SECOND EDITION

MOTHER FLINGS NEWBORN FROM FOURTH FLOOR PAGE 5

MESSY START TO BOI MELA PAGE 32

BD 137TH IN ECONOMIC FREEDOM INDEX PAGE 3

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016 | Magh 20, 1422, Rabius Sani 22, 1437 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 287 | www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

Militants get bail and just disappearn Mohammad Jamil Khan andMd Sanaul Islam Tipu

Law enforcement and intelligence agencies do not have information on the wherea-bouts of at least 192 militants some of them trained explosives experts who got bail in the last few years.

As part of the e orts to dig the reason be-hind the recent spike militancy in the coun-try, law enforcers have been trying to trace these militant leaders and activists.

Uno cial sources suggest that many of them have illegally crossed the border and ed to Indias West Bengal.

The matter was discussed on Sunday in the weekly meeting of the cabinet committee on law and order at the secretariat.

Police headquarters data shows that in 2015, a total of 70 cases have been registered with various police stations across the coun-

try and 235 militants and their sympathisers arrested.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) the law enforcement agency tasked with handling militancy arrested nearly 1,300 people until December 2015 since its inception in 2004. RAB has also recovered 128 rearms, 3,500 bullets, 638 grenades and 2,011kg explosive substances and a large number of jihadi books during the period.

Police and its various detective branches, known as DB, have arrested nearly another 1,000 suspected militants and sympathisers over this period.

Case study In November 2009, the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested Abu Motaleb alias Motu along with one of his associates at Motijheel in the capital city.

During trial at a special judges court of

Dhaka after remand, Motu gave a confes-sional statement that he was an operative of the Pakistan-based militant group Lash-kar-e-Taiba.

He also confessed that he is a bomb-mak-ing expert wanted in Pakistan for plotting an attack on the Indian and US embassies and fought in war in Afghanistan in the 1980s.

Motu secured bail from the High Court in mid-2012. He attended a couple of hearings after that but has remained traceless since the start of 2013. The court had issued an ar-rest warrant against him and police are still looking for him.

When contacted, Motus lawyer Faruq Ahmed said: Motu used to contact me over phone for a few months after he got bail. But I have not been in touch with him since. I contacted his relatives several times but they have not responded.

PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

Pakistan High Commissionsta freed after detention n Tribune ReportA Pakistan High Commission o cial was detained by the police yesterday afternoon, only to be released some three hours later.

Abrar Ahmed Khan, a Pakistani national working as an assistant private secretary in the press section of Pakistan High Commis-sion in Dhaka, was picked up by the police around 2pm in the capitals Gulshan.

The police detained Abrar as he was suspi-ciously roaming around on a motorcycle near the Agora departmental store in Gulshan 2 area, said DMP Detective Branch Addition-al Deputy Commissioner (North) Mahfuzur Rahman.

Later, it was found that he did not have any driving licence or valid documents for the vehicle.

Maruf Hossain, deputy commissioner (media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told the Dhaka Tribune that the police also recov-ered Rs3,500 from Abrars possession.

PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

Large cache of weapons recoveredin Sherpurn Kamrul Hasan and Shahriar Milton from Sherpur

RAB has recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from Sherpurs Nalitabari upazi-la, saying that the weapons were similar to those found during a drive in Satchari of Ha-biganj in 2014.

Commander Mufti Mahmud Khan, spokesperson for the Rapid Action Battalion, told a press brie ng that a team from RAB 5 made the nd during an operation early yes-terday near the border with India.

The recovered weapons cache included one anti-aircraft gun base, 22,000 heavy ma-chine-gun bullets, 17,000 SMG bullets, a large number of bullets, two anti-aircraft spare barrel, two heavy machine gun, ve machine gun spare barrel, one spare target sight, two sniper ri es, one AK-56, one 7.62mm pistol, 20 MG drum, di erent types of machines for cleaning ri es, ve satellite phones and short- and long-range walkie-talkies.

Asked whether the weapons cache PAGE 2 COLUMN 4RAB forces display the arms and ammunitions they found during a drive in Sherpurs Nalitabari yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

News2DTTUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Video shows boy being torturedin Habiganjn UNBThe video footage of a minor newspaper vendor being tortured after having been tied with a tree in Nabiganj upazila on a petty theft charge has triggered an angry outcry.

Police detained three people for interroga-tion after the video clip of the incident that occurred on Friday went viral on the social networking site Facebook.

The video footage showed a Misbah Chowdhury beating Dabir Hossain, 13, after tying him to a tree.

On information, local UP chairman and others rescued the minor boy.

On Friday, Dabir sold a newspaper to Mo-hammad Chowdhury, Misbahs brother.

As the restaurant owner did not pay him for the newspaper, the vendor took a packet of biscuit from the restaurant.

Later, Misbah called Dabir to the restau-rant and then took him to a secluded place where he tied the boy with a tree and un-leashed torture on him. l

Verdict in Noni-Taher war crimescase todayn Ashif Islam Shaon The International Crimes Tribunal is sched-uled to deliver its verdict in a war crimes case led against alleged razakars Obaidul Haq Taher and Ataur Rahman Noni of Netrokona today.

A three-member Tribunal 1 headed by Jus-tice Anwarul Haque xed the date yesterday.

On January 10 this year, trials were con-cluded and the verdict was kept waiting. The state sought capital punishment for them while the defence sought acquittal from the war crimes charges.

Tribunal Registrar Shahidul Alam Jhinuk told reporters that the tribunal has directed jail authorities to produce the two accused at the tribunal at 10am for their verdicts to be pronounced.

The prosecutions probe body began in-vestigations against Taher and Noni on June 6, 2013, and submitted their ndings on No-vember 5, 2014. The two men were arrested on August 12, 2014.Six charges were framed against them on March 2 last year by the tribunal for their alleged involvement in committing crimes against humanity during the countrys Liber-ation War in 1971.

According to the prosecution, the two men were involved in the abduction and killing of at least 15 persons including Awa-mi League leader Fazlur Rahman Talukder at Barhatta, and looting and setting re to 400-450 houses during the war in 1971.

Taher and Noni joined the local Razakar Ba-hini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occu-pation army, and were notorious for the atroc-ities committed in various parts of Netrokona including the Sadar upazila and Barhatta, mainly against the local Hindus. Taher was the commander of the local razakar unit. l

Militants get bail and just disappearHow they get bailThanks to loopholes in law, weak investiga-tion and procrastination in trial, more than 450 of those militants have managed to get bail, sources said.

Most of them have been put in jail in cases led by police with lower courts under the anti-terrorism act, which does not allow for bail. However, lower courts do not have the jurisdiction to grant bails in such cases.

Existing regulations bind police to le charge sheets in anti-terrorism act cases within 180 days of ling. But police never manage to led charge sheets within the stip-ulated time.

Moreover, when the accused persons move the High Court, seeking bail, police have no role to play; usually public prosecu-tors handle such cases on behalf of the state.

In the absence of a charge sheet, the public prosecutors have very little to say when the accused person cook up stories of personal or family crises and seek bail on humanitarian grounds. As a result, the HC grants them bail.

According to law enforcement agencies, most of the militants who have disappeared after securing bail are members of Har-kat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI-B), Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Ansarullah Bangla Team, Hijb ut-Tahrir and local follow-ers of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The blame gameSeeking anonymity, a highly placed source inside police said: It is literally impossible to submit charge sheet in cases led under the anti-terrorism act in just 180 days.

After arresting a suspected militant, law enforcement agencies usually place him on remand. During interrogation, the suspect mentions the names and addresses of some of his associates.

But because militants keep changing their locations continuously, police hard-ly ever trace those associates. As a result, charge sheets cannot be led within the stip-ulated time, the source said.

Eventually, when bail orders from the HC

reaches the jail, the authorities release the suspected militants.

Another highly placed source from the police headquarters told the Dhaka Tribune: This is happening because there is no coor-dination between police and jail authorities.

It is the jail authorities duty to inform lo-cal police or intelligence agencies before re-leasing any militant or top criminal on bail.

However, when contacted, the jail author-ities denied having any such duty.

Jahangir Kabir, senior super of Dhaka Cen-tral Jail, said: We only check the documents sent from the court. If police inform us about any particular inmate, we have no problem in informing them.

Police spokesperson Monirul Islam, also head of the DMPs Detective Branch, said: Police have nothing to do if anyone gets bail from courts.

He also said that they have information that militants are trying to regroup after coming out on bail. We are now searching for their hideouts and arrest them again. l

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with the winners of Bangla Academy Literary Award 2015 and other guests at the inaugural ceremony of Amar Ekhushey Boi Mela 2016 at Bangla Academy yesterday FOCUS BANGLA

Pakistan High Commission sta freedAfter Abrar identi ed himself as a sta of the Pakistan High Commission, he was reported-ly taken to the Gulshan police station.

Police then informed the Foreign Minis-try and the Pakistan High Commission, ADC Mahfuz said, adding that Abrar was nally handed over to the second secretary of the high commission around 5pm.

However, Pakistan High Commission later issued a press release alleging that the police had harassed Abrar, who has been working there since July 2011.

According to the release, Abrar was on his foot when he was picked up in front of his Gulshan 2 residence by some policemen, four of them wearing jackets marked DB. They also took Abrars motorcycle after forcefully entering his apartment building.

Quoting Abrar, the release claimed that he was handcu ed and blindfolded before be-ing put on a moving van for four hours.

The DB men also allegedly demanded Tk5 crore from Abrar and threatened of im-plicating him for possession of Indian fake currency. The high commission o cial was further threatened with cross re and of be-

ing dumped in the river, according to the press release.

The Pakistan High Commission strongly condemns this incident and rejects the false and fabricated charges levelled against its o cial. Unfortunately, the High Commis-sion sees a disturbing pattern of harassment of its o cers and o cials, followed by a mud-slinging campaign and media trial, the press release read.

Commenting on the response from Paki-stani o cials, ADC Mahfuz told the Dhaka Tribune that such allegations were totally baseless. No police could do anything after knowing the identity of Abrar as a high com-mission o cial, he said.

However, DB sources told the Dhaka Trib-une that Abrar had long been under their surveillance for suspected links to terrorism nancing.

Last year, Pakistan High Commission o -cial Mazhar Khan was expelled from Bangla-desh after allegations of terrorism nancing.

Later, another Pakistani o cial named Fa-rina Arshad was sent back to Pakistan after she was also accused of terrorism nancing. l

Large cachebelonged to any international terrorist organisa-tion, the RAB commander said it was not pos-sible to comment without further investigation. He added that the drive was still not over and.

RAB o cials were tipped o before yes-terdays raid at Chengbeng area in Poragaon union. The rearms and ammos were stored in at least four spots in the hills of the area.

A RAB source told the Dhaka Tribune that information provided by four persons de-tained in Rajshahi on Sunday had led to the Sherpur drive, led by RAB 5 Commanding O cer Lt Col Mahabub Alam and Company Commander Mobashwer Hossain Khan.

Sherpur has a history of weapons being stored by criminals in the area. In 2012, a large number of bullets and AK-47 ri es were recovered from a village in Nalitabari.

In 2010, police seized around 13,000 ri e bullets from Sherpurs Jhenaigati upazila; a few months earlier, the same number of ri es were recovered from Bakakura Gucchagram of Sherpurs Jhenaigati Upazila.

Between 2007 and 2011, around 50,000 bul-lets, rockets, land mines and weapons were found in Jhenaigatis border areas near India. l

GM Quader, ABM Ruhul Amin spokespersons for JaPan Mohammad Al-Masum Mollah Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad assigned the partys newly appointed co-chairman GM Quader and Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader as spokespersons of the party.

In a press release, the main opposition Jatiya Party said that GM Quader and ABM Ruhul Amin

Hawlader will speak for the party from now.Statements, remarks and speeches of

others will not be considered as the version of Jatiya Party, the release said.

The decision came just after a day of the partys presidium committee meeting in its Banani o ce in the capital. Raushan Ershad did not attend the meeting and presidium

leaders loyal to her skipped the meeting too.

On January 17, Ershad ap-pointed his younger brother GM Quader as co-chairman of the party and protesting this sudden decision, Jatiya Party leaders loyal to Raushan an-nounced the Opposition Leader as acting chairman of the party.

On January 19, Ershad re-lieved Ziauddin Ahmed Bab-lu from the secretary general post and appointed ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader in his place. l

News 3DT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

6,828 absent in rst SSC testn Tribune ReportA total of 6,828 examinees were absent while seven were expelled for cheating as the rst Secondary School Certi cate and itsequivalent test was held across the country yesterday.

An invigilator was also expelled for help-ing candidates unfairly in the exam.

Five candidates of the vocational board, one from madrasa board and one from Jes-sore board were expelled, according to the Education Ministry.

The number of students absent at exam venues under Dhaka board was 847. It was 510 in Comilla board, 423 in Jessore board, 279 in Chittagong board, 252 in Sylhet board, 250 in Barisal board and 306 in Dinajpur board. l

Bangladesh 137th in economic freedom indexn Tribune ReportBangladesh has been ranked 137th among 178 economies in the 2016 Index of Econom-ic Freedom, released by the Heritage Foun-dation yesterday.

Last year, Bangladesh was ranked 131st, scoring 53.9 points.

The US think tank termed the countrys economic freedom status mostly unfree, saying there are concerns over rule of law and open markets in the country.

The country scored 53.3 points, down 0.6 points compared to the last years rank-ing, according to the report jointly prepared by Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal.

Overall entrepreneurial activity is dis-advantaged by an uncertain regulatory en-vironment, poor infrastructure, and the absence of e ective long-term institutional support for private-sector development, read the report.

Bangladesh has shown remarkable mac-

roeconomic resilience, and its economy has grown steadily over the past ve years, it said. Nonetheless, overall entrepreneurial activi-ty is disadvantaged by an uncertain regulato-ry environment, poor infrastructure, and the absence of e ective long-term institutional support for private-sector development.

Former nance adviser to the caretak-er government, AB Mirza Azizul Islam, said the countrys weak trade regime, poor in-frastructures and regulatory complexities might a ect investments.

According to him, the private sector in-vestment has stuck at around 21% in the past few years.

Bangladesh is ranked 29th in the Asia-Paci c region, while among South Asian countries, Bangladesh has the second lowest place with only Nepal trailing at 151st place. Sri Lanka is ranked 93rd, Bhutan 97th, India 123rd, Pakistan 126th and the Maldives 132nd.

The report said despite a decade of eco-nomic and social gains for much of the population, Bangladesh remains one of the worlds poorest nations.

Bangladesh has shown notable success only in management of public nance al-though a large bureaucracy hinders govern-ment e ectiveness.

Endemic corruption and criminality,

weak rule of law, limited bureaucratic trans-parency, and political polarisation continue to undermine government accountability, said the report.

The report also mentioned that obtain-ing necessary permits for start-ups remains time-consuming. Contract enforcement and dispute settlement procedures are inef- cient, and property laws are antiquated, it added.

Globally, Hong Kong tops the list followed by Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland and Australia. The ve countries from the bottom are North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and Turkmenistan.

Economic freedom is a crucial compo-nent of liberty. It empowers people to work, produce, consume, own, trade, and invest according to their personal choices, said the report.

Rule of law, government size, regulatory e ciency and market openness are consid-ered to be four pillars of the economic free-dom, the report said. l

Examinees at Motijheel Government Boys High School exam centre in the capital on the rst day of Secondary School Certi cate (SSC) and equivalent examinations yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

2016 Economic Freedom Score: 53.3 (down 0.6 point)

Economic Freedom Status: Mostly Unfree

Global Ranking: 137th Regional Ranking: 29th in the Asia

Paci c Region Notable Successes: Management of

Public Finance Concerns: Rule of Law and Open

Markets Overall Score Change Since 2012: +0.1

Economic Freedom Snapshot

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016News4DT

55% jute exported in 2014-15 FYn Tribune ReportBangladesh met half of its export target for jute products in the 2014-15 scal, Textiles and Jute Minister Emaz Uddin Pramanik told Parliament yesterday.

Our aim was to export 2,15,540 metric tonnes but we managed to export 1,17,953 metric tonnes 54.98% of the target, he said.

Pramanik said sale of jute products, produced by Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation, declined after the Mandatory Jute Packaging Act 2010 was implemented. The government wants to export of 2,13,955 metric tonnes of jute products in the current scal.

Bangladesh also exports raw jute to India, Pakistan, China, Ne-pal, Germany, Korea, Brazil, Djibouti, Russia, Vietnam, Ivory Coast, USA, UK, El Salvador, Iraq and Iran. The minister said 75.58 lakh bales (1 bale = 180kg) of jute had been produced in the 2015-16 scal.

In the last scal, Bangladesh exported about 10 lakh bales of raw jute and earned Tk816.74 crore, he added. Between July and December of the current scal, 5.46 lakh bales of raw jute was ex-ported that earned Bangladesh of Tk474.31 crore. l

Government to x number of cars a family can ownn Tribune ReportThe government is planning to set a ceiling for the number of private cars a single fami-ly can have, with an aim to ease the capitals crippling tra c congestion.

A proposal has been incorporated in the draft Road Transport and Tra c Bill 2015 to x the highest number of private cars for every family, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader told parliament yesterday.

Process is now at the nal stage to enact two separate laws Bangladesh Road Trans-port Authority Bill 2015 and Road Transport

and Tra c Bill 2015 as alternatives to the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1983, he said reply-ing to a question.

The minister, however, did not specify the ceiling of private cars for a family.

In reply to another question, Obaidul said the government has a plan to construct a second Padma Bridge at Paturia-Goalanda point.

He expressed hopes that it would be possible to start construction of the proposed bridge in time if foreign donation is available.

Meanwhile, the minister said some 227 black spots for tra c congestion and road accidents on di erent highways have been

identi ed through a survey.Of them, remedial works for 68 black

spots have already been completed, he said replying to another question.

Besides, remedial works for 15 more black spots would start soon under Joydeb-pur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga four-lane high-way project, he said.

For the remedial measures for the remain-ing 144 black spots, a Tk165 crore project titled Improvement of Road Safety at Black Spots of National Highways has already be-gun, the minister added.

Replying to another query, Obaidul said a four-lane highway was not the

solution for reducing road accidents; rather, awareness was more necessary.

Apart from this, in many cases drivers be-come reckless. It seems sometimes that they [drivers] become kings of the road behind the steering wheel. They do not want to follow the law; that is why accidents take place.

Replying to another query, the minister said the rst phase of Dhaka-Chittagong four lane construction work is about to be com-plete.

I hope that the prime minister will open the four lane at the end of May this year, he said. l

Poet Chinmoys book published n Tribune Report

The book titled The Garden of Love-Light Poems of Sri Chinmoy was published on Saturday at Bishwo Shahitto Kendro in the capital.

Bangladeshi born Sri Chinmoy is a poet, composer, musician and artist who has re-ceived a gold medal for literature from France and the World Peace Literature Award from

University of Washington, USA. The poet is best known as a man of peace and for his twice-week-

ly meditation programmes at the United National in New York. This is the third book published in Bangla by Balaka Prakashan. Chinmoy has written over 1,600 books. His Wings of Joy

published by Simon and Shuster has sold over 1,00,000 copies. l

National Poetry Festival kicks o n DU Correspondent More than 200 poets from eight countries would recite poems to fans and enthusiasts at the 30th Jatiya Kabita Utshab that began yesterday on the Dhaka University campus.

The Jatiya Kabita Parishad, which organised the two-day fes-tival, dedicated this years event to Language Movement veteran Tofazzal Hossain who died last year.

Eminent poet Syed Shamsul Haque, who inaugurated the fes-tival, urged poets to ght against autocracy, militancy and funda-mentalism with poetry. He asked the organisers to arrange such events at least twice a year to spread the appeal of poetry.

Apart from recitations, poets, writers and representatives from Bangladesh, India, Sweden, Norway, Morocco, and Taiwan took part in an open discussion.

Local participants include Shamsul Haque, Burhanuddin Khan Jagangir, Sheikh Ha zur Rahman, Pias Mojid, Asad Chowdhury and Dialara Ha z. l

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016News 5

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PRAYERTIMES

Coxs Bazar 28 19Dhaka 30 14 Chittagong 27 17 Rajshahi 30 14 Rangpur 26 12 Khulna 30 16 Barisal 31 18 Sylhet 28 12T E M P E R AT U R E F O R E C A S T F O R TO DAY

Source: Accuweather/UNB

D H A K ATODAY TOMORROW

SUN SETS 5:45PM SUN RISES 6:39AM

YESTERDAYS HIGH AND LOW30.0C 11.0C

Satkhira RajarhatTUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2

Source: IslamicFinder.org

Fajr: 5:21am | Zohr: 12:13amAsr: 4:09pm | Magrib: 5:45pmEsha: 7:15pm

FOGGY

Govt fails to enforce metered-fare system for autorickshawsn Shohel MamunThe government has failed to enforce the revised metered-fare system for CNG-run autorickshaws in the capital which was introduced only three month ago.

A survey by Passengers Welfare Association Bangladesh (PWAB) has found that none of the CNG-run autorickshaw drivers are following the government- xed fare rate.

The survey report, released by the PWAB yesterday, says around 62% of the autorickshaw drivers take passengers only on a contract basis, and the rest of the drivers ask for Tk20-Tk40 extra than the meter fare.

No one is following the government regulations, as we have found in our survey, PWAB General Secretary Mozammel Haque Chowdhury told the Dhaka Tribune.

Sources said the Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD) has received a number of complaints in this regard and has sent a letter to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), who is responsible for the proper implementation of the new system, to look into the matter.

The Dhaka Tribune contacted BRTA Secretary Shawkat Ali in this regard, who said: We already decided on some initiatives to resolve this situation at a meeting on January 27.

He said the mobile courts, which were active only during daytime, will now work

day and night to ensure that the new fare system is being followed.

We will also form civil teams who will work around the city to identify the drivers who are charge extra fare, he added.

However, a high o cial at the BRTA said the number of mobile courts are not enough to pull o the job.We have only four or ve mobile courts, which are not enough to cover a megacity like Dhaka. Besides, the mobile courts do not have enough law enforcement personnel to conduct drives in the city, he told the Dhaka Tribune, requesting anonymity.

He further said the new initiatives to implement the metered-fare system have to be executed strictly in order to be e ective.

The government put the new fare system into e ect on November 1, with recalibrated

meters installed in the autorickshaws.Autorickshaw drivers initially followed

the new system, but with time most of them have gone back to the old ways.

This reporter recently tried to hire CNG-run autorickshaws in several areas around the capital and found that none of them agreed to follow the metered-fare system.

I charge extra fare because the owner of my autorickshaw demands more money as deposit than the government rate, said Kabir Hossain, an autorickshaw driver in Banani.

However, when this reporter asked him for the mobile phone number of the autorickshaw owner, he refused to give it.

Another autorickshaw driver, named Motin, in Mohakhali said it was the excess fuel cost that was the problem.

Before, my autorickshaw only needed Tk200 of CNG for an entire day, but now I cant travel for even half a day with the same amount of gas, he said.

Shawkat Ali said they would look into this matter as well. We will visit the CNG-run autorickshaws garages; anyone who is found to charge extra money for deposits will be ned accordingly.

Barkat Ullah Bolu, convener of Dhaka CNG Autorickshaw Owners Association told the Dhaka Tribune that they agree with the BRTAs decisions. We have received many complaints in this regard as well. We met with the BRTA o cials and think their course of action will help resolve this issue. l

Dhaka SI accused of sexually harassing university student n Tribune ReportA police sub-inspector was suspended yes-terday for the alleged sexual harassment of a university student.

Two separate police teams are investi-gating the allegation against Adabar police station Sub-Inspector Ratan Kumar while a Dhaka court ordered judicial probe.

Dhaka Metropolitan Polices Tejgaon Di-vision Deputy Commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarkar said he was unaware of the incident and added that the victim, an ASA Universi-ty student, had not lodged any police com-plaint.

Quoting media reports, Biplob said the SI gave inappropriate proposals to her.

The victim started a case against SI Ratan at the Dhaka Women and Children Repres-sion Tribunal 4. Judge Saleh Uddin Ahmed recorded her deposition yesterday before or-dering a judicial inquiry.

SI Ratan was accused of threatening to im-

plicate the victim in false cases if she did not agree to his proposal. The policeman denied the charges.

Biplob said their probe team had been asked to submit a report within three work-ing days. DMP Commissioner Md Asaduz-zaman Mia formed a separate committee and ordered to report its ndings within three working days.

SI Ratan told the Dhaka Tribune that he had known the girl for a long time. He said he had investigated an arson case against her husband, a Mohammadpur unit Jubo Dal ac-tivist.

She said it had caused a rift between the couple. She brought the allegation to exact revenge, the SI claimed.

However, a Jubo Dal leader of Moham-madpur unit told the Dhaka Tribune that there was no one in the unit bearing a name similar to that of the victims husband. But there was a grassroots-level BNP activist who was yet to get a post. l

Mother ings newborn from 4th oorn Arifur Rahman RabbiA newborn baby has allegedly been thrown out from the fourth oor of an apartment building in the capitals Bailey Road area.

Surprisingly, the boy survived the inci-dent and is undergoing treatment at Ad-din Hospital, said SI Aminul Islam of Ramna po-lice station.

He said: Being informed, we rushed to the spot and rescued the newborn boy from the roof of an adjacent tin-shade shop. After a few hours of hectic e ort, the police identi ed the boys mother, Beauty Akhter, 17, who threw him out of the fourth oor of the building.

Beauty, who worked as a domestic help at the at, is being treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital under police custody.

When contacted, the Manager of Ad-din Hospital, Abu Syeed Mollah, told the Dhaka Tribune: The boys condition is stable but he is su ering some injuries and also a frac-ture on his leg.

Locals said they heard a big sound around 11:30am Monday and found the newborn boy crying on the roof of a tin-shade shop, and called the police immediately.

Beautys employer Firoza Begum told the Dhaka Tribune: She was working at my house since she was a child. She left the job last year and went to her village home in Sira-jganj district. She returned a few months ago and we appointed her again.

We did not know that she was pregnant. Even we failed to notice it as her body never showed any sign of pregnancy.

During primary investigation, Beauty ad-mitted that she threw her baby out from the at, said the SI. Further investigation is un-derway. l

Students of Dhaka Universitys department of world religion and culture bring out a rally against religious intolerance on the university campus yesterday MAHMUDHOSSAINOPU

I charge extra fare because the owner of my autorickshaw demands more money as deposit than the government rate

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016News6DT

DU launches Mechatronics Engineering Department with 16 studentsn Tribune Report A new department named Mechatronics En-gineering Department was opened at Dhaka University yesterday, said a press release is-sued by the university.

Vice-chancellor Professor Dr AAMS Are n Siddique formally inaugurated the new de-partment as the chief guest.

The programme was held at his o ce lounge.

Presided over by the newly appointed chairman of the department, Professor Dr Ha z Muhammad Hassan Babu, the pro-gramme was addressed by Dean of the Facul-ty of Engineering and Technology Professor Dr Ra qul Islam, Nawara Mahmood Broti and Julkarnyne Tasin.

The new department began its journey with three highly quali ed PhD holder facul-ty members and 16 meritorious undergradi-ate students.

Welcoming the 16 students to the univer-sity, the vice-chancellor congratulated them for constituting the rst batch of the depart-ment.

He said: Mechatronics engineering is the top most and the latest technology-based subject in the world. Despite some limita-tions, this department will be given a com-plete shape very soon.

Dhaka University is the oldest and the highest seat of learning in the country. It has a glorious past history and the students must uphold its image.

The students of mechatronics engineer-ing must play a vital and foremost role in making Bangladesh a digital country accord-ing to the dream of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The new department has been housed on the second oor of Kazi Motahar Hos-sain Bigyan Bhaban (Science Annexbuilding). l

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016News 7

DT

279 absent on rst day of SSC exam in Ctgn Tribune Report A total of 279 candidates were absent on the rst day of the Secondary School Certi cate (SSC) ex-amination under Chittagong Education Board.

Examination Controller of Chittagong Ed-ucation Board Mohammed Mahbub Hasan told the Dhaka Tribune that a total of 101,143 SSC candidates appeared on the rst day of SSC examination and 279 students remained absent yesterday. According to the education board, a total of 112,959 students have sit for the SSC examination. Of them, 52,066 are male and 60,893 are female. l

93 held in Ctg n Tribune Report Chittagong District Police yesterday during an overnight drive arrested 93 people from di erent upazilas of the district on various charges. Police also recovered 315 litres liq-uor during the drive.

Additional Superintendent of Police (spe-cial branch) Kazi Abdul Awal of Chittagong District Police told the Dhaka Tribune that police had arrested 93 people in connection with di erent charges and seized 315 liters liquor. Of them, 84 were warrant accused. l

COCAINE HAUL CASE

Khan Jahan Ali Groups chairman put on 2-day fresh remand n FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong A court in Chittagong yesterday placed Nur Mo-hammad, chairman of Khan Jahan Ali Group, on two-day afresh remand in connection with much-talked about cocaine haul case.

Assistant Commissioner (AC) (prosecution) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Nir-malendu Bikash Chawakrabarty told the Dha-ka Tribune that the court of Metropolitan Mag-istrate Jalak Ray had passed order after Nur Mohammad was produced before the court in the evening with three-day remand plea.

Earlier, a court in Chittagong on January 25 xed February 1 for fresh remand hearing

date of Nur Mohammed and asked the inves-tigation o cer (IO) of the case to present be-fore the court.

With the fresh remand, Nur Mohammed was put on remand in two times in cocaine haul case. He was arrested on January 15 by the Rapid Action Battalion.

At presence, the much talked-about co-caine haul case is being investigated by RAB 7s Additional Superintendent of Police Mohi-uddin Faruquee following a court direction.

On December 7,last year, a court in Chit-tagong ordered the RAB to lunch anew inves-tigation into the case rejecting charge sheet pressed by CMPs Detective Branch.

Accusing eight persons, including two Bangladeshi-born UK expatriates, DBs Assis-tant Commissioner (AC) Mohammed Kamru-zzaman submitted charge sheet before the court on November 19, last. But the IO then dropped the name of Nur Mohammed from the charge sheet saying his involvement could not be found during the investigation.

Other accused of the case are COSCO Ship-ping Agencys Manager AKM Azad, Mondol Groups Commercial Executive Atikur Rah-man, Real Estate Company o cials Mostafa Kamal, Prime Hatchery Limiteds Manager Go-lam Mostafa Sohel, Security Company O cial Mehedi, C&F Company O cial Saiful Islam,

UK-expatriate Fazlur Rahman and Bokul Mia.Of them, six accused of the case were ar-

rested and two UK-expatriates were shown fugitive.

Mostafa Kamal, Golam Mostafa Sohel and his cousin Mehedi Alam gave their confes-sional statements before the court.

An accused of the case also admitted the in-volvement of Nur Mohammed in cocaine con-signment during his confessional statement.

Acting on a tip-o , Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation sealed a con-tainer carrying 2,140 kilograms of liquid co-caine kept in 107 drums in Chittagong Port on June 6, last year.l

Mandatory meter use falls at in Ctgn Anwar Hussain, ChittagongThe initiative of mandatory meter use in CNG-run auto-rickshaws in Chittagong city fell at yesterday as about half of the CNG au-to-rickshaws have not installed meters yet.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Sunday reiterated that no CNG-run auto-rickshaw could ply in the capital and port city without meter from yes-terday.

The CNG auto-rickshaw drivers were giv-en a deadline for calibration (installation of metres) till January 31 and the newly- xed fares of CNG-run auto-rickshaws were sched-uled to come into e ect from yesterday in the port city.

While visiting di erent spots of the city, this reporter witnessed that the commut-

ers locked into altercation with the CNG auto-rickshaw drivers over the newly- xed fares.

The commuters alleged that the drivers were reluctant to carry passengers in line with the newly- xed fares.

Meanwhile, the CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers alleged the police only took action against the registered auto-rickshaws for not installing meters.

The long-distance commuters do not wish to go following meters, said a CNG au-to-rickshaw driver.

We do not have any con dence in the me-ter since the drivers of the CNG auto-rickshaws tamper the meters in most cases, said Salma Sultana, a teacher of BAF Shaheen College.

Around 13,000 CNG-run auto-rickshaws are registered to ply in the Chittagong met-

ropolitan. However, 5,000 auto-rickshaws have so far installed meters. We hope that the rest of CNG auto-rickshaws will instal meters shortly due to the stern action, said Mohammad Shahidullah, deputy director of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Chittagong.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Masud-ul-Hasan, deputy commissioner (tra c-north) of CMP said they had led about 1,000 cas-es on the rst for not installing meters in the CNG auto-rickshaws.

We could not conduct drives in the morning as we did not want to make SSC ex-aminees su erers. However, we started our drives from noon and led around 1,000 cas-es against the errant CNG auto-rickshaws, said the CMP deputy commissioner.

Meanwhile, Mozammel Hoque Chowd-

hury, secretary general of Passengers Welfare Association of Bangladesh said mandatory use of meter in CNG-run auto-rickshaws in Chittagong was destined to end in smoke.

As per the BRTA, 13,000 CNG auto-rick-shaws are permitted to ply in Chittagong city. Around 7,000 more CNG auto-rickshaws ply in the city without registration. However, so far as we know that half of the CNG auto-rick-shaws were calibrated, said Mozammel.

The mandatory use of meter will become successful only when a monitoring body will be formed involving all stakeholders, including representatives of the commuters, he added.

The new fare for CNG-run auto-rickshaws was xed at Tk40 for the rst two kilometres and Tk12 for each additional kilometre. The waiting charge for the CNG-run auto-rick-shaws was xed at Tk2 per minute. l

A girl with physical disabilities takes the SSC examination at Rajshahi Government School centre in the city yesterday. The girl namely Rumki achieved GPA 5 in the JSC in 2013. This year, she is also expecting a brilliant result AZAHAR UDDIN

News8DTTUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Man killed in clash over sand quarry dominationn Our Correspondent, Sirajganj A man was killed in a clash between two groups over the control of a sand quarry in Sirajganj yesterday.

Babu Sheikh, 30, son of Akbar Ali of Dhanbandhi Puthiabari area, was a supporter of a group named Bakkar Pradhan.

The clash left another 10 people injured. Manikul Islam, sub-inspector of Sirajganj

Sadar police station, said the clash erupted between Bakkar Pradhan group and Uzzal Sheikh group in the backdrop of a longstanding con ict over the control of a

sand quarry on the char of the Jamuna River. There have been a series of clashes

between the groups since Sunday afternoon. On Monday morning, they attacked each other with locally-made weapons and Babu sustained critical injuries during the clash.

He was taken to Sirajganj Sadar Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead, said SI Manikul. Acting inspector of the police station Basu Deb Sinha said tension mounted in the area after the clashes and additional police were deployed to prevent further unrest.

Four to ve people were detained in this connection, he added. l

Prisoner dies in Kashimpur jail n Our Correspondent, GazipurA convicted prisoner died at Kashimpur jail in Gazipur in the early hours of yesterday. The deceased Motiur Rahman, son of late Ali Asgar, was a resident of Siddik Bazar in the capital.

Subrata Kumar Bala, jail super of Kashim-pur central jail 1, told the Dhaka Tribune that Motiur fell sick in the jail around 2am on Monday. He was rstly taken to jail hospital and later taken to Shahid Tazuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital where on duty doc-tor declared him dead.

On August 14, last year, a mobile court sentenced Motiur to 10-month imprison-ment for illegal drug peddling. l

MEGHNA TRAWLER CAPSIZE

Two more bodies recoveredn Tribune Report Two more bodies were recovered from Meghna river in Haimchar upazila on Monday after a trawler capsized in the river on Tuesday, rais-ing the death toll from the incident to six.

Being informed by locals, police recovered the bodies of Nargis,28, wife of Shah Alam of Ishanbala village and Ratan,2, of Laxmipur district, from the river in the evening, said upazila nirbahi o cer SM Sarwar Kamal.

He said the bodies were handed over to their respective families with Tk 10,000 for burial of each. l

SSC examinee among 2 killed in Msingh road accident n Tribune Report Two people, including a female SSC exami-nee, were killed and 15 others injured in sep-arate road crashes in Haluaghat and Bhaluka upaizlas of the district yesterday.

Abdul Haq, o cer-in-charge of Haluaghat Police Station, said when SSC examine Me-rina Nokrek, daughter of Gagan Majhi, was retuning home at East Gobrapukur from Dhara High School examination centre on a rickshaw van.

Her long scarf got tangled in one of the wheel of the rickshaw van and fastened tightly around her neck when she reached at Sasharpar in Haluaghat upazila in the after-noon, leaving her dead on the spot.

In another incident, Babu Mia, a bus driver was killed and 15 people were injured when a bus plunged into a roadside ditch at Meherabari in Bhaluka upazila in the afternoon, said Maruf Rahman, sub-inspector and in-charge of Bharadoba Highway police camp. l

Artistes are seen performing at the foot of Sylhet Shaheed Minar yesterday. The Sammilito Natya Parishad organised a cultural programme marking the beginning of February which is considered as the month of language to the Banglee nation DHAKA TRIBUNE

Bangasonahat port yet to be fully functional in 2yrsn Ariful Islam, KurigramBangasonahat, the 18th landport of the coun-try in Kurigram , lies in rundown state as the infrastructre work yet to be completed after it was opened on April 28, 2014.

When visited, it was found that some tin-shed houses were made by locals in the port area. But the initiative taken by the govern-ment was totally absent.

The port sources said traders fear that the port might collapse anytime as the concern authoriies did not take steps to develop it.

The traders pay taxes to do business with-out having access to the facilities they need, with the government appearing to be indif-ferent to improving infrastructures.

The traders were allowed to import 10 types of products from India.

Of the ten, they can import only one thing.But they cannot export any sort of prod-

uct through the port.Business with Assam, Nagaland, Tripura,

Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya is easy and cost-e ectivve.

The government in the rst four months earned Tk8 crore in revenue from local trad-ers who imported only coal and rock. But now it cannot earn so much.

Traders are importing rock from India through the port located in Bhurungimari upazila, but the import and export of all the products permitted by governments of both countries has not yet begun.

Traders in the upazila say this has made them face losses.

Port workers meanwhile say they are forced to accept low wages as import and ex-port activities are yet to begin in full swing. They also say they are devoid of fair pay-ments due to the lack of complete infrastruc-ture.

Ataul, a porter, says the labour leaders re-cruiting more and more workers in exchange for their own bene ts has aggravated the problem.

There are now many workers who remain unemployed. As for me, I can load and unload goods from only two to three trucks a week, earning a mere Tk400-500. This is impossible to run my family with this paltry sum.

Shahin Ahmed, a local trader, said the lack of proper infrastructure had slowed down busi-ness to a greater extent.

Another problem is that the Sonahat rail-way bridge, which connects the Dudhkumar River, is a risky route, which has caused busi-ness expenses to go up.

Transport communication is not good at all for the traders. They cannot carry goods

as 12-kilometer road from Kurigram to Sona-hat, 18-kilometer road from Bhurungamari to Kurigram have been lying in poor state.

According to locals, when vehicles ply the road, they cannot stay in home due to dusk and dirt as the narrow road pass by their home.

Truck driver Biplob said the vehicle might stuck and the escalator breakdown anytime due to bad-shape of the road.

Moloykumar Chakrabarti, engineer of Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), said the roads were under the port authority. They would take step to repair it.

Assistant Commissioner of Customs, Ex-cise and VAT Commissionerate in Kurigram, Parvej Reza Chodhury, said the authorities should focus on resolving the problems that traders are facing not only to increase reve-nue but to boost import and export as well.

Md Alam Haider, president of Bangasonahat Port Eport Import Association, urged the au-thorities to build the required infrastructures. l

The government in the rst four months earned Tk8 crore in revenue from local traders who imported only coal and rock

Water ghtIts not the newest technology or advancement in building smartphones but it will de nitely be a new addition to an iPhone. Sony spearheaded the entire idea very e ectively, and other well-known brands followed suit. Its a bit ba ing how many people actually get into contact with water or somehow bump into water damage. The interesting thing is the recent models (6s and 6s Plus) of iPhones were found to be actually water-resistant, but the company never claimed it has the ability to block out water. The chances may not be high of implementing the waterproof feature, but its not impossible.

Kick it to high gearThis is possibly the most obvious addition of the lot. Just like any other agship smartphone, the new iPhones will improve on performance signi cantly. While other companies might boost their own performance, its highly possible that the new iPhones will update their RAM to 4GB. Theres also the updated A10 chip, improving last years impressive A9 chips. Again, theres probably a 90% chance of this actually happening.

Disconnect to connectAnother feature Apple may be looking into is the NFC found in Android smartphones. Apple does have the NFC enabled but it

only allows to function when it comes to Apple Pay system, which is something not everyone enjoys fully. They are yet to enable the NFC to tap onto other devices like other smartphones or Bluetooth headphones. No wires is the future of the smartphone market, hopefully Apple catches on.

Charged upOn the topic of doing things wireless, charging the iPhone without it being plugged in would be a huge and desirable new feature. Wireless charging, in general, is something you will see more and more of with new smartphones to be released this year. The odds of this actually happening is quite low, but it would be a very welcoming idea, especially for an iPhone. Then again, people are still getting themselves power bricks and iPhone covers that serve as a backup power box. Who knows, instead of wireless, they will probably house bigger batteries.

Make some spaceThis has been a common pet-peeve with iPhone users for a very long time. For those not in the know, the iPhone has never provided storage expansion. Apple has always made the 16GB model their entry level iPhone. Nowadays, 16GB will never be enough for a smartphone user. In fact, its shameful. On this topic, were all hoping that the 32GB iPhone will be Apples

new entry model. This will leave Apple consumers with 32GB, 64GB and 128GB. All with the appropriate price tags, of course. The last thing they need is to scare away new costumers with their already premium prices.

Through the lensAnother obvious upgrade will be found in the iPhones camera. Tagging along with its optical image stabilisation, and possibly higher megapixels, you can bet that Apple will take even better care of the new cameras on the new models. This is pretty much a given in the smartphone world, you can only expect smartphones to improve on

their cameras and overall performance.What you shouldnt expect, however,

is the changes in design. For most, there isnt much you could do to improve on the iPhones iconic designs. A lot of the facial features of the device have signature values that many brands have somewhat copied. As they say, imitation is the best form of attery. If anything, you might see the display grow in size within the same dimensions of the current iPhone models. Same size phone with a larger screen, and it may be improved with a shatterproof material too. Well, only time will tell what the trendsetters at Apple will be coming out with next. l

PHOTO: BIGSTOCK

Tech 9DT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Charging the iPhone without it being plugged in would be a huge and desirable new feature. Wireless charging, in general, is something you will see more and more of with new smartphones to be released this year

The 7th chapter2016 has its rst month in the books, but theres plenty of time ahead before the new iPhone 7 makes its debut

nMahmood HossainWeve only spent a single month of the new year, and theres already rumours about what will be available with Apples newest smartphone. For now, well just call it the iPhone 7. And well also look into a list of things we want from the new phone and possibly get. Fingers crossed.

Feature10DTTUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

MalMath:A new step by step math solver

PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) indicated that large numbers of 15-year-old students struggle to master basic numeracy skills in UNICEF-supported countries. In the majority of these countries, more than half of the students thats about 1.3 billion students fail to reach the minimum level of performance in mathematics.

Because of its inescapable practical applications, math is taught in every level of our education system, starting from elementary schools to university levels. And whether you are an amateur or an expert in math, everyone needs assistance in solving math problems from time to time. So, in the absence of a helpful source of assistance (a teacher or a friend), we can ask the ubiquitous Internet to help us, or we can use the guide books found in the book stores. We can also use a new math-solving application, called MalMath.

Launched on May 5, 2015, MalMath is an android application that can solve math problems with step by step solutions and provide graphic analysis. The app is quite simple to use: just type in a math problem, press the solve or click button. And, MalMath will present the solution, including the following helpful features.

Step by step descriptionThis is the main feature of MalMath. For each problem that is solved, the steps of the solution are provided for the user. However, knowing that some users cant understand faster than others, Malmath provides additional sub-steps. Even the sub-steps may contain other steps, until the most detailed explanation that a user may need.

HighlightsOne of the unique features of MalMath is highlighting the part of the expression that was changed from the previous step. This provides an intuitive way to understand steps without having to read the description or analyse the whole expression. In addition, users can enable animations, which means that the problem will be solved each step at a time, using highlights to make it easier for the user to follow the solving process.

Problem generatorThere are students who have already learnt the basics of math and want more exercises to challenge their understanding. Problem generator is one the most helpful features for those students.

Problems are generated from various elds: Algebra, Trigonometry, Limits, Di erentiations and Integrals. Moreover,

there are three di culty types to choose from: Easy, Medium and Advanced.

Graph analysisIn MalMath, you can plot functions and it will draw the function or ll the area (depending on the problem). Also, multiple functions are supported, so you can plot two functions at the same time, and compare their graphs. In addition, MalMath will also make the analysis of the graphs. This means that it will show you a table with points from domain to in exion intervals.

LanguagesMath terminology is very di cult to understand even for native people who dont have a math background. It is one of the main issues for students who do not have English as their native language, especially those who are in primary and high school levels. Therefore, MalMath is trying to build a system that will support many languages. Currently, MalMath supports English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Turkish, Albanian, Croatian, Arabic, Portuguese, Azerbaijani, Persian, Russian and Japanese.

Similar apps exist in the Android app market that o ers the same services as MalMath. However, MalMath plans to succeed over other products by using geographical strategy to growth and o ering an appealing and e cient way to study math. MalMath is free, and can be used o ine, which means it will appeal to high school students, especially low-income students, who cannot a ord expensive study guides or apps.

MalMaths main mission is to provide students with detailed solutions for math problems in such a manner that they can understand the solving process. Its main objective is not to solve every math problem but to help students understand the solving process.

Whether you are a student, thriving to improve your math skills, or a parent, trying to help your kid with homework, MalMath is here to help. Try it out:

www.malmath.com/play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.malmath.apps.mmwww.amazon.com/MalMath-Step-by-step-solver/dp/B016Z3VYFK

Content provided by SD Asia

Launched on May 5, 2015, MalMath is an android application that can solve math problems with step by step solutions and provide graphic analysis. The app is quite simple to use: just type in a math problem, press the solve or click button

PHOTOS: COURTESY

INSIDE

Reports that the government plans to revive the option of reduced corporate tax rates for the garment sector o er further good news for businesses looking to upgrade RMG factories.Ongoing e orts by the government, ILO, and stakeholder initiatives such as Accord and Alliance have been making welcome progress on remediation and improving safety standards, and the value of garment exports is steadily increasing.

For the garment sector to achieve its goal of doubling exports to $50 billion by 2021, a comprehensive approach needs to be taken to maximise investment in building new factories where productivity and standards can both be improved.

Lack of land and reliable energy supplies are the two biggest deterrents that need to be overcome. It is still vital then for the government to facilitate greater investment by freeing up underused, state-owned land for the development of new industrial parks.

The government also needs to keep up a national focus on enhancing labour rights. This can help not only improve working conditions and increase the appeal of Bangladeshi goods, but also strengthen the industrys case for securing a fairer deal from importing nations such as the United States which impose higher than average quotas on RMG products.

All stakeholders stand to bene t by helping to grow long-term investment in the sector. Better conditions and factories can both help raise productivity and quality for consumers and help to improve living standards for workers.

Buyers and brands must play their part by investing more in long-term orders and building closer relationships with well-performing producers, to enhance the sectors cash ow and enable it to attract new funds to keep upgrading standards.

All stakeholders can bene t from the improved productivity and standards that greater investmentcan bring

When theres nothing left to burn

What makes a good teacher? How can a student, who completed his Bachelors only a year ago and then just got his/her Masters degree, become a full-time teacher of the highest education institute without having the required depth of knowledge on the subject, proper knowledge of research, or English language pro ciency?

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Pakistan, the peacemakerExtremists cannot be divided into good and bad. They are like Frankensteins monster. No matter how docile they seem to have been, when thwarted they turn on those who have been their benefactors

Gruesome photos showing the aftermath of smoking will be one of the key features of cigarette packets in Bangladesh. Other things like taxes are meant to keep increasing the prices of cigarettes so that it becomes more and more una ordable. But the thing is: Does it even matter?

Stakeholder co-operation key to nancing RMG upgrades

11DTEditorial

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

BIGSTOCK

Be heardWrite to Dhaka Tribune

FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka-1207

Send us your Op-Ed articles:opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com

www.dhakatribune.comJoin our Facebook community:

https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune.

The views expressed in Opinion articles are those of the authors

alone. They do not purport to be the o cial view of Dhaka

Tribune or its publisher.

n SN Rasul

Cradling a cigarette between ones ngers and blowing smoke into the cold, dark night is perhaps an unde-niable pleasure to those who take up the unhealthy habit. When your hearts been broken, theres no money, in-laws are breathing down your neck, spouse is being a pain, parents say you dont visit them enough, the only friend you have is a death stick. Conversely, when youre having the time of your life, your parents are out of the picture, and so are your in-laws, that woman you wanted to marry said yes, youre making the big bucks, you light one up to celebrate.

Is there no way out of the rings of smoke?When it comes to smoking, there is

hardly anyone in the world who would deny the damage it causes, except perhaps people in the same group as BoB, who still think the Earth is at and deny that the moon landings happened or that, with nary a tone of irony, jet fuel cant melt steel beams.

That is not to say one shouldnt be doubtful of every piece of information that is thrown at us, but some things are less ubiquitously deniable than others.

Since there is no debate as to whether smoking is de facto bad for you -- in fact, there is a hefty consensus -- the main argument seems to be one between giving people the the choice to kill themselves through the combination of nicotine and tar, or lack thereof.

Should the government really have any say as to what we do choose to do with our own bodies?

Not to take a page out of the feminist cookbook, but every now and then, they do get it right. Our rights over our own bodies have always been a crucial aspect of de ning civil liberties, whether it be for women to dress as they wish to, to be with whoever they choose to. Or plainly for giving people the bene t of the doubt, by not insulting their intelligence and leaving it up to them to decide whether something is harmful for them or not, and responsible enough to live with those choices.

But Im getting ahead of myself. Lets, for a second, stick to the side that wants to ban smoking, make it illegal. One bit of news claims that big tobacco companies like BAT have been using other hybrids of

tobacco when farming, without the explicit permission of the government. Apparently, there are four kinds which are meant to be used, and a jilted ex-manager of Rangpur has claimed that theyve been using more than that, at least eight.

And in an interview with the president, a certain Matthew L Myers, of some institution (an institution that Ive never heard of -- this is not to insult them; I do not know the names of many an institution), going by the elongated name of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, claims were made about how, in Bangladesh, progress is being made with regards to preventing smokers from catching the habit.

Gruesome photos showing the aftermath of smoking (via images of reddened mouth ulcers and blackened lungs and slightly bent cigarettes to insinuate erectile dysfunction)

will be one of the key features of cigarette packets in Bangladesh in the future. Other things like taxes are meant to keep increasing the prices of cigarettes so that it becomes more and more una ordable for the customers.

But the thing is: Does it even matter?Some statistics would claim that

pictorial warnings, increased prices, and the implementation of a minimum age do, in fact, reduce the number of smokers. But who cares? In Bangladesh, really, pictures and prices would make a di erence? The most expensive of cigarettes can easily be a orded by some of the poorest, and that is not even saying anything about the Tk1 to Tk2 Sheikhs.

Doesnt all this seem super uous if one is already aware of the fact that smoking kills? If this is the case, why isnt it being banned outright? Trying to put warnings on a literal death stick, which is there for the very act of consumption, which is in itself composed of addictive materials, is a lot like telling suicidal people about how the ground is hard and jumping towards it from a good height will kill them.

Either way, both the parties know what theyre doing.

But also: Maybe baby steps? The tobacco lobby isnt the easiest to mess with.

No smoker really wants to keep smoking (though Im sure there are exceptions. Read: Teenagers) because everyone knows that its bad for you. The real issue here is whether it should still remain legal in an age when we are very aware of the facts, of not only how

it negatively a ects the smoker, but also those around them, and the environment.

This is, in e ect, a ght between a liber-tarian and a liberal. How much should the government interfere with the choices we make? Small government or big? And the ar-gument isnt con ned to smoking, but every material deemed harmful and/or addictive, which are both relative terms, and can be applied to many other things that are legal.

Only recently, much of the US legalised cannabis. Why not here? And if that, why not all the other life-killers, the heroin, the yaba, the cocaine? Some might say this is a non-argument, and the lines arent as blurry as I might be, at this point, making it seem. But they are blurry. The choices and the decisions we make -- one between giving the people the right to mess up their lives as much as they want and taking that very right away from them -- is as close to each other as it can get.

Give the people the right to be fat and addicted to drugs? Maybe. But, wouldnt that lead to some sort of anarchy?

Probably not. What needs to be made is a calculated decision. Perhaps the best thing to assume would be to take for granted that most people are stupid and dont know any better. Or that they have the freedom to be as stupid as they wish.

Either way, we must stand on one side of the line. Or must we? Cant we stand on both? l

SN Rasul is a journalist and academic. Follow him @snrasul.

Opinion12DTTUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Our relationship with the cigarette can be rather complicated at times

Gruesome photos showing the aftermath of smoking will be one of the key features of cigarette packets in Bangladesh. Other things like taxes are meant to keep increasing the prices of cigarettes so that it becomes more and more una ordable. But the thing is: Does it even matter?

Smoking kills, but it is a choice that is made by the smoker

When theres nothing left to burn

Opinion 13DT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

n Sultana Ismet Jerin

My relatives and well wishers frequently forward me circulars of vacancies for teachers at uni-versities that they come across. I ignore. Maybe the possibility of getting ap-pointed is not high in my case but, of course, I can at least drop my CV for the sake of my relatives, if not for my own interest.

But I ignore. I am a graduate of the University of Dhaka and I wasnt the rst girl in my class. I do not regret that and I am young enough to get a good result and apply con dently for teachership in the future.

But does a good result mean that I am eligible for becoming a university teacher? In my words, de nitely not.

I see being a full-time teacher as being a researcher, a writer, a scientist, and an invaluable resource capable of spreading light among multiple generations and transforming sand into gold. And I am afraid, even if I do get results, I cannot be a good teacher unless I am truly passionate about the profession.

Unfortunately, the country has had very few real teachers and I would not have realised this brutal truth unless I had gone to University of California for a course.

I can say this because I found myself to be a low-quality human resource when com-pared to the other international students.

I deliberately do not mention the name of my department as it would look like a direct attack on my teachers -- which is not my point. With due respect to all those few real teachers, who still exist in this country,

I am here to vent my utter frustration over the practices going on in universities in our country. A frustration that grew seeing international students and universities.

In my undergraduate and graduate classes, I saw 80% of my classmates not even bothering to read a single line from the main text, cramming notes written in Bengali that they had inherited from the seniors of the department who had written them a decade ago.

And then, in the exam hall, they would regurgitate the lines they had crammed the night before. Why bother to read the main texts when these outdated notes can bring good marks? I am not trying to defame teachers here; it is also on us to not have been motivated enough to read the books either.

More than 90% of my classmates would submit their assignments in Bengali as they were not capable of writing in English and did not even bother to improve their English skills. Point to be noted: There is nothing wrong with writing in Bengali but there should have been a practice of improving both the languages equally, if not mastering them.

A university student is incomplete if he or she cannot write a single correct sentence in English, especially a student of a department which highly demands its pro ciency. And, unfortunately, teachers, never asking students for assignments in English, would accept assignments written in Bengali, completely plagiarised. Plagiarism and citation are two words that do not exist in our dictionary. On top of

that, while students of overseas universities spend sleepless nights in fear of Turnitin(a plagiarism checker software), ready-made theses and assignments are available at Nilkhet. Pay the price and its yours. And one is done with every semester!

Recently, I was asked to submit an academic writing sample to an overseas university, and, when I was browsing through the academic papers that I had to produce for di erent courses, I hardly found any paper other than my thesis that would qualify to be submitted as an academic writing sample for an admission assessment.

Citation is something that most students do not know about, and you can forget about di erent styles. And the unfortunate thing is, we got good marks in those papers.

And then, the greatest irony is that it we who are becoming the teachers. Recruitments in my department or at

any private university stand as proof. Undoubtedly, low quality teachers will continue to produce some more low quality students and the cycle continues.

That is not to say that there are no talented teachers, students, and departments. They are there, but they are the exceptions.

This low quality of human resources has seminal e ects on the countys growth. How can a student, who completed his Bachelors only a year ago and then just got his/her Masters degree, become a full-time teacher of the highest education institute without having the required depth of knowledge on the subject, proper knowledge of research, or basic English language pro ciency?

What would they -- and could they -- teach the students? l

Sultana Ismet Jerin is a freelance contributor.

In most cases, our teachers are not providing us with the education theyre meant to BIGSTOCK

How can a student, who completed his Bachelors only a year ago and then just got his/her Masters degree, become a full-time teacher of the highest education institute without having the required depth of knowledge on the subject, proper knowledge of research, or English language pro ciency?

Are we learning anything from our university lecturers?

What makes a good teacher?

Opinion14DT

n William Milam

I see in the news that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has o ered to host talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia to reconcile the feuding rival nations. This was after meetings with Saudi King Salman and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

According to the news reports, the prime minister considered draining the current hostility between the two countries stating it is a prime duty and sacred mission for Pakistan.

At the same time, the Pakistani foreign ministry says it is endeavouring to put some life into the peace process in Afghanistan by including the Taliban in talks that so far have only involved the Afghan government, the US, China, and Pakistan.

Given what appears to be serious fragmentation among di erent factions of the Afghan Taliban, and the fact that the Taliban (fragmented or not) must feel they are on a roll militarily against the Afghan National Army and the coalition forces, this looks to be a steep uphill task.

When you think you are winning, the incentives to come to the bargaining table are seriously diluted.

There is little progress so far, although some factions of the Taliban may be wavering. On January 24, their envoys (representing some of them, at least) attended a con ict resolution Pugwash Conference in Doha. Some Afghan representatives attended the conference too, but in personal capacity.

Both sides need to learn a little about con ict resolution, and the opportunity to talk seems very inviting. This conference is billed as not being part of the o cial peace process that Pakistan is trying to shepherd.

And there is the big one -- the Pakistani and Indian foreign secretaries meet in early

February to relaunch the dialogue that would, hopefully, lead to a gradual (probably the best we can hope for) normalisation of relations between the two countries.

Given the state of ties over much of the past almost 70 years, this will be con ict resolution at its highest level.

In fact, I hope both countries send representatives to the Pugwash conference for a refresher course.

So now, added to the already ongoing Afghanistan peace process and the about-to-start Pakistan-India talks, there is the possibility of mediation (and con ict resolution) between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

For many Pakistan observers like me, it is a real treat to see the country involved, in one way or another, in at least trying to resolve two con icts at the same time, and yet willing to take on a third. I wonder if the Pakistani foreign ministry will have to raise its hiring quotas.

To be seriously involved in three such important con ict resolution e orts will require much sta work in new areas for the ministry and the government, and may also require added talent.

In the midst of spreading its diplomatic wings, however, we are reminded of the con ict within Pakistan which must be resolved by some very hard-headed decisions and policies.

If there was nothing else to remind us of this, there was the attack last week on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, in which 22 people were killed and many wounded. The toll of the dead and the wounded would have been much greater if some of the teachers had not fought back -- at least one losing his life in the process.

It is a dagger aimed straight at the heart of Pakistan.

This was followed by the chilling statement from a senior Pakistani Taliban commander that more attacks against

universities and other schools would follow and the Pakistani Taliban will now target the places where they [soldiers, lawyers, politicians] are prepared ... the schools, the universities, the colleges that lay their foundation.

While other Taliban spokesmen disavowed the attack (a symptom of the Pakistani Talibans fragmentation), if this were to become the strategy of even some of the Taliban groups then it would be a dagger aimed straight at the heart of Pakistan -- its youth, who will inherit the country. The statement is also aimed at frightening the Pakistani people and undermining support for the current e ort to extirpate extremism, the NAP.

Pakistan has taken some surprisingly strong actions in the past week or two against the extremist elements in the country. It may indicate that more is to come.

It would be disheartening, on the other hand, and perhaps prophetic, if these actions are reversed.

The arrest of Maulana Masood Azhar and closing down the Jaish-e-Mohammed

(JeM) were long overdue. The JeM has been universally listed as a terrorist organisation by almost every government or international organisation that keeps such lists.

Azhar went underground for a long time, but has recently emerged with the same tired, terrorist, anti-India, hortatory rhetoric.

His arrest immediately brought to mind the 1999 hijacking of an Air India ight which led to the release of Azhar by India and two other terrorists being held for violent acts.

Azhar immediately created a sensation by turning up in Karachi and giving ery extremist speeches, and was later connected to the attack on the Indian parliament.

Another of those released with Azhar was Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the abductor of the journalist Danny Pearl. He was tried and convicted for Pearls murder by a Pakistani court in 2002.

Though the verdict is now questioned because of the confession of Khalid Mohammed Sheikh while being tortured in US custody and then in Guantanamo Bay detention -- there is no doubt that he was the leader and brains of the team that

abducted Pearl. He is a primary accessory to murder at the very least. In any case, the confession of Khalid Mohammed Sheikh is not to be trusted because of the way it was obtained, and because as he has no hope of ever seeing the outside of a prison again. Why wouldnt he take the blame for a lot of crimes to help his extremist associates?

I dont know how many people remember that hijacking, or that both Masood Azhar and Omar Sheikh were among its bene ciaries. I remembered immediately, not because of Danny Pearl, but because I followed that hijacking very closely to its denouement in Kandahar. There was an American woman passenger on board we were concerned about.

My friend Zahid Hussain did, because he was there covering the story. And he wrote of the connection a few days ago. But perhaps we both noted it because we see the entire network of extremist groups in Pakistan, and elsewhere, as interconnected in both spirit and in mindset.

For example, the leader of the United Jihad Council (UJC), Syed Salahuddin, who had earlier taken credit for the attack on

Pathankot Air Force base in India (to the strong skepticism of Indian intelligence agencies), said the other day that the Pakistani government should not have cracked down on JeM or arrested Azhar.

He said their aims should be supported by all Pakistan, including the government and the media, which should have been the patron of that organisation rather than banning it.

But I think that the Pakistan government, and hopefully the army, may nally be learning that extremism is a virus that spreads widely and quickly if not resisted rmly.

And it ultimately kills. Extremists cannot be divided into good and bad. They are like Frankensteins monster. No matter how docile they seem to have been, when thwarted they turn on those who have been their benefactors, without remorse. The only way round this is to beat them to the punch. l

William Milam is a Senior Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington, DC, and former US Ambassador to Pakistan and Bangladesh, and Chief of mission in Liberia.

Pakistan, the peacemaker

Extremists cannot be divided into good and bad. They are like Frankensteins monster. No matter how docile they seem to have been, when thwarted they turn on those who have been their benefactors, without remorse. The only way round this is to beat them to the punch

The country has, surprisingly, taken strong actions against religious extremism

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Pakistan can play key role in Afghanistans con ict resolution REUTERS

15DTBusiness

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Travelers delight: Falling oil prices mean cheaper air faresPlummeting oil prices have led to falling plane ticket prices - and prospects for an even bigger bonanza of consumer-friendly fares in the coming months, airline industry experts say. PAGE 18

FBCCI for 7% VAT under new lawThe Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) has requested the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to reduce Value Added Tax (VAT) rate to 7% from existing 15% with implementa-tion of the new VAT law that will come into e ect from July 1, 2016. PAGE 16

Asias factories parched for demand, need stimulusJanuary updates on Asias mammoth factory sector released yesterday showed the new year began much as the old one ended - with too much capacity chasing too little demand. PAGE 17

Capital market snapshot: MondayDSE Broad Index 4,560.4 0.4%

Index 1,101.1 0.5%

30 Index 1,729.6 0.6%

Turnover in Mn Tk 3,934.9 -0.8%

Turnover in Mn Volume 115.1 -6.7%

CSEAll Share Index 14,040.0 0.4%

30 Index 12,400.7 0.6%

Selected Index 8,531.4 0.4%

Turnover in Mn Tk 300.3 -0.9%

Turnover in Mn Volume 14.3 1.9%

INSIDE

Post and Telecommunication Division fears revenue shortfall n Asif Showkat Kallol and Ishtiaq Husain

The Post and Telecommunication Division will miss the revenue target in this scal year as BTRC fails to sell its unused 15 MHz 3G spectrum in 2,100 band and 10.6 MHz in 1,800 band, o cial sources said.

But Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission hoped that it would be able to achieve the revenue target in the next scal year from one time spec-trum assignment fee for 4G from six mobile phone operators.

The Post and Telecommunication Divi-sion recently made the observation in a let-ter addressed to Senior Finance Secretary Mahbub Ahmed.

BTRC Chairman Dr Shahjahan Mahmood yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that reve-nue earning would decline in this scal year as the regulatory body could not sell its un-used spectrum on time.

According to the letter, the revenue earn-ing from licence renewal, spectrum auction and revenue sharing of mobile operators have not come every scal year.

Usually, those earnings from mobile phone companies came in 5-10 years inter-val and earnings of the Bangladesh Tele-communication Company Limited has de-clined as land phone users are indi erent to the land phone use over the last couple of years, the letter reads.

As a result, the revenue earnings of the Post and Telecommunication Division is set to miss its earning target for FY15-16.

However, the letter said revenue target for FY17 will be achieved as the BTRCs

earnings will increased because of income from the renewal and licence fees from planned 4G auction to be participated in by the six operators, according to the letter.

The operators have already led a case on SIM replacement tax dispute, which has delayed 4G auction.

An o cial of a mobile operator said if the regulatory body does not announce tech-nology neutrality in its amended guideline, no operator will participate in the unused spectrum auction.

Technology neutrality would minimise operators cost to o er services in a single band, he added.

The Post and Telecommunication Divi-sion has targeted to earn Tk7357.98 crore

in the current scal year, Tk10,734.90 crore in FY17, Tk11,368.22 crore in FY18, Tk12,732.41 crore in FY19 in line with the national budget announcement.

The BTRC revenue declined by 32% as the regulatory body failed to ful ll its target due to a series of complexities with the mo-bile operators in FY15.

It deposited only Tk1,440 crore to the na-tional exchequer in the rst half of the current scal year. Initially, the revenue collection was estimated at Tk13,660 crore, and now its revenue collection stands at between 31.56% and Tk6,902 crore in the last scal year.

In FY14, BTRC collected Tk10,085 crore, which was the highest revenue so far earned by the government. l

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

2014-

151,6

78 3,19

5

2,37

1

3,0

47

6,95

8

5,40

5

10,0

85

6,90

2

Amount in taka/crore

BTRC REVENUE COLLECTION

Source: BTRC

IMF cuts Bangladesh growth outlook to 6.3% n Tribune ReportThe International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut economic growth to 6.3% for this scal year from 6.8% as foretasted in October last year.

The projection is much lower than the governments target of 7% for the current scal year.

In FY16, real GDP growth is projected at 6.3%, supported by higher public sector wages and public investment, according to IMFs midterm review, which was released yesterday after the meeting of its executive board that concluded 2015 Article IV Con-sultation with Bangladesh.

IMF said tax revenue performance has been weak, with revenues increasing more slowly than GDP. Also, private domestic de-mand, particularly private investment, has been subdued, partly contributing to a slow-down in credit to the private sector, it added.

Various economic activity indicators suggest a slower-than-expected start to the current scal year, said the IMF said.

Despite global headwinds and episodes

of domestic unrest, Bangladesh has had a strong macroeconomic performance in the two years since the last Article IV consulta-tion, supported by prudent policies under the recently-completed Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement with the IMF.

The IMF said Bangladeshs growth is pro-jected to accelerate gradually to 7% over the medium term, as public investment is fur-ther ramped up and constraints on invest-ment ease, with private investment also supporting a recovery in private-sector credit.

Provided calm prevails, prudent policies remain in place, and structural re-forms are implemented as envisaged, the medi-um-term economic out-look should be positive and marked by continued stabil-ity and high growth, it said.

In ation is forecast to remain broadly stable in the current nancial year and edge up slightly next scal

year, due to temporary e ects from higher public sector wages and the introduction of new VAT.

Growth has been robust, external re-serves have risen, in ation has abated, and social indicators have improved, it said.

However, it encouraged the government to continue sterilised foreign exchange interven-tion and consider adopting a basket of trading partners currencies to guide foreign exchange intervention policy going forward. l

Business16DTTUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

E-commerce in Bangladesh

n Ahmed Saad Ishtiaque andAdib Sarwar

With regard to infrastructure development and policy support from the government, there have been several noteworthy initiatives and in some cases, blueprints for initiatives.

For instance, the government has initiated the development of a 232-acre hi-tech park to attract investment from multinationals and local investors.

The park is expected to create 70 thousand jobs, contribute to several businesses in the e-commerce value chain, and bene t the industry through technological spillovers.

Moreover, the government is set to revise the Telecom Policy 2012 to render it more customer and investor-friendly.

Consequently, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication started a public consultation program on March 2015, seeking feedback from consumers and other stakeholders through public websites and SMS service.

The government has also announced that VAT is inapplicable to e-commerce businesses in order to encourage local entrepreneurs. A second submarine cable that is in the planning will enable 4G services and provide bandwidth of 1400 Gbps, compared to the current availability of 200 Gbps (and regular usage of 32Gbps).

Findings from Focus Group Discussions with Industry Experts A recent Focus Group Discus-

sion (FGD) of local e-commerce entrepreneurs deliberated on the current state of the sector, existing challenges, how they are currently being overcome and what ECAB, the government and policy makers could do to assist e-commerce entrepreneurs.

The salient outcomes of the FGD are as follows:

Generally, the FGD participants indicated that lack of awareness of e-commerces bene ts con-stitute the most signi cant barrier to the sectors growth and development. Buyers will eventually accept and trust e-commerce as a legitimate busi-

ness sector, but at present, con dence and aware-ness levels are generally low. The participants recommended that awareness campaigns such as e-commerce fairs be organized across the country to address the existing low level of awareness.

With regard to nancing, e-commerce could bene t greatly from government regulations and

policies that encourage low-cost nancing to this sector. A