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Students busy with last minute revisions right before their exams start at Motijheel Girls High School yesterday on the first day of SSC examinations
The compensation to Santhia Hindus would be distributed through the Pabna district DC
The bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain first gave a verbal order in this regard; it issued a written order after Deputy Attorney General Biswojit Roy had asked for it. On January 15, the same bench on its own motion said it was quite apparent that the law enforcement agencies
The International Crimes Tribunal 2 was set to hear closing arguments in the case on February 12. Earlier, the prosecution and the defence placed witnesses against and on his behalf. Though the case has to be stopped for his death, the tribunal is likely to give
INSIDE
News
3 The Anti-Corruption Commission has sought information from several government and private offices about the accumulated wealth of former state minister for water resources Mahbubur Rahman Talukder, an official said yesterday.
Nation
6 An under-construction rubber dam along River Ratnai in Shalmari village of Aditmari upazila in Lalmonirhat is collapsing because of low quality materials being used in the construction, alleged LGED officials and the locals.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Tazreen Fashions Managing Director Delwar Hossain and his wife being taken to jail yesterday after a court rejected their bail plea after surrendering RAJIB DHAR
holding the polls of the district councils and the two city corporations of Dhaka at a suitable time, Roy said. After failing to hold the district council polls, the previous Awami League-led government, in December 2011, appointed administrators to the 61 district councils around the country except for the three hill districts. The administrators were all local political leaders chosen by the then government. The appointment order issued at that time stipulated holding the Zila Parishad elections in six months, which, however, could not be held in more than two and a half years. According to the Zila Parishad Act, a district council should comprise a chairman, 15 regular members and five reserved women members. The elected representatives of the upazilas parishads, the city and municipal corporations, and the union parishads will vote to elect them.
The chairmen of the Zila Parishads are also the head of the district development committees. The administrators, who were appointed in 2011, are now working as the chairmen of those committee. LGRD ministry officials said the government now wanted to watch the impact of the upazila polls after having held a controversial parliamentary election on Januray 5. Voter turnout in the upazila polls would give the government the much needed indication for giving go-ahead to the district polls, they said. Though the Zila parishads were formed in 1985 during tenure of former military ruler Ershad, the chairmen and members of the parishads were never elected they were nominated by the government. The Awami League-led government passed the new Zila Parishad Act in 2000. The BNP Jamaat-led government was also not interested in holding the district polls during its tenure. l
After the hearing, some activists chanted slogans outside the courtroom demanding proper trail of the accused for the murders. One of them, Saydia Gulrukh, an anthropologist, was among three individuals who appealed to the High Court for the trial of the factory owner and demanded proper compensation for the victims. While the judge was delivering order, Delwar was seen crying in the dock. Son of the accused, Md Tahsin Hossain, 7, also burst into tears. On December 31 last year, a Dhaka court issued arrest warrants against six fugitives accused, including Delwar and his wife, a year after the devastating fire that drew attention of people at home and abroad Senior Judicial Magistrate Wasim Sheikh issued the warrants after taking into cognisance the charge sheet
filed against 13 people. The court also ordered the investigation officer and Ashulia police station to submit a report before the court explaining whether the fugitive people were arrested or not by February 25. Investigator AKM Mohosin-uz Zaman Khan, also a CID inspector, pressed the charges on December 22. The prosecution would produce 104 witnesses in the case, the IO said. If the charges are proved, the accused may be punished with a maximum of life imprisonment, or minimum five years rigorous imprisonment. According to the charges, at 7pm on November 24, the workers were leaving the factory building hearing fire alarm. But they could not pass the main gate as it was locked. The police report says the owner of the factory built poorly constructed exits that led to such a
high casualty. The charge sheet says the police did not find evidence to implicate former Tazreen chairman Abdul Kuddus, APM Sohel Rana and Cutting Master Sujan Hawladar in the case. The fugitive accused are Factory Manager Abdur Razzaq, Quality Control Manager Shahiduzzaman Dulal, Engineer M Mahabubul Morshed and Production Manager Mobarak Hossain Manju. The remaining seven are Administrative Officer Dulal, Security-in-Charge Anisur Rahman, Security Supervisor Al-Amin, Store-in-Charge Hamidul Islam Lavlu and Al-Amin, loader Shamim Miah and security guard Rana alias Anwarul. Of them, all but Anisur are on bail. Another petition case was filed by victim Rehanas brother Abdul Matin on April 29 last year.
On October 11 last year, several hundred workers of five factories of Tuba Group, of which Tazreen Fashions is a sister concern, kept Delwar confined inside a factory in the capitals Badda for the whole day demanding wages and Eid bonus due for three months. He was later released when the authorities started paying the workers Eid bonus. The workers also protested a decision of selling some machines of the factories. A home ministry probe committee formed in late 2012 said they had found unpardonable neglect on the part of the owner and that the incident might have been subversive. Later, talking to media, Delwar ruled out his responsibility in connection with the fire and claimed himself innocent. He said the law enforcers had not arrested him as there were no specific charges against him. l
Following the incidents, local authorities filed cases against identified and unnamed people under the Penal Code. In mid-January, the government took an initiative to establish a special tribunal to deal with the post-election violence, especially that against religious minorities. The home ministry made the decision and sent a letter to the law ministry, asking for arrangements to be made for constituting the tribunal dubbed the special tribunal to check crimes committed on the minorities. The ministry also ordered the divisional and district headquarters authorities to urgently send certified copies of the first information reports, charge sheets and other documents relating to the attacks killings, rapes, torture, arson attacks, lootings and land grabbing.
The same bench yesterday on its own initiative directed the government to
pay Tk43.42 lakh as compensation to the affected Hindu families of Santhia upazila in Pabna by three weeks for the mayhem of November 2 and arrest the perpetrators immediately. A probe committee, formed upon the courts order of November 3, estimated the amount for affected 33 families, 29 houses, 10 business establishments and seven temples at Banagram Bazar. The bench had ordered the authorities concerned to assess the losses and the damage incurred in the attacks and find out the persons who spread the rumour that a Hindu had insulted Prophet Muhammad (SM) on Facebook. It had also ordered to deploy adequate law enforcers in the affected area. Yesterday, the court ordered for the compensation after a police probe committee submitted a report on the attacks. The compensation would be distributed through the Pabna district deputy commissioner, Deputy Attorney General Biswojit Roy said. l
morgue sources. In the post-mortem report, Prof Shafiuzzaman mentioned that apart from brain hemorrhage due to a cardiac arrest, his old-age complications were also responsible for the death. After his death, defence counsel Tajul Islam claimed that the jail authorities had brought Yusuf to BSMMU around 10:15am but he was not given proper treatment. Director General of the hospital Brig Gen (retd) Abdul Majid Bhuiyan denied the allegation saying that the doctors had tried their best to save him. The senior nayeb-e-ameer (senior vice-president) of Jamaat was indicted on August 1 last year on 13 counts of crimes against humanity he had committed in Bagerhat, Khulna and Satkhira areas. He is allegedly responsible for organising genocide, murders, looting, arson and religious persecution. After the war, he had been arrested and being tried under the Collaboarators Order of 1972. But he was released along with over 11,000 collaboartors after the law had been revoked on December 31, 1971. According to the prosecution, Yusuf had formed the first team of razakars (volunteers in English, also used
to refer as collaborators; an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation forces) on May 5, 1971 with 96 members of Jamaat in Khulna. He strated gathering people for the force on April 18. The Pakistan government recognised the force through a gazette notification on August 2 that year. Yusuf was also the regional chief of anti-liberation force Peace Committee. One of the leading anti-liberation organisers during the war, he became a member of Abdul Motaleb Malik-led cabinet where the accused had served as revenue minister. However, all the cabinet members had resigned on December 14, only two days before the countrys independence, as they decided to resign observing the countrys situation, Yusuf told the tribunal recently. The accused had been the second person in Jamaats chain of command during the war. He used to make inciting speech regularly in meetings of peace committee in territory of greater Khulna aiming to encouraging the members of Peace Committee and the razakar force to annihilate the Hindu community and the pro-liberation people. From 1956 until October 1958, Yusuf had served as ameer (head) of Khulna unit Jamaat. He served as a member of Majlis-e-Shura (Central Executive
Council) for three full terms between 1962 and 1971, under the leadership of Jamaat founder Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi. At the time, Ghulam Azam was the ameer of East Pakistan Jamaat, while Maulana Abdur Rahim the central nayeeb-e-ameer. According to the charge framing order, Yusuf, son of late Azim Uddin Howlader of Rajoir village in Sharankhola of Bagerhat, joined Jamaat in 1952. He became the chief of Khulna division Jamaat in 1957. He started his profession as a madrasa teacher in 1952 and became the principal of Khulna Alia Madrasa in 1958. In his political career, Yusuf was an elected member of the National Assembly in 1962. He was nominated as the provincial joint secretary of Jamaat in 1969. People and victims of Soronkhola and Morelganj had tight lipped for the sake of their own security since long. But when in 2010, the Awami League government started the trial of identified war criminals, the victims said Yusuf had forced many people from his own area to join the razakar force in 1971. His headquarter was then mentioned as Ghost House which is now being used as the district Anasr camp.
So far, the tribunal 2 has recorded testimonies of the prosecution and defence witnesses. The verdict was supposed to be delivered on completition of the closing arguments. Prosecutor Syed Haider Ali said if an accused dies in the middle of a trial, then the case has to be stopped. He mentioned that the tribunal would give an order on this. Imran H Sarker, convener and spokesperson of pro-liberation platform Ganajagaran Mancha, said they wanted a verdict to know which charges were proved against Yusuf. Shyamoli Nasrin Chowdhury, the wife of martyred intellectual Dr Alim Chowdhury and a witness in war crimes cases, also demanded that the case be completed so that justice is served for the victims of 1971 Liberation War. The tribunal 1 on May 12 last year took the charges against Yusuf into cognisance. The case was transferred to the tribunal 2 on July 1. He was arrested on May 12 following an arrest warrant issued by the tribunal 1. He was sick and several times sought bail from the tribunal, but his appeal was rejected and the tribunal ordered jail authorities to ensure proper treatment of the accused. l
Islam Nazem, honorary secretary of the Center for Urban Studies (CUS). The CUS conducted a research on slums in six city corporations of the country. Compared to per unit cost of electricity theirpayment is almost double. Asked if Nurunnaharknows that they pay more thanthe service they receive she said she presumed it but they had no other alternatives. There is no place in the city where a five-member family can live on Tk3000. No body allows five people in
asingle roomother than slum owners, Nurunnahar explains. This happens as small rooms have high demand. These people cannot afford two rooms costing Tk7000 in a decent area. Obviously the number of labour force is rising every year pushing the demands even higher, Nazemsaid. Actually, the migrated and lower-income people do nothave any alternatives left except for living in shanties, he said. The two studies CUS conducted in 1996 and in 2005 saw some interesting
developments in the life style of the slum dwellers and also the slum owners behaviour. In 1996,local people with political clout built 51% slums illegallyon government land. But in 2005 the number of those slums came down to 20%, which means the government freed the land from grabbers or private land owners started building slums and renting those out to poor people. The living standard in those places has never improved, said Nazem. The private land owners prefer
building slums than houses for middle class families as slums earn them more money. And with the passage of time the owners have left no stone unturned in using every inch of their land. They add roofs to a one-storey tin-shedhouse making those death traps for poor people, he said. At a number of privately-owned slums it was found that an owner distributeda single power line to some 20 families living in 20 small rooms. The electricity they consume is equiva-
lent to about Tk2000 a month but the owner extracts Tk300 from each of the families. The gas and water supply also earn them extra money. Usually the slum owners do not have to face any hassle over their ownership. They also maintain a good relationwith the staff of the service delivery organisations, he said. On the other hand,people in the illegally occupied slums also get such facilities but at higher price. For example dweller in KorailBostihave to pay Tk350 for electricity, Tk250 for gas
and Tk150 for water. All kinds of utility services there are provided from illegal connection. Local goons, party leaders and some officials make sure the utility services. Oftenclashes erupt over the control of slums. Moreover, the slum dwellers are vulnerable to fire accidents and diseases. In the latest example of vulnerability, a child was burnt alive when a devastating fire broke out at a slum in the capitals Modhubagh areathat gutted over 600 shanties leaving thousands of people homeless Saturday morning. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Ranjina Begum looks at the ruins of her house at the Jheelpar slum in the capitals Madhubagh yesterday. The slum caught fire on Saturday
RAJIB DHAR
Witness crossexamined in radar purchase graft case n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu n Mohammad Zakaria
A Dhaka court yesterday recorded the statement of a witness in the radar purchase corruption case involving former military ruler HM Ershad and four others. Acting judge of divisional special court Md Abdul Majid recorded the cross-examination and fixed February 20 for the rest of the cross-examination and also the next prosecution witness. Ershads counsel Sheikh Sirajul Islam completed cross-examining the witness, investigation officer and Anti-Corruption Commission Deputy Director Manjur Ahmed. During cross-examinations, Ershad was not present in the court. Another accused Sultan Mahmuds counsel started to cross-examine prosecution witness Manjur Ahmed. The prosecution has so far produced 11 witnesses for cross-examination. Manjur made his deposition on July 11 last year as the prosecution witness. He is the 11th prosecution witness. The then assistant superintendent of the Bureau of Anti-Corruption, Md Ali Haider, filed the case with the Dhaka Cantonment police station on April 4, 1992. After a long investigation, Manjur and Abdus Sattar Sarker submitted the charge sheet on October 27, 1994 to the court, accusing Ershad and four others. On August 12, 1995, a charge was framed against the accused. But, the trial proceedings at the lower court was stayed by the High Court for a long time. The complainant stated that then president Ershad in collusion with the four accused purchased a radar for the air force, causing Tk 640.4m loss to the state. Other accused are former Air Force chief Air-Vice Marshal (retd) Sultan Ahmed, Momtaj Uddin Ahmed, Director of United Traders AKM Musa. l
6,778 absent, 9 expelled Conflict breaks out at city Awami on first day of SSC exams League meeting
n Tribune Report
Around 6,778 students remained absent on the first day of Secondary School Certificate examination while nine students were expelled for cheating, according to the Education ministry. Students sat for Bangla First Paper examination yesterday in 2,942 centres. A total of 1,432,727 students registered this year which is 129,554 more than last years figure. Of the absent, the highest number was in Madrasa Education Board with some 2,400 students and the lowest was 197 in Sylhet Education Board. A total of nine students were expelled for cheating during the exams. Six in Technical Education Board, two in madrasa and one in Jessore Education Board. According to ministry sources, except for the Bangla second paper, the English first and second paper and mathematics, all examinations would be held on a creative question system. Students with disabilities would be provided an additional 20 minutes to finish their examinations. Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid visited Motijheel Government Boys
Many leaders, including Ramna unit President Abul Bashar and Demra unit Secretary Harun-Or Rashid, objected to Joint Secretary Haji Selims presence at the meeting. Ignoring partys decision, Selim had contested as an independent candidate in the 10th parliament and defeated partys candidate Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, they said. In reply, Selim said he attended the meeting because not only he was an independent MP but also the joint secre-
tary of the City Awami League. Maya requested the leaders to calm down saying the matter would be presented to party chief Sheikh Hasina and her instructions would be followed. However, the meeting fixed dates for holding council to some thana units The council of Pallabi will be held on February 11, Kafrul on February 15, Ramna on February 17, Shahjahanpur on February 20, Demra on February 23, Kotwali on February 24, Mohammadpur on February 25 and Mirpur on February 28. l
Exams end
Results to be published
March 20 May 20
High School examination centre on the day. He said results would be published by May 20. The examinations will end on March 20. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Guardians of SSC examinees crowd outside the Motijheel Girls High School centre yesterday before the exams started (Left) l A SSC examinee cries while entering the examination centre yesterday, fearing that she might not find her designated seat in time as she reached the centre 10 minutes before the start of the exam at 10am. She was late because of the heavy traffic on the road on the first day of the exams (Right) SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
DPDC to bring all consumers Probe bodies yet to under prepaid meter plan submit report
STANDARD GARMENT FIRE
government quarters and its adjacent areas. At the deal signing ceremony, State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid said: We are trying our best to save consumers from hassles of getting new connections and to reduce systems loss. Other distribution companies such as the Rural Electrification Board will be brought under the pre-paid meters gradually.
A pre-paid meter will cost a consumer Tk5,000 Tk5,500, which can be paid in monthly instalments in eight years
A consumer will have to buy a smart card from the Network Operation and Customer Services and deposit an amount against the card; then the card will have to be inserted into the prepaid meters slot to begin electricity supply. The DPDC will establish 36 vending stations for selling and recharging these cards. A pre-paid meter will cost a consum-
n Arif Ahmed
Leaders of the Progressive Student Alliance of Dhaka University has called a day-long strike tomorrow to press home their demand to withdraw the additional tuition fees imposed on the Television and Film studies and other departments. The alliance made the declaration at a press briefing at the universitys Dhaka University Madhur canteen yesterday noon. We will besiege the Arts Faculty (Kola Bhaban) and Social Science Faculty buildings on Tuesday, as the university authority has failed to take any measures to meet our demands, said Rashed Shahariar, president of Chattra FrontsDU unit. We will go for tougher movements if the authorities do not take any steps in this regard, he added. l
er Tk5,000-Tk5,500, which can be paid in monthly instalments in eight years. Project Director Mohiuddin said it was a win-win situation for the DPDC as well as its customers as it would provide a number of benefits for both parties. The company would give a couple of days to pay the bill for an upcoming month, but the duration of that window was yet to be decided, he said. Upfront payments, improved cash flow, decreased non-technical losses, lower overhead expenses and meter-tampering protection were the benefits the company would enjoy after introducing the new meters, he said. The DPDC, which started commercial operation in the Dhaka City Corporation on July 1, 2008, has nine lakh consumers at present. On September 7, 2005, the Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (Desco) introduced locally made pre-paid meter system in the capitals Uttara Model Town, but it failed to start the main project. Under the Desco pilot project, 14,000 meters were installed. A group of students and teachers of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology developed the prepaid meter system. l
n Rabiul Islam
The probe committees formed to investigate the devastating fire incident of Standard Garment Factory in Gazipur were yet to submit their reports even after 70 days of the incident. The government formed three committees on December 30 last year and asked them to submit reports within seven days. Following a rumour of deaths of two fellow employees, agitated workers set fire to two 10 storied buildings of Standard Group on December 29 last year. According to the BGMEA, the accident caused an estimated loss of Tk1,200crore. Sources said the accident also left 1,800 workers jobless. During a visit on December 3 last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assured that those involved in the arson would be dealt in stern hands. Home ministry Additional Secretary Khandker Mainuddin, who went to retirement on January 12, had been made the head of one of the committees. Mainuddin said the responsibility of the committee naturally went to the higher authorities when the assigned individual went to retirement. I would look into the matter and I can inform you the development later, Additional Secretary of the home min-
istry Kamal Uddin Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune on Saturday. Another committee, headed by Additional District Magistrate of Gazipur Mohammad Mohsin, could not submit its investigation report too. Talking to the Dhaka Tribune over phone on Saturday, Mohsin said: For various reasons we could not submit the report, and we have extended the deadline to complete the investigation. The process was delayed as a member of the committee was abroad, he said, and added: We will sit with him soon and be able to submit the report. The third committee, headed by labour ministry Deputy Secretary Aminul Islam, also could not complete its investigation, although the committee got time extension several times. Aminul Islam said they could not complete the investigation as the committee members could not go to Gazipur because of countrywide general strikes and blockades. As the committee is comprised of seven members, it was difficult to sit together, he said, and added that the range of investigation was wide and as a result it was not possible to complete the investigation. Meanwhile, Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar could not be reached over his cell phone for his comments in this regard. l
WEATHER
A union unit president of Bangladesh Chhatra League president and his associates allegedly cut the wrists of a businessman at Chor Pakullah of Sadar upazila of Tangail yesterday. Sources said miscreants led by Silimpur UP unit BCL president Roman Miah attacked Amir Hamza, 45, son of Altaf Hossen of Chor Pakullah village. Doctor Swapon Bhattacharya of the Tangail General Hospital said as Amir's condition had deteriorated, he had referred him to Dhaka. l
PRAYER TIMES
Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha 5:18am 6:34am 12:13am 4:14pm 5:50pm 7:07pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
The Garments Shramik Sanghati holds a rally in front of the National Press Club yesterday, demanding publication of a list containing names of all the victims of Rana Plaza NASHIRUL ISLAM
There should be facilities for medical tests of the animals to be slaughtered at the shambles and issuance of standardisation certificate for the meat
The city corporations shy away from undertaking infrastructural development for the few butchery in the capital for a long time. In proportion to doctors, butchers and cleaners for the shambles, the surrounding environment of the slaughterhouses is in deplorable conditions. A visit to different abattoirs revealed that the two in Dhaka South City Corporation are in bad shape, with their floors having potholes, and walls bearing the testimony of an age-old structure lacking refurbishment. The DSCC allocated Tk50lakh for the development and construction of its slaughterhouses, but no renovation was done. Seeking anonymity, two butchers of the citys Kaptan Bazar slaughterhouse said no repair was carried out here in more than 10 years. It was because of the negligence and lack of sincerity of the Dhaka South City Corporation, he said. The adjacent vicinity of the slaughterhouse is very unhygienic. The city corporations waste container is
Students of botany department of Jahangirnagar University take out a procession on the campus yesterday, protesting attack on teachers and students of the department by some goons at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Gazipur during their excursion on Wednesday DHAKA TRIBUNE
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Nation
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Inmates live a sorry life in Lalmonirhat a haven for drug smugglers, authorities indifferent Jhenaidah jail
n Our Correspondent, Lalmonirhat
The Moghalhat upazila in Lalmonirhat district has become a haven for smugglers as hundreds of drug smugglers are doing business under the very nose of the administration. According to sources, local AL men control the drug syndicates in the border area as they earn windfall profit illegally every day. Three AL men, who are also the members of the syndicate, were arrested by law enforcers and jailed for two years each by a mobile court on January 1. The convicted three AL men are identified as Abu Sufiyan,48, president of Mogholhat unions 2 No ward unit AL, his son 2 No ward unit Jubo Leagues joint secretary Habuibur Rahman and 2 No ward unit Jubo League member Rabiul Islam in Chawratari village. According to the people close to the border, the drug dealers earn a profit through sale of different types of drugs. More than 150 people are involved in drug peddling at Mogholhat border, where at least 20 drug lords are active in the illegal trade.
Local Awami Leugue men control the drug syndicates in the border area to earn windfall profit
Makeshift tents along the no mans land on the Indian frontier are the provenance of a variety of drugs including phensidyl, wine, hemp and cannabis sold out there at a cheaper rate. Very closing to the Moghalhat border, many temporary drug houses have mushroomed in Nagartari, Jaridharla and Daribash villages under Dinhata
police station in Coochbihar district of Pashchimbanga in India. The BGB men and police are bribed while smuggling drugs into Bangladesh. Speaking under conditions of anonymity, a drugs smuggler at Mogholhat border said; On Tuesday morning many drugs smugglers cross over to Bangladesh border from India every day and bring different types of drugs by bribing law enforcing agents. They also bribe the ruling party men. The ringleaders under conditions of anonymity said; We have to give a regular bribe to the law enforcers in charge, and when the BGB team was on patrol, they alerted us through a phone call. When contacted, commanding officer of Lalmonirhat-15 BGB Battalion Lieutenant Colonel Shafiul Alam Khan said; The BGB men are always on high alert to resist drugs smuggling in the area. l
molasses and a thin piece of bread in the morning, rice with daal in the afternoon and a nominal piece of fish or mutton at night.
Moreover, many visitors alleged that jail authority realised Tk10 to Tk20 against Tk5 when they went to visit their near and dear ones. But Superintendent of Jhenaidah district prison Iqbal Hossain differed with all of the allegations. He said usually the prison authority prepared foods with the rice, pulse and wheat supplied from the governments food godown. Asked about taking money from ill inmates, he said allegation of admission of any prisoner to hospital against money was not true as ill patients are provided with treatment as per the prescription of physicians. It is quite absurd to provide equal opportunities for all when huge prisoners live in limited areas. Prisoners in the district prison are given fan and television for better living and sewing machines to involve in incomegeneration activities, he said. l
The photo taken from no mans land along Lalmonirhat border shows drug peddlers bring illegal drugs to Bangladesh DHAKA TRIBUNE
nali to reach the top. As she came from a very poor family, her father Rafiuddin married her off at an early age. But her husband was not financially well-off, so she decided to work for a living. At first, she took money from her husband to make sarees and sell them to local shops but her initiative was unsuccessful. Later she took a loan of Tk20,000 from the upazila Bangladesh Rural Development Board and established Sonali Handicrafts in 2004 along with five other destitute women workers. She started to sell sarees again and established her workplace at a
This is an online Tender, where only e-Tender will be accepted in the National e-GP portal and no ofine/hard copies will be accepted. To submit e-Tender, registration in the National e-GP System Portal (http://www.eprocure.gov.bd) is required The fees for downloading the e-Tender Documents from the National e-GP System portal have to be deposited online through any registered Banks branches up to 5.00pm on 03/03/2014 for Tender ID No. 6216, 6217 & 6218 Further information and guidelines are available in the National e-GP System Portal and from e-GP help desk (helpdesk@eprocure.gov.bd) (01762625528-31).
(Md. Abdul Matin Sarkar) Executive Engineer Faridpur O&M Division BWDB Faridpur
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Long Form
n Abdul Hannan
he decline and fall of Khaleda Zia, the former two-time prime minister and the former leader of the opposition, has an element of Greek and Shakespearian tragedy. Khaleda Zias defeat in her desperate fight against Sheikh Hasina for the restoration of the caretaker government to oversee free, fair, and inclusive general election, has a truly tragic character. The Awami League has won the January 5 elections, and has since cobbled together a 49-member cabinet along with a few rag tag minor parties. The BNP boycott of the elections has stripped Khaleda Zia of all her clout, authority, power, and privileges as the leader of the opposition: this is a pathetic sight. The bitter power struggle between the two leaders was stained with motiveless malignity. Sheikh Hasina avenged the humiliation and discomfiture she suffered on the eve of the 2006 National Elections due to Khaleda Zias subterfuges to manipulate election results in her favour: raising the retirement-age of the chief justice of the Supreme Court to have the choicest chief adviser of the caretaker government. Foiled in her effort, Khaleda managed to make the then president, Iajuddin Ahmud, wear the hat of chief adviser in addition to his high office.
BNP now seems to be thoroughly demoralised and disorganised. It is in complete disarray with most of its leaders arrested, or in hiding. It needs thorough reorganisation, reforms, and renewals at the grassroots-level and central-level youth leadership
Appointment of a chief election commissioner of her choosing, and preparation of a dubious voter list were other contrivances of the BNP, to win the elections. These attempts were thwarted by the subsequent army-backed backed government, precipitated by wild rampage, chaos, and disorder by the Awami League.
The tragic flaw in the character of Begum Zia was her ambition, and her pride that was wounded in the ignominious defeat by the AL in 2008, and her resultant failure to go to power. She could never reconcile such reversals of her fortune. She and her party boycotted the 9th Jatiya Sangsad for almost the entire tenure (she attended only 10 days), and was non-cooperative with the government on every issue, including the parliamentary committee set up to review the Supreme Court verdict declaring the caretaker government as unconstitutional. The boycott of the parliament was a mistake, which deprived them of the opportunity to criticise the anti-democratic policies and practices of the government. Her campaign strategy of protest, demonstration, and political unrest to oust the Awami League government was potentially flawed. The BNP was denied of permission to protest on the street and hold public meetings to expose various government failures. To rise up to the aspiration of the people, and to provide a democratic dispensation for a just, corruption free, egalitarian society, her party in tandem with Jamaat-Shibir cadres unleashed a year-long vicious terror campaign: arson, killing innocent people, burning buses, trucks, and cars by petrol bombs, shut downs and blockade of roads, rivers, and trains that paralysed normal life, and adversely affected the economy by shattering internal and external trade and commerce. These were not mass based political agitations, but criminal acts of violence skewed movements to derive restricted dividends. The only agenda of her campaign was to go to power by the ouster of a government elected by a massively popular mandate. The campaign seriously eroded BNPs popularity, and alienated peoples sympathy towards the BNP. People deplored that Khaleda Zia, at least for once, had not visited the burn unit of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital to see the burnt patients, or condemn these acts of killing and burning innocent people. It was a serious mistake by BNP to support Jamaat-Shibirs destructive movements aimed at stopping the on-going trial of their leaders charged with collaborating with Pakistani occupation armys acts of atrocities and genocide during liberation war. It is not understood why BNP, whose leader Ziaur Rahman was a valiant freedom fighter, should have taken upon itself the burden of atoning Jamaats sins in the form of the crimes against humanity during the liberation war. She should have been more forthright and less reticent in
supporting the ongoing trial of Jamaat leaders by the International war crimes tribunal. BNPs support to Jamaat and Hefazat-e-Islam was immoral, a tactical mistake, and was affront to modern liberal sensitivities of people. Bangladeshis fought and sacrificed their lives during the war for liberal democracy, secularism, progress, an exploitation free, just society, and not for foisting a rule by an oligarchy of religious fanatics, obscurantists for introduction of the Sharia and blasphemy laws, and disclaimer of womens progress and empowerment. BNP should have realised that such a skewed agenda does not have mass appeal, and is not a reason for mass uprising and upheaval to topple the government. No wonder, none of her trusted men responded to her call to come to her rescue from her house detention, barricaded by loads of sand, disabling her to attend the proposed BNP rally in Dhaka. Hers was a cry in wilderness a disaster. She felt betrayed, abandoned, forlorn, and cast adrift. The curtains of the tragic drama was drawn. People watching the scene on television went through an emotional catharsis, of pity and terror, to her grim tragedy. It was clear that her political agitation was no popular uprising which forced abdication of power by Hosni Mobarak, Ferdinand Marcos, the Shah of Iran, Soeharto, or Ershad. BNP now seems to be thoroughly demoralised and disorganised. It is in complete disarray with most of its leaders arrested, or in hiding. It needs thorough reorganisation, reforms, and renewals at the grassroots-level and central-level youth leadership strengthened not by muscle and money, but by character and integrity, modern education, sacrifice, vision for development efforts, dedication to serve society and the people from a moral high ground. Look at the structure of young political leadership in Europe and Asia where most old leaders have been discarded. What BNP needs is not violence to overthrow the government, but a programme, a think tank to systematically collect and collate misdeeds of the government and mobilise public opinion. The alternative is for the party to wither in the vines. Cloistered in splendid isolation in her Gulshan office, flanked by opportunists waiting for the spoils of victory, should she win the election, she seems to be out of touch with reality and people to trust to advise her correctly. It is intriguing why she kept the sincere, competent, and liberal Mirza Fakhrul Islam as an acting secretary general without confirming and reinforcing his position.
The tragic flaw in the character of Begum Zia was her ambition, and her pride that was wounded in the ignominious defeat by the AL in 2008, and her resultant failure to go to power
This inevitably disabled his operational effectiveness, and made him play second fiddle. She hardly called more than one party conference of workers. Her son, Tareq Rahman, unilaterally elected as the vice president of the party, is considered a liability for his infamous associations with much reviled Hawa Bhaban, seen as alternate levers of power and dictats by a wide spectrum of opinion. Khaleda Zia committed the worst blunder by stubbornly refusing to participate in the polls without a caretaker government, when various opinion polls in newspapers predicted a clear majority win by the BNP. The Awami League government was severely discredited with the sufferings of people, the perceived failure to provide efficient governance free from corruption, the cronyism, and the crippling politicisation of every layer of society. It was a risky gamble worth taking, in view of the wins of the five mayoral elections, even under the threat, real or assumed, of election engineering. Chances were, they would have won. Also, she should not have wavered and balked in grasping the opportunity for dialogue when offered. Khaleda Zias mistakes and blunders, nevertheless, does not make AL infallible in holding a one-sided election without BNPs participation. January 5 elections may be constitutionally correct, as clamed by AL, but in popular perception at home and abroad, it was flawed and illegitimate lacking popular acceptance and credibility. Out of the 300-member parliament, 153 seats were uncontested, denying half of the voters their right of franchise. The rest of the seats were fought essentially between Awami League candidates in different forms. The question of voter turnout was thus irrelevant. It was deeply
frustrating. There is no glory, grace, or grandeur in such a tarnished and truncated victory. It was immoral of the AL to eliminate the caretaker government, their own brainchild, for whom they fought relentlessly till the then prime minister, Khaleda Zia, herself, was forced to incorporate it in the constitution in 2006. Sheikh Hasina also ignored, obviously for political expediency, the rider clause in the Supreme Court verdict that recommended that the next two elections be conducted under a caretaker government if necessary. Ershads Jatiya Partys eleventh hour somersault to participate in the polls and bargain a position both in the cabinet and in the opposition will be considered the worst political treachery and aberration in history. BNP was left out in the cold. To forestall the potential of fresh eruption of a long running conflict and turmoil, it is imperative to hold an inclusive mid-term election sooner or later, under a caretaker government, to bring about much needed national unity and reconciliation, a participatory democracy, peace, and stability. Abdul Hannan is a columnist and a former diplomat.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
International
n Reuters, Moscow
A gunman opened fire on Sunday in a Russian Orthodox cathedral on the island of Sakhalin, off Russias eastern coast, killing a nun and a churchgoer and wounding six other people, officials said. The shooting happened as Russian security forces are on high alert due to concerns about possible attacks on the Winter Olympics in Sochi, thousands of km (miles) to the west. There was no apparent link to the Games. The gunman was detained at the scene after the shooting at the main cathedral in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, on the island in the Sea of Okhotsk, north of Japan, the federal Investigative Committee said. It added that the suspect had
WIKI
who perished, and Badr Abdelatty, Foreign Ministry spokesman, said his country was still trying to confirm the numbers of nationals who died. Ahmad Zaki, an employee of the Egyptian embassy in Jeddah, told the Youm al-Sabaa newspaper that there were tens of Egyptians among the injured and killed. Zaki said maintenance work at the hotel led to an electrical fire. Prince Faisal bin Salman, Medinas governor, said the government would look into the incident. Medina is a major religious destination for Muslims. The city is the burial site of the Prophet Muhammad and is Islams second holiest city after Mecca. l
Libyas former prosecutor Pollster: Swiss vote 50.4% in favour general shot dead of EU migrant curbs
n AFP
Libyas former prosecutor general has been shot dead by unknown attackers in the eastern city of Derna, the justice minister said, the latest in a series of assassinations that have plagued the country. Abdelaziz al-Hasadi was killed on Saturday while visiting relatives in his home town of Derna, the AFP news agency reported, citing the justice minister, Salah al-Marghani. Hasadi, who resigned from the post in March 2013, was the first prosecutor general appointed after Muammar Gaddafi was toppled and killed in the 2011 uprising. Since the overthrow of Gaddafis regime, Libya has been plagued by violence, including a string of killings targeting top army and security officials as well as judges. Libyan news agency LANA reported that another army officer was shot dead on Saturday in the eastern city of Benghazi, which has also been hit by unrest since 2011. l
n AFP, Geneva
Swiss voters have narrowly backed curbs on immigration from the European Union, with 50.4% in favour in a referendum on Sunday, a polling agency said. Claude Longchamp, head of the gfs.bern polling institute, told public broadcaster SRF that the result remained on a knife-edge, with a margin of error of just 0.7%, but that the Yes vote looked set to win. The measure was crafted by the power-
ful right-wing populist Swiss Peoples Party, which is hawkish about the sovereignty of this non-EU member state and says the country is being swamped. The vote was also watched closely by eurosceptics within the EU who want to rein in immigration among its member states, notably from eastern to western Europe. The measure binds the Swiss government to renegotiate within three years a deal with Brussels that since 2007 has given most EU citizens free access to the countrys labour market.
The populists say that with 80,000 EU citizens arriving per year -- rather than the 8,000 predicted before the rules were liberalised -- it is time for the nation of eight million people to rein things in. Their opponents, including the government and lobby groups from across the economy, say immigrants are needed to drive Swiss business and industry, and that ripping up the free movement deal would mean the demise of a handful of related economic accords with the EU. l
Left-wing outsider to run for Egypt president Reports: Convicted Australian n terrorist flees to Syria
Agencies
Hamdeen Sabahi, a left-wing Egyptian politician, has announced that he will be running for president in the forthcoming election. Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the army chief, is widely expected to contest and win the race, scheduled for mid-April, although he is yet to announce his candidacy. Sabahi, 59, came third in the 2012 presidential election won by Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, who was deposed by the army in July following mass protests against his rule. My personal decision as a citizen is to run for the coming presidential elections, Sabahi said in a public address to supporters on Saturday. Hamdeen Sabahis battle is the battle of the revolution. Sabahi built a big following during his campaign for the 2012 election, using a popular touch to beat candidates with better funded campaigns. The dearth of candidates in advance of this election provides a stark contrast to the 2012 vote, the first time Egyptians were allowed to freely choose their head of state. Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh, a moderate Islamist who came fourth in that vote, has said he does not plan to run, saying the current circumstances are neither free nor democratic. Members of his party were detained in January while campaigning against a new constitution passed in a referendum. l
n AFP, Sydney
Australian officials Sunday blamed a fairly major breakdown in border security for the reported escape of a convicted terrorist through Sydney Airport to join the conflict in Syria. New South Wales Premier Barry OFarrell expressed concern after media reports that Khaled Sharrouf, who served almost four years
in prison after pleading guilty over a 2005 conspiracy to attack Sydney, had fled the country. According to News Corp Australia, Sharrouf boarded a flight to Malaysia at Sydney Airport last month using his brothers passport and was now believed to be in Syria. I have to say I think that immigration and the federal police and customs have been doing a magnificent job, OFarrell told reporters. l
An Indian visitor places her hands on an art installation at the annual Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in Mumbai on February 7. The nine-day art festival which has been held every year since 1999, featuring a variety of arts, cultures and culinary delights, has grown in stature and popularity, attracting visitors and participants from India and the world AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
International
A few dozen pro-independence activists defied the restrictions and tried to stage a rally in Srinagar
AFP
The execution refreshed anger sparked in 1984, when pro-independence leader Mohammed Maqbool Butt was hanged in the same New Delhi jail after being convicted of killing an intelligence officer. Since 1989, an armed uprising and an ensuing crackdown in the region have killed an estimated 68,000 people. Separatists renewed demands over the weekend that the two mens remains, buried within the jail compound, be returned to the region for burial. The shutdown is called for pressing our demand for return of the mortal remains of our martyrs, Syed Ali Geelani, a separatist leader, said in a statement issued before he was detained at Srinagars airport on Saturday after returning from New Delhi. l
The details of the deal will be out soon. Everything will be agreed on a package. We are also discussing the new governments policy and programme
The Maoists came to power in 2008 after a landslide election victory, two years after signing a deal to end the insurgency which also saw the abolition of the 240-year-old monarchy. But the ensuing four years were marked by a series of short-term coalition governments, mainly led by the Maoists. The first assembly broke up amid rancour in May 2012. Nepal has been in political limbo since then. The new parliament held its first meeting last month. Leaders from across the political divide vowed to draw up the constitution within a year as promised to the people. l
China decries US comments US aid plan seeks to shield Afghanistan on South China Sea as from end to war economy n not constructive
Reuters, Kabul
n Reuters, Beijing
China has accused the United States of undermining peace and development in the Asia-Pacific after a senior US official said concern was mounting over Chinas claims in the South China Sea. These actions are not constructive, Hong Lei, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, said in a statement issued late on Saturday. We urge the US to hold a rational and fair attitude, so as to have a constructive role in the peace and development of the region, and not the opposite, Lei said. US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Danny Russel told a congressional testimony on Wednesday the United States had growing concerns that Chinas maritime claims were an effort to gain
n AFP, Kerobokan
An Indonesian anti-drugs group said Sunday Jakartas decision to parole Australian drug trafficker Schapelle Corby could put the safety of our nation at risk, as she prepared to leave prison on Bali. The 36-year-old, whose case has attracted huge attention in Australia, could be freed as early as Monday from Kerobokan prison on the tourist island after the decision to grant her early release. But Corby, arrested in 2004 entering Bali with marijuana stashed in her surfing gear, will walk straight into a media frenzy, with dozens of journalists camped outside Kerobokan and a bidding war for her first post-jail interview in full swing. Corbys well-documented mental illness, steadfast proclamations of innocence and fight to be freed from prison earned her sympathy in Australia. However the view in Indonesia has been starkly different. On Sunday the National Movement Against Narcotics (Granat) issued a strongly worded statement against the parole decision. Granat protests parole being granted, even if it is the right of the prisoner, said Henry Yosodiningrat, chairman of the group which has long campaigned against Corbys early release. Crimes committed by Corby or other drug convicts they are crimes against the safety of our nation. The president should be sensitive to the publics sense of justice, as the public will be the ones who will be hurt by this clemency shown to Corby. He said that five million Indonesians had become drug users or addicts as a result of drug crimes like those committed by Corby. Others urged the government not to grant parole in the run-up to Justice Minister Amir Syamsuddins decision Friday, with a group of eight lawmakers presenting a letter of protest. When he announced Corby was getting early release Syamsuddin defended the decision, saying it was not an act of generosity but a right regulated by law. Farid Junaidi, Kerobokan prison governor, confirmed Sunday that the parole documents were en route from Jakarta to Bali and could arrive in the evening. l
creeping control of oceans in the region. Chinas claims had created uncertainty, insecurity and instability, Russel said. China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei all claim parts of the sea that provides 10% of global fish catches and carries $5 trillion in ship-borne trade. China also railed against what it called outrageous comments on Friday by Philippine President Benigno Aquino, who compared the maritime dispute with appeasement of Nazi Germany before World War Two. China claims about 90% of the 3.5 million square km (1.35 million square miles) South China Sea, depicting what it sees as its area on maps with a socalled nine-dash line, looping far out over the sea from south China. l
The Obama administration will unveil on Monday a package of aid initiatives it hopes will help Afghanistan, still one of the worlds poorest countries after a dozen years of massive international aid efforts, shield itself from the departure of foreign troops and an expected drop in assistance. The announcement from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) of three new development initiatives worth almost $300 million is part of a US effort to ensure that Afghanistan, as its war economy ends, wont slide backwards into greater poverty or reverse gains made over the last 12 years in health, education and other areas. The question is, what can we do now to make sure Afghanistan is as healthy, sustainable and feasible as possible going forward, Larry Sampler, the agencys chief official for Af-
ghanistan and Pakistan, said in an interview. The initiatives extend US assistance for Afghanistans food sector; seek to help the Afghan government boost revenue and join the World Trade Organization within a year; and secure agreements between US and Afghan universities to ensure young Afghans are trained for jobs. But how much outside help aid-reliant Afghanistan will receive in the years ahead remains in doubt, as uncertainty continues about a possible post-2014 NATO troop presence and as fiscal pressures in donor nations squeeze aid budgets. Last month, US lawmakers halved civilian aid for Afghanistan, reflecting growing reluctance in Congress to continue generous aid levels there, concerns about waste and fraud, and frustration with the Afghan government itself. The Obama administration contin-
ues to press Afghan President Hamid Karzai to sign a bilateral security pact needed to keep US troops there after this year. His refusal to do so has strained already fraught US Afghan relations. Decisions by the United States on future aid levels to Afghanistan may in turn shape actions by other donor nations, which gathered in Tokyo in 2012 to announce their intentions to provide aid to Afghanistan for years to come. While the United States did not pledge a specific amount for future aid, it had promised to seek aid near current levels of just over $2 billion at least through 2015. US officials said the new initiatives would not be affected by the recent budget cut, because they would set aside money now for the full four or five years they are designed to last. Sampler said the initiatives would aim, in part, to provide a buffer as the war economy winds down. l
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Editorial
LETTER OF THE DAY
Letters to
the Editor
n increasing number of RMG manufacturers are investing in more environmentally friendly factories. Benefits have included reduced long term costs via better energy efficiency, recycling, and waste management systems. They have also been helpful in immediately lowering emissions and pollution, renewably generating electricity and in improving attractiveness to buyers. The branding benefits of greener factories offers lessons for all types of manufacturer. Some RMG manufacturers, such as ABA Group, Viyellatex and Envoy Textile, report that initiatives to build green factories have been proving attractive to international buyers and consumers. While such moves have typically involved higher upfront costs, the investment in purpose built green factories has been justified by incorporating better working conditions and reducing long term maintenance costs. As consumers all around the world and leading brands are placing ever more importance on good factory environments and environmental sustainability, more such initiatives will help enhance the competitiveness of Bangladeshi products in the global marketplace. The government should do more to promote the building of factories which meet internationally certified standards on environmental sustainability. Given the higher costs required by such factories, it should consider new tax incentives to reward those private sector companies that have invested to achieve best practice environmental standards. It should also allow more duty-free import of equipment required to establish eco-friendly factories, for all types of export orientated manufacturer. That way, more companies and investors will be encouraged to invest and create jobs by building environmentally friendly factories.
Such initiatives enhance the competitiveness of Bangladeshi products in the global marketplace
February 6 Drivers of vehicles need to be careful while on the roads, yet, well soon hear about the bus owners pooling together, coming to these shameless drivers support, and saying that pedestrians need to be more careful! Wali Rahman
February 5 The government has finally done something for which the public can give thanks. Rajibul Hasan
February 6 But isnt that all that it is about? That is the current BD governments plan, right? Anyone surprised? Cost of clinging onto power through a farcical election. Sakhawat Husain
Write to us at: Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email us at: letters@dhakatribune.com Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion@dhakatribune.com Visit our website: www.dhakatribune.com Come join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Op-Ed
T I
11
E D E N
Kolkata bliss
n Towheed Feroze
here is something about Kolkata that gets almost everyone misty-eyed. For this writer, the city brings back a wave of memories from the time in the early 90s when the city of joy was truly the place which drew hordes of young people from Bangladesh with the unparalleled allure of Hindi movies, adult theatres, mouth-watering road-side food, and countless pubs offering chilled beer in an atmosphere of relaxation, without the worry of sudden police raids. Rest assured: You wont need to carry a faux drinking licence here to be safe! Someone recently told me that Kolkata has changed a lot that is from the last time I went there in 2008. So, the truth in their comment became evident the moment I landed at the spanking new airport clean, immaculate, and spacious. Also and this may sound strange rather tranquil. Of course, peaceful is not a word that we usually associate with airports. The taxi driver Sarfaraz tells me that even at the busiest of times, there is an air of composure. Looking at this monumental structure, its hard to dismiss that as a xenophobic exaggeration. There was still plenty of euphoria the day after Saraswati Puja, with plenty of young men and women on the streets dancing and singing while taking part in jovial processions. Its puja jubilation blended with the firebrand promises of Narendra Modi who had addressed a sea of people in Kolkata that same evening. No wonder the whole city was adorned with large posters with the bold exhortation: Brigade Cholo! So, has the city changed a lot? It depends on whether or not you are seeking out the new look. As for me, I wanted the old Kolkata with a slight touch of leftist idealism that is accompanied by earthen tea pots, cigarettes that cost below Rs40, street thali food featuring luchis fried in refined butter, and road-side book stores selling second-hand books and vinyl records. Found The Beatles Abbey Road LP in store! Dont get me wrong here the new Kolkata with the glitz and the razzmatazz is also welcome and much cherished. However, if you have been to this city and made an effort to get into the inner layers in the quest of a spiritual core, then the discos, lounges, and the hip hotels may not be the main attraction.
But the wise thing to do is avoid being judgmental new cannot be appreciated without the old and vice versa! Sarfaraz, the taxi driver who owns his Ambassador car and is mighty proud of its performance, tells me that the iconic vehicle is no longer made in West Bengal since orders have dropped sharply.
So, has the city changed a lot? It depends on whether or not you are seeking out the new look
They are only used for government work and taxi service, he says, unable to hide the sadness. Cant blame the people for choosing the new cars that have flooded the market BMWs and Audis are common. Perhaps the Chinese formula of communism laced with frantic consumerism has secured a spot in life here. Whatever the case, the Ambassador is still majestic remember no one stops to take photos of the high-end cars, but when the old behemoth roars on, tourists are bound to pick up their cameras. Kolkata is a still a city of paradoxes with the aged buildings, trams, hand-pulled rickshaws, and ubiquitous street eateries, it looks exactly as this writer first found it in 1988. Yet, the facade of backwardness hides the ultra modern side where latest mobile phones, top watch brands, and fashion retailers have comfortably found their social places. Here, one can be a king for a week with $500, or can feel miserably cashstrapped on the same amount for one day which side you want to choose is up to you. Both sides of the spectrum will give the visitor a unique experience. While the habit of drinking coffee is overshadowing tea consumption in Dhaka, here in Kolkata, tea houses still run strong. There is a silent competition to be the maker of the best brew in town. To be honest, I have not found a single place that sells sub-standard tea. Even the street stalls that sell a cup for Rs5 has made tea-making into a superior art form. A hip place to drink great tea is the One Way Cafe in Chowringhee. But if tradition and history is what you
City of joy? are after, head for the Russel Punjabi Dhaba, also on the same street. Like I said in this city, contrasts (the old and the new) cohabit in perfect harmony. After finishing your drink, remember to break the earthen cup it provides an inexplicable pleasure! One evening, I saw a small Chinese restaurant called Ambassador by the Chowringhee Raod and decided to step in. It was like getting into a time capsule to be taken to the 70s an elderly man was seated behind the reception, while another veteran was working as a waiter. The interior had a very quaint decoration the air smelt of a time lost. The food tasted different no, it actually tasted like the Chinese food Dhaka restaurants served in the late 70s and 80s. There was no rush or loud music, and the restaurant appeared more like a gastronomic sanctuary that satisfied the palate while massaging the senses. near the Birla Planetarium. To catch a rainbow is the objective how much you can afford to spend
WIKIMEDIA
Here, one can be a king for a week with $500, or can feel miserably cash-strapped on the same amount for one day
After a hard weeks work, people like to have a few drinks here. One can either walk into a high-end pub and order Laphroaig neat or just buy a small bottle of Officers Choice local whiskey to add some rainbows to the weekend nights. The place to unwind can be a plush lounge or a corner of the large field
is your matter. Maybe I am wrong, but there was a feeling that a lot of old-fashioned values still havent died out in this city of joy. Talking about joy, the city is covered in posters of a movie due to be released on Valentines Day. Its calledAbhishapta Nightie(The
cursed lingerie), and the images on the posters are surely very provoking. For a city that has a reputation for espousing liberal thought, talking about sex is never a taboo. A vendor at a pharmacy pointed to a newly launched condom called Skynn and said:Niye jaan dada, bapok jinish! Skinless skin ... Why suppress something when its a fundamental need, says Sarfaraz, and adds with a wink: Last night in Kolkata, some place spicy, boss! Well, the bottle is half full, the night has a piquant flavour and Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club had just beaten Mohun Bagan by a goal to move to the IFA Shield Semis. Relaxing in the Ambassador, I smile back and say: So ... Sarfaraz bhai ... what do you have in mind?l Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently working in the development sector.
Bad influences?
Between nations
a slave to my instincts. An alarming part of depiction of immorality as an approvable peccadillo like this is recognised when it is considered how influential the Indian movies are in our country. Dramas which do not have a story revolving around the relationships of men and women are hardly ever produced. Very few music videos actually bother exploring themes other than affairs and love stories. Teenagers are naturally curious about sexuality and the opposite sex. Since our elders and parents have lost the control and influence they once used to have over the young, our children learn about these things from Bollywood movies. Since these movies have very little to do with reality, our youths end up learning not only wrong lessons, but things which are extremely deleterious and psychologically damaging. Egotism, hedonism, and materialism are three things one cannot fail to learn from watching movies these days. Most social problems are of such gargantuan magnitude in Bangladesh these days, that it often becomes impossible to think of a suitable plan of addressing them. In this case, the solution lies in parents and elders comprehending the importance of guiding their offspring. We are all interested in turning our children into doctors and engineers, but whether they become good people or not has somehow become immaterial to us. This trend must not continue if we want to see a positive change. l Muhammad Eusha is an HVAC specialist and a DT columnist.
n Muhammad Eusha
olitical drama has been quite distracting over the last few months, and we have been so engrossed in it that many disparate events and happenings unrelated to politics have failed to attract sufficient interest. One such incident is that of two teen lovers attempting suicide in the metropolis by trying to drown themselves. The girl survived this lethal escapade somehow, but her lover proved the veracity of his affection for his lady with his demise. It is not unreasonable to assume that the couple attempted this foolish act realising there were too many obstacles, social or familial, to their union. The news of this failed affair stirred the whole country momentarily, as do all spicy love stories, but the excitement subsided quickly and we turned our attention again to the nonsensical political farce, unsurprisingly failing to recognise the gravity of this hackneyed love affair. This unfortunate incident has accidentally managed to expose, quite conspicuously, a deep social malaise that has been developing for decades now. And we have been oblivious to it. To perceive the presence of this cancerous social disorder, we need to recognise that the principal impetus which drove those teens to commit suicide was that their understanding of life was not only sophomoric, their personal philosophy suffered from the presence of aberrantly unrealistic views. The question that immediately arises is who or what moulded their plastic minds in such a grotesquely wrong
fashion? How were they deported to fictitious lands of fantasy away from the real world? Most importantly, how did a completely unrealistic view of relationships develop among them? This seemingly puzzling question has a simple answer. The media, especially television, cinema, and the internet have been playing a cumulatively damaging role in obliterating moral values and replacing ethical codes with immoral and amoral principles.
The solution lies in parents comprehending the importance of guiding their offspring
The Bollywood movies have been, for decades now, portraying relationships between men and women and exaggerating the emotions involved to an appalling degree, principally focusing on the somatic aspect of it in a licentious way. The continuously exacerbating decadence in these movies has been affecting our youth severely. The most disturbing part is that immoral acts such as extramarital affairs are delineated in a condonable fashion. In fact, the central figures of these movies are often overtly exercising their libertine spirits. One particular number from a recent movie had a chorus line which reads: I cannot stop flirting (with ladies) because I am
oes the survival of the fittest referring to natural selection extend to the terms of international relations? Money and muscle, in other words, wealth, technology, and military power, give you the authority to put in place your terms over the world. Do we, the world citizens, approve of the way international affairs run in this age? Is it a bad idea to claim or want a just world ensuring equal rights and opportunities for the citizens as well as nation states? Sure, every citizen has equal rights and opportunities according to the law. My question is: Can we enjoy those rights and opportunities fully? The superbly powerful countries extend their tentacles into other countries affairs. In the name of protecting human rights, democracy, and justice, they go for action against anything that they deem incorrect. We know about the stories of invading Iraq and Afghanistan, how the prisoners of Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib were tortured, and also how the sovereignty of Pakistan was broken to kill Bin Laden. We also know about the continuous drone attacks in Pakistan. Apparently, whoever has the clout can flout international laws. Shouldnt all the countries honour and respect each others sovereignty? In 2006, a 21-year-old Bangladeshi student, Ehsanul Islam Sadequee, suspected to have links with Al-Qaeda, was arrested by Secret Service agents and later handed over to the FBI after being flown to the US with the help of local police from Dhaka. Evidently, it was okay to flout domestic laws in this case.
The right to self-determination in several parts of the world is ignored. We dont see any prospect of resolving the issue of Kashmir in the near future. Ultimately, the people of their respective lands are suffering. There is also the issue of flouting UN Resolutions. The comparatively powerful country wants to settle the issue bilaterally, but its already been more than six decades since the problem erupted. Some are raising questions about whether or not the trial of war criminals in Bangladesh are meeting international standards. But these questions were not raised in other cases, like convicting and executing Saddam Hussein.
the minority population in different countries are often ignored. The UN could be employed to monitor and help resolve the issue, and the respective state or authority may be tried by the International Court of Justice or by the International Criminal Court if it fails to uphold their rights. With regard to the disputes on land boundary, new islands, or sea shores, the UN should interfere if the parties concerned fail to resolve the respective issue by themselves. It is necessary that the UN System works neutrally, giving equal rights and privileges to all the member states. There should not be any permanent seat in the Security Council. All the 15 Security Council seats should be filled
The superbly powerful countries extend their tentacles into other countries affairs in the name of protecting human rights
To maintain equality in the world, key international institutions can play leading roles. So, they should be made free from the influence of any state. These institutions should be endorsed by every UN member state. Chiefs of the international institutions should not be recruited only from the few most powerful countries. The issue of surveillance by a couple of countries is another example of intruding into the internal affairs of others, disrespecting privacy and freedom the things they claim to fight for themselves. Equal rights and opportunities to
either by voting or rotationally by the member states. Now is the time to make the UN system more democratic to establish justice, freedom, and equal opportunity to everyone. All the important international crises, including those that cannot be resolved bilaterally, may be brokered by the UN. We want to see the UN playing that role. It is necessary to restore the confidence of the member states in the UN. l M Masud Hossain Khan works at a technical institute in Dhaka.
12
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Entertainment
With vibrant performances, five exhibitions curated by local and international curators, 14 solo art projects, a city-wide public art project participations of over 250 artists and thousands of art lovers, the second edition of Dhaka Art Summit ended yesterday amidst huge enthusiasm. The venues of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy became a rendezvous of art enthusiasts during the three-day event. Focusing on South Asia and its happening contemporary art scene, the DAS proved to be one of the biggest platforms for experimental artists all across the region
PHOTOS: SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN, QUAMRUL ABEDIN
Tell us about the concept and context of your artwork on display at the Dhaka Art Summit 2014.
My artwork is exhibited in two parts at the DAS: B/Desh and Samdani Art Award Exhibition. In B/Desh Art Exhibition, I have five drawings that are from different series of artworks. All the pieces are done on papers and on photograph. Other elements and dimensions of my works are exposing, cutting, slicing and crushing the papers. The three pieces at the Samdani Art Award show are extensions of my ongoing art series. The first three pieces in of the series are done on velvet with threads. To portray my thoughts, I scripted some texts on the velvet. The texts are collected from the various journals which are about certain situation of my life and certain feelings.
I acquire inspiration from every forms of art like literature, music, film, old buildings and others. My drawings are like architecture specimen, but its not architecture. Even Dhaka was an inspiration on my sound art.
I have admired by many great artists, but my role models of the artistic world are mostly dead. One of them is Spanish painter Francisco Goya.
My first solo art exhibition is going to be showcased at the Bengal Art Lounge. I am working on it at the moment. l
A band perform paying tribute to Moloy at TSC on Saturday songs written by Subrata Dey Moloy which were Surjasarothi, Jibon Nodi and Bhanga Chalai Hawa Ase. The bands concept of music and lyrics are highly inspired by Subrata Dey Moloy. Kafil Ahmed, countrys eminent protest musician played two of his popular songs in the concert, honouring the memory of the late cultural activist.
QUAMRUL ABEDIN
Subrata Dey Moloy, an alumni of University of Dhaka, was an active protester against terrorism, communal attacks and fanaticism. He died in a road accident on February 8, 2011 at Coxs Bazar town as a speeding truck hit his motorcycle. He was a poet, lyricist, cultural and political activist and a well-maintained organiser. l
ON TV
MOVIE
7:00pmFox Movies Premium
Side Effects
DRAMA
9: 00pm Star Jalsha 11:00pm Sony TV
Bojhena Shey Bojhena Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
COMEDY
2:00pm Z Cafe
The Middle
9:30pmWB
Underworld
Sport
a deal with India about their arrival here in 2015 and Bangladesh will go to India to play a Test series in the August or September of 2016. India will also play another series after that, he said.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
13
0 3 4
DAYS TO GO
14 New Zealand
15 Cairns demands
Bangladeshs Test status is secure and there was nothing to worry about as far as relegation was concerned
He also that all full members will enter into a series of contractually binding bi-lateral agreements as a matter of urgency so that they can confirm a comprehensive schedule of matches in a Future Tours Programme that is ex-
Shirin on top
n Shishir Haque
Reigning champion Sharmin Sultana Shirin won her third game in a row and tops the Sultana Kamal 34th National Women Chess Championship-2014 points table after beating Samiha Sharmin Shimmi in the 3rd round at the chess federation hallroom yesterday. Shirin has a maximum three points after the 3rd round, while WFM Zakia Sultana lies in second place 2.5 points after beating Kiswara Shajrin Evana yesterday. In the days other games, WIM Shamima Akter Liza defeated Hamida Rahman, WIM Rani Hamid drew with WFM Nazrana Khan Eva and WFM Tanima Parveen drew with Dilara Jahan Nupur. l
Abahani players celebrate a strike of Pushkor Khisha Mimo (no. 10) at the hockey stadium yesterday
COURTESY
The second Test came on the Tigers lucky ground in Chittagong but the team selection for the match raised eyebrows
ry in the first innings and three wickets, but irresponsible batting and unnecessary shots remained a big concern. The second Test came on the Tigers lucky ground in Chittagong but the team selection for the match raised eyebrows, as Bangladesh chose just one
pace bowler. In the event, the Test saw history written by the greatest batsman in world cricket, Kumar Sangakkara. The left hander broke many records and reached many milestones when he smashed his first triple hundred, followed by a hundred in the second innings as only Graham Gooch had done before. In the first innings, Sri Lanka posted 587, despite Shakibs 11th five-wicket haul. The Tigers replied adequately this time with Shamsur Rahman scoring his maiden hundred and Imrul Kayes, who was returning to the national fold after two years, also making a ton to lead Bangladesh to 426. For Sri Lanka, Ajantha Mendis, who was returning to the side after a year, took six wickets in the innings. Sri Lanka posted another 305 runs in the second innings. Vice-captain Dinesh Chandimal smashed his third century -
The range of permissible sanctions for all first Level 1 offences is a warning or reprimand and/or the imposition of a fine of up to 50% of the applicable match fee. The right hander batsman criticised the umpire Paul Reiffels decision to give Nasir Hossain out caught behind. Replays showed clearly that Nasir had not made contact with the ball. Earlier, Bangladeshs coach Shane Jurgensen had also complained about the decision and stated that the Tigers had been suffering from bad umpiring for the last two years. l
14
Britain corrects WC hooligan blunder
The British government has corrected a blunder in which it barred 2,500 of Englands most notorious football hooligans from just the opening day of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, a newspaper said Sunday. Police Minister Damian Green signed a legal document that would have left them free to cause mayhem, The Mail on Sunday said, had one of his team not later spotted the error. The statutory instrument forces known hooligans to surrender their passports between certain dates. AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
SCORECARD, DAY 4
New Zealand 1st innings 503
McCullum 224, Williamson 113, Anderson 77; Sharma 6 134, Khan 2 132
Fall of wickets 1 36 (Vijay), 2 96 (Pujara), 3 222 (Kohli), 4 248 (Dhawan), 5 268 (Rahane), 6 270 (R. Sharma), 7 324 (Jadeja), 8 349 (Khan), 9 362 (Dhoni), 10 366 (Sharma) Bowling Boult 23.3 2 86 3 (2nb), Southee 23 4 81 3, Wagner 25 8 62 4 (2nb), Anderson 7 1 22 0 (2w), Sodhi 15 2 780, Williamson 3 0 18 0 Result New Zealand by 40 runs
New Zealand players celebrate after picking the last wicket of India during Day 4 of their first Test at Eden Park yesterday
ended their slogfest by sending Jadeja packing for a rapid 26 off 21 deliveries. Zaheer Khan joined Dhoni in a 25run stand, forcing McCullum to spell his senior bowler Southee and go back to Wagner. He instantly broke the partnership to reduce India to 349-8. With Dhoni left to try to get his side home Wagner struck again, bowling the Indian captain for 39. Boult ended the innings when Ishant Sharma was caught behind for four. The dismissal gave B.J. Watling his sixth catch of the innings, a world record fourth innings performance by a wicketkeeper. He equalled McCullums New Zealand record of nine for the match. Wagner ended the innings with four for 62 while Southee and Boult took three apiece. l
RESULTS
Marseille
Payet 13, 25, Gignac 55 Faty 18, Andre 37, Cavalli 77
3 0 3 1 1 2 2 0 1 1 2 1
Bastia
Ajaccio
Doucoure 33
Rennes
Guingamp
Alioui 62
Reims
Lille
Sochaux
Montpellier
Cabella 44
Berigaud 32 Maupay 75
Evian TG Nice
Valenciennes
Doumbia 26, Waris 88
RESULTS
Valencia
5 0
Real Betis
Rayo Vallecano
4 1 4 2 2 0
Iakovenko 71
Malaga
Real Madrid
Villarreal
Real Madrid's forward Jese (L) scores past Villarreal's goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo (R) during their La Liga match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on Saturday AFP
Almeria
Verza 80, 86 P
Atletico Madrid
for just the second time in the league this season as two late goals from Verza handed relegation threatened Almeria an unlikely win. Atletico were dealt an early blow as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois missed out due to injury and the Belgians absence was to prove vital as his deputy Daniel Aranzubia endured a nightmare evening. After a keenly contested first-half short on clear-cut chances, Atletico had started the second period strong as Diego Ribas flashed a shot just wide. Things got even worse for the former Deportivo la Coruna keeper six minutes later when he was harshly adjudged to have brought down Jonathan Zongo inside the area and was shown a red card. Having made all three substitutions, midfielder Gabi had to go in goal and
Verza converted from the spot with ease. It was a far happier evening for Real at the Santiago Bernabeu and boss Carlo Ancelotti hailed Bales contribution in Ronaldos absence. The former Tottenham Hotspur man turned provider 14 minutes later with a right-footed cross that Benzema stabbed home at the near post. Jese did get the third goal for the hosts when he nudged the ball past Asenjo with the outside of his right foot for his fourth goal in as many games from Di Marias through ball. However, Real definitively sewed the game up when a flowing counterattack involved Sergio Ramos, Jese and Benzema ended with the Frenchman side-footing home his 15th goal of the season. l
Italy players celebrate their victory over Russia at the end of the 9th European Futsal Championships final, in Antwerp, on Saturday AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
15
Cairns demands to see match fixing evidence
Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns went on the front foot over ongoing match-fixing allegations Sunday, and rounded on former teammates and high-profile officials, including the legendary Richard Hadlee. He demanded his accusers produce details of what he is alleged to have done, and expressed disappointment that the New Zealand Cricket board, of which Hadlee is a member, had apparently turned their back on him. Cairns is one of three former New Zealand players, along with Daryl Tuffey and Lou Vincent, tied to an International Cricket Council (ICC) match-fixing probe. But 10 weeks after the ICC confirmed the investigation, Cairns said no one had approached him. Surely there should be some onus on the ICC or other governing bodies to come forward and present some reliable evidence to justify the investigation, he said Sunday. The current rumour and speculation, which has been widely reported around the world, is doing untold damage. l
QUICK BYTES
Fulham's Darren Bent (C) heads to score against Manchester United during their English Premier League match at Old Trafford in Manchester, northern England, yesterday
REUTERS
Torino
minute of stoppage time Bent scored to complete another day of despair for the champions.
Immobile 5
1 2 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 3 1
Bologna
Verona
Juventus
RESULTS
Man United
Van Persie 78, Carrick 80
Roma
Antonelli 10
2 2 1 0
Fulham
Genoa
Tottenham Hotspur
Adebayor 65
Everton
Catania Cagliari
United now find themselves six points behind fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur, who stole a march on Everton with a 1-0 victory over their Champions League qualification rivals at White Hart Lane. Emmanuel Adebayor settled the game in the 65th minute, chesting down a quick free-kick from Kyle Walker and resisting the attentions of Seamus Coleman before drilling a low shot past Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard. l
On Saturday
Fiorentina
Ilicic 16, Wolski 86
Atalanta
Udinese
Chievo
Napoli
AC Milan
Taarabt 7
Khulna vs Rangpur
Sylhet v Dhaka Metro
Metro (1st innings): 315 all out in 110.1 overs Sylhet (1 st innings): 284 all out in 115 overs Metro (2nd innings): 293/7 in 99 overs (Asif Ahmed 106, Saykat 76, Nabil 3/78) Sylhet (2nd innings): 72/1 81 overs Match Drawn
Rangpur v Khulna
Barisal v Rajshahi
Rajshahi (1st innings): 330 all out in 97.2 overs Barisal (1st innings): 231 all out in 67 overs Rajshahi (2nd innings): 270/9 declare in 73.3 overs (Junaid 83, Jubayer 58, Monir 4/69, Kamrul 3/58) Barisal (2nd innings): 238 all out in 104.4 overs (Nayeem 76, Delwar 4/38) Rajshahi won by 131 runs
Rajshahi vs Barisal
Rajshahi completed a 131 run win over Barisal at the Shahid Kamruzzaman Stadium. Continuing from their overnight score of 48/2, Barisal who were chasing 369 for victory were bowled out for 238 in 104.4 overs. Iftekhar Nayeem top scored with 75
Khulna (1st innings): 408 all out in 118.3 overs Rangpur (1st innings): 283 all out in 85.3 overs Khulna (2nd innings): 256/8 in 63 overs (Dollar 63, Soumya 60, Tushar 54, Sohrawardi 4/54) Rangpur (2nd innings): 266/4 all out in 84.4 overs (Naeem Islam 104) Match Drawn
The match at the Bogras Shaheed Chandu Stadium was drawn after Khulna were added just four runs to their overnight 252/8 as they lost their last two wickets to set Rangpur 381 to win. Rangpur never went for the victory and played finished at 266/4 from 84 overs, with Naeem Islam scoring 104 not out and Tanvir Haider 52 not out.
while for Rajshahi, Delwar Hossain took four wickets and Shafiul Islam three. Rajshahis top order batsman
Junaid Siddqiue, who scored 126 runs in the match, was named man-ofthe-match.
Dhaka Metro, who started the day with 119 on the board, went on to 293/7 declared. Asif Ahmed starred with an unbeaten 106 while Nabil Samad took three wickets for Sylhet. The match ended in a tame draw as Sylhet batted 18 overs to score 72/1. l
Marcels Brand Ambassador and RB Group additional director AFM Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn hand over the sponsorship money to kabbadi federation officials at BNS yesterday COURTESY
DAYS WATCH
Star Sports 4 2:40PM Sochi Winter Olympic 3:00AM La Liga Celta Vigo v Athletic Bilbao
State minister for youth and sports Biren Sikder inaugurates the Jabbar Memorial Tennis at ERC, Ramna yesterday COURTESY
16
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
In the National Child Policy 2011, no comprehensive coverage is given to street children. There is a compelling need for the policy to be sensitive towards this vulnerable segment
But the truth is the Tk1 that the child gets by selling a candy does not entirely goes into his pocket. The kid has to pay 10% of the money that he gets by selling a candy to a group of goons, locally known as mastans or boro bhai (big brother). The Dhaka Tribune reporter recently talked to a seven-year old girl kid who sells candies on the streets of Dhaka.
78
n Ahmed Zayeef
Presence of a number of celebrated authors marked the ninth day of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair yesterday. Publishers gleefully witnessed a phenomenal rise in their sales. Although it was the first working day of the week, the presence of visitors was noticeable both inside and outside the fair premises. A number of buyers and visitors walked inside the fair while many were seen just gathering outside chatting with friends. Noted actor Dr Enamul Haque was found near the Nazrul Mancha inside the fair busy in attending his fans with autographs. He said: Nowadays it is very difficult to find
people in delight. But here everyone is strolling and buying books happily. Young people are pouring in groups. I am enjoying the scene very much. While entering the Suhrawardy Udyan, the correspondent found Language Movement hero Dr Ahmed Rafique talking to some visitors and publishers. This fair makes me proud as a participant of the Language Movement. The crowd of the book lovers reminds me of the golden time in 1952, said the Language movement veteran. Habibul Bashar, former captain of Bangladesh cricket team was walking inside the fair premises searching for his favourite books from stall to stall. He came to the fair for the first time this year. I love books. Every year I visit the fair several times. I wanted to come earlier but I could not because of the ongoing Bangladesh-Srilanka test match. When I think about the fair, the Bangla Academy premises appear in my mind. The authority could have ensured the quality
of the academy premises by decreasing number of publishers instead of dividing the fair into two venues, opined an emerging poet Alfred Khokon. Osman Gani, president of Bangladesh Gayan O Srijonsil Samity and publisher of Agami Prokashoni, said: The number of new books are increasing. The visitors are also coming in frequently. The sale is on a continuous rise. A total of 78 new books were published yesterday. Among them, Hasan Azizul Huqs Robindro o Vashavabona, Shamsujjaman Khans Muktibudhdhi, Dhormoniropekhkhota o Shomokal from Kothaprokash, Syed Shamsul Haques Shongkhoshor shomudrer tire, from Shudhdhoshor Prokashoni are some worth mention. A discussion on Ostad Momtaz Ali Khan was held at the central stage at the fair where cultural personality Gulam kuddus presented the key note paper. Poet Asad Chowdhury presided over the discussion. l
RAJIB DHAR
Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207. Phone: 9132093 94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com
Business
opment partners had suspended their financing decision of US$1.2bn for the US$2.9bn project on corruption allegation, before the government expressed its unwillingness to take the loan. In response to another request, the minister said it would take time to solve the gas crisis the industries in Chittagong are facing. The BTMA delegation also urged the minister to solve the hassles associated with releasing 5% cash incentive for the affected spinning mills. They pointed out that the government had declared special facility on September 20 in 2011 for the spinning mills that had been affected by purchasing cotton at very high prices. But to receive the cash incentive, the spinning mills were required to submit copies of the Export Performance form and shipping bills. They argued that it was not possible for the spinning mills to submit those documents because the spinning mills were not directly involved with exports. They were indirectly involved with the process through the export-oriented fabrics and ready-made garment manufacturers. They sought waiver of the tax at source on local letter of credit (LCs) and back-to-back LCs. The BTMA leaders said the tax charged during payment of prices of cotton bought through local LCs was leaving a negative effect on the total export of fabrics. Thus it was raising the prices of cotton as well as yarn. BTMA leader also sought waiver of the tax at source on raw materials bought through back-to-back LCs for manufacturing export-oriented products. l
A child seen working at a balloon factory in Old Dhaka where many such factories are located and supply the products to other parts of the capital city MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
n Tribune Report
A three-day fair to display products made by the young entrepreneurs begins today in the citys Dhanmondi. The fair named as Uddyokta Haat at the Women Voluntary Associations auditorium will exhibit products including IT, software, gadgets, handicrafts, readymade garments and jewellery. A number of 42 young and innovative entrepreneurs will participate in the event. With the slogan We will not look for jobs but give jobs, the exhibition will continue till Wednesday. Bangladesh Open Source Network (BdOSN) has introduced the event while Facebook-based group Chakri Khujbo Na Chakri Debo, a platform working to encourage young entrepreneurs, is the organiser. The number of unemployed youth has reached around 3 crore in Bangladesh. Providing jobs to them is a great challenge now, said Munir Hasan, general secretary of BdOSN. If we could develop SME sector of the country and encourage young people to entrepreneurship, it would be easier to deal with such challenges. Uddyokta Haat is one such initiative in this regard, he said. l
'The upgrading of the inspection services is a significant milestone in our joint efforts to strengthen the capacity of the government'
During the visit of the delegation, the development of partnerships will be explored with a wide range of institutions. We will be targeting the capacity development of national master trainers who will then in close partnership with national institutions train a large number of government officials, factory owners, managers, supervisors and trade union leaders on safety and workers rights, creating a cascading effect," said the
The roadmap drafting committee has requested all the respective officials of various departments to incorporate their respective plans on respective departments by 12 February, this year
It is our fault as we couldnt sit together for quite a long time to formulate the plan but we have to make it anyhow, although we have missed
spectrum management division and convener of the roadmap committee. As the tenure of Monirul Alam ended up recently, he was out of the com-
mission for a few days. He, however, has been reappointed as the commissioner. This the second time BTRC initiates to prepare a roadmap. Earlier in 2008, BTRC had formulated first roadmap consisting of 20 action plans under the military-backed caretaker government. Earlier, BTRC chairman Sunil Kanti Bose said, As our aim is to establish a digital Bangladesh, there has to be a roadmap, especially for spectrum and new licenses. This is to facilitate entrepreneurs in the industry to prepare their future business and investment plans. Mobile operators also praised the decision to prepare a modern road-
map for this developing industry. Though telecom watchdog is planning for a three-year long roadmap, telecom sector has sought for roadmap for at least ten years. We need to have a very clear cut roadmap for ten years, which can also forecast about the prospect of the industry, TIM Nurul Kabir, secretary general of the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh, told the Dhaka Tribune. After finalizing a draft, BTRC will sit with the high officials of the post and telecommunications ministry and also will hold meetings with the stakeholders and industry experts to discuss about it before formulating the telecom roadmap-2013-2015. l
B2
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Stock
DSE GAINERS Company
Closing (% change) 7.65 7.01 6.84 5.60 5.20 4.81 4.80 4.55 4.53 4.11
Savar Refractories-Z BD Submarine Cable-A Renata Ltd. -A JMI Syringes MDL A AramitCementA DESCO Ltd. -A Ambee Pharma -A Square Pharma -A Olympic Ind. -A ACI Limited- A CSE GAINERS Company Rangpur Foundry -A BD Submarine Cable-A Bata Shoe Ltd. -A JMI Syringes MDL A Ambee Pharma -A PragatiLife Insu. -A Square Pharma -A DESCO Ltd. -A Bangladesh Lamps -A AramitCementA
Average (% change) 7.55 8.27 7.82 3.61 5.71 3.40 2.59 4.18 4.09 4.26 Average (% change) 7.66 9.32 7.29 4.28 2.88 4.76 4.34 3.09 4.48 5.09
Closing average 60.00 197.03 967.95 223.15 66.50 62.68 306.43 255.58 191.52 186.92
Closing 60.50 200.00 971.00 226.20 66.80 63.20 307.60 259.40 194.00 187.40
Daily high 61.00 203.00 971.30 229.00 67.60 65.00 310.00 260.00 195.00 189.90
Daily low 60.00 169.50 907.00 215.00 60.00 57.00 302.00 240.00 180.00 175.00
Turnover in million 0.006 350.050 107.256 75.200 36.285 27.880 7.247 388.104 246.630 11.618
Latest EPS 0.60 3.28 41.39 1.97 1.16 1.12 5.01 11.36 6.90 1.57
Latest PE 100.0 60.1 23.4 113.3 57.3 56.0 61.2 22.5 27.8 119.1
Closing (% change) 8.00 7.54 7.28 6.27 4.92 4.76 4.71 4.47 4.26 4.23
Closing average 108.00 198.09 867.58 225.52 305.91 239.90 256.31 62.36 140.94 66.46
Closing 108.00 201.10 867.60 228.70 307.00 239.90 260.10 63.10 142.00 66.50
Daily high 108.00 202.00 869.30 232.00 307.80 239.90 261.50 63.70 142.70 68.00
Daily low 108.00 189.90 861.00 217.10 300.00 239.90 250.00 56.50 137.80 64.70
Turnover in million 0.108 35.299 0.521 11.389 0.522 0.240 22.769 2.477 1.064 4.553
Latest EPS 3.03 3.28 52.75 1.97 5.01 2.38 11.36 1.12 -0.77 1.16
Latest PE 35.6 60.4 16.4 114.5 61.1 100.8 22.6 55.7 -ve 57.3
(-) 0.46% (+) 0.66% (+) 1.00% (-) 0.49% (-) 0.16% (-) 0.49%
Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis) Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis) Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis) Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.) Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)
Turnover in million 0.400 0.044 0.108 149.750 0.018 49.221 10.158 19.051 1.086 58.652 Latest EPS -4.58 13.84 47.83 3.10 0.54 1.65 1.47 0.87 3.04 1.61
Average (% change) -7.87 -7.16 -6.25 -5.74 -2.28 -4.56 -3.86 -3.93 -4.53 -4.84 Average (% change) -8.42 -6.61 -4.18 -5.31 -5.71 -3.92 -3.75 -4.33 -4.41 -3.10
Closing average 10.53 88.20 1084.70 49.74 9.00 32.83 20.67 20.76 493.64 20.07
Closing 10.40 88.20 1084.70 49.60 8.70 32.30 20.30 20.50 493.60 19.80
Daily high 11.00 88.20 1084.70 52.50 9.10 34.00 21.30 21.60 520.00 21.00
Daily low 10.30 88.20 1084.70 47.90 8.50 30.80 19.20 20.30 480.00 19.00
Latest PE -ve 6.4 22.7 16.0 16.7 19.9 14.1 23.9 162.4 12.5
Closing average 37.00 31.08 20.84 49.92 26.60 28.68 20.53 32.94 22.33 83.04
Closing 37.00 31.10 20.40 49.60 26.60 28.10 20.40 32.50 21.90 82.10
Daily high 37.00 31.10 21.50 51.00 26.60 29.50 21.00 33.40 22.60 86.00
Daily low 37.00 31.00 20.40 49.10 26.60 27.90 20.30 32.20 21.80 82.00
Turnover in million 0.019 0.093 2.084 8.373 0.027 0.717 0.246 3.457 1.032 0.319
Latest EPS 2.75 2.35 0.87 3.10 1.51 1.34 1.47 1.65 0.40 2.42
Latest PE 13.5 13.2 24.0 16.1 17.6 21.4 14.0 20.0 55.8 34.3
DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Square Pharma -A BD Submarine Cable-A Olympic Ind. -A Meghna Petroleum -A LankaBangla Fin. -A Jamuna Oil -A
Envoy Textiles Ltd-N
ANALYST
The benchmark index dropped as catchy price of some stocks after a weeklong rally signaling the investors instinct to book profit on stocks
DSE Million Taka 736.37 417.21 145.31 799.86 435.63 910.59 1.78 664.81 986.09 1.11 44.93 116.29 96.90 319.45 127.72 145.67 270.02 477.65 141.96 113.35 0.30
% change 10.59 6.00 2.09 11.50 6.27 13.10 0.03 9.56 14.18 0.02 0.65 1.67 1.39 4.59 1.84 2.10 3.88 6.87 2.04 1.63 0.00
Million Taka 75.84 30.67 6.25 87.75 28.06 56.61 58.36 69.65 0.21 6.14 6.02 13.74 16.75 18.84 4.61 12.62 47.97 18.35 22.05 0.02
CSE
% change 13.06 5.28 1.08 15.12 4.83 9.75 0.00 10.05 12.00 0.04 1.06 1.04 2.37 2.89 3.25 0.79 2.17 8.26 3.16 3.80 0.00
Million Taka 812.21 447.87 151.56 887.61 463.69 967.20 1.78 723.16 1055.74 1.31 51.06 122.30 110.64 336.21 146.56 150.28 282.64 525.62 160.31 135.40 0.33
Total
% change 10.78 5.95 2.01 11.78 6.16 12.84 0.02 9.60 14.01 0.02 0.68 1.62 1.47 4.46 1.95 1.99 3.75 6.98 2.13 1.80 0.00
Grameenphone-A ConfidenceCement A Orion Pharma-N Navana CNG A Renata Ltd. -A Delta Life Insu. -A Singer BD -A UCBL - A Active Fine Chem.-A S Purbanchol Power-N
CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company BD Submarine Cable-A
Volume shares 1,518,536 1,776,644 1,287,727 821,043 2,354,510 643,542 3,010,886 2,019,025 1,475,422 388,861
610,800 798,261 1,686,920 1,543,459 110,807 356,800 404,662 3,021,389 919,257 1,170,930
Value in million 388.10 350.05 246.63 231.36 170.98 151.34 149.75 147.05 140.39 131.05
127.60 121.33 112.87 110.90 107.26 94.61 94.47 87.72 87.13 86.90
% of total turnover 5.58 5.03 3.55 3.33 2.46 2.18 2.15 2.11 2.02 1.88
1.84 1.75 1.62 1.59 1.54 1.36 1.36 1.26 1.25 1.25
Daily closing 259.40 200.00 194.00 283.00 71.60 237.30 49.60 72.90 96.20 338.90
207.90 149.30 66.80 71.60 971.00 263.30 235.00 28.90 93.80 73.40
Price change 4.55 7.01 4.53 1.69 -2.19 2.82 -5.70 3.99 2.78 3.04
-1.00 -1.06 2.14 2.29 6.84 0.38 3.02 -2.69 -1.99 0.27
Daily opening 248.10 186.90 185.60 278.30 73.20 230.80 52.60 70.10 93.60 328.90
210.00 150.90 65.40 70.00 908.80 262.30 228.10 29.70 95.70 73.20
211.40 155.10 67.60 73.50 971.30 272.00 235.70 30.00 98.00 75.20
Daily high 260.00 203.00 195.00 290.00 74.70 239.40 52.50 73.90 97.50 341.00
207.20 148.00 60.00 68.00 907.00 262.70 225.00 26.80 91.90 68.00
Daily low 240.00 169.50 180.00 254.00 70.00 228.00 47.90 64.00 84.30 320.00
Daily average 255.58 197.03 191.52 281.79 72.62 235.17 49.74 72.83 95.15 337.01
208.90 151.99 66.91 71.85 967.95 265.16 233.46 29.03 94.78 74.22
Volume shares
Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net
Square Pharma -A Aftab Auto.-A BD Building Systems -A Appollo Ispat CL -N Orion Pharma-N aamra technologies-A UCBL - A Grameenphone-A Jamuna Oil -A JMI Syringes MDL A Meghna Petroleum -A Olympic Ind. -A RAK Ceramics-A LankaBangla Fin. -A UNITED AIR A BSC A
178,200 88,833 226,758 255,550 525,800 230,960 358,590 525,183 60,800 48,552 50,500 39,847 56,533 172,922 145,075 637,945 21,440
Value in million
35.30 22.77 21.67 18.66 17.17 15.44 15.41 15.32 12.67 11.46 11.39 11.22 10.88 10.81 10.52 10.34 10.22
% of total turnover
6.09 3.93 3.74 3.22 2.96 2.66 2.66 2.64 2.19 1.98 1.96 1.94 1.88 1.86 1.81 1.78 1.76
Daily closing
201.10 260.10 96.10 73.10 32.60 66.70 41.70 29.10 207.70 237.40 228.70 285.10 193.50 62.10 71.10 16.10 473.30
Price change
7.54 4.71 2.78 4.13 0.00 2.30 -3.02 -2.02 -1.19 3.31 6.27 2.37 3.98 0.32 -3.53 -1.23 0.32
Daily opening
187.00 248.40 93.50 70.20 32.60 65.20 43.00 29.70 210.20 229.80 215.20 278.50 186.10 61.90 73.70 16.30 471.80
202.00 261.50 96.90 74.20 33.00 67.50 44.00 30.00 210.10 240.00 232.00 286.80 195.00 63.20 74.50 16.40 480.50
Daily high
189.90 250.00 94.00 71.00 32.40 65.50 41.50 29.00 207.10 231.50 217.10 278.00 187.50 61.60 70.50 16.00 472.50
Daily low
Daily average
198.09 256.31 95.57 73.02 32.65 66.86 42.98 29.17 208.46 236.10 225.52 281.70 192.47 62.49 72.54 16.22 476.73
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
B3
level, as we have already started our second unit production, which will double the output. But, it might take time to be able to reach the level of profits as seen in the past.
In December last year, the company was given a rating of AA2 based on unaudited financial statement ended on June 30, 2013 by Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited. l
Starry-eyed budget carriers in India luxury car market Southeast Asia stare at overcapacity accelerates despite n downturn
Reuters
Low-cost carriers are flying high in Southeast Asia on the back of sharp growth in air travel, but as hundreds of new jets swarm into the region concerns are rising about its ability to absorb the record numbers of planes on order. Southeast Asian carriers have been devouring as many new airplanes as planemakers can sell, gambling that low fares and rising disposable incomes will drive the regions 600 million-strong population to keep flying to new destinations. An aircraft buying binge fuelled by cheap interest rates and backed by Western export credits shows few signs of halting, with Vietnams VietJetAir and Thailands Nok Air both expected to place orders at the Singapore Airshow this week. But after years of explosive growth, the regions budget carriers are now facing fears of overcapacity as deliveries accelerate, airlines expand into each others markets and currency weakness threatens to puncture economic growth. This is the only region in the world where airlines have more orders than current fleet and theres more to come, said Brendan Sobie, chief analyst at industry consultancy CAPA. Airlines in Southeast Asia are estimated to have a fleet of 1,800 by the end of this year, he said, while their order book is set to surpass the 2,000 mark. Asia-Pacific planes on order make up 36% of the world total and the figure is rising, says Airbus. Already last year, available capacity grew faster than passenger demand in countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore, putting pressure on yields or the average revenue per passenger for every kilometre flown. That could extend further in 2014 as carriers in Southeast Asia take delivery of about 230 aircraft worth over $20bn this year, at a rate close to one new jet every working day. One such aircraft is a short-haul Boeing 737 now making its way to the region and due to reach Singapores SilkAir in time to be shown off at the February 11-16 air show. The arrival of the airlines first Boeing symbolises a price war between planemakers generated by Asias order boom, after SilkAir ditched its previous supplier Airbus.
One reason many airlines have been ordering at once is that engine improvements now allow significant fuel savings.
When you run an airline, for reasons which are both economic reasons and prestige, you want a new kit, so you order an aircraft. And if your neighbour orders aircraft, so you order aircraft
businessman turned politician Rusdi Kirana. Both carriers have placed orders for hundreds of Boeing and Airbus aircraft valued at tens of billions of dollars as they race to get Asians flying in a region set to overtake the United States as the biggest aviation market. Others ordering aircraft include Cebu Pacific, Tiger Airways, 40% owned by Singapore Airlines Ltd, Garuda Indonesias low-cost unit Citilink, and the Qantas Airways Ltd-owned Jetstar and its affiliates such as Singaporebased Jetstar Asia. In the event that any airline cannot complete an order, there are others waiting in the wings to take their slot.
New deals
Ample liquidity provided by moneyprinting central banks has also made it easier to fund the relatively small upfront payments needed to place headline-grabbing plane orders. But bankers warn the race to buy efficient aircraft in anticipation of high demand could spell trouble for the sector. When you run an airline, for reasons which are both economic reasons and prestige, you want a new kit, so you order an aircraft. And if your neighbour orders aircraft, so you order aircraft, said Bertrand Grabowski who heads German bank DVBs aviation and land transport finance divisions. I wouldnt call it irrational exuberance but clearly everybody in Asia is ordering aircraft more than they really need, Grabowski told Reuters in an interview. Most of the aircraft orders come from the regions two fastest growing airlines - Malaysias AirAsia Bhd, run by entrepreneur Tony Fernandes, and Lion Air, co-founded by Indonesian
While Fernandes has dismissed speculation of an aircraft order bubble in Asia, AirAsias profits have taken a knock due to a gruelling price war in its home market, stoked by Lion affiliate Malindo and competition from Malaysian Airlines. AirAsia has termed competition in Malaysia and Thailand as irrational. Kirana, the head of Lion Air which does not disclose profits, believes consolidation in the sector is inevitable given the large number of companies in the low-cost market. Recently, Tiger Airways agreed to sell its Philippine operations to dominant carrier, Cebu Pacific, and AirAsias Philippine unit bought into smaller Zest Air. Such concerns are unlikely to get much of a public airing at this weeks aerospace event, where deals may be signed for between 100 and 200 jets worth $10-20bn- albeit far below the record $200bn seen in Dubai in November. Manufacturers are perennially upbeat and Boeing is expected to reiterate confidence in long-term Asian demand this week. Nobody is going to place a future order unless they know that whatever they are taking in today is being absorbed in the market at a reasonable yield and a reasonable load factor level, said Dinesh Keskar, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president, AsiaPacific and India sales. I wouldnt say the party is ending in the near-term but the rate of growth will slow down. l
new moneyed class who are buying prestige marques and keeping the segment above water. Economic downturns have a negligible impact on luxury consumers... and income levels overall have been rising, Shrawan Raja of Indian Autos Blog, an Indian motoring portal, told AFP. Although World Bank figures show 33% of the planets poorest call India home, the country also has minted 65 dollar billionaires, according to Forbes, and hundreds of thousands of dollar millionaires. A decade ago, the lone luxury car commonly spotted on Indias famously congested, potholed roads was Mercedes, the first premium carmaker to open shop in 1995. But now Audis, Jaguars, Bentleys, Aston Martins, Porches and other top badges regularly weave through traffic. The big spenders are top executives, ex-farmers whove sold property for vast sums to developers and a younger, wealthy generation with different values from their frugal parents who shied away from conspicuous consumption, analysts say. There has been an attitudinal change to spending money -- making this a more hospitable place for luxury automakers, Anil Sharma, senior research analyst at IHS Automotive consultancy, told AFP. Indias luxury car market is still tiny -- the total sold by the big luxury players in India, Mercedes, Audi, BMW and Jaguar LandRover, was 30,100. But that number is forecast to climb by 168% by 2018, according to consultancy IHS. Huge headroom for growth The market is still in its nascent stages, but will be very important for the future, Mercedes Kern told AFP, adding, Headroom for the market to grow is huge. In mature markets, luxury cars account for 10% to 15% of sales, while in India just two out of every 100 cars sold is a premium vehicle, Audi overseas sales vice-president Terence Johnson told AFP. Weve 10 top priority markets which are strategic long-term and Indias one of them, Johnson added. l
'The reality is that these contracts were one-sided and only beneficial to Iran. Foreign companies were complaining'
A committee formed at the oil ministry to iron out the new type of contracts is expected to finish its work by May or June, ministry official Mehdi Hosseini who heads the team, told reporters. The new contracts would replace buyback types under which contractors funded projects and got paid in the form of an allocated production share a system applied for more than 20 years in Iran. The reality is that these contracts were one-sided and only beneficial to Iran. Foreign companies were complaining, Hosseini said. Without giving out details, he said the new contract would be very close to what is practiced at international level to provide maximum flexibility in all areas, including operation, cooperation and bureaucracy. Once ready, the new contract would be presented to international companies at a major conference expected to be held in London in November, he said. According to Hosseini, Iran will need $150bn over the next five years for exploration and production operations. l
Standard Bank Limited held its annual business conference for the on-going year on Saturday at a hotel in Dhaka. The conference was presided over by Md Nazmus Salehin, the bank's managing director and CEO
Trust Bank Limited held its 14th extra ordinary general meeting on Feb 6 at Trust Milonayotan in Dhaka. The meeting was presided over by Maj Gen Ashraf Abdullah Yussuf, rcds, afwc, psc, vice chairman of Trust Bank Limited
Norihisa Matsumoto, JICA volunteer will work with BUET Mechanical Engineering Department to produce low cost fuel efficient vehicle. The 28 years old mechanical engineer arrived in Dhaka on Friday along with four other JICA volunteers.
B4
n Asif Khan
Recently, after rounds of negotiations the minimum wage for blue collar RMG workers was increased by 77%. The humanitarian in me rejoiced at the news, as I believe that their income was too low to support a decent standard of living. These people have been shedding blood, sweat and tears for our country and quite frankly they deserve better. However, the economist in me was not so sure about how much it would help them or even the economy itself. Before you pigeonhole me as the stereotypical crony capitalist, I would ask that you at least peruse my reasoning. Let me start with a bit of theory. Free market economists, particularly of the Austrian school of thought (Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, etc) speak vehemently against any sort of government intervention. Their logic, when applied to minimum wage, is simple. Setting a price above the market determined price will take the market to a disequilibrium and thus demand will be lower than supply. Effectively, this would lead to higher unemployment and therefore a deadweight loss will be created. Now that I have covered the theoretical gibberish, it is time to discuss real life implications. In reality, unemployment did clearly increase after the hike in minimum wages. Most RMG factories laid-off (close to 20%, if my sources are to be believed) employees in a desperate attempt to protect their thin profit margins. It was mostly employees from the unskilled category who were laid off. Entry requirements were also raised. For example, in one particularly large factory, the minimum requirement for educational qualification was raised from individuals who had passed through Grade 6 to SSC graduates. What this suggests is that the more skilled workers are being better off
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
Hazlitt: You cannot make a man worth a given amount by making it illegal for anyone to offer him less. You merely deprive him of the right to earn the amount that his abilities and situation would permit him to earn, while you deprive the community even of the moderate services that he is capable of rendering. In brief, for a low wage
you substitute unemployment. You do harm all around, with no comparable compensation. What then is the solution? There is no magic answer. We have to first try and figure out why exactly the market priced the wages for our garments workers at such a low level. I am definitely no expert on the RMG sector but would point to the fol-
lowing factors: 1. The large population base of the country leading to an oversupply of workers. 2. Lack of education resulting in very low productivity compared to peer countries. 3. Infrastructure and energy bottlenecks slowing down growth of entrepreneurial activity.
In my honest opinion, focusing on supply side policies such as education, healthcare and training to boost longterm productivity of the workforce would lead to a better outcome than a one-off hike in minimum wages. l The writer is deputy head of equity research at BRAC EPL Stock Brokerage who writes on finance and economics at www.asifkhan.info
Next wave of super-rich As Fragile Five fight back, markets train heading for London as sights on other emerging economies n new crises bite
Reuters
n Reuters
Political and financial upheaval in some of the worlds largest emerging economies is driving a new wave of rich migrants to Londons supercharged property market as a place to park their wealth, data from a leading real estate agency showed on Friday. Knight Frank, a specialist in upmarket properties, said it had seen online enquiries about British homes from crisis-hit countries such as Argentina, Ukraine and Turkey soar over the past year. There is potentially a further wave of investment headed for the prime central London property market, Tom Bill, associate in the Knight Frank residential research team, told Reuters. This is despite prices in London already having risen sharply after a rush of foreign buyers of London mansions, prompted by the Euro zone debt crisis and the Arab spring, along with Britains political stability and benign property taxes. Prices in London overall in the three months to December were 14.9% higher than a year earlier, according to figures from mortgage lender Nationwide, and some top-end values have inflated even more, driving prices in Britains capital beyond the reach of most residents and making it a hot political topic. Finance Minister George Osborne said in December he would impose a capital gains tax on foreign property investors from 2015 in a bid to allay fears that wealthy foreign buyers are driving a property bubble. In the case of Brazil, interest has more than doubled over the 12 months to the end of January, Knight Frank said, adding that an increase in web traffic translates into a pickup in actual sales within three to six months. The agency, which sells homes worth at least 1m pounds and is marketing a 15 bedroom house on The Bishops Avenue, Londons billionaires row, at 65m, said the bulk of those enquiries were for homes in the capital.
pared with a year before. Brazil is one of the so-called fragile five economies seen as vulnerable to the US Federal Reserve scaling back monetary stimulus, because of its large current account deficit and reliance on outside capital. The next biggest increases in enquiries came from Argentina, in the midst of a currency crisis, and Ukraine, which is reeling from a wave of political unrest. Enquiries from both countries spiked 67%.
Finance Minister George Osborne said in December he would impose a capital gains tax on foreign property investors from 2015 in a bid to allay fears that wealthy foreign buyers are driving a property bubble
Other members of the fragile five group also saw a pickup in internet househunting in Londons plushest neighbourhoods. Enquiries from Indonesia and Turkey, which have both endured weeks of capital flight and falling currencies, rose 10%, while South African interest climbed 9% and Indian interest was up 3%. London and the top end of its property market is a well-established harbour for money fleeing economic and political instability, because of Britains relative stability and a tax regime that historically goes easy on foreign residents overseas wealth. However the issue of foreign property purchases is politically controversial, with many media reports saying expensive houses and appartments are often bought only as investments and are left unoccupied. The Guardian daily reported this week that several mansions on The Bishops Avenue had been left empty and were falling into disrepair. Following is a summary of percentage changes in visits to Knight Franks website from specific countries in the 12 months to the end of January 2014 versus the prior 12 months: Argentina +67% Brazil +115% China +31% India +3% Indonesia +10% Mexico +37% South Africa +9% Turkey +10% Ukraine +67% Average +44%. l
Countries such as Hungary, lacking the protection of high interest rates, may take the hit from the next selloff wave in emerging markets now bold rate hikes have made the likes of Turkey too costly to bet against. Calm appeared to have returned to emerging markets over the past week after concerns about a slowing Chinese economy and a US stimulus winddown sent fast money investors fleeing and whipped up near-panic selling of currencies. Abrupt rate hikes in Brazil, India, Turkey and South Africa last month and last years tightening in Indonesia the Fragile Five economies with high external capital needs - have helped alleviate pressure on currencies. While the same problems that pressured the markets in the first place - high inflation and current account deficits - are still there, rising interest rates make it simply too expensive for foreign investors to sell their currencies. Now investors are testing the resolve of countries like Hungary, Russia and Romania, whose current account positions are less problematic. The concern there is rather that the central banks are either more tolerant of currency falls than other countries or planning to cut interest rates, thereby not offering investors enough
reward for the risks. Fragile Five is the story that is done, said Daniel Wood, senior fund manager of emerging markets debt at BNP Paribas Investment Partners. Investors are broadening out the attacks. Its now expensive to attack Brazil, Turkey and South Africa. Theyre looking beyond the Fragile Five because its getting expensive to short them with interest rate hikes. Wood is short Romanian leu and Hungarian forint against long Turkish lira and Colombian peso. Turkeys benchmark policy rate its one-week repo rate - now stands at 10%. This compares with Romanias benchmark rates of 3.5% and Hungarys 2.85%. Were short leu in the forward spaces. Its not expensive. The leu could ultimately come under attack if they continue to provide cheap liquidity, he said. The Russian rouble is another currency that has been under pressure, even though the economy has a current account surplus - estimated to be 1.6% of gross output last year - with over half a trillion dollars in foreign exchange reserves. Benchmark rates are also at a high 6.6%. However, the central banks reluctance to raise interest rates in the face of higher inflation is eroding the roubles yield advantage and leading to capital flight.
The rouble has lost over 5% so far this year against the dollar and has hit record lows on a dollar-euro basket. The central bank conducts interventions if the rouble strays outside of the band, but it has also said it will stick to its plan to free-float the rouble by next year. Barclays Capital says hiking policy rates is seen as the measure of the last resort. This is triggering a huge capital exit. According to EPFR, $1.6bn of funds have left Russia since the start of January.
Even after aggressive central bank tightening by the Fragile Five, interest rates adjusted for inflation are still at rock-bottom levels - deterring local buyers. Deutsche Bank says real policy rates across emerging markets have averaged just 1.1% since 2009, which compares with an average of 3.4 in 2008. That suggests the pain is far from over. Monetary policies are far from tight and there has been little evidence that policymakers are willing to tighten fiscal policy where needed to facilitate the adjustment, said Henrik Gullberg, Deutsches strategist. Unless policies are rebalanced to contain domestic absorption, EM currencies will continue to bear the brunt of the adjustment. l
Chinas catering sector grew at its slowest pace in more than two decades in 2013 as diners avoided splashing out in luxury restaurants during an anti-corruption campaign targeting official excess, according to state media. Catering in China grew 9% last year, the weakest growth in 21 years, the official Xinhua news agency reported late on yesterday, citing the China Cuisine Association. It did not give the growth pace for earlier years. Reuters
No surprise
This doesnt surprise me at all, said Sophie Dworetzsky, a partner specialising in rich private clients at law firm Withers. If you invest in high-end London property you probably feel you have a degree of certainty - its like a safe currency. The biggest rise in interest came from Brazil, with a 115% spike over the 12 months to the end of January, com-