Print Edition: 27 May 2014

Joishthya 13, 1421
Rajab 27, 1435

Regd. No. DA 6238
Vol 2, No 57
TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION
TMAG | PRESENTS THE ARCHIES
7 | JINNAH MADE A MISTAKE
20 pages plus 16-page T-Mag tabloid | Price: Tk10
11 | NO BED OF ROSES FOR MODI
13 | WE NEEDED THIS BREAK: TAMIM
New suspect
identified in
Ekram murder
Bodyguard Belal allegedly
provided information to killers
n Mohammad Jamil Khan and Our
Correspondent from Feni
Investigators have reportedly found
a new key suspect for the murder of
Fulgazi upazila chairman Ekramul
Haque, whereas officials concerned
claim that they are nearing the end of
investigation.
The gruesome killing was committed
over establishing political dominance in
the district, they hinted, adding that the
name of Mostafizur Rahman Dulal, president of Dhaka-based Feni Association,
emerged as the new lead in the case.
We have almost sorted out the
mystery behind the killing and kept
some people under watch, said Abul
Kalam Azad, inspector of Feni model
police station and investigation officer
of the case.
Directives have been

sent to the borders so
that no one involved
in the murder can
escape
Claiming that sensational information has been gathered from the arrestees during interrogation, he told the
Dhaka Tribune that a court had placed
Jihad Chowdhury a planner of the
murder under eight-day remand. After collecting further information from
Jihad and verifying them, raids would
be carried out to arrest the others responsible, he added.
According to investigators, Dulal,
who unsuccessfully attempted to secure Awami League nomination for the
2009 national poll from Feni 1 constituency, allegedly played a major role in
planning the murder.
Dulal reportedly also tried to contest in January 5 national election,
and organised a programme in Fulgazi
upazila last Ramadan for publicity. Associates of slain leader Ekram, however, reportedly foiled the programme by
setting five vehicles on fire as well as
harassing Dulal.
Following the incident, Dulal left
the district after publicly declaring that
Ekram must suffer for the act, our Feni
correspondent reported.
According to information provided
by the arrestees, Dulal later contacted
and planned the murder with BNP leader Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury Minar,
who lost twice to Ekram in upazila polls.
BNPs Fulgazi unit Secretary Nurnabi
Master told the Dhaka Tribune that Minar, the president of local Tanti Dal unit,
was never active in district politics. Riding on the political strength of his brother BNPs upazila unit Secretary Didar
Chowdhury, Minar stood as a candidate
in the upazila polls, he added.
Acting president of BNPs district
unit advocate Abu Taher admitted that
Minar was not actively engaged in politics. But it did not mean that he had any
involvement with the murder.
A senior official of Feni police, who is
involved in the murder probe, told the
Dhaka Tribune yesterday that during
remand plea, Ward Commissioner Shiblu, Abid and others arrestees mentioned
Dulals name as Jihad Chowdhury was
supposed to contact for getting the full
Tk2 crore payment for the murder.
When contacted, Dulal said he had
moved away from politics since 2009,
adding that he considered Ekram as a
younger brother and had already forgiven the slain leaders attack on his
programme. About the killers, he said
almost all the arrestees belonged to the
Awami League.
He suspected that the killing might
have been committed over intra-party
feud.
Investigators said Minar mainly
communicated with his cousin Jihad
the joint general secretary of Fulgazi
PAGE 2 COLUMN 3
Members of Kadamtali unit Bangladesh Mohila Parishad form a human chain in front of RAB 11 office in Narayanganj yesterday, demanding exemplary punishment to the culprits
behind the sensational seven murders
DHAKA TRIBUNE
No more search, checkposts for RAB

n Kailash Sarkar
The Rapid Action Battalion authorities
have decided not to engage its personnel in any additional duties including search, guard or patrol in addition
to the duties the elite force has been
tasked with.
In future, RAB will not perform
the duties additional to the seven specific duties we are tasked with, unless
the government asks us or we feel so,
Wing Commander ATM Habibur Rahman, director of RABs legal and media
wing, said.
The decision was made at a meeting
held last week at the RAB headquarters, chaired by its chief.
We feel that guarding tender
boxes, controlling traffic, setting
up check posts at entrances of the
capitals, intervening in issues relating
to land, money and family matters,
and guarding cultural functions
are not part of our duties, he said.

Now RAB will concentrate on its
own tasks, Habib said.
Asked about the reasons behind
making such a decision, the RAB official said: Additional duties create
extra problems. Sometimes a section
of RAB officials get involved in illicit
acts causing image crisis for the whole
force.
In response to another query, he
admitted that the seven murders in
Narayanganj prompted them to make
such a decision.
The elite force was formed in 2004
during the BNP-led alliance governments tenure to combat domestic
crimes and terrorism, and given seven
specific tasks. Those are internal security duties; recovery of unauthorised
arms, ammunitions, explosives and
similar items; apprehending armed
gangs of criminals; assisting other law
enforcement agencies in maintaining
law and order; intelligence gathering

regarding crimes and criminal activities; investigation of any offence upon
the directives of the government; and
similar duties following the governments directives.
RAB, a special police unit, has
widely been criticised for violating
human rights and extrajudicial killings
in the name of crossfire, gunfights
and encounter, custodial deaths and
torture.
The alleged involvement of its three
officers in the abduction and killing of
seven men in Narayanganj last month
triggered calls for reforms within the
force and even disbanding the outfit
entirely.
So far, around 2,000 of its members
penalised in the last 10 years.
RAB has members from six forces
the three armed forces, the police, the
BGB and the Ansar and some civil officials. l
More questions leaked on Facebook Modi sworn in as Indian

n
prime minister
Mushque Wadud
While the government is continuously snuffing out the allegations, one

leaked HSC question paper after another is popping up on Facebook.
The latest rumour on the social
networking site is that the question for
the Mathematics Second Paper, scheduled to be held tomorrow, is available
for free.
A Facebook page titled Porikkhar
Ager Raate Prosno Nao meaning,
take your question on the eve of the
exam had a post around 8:40pm
yesterday that gave the solutions to
the problems of what appeared to be a
mathematics question paper.
The post, dated May 24, was titled
hsc -2014 Dhaka Board. This page
had a staggering total of 13,333 likes as
of 8:55pm yesterday.
One of the posts on this page says:
I have real questions of Mathematics Second Paper examination. Please
send me message and you will get the
question.
Another page titled Swapno Chho-
n AFP
wa Pakhi meaning, dream touching

bird had posts on Friday, May 23 with
photographs of what appeared to be
handwritten copies of the next days
Mathematics First Paper questions.
On the same day, the page put up
another post telling its members that
more leaked questions would be uploaded once it got 225+ likes.
##Poro Tomar Probhur Naame Jini
Shrishti Korechen## meaning, study
in the name of your lord the creator is
yet another page offering the question
paper for the Mathematics Second Paper
examination. This page has 1,394 likes.
One of the posts from Sunday reads:
I gave you suggestions in three photographs before the math paper 1 exam
of the Chittagong board and inshallah
95% came out common. Now I am once
again giving free suggestions for the
second paper of the Chittagong four
photographs in total.
In all these pages, various Facebook
users, who appeared to be HSC examinees, made posts requesting questions
of all kinds of papers of the ongoing examinations.
When asked how and from where
the Facebook groups were collecting
the questions, Dhaka Education Board
PAGE 2 COLUMN 1
Narendra Modi promised to forge

a strong and inclusive India after
being sworn in yesterday as the 15th
prime minister of the worlds largest
democracy.
Ten days after his right-wing party
won the first electoral majority in three
decades, the 63-year-old former tea boy
took the oath of office at a lavish ceremony conducted by President Pranab
Mukherjee and attended by leaders of
Indias neighbours, including Pakistan.
Modi, leader of the right-wing
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has a reputation as a hard-line Hindu nationalist. But in a statement released as he
took the oath, he promised to govern
for all of Indias 1.25 billion people.
As we devote ourselves to take Indias development journey to newer
heights, we seek your support, blessings and active participation, Modi
News
Business
B1 The default loans of BASIC Bank growing

abnormally fast in the recent months as loans
the bank had disbursed through irregularities
are getting matured.
4 The Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts

Affairs has been given the authority of
management and control of the secondary
schools operating under three hill districts.
8 Stunning victories in European Parliament

elections by nationalist, Eurosceptic parties
from France and Britain left the European Union licking its wounds on Monday and facing a
giant policy dilemma.
5 The construction of several footbridges
at key points of the capital has remained
suspended, or has been going on at snails
pace, because of alleged negligence by the
authorities concerned.
9 In October last year, the Prime Ministers

Office was in a tizzy. The Ministry of External
Affairs as well as the security establishment
was keen that PM Manmohan Singh attend
the CHOGM in Colombo in November.
Administration officials in Narayanganj were infuriated when Sheikh Ali

Ahmed, a resident of the citys Masdair
area, sought information on the wrongdoings that Nur Hossain was conducting in the name of jatra (theatre) at the
Shimrail truck stop.
P2
NAZRULS BROTHER:
HANG THE KILLERS
Ali asked Narayanganj former deputy

commissioner Monoj Kanti Boral and
former police super Syed Nurul Islam
to disclose the information in accordance with to the Right to Information
Act. He also petitioned to stop indecent
acts, gambling and drugs trade from
continuing at the Shimrail truck stop.
PAGE 2 COLUMN 3
Defence allocation
to grow 12.71%
n Asif Showkat Kallol
The Defence Ministry is going to get a
budgetary allocation of Tk16,400 crore
this year, a raise of 12.71% from that of
the outgoing fiscal year.
The allocation will be Tk16,400 core
for the coming fiscal and Tk14,565.51
crore was allocated in the revised
budget of the outgoing FY2013-14.
Officials said the additional Tk1,849
crore would be needed for forming a
new brigade, setting up new cantonments and sending troops to the UN
peacekeeping mission in Mali.
Ministry officials said accommodation and housing crisis in the three defence forces has reached an acute level
and the additional allocation would be
largely used to address that problem.
Besides, some extra cash would be
needed for purchasing more aircrafts,
arms and ammunitions from Russia
with the residual $200m of the $1bn
defence purchase deal, they said.
Officials also said a bulk of the
PAGE 2 COLUMN 5
PAGE 2 COLUMN 1
World
3 Banned in 2009 for its controversial

activities, Islamist outfit Hizb-ut Tahrir has
now been integrating Myanmars Rohingya
refugees, staying in the coastal district, under
its umbrella to strengthen the group and keep
its key players off the law enforcers radar.
Exercising the right

to know made one
an accused
n Our Correspondent, Narayanganj
said in the statement on the prime ministers website.

Together we will script a glorious
future for India, he added.
Let us together dream of a strong,
developed and inclusive India that actively engages with the global community to strengthen the cause of world
peace and development.
After Modi took the oath of office,
senior BJP figures who have been appointed to his cabinet were sworn in.
Although their exact portfolios were
not announced, they included Sushma
Swaraj who is expected to become foreign minister and Arun Jaitley, tipped
to be finance minister.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Afghan President Hamid Karzai
were among the regional leaders who
attended the ceremony outside the
Indian presidents official residence in
New Delhi.
INSIDE
,
NGANJ SEVEN MURDERS
Sport
15 Maria Sharapova reached the French

Open second round on Monday at a damp
and chilly Roland Garros as Japanese hope
Kei Nishikori became the tournaments first
major casualty.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
No Buriganga land for RAB 10

n Mohosinul Karim
The government has decided to cancel
the allotment of land for setting up the
headquarters of Rapid Action Battalion
10 in the Buriganga River at Kamrangirchar aiming to recover the main channel of the river.
The decision was taken in an inter-ministerial meeting held at the
Housing and Public Works Ministry
yesterday with Housing Minister Mosharraf Hossain in the chair. Five senior
ministers were also present.
Terming the existing laws insufficient, the meeting decided to amend
the laws to protect the environment
and prevent river pollution.
The meeting was held as the prime
minister in the last cabinet meeting

gave instructions to save the rivers and
protect the environment.
Earlier on Sunday, the ministers visited Kamrangirchar area where land
was allotted to RAB 10.
Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan
said the meeting had decided to cancel
the allotment of land for RAB to save
the river and its main channel. We
have decided to demolish the buildings
and infrastructures which were constructed grabbing the rivers.
A 13-member subcommittee, headed
by the BIWTA chairman, was formed
at the meeting. Three representatives
from leading environmental organisations Bapa, Poba and BELA, the deputy commissioner of Dhaka and offi-
cials from other ministries concerned

will be its members. Shajahan said the
committee would demarcate the main
channel of the Buriganga, remove the
infrastructures and dredge the river.
All infrastructures such as RAB office, housing company office and factories would be removed from the river by June. The committee would also
seek directives from the higher court in
this regard. Physical work would start
within next seven days, he added.
The minister also said house owners
living beside the river would be issued
notice to close the canals which were
used for dumping waste into the rivers.
A RAB representative has informed
the meeting that they have no objection if the government allots land to
them elsewhere for building the RAB 10

headquarters. The committee will find
out new site to be allocated to the elite
force. It can be in Kamrangirchar or any
other area, he added.
The RAB authorities wanted the district administration of Dhaka to allocate
seven acres of land at Kamrangirchar to
them. The administration later allocated the land. But it was not handed over
to them as there was no sufficient land
and it was inside the river. A technical
committee proposed that a plot of 2.40
acres of land be allocated to RAB.
Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, Land Minister Shamsur
Rahman Sharif, Food Minister Quamrul
Islam and local MP Haji Selim attended
the meeting. l
HC: Why Safe Food Act

should not be enforced
n Nazmus Sakib
The High Court yesterday asked the
food secretary to explain in two weeks
why he should not be directed to make
the Safe Food Act 2013 effective through
a gazette notification.
The bench of Justice Quazi RezaUl Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain gave the ruling upon hearing on a
public interest litigation (PIL) filed by
lawyers Syed Mohidul Kabir and Azam
Khan on Sunday.
It directed the food secretary to submit a compliance report over the matter within June 16.
The lawyers, however, told the me-
dia that the High Court had directed

the food secretary to implement the
law within two weeks by publishing a
gazette notification.
On Sunday, Azam said their ulterior
motive behind filing the PIL on behalf
of the Legal Action Bangladesh was to
advance their careers.
The lawyers yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that the bench had issued
a ruling also asking why a directive
should not be passed on constituting
an independent inquiry committee to
find out reasons behind non-enforcement of the Safe Food Act.
However, officials concerned said the
court had not passed any such order. l
BNP: Undeclared emergency

prevailing in the country
Nganj councillor
Nila remanded in
murder case
BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul

Kabir Rizvi yesterday claimed that an
undeclared emergency situation was
prevailing in the country.
Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia
would address a rally at launch ghat in
Munshiganj tomorrow and the preparations for holding the rally had been
completed, he told a press briefing at
the partys Nayapaltan headquarters in
the capital.
The current ruling system has
crossed all the records of the worlds
repressive rulers. The countrys prime
minister is saying and doing whatever
she wants. She thinks the constitution
and organs of the state as her toy kits.
n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla
The BNP leader alleged that the

government had been snatchingh peoples fundamental rights one after another after evil plan for the January 5
elections.
The government is using state
mechanism to resist democratic and
fundamental rights for holding rallies
and processions. They have become
anxious and frightened of allowing
the BNP to hold rallies and meetings.
They are suffering from psychological
insecurity, Rizvi said.
The Awami League had already been
branded as the party of killing, abduction and forced disappearance, he said,
adding that the Awami League did not
take lessons from the history, rather it
betrayed the history. l
Nazruls brother: Hang the

Nganj 7-murder killers
Abdus Salam, the brother of murdered
Narayanganj City Corporation panel
mayor Nazrul Islam, demanded death
penalty for those responsible for the
sensational killings that drew countrywide criticism.
The miscreants who are directly or
indirectly at fault for the gruesome seven-murder case should be hanged. The
financers of the killing also should be
brought to book, Salam said.
He made the remarks while addressing a human chain formed in Adamji
area under Siddirganj police station
here in the morning.
Speaking about the leaked conversation between Awami League lawmaker
Shamim Osman and Nur Hossain, the
prime accused in the case filed for the
sensational seven-murder case in the

district, Salam questioned the Prime
Minister, saying: If Nur Hossain is not
considered a criminal after killing seven people then how many murders is
he required to commit in order for him
to be considered so.
In the programme arranged by the
Narayanganj Mahila Parishad, leaders
of the organisation opined that the industrial city has turned into a city of
rampant abductions and killing.
Since justice was ensured in the
previous killings there, the seven-murder could have been evaded, the leaders continued.
Narayanganj City Corporation panel mayor Nazrul and lawyer Chandan
Sarkar along with five others were
killed following their abduction on
April 27. l
Police bring Jannatul Ferdous Nila out of a Narayanganj court yesterday after their remand prayer was granted
DHAKA TRIBUNE
1 held over Sylhet gang rape Modi sworn in

n
Our Correspondent, Sylhet
Law enforcers yesterday arrested a person in connection with the gang rape of
two sisters in front of their parents at
Beanibazar upazila of the district early
Sunday.
Police arrested Nazrul Islam, 40, in
the afternoon suspecting him to be involved in the incident, Abul Kalam Azad,
OC of Beanibazar police, said. Nazrul
hails from Jalalpur of the same upazila.
Father of the victims filed a case

on Sunday accusing one and several
other unknown people. He could only
recognise Joynul, son of Makdam Ali
from Pailgram among the eight to ten
masked criminals.
The victims were admitted to Osmani Medical College Hospital. The doctors
yesterday examined them. Deputy Director of the hospital Tonmoy Bhattacharya
told the Dhaka Tribune that the report
would be prepared in a day or two. l
PAGE 1 COLUMN 5
In an interview shortly before the inauguration, Sharif said Modis arrival

in power represented a great opportunity for the nuclear-armed rivals to
forge a new era in their troubled relationship.
This is a chance to reach out to
each other. Both governments have
a strong mandate, Sharif told Indias
NDTV network, according to a transcript provided by the Pakistan High
Commission.
Both countries should rid the re-
More questions leaked
New suspect identified in Ekram murder
PAGE 1 COLUMN 3
PAGE 1 COLUMN 2
Chairman Taslima Begum said on Sunday: Only Allah knows where they are
getting these questions from.
This correspondent talked to some
guardians and learned that the examinees under their care had been
spending more time surfing the social
networking sites, looking for leaked
questions, instead of studying or doing
last minute revisions.
Education Minister Nurul Islam
Nahid said at a programme yesterday:
There is no chance of question leak-
age. A quarter may be doing this to tarnish the ministrys image.

Earlier this month, the Dhaka Education Board postponed the English
Second Paper examination after rumours of leaked questions spread.
Two committees were formed to
probe into the rumour. One of the committees submitted their report without
specifying the sources of the leakage.
The government has given 15 more
days to the second committee, which
was supposed to submit its report this
week. l
Defence allocation to grow 12.71%

PAGE 1 COLUMN 6
Tk16,400 crore allocation would go

into the construction of a new cantonment in Sylhet. Besides, big amounts
would be needed for sending army
personnel, arms and motor vehicles to
Mali under the UN Multidimensional
Integrated Stabilisation Mission (MINUSMA).
The UN, however, will pay the money spent back to the Bangladesh government. In April, a 112-member team
of the Bangladesh Army went to Mali
to join the MINUSMA for the first time.
A total of six contingents comprising 1,446 members, including a battalion and naval unit, will be deployed in
the African country in phases.
Till date, the Bangladesh armed
forces have made the biggest contribution to the UN peace missions. In
FY2012-13, they earned $72m from
these missions.
Traditionally, the prime minister
holds the Defence Ministry in Bangladesh.
Citing resource constraint as a reason, the Finance Division has not allocated any fund in the outgoing fiscal
for manufacturing and exporting lighter arms. However, according to sources
in the Prime Ministers Office (PMO), in

the coming fiscal, Bangladesh Machine
Tools Factory is going to get Tk10 crore
for the purpose.
Former finance adviser of a caretaker government AB Mirza Azizul
Islam said: Over 10 years, the defence budget has grown from less
than Tk4,000 crore in 2003-04 to over
Tk14,600 crore in 2013-14.
The important question today is
not how much should be spent for
defence. Rather questions should be
asked about the decision-making process. Transparency in procurement
and resource distributions is vital. At
a time when we have serious resource
constraints, 6.5% of budget going to
defence will surely raise some eyebrows, he said.
The ratio of defence expenditure to
total GDP will stand at 1.2% in the coming fiscal. The government has allocated 2.8% of the GDP outlay for agriculture and rural development, 2.3% for
education and 1.8% for transport and
communication.
In FY2006-07, the Defence Ministry
got Tk4,904 crore from the budget. In
FY2008-09, the amount was Tk6,306
crore. l
unit of Awami League who later contacted arrestees Shiblu to lay out the
plan.
Jihad also sought advice from district Awami League Joint Secretary Jahangir Mohammad Adel, who reportedly assured him of managing the side
of local MP Nizam Uddin Hazari and
gave a final shape to the plan.
Investigators also tracked the mobile phone records of the suspects to
find that Adel had directed Shiblu, Jihad, arms trader Mamun and district
AL leader Ziaul Alam Mister over the
phone to carry out the crime.
The killers also allegedly managed

to convince Ekrams bodyguard Belal
Hossain to not accompany the upazila
chairman on the day of the incident.
He also provided the culprits with
information on Ekrams movement,
which helped the killers to plan the
murder on May 20.
Meanwhile, Ekrams supporters
vandalised and set fire to Belals house
yesterday. Inspector Abul Kalam Azad
confirmed the news and said the police were trying to trace Belal, who had
gone into hiding soon after the incident.
During interrogation, the arres-
tees also reportedly told the investigators that former Feni MP Joynal
Hazari knew about the killing as
Minar and Dulal maintained links
with him.
Only a day before the murder, a
weekly newspaper owned by Joynal
Hazari, Shaptahik Hazarika, published
a report which predicted that Ekram
might be abducted or killed anytime.
Paritosh Ghosh, superintendent of
police in Feni, told the Dhaka Tribune
that directives had been sent to the
borders and key points in the country
so that no one involved in the murder
could escape.
Exercising the right to know made him an accused

PAGE 1 COLUMN 6
For trying to exercise his right to information, Ali was made an accused
in three cases filed against BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami activists with Narayanganj Sadar, Fatullah and Siddhirganj
police stations. Former police super
Nurul played a role in including Alis
name in the cases.
Ali, an employee at a private organisation, is not associated with any
political party. Yet, he realised he had
enraged law enforcers by seeking information about Nurs wrongdoings
when his details appeared in the case
statement.
Along with six former policemen,
Ali too had to give a deposition at the
hearing yesterday which was organised by the probe committee formed
by the Public Administration Ministry
following a higher court directive.
He said he had sent letters to Monoj
and Nurul on September 11 last year
asking for the information. In response
to the query, the deputy commissioner, replied on September 17, saying the
district administration had not permitted any such jatra.
On October 3, Ali received a letter
signed by District Administration Assistant Commissioner Tasnim Jebin

Binte Sheikh which said proceedings
of a higher court writ petition (no
3694/2013) in this regard were underway.
Another letter from the office of police super was sent to Ali on September
18, which carried the same response.
After receiving the letter, Ali, wrote
anonymously to the police super on
the same day, asking him to take actions to stop Nurs illegal acts.
Nurul, however, did not take any
step and kept mum.
When Ali saw his name in the three
cases with the other accused, he informed Nurul of it over the phone.
Nurul told him he would look into the
matter.
Ali said yesterday that the seven
lives would not have been lost if the
administration had taken action at the
time.
Six policemen quizzed
The probe committee interrogated
six police officials, including two suspended officers-in-charge of Fatullah
Model and Siddhirganj police stations,
yesterday, regarding the gruesome
seven murders in Narayanganj.

The six were Akter Hossain, former
officer-in-charge of Fatullah Model
police station, Abdul Matin, former
officer-in-charge of Siddhirganj police
station, Saiful Islam, former inspector (investigation) of Fatullah Model
police station, Abdul Awal, former inspector (investigation) of district detective branch of police, Fazlul Haque,
former sub-inspector of Fatullah Model police station, and Jahirul Islam, former sub-inspector of Fatullah Model
police station.
They were questioned by the seven-member probe committee, headed
by Additional Secretary of the Public
Administration Ministry Shahjahan
Ali, at the district circuit house around
3:15pm.
On Sunday, the committee interrogated Nurul and Monoj at the Secretariat.
On April 27, seven people, including
Narayanganj City Corporation councillor Nazrul Islam, were abducted. The
abductors impersonated RAB officials.
Nazruls family alleged Nur paid
RAB Tk6 crore to kidnap the seven.
When they went to Fatullah Model
Police yesterday were allowed three

days to interrogate Jannatul Ferdaus
Nila, the councillor of wards 4, 5 and 6
in Narayanganj City Corporation, in a
murder case filed last year.
Siddhirganj police OC Alauddin said
they were given the permission upon a
seven-day remand petition filed with
the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate
Jabid Hossain.
He said they had arrested Nila on
Sunday night related to a 2013 murder
case, not in the seven-murder case.
Nila was picked up on May 18 and interrogated over the seven murder case
for three hours.
Alauddin said they had arrested Nila
based on confessions made by the accused arrested in the case filed over the
murder of a youth named Jewel.
Police recovered the body of Jewel
with a severed head on October 27 last
year. His identity was confirmed around
a month later.
A case was filed later and as such,
criminals, who had alleged link in the
murder, were also arrested. l
gion of instability and security that has

plagued us for decades, he added.
The invitation to Sharif was seen
as a significant olive branch to Indias
Muslim neighbour and it marks the
first time that a leader from either
country has attended his counterparts inauguration since independence in 1947.
India and Pakistan have fought
three wars and bilateral ties broke
down after the 2008 attacks by Pakistani gunmen in Mumbai in which 166
people were killed. l
According to sources in the district unit Awami League, lawmaker

Nizam was also aware about the plan
and had backed the killing. However,
the investigators are yet to verify the
allegation.
Both Joynal and Nizam Hazari, on
the other hand, have denied claims
about their involvement with the murder, but blamed each other for being
responsible for the murder.
Meanwhile, the Feni district units
of Chhatra League and Chhatra Dal
organised separate press briefings yesterday and blamed each other for the
killing. l
police station to file a case in this connection, police refused to take the case
and did not take any instant action.
Akter Hossain and Saiful Islam are
thought to have been quizzed by the
probe committee because of police inaction.
Fazlul Haque was first tasked with
investigating the case but was later
replaced by Abdul Awal. When incumbent police super Khandakar Mahid
Uddin took his post, Nazruls family alleged Awal was acting as Nurs accomplice and a probe conducted by him
would not be credible.
In response to this allegation, the
investigation officer was changed once
again and Mamunur Rashid Mondol,
officer-in-charge of Narsingdi district
DB police, was given the task.
Sources said Jahirul was in charge
of patrol police when the incident occurred and many think he did not disclose any information despite having
knowledge of RABs complicity in it.
Abdul Matins intimacy with Nur
has also been alleged. Many said they
were harassed by him following his
suspension and that Nur directed him
to do this. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Hizb-ut Tahrir now incorporating Rohingyas

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong
Banned in 2009 for its controversial
activities, Islamist outfit Hizb-ut Tahrir
has now been integrating Myanmars
Rohingya refugees, staying in the
coastal district, under its umbrella to
strengthen the group and keep its key
players off the law enforcers radar.
Police have found that members of
the banned organisation, divided in
several groups, are contacting the Muslim refugees, who enter the country illegally on a regular basis, and engaging
them in its activities by providing them
with housing, job and educational assistance.
Latest, Kotwali police detained seven activists of the group from Andorkilla Shahi Jame Mosjid area on Friday
different benefits. The groups high

command uses them to establish its
controversial ideology amongst the
people, the official said.
AKM Mohiuddin, officer-in-charge
of Kotwali police station, said the activists arrested previously were highly
educated and fully brainwashed about
the groups activities. So they did not
give any mentionable information
during interrogation.
CMP
Additional
Commissioner
(crime and operation) Banaz Kumar
Majumder said they were looking
into the matter seriously as the police
had already found information that
the Rohingyas were getting involved
with the banned group directly and
indirectly.
According to its website, an Islam-
ic scholar named Sheikh Muhammad

Takiuddin al-Nabani of Jerusalem
formed Hizb-ut Tahrir in 1953. It has
branches in 87 countries including
Bangladesh.
The government banned the organisation on September 24, 2009 as its
objectives are contradictory with the
countrys constitution.
According to sources in Hizb-ut
Tahrir and the police, about 10,000
members of the organisation are working actively across the country.
Even though the group is not blamed
for committing any subversive activities elsewhere in the country like
what the JMB and the Huji do, its members often publish anti-state, communal and militant statements through
posters, leaflets and Jihadi books. l
Pedestrians jaywalk on the street at the capitals Sonargaon intersection yesterday, ignoring a banner urging them to follow traffic rules
SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
when they attempted to bring out a

procession. One of them was Mobarak
Hossain, 24, who stays at the Letha
Refugee Camp in Teknaf of Coxs Bazar.
Police say apart from Mobarak, many
other Rohingyas are being trapped by
Hizb-ut Tahrir these days.
During initial interrogation, Mobarak said he had entered the country
about a year ago paying Tk500 to the
border guards of both Bangladesh and
Myanmar. One Moinuddin, student of
a madrasa at Hathazari in Chittagong,
took him to a students mess at the upazilas Forer Bari area after a week of his
arrival.
Moinuddin got him admitted to the
madrasa where he is now studying. But
Mobarak says he wanted to study science. Moinuddin later helped him to
take admission at Memory Computers

in the port citys Chawkbazar area eight
months ago.
Moinuddin also engaged Mobarak
with the activities of Hizb-ut Tahrir
saying that its activities meant fight
for establishing Islam.
Like Mobarak, 10 other Rohingyas
are being nurtured by Moinuddin,
Shah Mohammad Abdur Rouf, assistant commissioner of Kotwali circle,
told the Dhaka Tribune. Police are
trying to arrest all the members of the
banned group who are using the Myanmar refugees for its illegal activities,
he said.
A top-ranked police official, seeking
anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that
around 1,000 Rohingyas had already
joined Hizb-ut Tahrir in exchange of
Bangladesh not
ready for COP20
n Rabiul Islam
Speakers at a national dialogue expressed concern yesterday that Bangladesh might lose its earlier key position
at the next UN climate conference in
Lima, Peru this year because of lack of
preparation.
The country played a leading role
on behalf of the LDCs at last years
negotiations of the Conference of Parties (COP19) in Warsaw, Poland, and
achieved a better position.
BIDS Professorial Fellow M Asaduzzaman said the Environment Ministry
must take initiatives to prepare the countrys position before the COP20, to be held
in December, as per rules of business.
PKSF Chairman Qazi Kholiquzzaman
Ahmad said the developed countries
were not implementing the commitments they had made with regard to
providing assistance to the poor and developing nations vulnerable to climate
change effects.
Executive Director of Coast Trust
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said Bangladesh is not on the right track. We
fear that we may lose what we have
achieved, he said mentioning that the
Environment and Forest Ministry is not
working properly.
The discussion was jointly organised by Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad
and Dhaka School of Economics at the
National Press Club. l
High Court stays

REHAB election
n Nazmus Sakib
The High Court yesterday stayed further proceedings of the election of the
Real Estate and Housing Association of
Bangladeshs executive committee for
three months.
The High Court bench of Justice Quazi
Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain passed the order in response to a writ
petition filed by Prof Abu Yusuf Md Abdullah, chairman of Prashad Nirman Ltd,
as his candidature was cancelled.
The election for the term 2014-16 was
set to be held on May 31.
The bench asked why exclusion of Abdullah should not be declared arbitrary
and illegal. The commerce secretary, the
trade organisation director of the ministry, the FBCCI chairman, the chairman
of REHABs election appeal board, the
election board chairman and the REHAB
president were asked to respond to the
rule within four weeks. l
IFC may invest in deep Migrants going abroad

sea port, power projects for jobs on student,
n
tourist visas
Sheikh Shahariar Zaman
The International Finance Corporation

is interested to invest in the proposed
deep sea port and in power infrastructure projects in Bangladesh.
We intend to provide investment
and advisory services for deep sea port
and gas- and energy-based projects, IFC
Country Manager Kyle F Kelhofer said at
a launching ceremony, held at the Dutch
Embassy in the capital yesterday.
The Textile Technology Business
Centre was set up by the BGMEA with
support from the IFC, the private sectorlending wingof theWorld Bank, and
the Netherlands Embassy in Bangladesh.
The centre, located at the BGMEA
head office in Karwan Bazar, would assist textile factories to adopt the best
practices and technologies for cleaner
production and better business.
Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade
and Development Cooperation Lilianne
Ploumen said the textile sector contributed to the countrys growth, but at the
same time, it posed risks to its workers

and the surrounding communities.
Inefficient use of water leads to
groundwater depletion, and the discharge
of inadequately treated waste contributes
to waterborne diseases, depletes local fish
stocks and decreases the productivity of
local agriculture, said the minister, who
arrived in Dhaka on Sunday.
Ploumen said she came to Bangladesh to assess the progress made thus
far in improving the working conditions
in the RMG industry. Together with the
private sector, we want to help improve
the working conditions and lower the
environmental pollution caused by production processes, she said.
According to a presentation made by
IFC Programme Manager Mrinal Sircar,
about 1,700 processing plants use 1,500
billion litres of underground water to process five million tonnes of cloth annually.
IFC provided Bangladesh with nearly $800m last year, and a major portion
of the loan went to the textile sector as
working capital, Kelhofer said. l
n Rabiul Islam
Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandker Mosharraf
Hossain admitted yesterday that a good
number of Bangladeshis were going
abroad for jobs on student or tourist visas.
He also remarked that the immigration department should stop such fraudulent activities in the greater interest of
sustaining the overseas labour market
for genuine migrant workers.
It does not fall under the purview
of my ministry to check unethical migration. If the immigration officials at
the airport watch properly, they can
check it easily, Mosharraf told reporters at his ministry.
Officials at the Immigration Department and the Expatriates Welfare
Desk at Dhaka airport also confirmed
that many people were using student
or tourist visas to go abroad for work.
As per the law, we cannot bar anybody from going abroad, an immigration official said, seeking anonymity.
The minister briefed reporters about
his recent trip to Sweden to attend the
Global Forum on Migration and Development conference, held May 14-16. We
placed a proposal for migrant workers to
go abroad free of cost, with employers
bearing all the costs, Mosharraf said.
He claimed that different international organisations had supported
Bangladeshs proposal.
I also met the ILO director general
[Guy Ryder] and he assured me of playing a role so that migration can happen
with zero migration cost, he added.
According to ILO Convention 181,
migrant workers should not have to
pay to go abroad for jobs.
Expatriates
Welfare
Secretary
Shawkat Hossain and BMET DG Shamsun Nahar were also present. l
HC seeks report
on youths
death in police
custody
n Nazmus Sakib
The High Court yesterday directed the

Dhaka superintendent of police and officer-in-charge of Ashulia police station
to submit by June 18 reports on what
actions have been taken against the
policemen for the alleged torture and
death of a youth in custody.
It also sought a report from the
three-member committee, formed by
the government to investigate the matter, by this time.
The bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul
Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain
passed the order following a writ petition filed by rights body Ain O Salish
Kendra.
According to the petition, tea vendor Ripon Sikder, 30, was allegedly
tortured to death in police custody at
Nabinagar of Ashulia on May 21 as he
could not meet their undue demand
for Tk1,000.
Torturing a person physically or
mentally is a gross violation of fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution, the petition said.
In a rule, the court asked the authorities concerned as to why they should
not be directed to take departmental
and punitive actions against the persons responsible for alleged torture and
custodial deaths of citizens, including
Ripon.
It also asked the authorities concerned as to why they should not be
directed to pay adequate compensation to Ripons family. The court asked
the respondents to explain why they
shall not be directed to refrain from
abusing power that results in custodial
deaths.
Abantee Nurul, a lawyer for ASK,
told the Dhaka Tribune that the home
secretary, the IGP, the Dhaka SP and
the Ashulia OC were asked to respond
to the rule by one month.
Assisted by Abu Obaidur Rahman,
Supreme Court lawyer ZI Khan Panna
pleaded for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Biswojit Roy stood
on behalf of the state. l
SC cancels acquittal
of Aman, his wife
from graft case
n Nazmus Sakib
The top court yesterday cancelled a High
Court verdict that had acquitted senior
BNP Aman Ullah Aman and his wife Sabera Aman from a corruption case filed
by the ACC.
A five-member Appellate Division
bench headed by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain cancelled the acquittal order and sent the case back to the
High Court for further hearing, ACC
counsels told the Dhaka Tribune.
The case was filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission in 2007 for acquiring wealth beyond the defendants
known source of income and for concealing information.
On June 21, 2007, a lower court imposed 13 years of imprisonment for
Aman the BNPs joint secretary general and three years for Sabera. On August 16, 2010, the High Court acquitted
the duo following a petition.
On September 15 last year, the ACC
filed a petition seeking permission to
lodge an appeal against the acquittal. l
Tribunal welcomes chief prosecutor
Moudud, brother charged in graft case
n Udisa Islam
n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu
Chief Prosecutor Golam Arif Tipoo

appeared at the International Crimes
Tribunal yesterday, nearly a month
after his joining office. The tribunal 1
enquired about his health and greeted
him warmly.
Tipoo was on leave since April 13 on
health ground and went to Singapore
for better treatment. The Law Ministry
allowed him one month leave from that
day and made senior prosecutor Syed
Haider Ali the acting chief.
Tipoo returned to the prosecution office on April 30 and submitted
a joining letter. However, he was not
welcomed warmly by most of the prosecution members present in the room
that day.
Confusion created within the team
recently as the acting chief prosecutor
continued to convene meetings despite
Tipoos joining office. Several members
of the team also questioned whether
his joining was official since the ministry did not withdraw the gazette notification.
In Tipoos absence, the prosecution
at a meeting on May 11 asked for the
documents of Jamaat-e-Islamis war
crimes case. The seven-member team
dealing with the case to prepare formal

charges in reply wrote to the chief prosecutor seeking his directives and mentioning that the documents had been
kept there.
Yesterday, Tipoo entered the
tribunal 1 courtroom around 10:45am
and stayed there during the whole
proceedings.
At the end of the proceedings, Justice M Enayetur Rahim, chairman of
the three-member tribunal, enquired
about his health. Tipoo said he was better but the progress was not fast. Later
he exchanged greetings with reporters
at the courtroom and said he would
come to the tribunal whenever he felt
better.
Before that, a member of investigation agency testified against Jamaat
leader ATM Azharul Islam. Md Sajal
Mahmud, a police constable who works
as an assistant of Md Idris Ali, investigation officer of the case, submitted
his deposition as the 14th prosecution
witness.
Appearing as the first seizure list
witness, Sajal said on May 3, 2012,
he had attested photocopies of three
documents including a police abstract
report collected from the agencys library.
After his short deposition, defence

lawyer Abdus Subhan Tarafder cross
examined him and the tribunal adjourned the hearing until tomorrow.
Meanwhile at the tribunal 2, defence
counsel for war crimes accused Syed
Mohammad Qaisar ended crossexamination of the prosecutions 16th
witness.
In his deposition on Sunday, Abdul
Matin alias Jalal, 63, claimed that the
accused and his cohorts, with the
help of Pakistani occupation forces,
had burnt at least 25 Hindu villages
and killed around 100 people in a
day during the 1971 Liberation War in
Habiganj.
The same tribunal yesterday adjourned cross-examination of eighth
prosecution witness Ashraf Uddin
Mia, 57, in the case against Maulana
Abdus Subhan following a defence
petition.
He testified on Sunday saying that
the accused had ordered the abduction
and torture of his father and an uncle
during the Liberation War.
The defence pleaded for time mentioning that their senior counsel Mizanul Islam was facing some personal
difficulties. The tribunal adjourned the
trial until Thursday. l
The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday pressed charges against former

minister and BNP Standing Committee
member Moudud Ahmed and his expatriate brother accusing them of grabbing a government land in 1978, worth
around Tk300 crore now, by making
fake documents.
ACC Deputy Director Md Harun-urRashid, also the investigation officer of
the case, submitted the charge sheet to
the office of General Recording Officer
of the Dhakas Chief Metropolitan Magistrates Court.
The charge sheet says Moudud and
his brother Manjur Ahmed were found
guilty during the ACC inquiry for grabbing a government property valued
Tk300 crore on Gulshan Avenue by
producing different fake documents
and abusing power.
The IO also submitted a prayer for issuing warrant of arrest against Manzur,
who is now staying in England.
Metropolitan Magistrate Md Nuru
Miah saw and signed the charge sheet.
A total of 20 people have been made
witnesses in the case.
On Wednesday, the ACC at a regular meeting approved a charge sheet
which was prepared after a five-monthlong investigation. The case was filed
on December 17 last year.
The case says the house belonged
to Mohammad Ehsan and his wife Inze
Maria Flatz, two Pakistani nationals
who left the country before the 1971
Liberation War.
Following their departure, the house
on 1.13bigha (0.374 acre) land was included in the list of governments abandoned properties on January 21, 1972.
On August 2, 1973, Moudud prepared a fake power of attorney of Maria Flatz to grab the land and used it to
gain his own interest. Since then, he

has been living in the house showing
himself as a tenant of Maria Flatz, the
case document says.
While holding different posts as
minister during 1978-2006, Moudud
tried to grab the house misusing his
power, and made the fake documents
in the name of his brother.
Terming the case motivated, Moudud
on May 22 at a press conference claimed
that before approving the charge sheet,
the ACC should have recorded his statement as per the Anti-Corruption Commission Rules, 2007. l
4
GIST Demo Day
held in Dhaka
n Tribune Report
The US Embassy in Dhaka, in association
with Startup Dhaka, organised the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) DEMO Day in Dhaka on
Saturday, welcoming 365 members of the
countrys entrepreneurship community.
Starting with lectures on key entrepreneurship topics in the morning, the
event saw seven top Bangladeshi startups
pitching their business ideas based on science and technology to the audience and
showcasing their innovative ventures.
A two-day boot camp was also arranged ahead of the event, where GIST
and Startup Dhaka worked with 30
Bangladeshi entrepreneurs, providing intensive training aimed at honing
skills to advance their startups.
Mentors like Jim Bagnola, Jim
Chung and Thor Ernstsson travelled to
Dhaka from the US to share their expertise with the young innovators.
Bagnola, president of Leadership
Group International, worked with the
participants on building relationships
and the startup teams. Chung, executive director of Entrepreneurship
and Technological Transfer in George
Washington University, discussed cost
structure, revenue streams and negotiating with investors. Ernstsson, founder of Casual Corp, talked about raising
capital for startups.
Each of the 30 participants also took
part in one-on-one discussions with
both the local and the visiting mentors.
A partnership led by the US Department of State and CRDF Global, GIST
was launched in 2011 and focuses on empowering young science and technology
innovators through capacity building,
mentoring and networking. l
BIRTHDAY WISHES
Jarin Tasnim Sara.
May your birthday and every day
be lled with the
warmth of sunshine, the happiness of smiles, the
sounds of laughter. May you have a
fantastic birthday and many more
to come... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Your Family Members
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
CHT Ministry gets

authority over
secondary schools
n Mohosinul Karim
The Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts
Affairs has been given the authority of
management and control of the secondary schools operating under three
hill districts in line with the CHT Accord signed in 1997.
The Education Ministry handed over the responsibility to the hill
district councils of Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban yesterday by
signing separate agreements with the
chairmen.
According to the
agreements, the
secondary education
activities of the
three districts will be
operated under the
district councils
There are around 279 secondary schools
in the three hill districts. Of those, 18
are government schools and 261 are
non-government affiliated schools. As
many as 154 non-government schools
are under the governments monthly
payment order (MPO) scheme.
Education Secretary Mohammad
Sadique and chairmen of Rangamati
District Council Nikhil Kumar Chakma,
Khagrachharis Chai Tow Aong Marma
and Bandarbans Kyaw Shai Hla Marma signed the agreements. CHT Affairs
Secretary Naba Bikram Kishore Tripura
signed the papers as an observer.
Education Minister Nurul Islam
Nahid, PMs International Affairs
Adviser Gowher Rizvi and CHT State
Minister Bir Bahadur Ushoi Singh were
present at the ceremony held at the
CHT Ministry.
According to the agreements, the
secondary education activities of the
three districts will be operated under
the district councils. The Khagrachhari

Technical School and College will also
be handed over to the district council.
Bir Bahadur said the hand over process was conducted in line with the
agreement signed between the government and the Parbatya Chattagram
Jana Samhati Samity in 1997.
After the agreements, the councils
will now control the management,
development, operation, supervision
and coordination of the secondary institutes.
The agreement says the budget, including salaries and other benefits of
the teachers and officials of the district
education offices, and the public and
government-affiliated schools will be
given to the hill district councils for
disbursement.
The councils will also have the authority of forming managing committees and holding up or cancelling the
committees. Those will be able to recruit, transfer and promote the class III
and class IV officials and employees of
the district education offices and the
schools.
The chairmen of the councils will
approve the leave and write the annual
confidential report of the officials and
employees concerned.
Bir Bahadur said the government
had already handed over several divisions and offices to the hill councils: 25
in Rangamati, 23 in Khagrachhari and
22 in Bandarban.
It is a continuous process to
complete the handover of the
divisions and offices to the councils.
There are some legal obstacles to
the handover and some other issues
which require the amendment of laws.
The government is trying to resolve
the issues within the shortest possible
time, he added.
Education Minister Nahid urged the
authorities to run the institutes efficiently to ensure proper education for
the people in the hill tracts. l
Protesters dismantle a CNG-run auto-rickshaw near Shiroil bus stand area in Rajshahi city during the second day of the transport strike
yesterday
AZHAR UDDIN
Five BCL activists expelled from CU

n CU Correspondent
Chittagong University authorities have

expelled five CU Chhatra League activists from the university yesterday for
different periods on charges of physically assaulting an Awami League central committee leader on April 5.
The decision was made at an emergency meeting, around two months after the incident.
The expelled students
were English department
students Rubel Dey, Sohel
Khan and Shahrid Shuvo,
Asifuzzaman Asif of Islamic
history and culture department, and ASM Meraj Hossen of computer science and
engineering department. All
the expelled students were
activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League CU unit.
Confirming the decision,
Professor Siraj Ud Dowla,
CU proctor, said the decision
was made on the basis of the
three-member probe committee report. The universitys disciplinary committee
had suspended Rubel and
Shuvo for six months, while
Meraj, Asif and Shohel were expelled

for three months, said Professor Siraj.
The committee also issued show-cause
notices against the accused students
asking why they would not be expelled
permanently for their involvement.
Professor Khan Tawhid Osman,
dean of Biological Science Faculty at
CU, said their involvement with the
assault incident was proven, and the
committee had submitted its report ac-
cusing the students on Sunday.

A faction of Chhatra League activists
had assaulted Nasir Haider Babul, assistant secretary of the Awami League,
on the CU campus when he was attending a meeting commemorating late CU
VC Abu Yusuf.
Following the incident, the central
Chhatra League had expelled five of
its activists from the organisation after
visiting the CU campus on April 22. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Half-built seven footbridges await completion

n Abu Hayat Mahmud
The construction of several footbridges
at key points of the capital has remained
suspended, or has been going on at
snails pace, because of alleged negligence by the authorities concerned.
Under the World Bank-funded
Clean Air and Sustainable Environment (CASE) project, seven footbridges
have remained under-construction for
more than a year. Since the project was
launched in mid-2009, authorities concerned have, however, completed the
construction of 13 footbridges, while the
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC)
has also installed an escalator as part of
a footbridge in the capitals Banani.
Md Shehab Ullah, director of the
CASE project, told the Dhaka Tribune:
We have already completed 13 footbridges and the construction of seven
other footbridges is going on at full
swing and it would be hopefully completed by December this year.
On the other hand, a World Bank
report on the implementation status
of the CASE project, published in April
2014, read that 40% construction of the
footbridge project had been completed
as of March 24 this year. Around 75%
work of the project the construction
work for which began in November
2009 is expected to be completed by
December 2016, the report added.
However, recently visiting the construction sites, the Dhaka Tribune

found that construction was halted
for the footbridges at Satmasjid Road
adjoining the Chhayanaut, at Panthopath Road adjoining Bashundhara City
shopping mall, and at Mirpur road adjoining Sobhanbagh Mosque.
The construction of four other footbridges under the CASE project was going on, albeit at a snails pace.
Residents of the respective areas
expressed their discontent at the slow
progress in constructing the footbridges.
Sufia Begum, a resident of Shankar,
said: Women, children and elderly
people face difficulties in crossing the
Satmasjid Road as there is a large volume of traffic on the road We cross
the busy road with fear. Vehicles run
on the road at high speed.
Ashikur Rahman, a resident of Green
Road, said: The authority concerned
started the construction of the nearby
footbridge more than a year ago, but is
yet to complete it.
Ashikur added that the construction
had halted since six months ago.
The Environment Ministry, with assistance of the World Bank, has undertaken the CASE project to address the
issue of urban air pollution. The CASE
project is run by a Project Implementing
Unit (PIU) consisting of officials from
both the city corporations of Dhaka. l
Pedestrians cross Sat Masjid Road near Chhayanaut at Dhanmondi 27 amid risks as a foot over bridge over the road is yet to be completed
ABU HAYAT MAHMUD
RHD staff demand

more service
benefits
n Our Correspondent, Barisal
Reopening of Holling
Port city residents lay siege to Wasa
Bery Hospital demanded office for water supply
Employees of the Roads and Highways

Department in Barisal, are on a strike.
They staged a demonstration and held
a rally at Barisal Sarak Bhaban area yesterday noon demanding an increase in
service benefits.
The programmes were organised by
the Sarak Janapad Sramik Karmachari
Unions Barisal unit to bring attention
to their four-point demand.
The demands included a payment of
at least Tk 10 lakh in pension or death
compensation, a rise in salaries of the
staff paid according to their work, a pay
rise for employees on master role and
the regularisation of computer operators jobs.
Central unit President of the union
Golam Kibria Dulal presided over yesterdays programmes while Kamal Uddin Ahmed Faruk, secretary general,
Akhter Faruk, joint secretary, Fariduddin Ahmed, assistant secretary, and
other local leaders of the organisation
were present.
Demonstrators said they would continue holding protests in different units
of the organisation, they would also
hand over memorandums to the ministries and offices concerned, and would
observe a two-hour work abstention
programmes across the country on
working days from June 11 to 25 to bring
further attention to their demands.
Sterner programmes would be announced if the demands were not met,
they warned. l
Local people, stakeholders and staff

of Holling Bery Syed Moazzem Red
Crescent Hospital yesterday formed a
human chain and held a rally in front
of Ashwini Kumar Hall in the city demanding immediate resumption of
medical services at the hospital by
solving management problems.
WEATHER
n Our Correspondent, Barisal
At a meeting on July
7, 2012, Governing
Committee of the
hospital decided to
raise service charges
Dr ANM Enayet Karim, chief executive officer of the hospital, Dr Habibur
Rahman, health rights activists, Ebaidul Haque Chan, president of district
BNP addressed the programme among
others.
The speakers said the hospital was
built with contribution from businessman Syed Moazzem and was inaugurated on February 5 last year. The fifty-bed, four-storey hospital was a key
healthcare service provider for people
belonging to low-income group in the
TUESDAY, MAY 27
DHAKA
TODAY
TOMORROW
SUN SETS 6:40PM
SUN RISES 5:12AM
FORECAST FOR TODAY
Dhaka
34
27
Chittagong
33
26
Rajshahi
34
25
Rangpur
33
25
Khulna
34
25
Barisal
34
26
Sylhet
36
24
Coxs Bazar
33
27
YESTERDAYS HIGH AND LOW
36.7C
Rajshahi
24.3C
Rangamati
Source: Accuweather/UNB
PRAYER TIMES
Fajar
Sunrise
Zohr
Asr
Magrib
Esha
3:47am
5:12am
11:56am
3:17pm
6:40pm
8:05pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org

Several hundred residents of Chittagong citys Halishahar area under
the banners of different social organisations yesterday besieged Chittagong
Wasa office demanding regular supply
of water in the area.
Residents of Halishahars A, B, I, J,
New A, New-I and H blocks, Notun Bazar and Eidgaon area have been suffering from water crisis for the last couple
of weeks as Wasa did not consistently
supply water to these areas.
Demonstrations were carried out with
placards, posters and pitchers, in front of
the Wasa office from 11am to 12 noon.
During the demonstration, the residents also broke earthen pitchers and
chanted slogans protesting the incon-
Workers of a ready-made garment

factory in Chittagong took to the
streets demanding their due pay in
the citys Sagarika Road yesterday
afternoon.
While demonstrating, the agitated workers vandalised the
insides of BO Monde Garments
Ltd as well as two vehicles on the
street. They also attempted to
block the road, but were thwarted
by the Industrial and Pahartoli police who took control of the situation within an hour.
The workers, however, withdrew their demonstration around
4pm as the factorys owner assured payment by Thursday.
Inspector Arifur Rahman of
Industrial Police (Intelligence) in
Chittagong said the workers started demonstrating yesterday in and
out of the factory as the factory
owner failed to pay their due wag-

The Estate Department of Bangladesh
Railway (East Zone) evicted around
100 illegally established shops on the
Railway Station Road in Chittagong
city yesterday.
es despite repeated requests, as

they had been unpaid since April.
The factory owner was scheduled to come to the factory yesterday and meet the workers, but he
did not, which triggered the agitation, he said, quoting the workers.
At one stage of the demonstration, the workers started to destroy the windows and doors of
the factory, while some of them attempted to block the city road vandalising two vehicles, he added. l
Savar dental students threaten

with tougher movement
n Our Correspondent, Savar
Students of the 11th batch of Savar
Gonosastho Samaj Vittik Dental
College (GSVMC) threatened yesterday that they will put forth a
tougher movement if the college
does not get the approval of Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) immediately.
They made the threat at a human chain yesterday, which they
had formed after stopping their
seven-day boycott of classes and
the sit-in programmes that they
had also been holding.
The students alleged that they
had been deceived when they got
admitted into the college, because
they were told the college had the
approval of the Council, but later,

they found this claim to be false.
They said ever since they learnt
that this college did not have the
approval of BMDC, they had frequently requested the college authorities to arrange for the approval soon.
But the authorities seemingly
did nothing except assure them
that the approval for the college
would be arranged and made them
wait, they said.
Now, almost 18 months have
gone by since they were admitted
to this college and they are tired
of waiting. The authorities must
manage do something that can ensure our future, they said.
The agitating students further
sistent supply of water.

The demonstrators also warned that
they would be compelled to take tougher measures if the situation does not improve before Ramadan. The residents
complained that around six lakh people in Halishahar area have been facing
acute water crisis for the last 10 years.
We cannot cook food and clean
our houses, let alone take a shower
because of the acute water crisis, said
Omar Faruk, an inhabitant of the area,
adding that they have repeatedly informed the authorities concerned to
fix the problem, but to no avail.
Though we pay our bills regularly,
we do not get a consistent supply of water. The crisis has become so severe that
the tenants are leaving their houses,
said another resident Nabil Hossain.
Later, they submitted a memorandum to Managing Director Engineer

AKM Fazlullah of Wasa.
Because of the demonstration, the
CWASA authorities formed a 14-member committee comprising of its chief
engineer, the local ward councilors
and the residents of Halishahar area to
address the problem.
AKM Fazlullah, however, assured
locals of mitigating the crisis within a
week. Having had his assurance, the
protesters withdrew the programme.
The Chittagong Wasa can meet
only 42% of the total demand. To
mitigate the persistent water crisis,
we have undertaken a number of big
projects. But, we could not implement
them within the deadline because of
last years political unrest he said. l
100 illegal shops evicted in Chittagong
RMG workers stage demo for

due wages in Chittagong
THUNDERSHOWER
WITH RAIN
northern part of the city.

However, since October 2013,
Moazzem has stopped providing funding because of disputes over the management and service charges.
Most of the doctors have left the
hospital early this year while other
employees have been without salaries
since December 2013 and are in financial hardship, speakers said.
Participants of the human chain
demanded immediate resumption of
medical services by clearing overdue
payment and ensuring regularisation
of service facilities for the hospital
staff.
At a meeting on July 7, 2012, Governing Committee of the hospital decided to raise service charges in order
to bear the minimum management expenditure without making any profit.
Some locals, however, protested the
move and funding was suspended in
the wake of that, said Moazzem, also
the executive chairman of the Governing Committee.
Iqbal Hossain Forkan, acting president ofRedCrescentBarisalunit, said
construction of the four-storey building, installation of modern medical
equipment and some other tasks demand big funding which could not be
borne by the Red Crescent alone. l
alleged that they had been threatened by Registrar Delwar Hossain and Deputy Registrar Golam
Mortuza Babu that they would be
killed by hired goons if the movement continued.
Delwar could not be reached
on the phone and Mortuza said he
had not made any such threat.
Principal Jahurul Maula of the
College said, We have told our
students a few times to stop their
movement and to attend classes
because we applied for the approval and we will get it very soon.
I have no idea about the threat
that the registrar and deputy registrar allegedly made toward the
agitating students for launching
the movement, he added. l
Jamal Hossain, executive magistrate and assistant commissioner of

Chittagong district administration, led
the eviction drive.
Chittagong Metropolitan Police and
Government Railway Police (East) assisted in the drive where Jashim Uddin,
divisional estate officer of the railway,

was present along with other officials.
We served notices to the owners of
those illegal shops to remove them,
said Jashim, but they did not comply.
That is why the eviction drive was
conducted, he said. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Nation
Mango business faces

setback for strike
n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi
The mango growers and traders in Rajshahi have become frustrated as business came to a standstill due to the
indefinite strike enforced by bus-truck
owners and workers since Sunday.
According to sources, the supply of
the popular summer fruit from Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts has
been badly hampered during the peak
harvest season due to the strike.
Orchard owners and traders are suffering huge losses as the price of the
perishable item has drastically fallen
due to a lack of buyers.
Traders and transporters at a loss as
to how to run the mango business during the current peak season in the two
districts, which are famous for mango
production and marketing.

Many people work hard and eagerly wait for a long nine or 10 months
to harvest the cash crops and this is the
prime time to gain profits from it, said
Abu Bakker Ali, president of Rajshahi
Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He said: The strike is detrimental to
business.
At present, mango trading and
transporting is in peak season, especially because varieties of mango such
as Fazly and Ashwina are in markets
everywhere in the region.
All the markets in the region are
flooded with varieties of mango and
the wholesale buyers as well as the
retailers have been pouring into the
wholesale mango markets and bargaining hard to settle the price.
Chuadanga petrol pump

owners on strike
Around 30 tonnes of mangoes are

being supplied and transported from
the two districts to different parts of the
country, including the capital, every day.
Passenger-coaches, trains, trucks
and other private vehicles are being
used to transport the mangoes.
We alone transport around 2,000
baskets mangoes from here to different
parts of the country, especially Dhaka,
every day, said Monzurul Kabir, assistant general manager of Sundarban
Courier Service.
The strike has created a rift between
the mango marketers and the transportation workers.
Rahmat Ali, a mango-trader from
Shaheb Bazar said: Buying and selling
has been badly affected throughout the
region due to the prolonged strike. l
n Our Correspondent, Chuadanga

Petrol pump owners of Chuadanga yesterday called for an indefinite strike,
demanding security at the pumps.
A total of 18 petrol pumps of the district remained shut as the strike began
at 6am, causing sufferings to the transport owners and labours of the district.
General Secretary Habil Hossain of
Chuadanga district Fuel Transport Owners Association said recently there had
been several incidents of robbery at the
petrol pumps, adding that in the latest
incident a gang of 10-12 robbers looted
Jubo League
man found
dead
n
An art competition was held at Comila Shilpakala Academy yesterday, marking the birth anniversary of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Minor girls body

exhumed 2 and
half months
after burial
n Our Correspondent,
Panchagarh
Body of a minor girl was exhumed on Monday afternoon
noon for a post-mortem two
and half months after burial at
Mareya Prodhanpara village in
Boda upazila of Panchagarh.
Following a court order,
police exhumed the body of
Sharmin, 9, daughter of Sofiul
Islam of Mareya Prodhanpara
village in Boda upazila of
the district from their family graveyard in presence of
Executive Magistrate Sanwar
Hossain at about 12:30pm.
Later, it was taken to Panchagarh Sadar Hospital morgue
for autopsy and buried back in
the afternoon after examination, OC Mojnur Rahman of
Boda police station said.
Police sources said Sharmin
had been found dead in one
Shahinurs pond nearby their
house on 8 March.
Victims father Sofiul filed
a murder case with Panchagarh Senior Judicial Magistrate Court accusing seven
persons, including victims
neighbour Mazed Ali.
After hearing of the case,
Senior Judicial Magistrate SM
Shafiqul Islam passed the order of exhuming the body for
autopsy on 18 May. l
Shibir leader
wounded in
police firing in
Rajshahi
n Tribune Desk
A local leader of Islami

Chhatra Shibir sustained bullet wounds in a police firing
during a clash in Chauddopai
area near Rajshahi University
in the city on Sunday night.
Alamgir Hossain, officerin-charge of Matihar Police
Station, said on secret information that Shibir leader
Afzal and activist Babu were
staying in the area, a team
of police conducted a drive
there at about 11:15 pm.
Sensing the presence of
police, the Shibir activists
started hurling crude bombs
at them, leaving three policemen injured, reports UNB. l
Our Correspondent, Lakshmipur
A Jubo League activist was slaughtered

by assailants in Sadar upazila.
Locals found the body of Roman
Hossain, 24, in Madanpur area around
6am and informed police.
Dattapara police outpost in-charge
Sub-Inspector Wahiduzzaman said the
body was on the spot till the filing of
the report at 10am.
Roman was an extortionist. He was
accused in several cases, said the SI.
Mahbubul Haque Mahbub, joint
convener of Lakshmipur sadar Jubo
League, claimed Roman was a Jubo
League activist.
Bashikpur
union
Awami
League
president
Amir
Hossain said the miscreants took Roman away at
gunpoint from Abdul Mannans house early in the
morning. l
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science & Technology University

Ofce of the Director
Planning, Development & Works.
Memo No: BSMRSTU/PD&W/344/2013-2014
Date: 25/05/2014
Invitation for Tender (IFT No-08)

Sealed tenders are hereby invited from the bonade Suppliers/Importers or their authorized Local Agents/Distributors/Representatives for
Supplying, Installing & commissioning of Brand Computer & computer Accessories, Gopalganj:
1
Ministry/Division
Agency
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science & Technology University, Gopalgonj-8100.
Procuring Entity Name
Director, Planning, Developments & Works, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Science & Technology University.
Ministry of Education (MOE)
Gopalganj.
Procuring Entity District
Invitation for
Supplying, Installing & commissioning of Brand Computer & Computer Accessories.
Invitation reference No
BSMRSTU/PD&W/343/2013-14
25/05/2014
Date
Procurement Method
Open Tendering Method (OTM)
Budget and Source of Funds
GoB
10
Tender package No
GD-24
11
Tender Publication Date
Within 28/05/2014
12
Tender Selling Date
28/05/2014 to 08/07/2014 During Ofce hour.
13
Name and Address of the ofce for

Receiving Tender document
Ofce of the Director, Planning, Development & Works, BSMRSTU, Gopalganj-8100
14
Last date and time of receiving tender Date: 09/07/2014, Time: 12.00 Noon (Tender may be submitted on or before 09/07/2014
through physically/post/courier service during ofce hours. No Tender Document will be
received after deadline for submission)
15
Tender Opening Date & Time
Date: 09/07/2014 Time: 12.30 PM
16
Selling Tender Document
Ofce of the Director, Planning Developments & Works, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman Science & Technology University, Gopalganj-8100
17
Eligibility of Tenderer
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
18
Brief Description of Goods or works
Supplying, Installing & Commissioning of Brand Computer & Computer Accessories.
19
Tender document price
Tender Document can be purchased by submitting either Pay Order or bank draft
amounting Tk. 3000/- in favor of Registrar BSMRSTU, Gopalganj.
20
P. No
GD-24
Up-to-date trade license

Vat registration certicate
Up-to-date income Tax clearance certicate
Experience certicate in similar & general mentioned as TDS.
Bank solvency certicate & Bank Statement as mentioned in TDS.
Competency certicate after sale service as motioned in the TDS & must follow the
other criteria mentioned in the TDS.
(vii) Money receipt of purchasing tender document shall have to be submitted along with
tender documents
(viii) A Duplicate Copy shall be submitted along with Tender Document.
Identication of Package
Location
Tender Security
Completion Time
Supplying, Installing & Commissioning of Brand

Computer & Computer Accessories.
BSMRSTU,
Gopalganj
3.00 % of quoted
Amount
Within 30 days
from the date of
Work Order
Tender Security shall be in favor of Registrar, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science & Technology University, Gopalganj.
21
Name of ofcial inviting Tender
Engineer S.M. Eskendar Ali
22
Designation of ofcial inviting Tender

& Address
Director (in-Charge), Planning, Development & Works, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman Science & Technology University, Gopalganj.
23
Contact details of Ofcial Inviting

Tender
Tel. No: 02-6682258, Fax: 02-6682173, email: director.pdw@bsmrstu.edu.bd, Website:

www.bsmrstu.edu.bd (Tender notice available in website)
24
Special Instruction:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Lowest rate will be evaluated package wise under packages.

If it is not possible to receive & open the tender on the Scheduled date for any unavoidable circumstances, the same will be
received and opened on the following working date and same time and same place.
If the tenderer submits any false/incorrect/fake/fabricated/manipulated certicate with tender document, tender security shall
be forfeited without assigning any reason.
The procuring entity reserves the right to accept or reject any or all tenders without assigning any reason whatsoever and
also reserve the right to omit, increase and/or decrease the quantity of any item from the tender. The bidders must abide by
the decision of authority. Tender form schedule of items of supply, tender notice and terms and conditions etc. are integral
part of the tender. The bidders should write the name of the package and the name of their rm on the envelope clearly, VAT,
Income Tax and other taxes, if any imposed by the govt. will be deducted form their bill as per govt rules.
All sorts of correspondence shall be remained suspended from 15.06.14 to 19.06.14 due to summer vacation of the university.
GC-66/14 (11 4)
Engineer S.M. Eskender Ali

Director (In-Charge)
Planning, Development & Works.
around Tk2.5 lakh from the Jibon Nagar

Filling Station. The robbers exploded a
bomb and tied up the security guard before looting the pump, he claimed.
He asserted that the strike was called
as police and administration could not
ensure security at the pumps.
Chuadanga
Police
Super
Md
Rashidul Hasan said three people were
arrested in connection with the Jibon
Nagar Filling Station incident. ASI Proshad Kumar and four constables were
transferred to Chuadanga Police Line
from the Jibon Nagar police station in
this connection, he added. l
25 injured in clash
n Our Correspondent, Gopalganj
At least 25 people were injured in a
clash over a triviality in Kazulia village
of Sadar upazila yesterday.
According to sources, Siraj Haoladers cow damaged Maola Sheikhs
paddy field at 7am. Later, supporters of
both groups engaged in a clash, using
local weapons, over the issue.
Upon receiving information, police
went to the spot and opened fire to
bring the situation under control. 25
people were injured during the clash.
They were admitted to Gopalganj
Sadar Hospital and Kotalipara Upazila
Health Complex. The police also arrested six people. Sadar police station
Officer-in-Charge Zakir Hossain confirmed the incident. l
Youth to die for killing

girl after rape
n Our Correspondent, Gazipur
A court here yesterday sentenced a young
man to death in a case filed for killing a
girl after rape about three years ago.
Fatema Nazib, district judge of
Gazipur Women and Children Oppression Prevention Tribunal, convicted
Jahangir, 22, son of Md Ali, a resident of
Bandabari village in Kaliakair upazila
of the district, in the case.
The court also fined him Tk1 lakh
and directed the authorities concerned
to give the money to the victims family
members after collection.
According to the case statement,
Jahangir in 2011 had developed a romantic relation with a girl promising to
marry her. However, at one stage, the

girl became pregnant and she started
pressing Jahangir to marry her.
On September 4 that year, the
convict met her on the Amtali-Boali
road in the upazila and later he murdered her by strangulating with her
scarf in the nearby deep forest of the
road.
On the following day, locals recovered the body and informed police who
sent the body to Gazipur Sadar Hospital
morgue for autopsy.
In the incident, the girls father filed
a case with Kaliakair police station, in
which the court pronounced the verdict to him after examining all witness
and evidence. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Long Form
Jinnah made a mistake and I am

ashamed of being Pakistani
Pakistan is always plagued with one form of chaos or another
REUTERS
Mahwash Badar is a clinical psychologist by profession and one of a handful of liberal Pakistanis
who dare to speak the truth. On May 12 she wrote an opinion piece for Pakistans Express Tribune
Blogs, titled Jinnah made a mistake and I am ashamed of being Pakistani. However, due to the
invisible hand of the ISI both this article and her Twitter profile @MahwashB have vanished.
Below is a reproduction of the original article
n Mahwash Badar
nyone who has ever travelled abroad will tell you
that no matter where you
go, no matter how developed a country it is that
youre travelling to if youre a British
national or a Caucasian American, the
doors become friendlier. The security
becomes less pressurising. Visa queues
are shorter. Procedures are simpler.
If youre a brown Pakistani man
(or even woman) who is travelling to
another country thats a whole other
story. Youre working in the Middle
Jinnah didnt think of the obscurantist mindset that

he had propelled forward, the countless millions
that died at the hand of this vague agenda that
fails to unite us as a nation
East, chances are your salary is just a

little bit above the basic working wage
or anything that will get you a bedspace with seven other human beings.
Respect is minimal.
Youre not supposed to ruffle any
feathers. Or demand for rights. Your
children are thousands of miles away
studying (because you cant afford
education for them here), your wife
probably has another job to help
make ends meet and your job squeezes every drop of your blood into a
tiny container that helps build the
skyscrapers and that little container
is thrown away quicker than you can
say burj as soon as your company
decides to say bye bye.
Pretty much the equivalent of
well, I dont know. What is that the
equivalent of? What analogy do I draw
to represent the utter misery that is
being a Pakistani in this super-power
dominated world?
As if the current state of the country, what with its years of dictatorship
and lack of infrastructure, hasnt
driven us insane enough, there is
the added bonus of inviting religious
extremists and letting them destroy
everything we hold near and dear.
The media in Pakistan is under stringent scrutiny by the regulatory authority. Geo TVs license being suspended is an example of the
authoritys diminishing tolerance
REUTERS
Sure, apologists will reason it saying

this is not true Islam and whatnot.
But my question is when seriously
when do we set aside the debate of
what is true Islam and what isnt?
Let the clerics and the religious
scholars sit in their mosques. But once
and for all, eliminate and annihilate
stan on the news and everything that

is reported is about death, destruction,
squabbling politicians, ailing children,
extremists blowing up things and a
struggling economy.
I raise my eyes to our neighbouring
country and see what could have happened if we were still a United India.
I Google Pakistan on the news and everything that

is reported is about death, destruction, squabbling
politicians, ailing children, extremists blowing up
things and a struggling economy
the savage, beastly, cowardly, immoral

men who buy the bodies of fragile,
poverty-stricken, desperate men, strap
them with explosives and send them
into markets filled with innocent women and children. Finish these abhorrent
elements in the society that attempt to
throw us back to the Stone Age.
A recent article in the New York
Times reported on the World Health
Organisation (WHO) declaration of the
polio emergency in Pakistan.
Last year, a polio worker was killed
in Peshawar, as well as another who
was shot dead in Khyber Agency. Several were kidnapped in Bara. In January
this year, gunmen killed three health
workers taking part in a polio vaccination drive in Karachi, not Kabul, not
Sierra Leone, not Riyadh, Karachi.
My heart boils and burns as more
devastating news and reports flood
the channels. The New York Times
article further stated that according
to a report, the highest refusal rates
for polio vaccination were recorded in
wealthy neighbourhoods of Karachi
because they had little faith in public
health care. In North Waziristan, the
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have
had vaccination forbidden for years.
Pakistan thus has 59 polio cases to
report, the highest in the world.
Being a mother, it scares me. It
keeps me awake at night. It reminds
me that even if I run far away from the
borders of my own land, its demons
will continue to haunt me and my
future generations. I Google Paki-
Maybe we would have been polio free

too. We would have been a unified part
of a process of being the worlds next
big force to reckon with, of being a
part of the next blazing economy.
I find myself deeply wishing that
Jinnah hadnt made this mistake that
he had thought about the future of
Pakistan. He didnt think of the obscurantist mindset that he had propelled
forward, the countless millions that
more like them than the Arabs we so

badly want to mimic and ape. I stare
at the green passport with the same
self-loathing as the fat 16-year-old girl
with pimples on her face who is told
that she cannot get married because
she will always be blind, diseased and
fat and her elder, stronger, prettier,
better-educated sister will snag all
the good catches because she ended
up with the better caretaker after the
divorce of their parents.
I am ashamed of being a Pakistani
today.
I am ashamed that I belong to a
country that kills human rights lawyers and sitting governors, and issues
death threats to university professors.
I am ashamed that we believe in
spaghetti monster theories and pie
in the sky conspiracies and risk the
future of our children.
I am ashamed that we have rejected
our scientists just because they believe
in a different dogma.
I am ashamed that we cannot
protect our women, we cannot protect
our children and we cannot protect
our men from the evil that is extremism, fundamentalism and the foolhardy idea that Pakistan is a great nation.
Pakistan is a fledgling, flailing state.
And those 59 children, whose legs
can never work anymore, the family
I am ashamed that we cannot protect our women,

children and men from the evil that is extremism,
fundamentalism and the foolhardy idea that
Pakistan is a great nation
died at the hand of this vague agenda

that fails to unite us as a nation. I look
at the years of struggles that Pakistan
faces, the fall of Dhaka, the provincial
wars, the stark separatist mindsets and
I wonder what Mr Jinnah was thinking
when he decided to leave the Indian
National Congress (INC).
We share more with our Indian
brothers than our ancestral DNA. Our
food, language, clothes, lifestyles are
of Raza Rumis driver, those who shed

tears for Salman Taseer, for Perveen
Rehman, for Rashid Rehman, for Dr
Murtaza Haider and his 12-year-old son
every single person who went out to
have a normal day and never made it
home alive are all paying the price
of the empathy, respect and awe YOU
show cowards like Mumtaz Qadri. l
Mahwash Badar is a clinical psychologist.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
Eurosceptic election surge gives EU a headache
The logo of the European currency is pictured in front of the European Central Bank AFP
n Reuters, Brussels
Stunning victories in European Parliament elections by nationalist, Eurosceptic parties from France and Britain left the European Union licking its
wounds on Monday and facing a giant
policy dilemma.
Across the continent, anti-establishment parties of the far right and hard
left more than doubled their representation amid voter apathy, harnessing a
Turkish court
orders arrest of
Israeli soldiers
n AFP, Ankara
A Turkish court on Monday ordered
the arrest of four former Israeli military chiefs over a deadly 2010 maritime assault that plunged relations
between the former allies into
crisis, a lawyer working on the
case said.
The court will ask Interpol to issue international arrest warrants for
the four men, lawyer Cihat Gokdemir
told AFP.
No one at the Israeli embassy in
Ankara was immediately available for
comment.
Turkish prosecutors are seeking life
sentences for the commanders, who
went on trial in absentia in 2012.
They are former military chief of
staff Gaby Ashkenazi, former navy
chief Eliezer Marom, former military
intelligence head Amos Yadlin and
former air force intelligence chief
Avishai Levy.
Israeli commandos boarded the
Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara, the
largest ship in a flotilla dispatched by
Turkish relief agency IHH to break
Israels blockade of the Gaza Strip,
on May 31, 2010, leaving nine Turkish
activists dead. l
mood of anger with Brussels over austerity, mass unemployment and immigration.
While the centre-right and centre-left will continue to control more
than half of the 751 seats in the EU legislature, they will face an unprecedented challenge from noisy insurgents
determined to stop business as usual in
the 28-nation bloc.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls
called the breakthrough by Marine Le
Pen's anti-immigration, anti-euro National Front, which topped a national

vote for the first time and pushed his
Socialists into third place, a political
earthquake.
He rapidly countered by offering
more tax cuts to spur an economy
which is flatlining.
Another tremor on the other side of
the Channel raised new doubts about
Britain's long-term future in the EU.
Nigel Farage's UK Independence Party,
which advocates immediate withdrawal, defeated the opposition Labour party and Prime Minister David Cameron's
Conservatives.
The anti-EU vote was amplified in
many countries by a low turnout of just
43.1%, but the pro-European centre
ground held firm in Germany, the EU's
biggest member state with the largest
number of seats, as well as Italy and
Spain.
France is one of the EU's founder
members and the weakness of President Francois Hollande may leave German Chancellor Angela Merkel without
a strong partner for the next leg of European integration which economists
say is vital to underpin a single currency but leaves voters, who want hope of
better times to come, cold.
The legitimacy of Europe is weakened, the legitimacy of France in Europe is weakened further, said Dominique Moisi of the French Institute of
International Relations.
To function, Europe needs a strong
balance between France and Germany. But France is moving the way of
Italy or Greece in economic terms
and moving the way of Britain in its
Egypt votes in poll seen

sweeping Sisi to power
n AFP, Cairo
Egyptians voted for a new president
Monday in an election expected to
sweep to power the ex-army chief who
overthrew the countrys first democratically-elected leader and crushed
his Islamist movement.
The two-day election is the first
since the frontrunner Abdel Fattah
al-Sisi deposed Islamist president
Mohamed Morsi in July, a move that
unleashed the bloodiest violence in
Egypts recent history.
Morsis Muslim Brotherhood is boycotting the vote, as are revolutionary youths
who fear Sisi is an autocrat in the making.
But the 59-year-old retired field
marshall is expected to trounce his sole
rival, leftist Hamdeen Sabbahi, amid
widespread calls for stability.
Polling stations opened at 0600
GMT for 53m registered voters, with
Sisi arriving early at one in Cairo to cast
his ballot amid a throng of jostling reporters and supporters.
The entire world is watching us, how
Egyptians are writing history and their
future today and tomorrow, Sisi said.
Egyptians must be reassured that
tomorrow will be very beautiful and
great, he said, as supporters shook his

hand and kissed his cheeks.
Many view the vote as a referendum
on stability versus the freedoms promised by the Arab Spring-inspired popular uprising that ousted veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
Since the revolution, the country of
86m people has been rocked by sporadic
unrest and a tanking economy.
Mubaraks successor, the Islamist
Morsi, lasted one year in office, winning Egypts first democratic presidential election only to quickly alienate
many who held mass rallies demanding
his resignation.
We need someone who speaks in a
determined and strong way. The Egyptian people are frightened by this and
respect those who are like this, said
Milad Yusef, a 29-year-old lawyer waiting to vote in Cairo.
Yusef said he had voted for Sabbahi
in the 2012 election that Morsi won, but
that he would now back Sisi.
We need someone strong, a military man, he said.
Sisi has said true democracy
would take a couple of decades, and
suggested he would not tolerate protests disrupting the economy. l
relationship with Europe.

Earlier, a jubilant Le Pen told cheering supporters the French people had
made clear they no longer want to be
led by those outside our borders, by EU
commissioners and technocrats who
are unelected. They want to be protected from globalisation and take back the
reins of their destiny.
In Britain, Cameron rebuffed UKIP
leader Nigel Farage's call for an early referendum on an EU exit, sticking to his plan to renegotiate membership terms if he is re-elected next
year, and put the result to an in/out
plebiscite in 2017.
However, some analysts said UKIP's
surge may force the prime minister
to toughen his stance on Europe and
could scare more pro-European voters
in Scotland into opting to leave Britain
in a September referendum.
Renzi bucks trend
Centre-left Italian Prime Minister

Matteo Renzi bucked the trend of anti-EU, anti-incumbent votes, scoring a
stunning 41% to beat populist Beppe
Grillo's
anti-establishment
5-Star
Movement by a wide margin, with
disgraced ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia trailing a
weak third.
Renzi vowed to use his mandate from
voters to press for an easing of the EU's
budgetary straitjacket to allow more
public investment in growth and jobs,
posing a policy challenge for Merkel, the
guardian of fiscal orthodoxy.
I consider this a vote of extraordinary hope for a country that has all the
conditions to be able to change, and
that can invite Europe to change, Renzi told reporters.

The Democratic Party leader said
he would serve out his term until 2018
to press ahead with economic reforms
rather than using his popularity to call
an early general election.
A French official said Hollande
would back Renzi's call for more progrowth policies and tell EU leaders who
meet on Tuesday evening that Europe
had reached the alarm level.
With France in a malaise, Renzi's
hold on the rotating six-month EU presidency in the second half of the year
gives him an opportunity to become a
major player in the bloc if he can find
common cause with Merkel.
The centre-right European People's
Party, led by former Luxembourg Prime
Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, was set
to win 214 seats, provisional results issued by the parliament showed.
Juncker claimed a mandate to lead
the executive European Commission,
swatting away questions about Cameron's reported opposition to his bid and
saying he was sure of Merkel's crystal
clear support.
I don't care, the 59-year-old veteran federalist told a news conference,
mopping his brow under the television
lights. I'm not on my knees. I won the
election.
The centre-left Socialists, led by
outgoing European Parliament President Martin Schulz of Germany, were
in second place with 189 seats followed
by the centrist liberals on 66 and the
Greens on 52. Eurosceptic groups were
expected to win about 142 seats, according to a Reuters estimate.
Pressure to tack right
The political fallout may be felt more

strongly in national politics than at EU
level, pulling mainstream conservative
parties further to the right and raising
pressure to crack down on immigration.
The anti-immigration far right People's Party topped the poll in Denmark
and the extreme-right Jobbik, widely
accused of racism and anti-Semitism,
finished second in Hungary.
In the Netherlands, the anti-Islam,
Eurosceptic Dutch Freedom Party of
Geert Wilders - which plans an alliance
with Le Pen - underperformed but still
finished joint second in terms of seats
behind a pro-European centrist opposition party.
Average turnout was only fractionally higher than the 2009 nadir of 43%
despite efforts to personalise the election with the main political families
putting forward a leading candidate, or
Spitzenkandidat.
In Germany, Merkel's Christian
Democrats secured 35.3% of the vote,
down from a 23-year-high of 41.5% in
last year's federal election but still a
clear victory.
In Greece, epicentre of the euro
zone's debt crisis, the radical left anti-austerity Syriza movement of Alexis
Tsipras won the vote but failed to deliver a knockout blow to the government
of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.
The two parties in the coalition,
New Democracy and PASOK, won a
combined vote larger than that of Syriza, and political analyst Theodore Couloumbis said the government's survival
was not at stake despite its narrow twoseat majority. l
POPE PROPAGATES PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Pope Francis (R) meets Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) at the Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem yesterday. Pope Francis
navigated the minefield of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and humbly bowed to kiss the hands of Holocaust survivors on Monday, the last
day of a Mideast trip laden with bold personal gestures
REUTERS
Wives of jailed opposition mayors

win Venezuela ballots
Moscow ready to work

with Poroshenko
Battle at donetsk
airport
n Reuters, Kiev/Donetsk
n Reuters, Caracas
n AFP, Moscow
The wives of two opposition mayors jailed

over protests against Venezuelan President
Nicolas Maduro won landslide victories
in elections on Sunday for their spouses
vacant posts.
Though the womens victories were
widely expected in cities that are hotbeds
of opposition to Madura, they still brought
some cheer to a movement divided over
the strategy of protests and smarting from
repeated defeats in national elections.
Patricia Ceballos, whose husband Daniel
Ceballos was sacked in March and received
a 12-month sentence for failing to remove
protester barricades in the streets of San
Cristobal, took the mayorship there with
74% of votes.
The western city near the border of
Colombia was the birthplace of demonstrations that began in early February and
quickly spread across Venezuela, causing
the OPEC nations worst unrest in a decade
and leading to 42 deaths.
Rosa Scarano, whose husband Vicencio
Scarano also lost his job and received a
10-month jail sentence in March for the
same offence in central San Diego city, won
an even larger 88% of votes to take the
vacant mayorship there.
Both women represented the opposition Democratic Unity (MUD) coalition
against ruling Socialist Party candidates.
The result of these elections has shown
that power and abuse have received a big
lesson, the MUD said in a statement.
Russia said Monday it was ready to talk

to Ukraines new president Petro Poroshenko, raising hopes that after months
of tensions Moscow sees in the billionaire a leader it can work with.
We are ready for dialogue with Kievs representatives, with Petro Poroshenko, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
said in Russias first reaction to his victory in Sundays vote.
Lavrov was cautious, saying Moscow was ready for pragmatic dialogue,
on an equal footing and warned that
for Kiev to continue its military operations against pro-Russia rebels in the
east would be a colossal mistake.
But Poroshenko a billionaire with
strong Russian business interests and a
history of working with both pro-Western and Moscow-backed Ukrainian governments is the kind of figure analysts
say the Kremlin can see as a partner.
Poroshenko is an extremely attractive president for the Kremlin... This is
a person who will be able to negotiate
with Moscow and find compromise,
said Alexander Konovalov, president of
the Institute of Strategic Assessments.
There was a camp in the Kremlin
that wanted to feed the fire in Ukraine.
Now I think they will move into the
shadows, he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has
not yet reacted himself to Poroshenkos
victory, but he did say he will respect
the result of the vote and promised to
Ukraine launched air strikes and a

paratrooper assault against pro-Russian rebels who seized an airport on
Monday, as its newly elected leader
rejected any talks with terrorists
and said a robust military campaign
in the east should be able to put
down a separatist revolt in a matter
of hours.
Ukrainians rallied overwhelmingly in
an election on Sunday behind Petro Poroshenko, a political veteran and billionaire owner of chocolate factories, hoping
the burly 48-year-old can rescue the nation from the brink of bankruptcy, civil
war and dismemberment by its former
Soviet masters in the Kremlin.
Monday's rapid military response
to separatists who seized the airport in
Donetsk was a defiant answer to Moscow, which said it was ready for dialogue with Poroshenko but demanded
he first scale back the armed forces'
campaign in the east.
Even as the fighting was getting under way, Poroshenko held a news conference in Kiev where he said the government's military offensive needed to
be quicker and more effective.
The anti-terrorist operation should
not last two or three months. It should
last for a matter of hours, he said.
As for the rebel fighters: They want
to preserve a bandit state which is held
in place by force of arms, he said.
These are simply bandits. Nobody in
any civilised state will hold negotiations with terrorists. l
Patricia de Ceballos, opposition candidate and wife of jailed former mayor Daniel
Ceballos, casting her vote during mayoral election
REUTERS
The socialists still control about 70% of
Venezuelas 335 local mayorships, however.
Maduro, who seems to have weathered
the worst of the protests, said he would
recognise the new mayors, but warned he
would not tolerate more unrest in
their cities.
If they go crazy and start burning the
municipality again, the authorities will act
... and elections will be called every three
months until there is peace, he said.
Maduro, a 51-year-old former bus driver
who replaced the late Hugo Chavez last
year, says this years wave of protests are

a cover for a US-promoted coup attempt
against him.
Opponents say that is nonsense, and
protests are borne out of Venezuelans
frustration with a repressive government
and economic hardships including scarcities
of basic products and the highest inflation
in the Americas.
At the height of the protests, masked
youths faced off daily with security forces.
But numbers have dwindled in recent
weeks. l
work with Kievs new authorities.

Putin and Poroshenko have met
several times, from the confectionery
tycoons stints as foreign minister under former pro-Western leader Viktor
Yushchenko and economy minister under ex-president Viktor Yanukovych.
Strong Russian business ties
It was Yanukovychs ouster in February

after he refused to sign a partnership
agreement with the European Union
that kicked off the crisis which eventually led to Moscows annexation of
Crimea and pro-Moscow rebellions in
eastern Ukraine.
Moscow, which still officially recognises Yanukovych as Ukraines leader,
has been careful not to explicitly recognise the results of Sundays vote.
In a statement on Monday, Yanukovych said he had respect for the result but cast doubt on its legitimacy after
voting was blocked in rebel-held parts of
the east. Still, analysts said Moscow will
have little choice in dealing with Poroshenko, who early results showed winning close to 54% of the vote. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Thai coup leader

threatens crackdown
if protests resume
n Reuters, Bangkok
Thai coup leader General Prayuth
Chan-ocha said on Monday he had
been formally endorsed by the king as
head of a military council that will run
the country, and warned he would use
force if political protests flare up again.
Prayuth seized power on May 22,
saying the army would restore order after nearly seven months of sometimes
deadly street demonstrations. The military has taken into custody scores of
politicians, activists and others.
Will we go back to where we were
before? If you want to do that, I will
need to use force and impose the law
strictly, Prayuth said in a statement he
read on television. You will have to
forgive any tough measures as they are
necessary.
He did not set a timeframe for how
long the army would stay in power, although he said he hoped to hold elections soon.
The royal endorsement is a significant formality in Thailand, where
the monarchy is the most important
institution.
But Prayuths address would have
provoked conflicting reaction in a
country polarized by nearly a decade
of rivalry between the royalist establishment, of which Prayuth is a member, and Thaksin Shinawatra, a populist
tycoon who broke the political mould.
Prayuth, wearing a formal white dress
uniform, said he would set up a council
of advisers but gave no details on the
form of a government that will run the
country under his military junta, the National Council for Peace and Order.
The country needs a prime minister, he said.
The military ousted the remnants
of a government that had been led by
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra,
Thaksins sister, until she was removed
by a court on May 7 for abuse of power. Thaksin was ousted as premier in a
2006 coup.
The military has taken over with a
heavy hand, throwing out the consti-
tution, dissolving the Senate and censoring the media. Anyone who insults
the monarchy or violates the militarys
orders will be tried in a military court.
Despite warnings, small crowds of
people voicing opposition to the coup
have been gathering daily in Bangkok
since the takeover, as well as in the
north and northeast, strongholds of the
ousted government. There have been
no serious clashes.
On Monday, several hundred people
gathered at Bangkoks Victory Monument where about 1,000 protesters
massed on Sunday.
Some shouted we want elections
and coup get out, others held up
signs saying we want democracy, a
Reuters reporter said.
Police and soldiers turned in force
to block the protesters and there was
jeering and some scuffles but no serious trouble. Soldiers in a van with a
loudspeaker urged people not to join
the protesters, saying they were being
paid, and blamed foreign media for trying to damage the country.
While the protests are a nuisance for
the army, a more serious threat would
be armed resistance from Thaksins
red shirt loyalists. They have always
threatened to fight a coup but with so
many of their leaders detained or in
hiding, activists say they have no plan
for opposition.
Authorities seized weapons and
detained activists in the northeast last
week. On Monday, an army ranger was
killed in Trat province, near the Cambodian border, in a clash with suspected pro-Thaksin gunmen during a
search, the army said.
Earlier on Monday, Suthep Thaugsuban, a former pro-establishment
politician who led protests that undermined Yinglucks government, was released on bail, his lawyer said. He had
been held since the coup.
The army has also allowed Yingluck
to go home, although she remains under military supervision with soldiers
guarding her residence, a military official said on Sunday. l
World
President Barack Obama was back in

Washington on Monday after a lightning 32-hour trip to Afghanistan to
visit US troops.
Monday is Memorial Day in the
United States, when military war
dead are remembered and military
personnel and veterans are honored. The president is scheduled
to host a White House breakfast
for veteran groups with top military brass in attendance, the White
House said.
Obama landed at Andrews Air
Force Base in nearby Maryland at
1040 GMT and soon after arrived in
the White House via helicopter.
The president is also scheduled

to deliver remarks and lay a wreath
at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, the US militarys principal
cemetery.
Vice President Joe Biden will be
at the event along with his wife Jill
and Obamas wife Michelle. The two
women are known for their work
helping military families.
Obama made a covert night-time
trip from the White House to Bagram
Air Base in Afghanistan aboard a
darkened Air Force One on a Sunday
visit meant to hail the sacrifices of
US soldiers.
His four-hour visit provoked a new
spat with outgoing Afghan President
THE CORONATION
Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes his oath at the presidential palace in New Delhi
REUTERS
In control, Modi will not allow veto on foreign policy

n Agencies
In October last year, the Prime Ministers Office was in a tizzy. The Ministry
of External Affairs as well as the security establishment was keen that PM
Manmohan Singh attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
(CHOGM) in Colombo in November.
A highly placed official had then
said, The PM is keen too. We believe
leverage can only come through engagement with Mahinda Rajpaksa.
The problem are the parties from
Tamil Nadu, as well as some senior
ministers from the state, who fear for
Obama back home after surprise

visit to Afghanistan
n AFP, Washington
Hamid Karzai, with whom Obama has

a strained relationship.
US officials said Obama offered to
see the Afghan leader at the sprawling
US base but decided not to go to his
palace in central Kabul. They did not
say how much notice they had given
the Afghan leader.
Karzai interpreted Obamas invitation as a snub. The government
of Afghanistan is prepared to warmly
welcome the US president in the presidential palace, but it does not intend
to go to Bagram to meet Obama, read
an Afghan statement.
Obama later telephoned Karzai as
he flew out and the pair talked for 15
to 20 minutes, a senior administration official said. l
JOY FOREVER
A white peacock opens its plumage at the Nogeyama zoo in Yokohama, suburban Tokyo on May 25
AFP
their electoral fortunes. Let us see if

the Dr Singh succumbs or stays on
course. The PM succumbed to pressure, did not go for the meet, and instead sent External Affairs Minister
Salman Khurshid.
Contrast this with how Narendra
Modi has acted, even before taking
oath. He decided he wanted SAARC
leaders to be a part of Mondays ceremony, passed on instructions, and the
MEA implemented it. Tamil Nadu chief
minister J Jayalalithaa expressed her
unhappiness at President Rajpaksa being invited.
While Modi is known to have good
Modi and I can

easily work
together, says
Nawaz Sharif
personal ties with her and could do with

AIADMK support in the Rajya Sabha, he
paid no heed. Neither did complaints by
NDA ally Vaiko make Modi budge. He established a clear line - no one would be
allowed to exercise veto on foreign policy, and the PM would remain the centre
of decision-making.
The decisiveness was also in play
with the invitation to Pakistan PM,
Nawaz Sharif. If it was southern parties who would have an issue with Sri
Lankas presence, Modis own support
base - including the RSS - could have
frowned upon such a move, especially
since it came after a campaign marked
by belligerence against Islamabad. But

not only did Modi not let such calculations deter him, he also ensured that
hard line elements of the Sangh even
welcomed the move.
The last time PM Singh asserted his
authority on matters relates to foreign
policy was during the nuclear deal.
But the Modi era will be marked by the
clear dominance of the PM on external
relations. With his invitation, Modi has
already sent a message to his party, his
allies, states, Delhis bureaucracy, and
the region at large that he is the man
in charge, the man who would take the
final call. l
SOUTH ASIA DRENCHED
n Agencies
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Monday he could easily
work with Indias new government
led by Narendra Modi, hoping that
their personal focus on boosting business could help turn a new page in
bilateral ties.
In an exclusive interview with
HT hours before participating in
Modis inauguration, Sharif said he
was carrying a message of goodwill, love and friendship for the
Indian people.
I am here to turn a new page in India-Pakistan relations, said the Pakistan prime minister who had fought off
stiff opposition from hardliners in his
country to make the trip to India. He
will hold a bilateral meeting with Modi
on Tuesday.
We (India and Pakistan) have a
historic moment to open a new chapter. The new government under Mr
Modi has a strong mandate and I look
forward to picking up the relationship
from where I and (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee
left it in 1999.
In February 1999, then Prime
Minister Vajpayee crossed the border at Wagah for summit-level talks
with Sharif, raising hopes of lasting peace between the two countries, but relations nosedived soon
after with the two sides fighting a
short but brutal war on the heights
of Kargil.
On his first official trip to India as
prime minster (he last came for Rajiv
Gandhis funeral), Sharif looked set
to drive an agenda of trade and economics at his bilateral meeting with
Modi on Tuesday.
I am regarded as a friend of businessmen and we are regarded as a business-friendly government. Modi too is
perceived as a business-friendly person. He has a model of development,
Sharif said.
We can easily work with each other.
From time to time, leaders from
both sides have identified boosting
business and trade as a way to reduce
hostility. In particular, Pakistans crippling energy deficit has been viewed
as a lucrative opportunity for Indian
businesses. l
Top: People commute through a flooded road after heavy rain in Guwahati, Assam,
yesterday. Bottom: This picture taken on May 25, shows a car being driven through a
flooded street in Liling, Hunan, China. The province is on red alert
10
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Editorial
CODE-CRACKER
How to get BASIC

Bank on track
angladesh Bank has rightly removed BASIC Banks managing

director from his position after he admitted involvement in the
disbursement of fraudulent loans totalling over Tk 4,500 crores.
The banks Gulshan branch has also had to be shut down after
investigations showed BASIC Bank gave a large number of loans to
non-existent companies and new clients without following proper
procedures.
It is clear that such a pattern of large scale fraud must have
involved a large number of bank
officers.
The bank was originally set
up as a joint venture to help
the private sector finance small
scale Industries and has been
100% state-owned since 1992.
In order to get it back on
track, Bangladesh Bank needs
to root out the systemic flaws
which have allowed fraud to
flourish within this organisation.
Getting rid of staff found to
have been involved in fraud and
negligence alone will not be sufficient to solve its problems.
The most effective way to prevent further fraud is to stop BASIC
Bank from making any further loans to private industrial or trading
companies.
BASIC Bank should only be allowed to lend money to private
banks. Private banks have proven management systems in place
which prevent their managers from making fraudulent loans.
Their management systems are zealously monitored on behalf of
the owners of the banks, because private banks understand that
foolproof systems are necessary to safeguard their equity capital.
Allowing BASIC Bank to lend to small industries via loans to private
banks, will allow it to continue its mission while preventing fraud and
safeguarding funds on behalf of the taxpayer.
Root out systemic

flaws by only
allowing it to lend
to private banks
Be heard
Write to Dhaka Tribune
FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207
Email letters.dt@dhakatribune.com
Send us your Op-Ed articles:
opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com
www.dhakatribune.com
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https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune
Watered-down
May 20
SH
We put our faith in the state so that things dont
seem like the Wild West, but then the tanks roll in
and governments hose down their own people.
Weve seen this again and again.
NS
Where there is government discontent, this is
bound to prevail. One is a sine qua non for the other.
Without some sort of coercion visible or invisible,
physical or mental, there cant be the existence of
any government. The difference that exists between
the governments is of degree, nothing substantive.
Shababa
I did not know that this was happening in the UK
really goes to show how little the media wants to, or
Tax fossil fuels at

a market rate to
stimulate private
investment in
renewables
is allowed to, cover it. Water cannons are terrifying

and the unaccountable authoritarianism with which
governments are rolling them out the world over is
even more terrifying.
Shams
What is particularly disturbing is global governments propensity to steer away from what they
are actually supposed to do serve the people.
The water cannon example here is an excellent one
because it is happening across countries, across systems of government, and across political ideologies,
and I applaud the writer for choosing it because it
takes out the whole East vs West and democracy
vs autocracy dimension. Make no mistake, this is
happening everywhere in various forms and it must
be noticed and countered.
How to solve: Fill in the blank spaces with the

numbers 1 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must
contain all nine digits with no numberrepeating.
May 20
ccording to a recent report from the International Renewable

Energy Agency (IRENA) Bangladesh is the world leader in
small solar power home installations.
In the last ten years, the number of solar systems in Bangladesh
has jumped from 25,000 to 2.8 million. Currently 114,000 people
are employed in assembling, selling, installing and maintaining solar
panels. The number of solar related jobs doubled between 2011 and
2013 and the associated green
workforce in Bangladesh is now
the sixth equal largest in the
world alongside Spains.
While still small compared to
the 3.5 million such jobs housed
by the top two countries,
China and Brazil, the rapid rate
of growth proves renewable
energy holds huge potential for
Bangladesh, not only in terms
of providing power to those off
the grid but also as a job creator
and perhaps even as an export
power-house.
The government should boost investment in renewables - both
in production and research and development in order to meet our
power needs, rather than spending more on expensive rental plants
and risky nuclear power.
Strategic investment in renewable energy can help foster
economic growth, and perhaps just as importantly, establish
Bangladeshs name as a leader in non-RMG related manufacturing.
As the country moves up the economic development ladder, that is
certainly a worthy goal.
To achieve it, the government needs to make cut fossil fuel
subsidies. Taxing fossil fuels at a market rate, rather than subsidising
gas and diesel, would both help reduce waste and stimulate private
sector investment in renewables.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
SUDOKU
Waterway safety
Sustain solar
installations growth
How to solve: Each number in our

CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 3 represents M so fill M every
time the figure 3 appears.
You have two letters in the control grid
to start you off. Enter them in appropriate squares in the main grid, then use
your knowledge of words to work out
which letters go in the missing squares.
Some letters of the alphabet may not
be used.
As you get the letters, fill in the other
squares with the same number in the
main grid, and the control grid. Check
off the list of alphabetical letters as you
identify them.
TJ
We read the news of people dying in launch and
road accidents, feel bad for a couple of minutes,
and then move on to read the more important
news like the Indian election. Is this really the way
we are supposed to react when our own people
are dying in accidents which can be prevented
very easily?
PM orders immediate arrest of

Ekrams killers
May 20
KB
Strange order doesnt the police have enough
sense to go at criminals without a prime ministerial command?
Our greatest wealth
PMs son urges boycott of

Prothom Alo
May 20
The Basher
I thought he had some sense in his head. With
time, he is proving himself and proving me wrong.
It is not a surprise to me to see such words from
his mouth, for he is the next generation of politicians in BD.
nds
The Basher: What he has said is absolutely correct. Prothom Alo and its editor are just doing a
great disservice to this country.
Sammy
What a surprise that the heir to the Baksal dynasty is wanting to shut down newspapers for going
slightly out of the party-approved nomenclature. I
am shocked, I tell you, I am shocked! Not!
May 21
vhs
It is a shame that the whole concept of healthcare
is treated so badly in our country. if were not a
healthy people we are nothing.
DU students demand Prothom

Alo editors apology
May 21
Dr Ahsan Habib
So many gross violations of the spirit of the fight
for freedom happen in Bangladesh, including the
heinous commercialisations of the term, and the
DU students pay no attention. Now they are staging demonstrations over this minor issue, which
happened in a foreign country. My advice to the
DU students: Pay attention to the treatment of
the fight for freedom issue inside Bangladesh.
CALVIN AND HOBBES
KKB
Yes, lets ban everything. Hail self-righteousness
and ignorance. Lets throw the baby out with the
bath-water.
Snr Citizen
The gross mistake that the Prothom Alo has made
needs to be reviewed, if it is a transliteration of
news that appeared in an Indian newspaper.
Fact is, even India and Pakistan (both involved
countries) say the same, that it was an Indo-Pak
war that Pakistan lost (I am only trying to recollect
what I had read years ago). While the surrender
was being signed, there was no Bangladeshi representation! Where were the Muktis? Where was
General MAG Osmani? So, I am afraid, the wrongs
have never been corrected. I hope this is a chance
to do the corrections.
CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Untidy state (4)
5 Nothing (4)
10 Minute particle (4)
11 Tree (3)
12 Sea green (5)
13 First woman (3)
14 Thick (5)
16 Sampled (6)
18 Little wave (6)
21 Explosion (5)
23 Neckwear (3)
24 Golf clubs (5)
26 United (3)
27 Fowls enclosure (4)
28 Throw (4)
29 Nidus (4)
DOWN
2 Deserves (5)
3 Pigs enclosure (3)
4 Fusible alloys (7)
6 Facial features (4)
7 Make known (6)
8 Be indebted (3)
9 Encourage in crime (4)
15 Publication (7)
17 Lacking pigmentation (6)
19 Supports (5)
20 Direction (4)
22 Liquor dregs (4)
23 Small drink (3)
25 Fish eggs (3)
BJP or RSS
May 20
PEANUTS
Ronnie
Articles like these fit a recent pattern; an
overkill of pseudo-analyses by our media
and laymen of the election in India, and the
imagined consequences of BJPs landslide
victory in India, on Bangladesh.
This article reads almost as if Bangladesh
were really a state in India. Even people in
West Bengal seem to be far less flustered
about Modis victory than the self-styled
pundits here in Bangladesh. The communal
angle to BJPs politics, predictably, has been
foolishly overplayed by too many neophytes
in this country.
Bottom line: BJP has been given an emphatic mandate to govern India, which sadly,
isnt remotely the case with the incumbent
government in Bangladesh. This gross
mismatch in political/electoral legitimacy
between the governing regimes in India
and Bangladesh presents an immediate
impediment to achieving progress on the
festering issues between the two countries.
At any rate, can we all just catch our breath
and settle down?
VHS
BJP and RSS are just labels. If you really want
to understand his politics, just look at his day
to day actions.
YESTERDAYS SOLUTIONS
CODE-CRACKER
CROSSWORD
SUDOKU
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Op-Ed
11
No bed of roses for Modi
n Uday Sankar Das
ittle did I realise when I

wrote on the Indian elections a few months ago that
the Indian voters would create history by giving the BJP
an unprecedented mandate to make its
leader Narendra Modi the 15th prime
minister of India .
The former chief minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, a staunch believer
in Hindutva, will be sworn in as the
prime minister of India in a grand
ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in
New Delhi, having won an astounding
victory on the planks of change, development, and stability.
But despite having such a comfortable cushion of 336 seats in the 543-seat
lower house of parliament, the Lok
Sabha, will it all be a bed of roses for
the Modi administration?
One of the biggest challenges to be
faced internally is the threat posed
by the Maoists. The outgoing prime
minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, had
described the Maoists as the biggest
internal security threat to the country.
It is widely believed that Modi will
handle the question of security in a
tit for tat way. He is quite aware that
the people of India would love to see
tough measures being taken, be it
against the Maoists or the jihadis.
It must be remembered that
Narendra Modi has been given a
huge mandate, and that carries huge
expectations. The changes promised
cannot come overnight and so
management of expectations would
be important. His decision-making
capability is well-known and this could
give him a head-start in kick-starting
the economy and give India the status
of a large economic power.
value. Modi is known to be industry-friendly and so there could well be

more investment in this sector. He has
to show visible progress in development, notably in industrial infrastructure throughout the country.
Inflation is a major issue. Price hike
of essential commodities has to be
tackled. Added to that is the price of
fuels. The government has to cough up
a huge amount in the form of subsidies
for diesel. Change in the price of diesel
has a spiral effect on the domestic
economy. Bringing the economy back
on track would be one of his biggest
priorities.
One of the biggest criticisms of
the UPA 2 government was that it
was inactive and very slow in making
decisions. It is thought that with the
induction of the Modi government, the
policy paralysis era in India will come
to an end.
Another problem that would need
attention is the Rajya Sabha, the upper
house of parliament, where the NDA
is poorly represented. Out of the 250
seats in Rajya Sabha, five seats are
now vacant. The UPA presently holds
102 seats (Congress 68) while the NDA
has only 65 seats (BJP 46). The NDA,
therefore, would have to depend
on the regional parties, mainly BSP,
Trinamool Congress, and AIADMK, for
attaining majority. All these parties are
opposed to the NDA, though AIADMK
has since softened its attitude. It is felt
that this would not be a big hurdle, as
the opposition with such paltry numbers in the other house, the Lok Sabha
would not like to rock the boat.
Modi would have to, on the one
hand, give some freebies to some
states, and, on the other, riding on the
present wave, reap the benefits in a
number of upcoming state assembly
Inviting Saarc leaders to Modis swearing-in

ceremony was a bold move. He is extending a hand
of friendship to all the neighbouring states
On the economy, Dr Jagdish Bhagwati, a free-market advocate, has been

brought in as an adviser, and this
could help get more FDIs. It is a good
omen that the stocks are rising and the
rupee has also seen an increase in its
elections. Victories in the state assembly elections would help the NDA get
more Rajya Sabha seats. One-third of
the seats of Rajya Sabha are up for elections in 2016 and only then could the
NDA bring the situation in its favour.
All eyes on Modi
REUTERS
Infiltration from Pakistan is a major

issue that Modi needs to take care of
and this is an ongoing issue. Modi also
promised during his election campaign in the east and north-east of the
country that he would firmly handle
infiltration from Bangladesh. Whether
this was election rhetoric or not is yet
to be seen.
Relations with neighbours and foreign policy would be the two matters
that need a closer look when the new
administration takes office.
Inviting Saarc leaders to Modis
swearing-in ceremony was a bold and
smart move. He is trying to show that
he is extending a hand of friendship
to all the neighbouring states and also
making it absolutely clear that India is
an emerging power in this part of the
world. While Modis move has been
appreciated in India, it came under
ore than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls have been missing for

six weeks. Some of those
abducted managed to escape, but the
rest remain in captivity. Rescue efforts,
including a vigourous social media
campaign that has seen Michelle
Obama and Malala Yousafzai involved
to Bring Back Our Girls, have yielded
a video released by the captors on
May 12. Showing around 130 of the
girls, it was a demand by Boko Haram
to release imprisoned militants if the
forcibly converted children were to be
freed.
This was followed by two terrorist
attacks by the Islamist group on May
20, that claimed 118 lives in the central
city of Jos. Additionally, gunmen
belonging to the same group killed 10
people in the village of Shawa and 17
in Alagarno. After taking over three
weeks to acknowledge the disappearance of the girls, the presidency
that aggressively guards information
pertaining to its War on Terror by
cracking down on citizen journalism
and online activism pointed the finger
at the named enemy as soon as the
latest attacks took place.
The administration qualified the
sharing of this information by vehemently asserting that it was not losing
the battle against Boko Haram. President Goodluck Jonathan is intolerant
of criticism about the governments
record on security and corruption,
increasingly so with a general election
approaching.
The belief in the country is that the
current government is desperate to
stay in power post-February 2015. The
intimidation of journalists, activists,
bloggers et al using a law passed last
year that criminalised the incitation of
terrorist violence online supports this
claim. Silencing critical voices is the
governments main concern. Using the
spectre of terrorism to enact draconian
laws and cling on to the throne with
the tips of fingernails only to derive

the iron hand benefits of power is a
familiar political tale.
George W Bush was the trailblazer
in the US. Bangladesh saw an unsuccessful attempt in 2006, and a successful one this year. The AL government,
born from the ninth general election,
had to be given another term to root
out extremism and prevent Bangladesh from sliding closer towards
becoming a terrorist state, so the
argument went.
Each detestable murder

and kidnapping done in
the name of their God
will be denounced as an
act of terror
An audio clip, allegedly a battle cry

from the al-Qaeda chief that supposedly echoed the sentiments of political
organisations that had been painted
as the enemy, surfaced a month after
the tenth general election, and three
detained operatives of the banned
Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh
escaped from police custody shortly
after that.
The threat of terrorism continuing
to loom large vindicated the earnest
contentions in favour of re-electing the
AL. Indeed, another banned Islamist
group, Hizb ut-Tahrir, has started to
stir again, further intensifying the very
real fears. The incumbent government
is the only one capable of fighting the
epitome of evil that was aided by the
poisonous socio-political environment
cultivated by its elected predecessor,
so goes the narrative.
Recent months have seen fractures
so Modis moves would be very closely

watched.
On the question of relationship with
Bangladesh, the problem relating to
river water-sharing between the two
countries would need the help of the
state governments concerned. Finding
a solution to this problem would be
complex. On the Afghanistan-Pakistan
situation, this could be a foreign policy
thorn to look out for more because of
the impending withdrawal of US and
allied troops.
Finally, it must not be forgotten that
Narendra Modi is a staunch supporter
of Hindutva and came up from the
ranks of Rashtriya Swayamasevak
Sangha (RSS).
There is a fear that there could be a
remote button to be pressed by RSS in
the running of the government. As one
RSS leader said, they would inspire
the Modi government but would not

interfere with it. Modi may have
toned down on this issue after the
election, but hardcore Hindutva leaders around him may not cool off. One
has to see what happens in reality.
Narendra Modi must also remember that he is to become the prime
minister of the whole country, and he
rightly said that the government is of
the country and as such, he needs
to govern keeping social inclusion in
mind.
The whole worlds eyes are now
closely focused on Narendra Modi, the
next prime minister of India, and how
he tackles the economy and shapes the
countrys foreign policy. l
Uday Sankar Das is a senior journalist who
worked for BBC World Service radio. This
article was written from Kolkata.
The enemy within

n Ikhtisad Ahmed
sharp criticism as well from some

quarters. About inviting Pakistans
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, cynics
ask what Modis reaction would have
been if Congress had sent a similar
invitation. Others try to remind the
BJP leader that in an election rally, he
ridiculed the former government for
serving chicken biriyani to a former
Pakistani prime minister.
Inviting Sri Lankas President
Mahinda Rajapakse did not go very
well in Tamil Nadu. BJPs ally MDMKs
leader Vaiko and also the states chief
minister Jayalalitha, vehemently opposed the Sri Lankan presidents visit.
Regarding the Indian foreign policy
outline and relations with its neighbours, there has always been a broad
consensus, irrespective of which
party comes to power. But things have
changed in this election campaign and
Storm in a teacup
appear on the pristine faade of this
perfect and necessary government.
Divisions within its ranks prevalent
during the upazila elections have
become a recurring theme, marked
by constant fracases amongst its
various student wings largely devoid
of students, but adversely affecting
universities nonetheless.
There is also the small matter of
a celebrated member of parliament
being involved if not central to the
plot, then certainly in some capacity
in the abduction and murder of one of
his generals by another of his generals
using law enforcement officers
(at least one of whom has links to
another member of parliament), and
its aftermath. These examples alone
make it far from an absurd suggestion
that a cancer is spreading through
the party in power, which it seems
oblivious to and unwilling to counter.
It intimates that the government and
its people may have misjudged the
real enemy.
Terrorism, however, steadfastly remains the face of evil. Further violent
incidents are, unfortunately, going to
continue to occur. Every single one
of them will be perpetrated by fringe
Islamist organisations that seem intent
on turning all nations into what they
perceive as being Islamic states. Each
detestable murder and deplorable kidnapping done in the name and service
of their God will be denounced as an
act of terror by the rest of the world.
Elevating the status of these
common, albeit barbaric, criminals is
an effective political manoeuvre that
distracts from the failures of governments. Their citizens submit to unconscionable, illegal, unjust laws and acts
for the sake of their own safety. The
worldwide misunderstanding of a faith
marginalises its followers and deprives
them of their religious rights. l
Ikhtisad Ahmed is a writer and an erstwhile
lawyer. He can be contacted on Twitter via @
Ikhtisad.
n FS Aijazuddin
here is a storm in a teacup that,

taken at a flood, leads on to the
prime minister-ship of India. No
one not even his numerous detractors should begrudge Narendra Modi
the quality of his success.
Throughout the world, political
pundits and social savants have made
much of his almost perpendicular
rise to power, from tea boy to teapot politics. It has been spectacular,
perhaps unprecedented in the annals
of democracy. The largest electorate
in history has given its collective
decision quietly, and without the
mayhemthat Western observers cross
continents to audit. It has voted for
the party it wants and the policies it
espouses; equally unequivocally, it
has signified which parties it does not
want.
In essence, the BJP standstodaywhere the Congress Party once
did, except that it has chosen to
occupy Ramas sandals just as the Congress once shuffled about in Mahatma
Gandhis leather chappals.
The BJP has come a long way over
the past 30 years. In 1984, it secured
only two seats in the Lok Sabha;today,
it has 280 more. This could not have
been possible without the determination and perseverance of its leadership, especially former Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He and other
members of the old guard (notably
LK Advani) have been relegated to
icon-hood. Like Catholic saints, they
should expect to receive their homage
from afar.
For Congress, this election has been
as traumatic asNovember 1963was for
the Kennedy dynasty. On November
22, someone in New York rushed into
a bar and shouted: The Presidents
been shot! At which one of the persons replied: Yes, but is he dead?
The Congress Party has been effectively buried by the BJP. It has only 44
seats, a presence of less than 10% of
the Lok Sabha. Buried, but some might

ask, is it dead?
The enduring truth is that the
Indian National Congress has been in
existence too long for it to become extinct after just one round of elections.
It may be a huge political pachyderm
but it has not yet petrified into a fossil.
It will continue to survive, an opposition without conviction, a lumbering
elephant without tusks.
Will the new BJP

government have any
time for Pakistan, for
Bangladesh, or for
Jammu and Kashmir?
The shape and identity the Congress

Party adopts following this electoral
defeat will depend upon how quickly
it can disassociate itself from Rahul
Gandhi and his fellow pall-bearers. Of
the two sons of his grandmother Mrs
Indira Gandhi, Rahul inherited his
fathers physical DNA but the political
genes of his uncle Sanjay. The condescension he demonstrated to those
whom he led was at its worst when he
neglected for whatever reason and
he must have had a good one to
attend the farewell dinner given for
the outgoing prime minister of his
own party.
Manmohan Singh endured that
final slight with the same stoic silence
as he had previous humiliations at
the hands of his employers. Rahuls
haughtiness was reminiscent of that
famous cartoon Dropping the Pilotby Sir John Tenniel (Punch,March
1890)that showed the ageing Chancellor von Bismarck being off-loaded
from the ship of state by the younger,

arrogant, and impetuous Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.
While Manmohan Singh has declared that his ten year prime minister
is an open book, it is unlikely that he
will do the Sanjaya Baru on himself.
His dignified reticence was once his
greatest virtue; to his critics, it is now
his unforgivable vice. He can take
comfort from the fact that few technocrats have survived for so long on what
Benjamin Disraeli once described as
the top of the greasy pole.
On many occasions, Manmohan
Singh had expressed a desire to revisit
his birth-village of Gah (now in Pakistan). That may at last be possible,
now that the gilded manacles of his
official position have been removed.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
would probably welcome such a trip,
perhaps more than he might welcome a visit (his diplomatic invitation
notwithstanding) from Mr Modi and
BJP hardliners who have not forgotten
Lahore, Kargil, or Agra.
Will the new BJP government have
any time for Pakistan, for Bangladesh,
or for Jammu and Kashmir?Only a
determined optimist will see a silver
lining in the swirling cloud of saffron.
When it comes to fence-mending,
though, the United States is already
ahead of Pakistan in the queue. President Barack Obamas tele-call to Modi
was more than a diplomatic courtesy;
it was an act of political contrition.
Not far from the White House, in
an exhibition at the Natural History
Museum, a poster is on display
showing Uncle Sam embracing a
turbanned Sikh, in apology after the
murder of a sardar mistaken for a
Muslim after 9/11. That poster needs to
be updated, now that Uncle Sam has
embraced Modi. l
FS Aijazuddin lives in Lahore and is a
columnist forDawn, Pakistans main Englishlanguage newspaper. This article was first
published in Dawn.
12
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Entertainment
Azizul Hakim: I will start shooting for my film

at the end of this year
n Afrose Jahan Chaity
Azizul Hakim began his acting career on television with a
small role in the 80s. The acclaimed actor-turned-director
is also an active performer in theatre troupe Aranyak. He
has directed more than a dozen TV plays which bagged him
critical reviews and positive response from the audience.
His first directorial debut on small screen was Ja Hariye
Jay and on theatre, Pathor.
Dhaka Tribune caught up with the actor to learn about
his experiences and future ventures.
What you are up to nowadays?
Recently, I have completed the shooting of an Eid special
drama series which is the sequel of Genduchora. Along
with that, I have also done some some single-episode plays
and telefilms. At present, a few of my TV plays are airing
on various channels including Anjan Aichs Jol Phoringer
Gaan, Amirul Islams Songsar Simante, Fahim Sarkers
Prothom Prem, and Shotirtho Rahmans Udor Pindi
Budhor Ghare.
What about television plays?
Banglavision recently completed airing one of my drama
series Nij Grihe Porobashi. Right now I am on the lookout for an interesting story for my next directorial venture.
I want to find something unique for the audience and am
looking forward to presenting them with a new plot.
Any film projects in the pipeline?
I have already selected a story and at the moment, I am
working on the pre-production phase of the movie. Film is
a big venture, therefore, I am taking my time to move ahead
with the project. Hopefully, I will start shooting for my film
at the end of this year.
Somay
Natyodal to
stage Bhager
Manush today
So what is the current tally?

So far I have directed 6 drama series and approximately 5
telefilms and single episode plays.
Favourite roles?
All of my acting projects are in my favourites list. When I am
working in a play, every role is dear to me and I try to deliver
my best every time. But, I have really enjoyed my role as Nilmoni in a TV play titled Sundori, which is based on a story in
Sundarban. Other roles I will always remember are from Kon
Kanoner Phul, and Somoy Oshomoy. As a director, my favourite directorial work is Pathor, which is a theatre play.
How do you always manage to get into the character you
play?
Acting is my passion and profession. I always try to blend
in with the role and think of nothing else during that period. While acting, I give all my priority and attention to that
particular role.
Based on your experience over the years, how do the new
generation actors compare?
They are all doing a great job. Nowadays, the newcomers
enter the entertainment industry after learning or studying
about their specific interest in the field of work. Their dedication and effort is appreciable.
What are your observations regarding the state of television today?
Our TV industry has grown over the years. Small screen
has a big market and that is why so many praiseworthy and
creative productions are coming forward. Now, a director
can work on experimental projects and newcomers are undertaking contemporary pieces which add something new
every day. I think good works should be promoted by all
and receive critics and audience recognition. l
n Entertainment Desk
Drama series Bhalobashar Chotushkon, will air its 99th
episode tonight on NTV at 9:45pm. Directed by Shihab
Shahin, the drama series features popular actors including Moutushy Biswas, Moushumy Hamid, Naim, Ferdousy
Lina and many others. Popular actors Apurbo and Momo
lent voice in the title song of drama series.
The plot of the series revolves around three couples who
are brought together by the hand of fate and become close
to one another. But, slowly their friendship falls apart
when complications arise. The 99th episode will feature
Nila, a career conscious woman who gets a promotion. She
is overjoyed by her success and becomes very estatic about
her new cabin and career breakthrough. l
Insightful saga on man-woman BSA celebrates

Nazruls birthday
interrelationship
n
Entertainment Desk
Celebrating the National Poets 115th birth anniversary, Bangladesh

Shilpakala Academy (BSA) organised a cultural programme on May 25 at the
National Theatre Hall of the academy. The celebration was a lively affair of a
colourful cultural programme featuring musical soire, recitation and dance
presentations. A discussion session was also held on the life and work of the
rebel poet.
Leading Nazrul singers of the country took part in the event including Khil
Khil Kazi, the grand daughter of Kazi Nazrul Islam who opened the event by
presenting a popular Nazrul number. Then, Sujit Mustafa, Yakub Ali, Shahid
Kabir Polash, Sumon Chowdhury, Nasima Shaheen Fancy, Onindita, Jannate-Ferdous Lucky, Pradip Kumar Nandi, Krishna Acharya, and Babu Rahman
followed suit. Syed Hasan Imam, Ahkamul, Ashraful Alam and Mahmuda
Akhtar recited poetry of Nazrul. Group performances were staged by
Nobocheton and Bangladesh Academy of Fine Arts (BAFA) .
The function was graced by Zillur Rahman Siddiqui, Director General of
Shilpakala Academy Liaquat Ali Lucky, author Rashid Haider and BSAs
secretary Jahangir Hossain Chowdhury. All the guests present at the event
took part in the discussion session. l
Somoy Natyodal will stage Bhager
Manush today at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy at 6:30pm.
The play was premiered in 1997 and so
far has been staged over 150 times. Mannan Heera adapted the play from a popular Urdu short story Toba Tek Singh by
Saadat Hasan Manto.
A satire of the partition of the Indian
subcontinent in 1947 which brought immense suffering to the people living in
the border areas of India and Pakistan, the
play highlights the exchange agreement
of the lunatics between the two governments soon after the partition (1947).
Directed by Aly Zaker, it shows many historical characters like Gandhi, Jinnah and
others.
They are represented as a contrast to
those who are labeled insane by society.
Legendary Sikh religious figure Tek Singh
is featured as one of the central characters
in the play. Singh strongly opposes the
partition that has separated people of a
nation in the name of religion. l
Bhalobashar
Chotushkon to air
its 99th episode
A scene from play Dog, Woman, Man
n Hasan Mansoor Chatak

In Bangladesh, contemporary German plays are scarcely
practiced on stage and when the theme tackles the psychology of relationships, then certainly it demands exceptional attention. Reetu Sattar, a theatre activist and
Prachyanat member, adapted Sibyllie Bergs work Dog,
Woman, Man which is being staged consecutively at the
Berlin Hall of Goethe Institut Dhaka till May 31.
Sibyllie Berg is a contemporary German playwright
whose story Dog, Woman, Man centers around three
characters, a dog, a woman and a man, and the evolution
of the relationship from the dogs perspective. A 38 year
old man who once preferred had no strings attached
flings meets a woman and slowly they become intertwined in a complex relationship. Stages of the affair including burning passion, trust, grief, denial, dependence,
jealousy, rage, despair, and in the end, submission, are
brought out as the play progresses. The dog plays the
neutral observer, and also narrator for the drama.
The story is skillfully showcased, revealing what is
happening beneath the surface in an adept manner. The
final message of the play is quite refreshing as it portrays
that an open and fair relationship is better than one which
entails submission and confinement.
A psychological drama demands special treatment in
Deepika and
Ranveer are just
good friends?
The Ram-Leela hero himself clarified his equation with
co-star Deepika Padukone. Recently, Ranveer Singh cleared
the air by stating that he is not in a relationship with the
statuesque actress and they are just good friends.
Ranveer pointed out that there is nothing between them
and it is the gossip mongers' way of assuming things. Although he calls Deepika a very special person and considers her as a most wonderful person, the actor said that it is
wrong to assume that they are romantically involved. He
added that it is natural that co-actors spend time with each
other a lot while working together.
"I have great admiration and respect for her as an artist
and as a professional. That's it," remarked Ranveer, who
is currently working on Zoya Akhtar's film Dil Dhadakne Do. l
TANVIR MURAD TOPU
sound, light, set and props department, to convey the

playwrights perception to the audience. The stage arrangement of the play was successful in achieving the
perfect ambiance for the story. The use of transparent
blinds in various effects, with the audience concentration
focused on elements (like pillows on the wall, depicting
vertical beds) and the use of stage was very refreshing.
The pre-arranged visuals to heighten the narration (like
Facebook posts appearing on projector screens, pre-recorded sub-textual monologue, and use of video footage
and ambient audio) are all signature elements of contemporary theatre. The background music, arranged by Rahul
Anand was also immaculate, as were the light, set, props,
and choreography.
The production truly relied on the performances
of the characters as Shahadat Hossain (from Centre for
Asian Theatre) and Samina Luthfa (from BotTala) brilliantly acted to keep the audience on their seats and
supported well by Shahriar Ferdous Sazeeb (Prachyanat), who played the dog. The leading duos chemistry on stage, timing and body language deserve appreciation. Sazeebs act was more challenging than it
seemed, and he also gave an impressive performance.
The ambitious project was set in such a manner that the
audience got the flavour of contemporary European stage
in a local one. l
TODAY IN DHAKA
Exhibition
Bornil Pandulipi
Time: 12pm 8pm
Gallery Shilpangon
Second Sight
Time: 12pm 8pm
The Daily Star Centre, 64-65
Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue
Dhaka
Mukh O Mukhosh 5
Time: 11am 8pm
Galleri Kaya, House no. 20
Road no. 16, Sector no. 4, Uttara
Theatre
Dog, Woman, Man

Time: 7pm 9pm
Goethe Institut Bangladesh
Road 9(new), House 10
Dhanmondi
X-Men overpower Godzilla

The
X-Men
mutant
superheroes
smashed into US and Canadian theaters
and collected $90.7m in ticket sales
through Sunday, keeping monster hit
Godzilla at bay and heading toward a
decisive win over a long holiday weekend.
X-Men: Days of Future Past was expected to bring in $110m by the end of
the US Memorial Day holiday on Monday,
distributor 20th Century Fox said. The
movie has already earned a global total
of $261.8m. It is running in 119 countries
around the world.
X-Men: Days of Future Past is the
seventh movie in the blockbuster Marvel
Comics franchise about mutant superheroes.
In the latest installment, Hugh Jackmans sharp-clawed Wolverine travels
back in time to try and save the mutants
from future destruction.
To alter history, he is drawn into battle

with the blue, shape-shifting Mystique,
portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence in the
$200m film.
The movie scored the fifth-biggest Memorial Day weekend opening in history. l
Did you know?

Victory was the
original name of the
first FIFA World Cup
trophy. It was renamed the Jules Rimet
Trophy in 1946.
Sport
14 Japan edge Australia

to win Womens
Asian Cup
14 Snubbed Donovan
becomes MLS
all-time top scorer
DHAKA TRIBUNE
13
15 Sharapova shines,
Nishikori crashed
out at French Open
Streak appointed
Bangladeshs
bowling coach
n
Former Zimbabwe skipper Heath Streak
has been appointed as Bangladeshs
bowling coach until 2016. Bangladesh
Cricket Boards (BCB) media and communications committee chairman Jalal
Younus announced the successful recruitment of Streak yesterday.
Heath Streaks experience and record speak for him. He has played 65
Test matches and 189 ODIs and as a
coach he has worked with some top
bowling coaches in the international
arena. He told us that coaching was
his passion and we really appreciate
that kind of desire, said Jalal while announcing Streaks appointment.
Jalal further informed that Streak
has agreed a two-year term with BCB
during which his services will be avail-
able for 450 days based on the schedule

of the Bangladesh team.
He (Streak) will primarily work
with the national side and is expected
in Dhaka in the first week of June, said
Jalal.
The 40-year-old former Zimbabwean all-rounder will form a coaching
partnership with head coach Chandika Hathurusingha. Chandika was appointed for the Bangladesh job earlier
this month following the resignation
of former Bangladesh coach Shane Jurgensen.
The contract with Streak will see
him available three weeks before every series as well as an extended stay
with the national team prior to the 2015
World Cup.
I look forward to the challenge
of working with the Tigers and thank
BCB for the opportunity, said Streak,
who is currently in Bulawayo, through
a BCB statement. It was further said in
the statement that the former Zimbabwe captain was relishing the prospect
of working with the Bangladesh team.
It is exciting for me to be back into
the International coaching arena again.
It is my passion to coach at an elite level and I hope I can bring my experience
as a former player and coach to the
Bangladeshi bowlers. I look forward to
teaming up with the new coaching staff
and mapping the future for this exciting team, he said.
Streak is one of Zimbabwes most
acclaimed cricketers who had also
worked as the bowling coach of Zimbabwe national team between 2009 and
2013. He is Zimbabwes all-time leading all-rounder with 4933 runs and 455
wickets in international cricket.
Besides a season of domestic cricket
in the country in the 1990s, he played 6
of his 65 Tests and 10 ODIs against Bangladesh. l
Bangladesh national cricketers share a light moment during their training session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday
We needed this break: Tamim

n
Bangladesh
opening
batsman
Tamim Iqbal believes the absence of
Indias regular captain MS Dhoni
and Virat Kohli in the upcoming
three-match ODI series in June will
be an added advantage for the home
side.
It has been widely reported in the
media that both the key players Dhoni
and Kohli might be rest for the short
series in Bangladesh keeping their long
tour to England in mind.
It will be of help to any side
playing against an Indian side which
Sky Blues falter and flounder again

n
Abahani Ltd. failed to
break the wicked jinx
of settling for a point
as they drew goalless
for the third consecutive time in their Bangladesh Premier Football League encounter
against
Chittagong
Abahani at the Bangabandhu National
Stadium yesterday. Abahani suffered
from the same scoreline against Sheikh
Jamal and Sheikh Russell in their previous two matches.
Yesterdays match also marked the
end of Abahanis second phase in the
league with 34 points from 18 matches
as they lie 2nd in the points table. However, Mohammedan is sitting 3rd with
29 points having played two games
less.
It was the same old tale of Abahani
dominating the proceedings without

actually succeeding in scoring a goal
as their attackers again appeared to be
going through motions. Their misfiring
performance has now gifted Abahani
with the undesirable record of failing to
find the back of the net in three consecutive matches in the league for the first
time in the clubs illustrious history.
Abahani could have taken the lead
in the very first minute if their Cameroonian forward Ekele Patrick,even
though unchallenged, had not shot
wide from the middle of the box.
Abahani mounted ceaseless pressure and opened up their opponents
defense in the 20th minute when midfielder Pranotosh saw his cracking shot
punched away to safety by Chittagong
Abahani custodian Nahiduddin. Pranotosh was left cursing his luck again in
the 61st minute when his goal-bound
header from a curved in corner by Portuguese forward Suares was punched
away for another corner by the outstretched Nahiduddin who had a good
match under the bar.
With frustration gripping Abahani
gradually, Chittagong Abahani started
to invade their opponents defense
as Guinean forward Osmane Cherrif
unleashed a fierce left-footed drive
from the top of the box in the 72nd
minute, only to see the ball slam the
crosspiece after kissing the gloves of
Abahani goalie Shahidul Alam Sohel on
its way.
Abahani Ltd. survived a major scare
in the 75th minute when skipper Md.
Sujon cleared a goal-bound shot from
Chittagong Abahani forward Sohel Mia.
This proved to be Chittagong Abahanis
best and last opportunity of salvaging anything other than a point from an
otherwise dull performance.
Chittagong Abahani now have 10
points from 18 matches and is languishing at the bottom of the point table. l
made in the World Twenty20, said the

25-year-old.
We have a very important series
(against India) coming up. I will be
happy if I am able to contribute for the
team in that series, added the cricketer
from Chittagong.
The national side members returned
to practice after a break of almost 45
days and Tamim said, I think we
needed this break. I hope we will come
up as a team again, find and mend the
mistakes we had made and try not to
repeat those in the India series. We can
expect a positive result from the series
if we play up to our potential. l
do not have key players like Dhoni

and Kohli. But this doesnt mean that
we will be relaxed in the series, said
Tamim yesterday after the first day of
national teams practice session since
the ICC World Twenty20 ended in
April.
They will have other players who
also play the game very well. We
(Bangladesh team) will have to play
our best cricket to do well - let it be any
opponent, Tamim added.
Close defeats, irresponsible batting
and poor catching skills covered a huge
portion of the Tigers busy first quarter
this year which started with the full
series against Sri Lanka before they

moved on with the Asia Cup and the
ICC World Twenty20.
The seniors of the team were blamed
behind the dismal performance and
they were highly criticised too. The
southpaw Tamim also had a quiet time
with the bat but he thinks There are
ups and downs in cricket.
One should also take the off form
positively and think how to overcome
the bad patch rather than only thinking
that you are having a bad time. I am
trying my best to over come it and
working in the nets on my mistakes.
Hope I dont repeat the mistake I
Araf SC move into

Pioneer final
n
MPCA U-19 in strong position
Araf Sporting Club progressed into the final of the Pioneer Football League defeating Tangail Football Academy 3-2 in the
second semifinal held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. The win
also ensured a promotion to the 3rd division football league for Araf next season.
Araf displayed true character as they
absorbed the shock of falling behind
twice and finished as the victors. Sumon Mia of Tangail scored in the 10th
minute but Uzzal restored parity in the
13th minute. Ruhul put Tangail ahead
again in the 16th minute but Uzzal again
equalised in the 38th minute. Eight
minutes before stipulated time, Shanto
slammed in the winner. Araf will play
the final against Narinda Junior Lions
while Tangail are set to take on Kallol
Sangha in the third-place decider. l
n
Madhya Pradesh Cricket Academy
(MPCA) U-19 side gained the upper
hand in their three-day encounter
against Bangladesh U-19 as the visitors
trailed the hosts by 54 runs with seven
wickets in hand after the second days
play at BKSP yesterday.
Bangladesh, who ended the rain
interrupted first day on 217 for nine,
added just two runs to their tally in the
morning before Gaurav Patel dismissed
Rifat Pradhan to complete his fivewicket haul.
Rain once again halted the play for 2
hours and 15 minutes in the afternoon
which saw MPCA face just 62 overs. The
opening pair of Arpit Gaud and Krishna
Soni looked solid in their 105-run stand
which set the perfect platform for the
visitors.
Aprit made 64 off 114 balls with
BRIEF SCORE, DAY 2

Bangladesh U19 1st inns
221 all out in 59.2 overs
MPCA U19 1st inns
167/3 Arpit 64, Krishna 41; Saleh 1/26
MPCA U19 trailed by 54 runs
the help of 10 boundaries and two
sixes while Krishna added 41 to
facing 126 deliveries. He struck five
boundaries.
Mohammed
Saifuddin,
Saleh
Ahmed and Sanjib Sahan of Bangladesh
claimed a wicket each as MPCA
gathered 167 runs losing three wickets
at the end of second day.
Rain ruined any possibilities of a
result in the match as Shahbaz Khan,
on nine, and Nitish Lashkari, on five,
will resume the third and final day for
the visitors today. l
Confidence is the key believes Imran

n
Abahani forward Awdu Ibrahim (R) takes a shot against Chittagong Abahani during their Bangladesh Premier Football League match at
the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday
MUMIT M
COURTESY
Bangladeshs new assistant coach

Sarwar Imran believes the main
challenge ahead of the home series
against India will be to bring back the
confidence in the players. The national
side began their training camp at
the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium
yesterday.
Our team had the believe of
winning every match just six months
back but the poor performance in the
last two series changed the whole
scenario and its important to bring
back the confidence in them and if
we can do that everything will be fine
again, said Imran who carried the
role of the head coach in Bangladeshs
inaugural Test match against India in
2000.
Tamim was not getting runs
and our two finishers Nasir and
Mahmudullah were also struggling at
the end which was the reason of the
poor performance, he added.

Two of Indias key players - skipper
MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli - might not
be with the touring party and though
Imran said Bangladesh have beaten
India previously, he also said they still
have to give their hundred percent
to put up a good show against their
neighbours.
He added it will be possible only
when the cricketers regain their self
confidence and the team spirit will be
key.
The national squad underwent a
fitness test on the opening day of their
camp. However, Bangladesh captain
Mushfiqur Rahim was among the seven
absentees in the camp as the skipper
was granted a leave for his wedding
shopping in India.
It was learnt, Mahmudullah will be
joining the camp from the start of next
month while five other cricketers are
in West Indies with the Bangladesh A
team. l
14
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
Ronaldinho hoping to rent out home
Camp does not resemble a hospital
Looking for somewhere to stay in Rio de Janeiro during the World Cup?
Ronaldinho can help -- if you can afford $15,600 a night. The 34-year-old
former Brazil and Barcelona star has joined the ranks of his countrymen who
are hoping to cash in on next months footballing extravaganza by renting
out their homes to foreign visitors. Former world footballer of the year Ronaldinho took to Twitter to post an Airbnb advert for his seven-bedroom,
six-bathroom mansion in the upmarket district of Barra da Tijuca. AFP
Germany coach Joachim Loew on Monday dismissed reports his pre-World

Cup camp resembled a hospital due to the number of injured players,
including captain Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger, and said all
would be fit within days. Lahm and keeper Manuel Neuer are recovering
from injuries and have yet to start training, while playmaker Schweinsteiger
and defender Marcel Schmelzer train alone at their northern Italy
training camp.
Reuters
Australia struggle in draw

Australias Socceroos failed to raise their World Cup hopes with a struggling
1-1 draw against South Africa in a warm-up match for Brazil in Sydney on
Monday. Both goals were scored one minute apart early in the opening half
and chances became fewer as the match petered out to a stalemate before
50,000 fans at the Olympic stadium. Tim Cahill, leading his country for the
first time in his 69th international, equalised for the Socceroos in the 14th
minute after Ayanda Patosi opened the scoring a minute earlier. AFP
Germany eager
to end World Cup
third-place curse
n AFP, Berlin
Germany head to Brazil aiming to end
their 24-year wait for a fourth World
Cup title with captain Philipp Lahm insisting he is sick of finishing third.
Consecutive semi-final defeats have
led to Germany taking bronze at both
of the last two World Cups with Lahm
in the side and it is 12 years since the
Germans lost the 2002 final to Brazil in
Yokohama, Japan.
I do not want to go out in the
semi-finals again or visit Brazil just to
soak up the sun, insisted Lahm after a
decade in the Germany team.
I have a clear goal, to achieve the
biggest possible success and win the
World Cup.
In order to break their duck, improved
counter-attack and a tighter defence are
the key areas coach Joachim Loew wants
to improve. The squad is packed with attacking potential, but there have been
rumours of discontent in the past with
disgruntled stars disrupting the squads
harmony from the bench at both the
2012 European Championships and in
the World Cup qualifiers.
We have the necessary punch to
win the title, but we must be sure that

the talent and ego of every individual
provides only for the teams benefit,
said Lahm with team building also a
priority in their south Tirol camp.
The 24-year wait for a fourth World
Cup title is Germanys longest since
first winning the global crown in 1954.
Younger members of the squad, including midfield star Mario Goetze,
were yet to be born when West Germany won Italia 1990 -- the last time they
were world champions.
In the past, Loews strength has
been to instill impressive cohesion
into his side by hours of drilling. But
injuries and a lack of fitness in his firstchoice stars could hamper the process.
We need to work on our flexibility
and variation, said the 54-year-old.
You always need a what-if strategy during matches, but we also need
to improve our counter-attacking when
we have won the ball back.
We havent done that as consistently well as we did at the South African
World Cup and immediately after.
Germany have made a habit of suffering from injuries going into World
Cup campaigns. l
General view of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium during the celebration of Real Madrids 10th Champions League title in Madrid on Sunday, a day after Real Madrid CF beat Atletico
Madrid 4-1 at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, Portugal
AFP
World champions Japan edge Australia Pique renews with Barca,

sees return to top
to win Womens Asian Cup
Di Canio keen on
Celtic job
n AFP, Glasgow
n AFP, Ho Chi Minh City
Former Celtic forward Paolo Di Canio

has declared an interest in taking over
the managers job at Celtic following
the departure of Neil Lennon, according to his Italian agent.
Di Canio has been out of work since
he was sacked by Sunderland last September. The players UK representative
Phil Spencer was quoted by several
newspapers as saying that the 45-yearold would be keen to be considered for
the job at Celtic Park.
Paolo would be keen to speak to
Celtic, he claimed.
Di Canio joined Celtic from AC Milan
in 1996 and went on to win the Scottish
Professional Footballers Associations
player of the year award in his first
season. l
World champions Japan edged Australia 1-0 to win their first Womens Asian
Cup title in a hard-fought final in Ho
Chi Minh City on Sunday.
Azusa Iwashimizu got the games
only goal from a corner in the first half
and despite waves of attack from the
defending champions, Japans Nadeshiko held firm.
The win swelled Japans already impressive list of honours which includes
the 2011 World Cup and Olympic silver
at the 2012 London Games.
Defender Iwashimizu was also the
heroine in the semi-finals, when she
scored at the end of extra time to settle a
thriller against eight-time winners China.
On Sunday, the 27-year-old was on

target in the 28th minute for a goal
which was ultimately enough to relieve
Australias Matildas of the Asian title.
Mid-way through the second half,
Yuika Sugasawas shot cannoned off
the underside of the crossbar and onto
the line, and shortly afterwards Yuri
Kawamura cleared the ball off the Japanese line to deny Australia an equaliser.
But there was to be no more scoring
and as the final whistle blew, the Nadeshiko hugged each other in delight
while Australias players sat glumly on
the pitch.
Earlier, China rallied from their heartbreaking semi-final loss to Japan to beat
South Korea 2-1 and claim third place.
Yang Li headed the winner in the
dying seconds as the Steel Roses recovered from Thursdays rollercoaster semi, settled by Iwashimizus extra-time winner.
Especially after playing 125 minutes on Thursday it was very special to
win this game, said Chinas coach Hao
Wei, according to the Asian Football
Confederation (AFC) website.
And we did so well in the mental
and physical aspects of the game that it
gives me hope that theres a great foundation to improve upon in the future.
The competitions top five finishers
Japan, Australia, China, South Korea
and Thailand all won berths to next
years Womens World Cup in Canada,
where the Nadeshiko will defend their
title. l
n AFP, Madrid
Gerard Pique extended his Barcelona contract by four years on Monday,
praising new coach Luis Enrique and
predicting their return to the top after
a season with no silverware.
The 27-year-old centre-back signed
with Barcelona up to the end of the
2018-19 season, the club said, without
providing financial details. His previous contract ran until June 30, 2015.
Feeling that I will live out my whole
career here is really important to me. I
hope for many successes, as many as
we have had in these last years, Pique,
a key member of Spains World Cup
squad, said in a statement released by
Barcelona.
The departure of veteran Carlos

Puyol has left Pique as Barcelonas
lynchpin central defender.
But he lauded Barcelonas new
44-year-old coach Enrique, who vowed
last week to strengthen the team in every area as he replaced Argentine Gerardo Martino after a trophyless season.
I am really hopeful, Pique said.
Enrique showed he had very clear
ideas, he added. He knows the club
and I think he will give us a lot.
Barcelona can regain its premier
spot in world football, Pique said.
Barcelona has to be at the top, win
titles and feel important in the European and world elite, he added. We
have got the team, the coach, we have
got all the ingredients to do it again. l
AFC ask associations to hire

match-fixing watchdogs
n Reuters
Japanese players celebrate with the trophy after they defeated the Australian team 1-0, winning the Womens Asia 2014 Football
Championship on Sunday in Ho Chi Minh City
AFP
The Asian Football Confederation has

asked its member associations to appoint integrity officials to report any
issues of match-fixing as they battle to
clear up corruption in the sport.
The AFC, which has 46 full members
and one associate member in Northern
Mariana Islands, has set a deadline of
June 30 to make the appointments,
with those hired reporting to the organisations integrity officer Hassan
Haider Khan.
Responsibilities of the integrity
officer are to establish and maintain
integrity initiatives within the MA

(member associations), receive information related to match-fixing matters
within the MA and conduct inquiries
or investigations as an administrative
fact finder in coordination with AFC
and relevant national law enforcement
agencies. AFC Director of MAs and Development Sanjeevan Balasingam said
in a statement.
AFC members have long battled
match-fixing issues with China, South
Korea, Lebanon, Australia, Malaysia
and Singapore among countries to have
been hit by the problem.
AFC President Sheikh Salman bin
France not at full strength Snubbed Donovan becomes

for Norway friendly
MLS all-time top scorer
n AFP, Paris
Frances World Cup squad will emerge
from the isolation of their secluded
training base to play Norway on Tuesday in the first of three friendlies before
departing for Brazil.
Didier Deschamps squad have
spent the last week working at Clairefontaine, the national football centre
hidden away in the woods an hours
drive south of the capital.
Such peaceful surroundings could
hardly feel further removed from what
awaits them in Brazil, but when they
take to the field against the Norwegians
at the Stade de France they will start to
feel like the World Cup is finally just

around the corner.
Les Bleus begin their Group E campaign against Honduras in Porto Alegre
on Sunday, June 15, before going on to
face Switzerland and Ecuador.
To prepare, Deschamps side have
three friendlies lined up on home soil,
with the Norway clash followed by encounters with Paraguay in Nice next
Sunday and Jamaica in Lille on June 8.
It is the biggest competition that any
player can imagine taking part in. It is a
boyhood dream come true, admitted
the Newcastle United midfielder Moussa
Sissoko when asked what it means to participate in a World Cup on Brazilian soil. l
n AFP, Los Angeles

Landon Donovan offered a stylish response to his World Cup snub on Sunday, becoming Major League Soccers
all-time leading scorer in the LA Galaxys 4-1 win over Philadelphia.
The 32-year-old scored twice, seizing
the MLS scoring record with his 135th
career goal with his first strike of the
night, four minutes into the second half.
Donovan launched the move with a
pass to Galaxy teammate Robbie Keane
in the box. The Irishman squared across
the face of goal for the onrushing Donovan, who was left with a tap-in for his
first goal of the season.
It came days after US coach Jurgen

Klinsmann left Donovan off his final
23-man squad for the World Cup finals
in Brazil.
Its been an emotional three days,
Donovan told a television interviewer
after the game. A lot of down and a lot
of up honestly.
The love Ive received from everybody here, including when I walked
out for warm-ups with signs and people staying stuff, has been amazing.
And Im really happy it ended this way
for this week.
Donovan, a veteran of three World
Cups, is already the all-time USA scoring leader with 57 international goals. l
Ebrahim Al Khalifa, elected to the position last year, promised to tackle the
issue upon taking office but problems
have continued.
Last month, Vietnam Cup holders
Vissai Ninh Binh were kicked out of the
domestic league for the remainder of
the campaign after 11 of their players
admitted to taking money to fix a match
in the regional AFC Cup tournament.
Despite the admission, Vissai have
been allowed to continue in the AFC
Cup and will find out their quarter-final opponents in the competition this
week. The AFC said they were committed to clearing up the problems. l
Hertha sign Japan

forward Haraguchi
on four-year deal
n Reuters, Berlin
Hertha Berlin have signed Japan forward Genki Haraguchi from J.League
leaders Urawa Red Diamonds on a fouryear contract, the Bundesliga club said
on Monday.
The 23-year-old Haraguchi, who has
won three caps but is not a member of his
countrys squad for next months World
Cup, scored 33 goals in 162 J.League
games and will join former Urawa team
mate Hajime Hosogai in Berlin.
Genki Haraguchi is a versatile forward who can play both left and right or
in the centre, Hertha sporting director
Michael Preetz said in a statement. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
15
Morgan baffled
by sorry show
against Sri Lanka
QUICK BYTES
U-17s take on Madhya

Pradesh today
The Bangladesh Under-17 cricket team
will play the first three-day match of
their month-long tour of India against
the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) U-17 side in Indore today.
The junior Tigers will be taking part in
four three-dayers against MPCA in Indore before visiting Delhi to play three
one-day matches against Coca Cola
India XI. The Bangladesh U-17 side will
be led by Mohammed Saif Hassan with
Shafiul Hayet acting as his deputy. The
junior Tigers will return to the country
on June 18.
MU
Menzis, Narinda post

dominating win
Menzis Krira Chakra outplayed Victoria
Sporting Club by 38-19 goals in the
Cute Premier Division Handball League
at the handball stadium yesterday. The
winners led the first half 19-8. Robiul of
Menzis set the court on fire scoring 19
goals steering his team to the facile victory. Sohel of Victoria netted six goals.
In the other match of the day, Narinda
Pragati Sangha prevailed over Bangla
Club by 31-14 goals. Narinda led the first
half by 17-8 goals. Shamser Singh of
Narinda grabbed the highest 12 goals of
the match while Bangla Clubs highest
scorer was Titon who bagged six goals.
RM
Open womens
volleyball begins today
The first edition of the Cute Open
Womens Volleyball designed to boost
womens volleyball in the country
begins at the Paltan Ground handball
stadium today. Eight teams - BJMC
Green, Viqarunnisa Noon School and
College, Jagannath University, BJMC
Red, Dhaka University, Bangladesh
Police, Naba Jagoroni Sangha and
Scholastica - will be participating in
the meet. In a presser held at the
Bangabandhu National Stadium
conference room yesterday, additional
police superintendent Ashikur Rahman
Miku and chairman of the federation of
womens volleyball committee Syeda
Jannat Ara disclosed the details of the
tournament.
RM
Croatias Kranjcar
ruled out of World Cup
Croatian midfielder Niko Kranjcar will
miss the World Cup after picking up
a leg injury in Queens Park Rangers
Championship play-off win over Derby
at Wembley, officials said on Monday.
Local media reported that Croatia
coach Niko Kovac was in shock after
learning the news, as the 29-year-old
became the third player to be ruled out
of the finals in Brazil in the past week.
An MRI scan showed that Kranjcar
has a rupture of leg upper muscle,
Croatia squad doctor Boris Nemec told
AFP. A Croatian football federation
spokesman said that the injury would
sideline Kranjcar for two to four
weeks, adding that it was too long a
period to wait for him. Im extremely
sorry for Niko ... he is one of the most
experienced players in our squad and
he deserved to be part of it in Brazil,
Kovac said. I needed Niko with his
experience and good shape ... (but)
we have to go on, the former Croatia
captain stressed. Kranjcar was replaced
in the 33rd minute of Saturdays clash
at Wembley with a left leg injury.
AFP
Scott holds on to
top spot
Adam Scotts win in the Colonial
tournament in Texas on Sunday has
bolstered his hold on the world top
ranking. The Australian had been
in danger of losing the position to
Swedens Henrik Stenson, who was
competing in the European PGA
Championship at Wentworth. But
after Stenson finished tied for seventh,
Scott was left needing to place in the
top 13 in Fort Worth to extend his stay
at the top. That he did in some style,
defeating Jason Dufner in a playoff for
his first title of the year. Scott now has
8.94 points with Stenson in second on
7.79 points and Tiger Woods third on
7.65 points. Former world number one
Rory McIlroy improved to sixth place on
the back of his win at Wentworth, his
first title of the tear.
AFP
DAYS WATCH
Sony Six
8:30PM
Indian Premier League, Qualifier 1
Kolkata v Punjab
6:30AM
NBA Play Off 2013-14: Conf Final,
Miami v Indiana
Workers sweep water off a tarp as rain interrupts the match between Novak Djokovic and Joao Sousa in the French Open at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris yesterday
Sharapova shines,
Nishikori crashed out
n
Maria Sharapova reached the French
Open second round on Monday at a
damp and chilly Roland Garros as Japanese hope Kei Nishikori became the
tournaments first major casualty.
Sharapova, seeded seven and the
2012 champion, needed just over an
hour to beat fellow Russian, Ksenia
Pervak, the worlds 156th-ranked player, 6-1, 6-2.
The 27-year-old, who lost last years
final to Serena Williams, looked comfortable under the cloudy conditions
on the Philippe Chatrier court, breaking her opponent five times. Sharapova
will next face Bulgarias 2010 Wimbledon semi-finalist Tsvetana Pironkova.
Japanese ninth seed Nishikori was left
feeling as misrable as the Paris weather as
he crashed out in the first round, clearly
still suffering from his recent back injury.
Nishikori, 24, and coached by 1989 champion Michael Chang, was the first Japanese man in 75 years to make the fourth
round in Paris in 2013.

But on Monday, there was never any
sign that he would repeat that feat as he
went down 7-6 (7/4), 6-1, 6-2 to Slovakias Martin Klizan.
Nishikori won the Barcelona claycourt title last month but then had to
quit the Madrid Masters final against
Rafael Nadal with a back injury that also
forced him out of the Rome Masters.
The world number 10 looked distinctly half-fit on Court 1 where he was
broken 10 times, hit 10 double faults
and committed 40 unforced errors
Left-handed Klizan, 24, one of six
former junior champions in the main
draw, goes on to face Robin Haase of
the Netherlands.
After rain delayed the start of Mondays programme by more than an
hour, play was halted again barely two
hours later at 1230GMT when the heavens reopened.
But there was still time for Dominika
Cibulkova, the Slovak ninth seed, Italian
12th seed Flavia Pennetta and German
Lauda moves to defuse

Mercedes star wars
n
Mercedes team chief Niki Lauda on
Monday acted to defuse the star wars
rivalry between his drivers and reintroduce cordiality and good manners
between them before next months Canadian Grand Prix.
In the wake of Nico Rosbergs triumph
ahead of Lewis Hamilton in Sundays
Monaco Grand Prix, Lauda said he and
Mercedes were not prepared to tolerate
the sullen behaviour that was seen on the
podium and in the aftermath of the race.
Lauda, who acts as the teams non-executive chairman, said the pair had over-
stepped the mark by refusing to behave in

a sporting manner and by not speaking.
I spoke to the drivers before the
race and it is not finished, said Lauda.
I understand all the comments and I
have to wait two or three days, but before it goes to Canada it will be solved.
I will speak to them like I always do.
They always call me when they have
problems, so I think it will sort itself out.
It is normal. I had the same with [Alain]
Prost. I hated the guy, but at least I said
hello in the morning. There are certain
limits and these certain limits I can reintroduce because I speak the drivers language, and they do understand me. l
President of Bangladesh Table Tennis Federation Abdul Karim, general secretary Zobera
Rahman Linu and vice president of South Bangla Bank Mannan Bapari attend a press
conference at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday
COURTESY
Natl Junior TT starts today

n
The South Bangla Bank 2nd National Junior Table Tennis comprising 110
boys and 50 girls starts at the Shaheed
Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium today.
The paddlers will fight for the titles of the boys Under-18 team, girls
U-18 team, boys and girls U-18 singles, boys and girls U-18 doubles in
the five-day meet. The total number of
teams taking part are 44.
State minister for youth and sports

Biren Sikder will inaugurate the tournament as the chief guest.
In a presser held at the conference
room of the Bangabandhu National
Stadium yesterday, Bangladesh Table
Tennis Federation (BTTF) president
Abdul Karim presented the meet to the
media. BTTF general secretary Zobera
Rahman Linu and South Bangla Bank
vice president Mannan Bapari were
also present on the occasion. l
16th seed Sabine Lisicki to progress.

Meanwhile, defending champion Nadal remained at the centre of a French
Open scheduling row on Monday.
Nadal, who has a phenomenal record of eight titles, 59 match wins and
just one loss in Paris, had his opening
match against US wildcard Robby Ginepri, the world number 279, shifted out
to Suzanne Lenglen court.
However, Roland Garross showpiece
Philippe Chatrier court will stage title rival Novak Djokovics match against Joao
Sousa and Stan Wawrinkas clash against
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Nadal claimed
at the weekend that he found conditions
on Chatrier to be different this year.
Djokovic defeated 25-year-old Sousa, the world number 44, for the loss
of just four games in the third round of
the US Open in 2013.
Third seed and Australian Open
champion Wawrinka, who achieved
his best result in Paris in 2013 when he
made the quarter-finals, has a 4-2 lead
in career meetings with Garcia-Lopez.
REUTERS
Eoin Morgan, Englands captain in

place of the injured Alastair Cook, was
left bemused by the scale of their defeat in the second one-day international against Sri Lanka at the Riverside.
England were beaten by 157 runs after scoring only 99 - their fifth-lowest
score in ODI cricket in reply to the tourists 256-8.
Its just about as bad as we can play
- and certainly as bad as we can bat,
said Morgan. It was one of the worst
performances Ive been a part of in an
England shirt.
I cant really explain why we played
that badly. The pitch was a little bit
tacky and the ball nipped around a
bit, but were good enough to negotiate those sort of skills. We would have
been happy with the score they got, but
we lacked partnerships throughout the
whole innings and never seemed to get
going. We just havent played well.
To be honest, I dont think this is
going to be a huge setback. I think it
would have been a bigger setback if we
had fallen 40 runs short and had substance through the whole innings, if we
looked like we were going to win, but
then not got there. l
Blake at the double as

Kenya smash record
n
Yohan Blake made up for the absence of
Usain Bolt by claiming a second gold at
the IAAF World Relays, anchoring his Jamaican team to 4x100m victory in a second day of scintillating action Sunday.
Kenya earlier ensured another
$50,000 came out of the bonus coffers
as their middle-distance maestroes
smashed another record, this time in
the mens 4x1500m.
But it was traditional powerhouses the
United States who dominated the second
and final day of the inaugural World Relays in the Bahamian capital, winning
four of the six finals raced in a carnival
atmosphere at a sell-out 15,000-seater
Thomas A. Robinson stadium.
There was also heartbreak for
Blakes female teammate Shelly-Ann
Fraser-Pryce as the reigning two-time
Olympic sprint champion was left with
too much to do on the final leg of the
4x200m.
After two ropey baton exchanges, the
Pocket Rocket who also claimed world
100m gold in Moscow last year and world
indoor 60m gold in Sopot in March, could
only look on as she ran her quartet home

in third behind the winning US team and
silver medallists Britain.
There was no such drama for Blake,
the 2011 100m world champion steaming his team of Nesta Carter, Nickel Ashmeade and Julian Forte home in 37.77
seconds, the US missing out on the final
after being disqualified in the heats.
Ashmeade will also depart the Bahamas with a brace of golds after running
alongside Blake in the world record-setting 4x200m effort on Saturday.
After our world and olympic golds,
we wanted to confirm our number
one position today, said Blake, who
missed last season with a troublesome
hamstring but is now mulling a sprint
double at the Commonwealth Games in
Glasgow.
The performances of the Jamaican
mens sprint team more than made up
for the absence of sprint legend Bolt,
who is nursing an injury and only due
back in competition in mid-June.
The United States took some solace
from their strong womens 4x400m
team, who won the event in convincing
fashion in 3min 21.73sec. l
16
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
Human rights
state in Dhaka
jail unmonitored
Despite repeated requests, no inspection
teams formed in six years
Additional Inspector General of
n Tazlina Zamila Khan
Prisons Colonel Mohammad Iftikharul
In violation of the jail code, the Dhaka
Central Jail has not seen a single nonofficial visitor inspecting its premises
in the past six years to monitor the
condition of the prisoners.
Non-official visitors whose duties
include observing the human rights
condition, food quality, and prisoner
treatment inside the jail are a team
of 12 members of civil society, headed
by two local lawmakers, who are
appointed in the role for two year
terms.
The teams recommendations for the
betterment of the jail and its prisoners
are supposed to be discussed in a
meeting, led by the district magistrate
concerned, every three months, while
the jail authorities are then required to
act on the observations made by the
non-official visitors.
Mahbub-ul-Islam, jailer of Dhaka
Central Jail, the largest jail in the
country, told the Dhaka Tribune:
There has been no visitor in this jail for
many years. It is good to have a visiting
committee. Prisoners can express their
problems to them easily.
He added that the authorities
concerned including the Social Welfare
Department, district magistrate and
civil surgeons could also visit the jail
which currently houses 7,246 prisoners
against the capacity of 2,682 detainees.
Dhaka Central Jail Superintendent
Forman Ali said: Earlier in March 20,
2009, we sent a letter to the divisional
commissioner for appointing nonofficial visitors. A couple of months ago
we again sent another letter to the
authorities but no reply has been
received so far.
The last team of non-official visitors
was formed for the Dhaka Central Jail
in 2008.
Islam told the Dhaka Tribune: There

are non-official visitors in other jails,
but only this jail lacks it. As there
is a provision in the law, it should
be implemented. Prisoners will be
benefitted through this.
When asked about the issue,
National Human Rights Commission
Chairman Dr Mizanur Rahman said:
There are non-official visitors in
jails of India and Pakistan. But,
the situations of the neighbouring
countries are similar to ours. However,
in Scandinavian countries and Nepal
the system is operating perfectly
without any flaw.
If there is no visitor to the jail,
then that is a serious violation of
the provision and human rights.
Accountability has become weak in our
country. But we have a plan to visit the
jails. I demand an immediate action
against the situation and will inform
the matter to the authorities of Home
Ministry, the NHRC chief added.
I think the Jail Code should be
amended and the human rights
commission will provide all support
to the government to solve the issue.
Many new jails will be constructed. So,
better toilet and food facility and other
infrastructure for the prisoners should
be ensured, the chairman said.
According to the section 56 of
the jail code, the team members are
proposed by the deputy commissioner
concerned, while it is finalised by
the divisional commissioner who
then sends the list to the Home
Ministry, which publishes a gazette for
appointing the visitors.
The team could visit the jail any
time it wants, but only after notifying
jail authorities over phone about their
visit. l
Being accompanied by the her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina receives guard of honour in Tokyo yesterday
DU teacher terminated for thesis fraud

102 students suspended for cheating in exams
n DU Correspondent
Authorities at the University of Dhaka have fired a teacher for resorting to
fraud in his PhD thesis and suspended
102 students for different periods from
the university and its affiliate institutions for breach of rules.
The syndicate body of the university sacked political science teacher Nur
Uddin Alo for providing false information in his PhD thesis, Proctor Amzad
Ali said yesterday.
Apart from that, 102 students of the
university and its affiliate institutions
have been suspended for various terms
for cheating and adopting unfair means
in examinations. Some were fined,
too, he said.
The decision was made at a meeting
of the universitys syndicate committee chaired by Vice-Chancellor AAMS
Arefin Siddique on Sunday night, he
added.
We have taken action against the
students to prevent recurrence of such

incidents in examinations and also to
warn others so that they do not dare to
indulge in such activities, the proctor
said.
Nur Uddin was awarded a PhD in
2010 for his thesis styled The practice of Marxism and its impact on
modern world: The case of objectification. Professor Shawkat Ara Hossain
of the same department supervised
the research and the thesis evaluation committee comprised Professor
Abdul Mannan of government and
politics of Jahangirnagar University, and Moqsudur Rahman, a teacher
of political science at Rajshahi
University.
Nur Uddin claimed that he had interviewed over a million people in 80
countries for his thesis.
However, in 2012, several teachers
of political science, including Emran Hossain, Dil Rawshan Jinnar Ara
Naznin, Farid Uddin Ahmed, Shariful
Islam and Sabbir Ahmed petitioned for

re-evaluation of Nurs thesis.
In the wake of the petition, the
university authorities formed a probe
committee headed by Professor Nasrin
Ahmed, pro-VC of the university.
During the investigation, the committee found more evidence of erroneous information in the thesis and
recommended cancellation of the PhD
degree conferred upon Nur.
On September 12 last year, Nurs degree was finally invalidated at the syndicate meeting.
It was proved that Nur had presented incorrect information in his thesis.
He said he had surveyed 12.74 lakh people as part of the research but he failed
to substantiate his assertion with any
reliable evidence, said Farid Uddin
Ahmed, a syndicate member and dean
of the Social Science Faculty at Dhaka
University.
He had presented fabricated data
and information, he added. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Japan pledges
$6 billion
n UNB
Japan has pledged an assistance of 600
billion yen (equivalent to US$6 billion)
to Bangladesh over the next five years,
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
said yesterday.
Shinzo Abes announcement came at
a joint press conference with his visiting
Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina
after the two leaders held formal talks at
Japanese Premiers office in Tokyo.
Hasina is on a four-day visit to Japan. The promised aid will be given
through implementation of the concept of the Bay of Bengal industrial
Growth Belt (BIG-B), proposed by the
Japanese Premier. Earlier the two leaders signed a joint statement.
The Japanese Premier said his country has proposed the formation of Bay
of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt to help
Bangladesh realize its huge economic potentials and expedite its growth. He said
Japan and Bangladesh will start a foreign
secretary-level dialogue in enhancing cooperation in politics and security. l
MRP setback exposes migrant

workers to risk
n Rabiul Islam
Lack of fund impeding the maintenance of the Anhik temple in Putia of Rajshahi. The Department of Archaeology has announced
the temple as a heritage site
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Security lax at 150 northern

archaeological sites
n Our Correspondent, Bogra
Out of a total of 164 protected archaeological sites in 16 northern districts, at least
150 have been devoid of required security
measures for a long time.
Regional Director (RD) of the Department of Archaeology in Rajshahi Md Badrul
Alam says a large number of posts meant
for security guards at the sites, including
Paharpur Bihar in Naogaon which is a
Unesco World Heritage Site, have remained
unoccupied for a long period of time.
We are trying to ensure security in
monuments in several districts using our
limited resources, Badrul said.
Several letters were sent to officials
concerned, requesting them to fill the vacant positions and also to create new ones
to ensure better security, he added.
Sources at RD office in Bogra said

security at a number of sites is currently
maintained by security personnel the
department appointed on the master roll
but some of the monuments, like Potazia
in Sirajgang, are still unguarded.
Only 232 security officials have been
protecting the 164 sites in the 16 districts,
though the required figure is 820, sources
said.
Md Sadekuzzaman, custodian of Mahasthangarh Archaeological Museum, said
there are 44 protected sites in Mahasthangarh and the adjacent areas.
The department only has 18 people on
the master roll to protect the sites but they
need 264 people, sources said.
There is a need for at least 51 permanent security guards to ensure security in
Mahasthangarh but a mere four are there
to guard one of the most prominent archaeological sites in South Asia, according
to sources.
A similar situation prevails in Paharpur
Bihar and the 11 other sites that surround
it. There is a need for at least 72 security
officials but only 24 have been deployed.
The department has installed lighting
facilities in some parts of Paharpur Bihar a
few years back in the wake of the theft of
many terracotta objects.
Meanwhile, 14 monuments in Puthia,
Rajshahi lie unsecured as there are only
six guards there when there should be 84,
said a senior official of the Archaeology
Department.
A large number of terracotta items
were stolen from the site a few years ago
because there were no guards, according to
the department. l
The issuing of machine readable passports (MRPs) to Bangladeshi nationals

in Malaysia and some other regional
passport offices within the country
faced a setback at the very beginning of
the project.
The project is getting delayed due to
some technical glitches but the government is trying to get it fixed as soon as
possible, officials said.
Unless the problem can be solved
within a short period of time it will
cause immense suffering for the people who wish to travel to and from the
country since the existing passports
will not be accepted for immigration
clearance after November next year.
Non-resident Bangladeshis and migrant workers will suffer the most as
they are unlikely to be able to replace
their existing manual passports with
the MRPs by then. It is feared that they
may be stranded abroad.
Even the foreign diplomats in Dhaka have often raised concerns that the
Bangladeshi citizens now working in
their countries might have to face bad
consequences when returning home
if they are not provided with MRPs by
now.
It will also create a roadblock for
workers willing to go abroad.
The country lacks accurate data of
migrants. However, the government
claims there is around one crore people
working in different countries including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Malaysia, Singapore and Kuwait.
The aspirant migrants will not be
able to go abroad for jobs and those
working abroad cannot return home
without MRPs, Expatriates Welfare
and Overseas Employment Minister
Khandker Mosharraf Hossain told the
Dhaka Tribune over the phone on Sunday.
On my part, I have done the job,
he said.
The government has taken the Malaysia project on a pilot basis. Upon its
successful completion, it has a plan to
spread the project in other countries

where there are Bangladeshi migrant
workers.
The Malaysia project faced the set
back at the beginning as it could not
be started within the stipulated timeframe.
The Malaysia job was contracted out
to a private company Dataedge-i-people Consortium on February 12 with the
condition that they would start issuing
the MRPs within one month of the contract date. The whole project would be
implemented in 18 months.
The country lacks

accurate data of
migrants. However,
the government claims
there is around one
crore people working
in different countries
including Saudi
Arabia, UAE, Malaysia,
Singapore and Kuwait
It has now been more than four
months, and still they could not start
it, officials said. Dataedge has also been
assigned to issue MRPs from 33 regional passport offices (RPOs) but it has so
far failed. They said people are collecting MRPs from their neighbouring
passport offices.
It is true the company could not
start the job in time, Additional Secretary (security and passport wing) of the
Home Ministry Md Shafiqul Islam said
on Saturday.
There is a problem of integration,
he said, adding Dataedges software
and system needs to be integrated with
the ones of IRIS Corporation, a Malaysian company that has long been providing Bangladesh with software solu-
tions for passports under the first MRP

project in 2010. It had set up its central
system at the Department of Immigration and Passport (DIP) at Agargaon in
Dhaka.
According to the agreement, IRIS
would provide technical support for
future expansion of the MRP issuance
centres at home and abroad.
Projector Director of MRP and MRV
of DIP, Brig Gen Masud Rezwan said a
problem had surfaced in issuing MRPs.
There are two parties. One party is
claiming that they have given all the
information, but another part is alleging that they are not getting sufficient
information, he said.
It is not true that much time has already passed, Dataedge Director Noor
A Alam Chowdhury told this correspondent over the phone on Saturday.
Starting the job has been delayed as the
government is taking time to make a
decision in this regard, he said.
We have to face problems in integrating with the existing system, and
IRIS has not extended cooperation
properly, he alleged adding that documentation by IRIS was not as proper as
it should have been.
As part of contractual obligation,
we provided all support to Dataedge.
And there is no question of non-cooperation, Senior Manager of IRIS Corporation Bahjat Aman told the Dhaka
Tribune over the phone from Malaysia
on Sunday.
Beyond the contract, we offered
our software free of cost to Dataedge,
he said.
As it is a technical matter, we are
not sure who is responsible it may
be IRIS or Dataedge. We have engaged
a Swedish audit company to identify
who is responsible, said Shafiqul Islam
while his attention was drawn to the allegation and counter allegation of IRIS
and Dataedge.
We will get the report soon, he
said.
The project director, however, said
that the report had already been submitted. l
Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.
Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com
B3 US businesses urge
tough line over China

antitrust policy
B4 IMF calls for closer
cooperation among
central banks
TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business
BASIC Bank default loans growing fast

The loans disbursed through irregularities are taking the toll on the banks financial health
n Jebun Nesa Alo

The default loans of BASIC Bank
growing abnormally fast in the recent
months as loans the bank had disbursed through irregularities are getting matured.
The increasing trend

of the classified loan is
the continuous effect
of earlier loan forgery
which has eroded the
financial health of the
bank gradually
In March only, it rose by Tk1,140 crore
or more than 80% to stand at Tk2,557
crore from Tk1,417 crore in February as
the newly classified loan increased by
Tk1,539 crore in March.
Maximum of the loan the bank disbursed violating the rules and without
proper documents in the year 2009
to 20012. This resulted in the abnormal growth of the default loans every
month, said a senior executive of Bangladesh Bank.

The increasing trend of the classified loan is the continuous effect of
earlier loan forgery which has eroded
the financial health of the bank gradually, he said.
The amount of new classified loan
was Tk217.5 crore in December last
and it rose to Tk343.6 crore in January,
Tk403.6 crore in February and Tk1,539
crore in March, according to the latest
statement (unaudited) BASIC Bank
submitted to Bangladesh Bank.

The total classified loan of the bank
increased by 99% to Tk2,557 crore in
March from Tk1282 crore in December
2013.
The outstanding loan with the top
20 defaulters stood at Tk915 crore in
March from Tk880 crore in December,
against almost zero recovery from the
defaulters.
Bangladesh Bank signed a MoU with
the bank to recover its financial health
in September last year but the bank
could not come out from the sorry

state due to drastic increase of classified loans, said a senior executive of
Bangladesh Bank.
Moreover, all the financial indicators of the bank became negative day
by day due to further irregularities in
loan disbursement after signing the
MoU.
As a result, the deposit growth fell
sharply as the depositors lost confidence on the bank, he said.
The deposit growth of the bank
was 58% in July 2013, but came down
to 1.65% in December last year. The
growth turned negative by 2.49% in
January, 0.43% in February and 0.61%
in March.
The bank also took the highest advantage of relaxed loan rescheduling
rules to reduce the burden of classified
loan in December last.
The bank rescheduled classified
loan of Tk1,151 crore in December. As
a result, the total classified loan of the
bank reduced to 11.82% in December
from 18.43% in September last year.
But the amount of classified loan further rose to 23% in March due to the
increasing newly classified loans, according to the Bangladesh Bank data. l
BASIC BANK FOLLOW UP
DMD made MD in-charge,

lending by 3 branches barred
n Tribune Report
Bangladesh Bank has imposed a restriction on three branches of BASIC
Bank in Dhaka to sanction new loans
considering the recent credit scam in
the braches.
The central bank took the decision
at a meeting yesterday, with Governor
Atiur Rahman in the chair.
The decision emerged on the day
after the removal of the state-owned
banks Managing Director Kazi Faqurul
Islam on Sunday due to irregularities
and corruption in the banks.
Bangladesh Bank also asked the bank
yesterday to appoint a new managing
director (current charge) within a day
through following the rules. Following the instruction, BASIC Bank board
called an emergency meeting on the day
and appointed its deputy managing director-1 Fazlus Sobhan as MD in-charge.
New loan disbursement activities
by the banks Gulshan, Dilkhusha and
Shantinagar branches have been suspended in the awake of massive irregularities, said Bangladesh Bank Executive Director Mahfuzur Rahman.
A letter has been served to the bank
yesterday, asking suspension of the

lending.
It also asked the branches to take
permission of the EC committee before disbursement of the loans already
granted.
The central bank also warned the
bank of similar consequence for its
other branches if it finds any irregularities in lending.
Of the total 68 branches of the bank,
the suspended three branches hold
61% loans of the total outstanding, according to Bangladesh Bank data.
The amount of total disbursed loan
of BASIC Bank stood at Tk11,180 crore
in March this year, of which Tk6,900
crore has been disbursed through the
three branches.
BB inspections found last year that
the bank approved loans of Tk4,500
crore, mostly without proper documentation and scrutiny.
Most of the irregularities took place
in BASIC Banks four branches Motijheel, Shantinagar, Dilkusha and Gulshan that granted loans of about
Tk4,425 crore between December
2009 and November 2012 on poor documents and inflated mortgages. l
Proposed SEZs to get Tk300cr for land acquisition

n Asif Showkat Kallol
State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu speaking at a workshop
on managing occupational safety at a city hotel yesterday. He vented anger over garment
factory closures after safety inspections by Accord and Alliance
MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
Labour unrest feared if

closures continue
n Tribune Report
Labour and Employment Minister

Mujibul Haque Chunnu has expressed
concerns over the RMG factory closures and feared that it might spark labour unrest ahead of Ramadan.
He said workplace safety and job security are equally important and must
be considered as basic rights of the
workers.
Safety is a basic right, but it cannot
be done making workers jobless, the
sate minister said while addressing a
workshop on managing occupational
safety and health.
He even raised questions about
experience and qualification of the
engineers employed by the Accord to
inspect factories.
The workshop was jointly organised
by Bangladesh government and International Labour Organisation (ILO),
which was aimed at raising awareness
about the issue in the garment factories to reduce risk of accidents.
Thousands of RMG workers lost
their jobs after safety shortfalls were
unearthed, Mujibul Haque mentioned
hinting at the Accord and Alliance inspections.
Besides, factories are witnessing
decline in orders from international
buyers, leaving the owners at the risk
of facing further shutdowns, he said.
Mujibul urged the buyers to increase
orders and give better price so that the
industry can ensure safety for workers.
Netherlands Minister for Foreign
Trade and Development Cooperation,

Lilianne Ploumen stressed the need of
well-functioning occupational safety
and health committees in factories.
She hoped that the new committees
were formed in a fair and transparent
manner with appropriate representation of workers including women.
It is important how to enable factory
owners to implement the new occupational safety and health policy, she said.
In November 2013, Bangladesh government adopted a National Occupational Safety and Health Policy as part
of its response to the commitments
made in the National Action Plan on
Fire and Building Safety in July last
year.
The government and ILO are implementing a three-and-a-half year project of $24.21m funded by Canada, the
Netherlands and the United Kingdom
to improve working conditions in the
Bangladeshi RMG industry.
Srinivas B Reddy, ILO Country Director for Bangladesh, said, The aim of
the workshop is to protect workers from
incident creating awareness among the
representatives of employers, especially the mid-level management.
Reddy said the workshop would directly contribute to having safe workplaces.
Active functioning of the mandatory occupational safety and health committees and the trade unions, whatever exist, should contribute to greater
participation of workers in workplace
safety measures, he emphasised. l
The government has decided to allocate Tk300 crore in the upcoming budget for acquisition of lands for the proposed special economic zones.
Against the backdrop of huge complaints lodged by the foreign investors
on land crisis, the finance division has
finally decided to allocate of the aforesaid amount in the next budget to acquire lands, said a finance division official.
The official also said the the acquisition works would begin soon to
develop seven economic zones in the
country.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith had
earlier mentioned that both local and
foreign investments would come to
Bangladesh only if the government
could provide land to the investors.

But we are not in a position to provide them with valuable lands right
away. However, the government has
a plan to allocate money in next fiscal budget for land acquisition for the
projects.
Board of Investment data shows
Bangladesh had received foreign direct
investment worth $1.78bn in 2013, registering 37.5% growth from the previous year.
According to several government
agencies, the local businessmen have
allegedly transferred their capital to
countries like Malaysia, UAE, USA and
Canada as the investors have been
losing their confidence and private
sector credit growth has dropped to a
record low of 10.73% in February this
year.
$169m foreign
loan approved for
private sector
n Tribune Report
Board of Investment Scrutiny Committee has approved foreign loans of
$169.15m for the private sector. The decision came at a meeting of BoI scrutiny
committee held at Bangladesh Bank yesterday, chaired by its convenor and Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman.
The committee approved $169.15m
for 13 (thirteen) projects such as $100m
for Airtel Bangladesh Limited, $25m for
Summit Meghnaghat Power Co. Limited, $14m for Mawna Fashions Limited,
$5m for International Trading Services
Limited, $7m for Standard Stitches Ltd,
$5m for Standard Group Ltd & rest of
the amount for seven other companies.
The highest interest rate of the approved proposals is 3-month LIBOR plus
4.75% per annum. The committee approved foreign loan of $1,821m in FY2013,
which was 43% higher than $1,040m in
FY 2012. There was a continuous growth
in inflow of foreign loans over the last
five years, said a statement. The main
purpose of the foreign loan is to import
capital machinery and equipments of the
project, said the committee officials.
The committee hoped the foreign
financing will be helpful to keep the
dollar price in stable, the deficit of the
countrys Balance of Payment will
decrease and it will create more job opportunity, it said. l
The economists and experts said the

lack of government plans had already
caused colossal damage to the industrialisation process in a land-hungry
country like Bangladesh.
They said absence of facilities such
as road connectivity and power and gas
supplies in the countryside have forced
the entrepreneurs to set up their industrial plants close to major cities, even at
the heart of the capital city Dhaka and
Chittagong.
In its recent report, Japan External
Trade Organisation (JETRO) mentioned
that one of the major constraints to attract foreign direct investment in Bangladesh is shortage of lands and infrastructural facilities.
Last year, the previous government
set a priority to arrange over 10,000
acres of land for industrial plots across
the country over the next three years

and launch five special economic
zones (SEZs) by the end of its tenure.
The last government ended its tenure
in early this year.
However, the new industry ministry
later stopped the process of the acquisition of 10,000 acres of land.
Insufficiency of land for setting
up industries at appropriate locations
has come up as a major obstacle to the
countrys industrial expansion and
finding out industrial lands with necessary facilities has appeared as another key problem, Dr AB Mirza Azizul
Islam, former finance adviser to last
caretaker government, said.
The government wont be able to
attract foreign and domestic investors
until it provided proper land facilities
to them, he said. l
Tax on fisheries may go up

n Tribune Report
The government is likely to hike income tax on fisheries business to
prevent the politicians and other
businessmen from whitening their
black or undisclosed money, abusing
existing lower tax benefits.
The National Board of Revenue
(NBR) has reportedly taken up an initiative to fix 5% income tax on fishery
sector form existing 3% as it found
many people have been investing
their undisclosed money in this sector just to evade taxes, while many of
them even dont have any such business, said an NBR official.
Many people are showing huge
incomes from their fisheries business
in their income tax return files whereas most of them do not have any such
business, he added.
As of existing tax structure, around
25% tax is set for the other businesses
while only 3% taxes is imposed on the
fisheries business.
As the NBR inspector cannot inspect the rural areas due to lack of
manpower, a section of people have
been investing small amount of money in fisheries to show huge income
as a means to evade tax or to whitening their undisclosed or black money, the official added.
The NBR is bound to accept those
figures they come up along with their
return files due to lack of field inspection and thus a good amount of tax is
evaded, he said.
The NBR is expected to stop all the
loopholes in the tax collection from
the coming budget.
The government in FY2011-12 had
imposed 5% taxes on fish farming,
which was later reduced to 3% in the
budget for FY2013-14 to enhance the
revenue by promoting this sector.
The reduction was made for the
next two years as tax incentives to en-
courage people to invest in this sector

with good potentials.
The issue of evading taxes through
fisheries came into light when the
NBR finds many politicians showing
their main source of income as fisheries in their affidavit placed before the
Election Commission for vying at the
January 5 poll.
Awami League leaders Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Nur-e-Alam Chowdhury, Elias Uddin Mollah, Mannan
Khan and Hanif, ABM Fazle Karim
Chowdhury, Didarul Alam, and Talukder Abdul Khaleque has made a
huge amount of wealth from their
fish farming, they have claimed in
their respective affidavits. l
Banglalink sees revenue up in first quarter

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam
Mobile phone operator Banglalink

posted a revenue growth of 7.5%
year-on-year, according a first quarter report.
Per user revenue and usage also
marked rise in the January-March
period this year, said the report published by the operators parent company Vimplecom.
The growth was the outcome of
rise in customers base, launch of 3G

services and restoration political stability, the company mentioned.
After having passed a unrest-hit
year of 2013, the increase in revenue
is considered a respite for the operator, a senior executive told the Dhaka
Tribune. Banglalink suffered 11% revenue drop in 2013 over the previous
year due to political unrest which
crippled the country for weeks.
The mobile operators total rev-
enue totalled Tk1,000 crore after

three months of 2014, which was
Tk930 crore one year ago.
Banglalink is the second largest
mobile phone operator in Bangladesh
in terms of the number of subscribers.
The report showed the number of subscribers of the operator also grew 13%
year-on-year to 2.94 crore.
It added the number was driven by
the launch of 3G services, reactivation
of offers and handset offer on recharge.
Mobile customers growth is supported by strong additions in Bangladesh, Jo Lunder, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vimpelcom, said while
commenting on the report.
According to the report, the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) of Banglalink declined 2% year-on-year to
TK117 due to the impact of political
turmoil in January, more competitive
pricing and a change in the mix of onnet and off-net traffic. l
B2
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Stock
DSE GAINERS
Stocks continue
to end flat ahead
of budget
DSE key features

May 26, 2014
Traded Issues
295
n Tribune Report
Issue Gain
(Avg. Price Basis)
97
Issue Loss
(Avg. Price Basis)
188
58,390,675
59,158
Unchanged Issue (Avg.

Price Basis)
10
Market Capital Equity

(Billion. Tk.)
2,244.12

(Billion US$)
27.20
CSE key features

May 26, 2014
Turnover (Million Taka)
173.33
Turnover (Volume)
Daily capital market highlights

DSE Broad Index :
2,360.81
Number of Contract
third session, it said.

However, after hitting 7-month
lowest in last session, the pace of
trading activity picked up a bit.
Amid which, scrip specific centralisation was notable, the IDLC said.
Lanka Bangla Securuties said
market moved up marginally, supported by buying interest in large
cap. DSEX elevated a bit to its
morning high of 4,393 along with
the movement in large cap, it said.
Though trading activities moved
up slightly, volume remained at an
anemic level. A confirmed up or
down move in index for near future
is yet to be observed, so investors
are mostly remained neutral and
conservative, said Lanka Bangla.
Zenith Investments said traders
are looking forward for some positive signs, as the market lingers in
such a position that it is difficult to
predict for how long the market decides to remain drab.
Out of 294 issues traded, 127 declined, 108 advanced and 59 closed
unchanged on the DSE floor.
Among the major sectors, telecommunications gained the most
with a rise of over 2%. Pharmaceuticals and banks closed flat.
Non-banking financial institutions,
food and allied and fuel and power
declined marginally. l
Stocks closed flat for the second

consecutive session with volatility
yesterday, as investors were cautious ahead of national budget to be
placed in the parliament on June 5.
The market was in positive territory till mid-session and modest
buying pressure mainly on telecommunications helped it close
marginally higher.
The benchmark index DSEX
witnessed fractional gains of 0.09
points to close at 4,378.
The comprising blue chips DS30
rose 2 points or 0.2% to 1,589. The
Shariah index DSES gained 4 points
or 0.5% to close at 978.
Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE)
Selective Categories Index, CSCX,
dropped 21 points to close at 8,417.
Total DSE turnover stood at
Tk236 crore, which was over 29%
higher over the previous sessions
7-month low.
Remaining largely unchanged,
investors sentiment turned more
cautious, this session, said IDLC
Investments in its market analysis.
Since perfect confirmation of
trend reversal lagged, skepticism
prolonged further. The overall situation kept bourse in flat region
and DSEX beneath 4,400 points for
Company
Turnover
(Million Taka)
Turnover
(Volume)
5,167,761
Number of Contract
7,885
4378.34167
(+) 0.002%
Traded Issues
211
977.87136
(+) 0.44%
Issue Gain
(Avg. Price Basis)
72
1589.40822
(+) 0.13%
Issue Loss
(Avg. Price Basis)
134
CSE All Share Index:
13523.13150
(-) 0.25%
Unchanged Issue (Avg.

Price Basis)
CSE - 30 Index :
11103.92930
(-) 0.17%

(Billion. Tk.)
2,158.78
8417.43080
(-) 0.25%

(Billion US$)
26.17
DSE Shariah Index :

DSE - 30 Index :
CSE Selected Index :

DSE LOSERS
Rupali Life Insur.-A

BSC-A
Progressive Life-A
Kay & Que (BD) -Z
5th ICB M F-A
BD. Thai Alum -B
JMI Syringes MDL-A
Kohinoor Chem -A
-9.68
-5.99
-5.82
-5.30
-5.01
-4.89
-4.59
-4.38
Average (%
change)
-8.46
-5.23
-5.76
-4.69
-5.21
-6.16
-4.45
-3.98
Monno Stafllers -A
Midas Financing-Z
-4.23
-4.21
-3.14
-4.26
Company
Closing (%
change)
CSE LOSERS
Islami Ins.BD-A
BD. Thai Alum -B
Marico BD Ltd-A
BGIC -A
BSC-A
Reliance1 M.F.-A
JMI Syringes MDL-A
-12.94
-9.78
-7.08
-6.21
-5.98
-5.76
-5.26
-5.19
Average (%
change)
-22.26
-9.76
-6.33
-6.21
-8.33
-4.63
-5.26
-3.54
Prime Islami Life -A

NLI 1st M F-A
-4.42
-4.21
-4.21
-3.67
Company
Closing (%
change)
ANALYST
Closing
average
Closing
Bank
NBFI
Investment
Engineering
Food & Allied
Fuel & Power
Jute
Textile
Pharma & Chemical
Paper & Packaging
Service
Leather
Ceramic
Cement
Information Technology
General Insurance
Life Insurance
Telecom
Travel & Leisure
Miscellaneous
Debenture
DSE
Million Taka
249.32
56.67
41.15
249.86
140.28
145.59
0.74
464.29
395.61
0.10
36.40
39.03
5.45
191.40
13.76
34.36
97.36
109.74
17.90
71.67
0.15
Turnover
in million
Daily low
Latest
EPS
Latest
PE
82.22
508.68
113.28
12.61
180.10
21.32
162.20
349.00
81.20
502.00
113.20
12.50
180.10
21.40
160.20
349.00
95.00
527.00
116.80
12.90
180.10
22.20
169.80
349.00
81.00
500.00
113.00
12.50
180.10
19.40
159.80
349.00
42.672
46.023
2.209
0.273
0.036
2.302
14.517
0.349
5.33
23.48
2.30
-0.92
18.67
0.84
2.08
9.37
15.4
21.7
49.3
-ve
9.6
25.4
78.0
37.2
301.96
18.19
299.00
18.20
310.50
19.00
298.00
18.00
0.770
0.282
1.12
-6.91
Rahima Food -Z
Salvo Chemicals-B
ACI Limited- A
CMC Kamal Tex. -A
Rupali Bank - A
Libra Infusions-A
Stylecraft -A
Bangas -A
Grameenphone-A
Square Pharma -A
Closing (%
change)
8.68
5.33
4.46
4.29
4.03
3.51
3.14
2.84
2.60
2.46
CSE GAINERS
Company
Rahima Food -Z
ICB -A
Salvo Chemicals-B
Bangas -A
Asia Pasific Insu. -A
ACI Limited- A
Central Insur -A
Delta Brac HFCL-A
Dutch Ban. Bnk- A
Sun Life Insurance-N
Closing (%
change)
9.94
5.72
4.46
4.19
4.07
3.80
3.70
3.65
3.60
3.02
Average (%
change)
5.52
4.77
2.43
2.81
1.78
3.59
3.14
2.84
2.41
1.91
Average (%
change)
6.12
5.72
4.92
3.84
4.07
1.76
3.81
3.58
3.66
2.38
Closing
average
56.56
23.52
209.40
23.76
61.23
442.00
985.00
497.90
261.71
263.82
Closing
average
56.54
1829.00
23.46
498.46
23.00
208.61
28.04
62.50
86.30
58.00
Closing
57.60
23.70
213.10
24.30
61.90
442.10
985.00
500.20
264.10
266.20
Closing
57.50
1829.00
23.40
500.10
23.00
212.80
28.00
62.50
86.30
58.00
Daily high
58.00
24.10
214.00
24.70
62.50
454.50
985.00
504.70
264.90
267.00
Daily high
57.50
1829.00
24.00
504.00
23.00
214.00
28.80
62.50
86.30
58.00
Daily low
53.20
21.00
195.00
21.00
57.00
429.00
985.00
470.00
256.00
250.00
Daily low
54.00
1829.00
22.80
494.00
23.00
202.50
28.00
62.50
86.30
58.00
Turnover
in million
8.824
52.380
44.608
101.897
1.234
0.884
0.197
18.989
88.583
126.220
Turnover
in million
0.650
0.274
4.002
1.221
0.012
1.335
0.118
0.031
0.043
0.029
Latest
EPS
-1.01
1.16
5.28
1.32
3.96
4.20
47.83
5.87
15.28
11.36
Latest
EPS
-1.01
53.53
1.16
5.87
2.48
5.28
3.64
5.05
6.72
0.00
Latest
PE
-ve
20.3
39.7
18.0
15.5
105.2
20.6
84.8
17.1
23.2
Latest
PE
-ve
34.2
20.2
84.9
9.3
39.5
7.7
12.4
12.8
-
News from trade server

BSC: (Qualified Opinion): The auditor
of the company has given the following
Qualified Opinion in the audit report of the
company for the year ended on 30 June
2013: "Qualified Opinion" 1. Deferred taxes
on temporary difference on PPE and gratuity provision have been considered for
deferred tax calculation. However, these
items were neither recognised in profit
and loss as per para 58 and nor recognised
outside profit or loss 61A of IAS 12 Income
taxes and we are not in a position to calculate the amount to be charged in profit or
loss and outside profit or loss i.e. directly
in equity. 2. As disclosed in note # 15 to
the financial statements, BSC operates a
defined benefit plan for gratuity scheme
and makes provision as per the corporation's policy. But no actuarial valuation
as per BAS 19 has been done, and hence
it is not possible to confirm whether the
yearned provision agrees with, or approximates to, the provision that would have
been required by actuarial valuation. 3. An
amount of Tk. 24,445,441 receivable from
70 parties have been carried forward since
the year 2007 under the head Sundry
Debtors C/A Tk. 759,197,256. It is very unlikely that these amounts will be recovered
but no provision has been made against
such doubtful debts as per BAS 8. 4. Loan
of Sonali Bank A/C Banglar Shikha Tk.
39,827,709 has been carried forward from
2010-2011. We have sent balance confirmation letter to confirm the balance and
duly received. As per confirmation letter
of Sonali Bank Limited dated 01-12-2013
the balance stands at Tk. 665,332,431.23
which needs reconciliation for incorporation in the accounts. 5. Bangladesh
Government loan Tk. 103,200,000 the
balance has remained unpaid since 2002
and no interest also been charged upon
the said loan. 6. Interest on term loan of
Agrani Bank Limited is Tk. 23,973,202 has
been shown in the books of Bangladesh
Shipping Corporation which has been carried forward from 2008-2009. We have
sent balance confirmation letter to confirm
the balance and duly received. But as per
balance confirmation letter, bankers claim
in favour of the loan against Bangladesh
Shipping Corporation is Tk. 378,841,233 as
on 30/06/2013.
PHENIXINS: Shamima Rahman, one of

the Sponsors of the Company, has further
reported that she has completed her
sale of 1,25,000 shares of the Company
at prevailing market price through Stock
Exchange as announced earlier.
POPULARLIF: The Company has informed
that it is going to be the sponsor of
UFS-Popular Life Unit fund. Size of the
fund is 80 crore and Sponsor portion is
20 crore subject to the same being duly
approved by the regulatory authority.
IPO Subscription: Tung Hai Knitting & Dyeing Limited subscription date 18-22 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. Shurwid Industries Limited subscription date 08-12 June
2014, NRB upto 21 June 2014. @ taka 10,
face value taka 10 and market lot 500. Saif
Powertec Limited subscription date 06-10
July 2014, NRB upto 19 July 2014. @ taka
10, face value taka 30 and market lot 200.
269.6
-ve
Turnover
in million
Latest
EPS
Latest
PE
Closing
average
Closing
22.56
83.92
21.16
1,088.00
22.00
511.01
9.00
161.73
24.90
83.90
21.00
1,088.00
22.00
503.50
9.00
159.00
24.90
87.00
21.60
1,088.00
22.00
528.00
9.00
165.00
24.90
83.70
21.00
1,088.00
22.00
502.00
9.00
159.00
0.003
3.105
0.127
0.054
0.011
5.355
0.288
0.243
1.92
5.33
0.84
43.99
1.36
23.48
1.86
2.08
11.8
15.7
25.2
24.7
16.2
21.8
4.8
77.8
97.22
9.18
97.20
9.10
97.30
9.20
97.20
9.00
0.049
0.106
4.95
1.36
19.6
6.8
Daily high
Daily low
Remaining largely unchanged,

investors sentiment turned more
cautious, this session
DSE TURNOVER LEADERS

Company
Familytex (BD) Ltd.-A
Square Pharma -A
LafargeS Cement-Z
CMC Kamal Tex. -A
Grameenphone-A
BSRM Steels-A
Mercantile Bank -A
SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

Sector
Daily high
% change
10.56
2.40
1.74
10.58
5.94
6.17
0.03
19.67
16.76
0.00
1.54
1.65
0.23
8.11
0.58
1.46
4.12
4.65
0.76
3.04
0.01
Million Taka
23.89
5.07
1.42
25.12
6.41
11.59
36.90
24.67
5.46
1.27
8.57
0.82
9.08
0.92
0.95
5.19
8.49
3.93
9.76
0.03
CSE
% change
12.61
2.67
0.75
13.26
3.38
6.12
0.00
19.47
13.02
2.88
0.67
4.52
0.43
4.79
0.48
0.50
2.74
4.48
2.07
5.15
0.01
Million Taka
273.21
61.73
42.57
274.98
146.69
157.18
0.74
501.19
420.28
5.56
37.67
47.60
6.27
200.48
14.67
35.31
102.55
118.23
21.83
81.42
0.18
Total
% change
10.71
2.42
1.67
10.78
5.75
6.16
0.03
19.65
16.48
0.22
1.48
1.87
0.25
7.86
0.58
1.38
4.02
4.64
0.86
3.19
0.01
Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and
audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility
if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net
Salvo Chemicals-B
Appollo Ispat CL -N
BSC-A
HeidelbergCement -A
ACI Limited- A
Meghna Petroleum -A
Matin Spinning-N
CSE TURNOVER LEADERS
Company
Familytex (BD) Ltd.-A
Appollo Ispat CL -N
BSRM Steels-A
Square Pharma -A
Hwa Well Textiles-N
Grameenphone-A
BSC-A
Mercantile Bank -A
Salvo Chemicals-B
Orion Pharma-N
BEXIMCO Ltd. -A
Matin Spinning-N
UNITED AIR-A
LafargeS Cement-Z
Volume
shares
4,613,000
478,439
1,742,000
4,288,273
338,475
907,262
3,007,637
2,227,393
1,810,200
90,475
87,330
213,023
154,415
519,018
817,000
Volume
shares
378,500
314,800
102,384
28,841
177,000
21,800
10,480
291,348
170,630
74,380
142,666
37,000
68,600
260,240
43,000
Value in
million
130.33
126.22
119.80
101.90
88.58
67.81
53.77
52.38
50.27
46.02
45.37
44.61
43.10
42.67
36.33
Value in
million
10.77
8.73
7.67
7.61
7.53
5.71
5.36
5.19
4.00
3.73
3.28
3.10
3.06
2.99
2.95
% of total
turnover
5.52
5.35
5.07
4.32
3.75
2.87
2.28
2.22
2.13
1.95
1.92
1.89
1.83
1.81
1.54
% of total
turnover
6.31
5.12
4.49
4.46
4.41
3.35
3.14
3.04
2.35
2.19
1.92
1.82
1.79
1.75
1.73
Daily
closing
27.70
266.20
68.80
24.30
264.10
73.90
17.90
23.70
27.50
502.00
517.60
213.10
278.40
81.20
44.50
Daily
closing
27.90
27.60
74.10
266.60
42.10
263.70
503.50
17.90
23.40
50.30
22.90
83.90
44.30
11.50
68.70
Price
change
2.21
2.46
-0.43
4.29
2.60
-0.67
1.70
5.33
1.10
-5.99
Daily
opening
27.10
259.80
69.10
23.30
257.40
74.40
17.60
22.50
27.20
534.00
Price
change
Daily
opening
0.78
4.46
-0.50
-9.68
-0.45
2.57
1.47
-0.40
2.03
-0.94
2.61
-5.76
2.29
4.46
-0.79
-2.14
-9.78
-0.67
-0.86
-0.43
513.60
204.00
279.80
89.90
44.70
27.20
27.20
74.40
261.30
42.50
257.00
534.30
17.50
22.40
50.70
23.40
93.00
44.60
11.60
69.00
Daily
high
28.90
267.00
69.50
24.70
264.90
76.40
18.00
24.10
28.10
527.00
523.30
214.00
281.00
95.00
45.10
Daily
high
29.10
28.10
76.90
267.40
43.20
264.70
528.00
18.00
24.00
50.80
23.70
87.00
45.10
11.60
69.20
Daily
low
27.60
250.00
68.30
21.00
256.00
70.00
16.00
21.00
27.20
500.00
Daily
average
28.25
263.82
68.77
23.76
261.71
74.74
17.88
23.52
27.77
508.68
Daily
low
Daily
average
500.00
195.00
256.00
81.00
43.90
27.70
27.20
73.60
260.00
42.00
257.00
502.00
17.50
22.80
49.80
22.80
83.70
43.70
10.50
68.20
519.49
209.40
279.09
82.22
44.46
28.46
27.74
74.91
263.72
42.53
261.90
511.01
17.81
23.46
50.21
22.99
83.92
44.57
11.48
68.66
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
B3
US businesses urge tough line over

China antitrust policy
News Corp to publish

newspapers for decades
and decades
n Reuters, Beijing
n AFP, Sydney
US companies are crying foul over Chinas oversight of monopoly and pricing
issues, as antitrust enforcement threatens to further sour Sino-American
business ties already damaged by a row
over cyber espionage.
The US Chamber of Commerce, in a
private letter sent last month to Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury
Secretary Jacob Lew, urged Washington to get tough with Beijing on its use
of anti-competition rules, noting that
concerns among US companies are intensifying.
Beijings increasing use of its 6-yearold anti-monopoly law (AML) and price
competition rules to weigh-in on global
mergers and take action against foreign companies is set to further stoke
tensions after Washington this week
indicted five Chinese military officers
with hacking US companies to steal
trade secrets.
The Chamber urged U.S. officials to
use annual bilateral talks scheduled
for July to secure commitments from
China to address the issue, noting that
efforts to compel China had been insufficient.
There is significant risk to the US
economy that US companies will increasingly be coerced into abandoning
deals that would be good for markets
and consumers because AML enforcement in China has no principled basis
in competition law or economics and is
informed by Chinas industrial policy
goals, said the US Chamber letter, a
copy of which was obtained by Reuters.
The US State Department and US
Treasury Department declined to comment. The US Chamber of Commerce
confirmed the letter.
The head of Rupert Murdochs News

Corp yesterday said the group will be
publishing newspapers for decades
and hit out at the morbid mindset of
those who say print is dead.
Chief executive Robert Thomson,
who oversees more than 100 newspapers including The Wall Street Journal
and The Times of London, rejected
fears the medium was finished as the
industry battles a slump in advertising
and circulation revenues.
Its a sign of a morbid mindset that afflicts not just in this country but, internationally, some media groups, Thomson
told The Australian broadsheet, a News
Corp. newspaper. Fatalism can be fatal.
I think people have failed to articulate
enough the power of print as a platform.
He added that News Corps newspapers would be in print for decades and
decades and decades ... print will continue to evolve in the same way that
digital is evolving.
His comments came just days after he
extolled the value of newspapers in a media and advertising event in Sydney, saying they played an important role in his
companys multimedia future and that
'Promoting industrial policies'
In another sign of the deterioration in

Sino-US ties, the official State Internet
Information Office said on Thursday
that China will investigate providers of
important IT products and services to
protect national security and economic and social development, the
Xinhua news agency said. Products
that dont meet security requirements
will be banned.
China has also prohibited central
government offices from using Micro-
A combination photo shows the logo of Glencore (L) in front of the company's headquarters in the Swiss town of Baar and the logo of
Swiss mining company Xstrata (R) at their headquarters in Zug
REUTERS
soft Corps latest Windows 8 operating system over concerns the software
exposes computers to the risk of being
controlled remotely, the Communist
Partys Peoples Daily newspaper said
on Thursday.
It has become increasingly clear
that the Chinese government has
seized on using the AML to promote
Chinese producer welfare and to advance industrial policies that nurture
domestic enterprises, rather than the
internationally accepted norm of using
competition law to protect consumer welfare and competition, the US
Chambers letter said.
Last year, China imposed conditions
on Glencores $29bn takeover of AngloSwiss miner Xstrata, citing concerns
the merged company would have too
much power over the copper market. A
group led by China Minmetals Corp last
month bought Glencores Las Bambas
copper mine in Peru for $5.85bn.
Highly political game
Up to last year, Chinas Ministry of

Commerce (MOFCOM) reviewed 740
merger proposals, blocking one - Coca-
Colas bid to buy top juice maker Huiyuan - and imposing conditions on 22
others, Shang Ming, MOFCOMs antimonopoly bureau director-general,
told reporters in February.
Antitrust can be a highly political
game especially in sectors seen as of
strategic significance, said Mark Williams, a law professor and antitrust expert at University of Melbourne. Beijing has come late to the game. Other
countries have had various forms of
national interest protection for years.
Separately, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC),
the Chinese governments main planning body, has used the anti-monopoly
law to target technology companies for
practices that could lead to what it calls
unreasonably high prices.
Xu Kunlin, director general of
NDRCs price supervision and anti-monopoly bureau, told Reuters the AML
was instituted to protect market order
and fair competition, along with consumer welfare. The NDRC gives equal
treatment to all market participants,
Xu said. Those who have been penalized include state-owned enterprises,
private companies, and foreign-owned

enterprises, and industry associations.
On Thursday, the NDRC suspended
its investigation of InterDigital Inc after the U.S. wireless technology patent
developer pledged to change its pricing structure. The Delaware-based firm
agreed to change its licensing terms for
Chinese manufacturers, in a move that
may save Chinese companies as much
as 500m yuan ($80.2m).
Qualcomm Inc, the worlds biggest
cellphone chip maker, is facing penalties
that may exceed $1bn in another Chinese
antitrust probe.The NDRC, which raided
Qualcomms Beijing and Shanghai offices last year, said in February it suspected
the San Diego-based firm of overcharging and abusing its market position.
On Friday, MOFCOMs Shang
launched a spirited defence of his organizations activities. For a merger
involving several jurisdictions, or multiple jurisdictions, everybody doesnt
see the problem the same way, he told
an antitrust conference in Beijing.
You cant say that if theres not a
problem in another jurisdiction, then
there wont be a problem in China. l
advertisers were still attracted to print.

Thomson added on Monday that his
support for print did not indicate a lack
of understanding of digital media.
Its because we get digital that we fully appreciate the power of print, he said.
Sometimes its as if the executive
doesnt stick up for print because hes
almost personally embarrassed. Its not
about the image of the executive, its
about the fundamentals of the sector.
You need to have the platform permutations that suit the reader and advertisers.
News Corp., which was founded in
Australia, was broken up into two firms
last year as the company sought to insulate its profitable entertainment assets from newspapers.
One firm retained the News Corp.
name and focuses on news and publishing while the other company, 21st Century Fox, manages its television and film assets. Murdoch remains in control of both.
News Corp. reported a strongerthan-expected quarterly profit of
US$48m earlier this year despite a fall
in newspaper revenues. Its shares in
New York have strengthened since the
split to add about US$2.0 billion to its
market capitalisation. l
Oil prices down in Asian trade

n AFP, Singapore
Oil prices edged lower in subdued
Asian trade yesterday but retained support from concerns about a crisis in Libya as well as an upbeat demand outlook
in the United States, analysts said.
The US benchmark, West Texas Intermediate for delivery in July, fell 32
cents to $104.03 per barrel in afternoon
trade. Brent North Sea crude for July
delivery dropped 64 cents to $109.90.
Singapores United Overseas Bank
said trading action may be limited with
financial markets in the United States
and Britain closed for public holidays.
European geopolitical concerns
and signs of improving US crude demand provided a lift to prices, it said
in a note to investors.
Traders are closely watching the
situation in Ukraine, where chocolate
baron Petro Poroshenko on Sunday
claimed a resounding victory in the

countrys key presidential election
The polls were triggered after proRussian leader Viktor Yanukovych was
ousted in February. Poroshenko immediately vowed to end a bloody uprising against Kiev that thwarted voting
across swathes of the separatist east.
Washington and its European allies
supporting Ukraines Western-friendly
government have accused Russia of fomenting unrest in the country, allegations Moscow denies.
A full-blown armed conflict in the
ex-Soviet state - a major conduit for
Russias gas exports to Europe - could
disrupt supplies and send energy prices rocketing, analysts say.
Prices have been propped up by fears
of a supply disruption in OPEC member
Libya, where escalating lawlessness has
been aggravated by power struggles between politicians and militias. l
Rupee sees biggest singleday fall in a month
Euro down in Asia on weak German business confidence
n Reuters
The euro extended its losses against

the dollar in Asia yesterday after hitting a three-month low last week in
response to a soft reading in a German
business confidence index.
In afternoon Tokyo trading, the euro
fetched $1.3618 and 138.80 yen, down
from $1.3632 and 138.91 in New York on
Friday.
The dollar was flat at 101.93 yen from
101.92 in New York Friday but well up
from the 101.72 yen seen also on Friday
in Tokyo.
Germanys Ifo business climate index for May dropped to 110.4 from 111.2,
The rupee saw its biggest decline in a

month yesterday as investors covered
short dollar positions ahead of the
swearing in ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, with all
eyes set on the allocation of key portfolios.
Investors are particularly keen
on knowing who the country's new
finance minister is - likely to be exCommerce Minister Arun Jaitley, who
is seen as the only obvious candidate
for that role, according to two sources
in the ruling party.

The BSE Sensex and Nifty ended flat
in a volatile session, giving up earlier
gains of nearly 2% due to profit-taking
in blue-chips such as IDFC while caution ahead of Modi's ministerial appointments also weighed.
"We could see the pair target a high
of 59.27-30 levels this week. We have
the GDP data this week, but that is
likely to be ignored. Market will be
watching Modi and his team for cues,"
said Hari Chandramgethen, head of
foreign exchange trading at South Indian Bank. l
n AFP, Tokyo
data showed Friday, after a gain the

previous month, underscoring ongoing
concerns about the European economy.
Markets are growing increasingly
convinced that the European Central
Bank will take steps to loosen monetary conditions at its June meeting,
in turn putting downward pressure on
the euro.
ECB chief Mario Draghi is scheduled
to speak at a conference later in the day.
Markets will be looking for more
clues as to what may be on offer following next Thursdays ECB council meeting, National Australia Bank said.
A strong showing by nationalist
and anti-European Union parties in EU
parliamentary elections may also be

weighing on the euro, it added.
The reality is that these results - in
France especially - wont mean a whole
lot in practice but optically its an obvious pretext for some pressure on the
euro and the pound, NAB said.
It also said the dollar held firm
against the yen after Bank of Japan
governor Haruhiko Kuroda told the
Wall Street Journal that the Japanese
currency was still quite strong, and
added that Tokyo needs to do more in
its fight to boost growth and raise inflation.
in other trading, the Thai baht rose
to 32.59 from 32.53 on Friday after
Thailands king formally appointed the

army chief as head of the nations new
military junta following a coup in the
crisis-hit nation.
The dollar rose to Sg$1.2537 from
Sg$1.2522, and to 1,023.85 from 1,023.79
South Korean won, and to 43.69 Philippine pesos from 43.61 pesos.
The greenback also strengthened
to 11,615.00 Indonesian rupiah from
11,555.80 rupiah but weakened to
$30.09 from Tw$30.12 and to 58.46 Indian rupees from 58.48 rupees.
The Australian dollar slipped to
92.36 US cents from 92.41 cents while
the Chinese yuan bought 16.34 yen
against 16.28 yen. l
Modhumoti Bank Limited recently held a board meeting at its head office. The boards
chair Humayun Kabir along with the other directors were present at the meeting
The Bangladesh German Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BGCCI) yesterday held
a farewell lunch for the German Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Albrecht Conze who has
been asked by the German Government to take up a new position at very short notice.
The President of BGCCI Shakhawat Abu Khair and its executive director Daniel Seidl were
present at the lunch among many others
Green Delta Insurance Company Limited yesterday launched a training institute named
Professional Advancement Bangladesh Limited (PABL) in association with Chartered
Insurance Association (CII), UK. Chair of Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority
(IDRA), M Shefaque Ahmed was the chief guest while Sheikh Kabir Hossain, President of
Bangladesh Insurance Association (BIA) was the special guest at the event
Bangladesh Commerce Bank Training Institute recently organised a training course on

SME financing and strategy. The banks CEO and MD, Abu Sadek Md Sohel inaugurated the
course as chief guest
Rancon Motors Limited, the authorised general distributor of Daimler AG in Bangladesh

launched a weeklong free service campaign of the vehicles under the guidance of a MercedesBenz foreign expert at its Service Centre in Tejgaon, Dhaka yesterday. Nasser Shahrear
Zahedee, chair of Radiant Pharmaceuticals Limited inaugurated the service campaign
Union Bank Ltd has inaugurated its branch at Badarkhali at Rashid Shopping Complex
in Coxs Bazar yesterday. The banks senior executive vice president SAM.Salimullah
inaugurated the branch
First Security Islami Bank Limiteds Regional Training Institute, Chittagong recently
organised a workshop on foreign exchange for the banks fifty officers working in various
branches of its Chittagong division. Mohammad Masum Kamal Bhuiyan, executive
director of Bangladesh Bank, Chittagong inaugurated the workshop
B4
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
IMF calls for closer

cooperation among
central banks
n Reuters, Sintra
Christine Lagarde, managing director
of the International Monetary Fund,
called on Sunday for closer cooperation among the world's central banks
to cope with the challenges of increasingly interlinked and complex financial
systems.
Speaking at a dinner in Sintra, Portugal, to kick off the first annual ECB
Forum conference, Lagarde said the
potential gains from cooperation could
be huge in times of distress as seen during the financial crisis.
"If policies are viewed only from a
national perspective, we may end up in
a world of ad hoc intervention, less rebalancing, and the potential to export
financial instability," she said in the
text of her speech.
"This would be a world of possibly
large welfare losses in many countries,
with not just spillover effects from
advanced to emerging market economies, but also 'spillbacks' feedback
effects from emerging market to large
advanced economies."
The financial crisis has shown
that coordinated international action
helped prevent disruption spreading to
German consumer
confidence steady
n AFP, Frankfurt
economies around the globe, she said.

And these upsides should not be forgotten as the crisis subsides.
"We need a concerted effort to examine the effectiveness of cooperative
If policies are viewed

only from a national
perspective, we may
end up in a world of ad
hoc intervention, less
rebalancing
policy responses, their spillover effects, and their global welfare implications also in light of the evolution of
the financial system," Lagarde said.
She also said advanced economies
could help reduce volatility by communicating clearly the course of their
monetary policy.
Discussing the link between financial stability and inflation, Lagarde said
the current environment in the euro
zone was a sobering reminder of how
balance sheet weakness could constrain the ability of banks to support
credit and investment, ultimately contributing to low inflation. l
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde addresses the Bretton Woods Committee annual meeting at World
Bank headquarters in Washington
REUTERS
Consumer confidence in Germany remains steady following recent gains, a

new poll found yesterday.
"Consumer sentiment remains in
good shape this month. But, as in previous months, no clear trend is discernible," market research company GfK
said in a statement.
"The good piece of news this month
is that consumers' economic expectations are gaining momentum, despite
the crisis in Ukraine. That is helping
make them more willing to spend, albeit only modestly," the statement said.
"By contrast, income expectations
could not match the post-war high
reached the previous month and gave
up most of its gains from April."
Looking ahead to next month, GfK's
headline household confidence index
was forecast to stand at 8.5 points in
June, unchanged from May.
This reading is based on responses
from about 2,000 households regarding their expectations about pay and
the economy as a whole in the coming
months, as well as their willingness to
spend money.
Sentiment in Europe's top economy
is currently positive, but appears to
be stalling amid uncertainty about
possible fallout from the crisis in
Ukraine.
Last week, the Ifo business climate
survey fell more than expected. l
BOJ's Iwata signals chance of tapering if economy overheats

n Reuters, Tokyo
Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Kikuo

Iwata signalled yesterday the possibility of withdrawing the central bank's
massive monetary stimulus if the economy overheats and nudges up inflation
well above its 2% price target.
Iwata voiced confidence that Japan
was making steady progress in meeting
the central bank's inflation goal with
prices rising not just because of a weak
yen, which inflates import costs, but
strength in domestic demand.

He also said heightening inflation
expectations in Japan would help
prevent excessive rises in the yen,
which had weighed on the exportreliant economy during 15 years of
deflation.
While he stressed the BOJ's resolve
to maintain ultra-loose monetary conditions for as long as needed to beat
deflation, Iwata said the central bank's
current stimulus programme also aims
to prevent excessive inflation.
"The BOJ's current policy intends to

prevent not just deflation but inflation
from well exceeding 2%, such as to 4%
or 5%, for a medium- to long-term period," Iwata told a seminar.
"If the economy overheats and inflation exceeds 2% on a permanent basis,
we will adjust policy," he said. "On the
other hand, if our price goal is distant
and prices don't seem to be approaching the target, we will adjust policy the
other way" by expanding stimulus, he
added.
Sony to sell PlayStation in newly

opened China market
n AFP, Shanghai
Sony will bring its PlayStation consoles
to China through two joint ventures,
the Japanese gaming giant and its Chinese partner both said Monday, as they
seek to tap a newly opened market.
China in January formally authorised the domestic sale of game consoles made in its first free trade zone
(FTZ) in Shanghai, opening up a market
with an estimated 500 million players
to foreign companies including Sony,
Microsoft and Nintendo.
The Japanese firms newest games
console - PlayStation 4 - has seen record demand since its launch in late
2013 with sales topping seven million
units globally last month.
The opening of the huge Chinese
market could be a major boost for Sonys videogame business, its chief executive said Monday, as the firm looks
to cast off years of losses.
The Chinese market, just given the
size of it, is obviously potentially a very
large market for videogame products,
Kazuo Hirai told reporters at Sonys
headquarters in Tokyo.
I think that we will be able to rep-
licate the kind of success we have had

with PS4 in other parts of the world in
(China).
Generating localised games would
be key to success in the vast market, he
added.
Initially, we will start with nonChinese games, thats fine because
thats all we have, Hirai said.
But (longer term) its about getting
involved in the local content creation
market, which I think is very important
for real success in the Chinese market.
Earlier Monday, Shanghai-listed
tourism and culture firm Oriental Pearl
said it would set up two joint ventures
with Sony in the FTZ, one for hardware
and one to handle software and services, according to a statement filed to the
stock exchange.
Sony will take a 49% stake in one
venture and a majority 70% in the
other, the statement said, to make and
market PlayStation consoles and related software in China.
Despite the news, Oriental Pearl
stock closed down 0.54% yesterday.
Sony shares ended up 3.12% in Tokyo
trading. The ventures will help introduce quality and healthy gaming
products to Chinese players, the Oriental Pearl statement said, one of the
requirements of authorities for selling
in China.
Some foreign industry officials fear
that such regulatory approval - conceivably to censor game content which
China deems too violent, obscene or
politically sensitive - could be used as
a potential trade barrier.
Competitor Microsoft said in late April
that it will start offering its Xbox One
game console in China from September
through a joint venture in the FTZ.
The relaxation of the decade-long
sales ban does not apply to console imports, though the devices are already
widely available through unofficial
sales channels after being smuggled
into China.
Chinas game revenue jumped 38%
year-on-year to 83.2bn yuan in 2013,
according to one industry estimate, although the market was dominated by
online computer games.
Analysts say Chinese consumers are
unlikely to want to pay high prices for
foreign consoles and authorised software, especially if it is slow coming to
the market. l
Report: Pork DNA found in two chocolate

products of Cadbury Malaysia
n Reuters
Chocolate maker Cadbury Malaysia,
a part of Mondelez International Inc
yesterday recalled two chocolate products after they tested positive for traces
of pork DNA, the Nikkei Asian Review
website reported.
The traces were found during a periodic check for non-halal ingredients in
food products by the Ministry of Health,
which on Saturday said two of three
samples of the companys products contained pork traces, the website said.
The two products, Cadbury Dairy
Milk Hazelnut and Cadbury Dairy Milk
Roast Almond, were readily available
in stores throughout the country, Nikkei said.
Cadbury Malaysia, like most food
makers in the country where Muslims
make up more than 60 percent of the
population, has all of its products certified halal to conform with Islams
dietary restrictions, one of which is a
prohibition on pork.
The company said it was undertaking a full review of its supply chain to
ensure halal standards, according to
the report, and the Malaysian govern-
ment said it will conduct inspection of

all Cadbury Malaysias products.
Cadbury Malaysia was not immediately available to comment on the Nikkei report. l
Since deploying its "quantitative and

qualitative easing" (QQE) programme
in April last year, the BOJ has remained
silent on when it could consider withdrawing the stimulus for fear of diluting its message that it is determined to
end nearly two decades of economic
stagnation.
Iwata's comments, the first from a
senior BOJ official directly mentioning the chance of withdrawing QQE,
reflects the growing confidence within
the central bank that Japan is winning
the battle against deflation.

The BOJ has repeatedly said the
economy is recovering strongly enough
for consumer inflation to hit its 2% target by around April next year, when its
two-year time frame for meeting the
goal expires.
While core consumer inflation has
reached 1.3% in March, market players remain sceptical on whether price
gains will accelerate from here as
quickly as the BOJ predicts.
Still, the BOJ's optimistic view of the
economy and prices have led market

players to scale back expectations of
imminent monetary easing.
Iwata said that while the BOJ will
support the economy by stimulating
demand, it was the government's job
to boost Japan's long-term growth potential by implementing structural reforms.
Economic growth will remain subdued even if the BOJ achieves its price
target, unless the government proceeds
with structural reforms, he warned. l
Draghi: ECB 'alert'

to deflation risk
n AFP, Sintra
The European Central Bank remains
"alert" to the dangers of eurozone inflation undershooting the central bank's
medium-term targets, president Mario
Draghi said on Monday amid widespres
concern about deflation risks.
His comments come against a background of speculation over whether
the central bank will take new steps to
ease monetary conditions at its next
meeting early in June.
"At present, our expectation is that
low inflation will be prolonged but
gradually return to close to 2%," Draghi
told a central banking forum organised
by the ECB in Sintra, Portugal.
"Our responsibility is nonetheless to
be alert to the risks to this scenario that
might emerge and prepared for action
if they do," Draghi said.
"What we need to be particularly
watchful for at the moment is, in my
view, the potential for a negative spiral to take hold between between low
inflation, falling inflation expectations
and credit, in particular in stressed
countries," he said.
Inflation in the 18 countries that
share the euro is currently way below
the ECB's 2% target, picking up only
fractionally to 0.7% in April. According
to the ECB's latest forecasts, area-wide
inflation is projected to accelerate to
1.6% in 2016.
But the ECB's chief economist Peter
Praet recently pointed out that since
the beginning of the year inflation tended to come out lower than expected.
The persistently low level of inflation has raised the specture of deflation
in the single currency area, a phenomenon where households and businesses put off expenditure in antipation of
falling prices.
At its policy meeting in Brussels
earlier this month, Draghi had said the
ECB's governing council was "comfortable" with the idea of easing monetary
conditions next month.
While council voted to hold its
key interest rate steady at its current
all-time low of 0.25% for the seventh
month in a row this month, Draghi
gave the strongest hint yet that further
easing is on the cards. But a decision
would depend on the central bank's
latest inflation forecasts before taking
concrete action.
One of the campaign arguments of
anti-Eurpean Union or nationalist parties in the European parliament election on Sunday was that the ECB is too
distant, too bureaucratic and too tight
with its monetary policies. l
The headquarters of Italian defence and aerospace company Finmeccanica is seen in

Rome
REUTERS
India aims to recover 228m

euros in Finmeccanica bank
guarantees
n Reuters, New Delhi
India will move to recover bank guarantees from an aborted 560-millioneuro helicopter deal with Italy's Finmeccanica, the defense ministry said,
after an Italian court lifted a freeze on
228m euros held with European banks.
New Delhi scrapped the deal with
Finmeccanica's AgustaWestland unit
in January, after graft allegations
made against the company almost a
year earlier. The delay highlights the
slow headway the Congress party then
in power was able to make on vital
defense contracts.
Congress suffered its worst ever defeat in India's general election in April
and May. Hindu nationalist Narendra
Modi, leader of the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP), is due to be sworn in as
prime minister on Monday night.
The overall value of the guarantee
scheme with Deutsche Bank SpA DBKGDE.UL, Deutsche Bank AG, Intesa
Sanpaolo and the State Bank of India
was around 300m euros, Reuters reported in January.
DILBERT
India said in February it had cashed

in two small bank guarantees but an
Italian judge later blocked its efforts
to recover the remaining 278m euros.
On Friday, an Italian court revoked the
freeze on 228m euros of that figure.
"The ministry is studying the order and will take immediate steps to
recover the amounts fully," India's defense ministry said in a statement on
Sunday.
Details will only emerge after the
new defense minister takes office, a
ministry spokesman told Reuters yesterday.
Finmeccanica has said it will seek
to protect the guarantees through an
arbitration process launched this year
after the contract for a dozen high-end
helicopters was cancelled.
Defense is one of four key portfolios,
including finance, home affairs and foreign affairs, over which speculation is
mounting ahead of the swearing-in of
Modi's cabinet, set for Monday night.
Modi is an extremely private figure
who has kept even senior party leaders
in the dark about his choices. l

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Joishthya 13, 1421

Rajab 27, 1435

TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

TMAG | PRESENTS THE ARCHIES

7 | JINNAH MADE A MISTAKE

20 pages plus 16-page T-Mag tabloid | Price: Tk10

11 | NO BED OF ROSES FOR MODI

13 | WE NEEDED THIS BREAK: TAMIM

Directives have been

No more search, checkposts for RAB

are not part of our duties, he said.

law and order; intelligence gathering

More questions leaked on Facebook Modi sworn in as Indian

While the government is continuously snuffing out the allegations, one

wa Pakhi meaning, dream touching

Narendra Modi promised to forge

B1 The default loans of BASIC Bank growing

4 The Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts

8 Stunning victories in European Parliament

9 In October last year, the Prime Ministers

Administration officials in Narayanganj were infuriated when Sheikh Ali

Ali asked Narayanganj former deputy

3 Banned in 2009 for its controversial

Exercising the right

said in the statement on the prime ministers website.

NGANJ SEVEN MURDERS

15 Maria Sharapova reached the French

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

No Buriganga land for RAB 10

minister in the last cabinet meeting

cials from other ministries concerned

them elsewhere for building the RAB 10

HC: Why Safe Food Act

dia that the High Court had directed

BNP: Undeclared emergency

BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul

n Our Correspondent, Narayanganj

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

The BNP leader alleged that the

Nazruls brother: Hang the

sensational seven-murder case in the

1 held over Sylhet gang rape Modi sworn in

Our Correspondent, Sylhet

Father of the victims filed a case

In an interview shortly before the inauguration, Sharif said Modis arrival

More questions leaked

New suspect identified in Ekram murder

age. A quarter may be doing this to tarnish the ministrys image.

Defence allocation to grow 12.71%

Tk16,400 crore allocation would go

in the Prime Ministers Office (PMO), in

The killers also allegedly managed

Exercising the right to know made him an accused

signed by District Administration Assistant Commissioner Tasnim Jebin

seven murders in Narayanganj.

Police yesterday were allowed three

gion of instability and security that has

According to sources in the district unit Awami League, lawmaker

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Hizb-ut Tahrir now incorporating Rohingyas

different benefits. The groups high

ic scholar named Sheikh Muhammad

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

when they attempted to bring out a