September 27, 2013

my valley

Ashwin 12, 1420 Zilkad 20, 1434 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 186

paused for a drink’: Kenya victim

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

minimum wage begins at home

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Smile comes to Aduri’s face seeing mother, police arrest employer n Mohammad Jamil Khan

Police and RMG workers clash at Shibu Market on Dhaka-Narayanganj Link Road yesterday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

RMG owners claim Tk5bn losses

Workers’ protests continue for sixth day, Narayanganj turns into battlefield in clashes with police, leaving around would be needed if they had to go for 25%, Narayanganj 20%, Chittagong 15% n Tribune Report and Ashulia, Savar Dhaka and other air-shipment to meet the deadlines.

50, including 20 policemen, injured.

BGMEA Vice-President Shahidullah Azim said: “The sector has to count at least Tk5bn in losses, but this is an initial assessment – the actual amount of loss might go beyond that.”

According to the BGMEA data, 2,000 factories were forced to suspend production on September 21, the first day of the unrest, while 960 units in Gazipur, Ashulia and Dhaka suffered the same fate on the following four days.

Factories in Gazipur area produced

areas produced 40% each, of the total export-oriented garment products, claimed the BGMEA. Given the statistics, production of nearly Tk3bn has so far been hampered because of the unrest, said BGMEA Vice-President Reaz-Bin-Mahmood.

Some factory owners had also suffered huge losses as 65 factories had been vandalised, 15 set ablaze and 70 vehicles had been damaged, he said.

Aduri had a little smile on her face yesterday as she got to see her mother after a long time, and she heard about the arrest of her alleged torturer.

The 11-year-old girl, who was rescued by police on Monday from a city dustbin where she was dumped after apparent torture, was shifted yesterday to the One-Stop Crisis Centre of Dhaka Medical College Hospital for better treatment.

Bilkis Akter, coordinator of the specialised centre, told the Dhaka Tribune that Aduri was getting nutritious food and medicines and her condition was improving.

In the meantime, members of the Women Support and Investigation department of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested Aduri’s employer, Nowrin Jahan Nadi, from a flat in the city’s Pallabi area.

Nadi, however, denied torturing Aduri, saying she has had no contact with the girl since she ran away two months ago after stealing some money and jewellery.

Aduri, from Joinokathi village in Patuakhali district, is the seventh among nine children. Her father, Khaleq Mridha, who was disabled and unable to work, died three years ago. Her mother, Safia Begum, sells vegetables in the village to earn for the family.

Aduri came to capital around December after her mother handed over to a neighbour, Chunnu Mridha, who promised to get her a job as a house-

maid with a monthly salary of Tk500.

Chunnu, a local contractor, had also found work for Aduri’s elder sister, Sonia, 16, three years ago.

On Tuesday, Chunnu informed Aduri’s mother that her daughter had been missing since Sunday, when she was sent to the shops to buy some groceries. However, he refused to give her any contact number for the house where Aduri worked.

On Tuesday night, Safia rushed to Dhaka with her younger sister, Sahina Akter.

Talking to this correspondent at the hospital yesterday, Safia said they looked for her daughter everywhere on Wednesday, even contacting some relatives of Chunnu in Dhaka to get the address of Aduri’s employer.

Finally, they came to know about Aduri’s whereabouts after one of her uncles, pretending to be a police official, called Chunnu over mobile phone and was told that Aduri was undergoing treatment at the DMCH.

The garment workers’ agitations continued for the sixth consecutive day yesterday amid claims from apparel makers that the unrest has so far hampered production of readymade garment worth Tk3bn.

Like the last five days, yesterday’s protest was also marked by blockades and separate incidents of vandalism in Savar, Ashulia, Gazipur and Narayanganj areas, where hundreds of workers from different garment factories locked

The Border Guard Bangladesh and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) were deployed alongside regular and industrial police forces to take the situation under control.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) claimed that the sector would have to count almost Tk5bn in losses because of the unrest as production worth Tk3bn had already been delayed while another Tk2bn

Ministers ‘fed up’ with last-minute lobbying n Mohosinul Karim

BTRC suspends 10 IGWs HC revokes Contempt of Courts Act owing Tk2.78bn revenues n

Ministers and secretaries are getting so exasperated with undue requests at the end of the government’s tenure that their tempers often flare as they try to cope with pressure from unwelcome visitors.

The lobbyists and other visitors are making frantic efforts to make requests as it is the last opportunity before the power changeover.

Communications Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday said: “It’s really hard for ministers and secretaries to cope

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has blocked operations of 10 international gateway (IGW) companies from today as they have not paid the Tk2.78bn of outstanding dues for April-June quarter.

The suspension letter sent to the IGWs said all mobile and land phone operators were directed not to terminate calls from these IGWs as they had not shared their revenues as per the regulator’s guideline.

The IGWs, most of which have strong political backing, are: Ratul Telecom

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 PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Nazmus Sakib

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam

Ltd, First Communications Ltd, Apple GlobalTel Communications Ltd, 1 Asia Alliance Gateway Ltd, Sigma Engineers Ltd, SM Communication Ltd, Mos5 Tel Ltd, Vision Tel Ltd, Venus Telecom Ltd and Ranks Telecom Ltd. They all failed to pay their dues within the September 25 deadline.

The regulator had to amend its guideline to reduce the government’s loss as it could not realise the dues.

“The operators can terminate calls again as soon as they pay the dues,” Giashuddin Ahmed, BTRC vice-chairman, told the Dhaka Tribune last evening.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

The High Court has annulled the Contempt of Courts Act, 2013 saying that the law was enacted only to protect journalists and public servants. The government will challenge the verdict, a deputy attorney general said.

The bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain delivered the verdict yesterday in response to a writ petition filed challenging eight provisions of the law.

The court said as the sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 13(2) of the Act were contrary to the constitution, so the whole statute was unconstitutional, and it had no legal effect.

Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney Gener-

al Bishwajit Roy told the Dhaka Tribune that they had initiated the process of challenging the verdict. He hoped that a plea would be filed on Sunday with the Chamber Judge Court of the Appellate Division seeking a stay order on the judgement.

Abdul Halim, a Supreme Court lawyer, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The High Court cannot annul the whole Act as the petition does not challenge the whole of it. The court was supposed to issue a supplementary rule in this regard before giving the judgement.”

The Act was enacted on February 22 this year replacing the law of 1926 in the wake of huge demand from the journalists and public servants.

The law stipulates that publishing

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

“objective and unbiased reports” on the court proceedings and fair comment on a judgement should not be contempt of court. In this regard, the High Court said: “Criticism must be within the periphery of some limits, since total freedom without restriction leads to chaos.”

The court also said: “If any person, who does not have any knowledge on a particular subject, makes criticisms, we can easily understand what the consequence may be.”

A newspaper editor was fined for publishing a report in 2005 claiming that former High Court judge Faisal Mahmud Faizee’s law degree was based on forged certificates. But later the report was found to be true.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Friday, September 27, 2013

Anti-Rampal activists move for Khulna today n Tribune Report The Sundarbans long march campaigners yesterday reached Jessore via Magura and Jhenaidah. After passing the night there, the protesters are set to move towards Khulna this morning.

As per the schedule, they will march towards Rampal tomorrow.

Earlier, they were accorded reception in the districts they passed by. The campaigners held rallies and wayside meetings and also distributed leaflets.

Convener of the platform Engineer Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah and Member Secretary Prof Anu Muhammad spoke at the rallies among others.

Meanwhile, the government yesterday in a press note claimed that a section of people and organisations were spreading propaganda against the project. The information ministry said the plant would be built “at a safe distance” of 14km from the Sundarbans and 72km from the Unesco-declared National Heritage site.

A super critical method based on ultra-modern technology coupled with high quality imported coal would be used at the plant. The emissions of car-

bon, sulphur, fly ash and several other sorts of air pollution would be kept at a minimum level to avoid having any adverse impact on the environment, it said.

Amid resistance, the government on Wednesday announced that foundation stone of the plant’s construction work would be laid on October 22, a statement protested by the national committee.

The platform is supported by left parties, rights activists, professionals, students and environmental organisations under the banner of National Committee to Protect the Sundarbans, which was formed in July with lawyer Sultana Kamal as its convener.

The long march began on Tuesday and stopped in Manikganj on the first night.

The next day they reached Faridpur, and held a rally and cultural programme at Ambika Memorial Hall ground.

Around 1,500 people have joined the 400km-long march programme. To carry them, a dozen of buses, microbuses and pickup vans are arranged.

Meanwhile, the National Committee to Protect the Sundarbans is set to hold a press conference today in protest against the plan to inaugurate the construction work. l

RMG owners claim Tk5bn losses  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

On the sixth day, meanwhile, at least 25 factories in Narayanganj had suspended production, claimed Reaz.

Workers from many factories in Ashulia and Savar also took to streets shortly after joining work.

Witnesses said workers from two factories at Kathgora in Ashulia area came out of their factories around 8:30am and started demonstrating. They put blockades on Bishmail-Zirabo Road.

At one point police chased the workers and charged truncheons to disperse the crowd, who retaliated with throwing bricks. Workers at Masuka Apparels protested inside the factory.

Garment employees in Savar staged demonstrations by putting barricades on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway. The situation was brought under control with the deployment of BGB. In Gazipur, workers from different factories at first launched demonstrations and clashed with the law enforcers. However, they too were dispersed by police, but the streets remained empty and all the factories closed.

Our Correspondent in Narayanganj reported that Shibu Market area in Fat-

ulla turned into a battlefield as police and garment workers locked into an hour-long clash on the Dhaka-Narayanganj road.

During the clash, police fired rubber bullets and teargas canisters while the workers pelted stones, leaving around 50 injured.

Witnesses said hundreds of male and female workers from different factories had put blockades on the Dhaka-Narayanganj road, stopping vehicle movements from 9am to 2pm. They had also set fire to tyres and put large logs on the road.

A clash erupted around noon when the industrial police took attempt to disperse the demonstrators from the road.

Officer-in-Charge at Fatulla model police station Md Akter Hossain said they had been forced to go into action to clear the traffic system.

Masud Ahmed, acting director of industrial police unit 4, said the attacks by the workers had left at least 20 policemen injured. Three of them were undergoing treatment at Khanpur Hospital in the town with serious injuries.

He said the police had used a hundred rounds of rubber bullets and a few teargas shells to disperse the mob. l

US Ambassador Dan W Mozena curiously looks at an equipment while examining the DNA laboratory in DMCH yesterday. Story on Back Page

Petition filed against attorney general, 7 others over RTI Act n Nazmus Sakib

A writ petition was lodged yesterday against the attorney general and seven others for allegedly violating the Right to Information Act, 2009.

Abdul Halim, a Supreme Court lawyer and researcher on the RTI Act, filed the plea. The other opposite parties of the petition are the registrar of the Supreme Court, Bangladesh Bar Council, Dhaka District and Sessions Judge’s court, Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Bangladesh Judicial Service Commission and Information Commission.

In a press release, Halim said despite repeated requests by the Information Commission, the respondents did not make any appointment of information officers and appellate authorities in the last one year, even though they are duty-bound to do so.

Smile comes to Aduri’s face seeing mother  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Meanwhile, talking to reporters at the DMP media centre yesterday, Nadi said she did not inform the police or look for Aduri when she ran away in July, as the girl had left once before, but returned soon after.

“I made a mistake by not lodging a complaint with police when she ran away this time,” Nadi said.

Nadi said Chunnu was her husband’s brother-in-law. She also claimed that her in-laws were trying to impli-

cate her in the torture case as she has bad relations with them. Nadi’s husband, Saiful Islam Masud, has been in hiding for the past two years following his alleged involvement in a multi-level marketing scam.

DMP Deputy Commissioner Shamima Begum told the Dhaka Tribune that police were investigating the incident, and analysing information collected from the victim and her employer.

“Primarily, we are suspecting that

the girl might be a victim of a family dispute,” she said.

Pallabi police, meanwhile, registered a case under a child rights law and were questioning Nadi’s parents and other family members last night.

Abdul Mannan, an assistant subinspector of Cantonment police, found Aduri in a dustbin at Baridhara DOHS while he was patrolling the area on Monday. The girl bore cut and burn marks all over her body and could barely move. l

BTRC suspends 10 IGWs owing Tk2.78bn revenues  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

However, another BTRC official said the IGWs in question had already dodged more money since June.

According to the guideline, an IGW earns $.03 a minute of an incoming international call and it has to share 51.75% of it with the BTRC. Ratul Telecom Limited, which is owned by Syeda Amrin Rakhi, daughter of State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanak, and her mother Syeda Arzuman Banu, owes the BTRC Tk750.2m.

The outstanding of Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haq’s Mos5 Tel Limited stands at Tk23.74m while Vision Tel Ltd owes the regulator Tk735.6m.

First Communications Ltd, which is owned by Jatiya Party Presidium member Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, paid Tk12.10m of its outstanding Tk315.6m before September 25.

The 1 Asia Alliance Gateway Ltd has an outstanding of Tk41.4m. One of its owners, SAA Sheerazi, told the Dhaka Tribune over phone: “We are facing some financial crisis, which is why we could not pay the dues. But we will pay the amount in the next few working days.”

Earlier, the BTRC blocked calls terminated by Telex Limited – owned by a top ruling party leader – in August as the company failed to pay Tk624.7m revenues since October last year.

The regulator also blocked calls from Ratul Telecom, Vision Tel, Digi-

He submitted an application to the designated officer of the Supreme Court in January seeking some information. But later the information offi-

Despite repeated requests by the Information Commission, the respondents did not make any appointment of information officers and appellate authorities in the last one year cer concerned was transferred and no new appointment was made.

Halim later filed an appeal with the registrar, but received no reply, which prompted him to file a formal complaint to the Information Commission.

The petition was filed as the commission did not take any appropriate action, he claimed. l

NASHIRUL ISLAM

AL to celebrate Hasina’s South-South Award n Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee The ruling Awami League would organise a grand reception for party chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as she received the “South-South Award” for the government’s achievement in poverty alleviation.

The programme would be arranged at 5:30pm on September 30 at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport upon the premier’s return from the USA. Francis Lorenzo, president of the International Organisation for SouthSouth Cooperation, handed over the award to Hasina on Monday.

The premier left for the US on September 22 to join 68th UN General Assembly.

The decision on reception was made in a meeting presided over by party’s acting president Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury. Senior leaders were present at the meeting held at the party president’s Dhanmondi office.

The Awami League will also elaborately observe Hasina’s 67th birth anniversary tomorrow.

Hasina is the eldest daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Begum Fazilatunnessa Mujib, was born at Tungipara in Gopalganj in 1947.

Marking her birthday, the party would arrange special prayers at different mosques, including the Baitul Mukarram, after the Jum’a prayers while cooked food and clothes would be distributed among orphans. The party would also organise a discussion programme at its central office on Bangabandhu Avenue.

Through a party press release, Awami League General Secretary and LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam requested the city unit leaders, workers, activists and supporters to participate in the grand reception and observe the party president’s birth anniversary. l

Ministers ‘fed up’ with last-minute lobbying  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

up with the pressure from lobbyists and visitors alongside our regular routine works. We are about to lose sleep over the many requests.”

If their requests are entertained it will cause severe embarrassment to the government and the ministers. It’s really hard to be transparent and honest towards the end of a tenure, he said.

“My secretary and I myself are really in trouble. Despite the will to do something good it is really hard to do so once you are in the office,” he added.

Expressing his appreciation of the officials in his ministry, Obaidul said it was very challenging and tough, but the officials had never allowed the ministry corridor to turn into a kitchen market.

According to officials, the ministries of communications, local government, food, disaster management and relief, housing and public works, finance, public administration, power and energy, commerce, health and family planning, land, education and information remain crowded with visitors nowadays.

Officials who ensure the security of the secretariat told the Dhaka Tribune

that the number of people visiting the secretariat is now three times more than usual.

Sometimes, the visitors enter the secretariat on pass-free days by convincing the officials of the ministries and security guards.

Lobbyists try to have transfers and postings of police officials done and some people even visit the secretariat to get arms licenses.

Some of the lobbyists come to get the payments for contractors who completed construction work for the communications ministry, with some even trying to get payments released before completing their work.

People visiting the local government division have been lobbying for special allocation of funds for road repairs and development work. They have also been making all efforts to have certain projects approved by the ministry high-ups.

As the disaster management and relief ministry is allocating special funds for ministers and lawmakers, several influential quarters are frantically trying to get those allocations for their areas.

The public administration ministry

officials are fed up with meeting demands for transfers, postings and promotions of civil servants.

The process of promoting some joint secretaries to additional secretaries and upgrading the posts of department chiefs to the status of secretaries is continuing. Lobbyists and officials are thus pushing for their candidates to be included in the lists.

In most cases, people come with requests for ministers or secretaries to arrange jobs for their spouses and siblings.

The officials concerned told this correspondent that the lobbyists do it all in exchange for bribes.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Bishwas said people trying to derive some benefits and get allocations from the government is a common phenomenon. He said they have already given some benefits to dedicated workers and leaders of the party and 14-party alliance.

He, however, expressed his annoyance over the pressure from lobbyists, saying it was too much to bear as the number of visitors was increasing as the tenure of the government nears its end. l

HC revokes Contempt of Courts Act  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

con Telecommunication and Kay Telecommunications on July 29.

An official alleged that the Digicon Telecommunication, which is owned by a relative of the prime minister, has an outstanding of Tk204.7m, but it had been operating without any problem.

On September 15, the BTRC recommended realising dues from operators’ bank performance guarantee deposits of Tk150m. However, the BTRC has so far realised only 50% of the guarantee deposits from the IGWs. The regulator also proposed reducing or blocking the capacity of an IGW

if the volume of its traffic exceeded the bank performance guarantee and changing the IGWs’ payment structure to bimonthly from quarterly.

At its meeting on Wednesday, the BTRC finalised the set of recommendations aimed at reducing the government’s revenue loss.

“We need to change some of the regulation policies to secure government money and that is why we are planning to make all IGWs some sort of prepaid by ensuring their bank performance guarantee,” Chairman Sunil Kanti Bose told the Dhaka Tribune. l

Yesterday, the High Court termed it a “stray incident” and said such type of provision to protect the journalists could not be included in the law.

Taking part in the hearing on Wednesday, Dr Kamal Hossain said he would be happy if the court had cancelled the order of fine against the editor for “contempt of court.”

Referring to article 27 of the constitution, the court yesterday said it was surprising that the provision to protect the journalists in the Act “totally disregards all other citizens of the nation.”

The constitutional provision says: “All citizens are equal before law and entitled to equal protection of law.”

After the judgement, Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque said: “The press is now

a big power. We, in no way, want to limit the press. But it has to be within a certain limit. We every day take the help of the press, even in court. But the [Contempt of Court] law is made with a view to giving protection to only the two particular sectors – the journalists and the public servants, which is not right.”

Over a news report on this petition proceedings published yesterday in a Bangla daily, the court said: “We cannot allow comments over any ongoing trial proceedings.”

The Act also states that if a contemptuous act is done by a public servant “with a good faith” following the existing laws, it shall not be considered as contempt of court. It also says no contempt charge can be brought against him if he tries properly to implement

the judgement, order or directive of the court, but failed.

Concerning this, the court said the provision gave clear mandate to the government officials so that they could disregard the court’s order. If any order was not obeyed, they would have the “blanket of good faith” which is “not good for democracy.”

Earlier, the same bench on April 3 issued a rule asking the government to explain why the eight provisions should not be declared unconstitutional for allegedly curtailing the court’s authority.

Filed by lawyers Asaduzzaman Siddiqui and Ayeasha Khatoon, the petition challenged sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 13(2) of the law. Lawyer Manzill Murshid moved the petition. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Friday, September 27, 2013

3

Tribunal issues contempt notice to Channel 24 n Udisa Islam The war crimes tribunal yesterday asked why contempt charges should not be brought against Channel 24, represented by its managing director, and seven others for transmitting “false comments without knowing the facts” on a talk show named “Muktobaak.”

In its order, the tribunal asked the two participants of the programme – Zafrullah Chowdhury, trustee of Gonoshasthaya Kendra; and Mahfuz Ullah, secretary general of Centre for Sustainable Development – to appear before it in person on October 10.

The six others were asked to submit any explanations they may have on the same day.

While passing the order on a prosecution plea filed on Tuesday, the International Crimes Tribunal 1 said the two participants had deliberately criticised the trial process in the case against BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, knowing well that

the matter was “sub-judice”, or under judgement.

Without knowing the factual aspects of the case, they unethically tried to give a message to the people that the accused had been deprived of the opportunity to prove his defence case, said the tribunal.

On Wednesday, prosecutor Zead-AlMalum alleged during the hearing that such remarks would cast doubts on the tribunal’s proceedings.

The six other accused are the channel’s managing director; chief executive officer; executive director; head of programming; producer of the talk show; and its anchor Mahmudur Rahman Manna.

The talk show was aired on September 18. The verdict in the case against the BNP lawmaker is expected to be pronounced any day now.

After the order, prosecutor Malum said: “When someone criticises the tribunal proceedings without knowing the facts and makes false comments, then they have to give an explanation for doing so.” l

Patches of smoke float after activists of Jamaat-Shibir hurled crude bombs on a busy road in the capital’s Rampura yesterday

Nasim’s statement BUREAUCRACY ROLE DURING POLLS is tantamount to sedition: BNP n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The BNP yesterday alleged that the government had been threatening officials in the administration to take part in a lopsided election, which would be illegal and tantamount to “sedition.”

“We saw newspaper reports that Awami League Presidium member Mohammad Nasim asked government officials to follow the government’s directives, otherwise face dire consequences. This clearly indicates the government is trying to hold a one-sided election,” Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, joint secretary general of the party, said.

Addressing a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters in the capital, Rizvi alleged this type of statement was “out of political norms, illegal and tantamount to sedition.”

Rizvi alleged that the government had become desperate to hold a partisan election as it had become alienated from the people of the country, and was now putting pressure on the administration.

“This kind of threat and warning will not bring any result. You still have time to pass a bill on the polls-time interim government, otherwise you will have to pay a huge price for this,” he warned.

Rizvi warned that if the demand was not met by October 24, the BNP would wage a movement. l

Sayedee’s pleas rejected n Nazmus Sakib The Appellate Division yesterday rejected two petitions lodged by deathrow convict Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee seeking that Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha and Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury be excused from hearing the appeals.

While giving the order, the two judges were not present at the five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain. The other members are Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah and Justice Hasan Foez Siddique.

A recusal petition is filed for obtaining an order which excuses a judge, lawyer, or member of a jury from a case in court because they may not be able to act fairly.

The bench will hear the appeals on Sunday.

Such petitions filed by Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Abdul Quader Molla, who was given death penalty on September 17, were also rejected.

Tribunal 1 sentenced Sayedee to death on two charges.

Sayedee appealed against the tribunal verdict on March 27, seeking acquittal, while the government the same day appealed for giving sentence to Sayedee in the six other war crime charges. l

Government seeks info on select countries Foreign ministry sends letters to Bangladesh missions n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman The government has taken up initiatives to gather information on how civil administration runs after declaration of election schedules in several selected countries where polls are held under political governments.

“We have sent letters to our missions in several countries, including India, Britain, Japan and Canada, asking for information on how the bureaucracy functions there during the election period,” an official of the foreign ministry told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The foreign ministry has also asked the missions to provide information on what the modalities of handing over power to the next government are.

When contacted, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Tariq A Karim declined to make any comment on the issue.

The ministry official, however, said the letters had been sent in the third

week of this month and some of the missions had already responded.

“The caretaker or interim arrangement is nothing new to us but this time it is a little bit different as the election will be held under a political government like in many other countries,” the official said.

The foreign ministry has also asked the missions to provide information on what the modalities of handing over power to the next government are Asked if he had any idea about the interim government, he responded in the negative, saying: “My understanding is that there will be the secretary, and if we have any problem, we can consult him.”

Parliament approved the 15th amendment to the constitution, scrapping the caretaker form of government for overseeing the general elections.

The main opposition BNP has since opposed the amendment.

At a meeting with secretaries on September 2, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government would continue after October 26 but it would not make any policy-level decision in that period and the bureaucrats would have to play a major role.

On September 12, Cabinet Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan sent letters to all secretaries, asking them to stay alert and careful about their duties until the next general elections.

He asked the secretaries to continue the “stability” of the administration and “development activities” of the government and be prepared to hold the general elections in a free and fair manner.

Even after the meeting with the prime minister and the letter from the cabinet secretary, many top civil bureaucrats are confused about their role in running the administration after October 26. l

Investigation officer’s questioning continues in Nizami case n Udisa Islam The war crimes tribunal yesterday ended recording deposition of the investigation officer in the case against Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami.

The investigation officer said he visited the places of genocide and mass graves allegedly committed upon the order of Nizami, the Pakistani army, razakar and al-Badr Md Abdur Razzaque Khan made his testimony as the 26th and last prosecution witness.

After his deposition, defence counsel Mizanul Islam started cross examining him, and later sought adjournment of the proceedings for seven days as the witness placed 12 new books as evidence.

The International Crimes Tribunal 1 approved a one-day adjournment and set Monday for further crossexamination.

The prosecution started placing their witnesses against Nizami from August 26 last year. Before Razzaque,

they placed 25 witnesses out of 107 against accused. However, the prosecution announced the seventh witness, Pradip Kumar Dev, as “hostile” since he had not mentioned the name of Nizami in his deposition.

Razzaque told the tribunal that during the investigation, he had reviewed the contemporary newspaper reports, especially the daily Sangram, of 1971 and documents including books and audio records and video footage on the Liberation War and its background.

He also visited the places of genocide, killings, mass graves and torture incidents allegedly committed upon the order of Nizami, his cohorts, the Pakistani army, Peace Committee, razakar, al-Badr and alShams.

The investigation officer told the tribunal that they could not produce the five witnesses added later in the list since two of them had died last year. So they placed Janey Alam Janu, Shyamoli Nasrin Chowdhury and Salma Mahmud alias Huq. Razzaque said another investigation officer Monwara Begum recorded their statements.

On May 28 last year, Nizami was indicted on 16 counts of crimes against humanity he had allegedly committed in Pabna and Dhaka during the 1971 Liberation War. The charges include genocide, rape, torture, abduction, confinement and conspiracy.

Meanwhile, defence counsel of another 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 ordered that they could meet at jail gate tomorrow.

Yesterday, the tribunal 2 set October 10 for further procedure of the contempt case against prosecution witness Jahir Uddin Jalal alias Bichchhu Jalal for allegedly beating up defence lawyer Munshi Ahsan Kabir.

The same tribunal also set October 6 for the cross-examination of a prosecution witness in the case against Jamaat-e-Islami leader AKM Yusuf, who had allegedly founded the razakar force that sided with the Pakistani occupation army to commit atrocities in 1971. l

Nuclear info centre to open in Dhaka Oct 1 n Aminur Rahman Rasel

The Dhaka information centre of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Project is scheduled to open for public at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre on October 1.

The centre would have a nuclear safety model and anyone could get information on atomic energy from there for free, said Arshad Hossain, director general of the Novo Theatre.

Set up with financial and technical support from the Russian State Atomic Energy Commission (Rosatom), the centre will be opened at 8:30am.

Another centre is supposed to be set up at the project site at Rooppur in Pabna two months later, said the project’s Officer-in-Charge KBM Ruhul Kuddus.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the groundwork of the 2,000MW Rooppur plant on October 2.

The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission under the science and technology ministry will implement the project.

Arshad said State Minister for Science and Technology Yeafesh Osman and Rosatom DG Sergey Kirienko were expected to inaugurate to open the information centre, which would contain an up-to-date high-tech cinema equipped with panorama 3D projection, computer graphics and anima-

tion, stereo sound and interactive consoles.

The centres’ main goals are to provide all stakeholders with general knowledge and information, increase popularity of nuclear science, impart technical education to young generation, motivate learning and creative activities of school students, and demonstrate most recent scientific and technological achievements to professionals. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Country not any party’s property: Dr Kamal n Tribune Report Veteran politician Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday lamented Awami League and BNP for treating the country as “their own property” forgetting that it actually belongs to its 160m people.

“The two major parties consider the country as their own property.

There is no scope of thinking like that.

The constitution does not give any party the country’s ownership.

The country belongs to its 160m people,” he said while addressing a discussion the ongoing national crisis at the Jatiya Press Club.

Bangladesh Jatiya Party organised the meeting.

He said the two parties had failed to ensure a healthy practice of democracy and give it a good shape even after the country’s 42 years of independence.

Kamal, also the president of Gonoforum, said the country’s 160m people could not exercise their due power. “Therefore, a representative democracy is a must.

If the representatives are not made properly, the 160m people will be deprived of due services.”

He observed that the Awami League and the BNP had given an impression that there was no alternative to them in politics. “But alternatives are necessary for people. We need treatment for our disease of getting overwhelmed seeing any particular party and its symbol. Persons should be given the priority, not the symbol and the party.”

The growing influence of the two parties is a sign of emergence of autocracy, Dr Kamal warned. “We have got blind to the two parties... it will not bring anything good for democracy.”

Mentioning that a credible election was very important for the nation, he said if the election was not held in a free and fair manner, the defeated parties would be deprived of their rights.

Chaired by chief adviser to Bangladesh Jatiya Party Dr MA Mukit, the programme was also addressed by Krishak Sramik Janata League President Kader Siddiqui, Opposition Chief Whip Zainal Abdin Farroque, Awami League leader Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed and Nagarik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna. l

JU BCL leaders disrupt exam, threaten examinees n Mahadi Al Hasnat Jahangirnagar University unit Chhatra League leaders again thwarted the Urban and Regional Planning Department’s move to hold its 2011-12 academic session’s final semester exam yesterday, second time in the year.

The hindrance was allegedly caused by the Jahangirnagar University unit BCL Vice-President Mahmud Al Zaman Papon of Moulana Bhasani Hall and Press and Publication Secretary Md Mamun Khan of AFM Kamal Uddin Hall.

Sources said Papon and Mamun locked the two collapsible gates of the Urban and Regional Planning (URP) Department around 9:30am yesterday.

URP acting chair Dr Golam Moinuddin informed JU authority of the matter and sought help.

Source said Mahmud Al Zaman Papon, Md Mamun Khan and Nafis Harun Omi, three students of the department under 2011-12 academic session, failed in several courses of their master’s programme.

According to the departmental rules, students having GPA bellow 2.50 will not be able to join the final semester and have to be demoted to the next batch.

But the two BCL leaders wanted to complete their coursework with 2011-12

academic session within the tenure of the ruling Awami League government.

Even, they submitted applications to the department for taking special tests for their master’s first semester, but the department turned down their applications.

URP Department set its 2011-12 academic session’s first semester exam date yesterday and completed all preparations to this end while the BCL leaders stood in the way.

Besides keeping the main entrance of the department under lock and key, Papon and Mamun threatened the examinees at Tarzan point of the univeristy not to go to exam hall.

Dr Golam Moinuddin, acting chair of the department, admitted that it was the second time they failed to hold examination on schedule.

“We have asked the university authority to immediatley take punitive action against those troublemakers,” said the department chair.

However, Papon and Mamun denied the allegations against them.

The two leaders went on to say that the general students locked the gates because they decided not to sit for the exam without us since they loved us very much. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

EC team working to solve anomaly in voter numbers

News

Friday, September 27, 2013

LUXURIOUS JUNKYARD

Commissioner Shah Newaz attributes difference with NID to clerical or calculation error

n Mohammad Zakaria Election Commissioner Md Shah Newaz yesterday said a team of the Election Commission (EC) was working to solve the anomalies in the number of voters shown on the database of National Identity Card wing and those on the roll sent by field level officials.

“Information about the number of voters reserved on the NID [National ID] wing database is correct,” he told reporters at his office.

Shah Newaz said the estimate of field level officials suggested that the total number of voters was a little less than that shown on the NID database.

The commissioner attributed the difference in the numbers of voters to either clerical or calculative errors.

He said he hoped that the problem would be solved since the commission is working to solve it.

A team from the EC, led by an additional secretary, was engaged in solving the problem, he said, adding

that the team comprised of senior officials would find out where the anomaly was.

Shah Newaz said the EC team was also looking into whether it was a clerical or calculative mistake.

The EC will find out the cause of it very shortly, he added.

In a press release, Director of Public Relations, Election Commission, SM Asaduzzaman stated that there was no error in the number of voters shown on the commission’s national database.

According to the latest account till September 26, there are a total of 9,19,48,021 voters across the country.

The press release said those who were above 18 could register for voters anytime while the EC could exclude the names of those who had died.

However, the number of voters was not always same, added the release.

There was no chance of duplication of one’s name as every voter had photograph and signature stored on the database, said the release. l

HC rules against DU graduate election n Tribune Report

Huda asks EC not to register BNF

The High Court yesterday asked the Dhaka University (DU) authorities to explain why the voter list of the registered graduate poll should not be annulled. It also asked why the previous phases of the graduate representative elections held on September 14 and 21 under the electoral rolls should not be quashed.

The bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Zafar Ahmed passed the order following a writ petition lodged in this regard. The university, its vicechancellor, the registrar and the senate have to respond to the court’s request within 10 days.

Supreme Court lawyer Belayet Hossain filed the writ on September 8 on behalf of Jashim Uddin Sarkar, central law secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami, and four others.

Around 35,000 voters are casting their ballots in three phases to elect 25 registered graduate representatives for the DU senate.

Meanwhile, the next phase of the registered graduate representative election for the DU Senate will be held on September 28 at three centres on the DU campus.

A press release, signed by the university’s public relations officer, made the announcement yesterday. l

n Mohammad Zakaria

WEATHER

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

Moderately heavy to heavy falls were also likely at places over the country, Met Office said. Day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The sun sets in the capital at 5:50pm today and rises at 5:50am tomorrow.

Country’s highest temperature 35.5 degree Celsius was recorded at Ishwardi and lowest 23.0 degrees at Rangamati yesterday. Highest and lowest temperatures recorded in some major cities yesterday were: City

High

Low

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

33.5 30.8 35.0 33.8 34.2 33.0 33.8 33.2

25.7 25.5 26.0 24.7 27.0 25.6 25.0 26.5

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Jumma Asr Magrib Esha

4:34am 5:48am 11:50pm 4:09pm 5:50pm 7:05pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

Barrister Nazmul Huda yesterday appealed to the Election Commission to say the Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) should not be registered as a political party.

Huda, who says he is member of BNP, submitted an application addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, received by a secretary in the CEC’s absence.

Speaking with reporters at the EC secretariat afterwards he said: “I currently have no connection with BNF as I am in BNP. As BNF’s convener, I have dissolved the platform to remove confusion among leaders and activists of BNP,” and added: “Therefore I have requested the EC not to register BNF as a political party.”

When asked why his request should

Abandoned cars are stacked on the Department of Agriculture Extension premises at Khamarbari in the capital’s Farmgate area. The photo was taken yesterday

be taken into consideration as he was no longer part of the organisation, Huda, the former convener of BNF said that it would depend on what the EC decides to do about his application.

He added: “As the convener of BNF, I have a right to dissolve the party. If I am the convener of BNP, I could dissolve the party.”

Huda dissolved the BNF on Monday, which he founded after he left the BNP. Huda was one of the founding members of the BNP but in November 2010 he was expelled after he criticised Khaldea Zia for failing to engage in dialogue with Sheikh Hasina and subsequently accused of “anti-organisational activities.”

The following March the expulsion order was withdrawn, but in June 2012, he resigned from the BNP. In May this year, Nazmul Huda announced his decision to return to the party. l

BNP leader hacked to death n Our Correspondent, Satkhira A clash between two rival political groups left one dead and eight injured in Ashasuni upazila in Satkhira yesterday.

The dead Abdul Hakim, 55, was the vice-president of Sreeula union BNP. The incident took place around 10am in old Hatkhola area, when Abdul Hakim was attacked by a group of followers of his political rival, said Sreeula union Awami League President and exchairman Nur Mohammad.

Hakim’s followers came forward to rescue him and a clash erupted.

He died in the clash while eight others sustained injuries. Houses of BNP activists Monirul, Karim and Rashid were vandalised.

The injured were identified as Sreeula inhabitant Babu Gazi, 40, son of Ajibur Rahman Gazi; Rani Sardar, 18, son

Khalishpur residents receive health education n Tribune Report Brighter Dawns, a US-based nonprofit organisation, has run a number of initiatives to provide health education to the impoverished communities of Ward 12 of Khalishpur in Khulna district throughout this month.

A team from the organisation arrived in Dhaka on September 9.

In collaboration with local non-government organisations, it has so far installed 11 wells and 9 latrines in the ward as well as hosting a number of health seminars for women and children.

Their projects included the distribution of sanitation kits, which include items such as soaps and sanitary napkins.

Through seminars, they have emphasised the importance of the incorporation of basic hygiene practices, such as hand washing, into elementary schools curriculums in a creative way. l

of Safi Sardar, Alam Sardar, 50; Khairul Sardar, 42, son of Arshad Sardar; and deceased Hakim’s brother Moiruddin Sardar, 65.

Police hospitalised the injured at Ashasuni Upazila Health Complex and Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex and arrested one Abdus Selim with a machete from Nabinagar of Kaliganj upazila.

OC Farid Uddin of Ashasuni police station told the Dhaka Tribune that Hakim had rivalry with Nur Mohammad.

His supporters had allegedly cut vein Hakim’s son, Raju, a month back.

A case was filed in that connection, police said.

On Wednesday, both parties had come to the court, where they engaged in an altercation. Police, with the help of the locals, arrested Sabuj, 24, one of Nur Mohammad’s men, with a sharp weapon from the court area. l

JU admission test committee’s meeting foiled n JU Correspondent A meeting of the central admission test committee of Jahangirnagar University ended prematurely yesterday when deans and chairmen from different faculties and departments left the meeting halfway through.

Sources said university authorities called the meeting yesterday to finalise the work plan for the upcoming admission test for the 2013-14 academic year that is scheduled from November 2-9.

The meeting began at the administrative building around 11am and was chaired by Pro Vice-Chancellor (education) Prof Dr MA Matin.

According to the university’s regulations, the vice-chancellor (VC) must chair this meeting, and, in their absence, a person officially nominated by the VC can chair it.

Sources said some teachers at the meeting alleged that Prof MA Matin was not officially appointed since he had no written document signed by

Tight security for Durga Puja, Eid n Tribune Report Law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been asked to remain alert during the celebrations of Eid-ulAzha and Durga Puja to prevent the breakdown of law and order centring the ongoing war crimes trials.

The directives came from two special meetings, held yesterday afternoon, said a press release issued by the police headquarters.

Sources close to the meetings said IGP Hassan Mahmood Khandker discussed the country’s political crisis and its possible turns, mainly regarding the issue of ongoing trials of war criminals.

The meetings led to a decision to ensure strict security in all Eid congregations and Puja venues. Bus, train and launch stations will also see the deployment of additional forces. l

the VC and therefore the meeting was illegal.

Sources said four deans- Prof Dr Syed Kamrul Ahsan, Prof Dr Amir Hossain, Prof Abul Hossain and Prof Sheikh Md Monzurul Haque- and chairmen from different departments left the meeting around 1pm in protest over the issue.

The deans said they had left the meeting as authorities failed to show any document ensuring the legality of Prof MA Matin acting as the chair of the central admission committee.

They also placed a three-point demand to the university authorities.

They demanded that Prof MA Matin be put in charge of the committee officially, that deans be appointed to the biological sciences and business faculties and that the writ petition against social science faculty Dean Prof Dr Amir Hossain be withdrawn.

Arts and Humanities faculty dean Prof Dr Syed Kamrul Ahsan told the Dhaka Tribune: “We want the admis-

Md Alam, a 45-year-old wheat farmer from Kushtia usually grew wheat on a small piece of land every year. Like many of the thousands of farmers in Bangladesh, Alam was unaccustomed with scientific methods or measures when it came to seeding, planting, controlling pests or applying fertilisers.

In 2012 a group of young people visited his village and requested him to volunteer in a programme to apply fertilisers using scientific measures. Alam was hesitant at first but eventually agreed.

The programme required him to use mrittikā, a computer application for fertiliser recommendation, developed by Grameen Intel Social Business Ltd. Mrittikā is a logic driven software that can be customised to recommend appropriate fertiliser usage for any region and crop. The application can be installed on any low cost computer or handheld device. It prepares a unique fertiliser prescription for each combi-

nation of crop and region, based on a real-time analysis of the nutrients in the soil.

The full package consists of a portable soil testing kit and the software installed on a netbook or a laptop. An entrepreneur goes door to door and offers this service to farmers for a small fee. The soil testing kit is quite easy to use and the soil testing process takes a little more than an hour which includes sample collection and analysis.

Grameen Intel Social Business Ltd said in a press release yesterday that by using mrittikā, Alam had seen his harvest increase by 47%.

Even though Bangladesh’s economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, scientific farming methods are not widely used. As such, farmers usually settle for suboptimal yield and mediocre quality of produce. One particular area where scientific methods could be easily utilised is in the application of fertilisers. With that goal in mind, scientists and engineers at Grameen Intel developed mrittikā which

sion tests to be held in time but it must go through a legal process, and we cannot work while two faculties have no deans and one dean has a writ against him.”

Deputy Registrar (education) Mohammad Ali told the Dhaka Tribune: “The meeting is yet to reach any decision but the procedure of the committee will continue and I hope that we will be able to make decisions very soon.”

Prof MA Matin was unavailable for comments.

The teachers of the university, under the banner of the General Teachers’ Forum, declared that VC Prof Anwar Hossain was unwanted on the campus in June and refused to sit in any formal meetings of the university while Prof Anwar was holding the chair.

The four deans have been absent in the last two meetings of the admission test committee and are demanding that Prof MA Matin officially be made the chair of the committee. l

BISHWAJIT MURDER CASE

Investigation officer continues deposition n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu The deposition of the current investigation officer of the Bishwajit Das murder case may take another day to complete.

Acting judge of the Speedy Trial Tribunal 4 Md Nuruzzaman yesterday recorded the partial testimony of Md Tajul Islam, also an inspector of the Detective Branch of police, and set October 1 as the date for hearing the rest of the deposition.

The tribunal has so far recorded the depositions of 31 of the 60 prosecution witnesses.

Tajul said he had taken over the case on December 15 last year. After investi-

Technology helps farmers raise yield n Tribune Report

NASHIRUL ISLAM

is currently being deployed in Bangladesh and parts of India.

Currently there are 30 farmers from three districts participating in a programme named Project Harvest. There are 15 farmers in Kushtia, 12 in Patuakhali and 3 in Chuadanga. Grameen Intel team members make this service available to the enrolled farmers and guide them throughout the season. Since its inception in 2012, the program has served 85 farmers in seven districts.

Project Harvest has so far worked with rice, jute, potato, wheat, mustard, mung bean, green chili, peanuts and ladyfingers and Grameen Intel says the results so far have been quite encouraging. The crop that has performed the best so far has been a variety of Boro rice in Kushtia; the mrittikā-backed farmers achieved up to 54% greater yield compared to other farmers in the area.

Farmers seem to be clearly seeing the benefit of using such a technology tool as not only does it increase the yield, it also allows farmers to save on fertiliser. l

gating, he pressed charges on March 5 against 21 activists of Awami League’s student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League’s Jagannath University unit.

He said four of the accused – Mahfuzur Rahman Nahid, GM Rasheduzzaman Shaon, Mohammad Rafiqul Islam alias Shakil and Emdadul Haque Emdad – had made confessional statements before the court. “They also acknowledged their crimes and made apologies,” he added.

Earlier, on September 24, the crossexamination of the previous investigation officer, Md Mahbubul Alam, was completed. He was also present before the court yesterday to assist the conducting investigation officer. l

50,000 overseas job seekers register with BMET n Rabiul Islam Around 50,000 Bangladeshis in Dhaka and Barisal divisions, seeking overseas jobs, have registered their names in the government database.

Sources at the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) said a total of 42,280 jobs seekers registered in Dhaka and 7,595 in Barisal yesterday.

Institute of Information and Communication Technology of Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology has been providing technical assistance to the BMET for conducting the online registration across the country.

IICT Director Saiful Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that the number of job seekers was increasing rapidly, adding that more job seekers were expected to register in the next two days as the registration would end on September 28. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

5

Friday, September 27, 2013

BIGSTOCK

CSR does not mean charity

M

n Mamun Rashid

any senior figures in civil society, regulatory bodies and universities might be shocked to hear corporate social responsibility (CSR) has nothing or very little to do with charity. I know, it is very tough for them to accept that money diverted or donated from state owned and private commercial banks to buy furniture, computers, microbuses and refurbishing the teachers’ lounge in Dhaka University can not accurately be labelled under CSR. Giving scholarships to poor, meritorious students is very worthy but this is charity, not CSR. Helping a destitute woman with medical treatment is a very good job, but this is again charity.

Similarly, the assistance provided to schools and under other humanitarian angles can’t be tallied as CSR. Yes, Bangladesh Police needs many vehicles to run to the accident site promptly. Maybe the Rapid Action Battalion needed their canteen to be refurbished; there’s nothing wrong in supporting these activities. Nothing wrong either with banks or financial institutions coming forward to help a Tagore song competition or mobile companies to support Sabina Yasmeen or Runa Laila or any ill or disadvantaged artists. But again this is charity not CSR.

Charity can be an important part of CSR, which signifies a corporation’s contribution to the community where it does business. But CSR of a company involves a lot of factors that we usually tend to overlook

Many in the corporate world need to know there is a great myth about the buzzwords associated with CSR. The leading British weekly the Economist ran an opinion poll on the subject for several weeks which reconfirms there is a “disconnect” between understandings of CSR and charity.

We often get confused with charity versus CSR and label purely philanthropic activities in the name of CSR. The concept of CSR is not just social; there is a lot more to it than just corporate philanthropy.

Today corporate social responsibility goes far beyond basic charitable activities of the past. It is not just about making a contribution towards good causes but is instead an all-year-round responsibility that acknowledges companies should serve the community, its business, workers, customers and other stakeholders.

CSR must integrate with corporate values, culture and the company’s strategy to achieve future sustainability. This is more like “people were hungry in the past, people are hungry at present, but instead of giving them a bread for today, teach them or help

them to eradicate poverty.” It is more than giving away charitable items through “Zakat.” It is ensuring the Zakat money enables a person to not require Zakat the next time, because he or she has already become capable to generate income through the money given to him or her in the past.

The profit that each institution makes should reflect its core values and adhere to best practices. Thus, CSR is in fact more than just a company engaging in charity in its local community. It is the recognition that brand names depend not only on quality, price and uniqueness but on how, cumulatively, they interact with companies’ workforce, community, environment and, moreover, run their businesses.

The results of a company are judged not only by the input but also by its outcomes: the difference we make to the world in which we operate, and the contribution we make for sustainable development, as mentioned above.

It is an ambitious vision that CSR in its modern sense requires a business to operate responsibly taking into account their economic, social and environmental impacts, and to act to address their key sustainable development challenges.

But a major controversy still lies in the true understanding of CSR. If we look ten to twenty years back, CSR was just a jargon for most people and was not given so much of importance.

Now we feel CSR is a business reality and any company, which enjoys privileges granted by the society, must be socially responsible and accountable.

We see CSR as businesses’ contribution to society and sustainable development. There are many definitions but they all relate to how business takes account of its economic, social and environmental impacts in the way it operates, maximising the benefits and minimising the downsides.

I am not talking about mere philanthropy. CSR has to be good for long-term business success as well as for the wider society in order to move forward to the next trajectory.

CSR also often calls for finding a niche as an ethical organisation. To translate this into a business perspective, how can competitive advantage be created, through approaches to CSR or even niche product development?

Successful innovation will come from looking ahead to environmental and social trends and planning to create opportunities in that new environment.

To spot a future niche, a business has to be a constant trend-watcher, alert to its environment, ready to spot the product-client mix to which it is uniquely adapted. The true sense of CSR will also address the meaning of “survival of the fittest” for a business.

Thinking about how organisations evolve, how adaptation enables “survival of the fittest” has long been an analogy that has helped business strategists.

Can it really be simply fitness to eliminate all competitors in your path?

Increasingly, it is becoming important to measure success through working

in partnerships with different stakeholders.

As mentioned above, and possibly engrained in the “upper chamber” of many in Bangladesh is the defining of CSR in most cases to be a part of charity. But it is in fact the reverse. Charity can be an important part of CSR, which signifies a corporation’s con-

stream across business operations and into company strategy. It is not just a task for the public relations department but needs to permeate across the company: in business development, marketing, human resources, finance and so on. I believe this is being reflected in the growing consensus that such integration is the only way

CSR for a company involves a total dedication and a shared responsibility to clients, to each other and to the franchise

tribution to the community where it does business. But CSR of a company involves a lot of factors that we usually tend to overlook. CSR is a much bigger picture when a company voluntarily integrates a complete range of economic, social, and environmental concerns in its business and communication with its stakeholders.

Again many companies have different concepts to serving the community. It can be a part of CSR or a part of corporate citizenship. For many big companies, all these initiatives are a commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen and an industry partner working with businesses, communities and governments to help advance economic and social well being and to enable people around the world to realise their full potential.

Corporate governance also goes side by side with CSR: how a company acts within a set regulatory structure and how companies manage their business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society.

Corporate social responsibility and social reporting is corporate governance in action.

CSR for a company involves a total dedication and a shared responsibility to clients, to each other and to the franchise: whether a company is doing a business in a responsible way or whether they are perceived as a responsible corporate citizen, not only to their clients but also how they are eyed by the regulators and all the relevant stakeholders; whether a company is supporting the country’s vision for overall economic and social development; whether the company is attacking the right cause in the name of charity.

We may often find that a company may not have a CSR policy and even if it does, there will be different opinions about the definition of CSR. The majority of companies do not meet the criteria of a planned CSR model, although they do practice charity.

Charity and CSR are related but different concepts.

In other words, CSR is just as much a way of thinking about and doing business. And that way of thinking needs to be brought to the main-

for CSR to realise its full potential.

In a nutshell, CSR has continued to be a highly topical and debated subject. It has increasingly provided the focus for exploration of broad philosophical questions about the roles and responsibilities of companies and their relationship with the roles and responsibilities of government and other stakeholders.

But it has also provided the context for debate on more particular questions from donating to a charity to employee volunteering, to poverty eradication, and many more. Does this mean that CSR risks being about everything and nothing?

Although debates about CSR have continued to grow, we remain a long way from consensus on what it means and what its value is. We often conclude that it is just about glossy reports and public relations. Some see it as a source of business opportunity

communicated; there may be some very interesting underlying business concepts.

But clearly the ways that individual companies take up the challenge of CSR must reflect their particular circumstances. The approach, challenges and opportunities will naturally be very different among different local and multinational companies.

For many companies the focus is on “doing” CSR rather than reporting on it. CSR has continued to develop well beyond its philanthropic and community roots with a growing focus on the business case, making the business a socially responsible one and of course in standing out from the crowd – by serving the core values of the society in which the corporation works.

By integrating CSR into the way we do business, I believe companies can be part of the solution to some of these challenges. But we need to look at how we can encourage businesses to make CSR activities part of their core business and make it an approach that makes a real difference in the society.

The bottom line is that CSR is a combination of a company’s initiatives which integrates its views and actions towards social and environmental concerns where the business operates, whilst taking into account the interaction with all relevant stakeholders.

Charity is part of the picture and should and will always be there as the need for philanthropy will not go away. Rich people should and must help the poor.

In this part of the world we have seen many zamindars (landlords) and monarchs put up many schools and colleges, despite controversies regarding the “how” part of where they got or made their money.

Most of the zamindars in Bangladesh were very keen to build mosques

It is not just a task for the public relations department but needs to permeate across the company

and improved competitiveness. Others see it as a distraction or threat. But is there any particular framework for a planned CSR? Very often, the relationship between CSR and a company’s core business seems to depend largely on the views of the CEO and the chairman. There are still companies that conduct CSR by just donating money.

However, many organisations are contributing to society by donating their own unique knowledge, know-how and resources.

The main differences between large corporations and medium-sized and small ones lie in the method chosen for CSR and the underlying motives. CSR is often not publicly

or help the destitute. Though most of these activities carry significant historic importance, they could not work cohesively to take our community, society or country forward.

In today’s world we need more responsible entrepreneurs, business houses and corporations to be integrated in the development process in a more concrete and responsible manner. We want them committed to our possible future. In a dynamic and shifting world, we need to go beyond the boxes to redefine many of the already defined or even resolved issues or subjects. l Mamun Rashid is a business professor and financial sector entrepreneur.

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Friday, September 27, 2013

Bangladeshis detained by BSF return n Our Correspondent, Khagrachari

Eight Shibir activists held in Rajshahi n RU Correspondent

Indian Border Security Forces (BSF) detained eight Bangladeshis for illegally entering the Indian territory of Sabrum in South Tripura on Wednesday.

The commanding officer (CO) of the 16 Battalion of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Lt Col Abul Kalam Azad said the eight men - BangladAungsheprue Marma, 30, Ramrachai Marma, 32, Chaithowai Marma, 35, Abrachai Marma, 38, Chathowai Marma, 30, Mongsathowai Marma, 40, Dadu Marma, 37 and Remrachari Marma, 36 - are from Khagrachhari’s Ramgorh upazila.

Lt Col Azad, who is stationed in the upazila, said they were detained after they entered India illegally by crossing the border at Lachari Para in Ramgorh on Wednesday evening.

He said: “We communicated with the BSF and requested them to allow the eight Bangladeshi nationals to return.”

The CO said the BSF did not return the detained Bangladeshis until 6pm yesterday. l

A team of Rapid Action Battalion 5 in Rajshahi yesterday arrested eight Islami Chhatra Shibir activists in a drive, including the organisation’s Rajshahi University (RU) unit General Secretary Saifuddin Yeahia on charges of violence in different times and attacking the police.

The seven other arrestees were identified as Ariful Islam, 19, Abdul Kader Bappy, 19, Minhazul Islam, 25, Abu Sayeem, 23, Kabir Hossain, 25, Arifur Rahman, 25 and Matiur Rahman, 20.

At a press briefing at the Railway Colony Camp of Rab 5, Lieutenant Colonel Anwar Latif Khan said the Rab also recovered 13 handmade crude bombs, a firearm with eight bullets and a motorcycle from their possession.

On information, they conducted a drive at Shibir-operated Contest Coaching Centre at Malopara in the city around 4am and made the arrests, he said, adding that the arrestees were also suspected to be involved with the recent violence in Rajshahi city and Rajshahi University area.

About 42 cases were filed with different police stations in Rajshahi city including a murder case of Bangladesh Chhatra League RU unit activist Faruk Hossain on February 8, 2010 against Saifuddin Yeahia, Latif Khan said, and added that the arrestees would soon be handed over to the police after primary investigation. l

Three JCD men injured in BCL attack at CU n CU Correspondent Three activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of the opposition BNP, were injured in an attack by a group of activists from the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the ruling party’s student wing, on the Chittagong University (CU) campus on Wednesday night.

Those injured in the attack were Md Junayed, a final year student of the law department, Abu Taher, a master’s student of the physics department and Bodruddoza Sumon, a second year student of the mathematics department All are undergoing treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

Junayed said around 10-12 BCL activists swooped on them when they were chatting in the university railway station area.

“They beat up us with sticks and also hurled stones at us at around 9:30pm,” Junayed said.

Jalal Ahmed, official secretary of the BCL CU unit, said the incident occurred when the JCD activists gathered in the area near the railway station to commit subversive activities. l

Freedom fighter’s house burned down in Narsingdi n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi A gang of criminals burned down the house of a freedom fighter in Narsingdi on the early hours of Thursday, following a failed attempt to murder him at the Hasanhata village in the district’s Palash upazila.

Police and witnesses said 10-12 criminals tried to kill Mohammad Ali, the commander of Muktijoddha Sangsad’s Danga union unit, after attacking him at his house with weapons. Ali managed to flee and shouted for help, as the criminals set his house on fire.

The fire gutted down all the furniture and valuables in the house, before firefighters from Palash upazila were able to tame the blaze.

Freedom fighters of the district held a rally at Danga Union’s Muktijoddha Sangsad office yesterday evening, protesting the attack.

Chaired by former Muktijoddha Sangsad district commander Abdur Rashid Molla, speakers at the rally urged authorities concerned to take necessary action against the culprits. l

Man jailed for life for keeping heroin n UNB, Barisal A Barisal court on Wednesday sentenced a man to a life term of imprisonment for possessing heroin.

The court also fined him Tk10,000 and in default, he will have to serve three more months in jail.

The convict was Nasiruddin, alias Dallas Nasir, 35, son of the late Sattar Master from the Kawnia Branch Road area of the city.

Matiar Rahman, additional district and session’s judge of Barisal, handed down the verdict against Nasiruddin in absentia.

According to the prosecution, a team of Rapid Action Battalion-8 arrested Nasir in the area with 100 kilograms of heroin on July 17, 2012. l

People walking down a road next to Mawa ferry ghat. The river Padma has already swallowed a portion of the road much to the concern of the local people

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Tension grips Government Zilla Artificial limb center to School, Barisal University campuses be made fully effective n Moniruzzaman Uzzal Shifting of Barisal University demanded after schoolboy stabbed by a university student The health ministry is set to take necessary steps to make fully effective – the higher authorities, said Wahiduzza- Limb Brace Workshop, the artificial about 11:45am and fled the scene.

Our Correspondent, Barisal n Sifat was taken to Sher-e-Bangla man, additional deputy commissioner, limb centre at the National Institute of A tense situation is prevailing on both Government Zilla School and Barisal University campuses after a student of the school was stabbed allegedly by a university student yesterday afternoon.

Police have been deployed in campus areas to avoid any untoward incident. Safayet Hossain Sifat, 14, a class VII student of Government Zilla School was stabbed allegedly by a student of Barisal University in the afternoon.

Soon after the incident agitated students of the school put up barricade on the road in front of Government Zilla School and demanded shifting of the temporary campus of the university from the school compound.

Barisal University was built temporarily on the Zilla School compound and it has still been there since its inception in 2011.

Locals said some youths attacked Sifat and stabbed on his back and forehead while he was going to school from his house in Brown Compound area at

Medical College Hospital. Later, police handed him over to his family members after his condition improved.

Earlier on Monday, students of BU ransacked cycles and motorcycles kept on school premise over teasing of university girl by a schoolboy.

At that time, BU teachers were present on the spot, but they played the role of silent spectators, the agitating students alleged.

Worried guardians of the school yesterday asked the school authorities to call emergency meeting of the guardians and management committees of both the institutions.

Saibina Yasmin, headmaster of the school, said the meeting with the guardians and management committees might be called by the deputy commissioner, who is chairman of the school management committee, after ending the ongoing PSC and JSC model test.

Transfer of BU campus from Zilla School depends on the decision of the

after visiting the campus.

Prof Dr Harun or Rashid, vice-chancellor of Barisal University, said if anyone could prove that attackers were BU students, university authorities would take action against them.

Guardians of the students of both the institutions alleged that as the heads and teachers of the institutions had been selected on political consideration, it would be tough to maintian congenial atmosphere on the campuses.

Hasib, a student of Zilla School, alleged that Sifat was chopped as he tried to resist anti-social activities of BU students on the campus.

Abdullah, a BU student, said students of the school used to tease university girl. “We tried to put up resistance against them,” he added.

No case had been lodged in connection of chopping the school boy till this report was filed, said Shakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station. l

Field-level health workers yesterday staged demonstration in front of the National Press Club to press home their five-point demand DHAKA TRIBUNE

Trauma and Orthopedics Rehabilitation (Nitor), which had been operating on a limited basis at the institute.

Health Secretary MM Niazuddin made the announcement yesterday from a press conference at Nitor, marking the weeklong artificial limb attachment programme by a team of orthopedics specialists from Thailand.

A group of doctors, nurses and technicians will be sent to Thailand for a three-month training on prosthetics, the secretary said, adding that he had

asked Nitor Director Prof Abdul Awal Rizvi to send the ministry a letter with the institute’s demands and proposals for making Nitor’s artificial limb centre fully effective.

Niazuddin said the 63-member specialist team from Thailand’s Prosthesis Foundation – which is run by the donation of the Thai princess – was in Bangladesh to operate on and provide free treatment to more than a hundred patients.

The team had already given five-day training to the patients on how to walk with the artificial limbs, which will be officially delivered to the patients on Saturday.

The Thai team will attach prosthetic limbs on 107 patients, including some victims of the Rana Plaza collapse. l

7 jailed for life in rape cases n UNB, Dhaka Two special tribunals in Chittagong and Bogra on Wednesday sentenced seven people to life-term imprisonment for rape and abduction.

In Chittagong, Judge M Rezaul Karim of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 found three people guilty of abducting two girls and gang-raping them in 2011 and sentenced them to life in prison.

The convicts were identified as Parvez, Rana and Nasir, residents of the city’s Chandgaon area. The court also fined Tk100,000 each.

According to the prosecution, the trio on October 28, 2011 abducted the two girls, garment workers by profession, from Chandgaon while they were returning home. They took the victims to a nearby desolate house and raped them there by turn overnight.

On the following day, one of the victims filed a case with the Chandgaon police station accusing six people.

On February 8, 2012, the investigation officer of the case submitted charge sheet and the court framed charges against the accused on May 7.

The court pronounced the verdict on Wednesday after examining the evidence and witnesses.

The court also acquitted four ac-

cused for lack of sufficient documents in favour of the allegations.

In Bogra, Justice SM Saiful Islam of the Women and Children Repression Prevention- 1 awarded four people life term imprisonment for gang-rapping a schoolgirl after abduction 16 years back.

The judge in another case also handed them seven years’ imprisonment and fined them Tk25,000 each, in default, to suffer two years more in prison.

The convicts are Khokon, son of Mozammel Haque, Tozam, son of Foroj Ullah, Siraj, son of Abdul Hai Khaleq, and Bakkar, son of Sana Ullah-- all of Nurail village under Bogra sadar upazila.

According to the prosecution, the convicts in the morning of August 6, 1997 abducted a class V female student while she was on way to school.

They took her to a house in Khandar area and rapped her there at a stretch for four days. Later, police rescued her from the house. The victim’s father lodged a case with Bogra Sadar police station.

Police submitted charge sheet accusing nine people.

After longtime of hearing, the court on Wednesday gave the four life term imprisonment, with Siraj and Bakkar in absentia. The court also acquitted five accused as the allegations against them could not be proved. l

Grassroots health workers boycott Primary school teachers Expended Programme on Immunisation give ultimatum n Our Correspondent, Barisal

An association of grassroots health workers, the Bangladesh Shasthya Bibhagiyo Maat Kormi association yesterday announced they would boycott the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) if their five-point demands remain unrealised by October 5.

To raise awareness about their demands a human chain was formed during a rally held in Barisal, which was addressed by Firoz Alam and Hanif Mia, the association’s central president and joint secretary general respectively.

Earlier this month, community field workers did not join EPI programmes and the association’s convener in Barisal Mahbub Hossain said unless their demands were met they would not return to work for an indefinite period.

The association’s demands include introduction of a salary scale to prevent discrimination, implementation of the amended Employment Rule 1985 to promote second class health inspectors to health supervisors and increasing their tour-allowances.

Community health workers are

validated by the World Health Organization (WHO), and serves rural communities by providing vital health and medical related assistance.

They play an important role in the implementation of WHO’s immunisation programme, which provides vaccines and immunises children against six childhood diseases, namely Diphtheria, Whooping cough, Tetanus, Polio, Measles and Tuberculosis.

Through the EPI programme by 1993 approximately 74% of Bangladeshi children were immunised and coverage reached nearly 85% by 1998. l

n Our Correspondent, Barisal The government primary school teachers of Barisal have been suspended academic activities for the last three days to press home their seven-pointdemand.

The teachers staged a rally and brought out a procession in the city on Tuesday.

The programme was organised by Bangladesh Primary Teachers’ Association, Barisal sadar upazila.

At least 22, 000 teachers of 951 gov-

ernment primary schools of different upazilas of the district took part in the programme.

According to Mobarak Hossain, district vice-president and Nizamul Haque, district secretary of the Bangladesh Primary Teachers’ Association in Barisal, said they have several demands for the last couple of years including up gradation of the status and salary of the headmaster to second class government official and expansion of the salary of assistant teachers. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

7

Friday, September 27, 2013

Rajbari Adhunik Sadar Hospital in bad health There are only 10 doctors against 42 posts Only four medical assistants are curn Our Correspondent, Rajbari rently providing treatment to outdoor Rajbari Adhunik Sadar Hospital – the only government hospital in the town – is failing to provide proper healthcare services to locals, because of an acute shortage of doctors, nurses, staff, and accommodation facilities.

Currently, there are only ten doctors against 42 posts at the hospital, which provides service to over 1.5m people of the district.

Other key posts, including that of 10 specialist doctors and a medical officer of homeopathy, also remain vacant.

The departments of cardiology, pediatrics, surgery, anesthesia, and medicine also have no senior consultants appointed, while several departments also lack any junior consultant, said an official at the civil surgeon’s office, seeking anonymity.

Hospital sources said the shortage of child specialists and medicine consultants resulted in the death of nine children and five elderly people in the last two months.

The posts of hospital superintendent, nursing supervisor, administrative officer, statistics officer, accountant, storekeeper and 24 other posts also remain vacant at the hospital.

patients, while emergency patients who came to the hospital in the afternoon or at night were often deprived of medical attention, as two emergency medical posts are also vacant.

During a visit to the hospital on September 25, this correspondent found a huge number of patients lying on the floor of different wards and corridors.

A patient from the sadar upazila’s Felur Dokan area said medical representatives often visited doctors during their duty hours. He claimed that he could not meet a doctor for consultation despite waiting for four hours.

Sakhina, a resident of sadar upazila who brought her children to see a pediatrician, said the post of child specialist had been lying vacant for two years.

Her children also had to leave without any treatment.

Four-month old Arifa, who was suffering from severe pneumonia, had to be referred to the Faridpur General Hospital, as there was no pediatrician at the hospital.

Shyamoli, 65, and Feroza, 55, patients from Pabna’s Sujanagar upazila with severe respiratory problem and lower abdominal pain respectively, claimed

they were not getting proper treatment at the hospital because of the non-availability of doctors.

A medical assistant, seeking anonymity, said each assistant was serving 150 to 180 outdoor patients daily.

Sources said, 180 to 200 patients stay at different wards every day, although there were only 80 beds available.

The hospital has only one x-ray machine and a single operation theater, while the anesthesia machine is not used because of the doctor shortage.

Hospital sources said the operation theater had not been utilized properly for the past three years because of the shortage of senior surgery and anesthesia doctors.

Any patient who came to the hospital seeking surgery, were referred to different clinics and the Faridpur sadar hospital by attending doctors.

Residential Medical Officer Abdul Hannan said the hospital could not be run properly as most doctor posts were vacant. Rajbari district Civil Surgeon Dr Nurul Amin said several letters have been sent to authorities concerned seeking more doctors for the vacant posts, but to no effect. The district currently has 45 doctors while 126 posts are vacant, he said. l

Farmers of Islampur in Jamalpur upazila have started hoarding jute fibre for lack of fair prices

Chandpur district election Drought threatens T-Aman harvest n office set for upcoming national polls Our Correspondent, Gaibandha

n Our Correspondent, Chandpur The election office in Chandpur has drawn up a draft list of 615 polling centres for the five parliamentary seats of the district, as part of its preparation for the 10th general elections, which are scheduled to be held early next year.

Working with a draft voter list, the district election office has increased poll centres and booth numbers as per an order of the election commission.

“The election commission has ordered us to take all necessary preparations for the upcoming elections. We have already finished the draft work for the poll centres,” Ataur Rahman, a district election officer, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Election office sources said 615 polling centres, including 95 new ones,

with 3,152 probable booths have been primarily fixed for the upcoming polls.

Among the proposed centres, 89 will be in Chandpur-1 (Kochua), 134 in Chandpur-2 (north and south Matlab),

Working with a draft voter list, the district election office has increased poll centres and booth numbers as per an order of the election commission 152 in Chandpur-3 (Sadar and Haimchar), 104 in Chandpur-4 (Faridganj) and 136 in Chandpur-5 ( Hajiganj-Shahrasti), the source said.

Some 1,536,049 people are listed in the draft electoral roll, which is 212,429 more voters than in the last polls. Of the total number of voters, 766,154 are male, while 769,895 are female. l

High value T-Aman paddy planted this season is under threat in the seven upazilas of Gaibandha district due to a sudden change in weather conditions in the area.

While in some areas farmers have successfully planted the seedlings, many farmers said the seedlings they planted are ready to be transplanted but they have been hampered by the lack of rainfall, which they need to replant the paddy to ensure a good harvest.

Farmers in the district are worried their crops will fail as without rain the fields will dry quickly and ruin the harvest. In some places the soil has already dried and cracked.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) set this year’s target for rice cultivated from T-Aman at 4,64,000tonnes harvested on approximately 123,000hectares of land.

Farmers who can afford shallow

irrigation pumps are irrigating the land to ensure their crops do not fail. However, many farmers have complained that frequent power cuts are not helping their Efforts to save the harvest from ruin.

Farmers in the district are worried their crops will fail as without rain the fields will dry quickly and ruin the harvest.

In some places the soil has already dried and cracked A farmer from Bagda of Gobindaganj upazila Masud Rana said his seedlings are dying from lack of sufficient water.

He said most farmers hire the irrigation pumps and must wait for their turn to use the pumps and water their crops, often leading to misunderstandings and arguments between them.

To add to farmers’ woes there has also been reports of pest attacks and crop disease in the area, jeopardising the chances of a good harvest.

Jahedul Haque from Barobaldia village in Sadar upazila said irrigation costs go up significantly if farmers want to use diesel to run the pumps since power supply is unreliable and erratic.

He said with the additional expenses, eventually most farmers would not be able to recoup the losses incurred even if they do manage to harvest the paddy.

Another farmer from the village, Khorshed Alam, said if there is no rain and power cuts continue then they won’t be able to meet the target fixed by the DAE for T-Aman cultivation this season. He fears there is serious risks of the harvest failing, which may lead to food shortages in the district.

Farmers in the district are seeking government help urgently to provide steady supply of power to ensure the expected harvest can be cultivated, and their fears are put to rest.

Earlier the DAE and local farmers had been expecting a bumper crop as favourable conditions prevailed to guarantee a good harvest. l

FOCUS BANGLA

Three jailed for tree felling n UNB, Barisal A Barisal court on Wednesday sentenced three men to six months of imprisonment each for cutting down trees illegally.

They were also fined Tk2,000 each for cutting down the roadside trees, which belonged to the local forest department.

The convicts were Mizanur Rahman, son of Mosharraf Hossain from the Zia Sarak area of the city, Delwar Zamaddar, son of Harun Zamaddar from the Guthia Uzirpur area and his brother Nuru Zamaddar.

According to the case, on February 20, 2007 the convicts chopped down 11 roadside trees belonging to the forest department in Guthia Bridge and Narayanpur areas without first taking permission.

Uzirpur upazila Forest Officer Shah Alam filed a case against the three men on April 2 of that year for cutting down and stealing the trees. l

Concern over rise in drug abuse, gambling in Lalmonirhat n Our Correspondent, Lalmonirhat

Students from different high schools form a human chain in No 1 Traficmor in Gaibandha, protesting creative system in class IX FOCUS BANGLA

NEWS IN BRIEF Liquor, sex stimulants seized in Chuadanga Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in two separate drive seized Indian Phensidyl syrup, liquor, sex stimulating tablets and other illegal goods worth Tk600, 000 in the district on Tuesday. Being tipped off, a team of BGB-6 conducted a drive at Goherpur village in Jibanagar upazila and recovered 600 bottles of Phensidyl hidden inside an abandoned power triller beside the road. On other hand, the same team recovered 20 bottles of liquor, 250 pieces of sex stimulating tablet, 2,000 pieces of battery, television spare parts and other goods from the Benipur border point. – UNB

Two youths held with firearms in Jessore Police in separate drives arrested two young men from the Rail Road and Kismat Nawapara areas of Jessore’s sadar

upazila in the early hours of yesterday. The arrestees were Zahidul Islam Sagor, alias Choshma Sagor, son of late Aslam Mollah of Chanchra Rajbari of the town, and Ziaul Islam Dipu, son of Nawsher Ali of Kismat Nawapara. Police sources said a team of Kotwali police arrested Sagor with a revolver and two rounds of ammunition in front of Sonali Bank in the Rail Road area of the town around midnight after receiving a tip-off. Meanwhile, another team of Kotwali police arrested Dipu in possession of a 9mm pistol and a bullet from his house around 2am. Separate cases were filed in connection with the arrests. – UNB

Woman found dead in Feni Police on Wednesday morning recovered the body of a young woman from a drain near Uttara Community Centre in the Alim Uddin Road area of the town. The identity of the deceased woman could not be known immediately. Locals spotted the body of the

woman, estimated to be aged around 22 to 23, in the waste water outlet in the area and informed police around 10am. Police recovered the body and sent it to Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy. According to police sources, the woman might have been killed elsewhere and the body dumped in the area around midnight on Tuesday. – UNB

1 killed in Magura road accident A man was killed in a road accident in Natunbazar area of the district town yesterday morning. The deceased was identified as Miraz Hossain, 38, son of Wajed Ali of Parnanduali area of the town.

Police said the accident occurred when a tempo fell into a roadside ditch as its driver lost control over the steering, leaving Miraz seriously injured. Local people immediately taken him to Magura Sadar Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. A case was filed in this connection. – BSS

Speakers at a discussion expressed concern over the rise in gambling and substance abuse in the district, urging greater coordination between law enforcement agencies and narcotics departments to curb social evils.

The observation came at an “exit conference” on Wednesday, which marked the end of a three-year awareness raising project on community policing and people’s involvement in social causes.

The project was run by the Lalmonirhat-based non-government organisation Gono Unnayan Kendra, and sponsored by a group of four national and international donor groups.

The chief guest at the discussion, the district’s deputy commissioner Habibur Rahman, said abuse of substances such as phensidyl and gambling had been at the core of a number of social problems.

“These menaces are creating a nuisance in our society and may undo all that we achieved so far. We cannot let that happen. A collective response is needed to deal with them,” he said.

But taking action against drug peddlers is not the sole responsibility of police, argued Lalmonirhat Sadar police station’s officer-in-charge (OC) Jamir Uddin. “It’s not the duty of police officials to counter drug peddling and abuse, but the narcotics officers. They should be the ones at the forefront of

the fight against drugs.

“Police can only extend their support, which they are doing, but their principal duty is to maintain law or order,” the OC said.

Al-Asad Md Mahfuzul Islam, a senior assistant police super in Lalmonirhat, stressed the importance of “robust counter-narcotics responses”, which would involve all related government departments and the general public.

At the discussion, speakers also highlighted the importance of improved relations between community police and local people to counter anti-social activities and maintain law and order.

Among others, Motiar Rahman, administrator of Lalmonirhat District Council, also addressed the meeting. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Qatar World Cup must not be delivered using modern slavery: ITUC

China General’s son convicted of rape n AP, Beijing The teenage son of two celebrity singers for the Chinese military was convicted of rape Thursday and sentenced to 10 years in prison, in a case the public closely watched for signs of leniency because of his family ties.

Li Tianyi, 17, and four other defendants took an 18-year-old woman they met in a Beijing bar in February to a hotel room, where they beat her and sexually assaulted her, the Haidan Court in northwest Beijing said in delivering its verdict. Li had denied the charges at his trial last month, saying he was drunk at the time, but the court identified him as the ringleader.

Li’s father Li Shuangjiang, a military singer, holds a rank equivalent to general in China’s army.

Only one of the defendants was an adult. He pleaded not guilty but was sentenced to 12 years.

Li, who also pleaded not guilty and was tried as a minor, was sentenced to 10 years, in what the court said was a punishment that took into account his minor status. The other three — all of whom pleaded guilty — were sentenced to three to four years.

Sentences for rape normally range from three to 10 years, but in cases deemed severe — including gang rapes and those causing serious injury or death — the sentences for adults can range up to life in prison and even death.

Li’s lawyers said the family will appeal.

The case focused attention on what the Chinese public often deems to be the wayward behavior of children of the privileged and on the sometimes-lenient treatment given to establishment figures by the courts, considered to be under the control of Communist Party leaders. l

n Tribune Desk

Foreign ministers from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany will meet with Iran’s top diplomat on Thursday to test the Islamic Republic’s apparent willingness to reach a deal to resolve international concerns about its nuclear program after years of defiance.

The meeting on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly is aimed at paving the way for the first round of substantive negotiations on the nuclear issue since April, probably next month. It will also mark the highest-level, direct contact between the United States and Iran in six years as Secretary of State John Kerry comes face-to-face with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.

The United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany will participate with European Union foreign

Mortar shell hits Iraq embassy in Syria, kills 1 n AP, Damascus, Syria A mortar shell has slammed into the Iraqi embassy in central Damascus in an attack that Iraqi state TV says killed one person and wounded five.

The Iraqiya TV says three Iraqi women were among those wounded in Thursday’s attack.

Syrian anti-regime activists say the attack struck the building that houses the consulate section within the Iraqi embassy complex in the upscale Abu Roumanneh district of Damascus.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory says there are casualties but did not provide a figure.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad’s regime often fire mortar rounds into the Syrian capital, the seat of his power. l

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has predicted that Qatar’s construction boom ahead of the 2022 World Cup could cost the lives of at least 4,000 migrant workers.

The group said that at least half a million extra workers from countries including Nepal, India and Sri Lanka will be brought in to complete stadiums, hotels and infrastructure in time for the World Cup kickoff, and has said almost a dozen people could die every week unless the Doha government makes considerable reforms.

Kenyan Defence Forces gather at the entrance to the Westgate Mall in Nairobi

‘They killed, then paused for a drink’: Kenya victim n AFP, Nairobi, Kenya Fred Bosire, who works in the meat section of the supermarket at Nairobi’s Westgate shopping mall, was having an ordinary, busy Saturday before the carnage began.

He said his meat counter came under a barrage of gunfire soon after militants began attacking people in the mall, and he heard what he described as “the squishy sound of the meat.”

He later discovered it was the sound of bullets hitting his legs.

“I only later realised I’d been shot,

World powers set to test Iran on nuclear dispute n AP, United Nations

policy chief Catherine Ashton serving as host of the meeting.

Encouraged by signs that new Iranian President Hasan Rouhani will adopt a more moderate stance than his hard-line predecessor but sceptical that the country’s supreme leader will allow a change in course, President Barack Obama directed Kerry to lead a new outreach to explore possibilities for resolving the long-standing dispute. However, Obama and other US officials have said Iran must prove its commitment with actions, not just words.

Rouhani is in New York this week, making his debut on the world stage with an address to the General Assembly and a series of other speeches, news conferences and bilateral meetings.

During his visit, Iran has shown new urgency in reviving the stalled negotiations, seeking to ease crippling international sanctions as quickly as possible. l

when I started to get cold, when I felt the blood seep through my clothes and when I looked down and saw how the bullets had shredded my trousers. I wanted to cry out, but I knew I couldn’t make a sound, that I couldn’t move a muscle.”

The gunmen then turned their attention to the bottles of wine, whisky and beer lined up on the supermarket shelves. Then he said he passed out.

“When I woke up it was quiet. My throat was parched. I ran my tongue over my lower lip and tried to move but my left leg wouldn’t budge. I could feel my phone vibrating – it was

AP

‘Fifa needs to send a very strong and clear message to Qatar that it will not allow the World Cup to be delivered on the back of a system of modern slavery’

my wife, and thinking I was going to die, I took the risk of picking up,” he recalled.

The gunmen then returned, he said.

“I heard them open what I knew to be the soda fridge when I heard that spurt of gas that’s released when you pry open a soda can or bottle,” Bosire said, catching a partial glimpse of the killers.

“I could see their feet dangling from the deep freezers when they sat down for what I took to be a break from the killing. There were five pairs of feet.

Their hems and shoes were covered in blood.”l

Former world leaders led by ex-US president Jimmy Carter appealed Thursday for an end to impunity over a wave of anti-Muslim attacks in Myanmar.

The call came at the end of a threeday visit to the formerly military-ruled country by the group – known as “The Elders” – for talks with reformist President Thein Sein, religious leaders and

The ITUC has based this estimate on current mortality figures for Nepalese and Indian workers who form the bulk of Qatar’s 1.2 million-strong migrant workforce, the large majority of whom are builders.

It is believed that harsh and dangerous conditions at work and squalid living quarters contribute to this high mortality rate.

The warning came after an investigation revealed that 44 Nepalese workers died from 4 June to 8 August this year, about half from heart failure or workplace accidents.

The investigation found sickness is endemic among workers living in over-

New Sudan riots after 29 dead in 3 days n AFP, Khartoum Fresh rioting erupted in Sudan on Thursday as protests sparked by the government scrapping fuel subsidies raged into a fourth day and medics reported an overall toll of 29 dead.

Thousands of people protested in the capital and in the country’s north, calling for the downfall of the government.

As the protests escalated, the largest since President Omar al-Bashir seized power in 1989, the leader wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes and genocide cancelled a planned trip to the UN General Assembly.

Thursday’s rioting erupted in the Inqaz district south of Khartoum where some 3,000 people burned tyres and hurled stones at passing cars, witnesses said0.

Police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

In Port Sudan on the Red Sea, 1,000km northeast of Khartoum, witnesses reported about 1,000 people

demonstrating before being dispersed by tear gas.

“No to high prices, no to those who make money from religion,” they shouted, referring to Sudan’s Islamist regime.

Earlier, a hospital source in Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman told AFP that

‘We came out, we came out against those who have stolen our sweat,’ they chanted, according to a video uploaded on YouTube “we have received the bodies of 21 people” since the protests first erupted on Monday, adding that all were civilians.

Another eight people were killed elsewhere, witnesses and relatives said.

Thursday’s protests came after anti-riot forces deployed from early morning at major road intersections in Khartoum, an AFP correspondent said.

Rioting in Khartoum districts had

PLUMES IN PARIS

continued late into Wednesday night.

“Freedom, freedom!” and “The people want the fall of the regime!” shouted protesters, many of them students, borrowing the refrain of the Arab Spring protests which toppled several governments in 2011.

“We came out, we came out against those who have stolen our sweat,” they chanted, according to a video uploaded on YouTube.

Protesters tried to torch a tourism ministry building in southern Khartoum, witnesses said, adding that its exterior was scorched.

Khartoum governor Abdel Rahman al-Khidr warned on state television overnight that “the government will strike with an iron fist against those who damage public property.”

The broadcaster showed footage of damaged or burned vehicles, buildings and petrol stations, and accused “outlaws” of being behind the violence.

It said police intervened to prevent “law-breaking and damage to private and public property.” l

Wave of hornet attacks kills at least 18 in China

An unusual spate of hornet attacks in central China has killed at least 18 people. Zhou Yuanhong, a health official in the Angkang city area of Shaanxi province, said Thursday that more than 100 people in the area had been stung by swarms of the insects in recent months and treated in Ankang City Central Hospital, and that 18 of them died. The local state-run newspaper Huashangbao said 21 had died in hospitals. Zhou said that a handful of people are killed every year in the region by hornets, especially in forested areas, but that this year has been unusually severe, possibly because of weather changes.

Deaf dog helps owner stop attempted burglary

Models present creations by Manish Arora during the 2014 Spring/Summer ready-to-wear collection fashion show, in Paris

civil society groups.

“The Elders call for an end to impunity for the perpetrators of violence against the Muslim community and for the meaningful realisation of the right to freedom of religion,” they said in a statement.

Gro Harlem Brundtland, former prime minister of Norway and and deputy chair of The Elders, said it could take decades to overcome “the ingrained prejudices promoted

crowded and insanitary conditions, and workers described being forced to work in 50C heat without drinking water. Thirty Nepalese construction workers escaped this ordeal and took refuge in their embassy before leaving the country after, they claimed, they received no pay for work done.

The Indian ambassador in Qatar confirmed that 82 Indian workers died in the first five months of this year and 1,460 complained about working and living conditions.

More than 700 Indian workers died in Qatar between 2010 and 2012.

“Nothing of any substance is being done by the Qatar authorities on this issue,” said Sharan Burrow, the general secretary of the Brussels-based ITUC that has met the Qatari labour minister in Geneva and officials at the Qatar 2022 supreme committee, which is preparing the country for the World Cup. It is estimated that Qatar, the world’s richest country by income per capita, is spending the equivalent of nearly $100bn on building transport infrastructure, hotels, stadiums and other facilities ahead of the World Cup. The ITUC has estimated that as many as 1 million additional people, on top of the existing labour force, will be needed to get the country ready for the world’s biggest sporting event.

“Fifa needs to send a very strong and clear message to Qatar that it will not allow the World Cup to be delivered on the back of a system of modern slavery that is the reality for hundreds of thousands of migrant workers there today,” said Burrow.l

Pakistan reluctant to hand over Baradar

n Reuters, Islamabad/Kabul

A former Afghan Taliban commander, who Pakistan said had been released at the weekend, is being held under virtual house arrest by his Pakistani handlers.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was captured in Pakistan in 2010 and has since emerged as a figure Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States believe could help persuade his former comrades to lay down arms and talk peace .

Baradar was a close friend of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, and belongs to the same tribe as Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry announced last week that Baradar would be released on Saturday but as of Thursday, he was still being kept in a safe house in Karachi.

Afghanistan, which suspects its neighbour of trying to influence its internal affairs, wants Baradar to be handed over.l

WORLD WATCH

AFP

‘Elders’ urge Myanmar to address religious strife n AP, Yangon, Myanmar

Friday, September 27, 2013

by extremist voices in parts of the country.”

Violence against minority Muslims in the western state of Rakhine should “be halted as a priority,” she said.

“No one can afford to ignore these senseless, destructive, repeated acts of brutality.”

Religious violence – mostly targeting Muslims – has exposed deep rifts in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, casting a shadow over widely praised political re-

forms since military rule ended in 2011.

Around 250 people have been killed and more than 140,000 left homeless in several outbreaks of violence since June 2012.

The Elders – founded by former South African president Nelson Mandela in 2007 – also appealed for an end to the country’s conflicts between the military and ethnic-minority rebels, and for the release of all remaining political prisoners. l

Dan Strasser of Salem, Oregon is crediting his deaf 3-year-old English Springer Spaniel, Bonnie, for helping him catch an attempted home burglar in the act. Bonnie was excitedly running around the living room at 6 a.m. recently, which woke Dan. The dog owner got out of bed to investigate and said he found an intruder, Thomas Lowell, in his living room trying to take his laptop. Even though Bonnie can’t hear, Dan said, “She smelled him because she does have a very good sense of smell. And she jumped up and got all excited thinking someone was there to play.” The 25-year-old intruder was arrested and charged with burglary, criminal mischief, and possession of methamphetamine.

Swiss customs seize rare frogs in Frenchman’s taxi During a routine check at a border crossing, Swiss customs officers made an unexpected discovery: 35 brightly coloured rare frogs and a gecko hidden in the boot of a taxi. The French taxi driver was alone in the vehicle when he was stopped on September 14 at a border crossing with Germany, and tried to smuggle the creatures into Switzerland without the required documentation, the Swiss customs service said in a statement on Thursday. The tiny, brightly coloured Oophaga, Excidobates and Ranitomeya frogs and the dwarf gecko are all endangered species. Packed into small, plastic boxes for the journey, the amphibians and the reptile were immediately seized and a criminal probe was launched against the driver, the customs office said.

Afghan doctors remove extra head from baby girl

Surgeons in Afghanistan have carried out a life-saving operation on a baby girl born with an extra head, doctors and relatives said Thursday. The girl – named Asree Gul (new flower) and one of a pair of twins – was admitted to a hospital in the eastern city of Jalalabad with an extra head attached to her scalp, chief surgeon Ahmad Obaid Mojadidi told AFP. He described the operation as the most sophisticated ever carried out in the impoverished city.

He said, however, that the baby was not in good condition after the operation.

Nematullah, the father of the infant who like many Afghans uses only one name, said he had not expected his baby to survive the operation.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

12 dead as militants raid forces in India before India-Pakistan talks n Reuters, Samba, India Militants dressed in Indian army uniforms attacked Indian police and soldiers near the border with Pakistan on Thursday, killing nine people and triggering calls for talks between the prime ministers of the rival nations to be called off.

Just a day before the twin assault in the disputed Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he would meet his Pakistan counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on the weekend.

The leaders of the nuclear-armed neighbours are expected to discuss rising violence in Kashmir. Indian Kashmir’s chief minister said the assault was an attempt to derail the talks.

A group of three gunmen attacked a police station in the morning, about 10 km (6 miles) from the border with Pakistan, killing five policemen. They then hijacked a truck and raided an army camp, security forces said. One civilian was killed.

The militants killed three soldiers during hours of fighting at the camp, near the town of Samba.

While helicopters hovered overhead, a Reuters witness heard sporadic explosions and gunfire as Indian forces closed in on, and eventually killed, the gunmen who were holed up in a building.

“All the three militants have been killed in the Samba army camp operation. Three army men including a lieutenant colonel rank officer are dead,” said army spokesman Rajesh Kalia.

India’s state-run television news channel quoted interior minister Sushilkumar Shinde as saying the mili-

Bomb blasts in markets across Baghdad kill 23 people n Reuters, Baghdad Bombs left inside busy markets in mainly Sunni Muslim districts of Baghdad killed at least 23 people on Thursday, police said.

The deadliest attack took place in Saba’a al-Bour on the capital’s northern outskirts, where three bombs killed at least 15 people.

In the Doura district of southern Baghdad, a bomb exploded in another market, killing at least eight people, police said.

Relations between Iraq’s communities have come under acute strain from the civil war in neighbouring Syria, where mainly Sunni rebels are fighting to overthrow a leader backed by Shi’ite Iran.

Nearly 6,000 people have been killed in violence so far this year, according to monitoring group Iraq Body Count, reversing a declining trend in violence after a peak in 2006-07.

Unidentified gunmen raided the house of a prominent member of a government-backed Sunni “Sahwa” militia, shooting him and his four sons dead early Thursday in Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said. l

tants had entered from Pakistan.

Pakistan’s army and government were not immediately available for comment.

India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence in 1947 over Muslim-majority Kashmir, which they both claim in full but rule in part.

India has accused Pakistan of supporting militants fighting security forces in Indian Kashmir since 1989.

New wave?

Militant strikes in India’s Kashmir, as well as shooting and mortar fire between Indian and Pakistani forces across the border, have risen this year after a decade of falling violence.

Some Indian officials fear that a new wave of Pakistan-based militants from Islamist groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba will turn to India as Western troops leave Afghanistan next year.

In a separate incident, the Indian army said it had killed at least a dozen militants from a group of 30 it said had crossed over from Pakistan into northern Kashmir. Lieutenant General Gurmeet Singh said that operation was still going on.

Immediately after the attack in Samba, politicians from India’s nationalist opposition party called for the cancellation of the weekend talks. They will be the first between the two leaders since Sharif was re-elected in May following an election campaign in which he called for better ties with India.

While Prime Minister Singh strongly condemned what he called a “heinous terrorist attack” he suggested the meeting With Sharif, expected on Sunday, would go ahead.

Indian Kashmir

n AP, Awaran CHINA

“Line of Control”*

CHINA Pakistanadministered Kashmir

NEW DELHI INDIA ARABIAN SEA

BAY OF BENGAL

ISLAMABAD

Indianadministered Kashmir Samba

Attack on army base *Shows the approximate limit of de facto control on either side

PAKISTAN

Some Indian officials fear that a new wave of Pakistanbased militants from Islamist groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba will turn to India as Western troops leave Afghanistan next year “This is one more in a series of provocations and barbaric actions by the enemies of peace,” Singh said in a statement. “Such attacks will not deter us and will not succeed in derailing our efforts to find a resolution to all problems through a process of dialogue.”

Hiranagar Attack on INDIA police station 150 km

Yashwant Sinha, a leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, the main opposition party, said there was no point talking to Pakistan if it was unable to prevent such attacks on India.

Pakistan denies arming or training militants, but says it offers moral support to the Muslim people of Kashmir who it says face rights abuses by Indian forces.

According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, which tracks violence in Kashmir, 128 people, including 44 security personnel, have been killed in the region this year, before the latest attack. That compares with 117 people killed in 2012. l

Two rockets fired by militants in Pakistan’s quake-struck region narrowly missed a government helicopter on Thursday as survivors complained that aid was not reaching far-flung areas and the death toll climbed to 355.

The attack underscored the dangers authorities and aid workers face in helping victims in southwestern Baluchistan province where a massive, magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit earlier this week.

In the town of Arawan, about 100 protesters gathered around the district office to call attention to the plight of those living in outlying villages still waiting for help.

“The people who survived the earthquake are dying now because they have no food or water,” said Abdul Latif, one of the protesters.

Tuesday’s massive quake was centered in Awaran district, one of the poorest in Pakistan’s most impoverished province, Baluchistan. The area’s medical infrastructure has struggled to care for the hundreds of injured who were crushed beneath mud brick houses when the quake struck.

That task has been made even harder by the danger from separatists in Baluchistan who have been battling the Pakistani government for years. The militants fired two rockets Thursday at a helicopter carrying top Pakistani officials in charge of relief operations.

The rockets missed and no one was injured, said the deputy district commissioner, Abdur Rasheed.

CELEBRATING CHANGE

Yemeni boy scouts hold fireworks during a ceremony to mark the anniversary of North Yemen's Sept. 26, 1962 revolution in Sanaa, Yemen, Wednesday, The ceremony marked the 51st anniversary of the revolution that overthrew the imamate and to move into a new period that turned Yemen into a republic AP

A Russian court on Thursday jailed a photographer who was part of the 30-member Greenpeace team protesting near an oil platform last week.

Two members of the group were detained Sept. 18 in their attempt to scale the Russian Arctic platform. The Coast Guard seized Greenpeace’s ship the next day and towed it with the 30 activists aboard, to Murmansk. The activists are being investigated for piracy.

The court on Thursday sanctioned a two-month jail term for photographer Denis Sinyakov who was on that trip with Greenpeace, pending the investigation. No charges have been brought against Sinyakov.

The judge has yet to rule in the case of the other 29 people. Though Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that the activists aren’t pirates, he defended their detention.

The detained activists are from 18 countries, including Russia. l

A Greenpeace ship, is anchored next to a boat in a small bay near Severomorsk

AP

n Reuters, Los Angeles The man behind a film that stoked anti-US protests across the Muslim world was due for release from federal custody in California on Thursday after serving time for probation violations stemming from his role in making the video.

The 56-year-old Egyptian-born Coptic Christian, Mark Basseley Youssef, gained public notice for the crudely made 13-minute anti-Islam video he produced in Southern California that portrayed the Prophet Mohammad as a fool and sexual deviant.

The film, circulated online under several titles including “The Innocence of Muslims,” touched off a torrent of anti-American demonstrations in Arab and Muslim countries, where many consider any depiction of the Prophet as blasphemous.

The start of the unrest on Sept 11, 2012, coincided with an attack on US diplomatic posts in the Libyan city of Benghazi that killed four Americans, including the US ambassador to Libya. Links between the Benghazi assault and Youssef’s film have

The helicopter was carrying the head of the country’s National Disaster Management Authority, a Pakistani Army general in charge of relief operations and other officials.

Before the incident, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told members of parliament Thursday that rescuers were already having a hard time reaching some areas due to security problems. They were trying to use C-130 planes to reach those spots, said Nisar.

Ethnic Baluch separatists have waged a bloody insurgency to win independence for the vast province.

Even among those who haven’t taken up arms, there is strong resentment against the central government that they feel exploits the province’s oil, natural gas and mineral deposits but fails to reinvest any of the money into the desperately poor region.

The Awaran district has been a stronghold of the separatists, such as the Baluchistan Liberation Army. A resident who went by one name, Masrullah, in the village of Labach outside of Awaran, said the separatists live up in the mountains overlooking the valley.

Masrullah told The Associated Press the separatists have warned that aid workers should not travel with the army or government officials to avoid being attacked. The separatists had already given out relief supplies to the village, he said.

Earlier this week, separatists fired on troops escorting doctors helping out with the quake effort. No one was hurt. l

New space crew joins ISS on Olympic torch mission n AFP, Baikonur

Russian court jails California man behind anti-Islam film Greenpeace photographer to be freed from federal custody n AP, Moscow

9

Pakistan: Terrorists target aid helicopter in quake struck area

Militants launch deadly attacks on security force sites Thursday

PAKISTAN

Friday, September 27, 2013

since been debunked.

Youssef, a former gasoline station owner who previously served time for a 2010 bank fraud conviction, was sent back to prison last year after admitting that he breached the terms of his probation in connection with the making of the film.

Federal prosecutors insisted his arrest last September had nothing to do with the film’s content but with conduct that violated the terms of his probation, such as his use of aliases and the Internet, in the course of making the video.

Youssef, identified in some public records by his birth name, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, received a 12-month term in November, but earned credit for the six weeks he already had spent in jail since his arrest, Bureau of Prisons spokesman Chris Burke said.

After a two-month stint at the federal detention centre in Los Angeles, Youssef served the bulk of his sentence, about four months, in a federal prison in La Tuna, Texas. He was transferred to an undisclosed Los Angeles-area halfway house in late May to

complete his term, Burke said.

He was due to be freed from federal custody altogether on Thursday, but will remain under the supervision of probation officials for the next four years, Burke said.

American cast members said after the video came to light that they had been duped into appearing in a film they believed was supposed to be an adventure drama called “Desert Warrior.”

At least one actress sued Youssef for fraud and brought a copyright claim against YouTube, seeking a court order to force removal of the clip from the online video site, but a judge refused her request.

Youssef said in a New York Times interview last November that he made the film to reveal what he called “the actual truth” about the Prophet Mohammad and to raise awareness of violence committed “under the sign of Allah.”

But in a CNN interview last month, Youssef said he “never thought my movie can cause anyone trouble or anyone can get killed from my movie.” l

An American and two Russians Thursday boarded the International Space Station after a lightning journey from Earth, on a mission that will see the Olympic torch for the 2014 Sochi Games taken into space for the first time.

Michael Hopkins of NASA and Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky of Russia blasted off without a hitch from the Baikonur space centre that Moscow leases from Central Asia’s ex-Soviet republic of Kazakhstan.

Their Soyuz-TMA-10M capsule docked successfully with the ISS just six hours later, in a new shortcut route now used by the Russian space agency. The new trio shortly afterwards joined the existing three-person crew on board.

The new team was greeted by Russian commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and his two flight engineers – Karen Nyberg of NASA and Italian Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency.

Kotov and Ryazansky are expected to make history during the mission by carrying into open space the Olympic torch for the 2014 Winter Games that Russia is hosting in February in the Black Sea city of Sochi.

The torch, which on October 6 is due to start a relay around Russia, is not yet with the cosmonauts and is due to be carried up to space by the next Soyuz

The torch, which on October 6 is due to start a relay around Russia, is not yet with the cosmonauts and is due to be carried up to space by the next Soyuz crew crew, who are due to travel to the ISS on November 7.

Kotov and Ryazansky are expected to take it into open space on a spacewalk on November 9, although Russian officials have made clear that the torch will at no point be lit, for safety reasons.

“It would be strange if a cosmonaut went into a rocket with a lit torch,” joked Kotov in the pre-flight news conference.

It will then be returned to Earth by Yurchikhin when he flies back home with his two crewmates Parmitano and Nyberg days later on November 11.

The landing and take-off schedule means that for a few days, around the time of the torch spacewalk, the space station will be staffed by a record number of nine astronauts.

The capsule orbited the Earth just four times on its way to the ISS as opposed to the usual 30, under a technique originally devised in the Soviet era but only adopted on a regular basis in the past year. l

10 DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Friday, September 27, 2013

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

Pleasure trip with taxpayer money

No case for Rampal

September 23

At first it was announced that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was not going to attend the UNGA but the next day the decision was changed and the PM departed to attend the UN General Assembly taking with her a 134 member delegation, the biggest entourage since her taking office in January 2009.

It has been disclosed that a vast majority of her delegation members will have no work at the UN and they have nothing to do but enjoy a pleasure trip shopping, sightseeing and relaxing in the luxurious hotels during the six days visit to the United States.

We are feeling outraged and protest the wastage of taxpayer money in this manner. How could Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina allow the hard-earned money of the Bangladeshi poor to be spent in such a way?

People from many different sections are included in the delegation, maybe there’s more than meets the eye here?

Nur Jahan, Chittagong

T

he Rampal coal-based power plant has not received support from any aware sector of our population.

The government should pay heed to the people’s demands. Already under intense flak, this project may be detrimental to the government’s popularity and rapidly depreciating political capital.

The major point against this project is that, in this joint venture, Bangladesh will be sharing all the rewards with India equally while incurring the total environmental cost on its own.

The Environmental Impact In this joint venture, Assessment already includes Bangladesh will most of the concerns raised, be sharing all the and the estimated cost of rewards with India environment management equally while only is more than Tk10bn. incurring the total Considering the need to build environmental cost a separate anchor point to on its own harbour ships importing coal, this project is costly in terms of capital, operational and production expenses. The cost of one unit of power produced in this plant has been independently estimated at more than Tk8: not a viable cost for Bangladesh.

The government is well aware of the environmental hazards from Rampal. The project, in its drafted plan, intends to mitigate all environmental hazards it poses.

Historically, such promises have rarely been kept. If this project comes to fruition, our economy will have no choice but to operate the facility even if the promises regarding the environment are not kept.

Due for completion in 2017, this project has little to do in addressing our power shortage immediately. Our nation has little to gain from Rampal and much to lose, and the people are aware of this.

Under the circumstance, it seems that the only reason this government is pressing forward with this plan is to maintain good terms with New Delhi. The damage this will do the government’s already shaky standing among the general public seems a high price to pay for this, let alone the long-term costs to the nation.

Rooppur: Our potential future disaster September 20

A nuclear engineer Anyone with a basic knowledge of Physics knows that Uranium-236 is not a nuclear fuel. No reactor on earth uses or can use Uranium-236 as fuel. It does not occur in nature. It is produced in nuclear reactors by neutron capture and considered as a nuisance. The author repeatedly writes about Uranium-236-fueled nuclear reactors and thus confuses the readers.

WaliulHaqueKhondker With all the pessimistic approaches to a nuclear energy plant in Bangladesh, there are some obvious arguments in favour of nuclear energy, when compared to the use of coal. For example, a single 1,000MW coal-fired plant produces over 300,000 tons of ash, 44,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, 22,000 tons of nitrous oxide and 6m

Need for a better-run port

A

t long last, the National Board of Revenue is carrying out a study on the Chittagong seaport and Customs House.

The Bangladesh Time Release Study 2013 hopes to pinpoint the reasons behind why it takes longer than the estimated time to clear import cargo, and to release and forward export goods at the port, among other challenges We are a leading facing it. garment exporter, Once the study is completed, and cannot afford to appropriate measures should have major delays be implemented to tighten with the transit up the quality of services and movement of our activities at the port, so as to goods improve its overall efficiency.

While this initiative should have started earlier, we are pleased that it is finally being completed, and that too in accordance with world standards, since the study is following the methodology of the World Customs Organization’s (WCO) time release study.

We are a leading garment exporter, and cannot afford to have major delays with the transit movement of our goods.

We need a port that is fully operational and effective.

We hope that this study will prove to be useful, in that it will unearth the problems and lead to workable solutions that can improve the way our port is run. This is our primary port, and a great deal depends on how well it works.

Tanvir Hossain Siddiqi Why a nuclear plant in our country of rivers?

Hydro-based power plants should be more effective here. And besides that, till date, there has been no good example of a foreign venture that has maintained high quality. This might be the start of a big disaster! :-( I hope the import of nuclear power brings with it the required responsibility that goes along.

September 20 It’s just an increase of the police stations’ expenses. The police will take some people into custody, they will be in prison for 6 to 7 days, and some will be released after some adjustments with the police and some will be sent to court. Later on, they will also be released without any jurisdiction. Only the government will spend some money for their food, fuel, etc.

Nazmul Khair

BNP plans to ‘paralyse’ Dhaka September 21

They, these petty politicians, from both sides could care less about the people, the poverty, the needs of their people; just their own pockets and their greed for power.

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

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU ACROSS 1 Spirit (3) 3 Small insects (6) 8 Metal (4) 9 Mineral-bearing rock (3) 10 Edict (6) 11 Missive (6) 14 Swarms (5) 17 Live coal (5) 20 Lubricating (6) 24 Complete agreement (6) 26 Loud noise (3) 27 Break suddenly (4) 28 Chooses by vote (6) 29 Prosecute (3)

tons of carbon.

In contrast, a 1,000MW nuclear power plant produces mere 3 cubic metres of waste after reprocessing the spent fuel, 300 tons of radioactive waste and 0.20 tons of plutonium.

However, a unit ton of nuclear waste is far more dangerous than the same amount of coalfired plant waste, if not managed properly.

At the same time, dealing with nuclear waste is more expensive.

Transportation costs are higher for coal and oil systems, at 20,000 train cars or 10 super tankers, respectively. In relation to a nuclear plant, at just 3-4 trucks.

Around the world, there is projected to be around 860 nuclear power plants generating over 800,000MW of power. One proposed in Bangladesh generating 2,000MW may be looked at with some optimism.

Five cases lodged in Chittagong over hartal violence

DOWN 1 Actual (4) 2 Thin fog (4) 3 Fashion (4) 4 Still (5) 5 Gluttonous meal (5) 6 Before (3) 7 Prophets (5) 12 Tree (3) 13 Neckwear (3) 15 Slippery fish (3) 16 Homo Sapiens (3) 17 Ooze out (5) 18 Salt water (5) 19 Henhouse (5) 21 Taverns (4) 22 Little devils (4) 23 Adhesive (4) 25 Nothing (3)

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS Crossword

How to solve Sudoku: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no number repeating.

Code-Cracker

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Friday, September 27, 2013

Our present political scenario n Abu Afsarul Haider

P

Do these garment workers not face better working conditions than domestic workers?

DHAKA TRIBUNE

The minimum wage begins at home n Zafar Sobhan

Once again, the issue of a minimum wage for garment workers is front and centre. But tucked away amidst all the blaring headlines about garment workers demonstrating for a hike in the minimum wage and the attendant chaos on the streets and hand-wringing as to what will become of our cash cow RMG industry, there is another story that should have also grabbed our attention.

This is the story of Aduri, an 11-year-old girl, who had been working as a domestic worker for ten months, during which she had to endure unimaginable abuse, and who was found in a dustbin, where she had been dumped and left for dead, her starved and emaciated body bearing shocking evidence of the torture that she had suffered at the hands of her employers.

We need to understand that the issue of workers’ rights and conditions goes far beyond the garment industry.

Singling out the garment industry for scorn and sanctions, while ignoring the plight of the millions of others who toil equally thanklessly in other industries or in our homes in even worse conditions may be satisfying, but in the end amounts to little more than moral grandstanding.

Don’t get me wrong. There is no question that the existing minimum wage in the garment industry needs to be raised, and, indeed, it is not merely a question of wages. As the recent tragedies in Rana Plaza and Tazreen Fashions have made abundantly clear, working conditions and worker safety

are no less pressing concerns.

Bangladesh has been operating in the bargain basement for far too long, and while I am not unsympathetic to the claims made by factory owners that low wages are the only competitive advantage we have in Bangladesh, it is clear that a model based on winning the race to the bottom is no longer likely to be a sustainable business model in the foreseeable future.

Compared to the way most employers treat their domestic workers, and the conditions of indignity in which they are forced to work, garment factories are paragons of decency I’m sorry to say, but RMG factory owners are simply not the most credible of sources when they claim that anything above a 20% raise will force them to shutter operations and send millions into the street. I recall similar protestations in the run up to the last minimum wage hike in 2010, and BGMEA has not provided any credible evidence that that the minimum wage hike had the ruinous impact that they predicted.

Similarly, there is persuasive evidence that wages in the garment industry are low compared to wages in other comparative industries.

However, it is also fair to say that simply mandating a doubling of the minimum wage is no solution, either.

Any hike in the minimum wage does need to take into account the impact it would have on the health of the industry as a whole, and we can all surely agree that the last thing that we would like to see is for factories to be closed down and jobs to be lost.

But what does all this have to do with Aduri, now fortunately recovering in hospital? It has everything to do with her. While we do have minimum wages in many industries and even in the service sector, the one sector in Bangladesh that is conspicuously absented from having to adhere to minimum wages or decent working conditions, and even in reality is exempt from child labour laws, is domestic service.

If we truly believe that workers deserve a living wage and decent working conditions and that children should be in school and not working, then we need to start at home. The most underpaid and worst treated workers in Bangladesh work inside our homes. Compared to the way most employers treat their domestic workers, and the conditions of indignity in which they are forced to work, garment factories are paragons of decency.

Domestic service is at the bottom of the employment food chain. It is not just a question of the low salaries we think it is acceptable to pay maids and cleaners, but the lack of dignity in how they are often treated, and the apparent belief that employers should be exempt from the rules and responsibilities we demand of employers outside the home.

Not every domestic worker is Aduri, but there is enough routine abuse in the profession to give us all pause.

It doesn’t take much to imagine the grimness of the existence that many girls her age and even younger eke out in the cities, working their fingers to the bone, all day and all night, for scraps of food and the right to sleep on the kitchen floor. These young girls are at least as much in need of legal protection from exploitation as any industrial worker.

If we enact and implement laws for the protection of domestic workers, including minimum wage laws, then this will have a knock on effect in all other industries. If we raise the floor, and domestic work is the floor, make no mistake about it, then we make things better for everyone. All other low-skilled industries would have to raise their wages in order to compete for workers.

If we raise the floor, and domestic work is the floor, make no mistake about it, then we make things better for everyone In fact, if we had mandated better pay and minimum standards for domestic workers, we most likely would not be having this national conversation about garment worker wages in the first place. The problem would have taken care of itself. l Zafar Sobhan is the editor, Dhaka Tribune.

rime Minister Sheikh Hasina has once again asked all to watch out for any undemocratic usurping of power. “It is normal to have differences of opinion in a multi-party democratic system. But an undemocratic power should not assume office and play with people’s fate,” she said.

Her remark comes amid differences with the BNP over the nature of the election-time government. Hasina mentioned that the next parliamentary elections would be held under the ruling government, as the 15th Constitutional Amendment made in 2011 scrapped the provision for a caretaker government. The opposition has been on the streets since then, demanding its restoration, claiming such polls would not be free and fair.

Khaleda Zia said the opposition alliance would wage a “new type of movement” after October 25, 2013 if the government did not restore the caretaker government system in the constitution within the time frame.

Bangladeshi politics has been characterised by a bitter struggle between the BNP and the Awami League. Both have sought to obstruct the other while in opposition. When in opposition, both have sought to regain control of the government through demonstrations, labour strikes, boycotts, and transport blockades.

If both these parties had devoted their energies to establishing independent and strong state institutions like the Election Commission, Public Service Commission, Anti Corruption Commission, police, and judiciary, without politicising them, maybe our current political scenario would have been different.

Politics touches every sphere of a citizen’s life. Political attachments among teachers, doctors, government employees, journalists, and other groups are dividing us and making us enemies of each other.

From educational institutions to government recruitment, from business to mass media, opportunities have been based on loyalty to a party rather than merit. Such politics breed a politicised bureaucracy and malfeasant law and order. It always has a bearing on good governance.

The instruments of governance, operating without accountability and transparency, lead to the state machinery being used as a political tool rather than an instrument of governance.

Patronisation of the state, over which all the political regimes have demonstrated uniformity in their approach, has contributed to the rise of different rent-seeking classes, marginalising people who are not actively involved in party politics.

Unless we come out of this pernicious culture, mere transfers of power from one hand to another will not bring any real change to this nation.

Analysts fear that if the two main parties fail to reach a compromise, there could be violent confrontations resulting in a devastating impact on the country’s political and economic activities. It seems that without a broad-based reconciliation process to

achieve consensus on the constitution and the rules of the game, people of this nation will see more hartals, deaths, and destruction of property, and won’t be able to escape from this vicious cycle.

Now is the time for both the AL and the BNP to right the wrongs and take lessons from their past. We vote once every five years with the hope that things will change. Every time people expect that their government will use their mandate to revitalise democratic institutions and pursue national reconciliation. But our hope gets replaced by deep disillusionment.

Bangladeshi politics has been characterised by a bitter struggle between the BNP and the Awami League. Both have sought to obstruct the other while in opposition

This time, the BNP chairperson promised a new trend in the running of the government if voted in to power.

Though she did not explain in detail, she gave an indication of taking measures to bring qualitative changes to the country’s confrontational political culture, as well as free it from corruption.

The ruling party had also made similar pledges before the last parliamentary election, and that contributed greatly to the party’s overwhelming victory. This time the AL is begging for votes by asking people to help keep up the process of development for building a new and modern Bangladesh.

It is now déjà vu, with the election around the corner. Parties are seen giving false promises, hopes and verbal proof of their love for the people and country. But we have seen in the past, once their mission of reaching the position is achieved, they hardly look back.

It is known to the common people of Bangladesh that these types of leaders remember their constituencies just once every five years. After the election is over they seem to develop a sort of web around themselves.

Through this web people may be able to see them, but they will not be able to touch them.

In most cases they become inaccessible. One may wonder, are the naïve people of this poor country emotionally, politically and educationally mature enough to distinguish between real promises and “election promises?”

Election promises are part of an election strategy. A party that does not make exaggerated promises might appear bland, unambitious, and uninteresting to voters compared to the one that does. This can give the exaggerating party an advantage.

But promises are usually based on the rosiest of possible futures, and while they may be easy to make, they are hard to deliver. l Abu Afsarul Haider is a graduate of economics and business administration, and works in international trade.

Keeping sight of the bigger picture n UK Met Office

W

e are living in a changing world. 2012 was among the ten warmest years on record – continuing the long-term trends we have seen in our changing and varying climate. As carbon dioxide levels continue to climb, these changes are not just confined to global temperatures.

Keeping sight of the bigger picture shows evidence of a changing world in rising sea levels, melting Arctic sea ice, and shrinking ice sheets.

And this evidence is indisputable. Observations across the climate system, from land-based stations and ocean buoys to international satellites, show a warming planet. The fundamental physics is clear; carbon dioxide traps radiation and warms the

planet. If we increase carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, temperatures will rise and a warmer world will be a more challenging place for us to live.

A new paper by scientists from the UK and the US provides evidence that human influences on the climate played a role in the severity of a number of these events. For example, the

A new paper by scientists from the UK and the US provides evidence that human influences on the climate played a role in the severity of a number of these events In 2012, and again this year, many parts of the world have been affected by damaging and costly extreme events; from major heatwaves, droughts and wildfires to extreme cold, excessive rainfall and flooding.

Thousands of lives have been lost, over 100 million people have been affected and the damages run to tens of billions of pounds.

paper concludes that the frequency of occurrence of the extreme heat experienced in the US during 2012 is four times more likely as a result of human-induced climate change, and that climate change contributed about 35% of the high temperatures in the eastern US between March and May. It also highlights the increasing risks of coastal inundations from

events such as Hurricane Sandy, which broke 16 historical storm-tide levels along the US east coast. Increases in sea level related to climate change have nearly doubled today’s annual probability of a Sandy-level flood compared to 1950. As sea levels continue to rise, coastal communities face a looming crisis with an increased frequency of flood events on a par with Sandy but from storms of less intensity and lower storm surge.

The paper’s authors are rightly cautious in not overstating the case for human influences on extremes, in particular those related to extreme rainfall. What is clear is that climate change is already costing us dearly, and that when combined with growing population and urbanisation, is projected to disrupt regional and

global energy, food, water and health security.

The climate system is immensely complex and it is not surprising that as our understanding of it increases, climate scientists will provide new perspectives on the risks we face from climate change.

It can often be all too easy to focus on minutiae, to burrow down into the proverbial rabbit hole. Yet to do so risks losing sight of the bigger picture – that the world is changing and we are playing a part. l The UK Met Office plays a central role within the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Seven Met Office scientists are lead or coordinating lead authors, with numerous other Met Office scientists acting as contributing authors.

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Friday, September 27, 2013

Diana releases in Dhaka before its release in US n Entertainment Desk

Bappy and Mahi star in Tobuo Bhalobashi

Tobuo Bhalobashi hits the cinemas today n Afrose Jahan Chaity New action–thriller “Tobuo Bhalobashi,” directed by Montajur Rahman Akbar will be released today in 70 cinemas all over the country. Bappy Chowdhury and Mahiya Mahi, Dhallywood’s hot duo with their dynamic chemistry will be seen together again in the film.

This is the third time, the onscreen couple will be seen romancing each other.

The story of the film encompasses a family drama, along with a love story.

The protagonist of the film “Shongram” is very attached to his family, especially to his mother. He falls in love with a girl (Mahi) whose parents get killed by a goon who is a rival of Shongram. So, the girl puts the blame on Shongram for the murder. The story

moves forward with much drama and emotional stride.

While talking about the new film, Bappy shares with Dhaka Tribune: “The story is quite touching, as it portrays the respect of young people towards the elderly in our society. But, the fun part for me is that, it is also an action flick and I truly enjoyed working in the film. With Mahi as a co-star, it was actually a smooth ride for me. I hope my fans will love ‘Tobuo Bhalobashi’ like they accepted my previous movies.”

Earlier Bappy acted in five films named “Bhalobashar Rong,” “Onnorokom Bhalobasha,” “Jotil Prem,” “Romeo 2013,” and “Prem Prem Paglami” which received positive responses from the audience of the country. Recently, he started shooting for his upcoming film “Dobir Shaheber Shongshar,” again with Mahiya Mahi. l

Star Cineplex brings Hollywood’s new feature film “Diana,” a biopic on late Diana, Princess of Wales, which will be screened from today. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel and starring British-Australian actress Naomi Watts, the film’s premier show at Star Cineplex was held yesterday.

The interesting fact is that, the film released in Dhaka before its release in US. The release has been initiated by the collaboration of Star Cineplex and Tanweer Pictures (international distributors of the film).

The movie is a great opportunity to delve into the life, trials and tribulations of the iconic figure. The film chronicles the last two years of the beloved princesses’ life after she divorced from Prince Charles. Her relationships with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan (played by British-Indian actor Naveen Andrew who is best known for his performance in television series Lost) and Dodi Al Fayed are also narrated. This is an important release for Star Cineplex as this biopic film signals a change from the action or adventure movies, the theatre has released previously.

It declares Star Cineplex’s interest in reaching a more widespread audience in Dhaka. With the release of “Diana,” Star Cineplex intends to continue their venture into biopic with the forthcoming release of “Jobs.” The Ashton Kutcher starrer details the life of Apple CEO, founder and visionary Steve Jobs. l

Shorol Golpo airs on Channel 9 n Entertainment Desk

Single-episode play “Shorol Golpo” portrays a dramatic turn in the life of a

Lawrence to star in East of Eden n Entertainment Desk Jennifer Lawrence is keen to nab her second and third Academy Awards after signaling her interest in two prestigious new projects.

The 23-year-old actress and “The Hunger Games” director Gary Ross will team up once again for a new adaptation of Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden.”

According to Deadline, Lawrence and Ross are also said to be pursuing the rights to “Burial Rites,” Hannah Kent’s acclaimed debut novel. In the book, set in 19th century Iceland, a woman is condemned to death for her part in her lover’s murder.

Both projects come stacked with awards potential, and adaptations of Steinbeck’s 1952 novel have a history of producing prize-winners at major ceremonies.

Lawrence is set to play the evil, manipulative Cathy Ames. Jo Van Fleet, who starred in the 1955 Elia Kazan version alongside James Dean, won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the same role. Jane Seymour’s take on Cathy in a television mini-series bagged her Golden Globe in 1982. l

TODAY IN DHAKA Exhibition

Unseen Splendour By legendary artist SM Sultan Time: 12pm - 8pm Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts House 275/f, Road 27 (old) Dhanmondi Connecting Art, Life and Living

By Towfiqur Rahman Time: 5:30pm (inauguration) Shilpangan House 7, Road 13 New Dhanmondi POV_Prime 50’s : Season 1 A group photography exhibition

Time: 3pm to 8pm Dhaka Art Centre House 60, Road 7A Dhanmondi

Theatre

Konjus Loko Natyadol Time: 7pm Experimental Hall Shilpakala Academy

Film

Despicable Me 2 3D Oz The Great and Powerful Nishwartha Bhalobasa Jurassic Park in 3D Star Cineplex Bashundhara City

ON TV MOVIE

COMEDY

5:10pm FOX Movies Premium

4:30pm Z Cafe

9:30pm HBO

8:30pm Star World

White Chicks

The Dark Knight Rises

DRAMA

Just For Laughs New Girl

MIX

7:30pm Star World

4:00pm Travel XP

10:30pm Sony

8:30pm Vh1

One Tree Hill CID

Strictly Street Playlist

A scene from Diana

simple man living in a village. It will be aired today on Channel 9 at 9:10pm.

Written and directed by Mahamudul Hasan Tipu, the soap features

Mosharraf Karim, Robena Reza Jui, Alamin Shobuj, Shikanto Mukharjee Babu, Mintu Kor, Heaven Khan and around 200 local actors.

In the drama, Mosharraf Karim is seen in an interesting role of a barber in a village. The story is a beautiful presentation of the simple life lead by villagers, even today. It shows the sorrow, happiness and all other aspects that are a part of everyday life, and in a village, emotions are at all time high.

In a fluke, Shorol Das, the simple barber becomes the hero of that village.

Inspired by the villagers, he establishes himself as the representative of the village and in return his aspirations are shown in the play “Shorol Golpo.” l

Robert Pattinson dating new girlfriend n Entertainment Desk Rob was reportedly spotted cozying up to model, Dylan Penn, whose parents are Hollywood stars Sean Penn and Robin Wright. They were pictured together on September 7 at LA hotspot The Viper Room and it definitely appears as though Rob has a thing for blondes!

It sounds as though Kristen Stewart is the last thing on Robert Pattinson‘s mind. Robert split from Kristen, 23, in May after four years of dating.

Their relationship was seriously scarred when she cheated him by dating with Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders.

After their Viper Room date, the Cosmopolis actor, 27, took a private car to The Chateau Marmont for some drinks and french fries with Dylan.

After that, the couple reportedly went to Robert’s home which is nestled inside a gated community.The eyewitness adds that the two talked to each other for a while and seemed quite close.

The party broke up at 5am, but Dylan stayed on.

The magazine added that the new couple went to Avalon’s show because the artist is a friend of

Dylan’s father Sean. Robert sure has been busy with the ladies as of late. On Tuesday he was spotted with a mystery brunette at an LA gym. l

Anup Barua performs at IGCC today n Entertainment Desk A musical session by prominent artiste Anup Barua’s will be held at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) Gulshan, today at 6:30pm.

Born in Chittagong, Barua developed himself in a distinct style of his classical virtuosity that has a unique combination of depth and resonance.

His velvety voice effortlessly flows between highs and lows of the octave creating a mahol (ambience) that is used to describe sub-continental music. Barua’s renditions of Nazrul Geeti, folk, modern bangla songs, ghazals, and thumris are highly appreciated by music lovers across the world.

At an early age, he commenced his training in Hindustani classical vocal music under Ustad Nirad Baran. Moreover, he subsequently earned the opportunity to train at the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Delhi and Mumbai under a scholarship of the Government of India where he received the prestigious “Sangeet Visharad” degree. To further refine his musical skills, Barua continues his musical training in Kirana Gharana under Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan.

Barua has been imparting training in Hindustani classical vocal music at Chhayanaut since 1998. l

Rongomaton Solaiman Mela to be held at BSA today n Entertainment Desk To mark the occasion of the 60th birth anniversary of eminent theatre activist SM Solaiman, Theatre Art Unit organised a fair titled “Rongomaton Solaiman Mela-2013” which will be held today from 3pm to 10pm at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

A total of nine theatre troupes along with the host troupe will exhibit theatre related souvenirs, photographs, props, books and others at their stalls in the fair. The fair has been organised as a special treat for the theatre lovers of the country.

Theatre activist Tariq Anam Khan and Mannan Hira will speak on SM Solaiman’s life and philosophy in a discussion session at 7pm and later, Mofidul Haque will talk about the recent political crisis and public dilemma at 7:30pm.

After the discussion session, the fair committee will bestow the SM Solaiman Award to a young and talented theatre activist. Later, a cultural show comprised of dance recitals and songs will be presented by young theatre activists. The fair will conclude with the staging of “Jonom Dukhi Maa” by Theatre Art Unit.

SM Solaiman was the founder of Theatre Art Unit. He played an important role in establishing a strong theatre base in the country. He was an actor, director, organiser, playwright and musician who introduced a new aspect in theatre presentation by merging music and choreography through his productions. l

Did you know?

Paul Scholes has more yellow cards (32) than any other player in Champions League history

Sport

Friday, September 27, 2013

14 Chicharito ruins Suarez’s Liverpool return

14 Ronaldo penalty hands Real controversial win

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Hingis accused of assaulting husband

BCB election schedule announced n Raihan Mahmood

Sheikh Jamal wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim celebrates taking a catch against Mohammedan during their DPL match at the SBNS yesterday

The long-awaited Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election will be held on the 5th floor of the National Sports Council on October 10.

The Election Commission of the BCB published the election schedule yesterday. Throughout the day the possible date of the election was discussed in the sports arena and just before the dusk, Chief Election Commissioner Abdur Rahman announced the schedule at the National Sports Council.

The election procedure will begin with the draft voter list published on September 27 and the objection and the hearing of the objection taking place on September 29. The final voter list will be published on September 30.

The candidates will be able to collect their nomination papers on October 1 and the last date for submitting nomination papers will be October 3, the scrutiny of nomination papers and the disclosure of the final candidates list will take place on October 5. The candidate’s intent on withdrawing from the election will have until October 7 to do so and those who choose to run will have two days to promote their candidacy to the voters before the election on October 10.

Abdur Rahman, the Chief Election Commissioner, said they will be holding the election under the light of the Supreme Court’s verdict. “The verdict says that the election is possible and

Giants fall in Premier League n Mazhar Uddin Mohammedan Sporting Club lost their first match in the Dhaka Premier League this season by the huge margin of 239 runs to Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur yesterday. Chasing a mammoth 307 to win, the Motijheel club were bundled out for just 67.

In the day’s other games, Kalabagan CA overcame traditional giants Abahani Ltd to earn a comfortable eight wicket victory on the back of a big partnership between Mizanur Rahman and Hamilton Masakadza at BKSP3 ground while at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium, Brothers Union rode on Angelo Matthews’ unbeaten half-century to beat Khelaghar SKS by eight wickets.

Mohammedan v Sheikh Jamal

Mohammedan skipper Rajin Saleh’s decision to field first proved costly as the Jamal batsman cashed in on a flat wicket. Following useful contributions from Junaid Siddique (47), Jahurul Islam (33), Dilshan Munaweera (50) and

Siddikur starts well in Osaka n Fazley Rabbi Moon

Siddikur Rahman began the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open yesterday with an equal-par 71 in the opening round at the challenging Ibaraki Country Club in Osaka.

After some disappointing performances in the Omega European Masters and Yeangder Tournament Players Championship this month, the 28-year old made three birdies and an equal numbers of bogeys to share joint 14th spot at the $1.5 million showpiece event.

The 2010 Brunei Open winner will start the second round with Japanese Daichi Sato and Australian Cameron Smith at 8.17am local time today.

Meanwhile, Japanese star Shingo Katayama fired a flawless eight-underpar 63 to take a two-shot lead over Thailand’s Pariya Junhasavasdikul.

Katayama got off to a flying start when he birdied the opening three holes and added five more during the rest of the day. l

Masakadza and Mizanur gather 166 runs in the 2nd wicket partnership for Kalabagan CA skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (51), Afghan recruit Gulbadin Naib launched a brutal assault that saw him score 93 from just 54 balls with six fours and seven sixes and take Jamal to an imposing total of 306.

Mohammedan’s Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis took three wickets while Muktar Ali, Delwar Hosain, Saqlain Sajib and Rajin Saleh took one apiece.

Mohammedan’s reply never got going and Shamsur Rahman, who scored a hundred in the last match, eventually top scored with 22. Zimbabwean paceman Elton Chicumburra returned

figures of 4-13 to break the back of the innings, which folded at 67 from 23 overs. Left arm spinner Elias Sunny also starred with the ball in taking three wickets.

Abahani v Kalabagan CA

In a match reduced to 34 overs a side due to rain, Kalabagan sent Abahani in to bat and were able to utilize the helpful conditions to pick up four wickets with just 79 on the board. It was left to in-form Mosaddek and Sri Lankan Talina Kandamdi to repair the damage as they added 82 for the fifth wicket before left arm spinner Nazmul Apu re-

Prelim Bangladesh squad announced n ShishirHoque The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a 28-member preliminary squad for the upcoming home series against New Zealand yesterday.

The squad has been asked to report for training at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on October 1.

BCB also revealed a 14-man BCB Xl squad for a three-day match against the visiting side, which will be held at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong between October 4-6.

Bangladesh and New Zealand will play two Test matches, three ODIs and one T20. The first Test will begin in Chittagong on October 9. The second Test and the first two ODIs will be held at the Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

The venue for the 3rd and final ODI has yet to be finalized though it is expected to be played at the newly

renovated Sylhet Stadium, which is pending ICC approval.

Bangladesh Preliminary Squad: Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmud Ullah, AnamulHaque, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir Hossain, Mohammad Elias, Ziaur Rahman, Masrafe Bin Mortaza, Jahurul Islam, Shafiul Islam, AbdurRazzak, Naeem Islam, SohagGazi, Rubel Hossain, MominulHoque, Shamsur Rahman, Marshall Ayub, Robiul Islam, Farhad Reza, Mehrab Hossain, Sajedul Islam, Al Amin, EnamulHoque (Jr.), SouymaSarker, Sabbir Rahman, Muktar Ali, Nur Hossain BCB XI squad: Mahmud Ullah, AnamulHaque, Ziaur Rahman, Jahurul Islam, Naeem Islam, MominulHoque, Shamsur Rahman, Marshall Ayub, Farhad Reza, Mehrab Hossain, Sajedul Islam, SouymaSarker, Muktar Ali, Nur Hossain. l

MUMIT M

moved the former for 62 (seven fours, one six). Kandambi remained unbeaten on 53 off 38 balls (five fours, two sixes) to take the final total to 188/6.

For Kalabagan, Dewan Sabbir took three wickets and off-spinner Sharifullah two.

In reply, Kalabagan lost Zimbabwean Vusi Sibanda for 5, bowled by paceman Al-Amin, but his countryman Hamilton Masakdza and Mizanur Rahman then added 166 for the second wicket.

Man-of-the-match Mizanur fell for 91 from 94 balls (seven fours, two sixes) just before the end to left arm spinner Nabil Samad while Masakdza remained not out 85 from 72 balls (eight fours, two sixes) to hand Abahani its third defeat in four matches.

Brothers v Khelaghar

At the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium, Brothers skipper Sohrawardi Shuvo sent Khelaghar chose to field after winning the toss. The newcomers struggled to 102 all out in 34 overs with Sri Lankan opener Micheal Vandort top scoring with 35.

Man-of-the-match Angelo Matthews took three wickets and another Lankan recruit Sachithra Senanayake

the National Sports Council has formed the election commission to hold the election. The election will be held as per the amended constitution of 2012,” he said.

He added that there was no time-

Election Schedule Draft Voters List Circulate

27 Sep

Objection of Draft Voters List and Hearing 29 Sep Final Voters List Published

30 Sep

Nomination Paper Distribution 1 Oct Nomination Paper Collection

1 Oct

Nomination Paper Submission

3 Oct

Scrutiny of Nomination Papers and Publication 5 Oct Nomination Paper Withdrawal

7 Oct

Final Candidates List Published 7 Oct Election

10 Oct

Result Declaration

10 Oct

frame for informing the councilors and the voters before the election in the constitution and the election will take place accordingly.

Meanwhile, the ad-hoc committee of the BCB yesterday finalized the names of 172 councilors - 70 from category one, 58 from category two and 44 from category three.

The voters elect 10 directors from category one, 12 directors form category two and one from category three.l

Brief Score Mohammedan v Sheikh Jamal

Sheikh Jamal 306/7 in 50 over Gulbadin Naib 93*, Dilshan Munaweera 51, Mushfiqur Rahim 50 Ajantha Mendis 55/3, Rajin Saleh 24/1 Mohammedan 67/10, 22.4 over Shamsur Rahman 22, Elton Chicumburra 13/4 Sheikh Jamal won by 239 runs Abahani v Kalabagan

Abahani 188/6 in 34 over Mosaddek 62, Talina Kandambi 53 Dewan Sabbir 47/3, Sharif Ullah 34/2 Kalabagan 189/2 in 30.5 over Mizanur Rahman 91, Hamilton Masakadza 85* Kalabagan Ca won by eight wickets Brothers v Khelaghar

Khelaghar 102/10, 33.4 over Vandort 35, Angelo Mathews 17/3 Brothers 103/2 in 24.5 over Angelo Mathews 51*, Tamim Iqbal 21 Brothers won by eight wickets and Sanjamul Islam took two each for Brothers.

In reply Brothers lost opener Tamim Iqbal for 21 but Angelo Mathews (51*) and Nafis Iqbal (15*) completed the chase in 25 overs. l

Milon wins silver in archery n Shishir Hoque

Bangladeshi archer Md Emdadul Haque Milon clinched the silver medal at the Recurve Individual event of the 3rd Islamic Solidarity Games at the Jakabaring Archery venue in Palembang, Indonesia yesterday.

Bangladesh sent three archers - Ram Krisha Saha, Sadekul Islam and Emdadul Haque Milon - to take part in the Islamic solidarity games. Milon who earned bronze in the 8th Bangladesh Games 2013 has a good record in Indonesia. The 20-year-old took gold in the men’s Recurve Individual in the 16th Asian Archery Championship and Asian Youth Olympic Continental Qualification Test in 2009 at Bali, Indonesia.

Nine Bangladeshis are participating at the tournament that started on September 22 and will end on October 1. Bangladesh are taking part in the archery, taekwondo and weightlifting events. l

Channel 9, Samakal through n Raihan Mahmood

Channel 9, Samakal and Radio Today cruised into the quarter-finals of the Pran-Frooto BSJA Media Cup cricket with facile victories at the Moulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium yesterday.

Channel 9 scored 107 for three batting first and later restricted Channel 24 to 82 for three to win by 25 runs. Samakal, who opted to field first, restricted Boishakhi TV to 64/5 and chased down the target for the loss of one wicket to register a four wicket victory. Radio Today restricted Channel i to 59/2 and sprinted to victory without losing a wicket.

In the other matches of the day, Independent (114/1) beat New Age (83/4) by 31 runs, Ittefaque (76/4) outplayed New Nation (67/5)by nine runs, RTV (41/0) outclassed Shakaler Khabor (37/5) by five wickets, RisingBD.com (121/5) overpowered Prothom Alo (69/4) by 62 runs and Kaler Kantho (49/0) routed Banglavision (43/2) by five wickets. l

Dhaka, BJMC and Rangamati made winning starts at the Walton Invitational National Women’s Handball Tournament 2013 at the M Mansur Ali National Handball Stadium yesterday. Bilkis scored nine as Dhaka thrashed Kustia 18-2, BJMC humbled Bangladesh Police 26-1 and Rangamati defeated Naogaon 18-11. In the day’s last game, Dinajpur drew 16-16 with Rajshahi. Earlier in the morning, chief guest youth and sports secretary Nur Mohammad inaugurated the tournament COURTESY

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Friday, September 27, 2013

Bayern cruise into Cup last 16 n AFP, Berlin Holders Bayern Munich made light work of Hannover 96 with a 4-1 victory on Wednesday that put them into the last 16 of the German Cup. Thomas Mueller grabbed a brace while Claudio Pizarro and Franck Ribery also found the net in a comprehensive victory for last season’s treble winners.

Didier Ya Konan struck for Hannover, who also lost 2-0 to Bayern in the league earlier in the season.

Schalke 04 had a comfortable night at third division Darmstadt, winning 3-1, but Hertha Berlin crashed 3-1 at second division Kaiserslautern.

On Tuesday Borussia Dortmund required extra time to advance as they won 2-0 away to 10-man 1860 Munich.

The Bundesliga leaders dominated their second-tier opponents were made to wait until the 105th minute before they broke the deadlock through a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty after Dominik Stahl was sent off. l

Results Saarbrucken Frankfurt FSV Frankfurt Kaiserslautern Osnabruck Darmstadt 98 Bayern Munich Manchester United's Javier Hernandez, centre, scores against Liverpool during their English League Cup match at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England, on Wednesday

Chicharito ruins Suarez’s Liverpool return n AFP, London

Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez ruined Luis Suarez’s long-awaited return from suspension as the Mexican clinched a 1-0 win against Liverpool in the League Cup third round on Wednesday.

Suarez was making his first appearance of the season following the completion of his 10-match ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic in a Premier League clash last term.

But the controversial Uruguayan’s presence in the Liverpool starting lineup wasn’t enough to galvanise his team to victory at Old Trafford as Hernandez bagged the winner for United less than two minutes into the second half.

David Moyes’s team were on course

to bounce back from Sunday’s painful 4-1 derby defeat at Manchester City,

Results Birmingham

3-1

Swansea

Man United

1-0

Liverpool

Newcastle

2-0

Leeds

Tranmere

0-2

Stoke

West Brom

1-1

Arsenal

Burn 57, Green 61, Adeyemi 81 Hernandez 46 Cisse 31, Gouffran 67

Bony 90

Ireland 23, Crouch 90

Berahino 71 Eisfeld 61 Arsenal won 4-3 on penalties

and also avenge a 1-0 loss against Liverpool in the league this season, when Wayne Rooney’s corner picked out the

unmarked Hernandez to volley home in the 46th minute. Suarez, who had angered Liverpool with his failed attempt to engineer a move to Arsenal during his suspension, hit the bar with a free-kick in the closing stages and also went close when his powerful strike rippled the side-netting, but United held on to move into the fourth round.

Meanwhile, Arsenal’s young guns held their nerve to win 4-3 on penalties after 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion.

Denmark forward Nicklas Bendtner returned to the Arsenal team for the first time in more than two years as manager Arsene Wenger made nine changes, giving game-time to a host of youngsters.

Wenger’s side took the lead when Bendtner’s defence-splitting pass gave Thomas Eisfeld a clean run on goal and the German youngster slotted home in

Monaco stroll past Bastia, narrow win for PSG

Guangzhou drive towards AFC final n AFP, Singapore

n AFP, Paris

Marcello Lippi’s Guangzhou Evergrande hit back after conceding an early goal to floor Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol 4-1 and put one foot in the AFC Champions League final on Wednesday.

Striker Cleo, who is on loan from Guangzhou, put Kashiwa ahead after 10 minutes. But four secondhalf goals, including a Muriqui double and a Dario Conca rocket, gave the visitors a big win in the semi-final first leg.

The Chinese champions, coached

by World Cup-winning manager Lippi, will now be huge favourites to reach the final as they seek to end China’s 23year Asian title drought.

In Wednesday’s other semi-final fixture, FC Seoul scored either side of half-time in a 2-0 home win over Iran’s Esteghlal to give themselves a glorious chance of reaching the final.

Ligue 1 leaders Monaco extended their best start to a Ligue 1 campaign with a 3-0 victory at home to Bastia on Wednesday, while Paris Saint-Germain kept pace with a 1-0 win at Valenciennes.

Emmanuel Riviere opened the scoring for the hosts before league-leading scorer Radamel Falcao netted twice to maintain Monaco’s unbeaten record and return Claudio Ranieri’s side to the top of the table after PSG had temporarily gone first. A fifth win in seven games for the principality outfit moved them onto 17 points, two ahead of defending champions PSG, with Marseille one point further back.

Earlier, PSG’s record signing Edinson Cavani netted the only goal at the Stade du Hainaut in first-half stoppage time as Laurent Blanc’s side won 1-0 away to struggling Valenciennes.

Elsewhere, goals from Salim Arrache and Aboubacar Demba Camara gave

Fabrizio Ravanelli’s Ajaccio their first victory of the season as they recorded a 2-1 win at home to Lyon.l

Results Ajaccio

2-1

Bordeaux Guingamp

0-0 5-1

Nantes

2-0

Arrache 18, Camara 70

Mandanne 9, Beauvue 17, Atik 33, Sankhare 70, Langil 90+3 Djordjevic 27, Aristeguieta 88

Toulouse

1-0

Valenciennes

0-1

Braithwaite 71

Monaco

3-0

Riviere 39, Falcao 41, 89

Lyon

Malbranque 56

Reims Sochaux

Bakambu 47

Nice

Lorient PSG

Cavani 45+2

Bastia

Results Reysol (JPN) Cleo 10

FC Seoul (KOR)

Dejan Damjanovic 39, Go Yo-Han 47

Monaco forward Radamel Falcao (L) celebrates after scoring against Bastia during the French L1 match at the "Louis II" stadium in Monaco on Wednesday AFP

1-4 2-0

Guangzhou (CHN)

Muriqui 58, 90+1, Dario Conca 67, Elkeson 82

Esteghlal (IRI)

Kashiwa were quickly on the scoresheet and it was a soft one as Jorge Wagner’s diagonal free-kick floated in and bounced into the net after a barely perceptible touch from the head of Cleo.

Seoul will defend their lead in a tough away leg in Tehran on October 2, while Guangzhou have an easier task in front of their home fans on the same evening. l

the 61st minute. But Burundi-born England Under-21 striker Saido Berahino rose to head the equaliser from Steven Reid’s cross 10 minutes later.

In the shoot-out, Arsenal’s German teenager Serge Gnabry saw his spot-kick saved by Luke Daniels, but Craig Dawson and Morgan Amalfitano both missed the target for Albion and Nacho Monreal drove in the winner.

League Cup holders Swansea suffered an embarrassing exit as Championship side Birmingham won 3-1 at St Andrews. Michael Laudrup’s side routed Bradford at Wembley last season to clinch the first trophy in the Welsh club’s 100-year history.

But Laudrup made 10 changes from the line-up that beat Crystal Palace in the league on Sunday and their defence of the trophy ended at the first attempt. l

AP

Freiburg

2-1 2-0 0-2 3-1 0-1 1-3 4-1 2-1

Paderborn Bochum Ingolstadt Hertha Berlin Union Berlin Schalke 04 Hanover 96 Stuttgart

Ronaldo penalty hands Real controversial win n AFP, Madrid

A dubious injury time Cristiano Ronaldo penalty was enough to move Real Madrid back to within two points of league leaders Barcelona with a 2-1 win away to Elche on Wednesday night.

However, the hosts were left furious with referee Cesar Muniz Fernandez as after failing to show Sergio Ramos a second yellow card for a clear bodycheck on Coro in the first-half, he pointed to the spot in the fourth minute of added time when Pepe fell to the ground under pressure from Carlos Sanchez.

Ronaldo had put the visitors ahead from a free-kick early in the second-half, but Richmond Boakye thought he had rescued a point when he headed home in the 91st minute before the late drama.

Elche had also started the brighter side and Real had goalkeeper Diego Lopez to thank for preventing his side from falling behind for the fourth time in six league matches this season.

Ancelotti though is well aware that Real will need to up their game substantially if they are to emerge victorious from the Madrid derby with joint leaders Atletico on Saturday.

Results Sevilla

4-1

Granada

0-1

Elche

1-2

Rakitic 17-pen, 53, Bacca 80, 88

Boakye 90+1

Rayo Vallecano

Adrian 55

Valencia

Jonas 90+3

Real Madrid

Ronaldo 51, 90+5-pen

In the night’s earlier matches, Sevilla moved off the bottom of the table as they beat Rayo Vallecano 4-1 to secure their first victory of the season.

Ivan Rakitic and Carlos Bacca each scAnd Valencia’s mini revival continued as Jonas Goncalves struck with virtually the last kick of the game to hand them a 1-0 win at Granada. l

Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring the winning goal against Elche during their Spanish league match at the Manuel Martines Valero Stadium in Elche on Wednesday AFP

Roma move two points clear of stumbling Napoli

Lazio

3-1

n

Chievo

Thereau 28

1-2

Livorno

1-1

Napoli

1-1

Sassuolo

Bologna

3-3

AC Milan

Parma

4-3

Sampdoria

0-2

Torino

2-2

AFP, Florence

Arsenal reject Gervinho scored his maiden goal for Roma as they beat Sampdoria 2-0 and moved two points clear of stumbling Napoli to stay top of Italy’s Serie A on Wednesday.

Roma started their fifth match of the campaign top thanks to a one-goal difference over Rafael Benitez’s title challengers Napoli.

And as Napoli failed miserably at the San Paolo to put league new boys Sassuolo to the sword -- days after a 7-0 mauling by Inter Milan -- Roma took full advantage to pull clear at the top.

Roma now have 15 points after five wins in as many games while Napoli sit two points adrift after a 1-1 draw with

Sassuolo.

Champions Juventus moved up to third with a fortuitous 2-1 win away to feisty Chievo while Lazio outclassed second-from-bottom Catania 2-1 at the Olympic Stadium to sit sixth.

Injury-hit AC Milan, without the suspended Mario Balotelli, faced the banana skin of a trip away to Bologna and Massimiliano Allegri’s men slipped badly before recovering in the final two minutes.

Two weeks after securing a late draw away to Torino, Robinho reduced arrears in the 89th minute before Ignazio Abate levelled in injury time to secure the visitors a lucky 3-3 draw.

Thankful for the draw, Allegri was also angry at the match officials.l

Results Ederson 4, Lulic 39, Hernanes 90+4

Luci 23

Dzemaili 14 Laxalt 33, 52, Cristaldo 61

Mesbah 19, Parolo 28, 40, Rosi 35

Cerci 36-pen, 52

Catania

Barrientos 6

Juventus

Quagliarella 47, Bernardini 65-og

Cagliari

Ibarbo 53 Zaza 20

Poli 12, Robinho 89, Abate 90+1

Atalanta

Bonaventura 20, Denis 44, Livaja 79

Roma

Benatia 65, Gervinho 88

Verona

Gomez 44, Jorginho 67-pen

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Age level swimming starts today

Under-14 tennis Rubel Hossain, Faruk Hossain, Mir Shahidul Islam, Md Kawsar Ali, Jubair Sami of Bangladesh registered victories yesterday to move to the quarter-finals of the ATF Under-14 Series Tennis Tournament 2013. Two Pakistanis - Haris Irfanul Hoq and Sahib Zada Mohammad Ali - also confirmed last eight spots in the boys’ section of the event. In the girls’ singles, Rebeka Sultana Joya, Fabiha Lamisa Shuchona and Afrana Islam Prity reached the semi-finals.

- SH

15

Friday, September 27, 2013

Naimur Rahman named new Tigers manager n Mazhar Uddin

NOT QUITE AN OFF-DRIVE; CRICKETERS TEEING OFF

Quick Bytes

The Basundhara 29th National Agelevel Swimming comprising about 500 budding swimmers from 60 teams across the country starts today at the Syed Nazrul Islam National Swimming Complex today. Swimmers from 28 districts, 32 swimming clubs - including the BKSP and Bangladesh Ansar - will be compete across the five age groups of U-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-17 and 18-20.

The spring board diving events will be held at the BKSP. The total budget for the event is Tk1.6m of which the Bashundhara Group will provide Tk1m.

State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Capt. (rtd) Tajul Islam will inaugurate the three-day event.

– RM

Sport

1 2

Suarez damaged club brand: Liverpool chief

Italian athlete caught with fake penis in dope test

Italian athlete Devis Licciardi risks a two year ban after using a fake penis during a doping control. The 27-year-old was caught with the artificial organ at the Italian championships at Molfetta last Saturday. After competing in the 10km road race Licciardi was discovered with the device by a controller during a urine test. Licciardi informed the official that he wanted to be alone to carry out the test only to be told: “No, I have to stay close to you as the rules stipulate,” the Gazzetta dello sport reported. After suspicions were raised and the discovery of the false penis filled with clean urine, the offending object was confiscated for investigation. The device was hidden in the athletes’ underwear. Licciardi, who was quizzed on Monday by the Italian Olympic anti-doping committee, has declined to comment on the reports.

– AFP

IOC praises Sochi, untroubled by gay law The International Olympic Committee on Thursday declared Russia’s “magnificent” Olympic venues in Sochi were ready for the 2014 Winter Games, adding that Russia’s recent ban on homosexual “propaganda” did not violate the Olympic charter. “Everything is really magnificent,” said IOC coordination committee chairman Jean-Claude Killy at the committee’s final conference before the grand sports event kicks off in the southern resort city on February 7. “Sochi is not late by any means,” the French ex-skier said, adding that only “details” remain to be completed and calling on organisers to “use every hour that remains.”

– AFP

Thirty-two countries bid for Euro 2020 Thirty-two countries, ranging from Finland and Sweden to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Macedonia and Kazakhstan, have declared interest in hosting matches at Euro 2020 which will be staged across the continent.

Germany, France, England, Spain and Italy were all among the bidders named

by UEFA on Friday following a meeting of its executive committee in Dubrovnik, as were Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Israel and Belarus. Potential hosts were given until last week to declare an interest and must present their full bid dossiers by April, with the 13 venues to be chosen in September next year. “We are extremely proud to see the huge interest in the bidding process, with more than half of our member associations willing to host matches at Euro 2020,” said UEFA President Michel Platini.

“The finals will be a great celebration of football across the European continent, and the 60th anniversary edition will be truly special, by really coming to the doorstep of all football fans.” Countries which declined to bid included Austria, Norway, Slovenia and Slovakia, and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. UEFA has 54 member federations.

– Reuters

Day’s Watch Ten Sports 12:30pm WTA Tour 2013 2013 LIVE Semi Final: Toray Pan Pacific Open Star Sports 8:20pm 2013 C L T 20 LIVE Highveld Lions v Mumbai Indians

Former Test captain and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) ad-hoc executive committee member Naimur Rahman has been nominated by the Board as the team manager for the upcoming series against New Zealand, while national selection panel members MinhajulAbedin and KaziHabibul Bashar had their contracts extended to June 30, 2015 at the emergency meeting of the BCB ad-hoc committee yesterday.

Naimur Rahman, who has been nominated as the councilor from Manikganj in the upcoming BCB election, will replaceTanjib Ahsan Saad, who was the team manager on the tour of Zimbabwe in April.

Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, the CEO of the BCB, also said that Akram Khan’s resignation as chief selector was accepted at the meeting and national team physio Vibhav Singh’s contract was extended to June 30, 2015.

Former cricketer Sabbir Khan was appointed manager of the cricket operations and Major Hussain Imam (retd) was appointed head of security of the BCB. l

n AP, London

3

4 (Clockwise from top) Former cricket stars Michael Vaughan, Mark Boucher, Andrew Strauss and Shane Warne playing golf during the Dunhill Links Champion-ships St Andrews yesterday. The event is described as the one most prestigious tournaments on the European Tour and is played on three separate courses – St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns – and has a unique format as it incorporates two separate competitions. As well as an individual professional tournament for the world’s leading golfers with a US$5m prize, there is also a team competition which features some of the most well-known amateur golfers in the world INTERNET

Venus back to her best to book semi-final spot n AFP, Tokyo Former world number one Venus Williams turned back the clock with some brutal hitting to overcome Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 yesterday and reach the semi-finals of the Pan Pacific Open.

The 33-year-old American, who won the last of her seven grand slam singles titles in 2008, recovered from a poor second set tiebreak with a series of electrifying shots and acrobatic volleys in the decider, completing victory with another ferocious forehand cross-court after a shade over three hours.

“It’s hard to believe it’s my first semifinal in Tokyo after all these years,” said Williams, currently languishing at 63rd

in the world after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder in 2011.

“Hopefully I can win it in a little less time. That’s the goal.”

Watched from the royal box by fivetimes Pan Pacific champion Martina Hingis, Williams showed flashes of the form that swept her to five Wimbledon titles between 2000 and 2008 as she continued her purple patch in Tokyo.

She won her last singles title -- her 44th -- at last October’s Luxembourg Open.

“I’ve played against so many great players over a couple of generations, it seems,” added Williams, who giggled when reminded Thursday was sister Serena’s 32nd birthday.

“We always forget each other’s birth-

Djokovic announces engagement on Twitter n AFP, Paris World number one Novak Djokovic took to Twitter to announce his engagement to swimwear model girlfriend Jelena Ristic.

Alongside a photo of the happy couple Djokovic, 26, tweeted late Wednesday: “Meet my fiance and future wife :) So happy! Thank you for wonderful wishes #NoleFam and friends” Ristic, 27, who as well as modelling also runs her future husband’s charitable Novak Djokovic Foundation, is a frequent courtside spectator.

She and Andy Murray’s girlfriend Kim Sears emerged as the queens of Centre court at Wimbledon this year, the glamour duo living every point as their respective partners slugged it out for the All England Club title.

Ristic and Sears wear their hearts on their sleeves and often appear to be suffering more than the players when

the going gets tough on court.

Ristic, who lives with Djokovic and their pet poodle Pierre in Monte Carlo, has admitted she finds it impossible to remain detached from the action while her boyfriend is putting himself through yet another gruelling match just yards away from her.

That was clear to see when Serbia’s Djokovic survived the longest semifinal in Wimbledon history, defeating Juan Martin del Potro in a bruising encounter that lasted four hours and 43 minutes.

“You can get very passionate when watching your boyfriend from the players’ box. We just want them to be happy. You don’t want to see them in pain. If they are not happy, neither are you,” Ristic told British media after that game.

Djokovic went on to miss out on his second Wimbledon title to Murray – and this month lost out in the final of the US Open to Rafael Nadal.l

While pleased Luis Suarez is back in action following a biting ban, Liverpool is still concerned about the damage the striker caused for the club’s brand globally.

The 10-match suspension for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during a game in April came after Suarez had been banned for eight games after racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra in 2011.

“Any types of incident of that nature are damaging to a brand,” Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre said on Thursday.

Suarez returned to action in a 1-0 loss to Manchester United in the League Cup on Wednesday, although the Uruguay striker hoped not to be playing in a Liverpool shirt again.

Throughout the offseason, rather than focusing on repairing his image, Suarez was publicly pushing for a transfer away from Liverpool in search of Champions League football. Liverpool, though, was steadfast in rejecting bids from Arsenal for the Uruguay international and put him through a rehabilitation process to try and ensure there are no further incidents that harm the club. l

days. Serena’s getting old, like me,” smiled Venus. “She’s an inspiration to me.

“I’ve put a lot into the game and I’m not going to give it up easily. As a professional athlete you have a window.

My window’s still open and I’m going to take advantage of it.”

Williams upset top seed Victoria Azarenka in the second round of the $2.3 million event. But the 19-year-old Bouchard, ranked 46th in the world, pushed her hard, taking the second-set tiebreak 7-4.

“Actually I’m surprised I’m able to play these matches, I can’t lie,” confessed Williams after her plans for karaoke and a visit to a nail salon were scuppered by her marathon quarter-final.l

Hingis accused of assaulting husband n AFP, Geneva The husband of former tennis champ Martina Hingis has accused his wife and mother-in-law of assaulting him and has left Switzerland fearing for his life, the Blick daily reported yesterday.

Police in the northern Swiss canton of Schwyz confirmed to AFP that Thibault Hutin was in the process of filing a complaint following an incident at the couple’s apartment in the village of Feusisberg.

The 27-year-old French equestrian had talked to police on Tuesday about “serious problems” at his home Monday evening, police spokesman David Mynall told AFP. “He has started the process of filing a complaint, but it hasn’t been finished yet,” he said, not specifying the nature of the incident or who the complaint was being filed against.

Hutin, however, told Blick that his

32-year-old wife, the former world number one, her mother and her mother’s boyfriend had “beaten and scratched” him.

The boyfriend had also struck him in the head with a DVD player, he said, adding that he was so “terrified” he had fled to Paris.

“I’m really afraid. What will be next, a bullet?” he asked in the interview.

Hingis, the winner of five Grand Slam singles titles, came back from six years of retirement in July this year to play doubles.

Hingis, who could not be immediately reached for comment, was reportedly in Tokyo to take part in a 30th anniversary celebration for the WTA tournament.

She had originally been set to take part in the Pan Pacific Open women’s tennis tournament in Tokyo this week, but withdrew for “personal reasons,” organisers said earlier this month. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Friday, September 27, 2013

Ramu perpetrators remain immune

US court issues summons on Manmohan Singh

Buddhists fear retaliation as the police are allegedly implicating innocent Muslims n Tribune Desk persons that the government probes said punishing the main culprits would the innocent people; we have to do our Reza Chowdhury from n Kamran have sufficed to prevent the repetition part. We have already submitted seven As Indian Prime Minister Manmohan had identified.

Ramu, Cox’s Bazar Still to recover from the trauma of the communal attacks from a year back, the Buddhists in Ramu of Cox’s Bazar have alleged that police is trying to stage a “farcical” trial by excluding the actual perpetrators and implicating innocent Muslims.

Leaders of the Buddhist community said they had handed over to police a list of 15 people, who they were sure had been directly involved with the destruction of 12 temples and a good number of houses in September last year.

“We have come to know that almost all of the top 15 suspects, identified both in the home ministry and the judicial inquiry reports, will be dropped from the final charge sheet,” Nitish Barua, a leader of Ramu’s Shima Bihar, told the Dhaka Tribune on Wednesday.

The frontline culprits had been moving around freely and mixing with the local police, he alleged.

About a month ago, Md Azad Miah, superintendent of Cox’s Bazar police, talked to the local Buddhist leaders and sought a list of those they thought were responsible for the attacks.

Tarun Barua, vice-president of the Maitree Bihar management committee, told the Dhaka Tribune that police were not taking any action against the

However, while talking to the Dhaka Tribune in his office, Azad Miah said: “They [Buddhist leaders] just gave us a list. But they do not want to testify. Is it possible for the police to frame charges only on the basis of a list?”

“Police cannot accuse anyone unless the charges are proved beyond doubts.

Unless they testify or we get some substantial proofs, we cannot charge anyone,” he said. The Buddhist leaders, on the other hand, said it was not possible for them to give statements.

A rumour that the Qur’an was being insulted led to extreme elements vandalising, looting and burning down ancient temples and the houses of Buddhists living in the area “How can I give a statement? The accused persons got a copy of the statement I submitted to the judicial commission. If we give any written statement, they will attack us again,” a Buddhist journalist told the Dhaka Tribune.

Meanwhile, with police implicating a number of innocent Muslims in the area with the cases, a sense of fear have mounted the Buddhists about retaliation.

Both local Muslims and Buddhists

of such incidents.

But, tracking down innocent people would make the locals hostile towards their Buddhist neighbours, they feared.

“It is true that many innocent people have been arrested or charged. Many of them requested us to recommend their names to the police for release; but we cannot certify as we are not the plaintiff. The police have filed the cases against around 15,000 unknown people,” Tarun Barua said.

Alak Barua, joint secretary of the Shima Bihar, told the Dhaka Tribune that the government response for rehabilitation of the affected families was excellent; but the Buddhists were not happy with the handling of the cases.

Most of the male members in Mondolpara, from where a good number of people allegedly joined the vandalism, have been on the run fearing arrest.

“The main culprits are moving freely while the common people, who went to the scene out curiosity or have not done anything wrong, are charged. This may make people hostile towards the Buddhists in future,” Mizan Haque, a resident of Mondolpara, told the Dhaka Tribune.

“We want the real culprits be brought to justice,” he said.

Police Super Md Azad Mia, however, claimed: “Our aim is not to victimise

charge sheets. In 15 days, we will submit the rest of the charge sheets.”

According to the Buddhist leaders, the list contained the following names: Nurul Islam Selim, president of Ramu Press Club; Fotakharul union parishad members Nurul Absar and Kamal Uddin; BNP leaders Mohammad Rafiq and Abu Taher; Mohammad Abdullah, secretary of Kawarkup union unit Awami League; and Didarul Alam, Saiful Islam, Moulavi Liton, Azizul Haque, Enamul Haque, Md Abdullah, Joynal Abedin, Hafez Ahmmad and Mohammad Shaidullah.

On September 29-30 last year, a rumour that the Qur’an was being insulted led to extreme elements vandalising, looting and burning down ancient temples and the houses of Buddhists living in the area.

After the attacks, the government formed a probe body that identified 205 people as being involved directly and leading the attacks.

A judicial probe also found active participation of those 15 people in the attacks.

Later a judicial commission submitted a report that earmarked 298 people.

Police later filed 19 cases against about 15,000 named and unnamed people as the Buddhists reportedly said that they were inside their houses during the attacks and could not identify anyone. l

Singh reaches Washington and meets the US president today, a Sikh rights group yesterday secured summons against him from a US court in connection with alleged human rights violations in counter-insurgency operations in Punjab in the 1990s.

The Sikh for Justice (SFJ), a New York-based rights body, is now planning to file an urgent leave “to effect alternative means of service” that would allow it to deliver the summons to the White House staff and members of Manmohan’s security team when he is here.

Sikh groups have announced to hold a “Justice Rally” today in front of the White House during Obama-Manmohan meeting, reports BSS. The 24-page complaint alleges that Manmohan as the finance minister in early 1990s approved and financed the practice of “cash rewards” to members of security forces for allegedly killing Sikhs through extra judicial means to curb militancy.

The complaint also alleges that during his tenure as the prime minister beginning 2004, Manmohan actively shielded and protected the members of his political party who were allegedly involved in 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Justifying the filing of lawsuit, SFJ’s

Oldest Mughal monument faces threats from illegal structures n Abu Hayat Mahmud

Mughal Edgah, the oldest surviving Mughal monument in the capital, has witnessed large portions of its open space falling into the hands of outside forces over the years, so much so that the site is now hardly distinguishable from the structures built illegally using its land.

Popularly known as Dhanmondi Eidgah, the open-air mosque lost its space mainly to three structures on the western side of it, including two built

by Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) and Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA).

The other structure, a one-storey building housing an Islamic research cen-

tre, is owned by the mosque committee.

The eidgah is a listed archaeological site of the department of archaeology and a waqf estate – making it an inalienable public property. Its history goes back to 1640 when it was built by Mughal ruler Subedar Shah Shuja Dewan Bin Abdul Kashim.

There are allegations that years of neglect and carelessness led to encroachments on the open space, used twice a year by the Muslims for their congregational prayers during Eid-ulFitr and Eid-ul-Azha.

DPDC built its building about 57 years ago to set up a customer service centre there whereas DWASA built a water pumping station (Modes Zone

3) about 15 years ago – neither with permission from the authorities concerned, sources said.

Closely adjoining the two structures is a third one originally built by Bangladesh Border Guard as part of its open market sale programme. It was then taken over by the masque committee which converted it into a research centre called Dhanmondi Eidgah Mosque Research Centre.

The structure, too, was built without any prior consultation with the department of archaeology and approval of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, sources said.

A field investigation by Dhaka Tribune, however, also found existence of

illegally built makeshift tea stalls in and around the eidgah ground, supervised by the DPDC and DWASA staff members.

Recently, the archaeology department reportedly took an initiative to eliminate illegal structures from the ground and talked with all the parties involved.

“During a meeting on September 14, we talked with the local MP Fazle Noor Tapash, the mosque committee, DPDC and DWASA delegates and also local dignitaries about removing the illegal structures,” said Dr Md Ataur Rahman, regional director of the department.

“The mosque committee ensured that they would immediately demolish the structure housing the centre. But the two government agencies said they would take steps in consultation with the ministries concerned. We are yet to see any development in this regard.”

Atiqul Habib, general secretary of the eidgah committee, said, “The committee agreed to demolish the research centre with immediate effect and we will start the work within 2-3 days.”

DPDC Managing Director Brig Gen Md Nazrul Hasan (retd) said: “The department of archaeology asked us to remove our information and complaint centre from the eidgah. We have already informed the ministry of power, energy and mineral resource of the matter.”

However, officials of DWASA could not confirm any progress following the September 14 meeting. Taksim A Khan, managing director of the department, initially said he knew of no development but couldn’t contacted for further comments later, despite several attempts over phone.

Considering its religious, historical and heritage value, the department of archaeology is currently renovating the ground in light of its original Mughal design.

It has also plans to enclose the ground with boundary walls from all sides, except the eastern side where there is a four-storey modern mosque, built in recent years, and another one-storey building for children to come to and memorise Quran. l

legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said it had been filed against Manmohan under Alien Tort Claims Act and Torture Victim Protection Act for funding several counter insurgency operations in Punjab.

Manmohan reached the US capital yesterday on a four-day visit for a meeting with President Barack Obama.

Knowledgeable sources said it would be very tough for the SFJ to serve summons to the Indian premier given the tight security around him. There are also procedural difficulties for the SFJ to get the necessary court directions issued for the White House and the Secret Service.

Ravi Batra, the New York-based attorney who represents the Congress Party in a similar case filed against it by the SFJ, termed it a publicity gimmicks.

“SFJ’s ‘red carpet’ welcome, a lawsuit against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the leader of a free, independent and sovereign nation, is headline grabbing while insulting law, decency and common sense,” Batra told the PTI. “American courts have tools to handle an out-of-control litigant, whose main goal is to use the court’s ministerial act of accepting a complaint, with the $350 filing fee paid and then automatically issuing a summons, to falsely imply in pre-made press releases that a Court had acted on some merits when it did no such thing,” Batra said. l

American retailers urged to empower Bangladeshi RMG workers n Tribune Desk US Senator Robert Menendez, also the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has urged American retailers to help make a lasting contribution to the safety of Bangladeshi garment workers and the sustainability of Bangladesh’s garment industry.

In a letter to former US Representative Ellen O’Kane Tauscher, chair of the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, has called on the Alliance to take an active role in increasing awareness and understanding of workers’ rights in Bangladesh’s garment factories.

The letter follows the June hearing on labour issues in Bangladesh chaired

by Senator Menendez, according to United States Senate Committee of Foreign Relations.

“By working directly in its factories to dispel the ignorance surrounding the proper role of unions, the Alliance will improve the safety of its factories and, consequently, the reputations of its members,” the letter says.

Owners are scared of unions and workers are scared to organise; both sides appear to fear what they do not know

The Islamic Research Centre, left, stands in front of the Dhanmondi Eidgah. The structure was first built, right, as a fair price shop outlet of the erstwhile BDR, obstructing the Mughal-era prayer ground

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

PM signs ATT, protocol Cutting edge DNA indexing system on explosive remnants introduced in Bangladesh n Tribune Desk Bangladesh signed the UN Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War to the Convention on Prohibitions of Restrictions on the use of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).

The Protocol V is designed to alleviate the humanitarian impact of ERW in the post-conflict period Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed the treaty at a function at the UN Headquarters for Bangladesh, the first in South Asia and South East Asia, reports UNB. UN Under Secretary-General Miguel Serpa Soers was present on the occasion, and thanked the Bangladesh

prime minister for signing the treaty.

In 2003, the UN General Assembly adopted the landmark treaty on arms trade, regulating the international trade in conventional arms, from small arms to battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships to foster peace and security, blocking the destabilising arms flow in the world.

On the other hand, the Protocol V is designed to alleviate the humanitarian impact of ERW in the post-conflict period. So far, 82 states have signed the protocol that came into force on November 12, 2006.

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Ambassador at-Large M Ziauddin and Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to UN AK Abdul Momen and senior officials were also present on the occasion.

US Secretary of State John Kerry also signed the treaty on Wednesday on behalf of his country. l

n Ashif Islam Shaon Combined DNA Index System (Codis), a cutting edge software, has been introduced in Bangladesh to expand the existing capabilities of the National Forensic DNA Profiling Laboratory and to help police and other crime-fighting agencies to better identify perpetrators and bring them to justice.

The software will also be used to index collected DNA and identify the remains of hundreds of the victims of the Rana Plaza collapse, which left 1137 people dead and thousands injured.This will enable the authorities to compensate the family members in a shorter time.

Yesterday an installation and graduation ceremony was held at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Addressing the programme, US Ambassador Dan Mozena said: “Bangladesh now joins more than 45 countries around the world that

use the Codis technology. I’m confident that this technology will prove equally useful here in Bangladesh.”

He said Codis enables laboratories to store, compare and match DNA records so DNA evidence collected from a crime scene can be used to solve the crime. It combines forensic science with the latest computer technology, making an effective crime-busting weapon.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has provided the Bangladeshi DNA profiling Lab with the latest Codis software, which is deployed throughout America and in many countries, Mozena said.

This new DNA analysis capability will be particularly effective in solving violent crimes against women, he said.

In the US, Codis is used in 190 laboratories to help both federal and state law enforcement agencies in fighting crime and has aided over 200,000 in-

vestigations there. It can also be used to exonerate those wrongly charged or convicted of heinous crimes. Codis can also be used during natural calamities such as floods and earthquakes.

Mozena said the new capability will pay huge dividends in the immediate future, not only by identifying victims of Rana Plaza collapse, but also by solving violent crimes all across Bangladesh.

From now on the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and the Multi-Sectoral Programme on Violence against Women will be able to operate a DNA database utilising the same platform as many of its Asian counterparts.

Once Cordis is installed, the Multi-Sectoral Program on Violence Against Women and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs will join more than 75 international laboratories using the software for the management of their DNA data. l

He hoped that Ellen O’Kane Tauscher will be able to work with the Alliance board and its members on this issue and help make a lasting contribution to the safety of Bangladeshi garment workers and the sustainability of Bangladesh’s garment industry.

Due to Bangladesh’s troubled history of labour relations, the letter mentions, factory owners and managers have serious misperceptions regarding the role of unions and the potential of constructive labour relations.

And owing to a lack of education and experience, many Bangladeshi garment workers are uninformed of their rights and responsibilities as workers and the benefits of having unions in the workplace, it says.

“Simply put, owners are scared of unions and workers are scared to organise; both sides appear to fear what they do not know.”

The letter mentions that the vice-president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association’s said it well when he remarked: “Unions in the garment sector are a new thing and both owners and workers need to get a better idea of how to make unions work.”

According to its plan, by this time next year the Alliance will have sent training teams into all of its 500-plus factories to educate both managers and workers on fire and building safety. 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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B2 Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards include MFI this year

B3 Tour operators demand duty-free import of tourism vehicles

www.dhakatribune.com/business

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

‘Steady growth a lesson for warring politicians’ n Tribune Report While the politicians are engaged in confrontations for state power, Bangladesh’s economy has set a unique example in the world of achieving steady and impressive economic growth trajectory over the years, said economist Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud.

“It could be a lesson for our squabbling politicians that despite the instability they are creating, the economy is growing steadily at over 6%, which a unique example in the world,” viewed Dr Mahmud while speaking at a function organised to announce the opening of 9th Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards in Dhaka yesterday.

‘We would be able to maintain our economic growth in the coming years despite your (politicians) conflicting politics. It is a challenge for us’

“Although the country’s politics is not stable, its economy continues to be stable.”

Dr Wahidudding Mahmud, who teaches economics at the University of Dhaka and was an adviser to caretaker government, think politics and economy would walk on their own paths.

“We would be able to maintain our economic growth in the coming years despite your (politicians) conflicting politics. It is a challenge for us,” he vowed.

The economist urged the warring politicians to taking lessons from the country’s economic advancement and participate in the development by relinquishing harmful style of politics.

Another former caretaker government adviser and a woman entrepreneur Rokia Afzal Rahman was also present at the event. l

Business

STOCK EXCHANGES

Demutualisation scheme approved

Team to visit Russia to explore trade opportunities

n Kayes Sohel

n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) yesterday approved a number of documents to facilitate demutualisation of the country’s two stock exchanges, including a 13-member board each.

Of the 13-member board with three-year term, seven directors will be independent, four from shareholders and one from strategic shareholder. In addition, the chief executive officer of a stock exchange will act as an ex-officio director having voting rights.

The post of strategic shareholder director will remain vacant as long as eligible strategic shareholder is not found. Under a “Fit and Proper Test” criteria mentioned in the demutualisation plan, independent director will be selected from the board of directors of the bourses.

After demutualisation, a post of chief regulatory officer will be created, who will look after the regulatory affairs division of a stock exchange.

“New era began with the approval of demutualisation plan in the history of Bangladesh capital market,” said BSEC in a statement. The demutualisation is aimed at separating the managements from the ownerships with a promise to bring transparency to the stock market.

The most significant benefit of demutualisation is that the supervision and enforcement in stock exchanges will not be in the hands of the brokers, said an official. Besides, a demutualised stock exchange will be in a better position to attract international strategic partners and good quality issuers, he said.

According to the Act, stock exchange members or brokerage houses will hold 40% after the demutualisation of a bourse. The rest 60% will be kept for trading right entitle-

ment certificate holders, strategic investors and individuals.

Strategic investors will not be allowed to hold more than 25% stake of a stock exchange, while no individual will hold more than 5%.

The two stock exchanges submitted their demutualisation plan within the deadline of July, 2013 to prepare the basic documentation, which included revaluation of assets and liabilities, development plan and papers regarding segregation of regulatory and commercial functions.

The BSEC will send the approval documents to the stock exchanges within a week, sources said. “From the date of reception, we will call annual general meeting for beginning the demutualisation process,” Dhaka Stock Exchange president Ahsanul Islam Titu told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

He said the law would bring more transparency in capital markets which would lead to a higher degree of trust among the investors. “This is the beginning of a new era for stock markets but the results will be visible in a short period of time.”

After AGM, the stock exchange will send the demutualisation documents to the Registrar of the Joint Stock Companies and Firms for registration. After registration, the stock exchanges will turn into a public limited company. Then, the bourse will form a 13-member board in line with the demutualisation scheme.

Asked about the approval of other documents, including asset valuation, BSEC spokesperson Saifur Rahman said the commission has approved the documents bringing necessary amendments in the scheme proposed by the stock exchanges. “Amendments of other documents will be disclosed gradually,” he said. According to the proposed scheme, the DSE has been valued at around Tk42bn and the port city bourse at Tk6.35bn. l

Low cap stocks under regulators’ lens n Tribune Report The low cap listed companies has come under the securities regulators’ lens as their share prices rose from 50% to 150% in the last 15 days.

Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has asked the Dhaka Stock Exchange to open investigation against those companies and submit the investigation report within 15 working days to the commission, said a statement yesterday.

The low cap companies included Legacy

Footwear, Desh Garments, BD Auto Car, Rahima Food, Information Service, Monno Staffler, Modern Dyeing, Anwar Galvanising, JMI Syringe and Medical Services, Hakkani Pulp and Paper, Intech Online and Alhaj Textile.

It has been noticed that the share price of low cap companies in recent time was increasing, which has come under the notice of the commission, said a BSEC official.

The DSE management has already suspended trading of CVO Petrochemical Refinery shares for an indefinite period, as the bourse started investigation into the ab-

normal price hike in the low cap company stocks.

Earlier the regulator formed an investigation committee on September 15 to look into the recent hike in share prices of the 13 companies, including JMI Syringes and Medical Devices Ltd, CVO Petrochemical Refinery Ltd, Tallu Spinning Mills Ltd, Bangas, and Mithun Knitting.

The two-member committee was asked to submit its report within 15 working days.

The DSE also served a show-case notice on 16 low-cap companies on September 16. l

A 14-member trade delegation will visit five countries, including Russia, to explore new export markets for Bangladeshi products.

The team would leave Dhaka on Saturday and spend two days in each of the countries. Other countries are Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

Commerce Secretary Mahbub Ahmed will lead the team comprised of Export Promotion Bureau Vice Chairman Shubhashish Bose, representatives from other government agencies and trade bodies representing jute, ceramics, textiles and pharmaceutical sectors.

The delegation will meet the government high-ups and trade bodies of the respective countries to discuss business prospects, and tariff barriers in case of exporting Bangladeshi products there.

The visit is aimed at product and market diversification as we have been dependant on few certain products and markers, Commerce Secretary Mahbub Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. “To reduce the dependency, we would like to reach new market with new products.”

He said there will have some bilateral issues like duty-free access of our products.

The export earnings from those countries are not so good, but Ahmed expected the visit would help increase the exports.

EPB data shows Bangladesh’s export to Russia in the last fiscal year stood at US$208m while Ukraine $3.6m, Uzbekistan $6.5m, Kyrgyzstan $290,000 and Kazakhstan $560,000m.

“We will discuss overall export scenario. But importance would be given on the products having high demands,” EPB Chairman Bose said.

“We will sign MoUs with respective countries if we can reach consensus on trade related issues with the governments and business communities,” he said. “We’re hopeful about an export boom to the non-conventional markets shortly.”

He said the delegation would arrange B2B discussion to create friendly business environment. l

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Margin call rules put on hold for six months

Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards include MFI this year

n Tribune Report

n Tazlina Zamila Khan

The securities regulator BSEC has extended suspension order of margin call rules for the stockbrokers by six months more for the interest of small investors affected in the stock debacle nearly three year back.

The commission took the decision in response to the request of the Dhaka Stock Exchange considering the present market situation, said Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) in a statement yesterday.

“Effectivity of Rules 3 (5) of the Margin Rules, 1999 has been deferred till March, 2014 instead of September 30, 2013,” it said.

The rules say a stockbroker or a merchant bank is not allowed to make any new transaction in the margin account if the equity falls below 150% of the debit balance.

Neither the investor nor the stockbroker or merchant bank shall be allowed to withdraw cash or securities from the designated accounts until the value is more than 135% of the debit balance, it said.

With the current downward trend in the market, the value of equities in almost all the margin accounts has dropped below that level.

A DSE director welcomed the regulator’s decision terming it “pragmatic” under the present market situation. “It will give discretionary power to the brokers to handle the negative accounts.”

The discretionary power would allow stockbrokers to make buy-sell decisions without referring to the client for every transaction, in a bid to recover the losses on those accounts. A margin account is an account offered by brokerages that allows investors to borrow money to buy securities.

The loan in the account is collaterised by the securities and cash. l

A function in Dhaka yesterday declared the opening of the ninth Citi Micro-entrepreneurship Awards (CMA) which promotes the entrepreneurship among the low-income individuals in Bangladesh.

Held at the Sonargaon Hotel, the function was attended by professor of Dhaka University Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud, former adviser to a caretaker government Rokiya Afzal Rahman, executive director of Credit Development Forum (CDF) Abdul Awal, Bangladesh Women Chamber president Selima Ahmad and Citibank NA managing director Khd Rashed Maqsood, among others.

Leather product workers allowed to open bank account at Tk100

n Tribune Report

Workers of small shoe and leather products manufacturing industries under leather services business promotion council project can now open a bank account with a deposit of Tk100 only.

They will have to produce their respective factory and national identity cards to the banks to open the accounts, said a Bangladesh Bank circular issued yesterday. The accounts would facilitate the workers to get their salaries through the banking system.

These accounts will not have obligation to hold minimum status or will not be cut any maintenance charge. These accounts will also be allowed to perform transactions through vouchers instead of check books, if check books are insufficient.

Banks have been asked to ensure the banking service for the garment workers to pay the salaries through their bank accounts.

They have also been directed to submit the report in this regard to the Bangladesh Bank 15 days after every quarter. l

‘Although we often fail to recognise the country’s microentrepreneurs, they are making the fourth largest contribution to our economy after remittance, readymade garment and agriculture’ This year awards will be given in five categories- Best Microentrepreneur of the Year, Best Microentrepreneur of the Year in Agriculture, Best Women Microentrepreneur of the Year, Best Microfinance Institution of the Year and Most Innovative Microfinance Institute of the Year.

The prize for the best microentrepreneur will be TK500,000, the best agriculture microentrepreneur TK350,000, the best women microentrepreneur TK350,000, the best microfinance institution TK350,000 and the most innovative microfinance institution TK600,000.

The CMA was launched in 2005 by the Citi Foundation, a philanthropic arm of Citigroup.

Letters will be sent to different related organisations seeking their participation and to Upazila Nirbahi Officers to make people aware of the awards and take part in the contest.

There is an advisory council which, after the evaluation of the works of the applicants, will the winners in the five categories.

The award-giving function will be held in March 2014, where the success stories of the previous winners will also be presented.

Dr Wahidudding Mahmud said: “Although we often fail to recognise the country’s microentrepreneurs, they are making the fourth largest contribution to our economy after remittance, readymade garment and agriculture.”

He lauded the increased participation of the country’s mainstream banks in the microenterprises through financing small investors.

Abdul Awal said an amount of at least TK500bn is disbursed every year now as microcredit by the banks, which do not require the borrowers to have an initial deposit with bank.

“But on the excuse of having no initial deposit, some of the banks are not giving loans to the fresh graduates desiring to be entrepreneurs, though the recovery rate of loans without deposit is 100%,” he said.

“On the other hand, the recovery rate of the loans against deposit is not more than 69%.”

He urged the authorities to take steps to remove the barrier of initial deposit. l

LankaBangla case competition to conclude tomorrow n Tribune Report Lankabangla Financial Portal recently initiated a case competition titled “Alpha Hunters” to promote knowledge of the capital market among university students.

The gala round of the competition will be held tomorrow at the Faculty of Business Studies auditorium of Dhaka University.

The competition among 15 major universities focuses on capital market research and is first of its kinds, said a LankaBangla executive.

He said Judges would pick three out of

eight teams that made way into the gala round as winners of the competition.

The panel of judges consists of Professor Dr Mahmood Osman Imam, former chief executive officer of Citibank NA, market analyst Mamun Rashid and VIPB Asset Management Co Ltd’s chief executive officer Shahidul Islam.

The sector’s distinguished persons including managing directors and chief executive officers of the leading merchant banks, financial institutions, entrepreneurs and academicians will be present at the function. l

Square Pharma declares dividends

n Tribune Business Desk

Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd declared 25% cash and 30% stock dividends to its shareholders for the year ended on March 31.

The declaration came at the company’s 47th annual general meeting held at the factory premises in Gazipur on Wednesday, said a press release.

With the Square Pharma managing director Tapan Chowdhury in the chair, the AGM was attended by directors Kazi Iqbal Harun and Md Kabir Reza and company secretary Khandaker Habibuzzaman.

The company’s gross profit, net profit (before tax) and net profit (after tax) for the year 2012-13 were Tk7.74bn, Tk4.5bn and Tk3.34bn respectively. Net sales and net profit increased by 11.87% and 15.31% respectively during the year.

It contributed an amount of Tk4.36bn to the national exchequer in the year. l

SIBL, UAE Exchange ink remittance deal

n Tribune Business Desk

Social Islami Bank Limited and UAE Exchange Malaysia SDN BHD signed a remittance drawing arrangement recently.

The bank’s managing director and UAE Exchange Malaysia’s Bangladesh operation manager signed the documents, said a press release.

SIBL’s deputy managing directors AMM Farhad and Md Younus Ali were also present on the occassion. l

Midland Bank gives credit to LankaBangla

n Tribune Business Desk

Midland Bank Limited has extended a credit facility of Tk300m to LankaBangla Finance Limited (LBFL).

The bank’s MD and CEO AKM Shahidul Haque and LBFL’s MD and CEO Mohammed Nasir Uddin Chowdhury singed a deal in this regard on behalf of their respective sides, said a press release. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Tour operators demand duty-free import of tourism vehicles n Tribune Business Desk Stakeholders of tourism sector yesterday demanded duty-free facilities for importing tourism vehicles for boosting the untapped but highly potential tourism industry.

Though the government has marked tourism as one of the priority industries under the National Industry Policy 2010, they said the entrepreneurs are not getting duty free facilities in importing various goods and machinery related to the tourism industry, reports BSS. According to the UK based World Traveler and Tourism Council’s report tourism industry has contributed 4.7% to the national GDP of Bangladesh during the fiscal 2012-13.

Bangladesh Tourism Foundation (BTF) organised the seminar titled “Water & Tourism - Protecting Our Common Future: Perspective Bangladesh” in Dhaka.

Industries Minister Dilip Barua spoke as the chief guest while BTF President Mokhlesur Rahman was in the chair.

He assured the tour operators of recommending the government to allow duty-free facility for importing vehicles and vessels to be used for tourism purpose and other tourism gadgets and gears.

He said it is possible to achieve the desire goals of socio-economic advancement through development of tourism and the government will continue to provide all kinds of support in expanding tourism industry.

Terming water as an important element of natural resources, the minister urged all to protect waters of all the rivers including the Buriganga from pollution.

He said the grand alliance government has taken the initiative to shift tanneries from Hajaribagh to Savar for protecting the Buriganga from pollution.

Speakers said it is necessary to increase government patronisation for expansion of

Stocks finished flat amid volatility yesterday with low turnover hitting more than sixweek low.

The rally was led by low cap companies or junk shares with most of them hitting upper limit circuit breaker. But large cap companies with good fundamentals declined on selling pressure.

The benchmark DSEX index gained slightly 7 points or 0.2% to 4,013, rebounding from its previous session’s one and half month low.

The blue chip index DS30 was up almost 2 points or 0.2% to 1,464. The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, rose nearly 37 points to 7,838.

Trading activities continued to take a jolt as the turnover value dipped to Tk3bn, registering a fall of nearly 7% over the previous

Bangladesh observes World Tourism Day today n Tribune Business Desk The World Tourism Day will be observed in the country today as elsewhere across the globe.

The theme of this year’s day is: “Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future.”

Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB), Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC), various tour operators and other organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes to observe the day.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages on the occasion, reports UNB. In his message, the President urged all concerned to come forward to devise a concerted and sustainable “water and tourism management” strategy for a balanced and proper use of water in the tourism industry.

In her message, the Prime Minister underscored the need for taking effective measures, including creating mass awareness, to protect water, and said her government has taken various steps to ensure safe water for the countrymen as well as for flourishing the country’s tourism industry.

Tourists seen taking ride on beach vehicles at Cox’s Bazar sea beach tourism industry as it is a service oriented industry. They observed that the entrepreneurs are showing interest to invest in the sector and more than 50 resorts have already been established under the private sector.

Later, the minister handed over BTF Tourism Award to ten persons for their outstanding contribution in the tourism industry.

Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Tourism Board Akhtaruz Zaman Khan Kabir, Professor of Dhaka University Mojib Uddin Ahmed, Vice Chancellor of Darul Ehsan University Professor Dr Akbar Uddin Ahmed and acting President of Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) Rafeuzzaman spoke among others while Professor of State University of Bangladesh Dr M Ashraful Islam Chowdhury presented the keynote paper. l

Stocks finish flat in volatile trade n Tribune Report

3

session’s value and lowest since August 12 this year.

Seemingly, low price of shares might have allured some investors; however turnover reached to bottom of last seven weeks since brewing political dilemma and unrest in financial and RMG sectors have taken a toll on investors’ confidence, said Lanka Bangla Securities in its market analysis.

“Low turnover activity in a green day is indicating lack of strength or confidence of buyers. This sort of impulse moves against current down trend needs further confirmation to prove a reversal,” it said.

Natural buy pressure helped market close slightly higher, after shedding more than 91 points. In the midst of flat scenario, textile gained 1.8%, food and allied 1.6%, bank 0.61%.

The worst performing sectors included non-life insurance, cement, telecommunications and non-banking financial institutions.

“Investors’ buying spree in micro cap scrips against selling spree in large cap scrips made the bourse end flat during the session.

Additionally, investors’ indecisiveness prevailed amid market volatility backed by frequent scrip wise movements,” said IDLC Investments.

The gainers outpaced losers as out of 271 issues traded, 177 advanced, 97 declined and 17 remained unchanged in the prime bourse.

The volatility of the market only reflects that the market is still confused giving no clear indication of the future scenario, said Zenith Investments.

Unique Hotel and Resorts was the most traded stock of the session with a turnover of around Tk150m.

It was followed by JMI Syringe, CMC Kamal, Argon Denim, Generation Next, United Airways, Meghna Petroleum and Rahima Food. l

The BPC and Tour Operators’ Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) will jointly hold a roundtable discussion on this year’s theme of the day She urged the government and non-governmental organisations concerned to work unitedly to ensure a safe and sustainable environment for all through adopting a modern water management strategy.

The day’s programme will begin with a rally from Shahbagh in the city at 8:30am. Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Lt Col (retd) Faruk Khan and Environment and Forests Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud will lead the rally.

The BPC and Tour Operator Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) will jointly hold a roundtable discussion on this year’s theme of the day at Hotel Abakash in the afternoon.

An open air folk concert will be organised by Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) at Ramna Park at 6 pm. Foreign tourists will be welcomed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with souvenirs.

Meanwhile, a debate competition on tourism was held at TSC Cafeteria of Dhaka University yesterday afternoon.

Besides, BPC has organised a twoday photo exhibition on tourist destinations in association with ‘DOTS’ at TSC that began yesterday. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Recent Chinese data reinforce IMF’s 2013 GDP forecast

Print newspapers could become ‘luxury’: Amazon chief n AFP, New York

n Reuters, Tokyo China’s recent economic data reinforce the International Monetary Fund’s forecast that the world’s second-largest economy will avoid a second-half slowdown and grow 7.75% this year, a fund official said yesterday.

Markus Rodlauer, deputy director of the IMF’s Asia Pacific Department and the fund’s mission chief for China, said the IMF expected China’s economy to sustain its pace of growth despite a difficult international environment.

“This is borne out by a number of high frequency indicators out of China. These indicators suggest that activity has indeed been stabilizing into the third quarter, into the second half,” Rodlauer told a conference in Tokyo.

He noted double-digit retail sales growth and figures for industrial added value and fixed asset investment as some examples of such indicators.

People walk past a billboard at the financial district of Pudong in Shanghai In July, the IMF called for more reforms to sustain China’s impressive economic performance and kept its 2013 growth forecast at 7.75%, above Beijing’s 7.5% target, although at the time it noted downside risks to the forecast.

Since then, however, a series of economic indicators has suggested that China is regaining traction after more than two years of cooling growth and prompted several invest-

REUTERS

ment banks to upgrade their outlooks.

At the same time, last month’s jump in credit raised concerns that the authorities were easing up on their efforts to prevent a buildup of imbalances in the economy in order to prop up near-term growth.

The IMF is due to publish its new world economic outlook on October 8 ahead of the fund’s annual meeting. l

Amazon chief executive and new Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos said Wednesday that print newspapers could one day become a luxury item.

“Some day, I don’t know how many years in the future - it could be decades - but I think printed newspapers on actual paper may be a luxury item,” Bezos told NBC in an interview.

“People still have horses but it’s not their primary way of commuting to the office,” Bezos added.

Bezos was questioned on whether he envisions a day when the Washington Post, which he bought in August, is no longer printed.

The Amazon founder shook up the media world when he announced last month the $250m purchase of the Post, ending decades of control by the Graham family that included the newspaper’s history-changing coverage of the Watergate scandal and other giant stories.

Bezos said in a recent interview that he is eager to experiment with new techniques to win reader loyalty in the digital era, as he tries to reverse the Post’s decline and restore it to profitability. l

IMF warns Sri Lanka of slower growth n AFP, Colombo

Greece does not need third bailout, seeks debt ‘reprofiling’: Deputy PM

The IMF yesterday warned Sri Lanka that its economy may grow more slowly than expected as it urged the island nation to improve its business climate.

The IMF mission made the comments after a visit to assess the economy.

Mission chief Todd Schneider told reporters in Colombo his talks with business leaders suggested economic conditions had worsened.

The IMF expects growth for the current calendar year to be about 6.5%, Schneider said, a full percentage point lower than the central bank’s recent forecast of 7.5%.

Lower exports due to weaker overseas markets, slower credit disbursement to the private sector and flat government revenues will drag down growth, Schneider added.

The economy recorded eight percent-plus growth rates for two straight years after security forces crushed separatist Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009 and declared an end to decades of ethnic war.

The island logged growth of 6.4% last year.

“Efforts to boost growth should focus on structural measures such as tariff reforms, enhanced revenue mobilisation and improvements in the general business climate,” Schneider said.

Sri Lanka must also ensure investments made with foreign borrowing offer healthy returns in order to service external debt, which he described as too high. l

n Reuters, New York Greece does not require a third bailout and can cover its needs without further burdening its current backers, by improving the terms of its debt and possibly returning to the bond market next year, the country’s deputy prime minister said on Wednesday.

Evangelos Venizelos, who is also foreign minister in a coalition government, is determined not to impose losses on Greece’s European Union partners and the International Monetary Fund, which have pulled the troubled country from the brink of bankruptcy with about 240bn euros ($325bn) so far.

“We understand very, very well how difficult it is for every government to accept debt relief ... Our demand is not debt relief.

It is additional reprofiling without problem, without additional burden for our institutional partners,” Venizelos said in an interview with top editors at Reuters in New York.

His comments came days after elections in Germany, whose support to Greece came in exchange for waves of austerity measures that have created political and social turmoil across the Mediterranean nation.

The Greek debt crisis shook the euro zone and global financial markets and plunged the country into a recession, now in its sixth year. Unemployment hovers near 28% nationally and at about 60% for young adults.

“We are talking about the potential for a lost generation here,” Venizelos said, add-

ing that the prospect of a social explosion if Greek citizens are forced to endure more fiscal austerity was the biggest risk for the country.

“It is not possible to implement new fiscal measures. It is not possible to impose new cuts on wages and pensions,” he said.

‘Our point is not to transform the adjustment program as a more loose program, but to implement through a clever manner the existing program’ He said the rise of the far-right Golden Dawn party, which last year entered the 300seat parliament for the first time, and won 18 seats in June elections, was a product of the crisis.

Hopes to return to markets

Since the sovereign debt crisis of 2009, Greece has been shut out of international capital markets, resorting only to short-term borrowings, and has relied on two bailouts and a major writedown of Greek debt held by private investors.

Despite punishing fiscal measures and cash injections, it is expected to need an additional 10bn to 12bn euros in the next two years. The euro zone is likely to decide on a third bailout for Greece in November after in-

ternational inspectors finish an assessment of its reforms.

Venizelos, a constitutional law professor and former finance minister who negotiated the debt writedown, said Greece was not looking for any more handouts but could cover its needs by returning to the bond market as early as next year and by renegotiating the interest and maturity of existing debt.

“Our point is not to transform the adjustment program as a more loose program, but to implement through a clever manner the existing program,” he said.

Venizelos said Greece’s 330bn euros of public debt was modest when compared with the multi-trillions of euros held by Germany, Italy and France, but that precludes the size of the overall economy, which is now one of the smallest in the EU. Greeks often blame Germany for the tough austerity measures imposed on the country as a condition for the two prior bailouts, which have led to the economy shrinking by almost a quarter since 2008.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s landslide victory came with the rise of a more euroskeptic political movement that is hostile to euro zone bailouts.

But Venizelos said now that the elections were out of the way in Germany, there was the opportunity to talk strategically about Europe’s future, and what he deemed the “re-evaluation and the reassessment of our common European destiny.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

5

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Abenomics speeds corporate investment, but not in Japan n Reuters, Hong Kong Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe got an early sign of how his blueprint to revive Japan’s industrial vim and economic vigour was working when two of his country’s biggest car makers unveiled $900m worth of investments to boost production.

There was one drawback: the new assembly plants and expanded factories announced by Mazda Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co Ltd are not in Japan, but more than 2,000 miles away, in Thailand.

Since taking office last December, Abe’s stimulus efforts have barely dented a slide in private-sector investment at home, but they have done wonders for accelerating Japanese investment elsewhere in Asia.

Capital expenditures in Japan fell 4% in the first six months of this year, compared with the same period of 2012. Japanese investment in Asia, meanwhile, rose 22%, according to the Japan External Trade Organization, or Jetro.

“Manufacturing investment is still contracting because companies are investing abroad,” said Izumi Devalier, Japan economist at HSBC in Hong Kong.

Government spending and a weaker yen can’t conceal that Japan’s manufacturers are still forsaking their country’s shrinking population, high costs and regulatory barriers in favour of faster-growing, younger economies in Asia.

The prospect of a weakening yen - the currency has fallen roughly 20% against the dollar since December - sapping their purchasing power is only encouraging them to speed up investments overseas.

“The incentives to invest domestically are underwhelming,” said Kenneth S. Courtis, a former Goldman Sachs Asia vice-chairman who now heads Starfort Investments in Hong Kong.

“The long-term demographics, which are very problematic, and the threat that your firepower is going to be diminished with the value of the yen, are driving investment increasingly abroad.”

economy if companies use them to boost investment and wages. “To defeat deflation, we need a negative corporate savings rate,” said Takuji Aida, chief economist at Societe Generale Securities in Tokyo. “We need companies conducting capital expenditure.”

Japanese companies socked away roughly $144bn in cash between June 2012 and June this year, according to the Bank of Japan, bringing their total cash pile to $2.24tn.

That means that for every yen they earned in additional net income, three-quarters of it went into the bank. And existing factories are depreciating faster than companies are investing to replace them, according to HSBC. That’s not a new phenomenon, nor is the rush to invest abroad. Japan’s manufactur-

yen needs to weaken further, maybe to 110 per dollar, which could happen next year.”

But as former manufacturing powerhouses like Britain and the United States have learned, once manufacturing shifts overseas a weak currency isn’t enough to bring it back.

Abe’s government is thus reportedly planning to unveil as much as 500bn yen ($5.07bn) in tax breaks for capital expenditure on October 1, when Abe is also expected to announced 1.4tn yen in corporate tax cuts designed to help offset the impact of a planned sales tax increase.

Japan’s own “hollowing out” has already pushed at least 18% of all production outside Japan, according to Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, helping trim

growing by 1.2% a year. So is Vietnam’s population of 88.8m.

“We’re now facing an ageing society,” said Sotaro Nishikawa, director of Jetro’s office in Hanoi. “If we invest our capital in Japan alone, in the future we can’t survive.”

Companies aren’t the only ones pouring Abenomics’ cheap yen into Southeast Asia.

Loans from Japan’s banks rose almost 8 percent to $152.8 billion by the end of the first quarter, according to the Bank for International Settlements, led by a 17 percent increase in loans to Thailand and 27 percent to the Philippines.

In addition to following loyal Japanese customers abroad, lending overseas earns banks higher margins than they can at home,

“Second arrow” misses target

Abe returned to power for a rare second term pledging to revive Japan and banish deflation with a radical economic policy - quickly dubbed “Abenomics” - comprising “Three Arrows” of drastic monetary easing, fiscal stimulus and growth-generating structural reform.

Whether or not “Abenomics” works at home, it’s already helping soften the blow of slowing growth and a receding tide of cheap dollars as investors pull funds out of Asia to bet on recovery in the United States and Europe.

Foreign investors have pulled at least $7.7bn from stock markets in Asia outside Japan and China since May, according to data from Nomura and Jefferies.

Japanese direct investment in Southeast Asia in the first half, meanwhile, nearly tripled to almost $6bn. Japanese banks have lent a record amount into the region, and Japanese corporate acquisitions in Southeast Asia have already set a record this year.

Japan’s government has been encouraging regional investment to build ties and secure resources. Foreign investment also helps weaken the yen, boosting the exporters profits.

But increased profits only help Japan’s

Employees work at an assembly line in AutoAlliance Thailand, a Ford and Mazda joint venture plant, located in Rayong province, east of Bangkok ers have been shifting to Southeast Asia for 30 years, a trend driven lately by efforts to cut their exposure to rising costs and antiJapanese sentiment in China. Investment into China fell 31% in the first half, according to Jetro.

Slow decisions

Japan’s notoriously conservative corporate boards can take years to make big investment decisions. Mazda’s $262m Thai expansion plan, announced in January, for example, is part of a strategy adopted in early 2012, before Abe became prime minister, to nearly triple sales in Southeast Asia.

Some economists say it could thus be years before investments reflect the impact of Abenomics. Others say the yen, which has traded around 95 to 100 to the dollar over the past three months, hasn’t weakened enough yet.

“Japanese companies are active investors overseas now because the yen is still too strong,” said Aida at Societe Generale. “The

manufacturing’s share of GDP to 19% from 27% in 1983.

Lending boom

Manufacturing wages in Thailand are a 10th those in Japan, according to HSBC. So while Honda’s production in Japan has halved, to 22%, in the past 10 years, it has more than tripled in Southeast Asia, to roughly 11% of global production, most of it in Thailand, where its latest investment, unveiled in February, is worth $634m.

But costs are only one factor. “That is not because of lower labour costs but because Thailand has potential in many ways as well as skilled workers,” said Pitak Pruittisarikorn, executive vice-president at Honda’s Thai unit.

Southeast Asia also offers something Japan cannot: a growing, increasingly middle-class population. One in four Japanese are aged 65 or older. Japan’s population shrank by 284,000, to 127.5 million, last year.

Indonesia’s population of 246.9 million is

REUTERS

where interest rates are nearly zero.

The result is a bank-led buying boom.

Japanese corporate acquisitions in Southeast Asia have already reached a record $8.2 billion so far this year, led by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group’s $5.7bn purchase in July of a 75% stake in Thailand’s fifth-largest bank, Bank of Ayudhya.

Such inflows have not done much to halt a sliding Indonesian rupiah, but in the region’s smaller economies they are helping cushion the blow. Thailand, for example, suffered $4.5bn in portfolio outflows in the second quarter. But $1.2bn flowed back in as investment from Japanese companies, according to Jetro.

Best of all, FDI doesn’t flee as readily as portfolio investment.

“Most foreign direct investment is longterm and not sensitive to short-term economic or financial market conditions,” said Mathee Supapongse, senior director of the Bank of Thailand’s macroeconomic and monetary policy department. l

6

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

DSE Broad Index: 4013.38 ⇑ 0.19%, Turnover: 3030.77 M.Tk ⇓ 6.55%, PE: 12.61 Turnover 3,302.35 MTk . ⇓ 5.69% September 26, 2013 MarketCap. 1,954.72 BTk. ⇑ 0.16% CSE All Share Index: 12412 ⇑ 0.49%, Turnover: 271.59 M Tk. ⇑ 5.17%, PE: 12. 35 Combined Turnover Leader

BANK ABBANK | 2.95 | 32.60 | Vol. 323659 D: 23.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 23.12 | 23.30 / 20.70 C: 23.00 ⇑ 1.32% | 23.03 | 23.30 / 22.80 CITYBANK | 1.15 | 25.97 | Vol. 1059374 D: 15.60 ⇑ 1.30% | 15.61 | 16.00 / 13.90 C: 15.80 ⇑ 3.27% | 15.75 | 15.90 / 15.30 IFIC | 1.10 | 18.34 | Vol. 365056 D: 19.80 ⇑ 1.02% | 20.07 | 20.30 / 17.70 C: 19.40 ⇓ 1.52% | 19.63 | 20.20 / 19.30 ISLAMIBANK | 3.78 | 27.16 | Vol. 382322 D: 35.70 ⇓ 0.56% | 35.81 | 36.00 / 33.00 C: 35.90 ⇑ 0.28% | 35.81 | 36.00 / 35.80 NBL | 1.05 | 15.76 | Vol. 1746703 D: 10.60 ⇑ 0.95% | 10.69 | 11.00 / 9.80 C: 10.70 ⇑ 0.94% | 10.75 | 11.00 / 10.60 PUBALIBANK | 1.92 | 21.18 | Vol. 292955 D: 30.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 31.10 | 31.30 / 28.00 C: 31.30 ⇑ 0.97% | 31.21 | 31.50 / 30.70 RUPALIBANK | 6.70 | 64.27 | Vol. 2555 D: 59.90 ⇑ 1.18% | 59.85 | 61.00 / 57.00 C: 59.90 ⇑ 4.17% | 59.92 | 60.00 / 59.90 UCBL | 1.90 | 21.72 | Vol. 926401 D: 17.10 ⇑ 1.18% | 17.26 | 17.50 / 15.30 C: 17.10 ⇑ 0.59% | 17.20 | 17.40 / 16.50 UTTARABANK | 3.42 | 26.97 | Vol. 203101 D: 25.30 ⇑ 0.40% | 25.38 | 25.50 / 23.00 C: 25.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 25.14 | 25.60 / 25.00 ICBIBANK | -1.60 | -13.03 | Vol. 54500 D: 5.80 ⇑ 1.75% | 5.82 | 5.90 / 5.70 EBL | 3.91 | 28.22 | Vol. 75200 D: 26.80 ⇑ 0.37% | 26.82 | 26.90 / 26.20 C: 26.30 ⇑ 0.77% | 26.43 | 26.70 / 26.20 ALARABANK | 2.03 | 14.91 | Vol. 179274 D: 14.00 ⇑ 1.45% | 13.99 | 14.10 / 12.50 C: 14.00 ⇑ 2.19% | 13.98 | 14.20 / 13.50 PRIMEBANK | 2.89 | 22.40 | Vol. 133422 D: 17.20 ⇑ 0.58% | 17.40 | 18.80 / 15.50 C: 17.70 ⇑ 2.31% | 17.50 | 17.80 / 17.20 SOUTHEASTB | 1.89 | 22.66 | Vol. 1327578 D: 14.90 ⇑ 0.68% | 14.88 | 15.10 / 13.80 C: 14.90 ⇑ 2.05% | 14.91 | 15.10 / 14.70 DHAKABANK | 1.46 | 18.08 | Vol. 218442 D: 17.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 17.68 | 18.00 / 17.00 C: 17.60 ⇑ 1.73% | 17.07 | 17.60 / 17.00 NCCBANK | 1.90 | 15.88 | Vol. 437887 D: 11.10 ⇑ 1.83% | 11.10 | 11.50 / 9.90 C: 11.10 ⇑ 0.91% | 11.10 | 11.20 / 11.00 SIBL | 2.05 | 14.47 | Vol. 350585 D: 11.40 ⇑ 0.88% | 11.43 | 11.50 / 10.50 C: 11.40 ⇑ 0.88% | 11.35 | 12.00 / 11.00 DUTCHBANGL | 11.57 | 54.27 | Vol. 4440 D: 91.40 ⇑ 0.88% | 90.93 | 92.80 / 87.00 C: 87.10 ⇓ 1.14% | 87.10 | 87.10 / 87.10 MTBL | 1.17 | 17.27 | Vol. 44330 D: 14.30 ⇓ 0.69% | 14.38 | 14.50 / 13.00 C: 14.50 ⇑ 0.69% | 14.34 | 14.50 / 14.30 STANDBANKL | 2.33 | 14.41 | Vol. 755734 D: 12.80 ⇑ 1.59% | 12.99 | 13.20 / 11.80 C: 12.80 ⇑ 3.23% | 12.84 | 13.00 / 12.60 ONEBANKLTD | 2.35 | 15.34 | Vol. 1101286 D: 14.40 ⇑ 1.41% | 14.52 | 15.00 / 13.00 C: 14.40 ⇑ 2.13% | 14.45 | 14.60 / 14.20 BANKASIA | 1.35 | 20.80 | Vol. 127810 D: 19.40 ⇑ 1.04% | 19.45 | 19.60 / 17.30 C: 18.50 ⇓ 2.63% | 18.48 | 19.00 / 18.20 MERCANBANK | 2.07 | 16.59 | Vol. 285147 D: 11.30 ⇑ 1.80% | 11.34 | 12.00 / 10.00 C: 11.20 ⇑ 0.90% | 11.16 | 11.30 / 11.10 EXIMBANK | 1.80 | 14.31 | Vol. 785634 D: 10.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.76 | 11.50 / 9.70 C: 10.80 ⇑ 0.93% | 10.85 | 10.90 / 10.70 JAMUNABANK | 2.47 | 18.56 | Vol. 96490 D: 13.60 ⇑ 1.49% | 13.53 | 13.70 / 12.20 C: 13.30 ⇑ 2.31% | 13.36 | 13.50 / 13.10 BRACBANK | 1.51 | 24.87 | Vol. 437647 D: 28.30 ⇑ 1.07% | 28.74 | 29.20 / 25.50 C: 28.30 ⇑ 2.54% | 28.38 | 28.90 / 28.00 SHAHJABANK | 2.61 | 14.47 | Vol. 320187 D: 13.90 ⇑ 1.46% | 13.91 | 15.00 / 12.40 C: 14.00 ⇑ 2.94% | 13.92 | 14.10 / 13.70 PREMIERBAN | 1.18 | 13.95 | Vol. 217504 D: 9.20 ⇑ 1.10% | 9.26 | 10.00 / 8.20 C: 9.30 ⇑ 1.09% | 9.36 | 9.80 / 9.00

TO M. Tk.

% of TTL

Avg. P

Unique Hotel RL - N

1828380

163.39

4.95

89.36

JMI Syringes MDL-A

556500

145.25

4.40

261.01

CMC Kamal Tex. -A Argon Denims Limited-A

3302317

115.56

3.50

34.99

3.49

40.01

G Next Fashions-A

CompanyCode | EPS | BV | Volume Traded (Share) DSE/CSE: ClosePrice ⇓/⇑ Chn % | Avg.Price | Hi / Lo

Vol.

2881100 3510580

115.28 84.08

2.55

TRUSTBANK | 0.50 | 18.00 | Vol. 83140 D: 16.80 ⇑ 1.82% | 16.84 | 17.00 / 14.90 C: 16.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 16.46 | 16.60 / 16.10 FIRSTSBANK | 1.85 | 13.89 | Vol. 178753 D: 11.20 ⇑ 0.90% | 11.22 | 11.40 / 10.00 C: 11.30 ⇑ 0.89% | 11.23 | 11.30 / 11.10 NON BANKING F I IDLC | 4.43 | 29.18 | Vol. 87401 D: 57.70 ⇓ 1.03% | 57.98 | 59.00 / 55.70 C: 58.00 ⇓ 0.68% | 58.21 | 59.50 / 58.00 ULC | 1.80 | 14.90 | Vol. 35312 D: 26.30 ⇓ 0.38% | 26.39 | 28.00 / 25.00 UTTARAFIN | 7.16 | 41.54 | Vol. 53681 D: 74.60 ⇑ 0.81% | 74.30 | 75.00 / 66.60 C: 74.40 ⇓ 0.80% | 74.37 | 74.90 / 74.00 MIDASFIN | 0.16 | 10.21 | Vol. 2310 D: 30.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 29.73 | 30.10 / 28.00 FLEASEINT | 2.34 | 13.93 | Vol. 219800 D: 24.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.77 | 25.00 / 23.00 C: 24.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.35 | 24.60 / 24.30 PLFSL | 1.37 | 17.48 | Vol. 220901 D: 22.70 ⇓ 0.44% | 22.78 | 23.50 / 20.60 C: 22.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 22.64 | 23.00 / 21.00 PRIMEFIN | 0.87 | 17.88 | Vol. 96170 D: 23.70 ⇓ 0.84% | 23.84 | 24.30 / 21.60 C: 23.70 ⇓ 0.84% | 23.92 | 24.40 / 23.70 PREMIERLEA | 0.10 | 11.37 | Vol. 194045 D: 10.30 ⇓ 1.90% | 10.37 | 10.50 / 10.00 C: 10.20 ⇓ 1.92% | 10.30 | 10.60 / 10.20 ISLAMICFIN | 1.03 | 15.48 | Vol. 187134 D: 16.30 ⇓ 0.61% | 16.29 | 17.00 / 14.80 C: 16.00 ⇓ 1.84% | 16.04 | 16.20 / 15.90 LANKABAFIN | 1.61 | 31.07 | Vol. 272898 D: 57.50 ⇑ 0.17% | 57.76 | 60.00 / 51.70 C: 58.00 ⇑ 1.40% | 57.62 | 58.10 / 57.50 BIFC | 0.15 | 18.58 | Vol. 112855 D: 16.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 16.30 | 16.70 / 14.70 C: 16.20 ⇓ 2.99% | 16.08 | 16.70 / 16.00 IPDC | 1.23 | 19.43 | Vol. 125686 D: 19.40 ⇓ 1.52% | 19.44 | 19.70 / 19.20 C: 19.20 ⇓ 1.03% | 19.20 | 19.40 / 19.10 UNIONCAP | 0.54 | 17.85 | Vol. 101321 D: 29.20 ⇑ 0.69% | 29.26 | 29.50 / 26.50 C: 28.60 ⇑ 0.35% | 28.60 | 28.60 / 28.60 BDFINANCE | 0.57 | 14.77 | Vol. 86744 D: 19.20 ⇓ 0.52% | 19.25 | 20.90 / 17.50 C: 19.00 ⇓ 2.06% | 19.02 | 19.50 / 18.80 ILFSL | 0.35 | 12.19 | Vol. 392100 D: 14.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.69 | 15.00 / 14.40 C: 14.60 ⇑ 0.69% | 14.62 | 15.00 / 14.40 PHOENIXFIN | 2.46 | 19.39 | Vol. 83448 D: 29.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 29.42 | 29.70 / 27.00 C: 29.70 ⇑ 0.68% | 29.78 | 30.00 / 29.10 FASFIN | 0.19 | 13.56 | Vol. 387309 D: 14.70 ⇓ 2.65% | 14.91 | 15.20 / 14.00 C: 14.80 ⇓ 0.67% | 14.84 | 15.00 / 14.50 DBH | 4.47 | 21.27 | Vol. 58427 D: 61.30 ⇓ 0.33% | 61.44 | 62.20 / 57.00 C: 60.80 ⇓ 2.88% | 61.31 | 62.90 / 60.60 NHFIL | 0.57 | 12.70 | Vol. 341760 D: 30.50 ⇓ 2.24% | 31.11 | 32.00 / 29.00 C: 30.20 ⇓ 3.21% | 30.72 | 31.50 / 30.00 BAYLEASING | 0.72 | 25.55 | Vol. 76080 D: 27.30 ⇑ 0.37% | 27.23 | 27.80 / 24.50 C: 27.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 27.31 | 28.40 / 27.00 ICB | 109.65 | 769.98 | Vol. 5109 D: 1900 ⇓ 0.63% | 1910 | 1950 / 1890 C: 1881 ⇓ 1.44% | 1881 | 1886 / 1875 GSPFINANCE | 1.63 | 22.23 | Vol. 128658 D: 25.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.98 | 25.70 / 22.50 C: 25.00 ⇑ 1.21% | 24.86 | 25.00 / 22.50 FAREASTFIN | 0.68 | 13.64 | Vol. 1101500 D: 16.10 ⇓ 0.62% | 16.04 | 16.20 / 15.70 C: 16.10 ⇓ 0.62% | 16.07 | 16.30 / 15.90 INVESTMENT 2NDICB | 44.10 | 253.11 | Vol. 500 D: 259.8 ⇓ 4.56% | 260.00 | 265.0 / 257.0 4THICB | 29.24 | 229.24 | Vol. 1100 D: 171.8 ⇑ 1.06% | 171.82 | 172.0 / 170.0 5THICB | 23.45 | 188.92 | Vol. 600 D: 155.5 ⇓ 8.15% | 155.00 | 156.0 / 155.0 6THICB | 10.99 | 60.14 | Vol. 3200 D: 47.00 ⇑ 0.21% | 47.19 | 47.90 / 46.20

23.95

DSE Gainer

C%

A%

CP

Northern Jute-Z

9.89

9.89

31.10

DSE Loser

CMC Kamal Tex.-A

9.76

8.77

36.00

Safko Spinning-A

9.56

6.09

29.80

Legacy Footwear -A

9.51

-3.81

47.20

A Galvanizing-B

9.12

2.63

31.10

7THICB | 13.53 | 98.60 | Vol. 1000 D: 71.70 ⇓ 1.92% | 72.00 | 75.00 / 68.50 8THICB | 12.47 | 70.07 | Vol. 25500 D: 51.00 ⇓ 0.58% | 50.78 | 51.90 / 50.00 1STBSRS | 14.43 | 161.88 | Vol. 90500 D: 94.50 ⇑ 1.72% | 94.06 | 98.00 / 92.90 C: 95.00 ⇓ 0.21% | 95.00 | 95.00 / 95.00 AIMS1STMF | 3.02 | 15.70 | Vol. 279000 D: 38.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 38.87 | 39.10 / 38.50 C: 38.90 ⇑ 0.78% | 38.60 | 39.00 / 38.10 ICBAMCL1ST | 7.14 | 48.54 | Vol. 899000 D: 24.60 ⇑ 1.23% | 24.54 | 25.00 / 24.10 C: 26.80 ⇓ 9.76% | 26.80 | 26.80 / 26.80 ICBISLAMIC | 2.21 | 26.81 | Vol. 34000 D: 17.20 ⇑ 2.38% | 17.24 | 17.50 / 16.90 GRAMEEN1 | 6.26 | 33.23 | Vol. 246750 D: 45.10 ⇑ 2.50% | 44.69 | 45.50 / 44.00 C: 45.70 ⇑ 4.10% | 44.60 | 45.80 / 43.50 ICB1STNRB | 4.06 | 35.31 | Vol. 35500 D: 23.00 ⇓ 0.43% | 23.07 | 23.20 / 23.00 ICB2NDNRB | 2.49 | 16.24 | Vol. 130000 D: 9.30 ⇑ 2.20% | 9.27 | 9.40 / 9.00 C: 9.40 ⇑ 4.44% | 9.40 | 9.40 / 9.40 GRAMEENS2 | 2.17 | 16.41 | Vol. 600300 D: 16.00 ⇑ 1.27% | 16.01 | 16.20 / 15.00 C: 16.10 ⇑ 0.63% | 16.03 | 16.40 / 15.80 1STPRIMFMF | 0.64 | 11.63 | Vol. 676500 D: 21.10 ⇑ 5.50% | 20.81 | 21.50 / 19.90 C: 21.30 ⇑ 6.50% | 20.81 | 21.50 / 20.00 EBL1STMF | 0.55 | 12.62 | Vol. 2026797 D: 6.90 ⇑ 7.81% | 6.85 | 7.00 / 6.10 C: 7.00 ⇑ 9.38% | 6.79 | 7.00 / 6.60 ICBAMCL2ND | 0.60 | 12.12 | Vol. 57000 D: 5.50 ⇑ 3.77% | 5.47 | 5.60 / 5.20 C: 5.40 ⇑ 1.89% | 5.40 | 5.40 / 5.30 ICBEPMF1S1 | 0.52 | 11.32 | Vol. 97500 D: 5.80 ⇓ 1.69% | 5.85 | 5.90 / 5.80 C: 5.70 ⇓ 1.72% | 5.70 | 5.70 / 5.70 TRUSTB1MF | 0.75 | 11.65 | Vol. 1414674 D: 7.20 ⇑ 5.88% | 7.20 | 7.40 / 6.20 C: 7.30 ⇑ 5.80% | 7.28 | 7.40 / 7.00 PRIME1ICBA | 0.42 | 11.18 | Vol. 326000 D: 5.30 ⇑ 3.92% | 5.22 | 5.40 / 5.10 C: 5.20 ⇑ 1.96% | 5.11 | 5.20 / 5.10 DBH1STMF | -1.12 | 10.15 | Vol. 161500 D: 5.40 ⇑ 1.89% | 5.42 | 5.50 / 5.30 C: 5.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.36 | 5.40 / 5.30 IFIC1STMF | 0.83 | 11.88 | Vol. 1610804 D: 6.40 ⇑ 6.67% | 6.33 | 6.50 / 5.50 C: 6.40 ⇑ 6.67% | 6.32 | 6.40 / 6.10 PF1STMF | 0.51 | 11.11 | Vol. 583500 D: 5.20 ⇑ 1.96% | 5.21 | 5.30 / 5.10 C: 5.50 ⇑ 5.77% | 5.34 | 5.50 / 5.20 ICB3RDNRB | 0.00 | 10.60 | Vol. 73500 D: 5.00 ⇑ 2.04% | 5.04 | 5.10 / 4.90 C: 5.10 ⇑ 4.08% | 5.10 | 5.10 / 5.10 1JANATAMF | 0.78 | 10.68 | Vol. 69000 D: 5.60 ⇑ 1.82% | 5.67 | 5.70 / 5.60 C: 5.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.61 | 5.70 / 5.60 GREENDELMF | -0.82 | 9.72 | Vol. 114000 D: 5.10 ⇑ 2.00% | 5.10 | 5.20 / 5.00 C: 5.10 ⇑ 2.00% | 5.10 | 5.10 / 5.10 POPULAR1MF | 0.77 | 11.38 | Vol. 524927 D: 5.80 ⇑ 3.57% | 5.81 | 6.00 / 5.10 C: 5.80 ⇑ 1.75% | 5.79 | 5.80 / 5.70 IFILISLMF1 | 0.00 | 10.45 | Vol. 1034000 D: 5.30 ⇑ 1.92% | 5.32 | 5.40 / 5.20 C: 5.30 ⇑ 3.92% | 5.20 | 5.30 / 5.10 PHPMF1 | 0.63 | 10.92 | Vol. 837000 D: 5.40 ⇑ 3.85% | 5.35 | 5.50 / 5.20 C: 5.40 ⇑ 1.89% | 5.33 | 5.50 / 5.20 AIBL1STIMF | -0.07 | 9.25 | Vol. 26500 D: 6.30 ⇑ 1.61% | 6.38 | 6.40 / 6.30 MBL1STMF | -0.16 | 9.08 | Vol. 126500 D: 6.10 ⇑ 3.39% | 6.11 | 6.20 / 6.10 SEBL1STMF | 0.94 | 11.85 | Vol. 894950 D: 7.90 ⇑ 3.95% | 7.89 | 8.10 / 7.20 C: 8.00 ⇑ 6.67% | 7.88 | 8.00 / 7.60 EBLNRBMF | 1.07 | 10.88 | Vol. 28000 D: 8.00 ⇑ 2.56% | 8.07 | 8.20 / 7.80 RELIANCE1 | 0.95 | 10.33 | Vol. 837250 D: 8.00 ⇑ 3.90% | 8.02 | 8.20 / 7.80 C: 8.10 ⇑ 5.19% | 8.11 | 8.20 / 7.70 LRGLOBMF1 | 0.50 | 10.82 | Vol. 56500 D: 7.00 ⇑ 2.94% | 7.06 | 7.30 / 6.80

C%

A%

CP

-9.72

-9.80

78.00

Savar Refractories-Z Modern Dyeing-B

-8.56

-9.78

111.10

5th ICB M F-A

-8.15

-8.46

155.50

Dulamia CottonZ Kohinoor Chem-A

-7.84

-15.18

9.40

-6.65

-6.68

410.20

ABB1STMF | 0.92 | 10.63 | Vol. 75730 D: 6.80 ⇑ 1.49% | 6.84 | 7.00 / 6.70 NLI1STMF | 1.17 | 12.22 | Vol. 1296300 D: 8.40 ⇑ 6.33% | 8.31 | 8.60 / 7.90 C: 8.40 ⇑ 6.33% | 8.19 | 8.50 / 7.80 FBFIF | 1.30 | 10.27 | Vol. 1000 D: 8.60 ⇓ 1.15% | 9.00 | 9.00 / 8.20 NCCBLMF1 | 1.16 | 10.48 | Vol. 26000 D: 8.60 ⇑ 6.17% | 8.69 | 8.70 / 8.50 ICBSONALI1 | 0.00 | 10.39 | Vol. 483000 D: 6.10 ⇑ 1.67% | 6.07 | 6.20 / 6.00 C: 6.10 ⇑ 1.67% | 6.13 | 6.20 / 6.10 EXIM1STMF | 0.00 | 10.91 | Vol. 24500 D: 7.00 ⇑ 1.45% | 7.06 | 7.10 / 7.00 C: 6.50 ⇑ 4.84% | 6.50 | 6.50 / 6.50 ENGINEERING AFTABAUTO | 4.29 | 52.65 | Vol. 294858 D: 108.4 ⇓ 0.64% | 108.63 | 112.0 / 98.20 C: 108.6 ⇓ 0.91% | 108.86 | 109.9 / 108.0 AZIZPIPES | 0.39 | -42.04 | Vol. 18050 D: 16.90 ⇓ 4.52% | 17.03 | 17.50 / 16.80 C: 18.00 ⇓ 5.26% | 18.00 | 18.00 / 18.00 OLYMPIC | 5.94 | 14.91 | Vol. 100452 D: 216.4 ⇑ 0.14% | 217.32 | 220.0 / 200.0 C: 215.0 ⇑ 0.23% | 214.13 | 215.5 / 213.2 BDLAMPS | -5.31 | 37.07 | Vol. 20010 D: 159.3 ⇓ 0.19% | 159.41 | 164.8 / 157.0 C: 163.6 ⇑ 2.38% | 159.75 | 165.0 / 157.0 ECABLES | 2.04 | 18.87 | Vol. 200 D: 72.10 ⇓ 3.22% | 72.10 | 72.10 / 72.10 MONNOSTAF | 5.31 | 44.78 | Vol. 8450 D: 453.2 ⇑ 6.54% | 414.91 | 457.0 / 389.0 SINGERBD | 9.99 | 45.74 | Vol. 109561 D: 207.5 ⇑ 0.19% | 207.98 | 211.0 / 200.0 C: 207.4 ⇑ 0.19% | 207.36 | 209.0 / 206.0 ATLASBANG | 11.98 | 207.70 | Vol. 8369 D: 179.3 ⇓ 0.66% | 180.19 | 182.9 / 165.0 BDAUTOCA | 0.25 | 6.23 | Vol. 91050 D: 52.50 ⇑ 5.63% | 48.07 | 53.90 / 44.80 QSMDRYCELL | 1.17 | 57.54 | Vol. 115510 D: 35.30 ⇓ 0.84% | 35.29 | 36.00 / 34.00 C: 35.30 ⇑ 0.28% | 35.33 | 35.60 / 35.00 RENWICKJA | 5.62 | -90.00 | Vol. 3850 D: 172.9 ⇑ 1.65% | 173.51 | 177.3 / 171.2 NTLTUBES | -2.52 | 312.10 | Vol. 49920 D: 77.70 ⇑ 1.83% | 77.54 | 79.90 / 70.00 BDTHAI | 0.43 | 39.35 | Vol. 816499 D: 32.60 ⇑ 6.54% | 31.83 | 33.30 / 28.80 C: 32.90 ⇑ 6.82% | 32.04 | 33.10 / 30.20 ANWARGALV | 0.51 | 8.08 | Vol. 300000 D: 31.10 ⇑ 9.12% | 29.62 | 31.30 / 25.70 C: 31.60 ⇑ 8.97% | 29.21 | 31.90 / 26.10 KAY&QUE | -3.89 | 6.03 | Vol. 12000 D: 16.70 ⇓ 2.34% | 16.75 | 17.00 / 15.70 RANFOUNDRY | 2.84 | 18.62 | Vol. 68000 D: 104.6 ⇑ 1.95% | 105.43 | 107.7 / 104.2 C: 103.1 ⇑ 3.72% | 102.26 | 103.9 / 100.0 SALAMCRST | 3.31 | 20.00 | Vol. 203750 D: 40.80 ⇓ 0.97% | 41.12 | 42.10 / 38.00 C: 40.80 ⇓ 0.97% | 41.00 | 41.40 / 40.50 GOLDENSON | 3.70 | 28.70 | Vol. 334558 D: 42.90 ⇑ 0.70% | 42.90 | 43.50 / 38.50 C: 42.60 ⇑ 0.24% | 42.67 | 42.70 / 42.60 BSRMSTEEL | 3.06 | 19.53 | Vol. 175893 D: 68.10 ⇓ 0.15% | 68.10 | 69.20 / 64.90 C: 68.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 67.65 | 69.00 / 67.80 NAVANACNG | 4.09 | 27.04 | Vol. 45376 D: 66.80 ⇑ 0.60% | 66.72 | 67.30 / 60.00 C: 67.40 ⇑ 0.45% | 67.11 | 67.60 / 66.50 DESHBANDHU | 1.16 | 12.02 | Vol. 457585 D: 23.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 23.02 | 23.40 / 20.70 C: 23.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 23.02 | 23.30 / 22.70 GPHISPAT | 2.11 | 15.27 | Vol. 97700 D: 42.80 ⇓ 0.23% | 43.13 | 43.40 / 41.90 C: 43.30 ⇑ 0.93% | 44.13 | 45.40 / 43.00 BENGALWTL | 2.42 | 20.72 | Vol. 178000 D: 43.80 ⇓ 0.68% | 44.02 | 44.90 / 43.70 C: 43.50 ⇓ 0.91% | 43.52 | 44.00 / 43.00 NPOLYMAR | 2.01 | 324.37 | Vol. 126831 D: 64.40 ⇑ 2.88% | 63.52 | 65.00 / 60.00 C: 64.00 ⇑ 2.73% | 63.96 | 64.00 / 60.00 FOOD & ALLIED APEXFOODS | 2.54 | 90.81 | Vol. 37100 D: 101.3 ⇑ 3.37% | 99.74 | 102.0 / 96.00 C: 98.30 ⇓ 0.81% | 101.17 | 98.00 / 100.0

BANGAS | 7.20 | 50.27 | Vol. 83486 D: 521.5 ⇑ 6.62% | 499.20 | 526.6 / 453.0 C: 520.1 ⇑ 6.97% | 505.35 | 523.7 / 483.0 BATBC | 65.69 | 117.22 | Vol. 14350 D: 1525 ⇑ 1.75% | 1527 | 1540 / 1500 GEMINISEA | 10.88 | 9.69 | Vol. 2350 D: 227.5 ⇑ 5.28% | 217.45 | 234.0 / 198.0 NTC | 29.88 | 110.05 | Vol. 1550 D: 804.2 ⇓ 1.00% | 803.87 | 805.1 / 800.0 ZEALBANGLA | -23.01 | -193.09 | Vol. 3200 D: 8.90 ⇑ 1.14% | 9.06 | 9.00 / 8.90 AMCL(PRAN) | 6.53 | 53.37 | Vol. 101815 D: 287.9 ⇑ 5.69% | 283.52 | 289.9 / 270.1 C: 290.0 ⇑ 5.92% | 284.08 | 295.0 / 278.0 SHYAMPSUG | -36.87 | -355.85 | Vol. 1900 D: 7.90 ⇓ 1.25% | 7.89 | 8.00 / 7.90 RAHIMAFOOD | 0.62 | 4.46 | Vol. 1661000 D: 46.70 ⇑ 8.10% | 41.55 | 47.00 / 38.90 C: 44.20 ⇑ 9.95% | 39.52 | 44.20 / 36.20 FUWANGFOOD | 1.26 | 12.37 | Vol. 401712 D: 25.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 25.55 | 25.90 / 24.00 C: 25.80 ⇓ 0.77% | 25.73 | 26.00 / 25.40 MEGHNAPET | -0.58 | -1.02 | Vol. 59000 D: 7.10 ⇑ 4.41% | 7.25 | 7.40 / 6.80 MEGCONMILK | -6.68 | -16.22 | Vol. 29500 D: 8.10 ⇓ 4.71% | 8.17 | 8.60 / 8.00 BEACHHATCH | 1.01 | 12.48 | Vol. 386920 D: 23.10 ⇑ 3.13% | 22.79 | 23.40 / 20.20 C: 23.30 ⇑ 5.91% | 22.82 | 23.50 / 22.20 FINEFOODS | -0.11 | 10.58 | Vol. 187755 D: 25.70 ⇑ 2.39% | 25.31 | 26.00 / 23.50 C: 25.90 ⇑ 3.60% | 25.82 | 26.40 / 24.30 RDFOOD | 0.91 | 16.84 | Vol. 535226 D: 22.80 ⇑ 0.44% | 22.84 | 23.20 / 20.50 C: 22.90 ⇑ 0.88% | 22.92 | 23.10 / 22.70 GHAIL | 1.01 | 22.08 | Vol. 338160 D: 43.10 ⇑ 0.94% | 42.98 | 43.40 / 38.50 C: 43.00 ⇑ 0.47% | 42.80 | 43.20 / 42.30 RABEYAFLO | 0.43 | 3.12 | Vol. 0 C: 0.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 0.00 | 0.00 / 0.00 FUEL & POWER LINDEBD | 31.71 | 144.00 | Vol. 27750 D: 700.1 ⇑ 0.85% | 702.09 | 723.0 / 690.1 PADMAOIL | 16.38 | 43.67 | Vol. 109543 D: 334.9 ⇓ 1.27% | 337.09 | 344.0 / 330.0 C: 335.2 ⇓ 1.24% | 336.66 | 344.8 / 334.0 EASTRNLUB | 6.32 | 68.68 | Vol. 900 D: 380.1 ⇓ 0.55% | 380.00 | 385.0 / 377.7 BDWELDING | 0.33 | 16.82 | Vol. 495570 D: 24.30 ⇑ 2.97% | 24.01 | 25.90 / 21.30 C: 24.10 ⇑ 2.99% | 24.02 | 24.60 / 23.60 SUMITPOWER | 3.17 | 19.26 | Vol. 201278 D: 32.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 32.41 | 34.50 / 29.10 C: 32.50 ⇓ 0.31% | 32.59 | 32.90 / 32.30 DESCO | 2.80 | 35.25 | Vol. 64901 D: 76.00 ⇓ 1.30% | 76.12 | 77.40 / 72.00 C: 75.70 ⇓ 0.92% | 75.65 | 76.30 / 75.00 POWERGRID | 2.56 | 48.08 | Vol. 18127 D: 56.00 ⇓ 0.36% | 56.03 | 56.70 / 52.00 JAMUNAOIL | 22.78 | 50.24 | Vol. 142491 D: 228.4 ⇓ 0.57% | 229.38 | 231.7 / 210.0 C: 229.1 ⇓ 0.43% | 229.75 | 234.5 / 228.5 MPETROLEUM | 16.98 | 40.41 | Vol. 235937 D: 269.4 ⇑ 0.37% | 269.03 | 270.4 / 255.0 C: 268.4 ⇑ 0.52% | 267.61 | 269.0 / 265.5 TITASGAS | 9.01 | 36.56 | Vol. 293580 D: 80.90 ⇓ 0.37% | 81.01 | 81.70 / 73.10 C: 81.00 ⇓ 0.74% | 80.81 | 84.00 / 75.00 KPCL | 4.73 | 15.86 | Vol. 584158 D: 47.20 ⇑ 1.51% | 46.20 | 50.00 / 42.00 C: 47.20 ⇑ 1.72% | 47.16 | 47.90 / 46.00 BEDL | 1.48 | 19.43 | Vol. 425993 D: 31.90 ⇓ 2.74% | 31.99 | 33.00 / 29.60 C: 32.00 ⇓ 1.84% | 31.96 | 32.20 / 31.00 MJLBD | 2.73 | 30.24 | Vol. 65974 D: 70.10 ⇓ 0.43% | 70.17 | 76.00 / 64.00 C: 69.90 ⇓ 0.43% | 69.24 | 70.20 / 69.50 GBBPOWER | 1.86 | 22.63 | Vol. 437470 D: 26.20 ⇓ 0.38% | 26.24 | 26.70 / 23.70 C: 26.40 ⇑ 0.38% | 26.16 | 26.60 / 25.90 SPPCL | 3.81 | 23.34 | Vol. 389870 D: 53.40 ⇓ 0.56% | 53.86 | 54.90 / 48.40 C: 53.90 ⇑ 0.19% | 54.11 | 54.90 / 53.50

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

7

September 26, 2013 Sectotal Index: BANK: 31,762.96 ⇑ 1.06% NBFI: 20,052.26 ⇓ 0.20% INVS: 4,649.28 ⇑ 1.81% ENGG: 6,071.23 ⇑ 0.31% FOOD: 10,153.05 ⇑ 1.32% F&P: 10,402.48 ⇓ 0.37% TEXT: 3,227.77 ⇑ 1.44% PHAR: 17,285.46 ⇑ 0.21% PAPR: 1,248.53 ⇑ 5.43% SERV: 3,053.21 ⇑ 3.90% LEAT: 5,456.88 ⇑ 2.05% CERA: 523.70 ⇑ 0.83% CMNT: 4,500.51 ⇓ 0.72% INFO: 8,328.37 ⇑ 2.46% GINS: 9,872.81 ⇓ 0.69% LINS: 112,258.64 ⇑ 1.12% TELC: 1,340.87 ⇓ 0.61% MISC: 6,296.76 ⇑ 0.10% JUTE JUTESPINN | 2.06 | 17.42 | Vol. 7900 D: 124.3 ⇑ 1.89% | 123.54 | 125.0 / 118.0 NORTHERN | -13.80 | -6.19 | Vol. 7200 D: 31.10 ⇑ 9.89% | 31.10 | 31.10 / 31.10 SONALIANSH | 5.54 | 218.80 | Vol. 25280 D: 160.7 ⇑ 4.08% | 160.44 | 165.0 / 150.0 TEXTILE AL-HAJTEX | 1.35 | 15.64 | Vol. 153270 D: 107.1 ⇑ 0.19% | 108.08 | 110.6 / 97.00 RAHIMTEXT | 0.51 | 73.88 | Vol. 1050 D: 294.7 ⇑ 2.79% | 294.29 | 302.0 / 290.0 SAIHAMTEX | 2.75 | 29.50 | Vol. 1108100 D: 34.40 ⇑ 3.30% | 34.03 | 34.70 / 32.80 C: 34.40 ⇑ 4.56% | 33.76 | 34.70 / 32.30 MODERNDYE | 0.91 | 10.37 | Vol. 13300 D: 111.1 ⇓ 8.56% | 109.62 | 116.5 / 109.4 DSHGARME | 0.72 | 12.00 | Vol. 128700 D: 93.20 ⇑ 8.50% | 82.85 | 94.00 / 77.40 DULAMIACOT | -8.46 | -27.78 | Vol. 1500 D: 9.40 ⇓ 7.84% | 9.33 | 10.10 / 9.30 TALLUSPIN | 2.56 | 12.06 | Vol. 1082025 D: 43.40 ⇑ 0.23% | 43.45 | 44.10 / 40.20 C: 43.30 ⇑ 0.46% | 43.36 | 44.00 / 42.40 APEXSPINN | 2.01 | 49.32 | Vol. 13800 D: 82.20 ⇓ 2.72% | 82.03 | 84.00 / 80.30 MITHUNKNIT | 4.54 | 30.39 | Vol. 188411 D: 110.9 ⇓ 1.33% | 110.88 | 117.0 / 105.0 C: 109.5 ⇓ 2.14% | 109.91 | 113.0 / 108.1 DELTASPINN | 3.06 | 18.12 | Vol. 381900 D: 34.90 ⇑ 0.29% | 35.02 | 35.80 / 31.90 C: 34.70 ⇓ 0.29% | 34.90 | 35.40 / 34.40 SONARGAON | 0.27 | 34.50 | Vol. 545103 D: 22.60 ⇑ 8.65% | 21.37 | 22.80 / 19.00 C: 22.40 ⇑ 9.80% | 21.83 | 22.40 / 18.50 PRIMETEX | 1.01 | 63.54 | Vol. 511000 D: 31.50 ⇑ 7.14% | 30.36 | 31.90 / 28.60 C: 31.50 ⇑ 8.25% | 30.15 | 31.90 / 26.20 ALLTEX | -0.11 | 23.81 | Vol. 134500 D: 9.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 9.12 | 9.50 / 9.00 C: 9.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 9.06 | 9.20 / 9.00 ANLIMAYARN | 1.19 | 11.01 | Vol. 239000 D: 38.20 ⇑ 2.14% | 37.99 | 38.40 / 37.00 C: 38.00 ⇑ 5.56% | 36.28 | 38.00 / 35.10 HRTEX | 2.08 | 14.92 | Vol. 528329 D: 46.60 ⇑ 3.56% | 45.40 | 47.10 / 40.50 C: 46.40 ⇑ 1.09% | 45.14 | 47.00 / 44.20 CMCKAMAL | 1.37 | 19.31 | Vol. 3302317 D: 36.00 ⇑ 9.76% | 34.99 | 36.00 / 30.00 SAFKOSPINN | 0.95 | 21.78 | Vol. 559579 D: 29.80 ⇑ 9.56% | 28.91 | 29.90 / 25.00 C: 29.80 ⇑ 9.16% | 29.17 | 29.80 / 26.50 SQUARETEXT | 4.32 | 31.82 | Vol. 45750 D: 90.90 ⇑ 0.66% | 90.98 | 93.40 / 84.00 C: 92.40 ⇑ 2.44% | 90.67 | 92.40 / 90.00 METROSPIN | -1.00 | 19.59 | Vol. 547753 D: 19.00 ⇑ 3.26% | 18.79 | 19.30 / 17.70 C: 18.90 ⇑ 2.16% | 18.90 | 19.30 / 18.30 MAKSONSPIN | 0.16 | 20.55 | Vol. 1380000 D: 16.60 ⇑ 1.22% | 16.55 | 18.00 / 15.00 C: 16.70 ⇑ 1.83% | 16.58 | 16.80 / 16.10 DACCADYE | 1.21 | 31.13 | Vol. 393729 D: 29.20 ⇑ 0.69% | 29.17 | 29.50 / 26.50 C: 29.00 ⇑ 0.35% | 28.94 | 29.30 / 28.60 RNSPIN | 2.80 | 16.58 | Vol. 1474911 D: 30.50 ⇓ 0.33% | 30.55 | 31.00 / 28.00 C: 30.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 30.54 | 30.80 / 30.00 BXSYNTH | 0.93 | 25.42 | Vol. 341432 D: 16.50 ⇓ 0.60% | 16.52 | 17.00 / 15.00 C: 16.50 ⇓ 0.60% | 16.53 | 16.80 / 16.30 MALEKSPIN | -1.44 | 46.87 | Vol. 773965 D: 26.80 ⇓ 0.74% | 26.89 | 27.50 / 25.00 C: 26.80 ⇓ 0.74% | 26.79 | 27.00 / 26.10 ZAHINTEX | 1.91 | 35.25 | Vol. 459100 D: 33.80 ⇑ 2.42% | 33.63 | 34.00 / 29.70 C: 34.10 ⇑ 1.19% | 33.97 | 34.40 / 33.00 SAIHAMCOT | 1.92 | 23.62 | Vol. 646250 D: 26.30 ⇑ 0.38% | 26.27 | 26.60 / 26.00 C: 26.30 ⇑ 0.38% | 26.24 | 26.50 / 26.00 GENNEXT | 1.68 | 15.15 | Vol. 3510580 D: 23.90 ⇑ 0.42% | 23.95 | 24.20 / 21.50 C: 24.00 ⇑ 0.84% | 23.93 | 24.20 / 23.50 ENVOYTEX | 3.26 | 39.26 | Vol. 335300 D: 53.60 ⇑ 0.94% | 53.30 | 53.90 / 48.50 C: 53.30 ⇑ 0.57% | 52.99 | 53.40 / 52.70 ARGONDENIM | 1.89 | 38.86 | Vol. 2881100 D: 40.30 ⇑ 4.13% | 40.02 | 40.90 / 35.00 C: 40.30 ⇑ 4.95% | 39.89 | 40.50 / 38.90

FAMILYTEX | 3.72 | 14.68 | Vol. 132500 D: 35.80 ⇑ 0.56% | 35.77 | 36.00 / 35.50 C: 35.50 ⇑ 1.43% | 35.30 | 35.90 / 34.50 PHARMACEUTICAL & CHEMICAL AMBEEPHA | 3.94 | 26.15 | Vol. 7150 D: 297.3 ⇑ 4.65% | 294.05 | 300.0 / 281.2 C: 294.9 ⇑ 5.32% | 288.39 | 295.0 / 273.6 BXPHARMA | 3.77 | 52.55 | Vol. 123860 D: 46.40 ⇓ 0.64% | 46.49 | 50.00 / 42.10 C: 46.70 ⇑ 0.21% | 46.60 | 46.90 / 46.40 GLAXOSMITH | 20.25 | 123.32 | Vol. 1750 D: 1002 ⇑ 0.07% | 1002 | 1055 / 991.3 ACI | -5.82 | 126.42 | Vol. 10886 D: 168.2 ⇓ 1.58% | 168.85 | 172.1 / 154.0 C: 168.0 ⇓ 1.29% | 167.24 | 168.0 / 166.9 RENATA | 33.57 | 138.83 | Vol. 11600 D: 752.7 ⇓ 0.42% | 756.38 | 763.0 / 746.0 RECKITTBEN | 27.16 | 78.89 | Vol. 150 D: 785.6 ⇓ 5.57% | 786.67 | 788.0 / 783.0 PHARMAID | 5.06 | 26.30 | Vol. 36800 D: 203.1 ⇑ 2.63% | 201.14 | 204.9 / 197.6 KOHINOOR | 9.52 | 10.49 | Vol. 4550 D: 410.2 ⇓ 6.65% | 410.13 | 425.0 / 402.0 IBNSINA | 3.44 | 34.02 | Vol. 110330 D: 115.1 ⇓ 1.88% | 115.97 | 118.3 / 107.0 C: 115.2 ⇓ 1.96% | 114.68 | 117.0 / 111.0 LIBRAINFU | 4.64 | 1565.37 | Vol. 600 D: 587.0 ⇑ 1.75% | 586.67 | 599.0 / 565.2 ORIONINFU | 8.72 | 1.73 | Vol. 207000 D: 46.10 ⇓ 2.12% | 46.35 | 47.60 / 45.90 C: 46.20 ⇓ 0.86% | 46.24 | 46.50 / 46.10 SQURPHARMA | 6.93 | 37.18 | Vol. 210456 D: 172.9 ⇓ 0.46% | 172.87 | 175.0 / 157.0 C: 173.0 ⇑ 0.00% | 172.36 | 173.5 / 171.0 IMAMBUTTON | -1.68 | 5.67 | Vol. 131000 D: 9.30 ⇑ 5.68% | 9.44 | 9.60 / 9.10 C: 10.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.61 | 11.00 / 10.00 KEYACOSMET | 1.55 | 21.54 | Vol. 606453 D: 24.20 ⇓ 0.82% | 24.35 | 25.00 / 22.50 C: 24.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.34 | 25.00 / 24.00 BERGERPBL | 32.46 | 100.20 | Vol. 1300 D: 821.2 ⇑ 0.04% | 821.54 | 824.0 / 815.0 ACIFORMULA | 3.33 | 38.08 | Vol. 45520 D: 80.20 ⇓ 0.50% | 80.37 | 86.00 / 80.10 C: 78.90 ⇑ 0.90% | 79.00 | 80.00 / 78.60 MARICO | 27.53 | 62.47 | Vol. 8750 D: 832.2 ⇑ 3.62% | 828.38 | 839.0 / 805.0 C: 836.0 ⇑ 7.47% | 822.13 | 836.0 / 800.0 BEACONPHAR | 0.33 | 11.97 | Vol. 192150 D: 14.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.40 | 14.70 / 13.00 C: 14.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.53 | 14.70 / 14.50 ACTIVEFINE | 3.23 | 13.89 | Vol. 313683 D: 94.00 ⇓ 0.53% | 93.99 | 96.00 / 85.10 C: 94.00 ⇓ 0.63% | 95.38 | 97.50 / 88.00 SALVOCHEM | 0.68 | 10.57 | Vol. 610537 D: 22.60 ⇓ 1.74% | 22.76 | 23.20 / 20.80 C: 22.90 ⇓ 0.43% | 22.83 | 23.00 / 21.00 GHCL | 2.14 | 57.31 | Vol. 87500 D: 46.60 ⇓ 0.21% | 46.65 | 47.30 / 46.40 C: 49.10 ⇑ 5.82% | 48.03 | 50.60 / 45.80 ORIONPHARM | 5.02 | 68.68 | Vol. 753300 D: 62.10 ⇓ 0.32% | 62.16 | 63.00 / 56.30 C: 62.50 ⇑ 0.16% | 62.33 | 63.00 / 62.00 JMISMDL | 1.12 | 12.83 | Vol. 556500 D: 291.7 ⇑ 8.72% | 262.23 | 291.7 / 244.9 C: 272.7 ⇑ 4.16% | 252.80 | 284.7 / 238.9 CENTRALPHL | 0.61 | 10.99 | Vol. 360000 D: 34.70 ⇑ 1.46% | 34.31 | 35.70 / 33.90 C: 34.90 ⇑ 2.05% | 34.55 | 36.00 / 33.60

PAPER & PACKAGING HAKKANIPUL | 0.64 | 11.02 | Vol. 129500 D: 40.80 ⇑ 6.53% | 37.17 | 41.90 / 34.50 C: 40.40 ⇑ 4.12% | 36.89 | 41.00 / 35.00 SERVICE SAMORITA | 2.31 | 17.25 | Vol. 31590 D: 114.1 ⇑ 1.24% | 113.35 | 116.4 / 105.0 C: 118.9 ⇑ 6.64% | 118.90 | 118.9 / 118.9 SAPORTL | 1.23 | 38.39 | Vol. 176295 D: 26.40 ⇓ 0.38% | 26.47 | 27.00 / 23.90 C: 26.40 ⇓ 0.38% | 26.42 | 26.90 / 26.10 EHL | 2.87 | 18.48 | Vol. 269499 D: 57.40 ⇑ 1.77% | 57.58 | 58.60 / 50.80 C: 58.60 ⇑ 4.09% | 57.89 | 60.00 / 55.80 LEATHER APEXTANRY | 6.57 | 69.38 | Vol. 171800 D: 126.3 ⇓ 3.14% | 127.77 | 132.0 / 125.0 C: 127.1 ⇓ 3.05% | 129.37 | 136.0 / 127.0 BATASHOE | 49.12 | 135.53 | Vol. 3644 D: 744.9 ⇑ 1.02% | 741.39 | 750.0 / 700.0 C: 769.5 ⇑ 5.09% | 769.50 | 769.5 / 769.5 APEXADELFT | 23.01 | 203.26 | Vol. 40600 D: 384.4 ⇓ 1.00% | 385.78 | 393.5 / 382.2 C: 379.8 ⇓ 0.08% | 396.60 | 402.9 / 379.0 LEGACYFOOT | 0.63 | 17.19 | Vol. 933546 D: 47.20 ⇑ 9.51% | 42.16 | 47.40 / 38.80 C: 48.40 ⇑ 8.28% | 43.25 | 49.00 / 40.30 CERAMIC MONNOCERA | 0.71 | 96.33 | Vol. 163600 D: 38.50 ⇑ 7.54% | 37.80 | 39.10 / 35.60 C: 38.50 ⇑ 8.15% | 38.48 | 38.50 / 38.40 STANCERAM | 1.07 | 15.97 | Vol. 10500 D: 41.00 ⇑ 2.50% | 41.05 | 41.70 / 40.00 FUWANGCER | 1.43 | 13.25 | Vol. 409995 D: 20.50 ⇓ 0.49% | 20.47 | 21.00 / 19.70 C: 20.60 ⇑ 0.49% | 20.61 | 21.00 / 20.40 SPCERAMICS | 0.62 | 30.92 | Vol. 234883 D: 17.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 17.24 | 17.40 / 15.50 C: 17.30 ⇑ 1.17% | 17.25 | 17.50 / 15.40 RAKCERAMIC | 1.98 | 16.76 | Vol. 137571 D: 53.00 ⇓ 0.56% | 53.17 | 54.20 / 48.00 C: 53.40 ⇑ 0.38% | 53.40 | 54.00 / 52.90 CEMENT HEIDELBCEM | 22.85 | 111.50 | Vol. 97850 D: 400.1 ⇓ 0.99% | 400.16 | 404.0 / 397.0 C: 399.0 ⇓ 1.24% | 400.10 | 401.0 / 398.0 CONFIDCEM | 6.23 | 90.76 | Vol. 137920 D: 123.2 ⇓ 0.88% | 122.83 | 125.5 / 121.9 C: 123.6 ⇓ 1.04% | 122.84 | 125.1 / 122.1 MEGHNACEM | 6.28 | 33.81 | Vol. 110670 D: 144.1 ⇓ 2.17% | 145.06 | 149.9 / 140.0 C: 142.6 ⇓ 2.33% | 142.64 | 147.0 / 140.0 ARAMITCEM | 3.03 | 14.65 | Vol. 63555 D: 79.50 ⇑ 0.63% | 79.06 | 80.80 / 72.00 LAFSURCEML | 1.60 | 7.22 | Vol. 461500 D: 33.30 ⇓ 1.19% | 33.43 | 33.70 / 33.20 C: 33.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 33.52 | 33.60 / 33.30 MICEMENT | 4.14 | 40.00 | Vol. 134137 D: 94.50 ⇓ 0.63% | 94.53 | 96.00 / 86.00 C: 94.20 ⇓ 0.95% | 93.40 | 94.80 / 93.10 PREMIERCEM | 3.59 | 22.92 | Vol. 80000 D: 107.4 ⇑ 0.75% | 107.55 | 108.9 / 106.5 C: 106.1 ⇓ 1.12% | 106.21 | 109.5 / 105.2 IT IINDUSTRIES ISNLTD | 0.28 | 17.31 | Vol. 607168 D: 26.30 ⇑ 6.05% | 23.87 | 26.80 / 22.40 C: 25.70 ⇑ 3.63% | 23.58 | 26.80 / 22.40

BDCOM | 1.00 | 14.91 | Vol. 1536311 D: 29.10 ⇑ 2.83% | 29.07 | 29.90 / 26.00 C: 29.40 ⇑ 5.00% | 29.31 | 29.90 / 28.50 INTECH | 0.94 | 10.08 | Vol. 928819 D: 21.50 ⇑ 8.04% | 19.97 | 21.80 / 18.00 C: 21.30 ⇑ 2.40% | 19.85 | 22.00 / 18.80 AGNISYSL | 1.07 | 25.52 | Vol. 296747 D: 25.30 ⇑ 0.80% | 25.11 | 25.50 / 23.00 C: 25.50 ⇑ 2.41% | 25.32 | 25.90 / 25.00 DAFODILCOM | 1.12 | 11.14 | Vol. 548254 D: 20.20 ⇑ 2.54% | 20.01 | 20.50 / 18.30 C: 20.40 ⇑ 2.00% | 20.08 | 20.80 / 19.20 AAMRATECH | 1.17 | 20.44 | Vol. 474000 D: 36.40 ⇑ 0.28% | 36.36 | 37.00 / 32.70 C: 36.60 ⇑ 0.83% | 36.43 | 36.70 / 35.00 GENERAL INSURANCE BGIC | 1.65 | 20.33 | Vol. 57995 D: 30.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 30.02 | 30.40 / 27.50 C: 29.50 ⇓ 1.34% | 29.49 | 30.20 / 28.00 GREENDELT | 4.05 | 64.44 | Vol. 40672 D: 103.0 ⇓ 0.39% | 104.06 | 107.0 / 100.0 C: 102.1 ⇓ 0.20% | 102.10 | 102.1 / 102.1 UNITEDINS | 2.47 | 21.04 | Vol. 6429 D: 46.90 ⇓ 0.64% | 47.03 | 47.70 / 46.00 PEOPLESINS | 2.05 | 20.72 | Vol. 480030 D: 33.30 ⇑ 1.52% | 33.34 | 34.20 / 30.00 C: 33.30 ⇑ 2.46% | 33.39 | 34.00 / 32.00 EASTERNINS | 2.22 | 35.88 | Vol. 36252 D: 40.30 ⇓ 4.50% | 40.77 | 41.50 / 40.00 JANATAINS | 7.84 | 170.69 | Vol. 32880 D: 292.0 ⇓ 3.31% | 292.82 | 300.0 / 280.5 C: 289.5 ⇓ 5.48% | 291.62 | 295.0 / 288.0 PHENIXINS | 2.70 | 20.96 | Vol. 19912 D: 41.70 ⇓ 1.42% | 41.84 | 42.60 / 38.10 C: 41.10 ⇓ 0.24% | 40.35 | 41.10 / 40.20 EASTLAND | 4.06 | 23.29 | Vol. 161239 D: 51.50 ⇓ 0.58% | 51.60 | 55.00 / 46.70 C: 51.90 ⇑ 0.97% | 51.92 | 52.00 / 51.80 CENTRALINS | 1.54 | 19.04 | Vol. 40316 D: 30.20 ⇑ 3.78% | 29.64 | 30.50 / 26.20 KARNAPHULI | 1.56 | 19.42 | Vol. 162540 D: 24.90 ⇓ 0.40% | 24.92 | 25.30 / 23.00 FEDERALINS | 1.10 | 10.98 | Vol. 316063 D: 25.40 ⇓ 1.93% | 25.58 | 26.30 / 24.50 C: 25.50 ⇓ 2.30% | 25.40 | 25.80 / 25.20 RELIANCINS | 3.93 | 61.52 | Vol. 3000 D: 76.80 ⇓ 5.88% | 77.00 | 78.10 / 76.00 PRIMEINSUR | 2.14 | 14.14 | Vol. 122650 D: 33.10 ⇓ 3.22% | 33.21 | 34.00 / 32.00 PIONEERINS | 3.11 | 23.84 | Vol. 101500 D: 70.20 ⇑ 0.14% | 70.21 | 71.90 / 69.50 MERCINS | 1.53 | 14.50 | Vol. 479303 D: 29.40 ⇓ 0.68% | 29.29 | 32.50 / 27.00 C: 28.50 ⇓ 2.73% | 28.37 | 29.00 / 27.90 AGRANINS | 1.73 | 14.39 | Vol. 184600 D: 32.90 ⇑ 4.78% | 31.93 | 33.00 / 30.00 GLOBALINS | 1.09 | 11.78 | Vol. 55549 D: 31.40 ⇑ 2.28% | 31.16 | 31.90 / 29.50 NITOLINS | 2.59 | 15.41 | Vol. 53246 D: 36.80 ⇓ 1.08% | 36.06 | 38.00 / 33.80 ASIAPACINS | 1.84 | 13.76 | Vol. 22500 D: 30.30 ⇑ 1.00% | 30.18 | 31.30 / 29.60 C: 29.30 ⇓ 4.87% | 29.30 | 29.30 / 29.30 SONARBAINS | 1.68 | 13.38 | Vol. 220700 D: 26.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 26.59 | 27.00 / 24.10 C: 26.10 ⇓ 2.97% | 26.10 | 26.10 / 26.10 PARAMOUNT | 1.26 | 13.19 | Vol. 113323 D: 24.90 ⇓ 3.11% | 25.00 | 25.50 / 23.20 C: 24.80 ⇓ 5.34% | 24.80 | 24.80 / 24.80 CITYGENINS | 1.65 | 14.26 | Vol. 198678 D: 28.90 ⇑ 1.40% | 28.62 | 29.40 / 25.70 C: 28.40 ⇑ 0.35% | 28.22 | 29.00 / 26.70 CONTININS | 1.41 | 15.68 | Vol. 379000 D: 37.50 ⇑ 3.02% | 37.32 | 38.10 / 35.30 C: 36.00 ⇑ 0.84% | 35.68 | 37.00 / 34.60 TAKAFULINS | 2.19 | 15.17 | Vol. 81312 D: 43.60 ⇓ 1.80% | 43.61 | 45.70 / 40.00 C: 42.70 ⇓ 2.06% | 42.67 | 43.00 / 42.00 STANDARINS | 2.58 | 13.99 | Vol. 16764 D: 41.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 41.46 | 42.40 / 38.00 NORTHRNINS | 1.77 | 11.15 | Vol. 64118 D: 44.50 ⇓ 2.63% | 44.65 | 45.70 / 41.20 REPUBLIC | 2.14 | 12.42 | Vol. 109788 D: 50.90 ⇓ 0.20% | 51.22 | 52.00 / 47.00 C: 51.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 53.20 | 55.00 / 50.50 ASIAINS | 1.56 | 17.34 | Vol. 45304 D: 28.60 ⇓ 0.69% | 28.52 | 28.90 / 26.00 C: 28.10 ⇓ 2.77% | 28.06 | 28.40 / 27.70

ISLAMIINS | 1.29 | 11.96 | Vol. 10060 D: 33.50 ⇓ 2.33% | 33.53 | 34.40 / 32.50 C: 32.20 ⇓ 7.47% | 32.16 | 32.50 / 32.00 PROVATIINS | 1.90 | 14.30 | Vol. 107904 D: 29.90 ⇓ 0.33% | 29.89 | 30.20 / 27.00 C: 30.50 ⇑ 4.10% | 29.49 | 30.50 / 27.00 DHAKAINS | 2.84 | 18.02 | Vol. 118625 D: 42.70 ⇓ 2.06% | 42.62 | 43.00 / 39.50 C: 42.90 ⇑ 0.94% | 42.90 | 42.90 / 42.90 LIFE INSURANCE NATLIFEINS | 12.34 | 80.99 | Vol. 10182 D: 248.5 ⇓ 0.64% | 248.80 | 252.0 / 240.0 C: 237.3 ⇑ 0.94% | 237.33 | 238.0 / 237.0 DELTALIFE | 38.53 | 189.40 | Vol. 8295 D: 5803 ⇓ 1.20% | 5851 | 5970 / 5750 C: 6200 ⇑ 3.35% | 6200 | 6200 / 6200 SANDHANINS | 2.39 | 28.22 | Vol. 10615 D: 70.80 ⇓ 0.56% | 71.09 | 71.70 / 65.00 C: 72.20 ⇑ 3.00% | 72.20 | 74.00 / 68.60 POPULARLIF | 3.70 | 715.41 | Vol. 48321 D: 179.7 ⇑ 4.54% | 178.43 | 180.0 / 156.0 FAREASTLIF | 9.21 | 60.79 | Vol. 28850 D: 94.90 ⇑ 0.74% | 94.73 | 95.30 / 93.20 C: 93.40 ⇑ 0.97% | 93.47 | 94.00 / 92.50 MEGHNALIFE | 10.82 | 48.87 | Vol. 27870 D: 102.2 ⇓ 0.97% | 102.82 | 104.5 / 93.00 C: 100.9 ⇓ 1.94% | 100.92 | 101.1 / 100.6 PROGRESLIF | 2.30 | 31.45 | Vol. 4948 D: 95.30 ⇓ 0.63% | 94.73 | 97.70 / 88.00 C: 95.10 ⇓ 17.30% | 95.10 | 95.10 / 95.10 PRAGATILIF | 0.60 | 30.15 | Vol. 30000 D: 118.5 ⇑ 0.17% | 119.57 | 122.0 / 117.5 PRIMELIFE | 5.51 | 27.10 | Vol. 6884 D: 96.20 ⇑ 0.21% | 94.71 | 103.0 / 90.00 RUPALILIFE | 3.75 | 31.25 | Vol. 45204 D: 99.30 ⇓ 3.40% | 100.90 | 105.0 / 94.00 PADMALIFE | 1.63 | 25.76 | Vol. 41500 D: 63.30 ⇓ 1.25% | 64.18 | 65.50 / 63.00 C: 62.40 ⇓ 1.58% | 62.53 | 62.80 / 62.40 SUNLIFEINS | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 134075 D: 54.10 ⇓ 1.46% | 54.58 | 55.90 / 50.00 C: 53.70 ⇓ 2.19% | 53.76 | 54.00 / 53.30 TELECOM GP | 12.96 | 26.26 | Vol. 284720 D: 187.4 ⇓ 0.64% | 188.04 | 189.8 / 175.0 C: 186.6 ⇓ 0.85% | 187.29 | 189.8 / 185.5 TRAVEL & LEISURE UNITEDAIR | 1.10 | 12.87 | Vol. 4253809 D: 18.80 ⇑ 4.44% | 18.37 | 18.90 / 16.90 C: 18.70 ⇑ 3.31% | 18.42 | 18.90 / 17.90 UNIQUEHRL | 4.02 | 86.29 | Vol. 1828380 D: 89.70 ⇑ 5.41% | 89.41 | 90.50 / 76.60 C: 89.30 ⇑ 5.81% | 88.86 | 90.90 / 84.60 MISCELLANEOUS ARAMIT | 16.07 | 99.93 | Vol. 65975 D: 370.8 ⇑ 5.85% | 367.09 | 377.0 / 343.1 C: 376.2 ⇑ 4.50% | 371.32 | 379.0 / 364.0 BSC | 1.77 | 565.82 | Vol. 66545 D: 566.8 ⇓ 0.31% | 568.13 | 575.0 / 563.0 C: 566.5 ⇓ 0.23% | 567.70 | 577.0 / 564.3 GQBALLPEN | 6.55 | 250.45 | Vol. 66920 D: 155.8 ⇑ 1.23% | 155.29 | 156.9 / 150.0 C: 153.3 ⇑ 0.26% | 152.62 | 153.5 / 152.0 USMANIAGL | 0.50 | 26.03 | Vol. 68873 D: 156.1 ⇑ 1.10% | 156.04 | 158.0 / 153.2 C: 155.6 ⇑ 0.71% | 155.01 | 159.2 / 154.0 SAVAREFR | 0.23 | 12.32 | Vol. 50 D: 78.00 ⇓ 9.72% | 78.00 | 78.00 / 78.00 BEXIMCO | 3.24 | 86.74 | Vol. 823134 D: 31.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 31.20 | 32.00 / 28.10 C: 31.20 ⇓ 0.32% | 31.25 | 33.90 / 30.00 SINOBANGLA | 1.75 | 21.01 | Vol. 328000 D: 24.40 ⇑ 2.52% | 24.36 | 24.80 / 23.80 C: 24.90 ⇑ 3.75% | 24.72 | 25.10 / 23.20 MIRACLEIND | 0.14 | 14.90 | Vol. 370675 D: 18.80 ⇑ 8.67% | 18.25 | 18.90 / 17.00 C: 18.70 ⇑ 10.00% | 18.27 | 18.70 / 17.20 BOND IBBLPBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 150 D: 955.8 ⇑ 0.03% | 953.33 | 956.0 / 955.0 ACIZCBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 40 D: 870.0 ⇑ 0.00% | 870.00 | 870.0 / 870.0 C: 828.0 ⇓ 0.24% | 828.00 | 851.0 / 805.0

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Humility – an under-rated ingredient in business success n Ifty Islam Earlier this week I received a request to see a team of IBA students on their RMG sector research. It was a busy week but I agreed to meet them the following day. I emphasized to the friend making the request that I had multiple appointments that afternoon and could only meet them for 30 minutes at 1:45pm prompt. Furthermore that they should read the 10-point post Rana RMG plan I co-wrote before coming. I rushed back from a lunch commitment to meet the students at our office in Pantha Path and then had to be at the Westin for an IFC seminar at 3pm.

I was at my office by 1:45pm, but there was no sign of the students. No phone call to alert me that they would be late. Finally, the IBA student turned up a full one hour late. He failed to apologize for his. Behaved rudely with my personal secretary. I could not meet the young man at that point, as I needed to leave for Gulshan.

In any event, I would not care to make time for someone who runs an hour late, without any alerts and apologies and is rude to boot.

I write this piece not to air personal inconvenience or annoyance, but because IBA is our top business school and this kind of behavior from one of their students is frankly appalling. Our young aspirants should hear about the importance of humility from their teachers and other seniors in their intended fields.

I reported the incident to the concerned faculty. The next day the student did write an email to apologize stating that “I am in the learning process of these tasks. Inshallah, these will never happen again …

I hope that you would see me as a junior

brother and accept my apologizes. Please have your blessings for me.” What tasks is he in the learning process of? Checking his watch? I assume if he is bright enough to get into IBA he can at least do that. And why does he think I would consider him a “junior brother”? He’s an undergraduate business student coming to see a senior finance professional for help and advice.

He should act responsibility with consideration and respect for other’s time and schedule.

Let me contrast the arrogance (which

that, even the most brilliant students were brought crashing down to earth if they displayed any hubris in the interviews. I remember a Harvard MBA told me confidently and cock-sure that he had a firm grasp on the outlook for US Federal Reserve monetary policy. It only took 10 minutes for my colleagues and I to fire enough questions at him to demonstrate his lack of abject knowledge on that subject.

Were we being vindictive for the sake of it? No actually. Humility with clients and fellow colleagues is important even in

In Wall Street, a 10-minute delay would not only guarantee a cancellation of an appointment, but also being blacklisted from future interviews

I have much less tolerance for than inexperience in our youth) of our IBA student elite with global elite business schools.

As a Managing Director in research, I was on the final interview panel for MBAs and PHDs for Deutsche Bank New York from 2001-2003 and met some of the very best Ivy League students from Harvard, Wharton Stanford etc. Those that showed arrogance were always disqualified. Beyond

the testosterone world of Wall Street. As is punctuality and consideration. The very best investment banks such as Goldman Sachs emphasize teamwork and keeping egos in check above all other things as a critical ingredient in their success.

Moreover in 18 years working in finance in London and New York, I could never imagine an undergraduate business student being one hour late for a meeting with a

Managing Director. There is traffic in those cities as well believe it or not. But the student would plan ahead and sit in the lobby for an hour before the meeting to ensure he was not late. In Wall Street, a 10-minute delay would not only guarantee a cancellation of an appointment, but also being blacklisted from future interviews.

Someone asked me recently who is the most impressive person I met in my career on Wall Street. It was actually a hedge fund manager I sat next to at a conference in Aspen, Colorado in 2003. He stood up when he saw me, greeted me warmly, and asked how my family was and how business was going. He also expressed appreciation for the research he was receiving from Deutsche Bank. A few months after the conference I read that same hedge fund manager earned $300m that year! His humility and lack of hubris just blew my mind. That was more impressive than his wealth.

In Bangladesh perhaps the scarcity of business students from IBA or other top schools gives them a sense of invincibility.

But this is myopic on the part of them and their faculty. Reputations of educational institutions are fragile and the business community is a small place. I will be extremely reluctant to see any other students or give lectures at IBA or probably any other university in Bangladesh. But more than that, the faculty should encourage humility, consideration and respect for others as an important element in the curriculum and their education. Humility is perhaps the most-under-rated ingredient in business and professional success. It should be nurtured in our best students.

Ifty Islam is the Chairman of Asian Tiger Capital Partners.

Loans to eurozone businesses drop sharply: ECB n AFP, Frankfurt Lending to businesses in the debt-mired eurozone contracted sharply again in August, data showed yesterday, turning up pressure on the European Central Bank to act to correct the trend.

ECB data showed that private sector loans dropped by 2% in August in a year-on-year comparison, after already contracting by 1.9% in July.

which has recently suggested it may consider pumping more money into the system via special long-term refinancing operations or LTROs. “The eurozone’s recovery remains a credit-less one,” said Berenberg Bank economist Christian Schulz.

But “there are some signs of improvement,” he added.

Credit weakness was continuing to affect the crisis countries most. “But growth was

Although positive in the medium term, since this should deliver a fitter banking sector, it could be negative for growth in the short-term if lack of credit availability prevents business to invest as they would need to

The trend is all the more worrying because it could potentially sour the nascent economic recovery in the 17 countries that share the euro, analysts said.

And it turns up the heat on the ECB,

improving in many countries,” notably Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal, Schulz said.

“Had it not been for a sharp fall in Germany, credit growth might have improved overall,” he said.

The ECB already flooded eurozone banks with more than 1tn euros ($1.35tn) in cash at the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012 in a bid to avert a potentially disastrous credit crunch.

ECB chief Mario Draghi told a hearing at the European Parliament in Brussels on Monday that another LTRO could be on the cards.

The ECB was “ready to use any instrument including another LTRO if needed to maintain the short term money markets at the level that is warranted by our assessment of inflation in the medium term,” Draghi said.

Marie Diron at EY Economic Forecast said such a move “could indeed be needed for parts of the banking sector, if not for the eurozone as a whole.”

She argued that loans to businesses were falling “partly because companies are trying to reduce debt but also because banks are not able to lend.

“It seems that some banks at least are preparing for the ECB’s asset quality review by restructuring their balance sheets,” Diron said.

“Although positive in the medium term, since this should deliver a fitter banking sector, it could be negative for growth in the short-

term if lack of credit availability prevents business to invest as they would need to.”

Howard Archer at IHS Global Insight attributed the ongoing weakness in credit to the fact that eurozone economic activity was “still limited and business confidence hardly buoyant despite recent improvement.”

However, with the eurozone seemingly headed for further modest growth in the third quarter - after finally exiting recession in the second quarter - and business confidence improving gradually but steadily, “it is possible that demand for credit from businesses in particular could start to pick up over the coming months,” he said.

The ECB also published its latest money supply figures, a preliminary indicator of inflation, showing a 2.3% increase in August after a rise of 2.2% in July.

The data “add to the evidence that underlying eurozone inflationary pressures remain very low and that the ECB has ample scope to eventually take interest rates lower if it feels the need to act,” Archer said.

Nevertheless, the ECB will unlikely act as soon as next week when it holds its October policy meeting, analysts said. l