.61% | 37.34 | 37.90 / 35.60 NBL | 1.05 | 15.76 | Vol. 9020792 D: 11.70 ⇓ 1.68% | 11.79 | 12.20 / 10.90 C: 11.80 ⇓ 1.67% | 11.82 | 12.10 / 11.70 PUBALIBANK | 1.92 | 21.18 | Vol. 5889745 D: 29.00 ⇓ 2.03% | 29.26 | 32.00 / 26.70 C: 29.40 ⇓ 2.00% | 29.24 | 31.00 / 28.50 RUPALIBANK | 6.70 | 64.27 | Vol. 94286 D: 62.00 ⇓ 0.64% | 61.81 | 65.00 / 58.00 C: 60.30 ⇓ 2.43% | 60.33 | 63.00 / 59.50 UCBL | 1.90 | 21.72 | Vol. 11777922 D: 18.60 ⇓ 1.06% | 18.71 | 20.50 / 16.90 C: 18.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.66 | 19.30 / 17.00 UTTARABANK | 3.42 | 26.97 | Vol. 1441210 D: 25.00 ⇓ 1.96% | 25.03 | 27.00 / 22.60 C: 25.00 ⇓ 1.57% | 25.03 | 26.70 / 23.10 ICBIBANK | -1.60 | -13.03 | Vol. 892000 D: 6.10 ⇑ 3.39% | 6.09 | 6.20 / 5.80 EBL | 3.91 | 28.22 | Vol. 4089552 D: 26.10 ⇑ 0.77% | 26.09 | 28.10 / 23.50 C: 26.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 25.99 | 26.00 / 25.00 ALARABANK | 2.03 | 14.91 | Vol. 3155841 D: 14.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 15.01 | 16.00 / 13.50 C: 14.90 ⇑ 0.68% | 14.84 | 15.10 / 13.50 PRIMEBANK | 2.89 | 22.40 | Vol. 856177 D: 23.00 ⇑ 6.98% | 22.80 | 23.80 / 19.40 C: 22.10 ⇑ 5.24% | 22.05 | 23.60 / 21.20 SOUTHEASTB | 1.89 | 22.66 | Vol. 2401812 D: 16.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 16.26 | 17.70 / 15.00 C: 16.10 ⇓ 0.62% | 16.12 | 16.80 / 14.90 DHAKABANK | 1.46 | 18.08 | Vol. 1857968 D: 20.10 ⇓ 3.37% | 20.29 | 22.00 / 19.00 C: 20.10 ⇓ 3.83% | 20.10 | 22.00 / 20.00 NCCBANK | 1.90 | 15.88 | Vol. 2707276 D: 12.00 ⇓ 1.64% | 12.11 | 13.00 / 11.00 C: 12.10 ⇓ 1.63% | 12.13 | 12.50 / 11.50 SIBL | 2.05 | 14.47 | Vol. 2747989 D: 12.20 ⇓ 0.81% | 12.23 | 13.00 / 10.90 C: 12.10 ⇓ 2.42% | 12.14 | 12.50 / 11.80 DUTCHBANGL | 11.57 | 54.27 | Vol. 136700 D: 99.40 ⇓ 0.50% | 99.33 | 103.0 / 90.00 C: 104.0 ⇑ 4.00% | 104.00 | 105.0 / 95.10 MTBL | 1.17 | 17.27 | Vol. 438526 D: 14.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.50 | 15.10 / 13.00 C: 14.30 ⇓ 4.03% | 14.29 | 15.00 / 14.00 STANDBANKL | 2.33 | 14.41 | Vol. 2404837 D: 13.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 13.41 | 14.00 / 12.20 C: 13.30 ⇓ 2.21% | 13.36 | 14.50 / 12.80 ONEBANKLTD | 2.35 | 15.34 | Vol. 4755849 D: 15.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 15.19 | 16.70 / 13.60 C: 15.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 15.13 | 16.50 / 13.90 BANKASIA | 1.35 | 20.80 | Vol. 2211859 D: 19.30 ⇑ 4.89% | 19.35 | 20.90 / 16.80 C: 19.10 ⇑ 4.95% | 19.09 | 19.90 / 16.50 MERCANBANK | 2.07 | 16.59 | Vol. 2179680 D: 11.90 ⇓ 0.83% | 11.97 | 13.00 / 10.90 C: 12.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 12.00 | 12.20 / 11.00 EXIMBANK | 1.80 | 14.31 | Vol. 3111055 D: 11.90 ⇓ 0.83% | 12.00 | 13.00 / 11.00 C: 12.00 ⇓ 1.64% | 12.04 | 12.40 / 11.50 JAMUNABANK | 2.47 | 18.56 | Vol. 649361 D: 14.10 ⇓ 2.08% | 14.14 | 15.50 / 13.00 C: 14.20 ⇓ 0.70% | 14.14 | 14.40 / 14.00 BRACBANK | 1.51 | 24.87 | Vol. 5875918 D: 28.70 ⇓ 1.37% | 28.65 | 30.00 / 26.50 C: 28.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.57 | 30.50 / 26.70 SHAHJABANK | 2.61 | 14.47 | Vol. 1710766 D: 14.70 ⇑ 1.38% | 14.69 | 16.00 / 13.00 C: 14.70 ⇓ 0.68% | 14.76 | 15.00 / 14.00

6583220 4005616

TO M. Tk. 2,031.92 1,552.79

% of TTL

Avg. P

6.42

308.65

4.91

387.65

Meghna Petroleum -A

4702627

1,359.81

4.30

289.16

Grameenphone-A

6788067

1,329.56

4.20

195.87

Square Pharma -A

CompanyCode | EPS | BV | Volume Traded (Share) DSE/CSE: ClosePrice ⇓/⇑ Chn % | Avg.Price | Hi / Lo

Vol.

5086037

1,122.63

3.55

PREMIERBAN | 1.18 | 13.95 | Vol. 2737564 D: 10.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.22 | 11.40 / 9.20 C: 10.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.27 | 10.50 / 10.00 TRUSTBANK | 0.50 | 18.00 | Vol. 340469 D: 17.50 ⇓ 3.31% | 17.59 | 18.50 / 16.00 C: 17.60 ⇓ 0.56% | 17.59 | 18.10 / 16.20 FIRSTSBANK | 1.85 | 13.89 | Vol. 2133735 D: 12.20 ⇑ 0.83% | 12.16 | 12.60 / 11.00 C: 12.20 ⇓ 0.81% | 12.12 | 12.40 / 11.50 NON BANKING F I IDLC | 4.43 | 29.18 | Vol. 1409762 D: 64.10 ⇑ 5.43% | 64.03 | 66.00 / 57.00 C: 64.30 ⇑ 6.11% | 64.06 | 67.00 / 59.70 ULC | 1.80 | 14.90 | Vol. 304347 D: 27.50 ⇓ 1.79% | 27.66 | 30.00 / 26.00 UTTARAFIN | 7.16 | 41.54 | Vol. 919626 D: 78.70 ⇑ 4.79% | 78.93 | 80.00 / 67.70 C: 77.50 ⇑ 1.31% | 78.78 | 79.20 / 72.00 MIDASFIN | 0.16 | 10.21 | Vol. 132019 D: 36.00 ⇑ 3.15% | 36.09 | 38.30 / 31.00 C: 36.00 ⇑ 5.88% | 35.52 | 37.40 / 32.00 FLEASEINT | 2.34 | 13.93 | Vol. 1491317 D: 26.20 ⇑ 3.15% | 26.20 | 27.60 / 23.00 C: 26.10 ⇑ 2.35% | 26.05 | 27.60 / 25.20 PLFSL | 1.37 | 17.48 | Vol. 3583203 D: 23.60 ⇓ 0.42% | 23.42 | 26.00 / 21.50 C: 23.60 ⇓ 1.26% | 23.60 | 25.60 / 22.00 PRIMEFIN | 0.87 | 17.88 | Vol. 1566607 D: 25.50 ⇓ 3.77% | 25.61 | 27.00 / 24.00 C: 25.90 ⇓ 2.63% | 26.02 | 27.20 / 25.70 PREMIERLEA | 0.10 | 11.37 | Vol. 904898 D: 10.40 ⇓ 2.80% | 10.47 | 11.00 / 9.50 C: 10.30 ⇓ 3.74% | 10.33 | 11.50 / 10.00 UNIONCAP | 0.54 | 17.85 | Vol. 267200 D: 28.40 ⇑ 0.35% | 28.26 | 29.00 / 25.60 C: 28.90 ⇓ 3.34% | 28.31 | 28.90 / 26.00 BDFINANCE | 0.57 | 14.77 | Vol. 331485 D: 18.30 ⇑ 1.10% | 18.33 | 19.90 / 16.30 C: 18.60 ⇑ 2.20% | 18.52 | 19.00 / 18.00 ILFSL | 0.35 | 12.19 | Vol. 2215275 D: 12.00 ⇓ 5.51% | 12.14 | 12.90 / 11.50 C: 12.10 ⇓ 3.97% | 12.22 | 13.00 / 12.00 PHOENIXFIN | 2.46 | 19.39 | Vol. 2209850 D: 33.40 ⇑ 3.09% | 33.77 | 35.00 / 29.40 C: 33.20 ⇑ 2.79% | 33.68 | 36.00 / 30.00 FASFIN | 0.19 | 13.56 | Vol. 1625734 D: 13.70 ⇑ 0.74% | 13.66 | 14.10 / 12.50 C: 13.70 ⇓ 1.44% | 13.75 | 14.70 / 13.50 DBH | 3.40 | 16.80 | Vol. 769981 D: 67.20 ⇑ 4.84% | 66.68 | 71.00 / 60.00 C: 67.60 ⇑ 4.00% | 66.38 | 70.90 / 64.00 NHFIL | 0.57 | 12.70 | Vol. 1029977 D: 28.60 ⇓ 1.04% | 28.48 | 29.50 / 26.00 C: 28.60 ⇓ 0.69% | 28.69 | 29.30 / 26.40 BAYLEASING | 0.72 | 25.55 | Vol. 871671 D: 30.00 ⇓ 0.33% | 30.08 | 32.00 / 27.00 C: 29.60 ⇓ 1.66% | 29.84 | 31.50 / 29.20 ICB | 109.65 | 595.98 | Vol. 111455 D: 2209 ⇑ 12.53% | 2198 | 2240 / 1881 C: 2230 ⇑ 15.87% | 2183 | 2230 / 2025 GSPFINANCE | 1.63 | 22.23 | Vol. 701137 D: 25.20 ⇑ 2.86% | 25.19 | 27.00 / 22.20 C: 25.10 ⇑ 7.73% | 24.68 | 26.20 / 23.00 INVESTMENT 1STICB | 64.70 | 137.05 | Vol. 1250 D: 850.6 ⇓ 4.77% | 853.33 | 897.0 / 836.0 2NDICB | 33.02 | 76.34 | Vol. 11050 D: 283.6 ⇓ 12.42% | 286.67 | 323.0 / 276.0 3RDICB | 24.83 | 58.91 | Vol. 6150 D: 205.0 ⇓ 5.75% | 205.71 | 214.0 / 190.2 4THICB | 23.40 | 58.63 | Vol. 19800 D: 217.7 ⇑ 1.30% | 217.71 | 219.0 / 189.3 5THICB | 18.93 | 41.95 | Vol. 30200 D: 190.0 ⇑ 3.37% | 190.00 | 190.0 / 167.0 6THICB | 10.58 | 26.73 | Vol. 189300 D: 51.90 ⇓ 29.86% | 52.67 | 66.60 / 51.70 7THICB | 13.47 | 32.05 | Vol. 7500 D: 95.00 ⇓ 8.30% | 95.00 | 95.00 / 93.50 8THICB | 12.33 | 29.54 | Vol. 10000 D: 61.40 ⇓ 18.89% | 61.40 | 68.20 / 61.40

220.73

DSE Gainer

C%

A%

CP

C%

A%

CP

Rangpur Foundry-A

35.44

35.40

85.60

6th ICB M F-A

-29.86

-28.66

51.90

AMCL (Pran)-A

32.81

33.17

261.50

8th ICB M F-A

-18.89

-19.08

61.40

JMI Syringes MDL-A

29.33

27.41

114.20

ICB AMCL IslamicMF-A

-13.14

-11.48

20.50

Mithun Knitting-A

28.89

36.32

120.00

2nd ICB M F-A

-12.42

-11.52

283.60

Libra Infusions-A

26.26

24.32

294.70

Navana CNG-A

-11.62

-11.94

65.40

1STBSRS | 14.43 | 161.88 | Vol. 190500 D: 106.5 ⇑ 4.41% | 104.75 | 107.9 / 99.00 C: 100.0 ⇓ 0.10% | 100.00 | 100.0 / 100.0 AIMS1STMF | 3.02 | 15.70 | Vol. 4358025 D: 44.50 ⇑ 0.45% | 43.65 | 45.10 / 38.00 C: 44.30 ⇓ 1.34% | 43.85 | 45.10 / 40.00 ICBAMCL1ST | 7.14 | 48.54 | Vol. 1300000 D: 63.10 ⇓ 0.79% | 61.92 | 64.40 / 59.00 C: 60.40 ⇑ 16.83% | 60.40 | 61.00 / 60.40 ICBISLAMIC | 2.21 | 26.81 | Vol. 340500 D: 20.50 ⇓ 13.14% | 20.67 | 23.00 / 20.40 C: 20.90 ⇓ 9.13% | 20.90 | 20.90 / 20.90 GRAMEEN1 | 6.26 | 33.23 | Vol. 2403000 D: 47.50 ⇑ 1.28% | 46.30 | 48.60 / 41.50 C: 47.10 ⇓ 1.05% | 47.13 | 47.80 / 43.00 ICB1STNRB | 4.06 | 35.31 | Vol. 215500 D: 26.20 ⇓ 5.07% | 26.26 | 28.50 / 26.10 C: 26.00 ⇓ 7.14% | 26.00 | 26.00 / 26.00 ICB2NDNRB | 2.49 | 16.24 | Vol. 2036500 D: 11.70 ⇑ 0.86% | 11.69 | 12.10 / 11.40 C: 11.70 ⇓ 1.68% | 11.55 | 12.10 / 11.50 GRAMEENS2 | 2.17 | 16.41 | Vol. 6546900 D: 18.00 ⇑ 2.27% | 17.72 | 18.40 / 15.80 C: 17.90 ⇑ 1.13% | 17.72 | 18.40 / 16.90 1STPRIMFMF | 0.64 | 11.63 | Vol. 1898000 D: 16.10 ⇓ 4.73% | 16.33 | 17.40 / 15.80 C: 16.50 ⇓ 1.20% | 16.68 | 17.70 / 15.90 EBL1STMF | 0.60 | 12.62 | Vol. 2890500 D: 8.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 8.08 | 8.70 / 7.80 C: 8.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 8.09 | 8.80 / 8.00 ICBAMCL2ND | 0.60 | 12.12 | Vol. 690000 D: 5.50 ⇑ 1.85% | 5.48 | 5.90 / 5.30 C: 5.20 ⇓ 5.45% | 5.20 | 5.80 / 5.20 ICBEPMF1S1 | 0.52 | 11.32 | Vol. 1277500 D: 5.40 ⇓ 3.57% | 5.45 | 5.70 / 5.30 C: 5.30 ⇓ 7.02% | 5.30 | 5.80 / 5.30 TRUSTB1MF | 0.82 | 11.65 | Vol. 6539000 D: 8.70 ⇑ 3.57% | 8.73 | 9.40 / 8.40 C: 8.90 ⇑ 3.49% | 8.77 | 9.40 / 8.50 PRIME1ICBA | 0.42 | 11.18 | Vol. 1161500 D: 5.10 ⇓ 1.92% | 5.10 | 5.30 / 5.00 C: 5.20 ⇑ 1.96% | 5.11 | 5.30 / 5.00 DBH1STMF | -1.12 | 10.15 | Vol. 1479500 D: 5.80 ⇑ 3.57% | 5.80 | 6.00 / 5.60 C: 5.80 ⇑ 3.57% | 5.84 | 6.00 / 5.60 IFIC1STMF | 0.90 | 11.88 | Vol. 6863500 D: 8.30 ⇑ 5.06% | 8.23 | 8.50 / 7.80 C: 8.30 ⇑ 3.75% | 8.20 | 8.60 / 7.80 PF1STMF | 0.51 | 11.11 | Vol. 1357000 D: 5.20 ⇓ 3.70% | 5.14 | 5.40 / 5.10 C: 5.20 ⇑ 1.96% | 5.23 | 5.50 / 5.10 ICB3RDNRB | 0.00 | 10.60 | Vol. 1186500 D: 5.00 ⇓ 1.96% | 5.11 | 5.30 / 5.00 C: 5.10 ⇑ 2.00% | 5.12 | 5.30 / 5.00 1JANATAMF | 0.78 | 10.68 | Vol. 1764500 D: 5.90 ⇑ 3.51% | 5.85 | 6.00 / 5.60 C: 5.80 ⇑ 1.75% | 5.76 | 6.10 / 5.20 GREENDELMF | -0.82 | 9.72 | Vol. 2012500 D: 5.40 ⇑ 1.89% | 5.43 | 5.50 / 5.10 C: 5.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.36 | 5.40 / 5.20 POPULAR1MF | 0.79 | 11.38 | Vol. 4795000 D: 6.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.23 | 6.40 / 6.00 C: 6.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.15 | 6.50 / 6.00 IFILISLMF1 | 0.00 | 10.45 | Vol. 2255000 D: 4.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 4.99 | 5.10 / 4.80 C: 5.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.00 | 5.10 / 4.80 PHPMF1 | 0.63 | 10.92 | Vol. 3274000 D: 5.80 ⇑ 3.57% | 5.68 | 5.90 / 5.50 C: 5.70 ⇑ 1.79% | 5.66 | 5.90 / 5.50 AIBL1STIMF | -0.07 | 9.25 | Vol. 284000 D: 6.40 ⇓ 4.48% | 6.48 | 6.90 / 6.40 C: 6.50 ⇑ 6.56% | 6.50 | 6.80 / 6.20 MBL1STMF | -0.16 | 9.08 | Vol. 1119500 D: 6.30 ⇑ 3.28% | 6.18 | 6.60 / 6.00 C: 6.20 ⇑ 3.33% | 6.20 | 6.40 / 6.20 SEBL1STMF | 1.03 | 11.85 | Vol. 6906000 D: 9.00 ⇓ 5.26% | 8.89 | 9.80 / 8.70 C: 9.00 ⇓ 5.26% | 8.89 | 9.70 / 8.50 EBLNRBMF | 1.16 | 10.88 | Vol. 334000 D: 8.40 ⇓ 6.67% | 8.50 | 8.60 / 8.20 RELIANCE1 | 1.05 | 11.36 | Vol. 5338500 D: 10.30 ⇑ 1.98% | 10.31 | 10.50 / 9.30 C: 10.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.24 | 10.40 / 9.30

DSE Loser

LRGLOBMF1 | 0.50 | 10.82 | Vol. 77000 D: 6.90 ⇓ 1.43% | 6.99 | 7.10 / 6.80 ABB1STMF | 1.00 | 10.63 | Vol. 955500 D: 8.10 ⇑ 1.25% | 8.02 | 8.70 / 7.90 NLI1STMF | 1.29 | 12.22 | Vol. 3789500 D: 10.20 ⇓ 1.92% | 10.17 | 10.80 / 9.80 C: 10.10 ⇓ 3.81% | 10.15 | 10.80 / 9.60 FBFIF | 1.43 | 10.27 | Vol. 6076500 D: 10.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.00 | 10.10 / 9.50 NCCBLMF1 | 1.16 | 10.48 | Vol. 196000 D: 9.00 ⇓ 4.26% | 9.03 | 9.30 / 8.40 C: 9.30 ⇓ 14.68% | 9.30 | 9.30 / 9.30 ICBSONALI1 | 0.00 | 10.39 | Vol. 2626500 D: 7.00 ⇓ 1.41% | 7.05 | 7.50 / 7.00 C: 7.00 ⇓ 2.78% | 7.02 | 7.70 / 7.00 EXIM1STMF | 0.00 | 10.91 | Vol. 75000 D: 7.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.66 | 7.90 / 7.40 ENGINEERING AFTABAUTO | 4.29 | 52.65 | Vol. 3305312 D: 122.0 ⇑ 5.26% | 120.11 | 125.0 / 104.5 C: 121.8 ⇑ 5.36% | 119.96 | 122.8 / 115.1 AZIZPIPES | 0.39 | -42.04 | Vol. 27400 D: 15.20 ⇓ 3.80% | 15.25 | 16.30 / 15.10 C: 16.10 ⇑ 0.63% | 16.10 | 16.20 / 14.60 OLYMPIC | 5.94 | 14.91 | Vol. 4417942 D: 227.9 ⇓ 5.08% | 227.80 | 248.0 / 201.0 C: 228.2 ⇓ 4.92% | 227.58 | 247.0 / 218.1 BDLAMPS | -5.31 | 37.07 | Vol. 132370 D: 155.9 ⇑ 11.12% | 153.39 | 156.0 / 130.0 C: 153.2 ⇑ 8.50% | 153.18 | 155.7 / 131.0 ECABLES | 2.04 | 18.87 | Vol. 31300 D: 62.00 ⇑ 8.20% | 60.00 | 66.50 / 57.30 C: 61.60 ⇑ 6.21% | 60.94 | 62.00 / 58.30 MONNOSTAF | 5.31 | 44.78 | Vol. 800 D: 203.8 ⇑ 10.70% | 203.64 | 207.8 / 187.9 SINGERBD | 9.99 | 45.74 | Vol. 1361921 D: 214.7 ⇑ 10.05% | 212.32 | 216.6 / 184.5 C: 214.6 ⇑ 9.99% | 211.36 | 217.9 / 198.7 ATLASBANG | 11.98 | 207.70 | Vol. 167450 D: 185.2 ⇑ 0.87% | 184.19 | 188.0 / 163.0 BDAUTOCA | 0.25 | 6.23 | Vol. 70239 D: 24.90 ⇑ 9.21% | 24.19 | 24.90 / 22.40 QSMDRYCELL | 1.65 | 58.49 | Vol. 1244426 D: 39.00 ⇑ 10.80% | 38.93 | 39.90 / 32.70 C: 39.10 ⇑ 8.61% | 38.95 | 39.30 / 35.50 RENWICKJA | 5.62 | -90.00 | Vol. 103600 D: 186.7 ⇑ 4.54% | 181.64 | 187.8 / 167.7 NTLTUBES | -2.52 | 312.10 | Vol. 353332 D: 74.80 ⇑ 13.33% | 73.72 | 74.90 / 65.00 BDTHAI | 0.43 | 39.35 | Vol. 2182665 D: 24.10 ⇑ 21.11% | 23.60 | 25.00 / 18.00 C: 24.00 ⇑ 18.23% | 23.50 | 24.50 / 19.80 ANWARGALV | 0.51 | 8.08 | Vol. 137000 D: 15.80 ⇑ 11.27% | 15.58 | 15.80 / 14.20 C: 15.50 ⇑ 6.16% | 15.50 | 15.50 / 14.10 KAY&QUE | -3.89 | 6.03 | Vol. 53000 D: 13.20 ⇑ 1.54% | 13.50 | 13.70 / 13.00 C: 13.00 ⇓ 2.99% | 13.00 | 13.20 / 13.00 RANFOUNDRY | 2.84 | 18.62 | Vol. 277000 D: 85.60 ⇑ 35.44% | 85.57 | 85.60 / 63.00 C: 83.80 ⇑ 39.43% | 83.80 | 83.80 / 65.00 SALAMCRST | 3.31 | 20.00 | Vol. 2624020 D: 43.70 ⇑ 8.44% | 43.46 | 45.50 / 37.00 C: 43.90 ⇑ 9.48% | 43.31 | 45.00 / 40.50 GOLDENSON | 3.70 | 28.70 | Vol. 1514097 D: 41.80 ⇑ 5.29% | 41.38 | 42.40 / 36.00 C: 41.90 ⇑ 5.81% | 41.21 | 42.70 / 39.10 BSRMSTEEL | 3.06 | 19.53 | Vol. 2381802 D: 78.70 ⇑ 10.53% | 78.90 | 80.30 / 64.90 C: 78.10 ⇑ 10.16% | 78.39 | 80.00 / 71.50 NAVANACNG | 4.09 | 27.04 | Vol. 1709514 D: 65.40 ⇓ 11.62% | 65.22 | 76.40 / 60.00 C: 65.50 ⇓ 11.96% | 65.68 | 75.50 / 64.20 DESHBANDHU | 1.16 | 12.02 | Vol. 1755312 D: 21.40 ⇑ 8.63% | 21.28 | 22.00 / 18.00 C: 21.30 ⇑ 5.97% | 21.37 | 21.90 / 19.80 GPHISPAT | 2.32 | 16.80 | Vol. 1165700 D: 49.30 ⇑ 2.71% | 49.29 | 50.60 / 45.00 C: 48.90 ⇑ 1.24% | 48.85 | 50.50 / 48.10 BENGALWTL | 2.42 | 20.72 | Vol. 1185800 D: 46.30 ⇑ 6.44% | 46.29 | 47.40 / 43.30 C: 46.00 ⇑ 5.50% | 45.26 | 46.50 / 42.20

NPOLYMAR | 2.01 | 324.37 | Vol. 929218 D: 52.30 ⇑ 22.48% | 51.67 | 52.30 / 42.40 C: 51.80 ⇑ 20.47% | 51.81 | 52.40 / 43.00 FOOD & ALLIED APEXFOODS | 2.54 | 90.81 | Vol. 285150 D: 86.50 ⇑ 6.79% | 86.30 | 90.30 / 80.20 C: 86.20 ⇑ 5.25% | 88.69 | 90.40 / 80.50 BANGAS | 7.20 | 50.27 | Vol. 372450 D: 474.3 ⇓ 10.75% | 472.08 | 474.3 / 339.8 C: 481.3 ⇓ 10.89% | 480.65 | 481.3 / 345.0 BATBC | 65.69 | 117.22 | Vol. 618553 D: 1553 ⇑ 12.59% | 1549 | 1577 / 1362 C: 1500 ⇑ 4.17% | 1550 | 1600 / 1500 GEMINISEA | 10.88 | 9.69 | Vol. 12400 D: 169.7 ⇑ 23.78% | 169.85 | 173.0 / 138.5 NTC | 29.88 | 110.05 | Vol. 4820 D: 852.0 ⇑ 2.54% | 852.00 | 852.0 / 800.0 C: 840.0 ⇓ 5.49% | 840.00 | 845.0 / 835.0 ZEALBANGLA | -23.01 | -193.09 | Vol. 7000 D: 7.90 ⇑ 1.28% | 7.90 | 8.00 / 7.70 CVOPRL | 2.66 | 13.28 | Vol. 518656 D: 597.8 ⇑ 20.94% | 593.68 | 603.0 / 457.0 C: 603.0 ⇑ 22.74% | 594.71 | 604.5 / 480.0 AMCL(PRAN) | 6.53 | 53.37 | Vol. 1344820 D: 261.5 ⇑ 32.81% | 257.40 | 261.5 / 200.0 C: 266.5 ⇑ 39.31% | 264.83 | 266.7 / 204.0 SHYAMPSUG | -36.87 | -355.85 | Vol. 1100 D: 7.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.27 | 7.10 / 7.00 RAHIMAFOOD | 0.62 | 4.46 | Vol. 306000 D: 16.30 ⇑ 7.24% | 16.10 | 16.60 / 15.10 C: 16.40 ⇑ 8.61% | 16.15 | 16.50 / 15.00 FUWANGFOOD | 1.26 | 12.37 | Vol. 1826437 D: 25.20 ⇑ 0.80% | 25.45 | 27.00 / 23.00 C: 25.20 ⇑ 1.20% | 25.28 | 26.50 / 24.90 MEGHNAPET | -0.58 | -1.02 | Vol. 4500 D: 5.60 ⇑ 7.69% | 5.60 | 5.90 / 5.30 MEGCONMILK | -6.68 | -16.22 | Vol. 110500 D: 6.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.89 | 6.90 / 6.60 BEACHHATCH | 1.01 | 12.48 | Vol. 1894086 D: 18.70 ⇑ 12.65% | 18.82 | 19.50 / 15.00 C: 18.60 ⇑ 12.73% | 18.70 | 19.10 / 16.40 FINEFOODS | -0.11 | 10.58 | Vol. 583243 D: 18.20 ⇑ 8.98% | 18.14 | 19.00 / 16.80 C: 18.50 ⇑ 15.63% | 18.07 | 18.50 / 16.30 RDFOOD | 0.91 | 16.84 | Vol. 2421837 D: 21.80 ⇑ 9.55% | 21.57 | 22.00 / 18.00 C: 21.60 ⇑ 7.46% | 21.51 | 21.90 / 19.20 GHAIL | 1.01 | 22.08 | Vol. 7316260 D: 48.90 ⇑ 7.95% | 48.12 | 49.20 / 40.50 C: 48.60 ⇑ 8.00% | 48.23 | 49.30 / 41.60 FUEL & POWER LINDEBD | 31.71 | 144.00 | Vol. 71251 D: 663.4 ⇑ 11.16% | 662.73 | 669.5 / 595.0 PADMAOIL | 16.38 | 43.67 | Vol. 4005616 D: 390.1 ⇑ 6.56% | 388.29 | 407.0 / 350.0 C: 391.0 ⇑ 6.77% | 388.86 | 405.1 / 365.0 EASTRNLUB | 6.32 | 68.68 | Vol. 3400 D: 312.8 ⇑ 3.03% | 312.73 | 315.0 / 301.0 BDWELDING | 0.33 | 16.82 | Vol. 844478 D: 18.50 ⇑ 5.71% | 18.63 | 19.00 / 16.00 C: 18.80 ⇑ 9.94% | 18.52 | 18.80 / 17.40 SUMITPOWER | 3.17 | 19.26 | Vol. 1938355 D: 36.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 36.54 | 39.00 / 33.00 C: 37.00 ⇑ 1.37% | 36.84 | 38.40 / 35.10 DESCO | 2.80 | 35.25 | Vol. 1447679 D: 83.00 ⇑ 3.62% | 82.47 | 86.40 / 74.00 C: 82.60 ⇑ 2.74% | 83.07 | 86.00 / 81.00 POWERGRID | 2.56 | 48.08 | Vol. 275852 D: 56.70 ⇑ 1.61% | 56.41 | 60.00 / 53.00 C: 57.00 ⇑ 5.36% | 56.37 | 59.80 / 51.00 JAMUNAOIL | 22.78 | 50.24 | Vol. 3019069 D: 240.6 ⇑ 0.88% | 240.03 | 250.5 / 220.0 C: 240.8 ⇑ 1.13% | 240.12 | 250.0 / 235.5 MPETROLEUM | 16.98 | 40.41 | Vol. 4702627 D: 289.6 ⇑ 4.29% | 286.97 | 302.0 / 254.0 C: 289.5 ⇑ 4.25% | 287.86 | 302.0 / 275.6 TITASGAS | 9.01 | 36.56 | Vol. 9906052 D: 87.40 ⇑ 0.81% | 87.19 | 92.00 / 78.10 C: 87.50 ⇑ 1.27% | 87.31 | 91.50 / 78.00 KPCL | 4.73 | 15.86 | Vol. 1688916 D: 51.60 ⇓ 0.19% | 51.55 | 53.20 / 48.00 C: 51.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 51.84 | 53.00 / 50.00

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AUG 18 - 22, 2013 Sectotal Index: BANK: 33,592.01 ⇑ 0.24% NBFI: 20,943.51 ⇑ 1.16% INVS: 5,018.32 ⇑ 0.61% ENGG: 6,353.74 ⇑ 2.22% FOOD: 8,656.98 ⇑ 10.07% F&P: 11,333.88 ⇑ 1.01% TEXT: 3,114.67 ⇑ 3.04% PHAR: 17,068.00 ⇑ 1.40% PAPR: 782.95 ⇑ 1.75% SERV: 3,234.48 ⇓ 1.67% LEAT: 5,222.34 ⇑ 15.01% CERA: 507.90 ⇑ 3.94% CMNT: 4,506.12 ⇑ 6.46% INFO: 7,309.49 ⇑ 1.33% GINS: 9,312.38 ⇑ 0.82% LINS: 105,353.39 ⇑ 1.96% TELC: 1,502.31 ⇑ 4.88% MISC: 6,423.21 ⇑ 3.27% INTECH | 0.94 | 10.08 | Vol. 326511 D: 13.30 ⇑ 2.31% | 13.26 | 14.00 / 12.00 C: 13.20 ⇑ 0.76% | 13.20 | 13.50 / 12.90 AGNISYSL | 1.07 | 25.52 | Vol. 1412748 D: 24.00 ⇑ 9.09% | 23.74 | 24.80 / 20.00 C: 24.00 ⇑ 8.11% | 23.67 | 24.80 / 22.30 DAFODILCOM | 1.12 | 11.14 | Vol. 1361984 D: 17.30 ⇑ 5.49% | 17.53 | 18.50 / 15.00 C: 17.60 ⇑ 7.98% | 17.67 | 18.10 / 16.50 AAMRATECH | 1.17 | 20.44 | Vol. 5221650 D: 40.70 ⇑ 3.30% | 40.62 | 42.30 / 36.00 C: 40.90 ⇑ 3.81% | 40.66 | 42.20 / 37.00

BEDL | 1.57 | 17.89 | Vol. 4465217 D: 35.90 ⇑ 1.70% | 36.10 | 38.30 / 32.00 C: 35.90 ⇑ 1.70% | 36.08 | 37.70 / 34.00 MJLBD | 2.73 | 30.24 | Vol. 549929 D: 77.10 ⇑ 6.93% | 76.43 | 78.00 / 65.00 C: 77.10 ⇑ 7.68% | 76.66 | 78.00 / 68.00 GBBPOWER | 1.86 | 22.63 | Vol. 2518951 D: 26.30 ⇑ 1.94% | 26.21 | 29.00 / 23.50 C: 26.40 ⇑ 1.54% | 26.19 | 27.90 / 25.50 SPPCL | 3.81 | 23.34 | Vol. 6016850 D: 64.00 ⇑ 9.22% | 62.98 | 66.20 / 52.80 C: 63.90 ⇑ 9.04% | 63.26 | 66.10 / 58.30 JUTE JUTESPINN | 2.06 | 17.42 | Vol. 29000 D: 87.10 ⇑ 15.21% | 85.36 | 88.00 / 75.50 SONALIANSH | 5.54 | 218.80 | Vol. 272420 D: 160.6 ⇑ 19.49% | 157.47 | 161.0 / 134.0 TEXTILE AL-HAJTEX | 1.35 | 15.64 | Vol. 751468 D: 72.50 ⇑ 20.43% | 72.00 | 72.70 / 56.50 RAHIMTEXT | 0.51 | 73.88 | Vol. 43205 D: 248.6 ⇑ 25.87% | 253.25 | 257.9 / 195.1 SAIHAMTEX | 2.75 | 29.50 | Vol. 3285800 D: 31.20 ⇑ 0.32% | 31.60 | 32.50 / 30.80 C: 31.60 ⇑ 0.64% | 31.72 | 32.60 / 31.00 MODERNDYE | 1.09 | 12.93 | Vol. 500 D: 65.00 ⇓ 0.91% | 65.00 | 65.00 / 65.00 DSHGARME | 0.72 | 12.00 | Vol. 22100 D: 28.70 ⇑ 3.99% | 28.69 | 29.20 / 26.70 DULAMIACOT | -8.46 | -27.78 | Vol. 35300 D: 8.60 ⇑ 6.17% | 8.52 | 8.80 / 8.00 TALLUSPIN | 2.56 | 12.06 | Vol. 17856340 D: 41.60 ⇑ 17.51% | 41.85 | 43.00 / 33.60 C: 41.80 ⇑ 18.41% | 41.99 | 43.00 / 34.60 APEXSPINN | 2.01 | 49.32 | Vol. 25600 D: 66.50 ⇑ 7.78% | 66.35 | 67.60 / 59.10 MITHUNKNIT | 4.54 | 30.39 | Vol. 2099997 D: 120.0 ⇑ 28.89% | 122.21 | 130.0 / 93.00 C: 121.4 ⇑ 33.41% | 120.95 | 127.8 / 100.0 DELTASPINN | 3.06 | 18.12 | Vol. 3810700 D: 36.10 ⇑ 7.44% | 36.21 | 36.90 / 31.10 C: 36.40 ⇑ 7.69% | 36.45 | 37.00 / 33.60 SONARGAON | 0.27 | 34.50 | Vol. 480195 D: 15.10 ⇑ 14.39% | 14.94 | 15.10 / 12.20 C: 14.90 ⇑ 12.88% | 14.84 | 14.90 / 13.20 PRIMETEX | 1.01 | 63.54 | Vol. 2939000 D: 26.50 ⇑ 3.52% | 26.51 | 27.00 / 24.90 C: 26.70 ⇑ 5.12% | 26.71 | 27.00 / 25.00 ALLTEX | -0.11 | 23.81 | Vol. 2254500 D: 9.30 ⇑ 24.00% | 9.30 | 9.50 / 7.40 C: 9.30 ⇑ 22.37% | 9.21 | 9.40 / 7.60 ANLIMAYARN | 1.19 | 11.01 | Vol. 1396300 D: 31.80 ⇓ 1.24% | 31.01 | 33.10 / 29.40 C: 30.70 ⇓ 3.76% | 30.67 | 31.90 / 29.10 HRTEX | 2.08 | 14.92 | Vol. 1953761 D: 32.60 ⇑ 18.98% | 32.24 | 33.30 / 25.20 C: 32.90 ⇑ 20.51% | 32.18 | 33.00 / 27.30 CMCKAMAL | 1.37 | 19.31 | Vol. 3217519 D: 26.10 ⇑ 2.76% | 26.11 | 28.00 / 23.00 SAFKOSPINN | 0.95 | 21.78 | Vol. 1971419 D: 20.90 ⇑ 18.08% | 20.87 | 21.10 / 17.00 C: 20.90 ⇑ 16.76% | 21.02 | 21.10 / 17.30 SQUARETEXT | 4.32 | 31.82 | Vol. 668674 D: 86.50 ⇓ 0.23% | 86.79 | 90.00 / 80.00 C: 87.10 ⇑ 0.81% | 88.19 | 89.90 / 85.50 METROSPIN | -1.00 | 19.59 | Vol. 870290 D: 15.50 ⇑ 4.73% | 15.58 | 16.10 / 13.80 C: 15.40 ⇑ 6.94% | 15.42 | 15.80 / 13.00 MAKSONSPIN | 0.16 | 20.55 | Vol. 11327985 D: 15.30 ⇑ 14.18% | 15.17 | 15.70 / 12.50 C: 15.30 ⇑ 14.18% | 15.08 | 15.60 / 13.30 DACCADYE | 1.21 | 31.13 | Vol. 2510594 D: 28.30 ⇑ 0.35% | 28.75 | 30.00 / 26.00 C: 28.40 ⇑ 0.35% | 28.69 | 29.50 / 27.50 Pharmaceutical & Chemical AMBEEPHA | 3.94 | 26.15 | Vol. 70083 D: 284.5 ⇑ 16.89% | 277.98 | 285.0 / 240.0 C: 284.1 ⇑ 16.67% | 277.38 | 284.1 / 242.1 BXPHARMA | 3.77 | 52.55 | Vol. 1645009 D: 49.30 ⇑ 7.17% | 49.36 | 54.00 / 41.40 C: 49.60 ⇑ 7.36% | 49.34 | 54.00 / 46.40

GLAXOSMITH | 20.25 | 123.32 | Vol. 29750 D: 935.7 ⇑ 9.31% | 915.56 | 935.8 / 831.1 ACI | -5.82 | 126.42 | Vol. 68204 D: 159.2 ⇑ 8.82% | 158.23 | 165.0 / 137.0 C: 157.9 ⇑ 8.82% | 156.81 | 162.0 / 146.1 RENATA | 33.57 | 138.83 | Vol. 91829 D: 704.5 ⇑ 7.36% | 700.59 | 709.0 / 621.9 RECKITTBEN | 27.16 | 78.89 | Vol. 3155 D: 790.7 ⇑ 3.97% | 790.53 | 801.0 / 748.0 C: 740.0 ⇑ 4.37% | 740.00 | 740.0 / 690.0 PHARMAID | 5.06 | 26.30 | Vol. 444500 D: 211.3 ⇑ 13.66% | 206.11 | 212.0 / 188.2 KOHINOOR | 9.52 | 10.49 | Vol. 17885 D: 366.3 ⇑ 6.17% | 364.77 | 380.0 / 330.0 C: 371.7 ⇑ 132.31% | 290.00 | 309.7 / 309.7 IBNSINA | 3.44 | 34.02 | Vol. 52930 D: 87.90 ⇑ 6.42% | 87.58 | 88.60 / 76.00 LIBRAINFU | 4.64 | 1565.37 | Vol. 18200 D: 294.7 ⇑ 26.26% | 289.05 | 295.0 / 231.0 ORIONINFU | 8.72 | 1.73 | Vol. 499400 D: 44.20 ⇑ 6.00% | 43.79 | 44.50 / 41.80 C: 44.20 ⇑ 5.24% | 44.00 | 44.20 / 41.90 SQURPHARMA | 9.01 | 50.83 | Vol. 5086037 D: 221.0 ⇓ 0.63% | 220.43 | 226.9 / 201.0 C: 220.2 ⇓ 1.21% | 219.93 | 225.0 / 216.7 IMAMBUTTON | -1.68 | 5.67 | Vol. 53500 D: 7.30 ⇑ 7.35% | 7.37 | 7.50 / 6.90 C: 8.00 ⇑ 3.90% | 8.00 | 8.00 / 7.60 KEYACOSMET | 3.19 | 19.99 | Vol. 9754009 D: 27.00 ⇓ 7.22% | 27.19 | 31.50 / 25.20 C: 27.20 ⇓ 6.53% | 27.36 | 30.80 / 27.00 BERGERPBL | 32.46 | 100.20 | Vol. 24500 D: 848.0 ⇑ 6.27% | 834.50 | 865.0 / 790.0 C: 840.0 ⇑ 20.00% | 840.00 | 840.0 / 840.0 ACIFORMULA | 3.33 | 38.08 | Vol. 184880 D: 74.80 ⇑ 7.01% | 74.06 | 75.50 / 68.00 C: 75.30 ⇑ 8.66% | 75.26 | 76.00 / 69.00 MARICO | 27.53 | 62.47 | Vol. 134650 D: 666.5 ⇑ 8.53% | 654.35 | 666.7 / 583.0 C: 660.0 ⇑ 9.04% | 660.00 | 660.0 / 605.0 BEACONPHAR | 0.33 | 11.97 | Vol. 1401875 D: 14.60 ⇑ 2.82% | 14.58 | 15.00 / 13.50 C: 14.70 ⇑ 2.08% | 14.63 | 15.00 / 14.20 ACTIVEFINE | 3.23 | 13.89 | Vol. 8915273 D: 96.30 ⇑ 12.37% | 95.58 | 98.00 / 78.00 C: 96.40 ⇑ 12.49% | 95.83 | 97.80 / 86.60 SALVOCHEM | 0.68 | 10.57 | Vol. 4395792 D: 21.20 ⇑ 19.10% | 21.19 | 21.50 / 16.10 C: 21.20 ⇑ 18.44% | 21.08 | 21.40 / 17.00 GHCL | 2.14 | 57.31 | Vol. 2006500 D: 52.00 ⇑ 19.82% | 51.02 | 52.20 / 43.70 C: 51.90 ⇑ 20.14% | 50.95 | 51.90 / 43.20 ORIONPHARM | 5.02 | 68.68 | Vol. 3933440 D: 66.80 ⇑ 1.52% | 66.52 | 70.00 / 59.30 C: 67.00 ⇑ 1.98% | 66.57 | 69.60 / 65.00 JMISMDL | 1.12 | 12.83 | Vol. 1145000 D: 114.2 ⇑ 29.33% | 113.23 | 114.2 / 85.50 C: 112.0 ⇑ 28.44% | 111.86 | 112.0 / 86.00 CENTRALPHL | 0.61 | 10.99 | Vol. 5405000 D: 34.50 ⇓ 10.16% | 34.79 | 38.00 / 30.00 C: 34.80 ⇓ 9.14% | 34.73 | 38.00 / 32.10 PAPER & PACKAGING HAKKANIPUL | 0.64 | 11.02 | Vol. 19000 D: 17.00 ⇑ 2.41% | 17.14 | 17.50 / 16.30 C: 16.20 ⇓ 5.26% | 16.20 | 17.10 / 16.20 SERVICE SAMORITA | 2.31 | 17.25 | Vol. 43712 D: 79.30 ⇑ 10.14% | 79.12 | 80.10 / 65.00

SAPORTL | 1.23 | 38.39 | Vol. 1004389 D: 26.40 ⇑ 3.94% | 26.42 | 28.00 / 23.50 C: 26.40 ⇑ 3.13% | 26.41 | 27.90 / 25.40 EHL | 2.87 | 18.48 | Vol. 1521639 D: 54.50 ⇑ 5.83% | 54.09 | 56.00 / 48.00 C: 54.30 ⇑ 5.85% | 53.88 | 54.90 / 51.00 LEATHER APEXTANRY | 6.57 | 69.38 | Vol. 2092550 D: 132.1 ⇑ 22.66% | 129.40 | 132.2 / 100.0 C: 131.6 ⇑ 22.53% | 129.99 | 131.6 / 106.0 BATASHOE | 49.12 | 135.53 | Vol. 164252 D: 738.9 ⇑ 20.97% | 728.10 | 738.9 / 592.0 C: 737.0 ⇑ 10.33% | 721.60 | 739.6 / 618.1 APEXADELFT | 23.01 | 203.26 | Vol. 861130 D: 374.1 ⇑ 19.06% | 380.18 | 390.0 / 300.0 C: 380.0 ⇑ 18.38% | 380.00 | 380.0 / 315.0 SAMATALETH | -0.07 | 12.08 | Vol. 5500 D: 11.50 ⇑ 6.48% | 11.50 | 11.50 / 10.80 C: 11.60 ⇑ 28.89% | 11.39 | 12.00 / 11.20 LEGACYFOOT | 0.63 | 17.19 | Vol. 247499 D: 14.30 ⇑ 5.93% | 14.44 | 15.50 / 12.70 C: 14.50 ⇑ 11.54% | 14.29 | 14.50 / 13.60 CERAMIC MONNOCERA | 0.71 | 96.33 | Vol. 34130 D: 27.80 ⇑ 2.96% | 27.91 | 28.30 / 26.50 C: 27.00 ⇑ 3.45% | 27.00 | 27.00 / 27.00 STANCERAM | 1.07 | 15.97 | Vol. 2000 D: 30.20 ⇓ 8.48% | 30.20 | 30.20 / 30.00 FUWANGCER | 1.43 | 13.25 | Vol. 1815606 D: 19.00 ⇑ 4.97% | 19.10 | 19.90 / 17.00 C: 19.00 ⇑ 3.83% | 19.01 | 19.80 / 18.70 SPCERAMICS | 0.62 | 30.92 | Vol. 1992365 D: 16.40 ⇑ 7.19% | 16.52 | 17.50 / 14.00 C: 16.50 ⇑ 7.14% | 16.53 | 17.10 / 14.00 RAKCERAMIC | 1.98 | 16.76 | Vol. 792169 D: 54.90 ⇑ 7.23% | 54.40 | 55.10 / 46.20 C: 54.10 ⇑ 5.66% | 53.92 | 54.30 / 49.00 CEMENT HEIDELBCEM | 22.85 | 111.50 | Vol. 458590 D: 363.9 ⇑ 13.19% | 360.65 | 365.6 / 315.0 C: 363.1 ⇑ 15.27% | 354.14 | 363.1 / 320.0 CONFIDCEM | 6.23 | 90.76 | Vol. 3484263 D: 145.4 ⇑ 14.04% | 142.10 | 146.0 / 122.0 C: 143.5 ⇑ 12.81% | 140.85 | 144.0 / 127.6 MEGHNACEM | 6.28 | 33.81 | Vol. 581800 D: 137.1 ⇑ 14.15% | 136.14 | 137.1 / 116.6 C: 135.8 ⇑ 16.57% | 134.83 | 139.9 / 117.1 ARAMITCEM | 3.03 | 14.65 | Vol. 386805 D: 75.80 ⇑ 11.80% | 74.79 | 76.40 / 66.00 C: 76.00 ⇑ 14.46% | 75.11 | 76.00 / 69.00 LAFSURCEML | 1.60 | 7.22 | Vol. 3354000 D: 32.30 ⇑ 2.22% | 32.29 | 32.70 / 31.80 C: 32.50 ⇑ 1.56% | 32.20 | 32.70 / 31.80 MICEMENT | 4.14 | 40.00 | Vol. 1985941 D: 99.40 ⇑ 8.16% | 98.06 | 100.0 / 84.00 C: 99.30 ⇑ 8.64% | 97.93 | 99.90 / 91.90 PREMIERCEM | 3.59 | 22.92 | Vol. 2794800 D: 133.1 ⇑ 5.13% | 132.38 | 135.6 / 125.0 C: 133.2 ⇑ 5.30% | 133.55 | 136.4 / 124.0 IT IINDUSTRIES ISNLTD | 0.28 | 17.31 | Vol. 94882 D: 12.90 ⇓ 1.53% | 13.04 | 14.00 / 12.50 C: 13.10 ⇓ 2.24% | 13.20 | 13.60 / 12.50 BDCOM | 1.00 | 14.91 | Vol. 673356 D: 21.30 ⇑ 1.91% | 21.33 | 22.00 / 18.80 C: 21.10 ⇑ 2.93% | 21.15 | 21.90 / 20.50

GENERAL INSURANCE BGIC | 1.65 | 20.33 | Vol. 310061 D: 29.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 29.56 | 30.60 / 26.90 C: 29.80 ⇑ 1.36% | 29.70 | 32.70 / 27.10 GREENDELT | 4.05 | 64.44 | Vol. 646893 D: 116.6 ⇑ 12.01% | 114.21 | 120.4 / 100.0 C: 114.6 ⇑ 5.23% | 113.83 | 117.5 / 110.0 UNITEDINS | 2.47 | 21.04 | Vol. 225203 D: 47.60 ⇓ 1.45% | 47.57 | 49.80 / 43.50 PEOPLESINS | 2.05 | 20.72 | Vol. 195323 D: 26.70 ⇑ 0.38% | 26.83 | 27.30 / 24.00 C: 26.40 ⇓ 0.75% | 26.44 | 27.50 / 25.00 EASTLAND | 4.06 | 23.29 | Vol. 484492 D: 47.90 ⇑ 4.36% | 47.04 | 48.90 / 41.40 C: 46.40 ⇑ 3.11% | 46.39 | 47.60 / 46.20 CENTRALINS | 1.54 | 19.04 | Vol. 154740 D: 29.00 ⇑ 0.35% | 28.69 | 30.70 / 26.00 C: 30.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 27.50 | 30.40 / 30.40 KARNAPHULI | 1.56 | 19.42 | Vol. 210740 D: 22.50 ⇓ 0.44% | 22.51 | 24.00 / 21.00 RUPALIINS | 2.76 | 23.38 | Vol. 551637 D: 33.00 ⇑ 1.85% | 32.73 | 33.40 / 30.00 C: 33.00 ⇑ 2.17% | 32.55 | 33.90 / 32.10 FEDERALINS | 1.10 | 10.98 | Vol. 467902 D: 22.90 ⇑ 3.15% | 22.80 | 23.50 / 20.80 C: 23.10 ⇑ 4.05% | 22.92 | 23.40 / 20.00 RELIANCINS | 3.93 | 61.52 | Vol. 47386 D: 71.60 ⇓ 0.56% | 71.29 | 81.40 / 69.00 PURABIGEN | 1.05 | 18.71 | Vol. 1151074 D: 21.50 ⇑ 4.88% | 21.19 | 22.20 / 19.00 PRAGATIINS | 2.01 | 50.30 | Vol. 113799 D: 57.30 ⇑ 1.42% | 57.51 | 59.00 / 56.00 C: 55.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 57.50 | 55.00 / 55.00 PRIMEINSUR | 2.14 | 14.14 | Vol. 370159 D: 29.20 ⇑ 11.88% | 28.61 | 29.50 / 25.50 PIONEERINS | 3.11 | 23.84 | Vol. 822297 D: 78.60 ⇑ 7.67% | 77.07 | 81.50 / 67.00 C: 77.00 ⇓ 1.28% | 77.00 | 77.00 / 77.00 MERCINS | 1.53 | 14.50 | Vol. 533823 D: 26.50 ⇑ 5.16% | 26.36 | 28.00 / 24.00 C: 25.40 ⇓ 2.31% | 25.38 | 26.00 / 25.30 AGRANINS | 1.73 | 14.39 | Vol. 147457 D: 23.80 ⇑ 3.93% | 23.52 | 25.00 / 21.00 GLOBALINS | 1.09 | 11.78 | Vol. 249041 D: 29.80 ⇑ 1.02% | 29.75 | 31.30 / 27.00 NITOLINS | 2.59 | 15.41 | Vol. 85323 D: 34.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 34.48 | 38.00 / 32.80 C: 36.20 ⇑ 5.85% | 36.80 | 37.40 / 36.20 ASIAPACINS | 1.84 | 13.76 | Vol. 209500 D: 27.50 ⇑ 4.96% | 27.48 | 28.20 / 26.50 C: 26.70 ⇓ 17.85% | 26.70 | 28.00 / 26.70 SONARBAINS | 1.68 | 13.38 | Vol. 205671 D: 22.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 22.76 | 24.00 / 20.80 C: 24.80 ⇑ 14.81% | 24.80 | 24.80 / 21.60 PARAMOUNT | 1.26 | 13.19 | Vol. 204692 D: 21.00 ⇓ 1.41% | 21.22 | 23.00 / 18.80 C: 20.70 ⇓ 5.05% | 20.70 | 22.50 / 20.70 CITYGENINS | 1.65 | 14.26 | Vol. 400793 D: 25.70 ⇑ 3.21% | 25.61 | 26.80 / 22.70 C: 26.10 ⇑ 4.40% | 26.02 | 27.00 / 25.00 CONTININS | 1.41 | 15.68 | Vol. 382872 D: 30.00 ⇑ 6.01% | 29.34 | 30.20 / 27.00 C: 29.30 ⇑ 1.03% | 29.25 | 30.00 / 28.60 ASIAINS | 1.56 | 17.34 | Vol. 253591 D: 26.60 ⇑ 3.91% | 26.37 | 28.00 / 23.70 C: 26.50 ⇑ 1.92% | 26.12 | 27.00 / 23.00 ISLAMIINS | 1.29 | 11.96 | Vol. 38052 D: 26.80 ⇑ 4.28% | 26.87 | 28.00 / 24.00 C: 25.70 ⇑ 1.18% | 25.07 | 26.00 / 23.00 PROVATIINS | 1.90 | 14.30 | Vol. 145552 D: 25.80 ⇑ 1.18% | 25.86 | 27.40 / 24.50 C: 26.20 ⇑ 2.75% | 25.85 | 26.50 / 26.10

DHAKAINS | 2.84 | 18.02 | Vol. 229500 D: 39.30 ⇑ 0.77% | 39.40 | 40.90 / 35.50 C: 38.20 ⇓ 4.50% | 38.20 | 40.20 / 37.90 LIFE INSURANCE NATLIFEINS | 12.34 | 80.99 | Vol. 55180 D: 247.1 ⇑ 1.31% | 247.59 | 253.0 / 230.0 C: 248.0 ⇓ 0.80% | 248.00 | 249.9 / 230.0 DELTALIFE | 38.53 | 189.40 | Vol. 30050 D: 5185 ⇑ 5.22% | 5140 | 5331 / 4950 C: 5118 ⇑ 3.77% | 5118 | 5312 / 5116 SANDHANINS | 2.39 | 28.22 | Vol. 218432 D: 69.30 ⇑ 2.67% | 68.95 | 72.00 / 62.00 C: 68.50 ⇑ 0.74% | 68.46 | 74.00 / 67.50 POPULARLIF | 3.70 | 715.41 | Vol. 194254 D: 144.1 ⇑ 0.21% | 146.21 | 158.9 / 142.2 C: 156.0 ⇑ 5.41% | 156.00 | 157.0 / 155.0 FAREASTLIF | 9.21 | 60.79 | Vol. 280156 D: 113.8 ⇑ 5.08% | 113.96 | 115.9 / 102.0 C: 112.7 ⇑ 2.64% | 112.70 | 114.9 / 107.3 MEGHNALIFE | 10.82 | 48.87 | Vol. 238740 D: 94.20 ⇑ 5.61% | 94.11 | 97.00 / 88.00 C: 92.10 ⇑ 1.32% | 93.43 | 99.00 / 88.60 PROGRESLIF | 2.30 | 31.45 | Vol. 7030 D: 93.20 ⇓ 3.92% | 93.03 | 96.00 / 92.00 PRAGATILIF | 0.60 | 30.15 | Vol. 118000 D: 94.30 ⇑ 1.40% | 94.47 | 98.00 / 91.20 PRIMELIFE | 5.51 | 27.10 | Vol. 55532 D: 92.40 ⇑ 0.11% | 92.53 | 98.00 / 82.50 C: 101.5 ⇑ 21.41% | 101.50 | 101.5 / 91.00 RUPALILIFE | 3.75 | 31.25 | Vol. 109397 D: 82.70 ⇓ 2.71% | 82.73 | 85.40 / 79.00 C: 86.00 ⇑ 1.18% | 86.00 | 86.00 / 86.00 TELECOM GP | 12.96 | 26.26 | Vol. 6788067 D: 203.4 ⇑ 14.14% | 200.96 | 205.8 / 165.0 C: 202.9 ⇑ 13.73% | 200.60 | 204.7 / 177.0 BSCCL | 7.14 | 23.70 | Vol. 6583220 D: 301.9 ⇓ 2.52% | 294.78 | 324.0 / 270.0 C: 302.4 ⇓ 2.29% | 296.31 | 323.0 / 285.1 Travel & Leisure UNITEDAIR | 1.60 | 15.12 | Vol. 41638550 D: 20.80 ⇓ 2.35% | 20.87 | 22.10 / 19.00 C: 20.90 ⇓ 1.88% | 20.89 | 21.90 / 19.50 UNIQUEHRL | 4.02 | 86.29 | Vol. 5959750 D: 94.10 ⇓ 1.47% | 93.78 | 106.6 / 83.20 C: 94.00 ⇓ 1.26% | 93.56 | 98.20 / 92.00 MISCELLANEOUS ARAMIT | 16.07 | 99.93 | Vol. 68100 D: 260.0 ⇑ 5.14% | 259.77 | 270.0 / 235.0 C: 249.1 ⇑ 21.51% | 249.05 | 249.1 / 229.0 BSC | 1.77 | 565.82 | Vol. 1218965 D: 629.0 ⇑ 16.05% | 613.44 | 634.8 / 541.0 C: 629.0 ⇑ 15.99% | 612.30 | 634.0 / 543.0 GQBALLPEN | 6.55 | 250.45 | Vol. 1030676 D: 163.3 ⇑ 16.06% | 163.64 | 166.0 / 135.0 C: 164.1 ⇑ 15.64% | 163.83 | 167.0 / 142.9 USMANIAGL | 0.50 | 26.03 | Vol. 678824 D: 149.4 ⇑ 23.47% | 147.49 | 149.4 / 123.1 C: 151.0 ⇑ 27.21% | 149.78 | 151.0 / 125.0 SAVAREFR | 0.23 | 12.32 | Vol. 16700 D: 58.30 ⇓ 1.02% | 58.52 | 62.30 / 56.70 BEXIMCO | 3.24 | 86.74 | Vol. 5504179 D: 33.50 ⇓ 0.30% | 33.59 | 37.00 / 30.30 C: 33.60 ⇓ 0.59% | 33.67 | 37.00 / 32.00 SINOBANGLA | 1.75 | 21.01 | Vol. 234000 D: 18.90 ⇑ 2.16% | 19.06 | 19.60 / 18.10 C: 18.80 ⇑ 1.62% | 18.77 | 19.50 / 18.10 MIRACLEIND | 0.14 | 14.90 | Vol. 182624 D: 12.10 ⇑ 5.22% | 12.05 | 12.40 / 11.50 C: 12.10 ⇑ 4.31% | 12.09 | 12.30 / 11.70 BOND IBBLPBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 4835 D: 947.8 ⇑ 0.29% | 950.00 | 950.0 / 942.0 C: 990.0 ⇑ 4.76% | 948.06 | 990.0 / 948.0 ACIZCBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 266 D: 853.0 ⇑ 1.55% | 846.15 | 860.0 / 840.0 C: 841.0 ⇑ 2.94% | 841.00 | 841.0 / 835.0 BRACSCBOND | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 50 D: 1070 ⇑ 0.85% | 1070 | 1070 / 1031 C: 1050 ⇑ 0.86% | 1050 | 1050 / 1050

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

sunday, August 25, 2013

Steve Ballmer ends run as Microsoft’s relentless salesman n Reuters, Seattle Few CEOs wielded more power than Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer. And yet the company’s first and foremost salesman never gained the respect he deserved for his role in transforming Bill Gates’ tiny startup in the woods outside Seattle into the world’s largest software maker.

Ballmer, who announced his retirement from the head of Microsoft Corp on Friday, had the misfortune to follow megastar Gates at the helm just as the company hit the end of its explosive growth period and faced a resurgent Apple Inc under an inspired Steve Jobs.

The Detroit native, who met Gates at Harvard, was doubly unfortunate that his ascent to the CEO office in January 2000 came just weeks before the bursting of the dot.com stock bubble, from which Microsoft’s share price never recovered.

Although Ballmer did treble revenues at Microsoft during his time in charge, and managed to steer the company away from obscurity or crisis that befell other tech firms, he consistently attracted criticism for management miscues.

Under his watch, Apple and Google Inc roared past Microsoft in the emerging arena of Internet search, smartphones and tablets, which made the software company look stodgy and behind-the-times.

“He tried hard. Nobody can doubt his commitment to Microsoft,” said Sid Parakh, an analyst at fund firm McAdams Wright Ragen. “The missing element was execution.”

His attempt to catch up was a failed $47bn bid for fading internet giant Yahoo Inc in 2008, a company which is now worth much less. Yahoo’s inexplicable decision to reject the deal probably saved Ballmer’s job.

Only last month, Ballmer launched a massive reorganization of Microsoft in an at-

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer gestures during his keynote address at the Microsoft ‘’Build’’ conference in San Francisco, California in this file photo REUTERS tempt to transform it into a ‘devices and services’ company, but it left most shareholders unimpressed.

Ballmer never lacked passion and energy for the company he helped to build, but he was always more of a salesman and cheerleader than a technology visionary.

“That is the most expensive phone in the world and it doesn’t appeal to business customers,” Ballmer laughed in a TV interview after the launch of Apple’s iPhone in 2007.

Five years later, iPhone sales alone were greater than Microsoft’s overall revenue.

A clip of a semi-hysterical Ballmer screeching and dancing around the stage to rally Microsoft employees has been viewed nearly five million times on YouTube, gaining him the nickname ‘Monkey Boy’. And

his hypnotic and slightly unhinged mantra of ‘developers, developers, developers’, captured at another company conference, made him the butt of jokes for years after.

A natural math whiz from Michigan, Ballmer met Gates at Harvard before Gates dropped out to co-found Microsoft in 1975.

Five years later, Gates persuaded Ballmer to drop out of Stanford Business School to become Microsoft’s first commercial manager, and only the company’s 30th employee, giving him an 8 percent stake.

As Microsoft’s first salesman, rather than a techie, he was viewed with some distrust.

“The first time we met face-to-face, I thought this guy looks like an operative for the NKVD (Soviet police),” recalled Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in his memoir. l

Food worth $6.8bn rots in India each year: minister n AFP, New Delhi Food grains, fruits and vegetables worth $6.8bn go to waste every year in India because of inadequate storage facilities, a minister said yesterday.

Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said the country’s storage requirement was 61.3 million tonnes against the current capacity of around 29 million tonnes, citing a report commissioned last year.

“The present gap is around 32 million tonnes,” he said in the upper house of the parliament, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

The total wastage of cereals, fruits and vegetables would add up to 440bn rupees ($6.8bn) a year, the minister said.

Pawar said the government had initiated various steps to encourage the creation of new storage capacity, which is in focus as the ruling Congress party rolls out a massive new food programme to feed the poor.

The Food Security law, which the government is attempting to steer through parliament, will offer subsidised grains to nearly 70% of the population, or more than 800 million people.

Nearly two-thirds of India’s 1.2 billion population still depends on agriculture for their livelihood and the government is the country’s biggest purchaser of produce through its centralised procurement system.

Food grain production during the agricultural year 2012-13 is estimated to have touched a record 255.4 million tonnes but analysts say the government does not have the warehousing facilities to store the produce.

Despite two decades of fast economic growth, India still struggles with endemic malnutrition which affects more than 40% of children, prompting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to describe it as a “national shame”.

Cold storage facilities, or refrigerated warehouses, are particularly lacking in India. l

Iraq pushes for investment as India seeks more oil n AFP, New Delhi Iraq’s prime minister yesterday pitched for investment from India to rebuild his warshattered nation, which is a critical energy supplier to New Delhi.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri Al-Malaki said there were “great opportunities” for Indian firms to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure constructing ports, highways, housing, railways, schools, hospitals and investing in oil production facilities.

“There is so much potential,” said Maliki, who is on a three- day trip to New Delhi and Mumbai.

Iraq is still struggling to rebuild its broken infrastructure since a 2003 US-led invasion ousted president Saddam Hussein and led to massive sectarian violence.

This is the first head of government-level

visit between the two countries since 1975, when then-prime minister Indira Gandhi visited Iraq.

During the visit, the two sides were expected to sign an agreement that would increase Iraqi sales of crude oil to fuel-import reliant India.

Iraq has eclipsed sanctions-hit Iran as India’s second-biggest crude oil supplier after Saudi Arabia.

India reduced its dependence on Iranian oil in the wake of US and European sanctions on the import of oil from the Islamic Republic.

India and Iraq have historically enjoyed friendly ties. But while China has been energetically seeking infrastructure contracts in Iraq, and has invested substantially in Iraqi oil production, Iraq officials say India has been noticeably absent.

Iraq has said it may need up to $1tn over

the next decade to rebuild its crumbling infrastructure.

“We are rebuilding our country,” said Maliki, whose visit followed a trip to Baghdad

by Indian foreign minister Salman Khurshid in June.

Luring foreign investment to Iraq has been complicated anew by the worst violence in the country since 2008. “We have some security breaches here and there,” conceded the chairman of Iraq’s National Investment Commission, Sami Raouf Taqi al-Araji.

But he said the country had special forces protecting foreign workers.

“We’re committed to protecting foreign workers, they are away from their homes, they are in our care,” Araji told reporters.

Despite tensions, Iraq’s economy has been growing, fuelled by oil exports.

Indian exports to Iraq totalled around $1.3bn in 2012, up from $740m in 2011, ac-

cording to an Indian government official.

Baghdad’s exports to India - the vast majority of which were oil - totalled more than $20bn last year, up from $9bn a year earlier in 2011.

India has said it is keen to “reverse the traffic” by investing in Iraqi infrastructure and moving to a more broad-based relationship.

The country, struggling to stabilise its ailing currency, is also pushing Iraq to accept payment for its oil exports in rupees, Indian trade minister Anand Sharma said Friday.

Araji said Iraq would have to consider the request.

Iran, which has long battled neighbouring Iraq for global oil market share, agreed to take payments for the oil it sells to India in rupees after Western sanctions over its disputed nuclear program blocked other payment methods. l