Dhaka Tribune print edition: December 04, 2013

8/13/2019 Dhaka Tribune print edition: December 04, 2013

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Awami Leag

effort to woother partie

nMohammad Al-Mas

All efforts of the Aw

convince smaller polit

participate in the upc

have failed as the rul

could not woo them to

sition alliance.

Even some of the

allies in the alliance als

from the polls procedur

the ruling party who are

hold the 10th general el

Awami League lea

could not woo the smal

in the fold of oppositio

as Bangladesh Jatiya P

Blockade: Ten killed on day fournTribune Report

At least 10 people, including a school-

boy, were killed and more than a hun-

dred injured in violence around the

country yesterday on the fourth day of

the oppositions blockade.

Three deaths were reported from

Chittagong and Satkhira each, two

from Chandpur and one from Noakha-

li. Retired madrassa teacher Maulana

Abdus Sattar, an arson victim, died

at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical Col-

lege Hospital after struggling for life

for two deaths.

In Chandpur town, police opened

fire on a BNP procession near the Kali-

bari intersection around 10:30am leav-

ing Ratan, 25, and schoolboy Siam, 14,

dead. According to witnesses, Ratan

was a post graduate student of the

Chandpur Government College while

Siam was an eighth grader of a Shibir

controlled madrassa. Siams father Mo-

jibur Rahman claimed that his son had

gone out to have breakfast. Local Shibir

claimed that Siam was their supporter.

BNPs volunteers wing Swechchase-

bak Dal leader Shariful Islam Rasel,

who was critically-injured after police

opened fire during a clash on Monday

night in Sitakunda of Chittagong, suc-

cumbed to his injuries yesterday. Po-

lice said party men took away Rasel to a

secret place and left his dead body in aprivate hospital.

In another incident, a covered van

hit a banyan tree as its driver Mahbub

lost control after pro-blockade activ-

ists hurled several petrol bombs at it

at the Cement Crossing of the EPZ area

in Chittagong around 1:40am. Mahbub

died on the spot while helpers Mijan

and Suman Das received burn injuries.

Mijan succumbed to his injuries at the

Chittagong Medical College Hospitalaround 5:30pm.

Seven-year old schoolboy Minhaj

Hossain Belals left eye was badly in-

jured when a crude bomb exploded

near him while he was going to school

at Saraipara Biswa Road. He was under-

going treatment at the CMCH.

In Satkhira, Shibir activist Hossain

Ali, 17, was killed as police and Border

Guard Bangladesh members, after be-

ing attacked, opened fire in Debhata

upazila around 7am.

Azizur Rahman, publicity secretary

of district unit Jamaat claimed that

another Shibir activist named Arizul

Islam, 20, was also killed during the

PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

nManik Miazee

Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershads

sudden announcement of boycotting

the upcoming national elections has

surprised everyone, even the senior

colleagues in his party, and the cabinet.

Jatiya Party will not participate in

the elections as all political parties did

not submit nomination papers, Ershad

announced at a 13-minute-long press

conference in hi s offi ce yesterday noon.

He said his party would not take part

in the upcoming polls as the environ-

ment was not election-friendly and all

parties had not participated in thepolls. He asked party members who

had submitted nomination papers to

withdraw those.

No party leader accompanied Er-

shad at the programme. His Press and

Political Secretary Sunil Shuvo Roy had

communicated to journalists about the

event just 40 minutes before.

Interestingly, when the former mil-

itary dictator was making his surprise

announcement, some of the ministers

from his party in the present cabinet,

including his wife Rowshan Ershad,

were in the ir Secre tariat o ffi ces. Er-

shads adviser Ziauddin Bablu and

the partys Presidium member Anisul

Islam Mahmud were accompanyingPrime Minister Sheikh Hasina on a visit

to the burnt Standard Group garment

factory in Gazipur.

Bablu was recently appointed the

PMs adviser and Mahmud the water

resources minister.

No one in the party could give any

clue about the reasons behind Ershads

sudden change of mind. Ershad him-

self was untraceable since after the

press conference as of 10:30pm and his

mobile phone was also switched off.

When contacted, Jahangir Alam, a

domestic help at Ershads residence,

also said his sir had had no commu-

nication with home since holding the

press conference.

In the press conference, Ershad said

if all political parties joined the elec-

tions, Jatiya Party would also partici-

pate in it.

In reply to a question, he said: The

decision on the Jatiya Party leaders in

the current cabinet will be taken soon.

Talking to party leaders, it seemed

certain that Ershad took the decisionwithout discussing with them.

PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

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Vol 1 No 250 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2013 www.dhakatribune.com SECOND EDITION

News3 BNP has welcomed former military

dictator and Jatiya Party Chairman

Ershads decision to back off from

participating in the parliamentary

election.

National7 Over 1.5m people in five upazilas of

Chapainawabganj in Rajshahi region

are at risk of arsenic poisoning due to

contaminated tube well waters.

INSIDE

A made-up arson story that almost workednMohammad Jamil Khan

The story is sensational on multiple

levels.

Firstly, it is about a husband, who

wanted to earn some money using

the 40% burns on his pregnant wifes

body. Secondly, it is about how some-

one clever, who made up a story sogood that it almost deceived the media.

Thirdly, even the girl with that many

burns on her body was an accomplice.

The Dhaka Tribune, besides some

other leading media houses from homeand abroad, ran a story yesterday about

18-year old garment worker Shirin, who

was said to have suffered burn injuries

in an arson attack on a bus on the

third day of the oppositions blockade

on Monday.

However, police later confirmed that

six months pregnant Shirin was actu-

ally burnt in a fire that caught her body

from the stove in her kitchen.

Shirins husband Shahin, a human

hauler driver, made up the story of the

arson attack because he thought it

could be profitable for him if he could

prove that his wife was a victim of po-

litical violence.

We staged the drama so that we

could avoid paying for the treatment

and also get some attention because we

had seen in the media that people who

got hurt in political violence got special

treatment, said Shirin, who had been

undergoing treatment at the Burn and

Plastic Surgery Unit of the Dhaka Medi-

cal College Hospital (DMCH).

PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

AL and JP candidatesface 252 rebelsnEmran Hossain Shaikh

At least 252 candidates, most of them

from the ruling Awami League includ-

ing former communications minister

Syed Abul Hossain, submitted nomi-

nation papers to contest the upcoming

polls as independent candidates.

Abul, allegedly involved in the Pad-

ma bridge corruption scam, submitted

nomination papers for Madaripur-3

constituency. He has been elected as

the lawmaker for the seat four times

since 1991. He will fight against AFM

Bahauddin Nasim, an organising secre-

tary of the Awami League.

Expelled from the Awami League for

sheltering armed cadres, Joynal Hazari

submitted nomination papers in Feni-

1, 2 and 3 constituencies. The party had

nominated Khairul Basher Majumder,

Nizam Uddin Hazari and Abul Bashar.

Former army chief KM Shafiullah, a

member of the Awami Leagues advi-

sory board, will compete against Go-

lam Dastagir Gazi, the current MP who

got the Awami League ticket for the

January 5 polls, for a Narayanganj con-

stituency.

Besides them, current and formerlawmakers, upazila chairmen and

vice-chairmen all belonging to the

Awami League have been contesting

PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

Quitting polErshads perdecision: JP

nEmran Hossain Sha

Two Jatiya Party leade

the election-time gov

said quitting the polls

chiefs personal dec

want to take part in the

Anisul Islam Mahmu

member and water reso

of the polls-time cabin

din Ahmed Bablu, advis

minister, informally m

Hasina at Ganabhaban l

Earlier yesterday, JP

former military ruler H

he would not contest

national polls and asked

ers and activists to wafor the next move. He

party leaders to withdr

nation papers.

In reply to the pr

query about Ershad

unexpected decision, t

ers said it was not a un

sion of the party.

They also assured th

they would try to conv

revoke his decision.

Anisul Islam told th

une: It was not a form

met with the prime m

she called us. She wa

Chameleon Ershad takes new colourThe former military dictator now backtracks from polls without consulting party men

8 InternationalUkraine govtsurvives no-confidence vote

14 SportMessi continuesrecovery from thighstrain in Argentina

B1 BuOnskyaga

T T

TreehousePet tale:Awesomefoursome


2/26


3/26

News DHAKA TRIBUNE Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Tribunal irked with prosecution, defencenUdisa Islam

The two war crimes tribunals yester-day had to adjourn proceedings as con-

ducting defence counsels and witness-

es were not present on the ground of

ongoing blockade programme.

The International Crimes Tribunal

1 asked the prosecutors not to mix up

politics with the profession since their

remarks might hamper the trial pro-

ceedings while the tribunal 2 expressed

dissatisfaction over the defence coun-

sels for their repeated absence.

Both the tribunals adjourned and

closed the proceedings within 15 min-

utes.

As the tribunal 1 started the days

proceedings with the trial of Mobarak

Hossain, defence counsel Tarikul Islam

submitted a petition seeking adjourn-

ment for three days, saying conducting

lawyer Ahsanul Huq had not returned

from Chittagong because of the block-

ade.

He also said the defence witness

could not come to Dhaka from Brah-

manbaria for the same reason.

Prosecutor Shahidur Rahman ve-hemently opposed the petition saying

that the defence had brought the plea

only to delay the trial, and that ad-

journment could not be given o n the

ground of hartals or blockades as those

were regular phenomena.

Led by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, the

tribunal 1 reacted sharply: Keep your

politics outside court. You guys are

talking too much.

Referring to a prosecutors remarks

made in media that the verdict in Mo-

tiur Rahman Nizami case would be

pronounced before Victory Day, the

tribunal said: In this month, we will

go s low.

Prosecutor Mohammad Ali madethe comment recently.

The tribunal then accepted the de-

fences adjournment petition and de-

ferred the proceedings until December

8. It also reminded that the statement

of accused Mobarak would be record-

ed on that day even if the defence re-

mained absent.

Mobarak was indicted on April 23 on

five charges of crimes against human-

ity.

In the case against Zahid Hossain

Khokon alias Khokon Razakar, the

tribunal deferred the proceedings un-

til December 9 as the 10th prosecution

witnesses failed to appear before it.

Prosecutor Sabina Yesmin Khan

Munni submitted an adjournment pe-

tition saying that the witness could not

come from Faridpur because of the na-

tionwide blockade.

Meanwhile, the tribunal 2 was

also annoyed with the defence of war

crimes suspect AKM Yusuf as one

single senior counsel continuously

skipped appearing at the court on the

ground of blockade.

Yesterday was fixed for cross-exam-

ination of 14th prosecution witness Ba-

blu Kumar Mistri. But a junior defence

counsel appeared at the court with an

adjournment petition.

Rejecting the petition, the tribunal

closed the cross-examination. Bablu

is the third witness whose question-

ing was closed by the tribunal as the

conducting defence counsel did not

appear.

In his submission, the defence coun-

sel argued that during hartals, even the

Appellate Division and the High Court

benches did not function.

Irked, the tribunal said: We are notunder anyone. The tribunal is inde-

pendent. We will continue its proceed-

ing in every hartal or blockade. When

all witnesses, prosecutors and junior

defence counsels are present, only for

a senior counsel the court cannot be

continued. Is it possible? l

BNP welcomesErshad but cantbank on himn

Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

BNP has welcomed former military dic-

tator and Jatiya Party Chairman Ershads

decision to back off from participating in

the parliamentary election.

The main opposition, however, can-

not put its trust in Ershad as he is high-

ly unpredictable in politics.

Some senior BNP leaders said they

wanted two more days before making

any offi cial comm ents as the perio d for

nomination papers withdrawal ends on

December 13.

The main opposition partys Joint

Secretary General Salahuddin Ahmed in

a press release welcomed Ershads an-

nouncement and asked the government

to suspend the polls schedule.

Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman HM Ershad

on Tuesday said his party would not par-

ticipate in the upcoming elections as all

political parties did not submit nomina-tion papers. He asked his party men to

withdraw their candidature.

Mahbubur Rahman, a BNP standing

committee member, said if he made the

announcement from his realisation that

the one-sided and farcical election

would not bring any result to the nation-

al politics, then it was a positive gesture

in the politics.

Better to leave than never. If he

sticks to his words then it is a positive

approach to politics, he told the Dhaka

Tribune.

Mahbubur Rahman, also a former

military chief, said Ershad is lacking

credibility and he now has to restore it

not by words but by deeds.

Inam Ahmed Chowdhury, adviser tothe BNP chairperson, said Ershads de-

cision is a realisation of the reality and

he has a pressure from the party not to

contest the polls.

I think he has realised that if he con-

tests the polls he might lose the support

base and the one-sided election will not

be accepted both at home and abroad,

he said.

When asked about whether he could

believe in Ershad, he said: Let us see

two more days.

Osman Farruk, an adviser to the BNP

chairperson, said Ershad had taken a

mature decision and Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina should come to the sense

that she has been isolated.

Ershads decision to quit polls is

the last na il in the co ffi n of the Awami

Leagues stage-managed election, he

said.l

FBCCI concerned overnon-stop blockadesnBSS

The Federation of Bangladesh Cham-

bers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI)

yesterday expressed deep concern over

the serious bleeding of national econ-

omy as a result of the non-stop hartals

and blockade enforced by the BNP-led

18-party opposition combine.

Describing the export sector as a driv-

ing force of the countrys economy, they

said those strikes were not only hurt-

ing the economy but also affecting the

countrys image abroad and the flow of

foreign investment.

The views came at an emergency

meeting at its offi ce with FBCCI Presi-

dent Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed presid-

ing, said a statement.

They said arson, destruction, acts of

sabotage and uprooting of railway fish-

plates in the name of peaceful hartal and

strikes were leading the countrys econ-

omy to stagflation-like situation.

Political problems could not be re-

solved through killing of common peo-

ple but politically, they said.It will be hard to offset the irrepara-

ble loss the businessmen have been suf-

fering from the frequent demonstration,

strikes and hartals, the statement said.

Producers of perishable products,

small businessmen, transport sector

business people and day labourers have

been the worst victims to the current

political unrest.

Given the situation, the FBCCI decided

that it would urge the Bangladesh Bank

not to consider entrepreneurs as clas-sified if they failed to repay bank loans

due to the political unrest. The apex

trade body would also call for keeping

bank interest static until the unstable

political situation came to an end.

It also took a decision that all busi-

ness establishments would hoist white

flag in their respective establishments

across the country as a token demon-

stration, the statement added.l

CEC: Time ruout for politconsensusnMohammad Zakaria

Chief Election Comm

Rakibuddin Ahmad has

cern as the political par

reach a consensus on p

is slippi ng away.

We are yet to see an

towards reaching a cons

reporters at the commis

The CEC also hoped t

violence would calm dow

ours to forge an underst

Asked if the polls

one-sided now that the

not contesting, the CEC

mission would observe t

til nomination papers we

He also said eight ca

elected without contes

when nominations were

According to polls sch

general elections will be

5, while the deadline f

nominations is Decemb

cal parties are participat

along with the independ

319 Awami League candJatiya Party and 241 inde

dates.l

US calls for empowering trustelieutenants for talksnTribune Report

The USA yesterday said both major po-

litical parties should empower trusted

lieutenants to undertake constructive

dialogue in order to hold elections that

were credible in the eyes of Bangla-deshi people.

The US Embassy in Dhaka in a state-

ment made the call in the backdrop of

the ongoing violence and political stale-

mate over the polls-time government.

We believe all parties should have

space to freely and peacefully express

their views. The government bears re-

sponsibility to provide such space; the

opposition parties bear responsibility

to use such space in a peaceful man-

ner, the US embassy statement said.

W hi b li d h i h

ing her visit to Bangladesh, violence is

not part of the democratic process, is

not acceptable and must stop immedi-

ately.

The senseless violence of past days

was particularly reprehensible as it in-

tentionally targeted innocent people

with bombs and by burning them alive

in vehicles, it added.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to

Bangladesh Dan W Mozena yesterday

called on several ministers including

Public Works Minister Tofail Ahmed,

Information Minister Hasanul Haq and

Environment and Forest Minister Has-

san Mahmud a t their offi ces.

Mozena told reporters at the sec-

retariat that the upcoming visit of the

UN Assistant Secretary General for Po-

li i l Aff i O F d T

After the meeting wi

fail told journalists: Th

pressed his concerns ov

violence and stressed th

of all parties in the upco

Meanwhile, Canadia

missioner in Dhaka H

in a statement urged alviolence and work tow

resolution.

It is still possible fo

political organisations t

ated solution, if there

to ensure that the upc

election is transparent,

ible and peaceful, the s

Canada is dismaye

tinued escalation of viol

desh, which has led to

b i kill d d i j d

A BGB member kicks a picket, who was caught while torching a vehicle in the capitals Jatrabari during opposition enforced countrywide blockade yesterday

arson, destruction, acts ofsabotage and uprooting ofrailway fishplates in the nameof peaceful hartal and strikeswere leading the countryseconomy to stagflation-likesituation


4/26

News4 DHAKA TRIBUNE Wednesday, December 4, 2013

WEATHER

Dry weather likely

nUNB

Weather is likely to remain dry with

temporary partly cloudy sky over the

country until 6pm today.Night and day temperature might

remain nearly unchanged over the

country, Met offi ce said.

The sun sets in the capital at 5:11pm

today and rises at 6:27am tomorrow.

Countrys highest temperature 31.0

degree Celsius was recorded at Sand-

wip and lowest 13 3 degrees at Ch

Pro-oppositionprofessionals memoto SC registrarnNazmus Sakib

Pro-opposition professionals yesterday

handed over a memorandum to Su-preme Court Registrar AKM Shamsul

Islam demanding a stop to police re-

mand against journalists, lawyers and

human rights activists.

They want it placed before Chief Jus-

tice Md Muzammel Hossain, who they

said could take steps to halt such re-

mands as he was the head of judiciary.

They also demanded that adminis-

trative steps be taken to hear the case

pending at the High Court for the re-

opening of the daily Amar Desh.

In the memo, the professionals men-

tioned the remand orders of the lower

court against two journalists of Rtv;

BNP leaders Moudud Ahmed, Rafiqul

Islam Miah, and Shimul Biswas; Amar

Desh Editor Mahmudur Rahman; San-

gram Editor Abul Asad; and Odhikar

Secretary Adilur Rahman Khan.

The professionals were Zainul Abedin,

BNP chairpersons adviser; Shaukat Mah-mood, BNP chairpersons adviser; Sanaul-

lah Miah, party mass education secretary;Ruhul Amin Gazi, president of BFUJ and

chief reporter of the daily Sangram; Ab-

dul Hai Shikdar, president of a faction of

Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ); Jahan-

gir Alam Prodhan, secretary of DUJ.l

Eagle Towerinaugurated

nTribune Report

The Bangladesh Air F

unveiled a monument i

of the Liberation War o

Flight and the valiant

ers who took part in it.

Air Commodore M

man inaugurated the Esquare concrete structu

face and a sculpted ea

stalled on the western

runway in the capital.

The courageous pilot

Kilo Flight of the new

gladesh Air Force (BAF

air attacks against the

pation forces on Decem

BISHWAJIT MURDER CASE

Verdict date in Bishwajitcase likely todaynMd Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday initiated re-

cording the argument of the last de-

fence counsel in sensational Bishwajit

Das murder case.

Judge ABM Nizamul Haque of the

Speedy Trial Tribunal 4 fixed today

for hearing the rest of argument on

behalf of Rafiqul Islam Shakil, the key

accused. Following the argument, the

court is likely to declare a date for de-

livering the verdict.

Earlier, all defence counsels and also

the state defence lawyer completed ar-

guments on behalf of 20 other accused.

On October 24, the court had com-

pleted recording of statements of the

prosecution witnesses. The court re-

corded the statements of 33 out of 60

prosecution witnesses.

Public prosecutor of the tribunal SM

Rafiqul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune:

The court may fix date for the judge-ment tomorrow [today].

He said: The prosecution p roduced

proper witnesses in the case, and I ex-

pect that the accused will be punished

according to the law.

Old Dhaka tailor Bishwajit, 24, was

hacked to death in public by Bangla-

desh Chhatra League activists of Jag-

annath University unit during the op-

positions countrywide road-blockade

programme on December 9 last year.

Trial of the case against 21 accused

began on June 14 with deposition ofthe complainant, Sub-Inspector Jalal

Uddin of Sutrapur police station.

Following investigation, DB Inspec-

tor Tajul Islam on March 5 pressed the

charges before the court which indicted

the accused on June 2. Of the 21 accused,

detained eight were produced before the

court yesterday. The other 13 have been

on the run since the incident. l

CU bC t S i

DUITS asks for Wi-Fiservices on campus

nDU Correspondent

Dhaka University Information and

Technology Society yesterday arranged

a roundtable titled Campus Wi-Fi:

Limitations and Possibilities at the

universitys S enate building.

The DUITS asked the authorities to

provide Wi-Fi services on the wholecampus so that students could enhance

their knowledge of IT.

DU Pro-VC Prof Saheed Akthar

Hossain, BTRC Director General Jakir

Hossain, IT specialist Munir Hossain,

Banglapedia Administrator Norunnabi

Chowdhury and DUITS Moderator D

Shafiul Alam Bhuayan spoke at the

programme. l

N i i d i k f h

JU VC asks minister to publish probe repnJU Correspondent

Confined again at his residence by the

agitating teachers of Jahangirnagar

University, Vice-Chancellor Prof Anwar

Hossain yesterday said he had askedthe education minister to publish the

investigation report on the allegations

against him.

He was confined on Monday night

by the protesters who are demanding

a quick implementation of the chancel-

lors directives, which were given on

November 6 with a view to solve the

ongoing crises on the campus.

President Abdul Hamid had asked

the VC to hold senate elections im-

mediately, and to select a VC panel

through the senate in the line with the

JU Act. The chancellor also asked him

to withdraw the writ petitions filed

against three teachers of the university.

Prof Anwar told the Dhaka Tribune:

I cannot do anything, including the ex-

ecution of the directives of the honour-

able chancellor, simply because of the

teachers irrational movement which ishampering the universitys discipline.

The VC said he again had extended

his leave for his physical illness until

tomorrow. During this time, Pro-VC

(education) Prof MA Matin would be

the acting VC.

Prof Anwar reached the campus onMonday afternoon after a 12-day-long

medical leave. Hearing the news, the

agitating teachers released Prof Matin

and Pro-VC (administration) Prof Af-

sar Ahmed at around 9pm and then

went to the VCs residence to meet

Prof Anwar.

They took positions in front of thetwo gates of the residence around

10pm installing several tents, on the

grounds that the VC had denied paying

a visit to the teachers who are now agi-

tating under the banner of JU Teach-

ers-Students and O ffi cers-Emp loyees

United Forum.

Backed by ousted VC Prof Shariff

Enamul Kabir, who is now a member

of the Public Service Commission,

and pro-BNP teachers, they have

been demanding the removal of the

sitting VC.

Prof Matin and Prof Afsar had been

confined to the adminisfor 12 days since Novem

Secretary of the foru

Ahsan said: We will no

residence until the di

chancellors are fulfilledHe alleged that the

meeting teach ers, stude

loyal to him, but was av

tating teachers.

He said the VC was y

the petitions.

Prof Anwar yesterda

his cable network conn

connected by the agit

and they were not all

ployees to enter his resi

The authorities also

this regard to Prof Ka

the forums secretary d

gation and said he did

thing about the matter.

Prof Matin was no

comment despite seve

contact him.

The forum member

procession on the camevening.l

Sound abovetolerable levels inmost of DhakanTribune Report

Pro-environment group Poribesh

Bachao Andolan (Poba) has said the

level of sound pollution in Dhaka has

reached alarming levels because of the

authorities negligence in implement-

ing controlling measures.

A study conducted by Poba through-

out Dhaka in November shows that in

most places, the level of sound genera-

tion is two to three times higher than

tolerable limits.

This has in turn been resulting in

increasing cases of hearing loss, insom-nia, loss of concentration, irritation,

high blood pressure, headache and re-

tarded fetal growth, said a Poba press

release yesterday.

Although a law was enacted in 2006for controlling sound pollution, the

government was yet to implement it,

the release said.

According to the Noise Pollution

(Control) Rules 2006, 50 decibel is the

permissible level of sound in residen-

tial areas during daytime. During night-

time, it is 40 decibel. The study shows

that current levels are 76 and 87.Same are the cases with commercial

areas, mixed areas and silent areas.

The law prohibits honking within

100m radius of hospitals, educational

institut ions a nd offi ces and use of

brick and stone breaking machines

within 500m radius of residential ar-

eas. First time offenders can be fined

up to Tk5,000 and the second-timers

two months imprisonment alongside

Tk10,000 fine, while an offender canbe fined Tk10,000-Tk7 lakh.

Poba also made some recommenda-tions: raise awareness about the side

effects of noise pollution, banning im-

port high volume horns, taking actions

against factories, repairing vehicles

regularly, conducting mobile courts,

advertisement in media on the effects

of noise pollution, restricting shops

from playing music in high volume,

setting up signboards to display the

permissible limits in silent, industrial,

commercial and residential areas, and

so on. l

Area P er mi ss ib le Le ve l ( de ci be l) C ur re nt Le ve l ( de ci be l)

Daytime Nighttime Daytime Nighttime

Residential 50 40 76 87

Commercial 76 60 71 107

Mixed 60 50 73 102

Silent 50 40 75 97

Data of Poba study on sound pollution

Shahingsata Protirodhe Janata, backed by left political parties, organises a procession at Shahbagh in the capital yesterday, protesting the ongoing political unrest ac

German Cooperation, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, UNDP and USAID jointly organise a stakeholder workshop on

Which Kinds of Social Safety Net Transfers Work Best for the Rural Ultra Poor? in the capitals Spectra Convention Centre yesterday

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU


5/26

DHAKA TRIBUNELong Form Wednesday, December 4, 2013

nHassan Zaman

About a year back the

Economist had a piece

titled Out of the basket

(published on November

3, 2012) and subtitled

Lessons from the achievements yes,

really, achievements of Bangladesh.

The magazine appeared somewhat be-

mused at how a country once labelled

a test case for development could

have made such striking gains in de-

velopment outcomes over the past two

decades, especially when compared

with its wealthier neighbours (seetable reproduced from the Economist).

These gains were hard to reconcile

amidst Bangladeshs natural and Rana

Plaza-type disasters, volatile politics

and unfavourable rankings on govern-ance indicators themes which the

Economist has often covered before,

and after, this achievements piece.

Recently the prestigious Lancet

journal has come out with a special is-

sue on Bangladesh which the journals

editors say is in order to investigate

one of the great mysteries of global

health.

Specifically, the published papers are

meant to explore how Bangladesh

has made enormous health advances

and now has the longest life expec-

tancy, lowest fertility rate and lowest

infant and under-5 mortality rates in

south Asia despite spending less on

health care than several neighbouring

countries.

Both these publications helpexplain the various Bangladesh

paradoxes but they also overlook, or

underplay, a few critical factors.

Some of the drivers of these gains

in health outcomes summarised in

Amartya Sens and Mushtaque Chow-

dhurys Lancet contributions are also

identified by the broader Economist

achievements story.

First, they both argue that the

manner by which women have beenat the centre of development gains is

unprecedented whether as commu-

nity-based health care workers con-

tributing to the halving of fertility in

one generation, or as girls outnumber-

ing boys in school, or as recipients of

micro-credit loans or as the backboneof the $25bn garments industry.

Second, there is general agreement

in both the Lancet and Economistview, as well as many others, that a

pluralistic approach to the design and

delivery of services is particularly

unique in Bangladesh and has contrib-

uted to these outcomes.

Specifically the role of NGOs,

including some such as BRAC which

are among the largest in the world,

in working as partners with govern-

ment and the pioneering role of the

Grameen Bank are highlighted.

Pluralism also includes the local pri-

vate sector pharmaceutical companies,which, protected from foreign compe-

tition during their infancy, have also

provided access to low-cost generic

drugs and are now a significant part of

Bangladeshs export basket.

Self-s uffi cienc y in food through

sharp increases in rice yields and

multi-cropping (Economist) along with

significant improvements in disaster

management (Cash et al in the Lancet)

and the role of made-in-Bangladesh

innovations in health delivery (Adams

et al in the Lancet and a subsequent

issue of the Economist (May 16, 2013

Safer childbirth in Bangladesh: mat

red) describing a new birth mat

which has significantly reduced child

the past ten years for emerging

market and developing economiesaccording to IMF data is 4.6% while

Bangladeshs is 6.2%, it seems odd

to suggest that economic growth has

been slow.

One reason behind the steadygrowth and limited volatility is that

macro-management has been sensible,

with fiscal deficits typically averaging

around 4% of GDP, steadily declining

public debt to GDP ratios along with

the build-up of macro buffers with a

current account surplus and interna-

tional reserves close to six months

import cover.

Counter-cyclical policies have also

shielded the economy from exogenous

shocks such as in the immediate after-

math of the global food and financial

crisis in 2008/09 using a mix of short

term export subsidies and expanded

safety nets for the poor along with

an easing of credit conditions for the

private sector.

The ability to react to natural disas-

ters highlighted in the Lancet extends

to the ability to react to macro shockswhich is less well known. Not only is

aggregate volatility low, but growth

has been equitably distributed withinequality (measured by the consump-

tion Gini) unchanged since 1995.

Poverty fell from 58% in 1990/91

to 32% in 2010 with almost 17 million

people moving out of poverty in the

2000-10 period. As the latest World

Bank Poverty Assessment report

shows, the pattern of growth has led

to greater convergence across regional

divides.

One key difference with other

countries is that household income

fluctuations are smoothed by the wide

availability of reasonably priced c redit,

in the form of micro-finance, as shown

by a paper by Santos et al (Santos I,

I Sharif, H Rahman, H Zaman [2011]

How do the poor cope with shocks

in Bangladesh: Evidence from Survey

Data Policy Research Working Paper

5810, World Bank).

These economic gains have meant

that a larger share of the population

can afford better quality food sanita

in this respect as they help reshape a

prevailing narrative.

The only issue is that both ap-

pear to overlook the importance of

careful macro management, as well

as the enabling environment that has

generated reasonably high pro-pooreconomic growth with low volatility,

with their consequent impact on social

outcomes.

Looking forward there is no room for

hubris for Bangladeshi policymakers

as the challenges of maintaining, and

ideally accelerating, these socio-eco-

nomic gains are not straightforward.

Economic growth requires a

conducive environment for business-

es to flourish and experience from

many countries show that prolonged

of orthodox macro and

micro policies and cometo overcome its odds, m

of its current demograp

raise economic growth,

poverty and strengthen

comes.l

Hassan Zaman is Chief Econ

Bangladesh Bank.

The Economist and Lancet view onBangladesh: Whats missing?

Bangladeshs development achievements have been surprising despite man-made disasters and natural calamities SY

Bangladesh has averaged over 6% growth over the past decade,its GDP of around $150bn has more than tripled since 2000, and asLant Pritchett and Larry Summers show, the volatility of its growthis one of the lowest among low and middle income countries

On a more optimistic note,and if history is any guide,it is likely that the countrywill continue to pursue itsmix of orthodox macro andunorthodox micro policiesand come up with ways to

overcome its odds

POOR BUT IMPRESSIVEWealth and health

SOURCES: WORLD BANK; UNICEF; WHO;national statistics

* Purchasing-p

2011

Income per person, 1990 540 874

$PPP* 2011 1,909 3,663

Life Expectancy 1990 59 58

at birth, years 2010 69 65

Infant (aged


6/26

6 NewsDHAKA TRIBUNE Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Mosquito menace on the rise in cityLittle or no measures have been taken by the authorities to checkthe insect during its breeding season in November

nAbu Hayat Mahmud

In the absence of steps to check theirbreeding, the mosquito menace has

worsened in the capital in recent days.Residents of different areas in the

city claimed that the problem has in-

tensified, hampering their daily lives.

Few measures have been taken by

the authorities to deter the insects dur-

ing their breeding season.

The two city corporations of

Dhaka, however, claimed that they

run anti-mosquito drives under their

yearly routine programme during

the breeding season, which begins in

November and continues until January.

Ekram Hossain, a resident of

Sutrapur near Dholai Khal claimed:

The city corporation and Dhaka Water

Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWA-SA) are being negligent by not cleaning

water bodies and drains, which are the

breeding grounds for mosquitoes in

the capital.

Ekram criticised the city corporation

for the irregularity of anti-mosquito

drives, and added that he has not seen

city corporation staff spraying insecti-

cide regularly in his area this season.

Tamanna Khandakar, an inhabit-

ant of Mirpur 11, said: I have been us-

ing mosquito-net to protect myself. It

seems they cannot be controlled with

other options, such as mosquito coils

and aerosols.

Tamanna also claimed that she had

not observed any recent mosquito kill-

ing drives by the city corporation in thearea.

After evening, we have to keep

our windows shut because of exces-

sive mosquitoes, but they still come

in when we open door, said Aminul

Islam, a resident of Nakhalpara.

When contacted, DSCC Chief

Health Offi cer, Brig adier G eneral M

Abdullah-Al-Harun told the Dhaka

Tribune, they have received few objec-

tions to the mosquitoes from city resi-

dents.

The corporation is continuing itsroutine anti-mosquito programme,

and before the breeding season starts

we will spray pesticides, he said.

He said two types of pesticides - lar-

vicide and adulticide are being used tocontrol mosquitoes.

Larvicide is being used between

8am and 11am to interrupt the devel-

opment of mosquito larvae while adul-

ticide is being sprayed in the eveningto control the adult mosquito popula-

tion.

Meanwhile, DNCC Chief Health

Offi cer Brigadi er General Aalur

Rahman said, Our larvicide

has finished. But, we have

already sent orders to a few

pharmaceuticals companies. Spraying

will begin as soon as we get the

insecticide. l

Abducted collegegirl rescued inJhenidah border

nOur Correspondent, Lalmonirhat

After being abducted five months ago,a female college student was rescued

from the border area near Moheshpur

in Jhenidah district yesterday.

Police and family members of the

victim said after being rescued she de-

scribed to a magistrate, in detail, the

torture she had been through.

The victim Shima Saha [not her real

name], 17, hailed from Dhonbari village

in Tangail.

Police said Saha was abducted from

Mymensingh while on her way to tui-

tion for medical school admission ex-

ams on July 2 this year.

She was kept at the abductors resi-dence in the basin area of the Teesta

river in Kisamot Chinatuli village under

Lalmonirhat sadar upazila.

The victims mother lodged a case

with Mymensingh Kotwali model police

station, accusing Shah Sultan Ahmed

Raju, 26, and his parents Abdul Jabbar,

56, and Sahera Begum, 46, all residents

of Kisamot Chinatoli village under Lal

Hindu locality in Barisalprotest shifting ofpolice campnOur Correspondent. Barisal

The only makeshift police camp built

at the Nomo Para of Charkawa village

under Barisal sadar upazila was shifted

yesterday, causing unease as Hindu res-

idents returned to their torched homes.

Following the murder of a Muslim

college student, a mob attacked and

torched houses of the Hindu commu-

nity on November 15.

At least 15 houses and two temples

were fully gutted while seven others

were partly damaged in the incident.Two cases were filed in this connection.

Later, five out of 13 accused in the

murder and 23 out of 1,600 unnamed

accused in the arson case were arrested.

The police camp was shifted to Ba-

risal Irrigation Project at Char Aicha,

about half a kilometre away from thevillage.

Babul Das, one of the victims of the

arson attacks, said the affected peo-

ple were reconstructing their torched

homes and had started returning to the

village. In this state, shifting the police

camp as well as reducing the number of

manpower in the camp, have left them

in a helpless and unsafe state.

Bubul Das, Krishna Das, Kalyan

Adhikari, Narayan Mistri, Indra Sarkar,

and Dhiren Shikder, yesterday visited

the Barisal Metropolitan Police com-

missioner as representatives of the mi-

norities of the village.

Quoting the commissioner, they said

the investigation was still ongoing.

The administration had earlier as-

sured them of establishing a permanent

police camp in the minority populated

Nomo Para of Charkawa to ensure their

security.

Moreover, such movement has in-

tensified panic among the locals turn-

ing them hostile against the victims

as police filed cases against more than

1,600 unnamed for the arson attack,

they claimed.

Offi cer-in-Ch arge Reza ul Isl am of

Barisal Bandar Police said the police

camp had been shifted to a more struc-

tured spot due to an accommodation

crisis.

He said a team of seven under an as-sistant sub-inspector would remain de-

ployed at the camp, which had consist-

ed 20 policemen as per order of higherauthority.

Md Shamsuddin, BMP commission-

er, said the police camp was not shut

down, but transferred with a fewer

number of policemen.

The place where the camp had been

shifted was not far away, and police

patrol in the area would be intensified

to assure safety of the minorities, the

commissioner told.l

1,667 mobile phonesets seized at ShahjalalInternation AirportnKailash Sarkar

Offi cials of Cus toms D epartment at

Hajarat Shahjalal International Airport

seized 1,667 mobile phone sets fromimport cargo yesterday.

Worth around Tk7 crore, the seized

consignment included 176 iPhones, 70

Samsung Galaxys, 10 Blackberrys and

200 handsets made by htc company.

Qamrul Hasan, an assistant com-

missioner of the Customs Department,

said the huge number of high-priced

mobile phone sets had been imported

from Hong Kong by an agency named

Shah Sharif Associates, of Purana Pal-

tan area of the capital.

Md Sharif Uddin, the owner of the

Shah Sharif Associates has imported

the phone sets with a fake declaration

of computer accessorie

toms offi cial.

Acting on a ti p-off,

customs department se

sets.The sources said to

ment taxes and other

cases, valuables are im

ther fake declarations

less amounts or quantit

ration documents.

Syndicates of impor

import items in exchang

offi cials an d employees

seeking anonymity.

Around 40 syndicat

smuggling through the

port with a section of o

ployees of different go

private agencies, the so

Gang grabs freedomfighters land inLalmonirhatnOur Correspondent, Lalmonirhat

An organised gang allegedly grabbed a

small piece of land belonging to a late

freedom fighter in Rajpur village, un-

der Lalmonirhat sadar upazila, earlier

this week.

Yesterday, a case was filed accusing

five people at Lalmonirhat sadar police

station.

Jamir Uddin, offi cer-in-charge of the

station, said police would act after in-

vestigating the case.

The accused were identified as Sira-

zul Islam, 28, Chhabul Islam, 26, Abbas

Uddin, 52, Rafiqul Islam, 51, and AtaurRahman, 53. All are residents of Rajpur

village near the Teesta River.

Police said the gang illegally occu-

pied the land of the late Ram Charan

Roy, a freedom fighter, on Sunday af-

ternoon.

After Ram Charans death a decade

ago, the 10 decimal (0.04 hectares) of

cultivable land went to his grandson,

Dinesh Chandra Roy.

Dinesh Chandra said he harvestedwheat from the land on Sunday morn-

ing, but, later in the day, the suspects

claimed possession of the land, show-

ing false registry papers.

My relatives and I did not dare p ro-

test against them, as they carried lethal

weapons in their hands, Dinesh said.

However, one of the suspects,

Rafiqul Islam, said he and his brother

had purchased the land from Ram

Charan while he was alive. l

F t l

GWTUC: garmentworkers leadsqualid livesnTribune Report

The Garment Workers Trade Union Cen-

tre, a national federation of garmentindustry workers in Bangladesh, yester-

day claimed garment workers have been

leading squalid lives as they lose their

jobs and face false cases.

In a pre-statement, the organisa-

tion alleged that false cases were being

lodged against the garment workers

who participated in the movement to

demand wage increases, adding that

these workers were also being attacked

at their residences. The organisation

leaders also said eight garment facto-

ries in the country were being kept shut

illegally, and they demanded thesefactories be opened soon. The eight

garment factories are Liberty Knitwear

Limited, Midland Knitwear Limited,

Metro Knitwear Limited, Beacon Knit-

wear Limited, Ruposi Knitwear Limited,

Sadia Knitwear Limited, Soeb Knitwear

Limited and Miswar Hosiery Limited. l

A boy with disabilities presents a painting drawn by him to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city yesterday

Be more sympathetto persons with

disabilities: PMnBSS

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

yesterday called on people to be

more sympathetic to those with

disabilities, in a speech to mark

International Day of People

with Disability (IDPwD).

It is the responsibility of

the state to take care of the guardian-

less physically-challenged children.

So, we have a plan to set up such

organisations which will take

responsibilities of the guardian-less

disabled children for life as guardians,she said.

Sheikh Hasina asked teachers and

students to be more careful about the

physically challenged children so they

do not become victims of negligence in

any way.

You will have to stand beside the

children with disabilities like friends

part of the society. S

development is not

excluding them, she sa

She said as a demo

Bangladesh has been

remain committed to

development program

United Nations.

Sheikh Hasina m

the International Da

with Disabilities is bei

Bangladesh every year

to the call of the UN.

It is the responsibthe state to take c

guardian-less phychallenged childreSo, we have a plansuch organisation

wouldtake respo


7/26

Nation DHAKA TRIBUNE Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Arsenic a threatto 1.5m people inRajshahi regionArsenic contamination are found in80% tube-wells in Chapainawabganj

nTribune Desk

Over 1.5m people in five upazilas of

Chapainawabganj in Rajshahi region

are at risk of arsenic poisoning due to

contaminated tube well waters.

The people of Volahat upazila, bor-

dering the Indian state of West Bengal,

are the worst sufferers as they use ar-

senic contaminated ground water for

drinking.

However, the arsenicosis could be

prevented if the patients are ensured

with safe drinking water and proper

healthcare at initial stage.

The government and the NGOs

with the help of Unicef are trying to

mitigate the problem and find alternate

sources of safe drinking water, but the

measures still remain at micro level,said Dr Ali Akbar Sarker, upazila health

and family pla nning offi cer of Volahat.

He was addressing a day-long upazi-

la-level discussion on arsenic contami-

nation and its mitigation held at Volahat

Upazila Health Complex on Monday.

Upazila Health Complex and

Grameen Multipurpose Development

Organisation jointly organised the dis-

cussion.

A project titled Enhancing Gover-

nance and Capacity of Service Providers

and Civil Society in Water Supply and

Sanitation supported the programme.

Upazila Nirbahi Offi cer Kazi Ziaul

Baset and Programme Facilitator of

NGO Forum for Public Health Sabit Za-

han Shishir addressed the discussion as

chief and special guest respectively.Dr Ali Akbar stressed the need for

massive research by the government,

adding that Unicef, World Bank, and

other donor agencies should come for-

wards to assist the government as it re-

quires a big fund to face the challenge.

He sought cooperation of the media

people to project the hazards of arsenic

and bring changes to behaviour and

habits of the people in their search for

alternative safe drinking water.

Dr Akbar said: We have detected

20,541 tube-wells out of 92,000 in-

fected by arsenic contamination in

Chapainawabganj. We have tested the

tube-wells and found arsenic contami-

nation in 80% of the tube-wells in five

upazilas.

The fight against arsenic is very

tough. Coordinated efforts of different

government and non-government or-

ganisations are essential to stem the

arsenic contamination, he said, while

emphasising the need for creating

mass awareness in the vulnerable areas

to aid prevention.Over 50 people, including govern-

ment offi cials , public repr esentatives,

NGO activists, health practitioners and

other stakeholders attended the dis-

cussion.l

Zero tolerance againviolence against woand children stressenBSS

Zero tolerance against all sorts of vio-

lence and repression against women

is very important for the sake of main-

streaming women in society, some

women leaders in a press conference

said in Rajshahi yesterday.

They viewed that influential leaders

along with journalists should come for-

ward and play a vital role to attain the

goal.

Rajshahi unit of Bangladesh Mohi-

la Parishad (BMP) organised the press

conference at Public Library confer-

ence hall in Rajshahi city to mark the

International Women Repression Pre-

vention Fortnight and World Human

Rights Day 2013.

Rajshahi unit BMP General Secre-

tary Kolpona Roy, who read out thewritten statement, stressed the need

for taking women forward by enrich-

ing them with proper a

ucation.

She said emphasis sh

on empowering wome

er interest of fulfilling

aspirations of the nati

hard-earned independ

ful.

The speakers mentio

cial factors like early m

poverty, illiteracy, sociaamy, lack of economic

and marriage without

major reasons behind th

Terming these facto

eases, they underscore

forging social resistanc

factors and said the m

crease the effort throug

jective reporting.

They also put forwa

ommendations on how

problems at the press co

Harvesting of Amanpaddy progressingfast in KhulnanTribune Desk

Harvesting of Aman paddy is progress-

ing fast in 10 districts of Khulna divi-

sion during the current season with

much enthusiasm among the farmers,

Department of Agriculture Extension

sources said.

Farmers of the 10 southwestern dis-

tricts cultivated Aman paddy on a total

of 675,978 hectares of land this year

with the production target of 17.48 lakh

tonnes of rice, the sources said.

The 10 districts are Jessore, Narail,

Jhenidah, Magura, Khustia, Chuadan-

ga, Meherpur, Satkhira, Khulna and

Bagerhat, reports BSS.

Farmers are expecting a bumper

production of Aman paddy this fiscal

year as they are getting at least 25-26

maunds of paddy from an acre of landthanks to proper monitoring by the au-

thorities, DAE sources said.

Local sources said the cutting of ear-

ly varieties of Aman paddy had almost

been completed and the harvesting of

other varieties was in full swing.

DAE offi cials and local farmers of the

region expressed their similar hopes to

get a bumper Aman production as cli-

matic conditions are so far favourable.

The offi cials of DAE - particularly

sub-assi stant a gricul ture offi cers in

field level - motivated the farmers tocultivate Aman on their land on large

scales for ensuring food security and

to benefit the growers economically as

well.

Additional Director of Jessore re-

gional DAE, Abdul Mannan, said nec-

essary steps were taken to ensure the

supply of adequate quantity of im-

proved quality seeds, fertilisers, insec-

ticides and other agricultural inputs

among the growers in fair prices to

boost Aman production.l

End discrimination agpersons with disabilitinTribune Desk

International Day of People with Disabil-

ity was marked in Rangpur yesterdaywith a call to end repression and discrim-

ination against persons with disabilities

to enable them to lead a decent life.

Terming physically-challenged peo-

ple as an integral part of the society,

speakers at a post-rally convention said

the time had come to bring them into

the mainstream of society for the over-

all development of the nation.

The Department of Social Service

d Di i Ad i i i i d

Uddin Chowdhury add

cussion as the chief gue

The speakers empha

to establish a sound and

sphere for physically c

sons to ensure a dignifi

them in society. They sa

should make the best us

in the greater interest of

They urged th e affl

the society as well as

pists to come forward w

ing hands to suppleme

ments efforts to prop

di d d l i

Housewife killedby in-lawsin BagerhatnTribune Desk

A young housewife was brutally killed,

allegedly by her husband and in-laws

over a dowry-related dispute, in Sun-

agar village under Sadar upazila of the

district on Monday night.

The victim was identified as Zakia

Begum, 24, wife of Hasan Kha of Suna-

gar, and daughter of late Abdul Motaleb

Sheikh of Sontulia village under Ram-

pal upazila, reports UNB.

Sadar police yesterday morning re-

covered the body, which bore several

injury marks.

They said Hasan killed his wife at

night and hung the body from a tree

to make it appear as if she committed

suicide.

The law enforcers arrested Hasans

mother and sister in connection with

the killing.Hasan has gone into hiding follow-

ing the incident.

Zaheda Begum, the victims mother,

said they married Zakia off to Hasan,

the son of Mohammad Kha of Sunagar,

nearly five years ago.

After the marriage, Hasan, a cosmet-

ics vendor by profession, tortured his

wife for a dowry.

Unable to bear the torture, the young

girl returned to her fathers house 8-10

times.

Zaheda gave Hasan Tk 30,000 in

phases, out of consideration for her

daughters happiness.

However, Hasan found the amount in-

adequate and continued to torture her

innocent daughter.

Two years after the marriage to Za-

kia, he married another girl (his second

if ) h h b l di d

Ulema Leagueleaders tendonssevered

in SatkhiranTribune Desk

Tendons of a hand and a leg of a local

Ulema League leader were severed al-

legedly by Jamaat-Shibir men at Mallik-

para intersection in Satkhira sadar upa-

zila yesterday.

The victim was identified as Maulana

Abdul Wahab, former president of sadar

upazila unit of the ruling partys asso-

ciate body and Principal of Mohammad

Ali Alim Madrasah, reports UNB.

Witnesses said the activists of

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its

student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir

swooped on Wahab around 8:30am

while he was going to his madrasah and

beat him mercilessly. Later, the attack-

ers cut off the tendons of the right hand

and the left leg.

He was rushed to Satkhira SadarHospital in a critical condition, said

Raufuzzaman, general secretary of the

district unit Ulema League. l

A portion of rail track uprooted by blockaders at Mirersarai upazila that may cause accident at any time

They said Hasan killed his wifeat night and hung the bodyfrom a tree to make it appearas if she committed suicide


8/26

Ukraine government survives no-confidence vonAFP, Kiev

Ukraines government survived a

no-confidence vote Tuesday after

Prime Minister Mykola Azarov apolo-

gised for a police crackdown on pro-

tests, while demonstrators massed out-

side parliament protesting the ex-Soviet

states rejection of a historic EU pact.

Azarov also promised the emergen-

cy session of parliament that he would

reshuffl e his cabinet .

I can guarantee lawmakers one

thing I will draw firm conclusions from

what happened and make serious per-

sonnel changes in the government, he

told the chamber, speaking in Russian.

Following his mea culpa, the oppo-

sitions no confidence motion against

the government failed, gathering only

186 of the 226 votes required to pass in

the parliament dominated by the ruling

party.

The co-confidence measure was

seen as a way to channel the protesters

anger after a police crackdown on

weekend demonstrations in whichmore than 100,000 people turned

out in Kiev the largest protest since

the pro-democracy 2004 Orange

Revolution.

There had been little prospect of the

motion passing, however, because Ya-

nukovychs ruling Regions Party domi-

nates the 450-seat parliament.

Although the violence had subsid-

ed on Tuesday, there was no let-up in

demonstrators demands that Yanu-

kovych resign over his failure to sign

key political and free trade agreements

with the EU at a summit in Vilnius on

Friday.

Speaking in a television interview

late Monday, Yanukovych defended his

decision to walk away from the deal.

What kind of an ag

when they take and be

asked.

The EU had set the r

kovychs top rival Yuli

-- who in 2011 was sent

years on abuse-of-powekey condition for signin

Ukraine. She remains im

Yanukovych was not i

no-confidence vote Tue

having left on a three-day

The abandonment o

has energised the oppos

Millions of Ukrain

their faith in the futu

you, former economy m

opposition leader Arse

told pro-Yanukovych

parliament.

You face historic re

this, added ultra-nat

Oleh Tyahnybok. The

astrophic, both political

ically.

Opposition leaders in

heavyweight world bo

Vitali Klitschko say th

betrayed the Ukraini

scrapping plans to sign

Agreement with the E

under pressure from Ru

They hope to turn Ukover corruption and e

into what they have cal

olution.l

Wednesday, December 4, 2013DHAKA TRIBUNE InternationalDHAKA TRIBUNE8

Japan police find 80 reptiles in one-

room apartment

Venomous lizards and snakes up to t hree

metres long were among 80 reptiles

police found crammed into a one-room

apartment in Japan, an offi cial said

Tuesday. Offi cers were call ed by a frantic

neighbour who saw a huge snake slith-

ering along a wall outside the apartment

in the western hub city of Osaka. When

police raided the apartment they found

dozens of snakes, including a three-metre

boa constrictor, as well as a number of

lizards. All were being kept in individual

containers in the 10-square-metre room.

Offi i d 2 f h hi h

National Party-led government.The case

centres on donations he received from

Dotcom and the Sky City Casino in 2010

to help bankroll a failed bid to become

Auckland mayor.Banks had argued there

were inaccuracies in the original judg-

ment, but High Court judge Paul Heath

found no basis to overturn the District

Court decision.Dotcom told the October

hearing that he donated NZ$50,000

($42,000) to Banks, but the politician

asked him to make two NZ$25,000

installments so the source of the funds

could remain anonymous under campaign

funding laws.

WORLD WATCH

NATO seeks Afghan accordas it looks for new rolenAFP, Brussels

Nato foreign ministers were set to tryTuesday to nail down an accord with

Kabul on the alliances new role in

Afghanistan as pressing problems in

Ukraine, Syria and beyond all call for

attention.

The immediate issue is Nato s

planned training and advisory mission

in Afghanistan after it ends its biggest

ever combat operation there next year,

clearing the decks for leaders to set a

new course for the alliance at a summit

in late 2014.

Offi cials say the foc us of the two-day

meeting in Brussels is to build on Nato

s active military role since the early

1990s, from the Balkans to Afghani-

stan and Libya, safeguarding gains in

inter-operability and capability at a

time when defence budgets are under

strain.

The aim is a Nato which remains rel-

evant and effective in a changing world

where the challenges are as much mil-

itary as political and economic, threat-

ening to boil over into conflict and so-

cial upheaval.We have got to ensure that we sus-

tain Nato s military edge, a senior US

offi cial sai d.

In the context of extreme budget-

ary constraints ... it is incumbent on us

all to do more with (the money) that we

have.

The 28 allies, plus Natos partners

and sometimes adversaries such as

Russia, will review issues such as how

to destroy Syrias chemical weapons

arsenal.

Missile defence, a hugely sensitive

issue for Moscow, is on the agenda

given US and European concerns of

a threat from Iran despite the recent

signing of an initial deal on its contest-

ed nuclear programme.

Relations with Ukraine and Georgia

provide ano ther diffi cult issue fo r Rus-

sian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and

his US counterpart Secretary of StateJohn Kerry as Nato seeks to maintain

and boost ties with former Soviet states.

Continued and growing protests in

Ukraine after the government ditched a

planned association accord with the EU

are likely to test ties.

Following the Nato meeting, Kerry

will travel to Moldova which did sign

up with Brussels last week despite in-

tense Russian pressure not to.

We are making this brief stop to

demonstrate US support for the im-

portant choice that Moldova made,

the US offi cial said.

On Afghanistan, the sticking point is

President Hamid Karzai who is refusing

to sign a Bilateral Security Agreement

with Washington until after Aprils

presidential elections, when he stands

down.

The BSA sets the legal and opera-

tional framework for the up to 12,000

troops, mostly American, who will

train and assist Afghan armed forces

post-2014.

Without a BSA, and a parallel accordfor the allies, there is no post-2014

mission , a senior Nato offi cial s aid

Monday.

In 2011, the US government took the

zero option of complete withdrawal

from Iraq when it could not get a troop

status deal. l

We will remain steadfast in ouralliances commitment: BidennAFP, Tokyo

Japan and China need more sophis-

ticated communication strategies if

they are to work through their territo-

rial row, US Vice President Joe Biden

said Tuesday as he vowed Washington

would stand by Tokyo.

Biden, in Tokyo at the start of a

three-nation tour of Asia, said he will

be talking in great specificity with

Chinese leaders about Beijings sud-

den declaration last month of an air

defence zone, including over islands

disputed with Japan.

We, the United States, are deeply

concerned by the attempt to unilater-

ally change the status quo in the East

China Sea, Biden told reporters in a

joint press conference with Japanese

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

This action has raised regional ten-

sion and increased the risk of acc idents

and miscalculations.

Tensions in the region are at their

highest in years, with China and Japan

squaring off over a chain of uninhab-

ited islands in a feud that has some

observers warning of the danger of an

armed confrontation.

The US, bound to Tokyo by a secu-

rity treaty, is looking on alarmed at the

growing chances of limited hostilities

between the worlds second largest

economy and Washingtons chief ally

in the Asia-Pacific.

Observers say rising China, buoyed

by its surging economy, is becoming

more confident and the dispute with

Japan is part of a larger effort to stamp

its authority on a region

ed by the US.

Nerves are particula

Beijings proclamation

fence Identification Z

which it says all aircraf

instructions or risk unsp

sive emergency measur

The move was flat

the governments of the

South Korea.

This underscores thsis management mech

fective channels of com

tween China and Japan

of escalation, Biden tol

I will be raising the

great specificity directl

with the Chinese leader

ter tomorrow, he said.

Egyptian blogger arrested in crackdownnReuters

A prominent Egyptian blogger said onTuesday he had been arrested, the lat-

est political activist to be detained in a

widening crackdown on dissent by the

army-backed government.

Egyptian authorities have extend-

ed a crackdown on Islamists, in which

they have killed hundreds and arrested

thousands since President Mohamed

Morsi was ousted in July, to cover po-

litical activists who have become more

l i h ili

ment as criminal and said it would fall.

I am now present in Basateen po-

lice station. I still dont know the accu-

sation against me or the reason for my

arrest, Douma said on Twitter.

The state news agency said Douma

was detained in connection with vio-

lence at a protest outside a courthouse

on Saturday where Ahmad Maher, a

symbol of the popular uprising that

ousted autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011,

turned himself in.

An order had been issued for Ma-

h f d f i l

activists, including Mohamed Adel,

a top leader in Mahers April 6 youth

group, which helped lead the revolt

that ousted Mubarak. Under Mursis

rule, Douma was detained over accusa-

tions of insulting the president in what

activists called an example of the gov-

ernment using the courts to target its

liberal and secular opponents.

On Thursday, police arrested activist

Alaa Abdel Fattah, also known for his

role in the anti-Mubarak uprising.

The new protest law has deepened

i h l A b

Guardian editor grilled by BritishMPs over Snowden leaksnAFP, London

The editor of Britains Guardian news-

paper, Alan Rusbridger, is to appear

before lawmakers T uesday to defend

his newspapers publication of intelli-

gence documents leaked by former US

intelligence analyst Edward Snowden.

Parliaments home affairs commit-

tee is questioning Rusbridger as part

of its investigation into counter-ter-

rorism, amid claims the newspaper

endangered national security by pub-

lishing details of US and British spying.

Britains top spy chiefs warned last

month that Al-Qaeda and other en-

emies were lapping up Snowdens

revelations and were using them to

change the way they operate.

The Guardian counters that its sto-ries sparked an important debate about

intelligence, privacy and freedom of

speech. It insists it has handled all the

information sensitively.

Ahead of the parliam

Rusbridger, 59, tweete

ter of support from Carveteran US journalist wh

the Watergate scandal.

Bernstein said the he

to be an attempt by

authorities to shift the

ernment policies and

ernment secrecy in the

and Great Britain to the

press.l

Abbas warns ofaction against Israel

nAFP, Ramallah

President Mahmud Abbas has warnedthe Palestinians will take action against

Israel through international bodies if

peace talks fail, ahead of a visit by US

Secretary of State John Kerry.

The talks are going through great

diffi culties because of the ob stacles

created by Israel, Abbas told visiting

Arab journalists late Monday at his

headquarters in the West Bank city of

Ramallah.

If we dont obtain our rights

through negotiations, we have the right

to go to international institutions, he

said.

The commitment to refrain from

action at the UN ends after the nine-

month period agreed for talks.

US-brokered peace talks, which re-

sumed at the end of July after a three-

year gap, have already hit a deadlock

over Israeli settlement expansion in the

occupied West Bank on land the Pales-

tinians want for their future state.

The Palestinians agreed to suspend

action against Israel through interna-

tional bodies for the duration of thetalks, including at the United Nations,

where they won non-member observer

status in a landmark General Assembly

vote in November last year.

Kerry is to return to the region lat-

er this week for talks with Abbas and

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Net-

anyahu on his eighth overnight visit to

the region si nce he too k offi ce in Feb-

ruary.

It will be the US top diplomats

first visit since Israel backed down on

plans to build some 20,000 new settler

homes in the West Bank. l

Ukraine PMapologises forpolice crackdownon protests

nAFP, Kiev

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Aza-

rov apologised on Tuesday for a brutal

police crackdown on Kiev protests over

the weekend that drew firm Western

condemnation and sparked even big-

ger rallies.

On behalf of our government, I

would like to apologise for the actions

of our law enforcement authorities

on Maidan (Independence Square),

Azarov told an emergency parliament

session to chants of resignation from

pro-EU opposition lawmakers.

Protests over the Ukrainian govern-

ments decision to abandon a historic

political and trade agreement with the

EU has sparked the largest wave of pro-

tests in the ex-Soviet nation since the

2004 pro-democracy Orange Revolu-

tion.

More than 30 protesters were in-

jured when police used tear gas and ba-tons to push hundreds of angry Ukrai-

nians off Kievs iconic Independence

Square early Saturday.

The action prompted more than

100,000 people to turn out for another

demonstration on Sunday that degen-

erated into bloody violence outside the

presidential administration building.l

Ukrainian national flag waves as protesters rally at the central Independence square in Kiev, Ukraine AP


9/26

Wednesday, December 4, 2013DHAKA TRIBUNE International

Turkeys rock n roll imaruffl es religious feathersnAFP, Ankara

An imam from a tiny hamlet on Turkeys

Mediterranean coast has run into trouble

with the countrys powerful religious author-

ities for his other life as a rock musician.

Ahmet Muhsin Tuzer told AFP he is be-

ing investigated by the Diyanet, the state

body in charge of the countrys mosques,

over his activities. Im waiting for the

l f h i i i b h

ish youth who are distanci

from Islam today.

The probe into Tuzer hig

ongoing battle in Turkish so

the religious conservatism e

the government and the sta

traditions of the modern re

The Islamic-rooted gove

Prime Minister Recep Tayyi

power for 11 years, has long

l f k b

Charity accuses Sri Lanka overheinous aid workers massacrenAFP, Paris

Frances Action Against Hunger (ACF)

on Tuesday accused Sri Lankan securi-

ty forces of killing 17 aid workers in cold

blood and then organising a cover-up of

what it termed a heinous war crime.

In a report due to be made public

later in the day, the charity said it has

proof that Sri Lankan army, navy and

police personnel were implicated in

h A 6 i h i

It alleges that the killers were pro-

tected by the Sri Lankan authorities at

the highest levels and describes an of-

ficial investigation into the killing as a

farce characterised by the systematic

destruction of evidence and multiple

irregularities.

Every day we and other humanitar-

ian organisations work in war zones,

said Mike Penrose, Executive Director

of ACFFrance. It is paramount that

h h d h i

Indonesian militantrecaptured inMalaysianAFP, Jakarta

An Islamist militant who broke out of

jail during a prison riot in western In-

donesia has been recaptured in Malay-

sia and handed over to Indonesian au-

thorities, police said Tuesday.

Fadli Sadama was among 200 in-

mates who in July fled the Tanjung

Gusta prison in Medan city after prison-

ers set the overcrowded facility ablaze

i i h l f fi l d d

Indias capital votes in litmustest for national pollsnAFP, New Delhi

Indias capital heads to the ballot box

on Wednesday in the last of five state

elections seen as a barometer for up-

coming national polls and a first test

for hardline opposition leader Naren-

dra Modi.

Modi, who was named the Bhara-

tiya Janata Partys (BJP) candidate for

prime minister in September, has cam-

paigned relentlessly in all five states,

seeking to gain momentum for the

much bigger battle of general elections

due by May.

A popular but divisive chief min-

ister of western Gujarat state, Modi

has waged a fierce fight against Rahul

Gandhi and his scandal-hit Congress

party, which has been in power nation-

ally for almost 10 years.

The pair have criss-crossed the

country, holding opposing mass rallies

that have attracted tens of thousands

of people.In the capital, campaigning has now

ended ahead of voting on Wednesday.

Results for Delhi and the four other

states which voted earlier are to be

published after counting on Sunday.

This is the first time Modi has cam-

paigned on the national stage, outside

of his Gujarat, so the big question is

how well will he do as we head towards

general elections? said political ana-

lyst Subhash Agrawal.

The campaign has been a presi-

dential-style contest, pitting one per-

son against another, whereas previous

state polls have been fought between

parties over mostly local issues,

Agrawal, founder of the think-tank In-

dia Focus, told AFP.

During the often personal campaign,

Modi has regularly mocked Gandhi, re-

ferring to him as shehzada or prince

of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that has

dominated Indian politics since inde-

pendence in 1947.

Modi, 63, has sought to draw a con-trast between Gandhi, 43, tipped to be

premier should Congress win, and his

humble beginnings as the son of a tea

vendor in Gujarat which he has gov-

erned since 2001.

Although focus in four of the polls

has been on Modi and Gandhi, the con-

test in Delhi has been upstaged by civil

servant turned anti-corruption cam-

paigner Arvind Kejriwal.

The former t ax offi cial an d his newly

formed Aam Aadmi (Common Man)

Party are threatening a political earth-

quake on Wednesday when the city of

16 million elects a state assembly.

Kejriwal has campaigned against cor-

ruption, which permeates almost every

aspect of life in India, and promises a

clean sweep of Indias rotten politics.

He has attracted a range of differ-

ent voters, many of whom are disillu-sioned with traditional politics, said

Sanjay Kumar, an analyst at the Center

for the Study of Developing Societies.

He has made tall claims of clean,

corruption-free government which ap-

peals to the ideals of young, educated

people, he told AFP.

Support for his party fluctuates wildly

according to pollsters, from an impres-

sive six to eight seats in the 70-member

Delhi assembly to an extraordinary 30 or

more. Kumar predicts less than 10 seats,

a fantastic achievement for any new-

comer, but not enough to gain traction

for the national elections.

The BJP is tipped to hold power in

the central states of Madhya Pradesh

and neighbouring Chhattisgarh, in

elections that were held last month.

The main opportunity for Modi to

send a signal is in the western state of

Rajasthan, where the ruling Congress

adminstration is tipped to lose, and the

ruling partys bastion of Delhi.

Congress is seen as holding ontoMizoram in the countrys far east

where voting also took place at the end

of last month.

Like Kejriwal, Modi too has cam-

paigned for cl ean, effi cient g overn-

ment, highlighting Congresss reputa-

tion which has been battered by claims

of corruption and mismanagement

amid faltering economic growth.

The bachelor, tarred by his associ-

ation with religious riots in 2002, has

promoted his record in business-friend-

ly Gujarat, which supporters hope can

be replicated at the national level.

A Hindu nationalist hardliner, he

has also stressed unity, in an attempt

to reassure religious minorities con-

cerned about his record against Mus-

lims who form some 14 percent of the

Hindu-majority nation.

Modis appeal stretches beyond

the urban, middle-class. People every-

where want change. They are so fed up

with Congress, that they are willing to

give Modi a chance, Agrawal said.

But he still rouses suspicions, res-ervations among religious minorities,

he added. Modis critics claim that he

turned a blind eye to riots on his watch in

Gujarat in 2002 when as many as 2,000

people, mainly Muslims, were killed.

Modi has denied any wrongdoing. l

Police kill three militants in Indian KasnAFP, SrinagarIndian government forces killed three

suspected rebels in Kashmir overnight

following a lengthy gunbattle near the

de facto border with Pakistan, police

said Tuesday.

The three were killed after heavy

firing erupted between security forc-es and rebels on Monday afternoon at

Handwara, a village in a forest 90 kilo-

metres (56 miles) from the states main

city of Srin agar, a local o ffi cer said.

Four offi cers from the police special

operations group were injured in the

gunbattle that broke out near the heavily

militarised border that divides the Hima-

layan region between India and Pakistan.We had specific inputs about the

presence of three militants in the area.

All three were killed in the encounter,

inspector general of police Abdul Gani

Mir told AFP.

The deaths come after suspected

militants shot dead a counter-insurgen-

cy police offi cer who was on patrol at a

market just outside Srinagar on Monday.

About a dozen rebel groups have

been fighting Indian forces since 1989

for Kashmirs independence or for its

merger with Pakistan.

The fighting has left tens of thou-

sands of people, mostly

Tuesdays incident fo

sporadic firing across th

tier, which has been am

est since a ceasefire agre

India regularly accu

army of providing co

rebels who infiltrate ac

and then mount attack

sector of Kashmir. The

ity region is divided an

separately by India an

claimed in full by both.

Th two countries hav

wars since independen

in 1947, two of them ov

Shia leader gdown in Kar

nAFP, Karachi

Gunmen shot dead a Sh

er and his security guar

the latest sectarian atta

port city of Karachi, pol

The drive-by shootin

the eastern neighbourho

Iqbal two days after two S

killed by sniper fire in cen

Gunmen riding

opened fire on the veh

secretary general o f Ma

Muslimeen (MWM), All

Jalbani, killing him and

nior local p olice offi cial

Shah told AFP.

He said the latest att

of targeted killings aim

sectarian violence.

A Sunni Muslim scho

down in Karachis cenMonday while he was v

who was also killed in th

An MWM o ffi cial,

confirmed the incident

tion promotes the secu

ests of Pakistans Shia co

make up around 20 perc

ulation.l

Maoist attack kills 7 in eastern InnAP, Patna

Suspected Maoist rebels detonated

a roadside bomb in eastern India on

Tuesday, killi ng six police offi cers and

their driver, police said.

The team was patrolling an area of

Aurangabad district in Bihar state when

Dhaka Tribune print edition: December 04, 2013

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