Print Edition: February 03, 2014
Print Edition: February 03, 2014
Print Edition: February 03, 2014
Do you think things in Bangladesh are headed in the right direction or are they headed in the wrong direction?
WRONG
DONT KNOW
RIGHT
61%
9%
30%
face-to-face interviews of 1,500 Bangladeshi adults of various ages. The survey revealed that although it has not yet been a month that the Awami League had assumed power for the second time in a row, its popularity was already sliding.
When asked whether they would have voted for the Awami League had the January 5 election been fully participatory, 42.7% said they would have. However, when asked whether they would vote for the Awami League if
there was an election right now, only 41.5% said they would marking a slide of more than 1%. About 37.6% of the respondents said they would vote for the BNP if an election was held right now. However, 35.1% of the respondents said they would have chosen BNP if the January 5 poll was fully participatory marking a 2.5% rise in popularity for BNP. The survey marked a more than 8% rise in the number of voters who did not know or were yet to decide who to vote for. Some 13.9% of the respondents said they were not sure who they would vote for if an election was held right now. About 5.1% of them said they were undecided during the election. Demanding restoration of the caretaker government system for overseeing the national election, the BNP boycotted the poll, virtually giving its arch rival Awami
PAGE 2 COLUMN 1
P2 MORE STORIES
Seven out of 10 of both BNP and Awami League supporters want their party to compromise and immediately enter dialogue in order to end the political stalemate, the survey report said. In reply to the query on whether the current government should engage in a dialogue with the BNP and come to an agreement on new elections arrangement, 57% of the interviewees
A Chhatra League activist open fire on general students and teachers, who were demonstrating against tuition fee hike and introducing evening masters courses, on Rajshahi University campus yesterday. More photos on Page 3 DHAKA TRIBUNE
INSIDE
Business
B1 Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday underscored the need of strong coordination among the concerned countries for a successful South-South cooperation.
Nation
6 Vegetables growers are down as they are not getting fair prices of their agriproduces this year for lack of customers.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
44% believe that the 153 uncontested parliamentary seats was a proof that the election was 'farcical'
Of the 1,500 adult Bangladeshi respondents interviewed by Nielsen on behalf of Democracy International Inc. for the survey, 59% think that there should be another election before five years. 41% of the respondents believe that the current will be in power for less than a year. About 38% believe that the government will be able to carry on for 4-5 years. From the areas where voting was held in the January 5 election, 49% of the respondents said the election was credible. 38% of the respondents from
the areas where candidates were elected uncontested said the election was not credible. While nearly all BNP supporters, who responded to the survey questionnaire, said there should be a re-election, 27% of the interviewed Awami League supporters also felt the same need. According to the survey report, 55% of the respondents think that the January 5 election was a farce, while 41% say the election was necessary/credible because it was conducted in line with the countrys constitution. Of the one and a half thousand respondents, who were interviewed faceto-face from January 11-15, 44% believe that the 153 uncontested parliamentary seats was a proof that the election was farcical. 36% of the interviewees said there was no competition in those seats because the then opposition voluntarily pulled out of it. The survey report also stated that according to 48% of the people interviewed, the current situation was different from 1996 when the Awami League boycotted the national election held unilaterally by the BNP government. l
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina receives a letter from Iranian Ambassador to Bangladesh Hossein Aminian Tousi on behalf of Iranian President Hasan Rouhani, at her office yesterday PMO
49% not bothered about BNPs ties with Jamaat n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla
Around half of the people said it did not matter to them who BNPs political allies were, according to an opinion poll carried out by Democracy International. On the other hand, 32% people said BNP must cut its alliance with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami while 19% people were undecided, said the survey report. The nationwide opinion poll based on face to face interviews of 1,500 respondents of different ages starting from 18 years also says 52% of Awami League supporters were of the view that the BNP should cut ties with Jamaat while 17% BNP supporters also had the same view. The survey was conducted by Nielsen. The fieldwork of the survey was held from January 11 to 15, a few days after the 10th general elections which the BNP boycotted. l
TIB expresses concern over laying Survey supports EC foundation of bridge by ACC chief claim about 40% votes
Stresses effective steps to inquire into wealth of lawmakers
Tribune Report
The Transparency International Bangladesh yesterday expressed concern over laying foundation of a bridge in Lakshmipur by the Anti-Corruption Commission Chief M Bodiuzzaman and also called upon the ACC high-ups to avoid such practice to keep the image of the commission untainted. Inauguration of bridges and participation in political programmes by the anti-graft body chief can create conflict of interest of ACC and be a bar to smooth functioning of the anti-graft activities from an independent and impartial view, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said. In a written statement, he said the anti-graft body should be aware that it was an organisation established by the
government, but it was not a government one. The ACC had to keep away from all sorts of party influences, added he.
'Inauguration of bridges and participation in political programmes by the ACC chief can create conflict of interest...'
If the ACC chief failed to stay away from conventional behavior of such traditions, which were usually made by the lawmakers or government employees, it would curb its professionalism and mar its image, he said. Iftekharuzzaman also expressed concern over the ACCs role in lingering the probe into wealth of former and
current lawmakers. If the ACC can initiate inquiry against a suspected one, it can also initiate inquiry against others, following the same procedure, TIB said. It also called upon the ACC to initiate inquiry into the wealth of all candidates of 10th parliamentary election with professionalism. The ACC Chief M Bodiuzzaman on February 1 laid foundation stones of two bridges in Lakshmipur district. He also participated in a dinner organised by Lakshmipur Municipality mayor. The ACC representatives should avoid such programmes, TIB observed, adding that the anti-graft officials should only attend programmes related to inquiry into graft allegations and anti-graft campaigns. l
the respondents did not cast their votes in the election. Democracy International Inc. released the results of the opinion survey conducted by famous research organisation Nielsen from January 11-15. The survey also said 10% of the interviewed BNP supporters cast their votes in the election although the party had boycotted and threatened to resist it. None of the surveyed supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami cast their votes. About BNPs boycott, 52% said it was not successful. 42% thought that the new government did not have any moral or constitutional ground to rule the country. The survey report also said 45% people thought that the Election Commission did not act neutrally in the elections. 48% said the election was not held freely and fairly and there was fraud everywhere. l
UAE, one of the prospective overseas labour markets for Bangladesh, stopped issuing visas since August 20, 2012. Officials in Dhaka said the market was shut down because of criminal activities of Bangladeshi migrant workers.
According to the Bangladesh mission in UAE, around 8,00,000 to 9,00,000 Bangladeshi workers are currently residing in the oil rich country. Around 23,00,000 Bangladeshis have left for UAE for work since 1976, according to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training. l
what BNPs proposal and Awami Leagues proposal meant. The BNP has been demanding that the government reinstalled the caretaker system in the constitution before entering any dialogue, while the Awami League wants BNP to cut ties with Jamaat-e-Islami before talks.
The survey report also said: 52% of the respondents think BNP should immediately enter a dialogue with the government and cease agitation. When asked whether they agreed to hold election under elected members of all-party government headed by Sheikh Hasina, 51% of the respondents replied in the negative. l
buildings, padlocking their gates to observe strike enforced for the third consecutive day. Later, over 5,000 students joined the sit-in in front of the universitys administrative building at 11am. Around 12noon, Chhatra League activists drew a procession led by its RU unit President Mizanur Rahman Rana and General Secretary Touhid-al-Hossain Tuhin. The party activists allegedly entered the students demonstration and launched an attack on them. During the attack, BCL activists allegedly fired bullet at random at the students. Police also started firing rubber bullets and tear shells to disperse the agitating students. After dispersion, the general stu-
dents took position at different points on the campus and kept chanting slogans. The Chhatra League activists later chased after the students while allegedly opening fire at them at the same time to oust them from the campus. Around 2pm, a large number of agitating students assembled in front of the universitys central library. The protesters declared that they would continue movement till their three-point demand were met. They also added two more demand that includes exemplary punishment to the BCL attackers and bearing of all medical expenses of the injured by the university authorities. The general students had been continuing their movement from January 16 this year under the banner of
Teachers-Students against increased fees and evening courses to push for their three-point demand. The three were withdrawal of the recently taken decision to introduce evening masters courses under the Social Science Faculty, putting a stop to the ongoing evening masters courses at the BBA and Law Faculty and decrease in the recently hiked fees. The RU students also abstained from joining classes and examinations from Thursday. Asked about the police role, the deputy commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (East) said the lawmen fired rubber bullets and tear shells as the students went on the rampage. Proctor Tarikul Hasan told the newsmen that the situation was under control. Chhatra League President Mizanur
Rahman Rana gave the version that they went into action as the students were trying to make the situation of the university unstable. A five-member probe team has been formed to investigate the yesterdays incident on the campus. Prof Khalequzzaman of Zoology Department heads the investigation team. RU Vice-Chancellor Prof Mizanuddin on Saturday at a press briefing postponed the decision to hike fees following a continuous strike and demonstration by the students on the campus while two others demand of the students were yet to be settled. The agitated students, however, declared that they would continue their campaign till all their demand were met. l
League a walkover to form the 10th parliament with absolute majority. 153 out of the 300 parliamentary seats saw representatives elected uncontested. Apart from the face-to-face interviews, the survey also constituted telephone interviews. That section of the opinion poll also showed that the Awami League, with 37% responding in its favour, was slightly more popular than the BNP, who clinched favourable opinions from 31% of the respondents, if votes were held right now. Out of the 1,044 surveyed over phone, 23% said they were not sure who to vote for in case there was an election right now. Of those surveyed face-to-face, 69% felt that the country was heading in the wrong direction because of political conflicts, too many hartals and price
hike. In a survey conducted in November last year, about 62% thought the same way. According to the opinion poll report, 72% of the people identified political instability as the biggest problem for the country. When asked about immediate dialogues, 70% of the respondents said the two parties, namely Awami League and BNP, should engage in immediate talks to resolve the prevailing political stalement. Some 57% of the respondents said the current Awami League government was not credible. The Democracy International Inc. survey also reconfirmed that 40% votes were cast in the 10th parliamentary election as was claimed by the Election Commission despite boycott by the BNP. According to the survey report, 40.7% of the respondents said they had practiced their voting rights. l
at an Awami League Parliamentary Party meeting at the Sangsad Bhaban. A single candidate will be chosen through discussion with the partys grassroots level, including ward, union and upazila unit. All MPs will coordinate it but no interference will be allowed, Hasina, the party president, warned the MPs. But violating these stern instructions, many lawmakers are meddling and pressurising the local committees to pick their preferred candidates. Some are pressurising local leaders to choose their relatives as chairmen candidates. The president and secretary of Sunamganj district unit Awami League claimed local MP Manik was putting pressure on local leaders to select his preferred candidate. We have finalised one candidate everywhere except Chhatak, because of local MP Muhibur Rahman Manik, Secretary Nurul Huda Mukut told the Dhaka Tribune. In Shairatpur, the local committee took the decision to back Mubarok Ali
Sikder as chairman candidate of Jajira upazila pasrishad, but local Awami League MP BM Mojammel Hossain declared Tanay Molla as the partys candidate. We finalised that we would be supporting Mubarok Sikder at a joint meeting, as instructed by party President Sheikh Hasina. He is our candidate for the election. But if the local MP wants to support another person what can we do? Abdur Rab Munshi, the president of Shariatpur district unit, said. There is a huge support for Awami League in Jajira upazila. But why does the MP want a terrorist like Tanay Molla? he said. BM Mojammel Haq MP of Shariatpur 1 constituency said the party grassroots would back Tanay Molla as chairman candidate for Jajira. In a meeting of the party upazila unit meeting on January 23, they finalised Tanay Molla as chairman candidate, Mojammel, the central organising secretary of Awami League, said. On January 23 I was in Jessore for official tour and I did not join the meet-
ing where Tanay Molla was chosen as the party-backed candidate, he added. Rezaul Islam Reza and Tozammel Haque, brothers of Bogra 5 MP Md. Habibur Rahman, have filed nomination papers as upazila parishad chairman candidates in the district. Reza, who filed nomination for Dhunat, told the Dhaka Tribune: We two brothers have submitted nomination papers, but being the brother of the local MP, I was criticised by many quarters. So I have decided to withdraw my nomination. He claimed that the president and secretary of the district unit had picked a candidate ignoring the grassroots opinion. Md. Momjat Uddin, the president of Bogra district unit, said the party grassroots had finalised the units General Secretary Mujibur Rahman Majnu as chairman candidate for Sherpur upazila. Many people have tried to influence this decision, he alleged. Tozammel Haque, who filed nomination for Sherpur upazila, said he would contest the upazila election.
Filing his nomination as an independent candidate in the last national election, Mujibur Rahman Majnu lost his membership of the party. So how did he become the party-backed candidate? Tojammel said. He said, I have filed my nomination and I will contest the election. MP Habibur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune that as the local MP he had joined the meeting where the candidate was picked, but did not play any role as per the instructions of the party chief. I went there like a volunteer observer, he said. Kazi Jafrullah, a presidium member of Awami League, told the Dhaka Tribune that he had no information of any interference from party lawmakers in the selection of upazila polls candidates. As a local party leader, lawmakers could play a role in picking candidates by helping organise. We hope the candidates will be chosen in the way party President Sheikh Hasina has instructed. If anyone interferes with the process, necessary measures will be taken, he said. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Chhatra League activists bring out a procession, led by its President Mizanur Rahman Rana and General Secretary Touhid-al-Hossain Tuhin (on motorcycle), on RU campus before the attack l Protesters run for safety after Chhatra League activists attacked them in front of the administration building. Police also fired tear shells and rubber bullets l Students rush an injured female to the hospital l Chhatra League activists pelting brickbats on protesters l Students escort an injured to the hospital l A man carries a student hit by rubber bullets to the hospital
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Anwar, Miah get bail, Moudud, Mahbub denied Sakib and n Nazmus Md Sanaul Islam Tipu
BNP leaders MK Anwar and Rafiqul Islam Miah can be released from jail as they obtained bail in all cases against them while Moudud Ahmed and Khandker Mahbub Hossain have to remain in prison as they were denied bail in two separate cases. The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday upheld the bails of four BNP leaders in two cases Moudud, Anwar, Miah and Shimul Biswas by dismissing the appeal of the state against the High Court order of January 21. The five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain passed the order yesterday morning. Meanwhile, the High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Mohammad Ullah yesterday afternoon granted a three-month bail to Moudud, Miah and Anwar in an explosives case lodged with Motijheel police station, Ehsanur Rahman, a lawyer of the BNP leaders, said. Ehasanur said, as Anwar and Miah were granted bail in all five cases against them, they were no legal bars to releasing them. Shimul was released from jail on January 28 . However, Moudud would have to remain in prison as Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judges Court yesterday refused to grant him bail in a corruption case. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
The ambient atmosphere of the Sundarbans will not be affected because of using supercritical technology at the plant
The adviser was speaking at a seminar titled Coal Power Generation in Bangladesh: Worlds Best Practices at Bidyut Bhaban in the capital. The Power Cell under the energy, power an dmineral resources ministry arranged the event. Towfiq said the chimney of the plant would be 275 miters high. So, the smoke to be emitted from burning coal would not harm the Sundarbans, one the worlds largest mangrove forests. Besides this, the ambient atmosphere would not be affected because of using supercritical technology at the plant. On January 29, 2012, the government struck a deal with India for installing the 1,320MW coal-based power plant on the bank of Poshur River of the Sundarbans. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction work in October last year. The Indian state-owned power company is implementing the project where
Former Rajshahi University students form a human chain in front of Raju Bhashkarja pleding support for the ongoing protets at Rajshahi University over higher tuition fees and evening masters courses, on Dhaka University campus yesterday RAJIB DHAR
WEATHER
them to submit a memorandum to the police commissioner. The businessmen on behalf of Sylhet Mohanagar Hawker Sangram Parishad submitted a memorandum to the police commissioner. It mentioned that there are about 20,000 hawkers in the city. But they were evicted to enhance the beauty of the city after SCC Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury took the office. On the other hand, the hawkers re-
quested the authorities to give them the opportunity to sell items from 12pm12am from Saturday to Thursday and from 4pm-12am during the other four days before rehabilitation. They also requested the police commissioner to allow them to sit in Jalalabad Park, owned by the City Corporation. On Saturday night, the hawkers at a meeting said they were always ready to make the footpath free. l
n Tribune Report
3,000 sued for attack on Nadvi Rana Plaza owner denied bail
n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong
Police yesterday arrested 54 more Jamaat-Shibir activists in connection with the assault of ruling partys Abu Reza Mohammad Nezamuddin Nadvi MP in Lohagara of Chittagong on Friday. They were arrested from different areas of Lohagara after an overnight drive, Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Shahjahan of Lohagara police station said. After a case was filed on Saturday night, the police arrested 22 Jamaate-Islami activists and its student body Islami Chhatra Shibir. SI Abdul Awal of Lohagara police lodged the case accusing 3,000 Jamaat-Shibir men, naming 125 people including ANM Shamsul Islam, ameer of Jamaats city unit. At a press briefing at Chittagong Press Club yesterday morning, Nadvi claimed that the Jamaat-Shibir men had attempted to kill him that night. Nadvi and other local Awami League lawmakers said the Jamaat-Shibir men had been conducting attacks in Satkania and Lohagara upazilas since last year, affecting the local people especially those from the minority communities. Protesting the attack, the local AL unit will hold a protest rally in Chunati area in Lohagara today. A long-march from the port city to Satkania will also be organised by district AL on February 8. l
n Nazmus Sakib
The High Court yesterday declined to give bail to Sohel Rana, the key accused in a case filed under the Building Construction Act and Building Code in connection with the Rana Plaza collapse that killed more than 1,130 people on April 24 last year. The bench of Justice Nizamul Huq and Justice Jahangir Hossain passed the order rejecting the bail petition of Rana, a Jubo League leader in Savar, his lawyer Najmul Huda told the Dhaka Tribune. The High Court earlier granted bail to Abdul Khalek, father of the building owner, the lawyer said.
PRAYER TIMES
Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha 5:21am 6:38am 12:12am 4:10pm 5:46pm 7:04pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org
Ranas counsel told the court that his client was entitled to bail considering the offence. In the hearing, Deputy Attorney General Amit Talukdar said Rana could not be granted bail as the collapse of the building had killed many people, and for which, the USA suspended GSP facilities for Bangladesh. The collapse of nine-storey Rana Plaza claimed the lives of at least 1,134 people mostly workers of the five garment factories housed in the building and left around 2,500 others injured. Police filed four criminal cases while the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha lodged one for constructing the building in violation of the related laws. l
The government has suspended seven physicians because of their unauthorised absence at workplaces. The suspended doctors are Dr Md Rajib Mahmud, medical officer of Shibpur upazila health complex of Narsingdi; Dr Mohammad Mahamudul Kabir Bashar, assistant surgeon of Jessore sub-health centre of the same upazila; Dr Pobina Afroz Parvin, junior consultant at Palash upazila health complex in Narsingdi; Dr Nahida Begum, medical officer of Gojaria sub-health centre; Dr Md Sharif Ahmed, assistant surgeon of the same health sub-centre; and Dr Nurun Nahar, assistant surgeon of Danga sub-health centre, according to a press release. During a sudden visit on Thursday, Basu Dev Ganguly, joint secretary of the health ministry, and Dr Shah Newaz, director (administration) of the Directorate General of Health Services, found them absent at their work stations. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
5
Private medical college admissions extended to February 15 n Moniruzzaman Uzzal
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has again extended the deadline of admission at private medical colleges yesterday. Motiur Rahman, joint secretary (medical education) of health ministry, said the deadline had been extended up to February 15, and added that top officials of the ministry had made the decision. Sources said this is for the sixth time that the health ministry had extended the admission deadline for the private medical colleges. Seeking anonymity, several officials of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) told the Dhaka Tribune that usually the DGHS makes such decisions. They also said this year the health ministry had been making decisions in this regard, adding that they [DGHS officials] did not know about the decision beforehand. Meanwhile, health ministry sources said most of the private medical colleges could not fill up their seats yet because of political unrest. According to Bangladesh Private Medical College Association sources around 20%-25% seats were yet to be filled up. l
The recently taken photo shows a huge traffic snarl on MIrpur-Airport route namely late president Zillur Rahman flyover despite different measures taken by the government MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU industries, educational institutions and offices of different sectors are situated in the capital. He said Dhaka itself had the highest rate of urbanisation at 90%. He blamed illegal parking, running of rickshaws on thoroughfares, auto-rickshaw, private cars for traffic jam. The government should establish separate lanes for buses, as most townsfolk use buses, he suggested. After winning the ninth general
Five including three devotees killed Court orders release of in bus, train accidents across city Inquilab materials
n Kailash Sarkar
At least five people including three Ijtema devotees were killed in separate road and train accidents in the capital yesterday. A speeding bus ran over three devotees at Turag while they were going to attend the Ijtema on a rickshaw. The deceased were identified as Md Giaus Uddin, 37, his son Md Yiasin, 17, and Md Ripon, 15, of Ashulia. Quoting the witnesses, police said a bus hit the rickshaw from behind at Rustompur in Turag around 10:30am. Being hit by the bus, the devotees skidded off the rickshaw and fell under the wheels of the bus, they added. Locals caught the bus but the driver managed to flee, police said. Locals rushed them to Pongu Hospital in the capital where they succumbed to their injuries around 4pm. Sheikh Farid, officer-in-charge of Turag police station, said the bus lost control and hit the rickshaw. In another incident, the helper of a bus was crushed under the same bus in the capitals Malibagh in the afternoon. Md Yiasin, 30, was killed on the spot after he fell down under the wheels of a Turag Paribahan bus while he was getting into the bus. Kripa Sindhu Bala, officer-in-charge of Rampura police station, said they had arrested the bus driver and seized the bus. Besides, an elderly man, 55, was killed after he skidded off the roof of a Tongi bound train at Khilkhet around 1:30pm. l
Human chain demands punishment for Monis killers n Our Correspondent, Gazipur
Schoolmates, teachers and guardians of Moni formed a human chain in Gazipur town yesterday, demanding arrested and exemplary punishment of her killers. The human chain was formed at the school field of Beraiderchala Abed Ali Girls School of Sreepur municipality. Mamun Mia, paternal cousin of Masuma Akter Moni, said she had gone missing on January 22 after she left for school in the morning. After six days she was found dead in the adjacent pond of her home on January 28, he added. Headmaster of the school Motiur Rahman said: Moni was a gentle and brilliant student of our school. I along with the students demand exemplary punishment of the killers. Following the human chain, the participants prayed for the salvation of the departed soul. l
computers on charges of publishing a fabricated news item. On the other hand, the DB police on Saturday night opened the main gate of Inqilab building, around two weeks after the office of the Bengali newspaper had been sealed off for publishing a controversial report over the presence of Indian army in Bangladeshs territory. On January 29, Diplomatic Correspondent Ahmmed Atique gave his confessional statement before the chief metropolitan magistrate court under 164 of criminal procedure code and apologised for producing the report. On January 20, a Dhaka court granted two days remand for questioning Ahmmed Atique, and News Editor Rabiulla Ulla Robi and Deputy Chief Reporter Rafiq Mohammad and sent them to jail. l
Agitated students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology run amok at the capitals Palashi intersection after a female fellow student was injured after being hit by a microbus at the area yesterday. Story on page 4 SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
3 held for releasing obscene video n Arif Ahmed n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi With the theme Kobita Shohey Na
Police arrested three people yesterday on allegations of releasing an offensive video of a school girl on the internet in Monohordi upazila of the district. The arrested were Roman Mia, 19, son of Khoka Mia and a tenth grade student of Monohordi Pilot High School, Shohag Mia, 20 owner of Khidirpur SR Digital Studio and Sujon, a computer operator. The victims mother had filed a case against the three with Monohordi police station as a complainant under the Pornography Act. Police arrested Roman with the help of locals and the victims family. Shohag and Sujon were arrested after interrogating him. During police interrogation, Roman claimed that he had been involved in a relationship with the girl for the last two years but recently, the video of their intimate moments was leaked on the internet. He claimed he had kept the video in Sohags computer so that he could use it against the victims family if they refused his marriage proposal. But the video was leaked on the internet without his knowledge, he added. l
The festival is now a major annual event not only in Bangladesh but also in South-Asia and is recognised as a unique reunion of poets from home and abroad
This year, a large number of poets recited their poems at the festival from home and abroad. Ashish Sanyal, Uttam Das, Shyamal Kanti Das, Shankar Chakrabarty, Dilip Das, Akbar
Ahmed, Anubhab Tulsi and Samir Tati were from India. Swedish poet Kristian Carlsson, Norwegian poet John Y. Jones; Austrian poet Dorothea Muller-Ott; and Swidish poets Anre Ruth, Haideh Daragahi, among others participated in the festival. On 1 February, 1987, Jatio Kabita Parishad was founded to organise the Jatio Kabita Utsab (National Poetry Festival) during the military regime of 1980s with the slogan Poetry for Breaking Chains under the leadership of eminent poets including Sufia Kamal, Shamsur Rahman and Faiz Ahmed and the vigorous initiatives of young poets of Bangladesh. Since the debut in 1987, Jatio Kabita Parishad has been organising National Poetry Festival on 1st and 2nd February every year with slogans and themes focused on the contemporary culture and socio-political situation of the country. The festival is now a major annual event not only in Bangladesh but also in South-Asia and is recognised as a unique reunion of poets from home and abroad. l
Ofce of the Executive Engineer BRE (Specialized) O&M Division BWDB, Sirajganj
Date: 29/01/2014
Memo No. T-4/936; Date: 29/01/2014. 6049 Repair & Maintenance of Tugboat (Replacement of Propeller, Bush, Gear box etc. and Repair & making of Raddar), Supply Barge and Work barge at Sirajganj during the FY: 2013-2014. This is an online tender where only e-tenders will be accepted in e-GP portal and no ofine and hard copy will be accepted. To submit e-tender please register on e-GP system. For more details, please contact support Desk contact number (01762625528-31). Note: e-Tender publication date in in e-GP portal: 04/02/2014. Special Condition: a. Work order will be issued on the basis of sanctioned estimate and work authorization for which no claim will be entertained. b. Payment will be made after availability of fund from authority for which no claim will be entertained. But the work must be continued and completed within schedule time and proportionate progress must be achieved. If the work completion time is reduced to the span as decided by the authority, this shall be binding upon the contractors. c. The work may be totally dropped, decreased or increased. No claim or extra rate will be entertained for cancellation of the tender or issuance of work order with decreased quantity of work. Md. Raqul Alam Executive Engineer BRE (Sp1.) O&M Division BWDB, Sirajganj.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Feature
never thought it would happen to me. And then it did, Rumana Monzur, iconic survivor of severe domestic abuse, told the Dhaka Tribune in an exclusive interview earlier this week. To survive is to have a story to tell, to have the chance to show others what
An interview with Rumana Monzur, as part of our weekly series on One Billion Rising Bangladesh, in support of justice for violence against women Rumana was attacked by her hus- and UNFPA suggests a staggering n Syeda Samira Sadeque band in June 2011, when he gouged out 90% of women face abuse by their
her eyes and bit off parts of her nose. Rumana, a former University of Dhaka Assistant Professor of International Relations, was visiting Dhaka on break from Vancouver, where she was a graduate student at that time. The brutal act triggered protests both at home and in Canada. Rumana survived to tell her story, and to completely turn her fate around. After extensive medical treatment, she enrolled as a law student at University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where she lives with her parents and eight year old daughter Anusheh. I am studying law because it makes me legally empowered. I wonder now if I had had this education, if it would have been easier for me to fight my legal battles. Despite the obvious nature of the crime, her husbands family has been trying to claim custody of her daughter, accusing her of faking her blindness, or saying that she will not be able to take care of Anusheh. She has to submit documents to prove that she is visually impaired.
Rumana Monzur with daughter Anusheh in 2013 they didnt see. Or ignored. Rumana, having enrolled in law school after completing her Masters degree, is doing just that: surviving gracefully, and telling her story.
husbands. Those being abused need to understand that showing patience to monsters and demons is wrong. They mistake our commitment to be our weakness. No one needs to go through this to save their marriage. Even after being married to her abusive husband Hasan Sayeed for ten years, Rumana used to be reluctant to reveal her secret. I used to think talking about it would be a matter of shame, so I kept quiet instead. But we must realize it is not us who ought to be ashamed but them, those who inflict abuse on us who should be held accountable, who should be shamed. Rumana says society also has a role to play to create a safe haven for those living in a system of abuse. Instead of facing the judgement and stigma of society, Rumana braved the challenges inside her abusive home, as many still do. The societys attitude must change. If they were supportive of those trying to leave abusive systems, it would be a lot easier for girls to do so.
Saving grace
After it happened in June 2011, the international media was quick to pick up
the story, largely due to the fact that Rumana had an international support system from her friends and colleagues in Canada. In Bangladesh, what stood out about Rumanas case was the fact that she was an educated, financially independent woman in the society. This incident broke the previously held assumption that domestic abuse takes place primarily in lower income homes, to women who are illiterate and unaware of their rights. I never thought despite having a Masters degree, despite my financial independence, I would face this, Rumana says. After the incident, her husband justified his attack by accusing her of having an affair with an Iranian man. Some local media agencies also capitalised on the controversy, falsely reporting or validating rumours - mostly triggered by her husbands family - that soon after the attack she had remarried or that she was faking her blindness. But she was lucky that this time, society took the side of the woman. The support that poured out after my attack was overwhelming. It showed me that for the 10% of people who believe in these false rumours and thought [the incident] was justified, there is the other 90% who supported me.
Regaining equilibrium
Three years since the attack, Rumana is still trying to come to terms with what happened. I really dont know why this happens. But I know that a relationship must be about mutual respect. I used to hear news of acid attacks, wives being burnt. But we never realize just how traumatising it is until it happens to us, Rumana says. But today she is coping. Ive igured out alternative ways to communicate with my daughter, she laughs adding that she plays with her, cooks for her among other things. She is the reason I am trying to go back to a normal life. I always try to stay positive because I know I have to bring her up. I know I have to live a meaningful life. A meaningful life indeed, for a victim who turned herself into a survivor. A survivor who, now that she has come out of the abuse system, says we must be careful about our society, and not overlook any derailments in the system. We mustnt look at domestic abuse as news anymore: its not news, its a situation that any one of us can be in any day.l
98%
33%
RAPED BY HUSBANDS
50%
8 OUT OF EVERY 10 WOMEN IN BANGLADESH SUFFER FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE, ACCORDING TO THE SURVEY
A survey conducted in 2011, which was published on the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics website in 2013, has revealed that 9 out of 10 Bangladeshi women are subject to domestic violence. The survey, titled Report on Violence Against Women (VAW) Survey 2011, was designed by BBS, the Institute for Statistical Research and Training at Dhaka University, and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The countdown begins for the worlds largest South Asian art event, February 7 9 Meanwhile Elsewhere is part of temporary art and through Raqs Media all the billboards are seen collectively, n Tasnuva Amin Nova it is meant to reveal a combination of the Untimely series, one of Raqs Me- Collective. They have participated in
ystified about the clocks that have suddenly sprung up on billboards all over the capital? They are part of a public art project titled Meanwhile Elsewhere by the Delhi-based Raqs Media Collective, commissioned by the Samdani Art Foundation for the 2014 Dhaka Art Summit. This is their largest public art project to date, said Nadia Samdani, the Founder and Director of Dhaka Art Summit. Competed yesterday, the project covered ten billboards and 150 roadside signs with the image of a clock but contrary to traditional clocks, these show Bangla words instead of numbers, representing a subjective interpretation of time. The billboards feature clocks whose minute-hands show one word and the hour-hand another. These words or phrases complement each other, hinting towards a deeper meaning. When different states of mind and being during different times of the day, crafted into a poem. The final piece is the Crazy Clock video installation, to be unveiled at the Dhaka Art Summit. The hands will spin around pause on a crazy message. The Summit will be taking over the four floors of the Shilpakala Academy from February 7-9. Billed as the worlds largest South Asian art event, the Dhaka Art Summit will highlight the regions contemporary art scene. The concept behind the clocks is to examine the way we look at billboards, and subjective experience of time and duration, the artists said. Research suggests that reading words on walls or commercial signposts can create a strong effect on the subconscious. It captures the readers moments between awareness and unawareness after reading certain words. Despite being present in the situation, our minds can wander off somewhere else. Hence, the project title. dia Collectives experiments with time and the metaphorical possibilities of time. Other installations of the series have been exhibited around the world. In Birmingham, UK, in 2012, Raqs Media Collective did a similar installation of clocks billboards with English words, called: Whenever the Heart Skips a Beat, as part of the 48 Sheets project. The first of such clocks by the Raqs were seen in Emoo Art.ficial Exhibition, Ita Cultural Centre, Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2002. The theme there has remained the same for this installation in Dhaka: to nudge our mental state of being or feeling with words, representing emotions we contemporaneously feel within: epiphany, panic, remorse, nostalgia, fear, ecstasy, awe, fatigue, guilt, indifference, anxiety. Jeebesh Bagchi, Monica Narula and Shuddhabrata Sengupta, who designed the project, are practitioners of con-
many major international shows, including The European Biennial of Contemporary Art in 2008. Diana Campbell Betancourt, artistic director of Samdani Art Foundation, is curator of the initiative. l
One of the Meanwhile Elsewhere billboards reading: fuzzy/logic, sharp/intense outside Shilpakala Academy, the venue for Dhaka Art Summit MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU Jeebesh Bagchi, Monica Narula and Shuddhabrata Sengupta, designers of the project
Raqs Media Collective, commissioned for 48Sheet in partnership with the Ikon Gallery, Birmingham
Raqs Media Collectives installation Now Elsewhere (2009) at the Faurschou Foundation in Copenhagen
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Long Form
There are many ways in which a sizable third party could provide a break in the oppressive atmosphere
n Yusuf Choudhry
n the heart of old Dhaka surrounded by pencil high-rise apartments is a house with crumbling yellow plaster that says a lot about its inhabitant whose age can be anybodys guess. His mind is still sharp, reminiscing the days of the past and the country in its wholesome days. In our time, he muses, we voted for political stars, not a bunch of silly nick names like Montu or Jhontu. Names mattered because they told us where they came from and where they could take us. Sadly, all that is in the past and today we only have brands like Awami League, BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, etc. People vote for symbols rather than character, symbols that have long lost the meanings of their origin. What have we become as a nation? Mere sleepwalkers in a world of vain promises and futile hopes? Why are we asked to vote for nationalism where none exists and for service to the people which comes as periodic killings and street terror? What happened here can perhaps be understood by a recap of how we lost touch with the very democratic spirit we were trying to create at the birth of the country. In our euphoria of liberation from an oppressive partner we became so indebted to the liberators who had released us from bondage that we overlooked the fact that bondage could reappear in other forms too. The flames of devotion were so bright that we forgot altogether that descent needs to be sustained to preserve the essence of democracy. We let it die slowly. The countrys infrastructure at that time was far from shambles, not the typical post-conflict situation. All that was needed was good governance to get the machineries running again. What did we do instead? We got lost in political adulation and looked away from many things that just didnt look right. In other words we did not help create the effective opposition that could keep the party in power to the straight and narrow. The outcome was not very pleasant. Every government that came to power subsequently had to wrestle it from the incumbent with threat or bloodshed or both. Every time there was a switch of government the oppressor became the oppressed, hell bent upon putting its nemesis out of business from day one. The same spirit persists today. The political fall-out of this is that a substantial part of the energy of any government is now deployed to keep the opposition at bay instead of attending to the needs of the nation. Bi-partisanship has become a dirty word, the parliament does not function, and street thugs determine the economic future of the country. The play goes on and on with extraordinary predictability while the bewildered polity watches passively from the sidelines. So where is the salvation? How long will this game between the two political adversaries go on? Can the presence of a strong third party break this vicious cycle? I mean a forceful third party with real teeth whose leader does not have to check into a hospital every time he sees a crisis coming. There are many ways in which a sizable third party could provide a break in the oppressive atmosphere. It can help the opposition deny the governing party votes that they need in the parliament to pass ill-conceived
We need a cause that fires voters enthusiasm and some charismatic leadership. Only then can we break out of the two-party domination legislations. It could force the opposition to compromise when it is needed. Of course it has its downsides too, but the overall positives it could deliver in the context of this politically volatile nation should lead us to judgment. Third parties exist in many countries and their effectiveness has differed from country to country depending upon the system of government. If we look briefly at how they have fared in some of the more developed democracies and some less developed ones we could get a better understanding of its value for us. tiple seat constituencies where other provisions of the system may kick in including alternate vote, bloc vote, etc. The country, however, has not always felt at ease with this arrangement and time and again voices of dissent have arisen for a more egalitarian proportional representation (PR) system. The main reason for this is that FPTP often provides a win for a party in the parliamentary elections with less than 50% of the popular votes, thereby diminishing its moral position for majority rule. Even when sizeable bear many similarities and in fact STV applied to a single electorate system resembles the IRV. Voters rank order their choice of candidates and the one with over 50% of the votes cast wins. However, if no one gets over 50% then the candidate getting the lowest number of votes is eliminated and his second preference votes are distributed to others in the list. The process is repeated until someone emerges with the required 50% of the votes. The biggest advantage of IRV is that it prevents split votes and it does provide more opportunities for third parties to win seats in the parliament. This in fact has enabled medium-sized parties like the National Party to build coalition with others like the Liberal Party without fear of losing due to vote splitting. Third parties also do better in the Australian Senate which follows the STV model. The fourth case in point, India, has a multi-party system with a number of national and regional parties. Many believe that this system suits developing countries better because it allows shifting coalitions to develop and no single party can get the upper hand. Others believe that this could be a bane to the political process because continuously shifting alliances can create frequent upheavals and disruptions. Some of Indias past history bears this out. The life span of the Janata Dal-led National Front and the Left Front coalition in 1989 was only two years. Between 1996 and 1998 several short run alliances came and went. But then again coalitions with the right partnership could be more lasting. ties. India is a Federation where the States play powerful roles in shaping the character of political parties. Strong state parties (or even regional parties) are sometimes the result of build-up around particular ideology of interest groups or charismatic individuals. They have extreme capacities to influence the national politics. Alliance partnerships are thus better positioned for co-existence. Yet, even within the perceived safe armours of the two major coalitions led by Congress and the BJP, serious chinks now seem to be appearing. The stormy win of the Aam Aadmi Party (Arvind Kejriwal) in the 2013 Delhi election has sparked hopes in many that new parties can also win if they present a solid platform and run with the sentiments of the people. If nothing else, it seems to be making the majors rethink the way they have done business in the past. The fifth and last case in point is Pakistan. It is a federal republic with four provinces and two federally administered territories. It has a multi-party electoral system with two houses in the centre, the Senate and the National Assembly and four independent provincial assemblies. With intermittent break from army rule, civilian administration in Pakistan generally has been on the basis of quite fragile coalitions. No party can really claim to be a national party and each of them derive their strength from regional power bases. Three major parties that had previously dominated the political space were the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League (N), and Pakistan Muslim League (Q). But in the May 2013 election the PTI
Votes wasted, or not counted lead to indifference towards voting and even produce resentment that could translate to unpleasant actions
First case in point is the United States with a presidential form of government. Even though the American constitution allows for third parties, the Electoral College system (i.e. winner takes all) makes it difficult for third parties to be consequential except maybe take some votes away from the majors. This deficiency, however, is made up to a large extent by the constitutional division of power between the executive and the legislative branches and the electorates usually make sure that both dont simultaneously reside with one party. Once in a while, however, when the Americans are caught in a political morass, they start having second thoughts about their duo-party system, as we saw in the 1992 election (the Ross Perot revolt) and the 2012 election (the dysfunctional government crusade). High level of dissatisfaction with both parties rekindles debate for third party prominence. Some states have even tried to correct the representation imbalance by dividing the total Electoral College votes rather than giving it outright to the winner. Although these efforts have not amounted to much (except in two states) they have kept the debate alive. The states own independent policies that have more profound impact on peoples lives have kept the idea in the back burner. The second case in point is the United Kingdom, a parliamentary democracy. It also has a two party system with the majoritarian principle (first-past-the-post principle) where a candidate from any party receiving the highest votes in a single seat constituency wins. Some exceptions take place in mul-
national support is amassed by the smaller parties in an election it comes to nought and in effect is wasted as the recipients do not qualify for any seat in the parliament. Smaller parties do not fare well under the FPTP system. The advantage of the PR system is that it allows ranked voting. One particular form of PR that has gained popularity is the single transferable vote (STV) system where a voter could indicate his ranked preference for all candidates in a ballot. A candidate requires only a set number of votes to win (pre-determined by a formula). Votes cast in his favour in excess of this number are automatically transferred to the next candidate according to the voters choice list and so on. This not only gets rid of the wasted vote problem but also allows voters to pitch for candidates of their choice rather than a slate of party hacks. Proportional representation encourages coalition or minority government which can be less confrontational and able to force all sides to make compromises towards a middle ground. The idea, however, lost traction in the UK following the national referendum pushed by the Liberal Democrats after the 2010 election. The present two party system continues without much problem though perhaps because both the Labor and the Conservatives have refrained from extreme party politics. The third case in point, Australia, presents an interesting blend of the FPTP and the PR models. It uses instant run-off voting (IRV) to elect members to its lower House of Representatives and single transferable vote (STV) for the upper Senate. They
The country really has two choices, to break the two-party domination or to reform the electoral system in a manner that makes it difficult for any party to exploit public sentiments for long
The 1998 National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition led by BJP did last for 5 years. Also, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) lasted the full 5 years from 2004 to 2009 and again from 2009 to 2014. In fact the two major party alliances, the UPA and the NDA have almost changed the character of the Indian political system to a two-party system. The durability of the Indian alliances is partly explained by the compatibility of the alliance partners as well as the relative strengths of member par-
party (a previous lightweight led by Imran Khan) rose quite unexpectedly through an anticorruption crusade and became the third major party very close behind the PPP winning 23 out of 264 seats in the Parliament and 57 seats in the provincial assemblies. It also became the second highest vote getter in the home constituency of PPP, the city of Karachi. PTIs strategy in Karachi was primarily taken out of Obamas playbook tapping into the youth votes through internet and social media. Additionally, Karachi,
which is the business hub of Pakistan, responded to the continued violence and corruption that hurt its industries and businesses badly. On top of these was the charisma of Imran Khan, somewhat of a national cricket hero there. It is quite likely that this newcomers inroad, just like the AAP in India may start a trend towards major changes in the defunct politics of Pakistan. So what can we learn from all this? For one, we see that representative democracy works best when people actually see the fruits of their votes. Votes wasted, or not counted lead to indifference towards voting and even produce resentment that could translate to unpleasant actions. Secondly, majoritarian systems work only when other avenues are available to check the excesses of majority rule. Thirdly, long periods of bad governance make the voters look for alternatives and create opportunities for third parties. Finally, charismatic leadership attracts followers even to minor parties (Kejriwal, Imran Khan). When we examine Bangladesh through these lenses the following picture emerges. Theoretically, Bangladesh is a multi-party democracy but it has devolved into a two-party hegemony. Sure there are political alliances but they are weak and ineffective for the following reasons. Individual alliance partners do not command significant public support, they dont have significant presence in regional politics, they dont have a cause clbre or a unifying ideology, and they are simply happy to follow their dominant partners. The country has also lacked good governance for very long. Institutions that could demand accountability (public accounts committee, anticorruption bureau, ombudsman) have practically disappeared. Finally, sycophancy has stunted the growth of alternate charismatic leadership. The country really has two choices then, to break the two-party domination or to reform the electoral system in a manner that makes it difficult for any party, major or minor, to exploit public sentiments for long. The first is perhaps easier to achieve. The recent Indian and Pakistani phenomenon can provide the incentive. That means mass support of a third party which can force the present majors towards more rational behaviour. What is needed to achieve this? A cause that fires voters enthusiasm and some charismatic leadership. We have plenty of the former and maybe a little of the later. The result of the recent municipal elections in the country could be an indicator. Can we pick up the gauntlet? l Dr Yusuf Choudhury is a Professor at the American University, Washington DC.
8
Al-Qaeda fighters kill Syrian rebel leaders n Agencies
Fighters linked to al-Qaeda have killed two rebel leaders in bombings in Syria, in an apparent shift of tactics to target the command structures of their rivals. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Adnan Bakour, the leader of Liwa al-Tawhid, was among 26 people killed in a double suicide bombing late on Saturday in Aleppo. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which has links with al-Qaeda, said it carried out the attack on Tawhid, a brigade aligned to the Islamic Front coalition, a group fighting the ISIL in Aleppo and beyond. In another attack late on Saturday in Hama, the leader of the powerful Suqour al-Sham group, Abu Hussein alDik, was killed by the ISIL, according to sources spoken to by Al Jazeera. Charles Lister, of the Brookings Doha Centre, told Al Jazeera that the ISIL was clearly targeting key headquarters, strategic checkpoints and senior influential commanders of their rival rebel groups. The attacks are the latest in weeks of rebel in ighting that has pitted a loose alliance of Syrian ighters against al-Qaida linked groups such as the ISIL. The Observatory also reported that more than 100 people, including 65 civilians, 10 of whom were children, were killed on Saturday when explosive packed barrels were used in an regime air raid in the northern city of Aleppo. The attack also killed members of Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaedas official affiliate in Syria. The observatory said the Nusra fighters were in their headquarters when it was hit. Aleppo city has been divided since rebels launched a huge offensive in mid2012, and heavy fighting between the two sides has left swathes of the city in ruins. The aerial assault came the day after peace talks in Geneva between the Syrian government and the opposition ended without achieving concrete results. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
International
The Houthi rebels have been at odds with the Yemeni government for over a decade
when the armed group sent men to Syria to fight alongside President Bashar al-Assads troops against mainly Sunni rebel groups. Jabhat al-Nusra in Lebanon said on Twitter that the bombing was a second martyrdom operation against the Party of Iran [Hezbollah] stronghold in Hermel ... because of the continuation of the Party of Irans crimes against our oppressed people in our beloved Sham [Syria], and its insistence on sending more of its mercenaries to kill the Syrian people. Faced with the massacres it is carrying out, we can only repay the favour in its heartland, to push it to reconsider its calculations. The Hermel explosion occurred at around 16:00 GMT after dusk on Saturday near a school run by a charity group for impoverished children, some of them orphans. An official speaking on Al-Manar said no children were injured. l
Shias overrun rival strongholds in Greek riot police clash with anti-fascists north Yemen; 40 dead
n Reuters, Sanaa
Shia rebels have overrun strongholds of a rival Sunni tribal group in fighting that has killed at least 40 people in northern Yemen in the last two days, tribal sources said on Sunday. The fighting compounds the challenges faced by US-allied Yemen, which is struggling to stabilize a country that is home to one of al Qaedas most active branches. One of the poorest countries in the Arab world, it has been in turmoil since mass protests in 2011 forced long-serving President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. Tribal sources said Houthi fighters and their allies from the Hashed tribal federation seized control of al-Khamri, the al-Ahmar family tribal region in Omran province. An al-Ahmar family home was burned. The Ansarullah website, run by the Houthi group, said its fighters and allies from Hashed were pounding the fortifications of the militias of the al-Ahmar sons in al-Khamri and Zu Anash areas in Omran province. The al-Ahmar militias and the religious hardliners are fleeing from the two areas, along with military hardware and equipment, it said. Tribal sources said that at least 30 Houthi rebels and 10 fighters from the Hashed tribe died in the fighting. There was no independent confirmation of the figures. The latest fighting was the most intense since clashes erupted in October. Shia Houthi rebels, who control much of the northern Saada province on the border with Saudi Arabia, moved then against Sunni Salafis allied to the al-Ahmar clan in Dammaj town. The Houthis accuse the Salafis of recruiting foreign fighters to attack them. Since October 30, the fighting has claimed nearly 300 lives, including 210 who died in more than two months of clashes in Dammaj. The Dammaj fighting ended earlier this month with a government-brokered ceasefire under which the Salafis, who adhere to an austere brand of Sunni Islam, agreed to relocate. On Thursday and Friday, 20 people were killed in an offensive by Sunni tribal fighters to recapture land seized earlier by the Houthis, tribal sources said on Friday. Yemen is also struggling to contain security threats which include a secessionist movement in the south. l
n Agencies
Riot police and anti-fascist protesters in Greece have clashed in central Athens, leaving at least two people injured. Police said more than 3,000 supporters of the extreme-right Golden Dawn party held a rally on Saturday to commemorate a 1996 dispute over an uninhabited Aegean Sea island that brought Greece and Turkey to the brink of war. Saturdays rally was largely peaceful, but violent clashes were triggered by the counter-demonstration, staged by leftist groups protesting against the Golden Dawn rally. Last November, the government began a crackdown on Golden Dawn following the fatal stabbing of an anti-fascist musician in Athens. The fate of the party is being closely watched ahead of the May vote - where
it is expected to perform strongly due to a wave of anger against government cuts - amid speculation of new efforts to rein in the group, which denies it is neo-Nazi. Despite the crackdown, the party has said it will find a way to contest local and European elections in May, a senior Golden Dawn MP told a defiant crowd of a few thousand supporters in central Athens. We will participate in the elections, one way or another, Ilias Kasidiaris told about 3,000 supporters rallying in Athens. Kasidiaris is the most prominent public face of the party since the arrest of its leader, Nikolaos Mihaloliakos. Golden Dawn remains Greeces third-most popular party. Two polls published last week showed the party would get 8.9% to 10.3% of the vote if elections were held now. l
n Agencies
At least one person has been killed and two security officers seriously injured following clashes in the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa after police stormed a mosque after an al-Shabab flag was raised. Police raided the Musa mosque on Sunday in the Majengo district after worshippers, believed to be sympathisers of the Somalia-based armed group, defied a police warning not to meet. The police fired teargas and live rounds over the heads oftaunting crowds, who hurled stones back, Reuters news agency reported. One policeman was found sprawled in a pool of blood in a bathroom inside the mosque.We found him locked up in a bathroom after we heard him groaning. It appears like they slaughtered him, said one armed policeman. l
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif er, he said. Zarif said in an interview on Saturday that Iran was not prepared to give up research on centrifuges used to purify uranium as part of a final nuclear deal. Asked how long he thought it would take to reach a final agreement, Zarif
AFP
said: Its just the beginning of the negotiations for a final agreement. It is the first step of the final step and I expect it to take some time. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
International
n AFP, New Delhi
Indias opposition leader Narendra Modi, favourite to win this years election, accused the ruling Congress party of spewing poison as he hit back Sunday against a string of attacks from its leaders. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul have all targeted Modi in recent weeks for overseeing savage communal riots a decade ago as chief minister of western Gujarat state. Rahul, who is masterminding the Congress election campaign, said in a rare interview last week that Modis government was guilty of abetting the 2002 riots which left up to 2,000
Hundreds of people from northeast protested in Delhi over the death of the student
Outcry in India after hate crime Afghan campaign stirs violence and hope incident
AFP
n Agencies
The beating and subsequent death in New Delhi of a university student from northeast India has sparked an outcry against the incident, and the police have been criticised for inaction. Officials said on Saturday that 20-year-old Nido Tania from Arunachal Pradesh state was on holiday from his studies in Jalandhar, Punjab, when he was beaten by shopkeepers who had ridiculed his appearance. Police detained the two shopkeepers and launched a murder investigation on Friday night, after being criticised for doing little following Wednesdays attack in the capitals Lajpat Nagar market. We are questioning several people
in the case, said Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat. About 2,000 people took to the streets of New Delhi on Saturday to protest against the suspected racist attack. Several hundred people protested outside a New Delhi police station on Saturday, demanding justice for what they called a hate crime. The Indian capitals newly elected chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, asked that a magistrate, as well as the police, investigate the incident. Tania died in bed on Thursday morning and an autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of the death. Hundreds of students held demonstrations in front of a police station and
near the shop where Tania was beaten in the south Delhi neighbourhood of Lajpat Nagar. They carried placards with slogans including Hang the culprits, and Why are we treated like outsiders? Many indigenous people from Indias northeast, some ethnically closer to people in Myanmar and China, often say they encounter racism and discrimination in the rest of India. This was a racist hate crime, said Albina Subba, from the northeast Himalayan town of Darjeeling. Our community is often targeted like this ... we look different, so its easy for people to see were not from Delhi. We have little faith in the Delhi police, but this time we want them to take action, she said. l
n Reuters, Kabul
Presidential candidates in Afghanistan begin two months of campaigning on Sunday for an election that Western allies hope will consolidate fragile stability as their forces prepare to leave after nearly 13 years of inconclusive war. The Taliban have rejected the April 5 election and have already stepped up attacks to sabotage it. The militants will also be looking to capitalise if the vote is marred by rigging and feuding between rivals seeking to replace President Hamid Karzai, who can not run for a third term under Afghan law. Whoever replaces him will inherit a country beset by deepening anxiety about security as most foreign troops prepare to pull out by the end of the year, leaving Afghan forces largely on
their own to battle the insurgency. Monthly attacks in the capital, Kabul, where candidates are expect to focus their efforts to win over women and young people, are at the highest since 2008, one embassy said in a recent confidential security report. This increase can be attributed to efforts towards the presidential elections, the embassy said. Many Afghans say they are taking precautions. I have already advised my family to cut down unnecessary travel and never attend any big meetings, said Fawad Saleh, a barber in the Shar-e Naw area of Kabul. The Taliban will reach any campaign and they will react violently. While Afghanistan has no majority community, ethnic Pashtuns are considered the largest community and ethnicity will play a big role in deciding the next president. l
Thai people who cant go cast their votes in their district show their national identification card and shout slogans were being held. Several skirmishes broke out between protesters and frustrated would-be voters. In some cases, protesters formed blockades to prevent voters from entering the polling stations. Elsewhere, protesters blocked the delivery of ballots and other election materials, preventing voting stations from opening. The Election Commission said that hundreds of polling stations in the south, an opposition stronghold, faced
AFP
similar problems. An election official and three soldiers were killed in a bomb attack in Pattani province on Sunday as they tried to set up a polling station, according to local officials. l
10
www.dhakatribune.com
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Editorial
LETTER OF THE DAY
Letters to
the Editor
he recent verdict that was handed down against two ministers of the last BNP-led 4-party alliance government as well as the intelligence chief at the time should be an occasion for some serious soul-searching on the part of the BNP and its supporters. Even if we accept the proposition that these three were rogue operators who were acting without the knowledge and approval of their colleagues in government, the fact that such unlawful plots could be hatched and carried out at such high levels of government is a shocking indictment of the entire BNP-led administration and something that the then-government in its entirety must be accountable for. Secondly, it is incontrovertible, that the then-government not only did little to pursue the case, they were actually guilty of what amounts to a cover up. The guilty were shielded from punishment, and innocent men were implicated. Even if we absolve the BNP government from the sins of three of its most senior members, there is no getting away from the fact that the governments response to the uncovering of the arms smuggling plot was a disgrace. The entire episode has revealed an alarming face of the last BNP-led government, that they need to account for, and that its supporters need to consider when assessing the partys credibility and fitness to govern in future. There must be assurances that rogue elements within their ranks (and that is the charitable interpretation) will be reined in, and that the Bangladeshi public need not fear such machinations, either in opposition, or if they ever return to power, if the BNP wishes to be taken seriously as a democratic entity. The arms smuggling plot was unlawful, reckless, and totally contrary to the national interest. The BNP must bear its share of the blame for this criminality and it must credibly be able to assure the nation that such an assault against the law can never happen on its watch again.
There must be assurances that rogue elements within their ranks will be reined in, if the BNP wishes to be taken seriously as a democratic entity
Write to us at: Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email us at: [email protected] Send us your Op-Ed articles: [email protected] Visit our website: www.dhakatribune.com Come join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune
Be Heard
Translating more Bangla literature into other languages would familiarise the world with our extraordinary collection of literary masterpieces
PEANUTS
CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1 Self-satisfied (4) 4 Heavenly body (5) 9 Make brown (3) 11 Bellow (4) 12 Constellation (5) 13 Snout (4) 14 Region (4) 15 Build (5) 19 Zodiac sign (5) 21 Fasting period (4) 25 Leave out (4) 26 Banishment (5) 28 Money drawer (4) 29 Today (3) 30 Precipitous (5) 31 Tidings (4) DOWN 1 Halt (4) 2 Spoil (3) 3 Combine (5) 5 Much ornamented (6) 6 Make fast a vessel (4) 7 Comfort (4) 8 Thing affording pleasure (5) 10 Imply (5) 16 Disconcert (6) 17 Drink (5) 18 Schemes (5) 20 Backbone (5) 22 Send out (4) 23 African river (4) 24 Church seating (4) 27 Depressed (3)
SUDOKU
YESTERDAYS SOLUTIONS
Crossword
How to solve Sudoku: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no numberrepeating.
Code-Cracker
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Op-Ed
T I
11
E D E N
Velvet nostalgia
n Towheed Feroze
hanks loads to all those who read the piece on Dhaka; it seems winter is the perfect time not only for cosy late afternoon siestas, but also for hours of nostalgic indulgence. The past is fascinating simply because moments of pleasure of the bygone days, which at that time appeared normal, become extraordinary so many years later. Thinking about the 80s, one cannot but write a separate piece on the overall music canvas which can rightly be termed the foundation stone of the modern thriving rock and pop music scenario.
People could not be music fans/musicians if they were not regulars at the Elephant Road Coffee House er goli
With the band culture of the 80s, the names of recording studios such as Rainbow, Soor Bichitra, Rhythm, and Classics automatically surface. But lets come to the recording stores later. In the early 80s, the hippie music culture of the 70s exploded into a mass phenomenon. In those days, opportunities to meet members of the opposite sex and getting noticed by them were limited, so if someone picked up the microphone or the guitar, fame, plus the chance to go and befriend a lady, became easier. I remember distinctly that when a few of my pals, Aldrin and Marvin, took the school stage in 1984 with the songsAi neel moniharand Shonar okkhore lekha muche jaoa naam,they became instant stars. Even the teachers did not admonish them when the schoolDoptori(caretaker) informed them that he had seen the rock-stars carrying Wills Kings cigarette packets. Aldrins long hair was overlooked since he had established himself as a musician, and was among the few who could park his Vespa scooter by the headmasters motorcycle.
Marvin got a Wing Sung fountain pen for his guitar skills and someone secretly tucked a beli flower garland in his physics book, accompanied by the lyrics of Owner of a lonely heart a hit number by YES. The band culture swept all of Dhaka city as small bands formed in each area. These were mainly cover bands, rendering hit songs of top western groups.The list to be played in shows was almost similar for all bands: I just died in your arms tonight, Broken wings, Paranoid, Buffalo soldier, Billy jean, Caribbean queen, Wild boys, Suzanna, Fresh, Eye of the tiger, Abracadabra, Empty rooms, and Last Christmas. Along with the English numbers were the common Bangla hits, including chart-busting Azam Khan pieces likeObhimani, Monalisa, and Ore Saleka Maleka. Interestingly, people could not be music fans/musicians if they were not regulars at the Elephant Road Coffee House er goli (Coffee House alley) where Rainbow, Soor Bichitra, and Rhythm music recording shops were located. Rainbows Kabir Bhai was the undisputed rock guru to many, leading a Bohemian life dominated by a crazed passion for hard rock. Many musicians who became top names later on took their first lessons on metal music from Kabir Bhai, who initiated local listeners to Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, and Deep Purple.So much was his hold on youngsters that one day this writer saw a group of parents engaged in serious conversation with Kabir Bhai. The reason was simple their sons were so besotted with their music guru that they spent more time at Rainbow than anywhere else. Being a solicitous and sensitive person, Kabir Bhai, at the earnest request of flustered parents, took up the role of academic counsellor, chalking out study schedules for teenagers. Rainbow also played a pivotal role in reviving the Doors and Jim Morrison ardour in the late 80s, bringing out a special Morrison magazine. That was the era of vinyl records, and listeners had to wait at least a few months before an album came to the local market. So Duran Durans Seven and a ragged tiger was the number one hit album of Dhaka in mid-1984, though it had already become six months old in London. This band, with the good looking Simon Le Bon and others, soon became
WIKIMEDIA
fashion idols in Dhaka, triggering the baggy trousers-long hair revolution. When a sharply dressed dude came to pick up the prettiest girl in our evening batch tuition, driving a Mazda Familia with speakers blaring The reflex, we felt a sharp tinge of jealousy. My mathematics teacher, a BUET student and a guy from a district town, came rushing one monsoon day asking if I had a Duran Duran tape. Surprised, I asked why he wanted it since he never listened to western music. He said that unless he educated himself on the band, he stood no chance with a girl he was wooing. I gave him the tape and the math teacher disappeared in the rain, a happy man. As the walk-man came to the scene, music came out of the room.For a birthday present, a TDK D90 or a Sony CHF blank cassette tape were the best gifts. Believe me, it was also stylish to have a recording slip of Soor Bichitra or Rhythm tucked inside the wallet.If one knew Wasim Bhai or Tipu Bhai of these stores, that persons social status
went a grade higher! Concerts were regular events, and brawls between groups almost inevitable. Back then, the mastan culture of Dhaka had more to do with area-wise prestige and less with the dark practices of extortion and intimidation.
Coffee House, chilling out. Once in this territory, an outsider had to respect the local guys.That was the main demand, a sort of turf-pride. Another craze was to bring out rock magazines.Tushar and the lot of us got together to bring out Rock Connec-
While the band revolution has evolved into a structured musical industry today, the fervour of those days is missing
From Elephant Road, the most famous group was led by a friend called Apollo, and none of the guys ever dreamt of taking toll from shops or deal in drugs. The boys Tushar, Sahrif, Zia, Nazrul, Imti, Poppy, Rana Raj, this writer, and others were always found at the
tion magazine, with David Coverdale featured on the cover. While the band revolution has evolved into a structured musical industry today, the fervour of those days is missing; Soor Bichitra and Rhythm closed their businesses long ago, music lovers hardly think of making a
list and then going to a recording store (no one has the time), baggy trousers are worn by clowns only, Duran Duran members are almost senior citizens, and one does not have to form a band to become noticeable. Yet, for those who love slices of the past Rainbow is still operating in Elephant Road under the deft hands of Mukul and overseen by Murad Bhai, where a handful of 40-somethings still find time within their busy schedules to walk in to have songs recorded, and talk about their rising blood pressures or borderline sugar levels. Wait, there is more. Every other year, Kabir Bhai comes to Bangladesh from Australia for a re-union of the 80s music fans. Who knows, he may be sitting in Coffee House (its still there), handing out advice to the old boys on how to live in the present while clinging on to rainbows of velvet nostalgia. l Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently working in the development sector.
Turn it down
he day begins with construction noises, carrying over from the midnight brick deliveries onto the more persistent sounds of hammering, steel rod resizing, and marble cutting. Out on the streets, the swelling traffic from the morning rush onwards fills the air with the mingled noises of engines and horns and bicycle bells. Seeking refuge indoors is futile in most places. One is never sufficiently insulated against the assault of street vendors screaming their wares all day, the roar of generators when the power gives out, planes flying overhead, and in some areas, enterprising beggars who have graduated from lung-power to pre-recorded appeals that they broadcast via loudspeaker. Evening brings a spike in the noise with homebound traffic, and, during the party season, the latest Bollywood hits blaring through the gigantic sound systems at every holud event. Dhaka is certainly a very loud city. While that much is evident for anyone whos spent even a day here, just how loud it is may surprise and alarm you. According to a report published last month by pro-environment group Poribesh Bachao Andolan (Poba), sound levels have reached alarming
While one cant wish away the traffic, would it be too hard to refrain from excessively honking the horns?
Many residential areas, like Tejkunipara and Dhanmondi, for example, suffer noise levels as much as three times higher than the safe limit. Why are these noise levels a concern for Poba, and indeed, most residents of the capital? Medical experts have reported a higher incidence of
FOCUS BANGLA
ven in the current hostile situation, we see a bipartisan consensus the relevance of dialogue. Never successful in recent history, the talks of dialogue turned into a disagree-to-agree style rigidity in the ruling and the opposition camps. If the dialogue is meant to reach an understanding, the understanding to make way for an agreement is just missing. So, foreseeing no possibility of a deal, our leaders preferred living with the constant political crisis. The presidents call for dialogue in his address at the 10th parliaments first session offers a ray of, not hope, but confused optimism. Please help democracy flourish through dialogue with the government, President Abdul Hamid said, making an appeal to the opposition that boycotted the January 5 polls. However, no follow-up step has been visible till date. This is simply because, as I understand, the incumbents who prepared the draft of the presidents speech knew the purpose well, and so did the opposition. The objective of the Awami League governments overture was reflected in the presidents urging of the opposition to contribute towards establishing a tolerant democratic system by removing hatred, violence, and confrontation from politics. In an ostensible winning mode, the government wants to keep BNP, now in a defensive mode, waiting for a dialogue for no less than another five years. While drumming up support for a non-participatory ballot, the ruling party-oriented intellectuals have made consistent deviations in their statements. They initially termed the election without the opposition a constitutional obligation, then a sheer formality to hold another inclusive election within six months or so, and once election day was over and a new cabinet formed, they started describing the Sheikh Hasina-led new cabinet as representing the so-called pro-liberation forces. This process, inclusive of the Goe-
bbelsian propaganda, reminds us of a European diplomats description of her recent efforts as coup by installments. Why do they talk about dialogue if this government is for five years? Talk of such dialogue is not good for the health of the administration. The ALs well-wishers and sycophants may feel panicked in case of a consensus on holding general elections in one year or two. The AL camp does not need to reach an understanding on the pollstime government if it wants keep the BNP-led alliance out of electoral politics once again after five years. The dialogue offer is aimed at alluring the BNP camp to power politics so that it does not go for desperate campaigns. Such tactics can help all the prime ministers men to escape the wrath of the people who neither chose this government nor found any opportunity to vote against it. The AL leaders have exposed their phobia of fair elections in which they assumed they would lose. Why would they hold a dialogue with the opposition only to be defeated in the electoral battle?
all parties and stakeholders is a must, I reckon, if we want peace, stability, rule of law, and social justice. The BNP leadership has thoroughly focussed mainly on the non-party government for acceptable elections, not other agendas, for holding the dialogue. The AL side has favoured a status quo, only to stay in power, fearing a repercussion to loss of power. In that sense, however, a dialogue is more beneficial to the AL leaders, workers, and supporters. The ruling camp has failed to realise the usefulness of dialogue for subsiding opposition anger and the ultimate consequence of failure to stick to power by means of coercion. Today or tomorrow, the present set of leaders will have to leave office, and the peoples power must be respected. That can happen through a peaceful process, or eventually through popular upheaval. Khaleda Zias proposal for dialogue will be meaningless unless her camp can create the atmosphere by pressuring the AL leadership to come to the table. The AL camp has, at the moment, the luxury of pooh-poohing the
A national dialogue involving all parties and stakeholders is a must if we want peace, stability, rule of law, and social justice
A dialogue is relevant to those who possess the democratic spirit and who believe in participatory elections for choosing the right people to govern the country. It would be useful for bringing back investors confidence, creating jobs for youths, and brightening Bangladeshs image as a country of immense potential. A fruitful dialogue could be helpful for addressing the ongoing political conflicts and reconciling the divided society. A national dialogue involving
BNPsurge, but only to add more insult to the minds of many even outside of the BNP platform. If the AL camp was really smart, it would enter the dialogue soon with the BNP and other parties, bargain hard on a number of critical issues, and strike a deal keeping everyones heads high. Otherwise, it can exhaust the last option clinging to power until a disgraceful exit someday. l Khawaza Main Uddin is a journalist.
12
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Entertainment
n Afrose Jahan Chaity
Popular TV actor and director Mir Sabbir is all set to entertain the audience of small screen with his new comedy series. Directed by Mir Sabbir and written by Kamrul Hassan, the drama series Nowasal will begin airing today on RTV at 9:05pm. The drama features a rural storyline and the cast includes ATM Shamsuzzaman, Khairul Alam Sabuj, Chitralekha Guha, Dolly Jahur, Aliraz, Mir Sabbir, Rawnak Hasan, Naznin Hasan Chumky, Nisha and many more. Recently Dhaka Tribune caught up with the popular actor Mir Sabbir who debuted as a director with the drama series Makbul.
SADIA MARIUM
A scene from Nowasal Barisal, but the two families are from the two districts respectively. The commonly known rivalry between the people of the two region is the main theme of the story.
The title is a combination of Noakhali and Barisal. Its a story of two families residing in a village named Mohonpur, which is neither in Noakhali nor in
bring peace in the disputed group. However, the members become more violent in their greed and starts to kill one another to acquire the supposed treasure for themselves. When they finally got to opening the box, they discover a different kind of treasure. The chest was full of festoons that tells the history of Bangladesh and its liberation. The motto behind the story is that, knowing the history of Bangladesh will bring the people together. The drama captivated the audience by Lathi Khela, which brought rural elements to the stage. The inauguration of the programme was attended by Minister of Information, Hasanul Haq Inu, Syed Shamsul Haq, veteran theatre activists Lucky Enam, thespian Mamunur Rashid, BGTF Secretary General Jhuna Chowdhury and many other noted personalities. l
What are the challenges of being a director and actor at the same time?
I previously directed a single-episode play titled Barisal Bonam Noakhali in 2008. The play was hugely appreciated and since then it was my plan to go for something bigger than this.
Its all depends on planning. If someone plans it perfectly and has a brilliant team supporting his endeavors, its not that difficult.
Though its a comedy, many serious issues have been represented through humour and a number of symbolic elements are used, that shows our value and social norms . It also features a rural storyline and the colloquial language of Barisal and Noakhali.
I have acted in several drama series which are now being aired on different channels which includes Mago Tomar Jonyo directed by Mahfuz Ahmed, Boshotbati directed by Chandan Chowdhury on ATN Bangla, Jogajog Golojog directed by Ezaz Munna on NTV and many others. Recently, I am done with the shooting of Shazzad Hossains Hollabaji, Salauddin Lavlus Circus, Wahid Anams Kotha Over and Golam Shohrab Doduls Ekusher Krishnochura. l
ON TV
MOVIE
7:05pmHBO
Julie & Julia
9:30pmStar Movies
DRAMA
9: 00pm Star Jalsha 11:00pm Sony TV
Bojhena Shey Bojhena Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
COMEDY
1:30pm Comedy Central
House Of Lies The Middle
9:00pm ZCafe
MISC
10:30am Fox Traveller
Food Safari
8:30pm AXN
Entertainment Desk
Bollywood superstar Shahid Kapoor says he is done dating actresses and is now scared thinking about it. Shahid was seen in an upcoming episode of celebrity chat show Koffee With Karan, where he was asked by Karan who would he like to date and Shahid promptly replied not an actress. I am so done with that. I am a little scared of dating an actress for sure, the actor said. To a query by Karan on what he has learnt from dating actresses, Shahid says, Do not date them. In the past, Shahid was in a relationship with Kareena Kapoor. Later, he was reportedly dating Vidya Balan and Priyanka Chopra. His name was also linked with actresses Nargis Fakhri, Bipasha Basu, Anushka Sharma and Huma Qureshi. l
Sport
DHAKA TRIBUNE
13
0 4 1
DAYS TO GO
14 Englands tour
15 Giles likely to
Bangladesh national coach Shane Jurgensen instructs his team durring a practice session at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium yesterday
MUMIT M
is a mature cricketer and knows his job very well, he knows how to comeback. Mushfiqs approach in the practice yesterday certainly indicated that he is heading in the right direction but the question is if the job getting difficult for the 25-year old. He has been one of the most consistent players in the Bangladesh line-up in all three formats and the right-handed batsmans contribution to the side has only improved over the last year. However, being a wicketkeeper and also bat at number four along with the pressure of captaincy might have taken its toll over Mushfiq in the previous Test and the result was pretty ugly. However it is too early to tell but Mushfiq, the only Bangladeshi to score a Test double hundred, should at some point take advice from his Sri Lankan opponent Kumar Sangakkara and consider giving up the job behind the wicket in Tests and concentrate more on batting. l
A jovial FIH president Leandro Negre, flanked by STI MD Stephen Niven (R) and BHF general secretary Khawaja Rahmtaullah (L) explains a point during a press conference at the BOA House yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara bats in the nets Jurgensen at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium yesterday MUMIT M
14
Diouf eager to extend Hanover stay
Senegal striker Mame Diouf has said he is eager to extend his Hanover 96 contract, despite interest from Premier League side Cardiff City, after scoring twice on Saturday. Diouf, 26, is out of contract with his Bundesliga side in June and netted twice in the last 10 minutes in their 3 1 home win over Borussia Moenchengladbach. Cardiff City manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reported to have tried to lure his former Manchester United team-mate back to the Premier League in last months transfer window. AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
SCORECARD
Australia
C. White c Buttler b Jordan A. Finch c Broad b Bresnan G. Maxwell c Hales b Broad B. Cutting c & b Root G. Bailey not out B. Hodge c Dernbach b Broad D. Christian b Broad M. Wade not out Extras (lb2, w4) Total (6 wickets; 20 overs) 41 30 14 29 49 7 0 19 6 195
Bowling Broad 4 0 30 3, Jordan 4 0 23 1 (1w), Bresnan 4 0 42 1, Stokes 3 0 36 0 (1w), Dernbach 4 0 49 0 (2w), Root 1 0 13 1.
England
L. Wright c Cutting b Starc A. Hales c Muirhead b Coulter-Nile B. Stokes c Cutting b Maxwell J. Root c Cutting b Maxwell E. Morgan c Starc b Cutting J. Buttler c Maxwell b Christian R. Bopara b Coulter-Nile T. Bresnan st Wade b Muirhead C. Jordan not out S. Broad b Muirhead J. Dernbach run out (Bailey/Wade) Extras (b2, lb4, w2) Total (all out; 17.2 overs)
Bowling Starc 2.2 0 8 1 (1w), Coulter-Nile 4 0 21 2, Maxwell 4 0 31 2, Cutting 3 0 18 1 (1w), Christian 2 0 14 1, Muirhead 2 0 13 2 Australia won by 84 runs Australia won series 3 0
8 6 5 11 34 8 4 14 10 2 1 8 111
Australian players celebrates with their trophy after winning T20I and the series against England in Sydney, Australia yesterday
AP
RESULTS
Lorient
Aboubakar 12, Aliadiere 73
22 32 11 24 30 10
Monaco
Bastia
Guingamp
Evian
Rubn 85
Ajaccio Montpellier
Tallo 89
Reims
Saint-Etienne
Valenciennes
Sochaux
Sunzu 45
Nantes
RESULTS
Schalke 04
Santana 9, Boateng 81
21 21 30 20 31 31
VfL Wolfsburg
Arnold 65
Leverkusen
Kiessling 26, Derdiyok 84
VfB Stuttgart
Leitner 12
Hoffenheim
Hamburg
Mainz
Augsburg
Callsen-Bracker 3-og
Hanover 96
Leverkusen's striker Stefan Kiessling (L) and Stuttgart's goalkeeper Sven Ulreich (R) vie for the ball during their German Bundesliga match in Leverkusen on Saturday AFP
Mgladbach
Mlapa 84
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
15
Denis double sinks blundering Napoli
Atalanta forward German Denis took advantage of shocking defending by Napoli to score twice in a 3-0 win over Rafael Benitezs exasperatingly inconsistent team on Sunday. His fellow Argentine Maxi Moralez completed the scoring after another slip-up by third-placed Napoli, who continued their habit of dropping points against mid-table opposition. Second-placed AS Romas match at home to Parma was called off after only eight minutes when incessant heavy rain left the pitch waterlogged, giving Juventus a chance to extend their sixpoint lead at the top. Lazio won 2-0 at Chievo in their first match without Brazilian midfielder Hernanes, who joined Inter in the transfer window, and bottom club Catania came from behind three times to hold Livorno 3-3 after a six-goal second half. Sassuolo, also in the drop zone, gave new coach Alberto Malesani a losing start going down 2-1 at home to Hellas Verona. Benitez surprisingly started with forwards Gonzalo Higuain and Marek Hamsik on the bench but it backfired in a dismal first half in Bergamo. l
QUICK BYTES
West Bromwich Albion's Uruguayan defender Diego Lugano (R) vies with Liverpool's Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez (L) during their English Premier League match at The Hawthorns in West Bromwich, central England yesterday AFP
RESULTS
Atalanta
Denis 47, 64, Moralez 70
30 33 02 12
Napoli
RESULTS
Arsenal Chamberlain 47, 73 West Brom Anichebe 67
20 11
Former Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh allowed Oxlade-Chamberlain to run into the box behind him and when the scheming Santi Cazorla picked out the England man with a dinked pass, he coolly lifted the ball over Speroni. Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was quickly called into action at the other end, saving a header from
Cameron Jerome at point-blank range, but Oxlade-Chamberlains second goal in the 73rd minute settled the game. The powerful 20-year-old, nicknamed The Ox, played a slick one-two with Olivier Giroud before cutting into the Palace box from the left and letting fly with a low drive that Speroni could not keep out. Earlier, an embarrassing mistake by Kolo Toure prevented Liverpool from strengthening their grip on fourth place as they drew 1-1 at West Bromwich Albion. Liverpool were seeking to move four points clear of fifth-place Everton and they took the lead through Daniel Sturridge at The Hawthorns, only for Toure to gift West Brom a 67th-minute equaliser by passing the ball straight to Victor Anichebe. l
Catania
Livorno
Chievo Sassuolo
Lazio
Verona
On Saturday
Bologna
02 10 11
Udinese
Cagliari
Pinilla 39 P
Fiorentina Torino
AC Milan
Rami 49
Immobile 17
Chris Wondolowski scored twice as the United States kick-started their preparations for the World Cup finals later this year with a 2 0 win over South Korea in an international friendly in Carson, California on Saturday. Wondolowski scored a goal in each half to complete a lengthy training period for the U.S., who spent part of the nearly month-long camp in Brazil to acclimatise for the World Cup. The U.S. opened the scoring in the fourth minute when Houston Dynamos Brad Davis shot was parried away by goalkeeper Jung Sung-Ryong only for Wondolowski to head the ball into the net. The San Jose Earthquakes striker doubled his tally in the 60th minute when he buried the ball in the back of the goal after he was set up by a clever Landon Donovan back heel. It was great. We put in so much work for this so its great to cap off the camp with a win, tonight was very special, Wondolowski said. Reuters
BRIEF SCORES
Dhaka Metro v Ctg Dhaka (1st innings) 221 all out in 59 overs Chittagong (1st innings) 195 all out in 67 overs Dhaka (2nd innings) 289 all out in 90.5 overs Chittagong (2nd innings) 188 all out in 57.2 overs (Nafees 68, Faisal 49*, Shohid 4/46) Dhaka Metro won by won by 127 runs Rangpur v Dhaka Div Dhaka (1st innings) 616/7 dec in 133.2 overs Rangpur (1st innings) 315 all out in 84.1 overs Rangpur (2nd innings) 309 all out in 65.1 overs (Ariful 98, Tanvir 95*, Sharif 4/76) Dhaka (2nd innings) 9/0 in 0.4 overs, (Majid 5*) Dhaka Division won by 10 wickets Khulna v Barisal Khulna (1st innings) 357 all out in 122 overs Barisal (1st innings) 252 all out in 84.1 overs Khulna (2nd innings) 114 all out in 51.1 overs (Taposh 41, Kamrul 4/39, Monir 3/19) Barisal (2nd innings) 122/5 in 46 overs (Iftekhar 39, Dollar 2/13, Rajibul 2/21) Match Drawn
valued employee of the ECB, a man of great integrity and ability. Former captain Michael Vaughan believes South African Gary Kirsten could be the right man to succeed Flower while Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell has thrown his hat in the ring. ECB managing director Paul Downton will oversee the recruitment process, Clarke said. We dont play any test cricket un-
Khulna v Barisal
DAYS WATCH
Star Sports 4 1:45AM English Premier League Man City v Chelsea Star Sports HD1 La Liga 3:00AM Villarreal v Osasuna
The port city side resumed the last day on 63 for two needing 252 to win with eight wickets to spare but the target proved to big in front of some discipline seam bowling from Saikat and Mohammad Shohid. The Metro duo of Saikat and Shohid shared nine wickets to bowl Chittagong out for 188 runs in their second innings at Bogras Shaheed Chandu Stadium. Chittagong opener Nafees Iqbal scored 68 while Faisal Hossain made an unbeaten 49.
David Beckham attends the launch of his new Bodywear range at the H&M Super Bowl Event at H&M Times Square in New York City on Saturday AFP
Rangpurs Ariful Haque and Tanvir Haiders valiant effort was not enough to take their side to a comfortable position as they could only throw a target of nine runs to win for Dhaka. Ariful made 98 and Tanvir was unbeaten on 95 as Rangpur, who resumed the day on 190 for seven, posted 309 in their second innings
After an entertaining last day the match eventually ended as a draw but it could have gone either way. At Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium hosts Khulna started the day on 23 for two and faced some fierce fast bowling from Kamrul Islam Rabbi and Golam Kibria as they were reduced to 86 for 6 by lunch time. Left-arm spinner Monir Hossain cleaned up the tail by taking three wickets as Khulna were bowled out for 114 runs. The first innings lead gave Khulna the edge as the eventual target for Barisal was 220 runs. With three hours of play left in the day Barisal surely fancied their chances but they were immediately pushed to back foot by Dollar Mahmud. The quickie returned both openers, Shahriar Nafees and Fazle Rabbi, for first ball ducks to set a thrilling finish to the game. However, Salman Hossain and Iftekhar Nayeem added 80 runs to get back their momentum before they lost three quick wickets towards the end of the day. Barisal held on and made 122 for six before the match was called off as a draw. Kamrul of Barisal bagged the man of the match award for the six wickets in the match and his valuable 63 runs in the first innings. l
16
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
THE HOLY BRIGADE
Quickest activities
Devotees crowd an intercity train as they return home after the final prayer of the second phase of the Biswa Ijtema, which ended yesterday on the bank of Turag river in Tongi. The picture was taken from the capitals Kuril Biswa Road area MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
10 TRUCK ARMS HAUL 3-day remand for Sonali Bank burglar n Our Correspondent, Kishoreganj Tushar Hayat, Chittagong and ammunitions while being loaded n onto trucks from two fishing trawlers A judicial court in Kishoreganj yesterday granted three-day remand to Abu Bakar Siddik, a member of lower subordinate staff (MLSS) at a branch of Sonali Bank in the district, in the case surrounding the Tk16 crore heist. Senior Magistrate Hamidul Islam granted the remand. Earlier, police sent Siddik to court praying for a seven-day remand. He was arrested the same day. On January 28, RAB arrested Yusuf Munshi and his brother Idris Munshi with Tk16.19 crore from a flat in the capitals Shyampur. Uncle-in-law Motahar Hossain was also arrested from a nearby building named Pronoy Villa. Some 45 people were held for interrogation in connection with the burglary. l Around 300 labourers, who used to earn their livelihood from the Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited (CUFL) jetty, are passing their days in immense hardship as work for them became scarce following the recovery of a huge cache of arms and ammunitions from the dock some 10 years ago. Locals said work for loading and unloading goods was abundant when the jetty used to be a safe haven for smugglers, but things changed after authorities beefed up security following the arms recovery. After the incident, local boats have been barred to dock at the jetty to avert such incidents in future. On April 2, 2004, police seized a huge cache of sophisticated military arms
A young girl picks her choice at a childrens book stall on the second day of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair in the capital yesterday RAJIB DHAR
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: [email protected], [email protected], Website: www.dhakatribune.com
Business
Farmers use modern method to plant paddy seedlings, which costs Tk2,000 per bigha of land. The photo was taken from a village, south of Bogra town yesterday
FOCUS BANGLA
Both tax and zakat are the same thing and tax is also compulsory as like as zakat
The newly appointed NBR member (information management and Service) Chowdhury Amir Hossain was present as special guest. Addressing the function, NBR chairman said, Both tax and zakat are the same thing and tax is also compulsory as like as zakat. Urging all to pay their due taxes willingly, Golam Hossain said, The revenue target for the current fiscal has been set at Tk480 crore and the rate of revenue collection in Sylhet division has been increasing. Speakers said the center has been established at the ground floor of Shafiqunnesa Noor Complex located at 23/a Kazitula to provide information relating to income taxes, and to create awareness among the local people. l
EXCHANGE RATES
Average selling rates to public in BDT Banks Rupali Bank Currencies BUY SELL USD 77.4 78.4 EURO INR SAR 103.87 1.16 20.54 107.08 1.32 21.01 Sonali Bank BUY SELL 78 101.7 1.16 20 79.5 105.7 1.26 21
B2
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Stock
DSE GAINERS Company
Closing (% change) 9.54 8.73 8.34 7.59 6.67 6.65 6.39 6.34 6.23 6.13
Al-Haj Textile -A Rahim Textile -A Padma Islami Life*-N PragatiLife Insu. -A Bay Leasing.-A Ambee Pharma -A Eastern InsurA Libra Infusions-A Stylecraft -A Phoenix Insur -A CSE GAINERS Company Pioneer Insur -A Padma Islami Life*-N Sun Life Insurance-N Ambee Pharma -A B I F C -A Sandhani Life -A Bata Shoe Ltd. -A Bay Leasing.-A Sinobangla Indu.-A Apex Tannery -A
Average (% change) 6.80 9.85 4.84 6.95 5.23 4.27 3.97 6.37 6.22 3.24 Average (% change) 10.00 5.74 3.92 6.86 4.53 3.13 6.06 4.60 5.45 4.41
Closing average 76.85 328.50 88.44 235.88 40.87 288.64 46.59 515.00 1,125.00 55.45
Closing 78.10 328.70 90.90 239.60 41.60 295.20 48.30 514.90 1,125.30 57.10
Daily high 78.40 328.70 91.60 241.90 42.20 299.00 49.40 521.60 1,125.50 58.90
Daily low 70.00 298.00 78.00 220.10 37.90 278.00 42.50 500.00 1,125.00 52.00
Turnover in million 41.303 6.473 56.067 60.739 41.656 9.049 8.602 2.060 0.675 31.384
Latest EPS 2.06 11.56 1.10 2.38 1.56 5.01 2.60 3.04 47.83 3.81
Latest PE 37.3 28.4 80.4 99.1 26.2 57.6 17.9 169.4 23.5 14.6
Closing (% change) 10.00 9.15 8.24 8.23 7.65 6.52 6.07 5.93 5.76 5.56
Closing average 73.70 89.19 75.86 292.02 20.52 94.97 755.00 40.67 34.81 161.88
Closing 73.70 90.70 78.80 297.30 21.10 96.40 755.00 41.10 34.90 165.10
Daily high 73.70 91.40 79.20 298.70 21.40 97.00 755.00 41.90 35.30 167.50
Daily low 73.70 85.00 73.00 282.00 19.50 92.40 755.00 39.80 33.90 156.70
Turnover in million 0.037 3.111 3.217 1.110 1.996 0.624 0.076 4.832 6.857 2.598
Latest EPS 5.75 1.10 0.00 5.01 0.13 2.39 52.75 1.56 0.64 4.86
Latest PE 12.8 81.1 58.3 157.8 39.7 14.3 26.1 54.4 33.3
Out of 292 issues traded, 157 closed higher, 115 declined and 20 remained unchanged
IDLC Investment said sector and scrip wise swings appeared dominant over earning declarations. Following price movements, activities also centered on earning declarations as six of top ten active scrips declared earnings on the day. Banks turnover made up 13%, textile 12% and energy 11% of total turnover. United Airways was the most traded stocks with a turnover of Tk29 crore, followed by Meghna Petroleum, Appollo Ispat, Square Pharmaceuticals, Unique Hotel and Resorts, Aamra Technologies, Tallu Spinning and AB Bank. l
(+) 0.73% (+) 0.51% (-) 0.01% (+) 0.45% (+) 0.77% (+) 0.43%
Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis) Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis) Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis) Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.) Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)
Turnover in million 0.674 76.530 6.285 0.016 2.784 161.882 67.731 290.069 17.834 27.503 Latest EPS -4.58 1.16 -0.98 6.02 -1.08 1.52 1.74 0.98 0.76 8.29
Average (% change) -4.33 -6.89 -5.29 -6.29 -5.37 -5.03 -3.33 -3.49 -5.02 -2.87 Average (% change) -6.01 -5.78 -4.83 -2.90 -5.00 -5.33 -5.11 -3.76 -5.14 -6.06
Closing average 12.14 44.34 21.12 326.10 8.10 34.96 48.21 16.85 26.49 60.58
Closing 11.70 43.90 20.60 326.10 8.00 34.60 47.20 16.60 26.40 59.90
Daily high 13.20 45.50 22.50 326.10 8.60 36.00 51.00 19.20 27.50 63.40
Daily low 11.70 42.00 20.00 326.10 8.00 34.60 45.00 15.80 25.10 59.30
Latest PE -ve 38.2 -ve 54.2 -ve 23.0 27.7 17.2 34.9 7.3
Closing average 44.43 93.50 35.09 48.51 26.60 7.10 9.10 16.91 21.23 31.00
Closing 44.20 95.00 34.70 47.30 26.50 7.10 9.10 16.70 21.20 31.00
Daily high 46.00 95.00 36.70 52.00 27.00 7.10 9.10 17.80 22.40 31.00
Daily low 43.60 92.00 34.60 47.20 26.00 7.10 9.10 15.90 20.90 31.00
Turnover in million 6.514 0.019 51.114 3.255 4.391 0.004 0.014 57.302 1.785 0.016
Latest EPS 1.16 1.40 1.52 1.74 0.76 0.70 -2.58 0.98 -0.98 -5.96
Latest PE 38.3 66.8 23.1 27.9 35.0 10.1 -ve 17.3 -ve -ve
ANALYST
Investors poured fresh fund in equity market and index edged up to a new high after rolling out previous weeks corrections
DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company UNITED AIR A Meghna Petroleum -A Appollo Ispat CL -N Square Pharma -A Olympic Ind. -A Unique Hotel RL - A
aamra technologies-A
DSE Million Taka 928.47 645.68 157.56 665.63 331.33 741.57 1.01 870.63 609.00 1.26 53.63 67.26 58.76 257.50 181.16 338.72 416.45 114.14 420.30 116.07 0.64
% change 13.31 9.25 2.26 9.54 4.75 10.63 0.01 12.48 8.73 0.02 0.77 0.96 0.84 3.69 2.60 4.86 5.97 1.64 6.02 1.66 0.01
Million Taka 92.90 65.73 6.09 101.41 25.30 42.93 90.07 47.43 0.68 4.92 5.91 7.60 18.92 20.65 13.24 24.61 11.25 70.61 23.57 0.11
CSE
% change 13.78 9.75 0.90 15.05 3.75 6.37 0.00 13.36 7.04 0.10 0.73 0.88 1.13 2.81 3.06 1.96 3.65 1.67 10.48 3.50 0.02
Million Taka 1021.37 711.41 163.65 767.05 356.63 784.51 1.01 960.69 656.43 1.94 58.54 73.17 66.35 276.42 201.82 351.97 441.06 125.39 490.91 139.64 0.76
Total
% change 13.35 9.30 2.14 10.03 4.66 10.25 0.01 12.56 8.58 0.03 0.77 0.96 0.87 3.61 2.64 4.60 5.76 1.64 6.42 1.83 0.01
BD Building Systems -A S Purbanchol Power-N Gen. Next Fashions-A UCBL - A GSP Finance-A Active Fine Chem.-A
CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company UNITED AIR A
Volume shares 17,211,227 794,606 4,630,200 616,235 717,200 1,457,060 2,633,190 2,639,461 3,306,789 5,412,727
Value in million 290.07 208.26 161.88 145.34 130.63 130.23 108.10 106.97 106.62 105.78
% of total turnover 4.16 2.99 2.32 2.08 1.87 1.87 1.55 1.53 1.53 1.52
Daily closing 16.60 262.10 34.60 237.20 181.70 90.70 40.50 40.20 32.50 19.80
Price change -5.14 -1.47 -5.72 3.85 0.61 4.73 -1.22 0.00 3.17 3.66
Daily opening 17.50 266.00 36.70 228.40 180.60 86.60 41.00 40.20 31.50 19.10
Daily high 19.20 272.00 36.00 240.00 184.50 91.20 42.00 41.20 33.00 20.00
Daily low 15.80 243.00 34.60 222.00 172.00 79.00 36.90 37.00 28.40 17.20
Daily average 16.85 262.09 34.96 235.86 182.14 89.38 41.05 40.53 32.24 19.54
Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to [email protected] or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net
Appollo Ispat CL -N BD Building Systems -A Mozaffar H.Spinning-N aamra technologies-A Unique Hotel RL - A AB Bank - A Maksons Spinning-A Gen. Next Fashions-A UCBL - A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Keya Cosmetics -A LafargeS Cement-Z Mercantile Bank -A Southeast Bank-A
3,388,025 1,456,600 260,450 440,500 344,235 148,915 398,936 632,389 312,500 376,220 302,283 378,840 262,000 529,978 429,757
Volume shares
Value in million
57.30 51.11 18.93 18.07 14.14 13.30 12.90 12.52 11.66 11.64 11.00 10.93 10.84 10.38 9.71
% of total turnover
8.52 7.60 2.82 2.69 2.10 1.98 1.92 1.86 1.73 1.73 1.64 1.63 1.61 1.54 1.44
Daily closing
16.70 34.70 71.30 41.10 40.70 90.40 32.60 19.90 36.90 30.90 36.30 28.50 42.10 19.80 22.80
Price change
-5.11 -5.71 -0.28 2.75 -0.73 4.39 4.15 2.58 -1.60 -0.64 0.28 -1.38 5.51 3.13 3.64
Daily opening
17.60 36.80 71.50 40.00 41.00 86.60 31.30 19.40 37.50 31.10 36.20 28.90 39.90 19.20 22.00
17.80 36.70 77.50 41.90 42.00 90.90 33.00 20.10 38.10 34.00 36.90 29.30 42.40 19.90 22.90
Daily low
15.90 34.60 70.10 39.10 40.00 86.60 31.00 19.30 36.70 28.00 36.00 28.30 40.00 19.10 22.00
Daily average
16.91 35.09 72.69 41.02 41.08 89.33 32.33 19.80 37.30 30.94 36.39 28.85 41.37 19.59 22.60
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
n Reuters, London
Any spill-over damage to the developed world from a sell-off in emerging markets is likely to come through violent swings in financial flows rather than via lost trade, with Japan seen as most vulnerable. Tokyo stocks, which rely heavily on fickle flows from foreigners, have seen the third worst start to a year in the past half century, partly as investors sought to make up for losses in emerging markets by pulling out of Japan. The impact of the emerging market rout is also evident in the United States, where foreign central banks are cashing in Treasuries to spend at home. Further selling and related upward pressure on yields may prompt the Federal Reserve to maintain its monetary stimulus for longer. In the euro zone, sharp falls in emerging currencies may aggravate disinflationary pressures by lowering import prices for goods manufactured in developing economies. Emerging assets have come under pressure as concerns about a slowing China and the Federal Reserves stimulus wind-down triggered an exodus of foreign capital. A spike in global risk aversion and the corresponding surge in the safehaven yen hit Tokyo stocks, which lost over 8% this month. While Japan has a large savings base, domestic investors tend to hold more government bonds and their equity allocation tends to be buy-andhold. According to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, 70% of the daily liquidity in its main section is driven by foreign investors. This leaves Japan vulnerable to ebbs and flows of foreign capital, regardless of better economic fundamentals and the Abenomics reforms introduced by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Japan will be a hostage to issues that are affecting emerging markets. When theres risk aversion, Japan gets sold, said Jonathan Schiessl, investment manager at Ashburton. People flooded back into Japan with Abenomics but theres a risk of foreign capital withdrawal. Trade channels are less likely to pose a threat to the developed economy. Gross exports to emerging econo-
B3
Financial flows put rich countries at risk from emerging market turmoil
mies are less than 5% of economic output in the United States, according to Goldman Sachs.
US, Europe
Developed market financial conditions could tighten, as a result of feedback via portfolio adjustments driven by the emerging turmoil. In the case of the United States, foreign central banks may be forced to liquidate their Treasury holdings further to defend their currencies. Fridays data showed overall foreign holdings of US debt such as Treasuries, mortgage-backed securities and agency debt which are stored mainly by foreign central banks at the Fed fell to $3.325tn in the week ended Wednesday, the largest weekly decline since June. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield has fallen to a 2-1/2 month low of 2.67% as investors sought safe-haven Treasuries but a sustained sell-off from foreign central banks may push up the yield.
The related financial tightening may be enough to persuade the Fed to push back the timing of the first interest rate hike, or even slow the pace of its stimulus wind-down. Financial markets could transmit shocks directly, tightening DM financial conditions in the process... Investors use DM markets as hedging tools during times of stress or because pressures to reduce risk more generally force selling of more liquid assets, Goldman said in a client note. An undesirable tightening in financial conditions would probably ultimately be met by central bank responses. Falling emerging currencies and weak demand in emerging economies as a result of financial shocks would be a disinflationary combination for developed economies, especially in Europe where inflation is on an alarming downward trend. Fridays data showed euro zone
consumer price inflation fell in January to 0.7%, reinforcing warnings from the IMF that deflation was a potential risk. The ECB is expected to stay put until mid-2015 after cutting its key interest rate to a record low of 0.25% in November, but deflation risks could change the plan. Europe is also at a higher risk from an emerging economic slowdown, given the exposure of its corporates to the developing world. European companies derive more than 23% of revenues from emerging markets, compared with around 14% for Japanese and US firms, according to MSCI. The euro area periphery could find itself under scrutiny again. Those who compete directly with countries whose currencies are falling sharply may also struggle more, with parts of the euro area periphery and commodity producers again the most likely to suffer here, Goldman said. l
NEWS IN BRIEF
Indian state bars foreign supermarkets in latest blow for chains
The Indian state of Rajasthan has barred foreign direct investment in supermarkets, an ominous sign for global retailers who covet Indias vast but fragmented retail sector if the countrys main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power nationally in upcoming elections. The BJP is considered to be more investor-friendly than Indias ruling Congress party but opposes foreign direct investment in supermarkets because of its impact on small shopkeepers. It unseated Congress in Rajasthans state elections in December. The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India criticized Rajasthans policy reversal, made on Friday, saying it would dent and shake global investor confidence. Reuters result in an investment by the Abu Dhabi carrier in the troubled Italian airline, both companies said in a joint statement on Sunday. Alitalia and Etihad have been in talks for weeks on a possible investment by the Gulf carrier, which sources close to the matter say could involve Etihad buying a 40% stake in Alitalia for as much as 300m euros ($404.6m). The two companies and their advisors will determine a common strategy that meets the objectives of both parties in the next 30 days, the statement said. Reuters
Sun Kyu Kim has joined Woori Bank in Bangladesh as the new general manager and country manager. Prior to joining as the chief of Woori Bank in Bangladesh, Kim was the chief of audit and management inspection department of Woori Banks head quarter in Seoul, Korea. He has started his Banking career with Woori Bank in the year 1990. l
Dhaka Mercantile Co-operative Bank Ltd reallocated its branch at Fakirapool on Saturday. Group Captain (retd) Shamsul Alam, Bir Uttam was present at the opening ceremony as chief guest
Major (retd) Dr Md Rezaul Haque, Social Islami Bank Limiteds (SIBL) chairperson of the board of Directors is seen checking eyes of a distressed patient at an eye treatment camp held at Baghata Noor Aftaf Adorsha Bidhapith of Norshingdhi District recently
B4
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
be used in urban areas. Australian company FCubed is working in Bangladesh with this technology.
Australia is a significant overseas education destination for students from Bangladesh. What makes an Australian education different?
Australia-based Gloria Jeans Coffees is a good success story in Bangladesh, which started its franchise in 2012 with a local operation owned by Navana group and planning to open up more stores in near future. Apart from that, Wesfarmers Energy had a successful investment in a LPG plant in Mongla, which has recently been sold to another multinational LPG company. Santos, which has invested in Sangu gas field, is now pursuing for a new off-shore gas blocks in the Bay of Bengal.
Nicola Watkinson: Well, Australia is increasingly recognised as the preferred international education destination for Bangladeshi students. The highest enrolments for doctoral programmes in Australia from South Asia originate from Bangladesh. At present, over 30,000 thousands Bangladeshi are living in Australia. Australia is the 3rd most popular international student destination in the world,with7 of the top 100 Universities in the world. Australia has 39 universities, a number of specialist tertiary institutions, and more than a hundred education centres to deliver specific courses. Engineering IT, medicine, environmental science, accounting and financial management are the most sought after education programs. Some areas, we are exploring in joint venture vocational training here in Bangladesh to create skilled and efficient manpower, as many people fail to go to study in Australia.
What are the areas of collaboration between Australia and Bangladesh in the education sector?
We know, Australia is amongst the world leaders in food and beverage, please take us through the current levels of engagement of Australian food and beverage sector in Bangladesh.
Nicola Watkinson seen present at a business briefing on Australian infrastructure opportunities in India We see a potential to work in partnership with Bangladeshi farmers and also with agro-business to support greater local production. There has always been a prospect for working in the agriculture research in Bangladesh by Australian institutes and the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute and other private and public research institutes. There are also prospect to support the development of the local dairy industry with Australian dairy cattle, which has been a great success in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. At present Australian breeding bull Friesian and Jersey varieties are being imported by Bangladesh Milk Vita dairy project. Australian cattle are the five times higher productivity. So, undertaking a joint breeding programme might be more effective to increase the income of the local people. Australian cotton export is expected to be further accelerated in the coming years to support Bangladesh textile and garments sector, which is now a leading global supply source. In near future, Australian wool would also be exported to Bangladesh for the high-end sweater industries. structure projects; project consulting & project management; supply of equipments, etc. SMEC, which is the largest Australian company, has engaged in supporting the infrastructure development projects in Bangladesh for over 40 years.
Australian food products are known to be best in class for its quality and taste and it is very encouraging to see the presence and availability of the major Australian brands in Bangladeshi supermarkets. Australian fresh fruits have strong presence in the market, especially grape and citrus. Fivestar hotels in Bangladesh are using Australian meat, lamb, salmon, cheese, butter and many otherproducts to cater their guests and meeting the high standard of food. Many more five-star hotels are in the offing. So, you need skilled and efficient staff and management to make the projects successful.
As Bangladesh is facing challenges in its energy and infrastructure sectors, how can Australia and Australian companies support the development of Bangladeshs energy and infrastructure sectors?
What prospects do you see for engagement of Australian companies in the agro-business sector of Bangladesh?
Australia is a major source for Coal and LNG. We understand that the government of Bangladesh is in the process of buildinga new coal-based power plants in Rampal and an LNG terminal in Chittagong. Australia has a strong capability in infrastructure development and Australia can support Bangladesh in its Public Private Partnership development. Australia can provide support in design and construction of infra-
Australia is a very innovative nation, with a track record of world leading discoveries and inventions. What is the cleverest technology that you have seen from Australia here in Bangladesh?
Nicola Watkinson: The Australian Trade Commission is going to expand linkages between Australian and Bangladeshi education institutions for student and faculty exchange programs; articulation arrangements; curriculum development, joint research programs, etc. We see a potential for Australianeducationalinstitutionsto explore the delivery ofAustralian qualifications and training in Bangladesh indisciplinessuchashospitality,construction, oil & gas, etc, in partnership with Bangladesh based education institutions. Australian vocational programs will provide skilled & trained personnel with internationally recognised certifications that meet the requirements of businesses in Bangladesh and especially in the Middle East, where a sizeable community of Bangladeshi workers are working in various construction and energy projects in the Middle East.
NWatkinson: Australia has long history of innovation. As it was an isolated country hundreds of years ago, it has to be innovative to survive. We have a smart Australian water purification technology operational in Bangladesh. An Australian solar-based water purification and desalination uses a smart technology to provide safe drinking water in remote and coastal areas in Bangladesh. This technology can also
Nicola Watkinson: Sport might be another potential area of mutual cooperation for developing sports like cricket. Sport management training programme might be an area to look at. Australia is ready to work with great passion for developing Bangladeshi cricket, as well. l
'I am imagining a world where the software can know me as a person and offer things that feel like advice and help rather than aggravation and clutter'
Internet search colossus Google and leading social network Facebook this week reported earnings that soared on the wings of revenue from ads delivered on smartphones or tablets. The bounce was particularly telling at Facebook, shares of which were hammered after they hit the market in 2012 on fears the Silicon Valley company would not be able to make money from surging ranks of members connecting via mobile devices. As Internet Age lifestyles shift to being online while on the move, the pressure is on Google, Facebook, Microsoft and others to creatively cash in on people with much less screen space and time than they had on desktop machines. Advertising today is in the interest of the seller trying to get me to buy, Forrester analyst Frank Gillett told AFP. I am imagining a world where the software can know me as a person and offer things that feel like advice and help rather than aggravation and clutter.
October 2012 Total users passes the 1 billion mark Aug. 2012 Buys Instagram
May 2012 IPO, giving the company a market value of $104 billion
I was one of the first people to get it back. Slowly, everyone did. Breaking from Facebook served as a detox period during which she and friends got a better handle on what was a daily habit, the college junior said. I realized how to live without the mindless Facebook stalking that I used to do, Sharpless said. I check my Twitter feed all the time; there is nothing that I definitely need to know on Facebook. She also finds more interesting fare on Instagram, which Facebook bought
posted findings indicating that the sky is not falling when it comes to Facebooks appeal to the younger set. Interactions at Facebook by people ages 13 to 24 grew about 29% last year, according to Socialbakers. Teens are definitely not leaving en masse as some reports would have you believe, Socialbakers data specialist Ben Harper said in a blog post. During an earnings call this week, top Facebook executives sidestepped a question about whether the social network was losing teens.
unlike the defunct MySpace, Facebook innovates relentlessly and copies winning features from competitors. For example, Facebook has woven Twitter-style real-time status updates into the service and introduced a new mobile app aimed at becoming a social newspaper of sorts. Young people might change how they use Facebook, but they arent leaving, according to the Forrester analyst. It is not a zero-sum game, Elliott said. You dont stop using one network because you start using another. l