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Poush 8, 1420 Safar 18, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 268

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2013

www.dhakatribune.com

SECOND EDITION

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EC worries over possibility of low voter turnout

Candidates and officials express security concerns
n Mohammad Zakaria
Concerns have been raised at the Election Commission that the ongoing political violence from the opposition alliances blockade programmes may cause a low turnout of voters for the January 5 polls. The contesting candidates in the 146 constituencies where elections would take place and field-level officials have also expressed fears about their own security, EC officials have said. Seeking anonymity, a deputy secretary of the EC told the Dhaka Tribune that the commission was worried about the presence of voters in the 10th parliamentary polls because of the ongoing violence. On Friday, the commission held a meeting with returning officers and law enforcement agencies to discuss how to increase voter turnout in the polls. The returning officers expressed concerns about the presence of voters in the polls. They also said voters would not go to the polling centres because of the one-sided polls. The returning officers sought to the commission about any way of increasing voter number during the election day, an EC official said. Other officials who were also present at the meeting said voter turnout might increase on election day if the union parishads could be trained for drawing more voters to the polling centres. The commission also asked the law enforcement agencies to ensure security for all voters and asked the returning officers to take initiative for creating polls-friendly environment in the election areas. Asked about the issue of voter turnout, Election Commissioner Mohammad Abu Hafiz yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that the turnout would depend on the situation during the election day.
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An army convoy moves through Bangshal area in the capital yesterday, heading towards its destination for winter exercises. Army personnel will be deployed on December 26th to help administer the upcoming national elections SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Self-proclaimed pir and five others slaughtered in capital

Sarkar and n Kailash Mohammad Jamil Khan
A self-proclaimed pir (religious preacher), who claimed himself to be Imam Mahdi, his son and four disciples were slaughtered in a house in the capitals Gopibagh last evening. The dead were Lutfor Rahman, 55, his son Monir Hossain, 32, disciples Manju Ahmed, 30, Md Shahin, 30, Md Rubel Mia, 32, and Mujibar Rahman, 32. At least six women and children including Lutfors wife and his daughter-in-law were found alive in the sixroom apartment on the 1st floor of the four-storey Aina Villa in Abhoy Das Lane on the Ramkrishna Mission Road. Pir Lutfor Rahman had two sons, including the deceased one, and another son Abdulla, yet to be traced. All the bodies were tied with ropes
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Wrist of a 5-year-old boy blown off

n Tribune Report
A five-year-old kid has become the latest victim of mindless political violence as his left wrist and two fingers of the right hand were blown off while fiddling with a cocktail mistaking it for a ball in Rajshahi city yesterday. Victim Mahin Hossains eyesight was also damaged as he sustained splinter injuries to his face. The incident took place around 1pm when he went to the Awami Leagues ward 15 office in New Market area and picked up the hand bomb wrapped in red tape. He found the crude bomb in an abandoned condition under the staircase. As it exploded, he lost the left hand and two fingers of the right, said Ziaur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Boalia police station. We suspect that the bomb was kept there by miscreants, he said ruling out the probability of keeping those by the ruling Awami League men. In the capitals Wari, Ruhul Amin, 15, too sustained cocktail injuries. The police claimed that he was hurt while hurling the bomb in Swamibagh area. Four teenagers took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 3pm. They left him there in a hurry after admission. In-charge of DMCH police camp Mozammel Haque told reporters that Ruhul, who works at a garage in Swamibagh, had been injured while carrying the hand bomb. Apart from these incidents, the first day of the BNP-led 18-party opposition combines 83-hour road, rail and waterways blockade was marked with stray incidents of violence, arson and vandalism in several districts. In Bogra, unknown miscreants hurled six crude bombs targeting a
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Ashraf: 1972 constitution to be reinstated n Emran Hossain Shaikh

LGRD Minister and ruling Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said his party would reinstate the countrys first constitution of 1972 if voted into power again. Referring to the 15th amendment of the constitution made in mid 2011, the LGRD minister said: We have upheld democracy by amending the constitution. We will go back to the constitution of 1972 if we come into power again. Also the party spokesman, Ashraf said: We are not afraid of the enemies at home and abroad. None has awarded us the independence rather we achieved it through a nine-month-long bloody struggle. He was addressing a party programme in the capital in presence of party chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
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CID personnel seal off the crime scene

RAJIB DHAR

Hefazat firm on Dec 24 rally

n Manik Miazee
Chittagong-based radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam yesterday renewed its resolve to hold the December 24 rally at Motijheel Shapla Chattar demanding implementation of its 13-point demands. From a press conference at a madrasa in Baridhara of the capital, Hefazats Dhaka metropolitan unit Convener Nur Hossain Quashemi also called upon the government to help it hold the rally. He said they had already submitted an application to the authorities seeking permission. Responding to a question, the Hefazat leader said: We are yet to complete the list of people killed during the crackdown on the night of May 5. l

Ganajagaran Mancha organiser Bappaditya injured in bomb attack

n Kailash Sarkar
Ganajagaran Mancha organiser Bappaditya Basu and a rickshaw-puller were injured yesterday, when unidentified miscreants hurled bombs at them at Shahbagh. Bappaditya, who is also the president of Bangladesh Chhatra Moitree, and rickshaw-puller Asad Miah, 70,

INSIDE
News
3 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday slammed Khaleda Zia for not protesting the resolution adopted in Pakistan parliament condemning the execution of war criminal Quader Molla.

Nation

Bappa sustained injuries to his left leg and rickshaw-puller Asad Miah, 70, sustained injuries from splinters
have been admitted to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said friends and co-activists of the Ganajagaran Mancha. Sirajul Islam, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station, said: Two bombs were hurled at Bappa[ditya] when he had just crossed Aziz Cooperative Super Market on his way to Shahbagh from Elephant Road through Katabon by a rickshaw at around 7:45pm. Bappa sustained injuries to his left leg and the 70-year-old rickshaw-puller Asad Miah also sustained injuries from the splinters, the OC said, adding: There was a friend of Bappa along with him on the rickshaw, but he did not receive any injury. The OC said attempts were on to find out the attackers and arrest them. Earlier on February 15, Ganajagaran Mancha activist and blogger Ahmed Rajeeb Haider was hacked to death in capitals Pallabi, while another blogger Asif Mohiuddin was attacked on January 13 in the citys Uttara. Some cadres of Ansarullah Bangla Team, including several students of a private university, were arrested by detectives in connection with the incidents. l

5 The 21st National Immunisation Day programme was observed almost peacefully across the country yesterday. Health Secretary MM Niazuddin inaugurated the programmes at Dhaka Shishu Hospital in the capitals Agargaon.

Feature

6 To many Bangladeshis, British cuisine might sound like a contradiction in terms. But not to BritishBangladeshi Iqbal Wahhab.

Sports

13 A Twenty20 match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and later the womens leg of the World Twenty20 will be held at the ground and the first eight games of the Victory Day Twenty20 will serve as a test for the new wickets.

2
More explosives recovered from Geneva Camp
n Kailash Sarkar
Following the recovery of at least 100 crude bombs and one kilogram of gunpowder on Friday from the citys Geneva Camp in Mohammadpur, another haul of crude bombs, explosives and sharp weapons has been recovered from the site. Rapid Action Battalion officials yesterday claimed to have recovered 36 crude bombs, another kilogram of gunpowder and five daggers from a lavatory in the Western side of the Geneva Camp. Meanwhile, 14 abandoned petrol bombs were also recovered from the capitals Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area yesterday afternoon. Wing Commander ATM Habur Rahman, Director of Legal and Media Wing of Rab, at a briefing from the Geneva camp in Mohammadpur, said the explosives and weapons were recovered in a sequel drive following Fridays operation. He said the bombs and explosives were being made and stored for carrying out subversive activities during the ongoing blockade. Biplab Sarker, Deputy Commissioner at Tejgaon Division of police, said they arrested three criminals on Friday, who had sustained injuries in explosions while making bombs at their Geneva Camp den. Among the injured detainees, non-Bengali Nadim, 35, was undergoing treatment at the Eye Hospital while two other Bangladeshi youths Shaheen, 26, and Sabbir, 19 were admitted at the Orthopaedic Hospital in Agargaon. Meanwhile, sources in the police, Rab and the Geneva Camp claimed four criminals were present at the spot and one of them, reportedly a Pakistani national, fled the scene immediately after the explosion, leaving his three injured associates behind. We have received information that the Pakistani youth is named Masum and was staying at the Geneva Camp for the last few months, said a police source. Until the physical condition of the three detained criminals improves, we cannot interrogate them about the Pakistani youth, he said. Rab and Police officials have so far busted over a dozen of dens used for making and supply of bombs at the capitals Mirpur, Kolabagan, Fakirerpool, Jatrabari, Azimpur, Malibagh, Adabar, Pallabi and several other places from where a significant quantity of explosives were recovered and a number of criminals were arrested. Meanwhile, 14 abandoned petrol bombs were recovered near the Government Staff Quarters in West Agargaon around 2:30pm. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Acting Chhatra Dal president held n Kailash Sarkar

Detective branch of police yesterday detained the acting president of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, including another activist of the party. Police said they were accused in several cases, including arson, vandalism and assault on police. Fazlul Karim Chowdhury Abed, the acting president of the student wing of the opposition BNP, was held from a market on Elephant road in the capital around 2:30pm. However, police could not provide immediate details about the activist, who was detained with the president. Krishnapado Roy, deputy commissioner of the South Division of the Detective Branch, said the detainees were taken to the DB headquarters at the capitals Minto Road. Fazlul Karim Chowdhury Abed had been made the acting president of Chhatra Dal following the arrest of the partys president Abdul Kader Bhuiyan Jewel on December 6. Sharif Uddin, one of the vice-presidents of the party, was also detained with Abdul Kader Bhuiyan. Earlier on November 17, DB officials arrested the partys General Secretary Habibur Rashid Habib. They were also accused of their alleged involvement in recent violence including, arson and vandalism as well as assault on law enforcers. l

Activists of BSD, Ganasanghati Andolon, Ganatantrik Bam Morcha along with other left organisations bring out a procession at the Shahbagh intersection yesterday, protesting the Jamaat-e-Islamis recent violence across the country. The procession also demanded cancellation of the upcoming 10th national elections RAJIB DHAR

Ershad maintains both sides: Leaders

n
Manik Miazee
Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad is shifting stance over joining the January 5 elections repeatedly to save his life, a section of party leaders believe. Several grassroots-level leaders and activists made this observation about the party chief while talking to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. Our party chief wants to save his life. He does not want to go to jail in future. That is why, he is playing games with party leaders over joining the polls, a party leader said wishing anonymity. Because of Ershads whims, a division is created within the JaPa, they observe. Some leaders of the party, led by Rawshan Ershad, are going to take part in the polls claiming that they had consent of the party chief while another group, led by Ershads brother GM Quader, boycotts the polls saying that Ershad was against it. Several days after joining the pollstime cabinet and announcement of joining the elections, Ershad retracted, a common move seen in the former military dictator. He said he would contest the election only if participation of all the parties was ensured.

Pir and five others

PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

JaPa insiders said the leaders had decided to join the polls for saving their party chief or else, the ruling Awami League might revive the corruption cases against him
Didarul Alam Didar, an organising secretary of the party, told the Dhaka Tribune: We do not understand why our leaders are making contradictory statements over participating in the election. Seeking anonymity, a JaPa Presidium member, told the Dhaka Tribune: Our sir [Ershad] through a statement said he was detained at Combine Military Hospital. But from there he sent a statement dissolving two committees and making two leaders Presidium members.

He is well aware of the partys current situation. He is not taking action against those who are joining the polls violating his order. It proves that he himself is involved in the game, the leader said. Another leader quoting a news report published yesterday in a Bengali daily said Ershad had gone to Kurmitola Golf Club to play golf on Friday. Noakhali sadar upazila JaPa Member Secretary Abdur Rahim also believes Ershad was playing tricks over the polls. Rintu Anwar, publicity adviser to Ershad, said: We think sir [Ershad] knows about activities of both the sides in the party. He, however, hinted that there might be more drama to be staged in the near future. JaPa insiders said the leaders had decided to join the polls for saving their party chief or else, the ruling Awami League might revive the corruption cases against him. According to the affidavit Ershad had submitted to the Election Commission last month, he is

facing at least 12 corruption and criminal cases. Presidium member Mujibul Hoque Chunnu, also the tourism minister, yesterday said: The Jatiya Party will join the polls under the leadership of Rawshan Ershad for the sake of continuation of the constitution. He made the personal comment after meeting Rawshan at her Gulshan 2 residence. The statement came after Presidium member GM Quader reiterated that the party chief had been determined not to join the election. On Thursday, another Presidium member Kazi Firoz Rashid at an election campaign said the JaPa was participating in the polls with the consent of Ershad. He also claimed that it was Rawshan who initiated the election campaigns with the consent of the party chief. Meanwhile, partys Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader did not hold the press conference scheduled for yesterday afternoon. l

Ashraf: 1972 constitution

PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Asking the party men to stay active, he said: We have everything...Our party is one of the oldest parties in the sub-continent that has crores of supporters. Why do we get afraid? Regarding concern of the US after the execution of war criminal Abdul Quader Molla, he said: America itself executes more than other countries. They run inhumane torture at the Guantanamo prison. Osama Bin Laden and former Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi had been killed by them without trial, he added.

The head of Saddam Hossain was severed during the hanging while the body of Laden was floated in the sea... What kind of humanity is this! The ruling party leader slammed a section of people for supporting their foreign bosses. There are some local agents who have been supporting them, he alleged. Ashraf also came down heavily on the media for publishing news based on imagination. If such practises are on, people will lose confidence on the media...And it is not a good sign for democracy, he said. l

Wrist of a 5-year-old boy blown off

PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

EC worried
PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

We hope that the ongoing situation will improve and voters can go to the polling centre safely. If the political violence stopped, the turnout of voters will increase, he said, adding that continuing violence would impact the presence of voters in the polling centres. With 154 candidates being elected uncontested, a total of 43,685,670 voters are expected to cast their ballots in the remaining 146 seats. According to EC figures, 48,280,620 voters out of a total 91,966,290 people who registered in the voter list would not apply their voting rights in the general elections. However, the ruling Awami League was seeking to arrange a festive election with the turnout of the highest number of voters, said party advisor HT Imam on Friday, as a joint effort to create an electoral atmosphere was already underway by the participating political parties. On the other hand, senior leaders of the main opposition BNP expressed hopes of ensuring poor voter presence in the upcoming polls, in a bid to provoke further controversy surrounding the elections. An advisor to the opposition chief also informed that Khaleda Zia herself might take to the street in a few days to intensify the ongoing movement against the election which

the opposition leaders have termed as farcical. Meanwhile, with the exception of some constituencies, most of the areas are lacking a festive election mood as ongoing political violence and nonstop blockades have barred most candidates from starting their campaigns. Many candidates, including Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu, have submitted applications to the EC, seeking security for carrying out election campaigns. Some field level officials have also asked the commission to increase security, EC officials said. Afaz Uddin, the Awami Leaguebacked candidate of Kushtia-1, submitted a letter to the commission seeking personal protection as well as security for election campaigning. Another Awami league candidate of Kushtia-4, Abdur Rauf, also submitted a letter to the EC seeking personal security. The letter stated that he would not be able to carry out election campaign if the commission did not provide security as soon as possible. Meanwhile, independent candidate and also former information and culture minister Abdullah Abu Sayed of Pabna-1 and Bangladesh Nationalist Front candidate Khalilur Rahman Khan of Barguna-1 have also raised allegations against local administrations for showing partiality. l

Ganajagaran Mancha gathering at Satmatha intersection leaving five people including two policemen injured around 11am. Around 150 activists of the platform gathered there to form a human chain demanding severing diplomatic relations with Pakistan for expressing concern over the execution of war criminal Abdul Quader Molla, said Gaziur Rahman, assistant superintendent of police in Bogra (sadar circle). At Matidali, the law enforcers nabbed a picket, Jahinur Rahman, 20, red handed while vandalising a truck. A mobile court jailed him for one year. The blockade supporters also torched four trucks carrying vegetables in Fatki Bridge area under Shajahanpur upazila and vandalised around 30 vehicles around 6:30pm. Earlier, they set fire to a lorry in Atli area of the town. Meanwhile, miscreants removed a fishplate near Shararchar Railway Station in Kishoreganj halting communication with Dhaka for two hours early yesterday, reports our correspondent. Station Master Jayanta Kumar Majumder said Dhaka-bound Egaro Shindhur Express delayed for nearly two hours at the station and left for the capital around 8:00am after the rail tracks were repaired. The opposition men also torched seven vehicles and vandalised more than 40. They also brought out processions in Narayanganj, Chittagong, Sirajganj, Natore, Gaibandha and Pabna districts in favour of the blockade. Quoting Officer-in-charge of Bangabandhu Bridge police station (west) Aminul Islam, our Sirajganj correspondent reports that the blockaders beat up the drivers assistant of a truck before setting it on fire and snatched money from him. They also set fire to two goods-laden trucks on Dhaka-Sirajganj highway at the west approach road of the bridge two hours before the beginning of the blockade. In Chittagong, blockaders in the guise of passengers boarded a CNG-run auto-rickshaw and torched it in front

of Bangladesh Mohila Samity Girls School and College near Wasa intersection around 7:30am, said Atiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Chawkbazar police station. In Narayanganj, the BNP men vandalised at least five vehicles hurling bricks in Tarabo area in Rupganj around 8:00am, said Md Asaduzzaman, OC of Rupganj police station. A correspondent from Natore reports that the blockaders vandalised 30 trucks and buses on Dhaka-Natore and Natore-Rajshahi highways in Gurudaspur and sadar upazilas. Drivers of the damaged vehicles claimed that the blockaders attacked amid police presence while Nahid Hossain, additional SP in Natore, denied the allegation. The BNP men from a procession also set fire to the slippers of rail tracks pouring petrol in Station Bazar area. In Pabna, the opposition men set fire to four coaches at Maheshpur of Palashbari. A chase and counter-chase took place as BGB men reached there around 12:30pm. A mobile court sentenced Shibir activist Hasibur Rahman to three months jail when the Jamaats student wing supporters hurled bricks at vehicles going to Pabna under police escort. In Gazipur, the BNP supporters from a procession blasted several crude bombs.

The blockaders went on a rampage at different points on Dhaka-Rangpur highway in Palashbari upazila of Gaibandha and set fire to four buses at Jundaha. They also vandalised at least three vehicles leaving 20 passengers injured. The opposition supporters also vandalised 16 moving vehicles in Moheshpur and Dreamland areas on the highway. Few incidents in capital A large number of vehicles including private cars were seen on the city roads yesterday. From Mohakhali Bus Terminal, a few buses left for nearby districts under police escort while launch and train communications were almost normal. At Bangla Bazar in Old Dhaka, the Shibir activists of Jagannath University unit blasted five crude bombs from a procession. At least 15 hand bombs were exploded at Rayshaheb Bazar intersection and 13 in Dholaikhal area in the morning. A covered van and a human haulier were set on fire at Jatrabari by the agitating Shibir men who also exploded around 50 crude bombs when they brought out brisk processions at different parts of the capital. Two Shibir activists were detained at Shonir Akhra and two others at Banglabazar. l

and their mouths wrapped up in tape. Quoting the rescued women and children, Mehedi Hasan, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of Wari police, said a group of seven-eight people first knocked at the door, saying they were chased by police and needed shelter. After entering the room, the gang held the members of the house at gunpoint and told them that they had come to rob and kill them. Before killing, they also ate puffed rice, according to the women. The killers first tied them with ropes and wrapped their mouths in tape. The women and children were asked not to make any sound, otherwise they would be killed, Mehedi said. Lutfor Rahman and his son were killed in one room and the other four in another. The women and children had been confined in a separate room. Quoting the women and children, the police official added that the six were killed in a matter of minutes and the killer left immediately after the killing. Police detained six persons for questioning from a mess located on the ground floor of the building We are yet to be certain whether the murder was part of a robbery or whether it was a result of previous enmity, the ADC said. We are interrogating the women and children who witnessed the murders, and the other residents of the building. Building owner Shirin Akhter, wife of Deputy Secretary Waliur Rahman of the Education Ministry, said they used to reside in different houses in Tikatuli and came to know about the murder from a security guard of the building. Lutfors son Monir came to rent the house, said Shirin. Pir Lutfor Rahman had long been claiming himself to be Imam Mahdi as well as the last Nobi (Prophet) and his residence came under attack several times by extreme Islamists. Different Islamist organisations like Islami Shashantantra Andolan, Khelafat Andolan, Khelafat Majlish and Islami Oikya Parishad staged demonstrations in Baitul Mukarram National Mosque area several times between 2007 and 2009. ADC Mehedi Hasan said Lutfor was arrested at least three times by police and Rab in 2007, 2009 and 2011. Asked, the ADC said they were yet to be sure whether such claims by Lutfor were linked to his murder along with five others, but added, We have also taken the matter under consideration which might pave the way for investigation. Hailing from Bhuwapur in Tangail district, Lutfor had been arrested by Detective Branch of police on October 14 in 2011 for his claim and a case was also filed against him with Shahbagh police station on charges of hurting religious sentiments in 2009. Moreover, he had to suffer imprisonment in 20007 for the same reason and once he had been manhandled by a group of people in the capitals Jatrabari. On May 21 in 2005, Lutfor and three of his followers had been admitted to the DMCH after sustaining injuries in a clash at Bibir Bagicha of Demra between local people and his followers. He had also circulated leaflets claiming himself to be Imam Mahdi who, according to the belief of a sect of Muslims, would revive Islam from its sad state. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, December 22, 2013

PM slams Khaleda for silence on Pak resolution

She says it grieves Khaleda to speak against Pakistan

n Emran Hossain Shaikh

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday slammed Khaleda Zia for not protesting the resolution adopted in Pakistan parliament condemning the execution of war criminal Abdul Quader Molla. Get ready to face people when they will ask for a clarification from you on your silence on the issue, said Hasina, at a discussion at the Agriculture Institute auditorium in the capital. She [Khaleda] said she would take to the streets. First come to streets. You have to explain to people why you tried to save Quader Molla. The discussion was held on the occasion of the 42nd Victory Day of Bangladesh. Khaleda Zia is now repentant of not taking part in the polls: I said the dialogue would continue and if we could reach a consensus we may announce a fresh election dissolving the 10th parliament. But you must cut ties with the Jamat and war criminals. Hasina said that Khaleda did not feel good with the victory of Bangalees and this is why she was staying silent about

the resolution adopted in Pakistans parliament on Quader Molla. It might have grieved her to speak against Pakistan. If so then why is she living in this country? Hasina questioned saying that it would be better for her to leave the country for Pakistan. Hasina blamed the BNP for the wins of over half the lawmakers uncontested: We had information the BNP would join the election and accordingly we had distributed seats among the potential candidates of 14-party alliance. Many of our candidates had withdrawn their candidature. So many people would not have elected unopposed had the BNP contested. The opposition refrained from contesting the polls and it is not our fault...as there is no goalkeeper on the opposite side, it is very natural to score goals, she said. BNP did not join the polls because the High Court declared the Jamaat illegal and a militant organisation. The court also disqualified it from participating elections, observed Hasina. As the BNP cannot move without the Jamaat it wont join the election. l

A van carries textbooks to government schools before the new year begins. The picture was taken from old Dhakas English Road yesterday

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

BNP: EC trying to use army against people

n
Mohammad Al-Masum Molla
Main opposition BNP has said deploying army in the farcical elections is unnecessary and accused the incompetent Election Commission of trying to use the force against the countrys people. In a press briefing at the party chairpersons Gulshan office yesterday, BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said: We were surprised by the news of deploying the patriotic members of the armed forces in an election that has become a farce because representatives had been elected uncontested in more than half of the constituencies and chances of competition are slim in the remaining seats. The incompetent Election Commission has become a tool for the government to fulfil its wishes. The Election Commission has taken stance against the people. An evil attempt is on to use the army, who always stands beside the countrys people at times of distress, against the people. We strongly condemn this evil attempt by the Election Commission. Deploying army was unnecessary because there was no participation of people and the national and international community had already boycotted the polls, Nazrul explained. On the prime ministers statement that her government would dissolve the 10th parliament and hold fresh polls if the BNP cut ties with Jamaat-e-Islami and stopped violence, he said: It is clear from the prime ministers speech that an evil attempt is on to mislead people, who have been participating in the [oppositions] movement. People will step into their trap. Nazrul also rejected the prime ministers offer for talks after the 10th general elections. We were never interested in talks on the 11th elections. We believe that the prime minister has herself closed the doors for any agreement by making such a comment. The BNP leader also slammed Awami League lawmakers and ministers for not submitting wealth statements in the past five years although it was one of their electoral pledges. It seems that all the ruling party leaders and ministers got Aladdins lamp, he said. Nazrul claimed that one had been killed and 325 arrested on the first day of the ongoing 83-hour blockade enforced by the BNP-led opposition alliance. l

Schoolgirl burnt to death

n BSS
A severely burnt schoolgirl died at Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH) on Friday night after fighting with her life for the past five days, police and hospital sources said. The deceased was identified as Nusrat Jahan, 14, a class nine student of Rangpur Police Lines School & College and daughter of Ashek Ali of village Paglapeer Mulapara under Sadar upazila. She was burnt in their kitchen at her home village on December 15 in the morning as soon as she fired a match box stick to ignite the cooking furnace that was connected with a gas cylinder. The fire immediately caught the whole kitchen room as it was poured with gas of the cylinder that remained switched on mistakenly throughout the night. Nusrat was immediately admitted to the RMCH where she succumbed after five days. Police Super and Chairman of the Governing Body of Rangpur Police Lines School and College Abdur Razzaque expressed his profound shock at sudden demise of Nusrat, a brilliant student of the reputed educational institution. l

Joy slams EU n Tribune Report

The European Union took sides with Jamaat-e-Islami by boycotting the Victory Day celebrations, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the prime ministers son said yesterday. Shame on the EU for taking sides with war criminals and boycotting our Victory Day, Joy said on his official Facebook fan page. He is also the prime ministers adviser on information technology affairs. As a Bangalee, I am outraged at the European Union diplomats. The EU took sides with Jamaat by boycotting the Victory Day, he said. Terming it an act of insult, Joy said: The Victory Day is not about Awami League and BNP, it is about Bangladesh and our hard-fought Liberation. Meanwhile, he said the EU had again taken Jamaats side by claiming that the elections would not be credible. They [EU] cannot say that because all the 6,000 elections held under Sheikh Hasinas government have been free and fair. They cannot say that as there are not 14 million false names on the voters list, as there were under Khaleda Zias government, he claimed. Joy also said only the people of Bangladesh would decide whether the elections were credible, not foreigners. On December 16, going against diplomatic practice, the EU envoys based in Dhaka did not pay homage at the National Memorial. l

European Union claims no disrespect intended

n UNB
Amid criticisms for not attending the Victory Day celebrations at Savar, the European Union (EU) on Saturday clarified its position saying they had to skip the programme for an urgent meeting, but no disrespect was intended at all. We had a very busy week, and unfortunately we had to work on a public holiday here Victory Day. I would like to make it clear that we would never intend any disrespect to Bangladesh, or to the people of Bangladesh and freedom of Bangladesh, head of the EU delegation to Bangladesh William Hanna told the media yesterday. Hanna explained further saying the key turning point in their decision to not to send observers for the 10th parliamentary elections was when it became clear that the majority of seats were already decided without the voters having voted. Then it became clear therell be no point of observing and sending EU observers. He said they had decided to work on a very complicated report in the morning of December 16, and decided to go to go the celebrations event at the presidents residence in the afternoon. But no disrespect was intended at all. Hanna went on saying, There was a change, we had to discuss, and we had to look into that and meet together to decide. I hope its clear. Clarifying the EUs position on holding the meeting on Monday morning, Hanna said it was quite an important decision, which was taken after lot of considerations in Bangladesh. He also said they had to send the report to 28 capitals of the EU member states and Brussels urgently. So, people can understand that position. Diplomats of the European Union (EU) in Dhaka did not attend the Victory Day programme at Savar citing an urgent coordination meeting on Bangladeshs current situation, but joined the reception hosted by the President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban. On halting the preparations for the deployment of an Election Observation Mission in Bangladesh by the EU, he said the absence of necessary conditions for a transparent, inclusive and credible election compelled them to halt the decision for the time being. The conditions for elections which will be transparent, inclusive and credible are not there for the moment, William Hanna said. Catherine Ashton, high representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission has made the decision, for the time being, to halt election observation by the EU, Hanna said. But she also pointed out that when the conditions are right we would like to observe the elections. Im saying we stand ready to deploy observers when the conditions are right, he said. On Friday, the EU decided to halt the preparations for the deployment of an Election Observation Mission in Bangladesh for now as main political parties could not create the necessary conditions for transparent, inclusive and credible elections. The spokesperson of Catherine Ashton issued the statement. l

SKIPPING VICTORY DAY PROGRAMMES

Report on Jamaats war role soon n BSS

The investigation report on crimes against humanity committed by Jamaat-e-Islami during the Liberation War would be submitted to the court as early as possible, an official said yesterday. Investigation Officer Matiur Rahman, also an additional superintendent of police, said the probe report had been prepared after tight scrutiny of various documents. The investigation began on August 18 this year. The verdicts delivered already by the war crimes tribunals mentioned several times about Jamaats role in the 1971 war and termed Jamaat a criminal organisation. Abdul Hannan Khan, coordinator of the tribunals investigation agency, said they were working on 11 more cases. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Intercity buses run under escort

Fewer passenger at bus terminals than on normal days
Sarkar, Rabiul Islam and n Kailash Mohammad Jamil Khan
A number of intercity passenger buses plied on some routes with a limited number of passengers yesterday on the first day of the oppositions four-day blockade programme. Visiting some major bus stations in the capital yesterday, Dhaka Tribune correspondents found some passenger buses departing from Sayedabad, Mohakhali, Gulisthan, Noyabazar and Gabtali _ in some cases under police escort, and a few buses arriving from various districts. However, the presence of passengers at the usually busy terminals was much thinner than normal. Alauddin Sheikh, a member of Dhaka-Comilla bus route committee, claimed about 75% of buses left Sayedabad yesterday, while an equal number reached Dhaka. Buses leave if we get enough passengers to make up our expenses, he said, adding that there were fewer passengers due to the risk of attacks during blockades. The Sayedabad terminal serves buses on the Dhaka-Comilla, Dhaka-Noakhali, Dhaka-Chandpur, Dhaka-Mawa and Dhaka-Luxmipur routes. We are leaving Dhaka with 10 to 15 passengers, and we pick up people on the way as we have to survive, said Nurul Islam, a supervisor on the Dhaka-Chandpur route. Abraham Purification Uzzal, a manager of Ena Enterprise, said one of their buses left for Mymensingh from Mohakhali bus terminal in the morning and another in the afternoon under police escort. Without security, we did not allow buses to leave the terminal, Uzzal said. One of the passengers, Mohammad Salehin, 38, said: Despite the risks, I have to go to my village home in Haluaghat to attend a family programme. Although there is risk of attack by picketers, I am going out of Dhaka as

Imam, Farruk avoid questions on diplomatic ties with Pakistan

n Tribune Report
Advisers of the two top political parties did not clarify their views on the issue of cancelling diplomatic ties with Pakistan. HT Imam, advisor of the Awami League, and Osman Farruk, adviser of main opposition BNP, were asked whether the Ganajagaran Manchas demand for severing ties with Pakistan was realistic at the BBC Sanglap yesterday. In reply to the question shot by one from the audience, former BNP minister Osman Farruksaid the government should have protested the very same day the bill expressing concerns over Quader Mollas execution had been raised in the Pakisan parliament.

Farruk said the decision would depend on the foreign ministry

The government delayed [in protesting] without any reason, he said. Claiming that he did not know much about the matter, Farruk said the decision would depend on the foreign ministry. In reply to the same question, HT Imam said time has not yet come to answer the question. However, in my opinion, Pakistan never received Bangladesh from their hearts, he said. Pointing to BNP, Imam said the party had always supported those friends of Pakistan in Bangladesh who gave rise to militancy. On Monday, the Pakistan National Assembly adopted a resolution expressing concerns over Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Molla, who was executed for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971. Ganajagaran Mancha demanded that the government severed all kinds of diplomatic relations with Islamabad. l

Vehicles heading for Rajshahi from Dhaka under army and police protection yesterday. The photo was taken from Baneswar area of Rajshahi there is police escort, said Salehin, another passenger. However, buses on longer routes did not run yesterday. The buses plied on Dhaka-Mymensingh, Dhaka-Tangail, DhakaChandpur and Dhaka-Brahmanbaria routes, and buses on long routes would run in phases, said Khandker Enayetulla, secretary general of Bangladesh Road Transport Association (BRTA). The number of passengers is very thin, but we hope there would be more passengers gradually, he added. Crime Division and Traffic department of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) provided escort facilities within its jurisdiction for running buses, while highway and district police forces took over in their respective areas along the route, said Joint Commissioner of DMP (Traffic) Meer Rezaul Alam. Alam added that buses from Mohakhali terminal left for Mymensingh, Tangail, Netrokona and Sherpur districts, while buses from Nayabazar travelled to Gopalganj and buses from Jatrabari and Sayedabad ran on the Dhaka-Comilla route. The security escorts will continue as per the requirement of passengers and bus operators, Alam said. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Traffic (North Division) Kamal Uddin confirmed that around 50 buses operated from Mohakhali yesterday. Kamal said services continued from morning till evening and the DMP provided escorts up to Azampur in Uttara, where Gazipur police took over for the next phase. He said Ena Transport, Shameem Enterprise, Shamoli Bangla, Boshakhi and Alam Transport were among the transport agencies that operated their buses with security escorts. The fresh spell of road-rail-river blockade called by the BNP-led 18-par-

DHAKA TRIBUNE

ty alliance is slated to continue until 5pm Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Border Guard Bangladesh has also been providing security escorts to trucks carrying raw materials and essential goods from the land ports of Benapole in Jessore and Hilly in Dinajpur since last week. Earlier, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, who is also acting president of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation, told a meeting of vehicle owners and transport workers that inter-district buses would run despite the blockade. He also assured them of necessary security. l

Pabna Shaheed Minar vandalised n Our Correspondent, Pabna

A group of unidentified criminals attempted to destroy a Shaheed Minar inside Uttarchak Primary School premises in Atghoria upazila of Pabna early yesterday. According to the headmaster of the school, Anwar Hossain, two pillars of the memorial were destroyed in the attack. He alleged that Jamaat-Shibir men were behind the incident. Locals also claimed involvement of Jamaat activists. l

Bangladesh envoy apprises US senator of present political issues

n UNB, Dhaka
Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Akramul Qader met Senator John McCain III, an influential member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and apprised him of the current political situation in Bangladesh. During the meeting held in Washington on December 20, Bangladesh envoy highlighted the present government efforts to bring the main opposition BNP into the national elections scheduled for January 5, according to an Embassy media release issued from Washington. Akramul Qader detailed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas offer of dialogue to reach an understanding on the composition of the election-time government, it said. The governments intention to uphold peoples right to franchise through holding of free and fair elections in terms of the constitutional provisions was also mentioned during the meeting. Senator John McCain III inquired about the status of the government before the election, judicial system and its independence. On Wednesday, the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations approved a resolution on Bangladesh expressing great concern about the continued political deadlock. Senators Richard Durbin, Michael B Enzi and Christopher S Murphy submitted the resolution (Res-318) to the Committee on Foreign Relations on December 11 expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the critical need for political reform in Bangladesh and for other purposes. The resolution was supposed to be followed by a full hearing in the US Senate anytime soon. The Ambassador was accompanied by Counsellor (political) Nayem Uddin Ahmed. l

Bangladesh Rukhe Darao team visits Satkhira attack areas

n Our Correspondent, Satkhira
A team of Bangladesh Rukhe Darao, a platform of progressive and pro-liberation forces, recently visited parts of Satkhira district that have been wrecked by violence by suspected Jamaat-Shibir activists over the past few weeks. family from burying Ajus body immediately, she added. Aju was the president of ALs ward No 8 unit under Kolaroya municipality. Local Jamaat-Shibir activists had been threatening to kill Aju since February, when Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee was handed the death penalty for crimes against humanity in 1971, his family said. The members of Rukhe Darao (resist) called upon the local people to build resistance against anti-liberation forces. The team also talked to shop-owners whose establishments were vandalised or torched by Jamaat-Shibir activists following Mollahs hanging. The way local Jamaat-Shibir men have been creating unrest in the district, it seems the district does not belong to Bangladesh. They have created a dominion in the area considering it as Pakistan, one of the affected shopkeepers said. The victims further claimed that local AL leaders were not taking any steps against the Jamaat-Shibir activists. The team also visited Kuchpukur village at Satkhira Sadar, and Debhata and Kaliganj upazilas. Dhaka University professors Kaberi Gayen and Ziaur Rahman, actress Rokeya Prachi, Information Commissioner Sadeka Halim and cultural activist Tarek Aziz were the other team members. l

WEATHER

Weather to remain unchanged n UNB

Chances of light rain are likely at one or two places over Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet divisions and the region of Comilla until 6pm today. Weather may remain dry with partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country, Met Office said. Light to moderate fog may occur at places over the country during midnight till morning. Night and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country. The sun sets in the capital at 5:17pm today and rises at 6:38am tomorrow. Countrys highest temperature 28.0 degree Celsius was recorded yesterday at Coxs Bazar and Patuakhali and lowest 11.2 degrees at Dinajpur. Highest and lowest temperature recorded in some major cities yesterday were: City Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Coxs Bazar High 24.4 24.8 25.4 22.6 27.5 27.0 24.3 28.0 Low 16.8 14.2 13.8 12.3 17.2 16.0 16.2 15.7

3 hurt in clash between supporters of AL candidates

n Our Correspondent. Jhenaidah
At least three were injured in a scuffle between supporters of two Awami League candidates for the ensuing parliamentary election in Garaganj Bazaar area under Sailkupa upazila in Jhenaidah district yesterday. Locals said a group of supporters of independent candidate Nayeb Ali Jpoarder attacked Awami League nominated candidate and former state minister Abdul Hyee around 5.15pm near a petrol pump owned by Nayeb Ali Joarder. To retaliate, supporters of Abdul Hyee poured in from neighboring villages in the area with local weapons immediately after the incident. They swooped on the election camp of Nayeb Joarder. Sailkupa police station Officer-in-Charge Anwar Hossain said three sustained minor injuries during the clash and were admitted to Jhenaidah sadar hospital. Additional law enforcers were deployed at the spot following the incident, the OC said. l

Local Jamaat-Shibir activists had been threatening to kill Aju since February, when Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee was handed the death penalty
A seven-member team, led by journalist Abed Khan, visited the house of Azharul Islam Aju, a local Awami League leader who was killed on the night of December 12 when Jamaat-eIslami leader and convicted war criminal Abdul Quader Mollah was executed. According to Ajus family members, supporters of Jamaat and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, hacked the hapless victim to death around 11pm, soon after Quader Molla was hanged at the Dhaka Central Jail. Aju had sought shelter at his fathers grave to save his life, but the assailants found him and hacked him to death in front of his family, said his widow, Nahar Begum. The killers also stopped the

MP Mizanur Rahman Khan Dipu dies

n UNB
Awami League lawmaker Mizanur Rahman Khan Dipu died at Apollo Hospitals in the city yesterday. He was 49. Doctors declared Dipu dead after he was brought to the hospital around 6:50am, said Aminur Rahman, duty manager of the hospital. Another hospital source said he died of brain hemorrhage. The first namaz-e-janaza for Dipu was held on the South Palza premises of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban at 12noon. Before the namaz-e-janaza, the prime minister placed wreaths on his coffin. His second namaz-e-janaza was held at the Dhaka National Medical College Hospital and another namaz-e-janaza was held at Dhupkhola ground in citys Ganderia area. Later, he was buried at Jurain Graveyard around 4pm. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock at the death of Dipu. In a condolence message Hamid said the nation has lost a promising lawmaker through his demise. PM Hasina said: The country has lost a dedicated and patriotic politician. His death is an irreparable loss for the politics of the country as well as Bangladesh Awami League. Dipu was elected MP from Dhaka-6 constituency in 2008 and was also in the race for the same seat in the upcoming 10th parliamentary election. l

PRAYER TIMES
Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha 5:16am 6:37am 11:57am 3:41pm 5:17pm 6:38pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

Aamra Muktijoddhar Shontan yesterday demand execution of all war criminals at a human chain in front of the National Press Club. They also protest the resolution that the Pakistan parliament passed condemning the execution of Jamaat leader and war criminal Abdul Quader Molla DHAKA TRIBUNE

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, December 22, 2013

NID observed across the country amid blockade anxiety

n Moniruzzaman Uzzal
The 21st National Immunisation Day programme was observed almost peacefully across the country yesterday. Health Secretary MM Niazuddin inaugurated the programmes at Dhaka Shishu Hospital in the capitals Agargaon. Prof Dr Khondokar Md Sifayetullah, director general of the Directorate General Health Services, Amir Hossain, director general of family planning, Dr Shah Newaz, director (administration) of health, Dr Jayontha Liyange of WHO (Immunisation and Vaccine Development) and other high-ups of the health and family planning sectors were present at the inaugural. Some 22 million children aged up to 59 months were given each two drop of oral polio vaccines. Around 6.5 million health workers and volunteers had been working in 1.3 million polio centres and different bus, train and lunch stations across the country to make the programme a success. Though there was a feeling of apprehension because of the oppositions 83hour blockade, no such obstacles were reported, according to the Directorate General of Health Services. However at a press conference, the opposition announced that the National Immunisation Day programmes would be outside the purview of the blockade.

Road accidents kill 7, injures more than 6

n Tribune Report
Seven people were killed in separate road accidents in Jessore, Narayanganj, Chadpur and Sherpur over the last two days. More than six people were injured in these accidents. Two people were killed and four others were injured in separate road accidents at the Sadar upazila of Jessore last night, reports BSS. The deceased were Nasir Morol, 42, of the Bashundia Kolonipara area and Liton Gazi, 30, of Ulashi village under Sharsha upazila of the district. Police and witnesses said the first accident occurred when a bus hit a human hauler in the Bashundia area on the Jessore-Khulna Highway, leaving Nasir, a passenger of the locally made vehicle, dead on the spot and injuring three others. In another accident, a motorcycle collided head on with a pick-up van in the Malonchi area on the Jessore-Benapole Highway around 10:30 am, leaving motorcyclist Liton dead on the spot and injuring another. The injured were sent to Jessore Medical College Hospital. On information, police recovered the bodies and sent them to the Jessore 250-bed Hospital morgue. Separate cases were filed. In Narayanganj, a RMG worker was killed and three others were injured in a road accident at the Shimultoli area on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway under Araihajar upazila yesterday, reports BSS. The deceased was Taslima Begum of Rasulpur village of the upazila. Police said the accident occurred when a truck hit a human hauler from opposite direction around 6:3 am, leaving Taslima dead on the spot and wounding three others. The injured were sent to a local clinic in critical condition. In Chadpur, a CNG auto-rickshaw driver died in a road accident early yesterday. The deceased was Abul Hasan, 45, of Faridganj upazila, reports our Chadpur correspondent. Witness Md Nasir said the accident took place around 5am as a pick-up van collided head-on with the auto-rickshaw and smashed it on the spot. The driver of the pick-up van fled after the accident, said Mahbub Morshed, officer-in charge of the Chadpur police station. In Sherpur, Three people were killed in three separate road accidents at Nalitabari-Sherpur, Nalitabari-Nakla and Nalitabari-Nakugong land port highway on Friday, reports our correspondent. The deceased were Hazrzat Ali, 55, of Pachgong Baliapara, Arfuli Begum, 70, of Ranigong village and Hasna Begum, 13, of Sohagpur village. Sources said in the western side of Pachgong Bazaar, a car ran over Ali and he died on the spot. Arfuli died at Kapasia point of the Nalitabari-Nakla highway as a bus hit her. Hasna died at the Uttor Gorkanda area of talitabari-Nakugong land port highway when a truck ran over her. Md Monir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Nalitabari police station, said no cases were filed in these regards. l

A child is being given vaccine at a health centre yesterday on the occasion of National Immunisation Day Tajul Islam Bari, programme manager of Expanded Immunisation Programmes, told the Dhaka Tribune, We will get the total rate of vaccination coverage tomorrow. He said the immunisation coverage in the last years NID programme was 97.5% while it might be .5% less this year. Harun-or-Rashid, president, Bangladesh Health Employees Association, said last night, So far we didnt get any untoward news while carrying out the vaccination programme. Most health workers and volunteers were performing their duties across the

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

country including at the bus, launch and railway stations amid apprehension of untoward incidents during the ongoing blockade, he said. Bangladesh has been a polio-free country since November 22, 2006. It would achieve a polio-free status in February next year. l

29 Indians held for illegal fishing n UNB, Bagerhat

Members of Bangladesh Navy arrested 29 Indian fishermen for illegally catching fish in Hironpoint area of the Bay of Bengal near Mongla upazila on Friday morning. Mohammad Aminul Islam, officer-in-charge of Mongla police station, said a patrol team of Bangladesh Navy arrested the 29 Indian fishermen along with two trawlers FB Mayer Ashirbad and FB Himalayas when they were fishing in the Bangladesh territory, violating the maritime boundary law. Later they were handed over to the police at night. During primary interrogation, the fishermen said they had entered the country mistakenly because of the dense fog, said the OC. Two separate cases were filed in this connection. l

Bring street children under mainstream development

n Tribune Report
Underprivileged street children should be brought under mainstream development programmes by providing them with basic supports including shelter, education and healthcare, speakers at a seminar said yesterday. If every well-off family comes forward with such supports no children would have to reside on streets, they said and stressed the need for finding out the root causes of being street children. They were addressing the national dissemination on Project Experience and Lesson Learned at the auditorium of YWCA in the city, said a press release. Bringing Economic Empowerment to Street Children (BEES), a project under the Population Services Training Centre (PSTC)arranged the discussion in cooperation with Stimulating Household Improvements Resulting in Economic Empowerment (SHIREE),Department for International Development (DFID) and Plan Bangladesh. PSTC executive director FM Mostaque chaired the function while Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Social Welfare addressed the function as the chief guest. Freelance Journalist and ex-art editor The Daily Independent Sayeed Lutful Hauque, Program Unit Manager, Dhaka Urban Program Unit of Plan International Bangladesh Abdul Mannan and Advisor of Youth Economic Development (YED) Program of Plan Bangladesh Mohammad Tarequl houque also spoke on the occasion. l

Robbers are being held by the Bangladesh Navy after they attempted to escape conducting a heist. The navy arrested 17 members of the gang along with two boats on Friday ISPR

Rich history of Bengal remains uncared for

Samples of terracotta, dating back to early middle age, lie in storage rooms lacking attention n Hasibur Rahman Bilu, Bogra
Hundreds of clay plaques with un-deciphered inscriptions, dating back to the early middle ages, have been lying idle for a long time lacking proper attention from the authorities. These samples of terracotta, examples of the rich traditional history of Bengal, were found during archaeological excavations and stored without being studied at several museums and storage facilities. Mohammad Abdul Khaleque, former director general of the department of archaeology, said the department had taken an initiative about three years ago to invite scholars to study and decipher inscriptions engraved on the plates. However, noted symbologist Dr Bijoy Krishna Banik, working as deputy keeper with the Zainul Abedin Sagrahasala, said he received no call from the department. So far as I know, the department

Body recovered from a maize field n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah

Police recovered the body of a man from a maize field in Jhenaidah yesterday. Kazi Jalal Uddin Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Jhenaidah police station, said the dead Sirajul Islam, 35, was an activist of banned political party Purba Bangla Communist Party. Police suspected a factional feud might have caused his killing. Police said there were several cases against Sirajul including murder, abduction, and bombing. l

OBITUARY
has not invited anyone to do that. There are many clay plaques kept in storage rooms including those in Sompur Buddhist Bihar and Mahasthangarh museum which have yet to be studied. According to sources, these plaques were excavated from several sites including Paharpur, popularly known as Sompur Buddhist Bihar of Naogaon, Vasu Bihar and Mahantangarh of Bogra. The Sompur Buddhist Bihar was a Buddhist temple built between 770AD-810AD, during the rule of King Dharmapala, Mohammad Mahbub-ulAlam, custodian of Paharpur Archeological Museum, said. Plaques discovered near the temple, he added, were kept in storerooms. Some of them are on display in the museum. Several samples of terracotta were recovered from Vasu Vihara during excavation drives in 2008 and 2009, these samples carried rare symbols, experts said. Naheed Sultana, former custodian of Mahastangarh Archeological Museum, said some of those samples carried the symbol of a deer known as Dharmachakro. There are also those with inscriptions engraved in the form of a bird; these are very rare and uncommon, she added. Experts stress the importance of regular excavations and deciphering of inscriptions as a means to preserve the regions history. Dr Bijoy Krishna Banik, a former official of the archaeology department, said: There is no point in keeping the engraved inscriptions un-deciphered. It does not behove us not to study them. l Mahbub Alam, a retired officer of now defunct Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board, died at the age of 67 in the capital yesterday. He was suffering from kidney aliments and was under treatment in the United Hospital, Dhaka. The deceased left behind his wife and two sons. His namaj-e-janaza was held at the Banasree mosque and he was buried at the Azimpur graveyard.

Sugarcane crushing resumes in Pabna Sugar Mill

9,200 tonnes sugar unsold from previous year loss until now. The mill has failed mercial production. n Our Correspondent, Pabna of Farmers are losing to achieve its target because of lack of
With Tk50crore worth sugar unsold in stock, Pabna Sugar Mill in Dashuria under Ishwardi upazila, resumed sugarcane crushing on Friday. With a target of producing 65,000 tonnes of sugar by crushing 90,000 tonnes of sugarcane during 70 days of the current crushing season, the mill started operation for fiscal 2013-14. Since starting operation in 1998, the Pabna Sugar Mill in Dashuria of Ishwardi upazila has been in a state sugarcane, according to Komol Kanti Sarkar, managing director of the mill. At least 2 lakh tonnes of sugarcane is needed to run the mill for three to four months to produce 12,000 to 15,000 tonnes of sugar a year. Unfortunately we could not arrange even half of the required amount of sugarcane in last few years resulting in reduced production and losses every year, he said. The mill has experienced a loss of Tk125 crore in last 15 years of cominterest for producing sugarcane because of the meagre profit drawn out of the scanty production of sugarcane, he said. Despite having a stock of Tk50 crore worth 9,200 tonnes of unsold sugar in the mills storehouse, production has kicked-off this year creating uncertainty among the workers. Pabna Sugar Mill could not sell any sugar during the last year. All the production of fiscal 2012-13, which amounts to 9,200 tonnes of sugar, is still lying unsold in the mills storehouse. Ahmed Ali, secretary of workers union of Pabna Sugar Mill, said. Most of the workers are yet to receive their wages for last few months as the mill authority could not pay them in due time because of the losses incurred, he added. Ishwardi upazila parishad Chairman Md Nuruzzaman Biswas inaugurated the sugarcane crushing at a ceremony chaired by Komol Kanti Sarkar. The guests urged the government to increase price of sugarcane for sake of the farmers. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Feature

Sunday, December 22, 2013

A haven for Bookworms

n Ishrat Jahan
Built 20 years ago, Bookworm still stands as the go-to destination for Dhakas bibliophiles. It remains a quiet oasis among the overflowing traffic and human chaos of Old Airport Road in Tejgaon. I was struck by the neat footpath, and clean, poster-free boundary walls. Two funny penguins sit outside with their beaks wide open, and it took me a moment to realise they are wastepaper bins. They serve as something of a landmark for the shop, and their amusing presence hints at the charms to be found inside. There is a lingering feeling of the past in the shop. It emanates a sense of well-being that any book lover would appreciate. The glass panes give the outsider a view of books piled high, orderly shelved and displayed for curious eyes. I spoke with Amina Rahman, who currently manages the store, about the story behind this haven for bookworms.

books. They have been instrumental in our success, Amina explains.

Chapters

Prologue

British cuisine courtesy of a Bangladeshi

An interview with Bangladesh-born Iqbal Wahhab, the owner of Roast, a much-lauded traditional British restaurant in the heart of London

Bookworm was first conceptualised at the dining table, Amina said. In 1993, My late father-in-law Captain Taher Quddus was discussing it at the dining table with my sister-in-law Zarah and her husband Farhan. The Air Force was happy to lease us the location. Our objective was to create a shop that catered to book lovers, and was browser-friendly. So we set about giving the new shop the independence and liberty that customers wanted while browsing through books.

Introduction

Bookworm has managed to stay around in the book business far longer than its competitors. This ca be attributed to their belief in quality and diversity. The bookshop stores delightful surprises on its shelves. They bring in a wide range of books a mix of what their customers demand, and an attempt at introducing new writers and books to Dhakas readers. I visited Bookworms stall at the recent Hay Fest, and I loved it. They had books I had never heard of before, and original copies of books I had been searching for. It has great variety for one little bookshop, says Yaameen Al-Muttaqui, a school graduate and book enthusiast. I think Bookworm is excellent fortwo reasons, said Shihab Nayeem Ahmed, a recent college graduate said, after discovering Bookworms collection for the first time at the Hay Festival in November. Firstly, it gives Bangladeshi writers a greater opportunity, and secondly, the fact that individuals get royalties and encouragement to write more, which the presence of pirated copies doesnt allow.

n James Saville
To many Bangladeshis, British cuisine might sound like a contradiction in terms. But not to British-Bangladeshi Iqbal Wahhab. Having already founded the Cinnamon club, a high-end Indian restaurant in Londons Westminster district, Iqbal now runs Roast, a restaurant that specialises in serving up quality British staples. We caught up with Iqbal for a Q&A about both projects: You founded your first restaurant, The Cinnamon Club, to change British attitudes towards South Asian food. How did that go? IW: There was a lot of resistance at first to me saying we were going to introduce a new way of eating curry, peoples favourite food, but we stuck at it and now its the most successful Indian restaurant in the world. Abroad, Bangali restaurants are often eclipsed by Indian ones. What are your thoughts on Bangali food in the west? IW: Theres a big difference between Bangladeshi owned restaurants that serve Indian food (the majority) and Bangladeshi owned restaurants that

Its honest, straight up food that we enjoy. A bit like why we enjoy curry so much. Isnt British food bland when compared to Bangali food? IW: We serve 2,800 people every week at Roast and have yet to have anyone ask for green chilies. Even British Bangladeshis enjoy coming here. We all grow up with British food at school and in fish-and-chips shops. Maybe they just want a spice break! Do people in Britain find it strange that someone born in Bangladesh, which has such a rich and distinct culinary heritage, has chosen to set up a British restaurant? IW: Yes they do, but theyre terribly polite about it to my face. The critics prefer just to give snidey references, but my customers dont care whether Im from Brighton, Bosnia or Bangladesh. They want to know whether they can get a decent steak and kidney pudding from us. serve Bangladeshi food, which there are hardly any. Maybe one day Ill complete my culinary journey with a salute to my place of birth. What appeals to you about British cuisine? IW: Whats so special about British food is that its not pretentious. If you had to choose, what would be your favorite English dish? IW: Shepherds pie. It was the first thing I ever made aged 11. I had one just yesterday. l

The British Council in New Delhi noticed us in 1994, and invited us to the Delhi Book Fair, Amina said. The following year they were instrumental in taking us to the Frankfurt Book Fair and introducing us to Random House, Harper Collins, Penguin, Hodder Headline, Walker books, Dorling Kindersley, Faber and Faber and Bloomsbury in the UK. Through them we learned the ropes of the business. The UK years, as we called it back then, were a lesson learned. Bookworm soon realized that Dhakas taste [favoured] Asian writers, and we switched back to sourcing from India, price being a serious issue.

Epilogue

Dedication

Bookworm was launched with the intention of enriching the book culture of Dhaka, and it soon attained a strong customer base that has remained loyal to the little store for the last two decades. This sense of loyalty acted as an anchor for Bookworm in times of hardship. We have personal relationships with most of our customers and a warm sense of kinship born from the love of

The store plans to expand its scope from a simple book store to a place where literary minds can come and explore. Amina shared their plans. A bookshop should have a relaxing effect, a place where you can sit down and browse through all the books you want. We want this place to act as a platform for readers and writers to come together more frequently as well. Bookworm also hopes to open a second-hand book section, where customers with thinner wallets can find used books in good condition without having to scour the alleys of Nilkhet. Bookworm started twenty years ago as a symbol of Taher Quddus love of books. It enriched Dhakas literary culture, and many have fallen in love with the little shop in the Twins Peak Complex. The store intends to continue doing what it does best: Celebrate books. Because what business could inspire more passion than bringing books, the sum of human experience, to the minds who long to devour them? l

The gaming boys of the Korail slums

n Anushka Zafar
Across from BRACs headquarters in Dhaka, beyond the murky waters of Banani Lake, lies Korail, one of the countrys largest slums, jam-packed with more than 40,000 people. I have always seen the slum from a distance, but knew very little about what went on inside. Typically, slums are illegal land settlements littered with crime, invariable health hazards and acute poverty. But what I saw recently on my first visit was beyond my expectations. Situated among the overcrowded tin sheds, one particular shop caught my attention. Inside, boys and girls of all ages were sitting together and watching Doraemon on television. When I approached the shopkeeper, she said she was a BRAC microloan borrower, and that her business was for children who needed a place to go before and after school. Many of them are locked out of their homes while their parents are at work, she explained. So they can come here, eat some chatpati, and keep themselves entertained. To my amazement, the shopkeeper even had a DVD player. I was even more surprised to find a group of boys crammed into a narrow backroom, sitting in front of three computers. My jaw dropped when I realised they were playing Grand Theft Auto, a 3D action-adventure video game. ing cartoons or playing video games, she makes money by selling snacks for about Tk10-20. Theres no doubt that media and technology can be an excellent entertainer and educator. In the west, parents often worry that too much television can interfere with physical activities or doing homework. However, in moderation, technology can catalyse thinking beyond the tin walls of Korail. Slum kids can learn a lot from watching cartoons, like how to speak English. Any basic computer skills they pick up, combined with what they learn in schools, could also help them obtain jobs in the future. So while they spend hours playing video games, they empower themselves with technological savvy. A few months ago, BRACs Social Innovation Lab published a map of Korail, which indicates five existing NGO-run daycare centres in the slum. But before I left, I noticed one more informal daycare like the first belonging to another microloan borrower. Micro-entrepreneurs in Korail are clearly capitalising on the need to look after children. But the beauty of this sustainable slum-grown model is that the children will also benefit from the long-term social impact of being allowed to play in a safe space. As I began my boat journey back across the lake, I found myself feeling pleased about discovering this microfinance-supported clubhouse. I couldnt wait to go back to the office and tell everyone what I had witnessed. I was not only amused by these little

They werent just any children playing video games. They were kids using computers in the depths of Dhakas largest slum

Children of all ages watch Doraemon together in the tin shed clubhouse set up by a microfinance client How many people have you shot today? I asked one of the little ones. He was so focused on the game he didnt even bother looking up. About 100, he replied stoically. There was something about the paradox of the scenario that hit close to my heart. They werent just any children playing video games. They were kids using computers in the depths of Dhakas largest slum. Sure, the violent games were exposing them to machine guns and carjacking, but lets look at the bigger picture: They were being given the opportunity to use computers, which could later translate into vocational skills. BRAC believes in empowering the poor to realise their own potential, and rise out of poverty through their own efforts. Tools like microfinance are a huge component of BRACs holistic approach. But business ideas like these informal daycentres are driven by the borrowers themselves. This particular borrower is a mother, and she understands the needs of youths in her neighbourhood. She uses her informal daycare venture to generate an income while providing children refuge outside their homes and school. She doesnt charge them for watch-

kids rapt by the world of virtual carjacking, but also deeply touched. For a moment, the degree of separation between us felt smaller. They werent any different from my own nephews and nieces who react the same way when approached while playing video games. What I learned that day is that all children are the same when given the same opportunities. With access to more tools, the degree of separation can close further, and perhaps these gaming boys of Korail can realise their potential beyond the slums along Banani Lake. l Anushka Zafar is a senior officer at BRAC Communications. This article was previous published on http://blog.brac.net

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

Sunday, December 22, 2013

What do the voters want?

RAJIB DHAR

n Jyoti Rahman
t the time of writing, 154 members in our 300-seat parliament have been declared elected unopposed. All of these unopposed MP-elects belong to the Grand Alliance all but a few from the Awami League. Exactly how representative will this new parliament be? We can answer that question by analysing opinion polls conducted by leading news dailies over the past five years. These polls are based on random samples of thousand or more people. Bangladeshi pundits, including science professors, wonder whether polls based on such samples can reflect the opinions of over 150 million Bangladeshis. Well, anyone with rudimentary statistics should know that if polls are well designed and I believe these ones are random samples of a thousand can quite reasonably reflect the popular opinion. One would do much better to trust these polls than listen to bloviators on TV or trust most op-ed writers or political bloggers. Each of the polls gives one data point for each of the major partys vote share in a hypothetical election. This means, we have 14 data points since the last election. In the chart, these points are plotted. Of course, each poll is an imperfect guide to the overall political scene. Trend lines aggregate all that information and allow us to see, well, the trend in political landscape. And extrapolating the trend line gives us the projected hypothetical election result.

conclusion of this analysis is dependent on that arbitrary choice. So take the whole thing with a fistful of salt. How did I estimate the trend line? I asked excel to fit a cubic function through the dots, starting as close as possible from each partys respective actual vote shares in December2008. This, incidentally, has one side effect: it possibly overstates ALs end point, and underplays BNP.

its feet. Plus, the start of its recovery seems to coincide with the governments assault on Ziaur Rahmans residence.

Coincidence? Or publics innate sense of justice?

The turnaround notwithstanding, it seems that BNP was behind AL throughout 2011. And it appears that AL was losing popularity more quickly, rather than BNP becoming popular rapidly. Again, both seem to gel well with the conventional wisdom of that year. But its popularity has been rising steadily, and BNP seems to have been on track to be around 47% support

against AL (from 49% to 39%). Even if BNP had not gained any popularity, such a swing, if applied uniformly across the country, would have cost AL nearly 80 seats in 2008, ALs winning margin was less than 10% in 79 seats. Add to that the 14 point swing to BNP (from 33% to 47%), and potentially AL could be reduced to less than 30 seats.

And what do the lines show?

Lets start with the AL line. According to the trend line, AL retained its 49% support from December 2008, if not improved on it, throughout 2009. Does this seem sensible?

How representative will a parliament be where BNP is not represented?

I wonder if it would be a stretch to compare this election with the one held in the occupied Bangladesh in 1971. In 1971, when the al-Badr and al-Shams were carrying out their atrocities, their Pakistani masters also held elections in the seats vacated by the outlawed Awami League. The Pakistanis got 55 collaborators elected unopposed. Whats the Bangla word for irony? When this was being written, there were many fiery online discussions and many TV talking heads frothing at

A straightforward reading of the trend is that BNP had not only unified its core supporters, it had also attracted a plurality of the middle, while the AL had lost the people who swung its way in 2008

large enough popular base, a cult of personality, and a dogma/ideology which is going to be invoked by academics and intelligentsia to support the regime. The 1/11 or Ershad regimes were not fascist they had none of these ingredients. Baksal had the cult of personality, ideology and intellectual cheerleaders. Had Sheikh Mujib instituted Bakshal in 1972, he would also have had massive popular support. But by 1975, it was too late. BNP in 2001 had the popular support to become fascist. But for all its manifold mistakes, it wasnt fascist because there was no ideology or intellectual support. The AL is still popular enough, has a sufficiently coherent ideology and a cult of personality, and a very strong intellectual support base. When Ershad or BNP stepped over the line in terms of censorship or rigged election or sheer decency (think about Mrs Zias birthday celebration),

THE TREND IN OUR POLITICAL LANDSCAPE

85 55

Percent

Percent

85 55 52 49 46 43 40 37 34 31

But how to estimate the lines?

While estimating trend lines, one needs to keep two things in mind: does the trend reflect the qualitative history; and how much weight

Even if BNP had not gained any popularity, a 10-point swing against AL, if applied uniformly across the country, would have cost AL nearly 80 seats

should be given to the latest data? The first concern rules out a linear trend line. But non-linear trends put more emphasis on the latest data, and one needs to be careful that this does not drive the projection. Ultimately, the choice of a trend estimate is quite arbitrary. And the

Let us think back about 2009. The government commanded widespread media support. Its young, fresh-faced ministers were considered to be clean and had good image. Media gave it a free pass on BDR mutiny. And there was a massive sympathy wave for the Sheikh family as the executions of August 1975 killers loomed. Then we have a period of steady decline in ALs popularity, until reaching a trough around 32% by the end of 2012. What happened at this period? Share market scam. Padma bridge scam. Several law and order mishaps. High inflation. Vendetta against Prof Yunus and Mrs Zia. Anyone reading the newspapers could come up with plenty of reasons for the dropping popularity. Interestingly, the AL line shows signs of picking up since the beginning of 2013. Why? Perhaps Shahbag and aftermath rallied the AL base. Whatever the reason, the pick up, assuming it had continued, would have meant AL getting 39% of votes in a hypothetical December 2013 election. Lets now turn to the BNP line. Well into 2010, it went backwards from its 33% vote share from December 2008, with popularity falling far below the 30% mark. Then the turnaround started from late 2010. Again, this seems to tally well with what actually happened in 2009 and 2010. In 2009, BNP was completely missing in action from the public debate about, well, everything. The party was still recovering from 1/11 and the election defeat. By late 2010, it found

by the end of 2013 should this have come to pass, it would have been BNPs best ever performance. A straightforward reading of the trend is that BNP had not only unified its core supporters, it had also attracted a plurality of the middle, while the AL had lost the people who swung its way in 2008 (49%), but its 2001 base had returned to the fold. As of October 2013, the trend lines suggest that BNP was expected to get 45% votes against the ALs 36%. Extrapolating this to December, and the numbers are 47% BNP vs 39% AL. Of course, given our first past the post voting system, with 47% votes, BNP would likely have won many more than 47% of seats. How many more? Looking at the two elections where BNP defeated AL in a landslide may provide some clue. In 1979, BNP won 207 seats with 44% of votes a seat-to-vote percentage ratio of 4.7. In2001, 41.4% vote gave it 193 seats again seat-to-vote percentage ratio of 4.7. Applying the ratio to 47% vote would imply more than 220 seats its best ever show. What about AL? In 1979, it won 39 seats with 24.5% votes a ratio of 1.6. In 2001, it got 62 seats with 40% votes ratio of 1.5. Applying these to 39% vote suggest around 60 seats. That is, based on the opinion polls, we are looking at BNP getting around 220 seats, against ALs likely tally of 60. There is another way to translate vote shares to seat numbers. The polls suggest there is a 10-point swing

52 49 46 43 40 37 34 31 28 25 22 19 Dec 08 Oct 09 Aug 10 Jun 11

AL BNP AL

BNP

28 25 22 Apr 12 Feb 13 Dec 13 19

the mouth about those dastardly Pakistanis who were questioning our quest for justice in their parliament.

Is it ironic that the Pakistani parliament is actually a genuinely elected one?

Its a fascist regime thats a common refrain in Bangladesh. Every opposition party in our history has accused the government of being fascist. And every opposition in the past has been wrong. Until now. Fascism doesnt mean any odd dictatorship or undemocratic regime. Mere intolerance of the opposition is not enough to be fascist. To be a fascist regime, a government needs a

there were massive outcries. Nothing like that has happened under the current government because those who are supposed to protest are all on the same side as the government. All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing said Edmund Burke. As I write this, for far too many otherwise sensible intelligent people, what Imran Khan says in an elected parliament in Pakistan causes more anger than the lack of an elected parliament in Bangladesh. And thats why, dear reader, for the first time in our history, fascism appears to be imminent in Bangladesh. l Jyoti Rahman is a political blogger.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International
n AFP, Istanbul
The sons of two Turkish ministers were charged on Saturday in a huge graft scandal that has ensnared the closest allies of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The scandal is the largest ever to come close to Erdogan, who has led Turkey since 2002 as the head of a conservative Islamic-leaning government. Judges in Istanbul charged the sons of Interior Minister Muammer Guler, Baris Guler, and of Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan, Kaan Caglayan, with acting as intermediaries in order to give and take bribes, the Hurriyet newspaper reported without elaborating. The crisis erupted Tuesday when police arrested scores of people in a series of dawn raids that went to the heart of Erdogans government. The prime minister has described the corruption probe, which comes ahead of crucial March local polls, as a smear operation targeting his government.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Turkish ministers sons charged in graft probe

Erdogan has responded by sacking dozens of police officials for cooperating with the probe without permission. Among those detained were the chief executive of state-owned bank Halkbank, Suleyman Aslan, and the Azerbaijani businessman Reza Zarrab. Zarrab was charged with forming a ring that bribed officials to disguise illegal gold sales to sanctions-hit Iran via Halkbank, Hurriyet said. Aslan was charged with taking bribes, the newspaper said without elaborating. The son of Environment Minister Erdogan Bayraktar was also arrested but was released overnight Friday after hours of questioning by prosecutors and judges. The mayor of Istanbuls conservative Fatih municipality, Mustafa Demir, as well as construction tycoon Ali Agaoglu were also released. The crisis has rattled the stock market and sent the Turkish lira to an alltime low. Since the scandal broke out, Erdogan has sacked dozens of officials including the Istanbul police chief in a spectacular purge of the police forces. Turkish media said another 17 were fired on Friday alone. Erdogans critics accuse him of seeking to protect his cronies, and the appointment of Selami Altinok, a little-known governor with no police career, as Istanbuls new police chief was further seen as an attempt to shut down the investigation. Altinok raised eyebrows when he landed in Istanbul on Thursday in the premiers private jet. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP), called Erdogan a dictator. In this country, everything is controlled by what comes out of a dictators mouth.... They want to drag the country into the darkness of 19th century, Kilicdaroglu said. Turkey needs clean politics and a clean society. l

People shout anti-government slogans as they carry a casket made of empty shoe boxes during a protest in Ankara

AP

At least 18 Iraqi army officers killed in ambush n Reuters

At least 18 Iraqi military officers were killed in an ambush on Saturday in the Sunni Muslim-dominated province of Anbar, military sources said. The commander of the armys Seventh Division as well as the commander of its 28th Brigade and several other high-ranking officers were among those killed in the attack, the sources said. Another 32 soldiers were wounded. It was not immediately clear why so many senior officers were in an area controlled largely by Sunni militants linked to al Qaeda, but some sources suggested they had come to document a recent military victory nearby. Multiple sources said three suicide bombers wearing explosive belts detonated themselves among the officers inside a deserted house in the western town of Rutba, 360 km (225 miles) west of Baghdad. l

Turkish PM warns he could expel some foreign ambassadors

n AFP, Ankara
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Saturday warned he may expel some foreign ambassadors over provocative actions, amid mounting tensions over an anti-graft probe that has ensnared government allies. Some ambassadors are engaged in provocative actions... Do your job, Erdogan said in televised remarks in the Black Sea city of Samsun. We dont have to keep you in our country. Erdogans remarks were considered a veiled threat to US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone, after he was reported to have commented on the unfolding bribery scandal. Get out of this country! headlined the Yeni Safak newspaper, with a picture of the US envoy on its front page. According to some pro-government media outlets, Ricciardone said Washington had warned the state-owned Halkbank to cut its ties with sanctions-hit Iran. The bank is at the centre of a high-profile graft probe that has touched the heart of Erdogans Justice and Development Party (AKP) government. Halkbanks chief executive, Suleyman Aslan, was one of scores of people, including the sons of cabinet ministers, arrested in the case. Aslan was charged early Saturday with taking bribes, the Hurriyet newspaper said. Azerbaijani businessman Reza Zarrab was meanwhile charged with forming a ring that bribed officials to disguise illegal gold sales to Iran via Halkbank, Hurriyet said. Police seized $4.5 million in cash hidden in shoe boxes in Aslans home, local media reported last week. The sons of Interior Minister Muammer Guler, Baris Guler, and of Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan, Kaan Caglayan, were also charged with acting as intermediaries in order to give and take bribes, the Hurriyet newspaper reported without elaborating. Erdogan says the mass detentions are part of a conspiracy targeting his government, which has swept three successive elections in a row since 2002 benting on a strong growth, which exceeded 8.0 percent in 2010 and 2011. The Turkish premier on Saturday defended Halkbank which he claimed was targeted by international plotters. We have raised the banks market value to $25 billion. They are targeting this successful state bank, he told AKP supporters. This bank is intimidating Turkeys enemies. l

US aircraft hit by gunfire in South Sudan

n Reuters, Juba
US aircraft came under fire on Saturday on a mission to evacuate Americans from spiralling conflict in South Sudan and four US military service members were wounded. Nearly a week of fighting threatens to drag the worlds newest country into an ethnic civil war just two years after it won independence from Sudan with strong support from successive US administrations. The US aircraft came under fire while approaching the evacuation site, the militarys Africa Command said in a statement. The aircraft diverted to an airfield outside the country and aborted the mission, it said. Hundreds of people have been killed in the fighting that pits loyalists of President Salva Kiir, of the Dinka ethnic group, against those of his former vice president Riek Machar, a Nuer who was sacked in July and is accused by the government of trying to seize power. Fighting that spread from the capital, Juba, has now reached vital oilfields and the government said a senior army commander had defected to Machar in the oil-producing Unity State. After meetings with African mediators on Friday, Kiirs government said on its Twitter feed that it was willing to hold talks with any rebel group. The United States is also sending an envoy to help with talks. South Sudans foreign minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, told Reuters the African mediators had now been given the go-ahead to meet with Kiirs rivals, including Machar and his allies. l

African mediators to meet South Sudan presidents rivals

n
Reuters
African mediators sought on Saturday to meet rivals to South Sudans president in a bid to end fighting that threatens to drag the worlds newest country into an ethnic civil war. Hundreds of people have been killed in nearly a week of clashes that spread from the capital Juba and have reached vital oilfields, deepening the most serious internal crisis since the state won independence from Sudan two years ago. President Salva Kiir, of the Dinka ethnic group, has accused his former vice president Riek Machar, a Nuer who was sacked in July, of trying to seize power. Although Juba, the capital, was calm on Saturday, United Nations staff say hundreds of people have been killed across the country the size of France and 35,000 civilians are sheltering at their bases. The United States was instrumental in securing South Sudans independence. In a sign of its concern, US Secretary of State John Kerry said he was sending an envoy to help talks. On Friday, African mediators met President Kiir for what they called productive talks. His government said on its Twitter feed it was willing to hold talks with any rebel group. South Sudans foreign minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, said the mediators had now been given the goahead to meet with Kiirs rivals, including Machar and his allies. l

Army spokesman: Army commander in South Sudan joins rebels

n AFP, Juba
A top South Sudan army commander based in the key oil-producing Unity state appears to have defected to rebel forces, the countrys army spokesman said Friday. We have lost contact with the commander... and there are reports he has joined the forces of Riek Machar, army spokesman Philip Aguer told AFP, but he added that government forces were still in control of the area. Fighting broke out last Sunday in the capital Juba between troops backing President Salva Kiir and those of Machar, his former vice president, but has since spread elsewhere in the country. The spokesman said Major General James Koang Choul, commander of a division of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) that controls Unity state, appeared to have defected alone. The members of the SPLA have not followed him, and we remain in control of Unity, Aguer said. Aguer said shooting was reported overnight Friday to Saturday in Unity states capital Bentiu, with oil companies evacuating workers. The loss of the oil fields to rebels would be a major blow to the young nation. Aguer said shooting was reported overnight Friday to Saturday in Unity states capital Bentiu, with oil companies evacuating workers. Chinese and Malaysian companies are among those who operate oil blocks in Unity state. l

Egypts Morsi faces trial for prison break, murder: prosecution

n AFP, Cairo

Madagascar rivals both claim poll win, allege fraud

n AFP, Antananarivo
Madagascars presidential candidates both claimed victory Saturday in run-off polls, each accusing the other of rigging the run-off as results started to trickle in. Former health minister Robinson Jean Louis, candidate of ousted president Marc Ravalomanana, told AFP he expected to win 56 percent, while his opponent Hery Rajaonarimampianina claimed to have taken between 60 and 65 percent. There has been massive fraud, Jean Louis told AFP, adding that an entire airplane filled with ballots premarked in favour of his rival had been discovered. His campaign held an early victory party Friday night. Meanwhile, the camp of Rajaonarimampianina, a former finance minister under strongman Andry Rajoelina, denied any wrongdoing. From our side we havent rigged the vote, but actually they did. We have proof, his spokeswoman Rinah Rakotomanga said. The election commission, security forces, and international observers have not confirmed incidents of fraud after hailing generally peaceful polls though with little turnout. There are a lot of rumours, but these were elections to exit a crisis and there will always be rumours, the UN representative for Madagascar, Fatma Samoura, said. Observer missions will release their main conclusions on Sunday. l

WORLD WATCH
Nipple tattoos
A tattooist in Baltimore has built up a huge customer base because of his unusual speciality - tattooing nipples on to women who have suffered from cancer and had their breasts removed. Vinnie, of Little Vinnies Tattoos, no longer spends his day tattooing anchors on mens biceps. In fact, most of his clients are women and they have one thing in common, they are all recovering from breast cancer. A few years ago, a doctor in Baltimore asked Vinnie to help out with a patient who had had breast reconstruction, leaving her with no nipples. So realistic were his skills in creating 3D nipple tattoos, patients started demanding him over doctors who typically carry out basic tattoos as the final stage of reconstruction. Now, he says, it has taken over his life. Vinnie sees up to 1,400 patients a year and travels across the country and beyond. To prove it, there is a map in his studio with pins in it, showing where people come from - he has clients in countries as far away as Saudi Arabia, no mean feat in a part of the world where tattoos are considered haram, or forbidden. acquitted of the charges, notably of public indecency and publishing compromising photos, which is something positive, said Monaim Fattahi. But the boy and the girl who were pictured kissing were reprimanded by the court. It is unjust, because they are minors and Facebook is a private space, the lawyer added. The couple aged 14 and 15 and their 15-year-old male friend who took the photos were arrested in October in the conservative northern town of Nador, after a local NGO filed a lawsuit charging that their actions had a negative effect on society. The youths were held in a juvenile detention centre for three days before being released on bail.

Egypts deposed president Mohamed Morsi and 132 others, including members of Hamas, will stand trial for a prison break and the murder of officers during the 2011 uprising, the prosecution said on Saturday. Almost 70 of the defendants are members of Hamas and Hezbollah, the Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups, who will be tried in absentia. It will be the third trial announced for Morsi on separate charges, amid a crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood movement following his overthrow in July. Prosecutors claim that Brotherhood, Hamas, Hezbollah and jihadist militants attacked prisons and police stations during the first few days of the revolt against dictator Hosni Mubarak, killing policemen and helping thousands of inmates escape. Several Hamas and Hezbollah members were in jail and escaped during the unrest. At least two of the Hamas inmates, including militant leader Ayman Nofal, have been indicted, the prosecution sources said. A Hezbollah commander named Mohamed Mansur, convicted in 2010 of plotting attacks in the country and who escaped, was also charged. The other defendants include leaders of Morsis Muslim Brotherhood, who also escaped from the Wadi alNatrun prison during the revolt, and prominent Qatar-based cleric Yousef al-Qaradawi. l

Swedish police raise alarm over teenage gang rapes

Neanderthals may have been a chatty lot!

n BBC News
An analysis of a Neanderthals fossilised hyoid bone - a horseshoe-shaped structure in the neck - suggests the species had the ability to speak. This has been suspected since the 1989 discovery of a Neanderthal hyoid that looks just like a modern humans. But now computer modelling of how it works has shown this bone was also used in a very similar way. The hyoid bone is crucial for speaking as it supports the root of the tongue. In non-human primates, it is not placed in the right position to vocalise like humans. An international team of researchers analysed a fossil Neanderthal throat bone England, Armidale, NSW, Australia, said: We would argue that this is a very significant step forward. It shows that the Kebara 2 hyoid doesnt just look like those of modern humans - it was used in a very similar way. He told BBC News that it not only changed our understanding of Neanderthals, but also of ourselves. Many would argue that our capacity for speech and language is among the most fundamental of characteristics that make us human. If Neanderthals also had language then they were truly human, too. It was commonly believed that complex language did not evolve until about 100,000 years ago and that modern humans were the only ones capable of complex speech. l

Morocco kiss teens acquitted with reprimand

using 3D x-ray imaging and mechanical modelling. This model allowed the group to see how the hyoid behaved in relation to the other surrounding bones. Stephen Wroe, from the University of New

A Moroccan court Friday acquitted three teenagers accused of public indecency after pictures of two of them kissing were posted on Facebook, but reprimanded the couple, their lawyer told AFP. The teens had risked possible prison sentences of five years under the kingdoms penal code, in a case that drew strong criticism from international rights groups and sparked a storm of online protest in socially conservative Morocco. They were

Swedish police have warned of a growing trend of teenage gang rapes, often filmed or photographed on smartphones, as a high-profile case under a new rape law opened in the capital Tuesday. In the case before the Stockholm court, three young men are accused of raping a girl, whose age has not been made public, in a forested area south of the capital. The girl was under the influence of drugs, court documents show, and a judge said she was in a particularly vulnerable situation due to the number of men involved, who were not known to her. The trial is the latest in a series of cases of group sex acts involving young Swedes which has prompted police to raise the alarm about a new trend in gang rapes. Were talking about very young teens, police inspector Moni Winsnes told AFP. They are 14 15 years old. One girl was as young as 12. It goes on in front of their friends, who might even be filming and taking photos.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International
Thailand has been wracked by sometimes violent political conflict since the coup that toppled billionaire Thaksin, who was accused of corruption and abuse of power. The protesters say Thai politics are hopelessly corrupt under Thaksins continuing influence, and that he buys his electoral support from the countrys urban and rural poor. They accuse Yingluck of being Thaksins puppet, and believe that traditional one-man, one-vote democracy doesnt work because the poor are not educated enough to choose responsible leaders. Thaksins supporters say he is disliked by Bangkoks elite because he has shifted power away from the traditional ruling class. l

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Thai opposition party to boycott general election

n AP, Bangkok
Thailands main opposition Democrat Party said Saturday that it would boycott Februarys general election, deepening the countrys weekslong political crisis. The partys leader, former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, announced the boycott after a meeting of party executives. He said the decision was made to try to ensure that political reforms are implemented. The partys position reflects the stand taken by street protesters demanding that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra step down ahead of the elections. The demonstrators want an appointed interim government to institute reforms before any new polls are held. The Democrats, who are closely allied with the protest movement, also led an election boycott in 2006 that helped destabilize the government and paved the way for a military coup that ousted then- Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Yinglucks older brother. The protest movement, led by a former senior member of the Democrat Party, Suthep Thaugsuban, has said it will insist that the Feb. 2 elections not be held if Yingluck stays on as caretaker prime minister. Abhisit, however, distanced his party from that position, saying it respected the concept of elections. Earlier Saturday, Yingluck formally proposed a plan for making political reforms after the election.

Democrat leader and former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva waves as he marches with anti-government protesters in Bangkok

AP

Treatment of arrested diplomat was typical in US n AP, New York

It has sparked protests outside the American embassy in New Delhi. Burnings of President Barack Obamas photo. And angry speeches by Indian officials. But the arrest and, yes, even the strip search of an Indian diplomat accused of visa fraud also revealed a simple and longstanding reality of the US justice system: Everyone charged with a crime here is supposed to be treated the same, whether wealthy or poor, prominent or ordinary, citizen or foreigner. There is a remarkable and almost charming egalitarianism in it, said New York City defence attorney Ron Kuby. Everybody is treated in exactly the same disrespectful, casually brutal and arrogant fashion. The United State is the only place where the rich as well as the poor get to sleep on cold floors and urinate in overflowing toilets together. Indian officials have been angry over the way federal marshals handled Devyani Khobragade, the countrys deputy consul general in New York, calling the treatment degrading and inhumane. Yet most Americans would find the procedures fairly typical for a criminal case though certainly not pleasant. Khobragade, who was arrested last week outside her daughters school, complained that she was strip-searched and held in a cell with drug addicts until her appearance before a judge. l

India formally asks for change in diplomats status

n Reuters, New Delhi
India said on Saturday that it had transferred the diplomat at the centre of a row with the United States to its UN delegation, a move that it hopes will give her protection from prosecution for visa fraud and underpaying a maid. Whether the accreditation of Devyani Khobragade as a member of Indias UN mission leads to a way out of the dispute could depend on the US State Department approving her transfer. Asoke Mukherji, Indias ambassador to the United Nations, said he had written to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon informing him of the 39-year-old diplomats transfer. The worlds two largest democracies have been at loggerheads for the past week, amid mounting outrage in Indiaover the arrest of Khobragade, who was strip-searched and handcuffed while in custody. Khobragade was arrested on Dec. 12 and released on $250,000 bail after giving up her passport and pleading not guilty to charges of visa fraud and making false statements about how much she paid her housekeeper, also an Indian. At the time of her arrest Khobragade was serving as deputy consul general in New York, a role which affords less diplomatic protection from US law. She faces a maximum of 15 years in prison if convicted of both counts.

Thai navy sues website over Rohingya allegations

n AP, Bangkok
Thailands navy has filed criminal defamation charges against a news website that published stories alleging Thai military involvement in the trafficking of Myanmars ethnic Rohingya boatpeople, an editor said. The English-language Phuketwan site in July posted a story carrying excerpts from a report by the Reuters news agency alleging that members of the Thai military were involved in trafficking captured Rohingya illegal immigrants. Alan Morison, Phuketwans editor, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he had been summoned along with one of Thai reporters on Wednesday to a police station in Phuket to formally acknowledge the charges. The lawsuit filed by a captain on behalf of the Thai navy charges that the website violated Thailands 2007 Computer Crime Act, which bars the circulation of material deemed detrimental to national security or that causes panic. Human Rights Watch issued a statement calling on the Thai government to withdraw the case, saying it could have a choking effect on all investigative reporting in Thailand. The Thai navys lawsuit is a reckless attempt to curtail journalists reporting on alleged human trafficking by its officers, Brad Adams, the groups Asia director said in a statement issued Friday. The Thai navy should understand that in a democratic society, media scrutiny of the security forces must be possible. Phuketwan has for several years taken a leading role in reporting on the plight of minority Muslim Rohingya from Myanmar fleeing persecution and poverty to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The journey is a perilous one, and they are often forced back out to sea or detained if they make landfall. The police charge sheet, a copy of which Phuketwan provided to The AP, alleges that Morison, the Thai reporter and the company owning the website published false information defaming the navy. We were disappointed that the Royal Thai Navy decided to use a bad law against journalists who are just doing their jobs, Morison said. It would have been so easy to telephone us or to hold a media conference to set the record straight. This just makes us keener to know who is mistreating the Rohingya in the secret camps along Thailandssouthern border, and how they reach there by sea, he added. If found guilty, Morison and the other accused could face up to five years in jail and a fine of 100,000 baht ($3,100). Reuters, whose stories have included denials of abuse by the Thai navy and government, said it had not been served with a lawsuit. The agency published another story earlier this month alleging further abuses. l

Devyani Khobragade In an unusual move, the United States has flown the family of the housekeeper, Sangeeta Richard, out of India. Preet Bharara, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said on Wednesday Richards family had been brought to the United States after legal efforts had begun in India to silence her, and attempts were made to compel her to return to India. Mukherji said that once Khobragade receives her diplomatic card at the UN she would be eligible for greater privileges, including diplomatic protection from arrest. We have welcomed her into our team here at the UN I have had a meeting with her, Mukherji said. As soon as she is accredited, we hope she will

REUTERS

be able to discharge her responsibilities. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki declined to offer any opinion on whether the change in diplomatic status could prevent Khobragade from being re-arrested or enable her to leave the United States. I dont want to speculate on that, Psaki told reported. But she added that a change in status would not provide a clean slate from past charges. India is demanding that all charges against Khobragade are dropped, and political parties preparing for an election next May have tried to out do each other in their calls for retaliatory action against the United States. l

US refuses to drop charges against Indian diplomat Indias Gandhi admits ruling
n Agencies
US State Department spokesperson Marie Harf answered in the negative when asked if Indian diplomat, Ms Khobragade would go scot free and the US courts would be asked to drop the charges against her. We take these allegations very seriously. Were not in any way walking back from those allegations or the charges, she said adding that this was really a law enforcement issue. Ms Harf said the US informed every country annually about obligations they have for their staffs when they bring them to the US. We make those obligations very clear and we take any allegations that they havent done so very seriously, she added. Ms Khobragade was arrested in New York on suspicion of visa fraud and making false statements, after being accused of underpaying her Indian maid. She has denied all the charges and was later released on bail. India has demanded an apology from the US over her alleged humiliation. Ms Khobragade was handcuffed and strip-searched last Thursday after a complaint from her maid, Sangeeta Richard. She has in turn accused Ms Richard of theft and attempting to blackmail her. US Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed his regret over the incident, but a government minister on Thursday said that was not enough and that the US must apologise and admit it had made a mistake. Delhi has ordered a series of reprisals against the US. Security barricades around the US embassy in the city were removed and a visiting US delegation was snubbed by senior Indian politicians and officials. l

party stumbled in polls

n AFP, New Delhi
Indias ruling Congress scion, Rahul Gandhi, tipped to be named the partys candidate for premier next month, admitted Saturday the party stumbled badly in recent state polls but vowed to stage a comeback. A stunning performance by an upstart anti-corruption party helped topple Congress in elections to New Delhis state assembly earlier this month, only months before the country goes to the polls in general elections. Congress, in power at national level for a decade, also lost in three other state assembly contests in a devastating blow ahead of the May election. We didnt really hit a six in the last election, Gandhi, using a cricket expression, told top Indian business leaders at a conference.

A member of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of Indias ruling Congress party, shouts slogans during a protest outside the US consulate in Mumbai AP

We didnt do as well as we expected, but we will renew ourselves and will fight strong and confidently, Gandhi said. In his first major speech since the partys polling rout, Gandhi said endemic corruption was bleeding the people while adding the country urgently needed to get back on a highgrowth trajectory. Poverty cannot be fought without growth there is no confusion in my mind. There is a business engine and the people have to empower the business engine, he said. Meanwhile, in a shake-up ahead of the elections, Congress environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan resigned on Saturday. The Indian media reported she was going to be drafted into working for the Congress party during the elections. l

Obama names China envoy, China lashes out at Japans new defence plan n economic ties in mind
AP, Beijing

n AP, Washington
The nomination of veteran Sen. Max Baucus as US ambassador to China reflects the importance to Washington of advancing the economic relationship with the Asian power despite recent strains on security issues. The Montana Democrat lacks foreign policy credentials but has a track record in pressing Beijing over trade barriers and its currency exchange rate. If his appointment is confirmed by the Senate, he will be looking to see that US companies can benefit from market reforms the ruling communist party promised in November. While the economic relationship between the countries is loaded with its own problems, including accusations of rampant Chinese cybertheft of US trade secrets, it is one where their national interests are more aligned

than on security, as China challenges decades of US military pre-eminence in the Asia-Pacific. Chinas declaration of an air defence zone over disputed territory in the East China Sea and a near-collision of US and Chinese naval vessels this month brought those concerns to the fore. Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel on Thursday described Chinas conduct in the Dec. 5 incident in the South China Sea as irresponsible. But when President Barack Obama announced Friday his intent to nominate Baucus as ambassador, he was stressing the senators work over two decades on economic agreements with China that he said have created millions of American jobs. Hes perfectly suited to build on that progress in his new role, Obama said in a statement and called for a swift confirmation. l

Chinas military lashed out Saturday at Japans plans to boost defence spending, accusing Tokyo of raising regional tensions under the pretext of safeguarding national security. China resolutely opposes the fiveyear defence plan adopted by Japan on Tuesday, Defence Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said in a statement posted on the ministrys website. Japan continues to deny its history of World War II aggression, challenge the post-war order, and harm the feelings of the people of those victimised nations, Geng said. The strongly worded statement marks the latest salvo in the ongoing string of accusations over who is responsible for a sharp rise in tensions in the East China Sea. Chinas military has taken an increasingly hawkish stance amid a bitter

dispute with Tokyo over uninhabited islands in the sea controlled by Japan but claimed by China. Japans nationalization of the islands in September 2012 sparked violent demonstrations

[Japan] continues to deny its history of World War II aggression, challenge the post-war order, and harm the feelings of the people of those victimised nations

in several Chinese cities. In the months since, Chinese patrol vessels have routinely confronted Japanese ships in the area, sparking fears of an incident. Under the arrangement adopted Tuesday, Japan will raise defence spending by 5 percent over the next

five years to purchase its first surveillance drones, more jet fighters and naval destroyers, and set up an amphibious unit similar to the US Marines. Broader defence program guidelines also adopted Tuesday say Japan is gravely concerned about Chinasgrowing maritime and military presence in the East China Sea, and its lack of transparency and high-handed approach. Late last month, China said all aircraft entering a vast zone over the East China sea must identify themselves and follow Chinas instructions. Geng accused Japan of manufacturing fears of Chinese aggression and denying responsibility for having invaded China and other countries in the last century. He accused Japan of maintaining a Cold War mentality that runs counter to the trends of peaceful development, cooperation and mutual benefit. l

Taiwan woman in fatal Malaysia kidnapping returns home

n AFP, Taipei

A Taiwanese tourist whose husband was killed by gunmen in a kidnapping at a Malaysian island resort returned to Taiwan on Saturday after she was rescued in the southern Philippines. Television footage showed Chang An-wei, 58, dressed in a loose T-shirt and wearing sunglasses, walking to a minibus parked at an airport near Taipei after she arrived in the early afternoon, waving briefly to the media and giving a thumbs-up sign. Local media said she is expected to go to a hospital in Taipei for medical check-ups later Saturday. Chang was found by Philippine marines at a village near Talipao, a town on the remote Philippine island of Jolo where Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants are known to operate, and was taken to a local military hospital for a medical check-up on Friday. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial
LETTER OF THE DAY

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Letters to

the Editor

Pakistan should apologise for 1971

Pakistan recalls Mollas loyalty in 1971

December 15 We havent learnt anything from history, have we? If a non-Muslim like Nelson Mandela can forgive his fiercest rivals and try and attain peace in his country, then why cant we Muslims do the same?? Its Sunna of our beloved prophet (SM) to forgive. Have we forgotten everything Islam taught us? Shame, shame, and shame. Ashfak

akistans failure to apologise for the atrocities of 1971, in spite of being asked to, is poor diplomacy and reflects their nationally instituted denial about the war. But the resolution that followed Quader Mollas execution goes much further, and hints at a total lack of remorse. By applauding East Pakistani loyalists who actively resisted liberation, the Pakistani Interior Minister effectively endorsed their actions during the war, which are war crimes by any other name. He then suggested Bangladesh follow a policy of forgive and forget and display magnanimity. Its a bit absurd to expect Bangladesh to forgive when no forgiveness, by way of an apology, has For a real and lasting ever been sought. Nor is it sound normalisation to occur, to say Bangladesh lacks magnaPakistans leaders should go nimity when we have maintained further than their foreign good relations with Pakistan even ministrys statement and without the apology, and showed have an open debate on grace by forgoing reparations and accountability for the 1971 releasing Pakistani officers after war the war. Pakistans foreign ministry statement that it is not its policy to interfere in the affairs of any other country is welcome as a return to diplomatic norms. However, given last weeks resolution, its clear that Bangladesh should not forgo the apology it is entitled to. Many Pakistani commentators and individuals have remarked unfavourably on their parliaments resolution. We believe that the debate on this resolution should be used as an opportunity to increase understanding of the shared history between the peoples of Bangladesh and Pakistan. It is in our countries mutual interest to build better relations and improve co-operation as partners within SAARC. Equally while Bangladeshis should have every right to protest the controversial resolution, the sanctity and inviolability of Pakistans High Commission must be protected according to the law. However for a real and lasting normalisation to occur, Pakistans leaders should go further than their foreign ministrys statement and have an open debate on accountability for the 1971 war. This should include making a clear apology for crimes committed.

Fakhrul: Awami League sets no date of dialogue over the proposals

December 18 Muhaiminul Islam Jaan And the real face of democracy has just began to come out. Ahmed Jamil Farouque No hurry! Elections to the 11th Parliament are still five years away!

The promise of the war crimes trials

December 15 disappointed Dont you think it is a bit late to show sympathy for the war crimes victims? If you wrote decades ago protesting the injustice then it would have been appropriate. Journalists then were in a unique position to keep the pressure on the government and demand justice. What the Rajakars did in 71 was bone-chilling, and the journalists should have protested in every form. If the media had demanded justice then, the seeds of rebellion would have taken root amongst the people of this land, and justice would have been served many years ago. It is sad that most journalists in Bangladesh have forgotten how to ask the tough questions. While writing, the journalists employed by independent newspapers should think that they are living in a free society, without fearing government pressure and prosecution. Be more like Seymour Hersh, who challenged the US governments story about the Bin Laden raid. Coziness between the journalists and the government cannot be a good thing under any circumstance. Have a happy victory day. WaliulHaqueKhondker disappointed: By the time the author grew to be a journalist, he found the perpetrators of the 71 atrocities deeply rooted in the power politics of Bangladesh, to the extent that some of them were flying national flags in their ministerial limousines. On being questioned by the journalists, they forcefully declared, There are no war criminals in Bangladesh! Earlier to that, his predecessors went to the extent of forming ghatok dalal nirmul committees and conducted mass trial of the criminals, which ended in committee members being charge-sheeted by the government for sedition. Yes, there were scores of journalists and others in the ghatok dalal nirmul committee. What other pressure do you think the journalists could mount? US_Bengals How about a civil war to start?? Can you think about that?? Why did this execution not take place in the 1970s?? Forwardbias US_Bengals: Just because the execution did not happen in the 70s does not mean it cannot happen now. The prosecution of Nazi figures happened 50 years after the actual atrocities. Awesome view point Zafar Sobhan. WaliulHaqueKhondker An outstanding article that speaks the hearts of all patriotic citizens of liberated Bangladesh. Had the trial process been taken seriously by all governments since 1975, it would have been better in the sense that the defendants wouldnt have flexed as much muscle as they can do now. It is our past sin that we have to go through the war crimes trial process, having to shed more blood as a price to bring the culprits to justice. But it is worth it. Better late than never. We must free ourselves from the shame and ignominy of not being able to bring the war criminals to justice. Now we can hold our heads high and claim that we dont let our martyrs blood go in vain. And that the culture of impunity is no longer valid in Bangladesh.

Joint operations in 15 more districts

December 18 Its laughable to hear Jamaat complain about the joint operation, particularly when they are burning houses and hurling Molotov cocktail bombs towards buses full of people!! Syed Hashemi

New bank violates rules

December 18 Shame on such crooked officials. Moon Ahsan

Victory Day
December 16 Its my country, my motherland, and protecting my flag is my responsibility. Shela Zerin

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

Action needed on parliamentarians wealth statements

Huge unopposed good for polls atmosphere: Hasina

December 15 We want accountability for the death of all people, not just those who died in the liberation war. Nrb

Editorial: How dare they?

December 18 Inconceivable misuse of chair and power as well. MD Easir Arafat Siddik

eports to the Election Commission have confirmed that a significant number of ministers and lawmakers have amassed sizeable fortunes while in office during the last five years. Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has rightly taken issue with indications that The very purpose investigations into the wealth of of requesting these public officials will not be such statements taken forward at present to avoid is to demonstrate causing disruption before the transparency and allow election. accountability The very purpose of requesting such statements is to demonstrate transparency and allow accountability. It is insufficient merely to ask candidates to present affidavits and statements for the public record, if the content of their statements is not properly scrutinised when apparent anomalies are reported. The government should ask for more information on the wealth statements of lawmakers as per the mandatory law that requires them to submit relevant documents. If this is not done, the law will be rendered meaningless, and the potential for abuse of public office for private gain may continue unchallenged. It is not enough to simply raise an eyebrow on some of the disclosures that have been made. Steps must be taken to increase overall transparency and enforcement of the law. This should include use of powers to fully investigate and where appropriate to disbar candidates who can be proved to have acquired wealth illegally.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1 Has fondness for (5) 4 Stringed instrument (4) 7 Part of the verb to be (3) 8 Uncooked (3) 9 Nobles estate (5) 12 Biblical quotation (4) 13 Movements (7) 15 PNG town (3) 16 Place for pigs (3) 18 Marsh (3) 19 Mineral spring (3) 21 Dyed (7) 24 Annoying child (4) 26 South American animal (5) 27 Sweet potato (3) 28 For each (3) 29 Water pitcher (4) 30 Search (5) DOWN 1 Tibetan priest (4) 2 Wise utterance (6) 3 Outlet (4) 4 Headwear (4) 5 Respectful fear (3) 6 Insignificant (5) 10 Lubricant (3) 11 Bake (5) 14 Himalayan kingdom (5) 17 Short melodies (6) 18 Myth (5) 20 Afflict (3) 21 Main actor (4) 22 Back of the neck (4) 23 Hand-thrown missile (4) 25 Vote in favour (3)

SUDOKU

YESTERDAYS SOLUTIONS
Crossword

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

Code-Cracker

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

Sunday, December 22, 2013

11
admission in mathematics, but she did not have the required grades. She studied biology instead. She was under intense pressure and could not handle her course load, and finally failed in her honours examination. This incident again threw her into depression. She would always be in an angry mood and speak rudely. She started exhibiting abnormal behaviour. When she returned home, her father took her to the village quack, and her condition did not improve. Finally, she got admitted to Pabna mental hospital. There, her condition improved somewhat. But due to lack of money, her father could not continue her treatment there. Sofura was sent back from Pabna and has been living a life of neglect since then. Shahidul Islam, resident of Sadar upazila of Natore district, worked as a day labourer cultivating sugarcane. One day, he loaded the heavy sugarcane onto his head. The load was too much, and he fell. After experiencing pain in his head, he started exhibiting abnormal behaviour. Superstitious villagers said that it was the effect of an evil spirit. Village quacks tried to free him from the ghost. Shahiduls behaviour got worse day by day, as he broke things and assaulted people. His family chained him down to control his outbursts. He was admitted to Pabna mental hospital. After receiving treatment, his condition improved. Due to financial problems, his family did not continue his treatment. His condition deteriorated, and he reverted back to his previous state. When his mood was bad, his family fed him once a day and bathed him weekly, sometimes monthly. People avoided going close to him. Mental illnesses do not get enough attention in Bangladesh. There are a limited number of beds in government hospitals for mental disorders and mentally ill patients. There are not enough psychiatrists either. The government and NGOs should come forward to promote this issue.

Helping the mentally ill

n Aziz Ahmed
ersons with Psychosocial Disorders (PPDs) are some of the most marginalised people in our society. As in any other developing country, PPDs in Bangladesh face negligent treatment, deprivation, and abuse in every sphere of their lives. They are neglected when it comes to care, treatment, and cleanliness even within their families.

Many believe that mental illness is not a disease. Rather, they believe it to be a result of sin, or the effect of a bad soul

Is BNP still a democratic party?

DHAKA TRIBUNE

n Julkar Ali Manik

he title of this article might upset supporters of BNP, a political party which held power through the democratic process for two full terms. But the continuous chilling remarks made by leaders of BNP and their cohort Jamaat-e-Islami force one to ponder the issue. Early this year, Jamaat threatened to wage civil war while BNP leaders have encouraged replication of atrocities such as that in Fatikchhari against AL across the country. One BNP senior leader, before a party rally in October, directed party leaders and activists to arm themselves with machetes, axes, and whatever weapon they can acquire to fight back if attacked. At a rally in November, a Jamaat leader termed the Sitakunda mayhem as just a sample and threatened that the whole country would turn into Sitakundu. Another Jamaat leader at the same rally warned of setting ablaze the entire 56,000 square miles of the country. The latest came through another senior BNP leaders apparent justification of the recent brutality carried out against ordinary people by killing them indiscriminately and burning passengers to death and sabotaging train movement by dismantling fish plates on rail tracks during past weeks of BNP Jamaat alliances hartals and blockades. In response to peoples fear, the senior leader justified these actions by saying: Does this not happen when there is a war? Dont you see the Western powers are killing so

many innocent civilians in the war in Afghanistan? Dont you see children getting killed? Dont you see women getting killed? Based on this latest stance, one can thus conclude that BNP Jamaat actually see themselves as waging an undeclared war which BNPs political ally Jamaat already threatened at the beginning of the year.

today ignored the oppositions issues: Such ignorance will eventually lead to bombings. The bombings in recent times have been very little, I think it should have been more. When the latest BNP statement defending the recent violence by comparing it to collateral damage during war became an issue of debate, BNP supporters justified this statement, giv-

Many common people are being killed every day. The opposition deny responsibility on the one hand, while on the other hand defend these crimes

Though the killing spree of the innocent ordinary people is happening during the 18-party alliances blockades or hartals, BNP Jamaat blames the government and disclaims their responsibility for these atrocities. But their speeches throughout the year stand contrary to their words. Rather, the BNP acting secretary general in November seemingly acknowledged that opposition leaders and activists were engaged in street violence during their anti-government agitation. In a program of their student wing, the BNP leader said that opposition activists have to do much more than just vandalise one or two vehicles on the street to have the BNP-led alliances demands met. In October, a renowned columnist and active sympathiser of BNP Jamaat alliance and fundamentalist Hefazat-e-Islam, said on a talk show program that journalists deserved to be bombed as he thinks the media of

ing even more frightening comparisons. A professor of Dhaka University, on a talk show program not only defended the statement, but added examples of the activities of Indias Maoist terror groups and also an Indian separatist group ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam). Terror acts in Afghanistan and Pakistan were also brought into consideration during the discussion on the program, where the professor tried to justify the oppositions ongoing violence. We have witnessed political movement and violence in the country during the last four decades. We saw processions, rallies of thousands of people of the both ruling AL and BNP during the 9-year long rule of military dictator HM Ershad and even afterwards when the two major parties were in power one after another. We witnessed party leaders of different levels in the street along with their regular activists and supporters join

the program. Even those people who did not belong to any party but supported the cause of the movement also came to the street to extend their solidarity to the movement. We saw brutality of the law enforcers on the protestors during all regimes in the past. We witnessed violent clashes between protestors and police, even protestors throwing crude bombs and cocktails during those clashes. But those were absolutely limited to the political protestors and police or among the rival political groups. Killing ordinary people was never the target of the protestors. Jamaat and their student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir activists have waged a planned war on police since last year. Now many common people are being killed every day. The opposition deny responsibility on the one hand, while on the other hand defend these crimes in a way, as if they are admitting their responsibility for these crimes. What is most alarming is that the BNP and Jamaat are not only conducting these crimes as part of a political and democratic movement, but they and their supporters do not hesitate to cite the example of the warlike situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and in some parts of India. Are they really advancing towards taking insurgency groups as their model? Are they imposing war against the people in the name of democratic political movement to meet their demands? If so, isnt there any reason to ponder the question in the title? l Julfikar Ali Manik is Special Correspondent at the Dhaka Tribune.

They are confined to their homes and are deprived of their basic needs. Awareness of mental illness and the acceptance of treatment are very low due to the social stigma. There is superstition due to the lack of education. Many believe that mental illness is not a disease. Rather, they believe it to be a result of sin, or the effect of a bad soul. When people become mentally ill and engage in abnormal behaviour, they are first taken to the village quack or some religious leaders for treatment. Poor families cannot afford to bear the cost of their treatment, because there is hardly any proper treatment facility at the district level for such illnesses. They are forced to accept traditional treatment. The study (in June 2011) by the National Institute of Mental Health shows that around 16.1% of Bangladeshs adult population is suffering from some form of mental health disorder, while one-fourth of the children in Bangladesh are suffering from some form of mental health problem. The report revealed that children growing up in rural areas were more prone to mental health problems than their urban counterparts. Political instability, violence, poverty, vulnerability to natural disasters, and psychiatric morbidity were the causes of mental illness in Bangladesh. Research on 365 mentally ill subjects conducted in Rajshahi, Kustia, Natore and Sirajgonj found that medicine for mental illnesses were not available in those areas. Furthermore, no qualified doctors were found in those areas except in Rajshahi. Among those mentally ill people, 58% had schizophrenia, 18% suffered from epilepsy, 10% were bipoplar, 6% suffered from depression, 2% experienced anxiety, 1% had OCD. Some mentally ill persons and their guardians shared their experiences of the situation of PPDs at the rural level. Sofura of Godagari upazila of Rajshahi district had a vision to build her career as a teacher like her father. She appeared for her HSC examination, but secured only second division. That seriously affected her and she became depressed. Sofura wanted to gain

Poor families cannot afford to bear the cost of their treatment, because there is hardly any proper treatment facility at the district level for such illnesses

Governments should take this issue seriously. There should be an allocation for health care in the national budget, and policy to ensure mental health treatment facilities in all regions. Pharmaceutical companies should confirm the medicine for the treatment of PPDs, and make sure they reach remote areas. Above all, awareness should be increased all over. l Aziz Ahmed is a development worker.

Who will defend our rights?

T
n MH Bari
he term human rights refers to those rights that society has agreed are fundamental to people everywhere, such as the right to life. These are rights irrespective of creed, caste, religion and race. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is the primary international articulation of the fundamental and inalienable rights of all members of the human race adopted by the United Nations General assembly in 1948. The UDHR consists of 30 articles. The economic, social, and cultural rights are the right to social security, the right to work, the right to equal pay for equal work, the right to form and join trade unions, the right to rest and leisure including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodical holidays with pay, the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of a person and his family, the right to education, and the right to freely participate in the cultural life of the community. There has been disagreement over what constitutes a human right since the signing of the universal declaration of human rights (UNDHR). As a result, two covenants were adopted in 1966 to give legal force to the universal declaration of human rights (UNDHR). The Vienna Declaration of 1993 stated: All human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent, and interrelated while the significance of national and regional peculiarities and various historical, cultural, and religious backgrounds must be borne in mind, it is the duty of States, regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms. other international conventions on human rights, like the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, 1979 etc. But how respectful are our governments in following these international covenants? Freedom from fear today appears to be one of the burning issues that Bangladesh should be concerned with. The issue of human rights violations is largely discussed and debated in public. Human rights are the most basic and innate rights of a person, which he derives by the very virtue of being human. We do not receive these rights from any superior entity. Rather the state has been vested with the duty of protecting our rights. These are rights without which one cannot flourish as a human, cannot explore their potential to the greatest possible extent, and cannot claim to have a life worthy of human dignity. Human rights can be violated only by the state or any other entity authorised by the state. That is the basic distinction between crime and human rights violation. We may see at a glance some instances of human rights violations in Bangladesh from the Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) e-bulletin published on December 12, which occurred since January this year. A total of 98 burn injuries were recorded, out of which 18 died and 80 were severely injured. Some 433 people were killed in political violence, while 21,024 people were injured in a total of 754 incidents. 176 people allegedly killed by police, BGB and RAB, 109 people were shot dead, and 22 people died due to physical torture in police custody. Some 31 people were convicted, 26 detained, and 57 died in jail custody. 327 journalists were harassed in different ways, and 32 journalists received death threats. 26 people were killed by the BSF, 12 were shot, 13 were tortured to death, while 83 people were injured, and 215 people were abducted, out of which 129 went missing. We can have a clear picture from the above data that the overall human rights situation has worsened in Bangladesh. Even the safeguards of human rights, law enforcing agencies of Bangladesh, were involved in extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and tortures in custody. We can hardly overlook what has happened in the last two or three months, and how human rights have gotten trampled over by politics devoid of human sensibilities. People are being burned or stoned to death, and the law enforcers seldom hesitate to open fire on opposition activists. The political parties, who seem to control the situation, albeit from two diametrically opposite positions, must show a greater responsibility in protecting the human rights that are being violated amid the politics of death and destruction.

Even the safeguards of human rights, law enforcing agencies of Bangladesh, were involved in extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and tortures in custody
The government and its law enforcing agencies and political parties are violating human rights. Our big neighbour Indias Border Security Forces (BSF) are killing people indiscriminately. The National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh was reconstituted in 2009 as a national advocacy institution for human rights promotion and protection. But it seems quite ineffective. It is yet to prove itself. Now the question arises: Who will be the defender of human rights? l MH Bari works in the global marketing of seafood from Bangladesh.

People are being burned or stoned to death, and the law enforcers seldom hesitate to open fire on opposition activists
Bangladesh endorses the values of the universal declaration of human rights (UDHR). Most of the rights set forth in the declaration have been inserted in our constitution. Bangladesh has signed and ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It has also signed the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and many

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment
singinghe was always there for me to guide. I still dont believe he is no more. She adds: I was not in Bangladesh for quite a long time and got back very recently. That made a gap from him naturally. Im still in the state that the gap is continuing and I will meet him soon. The multifaceted artist first appeared on the television screen in Shiri Ghor. His roles in Imdadul Haque Milons Rupnagar and Humayun Ahmeds Eishob Dinratri were particularly popular. One of his popular dialogues from the 1990s TV serial Rupnagar Chhi Chhi Chhi Tumi Ato Kharap became immensely popular. Celebrated TV actor Tauqir Ahmed, who shared the screen with Khan in Rupnagar and few more, said: When I began my journey as an actor in TV media, Khaled Khan was one of the role models in front of me. He was always like an elder brother. Veteran actor Hasan Imam said: His responsibility towards the nation was clear in his creations and also in his personal life. He also lent voice to hundreds of advertisements. Recently, he gave voice in Amitabh Rezas TV commercials Join Army and Grameenphones On Air Version. Remembering Khan, Reza shares: His voice was crystal clear and uniquely elegant. He worked as treasurer for the University of Liberal arts Bangladesh. He previously served as the universitys registrar, finance director and deputy director of institution. Khaled Khan is survived by his wife Mita Haque, an eminent Tagore singer, and daughter Farhin Khan Joyeeta. l

Sunday, December 22, 2013

The memories left behind by Khaled Khan Ahmed RubelRituparna pair up for Parapar
The flamboyant personality was known for greeting everyone with a pleasant smile no matter where he met them, said Khans long time colleague and friend thespian Mamunur Rashid. Sharing his memories, Rashid said: His most unforgettable quality was using apt pauses in a sentence. It took him literally moments to captivate the hearts of the audience. His loyalty towards his job and ideals was absolutely pure. It is a matter of great sadness that we lost him so early. Eminent actor Tariq Anam Khan said: He was a dedicated actor. Such a devoted cultural personality is rare. Another theatre personality Nasiruddin Yousuff Bachchu said: He was a complete artiste. But it is very unfortunate that he lived an incomplete life since he had to pass away so early. Khaled Khan joined Nagorik Natya Sampradaya in 1978. His extraordinary acting in theatre productions such as Dewan Gazir Kissa, Nurul Diner Sara Jibon, Galileo, Roktokorobi and Dorpon will be remembered for years. He acted in over 30 plays for Nagarik Natya Sampraday and directed over 10. His last direction on stage was Subachan Natya Sangsads Rupaboti. He had also directed Muktodhara, Putul Khela, Kalshondhay, Master Builder, Khudito Pashan and many more. He received numerous awards for his contributions in theatre including the IT Theatre Award 2013. Aupee Karim who shared stage with Khan in Roktokorobi, which was his last performance as a theatre actor, shares: Sir was like an institution. From pronunciation, dialogue throwing, acting,

n Entertainment Desk
The versatile actor, Ahmed Rubel is pairing up with Indian acclaimed actor Rituparna Sengupta in a Kolkata movie Parapar. Directed by Sanjoy Nag, the film started out in the same house, where Satyajit Rays Chiriakhana was shot years ago. Parapar, based on the Moti Nandy novel, is the story of a convict Rudra (Rubel) who returns home to his wife Damini (Rituparna) and two kids after serving a 14-year jail term. He comes back to find his homemaker wife transformed into a woman who had grown stronger over the years while taking care of herself and her kids. The shooting of the film began on

Khaled Khan

n Afrose Jahan Chaity

Death is a reality of life. Everyone has to die. We have to accept this truth and life goes on, said Khaled Khan when I was his student at ULAB. Khaled Khan is no more this sentence plunged not only his family, but also his fans, colleagues and thousands of admirers intothe deepest of griefs. Eminent actor and director Khaled Khan died at Birdem Hospital in the capital on Friday. His body was first taken to his long time workplace University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh and then the Central Shaheed Minar on the Dhaka University Campus yesterday where hundreds of people from all walks of life paid their tributes to him. The body was taken to the Dhaka University Central Mosque around 12:30pm where his first namaze-janazawas held after Zohr prayers. He was buried at his family graveyard in Mirzapur upazila of Tangail after second janaza. Before falling ill, he acted as Bishu Pagla in leading theatre troupe Nagarik Natya Sampradays acclaimed production Roktokorobi. Veteran theatre personality Ataur Rahman, the helmsman of Nagarik, sad: Khaled Khan was involved in almost every major productions of the troupe. He was a real perfectionist. His presence on stage was always charming.

December 16. For the first time, Rubel is working in a Kolkata movie, and about his experience, the actor shares: It was always my dream to establish myself in the film industry. But I was never regular in the silver screen since good script is very rare here. The script of Parapar has appealed me so much that I did not have a second thought. About his role, Rubel expresses, As I am playing the role of a criminal, its very thrilling and challenging as well. About working with Rubel, Rituparna says: A really pleasant experience working with such a brilliant Bangladeshi actor like Rubel. The film also stars Bratya Basu and Paoli in pivotal roles. l

Ajob to perform live at Shadhin 92.4fm today

n Entertainment Desk
Popular fusion rock band Ajob will perform live today at 11pm celebrating its recently released second album Hajar Bhooter Rajar Doya. Ajob is a band that fuses folk and contemporary Bangla melodies with rock, funk and alternative arrangements. The bands latest album comprises 10 new tracks recorded, mixed and mastered in Dhaka and London. A central theme throughout Ajobs new album is paying tribute to artists and musicians the band loves, admires and respects. Tracks feature a number of Bangladeshi and international artists who the band feels the genre owes a debt to, such as Anusheh Anadil, Paban Das Baul and Sam Mills. Drawing inspiration from folk, rock, funk, pop, and seemingly everything else in between, the new album is richly textured with traditional instruments like dotara, dhol and khomok blending with guitars, bass and drums to produce a raw, original sound. l

Khaled Khan in Roktokorobi

TODAY IN DHAKA
Exhibition

City of Rhythm Second phase of Kazi Salahuddin Ahmed Time: 12 8pm Shilpangan, House 7, Road 13 (New) Dhanmondi Eternal Japan By Monzurul Huq Time: 12 8pm Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts House 42, Road 16 (New) / 27 (old) Sheikh Kamal Sarani, Dhanmondi To live is to be slowly born By Kashef Chowdhury Time: 12 8pm Bengal Art Lounge 60 Gulshan Avenue, Circle 1 Deepika Padukone wore a big smile as she walked away with the maximum number of trophies across several categories, winning, among others, the Most Entertaining Comedy Actress award for Chennai Express at the BIG Star Entertainment Awards ceremony held in Mumbai last week

Nasimas depiction of unsullied Bangladesh in Return to Eden

n Shadma Malik
Return to Eden, the 5th solo-exhibition of Nasima Khanam Queenie is on at the Alliance Franaise de Dhaka until December 27. The 31 artworks on display will capture the interest of art lovers as they depict a time, bereft of all sorts of pollution and corruption. The artworks skillfully done with print media talks about people, nature and love in the simplest manner. Some of the pieces are from a single plate while the prints are in different hues. By using rare colours, the artist shows the rural Bengal as Eden, where harmony between nature and all its elements are highlighted through every ambiance created. About the artworks, Nasima explains: The artworks reflect the time when there was no deforestation, destruction, urbanisation or pollution. It focuses on the time gone by, when every being was in its natural space synchronisation with nature, existing simultaneously without dispute or disturbance. When explaining the reason behind choosing the title and the theme of her works, Nasima states: We may not be able to go back to Eden, but we all want peace. However, with the advancement of technology, our lives took a complex turn. That is why, I made an effort to express peace and tranquility in my artworks. About developing the concept of the exhibition, the artist said: My philosophy is to work on subjects that will have a lasting social impact and create some sort of awareness. We live in an age where materialism has become an intricate part of our life. Life in turn has become complex enough and survival, a continuous battle. I am not critising the advancement of technology, as I am aware of the fact that technology has a significant role to play. However, every human has the right to an uncomplicated and peaceful life. l

Festival

Poush Mela 1420 Time: 7am to 8pm Ramna Botomul, Ramna

and going through the natural balanced cycle, preserving nature in its true form. The title Return to Eden refers to the time when people lived in total

Oscars shortlist for foreign films announced

n Entertainment Desk
Nine features from among those submitted for consideration in the Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film category have advanced to the next round of voting, it was announced Friday. Films from 76 countries, the most ever had been considered. While countries choose which motion pictures to submit, Academy rules regarding theatrical distribution have kept some films from eligibility, such as the highly-acclaimed French drama, Blue Is the Warmest Color. A committee of several hundred Los Angeles-based Academy members screened submissions and voted, with their top six choices augmented by three additional selections voted on by the Academys Executive Committee. Screening committees in New York and LA will winnow down these choices to five, to be revealed when the Oscar nominations are announced on January 16, 2014. The shortlisted films with short descriptions are presented below: The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium) Belgian musician Didier and tattoo artist Elisa bond over a shared love for bluegrass music. The story tells of their life together raising a child , a life shaken by tragedy. And what would bluegrass music be without some tragedy? An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker (Bosnia and Herzegovina) A slice of life about economic hardship for a dispossessed Roma family, in which a mother needing medical attention cannot pay the hospital, thereby facing death. The Missing Picture (Cambodia) The film tells the story of atrocities committed by Pol Pots Khmer Rouge, and the tragedy that befell his family. But with few images to tell his story -- his familys possessions were lost or destroyed, and precious little survives Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee. The Notebook (Hungary) Two teenage brothers, sent to the countryside during World War II, confront the growing inhumanity unfolding around them by extinguishing all emotion from themselves , and losing their own sense of humanity at the cost of their survival. The Great Beauty (Italy) A writer turning 65 takes stock of his life and of the Eternal City -- in Paolo Sorrentinos visually astonishing film. Omar (Palestinian Territories) A psychological thriller tells of childhood friends on the West Bank whose trust is threatened by murder, betrayal, and the pressures brought by intelligence officers searching for the killer of an Israeli soldier. The Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center. l

from a time when famine, disease and executions killed as many as three to four million people who had been forced from cities into the countryside to work on farms. The Hunt (Denmark) An upstanding school teacher whose reputation and life were jeopardized by a slanderous accusation of pedophilia. Two Lives (Germany) A story is set after the fall of the Berlin Wall, in which a family living in Norway is torn by the secrets of paternity unveiled from Stasi archives. The Grandmaster (Hong Kong) The story of martial-arts master Ip

Band 12AM performed at a concert titled Winter Blues Meltdown on Friday at the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Dhanmondi SADIA MARIUM

Did you know?

Luis Suarez has scored 10 goals in December in the Premier League; more than any player has ever managed in a single month.

Sport

Sunday, December 22, 2013

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

0 8 4
DAYS TO GO
14 Suarez sinks Cardiff to send Liverpool top 15 Kiwis pace puts Windies on the ropes

Abahani to meet Army in hockey final

n Raihan Mahmood
Abahani and Bangladesh Army cruised into the final of the Walton Victory Day Hockey by beating Azad SC and Usha KC respectively at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium yesterday. The final will be held tomorrow. While Abahanis victory over Azad was expected the Armys win over Usha can be considered an upset. Abahani dominated all through the match as Azad players - all of whom are BKSP students - could not cope with the experience of their opponents. However Abahani missed a good number of chances and Azad goalie Shumon also pulled out a number of superb saves. Abahani took the lead at the eight minute mark off a penalty corner and the converter was experienced winger Sheikh Md.Nannu. Forward Hasan Jubaer Niloy scored a field goal in the 13th minute and Ashraful Islam scored from another penalty corner in the 29th. The first half ended 3-0. After the change of ends, Abahani maintained the pressure but continuously wasted scoring chances. The title contenders had to be content with only two strikes in the second half and both of them were field goals. Din Islam scored the fourth in the 58th minute and Naeemuddin scored the last two minutes later to give Abahani a 5-0 win. In the other semi-final, Usha forward Rubel Hossain put his team ahead in the eight minute but Abdul Malek of Army restored the parity with a field goal 11 minutes later. The Army proceeded to dominate the rest of the game and Ripon Kumar Mohanta, Sagor Hossain and Milon Hossain each scored a goal for the more physically fit Army. Malek added his second goal in the 43rd minute providing his team a perfect warm-up ahead of the final. l

Bangladesh Army players celebrate a strike against Usha KC in the second semi-final of the Walton Victory Day Hockey at hockey stadium yesterday

MUMIT M

Rogers feels pressure even with Ashes won

n AFP, Melbourne
The Ashes may be won but Australia opener Chris Rogers said Saturday he goes into next weeks fourth Test against England on Boxing Day feeling under pressure. While Australia locked up an unassailable 3-0 series lead with victory in Perth earlier this week to reclaim the urn surrendered to England in 2009, Rogers admitted his personal contribution has been less than compelling. Rogers has scored a total of 156 runs from six innings with only two halfcenturies for a series average of 26. He said that, at age 36, his time at Test level cannot endure too many low scores with players, such as Phil Hughes, pressing for a place in the Australia team. Every game, I think thats part and parcel of playing for Australia, Rogers told reporters. Im one of the batsmen who hasnt got a hundred, so (Im) under a little bit of pressure and probably havent got the runs I had hoped for this series. I havent been batting particularly well. There were a few things technically that havent been great, but I did a bit of work with (former Australia opener and batting coach) Justin Langer before the last Test and that was probably as good as Ive felt. l

Victory Day Twenty20 starts today

n Minhaz Uddin Khan
Mushfiqur Rahims Abahani Limited will lock horns with Tamim Iqbals UCB BCB XI in the inaugural game of the Amber Victory Day Twenty20 at Sylhet Divisional Stadium today. The match will also see newly-built Sylhet Divisional Stadium (SDS) make its debut. In the second game of the day, Shakib al Hasan will lead Prime Bank Cricket Club in their first tie against Mashrafe bin Mortaza led Mohammedan Sporting Club. The SDS is now considered the most beautiful stadium in Bangladesh, with its lush green outfield captivating all who have seen it. The natural beauty around the stadium is also a sight to behold and mesmerizes people passing the stadium more often than not. ATwenty20 match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and later the womens leg of the World Twenty20 will be held at the ground and the first eight games of the Victory Day Twenty20 will serve as a test for the new wickets. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) established the 10 day Twenty20 fiesta as replacement for the controversial Bangladesh Premier League and in order to get the national cricketers into rhythm in the shortest format of the game ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 in March next year. There are always practice games but this tournament wont just be practice. Rather, itll be a full professional competition. The tournament will also be a platform for young cricketers to showcase their talent and who knows, we might even have new names ahead of the World Twenty20, said UCB BCB XI skipper and national opening batsman Tamim yesterday. The dashing south paw went on to add that he thought the tournament would be very competitive. I have studied the other three teams and to be honest, all the teams are neck-and-neck. The selection panel has worked hard in putting together four teams of the highest level, said Tamim. Though the National Cricket League (NCL) was scheduled to begin in the last week of the month, the BCB understood the importance of the cricketers playing more Twenty20 matches in order to be well prepared. With the exceptions of Nasir Hossain, Abdur Razzak and Shamsur Rahman, all the national cricketers will play in the tournament and they have been distributed evenly across the four teams. The teams were made by the selection panel, headed by new selector Faruk Ahmed. Nasir has a prior commitment to attend his brothers marriage ceremonies, Razzak is on personal leave and Shamsur Rahman undergoing rehabilitation for an ankle injury he picked up in the last match of the Twenty20 Challenge Series earlier this month. Nasir was not named in any squad from the beginning while Shamsur and Razzak were drafted to Abahani. They have been replaced by Sharif Ullah and Naeem Islam Junior. l

Second division football opens

n Raihan Mahmood
Former top flight football outfit PWD and East End played out a goalless draw in the opening match of the Kool Second Division Football League at the Bir Shreshta Shahid Shipahi Mostafa Kamal Stadium, Kamalapur yesterday. At the opening ceremony, Benazir Ahmed, the Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, inaugurated the league as the chief guest. Malik Md. Sayeed, head of marketing of the sponsors Square Toiletries Ltd was the special guest. Sheikh Md. Maruf Hasan, the chairman of Dhaka Mahanagori Football League Committee, presided over the event. A total of 15 teams are playing in the league, which will be played in the single league system. l

Action from the Victory Day Cycling at BNS yesterday

COURTESY

Tourists to spend $10 billion!

n AFP, Braslia
Foreign and Brazilian tourists are expected to spend $10.4 billion during next years World Cup, more than the public funds invested for staging the event, the Brazilian tourism board said Friday. These are important resources which fuel economic sectors of all Brazilian regions, from aviation to the informal economy, said Flavio Dino, president of state tourism board Embratur, in a statement titled Megaevents are worth it. He recalled that the Confederations Cup, a 15-day dry run last June for the World Cup, injected $311 million in the Brazilian economy. It was staged in the middle of massive nation-wide street protests in which hundreds of thousands of Brazilians demanded a better quality of life, an end to corruption and railed against the high cost of staging the World Cup and the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. A month later, World Youth Day, a major Catholic youth fest held in the presence of Pope Francis in Rio, injected another $502 million into the economy. And Dino said that even if revenues do not totally cover investments for major events, it was important to note that one out of three reals invested by the federal government for the World Cup is disbursed to upgrade urban mobility projects in major cities. He added that apart from immediate gains, events like the World Cup and World Youth Day give Brazil a visibility that would normally take decades to obtain.l

Fahad loses n Shishir Hoque

Bangladeshs youngest Fide Master Fahad Rahman lost to G M H Thilakarathne of Sri Lanka in the 4th round of the World Youth Chess Championship in Al-Ain, UAE yesterday. Fahad is now in 36th position with 3 points after the end of 4th round. Fahad will face Maache Jawad of France in the 5th round today. l

DMP commissioner Benazir Ahmaed inaugurates the Kool Second Division Football League at the Kamlapur Stadium yesterday COURTESY

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Milan faces reality check in derby

n AFP, Milan
AC Milans bid to close a yawning gap to Serie A pacesetters Juventus, Roma and Napoli faces another reality check in the city derby at

FIXTURES
Bologna Atalanta Verona Roma Sampdoria Sassuolo Torino Inter v v v v v v v v Genoa Juventus Lazio Catania Parma Fiorentina Chievo Milan

Liverpool's Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez (3R) celebrates after scoring against Cardiff City during their English Premier League match at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, northwest England, on Friday AFP

Liverpool go top, City rally, United roll on

n AFP, London
Liverpool took over at the top of the Premier League table on Saturday, while Manchester City climbed to second place and Manchester United continued their recent revival. With previous leaders Arsenal and Chelsea facing off at the Emirates Stadium on Monday, Liverpool took advantage with a 3-1 win over Cardiff City that took them a point above Arsene Wengers side. Manchester City followed their lead by winning 4-2 at Fulham to move above Arsenal on goal difference. United, meanwhile, beat West Ham United 3-1 at Old Trafford to record a fourth consecutive victory after the shock of successive home defeats by Everton and Newcastle United. At Anfield, Luis Suarez celebrated his new Liverpool contract by scoring twice against Cardiff to take his tally of league goals to 19. Suarez opened his account in the 25th minute when he met Jordan Hendersons left-wing centre with a controlled volley that found the bottomleft corner. The Uruguayan teed up Raheem Sterling to tap home the second goal in the 42nd minute and three minutes later he made it 3-0, curling a glorious shot into the bottom-right corner from Hendersons back-heel. Jordon Mutch replied for Cardiff with a 58th-minute header from a Peter Whittingham free-kick. The result added to the gloom around 15th-place Cardiff, whose manager, Malky Mackay, is thought to be on the brink of losing his job after falling out with club owner Vincent Tan. Manchester City let a 2-0 lead slip at Fulham, but late goals from Jesus Navas and James Milner saw them record a fifth win in their last six league games. Yaya Toure put City ahead in the

Inter today. After another inauspicious start to the season, Milan sit mid-table but 24 points adrift of leaders Juventus and, perhaps more worryingly, with a 16-point deficit to Napoli who occupy the final Champions League qualifying spot. The chances of Milan salvaging a top-three finish at the end of the season look slim and goalkeeper Christian Abbiati admits a win in the Rossoneris last game before the festive break would be welcome. The first Milan derby of the season is one of the high points of the pre-Christmas programme but the San Siro ground shared by both clubs will not be full. Inter, who sit fifth, 15 points behind Juve and seven behind Napoli, will have their Curva Nord section of the stadium closed as punishment after fans were found guilty of chanting discriminatory remarks against Napoli fans. However the Nerazzurri handler will likely be more concerned by what is happening on the pitch. Losing the first derby of the season to a struggling Rossoneri side would

do little to boost Mazzarris stock, especially with Inter having taken only three points from their last four games. Juventus, meanwhile, bounced back from the disappointment of their Champions League exit last week with a 4-2 win over Inter and will look to extend their five-point lead over Roma away at Atalanta. Despite their exit in Europe, Antonio Contes side boast solid form on the domestic front having won their last eight games without conceding a goal. Defeat to Atalanta, who have lost only once at home this season, to Fiorentina, would give some hope to titlechasers Roma, who dropped precious points in a draw at Milan on Monday but should bounce back against Catania. Napoli, who like Juve exited the Champions League, are away to Cagliari in what should be an easy three points for Rafael Benitezs side in Saturdays late match. l

RESULTS
Crystal Palace Fulham

Newcastle Cabaye 25, Gabbidon 39-og, Ben Arfa 86 P

03 24 31 31 21

Richardson 50, Kompany 70-og

Toure 23, Kompany 43, Navas 78, Milner 83 Mutch 58

Man City

Liverpool

Suarez 25, 45, Sterling 42

Cardiff

Man United

Welbeck 26, Januzaj 36, Young 72

West Ham

Cole 81

Stoke

Adam 50, Crouch 70

Aston Villa

Kozak 66

Sunderland West Brom

Vydra 86

00 11

Norwich
Livermore 28

Hull

23rd minute with the latest fine freekick from his growing collection, before Vincent Kompany stabbed home the second shortly before half-time.

Kieran Richardson reduced the arrears early in the second period though, and Kompany inadvertently gifted Fulham an equaliser in the 70th minute when he somehow conspired to slice Sascha Riethers cross over recalled goalkeeper Joe Hart for an own goal. However, David Silva freed fellow Spaniard Navas to restore Citys advantage eight minutes later and Milner added a fourth from a magnificent Alvardo Negredo cross in the 83rd minute. United moved to within five points of the Champions League places with a breezy win at home to West Ham. Wayne Rooney returned to the United line-up after missing the mid-week win at Stoke City in the League Cup with an unspecified injury and he teed up Danny Welbeck to give the hosts a 26th-minute lead. Adnan Januzaj extended Uniteds advantage 10 minutes later with his first goal at Old Trafford, skilfully skirt-

ing James Collins before bending home right-footed. Ashley Young added a third in the 72nd minute with a sumptuous curler, again created by Rooney, before Carlton Cole replied for West Ham. Newcastle United climbed to sixth place by winning 3-0 at third-bottom Crystal Palace through a goal from Yohan Cabaye, a Danny Gabbidon own goal and a late Hatem Ben Arfa penalty. Matej Vydra came off the bench to earn West Bromwich Albion a 1-1 draw at home to Hull City in the first game since Steve Clarkes dismissal as manager, netting four minutes from time to cancel out Jake Livermores opener. Goals from Charlie Adam and Peter Crouch gave Stoke City a 2-1 win at home to Aston Villa, who hit back through Libor Kozak, while bottom club Sunderland spurned a chance to close on the teams above them in a 0-0 draw at home to Norwich City. l

Sherwood uncertain over Spurs role

n AFP, Southampton
Tim Sherwood is keen to press his claims to become Tottenhams permanent manager, but admits Sundays trip to Southampton could mark his final game in charge of the club. The former Blackburn midfielder oversaw a defeat in his first match in charge, the midweek home loss to West Ham in the League Cup quarter-finals, and is keen to register his first victory when he takes his side to St Marys Stadium. If it was down to me, Im getting a 10-year contract now but football doesnt work like that, said Sherwood, who has been given no guarantee he will be in charge beyond the visit to the south coast. I hope to have a chat with the chairman. Im obviously taking the game on Sunday, but the games come thick and fast around Christmas, so I dont know when we are going to get that meeting in. l

Bayerns rivals slump to shock defeats

n AFP, Berlin
Bayern Munichs main rivals failed to dent the European champions seven-point lead in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund both suffering shock defeats on Saturday. On the final German league weekend of 2013 before the winter break, Bayern were absent in Morocco preparing to take on Raja Casablanca on Saturday night in Marrakech in the Club World Cup final. Leverkusen and Dortmunds defeats means Pep Guardiolas Bayern can go ten points clear if they beat VfB Stuttgart in their catch-up fixture on January 29. Second-placed Leverkusen fell to a late goal at strugglers Werder Bremen, whose Argentinian right-back Santiago Garcia stabbed his shot home to give Bremen a first win in six games. Borussia Dortmunds poor league form continued with a 2-1 defeat loss to Hertha Berlin, their third straight home defeat, which threatens to see them finish the weekend outside the automatic Champions League places.

RESULTS
Dortmund
Reus 7

12 10 21 23 10

Hertha Berlin

Ramos 21, Allagui 45

W Bremen
Garcia 74

Leverkusen Hanover 96

Freiburg

Mehmedi 25, 36

Bittencourt 90+3 Okazaki 47, Mueller 50, 90+2

Hamburg

Calhanoglu 21, Van der Vaart 79

Mainz 05

Braunschweig
Oehrl 29 P

Hoffenheim

Despite reaching the knock-out stages in Europe as group winners, Dortmund have picked up just four points in their last six league games. Borussia took an early lead at home to Hertha Berlin when captain Sebastian Kehl put through a superb ball for Marco Reus to chase and with his first

touch, the Germany winger put his shot past 18-year-old Hertha goalkeeper Marius Gersbeck, who was making his Bundesliga debut. But Hertha got back on level terms when striker Adrian Ramos hit his 11th goal of the season after Herthas Sami Allagui pounced on a mistake to put in a cross for the Colombia forward to convert on 23 minutes. Tunisia forward Allagui then gave Hertha the lead by pouncing on a mistake by Dortmunds 18-year-old centreback Marian Sarr, rounding Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller and firing into an empty net on the stroke of half-time. Borussia coach Jurgen Klopp substituted the clearly distressed Sarr for the start of the second-half, moving leftback Kevin Grosskreutz into centreback, but his side failed to grab a precious equaliser despite seven minutes of added time. Dortmund stay third but will drop to fourth if Borussia Moenchengladbach pick up at least a point at home to VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday. l

Monaco's French forward Anthony Martial (L) and Valenciennes' Urugayan defender Gary Kagelmacher vie for the ball during their French L1 match at the "Louis II Stadium" in Monaco on Friday AFP

Injured Bale ruled out of Valencia clash

n AFP, Madrid
Gareth Bale will miss Real Madrids final game of the year away to Valencia on Sunday due to an inflamed calf muscle, Real boss Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed. Bale was absent from Wednesdays 2-0 win over Olimpic Xativa in the Copa del Rey after picking up the injury in training on Tuesday. However, Ancelotti insisted the injury is not too serious, suggesting the Welshman will be fully fit by the time Real return to action after the winter break on January 6. The injury he has is just a knock. It is not a serious injury, but he wont be available for tomorrow, said Ancelotti. He hasnt had the necessary time to recover. Angel di Maria will replace Bale on the right side on the Madrid attack, while Cristiano Ronaldo will return after being suspended in midweek. Xabi Alonso is also certain to start given the impact he has made on the side in recent weeks since returning from injury. The former Liverpool midfielders contract is up at the end of the season. l

Uefa sanction clubs for over dues n AFP, Paris n AFP, Paris
European footballs governing body UEFA on Friday punished a handful of clubs for failing to meet payments and threatened to exclude them from continental competitions. Metalurg Donetsk of Ukraine, Petrolul Ploiesti of Romania and Skonto Riga of Latvia were all told that they would be excluded from participating in the next UEFA club competition for which they would otherwise qualify on their results or standing in the next three seasons unless they are able to prove by 31 January 2014 that they have paid the amounts that were identified as overdue. l

Monaco suffer shock defeat

Radamel Falcao made his comeback after almost a month on the sidelines only to miss a penalty as Monaco suffered a shock 2-1 home defeat at the hands of struggling Valenciennes on Friday. The Colombian striker, on as a substitute, saw his poorly-struck late penalty saved by visiting goalkeeper Nicolas Penneteau as the principality side ended 2013 in disappointing fashion and let slip the chance to go provisionally top of the Ligue 1 table. Instead, they remain two points adrift of leaders Paris Saint-Germain, who are already confirmed as autumn champions - the symbolic title taken by the side top of the table at the seasons halfway stage - before hosting thirdplaced Lille on Sunday. Ranieri had left Falcao on the bench at kick-off as his side went looking for a sixth consecutive win. They had not conceded a goal in any of their last five outings but fell behind in bizarre fashion here with half an hour played, captain Eric Abidal bundling the ball into his own net after keeper Danijel Subasic had failed to cut out Arthur Masuakus cross from the left.

The offside flag then denied Layvin Kurzawa an equaliser moments later, while Joao Moutinho struck the outside of a post from a free-kick, before Ranieri sent Falcao on for Emmanuel Riviere at the start of the second half. However, Valenciennes went on to increase their lead just before the hour when veteran David Ducourtioux scored a rare goal at the end of a counterattack. The hosts pushed forward desperately in the closing stages and won a penalty when Falcao was brought down in the box by Saliou Ciss. The former Atletico Madrid players kick was saved, but James Rodriguez did head home to reduce the deficit soon after. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Sunday, December 22, 2013

15
SCORE CARD, DAY 3
WEST INDIES 1ST INNINGS 367 S. Chanderpaul 122 n.o., D. Ramdin 107, K. Brathwaite 45; T. Southee 4 79, C. Anderson 3 47 NEW ZEALAND 1ST INNINGS (overnight 156 3) P. Fulton c Sammy b Narine 11 H. Rutherford c & b Sammy 10 K. Williamson lbw Narine 58 R. Taylor c Samuels b Best 131 B. McCullum c Sammy b Narine 12 C. Anderson c Deonarine b Permaul 39 B. Watling c Ramdin b Sammy 20 T. Southee lbw Narine 18 I. Sodhi b Narine 9 N. Wagner c Edwards b Narine 22 T. Boult not out 1 Extras (b6, lb8 nb 4) 18 Total: (all out 117.3 overs) 349 Bowling Best 14 1 63 1 (1nb), Sammy 23 8 69 2 (2nb), Permaul 35 6 103 1, Narine 42.317 91 6 (1nb), Deonarine 3 0 9 0 WEST INDIES 2ND INNINGS K. Brathwaite b Boult 7 K. Edwards c Watling b Boult 1 K. Powell c Southee b Boult 0 M. Samuels c Watling b Anderson 8 Chanderpaul c Williamson b Wagner 20 N. Deonarine c Taylor b Wagner 13 D. Ramdin lbw Boult 18 D. Sammy c Watling b Southee 24 S. Narine not out 0 V. Permaul lbw Southee 0 T. Best lbw Southee 0 Extras: (lb 12) 12 Total: (all out; 31.5 overs) 103 Bowling Boult 10 4 23 4, Southee 8.5 5 12 3, Anderson 6 0 22 1, Wagner 7 1 34 0 NEW ZEALAND 2ND INNINGS P. Fulton not out H. Rutherford not out Extras (b2) Total: (0 wickets, 2 overs) Bowling Best 1 0 4 0, Sammy 1 1 0 0
bring up his hundred and clouting 18 off a Darren Sammy over, before being removed when he cut a wide Best delivery to Marlon Samuels. Taylor has scored 864 runs from 16 Test innings so far this year at an outstanding average of 72.00. In this series he has scored 493 in four innings and only been dismissed twice. BJ Watling chimed in with 20 before he was caught behind off Sammy, leaving Narine to remove Tim Southee (18), Ish Sodhi (nine) and Neil Wagner (22) to wrap up the innings. Despite the gloomy outlook for the tourists, Narine banked on an even better performance in New Zealands second innings. Wickets send jitters, hopefully, you never know, we can get a couple of wickets and go from there, he said.l

QUICK BYTES Condolence

Mizanur Rahman Khan Dipu (1964 2013) The Bangladesh Cricket Board and the Bangladesh Football Federation expressed their condolences at the death of Mizanur Rahman Khan Dipu, member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Sports. Mizanur Rahman Khan (49) passed away from cardiac arrest yesterday morning. The BCB and the BFF extended heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased. Tribune Desk

Victory Day Karate

Nazma clinched gold medal in the womens 60kg kumi event at the Victory Day Karate Championship at the National Sports Council gymnasium yesterday. Alvina Khan won the silver medal while Beauty bagged bronze in the same event. In the junior 16 18 agelevel 40kg event, Md Ibrahim took gold, while Md Rubel and Arman Hossain won silver and bronze respectively. Masud Rana won gold in senior mens 45kg event. Rana Hossain and Jashim Uddin came in second and third respectively. In the mens 50kg event, Rakibul Islam, Md Kamruzzaman and Sajib won gold, silver and bronze respectively. A total of 250 people took part in the two-day meet. Tribune Desk

Olympic champ exonerated over doping

Olympic 1500m champion Asli Cakir Alptekin of Turkey was Thursday exonerated of doping by the Turkish Athletics Federation. Back in April, Alptekin had been provisionally suspended by her Federation and charged with doping by the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) after anomalies were discovered in her biological passport. It has been decided that there is no grounds for national sporting sanctions against Asli Cakir Alptekin as she did not violate any anti-doping rules, said a statement from the disciplinary commission on the Turkish federations website. AFP

Denesh Ramdin of the West Indies walks back after being dismissed against New Zealand during day three of their third Test at the Seddon Park in Hamilton yesterday

Kiwis pace puts WI on the ropes

n AFP, Hamilton
New Zealand wiped out the West Indies second innings inside one session with a vicious spell of swing bowling Saturday to take a vice-like grip on the third Test. At stumps at the end of the third day, New Zealand were six without loss in reply, needing 122 to win. The West Indies, already down 1-0 in the series, were all out in their second innings for 103, after taking an 18run lead on the first innings. The dramatic collapse came a day after the West Indies claimed control of the Test when Sunil Narines spin variations mesmerised the New Zealanders. Only the staunch defiance of Ross Taylor, who made 131 -- his third century in three consecutive Tests -- enabled New Zealand to reach 349 in reply to the West Indies 367. Narine finished with career-best figures of six for 91, but the gloss was quickly taken off his achievement by yet another batting collapse as New Zealand traded spin for pace and swing. Trent Boult, the chief destroyer when New Zealand won the second Test, removed the West Indies top order with three wickets for one run in the space of 13 deliveries. Theres genuine excitement, Taylor said of the prospect New Zealand will claim back-to-back victories. To keep (the target) down to 122 was outstanding. The way they (Boult and Tim Southee) bowled and the aggression they showed, they need a lot of pats on the back for the hostility they showed. Kraigg Brathwaite (seven) fell to a ball that shot back between bat and pad, Kieran Powell (nought) edged a ball to third slip and Kirk Edwards (one) was caught down the leg side. Shivnarine Chanderpaul was back in the middle with the West Indies at three for 13 but he could not reproduce his century-making form of the first innings. In another mini-breakthrough, Corey Anderson had Marlon Samuels (eight) caught behind and Chanderpaul (20) was caught by Kane Williamson diving to his right at third slip off the bowling of Neil Wagner. After 18 overs, the West Indies were five for 46 and their buoyant mood at

AFP

4 0 2 6

Pakistan fined for slow over-rate in second ODI

Pakistan had salt rubbed into their wounds when they were fined for their slow over-rate durng a narrow two-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka on Friday. Pakistan looked on course to win after posting a healthy 284 in their innings in the second one day international in Dubai, but the Sri Lankan tailenders saw their team home with just two balls to spare. And on Saturday the International Cricket Council (ICC) said Misbah-ul-Haqs team were one over short during the time allotted for the 50 overs. Match referee David Boon of Australia imposed the fines after Pakistan was ruled to be one over short of its target, after time allowances were taken into consideration, the ICC said in a statement. AFP

finding a pitch favourable to their spin attack had long evaporated. Denesh Ramdin (18) and Darren Sammy (24) added some fight but the innings ended when Southee came back for a second spell and took the last three wickets in four balls. Boult finished with four for 23 and Southee three for 12. New Zealand had Taylor to thank for being as close as they were at the end of the first innings. He batted for nearly five-and-a-half hours for his 131 which featured 16 fours and two sixes. For most of his time in the middle Taylor was a model of precision and patience, deftly picking up ones and twos. He did show aggression towards the quicks when the second new ball was taken, hitting Tino Best for four to

Sri Lanka hold nerve to beat Pakistan, level series

n AFP, Dubai
Sri Lankas late order batsmen held their nerve to beat Pakistan by two wickets and level the series in a match in which fortunes swung from one side to another in Dubai on Friday. Set 285 to chase, Sri Lanka needed 16 off the last two overs and four off the final, as number ten batsman Sachitra Senanayake drove Shahid Afridi for boundary to seal a tense win for his team with two balls to spare. The win levelled the five-match series at 1-1 after Pakistan won the first match by 11 runs in Sharjah on Wednesday. Ahmed Shehzad smashed a career best 124 off 140 balls for his fourth oneday century as Pakistan posted a challenging 284-4 in 50 overs after being sent in to bat. Sri Lanka needed 44 off the last six overs as Angelo Mathews (47) and Dimuth Karunaratne (16 not out) held their nerves during a match-turning 44-run stand for the eighth wicket. Sri Lanka had set themselves up nicely at 159-2 with Kumar Sangakkara (58) and Dinesh Chandimal (44) before Mathews came into his own.

SCORE CARD, DAY 4

INDIA, FIRST INNINGS, 280 SOUTH AFRICA, FIRST INNINGS, 244 INDIA, SECOND INNINGS (overnight 284 2) C. Pujara c De Villiers b Kallis V. Kohli c De Villiers b Duminy R. Sharma b Kallis A. Rahane c Smith b Duminy M. Dhoni c sub (Elgar) b Philander R. Ashwin c Du Plessis b Philander Zaheer Khan not out I. Sharma lbw b Imran Tahir Mohammed Shami b Imran Tahir Extras (b9, lb7, w8) Total (120.4 overs)

DAYS WATCH
Ten Golf 9:00AM The Royal Trophy 2013 Day 3 Ten Action French Ligue 1 2013/14 7:00PM Olympique Marseille v Bordeaux 10:00PM FC Lorient v Olympique Lyonnais 2:00AM Paris St-Germain v Losc Lille Ten Sports 1:30PM South Africa v India 1st Test, Day 5 Star Sports 1 Big Bash T20 9:00AM Hobart v Adelaide 2:15PM Brisbane v Perth Star Sports 4 5:00PM La Liga Espanyol v Valladolid 7:30PM English Premier League Southampton v Tottenham LA Liga 10:00PM Getafe v Barcelona 12:00AM At Bilbao v Rayo Vallecano 2:00AM Valencia v Real Madrid Star Sports HD1 10:00PM Englaish Premier League Swansea v Everton 1:45AM Italian Serie A

BRIEF SCORE
Pakistan 284 for 4 Shehzad 124, Misbah 59* Sri Lanka 287 for 8 Sangakkara 58, Junaid 3 52 Sri Lanka win by two wickets
When on 29, Sangakkara completed 12,000 one-day runs in his 359th match. He is the fourth batsmen to score 12,000 or more runs in the one-day chart led by now retired Tendulkar of India (18,426 in 463 matches) followed by Australian Ponting (13,704 in 375) and Sri Lankan Jayasuriya (13,430 in 445). l

153 96 6 15 29 7 29 4 4 24 421

Vonns knee fails India snatch Test impetus number one fan Woods after Smith run-out n
AFP, Val-Disre
American speed queen Lindsey Vonn failed to put together a winning run for onlooking boyfriend Tiger Woods on Saturday as her unstable right knee gave way halfway down the course. Vonn insisted the incident would not have major ramifications, saying she would race a maximum of two more events before heading to Sochi to defend her Olympic downhill title in February. But the manner in which her knee failed to provide any stability on a turn coming out of a compression will have worried not only her but the US ski team. Vonn sustained the injury to her knee in a horrific crash in last Februarys World Ski Championships in Schladming. With reconstructive surgery and 10 months out, it surprised some that she even made it back to competitive skiing this season. l

South African batsman Hashim Amla (L) looks on as he is bowled out by Indian bowler Mohammed Shami on the fourth day of their first Test in Johannesburg at the Wanderers stadium yesterday AFP

Bowling Steyn 30 5 104 0 (2w), Philander 28 10 68 3 (1w), Morkel 2 1 4 0, Kallis 20 5 68 3, Imran Tahir 15.4 1 69 2, De Villiers 1 0 5 0 (1w), Duminy 24 0 87 2 SOUTH AFRICA, SECOND INNINGS A. Petersen not out 76 G. Smith run out (Rahane) 44 H. Amla b Mohammed Shami 4 F. du Plessis not out 10 Extras (lb2, nb1, w1) 4 Total (2 wkts, 45 overs) 138 Bowling Zaheer Khan 9 0 29 0, I. Sharma 9 228 0 (1nb), Mohammed Shami 8 1 30 1 (1w), Ashwin 16 2 42 0, Vijay 1 0 3 0, Dhoni 2 0 4 0
Petersen, who scored a half-century in his teams second innings for the first time in 27 Tests, made 76 not out and saw out the day with Faf du Plessis (10). With the light fading towards the close, the umpires told Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni that he would have to use only slow bowlers if he wanted play to continue. Dhoni took off his wicketkeeping pads and bowled two overs in partnership with off-spinner Ashwin. India were bowled out for 421 in their second innings, leaving South Africa to negotiate 45 overs before the close of play as well as the whole of the fifth day. l

n AFP, Johannesburg

A direct-hit run-out of Graeme Smith ended a century opening partnership as South Africa fought to stave off defeat on the fourth day of the first Test against India at the Wanderers Stadium on Saturday. Set to make an improbable 458 to win, South Africa were 138 for two at the close. South Africa had reached 108 without loss with both Smith and Alviro Petersen batting with increasing confidence. But Smith, on 44, went for a risky single after he punched a ball from

Ravichandran Ashwin to mid-on. Ajinkya Rahane fielded superbly and threw down the stumps at the bowlers end, to the acclaim of his teammates. Smiths dismissal was soon followed by that of Hashim Amla, who was bowled for the second time in the match without playing a shot. Amla made four before ducking a short-pitched delivery from Mohammed Shami which kept low, going over Amlas right shoulder before hitting the top of his off stump. The ball which accounted for Amla was one of several which kept low at the golf course end of the pitch.

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Sunday, December 22, 2013

PMs mobile phone numbers unreachable

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam
The official mobile phone numbers of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which were publicised solely for communicating with the mass directly, have been switched off for around six months. On July 4 last year, the premier made public two mobile numbers in a parliament session, and later added another number, to increase interaction with the public. She also publicised her email ID, sheikhhasina@hotmail.com, to receive public reactions. When contacted on December 13, PMs media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury said: I have no idea about the numbers. I need some time to say anything about them. He said he would be able to clear the matter in two days. However, despite several attempts on December 17 and yesterday, Iqbal Sobhan could not be reached over his mobile phone. Out of the three numbers, Teletalk number +8801555888555 has remained disconnected since July 3 this year, according to sources in the state-owned operator. Another number, +8801819260371, has been switched off since June 29 while no call reaches the Grameenphone number, +8801711520000, although it is open and receives a bill of more than Tk3,000 monthly, said Grameenphone sources. Announcing the numbers, the ruling party chief urged people to notify her if anyone tried to take any advantage by using references of her or her family members. The Prime Ministers Office said after disclosing the numbers and the email address, the premier had received a lot of responses complaints, suggestions, remarks, and requests from people from all walks of life. The PMO also informed that Hasina had attended a number of calls herself and taken immediate action accordingly. A working woman from the capitals Demra area informed the prime minister about the sufferings of women commuters in the area as there was no bus service for women on the Motijheel-Demra route. Upon attending the call, Hasina summoned the chairman of the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation to Ganabhaban and directed him to introduce two BRTC buses on that route for women, said the PMO sources. The prime minister received some death threats on those phones, too. Later, law enforcement agencies found the callers numbers destroyed, according to the PMO. l

A boat carrying daily essentials from one place to another via Sadarghat in the capital yesterday. Boat and other water vehicles are now an important alternative to transporting commodities as transportation by roads has become difficult because of continuous blockades and hartals enforced by the opposition SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Government food reserve depletes by 44.57% in one year

n Asif Showkat Kallol
In the wake of a fast depleting food reserve and fears that the situation may worsen further due to the prolonged political turmoil, the government is drafting a plan to build a strategic food reserve. The strategic food reserve is aimed at guarding the country from sudden food shortage caused by external forces such as political unrest and natural disasters. On December 17, the governments food reserve stood at 957,000 tonnes, down by 44.57% from the same date a year ago, when it was 1.385 million tonnes, showed data from the food ministry. An official of the food ministry said the plan to expand the buffer stock and build a strategic reserve had already been communicated to the ministries and departments concerned of the government. Professionals say the government would run head-on into serious credibility problems if it fails to ensure fair prices for farmers, especially for subsidised commodities such as price. It would also eventually cast a negative spell on the food price and the overall inflation situation of the countrys economy. A senior official of the Directorate General of Food said: We have been trying to expand the buffer stock by procuring Aman rice, harvested a few months back. But that process has come to a standstill off late because the transportation system in the country has collapsed because of the opposition parties blockades. Instead of spending a busy time as was usual for this time of the year, the officials and staff of the governments food procurement programmes around the country had been sitting idle because the farmers could not come to sell their produce to them because of the political programmes, the food directorate official said. Official figures show that the directorate has set a target of procuring 200,000 tonnes of Aman paddy from farmers at Tk30/kg till February. But up until December 17, the government has managed to procure only 37,431 tonnes. The breakdown shows that the governments existing stock of rice is about 295,000 tonnes lower than the minimum quantity required under the buffer stock norms. The remaining 600,000 tonnes of food grain in stock is wheat. In October, the United Nations warned that world grain reserves were so dangerously low that severe weather in the United States or other food-exporting countries could trigger a major hunger crisis next year. Importers lost interest in importing food grains because of lack of security amid the heated political situation and the oppositions hartals and blockades. Figures show that the import of wheat during the first six months of the ongoing fiscal (2013-14) was much lower than what it was at the same time a year ago. Prices of rice have been gradually increasing since the beginning of the Aman harvest because of the political unrest and the resultant crisis in the transportation sector, said Nirod Baran Saha, president of Rice Dealers Association in the northern district of Naogaon. The government will be unable to fulfill the procurement target because of the prolonged violence and blockades as the farmers are not interested in selling Aman paddy to the government, he pointed out. The farmers lack of interest was a result of the shooting cost of transportation that had pushed the cost above the Tk30/kg rate that the government had set for procuring Aman paddy from farmers, Niron explained. Khondaker Golam Moazzem, additional research director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, told Dhaka Tribune that the government should raise the procurement price of Aman if needed so that the farmers get interested again to contribute to the buffer stock. However, food directorate Director General Ahmed Hossain Khan said the government was keeping space in the warehouses for the Aman procurement programme. The government is still in a comfortable position despite a marginal decline in the reserves, he claimed. When the Awami League assumed office in 2009, the country had a food stock of about 1.26 million tonnes of food grains. According to the food directorate, Bangladeshs average annual demand for food grains mainly wheat and rice is about 29 million tonnes. The governments target for food production during the ongoing fiscal is 36.6 million tonnes. Usually, the government sets aside 1.5 million tonnes of food grains for tackling any emergency situation that may arise. l

Bt Brinjal may cut UK, EU vegetable markets

n Abu Bakar Siddique
GM Freeze, a London-based campaign group, has urged Bangladesh government to suspend the decision to release four genetically modified brinjal varieties among farmers fearing it might be a threat to the countrys export market in the UK and other European countries. It also said the production of Bt Brinjal would affect the farmers because of fall in production as the demand would go down. GM Freeze which campaigns on GM food, crops and patents recently wrote to the president, the prime minister, and the ministers for commerce and environment for retracting the decision. In October, the National Committee on Bio-safety (NCB) of Bangladesh approved limited-scale cultivation of Bt Brinjal and confined trial of Golden Rice and GM potatoes. In a press release, the GMF said: We reminded the government of the decision to approve the GM crops cultivation in Bangladesh as it will not only jeopardise the farmers in the UK market but also in the rest of the EU markets. It also said the UK imports some 40% of Bangladeshs fresh produce exports, worth around $31.18m annually. GM brinjal is not authorised as a food or feed in the EU. The resulting need for all Bangladeshi brinjal farmers to enact strict coexistence practices to prevent crop contamination or comingling with non-GM cargoes for export place the expense of GM production unfairly on those growing non-GM crops, directly impairing the viability of otherwise successful non-GM businesses, the statement said. There is no good reason to jeopardise Bangladeshi farm and export business by growing GM brinjal, said Helena Paul, director of the GMF, in the statement released on December 4. However, the Bangladeshi vegetables exporters are yet to express concerns about the probable ban on exports. The government has just released the Bt Brinjal for demonstration at the farmers level. We did not receive any threat from the importers until now, said SM Jahangir Hossain, president of Bangladesh Vegetables and Fruits Exporters Association. Around 40-50 items including vegetables and fruits are exported to the EU and Middle-East. The annual turnover is around Tk800-Tk900 core. If the importer countries show unwillingness about Bt Brinjal, we can easily cut it down from the list, Jahangir said. l

DMCH burn unit still OSDs give up hopes for promotion, posting heavy with cries of pain n
Mohosinul Karim

Mohammad Jamil Khan

A walk through the burn and plastic surgery unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital these days would be inexorably met with constant groans of pain, laboured respiration or measured movements of the arson victims who continue to populate the countrys only specialised burn care facility. As of yesterday, there are 24 arson victims undergoing treatment at the facility with three in dire conditions. Two of them were admitted to the intensive care unit for advanced treatment. Sources said the patients were all victims of the violent confrontations that marked the countrys recent weeks and hospitalised with varying degrees of burns. Some needed to go under the knife more than once because of postoperative complications. Nine-year-old Shumi, who suffered burns on November 8, has not yet recovered from her wounds because of postoperative infections and can hardly move her right hand. Pickets had torched the Dhaka-bound bus carrying her and her grandmother at Gazipur on that day, leaving them with 12% and 15% burns respectively. Rubina Begum, her mother, said: It is really painful to see her crying all the time. And the fact that you have little to do makes it all the more painful. I want my daughter to recover as soon as possible. After what we have been through, I dont think we will ever come to Dhaka again. Police officer Mohammad Nurnabi,

55, was one of the passengers of the bus torched near Shahbagh on November 28 and hospitalised with burns covering 35% of his body. He was moved to the intensive care unit and is reportedly in a critical state of health. Abdullah Al-Amin, only son of Nurnabi and a higher secondary student of Udayan School and College, said their six-member family was wholly dependent on his fathers income. We are praying for his swift recovery. His wife, Diljahan Begum, still reeling from the shock of the incident that rendered the family helpless, remained silent when contacted for comments. The condition of 35-year-old Repon, also undergoing treatment at the ICU, and driver Al-Amin was also reported to be critical. Doctors say the main problem of these patients is they are susceptible to different kinds of viral infection because of their current week immune system. Twenty-year-old Muni, a worker of Hamim Group, has been attacked by several viral infections since she was hospitalised with 25% burns on November 14. Her husband Rana said she would have to go through further operations before she recovered fully. In this regard, Dr Partha Shankar Pal, a resident surgeon at the unit, told the Dhaka Tribune that a patient was most susceptible to viral attacks during their postoperative phase of recovery. They need to be kept in secure locations to reduce the susceptibility of such attacks. l

The bureaucrats who were deprived of promotion and kept on special duty for a long time has given up hopes to get promoted and fresh postings during the present polls-time government. The civil servants have decided to further meet the cabinet secretary and senior secretary to the Public Administration Ministry and wait for its initiative. According to the ministry, there are around 800 officers on special duty (OSDs) in the civil administration now. Of them, around 60-70 officials are

secretaries and assistant secretaries, who have been kept on the special duty for six to seven years. Most of the special duty officers who were not entrusted with any assignment for a long time were deprived of promotion. On the other hand the junior officers who were working under them had been promoted. The deprived officers said they gave up hopes since it was a polls-time government. They vented their frustration that this polls-time government would do nothing for them.

It was the same government of the ruling Awami League and its allies that kept them on special duty and deprived them of promotion for a long time. The 82 batchs Joint Secretary Bijon Kanti Sarker who had been kept on special duty said, We were hopeful to get promotion and fresh posting after waiting around six to seven years, but are now frustrated. We called upon the secretaries to take the matter of our promotion into consideration, but to no avail. So there is nothing to do but wait till the government decides to send us into retire-

ment, he said. We are waiting for the government decision. We will meet them again. The government is not taking any policy or administrative decisions now. It will be considered after a new government takes office, said Abdus Sobhan Sikder, senior secretary of the Public Administration Ministry. A section of bureaucrats met with the cabinet secretary and senior secretary of the Public Administration Ministry twice to resolve the issue of promotions and subsequent postings in December. l

Miscreants break Monument at DU

n Arif Ahmed

A group of unidentified miscreants broke a monument known as the razakar condemnation monument on the Dhaka University premises yesterday. The monument, located in front of Ducsu, was established in 2007 with a view to showing condemnation towards the razakars who helped Pakistani forces during the Liberation War in 1971. Sculptor Tarek Raihan claimed that Jamaat-Shibir activists had broken the monument. We will submit a memorandum to the vice-chancellor and proctor to take action against the miscreants. DU acting proctor Amzad Ali told the Dhaka Tribune: I had sent a team to visit the spot after we received news about the incident. We are trying to find out the culprits behind the act. He also assured to take punitive actions against the miscreants who done this. l

Crowds gather to pay their tributes to Khaled Khan at the Central Shaheed Minar yesterday

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

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Continue to the Business section...

Business

B3 Non-operational company
worst loser last week as it moves to 'Z' category

B4 Know thyself
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2013 www.dhakatribune.com/business

New wages trigger RMG jobs at stake

Fall in export orders due to political unrest also keeps owners from new intake

Apparel industry loses 40% in fall season orders

n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi
The countrys readymade garments saw 40% decline in orders for the spring-winter season as estimated by an industry leader. Orders for the fall season dropped substantially because the global buyers are reluctant to place orders as they lost confidence that the suppliers would be able to meet the shipment deadline due to political unrest, Shahidullah Azim told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. The vice president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said factory owners are cutting jobs, as a result. The situation also prompted the factories to bag some orders at much lower prices so they could mitigate losses. To substantiate his estimate of falling orders, he said most of the factories will have only 20% orders for the months of January and February while no order for the March. To the best of my knowledge, orders were not sufficient for the next season, said Md Touhid, director of Akik Apparel Limited. There might have been available buyers and we could have bargained with them for higher price had there been no unrest in the country, he said. To some extent, the buyers have stopped ordering after Rana Plaza building collapse while political unrest in recent months contributed to make the situation worst. Former BGMEA President Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin said buyers slashed orders in terms of quantity as they want to shift from Bangladesh due to lack of security. We are also losing competitiveness as the production cost increased by around 43% due to inflation and new wage structure. To retain the growth of the sector, he said: We must have a secured business environment. Otherwise, it would cast shadow in our export earnings. Recently, the buyers forum sent a message to the BGMEA expressing concern over vandalism and political unrest as they demanded security of their investment. Following the appeal on December 12, the Labour and Employment Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain assured international buyers of readymade garments that the present disruption in supply chain would come to an end soon as the crisis is temporary. l

n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

Bangladeshs apparel makers have almost suspended recruiting workers as the sector is passing through a dual challenge of perpetual political unrest and implementation of new wage structure. Industry insiders said implementation of increased wages from this December will lead to rise in production cost while the decline of export orders due to supply chain disruption in blockades would shrink the business. In these circumstances, the apparel makers are now unwilling to recruit workers. Some even say the factories might have to axe jobs from the existing pool of workers. The repeated workers unrests have also taken a heavy toll on the countrys largest export earing sector, according to them. Thousands already have become unemployed following the factory accidents, including Tazreen Fashion fire and Rana Plaza collapse. RMG factory owners have stopped recruiting workers as orders from buyers have dropped due to political unrest, said Reaz Bin Mahmood, vice president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. Implementation of new wage structure also poses a challenge, he added. The new wage structure is effective from this December and thus the workers will start getting increased wages from January. Reaz Bin Mahmood said the small and medium size RMG investors will start to feel the pinch from January as payment of increased wages begins from that month. Some may have no other option but to shut down their factories, he feared. BGMEAs labour department sources said the RMG owners in Savar-Ashulia zone have suspended recruitment of workers for the past six months as they were affected by labour and political unrests. According to an executive in the department, factories of that areas have cut operation by 5-10 lines as they are facing a setback in orders from buyers. We are not recruiting workers cur-

A man stands in front of an apparel factory in Dhaka yesterday which hangs a No Vacancy notice on its wall. The factories have suspended recruitment after the recent wage hike of workers rently as growth has slowed down due to fall of long term and bulky export orders, said Syed Sadek Ahmed, managing director of Space Sweater Ltd. Owners are also not interested in recruitment as there is a fear among them that miscreants may enter factories in the guise of workers. Some factory owners have opted for avoiding recruitment of male workers after violent labour unrest. Former BGMEA President Abdus Salam Murshedy said they would introduce production engineering to cut expenditures behind recruiting workers. According to him, the government has a role to play in improving the countrys RMG sector and thus avoid unemployment of workers. The apparel makers should be given incentives by the government, he suggested. Knitwear manufacturers also stayed away from new recruitments of the workers due to the same reasons. We are not appointing workers, rather trying to cut jobs to adjust new wage structure, said Mohammad Hatem, first vice president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA). Wages increase while production drops. This is a challenging situation for us. In this situation, we wont appoint entry-level workers. Losing jobs, many workers are now passing hard days as they have not found new sources of income yet. I lost my job three months ago and yet to find another job for my survival, said Suman, a former operator of Sinha Group. There are allegations by the workers leaders that some of the factories are intentionally firing workers, particularly those who are involved with trade unions. They are sacking workers in the name of new wage adjustment, said Sirajul Islam Rony, president of Bangladesh National Garments Workers

Fact sheet
Number of RMG factories (active) Utilisation Declaration (UD) takers Sub-contractors Workers in RMG industry Export value in 2012 13 Contribution to total export GDP contribution

3,600 1,200

2,400

NBR takes stock of tax collection today

n Syed Samiul Basher Anik
National Board of Revenue holds a meeting today with income tax commissioners of Dhaka zone to discuss how to keep collection unaffected by the ongoing political unrest. Officials said the revenue collection has been disrupted largely due to continuous blockades and hartals throughout the country, said tax officials. Collections have dropped by quite a large amount as political situation remains worsening, an NBR official told the Dhaka Tribune. This fiscal the target has been set to collect about Tk137,000 crore. But according to officials, the unabated political turmoil has made the target almost impossible to achieve. At the meeting, discussions will be held on strengthening monitoring system like carrying out surveys and field-level inspections to pick up collections, said official sources. NBR earlier postponed several meetings on tax collection situation due to the intensified political crisis. Many tax commissioners from across the country were unable to participate in the scheduled meetings in Dhaka due to blockades and shutdowns called by the opposition alliance, said an official. Sundays (today) meeting will be attended only by income tax commissioners of Dhaka Zone. The official added the works to determine the target of revenue collection on the basis of the revised budget has already been underway. The meeting will deal with the only the revised revenue target. He said the meeting is also set to develop a constructive strategy to improve revenue earning. Tax offices previously blamed lack of logistics and shortage of manpower for the failure in achieving revenue collection target. This issue is also kept in the meetings agenda, said the sources. NBRs July-November collection fell Tk6,000 crore short of target, showed a provisional data. l

44 lakh 80% 10%

21.5bn (US$)

Employees League. Hartals and blockades are also responsible for the situation, he added. According to BGMEA, around 44 lakh workers are employed in the countrys readymade garment sector 80% are women especially from the rural areas. l

As Fed tapers, dont count out emerging market currencies

n Reuters
When the Federal Reserve first started talking about cutting its massive stimulus earlier this year, emerging-market currencies went into a tailspin. This time round, investors dont see that happening. Throughout the summer, while US equities held relatively steady, riskier foreign markets were crushed, and their currencies battered by talk of a Fed pullback. Now, many investors are convinced the Feds tapering wont cause that kind of market volatility again, and US rates wont spike, just rise slowly. If thats the case, investors will be emboldened to move back into emerging currencies. The Fed cuts started this week when it reduced its monthly bond-buying to $75bn from $85bn. A reduction in the Feds quantitative easing is supposed to benefit the greenback because it would raise US rates, making those assets more attractive. It also curbs the supply of cash that tends to flow into riskier assets such as emerging market economies. Some emerging market debt and currencies have become more attractive over the last six months, fund managers said, and the Feds decision has not diminished their allure. Once the cat (Fed tapering) is out of the bag and the outcome should be much lower volatility than what we saw in the past, market participants will likely return to the emerging market world by buying the more solid fundamental names with attractive valuations and higher interest rates, said Thomas Kressin, senior vice president and head of European foreign exchange at global bond fund PIMCO in Munich, Germany. Traders dont expect the Fed to hike interest rates earlier than July 2015. When the Fed previously suggested it might start winding down its stimulus, some emerging market debt and currencies tumbled. The Indian rupee, for instance, has lost 11% this year. There has been significant underperformance in emerging market debt, not only in May and June, but also recently when rates have risen as well, said Mike Swell, co-head of global lead portfolio management, at Goldman Sachs Asset Management in New York, which manages more than $349bn in fixed income, currency and commodity assets cut? On the other hand, the Mexican peso has proven more resilient, falling just 1.1% in 2013, along with the South Korean won, which actually gained 0.2%. Pimcos Kressin, for one, thinks a long Mexican peso and short US dollar trade is one of the more intriguing bets for 2014. With the US outlook improving, Mexico is expected to benefit because of its strong trade relationship with the worlds largest economy. One-year volatility on the Mexican peso has dropped to 12.1% on Friday from highs of 15.02% in early September. The Mexican pesos volatility has become a barometer of risk for emerging market currencies because of the breadth of that market. In Mexicos case, not only do investors think its economy is fundamentally sound, its assets have higher returns as well. Mexicos 10-year government bonds yield 6.33%, compared to the US ten-year note of 2.92%. The Mexican peso, meanwhile, is 5% undervalued against the dollar, according to Commerzbank researchers. From a developed market-perspective, Mexico can give you stable returns, without having to incur a lot of risk, said Mario Robles, director and head of Latin American research at Commerzbank in New York. Swell said Goldman has added emerging market debt - both local currency as well as in dollar, with an emphasis on Latin America. Latin America has underperformed both from a rate perspective and currency perspective. Some fund managers have cited Brazils currency and debt as value plays in the midst of the Feds tapering. The Brazilian real has fallen nearly 14% this year, and some fund managers think it will stabilize in 2014. The US dollar is currently trading at 2.36 reals, and Standish Asset Management thinks despite the tapering, the greenback will be contained within the 2.20-2.40 trading band. We think the Brazilian real is fairly valued, said Federico Garcia Zamora, director of currency strategies and senior portfolio manager at Standish Asset Management in Boston, which oversees assets of about $163bn. He noted Brazils returns of between 10-12% on short-term bonds with maturities ranging from one to three years. This allows investors borrowing in lower-yielding currencies more carry trade cushion, and the selloff in the real makes it a more attractive time to put on such trades. The combination of the two has made us more comfortable in the emerging market space, l

Non-life insurance premium income grows 10% in 2012

n Tribune Report
Premium income of Bangladeshs private sector insurance companies increased by Tk1.72bn in 2012, growing 10% compared to 2011, said Bangladesh Insurance Association (BIA). BIA report showed the 2012 income rose to Tk19bn from the Tk17.27bn in 2011. BIA presented its annual report on Friday, at its 26th annual general meeting, chaired by its president Sheikh Kabir Hossain. According to the report, in the period from December 31, 2011 to December 31, 2012, the total premium of private sector life insurance companies rose to Tk62.48bn from Tk59.73bn with an approximate growth of 4.6%. In the same period, life funds increased to TK194.55bn from Tk164.22bn The total investments from life insurances rose from Tk142.17bn to Tk166.13bn while the total assets from the sector stood at Tk224.08bn against Tk188.54bn in 2011. The total investments from non-life insurances soared to Tk24.37bn from Tk21.96bn. BIA said the total assets from the sector stood at Tk48.62bn while the figure was Tk42.06bn in 2011. l

STOCKS
DSEX DS30 CSEX 4,244.64 1,467.07 8,340.92

CURRENCIES
Average selling rates to public in BDT Sonali Bank SELL BUY USD 79 80 EURO 103 107 INR 1.17 1.27 SAR 20 21 HSBC SELL 77.25 105.6 1.21 12.44 BUY 78.25 108.9 1.28 13.18

Pressure for some emerging markets

A cashier counts rupee currency notes inside a bank in Mumbai

REUTERS

Countries that have to import capital to finance domestic spending such as South Africa and India could see their exchange rates suffer, while those with surpluses such as Mexico wont feel as much of a pinch.

B2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Stock
DSE GAINER Company

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Bears become stronger than bulls last week

DSE key features December 15-19, 2013

Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract Traded Issues Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis) Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis) Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis) Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.) Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)
20,491.09 518,270,076 483,895 296 77 215 4 2,043.60 24.77

Closing (% change) 43.54 26.34 17.35 15.93 13.94 12.81 12.44 12.10 11.36 10.00

Stocks begin week today amid fresh opposition blockade Securities in its weekly market analn Tribune Report ysis.
Bears became stronger than the bulls in the past week as stocks returned to the losing streak with turnover falling sharply. Investors were extra-cautious in anticipation of a prolonged political unrest, casting a gloomy prospect of economic outlook, said analysts. BNP led 18-party alliance called for a fifth nationwide road, rail and waterways blockade that started yesterday 6 am and would continue till 5pm Tuesday. During the week ended Thursday, the benchmark index DSEX dropped 55 points or 1.4% to close at 4,244, after remaining flat in the previous two weeks. The blue chip index DS30 ended at 1,467 shedding 23 points or 1.6%. The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, lost 95 points or 1% to 8,340. The week witnessed four trading sessions as market was remained closed on Monday, marking the occasion of Victory Day. The market fell for first three sessions while last one managed to close positive amid reduced activities caused by absence of positive expectations. The market saw lower investor participation in the past week. The daily turnover averaged Tk500 crore, registering a 20% fall compared to the previous weeks average of Tk600 crore. Gradually, market seems to change its mood from enthusiasm to cautiousness, said Lanka Bangla

Northern Jute -Z Sinobangla Indu.-A Anwar Galvanizing-B Beach Hatchery -A Argon Denims Limited-A BDCOM Online-A Deshbandhu Polymer-A Generation Next F A S. Alam CR Steel -A Grameen1:Scheme2 -A CSE GAINER Company Sinobangla Indu.-A Beach Hatchery -A Argon Denims Limited-A Anwar Galvanizing-B Deshbandhu Polymer-A Generation Next-A BDCOM Online-A S. Alam CR Steel -A Samata LeatheR -Z Grameen1:Scheme2 -A

Average (% change) 42.79 18.01 13.56 12.49 15.00 6.60 9.41 8.39 10.19 7.08

Closing average 60.00 29.42 33.92 32.96 99.28 30.86 24.19 37.84 49.98 18.29

Weekly closing 60.00 30.70 34.50 34.20 99.70 31.70 24.40 38.90 50.00 18.70

Weekly high 60.50 31.10 35.50 35.60 100.80 33.10 25.50 39.40 51.00 19.50

Weekly low 45.90 24.40 29.60 27.00 79.00 26.00 20.00 31.00 41.00 17.20

Yearly high 60.5 31.1 36.0 35.6 100.8 33.1 28.9 40.0 54.7 24.9

Yearly low 16.2 17.8 12.9 14.5 28.6 15.2 15.0 18.0 32.0 13.3

Turnover in million 0.529 92.651 52.978 240.877 520.983 108.111 123.263 1130.956 242.823 27.262

It said after a huge rally in November, investors seem to have gone on the sidelines to access to the scenario. They feel if economic scenario gets into trouble due to prolonged political clashes, market valuation may start looking expensive, it said. On the other hand, year-end profit booking is also putting pressure on the market. IDLC Investments said keeping in line with gloomy political and economic outlook, the equity market passed a depressed week, as inventors lacked any apparent motivation to commit funds for a long time. Most of the stocks suffered, especially mid cap and large cap ones. Market participation was highly concentrated to a few scripts throughout the week. The past week was depressing for almost all the major sectors. Textile only stood positive in this down turn with fractional gain. Alongside, excessive trading in textile stocks was also observed, driving the sector capturing 27% of the weeks total trading. All other sectors ended in red. Banks were the biggest losers shedding 1.6%. It was followed by fuel & power 1.4% and telecommunications 1.2%. The losers took a strong lead over the gainers as out of 296 issues traded in the past week, 190 declined, 87 advanced and 19 remained unchanged on DSE. l

Closing (% change) 28.22 15.72 15.63 15.56 12.39 12.36 11.79 11.78 11.43 10.00

Average (% change) 20.33 13.01 15.54 12.96 10.16 8.64 8.43 11.10 11.19 7.08

Closing average 29.47 33.44 98.24 33.99 24.29 37.96 31.37 50.05 23.35 18.29

Weekly closing 30.90 34.60 99.90 34.90 24.50 39.10 31.30 50.30 23.40 18.70

Weekly high 31.30 35.90 99.90 36.10 26.50 39.60 33.40 51.00 25.40 19.50

Weekly low 24.80 29.20 85.10 29.80 21.60 31.50 28.00 44.60 23.00 17.20

Yearly high 31.3 35.9 99.9 37.5 28.0 39.7 33.4 54.5 25.4 24.9

Yearly low 16.5 15.0 28.8 12.7 15.4 18.4 15.9 33.0 9.0 13.3

Turnover in million 19.261 90.062 19.488 10.304 30.552 119.006 15.368 16.775 0.073 27.262

CSE key features December 15-19, 2013

Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract Traded Issues Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis) Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)
2,412.98 66,965,476 83,449 237 69 165 3 1,962.23 23.78

Weekly highlights from trade server

Audited/unaudited Financial Reports:
PTL: (Q1): As per un-audited quarterly accounts for the 1st quarter ended on 30th September 2013 (July'13 to Sep'13), the Company has reported net profit after tax of Tk. 49.04 million with basic EPS of Tk. 0.89 as against Tk. 56.71 million and Tk. 1.03 respectively for the same period of the previous year. However, considering proposed bonus share @ 12% for the year 2013, restated basic EPS will be Tk. 0.75 as on 30.09.2013 and Tk. 0.87 as on 30.09.2012. informed that the subscription period for rights issue will be from 23.03.2014 to 17.04.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 09.01.2014. The Objectives of issuance of Rights shares are procurement of local spares, accessories and completion of civil work, erection and commissioning etc., along with repayment of term loan and other liabilities. Preference Shares of Tk. 500.00 million to strengthen its Tier II capital subject to the approval of shareholders of the Company and the Regulatory Authorities. Details of the shareholders' general meeting will be notified later on.

Weekly capital market highlights

DSE Broad Index DSE - 30 Index CSE All Share Index CSE - 30 Index CSE Selected Index
DSE LOSERS Company Modern Dyeing -Z Dulamia CottonZ Imam Button -Z Sonali Ansh -A Rupali Life Insur.-A Jute SpinnersA Paramount Textile Ltd.-N Takaful Islami Insu-A Padma Islami Life*-N SonarBangla Insu. -A CSE LOSERS Company Imam Button -Z Paramount Textile Ltd.-N Padma Islami Life*-N Takaful Islami Insu-A Republic Insu.-A Sun Life Insurance-N Rupali Life Insur.-A AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A Samorita Hospital -A Paramount Insur-A Closing (% change) -15.22 -9.04 -7.96 -7.84 -7.81 -7.18 -7.04 -6.94 -6.19 -6.08 Closing (% change) -15.35 -14.13 -11.11 -10.82 -9.35 -9.26 -8.89 -7.43 -7.04 -6.87

4244.64 1467.07 13197.53 10737.27 8340.92

Average (% change) -16.30 -12.75 -11.60 -10.86 -8.60 -9.69 -10.68 -7.34 -7.84 -7.82 Closing average 82.50 7.94 8.00 136.05 121.27 74.67 60.57 38.86 63.80 24.53

(-) 1.28% (-) 1.56% (-) 1.13% (-) 1.58% (-) 1.13%
Weekly closing 83.30 7.90 8.00 136.00 120.20 74.50 61.50 38.60 63.40 24.40

Weekly high 100.00 9.40 9.00 154.00 138.00 80.00 69.20 41.90 70.40 26.70

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis) Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.) Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

Weekly low 83.20 7.90 7.60 135.00 111.70 73.90 58.20 37.00 59.00 24.20

Yearly high 183.9 11.2 14.5 198.9 143.0 167.0 72.0 55.0 77.2 35.8

Yearly low 45.2 7.3 6.5 75.0 79.0 45.0 44.0 27.0 51.0 19.9

Turnover in million 0.457 0.490 0.501 10.778 132.367 1.962 773.164 24.806 48.199 13.295

Credit Rating

GREENDELT: Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB) has announced the surveillance rating of the Company as "AA1" in the long term and "ST 1" in the short term based on audited financial statements of the Company up to 31 December 2012 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

Average (% change) -16.83 -9.89 -9.73 -8.00 -8.48 -6.97 -7.22 -6.53 -6.27 -5.89

Closing average 7.76 60.92 63.36 38.78 42.33 58.62 125.50 6.73 89.35 24.75

Weekly closing 7.80 61.40 63.60 38.80 42.50 58.20 125.50 6.70 89.40 24.70

Weekly high 9.00 69.00 71.70 42.00 46.00 64.00 145.00 6.80 96.50 25.50

Weekly low 7.60 58.20 62.00 38.70 42.20 57.90 122.00 6.60 88.70 24.40

Yearly high 14.5 72.0 76.0 49.9 65.4 110.0 145.0 8.3 146.4 30.9

Yearly low 7.0 44.2 50.0 27.2 39.4 45.0 78.0 4.8 60.0 20.2

Turnover in million 0.091 165.393 3.688 1.305 1.020 5.075 0.808 0.041 0.566 0.811

GENNEXT: Credit Rating Information and Services Limited (CRISL) has rated the Company as "A-" in the long term and "ST 3" in the short term in consideration of financials of the Company up to 30th June 2013 (audited) and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

STYLECRAFT: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has adopted the following resolutions: "To expedite production at the Company's newly built factory building as soon as possible, the Board decided to procure some electrical equipments i.e. Busbar Trunking System, Sub-Station Panel, LT Switchgears, Complete Double Shade Light and machineries at a approx. amount of Tk. 6.80 crore. Therefore, the Company will apply to Pubali Bank Ltd. for Tk. 6.00 crore (approx.) as term loan for five years, which will be adjusted from Company's future export proceeds with a provision of 6 months grace period, to start to pay off the first installment of the said term loan. The balance fund for Tk. 80.00 lac (approx.) be arranged from Company's own source as 12% margin."

ACIFORMULA: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company is intended to purchase 75% shares of Neem Laboratories (Pvt.) Ltd., Aloe Organics (Pvt.) Ltd. and Green Business & Marketing Company (BD) Limited engaged in production and marketing of herbal and natural products in a very small scale. In this connection an MOU has been signed with the respective shareholders.

ANALYST

Keeping in line with gloomy political and economic outlook, the equity market passed a depressed week, as inventors lacked any apparent motivation to commit funds for a long time

GP: Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB) has announced the entity rating (surveillance) of the Company as "AAA" based on unaudited financial statements of the Company up to September 30, 2013; audited financial statements up to December 31, 2012; bank liability position as on December 17, 2013 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

BDTHAI: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to install a new plant named Extrusion Press (Unit-III) for increasing the production capacity to meet the customer demand. The cost of machinery is Tk. 4.00 crore (approx) which will use all existing facilities of infrastructure, land, other complimentary production units like anodization, casting and also power/gas, manpower etc. The production of the new plant will immediately start. With this new production line, the production capacity of the factory will be doubled and as a result the profitability will also increase. UNIONCAP: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to issue Non-convertible

RUPALILIFE: Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has approved the Rights issue of Rupali Life Insurance Company Ltd. for 1,20,08,304 ordinary shares of Tk. 10.00 each at an issue price of Tk. 30.00 each (including Tk. 20.00 as premium) totaling Tk. 36,02,49,120.00 only at a ratio of 1R:1, i.e. one rights share for one existing share. The approval has been accorded subject to the condition that the Company shall comply with the requirements embodied in the Securities and Exchange Commission (Rights Issue) Rules, 2006, other relevant laws and Regulatory Requirements, and shall also adhere to the conditions imposed by BSEC under Section-2CC of the Securities and Exchange Ordinance, 1969.

Fixed Assets/Right/Investment:

ARAMITCEM: The Company has further

RUPALILIFE: The Company has further informed that the Rights share issue proceeds will be used for business activities of the Company as well as this fund will enhance financial strength of the Company and by raising fund through this Rights share issue is one stepping up for compliance to regulatory requirement for minimum requirements of paid up capital of Insurance Company as specified in the Insurance Act, 2010 (schedule-1). l

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

Sector 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 TURNOVER LEADERS

DSE Million Taka 1204.63 1285.80 934.53 2642.48 1622.67 1150.80 13.27 5452.39 1751.49 5.47 126.02 165.05 190.62 716.41 526.71 554.26 990.30 360.95 336.61 452.78 7.84

% change 5.88 6.27 4.56 12.90 7.92 5.62 0.06 26.61 8.55 0.03 0.61 0.81 0.93 3.50 2.57 2.70 4.83 1.76 1.64 2.21 0.04

Million Taka 137.39 155.38 73.19 252.85 268.39 110.00 0.00 687.47 218.09 2.03 17.39 51.36 20.24 56.49 102.85 21.42 74.75 35.02 51.51 77.13 0.03

CSE

% change 5.69 6.44 3.03 10.48 11.12 4.56 0.00 28.49 9.04 0.08 0.72 2.13 0.84 2.34 4.26 0.89 3.10 1.45 2.13 3.20 0.00

Million Taka 1342.02 1441.18 1007.72 2895.33 1891.07 1260.79 13.27 6139.86 1969.58 7.50 143.40 216.40 210.87 772.90 629.56 575.67 1065.05 395.97 388.12 529.91 7.88

Total

% change 5.86 6.29 4.40 12.64 8.26 5.50 0.06 26.81 8.60 0.03 0.63 0.94 0.92 3.37 2.75 2.51 4.65 1.73 1.69 2.31 0.03

Company Generation Next-A Golden Son -A Paramount Textile Ltd.-N Delta Life Insu. -A Argon Denims Limited-A Envoy Textiles Ltd-N LankaBangla Fin. -A R. N. Spinning-A Delta SpinnersA CVO PetroChem RL Z CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Paramount Textile Ltd.-N Generation Next-A Beach Hatchery -A R. N. Spinning-A aamra technologies-A Delta Life Insu. -A Delta SpinnersA Rangpur Dairy-N Envoy Textiles Ltd-N Central Pharm-A

Volume shares 30,810,380 14,415,602 12,083,750 2,050,000 5,547,500 8,550,700 8,063,986 11,636,348 8,348,000 385,952

Value in million 1130.96 847.97 773.16 572.61 520.98 514.22 510.65 427.01 355.16 340.86

% of total turnover 5.52 4.14 3.77 2.79 2.54 2.51 2.49 2.08 1.73 1.66

Weekly closing 38.90 60.90 61.50 270.30 99.70 57.60 64.60 36.70 43.90 818.80

Price change 12.10 6.84 -8.89 -3.98 13.94 -5.42 7.85 0.27 8.40 -6.59

Weekly opening 34.70 57.00 67.50 281.50 87.50 60.90 59.90 36.60 40.50 876.60

Weekly high 39.40 61.50 69.20 289.80 100.80 63.60 68.00 37.40 46.00 943.70

Weekly low 31.00 51.00 58.20 269.00 79.00 52.00 55.00 33.00 36.10 710.00

Weekly average 37.84 59.64 60.57 271.36 99.28 57.68 64.01 36.40 42.28 818.80

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

Volume shares 2,577,500 3,243,800 2,712,758 2,237,367 1,674,900 223,800 1,306,800 1,921,160 870,280 1,018,220

Value in million 165.39 119.01 90.06 82.06 66.42 62.56 56.02 55.52 52.48 51.26

% of total turnover 6.85 4.93 3.73 3.40 2.75 2.59 2.32 2.30 2.18 2.12

Weekly closing 61.40 39.10 34.60 36.60 39.00 270.50 43.90 29.00 57.60 50.70

Price change -9.04 12.36 15.72 -0.27 1.56 -3.94 7.33 8.21 -6.04 3.68

Weekly opening 67.50 34.80 29.90 36.70 38.40 281.60 40.90 26.80 61.30 48.90

Weekly high 69.00 39.60 35.90 37.40 42.50 291.00 46.00 30.10 63.70 53.00

Weekly low 58.20 31.50 29.20 35.90 37.70 270.00 39.90 25.00 56.80 48.10

Weekly average 60.92 37.96 33.44 36.32 38.77 271.51 42.39 28.49 57.66 50.53

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Sunday, December 22, 2013

B3
IOSCO upgrades BSEC to A-category n Tribune Report
Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has been upgraded to A-category from existing B-category a feat that is being expected to bring some benefits for the countrys securities regulator in the international arena. The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), an association of organisations that regulates the worlds securities and futures markets, has given this credit to the BSEC last night, BSEC Chairman M Khairul Hussain told a press briefing in Dhaka yesterday.

DSE turnover leader last week n Tribune Business Desk

Generation Next Fashions Limited was the most traded stock on Dhaka Stock Exchange last week. The A category stock changed hands 5.52% of total weekly volume worth Tk113 crore. The price of each share last week increased by 12.1% to close at Tk38.9. Brokers said the share price increased amid a declaration that the company obtained positive rating by Credit Rating Information and Services Limited (CRISL). The declaration was disclosed on Tuesday last. As a result, the price went as high as Tk38.9 each with investors taking position on the stock. Currently, the stock is being traded at its peak rate in last twelve months. The company was given the ratings A- in the long-term and ST-3 in the short-term loan that was mostly reflected by its financials (audited) up to June 30, 2013, and relevant quantitative and qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration. Previously, the management disclosed an unaudited quarterly profit of Tk11.6 crore against Tk5 crore in the same period last year. The company listed in the engineering segment of the stock market has an EPS of Tk1.69 and a price to earnings ratio of 17.26, according to unaudited reports published. Generation Next Fashions shares have a net asset value per share of Tk15.15 in 2012 with no prior history of giving out cash dividends. l

GENERATION NEXT

Non-operational company worst loser last week as it moves to 'Z' category

n Tahmidur Rahman
The stock price of Modern Dyeing& Screen Printing Limited has eroded by 15.35% to Tk83.3 each on Dhaka Stock Exchange last week. DSE on Tuesday placed the company in the Z category of shares from the B category effective since Wednesday, as the company failed to continue operations for more than last six months. The decision was taken in accordance with securities laws. Shares worth Tk4.57 lakh that represented exchange of 4,950 shares were traded during the last week. The turnover last week was an insignificant amount, however, in the first week of December volume traded was 18,250 and 9,900 respectively. Previously, a team of DSE visited the factory premises and head office of Modern Dyeing & Screen Printing Limited for inspection. The team in September reported the companys production remained closed since January 31, 2010 and all the machineries have been sold out during the time of lay-off, beginning from January 31, 2010. Moreover, according to DSE, the

MODERN DYEING

factory premises have been leased out on rental basis to third party as per the resolution passed in EGM held on August 03, 2010. On the contrary, the company has been paying cash dividend to its shareholders ranging from 4% to 8% in the past 14 years, except for 2010 and 2011. Brokers said the news influenced the stock price to fall which resulted in the stocks low volumes of trading. Nevertheless, a non-operational

companys shares each having a net asset value of Tk10.37 was being traded surprisingly at Tk100 each, said a broker. The face value of the stock is Tk10 each. In a recent disclosure, the company announced its first quarter profit in the current fiscal year of Tk4.9 lakh nearly 23.4% lower than Tk6.4 lakh in the same period last fiscal. The company currently runs on the rental revenue of around Tk20 lakh quarterly with an expense of around

60% of the revenue, according to the first quarter unaudited report at the end of September. Long term asset is worth Tk2.9 crore, a part of which is generating a lump of Tk80 lakh rental revenue annually. The stock price ranged between Tk107.9 and Tk83.3 each in last one month. The company listed in the textile segment of the stock market has an EPS of Tk0.36 and a price to earnings ratio of 57.85, according to unaudited reports. l

The BSEC would now get some benefits, including international assistance for its enforcement action and providing assistance to the member country as well, achievement to be eligible for being appointed or elected in the leadership position of IOSCO and attachment in the policymaking committee of IOSCO

Pacific trade pact talks taking time

n Reuters
Negotiations on a trade pact between a dozen countries around the Pacific Rim will take whatever time they need as the deal has to be both ambitious and comprehensive, US trade representative Michael Froman said on Saturday. The US-backed deal, which Washington had wanted to conclude this year, aims to establish a free-trade bloc stretching from Vietnam to Chile and Japan, encompassing about 800 million people and almost 40% of the global economy. But differences over farm tariffs between the United States and Japan have proved to be one of the major roadblocks and it will now not be finalized this year. I think were focused on trying to reach agreement among the 12 countries as soon as possible, but based on it being an ambitious, comprehensive, high-standard agreement and well take whatever time is necessary to do that, letting the substance of the negotiations dictate the timetable, Froman told Reuters. There are a number of outstanding issues including state owned enterprises, intellectual property rights, the environment, labour, he said in Beijing, where he was visiting for annual China-US trade talks. These are all issues that weve been devoting a lot of attention to over the last four months to make sure that we come out with an ambitious outcome, Froman said, adding there was no date or venue yet for the next round of talks. More far-reaching than other deals,

DSE top gainer of last week n Tribune Business Desk

SINOBANGLA INDUSTRIES

Shares of Sinobangla Industries bagged highest gain of 26.34% to close at Tk30.7 each on Dhaka Stock Exchange last week. There is no positive disclosure of the company in the recent times that might have pushed up the price by 45% in December, said an executive of a broker. In response to quarry by Chittagong Stock Exchange on December 18, the company informed the next day that there was no undisclosed price sensitive information for the recent unusual price hike. However in October, the company obtained positive rating by Credit Rating Information and Services Limited (CRISL). Nevertheless, the rating was based on audited report of last years third quarter and since then the net profit has only fallen, said the executive. Earlier in a disclosure, the company declared its nine months (unaudited) profit (Nov 2012 to July 2013) of Tk95.7 lakh in the current year. The profit fell by more than half from Tk2.1 crore in the same period last year. With a net asset value per share of Tk23.01 in 2012, the company listed in the engineering segment having an EPS of Tk0.48 and a price to earnings ratio of 47.97, based on recently published unaudited reports. l

He said the BSEC would now get some benefits, including international assistance for its enforcement action and providing assistance to the member country as well, achievement to be eligible for being appointed or elected in the leadership position of IOSCO and attachment in the policymaking committee of IOSCO. The chairman said it has become easy to get such feat because of recent demutualisation of stock exchanges. It has got membership of IOSCO in 1995. Its members are typically the Securities Commission or the main financial regulator from each country. IOSCO has members from over 100 countries, regulating more than 90% of the worlds securities markets. The organisations role is to assist its members to promote high standards of regulation and act as a forum for national regulators to cooperate with each other and other international organisations. IOSCO is structured into a number of committees that meet several times per year at different locations around the world and it has a permanent secretariat based in Madrid. l

US Secretary of State John Kerry (left) and US Trade Representative Michael Froman talk prior to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial meeting in Bali REUTERS the TPP pact is aimed at going beyond tariffs on physical trade and it will try to regulate sensitive areas such as government procurement and give companies more rights to sue. One problem area is the United States and Japans disagreement over Japans long-stated aims to exempt five sensitive farm products - rice, wheat, beef and pork, dairy products and sugar - from the scrapping of tariffs. The two countries held talks during a four-day TPP meeting in Singapore this month on the issue but have not come to any agreement. The TPP negotiations, which have run for three years, have been mired in controversy over a lack of transparency, and slowed by the conflicting interests of the negotiating countries, US lawmakers and advocacy groups. The full list of those already in the talks is the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Chile, Mexico and Peru. China said in May that it would study the possibility of joining the talks, but has said little about it since. Asked whether China could realistically join the TPP in the near future, Froman said the United States and China had other issues on their plate. I think the near term focus ought to be on addressing the wide range of outstanding bilateral issues we have and exploring the bilateral investment treaty as the next natural step in the relationship, he said. The United States and China agreed in July to restart stalled negotiations on an investment treaty, with Beijing dropping previous efforts to protect certain sectors of its economy from the start. l

Tanjil elected BMBA president n Tribune Report

Tanjil Chowdhury has been elected president of Bangladesh Merchant Bankers Association (BMBA) for a twoyear term. Tanjil, managing director of EC Securities, replaced outgoing president Mohammad A Hafiz, said a press release yesterday. Akter H Sannamat, managing director of Union Capital, has been elected vice president of the association. An 11-member executive committee has also been elected uncontested earlier. l

Al-Arafah Islami Bank holds EC meeting

The 420th meeting of the Executive Committee (EC) of the Board of Directors of Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited (AAIBL) was held at the board room of the bank on December 19. EC Chairman Alhajj Abdus Samad presided over the meeting. EC Vice Chairman Alhajj Abdul Malek Mollah, Members Alhajj Nazmul Ahsan Khaled, Alhajj Hafez Md Enayet Ullah, Alhajj Engr Kh Mesbah Uddin Ahmed, Managing Director Md Habibur Rahman, Company Secretary & DMD Md Mofazzal Hossain, DMD Kazi Towhidul Alam, Md Golam Rabbani, Executive Vice President Md Mominul Haque Bhuiyan and Abul Hossain Md Rafique were present in the meeting. l

Christmas and new year celebrations at Sonargaon Hotel

Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka has organised programmes to rejoice the year end celebration of Christmas and New Year. There will be an eventful festivity on the day and eve of Christmas & New Year. Customers can experience the lush greenery, glitter, fun rides, magic shows and many more amusements in an exciting Kids Pool Party at pool side on Christmas Day. At Balcony Bar, there will be Band Music performance on both the Christmas and New Years Eve. In addition, savour the Chefs Prime Rib menu on the eve of Christmas and a Special Dinner on 31st night in the premiere Caf Bazar restaurant of the hotel. Moreover, wild and happening BBQ night on 31st New Years Eve amidst the oasis and swimming pool surrounding. An attractive Raffle Draw on the 31st has also been arranged. There will also be a Special Christmas Cookies Sale of different mesmerising taste and shapes will be available at the lobby outlet for tasting. l

HSBC opens new branch

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) has expanded their network by opening a new branch in Mymensingh recently. The Branch was officially inaugurated through video conference by Dr Atiur Rahman, Governor of Bangladesh Bank. The opening ceremony at Mymensingh was attended by Mustakim Billah Faruqi, District Commissioner, Mymensingh and Md Abdul Hamid, General Manager, Bangladesh Bank, Mymensingh Office, along with dignitaries, customers, HSBC officials and members of the press. l

President of Banani Club Limited Shawkat Ali Bhuiyan and Advisor of Banani Club Limited Rubel Aziz inaugurated the GYM at Banani Club Limited on Victory Day December 16, 2013. Vice President Dr Misbaul Alam, Executive Committee member Mahmud Alam, Selim Ullah, Mir Mosharraf Ali, K Habibul Alam, CK Dey, Salah Uddin Lablu, Hasanur Bari, and other honourable members of Banani Club also attended the inauguration ceremony

Bangladesh Insurance Association President Sheikh Kabir Hossain, addressing the 26th Annual General Meeting held recently. Other members of the Executive Committee of BIA are also present in the meeting

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Career

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Know thyself
n Ahsan Sajid
Whether youre giving an interview for the position of a line cook at a fast food restaurant or for a managerial post in a big agency, one question is sure to come your way: What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? In the ruins of the ancient Temple of Apollo at Delphi in Greece is inscribed a phrase that sums up the long and short of every wisdom in the world, put together. The two-word phrase, written in ancient Greek, simply says know thyself. This isnt merely a polite sug-

What this ancient wisdom means for your career today

can and cannot do is the first step to an organised mind, and to impressing your potential employer. of skills are easiest to put a finger on, and are also most tangible to a potential employer from your CV. However, just because they are on the CV, it doesnt mean you should highlight them any less while discussing your key strengths. the kind of player you turn out to be for your employer; you cannot put them down on paper and thus everything from your body language to the way you talk speaks for them. Your unique qualities may include dependability, flexibility, friendliness, expressiveness, punctuality, how much of a team player you are etc.

Using your lunch break to further your career

The ideal response

So, what is the best way to answer What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? Asses your skills, and you will identify your strengths. This is an on-going, lifelong exercise instead of just a one-off thing before your first job interview. Its easier to do with a pen and paper than just your mind; it will give you a clear, confident picture instead of a vague idea. Divide your

Transferable skills

Transferable Skills are skills that you pick up throughout your life: from all your interactions be at school or university or a social gathering or at a previous job. These kinds of skills are portable and it is what employers

Shortlisting strengths

Once you have this list prepared, pick the best three to five strengths, spread out over the three different categories, depending on the particular job posting and what the employer is seeking. It is important to remember to illustrate your strengths with real life examples to demonstrate why you claim a particular strength, if probed further.

n Career Desk
The lunch hour is a sacred time of reprieve that many of us look forward to from the moment we step into the office. Its a time to relax and gather momentum before the second half (often the busier half) of the day begins. The lunch hour is spent walking around the office, meeting colleagues, chatting near the water cooler, yawning, stretching and with whatever time is left, eating. In todays increasingly fast-paced workplace, you can, with careful consideration, utilise your lunch break to work for you in furthering your career. Following are some suggestions. Homework: In any line of work, you are bound to meet a number of people every day in a professional capacity. Do your homework before you meet them. Research the people you hope to meet that day, or better yet, that week, be it at your office, at their office, or at work-related events; you will find that it will pay off (a simple Google search goes a long way; looking up their LinkedIn page is always a good idea). This way you are prepared for the meeting, and you have cues as to how to approach this particular person, how to address them, what to talk about etc. All for a successful meeting! Follow-up: Never underestimate the importance of following up; if practiced properly and regularly this single approach will put you ahead of fellow colleagues. Every time you meet a person professionally, send them an email, text message, Facebook message within 24 hours to thank them for giving you their time, and a brief summary of all that has been discussed during the meeting and any next steps to be undertaken. This solidifies the working relationship, and makes sure that both parties

are still on the same page and minor details have not been overlooked. Networking: Failure of networking arises from the fact that people think of it as a series of episodes, instead of a continuous, 24-hours-a-day-7-days-a-week thing. Speedy success in your career comes from being needed, and not merely tolerated or accepted. The way to become somebody who is needed is by handing out important information, contacts and ideas to as many people as possible. Utilise any free time during the lunch hour to participate in water cooler discussions; connect two people together you think can help each other out, and out of it, just for making introductions, you earn the goodwill of two people. Hello: A lot of people disregard how far a casual, friendly hello can take your professional career. Be it texts, emails, Facebook messages (depending on what the recipient checks most often), use them to your advantage to make sure you are always on the top of peoples minds (too often, and you may become annoying). A simple hello reminds a person that youre thinking of them and that your relationship with them means something to you. With your hello, add a line or two about something relevant (a personal goal that youve recently reached, important update on news that you may have unique insight on etc.) These are suggestions that should be practiced at any appropriate time for the continued success of your career. However, the lunch hour in particular is an ideal time because it is time out from work, but technically in the middle of work so you have the proper frame of mind. All of these suggestions seem very tedious, and results are not instantaneous. But as with anything else in life, you must give, and give again, before you get. l

Weaknesses

And now for the more difficult end of the assessment: listing your weaknesses. Everyone has weaknesses, but it isnt something we want to admit. In many cases, a weakness is a weakness because we arent even aware of its existence. The best way to handle talking about your weaknesses is to minimise the undesirable trait, and emphasise the positive. How you phrase your sentence also plays a big role, as you can make a weakness work for you in certain situations. If youre a perfectionist by nature, your attention to detail may serve as both a strength and weakness depending on the context you put it in. Select a weakness and come up with a solution to overcome it. List all of your weaknesses, but make sure you have solutions accompanying each. Depending on the position you are applying for, concentrate on the more professional traits than the personal ones. For example, a good professional weakness to concentrate on could be the fact that you look at the big picture which means you may miss small details.

Rounding the response

The Stone of 12 Angles in Peru, an artists impression of the original text inscribed in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi gestion, and the importance of the wisdom is as relevant to your career today as it was to people in the ancient world. A successful career starts with knowing your strengths and playing to them, with knowing your weaknesses and making them work for you. And thus, it is important to know for certain what your strengths and weaknesses are before you embark on such an important journey. Knowing what you skills into three general categories, and take your time with it, thinking about each category at great length. are looking for when they ask for job experience; it is an easy way to figure out what sort of transferable skills you bring to the table. They include communication and people skills, ability to work well in groups of varying sizes, analytical problem solving and planning skills etc.

Knowledge-based skills

Knowledge-Based skills are acquired from education and experience, such as the number of languages you speak, degrees you hold, any training you underwent, any form of technical ability like computer skills. These kinds

Personal traits

Personal traits play the biggest role in

When discussing strengths and weaknesses, it is vital to remember to avoid the following words: maybe, probably, pretty and usually. Do not be vague; be confident about what you are and what you arent. The interviewer is looking for a fit based on your answers; put your energy into discussing your strengths, eventually letting the interviewer know that you may not be perfect, but you are working on any shortcomings and weaknesses you have. Listing strengths and weaknesses isnt enough, make sure the interviewer understands how you can apply them and make them work for you, and for your potential employer. l

Money matters

n Career Desk

Debt (noun) money etc owed by one person to another Exchange rate (noun) the rate at which one currency can be exchanged for another Foreign exchange (noun) the currency of other countries Hard currency (noun) currency that will probably not fall in value and is readily accepted Invest (verb) to put money for profit into business, land etc Legal tender (noun) currency that cannot legally be refused in payment of a debt Petty cash (noun) cash fund for small, everyday expenses Soft currency (noun) currency that will probably fall in value and is not readily accepted Speculate (verb) risky buying of foreign currency, land etc for rapid gain Transaction (noun) a (usually commercial) exchange; a deal

What is the purpose of Model UN and how can it change your life?
n Fahmida Faiza
One thing Ive realised from my experience with Model UN is that you need a clear idea of what it is and how it can help you from the outset. You need to understand what its underlying purpose is, and how it can potentially change your life. Ive found that a popular belief is that it is a waste of time and money; even parents and teachers share in this misconception, considering it a worthless pursuit. This is contradictory to the fact that thousands of people benefit from participating in Model UN. The misconception exists because most people are not aware of how MUN can effectively change their lives for the better and propel their career! mittee agenda, you need to focus before moving on to your countrys policy. Practicing this equips you with the knowledge of priorities, what to emphasise more and what to draw attention away from, how to give preference to an issue over another, and a sense of urgency and focus on finding solutions for the given problems. While the exercises practiced in Model UN may be hypothetical, it teaches you to find solutions in the midst of a crisis in real life situations.

ATM (abbreviation) Automated Teller Machine; cash dispenser Banknote (noun) a piece of paper money; bill

Black market (noun) illegal traffic in officially controlled commodities such as foreign currency Bureau de change (noun) establishment where currencies of different countries may be exchanged Cash (noun) coins or bank notes (not cheques); actual money paid (not credit) Cashier (noun) person dealing with cash transactions in a bank, store etc Currency (noun) the money in general use or circulation in any country

BIZ VOCAB

Refining leadership

Understanding the need

To appreciate the importance of practicing MUN, one needs to understand what it is and what it stands for. Simply defined, it is an academic simulation practiced by students from the world over to practice and promote multilateral diplomacy, the art of speaking, and the importance of negotiation and also to participate in role playing activities of the UN which fosters the kind of experience required off future leaders of the country and the world at large. This age old culture started in the 1920s and has become one of the most prestigious student simulations or gatherings in the world.

Diplomacy is an essential skill in anyones life. Practicing diplomacy helps one act strategically and sophisticatedly. It is the most effective and efficient tool for problem solving.

Inculcating a global outlook

Cultivating diplomacy

A common misconception is that Model UN only helps ones oratory skills, but these exercises are geared to not just alleviate ones oratory skills but cultivate diplomacy.

Being a global citizen of todays globalised world, one needs international knowledge. Your knowledge of matters gleaned from textbooks and your standard curriculum is not enough. A sure way to lag behind the rest of the world is to be ignorant of current affairs and

whats happening around the world. An experience of Model UN instills a global outlook in practitioners. You will become well-versed in not just what is happening in your own community, but your city, country, and the world at large. Model UN will help you know about the world, its history and issues which will further your career in the long run.

Instilling a sense of urgency

Model UN develops you as a leader, and puts particular emphasis on one of the most important aspects to being a leader negotiation. In whatever field you end up, you need to negotiate in your everyday life, make your voice heard, earn respect for your opinion while respecting those of others, and come to a united conclusion. There is no alternative to negotiation and it helps you to unite everyone under one umbrella through prioritising everyones voice with equal importance. Furthermore, practicing Model UN will teach you to respect everyone in equal footing and understand why everyone in society is important in their own way and how everyone has a purpose to serve. For society to progress, negotiations must be held under a united platform, and Model UN is great training for exactly that. It helps not only your career; the skills picked up from it apply directly to day to day life. Practicing Model UN may just change your life! l The writer is a MUN practitioner, trainer and organiser

RK Shah: I am currently on my second year of university, and like most of my friends do not have a job. I ASK MENTOR play the keyboard in a band, and were moderately successful. However, I do not earn any money from this passion of mine, and waiting till I graduate to be able to earn seems too far away. I think I would be great at making music for advertisements, or something along these lines. But since I have no contacts, how can I start working in this field? I have a strong portfolio of music I have created, but I havent done anything commercial. I am seriously considering this as a career option, please advice. Mentor: Sorry, I am a little lost here. You want to make jingles professionally? Are you inspired by Mr. Charlie Harper of Two and a Half Men? Frankly, you will not earn much in this field in Bangladesh. Bangladesh does not have much happening in the intellectual rights area. People who are musicians are often approached to make jin-

gles. The best advertisement music here is made by a few famous composers. So, you should think of a career in music in general. Tasnova: I have been working tirelessly at my job for a year now, which was initially supposed to be part time. My official hours are still that of a part timer, but the last few months I am being made to take so much work home, I feel that I am entitled to a higher salary. However, I cannot deal with confrontations and I am not exactly sure how to bring this up with my boss. How can I approach him with this? Should I directly ask for a raise or simply mention how I am being given a lot more tasks than originally promised? Mentor: Yes, be upfront. Show him your credentials and be sincere about it. While doing part time work, one should always keep a log of his or her work. That keeps them going. However, I suggest that you hang in there just a little while longer, if you are still a student. This may be a ladder for you to get connected and be a stepping stone to a great career, which you do not want to ruin.

Model UN helps you find and direct your focus. Once you have your com-

Email us at career@dhakatribune.com for your opinions, feedback and career-related queries.