29 March, 2015

PAGE 10Yemen strikes may last longer

PAGE 3Zonayed Saki collects nomination papers

PAGE 3FBI, DB struggle with Avijit murder probe

PAGE 5New urban policy on the cards

PAGE 4JU Chhatra League men beat up students

RANGAMATI MED SCHOOL REOPENS PAGE 6

EROSION OF CIVIC-MINDEDNESS PAGE 32

MANJUR GETS 20-PARTY NOD PAGE 3

SECOND EDITION

SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2015 | Chaitra 15, 1421, Jamadius Sani 8, 1436 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 2, No 353 | www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

Awami League introduces Annisul as mayoral aspirantn Abu Hayat Mahmud

Mayoral candidate Annisul Huq exchanged views with the workers and leaders of Mo-hammadpur, Adabar and Sher-e Bangla Banar thana units of the Awami League in the capi-tal yesterday evening.

AL Presidium Member Tofail Ahmed, In-ternational A� airs Secretary Conl (retd) Faruk Khan, Joint General Secretary and local MP Jahangir Kabir Nanak introduced the ruling al-liance’s candidate with the local leaders at Su-chana Community Centre at Mohammadpur.

Annisul Huq has already collected the nomination paper to contest in the mayoral post of Dhaka North City Corporation.

The Awami League leaders said he has been selected by Awami League President Sheikh Hasina.

PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Trans-Tasman rivals brace for ICC World Cup 2015 climaxn Mazhar Uddin from Melbourne

The 2015 ICC World Cup has � nally reached its climax following 42 days of drama and 48 matches � lled with nerve-wracking action as co-hosts Australia and New Zealand prepare to battle it out in the grand � nale under the Melbourne sky today at 9:30am.

The trans-Tasman rivals have played some extraordinary cricket right throughout the � agship event and the � nal could not have asked for better teams.

While Australia have only been beaten once en route to the � nal, New Zealand have remained unbeaten having won all their eight matches including one group stage match against the Kangaroos.

However, even though Australia’s lone de-feat came against the Kiwis, one can hardly pick a favourite. While the Kiwis recorded a thrilling win over South Africa in the � rst semi-� nal, the Aussies hardly broke sweat against a dominant Indian side in the second.

PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Ruling alliance moves to Plan BAwami League-led alliance likely to � nalise candidates on March 31n Abu Hayat Mahmud

BNP’s announcement of joining the April city polls has let the ruling Awami League alliance to shift to Plan B, which is primarily to ensure there is just one candidate for all posts includ-ing that of mayors.

In most of the city posts – mayor, ward councillor and female councillor – more than one Awami League leader have expressed their intention to contest. Most have already collected nomination papers as well.

The initial plan was to let all those candi-dates contest the polls if BNP had not come in. But now that the scenario has changed, Awami League is bent on ensuring that the ruling alli-ance votes do not get split, party insiders said.

Moreover, the party needs to get on the same page with all its partners of the 14-party alliance. Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), led by

Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu has already � oated its own mayoral candidate for Dhaka south.

Sources also said if the party cannot ensure that all its allies are lined up to back common candidates, the polls would only go in favour of the BNP-backed candidates.

When contacted, Awami League presidium member Mohammad Nasim, also spokesperson for the 14-party alliance, told the Dhaka Trib-une: “Prime Minister and alliance leader Sheikh Hasina has already � nalised three mayoral can-

didates for Dhaka north, Dhaka south and Chit-tagong. The alliance will also support the candi-dates endorsed by the prime minister.”

He said: “We will � nalise the councillor candidates through discussions with our alli-ance partners.”

According to sources, the 14-party alliance will hold a meeting on March 31 to sort things out among the partners. The meeting is sup-posed to be held at Hasina’s political o� ce in Dhanmondi.

Today is the last date for submitting nomi-nation papers that the aspirants have collected over the last few weeks. All aspirants a� liated with the Awami League can � le nomination papers with the Election Commission, but they will have to pull out before April 9.

Hasina has already endorsed business ty-coon Annisul Huq, former FBCCI and BGMEA

PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Aussie skipper Michael Clarke and his opposite number Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum pose with the coveted trophy before today’s � nal match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 at the 100,000-seat Melbourne Cricket Ground CRICKET AUSTRALIA

The initial plan was to let all those candidates contest the polls if BNP had not come in

SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2015

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Ruling alliance moves to Plan Bpresident, for mayor of Dhaka north; Sayeed Khokon, son of � rst elected mayor of undi-vided Dhaka, late Mohammad Hanif; and AJM Nasir Uddin, general secretary of Awami League’s Chittagong city unit, for Chittagong.

However, several other Awami League leaders, including incumbent lawmakers, have also collected nomination papers.

They include Old Dhaka lawmaker Haji Mo-hammad Selim for Dhaka south; � lmstar and ex-MP Kabari, current MP Kamal Ahmed Majumdar and Ekhlas Uddin Molla for Dhaka north.

Last week, Hasina warned that anyone who goes against party decision will face tough actions.

When contacted, Selim’s personal secre-tary Sohel Hawladar told the Dhaka Tribune that his boss had gone to India for treatment; he will be back tomorrow. A status on Selim’s Facebook page also states as much.

Veteran Awami League leader Suranjit Sen-gupta, member of the party’s advisory coun-cil, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that everything will be � ne before the polls.

“The rebels are not a problem. Two candi-dates will contest the polls in the two city corpo-rations. The rest will pull out. Just wait and see,” said Suranjit who had been present at every high-level meeting for selecting candidates.

The BNP has also � nalised businessman Abdul Awal Mintoo for Dhaka north, party standing committee member Mirza Abbas for Dhaka south, and incumbent Chittagong mayor M Manjur Alam, who resigned on Fri-day to be able to run for Chittagong mayor once again. l

Trans-Tasman rivals brace for ICC World Cup 2015 climaxAustralia skipper Michael Clarke and New Zealand boss McCullum will both target the top prize today but, in comparison, the occa-sion will be more emotional for the former.

Thirty-three-year old Clarke has already announced that today’s � nal will be his last one-day international outing so he will be desperate to sign o� with a memorable win.

Whether “Pup” realises his dream will largely depend on their deadly fast bowling department comprising Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and James Faulkner. With 20 scalps, Starc is the second highest wicket-taker of the 2015 World Cup while Johnson, Hazlewood and Faulkner have played their parts well.

Australia’s batting, meanwhile, will be spearheaded by young and brilliant Steve Smith. Smith, at 25, is no doubt the next big

thing in Australian cricket and after an aston-ishing summer, the right hander will be look-ing to conclude the season on a grand note.

Alongside Smith, Aaron Finch, David Warner and Glenn Maxwell form the core of Australia’s versatile batting. However, Clarke, a veteran of 244 one-day internationals, has been unable to shine so far. Just a solitary � fty against Sri Lanka hardly does justice to one of the best players of his time.

The Black Caps on the other hand are just a step away from glory. They have never come closer, having previously succumbed in six semi-� nals.

Unlike Clarke, McCullum will not be bid-ding his ODI farewell today but this may very well be the last World Cup for him and also for wily old spinner Daniel Vettori.

The Kiwis have prospered in the World

Cup and more often than not, it was due to the solid opening partnerships provided by McCullum and Martin Guptill. Guptill is the second highest run-scorer of the tournament with 532 runs and has the opportunity to sur-pass highest scorer Kumar Sangakkara, who has 541.

In-form Kane Williamson and seasoned Ross Taylor shore up the Kiwis’ middle or-der while semi-� nal hero Grant Elliott and big-hitting Corey Anderson add strength to their lower-middle-order.

Kiwi bowling is spearheaded by Trent Boult, whose 21 wickets make him the high-est wicket-taker thus far, and along with Tim Southee, the opening pair have ripped apart many a side’s batting.

Two factors, however, might work against the Kiwis today.

So far, the Kiwis have played all of their eight matches at home. None of the venues in New Zealand are as big as the Melbourne Cricket Ground and sixes have been few and far between at the � nal venue. So the bats-men have to � nd that extra bit of strength.

Secondly, it does not swing much at the MCG in comparison to the turfs in New Zea-land. Most of Boult and Southee’s victims have fallen prey to swinging deliveries. Hence, the Kiwi opening bowling duo have to maintain a tight line and length in order to deny explosive batsmen like Warner, Finch and Maxwell.

At the end of it all, it promises to be a grand occasion and millions of people will be eager-ly waiting to � nd out which of the two sides hold onto their nerves and clinch glory for their nation. l

20-party’s nationwide protest procession today n Tribune Report

The BNP-led 20-party alliance will bring out protest processions across the country today.

The alliance made the announcement yes-terday through a press statement signed by BNP Joint Secretary General Barkatullah Bulu, urging countrymen to observe the programme peacefully and successfully alongside the on-

going nationwide transport blockade.The statement reads: “The alliance will

bring out processions in every district, upazi-la, municipality and city corporations on Sunday [today] to protest the nationwide mass killing of party leaders and activists and demand the return of all missing leaders, in-cluding BNP’s Joint Secretary General Sala-huddin Ahmed.”

However, the release did not mention any fresh hartal which the BNP-led alliance has been enforcing since February 1.

On March 24, the alliance apparently paused its nationwide hartal programme as the country geared up to celebrate the 45th Independence Day on March 26, breaking the pattern of hartals on weekdays (Sun-day-Thursday). l

PM for creating 2 more divisions splitting Dhaka, Chittagongn UNB

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday empha-sised on the importance of creating two new di-visions in the country splitting the existing Dha-ka and Chittagong divisions to make it easier for the government to serve people in a greater way.

“The country’s population has increased…it is our responsibility to serve people, we can provide services to them in a greater way by increasing the number of divisions,” she said.

The prime minister said this while addressing a Darbar of the elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at its headquarters in Kurmitola in the capital marking its 11th founding anniversary.

After the creation of the new divisions, Hasina said, it would be possible for the gov-ernment to implement its development pro-gramme in an easier way. “People will get their services, their security will be ensured, and we will be able to work more for econom-ic development,” she said.

On March 4, the prime minister in parlia-ment said the government has a plan to create three new divisions – Comilla, Mymensingh and Faridpur – to accelerate the decentralisa-tion process and take government services to the doorsteps of people.

On January 26, the Cabinet Division was directed to examine the feasibility of estab-lishing two other administrative divisions – one in greater Faridpur and another with greater Comilla and greater Noakhali splitting the Chittagong division. l

Annisul as mayor“The meeting is to introduce Annisul Huq as the 14-party candidate,” Tofail told the meet-ing, seeking support of the party leaders, ac-tivists and supporters.

Anis sought support of the gathering of several hundred people with a pledge to take special initiatives to build a planned green Dhaka, and women empowerment and devel-opment.

According to the election code of con-duct, any sort of campaign for the city polls before April 7 is a violation of the election code. l

Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh brings out a rally to raise awareness for protecting climate marking Earth hour 2015 in the capital yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

NEWS2DT

NEWS 3D

TSUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2015

FBI, DB struggling with Avijit murder proben Mohammad Jamil Khan

More than a month has elapsed, but the mys-tery behind the gruesome attack on secular blogger and science writer Avijit Roy and his wife co-writer Ra� da Ahmed Bonya is yet to be solved.

Until now, investigators of the Detective Branch of police have got no clue to identify the killers while globally-acclaimed US probe agency Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is yet to complete DNA tests on the evidence collected from the murder spot on Dhaka Uni-versity campus.

The DB o� cials say they are trying to lo-cate the suspects and now analysing the state-ments given by over a dozen persons. Howev-er, the prime suspect, Redwanul Azad Rana of Ansarullah Bangla Team, is still out of radar of

the law enforcers though Tk5 lakh has been declared as bounty for his arrest.

The only arrest made in the case, Sha� -ur Rahman Farabi, has not yielded anything signi� cant, detectives say. Leader of banned Islamist out� t Hizb ut-Tahrir, Farabi admitted that he had threatened Avijit with death on Facebook. He also thinks the atheist blogger got what he deserved.

Monirul Islam, the DB joint commissioner, told the Dhaka Tribune that they were doing their best to unearth the mystery while law enforcers conducting raids to arrest the sus-pected killers.

On February 26, some unidenti� ed assail-ants attacked Avijit and Bonya with machetes after they came out of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair. Avijit succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital after around an hour

that night. Bonya, who was critically injured in the attack, was later � own to the US.

As both the victims were US citizens, an expert team of the FBI joined the DB in the investigation process. The team visited the crime spot and collecting the samples sent those to the US for lab test. Later a technical expert of the FBI visited Bangladesh to ana-lyse the clues, but there has been no break-through in the case.

Expressing frustration over the probe, Bonya in a statement on March 26 asked the government to speak up against religious terrorism and pursue a thorough investigation.

“It surprises us to see that the Bangladeshi government has not mentioned a word about this since the day of the murder...Similar at-tacks on secular writers have happened be-

fore. This turning of a blind eye feeds both the public’s sense of cynicism and the terrorists’ sense of invincibility,” she said.

Prof Ajoy Roy, father of Avijit and plain-ti� of the murder case, suspected that Buet teacher Farseem Mannan Mohammedy might have link with the murder since the couple had joined a meeting on the fair premises on his invitation. The detectives also questioned Farseem about the meeting and its partici-pants but have not found any clue.

After getting the DNA test results from the FBI, DB chief Monirul said they could verify the pro� les with the suspects to � nd the kill-ers.

“We solved many critical cases in the past and also witnessed some other sensational cases. We are investigating this case based on our knowledge,” he added. l

Manjur gets 20-party’s support n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

The BNP-led 20-party alliance yesterday o� -cially backed immediate past mayor M Man-jur Alam for the Chittagong city polls slated for April 28.

The announcement was made yesterday afternoon before local alliance leaders sat in a closed-door meeting at the residence of city unit BNP chief Amir Khasru Mahmud Chow-dhury.

“We are o� cially supporting Manjur. Now we will lay out a plan to ensure his victory,” said Khosru who is also the alliance’s election coordinator in Chittagong.

Manjur became the mayor of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) in 2010 upsetting his mentor and Awami League stalwart ABM Mo-hiuddin Chowdhury.

Earlier, the alliance decided to back Manjur after having failed to persuade Khosru to run for the mayor of the port city.

While talking to reporters before the meet-ing yesterday, Khosru termed Manjur as the most successful mayor of CCC in 20 years.

“The election is a challenge for us. It is part of our ongoing movement in favour of pro-tecting democracy, which is being ruined by the unelected ruling part party’s oppression,” he said.

Although most senior alliance leaders were present in the meeting that followed, Shaha-dat Hossain, general secretary of Chittagong BNP, was not there. He wanted to run for the mayor as well.

On Wednesday, Chhattagram Unnayan Andolan (Chittagong Development Move-ment), a platform of pro-BNP professionals,

announced that they will back Manjur for the CCC polls.

Two days later, Manjur, also advisor to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, resigned from the post of CCC mayor and collected nomination papers.

Today is the last date for submitting � lled-up nomination papers. Candidates will get until April 9 to pull out and they can start campaigning a day later.

Until yesterday, 671 aspiring mayors, ward councillors and reserved female ward coun-cillors collected nomination forms.

Mohammad Elias, Saifuddin Ahmed Robi and Md Abul Kalam Azad yesterday collected nomination forms for contesting in the mayoral race, taking the tally to 18, said Assistant Returning O� cer Sha� qur Rahman. l

Zonayed Saki collects nomination formn Tribune Report

Convener of Peoples Solidarity Movement (Gonosonhoti Andolon) Zonayed Saki yester-day collected nomination form for the Dhaka North City Corporation mayoral election.

Flanked by leftist leaders and activists, Saki bought the nomination paper around 4pm. He is also a key organaiser and central leader of the National Committee to Protect Oil Gas Mineral Resources Power and Ports. Before collecting his nomination paper, Saki resigned from his position in Gonosonhoti Andolon.

Returning O� cer Shah Alam said 26 may-oral aspirants, 823 general ward councillor as-pirants and 161 reserved councillor (women) aspirants collected nomination papers. His o� ce also issued show cause notices to 24 candidates until yesterday for violating elec-toral code and conduct.

In Dhaka south, 30 people collected nom-ination forms to contest for the mayor post, 1128 for councillor and 208 for reserved wom-en councillor posts. l

NHRC chief: Police can prove Salahuddin was not arrested by rescuing himn Abid Azad

The law enforcers should prove that they had not arrested BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed, missing since March 10, National Human Rights Commission Chairman Mizanur Rah-man said yesterday.

“The police need to prove that Salahuddin was not arrested by rescuing him,” he told a discussion on International Day on the Elimi-nation of Racism 2015 organised by the Minor-ity Rights Forum Bangladesh in the capital.

Pointing at the police chief, Mizanur said: “You have claimed that you did not arrest the BNP leader. I want to say that we will believe it if he is produced before a court or the public.”

Salahuddin’s family alleges that the probe body tasked to � nd the leader remained inactive. When contacted, committee chief Joint Commis-sioner Meer Rezaul Alam declined to comment. l

Pro-BNP Doctors Association of Bangladesh demand safe return of ‘missing’ BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed and protest killing, abduction and forced disappearances through a human chain formed in front of the National Press Club yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

NEWS4DTSUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2015

Eliminate terrorism, PM to law enforcersShe says international groups involved in passport, currency forgeryn UNB

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday di-rected the law enforcement agencies, includ-ing Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), to work with utmost sincerity to eliminate terrorism as her government will not tolerate any ter-rorist act on Bangladesh soul.

She also stressed talking to neighbouring countries to check passport and currency for-gery as international groups are involved in the criminal acts.

The prime minister was addressing a Darbar of the elite force at its headquarters in Kurmitola in the capital marking its 11th Founding Anniversary.

About BNP-Jamaat clique’s subversive ac-tivities in the name of political programmes, Sheikh Hasina reiterated that the govern-ment will not tolerate killing people through hurling petrol bombs and arson attacks. “We won’t tolerate these…all have to take neces-sary tough steps against these. We’ll have to provide security to the people.”

She also directed the members of RAB, drawn from various forces, to perform their responsibilities maintaining the chain of command as well as the law, rules and policy of the elite force.

Hasina said her government will deal with extremism in Bangladesh with a strong hand although the activities of evil forces are in-creasing in many parts of the world.

She expressed � rm optimism that all the patriotic forces, including RAB would contin-ue working shoulder to shoulder to maintain the law and order as well as ensure peace, sta-bility and development of the country.

Stressing the need for coordination among the forces, the prime minister said they will have to take all-out e� orts together in contain-ing militancy, terrorism and all kinds of anti-so-cial acts like smuggling and human tra� cking.

Extending her sincere thanks to the law-enforcement agencies, including RAB, for their role in maintaining law and order,

Hasina said they have been working with highest professionalism and endless patience to save the lives and property of people.

Calling RAB as the elite force in real sense, she mentioned that her government would do whatever necessary for its further mod-ernisation and making it time-be� tting one.

Praising the role of RAB in maintaining law and order with patriotism, sincerity, integrity and e� ciency since its inception, the Prime Minister said the con� dence and comfort have returned to the people of the country following its e� ective measures.

About the strong and courageous role of the elite force in containing subversive acts in the name of foiling the election, she said they dealt with the culprits with an iron hand

and played a great role in restoring peace and order in the country, including south and southwestern regions.

They also rescued many kidnapped chil-dren and people and returned them to their families by arresting many hatred criminals, she said.

Sheikh Hasina is the country’s � rst head of the government who visited the RAB Head-quarters after its inception on March 26, 2006 during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government.

Director General of RAB Benazir Ahmed delivered the welcome address while Prime Minister’s Adviser on Security A� airs Ma-jor General (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, IGP AKM Shahidul Haque and Senior

Secretary of the Home Ministry Dr Md Mo-zammel Haque Khan were present.

Later, the prime minister responded to a number questions raised by RAB members and asked concerned authorities concerned to take steps in solving problems like increas-ing the tenure of deputation in RAB and pro-viding arms license to retired RAB o� cials considering their life risk.

Sheikh Hasina also inaugurated six devel-opment programmes implemented recently and laid foundation stones of three new pro-jects of RAB through unveiling their plaques from there.

Earlier, on her arrival at the venue, the prime minister was given a guard of honour by a smart contingent of RAB. l

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina poses with the high-ups of RAB on the 11th founding anniversary of RAB at its headquarters in Uttara yesterday PMO

4 JMB men remanded n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday placed four mem-bers of banned Islamist out� t Jama’atul Muja-hideen Bangladesh (JMB) on a six-day remand each in a case � led under anti-terrorism act.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Moham-mad Jahangir Hossain passed the order yes-terday afternoon after the investigation of-� cer of the case produced the accused before the court with a 10-day remand plea.

On Friday, the JMB members – Ziaul, Raz-zak, Mofazzal and Hamzala – were arrested with explosives from the capital’s East Mol-lartek area in Uttara.

Mufti Mahmud Khan, director of the legal and media wing of RAB, told the Dhaka Tribune: “A team of RAB 10 raided a house at Prembagan in East Mollartek and detained the JMB men.”

“Twelve petrol bombs, 30 hand bombs, 60 detonators and a grenade were found after searching the house,” he said.

Later, Hedayet Hossain, an o� cial of RAB 10, � led a case against them with Hazaribagh police station. l

JU BCL men beat up student on trivial mattern JU Correspondent

Some Jahangirnagar University (JU) unit Chhatra League activists have allegedly beat-en up a student there over a trivial matter.

The incident took place in Battola area on the campus around 10pm on Friday to Mehe-di Hasan Kabya, a � rst year student of English department of the JU.

Source said when Kabya and his friend Pathik along with the latter’s mother were taking tea in a stall, some BCL activists from Moulana Bhashani Hall locked in a quarrel with them over sharing seats there.

At one stage, one of them slapped Kabya. Later, some of them equipped with sticks and iron pipes, led by Bangla department student Sujan Mahmud and international relations department student Rakib, swooped on Kab-ya, leaving him badly injured.

He was admitted to JU medical centre and then to Savar Enam Medical College and Hos-pital as his condition was stated to be critical.

Tension mounted there as the general students and BCL activists brought out pro-cession and counter-procession centring the incident. However, some BCL leaders, includ-ing the hall unit BCL Organising Secretary Murshidur Rahman Aknda, arranged a meet-ing as well to solve the crisis.

When contacted, Murshidur Rahman said: “Punishment will be ensured against those who were involved in the incident.”

In the next morning, general students held a human chain in front of new Arts Faculty building demanding punishment for the at-tackers.

JU Proctor Prof Tapan Kumar Saha said they would take action on receiving com-plaint. l

POBA forms human chain to save Burigangan Tribune Report

Protesters at a human chain yesterday urged the government to take a long overdue step to stop waste dumping and encroachment in the old channel (adi channel) of the Buriganga river.

Poribesh Bachao Andolan (POBA) staged the human chain to demand the dumping of industrial waste and construction of hous-es in the Buriganga channel be immediatley stopped as these are seriously harming the river and its ecology.

They also demanded that the supply of wa-ter and power be stopped to the houses and land allocation cancelled in the adi channel.

The protesters also said there should be pillars to mark the border of adi channel ac-cording to the Cadastral Survey (CS) record and that dredging is now necessary to bring back the � ow of the river. l

NEWS 5D


New urban policy on the cardsFocus put on decentralising densely populated megacitiesn Asif Showkat Kallol

The government is reportedly working on a new urban development policy that would look to decentralise the densely populated cities and steer away large investments from megacities.

As part of a proposed National Urban Poli-cy 2015, the Local Government Division (LGD) wants to impose a fresh tax on the owners of land and buildings if they delay developing their work-in-progress on new establish-ments, sources told the Dhaka Tribune.

The government is also considering to dis-courage large scale investment in megacities, as part of an e� ort to spread out resources and develop areas with lower populations.

If the proposal is passed, more restrictions would be placed against projects that pose threats to environmentally sensitive areas.

Headed by city mayors, separate coordina-tion committees – which would include wom-en, private sector members, and representa-tives from the specially-abled people and the low-income group – will work on developing their respective areas.

The city corporations’ investment plans will be formulated with the participation of city dwellers, according to the proposal.

Sources at the LGD said a draft national ur-banisation policy was prepared a decade ago and later placed before the cabinet in 2010. However, it was sent back for further scrutiny.

The implementation of the draft failed to

gather any more momentum, reportedly be-cause of an inter-ministerial tug-of-war, while the Local Government and Engineering De-partment (LGED) and the Urban Development Directorate (UDD) also reportedly disagreed on some points over the policy’s area of coverage.

However, in a renewed initiative, the LGD last week sought opinions from seven minis-

tries on a national urban policy, asking them to submit their observations by the end of this month.

Abdul Malek, secretary of Local Govern-ment Division, said: “There is a long way to go before � nalising the national urban policy, and the implementation of the policy is sub-ject to approval by the cabinet.”

If the proposed policy is passed, it will pri-oritise a 23-point target that includes reduc-

ing urban poverty, developing city slums and ensuring law and order.

City and town authorities would take measures to ensure the supply of lands for the poor people, while the land management system will be digitalised.

The policy, if passed, will ensure the maxi-mum use of densely populated areas to allow construction of o� ce and residential build-ings. Community planning would decide on setting up parks, playgrounds, rivers, canals, local wetland and waste management system.

According to the proposed policy, the gov-ernment would identify megacities as large cities with over one crore population; met-ropolitan cities as ones with population be-tween � ve lakh and one crore; district towns with population between 50,000 and � ve lakh; upazila towns with population between 20,000 and 50,000; growth centres with pop-ulation of 20,000; and upazila city centres having less than 20,000 residents.

An LGD o� cial, who requested anonymity, said an absence of a guideline had led to un-planned urbanisation that is causing a wide range of troubles to both city dwellers and the government.

As a result, Dhaka was now among the 10 least liveable cities across the global, he added.

The Global Liveability Index, published by the intelligence unit of The Economist last Au-gust, named Dhaka as the second least liveable city on the planet, with only Damascus in war-torn Syria remaining in a worse position. l

7 Shibir men held over Ctg sabotage plot n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

Police yesterday detained seven Chha-tra Shibir activists in Chittagong who were claimed to be involved in a plot to sabotage state-run fuel depots in Patenga and Chit-tagong port.

Fazlur Rahman alias Rubel, president of Shibir’s Patenga unit, and his six associates - Jamir Uddin, Khalid Hasan alias Rana, Abdul Karim, Mahbubur Rahman, Md Abdul Karim and AGM Ali Arif - were nabbed from di� erent parts of the district, police said.

Chittagong port police station O� cer-in-Charge AKM Mohiuddin Selim told the Dhaka Tribune the seven men were detained with many important Shibir documents and Jihadi books.

“Police showed them arrested in an arson attack case and produced them before court. A 10-day remand order was sought for Rubel as he is the mastermind.

“During initial interrogation, Rubel said a 15-member group, divided into two teams, planned to vandalise vehicles in front of Chit-tagong port’s NCT gate no 5 to block the road, and simultaneously carry out bomb attacks on Padma, Meghna and Jamuna oil depots and Eastern Re� nery Limited in the morning on February 20,” he said.

The policeman said Rubel was linked to Shibir’s central executive committee member Enamul Kabir and two other Chit-tagong-based leaders, who were arrested in the port city’s Bogar Bill area on February 19 on charges of plotting to sabotage fuel depots, re� nery installations and the major key point installations (KPIs) in Patenga.

“Enamul came to Chittagong and met with top local Shibir leaders to discuss how the sabotage plot could be executed. Later, Rubel and Shibir’s EPZ unit President Javed were as-signed to execute it but all their plans failed when Enamul was arrested.”

OC Selim also said police had traced 12 members of the 15-member group involved in the February 10 sabotage plot.

“Rubel gave confessional statement in court under Section 164,” he added. l

Quamrul: BNP to face dire consequence if tries to foil city pollsn UNB

Food Minister Quamrul Islam yesterday warned BNP of dire consequences if it tries to foil the upcoming elections to three city corporations.

“BNP is going to take part in the city elec-tions. We welcome them. We always welcome BNP if they come up with an open mind and participate in the election. But we’ll request them not to hatch any new plot over the elec-tion. The consequences will be dire if they try to foil the election,” he said.

Quamrul issued the warning while ad-dressing a discussion organised by Bang-abandhu Shikkha O Gobeshona Parishad at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the city marking the Independence Day.

Talking about the level-playing � eld for all candidates, the AL leader said this is not right if any terrorist thinks that he/she cannot be touched or he/she is above the law. He, how-ever, said the city polls will be free and fair. l

Separate coordination committees including women, private sector members, and representatives from the specially-abled people and low-income group will work on developing their respective areas

Over� own with � lth, a dustbin occupies most of the busy Aga Sadeque Lane in Old Dhaka, much to the indi� erence of the city corporation RAJIB DHAR


Rangamati Medical College reopens after two monthsThe college currently has only one appointed teacher for the lone batch

n Abid Azad

Academic activities at Rangamati Medical College resumed yesterday, after more than two and a half months of closure due to resist-ance by indigenous groups.

As many as 43 students out of 53 of the � rst batch attended classes.

The institution remained closed since the prime minister inaugurated it on January 10.

On that day, several indigenous groups including Pahari Chhatra Parishad demon-strated against the launching of the medical college. But they were resisted by the ruling party men resulting in widespread violence and communal attacks on the indigenous people of the area. Around 30 people were in-jured in the attacks.

Later, the administration clamped down ban on gatherings and also declared curfew for a couple of days.

Earlier in the day, RMC Principal Tipu

Sultan went to the temporary academic building with Rangamati District Additional Commissioner Mostofa Jamal, Civil Surgeon Sneha Kanti Chakma, Additional Superintend of Police Abul Kalam Azad, Sadar Circle Superintend of Police Chitta Ranjan Pal and Resident O� cial of the district hospital Nuyen Khisha.

At that time, the students said some prob-lems including lack of teachers should be ad-dressed for ensuring smooth academic activ-ities. They also demanded adequate logistic supports.

The college currently has only one ap-pointed teacher for the lone batch.

The principal assured them of recruiting more teachers soon.

Condemning the operation of the college, PCP Central Committee President Jyotisman Chakma said: “The government established the college disregarding objections raised by the Adivasis and without consulting the CHT Regional Council. We demanded that the col-lege cannot operate before the government implements the key provisions of the 1997 Peace Accord.

“And now they have started academic ac-tivities. Such a move is a clear violation of the rights of the indigenous people as well as the Peace Accord.”

Indigenous groups say they will again demonstrate against the government’s one-sided move after the end of the Biju festi-val – new year celebrations of the Adivasi peo-ple – on April 14. l

Bartholomew appointed principal of Oxford International Schooln Tribune Report

Renowned international educationist Dr Mark Bartholomew has been appointed the princi-pal of Oxford International School in Dhaka.

Trained in psychology, business and edu-cation in the UK and Holland, he has worked at many educational institutions in India, Oman, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Vietnam.

In Bangladesh, Mark has worked with the British Council and the University of Cam-bridge International Examinations. l

NARAYANGANJ 7 MURDERS AL leader put on 7-day remandn UNB

A Narayanganj court yesterday placed Abul Bashar, a local Awami League leader and aide of Nur Hossain, on a seven-day remand in con-nection with the Narayanganj 7-murder case.

Besides, Raham Ali, another associate of Nur Hossain, made his confessional state-ment before a court.

Narayanganj Senior Judicial Magistrate KM Mohiuddin passed the remand order after police produced Abul Bashar before the court seeking a 10-day remand.

The same court recorded the confessional statement of Rahman Ali.

On Friday afternoon, detectives arrested Bashar, assistant publicity secretary of Sid-dhirganj unit of AL, from Rupganj of the dis-trict while Raham was arrested from Burichang upazila of Comilla on Monday last.

On April 27 last year, Narayanganj panel may-or Nazrul Islam, his three associates and driver were abducted by miscreants from Fatullah. At the same time, senior lawyer Chandan Ku-mar Sarker and his driver were also abducted on their way to capital Dhaka. Three days into their abduction, the bodies of six people, in-cluding that of Nazrul and Chandan Kumar, were recovered from the Shitalakhya River. l

140 policemen leaves for UN peacekeeping missions in Sudann Tribune Report

A total of 140 members of Bangladesh Police left Dhaka for Darfur, Sudan to join the Unit-ed Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions, said a press release issued from the Police Head-quarter yesterday.

The police contingent left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by a UN chartered plane early Saturday led by Superintendent of Po-lice Sarwar Murshid Shamim as the chief of contingent.

Senior police o� cers were present at the airport to see them o� . The contingent will re-place existing BANFPU in South Sudan.

According to the Police Headquarters, a to-tal of 1,376 Bangladeshi policemen have been performing their duties e� ciently in di� erent UN Peacekeeping Missions in various coun-tries including Congo, South Sudan, Darfur, Ivory Coast, Mali and Haiti. l

‘Take immediate action against terrorism’n Tribune Report

Professionals from di� erent sectors urged the government to identify the sources of terror-ism and militancy, considering the context of world militant activities including Middle East, and take immediate action at a conven-tion yesterday.

The convention titled “Against Violence, Terrorism and Militancy and to Build a Sec-ular, Democratic and Rich Bangladesh” was held at capital’s Engineers Institution audito-rium in the morning.

Speakers at the convention militant ac-tivities are taking place under the shadow of

politics. They called upon the people to unite against these terrorist activities and work for building a secular, democratic and rich Bang-ladesh.

The convention was addressed by sector commander Abu Osman Chowdhury, Dr Pra-tima Paul-Majumdar, acting president of Kar-mojibi Nari, Former cricketer Raqibul Hasan, Banker Khondokar Ibrahim Khaled, chairman of Central Command Council of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangshad Helal Morshed Khan among the others.

The programme was organised by Sommil-ito Nagorik Somaj, a citizen’s platform, and presided over by Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ah-

mad, convener of the platform. Dr Kholiquzzaman raised nine points de-

mand while presenting the keynote speech which included stranglehold over country’s current political crisis, terrorism and extrem-ism, and compensation for the families of the people killed in violence.

He said: “If the criminals are not defeated now, no peace will prevail in the country. Democracy and terrorism cannot exist together.”

He also called upon the politicians to do politics in the spirit of the Liberation War and have mutually bene� cial talks among them-selves. l

Indigenous groups say they will again demonstrate against the government’s one-sided move after the end of the Biju festival

Sammilito Nagorik Samaj, a citizens’ platform, calls for concerted e� orts through a national convention in the capital’s Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh yesterday to end the ongoing acts of terror in the name of political movement RAJIB DHAR

NEWS 7D

T

School headteacher assaulted over student caning

n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

Angry guardians and locals in Bagha upazi-la beat up the head teacher of a school and broke two of his teeth after a teacher caned 42 eighth-graders for refusing to pay picnic fees yesterday.

Nazrul Islam, headmaster of Chandipur High School, was assaulted when he came out of his o� ce and tried to calm the guardians

aggrieved at the beating of the students by as-sistant teacher Md Ali, police said.

The picnic was scheduled to be held today. Several students of the eighth grade said

Ali began caning them when many of the 106 students refused to pay the picnic fee of Tk100, terming it too high.

Ruma Yasmin, a student of the class, was seriously injured in the beating and the news quickly spread among locals.

Ha� zur Rahman, father of a student, rushed to the school but Ali blasted him and forced him to leave school premises, said a student.

“The father came back shortly with several other guardians and locals, and demonstrated on the school compound demanding removal of the headmaster and Ali,” said Bagha police station O� cer-in-Charge Aminur Rahman.

Bagha Upazila Nirbahi O� cer Badal Chan-dra Haldar arrived on the scene along with police around 11am and took Nazrul to the upazila health complex.

But the guardians con� ned Ali to the school building till midday.

OC Aminur said police later rescued Ali and took him to the police station.

The headmaster told reporters that the beating of the students was an unexpected and sorrowful incident.

Ali meanwhile said he lightly caned the students as he could not easily accept the re-fusal to pay the fee.

But some guardians claimed that Ali had previous records of beating students over trivial issues and demanded that he be disci-plined.

The upazila nirbahi o� cer told the Dhaka Tribune that Ali had submitted his resignation in the face of protest by the guardians. l


WEATHER

Source: Accuweather/UNB

D H A K ATODAY TOMORROW

SUN SETS 6:11PM SUN RISES 5:57AM

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW37.2ºC 16.8ºC

Rajshahi Srimangal

SUNDAY, MARCH 29

SourceL IslamicFinder.org

F O R E C A S T F O R T O D A YDhaka 32 23Chittagong 32 22Rajshahi 34 22Rangpur 35 21Khulna 33 20Barisal 33 23Sylhet 35 20Cox’s Bazar 31 22

PRAYER TIMESFajr 4:42am

Sunrise 5:57am

Zohr 12:05am

Asr 4:29pm

Magrib 6:11pm

Esha 7:27pm

DRY WEATHER

LIKELY

Foot overbridges now havensfor petty criminals n Mohammad Jamil Khan

Around 9:30pm on Thursday, Farmview Su-permarket shop worker Moshiul Alam looked at his wristwatch and decided to close up shop for the day. He set o� for the Farmgate overbridge as he made his way home to the capital’s Nakhalpara neighbourhood.

As he began to cross the pedestrian over-bridge, the silhouettes of two people caught his eye – sitting in the middle of the bridge, they seemed intent on some action he could not quite make out.

Walking closer, Moshiul realised that they were injecting each other with drugs. Sensing trouble, he quietly turned the other way and made a run for it.

He later told the Dhaka Tribune that he was lucky he had managed to avoid getting robbed or attacked by the drug abusers on the bridge.

Foot overbridges across the capital have become dangerous places for commuters.

Overbridges look like bustling elevated hawkers’ markets during daylight hours, but become increasingly menacing places as the sunlight fades.

Adil Rahman, a Farmgate hawker, says the overbridges are not just drug dens, they fre-quently double as public toilets littered with human refuse.

There are 34 foot overbridges under the jurisdiction of Dhaka North City Corporation and 28 under Dhaka South City Corporation, sources said.

Additionally, there are a number of others under the jurisdiction of the Road and Trans-port Department.

Despite police e� orts to get Dhaka residents to use the overbridges, pedestrians frequently choose to take their chances

skipping through oncoming tra� c on the roads below.

Asked, Khan Mohammad Rezowan, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police tra� c division, told the Dhaka Tribune that his section was in charge of drives to punish jaywalkers and encourage bridge use.

But he said criminal activities taking place on overbridges were the DMP crime control division’s responsibility.

When contacted, Masudur Rahman, the DMP deputy commissioner for media and publication, said despite police patrolling ef-forts, criminals were taking advantage of the secluded and ill-lit spaces.

The clutter of hawkers on the overbridges

make them less attractive to pedestrians in a rush.

Bashori Jannat, a Khilkhet resident, said she never uses overbridges because of the hawkers’ crowds and clutter by day and the catcalls and bad behaviour of petty criminals by night.

When asked, DNCC Chief Executive O� cer BM Enamul Haque said it was not possible that hawkers were peddling their wares on foot overbridges because a drive against them had recently been conducted.

He promised to look into it.A nearly identical statement was made by

Ansar Ali Khan, the chief executive o� cer of DSCC. l

RMG workers go on rampage over fellow’s death n Tribune Report

Garment workers went on a rampage and clashed with police following the death of one of their fellows in a road accident at Tipordi in Sonargoan upazila yesterday morning.

Mahbub Alam, 27, son of Keramat Ali of Kanetpur village of Barisal district and a gar-ment worker of Chaiti Composite Limited Industry, was killed when a Dhaka-bound ‘Swadesh Paribahan’ bus hit Mahbub around 7am, reports UNB.

Ten bus passengers were also injured as the bus plunged into a roadside ditch after the incident.

Being outraged by the incident, local peo-ple set � re to the bus.

As the death news spread around, the fel-low workers took to the streets and vandal-ised at least 15 vehicles parked at a nearby garage and blocked the highway.

When the law enforcers tried to bring the situation under control, the agitated workers threw brick chips towards them, triggering a clash that left 30 people, including eight cops, injured.

The law enforcers � red 175 rounds of rub-ber bullet and 10 rounds of teargas shell to disperse the agitators. Police also detained a garment worker from the spot. l

Angry parents and locals beat up Chandipur High School headmaster after an assistant teacher caned 42 eighth-graders for refusing to pay picnic fees yesterday in Bagha upazila of Rajshahi AZAHAR UDDIN

In broad daylight two youths taking drugs on a footbridge in the capital’s Purana Paltan RAJIB DHAR


Suspected criminal hurt in gun� ght with copsn Our Correspondent, Lakshmipur

An alleged criminal was reportedly injured in a gun� ght between his cohorts and police at Balaishpur in Chandraganj of Sadar upazila early yesterday.

The victim was identi� ed as Din Moham-mad Jihad, chief of the criminal gang ‘Jihad Bahini’ and son of late Ruhul Amin of Razara-mghosh village in the upazila.

Police said a team of police arrested Jihad from a place in between Lakshmipur and Chatkhil on Friday night and handed over him to Chandraganj police station.

Later, police along with Jihad conducted a drive around 3:30 am in Balaishpur area to recover � rearms.

Sensing the presence of police, associates

of Jihad opened � re at the law enforcers, forc-ing them to � re back, triggering a gun� ght.

Jihad was caught in the line of � re and wounded while his cohorts managed to � ee.

Three police constable Satyaranjan Chak-ma, Mirankanti Chakma and Nur Box were also injured in the incident.

Later Jihad was rushed to Sadar Hospital while the constables were given � rst aid.

However, Jihad claimed himself to be an activist of Joypur union unit of Jubo League, youth front of the ruling Awami League.

Superintendent of Police Shah Mizan Sha� ur Rahman said Jihad was wanted in several cas-es, including for murder, extortion and abduc-tion, � led with Lakshmipur Sadar, Chatkhil and Chandraganj police stations. A light gun and three bullets were recovered from the spot. l

People su� er as Sitarampur bridge not opened in 3 monthsn Our Correspondent, Narail

The Sitarampur bridge in Narail is yet to be opened to public, though its construction ended three months ago.

But public su� ering on the Narail-Bena-pole-Khulna-Dhaka-Gopalganj road contin-ues to rise as buses, trucks and other trans-ports still move on the bumpy road built temporarily beside the bridge.

Crushed stones have been placed to block the bridge’s entrance and a banner put up nearby reads: The bridge cannot be opened as the contractor has not been paid in full.

Shahin Ahmed, a bus driver who drives on Narail-Jessore and Narail-Khulna routes, said it is risky to drive on the makeshift road which remains in a very poor condition. “There have been several road accidents here.”

Another bus driver Zakir said tailbacks are commonplace in the area as the bridge has not yet been opened.

“The problem has been there for three years since construction began,” helper of the bus, Robiul Islam, said.

The bridge, a key structure in the country’s southwestern road transport system, was sup-posed to be completed in one and a half years but was � nally done in nearly three years.

Construction began in January 2012 when the old bridge collapsed and was expected to end in July 2013. The deadline was extended twice and the contractor said the Tk2,82,31,000 bridge was � nally completed on December 4 last year.

Shirin Sultana, a � rst-year student at Narail Government Victoria College, said pas-sengers and commuters were still facing trou-bles even though the bridge was ready to be

opened to tra� c. Trucker Arman said the makeshift road

beside the bridge is steep and driving on it in-volves peril. “Trucks laden with goods can overturn anytime on the road.”

Contractor of the bridge, Wahiduzzaman, claimed that the Roads and Highways Depart-ment had not yet paid the total construction bill.

He also alleged that executive engineer of the department’s Narail o� ce was delaying the payment.

But the executive engineer, Taposhi Das, said the contractor failed to complete construc-tion on time which led to some di� culties.

“The contractor has been paid Tk1.12 crore in two instalments and the higher authorities have been informed of the remaining amount. But now the contractor is deliberately making people su� er by not opening the bridge.” l

3,338 � shermen receive ID cardsn Tribune Report

Recognising � shing as a profession, the gov-ernment yesterday provided identity cards, ‘Fishermen card’ (Jele card), to some 3,338 � shermen of Sharankhola upazila.

Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Welfare Ministry Dr M Mozammel Hossain, also an MP from Bager-hat-4 constituency, distributed the ID cards among the � shermen at the upazila parishad auditorium at noon.

District � shery o� cer Narayan Chandra Mondal said there are 29,000 listed � shermen in nine upazilas of the district. Of them, � sh-ermen hailing from Sadar, Kachua, Morelganj, Rampal, Mongla and Sharankhola upazilas have so far received the identity cards, reports UNB.

The work to make the identity cards for the � shermen of the other upazilas -- Chital-mari, Fakirhat and Mollahat -- is going on, he said, adding that the cards will be distributed among them as early as possible.

The � shery o� cer said the cardholders will receive any government assistance meant for the � shermen.

Shaheed Sardar, a � sherman of Rajoir village in the upazila, said he has long been � shing in the Bay of Bengal but he had no identity as a � sh-erman. “Now we’re happy as the government has ful� lled our long-pending demand,” he said.

Presided over by Sharankhola Upazila Nirbahi O� cer (UNO) Mohammad Atul Mondal, the pro-gramme was attended, among others, by upazila parishad chairman Kamal Uddin Akon. l

Science fair begins n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi

A 3-day Science and Technology Fair-2015 be-gan yesterday at Muslehuddin Bhuiyan Stadi-um in the town.

State Minister for Water Resources Lt. Col. (Retd) Nazrul Islam Hiro (Birpratik) formally inaugurated the fair.

Presided over by Deputy Commissioner of Narsingdi Abu Hena Morshed Zaman the in-augural function was addressed among others by superintendent of police, Narsingdi, Ame-na Begum, principal of Narsingdi Government Women’s College Abu Awal, additional deputy commissioner Suraiya Begum, district educa-tion o� cer Syeduddin and district muktijod-dha commander Motaleb Pathan.

The state minister said there is no alterna-tive to acquiring scienti� c knowledge for de-vising ways and means to advance the nation technologically. l

Minor girl burnt to death n Our Correspondent, Satkhira

A minor girl was burnt to death as a � re broke out at a house in Binerpota Basundhara vil-lage under Sadar upazila yesterday.

The deceased was identi� ed as Sonia, 2, daughter of Babar Ali.

Sadar police station O� cer in-Charge Em-dad Sheikh said, the � re originated from the cow shed of Babar Ali around 10:30 pm and engulfed soon.

Sonia was burnt alive as she could not come out of the house.

Later, police recovered the charred body of Sonia. l

Missing woman found dead n Our Correspondent, Naogaon

Police yesterday recovered the body of a woman, who went into missing two days ago, from a cropland in Sonakania bridge area in Raninagar upazila.

The deceased was identi� ed as Mursheda Khatun, 35, wife of one tea stall owner named Sirajul Islam, from Pauta village in Adamdighi upazila of Bogra district.

Raninagar police station OC Abdullah Al-Mashud Chowdhury said locals spotted the body in a sack in the morning as it spread stinky smell and they informed them.

Quoting the three children mother’s family members, the OC continued that Mursheda on Thursday afternoon went out of her home for a local Islamic congregation at nearby Chatni village in Adamdighi upazila and since then she remained missing. l

Stone pieces have been put to prevent vehicles from using the Sitarampur bridge in Narail, compounding the su� ering of passengers and commuters. The bridge’s contractor claimed he did not let o� cials open the structure as he had not been paid in full DHAKA TRIBUNE

NEWS 9D


Wheat farmers su� er due to delayed procurement drive n Our Correspondent, Magura

Marginal wheat farmers in Magura are selling harvests at a low price this month as govern-ment’s procurement drive will start from April 1.

According to Magura Agriculture Exten-sion Department, a total of 8,300 hectares of land was brought under wheat cultivation in the district this year, while the total produc-tion now stands at 27,335 metric tonnes.

During a visit to Gangnalia, Bhabonhati, Isakhada and Jagla Bazar villages under the sadar upazila, wheat was found being sold at Tk700 -720 per maund in local markets, whereas, government procures them at least at Tk900-920 per maund.

Some farmers went back from the market without selling their harvests while the mar-ginal ones sold at much cheaper rates making

grave losses.Abu Taleb, a wheat farmer of Jagdal vil-

lage, said: “I cultivated wheat on two bighas of land this year. At present the price of wheat in local market is very low. But still I had to sell my harvests as I had borrowed money from a local money lender on high interests. Now I am under pressure to repay the loan. Under government procurement, we get the fair price. But that will start from April 1. So, I shall not be able to avail the opportunity.”

Another farmer Nur Jalal of Gopalgram vil-lage told the Dhaka Tribune that at present, the marginal farmers are selling wheat at a very low price. In this process the middlemen are becoming the gainers as they are storing up the wheat after buying them at dirt cheap rates from the marginal farmers.

Ultimately these middlemen will sell the

wheat during government’s procurement drive and derive high prices. But, marginal farmers will have nothing to sell during the drive.

“The government’s wheat procurement drive will ultimately bene� t the middlemen rather than the farmers,” he said.

A number of marginal farmers said every year the wheat procurement drive starts from April while farmers get harvest at hand at the beginning of March. The marginal farmers have been crying for years now demanding the wheat procurement drive be started earli-er. But that cry seems to fall on deaf ears, they said in frustration.

On the other hand, when contacted, Magu-ra District Food Controller Selim ul Azim said: “The wheat harvest is yet to start in full swing. Wheat growers will certainly derive bene� t from the procurement drive.” l

Chandpur municipality polls after 9-year today n Our Correspondent, Chandpur

After a long gap of nine years, the elections in Chandpur Municipality is going to be held today amid reportedly fervour enthusiasm among the voters.

Sources said there are 101,122 voters, half of them female, under 15 wards in the mu-nicipality, who would exercise their franchise through 49 polling centres.

In the polls, ruling party Awami League-blessed candidate and immedi-ate-past Chandpur Municipality mayor Nasir Uddin Ahmed and BNP-backed Sha� qur Rah-man Bhuiyan are vying in the mayoral race.

Besides, 94 councillors and 27 woman coun-cillors for reserved seats are also in the race.

Returning O� cer for the elections Ataur Rah-man said all sorts of necessary steps have already been taken to hold a free and fair polls there.

In 2005, the municipality saw last elec-tions, centring which a festive move were prevailing among the voters as well, the re-turning o� cer continued. l

Five killed in road accidents in four districtsn Tribune Report

At least four people were killed in road acci-dents in Cox’s Bazar, Bogra, Chuadanga and Khulna districts yesterday.

Our Cox’s Bazar correspondent reports: Two people were killed and three others in-jured as a bus hit them on the Chokoria-Ma-heshkhali Road in Chokoria upazila,

The deceased were identi� ed as Obaidur Rahman, 15, and Manjurul Alam, 16, of Mai-jgona village in the upazila.

Chokoria police station O� cer-in-Charge of Probas Chandra Dhar said the Maheshkha-li-bound bus of ‘Shah Amin Paribahan’ hit a bicycle and three pedestrians at Maijgona vil-lage on the road around 1:30pm, leaving bicy-cle riders Obaidur and Manjurul-- dead on the spot and the pedestrians injured critically.

The injured were sent to Chittagong Medi-

cal College Hospital.Police seized the bus but its driver man-

aged to � ee the scene, the OC added.In Bogra, a sexagenarian woman was killed

as a motorcycle hit her at Sariakandi upazila.The deceased was identi� ed as Badhuli, 65.Police said, a bike hit Badhuli at Sahapara

Tinmatha intersection around 12:30pm, leav-ing her seriously injured.

She was rushed to Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared her dead.

Our Chuadanga correspondent said a trad-er was killed in an accident at Dhamurhuda upazila in the district.

The deceased was identi� ed as Sree Lal Das,23, son of Sunil Das of Karpas Danga Col-lege Para area. He was a shoe trader.

Police said the accident took place when a three wheeler coming from opposition direc-tion hit another vehicle near a graveyard in

the area, leaving Sunil critically injured.Later, he died on the way to hospital.Our Khulna correspondent said a school-

girl was killed and her twin sister and father were injured in a road accident in front of Da-modor Phultala School on the Khulna-Dhaka Highway.

The deceased was identi� ed as Fahima, 14, a student of class IX of Damodor Phulta-la High School under Phultala upazila in the district.

The injured Sahima, 14, twin sister of the dead and their father Sub-Inspector Shaja-han of Khanjahan Ali Police Station, were admitted to Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH).

The accident took place when a Jes-sore-bound speedy truck hit their motorcycle from behind, said Anwar Hossain, o� cer-in-charge of Khanjahan Ali police station.

He said Fahima died on the spot and Shamia’s right leg and her father’s right hand was broken after the Jessore-bound truck crashed the motorcycle in Damodor area un-der Phultala upazila.

SI Shajahan was returning home in Pather-bazar area under the police station from the School with his twin daughters the OC said, adding that driver along with the truck man-aged to � ee.

The body was handed over to family mem-bers after autopsy.

A pall of gloom descended over the area following the tragic death of Fahima.

Our Munshiganj correspondent said: A passenger bus fell into a ditch along with a parked truck when two buses of Ilish Pariba-han collided head on the Dhaka-Mawa High-way at Kuchiyamora in Sirajdikhan leaving 15 wounded. l

Blockade in demand of road repair in Sylhet n Our Correspondent, Sylhet

Activists of Companyganj Chhatra Oikyajote here yesterday announced a 72-hour block-ade programme demanding repairs to the Syl-het-Companyganj-Bholaganj road.

When asked, the organisation’s Conven-or Aminul Islam Hamim admitted it, saying that the blockade started from 6am, as part of which many activists earlier also took po-sition on the 37km road creating a bar on the vehicular movement.

When contacted, Companyganj Upazila Nirbahi O� cer (UNO) claimed that there was no impact of the blockade.

About the dilapidated condition of the important road for about eight years, the UNO continued that the repair works in the road awaits the approval from the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC). l

Companiganj Upazila Chhatra Oikyajote plants paddy on Sylhet-Companiganj-Bholaganj road yesterday demanding that the road be repaired. The association started a 72-hour blockade at 6am yesterday to highlight the demand DHAKA TRIBUNE

WORLD10DT


O� cial: Arab states see a month of Yemen strikes, may be longer n Reuters

An Arab alliance attacking Shi’ite Muslim Houthi forces in Yemen initially plans a month-long campaign, but the operation could last � ve or six months, a Gulf diplomat-ic o� cial said yesterday.

The o� cial, from a country that belongs to the alliance, said Shi’ite Iran, the Houthis’ main foreign ally, was likely to retaliate indi-rectly, by encouraging pro-Iranian Shi’ite ac-tivists to carry out armed attacks in Bahrain, Lebanon and eastern Saudi Arabia.

Iran, in a tug-of-war with Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia for in� uence across the Middle East, has denied supporting the Houthis militarily, and has criticised the Gulf Arabs for their military action.

Since the Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes against them early on Thursday, the Houthis, seeking to overthrow the Western- and Saudi-allied President Abd-Rabbu Man-

sour Hadi, have continued to make gains.But the o� cial, who declined to be identi-

� ed due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the attacks would go on until Yemen was able to resume a UN-backed political transition in-terrupted by the Houthis’ seizure of Sanaa in September.

He said Gulf Arab concern over the Houth-is’ in� uence in Yemen had been heightened in January by satellite imagery showing Houthi forces repositioning long-range Scud missiles in northern districts near the Saudi border.

The Scuds, with a range of between 250 km (150 miles) and 650 km (400 miles), were aimed northwards at Saudi territory.

He said Yemen’s military had about 300 Scuds, the bulk of which were believed to be in the hands of the Houthis and allied military units loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, and that the campaign so far had de-stroyed 21 of them.

Struggle for stabilityYemen, by far the poorest country on the Ara-bian peninsula, has struggled to regain stabil-ity since mass protests in 2011 that eventually unseated Saleh after 33 years in power. Hadi led a national dialogue that was discussing a new constitution when the Houthis took the capital and pushed him aside.

The Gulf diplomatic o� cial said the coali-tion would not accept that the Houthi “coup” had succeeded, and wanted Yemenis to push for a resumption of the UN-backed process.

He said it could take � ve or six months for the campaign’s aims to be realised, but there was room for everyone, including Houthis, in that process of forging a new constitution.

The o� cial said Houthi forces were be-ing trained and supported on the ground by about 5,000 experts from Iran and its region-al allies, the Hezbollah group in Lebanon and Iraqi Shi’ite militias. l

Iran and powers close in on 2-3 page nuclear deal, success uncertain

n Reuters

Iran and major powers are close to agreeing a two- or three-page accord with speci� c num-bers as the basis of a resolution of a 12-year stando� over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, of-� cials have told Reuters.

As the French and German foreign minis-ters arrived in Switzerland yesterday to join talks between US Secretary of State John Ker-ry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Western and Iranian o� cials fa-miliar with the negotiations cautioned that they could still fail.

Kerry and Zarif have been in Lausanne for days to try to reach an outline agreement by

a self-imposed deadline of March 31 between Iran on the one hand and the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China on the other.

“The sides are very, very close to the � nal step and it could be signed or agreed and an-nounced verbally,” a senior Iranian o� cial familiar with the talks told Reuters on condi-tion of anonymity. Other o� cials echoed the remarks while warning that several crucial issues were still being hotly debated.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters on arrival: “I hope we can get a robust agreement. Iran has the right to civil nuclear power, but with regard to the atomic bomb, it’s ‘no’.” l

Nigerians vote in � rst genuine contest since end of dictatorshipn Reuters

Nigerians went to the polls yesterday in what looks set to be the � rst genuine electoral con-test since the end of military rule in 1999, in which an opposition candidate has a � ghting chance of unseating the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan.

Seeking a second elected term, Jonathan is facing o� against former military ruler Mu-hammadu Buhari in a tense race with an elec-torate divided along ethnic, regional and in some cases religious lines.

Twelve other minor candidates are also running.

Polls were meant to open for accredita-tion at 120,000 ballot stations at 8 a.m. (0300 EDT), with actual voting starting at 1.30 p.m. and continuing until the last person has vot-ed. With 56.7 million eligible voters, it could drag well into Sunday. l

Al-Shabab siege at Somali hotel ends, 17 deadn AP, Mogadishu

Somali troops yesterday took full control of a hotel that extremist gunmen stormed and occupied for more than 12 hours following a suicide bombing. At least 17 people died and dozens were wounded.

The gun� re has stopped and security agents control the whole building, said sen-ior police o� cer Capt. Mohamed Hussein. He had earlier said the gunmen were believed to have occupied the third and fourth � oors of the Maka Al-Mukarramah hotel in the capital Mogadishu.

“The operation has ended. We have taken full control of the hotel,” Hussein said.

Hussein said security forces found four more bodies in the hotel yesterday, plus nine dead on Friday. Four more people died in the hospital, according to Duniya Mohamed, a doctor at Madina hospital in Mogadishu. l

Alps Germanwings crash co-pilot Lubitz made predictionn BBC

The Germanwings co-pilot thought to have de-liberately crashed his Airbus in the French Alps, killing 150 people, predicted “one day everyone will know my name,” his ex-girlfriend says.

In an interview with Germany’s Bild news-paper, she recalled a comment Andreas Lub-itz made last year.

“One day I’m going to do something that will change the whole system, and everyone will know my name and remember,” he told her.

Flight 4U 9525 crashed on Tuesday.The woman, a 26-year-old � ight attendant

who � ew with Mr Lubitz for � ve months last year, was “very shocked” when she heard the news, the paper says.

She is referred to only as Maria W.If Mr Lubitz deliberately brought down

the plane, “it is because he understood that because of his health problems, his big dream of a job at Lufthansa, as captain and as a long-haul pilot was practically impossible,” she told Bild.

However, French investigator Jean-Pierre Michel told the AFP news agency that the pi-lot’s personality was “a serious lead [in the in-vestigation] but... can’t be the only one.”

The black box voice recorder indicates that Mr Lubitz locked his captain out of the cock-pit on Tuesday and crashed the plane into a mountainside in what appears to have been a suicide and mass killing.

German prosecutors say they found med-ical documents at Mr Lubitz’s house suggest-ing an existing illness and evidence of medi-cal treatment. They found torn-up sick notes, one of them for the day of the crash.

They say he seems to have concealed his illness from his employers.

His former girlfriend told Bild they sepa-rated, “because it became increasingly clear that he had a problem.”

She said he was plagued by nightmares and would at times wake up screaming “we’re go-ing down.” l

Yemen’s president calls Shiite rebels stooges of Irann AP, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt

Yemen’s embattled president yesterday called Shiite rebels who forced him to � ee the coun-try “stooges of Iran,” directly blaming the Islamic Republic for the chaos there and de-manding airstrikes against rebel positions continue until they surrender.

With Egypt’s president also calling for a re-gional Arab military force and another Gulf dip-lomat separately warning Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen could go on for months, the spect-er of a regional con� ict pitting Arab nations against Shiite power Iran also has been raised.

The comments by Arab leaders including Yemeni President Abdel Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who � ed his country only days earlier, came at an Arab summit largely focusing on the chaos there caused by the advance of the rebels, known as Houthis. Other leaders, including the leaders of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, obliquely refer-enced Iran earlier at the summit held in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. l

US Under Secretary for Political A� airs Wendy Sherman, left, and US Secretary of State John Kerry (2nd left) face French Director-General for Political and Security A� airs at the Ministry of Foreign A� airs, Nicolas de Riviere (2nd right), and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, right, at the opening of a bilateral meetinh at Iran nuclear talks yesterday in Lausanne AFP

WORLD 11D


Eight injured in blast outside Cairo Universityn AP, Cairo

A spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Heath says a bomb exploded in front of Egypt’s largest and most prominent universi-ty, injuring 8 people.

A security o� cial, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to journalists, says 4 of the people in-jured yesterday are police o� cers who were guarding the entrances to Cairo University.

The o� cial says the blast went o� by a subway entrance near the campus. Security o� cials have cordoned o� the area and are sweeping for additional explosives. l

Three dead as rebels attack government convoy in northeast Indian AP, Gauhati

Three policemen were killed and six others injured when militants attacked a convoy of lawmakers in India’s remote northeast yester-day, an o� cial said.

The attack in Mizoram state took place near the border with neighboring Manipur, said local police o� cial Zorammwia, who uses one name.

He said militants of the Hmar People’s Convention, operating in Manipur, attacked the government convoy with automatic weapons. l

Kejriwal at AAP meet: Make a choice between me and Yadav-Bhushan duon Agencies

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal yesterday threat-ened to resign and lashed out at its found-er-members Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, moments before they were sacked from the national executive, accusing them of engaging in “anti-party” activities.

According to sources, the Delhi chief min-ister started his speech at the party’s nation-al council by recounting AAP’s journey last year, from the lows of the quitting the gov-ernment followed by its Lok Sabha debacle to the high of a historic victory in the Delhi assembly polls.

“He traced the party’s journey from the last national council meet to the current one,” a senior leader said.

But soon after that he mounted a sharp attack on the dissident duo and asked the members to “make a choice between him and them.”

This prompted Yadav and Bhushan to ac-cuse him of “instigating” the members.

“He categorically pointed out that

Prashant Bhushan and his father Shanti Bhu-shan and Yadav made every e� ort to defeat AAP in Delhi elections.

“He said that when the whole party was working towards ensuring its victory in the polls, they were scheming for its defeat,” the leader said.

Addressing a press conference later, Yadav accused Kejriwal of standing as a “mute spec-tator” to the alleged incidents of assaults on a section of NC members by bouncers.

“He gave a dramatic speech for around one hour and it was full of allegations against us. He threatened to resign if we were not removed. He also accused Shanti Bhushan of anti-party activities without taking his name. Then, 10 people, including MLAs like Kapil Mishra, shouted slogans calling us trai-tors. The drama went on for 5-7 minutes dur-ing which he (Kejriwal) stood like a statue,” Yadav said.

Kejriwal, the party’s national convener, returned to the meeting in the afternoon, which he had left earlier citing “o� cial en-gagements.” l

Pakistan militants deny 30 killed in renewed Khyber � ghtingn Reuters, Peshawar

Pakistan security forces killed 30 militants in gun battles in the mountainous northwestern Khyber region yesterday, a senior o� cial said, but a spokesman for the militants denied suf-fering any losses. Both sides have been mak-ing con� icting claims about their success in clashes in Tirah Valley, near the Afghan border, and there is no way to con� rm casualties inde-pendently as the area is sealed o� to journalists.

“The security forces had started advance-ment towards the hilltops where the terror-ists had established sanctuaries,” a senior security o� cial in Peshawar, who requested that he not be identi� ed, said. l

Malaysia arrests opposition � gures to thwart protestn AFP

Malaysian police arrested three leading oppo-sition politicians in a bid to thwart a protest march yesterday demanding the release of jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, his party said.

The protest went ahead anyway, howev-er, with several hundred people taking to the streets of the capital Kuala Lumpur to denounce the government of Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The arrests are the latest in an growing tal-ly of sedition charges levelled at government opponents amid anger over Anwar’s jailing last month on a sodomy charge.

“This is an abuse of the sedition law, and an abuse of everything. The government is acting maliciously,” said Tian Chua, a mem-ber of parliament and vice president of An-war’s People’s Justice Party, shortly before he was arrested yesterday.

Police had banned the rally and said partic-ipants faced arrest.

Demonstrators staged a short march through the city towards its convention cen-tre, where participants had vowed to disrupt wedding celebrations for Najib’s daughter.

Scores of police blocked them from the area, and they later dispersed. There were no arrests or violent incidents reported.

Washington has been among the inter-national critics of Anwar’s conviction and the crackdown on dissent, saying both

raised rule-of-law concerns.Anwar denies the charge that he sodomised

a former male aide in 2008, saying it was fabri-cated by Malaysia’s long-ruling government to halt a run of opposition electoral gains.

Najib promised in 2011 to end the authori-tarian tactics of his ruling United Malays Na-tional Organisation (UMNO).

But after that failed to win back ebbing vot-er support in 2013 polls, his government has launched a tightening clampdown in which dozens of opponents were hauled up on sedi-tion or other charges over the past year.

Anwar’s daughter Nurul Izzah, a mem-ber of parliament and one of those charged recently with sedition, warned Friday that Malaysia was sliding toward becoming a “police state.”

Najib last week defended his policies, say-ing dissent cannot be allowed to jeopardise stability.

But Amnesty International last Monday noted “troubling signs of an escalating crack-down” on civil liberties.

“The space for dissent and debate in Ma-laysia is rapidly shrinking, under the guise of punishing ‘sedition’ or maintaining public or-der,” it said in a statement.

Besides Tian Chua, police yesterday also arrested Mohamad Sabu, deputy president of the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS).

Ra� zi Ramli, a vice president of Anwar’s party, was arrested on Friday. l

Sri Lankan president’s brother dies after axe attackn AFP

The youngest brother of Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena died in hospital yester-day after being attacked by an axe wielding acquaintance two days earlier, police said.

Priyantha Sirisena, 42, su� ered severe head injuries in his hometown of Polonnaru-wa, 215 kilometres (134 miles) north-east of the capital Colombo, police said.

The local businessman’s death came as the President was in China on a state visit.

The President’s o� ce said he had com-pleted his visit and was due to return on Sunday as previously arranged and would be back in the country in time for Monday’s funeral. l

Delhi CM and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal arrives to attend the party’s national executive at Kapashera in New Delhi yesterday AP

EDITORIAL12DT


It is encouraging that Bangladesh has won a Women in Parliaments (WIP) Global Forum Award for regional leadership in closing the gender gap in politics.

The award presented at last week’s WIP summit in Ethiopia acknowledges Bangladesh’s e� orts to grow women’s political participation and its improved performance in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap rankings.

We welcome the support this award gives to initiatives to improve our nation’s frame-work for protecting and promoting women’s rights. It is the inclusion of and priority given to women’s empowerment which has most helped the country’s performance on the social and health indicators contained in the Millennium Development Goals.

There is still a long way to go however. Women are still far from being equally rep-resented in business, government, and civil service, despite a growing number of women holding senior positions.

Going forward, it is vital to keep providing legislative support to encourage equality of opportunity and help everyone in the nation develop and reach their full potential.

This is particularly important at the grassroots levels where informal barriers and restrictive attitudes do the most to hold back women’s skills and talents from � ourishing.

Changing attitudes have to go hand in hand with raising aspirations if we are to e� ectively ensure equality and empower women in all aspects of society.

It is vital that we remember that society as a whole gains when everyone’s talents are encouraged and promoted.

Equality needs more women in politics

Society gains by encouraging everyone’s skills and talents

A new study suggests most of the 62 registered multi-level marketing (MLM) companies in Bangladesh are operating on a product-based pyramid mar-keting schemes.

Pyramid schemes which promise participants payments primarily taken from enrolling newer participants, rather than from selling goods and services, are notoriously unsustainable and outlawed as being fraudulent in many jurisdictions.

The lack of a clearer presumption against pyramid schemes makes it harder for authorities to clamp down on analogous schemes operated by MLM businesses.

Eight MLM companies have obtained a stay on a court order seeking to stop them operat-ing because they do not have a valid licence. Commerce ministry sources have raised a number of other allegations against the � rms accusing them of taking abnormal commis-sions and illegally transferring pro� ts abroad.

The government is prevented from acting on allegations because the law enables a loop-hole whereby MLM companies are presumed to be legitimate, provided they have obtained a government licence.

This is not acceptable given the use of pyramid scheme-style methods in the major Destiny group scandal which saw over Tk5,113cr laundered after being fraudulently obtained via MLM from its 7 million clients.

The government should follow countries where pyramid selling is outlawed by implementing the safeguards they apply to MLM. It should place the onus on MLM companies to prove they are not disguised pyramid schemes make them disclose adequate information to enable prospective participants to make informed decisions about their pro� tability. This would help regulators protect consumers and investors by more easily taking pre-emptive action to close down disguised pyramid schemes.

Implement more safeguards to protect consumers and investors from fraud

Clamp down on fraudulent MLM schemes

Be heardWrite to Dhaka Tribune

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Be heardWrite to Dhaka Tribune

FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka-1207Email [email protected]

Send us your Op-Ed articles:[email protected]

www.dhakatribune.comJoin our Facebook community:

https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

No colour-blind cosmopolitanismMarch 9

fuadleeSo much for solidarity then. The writer complains about browns worrying about Whiteland -- for much the same historical reasons as Sala� sts complain about West-� -cation. He bemoans both Delhi-ites’ lack of interest in Avijit Roy and the old hippie trail.

It’s all rather confused. Better to look at class and money � rst before ancestors. There must be a few brown Goa-ites now holidaying and shopping In Turkey, Singa-pore, Dubai, Rome, etc

Karl Hungusfuadlee: There’s only so much ground that one op-ed can cover, and given the space and scope a� orded to him, the writer has done a � ne job being as comprehensive as possible.

Barely Legal AlienGlad to see I ain’t the only one who thinks “Imagine” is one of the most played-out pieces of music ever.

Tuition in blood?March 10

ZedWhat is it with university students and their obsession with unity? its good that you all had the ability to organise a “peaceful protest,” but what many students don’t realise is that it is in their best interests to continue classes as usual. Online classes are a bit ambitious at this stage, and simply posting materials will not lead to much of a learning experience. I know university is a time where you get to have fun and make friends, but why prolong it? If classes are postponed, the students will be the worst su� erers and the backlog of aca-demic sessions will be a mess. You may be an exception, but university students DO go out these days, to movies, malls, restaurants, and what not. Its only when they have to come to classes that such a problem arises.

ZeenatYour parents are paying a fortune. Nobody petrol bombed your protest, or do you think it was Tiannamen Square. The fact you think going by car is a safe and sensible option shows you to be the from the same narrow gene pool about which you complain.

roseStudents should be given ensured safety in attending classes without the chance of any untoward incidents.

PM: Resist BNP-Jamaat’s militancy

March 19

Abu SyeedHehehe! I would suggest to use a little com-

mon sense. If they ban Jamaat, then the biggest issue in the history of Bangladesh

would be gone forever!

Babul SarwarFor God’s sake -- expedite banning Jamaat

� rst in the parliament then BNP and AL won’t be able to play around anti-liberation

parties like Jamaat!

Hartal relaxed for 12 hoursMarch 10

HagarWill anyone notice this bandwagon-jump-

ing?

NazmulHere’s the answer the UN and the people

have been looking for to end hartals -- send the BNP some good news about Bangladesh

and they’ll call a break to celebrate. Who knows? If we can all send them enough

good news, they may stop altogether. I hear our rugby team beat someone the other day.

DT

OPINION 13D


n Meenakshi Ganguly

“Someone told me you can help,” she said. “Please, we are desperate.”

At Human Rights Watch, sadly too often, we hear these words from strangers. But what is most chilling is when the call is about an enforced disappearance.

Hasina Ahmed called me about her hus-band, a politician with the opposition BNP, Salahuddin Ahmed. He was last seen on the evening of March 10, when, according to an eyewitness, he was taken away by men identifying themselves as belonging to the Detective Branch of the police.

Hasina says she has spoken to other people who saw that the abductors had arrived in vehicles belonging to the dreaded paramilitary RAB. The government, however, has denied involvement or knowledge of his whereabouts.

And that really is the tragedy of enforced disappearances. Loved ones end up enduring years of uncertainty, veering between hope and despair. Mothers wonder if they will recognise their sons once they return.

In India’s Jammu & Kashmir, those still

awaiting news of their missing husbands are called “half-widows.” Families say that they are unable to grieve properly. They keep wondering if their loved ones are su� ering torture, or have been killed and denied the dignity of a burial or cremation.

In Bangladesh today, there are many families left with these questions. Last December, the New Age reported 19 cases of alleged enforced disappearance of opposition members. In some cases, families say they were last seen in the custody of law enforcement agencies.

However, government forces all deny any knowledge of the whereabouts of the missing men or involvement in the abduction. The same month, the law minister promised an investigation, but the families are still wait-ing for results.

Ahmed’s disappearance comes in the midst of an ongoing violent stand-o� between the government and opposition parties, which began in early January. Since then, over 150 people have died and several hundred have been injured, largely when defying opposi-tion enforced strikes and blockades, known as hartals and oborodhs. The government’s response has been to arrest thousands of opposition members across the country.

Hasina says she wishes her husband had been arrested as well. “If he has done some-thing wrong, he can be punished,” she said. “But he has simply disappeared. How do I explain this to my children?” She has � led a habeas corpus petition, written to diplomats, and sought a meeting with the Prime Minis-ter, Sheikh Hasina Wazed. “The government doesn’t seem to care,” she says.

But the Bangladesh authorities are obligat-ed to care under international law. Enforced

disappearances are de� ned as deprivation of liberty by the state agents, followed by a refusal to acknowledge deprivation of liberty or the concealment of the person’s wherea-bouts, which places the person outside the protection of the law. Enforced disappearanc-es violate customary international law, and constitute multiple human rights violations, including the prohibition of torture and free-dom from arbitrary arrest and detention.

While she was in opposition, Sheikh Hasina deplored the longstanding practice of enforced disappearance by law enforcement agencies, and promised reform if she was elected. After the opposition boycotted the January 2014 election, the prime minister enjoys absolute authority in her second con-secutive term in o� ce.

She can choose to do the right thing, in-vestigate these disappearances and hold per-petrators to account. As a start, she should reach out to her namesake, Hasina Ahmed, and order an independent investigation into her husband’s whereabouts. l

Meenakshi Ganguly is South Asia Director at Human Rights Watch. Follow her on Twitter @mg2411.

Forcibly disappeared in Bangladesh

n Ziauddin Choudhury

Defying all predictions to the contrary, Israel’s hawkish prime minister has a fourth-time chance to be at the helm

of his country’s government, albeit his party won only a fourth of the parliamentary seats.

If he runs the full next term, he will be the longest serving prime minister of Israel after David Ben-Gurion. Political analysts both in the US and in Israel attribute this last minute rebound of Bibi (as Netanyahu is known) in a tightly fought contest to latest public statements opposing statehood to Palestine, stoking of Israeli fear of a nuclear Iran, and his brazen calls to his supporters to counter Israeli-Arabs’ voting strength (they consist 20% of voting population in Israel).

And Netanyahu’s victory follows closely on the heels of his open criticism of the Oba-ma administration’s negotiations with Iran on a nuclear deal. He did not stop by voicing his opposition from his country; he also car-ried the message all the way to Washington and vented his opposition to any such deal in a joint session of the US Congress.

With a razor thin margin of victory over his nearest opposition, Netanyahu may not represent the wishes of all Israeli voters. But in a parliamentary system that allows forma-tion of government by the single largest party with support from like-minded factions, Israel will pursue policies that Netanyahu and his party choose.

And these policies will not necessarily be favouring those that Obama and his adminis-tration would like to see in the Middle East. Here is the rub.

Obama and Netanyahu had a tense rela-tionship from the time the former became president of the United States. Unlike his predecessor, Obama came to o� ce with a

more paci� c worldview, one that promised withdrawal of forces from Iraq, drawing down on military responses to quell inter-national disputes, and a renewed e� ort to mitigate Israeli-Palestine hostilities eventu-ally leading to a two-state solution. Not that Obama succeeded in his foreign policy goals, for many of the goals were stymied by several uprisings and new wars in the Middle East.

A country’s foreign policy is not always dictated by the wishes or choices of its head of state, de� nitely not the United States. In the US, the actors come from many stages, the Congress, the political parties, and other pressure groups.

Notably, the pressure groups come from a wide spectrum of politics, corporate inter-ests, lobbies, and the so-called think-tanks. Among foreign countries that have a stake in US foreign policy, Israel is at the forefront, and no other foreign leader knows better than Netanyahu how to play these di� erent actors.

His biggest success in this e� ort was his invitation by the US Senate to address the joint session early March, where he chas-tised US negotiations with Iran, calling them harmful. He also used the podium to court voters in his own country, and apparently he succeeded.

It will be an overstatement to say that a Netanyahu victory will pose a stumbling road block for Obama to further his Middle East policy, in particular, his ongoing nuclear deal with Iran.

There are many more imponderables in furthering Obama’s objectives; the opposi-tion from a Republican-dominated Congress being not the least. Obama’ foreign policy has been faulted by his opposition on many counts, including his apparent choice against military intervention in Syria and Ukraine.

His latest e� orts to reach a nuclear deal with Iran (alongside � ve other Western powers) on conditional lifting of econom-ic sanctions against Iran, subject to Iran’s restriction on nuclear energy uses, have been denounced by the hawks in the country. But even then, a renewed term for Netanyahu means continuation of a � erce opposition to Obama’s overtures to Iran with a substantial domestic support.

Will Obama’s foreign policy objectives in the Middle East falter, given the prospects of mounting opposition to it home and abroad? Will he shy away from a nuclear deal with Iran, or will his administration give up the hopes of future Israeli-Palestinian negotia-tions for a peace deal?

Obama has less than two years in o� ce, with no prospects of another term. Netanya-

hu has four more years. His hopes will be to see any Obama initiatives to fail, and even if they succeed now, these will not be sustained in a future US presidency from the opposite party. For Obama, his success will be if he can pull through his current e� orts.

Of the two, the nuclear deal will perhaps go ahead if Iran sticks to its own end of the bargain. The deal may not hold later if a Re-publican wins the presidency next time, but for now, Obama may see through this despite an unfriendly Congress.

The Israeli-Palestinian deal for now and the foreseeable future will probably be shelved. The Middle East, in the meantime, will continue to boil in the cauldron. l

Ziauddin Choudhury is a political analyst and commentator

The Middle East boiling in the cauldron

Sheikh Hasina deplored the longstanding practice of enforced disappearance by law enforcement agencies, and promised reform if she was elected

REUTERS

OPINION14DT


n Kamran Reza Chowdhury

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent comment that “everything will be back to normal soon” is meaning-ful. Meaningful, because Khaleda

Zia’s advisers, now, have been advocating the BNP’s participation in the April 28 city polls in Dhaka and Chittagong under the same “partisan” Election Commission they snubbed -- a U-turn from the position they had in January, when the BNP-led 20-party conglomerate went for all-out violent politics to “force the government to call for a snap polls under the supervision of a non-party caretaker government.”

No doubt, the Awami League president has played the city polls card to lure the BNP-Jamaat alliance into the politics of vot-ing out from their politics of violence. Hasina understands how dependent the mainstream parties are on elections.

The many senior BNP leaders, including Khaleda Zia, see several political bene� ts in the upcoming polls, although a section of its leaders vehemently oppose the idea. Al-though, many experts say that the elections can provide somewhat of an honourable exit from the current politics of hartals and block-ades that has become intertwined with petrol bomb attacks on the public.

The most important opportunity the BNP is likely to grasp from the elections is, I think,

that they can reorganise the party leadership, which is now shattered due to the police actions taken against them for their alleged role in the street violence.

The BNP leadership understands that they must take part in elections -- be it of union parishad, general, or the city. A majority of the grassroots leaders did not like Khaleda Zia’s decision to boycott the January 5 polls, which “they would have swept clean even it took place under the AL administration.”

That feeling may have prompted the opposi-tion to vie in the upzilla polls in a bid to bring some semblance of order to the party’s bat-tered organisational structure. The elections have an economy, too.

For the upcoming city polls, the grassroots leaders, who have waited since 2007 with

the hope that they would do business with the government and get contracts if the BNP came to power in 2014, would see some � ow of money from the contenders.

In case the BNP candidates win, they would at least get a share of the contracts from the city corporations, further consoli-dating the organisation � nancially.

But the pertinent question is whether the BNP-Jamaat will withdraw its hartals and blockades. I think they would not. If they

do, they will � nd themselves in a serious contradiction.

But if they lift the strikes, the ruling party will be sure to ask the following question: “Why have you killed so many people by petrol bombs, when you vie the polls under this same election commission?”

The AL will celebrate the withdrawal of the hartal-blockade, campaigning that Hasina had forced the opposition to withdraw the strikes and stopped the violence, not caving in to the pressures of the “militancy” of the BNP-Jamaat. Again, people in other parts of the country will not accept the relaxation of the strikes in Dhaka and Chittagong -- the lifelines of Bangladesh.

The blockades and hartals only exist in the newspapers these days, seeing how the peo-ple are actively � outing the calls of the oppo-sition. But the opposition must cling to their action programs, or in other words, kicking people below the belt just to save face.

If that is the case, I fear the petrol bombings and attacks will only increase in frequency in the coming days for the sole purpose of continuing the blame game.

If they do not relent, the ruling party would just keep campaigning in the elections with gruesome pictures of the arson victims of “the jongi (militant) party.”

BNP-Jamaat are playing something that can best be described as a “jungle game,” one which has the people getting caught in its web of violence. The BNP-Jamaat � nds itself trying to answer a tricky question: “Do you beat your wife, now?” “Yes” needs no clari� -cation. But “no” means the husband used to beat his wife. l

Kamran Reza Chowdhury is a journalist.

The city polls conundrum

The pertinent question is whether the BNP-Jamaat will withdraw its hartals and blockades. If they do, they will � nd themselves in a serious contradiction

BIGSTOCK

15D

TBusiness SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2015

China-led infrastructure bank rapidly gains popularity

India to boost LNG imports to raise power generation

Stocks recover marginally on manufacturing shares

17 1916

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Study: RMG jobs help lower child marriage rate

20

WB: Bangladesh needs no budget support in 2015-16 � scaln Asif Showkat Kallol

The World Bank thinks Bangladesh will not need any budget support from the global lender in the � scal year 2015-16, o� cial sourc-es said.

It is, therefore, uncertain whether the gov-ernment will receive the Bank’s support in the next � scal year’s budget.

But the � nal decision regarding the matter will come at the spring meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington DC in April.

“We had a long meeting with the World Bank o� cials and discussed about the budget support for the next � scal year. But at the end of the meeting they (WB o� cials) categorically stated that Bangladesh would not require any additional budget support for the upcoming � scal,” said an o� cial at the Finance Division.

The government is now preparing next � scal year’s budget of about Tk2,91,600 crore with a de� cit of Tk77,750 crore without the expected $500m budget support from the World Bank, according to the Finance Divi-sion sources who added there would be no

problem with resources. The government, however, wants to make

sure the World Bank’s budget support come in the 2016-17 � scal year, said a Finance Division source. The World Bank’s decision about the budget support in the FY2016-17 will also be known at the spring meeting.

In May last year, after the meeting with the visiting executive director for the World Bank’s South Asia region MN Prasad, Finance Minister AMA Muhith hinted that the govern-ment would seek $500m as budget support from the global lender.

“The matter will be discussed brie� y on the sidelines of the spring meeting of the WB and IMF,” Muhith said.

He further said Bangladesh had received $2.7bn from the WB in development assis-tance in the last � scal year. “In the current � scal year, it hopes to get $2bn.”

State Minister for Finance MA Mannan told Dhaka Tribune, “We need budget support for the next � scal year though the World Bank has not showed a positive sign yet regarding this matter.”

He, however, said the National Board of Revenue witnessed above 16% growth in rev-enue collection till February this year com-pared to previous year despite blockade and shutdowns.

MA Mannan hoped the World Bank would con� rm about the budget support for the FY2015-16 at the next spring meeting.

The WB last provided Bangladesh with budget support of $50m in 2008 to help cyclone Sidr a� ected families. ADB extended budgetary support credit of $300m this � scal year. l

Spectrum auction maybe rescheduledFour major mobile phone operators to skip today’s deadline to � le bid applications as SIM replacement tax dispute with NBR continuesn Muhammad Zahidul Islam

The deadline for � ling applications to partic-ipate in 2G and 3G spectrum auctions ends today while four leading mobile phone oper-ators were resolute in their non-participatory approach to the bid scheduled to be held on April 30.

Sources said the operators’ move came in the wake of longstanding unresolved SIM replacement tax issue that attached around Tk2,464.88 crore.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulato-ry Commission (BTRC) mulls over reschedul-ing the auction and other related dates. The operators also requested the regulator to for-mally reschedule it.

“BTRC chairman has already verbally told us about his rescheduling decision and of-� cial declaration may come today,” a senior executive o� cer of a leading mobile operator told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday evening, asking not to be named.

He said not only SIM replacement tax is-sues, but also VAT on spectrum issues had not been discussed. “And resolving this issue may take more time.”

Earlier, the operators sent a joint letter to BTRC chairman to suspend the auction, but on March 18, Chief Executive O� cers of cellphone companies also verbally requested BTRC Chairman Sunil Kanti Bose at a meeting about rescheduling.

They also sent a letter to Finance Minis-ter AMA Muhith last week, citing the SIM re-placement tax issue, and seeking a meeting with him, but the meeting has yet to be held.

Sources said BTRC chairman is also try-ing to arrange a meeting between the � nance minister and the operators.

The meeting could be held anytime today,

added the sources.In 2013, the tax regulator claimed more than

Tk3,010 crore concerning SIM replacement tax from four leading mobile phone operators – Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi and Airtel.

NBR collected information from the oper-ators about their SIM replacement numbers in between August 2010 and December 2011, and the SIM tax was Tk800 at that time.

The apex tax authority calculated all the taxes against all replacement numbers with interest.

In 2013, the mobile phone companies wanted resettlement of the issue before 3G spectrum auction and they placed it as a con-dition, but after the telecom regulator and the Finance Ministry’s assurance, they took part in auction. Despite that, things did not go well following the bid.

Later, NBR formed SIM Card Replacement Review Committee (SCRRC) which prepared the � nal report and claimed the tax amount of Tk2,464.88 crore.

But that was one-sided report which did not take into account the operators’ logic, the cellphone companies also claimed.

“If we � nd a resolution from the � nance min-ister, we will go for auction decision,” the oper-ators’ top o� cials said, asking not to be named.

Presenting the issue to the � nance min-ister and the Prime Minister’s O� ce, parent companies of the four leading mobile opera-tors of Bangladesh expressed their inability to participate in the upcoming spectrum auction in a letter on March 1.

They said they cannot spend their money on both SIM replacement tax and and spec-trum auction.

The government has to choose either of the two to make money from, added the au-thorities of parent companies. l

We need budget support for the next � scal year though the World Bank has not showed a positive sign yet regarding this matter

AFP

BUSINESS16DT


China-led infrastructure bank rapidly gains popularityMore countries say to join the AIIB investment bankn Reuters

Russia, Australia and the Netherlands on Sat-urday became the latest three countries to say they plan to join the China-led Asian In-frastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), adding clout to an institution seen as enhancing Chi-na’s regional and global in� uence. The AIIB, seen as a challenge to existing institutions the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, has drawn a cool response from the United States, despite which European US allies including Britain, France, Germany and Italy have al-ready announced they would join the bank. Other countries such as Turkey and South Korea have also said they would join. Brazil, China’s top trading partner, said on Friday it would sign up and that there were no condi-tions set. “Brazil is very interested in partici-pating in this initiative,” the o� ce of President Dilma Rousse� said in a statement. Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, speaking on Saturday at a forum in Boao on the southern Chinese island of Hainan, said the country plans to join the AIIB, according to the o� cial Xinhua news agency. Speaking at the same forum, Australian Finance Min-ister Mathias Cormann said the country was planning to apply to become a founding mem-ber, according to Xinhua. And the Netherlands also plans to join, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on his o� cial Facebook page after a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. China’s Finance Ministry said earlier on Sat-urday Britain and Switzerland had been for-mally accepted as founding members of the AIIB, a day after Brazil accepted China’s invi-tation to join. China’s Finance Ministry said Austria had also applied to join and had sub-mitted its documents to China. “We should push forward with the creation of a regional hub for � nancial co-operation,” Xi said at the forum, adding China should “strengthen pragmatic cooperation in monetary stability, investment, � nancing, credit rating and other � elds.” The AIIB has been seen as a signi� cant setback to US e� orts to extend its in� uence in the Asia Paci� c region to balance China’s growing � nancial clout and assertiveness.

Russia to join China-led development bank: officialRussia is to sign up to the Chinese-led devel-opment bank AIIB, � rst deputy prime minis-ter Igor Shuvalov said Saturday at an interna-tional forum in China, cited by Russian news agencies. “I’d like to inform you that Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken the deci-sion that Russia will participate in the capital of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB),” Shuvalov said at China’s Boao Forum, quoted by RIA Novosti state news agency. The Beijing-backed AIIB, unveiled in October, is a multinational lender that the United States perceives as a threat to the Washington-led World Bank. It has proved highly successful with countries that are US allies, however, with Britain, Germany, France, Italy and this

week South Korea all saying they intend to join the $50bn (46bn euro) bank. Russia has sought to align itself more closely with Chi-na in recent years and these e� orts have in-tensi� ed amid a freeze in relations with the Western powers, which have imposed harsh economic sanctions over Moscow’s role in the Ukraine con� ict. “We are glad to have the opportunity to build up cooperation in the format of China and the Eurasian Economic Union,” Shuvalov said, referring to a free trade union championed by Putin made up of Rus-sia, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Belarus, which came into force in January. “We in Russia are sure that joint work in developing Eurasian partnership and the Silk Route economic belt will create further opportunities for the de-velopment of the countries of the Eurasian Union and China,” he said. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said this month that “prac-tical cooperation between China and Russia is based on mutual need” and has “enormous internal impetus and room for expansion.” China is hungry for Russia’s vast hydrocar-bon resources, while Western sanctions have made seeking stable markets an urgent need for Putin, whose economy has been hit hard by the fall in prices for oil, a major source of revenue. Both countries are permanent mem-bers of the UN Security Council, where they have in the past jointly used their veto power against Western-backed moves such as in the civil war in Syria.

Brazil says will join China-backed Asia investment bank Brazil said on Friday it had accepted China’s invitation to join its Asian Infrastructure In-vestment Bank (AIIB) as a founding member. “Brazil is very interested in participating in this initiative,” the o� ce of President Dilma Rousse� said in a short statement. It said no conditions were made for joining. The AIIB has been seen as a challenge to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, and a signi� -cant step for China’s global in� uence. China is Brazil’s top trading partner. The United States had warned against the new institution but its European allies Britain, France, Germany and Italy announced this month they would join the bank, leading the Obama administration to reassess its stance.

Indonesia seeks major roleIndonesia wants to play a major role in a new Chinese-led Asian infrastructure bank, with at least the vice-president’s position reserved for the Southeast Asian country, the � nance minister said. The $50bn Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), expected to start operations by the end of the year, is attract-ing a growing list of countries from Britain to India to New Zealand. Under President Joko Widodo, Indonesia is expected to be one of the main bene� ciaries of the bank as it seeks signi� cant funding to build new roads, ports and bridges in the vast archipelago. “We are

� ghting to get a position in the AIIB ... because most likely we will be the biggest client,” Fi-nance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro told reporters late on Wednesday. “I have been lobbying China in regards to who will be the bank’s host, the positions, shareholders and projects.” Jakarta is also vying with Beijing to host the AIIB headquarters. However, Chi-nese Deputy Finance Minister Shi Yaobin said on Wednesday it had already been agreed the bank would have its headquarters in Beijing. At least 35 countries will join the AIIB by the deadline of March 31, the bank’s interim chief, Jin Liqun, said on Sunday.

South Korea sees gains for its infrastructure firms from joining AIIBSouth Korea hopes its infrastructure compa-nies will bene� t from the country joining the China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the � nance ministry said on Fri-day. Shares in some South Korean iron and steel products makers rose sharply, partly on hopes for new orders when the AIIB is oper-ational and funding infrastructure projects, which is likely next year. Histeel Co rose 14.8% and Hanil Iron & Steel was up about 6 percent by the afternoon. “(The government) expects our companies to win many orders in areas such as communications, energy and trans-portation, where they have strength,” Song In-chang, head of the � nance ministry’s interna-tional � nance bureau, told reporters. l

China’s President Xi Jinping (4th R) meets with the guests at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) launch ceremony REUTERS

BUSINESS 17D


India to boost LNG imports to raise power generationn Reuters, New Delhi

The government said on Wednesday it will boost imports of lique� ed natural gas (LNG) to improve electricity generation and revive plants worth billions of dollars to fuel eco-nomic expansion.

India’s plan to import LNG will boost pow-er supply by 79 billion units valued at about 420bn rupees and could spur spot prices of the super cooled gas trading at about $7.60 per million British thermal units in Asia.

Nearly a quarter of a century after India embraced economic liberalisation, many busi-nesses still rely on costly back-up generators for round-the-clock power and a third of its 1.2 billion people are still not connected to the grid.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, elected in May, has made a commitment to bring or-

der to the chaotic power sector and end the chronic blackouts that impede India’s eco-nomic rise.

The government has charged GAIL (India) Ltd to import LNG for power plants outside Gujarat, where a local state company will im-port the fuel to revive power plants and im-prove generation, Power Minister Piyush Go-yal said after a meeting of the union cabinet.

During the rainy season lasting � ve months when power demand is less, India would dai-ly import about 10 million cubic meters of gas and this would rise by 80 percent in the remaining seven months, Goyal said.

To make imported gas a� ordable to con-sumers, the union and state government will give tax concessions while the importers will charge less for regassi� cation, transportation and marketing.

India has about 24,150 megawatt gas-grid linked generation capacity representing about 1 trillion rupees investment. Of this 60% is at the threshold of becoming toxic asset while the rest is operating at below capacity due to falling local gas output.

“Revival of stranded gas based capacity would ameliorate stress on the banking sector. This will kick-start growth and have a multi-plier e� ect on the economy,” a government statement said. It would also restore investors’ con� dence in the power sector, it added.

Power companies had set up a large num-ber of power plants, pipelines and other infra-structure anticipating supplies from Reliance Industries-operated east coast gas � elds in D6 block, where output has fallen drastically.

Supply of gas to power plants from D6 block has been stopped since March 2013. l

A worker is silhouetted against the setting sun while installing an overhead electric cable pole on the banks of river Ganges in Allahabad REUTERS

ECB’s Draghi says money printing already helping recoveryn Reuters, Rome

Bond-buying by the European Central Bank will reinforce the euro zone’s economic re-covery, its president, Mario Draghi, said on Thursday, adding that there was already evi-dence that the scheme was taking e� ect.

“Monetary policy is reinforcing the cyclical recovery. I insist in saying ‘cyclical’ because this recovery is not structural,” he told a parlia-mentary committee hearing, in a reference to long-term problems such as unemployment.

Draghi told lawmakers in Italy’s parlia-ment that recent data releases “are comforting about the contribution that monetary policy is supplying to reinforce the cyclical recovery”.

He said there has been a particularly no-ticeable e� ect in lowering the level of the euro against other currencies.

The ECB has cut interest rates to record lows, lent banks billions of euros in cheap funds and begun buying sovereign bonds to try to bolster the euro zone economy and bring in� ation back from zero to its target of close to 2%.

However Draghi repeated his mantra that euro zone governments had to do their part to boost productivity and growth by passing structural reforms to their economies and said that weakness in any one country ham-pered the entire bloc.

“Low potential growth creates macro-economic imbalances and the vulnerabili-ty which arises has reverberations in other countries of the area,” he said.

Draghi also gave his encouragement to e� orts in Italy and other countries to reduce billions of euros of bad loans in the banking system that are holding back lending and cre-ating an obstacle to economic recovery.

Speaking to a parliamentary committee hearing in Rome, he said there needed to be a rapid solution to the problem of impaired loans in the euro zone overall.

“In general, the ECB looks very favourably at measures aimed at reducing the weight of impaired elements in the balance sheets of banks, including Italian banks,” he said. “An initiative of this kind frees up resources for the bene� t of companies above all,” he said.

The comment came as Italy looks for a way to help banks cut their heavy burden of non-performing loans and develop a market for distressed loans, which have grown sharp-ly since the start of the economic crisis. l

Oil market jumps on Yemen unrestn AFP, London

World oil prices rose sharply this week as Sau-di Arabian jets struck rebel targets in Yemen, sparking fresh supply fears in the crude-rich Middle East.

Many commodities were also buoyed as weak US data sent the dollar sliding, dent-ing con� dence in the world’s top economy and throwing into question the timeline for a long-awaited Federal Reserve interest rate hike.

The dollar sank as US data showed an un-expected drop in durable goods orders. The � agging greenback makes dollar-denominat-

ed raw materials cheaper for buyers using stronger currencies, which tends to stimulate demand and prices.

Prices rallied on Wednesday and Thursday after a Saudi Arabia-led coalition bombed Huthi Shiite rebels in support of Yemen’s em-battled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

New York crude struck a one-month high of $52.48 and Brent oil jumped to a March 9 peak of $59.78 on Thursday.

Crude futures began soaring as Hadi was rushed to a secure location after a warplane attacked his presidential complex.

“The geopolitical tensions in Yemen are

pushing (oil) prices higher,” Daniel Ang, an investment analyst with Phillip Futures, told AFP.

“Yemen is not a big producer but it is a trade hub in the region so tensions over there could cause a disruption in the trading ac-tivities for energy products,” said the Singa-pore-based analyst.

Yemen - bordered by key Middle East oil producers Saudi Arabia and Oman - has been gripped by growing turmoil since the Shiite rebels launched a power grab in Sanaa in Feb-ruary.

The oil market then fell on Friday, trim-

ming its gains owing to no disruption to oil supplies.

“Oil prices ... are shedding some of the strong gains they had achieved over the two previous days,” said Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch.

“It would appear that the initial panicky response to Saudi Arabia’s military interven-tion in Yemen is giving way to a more sober assessment of the situation.”

Warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition kept up raids against Huthi Shiite rebels on Friday as Hadi headed to an Arab summit to garner support. l

BUSINESS18DT


SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

Sector DSE CSE TotalMillion Taka % change Million Taka % change Million Taka % change

Bank 1169.67 9.84 135.65 10.48 1305.32 9.90NBFI 299.02 2.52 19.59 1.51 318.61 2.42Investment 89.13 0.75 3.87 0.30 93.00 0.71Engineering 1377.27 11.58 132.74 10.25 1510.01 11.45Food & Allied 291.59 2.45 18.72 1.45 310.32 2.35Fuel & Power 1550.80 13.04 108.09 8.35 1658.89 12.58Jute 11.95 0.10 0.00 0.00 11.95 0.09Textile 1062.03 8.93 129.70 10.02 1191.73 9.04Pharma & Chemical 2621.89 22.05 138.74 10.72 2760.63 20.94Paper & Packaging 34.91 0.29 3.62 0.28 38.53 0.29Service 300.55 2.53 23.71 1.83 324.25 2.46Leather 356.26 3.00 4.10 0.32 360.35 2.73Ceramic 49.36 0.42 3.31 0.26 52.67 0.40Cement 947.65 7.97 397.59 30.72 1345.25 10.20Information Technology 266.73 2.24 19.73 1.52 286.45 2.17General Insurance 58.95 0.50 1.89 0.15 60.84 0.46Life Insurance 166.15 1.40 4.17 0.32 170.32 1.29Telecom 769.48 6.47 72.59 5.61 842.07 6.39Travel & Leisure 123.49 1.04 20.41 1.58 143.90 1.09Miscellaneous 338.33 2.85 55.98 4.33 394.32 2.99Debenture 4.01 0.03 0.18 0.01 4.19 0.03

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 [email protected] or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

News, analysis and recent disclosuresIBBLPBOND: The Board of Directors has recommended annual pro� t rate of 11.18% for IBBL Mudaraba Perpetual Bond (IBBLPBOND) for the year ended on December 31, 2014. Record Date for entitlement of pro� t of the Bond: 16.04.2015. Date of pro� t distribution: Within 30 (thirty) days from holding of AGM of Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd. which is sched-uled to be held on 13.06.2015.FLEASEINT: The Board of Directors has recommended 5% stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2014. Date of AGM: 16.04.2015, Time: 11:00 AM, Venue: Trust Milonayaton, 545, Old Airport Road, Dhaka Cantonment, Dha-ka. Record date: 01.04.2015. The Company has also reported net pro� t of Tk. 73.28 million, EPS of Tk. 0.66, NAV per share of Tk. 13.64 and NOCFPS of Tk. 0.73 for the year ended on December 31, 2014.ISLAMIBANK: The Board of Directors has recommended 15% cash dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2014. Date of AGM: 13.06.2015, Time: 10:00 AM, Venue: Bangaband-hu International Conference Centre (BICC), Agargaon, Sher-E-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka. Record date: 16.04.2015. The Company has also reported consolidated EPS of Tk. 2.46, consolidated NAV per Share of Tk. 28.93 and consolidated NOCFPS of Tk. 31.39 for the year ended on December 31, 2014.UTTARABANK: The Board of Directors has recommended 20% cash dividend for the year

ended on December 31, 2014. Date of AGM: 23.04.2015, Time: 11:00 AM, Venue: International Convention City, Bashundhara-3 (Rajodar-shan), Joarshahara, Khilkhet, Dhaka-1229. Record date: 01.04.2015. The Company has also reported consolidated pro� t after provision and tax of Tk. 1,404.25 million, consolidated EPS of Tk. 3.51, consolidated NAV per share of Tk. 30.54 and consolidated NOCFPS of Tk. (0.58) for the year ended on 31.12.2014.SHAHJABANK: The Board of Directors has recommended 10% cash dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2014. Date of AGM: 07.06.2015, Time: 10:00 AM, Venue: RAOWA Con-vention Hall No. 1 (HELMET), VIP Road, Mohakhali, Dhaka-1206. Record date: 09.04.2015. The Company has also reported consolidated EPS of Tk. 1.02, consolidated NAV per Share of Tk. 15.95 and consolidated NOCFPS of Tk. 6.32 for the year ended on December 31, 2014.ICBIBANK: The Board of Di-rectors did not recommend any dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2014. Date of AGM: 09.06.2015, Time: 10:00 AM, Venue: Unique Trade Cen-ter, Convention Hall (Level-5), 8, Panthapath, Dhaka-1215. Record Date: 15.04.2015. The Company has also reported net pro� t/(loss) after tax of Tk. (286.53) million, EPS of Tk. (0.43), NAV per share of Tk. (14.49) and NOCFPS of Tk. 0.45 for the year ended on December 31, 2014.

CSE GAINER

Company Closing (% change)

Aver-age (%

change)

Closing average

Weekly closing

Weekly high

Weekly low

Turnover in million

Latest EPS

Latest PE

Ambee Pharma -A 19.63 17.43 356.55 363.80 365.00 310.00 2.463 4.68 76.2ACI Formulations-A 16.23 17.15 161.80 160.40 165.00 139.50 37.998 3.27 49.5JMI Syringes MDL-A 14.76 13.28 186.75 192.00 192.00 168.20 9.064 4.48 41.7ACI Limited- A 12.06 12.03 512.41 514.70 517.80 468.00 43.409 9.57 53.5Social Islami. B-A 11.45 11.49 14.55 14.60 14.70 13.00 67.883 2.74 5.3Sandhani Life -A 9.52 9.59 61.00 61.00 61.00 61.00 0.085 2.12 28.8The Ibn SinaA 9.38 8.55 104.21 105.00 105.80 97.30 0.357 3.77 27.6Aziz PipesZ 8.51 8.40 20.38 20.40 20.50 17.00 0.201 -0.37 -veIslami Ins.BD-A 8.43 8.43 18.00 18.00 18.00 16.40 0.002 1.48 12.2Jamuna Oil -A 7.58 6.67 205.67 207.10 208.40 193.40 7.362 21.18 9.7

DSE GAINER


Aver-age (%

change)

Closing average

Weekly closing

Weekly high

Weekly low

Turnover in million

Latest EPS

Latest PE

Aziz PipesZ 19.88 19.80 19.30 19.30 19.50 15.10 0.518 -0.37 -veAmbee Pharma -A 17.90 16.09 354.31 361.00 368.00 310.40 61.410 4.68 75.7ACI Formulations-A 16.23 17.25 162.08 160.40 165.00 139.40 478.365 3.27 49.6Pharma Aids A 16.17 15.00 287.67 290.20 292.50 252.00 161.571 10.18 28.3JMI Syringes MDL-A 13.95 9.75 185.57 191.90 192.20 168.40 98.197 4.48 41.4ACI Limited- A 11.32 11.54 510.76 511.50 518.00 463.80 759.824 9.57 53.4Popular Life Insu. -A 10.70 7.93 162.36 166.60 168.00 151.80 52.723 4.13 39.3Kohinoor Chem -A 10.56 10.18 365.33 368.50 377.90 332.70 4.170 10.10 36.2Renwick Jajneswar-A 10.22 8.88 258.03 261.00 267.00 236.50 13.302 4.36 59.2Libra Infusions-A 10.08 11.47 390.14 394.20 396.70 358.60 0.802 3.38 115.4

CSE LOSER


Aver-age (%

change)

Closing average

Weekly closing

Weekly high

Weekly low

Turnover in million

Latest EPS

Latest PE

First Lease- A -20.00 -20.19 12.37 12.40 14.30 12.30 0.295 0.66 18.7Dhaka Ins. Ltd.-A -16.32 -16.28 20.00 20.00 21.60 20.00 0.071 2.44 8.2Reliance Insur -A -14.81 -14.81 46.00 46.00 46.00 46.00 0.023 4.34 10.6Prime Insur -A -9.76 -9.76 14.80 14.80 14.80 14.80 0.004 2.41 6.1Sonargaon Tex -Z -9.52 -9.70 9.50 9.50 10.50 9.50 0.028 -0.84 -veUnique Hotel RL - A -9.01 -8.94 52.28 52.50 58.00 51.90 2.749 3.05 17.18th ICB M F-A -8.57 -8.57 64.00 64.00 64.00 64.00 0.013 9.10 7.03rd ICB M F-A -8.33 -8.33 220.00 220.00 220.00 220.00 0.011 24.64 8.9Islami Bank BD - A -8.18 -8.37 20.24 20.20 21.80 20.00 2.009 2.46 8.2FAS Fin. & Inv. Ltd-B -6.76 -7.83 13.65 13.80 14.40 13.40 0.064 1.27 10.7

DSE LOSER


Aver-age (%

change)

Closing average

Weekly closing

Weekly high

Weekly low

Turnover in million

Latest EPS

Latest PE

Reliance Insur -A -26.20 -25.90 41.46 41.40 47.40 41.20 0.736 4.34 9.6First Lease- A -16.22 -16.00 12.44 12.40 13.60 12.20 13.525 0.66 18.8Unique Hotel RL - A -9.73 -10.67 51.89 52.90 59.30 51.00 62.380 3.05 17.0Savar Refractories-Z -8.50 -20.95 40.00 46.30 46.50 46.00 0.002 -0.62 -vePhoenix Insur -A -7.97 -6.99 23.29 23.10 25.40 23.00 10.056 3.88 6.0FarEast Knitting -N -7.52 -6.85 21.09 20.90 22.60 20.70 3.915 1.96 10.8FAS Fin. & Inv. Ltd-B -7.48 -7.34 13.64 13.60 15.10 13.50 1.671 1.27 10.7ICB AMCL 2nd NRB -A -6.94 -6.93 6.71 6.70 7.20 6.60 3.516 0.96 7.0DBH 1st MF-A -6.82 -6.18 4.10 4.10 4.40 4.00 3.166 0.32 12.8City G Insu.-A -6.76 -1.18 14.18 13.80 15.40 13.50 0.893 1.89 7.5

DSE key features March 22-25, 2015Turnover (Million Taka)

11,889.21

Turnover (Volume)

255,248,065

Number of Contract

328,295

Traded Issues 320

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

130

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

184

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

6

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,498.19

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

30.28

CSE key features March 22-25, 2015Turnover (Million Taka)

1,294.39

Turnover (Volume)

29,152,570

Number of Contract

50,143

Traded Issues 265

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

107

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

151

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

7

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,359.11

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

28.60

BUSINESS 19D


Stocks recover marginally on manufacturing sharesn Tribune Report

Stock markets witnessed moderate rise in the past week, breaking a � fth-week straight losses, as some optimistic in-vestors availed the low prices particularly of manufacturing issues ahead of their corporate decelerations.

However, most of the investors still remained out of the market as political unrest is set to enter into its third month.

During the week that ended on Thursday last, the bench-mark index DSEX ended at 4,509, rising 41 points or 1%. The blue-chip index DS30 rose 27 points or 1.7% to 1,713. The Shariah index DSES was up 15 points or 1.5% to 1,096.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Categories In-dex, CSCX gained 38 points or 0.5% to close at 8,338.

The week’s daily average turnover averaged Tk297 crore, registering an increase of more than 16% over the previous week. Pharmaceuticals and energy sectors together ac-counted for 35% of the week’s turnover.

IDLC Investments said after few weeks of “brutal correc-tion”, it tried to create a breathing space for the investors during the last week.

The week started with a hope of easing the ongoing po-litical tension, which pulled forth investors, who had been waiting for the rebound, it said.

“Over the preceding weekend, expectations of major op-position party participating in election, scrapping blockades and strikes formed in the national mindset. Investors wait-ing for such turnaround predictably rushed in with a buying mode as trade started.”

Lanka Bangla Securities said market ended in green zone last week backing on manufacturing stocks ahead of corpo-rate declarations. Large-cap stocks exhibited higher return as investors took position in consumer and Pharma stocks, it said.

Among the large-cap sectors, pharmaceuticals registered the highest gain of 3% over the week. Telecommunications also posted a heavy rally of 3%. Cement and fuel and pow-er also appreciated by almost 3% and 2.4%. Food and allied ended marginally up. The � nancial sectors –non-banking � nancial institutions and banks –-declined. l

After few weeks of ‘brutal correction’, it tried to create a breathing space for the investors during the last week

ANALYST

Weekly capital market highlightsDSE Broad Index : 4509.30259 (+) 0.92% ▲

DSE - 30 Index : 1713.85994 (+) 1.61% ▲

CSE All Share Index: 13756.7135 (+) 0.75% ▲

CSE - 30 Index : 11300.5318 (+) 0.40% ▲

CSE Selected Index : 8340.8809 (+) 0.57% ▲

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS

Company Volume shares

Value in million

% of total turnover

Weekly closing

Price change

Weekly opening

Weekly high

Weekly low

Weekly average

HeidelbergCement -A 715,961 325.84 25.17 449.90 -4.07 469.00 498.00 449.10 454.97Social Islami. B-A 4,843,340 67.88 5.24 14.60 11.45 13.10 14.70 13.00 14.55LafargeS Cement-Z 543,627 66.46 5.13 119.00 4.48 113.90 125.90 118.00 119.87Shasha Denims -N 1,389,619 52.28 4.04 38.10 1.33 37.60 38.60 36.30 37.84BD Submarine Cable-A 394,962 49.34 3.81 123.20 2.16 120.60 129.00 121.00 124.07Shahjibazar Power-N 223,558 43.52 3.36 187.00 2.02 183.30 208.50 183.00 191.03ACI Limited- A 88,163 43.41 3.35 514.70 12.06 459.30 517.80 468.00 512.41ACI Formulations-A 247,067 38.00 2.94 160.40 16.23 138.00 165.00 139.50 161.80BEXIMCO Ltd. -A 1,065,847 34.68 2.68 32.00 -2.14 32.70 33.30 31.60 31.88Zaheen Spinning -N 955,159 23.84 1.84 24.30 0.00 0.00 27.00 22.70 24.96Grameenphone-A 68,202 23.25 1.80 344.80 3.05 334.60 346.00 335.00 343.49Ifad Autos -N 361,779 22.65 1.75 60.80 -6.32 64.90 66.00 60.40 61.33WesternMarine -N 472,083 19.70 1.52 41.00 0.74 40.70 42.90 40.80 41.03Singer BD -A 108,237 19.62 1.52 182.30 2.94 177.10 184.00 177.00 181.88MJL BD Ltd.-A 158,883 19.51 1.51 123.70 2.32 120.90 125.00 119.50 122.63

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS

Company Volume shares

Value in million

% of total turnover

Weekly closing

Price change

Weekly opening

Weekly high

Weekly low

Weekly average

LafargeS Cement-Z 6,845,157 832.78 7.00 119.80 4.54 114.60 126.00 118.00 120.79ACI Limited- A 1,545,402 759.82 6.39 511.50 11.32 459.50 518.00 463.80 510.76Grameenphone-A 1,797,982 611.41 5.14 344.70 3.08 334.40 345.70 335.10 343.28Shahjibazar Power-N 2,588,980 503.80 4.24 194.60 4.85 185.60 209.00 182.10 189.17ACI Formulations-A 3,109,767 478.37 4.02 160.40 16.23 138.00 165.00 139.40 162.08Square Pharma -A 1,661,861 427.41 3.59 257.50 1.10 254.70 259.00 255.00 256.84Shasha Denims -N 9,334,485 352.23 2.96 38.50 2.12 37.70 38.80 36.60 38.00Ifad Autos -N 5,345,193 336.47 2.83 60.80 -6.32 64.90 67.00 60.10 61.64Bata Shoe Ltd. -A 210,848 289.89 2.44 1365.40 -1.27 1383.00 1398.90 1360.00 1365.38MJL BD Ltd.-A 2,236,397 273.66 2.30 123.70 2.15 121.10 125.40 119.90 122.27Social Islami. B-A 17,462,796 243.39 2.05 14.50 9.85 13.20 14.70 13.00 14.37One Bank -A 15,633,545 242.10 2.04 15.60 1.30 15.40 15.90 15.20 15.59BEXIMCO Ltd. -A 6,694,576 217.76 1.83 31.90 -2.74 32.80 33.50 31.50 31.81SummitAlliancePort.-A 3,585,368 207.38 1.74 55.90 -4.93 58.80 60.30 55.30 56.23Pharma Aids A 583,908 161.57 1.36 290.20 16.17 249.80 292.50 252.00 287.67

BUSINESS20DT


Study: RMG jobs help lower child marriage rate n Tribune Report

The life of a Bangladeshi garment factory worker is not an easy one, but the new re-search by the University of Washington (UW) suggests something else.

The new study indicates that access to such factory jobs improves the lives of young Bangladeshi women, motivating them to stay in school and lowering their likelihood of ear-ly marriage and childbirth.

The April 2013 collapse of a commercial garment factory building that killed more than 1,100 people thrust the industry into a harsh spotlight and brought attention and concern from human rights groups.

But amid the hardships, the new � ndings show that there is a quiet upside of the facto-ry work for many Bangladeshi women.

Economist Rachel Heath of the University of Washington and co-author A. Mush� q Mo-barak of the Yale University School of Man-agement studied data on school enrollment and marriage and childbirth outcomes from 1,395 households in 60 Bangladeshi villages in the year 2009.

The study released last month found that girls between 12 and 18 years old who have lived in the proximity of a garment factory for about six years — the average time studied — were 28% less likely to be married than those living in villages in the same district that were not close to a factory.

The girls who live near a factory tend to have 1.5 more years of education than their brothers when surveyed. This represents a 50% increase in girls’ educational attainment over villages without a garment factory nearby.

The girls and young women who are ex-posed to factory jobs when they are 10 to 23 years old are 79% more likely to work outside their home before marriage.

Overall, girls are 7.2 percentage points more likely to be enrolled in schools when factories open near their village. This e� ect is especially strong among young girls, 5 to 9

years of age. They also found that in the areas surveyed,

the demand for education generated through manufacturing growth in Bangladesh ac-counts for more growth of educational oppor-tunities for girls than the Female Secondary School Assistance Programme, a large-scale government-funded programme to encour-age female schooling.

“We document the likelihood of marriage and childbirth at early ages drops sharply for girls when they gain exposure to the ready-made garment sector,” said the report.

“In summary, access to factory jobs signif-

icantly lowers the risk of early marriage and childbirth for girls in Bangladesh,” Heath and Mobarak wrote in the report.

A small negative e� ect to factory job access on education also was found: Unlike the pos-itive e� ect for those younger girls, those who were 17-18 years old were slightly more likely to leave school for factory employment.

“Of course, to say the industry has had positive e� ects does not deny that there have been serious tragedies,” Heath said.

“We think that increased monitoring of conditions inside the factories can allow Bang-ladesh to reap the bene� ts of these jobs while

minimising the safety risks of working in them.” The results, the researchers write, also pro-

vide one explanation, unexplored until now, for accelerated gender equity in education in Bangladesh, “thus generating policy implica-tions for other countries interested in emulat-ing Bangladesh’s success.”

The ready-made garment industry in Bang-ladesh has grown tremendously in the last 30 years and now accounts for more than 80% of the country’s exports and there are about 40 lakh such workers in Bangladesh, 80% of whom are women, according to Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association. l

Central bank governor declares special scheme for women entrepreneursn BSS

Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Atiur Rah-man has announced a special scheme for micro women entrepreneurs to expedite the ongoing � nancial inclusion programmes.

Speaking at a view exchange meeting at Cox’s Bazar Friday afternoon, the governor announced that all commercial banks and non-banking � nancial institutions (NBFIs) would provide minimum Taka 50,000 as loan for at least a woman entrepreneur each year.

A total of 9,228 branches of all banks and NBFIs will give the loans to the women entre-preneurs across the country.

“We’ll able to create nearly 10,000 wom-en entrepreneurs every year if the initiative continues,” Atiur said while announcing the fresh scheme in addition to the ongoing pro-grammes.

He also asked the banks and NBFIs to ex-pedite the implementation of ongoing � nan-cial inclusion programmes across the country

through strengthening � nancing in SME en-trepreneurs, particularly the women.

The central bank chief hoped that with the initiative, the small women entrepreneurs will become middle ones gradually.

He also said the BB not only created sep-arate unit managed by women o� cials for women entrepreneurship development but

also has directed all banks and NBFIs to have similar units. As a result, thousands of wom-en entrepreneurs are having access to � nance in di� erent clusters.

Besides, he said BB has taken special poli-cy measures and opened re� nance windows to facilitate development of women empow-erment in various sectors. l

Women workers inside a garment factory in Dhaka DHAKA TRIBUNE

South Bangla Agriculture and Commerce Bank holds 2nd AGM n Tribune Report

South Bangla Agriculture and Commerce Bank (SBAC) held its second Annual General Meeting yesterday.

S.M Amzad Hossain, Chairman of the bank, attended at the meeting as chief guest .

Members of the board of directors, share-holders and managing director were also pres-ent, said a press release.

The bank did not declare any dividend for the shareholders in the second year of the bank’s inception.

The bank’s net pro� t increased to Tk6.29 crore last year from to Tk3.54 crore in 2013, the � rst year of journey.

South Bangla Agriculture and Commerce Bank Limited is incorporated in Bangladesh as a banking company in 2013 under the Com-panies Act 1994. Bangladesh Bank issued banking license under the Banking Compa-nies Act.1991. l

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman speaks at a views exchange on SME women entrepreneurs in Cox’s Bazar yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

21D

TSUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2015T

-JUNCTION

Spirit of Spring

22Jewellery for Pohela Boishakh

23tips and tricks

Wardrobe on life support

24Wardrobe Check

Conversing about converse(s)

INSIDE

Photo: Sparkling Emotions

Contour CoutureBlack and white, the classic combo, takes the spotlight on all runways this season. Grab yourself a maxi in this timeless colour pairing. The contouring on this delightful number from the Sparkling Emotions April lookbook has a great slimming e� ect, and can be dressed up or down as the occasion demands.

Hot damn!As the mercury rises, it’s time to bust out the summer wear. Half-sleeve shirts are a tricky essential. Done right, you can just breeze through the season in style. Done wrong, you’ll end up looking like that sad schoolboy on the playground that gets his ti� n stolen by the bullies. Hop to our Tailored page to make it work!

NewsT-JUNCTION22DT


Jewellery for Pohela Boishakh Karukar is a mysterious and mystical place of wondrous beauty, where they sell handmade goods to decorate your house with objects that range from bronze and brass to copper and wood and mirrors. If you’re into iconic and antique jewellery, this is the place for you, specially when you want some souvenirs or small furniture at a reasonable price.Address: 109, 211, Bailey Fiesta, 12 New Bailey Road. New Super Market (South) Block A (Ground Floor), Dhaka.Contact: 01715151225 Website: www.karukar.com

Laser Medical Center o� ering discounts on hair transplantA woman’s beauty lies in her hair and God forbid if she starts losing it. Laser Medical Center has just the solution for you to regrow it! “Hair Re Growth Clinic” will help you regrow your hair in a painless manner with a ten percent discount on hair transplant. This magical technique works by using laser therapy along with robotic transplant which is more e� ective than follicular hair transplant. Address: 121/c Gulshan Avenue, Gulshan-2 and Shimanto Square, DhanmondiContact: 01727001199Website: www.lasermedicalbd.com, facebook/lasermedicalcenter

Zeenat Boishakhi special collection Zeenat is an exclusive boutique in Banani dedicated to fashion lovers. This season Zeenat’s main focus will be on red and white dresses since it’s Boishakh. Zeenat’s motto is to provide their customers with a unique sense of style as well as making them feel like royalty when they have worn the product, that brings out inner con� dence and an aura that re� ects and glistens eternal beauty. For more details contact: Zeenat, Ava Nir, House-54(Apartment1/B), Road- 11, Block- F, Banani, Dhaka Contact: 02-9863043, 01818 818515 Website: Facebook.com/zeenatboutique

Tranding T-JUNCTION 23D

T


Five ways to get more wear out of your wardrobe

There’s one for every shape and size

n Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

Cut down on ironing timeGot a wrinkly blouse and a big meeting early in the morning, and no time to iron? Close all the doors and windows, hang your blouse near the shower – but not too close

to the water – and take a hot shower. Not only will you come out feeling relaxed, the steam will take care of the wrinkles.

Grease lighteningIf you’re planning to take care of oil stains on your clothes tomorrow, pat on some

baby powder to the affected area tonight. Wash out with dish soap before doing the regular laundry in cold to medium water, and you should be stain free

Don’t sweat itAs the sun shines brighter and hotter, you know what to expect to do; sweat. Over time, sweat pools into some specific areas, and leaves behind a nasty, yellowish stain. Prevent this from happening by spritzing some lemon juice onto areas like the armpit and under the collar about half an hour before you wash the clothes. The citric acid should eat into the fatty residues in the sweat and make it easier for your soap or detergent to break it down, leaving your clothes sweat free.

Cake warAnother result of the hot weather is that make-up often melts and runs onto your clothes. Don’t you just hate having

n Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

If there’s one trending wardrobe item that both the East and West can agree on, it’s the maxi dress. The perfect blend of comfort, and style, it’s an item with endless potential for styling. It’s also an article of clothing that can make you look frumpy if done wrong. Read on for tips on how to � nd a maxi dress that’s perfect for you.

Petite and prettyThe fun-sized fashionistas should aim for a higher waistline, such as empire waists. A long line from waist to ankle will give you the illusion of height, even when you’re in � ats. Be careful about the prints you choose, too. An over large print can end up drowning you

Hips don’t lieIf your hips are on the generous side, pick a simple two-tone style, where the bottom half is darker than the top half. Diagonal prints can also distract from the waist.

Happy HourglassFor the hourglass � gure, get the same

silhouette you would for a short and dress: the � t and � are. Something that cinches at the waist and then � ows outwards will not only make you feel like Kareena Kapoor in a soap ad, it’s also incredibly � attering.

A little extra boom boomIf you’re on the busty side, go for a V-neck. It draws the eye in a vertical line, creating a balance between your cleavage and collarbone. A deep scoop neck is another option, but you’ll need a big scarf as a back up.

Fit and � neIf you’ve been putting in hours at the gym, or are naturally blessed with a lean, muscular build, get yourself a nice, � tting maxi that hugs your body and makes you look even taller and leaner.

Once you’ve picked out your ideal maxi dress (there are options that address more than one issue at a time, so don’t feel disheartened), pay attention to your accessories. Keep it light and coherent, and you’ll breeze through summer in style.

Wardrobe on life support

Maxi-mum style

tips and tricks

trend alert

foundation smears all over your collar? Fight the cake by gently applying shaving foam to the affected area.

Strut in comfortThere’s nothing more irritating than having to break in a new pair of shoes. All that chafing doesn’t make for happy feet. Skip the pain by filling a pair of Ziplock bags with water, stuffing them into your shoes, and then throwing your shoes in the freezer overnight. The bags will gently expand as the water freezes, slowly stretching out the shoes.

Photos: Sparkling Emotions

T-JUNCTION Tailored24DT


Oh, these will never get old because some men tend to forget

Let all the other kids be with their pumped-up kicks

Spring/summer dos and don’ts

Conversing about converse (s)

in style

wardrobe check

n Mahmood Hossain

Feeling the heat, gentlemen? Stripping off the layers and embracing the sun, it’s time to check a few things off for the current season style list.

Don’tsIf you’re planning to wear shorts, don’t even think about wearing socks with your shoes. Or, God forbid, socks with sandals. If you’re planning to wear sandals or loafers, please make sure your feet haven’t made a round trip to Hades. Grooming your feet in this situation is as important as washing your face.

A clean shave or a trimmed beard, don’t forget to wash your face more than once a day. That sweat will creep up quickly and a morning wash will never be enough.

Never skip a shower. Ever. Yes, conserving water is important, but so is taking a shower at least once a day. It’s not winter and there are no excuses, you dirty rug rats.

No need to walk around in your tank-top out in public. No time to be lazy, no one wants to see your ill-mannered body hair either. Unless of course you’ve tamed it quite well.

DosWear black if you want to. Just because it’s much hotter outside doesn’t mean you’re restricted to wearing the trendy colours of spring or summer. Although, don’t complain when the sun beats down on you like Mike Tyson.

Loosen things up a bit. It’s perfectly acceptable to hit up afternoon or evening events in a suit without a tie. As long as your clothes are fitted, you’re good to go.

Mix up your shades game. Avoiding the tacky route, try investing in a few pair of shades that will flatter your face shape. Apart from the usual black and silver, try on colourful pairs that will complement the outfit.

Carry a handkerchief. It will, at times, get a little sticky. Get ready to swiftly wipe off the sweat, a gentleman is always prepared.

Stay neutral. It’s a good practice to keep your wardrobe as light as possible, which means putting on neutral colours. Think of cooler tones like soft blue linen trousers with a beige or light grey coloured Henley. Short-sleeve shirts work well too.

n Sabrina Fatma Ahmad and Baizid Haque Joarder

We at T-Junction love Converse shoes. Period. If you never owned a pair of Chuck Taylor All Stars, One Star or Jack Purcell sneakers throughout your teenage years, you have missed something great. The

� rst ever Converse shoe being introduced about a century ago, the ever-so-cool and comfortable design of “Chucks” by the company is still far from being out-dated. Even if you have one that is immensely washed out, fret not, that hasn’t gone out of vogue if you cleverly plan your out� t. The following points might come in handy.

Styling One can easily pull-off a converse, guys and girls alike. Wearing them with denim and chinos is a go-to look for teens, but there is so much more you can do. Be it a high converse or a low one, they look great with shorts. Might be a look you’d want when the summer heat creeps in full force. Printed, bright coloured ones or striped, peppy tees teamed with light khaki coloured chinos or your favourite Levi’s would never fail, too. Frocks can also be paired up with low chucks. As weird it might sound, pairing skirts (both small and big ones) with them, can be a good idea for a comfortable but very strictly, casual look.

If stars like Drew Barrymore, Demi Lovato and Kirsten Stewart can don them on the red carpet, you don’t have to worry about it being just for casual wear. Semi-formal can also be an option. Black chucks (clean ones!) can be paired with jackets and give you an edge among all the other “suited-booted” peeps at a dawat.

KnockoffsCan’t dole out the big bucks for the real thing? Don’t worry, Chowrungi market (and all those footpath stores) are flooded with affordable knock-offs which don’t lose out on the style quotient. When buying,

though, be careful to try em on. Check the heels, and soles, to know that what you’re buying won’t come at the cost of your feet. A style tip to buying knock-off converses, is to stick to solid colours and/or simple patterns. A crazy print, and extra bling and embellishment is just passé at the moment.

MaintenanceWhat we love about these sneaks is how easy it is to take care of them. After every wear, loosen the laces all the way through, and store in an airy place to let the sweat air out. This will also prevent foot fungus. You can use warm water and mild soap and a dish-rag to clean them when they start looking particularly grotty. Avoid bleach, as this may damage the fabric, and air dry. Voila! That’s all there is to it.

25D


WHO TO WATCH: AUS v NZ, WORLD CUP FINAL AT MCG

BANGLADESH UP AGAINST RESILIENT UZBEKISTAN

AILING CROWE PENS EMOTIONAL TRIBUTE

27 28 29

Kevin Pietersen @KP24 tweets: I was ready to leave & then

@GraemeSmith49 brings his personal barber to my room

to cut his hair

ARE YOU READY?

Sport

ICC WORLD CUP 2015, THE FINAL

A GLADIATORIAL COMBAT OF EPIC PROPORTIONS

Only once before did a host nation take home the coveted trophy in its 40-year history, which began in 1975 when the competition was known as the Prudential World Cup. Host nations were deemed favourites several times; Australia in 1992, India and Pakistan in 1996 and South Africa in 2003 are World Cup years that come to mind wherein all of them came up a tri� e short. Finally India broke the pattern and won it in 2011.

For the second time, a host nation holding the trophy aloft is a certainty. Co-hosts New Zealand and Australia with their powerful performances throughout the competition are well deserved � nalists. If they produce anything close to what they presented in their group match, one can expect a high strung � -nal that will electrify not only the 90,000 fans at the MCG but also the millions across the world glued to their TV sets.

There is very little to di� erentiate between the two as both will rely on some powerful batting backed up by some extraordinary fast bowling. The rivalry between the two may be a regional one but it goes deep into their skins. Who can forget the unforgettable under-arm bowling incident orchestrated by the Chap-pell brothers (Greg and Trevor) that almost led to a diplomatic war between the two! Dec-

ades have gone by and the game has evolved much since. While it is a battle between two of the best teams in the tournament, it is also going to provide some anticipated personal head to head challenges that will be exciting to watch. Brendon McCullum has re-invigor-ated and transformed the Kiwi way of play-ing the game. No longer do the Black Caps sit back and watch as the game rambles along. McCullum, the “� ying Kiwi” as he may be called, is the most aggressive leader on the cricket � eld today. His aggression is clearly visible while he bats and is more than evident when he leads his bowling attack. So one per-sonal duel that everyone will look forward to will be his batting against the Mitchells of Australia (Starc and Johnson). On the oth-er hand, it will be the same between David Warner, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell and the Kiwi pacemen.

Having expressed all of the above, here are some points to ponder upon:

Decision on winning the tossWith the MCG surface being a drop-in pitch, which will be great for batting, the team win-ning the toss will bat and try to put the num-bers on the board. Both teams have a terri� c line up so this should be a high scoring match. However, my take is that there are some dents in the Aussie line up. Aaron Finch does not look too happy with his batting and Warner is also sensitive. Much will, as usual, depend on the calm and collected approach of Smith and the explosion of Maxwell for the Aussies

to get a total that they would like to get, i.e., around the 300 plus mark. New Zealand on the other hand have shown that they can win without McCullum striking big, however, he will need to get going to ensure that the Kiwis don’t fall short.

Whose bowling unit will be the deciding factor?While both teams have a lethal fast bowling combination, I believe the Australians have a better unit that can sustain the threat throughout the match. Their combination of Starc, Johnson, James Faulkner and Josh Hazlewood is a shade better than that of the Black Caps. Trent Boult and Tim Southee are very good in the opening overs but tend to lose their bite at the later stages. So this brings us to the two slow bowlers, Daniel Vettori and Maxwell. Vettori is head and shoulders above Maxwell with his experience, guile and spin. He could be the “X factor” in this match for the Kiwis, while Maxwell will de� nitely be the one for Australia. He is a potential game killer with his “circus” like explosive batting.

Since we all expect this � nal to be a high scoring one, the team that makes fewer mistakes during the course of the match will win. Just like the semi-� nal between South Africa and New Zealand, leaving aside the unfortunate rain interruption, the Kiwis made fewer mistakes than the Proteas and we all know who is playing the � nal. Two terri� c teams in top form; what more can a cricket fan ask for?

If we re� ect on all the previous World Cup � nals, I don’t think we have ever had two great teams that are so evenly matched up, playing in the � nal. This is going to be a fan-tastic display of cricket at its best.

This will be Australia’s seventh � nal and the � rst for the Black Caps. Just in case you did not know, Australia has won it four times already while the Kiwis are waiting for their � rst taste of glory. If New Zealand wins today on Australian soil, will it be considered a host nation as I wrote in the 2nd paragraph of this piece? The hard work that McCullum and the Kiwis sta� have put into this team, winning the ICC World Cup is a justi� able conclusion. Australia will, obviously, give it their best to spoil the Kiwis ambition.

While both teams will play to win the trophy for national pride, deep down every single member of the respective sides have a much more sentimental motive to come out as winners. The Kiwis will � ght for one of its greatest cricketers Martin Crowe, whose terminal illness is most likely going to make this his last World Cup as a spectator. On the other hand, Aussie skipper Michael Clarke announced his retirement from ODI cricket. An exciting cricketer in all respect, a thought-ful and charismatic leader on and o� the � eld, Clarke is an icon not only for Australian cricket but for cricket at large. The Australi-ans have every reason to present him the ICC World Cup as a farewell gift.

So sit back, relax and be prepared for cracker of a match.l

Yousuf Rahman (Babu), former national cricketer, vice captain and � rst centurion writes from New York for Bangladesh fans all across the globe.

Sport26DT


1975: WEST INDIES BEAT AUSTRALIA BY 17 RUNS AT LORD’S

Striking the ball with relaxed brutality, West Indies’ captain Clive Lloyd tamed an attack headed by the pace and fury of Dennis Lillee and Je� Thomson to score 102 from 85 balls.

He was ably assisted by the 39-year-old Rohan Kanhai, a late replacement for the injured Gar� eld Sobers. Kanhai contributed 55 to West Indies’ 291-8 from their 60 overs.

Australia captain Ian Chappell led a spirited reply with 62 before he fell victim to one of three run outs e� ected by the electric re� exes of Viv Richards. Australia lost � ve wickets in total to run outs.

Lillee and Thomson added 41 for the � nal wicket before Australia were � nally dismissed for 274 at twilight on the longest day of the year.

1979: WEST INDIES BEAT ENGLAND BY 92 RUNS AT LORD’S

Viv Richards stroked an imperious 138 and Collis King struck a whirlwind 86 to power West Indies to 286-9 in their 60 overs.

Although England captain Mike Brearley and Geo� Boycott put on 129 for the � rst wicket, they took up 38 of the 60 overs.

After their dismissals, the giant Joel Garner ran through the middle order with a series of unplayable yorkers to take � ve wickets in 11 balls and give his team victory by 92 runs.

Colin Croft also took three wickets.

1983: INDIA BEAT WEST INDIES BY 43 RUNS AT LORD’SViv Richards seemed intent on winning the � nal against underdogs India on his own after West Indies had been set a modest 184 to win.

He struck seven boundaries in his 33 from 28 balls before top-edging a hook which India captain Kapil Dev, running away from the pitch towards the boundary at mid-wicket, coolly collected.

West Indies imploded thereafter, with India recording a famous 43-run victory which was to have profound implications at home where one-day cricket quickly superseded the test game as the most popular form of the sport.

1987: AUSTRALIA BEAT ENGLAND BY SEVEN RUNS AT EDEN GARDENS

Because of the shorter daylight hours on the sub-continent all matches were played over 50 overs, now the standard length, instead of 60.

Opener David Boon’s 75 took Australia to 253-5 which seemed to be not enough.

England appeared to be cruising to victory at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens when Mike Gatting tried a reverse sweep o� opposition captain Allan Border’s � rst delivery and lobbed a simple catch.

A well-drilled and disciplined Australia side went on to win by seven runs.

1992: PAKISTAN BEAT ENGLAND BY 22 RUNS AT THE MCG

Coloured clothing, � oodlights and a white ball, all pioneered in World Series cricket, were � nally intro-duced into the tournament.

Famously urged by captain Imran Khan to “� ght like cornered tigers,” Pakistan rebounded from imminent elimination in the opening round to

defeat England in the � nal at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

All-rounder Imran scored 72 batting at number three in his � nal match for his country as his side posted 249-6 in 50 overs. He also took the � nal wicket after his protege Wasim Akram had blown away Ian Botham, Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis.

Leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed also took three wickets for Pakistan.

1996: SRI LANKA BEAT AUSTRALIA BY SEVEN WICKETS IN LAHORE

Captain Mark Taylor’s 74 took Australia to 241-7 in 50 overs at the Gadda� Stadium.

Sri Lanka lost explosive openers Sanath Jayasur-iya and Romesh Kaluwitharana early but a 125-run stand for the third wicket between Aravinda de Silva (107 not out) and Asanka Gurusinha (65) put them on course for their � rst title.

De Silva, their most accomplished batsman, and captain Arjuna Ranatunga (47 not out) then added 97 for the unbroken fourth wicket to see their side through for a seven-wicket win.

1999: AUSTRALIA BEAT PAKISTAN BY EIGHT WICKETS AT LORD’S

Australia, the world’s best test side, made a no con-test of the � nal against Pakistan, taking barely 4-1/2 hours to overwhelm the 1992 champions.

Pakistan were all out for 132 in 39 overs, with leg-spinner Shane Warne taking four wickets which proved an easy target for Australia to chase down.

Wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist smashed 54 o� 36 balls as his side chased down the total in 20.1 overs with eight wickets to spare.

2003: AUSTRALIA BEAT INDIA BY 125 RUNS IN JOHANNESBURGAustralia’s new one-day captain Ricky Ponting struck eight sixes in his 140 not out in the � nal against India as his team scaled new heights with a relentless

125-run victory.The Australians became the � rst team to win

three World Cups and took their unbeaten run in the tournament to 16.

Riding on Ponting’s imperious ton and half-cen-turies from Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn, Australia made 359-2.

The total proved too tough for India who were bundled out for 234 inside 40 overs despite 82 from opener Virender Sehwag.

2007: AUSTRALIA BEAT SRI LANKA BY 53 RUNS (D/L) IN BARBADOS

Adam Gilchrist bettered Ponting’s record tally in a � nal with a typically audacious 149.

Australia � nished with victory over Sri Lanka in a rain-shortened � nal at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.

The win gave Australia their third title in a row and fourth overall World Cup title.

2011: INDIA BEAT SRI LANKA BY SIX WICKETS IN MUMBAI

Mahela Jayawardene scored an unbeaten 103 in Sri Lanka’s challenging 274-6 but India recovered from a slow start to win by six wickets with 10 balls to spare at the Wankhede Stadium.

Gautam Gambhir made 97 and captain Mahen-dra Singh Dhoni an unbeaten 91 as India became the � rst country to win the World Cup � nal on home soil.

PREVIOUS WORLD CUP FINALS

Sport 27D

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FINAL

At MCG today (9:30AM)

UmpiresKumar Dharmasena (SRI) and Richard Kettleborough (ENG)TV umpire: Marais Erasmus (RSA)Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)

Weather forecastPlenty of sunshine. Maximum temperature of 25 Celsius

Pitch reportGood batting wicket, with bounce that will assist fast bowlers.

STATS New Zealand have reached their � rst

World Cup � nal - they are the seventh dif-ferent team to make a � nal appearance.

Australia are four-time champions winning the World Cup in 1987, 1999, 2003 and 2007.

Australia have lost the toss in six of their last seven completed ODIs against New Zealand on home soil, but have won � ve of these seven meetings.

The Black Caps are attempting to record their 300th ODI victory. They have lost 339 and tied six.

Shane Watson has scored 86 runs o� the 85 balls Tim Southee has bowled to him in ODIs, without being dis-missed.

Brendon McCullum has scored 308 of his 329 tournament runs in the manda-tory power play, hitting 59 boundaries in the 150 balls he has faced.

Ross Taylor has been dismissed three times by o� -spinners in the tourna-ment, more than any other player. He has also fallen once to leg-spin.

15 of Trent Boult’s 21 wickets in the tournament have been batsmen bat-ting at numbers 1–4; this percentage of 71.4% is the highest of anyone taking at least 10 wickets.

Michael Clarke (62.6) and Martin Guptill (61.1) have the respective third and sixth highest all-time World Cup averages, minimum 10 dismissals.

Steve Smith’s last 12 ODI innings in Australia have produced 812 runs at an average of 81.2 and a strike rate of 96.4.

AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND 85 Wins 35

Played: 126Tied: 0N/R: 6AUSTRALIA

STEVE SMITHAge: 25ODIs: 57Role: Right-handed No. 3 batsmanWorld Cup batting average: 57.66

Has been Australia’s form batsman of the summer, scoring centuries in all four tests against India and then, after two single-digit innings to open the World Cup, has contribut-ed signi� cantly since being elevated to bat at No. 3. Can score quickly while also playing an anchor role for the bigger hitters. Has come to the rescue several times to salvage and main-tain the innings after early wickets were lost and scored 95, 72, 65 and 105 in his last four innings. His century against India took the semi� nal away from the 2011 champions in Sydney. With Michael Clarke announcing that the World Cup � nal will be his last one-day international, Smith is a contender to become Australia’s ODI captain.

DAVID WARNERAge: 28ODIs: 61Role: Left-handed opening batsmanWorld Cup batting average: 50.00

A big-hitting opener capable of getting Aus-tralia away to a � ying start, and can go on to post a big score. He scored 178 in Australia’s World Cup record win over Afghanistan in the group stage, coming o� 34 in Australia’s total of 151 in the match in Auckland. Apart from those two innings, he has only tallied 88 in � ve other innings at the World Cup and is due for a big score.

MITCHELL STARCAge: 25ODIs: 40Role: Left-arm fast bowlerWorld Cup bowling average: 10.20

Since being on the receiving end of some public criticism from Shane Warne, Starc has outshone his faster and more destructive teammate Mitchell Johnson, the Internation-al Cricket Council’s player of 2014. Starc’s return of 6-28 against New Zealand restored Australia’s seemingly lost hope of beating

New Zealand in Auckland. Has been bowling the ideal length for the conditions and swing-ing the ball, giving him 20 wickets for the tournament.

NEW ZEALANDDANIEL VETTORIAge: 36ODIs: 294Role: Left-arm spinnerWorld Cup bowling average: 18.8

Has been playing cricket for New Zealand since he was 18 and has long been a leader within the team. Was part of the extended squad at the 1999 World Cup, and has played in the last four editions, coming back from injuries to have one last crack at the title. His tight bowling is crucial in containing opposition teams and he also regularly picks up wickets — with 15 already in the tournament. His calm and experience was crucial in the World Cup semi� nal, when he squeezed a boundary early in the rotated the strike to put Grant Elliott into position to hit the winning six.

BRENDON McCULLUMAge: 33ODIs: 248Role: Captain, right-handed opening batsmanWorld Cup batting average: 41.0

Can be explosive with the bat at the top of the order and holds no fear against the new ball, regardless of who is running in at him. His four half-centuries so for in the tourna-ment have come in the bigger games against Sri Lanka, England, Australia and South Afri-ca. He has galvanized his squad with his as-tute and attacking leadership, and proudly says they’re afraid of no one. Regardless of the outcome, he will always be noted as the � rst captain to guide a New Zealand team to a World Cup semi� nal win — the Black Caps lost six semi� nals before edging South Africa on the penultimate ball in Auckland.

TRENT BOULTAge: 25ODIs: 24Role: Left-arm pace bowlerWorld Cup bowling average: 15.8

Leads the tournament with 21 wickets, pro-ducing late swing with the right line and length to cause all kinds of trouble for the batsmen in New Zealand conditions. His 5-27 in Auckland was instrumental in cutting down Australia for 151 in the pool stage. How he adapts to his � rst away match of the tournament could be crucial to New Zealand’s prospects in the � -nal. He has form against Australia — in his test debut in 2011, New Zealand had an upset vic-tory in Hobart to register its � rst test win on Australian soil since 1985.l

WHO TO WATCH

Former Australian wickerkkper Adam Gilchrist (R) talks to batsman Steve Smith during a practice session ahead of the 2015 Cricket World Cup � nal in Melbourne yesterday AFP

Sport28DT


Mahmoud al Mawas, the Syrian forward takes a sel� e with Bangladesh skipper Raihan Hasan and Indian mid� lder Pritam Kotal at the BFF House yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Khaleda Arman Daisy, the principal of Oxford National School pose with the teachers and students who won prizes of the di� erent sports events of Independence Day Cultural and Sports Festival at the school premises yesterday COURTESY

Menacing Syrians want to keep winningn Raihan Mahmood

Syria expressed con� dence that they would be able to continue their winning streak in the AFC Under-23 Championship Group E Quali-� ers when they take on India at Bangaband-hu National Stadium today. The Quali� er will kick o� at 3pm and Channel 9 will transmit the game live from the venue.

The strongly-built Syrians overpowered hosts Bangladesh 4-0 in their opener last Friday while India lost to Uzbekistan 2-0 on the same day.

Syrian coach Muhannad al Fakir said yester-day they are con� dent of a win against the In-dians. “After winning 4-0 against the hosts, the spirit of this team is very high and we want to start from where we had � nished. However, at the same time, it’s a new day and a new match. We are taking nothing for granted. There are no injuries in the team and we will take the � eld respecting our opponent,” said Muhannad.

Indian coach Savio Medeira on the con-trary said they want to rectify their mistakes and continue the hard work that they had pro-duced against Uzbekistan. “I have to admit that my boys worked hard and fought neck-to-neck against Uzbekistan but in football, where physical di� erence matters, some-times there is a lack of concentration. The two dying stage goals were the consequences of that. We want to rectify the mistakes we have committed. Otherwise, I am proud of my boys,” said Mediera.l

BCL one-dayers from April 5n Minhaz Uddin Khan

The Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) one-day competition is all set to start on April 5 with the � nal taking place on April 11, con� rmed the tournament committee of the Bangladesh Cricket Board yesterday after a meeting with the four BCL franchises.

The tournament committee had originally planned to hold the 2015 season of BCL, the franchise-based domestic � rst-class competi-tion, in the � rst week of April with the partic-ipation of the national cricketers.

However, after it was con� rmed that Pa-kistan would tour Bangladesh in the second week of April, the BCB tournament commit-tee decided to improvise and turn the � rst-class competition into one-dayers following the suggestion of national head coach Chan-dika Hathurusingha. As the bilateral series

against Pakistan will start with one-day inter-nationals, Hathurusingha wanted his charges to prepare for the series playing one-dayers instead of four-day cricket.

BCB tournament committee chairman Akram Khan informed after the meeting that the original BCL four-day competition will now begin on April 15.

“The BCL one-day format tournament will begin in the � rst week of April and conclude on April 11 through the � nal. After that, the national cricketers will join the national camp for the Pa-kistan series. We are mulling beginning the BCL four-day 2015 season from April 15,” said Akram.

The BCL one-day tournament will be played in accordance with the league format with all the teams facing each other once. The top two teams will then contest the � nal. All the matches will be day-night a� airs and will be played at SBNS and Fatullah’s KSOAS. l

Hosts up against resilient Uzbeks n Shishir Hoque

Despite having noth-ing to lose, hosts Bangladesh face an uphill task as they take on � fth best Asian

footballing nation Uzbekistan in their second match of the AFC U-23 Championship quali� -ers at the Bangabandhu National Stadium at 6pm today.

The sides are poles apart in terms of strength. The Uzbeks stand 72nd in Fifa World ranking and sixth in AFC while Bangla-desh are ranked 162. After going down against

Syria, a signi� cantly lower ranked side than Uzbekistan, with a comprehensive margin of 0-4 in the opening game, the home side will be � nding it tougher than assumed with no hope to qualify from Group E.

The previous meetings were not pleasant too as Bangladesh came out second in all three. The Central Asian out� ts set foot in Dhaka a week before the quali� ers and have accustomed pretty easily after the warm-up game with Bangladesh Premier League club Abahani Limited. They beat India in the opening match with two late goals.

Meanwhile, the hosts would like to forget the Syrian encounter but very well remember

how devastating the Uzbeks can be in aerial balls. Bangladesh conceded two early goals from set-pieces against Syria and their coach Lodewijk de Kruif should � nd a solution fast to stop their opponents banking on the weak-ness of the players height.

“We were nervous against Syria and made some silly mistakes. It would be a tough match against Uzbekistan. They are same lev-el as Syria and the di� erence is vast with us. We have to think about the mistakes we did in the last match and must avoid them and have to be more compact,” said the Dutchman yes-terday.

Skipper Rayhan Hasan also echoed the

same tune as his coach and expects a better delivery against the favourites of the meet. Kruif, however, was relieved to have Heman-ta Vincent Biswas back from injury who will take over the mid� eld.

Uzbekistan coach Ashurmatov Bakhtiyor, however, showed respect to the hosts and rated the team better than others. “I saw the match (Bangladesh vs Syria) and I think Bangladesh are a good team. They couldn’t defend well and the � rst eleven minutes was not good for them. I expect a di� cult game against them,” said the former Uzbekistan footballer adding that the players have al-ready adapted to the conditions here.l

Sport 29D

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Maasranga TV, Gazi TV, Star Sports 1, 3, HD 19:15 AMICC Cricket World Cup FinalAustralia v New ZealandStar Sports 41:25 PMF1 World ChampionshipMain Race : Malaysia Grand Prix9:00 PMATP 1000 MastersMiami OpenTen Action10:00 AMA-League Wellington Phoenix v Sydney FC7:15 PMSky Bet Championship Fleetwood Town v Preston North EndTen HD8:30 PMMoto GP Grand Prix of QatarSony Six10:30 PMEuropean Quali� ers Georgia v Germany12:30 AMPortugal v Serbia

DAY’S WATCH


Clarke quits, who’s next?

Steve SmithThe favourite following his role as stand-in skipper in Clarke’s injury absence for the last three Tests against India this season.

Smith has been in outstanding batting form following his four centuries in the four-Test India series with four consecutive scores above 50, highlighted by his last start 105 o� 93 balls in the World Cup semi-� nal victory over India.

Smith, who will be 26 in June, has age on his side to be in place to lead Australia through to the next World Vup in England in 2019.

George Bailey

Led Australia in 29 of his 57 ODIs with a 55-percent winning ratio. Captained the team in their opening World Cup pool game against England while Clarke recovered from ham-string surgery.

Averages 42 with the bat, he is personable and comfortable with the media, but age is not on his side as he will be 36 by the time of the next World Cup.

David Warner

An outside choice given his on and o� -� eld indiscretions with o� cialdom, but his force-ful presence may be option.

Dynamic opening batsman who dictates the scoring with his wide array of aggressive shots and is also an athletic � elder.

His temperament is likely to count against him, given the calmer persona of Smith and Bailey under game pressure. l

Can Clarke have the perfect farewell? n AP, Melbourne

Michael Clarke’s retirement decision over-shadowed the eve of the Cricket World Cup � nal, with the Australian captain using a pre-match news conference to reveal Sunday’s tournament decider against New Zealand would be his last one-day international.

Clarke, who turns 34 next week, said he told his teammates of his retirement about 10 minutes before announcing it to a packed news conference on Saturday at the Mel-bourne Cricket Ground.

He said wanted to give his successor a full four-year cycle to prepare a team for the 2019 World Cup, and hoped that a break from the shorter format would allow him to continue playing test cricket for longer.

“I was very fortunate four years ago to get the opportunity to captain this one-day team (and) that was really good preparation for me leading up to this World Cup,” he said. “The next Australian captain deserves the same opportunity. I don’t think it’s realistic that I’ll be � t and healthy for the next World Cup, so I believe it’s the right time.”

Clarke has had a chronic back problem throughout his career and has recently strug-gled with hamstring strains, requiring sur-gery late last year that kept him out of action for more than two months between the � nish

of the � rst test against India and Australia’s second match at the World Cup.

Clarke had regularly � lled in for Ricky Pon-ting before replacing him after the 2011 World Cup. He matured further as a batsman and lead-er after being elevated to the test captaincy.

In his most tumultuous period since as-suming the national captaincy, Clarke was strong and digni� ed in the way he dealt with the public focus and personal grief following the sudden death of friend and former team-mate Phillip Hughes after a domestic match last November. That gave the Australian pub-lic a great insight into a player who had been a regular in the national team for a dozen years.

Clarke was part of Australia’s winning team at the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, and a member of the squad which lost in the quar-ter� nals in 2011 to eventual champion India.

“I think I leave the one-day game for the Australian team in a better place than when I took over the captaincy,” he said. “Last World Cup, we were knocked out in the quarter� nal. This World Cup we’ve been able to make the � nal and hopefully we can go on and have success in that � nal.”

It’s “obviously a priority for me to contin-ue to be successful in the test format,” Clarke said, “and I think by walking away from one-day cricket it probably gives me my best op-portunity.” l

Full name : Michael John ClarkeDate of birth : April 2, 1981Teams : Australia, Hamp-

shire, New South Wales, Pune Warri-ors

Nickname : Pup TEST RECORDMatches : 108Runs : 8,432Highest score : 329 not outAverage : 50.79100s : 2850s : 27Wickets : 31Best bowling : 6-9 ODI RECORDMatches : 244Runs : 7,907Highest score : 130Average : 44.42100s : 850s : 57Wickets : 57Best bowling : 5-35 TWENTY20 RECORDMatches : 34Runs : 488Highest score : 67Average : 21.21100s : 050s : 1Wickets : 6Best bowling : 1-2

Ailing Crowe pens emotional tribute before World Cup � naln Reuters, Melbourne

New Zealand’s former cricket captain Martin Crowe, who is terminally ill with lymphoma, has penned a moving tribute to his coun-trymen ahead of Sunday’s World Cup � nal against Australia.

In a heart-wrenching column published on Cricinfo, the 52-year-old said Sunday’s match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground might be the last he ever sees.

“My precarious life ahead may not a� ord me the luxury of many more games to watch and enjoy,” Crowe wrote.

“So this is likely to be it. The last, maybe, and I can happily live with that.”

Crowe, who played 77 tests and 143 One-Day Internationals for New Zealand, was regarded as one of the world’s best batsmen during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

He was diagnosed with follicular lympho-ma two years ago but it went into remission.

Crowe said he had decided against chemo-therapy and was instead trying natural treat-ments. He was inducted into the international cricket Hall of Fame last month and is making the trip from New Zealand to watch the � nal live, cheering on the players he regards as the “sons I never had”.

“I will hold back tears all day long. I will gasp for air on occasions. I will feel like a nervous par-ent,” he wrote. “Whatever happens, March 29 at the MCG will be the most divine fun ever.” l

DOWNTIME30DT


CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

DILBERT

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

CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS

CODE-CRACKER

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a di� erent letter of the alphabet. For example, today 1 represents C so � ll C every time the � gure 1 appears.You have two letters in the control grid to start you o� . Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares.Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.As you get the letters, � ll in the other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check o� the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

CROSSWORD

ACROSS1 Bottle for the table (6)5 Cut o� the top (3)7 United (3)8 Repeat from memory (6)11 Snow runner (3)12 Dissolves (5)14 Table-shaped hill (4)16 American elk (5)18 Angry (5)20 Part of the eye (4)21 Lawful (5)23 Lubricant (3)24 Moves easily (6)28 Tool (3)29 Divine messengers (6)

DOWN1 Vehicle (3)2 Fabled monstrous bird (3)3 Give life to (7)4 Festive occasion (4)5 One who grants a lease (6)6 Balances evenly (6)9 Water pitcher (4)10 Tree (3)13 Working hard (7)14 Persons under age (6)15 Of yellowish sickly hue (6)17 Weak glue (4)19 Incite (3)22 Man’s name (4)25 Stain (3)26 Distress call (3)

SUDOKU

SHOWTIME 31D


WHAT TO WATCHTELEVISION

RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION CSTAR Movies 11:30pmAlice � ghts alongside a resistance movement to regain her freedom from an Umbrella Corporation testing facility.Cast: Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Michelle Rodriguez, Aryana Engineer, Bingbing Li, Boris Kodjoe, Johann Urb

DJANGO UNCHAINED BWB 09:30pmA freed slave who sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.Cast: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins

THE ADVENTURE OF TINTIN BHBO 11:23pmTintin and Captain Heddock set o� on a treasure hunt for a sunken ship commanded by Haddock’s ancestor.Voice: Jamie Bell (Tintin), Andy Serkis (Captain Haddock), Daniel Craig (Sakharine), Nick Frost (Thomson)

Tom Hiddleston @twhiddleston The walk to work. #TheNightManager

Boman Irani @bomanirani Thank you Team India! You gave us a lot to cheer throughout! Our disappointment should never obscure your glorious e� ort! #AUSvIND #CWC15

Ellen DeGeneres @TheEllenShow What did the boy octopus say to the girl octopus? Can I hold your hand hand hand hand hand hand hand hand? #ClassicJokeFriday

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

Whiplash (2014)

“Furious 7” release halted in Thailand by Jaa contract dispute

n Sadia Khalid

When a bunch of promising new musical talents of the esteemed Sha� er Conservatory is chosen to play in the cut-throat studio band, their spirits are put to test by their tyrannical instructor, Terrance Fletcher, barking at them at the slightest slip-up. A particularly ambitious drummer, Andrew Neiman, dreams of becoming the next Charlie Parker and yet cannot gain the approval of his own music teacher. Completely detaching himself from society, he practises all day through blood, sweat and tears, literally, to achieve true greatness.

Whiplash is inspired by director Damien Chazelle’s own experience of playing in his high school jazz band. He was an aspiring drummer, much like the lead character. Akin to Andrew, he too had to bear with an intense instructor who most likely was the reason for Chazelle’s realisation that he wasn’t a musical genius after all.

In Fletcher’s words, “there are no two words in the English language more harmful than ‘good job’.” But the � nesse of this � lm compels us to use those very words to describe it. The editing of the � lm feels as though it has been set to a steady metronome. The cinematography strikes a major chord with the viewers successfully overthrowing the risk of looking monotonous with repeated shots of drums and classrooms. J K Simmons portrayed the demonic Fletcher in an Oscar-winning performance while Miles Teller (Andrew) depicted the excruciating hard work all starry-eyed young adults must go through in order to become an all-time great in their pertinent crafts.

How the movie came into being is quite a story in itself. The script made the

prestigious “Black List” (the most “liked” unreleased � lms) in 2012. This inspired Chazelle to make an 18 minute short � lm in the hopes of attracting producers to materialise it in feature length. The � lm was well received at the Sundance Film Festival and the rest is history. On top of its stupendous critical acclaim, the movie scooped up over $13 million so far in the US box o� ce alone with only $3.3 million in production cost, which is very economical even in the realm of independent � lms. However, the most momentous accomplishment of the � lm is perhaps its capacity to inspire young artists who are at the brink of bowing out for the wrong reasons. l

n Showtime Desk

Speed junkies and martial art fans will just have to wait a little longer as the release of Furious 7 hit a roadblock from a contract dispute involving star Tony Jaa.

One of Thailand’s leading � lm groups, Sahamongkol Film International obtained a court injunction stopping the scheduled release of “F7,” which had been set for April 1. The injunction names Universal Pictures and distributor United International Pictures (Fareast) includes the Ong Bak star, alleging a breach of a management contract with Sahamongkol that runs till 2023.

Sahamongkol had a long-term contract to produce, distribute and act as Jaa’s exclusive talent agent, with Jaa insisting the contract had expired. The company is reportedly seeking $49 million (THB1.6 billion) in compensation, a sum it calculates as the sum of previous investments in launching the star, lost future earnings, and a 7.5% interest.

The court has said that it will not examine the case fully until June. Sahamongkol says it is open to negotiations before then. The dispute even has a possibility of disrupting two other � lms set for release this year. l

BACK PAGE32DT


WB: BD NEEDS NO BUDGET SUPPORT IN FY15-16 PAGE 15

“FURIOUS 7” RELEASE HALTED IN THAILAND PAGE 31

A COMBAT OF EPIC PROPORTION PAGE 25

The erosion of civic-mindedness and the demoralisation of a generationExperts agree principled leadership and integrity that inspired independence are needed againn Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

Politics used to be a source of inspiration. It used to be a matter of avid interest. Political � gures drew crowds in the thousands. Peo-ple thronged to listen to their leaders speak. There was a sense that politics played a sig-ni� cant role in materialising their dreams and aspirations.

Indeed, it was politics that got the 70 million people of the then East Pakistan to rally behind the Awami League and extend their support. Reports, pictures and whatever television foot-age is available testify that the public came to listen to the politicians speak and many re-sponded to their calls without doubting them.

Historian, columnist and political commen-tator Afsan Chowdhury agrees. “The year 1971 was the supreme point of people’s hopes and aspirations. Afterwards, it became the starting point of frustration and people stopped ex-pecting much from the political leadership.”

The political leadership appeared to be far more sincere and dedicated to the popular cause too.

Popular movements, starting with the Lan-guage Movement of 1952 and leading up to the Liberation War, were in essence enduring political campaigns that culminated in Bang-ladesh’s independence.

This began to change gradually as politics became a tool to usurp power. The sanctity of parliament eroded with ruling parties abusing their mandate to turn Bangladesh into a vir-tual dictatorship. Trust in the political pro-cess was eroded as military dictators installed themselves as absolute rulers.

Former BNP whip and labour leader Ashraf Hossain says: “Democracy takes shape through trial and error but that has not happened since the inception of Bangladesh in 1971.”

Eminent political researcher Rounaq Jahan points to the failure of building institutions. “Our main problem since the beginning has been that we have not paid much attention to the challenge of institutionalising democra-cy. During our foundation period we did not install democratic institutions and practices which could have fostered a rule-based sys-tem. Instead, we turned to charismatic lead-ership to hold us together.”

Even after the apparent restoration of de-mocracy in 1991 there was little visible change in the culture of nepotism and insincerity that appeared to have subsumed politics in general.

Businessmen, bureaucrats and former army chiefs made their way into the party leadership on either side of the political divide, decreas-ing the in� uence of dedicated politicians who aspired to rise through the ranks.

Former chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda points out that while voter

turnout since then has been impressive at 70%, the political leadership has failed to up-hold people’s hopes and expectations.

“That is what drives people to reject the incumbents. Our voters are very conscious. It is not the failure of our people; it is the failure of the political leadership. People have been losing interest in constitutional bodies in-cluding the Election Commission because ofthis,” he says.

Afsan Chowdhury says the level of a coun-try’s democracy can be gauged from the ex-tent of democratic practices within the parties of that country. “As there is no politics within the parties here, lateral entry is certain.”

Rounaq Jahan explains how politics fell into deep water soon after independence. “We shifted from a multi-party parliamenta-ry system to a one-party presidential system. The charismatic leader on whom we all de-pended was assassinated and the country fell under military rule.”

She says both the BNP and the Jatiya Party were formed and nurtured by military dicta-tors through state patronage. “They used a

carrot and stick policy to divide and margin-alise the opposition and win supporters. Un-fortunately, our elected political leaders have found it convenient to continue with this practice begun by the military rulers.”

The practice of co-opting rich business-men and civil and military bureaucrats into party the leadership goes on, she concludes.

Political scientist Ataur Rahman says: “Those who have mastered the art of consol-idating state power have gotten promoted in the political parties and the dedicated, ex-perienced and seasoned political leadership have been ignored.”

Ashraf Hossain, who was expelled from the BNP for vocally opposing Tarique Rah-man’s sudden promotion to a high party po-sition, says: “Political leadership surrendered to money and power and deviated from po-litical ideology and spirit. That is why uned-ucated, incompetent people are becoming lawmakers.”

All agree that politics nowadays has little to do with the people’s welfare. The object of politics is no longer the aspirations of the peo-

ple; it is about the aspirations of the parties.Afsan Chowdhury says: “There is no pol-

itics now. People do not have expectations from politicians. Because the bene� t of liber-ation went to powerful men, the middle class su� ered severely. So, how can there be hopes and aspirations?”

Ashraf says: “Political leadership has com-pletely failed to uphold people’s hopes and aspirations because of their greed for power, lack of foresight and divisions.”

According to Ataur Rahman, there have been many achievements but not so many in politics. “Earlier, politics was about serving the people. But those values have been lost.”

Rounaq Jahan says: “Forty-four years ago when we started our journey as a newly inde-pendent state, we regarded politics as a solu-tion to our problems and not as an obstacle to our progress.

“I believe people are still interested in see-ing a qualitative change in our political cul-ture. They want to see an end to current prac-tices wherein politics is used to build personal authority and fortunes.” l

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

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29 March, 2015