Joishthya 5, 1421

Rajab 19, 1435

Regd. No. DA 6238
Vol 2, No 49

MONDAY, MAY 19, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

7 | POLITICS CENTERED ON PERSONALITIES

9 | NARENDRA MODIS CABINET

20 pages | Price: Tk10

11 | ANYONE FOR WATERWAY SAFETY?

13 | ABAHANI, SHIEKH JAMAL SHARE POINTS

Police asked why

ex-RAB duo not
shown arrested

Case filed against

Tarek Sayeed, four
others in Comilla
n Our Correspondent, Comilla

Nazruls supporters attack Rana while

he was being taken from court
n Ahmed Zayeef
ANarayanganj court yesterday ordered
law enforcers to explain within four
days why ex-RAB officers Tarek Sayeed
Mohammad and Arif Hossain were not
shown arrested on charges of killing
seven people.
The court also granted police seven
days to question former RAB 11 official
Lt Commander (retd) SM Masud Rana.
A team of Narayanganj police arrested Rana, who had been on the run, at
the capitals cantonment area around
1:30am yesterday.

The three were shown

arrested under section
54 as their names were
not mentioned in the
cases
Mamunur Rashid Mandal, who is investigating two cases filed in connection with the seven murders, sought 10
days remand for Rana after producing
him before the court of Senior Judicial
Magistrate KM Mohiuddin.
Tarek and Arif were put on a fiveday remand on Saturday.
The three were shown arrested under section 54 on suspicion of their
involvement with the abductions and
murders because their names were not
mentioned in the cases.
Police yesterday appealed to the court
to show them arrested in the cases.
The senior judicial magistrate sought
the explanation after fellows of Chandan had moved a petition in this regard.

A large number of people had gathered outside the Senior Judicial Magistrates court. Around 5pm, two pickup
vans reached the court premises. Wearing a helmet and a bulletproof jacket,
Rana was sitting between two policemen inside the van.
As soon as the law enforcers brought
Rana to the court, locals and lawyers
of Narayanganj court chanted slogans,
demanding death sentence for him.
When Rana entered the courtroom
a few lawyers started shouting at him,
calling him a murderer.
On behalf of the District Lawyers
Association, its President Shakhawat
Hossain Khan submitted to the court
why the arrestee should be put on 10day remand.
He said: Each of the victims was
strangled and hit in the head. The killers also made holes in the abdomen [of
the victims] before dumping them in
the Shitalakkhya River. They also used
bricks which proved that well-trained
people committed the offence.
The lawyer showed the court the
ropes and sacks used to tie up the bodies, claiming that those were meant for
the elite force. RAB is also blamed for
enforced disappearance, abduction
and murder in Comilla, Laksam, Lakshmipur areas, he said.
During the hearing, Rana claimed
himselfinnocent.
Later, when the police were bringing him out of the court some supporters of ward councillor Nazrul attacked
him. A supporter of Nazrul punched
Rana on the back while a few others
threw shoes at the police van which
was carrying him. l

A supporter of slain Narayanganj ward councillor Nazrul Islam hurl a shoe at the car carrying ex-Rab officer Rana while being taken out of
DHAKA TRIBUNE
the court in the city yesterday

Ali Manik
n Julkar back fromand Ahmed
Zayeef,
Naryanganj

The under construction road at Chowdhurypara in Shiddhirganj

RAJIB DHAR

What Nur Hossain had been doing to

Nazrul Islam since February was nothing short of a crime thriller.
Narayanganj city panel mayor Nazrul was abducted on April 27 in broad
daylight, when he was returning home
after attending a hearing on a case filed
three months ago by a nephew of Nur,
the prime accused in a case involving
the abduction and killing of Nazrul and
six others.
On February 1, work to widen an
old narrow road in Mijmiji Chowdhury
Para in Siddhirganj upazila of Narayanganj was going on as usual. Some structures beside the road had to be taken
down for the work, a few residents told
these correspondents.

AL nervous over BJP

win, claims BNP

Extortionists, muggers, dacoits and political cadres are now stockpiling their
arms which are entering into the country through 48 points in the border areas largely.
The maximum illegal arms shipments are entering the capital through
the borders of Chapainawabganj,
Jessore, Satkhira, Comilla, Akhaura,
Teknaf and Bandarban areas. Dodging
the eyes of the law enforcers, these
arms are now going to the hands of political cadres and underworld criminals
active across the country including the
capital.
Intelligence officials have come to
know that such shipments started entering in the country three months ago

centring the upazila polls. At that time,

due to the law enforcers vigilance,
these smuggled arms could not enter
the capital but now it started coming in
through different routes.

Outlawed militant
groups JMB, Huji
suspected for the
smuggling of
deadly weapons
The latest development has some explanation as the Railway Police recovered arms and ammos from Subarna
Express train on Monday and yesterday. In the shipments, there were AK 22
rifles, powerful explosives, bullets and
magazine.

PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Nazruls abduction: Nothing short of a movie

Illegal arms entering Bangladesh

through 48 border points
Mohammad Jamil Khan and
Ashif Islam Shaon

A case was filed against former RAB 11

commanding officer Tarek Sayeed Mohammad and four others for abducting
and presumably murdering Comillas
Laksam upazila BNP president Saiful
Islam Hiru and municipality president
Humayun Kabir Parvez.
Humayuns father and Saifuls cousin Rangu Mia of Fatehpur village filed
the lawsuit against them with the court
of Senior Judicial Magistrate Sabrina
Nargis.
Magistrate Sabrina ordered the Laksam officer-in-charge to submit an investigative report on it. She also asked
the police officer to secure the permission in advance to investigate the case
against the suspended or expelled RAB
officials among the accused.
Other than Tarek Sayeed, four RAB
11 members have been accused: Company Commander Major Shahed Raji,
Deputy Assistant Director Shahjahan

The recovery has made the law enforcement agencies worried, as the
US-made automated AK 22 rifles are
not common. Even the law enforcers
have this type of arms in limited scales.
These rifles have an effective range of
around half a kilometre.
When asked, Sohrab Hossain, deputy inspector general of Railway Range
police, told the Dhaka Tribune that
they were yet to trace the masterminds
behind the shipments. Primarily, we
are suspecting that these arms may be
brought to the capital to carry out massive destruction, he said.
However, he mentioned that they
were conducting investigation suspecting two banned militant organisations
JMB and Huji for being behind the
shipments.
PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

The BNP is not happy over the landslide victory of the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) in the Indian election and
claims that arch-rival Awami League is
also nervous.
The people of Bangladesh are not
joyous about the Indian election results, BNP acting secretary general
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said at a
discussion at the National Press Club
yesterday.
The Awami League has become
nervous seeing the result and is making different comments. If you are not
nervous then why are you talking so
much? he said.
Fakhrul said: Ministers of the government have been saying people of
Bangladesh and the BNP are happy over

BJPs victory in the Lok Sabha election

in India. Where did they see such joy?
The BNP leader said there was no
reason for expressing joy over BJPs
victory.
Bangladesh is not only a victim to
deprivation of water [in its cross-boundary rivers] but also to a multiphase expansionism from cultural to political
expansionism. And alleging India will
not bring any benefit because it is working for its own interests.
India is an independent country
and is our neighbour. We expect friendly behaviour from it. It held an election
in a democratic manner. We hope that
the new government of India will realise the expectations of the people of
Bangladesh and take initiatives to resolve outstanding problems.
PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

In the morning, workers went to demolish some shops in front of the house
of a local resident named Mobarak Ali.
An altercation broke out between
Mobarak, 65, and Nazrul, 42. Although
Nazrul was not the contractor, being
the local ward councillor, he was overseeing the construction of the road under a city corporation project.
Witnesses said the altercation had
soon turned into a scuffle and neighbours had to interfere to stop them.
But the matter did not end there.
Witnesses said it was rather the beginning of a showdown of local gangster
led by Mafia don Nur Islam.
Nur was the vice-president of the local unit of the ruling Awami League, the
party that has been in power since 2009.
Reportedly, Mobarak called up Nur
PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Hasina, Khaleda
call Modi
n Tribune Report
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday called Indias prime minister-elect
Narendra Modi to congratulate him on
his landslide victory in the Lok Sabha
elections.
Hasina made the phone call at 9am,
her media adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury told the Dhaka Tribune.
She invited the Indian leader to visit
Bangladesh, Iqbal Sobhan said.
BNP chief Khaleda Zia called Modi
at 10:15pm and talked for five minutes, said her Press Secretary Maruf
Kamal Khan Sohel told the Dhaka
Tribune.
Khaleda expressed hope that contentious issues between the two countries would be addressed under the
strong leadership of the Indian leader.
Modi and Khaleda also expressed
hopes to work together in the future. l

INSIDE
Business

B1 The countrys industrial credit

growth still remains slow due to lack
of demand and increased inflow of
foreign loans. The total industrial loan
by the local banks and the non-bank
financial institutions grew 12% in the
first nine months of the current fiscal
year as compared to 34% in the same
period of the previous fiscal year
(2012-13).

News

5 Sifat (not her real name) was an

employee of a non-government
organisation. When she conceived,
her in-laws family forced her to leave
the job. She was not happy with the
decision.

Nation

6 Health services at Rajshahi Medical

College and Hospital are seriously

hampered as two X-ray machines of the

radiology department have been out of
order for more than a year.

World

8 Flanked by half a dozen body

guards, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip
Erdogan turns towards a crowd baying
for his resignation in a mining town
still shocked and grieving after the
countrys worst industrial disaster.

Entertainment

12 Sudarsan Pattnaik has created

a sand sculpture of movie director
Satyajit Ray and a Taj Mahal on the
Cannes beach

Sport

14 Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino

announced he will leave the club after
failing to win a major title in his one
season in charge.

.com.bd

2
Nur Hossains
alleged girlfriend
released in 4 hours
n Ahmed Zayeef
Police yesterday released Narayanganj
city ward Councillor Jannatul Ferdous
Nila four hours after detaining her from
Narayanganj Court premises in connection with the seven murders.
Nila is said to be a girlfriend of Nur
Hossain, the prime suspect of the abduction and killing of the citys panel
mayor Nazrul Islam and six others.
After release, Nila told reporters that
the Detective Branch of police had interrogated her.
Police detained Nila around 5:30pm
from Hajiganj on her way from Narayanganj Circuit House where she attended
a mass hearing on the seven killings.
Manjur Quader, officer-in-charge of
Narayanganj Model police station, told
the Dhaka Tribune that she had been
handed over to the DB after detention.
Nila had gone to the Narayanganj Circuit House to testify in the seven-murder case. She, however, refused to talk
to reporters about her deposition. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, May 19, 2014

17 more people, 36 organisations

testify in Narayanganj murder
n Ahmed Zayeef
Another 17 people gave statements before the governments probe body yesterday, the fourth day of public hearings, held at the Narayanganj Circuit
House.
On the other hand, 36 organisations
submitted a joint written deposition to
the probe committee through their representatives.
The probe committee headedby Md
Shahjahan Ali Mollah, additional secretary of the Public Administration Ministry, took the depositions from 3pm to
5:30pm.
After giving deposition, AB Siddique, president of Narayanganj District Citizens Committee, said the
town had turned into a place of horror
because of several incidents of murder
and abduction.
We need to put an end to this situation. We feel that the investigation into

the seven murders should be done with

the highest priority, he told the Dhaka
Tribune.
Shahina Islam Mukti, daughter of
former lawmaker Sirajul Islam, said
the local administration and the law
enforcement agencies had failed to
control the hoodlums as they were corrupt too. Otherwise such brutal and
planned killings could not take place.
Without mentioning a name, she
blamed a lawmaker, who has been controlling everything in Narayanganj for
years, for the seven murders.
Two bearers and three security
guards of Rifles Club also gave depositions before the committee during the
mass hearing. However, they did not
speak to the media.
At the end of the mass hearing, a
36-member team of different financial and cultural organisations led by
Senior Vice-President of Narayanganj
Chamber of Commerce Manzurul

Haque went to the Circuit House and

submitted a written statement to the
committee.
Manzurul urged the probe body to
quiz the officials of the local administration and the law enforcement agencies who have recently been withdrawn
and transferred.
After recording all the depositions,
the committee chief told reporters:
The process of mass hearing is not
over. We will continue it. We will also
talk with some selected people.
The team earlier held hearings on
May 12, 15 and 17.
Eyewitnesses testify before police
Meanwhile, the businessman and
his daughter who claimed that they
had witnessed the abduction incident
gave statements before the Narayanganj police under section 161.
Mizanur Rahman Khan Ripon,
brother of slain Moniruzzaman Swapan, told the Dhaka Tribune that busi-

Two Shibir men

arrested
n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

nessman Md Shahidul Islam Khoka

gave deposition on Saturday afternoon and his daughter Rabeya Akhter
around 2pm yesterday at the police superintendents office.
Before going to the SP office, Shahidul on Saturday testified before the
governments probe committee at the
rest house of Shiddhirganj Power Station. The Dhaka Tribune ran a report
on his deposition yesterday.
He said some seven RAB members
with arms and another man in plain
clothes having a pistol had been
pulling out people from two private
cars near the garbage dumping station
on Dhaka-Narayanganj Link Road on
April 27.
Shahidul stopped at the site and
asked a RAB man about the happenings. But he was rebuked for the act
and asked to leave the spot. He, however, failed to notice the nameplate of
the RAB member. l

Bangladesh set
for full CICA
membership
n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman
Bangladesh is going to become a full
member of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures
in Asia (CICA).
The process is complete and we
are going to sign formal documents to
become a full member on May 20, said
Turkish Ambassador in Dhaka Huseyin
Muftuoglu.
Foreign Minister Abul Hassan
Mahmood Ali would fly to Shanghai today to complete the formalities, he said.
As the formalities come to an end,
Bangladesh will join the fourth summit
of CICA to be held in Shanghai on May 21
as a full member, the ambassador said.
Muftuoglu said Turkey had always
encouraged Bangladesh to become a
full member of CICA.
CICA, an initiative of Kazakhstan, was
established in 1999 and presently has 24
members, including India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and Russia. The US and
Japan have observer status in CICA.
Bangladesh joined CICA in 2010 as an
observer. CICA deals with issues related
to security, economy, climate change
and women as military-political dialogue is becoming an emerging issue. l

PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

In August last year, the RAB personnel

arrested three members of a new organisation believed to be an offshoot
of the JMB, and recovered huge cache
of firearms including AK 22 rifles.
When contacted, Lt Col Ziaul
Ahsan, additional director general of
RAB, told the Dhaka Tribune that in
investigation, they had been confirmed
that these arms entered into the
capital illegally through border points
since those were not made inside the
country.
But we are yet to be sure about the
importers. We suspect that there are

militant groups behind these. It can be

confirmed after investigation.
Not only AK rifles, but also some
other deadly firearms including foreign-made pistols, revolvers and Chinese rifles, are coming into the capital.
However, the most popular arms
in the capitals underworld are sixinch-long pistols made by the Indian
Ordinance Factory, according to sources.
Use of firearms and explosives has
been highly demanded these days as
the maximum use of explosion took
place last year during the BNP-led alliances anti-government movement.
The recent scenario also implies that

the use of firearms in criminal incidents

rose sharply in the last two months.
Criminals now operate firearms even
for a little offence.
According to sources, over 12 incidents
related to firearms occurred last month in
the capital, which is three times higher
than any other times in the past.
Sanowar Hossain, the chief of Counter Terrorism Unit of the police, told
the Dhaka Tribune: The use of firearms often rises and sometimes goes
down. However, we are suspecting that
their use have risen up remarkably in
the recent times.
The police are keeping eye on some

criminals groups in the capital to know

whether they were behind these illegal
imports.
Intelligence sources say top criminal Ronys associate Mithu is operating
over 12 arms at Maghbazar area. The
maximum stockpiling of arms takes
place in Old Dhaka while the biggest
shipments are going to the hand of Debashish Group in Kotwali area.
Moreover, Rahman Group, Boma
Kamal Group, Saimon Group, Gol Taizu
Group, Lomba Taizu Group and Zubair
Group have some stocks of illegal arms.
In police directory, there are extortion, grabbing and mugging cases filed

DHAKA TRIBUNE

against these groups.

Shahadat Group of Mirpur has 15 to
20 firearms while Ishak Group possesses 12 firearms.
It is alleged that notorious criminal
Kamal is importing the maximum number of arms through Chapainawabganj.
Among others, Shahin, Rashid and
Dallas are also importing arms through
the same border while Nasir, Jhunu
and Shamim through Benapole border
of Jessore.
The intelligence agencies have come
to know that the maximum shipments
of arms are made by the Indian Ordinance Company as the recovered arms

carry the name.

Asked about the illegal arms smuggling, Brig Gen Aziz Ahmed, director
general of the Border Guard Bangladesh,
told the Dhaka Tribune: Smugglers
take the opportunity of loopholes in the
importing system. They often bring the
arms inside fruit cartons, and onion, rice
or potato sacks. Sometimes they bring
arms through waterways and roads
which are quite difficult to monitor.
He said the BGB had seized some of
the illegal shipments in the past. However, our members are doing their best
to find these criminals and seize such
shipments, he added. l

AL nervous over BJP win

Nazruls abduction: Nothing short of a movie

PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

On Saturday, Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said

those who became joyous about the
victory of the BJP were simply unintelligent.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia had
first congratulated Narendra Modi
even before vote counting had ended,
Ashraf said.
Fakhrul yesterday alleged that because of the Bangladesh governments

subservient policy, it had failed to

resolve the water-sharing problems
with India and even protest border
killings.
Blaming the government for killing
and abduction, Fakhrul said: People
raised their voices after the Narayanganj killings. Such incidents took place
not only in Narayanganj but across the
country in the last three years. The government has used RAB to eradicate the
opposition forces from the country. l

Case filed against Tarek Sayeed,

four others in Comilla
PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Ali, and sub-inspectors Kazi Sultan

Ahmed and Asit Kumar Roy.
According to the case, Tarek and the
four others stormed into the Bangladesh Flour Mills at Daulatganj, owned
by BNP leader Saiful, at 9pm on November 27 and stole Tk14 lakh.
They later detained Saiful, Humayun and Jasim Uddin, who witnessed
the incident, on their way to Comilla in
an ambulance.
Of the three, only Jasim has so far
been found as he was later handed over
to the Laksam police while Saiful and
Humayun remain missing.
The case also stated that Saiful and
Humayun had a feud with local businessman and BNPs rebel leader Mojir
Ahmed over the upazila elections.
Saifuls sisters Selina Akter and

Mashrufa Islam and Humayuns wife

Shahnaj Akter were present during the
filing of the case.
Tarek Sayeed is one of the three who
have been withdrawn from RAB-11 and
sent on retirement after the allegation
surfaced against them for abducting
and killing seven persons, including
the Narayanganj City Panel Mayor Nazrul Islam in April.
Narayanganj Awami League activist
Mohammad Ismail has been missing
since February 7. His family claimed on
Saturday that Tarek Sayeed has been
involved in the abduction.
Lakshmipur Jubo Dal leader Iqbal
Mahbub was murdered in Laskhmipur
on Dec 12 and his body has yet not been
found. On May 12, his family claimed
that Tarek Sayeed had shot him in the
head. l

and complained against Nazrul. Requesting anonymity, some local residents said Mobarak is Nurs cousin.
Less than an hour or so later, more
than a dozen large microbuses arrived
at the locality. Nearly 100 men got
off from the microbuses and started
marching towards the Mijmiji Chowdhury Para road.
They were carrying firearms, sharp
weapons, hockey sticks, bamboo sticks
and iron rods, a witness said. They
shot a few blank rounds to spread panic
in the area.
However, the armed goons did not
find Nazrul because some of his associates had informed him about them and
helped him flee the area.
Having failed to get a hold of Nazrul,
the goons indiscriminately ransacked
a number of shops along the roadside.
Although some policemen were
stationed in the area, witnesses said the
gangsters did not care. A witness said:
The attackers were hurled abuse at the
policemen and told them to go away.
For about an hour, the entire neighbourhood remained panic-struck.
Many shopkeepers pulled down the
shutters to save their belongings.
A number of residents said they
knew those men. We knew them.
They were all Nur Hossains men, said
a shopkeeper.
After the mob left the area, Nazrul Islam came back and saw the devastation.
The next day, Nur Hossain came to
the area to visit the vandalised shops.

His motorcade consisted of more than

a dozen microbuses and he was accompanied by a gang of more than 100
men, some of whom were carrying firearms and wooden sticks.
Suddenly, some of Nurs armed bodyguards spotted a local photographer
taking pictures. They assaulted the photographer and took away his camera.
Yasin Mia, a fugitive accused in the
sensational seven murder cases, was
with Nur.
Nur announced that he would compensate the shopkeepers for their damage and gave the money to his close
associate Yasin.
Some shop-owners, who were victims of the vandalism, told these correspondents that they had not taken
Nurs dirty money.
Meanwhile, behind all these visible
developments, another plot against
Nazrul was being cooked up.
On February 1, Mobarak Alis son Ali
Hossain filed the criminal case with
Siddhirganj police station against Nazrul and 24 others.
For a man with as little education
as Ali, who is a local rickshaw renting
agent, the computer-composed FIR
was far too well written.
In the FIR, he termed Nazrul a notorious local criminal and gave a vivid
description of how Nazrul had brutally
beaten and injured him, his father and
one of his aunts.
However, the account of the alleged
beating had very little resemblance
with the descriptions the witnesses

JS body seeks info

on Communication
Ministrys cars
n Muhammad Zahidul Islam
A parliamentary watchdog has sought
information from the Communication
Ministry on the statuses of government
cars used by various high officials and
organisations.
The decision was made in the first
meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Communication
Ministry yesterday.
Nazmul Haque Prodhan, a member of
the committee, told reporters that: We
have heard a lot of complaints about
government officials flouting rules in
using government vehicles. That is why,
the parliamentary watchdog wants to
remain well informed about the matter.
Meeting sources said the committee had also sought information on the
accounts and profitability status of the
Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC).
Information about who are using the
vehicles owned by the BRTC was also
sought.
Akabbar Hossain, chairman of the
parliamentary body, told reporters in
a briefing that: The [Communication]
Ministry told us about adding more vehicles to the BRTCs lot. But the committee told the ministry that it needed
to provide a comprehensive picture of
its vehicles first. l

Members of a anti-adulteration team of Dhaka Metropolitan Police trample on litchis at Khilgaon market yesterday after finding the fruits contaminated with formalin

Illegal arms entering Bangladesh through 48 border points

Police detained two Islami Chhatra

Shibir leaders from Colonelhat in Chittagong early yesterday.
The arrested Ahsan Habib Rasel, 25, former president of Sitakunda
upazila unit of Shibir, and Abu Jafor
alias Bashar, 23 are the masterminds
of the violence unleashed on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Sitakunda
before and after the national election,
said police.
Abdul Majid, officer-in-charge of
Akbar Shah police station, said acting
on a tip-off, they raided a mess in the
area around 2am and detained the two.
A total of 13 cases have been filed
against Rasel for vandalism and arson attacks with Sitakunda police station while
Bashar is accused in nine cases, he said.
The two were produced before the
court in a vandalism case lodged with the
Akbar Shah police station, he added. l

had given of the incidents on that day.

While witnesses said it was Nurs
men who did all the vandalism on that
day, Ali Hossain, in his case statement,
said the vandals had been Nazrul and
his gang members.
The Dhaka Tribune correspondents
went to Mobaraks house on Friday.
Mobaraks wife Aklima Begum told these
correspondents that soon after Nazruls
abduction and killing, her husband had
left home without telling her anything
and had not come back since.
She also said she was ill but her husband had not contacted her in all these
days.
Ali Hossain, the eldest of their five
sons, was not home either. According
to Aklima, a few days before the abductions, Ali went to Bogra to hire rickshaw-pullers for his business.
He [Ali] has not returned home yet
because he got scared after he heard
about Nazruls abduction and murder,
said Aklima, adding that her son had
several cases filed against him. She,
however, could not give any details
about those cases.
Her other sons Ohid, 24, and Shahid,
26, run a truck owned by their father.
Two of their other brothers work in a
local readymade garment factory.
When these correspondents were
talking to Aklima, Ohid came home.
Both of them said none of the brothers had been in the area during the
February 1 vandalism. They also could
not say anything in favour of Alis claim
that Nazrul had beaten them up.

When the reporters showed them a

copy of the case file, both of them said
they did not have any idea that Hossain
had lodged such a case.
Someone else must have filed the
case using my sons name, Aklima said.
When asked about their connection
to Nur Hossain, they reacted angrily.
Just because of we are related with
him, you cannot come and ask us so
many questions! Ohid said.
It was because of the case filed by
Ali that Nazrul had kept away from
Narayanganj for a few days.
Nazruls attorney Anisur Rahman Dipu
said he had wanted to stay away from the
area until securing an advance bail from
the High Court in March. The High Court
told him to surrender before the Narayanganj district court in six weeks, which was
supposed to end on April 29.
On April 27 the day he was abducted
Nazrul came to surrender before the court.
Dipu, who was not at work on that day,
told the Dhaka Tribune that he had learnt
from his apprentice that Nazrul had come
to meet him before surrendering.
When he came to me a few days
before April 27, Nazrul told me that
somebody had been following him in a
car. He suspected that his rivals might
harm him, Dipu said.
Nazrul surrendered before the court
and secured the bail he desired, but
that was not enough to save him from
the abductors who picked him up from
in front of the court, killed him and six
others, and dumped their bodies in the
Shitalakkhya River. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

No upgrading of 5 BTV sub-stations

PM asks state television authorities to improve quality

Mohosinul Karim

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has rejected a proposal by the Information

Ministry to upgrade five sub-stations of
Bangladesh Television into full transmission centres.
During a visit to the ministry yesterday, the prime minister also asked
the information minister, high officials
of the ministry and BTV to improve
the standard of news and other programmes of the state-run broadcaster.
Hasina went to the Information
Ministry as part of a plan to visit all
the ministries and meet with ministers, secretaries and senior officials to
accelerate the activities of her administration.
After yesterdays meeting, several
ministry officials told the Dhaka Tribune that the PMexpressed dissatis-

City Jamaat ameer,

20 others to be
questioned

faction with the quality of BTV programmes, which, she said, were not
acceptable to all the public.
Hasina told the BTV officials to work
on improving the standard of programmes and news to make them more
people-oriented.
She also rejected a proposal for upgrading Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi,
Sylhet and Rangpur sub-stations into
full TV or transmission centres.
The PM, however, agreed to establish a central database centre for public information that people can access
through text messages.
In the meantime, Hasina directed
the BTV authorities not to entertain any
requests for broadcasting low-quality
programmes to ensure standards.
Do not allow any request to broadcast any low-standard programme on
the state-owned media. Ensure proper

use of peoples money and stop misusing public funds, she said.
Hasina also asked the authorities to
take steps to popularize local movies
and renovate cinema halls.

The PM agreed to
establish a central
database centre that
people can access by
text messages
Meanwhile,
Information
Minister
Hasanul Haq Inu and Secretary Mortuza Ahmed refused to say anything officially about the meeting.
The officials who attended the meeting said the ministry had presented
several proposals, but the prime min-

ister did not give her approval to most.

The proposals included elevating
the Chittagong transmission centre toa
fully fledged TV centre, establishing a
film city at Kabirpur and a central film
server at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation, giving incentives
for producing films and renovating cinema halls, setting up of a digital media
exchange and media monitoring cell,
and expansion of district information
offices.
Earlier, Hasina visited the ministries
of labour and employment, energy and
power, water resources, science and
technology, civil aviation, tourism and
environment and forest.
She is also expected to visit the
ministries of fisheries and livestock,
health and family welfare as well as the
banking and financial divisions of the
finance ministry this week. l

No list of PMs assurances

to LGRD Ministry
n Muhammad Zahidul Islam
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Government Assurance has expressed dissatisfaction at the inability
of the Ministry of LGRD and Cooperatives to provide a list of assurances
made to it by Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina in the ninth parliament.
At a meeting held in the House yesterday, members of the committee said
they were discontented with the ministrys inability to come up with such a list.
The ministry is unable to provide
any list of assurances made to it by the
premier in the previous parliament.
This is unexpected, said Md Shahiduzzaman Sarker, a member of the
committee and also a whip of the parliament.
The committee also asked for the
list of assurances made by the LGRD
and Cooperatives Minister in the ninth

parliament and the list it received only

contained five items.
Did the minister make only five
promises in the previous five-year tenure? It is certain that he made more.
Besides, I know there was an assurance
concerning a project under my constituency but I cannot find it now on the
list, Shahiduzzaman said.
The committee said success of the
government mostly depended upon
keeping the promises made by a ministry.
We asked the LGRD Ministry to
come up with the full list. It is a very
important ministry. This is why keeping its promises is also important, said
Shahiduzzaman.
Kazi Keramat Ali, chaimran of the
committee, presided over the meeting
while Md Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Md
Abdul Quddus, AKM Shahjahan Kamal
and several others attended it. l

Court seeks
explanation from exCEC Shamsul Huda

THE LAST DAYS OF A DYING RIVER

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

A Chittagong court ordered an interrogation of Chittagongs Jamaat-e-Islami

Ameer ANM Shamsul Islam and 20 other leaders of the party at the jail, yesterday.
Earlier, the court had rejected the remand request made by the police and
the request for bail made by the defence.
Metropolitan Magistrate Rahmat Ali
passed the order when the 21 arrested,
including the Jamaat Ameer and former lawmaker, were produced before
the court, said Md Rezaul Masud, additional deputy commissioner of the
Chittagong Metropolitan Police.
On the afternoon of May 12, police
arrested the 21 Jamaat leaders from the
partys city office in the port citys Dewanbazar area when they were holding a clandestine meeting. They were
charged with possession of explosives.
The arrested were accused in different cases lodged with different police
stations in connection with violence
during the pre and post-national election periods, police said.
Police said they were holding a
meeting in a bid to launch fresh agitationprior to the passing of a verdict on
Delwar Hossain Sayedee.
A case was lodged with Kotwali police station under the Anti-Terrorism
Act. l

Monday, May 19, 2014

n Nazmus Sakib

When environmentalist groups are speaking out loud against river pollution, the Buriganga River in the capitals Hajaribagh looks nearly dead from all kinds of garbage dumping and
chemical contamination. The photo was taken yesterday
NASHIRUL ISLAM

The High Court yesterday summoned

former chief election commissioner
ATM Shamsul Huda to explain his comment that the judiciary was politicised.
The bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul
Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain
asked him to appear on June 3.
According to a media report, Huda
said on Saturday: All constitutional
bodies, including the Election Commission and the Public Service Commission, as well as the judiciary have
been politicised, and incompetent people are getting important posts there...
the constitutional bodies have to be
freed from politicisation. Otherwise,
the country will go backwards.
The former bureaucrat made the
comment at a discussion on the findings of a study conducted by the Centre
for Policy Dialogue on political parties
and democracy in Bangladesh.
The bench also issued a rule seeking explanations in two weeks time as
to why contempt of court proceedings
should not be brought against him for
maligning the dignity of the judiciary.
The home secretary, inspector general of police (IGP), Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner, deputy commissioner of Dhaka and OC of Gulshan
police station were made respondents
to the rule. l

Mobarak was razakar commander, says prosecution Witness: Azhar aided

n Udisa Islam
Closing arguments in the trial against
alleged collaborator Mobarak Hossain
alias Mobarak Ali, from Brahmanbaria,
began yesterday at the International
Crimes Tribunal 1.
Prosecutor Shahedur Rahman made
arguments on three out of five charges
against the accused for committing
crimes against humanity during the
1971 Liberation War. He said Mobarak
had been a razakar commander in
Akhaura, Brahmanbaria.
He said they had proved the allegations with documents and evidence,
and that they had strong legal arguments against Mobarak.
The charges against Mobarak include the killing of 33 people in Akhaura, the torturing of Ashuranjan Deb at a
razakar camp, and abductions and killings in Shyampur committed between

August and December 1971.

Earlier, 12 prosecution witnesses
testified in the case against Mobarak.
The accused and his eldest son made
up the defence.
In his testimony on December 15
last year, Mobarak said he had not
acted against the countrys independence. He also claimed that he still
held the post of organising secretary
of the Mogra Union unit of the Awami
League. My membership has not been
cancelled yet. I was never sacked from
the party, he said.
However, the prosecution says Mobarak, the son of Sadat Ali of Nayadil
from Akhaura in Brahmanbaria, had
been a member of the Jamaat-e-Islamis union unit after the war. Later, he
joined the Awami League. He was expelled from the party three years ago.
Khodeja Begum, whose father was
allegedly killed by Mobarak, filed a

case with a Brahmanbaria court on May

3, 2009. It was transferred to the International Crimes Tribunal in 2011. The
tribunal then asked its investigation
agency to look into the matter.
During the arguments, the prosecution claimed that the accused had occupied Anandamoye Kalibari, a Hindu
temple, and had used it as a razakar
training camp. In the presence of the
accused, the collaborators confined
many pro-liberation people and subsequently tortured and killed Ashuranjan.
When the tribunal asked the prosecutor whether occupying a temple can
be labelled as crimes against humanity,
Shahedur said they would give a reply
to this during the arguments on the legal part.
Shahedur said: A temple is prayer
house of the Hindu community, and by
occupying and changing the character

of a prayer home, the accused attacked

the emotion of the community.
The tribunal 1, led by Justice M
Enayetur Rahim, later adjourned the
hearing until today, leaving the arguments incomplete. It asked the prosecution to close their arguments within
the first half of the days session.
The prosecution submitted formal
charges against the accused on February 25, last year. He was indicted on
April 23.
Meanwhile, the tribunal 2 recorded
the cross-examination of prosecutions
13th witness yesterday. The witness had
made his deposition on Thursday in the
trial against Syed Mohammad Qaisar, a
former Jatiya Party state minister.
Defence counsel SM Shajahan questioned the witness for one session and
the tribunal adjourned the trial until
Monday. Today the prosecution will call
their next witness against Qaisar. l

Justice Sinha to
lead hearing on war
crimes appeal case
n Nazmus Sakib

The Housing and Public Works Ministry evicts illegal shops from the capitals Suhrawardy Udyan yesterday

RAJIB DHAR

A four-member apex court bench headed by Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha

will hear the war crimes appeal lodged
by death row convict Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, an assistant secretary
general of Jamaat-e-Islami.
The three other members of the
bench are Justice Abdul Wahhab Miah,
Justice Hasan Foez Siddique and Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury.
Kamaruzzaman, an al-Badr leader,
was sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal on May 9 last
year. He appealed against the judgement on June 6, seeking acquittal.
The Appellate Division has so far disposed of two appeals cases including
the one of Jamaat leader Abdul Quader
Molla, who was hanged on December
12 last year. On April 16, the court kept
death row convict Delawar Hossain
Sayedees appeals case pending. l

Pakistani Army in atrocities

n Udisa Islam
A new prosecution witness against Jamaat leader ATM Azharul Islam, the
alleged al-Badr commander of Rangpur
during the 1971 Liberation War, yesterday claimed that the accused had masterminded the atrocities in the district.
Lawyer Rathish Chandra Bhowmick
told the International Crimes Tribunal
1 that his father Dinesh Chandra Bhowmick, a homeopathy physician, and an
uncle had been abducted in front of his
eyes. But they somehow managed to
escape a firing squad.
The witness claimed that his father
had seen 10 others at the Rangpur Cantonment including Moharram, Khurram, Dulal, Khitish Halder, income tax
officer ABY Mahfuz Gorge, Durgadas
Adhikari and his son Uttam Adhikari.
They were later killed at Dakhiganj
Shashan (cremation ground).
On March 27 of 1971, the Pakistani
Army along with their local collaborators came to our house and asked for
my father. I was 13 years old during the
incident. The troops also took away my
uncle Shanti Chaki, Rathish said.
On April 3, we heard sound of
continuous firing from the cremation
ground. Gopalbabu from Robertsonganj came to our house that night. He
told us to leave the place immediately.
To ensure the security our family, we
went to Ajanta village that night.

Before that, we tried to get information about my father and uncle, but
failed.
The witness said he had met his father after a month when they were in
Jalpaiguri in India.
According to Dinesh, the people
confined in the cantonment had been
brutally tortured every day from March
27 to April 3 by the troops and the accused, who was a leader of Islami
Chhatra Sangha, members of which
formed the al-Badr force.
On April 3, the Pakistani Army men
and their cohorts had taken 11 of them
blindfolded and hands tied to their
backs to the Dakhiganj Shashan. When
they reached the spot, the army men
started firing. Eight bullets hit my father through the body of Mahfuz Gorge.
And that wounded my father,without
killing him, whereas the 10 others were
killed on the spot, the witness said.
When his father managed to escape
the place, Zafar Ali, chief chemist at
Albert Lab, gave him first aid. Later he
left the country and was admitted to
Koch Bihar Hospital.
After his deposition, the defence
counsel started their questioning of the
witness but the tribunal adjourned the
trial until today rendering it incomplete.
The Jamaat leader was indicted on
November 12 last year on six charges
of crimes against humanity including
genocide during the war. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, May 19, 2014

Study: Most workers

at chest hospitals
have latent TB
n MoniruzzamanUzzal
A study has found that more than 50%
of the health workers in different chest
disease hospitals are suffering from latent tuberculosis.
The overall prevalence of latent TB
infection among healthcare workers in
the four state-run chest disease hospitals in Dhaka, Khulna, Chittagong and
Rajshahi is at 54%; the highest prevalence, at 65%, was found among laboratory staffs in these hospitals.

The highest rate of infection (67%)

was found among those from the Chittagong hospital and the lowest (40%)
was found in Khulna. Some 80% workers with latent TB reported no prior exposure to pulmonary patients at home.
The study was conducted by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDRB). It
was officially published on the centres
health and science bulletin in March.

The study was supported by the National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) of

the Health Ministry; USAID; and the
Center for Diseases Control and Prevention of Atlanta, USA.
The infection was determined by a
two-step tuberculin skin test in the four
hospitals. From March-December 2013,
ICDDRB invited a total of 501 health
workers to take part in the study. 449
workers completed the two-step test.
Doctors, nurses, administrative officers, laboratory staff, support staff and
pharmacists were included.
A total of 229 of them were from
the National Institute of Diseases of
the Chest and Hospital in Dhaka, 61
from the chest disease hospital in Chittagong, 81 from Khulna and 78 from
Chittagong.
The largest group of participants
were nurses accounting for 45%; some
60% of the subjects were female.
More than 80% of the workers reported receiving BCG (Bacille Calmettee Guerin) vaccine as a child. Active TB
was not detected in any of the subjects.
Persons with latent TB are asymptomatic and are not infectious. They
run approximately 10% chances of
developing active TB during their lifetime, usually within the first two years
after infection.
The ICDDRB bulletin said the study
results shed a light on the need to improve TB infection control policies and
procedures.
Dr Ashek Hosain, line director of the
NTP, told the Dhaka Tribune that latent
TB does not mean that the healthworker is a TB patient.
But we suggested that all health
workers should follow infection control procedures to keep safe, he said.
Bangladesh has the sixth highest
rate of tuberculosis infection in the
world. l

Bazlu Mir, a patient of the capitals Nitor hospital, is being taken out of the facility prior his full recovery as he was unable to afford the high treatment costs

Last phase of upazila polls today

n Mohammad Zakaria

The Election Commission will hold

the sixth and the final phase of the
upazila parishad polls in thirteen upazilas today.
Voting will begin at 8am and continue
till 4pm without any break. Restrictions
on the movement of all types of vehicles
have been placed in the polling areas.
A total of 182 candidates, including rebel candidates from the Awami
League and BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and
Jatiya Party, are contesting in these

Five ignore ACC notice on forged

FF certificate issue
n Tribune Report
Five local inhabitants from Munshiganj
and Meherpur did not appear before
the Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters yesterday to give statements
regarding the anti-graft bodys probe
against six secretaries who had allegedly forged freedom fighter certificates to
extend their retirement age.
We were scheduled to record statements of nine people. But only four of
them appeared today [yesterday] to
testify in the inquiry against former
liberation war affairs ministry joint
secretary [now OSD] Abul Kashem Talukdar, an ACC official told reporters.
Mahbub-Ul-Alam Bahar, M Ali Ak-

bar, Mir Mosharraf Hossain and Gazi

Moniruzzaman testified yesterday. The
five others who evaded the ACC questioning are Khandker Hedayetul Islam
Kajol, Delowar Hossain, Abul Sarder,
Abdur Rashid and Selim Khan.
They were scheduled to give statements on whether Kashem Talukder
participated in the 1971 Liberation War
or not.
The ACC is currently conducting inquiries on how the six secretaries obtained the freedom fighter certificates
prior to their retirement. They did not
mention it earlier.
The five others who are under scrutiny are Health Secretary Niaz Uddin,
Liberation War Affairs Secretary KH

Masud Siddiqui, Science and Technology Affairs Secretary AKM Amir Hossain, Housing and Public Works Secretary Khandaker Shawkat Hossain and
the Prime Ministers former secretary
Mollah Waheduzzaman.
According to a circular issued by the
Prime Ministers Office, one has to declare himself as a freedom fighter at the
time of joining any service to avail the
benefits allotted to the freedom fighters.
Such claims may not be considered later.
ACC officials said they have been
analysing several documents collected
from the ministries of Liberation War
Affairs and the public administration.
Some other people will be questioned
when the analysis is complete. l

Hundreds of men and women wait to get a piece of the huge haul of baby Hilsha confiscated at the Chowdhuryghat in Chandpur yesterday
BANGLAR CHOKH

Revive DUCSU
n Du Correspondent
Former and current leaders of Jashad
Chhatra League, student wing of Jatiya
Samajtantrik Dal, have called for reviving Dhaka University Central Students
Union (Ducsu) with a view to bringing
back calm on the campus.
They voiced the demand at a rally held
on the occasion of the Jashad Chhatra
Leagues freshers reception and Council
2014 at Dhaka University yesterday.
When the Ducsu was functional, it
had created many famous leaders in
the country. The student leadership
could better flourish if it was made
functional again, they said. l

thirteen upazilas.
Of them, 64 candidates are contesting for the chairman post, 69 for
vice-chairman and 49 for the women
vice-chairman posts.
Election Commissioner Mohammad
Abu Hafiz said the commission has taken
all preparation needed to hold the polls
in free and fair manner. The commission
will also monitor the polls and if any untoward incident occurs, voting will be
postponed at the respective centres.
The returning officers have also
been asked to deploy additional num-

ber of members from law enforcement

agencies at polling centres which were
considered vulnerable.
EC acting secretary Sirajul Islam told
reporters yesterday that the commission has taken an initiative to ensure a
peaceful environment in polling areas
so that the voter can cast their votes.
Around 20,000 police personnel are
expected to be deployed at the 13 upazila parishads.
According to the Election Commission, of total 1,845,133 voters will cast
their votes in the polls where 930,046

Woman, 3 grandchildren
die as son-in-law sets
house afire
n Our Correspondent, Gopalganj
An elderly woman and her three grandchildren were burnt to death when her
son-in-law set her house on fire at Dumuria village in Gopalganj Sadar upazila yesterday.
The victims were identified as Furia Begum, 65, her daughter Ronys
children Tamim, 8, a class II student of
Dumdia Government Primary School,
Aminur Sardar, 13, a class VIII student
of Manikhar High School and Tanima, 5.
The deceased Furias daughter Sharifa Begum said her sister Ronys husband Azad Molla had perpetrated this
gruesome crime because of a family
feud. Locals also made the same allegation against Azad.
Police arrested Azad from Puthimari village in Narails Noragati police
station area. He also confessed to have
perpetrated this grisly crime.
Earlier on Saturday evening, Azad
had threatened to burn alive his mother-in-law Furia on mobile phone on
Saturday evening, said Sharifa. Later around 11pm, he poured kerosene
around the house and set it on fire.
I was able to get out of the window
of the house soon after I got wind of the
fire while my mother and sister along
with my two nephews and one niece
could not as their rooms was closed
from outside by Azad.
Locals rushed to the scene, hearing
their cry for help. They pulled out my
mother, nephews Aminur and Tamim
dead and rescued my sister Rony and
niece Tonima alive.
Rony and Tonima were rushed to
hospital, but Tonima died soon after-

wards, she added.

Rony, who lost her three children,
went into a state of extreme shock. She
had been living with her mother after
disagreements between her and her
husband.
Gopalganj General Hospitals Residential Medical Officer Asit Mallik said,
Rony has had extreme burns, but she
is out of danger now. She is talking like
a madman because she has broken
down mentally, losing her mother and
three children.
Arsonist Azad said, I wanted to kill
my wife and mother-in-law because
my wife had an extra-marital affair in
which my mother-in-law used to support. I am sorry for those who were
innocent but had to suffer. I would be
happy if my wife had been killed
He also admitted that he had threatened to kill his wife and her mother in
the fire.
The Fire Service and Civil Defense
already formed a three-member committee, led by Assistant Director (Faridpur Zone, Shamsuddoha, to investigate
the incident. The committee visited
the scene and began investigating yesterday.
Gopalganj Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge Md Zakir Hossain Molla
said they had also detained eight others, including arsonist Azads father,
brothers and nephews for interrogation
over the incident.
Gopalganj Superintendent of Police
Md Mizanur Rahman said, This is a
shocking incident. We have arrested arsonist Azad Molla. A case is underway
against him. Justice will be ensured by
putting him on trial. l

One killed, 4 injured in

Barisal road accident

Jamaat, Jubo Dal leaders

arrested in Barisal

Our Correspondent, Barisal

A person was killed and 4 others were

injured when a truck collided with another one from the side when attempting to overtake it on the Barisal-Dhaka
highway in Atipara under the Wazirpur
upazila, yesterday morning.
Idris Ali, 35, a worker with the Shikarpur toll collection post died on the spot.
Jasim Mridha, 35, Bakir Mridha, 20,
Salam, 30, Mostafa, 40, who are workers of the cement laden truck, were all

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

injured in the collision.

Iqbal Hossain, Gournadi highway
police station officer-in-charge, said
the Anchor Cement truck driver collided with the side of another iron bar laden truck when he tried to overtake it.
The front side of the the truck was
smashed in the accident, causing the
death of one and injuries to five others.
A case was lodged after seizing both
the trucks, the police official said.
The injured were admitted into the
BMCH, he added. l

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Police arrested two local Jamaat-e-Islami and Jubo Dal leaders along with one
Shibir activist from different places of
the district, yesterday.
In a drive in the Gournadi upazila,
police arrested Hossen Khalifa, 52, the
secretary of the Nalchira union unit of
Jamaat, and his son Alamin Khalifa, 26,
a Chhatra Shibir activist, from the Kalabaria Bazaar area, before dawn.
Gournadi police station OC Abul Kalam

said the arrested are accused in several

cases filed for vandalism and arson attacks
and had been absconding for a long time.
In the afternoon, they were sent to a Barisal court that sent them to jail.
In another drive, police arrested
Khwaja Md Iqbal, the president of Barisal district unit of Jubo Dal, from the
Nadibandar area in the city.
Kotwali police station OC Shakawat
Hossain said Iqbal has been accused in
several cases filed for political violence.
Later, he was sent to jail by a court. l

are women. The commission has also

set up 746 polling centres and 4,930
polling booths for holding the polls.
For maintaining law and order, the
army, Border Guard Bangladesh, Rapid
Action Battalion, police, Ansar and VDP
have been stationed in the polling areas
and 52 executive and 13 judicial magistrates will also be present.
Narayanganj Bandar Upazila Parishad election was postponed earlier following a High Court order. The election
to newly-formed Patuakhalis Rangabali upazila will be held on June 19. l

BNP leader
Salauddin sent to jail
n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu
Three Dhaka courts sent BNP former
lawmaker Salauddin Ahmed to jail
yesterday, after rejecting his request
for bail in the eight cases filed against
him for violence in the capital during
the BNP lead 18-party alliance enforced
anti-government movement last year.
Metropolitan magistrates Tarique
Mainul Islam Bhuyain, Md Tosruzzman
and Rezaul Karim passed the order
when the BNP leader surrendered before
the courts to request further bail as his
previous High Court bail had expired.
On February 11, Salauddin secured
an eight-week bail from the HC in the
cases. l

SCBA demands
appointment of
judges at top court
n Tribune Report
The Supreme Court Bar Association yesterday demanded that the government
appoint three more judges at the apex
court immediately so that the pending
cases could be disposed of quickly.
SCBA President Khandker Mahbub
Hossain, also an adviser to the BNP
chairperson, said three posts of the
Appellate Division had been lying vacant for several days and the government did not take any initiative in this
regard.
Mahbub alleged that the government wanted to appoint junior judges
at the top court. For this reason, it has
been waiting for retirement of senior
judges.
The senior lawyer was speaking at a
press conference held at the organisations auditorium. l

One held with VoIP

equipment
n CU Correspondent
Members of RAB 7 detained a person
with a lot of VoIP equipment after conducting a drive in the Halishahar area
of Chittagong city, yesterday.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Md Mofijul Islam said RAB had
conducted a drive in the Halishahar G
block area in the afternoon yesterday
and detained Rashedul Alam.
The VoIP equipment, including mobile SIMs, gateway, channel banks, computers, and other objects amounting to
about Tk26 lakh in worth, was seized
from his possession added the ASP. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, May 19, 2014

Pregnant women need friendly home atmosphere JnU student

killed in cylinder
n Udisa Islam
Sifat (not her real name) was an employee of a non-government organisation. When she conceived, her in-laws
family forced her to leave the job. She
was not happy with the decision.
After three months of her pregnancy, the physician told her to continue
regular life but the family took her sign
on the resignation latter forcefully. She
was too much depressed during the
months, and for this, the physician
told her and the family several times to
change the home environment.
Unfortunately, she gave birth to
an underweight premature baby after

seven months, and later suffered a lot

during the first six months of the baby
boy.
Births of unhealthy babies with malnutrition have been rising in Bangladesh. In most cases, mental stress and
disorder of their mother in pregnant
period is responsible for this. Physician
and researchers have no idea about the
number, but they say the situation is
grave. It may go beyond control if domestic violence cannot be contained.
Depression and anxiety are the most
commonest that affect about 15-20 out
of every 100 pregnant women, said
gynaecologist Dr Fatema Akter. Women also experience many other mental

health problems during pregnancy as

they failed to get family support during
the period, she added.
Maternal Common Mental Disorder, which affects many pregnant
women in Bangladesh, is an important determinant behind underweight
child. Intervention to support maternal
mental health is important for womens own well-being and can contribute
significantly to improving child health
and nutrition, she said.
About 87% of Bangladeshi married
women are abused by their husband, according to a nationwide study conducted by the government, titled Violence
against Women Survey 2011 that in-

volved a sample of 12,600 women. Only

8% of the respondents said they had
never been abused by their partners.
Researchers say since the number of
victims is too high malnutrition in children is a major concern in the country.
Malnutrition passes from one generation to the next because malnourished
mothers give birth to malnourished
infants. If they are girls, these children
often become malnourished mothers,
and the vicious cycle continues.
Unfortunately, the conventional Bangladeshi society often labels psychological or emotional issues related to depression as rich peoples disease with
a view to ignore the mothers concerns.

Mohammad Asif Khan, a psychotherapist, said: Parents are still vastly

unaware that the way they behave with
each other during pregnancy can affect the child. It may hinder the childs
growth.
Their psychological health would
not only harm their own future but
could also have a negative impact on
the socioeconomic condition of the
country, he added.
Constant psychological pressure in
the growing months of a childs life can
leave a strong sign on their minds, and
it happens when a mother faces mental
and physical pressure from her family,
he observed. l

Female students
demand removal of
house tutor at CU
n CU Correspondent
The residents of the Pritilata female
dormitory of Chittagong University (CU)
demanded the removal of their house
tutor yesterday, because of his alleged
rough behavior toward the students.
The protesters submitted a complaint
against Aftab Hossen, assistant professor of the zoology department and the
house tutor for the residential hall, with
the provosts office after collecting mass
signatures from the students.
In their complaint lodged with the
provosts office on May 11, regarding
poor hall facilities, they also alleged
that their house tutor behaved in a
rude manner with the students.
Seeking anonymity, a residential
student of the dormitory said the
teacher usually behaved roughly with
the residential students.
Aftab Hossen claimed the allegation
against him is baseless and fabricated,
saying there have been some misunderstandings between him and the students.
Pritilata dormitory Provost Professor Dr Mahbubul Haque said he will sit
with the teacher and the students to resolve the issue immediately.
Dormitory sources said the teacher
joined as the house tutor at the hall just
four months back. l

2 drown in Bogra
n Our Correspondent, Bogra
Two youths, including a Bangladesh
University of Engineering and Technology student, drowned in a river at
Bhelabari village in Sariakandi upazila
here yesterday.
The victims were Taj, a first year
student of Buet, and Rifat. However,
details could not be known.
Sariakandi police station SI Nayan
said Taj and Rifat along with their three
friends went to the Bangalee River
around 12pm to bathe while they were
visiting the house of Rifats grandmother.
At one stage, Rifat slipped into deep
water and the rest four instantly proceeded to save him.
Hearing scream, locals rushed to the
spot and rescued Taj, Babu, Shama and
Nadia and admitted them to a Bogra
clinics in a critical condition, where Taj
died. l

WEATHER

MOSTLY
SUNNY
MONDAY, MAY 19
DHAKA
TODAY
TOMORROW
SUN SETS 6:36PM
SUN RISES 5:14AM
39

Chittagong

34

Pedestrians maneuvering themselves through a steel fence of a central reservation near New Market in the city although there is a foot over-bridge within 100 yards

43

River erosion
destroying arable land

n Our Correspondent, Barisal

n Hasibur Rahman Bilu, Bogra

At least six people, including two physicians, were injured as relatives of a patient who died at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) yesterday
locked in an altercation with doctors
alleging negligence of treatment.
Because of the altercation which occurred around 9:30am, all medical services came to a halt for about three hours.
Sources at the hospital said Rezaul
Karim, 31, a rental motorcycle driver, from
Patuakhali was admitted to the Orthopaedics unit of the SBMCH on May 15 after an
injury from a collision with a tractor.
Although Rezauls condition was
improving, he died around 9:20am on
May 17.
When we wanted to know the reasons behind his death and made allegations of negligence in treatment, the
on-duty doctors assaulted us alleged
Mahmud Al Azad, a family member of
the deceased, Rezaul.

In retaliation, the family members attacked the physicians, leaving four people
and SBMCH assistant register Dr Shahidul
Islam and Dr Morsheduddin injured.
Upon information, police rushed to
the scene, neutralized the situation and
handed over the body to Rezauls family.
Another family member of Rezauls,

When we wanted to
know the reasons
for the death and
alleged negligence in
treatment, the on-duty
doctors assaulted us
Kona Begum who was also injured in
the altercation said the doctors beat
us mercilessly with cricket stumps and
nobody dared save us.
Later, the doctors locked the entrance gate of the unit so that the relatives could not take the body out.

Dr Moniruzzaman Shahin, assistant

register of the unit, demanded punishment for the attackers in a press conference there.
Denying any negligence in treatment
to Rezaul, Moniruzzaman claimed that
sudden problems in Rezauls lung and
heart led to respiratory problems that
caused his death. A medical board has
been formed after the incident which
also confirmed the aforesaid problems,
the registrar continued.
However, the family members
turned down the doctors claim, saying
if problems had developed, then why
was Rezaul not transferred to the concerned department.
Dr. Qamrul Islam Selim, director SBMCH, said action in this regard would
be taken after an investigation.
Mahmud Hossain, assistant commissioner of Barisal Metropolitan police, said
additional policemen were deployed on
the SBMCH campus and no side lodged
any case in this connection. l

29

Rangpur

39

26

Khulna

40

26

Barisal

38

27

Sylhet

38

24

Coxs Bazar

34

27

27

n DU Correspondent

21.7C
Mymensingh

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES
Fajar
Sunrise
Zohr
Asr
Magrib
Esha

3:51am
5:14am
11:55am
3:18pm
6:36pm
8:00pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org

At least 3,666 hectares of fertile land

and 485 hectares of settlement on both
sides of the bank of tJamuna, Ganges,
Padma and lower Maghna rivers will
disappear intro river water because of
erosion.
The river erosion will also render as
many as 35 thousand people landless.
In 2013 the Jamuna, Ganges and Padma
eroded about 3190 hectare of cultivable
land.
The Bangladesh Water Development
Board (BWDB) and Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information
Services (CEGIS) have prepared a prediction report in April this year analysing satellite images.
The report says that around 137 establishments including 64 educational
institutions, eight government offices
and 41 mosques of 21 districts located
on the banks of those four rivers will
disappear.
Maximum 55 educational institutions of seven districts,including
Bogra, will go under water from either
side of Jamuna River bank.
The BWDB Bogra Circle Office sourc-

es said the department identified several vulnerable points including Chandanvaisha under Shariakand upazila
in Bogra district and BahokaSimla in
Sirajganj Sadar upazila.
AKM Momtaz Uddin, superintending Engineer of the BDWD, Bogra said
Jamuna river erosion threatens around
4 kilometres of embankment along the
right bank of Chandanvaisha area.
We have invited tender for 25000
Geo-textile bags to protect river erosion in Bogra, said Momtaz Uddin.
BWDB and CEGIES sources said at
least 1,79,257 hectares of cultivable
land was eroded between 1974 and
2014.
BWDB and CEGIES predicted that
around 8,596 meters of road will be
completely destroyed this year.
According to the previous publication of the CEGIS the rate of erosion by
the Jamuna River was 5,000 hectares a
year in the 1980s in areas of Kurigram,
Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogra, Sirajgang,
Tangail and Manikganj districts.
While erosion by the Padma River
was 2,300 hectares a year in the 1990s
in Faridpur,Shariatpur, Dhaka, Madaripur and Manikganj districts. l

Left students bodies

calls strike at DU

YESTERDAYS HIGH AND LOW

41.8C
Chuadanga

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

The results of fourth year Honours exams of 2011 under National University
were published yesterday.
A total of 1,02,468 students from 202
colleges attended the exams. Around
94.99 percent students got passed in
the exams.
The results are available at NU
website and i.e. www.nubd.info.
Students can also get their results
through the mobile operators. To
get ones result, one has to type
NU<space>H4<space>Roll No and send
it to 16222. l

Death of patient sparks clash

at SBMCH; six injured

27

Rajshahi

A Jagannath University student was

killed in a gas cylinder explosion in the
capitals Kamrangirchar yesterday.
The incident took place around 3pm
on a road in front of Roni Market at Madya
Rasulpur in Kamrangirchar, police said.
The victim Al Amin, 25, was a MBA
student of the university.
He was on his way to work as a
home tutor from his Rasulpurs rented
apartment, said Officer-in-Charge of
Kamrangirchar police station Sheikh
Mohsin Alam.
Sagar and Zakir, the two siblings and
balloon traders used to pump balloons
by the gas cylinder and sell those on
the road. They went home to take lunch
leaving the cylinder on the footpath in
the afternoon yesterday. The cylinder
exploded when Al Amin was passing by
it, leaving him critically injured, he said.
Locals rushed him to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where
the on-duty doctors declared him dead
around 5pm. The victims body was burnt
and mutilated due to the explosion.
We suspect that the cylinder got
extra hot due to extreme weather causing sudden explosion, the OC said.
Sagar and Zakir fled the area following
the incident, he added.
Al-Amin, elder among his three siblings, hailed from Haimchar upazila of
Chandpur. He came to the city for higher education. l

94.99% pass NU
honours exams
n Tribune Report

FORECAST FOR TODAY

Dhaka

explosion
n Tribune Report

A man received injury as on-duty doctors attacked him when he protested alleged negligence of doctors that led to the death of his
relative at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barisal
DHAKA TRIBUNE

Left student bodies called a strike at

the corridors of Arts Faculty and Social
Science Faculty in Dhaka University
on May 22 demanding cancellation of
newly launched evening course program by political science department.
The announcement came from a
press briefing held at the DUs Madhur
Canteen yesterday noon by representatives of left student bodies who have
raised a platform to protest evening
courses in the campus.
They also convened a student-teacher solidarity rally today at the campus
and warned of announcing tougher
programs in the future if their demands

were not met. Gobindra Chandra Dash,

activists of Somajtantrik Chhatra Front
read out the written statement.
The government should enhance
budget in the education sector and not
take extra fees from the students, he
said.
Teachers are conspiring against us
through running a mass signature campaign in favour of the night course. He
urged the teachers to perform their actual duties instead of doing these, he
added.
Among others, Sadiqul Islam from
Somajtantrik Chhatra Front, Umme
Habiba, an activist of Chhatra Federation, Mathews Chiran and Habiba Jannat were present. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Monday, May 19, 2014

X-ray machines at RMCH out of order

Patients are getting through untold sufferings
n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi
Health services at Rajshahi Medical
College and Hospital are seriously hampered as two X-ray machines of the radiology department have been out of
order for more than a year.
The patients are forced to go to the
city private clinics for medical tests
which cost them a hefty sum of money.
Besides, the MRI cooling system at
the hospital is also showing trouble for a
long time, and it might cease to function
anytime, said a source in the hospital.

According to sources, on an average

some 20 patients visit the hospital for XRay at the radiology department but both
the X-ray machines went out of order.
Zamal Uddin of Chapainawabganj
told Dhaka Tribune that they obtained
X-ray for his father at a city clinic
spending Tk750 on Sunday, as RMCH
authority failed to provide the service.
Like Zamal many are facing problems to get the services from the hospital every day, said hospital sources.
Acknowledging patients sufferings,
RMCH Deputy Director Mohammad

ASM Barkatullah told to this correspondent over phone that they had already sent a letter to the higher authority for repair the machines.
But we are yet to get any response
about it, he added.
He, however, claimed that RMCH director is now at the capital to push the
matter forward.
Despite the assurance from the hospital authority that the services will be
available soon, patients cannot build
hope.
They alleged that it is a sheer irre-

sponsibility of RMCH authorities who

seem reluctant to address the issue in
no time. They demanded immediate
steps to solve the problem.
On the other hand a source in the
hospital said the more three machines
have already crossed their expiration
time one year ago. The hospital needs
new machines for delivering smooth
services to the patients, added sources.
When contacted, RMCH Director
AKM Nasir Uddin said:RMCH fails to
repair these instruments due to a fund
crisis. l

Abducted man rescued

n Our Correspondent, Gazipur

Police rescued an abducted businessman from a jungle in the Hartakitala

area under the Kaliakoir upazila of
Gazipur, on Saturday night. He had
been kidnapped for ransom earlier on
the same day.
The rescued businessman, Abdullah Al Kaiser, 36, is a contractor and
the son of Abdullah Al Kafi from
the
Radhakanai
village
of
Mymensingh.
The law enforcers arrested five persons, Shamon Mia, 25, Syed Munna
Rizvi, 21, Arong Khan, 23, Habibur Rahman, 23, and Syed Rahat Hossain, 23,
all from the Rasulpur area, while they

were collecting the ransom from the

victims wife.
According to police sources, Shamon and four others abducted Kaiser
from near his house and kept him tiedup in a jungle in the Rasulpur area.
They demanded Tk3 lakh as ransom
from Tajnuba, victims wife, over the
phone.
Kaliakoir police station Sub-Inspector Rajib Khan said: On receiving this
information, the police rushed to the
Chandra and arrested Shamon while
he was collecting the ransom from Tajnuba.
We rescued Kaiser and arrested the
five involved with the incident, the SI
said. l

20,000 ethnic people

get benefits cultivating
fruits, vegetables
n Tribune Desk
Farming of vegetables and fruits has
changed the lives of 20,000 ethnic people at Pharua, a small hamlet surrounded by hillocks and Kaptai Lake under Bilaichhari upazila of Rangamati district.
In the past, the people of this locality used to survive by cultivating jhum
and planting teak for the forest department, reports BSS.

The government should

pay attention soon to
peoples demand to
facilitate them to live a
better life
They could not produce any kind of
vegetables and fruist because of the restriction imposed by the forest department on their production.
But cultivation of ginger, turmeric,
banana and different varieties of fruits
following lifting of the ban on their production has opened a window of new
opportunities to improve their standard of living.
Vegetables and fruits they produce

now find ways to different markets at

upazila and district headquarters as
well as Kaptai.
Sale proceeds of these products help
them to meet many demands of their life.
Some ethnic people of the apparent
detached habitat said construction of two
roads to link Pharua with Bilaichhari and
Razasthali upazila headquarters would
greatly expand the markets of their vegetables and fruits and fetch fair prices.
They pointed out that water route
from Pharua to upwards remain navigable for six months a year. Former
chairman of Rangamati Hill District
Council, Rabindra Lal Chakma Suzan,
also a traditional leader, and a resident
of Bilaichhari echoed the same.
They said the government should
pay attention soon to peoples demand
to facilitate them to live a better life.
The villagers supply their products
to the upazila headquarters and other
places by water route during this period.
Pharua, located at the heart of the
Raingkhiong reserved forests, can play
a vital role in meeting the vegetable demand of the district, if communication
network could be developed, demanded by the locals. l

A huge number of trees were uprooted yesterday as a norwester lashed different parts of Fulbaria upazila in Mymensingh district

30 hurt in clash in
Rajshahi fishermen face insecure future
Sunamganj
n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi onoi, Fokinni and Shiva, and many Mainul Islam, 30, is one of 107
throughout
n Our Correspondent, Sunamganj Drying-up of the Padma and the other canals early betterthe year. fishermen GodagarisinPirijpur area
In those
days, apart who started farming a shoal that
At least 30 people were injured when
two villagers engaged in a fierce clash
in the Patharia bazar area of the Sadar
upazila here, yesterday, in an attempt
to establish dominance in the locality.
Five of the injured were admitted to
the Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital in critical conditions and the rest were
taken to the Sunamganj Sadar hospital.
Witnesses said the accident took
place at around 12pm when the residents
of the Patharia village and the Gazinagar
village engaged in a violent clash, using
local weapons, in an attempt to establish
supremacy in the area, leaving a total of
30 people from both sides injured.
On being informed, police and
RAB members rushed to the spot and
quelled the violence.
During the clash, most of the shops
of Patharia bazar were vandalised and
looted by the unruly villagers, claimed
the affected shop owners.
Dakkhin Sunamganj police station
OC Md Al-Amin said the villagers had
been at loggerheads over establishing
dominance in the area for a long time,
and this is what had caused the clash.
The situation is under control and
policemen were deployed in the area
to prevent any further clashes from occurring, the OC continued. l

Abducted
businessman
found dead; 4 held
n Our Correspondent, Coxs Bazar
Police yesterday recovered the decomposed body of an abducted businessman from the slope of a hill near Pahartali police station in Coxs Bazar.
The deceased was identified as Azizul Haque Arzu, 35, son of late Abdul
Aziz. He was abducted on April 9 by a
group of kidnappers.
Later, a case was filed in this connection. The police also arrested four
people, including two women.
Coxs Bazar police station Officer-inCharge Mahfur Rahman said acting on
a tip-off, a team of police conducted a
drive at Pahari area, the den of the kidnappers.
Sensing their presence, kidnappers
opened fire at law enforcers. In retaliation, police also fired back, leaving four
policemen injured. l

Mahananda rivers have been forcing more and more fishermen in

Rajshahi district to leave their profession which they had maintained
over generations.
Finding very few fish in the shallow rivers, most of these poor people now opt for working in croplands.
Earlier, these mighty rivers had
less water only during the dry seasons. But now the Farakka Barrage,
changes in climate condition and siltation have worsened water flow in
Padma, its 12 branches including Bar-

from the fishermen, many others

were benefited by the rivers, especially by transporting goods on
trawlers or boats.
According to official sources at
the Fisheries Department, there
were around 35,000 professional
fishermen in Rajshahi district some
30 years back. The number has
come down to 3,000 while only
2,000 of them are engaged in fishing round the year.
Others go for farming in groups
as they find it too hard to earn bread
for their families through fishing.

became visible recently. He used to

operate an engine-boat earlier and
catch fish.
Since he cannot continue the
profession due to lack of water as
well as fish, he has opted for farming and has engaged his shallowengine in irrigation.
Shakhicharan, 45, of Shekherpara village of the area said he
had been waiting for the monsoon
when he might get some fish. Until
then, he is carrying the cost of his
family through working in the land
of others. l

Villagers were locked in a clash yesterday at Patharia Bazar area in Sunamganj Sadar upazila over establishing supremacy in
the locality
DHAKA TRIBUNE

Man to walk gallows for

murder in Coxs Bazar
n Our Correspondent, Coxs Bazar
A court here yesterday sentenced a
man to death for killing his wife in
2003.
The convict is Belal Uddin, 37, son
of Jafar Ahmed, of Barbakia area in
Pekua upazila of the district.
Coxs Bazar Women and Children
Repression Prevention Tribunals district and session judge Md Sajedul Ka-

rim handed down the verdict in presence of the convict.

According to the case statement,
the body of Fatema Begum, wife of
Belal, was recovered from a nearby
pond of his house on July 27, 2003.
In the incident, Fatemas father Akbar Ahmad filed a case accusing Belal.
After examining all witness and
evidence, the court pronounced the
verdict to him. l

Kali temple
vandalised
n Our Correspondent,
Madaripur

Unidentified miscreants damaged several deities in a Hindu

temple in Razoir of the district
early yesterday.
Police said the culprits
would be given exemplary
punishment following an investigation. Devotees found
several deities and a temporary
establishment vandalised. l

FOCUS BANGLA

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Special

Monday, May 19, 2014

Politics everywhere
is centered on personalities

Glenn Cowan is a cofounder and

principal of Democracy International
(DI). One of DIs surveys on the political
situation of Bangladesh during the
January 5 national polls has been widely
discussed in various circles. The survey
results were published on February 2.
Cowan is an expert on public opinion research, political organisation, advocacy,
legislative processes, local government,
election administration and monitoring,
and vote count verification.

Cowan recently came to Bangladesh,

and during his stay he sat for an
exclusive interview with Dhaka Tribunes
Mohammad Al Masum Molla

Over the past three decades he has advised government agencies, legislatures,
political parties, candidates, trade associations, and corporate and non-profit
clients in the US and around the world including USAid, the US State Department,
the UN, and the Asia Foundation.
Democracy International operates in
nearly 60 countries around the world including Bangladesh. Cowan has designed,
managed, evaluated, and advised on democracy and governance programmes in
40 countries.

In your professional journey, did

you find anything that is unique to
Bangladeshs social context only?
The public opinion in Bangladesh can
change quite dramatically within a
very short period of time. We have
done surveys that have been separated by perhaps as few as 90 days, and
within that 90 day period, we found
that the most important issue to a majority of the respondents had changed.
In one period it was the economy, and
by the next period it was education.
This happened with such regularity that on one or two occasions we
assumed that there may have been
some errors in the way we conducted
the surveys, and we had to go back
and recheck the procedure.

separate constituencies, and the surveys usually do not show which parliamentary candidates are doing well
in a certain district. So, these surveys
dont affect specific voting behaviour
in that respect, but they may affect
general public opinion to a degree.
In the cases of a United States or
Mexico, where there are strong presidential systems, a survey may influence how people look upon singular
candidates or political parties.

What is your view of the situation in

Bangladesh after the January 5 poll?
We did a survey on it, you know. The
most important thing it showed is:
had that been a participatory election, it would have been competitive.

It has been argued that politics here is

too centred on personalities. However, politics everywhere is centred on
personalities. It can be argued that the
problem with politics in Bangladesh
is actually the personalities of the
two leaders. The parties have political
structures that go beyond the leaders,
and those political structures have the
ability to make political judgments
about how they want to participate.
If you look at the history, until the
most recent elections, the leadership
has switched back and forth between
the two political parties this is a general sign of a very active and vibrant
political scenario. So I dont think there
is reason now to feel that the competition between these parties has, or may
come to an end; I think it will continue.

How can the DI impact the seemingly

perpetual competition between the
two major political parties?

We do not have a political agenda, nor do we

favour one political party over another. The only
issue we support is democratic practice over non
democratic practice

We discovered that events affect

the public perception directly, and
people are paying keen attention. For
example, in one of the surveys when
all of a sudden education was the
most important topic, we realised that
the timing of school exams happened
to occur just as we were doing the
survey, hence the exam was in the
forefront of the public conscience, and
the surveys reflected that. This is also
true for politics in the sense that the
people dont have a fixed view on who
they support, and for what reason
they support them for; but that events
in the economy, and the environment
absolutely affects how they think
about politics.

Whether or not one party or the

other would have won is impossible
to gauge from a post election survey
even though the survey happened
right after the actual elections.
People are affected by what
happened. What they told us in the
survey perhaps had more to do with
the political events in comparison to
what people may have been thinking
at the actual date of the election. Nevertheless, it still showed that there is a
great deal of support for a competitive
process, and had the opposition chosen to run, they certainly would have
captured many seats. Whether they
would have captured the majority
we do not know.

What in your opinion are the impacts

of surveys? Do, and can they affect
election results?

Do you think the current political

situation is stable?

Opinion surveys can affect the various

ways different people think in. For example, it is a general pattern that people like to take sides with the winners.
This is true globally. If a survey shows
that a certain politician or political
party is doing well, then there may be
a tendency that people may vote for
that certain individual or group.
However, this is less effective for
parliamentary systems compared
to the presidential system. In the
parliamentary system, people vote in

The current political situation is as stable as the political players permit it to

be. At the moment it appears so. But,
both major political parties in the past
have used instability as a weapon.
I think it is generally agreed that
it is an unfortunate political choice,
and that the right way to participate in
politics is to compete at the polls not
on the streets.

What do you think are the problems

with democracy in Bangladesh?

At the end of the day political parties

receive votes for two reasons: because
of the candidates that they put in
front of the people, and because of the
issues that they support. Both of those
can be determined to some degree
through public opinion research.
It is harder to use survey research
to determine which candidates to put
up for the parliamentary elections.
Issues, on the other hand, can be
determined through surveys, and the
political parties can listen to what
people are telling them in terms of
what issues the parties should address. The parties can adopt policies
that addresses the issues of public
concern, and can run campaigns so
that the population understands who
approaches these issues in what way.
We will work on these sectors try
and determine what people think, what
policies they support, what mechanisms they want, how parties can reach
voters and engage them all of these
are not as much about elections as they
are about establishing party platforms,
party manifestos that get voters to
think that this a party to support.

Does DI conduct purposive surveys?

Well, we could do that you are right.
It is possible to manipulate questions,
to manipulate the order in which
the questions are asked. We can also
manipulate the people the questions
are asked to.
But, we do not have a political
agenda, nor do we favour one political
party over another. The only issue we
support is democratic practice over
nondemocratic practice. So, we do not
have a position on education or agriculture or industrial development. We
support only democratic progress. So,
it would not serve us, at all, to try and
manipulate the integrity of the survey.

One of the questions in one of your

surveys was: Is the country heading
towards the right direction? How does
anyone answer that question?

This is a question asked everywhere

in the world. It has a very particular
meaning based on the political context in which the question is asked.
You would need to know about what
right or wrong is for the people of that
certain locale.
I am not entirely convinced that
that question, here, had very much
to do with the recent election; it had
more to do with the state of the economy at that moment as well as other
social factors. It is a very generalised
question that is very easy to answer
for the respondent it does not
require any forethought. It is basically
like saying: Hello, how are you? It is
just a nice and easy question.

There are allegations that not only

the common people but also the
civil society here in this country
is politically divided. Do you have
any plans to conduct a survey for
unearthing peoples perception about
the civil society groups?
Civil society can certainly act politically, but I think that they tend to
act politically based on the particular
issue they are organised around. For
example, organised labour is a civil society organisation, and their political
orientation hinges on how the political
establishment affects the labourforce
as a singular being, and what expectations the labour organisations have
from the politicians.
Our work is much more politicsoriented. We look at democratic practice
of political organisations not of civil
society organisations. Our concern
is how the political organisations
construct their own organogram, and
how they implement it. Even then,

How would you evaluate our political

parties as organisations?
There is no question that the political parties had a highly centralised
decision making processes in the past.
However, in the last four or five years
they have decentralised that process.
We have witnessed hundreds of
districtlevel party conventions where
literally tens of thousands of people
have come from all over the country
to speak with their party leaders about
issues that are of concern to them.
We have found the parties to be
very open to the idea of new membership, and younger people are getting
engaged in politics. It is our continuous goal to increase the openness with
which their parties determine their
policies and pick their leaders.

What are your views about religion

based politics in Bangladesh?
The issue of religionbased politics
is difficult to deal with not just here,
or in Muslim majority countries, but
everywhere where religion plays a
significant role in the civic life. There
can be a conflict between civic and
religious experiences and civic and
religious authorities. We do not have
any opinion as to what the role of religion in politics ought to be. We think
that these decisions should be reached
democratically, by open, free discussion and voting, and should not be
determined by religious organisations.
We are observing that same kind of
conflict throughout the Middle East
right now. As the Arabspringcountries begin to grapple with exactly
what it means to have a free and fair
vote, what the countries want to

We have found the parties to be very open to the

idea of new membership, and younger people are
getting engaged in politics

we have no ability whatsoever to

insist that the political parties do
anything in a certain way, what we can
do is research how reinforced internal
democracy might make them stronger
political forces. Whether they take
heed of our findings and suggestions is
up to them.
We believe that the process through
which political parties determine their
policies ought to be an open process.
But the parties have to be convinced
that an open process is more likely to
result in political success. We use our
surveys to show that.

try and avoid is what happened in

Algeria a few decades ago where a
religionbased party was able to prevail through the ballot boxes, but the
Army decided and acted otherwise
100,000 people died as a result of that
conflict.
It is the conflict between civil and
religious rule that we want to avoid
at all costs. I think Bangladesh is a
country where this is not a principal
problem. To a degree, it is an underlying problem in the social context, but
it is much less of a problem here than
in many other countries. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Monday, May 19, 2014

Iran: Nuclear deal

still possible
n AFP, Tehran

People mourn their relatives at the cemetery where some of the 301 people killed after an explosion in a coal mine were buried

Erdogan fracas as Turkey

mourns mine victims
n Reuters, Turkey

Flanked by half a dozen body guards,

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan turns towards a crowd baying for
his resignation in a mining town still
shocked and grieving after the country's worst industrial disaster.
Stern-faced and wagging his finger,
he remonstrates with several men before leaning towards them over a police
barricade and delivering a warning.
"Don't be rude," he says, according
to mobile phone footage captured by a
member of the public and broadcast by
the Dogan news agency. "If you boo the
prime minister of this country, you'll
get a slap."
"Come here and jeer at me!" he
dares another demonstrator before his
entourage forces its way into a supermarket. Grainy footage from a second
phone shows him apparently slapping

a man in a blue T-shirt, who then drops

to the floor next to an ice cream freezer
as he is punched and kicked by suited
bodyguards.
The man, Taner Kurucan, later said
Erdogan had been unable to control
himself in the heat of the moment and
had given him an "involuntary slap".
Erdogan's aides denied he struck
anyone, but the fracas set in stark relief
the impulsive tendencies of a man who
has dominated Turkish politics for over
a decade, and who takes criticism of his
leadership as a deep personal affront.
The disaster has sparked small-scale
protests in cities around the country
from demonstrators angry at what they
see as the cosiness of Erdogan's AK Party with tycoons, its failure to ensure the
safety of workers, and his insensitivity.
Meanwhle, Turkish police have detained 18 people, including mining
company executives and personnel, as

AFP

part of an investigation into the disaster, CNN Turk and other broadcasters
reported yesterday.
The rescue operation at the coal
mine, in the western town of Soma,
ended on Saturday after the bodies of
the last two workers were carried out,
bringing the death toll in Turkeys
worst industrial accident to 301.
The disaster occurred on Tuesday
when a fire sent deadly carbon monoxide coursing through the mine, operated by Soma Madencilik.
A police official told Reuters that
local prosecutors were questioning
the company employees at a Soma
court house. He was unable to give
further details.
Police put the town of Soma on virtual
lockdown on Saturday, setting up checkpoints and detaining dozens of people to
enforce a ban on protests. Security in the
town remained tight on Sunday. l

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad

Javad Zarif said yesterday that clinching a final nuclear deal with world powers is still possible, despite a tough
round of talks this week.
Agreement is possible. But illusions
need to go. Opportunity shouldnt be
missed again like in 2005, Zarif wrote
on Twitter, referring to Irans longstalled dispute with world powers over
its suspect nuclear programme.
Iran and six world powers ended a
fourth round of nuclear talks in Vienna
on Friday with no tangible progress.
Britain, China, France, Russia, the
United States and Germany known as
the P5+1 group want Iran to radically
scale back its nuclear activities, making
any dash for an atomic bomb virtually
impossible and easily detectable.
The parties want to clinch an accord
by July 20, when a November interim
deal expires, under which Iran froze
certain activities in return for some relief from crippling Western sanctions.
In return for further concessions, the
Islamic republic, which denies seeking
an atomic weapon, wants the lifting of
all UN and Western sanctions, which
have badly damaged its economy.
The fourth round of talks between
Iran and the P5+1 ended on Friday
with both sides complaining that major gaps remained ahead of the July 20
deadline. Huge gaps remain, there is
really more realism needed on the other side, a Western diplomat said. We
had expected a little more flexibility on
their side.
On Sunday, Irans English-language
Press TV cited the countrys deputy
foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, as
saying that the next round of talks were
to be held in Vienna on June 16-20.
Ali Akbar Velayati, foreign policy
adviser to Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was upbeat about
the prospects of an agreement being
reached. I am hopeful that the talks
will yield positive results. l

It's a bird, a plane...a car?

n Agencies
The short list of possible gifts for the Man
Who Has Everything now is a bit longer, as
the PAL-V One, a three-wheeled car that
doubles as a two-seat gyrocopter, heads
for production, BBC reported.
The bullet-shaped PAL-V, which looks like
it sprang fully formed from the head of Ian
Fleming, is the latest attempt to breed a
mythical mutt: the flying car.
Made by PAL-V Europe NV, based in
Raamsdonksveer in the Netherlands,
the PAL-V (which stands for Personal Air
and Land Vehicle) uses an autogyro flight
system, with a 230-horsepower gasoline
engine spinning a rear-facing propeller and
an auto-rotating, retractable main rotor to
generate lift.
Two breakthroughs helped PAL-V Europe fulfill its James Bond-ian ambitions:
the increased availability of cutting-edge
composite materials, which enabled
designers to fashion a craft light enough to
fly yet strong enough for the rigors of road
use; and a mechanical-hydraulic articulated rear suspension, which enables the
craft to lean into turns like a motorcycle
boosting stability despite a high centre
of gravity.
Before this technology, a threewheeled car with a high centre of gravity
couldnt drive safely, says Robert Dingemanse, chief executive officer of PAL-V
Europe.

Israeli negotiator under Africa vows total war on Boko Haram

attack for meeting Abbas n
Reuters, Paris

n AFP, Jerusalem
Israels chief negotiator Tzipi Livni
came under attack yesterday for talks
with Palestinian president Mahmud
Abbas, with senior officials insisting
there was no intention to resume peace
negotiations.
Thursdays meeting in London was
the first between the two sides since
the collapse last month of the latest
round of talks, and came after both
held separate talks with US Secretary
of State John Kerry.
But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office and ministers quickly
moved to distance themselves from
the Livni-Abbas meeting, insisting it
was private and did not signal any official intention to resume talks with the
Palestinians.
Israel pulled out of the talks in midApril, saying it would not negotiate
with any Palestinian government supported by Hamas after the leadership in
the West Bank signed a unity deal with
the rival Islamist rulers of Gaza, who
are committed to the destruction of the
Jewish state.
Although Netanyahu was reportedly
angered by the meeting, he knew about
it in advance and communicated his

concerns to Livni, an official in his office said, the implication being that he
had not moved to block the talks.
Prime Minister Netanyahu made
clear to Minister Livni even before her
meeting with Abu Mazen (Abbas) that
she would be representing only herself
and not the government of Israel, the
official said.
Netanyahu made it clear to Minister
Livni that Israels position, as decided
unanimously by the (security) cabinet,
was that the Israeli government will not
conduct negotiations with a Palestinian
government supported by Hamas, a terror organisation whose declared intention is the destruction of Israel.
Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz,
a hardliner close to Netanyahu, was
quick to criticise Livni.
I dont know of any civilised Western country where a minister would
meet, on his own initiative, the head of
an authority or state in a period of crisis
and tension, he said at the start of the
cabinet meeting, in remarks broadcast
on army radio. It doesnt look good
and it isnt right.
Speaking on Channel 2s Meet the
Press on Saturday, Foreign Minister
Avigdor Lieberman also insisted the
meeting had been private. l

West African leaders agreed to work together to wage total war on Boko Haram saying the Nigerian Islamist group
had become a regional al Qaeda that
threatened all of them.
Nigerias neighbors Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin, and Western
officials, met in Paris to flesh out a
plan enabling them for the first time
to share intelligence, coordinate action
and monitor borders.
Although Boko Haram has been
fighting for five years, carrying out
bombings and attacks on civilians and
the security forces, the kidnapping last
month of more than 200 girls from a
school in the northeast has focused
world attention on them.

Boko Haram is no longer a local terrorist group, it is operating clearly as an

al Qaeda operation, it is an al Qaeda of
West Africa, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan told a news conference
in Paris following the meeting.
We have shown our commitment
for a regional approach. Without West
African countries coming together we
will not be able to crush these terrorists, he said.
Outrage over the mass abduction has
prompted Nigerian President Goodluck
Jonathan - criticized at home and abroad
for his governments slow response - to
accept US, British and French intelligence help in the hunt for the girls.
British Foreign Minister William
Hague, speaking before the start of a
meeting, said the Nigerian military was

not organized in a way to deal effectively with the group, and offered military advisers to help structure them.
There is determination to tackle this situation head on ... to launch
a war, a total war on Boko Haram,
Chads President Idriss Deby said.
The countries agreed to launch coordinated patrols and rescue operations,
share intelligence, put in place a mechanism to prevent weapons smuggling
and monitor borders. Intelligence services and army heads would also meet
soon to come up with a region-wide
strategy to fight terrorism.
The threat is serious and dangerous for the region, Africa and Europe,
French President Francois Hollande
said, although no concrete operational
measures were announced. l

Brazil prisoners take 122 hostages

n Agencies
Inmates have taken 122 hostages in a
prison in Brazils northeastern state of
Sergipe, AFP reported yesterday quoting a prison spokeswoman.
Sandra Melo, said on Sunday that
negotiations had started for the release
of the hostages, who were mainly visitors to the Advogado Jacinto Filho pris-

on, near Aracaju city.

The hostages were taken during a
riot on Saturday that had later calmed,
Melo added.
The riot is only in one wing of the
prison, Melo said, adding that mostly
visiting relatives of the inmates were
among the hostages.
We dont believe that the inmates
will hurt their own relatives, Mauricio

Iunes, the head of military police in the

state of Sergipe, told the G1 news website.
Four prison guards were also held
captive. They are being threatened inside there, said Iunes.
Brazils
prison
population
is
548,000, but the country has space for
only 340,000, according to Conectas, an
NGO specialising in inmate rights. l

The PAL-Vs top speed in the air or on

the ground is 112mph. In car guise, the
PAL-V returns a manufacturer-claimed
28mpg, with a cruising range of 750 miles;
as an autogyro, consumption is 9.5 gallons
per hour, with a flying range of up to 315
miles. Converting the vehicle from one
mode to the other takes 10 minutes.
Alas, the PAL-V cannot magically fly
out of a traffic jam; it requires 540ft of
runway to take off and 100ft to land. But
it flies below 4,000ft, so interfering with
commercial air traffic is not an issue.
As for safety, the PAL-V cannot stall like
fixed-wing aircraft (though it cant hover or
take off vertically like a helicopter, either).
If the engine fails, the craft still can land
safely thanks to the lift generated by its
auto-rotating main rotor.
Dingemanse says the company currently is taking orders only from customers in
the Netherlands; he expects the company
to accept international orders this fall.
While he wouldnt disclose how many
orders the company has received to date,
Dingemanse says the first PAL-Vs will
be delivered in 2016, with a maximum
production capability of 150 units per year
for the first two or three years.
As always, freedom isnt free; the PAL-V
One commands a cool $395,000. For that
not-inconsiderable sum, you could fly a
new Cessna 172 single-engine airplane or
drive a Lamborghini Aventador. But the
PAL-V does both. l

Egypt court jails

126 Morsi backers
for 10 years
n AFP, Cairo
An Egyptian court yesterday sentenced
126 supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi to 10 years in
prison each over protest violence, judicial sources said.
They were found guilty of taking
part in riots, attacking security forces
and participating in violent clashes on
August 16, two days after police killed
hundreds of Morsi supporters in Cairo.
They were also charged of membership in a banned group, a reference to
Morsis Muslim Brotherhood.
The army-installed government has
rounded up thousands of Morsi supporters and put them on mass trials
since his ouster in July last year.
The court in the Kafr El-Sheikh governorate north of Cairo also sentenced
six other people to one year in prison
each, although the charges against
them were not immediately available.
But judicial sources said that the
132 people standing in Sundays trial
were also fined 1,000 Egyptian pounds
(about $143 and 111 euros) each.
A relentless crackdown on Morsis
supporters have killed more than 1,400
people, while hundreds have also been
sentenced to death after speedy trials. l

In taking Crimea, Putin gains a

sea of fuel reserves
n Agencies
When Russia seized Crimea in March,
it acquired not just the Crimean landmass but also a maritime zone more
than three times its size with the rights
to underwater resources potentially
worth trillions of dollars.
Russia portrayed the takeover as
reclamation of its rightful territory,
drawing no attention to the oil and gas
rush that had recently been heating up
in the Black Sea. But the move also extended Russias maritime boundaries,
quietly giving Russia dominion over
vast oil and gas reserves while dealing
a crippling blow to Ukraines hopes for
energy independence.
Russia did so under an international
accord that gives nations sovereignty
over areas up to 230 miles from their
shorelines. It had tried, unsuccessfully, to gain access to energy resources
in the same territory in a pact with
Ukraine less than two years earlier.
Its a big deal, said Carol R Saivetz,

a Eurasian expert in the Security Studies Program of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It deprives Ukraine
of the possibility of developing these
resources and gives them to Russia.
In Moscow, a spokesman for President Vladimir V Putin said there was
no connection between the annexation and energy resources, adding
that Russia did not even care about
the oil and gas. Compared to all the
potential Russia has got, there was no
interest there, the spokesman, Dmitry
Peskov, said on Saturday.

Redividing the Black Sea

Russias annexation of Crimea also

gives Russia control of a large swath
of the Black Sea, including deep oil reserves. Oil analysts said that mounting
economic sanctions could slow Russias exploitation of its Black and Azov
Sea annexations by reducing access to
Western financing and technology. But
they noted that Russia had already taken over the Crimean arm of Ukraines

national gas company, instantly giving Russia exploratory gear on the

Black Sea.
Russias in a mood to behave aggressively, said Vladimir Socor, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, a research group in Washington
that follows Eurasian affairs. Its already seized two drilling rigs.
The global hunt for fossil fuels has
increasingly gone offshore, to places
like the Atlantic Ocean off Brazil, the
Gulf of Mexico and the South China
Sea. Hundreds of oil rigs dot the Caspian, a few hundred miles east of the
Black Sea.
Many nations have challenged Russias seizing of Crimea and thus the legality of its Black and Azov Sea claims.
But Romania Libera, a newspaper in
Bucharest, quoted analysts as judging
that the other countries bordering the
Black Sea Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria
and Romania would tacitly recognize
the annexation in order to avoid an
open conflict. l

A Crimean Tatar boy lights a candle during a memorial ceremony in Kiev on May 17, held on the 70th anniversary of the deportation of
Tatars from Crimea. Crimeas Tatars commemorate this weekend 70 years since their deportation by Soviet dictator Stalin with a major
day of mourning that this year will be marked by tensions over Moscows annexation of the peninsula. Local authorities have not granted
permission for the usual gathering on the main square in Simferopol
AFP

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Monday, May 19, 2014

Modis cabinet: Home for Rajnath, finance for Jaitley?

n Agencies
Moments after BJPs parliamentary
meet was concluded, Narendra Modi
urged Rajnath Singh to accompany him
to Varanasi. The BJP President had other work lined up in the day. Nevertheless, he cancelled all plans and decided
to go with Modi.
More than a symbolic gesture that of having his partys president by
his side while he performs the widely-watched Ganga aarti - Modi and
Rajnath decided to do the Varanasi
trip together to discuss the look of
the Cabinet, say sources. Also, BJPs
PM nominee was keen on convincing Singh to take up a portfolio in the
cabinet - possibly home.
A BJP leader told Firstpost on the
condition of anonymity that the first
person to take oath after Narendra
Modi is sworn in as the Prime Minister,
will be Rajnath Singh. By doing that,
Modi will send out a strong message
that Rajnath Singh will come second,
only after him, in the power hierarchy.
The process that leads to Modi assuming office as the countrys Prime
Minister will be set in motion on Tuesday. The 285 BJP MPs will then elect
Modi as their Prime Minister. A meeting
of allies who are part of the NDA, will
be then held. Following that, a group

Congress: No
support to AAP
again in Delhi
n Agencies
Delhi Congress said yesterday it would
prefer fresh election in the city to supporting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
again to form a government as favoured
by a section of AAP MLAs following the
drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls.
Chief spokesperson of Delhi Congress Mukesh Sharma said AAP has no
moral right to talk about formation of a
government in Delhi again after it went
to the Supreme Court seeking dissolution of the assembly and demanding
fresh election.
There is no question of extending
support to AAP to form a government
again. Arvind Kejriwal had deserted
people of Delhi by resorting to theatrics.
He had gone to the Supreme Court seeking dissolution of the House. We will not
support the party again, Sharma said.
After its spectacular performance
in the assembly polls, the AAP drew a
blank in the Lok Sabha polls though its
candidate came second in all the seven constituencies, relegating all the
sitting Congress MPs including Kapil
Sibal, Ajay Maken and Krishna Tirath
to the third position.
Kejriwal quit the government and
left the people of Delhi in a lurch to gain
political mileage in the Lok Sabha polls.
As they did not succeed in the Lok Sabha
polls, they are talking about forming
government again, said Sharma.
In the Lok Sabha polls, BJP not only
won all the seven seats but also came
first in 60 assembly segments out of 70
while AAP occupied top position only
in 10 assembly segments. l

The Indian Parliament

BJP

Indian
National
Congress

Hindu
nationalists

282

217
other
parties

543
Seats

44

Source: Election Commission of India

of NDA leaders led by Narendra Modi,

LK Advani and Rajnath Singh will meet
President Pranab Mukherjee and stake
claim on the new government.
After a long time, Modi is trying to
turn another political philosophy into a
reality - the idea that forming the council of ministers is only the Prime Ministers prerogative. Sources say that Modi
has been consulting his confidantes
Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Nitin
Gadkari to decide on his cabinet, but
no one knows for sure what he has in
mind as of now.
Though there has been widespread
speculations about the RSS involve-

ment and the leaders of the Hindutva

outfit have also made their presence
felt, they might not have a great say in
the cabinet formation, if Modis style of
functioning is anything to go by.
On the other hand, Arun Jaitley defeat in the polls will not affect his prospects within the BJP. Rajnath Singh
has officially stated that the party will
make the most of his expertise. Given
that he is still a Rajya Sabha MP, he
might still be a part of Modis cabinet.
Unless something completely unforeseen happens, Jaitley is all set to be the
next Finance Minister of India.
Sources in the BJP have said that

More lawmakers
charged with crime
n Reuters, New Delhi
More legislators charged with crimes
will sit in Indias new parliament than
previously, a democracy watchdog said
yesterday, in a reminder that crime still
pays in the worlds largest democracy.
Prime
minister-elect
Narendra
Modi, who made fighting graft a central plank of his victorious campaign,
won a stunning mandate to govern
India by claiming the first clear majority in three decades. But many of his
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) colleagues
elected to the new parliament faces serious criminal charges. Four out of the
nine legislators who face murder cases
come from his party.
Thirty-four percent of the winners
in Indias election have criminal cases
pending against them, four percentage
points more than in 2009, analysis of
the candidates affidavits by the Association for Democratic Reforms found.
Of that, 21 percent were charged

with serious crimes such as murder,

kidnapping and sexual assault, up
from 15 percent in the last election, the
group said.
In India, political parties are more
likely to field criminals who are able to
pay their own way. Election expenses
have soared, with as much as $5 billion estimated to have been spent in
this election.
Moreover, criminals are often winners, with voters choosing candidates
they think will take care of their parochial interests when the state isnt able
to, analysts say.
Criminals who have easy access to
liquid forms of financing can see politics as a lucrative career.
Many of these deep-pocketed candidates view the money they must
spend on elections ... as a down payment on an investment that offers serious returns, Milan Vaishnav of the
Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace wrote in a recent commentary. l

Indian prime-minister elect Narendra Modi (R) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader Lal Krishna Advani gesture to the press at
Gujarat bhawan in New Delhi on May 18. Modi summoned senior party leaders yesterday for talks on building a new government AFP
Sushma Swaraj wants to head the external affairs ministry. The foreign ministry is one of the most significant ministries of the country and is especially
of great importance to Modi, given his
history of discord with the West. The

external affairs minister also become

a part of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). However, given Swarajs
conflicted relationship with Modi, it
is not clear what role she would get to
play in the government, her expertise

West starts awkward embrace of Modi

n AFP, Washington
Narendra Modis crushing victory inIndias elections presents an awkward
task for Western powers who shunned
the Hindu nationalist leader for years
but see New Delhi as a crucial partner.
US President Barack Obama and
other Western leaders invited the
incoming prime minister to visit in
congratulatory telephone calls and
stressed common interests with the
worlds largest democracy after Modis
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won Indias widest victory in three decades.
The same governments until recently treated Modi as a pariah due to
accusations the Gujarat state leader
turned a blind eye or worse to deadly
anti-Muslim riots in 2002. The United
States in 2005 refused him a visa on human rights grounds
US officials are painfully aware that
they are at a real disadvantage by not
having a relationship with Modi or really knowing him, said Milan Vaishnav
of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. They are going to try
to remedy that as quickly as possible.

Other Western nations moved more

swiftly to court Modi, with the British
and French ambassadors visiting him
well before the elections.

Will Modi hold a grudge?

A confidential US diplomatic cable

written during the 2005 visa row, released by the website WikiLeaks,
warned that a BJP with Modi in charge
would be more anti-American and
less cooperative with the US, although
it also predicted that Modi would bring
electoral disaster. But the warming of
the once-distant US-India relationship
largely took place when the BJP was
last in power during the 1998-2004 premiership of Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Modi, who has little foreign policy
experience, recently stated that international relations should be based on
interests rather than individuals a
comment that, US diplomats hope, indicates he will not hold a grudge.
His top campaign promise has been
on the economy, and he courted Western investors in Gujarat even while
governments shunned him.
Modis sweeping majority would al-

low the government to push through

business-friendly changes, although
the BJP has criticized the outgoing governments key reform of opening Indiato foreign retailers such as Walmart.

Common interests

With the West boycotting him, Modi

paid repeated visits to East Asia and
became fixated on bringingIndias development to the level of neighboring
giant China.
Diplomats predict Modi may pay an
early visit to Japan, where Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a fellow nationalist
who won his countrys strongest political mandate in years through economic
promises could be a kindred spirit.
The United States would welcome Indias engagement to its east,
which comes as Obama pursues a pivot strategy of shifting resources to
Asia, where several nations are uneasy
over Chinas rise. However, whatever
the common interests, it remains to be
seen if Modi can forge a personal bond
with foreign leaders. A first opportunity may be at the UN General Assembly
in September in New York. l

Sri Lanka celebrates end of war, blocks commemorations

n AFP, Matara

President Mahinda Rajapakse led celebrations at a major victory parade yesterday to mark the fifth anniversary of
the end of Sri Lankas Tamil separatist
war after commemorations for its victims were blocked.
Most top envoys of Western nations
stayed away from the parade, but a

defiant Rajapakse insisted he would

not bow to pressure from foreign critics who are pushing him to investigate
claims that tens of thousands died in
the final stages of the conflict.
Some governments are blind, deaf
and dumb. They are opposed to our
celebrating this victory, Rajapakse
said in a televised speech from Matara,
his birthplace in the Sinhalese heart-

land of the islands south.

We are not celebrating victory in a
war, we are celebrating peace. Irrespective of who opposes this, or who stays
away, we will always commemorate
this day, he added.
The 37-year conflict effectively ended on May 18, 2009, when troops killed
the leader of the Tamil Tiger rebels, Velupillai Prabhakaran, in a brutal assault

on the northern town of Mullaittivu.

The UN has estimated that at least
100,000 people died in the entire conflict, about 40,000 of them in the final
months of fighting.
Rajapakse however has denied any
civilians died in the finale and is resisting calls for an international inquiry into claims that troops killed thousands of civilians who had been herded

Vietnam stifles new demonstrations as China fumes

n AFP, Hanoi

Vietnamese security forces stifled fresh

protests yesterday over Chinas plans
to drill for oil in contested waters, as
Beijing sent five ships to help evacuate
its nationals from Vietnam following
deadly mass riots last week.
Chinas state media said more than
3,000 of its citizens had already returned home in recent days after the
territorial tensions and riots sent relations between the frequently quarrelsome communist neighbours spiralling
to their lowest point in decades.
Enraged mobs torched or otherwise
damaged hundreds of foreign-owned
businesses last week, killing two Chinese nationals and injuring about 140.
While Chinas deployment of the giant
rig is seen in Vietnam as a grave provocation, the ferocious public reaction appeared to catch authorities by surprise.
Fearing an impact on vital foreign
investment, Vietnamese authorities
took no chances Sunday as activist
groups tried to stage further demonstrations, though they insisted they
would be peaceful.
Hundreds of security personnel
swarmed over streets leading to the
sprawling Chinese embassy in Hanoi,
restricting access to the neighbourhood and other suspected protest sites.
Blogs by civil society groups involved in the protest call said activists
were detained in several areas around
the country or prevented from leaving
their homes.

notwithstanding.
Meanwhile, UP and Bihar are set to
witness strong representation in the
Cabinet, after all those are the states
that literally handed the polls over to
the BJP. l

Exchanges suspended

Policemen ask people to leave a street near to the Chinese embassy in Hanoi. A call
for further anti-China protests appeared to have fizzled in the capital, with authorities
deploying heavy security around the Chinese embassy and other protest sites
AFP

Chinas Xinhua news agency said the

Chinese nationals brought home included 135 people hurt in the unrest
last Tuesday and Wednesday including
16 who were critically injured.
China also said it was dispatching
five ships to bring home even more of
its nationals and would suspend some
bilateral exchanges with its southern
neighbour.
The recent violence was damaging the atmosphere and conditions for
exchanges and cooperation, a foreign
ministry statement said.
The Chinese side as of today... suspended part of its bilateral exchange
plans, it said, without giving specifics
of the plans.
China will see how the situation develops and look into taking
further steps.
China had earlier warned its citizens against travel to Vietnam following what it called the explosion of
violence and has urged its nationals
still in the country to increase safety
precautions.
The oil rig standoff has further poisoned relations between two countries
that have fought territorial skirmishes
in the past and are increasingly at odds
over their South China Sea claims.
Workers demonstrated in 22 of Vietnams 63 provinces last week, according
to the government, with furious mobs
torching foreign-owned factories and enterprises believed to be linked to China or
which employed Chinese personnel.

Hundreds of businesses were hit,

Vietnams government has said.
China is widely accused in Vietnam
of bullying behaviour stretching back
more than 1,000 years, and Hanois
communist government occasionally
allows protesters to vent anger.

Damage control

But the recent outbursts have sent the

government scrambling to limit damage to a developing economy dependent on foreign investment.
We will not allow any acts targeting
foreign investors, businesses or individuals, to ensure that the regrettable
incidents will not be repeated, Dang
Minh Khoi, assistant to Vietnams foreign minister, told reporters Saturday.
Vietnamese officials say more than
300 suspected perpetrators were being
prosecuted.
Vietnams abundant, cheap labour
market attracted $21.6 billion in foreign direct investment in 2013, up from
$16.3 billion the year earlier, according
to government figures.
The recent events could have a longterm impact on its image as a safe place
for investment, said Edmund Malesky,
an expert on Vietnams investment-fuelled development at Duke University.
China, which has refused Hanois demands to remove the Haiyang Shiyou
981 rig, has been roundly criticised for
deploying it given increasing tensions
in the South China Sea, with Washington expressing deep concern over the
potential for the row to escalate. l

into no-fire zones.

Around 7,500 troops took part in Sundays military parade which featured
tanks, gunboats and military aircraft.
Canada, a strong critic of Sri Lankas
war record, boycotted Sundays parade
while the top diplomats from other
Western powers, including the United
States and former colonial power Britain,
were conspicuous by their absence. l

Suu Kyi challenges

Myanmars army
n AP, Mandalay, Myanmar
Myanmars opposition leader Aung San
Suu Kyi yesterday challenged the powerful army to help amend the constitution that is barring her from running
for president in next years elections.
The Nobel laureate said that that the
army is duty-bound to safeguard the
country and should not be involved in
running the administration. Her comments during a rally in the second largest city of Mandalay drew loud cheers.
Myanmar started moving from a half
century of dictatorship to democracy
three years ago, but the army still lurks
heavily in the shadows. The 2008 constitution drawn by the former military
rulers gives the army 25 percent of all
parliamentary seats, allows it to appoint
three cabinet ministers and have veto
power in changing the constitution.
Suu Kyi spent much of the last 20 years
under house arrest, but she has been cozying up to the military since she was
elected to parliament in 2012, in hopes of
winning favors so the constitution could
be changed before the 2015 polls.
An article in the constitution says
anyone whose spouse or children owes
allegiance to a foreign power cannot
become president or vice president.
Suu Kyis sons are British nationals.
Several other provisions are also
under scrutiny for revision, and some
proposed changes would strengthen
self-government in regions of the country dominated by ethnic minorities. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Monday, May 19, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

How many more

deaths will it take?

he official death toll in the launch capsize near Munshiganj has now
reached 55.
Enough is enough. The government and boat operators must
change the shocking culture of neglect for safety which underlies launch
accidents.
We have repeatedly called for passenger safety to be the top priority
for riverboat operations. There have been over 550 passenger launch
accidents in the last 38 years, killing 4,420 people.
Yet, despite hundreds of
probe committees being formed,
hardly anyone has been held
accountable for wrongful deaths.
Every year needless deaths
occur in launch disasters. The
vast majority would be preventable if safety was properly
prioritised. However, not only
are outdated vessels and those
which have suffered structural
flaws in past accidents allowed to
operate with impunity, but passenger and weight limits are routinely breached. Boat owners recklessly
continue to employ incompetent and poorly trained staff.
It is shameful that authorities have failed to hold the system for protecting safety to account. The present government has had more than 5
years in power to address this issue. If it had made it a priority, then the
litany of fatal accidents which saw the Patuakhali-bound MV Shathil 1
capsize just two weeks before Thursdays tragedy at Munshiganj, would
have been stopped.
Business as usual is not acceptable. The government must put
resources into properly inspecting and monitoring vessels so safety rules
can be properly implemented.
Human life is precious. Those who treat it as cheap should be punished.
Negligence and reckless disregard for safety must be prevented.
Operators who fail to put safety first should be put out of business.

Enough is enough.
Negligence and
reckless disregard
for safety must be
prevented

Quality matters, not

pass rates

esults in the recent SSC exams showed a dramatic improvement in

pass rates and GPAs.
While the hard work of pupils and teachers is something to be
celebrated, we need to be sure the country is providing quality education for our children.
Improved test scores do not necessarily indicate actual improvements in education quality. Are students acquiring knowledge and skills
with real value that prepare them for the future, or are they just being
processed to pass tests, which
decline in value as pass rates rise?
Academics and employers
are right to question whether
changes in the grading system
may have artificially inflated pass
rates and grades.
The proof of whether better
pass rates indicate better quality
will be seen in how successful
these graduates are as they continue on to higher education and
compete in the job market.
Far too much education in the
country focuses on meaningless rote learning. And for all the countrys
achievements in increasing primary enrollment, even our basic literacy
rates are still very low.
In the globalised economy, Bangladesh desperately needs a globally
competitive workforce.
Education is the most important strategic investment we have to
make to ensure a better future for our country.
This means not only increasing investment, but improving quality at
all levels and for all age groups.
We should take our cue from Brazil, which plans to double the proportion of its GDP spent on education from 5% of GDP to 10% by 2020.
Presently, Bangladesh spends under 2.5%. We must do better.

Test scores do not

indicate quality.
Students need
knowledge and
skills with real
value

Be heard
Write to Dhaka Tribune
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Lawrence of Brunei

How to solve: Each number in our

CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 10 represents A so fill in A
every time the figure 10 appears.
You them in the appropriate squares in
the main grid, then use your knowledge
of words to work out which letters go in
the missing squares.
Some letters of the alphabet may not
be used.
As you get the letters, fill in other
squares with the same number in the
main grid, and the control grid. Check
off the list of alphabetical letters as you
identify them.

May 13

Osmania
Good article, wrong conclusion. Dont let perfection
be the enemy of the good. Of course everyones
a hypocrite, but so are we readers. Oil supplies
some of the electricity we use either directly or in
the products we consume. Activism has to start
somewhere, and, for Bangladeshi readers, that
means demanding an end to discriminatory laws
in our own country. There is even less excuse for a
supposedly secular society to outlaw homosexuality
than pseudo-religious oil-subsidised tyrannies.
Fahad
This reminds me of the recent #BringBackOurGirls
hashtag and the reaction to that. With people like
Michelle Obama jumping aboard, the immediate
aftermath has been a renewed criticism of the US
drone policy, rather than actually doing something
about the situation. Raising awareness is an
admirable thing and should continue. But when
that takes over the actual cause, without having any
impact on it whatsoever, it needs to be refined and
channeled to its maximum potential.
Shabnaz
Osmania: I do not think that the author is seriously
suggesting a perfect solution, only pointing out
that misguided and half-hearted commitments can
be damaging in their own way. Like you, I think this
is a really good article and particularly important
given the illegality of homosexuality, as well as its
outdated associated taboos, in our country.
Osmania
Shabnaz: Right, but he didnt mention Bangladesh,
did he?
Where we have the unwarranted discriminatory law (thanks to the old colonials, but hey theyve
moved on), and we supposedly have a democracy
that could change things for the better, shouldnt we
try?

Police yet to arrest 3 fired RAB

officers
May 14

Dr Ahsan Habib
Police will come up with a report, or get
testimonies through remand from the phony
people they arrested. That testimony will show
the three RAB officers are not at all involved in it.
So doesnt it seem the real culprit is Judge Miah?
So, no need to arrest them, in which case, the
High Court order was premature.
Akash
These arrests are not going to happen, are they?
Even the courts in Bangladesh have zero
jurisdiction, as far as blind party loyalty is
concerned. A clear indication that the whole
government machinery has been rendered
impotent for those three people, of course. In
that case, whats the point having statutes and
courts? By default then, the parliament is also
defunct (worth a reminder they make the laws
in there!)
This is turning into a banana republic drama.

By closing with Jay Leno who like most car

drivers isnt going to boycott oil any day soon and
using the phrase overblown publicity stunt, the
article comes too close to we should not try. What
good is served by believing something should
change, but then arguing it would be hypocritical
to target Brunei on it? Thats what I meant by
perfection driving out the good.
Farzana
What is particularly amusing is that homosexuality
has always been illegal, even under the British
penal code that Brunei had previously. That same
penal code is why Section 377 in India exists.
Yet, India is celebrated to a ridiculous degree by
the West. While it is commendable that notable
names are taking a stand, they should be doing
it for the right reasons. Want to boycott a brand
that supports homophobia? Boycott brands from
India and Saudi Arabia too, not bans that promote
Sharia (which is effectively what is happening with
the Brunei boycotts now). Better yet, introduce
dialogue instead of short-term glamour projects.
It would be more productive, and is less likely to
receive a backlash from less secular parts of the
world.
riazo
The thing here is Saudi Arabia and the UAE have
always been that way regarding the medieval Sharia
Law. The last thing we want to see is more and more
Muslim countries adopt such a system, since there
is no Quranic basis for Sharia. Sharia is a self-serving, man-made, male interpretation of the Hadith,
based on pre-Islamic Arab Bedouin culture. Hadith
itself has been shown to be self-contradictory and
the fact is it contradicts the Quran. The resultant
Sharia Law is an amalgamation of barbarism totally
unsuitable for all the cultures that Islam has spread
to, like the Indian subcontinent, parts of Africa,
Malaysia, Indonesia, etc.

CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Well-mannered (6)
6 Opening (3)
9 Accustom (5)
10 Eternal city (4)
11 Strikes with the
beak (5)
12 Copy (3)
13 Dealer (6)
15 Narrow beams (4)
18 Encounter (4)
21 Well-matured (6)
24 Metal-bearing rock (3)
25 Fruit of the oak (5)
28 Former Russian ruler (4)
29 Tricks (5)
30 Female bird (3)
31 Obstruct (6)

DOWN
1 Scottish musician (5)
2 United (3)
3 Fortunate (5)
4 Annoy (3)
5 Examine (4)
6 Incite (4)
7 Electrical unit (6)
8 Look narrowly (4)
14 Limb (3)
16 Reluctant (6)
17 Sun personified (3)
19 Uneven as if gnawed
away (5)
20 Time in grammar (5)
21 Destructive insect (4)
22 Incline (4)
23 Moderately hot (4)
26 Drinking vessel (3)
27 Colour (3)

Hindus attacked for

disagreement over Tk5
May 13

VK
Over the years, Bangladesh being a secular
country has become a myth. This situation is a
slap in the face to those who gave their lives in the
struggle for an independent Bangladesh.
WaliulHaqueKhondker
Why werent Sohan, Abu Taher, and Shahjahan
arrested? No mention of that! A group of 100
people attacked and only two arrested excluding
the main culprits? I think the police have got to
improve their performance!
We have water-downed secularism in our constitution and its unfortunate results are visible!

SUDOKU
How to solve: 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 numberrepeating.

Implement Bangla in 15 days

May 14

Is this really practical? While I support Bangla as

it is part of our identity, it is important that we do
not sideline English for practical reasons.
bdguy82

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Chittagong Jamaat
Ameer, 20 others
arrested
May 13

khanadil
How interesting while the police are dilly-dallying on their decision to arrest the
Narayanganj killers, they demonstrate a
great deal of agility in arresting as many
as 20 opposition leaders without any
charge! This is law of the jungle at its
worst!

PEANUTS

YESTERDAYS SOLUTIONS
CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

Boko Haram offers to

swap abducted girls for
prisoners
May 13

Why do we not hear one single Muslim

country demanding the severe punishment of Boko Haram committing
serious crimes in the name of Islam? Why
are only non-Muslims demanding the
release of the abducted girls? I hope I do
not have to conclude that the majority
of Muslims globally agree with religious
extremists like Boko Haram.
Vihan

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Monday, May 19, 2014

Some are more

equal than others
n Syed Ishtiaque Reza

Are we paying enough attention?

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Anyone for waterway safety?

n Towheed Feroze
hile several quarters
in the country were
more interested in
election results in another country, some
of us could not drive out the harrowing
images of dead bodies, especially of
young children, from the latest launch
capsize on the Meghna river.
Sorry to say this, but when so many
unnecessary deaths were hanging over
a nation, with young children among
the victims, certain media houses
decided to give priority to the poll
triumph in India something I failed
to comprehend.
Facing such a tragedy, no other
news should become the top headline
for at least three days. By the third
day, the incident was quite low among
priorities, though this would not have
been the case if a socially established
person had perished. But then,
wealthy or influential people do not
use public launches.
As the ill-fated vessel was salvaged
from the water, it became evident that
this was no boat to withstand seasonal storms, which reportedly caused
it to capsize. For the record, launch
disasters are not new in Bangladesh.
In fact, every year, between March and
September, there is at least one such
incident where either a collision or
a storm results in horrendous loss of
human lives.
Again, for the record, there has
rarely been a single incident where a
disaster-struck water vessel was saved
in the last minute due to the timely
intervention of rescue crafts, simply because we do not have enough

of these specialised boats that can

avert tragedy. Those who survive
either swim to safety or are saved by
residents living on the shore coming
to the rescue with their boats. In cases
of heavy storms, chances of rescue by
fishermen or others are also slim.
What is most reprehensible is the
apathy that the authority shows in implementing rigid safety guidelines.The
reaction to such accidents has become
typecast images of affected families
are shown, the papers and the channels cover the rescue operations plus
the heart-wrenching reactions of the
distraught relatives, a certain amount
of monetary compensation is handed
out by officials sporting grim looks,
and in a few months, all is forgotten.
That is until the next tragedy.

conditions of launches that are often

in dire states. Reportedly, many parts
of the Miraj were coming off during
the salvage operation a testament to
its rickety state. It wont be wrong to
say passengers on water have to rely
totally on fate because if there is a
sudden emergency, immediate rescue
facilities are also absent.
Obviously, securing all routes
immediately involves huge costs, so
the primary emphasis can be on major
routes. Surely, if the government can
be bold enough to declare that it can
raise a substantial amount to construct the Padma Bridge, it can very
well make waterways safer. We are
also curious as to why development
organisations, which have so many
poverty eradication programs, hardly

If the government can raise a substantial amount to

construct the Padma Bridge, it can very well make
waterways safer

Time and again, papers have run

editorials and op-eds asking for
indigenously manufactured basic
safety features in passenger-carrying
vessels on water, but despite so many
deaths, launches lack rudimentary
life-saving equipment. Come to think
of it, if the doomed launch MV Miraj 4
had enough rubber tires, the death toll
would have been lower.
After the recent disaster, several
experts have raised questions over the

ever engage in the improvement of

communication systems, especially
in the waterways that are plagued by
accidents?
To be straightforward we have too
many foreign aid-funded programs for
lifting people from poverty. Its time to
divert some development initiatives to
sectors where support is needed. Obviously, nothing will happen unless the
authority shows a keen interest. The
tragedy of this disaster will also fall in

that stereotyped cycle, and soon, other

events will take over.
The disaster is already old news.
What most civil society pundits are
talking about is how BJPs win in the
Indian elections will impact bilateral
relations in the future. We need to
ask how many talk shows focused on
safety on water after the latest launch
disaster.
I am aghast to find that when
bodies were being recovered with
wails of grieving relatives filling the
air, there were jubilant celebrations in
certain quarters over the Indian poll
results on the belief that a change in
government in another country would
trickle down to some political benefit
locally. When a nation is faced with so
many deaths, the collective clarion call
should be: To hell with politics!
That woman who is holding the
lifeless body of her daughter is on the
verge of insanity; that man who swam
ashore and is taking home the dead
body of his brother travelling with him
is speechless in anguish. Lets try to
understand their pain.
Its funny that no one occupies
major public intersections or brings
out large rallies vocal with fiery
slogans demanding immediate steps to
improve safety on waterways. No one
observes sit-in protests demanding an
explanation for so many lives lost.
Spontaneous uprisings do not
happen for common people dying.
Are we to understand that they
happen solely for political causes with
the pretense that its fuelled by the
masses? l
Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently
working in the development sector.

olice have only recently arrested the three RAB officials who
were sent on forced retirement
from the armed forces for their alleged
involvement in the sensational seven
murders despite a High Court order
and a strong demand from different
quarters. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) did not say anything, and
nothing was clarified by the Ministry
of Defence. But the state minister for
home and the police super of Narayanganj continuously assured people that
the legal process to arrest the three
Rab officials was underway.
It was visible that the police department was in a quandary about how
to arrest these three accused, despite
the order from the High Court. Amidst
severe criticism from various quarters,
the top officials of the government
said necessary steps would be taken
on completion of the process. No one
was sure when the process would be
completed.
George Orwell would recognise
this symbolic episode in which the
government had already signaled that
some animals were more equal than
others, straight out of Animal Farm.
The governments attitude towards
the case has once again reminded the
nation that these three were not any
ordinary citizen.
The entire process after the gruesome seven murders in Narayanganj
made us recall of the famous Orwellian quote: All animals are equal, but
some animals are more equal than
others.
We can imagine the implications of
this sort of deliberate procedural delay in arresting the accused persons
who have very strong backgrounds
or connections. There seems to exist
a two-tier legal system in the country:
One system for the people of privilege,
and another for every Tom, Dick, and
Harry. But we can resolutely say that
giving preferential treatment to a few
will lead to chaos in the overall justice
system.
The Narayanganj murders exposed
the brutal characteristics of politics as
well law enforcement. People expect
drastic action against the culprits. But
the drama so far played in nabbing the
accused raised questions about faith
in the overall legal system. The main
accused, Nur Hossain, was not arrested immediately after the incident
although the state minister for home,
the inspector general of police, and
Nayaranganj police boss assured that
he would be taken into custody.
But now, the police are saying that
Nur Hossain had left the country and
may be staying in the Indian state of
West Bengal. The next step was to
arrest the three RAB officials, but they
had been out of reach for a long time
because of the so-called procedural
system.
If the government tries to waste
more time, people will start thinking
differently. These sort of tricks also
expose the arrogance and maneuverings of powerful people who are
given protection at the expense of the
governments image and credibility.

If we scrutinise the seven murders in Narayanganj, we see, Panel

Chairman and Councilor Nazrul Islam
were murdered because of political
enmity with Nur Hossain and others.
But advocate Chandan Sarkar, who
had no enmity with anyone, was killed
as he was fulfilling his responsibility
as a lawyer and as a citizen to follow
the abductors. He saw Nazrul being
snatched along with some other people from the court area. He started following the abductors with his car and,
at one stage, another vehicle of the
killers hit his car from behind, and the
lawyer along with his driver was taken
into a microbus by the abductors and
their bodies were seen floating on the
Sitalakhya river along with the others.

Giving preferential
treatment to a few will
lead to chaos in the
overall justice system

Those who met and assured the

family members of Chandan Sarkar
included the prime minister, the
BNP chairperson, high government
officials, and a number of journalists.
The message we got from the reporters
was shocking. The lawyers family
members believe that the killers will
never get their punishment and the
case will not see a normal ending.
Members of the families of the other
victims are also of the same opinion
that justice is almost an impossibility
in this country.
As the system either deliberately or
due to procedural problems failed to
try killers in many other incidents before, people are now fully derisive of
justice. Extra-judicial killings, random
abductions, murder, and violence are
a sign that our hard-won democracy is
becoming a spectre of the real thing:
Bangladesh is increasingly turning into
a place of lawlessness.
Another serious issue is the unashamed politicisation of the administration, judiciary, and other important
organs of the state, for which people
started believing that the system actually rules over those who cannot, or
will not, fight. The implication of such
an administrative and legal system is
so serious that may dispirit people to
retain sanity and courage at a time of
the nations crisis.
Bangladesh has a youthful population, a free press, and a growing
middle-class. The country is experiencing a rapid pace of urbanisation.
These mean that people are not ready
to see backwardness and brutality.
But the problem is that those who are
at the helm of power do not feel the
confidence to rely on youthful and
creative people. l
Syed Ishtiaque Reza is Director of News,
Ekattor Television.

How history was made

n MJ Akbar

hat do we mean when we

suggest that history has
been made? History has to
be something more than just another event; beyond a days or even a
weeks headlines. History is a miser. It
applauds only a pivotal moment that
turns a nations course.
There has already been much comment on the fact that this is the first
election since 1984 to deliver a simple
majority for a single party. One might,
in theory, go back further. If Mrs Indira
Gandhi had not been assassinated
in 1984, the subsequent parliament
would have been woefully fractured,
with Congress short of a majority,
and non-Congress parties still in wild
disarray after the searing implosion
of Janata Party in 1979. We might
well have seen the first UPA in 1985.
Be that as it may, Narendra Modi has
inspired a mandate that is still beyond
the belief of Delhis elite drawing room
squads which led a motivated and
nasty offensive against him.
Congress annihilation has been
compared by its spokespersons to
1977, not to highlight the reasons for
burial but to hold out the promise of
resurrection. This argument is punc-

tured by facts. In 1977, Mrs Gandhi lost

power in Delhi but won a handsome
150-odd seats in Lok Sabha from the
South. She had a very firm base from
where to construct her recovery. In
2014, Congress has been smashed
everywhere, unable to achieve double
digits in any state. No matter who won
Modi, Jayalalithaa, Mamata Banerjee, or Naveen Patnaik Congress lost.

Modis dialectic has

made a return to the
politics of identity
almost impossible for a
mainline political party

Which in turn brings us to the second

deeply significant fact: This is the first
since 1947 that a non-Congress party
has won a simple majority. Nor is the
BJPs triumph geographically limited.
Its vote share has leapt up even in
states where it did not get seats. Bengal is an obvious instance. BJP was less

than a marginal political fact before

the Modi campaign. It established a
lead in 40 Assembly constituencies,
and even polled 185 votes more than
Mamata Banerjee in her own seat,
Bhowanipore. Where BJP is not in
power, it is now in contention. It has
become a national party in the true
sense of the term.
The reason is Narendra Modi. He
lifted electoral politics from a language
generated in the 19th and 20th centuries, of vote banks capitalised through
demographic fault lines, and placed it
on the one platform that every Indian
could share beyond the divisive breach
of factional identity: A better economy
that could end the curse of poverty
through good, honest, accountable
governance. He broke governance into
component parts that the citizen, and
particularly the voter mired in the
worst poverty, understood: Electricity,
water, jobs. An end to corruption. He
snubbed any reference to the politics
of the past, if it came from Congress
and its explicit or implicit allies; and
stopped it if it arose from his own
ranks. He was absolutely focused from
start to final polling day: This election
was about the stomach, and about
bringing light [literally] into areas of
darkness.

Congress had nothing to offer as

counterpoint except a fading dynasty,
represented by Rahul Gandhi, who
seemed to live in a planet of his own,
and Robert Vadra, whose rapid accumulation of wealth could have become
a case study in business schools if it
had been done honestly. If anything,
the voter was more tired of this dynasty than of Congress.
Mrs Indira Gandhi justified her
right to sit in her fathers chair by
promising, in 1971, to end poverty. A
child born in 1971 is middle aged now,
having outlived the dreams of youth.
The substantive majority of todays
voters are children of the 1970s, 1980s,
and 1990s, three lost decades in the
annals of Indias economy. This year,
Narendra Modi fused the negative undercurrent of anger against Congress
with a positive power of hope to create
an electrical storm.
The crowds are chanting Modi
because for them it is synonymous
with aspiration. The poor trust Modi
because they know he comes from
their background. For Modi, poverty
is not a tourists destination. It is
the mental anguish and physical
deprivation from which he has
emerged to become prime minister of
India.

REUTERS

Understandably, such volatile aspirations come lined with impatience.

The young want Modi to shift into
top gear from his first week in office.
They will not have much patience
with politics as usual, because they
have delivered an unusual mandate.
The BJPs simple majority strengthens
Modi immeasurably, but it also eliminates the comfort zone that is home to
many an alibi.

This is the stuff of history because

Modis dialectic has made a return to
the politics of identity almost impossible for a mainline political party. Fringe
parties might continue to feed from an
old trough, but their diet will restrict
them to the margins of India. l
MJ Akbar is the Editorial Director of The
Sunday Guardian. This article was first
published in The Sunday Guardian.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Monday, May 19, 2014

Sand Sculpture of Satyajit Roy

in Cannes

Dhaka Theatre to stage

Binodini today
n Entertainment Desk
Dhaka Theatre, one of the leading theatre troupes in the
country, will stage its acclaimed production Binodini at
the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala
Academy at 7pm today. Directed by Nasiruddin Yousuff, the
one-act play features Shimul Yousuff as Binodini Dasi, the
pioneering actress of the 19th century who had outstanding
contributions to shaping the theatre scene of Bengal. Based on
the autobiography of Binodini Dasi, Saymon Zakaria scripted
the play under the guidance of late theatre icon Selim Al
Deen. The play portrays the rise of Binodini Dasi as an actress,
who emerged from the dark society. For over a century, she
has inspired women to fight against all odds and break all
barriers to make their mark on stage as actresses, despite the
fact that her life was never smooth and happy. In the short
span of her performing life, Binodini acted in 80 plays and
portrayed 90 characters. Binodini, the 31st production of
Dhaka Theatre, is a tribute to Binodini Dasi for her groundbreaking role establishing theatre as a profession for Bangali
women theatre activists. l

n Entertainment Desk
Indian artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has created a sand
sculpture of the legendary movie director Satyajit Ray and a 6-foot-high Taj Mahal on the Cannes
beach, during the ongoing International Film Festival in France.
Pattnaik created the sculpture to pay tribute
to Ray at Beach Zamenhof in Cannes yesterday
during the 67th Cannes Film festival.
The artist from Odisha was invited by the Indian
Embassy of France to create sand art during the

festival. The event during which Pattnaik created

the sculpture was inaugurated by the Indian
ambassador in France.
Many eminent personalities including movie
maker Ramesh Sippy and actor Kamal Hasan were
present.
Pattnaik with the help of his student Bulu
Mohantey created a long movie reel on the face of
Satyajit Ray for which he used five tonnes of sand.
I am very happy to come to Cannes for this
festival. I have decided to give my tribute to
legendary director Satyajit Ray, Pattnaik said. l

Dhallywoods new heartthrob Arefin Shuvo and popular TV actor Zakia Bari
Momo on set of their new flick Chhuye Dile Mon. Filming has begun from May
1 in Sylhet and will continue throughout the whole month. Directed by Shihab
Shaheen, the film also features Iresh Zaker and Ali Raj in leading roles

Trying to unite all humans with

joy, sound, and love
How were you involved to the Bangladeshi
music scene?

In 2010, I met a beautiful Bangladeshi woman

named Anusheh. She opened my mind and
my heart. She allowed me into her family and
her home. Music was just the excuse for us to
meet. I am thankful to here participated in her
life and for her in mine.

Tahsan-Urmilas
Shomporker Golpo
n Entertainment Desk
Tahsan and Urmila will be romancing on
screen for the first time in Shomporker
Golpo, directed by Mabrur Rashid Banna.
Tahsan plays Mushfiq and Urmila the role of
Dihan in the drama.
About acting in the drama, Tahsan said:
Its a well written script. I enjoyed working

for this drama and I hope the audience will feel

the same while watching it.
Lux Channel i Superstar 2009 celebrity Urmila said: I acted with Tahsan as a guest actor
before. But, now I am in the lead character and I
feel honoured. said Urmila. She added: To be
honest, it was tough for the cast and the crew
to work in such scorching heat. But, we gave it
our best with hopes to satisfy our audience. l

From your experience of music in the Western

part of the world, how do you see the jamming
culture here?

Bangladeshis love music more than any people

I know. Way more than me! I get tired of the
music and they are still going! So Bangladesh is
way Jamming!

You along with some musicians are working in

popularising blues music, how is that working
out?

Blues can be described with the Bangla word

bhaab(attitude). And as the great Baul singer
Shofi Mondol said to me many times, Shudhu
Bhaab (only attitude)! Everything is feel. I do
not care about music genre, its only the feel.

You conduct many workshops on music, how

does that feel?

n Shadma Malik
Seth Panduranga Blumberg popularly known
as Pandu in the musicians circle, is the leading
musician for jam sessions that take place every
Monday at the Cuppa Coffee Club in Gulshan.
To interact with music lovers in the city and
play music in a freewheeling environment,
musicians from different corners of Dhaka
gather at the venue.
An immensely talented guitarist Pandu is a
frontrunner in popularising the jam culture in

the Bangladeshi music scene.

However, tracing his history, we discover
that Pandu was more into theatre than music
for a long time. After the death of his father,
he felt to play the blues. He started to play the
guitar and started feeling serious about music.
Musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Ron Schmoke,
and Jeff Moore inspired his musical journey
and his obsession with the world of music. The
Michigan musician is currently living in Dhaka
since 2011 and investigating the mystical music
of the Bauls.

I enjoy learning very much. A workshop

is when everyone is working. It is not a
masterclass. Truth is everyone has insight and
creativity so your skill level has little to no
impact. We are all working to get better and
feel free. It is important for everyone to feel
like a band-leader.

Your plans for the future?

I go with the flow as much as possible. I am

working on several albums right now: one with
Anushehs new group Bahok, Shofi Mondols
album, and another featuring Kangalini Sufia.
These albums are either finished or will be very
soon. Other than that we are just trying to unite
all humans with joy, sound, and love. l

Robert Pattinsons music

album on the cards!
n Entertainment Desk
Robert Pattinson is apparently preparing to launch his
music career. The 28-year-old British star rose to fame as
the broody vampire Edward Cullen from the Twilight
film franchise.
But the actors purported pal Brady Corbet tells UK
newspaper The Sun, fans will see Robert shift direction in
his career in the not too distant future. Hes been busy
producing his first album, which will be coming out soon,
Brady said.
The album wouldnt be Robs first time behind the mic.
He has previously recorded two songs for the Twilight
soundtrack titled Never Think and Let Me Sign. As The
Sun reports, Rob recently said that till now he never took
his music very seriously.
Rumours of an album from the actor surfaced earlier
this year. A source told HollywoodLife.com some big
names were working on the project.
Robert had jetted into Nice for the 67th annual Cannes
Film Festival on Friday, but his friend Brady Corbet has
revealed that his Hollywood pal has been busy in the studio.
Last year, he started working with one of the top songwriters
in the industry. They hope to produce and record a hit single
when they are finished, along with an entire album. Rob has
yet to comment on the latest claims. l

TODAY IN DHAKA
Theatre

Ja Nei Bharote
Time: 7:00pm 8:30pm
Experimental Theatre, Shilpakala
Academy, Shegun Bagicha

Music

Happy Hour Jazz

Time: 7:30pm 10:00pm

Sunny Leone to make Telegu debut

n Entertainment Desk
Sunny Leone is all set make her
Telegu film debut with Current
Theega. The film will be
directed by G Nageswara Reddy
and will also star Manchu
Manoj and Rakul Preet.
Sunny
Leone
has
had a successful stint in
Bollywood with the
latest flick Ragini
MMS 2 becoming a
superhit. Moreover,
her
upcoming
adult
comedy
Mastizaade too
is attraching a
lot of attention,
which
clearly
indicates that Leone is the next big thing in Bollywood.
Current Theega is being produced by 24 Frames Factory, and is
Vishnu Manchus first production without him acting in it.
"I am really excited about my role in Current Theega. It is an
important character created to entertain you thoroughly," Sunny said
in a statement.
"Sunny Leone is a big entertainment factor buzzing the cinema
today and we wanted to introduce her in Telugu cinema in a role that
will appeal every movie buff in this part of the world," the production
house said. l

EMK Center, House 5, Road 27

(old) 9th floor, Midas Center,
Dhanmondi

Exhibition

National Sculpture Exhibition

Time: 11am-7pm
National Art Gallery, Shilpakala
Academy, Shegun Bagicha

Exhibition featuring
Rabindranath Tagore
Time: 11am-7pm
National Art Gallery, BSA
Mukh O Mukhosh 5
Time: 11am 8pm
Galleri Kaya, House no. 20, Road
no. 16, Sector no. 4, Uttara

Chobi Mela invites

entries for the
latest expo
n Entertainment Desk
Chobi Mela, a biennial international festival of photography,
called individuals to submit photographss on the theme
for its VIII version which will be launched end of January
in 2015. The key organisers are Drik Picture Library Ltd and
Pathshala (The South Asian Institute of Photography) while
Bangladeshi renowned photographer Shahidul Alam is
served as the director of the festival.
As the theme of the festival is intimacy, photo
practitioners are invited to submit work on the theme, and
are encouraged to explore the boundaries of their medium
probing into the depths of personal space and reaching out to
the wider universe.
Apart from solo exhibitions, collective or curated based
works are also appreciated in the queue of display while
the festival will feature exhibitions in both print and
digital form.
The last date for submissions is June 8, and the selected
artists will be notified by email by 21 June 21.
Chobi Mela, considered as the largest festival of
photography in Asia, was first held in 2000. l

Did you know?

No side have won
the FA Cup on more
occasions than
Arsenal (11), level
with Man Utd

Sport

Monday, May 19, 2014

14 Robben, Mueller

strike as Bayern
win German Cup

DHAKA TRIBUNE

14 Martino steps

13

15 Djokovic stuns

down after
blank season

Nadal to win
Rome Masters

BCB signs best

ever TV deal
The six-year long international media
rights deal of the Bangladesh Cricket
Board (BCB) which was won by Gazi TV,
a Bangladesh-based private satellite
television channel on Friday through
an open bid, will earn the board ten
times more than what the organisation
had made within the years 2012-2014.
During these two years, Bangladesh
played against the West Indies, New
Zealand and Sri Lanka at home, earning
the BCB $250,000 in the process while
the same three series in the next six-year
cycle have been sold for over $2.4m. According to on-record documents, the
agreement will also help the BCB get
$4.52m more than what they had procured within the years 2000-2012.

At the beginning of
each year we will get a
bank guarantee which
shall remain as we
receive the full years
payment
The figures had appeared amazing in
the past too. Crickets governing body
had sold the rights for the years 20002006 to World Tel and ESPN Star Sports
for $11m but had actually received
$9.5m.
The Nimbus deal for the years 20062012 was sold for $56m including production costs. The deal was eventually
quoted by the BCB to be $36m but the
deal had only fetched the board $6m
due to disputes. These combination of
deals saw the BCB lose a total of $31.5m
over the span of the last 12 years.

Concerns were also raised this time

as to how secured the latest deal is given the fact that a local firm is involved.
When queried, BCB marketing and
commercial committee chairman Kazi
Inam Ahmed informed that the yearly
based bank guarantees will ensure everything is on track. We took our legal
and chartered accounting firms advice
before making the contract, Inam told
the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
At the beginning of each year we
will get a bank guarantee which shall
remain as we receive the full years
payment.
The first year bank guarantee will
only be released once the full payment
and the second years bank guarantee
is received. On top of this, we will hold
the security deposit of $2.5m for six
years, Inam explained.
The floor price of the media rights
was the focal point since the BCB floated the tender on April 28. Through
several board meetings, the BCB tried
to determine the floor price but failed
and eventually hired professional chartered accounts from Australia to assess
the value. The assessment given by
the Australian firm was $49m but eyebrows were raised after the BCB set the
floor price at $20m.
First of all, that number [assessed
value] includes $15m in production. So
as far as the total rights value is concerned, we can say that it is 20 (base
price) plus 15 (production costs) equaling $35m. Also, that number is the possible revenue for all global broadcasters/
cable TV from advertisements and sponsorships if all of Bangladeshs games are
shown in all the territories. So in reality,
the biggest benefit for the BCB is that we
have sold a long-term deal, which is always better, said Inam. l

The referee separates the Sheikh Jamal and Abahani players involved in a scuffle after the conclusion of their Bangladesh Premier League match at BNS yesterday

MUMIT M

Abahani, Shiekh Jamal settle for a point

Abahani failed to capitalize on the numerical
advantage against a 10men Sheikh Jamal as the
two giants occupying the
top two spots of the Bangladesh Premier League
points table played out a
goalless draw at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
The two sides produced the same
result in their previous meeting in the
first phase of the premier league. However, this time the draw proved to be
a good result for Shiekh Jamal if one
considers that they played the last half
hour of the match with 10 men. The
solitary point earned from this draw

now gives them a six point lead against

Abahani to sit high and handsome at
the top of the points table.
Yesterdays draw also ensured the
continuation of the Dhanmondi outfits
unbeaten run in the league after playing
a total 16 matches for an aggregate of 38
points. On the other hand, It was an ideal chance for Abahani to put an end to
Jamals unbeaten run to minimize the
gap with Jamal. Thanks to defender
Nasirul Islam Nasirs fantastic display,
Iranian coach Ali Akbar Parmoslemis
technical strategy to stop Haitian attacking duo Sony Norde and Wedson
Anselme paid dividends. Jamal were
without the services of their Nigerian
striker Emeka Darlington who is the top
scorer in the league with 16 goals.
The Sky Blues, however, put up a

solid defensive show after an initial

blunder from defender Mofazzel Hossain Saikat which almost gifted Jamal
a lead in the 15th minute. Saikats mistaken clearance was collected by Wedson Anselme and the Haitian forward
burst through the right of the penalty
area before Saikat made amends by
blocking Wedson with a lovely tackle to
spare himself from blushes.
Similarly, Abahanis Ghanaian striker Osei Morrision failed to capitalize on
a blunder from Jamal keeper Ziaur Rahman in the 29th minute after Zia failed
to clear a Soares cross and the ball fell
to Osei Morrison who also failed to connect as Linkon cleared the danger for a
corner. Jamal could have taken the lead
when Shahidul Alam Sohel produced a
superb save after just four minutes into

the second half as he punched away Nigerian forward Wasio Ayoolas header
from a Linkon cross.
Wedson collected a mis-pass from
Prantash and delivered it to Sony Norde down the left side who broke into
the penalty area only to see his shot go
wide. Sheikh Jamal were then reduced
to 10-men when Linkon received his
marching order for an unnecessary and
clumsy lunge on Abahanis Atiqur Rahman Meshu.
Abahani built some pressure on
their opponents after Linkons dismissal as Suares fired over the bar in
the 70th minute following a cutback
from Morrison from the right flank and
it turned out to be the last opportunity for them to get anything out of the
game in their favor. l

Siddikur finishes second Will BCB reveal new coach today?

Bangladesh golfer Siddikur Rahman
finished the ICTSI Philippine Open on
joint-second after carding a bogey-free
three-under-par 69 in the third, fourth
and final round while Marcus Both of
Australia secured an emphatic victory
to revive his career after thinking of
quitting the game last year.
The towering Aussie, who lost his
Asian Tour card last year for the first
time since 2003, posted a two-under-par
70 for a winning total of six-under-par
282 at the US$300,000 Asian Tour event.
Siddikur, the first Bangladeshi to
play and win on the Asian Tour, birdied
holes two, three and seven but struggled to keep pace as he returned with 11
straight pars to earn a prize-money of
US$17,838.
Im very happy with my round because it was bogey-free. Im not happy
with my putting but I still managed
to escape from making errors. I was
confident I could win this event but I
didnt putt too well on the second and

third day. This is all part of golf and we

learn from it, said Siddikur, a two-time
Asian Tour winner.
I think Im hitting it very well. If
I can get my putter hot then I will get
another good result. Ill be going for
the U.S. Open Qualifying. I have good

LEADER BOARD
Player
1 Both (Aus)
2 Siddikur (Ban)
2 Holman (Aus)
2 Lascuna (Phi)
2 Vongvanij (Tha)
2 Bayron (Phi)
7 Tung-Shu (Tpe)

R1
70
66
71
74
74
71
77

R2
66
73
71
71
72
72
68

R3
76
76
72
69
68
69
70

R4 To Par Agg
70 -6 (282)
69 -4 (284)
70 -4 (284)
70 -4 (284)
70 -4 (284)
72 -4 (284)
70 -3 (285)

memory when I played on the same

golf course in 2012. Im really looking
forward to it because it is my dream
to play in the US Open, added the
29-year-old.
Meanwhile, the other Bangladeshi
Zamal Hossain finished the tournament
on 62nd spot after posting another sixover-par 78 on the ultimate day. l

Robin Singh likely to take over Academy role

The much awaited name of the new
coach of the Bangladesh cricket team is
likely to be announced today although
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)
president Nazmul Hasan had earlier
informed during the press conference
of the media rights bidding on Friday
that doubts still remained regarding
the announcement of the new coachs
name today.
However, none of the BCB directors
was interested to make any comment
regarding this burning issue yesterday as the acting CEO of the board
Nizamuddin Chowdhury was also uncertain about the announcement today, Its still not certain whether the
name of the coach will be announced
tomorrow (today) as we are still working on that process and if everything
gets done by today (yesterday) then the
announcement may come tomorrow
(today), said Nizam.

The most probable name which has

been floating around for the past few
days is former Sri Lankan cricketer
Chandika Hathursingha and the BCB
boss also admitted that the Sri Lankan
along with another Australian coach
has been shortlisted and according
to the sources, it is none other than
former Australian batsman Micheal
Bevan. It was also learned that former
Indian all-rounder Robin Singh is likely
to be appointed as the Bangladesh
National Cricket Academy coach
while Mario Villavarayan will succeed
David Dwyer as the strength and
conditioning coach.
Meanwhile, BCB has also been looking for specialist coaches as former
Zimbabwean fast bowler Heath Streak
is most likely to become the bowling
coach for the tigers while Bevan will be
looking after the batting department.
However, BCB is likely to appoint these
two for a short term till the next World
Cup in 2015.

Muktis halt Brothers run

10-man
Muktijoddha
Sangsad halted the fourmatch winning spree of
Brothers Union through
a 1-1 draw in the second
phase of the Nitol-Tata Bangladesh Premier
League at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
Haitian forward Augustine Walson
continued his scoring streak to put
Brothers ahead in the sixth minute with
a clinical finish. Nigerian forward Kester
Akon did all the hard work in the right
flank before setting Walson free with a
through pass as the wily Walson hit the
back of the net with an angular shot.
Muktijoddha hit back with a series of attacks with Nigerian forward
Nkwocha Kingsley cursing his luck in
the 16th minute after he failed to head
the ball into an empty net on a precise
cross delivered by Md. Biplob from the
left flank.

However, Sunday Chizoba rose on

the occasion to restore parity in the 30th
minute. Trying to surge through a gap
in the left edge of the box, Sunday was
brought down by Brothers defender
Yusuf Issah which was consequentially
called a penalty by the referee. Sunday

TOP
1
2
3
4
5

Teams
Sk Jamal
Abahani
Mohammedan
Brothers
Muktijoddha

P
16
16
15
16
15

W
11
9
7
7
6

D
5
5
5
5
4

L
0
2
3
4
5

GD
28
11
5
4
10

Pts
38
32
26
26
22

duly sent Brothers goalie Sobuj Das Roghu the wrong way from the spot.
In the 36th minute, Sunday again
made his way through the Brothers defence but his fierce drive was punched
away for a corner by an acrobatic Sobuj
Das Roghu, who had to fully stretch in
order to parry away the effort.
After resumption, both the teams
undertook a defensive approach con-

centrating upon not conceding more as

the ball was stuck in midfield most of
the time. Muktijoddha forward Md. Biplob, playing in the left wing, however,
made some impressive runs through
the opponents defence.
Muktijoddha were reduced to 10
men in the 81st minute when Cameroonian defender Gerard Ledoux was
shown a second yellow card for his malicious tackle on Augustine Walson.
However, Brothers failed to capitalise their one-man superiority with
Muktijoddha crowding their box with
several defenders. The orange clads
were left to rue a missed opportunity in
the 85th minute when Kester Akon saw
his grounder beat the onrushing Muktijoddha custodian Russell Mahmud
Liton only for the ball to swerve away
from the post in the last moment.
Brothers Union are in fourth position with 26 points from 16 matches
while Muktijoddha a place behind in
fifth with 22 points having played a
match less. l

On last Friday BCB boss informed

that they were yet to finalize the appointment of the next head coach of
the cricket team as last minute negotiations regarding terms and conditions
were going on with the most likely
coach of Bangladesh.
Earlier Hathurusingha was furious
after the news of his becoming the
next coach of Bangladesh leaked out
. The Sri Lankan then informed that
he was happy with where he was
working at the moment and declined
to make any comment regarding his
name being considered for the vacant
head coach position of Bangladesh
cricket team as he believed it could
hamper his current job.
Former Bangladesh coach Shane
Jurgensen resigned from his post
earlier this month to later join Fiji
cricket and since then there have been
much speculations about who becomes
the next coach of the Bangladesh
cricket team. l

Serena crushes
Errani in Rome
defence

Serena Williams (L) of the US poses with the trophy after winning the WTA Romes Tennis
Masters final against Sara Errani (R) of Italy at the Foro Italico in Rome yesterday
AFP

World number one Serena Williams

warmed up for the defence of her
French Open crown by cruising to her
second straight Italian Open title on
Sunday with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Sara
Errani of Italy.
Errani had been looking to become
the first Italian winner of the womens
event in 29 years.
Its a shame she got injured, but I
thought she was playing really well before that, said Williams who now has
60 career titles.
I think she definitely improved
since last year but I think I could have
played a little bit better. I was a little
slow and nervous at the start, I wasnt
hitting my shots as well as I should
have been.
A tearful Errani apologised to her
home fans for her display. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Atletico fans join huge victory party

Tens of thousands of Atletico Madrid fans poured into central Madrid on Saturday night in a giddy, red-and-white striped celebration of their first Spanish
Liga victory in 18 years. In the warm evening, friends and families chanted Atleti,
Atleti as they packed Neptuno square featuring a fountain with a statue of the
god of the sea, their traditional victory party venue. Savouring a draw against
Barcelona in the Camp Nou that delivered their first league victory in nearly two
decades, fans beeped car horns, set off firecrackers, draped themselves in flags,
drank beer and danced in the streets of the Spanish capital.
AFP

Sport

Monday, May 19, 2014

Lampard named England vice-captain

Blake ponders CGames sprint double

England manager Roy Hodgson has announced that veteran Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard will be Englands vice-captain at this summers World
Cup finals. Frank Lampard is vice-captain, Hodgson said. Franks been the
vice-captain all along in Steven [Gerrard]s absences, which I think has been two,
hes stepped up quite brilliantly. Ive always thought that he was going to be a
key member of this 23 (squad) because of his experience and what he brings to
the team apart from pure footballing ability. He brings a lot of other things to us
in terms of his leadership qualities and characteristics.
AFP

Jamaicas 2011 100 metres world champion Yohan Blake has said he could
run in both the 100 metres and 200 metres at the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Blake failed to beat compatriot and training partner
Usain Bolts world best for the rarely-raced 150 metres on a temporary track laid
over Manchesters Deansgate on Saturday but still won in 14.71 seconds. The
24-year-old blamed the lack of a proper warm-up area for failing to get closer
to Bolts mark of 14.35secs or American Walter Dixs 14.65secs, although Blakes
time was still the third quickest recorded over the distance.
AFP

Bayern win German Cup

Bayern Munichs players pose with the trophy as they celebrate winning their German Cup (DFB Pokal) final match against Borussia Dortmund in Berlin on Saturday

REUTERS

Arjen Robben and Thomas Mueller

scored extra-time goals as Bayern Munich won the German Cup with a 2-0
victory over rivals Borussia Dortmund
on Saturday.
After the first 90 minutes finished
goalless, Robben broke the drought in
the 107th-minute before Mueller added
a second in time added-on.
Coach Pep Guardiola finishes his
first season in charge of Bayern with
four trophies having already won the
Bundesliga title, Club World Cup and
UEFA Super Cup.
When a team wins the German
league title, its already been a good
season, said Guardiola.
That was the most important title,
but of course we are very happy that we
have won the cup.
Bayern lifted the German Cup
for a record 17th time to claim the
domestic league and cup double
- the Champions League was the
only title to evade the Bavarian giants
this season.
But Guardiola admitted he deserved

criticism from the German media in the

wake of their 4-0 home drubbing by
Real Madrid in the Champions League
semi-final, second-leg.
The criticism was quite justified, I
did things I shouldnt have done, said
Guardiola.
I made mistakes in our playing style
and tactics against Real, but things like
that can happen in big games against
big clubs.
Having also scored the late winner
in the 2013 Champions League final
against Borussia at Wembley, Netherlands winger Robben again broke Dortmund hearts.
We were finished at the end,
admitted Dortmunds coach Jurgen
Klopp, who was left fuming after television replays showed a second-half
Mats Hummels header crossed the line,
but was not given.
We tortured ourselves and gave
everything. In the phase when we
were stronger, we scored a goal, which
wasnt given.
That should have been seen (by the
referee) even without goal-line technology. l

Martino steps down after blank season

Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino announced he will leave the club after
failing to win a major title in his one
season in charge.
The Catalans hopes of retaining La
Liga were ended on Saturday by a 1-1
draw at home to Atletico Madrid which
saw the side from the capital crowned
champions for the first time in 18 years.
I wanted to announce that I have
reached an agreement with the club to
no longer be the coach of Barcelona,
he said at his post-match press

conference.
I congratulate Atletico Madrid. We
have faced them six times in the Supercup, the Champions League and today
and they have been a great opponent
throughout the season.
I would to thank absolutely everyone at the club for believing in me. I am
sorry that we didnt achieve the objectives that the club normally does.
We have tried until the end with a
lot of dignity, but in the end we came
up against an opponent that was better
than us.
It was an honour to manage Barca.

I admired the club from afar and now

from the inside. Great things and great
moments will return to the club.
Martino had been thrust into the
Barca hotseat just two weeks before
the start of the season after Tito Vilanova was forced to resign due to his battle
with cancer, which he lost last month.
The Argentine made a fine start to
his reign, winning his first eight league
games and the Spanish Supercup
against Atletico on away goals.
However, questions over his style
of play turned to greater concerns in
the second half of the season as they

The fighting spirit Atletico Madrid have

shown all season meant coach Diego
Simeone never doubted they would
come from behind to draw 1-1 against
Barcelona and claim a first La Liga title
for 18 years, the Argentine said on Saturday.
Barca needed to beat Atletico in a
final-day showdown to snatch the title away and Alexis Sanchez gave the
hosts hope when he rifled home from
an acute angle after 33 minutes at a
packed Nou Camp.
But four minutes after the break Diego Godin powered in a header from a
corner and Atletico defended robustly
to earn the draw they needed and claim
their first championship since 1995-96.

Dutch held by
Ecuador despite
superb RVP strike
Captain Robin van Persie netted a superb volleyed goal as an under-strength
Netherlands came from behind to draw
1-1 with visitors Ecuador in their World
Cup warm-up match at the Amsterdam
Arena on Saturday.
The Dutch fell behind after nine
minutes but Van Persie extended his
record number of goals for his country to 42 as he took down a long ball
from Jordy Clasie, which was hit from
the halfway line and straight down
the middle of the field, onto his chest
before allowing it to drop onto his left
foot for an exquisite finish eight minutes before halftime.
Earlier Jefferson Montero had
caught the inexperienced Dutch defence napping, getting in behind them
and latching onto Felipe Caicedos
pass, who went off not long afterwards
with a suspected hip injury that leaves
his World Cup participation in doubt.
The Dutch, whose emphatic form in
the qualifiers meant they were the first
European side to book their berth in
Brazil, have failed to win their last four
internationals. l

THIBAUT COURTOIS (BEL/goalkeeper)

The base of Atleticos incredible turnaround in fortunes under
Diego Simeone has been built on a solid defence and that starts
with the on-loan Chelsea keeper in goal.
Courtois has spent the last three seasons in the Spanish capital and has improved every year to become one of the worlds
best goalkeepers at just 22 years of age.
The Belgian number one has kept 28 clean sheets in all competitions this season and saved his side on countless occasions
with stunning saves.

Atletico lost Diego Costa and Arda

Turan to injury in the first half, but battled hard to grab the point they needed.
We were calm at halftime as the
team had started well although the injuries to Diego and Arda were a problem, said Simeone.
From there though we continued
to be competitive and fight for each ball
which is what I asked for. We looked
comfortable.
Simeone gave a special mention to
former Spain coach Luis Aragones, who
was a major figure at Atletico and died
in February this year.
Aragones spent most of his playing career at the Calderon and then
coached the club on several occasions.
It is a strange feeling, I feel very
emotional, said Simeone. l

KOKE (ESP/midfielder)
A product of the Atletico youth academy, the 22-year-old has
had a stellar season which has seen him become not just a regular in Simeones setup but also in the Spanish national team.
On top of being Atleticos top creator of goals with 18 assists
this season, he has also shown an eye for important goals
amongst his tally of seven for the season.
He scored the winner in vital away wins at Real Sociedad,
Malaga and Athletic Bilbao as well as scoring at home to Real
Madrid in the 2-2 draw at the Vicente Calderon in Match and
the vital goal as Atletico eliminated Barcelona from the Champions League.

Lille reach CL, Sochaux go down

Lille clinched a Champions League
place after beating Lorient 4-1 on the
final day of the French season, while
Evian defeated Sochaux 3-0 to retain
their Ligue 1 status at the expense of
Saturdays opponents.
Needing victory to assure themselves of a third-place finish and a spot

in next years Champions League third

qualifying round, Lille fell behind at the
Stade Moustoir after Jeremie Aliadieres
22nd-minute opener for the hosts.
However, Lille, who have occupied
no lower than third position since October, replied through leading scorer
Salomon Kalou 10 minutes later.
Having laid on the first goal Nolan
Roux then put Rene Girards visiting

DIEGO COSTA (ESP/centre-forward)

side in front seven minutes after halftime, heading into an unguarded net
after Lorient goalkeeper Fabien Audard
flapped unsuccessfully at a Florent Balmont cross.
Another blunder from Audard presented Kalou with his second, Lilles
third, on 65 minutes as he bundled
home from close range to take his seasons tally to 16. l

FRANCE LIGUE 1
Team

GP

GD PTS

1 Paris SG
2 Monaco
3 Lille

38
38
38

27 8
23 11
20 11

3
4
7

61
32
20

89
80
71

4 ASSE
5 Lyon
6 Marseille

38
38
38

20 9 9
17 10 11
16 12 10

22
12
13

69
61
60

7 Bordeaux
8 Lorient
9 Toulouse

38
38
38

13 14 11
13 10 15
12 13 13

6
-5
-7

53
49
49

10 Bastia
11 Stade Reims
12 Rennes

38
38
38

13 10 15 -14
12 12 14 -8
11 13 14 2

49
48
46

13 Nantes
14 Evian
15 Montpellier

38
38
38

12 10 16 -5
11 11 16 -12
8 18 12 -8

46
44
42

16 Guingamp
17 OGC Nice
18 Sochaux

PSGs Thiago Silva (C), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (CL) and teammates hold their French
Championship trophy at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on Saturday
REUTERS

project for many weeks now. There are

many issues that are very advanced,
he told Canal Plus.
There are a number of players that
already know they may not continue
next season and others will come in.
In the end the players have worked
and fought until the last minute. It is a
team that is used to winning and always
wants to win, but today it wasnt to be.
Our philosophy to keep the ball and
control the play will continue to be the
same. This is not the end of an era, but
a continuation of that era with some
profound changes. l

FIVE KEY PLAYERS FOR ATLETICO

Simeone never doubted Atleticos title win

I never thought for a moment that
the team would not be able to do it.
They always have a response, the bigger the challenge is, the more determined they are to achieve it. From the
first moment I walked into the dressing
room here I noticed that, Simeone told
a news conference.
Simeone was an Atletico player
when they last won the championship
and he has passed on his determination
to the team as a coach.
The work and effort of this team is
the key and nobody makes any compromises. The team understands this,
he said.
Today will be one of the most important days in the history of the club.
To become champions against Barcelona is a great feeling.

dropped 22 points in their final 20

league games and were also dumped
out of the Champions League before
the semi-finals for the first time in six
years by Atletico.
Former Barca captain Luis Enrique
is expected to be named as Martinos
successor after announcing on Friday
that he will leave Celta Vigo at the end
of the season.
And Barca president Josep Maria
Bartomeu said there would also be big
changes in the playing staff between
now and the start of next season.
We have been preparing a new

38
38
38

11 9 18 -8
12 6 20 -14
10 10 18 -24

42
42
40

7
4

29
23

19 Valenciennes 38
20 Ajaccio
38

8
11

23 -28
23 -35

The sides top scorer and talisman with 36 goals in all competitions, Costa have proved an unlikely hero in the absence of the
departed Radamel Falcao.
Although he has been contracted to Atletico since 2007,
Costa has only been handed a consistent run in the side by
Simeone over the past two seasons after being farmed out on
loan four times.
Costas energetic style has been symbolic of Atletico as a
whole as he has not just provided goals but led the line to great
effect and proved lethal on the counter-attack.

DIEGO GODIN (URU/centre-back)

One of the unsung heroes of Atleticos success, the 28-year-old
Uruguayan has struck up a great partnership with Miranda at
the heart of the Europes tightest defence.
One of many players that were seen as underachieving prior
to Simeones arrival at the club, Godin has been transformed
under Simeone and not only defended with great authority but
also popped up with some vital goals including the one that
sealed the title at the Camp Nou.

FILIPE LUIS (BRA/left-back)

Just like Miranda, Filipe Luis can count himself incredibly unfortunate not to be representing his country on home soil at the
World Cup next month after another exceptional season.
Just as important an outlet going forward from left-back as
he is defensively, Luis has proved particularly important in the
big games against Real Madrid and Barcelona as he snuffed out
the threat posed by the nearly 200 million euro duo of Gareth
Bale and Neymar.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

15

Monday, May 19, 2014

Wenger hails Cup

win as his most
important success

QUICK BYTES

Natl womens kabaddi

team suffer defeat
Bangladesh national womens kabaddi
team conceded a one-point defeat
against the West Bengal State Union
womens kabaddi team at the kabaddi
tent at the Guru Nanake Sarani in
Kolkata yesterday. Bangladesh led the
first half by 16-14 points but the hosts
bounced back to winning rhythm
to claim the match by 28-27 points.
Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation general secretary Nazrul Islam, additional
director of sponsors Walton AFM Iqbal
bin Anwar Dawn and West Bengal
State Kabaddi Union general secretary
Radhesham Agarwal were present on
the occasion.
RM

Women cricketers
registration today
The two-day long players registration
of the sixth Womens Club Cup Tournament will get underway today. The
registration process will be held from
3pm-6pm at the SAHARA-BCB National
Cricket Academy in Mirpur. The 14
teams participating in the tournament
this season are Mohammedan Sporting
Club Ltd, Abahani Ltd, Kalabagan Krira
Chakra, Khelaghar Samaj Kalyan Samity,
Associates in Community and Rural
Development, Rayer Bazar Athletic
Club, Dhaka Cricketers, Indira Road KC,
Jahurul Islam City Cricket Club, Dipali
Jubo Sangha, BKSP, Gulshan Youth,
Ansar & VDP and Orient Sporting Club.
The tournament is scheduled to begin
on May 25.
Tribune Desk

Japan, Australia book

Womens WC spots
World champions Japan and Asian title-holders Australia booked their spots
at next years Womens World Cup with
victories at the Asian Cup in Vietnam on
Sunday. Japans Nadeshiko hammered
seven unanswered goals past Jordan
to reach the semi-finals alongside
Australia, who beat hosts Vietnam
2-0 to also qualify from Group A. Five
World Cup spots are up for grabs in the
Asian tournament. In Group B, South
Korea and eight-time Asian champions
China have also booked their places by
reaching the semi-finals. Any doubts
harboured by Japan were settled by
Kira Chinatsus opener on 26 minutes,
and the 2012 Olympic silver-medallists pressed their advantage against
outclassed Jordan.
AFP

Arsenal players wave from an open-top bus as fans crowd the streets of Islington during a FA Cup victory parade in London yesterday

Djokovic downs Nadal to

win third Italian Open title
Novak Djokovic came from a set down
to beat Rafael Nadal for the fourth time
in a row and claim his third Italian
Open title with an impressive 4-6 6-3
6-3 victory in Rome on Sunday.
World number two Djokovic was
broken twice in the first set as Nadal
moved towards an eighth Rome title
but he came roaring back to dominate
the defending champion after that.
Defeat for Nadal was his third on
clay in a season for the first time in a
decade and raised questions about his
form ahead of the French Open which
starts next Sunday.
Djokovic will arrive at Roland Garros
on a high after collecting the 44th title
of his career to draw level with former
French Open champion Thomas Muster.
Rafael Nadal said he expects a tough
battle with Novak Djokovic for his
eighth Rome Masters title on Sunday
after sweeping aside Bulgarian Grigor

Marquez makes it
perfect five from five
Spaniard Marc Marquez became the
first rider since Italian great Giacomo
Agostini in 1972 to win the first five races of the season as he eased to victory
in the French MotoGP at Le Mans on
Sunday. The 21-year-old Honda rider
-- who also emulated Australia Mick
Doohan in winning the five straight
races from pole -- recovered from a
poor start to take control with 16 laps
remaining and came home ahead of
Italian great Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)
while Alvaro Bautista of Spain was third
on a Honda Gresini. Victory on Sunday
made the reigning world champion the
youngest ever rider to win five successive races in the premier class, taking
the record from late Englishman Mike
Hailwood who was 22 years and 160
days old when he won five successive
races in the 500cc class in 1962.
AFP

State school kicks

off sports for girls
in Saudi first

In a first for ultra-conservative Saudi

Arabia, a state school has introduced
sports for girls, after a call for the
lifting of a ban on women in sports,
a newspaper reported Sunday. Girls
at Amal Institute in the Red Sea city
of Jeddah competed in a volleyball
tournament last week after the school
built new sports facilities, also for
basketball,tennis and hockey, Al-Hayat
said. In April, the Muslim kingdoms
Shura Council, a consultative body,
recommended after a heated debate
that the longstanding ban, already
relaxed in private schools last year, be
scrapped. The appointed body, whose
150 members are overwhelmingly male,
can only pass on its recommendation
to the education ministry and has no
powers to impose it.
AFP

DAYS WATCH
Sony Six
Indian Premier League
4:30PM
Rajasthan v Mumbai
8:30PM
Delhi v Punjab

Dimitrov 6-2, 6-2 in the semi-finals.

Nadal came through a tough clash
with British number one Andy Murray
late on Friday but the world number
one had little trouble dispatching Dimitrov in what was an error-strewn performance from the 12th seed.
Nadal has won at Rome a record seven times and, going on statistics, will
be tipped for an eighth on Sunday, as
defending womens champion Serena
Williams meets Italian Sara Errani in a
bid to defend her title.
Overall, Djokovic has won 18 of his
40 previous meetings with Nadal, including the last three although they
came on hard courts.
But of the duos 16 meetings on clay,
Nadal has won 13 including their last
meeting on the surface at the semi-finals
of the French Open in 2013. Nadal, however, said he expects a complicated match.
Djokovic always plays unbelievable. Hes a complicated player to play
against, said Nadal. l

REUTERS

Arsenals dramatic Wembley win

against Hull City was the most important victory of Arsene Wengers 18 years
in charge, the five-times FA Cup winning manger said on Saturday.
Despite winning eight major trophies including three Premier League
titles, during his long reign at the club,
the Frenchman ranks their 3-2 FA Cup
final win over Hull to end a nine-year
trophy drought as their most important
success.
An Aaron Ramsey goal in extra time
capped an amazing comeback for Arsenal, who found themselves two goals
down after eight minutes, and ensured
the clubs name was etched on the trophy for the 11th time, equalling Manchester Uniteds all-time record.
It was more important today than
all the others, said Wenger, who became the joint most successful manger
in the history of the competition alongside former Manchester United boss
Alex Ferguson.
Twice we did the double (1998 and
2002), we had already won (a trophy)
so we were not under the pressure we
were today.
Ive won it now five times, its not
too bad. Im in good company (with
Ferguson). l

BCB Uni Cricket starts today

The Walton Refrigerator University T20
Challenge 2014 will
begin today with six
matches taking place at BKSP.
In Group A, University of Liberal
Arts Bangladesh will lock horns in the
tournament opener with Islamic University Kushtia at BKSP 2. In their second game of the day, Islamic University
will take on Jagannath University at the
same ground.
Dhaka University will face Rajshahi

University in their first game followed

by their second game against Chittagong University in Group B.
In Group C, AIUB will take on Jahangirnagar University while in Group
D, Bangladesh Agricultural University
Mymensingh face Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board
launched the five-day long tournament in
order to restore the players quota in both
public and private universities throughout the country. A total of 12 universities
10 public and two private are participating in the tournament this year. l

Sethi to appeal as PCB Bangalore edge past Chennai

lurches into fresh crisis
Pakistans suspended cricket chief Najam Sethi vowed on Sunday to appeal
against a court judgement which reinstated his rival in the latest round of
musical chairs in the games management.
The Islamabad high court on Saturday overturned a February 10 order by
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointing Sethi as chairman of the Pakistan
Cricket Board (PCB) and sacking Zaka
Ashraf.
Saturdays judgement reinstated
Ashraf for the second time this year,
after he was initially suspended by the

same court in in 2013 over dubious

elections.
Sethi said the court judgement
would be challenged vigorously and
swiftly.
The good steps we took to professionalise and invigorate cricket and
clean up the PCB will not be allowed to
go in vain, Sethi told AFP.
The Sethi-led PCB has initiated a
complete overhaul of the Board since
February, terminating surplus staff
which the court ordered in May last year.
Sethi said he was in the process of
giving the PCB a democratic constitution and was set to hold elections by
next month. l

Royal Challengers Bangalore made a

stunning late flourish after initial struggle with AB de Villiers playing a cameo
of 14-ball 28 to pull off a five-wicket
victory over Chennai Super Kings in a
thrilling IPL match here today.
Chasing 139 for a win, Bangalore
found the going tough with the Chennai slow bowlers seemingly tying them
into knots in the first half of their innings before exploding towards the
end to overhaul the target with one ball
to spare in a low-scoring match that
went down the wire.
Chennai captain Mahendra Singh
Dhoni used his four slow bowlers -- R
Ashwin (2/16), Suresh Raina (0/20),
Ravindra Jadeja (0/31) and Samuel

Badree (0/15) - for long spells and, as

they were getting the turn on JSCA International Stadium, Bangalore struggled
to reach 45 for one at the halfway mark.

BRIEF SCORE
Chennai 138/4 (20ov)
Raina 62, Hussey 25, Aaron 2/29
Bangalore 142/5 (19.5ov)
Gayle 46, de Villiers 28, Ashwin 2/16
Bangalore won by 5 wickets
Opener Chris Gayle, who top-scored
for Bangalore with an uncharacteristic
50-ball 46, played and missed several
times but to his credit he stayed at the
crease. Bangalore, however, had wickets in their hands so that they can go all
out in the last five overs.

That was exactly what they did as Bangalore scored 97 runs in 9.5 overs to reach
142 for five from 19.5 overs to win the
match and stay afloat for a play-off berth.
With todays win, Bangalore jumped
to fifth place with 10 points from 11
matches while Chennai, who were virtually through to the play-off stage, remained on second spot with 16 points
from 11 games.
The fightback began with Gayle and
Virat Kohli (27) stitching 61 runs for the
second wicket from 10.4 balls before
the Bangalore captain was out in the
15th over.
Gayle and de Villiers then decided to
have a go at the Chennai bowlers who
were getting the odd ball turn. The duo
hit some lusty blows to put pressure on
the Chennai bowlers.l

Juve wrap up record

102-point scudetto
A stunning Andrea Pirlo free-kick from
35 metres set Juventus up for a 3-0 win
over Cagliari and a record 102-point
finish in Serie A as the champions celebrated in style on Sunday.
Juve claimed the Serie A title with
two games to spare two weeks ago
when closest challengers Roma crashed
4-1 at Catania, a day before Juve celebrated at home with a 1-0 home win
over Atalanta.
Now with 30 official titles - the
club were stripped of scudetti won
in 2005 and 2006 due to their role in
a match-fixing scandal - Juve went
on to set two new records last week
when a 1-0 win away to Roma gave
them a 32nd win of the season and a
99-point tally.
Inter Milan had held the previous record of 97 points for a title-winning sea-

son under the current format in 2007.

Faced with the chance to become
the first league champions to claim 100
points or more, Antonio Contes men
did not disappoint a packed-out Juventus Stadium ahead of their celebratory
parade around Turin.

SERIE A
1
2
3
4
5

Team
Juventus
Roma
Napoli
Fiorentina
Inter Milan

GP W D
38 33 3
38 26 7
37 22 9
37 19 7
37 15 15

L
2
5
6
11
7

GD PTS
57 102
47
85
34
75
21
64
24
60

Pirlo helped the Bianconeri get off the

mark when he launched a free-kick
from distance which came off the post
and bounced back into the net after
coming off hapless keeper Marco Silvestri, who was later credited with an
own goal. l

Juventus players celebrates with team members after winning the Serie A championship at the end of their match against Cagliari at the
Juventus stadium in Turin yesterday
REUTERS

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Monday, May 19, 2014

2 illegal structures on Dhanmondi ground dismantled

n Abu Hayat Mahmud
The Dhaka South City Corporation
(DSCC) yesterday conducted a drive
at the Dhanmondi playground in the
capital and demolished only two illegal
establishments inside the public space.
The one-hour drive, led by DSCC
Executive Magistrate Kabir Mahmood,
used a bulldozer to sweep clean the car
parking space in front of the two illegal
tin-shed establishments of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club Ltd.
While talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Mahmood said the drive was
conducted as per an order of the city
corporation.
In 2011, the High Court directed
the then city corporation to demolish
all illegal establishments, which were
not related with sporting activities,
from the public playground. We have
found the two establishments where
labours and outsiders were living,
and thus we demolished the structures, he said.
He also claimed that the overall scenario of the full playground will be reported to the court on May 20.
Meanwhile, at the end of the demolition drive, a person associated with
the Sheikh Jamal Club came to the spot
and threatened DSCC magistrates and
Dhanmondi police personnel, who accompanied the magistrates during the
drive, of dire consequences.
Do you know after whom this club
has been named? The club is named
after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas
younger brother. Just wait and see
what happens, he threatened Magistrate Mahmood.

Left: DSCC officials use a bulldozer to demolish two illegal structures inside Dhanmondi
playground. Right: An unidentified official of Sheikh Jamal Club threatens DSCC officials,
policemen and journalists following the demolition
RAJIB DHAR
The individual also threatened the
police officials at the scene: Who told
you to come here and demolish these
structures the officer-in-charge of
Dhanmondi police station? I challenge
him if he can manage to keep his posting at this station.
Later, he phoned Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club President Manjur Kader
and asked the magistrate to talk with
the club chief.
On the phone, this correspondent

overheard the magistrate as saying: I

am just conducting the drive as per an
order from higher authorities, please
contact the administrator of the city
corporation in this regard.
The furious Sheikh Jamal official
also threatened journalists at the spot
of dire consequences when they inquired his name and his connection
with the private club.
Contacted, Manjur Kader told the
Dhaka Tribune: I will not make any

comment before the media now, you

can call me later.
DSCC sources said the corporation
found no support from any other government body, not even from the Prime
Ministers Office, for evicting illegal
structures from the public playground.
The playground had been gradually
losing its open spaces as the LGED and
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club continued to construct concrete structures
illegally on the public area.

Green activists and residents of the

area have been long protesting against
the illegal occupation of the public
playground.
In 2004, following a petition filed by
Bangladesh Poribesh Andalan and Institute
of Architects Bangladesh, the High Court
directed the then city corporation (now
Dhaka South City Corporation) to free Dhanmondi playground from the illegal occupation of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.
On April 24, DSCC authorities re-

Doctors bribed to prescribe food supplements

Businessman
rescued after 4 days
n Moniruzzaman Uzzal
n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong
In an effort to market and sell food
Police on Saturday night rescued a
businessman from Sheikhpara point
of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in
Sitakunda upazila, four days after the
victim was abducted.
The victim was Saiful Islam, 24, a
furniture businessman from the Uttar
Banshbaria area of the upazila.
Sitakunda police station Sub-Inspector (SI) Iqbal Hossain, who is also
the investigation officer on the case,
told Dhaka Tribune that after being
informed by locals, they rushed to the
spot and found Saiful on the side of the
highway with his hands and legs tied
on Saturday at around 11:30pm.
Later, he was taken to the police
station for questioning regarding his
abduction, he said.
On the evening of May 13, the abductors, posing as prospective clients,
contacted Saiful and asked him to visit
their house for a furniture order. They
also sent someone to fetch him from
his furniture shop at the upazilas Kotta
Bazar, the IO said quoting the victim.
He further added that the abductors
then took the victim on a CNG-run auto-rickshaw where he was forcefully
made unconscious. Later, they took
Saiful away and kept him confined in a
house for four days. The abductors also
demanded Tk2 lakh from the victims
family as ransom.
Saifuls family informed the police
the next day.
However, the victim could not confirm where he was held captive by his
abductors. Saiful could not give us any
idea about how many men were behind
the abduction but said six to seven people were there when he was left tied on
the highway, he added.
After lodging a case in this connection, police detained a person on suspicion. Fearing identification and arrest,
the abductors probably choose free Saiful without a ransom, said SI Iqbal. l

supplements, a section of dishonest

traders has been alleged to be heavily
bribing doctors as well as pharmacy
and department store owners.
They are aggressively promoting a
wide variety of food supplements, including vitamins, minerals and painkillers, as effective drugs. The promotion seems to be working as the market
has not only been flooded with such
products but sales have also risen.
During a mobile court drive in Khosairbagh of Keraniganj a few months
ago, Shaikat Kumar Kar, a superintendent of drugs at the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA),
told the Dhaka Tribune they caught
red-handed a group of people who
were labelling packets of calcium tab-

lets as foreign food supplements.

The manufacturer said they buy a
packet (100 tablets) from local pharmacies for Tk60, peel off the label, put
new label of foreign brands and sell it
for Tk1,000 to 1,200.
Health experts told the Dhaka Tribune that most of the food supplements
were being sold to customers for no apparent reason. They said the business
had become a machine for raking in
large sums rapidly.
Referring to Annals of Internal Medicine, a renowned medical journal
published by the American College
of Physicians, a senior teacher of the
Pharmacology Department at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) told the Dhaka Tribune
that one of its editorials read: Enough
Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements.

The editorial also noted that supplementing the diet of well-nourished

adults with (most) mineral or vitamin
supplements has no clear benefit and
might even be harmful. These vitamins
should not be used for chronic disease
prevention.
DGDA, in separate drives, had seized
a range of food supplements from
stores in Shahbagh, Dhanmondi, Gulshan and other parts of the country recently. During the drives, prescriptions
of doctors who wrote the items were
also seized and it was found that there
were doctors from BSMMU, other public medicals and also private medicals
and hospitals.
We have also heard about some doctors prescribing patients food supplements. We will look into it, a top official
of BSMMU told the Dhaka Tribune.
DGDA Director-General Major Gen-

GOLD TRADER MISSING IN CHITTAGONG

Family demands safe return of

abducted gold trader
n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong
The family members of missing gold
trader Palash Dhar sought the intervention of the prime minister and the
home minister yesterday to ensure his
safe return. Palash went missing from
Noakhali on May 12.
Nipa Dhar, Palashs wife, made this
appeal at a press conference held at the
Chittagong Press Club yesterday morning,
organised by the Chittagong unit of the
Bangladesh Jewellers Samity, six days after her husbands alleged abduction.
Palash, 38, is a resident of the citys
Chawkbazar area, and the owner of NM
Jewelers. He went to Noakhali in the
afternoon of May 12 for both family and

business purposes.
On May 13, his mobile phone was
found to be switched off. Palash was
supposed to return home on May 13
but he did not and his family could not
contact him.
Then, on May 14, Shimul Dhar, Palashs younger brother, lodged a general dairy (GD) with the Chawkbazar
police station.
I request the prime minister and
the home minister to take measures
so that my husband is returned safely
to me and my two innocent children,
said an emotional Nipa.
I also urge the police administration
to assist us. I want my husband alive, she
said repeatedly at the press conference.

Sujit Baran Dhar, general secretary

(GS) of the association, read out a written speech where he demanded that
the victim be rescued from the abductors. He added: Palashs abduction
was pre-planned.
The speakers also blamed the police
for their negligence over the matter.
Officer-in-Charge of the Chawkbazar
police station Atik Ahmed Chowdhury
said they have not found any clues regarding the alleged abduction.
Using mobile tracking technology,
we traced Palashs location to Feni and
the police there are now looking into
the matter, he said, claiming that the
family is not even sure whether he is
missing or has been abducted. l

JS watchdog: Delhi never changes its foreign

policy following change of government
n Muhammad Zahidul Islam
A parliamentary watchdog said yesterday that the government will not be
uncomfortable with the new Indian regime as the latter never changes their
foreign policy after a power changeover.
The first meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on the foreign
ministry yesterday discussed the recent Indian general election results and
some related issues.
For the last 62 years India has never changed its foreign policy overnight
after a new government came to power

and that is why it will not create any

problems for us; there is nothing to
be scared of, said Muhammad Faruk
Khan, who is a committee member and
also a commerce minister.
Emerging out of the meeting he said
the committee had just discussed the
Indian polls, and nothing else.
The BNP thinks that the change in
the regime of India will benefit them
greatly but this notion is completely
wrong, Faruk quoted the other members as saying.
The Awami League always maintains friendly relations with the neighbouring countries and their govern-

ments. It does not matter which party

comes to power or which one goes out
of power. It will never hamper relations
with Bangladesh, he observed.
Geographically, Bangladesh is located in a more advantageous position
and that is why India wants us as their
best friend, he added.
The meeting, referring to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas invitation to Indias
prime minister-elect, the BJP old guard
Narendra Modi, said Bangladesh will continue to have a warm relation with India.
Earlier, a BNP spokesperson said the
Awami League was at a lossafter the
Indian National Congress, which had

ruled India for long ten years and built

a warm relation with Dhaka, faced a
humiliating loss to the BJP.
It is feared that the relation between
Bangladesh and India will suffer quite
a jolt under the new BJP government,
especially with Modis threat to push
back those he described as Muslim
migrants from Bangladesh during his
election campaigns.
But both the BJP and the ruling
Awami League have given assurances
of smooth relations between India and
Bangladesh.
Committee Chairman Dr Dipu Moni
presided over the meeting. l

eral Zahangir Hossain Mollick told the

Dhaka Tribune it was very unfortunate
that many renowned doctors and experts had been prescribing patients unnecessary food supplements.
We have seized some prescriptions of
such doctors. We will officially write to the
Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA)
central leaders in this regard, he said.
BMA ex-president Professor Dr
Rashide Mahbub told the Dhaka Tribune there was no control over the socalled food supplement items in the
market.
It is true that because of the marketing hype, sales of food supplements
have been growing day by day. Doctors
are allegedly prescribing the products
unnecessarily, he said.
We need a uniform food and drug
authority to properly monitor and supervise the drug market, he added. l

opened the public playground after

almost two years following demonstrations by green activists, locals and
sports personalities.
Earlier, a High Court bench dropped
a petition filed by six green activists
seeking directives to remove illegal
structures built on the Dhanmondi
playground from its cause list.
The petition was later accepted and
sent to another bench, which felt embarrassed to hear it. l

Three gold
smugglers placed
on 4-day remand
n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu
A Dhaka court yesterday granted fourday remand to three people arrested
in connection with a gold smuggling
case.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md
Anowar Sadat passed the order after
Airport police station Sub-Inspector
Md Kabirul Islam placed a ten-day remand petition before the court.
The remanded three were Md Jaynal, Md Sabuj, and Md Roman Uddin.
According to case details, customs
officials at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport seized 101 gold bars,
weighing around 12 kilograms on Saturday, and arrested three passengers in
connection. l

Qatar labour market

threatened by
unscrupulous brokers
n Rabiul Islam
A prospective job market for Bangladeshi workers in Qatar ahead of the
2022 soccer world cup is likely to be
damaged by the fraudulent practices of
some unscrupulous middlemen.
Defying regulations, brokers, who
are mostly Bangladeshi nationals, are
allegedly cheating aspiring job applicants with promises of lucrative jobs
with overcharging recruitment fees
and often, falsifying visas.
An employer in Qatar said he had
not demanded any money for hiring
a number of Bangladeshi workers,
Shafiul Azim, labour counsellor at the
Bangladesh embassy in Doha, told the
Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday.
But later, we found that some middlemen had taken Tk400,000 from each
of the migrant workers, Shafiul added.
In another case, a broker, in
collaboration with a local agent in Bangladesh, charged a migrant Tk600,000
for a job.
The counsellor, however, could not
name the migrant who filed the complaint with the embassys labour wing.
Shafiul said a large number of brokers, who have no offices in the Gulf
nation, were perpetrating such unethical practices.
As the middlemen have no offices or addresses, it is difficult to locate
them, the embassy official said.
According to the labour wing, at
least four Bangladeshi middlemen
were arrested in Qatar recently for deceiving migrant workers.
The men, identified as Makbul,

Enamul, Babul and Darul Islam,

worked as taxi drivers. But they also
allegedly ran a scam procuring and reselling tourist visas to prospective migrants for hefty sums.
They sold a visa for Tk300,000,
Shafiul said.
After a Bangladeshi worker arrived
in Qatar on a three-month tourist visa,
the brokers, after a while would ask the
worker to get a medical checkup.

According to the
labour wing, at least
four Bangladeshi
middlemen were
arrested in Qatar
recently for deceiving
migrant workers
They would then claim that the worker had become medically unfit and had
to return home, Shafiul said.
Unless such illegal activities are
stopped, the government of Qatar will
be annoyed and our prospective labour
market might be affected, the counsellor added.
Job opportunities for migrant workers, especially in the construction sector, look bright at present as Qatar is
undertaking huge development projects for the FIFA World Cup 2022.
According to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training,23,560
Bangladeshi workers have gone to Qatar in the first four months of this year,
while a total of 57,584 went last year. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.
Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com

B3 Apple strikes a new

B4 Wealth of richest 1,000

chord in the future of

music

Britons rises 15% in year

MONDAY, MAY 19, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Industrial
credit yet to
take pace
n Jebun Nesa Alo

eign loans under soft conditions.

Foreign loans in the manufacturing
sector increased by 180% to $141.64m
in fiscal year 2013 compared to $50.50m
in the previous fiscal year, according to
the Bangladesh Bank data.
The industrial loan disbursement
through state-owned banks decreased
by 69% to Tk2,731 crore in July-March
of the current fiscal year compared to
Tk8,832.61 crore in the same period of
the last fiscal year.
Private commercial banks disbursed industrial loan worth Tk97,298
crore during the nine months, which
was 15.43% higher than Tk84,295 crore
in the same period of the last year.
The industrial loan growth from
the foreign banks had increased by the
highest 65.39% during the first nine
months of the current fiscal year.
The countrys non-bank financial
institutions posted 24.14% industrial
loan growth to Tk5,465 crore in the July-March period from Tk4,402 crore in
the same period of the last fiscal year.
Banks put special focus on agriculture and consumer loans, instead of
industrial loan, in the last one year to
achieve the credit target as per monetary policy, said a senior executive of
Bangladesh Bank
Classified loans in the industrial sector decreased by 10.77% to Tk13,349
crore in July-March period of the current
fiscal year from Tk14,960 crore in the
same period of the last fiscal year due to
the slow credit inflow to the sector. l

The countrys industrial credit growth

still remains slow due to lack of demand
and increased inflow of foreign loans.
The total industrial loan by the local banks and the non-bank financial
institutions grew 12% in the first nine
months of the current fiscal year as
compared to 34% in the same period of
the previous fiscal year (2012-13).
Term loan growth decreased by 3.64%
to Tk30,848 crore in July-March period
of the current fiscal year compared to
Tk32,015 crore in the same period of the
last fiscal year, according to Bangladesh
Bank data released yesterday.
Term loan has been falling rapidly
as big industries are now interested to
take loan from the foreign sources because of lower lending rates, said a senior executive of Bangladesh Bank. The
foreign loan inflow increased by 63% to
US$324m in the fiscal year 2013 compared to $198m in the fiscal year 2012.
Industrial expansion in the country was almost shut during the last
one year ahead of 5 January general
polls. Though the political situation
has become normal during the last two
months, entrepreneurs are still skeptical about expansion of their business,
said a senior executive of a private bank.
He further noted that the maximum
clients of the term loan are now interested to take credit from the foreign sources as the central bank had earlier allowed
many industries to take short-term for-

Workers process waste pet bottles stockpiled at a place outskirts of Dhaka city to export them for recycling. The waste bottle recycling is a growing business worldwide considering its
both economic and environmental benefits
NASHIRUL ISLAM

BASIC Bank seeks Tk600cr to plug capital gap

n Asif Showkat Kallol

Troubled with big loan forgeries, the

state-owned BASIC Bank has now
sought Tk600 crore from the government to raise paid up capital base.
An overall capital shortage of the
bank stood at Tk1,372.01 crore by the
end of year 2013.
On May 15, a letter signed by BASIC
Bank managing director Kazi Fakrul

The government has sought funds

from the development partners to
implement its master plan prepared
a year back for agricultural development in the countrys southern region.
The 10-year master plan needs
funds worth US$7.3bn to implement
in 14 coastal districts beset with problems like natural calamities, food
insecurity and limited livelihood opportunities.
Of the total fund, the government
will provide more than 18% from its
ADP allocations and non-ADP sources
and the remaining will be met from
external sources.
To review various aspects and financing mechanism, Finance Minister AMA Muhith had a meeting with
the development partners included
USAID, CIDA, WB, ADB and JICA at
the Economic Relations Division
(ERD) in Dhaka yesterday.
The minister said the southern region is generally a disadvantaged area
in terms of adverse impacts of climate
change. It is an important project for
the economic development of the
people of the region, he said.
Under this plan, some projects have
already been developed but more
funds are needed to complete the
project, he said, adding that it would
have reflection in the next budget.

The
Food
and
Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) and the Ministry
of Agriculture jointly prepared
the master plan for agricultural
development in the southern region
on July 30, 2013.
Under the plan, the total investment for 26 programmes across 10
components of the plan is estimated at $7.3bn or Tk578,026 crore and
it will cover the period from 2013 to
2021.
The master plan covers 27% of the
area and 21% of the population under
14 southern districts Barisal, Patuakhali, Satkhira, Barguna, Khulna,
Pirojpur, Lakshmipur, Feni, Bhola,
Noakhali, Jhalokati, Bagerhat, Chittagong and Coxs Bazar.
Agriculture Minister Begum Motia
Chowdhury urged the development
partners to come forward for implementing the projects. If it is implemented, it would help pull about onefifth of the population of the country
out of poverty.
She said through this master plan,
agriculture will be reinvigorated in
the costal districts struggling against
saline intrusion and tidal surge.
Acting country director of the
World Bank Christine E Kimes termed
the plan a good one. This project will
be included in the next assistance
strategy plan of the bank for Bangladesh, she said.

n Tribune Report

A representative from a donor

agency suggested involving public
sector to finance the project.
According to the master plan, the
southern region constitutes one-third
of the countrys total area and the
government efforts for the region are
focused on optimum use of natural
resources for increasing productivity
of all sectors of agriculture including
crop, fisheries, livestock and forestry.
Major components of the plan are
crops, horticulture and agro-forestry,
fisheries, livestock, nutrition, water
management, drainage management,
polder improvement, agri-business,
agricultural credit and capacity building etc.
The natural resources in the southern region could be utilised to boost
production of food grain, vegetables,
fruits, livestock, forestry and fisheries, the master plan said.
It showed nearly 65% of the
29.86m population is landless in the
region. Productivity is very low nowa-days due to tidal surge in monsoon
and salinity intrusion in the winter
season, it said.
The plan also noted that climate
change especially sea-level rise is a
burning issue in the region, the draft
mentioned.
Agriculture secretary Nazmul Hossain presented the salient feature of
the master plan. l

Shortage of skilled workforce, absence

of integrated policy and lack of environment-friendly technologies are the
major obstacles to further growth of
the leather industries in Bangladesh.
Speakers came up with the observation yesterday at a seminar styled Environment-friendly Leather Industries
in Bangladesh: A Roadmap to Competitiveness and Sustainability, which was
jointly organised by Export Promotion
Bureau (EPB) and RMM Leather Industries Limited at a city hotel.
Addressing the seminar, the speakers opined that Bangladesh had the
brightest prospect to grab the global
leather market worth US$110bn, taking the stock of rising wages in China.
Many Chinese leather entrepreneurs
were looking for relocating their industries in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Pakistan, India and Myanmar.
Leather industry could be the second largest foreign exchange earner for
the country after RMG, said Md Saiful
Islam, managing director of Picard
Bangladesh Ltd.
But we need to address some barriers, including absence of environment-friendly leather industries, lack
of skilled workforces, difficulties in
having access to finance and the problems in getting bank loans for setting
up the Central Effluent Treatment
Plant (CETP), he said.
Global chain is aggressively pursuing footwear sourcing opportunities
with local factories and Bangladesh
can take this opportunity as it is competitive because of its raw materials
and workforces.

BMCCI: Seize Malaysias manpower market

n Tribune Business Desk

The government needs to start

immediate negotiations with Malaysia and seize the opportunity to
send maximum number of workers
against their present demand of 1.1
million, a trade body suggested here
yesterday.
Leaders of the Bangladesh Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BMCCI), led by its president
Nasir A Choudhury, came up with
the recommendation as they met

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali

at the foreign ministry, reports UNB.
The BMCCI put forward a number of recommendations to close
the existing trade gaps between the
two countries, increase FDI from
Malaysia and remove barriers for
increasing manpower exports to
Malaysia.
The trade body sought government initiatives to make Bangladesh as the major source country for
manpower export to Malaysia.
The BMCCI president sought the

commerce ministrys cooperation to

sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
with Malaysia but after ensuring
Bangladeshs best interests.
The FTA between the two countries could attract greater FDI leading
to Malaysian manufacturing units
relocating to Bangladesh to take advantage of lower wage costs, he said.
The BMCCI leader suggested
creating awareness among the Malaysian investors about the competencies of products and services of
Bangladesh.

AMA Muhith asked the government

to consider actions against the BASIC
Bank board in accordance with suggestions made in a central bank report.
The Bank Division officials said
the serious irregularities took place in
BASIC Bank during last two and a half
years.
Despite that, actions neither by the
government nor the central bank have
been taken yet against the bank.

Prospective leather
industry faces hurdles

Muhith seeks foreign fund for

agriculture budget
n Kayes Sohel

Islam was sent to Bank Division Secretary Dr Aslam Alam seeking the fund to
fulfil BASEll-II requirements. But the
Bank Division do not know yet what it
should do regarding the letter.
The division could not decide
whether it should provide the fund to
the bank under the existing management or wait till the reshuffle of it, said
a senior official of the division.
One month ago, Finance Minister

Bangladesh has so far fetched

Malaysian FDI to the tune of US
$3.37bn while the total value of
trade between the two countries
last year amounted to over US$2bn.
The foreign minister listened
to their recommendations and
assured of providing all possible
support to increase Bangladeshs
export to Malaysia.
He thanked the BMCCI leaders
for their role in promoting bilateral
trade relationship between Bangladesh and Malaysia. l

Managing director of RMM Leather

Industries Aniruddah Kumar Roy noted
that if Bangladesh was able to attract
at least 10% of the existing market of
Chinese leather and leather goods, the
countrys export earnings from this sector would jump to $16bn from the existing $1bn within a short period of time.
Countries like Italy, China, Korea,
Vietnam and Thailand export leathers
goods by importing raw materials from
Bangladesh, but just for the lack of CETP,
Bangladesh fails to take the opportunity
to grab the global market, he added.
Among others, the seminar was addressed by Industries Minister Amir
Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Environment and Forest
Minister Anwar Hossain Manju, barrister Fazle Noor Taposh MP, senior commerce secretary Mahbub Ahmed, EPB
vice-chairman Shubashish Bose and
FBCCI first vice president Monwara
Hakim Ali.
Tofail Ahmed said Bangladeshi leather and leather goods have very good
prospects in the far-eastern countries,
including Japan, South Korea and China.
Bangladesh might grab the market
of the far eastern countries if the leather sector practices hygienic standard
and maintains compliance issues, said
Tofail.
Japan might turn into the biggest
market hub for Bangladeshs leather
goods and this issue might come up for
discussion during the Prime Ministers
upcoming Japan visit, he added.
The days are not far away when
the countrys export earnings will hit
$50bn, of which $30bn earnings will
come only from the countrys second
B3 COLUMN 1

Bangladesh Bank has closely monitored the financial conditions of the

BASIC Bank. We will act as per the central bank recommendations, Dr Aslam
Alam told the Dhaka Tribune.
However, the government will not
extend the tenure of the current board
of directors, he added.
Bangladesh Bank, in its routine investigations in 2012, mentioned about
B3 COLUMN 1

FY15 budget may

cut tax rebate
on individual
investment
n Syed Samiul Basher Anik
The upcoming budget is likely to propose reducing the tax rebate on investment in some specific sectors by
individuals to 10% from existing 15%,
apparently to enhance revenue income.
A senior official said the National
Board of Revenue (NBR) has already
taken the decision and it would be
placed in parliament with other budget
proposals for the fiscal 2014-15.
At present, the rebate is entitled to an
amount of Tk1.5 crore or 30% of an individuals income whichever is lower.
The government had raised the rebate to
15% in the last budget while raising the
allowable limit from Tk1 crore to boost
investment and economic growth.
Officials said the tax rebate will be
applicable for life insurance premium
up to 10% of the face value, contribution to provident fund and other funds
like recognised provident fund, supper
annuation fund, Zakat fund, and mutual fund-approved debenture or debenture stock, stocks or shares; investment in unit certificates; contribution
to any Deposit Pension Scheme (DPS)
not exceeding Tk60,000; donation to
charitable hospital, or philanthropic
or educational institutions, socioeconomic or cultural development organisations; donation to Asiatic Society
of Bangladesh, Muktijudha Jadughar,
national level institution set up in
memory of liberation war or the father
of the nation; and any investment in
Bangladesh
government
treasury
bonds etc. l

B2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Wata Chemicals sees no seller for third day

58,934,773
61,161

Traded Issues

287

Issue Gain
(Avg. Price Basis)

108

Issue Loss
(Avg. Price Basis)

177

Unchanged Issue (Avg.

Price Basis)

Market Capital Equity

(Billion. Tk.)

2,258.02

Market Capital Equity

(Billion US$)

27.37

CSE key features

May 18, 2014
Turnover (Million Taka)

205.87

Turnover (Volume)

Daily capital market highlights

DSE Broad Index :

2,291.94

Number of Contract

the company most traded stocks.

Wata Chemicals that was back
to the main market after four years
from the OTC market hit upper
limit circuit breaker as there were
no sellers for the third consecutive
session.
Lanka Bangla Securities, in its
market analysis, said the market
dropped in continuation of previous week as concern of stacking
pressure on interest rate due to
higher borrowing target in coming
budget for FY2015 and slew of institutional sell promoted investors to
book profit.
It said banking sector struggled to end on flat green note as
investors remain concerned over
increasing default by existing customer.
Last weeks poor quarterly performance of the companies continued to weigh on the market sentiment, it said, adding that fear of
more poor quarterly performance
of companies has pushed up the
sell pressure in market.
Zenith Investments said the first
day of the week turned out to be
a directionless day for the Dhaka
bourse, with much of the action
coming during the first few hours of
the session, after which, the stocks
gradually headed lower to close the
day with negativity. l

Stocks fell for the sixth straight session yesterday with low volume of
trade.
The market opened higher in
the morning but failed to sustain
as selling spree came in mainly on
tannery, textile and telecommunication stocks.
The benchmark index DSEX
shed 14 points or 0.4% to close
at 4,402 lowest since January 9
this year. Shariah Index DSES was
3 points or 0.4% to 982. The bluechip comprising DS30 fell 6 points
or 0.5% to 1,597.
Chittagong Stock Exchange
Selective Category Index, CSCX,
dropped 39 points to 8,470.
The total turnover at DSE dipped
below Tk300 crore to stand at
Tk229 crore, a sharp decrease of
25% from the previous session and
lowest in a month.
All the major sectors declined
except banks which closed flat. Tannery and textile sector were the worst
hit falling 2% and 1% respectively.
Telecommunication,
financial
institutions, food and allied, pharmaceuticals and power edged lower.
After sharp rise in the first trading day, Hwa Well Textile shares
continued to decline with a loss of
0.7%. Huge selling pressure made

Company

Turnover
(Million Taka)
Turnover
(Volume)

5,517,642

Number of Contract

8,378

4402.50982

(-) 0.33%

Traded Issues

199

981.77079

(-) 0.31%

Issue Gain
(Avg. Price Basis)

60

1597.91943

(-) 0.40%

Issue Loss
(Avg. Price Basis)

132

CSE All Share Index:

13593.45150

(-) 0.47%

Unchanged Issue (Avg.

Price Basis)

CSE - 30 Index :

11154.09660

(-) 0.45%

Market Capital Equity

(Billion. Tk.)

2,164.36

8469.88490

(-) 0.46%

Market Capital Equity

(Billion US$)

26.23

DSE Shariah Index :

DSE - 30 Index :

CSE Selected Index :

DSE LOSERS
Company
Golden Son -A
In Tech Online -A
Janata Insur -A
Standard Insurance-A
People`s Leasing-A
Apex Footwear-A
Rahima Food -Z
Karnaphuli Insur -A

MBL 1st M. F.-A

Kohinoor Chem -A

-19.69
-13.51
-11.42
-10.13
-9.68
-8.53
-7.94
-7.59

Average (%
change)
-17.75
-13.55
-10.94
-12.87
-9.03
-7.62
-2.33
-6.41

-7.58
-7.37

-5.80
-7.37

Closing (%
change)

CSE LOSERS

Golden Son -A
In Tech Online -A
Janata Insur -A
Phoenix Insur -A
Dhaka Ins. Ltd.-A
Paramount Insur-A
People`s Leasing-A
Rahima Food -Z

-19.02
-14.09
-10.75
-9.85
-9.80
-9.26
-9.09
-8.11

Average (%
change)
-17.77
-13.07
-11.27
-0.83
-6.75
-17.15
-9.69
-4.49

Sonargaon Tex -Z
Samata LeatheR -Z

-7.07
-6.67

-3.77
-6.67

Company

Closing (%
change)

ANALYST

Closing
average

Closing

Bank
NBFI
Investment
Engineering
Food & Allied
Fuel & Power
Jute
Textile
Pharma & Chemical
Paper & Packaging
Service
Leather
Ceramic
Cement
Information Technology
General Insurance
Life Insurance
Telecom
Travel & Leisure
Miscellaneous
Debenture

DSE
Million Taka
228.11
87.53
72.79
242.74
135.71
148.74
0.73
413.07
370.35
0.88
51.09
101.87
7.20
143.06
14.57
40.57
42.36
134.77
17.47
38.20
0.15

Turnover
in million

Daily low

Latest
EPS

Latest
PE

47.08
12.82
19.46
35.46
17.02
367.30
53.31
22.05

46.10
12.80
19.40
35.50
16.80
363.70
51.00
21.90

48.20
13.10
19.60
35.70
17.30
380.00
55.60
22.80

44.00
12.50
19.30
32.70
15.30
362.90
50.30
21.70

112.471
1.994
0.755
0.783
6.737
83.414
3.412
2.494

4.08
-0.80
1.40
2.88
1.08
-11.44
-1.01
1.40

11.5
-ve
13.9
12.3
15.8
-ve
-ve
15.8

6.33
352.00

6.10
352.00

6.70
352.00

6.10
352.00

19.259
0.880

1.44
9.37

Ambee Pharma -A
Al-Haj Textile -A
Desh Garments -B
Miracle Industries -B
MeghnaCement -A
United Insur -A
MJL BD Ltd.-A
Anwar Galvanizing-B
Asia Insur. Ltd.-A
Savar Refractories-Z

Closing (%
change)
16.49
6.07
5.21
4.89
4.45
4.37
4.30
4.09
3.95
2.86

CSE GAINERS
Company
Ambee Pharma -A
Prime Textile -A
Miracle Industries -B
NLI 1st M F-A
Reliance1 M.F.-A
Sinobangla Indu.-A
IDLC Finance -A
ACI Formulations-A
MJL BD Ltd.-A
JMI Syringes MDL-A

Closing (%
change)
18.00
5.02
4.86
4.44
4.40
4.20
3.72
3.61
3.42
3.30

Average (%
change)
11.75
3.84
4.49
3.46
2.83
4.73
3.20
2.49
2.71
2.38
Average (%
change)
11.98
4.93
4.93
4.33
4.40
2.65
2.69
3.61
3.75
1.03

Closing
average
327.85
113.98
106.63
19.43
117.68
35.87
81.65
28.01
23.53
57.33

Closing
average
326.74
22.98
19.57
9.40
9.50
24.80
46.89
86.00
81.10
181.38

Closing
340.50
115.40
107.00
19.30
119.60
35.80
82.40
28.00
23.70
57.60

Closing
342.20
23.00
19.40
9.40
9.50
24.80
47.40
86.00
81.70
178.40

Daily high
345.00
116.00
108.70
19.80
121.40
36.00
82.80
28.50
23.90
58.40

Daily high
349.00
23.00
19.80
9.40
9.50
24.80
47.50
86.00
82.50
186.00

Daily low
278.00
105.00
102.30
16.90
114.50
34.00
71.10
27.20
22.00
57.00

Daily low
264.50
22.90
18.00
9.40
9.50
24.80
46.00
86.00
71.20
177.10

Turnover
in million
26.913
19.813
6.963
9.653
4.566
0.448
40.014
5.420
1.897
0.043

Turnover
in million
5.080
0.046
0.335
0.047
0.038
0.050
0.433
0.086
4.625
1.088

Latest
EPS
4.00
2.00
0.96
0.19
7.00
2.44
4.72
0.27
1.56
0.52

Latest
EPS
4.00
1.13
0.19
1.36
1.86
0.80
-0.88
6.28
4.72
2.08

Latest
PE
82.0
57.0
111.1
102.3
16.8
14.7
17.3
103.7
15.1
110.3

Latest
PE
81.7
20.3
103.0
6.9
5.1
31.0
-ve
13.7
17.2
87.2

News from trade server

CITYBANK: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 204.50
million with consolidated basic EPS of Tk.
0.29 (restated 0.25) as against Tk. 111.43
million and Tk. 0.16 (0.13) respectively.
MONNOSTAF: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 0.11
million with EPS of Tk. 0.28 as against Tk.
0.50 million and Tk. 1.25 respectively.
BDTHAI: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 9.94 million
with basic EPS of Tk. 0.22 (restated 0.21)
as against Tk. 8.48 million and Tk. 0.19
(0.18) respectively.
NTC: (Q1): NPAT=Tk. (118.33) million with
EPS of Tk. -17.93 as against Tk. -1.60 million
and Tk. -0.24 respectively. Accumulated
profit/(loss) of the Company was Tk.
(117.91) million as on 31.03.2014.
BDWELDING: (Q1): NPAT=Tk. 4.94
million with EPS of Tk. 0.12 as against
Tk. 10.09 million and Tk. 0.25 (restated)
respectively.
SUMITPOWER: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 512.27
million with consolidated basic EPS of Tk.
0.87 ( restated 0.75) as against Tk. 508.61
million and Tk. 0.86 (0.75) respectively.
KPCL: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 690.88 million
with consolidated basic EPS of Tk. 2.01
(restated 1.91) as against Tk. 583.72 million

and Tk. 1.70 (1.62) respectively.

SPPCL: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 160.34 million
with basic EPS of Tk. 1.16 (restated 1.06)
as against Tk. 146.76 million and Tk. 1.30
(1.16) respectively.
CMCKAMAL: (Q1): NPAT=Tk. 28.75
million with basic EPS of Tk. 0.38 (restated
0.33) as against Tk. 31.78 million and Tk.
0.42 (0.37) respectively.
ORIONPHARM: (Q1): NPAT=Tk. 380.79
million with consolidated EPS of Tk. 1.63
as against Tk. 294.17 million and Tk. 1.26
respectively.
INTECH: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. -4.18 million
with basic EPS of Tk. -0.22 (restated
-0.20) as against Tk. 0.77 million and Tk.
0.04 (0.04) respectively.
JANATAINS: (Q1): NPAT=Tk. 12.37 million
with basic EPS of Tk. 0.40 ( restated 0.35)
as against Tk. 9.49 million and Tk. 0.31
(0.27) respectively.
PROVATIINS: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 13.29
million with basic EPS of Tk. 0.63 (restated
0.56) as against Tk. 11.69 million and Tk.
0.55 (0.50) respectively.
PARAMOUNT: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 9.04
million with basic EPS of Tk. 0.45 (restated

0.41) as against Tk. 8.06 million and Tk.

0.40 (0.37) respectively.
ASIAPACINS: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 26.36
million with EPS of Tk. 0.62 as against Tk.
29.73 million and Tk. 0.70 respectively.
DHAKAINS: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 17.35 million
with EPS of Tk. 0.46 as against Tk. 16.81
million and Tk. 0.45 respectively.
MICEMENT: The Company has informed
that the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to install two Packing Units
in its factory which will cost Tk. 210.00
million approximately including civil
construction.
AZIZPIPES: (Audit Observation): The
auditor of the company has given the
following audit observation paragraph in
the audit report of the company for the
year ended on 31 December 2013: Audit
observations: 1. Utilization of production
capacity and ability of the company to pay
debt: The production capacity position
of the company is very poor which was
decreased than the last year by 9.44%.
Total utilization of attainable capacity of
the company is only 38.59%, which was
48.03% at previous year.

4.4
37.6

Closing
average

Closing

Daily high

Turnover
in million

Daily low

Latest
EPS

Latest
PE

47.05
12.90
19.06
35.70
33.32
17.88
16.97
51.91

46.40
12.80
19.10
35.70
32.20
19.60
17.00
51.00

48.30
13.50
19.30
35.70
34.00
18.00
17.10
54.00

43.20
12.70
19.00
35.70
32.20
17.80
16.80
51.00

9.457
0.290
0.061
0.021
0.217
0.012
0.660
0.208

4.08
-0.80
1.40
3.00
1.84
1.64
1.08
-1.01

11.5
-ve
13.6
11.9
18.1
10.9
15.7
-ve

9.44
28.00

9.20
28.00

9.60
28.00

9.10
28.00

0.132
0.028

-0.92
0.09

-ve
311.1

The total turnover at DSE dipped below

Tk300 crore to stand at Tk229 crore, a sharp
decrease of 25% from the previous session
and lowest in a month

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS

Company
Hwa Well Textiles-N
Golden Son -A
Grameenphone-A
Orion Pharma-N
LafargeS Cement-Z
Apex Footwear-A
Matin Spinning-N

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

Sector

Daily high

Monday, May 19, 2014

DSE GAINERS

DSE key features

May 18, 2014

Stocks fall for

sixth day
n Tribune Report

Stock

% change
9.95
3.82
3.18
10.59
5.92
6.49
0.03
18.02
16.16
0.04
2.23
4.44
0.31
6.24
0.64
1.77
1.85
5.88
0.76
1.67
0.01

Million Taka
17.88
6.61
4.31
22.15
13.09
21.00
44.63
36.50
13.90
2.70
16.86
1.18
11.55
1.60
1.08
1.82
21.15
6.36
3.07
0.06

CSE

% change
7.22
2.67
1.74
8.95
5.29
8.48
0.00
18.03
14.75
5.62
1.09
6.81
0.48
4.67
0.65
0.44
0.74
8.54
2.57
1.24
0.02

Million Taka
245.99
94.13
77.11
264.89
148.79
169.74
0.73
457.70
406.85
14.78
53.79
118.73
8.38
154.61
16.17
41.64
44.19
155.92
23.83
41.27
0.21

Total

% change
9.69
3.71
3.04
10.43
5.86
6.68
0.03
18.02
16.02
0.58
2.12
4.68
0.33
6.09
0.64
1.64
1.74
6.14
0.94
1.63
0.01

Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and
audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility
if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

Square Pharma -A
Emerald Oil Ind. -N
Eastern Housing -A

BD Submarine Cable-A
MJL BD Ltd.-A
Olympic Ind. -A
HeidelbergCement -A
JMI Syringes MDL-A
CSE TURNOVER LEADERS
Company
Hwa Well Textiles-N

BD Submarine Cable-A
Orion Pharma-N
Grameenphone-A
Golden Son -A
LafargeS Cement-Z
Square Pharma -A
Matin Spinning-N
UNITED AIR-A
Ambee Pharma -A
MJL BD Ltd.-A
Meghna Petroleum -A
Appollo Ispat CL -N
Padma Oil Co. -A
Legacy Footwear -A

Volume
shares
2,862,000
2,389,121
351,731
1,642,520
1,306,000
227,100
1,434,000
187,779
971,500
751,272

225,594
490,043
159,477
67,250
167,000

Volume
shares

454,000
62,244
212,000
36,200
201,000
115,500
26,116
113,800
452,688
15,547
57,024
14,500
144,000
8,870
97,000

Value in
million
124.97
112.47
92.45
87.76
87.68
83.41
67.25
50.45
48.97
47.94

42.32
40.01
36.89
33.83
30.46

Value in
million

19.73
11.64
11.42
9.51
9.46
7.74
7.01
5.34
5.26
5.08
4.62
4.04
3.87
2.88
2.85

% of total
turnover
5.45
4.91
4.03
3.83
3.83
3.64
2.93
2.20
2.14
2.09

1.85
1.75
1.61
1.48
1.33

% of total
turnover

9.92
5.85
5.74
4.78
4.75
3.89
3.52
2.68
2.64
2.55
2.32
2.03
1.95
1.45
1.43

Daily
closing
43.20
46.10
262.20
52.70
66.90
363.70
46.50
267.70
49.80
63.50

184.90
82.40
232.30
499.50
179.20

Daily
closing

42.90
184.40
53.30
261.70
46.40
66.80
266.70
46.50
11.50
342.20
81.70
278.80
26.70
326.20
29.10

Price
change
-0.69
-19.69
-0.87
0.38
-0.74
-8.53
-1.27
0.19
-2.16
0.16

Daily
opening
43.50
57.40
264.50
52.50
67.40
397.60
47.10
267.20
50.90
63.40

Price
change

Daily
opening

-2.94
4.30
0.39
-2.50
1.19

-0.92
-3.05
1.52
-0.76
-19.02
-0.30
-1.15
-1.48
-0.86
18.00
3.42
0.47
-1.48
0.52
1.75

190.50
79.00
231.40
512.30
177.10

43.30
190.20
52.50
263.70
57.30
67.00
269.80
47.20
11.60
290.00
79.00
277.50
27.10
324.50
28.60

Daily
high
44.70
48.20
265.00
54.50
67.60
380.00
48.30
280.00
52.00
64.50

195.00
82.80
234.90
516.40
187.80

Daily
low
42.70
44.00
255.00
48.00
66.90
362.90
46.10
244.00
49.00
57.10

173.00
71.10
221.00
492.00
177.00

Daily
average
43.67
47.08
262.84
53.43
67.13
367.30
46.90
268.65
50.40
63.81

Daily
high

Daily
low

Daily
average

44.70
192.50
57.00
264.20
48.30
67.90
271.70
48.30
12.00
349.00
82.50
281.90
27.80
327.00
30.00

41.50
182.50
48.00
260.70
43.20
66.70
265.10
46.10
10.50
264.50
71.20
278.00
26.50
297.00
28.90

187.59
81.65
231.29
503.05
182.37

43.46
187.04
53.85
262.60
47.05
66.97
268.41
46.93
11.62
326.74
81.10
278.78
26.87
324.28
29.36

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

B3

Monday, May 19, 2014

Apple strikes a new chord in the future of music Google says to

time needed
n Reuters, San Francisco

More than a decade ago, the late Steve

Jobs pulled one of his trademark reality
distorting maneuvers, browbeating music label executives into selling songs on
Apple Incs then-nascent iTunes digital
store for a mere 99 cents apiece.
Now, the tables have turned and its
Apple that is being forced into a deal
that is far from a sure-fire winner.
The iPod and iPhone maker is expected to announce as early as this week
a $3.2bn agreement to buy Beats Electronics, the music streaming service
and headphone maker founded by legendary music producer Jimmy Iovine
and rapper Dr Dre, according to three
sources familiar with Apples thinking.
The deal would come after Pandora
Media Inc and Spotify have already
claimed the vanguard of the music
streaming revolution, while Apples
riposte - the eight-month-old iTunes
Radio - is stumbling.
Apple is about two years late, behind Spotify, said David Pakman, a digital music investor with Venrock Capital
and a co-creator of Apples Music Group.
They need a streaming offering.
With digital music downloads in
decline, record labels have put pressure on Apple to get its act together on
streaming, according to two of the three
sources. The record labels hope Apple
can turn Beats Music into a strong competitor with Spotify and other streaming services, the sources said.
The labels wanted Apple to build
a premium service, said one of the
sources, who like the others were not
authorized to speak about the matter
on the record. They wanted ... to make
money through the stream.
In recent months, the major labels
had grown dissatisfied with the per-

formance of iTunes Radio, the source

said. Streaming subscriptions are now
the fastest-growing revenue source for
the music industry, but Apple has not
made a dent.
Streaming subscriptions jumped
51% in 2013 to $1.1bn, out of a $15bn
total spent on music, according to the
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Meanwhile, digital
downloads slipped 2.1%.
Per-user spending is higher with
streaming services than for music
downloads. A good customer spends
$25 to $35 a year on music purchases,
but a subscriber spends $9 or more a
month - or more than $100 a year, according to one source.
Labels earn royalties of a fraction
of a cent for every stream, which the
source said works out to a higher revenue per user than pure digital sales.
Apple, Beats and record labels Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment declined to comment for
this story. A spokeswoman for Universal Music Group did not respond to requests for comment.

Thawing

In buying Beats, Apple would get an

up-and-coming music streaming service, a well-connected team of industry
executives, and high-margin hardware.
But the high price tag would represent
a departure for Apple after two decades
of acquisitions mainly in the hundreds
of millions of dollars.
Some Wall Street analysts have
termed Apples plan purchase of Beats
puzzling. Despite the rapid growth
of streaming, it remains a small slice of
the overall music market. If the labels
do not agree to lower royalties rates,
then, like Pandora or Spotify, Apple
may struggle to make its streaming

BASIC Bank seeks Tk600cr

B1 COLUMN 6

BASIC Banks abnormal credit growth,

which ran as high as 40% at one point.
It is indicative of rampant financial
irregularities and in many instances of
such anomalies revealed, the banks
board of directors and top managerial
officials were involved, according to a
central bank report.
They were engaged in giving loans
with false documents and inadequate
collaterals, it said.
The bank had come under the spotlight since loan scams of Tk4,000 crore
were unearthed in 2012.
There are also allegations against
the chairman of the bank Sheikh Abdul
Hye Bacchu that he had direct involvement with the scams.
The letter said the necessary capital
of the bank was Tk1,176.88 crore at the
end of calendar year 2013.
Of the amount, the provision deficit was Tk788.81 crore and the reserve
capital Tk195.13 crore.
After the adjustment, the total capital shortfall stood at Tk1,372.01 crore.
As per the decision of board,
the board of directors urged the
government to provide paid up capital
of Tk1372.01 crore to the bank on

urgent basis.
Under the BASEl-II, a 10% reserve
needs to be put aside against riskweighted assets of the commercial
banks along with the road map to go for
BASEL III for reserve of supervisory review process.
According to an agreement between
BASIC Bank and Bangladesh Bank, BASIC Bank would limit its single borrower exposure to 15% of the banks total
capital.
But the bank broke the deal exceeding the ceiling for 61 of its clients as it
gave out Tk2,111 crore more in loans.
Bangladesh Bank asked the bank to
raise its capital adequacy ratio (CAR) to
11% by the end of 2013.
The CAR on December 31 last year
stood at 4.5%.
It was also expected to plug the capital deficit of Tk128.21 crore in 2013.
But the deficit widened to Tk647.38
crore by the end of December.
Of the total of 68 branches of the
bank, 33 are making losses.
Bangladesh Bank put a limit on BASIC Banks loan growth in 2013.
It was first set at 10% and later upon
the banks request it was extended to
20.63%. l

forget people
n AFP, New York

iPod Touches are pictured on display at an Apple Store in Pasadena, California

largest readymade garment sector. If

the political stability remains as usual
in the country, Bangladesh will be able
to make further progress, said Tofail.
Industries Minister Amir Hossain
Amu said water of the Buriganga River
was polluted mainly due to the wast-

age of leather industries.

After the Rana Plaza tragedy, the
foreign buyers are playing with Bangladeshs RMG sector in the name of
compliance and labour rights issue,
reminded Amu.
The government is now working to
develop the countrys leather industry

join Apple, according to two sources.

Apple is seldom a first mover into
markets, preferring to bide its time and
monitor early entrants. The company
had been watching Beats Musics takeup rates since its January launch and
was impressed when the service signed
up some 1,000 customers a day in the
initial weeks, one of the sources familiar with Apples thinking said.
Google, YouTube, Spotify and others are working on ways to stream music, said Andrew Mains, former vice
president of digital at Interscope Records, who worked closely with Iovine
and Apples iTunes team. If Apple can
control the future of music distribution
by buying Beats, they will retain control of the devices. l

profitable. And Beats is several years

behind Pandora and Spotify, which
have 99 million active users combined.
Still, the fact that the record labels are getting behind Apple marks a
thawing in what had been at times an
openly adversarial relationship, industry sources said. The a la carte
model that iTunes introduced in 2001
had slashed revenue for the labels as
it no longer required customers to buy
whole albums.
Now, the music industry believes
streaming is the way of the future,
though its rise has not been smooth.
Industry sources say licensing negotiations with the likes of Spotify and
Pandora come up every 12 to 15 months
and can be difficult.

It is unclear what terms an Appleowned Beats might command. Apple

does have a big bargaining chip
in iTunes, which has 800 million
members.
ITunes is the number one for digital downloads, said Daniel Weisman, a
manager at Roc Nation who represents
bands. If iTunes can flip the switch on
their user base to become streaming
subscribers, that will be a huge win for
everyone.
A source at a music publisher said
the labels like Beats because it was
created from within the music industry. Getting Iovine on board will give
Apple huge leverage across the negotiating table as streaming develops. He
will likely leave Interscope records and

China says faster

economic reforms
needed
n Reuters, Beijing

Intels CEO looks to hobbyists for

wearable innovations

China will try to quicken the pace of

economic reform this year as part of the
governments efforts to arrest a slowdown in the worlds second-largest
economy, the countrys top economic
planning agency said late on Saturday.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) reaffirmed nine
reform priorities for 2014, including deepening reforms in the power and the oil and
gas industries and cutting red tape for investment approvals, according to a statement on its website, www.ndrc.gov.cn
Not only for reform draft planning,
but also to solve the risks and problems
of the current economy, we all need to
try boldly to quicken the reform, the
NDRC said in the statement after a twoday meeting on economic reform.
The statement followed a batch of
economic data that showed across-theboard weaknesses in Chinas economy,
sparking new calls for Beijing to ease
policies to shore up growth. l

Intel Corps Chief Executive Officer Brian Krzanich mingled with electronics
buffs at Silicon Valleys annual maker
mecca on Saturday as the chipmaker
looks to amateur inventors to inspire a
new wave of smart clothing.
With sales of smartphones losing
steam, technology companies including Intel believe that wearable computing devices - a still undefined category
including smart watches, fitness trackers and Google Glass - could become a
major trend in personal computing.
But smartwatches and fitness bands
launched by Samsung Electronics Co
Ltd and other tech companies in the
past year have yet to really take off.
At the Maker Faire in San Mateo,
California, Krzanich told Reuters that
successful smart clothes will come
from individual inventors focused on
their own needs.
The trick to making the perfect
wearable is going to be when you figure out what problems youre trying to
solve, and I dont think youre going to
be able to build a wearable that does it
all for everyone, he said.
Who better to design the next athletic wearable than an athlete, added
Krzanich.
Thousands of people attended the
open-air event, which gives hobbyists
and their families a chance to socialize
and check out other peoples projects.
Among the most popular attractions
were demonstrations of flying drones,

Prospective leather industry faces hurdles

B1 COLUMN 5

REUTERS

Google said Friday it could take weeks

to devise a way to comply with a European Court of Justice ruling that it
honor requests to be forgotten.
Word that the US Internet titan is
grappling with how to implement the
judicial order came as it fielded requests from people who want links to
deeds or critics deleted from search
results.
Google did not disclose details
about requests, but online reports indicated they include a pedophile and a
politician who want references to their
pasts to vanish.
The EUs top court ruled Tuesday
that individuals have the right to ask
the US Internet giant to delete personal
data and be forgotten online under
certain circumstances when their personal data becomes outdated or inaccurate.
The decision has raised concerns
about online censorship and how
Internet search works in various
countries.
Complicating factors include varying languages and the need to review
requests to determine when online
posts targeted for removal are actually
in the public interest.
Google said it could take several
weeks to work out a system to comply
with the ruling.
Analysts said the global impact of
the ruling was not immediately clear,
but that it could raise some tricky issues in Europe and beyond.
Worries also arose that letting people edit their online histories could
hamper investigative journalism. l

maintaining all the compliance issues

and international standards so the foreign buyers could not raise their voices
over the issues of compliance and labour rights in the leather sector. The
construction work of the CETP at Savar
Leather Industrial Estate is going on in
full swing, Amu added. l

n Reuters, San Mateo

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich (right) listens to Node.js Sandbox creator Michael McCool (left)
at the Makers Faire in San Mateo, California
REUTERS
voice-activated robots and a giant metal
octopus shooting fire from its tentacles.
Krzanich is a weekend tinkerer in his
own right and just finished restoring a
1974 Land Cruiser.
Intel is not the only technology
company to look to the growing maker
movement for inspiration but it has
been among the most aggressive.
Intel, ARM Holdings, Atmel and
other chipmakers all have exhibitions
at the weekend event to make sure that
hobbyists are up to speed on their latest components.
These are the future engineers, the
future scientists, the guys who will be
inventing the next companies that create great products, whether its the next

Google or Apple. We want them to be

aware of Intel technology, Krzanich said.
Intel has set aside over $1m in
awards for contests for people to pitch
ideas for wearable gadgets made with
Intel technology.
Even if Intel becomes a major supplier of chips for wearable and mobile
devices, it is unclear whether that business could make up for the slowdown
in the PC industry, which Intel has
dominated for four decades. Intel has
also lagged far behind Qualcomm in
smartphones.
But the push into wearables is a major prong in Krzanichs goal to see Intels chips used across a range of new
markets. l

Kaspersky
Internet Security
tops AV Test
n Tribune Business Desk
Pioneer Insurance Company Limited held its 18th annual general meeting yesterday at
a convention centre in Bashundhara, Dhaka. The shareholders approved 20% stock and
10% cash dividend for the year ended December 31, 2013 at the meeting that was presided
over by the companys chair AKM Rahmatullah

Bangladesh Startup Cup kicks off

n Tribune Business Desk

Modhumoti Bank Limited recently organised a workshop in Dhaka on non-management

staff development programme for its fourth class employees. The banks managing
director and CEO Md Mizanur Rahman handed over the certificates among the participants

Bangladesh Startup Cup, a startup

business model competition was
launched recently through a 3-day long
programme named Startup Boot Camp
with already selected 32 teams for the
competition.
The competition is designed to stimulate entrepreneurial activity, grow

jobs through startups, and increase

awareness of the resources available
to grow entrepreneurs in Bangladesh,
said a press release.
Startup scene in Bangladesh is dramatically changing with the launch of
this competition, said Minhaz Anwar,
chair of Bangladesh Startup Cup.
There is a lot of untapped entrepreneurial potential here; great ideas

in need of nurturing and overflowing

exuberance and energy deserving of
being channeled. This looks like just
the right sort of initiative at this cusp of
our countrys path to greater things,
said Tanvir Haider Chaudhury, CEO of
Kazi Food Industries.
The event consists of 100 founders,
20 resident mentors, 15 judges and 25
organisers. l

Kaspersky Internet Security was recently rated as the best protection

solution following an endurance test
carried out from September 2013 to
February 2014 by the experts of the independent laboratory AV Test.
The experts evaluated 24 security
suites from different vendors in three
categories.
Users of modern security suites
dont want to be disturbed either by viruses or by antiviruses. The solutions
ability to avoid excessive drain on system resources and avoid false positives
is just as important as its primary function of detecting and neutralizing malware, said Oleg Ishanov, Director AntiMalware Research, Kaspersky Lab.
Kaspersky Internet Securitys impressive results in this test reflect the
optimal comfort level our customers
enjoy in addition to unquestionable security for their systems. l

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Monday, May 19, 2014

Wealth of richest 1,000 Britons rises 15% in year

n AFP, London
Britains 1,000 richest people have enjoyed
a phenomenal increase of 15% in their
wealth in the past year, according to The
Sunday Times newspapers annual Rich List.
Together they are worth 518.975bn
(637.387bn euros, $872.838bn), an increase
of 15.4% on last years total of 449.654bn.
Even accounting for inflation, this is well
above the 412.846bn recorded before the
financial crisis began in 2008.
Ive never seen such a phenomenal rise
in personal wealth, said Philip Beresford,
who has compiled the list since 1989.
He added: While some may criticise
them, many of these people are at the heart
of the economy, and their success brings
more jobs and more wealth for the country.
The richest 1,000 people now own
the equivalent of a third of Britains gross
domestic product. The country now has 104
sterling billionaires.
The Bank of England said this week that
the British economy was heading back
towards normal following the recession,
and after six years of falling wages, average
pay has finally caught up with inflation.
However, the 1.7% annual growth in
average weekly wages recorded by the Office for National Statistics is well below the
growth enjoyed by the richest in society.

The list is based on identifiable wealth

including land, property and shares, but
excludes bank accounts.
Gopichand and Srichand Hinduja, brothers of Indian origin, replaced Uzbek-born
Russian business magnate Alisher Usmanov
as the richest in Britain.
The London-based Hindujas, entrepreneurs who co-chair the multinational Hinduja
Group conglomerate, are worth 11.9bn.
The richest Briton is Gerald Grosvenor,
the Duke of Westminster, who owns much
of central Londons prime real estate. He
was 10th on the list with 8.5 billion.
Only 11 of the richest 30 are British.
Others include Topshop owner Philip Green
(3.9bn), Sports Direct and Newcastle
United Football Club tycoon Mike Ashley
(3.8bn), Virgin boss Richard Branson
(3.6bn), engineer James Dyson (3bn) and
motor racing boss Bernie Ecclestone (3bn).

Queen 285th on list

Queen Elizabeth II came 285th on the list,
now with a personal wealth - as apart from
that tied to the crown - of 330m.
The queens investment portfolio, consisting largely of blue-chip British companies shares, should have grown to 105m,
the Rich List said.
With rising land and estate prices, we
add 10m to last years figure for per-

sonal property such as Sandringham and

Balmoral.
Her personal art is worth just 2m. Add-

Japanese car giants team up on

green engines
n AFP, Tokyo
Japans eight carmakers have joined
forces to develop environmentally
friendly engines to stave off fierce competition from foreign rivals, a press report said yesterday.
Two of Japans leading universities
will join Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Suzuki,
Mazda, Mitsubishi, Daihatsu and Fuji
Heavy in the project, which is mainly
aimed at slashing engine emissions to
meet tougher environmental standards,
the business daily Nikkei reported.
By 2020 the group, which includes
the University of Tokyo and Waseda

University, plans to develop technology which can cut diesel engine carbondioxide emissions by 30% from 2010
levels.
The manufacturers plan to adapt the
technology for commercial use in both
diesel and gasoline-powered vehicles,
the Nikkei said, hoping to gain a leg
up over European carmakers as well
as helping to meet tightening environmental regulations around the world.
Japanese carmakers long held the
advantage in low-emission and fuelefficient engines, but German giants
BMW and Volkswagen are seen as having caught up in recent years, particu-

larly in diesel engine development.

The project is forecast to cost about
two billion yen ($19.7m) in its first three
years from the current fiscal year which
started on April 1, Nikkei said, with the
Japanese government set to subsidise
two-thirds of the first year costs.
Despite growing demand for electric
vehicles, internal combustion engines
are expected to remain the main source
of power for cars for the time being.
Conventional combustion-powered
vehicles are estimated to account for
89% of cars produced worldwide in
2030, according to a survey by the
thinktank Fuji Keizai Group. l

ing the royal stamp collection, jewels, cars,

horses and the Queen Mothers legacy take
the queen to 330m.

How Chinese officials like banned FB

n AFP, Beijing

Chinas Communist authorities ban

their own people from accessing major global social media sites including
Facebook (FB), Twitter, YouTube and
more. But when it comes to self-promotion they are increasingly keen users themselves.
The official news agency Xinhua,
the Communist Partys official mouthpiece the Peoples Daily, and state
broadcaster CCTV all have Twitter accounts, as do a host of city and provincial authorities.
When the city of Hangzhou, renowned for its lakes and canals, looked
to raise its international profile it
turned to Facebook, the worlds mostpopular social network.
Chinas Internet users, who now
number 618 million, have been blocked
from using it since 2009.
But the citys Modern Marco Polo
competition - akin to Australias best
job in the world contests - involves no
fewer than six Facebook apps.
The winner, to be announced
Tuesday, will receive 40,000 euros
($55,000) and a two-week trip to Hangzhou, in exchange for promoting the
city on Facebook and Twitter for a year.
Michael Cavanaugh, a consultant for
British-based PR Agency One, which
has been promoting the contest, told
AFP increasing official use of such sites
was inevitable. But he declined to
say how the winner was expected to
post to them from within China.

Great Firewall of China

The office space is seen in Gizmodo's 'Home of the Future,' a pop-up apartment that displays the latest in innovation, design and
technology on May 16, 2014 in New York City. The apartment will be viewable to the general public from May 17 to 21 at 268 Mulberry
Street
AFP

Chinas Communist authorities maintain a tight grip on expression - both

on- and off-line - fearful of any dissent
that could spiral into a challenge to
one-party rule.
Some Chinese Internet users and
businesses use VPNs, or virtual private
networks, to bypass the vast censorship apparatus known as the Great
Firewall, and state-run media often
use foreign bureaux to accomplish the
same goal.

Future may be bitter for chocolate lovers

n AFP, Paris
The future may be bitter for chocolate
lovers unless cocoa producers step up
their output dramatically to satisfy
an expected surge in demand from
emerging market countries, an industry executive warns.
Juergen Steinemann, head of Barry
Callebaut, the leading supplier of cocoa and chocolate to manufacturers
and food professionals, doesnt hide
his concern despite the Swiss-based
companys current sweet performance.
Barry Callebaut has positioned itself well to benefit from growth in
emerging markets, where its sales
jumped nearly a fifth last year and now
account for a quarter of overall sales.
But if consumers in emerging markets quickly develop a sweet tooth for
chocolate, a severe shortage of cocoa
beans could develop.
At the current moment consumers
in emerging markets eat just 50 grams
of chocolate per person per year, compared with European and US consumers
who gobble up 10 to 12 kilos per person.
Steinemann said even an increase of
average annual consumption per head

from 50 grams to two kilos in emerging markets would put a major strain
on supplies of the cocoa beans that are
the key ingredient in chocolate.
Production of cocoa beans is forecast to fall short of demand for a second year running, although the International Cocoa Organization estimates
that world output will rise to 4.104
million tonnes this year from 3.942
million tonnes last year.
Barry Callebaut, which processes
nearly a quarter of the worlds cocoa
beans, estimates that output needs to
rise to five million tonnes by 2020 to
meet the growth in demand.
If we dont have more (a shortage)
could happen, Steinemann told journalists during a recent visit to Paris.
This is why we better overdo, rather than not enough, he added.
The answer to the question of how
to get such an increase in output is not
so easy, however.
Even with the price of cocoa beans
jumping by nearly a third over the past
year, farmers prefer growing palm or
bananas, noted Barry Callebauts vice
president, Philippe Janvier.
Expanding land under cultivation

wouldnt be a quick solution as it takes

about seven years before you can harvest beans.

Improving productivity

That leaves improving productivity,

and to that end Barry Callebaut runs
a programme to improve the skills of
farmers in Ivory Coast, the worlds top
cocoa producer at 36% of global output.
We are not enlarging the land but
rather trying to intensify production,
thats our response, and its all about
education, said Steinemann, who
often travels to the training centre in
Ivory Coast.
The average size of cocoa plantations in Ivory Coast is just two or three
hectares five-seven acres), with most
farmers having had little formal agricultural training and using techniques
handed down to them by the parents.
Producers can much improve their
yields if they remove old bad fruit, the
bad leaves with some kind of disease,
said Steinemann. Its all very simple
things to do, its gardening as you do
in your garden.
Fertiliser use is currently scant and
could also help in achieving the proj-

She is the 39th richest woman in her

kingdom.
There are more women than ever on the

list (114). However, Harry Potter author J. K.

Rowling (570m) and Jimmy Choo fashion
house founder Tamara Mellon (180m)
remain the only women who have made a
vast fortune in their own right.
Britains wealthiest rock star fortunes are
those of Paul McCartney and his wife Nancy
Shevell (710m), U2 (428m), Elton John
(260m) and Mick Jagger (215m).
Lower on the list were Sting (180m),
Ringo Starr (170m), Roger Waters
(160m), Eric Clapton (150m), David Bowie (135m) and Robbie Williams (120m).
Adele is the wealthiest young musician,
with a 45m fortune.
Football icon David Beckham and his
Spice Girls singer wife Victoria are worth a
joint 210m, while Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen
are worth 74m.
In the list of wealthy people aged under
30, Rooney was eighth, directly ahead of
Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton (68m),
Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe (66m),
and Hollywood heartthrob Robert Pattinson
(60m).
Others in the young top 40 were
Wimbledon tennis champion Andy Murray
(40m), basketball star Luol Deng (36m),
golfer Rory McIlroy (28m), and the members of boyband One Direction, with 14m
each. l

ects goal of of doubling yields from

400 to 800 kilos per hectare in Ivory
Coast by 2020.
It will be easy to get farmers to return to cocoa if we help them obtain
better yields, better quality and thus
better profits, said Janvier.
Barry Callebaut doesnt hold out
much hope however for geneticallymodified cocoa, which Steinemann said
doesnt suit the taste as well as health
concerns of consumers in Europe, still
the biggest market. The tight supply
situation has made the cocoa market attractive for commodity speculators.
I was very angry, but the fact is
that you cant keep them out, said
Steinemann.
Prices will remain in the coming
months at a high level, volatility will
increase due to speculative traders,
he added.
On Friday on the LIFFE market in
London cocoa for delivery in July traded at 1,817 a tonne, while on the ICE
Futures in the United States, cocoa for
July was at $2,901.
Cocoa hit a two-and-a-half year
high of $2,997 on the ICE market in
February. l

Hangzhou itself used a digital agency in Hong Kong, where Facebook is

not blocked, to administer its contest
- an increasing trend by cities and provinces within Chinas borders.
The social media giant is actively
seeking business in the country.
We want to help tourism agencies in China tell the rest of the world
about the fabulous things in China that
are really not that well-understood,
Vaughan Smith, Facebooks vice presi-

which oversees propaganda efforts.

Google also seeks advertisers in China and has three offices on the mainland, but pulled out its servers in 2010
in a row about censorship.
Twitter, which is a prominent advocate for free speech online, has shown
few signs of interest in setting up in
China, although the companys CEO
Dick Costolo met Shanghai government
officials during his first China visit in
March.

A Facebook logo on a computer screen is seen through a magnifying glass in Bern in this
file photo illustration
REUTERS
dent of corporate development, told a
Beijing audience last month.
Facebook is reportedly in talks to
open a sales office in the Chinese capital, and in recent weeks the company
has quietly posted Beijing-based job
openings on its website, including one
for a client solutions manager to focus
on planning, implementing, and optimising advertising campaign spending
for the worlds top-tier advertisers.
Its executives are making increasingly frequent appearances at high-profile events in China, and the companys
chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg
drew international headlines last September when she met the head of Chinas State Council Information Office,

Facebook representatives declined

interview requests about the companys China business.
Duncan Clark, chairman of Beijingbased tech consultancy BDA, said Chinese local authorities had huge budgets and their tourism advertisements
were probably lucrative for the multibillion-dollar firm.
However, Facebook was unlikely to
see them as a way of gaining access to
Chinese users, Clark said.
Theres kind of a common-sense,
logical middle ground where Facebook
and China will agree to trade with each
other, he told AFP. This is business
sense. I wouldnt expect that to
change. l

Pakistani mango growers

slice in to India market
n AFP
Pakistani mango growers are hoping to
take a slice out of rival Indias export
market thanks to tough new European
regulations.
The sweet yellow fruit is a contentious matter regionally, with both
countries proclaiming it a national
treasure and fighting over whose specimens are superior.
Economically, at least, mango exports are one area where Pakistan appears to have a slight edge.
According to respective official
figures, Pakistan last year exported

DILBERT

around 100,000 tonnes for a revenue of

$48.6m over Indias 56,000 tonnes for
$44.6m.
But a European Union (EU) ban on
Indias prized Alphonsos, known as the
King of Fruits, has presented Pakistan with a chance to widen the gap.
The embargo came into force on May
1 after many shipments were found to
contain fruit flies and also affected four
types of vegetable.
For Raja Ijaz Ahmed Noon, parliamentary secretary for Pakistans breadbasket
Punjab province, improving farming
standards and learning where India went
wrong is critical to cashing in. l