10 May, 2015

SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015 | Boishakh 27, 1422, Rajab 20, 1436 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 28 | www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015

PAGE 10WHO declares Liberia Ebola-free

PAGE 32Social media blamed for high Saudi divorce rate

PAGE 6Comilla BNP-backed candidates boycott upazila polls

PAGE 5Chittagong bank watchman killed

MUBARAK SENTENCED TO 3 YEARS IN JAIL PAGE 8

FIELDING FIRST WAS A MANAGEMENT DECISION PAGE 28

NBR FLOUTS TOBACCO CONTROL TREATY PAGE 32

SECOND EDITION

SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015 | Boishakh 27, 1422, Rajab 20, 1436 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 28 | www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

Former university teacher held for militant linksn FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong

Police early yesterday arrested a former uni-versity teacher while holding a clandestine meeting allegedly with members of banned militant out� t Hizb ut-Tahrir from Chand-gaon residential area of the port city.

Detained Md Sharful Awal, 27, is believed to have links with International terrorist group Islamic State, OC Sairul Islam of Chan-dgaon police station said. Sharful, however, says he supports ISIS activities as Muslims in

many countries have been oppressed.Hailing from Rangunia, Sharful had been

serving as a lecturer at Cox’s Bazar Inter-national University’s law department until March this year, police said.

The OC said police were looking for Sharful for a long time because of his ties with Hizb ut-Tahrir, a radical Islamist group banned in 2009. It aims at establishing Caliphate in Bangladesh.

“Acting on intelligence information, police raided his house in Chandgaon residential

PAGE 4 COLUMN 2

No trace of Salahuddin in two monthsn Mohammad Jamil Khan

Two months into the disappearance of BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed, the law enforcing agency is yet to make any headway in the case.

Family members of the BNP joint secretary general expressed their suspicion whether Sa-lahuddin was still alive or it was another case like the disappearance of BNP leader M Ilias Ali.

Salahuddin’s wife Hasina Ahmed said law enforcers used to contact them frequently after the incident happened but with each passing

day they seemed to be becoming nonchalant.When asked, SM Jahangir Alam Sarker,

acting deputy commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that they did not lack any sincerity to locate Salahuddin.

“High o� cials are aware about it and our e� orts to trace him is continuing,” he added.

On April 20, following a writ petition by Hasina Ahmed, a High Court bench direct-ed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to

PAGE 4 COLUMN 2

123 Bangladeshis rescued in Thai jungleThe migrants are being questioned by Thai authorities to determine whether they were tra� ckedn Tribune Desk

Thai security forces yesterday rescued 32 more Bangladeshis in the Khao Kaew moun-tain near Songkhla in Thailand. This takes the number of Bangladeshis rescued in the area in two days to 123 and the total of illegal mi-grants to 149.

Yesterday, local police spotted the 32 peo-ple, all males, walking along the edge of a for-est in Tambon Tha Chamuang in Rattaphum, hours after 111 tra� cked men, including 91 Bangladeshi, were rescued in the same area.

Later the last lot of rescued illegal migrants were taken to the Ban Khlong School before being sent to a temporary shelter at the local district o� ce, where the previously rescued 117 were being kept, reports the Bangkok Post.

Of the 149 rescued so far, the 26 non-Bang-ladeshis are all Rohingya Muslims from My-anmar, Reuters Quoted Ekarat Sisen, deputy governor of Songkhla Province, as saying.

Thai authorities yesterday quizzed the � rst lot of the 117 rescued migrants to determine whether they were victims of human tra� cking.

Ekarat Sisen said: “We need to � gure out if any of these people are tra� cking victims or whether they entered country on their own. If they are victims of human tra� cking we have to hand them over to the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.

“Those who voluntarily entered the coun-try illegally will be sent to immigration police and eventually sent back to their countries of origin,” Sisen said.

PAGE 4 COLUMN 3 Rescued Bangladeshis and Rohingya Muslims, said to be illegal migrants, are being sheltered at the local district o� ce in Rattaphum of Thailand REUTERS

NEWS4DTSUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

123 Bangladeshis rescued in Thai jungleThai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered local authorities to eliminate all migrant detention camps within 10 days after the discovery of 30 migrant graves at abandoned jungle camps in Songkhla on Thursday.

On Wednesday, dozens of southern police o� cers were transferred for an investigation into human tra� cking in the region.

On May 2, police exhumed 26 bodies from a mass grave in the Sadao district in Songkhla province. All are believed to be migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The UNHCR estimated that some 25,000 Rohingya and Bangladeshis boarded smug-glers’ boats between January and March of 2015.

From the sceneHuddled in a meeting room in Rattaphum dis-trict o� ce, the 117 migrants, including three children, brushed their teeth, slept, prayed and ate, waiting to be interviewed, according to a Reuters reporter.

Some Thai villagers came to donate water, rice and fruit to the migrants. Busri Salam, 13, from Bangladesh said that his group dis-embarked a boat in Thailand and trekked for two weeks in the Thai jungle to try and reach Malaysia.

“My brother is in Malaysia,” said Busri. “I wanted to go there.”

The migrants brave perilous journeys to escape religious and ethnic persecution and poverty. l

Former university teacher held for militant linkarea early yesterday and held him while hold-ing a secret meeting with three other Hizb ut-Tahrir members, who managed to escape,” the OC said.

Police recovered several Jihadi books, a Hizb ut-Tahrir magazine and many anti-gov-ernment lea� ets and documents from the house.

Recently, elite force Rapid Action Battalion and police busted a number of militant dens in Chittagong and recovered a large amount of arms and ammunition.

Detectives say banned militant groups Hizb ut-Tahrir, JMB and Huji, and Ansarullah Bangla Team with assistance from ISIS, Al-Qa-eda and Taliban have been trying to regroup with a view to establishing Islamic State in Chittagong, also incorporating Cox’s Bazar, the three hill districts, and some bordering ar-eas of Myanmar and India.

In December last year, Hizb ut-Tahrir mem-bers campaigned across the country asking the army to take over power and establish Caliphate under the leadership of the mili-tant group. After the killing of secular writer Avijit Roy on February 26, RAB arrested Hizb ut-Tahrir leader Sha� ur Rahman Farabi for

threatening him with death repeatedly.“Detectives and police have long been

looking for this Hizb ut-Tahrir member, who, we think has been an active member of ISIS too,” the OC told the Dhaka Tribune.

“We have found evidences of his ties with the ISIS after searching his Facebook account, mobile phones, email accounts, documents and books,” he said adding that the detainee had admitted his connection with the groups.

“We will place Sharful before a court and seek remand to glean information about his cohorts,” the o� cer said.

A case was � led against him and other un-named persons with Chandgaon police under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Police sources said Sharful had complet-ed his graduation from Premier University in Chittagong in 2012 and completed his masters from Eastern University the following year. Later he joined Cox’s Bazar International Uni-versity as a lecturer and resigned on March 23 this year.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune at the po-lice station, Sharful denied his link with Hizb ut-Tahrir claiming that the police had found

only a magazine from his house. “One of my friends gave it to me in 2012,” he said.

Asked about his connection with the ISIS, the detainee said: “I just wrote down my personal views and evaluations on the op-pression of Muslims Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Russia in my Facebook account after collect-ing and evaluating news reports published in international media.

“Through online I came in contact with a brother who resides in London and later post-ed about the ISIS activities on Facebook. I dis-cussed with him why the Muslims have been tortured. That is all.”

He, however, refused to disclose more about the person’s identity.

Asked about his resignation, Sharful said: “I left the job because the university author-ities pressurised me, prompting the rise of a con� ict.” OC Sairul said: “During primary in-terrogation, Sharful gave us some names who are highly professional in the city.”

After the arrest, the police conducted drives at several places in the port city to ar-rest his associates. “But he is trying to mis-guide the police by giving false information,” the OC added. l

No trace of Salahuddincontinue the search e� ort for next six months and to submit a monthly report on the pro-gress made.

Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, State Minister of Home, said law enforcers were still looking for Salahuddin and they would continue to do so.

On March 10, Salahuddin went missing from a house of Uttara area. His family claimed that he was picked up by law enforcers.

However, the law enforcement agencies including police, CID and Rapid Action Battal-ion (RAB) have claimed ignorance of Salahud-din’s whereabouts.

Almost in the same way, On April 17, 2012, BNP Organising Secretary Ilias Ali, disap-peared while he was on his way home. He re-mains missing to date. l

Khaleda thanks Modi for LBA rati� cation n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

Thanking Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ratifying the Land Boundary Agree-ment in his country’s parliament, BNP Chair-person Khaleda Zia yesterday said this would help establish a friendly relationship between the two neighbouring states.

“The bill was passed in the Indian parliament after 40 years and I must thank the Modi government for this. Modi said he did it to establish friendly ties with Bangladesh. He also said he wants to build a friendly relationship with the people of Bangladesh, and not with any party. This is something the BNP also wants,” she said while exchanging views with the newly elected tax lawyers at her Gulshan o� ce.

The former prime minister alleged the AL did many things for the Congress-led government but could not take anything from it in return.

“We have to reorganise our party. Those who are dedicated and experienced will get position in the new committee.”

Khaleda claimed that BNP Joint Secretary General Salahuddin Ahmed is still being held by the RAB.

“Please return Salahuddin to his fami-ly members soon. There will be bad conse-quences if anything happens to him,” she said, referring to RAB.

The BNP chairperson hailed the UK general elections, saying: “What a beautiful election it was. It is simply unthinkable. Fair election was held also in India. Cannot we learn any-thing from those elections?”

She also condemned the move to name her in the Jatrabari arson attack case. l

Dr Wazed`s death anniversary observedn BSS

Noted nuclear scientist and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s husband Dr MA Wazed Miah had dreamt of an economically and techno-logically advanced country to make the sense of independence meaningful to the citizens.

Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr AKM Nurun Nabi made the statement after placing � oral wreaths at the grave of Dr Wazed in Fatehpur village on his sixth death anniversary yesterday.

He o� ered prayers seeking peace for the eternal soul and well being of the PM, their only son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Sayma Wajed Putul and other family members. l

Two held with � rearmn FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong

Police arrested two youths with a foreign pistol and six rounds of bullet from Avaymitra Ghat in the port city’s Sadarghat area yesterday.

The arrestees were Abdul Noman, 24, son of Hazi Kamal Ahmed, and Kazi Jashim Ud-din, 38, said Kotwali police station OC Md Jasim Uddin con� rming the recovery.

Local sources said the duo were Chhatra League activists though the OC denied it.

The OC said Noman and Jashim were caught by the locals while trying to beat up a businessman over � nancial dispute and they rescued them from a mob beating.l

In a display of timeless love and care, a mother feeds her son while he takes a break from running around in the park. She not only took him out but also made sure to bring along safe home-made food. The photo was taken at Shishu Park in the capital yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

NEWS 5D

TSUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015

Twin sisters found deadn Our Correspondent, Barisal

The bodies of three-year-old twin sisters were recovered from a bamboo bush in Babuganj upazila of Barisal yesterday afternoon.

The victims were identi� ed as Mariam Akter and Ayesha Siddika, daughters of Selim Khan, of Vuterdia village under Kedarpur union.

Locals also rescued the mother of the twin sis-ters, Sharmin Begum, 26, from the Suganda River while she was reportedly attempting suicide.

SI Amanullah of Babuganj police station said: “Primarily we are suspecting that the mother � rst strangled the babies and later at-tempted to suicide.”

Shahe Alam, o� cer-in-charge of Babu-ganj police station said :“Police recovered the bodies and admitted the mother to Babuganj Upazila Health Complex.”

Selim’s neighbour Akkas Hossain said Sharmin had been su� ering from mental illness and she might have killed the babies. l

Police still in dark about Ctg double murder, case handed over to DB n FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong

Two days since the sensational mother-daughter murder at Chittagong’s Sadarghat area, police are still clueless about the killers.

Meanwhile, miscreants slaughtered a night guard of Al Arafah Islami Bank at the port city’s Muradpur branch on Thursday night raising serious doubts as to the ability of police.

It this situation investigation of the two murder cases were handed over to the Detective Branch (DB) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) yesterday.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of DB, SM Tanvir Arafat, told the Dhaka Tribune that CMP Commissioner Abdul Jalil Mandol in

an emergency meeting ordered the police to hand over the two cases to the DB.

“Receiving the order from the CMP commissioner, DB has already formed two probe teams headed,” said ADC SM Tanvir adding that they would try their best to resolve the cases.

The emergency meeting held at the police headquarters was attended by the senior o� cials of the CMP, o� cers in-charge of 16 police stations, DB o� cials and CID o� cials.

On May 7 morning, 30-year-old Nasima Akthar and her 10-year-old daughter Riya Akhtar Piya were slaughtered by unidenti� ed miscreants at their � at at Dakkhin Nalapara area.

And in the evening of the same day, night guard Md Ibrahim was murdered as well. l

Chittagong bank watchman killedThieves also attempted to break into the vault but failedn FM Mizanur Rahaman, chittagong

A security guard of Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited’s Muradpur branch in Chittagong was killed late on Thursday night.

But police on Friday night recovered the body of Md Ibrahim, whose throat had been slit.

Shariful Islam, additional deputy commis-sioner (north) of Chittagong Metropolitan Po-lice (CMP), said three robbers entered the bank by cutting security grilles around 2:30am and killed the 42-year-old guard who was asleep.

“Their faces were covered with masks and they tried to break into the vault but failed. They left after around 20 minutes,” he said.

The bank is located on the � rst � oor of the six-storey Hossain Tower in Muradpur inter-section. SM Tanvir, additional deputy com-missioner of CMP’s Detective Branch, said CCTV footage had showed that the three rob-bers killed Ibrahim.

Ibrahim went to work on Thursday night and his wife contacted the bank’s manager on Friday night as he did not return and was also unreach-able over the phone.

Other employees of the bank later discovered Ibrahim’s body in a pool of blood and informed police.

Senior o� cial of the bank, Ali Newaz, � led a

case yesterday morning against three to four un-named persons in connection with the murder.

O� cer-in-Charge of Panchlaish police sta-tion, Mohiuddin Mahmud, said yesterday evening that police were yet to make any arrests.

Also on Thursday night, a member of a rob-bery gang was injured in a mob beating while the robbers were trying to break into Agrani Bank’s Kuaish branch in Chittagong.

Bank officials demand workplace safetyAround 100 bankers yesterday formed a hu-man chain demanding immediate arrest of bank robbers and also security of their lives and workplaces.

Protesting the frequent robbery bids at banks in the recent past in di� erent parts of the country, the bankers gathered outside Chittagong Press Club under the banner of Sammilito Bankers’ Oikya Parishad.

They called on the government to arrest and bring to book all those involved in the April 21 grisly robbery bid at Bangladesh Com-merce Bank Limited’s Kathgarha branch in Ashulia and also Thursday’s robbery attempt at Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited.

The association’s President, Md Masrur Hossain, and Secretary, Syed Amir Hossain, addressed the protesters. l

20 students fall sickn Our Correspondent, Gazipur

A total of 25 female students fell sick yester-day at Izzatpur High School under Sreepur upazila of the district.

Kamal Hossen Mollah, headmaster of the school said the students of Class VI fell sick in the morning while they were attending the classes.

Of the victims, Laboni Akter, Bithi Akter, Tanzina, Smiti, Poli, Munni and Shilpi had been admitted to Sreepur Sadar Hospital while others were sent to their houses after given primary treatment.

Dr Afroza Sharmin of the hospital said the students might have fallen ill due to extreme heat.

They started vomiting with headache after one by one, she added.

UNO Saderkur said, a team of doctors had been sent to the school. The school also had been declared closed, he said. l

Rakeen signs bond issuance deal with Royal Greenn Tribune Report

Rakeen Development Company Limited who developed the country’s largest Integrated township “Bijoy Rakeen City,” has signed an agreement with Royal Green Capital Market Limited for the Issuance of Partially Convertible Bond worth Tk120 crore.

In the presence of Khater Massaad, chairman of Rakeen Development Company (BD) Ltd and Star Industrial Holdings, SAK Ekramuzzaman, managing director of Rakeen, Md Ziaul Haque Khondker, advisor of Royal Green Capital Market Ltd, and Md Shah Alam, managing director, exchanged the documents after signing the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

The construction of the country’s largest integrated township in Mirpur, comprising 1,950 apartments, schools, shopping mall,

community club and mosque is progressing in full swing. The construction is being carried

out by Esla Bangladesh, a subsidiary of Middle East-based Esla Construction. l

Though the roads are marked with lane divider lines for a disciplined and accident-free � ow of tra� c, drivers are often seen changing lanes as and when they please. This adds to the already chaotic tra� c, obstructing the � ow and creating more congestion. The photo was taken at Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue in the capital yesterday RAJIB DHAR

NEWS6DTSUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015

Clients face extra charges for new electricity connection in Bagharpara n Our Correspondent, Jessore

O� cials of the rural electri� cation o� ce of Jessore’s Bagharpara upazila have been ac-cused of charging extra for new electricity connections.

Local residents claimed that they had been paying around Tk3,000 to Tk4,500 for each new connection though the government fee is only about Tk620 to Tk720.

Local Awami League leaders, with support of the local parliament member, are allegedly behind the corruption.

With nine unions and one municipality, the Bagharpara upazila has a population of 250,000. After the incumbent government came to power in 2008, initiatives have been taken to bring the upazila under electricity.

A resident, on the assurance of anonym-

ity, said after he applied for electricity con-nection, an electricians visited the house, got them to sign a form and then demanded Tk3,000.

When asked why they were taking so much money, the electrician said it was to meet the expense of wiring, metre and setting up of the connection. Moreover, they also needed money to organise an event where the local MP would inaugurate the new electricity con-nections.

Ayub Ali, one of the electricians, said: “There are eight of us who collect the money. We are taking Tk2500 from clients to set up the connection and to organise the inaugura-tion event.”

However local Awami League leaders de-nied taking money for the event.

Billal Hossain, organisational secretary of

upazila Awami League, said it was not true that they were collecting money to hold the event. “People are spreading falsehood to tar-nish our image.”

He further said 152 houses of Raipara were getting new electricity connections and MP Ranajit Roy would inaugurate it on May 10.

“For a new connection, we have to run af-ter the rural electri� cation board o� cials and it needs money. So we are taking Tk2,200 to Tk2,400 from client.”

“We have even set up a committee to check extra expense and buy equipment through this committee. We are providing free con-nections to three mosques and three houses.”

Director of the local electricity o� ce Mo-hammad Fariduzzaman said he had heard about extra fees but they had nothing to do about it.

Sudeb Kumar Sarkar, deputy general man-ager of Bagharpara zonal o� ce of Palli Biddut Samity-1, said he had no idea about extra fee collection.

“In the last 10 months, we have provided electricity connections to more than 3,000 houses. Every client had to pay Tk600 for the metre and Tk20 for their membership. If more than one kilometre wire is needed for the con-nection, they we charge Tk100 extra,” he said further adding that the MP would just click on a switch board to inaugurate the connections in a simple event.

MP Ranajit Roy did not pick up the call when this correspondent tried to contact him.

Palli Biddut Samity so far provided con-nection to 3,363 houses and have a target of bringing 500 houses under electricity facility each month. l

Comilla BNP-backed candidates boycott upazila pollsn Our Correspondent, Comilla

BNP-backed candidates, including the chair-man aspirant, in Comilla yesterday boycotted Daudkandi upazila elections alleging vote rig-ging.

The boycott was announced at a press brie� ng arranged at the house of Hazi Abul Hashem Sarker, the chairman candidate � eld-ed by the BNP.

Hashem’s Chief Election Agent, Masum Reza, said the returning o� cer had been in-formed of electoral fraud such as fake voting and capture of polling stations but no action was taken.

He demanded that the elections be can-celled before holding fresh polls.

BNP-backed vice-chairman candidate Shah Alam and woman vice-chairman aspir-ant Farida Yasmin also announced election boycott separately.

Some 40-45 ballots which had been stu� ed were found at Hasanpur Government Primary School centre but the presiding o� cer, Abdul Matin, said that voters might have left those on the table.

The number of registered voters in the upazila is 239,754.

Six candidates contested for the post of chair-man and another 6 for that of woman vice-chair-man while 13 ran for vice-chairman. l

Husband arrested in Tonni murder casen Our Correspondent, Khulna

Rapid Action Battalion has arrested Sohel Biswas, the prime accused in the much-talked-about murder case of Sharah Far-gushan Tonni, from Munshiganj.

Sohel, son of former member of the parlia-ment Abdul Ga� ar Biswas, was arrested on Fri-day night and sent to jail yesterday on allega-tion of murdering his wife Tonni, 23, on April 7

this year. Khalishpur police station O� cer-in-Charge SM Anwar Hossain said being tipped o� , members of RAB 6 arrested Sohel from Sir-ajdikhan area in Munshiganj and handed him over to Khalishpur police in Khulna.

According to Sohel’s father Abdul Ga� ar Biswas, on April 7, the couple had engaged in a scu� e over familial matter following which Ton-ni locked herself in a room and tried to commit suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling fan.

Her in-laws broke into the room, rescued her and took her to a local clinic where the doctors declared her dead. They informed Tonni’s parents about the matter, he told re-porters.

The next day Tonni’s mother Shamima Akhter � led a murder case in this connec-tion accusing Sohel Biswas and his sister Iti Biswas. According to the case statement, the two had tortured Tonni and strangulated her.

Police recovered Tonni’s dead body from her in-laws’ place the same day which bore marks of injury on head and chest. They sent the body for autopsy, said Investigative Of-� cer of the case Sub-Inspector Komol Kanti Pal.

He submitted chargesheet to the Metropol-itan Magistrate Court on May 6 excluding Iti. The chargesheet showed Sohel as the instiga-tor for Tonni’s death. l

A passenger bus lying turned-turtle after it skidded o� the road yesterday at Kamar Pukur village under Saidpur upazila in Nilphamari DHAKA TRIBUNE

NEWS 7D


Source: Accuweather/UNB

D H A K ATODAY TOMORROW

SUN SETS 6:31PM SUN RISES 5:19AM

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

35.4ºC 29.5ºC

Chittagong Tangail

SourceL IslamicFinder.org

F O R E C A S T F O R T O D A YDhaka 34 26

Chittagong 34 26

Rajshahi 35 25

Rangpur 33 24

Khulna 35 25

Barisal 33 26

Sylhet 33 23

Cox’s Bazar 34 26

PRAYER TIMESFajr 3:54am

Sunrise 5:18am

Zohr 11:55am

Asr 4:33pm

Magrib 6:31pm

Esha 8:01pm

WEATHER

SUNDAY, MAY 10

DRY WEATHER

Construction work of Khulna airport to be completed by June 2018n Our Correspondent, Khulna

After more than a decade of suspension, the construction work of the much needed air-port in Khulna is all set to resume from July.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on May 5 approved the construction of Khan Jahan Ali Airport at Foyla of Khulna’s Rampal at an estimated cost of Tk545 crore, aiming to expand trade and commerce as well as tourism in greater Khul-na region.

The work will kick o� in July and will be � nished by June 2018.

Considering the importance of the greater Khulna region, the initiative to build an air-port was taken in 1961 at Dakatia area. Later in 1968 the project was shifted to Teligati and again to Katakhali in the 1980s. However, there was no progress made in the project af-terwards.

Some 97.55 acres of land were acquired for the airport at Foyla in Rampal upazila near Khulna-Mongla highway. Bagerhat District administration handed over the land to Civil Aviation Authority in 1996.

The then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia laid the foundation stone of the airport on January 27 in 1996. The land � lling work began in 1997 costing about Tk40 crore.

In 2001, when the BNP-Jamaat government came to power land � lling began again but was later stopped for lack of fund. Since then the construction work has been suspended.

During her visit on March 5, 2011, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promised to complete the work and make it into a full-� edged air-port.

As a follow up, the then Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Lt Col (retd) Faruk Khan vis-ited the project area and asked the concerned ministry to conduct a pre-feasibility study.

Later, an expert team from Khulna Univer-sity of Engineering and Technology submit-ted the report to the Civil Aviation Authority highlighting the importance of the airport and recommended to construct the airport in two phases.

Based on the report a project proposal worth Tk544 crore 75 lakh was sent to the Planning Commission. The government would provide Tk490 crore and the rest of the

money would be spent from the Civil Avia-tion’s own fund.

Mizanur Rahman Mizan, parliament mem-ber and general secretary of Khulna Awami League, assured that the work would resume from July. “If the airport is built, the overall economy in the region will get a huge boost.”

General Secretary of the Coordination Committee of Mongla Port Users, Saiful Islam said: “Khan Jahan Ali airport will play a piv-otal role in bringing more tourists to Khulna, attracting more businessmen and trade. It should be completed within the stipulated time.”

Md Jahangir Alam, deputy commissioner of Bagerhat, believed the airport would open up a new door of opportunities. “Mongla port, EPZ, shrimp business, industries around Rampal power plant and the tourism will greatly bene� t from the airport.”

Greater Khulna Development Movement Coordination Committee’s President Sheikh Ashrafuzzaman and General Secretary Sheikh Mosharraf Hossain urged for the Prime Min-ister’s supervision to complete the project in time. l

Farmers demand fair proportion of agri-produces n Shadma Malik

Farmers demanded fair portion of their pro-duction, launching of village rationing system and inclusion of farmers at committee of the government.

Although there is already an existing law regarding food policy, but it is not properly implemented as there are many loopholes in the sector, they said.

They made the demand at a dialogue titled “Food Security and Agriculture: Way For-ward” organised by the ActionAid Bangladesh

in association with Kendrio Krishok Moitree and Asian Farmers’ Association at the Nation-al Press Club yesterday.

At the programme, farmers also stressed the need for forming agriculture court so that farmers could get immediate supports from district administration as well as ministry.

They also demanded steps to reduce in� u-ences of middlemen in the food selling chain for ensuring fair prices of agri-produces.

The speakers said farmers cannot direct-ly sell wheat to mill factories for existence of middlemen who are controlling market of

food grains. Farah Kabir, country director of the Action-

Aid Bangladesh, said women farm labourers were not getting proper payment in compar-ison to theie male colleagues.

She said: “Farmers are not availing their proper portion and the mostly the female farmers are not acknowledged as a farmer and also not getting their wages.”

About 70 farmers were present in the event. Farm labourer Nurtaj, who came from Manikganj, said: “As we do not have any ID card, we may loss our work anytime.” l

Activists of ‘Saarc Peoples Link Forum’ form human chain yesterday at Saheb Bazar Zero point thanking Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India for passing land accord bill under 1974 agreement. The Indian parliament on Thursday passed the key constitutional amendment bill to give e� ect to the swapping of border land enclaves between India and Bangladesh under the agreement AZAHAR UDDIN

Transport strike in Rajshahin Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

The � rst day of transport strike, called pro-testing the decision of plying state-run BRTC buses on the Rajshahi city-Bagha route, in Rajshahi passed yesterday without any devel-opment.

On the other hand, State Minister for For-eign A� airs Shahriar Alam inaugurated the BRTC bus services on Bagha upazila premises in the afternoon.

“Rajshahi District Paribahan Malk-Sramik Oikkya Parisad” called the strike demanding withdrawal of the decision and threatened to call inde� nite strike in the whole Rajshahi division from today unless their demands are met.

“We will enforce inde� nite strike from to-morrow (Sunday) if the decision is not with-drawn,” said Kamal Hossain, president of the organisation.

Private transport businessmen have been passing tough time in recent times and the su� ering would be doubled if the government proceeds with the move, Kamal continued.

However, commuters faced a great trouble due to the sudden strike. No negotiation ef-fort to resolve the crisis was noticed as of � l-ing this report in the evening.

WORLD8DTSUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015

Mubarak, sons sentenced to three years in jail n Reuters, Cairo

An Egyptian court sentenced former presi-dent Hosni Mubarak and his two sons to three years in jail without parole yesterday in the retrial of a corruption case.

Mubarak was sentenced to three years in prison last May for diverting public funds ear-marked to renovate presidential palaces and using the money to upgrade family properties. His two sons were given four-year jail terms in the same case. However, in January, Egypt’s high court overturned the convictions.

Mubarak, who ruled Egypt with an iron � st for 30 years, and his sons Gamal and Alaa may not have to serve any jail time for those cor-ruption charges because they already spent that amount of time in prison in other cases.

“The ruling of the court is three years in prison without parole for Mohamed Hosni Mubarak and Gamal Mohamed Hosni Mubar-ak and Alaa Mohamed Hosni Mubarak,” an-nounced judge Hassan Hassanein.

Mubarak was toppled during the Arab Spring uprisings which swept the region in 2011. But a court decision to drop charges against Mubarak of conspiring to kill protesters in the uprising focused in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and the re-lease from jail of some of his associates has cast doubt over Egypt’s political transformation. l

Cameron won big by selling stability over fearn Reuters, London

Prime Minister David Cameron sealed a sur-prise election win by persuading Britons to choose the security of modestly rising liv-ing standards over an implausible pretend-er many feared could become the puppet of Scottish nationalists.

Blending the promise of “the good life” fueled by a strong economic recovery with fear of resurgent Scottish separatists calling the shots in a country they want to break up, Cameron steamrolled the opposition Labour Party and won his party’s � rst outright major-ity in 23 years.

“We’ve had a positive response to a posi-tive campaign about safeguarding our econ-omy,” said Cameron, as if he had always ex-pected to win so emphatically.

The truth was di� erent.Before it became clear he had won, some

in his center-right Conservative Party feared he had run a dull campaign that failed to shift apparently tied opinion polls.

Others in the party, famous for ruthless-ly junking predecessors such as triple elec-tion-winner Margaret Thatcher, thought his days were numbered even if he won because he was unlikely to win big.

Cameron, guided by his Australian cam-paign adviser Lynton Crosby, spent six weeks hammering home just two messages: Vote Conservative to secure economic recovery, and stop Labour coming to power backed by Scottish nationalists.

Crosby’s strategy was “you can’t fatten a pig on market day.” That meant voters were bombarded with a message in the hope that relentless repetition would help it “take.” l

British foreign policy drift threatens US special relationshipn AFP

From across the pond, President Barack Obama has warmly welcomed David Camer-on’s election victory, but with Britain’s role in Europe and the world in doubt so too is its “special relationship” with the United States.

White House congratulations are rarely more e� usive.

Lauding Cameron’s “impressive elector-al victory,” Obama praised the “special and essential relationship” between the United States and Britain.

“I have enjoyed working closely with Prime Minister Cameron on a range of shared interests these last several years, and I look forward to continuing to strengthen the bonds between our countries.”

With a mere � ve years separating them and a language in common, o� cials say Oba-ma and his “bro” Cameron get on very well — something of a rarity for a US president re-garded by many foreign o� cials as business-like if not bordering on frosty.

Britain’s role as a permanent member of the United Nation’s Security Council, a NATO member that fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and a participant in nuclear talks with Iran make coordination vital.

The White House may more often than not make Germany’s Angela Merkel the � rst Eu-ropean on Obama’s call sheet, but the special relationship continues to have very practical advantages.

In Washington, British diplomats have fre-quent bilateral meetings with senior White

House National Security sta� that are not af-forded to other European allies.

But beyond talk of shared values, Winston Churchill and bonds forged in the � res of World War II, there is a sense in Washington that Britain is adrift.

“Washington is skeptical of Cameron,” said Thomas Wright of the Brookings Insti-tution. “He doesn’t seem very interested in foreign policy.”

Nowhere is that more evident than in Cameron’s policy towards Europe.

In the run up to the election he promised a referendum on European Union membership in 2017.

Cameron, his Conservative party and all major political parties will campaign for a “yes” to stay in the EU, but for many in Wash-ington it is mind-boggling that the prime min-ister would even take such a referendum risk.

A Britain that is inside the world’s largest trading bloc, is much more useful than an iso-lated island in the north Atlantic.

“Americans are frustrated because they want a strong Britain and a strong Europe,” said Wright.

“If he continues as before, Britain’s in� u-ence in the US will decline further. But, if he changes course and tries to restore British in-� uence internationally, he could breathe new life into the special relationship.”

But Cameron’s � rst moves after the elec-tion auger continuity rather than change.

The reappointment of Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has already raised eyebrows.

“It suggests that Cameron is pretty sat-

is� ed with the way foreign policy is going, there is no sense that he feels that they need to up their game,” said Gary Schmitt of the American Enterprise Institute.

Cameron’s reelection also heralds a contin-uation of austerity policies, designed to rein in government spending.

The PM announced Friday that “Mr Austeri-ty” George Osborne would remain � nance min-ister in his new Conservative administration.

While the US Treasury and Federal Reserve might welcome that � scal prudence, it means Britain is unlikely to heed American calls to increase defense spending.

As a NATO member, 10 Downing Street is committed to spending at least two percent of GDP on defense.

Osborne’s last budget meant the � gure is now more like 1.8 percent, according to in� u-ential London think tank RUSI.

Thursday’s election will also raise con-cerns at the Pentagon about Britain’s commit-ment to nuclear deterrence.

Nationalists in Scotland opposed to host-ing nuclear-armed submarines on their turf ran the board, picking up 56 of 59 seats.

While they won’t be in government, they will be a powerful voice advocating a military draw down that would only increase British reliance on the United States.

“Common history and a shared tongue count for a lot,” said James Lindsay in a blog post for the Council on Foreign Relations, “but on an increasing number of issues, Lon-don and Washington will be happier talking about the past than the future.” l

Australian police thwart imminent bomb attack, teen chargedn Reuters

Australian police yesterday said they had thwarted an imminent terror attack after dis-covering explosives at a Melbourne home and arresting a 17-year-old boy, in the latest exam-ple of the threat posed by radicalised teenag-ers in the country.

Acting on a tip-o� from the national secu-rity phone line, police and security agencies began investigating the youth and later raid-ed his home in Greenvale, 20 kms (12 miles) north of Melbourne, on Friday when the threat was “imminent.”

The bomb squad moved three improvised explosive devices to a nearby park where they were “rendered safe” and said there was no longer a threat to the community, police told a news conference.

The teen, who cannot be identi� ed due to his age, was charged with terrorism-related o� ences and remanded in custody to appear before the Children’s Court in a closed sitting on Monday, police said.

Australian media reported that the teen had become more active on Facebook in re-cent weeks, commenting on the war in Syria and that the attack was to take place during the Mother’s Day Classic fun run today, which attracts tens of thousands of participants in cities around Australia. l

Ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak waves from the defendant’s cage as he listens to the verdict in his hearing in a retrial for embezzlement yesterday in Cairo AFP

WORLD 9D


Indian Maoists take 250 villagers hostagen AFP

Indian Maoist rebels took 250 villagers hos-tage in restive Chhattisgarh just hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi toured the central state yesterday, o� cials said.

Guerillas abducted the villagers late Friday in Sukma district, 80 kilometres away from where the right-wing Modi later addressed a public rally, said the state’s chief minister.

“250 villagers have been abducted by the Maoists. We are trying our best to secure their release,” Raman Singh said without giving further details.

Lawmaker Kawashi Lakma told AFP that the rebels grabbed locals from Morenga vil-lage and took them through deep forests to a nearby hill.

“The Maoists had been opposing the con-struction of a bridge on one of the rivers because they felt it would give the security forces easy access to their hideouts,” said Ka-washi Lakma. “We have sent some people to negotiate with them.”

The abduction is the latest incident in a long-running con� ict that pits the insurgents against security forces in remote areas of the so-called “Red Corridor” stretching through central and eastern India. l

S Korea: North Korea test-� res 3 missilesn AP, Seoul

South Korean military o� cials say North Ko-rea has � red three anti-ship cruise missiles into its eastern sea.

The � rings yesterday came just hours after Pyongyang’s state media touted the country’s advancing military capabilities by claiming the successful test-� ring of a sub-marine-launched missile.

An o� cial from South Korea’s Joint Chief of Sta� said the missiles were � red within a span of an hour in the early evening from an area near the eastern port city of Wonsan. He identi� ed the missiles as KN-01 missiles, which the North also test-� red in February in an event personally attended by North Kore-an leader Kim Jong Un.

There had been expectations that Kim would attend the Victory Day celebration in Russia yesterday for his international debut, but North Korea sent the head of its parlia-ment instead.

North Korea yesterday said it has success-fully test-� red a newly developed ballistic missile from a submarine in what would be the latest display of the country’s advancing military capability.

O� cials from rival South Korea previous-ly had said that North Korea was developing technologies for launching ballistic missiles from underwater, although past tests were believed to have been conducted on plat-forms built on land or at water and not from submarines.

Security experts say that North Korea ac-quiring the ability to launch missiles from submarines would be an alarming develop-ment as missiles � red from submerged ves-sels are harder to detect before launch than land-based ones. North Korea already has a considerable arsenal of land-based ballistic missiles and is also believed to be advancing in e� orts to miniaturize nuclear warheads to

mount on such missiles, according to South Korean o� cials.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un person-ally directed the test launching and called the missile a “world-level strategic weapon” and an “eye-opening success,” the o� cial Korean

Central News Agency said. The report did not reveal the timing or location of the launch.

Kim declared North Korea now has a weap-on capable of “striking and wiping out in any waters the hostile forces infringing upon the sovereignty and dignity of (North Korea).”

The Rodong Sinmun newspaper published photos of a projectile rising from the surface and Kim smiling from a distance at what looked like a � oating submarine.

The test might have taken place near the eastern coastal city of Sinpo, where satellite imagery in recent months, analyzed by a US research institute, appeared to have shown North Korea building missile-testing facili-ties and equipping a submarine with launch capabilities. The KCNA in a separate report yesterday said Kim visited a � sheries facility in Sinpo to o� er “� eld guidance.”

South Korea’s defense ministry had no im-mediate comment on North Korea’s claim of a successful test.

Ministry o� cials have previously said that North Korea has about 70 submarines and appears to be mainly imitating Russian designs in its e� orts to develop a system for submarine-launched missiles. North Korea is believed to have obtained several of the So-viet Navy’s retired Golf-class ballistic missile submarines in the mid-1990s.

Uk Yang, a Seoul-based security expert and an adviser to the South Korean military, said it was unlikely the North currently pos-sess a submarine large enough to carry and � re multiple missiles. However, it’s hard to deny that North Korea is making progress on a dangerous weapons technology, he said.

The website 38 North, operated by the US-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, said in January that such capability posed a potential new threat to South Korea, Japan and US bases in East Asia, although North Ko-rea’s submarines tend to be old and would be vulnerable to attack.

There had been expectations that Kim would attend the Victory Day celebration in Russia for his international debut, but North Korea has sent to Moscow the head of its rub-ber-stamp parliament instead. l

Saudi-led coalition raids pound Yemen rebels after truce proposaln AFP, Sanaa

The Saudi-led coalition bombed the Yemeni capital’s airport and the Shiite rebels’ north-ern stronghold yesterday just hours after proposing a humanitarian cease� re to start next week.

Hundreds of families � ed the rebels’ Saa-da province bastion before a coalition dead-line to leave expired on Friday evening, after which warplanes pounded rebel bases and the homes of rebel leaders, witnesses said.

But aid agencies warned that many civil-ians would not have had time to leave the province by the deadline and urged the coa-lition to hold back from its threat to treat the whole province as a military target.

After six weeks of air strikes in support of exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, the coalition zeroed in on Saada, the rugged heartland of the Huthi Shiite rebels on the Saudi border.

Riyadh has warned that the Iran-backed re-bels crossed a “red line” by shelling populated border areas of the kingdom earlier this week.

Coalition warplanes and Saudi artillery pounded rebel chief Abdul Malik al-Huthi’s hometown of Marran, witnesses said.

The rebel’s Al-Masirah television said Mar-ran and nearby Baqim were hit by more than 160 rockets. The channel said the coalition had launched more than 27 air raids across the province.

Strikes in Saada city brought down the tel-ecommunication network, residents said.

The coalition also carried out new strikes against the airport in the rebel-held capital Sanaa, which already su� ered damaged to its runaways in previous strikes.

The coalition has imposed a tight sea and air blockade in a bid to prevent supplies reaching the rebels and their allies in the se-curity forces.

Ceasefire offerThe rebels have yet to respond to the pro-posal made by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Friday for a � ve-day cease� re be-ginning on May 12.

“The cease� re will end should Huthis or

their allies not live up to the agreement – this is a chance for the Huthis to show that they care about their people and they care about the Yemen people,” Jubeir said at a joint news conference in Paris with US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Kerry said the cease� re would take place “provided that the Huthis agree that there will be no bombing, no shooting, no move-ment of their troops or manoeuvring to repo-sition for military advantage (and) no move-ment of heavy weapons.”

He stressed that the pause in hostilities was a “renewable commitment” that, if it held, “opens the door to possibility of an extension.”

The United Nations has called repeated-ly for a cease� re after weeks of � ghting that have killed more than 1,400 people, many of them civilians.

Even before the latest exodus of civilians from Saada, the UN estimated that at least 300,000 had been displaced by the con� ict.

More than 800 families took refuge in neighbouring Amran province on Friday, wit-nesses said. Scores more � ed to the capital. l

This undated picture released yesterday from North Korea’s o� cial Korean Central News Agency shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un smiling while observing an underwater test-� re of a submarine-launched ballistic missile at an undisclosed location at sea AFP / KCNA VIA KNS

WORLD10DT


Forty years after the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War, Reuters photographer Damir Sagolj travelled through Vietnam to meet the people a� ected, four decades on.

Selections from a picture story published by Reuters on April 23 capture the lingering e� ects of Agent Orange and the severe mental and physical disabilities that people in Vietnam still endure.

Respiratory cancer and birth defects amongst both Vietnamese and US veterans have been linked to exposure to the defoliant. The US military sprayed millions of gallons of Agent Orange onto Vietnam's jungles during the con� ict to expose northern communist troops.

Diplomats: Inspectors � nd undeclared sarin and VX traces in Syrian Reuters

International inspectors have found traces of sarin and VX nerve agent at a military re-search site in Syria that had not been declared to the global chemical weapons watchdog, diplomatic sources said on Friday.

Samples taken by experts from the Or-ganisation for the Prohibition and Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in December and January tested positive for chemical precursors need-ed to make the toxic agents, the sources told Reuters on the condition of anonymity be-cause the information is con� dential.

“This is a pretty strong indication they have been lying about what they did with sa-rin,” one diplomatic source said. “They have so far been unable to give a satisfactory expla-nation about this � nding.”

In 2013, the United States threatened military intervention against Syria’s gov-ernment after sarin gas attacks in August of that year killed hundreds of residents in Gh-outa, a rebel-controlled suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus.

But the Damascus government forestalled foreign intervention by agreeing to a US- and Russian-brokered deal under which it joined the OPCW, admitting to having a chemicals weap-ons program and promising to eliminate it.

The government of President Bashar al-As-sad last year handed over 1,300 tonnes of chemical arms to a joint UN-OPCW mission for destruction. But Damascus has denied using sarin or any chemical weapons in battle

during Syria’s continuing civil war.The diplomatic sources said the sarin and

VX nerve samples were taken from the Sci-enti� c Studies and Research Centre, a gov-ernment agency where Western intelligence agencies say Syria developed biological and chemical weapons.

Asked about the diplomats’ account, OPCW spokesman Peter Sawczak said: “Ob-viously we are working to clarify Syria’s dec-laration. I cannot discuss any details of that process, but in due course the assessment team will issue a report.”

Chlorine gas attacksAn OPCW fact-� nding mission has been in-vestigating allegations of dozens of recent chlorine gas attacks in Syrian villages but is being refused access to the sites by the Assad government, the diplomatic sources said.

The � nding of VX and sarin supports as-sertions by Western governments that Assad withheld some of his stockpile, or did not disclose the full extent of Syria’s chemical ca-pability or arsenal to the OPCW, according to diplomats and analysts.

OPCW inspectors have been to Syria eight times to verify the accuracy of the details of the chemical weapons program provided in an initial report, but keep returning with more questions than answers, the diplomats said.

Under the deal with Washington and Mos-cow, Syria agreed to permanently and com-pletely destroy its chemical weapons pro-gram and cannot use poison gas in warfare.

But the OPCW, which is not mandated to assign blame, said chlorine has been used “systematically and repeatedly” as a weapon in Syria after Damascus handed over its de-clared toxic stockpile.

Syria has begun destroying a dozen chem-ical weapons production and storage sites, but also last year added several new facilities it had not initially disclosed to the OPCW.

The United States wants a team of United Nations investigators to determine who is to blame for the more recent chlorine attacks in a bid to pave the way for UN Security Council action against those responsible.

“We believe - and it’s clear that many Council members agree - that we have got to have a means of establishing who is carrying out these chlorine attacks,” Samantha Pow-er, the US ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters on Friday.

“We hope that we can make progress on a resolution to ensure that there is a mechanism that will not only establish chlorine use, but establish who carried out that use,” she said.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a British ex-pert on biological and chemical weapons, said Syrian government forces appeared to be the only party that could have carried out the Aug. 21, 2013 sarin attacks in Ghouta because they were mounted on a large scale and pro-fessionally executed.

“This unequivocally proves there was sa-rin in Syria. If the OPCW possesses this evi-dence, it is absolutely another nail in this cof-� n,” he said. l

WHO declares Liberia Ebola-freen AP, Monrovia

Liberia is now free of Ebola after going 42 days — twice the maximum incubation period for the deadly disease — without any new cases, the World Health Organisation announced yesterday.

While celebrating the milestone, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf yesterday told The Asso-ciated Press the damage wrought by the worst Ebola outbreak in history was “a scar on the conscience of the world.”

For some survivors, she said: “The pain and grief will take a generation to heal.”

Meanwhile, new cases were reported this week in neighboring Sierra Leone and in Guinea, the other two countries hit hardest by Ebola.

For this reason, o� cials said they are cau-tious about openly celebrating the end of Eb-ola in Liberia, as the continued presence of the disease in the region means just one sick patient slipping over the border into Liberia could spark a resurgence of cases.

Sirleaf said she was con� dent her country was now prepared “to deal quickly with any new cases should they emerge.”

Sirleaf, accompanied by US Ambassa-dor Deborah Mala, yesterday toured health centers in Monrovia, embracing and tak-ing group photos with doctors and nurs-es. Nearly 200 health workers died � ghting Ebola in Liberia.

In a statement given to AP earlier yester-day morning at her Monrovia home, Sirleaf la mented the damage done to her country, which was only about a decade removed from a devastating civil con� ict when the outbreak struck. l

Savage mist

EDITORIALSUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015

We are pleased to see Telenor Digital, the majority owner of the country’s largest mobile operator, sign an agreement with the government’s Access to Information program to increase connectivty and make

Internet services more accessible in di� cult to reach areas.The new partnership provides welcome

support for plans to make the goal of a Digital Bangladesh a living reality for more people.

It follows reports last week that average daily money transactions through mobile � -nancial services reached a new record of over Tk400cr in March. The fast take up of mobile banking services is doing a huge amount to improve � nancial inclusion across the whole country.

Cheap IT technologies are bringing new bene� ts to people in more remote areas and by allowing small amounts to be transferred easily, proving invalubale to poorer people who would otherwise be excluded from accessing � nancial services.

Digital inclusion is vital not just to provide more societal and educational bene� ts by making Internet services more accessible and a� ordable, but to help grow the economy,

There is huge potential for ICT to create and support many new higher value jobs by encouraging start-ups and new outsourcing opportunities.

The government should support the growing collaboration seen between entrepreneurs and the ICT sector at this week’s Bangladesh Digital Investment Summit by ensuring the regulatory and taxation environment maximises new investment to improve infrastructure and skills training.

Everyone stands to bene� t from better IT services which improve services and help entrepreneurs.

Ensure the regulatory environment maximises investment in infrastructure and skills

Enhance digital investment to drive growth

Be heardWrite to Dhaka Tribune

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

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

www.dhakatribune.comJoin our Facebook community:

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Be heardWrite to Dhaka Tribune

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

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

www.dhakatribune.comJoin our Facebook community:

https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

The nation won’t stand for assaults on womenApril 18

Ma� Islam The miscreants also took advantage oft he grotty sound of vuvuzelas. Selling or using of vuvuzelas should be prohibited in Bangladesh.

rose It certainly proves that people in our society really need to learn to respect women and the miscreants really need to be caught.

Rajeeb Before saving the nation, how about saving our families � rst? Our homes are the � rst place where violence against women begin, � ourish, and sustain. We are outraged to see this unfold on the streets, but little do we care when our mothers, sisters, or wives suf-fer similarly at homes. We should talk about domestic violence, marital rape, and sexual harassment in our homes. Only then will our boys learn to respect women and not take their “manhood” for granted.

Dev Saha Whoever committed the crime needs to be

put on the spot and prosecuted for such primitive behaviour. These are sexual pred-ators and nobody needs them on Bangla-desh’s streets.

sundar Yes, their main objective was to discourage females to attend this sort of celebration. It is mere tall talk that the “nation will not stand.” Those days have passed. Otherwise, how can a few demoralised goons dare to do it in the presence of thousands of youths (of the digital variety). Other than one boy, Liton Nandi, with a few of his friends none were found to protest or � ght the hoodlums. What the student league activists were doing there. Possibly � nding no prospect of mone-tary bene� ts, they didn’t feel the interest to interfere. Only thing that this nation will not stand for is non-pro� t service.

Guest Umm ... why are fundamentalists being blamed for something which some mem-bers of Chhatra League are guilty of and this is proven by video evidence?

forgetmenot! Guest: Are you kidding me? You must be a member of the anti-liberation force! You fundamentalist! Shame on you! Chhatra League is a prestigious institution! A pillar of our nation! For shame!

Ahad Chowdhury Guest: This is not the mark of a civilised coun-try. On every front we come out as shameless, greedy, and borderline barbaric. This is the result of the tolerance of unruly behaviour by the so-called student politicians, goons, and thugs of all kind. Religion and politics don’t give you right to take away people’s civil rights. Women with their children were attacked.

DTAttacking Tulip is

counterproductiveApril 19

Somers Town Boy Not counterproductive, just plain wrong. It

is nonsense to transfer dislike of someone’s aunt -- and one from a wholly di� erent

country and context to the London idyll of Hampstead -- onto the shoulders of a young

woman. Dislike AL by all means, but it has no bearing on UK politics - whose establish-ment is so polluted by foreign oligarchs that one more wouldn’t make a di� erence, even

if -- and all the evidence suggest it isn’t -- it was fair to apply that to a Camden councillor.

Bangladesh’s secularism under threatApril 17Dev Saha It all depends on what the people want for this country. If people think religious ideals would solve the country’s monumental prob-lems, they are basically chasing a mirage.

rose Yes indeed, Bangladesh should remain a secular state instead of turning towards religious extremism, not to mention the miscreants who kill bloggers should be given harder punishments.

We congratulate the three British-Bangladeshi women who secured election to the UK parliament in Thursday’s general election.

Even though they are British citizens, it is right that Bangladeshis should take an interest in celebrating their success. The long-shared history and close ties of our nations places a natural spotlight on the achievements and progress of the British-Bangladeshi community.

The milestone of seeing Rupa Huq and Tulip Siddiq succeed in smashing stereotypes and join the well-established parliamentarian Rushanara Ali in the House of Commons is certainly noteworthy. Of the three, Rupa Huq stands out for winning a rare success on the night for the Labour Party by actually taking a seat from the victorious Conservative Party rather than holding an existing one.

While all three share a common national heritage, party a� liation and years of hard work in grassroots politics, the trio are as diverse in their family backgrounds as the three very di� erent London constitu-encies which they now represent.

It must be hoped that parts of the British media which relish in nurturing stereotypes and creating panic about British Muslims travelling abroad to join jihadists, will sit up and take note of the success story for integration represent-ed by these three women MPs.

We wish all three more success in their careers ahead. In a globalised world with more and more people of Bangladeshi heritage

working abroad, it is only right that we should all welcome and hope to see more such success stories.

A diaspora milestone to celebrate

We hope to see others emulate the success of these three British Bangladeshi women

11D

T

OPINION12DT


n Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

Dear Maa,Whether or not your children

remember you today, the corporations won’t forget you.

Expect to be bombarded with packaged spa deals, customised restaurant meals, discounts, and special o� ers wherever you go (conditions apply, naturally).

The media won’t forget you. There will be talk shows, concerts, interviews, and, of course, ads. Or maybe your kids will remember, and your smiling face will take pride of place on their Facebook pro� les for 24 whole hours, while they shout out to the world how much they love you.

And why shouldn’t they? Yours is, without a shred of doubt or ounce of irony, one of the hardest jobs in the world. No downtime, no vacations, no bene� ts -- you have been on call, round the clock, since before your kids were born.

The sacri� ces you make cannot be denied. And after your invaluable contributions towards your family, and to society as a whole, the very least you deserve is a little celebration of you.

And so, today, the card companies will wish you, the RJ on the radio will wish you,

and the magazines will wish you a Happy Mother’s Day. And along with their wishes, I have a few of my own.

I wish you con� dence in your self-image, and comfort in your own skin. After all, your daughters watch and learn from you. Even before they discover beauty magazines and Disney princesses, they take their cue from you.

So, when you are fretting about your weight or complexion, they absorb your insecurities and develop their own. This is not to say that grooming and � tness aren’t important -- of course you want your children to be healthy and presentable where it counts.

But let your daughters learn that they are so much more than the shade of their skin and the breadth of their hips. May your sons also learn from this, and not treat the other women in their lives as pretty little trinkets, but as people.

I wish you the courage to speak out and demand more for yourself and to allow your children to do the same. Maybe you chose

to stay at home to take care of your family. Maybe you chose to carve out your own career.

All parents have hopes and dreams for their children, but children have aspirations of their own that deserve to be

honoured. May your sons never be forced to give up subjects they have a passion for in favour of “safe” degrees that guarantee them a job.

May your daughters never have to choose between careers and marriage -- the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

I wish you keep an open mind that doesn’t judge the children of others. Maybe your neighbour’s unmarried daughter is coming home late because she really does have to stay at work late. Maybe that boy accompanying her to the door really is ensuring that she gets home safe.

Above all, Maa, I wish you strength, because whenever your sons get caught in the act of perpetrating such atrocities as they did during the Boi Mela or Pohela Boishakh, someone else’s son swears similar retribution on you and your daughters.

You’re the one who taught us our � rst words, held our hands as we took our � rst steps, and helped shaped our values. If things are to change, as they must, if you want your children to be safe and happy and upstanding human beings, the change must begin with you. Happy Mother’s Day. l

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad is Features Editor, Dhaka Tribune.

An open letter to Maa

May your daughters never have to choose between careers and marriage -- the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive

BIGSTOCK

OPINION 13D


n Zareen Mahmud Hosein

My grandmother was a wom-an who never aged in spirit. Shamsun Nahar Rahman (Paran), passed away on February 18, 2015

at the age of 75. She was married at 13, and gave birth to � ve children soon thereafter.

She completed her bachelor’s while raising her children. In her mid-30s, Paran Rahman founded Ghashful, the � rst registered NGO in Chittagong to provide healthcare assis-tance in a war-torn and newly independent Bangladesh.

Over the greater part of the next four decades, Ghashful expanded its operations to six districts through 37 branches, to provide services in healthcare, education, and micro-credit, reaching several hundred thousand bene� ciaries.

Paran Rahman was unconventional in her interaction with her grandchildren as well. She was furious when my cousin decided to enroll in culinary classes during the break after her SSC exam.

She did not want her grand-daughter to be trapped in the stereotypical virtues of young women. The � rst piece of advice I received as a teenager from my grandmother, a pio-neer healthcare activist in the country, was regarding the use of “contraception” even before I had a complete grasp of its meaning.

Needless to say, I was morti� ed to receive such advice from her at that age.

She had breast cancer in the late 90s and received treatment while continuing her work at Ghashful. During those years, I would travel to Chittagong to see her and visit the slums where she worked.

Everyone called her Paran Apa. She knew the single mothers, the wives, and the widows of the slums. She knew the husbands and their vices and, if necessary, kept them in check. She would always advise expecting and nursing mothers on receiving nutrition from economical sources. She would always

advise the occasional rickshaw-puller on his way to work to stay hydrated.

In the last 15 years, my grandmother became involved with a primary school in Chittagong where she acted as the honorary principal. She was shameless in seeking support for the school from her family and friends.

When she travelled abroad, she took brochures of her school to distribute to anyone who would take an interest. When she was happy, she hummed the tunes her pupils had learnt in school. During Ramadan, her demands on our zakat were endearingly endless: Uniforms for her school children, money to build new cabinets at the school, a new paint job.

Paran Rahman worked relentlessly for state recognitionof the war heroines (biran-gona) from Chittagong and her native Comil-la. However, she was not fond of the term birangona and preferred to address them as freedom � ghters.

This was her attempt to transform their image of being victims of the war to that of active seekers of independence. This year, as a result of her initiatives, the government of Bangladesh recognised A� ya Khatun Khanjani from Chouddagram to provide state support.

Paran Rahman became involved with elderly rights and rehabilitation in her later

years. As I was living abroad, she would invariably ask me to � nd elderly women who she could live with.

To me and to my family, this idea sound-ed outrageous. However, her wish does not seem as shocking anymore. She was a widow in her 70s, and it might have been great to have the company of new friends who were similar in age.

Once when I called her, she was writing a piece for a local newspaper about her own mother and role model who died of cancer in her 30s. That is when I understood how role models come into being.

Paran Rahman’s role model was a mother who was enlightened even though she lived in a village. She used vegetable dyes on clothes and created artwork with the teeth of � sh.

She knew about herbal medicines and read books on Ayurveda. She sang in the af-ternoons and gathered the village women to read to them. That’s when I realised each of us passes on a little bit of our knowledge and aspirations to those we love unconditionally. Each of us becomes a role model to those we love unconditionally. l

Zareen Mahmud Hosein is a partner at Snehasish Mahmud & Co. Chartered Accountants and a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh.

Tribute to an unconventional grandmother

Each of us passes on a little bit of our knowledge and aspirations to those we love unconditionally. Each of us becomes a role model

Paran Rahman broke the stereotypes of her time

OPINION14DT


n Towheed Feroze

If anyone is looking for punchy titles to describe the twists of the just concluded UK elections, there won’t be any dearth of material. Okay, here’s a teaser: Nick’s

road clogged, bagpipers bag it all, Ed’s mill is banned, furlough for Farage, and, ultimately, Cameron’s cadence continues.

The much-hyped election is over, leaving a lot of people in and outside of the UK and, here in Bangladesh, a bit stunned. A hung parliament had been the talking point all the week prior to the polls and even on elec-tion-day morning, at the informal gathering held at the British High Commission in Dhaka, the current high commissioner, Robert Gib-son, gave detailed answers to questions posed by eager journalists on several dimensions of a possible hung parliament in the UK.

But the high commissioner also elaborated on a procedure, based on which an almost accurate reading of how things would turn out in a few hours could be formed. And, according to that, it appeared a wave of blue of the Conservative Party would soon over-whelm the red of Labour.

Interestingly, early in the morning, the tallies shown on BBC still indicated a strong Labour run; of course that all changed when almost the whole of Scotland decided to unite under the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP).

The UK elections matters a lot for us, espe-cially since we are one of the largest opera-tions of her overseas development initiatives. Not that much has changed with the shu� ing of governments but since a large Brit-ish-Bangladeshi community is a � rm chunk of the multicultural format of the UK, what happens there does have resonance here.

Also, we now have Tulip Siddiq, related to the prime minister of Bangladesh, as an elected MP in the British Parliament. Despite being a Labour candidate, her victory creates an extra platform from which the issues facing the British-Bangladeshis can get wider recognition.

During the election hustings, Tulip gave several interviews and underlined in each one of them the need for better schools, more National Health Service spending, and an increase in the number of homes for people in her area.

Interestingly, the Conservative Party man-ifesto also promises upgrades in these three areas: 2 million jobs, £8bn in NHS spending, and better primary education.

Perhaps I am not wrong in stating that in a post-recession climate with most European

economies beleaguered, both the Labour and the Conservatives picked up the common areas of public grievances.

Going back to the pre-election debate, to be honest, not a single candidate looked fully convincing in their arguments. In fact, the general sense of disgruntlement among the masses became clear when both Cameron and Ed were asked straightforward no-non-sense questions; some also hinted at the dis-ingenuous use of language by the politicians to dupe them.

An unveiled feeling of malaise could be noticed. The only diversion was the birth of the royal daughter which, for a period, took o� the focus from the simmering sense of unease on the streets.

With such an overt show of dissatisfaction, it was a given that no one

would win it outright. But, it now seems, the Conservatives won’t have to go for coalition at all.

The message here is unequivocal: People are wary of a sudden turning in politics at this point when the UK economy is still on rather volatile waters. It’s certainly not imploding but voters possibly didn’t want to take a risk with so much fragility all around.

They do say that, in politics, to show a lasting charisma requires time. Five years is not enough!

This line possibly works in all cases -- developed and developing. The only problem is, in developing nations, tight grip on power for too long provides a fertile ground for autocratic tendencies.

With the � ag of euphoria in the Conserv-ative quarter, a memory from a distant past -- mid-90s to be speci� c -- comes to mind.

As Tony Blair was painting the whole of UK red, one distinct observation made by a journalist comes back: Just look at him, whatever he does is lauded, he just can’t seem to do anything wrong.

Needless to say, that feeling of invincibil-ity is overpowering (read: Deadly) if allowed to rise unchecked. Blair the bold would soon turn into Blair the bu� oon within a few years.

For Bangladeshis, it is not about Labour or Conservative per se, but a chance to see Bangladeshis in the UK break out from a social glass-ceiling and reach the policy-

making level.Maybe Rushnara Ali, Rupa Huq, or Tulip

Siddiq won’t be able to directly in� uence Britain’s social plus foreign policy-related directives but they can, as a united force, create a formidable position for the minority of South Asian people.

To admit a dark fact, an insidious wind of Islamophobia is blowing over Europe which, left unaddressed, is bound to create a stark social polarisation everywhere, especially in Britain.

As the link between the UK and Bang-ladesh reaches up to a level where the two societies, leaving out politics, have common factors in the diaspora, the election of candi-dates of Bangladeshi background opens up a � eld to work on critical topics like radicalisa-tion, non-integration, and the silent spread of parochial outlooks.

Time will say how things shape up so, for the time being, we here in Bangladesh can applaud the success of British-Bangladeshis in the UK polls.

To end, here’s a famous line from an 80s British TV comedy Yes Prime Minister where the lead actor, Paul Eddington, as PM James Hacker, asks a rhetorical question with trepi-dation: “Have I done alright?”

Well, Cameron now knows the answer … l

Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently working in the development sector.

In number 10 again

For Bangladeshis, it is not about Labour or Conservative per se, but a chance to see Bangladeshis in the UK break out from a social glass-ceiling

REUTERS

15D

TBusiness SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015

IMF: China FX policy should continue to allow more � exibility

17BSEC step brings market back to gear past week

19Obama to Democrats on Asia trade pact: like Nike, ‘just do it’

16ILO extends RMG factory assessment timeline till July 31

20

Pay review committee mum about banks’ separate pay scale n Asif Showkat Kallol

The pay commission review committee has refrained from giving any advice regarding separate pay scales for banking and education sectors, o� cial sources said.

The � nal meeting of the committee was held on Thursday last week at the Cabinet Division’s o� ce with Cabinet Secretary M Mushara� Hossain Bhuiyan in the chair.

However, the committee advised reduc-ing the highest salary for public servants to Tk80,000 from the proposed Tk1 lakh and the lowest salary Tk8,250 from the proposed Tk8,200.

The review committee report will be placed at the regular cabinet meeting tomorrow.

O� cials concerned said the committee wanted to reduce an average of 7% from the salaries recommended.

However, the committee has given its con-sent to the recommended basic salaries and an annual 5% increment, e� ective from the � rst day of next � nancial year.

An amount of Tk15,000 crore would be earmarked in the � scal year to implement the pay commission’s recommendations, Finance Division sources said.

The meeting also decided that the PRL (post-retirement leave) system would con-tinue, not the LPR (leave prior to retirement) system.

Meanwhile, Finance Division sources said the government wanted to introduce a sepa-rate pay scale for Bangladesh Bank and state-owned banks, but to stop other facilities in-cluding the low-interest loan.

As the central bank did not agree with the government’s decision, the process of sepa-rate pay scale for Bangladesh Bank and state banks was stopped despite Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s approval, said o� cials.

The 8th National Pay and Service Commis-sion expressed strong reservation about the long-standing demand of separate pay scale for state-owned commercial banks because of their dismal performance along with huge yearly loss linked with a series of loan scams. l

Muhith suggests payroll income tax reform n Tribune Report

Finance minister AMA Muhith yesterday hint-ed that attention would be given on payroll income tax reform in the face of dismal reve-nue earnings from the area.

“Idea of payroll tax issue is very impres-sive. I must honestly admit that this is an area that I did not realise before. It is totally ne-glected,” he said.

Muhith said Bangladesh payroll tax sce-nario against other countries is very poor. “It needs to be looked at.”

The payroll tax issue, which caught the � nance minister’s attention, was raised by a keynote paper on Public Resource Mobilisa-tion Strategy.

Policy Research Institute executive direc-tor Ahsan H Mansur presented the paper at a seminar on “Fiscal Policy for 2015-16 Budget in the Context of the Seventh Plan.”

PRI organised the event at its o� ce. Payroll taxes are taxes imposed on employ-

ers or employees, and are usually calculated as a percentage of the salaries that employers pay their sta� .

Payroll taxes generally fall into two catego-ries: deductions from an employee’s wages, and taxes paid by the employer based on the employee’s wages.

Mansur’s keynote paper compared payroll tax scenario of Bangladesh with two countries –United Kingdom and Australia.

In the � scal year 2012, income from payroll

tax of Bangladesh was only 2% but in the UK and Australia, it was 87.6% and 62.7% during the period.

Finance minister also hinted that income tax rate on the RMG and knit exporters would be higher in the next � scal year. “I wanted it to go up 1% and accordingly it had edged up 0.8%.”

“It reduced to 0.3% due to political turmoil in FY2014. But this time I want to go back,” � -nance minister said.

PRI suggested this rate on the export pro-ceeds should be at least the original level of 0.8%.

Out of 160m people of the country, only 1.1m pay income tax. “This is unbelievable! it’s a dam shame. There should be minimum tax for everybody,” he said.

About tobacco tax, the keynote paper said the market share of the low segment cheap cigarettes has increased to 63% in last six years from 36% in FY2008, leading to a huge loss of revenue and volume of such segment cigarettes expanded at more than 26% a year at the expense of medium segment.

Muhith said, “I have already given it to the NBR. In fact, tobacco has been identi� ed as a special issue to look at.”

However, he said despite rigorous anti- to-bacco campaign worldwide, use of tobacco has not been diminished.

About mobile taxation, he said existing mobile taxation policy is not very good.

On loss-making state-owned enterprises,

� nance minister said it is politically di� cult to get rid of them.

“There might be policy guideline about the use of land under the SoEs. Privatisation Commission carried out a survey on the un-used land of SoEs, which is a good work at the end of its demise.”

Strongly criticising closing down the coun-try’s � rst and the largest 52-year-old state-owned Adamjee Jute Mills to cut the stagger-ing losses through golden hand shake in 2002 by the then BNP-led government, Muhith said that was not a good solution. Many golden handshake people was back to the same insti-tution after change of the government, he said.

On merger and acquisition issue, he said no � rms get bankruptcy in Bangladesh, so there was no use of making rules on this. “But there should be liquidation process guideline.”

A galaxy of experts and an-alysts also attended the semi-nar.

They came up with various suggestions for the govern-ment on di� erent issues, in-cluding making diversi� cation of export policy, � xing dif-ferent VAT slabs for di� erent sectors, controlling the use of hazardous chemical, the gov-ernment expenditure, priori-ty-wise infrastructural devel-opment and human resource development. l

Finance Minister AMA Muhith at a seminar on � scal policy for the 2015-16 � scal year in Dhaka yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

BUSINESS16DT


CORPORATE NEWS

Dhaka Export Processing Zone and Fire Service & Civil Defence have recently held a workshop on building awareness of earthquake and � re safety of workers in Dhaka EPZ. Md Ahsan Kabir, general manager of Dhaka EPZ inaugurated the workshop

BTCL starts providing 24/7 customer service

n Tribune Business Desk

Bangladesh Telecomm unications Company Limited (BTCL) has been o� ering its custom-ers the facility to contact System and Service Improvement (SSI) Cell for any kind of com-plains.

The service improvement cell has recent-ly been made reachable for 24 hours a day throughout entire week, said a press release.

Customers can reach service providers at phone numbers, 9320000, 9320111 and 9320222. l

Obama to Democrats on Asia trade pact: like Nike, ‘just do it’ n Reuters, Beaverton

President Barack Obama, co-opting Nike Inc’s famous slogan, told Democrats on Friday to “just do it” and support a trade deal with Asian countries that the shoe company said would help it create up to 10,000 US jobs over 10 years.

The setting - Nike’s headquarters in Bea-verton, Oregon - was an unusual one for a presidential trade pitch.

Nike has long faced criticism for using Asian sweat shops to produce its pricey foot-wear. But the company has worked to im-prove conditions overseas and said on Friday it would also boost investment in US manu-facturing if the 12-nation Trans Paci� c Part-nership (TPP) pact is approved.

Obama used that promise of new jobs to try to convince skeptical lawmakers from his own party to support TPP and join Republi-cans in granting him “fast-track” authority to � nalize the deal.

Many Democrats are concerned the pro-posed pact would help companies move oper-ations to cheaper o� shore facilities.

“On trade, I actually think some of my dearest friends are wrong. They’re just wrong,” Obama said at Nike headquarters. “If we don’t write the rules for trade around the world, guess what: China will.”

He added, “Just do it, everybody.”

Shoes from vietnam Before the trip, White House aides had been coy about why Obama chose such a contro-versial backdrop for his speech. An adminis-tration o� cial said Nike had approached the White House about the trade deal and that led to Obama’s appearance there.

Labor and environmental groups protest-ed Obama’s appearance at Nike and said the company’s job-creating claims were vague.

Nike has 26,000 US employees, but it counts on more than 1 million workers in con-tract factories worldwide to make its shoes, some of which sell for hundreds of dollars. A third of those factories are in Vietnam, a TPP participant.

Almost all footwear sold in the United States is made overseas and is subject to im-port tari� s that average 25 percent to 35%,

according to the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, a shoe dealer’s group.

For shoes imported from TPP countries, notably Vietnam, US � rms paid $400 million in tari� s in 2014, the group said.

Nike said relief from “antiquated” foot-wear tari� s in the TPP deal would allow it to invest more money at home. In addition to 10,000 U.S. manufacturing and engineering jobs, it promised as many as 40,000 addition-al jobs would pop up in its domestic supply chain if an agreement were reached.

“Free trade opens doors. It removes bar-riers. It creates jobs,” Nike Chief Executive Mark Parker told the crowd ahead of Obama’s speech in Beaverton, seven miles from Port-land.

When asked, Nike o� ered few details on, for instance, whether it would build new plants, how soon new jobs could come on line, how much money workers might be paid, or what kind of shoes could be produced in the United States.

A Nike spokesman said in an email that it was “too early for us to say speci� cally where we will invest, but it will be a signi� cant in-vestment over the next decade.”

The White House declined to provide addi-tional details, referring questions to Nike.

More lobbying expense in the past two years, Nike has ramped up its lobbying e� orts as debate over the trade trea-ty has intensi� ed.

The company nearly tripled its lobbying spending to more than $1.1m in 2014 from $400,000 in 2012, according to data collect-ed by the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington campaign � nance and lobbying research group.

Nike multibillionaire co-founder Philip Knight is Oregon’s richest person and leans Republican, though he has donated money over the years to both parties, including more than $85,000 to Republican congressional committees in 2013 and 2014, according to federal records analyzed by the center.

Knight has also given money to Democrat-ic Senator Ron Wyden, a key supporter along with Republicans of giving Obama “fast-track” authority to negotiate the TPP deal.

Under the deal’s terms, Obama said Vietnam is one country that would be forced to improve its labor standards, set a minimum wage, and protect workers’ rights to unionize.

“It would be good for the workers in Viet-nam even as it helps make sure that they’re not undercutting competition here in the United States,” he said. l

US President Barack Obama waves as he arrives to deliver remarks on trade at Nike’s corporate headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon REUTERS

Google adds food-ordering feature to mobile search n AFP, San Francisco

Google on Friday added a feature that lets people in the US order food directly from mo-bile searches for local restaurants.

The move came as the Internet titan maneuvers to stay in tune with the trend of smartphones being used to seek out local ven-ues and weave itself into online commerce.

“Whether you’re craving deep dish piz-za or pad thai, starting today you can order food from some of your favorite restaurants directly from Google search results,” the Cali-fornia-based � rm said in a post on its Google+ social network page.

Search queries for nearby restaurants will be served up with an option to “place an order.”

Tapping the option icon will let people place food orders with Seamless, Grubhub, Eat24, BeyondMenu, Delivery.com or MyPiz-za.com, according to Google, which is working to expand the number of delivery providers. l

Fitch, Moody’s say India ratings not hit by foreign out� ows n Reuters, Mumbai

India’s credit rating is likely to withstand a surge in the sales of shares and bonds by over-seas investors triggered by a growing tax row, rating agencies Moody’s and Fitch told Reu-ters on Thursday.

“India’s external balances are strong rel-ative to peers on some accounts, and can withstand the current out� ows, for instance due to the high level of foreign-exchange reserves,” Thomas Rookmaaker, director at Fitch’s Asia-Paci� c Sovereign Group, wrote in an email to Reuters.

Fitch a� rmed its “BBB-minus” and “sta-ble” outlook on India last month.

Overseas funds chalked up their biggest single-day sales of Indian shares and bonds in a year and a half on Wednesday, fuelling con-cern Asia’s third-largest economy will drive o� foreign investors with its minimum alter-nate tax (MAT).

On Thursday, the government set up a pan-el to suggest ways to resolve the MAT dispute as well as some other tax issues.

Meanwhile, Moody’s, which revised In-dia’s “Baa3” sovereign rating outlook to “pos-itive” from “stable” last month, said its view re� ects a 2-5 year horizon, rather than near-term growth, where the impact of out� ows might be felt.

“If reforms are implemented as planned, that would be quite positive,” Moody’s sover-eign rating analyst Atsi Sheth told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Indian stocks are now the worst performers in Asia in the year to date, in terms of local cur-rency, driven by concerns over tax policy, a de-lay on a key land bill and global risk aversion.

Moody’s said uncertainty about the tax policy was “negative” for investor sentiment, but markets were recognising that pace of re-forms in India was “slow and uneven”.

“I think this particular issue has detracted from the reform e� orts from a sentiment per-spective. However, the reform e� ort is much broader than this issue alone,” Sheth said. l

BUSINESS 17D


IMF: China FX policy should continue to allow more � exibility n Reuters, Singapore

China should allow greater � exibility in its ex-change rate policy by reducing intervention, as part of its e� orts to secure a gradual moder-ation in growth while pursuing economic re-forms, the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday.

“To help deliver durable and balanced growth, China needs reforms that reorient the economy away from excessive reliance on real estate, heavy industry, and external de-mand,” the IMF said in its regional economic outlook for Asia and the Paci� c.

Implementation of China’s third plenum reform blueprint of 2013, including steps to facilitate corporate deleveraging, strengthen local government � nancial discipline and re-forms to state-owned enterprises, is vital for sustainable growth, the IMF said.

As such reforms are fully implemented, China’s growth is expected to moderate to 6% by 2017 and then stabilise around there, it said.

In order to achieve a gradual moderation in growth while pursuing reforms, “� scal stim-ulus should be the � rst line of defence, with an emphasis on measures to support private

consumption,” the IMF said, adding that any further monetary easing in China should be data dependent.

As the economy cools, China’s central bank has delivered two interest rate cuts since November, on top of two reductions in the amount of money banks must keep in reserve, and repeated attempts to reduce � -nancing costs.

“Exchange rate policy should continue to allow greater � exibility by reducing foreign exchange intervention,” the IMF added.

On Japan, the IMF said an aggressive pol-icy response would be key to achieving “es-cape velocity” for the Japanese economy.

“Further enhancements to the Bank of Ja-pan’s monetary stimulus may be warranted, particularly to the ‘qualitative’ part of mon-etary easing, if necessary to achieve the 2% price stability target,” it said.

The BOJ last week pushed back the time-frame for hitting its in� ation target but re-frained from expanding its already massive stimulus programme, clinging to its convic-tion that a steady economic recovery will gradually nudge up prices.

The IMF said the BOJ could take steps such as lengthening the maturity of Japa-

nese government bonds it buys, and could also strengthen its forward guidance by com-mitting to maintaining the size of its balance sheet even after exiting its quantitative easing.

“The central bank could consider acceler-ating qualitative and quantitative easing if the drop in oil prices a� ects core in� ation or longer-term in� ation expectations,” the IMF added.

While Japan’s decision to postpone a sec-ond increase in the consumption tax to April 2017 was “appropriate” given the uncertain growth outlook, a credible strategy for medi-um-term � scal consolidation is needed, the IMF said.

The IMF also noted that India’s economy has made a remarkable turnaround since mid-2013.

India’s central bank should “maintain its tight monetary policy stance” the IMF said, adding that elevated in� ation expectations and the possibility of supply-side shocks will continue to challenge the achievement of In-dia’s medium-term in� ation target.

The Reserve Bank of India kept interest rates on hold at 7.50% at its policy review in early April, after having cut interest rates twice this year by a total 50 basis points to bol-ster the economy. But it is widely expected to cut rates again before the end of June. l

China’s Premier Li Keqiang meets with International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde during the China Development Forum inside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing REUTERS

China consumer in� ation rises subdued 1.5% in April n AFP, Beijing

Consumer in� ation in China rose to 1.5% in April, authorities said yesterday , but came in below market forecasts and analysts called for more action to avoid de� ation in the world’s second-largest economy.

The rise in the consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of in� ation, released by the Na-tional Bureau of Statistics (NBS) was the high-est since December, and a slight increase on March’s 1.4%.

But it came in lower than the median pre-diction of 1.6% in a survey of 39 analysts by Bloomberg News.

“April CPI in� ation remained subdued,” Japanese � nancial � rm Nomura said in a re-search note, which added there was no in� a-tionary pressure in the near term.

“CPI in� ation at these levels means there is ample room for monetary policy easing.”

Moderate in� ation can be a boon to con-sumption as it encourages consumers to buy before prices go up, while falling prices encourage shoppers to delay purchases and companies to put o� investment, both of which can hurt growth.

Concerns about the risk of de� ation in Chi-na have been on the rise especially after Janu-ary’s slump in consumer in� ation to 0.8%, the lowest since November 2009.

Separately, the producer price index (PPI) - a measure of costs for goods at the factory gate and a leading indicator of the trend for CPI - declined for the 38th consecutive month in April, the NBS said.

The 4.6 percent fall was the same as in March. PPI last rose more than three years ago.

It was also lower than market forecasts, with a Bloomberg News poll of 36 economists projecting a 4.5% drop.

Analysts called for Beijing to take strong-er monetary stimulus measures to address a broad growth slowdown in the Chinese econ-omy.

“As the de� ation risk has not yet dimin-ished, we believe that further monetary pol-icy easing is highly needed,” ANZ economists Liu Li-Gang and Zhou Hao said in a reaction, describing the in� ation � gures as “soft”.

They predicted the central People’s Bank of China (PBoC) will cut interest rates by 25 basis points during the current quarter.

Weakening momentum The PBoC has already cut interest rates twice since November and this year has twice re-duced the amount of cash banks must keep in reserve, as well as using other measures to inject liquidity into the market. l

Dollar rises as US jobs data leaves rate hike at bay n AFP, New York

The dollar edged up against the euro Friday after a solid US jobs report that seemed to discount the likelihood of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike in June.

The US economy added 223,000 jobs in April, bouncing back from a mere 85,000 in March, the Labor Department reported, roughly in line with the consensus estimate.

While the unemployment rate ticked down to 5.4% , a seven-year low, the details in the re-port showed only slight signs of a tightening labor market.

The Federal Reserve is particularly focused on the labor market’s strength in deciding when to raise the benchmark federal funds rate, pegged at the zero bound since late 2008 to support the recovery from the Great Reces-sion. The US central bank has indicated the

rate lifto� could come as early as June but the decision would be data-dependent.

“Even though forex traders were disap-pointed, the Federal Reserve has no reason to change their plans to raise rates in 2015 after today’s report. It wasn’t a great release but it wasn’t terrible either and we believe the data reinforces our view that lifto� will be Sep-tember,” said Kathy Lien of BK Asset Manage-ment.

The pound, meanwhile, advanced after the stunning upset election victory in Britain of Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conserv-atives.

“The Conservatives are seen as being more business friendly and more importantly, o� er continuity in a country that last year experi-enced the fastest rate of growth in the G7,” said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at fo-rex trader Oanda. l

BUSINESS18DT


SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

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

Bank 935.61 6.49 48.89 3.49 984.49 6.22NBFI 494.88 3.43 290.17 20.69 785.05 4.96Investment 82.64 0.57 3.54 0.25 86.18 0.54Engineering 1981.62 13.74 189.20 13.49 2170.82 13.72Food & Allied 395.73 2.74 19.07 1.36 414.80 2.62Fuel & Power 3522.50 24.43 323.75 23.09 3846.25 24.31Jute 4.59 0.03 0.00 0.00 4.59 0.03Textile 1014.54 7.04 98.89 7.05 1113.44 7.04Pharma & Chemical 3158.31 21.90 140.90 10.05 3299.22 20.85Paper & Packaging 32.00 0.22 3.26 0.23 35.25 0.22Service 496.73 3.44 42.43 3.03 539.17 3.41Leather 66.80 0.46 2.43 0.17 69.24 0.44Ceramic 277.01 1.92 21.28 1.52 298.29 1.89Cement 423.53 2.94 38.21 2.72 461.74 2.92Information Technology 221.12 1.53 14.72 1.05 235.84 1.49General Insurance 91.59 0.64 2.61 0.19 94.20 0.60Life Insurance 178.24 1.24 8.71 0.62 186.96 1.18Telecom 562.98 3.90 84.62 6.03 647.59 4.09Travel & Leisure 162.52 1.13 27.83 1.98 190.35 1.20Miscellaneous 305.02 2.12 41.68 2.97 346.70 2.19Debenture 11.12 0.08 0.04 0.00 11.16 0.07

Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to [email protected] or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

News, analysis and recent disclosuresAGM/DividendUNIQUEHRL: 20% cash divi-dend, GM: 25.06.2015, Record Date: 24.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 3.27, NAV per share of Tk. 87.74.WATACHEM: 5% cash and 25% stock dividend, AGM: 11.06.2015, Record Date: 14.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 5.79 and NAV per share of Tk. 97.32.CMCKAMAL: 12.50% stock div-idend, AGM: 31.05.2015, Record Date: 17.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 1.34, NAV per share of Tk. 19.62.ARAMITCEM: 10% cash divi-dend, AGM: 13.06.2015, Record Date: 13.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 0.51, NAV per share of Tk. 17.48.GOLDENSON: 12.50% cash div-idend, AGM: 27.06.2015, Record Date: 14.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 2.01, NAV per share of Tk. 27.09.GQBALLPEN: 10% cash divi-dend, AGM: 25.06.2015, Record Date: 14.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 2.41, NAV per share of Tk. 190.80.SUMITPOWER: 10% cash and 5% stock dividend, AGM: 28.06.2014, Record Date: 17.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 3.26, NAV per share of Tk. 26.43.SPPCL: 25% cash dividend, AGM: 28.06.2015. Record Date: 17.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 4.78, NAV per share of Tk. 29.48.TAKAFULINS: 12% stock divi-dend, AGM: 25.07.2015, Record Date: 21.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 1.40, NAV per share of Tk. 16.58.PRAGATIINS: 10% cash divi-dend, AGM: 25.06.2015, Record Date: 20.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 1.67, NAV per share of Tk. 50.34.PLFSL: 10% stock dividend, AGM: 25.06.2015, Record Date: 17.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 0.76, NAV per share of Tk. 17.52.

BSRMLTD: 10% cash dividend, AGM: 15.06.2015, Record Date: 13.05.2015. Basic EPS of Tk. 0.74 and Diluted EPS of Tk. 0.73, NAV per share of Tk. 54.95.ZAHEENSPIN: 15% stock divi-dend, AGM: 23.06.2015, Record Date: 21.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 1.36, NAV per share of Tk. 12.98.BAYLEASING: 15% cash divi-dend, AGM: 08.06.2015, Record Date: 13.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 1.06, NAV per share of Tk. 21.71.RENATA: 80% cash and 20% stock dividend, AGM: 20.06.2015, Record Date: 13.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 38.24, NAV per share of Tk. 181.04.PREMIERBAN: 10% stock divi-dend, EGM and AGM: 16.06.2015, Record Date: 14.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 1.55, NAV per share of Tk. 15.87.KAY&QUE: No dividend, AGM: 21.06.2015, Record Date: 24.05.2015. EPS of Tk. -0.66, NAV per share of Tk. 1.55.SAFKOSPINN: 10% stock divi-dend, AGM: 13.06.2015, Record Date: 18.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 1.16, NAV per share of Tk. 21.95.INTECH: 10% stock dividend, AGM: 24.06.2015, Record Date: 14.05.2015. NAV per share of Tk. 235.81 million, EPS of Tk. 1.03.ARAMIT: 50% cash dividend, AGM: 13.06.2015, Record Date: 13.05.2015. Basic EPS of Tk. 12.07, NAV per share of Tk. 140.32.CONFIDCEM: 25% cash divi-dend, AGM: 16.06.2015, Record Date: 17.05.2015. EPS of Tk. 5.32, NAV per share of Tk. 64.42. SAL-VOCHEM: 10% stock dividend, AGM: 27.07.2015, Record date: 29.06.2015. EPS of Tk. 1.13, NAV per share of Tk. 11.74.

CSE GAINER

Company Closing (% change)

Aver-age (%

change)

Closing average

Weekly closing

Weekly high

Weekly low

Turnover in million

Latest EPS

Latest PE

Standard Insurance-A 70.21 70.21 16.00 16.00 16.00 16.00 0.005 2.66 6.0In Tech Online -A 25.51 26.82 12.39 12.30 13.00 10.70 1.434 1.03 12.0AramitCementA 23.76 21.31 24.99 25.00 25.50 21.00 4.141 0.72 34.7FAR Chemical-N 22.74 20.96 33.82 34.00 34.90 26.50 13.775 3.23 10.5ISN Ltd. -Z 22.11 22.11 11.60 11.60 11.60 9.40 0.088 0.13 89.2ACI Formulations-A 21.55 25.05 202.88 205.30 207.00 172.00 48.344 6.80 29.8Peoples Insur -A 21.37 26.32 14.78 14.20 15.00 12.20 0.053 2.09 7.1 Trust Bank-A 20.97 21.31 15.03 15.00 15.40 12.50 2.534 4.24 3.5Bangladesh Welding -Z 19.70 20.06 15.80 15.80 16.40 12.60 0.172 0.44 35.9Golden Harvest Agro-N 18.50 16.84 20.19 20.50 20.50 16.10 2.678 1.32 15.3

DSE GAINER


Aver-age (%

change)

Closing average

Weekly closing

Weekly high

Weekly low

Turnover in million

Latest EPS

Latest PE

In Tech Online -A 29.17 29.73 12.48 12.40 13.40 10.80 20.659 1.03 12.1ACI Formulations-A 22.36 23.44 202.35 206.30 207.80 169.10 1070.536 6.80 29.8Midas Financing-Z 21.84 21.01 10.54 10.60 10.80 9.00 0.186 -1.55 -veAramitCementA 21.39 20.59 24.72 24.40 25.60 20.80 3.820 0.72 34.3FAR Chemical-N 21.07 21.05 34.05 33.90 35.00 26.50 119.113 3.23 10.5National Tubes -A 20.87 21.18 91.82 92.10 94.80 76.00 11.921 -1.36 -veFAS Fin. & Inv. Ltd-B 20.54 15.57 13.21 13.50 13.60 10.60 4.153 1.22 10.8 Trust Bank-A 20.33 21.68 15.04 14.80 15.60 12.60 47.134 4.24 3.5Continental Insur. -A 19.82 17.42 13.01 13.30 13.30 10.20 4.592 1.66 7.8Golden Harvest Agro-N 19.19 19.07 20.29 20.50 20.50 15.60 21.247 1.32 15.4

CSE LOSER


Aver-age (%

change)

Closing average

Weekly closing

Weekly high

Weekly low

Turnover in million

Latest EPS

Latest PE

LR Global BD MF1-A -19.05 -16.59 3.42 3.40 3.60 3.40 0.048 -0.70 -veDeshbandhu Polymer-A -10.85 -13.18 11.59 11.50 12.20 10.60 3.204 0.13 89.2SonarBangla Insu. -A -9.87 -9.87 13.70 13.70 13.70 13.70 0.002 1.65 8.3Marico BD Ltd-A -9.69 -9.69 1,090.00 1,090.00 1,135.00 1,090.00 0.066 42.69 25.5BSRM Ltd. -N -9.67 -8.32 55.34 54.20 57.50 46.10 75.604 0.73 75.8Dhaka Ins. Ltd.-A -9.63 -9.63 16.90 16.90 16.90 16.90 0.002 1.84 9.2H.R. Textile -A -9.20 -9.20 14.80 14.80 14.80 14.80 0.001 0.86 17.2Aziz PipesZ -9.09 -9.26 15.97 16.00 16.00 15.90 0.007 -2.64 -veBengal Windsor-A -8.70 -5.74 50.90 49.30 54.70 48.80 0.093 3.35 15.2Provati Insur.-A -8.46 -8.46 11.90 11.90 11.90 10.70 0.103 1.84 6.5

DSE LOSER


Aver-age (%

change)

Closing average

Weekly closing

Weekly high

Weekly low

Turnover in million

Latest EPS

Latest PE

Pioneer Insur -A -18.84 -21.42 27.59 28.00 28.20 24.90 2.710 5.44 5.1Pragati Gen. I -A -15.96 -15.76 23.73 23.70 25.10 21.00 2.037 1.67 14.2Deshbandhu Polymer-A -10.94 -14.84 11.59 11.40 12.10 10.50 30.602 0.13 89.2Eastern Lubricants -A -9.91 -9.74 316.81 316.20 340.00 315.00 0.816 2.48 127.7Kay & Que (BD) -Z -9.32 -15.59 9.80 10.70 12.00 7.30 0.095 -0.66 -veBSRM Ltd. -N -9.18 -8.10 55.57 54.40 62.00 45.80 261.698 0.73 76.1Modern Dyeing -Z -8.71 -7.50 67.99 67.10 73.50 66.00 0.033 0.76 89.5Northern Jute -Z -8.52 -8.36 192.26 192.10 210.00 188.00 1.424 1.75 109.9Sonargaon Tex -Z -8.14 -9.76 7.86 7.90 8.30 7.50 0.883 -2.17 -veAB Bank 1st Mutual Fund-A -8.00 -6.64 4.64 4.60 5.00 4.50 2.046 0.76 6.1

DSE key features May 04-07, 2015Turnover (Million Taka)

14,419.09

Turnover (Volume)

341,323,870

Number of Contract

402,420

Traded Issues 318

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

240

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

77

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

1

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,373.36

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

28.77

CSE key features May 04-07, 2015Turnover (Million Taka)

1,402.24

Turnover (Volume)

51,411,569

Number of Contract

59,364

Traded Issues 263

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

194

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

65

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

4

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,302.46

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

27.91

BUSINESS 19D


BSEC step brings market back to gear past week n Tribune Report

Stock markets rebounded in the past week, breaking two weeks’ losing streak, as in-stitutional investors poured fund to bring an end to the continuous fall, following meeting with the securities regulators.

During the week that ended Thursday, the bench-mark index DSEX gained 75 points or almost 2% to close the week at 4,122.

The blue-chip index DS30 rose marginally 13 points or almost 1% to 1,558. The sha-riah index DSES ended mar-ginally 18 points higher or 1.8% to 1,010.

The Chittagong Stock Ex-change Selective Categories Index, CSCX gained over 168 points or 2% to 7,717.

Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) on Monday asked institutional investors to give support to the falling market. Since then the mar-ket was on a steady gaining streak and DSEX recovered about 162 points in the last three sessions of the past week.

“Institutional investors

put funds on stocks after securities regulator asked them (institutional inves-tors) to give support to the dwindling market,” said a market dealer.

The week featured four trading sessions instead of � ve as the market was closed Sunday due to Bud-dha Purnima.

Institutional buying has helped turnover close high-er as DSE daily average turn-over was Tk360 crore, reg-istering an increase of more than 5.85% over the previ-ous week.

The investors’ activity was mostly focused on pow-er, pharma and engineering – the sectors that accounted for 25%, 20% and 15% re-spectively of the week’s to-tal turnover.

IDLC Investments said: “The securities regulator turned active in the face of rapid correction, which pro-vided some comfort to the investors.”

After the � rst session, buy mode prevailed and strengthened in the market, while corporate and earn-ings disclosure � ooded the market. l

The securities regulator turned active in the face of rapid correction, which provided some comfort to the investors

ANALYST

Weekly capital market highlightsDSE Broad Index : 4122.32408 (+) 1.85% ▲

DSE - 30 Index : 1558.20129 (+) 0.84% ▲

CSE All Share Index: 12712.4051 (+) 2.08% ▲

CSE - 30 Index : 10319.0055 (+) 1.58% ▲

CSE Selected Index : 7728.9470 (+) 2.27% ▲

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS

Company Volume shares

Value in million

% of total turnover

Weekly closing

Price change

Weekly opening

Weekly high

Weekly low

Weekly average

Intl. Leasing-B 20,975,070 262.38 18.71 13.80 5.34 13.10 14.10 12.20 12.52United Power-N 1,016,272 191.70 13.67 198.60 9.36 181.60 204.10 171.20 194.89BSRM Ltd. -N 1,464,769 75.60 5.39 54.20 -9.67 60.00 57.50 46.10 55.34BD Submarine Cable-A 493,940 57.46 4.10 123.20 8.83 113.20 123.20 109.00 120.84ACI Formulations-A 255,713 48.34 3.45 205.30 21.55 168.90 207.00 172.00 202.88MJL BD Ltd.-A 312,709 39.44 2.81 126.10 3.96 121.30 131.60 120.00 127.05WesternMarine -N 725,226 32.77 2.34 45.30 -1.31 45.90 47.60 42.80 46.02SAIF Powertec-N 452,733 31.44 2.24 69.10 0.88 68.50 72.80 63.30 70.02BEXIMCO Ltd. -A 1,248,731 31.39 2.24 25.80 -1.90 26.30 26.60 23.90 25.82Grameenphone-A 82,973 27.16 1.94 325.30 0.96 322.20 333.50 320.00 325.63Moza� ar H.Spinning-A 791,554 27.03 1.93 33.70 -0.30 33.80 34.90 32.10 34.05LafargeS Cement-Z 256,728 26.85 1.91 108.10 1.12 106.90 110.50 99.50 108.94Shahjibazar Power-N 145,176 25.34 1.81 174.70 2.16 171.00 183.00 163.50 175.56ACI Limited- A 43,816 23.90 1.70 532.30 0.08 531.90 560.00 526.30 535.86RAK Ceramics-A 343,591 20.26 1.44 61.10 9.50 55.80 63.00 54.60 61.13

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS

Company Volume shares

Value in million

% of total turnover

Weekly closing

Price change

Weekly opening

Weekly high

Weekly low

Weekly average

United Power-N 7,759,046 1467.19 10.18 198.70 9.00 182.30 203.90 171.10 194.58ACI Formulations-A 5,627,685 1070.54 7.42 206.30 22.36 168.60 207.80 169.10 202.35ACI Limited- A 1,368,821 746.71 5.18 532.60 -0.26 534.00 561.00 525.00 538.28Shahjibazar Power-N 2,547,660 444.54 3.08 174.40 2.53 170.10 184.00 162.10 175.68Ifad Autos -N 5,558,278 442.52 3.07 78.80 0.51 78.40 83.40 76.10 79.89MJL BD Ltd.-A 3,227,684 409.72 2.84 126.70 3.34 122.60 131.90 120.00 127.37Grameenphone-A 1,052,416 344.29 2.39 325.40 0.53 323.70 334.00 321.00 325.92SAIF Powertec-N 4,882,147 337.94 2.34 69.00 0.58 68.60 72.00 62.80 70.22Square Pharma -A 1,336,098 323.55 2.24 243.00 -1.22 246.00 252.00 237.00 243.86WesternMarine -N 7,103,583 320.33 2.22 45.20 -0.88 45.60 47.00 42.60 45.81Khulna Power-A 4,604,878 275.84 1.91 59.80 -2.45 61.30 61.90 56.00 60.74RAK Ceramics-A 4,547,027 269.20 1.87 60.90 8.17 56.30 62.70 54.00 61.13BSRM Ltd. -N 5,114,096 261.70 1.81 54.40 -9.18 59.90 62.00 45.80 55.57LafargeS Cement-Z 2,497,845 261.64 1.81 108.20 1.50 106.60 111.40 98.00 109.06Shasha Denims -N 6,280,797 235.78 1.64 37.40 -0.53 37.60 38.80 36.60 37.89

BUSINESS20DT


Experts seek cap on SME lending rate n Tribune Report

A workshop here yesterday underscored the need for introducing highest interest rate cap on SME lending to boost the country’s micro enterprises, as higher interest rate is hinder-ing the development of SME sector develop-ment.

It urged the central bank to � x a maximum cap on SME lending like farm loans.

A daylong workshop titled “The Role of Media in Promoting SMEs in Bangladesh” held at Bangladesh Bank Training Academy (BBTA) in the capital yesterday.

The workshop was arranged by European Union funded project, Bangladesh INSPIRED Programme – Component 3, in partnership with Bangladesh Bank Training Academy (BBTA), and Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM).

Abul Quasem, deputy governor of Bang-ladesh Bank, attended the workshop as chief guest and distributed certi� cates to the jour-

nalists at the end of the workshop. Ashraful Alam, deputy general manager of Bangladesh bank, moderated the workshop.

“The interest rate spread is being calculat-ed excluding consumer loans and SME loans, which is absolutely illogical,” said Sukamal Sinha Chowdhury, SME consultant of BIBM and also former general manager and head of SME division of Bangladesh Bank.

Bangladesh Bank discourages the con-sumer � nancing while it promotes the SME � nancing, but this attitude is contradictory if both the � nancings are excluded from the spread calculation, he added.

He explained that banks charged higher in-terest rate on SME loan, as this lending does not a� ect the banks’ spread, which is expect-ed to be within 5%.

He, however, suggested the Bangladesh Bank to set a highest level of interest rate for SME lending as like as agriculture lending, so the banks are forced to charge a reasonable rate.

It is noted here that Bangladesh Bank has cut the highest interest rate on farm loan to 11% from 13% in December 2014, considering the downward trend in interest rate on loans and deposits in the banking sector.

Earlier, the central bank set the highest inter-est rate cap on farm loan at 13% in 2011 to pro-mote agriculture sector.

Criticising the activities of di� erent SME lenders, Sukamal also observed: “There has been no coordination among the SME Foun-dation, BASIC, Bangladesh Bank and NGOs. As a result, some real entrepreneurs are being deprived of getting any loans from these or-ganisations.”

As there is no clear data on number SMEs in Bangladesh due to lack of coordination, he also suggested that SME loan activities should be brought under a discipline and identi� ed the authorities concern, who would disburse credit, monitor it and formulate policy in this regard.

Ali Sabet, team leader of Bangladesh IN-SPIRED, strongly criticised the SME Founda-tion as he observed that the employees of the organisation did not have any data on SMEs and even they did not have any idea about their job responsibilities.

He, however, appreciated the progress of SME sector in Bangladesh mentioning that the country is in a better position in compar-ison with the neighboring country India in terms of SME loan accounts in the commer-cial banks.

Nearly 200 trainers trained from numerous commercial banks, non-banks � nancial insti-tutions and Bangladesh Bank under the Bang-ladesh INSPIRED project. l

ILO extends RMG factory assessment timeline till July 31 n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has extended its timeline for RMG factory as-sessment – structural integrity, � re and elec-trical safety of the factories – by July 31, 2015.

On May 6, the ILO in a letter signed by its Country Director Srinivas B Reddy informed Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Ex-porters Association (BGMEA) President Md Atiqul Islam of its decision.

The inspection was earlier scheduled to end by the end of April.

Given the importance of preliminary as-sessment to close � rst and then to focus on the follow-up and remediation, the ILO in consultation with the Ministry of Labour and Employment set the new timeline for comple-tion of assessment, said the letter.

The ILO requested the BGMEA to inform its members about the free of charge assess-ment till July 31, the letter said, adding that after the deadline the assessment would re-quire charge that has to be borne by the build-ing and factory owners.

Under the initiative, the ILO-led inspection has so far inspected 733 RMG factories in close collaboration with BGMEA and BKMEA.

So far, some 1,700 factories are left to be as-sessed, with 800 pending veri� cation in view of their status.

“We would also like to inform you that we will request the Ministry of Labour and Em-ployment to initiate process towards ensuring that the completion of assessment process would be a requirement for eligibility of ex-port licencing and that this compliance would need to be strictly monitored by the compe-tent authorities concerned.

The ILO through its “Improving Working Conditions in the RMG Sector” funded by the Royal Netherlands Government, Canada and UK is providing � nancial and technical assistance for the government of Bangladesh

for implementation of the National Tripartite Plan (NAP) of Action Plan on Fire and Struc-tural Integrity in the country’s RMG sector.

The NAP was signed in 25 July 2013. These assessments were � rst organised

through contract with the Bangladesh Univer-sity of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and then lately through di� erent private sec-tor � rms like TUV-SUID and VEC.

The assessments have been implemented

in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Employment under the mandate of the National Tripartite Committee set up to over-see the implementation of the aforemen-tioned national action plan.

The safety issues came under spotlight af-ter the Rana Plaza factory collapse that killed over 1,135 workers and injured over 2,500 people on April 24, 2013.

After the factory disaster, the retailers’

platform, Accord on Fire and Building Safe-ty in Bangladesh, and Alliance for Bangla-desh Worker Safety, made a commitment to provide � nancial and technical supports to improve � re and building safety standard of RMG factories from which they source prod-ucts.

Accord has inspected about 1,300 factories while Alliance 587 from where the signatory brands source their products. l

A readymade garment factory in Dhaka DHAKA TRIBUNE

Interest rate spread is being calculated excluding consumer loans and SME loans, which is absolutely illogical

21D

TSUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015T

-JUNCTION

22news

Summer Trimester begins at IUB

23style session

Three ways to style Mom jeans 24grooming

‘cause mum said so

INSIDEVintage vibesJust like we keep running to our moms with our booboos, when it comes to a fast fashion � x, Momma never goes out of style.Whether it’s her classy botua for your fancy evening out, or even just those awesome printed silk saris that make you feel like a screen siren, your mom’s wardrobe is a gift that keeps giving. Flip to Page 23 for the details.

Back to basics: dress shirtsWhether you’re angling for a promo-tion at work, or looking to impress that femme fatale, or even just hoping to make a good impression at a class presentation, the dress shirt you wear could make or break your out� t. Turn to Page 24 for a style session that � nds method in the madness.

A song for MamaModels: Shazia, Amani and Arshan Omar

PHOTO: HOMAYRA ADIBA

SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015T-JUNCTION News22D

T

Independent University Bangladesh (IUB) organised an orientation programme on Saturday, May 9, at its permanent campus at Bashundhara, Dhaka for the newly admitted students of the Summer 2015 Trimester.

Welcoming the new students Prof M Omar Rahman, Vice Chancellor, depicted the distinctive nature of IUB education, which places importance of professional education on the foundation of cross-disciplinary liberal arts curricula. He assured the students that IUB would do everything for ensuring that their dreams come true. He said, “Be enthusiastic about learning and be a life-long learner.” He also asked the students to dream

and dream big. Prof Milan Pagon, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Designate), Prof Sarwar Uddin Ahmed, Dean, School of Business, Dr Ali Shihab Sabbir, Dean, School of Engineering and Computer Science, Prof M Ali Hossain, Dean, School of Environmental Science and Management, Prof Zakir Hossain Raju, Dean, School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and Dr Rita Yusuf, Dean, School of Life Sciences, also spoke to the newly admitted students on the occasion. The programme was conducted by Ms Priyanka Dey, Assistant Director, Undergraduate Admissions of IUB.

Shoilpic’s new collection

Zeenat introduces Muslin collection

Fashion house Shoilpic has launched a new collection of shalwar kameez, tops, panjabis, fatuas, T-shirts etc. It is available at all outlets of Shoilpic in Dhaka and Chittagong.

Contact: 01855963176, 0312519133 Website: www.shoilpikbd.com

Throughout the past decades, Muslin has been worn by Bangladeshi women of all ages. It has become a fashion statement solely by itself. This summer, Zeenat, a luxury fashion house, has a special Muslin collection for its customers. Contact: 02-9863043, 01818 818515website: Facebook.com/zeenatdoutique

Prof M Omar Rahman, Vice Chancellor, IUB, addressing at the orientation programme of the Summer 2015 Trimester at its campus in Bashundhara, Dhaka.

On May 8, a career seminar on rising demands of expertise in Public Health, was held at American International University Bangladesh (AIUB). The core intention of the seminar was to disseminate a handful of guidelines and break the social stigma about public health among graduates who want to embellish their career in the respective � eld.

The auditorium was packed with earnest medical science students and thousands of queries. After the workshop, coordinated by Dr Aurangazeb, the � oor was open for the participants. Dr A K M Musha, Country Director of Concern Worldwide, Dr A Neaz, Dr Aurangazeb and other faculty members answered all their questions and shared their experiences.

While discussing the present scenario of public health around the world, Dr A K M Musha emphasised on how national and international NGO’s, with the support of Public Health professionals, are working together to prevent diseases.

To make the point more clear, Dr A Neaz said, “it is a dream to create a

disease-free society.” According to him, a disease should be cured at its � rst stage, however, a long run bene� t for the society can only be achieved through prevention.

Dr A K M Musha also shed some light on the dilemma faced by many medical students about choosing between being a regular physician or a Public Health professional. According to him, public health allows doctors to serve many people at once. While talking about social stereotype, stigma and lack of knowledge about the profession, he mentioned how his family tried to in� uence him to leave the profession. Therefore, he urged students to follow their hearts.

He also said, “this profession will help you move forward.” While Dr Aurangazeb termed it as fast-track way to serve more people and lead a peaceful society.

MPH Alumni of AIUB and professor in the department of Neonatology, Dr Abdul Mannan, presented his portfolio to the participants to give them a more rational perspective on the topic.

MPH Research Workshop and Career Seminar at AIUB

Summer Trimester begins at IUB

nSabah Rahman

Growing up, some of us were very lucky to have had mothers, aunts and even grand-mothers who knew a thing or two about fashion. Watching them putting on the ritz before stepping out was always a treat and we couldn’t wait to grow up and emulate those fascinating styles. As luck would have it, vintage wear is always trending. Here are a few looks that used to catch our attention:

Kaftan crazeDon’t confuse what we’re talking about with the hideous “maxis” that some women like to wear at home and sometimes while speed-walking in the park, unfortunately. Kaftans were all the rage in the late 70s and one might remember our very own Runa Laila rocking one like no one’s business in a music video from the early 80s. Some of the biggest designers abroad are still making them to wear as cover-ups at the beach and super cute, short versions to wear on a night out in town. Local women are no strangers to kaftans as there are kameezes cut in this style. Our advice to you would be to nip it in the waist with a belt so there’s absolutely no chance of looking shapeless.

In bloomBack in the days, ladies almost always pinned a fresh � ower in their hair. If you’ve ever watched a classic Indian movie from the

60s, there were probably a handful of scenes where the leading lady (sometimes all the ladies in the cast) sported petals in her hair while frolicking in a lush green setting. There are tons of options at the � orists these days. Floral wreaths may be having a sort of mo-ment, but there is something very appealing about a single blossom.

Fancy pantsAh bell bottoms! They still come and go with fashionistas. We’ve probably all got a few pairs stashed away. Sure, skinny jeans still seem to rule supreme but there is a great added bonus when it comes to wearing � ares-they balance out large hips and result in a more svelte outcome. Our fashionable predecessors usually wore the high-waisted versions with peasant tops but it doesn’t necessarily mean we have to, does it? Exper-iment topping them o� with a simple � tted tee or even a tucked in, tailored shirt. Bring the whole look together with a pair of wedg-es and turn a few heads.

Banging blousesSure, our moms wore plain old sleeveless blouses with those brilliant saris that resem-bled Pucci prints. But there was so much more! Pu� sleeves, three quarter sleeves and even classy, full ones with sheer sleeves. They were ingenious when it came to giving their tailors ideas and we could take a tip or two from them. l

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Three ways to style Mom jeans

Vintage vibes

nSabrina Fatma Ahmad

If there’s ever a style we’re less happy to see come back, it’s got to be the Mom jean. You’ve seen them: light-washed, high-waisted, baggy denim that makes you think of how your Mom had to put her life – and style – on the back-burner because she made you a priority.

For some unfathomable reason, most likely with the hipster fascination for the 80’s becoming mainstream, these jeans have suddenly found themselves back on the catwalk and in the stores. So here’s how to style this wardrobe staple so that it doesn’t drag you down.

For the athletic buildIf you possess a � at stomach and a small chest, you can pull o� this casual look. Roll up the jeans to a capri length, and pair with a crop top that shows just a hint of midsection, and a long kimono jacket or open summer cardi. Finish with a pair of loafers or espadrilles, and throw on a pretty long scarf, and it’s a look you can take to your study date, or spa run, or a casual adda.

For curvy buildsIf you’re a whole lotta goodness packed into one woman, you can make the Mom jean go to work for you. The high waist allows for you to tuck that belly inside without causing mu� n tops. Just pick a size that is form-� tting, but not too tight. Throw on a long kurti and a dupatta, and this is a look you can take to work.

There’s hope for this comeback trend yet

Inspired by the best

For petitesAgain, the high waist may visually elongate your structure, and that’s a good thing. Maximise on this by picking an updated Mom jean in a dark wash. Pair with one of those Chelsea boots from Bata, and a top with vertical stripes. And this is a look you can take to class with you, or throw in a pair of statement earrings, and you can take it out for the evening. l

old school

style session

Photo: Miftah Rahm

an

n Baizid Haque Joarder

Remember the time when your mum would hold your chin and comb your hair like a momma’s boy? It was all cute and fuzzy but you’d blend in the sea of similar hairstyles during school assembly. It was still bearable through your middle school but all that changes when the gates of high school opens up. As we grow older, we tend to develop our own tastes and preferences; its only natural to.

The tricky part comes along during your teen years, when you want to get your favourite footballer’s hairstyle or a cut like your fashion idol and your parents don’t really “feel you” on that subject. Why do they do that? But how do I change it? Read on.

BecauseThe obvious. Parents are protective of you and wouldn’t let you “follow your heart” or let your raging hormones dictate. It has been like this through time. But talk to them and take on more responsibilities to show them your maturity.

The right cut, at the right time If you want Miley’s hairdo but you have school

the following day, it’d be wise to state that the consequences may not be in your favour. Most schools have a strict policy about hairstyles, for which, it’s wiser to get a respectable haircut. And the best part is, edgy trends are there for only some time and may not suit everyone. But if you really wish to get a haircut, maybe wait till the summer break starts?

Middle groundEven then, your parents might not be too comfortable with your choice. For instance, if you wish to get maroon highlights and you’re 13 years old. Most parents would say no to that. Compromise with them and discuss about what length, colour (if you want) and so on. Finding a middle ground with your parents would make them register your maturity as well.

All that being said, the heart wants what it truly wants. Just remember to keep in mind whether the hairstyle compliments you and your features. It should make you look good, not the opposite.

YOLO! l

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Back to basics: dress shirtsO� ce or an event, stay within the guidelines

in style

grooming

1. The sizing is everything. Most men go into stores taking the small, medium or large right o� the rack, completely disregarding all the details. After the purchase, you look like yourself in the 90s waiting for the bell to ring to let you out of class. Know your measurements, like your neck size and arm length. You don’t want to be stuck with a shirt where the neck is too loose or too tight. There’s something we like to call the one-� nger rule. If you can � t one � nger in between the collar and your neck, you’ve got yourself the perfect � t.

2. Trim down that extra fat. It doesn’t matter which body shape, we can do without this extra fabric look. We no longer live in the 80s or even the 90s. We see many men with the billowy look after they’ve tucked their dress shirts in. Blouses only � atter women, not grown men. Make sure your shirts � t closer to your torso, remember it’s not about squeezing but hugging. The shoulder seams should have the same hugging-e� ect and the sleeves shouldn’t be too long.

3. For the really tall gentlemen, slim � t and extra-slim � t is the way to go. You’ve had the dilemma of aiming for sleeves that will reach your wrists. And when you do go for that extra large shirt, you � nd that your collar hangs o� your neck like Mr T’s chains. This is where slim-� t shirts come into play. The cut hugs your body and still leaves room for oxygen.

4. Keep things simple, don’t get confused by all the di� erent collar styles. If you want to keep things safe, the semi-spread collar is the ideal style to choose at the end of the day. It’s neither fashion-forward or too basic. And it works with pretty much any style of suit and tie.

5. Once you’ve gotten the safest collar out of the way, you can familiarize with the other common collars on shirts. The straight point is the simplest American style which has no room for that oversize big tie knot. The button-down is the old school classy American look. The spread collar are for those Wall Street power suits. The ideal semi-spread is not too wide or too narrow.

6. Those button-down collars might look proper and Ivy League, but there’s no rule that says you have to keep the collars fastened down. Unbutton them if and when you want.

7. It’s good to be bold. While several white shirts are essential, it’s good to mix things up with gingham and plaid shirts in smaller scale. As the temperature rises, the colours in your wardrobe should too. It’s okay to live a little, just as long as the contrast can keep a balanced tone.

8. Pink, don’t be afraid of it. We’re not talking about shiny or tacky pink either.

The softer shades of pink are a fantastic match-up with charcoal or dark grey suits. Let’s not forget the darker blues. Pale shades of rose and light pink can look incredibly � attering with darker suits and ties.

9. Cu� inks or unbuttoned cu� s, either is perfectly � ne. The way you wear your dress shirts are as important as how it � ts. If the sleeves are at the correct length and the � t is spot on, the unbuttoned look, showing o� a bit of your wrist-wear, is very much encouraged.

10. Whatever you have been told about wrinkles on a shirt is wrong. You lean towards ironing almost everything. Don’t. Shirts of the casual kind, even in semi-formal occasions, can be wrinkled like linen clothing. It’s got that summer vibe of nonchalance and easy breezy reclining. l

n Mahmood Hossain

Plain and simple gentlemen. A suit isn’t a suit without a well-� tted dress shirt. In fact, all your shirts, apart from the casual, should be a snug � t. And you’ve heard it before, it’s always better to get it tailored. Apart from knowing when to tuck your shirt in, there are several points to get across when collecting dress shirts.

‘cause mum said soWhen you want to retire the momma’s boy hairstyle

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IT IS NOT A FACE-SAVING WIN, SAYS MISBAH

MOMINUL PASSES SACHIN, ONLY AB UP AHEAD

ROLLERCOASTER TOUR ENDS HAPPILY FOR AZHAR

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France football legend Zinedine Zidane was granted his UEFA Pro

Licence coaching badge on Friday, paving the way for the French great

to move into a top-level job

PASSED!

Sport2ND TEST, DAY 4

PAKISTAN 1ST INNINGS557-8 declared (Azhar 226, Younis 148, Sha� q 107; Taijul 3-179, Shahid 2-72, Shuvagata 2-76)BANGLADESH 1ST INNINGS203 (Shakib Al Hasan 89 not out, Wahab Riaz 3-73, Yasir Shah 3-58, Junaid Khan 2-26)PAKISTAN 2ND INNINGS195-6 declared (Misbah-ul Haq 82, Mohammad Shahid 2-23)BANGLADESH 2ND INNINGS R B(overnight 63-1)Tamim Iqbal c Sarfraz b Imran 42 67Imrul Kayes b Yasir 16 29Mominul Haque c Sha� q b Yasir 68 102Mahmudullah c Younis b Imran 2 12Shakib Al Hasan c Wahab b Hafeez 13 20Mush� qur Rahim b Yasir 0 9Soumya Sarkar c Sarfraz b Wahab 1 9Shuvagata Hom b Junaid 39 55Taijul Islam c Aslam b Yasir 10 28Mohammad Shahid not out 14 14Shahadat Hossain absent hurt -Extras: (b4, lb4, nb8) 16Total (all out, 56.5 overs) 221

FoW: 1-48, 2-86 3-95, 4-121, 5-126, 6-139, 7-143, 8-177, 9-221

BowlingJunaid 10.5-1-45-1 (5nb), Imran Khan 11-1-56-2 (1nb), Yasir 21-3-73-4, Wahab 11-1-36-1 (2nb), Hafeez 3-0-3-1

Pakistan won by 328 runs, clinch series 1-0MoM & MoS: Azhar Ali

Limp batting display as Tigers concede seriesn Minhaz Uddin Khan

Bangladesh were already one step away from defeat following the conclusion of the third day’s play of the second and � nal Test against Pakistan. The visitors had

set the home side a mammoth target of 550 runs. Chasing it successfully would have been something unique in the history of Test crick-et as no other side have been able to achieve such a huge target. Ace all-rounder Shakib al Hasan had made it clear – all they needed were two big partnerships.

Shakib’s hopes and expectations, howev-er, evaporated as soon as the fourth and pe-nultimate day’s proceedings began yesterday at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. Resum-ing on their overnight score of 63/1, the Tigers

lost their remaining eight wickets for the ad-dition of 158 runs to give Pakistan a convinc-ing 328-run win. The series victory in Tests meant Pakistan salvaged something from a disappointing tour where they remained win-less and luckless in the limited-over leg.

There is no doubt Bangladesh experienced a fantastic run in the series, having won all the limited-over matches comprising three one-day internationals and a solitary Twenty20 international. The home side even managed to lift themselves from the depths of despair in the � rst Test in Khulna where Pakistan ruled the roost right until Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes’ record-breaking opening wicket partnership. The manner of yesterday’s de-feat, however, raised many questions among which the most prominent one was: Where did all the momentum go? Granted, the Tigers were always chasing the Dhaka Test after Pa-

kistan managed a 354-run � rst-innings lead but the hosts will actually be disappointed over their limp reply in the second essay.

Right from the very beginning of the decid-ing Test, Bangladesh captain Mush� qur Rahim was under a bit of pressure because of his eye-brow-elevating decision of � elding � rst. The diminutive wicketkeeper-batsman though was backed by his teammates and head coach Chandika Hathurusingha. On the � eld, how-ever, the Tigers, especially the batsmen, were unable to vindicate the skipper’s decision.

Yesterday, the debacle began with the dismissal of opener Tamim. He had started cautiously but only added 10 runs to his over-night score of 32. An out-of-sorts Mahmud-ullah then continued his disappointing run in the series, edging Imran Khan to the slip cordon. Following Mahmudullah’s departure, Shakib made his way to the middle with great

responsibility on his shoulders. But, one mis-take that he committed was that he had brought his Twenty20 game. He paid heavily for at-tempting one shot too many as he was caught by Wahab Riaz o� the bowling of Mohammad Hafeez. Mush� q and Soumya Sarkar soon fol-lowed suit, the former dragging a delivery on to his stumps while the latter nicking a Wahab delivery to wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed.

The only glimmer of brightness was provid-ed by the ever-dependable Mominul Haque. The little lad from the coastal town of Cox’s Bazar registered yet another � fty, his 11th con-secutive 50+ score in as many Tests. In the pro-cess, he equalled West Indian legend Sir Vivian Richards and Indian cricketers Gautam Gamb-hir and Virender Sehwag. Once Mominul de-parted, the rest of Bangladesh’s second innings was a mere formality as one batsman after an-other failed to put a price on their wickets.l

Pakistan pacer Imran Khan (R) celebrates the dismissal of Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal during the fourth day of their second Test at SBNS in Mirpur yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Sport26DT


Pakistan players pose with the Test series trophy at SBNS in Mirpur yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Defensive mindset costs Tigers: Waqarn Minhaz Uddin Khan

Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis believes Bangladesh’s defensive approach cost them dearly following the visitors’ convincing 328-run win in the second and deciding Test in Dhaka. The former Pakistan captain said the Tigers paid heavily for trying to draw the Test rather than winning it.

“Look, I don’t know if I should say things or criticise Bangladesh because they have done well. I just got this feeling in the start of the Test match that they started on the back-foot. They don’t really come hard on the op-ponents and they don’t really look to win the Test match. They were probably thinking to draw the game. That’s why I guess they were left behind,” Waqar told the media yesterday at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

Bangladesh might have thumped Pakistan in the limited-over leg of the bilateral series but Waqar said their superior experience in the longer-version stood them in good stead.

“I think it was a good win. You have seen the last Test match that Bangladesh team have de� nitely improved a lot and they look like a good unit at the moment. They have proved it in the one-day matches and also in the only Twenty20 game. They beat us there convinc-ingly. We are a young side but this is not an excuse. You know they fought really hard and you need to give them credit but, yes, of course we were more experienced and ex-posed our sources better,” said the 43-year old.

Regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, Waqar was at the centre of a storm of criticism following the lethargic displays of his charges in the shorter formats. Many had even demanded his removal but Waqar said he barely pays any attention to his critics.

“This is nothing new. Critics are going to criticise. I think when you are losing, you should be able to take the criticism and you should be able to be strong enough to come out of it and try to produce the results and try to produce some good youngsters. I think the boys did a wonderful job. It was not easy los-ing the one-day series but, yes, coming back in the Test match, I thought the guys played really well,” said Waqar.l

Rollercoaster tour ends happily for Azharn Raihan Mahmood

The cool-headed Azhar Ali just completed the tour of his life. Promoted as the ODI captain prior to the bilateral series against Bangla-desh, Azhar exuded sheer con� dence at the middle. Despite Pakistan’s terrible fortunes in the shorter formats, the 30-year old nev-er stopped raging a lone battle and his 209 runs, including a century, in the three ODIs will attest to that. While in the two Tests, the right-hander totalled 334 runs, including his maiden double hundred.

An elated Azhar was kind enough to take some time out from yesterday’s celebrations to talk with Dhaka Tribune. Here are the excerpts:

How do you evaluate this tour? As a batsman, the whole series went pret-ty good for me but in the ODIs, Pakistan did not do well and it was disappointing to lose the series. Although I batted well, I think the team’s success is more important so I was not happy. Then we took the � eld to play the Test series and I continued my form in the longer-version and we also won the series. So,

that makes me happy. Team’s success is more important for every individual.

Were you surprised to see Bangladesh dominating the shorter formats?To be frank, I was ready to face a tough Bang-ladesh as I know Bangladesh are a tough nut to crack in their own yard. They provided a hard time to us in the 2012 series (Asia Cup) and they also pushed us in the [2014] Asia Cup. Moreover, they were in good form in the World Cup. I never expected an easy time here. We never take Bangladesh lightly. After the World Cup, Pakistan team went through some chang-es and Bangladesh grabbed the opportunity.

How did you motivate yourself prior to the start of the Bangladesh series?I wanted to grab the opportunity as I was making a comeback to the ODI team after two years. I told myself I don’t have to prove any-thing to anyone. Thanks to the Almighty that I did well and I can look forward now. I attained my � rst double Test century and that was the peak point of my career, I think. I came here to prove myself to me and I am happy to do that.l

MOST RUNS Player Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF 100 50 4s 6sAzhar Ali (Pak) 3 0 334 226 111.33 643 1 1 28 3Tamim Iqbal (Ban) 4 0 277 206 69.25 423 1 0 28 7Imrul Kayes (Ban) 4 0 249 150 62.25 445 1 1 31 3Mohammad Hafeez (Pak) 3 0 232 224 77.33 352 1 0 24 3Younis Khan (Pak) 3 0 220 148 73.33 318 1 0 19 3Asad Sha� q (Pak) 3 0 205 107 68.33 350 1 1 16 1Shakib Al Hasan (Ban) 4 2 203 89* 101.50 276 0 2 25 3Mominul Haque (Ban) 4 0 182 80 45.50 349 0 2 21 1Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak) 3 0 150 82 50.00 216 0 2 13 6Sarfraz Ahmed (Pak) 3 2 121 82 121.00 123 0 1 10 2

MOST WICKETS Player Inns Overs Mdns Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave EconYasir Shah (Pak) 4 94.3 13 340 10 4/73 7/131 34.00 3.59Taijul Islam (Ban) 3 107.4 7 398 10 6/163 6/163 39.80 3.69Wahab Riaz (Pak) 4 72.0 13 239 7 3/55 4/109 34.14 3.31Mohammad Hafeez (Pak) 4 45.0 6 145 6 2/47 4/129 24.16 3.22Mohammad Shahid (Ban) 3 60.0 18 154 5 2/23 4/95 30.80 2.56Junaid Khan (Pak) 4 53.5 10 199 5 2/26 3/71 39.80 3.69Shuvagata Hom (Ban) 3 52.0 1 214 5 2/76 3/94 42.80 4.11Zul� qar Babar (Pak) 2 64.0 4 224 3 2/99 3/224 74.66 3.50Imran Khan (Pak) 2 18.0 1 87 2 2/56 2/87 43.50 4.83Shakib Al Hasan (Ban) 3 75.0 7 325 2 1/136 1/146 162.50 4.33

Pakistan’s Azhar Ali poses with his Man of the Series trophy at SBNS in Mirpur yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Sport 27D

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Rameen, Ridwan win in World School ChessRameen Ahmed and Syed Ridwan regis-tered victories in their respective fourth-round matches of the World School Chess Championship in Pattaya, Thailand. Rameen earned two points after four rounds in the Open Under-11 Group while Ridwan collected his � rst points in the Open U-7 Group. In the fourth-round games yesterday, Rameen beat Chooing Han-Sen of England and Ridwan beat Pongpananuruk Panapong of Thailand. Meanwhile in the Open Blitz Fide Rating Chess Tournament, Fide Master Mo-hammad Fahad Rahman of Titas Club emerged as the champion yesterday. Fahad earned eight points out of nine games to clinch the title. Mohammad Aminul Islam of Sultana Kamal Pathagar became the runners-up and Zainul Abe-din came third with 7.5 points.

–Shishir Hoque

Inter, Roma agree � nes, squad cap under FFPInter Milan, Monaco and AS Roma have all agreed to pay � nes and reduce the size of their squads in European competition after breaking Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, UEFA said on Friday. The trio also agreed to limit the number of new players they could register in European competition, European soccer’s governing body said in a statement following a decision by its � nancial control watchdog.

–Reuters

Carrick out for season: LVGManchester United mid� elder Michael Carrick will miss the � nal three games of the Premier League season with a calf problem, manager Louis van Gaal said on Friday. The 33-year-old Carrick was injured during United’s 4-2 win over Manchester City at Old Tra� ord last month and will not feature in the re-maining matches against Crystal Palace, Arsenal and Hull City.

–Reuters

West Ham on course for fair play Europa spotWest Ham United are on course for a place in next season’s Europa League af-ter UEFA said on Friday that the Premier League would be granted an additional fair play place. England � nished second in UEFA’s fair play table, behind the Netherlands, and will earn an extra spot in the Europa League’s � rst qualifying round.

–Reuters

Moores leaves role as England coach: ECBPeter Moores has left his role as England cricket coach, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Twitter on Satur-day. Former England captain Andrew Strauss was appointed as the ECB’s new director of cricket earlier on Saturday.

–Reuters

QUICK BYTES

It is not a face-saving win, says Misbahn Mazhar Uddin

Pakistan Test skipper Misbah-ul Haq yester-day said the 1-0 series victory over Bangladesh was not a face-saving win for the visitors.

Ever since Pakistan landed in Bangladesh, the tourists su� ered one defeat after anoth-er as the Tigers romped to convincing victo-ries in the lone practice match followed by the three one-day internationals and solitary Twenty20 international.

Going into the second and � nal Test in Dhaka, the visitors were under tremendous pressure to salvage some consolation and pride from the bilateral series but Misbah in-formed that he was always con� dent with the ability of his charges in the longer-version.

“I don’t think that it’s a face-saving win. I think we should be aware of the fact that there has been a lot of changes. Bangladesh team were more experienced in T20 and one-day cricket. They have been playing with the same team for the last four-� ve years. So, they were having that edge and I think they deserve that victory. But in the Test match, everything was the other way round. We were the more experienced team, we were doing really well so I think we proved that again,” Misbah told the media at Sher-e-Bangla Na-tional Stadium following their huge 328-run win in the deciding Test.

“Of course after the draw in the � rst Test, that was a big disappointment for us but the consistency in the performance

was the key for us so I think we just kept on playing like that and that’s really a good thing for us.

“It was really important for our team and our players to have their con� dence back and also to regain the con� dence of our support-ers. The disappointment that came after los-ing one or two series would be wiped away and the con� dence of the players would be regained,” he said.

Misbah, the world’s oldest Test cricketer at the moment, sported a wry smile when asked about his retirement plans. The 40-year old said he is still undecided over the decision and added that an announcement will be made when he feels the time is right to call it a day.l

Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez (C) celebrates with teammates the dismissal of Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan (unseen) during the fourth day of their second Test match at SBNS in Mirpur yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Junaid, Shahriar, Mosaddek, Gazi star in BCLn Minhaz Uddin Khan

BCB North Zone v Islami Bank East Zone, Chittagong

North opener Junaid Siddique struck a bril-liant 193 o� 285 balls but East still managed a 89-run � rst innings lead following the third and penultimate day’s play yesterday in the Bangladesh Cricket League longer-version.

National discard Junaid smashed 17 bound-aries and two sixes as North were bundled out for 384, in reply to East’s � rst-innings tally of 473-allout.

Prime Bank South Zone v Walton Central Zone, FatullahIn pursuit of Central’s � rst-innings total of 413-allout, South posted a huge 538/8 riding on the centuries from opener Shahriar Nafees, middle-order batsman Mosaddek Hossain and Sohag Gazi. Mosharraf Hossain scalped as many as seven wickets for Central.

As a result, South lead by 125 runs with two � rst-innings wickets remaining. l

St Joseph sweep senior and junior titlesSaint Joseph clinched both the titles of the senior and junior categories in the Noushir Hasan Inter-College Basketball, beating Notre Dame College and Sunnydale respectively at the school’s basketball court last Friday. In the senior category, St. Joseph won 61-37 while in the juniors’ � nal, the hosts prevailed 55-41. Brother Robi Puri� cation CSC (school principal), Brother Bikash Victor D’Rozario CSC (school vice-principal), Rashed Maqsood (president, St. Joseph Old Boys’ Foundation; managing director and Bangladesh country o� cer, Citibank, N.A), Amer Salim (vice-president, St. Joseph Old Boys’ Foundation; director, Knit Asia Ltd.), Mohammed Khalid Hussain (assistant manager of products, Ispahani Group), Quazi Touhiduzzaman (general manager, sales and marketing, Olympic Industries Ltd.) and Mohammed Wasef Ali (coach, Bangladesh national team) were present among others in the prize distribution ceremony.

Sport28DT


MOMINUL’S LAST 11 TESTs 1st innings 2nd innings Opposition Ground Match Date 13 68 v Pakistan Dhaka 6 May 2015 80 21 v Pakistan Khulna 28 Apr 2015 48 131* v Zimbabwe Chittagong 12 Nov 2014 35 54 v Zimbabwe Khulna 3 Nov 2014 53 0 v Zimbabwe Dhaka 25 Oct 2014 3 56 v West Indies Gros Islet 13 Sep 2014 51 12 v West Indies Kingstown 5 Sep 2014 13 100* v Sri Lanka Chittagong 4 Feb 2014 8 50 v Sri Lanka Dhaka 27 Jan 2014 47 126* v New Zealand Dhaka 21 Oct 2013 181 22* v New Zealand Chittagong 9 Oct 2013

MOST CONSECUTIVE 50s IN TEST12- AB de Villiers, 11 - IVA Richards, G Gambhir, V Sehwag, Mominul Haque, 10 - JH Edrich, SR

Tendulkar, 9- ED Weekes, AJ Stewart, ML Hayden, JH Kallis, SM Katich, KC Sangakkara

Mominul passes Sachin, only AB up aheadDespite the Tigers’ below-par performance in the second and deciding Test against Pakistan, youngster Mominul Haque continued his bril-liant run with the bat in the longer version of the game. The left-hander reached yet anoth-er milestone yesterday as he smashed his 11th consecutive 50+ score in as many Tests. Con-sequently, the diminutive lad from Cox’s Bazar left little master Sachin Tendulkar and English cricketer John Edrich in his wake. Sachin and Edrich blasted 10 successive 50+ scores.

The 23-year old joined West Indian legend Sir Viv Richards and Indian openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, who have all posted 50+ scores in 11 consecutive Tests. Only South African captain Abraham Benjamin de Villiers lie ahead with 12 consecutive 50+ scores in as many Tests.l

‘Fielding � rst was management’s decision’n Mazhar Uddin

Despite their brilliant performance in the three one-day internationals, Bangladesh were totally outplayed by Pakistan in the two Test matches as the visitors coasted to a huge 328-run victory in the Dhaka � ve-dayer to clinch the series 1-0.

Right after the conclusion of the second and deciding Test, questions started to arise as to whether Mush� qur Rahim’s decision to � eld � rst in Dhaka was a right one. Mush� q, however, said it was the team management’s decision as the pitch had some assistance for the bowlers, especially in the � rst couple of hours on the opening day.

“Many of you have said we should have batted � rst after winning the toss. But, it was the team management’s decision; the wicket had a lot of help for the bowlers in the � rst two hours. We could have taken three-four

wickets if [Shahadat Hossain] Rajib did not get injured. If we could have bowled them out for a low score and taken a lead, this Test would have been di� erent. But, it did not happen. The blame is on us,” Mush� q told the media yesterday in what turned out to be the � nal day of the bilateral series.

Birthday boy Mush� q, who turned 28 yes-terday, also expressed disappointment with regards to his own personal form. The Tigers’ Test skipper said his injury, incurred on his right ring � nger during the drawn � rst Test in Khulna, had some sort of impact on his bat-ting display. The wicketkeeper-batsman post-ed scores of 12 and nought in the Dhaka Test.

“It was disappointing for me because the challenge in Test cricket is di� erent than in ODIs and Twenty20s. I do not remember the last time I batted so poorly. The injury had some impact on my batting but I knew that I would not be 100 percent � t in this game. I

tried my best for the team, but unfortunately I could not do it,” he said.

Mush� q urged everyone not to read too much into the series defeat against Pakistan as they have been extremely consistent over the last few months.

“Bangladesh have been playing well since the Zimbabwe series. I think, Bangladesh have rarely played with such consistency over a pe-riod of seven months. This tour too has been one of the best because of our consistency. So, from that regard we had a bad match. I am not giving an excuse but if we had extreme de-termination, we could have played this Test better,” he said before adding, “We had one bad game but I hope we can continue the con-sistency of the last seven months in the next couple of series. I think everyone has trained better during this time. Everyone understood their roles. The coaches and management have helped us a lot too.”l

Tigers yet to perfect � rst-innings � awsn Mazhar Uddin

Following a huge transformation in the 50-over format in the last eight months or so, expecta-tions of the cricket-mad supporters surround-ing their beloved Tigers reached a crescendo. Expectations grew even more when the new-look Bangladesh side trounced Pakistan in the three-match ODI series. Heading into the two-Test series, the Bangladesh cricketers could not have been more con� dent.

The recent change can be attributed to the fact that the cricketers perfectly know their role and responsibility in the shorter formats of the game. However, when it comes to Test cricket, Bangladesh are still lagging behind in terms of application and game-plan.

Besides these two aspects, the inability of the Tigers to post a big � rst-innings total was also the root of all their problems. Although the home side did manage to script a brilliant comeback in the � rst Test in Khulna, their � rst-innings tally of 332-allout meant Bang-ladesh were always behind in the running for the eight-ball. Instead of imposing their au-thority over the opposition, the Tigers were mostly busy saving the � ve-dayer, rather than harbouring any expectations of a win.

And, if the second Test in Dhaka is any-thing to go by, the Tigers think-tank has been unable to rectify their past mistakes. Bangla-desh’s � rst-innings total of 203-allout proved to be highly inadequate as they su� ered their 71st defeat in 90 Test matches. If one were to look into the past, one would observe that � rst-innings failures have been a recurrent theme for the Tigers.

In their 90 Tests, Bangladesh registered only four 500+ totals in their � rst innings. And more often than not, a good � rst-innings display served the Tigers well as they won one and drew twice among those four Tests.

The most disappointing aspect, however, is that the Tigers were bowled out under 300 in their � rst innings 31 times. And on 34 oc-casions, they were restricted inside 200 runs. The Tigers also su� ered the ignominy of be-ing skittled out for less than 100 four times, including their lowest � rst-innings score of 62-allout against Sri Lanka in Colombo eight years ago.

It seems the series sweep over Pakistan barely had any bearing on the outcome of the two-Test series as the Tigers yet again fell for a comparatively low score in their � rst innings in the drawn � rst Test in Khulna. They contin-ued to commit the same mistakes in the Dha-ka Test, paving the way for Pakistan to take a strangle-hold of the game. The Tigers’ travails refused to go away in the second innings as they crumbled to 221-allout, thus enabling the visitors to win the deciding Test by a huge margin of 328 runs.

Whatever the team combination is in the near or distant future, the Tigers will continue to be on the back-foot from the very start of a Test match unless they sort out their � rst-in-nings troubles. l

Fans hold a banner wishing Bangladesh Test captain Mush� qur Rahim on his birthday during the fourth day of the second and � nal Test against Pakistan at SBNS in Mirpur yesterday

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Sport 29D

T

Sony SixIndian Premier League 4:30PM Mumbai v Bangalore 8:30PM Chennai v Rajasthan Star Sports 1English Premier League6:30PM Manchester City v Queens Park Rangers 9:00PM Chelsea v Liverpool 12:45AM Italian Serie A Lazio v Internazionale Star Sports 2Badminton: Sudirman Cup 2015 11:00AM China v Germany 5:00PM Korea v Malaysia Star Sports 46:00PM F1: Barcelona Grand PrixMain Race Spanish La Liga9:00PM Villarreal CF v Elche CF 11:00PM UD Almeria v Malaga CF 1:00AM Celta de Vigo v Sevilla FC Ten ActionFrench Ligue 1 2014/156:00PM Racing Club De Lens v Montpellier Herault 9:00PM Saint-Etienne v Nice 11:00AM Olympic Marseille v A.S. Monaco Ten Cricket6:00PM French Ligue 1 Racing club de Lens v Montpellier 11:30PM Sky Bet Championship SF: Stevenage v Southend United Ten Sports 5:15PM Sky Bet Championship League 1 Playo� Semi Final, 2nd Leg 11:00PM ATP 1000 Masters 2015Mutua Madrid Open FinalNeo Sports06:30PM Dutch League 2015PSV Eindhoven v Heracles Almelo Neo PrimeGerman Bundesliga7:30PM Paderborn 07 v Wolfsburg 9:30PM FC Koln v FC Schalke 04

DAY’S WATCH


Paris Saint-Germain forward Edinson Cavani reacts after scoring during their French L1 match between against Guingamp at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on Friday AFP

Mourinho praise for ‘favourite enemy’ Gerrardn Reuters, London

Jose Mourinho gets a � nal chance to outwit a player he calls his “favourite enemy” on Sun-day when Steven Gerrard leads Liverpool out at Stamford Bridge for the last time before he heads o� to join LA Galaxy.

With Liverpool’s players expected to form a pre-match guard of honour for the new-ly-crowned Premier League champions, Mourinho paid his own tribute on Friday to the inspirational Liverpool skipper he says helped forge him into one of best managers in the business.

“It’s opponents like Steven Gerrard that have made me the manager I am,” a relaxed Mourinho told reporters on Friday.

“I learn with my own players and I learn with my best opponents by the problems they give me, the way they make me think and an-alyse them and to study the best way to play against them. Steven Gerrard is one of my fa-vourite enemies.

“For sure he is my dear enemy and for sure the one that made me a better manager. To try to stop him has been very, very di� cult. I lost against him, I won against him, I drew, was happy, was sad, I played against him as a

holding mid� elder, as a number 10, coming in from the wing.

“I’m very sad that’s it’s the last time I play against him because I need people like him to make me better. I tried to bring him to Chel-sea, to Inter, to Real Madrid but he was always a dear enemy,” he said.

“I want to honour him and I hope that Stamford Bridge has the same feeling that I have. He’s had an amazing career and has amazing feeling with his people. He refused to play for other big clubs and big leagues.

“Maybe I’ll play against him as Liverpool manager one day.”l

PSG close in on Ligue 1 title with Cavani treblen Reuters, Paris

Paris St Germain took a big step towards the Ligue 1 title when Edinson Cavani’s hat-trick inspired them to a 6-0 home win against mid-table En Avant Guingamp on Friday.

Fellow PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic grabbed a double, including a last-gasp penal-ty, and set up two others as PSG steamrollered past Guingamp.

With two games left, PSG have 77 points and lead second-placed Olympique Lyonnais, who have a game in hand, by six points with a better goal di� erence (+45 to +41).

Uruguay striker Cavani put the hosts ahead after three minutes when he latched on to Serge Aurier’s cross from the right after the full back was played in by Argentine playmaker Javier Pastore. Sweden forward Ibrahimovic made it 2-0 in the 18th minute with a low shot after a � ne one-two between Marco Verratti and Ca-vani had unsettled the Guingamp defence.

In the 27th minute, Pastore unleashed a � erce shot that was de� ected on to the post by keeper Jonas Loessl.

Cavani made it 3-0 seven minutes into the second half from close range after being set up by Ibrahimovic’s de� ection.

Ibrahimovic then set up Maxwell for the fourth with a cross for the Brazilian to score with a header in the 57th.

Cavani then scored his 16th league goal of the season, and his eighth in the last six games, when he volleyed home from Verrat-ti’s free kick 20 minutes from time.l

Ronaldo donates £5m to Nepaln Agencies

Real Madrid man Ronaldo was often thought of as brash and arrogant, but he’s changed that reputation, by doing stu� like standing up for this boy being mocked.

He also paid for a young fan to have emer-gency brain surgery last year, following pleas from his family. And now Ronnie had contin-ued his good deeds by apparently handing over £5million to charity to help victims of the Nepal earthquake.

French publication So Foot says Ronaldo gave the cash to Save the Children, which is working with vulnerable kids in Nepal – many of whom are now homeless and at risk.

Ronaldo had urged all of his 10million Facebook followers to donate to the cause recently, and now he’s put his own money where his mouth is. Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo has a history of being charitable, de-spite his on-� eld misdemeanour. Last year he reportedly stumped up â‚ 60,000 to pay for a 10-month-old boy’s brain surgery.l

RESULTParis Saint-Germain 6-0 GuingampCavani 2, 51, 70, Ibrahimovic 18, 90-P, Maxwell 56

DOWNTIME30DT


CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

DILBERT

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

CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS

CODE-CRACKER

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a di� erent letter of the alphabet. For example, today 3 represents S so � ll S every time the � gure 3 appears.You have one letter in the control grid to start you o� . Enter it in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares.Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.As you get the letters, � ll in the other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check o� the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

CROSSWORD

Across1 Fly upwards (4)4 Periods of time (5)8 Natural gift (6) 9 Golf club (4)11 Beer mug (5)12 Insects (4)14 Neckwear (3)15 Apprehend (6)19 Interior (6)21 Contend in rivalry (3)22 Rind (4)24 Play unskilfully (5)27 Easy pace (4)29 East (6)30 Cried, as cattle (5)31 Continent (4)

Down1 Snow runner (3)2 Makes up for (6)3 Talk wildly (4)4 Acceptance (3)5 Go in (5)6 Consumed (3)7 Governing body (6)10 Precipitation (4)13 Sorrowful (3)14 Christmas decoration (6)16 Corded fabric (3)17 Turns outwards (6)18 Airtight grain store (4)20 Accustom (5)23 Sicilian volcano (4)25 Argument (3)26 Central (3)28 Beverage (3 )

SUDOKU

SHOWTIME 31D


WHAT TO WATCH

Chak De! India BSony Entertainment TV 3:30pm A disgraced hockey player coaches the women’s national team to win back his honor and dignity.Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Malvade, Tanya Abrol

Son of the Mask BHBO 5:34pm Tim Avery, an aspiring cartoonist, � nds himself in a predicament when his dog stumbles upon the mask of Loki. Then after conceiving an infant son “born of the mask”, he discovers just how looney child raising can be.Cast: Jamie Kennedy, Traylor Howard, Alan Cumming

Motorsport Mundial C Ten Sports 9:30pm 24 minutes of the best and most breathtaking race action from around the world delivered every week of the year, with insights and behind-the-scenes footage from everything up to and including Formula One.

Dutchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton welcomes her little princess.

Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake con� rms about Baby Timberlake.

It’s a girl for Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross.

Zooey Deschanel’s big news reveals her engagement with Jacob Pechenik and their soon to be born baby.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter had a Valentine’s Day wedding and are expecting a little member to join their family this year. l

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

Farah Khan @TheFarahKhan Important day today 4 me... My son learnt to � nally tie his shoe laces!! hallelujah!!

Mark Wahlberg @mark_wahlberg Shabbat shalom! tedmovie2 #LegalizeTed

Jeremy Renner @Renner4Real Time square huddle @gma with @RobertDowneyJr @ChrisEvans @MarkRu� alo. Staying warm really. #timesquare #avengers

n Showtime Desk

Bangladesh Film Actors’ Association has announced superstar Shakib Khan as the new president. Shakib Khan beat everyone’s favourite villain, Ahmed Sharif, while on

the other hand, Amit Hasan defeated Misha Sawdagar in the election held on Friday, becoming the new secretary general of Bangladesh Film Actors’ Association.

While these two heroes took the election by storm, Omar Sunny became the vice-

Hottest Hollywood mothers

Baby boom

King Khan of Dhallywood makes it as the president

president and actress Moushumi and Bobby made it as the executive members of the association.

The panel led by Shakib and Misha won 16 out of 21 posts in the election. However, Amit Hasan, being an independent participant in the election, was supported by the Ahmed Sharif led panel, of which only two members of the panel won in the election. Along with actress Moushumi and Bobby, Kamol, who competed as an individual candidate, also became a member of the executive committee.

This is the second time in a row that Shakib Khan has earned the position of the president in the association. The Dhallywood superstar quoted, “I am really happy to be reelected as the position has given me the opportunity to serve � lm artistes again.” Shakib Khan has made a promise to help the artistes and come in terms with the government for their welfare, along with other members of the association.

Co-winner, Amit Hasan expressed great happiness on Shakib’s win in the election. He spoke more about the superstar and how charismatic Shakib was as a leader in the last term and that it is a great opportunity for him to be able to work with such a dedicated member of the association. l

n Showtime desk

On the occasion of Mother's Day, we've compiled a list of some of our favourite hot mamas setting Hollywood on � re. How do they do it? Well, remember, looking good happens to be their business.

Columbian born So� a Vergara's 21 year old son Manolo usually gets mistaken for her younger brother. We would probably make the same error.

Ageless beauty Demi Moore, pictured here with one of her three full grown daughters who are also actresses.

Heidi Klum, one of our favourite Victoria’s Secret super models, happens to be the parent of four youngsters. Who would have thought?

No list would be complete without mentioning the goddess, better known as Halle Berry. The Bond Girl stunner is mother to seven year old Nahla.

BACK PAGE32DT


AN OPEN LETTER TO MAA PAGE 12

ROLLER COASTER TOUR ENDS HAPPILY FOR AZHAR PAGE 26

MUHITH SUGGESTS PAYROLL INCOME TAX REFORM PAGE 15

Energy regulator fails 90-day limit to announce price hikesn Aminur Rahman Rasel

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commis-sion (BERC) has failed to give a decision on electricity and gas price hikes within 90 days of public hearings held earlier, as required by the commission act.

A BERC o� cial, asking not to be named, told the Dhaka Tribune that the commission was postponing the announcement of elec-tricity price increases because the govern-ment wanted to avert a public backlash dur-ing the sweltering summer when fans and air-conditioners are widely used.

“The government is against hiking electric-ity prices in the summer amid frequent power outages for fear of an adverse public reaction. The commission is waiting for the opportune moment to announce increased prices of elec-tricity for di� erent categories of consumers,” the BERC o� cial told the Dhaka Tribune.

On delays in announcing gas price hikes, the BERC o� cial said the commission was undecided on a proposed markup on the up-stream price of natural gas.

Professor Samsul Alam, adviser to the Con-sumers’ Association of Bangladesh (CAB), yesterday said: “According to the BERC Act, the commission is legally obliged to announce its decision. BERC has no authority to with-hold it from the public.”

He said the commission was creating con-troversy by delaying the announcement.

BERC Chairman AR Khan told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “We are working on the pro-posals and on the arguments we received during the hearings and in post-hearing interactions.

“We will try to make a decision as quickly as possible.”

After separately receiving proposals from the six electricity and seven gas companies to increase prices, BERC organised public hear-ings on power tari� hike proposals from Janu-ary 22 to 25 and gas tari� hike proposals from February 2 to 5.

A Tk25 markup per 1,000 cubic feet on the upstream price of natural gas was earlier ap-proved by the government. Adding this amount to the existing price of gas, using a cost-plus pricing strategy, is a novel undertaking.

The commission agrees with the govern-ment on the need to � x the price of gas, the BERC o� cial said. But the commission is in a � x on giving a � nal decision on the price of gas for di� erent categories of consumers, he added.

State-owned Petrobangla had earlier pres-sured gas distribution companies to send price hike proposals to the BERC.

During the hearings, the CAB strongly op-posed the Tk25 markup.

BERC earlier violated the law by holding public hearings on electricity and gas tari� increase proposals without � rst holding an open meeting.

According to the BERC Act, the commis-sion is bound to hold an open meeting � rst. l

NBR-Big Tobacco meeting violates FCTCn Tribune Report

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) yester-day held a meeting with local cigarette man-ufacturers, violating the provision of Frame-work Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

The FCTC, a global public health treaty from World Health Organisation (WHO) that Bangladesh rati� ed in 2004, recommends the signatories not to hold any covert meeting with the tobacco manufacturers.

With the secret meeting at its mini-confer-ence room, the NBR had violated section 5.3 of the convention as it has invited the cigarette manufacturers for meeting and discussed is-sues related to the tax structure of the sector.

The representatives from Bangladesh Cig-arette Manufacturers Association (BCMA) came to the NBR headquarters at around 12:15pm to press home their demands for the upcoming budget for the � scal year 2015-16.

A � ve-member delegation comprised of British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) Chairman Golam Mainuddin, Managing Di-rector Shehzad Munim and Dhaka Tobacco Industries Managing Director Sheikh Bashir Uddin entered the mini-conference room of

NBR chairman at around 12.20pm. They had a meeting of about 45 minutes in there. Jour-nalists were not allowed to enter the room.

The NBR usually holds meeting with the stake-holders at the conference room where journalists are invited to cover news from the meeting.

Later at around 1pm, they came to the NBR conference room and had a pre-budget dis-cussion publicly with NBR member Enayet Hossain in chair.

Just after the meeting, the manufacturers again entered the o� ce of NBR chairman and stayed there for another 30 minutes.

With the covert meeting at the mini-con-ference room, NBR has violated article 5.3 of FCTC that reads: “In setting and implement-ing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, Parties shall act to protect

these policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in ac-cordance with national law.”

The FCTC provides an internationally coor-dinated response to combat tobacco epidemic and sets out speci� c steps for government to address tobacco-related issues.

It is alleged that representatives from to-bacco-related industries put pressure on tax authorities to keep the tax on cigarettes low.

They also reportedly manipulate statis-tics and the number of workers employed in the tobacco factories to get di� erent bene� ts from the government.

According to the World Health Organisa-tion (WHO), the prices of cigarette, bidi and other tobacco products in Bangladesh are considered the lowest in the world.

As many as 57,000 people die while 3.82 lakh become disabled because of tobacco consumption in Bangladesh. According to the World Bank, Tk11,000 crore is spent every year in Bangladesh on treating people that su� er from tobacco-related diseases.

Addressing the meeting, Dhaka Tobacco Industries Managing Director Sheikh Bashir Uddin asked the NBR to ensure an atmos-

phere for cigarette manufacturers and the government to enjoy a win-win situation.

The NBR meeting with tobacco manufac-turers raised concerns from di� erent quarters.

Former NBR member Muhammad Abdul Majid told the Dhaka Tribune that the NBR is committed not to take any such stand that is against any treaty that Bangladesh rati� ed or against the public health issues.

“We are entitled to maintain the provisions of the convention, but there may be some problems, for which, the commitment can-not be maintained. We cannot allow them to do anything, even for the sake of revenues as it will ultimately create negative impact on overall health issues of the public,” he said.

“NBR cannot negotiate or discuss anything with them. What it can do is only imposition of taxes,” he added.

Anti-tobacco campaigner PROGGA ex-pressed dissatisfaction over the NBR move.

“There is a bar to close-door meeting be-tween government o� cials and tobacco pro-ducers as per FCTC. Tobacco manufacturers can only have the meeting in a transparent and accountable manner,” a campaigner from PROGGA said. l

A child sleeps on the central reservation of a busy road in Paribagh in the capital while her father sells tea at a nearby stall. With vehicles whizzing past, a tragic accident could take place at any time if she rolls over in her sleep. The photo was taken yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

Social media blamed for highSaudi divorce raten Tribune Desk

Social me dia networks including Facebook and WhatsApp play a big role in Saudi Ara-bia’s increasing divorce rate, experts in the conservative kingdom have said.

More than 30,000 divorces take place in the kingdom every year or 82 every day, Arab News, a Saudi Arabian English daily reported.

Other reasons include a lack of under-

standing between spouses, cultural and edu-cational di� erences, extramarital a� airs and � nancial and family problems.

According to a survey covering marriage o� cials, 20 percent of divorces take place as a result of extramarital a� airs unveiled through the exchange of messages and photos on the social media.

Analyst Badr Almotawa said the problem stems from a deterioration of moral values. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial O� ce: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207. Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], Website: www.dhakatribune.com

10 May, 2015

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