Professional Documents
Culture Documents
DA 6238 Vol 2, No 25
www.dhakatribune.com
SECOND EDITION
April 24 will always remain etched in the memory of Bangladesh, as on this day last year the Rana Plaza tragedy claimed 1,136 lives. We publish todays issue of Dhaka Tribune in black and white to pay our respect to all the victims.
A year after the Rana Plaza collapse, a relative still fumbles in the wreckage to find any belongings of the lost ones months... I am staying here alone since there are few opportunities for me to earn a decent living back in the village, Jahangir said. Although injured workers received some financial support from the government, NGOs, individuals and British retailer Primark, a major portion was spent on medical, food and other necessities. Jahangirs family so far has received Tk80,000 in the form of assistance from local institutions and individuals. The whole amount has already been spent on Shahnazs treatment, relocation from Savar to Kishoreganj and basic needs in the last one year. Miracle survivor Reshma, mean-
while, considers her job at the five-star hotel a gift from Allah. Since June last year, she has been the Public Area Ambassador of Hotel Westin in the capitals Gulshan.
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A young man in tears mourns the death of his sister by lighting candles in front of a mural built in front of the collapse site in Savar SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
PAGE 1 COLUMN 6
jobs from being a construction worker to becoming a rickshaw-puller, as he was unable to work during the whole month. On many days, he just sits idle, staring at walls or at streets. Sometimes, deep in the night, Rafiqul starts shouting, asking for body bags; during the day he also struggles with his sanity as he pretends to sell bus tickets made out of torn posters. Tota said no one had given them any financial support, just a number of certificates. Although some organisations offered treatment, many of the affected did not continue the follow-up medical care. The Fire Service and Civil Defence and SAFE Bangladesh gave us three days training certificates. That is all we have got, he claimed. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has reportedly prepared a list of 20 rescuers who are in need of psychological counselling as well as financial support. However, no individual or organisation has stepped up yet to save those heroes of Savar. l
have been published and broadcast in national and international print and broadcast media including the Dhaka Tribune. Those interviews revealed many terrible stories before and after collapse. Around 8am, the building authority, factory managers and supervisors persuaded and forced the panicked workers to get into the building. The scared and helpless workers could not resist the powerful managers and supervisors; they had to get in. The building was so vulnerable that some workers said they could feel it trembling as early as 8:30am. Soon after, according to witnesses and survivors, huge bangs could be heard and the building suddenly started jolting heavily. Many workers thought it was an earthquake; but till then, none of them could fathom the level of devastation and the loss that the catastrophic collapse could result in. Even the authorities concerned took months to get an idea of some sorts about the damages to lives and properties caused by the collapse. WAKE UP CALL WAS IGNORED The tragedy could have been averted if the frantic warnings of a local engineer and journalists had not been ignored. The problem surfaced on April 23, the day before the collapse. Busy garment workers on the second floor were shocked by a loud bang that sounded like an explosion. Curious workers found that cracks had appeared on the building. Information spread like wildfire among the workers in the upper floors, the owners of the shops and the employees of the Brac Bank branch inside the building. Horrified, they all rushed outside. A local engineer and some journalists warned about the possible risks of using the unsafe building. Some of them even suggested the owner of the building close it immediately. Only a handful of private television channels broadcast the news of the cracks that had developed in the building on the day before the collapse. Those news items annoyed Sohel Rana, the owner and a politically and financially powerful gangster. Only Brac Bank took the wise decision to move its employees out the branch on April 23. Sohel Rana convinced the other tenants that the building was safe. Ignoring the warnings, the factory owners listened to Rana and decided to operate their units April 24. INTENSITY OF THE CATASTROPHE It was hard for everyone in the newsroom to readily fathom the intensity of the disaster when news started pouring in on the morning of April 24. Even the local people had very little idea although they were the first to rush to the site of the collapse and begin rescuing the trapped workers from under the rubbles of a building that was not only constructed with substandard materials but also built illegally on encroached land. The amateur rescuers did not have any equipment support. When they began the rescue work, the floors of the building were piling up on one another like pancakes. They had to scrawl on bare hands and unprotected knees through the little places between the floors, pillars and beams. They had to give up the idea of using any sort of equipment out of fear that further collapses might be triggered. The volunteers did not care about their lives. Later fire-fighters arrived at the scene and some soldiers from the army joined in operation. Heavy equipment, brought from various government and private organisations, was used only in the last
phase of the operation. Similarly, news coverage began with usual assignments of a few reporter and photographers. However, very soon, the media house began to realise that the scale of the disaster was beyond any speculation. The authorities of the factories, the garment owners association, and local residents none could say for certain how many workers were trapped under the debris. Death toll kept on climbing by the hundreds 100, 150, 200, 250, 300... Rumour spread that around 500 people were killed. But when the 17day round-the-clock rescue operation eventually ended, the toll crossed the 1,100 mark. Despite all the tragic developments every other minute, every time someone was pulled out of the rubble alive, the rescuers got a reason to put in more effort and energy into their work. But how many workers were there? How many were alive? How long the rescue operation should be continued? Everyone was asking these questions. Television channels broadcast the rescue operation live round the clock. News of the tragedy occupied most of the spaces in the newspapers. Almost all reporters and photographers, even journalists from the news desk had to be assigned to cover the entire of the operation. The Rana Plaza collapse remained the talk of the town for several weeks. All major foreign broadcast and print media rushed to Savar and gave extensive coverage to the disaster. During the weeks-long rescue operation, thousands of people remained around the site day and night. Many of them were there to look for their missing family members; many were there to help the rescuers; many helped people in their searches; many others were there just to witness of the rescue operation of the most tragic incident ever. The clinics and the playgrounds of the local schools were the places where the rescued dead bodies and the survivors were kept. Everyday thousands of people gathered around all these places. Many of them offered individual financial supports to the families of the victims nobody cared how big or small the contributions were. Any size would have mattered. The death of female garment worker Shaheena for whom rescuers put in hours of frantic efforts, shocked everyone. A fire that was accidentally ignited inside a rescue tunnel killed her. A brave engineer, who volunteered the rescue operation, also died after being burnt severely in the same fire. However, pulling Reshma out alive on the 17th day, just before wrapping up the operation, gave a reason for all the exhausted rescuers to smile. Everyone was left pleasantly wondering how Reshma could survive for 17 days under the rubbles. But there was plenty more stories of survival that are equally incredible how hundreds of workers survived weeks in the darkness under rubbles without water and food. One female survivor told this reporter that she had to drink urine and blood of a fellow dead worker for surviving. Many lost their limbs and had damaged organs. Many kids lost their parents in the tragedy. There are still many more who have never come back to normal life. Hundreds have remained jobless and scores of bodies are still unidentified. Many victims and the families of the dead ones have not got any compensation. For decades to come, many more stories will continue to be unfolded surrounding the gruesome disaster. The consequences of the tragedy will be felt at the social, national and personal levels for many more years ahead. l
Dhaka, Md Jasim Uddin from Gaibandha and Shilpi Akter from Thakurgaon. The relatives of these victims identified the bodies, most of which were decomposed, by checking the colour of their dresses or birth marks. Officials related to the handover process said it had been too tough for them to identify all the bodies. The Dhaka Tribune has talked to all these families and none of them are now unwilling to face any hassle since the bodies have already been buried at the family graveyards in different districts and they would be required to repay the money given to them from the Prime Ministers Relief Fund and the DC office. Jaru Sheikh, husband of the deceased Marzina Begum, said he had received the body from Adhar Chandra School 13 days after the collapse. I received the body after cross checking the colour of the dress she put on that day. However, the DNA profiling lab has informed me that the body of my wife, which matched the sample given by my son Sajal, was buried at the Jurain Graveyard. I am confused, but nothing can be done now. I do not want any hassle now, he told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
I have received my sons dead body from the school ground. It was separated from the waist; we did not get his head. However, the DNA lab is now claiming that the original body is at Jurain Graveyard, but we are not interested any more, said Md Ahad Box, father of the deceased Md Abu Taher. Another worker Shilpi Akters father, Md Foizul Haque, said the authorities had handed over his daughters body after finding a mobile phone with the dead body. The officials called me and delivered the decomposed body to me. We have already buried her in Thakurgaon. But the DNA lab has recently informed us that the original body is now at the Jurain Graveyard. All these 22 families have received Tk1 lakh each from the Prime Ministers Relief Fund and Tk20,000 from the district administration. Now they are tensed about whether they have to repay the money and return the bodies. It is alleged that some unscrupulous groups were active in taking away the bodies of the dead workers from the school ground as Tk20,000, in cash, was involved with the issue. Police detained some of these frauds from the site, between April 24 and May 16, according to locals.
When the issue was brought before Savar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Kamrul Hasan Molla, now in-charge of the debris site, said they had found that 10 bodies were handed over to the wrong families during the chaotic situation just after the building collapsed. In many occasions, we have mentioned that there were 301 unidentified bodies. But we sent 291 bodies to the DNA laboratory for tests as the other 10 were handed over to the wrong families, he said, admitting the matter. Referring to the handover process, he said: We are now trying to collect the DNA samples of these bodies. It is a continuous process. We delivered the bodies after a primary verification of valid documents, a check of voter ID cards or through making phone calls. When we called the family members, they said they had already taken away the bodies of their relatives and that those were already buried. On the issue of mismatch, he said if the authorities received any concrete information on the mismatch in delivering the bodies, we will consider the issue seriously. But we have yet to receive any concrete information. The solution may lie in DNA testing of the bodies buried by the relatives. l
Abul Hasan, Anil Dash and Shah Alam, who gave Sohel Rana, the building owner, shelter in Faridpur and Jessore also secured bail. Sources said local engineer Abdur Razzak who, after visiting the building, said the building could still be used submitted bail prayer eight times to the lower court. The court rejected his bail pleas all the time. Now, his is trying to secure bail from the High Court. Rajuks authorised officer Helal Uddin filed a case on April 25 for breaching the building construction act and building code while the murder case was filed the same day with Savar police station by Sub-Inspector Wali Ashraf. Another murder case was filed with the Dhaka Judge court by garment worker Jahangir Alams wife Sheuli Akter. The two other cases were filed with Dhamrai police station under arms act by inspector of the DB police Shahin Shah Parvez. The CID started investigating the three cases soon after the incident. A source close to the investigation agency said they were going to accuse 17 people of five garment factories that were housed in Rana Plaza. The investigators are framing charges against Sohel Rana, his father Abdul Khaleq and mother Morjina Begum for building the tower illegally without approving the design by proper authorities. The charge sheet will also have names of three friends of Rana for helping him to escape. Of the chargesheeted accused, 21 are behind bard while 19 are still absconding. Mokhlesur Rahman, additional inspector general and chief of the CID, told the Dhaka Tribune that massive hunt down would be launched shortly to arrest the absconders after submission of the charge sheet. The Rana Plaza collapse on 24 April of the last year claimed at least 1,136 lives mostly workers belonging to five garment factories housed in the building and left around 2,500 others injured. l
Available data suggests Reshma ranks third on the list of the longest survivors beneath rubble. Pakistani national Naqsha Bibi survived for 63 days following the 2005 Pakistan quake, while rescuers pulled Evans Monsignac out of rubble after 27 days during the 2010 Haiti earthquake. I do not want to go back to that life again. Those factory days were tiring and hard, she said.
April 24, 2013 was Sultanas (not her real name) day off. She and her husband Selim worked for separate factories in Rana Plaza. Before her husband Selim bade her goodbye on that fateful summer morning, they made plans to go to a movie in the evening after he came back from work. But little did Sultana know that she was never going to meet her husband again and her life was to become a movie itself. She did not lose a limb in the collapse that left more than a thousand people dead. But she had to go through some dreadful experiences which drove the garment worker to pick prostitution as a profession. The deadly factory building collapse
affected her in two ways. First, the factory she worked for was closed. Second, she could not claim any compensation for her husbands death. Sultana and Selim got married and moved in together nearly a year before the collapse. But their families did not know that. Neither was there any document to prove that they were married because they took the nuptial vows before a local religious scholar, not before kazi, who could have put their marriage in papers. If she could have proved their relationship, she would have been entitled to a compensation of at least Tk1 lakh from the prime ministers fund. Yes I was lucky to be alive. A few days after the building collapsed, I joined another factory in the locality. But the trauma was too much to withstand. I could not look at the walls and the ceiling of my new workplace. They looked like they would come down on me any moment, Sultana told the Dhaka Tribune. I knew from then on that it would be impossible for me to work inside a factory again. Then some of my [former] colleagues [from the Rana Plaza factory] told me about selling my body. Some of them even went to a brothel in Daulatdia. But, I was afraid of broth-
els, she said. She however did not disclose the location of her work to the Dhaka Tribune reporter out of fear of getting arrested. Sixteen-year-old Shahenur (not her real name) from Jamalpur was not as lucky as Sultana. She was inside the building when it collapsed and managed to escape with minor injuries. After losing work, she said she and her family of two dependents fought long and hard with poverty. Finally, she decided to work part time by seating with her clients two days a week alongside her regular factory job. We [former Rana Plaza workers who took up prostitution] are not few in number. But nobody knows about us as yet because we do not work in the open. Some of us have taken up this profession just because they cannot work in a factory anymore, Shahenur told the Dhaka Tribune. Unlike Sultana and Shahenur, Saleha from Chapainawabganj did not have much choice. After the building came down, her parents got her married to a man, who claimed he worked in India. After the wedding, the couple went to India and Salehas parents were happy. But after about six months, Salehas
parents sensed something was wrong because they had not heard from their daughter or their son-in-law since they went to India. They fear that their daughter has been trafficked by her husband and a gang. Not only the victims of the Rana Plaza disaster, but also many victims of other recent industrial disasters such as the Tazreen inferno have also been falling prey to human traffickers. Available data shows that at least 10,000 workers have lost their jobs as a result of these industrial catastrophes. Salma Ali, president of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA), said: We do not know how many women have taken up this profession because some of them choose willingly. When these women become unemployed, they fall prey to the pimps. Senior Secretary of Home Ministry CQK Mustaq Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune that the number of such women was not high but the ministry had been alert about the situation. About trafficking, he said: We have to take this seriously. We have to stop all kinds of trafficking. He have asked our border guards to remain alert. Although it is also true that we have failed on occasions. l
She is now working in the five-star hotel The Westin in Dhakaas Public Area Ambassador.The hotel authorities gave her one-month leave recently following the death of her uncle. Back in April last year after four days of rescue operations with light machinery in which many people were brought out alive, it was assumed that there were no more survivors and heavy machinery were brought in. On May 10, Reshma was found alive on the second floor of the building. Before Reshma only two persons Naqsha Bibi in Pakistan and Evans Monsignac in Haiti survived 63 days and 27 days respectively under debris. Reshma was taken to the Combined Military Hospital after her rescue and was treated there for about a month. The Westin gave her a job as she did not want to go back toher old profession. Asked about her new job, Reshma said its better than before. Its very
different from a garment factory. The garment factory used to pay me Tk8000 and now I am drawing over Tk35000. In the factory I worked from morning till late night and now I work from 7am to 4pm. My new authorities trained me for the first eight months. I used to go to every department and work there for a few days. I have learned computer operating and currently I am at the outfit department. We make dresses, alter those or take care of clothes, Reshma said. Reshma now speaks a little English. I greet foreigners; some foreign guests can recognise me.they want to talk to me, she said.Asked if she wants to go back to her old profession again Reshma said an emphatic never. At one point of the conversation as she came back to the right state of her mind this correspondent returned to the horrifying April 24 morning when
all hell broke loose. I stepped out at 7:30 that morning as I used to do every day ---- why dont you understand I dont want to recall those days. You should try to understand that I feel really very bad ------, she said. As she was asked why people doubted about her rescue after 17 days she said: Many people say many things. Many people doubted. I pretend not to hear them. I feel really bad. If you were there, you would know, she said. Asked why her landlord had told a number of news media that he saw her two days after the collapse. I also heard that he said I was rescued two days after the collapse and then sent back in again. Why would someone who was pulled out of that place ever go back in? she retorted. After that she regained her composure: The day I was rescued, I heard footsteps nearby. Then I screamed for help and at the same time started hit-
ting a pipe so that people walking nearby could hear it. The rescue workers then came to my rescue. They pulled me out.My clothes were all torn. Before I came out I put on whatever I could find nearby as there was a garment shop on that floor, she said as she was narrating her ordeal. Reshma has recently visited her village home Ghoraghat Oishibari in Dinajpur after her uncle died on April 13. She has two sisters all are married andtwo brothers and parents. Reshmas mother has built two houses with the money she received from different organisations. Construction work of another is going on. Asked if the army officers kept contact with her, she said: Some officers do so. They suggested me how to behave, talk, and work in a five-star hotel. They encourage me to do better, she said. Reshma said she is grateful to the army, the rescuers and the government for her present position. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
n Udisa Islam
My photography is my protest
A final embrace, the photograph that won a World Press Photo award and was selected as one of Time magazines top 10 photos of 2013, is one of the most recognised pictures that represent the haunting tragedy of the disaster. Taslima Akhter, the photographer who snapped the image, recalled how she felt when taking the picture, telling the Dhaka Tribune: Whenever I look back at this photo, I feel uncomfortable, and that is what I want to be. Describing the harrowing hours of the fateful day, she said: April 24 [of 2013] was the shortest day of my life, as I cannot recall how the day passed. At midnight, all of us were in a state that cannot be explained. I saw the startled eyes of the relatives. Some were crying. Some were looking for their family members. When asked about how she had found the embracing workers inside the rubble, Taslima said: Around 2am on April 25, some of my friends who are activists came and told me that there were many dead bodies near the back of the collapsed building. I went with them and found many scattered bodies, some of them in horrible conditions, which continue to haunt me. The place was completely dark, so we turned on our flashlights and found the couple at the back of the building, embracing each other in the rubble. I just took a few snaps and noticed a drop of blood running from the mans eye like a tear. I stopped taking snaps and just left the place without saying anything. You cannot really feel the situation; 1,136 lives is not a matter of joke. This drop of blood that ran like a tear describes the situation of our workers who do not know when they might have to die for the factory owners criminal negligence. My photography is my protest, Taslima said. Believe me; I was not ready to take a
photo at the time, because for the whole day we had only seen hundreds of bodies of the workers with whom I had been working since 2008. However, after taking the photo, I kept thinking about them for the whole night. In that place, I saw bodies in the most horrible conditions inside the concrete. Who they were, I do not know, she added. Describing her feelings on winning an award for such a tragic situation, the acclaimed photographer said she hopes that her photo will haunt the audience and force them to think whether the dreams of the victims matters to them. With my photo I just want to provoke your thoughts, said Taslima, who had also won the best photography award in the fifth Dali International Photography Exhibition in China in 2013. Time magazine, which gave the photo its title: a final embrace, also termed the image as the single most haunting photo of the Rana Plaza disaster. Although the magazine had not consulted the person behind the lens for the title, Taslima said she agreed with Times decision, as the couple may have been trying to embrace just before their deaths.
Whenever we face any type of accident, we feel like holding onto anything that comes in front of us, she said. Although she has tried for a long time, Taslima has not been able to learn the names of the two victims in her photo, nor was she able find out whether the couple had been lovers. Many of the survivors told the photographer that when they were trapped inside the rubbles, they pulled other peoples hair or bit them in order to ease their own pain. Some tried to kill themselves by slamming their own heads in the rubble as they could not tolerate the suffering. She said the photograph of the embrace was a witness to this suffering, adding that when the photo receives any award, she feels like she had shared the pain with a worldwide audience. Taslima, whose website also features photos from four other garment factory fires that killed hundreds more, said: My photographs are witnesses to the cruel history of workers being killed. The photographs always tell me that the deaths of workers are only a number to a state. l
CPD Chairman Rehman Sobhan speaks at a programme at the Brac Centre Inn yesterday, left, commemorating the first anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster. Right, Sonabanu, a survivor of the tragedy, cannot hold her tears at the event while speaking of her husband she lost in the incident RAJIB DHAR
Government, BGMEA: Vested interests US: Bangladesh made progress with labour rights n trying to destroy countrys RMG sector
Sheikh Shahariar Zaman
propagating to destroy our garment industry, the leader of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association said. Both Shakil and Atiqul sought cooperation of the media in helping out the garment sector. They also gave assurance that the treatment of the injured Rana Plaza workers would continue. Issuinga note of warning against the vested interests, Shakil said if anyone was found guilty of spreading propagandas against the countrys garment sector, they would be brought to book. The garment industry is our national asset and it is our duty to save it, he said. Referring to the government efforts, rescue operation and financial assistance to the victims along with their treatment, he said: Necessary measures will be taken to avoid such incidents in future. Asked about alleged mismanagement of the PMs relief and welfare fund, he
said the fund had been maintained with highest transparency and accountability. Shakil said 2,438 people had been rescued alive from the Rana Plaza debris and 1,117dead bodies had been recovered. Eighteen more people later died in different hospitals while undergoing treatment. The government handed over 844 dead bodies to their families and buried 291 dead bodies at Jurain graveyard after collecting their DNA samples. The PMO official said Savar police had filed a case against the Rana Plaza owner and arrested the accused. Besides, 11 cases have been filed under the labour law. Investigation into these cases are at the final stage and the chargesheets will be submitted soon. The Prime Ministers Office organised the briefing to inform the media about the steps taken by the government and other agencies after the Rana Plaza tragedy. l
Washington has acknowledged that Bangladesh made progress with important labour rights issues last year, but added that much work was still to be done. The observation was made in a joint statement by the US Department of State, the Office of the US Trade Representative, the USAID, and the Department of Labour. The statement read that Bangladesh made progress in allowing over 140 unions to register, permitting re-registration of a leading labour rights NGO, agreeing to an ambitious plan for safety inspections and factory-level monitoring and remediation across the garment sector in collaboration with the ILO, beginning the hiring of new labour inspectors, and conducting preliminary safety inspections. But there is much more work still to be done. There continue to be concerns about basic worker rights protections under both Bangladeshs labour law and its special Export Processing Zone law. The governments hiring of inspectors
was lagging, and the results of inspections needed to be made publicly available on an easily accessible database. Bangladesh must also do more to ensure protection when workers face intimidation and reprisals for trying to organise, the statement read, adding: Addressing these issues would help workers secure safer working conditions and better wages and enable Bangladesh to realise its full economic potential.
Washington also claimed that all stakeholders including the government, employers, and buyers of Bangladeshi products have to bear a responsibility for ensuring safe working conditions. To that end, we are working with all stakeholders to implement the Action Plan we laid out after President [Barack] Obama suspended Bangladeshs benefits under the Generalised System of Preferences program last June. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
On a query about the unprecedented decrease just after one day, Mir Sajjad Hossain, a member of Joint River Commission (JRC), could not give any satisfactory answer. However, he said earlier water flow increased due to releasing more water by Indian government on the face of the continuous diplomatic pressure and swelling ice melting in the Himalayans. Wishing anonymity, a former member of JRC told the Dhaka Tribune that such sort of ups and downs of water
Ramesh credits diplomatic success for more Teesta water n Tribune Report n Kamran Reza Chowdhury The High Court rejected the pleas of
The Awami League-led governments diplomatic success, rather than BNPs long march, convinced India to release more of the Teesta River water, said the chairman of a parliamentary watchdog on water resources, yesterday. Ramesh Chandra Sen made the comment after chairing the first meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on water resources ministry. Ramesh also said India will not cut the flow of water to the trans-boundary river, which is drying upon the Bangladesh side because of unilateral withdrawal of its waters upstream. The meeting briefly discussed signing an accord with India to share the waters of the Teesta River, which is considered a lifeline for farming in the northern Rangpur and Dinajpur districts. Ramesh, a former water resources minister, has claimed several times throughout his tenure during Awami Leagues last term that a Teesta water-sharing deal would be signed soon. He raised the Teesta issue at yesterdays meeting in the presence of his successor, Anisul Islam Mahmud. Ramesh said there was increased flow of water in the Teesta on Tuesday as New Delhi had put pressure on the West Bengal government. Because of the governments diplomatic success, India released more of the Teestas water. This is not because of BNPs long march, he told the Dhaka Tribune. Terming West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as a pig headed lady, Ramesh said she blocked the singing of a water-sharing deal during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs visit to Dhaka in September 2011. l BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to revoke the lower court orders indicting her in two corruption cases involving Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust, yesterday. As a result of the orders passed by the bench of Justice Borhanuddin and Justice KM Kamrul Kader, there is no bar to starting the trials against the former prime minister. However, the defence lawyers said they would move the Appellate Division against the High Court orders. The presence of a good number of law enforcers on the Supreme Court premises hinted that the petitions would be rejected, alleged Khandker Mahbub Hossain, Khaledas lawyer and one of the advisers. The hearing on the petitions was held for three days, ending on Sunday. Khandker Mahbub, Moudud Ahmed and AJ Mohammad Ali contended
Keraniganj residents block the Dhaka-Mawa highway yesterday, protesting the acquisition of local lands for a housing project for retired army officials DHAKA TRIBUNE
DHAKA TRIBUNE
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Three hurt in BCL factional clash at RU n RU Correspondent
Three leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra Leagues Rajshahi University unit were injured in a factional clash on the campus over a previous enmity, yesterday. The injured are the General Secretary Touhid-al-Hossain Tuhin and activists Kabir Hossain and Murad Hossain, a first year and a second year student, respectively, of the History Department. Witnesses said the incident ensued around 1:30pm at the Tukitaki Chattar on the campus when Kabir, a supporter of the RU unit Chhatra League President Mizanur Rahman Rana, and Murad Hossain, a supporter of the General Secretary Tuhin, argued over a previous enmity. During the scuffle, Kabir and Murad brought out sharp weapons and firearms in the presence of the law enforcers. On receiving information about this, the General Secretary Tuhin, along with other leaders and activists, rushed to the spot to diffuse the situation. Tuhin was injured as he tried to take away the sharp weapon from Kabir. Following the incident, both rival groups took up positions on the campus, while the Proctor Professor Tarikul Hasan and the law enforcers brought the situation under control. When contacted, Tuhin told the Dhaka Tribune that the incident ensued from a misunderstanding and added that he had settled the issue. l
A passengers pays fare yesterday to the driver of a taxi that was newly introduced on the capitals streets avoided answering when asked about the new rates. With a smile, he said he drove his taxi from morning to afternoon yesterday and earned Tk1,450. Md Kamrul Hossain, a former driver of Navana Taxi, said: The present rate is almost double the earlier one. Earlier the fare from Gulshan 2 to Dainik Bangla intersection was around Tk300, which currently goes over Tk550, he said, adding that if this rate continues, the new taxicab service will not be able to draw passengers. MAN Siddique, secretary of the Roads Division under the Ministry of Communications, told the Dhaka Tribune: The fare rate has already been reduced after the PMs directive, and it has been brought into effect from the day of inauguration. When contacted, Brigadier General (rtd) Mustafa Kamal, chief executive officer of Toma Taxi, echoed the same
sentiment. There is no chance to further reduce the existing fare rate Tk85 for the first kilometer because the cabs run on octane. The fare may rise in the future in accordance with the hike in fuel price, he added. The fare for the new AC taxi service was fixed at Tk100 for the first two kilometres, Tk34 for every subsequent kilometre and Tk8.5 per two-minutes of waiting, while for the non-AC ones, the
Young woman held with ATTACK ON 10 JOURNALISTS 1kg gold at Dhaka airport RMCH interns withdraw strike, journalists continue protest n
Kailash Sarkar
A young woman was arrested with a gold bar, weighing 1kg, at the Shahjalal International Airport on Tuesday night. Mariyam Akhter, 24, was arrested with the bar around 10pm immediately after her arrival at Dhaka on a Malaysian Airlines flight from Malaysia, said Ayesha Akhter, an assistant director of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) at the airport. A CIID team seized the gold bar by searching her body while she was crossing the immigration, said the CIID official. Officials of the CIID at the airport said that the detainee who hailed from Munshiganj admitted that she carried the smuggled gold from Malaysia, which was given by a man in Malaysia. She was handed over to Airport police station where a case was also filed in this connection. Earlier on Monday night, the CIID personnel also seized 20 gold bars weighing 20kg and arrested 4 people, including a security guard of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB). Sources said the customs and police officials seized around 70kg of gold at Dhaka airport and around different places of the capital, while over 100kg gold was seized in Chittagong and Sylhet this month. Smuggling of gold has become frequent since the Indian authorities imposed some restrictions on the import of gold. A section of unscrupulous officials and employees of different government and private organisations, including customs, NSI, the CAAB and different airlines, working at the airports have been aiding the smugglers. In September last year, an investigation committee identified at least 18 officials of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines for their involvement in two separate hauls of smuggled-gold. l
bers of civil society and cultural and political activists. Later, journalist leaders went to the Rajshahi Metropolitan Police commissioners office and submitted a memorandum demanding the immediate arrest of the accused interns. RMP Commissioner Mahbubur Rahman assured them of addressing their demand. On Tuesday, two of the injured journalists, Assaduzzaman Asad of daily Amar Desh and Mahfuzur Rahman Rubel of ATN News, filed two separate cases with Rajpara police station accusing 150 RMCH interns of assault and damaging laptops and cameras. Hospital sources, meanwhile, said the sudden work stoppage by the interns severely affected medical services at the state-run hospital on Monday and Tuesday. No major surgeries were performed over the two days, while many patients
were seen leaving the hospital due to lack of treatment. A lone staff doctor was seen going from ward to ward to attend the more serious patients, the sources said. Poor patients were the worst affected, as they could not afford to go for treatment at private hospitals. RMCH director AKM Nasir Uddin, however, claimed that all regular doctors performed their duties as usual and health services were not hampered. Interns are not particularly responsible for treating patients. They are here to get training, Nasir Uddin told the Dhaka Tribune. On the other hand, the hospitals death register showed that more patients died during the two days of strike. A total of 31 patients died on Monday and Tuesday, compared to a dozen deaths in the previous two days. l
n Tribune Report
WEATHER
SUNNY
THURSDAY, APRIL 24
DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:24PM SUN RISES 5:29AM FORECAST FOR TODAY
Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Coxs Bazar 39 35 41 40 40 40 39 35 28 27 26 24 25 26 24 27
Separate fires broke out yesterday in the capitals Mirpur and Tejgaon areas, while no causality was reported in the incidents. In Tejgaon, a blaze broke out at a warehouse of the Bengal Group, situated next to the Bengal Multimedia Studio around 5:20pm. Fire Service officials said eight fire-fighting units brought it under control within an hour. The studio is owned by private tele-
vision channel RTV, a subsidiary of the Bengal Group. The warehouse is situated next to the studio, just opposite the BSTI Tejgaon office. Ataur Rahman, duty officer of fire service control, said they suspected that fire broke out from electric circuit. In Mirpur 2, fire broke out at Masjid Market beside Commerce College around 12:15pm. Three fires fighting units rushed to the spot and doused the blaze within 15 minutes, said Ataur Rahman. l
41.6C Jessore
Source: Accuweather/UNB
19.5C Sayedpur
PRAYER TIMES
Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha 4:10am 5:29am 11:57am 4:32pm 6:24pm 7:44pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org
Smoke billows out of a warehouse beside the Bengal Multimedia Studio in the capitals Tejgaon yesterday
DHAKA TRIBUNE
6
n Our Correspondent, Kishoreganj
The blacksmiths of Kastegraam, (real name Araibaria) , a remote village at Hossainpur upazila in the Kishoreganj district are busy making sickles ahead of the harvest of Irri-Boro paddy in haor areas. About 800 sickle making factories have been set up in the village and 3,000 labourers are now working in these factories. The makers are busy making sickles for the current Boro season. Hearing the sounds of a blacksmithshammer and seeing the labourers go about their business, it would be seem that the whole village is a big sickle industry. The labourers are pulling out Hapurs, one kind of machine used in the blacksmith factories. Some are burning pieces of iron and some are sharpening sickles by Ret, one kind of sharpening instrument. About 50 lakh pieces of sickle have been sold this season. Though modern machineries have taken over the agricultural sector, sickle is still a unique tool for cutting paddy. Khelon Mia, a day labourer of the haor area said: Labourers get a satisfaction in cutting paddy with this thin and sharp sickle. The sickles produced in the village are sold in the markets in Sylhet, Rajshahi, Bogra, Pabna, Shirajganj, Tangail, Jamalpur, Chandpur, Sherpur and B. Baria. It is also exported to India and Saudi Arabia for cutting grass. The blacksmiths said they did not get fair prices for their products due to
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Nation
Blacksmiths in Kastegraam, a remote village under Hossainpur upazila in Kishoreganj district are busy making sickles ahead of the harvest of Irri-Boro paddy DHAKA TRIBUNE lack of marketing facilities. Bachhu Mia said: I have been involved with the business for 25 years and 30 labourers are currently working under my supervision. He said 15,000 pieces of sickle have been made from iron priced at Tk 60,000. Each was sold at Tk 20, whole sale, and they sell each for Tk 25 to Tk 30 to the retailers and consumers, said Bachhu. Blacksmiths Rokan Uddin and Selim Mia said many blacksmiths had left their ancestral businesses and taken up new jobs as the price hike of raw materials has been affecting their business over the past few years. Blacksmiths said they had to take loans from various NGOs and village capitalists because of a lack of capital of their own. Sohel Chowdhury, a social worker in the district said the government should take proper steps to save their ancestral businesses. Upazila chairman Ayub Ali said:We are motivating the local NGOs to give loans with easy terms and conditions to the blacksmiths. We are also trying to give bank loans from the government on easy terms and conditions to save their ancestral industry, said the chairman. l
18 19 20
Brief Description of works Price of Tender Document (Tk.) Package No Identication of Lot
01
01
1,45,000.00
13,000.00
30 Days
PROCURING ENTITY DETAILS 21 22 23 24 25 Name of Ofcial Inviting Tender Designation of Ofcial Inviting Tender Address of Ofcial Inviting tender Contact details of Ofcial Inviting Tender a) b) c) d)
the procuring entity reserves the right to accept or reject any/all tenders and shall have the right to correct/modify the description/qty. for items before entering into agreement. Requisite tender security (Mentioned above sl no.20) must be in the form of pay order/Bank draft/Bank Guarantee and in favour of the Executive Engineer (Dest-1), Education Engineering Department, Shikkha Bhaban, Dhaka. Bidder/his representative may be present at the time of tender opening. Any information regarding this Tender to be available at the procuring entity ofce. (Md. Raihan Badsha) Executive Engineer (Desk-1) For Chief Engineer
DG-77/14 (9.5 4)
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Special
n April 24, 2013,Rana Plaza, an eight-storied commercial building,collapsedinSavar. On May 13, after 21 days of the incident, the search for the dead ended with the death toll of 1,136. Approximately 2,515 injured people were rescued from the building alive. It is considered to be the deadliest garment-factory accident in history, as well as the deadliest accidental structural failure in modern human history. According to BGMEA source, at the time of the collapse, five garment factories were in operation in the Rana Plaza building, total 2,760 workers were deployed in five factories of the building while the numbers are 3,900 as per reports by other sources. The newspaper report said warnings to avoid using the building after cracks appeared the day before had been ignored. Garment workers were ordered to return the following day and the building collapsed during the morning rush-hour.
relevant service providing agencies including factory owners for a tremor. A single building collapse killed 1,136 people and wounded more than 2,000 workers while governments all out action took around 21 days for completing the search and rescue operation. Logically, curiosity grows: if a moderate tremor hits the country and collapses thousands of buildings, then how long will the government take to finish their search and rescue operation with this minimum extent of preparation along with huge gaps in equipment stock. It is predicted that Dhaka one of the most populous mega cities in the world will face a series of disasters in coming years due to destruction of city environment caused by its rapid growth of unplanned urbanisation and lack of good governance. According to the sources, the city will become fifth largest city by 2030 in terms of population. Dhaka city is also at high risk due to earthquakes. According to the earthquake disaster risk index, Dhaka is most vulnerable among the 20 most vulnerable cities in the world.
Quakes in Bangladesh
Earthquake is a major threat to urban environments. Although Bangladesh has not experienced a major earthquake in over a century, recently an escalation in seismic activity has been observed. But, a strong earthquake of 8.6 magnitude occurred in Assam on August 15 in 1950, killing 1,526 people. Another 8.1 magnitude quake hit Assam on June 12 in 1897, killing 1500 people. The casualties were less because of low density of population and fewer numbers of concrete structures at that time. The observatory at BUET recorded 86 tremors of over 4 magnitude during January 2006 to May 2009. These minor tremors indicate the possibility of much more powerful earthquakes hitting the country. According to a seismic zoning map (BUET), 43% area in Bangladesh can be rated high risk, 41% moderate and 16% low. The high risk group includes major population belts such as Chittagong, Dhaka, Rangpur, Bogra, Mymensingh, Comilla, Rajshahi and Sylhet. An Oxfam study in 2002 shows there were more than 130 instances of minor seismic disturbance during 20072009. Eight tremors with magnitude of 4
Capital trouble
Bangladesh is situated at a high risk earthquake prone zone and an unprecedented human disaster may occur in the country anytime for even a moderate to heavy tremor. A powerful earthquake needs at least 100 to 150 years
a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, some 72,316 buildings in the capital will be damaged totally and 53,166 others partially while the numbers will go up to 238,164 across the country in case of an 8.5 magnitude tremor. There would be an economic loss of about Tk8,580 crore resulting from only structural damage in case of a 7.5 magnitude earthquake. The loss would be Tk8,346 in case of 6-mag-
earnest. A contingency plan is yet to be tested while Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the organisations, departments and the institutions yet to be developed.
It is predicted that Dhaka will face a series of disasters in coming years due to destruction of city environment caused by rapid growth of unplanned urbanisation and lack of good governance
to originate in a particular region and in that sense it is overdue for Bangladesh and parts of Assam, as 112 years have passed by since a heavy tremor from Dawki Fault hit the region. Dhaka is more vulnerable to earthquakes due to its geological location and both human and economic exposure. According to CDMP study, some 78,323 buildings will be destroyed completely if a 6 magnitude earthquake shakes Dhaka. In case of nitude earthquake if the epicentre is Dhaka city. Some 30 million tonnes of debris, equal to 2,880,000 truckloads (25 tonnes per truck), will be generated if a 6-magnitude earthquake jolts the city from beneath it. According to the study, at least 10 major hospitals, 90 schools in the capital will be destroyed completely and another 241 hospitals and clinics, 30 police stations and four fire stations partially in case of a 7.5-magnitude quake.
Rana Plaza Collapse, 2013 Tazreen Fashions, 2012 Fire at the Ali Enterprises, 2012 Istanbul Fireworks, 2008 Qinghe Special Steel, 2007 Enschede Fireworks, 2000 Kader Toy Factory Fire, 1993 MESIT Factory Collape, 1984 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, 1911 Grover Shoe Factory, 1905 Pemberton Mill, 1860 Georgia Sugar Refinery, 2008 Haysville KS Grain Elevator Explosion, 1998 Hemlet Chicken Processing Fire, 1991 Dust Explosion, 1979 The Boston Molasses Disaster, 1919 Washburn A Mill, 1878
Graphics: NA Nadvi
Recommendations
The collapse of Rana Plaza reminded us how fragile our buildings are. Learning from this tragedy, we may take the following steps to reduce the impact of a similar tragedy or even ones bigger in scale such as during an earthquake. Ensuring proper implementation of Bangladesh National Building Code and its monitoring and implementation framework and mechanism as well as establishing proper authority to oversee the implementation. Increase the capacity of emergency response agencies in skills and equipment as well as their structure, responsibilities and coordination mechanism along with proper-regular financial allocation. Disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures should be institutionalised in every government institution at every level, especially in the urban context. Government should emphasise greater involvement of public and private sector on implementing DRR measures. Increase disaster preparedness and awareness capacity of the communities where media could play an important role along with other related stakeholders. Finally, we never expect these sorts of accident or any major earthquake anywhere but preparedness, awareness and governance could contribute, reducing the loss of lives and property. l Sonya Syafitri is project manager at Urban DRR, Oxfam and Mohammed Norul Alam Raju is programme officer at Urban DRR, Oxfam.
8
Blair: West should wage war against radical Islam
n AFP, London
Western leaders should set aside their differences with Russia over Ukraine to focus on the growing threat of Islamic extremism, former British prime minister Tony Blair said yesterday. In a speech in London, the Middle East envoy said the spread of extremist ideology in that region as well as in Pakistan, Afghanistan and North Africa represents the biggest threat to global security of the 21st century. On this issue, whatever our other differences, we should be prepared to reach out and cooperate with the East, and in particular, Russia and China, Blair said. His comments come amid a precarious Cold War-style standoff between Moscow and the West over Ukraine. Blair said there was a shared interest between East and West on the dangers of religious extremism and it should be at the top of the global agenda. He said many people were curiously reluctant to acknowledge the common thread linking Islamist movements around the world, but said we have to take sides against a dangerous ideology that was a perversion of Islam. There is a Titanic struggle going on within the region between those who want the region to embrace the modern world politically, socially and economically and those who instead want to create a politics of religious difference and exclusivity. This is the battle, Blair said.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
Netanyahu tells Abbas to choose peace partner: Hamas or Israel n Reuters, Jerusalem
Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday over just-revived unity talks with Hamas, saying he had to choose between peace with Israel or its Islamist enemy. Amplifying Netanyahus warning, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Abbass signature on a unity accord with Hamas would be tantamount to signing the termination of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Delegates from Hamas and Abbass Fatah party-led Palestine Liberation Organisation held a fence-mending session on Tuesday in the Gaza Strip, their first since a 2007 conflict in which forces loyal to the Western-backed leader lost control of the enclave to the militant group, an opponent of peace with Israel. A Palestinian official who attended Tuesdays meeting said there had been an agreement in principle on forming a government of experts - or a cabinet staffed by technocrats rather than politicians, possibly within five weeks. A PLO Hamas news conference was expected later on Wednesday. But Palestinian hopes of reconciliation have been dashed repeatedly in the past. Since 2011, Hamas and Fatah have failed to implement an Egyptian-brokered unity deal because of disputes over power-sharing and the handling of the conflict with Israel. l
Taking sides meant supporting the principles of religious freedom and open rules-based economies, whether they were held by states or revolutionaries. In reality, this meant backing the new governments in Egypt and Tunisia and helping the security services in Libya and Yemen to reform, he said.
We have to take sides against a dangerous ideology that was a perversion of Islam
In Syria, which he called an unmitigated disaster, Blair said both the prospect of President Bashar al-Assad staying in power and the opposition taking over seemed like bad options. Repugnant though it may seem, the only way forward is to conclude the best agreement possible even if it means in the interim President Assad stays for a period, he said. He also said it was an absurdity that Western nations spent so much on defending themselves against Islamist extremism that was being taught to young people in countries with whom we have intimate security and defence relationships. He suggested the G20 launch an international programme to eradicate religious intolerance from schools systems and civil society organisations in those countries. l
Commentators focused on his own credibility on the subject as much as the subject itself
been right to underline the importance of the subject in his Bloomberg speech but was sharply critical of the way he went about tackling it. Doyle said: "Blair is largely right to highlight the issue. Islamic extremism is not on the wane. It is flourishing in many areas of the world. Nobody should be complacent. "It is his solutions that are very problematic particularly the idea that people in the Middle East have to choose between dictatorship and Islamic extremism, and in criticising the Muslim Brotherhood, he has endorsed the military leadership in Egypt. But the choice the people of the region need is not between dictatorship and extremism but between those systems and pluralist democratic rule. In fact, dictatorships have often been a significant cause of Tony Blairs speech has been compared to Winston Churchills famous 1946 warning about the descent of the iron curtain AFP frustration and anger, and a driving force behind the rise of al-Qaida." Blair found support for his position from a former foreign office minister, Denis MacShane, who said he had warned about the threat of Islamism in 2003 and was nearly sacked for his stand. He compared Wednesday's speech to Winston Churchill's famous 1946 warning about the descent of the iron curtain. MacShane tweeted: "Just read Blair speech. Ignore headlines. This is Fulton Mark 2. Bien pensant left then refused to challenge Stalinism. Orwell knew better." Others complained that the speech conflated different strands in political Islam. The Palestinian editor of the Rai al-Youm news website, Abdel Bari Atwan, said: "Blair is implying that extremist Islam is a danger for the whole world. But the target is the Muslim Brotherhood. He is a very good friend of Mr Sisi in Egypt and he does a lot of consultancy work in the region so it's not surprising that he's speaking out. He had spent years as peace envoy but what kind of peace has he achieved? We have to differentiate between radical Islam and moderate Islam. If you criminalise Islamists like the Muslim Brotherhood then you are pushing them into extremism." Much of the commentary focused on Blair's own credibility on the subject as much as the subject itself, particularly his role in leading Britain into the war in Iraq alongside President George Bush. l
Protestors hold a banner reading Putin! Hands off the Ukraine (Putin! Haende weg von der Ukraine) in front of the Westin Hotel where the German-Russian forum Petersburg Dialogue took place in Leipzig, eastern Germany, yesterday AFP
Tourists visit the ancient hilltop fortress of Masada in the Judean desert. Masada, a ruined desert fortress steeped in myth, symbolism and controversy, is an archaeological site seen by many as an emblem of Israels fighting spirit two millennia after 960 Jews are believed to have committed suicide on the isolated, wind-swept plateau rather than surrender to the Romans AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
9
Kejriwal accuses rivals of sell-out n AFP, Varanasi
Firebrand anti-corruption champion Arvind Kejriwal accused his rivals in Indias elections yesterday of selling out to big business by accepting hundreds of millions of dollars to bankroll their campaigns. As he arrived in Varanasi to file his nomination papers and line up a contest against frontrunner Narendra Modi, Kejriwal said Indias democratic future was at stake in the ongoing elections. The people of India have to decide what kind of democracy they want, Kejriwal, who is leader of the Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party, told hundreds of supporters in the holy city on the banks of the Ganges. Do you want a democracy of neighbourhoods, streets and villages or a helicopter democracy?, he said in a jibe at Modi who is due to fly in on Thursday to file his nomination and Rahul Gandhi, the ruling Congress partys frontman. Both Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress have assembled massive warchests for the six-week election, filing the airwaves and dominating newspaper frontpages with advertisements. While there have been no official figures, Kejriwal said the parties had spent around 150 billion rupees (around $2.5 billion) on adverts. You turn on the TV or you look at the papers or the billboards and you see the political adverts everywhere, he said, asking My friends, where are they getting this money from? Kejriwal, a former tax inspector, stunned Indian politics in December when he came to power in Delhis state elections on a wave of growing voter anger over levels of corruption. l
Indian supporters of the All India Trinamool Congress Party wave party flags and a cutout of the party symbol as unseen party candidate for the Kolkata North seat Sudip Bandyopadhyay files his nomination papers in Kolkata AFP
The confirmed death toll now stands at 150, but 152 are still unaccounted for
The confirmed death toll stood at 150, but 152 were still unaccounted for, their bodies believed trapped in the inverted, submerged ship that sank a week ago in circumstances that have yet to be fully explained. As the relatives of the missing began their daily vigil at the harbour on Jindo island, where bodies recovered from the disaster site are brought, others converged on a temporary memorial to the victims in Ansan, 200 miles (320 kilometres) to the north. Ansan has become a focal point of national mourning. The city is home
Obama arrives in Japan Climate change likely to make Everest riskier for tension-filled Asia trip n
AP, New Delhi
n AFP, Tokyo
US President Barack Obama landed in Tokyo Wednesday to launch an Asian tour dedicated to reinvigorating his policy of rebalancing US foreign policy towards a dynamic Asia. Obama landed aboard Air Force One to begin a state visit to Japan, which comes as regional tensions boil over maritime territorial disputes and fears that North Korea could soon carry out a new nuclear test. The president touched down a day after nearly 150 lawmakers paid homage at a controversial Tokyo war shrine seen by neighbouring nations as a symbol of Japans brutal imperialist past, and shortly after the prime minister made a shrine offering. Days earlier, China seized a huge Japanese freighter over what a Shanghai court says are unpaid bills relating to Japans 1930s occupation of vast swathes of the country. In the seas to the southwest, boats from China and Japan spar for ownership of a small chain of islands. And an ever-unpredictable North Korea which has denounced the presidential tour as reactionary and dangerous
appears to be trying to seize the spotlight with preparations for a fourth nuclear test. Despite the increasingly tense security situation, getting top regional US allies Japan and South Korea Obamas next destination to talk to each other is tricky. South Korean President Park GeunHye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have met just once since both came to power over a year ago, and only then when the US leader cajoled them into a choreographed photo op. East Asia is a tumultuous region with a multitude of fractures that the US has done little to mend over the last half-century, said Christian Wirth, a research fellow at Griffith University in Australia. Since the establishment of the post-war regime in San Francisco in 1951 and the onset of the Korean War in 1950, (the US has been) directly and deeply involved in East Asian politics, he told AFP. Washingtons preference for bilateralism has contributed to the lack of intra-Asian cooperation and historical reconciliation. l
Climbing to the roof of the world is becoming less predictable and possibly more dangerous, scientists say, as climate change brings warmer temperatures that may eat through the ice and snow on Mount Everest. Nepal was left reeling when a sudden ice avalanche slammed down onto a group of Sherpa guides on Friday and killed 16 in the deadliest single disaster on Everest. While it is impossible to link any single event to long-term changes in the global climate, scientists say the future will likely hold more such dangers in high-altitude regions. Avalanches of snow, rock or ice could increase. Climbing and trekking terrains would become unsteady. Glaciers may be more unpredictable. Storms will become more erratic, and the Himalayas in particular could see more snow as warming oceans send more moisture into the air for the annual Indian monsoon that showers the 2,400-kilometer (1,500-mile) mountain range. Fridays disaster occurred at the Khumbu Icefall, long recognized as one of Everests most dangerous spots, as the edge of the slow-moving glacier is known to crack, cave and send huge chunks of ice tumbling without warning. Its Mother Nature who calls the shots, Tim Rippel, an expedition leader, said in a blog post from Everest base camp as many
of the 400 Sherpa guides were leaving, demanding better government compensation for the high risks they take in helping climbing companies ferry rich tourists up the peak. The mountain has been deteriorating rapidly in the past three years due to global warming, and the breakdown in the Khumbu Icefall is dramatic, he said. We need to learn more about what is going on up there. There is nothing to prove the icefall was behaving unusually on Friday. But scientists say mountaineers should assume that everything is now in flux. What makes the situation so risky, scientists say, is the uncertainty itself. While scientists are sure things are changing, theyre not entirely sure how. Much of the evidence is anecdotal, and there isnt enough data or decades of scientific observation to draw solid conclusions. Rigorous glacier studies have only begun in the Himalayas in the last decade, and no one is studying snow patterns on a large scale, Nepalese glaciologist Rijan Bhakta Kayastha at Kathmandu University said. Meanwhile, as global temperatures have gone up 0.75 degrees C (1.4 degrees F) in the last century, according to the International Panel on Climate Change, studies show the Himalayas warming at a rate up to three times as high. You can be sure that if the climate is changing and it is then glaciers are
Mother of Nepalese mountaineer Ang Kaji Sherpa, killed in an avalanche on Mount Everest, holds prayer beads in her hand and cries while she waits for his body at Sherpa Monastery in Katmandu, Nepal AP changing and the danger is shifting, said US hydrologist Jeff Kargel of the University of Arizona who is leading a global project to measure and map the tens of thousands of Himalayan glaciers through satellite data. It doesnt necessarily mean its getting worse, it just means you dont know. High-altitude mountain climbing has always been inherently risky more so as more people take those risks. Hundreds have died attempting to summit Everest from avalanches or rock falls, or from hypothermia or altitude sickness. The Sherpas who died on Friday were some of todays most skilled Everest climbers, underlining the fact that experience is no guarantee of safety, even if better gear and oxygen-breathing equipment have helped reduce some dangers. l
10
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Editorial
LETTER OF THE DAY
Letters to
the Editor
April 21 Many people claim that the situation in Bangladesh is getting worse day by day. In fact, many find the present circumstances, with AL-led government in power, to be more critical when compared to 1975, at the verge of the formation of Baksal. Many heinous activities have been carried out by the members of Chhatra League: The attack on protesting students at Rajshahi University, and earlier, the death of Biswajit Das come to mind. As we saw only last week, Abu Bakar Siddique, the husband of BELA Executive Director Rizwana Hasan, was kidnapped in broad daylight. Civil society is seriously concerned about the lack of safety in this country, as murders, hijackings, and kidnappings have become far too common here. The government must turn things around, and make the safety of the public a priority. Mawduda Hasnin
Rana Plaza was a needless and preventable tragedy. Build a safer, more sustainable garment industry
Indian Bangla film, Jaatishyar, wins big at 61st National Film Awards
April 18 West Bengal movies are way better than Bangladeshi movies. Shakil Khan
A stand on Crimea
April 19 Anyone who dissents with this brand of foreign policy is likely to be branded a Razakar. The author is bringing in acute reasoning, astute scholarship, and morality to advise a government which bases its policy on chutzpah, and a seemingly absolutist dislike of dissent. Sam
April 19 The chairpersons remarks seriously beg the question of why hasnt the BNP more strongly campaigned for finding Ilias Ali, their own man, now tragically missing for exactly two years. One
April 19 Begum Zia ought to know very well that her entirely reasonable, justified comments and demands are in vain. Her appeals to this government are wasted. She must revamp and remobilise BNP in a sustained political campaign to compel the government to heed the will of the nation. It is the BNPs and the chairpersons duty to ensure that outcome, the soonest possible. Anon
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Op-Ed
11
Much left to do
T
n Mahdin Mahboob
wenty-fourth April, 2013 was perhaps the saddest day in the history of modern Bangladesh. On that fateful day, people in Bangladesh woke up to hear that in Savar, on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka, a building which housed five readymade garment factories, had caved in, with thousands of people, mostly workers, stuck inside. The next few days saw complete mayhem, with corpses being found from under the rubble, injured people being rescued, and it seemed the country was not well equipped for such massive rescue operation. Soon the authorities took over rescue operations. In the end, the official death toll was 1,134, with 2,515 injured being rescued alive. Many were not found at all. The incident shook not only Bangladesh, but the whole world, given the fact that the RMG factories in Bangladesh supplied clothes to many of the worlds top brands based in North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan. The million dollar question was: Who was to blame for the ill fate of the poor workers? Was it the corrupt government officials, the inspectors who allowed such a building, with violations of almost all building codes, to exist? Or was it the factory owners who put heavy machinery in such a weak building, and also, forced workers to continue working even after it become too risky to work there? Or the owner of the building, Sohel Rana, who went on making storey after storey with only profit in mind, with not enough foundation, and violating almost all building codes? Or the big brands like Primark, Walmart, Matalan, Benetton, and Mango, who bought clothes from these factories with little knowledge about the working conditions of the workers? Or, was it the customers in the West to blame, who were the end users of these products? Whoever is to blame, it does not matter much to the people who are suffering immensely because of what happened. It matters little whose fault it exactly is for Shushanto Kumar Das, whose daughter Sheuli Rani Das died in the tragic incident. She was the primary bread-earner of the family and after her death, the family received little, if any, compensation. Whose fault it actually is matters little to Laboni Khanam, whose left hand had to be cut off after she was rescued from the rubble. Although the victims the injured workers and families of the dead received some financial support from different government and non-government organisations from both home and abroad, a major portion has been spent for medical purposes, with many still left not rehabilitated. Many of the families have fallen into debt unable to pay back and living lives of hardship. According to ActionAid Bangladesh, two-thirds of the 1,436 survivors are finding it very difficult to make ends meet.
The majority of the victims have not received much compensation, and are suffering
Can we evolve?
n Zeeshan Khan
year on since the worst industrial disaster in Bangladeshs history, the deadliest garments accident in history, and the deadliest accidental structural failure in modern times; the only questions that really need asking are, what have we learnt, and what are we doing about it? The hyperbolic, and patently exaggerated fears of imminent ruin by garment-owners, their threats about the collapse of the national economy, and their insistence that they are commercially important people and therefore above reproach have been heard. The violent demonstrations for better wages and conditions by workers and their support networks, the allegation of sabotage, and the police action against them have been seen. The Sohel Ranas and the Murad Jungs, the governments impotence against them and its inability to reel in unethical operators in the industry as well as their own ranks have been exposed. After its all been taken into account we are left with a few simple yet inevitable conclusions. Our economy is in desperate need of diversification. It can no longer be reliant on a competitive advantage that is based on a race to the bottom for cheaper labour. This has proven to put lives at risk, and will be
untenable in the future as the cost of living drives up wages. It is not only unethical, but makes bad business sense and will leave Bangladesh hostage to an exploitative economic order that belongs in the Middle Ages. We need industries that produce goods that are higher up the value chain and workers that have the skills to produce them.
The most encouraging outcome of this tragedy has been the national outpouring of support
The government must be able to regulate the sector, and all sectors much better. While small government may be better for business, no government is surely catastrophic. Not enforcing building codes, safety standards, and fairness for workers will eventually lead to a disabled environment that will drive away investors. This is a concrete social obligation that is non-negotiable. The industry must weed out rogue traders and insist on better standards from their members. Compliant
factories and businessmen should no longer have to bear the brunt for the negligence of their non-compliant co-industrialists. There must be measures within the industry and in the BGMEA to make sure they are not all painted with the same brush. This is their own responsibility and it will not do to cry foul when they are lumped together, unless they do anything to stand apart themselves. Workers must not be forced to resort to violence and vandalism, but must be allowed to voice their concerns in a responsible manner. This means they must have representation. How much of this has been done? Not a lot, but then again, not nothing either. Since April last year, the government has tried to regulate the sector better, more inspectors have been fielded, non-compliant factories have been shut down, and owners with blood on their hands have been arrested. However, the garments industry lobby has proven to be strong enough to retain the industrys standing, and their threats of an economic collapse have kept stronger action at bay. They (the industry) have in fact done themselves and the nation a disservice by banding together the way that they did, instead of throwing the criminals among them under the bus. The buyer, for their part, has acted more commendably, and a number of accords and agreements have been
inked, with ILO oversight, to ensure sourcing occurs in a more conscientious and meticulous manner. They have also agreed, some of them at least, to share more of the profits with producers. In some instances, privileges have also been withdrawn until better compliance is achieved. These are positive developments, the benefits of which will hopefully reach the workers. The workers have also experienced a pay rise, and compensation to victims of the Rana Plaza tragedy has been forthcoming, though many would say not enough and not soon enough. However, its equally evident that no one has been able to get away with doing nothing, and with sustained pressure, its likely that they will eventually have to do their best. But the most encouraging outcome of this horrendous tragedy has been the national outpouring of support. There are no blind eyes being turned, and no one is willing to let this get swept under the rug. The debate has been sustained, actions demanded, and consequences felt, and though its been slow going, there is reason to believe that it will not stop until the minimum standards that become a country on the threshold of middle-income status, with all its attendant rights and responsibilities, are achieved. Zeeshan Khan is a journalist at the Dhaka Tribune.
Since the incident, the government in Bangladesh has become stricter in terms of regular factory inspections, checking building codes and working conditions. The Western buyers are pressuring the Bangladeshi RMG owners for safer working conditions, given that their consumers are now putting more pressure on them to ensure safer working conditions for the workers. The ILO has estimated that it will cost about $40m to compensate victims and set up a fund to collect donations from the 29 Western retailers who used to buy garments from the five factories housed in Rana Plaza. According to the ILO, the payment of compensation is going very slow since the retailers have no legal obligation to pay the workers, given the fact that they were directly not employees of those companies. It is a matter of good will. After a year of the collapse, only a third has yet been paid up to the ILO fund. Many organisations in Bangladesh, both in large and small scales, are working towards rehabilitation of the victims some providing medicare, some providing jobs, and some providing entrepreneurship opportunities. But so far, the effort has been anything but sufficient. Much more needs to be done, since the majority of the victims have not received much compensation, and are suffering. We, as Bangladeshis have a part to play in helping the people who play a major role in our foreign currency earnings. For those of us who can, we should come forward to help them in any way that we can. Mahdin Mahboob is the founder Chairperson of Savar Foundation, working towards rehabilitation of Rana Plaza collapse victims.
Time to pay up
M
n Niaz Alam
any factors underlay the culture of poor enforcement of safety laws, which enabled supervisors to order workers into buildings at Rana Plaza that had already been officially declared unsafe. Apportioning responsibility between the broader factors, such as poor enforcement of laws by government, or cost-cutting by factories, which allowed lax enforcement of safety to reach such a fatal situation, is a complex task. One factor which is widely appreciated though is that the garments industry globally relies on many tiers of sub-contractors, in order to meet short lead times for getting goods into shops. Hence, no matter how comprehensive a buyers ethical auditing practices may be, or however many well run, compliant factories it deals with directly, the reality on the ground is that some work may and is subcontracted to less well-run sites. Hence, there was little surprise that 29 brands were identified as being linked to production at sites in Rana Plaza.
Brands reported to have made some contributions to Rana Plaza Trust Fund (source CCC 23 April 2014) Brands which have yet to publicly commit despite having had links to a factory in the building according to ccc 23 april 2014 www.cleanclothes.org Rana plaza donors trust fund bank account Details available via Rana Plaza Arrangement http://www.ranaplaza-arrangement.org/
A time to heal
A
Plaza Arrangement n Rana Coordination Committee
year ago today, we, along with millions of others, watched with horror the scenes of devastation from Savar, as the Rana Plaza building collapsed trapping and killing thousands of garment workers. The distressing images of so many young women and men who lost their lives or were trapped in the building have stayed with us all, and today we will continue to remember all those who lost their lives, a loved one, or have been left with life-changing injuries. The collapse of Rana Plaza placed the garment industry, which provides work and support for so many in Bangladesh, in the spotlight like never before. For the manufacturers, international brands, trade unions, NGOs, and the government of Bangladesh, it was not an option to stand by and do nothing. The Arrangement is of major significance as it is the only coordinated and systematic approach to ensure all the victims, their families, and dependents will receive entitlements to cover their losses. For the first time, such a process brings together all the key parties involved in a Coordination Committee that governs the Arrangement. This is the first time a mechanism to deal with financial support of victims of such a tragedy has been drawn up that the whole industry can support. The Coordination Committee is comprised of: The government the Ministry of Labour and Employment; the employers the BGMEA, and the Bangladesh Employers Federation (BEF); global and local trade unions IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC), National Coordination Committee for Workers Education (NCCWE), and IndustriALL Global Union; non-governmental organisations BILS and Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC); and the global brands that source from Bangladesh, represented by El Corte Ingles, Loblaw, and Primark. The Coordination Committee, with the UN agency, the ILO, acting as a neutral chair, has developed a comprehensive and independent process that will deliver support to the victims, their families, and dependants in a predictable manner consistent with international labour standards. The details of the process were agreed in late 2013, and as of March 24, 2014, the claims process has begun. The claims system has been designed to ensure it is easy for beneficiaries to access the process, that it is easy to understand, and that claims are calculated in a fair and equitable manner consistent with international standards. There are two groups of beneficiaries able to make a claim under the Arrangement: A person who was injured in the disaster and has lost his/her earning capacity as a result of that injury, or a dependent of a person who was killed in the Rana Plaza disaster who was partially or fully reliant on the income earned by that person. estimated $40m that will ensure all those affected by the terrible collapse of Rana Plaza receive the support they require. If all funds are collected soon, then we hope that all payments will be made within six months. The Trust Fund is open to any-
signing the Rana Plaza Compensation Arrangement to establish an agreed framework to assess and deliver compensation in a timely manner. As of this week, it was still twothirds short of its $40m target for contributions to the voluntary Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund, administered by the ILO, which it set up to manage funds for victims of Rana Plaza. The Clean Clothes Campaign which supports the Arrangement is urging consumers around the world to write to all the brands involved asking them to make contributions. The table below lists the names given on its website, on which further details can be found. For those who can afford to, Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund does say on its website that it is open to any company, organisation, or individual that wishes to contribute as a way of expressing solidarity. The Arrangements website provides full details of how this is administered, but currently does not list any Bangladeshi banks to receive funds. In total, the combined profits of these brands last year exceeded $22bn, so for them the amounts being sought are relatively small. For the victims how-
The distressing images of so many young women and men who lost their lives or were trapped in the building have stayed with us all
Bonmarche, C& A Foundtion, Camaieu, El Corte Ingles, Inditex, KiK, Loblaw, LPP S.A, Mango, Mascot, Premier Clothing and Walmart, The Childrens Place, Asda, via BRAC USA Adler Midemarkte, Ascena Retail, Auchan, Benetton, Carrefour, Cato Fashions, Grabalok, Gueldenpfennig, Iconix (Lee Cooper), JC Penney, Kids for Fashion, Manifattura Corona, Matalan, NKD, PWT (Texman), Yes Zee UBS Rue du Rhone 8, Case Postale CH 1211 Geneva, Switzerland Swift Address: UBSWCHZH80A Account no: 0240 FP100364.0 IBAN No.: CH1900240240 FP1003640 Reference: ILO for Rana Plaza Trust Fund
We must all ensure that those who lost so much have the support to continue with their lives
For the 1,138 families who lost loved ones and the more than 2,000 workers who suffered injuries, it was clear that support would be needed to ensure they did not have to endure ill-health and financial hardship in addition to the trauma of the terrible events of April 24, 2013. In the last year, we have all worked together to develop a groundbreaking approach to address the needs of all survivors and the families of the victims the Rana Plaza Arrangement.
In a welcome move, four of these brands, (Primark, Loblaw, Bonmarche, El Corte Ingles), joined the Bangladesh Ministry of Labour, Bangladesh Employers Federation, BGMEA, Bangladesh Institute for Labour Studies (BILS), and labour groups including the global trade union, IndustriALL, in
ever, they are absolutely crucial as the Arrangement provides an accountable and transparent mechanism to provide much needed assistance. Niaz Alam has worked on ethical business issues since 1992 and is a former vice-chair of War on Want.
Each beneficiary will receive payments based on their individual circumstances and needs. Each claim will be independently assessed and calculated, based on a formula developed by actuarial experts in line with standards embedded in the ILO Convention No 121. Workers who have suffered injuries in the disaster will be given a medical assessment to determine the extent and permanence of their injury. Medical care has been provided free of charge by the medical centers, and for future long term needs of the injured, the Coordination Committee will ensure that medical care will continue to be provided free of charge. Yesterday, an advance payment of Tk50,000 was made under the auspices of the Arrangement to all injured workers, dependents of the deceased and missing workers. For cases of injured workers or surviving dependents, this amount will later be deducted from their full payments. The non-injured workers also received this Tk50,000. The Rana Plaza Donor Trust Fund, which is collecting donations for the Arrangement, still needs significant donations in order to reach the
one who wishes to donate to it. It is imperative that we build on the initial donations and ensure sufficient funds are raised. This is an obligation for all: Employers, government, brands, and all those that relied on the hard work of Bangladeshi workers to build the industry, the country, and the sector globally. Today, as we take a moment to reflect on the terrible events of last April 24, we must also ensure that the impact of that day stays with us. That the horror we felt at the loss of so many does not fade, and we do not falter at this last step. We must all ensure that the Donor Trust Fund reaches its target of an estimated $40m, and show that we are all committed to ensuring those who lost so much on that fateful day have the support to continue with their lives. What justice would there be for those who lost their lives if we failed now? The Rana Plaza Arrangement Coordination Committee is a multi-stakeholder body tasked with developing and overseeing the Arrangement a single approach for establishing the amount of financial support and level of medical care to be provided to the victims of the disaster.
12
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Entertainment
n Entertainment Desk
To mark one year of Savar Tragedy, a drama Jochhona Andhkarey will be aired at 9pm tomorrow on SATV. Written by Polash Mahbub, and directed by Hasan Morshed, the drama features Rownak Hasan, Moutushi Biswas, Munira Mithu among others. Showcasing a different angle of Savar Trage-
dy, Moutushi with a photo is searching for her husband and Munira is searching for her son. A young fire victim is lying in the hospital bed. Moutushi claims that he is her husband and Munira says the young man is her son. They get into a conflict but the young mans face is damaged and covered with bandage and is unrecognisable. The authority of the hospital falls in a dilemma and waits for the young mans recovery. l
SADIA MARIUM
bition portrayed the photos covering a quantity of garments disasters and the workers struggle with the law enforcement for their demands and rights. Each photo of the exhibition narrates the heartache or the gut-wrenching story behind the image. Even after a year of the Rana Plaza incident, Andrew's photographs hold the power to awaken emotions among the spectators. The photos raise the crucial questions about the fair wage of the garments workers and the working conditions they are exposed to, they provide a window to the harsh realities that is faced by these labourers on a day-to-day basis. Amirul Rajiv, the curator of the exhibition said: We arranged the exhibition with the aim of raising a mass awareness among the people of the country, not just among a handful of middle class intellectuals. So, we are show-
casing the photos at the three different venues where people from all spheres of the society will have access to view the truth as it is. Before the inauguration of the photography exhibition, a discussion was held at the Drik Gallery premises where Heather Cruden, the Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Gerben Sjoerd de Jong, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Jesmine Akhter, a survivor of Rana Plaza, Anu Mohammad, economist & activist and others expressed their concern over the workplace safety of garments workers and minimum standard of living. The photos in this exhibition, whether they focus on the tragic consequences of disasters or on the more mundane daily realities, remind us that for the workers, the garment sector is their life. l
Baramkhana by Theatre (Baily Road) was staged yesterday at the National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy SADIA MARIUM
Star World airs today at 6:30pm on Boishakhi TV. Produced by Shahid Shompod, the show features all the latest celebrity and showbiz news, gossip, photos and videos of Dhallywood, Bollywood and Hollywood. The host of the show is Sabila Nur
TODAY IN DHAKA
Exhibition
Death Trap Time: 3pm 9pm Alliance Franaise de Dhaka 1134 - Lives not Numbers Time: 3pm 8pm Pathshala South Asian Media Academy Serenading Suchitra Time: 12pm 8pm Shilpangan Gallery House-7, Road-13, Dhanmondi Last Summer by Iffat Ara Dewan Time: 12pm 8pm Bengal Art Lounge, Gulshan Avenue
Film
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (3D & 2D) Jonakir Alo, Boishommo The Legend of Hercules 3D Avatar in 3D , Frozen in 3D Time: 10am 10pm Star Cineplex, Level 8 Bashundhara City
n Entertainment Desk
Baishakher Puthi, an audio album on Puthi Paat by artiste Kabbo Kamrul released this Pahela Baishakh. Produced by Puthiyal (a group of Puthi artiste), the album consist of Puthis composed with the use of folk musical instruments. The Puthi songs include Baishakher Puthi, Lungi, Ati Bhaiyer Kotha and Shopno. Puthi Paat (puthi recitation) was used as a medium for education and constructive entertainment during a period when the variety of entertainment mediums at hand nowadays were unavailable. A modern day Puthi artiste, Kabbo Kamrul has embarked on a journey to resurrect this traditional entertainment form and once again popularise the folk-art among the people of the country. His Puthis addresses simple realities and
Music
Room2 Time: 7:00pm 9:30pm Goethe Institut Bangladesh, Road 9 (new), House 10, Dhanmondi Acoustic Guitar Night Time: 5pm 8pm Jamuna Future Park
Theatre
various issues of life and his talent is his way of expressing his feelings and emotions about certain issues. In a conversation with the Dhaka Tribune, the musician said: At one time, Puthi was a popular medium and important part of the Bangalee culture. With the rhythm of Puthi, artistes use to tell stories and incidents while others would listen. A medium for education and entertainment, rural Bangla amusements included listening to Puthis. Now, in the modern era, Puthi, a rich culture of Bangladesh is about to disappear. Through my passion and dedication for this lost art, I want to revive my roots. This is his second album. The artiste debut album Kabbo Kamruler Puthi was released in 2010. The album is available at www.rokomari.com. l
Sport
DPLs payment issues resurface
Majority of players still unpaid from 2012 13 season
Bangladeshs domestic cricket calendar has been in a haphazard shape in the past two seasons while the recent decision from the Bangladesh Cricket Board to skip the 2013-14 Dhaka Premier League (DPL) season has just added fuel to the fire. The common scenario of players not getting fully paid still exists though BCB ensured full payment of the cricketers before the start of the previous season. BCB announced the schedule of the 2014-15 DPL with the players transfer window on August 4 and 5 and the league starting from October 10. Debabrata Paul the secretary of the Cricketers Welfare Association in Bangladesh (CWAB) did not take the decision from the board lightly and already bounced thrice. I have only received forty percent of my payment from the last season by Sheikh Jamal Club along with few other players. They have given a cheque dated December 31st but the check bounced three times. However I am positive to get the payment from the club as I heard other players have received their payment and I am waiting for my turn, said Jahurul. However, Mushfiqur Rahman Mohon the chairman of the Sheikh Jamal Cricket Committee said that only two or three players along with Jahurul are yet to receive full payment. Actually I was busy with my personal work recently and as far as the players payments are concerned I think only Jahurul and one or two players are yet to receive their full payment. But Sheikh Jamal Club has a great reputation when it comes to clearing players payments and I am sure the remaining cricketers will also receive their payments before the start of the league, said Mohon. The former chairman of the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis Jalal Younus along with the BCB ensured the players of full payment after the players by choice system was introduced last year. Jalal said they were unaware about the issue and that the board will sit with the clubs very soon. I was not aware that the players did not receive their full payments from all the clubs which they should have been paid by now as the date of the upcoming league been already announced and I think the players should get their payments before that, said Jalal. Champions Gazi Tank Cricketers, Prime Bank Cricket Club and Prime Doleshwar however stand out from the majority as these clubs cleared full payment of their players. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
13
14 Chelsea hold
14 Scholes makes
15 Players to blame
Abahani winger Touhidul Alam celebrates his late strike against Soccer Club, Feni in the BPL match at the BNS yesterday
I have only received forty percent of my payment from the last season by Sheikh Jamal Club
also said they never received anything positive from the board despite several attempts to put together a structured calendar. We dont support skipping a domestic season where the performance of the Bangladesh team recently was not up to the mark and we need to ensure more domestic cricket. Therefore skipping a season is would be quite unusual. At the same time players are suffering financially as the Dhaka League is the main source of income for them, said Debabrata. National cricketer Jahurul Islam, who played for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club last season, said he is yet to receive his full payment as the cheque given to him from the club had
MUMIT M
lead eighth minute into the secondhalf but this time it was Awudu who missed from the six yards out. Locked at 1-1 it was anyones game in the last quarter and Feni almost cashed in from Abahani shaky defence that was missing Waly Faisal and Md Sujon due to injury. Shaidul Alam produced a lovely save in the 73rd minute as he fisted away Gambian forward Mathew Mendys header for a corner to keep them in the game. Winger Towhidul joined his teammates in the middle 20 minutes from time and sealed the win for the Sky Blues in the 83rd minute. Suares fantastic footwork saw him deceive his marker at the right flank before he unselfishly slid the ball to unmarked Towhidul who tapped home into an empty net. l
Fifa development officer Shaji Prabhakaran and BFF president Kazi Salahiuddin in all smiles at BFF House yesterday
COURTESY
BFF president Kazi Salahuddin was hopeful of taking football to a new height. I feel the attitude and the approach of the sports ministry and the NSC regarding the development of football is positive at this moment. We have requested them to make 35 percent of District Sports Associations money available to District Football Association as per the rule. The ministers and the secretary have shown positive gesture. We have asked the ministry to allocate the district stadium for a particular period so that we can run football. We have also asked for a little amount of money in the national budget. I thank Sepp Blatter for the turf and we have already finalized the deal of a lease of 20 years regarding the venue, said Salahuddin. Salahuddin further added that the sports ministry had given BFF assurance of handing over the academy of Sylhet to BFF in July next. l
14
Red Devils shares jump 6%
Shares of Manchester United jumped six percent Tuesday after the struggling Premier League giant sacked manager David Moyes just 10 months into the job. Shares of the popular British football team, traded on the New York Stock Exchange, leaped in opening trade and rose to $19.18, before closing at $18.78, their best level since May 2, 2013. The company announced Moyess departure ahead of the market opening, a much-anticipated move after the clubs poor showing this season. AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
MATCH FACTS
ATLETICO 25 10 62% 6 44 2 0 Shots On Target Possession Corners Crosses Yellow Cards Red Cards CHELSEA 5 3 38% 4 5 3 0
Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta (L) vies with Atletico Madrid forward Diego da Silva Costa during their Uefa Champions League semifinal first leg match at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid on Tuesday AFP
blocked by Cesar Azpilicueta as Atletico began to build up some semblance of pressure towards the end of the half. However, Diego Ribas tame low effort that was easily gathered by Schwarzer was their only effort on target before the break. Chelsea finally registered a shot on target three minutes after the restart when Lampards volley was well held by Courtois. l
Guardiola not surprised Sacked Moyes proud of Man United tenure by Moyes sacking
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola believes David Moyess sacking as Manchester United boss on Tuesday was no surprise given the cut-throat nature of managing one of Europes biggest clubs. He said the lack of patience shown to the Scotsman after less than a season in charge of the Premier League giants was part of modern football. It is nothing new, said Guardiola who contributed to Moyess downfall by dumping United out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage. For the past five, 10, 15 years at the big clubs, if you lose you are out on the street, he added ahead of Bayerns Champions League semi-final, first leg against Real Madrid. If you dont win you are always in danger of losing your job. At the big teams the only thing that counts is winning. Guardiola had already committed to taking over at Bayern when the United job became available following Alex Fergusons retirement in May . He insisted he had no interest in leaving the European champions come the end of the current campaign. I am at Bayern and I want to stay two more years here. We have won the Bundesliga but I feel our team can improve. I knew perfectly the style of managing in Spain but I had to change to a new culture, to the ideas in Germany and I needed more time to feel this is really my team. I feel Bayern now is my team but I feel we can play better, we can improve and I think I still have work to do. I am comfortable here. The people I work with are gentleman and after Bayern I dont know what will happen. l David Moyes declared on Wednesday that he was proud to have managed Manchester United, but said that he understood the frustration that had led to his dismissal. Moyes, 50, was sacked by United on Tuesday after a dismal 10-month tenure in which the reigning champions slumped to seventh place in the Premier League, denying them a place in next seasons Champions League. During this period of transition, performances and results have not been what Manchester United and its fans are used to or expect, and I both understand and share their frustration, Moyes said in a statement released by the League Managers Association (LMA). I have always believed that a manager never stops learning during his career, and I know I will take invaluable experience from my time as Uniteds manager. I remain proud to have led the team to the quarter-finals of this years Champions League and I remain grateful to Sir Alex Ferguson (his predecessor) for believing in my ability and giving me the chance to manage Manchester United. The LMA, the trade union for managers working professionally in England, criticised United for the unprofessional manner in which Moyes was dismissed. Chief executive Richard Bevan said the organisation was very disappointed that extensive reports in the press had announced Moyess sacking before he had been spoken to officially by the club. Although reports about Moyess departure first emerged in the British media on Monday afternoon, he did not learn of his fate until early on Tuesday morning. Responding to Bevans comments, United said that they had not acted irresponsibly. We do not accept that it was handled in an unprofessional manner, said a spokesperson. The decision was not taken until late Monday night and was communicated face-to-face first thing on Tuesday morning. When reports started emerging on internet news sites on Monday afternoon, no decision had been taken at that time. Moyes added: Taking charge after such a long period of continuous stability and success at the club was inevitably going to be a significant challenge, but it was one which I relished and never had a second thought about taking on. The scale of the managers job at United is immense, but I have never
stepped away from hard work and the same applies to my coaching staff. I thank them for their dedication and loyalty throughout the last season. British newspaper reports on Wednesday claimed that Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has been identified as a potential candidate for the United job. Several papers said that Ancelotti was being considered for the vacancy, along with Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal, who emerged as the early favourite for the post. However, whereas Ancelotti, the former Chelsea manager, is less than a year into a three-year contract at Madrid, Van Gaal is scheduled to step down from his position with Holland after this years World Cup in Brazil. Van Gaal, 62, is currently on holiday in Portugal. Dutch tabloid Algemeen Dagblad reported that he was maintaining radio silence. l
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech (C) leaves the pitch due to an injury during their Uefa Champions League semifinal first leg match against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday AFP
Having shaken off the hangover from their title celebrations on Sunday, Portuguese champions Benfica host Juventus in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday. The Eagles have been driven this season by the bitter memory of 12 months ago, when they found themselves on the verge of winning a treble of Portuguese league and Cup and Europa League, only to miss out on all three trophies in an agonising two weeks. Now, though, Benfica have a possible quadruple in their sights.
Buoyant Benfica set for Juve showdown Chelsea suffer double injury blow
Having lost just once in 35 games, they are through to the Portuguese Cup final, in which they will play Rio Ave next month, and they face Porto in the semi-finals of the League Cup this weekend.
FINAL
Benfica (POR)
- v -
Juventus (ITA)
Standing in their way are a Juve side who are motivated by the prospect of reaching a final that will be played in
their own stadium in Turin. Juve are on the brink of retaining their Serie A title - they could be crowned champions this weekend - but success in Europe is also hugely important for a club whose last continental trophy was the Champions League in 1996. The winner will face Spanish opposition in the final itself, with La Liga rivals Sevilla and Valencia facing off in the other last-four tie. Sevilla have won 12 of their last 15 matches in all competitions, form that means they remain in the running to qualify for next seasons Champions League, and coach Unai Emery can look forward to coming up against his former club. l
Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech will miss the rest of the season delivering a huge blow to Chelseas Premier League and Champions League title winning aspirations after he was injured during his clubs 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid in their Champions League semi-final first leg match on Tuesday. In a double injury blow it was also revealed by Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho that captain John Terry will miss the rest of the Premier League season because of a foot injury he suffered in the second-half of the match.
Unlike Cech, though, he could be fit were Chelsea to reach the Champions League final on May 24. Cech, 31, landed awkwardly when he clashed with Raul Garcia when defending an Atletico corner in the 17th minute. Petr Cechs season is over. Dont ask me technically, but season over, said Mourinho. And John - we have to play in the final for him to play with us. Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer was forced into action and became the oldest player to ever feature in the knockout stages of the Champions League at the age of 41. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
15
Sri Lanka players resolve pay dispute
The pay dispute between Sri Lanka Cricket and its 13 contracted players ended on Wednesday when the latter agreed to accept 10 percent of the participation fees from ICC and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events. The players had demanded 20 percent of the participation fees which Sri Lanka Cricket would not sanction. The players were due to sign their central contracts by March 1 but the impasse dragged on for nearly two months. A three-member committee appointed by Sri Lanka Cricket comprising treasurer Nuski Mohamed, CEO Ashley de Silva and chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya held talks with Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews on Tuesday. After discussions, the committee in consultation with the office bearers of the SLCs Executive Committee, offered 10 percent of the participation fee from the ICC (International Cricket Council) and ACC events to the players which will be applied for the next five years and will be non-negotiable, said an SLC statement. The above offer was accepted by the players and they have agreed to sign the annual contracts in due course. Sri Lanka travel to England early next month to play two tests, five one-dayers and a T20 international. l
QUICK BYTES
A Bangladesh Navy player fail to cross the line after being held by BGB players in Walton premier kabaddi yesterday. Bangladesh Army and Border Guard Bangladesh continued their winning spree in the Walton Premier Division Kabaddi Super League at the Kabaddi Stadium. Army beat Bangladesh Police by 11 06 points while BGB outplayed Bangladesh Navy by 35 17 points including two lonas MUMIT M
Finnish police have arrested a convicted Singaporean match-fixer linked to corruption cases in Europe and Australia, the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper reported on Wednesday. Wilson Raj Perumal was detained last week in Helsinki after an international arrest warrant was issued by Singaporean authorities, the paper said. The police will investigate, after that it will be judged if he can be extradited, said Jari Nieminen, who is leading the investigation. In July 2011 Perumal was convicted by a Finnish court for rigging around 30 matches between 2008 and 2011. He served half of a two-year sentence before being extradited by authorities to Budapest to assist in match-fixing trials in Hungary. AFP
DAYS WATCH
Sony Six 8:30PM Pepsi IPL 2014 Bangalore v Kolkata NBA Play Off 2013 14 5:00AM Charlotte v Miami 7:30AM Portland v Houston Star Sports 4 6:30PM Barcelona Open Uefa Europa League: SF Leg 1 Ten Sports 12:45AM Sevilla FC v Valencia Ten Action 12:45AM Benfica v Juventus
US President Barack Obama plays tennis with a youth partner during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday in the tennis court on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. Thousands of children gathered at the White House for the annual Easter Egg Roll. This years event features live music, cooking stations, storytelling, and of course, some Easter egg rolling AP
16
DHAKA TRIBUNE
In Memoriam
One year on, the most important abiding truth that remains about the Rana Plaza disaster is that 1,136 workers lost their lives. The issues of accountability and compensation and whether the tragedy could provide a watershed moment for the industry cannot and should not obscure the simple human fact that Rana Plaza took 1,136 lives from us: sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives. Whatever happens in the future, these men and women -- many of them no
more than boys or girls are gone forever and nothing can bring them back to their families. Let us never forget the human element that lies at the heart of this tragedy, and it is to this end that the Dhaka Tribune has chosen to commemorate the dead by taking a full page to print their names to give our readers some sense of the scale and enormity of this catastrophe. Note: The list presented here contains 1,019 names out of
the number of 1,136 dead provided by the DC office. The discrepancy arises due to the fact that not all bodies were able to be definitively identified, and this is the fullest list of names that we could compile from the information provided by the DC office and the National Forensic DNA Profiling Laboratory. We mean no disrespect to those whose names may have been left off the list and do not mean to diminish the loss suffered by their families. We honour the memory of all of the Rana Plaza dead and mourn their loss.
Dulali Begum Mahfuza Shaheen Shaheena M Basu Mia Jewel Merina Harun-ur-Rashid Shaheda Saiful Islam Aklima Fatema Rozina Kaiyum Aktara Khatun Rifat Hasan Alamgir Sogir Ahmed Abdul Kader Rubel Ataur Molla Jhuma Akhter Chan Banu Jhumur Arzina Sathi Sonia Julekha Nupur Khadiza M Azizul Haque Firoza Reba Khatun Shahnara Mir Hossain Miraz Foysal M Bilal Hossain Monira Amirul Islam Shiuli Shahida Shufola Fatema Shukla Sarker Shipon Rashid Laboni Shanta Fouzia Nargis M Yadul Hasan Nuruzzaman Shuborna Tania Habibur Rahman Biplob Ambia Nazrul Islam Habirun Nesa M Abu Sayeed Nasrin Kalpana Shilpi Akhter Moni Chayna Akhter Rubel Bishwash Golapi Rani Kalpana Rayhan Rumana Afroze Nishat Rabeya Khatun Madhobi Rani Romisa Jahurul Islam Kabir Mashiur Rahman Nannu Jahangir Alam Nazrul Islam Bacchu Masum Ripon Alia Akhter Rehana Begum Zafar Sadek Mozammel Bilkis Hamida Aduri Nasima Akhter Sheuli Begum Rina Akhter Akhtaruzzaman Hasina Taslima Begum Rehana Rubiya Khatun Rabeya Begum Laizu Bilkis Akhter Mohel Shagor Anwar Newaz Shafik Parvin Momena Zoba Razzaque M Noyon Akhter M Mahbub Alam Mollika Aliya Manju Rani Hazrat Ali Khaleda Jayanta Lipi Begum Monika Shikha Rani Karmakar Salma Khatun Shirin Akhter Jahanara Begum Selina Akhter Runa Halima Suzarua M Al Masud Nayan Jamil Ruma Peyarul Rashid M Nayeem Nargis Momin Rohima Siddiqur Rahman Rahima Ferdous Shyamoli Pabitra Rani Mondol Jahurul Mala Kamrul Islam Kabir Khan Sonia Akhter Nur Alam Dinaj Ismail Rohima Shirin Sultana Rozia Shapla Hira Begum Nazma Begum Abdur Rahman Rasel Shayla M Harun-Ur-Rashid Vagi Rani Dash Hafiza Marium Gulshan Ara Begum Alpana Akhter Amena Begum Firoz Al Mamun Shefali Taslima Akhter Ratna Beauti Rewa M Momin Riya Nilufar Yasmin M Shawon Khaleda Akhter Mazsuda Akhter Mukti Lima Akhter Ziasmin M Rezaul Sweety Aleya Begum Izabul Mollik Josna M Jahidul Islam Shantona Milon Kobir Molla Doyeli Shahidul Islam Salam Azharul Islam Rubel M Ilias Khushi Shohagi Tushar Mia Murad Sheikh Lavli Akhter Laki Farida Parvin Shompa Begum M Wahed Mia Shaheb Ali Nipa Khatun Kausar Ahmed Salma Golapi Begum Anwar Begum Moni Taslima Sheuli Shahadat hossain Shariful Islam Ataur Rahman Anju Begum Bamel Fozila Khatun M Shohagh Hawlader Khushi Akhter Rita Abu Taleb Sonia Akhter M Saiful Islam Jakiya M Selim Mia Runa Begum Titon Baladam Ruzina Begum Johurul Islam Morjina Akhter Lima Sumi Sharmin Sathi Salma Rashida Akhter Ochona Rani Monowara Begum Abdus Sattar M Hakim Rehana Begum Lavli M Palash Imran Bishwajit Saha Salma Abdus Salam Golapi Kajol Aklima Milon Kumer Sarker Selina Begum Selina Akhter Rima Akhter Koli Abdus Slam Jibon Abdullah Beauti Akhter Rabiul Islam Lipi Nazma Begum Saifullah Sima Dip Kor Ghosh M A Malek Hanif Nargis Akhter Moushumi Afruza Begum Fazle Rabbi Nipa Akhter Kajoli Rani Salma Akhter Sathi M Omar Faruk Shahinur Begum Nazma Begum Shariful Islam M Lutfor Rahman Sabina Begum Shohagh A Halim M Altaf Hossain Sarothi Rani Dash M Alamgir Hossain Sharifa Begum Neela Nazma Begum Robin Alpana Rani Shona Mia Shajeda Firoz M Jashim Uddin Mamun Shobuj Ahmed Rahima Ali Hossain Abdul Baten Lavli Lipi Akhter Josna Begum Hasinur Rahman Shirin Akhter Jahura Begum Tashura Begum Hasina M A Momin Sima Akhter M Ariful Islam Lota Begum Rumsana Akhter Roni Malek Mondol Liton M Siddik Arzina Sajid Sarder Murshida Akhter Putul Sweety Begum Nashrin Anwar Nowshad Rima Akhter Khodeza Begum Chompa Uzzal Kohinur Begum Rozina Begum Kaiyum Sumi Akhter Rahima Begum Nazim Uddin Rasheda Begum Tanzila Akhter Banecha Rimu Begum Suchita Rani Josna Begum M Anisur Rahman Riaz Sri Doyal Chandra Ray Shaheena Israil Bishwash Ainul Haque Rozina Akhter Robina Sheuli Mozammel Aleya Begum Julekha Naznin Akhter Brishti Sabina Begum Nasim Uddin Tanzina Akhter Dulali Sathi Akhter M Arman Afzal Hossain Mazeda Kawsar Selim Ripon Bepari Anwar Hossain Noyon Sujon Rashida Asma Begum Momtaj Begum Mukta Laizu Akhter Rojina Akhter Shammi Kaiyum Tozammel Hossain Chumki Nayeem Sumi Akhter Poli Akhter Akram Hossain M Ashraful Islam Monsur Sheikh Sathi Akhter Sobuj Sheuli Begum Sima Akhter M Kabir Hossain Chayna Mitu Selimuzzaman Badsha Amena Akhter Liyakat Ali Moksedur Alamgir Sagar Mandal Shumi Akhter Poritosh Chandra Bormon Mahfuzur Rahman Jahangir Hossain Sharif Rehena Akhter M Dulal Mia Parvin Begum M Furkan Tushar Rajuka Khatun Tushar Zaheda Shilpi Mamun Shova Akhter Yunus Mia Promila Sharifa Begum Sabina Akhter Swapan Bepari M Rahidul Islam Kalpana Begum Minu Mia Janata Akhter Rubina Banu Julekha Momtaj Begum Kabir Hossain Kamrul Khadiza Begum Oli Ullah Ruksana Mehedi Jewel Hawlader Dulali Riya Akhter Ruma Sheuli Rani Dash Ripon Smrity Khushi Khatun Al Amin Babul Bishwash M Sujon Khandker Selim Ahmed M Sultan Tahsan Ahmed Kamal Hossain Jahanara Rashida Khatun Nur M Mir Dipa Patra Rahima Begum Iftekhar Hossain Shahin M Liton Sheikh Anzu Begum Sohel Rana Rafikul Islam Rakib Selim Rana M Shablu Rekha Maksuda Khanom M Selim Fahima Sihena Akhter Shamima Sonia Akhter M Abu Saleh Poli Sabiha Sultana Shilpi M Rasheduzzaman Sohel Rana Kawsar A Hamid Rehana Akhter Selina Rafikul Islam M Ishak Laboni Akhter Tofazzol Hossain Mehedi Hasan Idris Ali Saifur Rahman Kamrul Alam Rawshan Ali Saiful Islam Rehena Khatun Milon Shikder Fatema Begum M Jahangir Alam Sumi Khatun M Toslim Hossain Rohima Khatun Farzana Khatun Jahanara Begum Swapan Sarker A Malek Shohan Sheikh Sazid Nayan Mili Josna Hasan Uddin M Jahid Hasan Ajupa Moynal Haque Mayeedur Rahman Omar Faruk M Ripon Asma Begum Shilpi Sri Riti Rani Sutradhar M Latifa Rukshompa Begum Rozina Akhter Jakir Hossain Pathan Hashi Khatun Jakiya Hridoy Sharifa Shafiul Alam Sanjit Dash M Yusuf Ali Rubi Maya Rani M Alamgir Hossain Mostafizur Rahman M Ikramul Haque Johora Ashraful Islam M Robiul Islam M Al Amin M Abu Taher Majeda Begum Sushanto Dash M Alamgir Hossain Rashida Taslima Begum Josna Khatun Abul Kashem Sima Akhter Parveen M Abdul Hai Rita Rani M Mohit Sheikh Sonia Parveen Maya Rani Shirin Akhter Anika Antara Badsha Muslima Khatun Ratna Khatun Shamsuddoha Din Islam Mamunur Rahman Sheikh M Yusuf Rana Julfikar Ali Masud M Nasim M Abdul Hai Shahabuddin M Gias Uddin Shaheenur Hannan Mehedi Hasan Ijabul Mallik Keya Akhter Shapla Akhter M Farhad Ali Rezaul Ruhul Amin Sathi Laki Akhter Sonia Morjina Begum Jewel Sabina Yasmin Bilkis Begum Sumon Dash A Kader Liton Shefali Aklima M Israil Hossain Nilufa Begum Nuruzzaman Jinnat Ara Popy Helal Shirina Sayeedur Rahman Mahfuza Mollika Sharmin Akhter Rita Khatun Ariful Islam Raju Mazeda M Monjur Elahi Farida Nurul Islam Liva Begum Laki M Rafik M Farhad Hossain M Tajul Islam M Shahin Shahidul Islam Arifa Khatun Moyna Begum Jomela Aklima Begum Hamida Akhter Selina Shahidul Islam Shamsunnahar Nishi Akhter Sheikh Abul Kalam Azad Nazmul Rafikul M Sajedul Islam Abul Fazal Khan Mukta Roksana M Monowarul Hosne Ara Parvin Rubi M Muzaur Rahman M Ariful Rahman Sumon Sarder Rasel Anjuman Ara Anjuman Begum Nargis M Soleman Nasrin Anwar Asma M Jakir Hossain M Tutul Titu Afzal Hossain Joy Kulsum Ripon Robiul Islam Sujon M Nazmul Hossain M Ridwan Luku Monowar Hossain Fulchan Chandra Mondol Mamun-ur-Rashid Jobirul Mawla Rashedul Islam Alpana Shahida Khatun Shefali Akhter Sinara M Shohagh M A Gani Parvin Begum Shariful Islam M Kamal Hossain Eklas M Belayet Hossain Shahanaz Begum M Ayidul Islam Harun-ur-Rashid Shima Akhter Forkan Hawladi Kamruzzaman Babul Mini Akhter M Hasan Chowdhury Shamsul Alam M Sabuj Sheikh Josena Abu Jafar Mantu Khalek Jahid Molla Shaheena Akhter M Anwar Lal Mia Raju Ahmed Salma Ariful Islam Halima Rehana Begum Khokon Benu Rani Dash Dulali Begum Asma Nure Alam Shikder Firoza Begum Sabindra Dash Ekramul Kakoli Shilpi Akhter M Sumon Hosne Ara Josna Mousumi Reshma Akhter Khodeza Begum Sharmin Sultana Rizia Khatun Sabina Khatun Nittya Khatun Shila Rani Shipra M A Kader Siddik Sajeda Begum Bithi Shariful Islam Sheuli Akhter M Selim Hossain M Shahidullah M Humayun Dipali Rani Dash Rahima Merina Moyna Akhter Mahida Begum Rofikul Islam M Israfil M Ali Azam Jorina Khatun Sahera M Babul Hossain Robita Rani Dash Shafikul Islam Sonia Monowara Sultana Begum Mamun Sheikh Jahurul Islam M Abdur Razzaq Khan Morium Begum Poli Khatun Nuri Akhter Shahajahan Shahanaj Sayeedul Islam Selim Sheikh Motija Asma Khatun Rajina Jamuna Rani Nargis Begum Sumi Sorjita Shabana Kalpana M Kayem Begum M Anis M Masud Rana Jamal Mia Rokeya Akhter M Jillur Bari Lipi Akhter M Lutfor Rahman Laki Akhter Lota Begum M Nur Islam Rabbani Rani Sheuli Akhter Nila Akhter Alpana (double with 849) Nargis Sagorika Mala Rani Baroi Sonia Shirina Khatun M Sumon Rekha Begum Monjila Begum M Mizanur Hossain Jhorna M Nasir Uddin Khairul Nagar Munna Mia Shahana Begum Alo Shahnaz Parvin Akhter Rahima Lipi Akhter M Kajol Mia Rehena Abdul Aziz M Jashim Taslima Anisur Rahman Rupa Akhter Rifat Hossain Ratena Khatun Laili Begum Rayhan Suriya Begum Mala Akhter Rabeya Bashri Rozina Akhter M Badol Rina Akhter M Iqbal Hossain Forazi Jahid Hasan Surman Ali Salma Begum M Rafiqul Islam Mukul Monira Begum M Mominur Mia Morjina Akhter Jakir Hossain Jorina Begum Al Amin Rubina Begum Anwara Begum Mahabubul Alam M Ripon Monowara Kakoli Al Amin Alamin Shahinur Akhter Hashi Begum Maksuda Ashik Jashim Shova Akhter Irul Huda Sohel Dulal Mia Belal Hossain Sharmin Khokon Mia Nasima Begum Shahida Akhter Sathi Helena Begum Fuljan Khatun Nur Karim Sumon Mia Hanif Khan Biplob Bhattacharya Rekha Begum Nurjahan Begum Piyara Khatun Rozina Khatun Shefali Begum Lata Yasmin Shaheen Champa Begum Pintu Rina Akhter Rina Kabita Akhter Mita Khatun Shahjahan Ali M Monowarul Sultana Baki Sheikh Momtaj Anju Ara Ashraful Sujon Chandra Rupali Sohel Rana Monowar Hossain Sabi Begum Salma Akhter Popi Akhter Amina Khatun Aleya Khatun Parvin Sriti Begum Sumi Hena Shuman Dum Riajul Islam Akai Akter Urmi Begum Sultana Khatun Marjina Khatun Rahana Sakina Layzu Akter Md Jahangir Sheikh Taslima Akter Sultana Bristi Akter Nazma Begum Rina Hahi Begum Banna Akhter Shilpi Akter Mahmuda Abu Sayed Rafiqul Provat Basu Md. Khairul Laboni Rafiqul Islam Shirin Begum Arjuba Forijan Selina Suman Monoar Hosen Martha Sikha Hasda Md. Abdur Rashid Samsun Nahar Sujit Saha Sohima Helena Khatun Lucky Akter Sirin Akter Shahinur Begum Rozina Md. Saidul Shimatun Sujata Arisa Khatun Shilpi Begum Eni Begum Maleka Akter Rishma Shamsunnahar Shahidul Pepetua Hashda Rina Akhtar Maksuda Akter Liza Akter Morjina Himayet Ali Chowdhury Bulbuly Pervin Begum Lata Begum Esmatara Begum Mohsina Khatun Mousumi Akter Shomola Akter Jhorna Shilpi Akter Jannat Sathi Bithi Rashida Khatun Pinky Liton Komela Begum Asma Begum Md. Anis Shahida Masud Surabi Rani Das Md. Sultan Asma Akter Bulbuli Begum Roksana Begum Md. Jahangir Hossain Taslima Khatun Yasmin Rezaul Mondal Nazma Puspa Rani Asadul Bepari Sagorika Md. Abul Kashem Bhuiyan Monira Khatun Meher Rani Begum Rozina Akter Salma Asha Salma Farid Hossain Raja Emran Hossain Nasima Akter Shahidul Shahnaj Begum Lata Khatun Kohinur Nasha Begum Taslima Parvin Begum A Salam Md. Sharif Hossain Hasna Begum Jadab Das Sajeda Begum Md. Kamrul Hasan Zahinunnesa Razima Akter Rehana Parvin Rubina Khatun Sajeda Asma Marjina Khatun Rahima Bibi Halima Khatun Asadur Zaman Sabeda Khatun Shirina Sapna Begum Asma Akter Jesmin Moslema Shathi Akter Shamima Akter Monika Sompati Rani Das Josna Begum Rabeya Akhter Reshma Begum Rakib Shirin Akter Sowkat Hosen Naju Aktar Sweet Bitu Baroi Md. Obaidul Rabeya Khatun Nasima Akter Jahanara Begum Nargis Rasheda Begum Nilufa Begum Fatema Akter Kanchan Mala Nurjahan Begum Jaheda Khatun Md. Shahin Reza Rehana Begum Surja Banu Alina Akter Ojifa Shima Khatun Alkas Mia Sobiron Unknown victims-claimed by the relatives Hasina Fazila Khatun Rekha Shirin Akhter Rabea Mominul Islam Rafeza
Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207. Phone: 9132093 94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com
Economists for more SEZs, export-oriented Telecom minister trade policy to spur economy
INTERNATIONAL CALL TERMINATION
n Tribune Report
Setting up of more special economic zones (SEZs) and export-oriented trade policy would be the driving force to accelerate the countrys economic growth, economists said in Dhaka yesterday. Many short-term factors and lacklustre investment are holding back the GDP growth, which was mainly driven by investment and exports, they said. They were speaking at a seminar on Trade and Investment for Higher Growth jointly arranged by the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI) and UK-based development organisation DFID (Department for International Development) PRI Executive Director Ahsan H Mansur said Bangladesh will require multifaceted approaches to increase domestic investment and growth. In order to make the export driven growth, all policies leading to anti-export biases need to be corrected. Investment in infrastructure will help create immediate domestic demand and at the same time would lay the foundation for catalysing higher private sector investment, he said. He said removing land constraint is important for industrialisation by establishing a series of special economic zones in various parts of Bangladesh through public private partnership arrangement. PRI Chairman Zaidi Sattar said after three decades of trade policy reforms, most analysts and international institutions often describe Bangladeshs situation as a glass half full. Much has been done, but more is left to be done in order to complete the trade reform agenda. Focusing on trade-stimulated growth, he said, Bangladesh has come a long-way since the early years of inward-looking import substituting industrialisation policies that neither led to industrialisation nor resulted in an acceleration of economic growth.
ute, but if the call volume increases, the government will lose no money. Currently, per minute international call termination rate in Sri Lanka is $.09, $.095 in Nepal, $.088 in Pakistan and $.25 cents in Maldives, sources of the industry informed. Replying to a question, the minister said as Ratul Telecom is the owner of his party leaders daughter and they are under his grip thats why he gave them time to pay their dues of Tk99 crore. There is no scope to think that I gave them better scope. I just want to collect the governments money and it is a process to collect. If they fail within the timeframe, I can catch up them anytime as they are in my party, he added. Recently, BTRC gave Ratul Telecom a time extension to pay their dues by 31 May, although four other IGWs are facing cases for the similar offence of failing to share revenues on time. The BTRC filed certificate cases to get dues of Tk92.5 crore from Telex Ltd, Tk181.5 crore from Vision Tel Ltd, Tk122.5 crore from Bestec Telecom Limited and Tk84.27.5 crore from Kay Telecommunications Ltd against revenue share plus annual license fees. Ratul Telecom, 50% of which is owned by Nanaks daughter Syeda Amrin Rakhi and 20% more by Nanaks wife Syeda Arzuman Banu, had paid only Tk15.01 crore in last two years. Latif Siddique said he has an intention to reduce the number of IGWs and other gateways to control the situation. l
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed attends quarterly briefs of Policy Research Institute titled 'Trade and Investment for Higher Growth' as chief guest in Dhaka yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE By changing its policy stance to outward-looking export-oriented development, it subscribed to a regime of trade openness, on a gradual rather than radical track. He said the spectacular success of RMG industry has not been replicated. A major reason for this is the existence of anti-export bias in non-RMG export production. He said around 98% of the countrys exports are end consumer products with little or no intermediate goods. Trade and domestic policies have an anti-intermediate good bias. This needs to be changed as trade in intermediate goods is the fastest component of global trade. PRI Operations Director Khurshid Alam said the countrys inability to cross over to the 7% rate of GDP growth is to large extent a reflection of investment constraint. Shortfall of private investment growth is worrisome as because Sixth Plan identified private investment as a major engine of growth and exports, especially in manufacturing sector. He said implementing SEZs could be one way catalysing new desired private sector investment. For example, he said, in Asia, owning to availability of certain specialised skills and trained human resources, IT firms in India, and electronics firms in China, Taiwan Province of China, Malaysia and Singapore have successfully integrated into global supply chains. Given Bangladeshs success in exploiting the global supply chain in the RMG sector, it could very well look for opportunities to integrate into it and exploit benefits from global supply chain in other sectors, he said. This integration can be triggered through FDIs as well as domestic investments, and the SEZs could be the catalyst for attracting such FDI while at the same time source from domestic supply chain, he said. Referring to Mongla EPZ that has the weakest performance in terms of employment, investments and exports, he said location is an important ingredient to achieving success, and decision on location should follow economic and business principles. Professor of economics at the Dhaka University Selim Raihan said Bangladesh trade policies need to be rationalised and open in the context of global and regional, as incoherent and ad hock-based policies affect the economy. He said RMG industry enjoys many facilities on exports compared to any other sector. He estimated that the sector enjoys incentives 7% of total revenue income. Reduction in tariff structure is imperative for diversifying exports. Founder and Managing Partner of Asian Tiger Capital Partners Iftekharul Islam said global investors, specially from China, Japan and Korea look to relocate their industry due to higher cost of production. To woo them, it is inevitable to set up SEZs. He said Bangladesh can be Switzerland of Asia as it has advantage of geographical position better than any other countries. Councilor for Development Cooperation and Economic Affairs at Japan Embassy in Dhaka Masayuki Taga said Japanese investors look for joint venture here but Bangladesh needs to ensure supply chain and efficient industrial policy. In response to analysts view, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said the government is working to set up more special economic zones and to diversify its export baskets. The government has already given cash incentives to 40 new products to encourage exports to new destinations. He admitted the fact that land constraint and necessary infrastructure development is a problem to attract FDI. He said Bangladesh makes policy but unfortunately it is not implemented. The minister, however, assured to look into the suggestions put forward at the seminar. l
B2
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Stock
DSE GAINERS Company
Closing (% change) 10.00 8.69 8.01 7.01 6.60 6.24 6.24 5.88 5.41 5.30
Northern Jute -Z Aramit -A Kohinoor Chem -A Prime Bank-A Mithun Knitting -A GlaxoSK (BD) -A Renata Ltd. -A City Bank - A Grameenphone-A 1st ICB M F -A CSE GAINERS Company H.R. Textile -A Bangas -A DESCO Ltd. -A City Bank - A Berger Paints-A Grameenphone-A Mithun Knitting -A Phoenix Fin. 1st MF A PHP 1st M. F.-A Paramount Insur-A
Average (% change) 9.46 8.74 7.11 4.88 5.35 6.20 5.41 3.27 3.94 5.37 Average (% change) 7.93 5.76 6.67 3.75 5.31 4.16 4.54 4.29 3.61 6.41
Closing average 112.20 341.76 367.74 22.57 91.11 1,697.99 1,101.69 17.68 261.65 1,058.38
Closing 112.20 342.70 370.80 22.90 92.00 1,698.10 1,109.30 18.00 265.20 1,058.70
Daily high 112.20 342.80 372.00 23.40 93.70 1,698.10 1,109.30 18.40 266.00 1,068.20
Daily low 112.20 320.10 330.00 19.30 85.00 1,696.50 1,044.00 15.60 245.00 950.00
Turnover in million 0.022 12.628 1.229 6.546 20.355 84.305 110.559 48.898 528.264 1.011
Latest EPS -10.24 11.53 7.88 0.56 2.42 45.35 41.39 1.09 10.23 30.36
Latest PE -ve 29.6 46.7 40.3 37.6 37.4 26.6 16.2 25.6 34.9
Closing (% change) 9.09 6.54 6.24 5.88 5.79 5.66 5.65 5.36 4.92 4.59
Closing average 32.38 491.89 68.32 17.70 1016.25 261.87 90.79 5.84 6.31 22.75
Closing 32.40 495.50 68.10 18.00 1020.90 265.00 91.70 5.90 6.40 22.80
Daily high 32.60 498.00 69.00 18.30 1027.50 266.00 92.80 6.00 6.40 22.80
Daily low 31.80 480.00 67.30 17.00 1000.00 253.90 88.00 5.70 6.00 22.70
Turnover in million 1.214 0.836 1.161 6.520 0.508 23.778 0.944 0.073 1.490 0.046
Latest EPS 1.56 5.70 1.12 1.09 57.68 10.23 2.42 0.60 0.40 1.51
Latest PE 20.8 86.3 61.0 16.2 17.6 25.6 37.5 9.7 15.8 15.1
(+) 0.73% (+) 0.92% (+) 1.24% (+) 0.65% (+) 0.45% (+) 0.76%
Traded Issues Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis) Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis) Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis) Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.) Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)
Average (% change) -46.66 -19.64 -3.80 -6.25 0.23 -6.19 -2.85 -4.16
Closing average 29.24 10.19 46.10 984.40 403.02 9.10 15.33 30.67
Daily high 29.70 11.30 47.80 984.40 427.50 9.10 16.00 31.00
Daily low 28.10 9.40 44.10 984.40 388.00 9.10 15.10 30.20
Turnover in million 78.690 15.205 1.429 0.098 14.287 0.382 1.564 0.046
Latest EPS 3.63 0.12 -1.00 47.83 3.92 0.54 -0.69 -0.04
during 10:00 AM to 05:00 PM Dhaka Liaison Office and at S. Alam Bhaban, 2119, Asadgonj, Chittagong. RELIANCINS credited the bonus shares on April 22, 2014. Cash Dividend Warrants will be available at Head Office during Office hours from 24.04.2014 to 29.04.2014. DHAKABANK credited the bonus shares on April 21, 2014. GBBPOWER credited the bonus shares. RIGHT SHARE: DELTASPINN: Subscription 05.08.2014 to 31.08.2014. RD for entitlement of rights share: 28.04.2014. RUPALILIFESubscription 06.04.2014 to 05.05.2014. RD for entitlement of rights share: 16.01.2014. BRACBANK: Subscription 20.04.2014 to 15.05.2014. RD for entitlement of rights share: 10.02.2014. IPO Subscription: Khulna Printing & Packaging Limited subscription date 04 08 May 2014, NRB upto 17 April 2014. @ taka 10, face value taka 10 and market lot 500. Tung Hai Knitting & Dyeing Limited subscription date 12 22 May 2014, NRB upto 31 May 2014. @ taka 10, face value taka 10 and market lot 500. Far East Knitting & Dyeing Industries Limited subscription date 15 19 June 2014, NRB upto 28 June 2014. @ taka 22, face value taka 10 and market lot 200.
-4.92 -4.25
-3.06 -2.74
578.14 24.83
566.60 24.80
600.00 26.00
564.00 23.50
4.654 0.699
6.02 1.73
96.0 14.4
Closing (% change) -45.59 -19.20 -7.10 -5.88 -5.63 -4.35 -4.10 -4.05
Average (% change) -47.05 -19.67 -7.10 -4.58 -2.58 -3.09 -3.51 -4.20
Closing average 29.27 10.13 195.10 28.75 45.25 15.38 37.39 14.14
Daily high 29.90 9.90 195.10 28.80 45.30 15.80 37.40 14.40
Daily low 28.30 10.00 195.10 28.70 45.20 15.20 37.30 14.00
Turnover in million 9.133 7.059 0.098 0.029 0.045 0.038 0.206 0.035
Latest EPS 3.63 0.12 2.38 1.57 -1.00 -0.69 1.82 0.68
-4.03 -3.93
-2.64 -3.58
24.01 17.26
23.80 17.10
24.60 17.50
23.80 17.00
1.465 0.261
0.99 1.34
24.3 12.9
ANALYST
SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY
Sector Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture
The strength on rally was partly due to expectation of upbeat Q1 earnings from banks and multinational companies
DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Grameenphone-A Meghna Petroleum -A Olympic Ind. -A LafargeS Cement-Z HeidelbergCement -A Padma Oil Co. -A
Square Pharma -A
DSE Million Taka 803.18 214.01 123.07 327.97 382.77 936.05 1.44 368.05 594.79 0.57 63.89 92.80 17.27 578.03 25.28 47.38 97.52 593.61 43.62 161.64 0.19
% change 14.67 3.91 2.25 5.99 6.99 17.10 0.03 6.72 10.87 0.01 1.17 1.70 0.32 10.56 0.46 0.87 1.78 10.85 0.80 2.95 0.00
Million Taka 58.73 16.79 7.63 28.13 12.76 40.87 40.39 19.88 8.71 4.01 11.38 1.37 27.58 3.18 2.85 5.33 33.95 6.50 16.97 0.00
CSE
% change 16.93 4.84 2.20 8.11 3.68 11.78 0.00 11.64 5.73 2.51 1.16 3.28 0.39 7.95 0.92 0.82 1.54 9.78 1.87 4.89 0.00
Million Taka 861.91 230.79 130.70 356.10 395.53 976.92 1.44 408.45 614.67 9.28 67.90 104.18 18.64 605.61 28.46 50.23 102.85 627.57 50.11 178.61 0.19
Total
% change 14.81 3.97 2.25 6.12 6.80 16.79 0.02 7.02 10.56 0.16 1.17 1.79 0.32 10.41 0.49 0.86 1.77 10.78 0.86 3.07 0.00
Volume shares 2,018,966 1,207,651 1,154,965 3,955,000 413,240 607,949 665,420 8,624,603 5,437,126 506,790
Value in million 528.26 376.73 281.48 257.43 243.14 213.34 187.82 184.12 148.20 117.35
% of total turnover 9.65 6.88 5.14 4.70 4.44 3.90 3.43 3.36 2.71 2.14
Daily closing 265.20 313.30 244.70 64.90 595.10 350.00 281.90 21.50 27.60 231.10
Price change 5.41 1.49 2.47 -3.28 4.79 1.10 0.75 1.90 2.22 -0.47
Daily opening 251.60 308.70 238.80 67.10 567.90 346.20 279.80 21.10 27.00 232.20
Daily high 266.00 315.00 246.70 67.00 598.00 360.00 295.00 23.00 28.00 233.20
Daily low 245.00 282.00 225.00 63.90 567.90 340.00 275.00 19.00 25.00 220.00
Daily average 261.65 311.95 243.71 65.09 588.37 350.91 282.26 21.35 27.26 231.55
Volume shares
Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net
LafargeS Cement-Z UCBL - A Meghna Petroleum -A Appollo Ispat CL -N BD Submarine Cable-A Southeast Bank-A Familytex (BD) Ltd.-N BSC A Square Pharma -A Matin Spinning-N HeidelbergCement -A Fareast Finance-Z City Bank - A Padma Oil Co. -A
90,800 239,500 510,089 33,795 385,800 49,400 464,003 312,000 14,305 29,964 200,000 12,980 696,500 368,300 18,342
Value in million
23.78 15.74 13.92 10.55 10.49 10.17 9.91 9.13 8.57 8.46 8.15 7.68 7.06 6.52 6.43
% of total turnover
7.51 4.97 4.40 3.33 3.31 3.21 3.13 2.88 2.71 2.67 2.57 2.42 2.23 2.06 2.03
Daily closing
265.00 66.00 27.50 313.70 26.80 205.20 21.50 29.60 594.30 281.60 41.00 594.40 10.10 18.00 349.80
Price change
5.66 -1.64 2.23 1.49 3.08 0.15 2.38 -45.59 -0.62 0.75 0.24 4.28 -19.20 5.88 0.95
Daily opening
250.80 67.10 26.90 309.10 26.00 204.90 21.00 54.40 598.00 279.50 40.90 570.00 12.50 17.00 346.50
266.00 67.00 27.90 315.00 27.60 208.00 21.70 29.90 609.00 283.50 41.40 599.00 9.90 18.30 354.00
253.90 64.90 26.20 310.10 26.50 204.20 20.50 28.30 590.00 279.10 40.30 575.00 10.00 17.00 347.00
Daily average
261.87 65.71 27.30 312.06 27.18 205.96 21.35 29.27 599.00 282.21 40.76 591.59 10.13 17.70 350.49
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
B3
A woman walks past electric bikes sitting outside a McDonalds fast-food outlet in central Beijing experienced in the past 20 years. But that growth is still far faster than in the United States, where the economy - which took a heavy blow from a deep winter freeze - is expected to have grown just 1.1% in the first quarter, according to the latest Reuters poll of economists. And lower growth rates in China partly result from a push by Chinese authorities to rebalance the economy so that it is less reliant on export growth and more focused on domestic consumption. That is good for Western companies trying to sell into China. The economic growth remains
REUTERS
favourable in China, said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer with Solaris Asset Management. While that growth rate has slowed slightly there is still a lot of business being done, especially by larger companies, and US companies are receiving their fair share of that business. l
NRBCB elects chairs for its risk management and audit committee n Tribune Business Desk
Engr Syed Munsif Ali and Mohammed Adnan Imam have been elected chairs of BRBCBs risk management and audit committees respectively at the banks 18th board meeting. Engr Syed Munsif Ali is the founder chair and director of Golden Life Insurance Ltd. Mohammed Adnan Imam is the managing director of IPE Group Ltd and vice chair of First Security Services Ltd. l
Mobile banking
PAGE 1 COLUMN 6
The UAE Bangladesh Investment Company Limited (UBICO) recently signed an agreement with Bangladesh Petrochemical Company Limited (BPCL) to set up the first petrochemical recycling plant in the country. Dr SM Akbar, managing director of UBICO and Khadem Mahmud Yusuf, CEO and managing director of BPCL signed the agreement on behalf of respective organisations
To make mobile banking popular, the central bank allowed mobile financial service in Bangladesh and granted licences to 28 banks to launch the service. So far, 18 banks have started providing mobile financial service while bkash Limited, a BRAC bank subsidiary, and Dutch Bangla Mobile Banking Limited are leading the sector. Dutch Bangla Bank first launched the mobile financial service in March 2011, followed by bKash, a joint venture of BRAC Bank and Money in Motion LLC, a US mobile financial service company. Later in April 2013, International Finance Corporation, the private sector investment arm of the World Bank Group became an equity partner of bKash. l
People are not willing to file turnover taxes and if we increase the limit, who will come to file the taxes? he further questioned. Putting emphasis on keeping the income of the chambers out from the tax net, the DCCI president Mohammad Shahjahan Khan requested the NBR not to impose taxes on income of chambers and trade bodies as all these are non-profit organisations. In response, NBR chairman Md. Ghulam Hussain reminded that the government had already exempted the income of the chambers generated from the house rents. Pressing the other demands, DCCI director Khan said the existing 10% surcharge on properties worth over Tk2 crore was too high and it should be 10% on valued between Tk5 crore and Tk15 crore. The other demands from the chamber include reducing the tax on dividend to 15% from existing 20%, withdrawal of tax while opening local Letter of Credit (LC), continuation of tax holiday facility for newly established industrial undertakings till 2020 etc.
The trade body also demanded cancellation of Advance Trade Vat (ATV) system in import level and cancellation of 9% VAT from the rents generated from commercial establishments. In response, NBR member Jahangir Hossain said: The businesses should not be worried about the VAT from the commercial rents as the VAT will be paid by the person, who consumes the service, not by the landlords. The DCCI also said the corporate tax on the listed companies should be brought down to 20% from the current 27.50%, private limited companies at 27.5% from the existing 37.5%, and bank and financial institutions at 30% from the existing 42.5%. Attending the meeting, the DCCI leaders also requested the NBR not to harass them in the name of audit or universal self assessment. They also urged the NBR not to increase the tax net, imposing more taxes on the existing taxpayers, not to increase the tax free income ceiling for individual taxpayers to Tk3,00,000 from existing Tk2,20,000, for the sake of protecting the local industries, rather than giving any benefit to the foreign companies etc. l
NCC Bank recently signed an agreement with Apollo Hospitals in Dhaka. The banks credit and debit cardholders along with its employees will get special service and discount facility from Apollo Hospitals Dhaka under the agreement signed by Md Omar Faruque Bhuiyan, EVP and head of cards of the bank and Dr Shagufa Anwar, GM of business development at Apollo Hospitals Dhaka
BBS Cables Ltd recently held its second dealer conference at Bashundhara Convention Centre-2 in Dhaka. The companys managing director Engr Abu Noman Howlader was present at the programme
First Security Islami Bank Limited recently sponsored the soon to be held event, Children Science Congress 2014. On this regard, the banks division head of marketing and development, Azam Khan exchanged a MoU with Dr Farseem Mannan Mohammedy, general secretary, Society for the Popularization of Science, Bangladesh
Rich Foods in association with Red Crescent Society recently held Noboborsho Blood Donation Campaign at Banani, Dhaka
Ashoke Madhab Roy, additional secretary at the ministry of LGRD is seen unveiling the plaque of MTB Tax Collection Booth as chief guest at Habiganj Municipality building. The banks deputy managing director, Md Hashem Chowdhury attended the programme as special guest
M Wahidul Haque Salim Ahmed M Wahidul Haque has been re-elected as the boards chair of AB Bank Limited while Salim Ahmed as the vice chair at a board meeting held on April 21. Wahidul Haque sits in the board of Amana Bank as well, the first Islamic Bank in Sri Lanka and Cashlink Bangladesh Limited. Salim Ahmed is the managing director of the Elite Group of Companies and the president of Bangladesh Paint Manufacturing Association.
B4
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
Demand planning
To influence and manage demand more efficiently, companies are now shifting their focus from plant-level production planning to demand-driven focus. In adopting a demanddriven model, it is very critical to decide what a firm is best at selling, making and delivering and align firms sales force according to that. Ultimately, this demand-driven approach can improve demand planning and management by creating a more customer-focused mindset. Besides, advanced demand planning helps a company uncover data and identify important trends buried in a companys information systems. But to best achieve this, agreement among companys internal stakeholders- sales, marketing, finance, product development etc. - upon a consensus demand plan is imperative.
In an outsourced supply chain environment, the need for information, controls and excellence from the information worker becomes a high priority.
Globalisation
Mostly due to improvements in communications, globalisation is bringing change in the ways business is done, managed and transacted. Today Manufacturing, distribution, sourcing of materials, invoicing and returns have all been significantly impacted by the increased integration of a global customer and supplier base. So, undoubtedly, supply chain is the area in an organisation mostly affected by globalisation. In managing the changes incurred by rapid globalisation, the right Supply Chain Design is important. A well thought-out Supply Chain Network Design can optimise the network and the flow of materials through the network.
Outsourcing
Due to advantages around product design capabilities; cost and quality of global manufacturing and distribution; and information media and systems, companies are increasingly choosing to outsource parts or all of their supply chain from a more capable third party. But to minimise the underlying risks associated with outsourcing, companies must develop right systems, processes and organisational management structure.
processes and organisational structures across companies comprising the full value chain. The expansion of Sales and operations Planning (S&OP) provides the real life examples of collaboration. S&OP processes include upstream and downstream value chain partners as regular participants and help maintain a well-coordinated and valid plan in support of customer demand, a business plan and a strategy. The resulting operating plan provides the management of each partner with a complete picture of forecasted demand, supply capacity, corresponding financial information with financial implications and allows them to make informed decisions. Companies using the S&OP thus have greater visibility across their value chain, gain the agility necessary to improve the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) process, improve promotional planning, minimise unnecessary buildups of inventory, increase revenue predictability and execute customer service expectations. But to enjoy a sustainable improvement in overall supply chain performance, businesses must have the right balance of investments in organisation, processes and technology. As a companys business drivers change, business processes, SCM technology investment and the overall approach to supply chain management must change and keep pace. l The writer is a Certified Supply Chain Analyst (CSCA TM) and currently pursuing MBA at the department of International Business, University of Dhaka
Apple Genius bar employees assist customers at the company's Fifth Avenue store on Earth Day in Midtown Manhattan on tuesday in New York City. The store is one of at least 120 Apple stores currently powered by renewable energy. To coincide with Earth Day, Apple announced it's offering free recycling of all of its used products. Employees wore green shirts for the occasion AFP
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