September 26, 2013

Business

Ashwin 11, 1420 Zilkad 19, 1434 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 185

Apr '13

11.7%

Mar '13

11%

Feb '13

12.7%

Jan '13

11.5%

Dec '12

14%

Nov '12

12.7%

Oct '12

14.8%

Sep '12

17.4%

Aug '12

16.6%

19.9%

Jul '12

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Jun '12

19.9%

P r iv a t e c r e d it g r o w t h t r e n d 19.7%

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May '13

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Private credit shines briefly in July

International

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Death toll from earthquake in Pakistan rises to 328

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

Rampal to see another plant based on coal PM to lay foundation stone of the first unit on October 22 n Aminur Rahman Rasel The government has planned to set up another 1,320MW coal-based power plant at Rampal where a plant is already being set up as the country is opting to shift focus from gas to coal as the primary source of energy.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to lay on October 22 the foundation stone of the first 1,320MW project implemented by the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company.

‘We have to go for megaprojects if we want to implement our master plan’ Power Division Secretary Manowar Islam told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that the final decision on the second plant would be made after the feasibility study and environmental impact assessment (EIA).

An India-Bangladesh joint venture, the first power project at Rampal in Bagerhat has been facing strong criticism from conservationists as it falls in the vicinity of the Sundarbans, a world heritage.

A platform of left-leaning conservationists – National Committee to Pro-

tect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports – on Tuesday launched a 400km-long march towards the site from Dhaka to protest the plant, which they fear will spell danger to the biodiversity of the mangrove forest.

The Power Division secretary said under the power sector master plan, the government would require to produce 24,000MW of electricity by 2021 and 40,000MW by 2030. The government has targeted producing around 20,000MW of electricity by 2030 from coal.

“So,we have to go for mega projects if we want to implement our master plan,” he said.

A Power Development Board (PDB) official said 0.5 to 0.7 acre land was needed to generate 1MW electricity.

The government has already acquired 1,834 acre land at Rampal, leaving ample space for another plant at the same site with the same capacity, he said.

Meanwhile, the Power Division yesterday arranged a press briefing at the Bidyut Bhaban in the capital on the Rampal power plant apparently to defuse environmental concerns and protest against the project.

Prime minister’s energy Adviser  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

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Government, IMF at loggerheads on energy price hike n Asif Showkat Kallol

n Mohosinul Karim

The government and the International Monetary Fund are at loggerheads over extension of quick rental power plant and price adjustment of automobile fuel oils under the Extended Credit Facility.

The World Bank and the IMF prescribed the price adjustment for automobile fuel oils to bring home rates at par with the prices on the global market at a meeting of the visiting IMF article 4 mission with the finance and energy divisions.

The global lenders want the government to raise the fuel oil prices in January and introduce the fuel price

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association has said the garment factories will reopen, as the industrial police assured the apparel makers of ensuring security.

The decision came at a meeting yesterday, in the presence of factories owners of Gazipur area, BGMEA office bearers and its former presidents.

Factory owners of Gazipur met with the BGMEA’s board yesterday to discuss the current RMG scenario and to seek security for running their offices.

P2, P16 MORE STORIES

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Akram Khan resigns, ready to run in elections

16 pages with 8-page business tabloid plus 24-page supplement Avenue-T | Price: Tk10

BGMEA to reopen factories on police assurance

Nasir Uddin, a BGMEA director, said the owners wanted to shut factories because of a lack of security.

However, they agreed to reopen the factories as the industrial police assured to deploy enough law enforcers to control unrest.

BGMEA Vice-President Reaz Bin Mahmood said the next decision would be made after observing Thursday’s situation, but added that the factories will remain open.

Meanwhile, Home Minister MK Alamgir yesterday claimed that there was no unrest in the export-oriented readymade garment sectors at present.

“There are some stray incidents of disorder in the readymade garment factories, and they are nothing big,” Alamgir told reporters after a meeting on law and order ahead of Eid ul-Azha and Durga Puja next month.

The senior officials of the ministry and heads of law enforcement agencies, among others, attended the meeting.

Sport

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Do not hang Quader Molla without review: Moudud n Nazmus Sakib

Police chase RMG workers in Narayanganj yesterday

BNP Standing Committee member Moudud Ahmed yesterday condemned the death sentence against war criminal Abdul Quader Molla, urging the government not to hang him until his review petition is disposed of.

“We think the government has lodged the case in petty political interest. We do not think the trial procedure has maintained the existing law and international standard,” he said.

Without allowing any question he made the statement at a press conference organised by Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, an associated organisation of BNP, to voice its opinion on the DHAKA TRIBUNE

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, September 26, 2013

RMG workers stage demo in city, 4 districts n Tribune Report

Students of Dhaka University form a human chain on the campus yesterday demanding punishment to a physician of a private hospital in the city and compensation for the student who suffered for his ‘wrong treatment’ NASHIRUL ISLAM

US ‘supports’ Islamist terrorism: Shahriar Kabir n Syed Shoeb Terming the USA “godfather of all terrorism,” Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee leader Shahriar Kabir yesterday accused the super-power of patronising “pro-Islamist terrorism” all over the world.

“During my research about terrorism and militancy, I came to know about the United States’ greenbelt strategy, which aimed at creating a belt of Islamic states around what they considered red belt [of Russia].

The USA devised this strategy soon after the World War II and it eventually gave birth to the present global Islamist terrorism,” he told a discussion in the city.

Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee and Forum for Secular Bangladesh and Trial of War Criminals of 1971 jointly organised the discussion on Jamaate-Islami’s terrorist connection at the Sufia Kamal auditorium of National Museum. The discussion was followed

by Kabir’s latest documentary “The Ultimate Jihad.”

Executive President of the Committee, which has been campaigning for the trial of war criminals for years,

Kabir said the heads of many Muslim-majority countries including Turkey, Egypt and Indonesia had tried to proceed down the path of state secularism many a times in the past. But they could not do it in the face of overt and covert US pressure.

The government could not ban Jamaat as the US thinks it is a moderate Islamic party. It is ‘paradoxical’ He recalled a recent conversation with several top-level US officials when “they told me that unless the Bangladesh government enlists Jamaat as a terrorist group, the USA cannot take any step in this regard.”

Kabir claimed that the government could not do so because “the US thinks it is a moderate Islamic party.” He described the situation as “paradoxical” but insisted that it was the right time to ban Jamaat and Hefazat-e-Islam.

Convener of Bangladesh History Congress Prof Muntasir Mamun said he would not differ with any of Kabir’s points.

“We are demanding a ban on Jamaat, which is all right. Buy why do

not we raise our voice against the wrongdoings of others? Say for Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid; we all know him as an honest man and a progressive person. But he made religious education compulsory up to class X, and we kept mum,” he said.

“The Awami League will never ban Jamaat as long as they stay in power.

They will not take political liability of banning a political party,” Mamun said categorically.

Posing a string of questions, he said: “And is it true that banning Jamaat will solve all the problems? We are talking about banning Jamaat, but not anything against barrister Moudud or even Khaleda Zia. Is it because they wear shirts, pants and saris instead of wearing Panjabi and Pyjamas? Why do not we speak against the media when they are trying to gather mass support in favour of caretaker government? And why do not we talk about the shrinking Ganajagaran Mancha?”

State Minister for social welfare ministry Promod Mankin, retired judge Golam Rabbani and Ganajagaran Mancha spokesperson Imran H Sarkar also spoke at the function. l

Government, IMF at loggerheads  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

adjustment because Finance Minister AMA Muhith signed an accord with the IMF, an official who attended the meeting said.

An official at the finance ministry told the Dhaka Tribune that the IMF had imposed the condition of increasing prices of fuel oil and electricity under the ECF programme.

However, the government is unwilling to make “unpopular” decisions, such as increasing fuel oil prices, ahead of the next general elections.

It increased the prices of petroleum products for the fifth time last January.

It increased the prices of diesel and kerosene by Tk7 and octane and petrol by Tk5. The government has also hiked the

price of electricity on six occasions.

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation Chairman Md Eunusur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune that the subsidy on diesel had been reduced to Tk9 per litre as the price fell on international market and this helped increase the corporation’s liquidity.

“So, there is no possibility that the prices of fuel oils will be increased in the next five months,” he said.

He added that the government had provided the BPC with Tk60bn last year as subsidy and the corporation had sought money this year too.

Meanwhile, Power Division officials said they were contemplating to extend the rental and quick rental power plants until 2020 as most long-term base-load power projects, including

coal- and gas-fired plants, as well as the proposed nuclear power plant at Rooppur, were expected to generate electricity by then. The IMF supported the present government’s initiative to set up quick rental and rental plants at the beginning of its tenure, but now it has opposed the extension plan.

“Most of the subsidy is spent in payment for quick rental power,” said an official of the Finance Division, which three weeks ago disbursed Tk15.86bn as subsidy for paying the dues of quick rental and rental power plants.

He said the country’s budget deficit might widen if the rental power arrangements continue. The total budgetary allocation for power sector subsidy in the past fiscal year was Tk22bn. l

Jamaat calls demonstration today n Manik Miazee Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami will stage a countrywide demonstration programme today, demanding release of the party’s Assistant Secretary General Abdul Quader Molla and detained leaders of the 18-party alliance, and restoration of the caretaker government system.

Party acting secretary general Rafiqul Islam Khan in a statement said: “The government is hatching a conspiracy to stay in power. But we will not let that happen.”

According to the statement, Jamaat called the demonstration protesting mass arrest, and demanding putting a stop on mass torture, release of its detained leaders and activists, withdrawal of “false” cases, cancellation of the questionable war crime tribunals and restoration of the caretaker government provision in the constitution.

Rafiqul alleged the government was conspiring to destroy the country’s garment sector, giving neighbouring countries the chance to create their market here.

He urged the government to meet the demands of RMG workers and hike their wages. l

Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said: “There is no large power plant in the southwestern region of the country. We had to choose Rampal as the project site because of lack of space.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also in charge of the energy and power ministry, is likely to inaugurate the project on October 22.”

Power Secretary Manowar Islam claimed that carbon emission level in Bangladesh was much lower than many countries. Bangladesh had 0.25 tonne of carbon emission per capita whereas the USA had 20 tonne per capita, he said, urging the critics to “think logically before denouncing the project from an emotional standpoint.”

Asked if coal transportation vessels would disrupt the Sundarbans’ ecology, he said: “The plant will need 10,000 tonnes of coal a day, which will be brought

to the Akram Point once a week by a mother vessel with a capacity of 80,000 tonnes.

This will not have any adverse effect on the Sundarbans.” The plant would use super-critical technology, which would discharge only 15% ash – far less than traditional methods, he pointed out.

The power secretary said the chimneys for the power plant would be 275m tall (902 feet), which would release carbon dioxide very high in the atmosphere, thus it would not affect the Sundarbans.

A portion of the profit earned from the sales of electricity from this plant would be used for the development of the area’s people, he said. Global electricity generation heavily relies on coal as a primary source, with 49% electricity in the USA coming from coal-fired plants, 93% in South Africa, 78% in China and 68% in India, while Bangladesh gets only 0.3% of electricity from coal.

Indian state-owned National Thermal Power Company (NTPC) will build and operate the plant.

According to the document, the project area is in Shapmari, Katakhali and Koigordashkathi in Hurka and Gourambha union of Rampal – about 14km north eastwards from the Nalian Range of the Sundarbans. There is already a 250MW government-run coal-based power plant at Barapukuria in Dinajpur. Adjacent to the plant, the PDB will set up another 250MW coal-based plant.

Apart from the Rampal plant, the government has planned to build a 1,200MW plant at Matarbari with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency and a 1,320MW plant in Maheshkhali Island in Cox’s Bazar with Malaysian cooperation.

It has also taken an initiative to establish coal-fired plants at Maheskhali and Chittagong under joint venture and

People suffer because of transport strike n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Thousands of commuters faced severe hardship as bus services on 60 routes from Chittagong remained suspended for eight hours due to wildcat strike enforced by transport workers.

In response of arson and vandalism on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway took place on Tuesday after the death of a university student in a road accident, the inter-district bus owners’ organisation called the strike.

Inter-district and long-distance bus remained off the roads, said transport owner sources.

For lack of public transport, a number of people were seen waiting for buses at bus stops. But when after a long wait they did not see buses plying, most of them returned home.

People who had emergency started their journey by alternative means

Do not hang Quader Molla without review: Moudud  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Appellate Division verdict that sentenced Guader Molla to death.

Law Minister Shafique Ahmed and Attorney General Mahbubey Alam earlier said Quader Molla, the Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general, could not file a review petition as the constitution had curtailed all the judicial rights of a war crimes convict.

Echoing defence chief counsel Abdur Razzaq, Moudud termed the verdict unprecedented as it overturned the tribunal judgement that handed down life imprisonment to Ouader Molla.

Rampal to see another plant based on coal  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

Several thousand garment workers demanding higher wages staged violent demonstrations in different parts of the country yesterday, vandalising factories and vehicles, blocking roads and clashing with law enforcers.

The management of about 200 readymade garment factories were forced to suspend production in their units as the workers continued their movement for the fifth day to press for a minimum monthly wage of Tk8,000.

At least 50 workers and several policemen were injured in yesterday’s violence, while protesters vandalised around 15 factories and 20 vehicles in Savar, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chittagong, according to reports by Dhaka Tribune correspondents.

In Savar, thousands of workers from several factories, including Machihata Group, Pall-Mall Group and Jeans Plus, barricaded the Dhaka-Tangail highway at Jirani around 9:30am. The protesters hurled brickbats at police, who used batons and teargas to disperse them.

At least 20 workers were injured. The demonstrators also vandalised several factories, witnesses said.

In Gazipur, workers ransacked several factories at Chandra and Palli Bidyut areas, barricaded the Dhaka-Tangail highway and damaged at least 10 vehicles yesterday morning. SI Shamsur Rahman of Gazipur district police said traffic movement resumed after an hour.

Syed Shamsur Rahman, general manager of Mahmud Jeans Ltd, said

workers from two nearby factories attacked their unit, as well as several others in the area.

Meanwhile, workers of Esrotex Ltd and Golden Refit Ltd demonstrated inside their factories to protest against Monday’s attacks on them, allegedly by people hired by the authorities.

In Narayanganj, at least 10 people, including two policemen, were hurt during an hour-long clash between protesters and law enforcers in front of Shibu Market at Fatullah.

Thousands of workers from different factories put barricades on the Dhaka-Narayanganj road and vandalised several vehicles, leading to severe traffic congestion.

Forces from Fatullah police and industrial police used batons and teargas to disperse the protesters, who retaliated with brickbats, witnesses said.

Masud Ahmed, acting director of industrial police unit-4, said two constables were hurt in the clash.

In Chittagong, workers of Sunman Textiles at Kadamrasul in Sitakunda demonstrated inside the factory, demanding their dues.

Witnesses said the demonstrators shut the main gate and confined factory officials inside. During a scuffle, four workers and some officials were injured, police said.

The workers also prevented police from entering the factory, said Md Iqbal Ali, assistant superintendent of police of Sitakunda circle. The protest ended after authorities promised to meet the workers’ demands. l

International Crimes Tribunal 2 on February 5 sentenced the jamaat leader to life in prison. On February 18 the tribunal law was amended that entitled the government to rights to appeal against any inadequate sentence.

BNP Standing Committee Member and President of the forum Rafiqul Islam Miah, Khaleda Zia’s advisor and Bar Council Vice-Chairman Khandker Mahbub Hossain, BNP Joint Secretary General and forum Secretary Mahbub Uddin Khokon, BNP Chairperson’s Advisor Zainul Abedin, Jamaat central Law Secretary Jashim Uddin Sarker were present at the briefing. l

counting extra money.

Many people deferred their journey schedule due to the strike, commuters said. Omar Faruk, a businessman, told the Dhaka Tribune that he had to suffer much when he was going to Feni from the port city.

Tymur Jahan Chowdhury, a student at Chittagong University, said: “I could not manage train ticket, so I could not sit for recruitment test in Dhaka,” he said.

Kafil Uddin, executive president of Bangladesh Bus Paribahan Malik Samity, said they observed the strike protesting the arson and vandalism on the highway. “Many of our buses were damaged and set on fire. We are demanding proper actions in this regard,” he said.

Syed Iqbal Ali, assistant superintendent of police of Sitakunda circle of Chittagong range, a few number of vehicles were seen plying on the highway. l

JP won’t join polls sans major parties, reiterates Ershad n Tribune Report Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad yesterday reiterated his stance on the next general elections, saying that his party will not take part in the polls if the major political parties boycott it.

“The major political parties aren’t willing to join the polls under the current regime… therefore, Jatiya Party won’t participate in the general election if all other parties skip it,” he said.

Ershad made the remarks while addressing the Sylhet district unit Jatiya Party’s biennial council at the Registry Ground in the city. l

BGMEA to reopen factories independent power producer mechanisms to generate another 5,320MW. Besides, 3,174MW electricity is expected from the private sector.

Long march reaches Faridpur

Buses and microbuses, carrying around 2,000 supporters reached Faridpur last evening and the campaigners held a rally at the Ambika Memorial Hall ground.

Committee’s member secretary Prof Anu Muhammad of Jahangirnagar University criticised the government for announcing the inauguration of the plant’s construction “ignoring public opinion.”

He said: “The foundation stone which will be laid on October 22 will remain as a symbol of treachery. You [government] have cheated on the people by signing the agreements [with India]. We want to say clearly that you will have to apologise to the people for this foundation stone.”l

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

Almost all factories belonging to export-oriented apparel sector were functional, the minister added.

The RMG factories that employed over 4m workers, mostly women, flared up on Saturday in protest against the denial of workers’ leave to attend rally in Dhaka aimed at pressing home a hike in their minimum wage from Tk3,000 to Tk8,000.

“Today all factories excepting a few in Gazipur are functioning. There is no such unrest in the garment sector,” the home minister said.

Apparel workers continued demonstrations to press home their demand for a minimum monthly wage of Tk8,100 for the fifth straight day in the capital and its suburban areas Wednesday.

The agitation flared fast in the labour-intensive industrial areas of Savar and Narayanganj also as the owners of-

fered a wage hike of Tk600 only for an apprentice worker in the RMG sector.

Though most of the factory workers in the area joined their work some of the factory authorities declared a holiday for the day to avert violence.

More than 100 factories were shut in the face of demonstrations, according to workers and owners. Operations in around 400 RMG units were suspended on Saturday in the face violent protests by workers.

Alamgir said the law enforcement agencies would remain vigilant during the Eid and Puja so that there were no untoward incidents during the festivals of the Muslims and the Hindu minority almost at the same time in the second week of October.

He said steps would also remain in force to check smuggling of hides. The ministry would open a monitoring cell to oversee the situation during the festivals. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Electricity import from India begins October 5 n Aminur Rahman Rasel Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the commercial transmission of power imported from India on October 5.

Her Adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury disclosed this at a press conference organised by the Power Division at Bidyut Bhaban in the city yesterday.

He said India’s state-owned National Thermal Power Company (NTPC) looks set to start the test transmission of electricity to Bangladesh on September 27, sending 50MW to the grid on the first day and raising it to 175MW by September 30.

The Power Development Board signed a supplementary agreement with the NTPC on September 18 on payment of Tk35.9m in advance for the trial transmission, which will be adjusted to the project cost later.

The cost of per kilowatt electricity from India is expected to be Tk4 and

Tk0.80 as wheeling charge. The Power Grid Company will charge the PDB Tk0.23 per unit.

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

The NTPC and the Power Trading Corporation India Limited (PTC) will supply 250MW each.

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

On July 28, the cabinet committee on public purchase approved the import of 250MW electricity from India’s open market. The PTC will supply electricity for three years from power plants in West Bengal and the eastern region at a rate of Tk6.34 with Tk0.31 wheeling charge. l

Judgement on Contempt of Court Act today n Nazmus Sakib

People have to wait long for transport on the roads in the capital because of excessive traffic and scarcity of vehicles nowadays. The photo was taken at Farmgate yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Investigation officer in Nizami case testifies Nasim asks government n officials to follow orders Udisa Islam

The war crimes tribunal yesterday began recording the deposition of the investigation officer in the case against Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami. He is the 26th and last prosecution witness in the case.

At the International Crimes Tribunal 1, Md Abdur Razzaque Khan described the background of the case and what he had done at the first level of investigation.

He said during the investigation, he had reviewed the contemporary newspaper reports especially those published in daily Sangram – the mouthpiece of Jamaat, and documents including books, audio records and video footage on the 1971 Liberation War and its context.

Razzaque said he had visited the places of genocide, killings, mass graves and torture allegedly committed by the order of Nizami,

his cohorts, the Pakistani occupation army, and members of collaborators’ groups – Peace Committee, razakar, alBadr and al-Shams.

The witness said: “On July 25, 2010, we got two case statements from Pallabi and Keraniganj police stations. After analysing those as well as books and newspapers, we came to know that as the president of Islami Chhatra Sangha, Nizami with the help of Pakistani army went to different districts and gave instigating speeches that made the members of razakar, alBadr and al-Shams violent.”

On May 28 last year, Nizami was indicted on 16 counts of crimes against humanity he allegedly committed in Pabna and Dhaka during the war.

The charges include genocide, rape, torture, abduction, confinement and conspiracy.

Prosecution stared placing their witnesses on August 26 last year. Of the previous 25 witnesses,

seventh witness Pradip Kumar Dev was declared “hostile” as he had not mention Nizami’s name in his deposition.

Meanwhile, the defence counsel for war crimes accused Maulana Abdus Subhan pleaded for privilege communication with his client as their argument on charge framing will be held on October 2.

Tribunal Chairman Justice ATM Fazle Kabir in an order allowed the defence to meet Subhan at jail gate on Saturday.

The tribunal on September 19 took into cognisance the nice charges pressed against the Jamaat nayeb-eameer.

The prosecution submitted the formal charges on September 15. The charges include genocide, murder, torture, arson, abduction, loot, confinement and conspiracy he had allegedly committed in Pabna during the 1971 Liberation War. l

n Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee Awami League Presidium Member Mohammad Nasim yesterday warned government officers of facing dire consequences if they fail to follow the government’s orders.

“Government officers will have to follow government’s directives.

Those who will not comply with government’s order will have to face dire consequences,” the ruling party leader cautioned.

He came up with the warning in a discussion at AL’s central office at Bangabandhu Avenue, organized

by Bangabandhu and National Four Leaders Parishad.

Regarding the recent unrest in the garments sector, Nasim advised the people involved in this sector not to make irresponsible remarks.

“Government is working for the development of the garments sector.

Don’t give us trouble by making unnecessary comments,” he said.

Speaking on main opposition BNP’s ultimatum, the AL leader said nothing would happen on October 25.

“As per the Constitution, the incumbent government will discharge its duty till January.

Next election will be held under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and she will hand over power to another elected prime minister,” he said.

The discussion was presided over

by Sirajul Islam, the vice-president of Bangabandhu and National Four Leader Parishad, while other speakers included Awami League leaders Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya and Abdul Haque Sabuj. l

The High Court is set to deliver today its verdict on whether eight provisions of the Contempt of Court Act 2013, including one involving media reports on the court proceedings, is constitutional or not.

The bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain set the date after hearing both the sides and Dr Kamal Hossain. The matter was kept on top of today’s cause list.

In response to a petition, a High Court bench on April 3 issued a rule, asking the government to explain why the provisions should not be declared unconstitutional for allegedly curtailing the court’s authority. The petition was moved by lawyer Manzill Murshid. Secretaries to the Cabinet Division, president’s office, Prime Minister’s Office, law ministry, and parliament secretariat were made respondents to the rule.

Filed by lawyers Asaduzzaman Siddiqui and Ayesha Khatun, the petition challenged sections 4-7, 9-11 and 13(2) of the law. The Contempt of Court Act was enacted on February 22 this year, replacing the law of 1926.

Section 5 of the law stipulates that publishing “objective and unbiased reports” on court proceedings should not be subject to contempt. However, Manzill yesterday told the court that they had not wanted the freedom of journalists curtailed.

Section 7 states that publication of any unbiased and objective news on any proceedings conducted in the chamber of a judge or “camera trial” shall also not constitute contempt, unless the court imposes a bar.

According to Section 10, if an act is done by a public servant “with a good faith” following the existing laws, it shall not be considered as contempt of court.

No contempt charge can be brought against him if he tries properly to implement the judgement, order or directive of the court, but failed.

Taking part in the hearing, Dr Kamal questioned the maintainability of the petition and said it had not elaborated the reasons why it challenged the law.

During the hearing, Justice Quazi Reza said if any act or report was published on an individual judge without the intention of harming the image of the court, it was not contempt. “But if it is done for impairing the court, then the act or report is contempt,” he observed. l

Speaker urges BNP to join Jatiya Sangsad

Independent commission for TV commercials suggested n Md Atiqur Rahman A discussion on advertisement was held in the city with a call to form an independent commission to look into the commercials in a bid to keep norms and values of the society intact.

The programme also focused on the media activities so that they could not pose a threat to the children and the women in the society.

Article 19, Bangladesh and South Asia hosted the programme titled “Draft Broadcasting Policy 2013” at a city hotel.

The discussants urged all to be careful about the issues of advertisement on the media and said it was a high time a commission be formed for censorship.

In his address, Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan) Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder advocated for an umbrella policy which would look into all forms of the media advertisements.

Article 19 Director Tahmina Rahman emphasised forming an independent broadcast committee which won’t be politically biased.

Describing the importance of the draft broadcasting policy Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, chief executive officer and editor-in-chief of Boishakhai Television, said the information commission could work like an umbrella. He also requested the authorities concerned not to change the members of the commission according to the change of the ruling party.

Shamsuddin Haidar Dalim, chief of News Production & Training, Maasranga TV, claimed that the channels were “captive” to the advertising companies. Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said, “A definite law will be followed to form the commission.” He added that private television channel policy was underway and the draft broadcasting policy would be placed in the cabinet next month.

Among others, Transparency International (TIB) Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Joint Secretary to the Information Ministry Md Abul Hossain, Bangladesh Nari Sangbadik Kendra General Secretary Parveen Sultana Jhuma and Associate Professor Dr Md Mahbubur Rahman of the Department of Law, Dhaka University, were present at the programme. l

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Thursday, September 26, 2013

n Tribune Desk

Tahmina Rahman speaks at a seminar on Citizens Consultation on Draft Broadcasting Policy 2013 at a city hotel yesterday

RAJIB DHAR

Mosharraf urges speaker to initiate dialogue n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla BNP Standing Committee Member Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain on Wednesday urged Speaker Shirin Sharmin Choudhury to advise the government to come forward with proposal for dialogue to resolve the political crisis.

“Today in a programme the speaker said the problem could be settled in parliament through dialogue. I want her to ask the government to hold dialogue if she wants a solution,” he said.

Addressing a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club in the capital organised by the Shikkhak Karmachari Oikya Jote Mosharraf said they had had heard such type of call many times.

“If the government does not agree to hold the next election under a non-

partisan government then the solution will not come.”

The BNP leader said: “BNP will not take part in any election if it is held under the government and keeping the parliament functional.”

If the government does not agree to hold the next election under a non-partisan government then the solution will not come Mosharraf said as they had a few number of seats in parliament their proposal was dismissed in the House.

“So, to resolve the crisis advice the government to hold the dialogue and amend the constitution before the parliament session ends,” he urged the speaker.

In the programme, the organisation unveiled the panel members of the senate election.

In the senate election the BNP panel includes AFM Yusuf Hayder, Abdul Jalil Aziz, Umme Kulsum Rawjatur Rumman, AKM Rafiqunnabi, ABM Fazlul Karim, ABM MOsharraf Hossain, SM Asaduzzaman Ripon, KA Amiruzzaman, Chowdhury Mahmud Hasan, Nasirudddin Ahmed, Provat Chandra Biswas, Mahfuzullah, Mohammad Rafiqul Kabir, Shafiul Bari Babu, Selim Bhuyan and Mohammad Hasan.

The former teacher of Dhaka University alleged that voters were not getting voter card.

“I am a life-time member of the university senate but I am yet to get the voter card. Like me many are yet to get their cards,” he alleged. l

Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury yesterday hoped that the opposition will join the parliament and take part in discussions on any issue “in light of the Constitution and asper the parliament’s rules of procedure”.

“I say parliament is the centre of democracy where elected representatives can take part in discussions in light of the Constitution and as per the parliament’s rules of procedure,” she told reporters after a function in the city.

“I hope the opposition will join the parliament and take part in discussions,” she hoped, says a UNB report.

Replying to another question, she said discussions could be held on any issue and there was scope for removal of any type of differences in parliament through talks.

The Speaker said the parliament members were people’s representatives ofthe House and could discuss any important national issue.

Access to Information Programme, Prime Minister’s Office, arranged theevent at Media Bazar of the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre to distribute “Service Innovation Fund Award”.

US Ambassador to Dhaka Dan W Mozena, UNDP Country Director Pauline Tamesis, Finance Secretary Fazle Kabir and Policy Adviser, A2I Anir Chowdhury also spoke on the occasion.

Speaking as the chief guest, Shirin

Chaudhury said it was the high time technology was being used for ensuring public service delivery and improving the lives of people.

She said the initiative to award fund was a unique way to promote innovations for better services ensuring good governance.

In his address, Dan Mozena said he like others, believed that digital technology wasthe key to unleashing the great potential of Bangladesh.

“I speak of the power of digital technology … a power so great, so revolutionary, so life altering … a power that is shifting the course of history … digital technology.”

The US diplomat said Bangladesh has already taken great strides into the Digital Era. Bangladeshis already had digital access to key government services such as birth registration, university applications etc, he added. “This is an impressive progress.”

Appreciating the government’s efforts, UNDP Country Director Pauline Tamesis said the UNDP would continue to support the government in thisprocess ensuring access to information.

“Innovation requires support system,” she said.

She also laid emphasis on publicprivate partnership to expedite theprocess.

Later, the guests handed over the awards to five government institutions, a non-government organisation and a private university. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, September 26, 2013

40,000 migrants feared to be trapped in KSA n Rabiul Islam Around 40,000 undocumented Bangladeshi migrant workers are likely to become trapped in Saudi Arabia, as an amnesty offer for illegal workers is set to expire with all outgoing flights from the Middle East country being booked for hajj.

These migrants had taken out-passes from the Bangladesh embassy in Saudi Arabia to return home, availing the Saudi government’s amnesty for illegal foreign workers which would end on November 3.

According to the Bangladesh embassy in Saudi Arabia, 70,000 migrants have taken out-passes to return home.

Of them, 25,000 to 30,000 migrants have already returned.

“We are seriously concerned that around 40,000 migrant workers would be in serious trouble as they could not return home because flights of all airlines are booked,” Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Md Shahidul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune over phone recently.

He said these illegal migrants have taken out-passes from the embassy to return home availing the Saudi general amnesty.

Oishee’s friend Jony on fresh 3-day remand n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday sent Asaduzzaman Jony, a close friend of Oishee Rahman, in connection with the murder of police officer Mahfuzur Rahman and his wife Swapna, on a fresh threeday remand.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Tarique Mainul Islam Bhuiyan ordered the remand, rejecting the defence’s petition for bail and the remand prayer filed by the investigation officer.

Jony alias Rony was arrested on September 18 after a month of hiding and was later remanded for five days.

On August 16, police recovered the bodies of Oishee’s parents – Special Branch inspector Mahfuzur Rahman and Swapna – from their Chamelibagh residence in the capital. Oishee surrendered to the police and confessed to the killing, but later she retracted the confession. She said her mother’s strict monitoring and supply of drugs from friend Jony and his wife Irin had pushed her life into a different track.

Investigation Officer and Detective Branch Inspector Abu-Al-Khayer Matubbar prayed to the court for remand of 10 days but the magistrate granted the DB police three days to question Jony. l

The migrant workers will face no problem if they return before November 3, the diplomat said, adding that the migrants will however face imprisonment and fines if they fail to return home.

Asked why migrant workers are not returning home now, he said the workers want to earn extra from job opportunities during the hajj season.

A total of 87,689 pilgrims from Bangladesh are scheduled to perform hajj this year. The return flights for hajj pilgrims will start on October 19.

Meanwhile, officials in Dhaka also admitted that a huge crisis will emerge and Bangladeshi expatriates would be in trouble. Expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment Secretary Zafar Ahmed Khan said the issue was under serious consideration and the foreign ministry was looking into the matter.

“I have requested our ambassador to write to the civil aviation as it is a problem at that end,” he told the Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday.

It was difficult to plan in Bangladesh at this moment, the secretary said, adding: “We still do not know how many migrants have taken out-passes for returning.” l

Residents of Sylhet city get a new amusement spot as beautification of Surma River took place recently

Order on Channel 24 contempt charge today n Udisa Islam The war crimes tribunal yesterday heard the prosecution who claimed that Channel 24 had committed contempt by transmitting a talk show where “scandalous statement” was made about the tribunal.

After the hearing, the tribunal said it would deliver verdict on the issue today.

The prosecution filed the contempt petition on Tuesday at the International Crimes Tribunal 1 against five top officials of the private television channel, anchor of talk show Muktobaak and its two participants who had commented on the trial against war crimes accused Salauddin Quader Chowdhury. Verdict in the case against the BNP lawmaker would be pronounced any day.

Taking part in the hearing, prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum alleged that the show was “biased, baseless, utterly false, fabricated and ill-motivated” and such remarks would cast doubts on the tribunal’s proceedings.

In the petition, the prosecution has sought the issue of a contempt order by the tribunal, ban on further broadcast-

ing, circulation or use in any manner or in any other form the “scandalous statement” made on the said talk show, and upon their guilt being proven, to sentence the accused to imprisonment of one year and/or adequate fine.

The prosecution has identified eight accused – the channel’s managing director, chief executive officer, executive director, head of program, producer of talk show, its anchor Mahmudur Rahman Manna, and participants Zafrullah Chowdhury, trustee of Gonoshasthaya Kendra, and Mahfuz Ullah, secretary general of Centre for Sustainable Development.

On September 18, the private channel aired the talk show where Zafrullah and Mahfuz Ullah suggested that Salauddin Quader had not got the opportunity to place his witnesses and that his rights had been curtailed.

According to the petition, Zafrullah said the war crimes accused had wanted to place a sitting High Court judge to testify for him. But the chief justice did not give him permission. He also said: “Law says that let 10 accused persons be released, lest an innocent gets punished.”

Mahfuz echoed the view. l

JU teachers call fresh strike

JCD activists abduct CU shuttle train operator

The agitated teachers at Jahangirnagar University yesterday declared a fresh strike from Saturday, to resume their postponed movement demanding the removal of the university’s ViceChancellor Prof Anwar Hossain.

The announcement came as the education ministry’s probe body on the JU crisis applied to extend the investigation deadline to September 29, after its 15 working days’ deadline to scrutinize allegations against the VC ended on Tuesday.

The indefinite strike – which will begin from September 28, was declared from a press conference at the teachers’ lounge of the university’s Cafeteria, held by teachers under the banner of General Teachers’ Forum.

Prof Md Kamrul Ahsan, the general secretary of the forum, said the teachers’ body held a general meeting yesterday to come up with the unanimous decision of going for a strike again.

He said: “As the terms of the postponement of our agitation ended on Tuesday, we are going to set out agitation again from Saturday demanding the VC’s removal. l

n FM Mizanur Rahaman

n JU Correspondent

n Mohammad Jamil Khan

Slight fall in temperature likely n UNB

City

High

Low

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

31.6 32.7 36.0 31.6 35.5 33.0 32.7 33.0

28.1 26.7 27.8 27.2 27.3 27.2 25.2 26.0

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activists yesterday allegedly abducted a shuttle train operator at the Chittagong University protesting Bangladesh Chhatra League attack on its procession.

As a result, the shuttle train service that connects the port city to the CU campus, also the popular free-of-cost transportation for students remained suspended for almost three hours.

Witnesses said Chhatra Dal’s CU unit activists abducted Bodu Mia, the locomotive driver of the shuttle train from somewhere between the university area and Fateyabad railway station around 8:30am.

Some followers of Nurul Huda Sohel, a leader of the CU Chhatra Dal, led by Babu, a student of the History department picked up the diver from the train and took him to an unknown location.

Upon receiving information, precordial body of the university and police carried out drives to rescue the driver.

Later, a police team led by Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of CU police outpost and Anwar Hossen Choudhury, an

4:34am 5:47am 11:50pm 4:10pm 5:51pm 7:06pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

assistant proctor at the CU rescued the driver from Jamtala area at Hathazari upazila in a joint drive around 10:50am in the morning. The train service resumed around 11am.

Saifuddin Salam Mithu, general secretary of JCD, CU unit told the Dhaka Tribune the act was carried out in protest of an alleged attack on their procession by BCL activists and police.

The attack injured three activists of JCD on the campus, he said.

Meanwhile, Anwar Hossain Choudhury, assistant proctor of CU told to media two men were identified as responsible for the incident. Punitive measures will be taken against the abductors, he said.

However, due to suspension of the train service, several hundreds of students got trapped in the city and could not attended their classes.

Monir Ahmed, a third year student of Bangla department told the Dhaka Tribune that he could not take part in his tutorial exam.

OC Rafiqul Islam said additional police have been deployed at key points of the campus to ward off any further untoward situation. l

4 unnatural deaths in city

WEATHER

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

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

Day and night temperature may fall slightly over the country.

The sun sets in the capital at 5:51pm today and rises at 5:49am tomorrow.

Country’s highest temperature 36.0 degree Celsius was recorded at Rajshahi and lowest 24.5 degrees at Sandwip yesterday.

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

SAYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Najma Begum’s husband Habib Mia is a vendor of second-hand clothes and they live in Tejgaon slum with five children. The 35-year-old woman, almost risking her own life, works at Karwan Bazar railway fish market from 6am until noon in order to provide an additional earning to educate their children MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

BGB clarifies regional reserve battalion The Border Guard Bangladesh yesterday issued a clarification on a news published and broadcasted in different print, online and electronic media recently about its “regional reserve battalion” while saying a newspaper had misquoted its Director General.

The facts related to the news, according to the clarification, were: “No new battalion is being/has been raised as Region Reserve Battalion. In January 2013, four Region Headquarters were raised as part of BGB reorgan-

isation. The battalions located near the Regional Headquarters started functioning as region reserve. For example, the battalion in Chittagong became regional reserve after Chittagong Region Headquarters was raised beside it.

“The main purpose of these battalions remains same as before. These battalions would augment the troops deployed in the border to meet any eventualities. In addition to that these battalions would take part in internal security duties whenever required by the civil administration.”l

At least four people including a newly married woman were killed yesterday in separate incidents across the capital.

Of them, one was Sohel Talukder, 20, a construction worker, who hailed from Chorgobindopur of Madaripur district. He succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) after a passenger vehicle hit him in the city’s Kuril highway area around 3am.

Inspector Mozammel Haque of DMCH police outpost confirmed the incident. He told the Dhaka Tribune they had contacted the police station concerned for taking action and the body was sent to morgue for an autopsy.

Meanwhile, Tithi Akter, 20, from Nawabpur Road area of Wari in the capital, died at DMCH around noon.

The victim succumbed to injuries she received after falling off the rooftop of their residence.

Ranu Begum, sister-in-law of Tithi, said Tithi and her husband had gone to

the roof to get some fresh air because of loadshedding on Tuesday night. Tithi fell off the roof as she had gone near the edge.

Tapan Chandra Saha, officer-incharge of Wari police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had been verifying whether it was an accident or there was any motive behind it.

In Rampura, police recovered the hanging body of Mohammad Sahid, 22, from a tree around 11am.

Mozzamel Haque, sub-inspector of Rampur police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that the body was sent to DMCH morgue for an autopsy.

In Khilgaon, police recovered the hanging body of Kamrul Hasan Forhad, 24, from a house of East Goran, said Sajedul Haque, sub-inspector of Khilgaon police station. “We recovered the body after getting information from the victim’s father.”

The body was sent to DMCH for an autopsy, he said adding that Forhad was a drug addict which might have led him to commit suicide. l

Adilur’s bail rejected n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday rejected the bail plea of Odhikar Secretary Adilur Rahman Khan in connection with the alleged distortion of facts regarding police action on Hefazat-e-Islam’s May 5 rally at Motijheel.

Judge of the Cyber Crime Court AK Shamsul Alam passed the order after a hearing on the plea in presence of Adilur and his wife Saira Rahman Khan.

The court also set October 21 for the execution of warrant against fugitive accused AKM Nasiruddin Elan, the

director of rights group Odhikar.

Gulshan police did not produce any report on the arrest of Elan as per the court’s previous order given on September 11.

After the bail was rejected, the defence counsel said they would go to the High Court.

Mohammad Asaduzzaman filed the bail petition on September 19. On that day, the court did not hear the petition as the government had not appointed any public prosecutor.

The petitioner argued that his client had not committed any crime

through publishing the report. Also, the police did not mention that Adilur had published the report. “So he is innocent in the eye of law and he should get bail.”

On the other hand, the prosecution protested the bail claiming that the accused had posted fake and false photos on the death toll “to create anarchy.”

Several diplomats including the Netherlands embassy representative Anne Van Dunen Littel, Swedish embassy’s Ludvig Bontell and German embassy’s Kathrin Janesen were present at the court during the hearing. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Law

5

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Law against reckless driving

The two finger test abomination

BIGSTOCK

n Md Ayub Ali

n Abdullah Al Arif Under Bangladeshi law, reckless driving is a violation of traffic rule. It is usually a more serious offence than careless driving, improper driving, or driving without due care and attention and is punishable by fines, imprisonment, and driver’s licence suspension or revocation. However, experts think that punishment provided for the offence of reckless driving under Bangladeshi law is highly inadequate. While proper implementation of the existing laws is a far cry, government has decided to slacken the law of reckless driving recently. Drivers will not have to face charges of intentional killing from now on, as the government decided to term such deaths as “accidental” killing. Whereas intentional killing can call for the highest punishment for a single death, accidental deaths which is called culpable homicide in legal terms, amount to life sentences.

Existing Law on reckless driving

Both Penal Code, 1860 and Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1983 contain provisions relating to reckless driving and provide punishments for the offence:

Rape is the principal sex crime in respect of its impact on body, mind and also to a lesser extent, the reputation of the victim. As it is very difficult to find eyewitnesses to this offence, the prosecution has to often depend on testimonial and medical evidence. However, the procedure of medical examination widely followed in our country is extremely violent, unscientific, inhuman and degrading.

According to Section 375 of the Penal Code, 1860, the medico-legal facts in an offence of rape are the consent of the victim, the age of the victim, and penetration of the penis into the vagina. Whether penetration has taken place or not is to be proved by medical examination.

In order to collect the evidence of penetration, the doctor examines the vagina of the victim to find out the marks of swelling and inflammation with or without bruising. The hymen is examined to see whether it is torn or lacerated. If the hymen shows no tear, the distensibility of the vaginal orifice is noted by the process which is known as the so called two finger test.

The controversial two finger test, which is widely practiced in Bangladesh, may be traced back to a French medical jurist, Thoinot, who believed that there were true and false virgins. In 1898, he advised the medical students to insert a cone, or The two finger two fingers into the vagitest seems to be a na to ascertain virginity. hindrance to the trial of Now-a-days, the examina rape case as in most ing doctor inserts his/her of the cases the victims two fingers into the rape do not want to undergo victim’s vagina to detera second rape in the mine whether the hymen name of medical test is broken; and whether the victim had previous sexual activity.

The sole purpose of the finger test is to assess whether the girl or woman is virgin or habituated to sexual intercourse.

The result of this test is frequently used in the courtroom to cast doubt on her moral character and to reduce the weight of her evidence. The defence always tries to take the benefit of Section 155(4) of the Evidence Act, 1872 which provides that when a man is prosecuted for rape or an attempt to ravish, it may be shown that the prosecutrix was of generally immoral character.

In fact, the defence lawyers use the past sexual history in cross examination to humiliate the rape survivors by asking intrusive and offensive questions, e.g. how long she was penetrated, how much, and how did she know whether she was penetrated as if it matters to her when she is being raped how much penetration is enough for the law!

The results that two finger test reveal are variable and subjective as the instruments used in such test are the fingers of the examining doctors. Moreover, such test is not scientific because the hymen indicating virginity of the rape victim may be torn or damaged by physical exercise, disease or due to menstruation.

The two finger test seems to be a hindrance to the trial of a rape case as in most of the cases the victims do not want to undergo a second rape in the name of medical test. The experts, therefore, repeatedly urge for banning this painful two finger test by amending Section 155(4) of the Evidence Act, 1872 as India brought about such an amendment in 2003 banning this unscientific practice. l The author is a Lecturer, Department of Law and Justice, Southeast University.

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LAW HUMOUR

Brac’s legal aid services for the poor n Law Desk In 1998, Brac’s Human Rights and Legal Aid Services (HRLS) wing instigated its Legal Aid component in order to provide legal support and make the government courts accessible to the poor and destitute.

Through its 517 nationwide legal aid clinics, which is the first port of call for those seeking legal redressal, HRLS’s legal aid initiative has nurtured an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism.

HRLS has worked towards making legal offices, courts,

and counsels, more transparent in the delivery of equitable justice, spread gender awareness, and promoted a unique human rights based culture for its clients.

Brac HRLS has harmonised its legal aid component with the legal literacy module to create the momentum to improve legal legislation and the judicial system.

Up until September 2012, 182,170 complaints have been received by the clinics, 98,430 of which have been resolved through ADR. Under the leadership of dynamic field personnel, the HRLS programme utilises a vast network of communities

and proactive partners to detect, handle, and report, human rights violations. HRLS continues to provide holistic legal aid and support services across the country.

HRLS strengthens the capacity of a large network of panel lawyers for research, litigation, ensuring transparency in the formal legal sector, and monitoring case results. With this, clients receive due protection under the law, the rights to a fair trial, and do not face unnecessary delays resulting from the negligence of various actors in the formal judicial system. By this process, HRLS ensures proper and equal access to justice for poor and marginalised people. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, September 26, 2013

DU professional courses in shambles

Three get life term for raping two RMG workers Number of dropout students in the departments increased n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong ground in Television and Film Studies 17 passed the exams while the rest 13 n Arif Ahmed nor they were connected to any related dropped out.

A Chittagong court yesterday awarded life term to three accused and fined them Tk100,000 each for gang raping two readymade garment (RMG) factory workers in 2011.

The same court also acquitted four other accused as the complaint against them was not proved.

Md Rezaul Karim, Kudge of Women and Children Oppression Repression Tribunal 1, gave the verdict.

The two victims, who were RMG workers, were kidnapped by the accused on October 28, 2011.

The convicts were Parvez, Rana and Nasir, while the acquitted were Hazrat Ali, Mitun, Riton and Sohel.

After the verdict, Rana and Parvez were sent to Chittagong Central Jail, but others accused have been fugitive.

According to the case statement, the two victims, who were RMG workers, residing at a flat in the port city’s Chandgaon area were kidnapped by the accused on October 28, 2011.

The accused confined the girls in a house in the same area and gang raped them.

On the following day, one of the two victims lodged a case with Chandgaon police station accusing seven.

After completing investigation, police submitted charge-sheet before the court on February 8, 2012 while the court framed charges on May7, 2012. l

Professional master’s courses in Dhaka University are plagued with multifarious problems resulting in increase in the number of dropout students in the departments concerned.

Those embattled departments opened over the last two decades has been running with poor academic resources, improper infrastructures, insufficient faculty members and deficiency in technological supports.

The Television and Film Studies Department, the first ever department on this discipline in any public university, was introduced in 2012 that offers a master’s course only.

An in-depth investigation into the department reveals that half the firstbatch students admitted into the department dropped out.

This correspondent talked to a number of dropout students who said despite initial huge enthusiasm and interest they had to quit as their class routine overlapped their job time.

They saw low prospect as the department lacked resourceful people and technological supports. They also blamed the university for charging exorbitant fees.

Recently in an interview with the Dhaka Tribune Chairman of the Film Studies Department Abu J M Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan admitted that his discipline was doing very badly because of lack of skilled teachers.

The department appointed three teachers; none of them has a back-

fields.

In the first admission test this department saw a surge of 344 students who vied for 30 seats but the very next year the enthusiasm waned, said a source in the DU office.

Currently the department has only four permanent teachers with two guest teachers. What is worse that some of the guest teachers have declined to continue with their classes citing different reason.

Students at the department in return for anonymity said the fee was extremely high in comparison to other departments. “When we took admission we didn’t know that the fee was so high and the chairman didn’t seem to be serious about the department.”

The chairman, however, said: “It is a regular course not the professional one; many students failed to continue with the department as they couldn’t manage to keep up with it alongside their jobs.”

He alleged that a section of people are instigating newsmen to run report against him. “In the past I was harassed,” he said adding that the department had now no problem.

Refuting the allegation of exorbitant fees he said: “We are taking considerably low fees in comparison to the expenditure.”

Disaster Management Department started its journey in 2009-10. Out of 30 students enrolled in the first batch

In the second batch, a total of 40 students were enrolled of which 12 dropped out.

Abul Kalam Azad, a teacher in this department told the Dhaka Tribune that as many of the students joined their jobs they stopped attending classes. He, however, denied the allegation of any negligence of the department.

Currently the department has only four permanent teachers with two guest teachers Explaining as to why students dropped out he said many of the students were not studious enough to continue with the department as they took admission only for the sake of admission.

Al Amin, a student of the department said those who do not have any honours degree from the DU find it difficult to carry on with the course curriculum.

He attributed the high dropout rate to lack of sufficient permanent faculty members with expertise in the related field.

Currently this department has only four permanent teachers. One of whom is on deputation. In every semester the department has to employ varied number of the guest teachers.

The Japan Studies Centre introduced in 2006 is now running with its

eighth batch. Each year it enrols 50 students. In the sixth batch at least 10 students dropped out. Interestingly the department is run by only one permanent teacher while the three others are guest teachers.

In 2005 the Library and Information Science introduced a master’s course with 70 seats. Later the facilities were improved to accommodate 80 students but in no year seats are filled up.

The Development Studies was opened in 2000 but it offered a professional master’s course in 2003. Now it has both regular honours-master’s and professional master’s courses. In the beginning it used to register 25 students each year which was later raised to 50.

Initially the dropout rate was high but later it has come down, said an official of the department.

DU Vice-Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique said dropout is evident in all educational institutions around the world but here it is different as many of the students had to leave the department because of their jobs.

“Many of them also don’t take it seriously while the others give in to the pressure of the course.”

Admitting the lack of facilities and infrastructures he said: “We lack sufficient fund and that is why we can’t manage to run the masters-based department efficiently.

The Criminal and Criminology Department was established three years back under the sociology department.

The department is now closed. l

Chittagong science university closed for indefinite period n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong The authorities of University of Science and Technology Chittagong (USTC) yesterday shut the university for indefinite period after a clash ensued between two groups of the university’s students over previous enmity.

However, the scheduled examinations and the official activities of the university will continue, said USTC sources.

Dr AHM Ishaque Chowdhury, pro vice-chancellor of USTC, said they made the decision in an emergency meeting of the university authorities.

“As tension arose due to the clash between the two groups of students, the university authorities decided to close class activities to ensure the security of the students especially for the foreign students of the university,” he said.

Earlier, Mithun, a third year student of BBA was hacked by a group of MBBS students of Bangabandhu Memorial Hospital, affiliated to the university.

Following the incident, two groups locked into clash in several phases in the campus around 12:30pm over previous enmity.

After the incident, tension arose in the campus, said campus sources.

Additional police were deployed in the campus to evade any untoward situation, said Shah Md Abdu Rouf, assistant commissioner of Panchlaish circle of Chittagong Metropolitan Police. l

Call to eliminate illegal 3-wheelers from Barisal n Our Correspondent, Barisal Participants in a human chain yesterday demanded elimination of unfit and illegal three-wheelers from the city, urging the government to impose tougher restrictions on their movement.

The protest was organised by a Barisal-based platform of the owners of easy-bikes, CNG-run auto rickshaws and taxicabs in front of the city’s Ashwini Kumar Hall.

There were about 450 three-wheelers in the city with licences, route permits and other necessary legal documents from the BRTA and relevant departments It was presided over by former master warrant officer Mobashwer Ali Khondokar, president of the association.

Speakers at the demonstration said there were about 450 three-wheelers in the city with licences, route permits and other necessary legal documents from

the BRTA and relevant departments.

But vehicles plying illegally would be five times higher, over two thousands, “putting a severe strain” on the legal transport businessmen, they said.

The owners of those illegal and often unfit vehicles manage to operate by bribing policemen and departments responsible for checking irregularity in the sector.

It was also alleged during the programme that the drivers-cumowners of illegal vehicles pay Tk1,000 per vehicle every month, to collect a special token called ‘police-bit’ for hassle-free operation on the streets.

At least 50% of the collected money allegedly goes to police and the rest distributed among different officials of BRTA, district administration and influential ruling party leaders.

However, asked about the allegation against police taking bribes for allowing operation of illegal and unfit vehicles, Mujahid Ul Islam, deputy commissioner (traffic) of Barisal Metropolitan Police, said it was not true.

“Regular drives to check validity, fitness and licences of the threewheelers are launched in the city,” he said. l

Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad holds a human chain in front of the National Press Club yesterday with a call to ensure education for all

Protest against hike in healthcare service charges in city hospital

Transportable lab on Dhaka University campus

n Our Correspondent, Barisal

A transportable laboratory has been inaugurated at Dhaka University to facilitate the technology based education and to popularise IT education among the students.

The university started the programme yesterday with the collaboration of South Korean Hanyang University.

Speakers at the programme at Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building stressed that science and technology based edu-

People from all walks of life formed a human chain stretching four-kilometre in Barisal city yesterday, protesting increase in healthcare service charge at Holling Bery Syed Moazzem Red Crescent Hospital.

Speakers at the rally said 50-bed hospital was the major healthcare ser-

vice provider for the lower-income group of people of the city.

Poor city dwellers likely to be deprived of getting healthcare as the hospital authority had increased service charge, the speakers said, adding that the fees for outdoor service has been increased to Tk60 from Tk10 and cesarean delivery charges to Tk20,000 from Tk4,000, the speakers said.

Residents of Barisal city form a human chain yesterday, protesting hike in healthcare service at a city hospital DHAKA TRIBUNE

During the inauguration of the hospital it was said that it was a nonprofitable organisation, but recently the hospital authority increased charges of different services, including outdoor fees.

The participants of the rally demanded immediate restoration of previous rate of service charges and medicine supply at free of cost for the poor patients and resuming activities at the old hospital for expanding services to the lower-income people.

The hospital governing committee in a meeting on July 7, 2012 decided to increase the service charges to maintain management costing without any profit, said Syed Moazzem Hossain, donor and executive chairman of the governing committee.

This four-storey hospital equipped with ultra-modern medical service facilities, including 50 beds with 10 air-conditioned rooms, two specialised operation theatres, special unit for maternity and child care, incubator centre, full pledged pathology and blood transfusion units and ambulance services.

The hospital was inaugurated on February 5, 2013 on the premises of Amanatganj Red Crescent Child and Maternity Clinic.

The hospital was built at a cost of Tk70m on 12 decimals of land. l

n Arif Ahmed

cation is needed to build a science loving nation. They also hoped that the transportable laboratory will encourage youths to learn about science.

The State Minister of Science and Technology Ministry, Architect Yeafesh Osman, inaugurated the transportable laboratory, while Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Yun-young, Korean University Professor Jung-Il Jin, and Vice-Chancellor of DU, AAMS Arefin Siddique addressed the crowd at the programme. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Two muggers held with firearms Chittagong n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Police nabbed two alleged muggers from Chittagong city’s Fakirhat area yesterday. The detainees were attempting to flee with the money which they mugged from a person by confining him.

Police recovered the victim Yasin Babul, 50, a Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) agent, and Tk58,000 from the muggers, said police sources. l

Environment department to prepare sludge management guideline n Tribune Desk A two-day intensive training for the officials of the Department of Environment (DoE) ended in Dhaka yesterday that was arranged to finalise standards and guidelines, which will become part of the environmental regulations for industrial sludge.

Promotion of Social and Environmental Standards in the Industry, a joint project of the governments of Bangladesh and Germany, organised the two-day training workshop on draft standards and guidelines for municipals and industrial sludge management

for Bangladesh.

With cooperation from the German development agency GIZ, the DoE is under the process of preparing a comprehensive guideline for sludge management, says a UNB report.

Sludge is an inevitable solid waste from wastewater treatment processes and could contain a toxic substance, depending on the process and sludge stabilisation method.

At present, there are no legal instructions regarding sludge management although the DoE issues a provisional guideline for factories to store sludge six months in their premises to

stabilise its chemical nature.

With technical support from the German Association of Water, Wastewater and Waste, this workshop aimed to complement the process of finalising the draft by explaining the technical aspects and incorporating feedback from DoE. Elke Srestha, Senior Advisor of PSES, said, “Following this training, we expect to see standards and guidelines for textile sludge, hazardous sludge from other industries and sludge from central effluent treatment plants (CETPs) in industrial zones finalised and gazetted to make part of the environmental regulations.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

7

Thursday, September 26, 2013

All they want is a well-built bridge n Our Correspondent, Lalmonirhat

The village of Gobordhan in Mohishkhocha union of Lalmonirhat’s Aditmari upazila lies on the banks of one of the Teesta River’s tributaries. The lack of a proper bridge across the river is causing villagers many difficulties because they risk their lives daily by crossing the river on a makeshift bamboo bridge.

Locals said several hundred people in the surrounding areas rely on the 80metre long bamboo bridge. Accidents are common many have slipped and fallen off the unsafe structure.

In just the last three months, eight school children and two elderly women fell off the bridge, though there haven’t been fatal accidents recently, villagers are worried.

The bamboo bridge needs repairs and must be rebuilt every year, the responsibility for it has fallen on the villagers.

They said the local union parishad or upazila parishad hasn’t helped in any way; the bamboo and other material required for the bridge are bought by the villagers.

Locals said over 200 bamboos are needed to build the bridge, and they accused the local leaders and members of the union parishad of neglect.

Despite repeated requests to them for

a secure bridge to be constructed, they have not taken any steps.

Local resident Mohsin Ali said: “In the village we are 110 families, who usually fund the cost of building the bamboo bridge every year because without the bridge, even though it is unsafe, we have no other means of staying connected.”

He said they have sought help from the UP chairman and others to construct a permanent bridge of concrete and steel, but haven’t had a positive response. Ali said: “People living here are very poor and cannot afford to build a better bridge on their own.”

Taherul Islam is a class three student at Mohishkhocha Government Primary School, he said: “It’s risky to cross the bridge but there is no alternative for us.”

Mohishkhocha Union Parishad Chairman Mosaddek Hossain Chowdhury said: “It is not possible to construct a concrete bridge at the spot as it is very close to the Teesta River, there are risks involved, of erosion, especially during monsoon.”

He claimed funds were provided every year for the bamboo bridge’s construction, and added that recently they appealed to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) to seek the government’s help in this regard. l

One injured, another picked up by BSF n Tribune Report A Bangladeshi was injured and another was abducted by the Indian Border Security Force in Kurigram and Jhenaidah in the last two days.

A Bangladeshi youth was shot by the BSF on Tuesday evening at the Khalisha Kotal border under Phulbari upazila of Kurigram. The injured was identified as Asadul, 24, reports our Kurigram correspondent.

Locals said Asadul along with several other Bangladeshis were returning home with their herds of cattle when BSF men fired bullets in their direction, injuring Asadul near his earlobe. Asadul was admitted to a hospital.

Jakir Hossain, commander of Border Guard Bangladesh at the Balarhat border camp, said security was tightened following the incident.

In Jhenaidah, the BSF members of Madhupur camp picked up a Bangla-

deshi cattle trader from the Mushipur bordering area under Damurhuda upazila in Chuadanga in the early hours of yesterday, reports our Jhenaidah correspondent.

The detained cattle trader was identified as Miazan Fakir, 22, son of Fakir Miazi of village Munshipur village.

Border Guard Bangladesh Chuadanga camp Deputy Commander Major Mehedi Hasan said according to the BSF, Miazan had entered the territory of India with some of his associates around 3:30am to bring cattle herds.

He was then picked up near the main pillar 92/5 while he was returning with a number of cattle.

The BGB official said the arrestee had given a fake identity to the Indian BSF introducing himself as an Indian national, Forkan Mandal, a resident of village Phulkalmi under Ranaban area of Chapra thana in Nadia district. He said a flag meeting would be held. l

A farmer preparing his field for cultivation of winter crops at Katakhali village in Rajbari yesterday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

CULTIVATION IN RAJBARI

Fortune smiles on vegetable growers n Our Correspondent, Rajbari

Farmers of Rajbai are becoming more interested in cultivating winter vegetables as it is more profitable than cash crops like paddy and wheat.

Farmers, along with their family members, are seen working round the clock in their fields for preparing land for cultivating winter vegetables.

Not only the traditional farmers but the poor people, who do not have any cropland, are also using unused land around their house to grow vegetables.

Cauliflower, gourd cabbage bean, eggplant, radish, potato, pumpkin, chilly, tomato and many others verities of vegetables already have planted in the land.

The people living in remote villages and in char areas are now less interested in cultivating wheat or paddy as the crops cost more with less profit.

A vegetables grower Safiqul Islam, 50, who was ploughing in his land at Katakhali village under Chotobhkla

union of Goalondo upazila in the district, said at the end of the season of the winter vegetable will bring him profit and smile.

Another farmer Alimuddin Mandal, 65, said once he was depended on growing paddy and wheat, but the crops helped very little to ease his poverty.

Later, on the advice of agricultural officer he started cultivating vegetable in his land and was get inspired with the production.

He added: “Paddy and wheat have failed to bring peace in my family, but vegetable did.”

Another farmer Rahim Shikder, who was from Rajbar Municipality under Rajbar sadar upazila of the district, said he started cultivating vegetables in one acre of unused land in 2010.

Then the production and the profit inspire him to grow vegetable again and again.

Last year Rahim cultivated bean in one acre land and got about four

maund of bean then received a handsome amount of profit by selling the vegetable.

He added that “vegetable cultivation has changed my luck.”

Like Rahim Many others will echoed that vegetable cultivation has changed their luck by reducing poverty.

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) of Rajbari officials said several thousand farmers at 40 villages cultivated vegetables in about 5120 acres that is approximately 20720.31 hector of land under five upazilas in the district in last year.

Farmers at least at 40 villages, including Chotobhakla, Katakhali, Keutil, Daulatdia, Char Daulatdia, Ujanchar, Betka, Charbethka, Khankhanapur, Bosontopur, Ramkantopur, Baharpur, Islampur, Belgachi, khangonj, Chadani, Mizanpur, are now busy with the cultivation and preparing land as vegetable bed.

Rokibul Islam, agriculture officer of Rajbari sadar upazila, said traditional-

ly most of the farmers were dependent only on farming paddy and wheat, but recently the practice has been changed; instead of farming paddy and wheat thousands of farmers are now cultivating different types of vegetables.

Farmers have been facing load shading, water crises, fertilizer crisis and many other difficulties, but they did not gave up their hope to grow more vegetable to earn more money to ease their lives, he added.

Rokibul hope that if the government can help them a little by reducing their difficulties the farmers would produce much better production then they are producing now.

Mohammad Golam Kibriya, deputy director of Department of Agriculture Extension, said vegetable cultivation has been helping people to eliminate extreme poverty.

He added that agriculture officials are always helping the farmers both technically and methodically to cultivate vegetables in their lands. l

Sugar starts melting at Rangpur mill Power supply disruption triggers in absence of buyers protest in Chittagong, Jhenaidah n Our Correspondent, Gaibandha

Rangpur Sugar Mills Ltd in Gaibandha’s Gobindaganj upazila has unsold stocks of more than 3000 tonnes of sugar worth nearly Tk160.5m.

The mill in Mohimaganj has suffered substantial losses as large quantities of sugar have been wasted, with bags of sugar in storage melting.

Sources said in 2012-2013, the mill produced 2,737 tonnes of sugar from 49,375 tonnes of sugarcane. 530 tonnes produced the previous year was also unsold and stored in the mill’s warehouse.

The mill had agreements with 15 dealers who would buy sugar produced by the mill for Tk50 per kg, however the dealers failed to do so throughout the year because they were unwilling to incur losses.

The reason being imported sugar is cheaper than the sugar produced locally, so dealers are unwilling to buy the produce, said a mill official.

The mill produced 2,737 tonnes of sugar from 49,375 tonnes of sugarcane. 530 tonnes produced the previous year was also unsold On condition of anonymity a dealer said they decided not to buy the mill’s sugar to avoid losing money in the deal, because the difference in prices between the mill’s sugar and imported sugar is substantial.

For instance, the price of one kilo of “Teer” brand sugar is Tk44/45 in the market but the sugar mill charges dealers a higher price at Tk5o, said the dealer.

Consequently, Rangpur Sugar Mills

is finding it difficult to give employees their wages, said the mill official, who added that many local sugarcane farmers who sold their produce to the mill last season have not been paid either, leading to dissatisfaction and frustrations as with the mill’s authorities.

Farmer Jahed Miah said if farmers are not paid what they are owed their might be long term repercussions for the mill, because in coming seasons farmers may choose not to cultivate sugarcane.

Abdul Khaleque, the mill’s managing director said if the warehouses are not emptied of stored sugar there would not be any space to store this year’s produce.

The mill’s employees have urged the authorities to seriously consider reducing the price so that the stockpile can be sold without incurring further losses. l

n Tribune Report Demanding smooth supply of electricity, agitated people blockaded highway as well as set fire to electricity office in Chittagong and Jhenaidah.

Local people put up a barricade on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Baroiyarhat area, Mirsarai upazila, Chittagong yesterday, demanding smooth supply of electricity.

Hundreds of people took to the street around 10am, disrupting traffic movement for 25 minutes, said police.

Local people have long been suffering because of the frequent load shedding in the area, said the protesters.

They urged the authorities to take proper action to resolve the power crisis.

30 Jamaat-Shibir suspects held in Chittagong n UNB, Chittagong

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith inaugurating Demu train on Akhaura-Sylhet route yesterday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

The police, in a drive, arrested 30 suspected activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir from the port city’s DC Hill area yesterday.

Officer-in-Charge Mohiuddin Selim of Kotwali police station said a team of police had conducted a drive inside DC Hill around 10am and arrested the 30, suspecting them to be members of Jamaat and Shibir.

He said police had information that activists of Jamaat and Shibir gathered in the area to commit subversive activities during its hartal on Thursday [today].

The ones who would be found innocent would be released afterwards, added the OC. On Tuesday night, Shibir called a half-day hartal for today in the city protesting the arrest of their 34 leaders and activists from a mess at Chandranpura. l

As the inter-district bus owners called strike, so traffic jam was not seen due to the short protest, said Iftekhar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Jorargonj police station, adding that the protesters withdrew their barricade without any unpleasant occurrences.

People living in Mirsarai have long been suffering because of the frequent load shedding in the area In Jhenaidah, the Palli Bidyut Samity office was set on fire by agitated villagers on Tuesday, protesting the frequent power cuts in Harinakundu upazila of the district.

Mosharraf Hossain, a junior engineer of the office, said around 9:30pm,

an agitated mob of about 200 people attacked the samity office in Satbridge area of the upazila and set fire to the resident engineer’s motorcycle and some office furniture.

Later, upon information, a team of local fire fighters came and brought the fire under control.

Nityananda Kundu, general manager of the PBS in Jhenaidah, said the area’s PBS officials had been threatened earlier by the subscribers as they were unable to provide uninterrupted power supply for the last few weeks.

According to Nityananda, Jhenaidah receives about 16-17KW of power opposed to the 40KW of daily demand.

Officer-in-Charge Mahibul Islam of Harianakundu police station said the situation had calmed around 11pm as the villagers left the area. l

Three abductors placed on remand in Khagrachhari n Our Correspondent, Khagrachhari A Khagrachhari court yesterday placed three people on one-day remand each, for their alleged involvement with the abduction of a businessman on Tuesday.

Court Inspector Md Anwar Hossain said Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Mominul Hasan granted the oneday remand after Investigation Officer Sub-Inspector Abdul Qader sought three-day remand for each of the three alleged abductors.

The arrestees are Md Almas Hossain, 25, son of Nur Hossain of Shalbon village, Md Mainul Hossain, 30, son of Saidul Islam of Mollapara and Jamir Hossain, 32, son of Kalu Mia of Baibonchhara village

under Sadar upazila in Khagrachhari.

Officer-in-charge of Sadar police station Md Mustafizur Rahman said some six abductors kidnapped businessman Jahangir Alam on a CNG-run three-wheeler from the town’s hospital gate area on Tuesday afternoon. Police later rescued Jahangir after stopping the vehicle in the Sadar upazila’s Adalot Sarak, and managed to arrest three abductors while the rest fled.

The OC said Jahangir Alam, 32, was the son of Md Shamsul Alam and hailed from Bhaibonchhara village under sadar upazila in the district.

Jahangir filed a case against three identified and three unidentified abductors on Tuesday evening, the OC informed. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Rouhani: Division of the world into Syria Islamists reject opposition coalition superior us and inferior others n n

AP, United Nations

Iran’s new president told world leaders Tuesday that the biggest danger in the Middle East is chemical weapons falling into the hands of “extremist terrorist groups” in Syria and he blamed the countries backing the opposition for fueling the civil war there.

Rouhani praised Syria’s willingness to accept the international treaty barring the use of chemical weapons, and without naming nations, he warned that the “illegitimate and ineffective threat” to use military force in the region would further destabilise it.

Rouhani also sent signals that Iran might be ready to negotiate with the West on its disputed nuclear program and talk to the United States after decades of frozen relations.

He said “peace is within reach.”

He is considered a relative moderate amid the hard-line clerics who control Iran. But Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei holds the real power, deciding all important matters of state including the nuclear program.

Like Ahmadenijad, Rouhani called for a new world order and criticised “the persistence of Cold War mentality and bi-polar division of the world into

Rouhani delivers his debut speech at the UN ‘superior us’ and ‘inferior others.” He criticised “the prevalent international discourse” that favours rich countries over poor.

This has led to the prevalence of “violent forms of xenophobia,” Rouhani said, adding that “propagandistic and unfounded faith-phobic, Islamo-phobic, Shia-phobic, and Iran-phobic discourses do indeed represent serious

AP

threats against world peace and human security.”

“Commensurate with the political will of the leadership in the United States and hoping that they will refrain from following the short-sighted interest of warmongering pressure groups, we can arrive at a framework to manage differences,” he said.

Israel’s delegation walked out of

Rouhani’s speech in protest, as it had done in previous years when Ahmadinejad spoke at the UN. The United Nations has imposed four rounds of sanctions on Iran for its refusal to halt uranium enrichment — a process that can be used to make fuel for both nuclear weapons and nuclear energy. The US and its allies have taken even more devastating measures targeting Iran’s ability to conduct international bank transfers and to export oil.

“Unjust sanctions ... are intrinsically inhumane and against peace,” Rouhani said. “It is not the states and the political elite that are targeted, but rather, it is the common people who are victimised by these sanctions.”

The US and its allies accuse Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon. But Iran insists its nuclear program is purely peaceful. Rouhani reiterated Iran’s right under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to enrich uranium.

“Nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction have no place in Iran’s security and defense doctrine, and contradict our fundamental religious and ethical convictions,” he claimed. l

Reuters, Beirut

Powerful Syrian insurgent units have rejected the authority of the opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC), badly damaging efforts by Western-backed political exiles to forge a moderate rebel military force on the ground.

Thirteen groups, including at least three previously considered part of the coalition’s military wing, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), signed a statement calling for the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad to be reorganised under an Islamic framework and to be run only by groups fighting inside Syria.

The signatories range from hardliners such as the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham battalions to more moderate Islamist groups such as the Tawheed Brigade and Islam Brigade.

“These forces feel that all groups formed abroad without having returned to the country do not represent them, and they will not recognise them,” said the statement read in an online video by Abdulaziz Salameh, the political leader of the Tawheed Brigade.

“Therefore the National Coalition and its transitional government

France says public debt to hit record in 2014 n AFP, Paris Spain crash probe: 22 new suspects n AP, Madrid The judge investigating a high-speed train crash that killed 79 people in Spain has named 22 rail infrastructure company officials as suspects.

A court statement said Judge Luis Alaez has asked the Adif officials, including the company’s three most recent presidents, to come in for questioning as suspects between October 9 and December 11.

The officials also include board members and senior managers in charge of safety on the stretch near Santiago de Compostela where the crash occurred.

The statement said they, and potentially others from Adif, will be treated as suspects while the judge tries to determine whether the track was safe.

The train driver has admitted going too fast when the July 24 crash occurred and has been provisionally charged with multiple counts of negligent homicide. l

UN chemical weapons inspectors back in Damascus n Reuters, Damascus UN chemical weapons inspectors returned to Syria on Wednesday to continue investigating allegations of chemical weapons use in the country’s two-and-a-half-year conflict.

A convoy of five United Nations cars carrying at least eight members of the team arrived at a central Damascus hotel shortly before midday (0900 GMT), witnesses said.

The inspectors confirmed last week that sarin gas was used in an attack in Damascus which killed hundreds of people.

President Bashar al-Assad’s Western opponents said the inspectors’ report left little doubt that his forces were to blame for the attack.

Syrian authorities denied the accusation, saying it made no sense for them to wage an attack with chemical weapons when their forces were making advances and while the inspectors were staying just a few miles away in the centre of the capital.

Russia has also said the inspectors’ report did not provide irrefutable proof that Assad’s forces were responsible, and that Damascus had provided information it said showed rebels were behind the attack.

At the time of the August 21 sarin attack, the inspectors had been in Damascus preparing to investigate three earlier cases of suspected chemical weapons use, including one in March in the northern town of Khan al-Assal. l

France said Wednesday its public debt would hit a record 95.1% of GDP in 2014, far higher than previous estimates, as it unveiled next year’s draft budget for the embattled eurozone economy.

But the government said debt should fall back in 2015, and reiterated a pledge to meet its EU-mandated deadline to bring the public deficit below three percent that year.

The draft budget was presented to the cabinet by Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici and Budget Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, who outlined “un-

precedented” 15bn euro ($20bn) cuts in public spending as France tries to rein in its public deficit without compromising growth.

The country is battling to rekindle tepid economic growth back amid record-high unemployment, limited investment and low consumer spending.

Some 80% of fiscal savings next year will come from cuts in public spending and 20% from a rise in taxes, the ministers said.

These decisions are based on an estimated 0.9% rise in GDP next year, close to a consensus of 0.8% amongst French economists. l

Pirate Bay Swede’s hacking, fraud sentence reduced n AP, Stockholm A Swedish court has dismissed part of the hacking and fraud charges against the founder of the popular file-sharing website Pirate Bay and reduced his prison sentence from two years to one.

The Svea Court of Appeal on Wednesday dismissed cases against Gottfrid Svartholm Warg relating to the hacking

of Nordea Bank AB, saying it could not be ruled out that others might have remotely accessed his computer as he has claimed. It upheld the conviction of hacking into the servers of companies that handle information for Sweden’s police force and tax authority.

The 29-year-old Svartholm Warg was detained in Cambodia in September 2012 and deported to Sweden. l

US shift needed for Syria peace deal n Reuters

Egypt shuts down Muslim Brotherhood newspaper n Cairo, AP Journalists from Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood say security forces have shuttered the main office of the newspaper of the group’s political party, Freedom and Justice, and confiscated equipment.

In a statement Wednesday, journalists from the daily appealed to Egypt’s press syndicate to take action against the closure in Cairo’s Manial district, where the office is now sealed.

Putin says activists ‘not pirates’

The closure comes two days after a court ordered the group outlawed and its assets seized. Egypt’s interim government however said Tuesday that it would not ban the group until the ruling is upheld by a higher tribunal.

The shuttering of the newspaper is part of an extensive crackdown on the Brotherhood since Islamist president Mohammed Morsi was ousted on July 3, after millions took to the streets demanding him to step down. l

Chinese man sentenced to death for killing toddler

Law-abiding couple set up £4m drug factory

A Russian police officer guards an entrance of the Russian Investigative Committee office where Greenpeace activists were taken for questioning, in Murmansk AP

President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday 30 Greenpeace activists arrested

by Russia were not “pirates” but had broken the law in a protest against Arctic oil exploration, as the authorities detained all the campaigners pending trial.

On Tuesday, Russia opened a criminal probe into suspected piracy by the four Russian and 26 foreign Greenpeace activists, with charges carrying the maximum punishment of 15 years in prison.

Russian authorities placed the 30 activists in detention centres in and

around the far northern city of Murmansk after they were moved ashore from the group’s Dutch-flagged vessel following their protest in the Barents Sea earlier this month.

“I do not know the details of what has happened but it’s completely obvious that of course they are not pirates,” Putin told an international Arctic forum in the far northern city of Salekhard.

In his first comments on the high-profile seizure of the Greenpeace vessel, he said it was “completely obvious these people violated the norms of international law.”

Putin’s comments indicate the charges of piracy could be dropped

during the investigation. A spokesman for the Investigative Committee also said earlier Wednesday the current charges might be changed if new evidence emerges.

Greenpeace had been trying to draw global attention to the dangers of Russian-led efforts to develop the Arctic as ice breaks up due to global warming.

The group sent a team of inflatable boats to a platform of Russian state-controlled energy giant Gazprom in the Barents Sea earlier this month from the Arctic Sunrise.

The icebreaker was last week seized by the Russian authorities and towed to Murmansk. l

World leaders will be able to secure a peace deal in Syria only if Washington drops demands for President Bashar al-Assad’s removal and the threat of air strikes, an ally of President Vladimir Putin said.

Russia, Assad’s main backer, has portrayed itself as the peacemaker in Syria since winning Washington’s support for a proposal that Damascus give up its chemical arms to avert US military intervention over a poison gas attack.

Alexei Pushkov, head of the lower house of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, said he hoped the agreement could become the springboard to reaching a peace deal.

But he said this would depend on the UN Security Council agreeing on a resolution to enforce it and Washington abandoning what he called an ideology based on “regime change.”

“The world is now praising Russia for giving this way out of a potential military conflict, and looking suspiciously at Washington and what it will decide,” Pushkov told the Reuters Russia Investment Summit on Tuesday night.

“Will they prefer the peaceful diplomatic, political option, or the military option?”

“If we reach this chemical agreement with Washington, London and Paris, then it can have a future and become a political agreement,” Pushkov said. l

WORLD WATCH A Beijing court on Wednesday convicted a man of murder and sentenced him to death for hurling a toddler to the ground in a case that horrified the Chinese public. The two-year-old girl was severely injured and died in a hospital days after the incident. Her attacker, Han Lei, fled the scene, but police caught him the following day. In court, he said he thought he had been throwing a shopping cart to the ground.

His lawyer said Han hadn’t intended to cause the girl’s death, but the Beijing No 1 Intermediate People’s Court convicted him of murder and gave him the death penalty.

n AFP, Moscow

led by Ahmad Tumeh do not represent them and will not be recognised,” he said.

Western powers and their Gulf Arab allies had encouraged the SNC to lead a credible force within Syria under the FSA’s banner and undercut Islamist militant groups piling into the conflict.

This effort to find a partner which the West and its allies could then back with weapons supplies could collapse if the rebel signatories hold their position - some groups have previously backed away from statements with hardline forces.

“If the statement proves to accurately represent the groups mentioned and they do not immediately fall apart again, it is a very big deal,” wrote analyst Aron Lund on the blog Syria Comment.

“It represents the rebellion of a large part of the ‘mainstream FSA’ against its purported political leadership, and openly aligns these factions with more hardline Islamist forces.”

Since the 2-1/2-year-old revolt against Assad began, Syria’s opposition forces have been riven with factionalism and rivalries. There have also been tensions between Islamist groups and those that support a secular vision for a post-Assad Syria. l

Darren and Debra Wright, from Herne Bay in Kent, lost their four-year-old daughter Chloe to cancer in 2004.

Shortly after, in 2007, they were devastated again by the loss of their elder daughter Ella, aged nine, to staphylococcus infection. Their despair led Darren to cannabis production to make money, echoing the situation of Walter White of Breaking Bad fame, who produces methamphetamine to pay his medical bills and provide for his family after being diagnosed with cancer. Within a year, Darren and his wife were heading a multi-million pound cannabis empire using illegal Vietnamese immigrants as cheap labour. They produced cannabis worth £4m across Kent, but were caught this July. Debra Wright, 48, will be jailed for three years and her husband for five. They were jailed on 23rd September at Maidstone Crown Court.

Bear obeys bartender’s command, leaves Juneau bar

A black bear walked into the bar at the Alaskan Hotel in downtown Juneau on Monday night. Bartender Ariel Svetlik-McCarthy says she freaked out and yelled, “No bear!

Get out! No! You can’t be in here!” The bear complied, leaving the bar within seconds.

New York city to add “texting zones”

Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced 300 signs will be put up on state roadways directing drivers to “Texting Zones”.

There will be 91 such locations, where drivers can safely pull over to send text messages. New York is one of 41 states that has banned texting while driving.

Cuomo pointed out the dangers of distracted driving in an interview with Yahoo news, a major problem in current times that is costing a lot of lives.

99-year-old Iowa woman gets high school diploma

A 99-year-old Iowa woman who dropped out of a high school more than 80 years ago despite needing only one credit to graduate has finally received her diploma. Audrey Crabtree, of Cedar Falls, smiled Monday as she received an honorary diploma for her time at Waterloo East High School. Crabtree, who began her education at a one-room school house in northeast Iowa, left high school in 1932 due to a swimming and diving accident that forced her to miss several school days. She also had to care for her sick grandmother. Crabtree was given a copy of her last report card and memorabilia from her time at the high school, including a jacket and homecoming pins. She also received more than 100 handmade congratulatory cards from middle school students.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

9

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Death toll from earthquake in Pakistan rises to 328 Hundreds more injured as soldiers scramble to reach survivors; tremors felt as far away as New Delhi and even Dubai in the Gulf

n Reuters, Quetta, Pakistan The death toll from a powerful earthquake in southwest Pakistan rose to 328 on Wednesday after hundreds of mud houses collapsed on residents throughout the remote and thinly populated area, local officials said.

Pakistan’s army airlifted hundreds of soldiers to help with the aftermath of the worst earthquake in the South Asian country since 2005, when about 75,000 people were killed in the country’s north.

Tuesday’s earthquake of magnitude 7.7 struck Balochistan, a huge earthquake-prone province of deserts and rugged mountains, and was felt across South Asia.

It destroyed houses and cut communications with the worst affected district of Awaran, and was so powerful it caused a small island to emerge from the Arabian Sea, just off the Pakistani coast.

“Two hundred and eighty-five bodies have so far been recovered in the Awaran district,” Abdul Rasheed Gogazai, the deputy commissioner of Awaran, the worst affected town, with a population of about 200,000, told Reuters.

“And 42 bodies were found in the neighbouring Kech district. We have started to bury the dead.”

The spokesman of the government’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Kamran Zia, put the death toll at 259 by early Wednesday evening.

Rescue teams found it hard to reach the remote location quickly, and some officials said the death toll was likely to

MAJOR PAKISTANI EARTHQUAKES The rubble of a house is seen after it collapsed following the quake in the town of Awaran, Balochistan rise as emergency workers fanned further into the mountains to assess the damage.

Mohammad Shabir, a journalist, described scenes of grief and chaos in villages, saying survivors were digging rows of graves and picking through the debris.

“As far as the human eye can see, all the houses here have been flattened,”

Floods force 15,000 to evacuate in western India n

AP, Ahmedabad, India

Massive flooding has forced 15,000 people to evacuate villages in the west Indian state of Gujarat, where heavy rains and swollen rivers have inundated cities and closed off roads and railway lines.

Officials say two people have died in flood-related incidents.

Schools across the districts of Bharuch, Vadodara and Surat remained closed Wednesday, while fire brigades, police and disaster response teams

he told Reuters from Awaran, adding that rescue teams were distributing supplies.

The earthquake struck Pakistan at a time when the country was still mourning the deaths of more than 80 Christians in a suicide bomb attack on an Anglican church in the city of Peshawar on Sunday.

To the south, on the beach near

REUTERS

Gwadar port, crowds of bewildered residents gathered to witness the rare phenomenon of an island that the quake thrust up out of the sea.

The island would not survive long because sea waves would eventually break it down, the NDMA spokesman said. “This is not a permanent structure, just a body of mud,” he added. “It will disappear over time.”l

1974, December 28, at 12:11

6.2

5,300

Hunza and Swat districts

2005 October 8 at 08:50:38

7.8

80,000

Kashmir & Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

2008 October 29 at 04:09

6.4

215

2011 January 18 at 20:23:17

7.2

3

2013 September 24 at 11:29:48

7.8

327 so far

AP

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan’s Nawaz Sharif will meet this week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Singh said on Wednesday, amid heightened tension between the neighbours over Kashmir.

Analysts expect the meeting will address a series of fatal clashes along the Line of Control dividing the Himalayan region between India and Pakistan, events that followed a pact by the two nations to resume stalled talks to strengthen ties.

The clashes have left dead at least 8 soldiers from both countries in less than two months. The South Asia Terrorism Portal, which tracks the violence, says this year’s toll is 44 members of the security forces, up from 17 for all of last year.

“During my visit to New York, I also look forward to bilateral meetings with the leaders of some of our neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan,” Singh said in a statement ahead of his visit.

While the talks could soothe tension between the two nuclear powers, Singh’s scope of manoeuvre on concessions to Pakistan is limited, as India heads for elections that must be held by May. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the substance of any talks, but a spokesman for Sharif said the meeting was “most likely” to take

Tribune Desk

of imprisonment for writing critically about the monarchy, Islam and the conflict over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, while television stations are entirely controlled by the government.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters without Borders and Moroccan human rights organisations have all urged the government to free the editor.

Pending the outcome of the investigation, his lawyer said Anouzla was transferred to a prison near Rabat on Tuesday where hundreds of prisoners have been held on terrorism charges in a government crackdown after suicide bombings hit the city of Casablanca in 2003, killing 45 people.

The editor met the investigating judge on Tuesday evening but the investigation has not started yet, lawyer Naima el-Guellaf told Reuters.

The Moroccan Justice Ministry has said it has raised its concerns with the Spanish government, and would file a lawsuit against El Pais newspaper, which it said had published the video before it was removed. l

Scientists described China’s first moon rover this Wednesday and invited the global public to suggest names for it.

Director of the aerospace department of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, Zhao Xiaojin, said the lunar rover was a high altitude “patrolman” carrying the dreams of Asia and described it as an orbiter adaptable to harsh environments; a highly efficient and integrated robot.

The Chang’e-3 mission to moon, named after a Chinese lunar goddess, is planned for this December. It will be the first time a Chinese spacecraft soft-lands on a celestial body.

The rover has two wings, stands on six wheels, weighs 140 kg and will be powered by solar energy.

“When it arrives in lunar orbit on board a lander, the rover will choose the best landing site and gently touch down the moon’s surface, using optical and microwave sensors to avoid rocks and craters,” Zhao said.

The rover will “select the best route, use minimal fuel and make the smallest possible error” during landing and is capable of hovering to steer clear of obstacles, he said.

Domestic and overseas nationals can submit their proposed names for the rover through the Internet. The official name will

AREA

Ziarat District, Balochistan Chaghi, Balochistan Awaran District, Balochistan

Bomb kills Yemen security official in volatile south

n Reuters, New Delhi

n Reuters, Aden, Yemen

Indian police officers chase Kashmiri protesters in Srinagar, India place.

Sharif says better relations with India are key to restoring a flagging economy but it is Pakistan’s military that traditionally sets foreign and security policies, even during periods of civilian rule.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since becoming independent from Britain in 1947, two of them over Muslim-majority Kashmir. Tit-fortat artillery exchanges regularly rattle the de facto border.

India has faced an insurgency in its part of Muslim-majority Kashmir since

Moroccan editor to face China’s first moon rover terrorism investigation n A Moroccan editor is being investigated on suspicion of helping militants after posting an al-Qaeda video on his website, prosecutors said, in a case that rights groups say erodes press freedom.

Ali Anouzla, editor of Lakome.com and known for his investigative journalism and columns criticising the kingdom’s rulers, was arrested this month after writing about and posting a link to a video from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the North African affiliate of the group.

In the video, originally posted by a Spanish newspaper but then removed, the organisation criticises Morocco’s king and calls on the Moroccan people to rise up.

Morocco’s prosecutor-general ordered an investigation into him on suspicion of intentionally helping those who want to perpetrate acts of terrorism, providing the means to execute terrorist crimes and being an apologist for acts considered terrorist crimes, the state news agency said late on Tuesday.

Moroccan journalists run the risk

DEATH TOLL

India, Pakistan to meet as Kashmir simmers

were working to rescue people.

People waded through thigh-deep water on the streets of the state’s main city of Ahmedabad, where waterlogged cars and buses became stranded.

In the city of Vadodara, animal activists say at least four crocodiles have been recovered from roads and courtyards.

The floods followed heavy rains that caused rivers including the Vishwamitri and the Narmada to swell above levels considered safe. l

Buses stranded on a flooded road after heavy rains in Ahmadabad, India

n Reuters, Rabat

MAGNITUDE

DATE AND TIME (UTC)

be announced in November after an online poll on the selected proposals.

Li Benzheng, deputy chief designer of China’s lunar probe program, said the name of the rover should express the wishes of Chinese at home and abroad and feature the modern and national traits to inspire people.

Li noted the rover will recognize obstacles on the moon’s surface, and plot a path of least resistance by a combination of onboard navigation systems and remote control from the command center.

The rover can “rest”, automatically entering a dormant state to recharge its batteries, and return to work after a while, Li said.

It can endure a vacuum, intense radiation and extremes of temperature. Temperatures on the moon’s surface can range from minus 180 to plus 150 degrees Celsius, said Wu Weiren, the program’s chief designer.

The rover is equipped with numerous detectors and information gathering systems such as a panoramic camera and radar measurement devices. The rover will patrol the Earth’s natural satellite for about three months.

The data collected by the rover, such as 3D images, infrared spectrums and lunar soil analysis, will directly and accurately lead to greater understanding of the moon.. l

AP

1989, and has long accused Pakistan of supporting the militants fighting Indian rule.

Nevertheless, despite Pakistan’s denials that it helps the militants, fighters have for years slipped from the Pakistani side of Kashmir into the Indian side to battle Indian forces.

Many analysts expect the trend to continue as the two countries jostle for influence in Afghanistan as a NATO force prepares to withdraw by the end of 2014, with each side fearing the other wants to install a proxy government in Kabul. l

A Yemeni lieutenant colonel was killed on Wednesday by a bomb planted in his car, the state news agency said, the latest in a string of attacks on security officials blamed by government on Islamist insurgents.

The Saba news agency said the incident took place in al-Atiq, the capital of the volatile southern province of Shabwa, near the city’s vegetable market.

The incident was Yemen’s third assassination in as many days. On Tuesday a Yemeni air force officer was shot dead by gunmen in the capital Sanaa and on Monday, gunmen shot dead another colonel as he approached a busy intersection in Sanaa.

Dozens of Yemeni security and military officers have been assassinated in the past two years, many by bombs planted in their cars or in drive-by shootings, often blamed on al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula or affiliated groups. Last month, at least one air force officer was killed and several others were wounded when a bomb tore through a bus carrying them to their base in Sanaa.

Stabilising Yemen is important to Western and Gulf Arab states. Islamist militants have used areas beyond government control to plot attacks against international airliners and oil facilities. l

Shabab: Government forces killed and buried 137 hostages n AP, Nairobi Kenya The militant group behind the four-day takeover of a Nairobi mall claim Kenyan government forces used explosives in carrying out “a demolition” of the building, burying 137 hostages.

In a Tweet Wednesday from an account believed to be genuine, alShabab also claimed that “having failed

to defeat the mujahideen inside the mall, the Kenyan govt disseminated chemical gases to end the siege.”

Government spokesman Manoah Esipisu immediately denied the claim, saying that no chemical weapons were used and that the official civilian death toll remains 61. He says three floors of the building collapsed after a fire started by the al-Shabab attackers caused structural weakness. l

Relatives weep for their loved ones as the Nairobi mall seige comes to an end

AP

10 DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

PSC and efficient recruitment

RMG worker representation must improve

September 23

T

he German Ambassador Albrecht Conze has remarked upon the ongoing unrest in the readymade garment industry, saying that “widespread violence, unrest and turmoil are in nobody’s interest.”

Outbreaks of vandalism rightly need to be condemned as they are not representative of the vast majority of RMG workers and achieve nothing to further their legitimate concerns.

It is clear though that the industry needs a better system for dialogue between factory owners and workers. At factory level, this would facilitate improved safety and compliance as is already accomplished in The industry needs better factories and nationally it would make pay disputes simpler a better system for to negotiate and help to prevent dialogue between spontaneous “wildcat” incidents. factory owners and Deep seated resistance to workers trade unions among some BGMEA members has not helped to build dialogue. The recent comment by the BGMEA acting president, that anarchy in the sector is being created as ‘’part of a both international and local conspiracy,’’ is fanciful and inspires little confidence.

Likewise, trade unions themselves also need to change as they have too often been highly politicised or unrepresentative of the largely young female workforce on whose labour the apparel industry depends.

Industry insiders say the recent spate of industry unrest spiraled out of control due to the absence of a recognised representative for workers who could effectively negotiate with owners.

The way forward is obvious. Representation of workers at all levels needs to improve to ensure the workforce’s concerns are properly heard and to allow for responsible dialogue to build a system of mature industrial relations.

Some clarity, please

G

overnment high-ups should urgently clear up the confusion surrounding the roles to be taken by public officials after October 26. This is when the current government turns into an interim administration.

Secretaries were still in the dark about what they were expected to do after the prime minister told them that policy decisions would not be made by the cabinet during that period. They also remain unsure about details such as how many officials will run the administration, who those officials will be, and what their responsibilities are.

Given that top civil bureaucrats are so ignorant about their upcoming roles, it is not surprising that the general population is even more uninformed about the exact plans of the election-time government. A letter Clarity in sent out by the cabinet secretary information is one to all other secretaries was so of the cornerstones vaguely worded that, instead of of democracy, and alleviating confusion, it merely the lack of it in an highlighted the lack of informaelection-overseeing tion surrounding the electoral government is a process in general. matter of grave Normally, the interim governconcern for all ment should oversee elections in a neutral manner while ministers are busy with the polls. The secretaries are expected to tend to their administrative duties at this time, which, in the absence of clear directives, could lead to chaos in government operations, and by extension, the rest of the country.

Clarity in information is one of the cornerstones of democracy, and the lack of it in an election-overseeing government is a matter of grave concern for all. The interim government will come into effect exactly a month from now, and if the miasma surrounding it is not cleared up very soon, the credibility of our electoral process will be severely undermined.

CROSSWORD

The article, “Hasina asks PSC to recruit efficient and honest people,” has drawn my attention. When more than 50% of posts are allocated for various quotas, how is it possible for PSC to recruit efficient and honest people?

In addition, more than 350 government high officials including a couple of secretaries have been made OSDs for a long time. Are they not efficient and honest?

Sheuly Haque Sirajgonj

DOWN 1 Country (6) 2 Carry too far (6) 3 Weary (4) 4 No score (3) 5 And not (3) 7 Alone (4) 8 Slip showing contents (5) 10 Encountered (3) 13 Wanderer (5) 15 Bodily disorder (6) 16 Hexes (6) 18 Interlace (4) 19 Sun personified (3) 22 Observed (4) 23 Feline (3) 24 Vigour (3)

September 19 You must be the pride of your nation! Keep going!!

Farah Nusrat Hats off to you!

Leea Rahman

AL-BNP ‘rare consensus’ on ‘Adivasi’ label

Salute to the brave-heart who really deserves the position that he currently holds.

Hanif Repon

Actually it is very true that Bengalees are invaders. Now they are invading the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Labani Khisa

Bravo!

September 19

What to make of Modi September 20

This is a well-written piece. Just one comment the new sort of nation that we are targeting will have a nationalistic theme, but that theme will be of/ for all Indians and not for Hindus/ Muslims or others. All will be part of the development, will contribute and enjoy the benefits of it. There’s a long way to go for India to be a true democracy.

What we lacked was strong leadership, clear sense of direction, dedication, devotion to build the country. Modi has these more than others, and he has the ability to inspire the youth to build the country. I know most worry about secularism taking a hit, but all minorities must come forward and become part of the process, that in a way will ensure that trust is built up slowly. Muslims must realise that they were always used as vote banks. They haven’t progressed as much as others. So now, they should understand this and come forward and join the mainstream.

Shash Naidu Lots of fiction in the article!

Have a people not the right to explore their own native culture and reassert their native political models? According to the writer, all this is right wing extremism. A struggle to save the native culture is considered extremism. Sorry, but Indians are not going to buy this anymore.

RajTOO

Police to counter further attacks: Home minister September 20

Aggressive retaliation would only usher in the politics of death. The police ought to exercise restraint!

WaliulHaqueKhondker

Jamaat shutdown enters second day

September 19 In my humble opinion the party who called the strike should be held responsible for life lost or injured, for property damaged, etc.

Malcolm Arnold

Be Heard

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

Shaquib Quoreshi Now this is a minister! Totally a hero!

Shamsul Arifeen

Myanmar’s RMG export success a threat to Bangladesh September 20 We don’t mind this competition as long as Myanmar stops supplying yaba and other drugs in Bangladesh. If our youth are in a stable condition and away from the deadly effect of drugs, I believe we can thrive in any sector in no time.

Farah Nusrat By reading this, I am shocked because the same thing happened with Sri Lanka.

Kumar Devasish Dey

Overdose turns antibiotics into silent killers September 19 Sheikh Jinat Mahmid It’s easy to buy medicines without prescription.

Doctors should read this article because they always give out antibiotics.

Toricol Islam 100% right!

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

CODE-CRACKER ACROSS 1 Blemish (4) 6 By way of (3) 7 Airtight grain store (4) 9 Water pitcher (4) 10 Grinding tooth (5) 11 Insurgent (5) 12 Finish (3) 14 Large volumes (5) 17 Small recesses (5) 20 High mountain (3) 21 New and strange (5) 23 Trivial objection (5) 25 Sailing vessel (4) 26 Mine entrance (4) 27 Marry (3) 28 Stains (4)

Indian minister rescues 6 from sinking car

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS Crossword

Sudoku

DHAKA TRIBUNE

T

H

I

Op-Ed

R

Wages in the RMG industry

M

n Mamun Rashid

y friend, a ready-made garment industry owner sounded annoyed: “Madam prime minister is visiting New York with a 150 member entourage. From where is the money coming?’’ Further asking: “And it is not just any money, it is hard currency in US dollars. Who earns this? Our exporters and wage earners?”

He seemed furious to see the BGMEA president himself joining the prime minister on her New York trip, which he thought of as nothing but a pleasure trip just before the expiry of her term in the government.

BGMEA has faced criticism for proposing only a 20% minimum wage increase for new garment workers, three years after the last wage board.

He questioned why the prime minister and her cabinet members did not intervene in time to avoid the protests, fire, and vandalism at production units.

While our workers in the RMG industry do deserve a respectable wage, preliminary studies suggest that the present condition of the industries may not be supportive of a minimum wage hike to more than Tk5,200 or $65 per month

Bangladesh’s wage board for the RMG industry fixed Tk930 as the minimum wage in 1994, raising this to Tk1,662 in 2006 and Tk3,000 in 2010.

Recent reports show workers’ associations and leaders want this to rise up to Tk8,114 (equivalent to $106). The owners meanwhile, are considering a 20% hike in the minimum wage so it goes up to Tk3,600, though there was

D

a corridor discussion that they were thinking of a number around Tk4,500.

Knowing our government servants, politicians and other stakeholders, the easy way out would have been to resolve this around the mid-point. On the other hand, if one considered the cost of living of a 3-4 member garment workers’ family, reliable surveys point to a figure that is a little over Tk5,000, and if we consider the national annual per capita income of $1,044(just under Tk90,000), a monthly figure of Tk6,650 would be an appropriate figure.

Optimum pricing in the marketing or management world has always been a challenge. While low pricing may affect the productivity and overall image or acceptability of the product, above-market wages or non-sustainable pricing may seriously impact the core competitiveness of the industry or product segment as a whole.

While our workers in the RMG industry do deserve a respectable wage, preliminary studies suggest that the present condition of the industries may not be supportive of a minimum wage hike to more than Tk5,200 or $65 per month.

With less than 2,700 units, out of around 5,500 woven and knitting factories, doing direct contracts, wage and price increase may have a devastating impact on the factories doing sub-contracts for less well known apparel brands or retailers.

Obviously, Tazreen Fashion and most importantly Rana Plaza episodes have given a wake up call to all stakeholders in the apparel sector, and things can’t continue the way they were going. Global retailers, apparel buyers, unions and international development organisations are now taking much needed action to improve safety. This is a very good sign and should have happened much earlier to avoid the tragic incidents in Bangladesh’s RMG factories.

However, minimum wage was not the key problem for Tazreen or Rana Plaza victims and survivors. Rather, it was all about non-compliance of

11

Thursday, September 26, 2013

E

RMG workers have repeatedly taken to the streets of Dhaka asking for a pay-rise building safety, workers safety, and workplace safety; more importantly, it was failure by garment owners in complying with minimum governance standards.

Without doubt, we need to review the minimum wage in view of the price hikes and cost of living increases, but more importantly, we need to make sure that buildings will not fall down and injure or kill workers because of poor construction and that workers will not be burnt alive because of poor fire safety and negligence by owners and supervisors who, in the Rana Plaza case, forced workers to work despite an identified safety issue.

Newspaper reports suggest around 2,000 factories may not pass the safety audit. We need to fix these units urgently. The factory inspectors need to make sure minimum standards are followed in our manufacturing plants.

The fire brigade needs more fire-fighting equipment, manufacturing clusters need more integrated development, and the workers need to be encouraged to improve productivity and discipline at work places.

Productivity has always been a major problem in our manufacturing sector. The minimum wage in China is more than $200. But a Chinese worker’s productivity is much higher. On average, Bangladeshi workers require

more time and almost the same money to produce a similar quantity of RMG products when compared to a Chinese worker, so there is only a slight cost advantage even though their minimum monthly compensation is $40.

Minimum wage was not the key problem for Tazreen or Rana Plaza victims and survivors. Rather, it was all about non-compliance of building safety, workers safety, and workplace safety

Reports on monthly wage rates show figures in the apparel industries of $113 in India, $118 in Pakistan, $120 in Vietnam and $204 in China, but I have not come across any reports clarifying whether these are the minimum or average wage.

Whilst Bangladesh minimum RMG wage is $40, studies show the average earning of a Bangladesh garment in-

Y

E

NASHIRUL ISLAM

dustry worker is Tk5,200 or $67 equivalent. However, with an aim of making best use of the workers participation and contribution with productivity improvement in recent years, Bangladesh has a cushion to go up further, at least against the new entrants.

Where Bangladesh should position itself in the wage curve, is a tough question to answer and should be reviewed in accordance with the costs associated with fixing other pertinent issues like building safety, workers safety, power and energy investments, compliance of factory standards, productivity development, financing, replacement, and relocation costs in this industry segment.

Our apparel sector has grown a lot in a short time and has much future potential. From almost $23bn now, it is likely to become a $50bn industry by 2021.

No matter what the naysayers may say, the industry segment warrants much more attention, and cohesive actions from all the stakeholders – be it media, citizenry, producers, workers, buyers, development partners, and most importantly, the government.

We need pro-active actions instead of episodic reactions. l Mamun Rashid is a business professor and financial sector entrepreneur.

The open source solution

Green growth is good growth

Why reinvent the wheel?

Office, without any license fee. n Mohammed Amir Dhedhi Mozilla Thunderbird – a replace-

n Mohammad Mizanur Rahman

M

ost Bangladeshis reading this article on the web are probably using a PC loaded with a pirated copy of Microsoft Windows.

Are there any legal options to use similar software without paying $500 per PC for MS Windows and MS Office?

Yes there are. Open source software can be downloaded for free and used legally instead of pirated software.

This can and will protect companies and government departments in Bangladesh from future software piracy lawsuits.

Open source is a powerful movement transforming the software and information industry worldwide. It is a global community of companies and individual programmers that have produced robust and complex software applications. Open source developers have proved that they can produce solutions equal to or better than proprietary programs, and also making these available free of cost for anyone to use.

Many people and companies in Bangladesh are already using open source software of which the most common ones are:

ment for MS Outlook/Outlook Express e-mail.

Gimp, a replacement for Adobe Photoshop.

VLC player, which plays most formats of video/audio files.

These are just a few examples of great open source software that anyone can download and use for free. Any computer science student can modify the software and improve it as they like, developing their programming skills in the process. Businesses and government organisations requiring customised business solutions can hire a software company to customise existing open source software for them; this is cheaper than developing software from the ground up and much more affordable than buying commercial software from companies like Microsoft Businesses executives and government officials in particular should become familiar with open source software and technologies, as these are applicable for every industry and organisational activity. Many organisations worldwide are moving to open source software to lower costs without any compromise in quality.

Open source software can be downloaded for free and used legally instead of pirated software. This can and will protect companies and government departments in Bangladesh from future software piracy lawsuits

Linux Mint / Ubuntu Linux operating systems (Google’s Android mobile operating system is another variant of Linux).

Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome (the most popular web browsers).

OpenOffice / LibreOffice – Free word processing, spreadsheets and presentations, all compatible with MS

Open source alternatives for businesses have been growing in numbers: website content management systems (CMS), enterprise resource planning (ERP), human resources management (HRM) and project management are all organisation activities which can be managed by free open source alternatives.

Running a web/software development firm, I prefer to use Linux operating system and content management systems (CMS) like Word Press and Drupal, along with many other open source technologies to help our clients save costs.

There is no longer any point developing most business systems from zero. Why reinvent the wheel?

The economics which I see in my company applies everywhere. Hence open source business models are emerging around the world. Software companies can use tested and tried software from the open source community and sell customised versions of these to their clients, where the cost of modification is much lower than any other option. These businesses can choose to contribute back to the community or create a custom solution, which may be proprietary for a specific or multiple businesses using open source.

It is a popular misconception that open source software is developed by unpaid volunteers, and hence unreliable. In fact, most open source developers are employed by companies who use or sell open source software, and contribute their time to the community development of the software they use because doing so saves them money.

Currently, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) laws are not strongly enforced in Bangladesh, and software piracy is widespread. However, the situation is changing rapidly. Large Bangladeshi organisations are already getting letters from multinational software companies asking how many copies of unlicensed software they have on their PCs, which is always a precursor to launching a lawsuit to realise the license fee. Bangladeshi companies and government departments can protect themselves by adopting open source software. l Amir Sattar Dhedhi is a technology consultant.

G

reen growth is growth that fosters economic growth and development while ensuring that environmental resources are not harmed. According to the World Bank Group, green growth is efficient in its use of natural resources, clean in that it minimises pollution and environmental impact, and resilient in that it accounts for natural hazard.

It focuses on the synergies and trade-offs between the environmental and economic pillars of accelerating economic growth. Bearing concern for developed and developing countries is the extent of the trade-off between environmental policy and international competitiveness, at both the national and firm level.

That growth approach will focus on the relationship between green policy and competitiveness, investigating the impact of green growth policies on the patterns and volume of trade, as well as on national and firm competitiveness, the legitimacy of the pollution havens hypothesis in developing countries, the risk of trade disputes arising from green policies, and methods for realising the comparative advantage provided by natural capital endowments while avoiding reliance and excessive exploitation.

Green growth involves avoiding the convention of “grow first, clean up later.” Rather, it attempts to catalyse investment and innovation in ways that give rise to more sustainable growth.

The approach is a globally recognised one for sustainable economic growth that has been developed in South Asian countries, Bangladesh included. Its growth system generates green jobs, enhances economic vitality, and protects the environment.

A group of themes are vital in the work on green growth, for example, greenhouse gas emissions, natural resources including biodiversity, quality of life including access to clean drinking water, and related policies

concerning cost-effective management of natural resources.

Some increase in carbon dioxide emission has been observed with per capita emissions of 0.3 metric tonnes in 2007 and projections suggest a rise to 0.38 by 2015.

Green energy would bolster the economy, generate green jobs, reduce carbon emissions and reduce longterm energy costs. Additionally, Bangladesh currently produces about 75megawatts of electricity from green energy sources. But, it is so little to meet our huge demand.

ladesh, adjust to the United Nations green initiatives for sustainable development especially, “Green economy and green energy” for all, introduce international, regional and national level projects and financial support services for fostering green economic development for Bangladesh.

Lastly, people want growth, they want growth that is fair, clean and they want a green economy, not more hazards for mother Earth. l Mohammad Mizanur Rahman is a botanist, researcher and columnist.

Green energy would bolster the economy, generate green jobs, reduce carbon emissions and reduce long-term energy costs.

Additionally, Bangladesh currently produces about 75 megawatts of electricity from green energy sources

Recently, the Danish government gave its support to a one-year Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Project (CCAMP) in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. The project will run from July 2014, with a budget of about Tk69m.

It said Denmark’s opportunities to make a difference in Bangladesh were significant by supporting renewable energy as well as the green energy sector and energy efficiency through the implementation of CCAMP. As things stand now, we would do well to follow these recommendations on green growth for Bangladesh: Prepare plan of action on green growth development for Bangladesh, continue implementing projects for “greening” national economic activities, expand and review existing renewable energy policy and green banking policy for fostering green development of Bang-

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Udhao hits the theatres

Activist’s plea rejected in Salman’s hit and run case n Entertainment Desk

The film received Best Narrative Feature Award in Logan Film Festival

n Punny Kabir Talented youngster Amit Ashraf’s debut feature film “Udhao,” which got a number of prestigious awards in different international film festivals, will hit the theatres including Balaka Cine World and Star Cineplex this October 4.

The 96-minute digital film received Best Narrative Feature Award at Logan Film Festival, USA; Best in Fest Award at Buttered Corn Film Festival, USA; Rising Star Award at Canada International Film Festival and a few more. It has been participated in a total of 20 international film festivals within a year.

In a conversation, Amit Ashraf expressed hopes that the film would offer a different experience to the local audience as it features the work of English cinematographer Kyle Heslop, Jacob Joffee, a movie score composer from Los Angeles, and editor David Diperstein from Philadelphia.

The film was initially set to release

in August, but due to political unrest and some other issues regarding digital projection it has been delayed.

“I believe it is a unique film, unlike anything made in Bangladesh. It is a fresh story with new talented faces, and post-production has been finalised in Los Angeles and New York. The film’s music is a fantastic mix of Western and traditional styles,” shared Ashraf with Dhaka Tribune.

It is a drama-thriller about men who run from their family responsibility and a school-van pedaling bounty hunter named Babu who promises to bring them to justice. His life’s mission comes to an ultimate crossroad when he meets his biggest prey: A corrupt politician named Akbar. Convinced an evil spirit possessed him, Babu captures Akbar and forces him to retrace the winding and dark path that led him there.

Shakil Ahmed, Animesh Aich, Ritu Sattar, Shahed Ali and Nawshaba have acted in the films as lead characters. l

Bangladeshi youth in Big Boss 7 n Entertainment Desk Asif Azim, a Bangladeshi-born supermodel, will be strong competition for Kushal Tandon. A report says the Bangladeshi-born model Asif Azim will enter the house for the reality show Big Boss 7 starting on Thursday.

Azim, who has built his career as a ramp model and was featured in the German and Australian Vogue, has been ranked fourth among India’s fittest male supermodels. The “hunk” was glad to have gotten the opportunity, and added that he would “play the game” with honesty, the Times of India reports.

“Big Boss is the biggest reality show of India and I am glad to have such a big platform to connect with the audience. I want people to like me,” Azim said.

He said there was a thin chance of faking in the show and his game plan was to play to his strength: Honesty.

“I’ve never lied in my entire life, as I know one lie leads to another. I will be myself. I will not fake around.”

The Times of India report says model-turned-actor Kushal Tandon, who will also be competing on the show, will face stiff competition from Asif Azim. l

Sessions court rejected the plea of a social activist seeking to intervene in the 2002 hit-and-run case allegedly involving actor Salman Khan to help the prosecution in the trial.

Judge SD Deshpande ruled that only an aggrieved party, complainant or witness had a right to intervene.

In this case, the applicant, Santosh Daundkar, was neither a witness, complainant, nor was he an aggrieved party. Hence, he could not be allowed to intervene, the court said. The court also rejected Daundkar’s other plea seeking transfer of his complaint from the magistrate court to the Sessions court about perjury action against Salman and the police for allegedly producing wrong witnesses in this case, as a result of which the trial was delayed.

The judge held that he had no jurisdiction to transfer the complaint.

He asked the applicant to approach a higher court or the Principal Judge of Sessions Court in this regard.

TODAY IN DHAKA Exhibition

Unseen Splendor Legendary artist SM Sultan artworks Time: 12pm-8pm Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts Dhanmondi Neuralgic Window Mustapha Khalid Palash Time: 10am-8pm

Athena Gallery, Pragati Sarani, Badda Handicraft Exhibition National Art Gallery Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Time: 11am-8pm

Theatre

Shesh Rokkha

Movie stills of Udhao

Uronto provides a platform for artistic endeavours n Shadma Malik The “Uronto” residential art exchange programme is a meeting place for creative personalities to work with a common theme and space. The multi-disciplinary visual artists, photographers, writers, musicians and performing artists travel throughout Bangladesh, where our rich heritage is situated.

The aim of the programme is to accommodate and sustain an organic environment for the artists to fall in rhythm with the natural sphere and project their insights amongst fellow artists, ultimately creating a reverberating atmosphere to inspire further projects. “Uronto” is an open collective, composed of individuals who wish to freely express their ideas through any medium.

Formed early this year, “Uronto” had their very first pilot project in Kushtia. With extensive research to survey old construction buildings in

Bangladesh, the second workshop was held at a remote area of Kishorganj district “Nikli” where the aspiring artists resided for four days in the ancient buildings namely “Pal Bari,” “Doyal Kuthir,” and “Shaitdhar Chondronath Goshami Akhra” in August.

The artists worked with watercolour, photographs, sculptures, literatures and installations. The artworks conveyed the existence of the buildings and analysis of the artistic perspectives.

The multi-disciplinary artists had their own medium to perceive the buildings by working on the history, differences between past and present state, and other aesthetic views.

The organisation aims to represent the heritage by beautifying it from an artistic angle. They displayed their works at the “Nikli Pilot School” as an open studio for public viewing. The curator of the programme was a young artist named Sadya Mizan. l

Natyajan Time: 7pm National Theatre Hall Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Mohajoner Nao Subachan Time: 7 pm Experimental Theatre Hall Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy

Progga Paromita airs on ATN Bangla

n Entertainment Desk Drama series “Progga Paromita” will air on ATN Bangla at 8pm today. The intriguing soap is written by Matia Banu Shuku and directed jointly by Juboraj Khan and Matia herself. The cast of the drama includes Sharmili Ahmed, Shimul, Sanjida Prity, Afran Nisho, Tania Hossain, Mahmudul Islam Mithu, Shompa Reza, Shahed Ali, Shushma

Sarker, Dominique, Dipannita, Dihan, Chobi and many more.

The story is about a girl named Progga who is the science teacher of an English medium school. She is an orphan who lives in an old house with her grandmother. Progga is in love with Palash and their wedding is finalised. She is super excited about tying the knot and everyone else around her is weary of her behaviour.

Just before the wedding, Palash ditches her and, devastated of being dumped, Progga tries to commit suicide. She goes to an abandoned under-construction building and just as she is about to jump, she is deterred from her goal by a mad man who presents her with a pencil. She goes home and rants about everyone in her diary and curses everyone in her writing.

Life goes back to normal and Progga goes on with her profession. But, a few days later, she discovers that Palash married one of her colleague’s sister and writes in her diary with the pencil given to her by the mad man. She gets another shock when she discovers that everything she has written with the pencil comes true for those people.

On an experimental basis, she starts to write in her diary about her colleagues with the magical pencil and everything comes true, just as she writes it. In the mean time, her grandmother tells her to write something for herself rather than writing about other people. But alas!

She could only write a few lines when the pencil becomes too blunt to write any further and too small to re-sharpen. Later, Progga goes back to the same place looking for the mad man. l

On Salman’s plea for a direction to media to report true and fair proceedings of the 2002 hit-and-run case, the court deferred its order till October 15 saying the Bombay High Court was seized of this matter.

The court said that Salman had already moved the High Court by filing a defamation and civil suit against some media channels for allegedly not correctly reporting the proceedings of the case. As the matter was pending in High Court, the Sessions court did not give any ruling on the actor’s plea.

The judge observed the high court had already given an interim ruling that the media should provide a fair and objective reporting in the case involving the film star. l

ON TV MOVIE 6:40pmZee Studio Shanghai Noon

9:30pm Star Movies Ratatouille

COMEDY 5:00pm Colors

Comedy Nights With Kapil

10:00pm Comedy Central Yes Dear

Celebrity parents appreciate the passing of paparazzi-deterrent bill n Entertainment Desk

Popular TV actors Bindu and Nobel pair up in Rayhan Khan’s tele-film Tin Minute Neerobe. The tele-film is about a love triangle and will be aired in the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha on Banglavision

Celebrity parents have cause to celebrate in California today. A bill meant to deter paparazzi from getting too close to the children of famous folks was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown in Sacramento.

Both Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner had testified on behalf of Senate Bill 606, which increases the possible punishment for harassing celebrity kids, and clarifies the legal definition of harassment in such cases.

Now, according to the office of state Senator Kevin de León, who sponsored the bill, harassment includes “conduct in the course of the actual or attempted recording of children’s images and/or voices, without express parental consent, by following their activities or lying in wait.”

Meanwhile, transmitting, publishing or broadcasting a child’s image or voice does not constitute a violation. Now, if shutterbugs are convicted of harassing a minor who has been targeted based on his or her parent’s employment (ie famous actor, singer, personality, et al), they can spend up to a year in jail instead of the previous maximum six months, and be fined $10,000 for their first violation, $20,000 for their second and up to $30,000 for their third.

The law also makes it easier for a parent or legal guardian to sue a pap for damages over an incidence of harassment.

Berry has been seen more than once giving photographers a piece of her mind when they’ve come too close to comfort to her and daughter Nahla.

“I started this fight with a great deal of hope and a bit of uncer-

Halle Berry, left, and Jennifer Garner in a press meet tainty so I cannot express my immense gratitude that Gov Brown has recognised, and acted to remedy, the plight of children who are tormented because of the identity or prominence of their parents,” the star said. “On behalf of my children, it is my hope that this is the beginning of the end for those overly aggressive paparazzi whose outrageous conduct has caused so much trauma and emotional distress.”

“I am forever in awe of the support I got within my community from the enormously talented musician Adele to fellow actor Jennifer Garner who traveled with me to Sacramento to share her children’s stories, experience and her desire to give them a better life,” she continued. l

Did you know?

Southampton have lost their first three Premier League games and survived relegation in five separate seasons (93-94, 97-98, 98-99, 01-02, 12-13)

Sport

Thursday, September 26, 2013

14 Barca, Atletico extend perfect starts in La Liga

14 Galatasaray fire coach Fatih Terim

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 England’s Shah retires from first-class cricket

Akram Khan resigns, ready to run in elections n Mazhar Uddin

Abahani cricketers share a light moment with a pair of stray puppies during their practice session at the Abahani ground yesterday

Weakened Mohammedan look for fourth win n Raihan Mahmood Dhaka Mohammedan will be looking to continue their winning run against a spirited Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club in a crucial Walton Dhaka Premier Cricket League fourth round match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium today.

However, the Mohammedan that takes the field will be missing a few of their stars. Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan and Afghan Mohammad Nabi have both returned to their own countries and skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza may be forced to miss the match due to a foot injury. Former national player Rajin Saleh will captain the side if necessary and the team will look to Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis and Asila Gunaratne for inspiration.

Sheikh Jamal will be missing the flair of Afghan Mohammad Shahzad who has returned home, but another Afghan, Gul Badan Naib will play today. To date, Mohammedan has won all of their three games and have six points while Jamal has four from the same number of matches.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Abahani will take on Kalabagan Cricket Academy at BKSP-3.

The former champions have lost their last two matches against Prime Doleshwar and arch rivals Mohammedan and will be desperate to avoid losing three in a row. Abahani will look to Sri Lankan’s Tharanga Paranavitana and Talina Kandambi and youngster Mosaddek Hossain

Day's Fixture Abahani v Kalabagan CA at BKSP 3 Brothers v Khelaghar at Fatullah Mohammedan v Sheikh Jamal at SBNS for useful contributions in the key match today.

Kalabagan Cricket Academy for their part will be relying on Zimbabwean trio Hamilton Masakadza, Vusi Sibanda and Sikandar Raza.

The experience of the trio looks to be the team’s biggest strength.

Kalabagan has three points so far (one win, one loss and one no-result), one ahead of Abahani.

In the another match of the day Brothers Union will face Khelaghar at Fatullah today.l

BCB election commission announced

BCCI bans IPL founder Lalit Modi for life

n Mazhar Uddin

n AFP, New Delhi

The election commission for the upcoming Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election was finally formed yesterday although the final verdict from the Supreme Court appeal division has yet to be given.

Abdur Rahman, the joint secretariat of youth and sports ministry, will lead the three-member panel which also includes director of National Sorts Council Rezaul Karim Mostofa and youth directorate assistant secretary Shishir Chandra Ray. The minister for youth and sports Ahad Ali Sarkar approved the commission yesterday.

Earlier, the director general of BKSP Emdadul Haque had been named chief election commissioner and it is unknown why he was replaced.

A total 174 names were submitted for councillorship on Tuesday, with former BCB boss Saber Hossain Chowdhury receiving his from first division club Baridhara Dazzlers and current BCB president Nazmul Hassan nominated by Abahani Ltd. l

Disgraced Indian Premier League founder Lalit Modi was Wednesday banned for life from holding any cricket post, three years after being thrown out of his own popular but tainted Twenty20 league.

The general body of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which met in Chennai, accepted the verdict of its disciplinary panel that found Modi guilty of “serious” acts of indiscipline and misconduct.

“The BCCI resolved that Mr Lalit Modi is guilty of committing acts of serious misconduct and indiscipline, and therefore he is hereby expelled from the board,” BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said in a statement. “He shall forfeit all his rights and privileges as administrator.

He shall not in future be entitled to hold any position or office, or be admitted in any committee or any member or associate member of the BCCI.” Modi was found guilty, among other things, of rigging bids during the franchise auction in 2010, selling media and internet rights without authorisation and secretly trying to create a rebel T20 league in England without the knowl-

n Shishir Hoque

Shishir Hoque

Walton Invitational National Women’s Handball Tournament will begin at the M Mansur Ali National Handball Stadium today. Eight teams, split into two groups, will participate in the meet.

The teams are- BJMC, Dhaka, Dinajpur, Naogaon, Rangamati, Rajshahi, Kushtia and Bangladesh Police. The budget of the meet is approximately Tk480,000 and the majority of the amount will be provided by title sponsor Walton. l

edge of the Indian and England boards.

The BCCI announced its decision soon after a last-ditch effort by Modi’s lawyers to get the meeting put off was rejected by the Supreme Court earlier on Wednesday. Modi, who now lives in self-exile in London, warned the BCCI that he will not take the expulsion lying down, and threatened to expose cricket officials in India.

“I was already gone since I had been suspended for three years, so I expected the ban,” Modi told the Times Now news channel from London. “But I am going to fight them and the ban gives me more resolve to go after them.”

Modi currently holds no post in the BCCI, having already been removed as IPL chairman and BCCI vice-president after the end of the third edition of the tournament in 2010.

“Indian cricket needs cleansing and as far as I am concerned I am going to go after them. Till now they were colleagues. Time has now come to take everything out of the box and put it in (the) public domain,” he continued.

“I am coming after them. Wait and watch. I have not been sitting here (in London) idle.” l

Jamal edge past MSC

Walton women’s handball begins today n

MUMIT M

Former national captain Akram Khan resigned from the national selection panel as he is a candidate in the upcoming Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election. Akram submitted a letter to the board president to that effect on September 18, but said yesterday that he would continue performing his selection duties unofficially and that the squad for the series against New Zealand would be announced within two days.

“I have submitted my resignation letter to the board president on September 18 and now it’s up to the BCB president to accept it or not, but my contract will expire this month. But as the New Zealand series is just around the corner, I will working without any benefit as I am participating in the election,” said Akram .

Regarding the squad for the New Zealand series, which starts next month, Akram said, “It may take one or two days more but as this is a home series there is no problem and I think we will announce the squad within two days.

“From the very beginning I did not wanted to make huge changes in the side. The average age of the players is 25 and they can still play for another eight to ten years easily and there won’t be any big changes in the side.”

The former captain was looking forward to help in developing the game in his home town of Chittagong.

“I always wanted to give something to Chittagong and I remember when I returned home after winning the ICC trophy, the people of Chittagong gave me a warm welcome

Bangladesh Handball Federation general secretary Asaduzzaman Kohinoor speaks at the presser of the Women’s Invitational Handball at the Handball Federation yesterday COURTESY

Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club registered their second victory in their preseason campaign after the Bangladesh Premier League runners-up edged past Mohammedan Sporting Club Limited 1-0 in a friendly in Faridpur yesterday.

The friendly match between the two premier league giants set a new mark in Faridpur as the newly renovated district stadium, renamed as Sheikh Jamal District Stadium, was reopened with yesterday’s game.

Jamal, who bolstered their squad by signing Haitian international Sony Norde from Sheikh Russell early this sea-

son, fielded a strong starting 11. Sony, could not get in the scoring sheet like he did against the national team in his debut for Jamal last month. Alamgir Kabir Rana came off the bench to score the all important goal in the 56th minute.

It was Mohammedan’s first preseason friendly while Sheikh Jamal already played a practice match against the Bangladesh national team before the Saff Championship.

Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Engineer Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain inaugurated the newly named stadium as the chief guest. BFF president Kazi Salahuddin was also present during the occasion. l

and I really wanted to help the cricket of Chittagong.”

With Akram gaining the councillorship from the port city, one of the leading contenders who was passed over for the spot has threatened to take legal action against him, but Akram was not worried. “I have earlier cleared that I have gone through a legal process for the councillorship, but if there is any illegal process I will be disqualified,” he said.

The main feature in the upcoming BCB election will be the contest between former president Saber Hossain Chowdhury and current president Nazmul Hasan, but the election also features many former national players, which is a good sign for Bangladesh cricket.

The 9.3.3 act includes forty five councilors in category “C” of which 10 can be cricketers. The National Sports Council (NSC) have filled the cricketer’s slots with Khaled Mahmud, Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu, Shahedur Rahman, Asaduzzaman Misha, Md.Ali Khan, Ahsanullah Khan, Hannan Sarkar, Selim Shahed, Niamur Rashid Rahul and ASM Faruque.

Five of the nominees - Khaled Mashud, Shafiqul Haque Hira, Rokibul Hasan, Shamim Kabir and Faruque Ahmed – are former national captains.

With the new election commission formed yesterday the National Sports Council is expected to reveal the election schedule within a few days. The election schedule comprises of any objection regarding the voters list and the that component is expected to raise some hot debate as there are allegations that some of the councilors did not follow the right criteria.l

Salahuddin to have angiogram n Raihan Mahmood

Bangladesh Football Federation president Kazi Salahuddin will undergo an angiogram at Apollo Hospital today. The 60-year-old national football legend has been diagnosed with artery disorders in the last few weeks and physicians prescribed the angiogram. Salahuddin requested the people of the country to pray for his speedy recovery. l

BSJA Media Cup continues in full rhythm n Raihan Mahmood It was a busy second day in the Pran-Frooto BSJA Media Cup with seven matches taking place at the Moulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium yesterday.

Shamokal, Radio Today, Maasranga TV, GTV, Rising BD.Com, Daily Star, Bangla Vision and Channel 9 ran away as the victors at the end of the days play. However, Channel 9 was awarded a walkover as their opponents Alokito Bangladesh did not turn out.

BCB ad-hoc committee member Jalal Yunus distributed the man of the match awards as the chief guest. Former BCB general secretary Raisuddin Ahmed was also present as the special guest. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Marseille get back to winning ways n AFP, Paris

Marseille put their recent patchy form behind them to beat Saint-Etienne 2-1 at the Stade Velodrome in Ligue 1 on Tuesday evening.

After a fine start to the season, OM had gone four matches without a win in all competitions before hosting Les Verts.

However, Saint-Etienne had not won in Marseille since August 1979, when Michel Platini was among the scorers, and their miserable record in

Results Lille

3-0

Marseille

2-1

Kalou 12, Rodelin 71, Hansen og-32, Mendy 22, Imbula 26

Evian TG

Saint-Etienne

Ghoulam pen-32

the fixture was extended as they failed to fully recover from the concession of two first-half goals.

Elie Baup’s side came flying out of the blocks and opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when Benjamin Mendy connected first-time with a Mathieu Valbuena cross from the right, his shot bouncing over the stranded Stephane Ruffier and into the net.

The young full-back’s first Ligue 1 goal was followed by a first top-flight goal for midfielder Giannelli Imbula four minutes later.

Imbula slotted low past Ruffier from a Rod Fanni cross at the end of a fine Marseille move, to leave SaintEtienne facing a second straight defeat already. l

Results Aston Villa

0-4

Burnley

2-1

Fulham

2-1

Hull City

1-0

Huddersfield

Leicester City

2-1

Derby County

Ings 45, 68 Bent 54, Berbatov 68 Proschwitz 59 Knockaert 78, Drinkwater 81

Man City

Dzeko 33, Jovetic 60, 83, Toure 76, Navas 86

Tottenham

Defoe 45+1, 90+2, Paulinho 49, Chadli 86

5-0

Nottingham

Derbyshire 24

Everton

Naismith 12

Martin 42

Wigan Athletic

Southampton

2-0

Bristol City

Sunderland

2-0

Peterborough

Swindon Town

0-2

Chelsea

Watford

2-3

Norwich City

West Ham

3-2

Ramirez 15, Hooiveld 83

Giaccherini 32, Roberge 74

Acuna 23, Faraoni 55 Morrison 1, Jarvis 8, Vaz Te 88

Torres 29, Ramires 35

Barcelona (L) and Atletico Madrid players celebrate during their respective La Liga matches against Real Sociedad and Valladolid on Tuesday

REUTERS/AFP

Barca, Atletico extend perfect starts n AFP, Madrid Barcelona extended their 100% league record to six games with a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad on Tuesday as Atletico Madrid also maintained their perfect start to the season.

Neymar scored his first league goal in Spanish football as Barca turned in arguably their best performance so far under new boss Gerardo Martino.

The Brazilian bundled home Alexis Sanchez’s cross after just five minutes and then expertly teed up Lionel Messi to plant a diving header past Claudio Bravo three minutes later.

Sergio Busquets added a third before half-time with a sweet strike from 20 yards to register his first goal of the season and Marc Bartra rounded off the

scoring for the hosts after Alberto de la Bella had pulled a goal back for Sociedad.

“I am very happy to score my first goal in the league but the most important thing is the victory,” Neymar told Canal Plus television.

Amazingly, the visitors had made the brighter start with Haris Seferovic striking the bar from 20 yards inside two minutes. However, the game was virtually lost for them just six minutes later.

Firstly, a horrible defensive mix-up between Liassine Cadamuro and Bravo allowed Neymar to bundle home his first and possibly the easiest goal he will ever score for Barca at the Camp Nou. And three minutes later the Brazilian delivered a perfect left-footed cross from which Messi headed home at the far post.

It didn’t take the hosts long to register their third of the evening as Messi’s

Murphy 77, Hooper 90+5, 115

backheel was well saved by Bravo, the Argentine’s follow-up effort somehow hit the bar and post on its way out and Busquets finally fired home the rebound from outside the area.

Results Barcelona

4-1

Levante

1-1

Malaga

2-0

Almeria

Atletico Madrid

2-1

Osasuna

Neymar 5, Messi 8, Busquets 23, Bartra 76 Diawara 36 Tissone 69, Portillo 90 Diego Costa 18, 25

Sociedad

De la Bella 64

Valladolid

Javi Guerra 42

Riera 42

Barca were then dealt an injury blow as Javier Mascherano came off with a hamstring problem to be replaced by

Bartra 10 minutes before the break.

However, the hosts were still in full flow and nearly produced a goal of the season contender as Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Neymar all combined inside the area before Messi unbelievably failed to connect properly on his left foot to turn Neymar’s cut-back home.

Messi wasn’t having his best night in front of goal as he blasted another glaring opportunity over the bar after accelerating past three defenders at the beginning of the second period.

Real were then given a glimmer of hope when Agirretxe did well to hold off Gerard Pique and square for De la Bella to tap home 26 minutes from time.

However, Barca’s three-goal advantage was restored 12 minutes later when Messi wriggled his way towards the byline and his low cross was guided home

by Bartra. Atletico meanwhile made

much harder work of registering their sixth straight victory with a 2-1 win over struggling Osasuna.

Diego Costa had put the hosts in a commanding position with two goals inside the opening 25 minutes, but Oriol Riera halved the deficit for the visitors just before half-time. Diego Simeone’s men then passed up a host of chances to make the game safe in the second period, but held on for the three points to ensure they will head into Saturday’s derby against Real Madrid at least two points ahead of Los Blancos.

Elsewhere, Malaga continued their recent revival with a 2-0 win over Almeria thanks to second-half goals from Fernando Tissone and Francisco Portillo.

And Valladolid held on to claim a point in a 1-1 draw away to Levante despite playing the entire second-half with just 10 men.l

Man City avenge Wigan loss

Cardiff City

Noone 45, Odemwingie 76

Torres helps Chelsea win, Defoe double boosts Spurs n Reuters, London

Manchester City's Stevan Jovetic (C) shoots past Wigan Athletic's Lee Nicholls (L) to score his team's fourth goal during their English League Cup match at The Etihad Stadium in Manchester, northern England on Tuesday REUTERS

Stevan Jovetic and Jesus Navas scored their first goals for Manchester City who avenged last season’s shock FA Cup final defeat by Wigan Athletic with a 5-0 victory in the League Cup third round on Tuesday.

Montenegro striker Jovetic, signed for 25 million pounds ($39.96 million) from Fiorentina in the close season, scored twice on a night when fellow Premier League heavyweights Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur also eased into the next round.

Fernando Torres started for Chelsea and scored their first goal in a 2-0 win at League One (third tier) Swindon Town while Jermain Defoe, who is also

Dominant Dortmund need extra-time to beat 1860 Munich

Celtic stunned by second-tier Morton in League Cup n Reuters n Reuters, Berlin Celtic suffered an embarrassing Scottish League Cup third round exit, losing 1-0 at home to second-tier Morton after extra time on Tuesday.

Dougie Imrie scored a penalty for the Scottish Championship strugglers in the 97th minute after Efe Ambrose was penalised for handball.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon made five changes for the tie and, while it was one-way traffic for the Scottish champions and Champions League participants, they could not find a way through.

The Scottish League Cup is the only domestic trophy Lennon has yet to win.l

Borussia Dortmund needed extra-time to edge past second-tier 1860 Munich 2-0 and book their spot in the last 16 of the German Cup after dominating Tuesday’s tie and hitting the woodwork four times.

Substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang converted a penalty after 1860’s Dominik Stahl was sent off for a foul on Marco Reus in the 105th minute and Henrikh Mkhitharyan added another after a textbook break two minutes later.

“We must and can win difficult games like this,” said Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp.

Dortmund were kept at bay in the first half by a well-oiled 1860 defence before the visitors rattled the crossbar with a

Jakub Blaszczykowski effort right after the restart.

Dortmund, eager to rebound from

Results Preussen Munster Wiedenbruck 1860 Munich Wolfsburg Arminia Bielefeld Hamburg Mainz Hoffenheim

0-3 1-3 0-2 2-0 0-2 1-0 0-1 3-0

Augsburg Sandhausen Dortmund Aalen Leverkusen Greuther Fuerth Cologne Energie Cottbus

their opening Champions League defeat to Napoli and a 1-1 draw at Nuremberg

last week, upped the pressure and had more than 70 percent possession in the second half but could not work their way into the box.

The 2012 Cup winners were also repeatedly denied by 1860’s veteran keeper Gabor Kiraly, who at 37 showed he had lost none of his reflexes when he flicked a Marco Reus shot onto the post with his foot early in extra time.

Germany international Reus then rattled the bar in the 97th, curling a free kick over the wall before earning a penalty following a push by Stahl, who was given his marching orders. Gabon international Aubameyang sent Kiraly the wrong way to break the deadlock after his team had 32 shots on target compared to two for their opponents.l

often left on the bench, made the most of his outing at Aston Villa with a brace in a 4-0 victory.

Everton, the only unbeaten team in the Premier League, squandered a lead at Fulham for whom Darren Bent clinched a 2-1 win. In another all topflight tie West Ham United beat Cardiff City 3-2 at Upton Park with a late winner from Ricardo Vaz Te after the visitors had battled back from 2-0 down.

Manchester City’s 1-0 defeat by Wigan at Wembley in May led to manager Roberto Mancini being shown the door and Chilean Manuel Pellegrini taking his place at the Etihad Stadium.

Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho also made wholesale changes to his side with Juan Mata, David Luiz and Torres, none of whom were in the squad for

the win against Fulham on Saturday, coming in.

Tottenham, who host Chelsea on Saturday in the Premier League, warmed up with a convincing display at Villa as they registered an eighth win in nine matches in all competitions.

Sunderland earned some respite in their first match since Sunday’s sacking of their controversial Italian manager Paolo di Canio, winning 2-0 at home to third tier Peterborough.

Norwich City needed a stoppagetime equaliser at second tier Watford before winning 3-2 in extra time while Hull City and Southampton completed the march of the Premier League sides with a 1-0 win over Huddersfield and 2-0 victory against Bristol City respectively. l

Galatasaray fire Terim n AFP, Istanbul

Turkish giants Galatasaray on Tuesday fired coach Fatih Terim after a disappointing start to the season.

The news comes only a month after the most successful coach in Turkish history agreed to take over the national team on a one-year deal, while continuing his club commitments.

But following a mediocre start to the season that saw them win one, and draw three of their opening four league matches, leaving them currently ninth, Terim has been shown the door.

Following a board meeting the club published a statement on their website saying they had decided to “end Fatih Terim’s contract”, explaining that it was to “protect the club’s interests”.

Apart from the champions’ poor league start, last week they were hu-

miliated 6-1 at home to Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Known as the Emperor in his homeland, Terim was in his third stint at the Galatasaray helm having previously won six Turkish league titles and led them to the UEFA Cup crown in 2000, beating Arsenal on penalties in the final.

He is in his third spell as Turkey coach after previously taking the reins from 1993 to 1996 and then again from 2005 to 2009. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Otago Volts scorches Perth with Broom biltz

Quick Bytes

Minhaz takes sole lead

International Master Minhazuddin Ahmed Sagar of Bangladesh Ansar moved to the top of the Berger Paints 39th National ‘A’ Chess Championship’s point table after beating Mohammed Hafizul Islam Chapal in the 5th round at the BOA media centre yesterday. Sagar now has 4.5 points. Fide Master Mehdi Hasan Parag of Access Group defeated Grandmaster Enamul Hossain Razib in the same round. Parag played with the white pieces and defeated Razib’s Old Indian Defence in 40 moves. In the big match of the day, GM’s Ziaur Rahman and Abdullah Al Rakib drew their game and both slipped to second place with four points. Grandmaster Niaz Murshed of Dhaka Mohammedan was 3rd with 3.5 points after beating Shafiq Ahmed.

In other games, FM Mohammad Javed beat IM Abu Sufian Shakil, FM Sk Nasir Ahmed beat Md Jamal Uddin and FM Kh Aminul Islam beat FM Debaraj Chatterjee. Rakib will face Zia today in the 6th round at the same venue.

– SH

n Agencies

Summer Open Badminton Roxy Paints Summer Open (Ranking) Badminton Tournament is scheduled to get underway at the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium in Paltan tomorrow. A total of 150 male and 25 female participants from 35 districts and associations and one education board are taking part in the five-day meet. A press conference was held at the NSC conference room yesterday where the details of the tournament were announced.

The approximate budget for the event is Tk452,700 with sponsors Roxy Paints providing Tk300,000. Mujibur Rahman, managing director of Roxy Paints, will inaugurate the tournament as chief guest.

– SH

Saikat, Saad, Jubin move to 2nd round Bangladeshi players Shahriar Saikat, Saad Sadman and Jubin Omar, along with Pakistan’s Haris Iplanul Hoq moved into the 2nd round of the ATF Asian U-14 Series Tennis Tournament yesterday. In the boys’ singles event, Saikat outplayed compatriot Yaman Ahmed 6-2, 6-0, Saomik thrashed Mehedi Hasan 6-0, 6-0 and Omar defeated Sakib Mohammad 6-1, 6-2 at the National Tennis Complex in Ramna. Haris of Pakistan beat Ishtiaque of Bangladesh to advance.

– SH

Villa’s Benteke ruled out for at least four weeks

Aston Villa will be without Belgium striker Christian Benteke for four to six weeks after he sustained a hip injury in last weekend’s win at Norwich City, the club said. “Paul Lambert confirms Christian Benteke will be out for four-six weeks. Better news than he first feared,” Villa said on the club’s Twitter page. The news is a blow for Villa as Benteke had begun the season superbly, scoring four Premier League goals. He was unable to play in Villa’s 4-0 League Cup defeat by Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday and is likely to miss Belgium’s remaining World Cup qualifiers.

– Reuters

Manager Gattuso sacked by Palermo Manager Gennaro Gattuso has been sacked by Palermo after a string of bad results in Serie B, president Maurizio Zamparini said on Wednesday. “It’s with great sadness that I write to say that I have relieved Gennaro Gattuso of his duties as first-team manager,” Zamparini wrote on the club’s official website (www. palermocalcio.it). “Unfortunately for both me and him, we might have bitten off a little bit too much for his first experience as manager, at a club with a demanding public like Palermo’s. Results have shown that we were wrong (to offer Gattuso the job).” Gattuso, a former Italy international and AC Milan midfielder who arrived from Sion in June after a disappointing time as player-coach last season, was fired by the trigger-happy Zamparini after losing 2-1 at Bari on Tuesday.

– Reuters

Otago Volts opener Neil Broom raises the bat after reaching his century against Perth Scorchers during their Champions League 2013 T20 match in Jaipur yesterday

8:20pm 2013 CLT 20 LIVE CSK v Sunrisers Hyderabad

Opener Neil Broom produced a hurricane 117-run knock off just 56 balls as Otago Volts recorded a comprehensive 62-run win over Perth Scorchers in the Champions League Twenty20 tournament, here Wednesday.

Riding on Broom’s blistering ton, the Kiwi side posted the highest-ever total in the tournament history as they reached mammoth 242 for four after being put into bat.

Apart from Broom’s breathtaking unbeaten knock, Ryan ten Doeschate tormented the Scorchers bowler with his fiery 26-ball 66. Broom and ten Doeschate rattled up a stunning 128-run partnership for the fourth wicket in just eight overs as they plundered 24 boundaries, including 10 sixes, between them.

The Australian side put up a brave fight but all they could manage was 180 for six, built around Hilton Cartwright’s unbeaten 73 and some superb batting by the lower-order. Scorchers were in trouble right from first over when Ian Butler struck twice.

Skipper Simon Katich was run out and the Australians were gasping at 11 for three in the second over.

Adam Voges (36), Ashton Turner (23) and Tom Triffitt (25) resisted for a while but that only reduced the defeat margin. With this convincing win, Otago have extended their unbeaten streak to 14 matches, second only to Sialkot Stallions’ incredible 25 wins on the trot.

Broom butchered the Australian bowlers with his incredible knock as

he hit nine fours and eight sixes. Such was the impact of the Broom’s electrifying knock that Otago collected 94 runs in the last five overs. Only Australian batsman David Warner (135 and 123), who has two centuries two his credit in CLT20, is ahead of Broom in the Champions League. Broom’s was only fifth hundred in CLT20.

Broom reached 95 with a six off young paceman Joel Paris and reached the three-figure mark with another big

Brief Score Otago Volts: 242 for four in 20 overs (Neil Broom 117 not out, Ryan ten Doeschate 66; Joel Paris 2/50) defeat Perth Scorchers: 180 for six in 20 overs (Hilton Cartwright 73 not out, A. Voges 36; Butler 3/47). shot as he hit three successive sixes in that over.

Broom was dropped in the first ball of that Paris over, when he was on 87, and he made the Aussies pay quite heavily.

Paris had given away just nine runs in his first two overs as he had rocked the Otago top-order by dismissing Hamish Rutherford and Brendon McCullum in successive balls in the third over but ended up giving away 41 runs the last two.

Broom got good support from Derek de Boorder (45) with whom he raised a 67-runs to stabilise the innings. But what followed was incredible hitting from Broom and Ryan ten Doeschate, who smashed his way to a fiery 26-ball 66, laced with three fours and six sixes. l

England’s Shah retires from first-class cricket n AFP, London

Former England batsman Owais Shah announced his retirement from firstclass cricket on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old Shah wants to concentrate on shorter formats of the game, meaning he could remain at Essex next season.

Shah, who played six Tests and 88 limited overs matches for England, completed his first-class career with a hundred against Glamorgan last week.

“I have really enjoyed my Championship cricket career,” Shah said in a statement. “I started off playing fourday cricket for Middlesex and my main aim was to play for England.

“I have achieved this but now as time goes on I would rather concentrate on the shorter forms of the game.

“It’s time for the young guys at Essex to come through in the First Team squad and it’s important that I don’t stand in their way.”

Shah’s announcement came four days after Essex team-mate Ravi Bopara had given away his retirement intentions on Twitter, by writing: “Congrats to Owais Shah on a GREAT first class career. Finished with a fine century today. 45 first class 100s & a great man.

Will be missed.” l

India put four past Pakistan n Agencies India turned on a sizzling display of attacking hockey to defeat Pakistan 4-0 in a clash of the archrivals at the Sultan of Johor Cup in Johor Baru.

The defeat was Pakistan’s first in the tournament while India remains unbeaten and on course for a place in Sunday’s final. India are a win away from the final and should achieve it by defeating South Korea on Thursday while Pakistan face a daunting task of trying to get a win over hosts Malaysia.

Pakistan started off on a fast pace while India was contend with stroking the ball around, awaiting the Pakistani players to make mistakes.

India was awarded a penalty corner in the 15th minute and Amit Rohidass drag flick came off the upright.

India came out of the tunnel looking refreshed in confidence and took two minutes to win a penalty corner.

Amit Rohidass relayed the ball to Sukhmanjit Singh whose pile driver of a flick sailed into the roof off the net to give India a1-0 lead.

And suddenly Pakistan were put on the back foot as India rallied in search of more goals and they were duly rewarded. Imran Khan doubled the advantage in the 45th minute after a fine dribble

by Harjeet Singh on the right flank and made a square pass to Imran Khan to slot into an empty goal with Mazhar wrong footed.

Barely had the cheers died down that India were awarded a penalty stroke when Ramandeep Singh was brought down in full flight by Tousiq. Up stepped Sukhmanjit to put the ball past Mazhar for a 3-0 lead.

In the 61st minute Kothajit Singh broke through on the left and set up a simple tap in for Ramandeep Singh to score India’s fourth and the humiliation was complete.l

Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland returns a shot to Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia during their third round match of the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament in Tokyo yesterday AP

US captain Tom Watson Williams advances at Pan Pacific Open denies any Woods rift n AP, Tokyo

n AFP, St Andrews United States captain, Tom Watson will seek to heal any rift with Tiger Woods ahead of next year’s Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, Scotland.

Watson has not spoken at length with Woods since the eight-time major winning Kansas-born golfer was very outspoken at the 2010 Dubai Desert Classic following revelations months earlier of Woods’ extra-marital affairs, saying Woods ‘messed up’ and that he ‘had to take ownership’ and ‘get his personal life back in order’.

“I really have not sat down with Tiger

since then though I did sit down beside him at the former champions dinner at this year’s US Open and we just had a normal conversation,” said Watson.

“But I have not sat with Tiger privately and I will have a sit down conversation with him. I will need to do that with everybody.”

Woods gesture ensured the pair halved their match and moments after Europe had claimed victory in a stunning come-from-behind success.

Woods has competed in all but one Ryder Cup since making his debut in 1997 and with the exception being in 2008 when injured.l

Venus Williams rallied from a set down to defeat Simona Halep of Romania 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 on Wednesday and reach the quarterfinals of the Pan Pacific Open.

Williams, making her first appearance in the Tokyo tournament since 2009, broke serve to lead 5-3 in the third set at Ariake Colosseum and then won with a crosscourt forehand that No. 13-seeded Halep hit into the net.

“It was a very tough match,” Williams said. “She played very well. I don’t know how I was able to win the match. I just wanted to stay in Japan longer.”

Williams, who ousted top-seeded

Victoria Azarenka on Tuesday, will face Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard in the quarterfinals.

Bouchard upset sixth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 7-5, 6-2.

Making her debut in the Tokyo tournament, Bouchard broke Jankovic to go up 5-2 in the second set and then held serve to win.

Jankovic had a 5-4 lead in the first set but Bouchard won the last three games after a talk with her coach.

“I felt like I wasn’t playing my best in the first set,” Bouchard said. “But I stayed with her and started to get a lot more aggressive near the end of the first set and that was the turning point.”

Bouchard, who is 46th in the world

Colombian ‘futbol’ telenovela is a ratings GOOOOOOOOL! n AFP, Bogota

Day’s Watch ESPN Sultan of Johor Cup 2013 LIVE 2:00pm England v Argentina 4:00pm Korea v India 6:00pm Malaysia v Pakistan Star Sports

15

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Colombian actor Edgar Vittorino impersonating former Colombian football star Carlos ''el Pibe" Valderrama for the television series ''La Seleccion'' in Bogota AFP

With Colombia’s national football team close to qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, viewers are tuning in by the millions to a telenovela about their dream team of the 1990s.

The soap opera — known simply as “La Seleccion” - marketed in English as “Football Dreams, a World of Passionis an undeniable runaway smash hit.

The series focuses on the personal struggles and love stories of the national team’s four main players: Carlos “El Pibe” (The Kid) Valderrama, goalkeeper Rene “El Loco” (Madman) Higuita, striker Faustino Asprilla and

midfielder Freddy Rincon.

These players formed the backbone of the team that played in World Cup tournaments in Italy in 1990, the United States in 1994, and France in 1998.

“These characters are representative of Colombia, and rich from a dramatic point of view,” said series codirector Ricardo Coral.

Valderrama, known for his trademark bushy blond afro, was the team captain and a born leader. Internationally he played for Montpellier in France, Real Valladolid in Spain, and later with US soccer teams.

Higuita, who sported long, curly black hair, was the goalkeeper known

for his spectacular “scorpion kick” and for daring forays far from his goal posts. He also played for Real Valladolid, and for Veracruz in Mexico.

Striker Asprilla, a media diva, played internationally in Italy and Britain, while midfielder Rincon, who played for SSC Napoli, Real Madrid and teams in Brazil, was known for his tenacity and determination, Coral said.

Colombian soaps in the past years have focused on the usual fare of steamy love stories as well as “narco dramas” -- stories about the country’s decades-long conflict involving drug traffickers, leftist guerrillas and rightwing paramilitary forces. l

rankings, said winning last year’s junior Wimbledon title has given her confidence to compete at a higher level.

“That gave me a lot of confidence to play in the pros,” Bouchard said. “Playing week in, week out against the top players has made me a better player.”

In other third-round matches, fourth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki defeated Magdalena Rybarikova 6-1, 6-1, and second-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska beat Dominika Cibulkova 6-3, 6-4.

Fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany overpowered No. 11-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, 6-4, 6-2, and Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic beat No. 12-seeded Samantha Stosur of Australia, 6-4, 6-4.l

'Vettel era coming to an end' n AFP, Berlin Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has predicted that triple world champion Sebastian Vettel’s dominance of the sport will soon be over.

Speaking to Bild newspaper, Ecclestone said this season’s runaway championship leader could even be knocked off his perch as early as next year.

“His domination will end, maybe in 2014. We’re going to have completely new cars, new engines, new rules,” said Ecclestone. That will be the chance for Ferrari and Mercedes to catch up with Vettel. Next year it might not be the best driver but the best car that wins the title.”

Ecclestone said he believed the recent jeers that have met Vettel’s last two race wins were not due to him as a person, but due to his dominance.l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Buyers worried, factory owners slow to respond H&M joins IndustriALL Global Union to support demands for increased wages

n Kayes Sohel Readymade garment factory owners have been slow to respond to workers’ demands for increasing minimum wage.

Despite the risks of continued protests, given that global retailers are watching the industry to see how the situation is handled, the owners’ associations have not responded with due urgency as workers’ agitations have spread.

In Gazipur, Savar, Ashulia and Narayanganj another volatile day passed with workers vandalising vehicles and factories, prompting owners to shut units and police to swing into action.

On Monday night, industry leaders assured Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, one of the labour leaders negotiating between workers and factory owners, of an amicable solution.

Workers want minimum wage to be raised to Tk8114, factory owners suggested Tk3600, which is 20% up from current wage of Tk3000, which was implemented after many delays three years ago.

On Tuesday, an independent research institute proposed Tk6560 as starting salary, however, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) as well as the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) haven’t bothered to respond, even though the owners are aware of the potential loss to business if the volatile situation persists.

A European retailer’s representative said if the chaotic conditions continue it would disrupt production of orders already placed. He said buyers are worried about supply disruptions.

Australian brand Target was monitoring the situation closely.

The company however imports products worth $150m from 35 factories locally, which is relatively moderate, compared to big US and European buyers.

“Buyers are very, very scared,” said Rubana Haq, managing director of Mohammadi Group, who supplies leading brands such as H&M, Zara, Esprit as well as Wal-Mart.

She said: “The chaotic situation needs to be settled immediately to save the industry.” Haq thinks the situation might worsen next month in the run up to the general election.

At a press briefing, the BGMEA’s acting president SM Mannan said: “A conspiracy has been started locally and internationally to destabilise the industry at a time when negotiations are ongoing to fix minimum wage for garment factory workers.”

Labour leader Nazma Akter said the demand for minimum wage to be increased is only logical, when we consider the rising costs of living, because since 2010 wages have not been adjusted to take into account higher rents and prices of commodities.

Akhtar said rising costs have “pushed workers to stand with their backs against the wall.”

She said fears about higher production costs could be handled by factories if they demanded that buyers increase the rates charged for CM (cutting and making) so as to offset the cost of production.

A representative of a Scandinavian brand said buying houses and factories lacked marketing capacity and ability to negotiate prices.”

Europe’s second-biggest retailer H&M joined IndustriALL Global Union, which supports increased wages. According to a Bloomberg report, H&M’s spokesperson Andrea Roos said: “We strongly support the workers’ demand (for increased minimum wage).”

A reputed brand’s local representative spoke for everyone when he said: “If the situation is aggravated from October when political movement leading to general elections begins, then it will risk Bangladesh’s image and the industry will be in dire straits.” l

Muhith calls hartal a terrorist act n Tribune Desk

Security check posts without female personnel allow suspects to go unchecked

Slamming Jamaat-Shibir men for carrying out frequent attacks on trains across the country in the name of hartal, Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday said hartal is not a political language but a terrorist act.

“Hartal is not a political language.

It has turned into a terrorist act. Jamaat-Shibir set ablaze bogies and engines of trains in the name of hartal,” he said while addressing the function marking the introduction of the Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (Demu) train service on Sylhet-Akhaura route at Sylhet Railway Station.

The minister also urged all to resist the Jamaat-Shibir elements.

Describing the steps the government has taken to develop the Railway sector, Muhith said the government has carried out Tk 18,310 crore development works in the sector. “If this trend continues, the railways will be the best communication system.”

Railways Minister Mujibul Haque, among others, addressed the function presided over by Railways acting secretary Abul Kalam Azad. l

n Kailash Sarkar

With no female law enforcement members at Police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) check posts, many suspects go unscathed, mostly overlooked by male security personnel in order to avoid an embarrassing situation or a body-search.

Police and Rab high-ups pointed out inadequate number of female security personnel as the main limitation in deploying them at check posts, while the country is also not used to seeing them at checkpoints.

The 49 police stations under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) usually set up two check posts each everyday alongside another 20 Rab check posts in the capital. Both law enforcement agencies also set up a large number of check posts in the districts and on the highways, said sources.

Sub-Inspector Lal Miah of the New Market police station, who was heading a check post in front of Dhaka College on September 22 night, said: “We never check any woman suspect due to ab-

German Ambassador Albrecht Conze visits the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) in Savar where Rana Plaza victims are being treated

‘Germany to support Rana Plaza victims’ n Tribune Report Germany will provide all-out support to the victims of Rana Plaza disaster, said German Ambassador Albrecht Conze yesterday.

The ambassador said this while visiting victims who lost their limbs in Rana Plaza tragedy at the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) in Savar.

The German Red Cross (DRK) and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are implementing a project at CRP compound for the victims.

The DRK coordinated the physical rehabilitation project which is being implemented by the CRP with the technical support of the ICRC.

sence of female members in our team.”

“We have to let the women suspects go unchecked so that no untoward incident takes place as well as keeping their rights in mind,” said Lal Miah.

Many other law enforcers at different check posts in the city said they usually avoid the women passers-by.

Mokhlesur Rahman, Director General of Rab, said: “Inadequate number of female members are the main reason we cannot deploy them at check posts always.”

However, we are yet to receive any allegation against a male personnel for frisking women suspects, he said.

“Check posts in the daytime often include female members. However, at night they are not deployed as check posts are strategically set up all of a sudden,” the Rab DG said.

Meanwhile, the most-senior female member in cadre post in the Police Department, Fatima Begum, a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) at the Special Branch (SB), said: “Presence of female members of police at check posts is important, as criminals can be both male

Following their recovery, the victims will also receive work rehabilitation support through skill development training run by the CRP. Ambassador Conze said: “Cooperation between DRK, ICRC and CRP aiming at rehabilitation of those affected by the tragedy has been outstanding. Together, they are assisting the victims in restoring their dignity and reintegrating them into their personal and professional lives”.

More than 200 seriously injured patients received treatment at the CRP. “Today I wanted to see with my own eyes how the patients are coping with their disabilities and encourage them to make new plans after their survival of the Rana

and female.”

DIG Fatima appreciated the Dhaka Tribune for bringing up the issue with her and said: “Female members at check posts will be better for both law enforcers and women. I would discuss it with my seniors.”

Sultana Kamal, executive director at Ain O Shalish Kendra said: “It is desirable to include female police when there is a question of body-searching women suspects.”

“Law enforcement agencies should try to deploy female members for avoiding uncomfortable situation for the women,” said Sultana Kamal, who is also the chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB) and an adviser to a former caretaker government.

Meanwhile, a young women seeking anonymity, explained her own experience at a police check post and said how she had felt embarrassed.

She said: “My boyfriend and I were stopped at a check post in front of the Novo Theatre in capital’s Bijoy Smarani area this month. It was around 9pm

Plaza disaster,” he said.

In order to improve the future life of those who suffered long-term injuries, the German government has earmarked an additional amount of 2.5m Euros within an ongoing project in the field of social and environmental standards in the industry implemented by the German Development Cooperation Agency GIZ. In his speech he gave importance on occupational therapy of the victims of Rana Plaza victims and then sending them to work according to the victims’ ability as if they can depend on themselves.

He assures to help the victims of Rana Plaza in future in cooperation with Bangladesh Red Crescent society, German Red

and we were in an auto-rickshaw. The law enforcers checked the vehicle, my handbag as well as my friends’. Surprisingly, one of them took an attempt to frisk me, but finally he did not as other members stopped him.”

AKM Shahidul Hoque, Additional Inspector General (Addl-IGP-Admin), said: “Female members are not deployed always, mainly at night, as it is not yet familiar in the country while security of the female members should also be considered.”

He, however, denied that the female members were not fit for the job.

The police department started recruiting female members back in 1974, when the number was only 12. At present the number is 6180 and on May 16, 2010, Bangladesh sent its first all-female police contingent of 160 women personnel on a United Nation’s peacekeeping mission to Haiti.

So far, several thousand female members of the police have performed in UN the Peace Keeping Missions and there are several separate battalions and units of female police in the country. l

Aduri gets a new dress, support from police, rights bodies n Mohammad Jamil Khan

An 11-year-old girl, who was rescued by police two days ago from a dustbin in the capital, is now getting support from law enforcers, human rights groups and the public as she recovers from her ordeal at a government hospital.

She even got a new dress from some strangers, who came to see her after reading her story in this newspaper, but left without giving their names.

The torture wounds all over Aduri’s body are also healing with the care of doctors at the Dhaka Medical college Hospital. She has started to talk clearly, and remember the painful things that happened to her in the past two months at the hands of the owner of the house, where her mother had sent

her to work for food. Lying on her hospital bed yesterday, the girl said she

AMIRUL RAJIV

used to wash dishes and do the cleaning and dusting at the house.

One day, out of a child’s curiosity, she tried on a pair of earrings belonging to her employer, and was caught. And the torture began.

She said the woman, whom she called “khalamma” (aunt), cut her skin with razor blades and singed her with a heated iron. The woman’s two grownup daughters also beat her sometimes.

Meanwhile, a team from the Victim Support Centre of Dhaka Metropolitan Police visited Aduri at the hospital’s neurosurgery department yesterday.

Sub-inspector Rehana Akhter from the centre said they came to see the victim to make sure she was receiving proper treatment. Several legal aid and human rights bodies have also come forward to offer support to the child.

After visiting Aduri, Mahmuda Kha-

tun Maya of Ain o Salish Kendra said the organisation wanted to take responsibility for the girl’s future and ensure she gets back to her parents.

Moreover, police investigators were trying to trace the culprits who tortured her, an officer at Cantonment police station said.

Aduri cannot recall her employer’s name or the area where she worked.

She could only say her father’s name was Khaleq Mridha and her mother Shafia Begum.

Abdul Mannan, an assistant sub-inspector of Cantonment police, found Aduri in a dustbin as he was patrolling the Gulshan-Baridhara area on Monday. Mannan said the girl’s employer might have dumped her in the garbage after torture, thinking she was dead. l

cross and ICRC. The ambassador then visited different projects of rehabilitation running at CRP compound which includes vocational training of 60 injured victims of Rana Plaza.

He listened to the experience of a victim Rehana of Rana Plaza disaster who recently got an artificial limb and the ambassador also enjoyed the wheelchair basketball playing of the rehabilitated patients of CRP. Among others, ambassador’s wife Veronique Conze Rico Wallenta, representatives from German Red Cross, Shafiq-ul-Islam, Executive Director of CRP, Professor M S Akbar M.P, chairman of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society presented in the rehabilitation programme at CRP compound. l

12 Bangladeshi workers still languishing in Egyptian prisons n Rabiul Islam Twelve of the 17 undocumented Bangladeshi migrant workers, who were recently detained by the Egyptian authorities, are still languishing in jail there.

The news of their detention came through an email from Second Secretary Rafiqul Islam of the Bangladesh labour wing in Egypt.

Some 17 undocumented Bangladeshi workers returned home after languishing in an Egyptian jail for several months Five of the workers – Md Nobil, Billal Patwary, Md Alam and Kalu Mal from Chandpur, and Md Shafiq from Rangpur – returned home on September 23.

Officials of the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board, which deals with the problems of migrants, however, are not aware of their return.

“I did not know the updates,” a director of the board told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday, seeking anonymity.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Nobil said: “I along with four others have returned home after languishing in jail for three months…My mother paid Tk50,000 for my return.”

Those who are still in jail are Al Mamun, Ershad, Shahin, Shilpi Akter, Faruq, Abdul Hannan, Mohammad Nazim Uddin, Oman Faruk, Nurul Islam Arif, Simul, Hanifa and Hafizur Rahman Sarder.

Shilpi Akter was detained for overstay while Faruq and Hannan were detained for having no visa and passport.

The others were detained while illegally crossing the Egyptian border to enter Libya.

Atiqul Islam, GM of MGH Group, said: “We are trying to bring back the 12 other detained workers.”

On August 5, some 17 undocumented Bangladeshi workers returned home after languishing in an Egyptian jail for several months. 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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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

Private credit shines briefly in July ‘Credit rose because of higher food imports, but entrepreneurs feel shy for long term investment’ n Kayes Sohel

while wheat import soared $118.10m from $72.32m, sugar to $65.66m from $46.69m, refined edible oil to $43.37m from $20.52m, crude edible oil to $112.60m from $52.98m, and pulses $39.20m from $34.49m.

Import payment in August registered a negative growth of 6% or $2.4bn, which was positive growth of 2.28% or $2.5bn in the same month a year earlier.

Mar '13

Apr '13

“The fall in August import payment indicates that the credit growth in July was just for a brief period,” said an official.

In its latest monetary policy, the central bank cut the private sector credit growth target to 15.5% for the last quarter this year and 16.5% for June next year from 18.3% in December 2012 and 18.5% in June 2013.

“The private credit rose because of high-

Bangladesh may get 95% duty-free access to China n Tribune Business Desk China will increase the duty-free access of Bangladeshi products to its market up to 95% to boost the trade relations between the two countries and to support Bangladesh in bringing down its trade deficit with the trading partner.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said this when he met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Conference Building of the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday, says a UNB report yesterday.

Hasina is now in New York on an eight-day official visit to attend the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Bijan Lal Dev briefed reporters after the meeting.

Extending her thanks to the Chinese

government for raising the duty-frees access of Bangladeshi products, the Prime Minister said that Bangladesh always values the friendship and cooperation with the neighbouring countries, especially with China, as it is a big economic power.

China would discuss with the authorities concerned of India, Myanmar and Bangladesh next month to move ahead with a project relating to economic corridor Hasina said that both Bangladesh and China could work together for the development of the people of the region. She also noted that the party-to-party relationship between the two countries is also good.

Recalling that Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had taken significant steps to strengthen the bilateral relationships between China and Bangladesh, Wang Yi said that the same way Sheikh Hasina has been continuing her efforts to strengthen the relationships.

He also apprised the Prime Minister that China would discuss with the authorities concerned of India, Myanmar and Bangladesh next month to move ahead with a project relating to economic corridor.

The Chinese Foreign Minister also praised the active role Bangladesh playing at different levels of regional and international forums.

Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Ambassador at-Large M Ziauddin, PM’s Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and Bangladesh permanent representative to the UN AK Abdul Momen were present. l

11.7%

Feb '13

11%

Jan '13

11.5%

Dec '12

12.7%

Nov '12

12.7%

Oct '12

14%

Sep '12

14.8%

Aug '12

16.6%

19.9%

Jul '12

17.4%

19.9%

Jun '12

18.4%

20.3%

P r iv a t e c r e d it g r o w t h t r e n d 19.7%

The private sector credit from the commercial banks recovered to some extent for a short period of time after almost a year of sluggish trend, riding on the back of increased imports of food items.

The credit growth registered 11.7% yearon-year in July, the first month of the current fiscal year. It grew 11% in the previous month and more than 20% in the same month a year ago, according to Bangladesh Bank figures.

The credit flow to the private sector stood at Tk457bn in July, 2013 against Tk409.7bn in the same month a year ago.

“Food importers may have preferred stockpiling the essential items to avert possible political chaos ahead of the upcoming general election,” said an official. “The rise may be a temporary one because it was not stimulated by productive sector credit.”

Before returning to the positive territory, credit growth to the private sector plunged to a record low – a sign of economic slowdown, mainly due to political uncertainty and higher rate of interest.

It continued to reduce for 11 consecutive months from July last through May this year – the longest declining streak since 1981 and to a level not seen before 2007.

Imports stood at $3.21bn in July, an increase of more than 12% over the previous month and 8.74% compared to the corresponding month of 2012, pushing the July’s private sector borrowing marginally, the central bank data shows.

Rice import surged to $12.15m in July this year from $1.26m in July last year

May '13

Jun '13

Jul '13

er food imports, but entrepreneurs feel shy for long term investment because of looming political uncertainty,” said Mirza Azizul Islam, finance adviser to the last caretaker government.

“We need private sector investment to increase by more than 30% from the existing 20% of GDP to achieve 7.2% growth estimated in the fiscal targets.” l

BB to refinance BKB, RAKUB

n Tribune Report Bangladesh Bank yesterday decided to refinance Tk8bn to two state-owned banks – Bangladesh Krishi Bank Tk5bn and Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank Tk3bn. The fund will be provided against government securities at 5% interest.

A meeting of the bank board at the central bank headquarters took the decision as the specialised banks were facing difficulty in providing agriculture loan due to fund shortage, said an official. Governor Atiur Rahman chaired the meeting.

BKB has a capital shortfall of around Tk55bn and classified loans of Tk47bn while RAKUB’s capital deficit stands at Tk2.67bn and classified loans Tk15bn, according to the Bangladesh Bank data. The board also reviewed the financial status of four state-owned commercial banks. l

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

Banglalink to launch 3G next month n Tribune Report Banglalink yesterday announced it will launch the 3G mobile phone services in Dhaka by next month and in Chittagong, Khulna and Sylhet before the end of this year.

They made the announcement without giving any specific date at a press conference in Dhaka, following a demonstration on the test launching.

“We are really passionate with the 3G services and as we love our customers we will provide the best service,” said Ziad Shatara, Chief Executive Officer of the country’s second largest mobile phone operator.

“By October, we will offer our subscribers 3G services and within this year we will cover the whole Dhaka metro. At the same time we will reach other three big cities.”

Ziad Shatara demonstrated real time 3G service with their network installed only in four and a half hour time. He used facebook, Youtube and made a video call using the 3G network in his handset.

He said the penetration of the country’s 3G-enabled handsets is only 6% and that’s why they acquired only 5 Megahertz of spectrum.

To get the services, the subscribers would not have to change the SIM cards or pay any fees.

Deputy CEO Jan Edvard Thygesen said: “We are a very competitive operator and that’s why they are investing in this market though only one operator can make money here.”

He said the test launch reiterates our readiness and commitment to our customers and to the people of Bangladesh. “We’re fully committed to our pledge to deliver the latest technology and services consistently to our customers.” l

SMC elects Muhammed Ali new chairman

Social Marketing Company (SMC) held its annual general meeting on 17th this month at the company’s head office in Dhaka.

The independent chairperson Barrister AKM Nazrul Islam assigned by the Company Court presided over the meeting, said a press release. The AGM formed a board of directors which later elected Muhammed Ali as its chairman. The board formed for the next two years will be governed by the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the company which recently obtained legal entity. l

MTB Unit Fund declares dividend

Despite many odds in the market, MTB Unit Fund managed by asset manager Alliance Capital Asset Management Limited has declared a cash dividend of 5% for the unit holders. Alliance Capital has now brought an open ended fund styled Alliance S&P Shariah Index Fund. However, unlike any other mutual fund in the country, this will follow an Islamic index developed and maintained by world’s leading index provider Standard & Poor’s. This index is specially prepared for Bangladesh market.

This fund is open for initial subscription and attracting much attention of long-term investors regardless of religion. l

Jamuna Bank inaugurates new branch in Khulna Banglalink Chief Executive Officer Ziad Shatara smiles at a press conference in Dhaka yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

India-US ties lose shine over economic differences n Reuters, New Delhi When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last visited the White House in 2009 he was feted at President Barack Obama’s first state dinner, a star-studded affair that reflected the excitement about blooming ties between the two big democracies.

Back then, optimists in Washington saw India as a counterbalance to a rising China and a new engine for the US economy. In a dinner toast, Obama talked of his “duty” to bring the two countries closer.

That duty has only been partly fulfilled.

As the two leaders prepare to meet again at the White House on Friday for a working bilateral meeting, Obama is under pressure from lobby groups and lawmakers seething at what they see as India’s protectionism and lax enforcement of intellectual property rights.

India’s $60bn trade with the United States is widely seen as less than it could be and is just an eighth of US trade with China. Even India’s national security adviser accepts there is a perception the relationship is drifting off course.

“It arises from the macro-economic situation. US friends mention concerns about

economic reforms and specific policy issues in India. These concerns are not unique to the US They are, first and foremost, of concern to Indians,” National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon said on Friday.

India has still not shaken off memories of foreign domination through trade and it is increasingly hard for the government, ahead of elections next year, to push ahead with economic reforms and deals seen as favouring US companies.

In turn, Indian IT firms which operate in the United States are angered by restrictions on travel visas for skilled workers.

In June, fourteen US business groups took the unusual step of forming a coalition specifically to pressure Obama over India’s perceived protectionist measures, piracy and

patent laws.

Indian sourcing rules for retail, IT, medicine and clean energy technology are contentious and US companies gripe about “unfair” imports from India of everything from shrimp to steel pipes. In June, more than 170 US lawmakers signed a letter to Obama about Indian policies they said threatened US jobs.

Even US Vice-President Joe Biden grumbled about India’s reluctance to open up to US companies, or align with the United States on the world stage, during a visit to Mumbai in July.

Traditionally, India has been reluctant to get too close to any one big power and Singh is heading to Russia and China over the next two months on trips his staff have described as “economic diplomacy”. l

Jamuna Bank Limited (JBL) has launched a branch in Khulna. JBL chairman Kanutosh Majumder inaugurated the 84th of the bank as the chief guest, said a press release.

Jamuna Bank Foundation (JBF) chairman Nur Mohammed, JBL sponsor Farhad Ahmed Akand and deputy managing director AKM Saifuddin Ahamed, among others, were also present on the occasion. l

UCBL opens branch at Chinispur

The United Commercial Bank Ltd (UCBL) set up a branch at Chinispur in Narsingdi.

The UCBL managing director Muhammed Ali formally inaugurated the 132nd branch of the bank, said a press release.

Additional managing director Mirza Mahmud Rafiqur Rahman, among other senior officials of the bank, was also present on the occasion. l

Correction

“Airtel, Arkay Group ink deal” was published yesterday. The news stated Rajnish Kaul as the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Airtel which will be Rajnish Kaul, Chief Operating Officer, Airtel Bangladesh Limited. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

SME business plans competition begins n Tazlina Zamila Khan The National SME Business Plan Competition 2013 has been announced open yesterday at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka to encourage the young people to get engaged with the entrepreneurial activities.

Industries Minister and SME Foundation chairman Dilip Barua formally inaugurated the event as chief guest.

After having introduced the event last year, the SME Foundation is organising the second SME business plan competition.

President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries (DCCI) Sabur Khan, Editor of The Financial Express Moazzem Hossain and economic analyst Prof Mamun Rashid were also present at the inaugural function chaired by the Foundation’s acting managing director Md Mujibur Rahman.

The interested participants can download application forms from the Foundation’s website— www.smef.org.bd—or collect it from the SME Foundation office from September 25 to December 31.

Application can be individual or in group consisting of not more than four members.

There will be a selection committee which, after scrutiny and assessment of the applications, will pick up 150 contestants.

The selected contestants will be put on a daylong training about process and rules of preparing business plans.

After the training, the participants will be given one month time to complete their business plans and submit to the SME Foundation.

Finally, three best plans will be announced by a jury board. The first prize winner will receive Tk500,000 while the second prize is Tk400,000 and the third prize Tk300,000.

The SME Foundation introduced the National SME Business Plan Competition last year. In the last year’s competition, Samia Sharif and Mahmudul Islam Tapu of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) won the first prize for their idea to produce sodium silicate from rice bran.

Dilip Barua said the SME sector is playing a big role in generating employment opportunities in Bangladesh.

“Last year, as many as 48,000 jobs were

Bangladesh’s state grains buyer has cancelled a tender to import 50,000 tonnes of wheat, citing higher prices, a senior procurement official said yesterday.

A domestic trader made the lowest offer of $286.77 a tonne, including CIF liner out, in the tender, which was the third for the current fiscal year that began in July.

The offer was high considering global wheat prices and the firm was also not able to submit proper documents, the official at Directorate General of Food, the state agency, said.

The second highest offer was $291.95, which was submitted by South Korea’s Daewoo International Corp.

Stocks back in red again n Tribune Report

Industries Minister Dilip Barua speaks at the inauguration of the 2nd SME Business Plan Competition in Dhaka yesterday created where the SME had contributed a significant part,” the minister said.

Besides, Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) created 15,000 new entrepreneurs during last fiscal in the country.

Dilip Barua stressed the need of producing more entrepreneurs, having a long-term policy for the SME sector and the establishment of good governance.

DCCI chief Sabur Khan laid emphasis on implementing the selected plans through financing from the SME Foundation.

“If the plans are not implemented, the contest will be worthless. I believe the SME Foundation has enough fund to finance the projects,” he said.

According to Sabur Khan, Bangladesh can achieve over 7% growth in gross domestic product through expanding its manufacturing sector.

“In our efforts to create new entrepreneurs, DCCI has already trained principals of 300

polytechnic institutes on entrepreneurship education. The principals came from across the country and the training was held on Monday,” DCCI president cited.

Prof Mamun Rashid identified the lack of access to financing as the main obstacle towards developing entrepreneurship in the country while the Financial Express editor Moazzem Hossain found a natural ability of being entrepreneurs among the Bangladeshi people.

Mamun Rashid noted the lack of efficiency in some interested people in making entrepreneurial decision.

“While making decision to launch an enterprise, some face a kind of problem, which is their inability to understand what enterprises can bring business for them and what cannot,” said Mamun Rashid, who is an eminent banker in Bangladesh, emphasising the importance of providing entrepreneurial consultancy to those who want to start a venture. l

Bangladesh scraps wheat purchase tender n Reuters, Dhaka

3

Another domestic firm has secured previous two tenders to supply a total of 100,000 tonnes of wheat by offering lowest bids of $282.66 a tonne and $288.26 a tonne.

The imports are part of a plan by the Directorate General of Food to ship in 850,000 tonnes of wheat in the current financial year, up from about 350,000 tonnes the previous year Two more tenders are in the process, with one is due to open on October 1 and another on October 8.

The imports are part of a plan by the Directorate General of Food to ship in 850,000 tonnes of wheat in the current financial year, up from about 350,000 tonnes the previous

year. The state agency could not achieve last financial year’s import target of 800,000 tonnes mainly because of supply failure by traders.

That has prompted it to introduce tougher delivery rules to ensure supplies are delivered on time by the winning bidder.

Bangladesh’s government is buying 200,000 tonnes of wheat from Ukraine at $307 a tonne CIF liner out amid a drop in government reserves, which have fallen to around 1m tonnes now from 1.4m tonnes a year earlier.

Apart from the government, private traders also import about 2.5m tonnes of wheat a year to help meet local demand of 4m tonnes. Domestic output amounts to about 1m tonnes. l

Stocks were back in the red yesterday, a day after marginal rise, as investors were cautious over the ongoing unrest in apparel industry.

After rising more than 9 points in the morning, the benchmark DSEX index was down 24 points or 0.6% to 4,005. The blue chip index DS30 dropped 9 points or 0.7% to 1,462.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, declined 70 points to 7,801.

Trading activities remained sluggish at DSE as the total turnover value stood at Tk3.3bn, down 30% over the previous session’s value. It was also 6-week lowest turnover since August 13 when it was Tk3.3bn.

“Current unrest in readymade garment (RMG) sector prompted investors for materialising quick returns during the day’s session,” said IDLC Investments in its regular market analysis.

Until Wednesday, DSEX lost 122 points within this month, which dragged down the index, it said.

‘Current unrest in readymade garment (RMG) sector prompted investors for materialising quick returns during the day’s session’ Trading halts of certain stocks put pessimism in movements of some micro cap scrips with high market volatility.

As a result, investors were seemed to have upheld their judgment to be meticulous in respect of their day-to-day trading activities.

The losers took a strong lead over the gainers as out of 290 issues traded, 192 declined, 75 advanced and 23 remained unchanged in the prime bourse.

All the major sectors ended in red except three – Food & Allied, General Insurance and Banks, gaining 3.6%, 0.7% and 0.2% respectively.

Among the major sectors, financial institutions posted the highest loss of 1.8%, followed by fuel and power which shed 1%, pharmaceuticals 0.9% and telecommunications 0.9%.

Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Ltd became the top turnover leader with shares worth Tk199.77m changing hands followed by CMC Kamal, Tallu Spinning, Generation Next Fashion and Jamuna Oil. Peoples Insurance was the day’s highest gainer, posting a rise of over 8% while Modern Dyeing and Screen Printing was the day’s worst losers for the second day, plunging 10% following the news that the company’s production was suspended since 31 January, 2010. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

Washington to Wall Street - Threat of default is real n Reuters, Washington Money lenders trust America so implicitly that they generally dismiss the risk it won’t pay its debts. But in the US capital, fears are growing that political dysfunction might trigger the unthinkable.

Government veterans from both political parties are aghast that lawmakers openly speak of managing a default that could be triggered next month if they don’t authorize more borrowing.

Another reason for concern is that the debate over the debt ceiling appears stuck on a Republican demand for big spending cuts in exchange for raising the $16.7tn borrowing limit.

This could be too tall an order because Washington is already slashing spending on almost everything but the welfare state.

To go further, Congress would likely have to make cuts in sacrosanct programs like pensions and healthcare for the elderly, something lawmakers appear loath to do.

“The ingredients to put together a deal are diminishing,” said Tony Fratto of consultancy firm Hamilton Place Strategies, which advises investors on the workings of Washington.

“Only the tough choices are there,” said Fratto, who was a spokesman at the White House and Treasury during the Bush administration.

Most discussion in Congress in recent days hasn’t even been focused on the debt ceiling. Rather, lawmakers are racing to approve legislation to keep most government offices running past this month when budgets are due to expire.

Now even the Treasury secretary, whose role usually includes telegraphing confidence to Wall Street, is expressing concern about the nation’s ability to keep paying the bills.

“I am nervous by the desire to drive this to the last minute,” Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told a business forum last week. Lew described himself as “anxious.”

And well he should be, said Steve Bell, an analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center, which estimates the government will begin defaulting on its obligations between October 18 and November 5.

Bell, a Republican and a former staff director at the Senate Budget Committee, said he hasn’t worried this much about the prospect of default in his four decades in Washington.

The US Capitol Building in Washington is pictured before sunrise

The ‘unthinkable’

A US default would rock Wall Street and quite possibly trigger another economic crisis in a nation still struggling to recover from the 2007-09 recession. Borrowing costs could spike across the economy.

The last debt ceiling showdown in 2011 pushed the nation to within days of missing payments and led ratings firm Standard and Poor’s to strip Washington of its sterling credit rating.

That time around, Congress and the White House averted crisis by agreeing to deep spending cuts that were enacted this year but which largely spared so-called entitlement programs like Social Security pensions and Medicare insurance.

With the least difficult cuts already made, it could be much harder to reach a new budget-tightening deal before the nation runs out of cash. The White House has pledged not to even engage Republicans in a debate over the limit on borrowing.

“I feel less comfortable now than I did even in 2011,” Bell said.

Investors, however, still appear to be betting there is a smaller risk of default than the last time.

In the market for credit default swaps, which provide insurance against default, investors currently pay about $28,000 to insure $10m in US sovereign debt over the next five years. That’s up from a week ago, but still well below the peak of about $63,000 in July 2011.

On Tuesday, Lew said investor confidence that a debt limit deal will be struck is probably “greater than is should be,” Bloomberg reported.

Some investors are beginning to reassess the risks.

“Since irreconcilable differences are hardening. There is an increased likelihood that Congress and the president will not agree to raise the debt ceiling before time runs out,” Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds, wrote in a report.

Lew’s expressed anxiety stands in contrast to the tone of his predecessor, Timothy

REUTERS

Geithner, who steadfastly described default as “unthinkable” in 2011.

Now, many Republicans have supported a plan that would prioritize payments to creditors over other government obligations should the Treasury run out of money. The White House has said it would veto that plan.

Washington veterans say past generations of politicians would not even have entertained such a prospect so seriously.

That is allowing doubts to grow where investors previously had none. America is far from insolvent and, for generations, investors have bet there was no risk that America would fail to make good on its debts.

“The fact that it’s uncertain is the new element and the scary part,” said Alice Rivlin, a former head of the Congressional Budget Office and White House budget chief under President Bill Clinton. She said she too has never seen the risk of default higher.

“A few years ago one would have said, ‘Don’t be silly. Of course they will raise the debt ceiling.’ But one can’t say that anymore.” l

Asia to have most millionaires: Survey n AFP, Hong Kong Asia will have the world’s largest number of millionaires as early as next year despite the expected tapering of the US Federal Reserve’s stimulus programme, according to a report published yesterday.

With strong growth and high saving rates, the wealth of the region’s millionaires will grow by an annual average 9.8% and reach nearly $16tn in 2015, according to the wealth management unit of Royal Bank of Canada.

Despite concerns of devaluing asset prices due to capital outflows triggered by Fed tapering, Asia is set to lead the world in the number of millionaires and their total wealth, the bank said in a report prepared with consulting firm Capgemini.

“The region’s high net worth population and wealth has increased by 31% and 27% respectively since 2007, far outpacing growth in the rest of the world of 14% and nine percent,” George Lewis, group head of RBC Wealth Management, said in a statement.

The number of millionaires in Asia surged by 9.4% year-on-year to 3.68 million in 2012, still trailing North America’s 3.73 million.

Millionaires in the report are defined as individuals with investable assets of $1m or more, excluding residence, collectibles and others.

Asia’s continual population growth, and economic growth expected to continue outperforming the rest of the world, would help it take the lead as early as next year, according to Eric Lascelles, chief economist of RBC Global Asset Management.

He said the Fed’s tapering plan could create “hiccups” but would not affect the trajectory of growth in the region.

The bank said Japan saw the slowest growth in its millionaire population last year among Asian economies, with only a 4.4% increase in 2012 compared to the previous year.

Hong Kong topped its Asian peers in the growth of both millionaire numbers and their investable assets in 2012. The number of millionaires rose by 35.7% year-on-year while their wealth grew by 37.2%. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

German consumer morale hits highest level in six years: GfK n Reuters, Berlin German consumer confidence rose to its highest level in six years heading into October, supporting expectations strong consumer spending will help Europe’s largest economy to post moderate growth in 2013.

GfK market research group said on Wednesday its forward-looking consumer sentiment indicator, based on a survey of around 2,000 people, rose to 7.1 going into October from an upwardly revised 7 the previous month.

The original September figure was 6.9 and analysts in a Reuters poll had forecast the October reading at 7. The strengthening data chimed with other recent releases suggesting gradual but steady growth for the end of the year.

“German consumers are expecting the economy to gain momentum in the next few months,” GfK said in a statement. “There is a clear upwards trend.”

Germans, traditionally savers, became more willing to spend in September than at any point since December 2006, encouraged by an essentially stable job market and historically low interest rates. Saving appeared less attractive as inflation overtook bank interest rates.

A sub-index tracking consumers’ income expectations eased, albeit from a high level, due to rising food prices, which dampened perceived purchasing power.

“It’s also possible that some consumers fear further financial burdens due to the euro crisis or tax hikes,” the GfK said, referring to the outcome of the German election which was still uncertain at the time of the survey.

Angela Merkel’s conservatives romped to victory in Sunday’s election, winning 42% of the vote, but are in need of a coalition partner after falling just short of a parliamentary

German Chancellor and leader of the Christian Democratic Union ( CDU) Angela Merkel, gestures during a news conference after a CDU party board meeting in Berlin REUTERS majority.

The chancellor appeared headed towards coalition talks with her main center-left rivals the Social Democrats (SPD), who had campaigned on a platform of tax increases for Germany’s highest earners.

Concern over income was offset by strong willingness to buy, which the GfK dubbed “euphoric”.

The GfK reiterated its forecast for private consumption to grow by around 1% in real terms in 2013, a sign that the German economy is on track to grow moderately this year.

The Berlin-based economic think tank DIW forecasts that the economy will expand by 0.4% in 2013, and 1.7% in 2014.

A bastion of strength in the early stages of the euro zone crisis, the German economy shrank at the end of last year and narrowly avoided recession early in 2013 before bouncing back.

Recent data from Germany has been mixed, with the private sector expanding, unemployment falling and business sentiment brightening, though industrial data has been weak and exports have dropped.

Consumers’ view of the economy in September improved significantly from the previous month to hit 10.7 points, its highest level since May 2012.

Separately, according to the Ifo Institute business morale improved slightly to its highest level in 17 months in September. l

5

EU pushes faster trade talks with Japan n AFP, Brussels The European Union and Japan will speed up talks towards achieving what could be one the world’s biggest free trade deals, European Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said on Tuesday.

“The EU-Japan trade agreement remains a key priority and we hope to be able to move fast with the third round of negotiations in October in Brussels and at the upcoming summit in November,” De Gucht said after talks with Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motagi.

“Both economies should reap the valuable benefits expected from the agreement sooner rather later,” De Gucht said.

The talks could take up to five years, analysts say, as the EU and Japan look to give their faltering economies a boost with an accord which would cover some 30% of global economic output and 40% of trade. But de Gucht said it was important not to linger and that the sooner the talks finished, the better.

In an effort to accelerate negotiations, De Gucht said he and the Japanese minister had agreed to exchange offers on both goods and services as soon as possible so that they may be discussed at a November EU-Japan summit in Japan. With a good dose of “political resolve” and a restricted timeline, De Gucht said highly technical issues could be overcome and strong domestic grievances addressed.

“We are working at a sustained pace and I hope the summit can put some impetus into the process,” he said. The negotiating parties believe an accord could add 0.6-0.8% to Europe’s annual economic output on the back of a near 33% gain in EU exports to Japan.

Non-tariff barriers are a major issue for Brussels and De Gucht reiterated that the talks could be suspended after one year if commitments are not met.

As well as Japan, the EU has also begun negotiations on Free Trade Agreements with the United States, Canada and India, as well as the Mercosur countries of Latin America among others. l

Top banks have $155bn capital shortfall, most in Europe n Reuters, London The world’s biggest banks would need to boost their capital by 115bn euros ($155bn) to comply with tougher rules and more than 60% of that shortfall is in Europe, where lenders have been slower to strengthen.

The capital shortfall fell by 83bn euros during the second half of last year as banks retained more of their profits and raised capital, although the pace of improvement was not as quick in Europe as elsewhere.

The Basel Committee of global regulators said on Wednesday the shortfall at top international banks was based on a target to hold a minimum core capital level of 7%, plus capital surcharges required for the biggest banks. Its finding was based on their balance sheets at the end of last year.

Some 70bn euros of the shortfall was at banks in the European Union, representing 61% of the global deficit. The shortfall at EU

banks was cut by 29bn euros in the second half of last year, according to a European Banking Authority (EBA) estimate.

Markets and regulators have been putting pressure on banks to move early to comply with the global Basel III accord being phased in, to dispel any doubts about their ability to thrive and encourage investors to buy their bonds and shares.

Basel roughly triples how much capital banks must hold compared with before the financial crisis, when many undercapitalized lenders had to be rescued by taxpayers.

It requires banks to have a core capital buffer equivalent to at least 7% of their assets on a risk-weighted basis by January 2019.

The Basel Committee said the group of 101 global banks in its sample made after-tax profits prior to distributions of 419bn euros last year.

Capital surcharges

Under tougher rules which are coming in, banks must also have separate buffers of cash and government debt, known as a liquidity coverage ratio, to survive market shocks of up to a month unaided.

The rules apply to all banks, but there a capital surcharges for the big global banks deemed systemically important, such as HSBC, JP Morgan, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank.

The EBA said the top 42 EU banks already held more liquidity than they are required to by 2019. In Britain, top banks are being encouraged to tap some of their excess liquidity to lend out and aid economic recovery.

There was, however, a liquidity shortfall of 225bn euros among the remaining 128 smaller, more domestically-focused banks in a bigger sample of lenders studied by the EBA.

A third element of Basel is a leverage ratio requiring banks to hold capital equivalent to at least 3% of their total non risk-weighted assets.

It is meant to serve as a simple backstop in case banks have incorrectly added up their risk weightings to calculate core buffers.

Regulators in Britain have been pushing hard for UK banks to meet this target as soon as they can.

The EBA said the average leverage ratio for 40 large banks it surveyed was 2.9%, and 17 of them had not reached the 3% minimum level. The capital shortfall of those banks that did not meet the leverage target was 107bn euros, the watchdog said.

The EBA and the European Central Bank will carry out a health check of banks across the European Union later this year which is expected to show shortfalls in capital that will have to be plugged. l

6

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

DSE Broad Index: 4005.92 ⇓ 0.60%, Turnover: 3243.22 M.Tk ⇓ 30.76%, PE: 12.60 Turnover 3,501.45 MTk .⇓ 31.16% September 25, 2013 MarketCap. 1,951.54 BTk. ⇓ 0.62% CSE All Share Index: 12352 ⇓ 0.90%, Turnover: 258.24 M Tk. ⇓ 35.88%, PE: 12. 34 Combined Turnover Leader BD Submarine Cable-A CMC Kamal Tex. -A Tallu Spinning -A Generation Next Fashions-A R. N. Spinning-A

CompanyCode | EPS | BV | Volume Traded (Share) DSE/CSE: ClosePrice ⇓/⇑ Chn % | Avg.Price | Hi / Lo

BANK ABBANK | 2.95 | 32.60 | Vol. 178074 D: 23.00 ⇓ 0.43% | 23.10 | 24.20 / 21.00 C: 22.70 ⇑ 0.44% | 22.80 | 23.50 / 21.00 CITYBANK | 1.15 | 25.97 | Vol. 304745 D: 15.40 ⇑ 1.99% | 15.38 | 15.50 / 14.00 C: 15.30 ⇑ 1.32% | 15.24 | 15.40 / 15.00 IFIC | 1.10 | 18.34 | Vol. 168093 D: 19.60 ⇑ 2.08% | 19.62 | 20.00 / 18.00 C: 19.70 ⇑ 1.55% | 19.51 | 19.80 / 19.50 ISLAMIBANK | 3.78 | 27.16 | Vol. 361224 D: 35.90 ⇓ 0.83% | 35.95 | 37.00 / 32.60 C: 35.80 ⇓ 0.83% | 35.93 | 36.00 / 35.80 NBL | 1.05 | 15.76 | Vol. 1025383 D: 10.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.57 | 10.70 / 9.50 C: 10.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.60 | 10.80 / 10.50 PUBALIBANK | 1.92 | 21.18 | Vol. 251418 D: 30.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 30.94 | 32.00 / 27.90 C: 31.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 30.80 | 31.30 / 30.50 RUPALIBANK | 6.70 | 64.27 | Vol. 10600 D: 59.20 ⇓ 0.67% | 59.34 | 60.70 / 58.50 UCBL | 1.90 | 21.72 | Vol. 824741 D: 16.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 17.01 | 17.50 / 15.80 C: 17.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 17.03 | 17.30 / 16.00 UTTARABANK | 3.42 | 26.97 | Vol. 161153 D: 25.20 ⇑ 0.80% | 25.17 | 25.80 / 22.50 C: 25.10 ⇑ 0.80% | 25.01 | 25.30 / 24.80 ICBIBANK | -1.60 | -13.03 | Vol. 26100 D: 5.70 ⇓ 1.72% | 5.81 | 5.80 / 5.70 EBL | 3.91 | 28.22 | Vol. 229100 D: 26.70 ⇑ 1.91% | 26.68 | 26.90 / 25.00 C: 26.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 26.26 | 27.00 / 26.00 ALARABANK | 2.03 | 14.91 | Vol. 142253 D: 13.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 13.81 | 14.50 / 13.00 C: 13.70 ⇓ 1.44% | 13.83 | 14.10 / 13.70 PRIMEBANK | 2.89 | 22.40 | Vol. 205182 D: 17.10 ⇑ 1.18% | 17.16 | 17.40 / 15.50 C: 17.30 ⇑ 0.58% | 16.86 | 17.40 / 15.50 SOUTHEASTB | 1.89 | 22.66 | Vol. 543343 D: 14.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.87 | 15.00 / 13.50 C: 14.60 ⇓ 2.01% | 14.74 | 14.90 / 14.60 DHAKABANK | 1.46 | 18.08 | Vol. 241707 D: 17.40 ⇑ 0.58% | 17.53 | 17.70 / 16.00 C: 17.30 ⇑ 1.17% | 17.18 | 17.30 / 16.00 NCCBANK | 1.90 | 15.88 | Vol. 357164 D: 10.90 ⇓ 0.91% | 11.01 | 11.20 / 9.90 C: 11.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.96 | 11.20 / 10.00 SIBL | 2.05 | 14.47 | Vol. 347588 D: 11.30 ⇑ 0.89% | 11.29 | 11.50 / 10.20 C: 11.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 11.28 | 11.30 / 11.20 DUTCHBANGL | 11.57 | 54.27 | Vol. 18670 D: 90.60 ⇓ 1.31% | 90.71 | 91.80 / 85.00 C: 88.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 83.00 | 88.10 / 88.10 MTBL | 1.17 | 17.27 | Vol. 29617 D: 14.40 ⇓ 0.69% | 14.44 | 14.50 / 13.10 C: 14.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 13.00 | 14.40 / 14.40 STANDBANKL | 2.33 | 14.41 | Vol. 210084 D: 12.60 ⇑ 0.80% | 12.75 | 13.00 / 11.30 C: 12.40 ⇑ 0.81% | 12.49 | 13.00 / 12.40 ONEBANKLTD | 2.35 | 15.34 | Vol. 456430 D: 14.20 ⇑ 0.71% | 14.20 | 15.30 / 12.80 C: 14.10 ⇑ 0.71% | 14.08 | 14.20 / 14.00 BANKASIA | 1.35 | 20.80 | Vol. 84340 D: 19.20 ⇑ 0.52% | 19.15 | 19.40 / 17.20 C: 19.00 ⇑ 1.06% | 18.93 | 19.00 / 17.80 EXIMBANK | 1.80 | 14.31 | Vol. 582725 D: 10.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.78 | 11.20 / 9.70 C: 10.70 ⇓ 1.83% | 10.73 | 11.00 / 10.70 JAMUNABANK | 2.47 | 18.56 | Vol. 30923 D: 13.40 ⇑ 0.75% | 13.35 | 14.50 / 12.00 C: 13.00 ⇓ 0.76% | 12.98 | 13.10 / 12.50 BRACBANK | 1.51 | 24.87 | Vol. 263898 D: 28.00 ⇑ 1.45% | 28.01 | 28.30 / 25.00 C: 27.60 ⇑ 1.47% | 27.64 | 28.00 / 27.50 SHAHJABANK | 2.61 | 14.47 | Vol. 143851 D: 13.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 13.73 | 13.80 / 12.40 C: 13.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 13.60 | 13.70 / 13.40 PREMIERBAN | 1.18 | 13.95 | Vol. 239017 D: 9.10 ⇓ 1.09% | 9.20 | 9.50 / 8.30 C: 9.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 9.24 | 9.40 / 8.50 TRUSTBANK | 0.50 | 18.00 | Vol. 60980 D: 16.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 16.62 | 17.30 / 15.00 C: 16.50 ⇑ 0.61% | 16.50 | 16.50 / 16.50

Vol. 852130

TO M. Tk.

% of TTL

Avg. P

6.12

251.37

5006838

161.07

4.60

32.17

1817038

78.80

2.25

43.37

2856100

67.39

1.92

23.59

2014415

214.20

62.09

1.77

FIRSTSBANK | 1.85 | 13.89 | Vol. 118173 D: 11.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 11.17 | 11.20 / 10.00 C: 11.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 11.09 | 11.30 / 11.00 NON BANKING F I IDLC | 4.43 | 29.18 | Vol. 47183 D: 58.30 ⇓ 1.02% | 58.41 | 59.80 / 54.00 C: 58.40 ⇑ 0.17% | 58.60 | 60.00 / 58.00 ULC | 1.80 | 14.90 | Vol. 130361 D: 26.40 ⇓ 1.12% | 26.56 | 27.50 / 25.00 UTTARAFIN | 7.16 | 41.54 | Vol. 58941 D: 74.00 ⇓ 2.12% | 74.34 | 76.40 / 70.00 C: 75.00 ⇓ 0.13% | 74.76 | 75.00 / 74.30 MIDASFIN | 0.16 | 10.21 | Vol. 31000 D: 30.00 ⇓ 2.28% | 30.03 | 30.90 / 30.00 FLEASEINT | 2.34 | 13.93 | Vol. 213153 D: 24.70 ⇓ 2.37% | 25.01 | 26.50 / 23.00 C: 24.40 ⇓ 2.40% | 24.74 | 25.40 / 24.40 PLFSL | 1.37 | 17.48 | Vol. 436723 D: 22.80 ⇑ 0.88% | 22.76 | 24.00 / 20.50 C: 22.60 ⇓ 0.88% | 22.65 | 23.70 / 22.40 PRIMEFIN | 0.87 | 17.88 | Vol. 210606 D: 23.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.08 | 24.40 / 23.80 C: 23.90 ⇑ 0.42% | 23.94 | 24.30 / 23.70 PREMIERLEA | 0.10 | 11.37 | Vol. 141750 D: 10.50 ⇓ 2.78% | 10.65 | 10.80 / 10.40 C: 10.40 ⇓ 2.80% | 10.47 | 10.60 / 10.40 ISLAMICFIN | 1.03 | 15.48 | Vol. 789627 D: 16.40 ⇑ 0.61% | 16.47 | 16.80 / 15.00 C: 16.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 16.24 | 16.60 / 16.00 LANKABAFIN | 1.61 | 31.07 | Vol. 202405 D: 57.40 ⇓ 3.37% | 57.74 | 59.00 / 53.50 C: 57.20 ⇓ 3.54% | 57.70 | 58.20 / 57.20 BIFC | 0.15 | 18.58 | Vol. 97723 D: 16.30 ⇓ 4.12% | 16.54 | 17.40 / 16.00 C: 16.70 ⇓ 4.02% | 16.43 | 17.40 / 16.30 IPDC | 1.23 | 19.43 | Vol. 276690 D: 19.70 ⇓ 1.50% | 20.01 | 20.90 / 19.00 C: 19.40 ⇓ 3.00% | 19.53 | 19.80 / 19.30 UNIONCAP | 0.54 | 17.85 | Vol. 73308 D: 29.00 ⇑ 0.69% | 28.55 | 29.20 / 26.00 C: 28.50 ⇑ 2.15% | 28.50 | 28.50 / 28.50 BDFINANCE | 0.57 | 14.77 | Vol. 162336 D: 19.30 ⇓ 3.02% | 19.66 | 20.50 / 18.00 C: 19.40 ⇓ 3.48% | 19.49 | 20.20 / 19.20 ILFSL | 0.35 | 12.19 | Vol. 503150 D: 14.60 ⇓ 2.67% | 14.83 | 15.40 / 14.00 C: 14.50 ⇓ 4.61% | 14.70 | 15.20 / 14.40 PHOENIXFIN | 2.46 | 19.39 | Vol. 323912 D: 29.30 ⇓ 2.01% | 29.87 | 30.60 / 27.10 C: 29.50 ⇓ 0.34% | 29.45 | 29.50 / 29.40 FASFIN | 0.19 | 13.56 | Vol. 3566019 D: 15.10 ⇓ 3.21% | 15.47 | 15.90 / 14.50 C: 14.90 ⇓ 3.87% | 15.23 | 15.80 / 14.70 DBH | 4.47 | 21.27 | Vol. 139425 D: 61.50 ⇓ 1.91% | 61.96 | 62.60 / 57.00 C: 62.60 ⇑ 0.16% | 62.58 | 62.90 / 62.00 NHFIL | 0.57 | 12.70 | Vol. 705257 D: 31.20 ⇑ 3.65% | 31.12 | 31.80 / 29.00 C: 31.20 ⇑ 4.35% | 31.14 | 31.80 / 30.30 BAYLEASING | 0.72 | 25.55 | Vol. 144188 D: 27.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 27.47 | 28.20 / 25.00 C: 27.30 ⇑ 0.37% | 27.86 | 29.90 / 27.30 ICB | 109.65 | 769.98 | Vol. 5500 D: 1912 ⇓ 1.81% | 1924 | 1945 / 1906 C: 1908 ⇓ 0.64% | 1908 | 1908 / 1908 GSPFINANCE | 1.63 | 22.23 | Vol. 177199 D: 25.00 ⇓ 0.79% | 25.38 | 25.80 / 23.00 C: 24.70 ⇓ 3.89% | 25.12 | 25.50 / 24.70 FAREASTFIN | 0.68 | 13.64 | Vol. 1335500 D: 16.20 ⇓ 4.14% | 16.47 | 17.10 / 16.10 C: 16.20 ⇓ 4.71% | 16.58 | 17.30 / 16.10 INVESTMENT 1STICB | 75.63 | 942.30 | Vol. 200 D: 860.0 ⇓ 0.58% | 860.00 | 860.0 / 860.0 2NDICB | 44.10 | 253.11 | Vol. 400 D: 272.2 ⇑ 2.76% | 272.50 | 273.0 / 271.0 3RDICB | 26.16 | 235.16 | Vol. 450 D: 188.0 ⇑ 3.30% | 188.89 | 189.0 / 180.0 4THICB | 29.24 | 229.24 | Vol. 1000 D: 170.0 ⇑ 0.12% | 170.00 | 170.0 / 170.0 6THICB | 10.99 | 60.14 | Vol. 9800 D: 46.90 ⇓ 0.64% | 46.73 | 47.50 / 45.80

30.82

DSE Gainer

C%

A%

CP

10.00

12.55

8.80

Northern Jute-Z

9.69

9.69

28.30

Meghna PET Ind.-Z

9.68

8.10

6.80

Imam Button -Z

Peoples Insur-A

8.61

7.04

32.80

Meghna Con. Milk-B

7.59

6.63

8.50

8THICB | 12.47 | 70.07 | Vol. 6000 D: 51.30 ⇓ 4.11% | 51.33 | 53.90 / 50.30 1STBSRS | 14.43 | 161.88 | Vol. 78500 D: 92.90 ⇓ 3.73% | 95.59 | 98.00 / 90.70 C: 95.20 ⇑ 9.93% | 95.20 | 95.20 / 95.20 AIMS1STMF | 3.02 | 15.70 | Vol. 369775 D: 38.80 ⇓ 1.02% | 38.77 | 39.90 / 38.30 C: 38.60 ⇓ 1.53% | 38.30 | 39.00 / 38.00 ICBAMCL1ST | 7.14 | 48.54 | Vol. 468000 D: 24.30 ⇓ 9.67% | 24.44 | 25.40 / 24.30 C: 29.70 ⇓ 9.73% | 29.70 | 29.70 / 29.70 ICBISLAMIC | 2.21 | 26.81 | Vol. 71000 D: 16.80 ⇓ 1.18% | 16.94 | 17.10 / 16.70 GRAMEEN1 | 6.26 | 33.23 | Vol. 295500 D: 44.00 ⇓ 2.22% | 44.17 | 45.00 / 43.70 C: 43.90 ⇓ 0.90% | 44.31 | 45.90 / 43.60 ICB1STNRB | 4.06 | 35.31 | Vol. 15000 D: 23.10 ⇑ 0.43% | 23.20 | 23.30 / 23.10 ICB2NDNRB | 2.49 | 16.24 | Vol. 165000 D: 9.10 ⇓ 1.09% | 9.17 | 9.40 / 9.00 GRAMEENS2 | 2.17 | 16.41 | Vol. 644000 D: 15.80 ⇓ 1.86% | 15.98 | 16.30 / 15.70 C: 16.00 ⇓ 0.62% | 16.00 | 16.20 / 15.80 1STPRIMFMF | 0.64 | 11.63 | Vol. 685500 D: 20.00 ⇓ 5.21% | 20.38 | 21.90 / 19.70 C: 20.00 ⇓ 6.98% | 20.79 | 23.50 / 19.70 EBL1STMF | 0.55 | 12.62 | Vol. 468397 D: 6.40 ⇑ 1.59% | 6.41 | 6.50 / 5.80 C: 6.40 ⇓ 1.54% | 6.47 | 6.60 / 6.40 ICBAMCL2ND | 0.60 | 12.12 | Vol. 38500 D: 5.30 ⇓ 1.85% | 5.39 | 5.40 / 5.30 C: 5.30 ⇑ 1.92% | 5.30 | 5.30 / 5.30 ICBEPMF1S1 | 0.52 | 11.32 | Vol. 266500 D: 5.90 ⇑ 1.72% | 5.94 | 6.00 / 5.80 C: 5.80 ⇑ 5.45% | 5.81 | 5.90 / 5.70 TRUSTB1MF | 0.75 | 11.65 | Vol. 751535 D: 6.80 ⇓ 1.45% | 6.86 | 7.20 / 6.30 C: 6.90 ⇓ 1.43% | 6.91 | 7.10 / 6.80 PRIME1ICBA | 0.42 | 11.18 | Vol. 53000 D: 5.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.10 | 5.20 / 5.00 C: 5.10 ⇑ 2.00% | 5.08 | 5.10 / 5.00 DBH1STMF | -1.12 | 10.15 | Vol. 145500 D: 5.30 ⇑ 1.92% | 5.32 | 5.40 / 5.30 C: 5.40 ⇑ 1.89% | 5.37 | 5.40 / 5.30 IFIC1STMF | 0.83 | 11.88 | Vol. 604523 D: 6.00 ⇓ 1.64% | 6.05 | 6.20 / 5.90 C: 6.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.00 | 6.20 / 5.90 PF1STMF | 0.51 | 11.11 | Vol. 197000 D: 5.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.18 | 5.20 / 5.10 C: 5.20 ⇓ 3.70% | 5.20 | 5.30 / 5.10 ICB3RDNRB | 0.00 | 10.60 | Vol. 91000 D: 4.90 ⇓ 2.00% | 4.99 | 5.00 / 4.90 C: 4.90 ⇓ 2.00% | 4.94 | 5.00 / 4.90 1JANATAMF | 0.78 | 10.68 | Vol. 249000 D: 5.50 ⇓ 1.79% | 5.59 | 5.70 / 5.50 C: 5.60 ⇑ 1.82% | 5.59 | 5.70 / 5.50 GREENDELMF | -0.82 | 9.72 | Vol. 227500 D: 5.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.01 | 5.10 / 4.90 C: 5.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.00 | 5.00 / 5.00 POPULAR1MF | 0.77 | 11.38 | Vol. 399283 D: 5.60 ⇓ 3.45% | 5.73 | 5.80 / 5.30 C: 5.70 ⇓ 1.72% | 5.75 | 5.80 / 5.70 IFILISLMF1 | 0.00 | 10.45 | Vol. 995500 D: 5.20 ⇑ 1.96% | 5.20 | 5.30 / 5.20 C: 5.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.10 | 5.20 / 5.00 PHPMF1 | 0.63 | 10.92 | Vol. 325500 D: 5.20 ⇓ 1.89% | 5.30 | 5.40 / 5.20 C: 5.30 ⇓ 1.85% | 5.30 | 5.40 / 5.30 AIBL1STIMF | -0.07 | 9.25 | Vol. 16500 D: 6.20 ⇑ 1.64% | 6.30 | 6.40 / 6.20 MBL1STMF | -0.16 | 9.08 | Vol. 175000 D: 5.90 ⇓ 1.67% | 5.99 | 6.10 / 5.90 SEBL1STMF | 0.94 | 11.85 | Vol. 568250 D: 7.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.63 | 7.90 / 7.00 C: 7.50 ⇓ 1.32% | 7.59 | 7.60 / 7.50 EBLNRBMF | 1.07 | 10.88 | Vol. 500 D: 7.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.80 | 7.80 / 7.80 RELIANCE1 | 0.95 | 10.33 | Vol. 687900 D: 7.70 ⇓ 1.28% | 7.83 | 8.00 / 7.70 C: 7.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.70 | 7.70 / 7.70 LRGLOBMF1 | 0.50 | 10.82 | Vol. 28000 D: 6.80 ⇑ 4.62% | 6.71 | 7.10 / 6.40 ABB1STMF | 0.92 | 10.63 | Vol. 126500 D: 6.70 ⇓ 1.47% | 6.80 | 6.80 / 6.70 NLI1STMF | 1.17 | 12.22 | Vol. 348200 D: 7.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.94 | 8.00 / 7.60 C: 7.90 ⇑ 1.28% | 7.85 | 7.90 / 7.80

DSE Loser Modern Dyeing-B BD. Autocars -B Desh Garments-B In Tech Online-A Hakkani P& Paper-B

C%

A%

CP

-10.00

-10.40

121.50

-9.96

-8.79

49.70

-9.96

-12.04

85.90

-9.95

-10.70

19.90

-9.88

-8.60

38.30

FBFIF | 1.30 | 10.27 | Vol. 5500 D: 8.70 ⇓ 1.14% | 8.73 | 9.00 / 8.30 NCCBLMF1 | 1.16 | 10.48 | Vol. 20500 D: 8.10 ⇑ 2.53% | 8.15 | 8.40 / 7.90 ICBSONALI1 | 0.00 | 10.39 | Vol. 284000 D: 6.00 ⇓ 1.64% | 6.09 | 6.20 / 6.00 C: 6.00 ⇓ 1.64% | 6.06 | 6.20 / 6.00 EXIM1STMF | 0.00 | 10.91 | Vol. 16000 D: 6.90 ⇑ 1.47% | 6.97 | 7.00 / 6.90 C: 6.20 ⇓ 4.62% | 6.20 | 6.20 / 6.20 ENGINEERING AFTABAUTO | 4.29 | 52.65 | Vol. 340828 D: 109.1 ⇓ 2.24% | 110.02 | 113.0 / 102.0 C: 109.6 ⇓ 1.53% | 109.69 | 111.9 / 108.9 AZIZPIPES | 0.39 | -42.04 | Vol. 5100 D: 17.70 ⇑ 2.31% | 17.84 | 17.90 / 17.30 OLYMPIC | 5.94 | 14.91 | Vol. 128200 D: 216.1 ⇓ 1.77% | 218.08 | 222.8 / 210.0 C: 214.5 ⇓ 2.85% | 216.44 | 217.0 / 214.5 BDLAMPS | -5.31 | 37.07 | Vol. 29050 D: 159.6 ⇓ 4.14% | 161.60 | 164.8 / 156.3 C: 159.8 ⇓ 2.98% | 159.95 | 174.9 / 157.1 ECABLES | 2.04 | 18.87 | Vol. 5600 D: 74.50 ⇓ 4.36% | 74.52 | 77.10 / 72.20 C: 72.10 ⇓ 7.56% | 72.09 | 72.60 / 71.00 MONNOSTAF | 5.31 | 44.78 | Vol. 1100 D: 425.4 ⇓ 7.44% | 425.45 | 448.0 / 422.4 SINGERBD | 9.99 | 45.74 | Vol. 119274 D: 207.1 ⇓ 1.15% | 207.25 | 212.2 / 200.0 C: 207.0 ⇓ 1.52% | 208.00 | 210.0 / 205.6 ATLASBANG | 11.98 | 207.70 | Vol. 15235 D: 180.5 ⇓ 2.43% | 181.88 | 185.0 / 180.0 BDAUTOCA | 0.25 | 6.23 | Vol. 59500 D: 49.70 ⇓ 9.96% | 50.30 | 54.00 / 49.70 QSMDRYCELL | 1.17 | 57.54 | Vol. 167070 D: 35.60 ⇓ 1.11% | 35.94 | 39.00 / 33.50 C: 35.20 ⇓ 2.22% | 35.40 | 35.80 / 35.10 RENWICKJA | 5.62 | -90.00 | Vol. 21000 D: 170.1 ⇓ 5.81% | 172.38 | 182.0 / 167.0 NTLTUBES | -2.52 | 312.10 | Vol. 94900 D: 76.30 ⇓ 7.40% | 77.85 | 81.50 / 76.00 BDTHAI | 0.43 | 39.35 | Vol. 661857 D: 30.60 ⇓ 5.56% | 31.22 | 33.00 / 29.50 C: 30.80 ⇓ 3.45% | 30.62 | 32.00 / 30.00 ANWARGALV | 0.51 | 8.08 | Vol. 220500 D: 28.50 ⇓ 9.81% | 28.86 | 30.50 / 28.50 C: 29.00 ⇓ 9.38% | 29.18 | 30.70 / 28.80 KAY&QUE | -3.89 | 6.03 | Vol. 15500 D: 17.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 17.19 | 18.20 / 16.40 C: 16.70 ⇓ 4.02% | 16.73 | 16.80 / 16.60 RANFOUNDRY | 2.84 | 18.62 | Vol. 91500 D: 102.6 ⇓ 3.93% | 103.78 | 108.7 / 101.0 C: 99.40 ⇓ 6.49% | 99.62 | 99.10 / 100.0 SALAMCRST | 3.31 | 20.00 | Vol. 144620 D: 41.20 ⇓ 0.48% | 41.56 | 42.40 / 37.50 C: 41.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 40.89 | 41.50 / 40.50 GOLDENSON | 3.70 | 28.70 | Vol. 325765 D: 42.60 ⇓ 1.16% | 42.96 | 43.40 / 39.00 C: 42.50 ⇓ 1.16% | 42.13 | 42.50 / 42.20 BSRMSTEEL | 3.06 | 19.53 | Vol. 163310 D: 68.20 ⇓ 1.16% | 68.57 | 70.50 / 63.00 C: 68.10 ⇓ 2.01% | 68.32 | 69.00 / 67.50 NAVANACNG | 4.09 | 27.04 | Vol. 95910 D: 66.40 ⇓ 1.78% | 66.52 | 68.00 / 63.50 C: 67.10 ⇓ 1.03% | 66.56 | 67.50 / 66.00 DESHBANDHU | 1.16 | 12.02 | Vol. 440068 D: 23.00 ⇓ 2.54% | 23.17 | 24.20 / 21.30 C: 23.00 ⇓ 3.36% | 23.06 | 23.50 / 22.70 GPHISPAT | 2.11 | 15.27 | Vol. 120100 D: 42.90 ⇑ 0.47% | 43.09 | 45.40 / 40.50 C: 42.90 ⇑ 0.70% | 42.76 | 43.00 / 42.50 BENGALWTL | 2.42 | 20.72 | Vol. 128000 D: 44.10 ⇓ 0.68% | 44.10 | 44.60 / 43.70 C: 43.90 ⇓ 0.45% | 43.84 | 44.00 / 43.50 NPOLYMAR | 2.01 | 324.37 | Vol. 102696 D: 62.60 ⇓ 3.69% | 62.98 | 65.50 / 60.00 C: 62.30 ⇓ 3.56% | 62.20 | 62.50 / 62.00 FOOD & ALLIED APEXFOODS | 2.54 | 90.81 | Vol. 39100 D: 98.00 ⇓ 4.20% | 98.50 | 102.0 / 95.50 C: 99.10 ⇓ 3.97% | 98.85 | 99.50 / 98.00 BANGAS | 7.20 | 50.27 | Vol. 123595 D: 489.1 ⇓ 7.24% | 496.46 | 520.0 / 487.8 C: 486.2 ⇓ 7.44% | 493.28 | 510.2 / 486.0

BATBC | 65.69 | 117.22 | Vol. 13900 D: 1498 ⇑ 5.60% | 1489 | 1505 / 1425 GEMINISEA | 10.88 | 9.69 | Vol. 7500 D: 216.1 ⇓ 8.08% | 218.80 | 238.0 / 215.1 C: 0.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 0.00 | 0.00 / 0.00 NTC | 29.88 | 110.05 | Vol. 800 D: 812.3 ⇓ 0.84% | 812.50 | 814.0 / 810.0 ZEALBANGLA | -23.01 | -193.09 | Vol. 5900 D: 8.80 ⇑ 3.53% | 8.81 | 9.30 / 8.40 AMCL(PRAN) | 6.53 | 53.37 | Vol. 108000 D: 272.4 ⇓ 4.66% | 275.85 | 289.5 / 270.7 C: 273.8 ⇓ 4.40% | 274.00 | 282.0 / 268.5 RAHIMAFOOD | 0.62 | 4.46 | Vol. 197000 D: 43.20 ⇑ 4.85% | 42.16 | 43.90 / 41.10 C: 40.20 ⇓ 1.23% | 40.21 | 44.60 / 37.00 FUWANGFOOD | 1.26 | 12.37 | Vol. 415104 D: 25.60 ⇓ 2.29% | 25.84 | 26.40 / 24.00 C: 26.00 ⇓ 2.26% | 25.94 | 26.20 / 25.60 MEGHNAPET | -0.58 | -1.02 | Vol. 31000 D: 6.80 ⇑ 9.68% | 6.81 | 6.80 / 6.70 MEGCONMILK | -6.68 | -16.22 | Vol. 54500 D: 8.50 ⇑ 7.59% | 8.53 | 8.60 / 7.80 BEACHHATCH | 1.01 | 12.48 | Vol. 718083 D: 22.40 ⇓ 4.27% | 22.47 | 25.00 / 21.10 C: 22.00 ⇓ 5.98% | 22.28 | 23.30 / 21.50 FINEFOODS | -0.11 | 10.58 | Vol. 273640 D: 25.10 ⇓ 6.69% | 24.99 | 26.50 / 24.30 C: 25.00 ⇓ 9.75% | 25.34 | 26.10 / 25.00 RDFOOD | 0.91 | 16.84 | Vol. 760666 D: 22.70 ⇓ 5.02% | 22.93 | 24.10 / 21.80 C: 22.70 ⇓ 5.81% | 22.98 | 24.00 / 22.60 GHAIL | 1.01 | 22.08 | Vol. 506340 D: 42.70 ⇓ 1.39% | 43.04 | 45.00 / 39.00 C: 42.80 ⇓ 2.06% | 42.81 | 43.60 / 42.80 FUEL & POWER LINDEBD | 31.71 | 144.00 | Vol. 8200 D: 694.2 ⇓ 1.45% | 697.68 | 723.6 / 692.0 PADMAOIL | 16.38 | 43.67 | Vol. 154020 D: 339.2 ⇓ 0.67% | 340.45 | 345.9 / 330.0 C: 339.4 ⇓ 0.70% | 339.92 | 343.9 / 338.0 EASTRNLUB | 6.32 | 68.68 | Vol. 1650 D: 382.2 ⇓ 5.21% | 383.03 | 384.1 / 376.0 BDWELDING | 0.33 | 16.82 | Vol. 633416 D: 23.60 ⇓ 6.35% | 23.96 | 25.50 / 22.70 C: 23.40 ⇓ 7.51% | 23.82 | 25.30 / 23.10 SUMITPOWER | 3.17 | 19.26 | Vol. 298218 D: 32.30 ⇓ 2.12% | 32.57 | 33.70 / 30.00 C: 32.60 ⇓ 2.10% | 32.79 | 34.20 / 31.70 DESCO | 2.80 | 35.25 | Vol. 77334 D: 77.00 ⇑ 0.13% | 77.23 | 83.70 / 72.00 C: 76.40 ⇓ 1.67% | 76.40 | 77.00 / 76.00 POWERGRID | 2.56 | 48.08 | Vol. 43492 D: 56.20 ⇓ 1.23% | 56.59 | 57.40 / 52.00 C: 57.20 ⇑ 0.53% | 57.13 | 57.60 / 56.80 JAMUNAOIL | 22.78 | 50.24 | Vol. 268847 D: 229.7 ⇓ 0.56% | 229.61 | 231.8 / 218.0 C: 230.1 ⇓ 0.69% | 229.85 | 231.0 / 229.1 MPETROLEUM | 16.98 | 40.41 | Vol. 196449 D: 268.4 ⇑ 0.79% | 267.25 | 270.0 / 243.0 C: 267.0 ⇑ 0.23% | 268.33 | 274.4 / 265.5 TITASGAS | 9.01 | 36.56 | Vol. 405367 D: 81.20 ⇓ 1.58% | 81.63 | 83.00 / 74.30 C: 81.60 ⇓ 0.73% | 81.63 | 82.00 / 81.50 KPCL | 4.73 | 15.86 | Vol. 177910 D: 46.50 ⇓ 1.90% | 46.92 | 52.00 / 43.90 C: 46.40 ⇓ 2.73% | 46.67 | 47.30 / 46.40 BEDL | 1.48 | 19.43 | Vol. 873346 D: 32.80 ⇓ 2.09% | 32.69 | 33.40 / 30.20 C: 32.60 ⇓ 2.10% | 32.66 | 33.40 / 32.30 MJLBD | 2.73 | 30.24 | Vol. 61384 D: 70.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 70.22 | 71.00 / 64.00 C: 70.20 ⇑ 0.29% | 69.93 | 73.90 / 69.40 GBBPOWER | 1.86 | 22.63 | Vol. 499274 D: 26.30 ⇓ 2.23% | 26.51 | 27.50 / 24.50 C: 26.30 ⇓ 2.95% | 26.44 | 26.60 / 26.10 SPPCL | 3.81 | 23.34 | Vol. 394740 D: 53.70 ⇓ 1.65% | 53.94 | 55.10 / 49.20 C: 53.80 ⇓ 2.54% | 53.93 | 54.60 / 53.50 JUTE JUTESPINN | 2.06 | 17.42 | Vol. 18300 D: 122.0 ⇓ 5.57% | 125.08 | 132.0 / 117.0 NORTHERN | -13.80 | -6.19 | Vol. 4800 D: 28.30 ⇑ 9.69% | 28.30 | 28.30 / 28.30

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

September 25, 2013 Sectotal Index: BANK: 31,428.26 ⇓ 0.02% NBFI: 20,093.01 ⇓ 1.33% INVS: 4,566.75 ⇓ 0.57% ENGG: 6,052.72 ⇓ 2.13% FOOD: 10,020.78 ⇓ 1.90% F&P: 10,440.62 ⇓ 0.90% TEXT: 3,181.91 ⇓ 2.82% PHAR: 17,249.31 ⇓ 0.73% PAPR: 1,184.23 ⇓ 7.60% SERV: 2,938.65 ⇓ 1.38% LEAT: 5,347.23 ⇓ 2.74% CERA: 519.41 ⇓ 1.79% CMNT: 4,533.35 ⇓ 1.28% INFO: 8,128.71 ⇓ 4.89% GINS: 9,941.71 ⇑ 0.89% LINS: 111,017.86 ⇓ 1.29% TELC: 1,349.15 ⇓ 0.65% MISC: 6,290.17 ⇓ 1.21% SONALIANSH | 5.54 | 218.80 | Vol. 16800 D: 154.4 ⇓ 4.51% | 156.43 | 161.5 / 152.4 TEXTILE AL-HAJTEX | 1.35 | 15.64 | Vol. 183378 D: 106.9 ⇓ 6.56% | 107.12 | 115.0 / 104.0 STYLECRAFT | 20.00 | 287.30 | Vol. 600 D: 1131 ⇑ 1.37% | 1130 | 1150 / 1100 RAHIMTEXT | 0.51 | 73.88 | Vol. 670 D: 286.7 ⇓ 6.37% | 286.57 | 300.0 / 283.0 SAIHAMTEX | 2.75 | 29.50 | Vol. 991900 D: 33.30 ⇓ 2.63% | 33.20 | 34.30 / 32.30 C: 32.90 ⇓ 3.80% | 32.86 | 34.40 / 32.30 MODERNDYE | 0.91 | 10.37 | Vol. 200 D: 121.5 ⇓ 10.00% | 121.50 | 121.5 / 121.5 DSHGARME | 0.72 | 12.00 | Vol. 36100 D: 85.90 ⇓ 9.96% | 86.54 | 96.10 / 85.90 DULAMIACOT | -8.46 | -27.78 | Vol. 127900 D: 10.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 11.00 | 11.20 / 9.60 TALLUSPIN | 2.56 | 12.06 | Vol. 1817038 D: 43.30 ⇓ 3.13% | 43.37 | 44.50 / 42.50 C: 43.10 ⇓ 4.01% | 43.16 | 44.00 / 42.50 APEXSPINN | 2.01 | 49.32 | Vol. 8400 D: 84.50 ⇓ 2.09% | 85.36 | 90.80 / 81.70 MITHUNKNIT | 4.54 | 30.39 | Vol. 152212 D: 112.4 ⇓ 1.66% | 112.38 | 115.0 / 104.0 C: 111.9 ⇓ 2.10% | 111.27 | 113.9 / 109.1 DELTASPINN | 3.06 | 18.12 | Vol. 362600 D: 34.80 ⇓ 3.33% | 35.06 | 36.20 / 34.00 C: 34.80 ⇓ 3.60% | 34.98 | 35.60 / 34.30 SONARGAON | 0.27 | 34.50 | Vol. 567000 D: 20.80 ⇓ 7.56% | 20.69 | 22.00 / 20.30 C: 20.40 ⇓ 9.73% | 20.53 | 21.60 / 20.40 PRIMETEX | 1.01 | 63.54 | Vol. 609500 D: 29.40 ⇓ 5.16% | 29.56 | 31.50 / 28.30 C: 29.10 ⇓ 7.03% | 29.05 | 30.50 / 28.20 ALLTEX | -0.11 | 23.81 | Vol. 366000 D: 9.10 ⇑ 3.41% | 9.18 | 9.40 / 9.00 C: 9.00 ⇑ 2.27% | 9.28 | 9.50 / 9.00 ANLIMAYARN | 1.19 | 11.01 | Vol. 299000 D: 37.40 ⇑ 0.81% | 37.03 | 37.90 / 36.10 C: 36.00 ⇓ 4.26% | 36.00 | 36.00 / 36.00 HRTEX | 2.08 | 14.92 | Vol. 572612 D: 45.00 ⇓ 5.86% | 44.45 | 47.50 / 43.20 C: 45.90 ⇓ 2.13% | 44.05 | 45.90 / 42.70 CMCKAMAL | 1.37 | 19.31 | Vol. 5006838 D: 32.80 ⇓ 5.20% | 32.17 | 35.00 / 31.20 SAFKOSPINN | 0.95 | 21.78 | Vol. 366675 D: 27.20 ⇓ 6.85% | 27.25 | 28.40 / 26.50 C: 27.30 ⇓ 6.51% | 27.13 | 28.00 / 26.50 SQUARETEXT | 4.32 | 31.82 | Vol. 236814 D: 90.30 ⇓ 1.63% | 90.71 | 92.00 / 88.00 C: 90.20 ⇓ 2.06% | 90.30 | 93.00 / 90.00 METROSPIN | -1.00 | 19.59 | Vol. 649503 D: 18.40 ⇓ 7.07% | 18.52 | 19.70 / 18.00 C: 18.50 ⇓ 7.50% | 18.67 | 20.30 / 18.10 MAKSONSPIN | 0.16 | 20.55 | Vol. 2565357 D: 16.40 ⇓ 4.09% | 16.61 | 17.70 / 15.80 C: 16.40 ⇓ 4.65% | 16.55 | 17.30 / 16.20 DACCADYE | 1.21 | 31.13 | Vol. 322720 D: 29.00 ⇓ 1.69% | 29.02 | 29.90 / 27.00 C: 28.90 ⇓ 2.36% | 28.79 | 29.00 / 28.60 RNSPIN | 2.80 | 16.58 | Vol. 2014415 D: 30.60 ⇓ 2.55% | 30.82 | 31.60 / 28.50 C: 30.50 ⇓ 2.87% | 30.82 | 31.50 / 30.20 BXSYNTH | 0.93 | 25.42 | Vol. 336853 D: 16.60 ⇓ 2.35% | 16.70 | 17.30 / 15.40 C: 16.60 ⇓ 2.35% | 16.66 | 17.20 / 16.40 MALEKSPIN | -1.44 | 46.87 | Vol. 746805 D: 27.00 ⇓ 3.23% | 27.09 | 28.00 / 25.20 C: 27.00 ⇓ 3.57% | 27.03 | 27.60 / 26.60 ZAHINTEX | 1.91 | 35.25 | Vol. 455900 D: 33.00 ⇓ 3.51% | 33.01 | 34.30 / 31.00 C: 33.70 ⇓ 3.71% | 33.38 | 34.90 / 32.50 SAIHAMCOT | 1.92 | 23.62 | Vol. 1031750 D: 26.20 ⇓ 1.87% | 26.16 | 27.10 / 25.60 C: 26.20 ⇓ 1.87% | 26.17 | 26.50 / 25.80 GENNEXT | 1.68 | 15.15 | Vol. 2856100 D: 23.80 ⇓ 1.65% | 23.60 | 24.40 / 21.80 C: 23.80 ⇓ 1.24% | 23.51 | 24.00 / 23.00 ENVOYTEX | 3.26 | 39.26 | Vol. 895560 D: 53.10 ⇓ 0.75% | 53.53 | 54.20 / 50.00 C: 53.00 ⇓ 0.75% | 53.34 | 54.10 / 52.80 ARGONDENIM | 1.89 | 38.86 | Vol. 1261000 D: 38.70 ⇑ 2.65% | 38.29 | 39.00 / 34.00 C: 38.40 ⇑ 2.13% | 38.17 | 38.80 / 36.80 FAMILYTEX | 3.72 | 14.68 | Vol. 163500 D: 35.60 ⇓ 1.66% | 35.68 | 36.30 / 35.20 C: 35.00 ⇓ 1.41% | 34.96 | 35.10 / 34.60

PHARMACEUTICAL & CHEMICAL AMBEEPHA | 3.94 | 26.15 | Vol. 7250 D: 284.1 ⇓ 2.03% | 284.57 | 295.8 / 278.0 C: 280.0 ⇓ 4.21% | 282.00 | 285.0 / 280.0 BXPHARMA | 3.77 | 52.55 | Vol. 85500 D: 46.70 ⇓ 1.06% | 46.75 | 47.40 / 43.00 C: 46.60 ⇓ 0.85% | 46.58 | 48.00 / 45.00 GLAXOSMITH | 20.25 | 123.32 | Vol. 2300 D: 1001 ⇓ 2.22% | 1003 | 1049 / 995.0 ACI | -5.82 | 126.42 | Vol. 13074 D: 170.9 ⇓ 0.47% | 170.62 | 174.9 / 155.0 C: 170.2 ⇓ 0.47% | 171.58 | 181.9 / 166.5 RENATA | 33.57 | 138.83 | Vol. 6388 D: 755.9 ⇓ 1.78% | 760.33 | 772.8 / 754.0 PHARMAID | 5.06 | 26.30 | Vol. 61900 D: 197.9 ⇓ 4.53% | 199.74 | 209.0 / 195.0 KOHINOOR | 9.52 | 10.49 | Vol. 2000 D: 439.4 ⇓ 7.73% | 439.50 | 440.0 / 438.8 IBNSINA | 3.44 | 34.02 | Vol. 117690 D: 117.3 ⇓ 3.46% | 117.74 | 123.3 / 110.0 C: 117.5 ⇓ 4.32% | 117.68 | 121.0 / 114.0 LIBRAINFU | 4.64 | 1565.37 | Vol. 9800 D: 576.9 ⇑ 4.89% | 541.22 | 591.0 / 510.0 ORIONINFU | 8.72 | 1.73 | Vol. 137400 D: 47.10 ⇓ 2.48% | 47.53 | 49.60 / 46.90 C: 46.60 ⇓ 3.52% | 46.60 | 47.00 / 46.40 SQURPHARMA | 6.93 | 37.18 | Vol. 317785 D: 173.7 ⇑ 0.81% | 172.81 | 174.0 / 170.0 C: 173.0 ⇑ 0.82% | 172.27 | 173.9 / 171.0 IMAMBUTTON | -1.68 | 5.67 | Vol. 47000 D: 8.80 ⇑ 10.00% | 8.79 | 8.80 / 8.70 C: 10.00 ⇑ 5.26% | 10.18 | 9.90 / 10.00 KEYACOSMET | 1.55 | 21.54 | Vol. 729052 D: 24.40 ⇓ 2.40% | 24.71 | 25.30 / 23.00 C: 24.30 ⇓ 3.19% | 24.56 | 25.40 / 24.20 BERGERPBL | 32.46 | 100.20 | Vol. 2050 D: 820.9 ⇓ 1.69% | 821.03 | 830.0 / 816.0 C: 762.0 ⇓ 6.10% | 762.00 | 762.0 / 762.0 ACIFORMULA | 3.33 | 38.08 | Vol. 60650 D: 80.60 ⇓ 0.74% | 80.92 | 82.80 / 78.00 C: 78.20 ⇓ 3.22% | 78.23 | 80.90 / 77.00 MARICO | 27.53 | 62.47 | Vol. 10200 D: 803.1 ⇓ 1.85% | 807.84 | 819.9 / 796.0 C: 777.9 ⇓ 7.32% | 777.90 | 780.0 / 777.0 BEACONPHAR | 0.33 | 11.97 | Vol. 261500 D: 14.30 ⇓ 0.69% | 14.44 | 14.80 / 13.80 C: 14.60 ⇓ 0.68% | 14.62 | 15.00 / 14.50 ACTIVEFINE | 3.23 | 13.89 | Vol. 382850 D: 94.50 ⇓ 1.36% | 94.77 | 100.0 / 86.30 C: 94.60 ⇓ 0.84% | 94.21 | 94.80 / 93.10 SALVOCHEM | 0.68 | 10.57 | Vol. 581928 D: 23.00 ⇓ 1.71% | 23.14 | 24.00 / 21.10 C: 23.00 ⇓ 2.54% | 23.12 | 23.60 / 22.70 GHCL | 2.14 | 57.31 | Vol. 82750 D: 46.70 ⇓ 1.06% | 46.85 | 47.60 / 46.60 C: 46.40 ⇓ 1.07% | 46.39 | 46.50 / 46.00 ORIONPHARM | 5.02 | 68.68 | Vol. 418250 D: 62.30 ⇓ 1.11% | 62.62 | 65.00 / 56.70 C: 62.40 ⇓ 1.27% | 62.58 | 63.30 / 62.10 JMISMDL | 1.12 | 12.83 | Vol. 124500 D: 268.3 ⇓ 8.74% | 268.47 | 270.0 / 268.3 C: 261.8 ⇓ 8.72% | 267.35 | 300.0 / 261.8 CENTRALPHL | 0.61 | 10.99 | Vol. 347500 D: 34.20 ⇓ 2.29% | 34.09 | 34.90 / 33.60 C: 34.20 ⇓ 2.56% | 34.09 | 34.40 / 33.80 RECKITTBEN | 27.16 | 78.89 | Vol. 50 C: 850.0 ⇓ 6.85% | 850.00 | 850.0 / 850.0 PAPER & PACKAGING HAKKANIPUL | 0.64 | 11.02 | Vol. 51500 D: 38.30 ⇓ 9.88% | 38.67 | 40.10 / 38.30 C: 38.80 ⇓ 9.98% | 39.13 | 40.20 / 38.80

SERVICE SAMORITA | 2.31 | 17.25 | Vol. 43689 D: 112.7 ⇓ 8.15% | 112.21 | 116.0 / 110.5 C: 111.5 ⇓ 7.93% | 111.50 | 112.0 / 111.0 SAPORTL | 1.23 | 38.39 | Vol. 204974 D: 26.50 ⇓ 1.85% | 26.60 | 27.40 / 25.00 C: 26.50 ⇓ 1.85% | 26.51 | 27.00 / 26.20 EHL | 2.87 | 18.48 | Vol. 444571 D: 56.40 ⇓ 2.93% | 56.98 | 60.00 / 55.00 C: 56.30 ⇓ 3.26% | 56.22 | 57.30 / 55.20 LEATHER APEXTANRY | 6.57 | 69.38 | Vol. 154800 D: 130.4 ⇓ 3.05% | 131.56 | 137.5 / 129.5 C: 131.1 ⇓ 2.74% | 132.51 | 142.9 / 127.0 BATASHOE | 49.12 | 135.53 | Vol. 4600 D: 737.4 ⇓ 2.56% | 740.89 | 757.9 / 727.0 C: 732.2 ⇓ 2.37% | 732.20 | 732.2 / 732.2 APEXADELFT | 23.01 | 203.26 | Vol. 40600 D: 388.3 ⇓ 0.21% | 390.28 | 397.0 / 384.5 C: 380.1 ⇓ 2.49% | 415.12 | 418.9 / 380.1 SAMATALETH | -0.07 | 12.08 | Vol. 2000 D: 13.80 ⇓ 2.13% | 14.00 | 13.90 / 13.80 LEGACYFOOT | 0.63 | 17.19 | Vol. 552528 D: 43.10 ⇓ 9.83% | 43.83 | 49.50 / 43.10 C: 44.70 ⇓ 9.88% | 45.36 | 50.50 / 44.70 CERAMIC MONNOCERA | 0.71 | 96.33 | Vol. 109550 D: 35.80 ⇓ 7.01% | 36.36 | 38.80 / 35.30 C: 35.60 ⇓ 7.53% | 36.06 | 36.70 / 35.50 STANCERAM | 1.07 | 15.97 | Vol. 6600 D: 40.00 ⇓ 4.76% | 40.15 | 42.70 / 38.00 FUWANGCER | 1.43 | 13.25 | Vol. 698850 D: 20.60 ⇓ 2.83% | 20.88 | 21.40 / 19.20 C: 20.50 ⇓ 3.76% | 20.68 | 21.80 / 20.40 SPCERAMICS | 0.62 | 30.92 | Vol. 358231 D: 17.20 ⇓ 1.71% | 17.30 | 19.00 / 15.80 C: 17.10 ⇓ 2.29% | 17.22 | 17.50 / 17.10 RAKCERAMIC | 1.98 | 16.76 | Vol. 114575 D: 53.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 53.23 | 54.00 / 48.00 C: 53.20 ⇓ 0.75% | 53.11 | 53.50 / 53.00 CEMENT HEIDELBCEM | 22.85 | 111.50 | Vol. 80900 D: 404.1 ⇓ 0.91% | 404.73 | 412.8 / 403.5 C: 404.0 ⇓ 0.49% | 404.80 | 407.2 / 403.5 CONFIDCEM | 6.23 | 90.76 | Vol. 190925 D: 124.3 ⇓ 1.43% | 124.80 | 128.5 / 120.0 C: 124.9 ⇓ 1.50% | 124.86 | 128.0 / 124.0 MEGHNACEM | 6.28 | 33.81 | Vol. 57200 D: 147.3 ⇓ 2.26% | 147.43 | 152.0 / 145.0 C: 146.0 ⇓ 3.05% | 146.03 | 146.2 / 146.0 ARAMITCEM | 3.03 | 14.65 | Vol. 77410 D: 79.00 ⇓ 3.07% | 79.71 | 81.70 / 77.00 C: 80.00 ⇓ 0.99% | 80.00 | 80.00 / 80.00 LAFSURCEML | 1.60 | 7.22 | Vol. 401560 D: 33.70 ⇓ 0.30% | 33.79 | 36.70 / 33.70 C: 33.50 ⇓ 0.89% | 33.56 | 33.80 / 33.50 MICEMENT | 4.14 | 40.00 | Vol. 258809 D: 95.10 ⇓ 1.96% | 97.06 | 99.50 / 88.00 C: 95.10 ⇓ 1.96% | 94.89 | 98.30 / 94.30 PREMIERCEM | 3.59 | 22.92 | Vol. 125000 D: 106.6 ⇓ 3.44% | 107.36 | 112.0 / 105.2 C: 107.3 ⇓ 4.54% | 108.91 | 111.0 / 107.0 IT IINDUSTRIES ISNLTD | 0.28 | 17.31 | Vol. 248878 D: 24.80 ⇓ 9.82% | 25.14 | 27.80 / 24.80 C: 24.80 ⇓ 9.82% | 25.00 | 26.50 / 24.80 BDCOM | 1.00 | 14.91 | Vol. 1021211 D: 28.30 ⇓ 2.75% | 28.44 | 29.30 / 26.40 C: 28.00 ⇓ 3.11% | 27.96 | 28.70 / 27.50 INTECH | 0.94 | 10.08 | Vol. 447512 D: 19.90 ⇓ 9.95% | 20.29 | 22.00 / 19.90 C: 20.80 ⇓ 9.17% | 20.91 | 22.00 / 20.70

AGNISYSL | 1.07 | 25.52 | Vol. 345192 D: 25.10 ⇓ 4.20% | 25.41 | 26.90 / 23.60 C: 24.90 ⇓ 5.32% | 25.47 | 26.00 / 24.80 DAFODILCOM | 1.12 | 11.14 | Vol. 804000 D: 19.70 ⇓ 7.08% | 20.21 | 21.30 / 19.40 C: 20.00 ⇓ 5.66% | 20.13 | 21.10 / 19.70 AAMRATECH | 1.17 | 20.44 | Vol. 528600 D: 36.30 ⇓ 1.63% | 36.59 | 37.70 / 33.30 C: 36.30 ⇓ 2.16% | 36.79 | 39.00 / 36.00

ISLAMIINS | 1.29 | 11.96 | Vol. 65528 D: 34.30 ⇓ 3.65% | 35.02 | 36.50 / 32.50 C: 34.80 ⇓ 1.14% | 34.77 | 36.00 / 34.00 PROVATIINS | 1.90 | 14.30 | Vol. 218344 D: 30.00 ⇑ 0.33% | 30.32 | 31.30 / 27.00 C: 29.30 ⇓ 2.01% | 30.41 | 31.10 / 29.30 DHAKAINS | 2.84 | 18.02 | Vol. 264625 D: 43.60 ⇑ 1.63% | 44.27 | 46.00 / 39.00 C: 42.50 ⇓ 2.07% | 43.55 | 45.40 / 42.50

GENERAL INSURANCE BGIC | 1.65 | 20.33 | Vol. 186070 D: 30.00 ⇑ 0.67% | 30.79 | 31.60 / 28.00 C: 29.90 ⇓ 0.33% | 30.82 | 31.90 / 29.60 GREENDELT | 4.05 | 64.44 | Vol. 39393 D: 103.4 ⇑ 0.58% | 103.96 | 108.0 / 93.00 C: 102.3 ⇓ 0.20% | 102.28 | 102.7 / 102.1 UNITEDINS | 2.47 | 21.04 | Vol. 42700 D: 47.20 ⇓ 3.08% | 48.13 | 49.40 / 47.10 PEOPLESINS | 2.05 | 20.72 | Vol. 1090141 D: 32.80 ⇑ 8.61% | 32.39 | 33.20 / 30.40 C: 32.50 ⇑ 7.62% | 32.21 | 33.20 / 31.00 EASTERNINS | 2.22 | 35.88 | Vol. 56786 D: 42.20 ⇑ 1.69% | 42.36 | 43.20 / 40.00 C: 41.10 ⇑ 2.75% | 41.03 | 44.00 / 40.10 JANATAINS | 7.84 | 170.69 | Vol. 34270 D: 302.0 ⇑ 1.17% | 306.52 | 319.0 / 295.0 C: 306.3 ⇑ 2.51% | 306.22 | 315.0 / 295.0 PHENIXINS | 2.70 | 20.96 | Vol. 90911 D: 42.30 ⇓ 2.31% | 43.32 | 45.00 / 40.50 EASTLAND | 4.06 | 23.29 | Vol. 512019 D: 51.80 ⇑ 0.97% | 52.95 | 55.00 / 50.00 C: 51.40 ⇑ 2.19% | 52.61 | 54.50 / 50.60 CENTRALINS | 1.54 | 19.04 | Vol. 93200 D: 29.10 ⇓ 3.32% | 30.04 | 31.00 / 28.80 KARNAPHULI | 1.56 | 19.42 | Vol. 272070 D: 25.00 ⇑ 3.73% | 25.07 | 26.00 / 24.00 RUPALIINS | 2.76 | 23.38 | Vol. 311273 D: 34.30 ⇑ 0.59% | 34.82 | 35.80 / 30.90 C: 34.90 ⇑ 1.45% | 34.38 | 35.00 / 33.80 FEDERALINS | 1.10 | 10.98 | Vol. 1319729 D: 25.90 ⇑ 5.28% | 25.99 | 26.60 / 23.00 C: 26.10 ⇑ 6.10% | 26.11 | 26.70 / 24.80 RELIANCINS | 3.93 | 61.52 | Vol. 9500 D: 81.60 ⇑ 6.39% | 81.68 | 83.00 / 76.00 PURABIGEN | 1.05 | 18.71 | Vol. 626459 D: 24.40 ⇓ 0.41% | 25.38 | 26.50 / 23.00 PRAGATIINS | 2.01 | 50.30 | Vol. 5568 D: 59.20 ⇓ 0.84% | 59.31 | 62.00 / 58.00 C: 67.40 ⇓ 1.17% | 67.45 | 68.00 / 62.00 PRIMEINSUR | 2.14 | 14.14 | Vol. 157655 D: 34.20 ⇓ 0.87% | 34.71 | 35.60 / 32.00 PIONEERINS | 3.11 | 23.84 | Vol. 131360 D: 70.10 ⇓ 0.71% | 71.00 | 73.80 / 68.00 MERCINS | 1.53 | 14.50 | Vol. 729306 D: 29.60 ⇑ 2.07% | 29.92 | 31.90 / 27.00 C: 29.30 ⇑ 3.90% | 29.44 | 30.00 / 28.70 AGRANINS | 1.73 | 14.39 | Vol. 374699 D: 31.40 ⇑ 0.64% | 31.53 | 33.40 / 29.00 GLOBALINS | 1.09 | 11.78 | Vol. 90480 D: 30.70 ⇓ 4.66% | 32.16 | 33.30 / 30.00 NITOLINS | 2.59 | 15.41 | Vol. 21924 D: 37.20 ⇑ 0.54% | 37.45 | 40.70 / 34.00 ASIAPACINS | 1.84 | 13.76 | Vol. 110600 D: 30.00 ⇑ 0.33% | 30.43 | 31.50 / 27.00 C: 30.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 30.84 | 31.40 / 30.00 SONARBAINS | 1.68 | 13.38 | Vol. 368879 D: 26.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 26.93 | 28.00 / 26.00 C: 26.90 ⇓ 2.18% | 26.91 | 27.10 / 26.50 PARAMOUNT | 1.26 | 13.19 | Vol. 216726 D: 25.70 ⇓ 1.91% | 26.65 | 27.70 / 24.00 C: 26.20 ⇓ 0.76% | 26.06 | 26.50 / 25.00 CITYGENINS | 1.65 | 14.26 | Vol. 358690 D: 28.50 ⇑ 0.71% | 28.95 | 30.00 / 27.90 C: 28.30 ⇓ 0.70% | 29.03 | 30.00 / 28.00 CONTININS | 1.41 | 15.68 | Vol. 387612 D: 36.40 ⇑ 1.39% | 36.75 | 38.90 / 34.90 C: 35.70 ⇑ 2.00% | 35.71 | 36.50 / 35.00 TAKAFULINS | 2.19 | 15.17 | Vol. 202711 D: 44.40 ⇑ 0.23% | 44.76 | 45.90 / 41.00 C: 43.60 ⇑ 9.82% | 43.43 | 43.60 / 43.00 STANDARINS | 2.58 | 13.99 | Vol. 32500 D: 41.50 ⇓ 3.94% | 42.14 | 43.50 / 41.10 C: 40.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 40.00 | 40.00 / 40.00 NORTHRNINS | 1.77 | 11.15 | Vol. 133524 D: 45.70 ⇑ 0.44% | 46.35 | 47.50 / 41.80 C: 45.90 ⇑ 1.32% | 45.92 | 47.00 / 45.00 REPUBLIC | 2.14 | 12.42 | Vol. 157328 D: 51.00 ⇓ 1.73% | 52.20 | 53.80 / 50.00 ASIAINS | 1.56 | 17.34 | Vol. 235501 D: 28.80 ⇓ 2.04% | 29.69 | 30.50 / 27.90 C: 28.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 29.74 | 30.40 / 28.70

LIFE INSURANCE NATLIFEINS | 12.34 | 80.99 | Vol. 9339 D: 250.1 ⇓ 0.83% | 251.35 | 253.5 / 245.0 C: 235.1 ⇓ 5.58% | 235.08 | 235.5 / 235.0 DELTALIFE | 38.53 | 189.40 | Vol. 6835 D: 5874 ⇓ 1.87% | 5926 | 6000 / 5800 C: 5999 ⇓ 1.82% | 6001 | 6002 / 5999 SANDHANINS | 2.39 | 28.22 | Vol. 29147 D: 71.20 ⇓ 1.25% | 72.47 | 74.00 / 70.00 C: 70.10 ⇓ 3.31% | 73.75 | 75.00 / 70.00 POPULARLIF | 3.70 | 715.41 | Vol. 17871 D: 171.9 ⇑ 1.24% | 171.67 | 173.0 / 156.0 FAREASTLIF | 9.21 | 60.79 | Vol. 40412 D: 94.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 94.35 | 95.90 / 85.00 C: 92.50 ⇓ 0.75% | 92.50 | 92.50 / 92.50 MEGHNALIFE | 10.82 | 48.87 | Vol. 27806 D: 103.2 ⇑ 0.39% | 104.58 | 107.7 / 100.0 C: 102.9 ⇑ 0.88% | 102.72 | 103.1 / 102.1 PROGRESLIF | 2.30 | 31.45 | Vol. 3500 D: 95.90 ⇓ 3.33% | 96.00 | 100.0 / 95.00 PRAGATILIF | 0.60 | 30.15 | Vol. 52634 D: 118.3 ⇓ 3.51% | 120.83 | 125.0 / 116.0 PRIMELIFE | 5.51 | 27.10 | Vol. 11026 D: 96.00 ⇓ 1.13% | 96.07 | 103.5 / 88.00 C: 103.0 ⇑ 8.42% | 103.00 | 103.0 / 103.0 RUPALILIFE | 3.75 | 31.25 | Vol. 40740 D: 102.8 ⇑ 0.29% | 103.02 | 105.0 / 101.2 PADMALIFE | 1.63 | 25.76 | Vol. 217000 D: 64.10 ⇑ 4.91% | 64.36 | 65.40 / 62.00 C: 63.40 ⇑ 2.26% | 64.13 | 65.00 / 58.10 SUNLIFEINS | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 173700 D: 54.90 ⇑ 0.37% | 55.45 | 56.80 / 50.00 C: 54.90 ⇑ 0.73% | 55.43 | 56.90 / 54.80 TELECOM GP | 12.96 | 26.26 | Vol. 302018 D: 188.6 ⇓ 0.95% | 189.06 | 192.1 / 175.0 C: 188.2 ⇓ 0.84% | 188.81 | 191.4 / 187.5 BSCCL | 6.69 | 30.34 | Vol. 852130 D: 251.4 ⇑ 0.04% | 251.41 | 255.9 / 230.0 C: 250.9 ⇓ 0.16% | 250.88 | 254.9 / 246.0 TRAVEL & LEISURE UNITEDAIR | 1.10 | 12.87 | Vol. 3330059 D: 18.00 ⇓ 0.55% | 18.06 | 18.30 / 17.00 C: 18.10 ⇓ 0.55% | 18.12 | 18.30 / 18.00 UNIQUEHRL | 4.02 | 86.29 | Vol. 330495 D: 85.10 ⇓ 0.58% | 85.34 | 87.00 / 77.10 C: 84.40 ⇓ 1.52% | 84.68 | 86.00 / 84.00 MISCELLANEOUS ARAMIT | 16.07 | 99.93 | Vol. 30650 D: 350.3 ⇓ 2.21% | 348.37 | 365.0 / 336.2 C: 360.0 ⇑ 1.12% | 353.43 | 362.0 / 342.0 BSC | 1.77 | 565.82 | Vol. 84830 D: 568.5 ⇓ 1.69% | 570.61 | 582.0 / 565.0 C: 567.8 ⇓ 1.76% | 568.18 | 582.0 / 563.0 GQBALLPEN | 6.55 | 250.45 | Vol. 80604 D: 153.9 ⇓ 1.47% | 153.99 | 156.9 / 152.8 C: 152.9 ⇓ 2.24% | 152.85 | 153.3 / 152.1 USMANIAGL | 0.50 | 26.03 | Vol. 91300 D: 154.4 ⇓ 5.45% | 157.93 | 167.0 / 152.5 C: 154.5 ⇓ 6.36% | 155.28 | 168.0 / 150.2 BEXIMCO | 3.24 | 86.74 | Vol. 827179 D: 31.20 ⇓ 1.27% | 31.40 | 32.00 / 28.50 C: 31.30 ⇓ 1.26% | 31.37 | 32.00 / 31.10 SINOBANGLA | 1.75 | 21.01 | Vol. 444000 D: 23.80 ⇓ 5.18% | 24.52 | 25.50 / 23.50 C: 24.00 ⇓ 5.51% | 24.54 | 26.00 / 23.80 MIRACLEIND | 0.14 | 14.90 | Vol. 330657 D: 17.30 ⇓ 6.99% | 17.21 | 18.70 / 16.80 C: 17.00 ⇓ 8.60% | 17.11 | 18.10 / 16.90 BOND IBBLPBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 155 D: 955.5 ⇑ 0.00% | 952.38 | 956.3 / 950.0 C: 947.5 ⇑ 0.48% | 947.25 | 947.5 / 945.0 ACIZCBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 36 D: 870.0 ⇑ 0.00% | 870.00 | 870.0 / 870.0 C: 830.0 ⇓ 2.47% | 830.00 | 845.0 / 802.0

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

Wal-Mart ‘Made in America’ drive follows suppliers’ lead n Reuters Wal-Mart Stores Inc, whose focus on lowcost sourcing helped to fuel the offshoring of US manufacturing, has been promoting a patriotic new image in recent months.

The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company says it is “leading an American renewal in manufacturing” and “bringing jobs back to the US” with its pledge made in January to buy an additional $50bn in US-made goods over the next 10 years.

But an examination of the company’s “Made in America” campaign suggests WalMart’s caught on to a reshoring phenomenon that was already underway.

In many cases, Wal-Mart’s suppliers had already decided to produce in the United States, as rising wages in China and other emerging economies, along with increased labour productivity and flexibility back home, eroded the allure of offshore production.

Though wrapped in the stars and stripes, the world’s largest retailer’s push to bring jobs back to the United States also makes business sense both for suppliers and retailers.

Some manufacturers are finding they can profitably produce certain goods at home that they once made offshore. And retailers like Wal-Mart benefit from being able to buy those goods closer to distribution centers and stores with lower shipping costs, while gaining goodwill by selling more US-made products.

“This is not a public relations effort.

This is an economic, financial, mathematical-driven effort. The economics are substantially different than they were in the 80s and 90s,” Bill Simon, chief executive of the Walmart US chain, told the Reuters Global Consumer and Retail Summit earlier this month.

The initiative is modest for now. For a company with $466.1bn in annual sales, an additional $50bn of spending over a decade will barely register. Also, the main Walmart US unit sells mostly groceries and already procures two-thirds of its goods - including a lot of food - from US sources.

Wal-Mart’s high-profile commitment is, though, an important symbolic shift. A retailer that for decades has prompted hundreds of US companies to move production overseas, thanks to its relentless insistence on cost-cutting, now is urging at least some production back. It will even offer longerterm purchasing guidance to some companies to encourage them.

Hampton Products International did not need Wal-Mart to tell it about the changing cost structure of global commerce. Hampton, which supplies locks and door hardware to retailers including Wal-Mart, began “resurrecting manufacturing” at its Wisconsin plant back in 2008, said CEO H. Kim Kelley.

Wal-Mart’s push this year served mainly to speed its business decision, Kelley said.

“We moved much more quickly and aggressively to ramp manufacturing to meet WalMart’s timetable,” he said.

But ultimately, Hampton’s decision to manufacture some products back in the United States was driven by simple but compelling math, Kelley said. Take the example

of a door hardware part that Kelley declined - citing competitive issues - to define more precisely than that.

Over the past six years, the price of producing the part in China has risen 24% to $2.20 from $1.77, because of the Chinese currency’s appreciation and increased labour costs. Throw in transport costs and US tariffs, and that product, delivered to the United States today, would cost about $2.53, Kelley said.

S.A., a Polish candlemaker that will produce Walmart US’s Mainstays tea light candles in Virginia, a move that Wal-Mart said took more than a year to put together.

Wal-Mart still declines to sign long-term contracts with suppliers, but its market power is so immense that companies will sometimes make investments based on expected demand from the retailer. Also, Wal-Mart has helped some suppliers make contact with state economic development

while,” said Simon, the Walmart US CEO. Wal-Mart sometimes makes what it calls “multi-year commitments” based on financial data suppliers share.

“It really depends on what they need and how much of their capital expense and their strategic plan they’re willing to share,” said Michelle Gloeckler, senior vice president of Walmart US’s home business and a leading executive on the retailer’s Made-in-America commitment.

When 1888 Mills LLC came to Wal-Mart in 2012, it projected that the cost of making towels in the United States was coming closer to the cost of overseas production.

The textiles company felt it could order new machinery to help it reduce the cost differential, but only if it had a multi-year commitment from Wal-Mart, Gloeckler recalled.

Wal-Mart crunched the numbers and agreed to carry 1888 Mills’ “Made Here” towels for an undisclosed number of years.

It also agreed to stock 600 stores at first and then add more as production increased, a staged rollout unusual for the chain.

The “Made Here” towels are selling 30% better than those they replaced on the shelf that were made outside the United States by another supplier, Gloeckler said.

“Not an aggressive target”

Shoppers cart their purchases from a Wal-Mart store in Mexico City By moving production back to the United States, Hampton can make the part today for just $2.16, a nearly 15% saving even including the amortized investment in its new US plant. In addition, Hampton has reduced inventory sitting idle on a ship or in finished goods in its distribution centers.

Relocating production to the United States also yields a number of soft but important benefits, Kelley said. These include better control of the manufacturing process, an ability to respond swiftly to customers, and a much smaller impact on the environment as the US plant uses less energy than its Chinese counterpart and is 7,500 miles closer to where the product is sold.

“The benefits are obvious,” said Kelley.

“We cut our costs, improve our sustainability, reduce the cost of finished goods inventory and create US jobs.”

Commitments help some suppliers

Wal-Mart’s push is aimed at product categories that have been difficult to produce at a cost advantage in the United States for some time. The retailer plans to sell everything from General Electric Co light bulbs made in Ohio and Illinois to Element Electronics Corp televisions that will be assembled in South Carolina.

The latest company to sign on is Korona

REUTERS

officials who can offer tax breaks or other incentives.

Renfro Corp began ramping up US sock production two years ago, said CEO Bud Kilby, sinking more than $10m into two factories in Tennessee and Alabama and hiring nearly 250 new workers. It is ready to do more now that Wal-Mart has asked Renfro to further expand its US capacity.

Wal-Mart has not given Renfro firm orders associated with the request, but the sock maker is set to invest at least another $10m and create another 195 jobs, Kilby said.

“We trust them,” Kilby said. “They asked us to do it and they made a commitment to support it and to buy product. But there is no contractual agreement - no purchase orders or anything like that.”

Wal-Mart’s US manufacturing summit in Orlando, Florida in August featured speakers such as Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and GE CEO Jeff Immelt.

The meeting gave hundreds of suppliers the chance to meet with governors or economic development officials from 34 states, as well as two banks and one private equity firm.

“We can provide the certainty to the people who invest capital, to make it worth-

Management consultants began highlighting the benefits of US manufacturing years ago.

With wages rising elsewhere and US energy costs on the decline, the United States can be a competitive manufacturing hub again, says Hal Sirkin, a senior partner of the Boston Consulting Group and co-author of the book “Globality: Competing with Everyone from Everywhere for Everything” who spoke at Wal-Mart’s summit.

“We are seeing a lot of products now that have already reached the point where it is already cheaper to manufacture it and deliver it in the United States than to have it made in China and have it shipped across and pay tariffs and duties,” he said.

It costs slightly more to make a vacuum cleaner in China than in the United States when you add up the cost of labour, buying components and raw materials, overhead, energy costs, shipping and “soft costs” such as managing inventory, he said.

Labour costs are typically about 20 to 25% of the total cost of a product. For categories like clothing, that require more manual work, production is likely to stay in countries with lower wages, Sirkin said.

Manufacturing experts largely welcome Wal-Mart’s commitment to purchase US goods, though the size of its pledge has not impressed them.

“It’s not an aggressive target,” said Thomas Duesterberg, executive director of the Manufacturing and Society in the 21st Century project at the Aspen Institute.

Wal-Mart says that $50bn is just a starting point.

The retailer’s effort matters regardless of the size, said Suzanne Berger, a professor and manufacturing expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “A Wal-Mart decision, however minimal or cosmetic, is a powerful signal,” she said. l