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DA 6238 Vol 2, No 24
www.dhakatribune.com
SECOND EDITION
Treehouse | MYTHICAL CREATURE: BASILISK 7 | WHO WILL FORM NEXT INDIAN GOVT?
Arati wears a silver anklet on her prosthetic leg just like before. Her right foot had to be amputated from the ankle as it was badly damaged in the collapse of the Rana Plaza in Savar last year. She used to work at a garment factory on the seventh floor of the building and was trapped in the debris for four days after the collapse. Arati lost her mother in the tragic incident. She got her prosthetic limb with the help of an NGO and can now walk with some comfort. The photo was taken at her home at Savar yesterday. Tomorrow is the first anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, the countrys biggest industrial disaster which killed 1,136 people SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
An official of the Banking Division said these banks might turn out to be Tk7,000 crore short of capital in the next audit
The four state-owned commercial banks in Bangladesh Sonali, Janata, Agrani and Rupali are said to have been robbed off their safe footing by major scams such as those staged by the Hall-Mark and Bismillah groups. The balance sheets of the state banks should be streamlined in order to ensure their survival...The development partners think that the state banks may collapse because of capital shortfall. So, they want to see recapitalisation in steps, the secretary said. He also said a negotiation had been going on with the Finance Division regarding the amount to be allocated in the coming budget for the purpose. In September last year, the Finance
EC assistant secretary: We have received some investigation reports on violence and irregularities during the upazila polls
The commission took the media reports into cognisance and asked the returning officers and the district election officers on April 7 to investigate those allegations.
Assistant Secretary of the EC Asfakur Rahman yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune: We have received some probe reports on violence and irregularities during the upazila polls. I am gathering the reports which will be presented at the next commission meeting. The polls took place in 459 upazilas in five phases across the country. Elections in 14 upazilas will be held on May 19. According to the report from Jessore, there were no vote-rigging incidents in Keshabpur upazila. The report signed by District Election Officer Tareque Ahmed also stated that the media reports on enforcement of hartal protesting vote rigging were incorrect as the voters exercised their franchise peacefully.
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US considering Bangladeshs request for more military equipment n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman
Bangladesh has sought more military equipment from the United States and Washington says it is considering the matter positively. Bangladesh did express its interest in receiving more equipment from the US. There are various ways for Bangladesh to obtain military equipment from the United States, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Tom Kelly yesterday said at a joint press briefing in Dhaka. Secretary (bilateral) of the Foreign Ministry Mustafa Kamal and Kelly held the press conference after a day-long dialogue on security for the third time.
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INSIDE
Business
B1 The governments borrowing from Bangladesh Bank has come down to zero at the end of March this year, reflecting strong and sound financial stability in the country.
News
5 After a long wait, a brand-new fleet of taxicabs began its journey on the capitals streets yesterday compounded by an unusual high fare rate.
Nation
6 A radio mechanic in Madarganj upazila of Jamalpur has devised a method for extracting gas from beneath the ground and using it to run irrigation pump.
Mirza Fakhrul claims that India starts releasing more water because BNP has made a move
However, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, leader of the contingent, claimed in a rally at Govindaganj of Gaibandha that the programmes primary success was proved when India decided to release more water on the day BNP began its long march. Yesterday afternoon, the flow of water in Teesta was measured to be around five times higher than the flow in the previous weeks. Water resources specialists say the stronger flow is normal in the last week of April because it is around this time
Op-Ed
11 Most would say this was inevitable. Two parties with more of a glorious past and a comparatively dismal present were bound to engage in a battle sooner or later to establish their eligibility based on historical references by explicitly discrediting each other.
A motorcade of the BNP starts the partys long march towards the Teesta Barrage. The photo was taken at Azampur in the capital yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
US considering
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Kelly said there was successful transfer of a US naval ship to Bangladesh Navy and the vessel had been used in a number of important missions, which encourages us to very seriously consider further such transfer. I can assure all of you that we are looking at that very carefully in Washington. Bangladesh procured 12 training aircraft and four jet engines in 1995, four C-130B cargo aircraft in 1997 and a high endurance cutter last year under the excess defence article programme. Bangladesh received $2.5 million assistance under the US foreign military financing programme last year, Kelly said. A strong bilateral partnership and improved defence ties between Bangladesh and the United States are in both of our interests and will contribute to our common desire for stability, peace, and prosperity in the region, he added. Four sessions on strategic priorities and regional issues, military and security assistance, global security and proliferation and global cooperation were held in the dialogue. Mustafa Kamal said both sides had exchanged views on regional cooperation and the relationship they had with other South Asian countries, including India, Afghanistan and Myanmar. The US official said Washington held such dialogue so that the US could learn more about the perspective of other countries. l
Two women help an elderly patient to shift her from Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital to another hospital because of lack of medical treatment yesterday. Intern doctors at the SSMCH had stopped providing treatment to the patients following the clash between journalists and intern doctors on April 19 at the hospital MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
Huge number of SIM cards recovered from water body n Our Correspondent, Joypurhat
Police yesterday recovered a huge numbers of SIM cards of different mobile phone companies from a water body in Ziapur village of Khetlal upazila. Khetlal police station Officer-inCharge Iqbal Anwar said: Police recovered some 243 SIM cards of different mobile phone companies from the waterbody after getting information from the villagers. Most of the SIM cards are of Robi, one of the leading mobile phone operating companies in the country, he added. However, locals claimed that police recovered more than 4,000 to 5,000 SIM cards from the water body. Witnesses said one Rizvi first noticed some SIM cards in the water body when he went there to pick some vegetables. Later, he informed the villagers and police about the recovery. After getting the information from Rizvi, locals rushed in and picked up a huge number of SIM cards before the arrival of the police, the witnesses added. l
party to accompany Fakhrul. Among other noted leaders, only Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, Abdullah Al Noman, Selima Rahman and Osman Farruq were present. No leader of the other parties belonging to the 18-party alliance could be seen with the long march outfit. Only an ameer of the Bogra unit Jamaat-e-Islami spoke at Mati Dhali meeting, although the chief of the local unit of BNP did not join the rally. BNPs ally Jaitya Party chief Kazi Zafar sent one of his envoys with the contingent. Earlier yesterday, the march started off from Azampur in the capitals Uttara around 9am. Apart from the senior leaders, only about a hundred BNP supporters could be seen around. The long march took the next stoppage at Kaliakair in Gazipur. The participants seemed to be in a picnic mood. None could tell that it was the partys first major political programme since January 5. At one of the many roadside rallies in Kaliakair that Fakrul spoke at during the journey, he said: The government could bargain for the right to get water from India. But it did not. We cannot expect anything from the government. He also said the long march was aimed at creating awareness among people about their rights. Before the long march started, at a small rally in Uttara, Fakhrul had said the long march was not a move against the government. The motorcade reached Rangpur in the afternoon after having touched Tangail, Sirajganj, Bogra and Gaibandha. The BNP leaders and supporters would stay over at Rangpur for the night and start for Daliya Point in Nilphamari today. According to Asadul Habib Dulu, organising secretary of Bogra unit BNP, a huge crowd of about three lakh people is expected to join a rally at the Daliya Point today. He said people would come from the all the 16 northern districts to join the programme. l
State banks
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scheduled payments for at least 90 days. A non-performing loan is either in default or close to being in default. Dr Sadiq Ahmed, vice-chairman of the Policy Research Institute, slammed the government for the policy. Without first fixing the reasons for the deterioration in the portfolio of the state banks, simply providing funds from the treasury to beef up their capital base is equivalent to putting bandage on a cancerous wound, he said. l
EC probe finds
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The sculpture at the Rana Plaza collapse site in Savar bears a poster announcing different programmes to be held today on the anniversary of the disaster SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
Similar opinion came from Gazipur and Feni. The investigation report of Gazipur states that there were no incidents of irregularities, casting of fake votes or capturing of polling centres in Kaliakoir upazila parishad polls. Even though incidents of vote-rigging were reported in Feni Sadar, Porshuram, Phulgazi and Sonagzi upazilas, the probe report termed the elections free, fair and peaceful. The returning officer of Noakhali, also the districts additional deputy commissioner, said in the investigation report that the published reports on irregularities in Subarnachar and Hatia upazila polls were inaccurate. Election Commissioner Abdul Mobarak earlier said those responsible for irregularities would not be spared. If the commission finds involvement of anyone in irregularities, it will take action as per the laws. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Two workers of All Weather Fashion join a demonstration in front of the BGMEA building at the capitals Hatirjheel yesterday, protesting the closure of the factory following a clash between workers and police a day earlier MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
TRIAL OF QAISAR RANA PLAZA VICTIMS Witness: Mir Kashem was not in Witness narrates harrowing Chittagong in 71 description of torture n Udisa Islam The witness said he had heard about A sister of alleged al-Badr commander n Udisa Islam his fathers abduction and death from handed over the chequeof Tk50,000 to of Chittagong Mir Kashem Ali yestern Mohosinul Karim each of them. day told the war crimes tribunal that The prosecutions eighth witness in the the family members as he was then in
her brother was innocent as he had stayed in Comilla and Dhaka during the 1971 Liberation War. Mamtaz Nuruddin, 59-year-old younger sister of the Jamaat-e-Islami treasurer, gave deposition as the first defence witness in the case. She claimed that his brother had been at her Agamasi Lane house in Old Dhaka from the first week of November in 1971 to March 1972. After the 10-minute deposition, prosecutor Zead-al-Malum cross examined her. After a sort grilling when he closed his session, the tribunal asked the witness three questions. Responding to a query, Mamtaz said her brother had gone to Dhaka to give her company. She also said the accused had been in Comilla before going to her house. Earlier in the day, the tribunal rejected three defence petitions filed for recalling the IO, seeking some documents from the investigation agency and submitting some additional documents. l case against Syed Mohammad Qaisar gave a terrible description of torture at an army camp during the 1971 Liberation War while the accused and members of his force had confined him at a power station of Shahzibazar in Habiganj. In his almost three and half an hour deposition, the witness said Qaisar and his men along with the Pakistani Army had tortured at least 20 people including him at the Shahzibazar camp. He had been tortured brutally for more than 20 days. For this reason, he lost his left leg and cannot hear properly. At the end of deposition, Shah Hussain Ali alias Sabu Miah at the International Crimes Tribunal 2 said he was grateful to Almighty Allah as he could tell the tribunal his experiences after long 43 years. He is the brother of Shah Hasan Ali alias Fulu Miah, the seventh prosecution witness. He said Qaisar had engaged his men to kidnap him and killed his father. After his deposition, defence counsel SM Shahjahan asked him a question about the age of his younger brother Fulu Mia. Later the tribunal adjourned the hearing until today keeping cross-examination incomplete. The accused, a former Jatiya Party state minister, was indicted on February 2 on 16 charges of crimes against humanity he had committed in 1971 in Habiganj and nearby areas. India for training as a freedom fighting. After his return, his uncle told him that his father had been picked up from their house following the order of Qaisar. When my uncle went to the police station, where they took my father, he saw Qaisar and Barek Mokter there. As he requested to free my father, Qaisar asked him to hand over me and my fellow fighters to him. Later they took my father to the neared rest house, another army camp. My uncle saw my father blindfolded with a pillar. Then he was taken to Srimangal and never returned. After the liberation, we tried to get his body, but failed, the witness said. He also told the tribunal about the mass killings in Srimangal. He had seen many dead bodies at the WAPDA rest house on December 17, 1971. We saw many dead bodies of women and men. At Bat Tala, we found hundreds of skeletons and bodies dumped. Sabu also described the killings of Dr Saleh and Hirendranath who had been tortured in front of the house of Justice Syed ABM Mahmud Hossain. I saw them taken to Laskarpur but heard from others about their death. He also reacted sharply whenever the prosecution had asked him to focus on the charges and shorten his deposition. The whole scenario is now in front of my eyes and it is so live that I cannot overlook anything. l Rana Plaza victims and their family members started receiving the compensation from the Global Trust Fund (GTF) from yesterday, a day before the first anniversary of the tragedy. The GTF authorities began to distribute compensation at a programme held at the Labour and Employment Ministry conference room by giving compensation to only two persons. Those who received compensation officially are survivor of the incident Jesmin Aktar and Shamsun Nahar, mother of deceased Shilp Aktar. State Minister for Labour and Employment Mojibul Haque Chunnu
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Dhaka South City Corporation officials demolish illegal establishments on the bank of the Buriganga River at Sadarghat in the capital yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
Patients stop breathing for two minutes around 700 times while sleeping. They wake up naturally before two minutes. If they did not, they will die
representatives of Philips India Ltd said while promoting the product at a press conference in the capital yesterday. Doctors of private and public medical colleges also supported using the
Centre for Policy Dialogue Chairman Rehman Sobhan speaks at a dialogue on Taking Advantage of Indian Market Access Initiative through Promotion of Trade Facilitation, at Lake Shore Hotel in the capital yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
machines to reduce snoring problems and avoid accidents. Patients stop breathing for two minutes around 700 times while sleeping. They wake up naturally before two minutes. If they did not, they will die, said Md Ali Hossain, a doctor at the National Institute of Chest Diseases and Hospitals. Philips has assisted in establishing five sleep labs in one government and three private hospitals in Dhaka. The company has plans to establish 10 more sleep labs this year. We have a plan to create awareness among people about the disease and using the machines to cure it. The machines would cost around Tk30,00070,000, Bidur Dhaul, senior director of Philips Healthcares home healthcare solution, said. l
Chapainawabganj Expatriates welfare secretary sued Jamaat calls halfday hartal today for abusing power report, Showkat, while serving as the Huda; former Dhaka North City protesting arrest n Tribune Report Corporation administrator Akhter housing and public works secretary, acquired a five katha (3,600 sq-ft) plot Hossain Bhuiyan, now director general The Anti-Corruption Commission Correspondent, n Our yesterday filed three separate cases in his name, and another same-sized of Non-Formal Education Bureau; Chapainawabganj
The district unit Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday called a half-day hartal to be imposed today protesting the arrest of Sadar upazilas newly elected UP Chairman Mokhlesur Rahman. Officer-in-Charge of Sadar police station Jasim Uddin said Mokhlesur was arrested yesterday around 10:30am while he was on his way to Rajshahi to take oath. Chapainawabganj Police Super Basir Ahmed said the newly elected chairman was accused in nine cases, adding that arrest warrant was issued in two of the cases. On the other hand, following the arrest, district unit Chhatra Shibir staged demonstration on the Chapainawabganj-Shona Masjid road. They torched tires and staged a short rally. From the rally, Shibir leaders announced that they would observe hartal in the district today from 6am2pm. l against Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Khondaker Showkat Hossain for acquiring plots from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) by abusing power. ACC Deputy Director Jatan Kumer Roy filed the cases with Motijheel police station. According to the first information plot in his mothers name. He also booked a five katha plot in his wifes name at Purbachal New City Project in 2005. The plot was later changed to 10 katha and later to 12 katha by exchanging with the previous ones. On the same allegation, the ACC last month questioned Showkat; former Rajuk chairman M Nurul
former Rajuk member (development) Mahbubul Alam, now joint secretary of the Food Ministry; and former Rajuk member (planning) Anwarul Islam Shikder. During the questioning, the secretary had denied his involvement in the alleged irregularities saying that he had never taken any such advantage and the allegations were incorrect. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
attract tourists to Bangladesh. Communication Minister Obaidul Quader, Chief of Army Staff and Chairman of Army Welfare Trust General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan and Chairman of Trust Transport Services Major General AKM Mujahid Uddin also spoke at the function. The Trust Transport Services will initially operate in the capital 27 taxi cabs of minimum 1500cc engine of Premio, Allion, Probox and Axio models purchased from Japans auto giant Toyota. Another private organization, Toma Group, will also operate the same kind of 19 air-conditioned taxicabs preliminarily. The two companies would operate 600 taxi cabs in Dhaka and Chittagong. The Trust Transport Services is expected to introduce 400 such taxicabs while Toma Group will introduce another 200 units. Out of the 600, the army trust will operate 100 taxis in Chittagong. The Army Welfare Trust on August 1 last year sought permission from the communications ministry to introduce 400 taxicabs on streets in Dhaka and Chittagong within four months. The same year on July 14, the ministry allowed Toma Construction Ltd to press 250 more cabs into service. All the taxi cabs will have equipped with high-tech facilities, such as Global Positioning Systems or GPS, vehicle tracking systems and wireless communications.
A man drives a newly-lauched taxi cab on Kazi Nazrul Islam avenue in the city yesterday The fare for the new service was fixed at Tk 100 for the first 2km, Tk 34 for each subsequent km, and Tk 8.5 for two minutes waiting for air-conditioned cabs. For non-AC ones, the fare comes down to Tk 50, Tk 20 and Tk 5 respectively. The rate is comparatively high than other major cities in South Asia and South-East Asian counties. In Kolkata, an AC cab charges Tk 32.31 at the beginning of the journey, Tk 19.38 for each kilometre and Tk 1.52 for per minute waiting. In Kuala Lumpur, a taxicab charges Tk 71.25 as the rent charge, Tk 23.23 for each kilometre and Tk 10 for per minute waiting. In Bangkok, the fare charge goes to Tk 101 for the first kilometer, from Tk 11.95 for 2-12 kilometres. However, most of these cities have better roads conditions than Dhaka and are also free from traffic congestions. As Dhaka is one of the traffic-crowded cities in the region, a journey from Mouchak to Mirpur-10, covering around
12km including a 30-minute loss due to traffic jam, will cost around Tk 552.5 for an AC cab and Tk 325 for a non-AC one. However, the Communications Ministry and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) seemed determined to impose such high rates for the new taxi cabs. l
Jamaat man wounded in shootout with cops in Jessore n Our Correspondent, Jessore
A Jamaat-e-Islami activist was shot in the left leg in a gunfight between Jamaat-Shibir men and police yesterday around 4am in Hamidpur, under Jessore Kotwali police station. The victim Muhaid Hussain, 28, is also former president of the Fatehpur union unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir. He hails from Jhaulia village under Jessore Sadar upazila. Reshma Sharmin, assistant superintendent of police in Jessore, said a gunfight ensued between Jamaat activists and police when police raided a secret meeting of the activists near a garbage disposal area in Hamidpur. Muhaid got caught in the line of fire and was shot, she said, claiming he was an accused in a saboteur case. Police also arrested two other Jamaat activists named Habibullah and Aminur, and recovered a firearm and a round of bullet, the assistant superintendent said. On the other hand, Muhaid, who was being treated at Jessore Medical College Hospital, claimed that police had called him out of his residence and shot him in the leg. l
CDA employees demand ICT can facilitate rural women entrepreneurs removal of chairman n within 24 hours
DU Correspondent
n CU Correspondent
A portion of Shramik League-backed employees of Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) in the port city yesterday demanded immediate removal of their Chairman Abdus Salam terming him corrupted and pro-Jamaat person. About 100 employees of the city development authority laid siege to the CDA building located in Kotwali area around 10am. The protesting workers took position in the area till noon. The agitating workers gave 24 hours ultimatum to the authority to fulfil their demands. At the demonstration, the protestors announced that they would hold a rally at Laldighi ground on May 1 to press home their demand. We will go for tougher movement, including hartal in Chittagong, if our demand will not be fulfilled, said a protestor. The city unit Shramik League organised the event protesting the dismissal of Habibur Rahman, general secretary
of CBA Shramik, and harassing transfer of 10 employees. The protesting labourer leaders alleged that Abdus Salam was working as an agent of Jamaat-e-Islam turning the CDA as a stronghold of JamaatShibir and committing corruptions and irregularities in the name of development works. The speakers also said the CDA chairman personally gave allotment to 60 housing plots on 78 acres land in the housing project of the CDA, violating the existing laws. Boktiyar Uddin Khan, president, Mahmudul Haque Tely, general secretary, Abdul Ahad, labour affairs secretary of the city unit of Shramik League, Tazul Islam, general secretary of Wasa Employees Union, Shramik League leaders, Abu Hosen Abu and Md Alamgir, among others, spoke on the occasion. On contrary, activists of Jubo League, Sechhasebok League and CDA Employees Association took position on CDA building premises and hold a rally in support of Abdus Salam. l
Innovative use of information and communication technology (ICT) can facilitate the women entrepreneurs to expand the countrys economy and development, said speakers at an ICTbased seminar in Dhaka University yesterday. Titled Connecting Women Entrepreneurs through Innovative use of Information and Communication Technology, the seminar was organised by The Asia Foundation, Centre on Budget and Policy of Dhaka University, Banglalink Digital Communications Ltd and District Womens Business Forum at the universitys Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate building. The aim of the seminar was to discuss how to connect women entrepreneurs in the districts, especially at the grassroots level, by creating mobile phone network and delivering ICTbased business tools and service. Speakers at the seminar emphasised on providing accurate and innovative information and modern electronic business system through latest networking opportunities, mobile technology and other communicative devices to aid
women entrepreneurs both at district and national levels. Speaking at the occasion, State Minister of Finance M A Mannan said women were already playing pivotal role in the countrys development by participating in various activities. But their participation can be expanded in every sector of our countrys development if we can provide them with modern information and communication technologies, which will be very helpful for the village entrepreneurs who have yet to enjoy such facilities, he said.
Women have to participate in every sector for the countrys development and help take it forward
He urged women to participate in every sector, including political and economic, for the countrys development and help take it forward. Rokia Afzal Rahman, former adviser to the caretaker government and president of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stressed on the importance of
technological knowledge to the women entrepreneurs. Access to market, finance and information sectors will be easier for women, mainly in the rural areas, if the ICT facilities are more developed, she said. The desire of our countrymen to build Digital Bangladesh and establish an affluent economy will never be met if the technological advancement does not take place and women do not get more involved in the use of modern technology, she added. Bibi Russell, famous fashion designer and entrepreneur, said: The majority of our population lives in the rural parts of our country and they are playing the most important role in our economy. So if we want to achieve development, we have to facilitate the rural people, providing the knowledge of modern technology to those who lack it. Solaiman Alam, marketing director of Banglalink, said: Enhancing and expanding ICT facilities will play a vital role in removing barriers for women entrepreneurs in our society. With proper access to information, training and the market at large, Bangladeshi women, urban or rural, may do their part in the progress of our society. l
WEATHER
SUNNY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23
DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:23PM SUN RISES 5:30AM FORECAST FOR TODAY
Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Coxs Bazar 40 36 41 40 40 40 39 35 29 27 27 22 26 26 22 26 The Bangladesh Nodi Bachao Andolon forms a human chain in front of the National Press Club in the city yesterday, demanding measures to protect rivers from encroachment as well as pollution MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
41.1C Rangamati
Source: Accuweather/UNB
18.6C Srimangal
PRAYER TIMES
Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha 4:14am 5:32am 11:58am 4:25pm 6:23pm 7:42pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Nation
The recently taken photo shows that water from gas-run pump flows towards paddy fields in Madarganj upazila of Jamalpur is low in those pockets, large-scale extraction is not done considering the economic aspect. We see bubble of gas in many ponds, canals and swamps in different parts of the country. I believe Rabiuls method could be applied in those places. This will not only save power and oil costs of irrigation pumps but will also help farmers cultivate crops in fallow lands, he explained. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Dr Md Kamruzzaman said Rabiuls invention had potential. He said Rabiul succeeded in separating the pressure of water and gas which is why it had become possible to lift both the substance separately. While observing Rabiuls innovative pump, Jamalpur Deputy Commis-
DHAKA TRIBUNE
sioner Md Shahabuddin Khan termed it amazing. He said this method, if spread across the country, could help save a lot of money that is spent on fuel used for agricultural purposes and could help the farmers as well. Shahabuddin also said steps were taken to inform top officials of Rabiuls invention. l
Two labourers release shrimp spwans into the Kirtankhola River at Dapdapia ferry ghat yesterday
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Spawn seized BSD lays siege to DC office and released into n Our Correspondent, Dinajpur Kirtankhola river
n Our Correspondent, Barisal
Detective police seized shrimp spawns, locally known as Golda Renu Pona, worth Tk 4,00,00 at Barisals Dapdapia Ferry Ghat yesterday. Catching and trading spawns are illegal according to the countrys Fish Protection and Conservation Act. The spawns were later released into the Kirtankhola river, said Bhashkar Saha, an assistant commissioner at Barisal Metropolitan Police (DB). The drive was led by Barisal Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rouf Miah, when two officials of the Department of Fisheries were also present. Seven traders were also fined Tk 3500 by a mobile court led by UNO Rouf, said Bhashkar. Fish resources have been under threat due to catching of spawn of lobsters and shrimp in the southern region of the country coastal belts, according to a Dhaka Tribune report on Feb 6. l Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal yesterday staged Deputy Commissioners office gherao programme in Dinajpur, demanding rightful distribution of the water of Teesta River. Leaders and activists of the party also submitted a memorandum, addressing the prime minister and agriculture minister, to the district administration. In the memorandum they also demanded Tk300 crore as compensation to the affected farmers of the
Teesta project. They also mentioned that the water flow in the river was around 300 cusec, decreasing cultivation in the area as cultivation cost had been increasing day by day. Lack of adequate irrigational water deprives the farmers of expected produces that leaves hundreds of farmers jobless. Neighbouring India has established barrage on a total of 51 rivers, and the compensation was demanded to aid the affected farmers. l
Tender Last Selling Date Tender Closing Date & Time Tender Opening Date & Time
25-02-2014 During Ofce hrs 26-02-2014 12.00 hrs 26-02-2014 12.30 hrs
05-03-2014 During Ofce hrs 06-03-2014 12.00 hrs 06-03-2014 12.30 hrs
23-03-2014 During Ofce hrs 24-03-2014 12.00 hrs 24-03-2014 12.30 hrs
22-04-2014 During Ofce hrs 23-04-2014 12.00 hrs 23-04.2014 12.30 hrs
21-05-2014 During Ofce hrs 22-05-2014 12.00 hrs 22-05-2014 12.30 hrs
18
19
All other Terms & Conditions of the invitation of tenders shall remain unchanged. (Md. Arifuzzaman) Project Director Construction of a New Railway line from Ishurdi to Dhalarchar via Pabna Project Bangladesh Railway Rajshahi
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Long Form
n Vivek Sud
s India approaches the D-day of May 16, 2014 a critical question that needs to be answered is that which of the two parties, the Indian National Congress (INC) or the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), is better at the art of skullduggery; something that is increasingly looking like a necessary requirement for the formation of the next government in India. For anyone who thinks that the BJP is on a comfortable path to forming the next government, this electoral analysis will probably be a bit of a shocker. The BJP will certainly come close, but whether it is actually able to form the government will depend on how good its numbers managers are in the middle of May. I can, from personal experience state without any hesitation that, when it comes to managing numbers the BJP always loses to the INC. Let us take a look at some of the numbers which led me to draw this conclusion. Contrary to the belief held by a lot of political pundits that the BJP will win somewhere close to 225 seats on its own; I tend to put this number at 175 at best. The pre-poll alliances that the BJP has been able to enter into with other parties that constitute the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (the NDA) will take the number of seats won by the alliance to around 207. The INC-led United Progressive Alliance (the UPA) is expected to not perform as well as it did in the last elections but in my opinion they will not perform as bad as some people may have us believe. The INC should be able to win around 122 seats, taking the seat tally of the UPA to around 148. What this leads to is a stark reality that about 188 seats will be won by parties that are in neither of the alliances. These parties can be split into two sub-groups: one that will never support the BJP, such as the Left Front led by the Communist Party of India, Marxist (the CPM), the Samajwadi Party (SP), Janta Dal United (JDU), et al; and a group such as the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), the All India Anna DMK (AIADMK) who may or may not support the BJP. The group of parties that will never support the BJP will end up commanding a strength of 87 seats. This is where the government forming predicament of the BJP starts to gain strength. The total number of seats held by parties opposed to the BJP-led alliance forming the government ends up being close to 235; just 37 seats shy of the magic number of 272.
AFP
It is at this juncture that the role of three parties, the BSP, the AITC, and the AIADMK becomes critically important. The three of them should be able to win seats in the following order: BSP 30, the AIADMK 28, the AITC 25. Let us analyse what the three of them will do. Two questions
But the non-NDA group can easily offer them the PMs job under the excuse of keeping Narendra Modi out. This makes the NDA a little bit of less attractive for all these three women. Out of these three women, two of them J Jayalalitha (leader of the AIADMK of Tamil Nadu) and Mamata
Apart from the fact that the NDA cannot offer the top job to anyone in return for support, one more impediment for the BJP-led NDA will be the fear the smaller parties will have for the governance of Narendra Modi
will be asked by the leaders of these three parties when asked to support either the NDA or the UPA: 1. Whats in it for me? 2. Whats in it for my party? Since all these three parties are a one woman show the second question sort of loses relevance if the first question is answered satisfactorily. All three of them have done business with the BJP and the INC at one point or the other so there will be no qualms about getting their pound of flesh. So now lets see which group the NDA or the non-NDA will these three gravitate towards. In reality only two out of three are needed under all scenarios. The NDA cannot offer any one of them the coveted top job the post of the PM.
Banerjee (leader of the AITC of West Bengal) are sitting CMs so they will not accept anything less than the post of the PM. What further complicates things for the BJP-led NDA is that both these leaders have to take into account local and state issues that form the backbone of their political fortunes before supporting any alliance. For example, why would Mamata whose state is home to the second largest Muslim population in the country, offer support to a Hindu national party? The Muslims in West Bengal have supported the AITC en bloc and this is one of the reasons why the AITC has a brutal majority in the state assembly. Why would Mamata or her party risk annoying this voter base? Jayalalithas stated position on the conduct of Indias foreign policy with regards to Sri Lanka is in direct
conflict with the BJPs stated position of strengthening relations with Indias neighbours. The point being made here is that even if these two parties were to initially support the NDA there would be an unending list of irritants which will continue to threaten the stability of the government. Mayawati, the leader of the BSP, who at this moment is not in power, will be reasonably easier to deal with at the negotiating table although the BJP does refer to its earlier alliance in UP with the BSP as the biggest mistake committed by the BJP. While one can argue that some components of the non-NDA group like the SP and CPM will not let the likes of BSP or the AITC rule the roost; they wont have too much of a choice when confronted with the prospect of being held responsible for letting the Narendra Modi led NDA come to power. They can agree to abstaining from voting in parliament at key junctures such as when a motion of confidence is moved. Apart from the fact that the NDA cannot offer the top job to anyone in return for support, one more impediment for the BJP-led NDA will be the fear the smaller parties will have for the governance of Narendra Modi. These small regional parties thrive because of the instability. If a person like Narendra Modi were to be put in-charge of the state of affairs and he accidentally does deliver on the promise of good governance, then these smaller regional parties would have signed their own death warrant. Thus, supporting a combination that furthers the political instability in the country will be a much more attractive option than supporting someone who just might lead the country towards some semblance of stability. At this point it would be prudent to address the question as to why the BJP will not cross the 200 mark all by itself. My reasons are that BJP made five critical mistakes, and there isnt any time left to correct those mistakes: 1. It faltered in ticket distribution; specially in key states like UP and Bihar where too many turncoats were given the party tickets. 2. It failed to execute the plan it had conceptualised; specially in key states like UP and Bihar 3. It failed to control in-fighting among its leaders both at state level and national level. 4. In its efforts to boost the number of parties in the NDA it ran after insignificant sub-regional parties, thereby negating their claim that a Modi wave was sweeping the country. The number of parties (leaving aside the SS and SAD) that the BJP could get under the NDA umbrella far exceeds the number of seats these parties will get. 5. It lost critical time in announcing its final list of candidates
The limitation that the BJP has is that it can only perform in a limited number of states on its own where it matters electorally: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, UP, Delhi, Uttrakhand, Chhatisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka. Out of these states, in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan it will win almost 90% of the seats and it was critical for it to perform equally well in UP, Bihar and Karnataka. Let us first look at UP. Whether one likes it or not, after the recent riots in UP the polarisation of votes was pretty much a done deal. The Jaats in Western UP were rock solid behind the BJP and all that the BJP needed to do was put up the right candidates to take advantage of the mood of the electorate. Instead, the in-fighting that was on public display just added to the misery of botching up the done deal. For example, where was the need for the BJP president to abandon his seat in Ghaziabad and run away to Lucknow leaving the seat to a new comer VK Singh? In Mathura, Jayant Singh of the RLD was a sure shot
The INC RJD alliance is all of a sudden looking like a formidable challenge against the BJP. The issue of turncoats getting the party tickets also continues to annoy the local cadre. The main problem that the BJP faced in Bihar was that since it had not contested all 40 seats in the state for almost two decades having been involved in a now-broken alliance with the JDU for 17 years BJP suddenly found itself short of candidates to put up in constituencies that had been represented by the JDU earlier. The sum conclusion of all this, in my opinion, is that the Congress will be able to block the chances of a Narendra Modi led NDA from forming the government by supporting any combination of parties that will want to stand up against Narendra Modi after the election results are declared. The numbers, coupled with critical mistakes made by the BJP, support this contention. The BJP will have to literally pull a magical rabbit out of the hat to form the government. l Vivek Sud is a political analyst based in India.
The Congress will be able to block the chances of a Narendra Modi led NDA from forming the government by supporting any combination of parties that will want to stand up against Narendra Modi after the election results are declared
Indians have begun voting in the worlds biggest election which is set to sweep the Hindu nationalist opposition to power at a time of low growth, anger about corruption and warnings about religious unrest AFP
loser but the BJP put up Hema Malini against him and pretty much lost that seat. Could they not find a suitable or local Jaat leader to contest against Jayant Singh? Hema Malini cannot even find the keys to the party office leave alone find the voters. Where was the need to give party tickets to people like Meenakshi Lekhi (New Delhi), Kirron Kher (Chandigarh), Mahesh Girri (East Delhi)? Moving on to Bihar. The BJP made a critical mistake in leaving 10 seats out of 40 for Ram Vilas Paswan and Upendra Kushwaha two people whose parties do not have even one seat between them in either the State legislature or the parliament. Where is the guarantee that after the elections these two people will be loyal to the BJP? It cannot play the upper caste and lower caste card at the same time. After the split with the JD(U), a considerable number of upper castes were starting to align behind the BJP but after the alliance with Paswan and Kushwaha those upper castes started to have second thoughts. Added to this is the fact that the Yadav vote bank is standing firm behind Lalu Yadav.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
Tatar assembly: Russia bans Tatar leader from Crimea n AFP, Kiev
Russia yesterday banned the leader of Crimeas pro-Kiev Tatar community from entering the Black Sea peninsula for five years, the Tatar assembly said. Mustafa Dzhemilev was handed an official order barring him from returning to Crimea as he crossed to mainland Ukraine from the territory that Moscow controversially annexed last month, the assembly said in a statement. Dzhemilev, also a member of Ukraines Verkhovna Rada parliament, condemned the decision as an indication of what a civilised state we are dealing with. Dzhemilev pledged he would ignore the ban and return to Crimea. Crimeas 300,000 Muslim Tatars, who make up around 12% of the peninsulas population, largely boycotted a disputed referendum last month in which nearly 97% of voters chose to split from Ukraine and join Russia. In an attempt to appease the community, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday he had signed a decree rehabilitating Crimeas Tatars, who were deported under Stalin over accusations of Nazi collaboration and who fiercely oppose the regions new Moscow-backed authorities. The overture looks unlikely to satisfy the Tatars, who eye the Kremlin with distrust and have recently said they will consider holding a plebescite on broader autonomy. l
Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge (2nd R) and her husband Prince William (C) are greeted by Aboriginal elders during a visit to UluruKata Tjuta Cultural Centre at Uluru in the Northern Territory. Britains Prince William, his wife Kate and their son Prince George are on a three-week tour of New Zealand and Australia AFP
We have indications of the use of a toxic industrial chemical, probably chlorine, in Syria this month
Although chlorine is a toxic chemical, it is widely used for commercial and domestic purposes, so Syria was not required to submit its stockpiles to the OPCW, a chemical weapons expert told AFP. However, as a chemical weapon it is prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Syria joined last year, said Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, CEO of SecureBio, a British chemical weapons consultancy. The delivery method that weve seen the use of helicopters I am certain the opposition dont have any helicopters. He also said that although chlorine is a weak agent, chemical weapons are very effective in this kind of warfare, in urban, built-up areas, as chemical weapons find their ways into the nooks and crannies. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
n AFP, Jindo
First sign of S Korea ferry disaster was call from a frightened boy
n Angecies
Reuters, SEOUL - The first distress call from a sinking South Korean ferry was made by a boy with a shaking voice, three minutes after the vessel made its fateful last turn. He called the emergency 119 number which put him through to the fire service, which in turn forwarded him to the coastguard two minutes later. That was followed by about 20 other calls from children on board the ship to the emergency number, a fire service officer told Reuters. The Sewol ferry sank last Wednesday on a routine trip south from the port of Incheon to the traditional honeymoon island of Jeju. The boy who made the first call, with the family name of Choi, is among the missing. His voice was shaking and sounded urgent, a fire officer told MBC TV. It took a while to identify the ship as the Sewol. Save us! Were on a ship and I think its sinking, Yonhap news agency quoted him as saying. The fire service official asked him to switch the phone to the captain, and the boy replied: Do you mean teacher? The pronunciation of the words for captain and teacher is similar in Korean. The captain of the ship, Lee Joonseok, 69, and other crew members have been arrested on negligence charges. Lee was also charged with undertaking an excessive change of course without slowing down. Lee was not on the bridge when the ship turned. Navigation was in the hands of a 26-year-old third mate who was in charge for the first time on that part of the journey, according to crew members. In a confused exchange between the sinking Sewol and maritime traffic control released by the government, the crew said the ship was listing to port. Make passengers wear life jackets and get ready in case you need to abandon ship, traffic control said. The Sewol answered: Its difficult for the passengers to move now. l
Messages of hope are seen at a vigil for students among the missing passengers of a South Korean capsized ferry, in central Ansan on April 22. The banner at top translates to Rest in Peace AFP
South Korea says Opposition no-show North may be close hinders Thai election talks to nuclear test But a day after describing the talks n AFP, Seoul n AFP, Bangkok as the most opportune time to put
North Korea could well be preparing to carry out a fourth nuclear test, South Korea said yesterday, citing increased activity at its main test site just days ahead of a visit to Seoul by US President Barack Obama. Our military is currently detecting a lot of activity in and around the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, defence ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told a press briefing. Kim stressed that North Koreas nuclear weapons programme was at a stage where it could conduct a test at any moment once the order was given by the leadership in Pyongyang. North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013 all at the Punggye-ri site in the northeast of the country. Kim declined to give details of the monitored activity, but cautioned that it may be no more than a deception tactic to raise tensions ahead of Obamas visit which is due to begin on Friday. l Talks between Thailands quarrelling political parties on a roadmap to elections following months of deadly political turmoil ended with no breakthrough yesterday after the opposition pulled out at the last minute. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is pushing for new polls as soon as possible to bolster her precarious position in the face of a series of legal threats that could force her from office. The kingdom has been without a fully functioning government or parliament since December, and a general election held in February was voided after opposition demonstrators disrupted voting. The nation has been shaken by months of political violence that has left 25 people dead and hundreds wounded, including many anti-government protesters, in grenade attacks and shootings. The Election Commission (EC) called the talks to discuss a new election date with political rivals including the main opposition Democrat Party, which boycotted the last round of voting.
aside our party views, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva announced shortly before the meeting began that he would not be going. I will not attend the meeting because of security, he told AFP without specifying the nature of the concerns. No one from the Democrats will attend. Representatives of more than 50 other political parties joined the talks, according to election officials. On the eve of the meeting, Yinglucks Puea Thai Party decried a conspiracy by her opponents to thwart new polls. In a statement the party said certain groups and political parties dont want democracy and are trying to create a political vacuum so they can appoint their own unelected leader. The EC which has been accused by government supporters of siding with the opposition says it needs several months at least to organise new polls, leaving the country in legislative limbo. l
Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi, prime ministerial candidate for the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), gestures at the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji, revered by many in western India as a Hindu warrior king, during an election campaign rally in Mumbai April 21 REUTERS showed a video in which Praveen Togadia, a firebrand member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, a sister organisation of the BJP, was seen offering advice on how to prevent Muslims from buying property in Hindu-dominated areas. Togadia denied that, saying he only asked Hindus to seek the help of police to resolve property disputes involving Muslims. On Monday, a leader of the BJPs alliance partner in the Western state of Maharashtra said Modi would teach a lesson to Muslim rioters. Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam made the comments at a joint election rally with Modi in Mumbai. ter posts statements. criticising colleagues But some of Modis colleagues remain defiant. BJP leader Singh, who is contesting the election in the northern state of Bihar, said he stood by his statement. I have said what I felt. I will give my explanation. This month, the election commission banned one of Modis top aides from election rallies on charges of making inflammatory speeches against Muslims. The ban was lifted last week after the aide, Amit Shah, vowed not to use abusive or derogatory language. The commission said that it would monitor his campaigning. l
Crocodile tears
Modi himself is tainted by accusations that he turned a blind eye to, or even encouraged Hindu-Muslim riots in 2002 in Gujarat, the state he has governed for 13 years. More than 1,000 people, most of them Muslims, were killed in the violence. He has always denied the accusations and a Supreme Court inquiry did not find evidence to prosecute him. These crocodile tears ... will not do, said Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a leader of the ruling Congress party, referring to Modis Twit-
While opinion polls predict Modis BJPled alliance will win the biggest chunk of the 543 parliamentary seats being contested in the election that ends on May 12, most of them show he will need new partners in order to secure a majority. An anti-Muslim pitch would not only make it tougher for him to find partners, but could also drive away some middle-class voters whose support Modi is banking on to unseat Congress.
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Editorial
LETTER OF THE DAY
Letters to
the Editor
he extraordinary demand made by Hefazat Secretary General Junaid Babunagari, that followers of minority Islamic sects such as Ahmadiyya and Ahle Hadith should be banned, and that atheists should not be allowed to live in Bangladesh, cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. We are confident most Bangladeshis, regardless of their faith and background, value the spirit and letter of Bangladesh as a free country which constitutionally guarantees freedoms of belief and religion. Moreover, many devout Muslims would disagree with such calls on the Quranic basis that there should be no compulsion in religion. As a religious body, his organisation may be expected by its followers to disagree with or even dislike contrary religious opinions. However the comments made against atheists, non-Muslims, and Muslims of sects, with which the Hefazat does not agree, are hateful rhetoric which should be resisted. There is no justification for the state to ban minority sects of any faith. The Hefazat leaders accompanying remark that Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and people from other religions can still live in the country should not be taken as any form of moderation. By using bloodcurdling language to describe and threaten non-believers and those with whom he disagrees, he opens the door to discrimination and persecution. All people, whatever their beliefs, or lack of them, deserve equal protection under the law. There is no room in Bangladesh for the state to discriminate between citizens on the basis of their religious beliefs or practices.
April 20 Mofez Manzil, the zamindars (landlords) house in Faridpur, was the epicentre of Indian politics in the 1940s, as it played a key role in history leading to the end of British rule in India. The Indians were clamouring for independence from British rule, and ultimately India and Pakistan came into being. I am sure, many readers, particularly students of history and politics, will join me in giving heartfelt thanks to the author for vividly recounting the history of this politics and of the role of the zamindar bari in this two-part article in your daily. This is the history that passed me by while I was a school student in 1946 47 in Calcutta, migrating quickly with my mother to East Pakistan in late October 1947. In my opinion, the government should buy the estate and the house, with all the historical furniture, and pay the owners fairly for its gross value, so that they can set up their own establishment wherever they so desire. Engr SA Mansoor
Comments made against atheists and sects are hateful and should be resisted
Doctors do little
April 17 Traveller_23 I dont think it was purely a service provider versus service receiver issue. Wasnt the patient politically affiliated, and wasnt it party men who were involved in the assault? Doctors can reasonably expect and demand safe working conditions, and it is our responsibility to give them that. Probably truer for them than for any other occupation. A controlled/limited strike may have been a better solution because if the doctors dont ever demand safe conditions from our politicians theyre never going to get them. Samiur Rahman Glad someone wrote this article, as it raises many legitimate points against doctors in Bangladesh and poor medical treatment and services provided. Times and doctors mindsets have changed significantly since my father earned his medical degree from Bangladesh and the UK during the late 70s and early 80s. I routinely come across egotistical doctors whose moral and ethical senses are blinded by monetary influences many doctors feel it is legitimate and okay to visit and bill a patient during rounds, while the patient is asleep when meaningful advice cannot be communicated. Ive come across Bangladeshi surgery-hungry doctors who have criticised their peers within the same hospital when they have not been able to perform a surgery due to an alternative, less intensive and more appropriate medical solution being offered to the patient. In such cases, not only does the bad-mouthing of colleagues reflect poorly on the doctor and the hospital at large, but it also gives a strong impression such doctors have converted and re-branded themselves as doctors for dollars/taka. I have also come across junior doctors casually reading away while in the General HDU and ICU, when they are categorically supposed to ensure their eyes are set on their patients. While no one can argue doctors certainly do not deserve the wrath of their patients and families nor deserve being assaulted, the quality of medical education and the mindset of Bangladeshi doctors and hospitals management need to change with a focus on proper diagnosis, cure, and treatment. Remuneration will (and should) follow thereafter, as opposed to demanding /expecting for the opposite to hold true. nds I think this sort of bookish advice is the easiest thing in this country, and people appear to be very adept in this art of dishing out free advice. For example, the author has commented that for the victims relatives to resort to violence is not the correct response. Would he please elaborate on what would have been the correct response? Does he have any personal experience of what result comes out of a correct response? Does anybody in this country care about ones sense of propriety and sobriety? No doctor or hospital authority ever recognises a patients right to be dealt with fairly and properly. They treat patients as charity seekers and deal with them in the most arrogant and crudest manner possible. Any encounter with them will leave one with the impression that patients are all despicable insects, not human beings. And as the patients go to them as a last resort, the doctors and hospital authorities seem to take full advantage of their helplessness. I say this from my personal experience with Birdem physicians and their staff. I am so frustrated with physicians in this country. However, I must add that a few exceptions are definitely out there, but the number is almost negligible. Nascent Craft A one-sided write up! On the one hand, the author talks about a healthy society, and, on the other, he thrashes the doctors on duty.
Be Heard
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he current heat wave and accompanying load shedding is a strong reminder of the fact that Bangladesh still has some way to go to achieve power self-sufficiency. Although we have made great strides in recent years towards increasing the supply of electricity, the focus should now be on finding economically and environmentally sustainable paths towards increasing our access to power. Subsidies on the consumption of power place an economically unsustainable strain on our national budget and have increased by nearly a tenth in the last nine months alone. Reducing subsidies so that consumers pay the proper price for power can bring the twin benefits of discouraging wasteful habits and stimulating a virtuous cycle of more profit to attract more investment in generating capacity. Dependance on costly rental power plants needs to be reduced further as the prime minister has recently promised. Efforts should instead be shifted towards building up our own capacity for power generation, especially renewable energy sources. We have also previously editorialised about the potential to utilise imports from sustainable sources, such as hydropower plants in Nepal. The economy badly needs reliable and costefficient power in all areas of the country. Increasing efficiency by reducing waste and generating more costeffective power is the only sustainable way forward. We hope that equal emphasis is placed on reducing our dependency on fossil fuels and eliminating consumption subsidies so that our country can move towards a future of self-sufficiency in power which is both financially and environmentally sustainable.
Reducing waste and generating more cost effective power is the way forward
PEANUTS
CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1 Stops up (5) 4 Narrate (4) 7 Respectful fear (3) 8 Male swan (3) 9 Horse-drawn vehicles (5) 12 Encourage in crime (4) 13 Paid anothers expenses (7) 15 Male sheep (3) 16 Donkey (3) 18 Doctrine (3) 19 Spirit (3) 21 Finds out (7) 24 Golfers warning (4) 26 Sugary (5) 27 Tree (3) 28 Scottish river (3) 29 Regretted (4) 30 Representative (5) DOWN 1 Diplomacy (4) 2 Presentations (6) 3 Nothing more (4) 4 Ugly amphibian (4) 5 Flow back (3) 6 Water lily (5) 10 Sailor (3) 11 Raised platform (5) 14 Sends out (5) 17 Glossy fabric (6) 18 Imply (5) 20 Fresh (3) 21 Exploit (4) 22 Yield (4) 23 To let stand! (4) 25 Cereal (3)
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How to solve Sudoku: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no numberrepeating.
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Op-Ed
11
They also assured that the ground would be opened up again once after the construction work was complete
It now appears that another round of legal battles is in offing. According to court orders from 2011, the playground belongs to the people of the area. We shall wait to see what verdict comes from the judiciary next. Lets turn from the green meadows to the sick infirmary. As it is, our medical services, and the health sector in general, are pitiable, and could never tend to the poor or lesser-advantaged sections of our society. The inadequate number of hospitals, health centres, and health workers (including doctors) has kept the sector as poor as ever while the patients keep suffering. We know the compulsions and limitations of the health workers, but we also know the deliberate negligence on the part of these medical practitioners and support staffs in various hospitals and health centres. Our values, human lives, and sufferings have become almost a forgotten matter for these people who think they have a monopoly on the matter. From the rich to the abject poor all are victims of wrong diagnosis, faulty prescriptions, adulterated drugs, and hefty charges from doctors and hospitals. Reports of commercialisation of these hospitals are not uncommon these days. Add to that the regular features of doctors and interns going on wildcat strikes, causing heartless agony to patients coming for attention from distant places. The desperate individuals (interns, nurses, doctors) beat up anybody not willing to abide by their words. The morbid scenes in the hospital corridors say it all. Shame on us! Imagine the adverse conditions that these ill-stricken travelers have to undergo right from the start of their journey from home. Atrocious manners of transport workers, the appalling traffic system, and the simmering heat, and the poisonous food and drinks that they are forced to consume while journeying make regular features of the society. Arrogance on the part of the people in power is the wrong way to go. The affected lot is already on the path of disobedience l Mohammad Ali Sattar is a journalist and a DT columnist.
n Isral Khosru
ost would say this was inevitable. Two parties with more of a glorious past and a comparatively dismal present were bound to engage in a battle sooner or later to establish their eligibility based on historical references by explicitly discrediting each other. Bluntly put, the two parties that form the nucleus of our political mainstream today still stand as a testament to some remarkable contributions by two individuals, who at various junctures managed to unite this nation and dared the people to dream. The Awami Leagues initial assault which entailed an attempt to question the integrity of the slain President Ziaur Rahman as a freedom fighter, patriot, and a leader has now been countered with a similar rhetoric. The battle lines are drawn now and the level of hostility enhanced. So, what has led to such a unique phenomenon, where the battle for history is overriding the importance of our present and future as a nation? One would argue that history depicts the ideologies that led to the creation of the AL and the BNP. Hence, it is an attempt to reclaim those ideologies, which have waned over a period of time. It is true that these two political entities came into existence at different times in our history out of necessity, dictated by circumstances. However, the debate that has started is not about the spirit that led to the
creation of the BNP or the AL. The current debate encompasses disproving specific contributions of two historical icons by two opposing camps. The debate is not about the political ideologies that were projected by Bangabandhu or Shaheed Zia. Furthermore, the debate is certainly not about whether these ideologies stand opposed to each other, thus making this a premise merely for mudslinging and slander.
an inspiration, it can never be a substitute for inaction, inefficiency, and incompetence in the present. The manner in which our political mainstream is trying to grasp on to the past to deem themselves to be relevant for the present and the future will only serve them to shy away from formulation of a viable vision, and garner genuine political will to take the nation forward. As a general citizen sees it, squab-
The debate is certainly not about whether these ideologies stand opposed to each other, thus making this a premise merely for mudslinging and slander
One might also argue that the utter failure of these two parties in lifting the country out of poverty and establishing good governance in more than two decades has led them to resort to their past and to try to re-establish that sense of loyalty and idealism enjoyed by their founding and supreme leaders. However, if this is the sole reason, the fact that it has led to the recent round of controversies can easily lead one to conclude that this strategy has proven to be counterproductive for both sides. While history can serve as
bling about history has become a feasible cop out for our political parties. They see it to be a rather inexpensive diversion tactic, which will keep the political arena heated with superfluous debates and controversies in abundance. It will be a disservice to history to say that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was not the supreme leader who inspired Bengalis to unite and dream of a state free of subjugation and enriched with the right to self-determination. Shaheed Zias announcement of independence on March 27 is also worth its weight in
gold because it served to reinforce that consensus. While Mujib envisioned and inspired the creation of a free state built on socialist principles, Zia, in his short stint as president, brought the people of that very state together to gain recognition as a global producer and a respectable member of the international community. The people of this country are in no illusion regarding their history. Some know it as they saw it, while others have read about it. Ironically, those who claim to carry on the political legacy of the aforementioned leaders by virtue of the political platforms created by them are disillusioned to an extremely fundamental level. Both Mujib and Zia, beyond reasonable doubt, were leaders who unified the nation, and despite their various flaws, inspired a nation. However, this ensuing so-called battle for history is only dividing the nation at a very elemental level. This is not a battle of ideologies, neither is it a battle for moral high ground. This is a battle for power, where our revered slain leaders have become meagre political capital. Unfortunately, this unholy battle will continue till our current leaders develop the substance and eagerness to take the country forward. We will wait for that day, but meanwhile, these rather unwanted history lessons are becoming tedious when the electorates are alienated and there are greater things at stake. l Israfil Khosru is a businessman and runs a youth-led think tank called The Bangladeshi.
In the South Asian region, the arms race is already accelerating at an ugly scale
However, the manifesto, largely devoted to economic development, sets out an inflexibly hawkish orientation on controversial issues and raises the spectre of a rescript of the countrys policy on the use of its nuclear weapons. It is this grave potential of a revision of Indias nuclear doctrine towards a more aggressive stance that has genuine reasons to create tensions in the region as well as the global geo-political space. The current Indian nuclear weapons strategy is centred
Extreme right-wing forces such as the BJP thrive on whipping up hateful passions and violent aggression against the carefully chosen
The profligacy on military hardware is the misplaced priority of the governments of the region, making the population feel more unsecure and threatened. The states and other actors who are upbeat about militarisation, play in the name of national
disarmament and peace. South Asia might turn into a nuclear volcano just ready to erupt with horrendous consequences to follow. l Sushovan Dhar is an activist. He is based in Kolkata.
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Entertainment
Clockwise from top: visitors at the exhibition; theatre artiste Ritu Sattar presents a solo performance on the inaugural session and an installation
SADIA MARIUM
n Shadma Malik
On April 24, 2013, a monumental tragedy altered the lives of thousands of people and ended up with a death toll of 1134, according to official records. To mark one year of the Savar Tragedy, Pathshala South Asian Media Institute has organised a multimedia art exhibition 1134 Lives Not Number at the premises of Pathshala. Around 22 artists with their respective disciplines showcased the aftermath of the horrific accident and pays homage to the fallen souls, who were killed in the incident at Rana Plaza. Through the captured moments of the needless accident, through performance art reflecting the sorrow of the deprived, it attempts to leave a lasting mark on the minds of the viewers in
the hope of avoiding the repetition of such a deadly incident that was caused due to the negligence of a specific group. Curated by Mahbubur Rahman and Munem Wasif, the exhibition caters the haunted memories of the most disgraceful history in the readymade garments (RMG) sector of Bangladesh. The curators said: On April 24, 2013, Rana Plaza collapses, 1134 lost to senseless greed, lives lost due to collective negligence. A dark day in the history of the garments workers lives, a nightmare which will terrorise people for years to come. Amongst the rubble, hidden beneath the stones, beams and bricks, thousands of workers lie enveloped in darkness, their dreams crushed under the weight of our negligence.
Each artwork tells the story of RMG workers who were in the rubble of Rana Plaza for twenty days. At the entrance of the exhibition, an installation, Why God Why by Shulekha Chowdhury depicts the bloodshed of the nine-storey building. The red thread hanging, torn and tattered shirts and passport size photos of loved ones are the core objects of the mix media artwork that will hold the viewers attention. Another installation Mohamman Hasanur Rahmans Buy 1 Get 1 Free showcases the dead victims trapped inside the rubble of the collapsed building. The trapped corpse has turned black which emanates the horror of the situation. World Press Photo Award winner, Taslima Akhters Death of a Thousand Dreams is also on display. Her explanation of the artwork said:
Rana plaza collapse raises questions to national-international owners, brands and government about their role to secure working conditions. It also raises question about all citizens and consumers responsibility. With this documentary photo story, I have tried to portray the narrative of the death of thousand dreams. Abir Abdullahs photograph captures a moment which shows a devoted husband caring for his injured wife, a survivour who lost a leg. Mahmud Hossain Opus photograph shows the culprit Sohel Ranas trial at CMM court. Dilara Begum Jollys installation Tazreen Nama showcases the horrific incidents of the garment factory on November 24, 2012, which indicates the deadliest factory fire in the nations history. l
Chopra and Raaja Ki Aayegi Baraat star Rani Mukerji get married, lets take a look at the defining moments of their romance. Rani Mukherji was earlier rumoured to have dated Bollywood actor Govinda. The duo met on the sets of Hadh Kar Di Aapne (2000) and grew fond of each other. Buzz is that a journalist who came to Ranis house for an interview spotted Govinda emerging out of her bedroom in a night dress. The bongshell was also linked with actor Abhishek Bachchan. Reportedly, Abhisheks mother Jaya really wanted them to marry. Aditya Chopra was earlier married to high-school sweetheart Payal Khan-
to get married in February this year at Umaid Bhawan in Udaipur. But the wedding got postponed due to unknown reasons. Rani was captured by shutterbugs with Aditya Chopra and a couple of close friends celebrating Diwali at her Juhu residence. She was even spotted feeding mithai to her beau. Chopra family was not too happy initially when they came to know about Adityas affair with Rani, but later they relented and acknowledged Rani at public functions. In fact, at Yash Chopras funeral, Rani took care of all the arrangements like a family member, which pretty much confirmed their relationship. l
SADIA MARIUM
Sport
I got to know about it from a newspaper, informed Akram. Even our board president (Nazmul Hasan) was not sure of what is actually happening, he said. When quarried why it has become a norm for the BCB to hide such developments, Akram said, CEO (Nizamuddin Chowdhury) can answer this well. We dont go to attend the ICC meetings its the CEO and the president of the board who attends the meeting. Bangladesh now stands at point where they have to perform, win games and better their ICC rankings, to be more appropriate be at least on the No 8 spot, in order to remain on the safe side as far as participation in the ICC world events are concerned. For the above wishes Bangladesh need to play enough international games - a common complaint from the cricket board. However, Akram informed Bangladesh will get to play a good amount of international matches in the coming years and that his department, BCB cricket operations, are working to inject more matches in the idle slots of the calendar. Akram also informed of domestic leagues happening on time and regularly will also be of help. A meeting between the BCB game development, cricket operations and CCDM (Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis) was held yesterday where setting the domestic calendar was the chief agenda. We discussed on the future tours and home series of the national team and Bangladesh A team. And we also informed the CCDM of when the national cricketers are available so that they can participate in the domestic tournaments, informed Akram. With ICC World Cup 2015 in Australia-New Zealand in nine months time, the BCB cricket operation plans to hold a 15-day camp down under either this year or just ahead of the world event. It is almost confirm, should not be right to say that it will happen for sure at this point of time however. We plan to do a camp there as the condition there is different from Bangladesh. It will do good to the cricketers if they can have 15 days of training there and also play few one day games. This will help them to be a little comfortable in the World Cup, said Akram. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
13
14 Man United
sack Moyes
15 Reals Ronaldo
15 Farbrace resigns as
FTP
May-June 2014
Bangladesh A tour of West Indies
Dhaka Division players celebrate the 15th National Cricket League title after winning their final round match against Khulna at the Sheikh Kamal International stadium in Coxs Bazar yesterday COURTESY
June 2014
India tour of Bangladesh (3 ODIs)
June-July 2014
Zimbabwe A tour of Bangladesh
BRIEF SCORES
Dhaka Div v Khulna Khulna 243 and 232 Dhaka 252 and 224/5 Rony Talukder 90 Dhaka Division won by five wickets Rajshahi v Dhaka Metropolis Dhaka 126 and 352 Rajshahi 207 and 275/6 Sabbir Rahman 85*, Farhad Reza 80* Rajshahi Division won by four wickets Rangpur v Barisal Barisal 289 and 229/9 Rangpur 543/9 Dhiman Ghosh 149, Tanveer Haider 121* Ranpur Division won by 25 runs Chittagong v Sylhet Chittagong 213 and 415/9 Mominul Haque 168 Sylhet 190 and 180 Chittagong Division won by 258 runs
Aug-Sep 2014
Probable home series of Bangladesh A
August-Sep 2014
Bangladesh tour of West Indies
Sep-Oct 2014
Asian Games
Nov-Dec 2014
Zimbabwe tour of Bangladesh
Feb-March 2015
ICC World Cup New Zealand-Australia
April 2015
Pakistan tour of Bangladesh (rescheduled from January)
June 2015
India tour of Bangladesh (2 Tests, 3 ODIs)
July 2015
SA tour of Bangladesh (2 Tests, 3 ODIs)
Sheikh Jamals Haitian striker Wedson (C) celebrates after scoring against Brothers Union in BPL at BNS yesterday
MUMIT M
14
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
SEASON OF DISASTER
2013
Moyes starts work as Manchester United manager after the retirement of Alex Ferguson. Liverpool beat United 1-0 at Anfield, inflicting the first Premier League defeat under Moyes leadership in his third league game in charge. Manchester City hammer city rivals United 4-1. One week later lowly West Brom beat United at Old Trafford where they have not won in 35 years of trying. Moyes former side Everton win 1-0 at Manchester United a first victory at Old Trafford in 21 years. Rio Ferdinand criticises Moyes late team selection policy, saying on BT Sport: It turns you into a madman.
2014
Swansea win at Old Trafford for the first time, sending United out of the FA Cup at the third-round stage for only the second time in 30 years. Defeat in Capital One Cup semi-final first leg at Sunderland means a third straight loss for the first time since May 2001. Stoke end their long wait for a win against United. Charlie Adams double gives them their first since 1984. Veteran Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic announces he will leave United at the end of the season. United come from behind to lead bottom side Fulham at Old Trafford, but Darren Bents stoppage-time equaliser grabs a 2-2 draw. Moyes describes the result as being as bad as it gets. In the Champions League last 16, United lose 2-0 at Olympiakos in Greece. Two Steven Gerrard penalties and a Luis Suarez strike earn Liverpool a crushing 3-0 win at Old Trafford. United lose 3-0 at home to Manchester City. The result meant United were guaranteed to end the season with their lowest points total in Premier League history. Despite an encouraging 1-1 draw in the first leg, United go down 3-1 to title holders Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final in Munich. Moyes return to Everton becomes a nightmare. He is jeered by the crowd and United lose 2-0 a club record 11th defeat in the Premier League. United cannot now qualify for the 201415 Champions League.
Moyes tried to fix problems that did not exist, ignored issues that have been plainly obvious and seemingly had very little respect for the amazing work done at the club in years gone past
within Manchester and get toChristmasin the top 4 of the table and still in the cups. Only after about 100 days should he start
thinking about implementing any new ideas he has, but even then, it needed to be in a coherent manner. He was given a 6 year contract Moyes had plenty of time to go about his work in a planned and systematic manner and so not change things that were working perfectly fine. None of this is rocket science . Managing the first 100 days of any new senior appointment is a well established path which all seasoned professionals are aware of. But it seems Moyes was hell bent of being Mr Hard Man, he wanted to hit the ground running and prove he was his own man and he ripped out the heart of the club. I wonder if SAF knew that his protg and friend would so brazenly disregard every principle he has established at his beloved club and more than that how he felt while
he watched the kingdom built by him fall like a house of cards. Moyes tried to fix problems that did not exist, ignored issues that have been plainly obvious and seemingly had very little respect for the amazing work done at the club in years gone past. Press leaks like SAFs footballing operation being years behind the modern world, that our squad was simply not good enough, that the team required enormous restructuring were all made to help cover up his own limitations and capability in the job. Its been the white elephant in the room for too long. Simply put, Moyes was not the man for the job, and the club has suffered a heavy penalty in trying to make that decision work. The writer is a freelance contributor
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
15
QUICK BYTES DCC pioneer football Super League from next month
The super league matches of the Dhaka City Corporation Pioneer Football League will get underway across three different venues in the city from May 2. A total of 20 teams split into four groups will take part in the tournament. Each team will receive Tk15000 as participating fee while the champions and runners-up will get Tk100000 and Tk50000 respectively. The top three teams after the super league will also get promoted to third division football league. A press conference was held at the BFF House yesterday where pioneer football league committee chairman Bijan Barua, BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag, member and former football star Sheikh Mohammad Aslam and Kaiser Hamid were present to reveal the details. Tribune Desk
Bangladesh Grandmaster Ziaur Rahman moved jointly at the top of the Open Section of the Asian Continental Chess Championships points table after beating 2621 rated GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong of Vietnam in the 5th round in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates on Monday. Zia played with black pieces used Queens Gambit Declined game and won after 64 moves. Zia now have four points after the end of the 5th round and shares the lead along with six other players. Meanwhile in the womens section, WFM Nazrana Khan Eva drew with WIM Gu Tian Lu of China. Eva earned 2 point out of 5 games. Tribune Desk
Real Madrid forwards Cristiano Ronaldo (L) and Gareth Bale (C) practice during a training session on the eve of their Uefa Champions League semifinal match Real against Bayern Munich at the Valdebebas training center in Madrid yesterday AFP
World number one Rafael Nadal on Monday refused to blame his shock defeat in the Australian Open final in January to Stanislas Wawrinka as an excuse for his loss in Monaco last week. The 27-year-old Spaniard, the top seed for this weeks Barcelona Open, lost in the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters to compatriot David Ferrer. It was his earliest loss in the Principality since 2003 and came 12 months after his eight-year winning streak at the event was ended in the final by Novak Djokovic. I cannot continue using the Australia Open final as an excuse, that is past, said Nadal. AFP
The Supreme Court on Tuesday urged a tough new investigation into allegations of spot-fixing and illegal betting in the Indian Premier League cricket competition after months of controversy. The top court said it wanted the countrys investigation agencies to team up with its own three-member panel appointed last year to probe the allegations into the popular Twenty20 competition. The panel, led by former judge Mukal Mudgal, has already produced a damning report which lists 13 people, including Indian cricket boss N. Srinivasan, who has been forced to stand aside in the wake of the scandal. Justice A.K. Patnaik said he wanted the new investigation to look further into
Top court urges new corruption probe Farbrace resigns as Sri Lankas coach
allegations contained in a sealed section of the report which has not been made public and which deals with the 13 people. We want to know from the Mudgal panel if they are willing to continue investigations, Patnaik told the court. The court has accused Srinivasan, seen as the most powerful man in world cricket, of effectively turning a blind eye to the allegations that have embroiled the IPL since last year. The court last month ordered Srinivasan to stand aside as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It installed batting Indian great Sunil Gavaskar, who is charged with overseeing the latest edition of the IPL. Srinivasan is still set to take over in July as head of the International Cricket Council. The panel has been looking into allegations surrounding last years IPL, when former Test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth was caught deliberately bowling badly while playing for the Rajasthan Royals in return for thousands of dollars from bookmakers. The panels report concluded that Srinivasans son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan -- who was the team principal of the Chennai Super Kings -- could be guilty of illegal betting on IPL games. The Super Kings are owned by India Cements, whose managing director is Srinivasan. The team is captained by India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The court had asked the BCCI itself to investigate the panels report. But after hearing legal arguments on Tuesday against the BCCIs proposed list of names to head the probe, the court asked if the Mudgal panel was willing to take over. Meiyappan and several cricketers and bookmakers have also been the target of a separate police investigation which has resulted in charges including forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy. l Sri Lanka were left searching for their seventh coach in four years after Paul Farbrace resigned on Tuesday to take up a possible assignment with England, Sri Lanka Cricket said. Farbrace, 46, has been linked to the post of assistant coach to Peter Moores, who was named Englands chief coach last week replacing Zimbabwean Andy Flower. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have yet to confirm Farbraces appointment, but Sri Lankan chiefs appeared certain that the Englishman will return to his home nation. Farbrace, the former Kent wicket-keeper, took over as Sri Lankas coach in January for a two-year term that was to include next years World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Under him, Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup one-day tournament and also grabbed the World Twenty20 title after beating India in the final in Dhaka earlier this month. Sri Lanka will need a new coach before they head to England next month for two Tests and a limited-overs series.l
Kings XI Punjabs Glenn Maxwell plays a slog sweep against Sunrisers Hyderabad during their IPL 7 match at Sharjah yesterday
CRICINFO
Kings XI Punjab 193 6 in 20 overs Maxwell 95, Pujara 35, Sehwag 30 B Kumar 3/19, A Mishra 2/56 Sunrisers Hyderabad 121 all out in 19.2 overs K Rahul 27, A Finch 19; L Balaji 4/13, M Johnson 2/26, A Patel 2/20 KXIP won by 72 runs
BRIEF SCORE
DAYS WATCH
Ten Action, Ten Sports 12:45AM Uefa Champions League, SF Leg 1 Real Madrid v Bayern Munich Sony Six 8:00PM Indian Premier League 2014 Rajasthan v Chennai NBA Play Off 2013 14 5:30AM Atlanta v Indiana 7:30AM Washington v Chicago Star Sports 2 AFC Champions League 5:00PM Pohang Steelers v Buriram United 7:00PM New Radiant v Churchill Brothers Star Sports 4 5:30PM Barcelona Open
An action from the match between Satkhira and Dinajpur during their Walton Inter District Volleyball tie yesterday COURTESY
16
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
Indigenous farmers are seen reaping Boro paddy in Godagari Barshapara area of Rajshahi yesterday. Local farmers are now busy as the harvesting season has begun
DHAKA TRIBUNE
ILO advocating for freedom of association Union leaders complain of misbehaviour Gilbert Houngbo tells Dhaka Tribune
n Shahidul Islam Chowdhury
International Labour Organisation encourages peaceful demonstrations of apparel workers without hurting the chain of production of a factory and the economy of the country, said Gilbert Houngbo, deputy director general of the Switzerland-based body. We are trying to develop mechanism for constructive dialogue among the parties concerned to protect workers rights, Houngbo said in an exclusive interview with the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. Houngbo, also former prime minister of Togo, added: We are advocating for freedom of association. But freedom of association also brings responsibility.
DT: You visited Dhaka after the collapse of Rana Plaza in 2013. You are again here after one year of the tragic incident. Have you observed any efforts made to improve working conditions for RMG workers?
Gilbert Houngbo: Changes are evident right now and efforts are on. At least 140 trade unions have been created in the sector. Another thing is that about 900 factories were inspected. The government has increased minimum wage and many factories have started implementing new wage. New labour inspectors are appointed. So, it is a good beginning. Now everybody needs to speed it up and there are challenges need to be overcome.
bureaucratic problems. Bangladesh is not alone in this situation if you look at the issue on quality crisis management perspective. But Bangladesh managed the crisis relatively well. I just hope that the authorities [public or private] will take lessons from the incidents they face and the mistakes they made before and after the disasters; and the workers and the factories will be benefitted from the lessons.
and trade unions to have a major role to play to see this sector really well managed.
Most of the leaders of the 140 newly formed RMG trade unions hardly have any knowledge, experience and understanding of labour law and rules to face problems in future. Do you have any suggestion for them?
Gilbert Houngbo: Yes, they do not know what to do and how. But we [government, ILO, owners and national trade unions] know what we expect from them. Thats why ILO has launched programme for capacity building of the newly formed trade unions as collective bargaining agents for constructive engagement for interests of the workers and as well as for the interests of the employers and the industry.
Do you think that the foreign buyers and brands who import apparels need to share responsibilities, financial and otherwise, to improve working conditions, safety and security of workers?
Gilbert Houngbo: Improving working conditions is a collective responsibility of the government, [local and international] partners, owners, international buyers and labour organisations. Many of them are coming up with their efforts. My call is there should be an organised approach from every authority, including the Alliance and the Accord and others. To me, we should not go backward after some improvements to labour standards. Secondly, we also need to encourage traditional buyers, employers [factory owners]
It is almost established that more than 1,100 workers died in the tragic April 24 incident. But there is no complete list of the deceased, identified or unidentified, and missing persons. There are several [incomplete] lists prepared by the government, DNA laboratory authority and NGOs.
Gilbert Houngbo: It is heartbreaking as a clear list is yet to be established. Yes, there was lack of institutional capacity and
formed only two months back.The owner didnt allow us to form the union as they think workers will stage demonstration and never listen to them once the union is formed. She said: They threaten to fire us if we protest any move of the owner that goes against the interest of the workers. Roy Romesh Chandra, secretary general of the IBC said: We want trade union in every garment factory. There are around seven pending registration forms. Owners have to be helpful towards workers. He said: Trade union leaders have to prove that production of a factory increases and workers remain happy in a factory having a trade union. Its a challenge and it will depend on the future work of the unions. Zafrul Hasan, chairperson of the NCCWE and joint secretary of the BILS said: Owners think trade union harms production but it is rather the opposite. Gilbert Houngbo, deputy director general for Field Operations and Partnerships, ILO said: The utmost importance is workers interest. Every trade union leaders and workers should also think of long-term interest in order to contribute to the national economy. Mujibul Haque Chunnu, state minister for Labour and Employment ministry, said: There is a lack of trust between owners and workers. But, we have to work together. Workers should remember that trade unions are not for politics. Mikail Shiper, secretary of the ministry said: If the unions are handled skilfully then owners will not object. l
Garment workers listen to a speech of an ILO official at an orientation programme on Freedom of Association for the Newly Registered RMG Sector Trade Unions in the capital yesterday RAJIB DHAR
Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207. Phone: 9132093 94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com
Bangladesh hardly benefited from duty-free Government borrowing from Indian market, trade experts say BB becomes zero
The condition yet to have positive impact on private investment, triggering concerns prints necessary amount of money n Asif Showkat Kallol and the same situation had prevailed
The governments borrowing from Bangladesh Bank has come down to zero at the end of March this year, reflecting strong and sound financial stability in the country. However, officials said, the government is still worried over the lack of investment in the private sector, which might jeopardise the comfortable financial situation. As the government has paid back the loan to the central bank, BBs accounts of Over Draft Current (ODC) and Ways and Means Advance (WMA) came down to zero, said an official of the finance division yesterday. He, however, feared the countrys economy might face a challenge in the near future unless the government enhances expenditure, increases the private sector credit and attracts more foreign direct investment. The countrys growth rate is hitting hard because of the sluggish private sector investment, the official further added. The government normally borrows a significant amount of money from the central bank under its ODC and WMA programme to finance the budget deficit. According to finance ministry sources, the matter was discussed at a recent fiscal coordination council meeting when the finance minister asked the ministries to vibrate private sector through ensuring more facilities and infrastructures for attracting more the private investment. WMA and ODC accounts zero means there has been no inflationary pressure in the market because central bank in 2010, according to the cash and debt management of finance division. The governments borrowing through ODC stood at Tk7,000 crore and WMA Tk2,500 crore at the end of January 2014 against TK7,205 crore in June 2013. At the end of March this year, ODC and WMA of Bangladesh Bank came down to zero level while the central banks ODC surplus is Tk3,500 crore, according to the central bank data. Cash and debt management wing of the finance ministry now plans to give long-term dues especially big amount of bonds payment within short time, said a source in the finance ministry. The cash and debt management wing has already put a cap on the government's borrowing from the BB through ODC limiting it to Tk4,000 crore. An ODC limit has been imposed from April 1. The BB data showed that the credit growth in the private sector declined to 10.73% in February from 13.96% in the corresponding month of previous year. The official said due to the fall in private sector credit growth, the banks were investing significant amount of fund in the government securities with a lower interest rate of 7% to 12.16% Besides, the private sector credit growth remained stagnant at 11.1 % during the months of September, October and November in 2013 against the target of 15.5%. As per the finance division data, bank borrowing stood at Tk8,730 crore at the end of December 2013, compared to Tk7, 213 crore in the same month a year before.
PAGE B3 COLUMN 1
CPD chairperson Prof Rehman Sobhan delivering speech at a dialogue on 'Utilising Indian Market Access Offer Through Promotion of Trade Facilitation' in Dhaka yesterday
n Tribune Report
Bangladesh has failed to take advantage of the duty-free access to Indian market due to reasons, including lack of leadership, coordination, infrastructure bottlenecks and cumbersome export procedure, trade analysts said yesterday. To enhance exports to the market, Bangladesh needs to diversify its export basket, they said. They came up with the observation at a dialogue titled Utilising Indian Market Access Offer Through Promotion of Trade Facilitation, organised by Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in Dhaka yesterday, presided over by CPD Chairman Professor Rehman Sobhan. India allowed all but 25 Bangladeshi products duty-free in their market in 2011. CPD Distinguished Fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya said though volume
of trade between the two countries increased over the years, proportionately it declined. He said infrastructure, lack of port facilities, non-tariff barriers and difficult export procedure are the bottlenecks for increasing trade between the two countries. But the bottom line is that lack of leadership, initiative and coordination are the stumbling block to boost export to India, he said. He said Indias credit was used only to buy truck instead of developing infrastructure, which lacks aims. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam said to facilitate trade, Bangladesh is negotiating with India to open deputy high commission in Gauhati. There is a multi-tier mechanism between Bangladesh and India for enhancement of bilateral trade. The engagement is also intense.
A very positive development has been there for operationalsing the standard operating procedure signed between the two sides in August 2010, allowing trucks carrying bilateral cargo to cross up to 200 metres beyond the zero line. As regards port restriction, Indian side maintains that their port restrictions affect very few Bangladesh items. Abdul Matlub Ahmad, former president of India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the major problem is lack of exportable products. We need exportable products having quality and competitive price. We invite Indian companies with reputed brand to invest and export back to India, which help reduce the trade gap. We also need to assure industrial plots, gas and electricity to the Indian entrepreneurs. Farooq Sobhan, President of Ban-
gladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) said: We need to produce new products targeting India. Direct flight between Dhaka and Gauhati, trade office, deputy high commission are needed to boost trade, as Bangladeshi products have huge demand in the North-East region of India, he said. Former commerce secretary Suhel Ahmed Chowdhury said one country is operating two system one for the North-East region and another for other parts of India. He said one importer has to go to Kolkata to open LC, which is one of the bottlenecks for increasing export to India. Former president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Abdul Awal Mintoo said: We have still to go a long way. We dont have enough exportable products, causing yawning trade gap between the two nations. He said though infrastructure and non-tariff barriers are the barriers to boost trade, there is also political problem. CPD Executive Director Professor Mustafizur Rahman in his study report identified four bottlenecks against export increase to India are infrastructure-related bottlenecks, inadequate customs and port facilities, non-tariff barriers and cumbersome export procedures and documentation. He said Bangladeshs export to India was only 0.13% of Indias global import while India accounted for 16% of Bangladeshs total global import. An interesting feature of Bangladeshs export to India is that whilst the ratio of Bangladeshs global export of RMG and non-RMG items was 80:20, in case of India this was the opposite at about 30:70. This alludes to the potential for Bangladeshs export diversification in the Indian market, using duty-free access to India. North-East region of India remain a market with a significant export potential for Bangladesh because of its close proximity to Bangladesh and the high cost of trade transaction with the rest of India. l
The government yesterday approved a project of Tk1,863.15 crore to expand the countrys fixed-line tele-density and related telecom facilities across the country through reaching ICT services at a reliable and affordable price. It would facilitate Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) to provide digital services completely. The project is to establish next generation network (NGN) for Digital Bangladesh through replacing the low-capacity existing transmission equipments at the exchanges BTCL. This is to facilitate providing broadband internet services across the country with modern internet and multimedia-based transmission equipments. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the project at its meeting at the NEC conference room, with ECNEC chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministry will implement the project. The NGN project as well as four other development projects were approved involving a total expenditure of Tk2,072.53 crore, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal told a press briefing after the meeting. Of the total project cost, Tk619.32 crore will come from the government exchequer and the remaining Tk1,453.21 crore as project assistance. Meeting sources said China would come up with a credit of Tk1,453.21 crore for the NGN project, which will be completed by June 2017. Mustafa Kamal said the Chinese credit would have 1.50% interest with a 20-year repayment period. Under the project, the low-capacity old copper-based cable will be replaced with high-powered optical fiber cable. Planning ministry sources said, with the implementation of the project, internet connections would be available
up to village level while all the government institutions would be connected through creating network at national level alongside creating scope for internet telephone and video conferencing. Besides, it would be possible to provide internet connections at all primary and secondary schools, and vocational training institutes at an affordable price. One internet protocol multimedia subsystem (ISS) platform would be set up in the capital with capacity of providing some 700,000 connections apart from another same-capacity ISS platform in Chittagong. This project will give the BTCL a lifeline for re-strengthening it, Md Abubakar Sdddique, Secretary of Posts & Telecommunications division, also the Chairman of the BTCL board told the Dhaka Tribune. The project would ensure voice call alongside sharing of videos. As a result, some 10 lakh land phone users would be able to use internet services without taking new connections. l
B2
Stocks edge higher with volatility
n Tribune Report
Stocks edged higher for the fourth consecutive session yesterday amid volatile trade and sluggish turnover, as investors went for quick profit taking advantage of shortened settlement period. The benchmark index DSEX soared 11 points or 0.3% to 4,660, which is one and half month high. The blue chips DS30 gained 4 points or 0.3% to 1,704. However, the Shariah index, DSES, was slightly down 1 points or 0.2% to close at 1,029. Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also edged marginally higher with its Selective Categories Index, CSCX, gained 37 points to 8,979. The total turnover on DSE, however, dipped below Tk400 crore and stood at Tk391 crore, registering a fall of more than 15% over the previous session. Market has positioned on the comfortable pitch after the technical breakout in index as recent rally is supported by the large and midcap stocks of bank, textile and oil stocks, said Lanka Bangla Securities in its daily market analysis. It said current price multiple of banking stocks has attracted the investors and they found it good time to make an entry. Though banking sector ended flat Tuesday due to profit taking attempt in the last hour, banking stocks showed handful of resilience in early trading, it said. IDLC Investments said: Natural correction in large caps counter-balanced in days upswing in remaining caps and forced the market to end flat. Meanwhile, investors focus continued changing across sectors and scrips level, it said. They are focusing on micro caps, lately as those scrips remained dormant for last couple of months, it said. It said triggered by this, textile sector soared 2%. Sequentially, investor search for lucrative price prompted session-long volatility with 63 out of 290 traded scrips posting more than 3% change, it added. Gainers took a strong lead over the losers as out of 290 issues traded, 190 advanced, 66 declined and 34 issues closed unchanged on the DSE floor. After previous days remarkable gain, banks closed flat losing 0.07%. Among the large cap sectors, non-banking financial institutions posted highest gain of 1.4%, followed by food and allied, fuel and power. Telecommunications also lost 0.4% and pharmaceuticals 0.25%. Blue chip stocks captured 9 out of 10 spots in days most traded chart with Lafarge Surma Cement became the top turnover leaders with shares worth Tk26 crore changing hands, followed by Olympic Industries, Meghna petroleum, Heidelberg Cement and Square Pharma. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Stock
DSE GAINERS Company
Closing (% change) 6.85 6.59 6.07 6.00 5.96 5.58 5.36 5.28 5.15 5.09
Argon Denims Limited-A BD Fixed Income MF A First Lease- A Sonargaon Tex -A Maksons Spinning-A AramitCementA SonarBangla Insu. -A City G Insu.-A Northern G Insur-A MJL BD Ltd.-A CSE GAINERS Company Union Capital -A Metro Spinning -A National Housing Fin.-B First Lease- A Paramount Insur-A Peoples Insur -A Argon Denims Limited-A Maksons Spinning-A MJL BD Ltd.-A Reckitt Benckiser -A
Average (% change) 2.75 6.71 3.59 4.71 5.09 4.39 3.32 4.80 4.47 4.17 Average (% change) 5.33 6.30 4.40 3.89 4.80 4.49 4.98 5.89 4.44 5.02
Closing average 56.08 9.70 22.23 15.78 15.70 54.24 23.05 25.53 38.55 75.65
Closing 57.70 9.70 22.70 15.90 16.00 54.90 23.60 25.90 38.80 76.40
Daily high 58.70 9.70 23.10 16.30 16.50 55.60 23.90 26.20 40.00 77.50
Daily low 52.00 9.70 20.00 14.00 13.60 53.30 22.30 23.80 33.30 66.00
Turnover in million 23.999 0.005 15.769 1.915 46.581 9.817 1.072 0.481 1.373 25.021
Latest EPS 2.74 0.54 1.20 -0.69 0.64 2.56 1.85 1.73 1.82 2.93
Latest PE 20.5 18.0 18.5 -ve 24.5 21.2 12.5 14.8 21.2 25.8
Closing (% change) 8.03 7.23 6.99 6.98 6.86 6.25 6.11 6.00 5.79 5.65
Closing average 26.27 17.38 30.13 22.42 21.38 28.38 56.95 15.65 75.26 1290.00
Closing 26.90 17.80 30.60 23.00 21.80 28.90 57.30 15.90 76.80 1290.00
Daily high 27.00 17.80 30.60 23.00 21.80 29.00 58.00 16.10 77.90 1290.00
Daily low 25.10 16.90 29.80 21.80 21.00 27.90 56.00 15.20 73.50 1290.00
Turnover in million 1.022 0.330 0.271 0.561 0.043 0.054 0.456 3.090 4.336 0.129
Latest EPS 1.17 0.88 1.57 1.20 1.51 2.20 2.74 0.64 2.93 41.12
Latest PE 22.5 19.8 19.2 18.7 14.2 12.9 20.8 24.5 25.7 31.4
(+) 0.24% (-) 0.15% (+) 0.23% (+) 0.26% (+) 0.36% (+) 0.42%
Traded Issues 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$)
Average (% change) -9.27 -4.53 -5.82 -3.39 -1.40 -5.91 -0.03 -0.77
Closing average 54.44 49.70 460.30 1170.29 12.68 66.55 30.48 7.70
Daily high 58.80 51.00 460.30 1196.00 13.50 69.90 31.10 7.80
Daily low 53.10 49.00 460.30 1135.10 12.30 65.00 27.80 7.10
Turnover in million 0.049 15.557 0.092 2.048 6.194 260.293 96.929 3.916
Latest EPS 0.60 1.54 3.04 41.12 -0.97 2.19 2.06 0.42
Sponsors: 49% (i.e. Tk. 4.90 crore). BATASHOE: The Company has informed that Mr. Rajeev Gopalakrishnan has been appointed as Chairman & Director and Mr. Chitpan Kanhasiri as Vice Chairman & Managing Director of the Company with effect from April 01, 2014. AMBEEPHA: The Company has informed that the Head Office of the Company has been shifted to its new location at 184/1, Tejgaon Industrial Area Tejgaon, Dhaka-1208. MTB: The Company has informed that it has credited the bonus shares for the year ended on December 31, 2013 to the respective shareholders' BO Accounts on April 20, 2014. LINDEBD: The Company has further informed that the AGM of the Company will be held on May 08, 2014 at 10:30 AM at Officers Club, 26 Baily Road, Ramna, Dhaka-1000. Other information of the AGM as announced earlier. PRAGATIINS: The Company has further informed that due to unavoidable circumstances the date of the 28th AGM of the Company has been shifted to May 18, 2014 from May 15, 2014. Other information of the AGM will remain unchanged.
-2.53 -2.47
-2.06 -2.39
450.80 63.41
446.90 63.30
463.80 64.80
444.90 62.00
19.745 0.225
23.61 4.63
19.1 13.7
Closing (% change) -7.06 -5.30 -5.29 -5.03 -4.88 -4.78 -4.19 -4.03
Average (% change) -7.08 -3.07 -5.29 -4.49 -4.84 -4.50 -2.39 -2.83
Closing average 84.25 12.61 1,790.00 17.00 85.70 49.64 64.05 14.43
Daily high 84.50 13.20 1,790.00 17.00 85.70 50.50 65.50 14.50
Daily low 84.00 12.40 1,790.00 17.00 85.70 48.90 61.50 14.30
Turnover in million 0.017 2.522 0.269 0.009 0.004 3.624 0.192 0.022
Latest EPS 3.21 -0.97 40.46 -0.89 2.39 1.54 1.12 0.04
-3.87 -3.40
-6.00 -2.07
66.73 14.22
67.10 14.20
70.00 14.40
65.00 13.30
13.547 0.841
2.19 1.78
30.5 8.0
ANALYST
SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY
Sector Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture
Natural correction in large caps counter-balanced in days upswing in remaining caps and forced the market to end flat
DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company LafargeS Cement-Z Olympic Ind. -A Meghna Petroleum -A HeidelbergCement -A Square Pharma -A UCBL - A
Grameenphone-A
DSE Million Taka 727.69 307.13 80.80 270.04 309.22 505.68 2.19 365.60 345.72 1.25 24.50 65.87 16.15 475.34 31.00 43.66 66.34 169.70 29.53 75.68 0.12
% change 18.60 7.85 2.06 6.90 7.90 12.92 0.06 9.34 8.83 0.03 0.63 1.68 0.41 12.15 0.79 1.12 1.70 4.34 0.75 1.93 0.00
Million Taka 57.55 19.81 3.27 15.70 12.67 32.77 37.79 16.93 8.25 0.93 11.93 1.00 24.65 3.28 3.12 4.87 12.60 6.56 13.52 0.02
CSE
% change 20.04 6.90 1.14 5.47 4.41 11.41 0.00 13.16 5.89 2.87 0.32 4.15 0.35 8.58 1.14 1.09 1.70 4.39 2.28 4.71 0.01
Million Taka 785.24 326.94 84.08 285.74 321.90 538.45 2.19 403.39 362.65 9.50 25.43 77.80 17.14 499.99 34.28 46.79 71.21 182.31 36.09 89.19 0.14
Total
% change 18.69 7.78 2.00 6.80 7.66 12.82 0.05 9.60 8.63 0.23 0.61 1.85 0.41 11.90 0.82 1.11 1.70 4.34 0.86 2.12 0.00
Volume shares 3,911,000 967,244 621,292 255,300 504,494 5,034,787 500,684 358,587 916,944 1,724,464
Value in million 260.29 228.63 192.32 146.40 140.97 136.17 126.04 124.36 103.87 97.81
% of total turnover 6.65 5.84 4.91 3.74 3.60 3.48 3.22 3.18 2.65 2.50
Daily closing 67.10 238.80 308.70 567.90 279.80 27.00 251.60 346.20 114.50 57.20
Price change -3.87 2.58 -0.03 0.67 -0.71 0.75 -0.44 -0.32 4.09 4.19
Daily opening 69.80 232.80 308.80 564.10 281.80 26.80 252.70 347.30 110.00 54.90
Daily high 69.90 241.00 312.40 584.00 282.30 29.00 256.00 351.80 115.00 58.50
Daily low 65.00 215.00 282.00 565.30 260.10 25.00 235.00 325.00 102.00 49.70
Daily average 66.55 236.37 309.55 573.43 279.42 27.05 251.73 346.81 113.28 56.72
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
Matin Spinning-N LafargeS Cement-Z BSC A Meghna Petroleum -A Southeast Bank-A Padma Oil Co. -A LankaBangla Fin. -A Grameenphone-A HeidelbergCement -A UNITED AIR A AB Bank - A BD Submarine Cable-A Emerald Oil Ind. -N Square Pharma -A
556,504 336,400 203,000 15,620 29,530 399,690 22,452 132,225 27,800 11,120 429,170 185,898 27,400 21,500 17,431
Value in million
15.01 13.67 13.55 9.32 9.15 8.45 7.80 7.50 6.99 6.43 5.68 5.67 5.61 5.09 4.86
% of total turnover
5.80 5.29 5.24 3.60 3.54 3.27 3.01 2.90 2.70 2.49 2.19 2.19 2.17 1.97 1.88
Daily closing
26.90 40.90 67.10 598.00 309.10 21.00 346.50 56.90 250.80 570.00 13.20 30.10 204.90 46.60 279.50
Price change
0.75 5.14 -3.87 0.34 -0.03 -1.87 -0.35 3.08 -0.32 1.42 -0.75 -1.95 0.15 -79.99 -0.32
Daily opening
26.70 38.90 69.80 596.00 309.20 21.40 347.70 55.20 251.60 562.00 13.30 30.70 204.60 232.90 280.40
27.60 41.40 70.00 603.00 311.50 21.60 352.00 57.30 255.00 589.00 13.40 31.20 206.60 47.70 282.00
24.10 38.30 65.00 591.00 308.00 20.20 345.10 53.00 249.00 567.00 13.10 29.80 204.00 45.50 278.00
Daily average
26.96 40.64 66.73 596.87 309.84 21.14 347.30 56.71 251.42 578.45 13.22 30.50 204.90 236.63 279.08
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
B3
Businessmen walk on the Bund near the Huangpu River in front of the financial district of Pudong in Shanghai owned enterprises atop the list of complaints. "State-owned enterprises have increased their control over certain sectors of the economy in recent years, and government support for SOEs was overwhelmingly citied by AmCham China member companies as the most negative industrial policy, being chosen more frequently than all the other
REUTERS
options combined," the Chamber said in the report. The United States has a massive trade deficit with China, which maintains a tight grip on state-owned businesses.
Government borrowing
PAGE B1 COLUMN 1
Finance ministry officials had tried to convince a visiting IMF review mission last week that the government would reduce the bank borrowing target to Tk24,000 crore from the Tk25,993 crore while finance division showed that the bank borrowing was Tk5000 crore at the end of March during the visit of IMF Extended Credit Facility mission, according to finance ministry official. Disbursement of money for Annual Development Program is 47 % at the end of March in 2014, which was over 50% same period last year, according planning ministry data. Professor Shamsul Alam, a member
of general economic division of the planning ministry, said the government spending would not be increased unless the capacities of the ministries and divisions are enhanced for implementing the development projects. He also said the government was trying to boost private sector investment by constructing more infrastructure across the country. President of Bangladesh Exporters Association Abdus Salam Murshedy said the private sector would be definitely vibrant if the government can create the environment. He said the idle money of banking sector now stood at around Tk100,000 crore at the end of March. l
Ajinomoto, a brand of Japanese company Umami Seasoning has successfully launched its caravan campaign to offer people on the streets of the capital for tasting food with its seasoning at free of cost. The initiative is to inform its potential customers about the product
Mozibar Rahman, chair of Gastro Liver Hospital, a concern of BRB Group has inaugurated a new building for the hospital at East Razabazar in West Pantha Path, Dhaka on Monday
Akij Ceramics Ltd, a company owned by Akij Group, opened an exclusive display centre, named Experience on Monday at Shahajalal Upashahar in Sylhet. Sheikh Nasir Uddin, the groups chair, inaugurated the centre
Modhumoti Bank Limited (MMBL) recently signed an agreement with Information Technology Consultants Limited (ITCL), under which, the banks customers will be able to avail Q Cash ATM/POS sharing network of the member banks. The banks managing director & CEO Md Mizanur Rahman and managing director & CEO of ITCL Dr Kazi Saifuddin Munir signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations
Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited has launched its Hajj Prepaid Card. Mohammad Abdul Mannan, managing director of the bank unveiled the card at the banks board room on Sunday
Ishtiaque Ahmed Chowdhury, managing director and CEO of Trust Bank Limited inaugurated commercial operation of 100% export oriented food processing concern Taiwan Food & Processing Industries Limited at Valuka in Mymenshingh on Monday
Banglalink, with support from The Asia Foundation and the District Womens Business Forums (DWBFs), has launched a new initiative yesterday to empower women throughout the country by connecting district level women entrepreneurs with a mobile phone network and delivery of ICT based business tools and service. State minister at Ministry of Finance, MA Mannan inaugurated the project as chief guest that was held at the Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban in the capital
BRAC Bank launches home loan product Nijer Bari for low & middle income people outside Dhaka city
B4
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
and Google, are looking to leverage new algorithms in areas of machines learning to deal with their data to get the benefits of the growing technologies. Data analysts are looking for the right kind of data, based on which to make their models, to predict the future. Like any other profession, big data will make a huge impact in the accounting profession and disciplines. While scientists, in the Big Data Initiative at MIT CSAIL and at IBM Research, are working on big data research, accountants and finance professionals are finding ways to use big datato measure all kinds of business risks, including organisational and investment risks. This is assisting their risk assessment procedures and helping them analyse organisational performance in turn. As the importance of data in a business grows, accountants are becoming more practiced in measuring its intrinsic value as an organisational asset. Todays accounting professionals, who understand the importance of the internet, will use the internet to execute major business processes in the enterprise forElectronic business(e-business). E-business allows the accounting firm to coordinate activities for internal management and combines the clients relationships with the use of digital network. Accounting professionals can also communicate outside the organisation with Web technology using the creation of an Extranet. This allows the clients to have limited access, linking to a portion of the accounting firms Intranet to import and export files back and forth. Linking electronically increases efficiency and cuts down on travel costs, ultimately reducing operational costs. Another strategic software application is the Supply Chain Management (SCM) system. This helps businesses manage relationships with their suppliers and provide visibility and automation. This assists you to proactively plan, source, schedule, produce, store, transport, and trace supply chain activities, in activities industries with distribution-intensive supply networks. To go a step further, cloud computing is becoming popular today. It is a service that is being provided over the internet to permanently store data and use business applications over a remote server which is shared by many other users. This means, the risk of data loss can be minimised by the use of cloud computing!With the rise of mobile technology and the cloud, this also means that an accountant can use the cloud based software from anywhere in the world, while changes get updated real time ensuring that business owners can also stay connected to their data and the accountants all the time. The next decade will see industries transition to a Cloud-enabled world where work can be accomplished anywhere, anytime. This will especially be true of the accounting profession. To best serve their clients, accounting professionals need to embrace new technologies quickly, understand the best way to incorporate those technologies into the business processes, and proactively guide their clients through full adoption. However, the tendency to hinge on technology has its own share of problems, such as data loss through power failure, dangers of hackers stealing data, computer fraud, etc. Lets just say, there will always be a loophole in every security system no matter how seamless it seems, thats the screwed reality I suppose. And if we continue to develop our technology without wisdom or prudence, our servant may prove to be our executioner. l TasnovaMoktadircurrently works at ACNABIN Chartered Accountants firm.The article was originally published in the LCP Blog (lightcastlebd.com/blog)
Honda North America makes their North American debut of their new Asimo Robot as it demonstrates its ability to pour a liquid at a news conference domonstration April 16 in New York. The new ASIMO will showcase major technological advancements including increased hand dexterity, allowing ASIMO to communicate using both American and Japanese sign language. Other new capabilities include running, hopping, jumping, climbing stairs, pouring liquid, dancing and kicking a soccer ball AFP
'It looks like the second quarter compared with the previous quarter will again have a negative value. In this way, the finance ministry does not rule out a technical recession'
Oreshkin, who heads the finance ministrys department for long-term strategy, made the prediction in comments to journalists. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov warned last week that Russias economy might not expand at all in 2014. It looks like the second quarter compared with the previous quarter will again have a negative value. In this way, the finance ministry does not rule out a technical recession, the Interfax
Trans-Pacific Partnership
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