27 Aug, 2015

Power, gas price hike announcement any dayn Aminur Rahman Rasel

The energy regulator may announce increased prices of electricity and gas today, or next week, but the decision to adjust fuel oil prices with falling global trends is still pending.

The bulk price of electricity is being raised after three years, retail price after one year and that of gas after seven years.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Com-mission (BERC) will issue a noti� cation an-nouncing an average 5.5% rise in bulk and 4.5% rise in retail prices of electricity. The noti� cation will also announce Tk400-450 rise in the price of using single and double gas burners. All these hikes will come into e� ect on September 1.

The announcements are likely to be made in a press brie� ng at the BERC o� ce. Howev-er, the announcement for slicing fuel oil pric-es might be made through executive orders at a later time.

After six months of public hearing, the energy regulator is going to announce the re-vised tari� s following a meeting with prime minister’s energy adviser Taw� q-e-Elahi Chowdhury yesterday where they discussed � xing the tari� s on fuel oil, power and gas at the bulk and consumer levels and transmis-sion charges.

PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

PAGE 3China reluctant to give special treatment to BD

PAGE 7 Fresh erosion hits Padma Bridge site

PAGE 8Suu Kyi eyes poll majority

PAGE 6Flood situation likely to improve

PAGE 4Social welfare minister terms journos unpatriotic

PAGE 32US TV journos killed while on-air

SECOND EDITION

LAWYERS CONFESS IN HATHAZARI CASE PAGE 3

BIMAN AMONG LOW-RATED AIRLINES PAGE 32

SWECHCHHASEBAK LEAGUE LEADER DIES IN POLICE CUSTODY PAGE 5

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015 | Bhadro 12, 1422, Zilqad 11, 1436 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 133 | www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

Electricity Price Present(Tk per unit)

Rising to(Tk per unit)

Rising by

Bulk 4.70 4.96 5.5%

Retail 6.54 6.83 4.5%

Revision of Gas and Electricity Prices Gas Price(Households)

Present(Tk)

Rising to(Tk)

Risingby

Single burner 400 800 100%

Double burners 450 850 89%

NYT: US military may have skewedIS analysisn AFP, Washington DC

The Pentagon is investigating whether mili-tary o� cials have improperly rewritten intel-ligence assessments to give a more optimistic view of the US-led campaign against the Is-lamic State group in Iraq, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

The inspector general probe began after at least one civilian analyst at the Defense Intel-ligence Agency said he had evidence that US Central Command o� cials were reworking intelligence report conclusions prepared for President Barack Obama and other policy-makers.

Unnamed government o� cials detailed the claim to the Times, though it was unclear when the reports were changed and who was responsible.

Under a directive by the O� ce of the Direc-tor of National Intelligence, which oversees the 17 US intelligence agencies, analytical

PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

Army, BGB raid Myanmar separatistsn Adil Sakhawat with

S Bashu Das, Bandarban

A BGB naik named Zakir Hossain was injured in an early morning gun� re exchange between the Bangladesh border security force and My-anmar separatist group the Arakan Army in a remote area of Bandarban yesterday.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) believes that the Myanmar separatists opened � re when its troops and the personnel from Bang-ladesh Army were on a joint patrol at the Barha Madok border area in Remakri union of Thanchi upazila in the hilly south-eastern district.

BGB Director General Mej Gen Aziz Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune: “On August 25 [Tues-day], acting on a tip o� , troopers from the Madok Border Observation Point seized 10 Arabian horses from the possession of Arakan Army [AA] men. Six of those were seized in Barha Madok and four in Thanchi area.

“We believe that it was AA separatists who � red gunshots on 10 of our soldiers this

PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

Petition, legal notice seek revoking section 57n Tribune Report

A writ petition was � led and a legal notice served yesterday asking the government to scrap section 57 of the Information and Com-munication Technology (ICT) Act, amid se-vere criticisms regarding its alleged abuse by the law enforcement agencies.

Recently, some government high-ups too advocated for revising the “vague” section that can be used to bar freedom of speech and expression of the citizens. Journalists, rights activists and bloggers have also demanded that the controversial section be scrapped.

The petition was � led by Zakir Hossain, who identi� ed himself as a citizen, seeking the court’s directives to revoke the provision. The petitioner states that the court should de-clare the section unconstitutional.

“This section violates the constitution-al provisions regarding equality in the eyes of law, right to protection of law, protection

PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

The gun�ght between BGB and Arakan Army in Baro Modok area of Thanchi, Bandarban

BGB Naik Zakir Hossain was woundedin the shooting and was later takento Chittagong CMH

The gun�ght broke out whenBGB challenged a group of AAhorseriders in the Remakri areaof Thanchi

Reinforcement troops fromBangladesh Army and BGB were�own in from Balipara BGB campand Alikadam Zone

At one point during the gun�ght,AA members surrounded and laid siege to the Baro Modok BGB outpost

AA has encamped an area of approximately8,080 acres in Remakri near the border and

they are allegedly involved in drug business

AA members from time to timeentered the locality of Thanchi

with horses to replenish theirfood and medicine supplies

Bangladesh Army and BGBare to conduct a combined

operation to drive away theAA members and collaborators

BGB has declared a state of emergencyin the Bandarban-Myanmar border

area after the gun�ght

WHAT ARAKAN ARMY SAYS2

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

NYT: US military may have skewed IS analysisassessments “must not be distorted” by a par-ticular audience, agenda or policy view.

US o� cials told the Times that complaints had been made to the intelligence communi-ty’s inspector general, and that the Pentagon’s inspector general then took up the matter.

If the assessments were indeed skewed, it could help explain why public descriptions of progress against the militants has varied.

Since the US-led bombing campaign of the Islamic State began in Iraq a year ago, and

subsequently in Syria, Iraqi security forces have retaken some territory previously seized by the group but not major cities like Mosul and Ramadi.

But US intelligence agencies have recently found that the group has been little weakened by the assault just as it expanded into North Africa and Central Asia, the Times said.

Last month, Obama administration special envoy retired general John Allen said “ISIS is losing,” using an acronym by which the group

is known.Defense Secretary Ashton Carter agreed

last week that the war was “di� cult” and will take “some time,” though he insisted he was “con� dent that we will succeed in defeating ISIL and that we have the right strategy.”

Syria’s con� ict began with anti-govern-ment demonstrations in March 2011.

But after a bloody crackdown by the ruling regime, it spiraled into a multi-front civil war that has left more than 240,000 people dead.

Power, gas price hike announcement any dayState Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid; BERC Chairman AR Khan and members Salim Mahmud, Delwar Hossain, Md Maksudul Haque, Rahman Mur-shed; Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Abul Kalam Azad; Power Division Secretary Monowarul Islam and Energy Division Secre-tary Abu Bakar Siddique attended the meet-ing.

“We sat with the prime minister’s adviser and the BERC had been given the green signal to hike power and gas tari� s,” a BERC mem-ber told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday wishing anonymity.

“BERC has called an emergency meeting tomorrow [Thursday] about the power and gas tari� s. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is in charge of the Power, Energy and Miner-al Resources Ministry, will be briefed after the meeting. Upon getting her nod, the new prices will be made e� ective on September 1, 2015,” he said.

“The bulk electricity tari� might be hiked by 5.5% while the retail price will be hiked by 4.5% on average. The price of gas might be hiked 20% on an average,” he added.

“However, the price of gas used in the power and fertiliser plants will not be hiked,” he also said.

According to a high-ranked o� cial of the Energy Division: “Decision on reducing the price of fuel oil is not yet � nalised. It will take time because analysis is going on for � xing the reduced pricing.”

The cost of production and distribution of a single unit of electricity now stands at Tk6.54 while the rate at the wholesale level is Tk4.70.

Since 2009, the BERC has increased power tari� s six times.

In the latest increment made in September 2012, power tari� at the bulk level was raised by 17% to Tk4.70 per unit.

In March 2014, retail price of electricity was raised by 7.17% to Tk6.5 from the previ-ous Tk5 per unit rate.

The last time the price of gas was increased in November 2008. After coming to power in 2009, the Awami League-led government only increased the price of compressed natu-ral gas (CNG) several times. l

Petition, legal noticeof life and personal liberty, freedom of thought, conscience and free speech,” said petition-er’s lawyer Shishir Manir, who represents Ja-maat-e-Islami war crimes accused and convicts.

The petitioner claims that since the term “o� ence” is not well-de� ned in the Act and at the same time carries wide range of meanings, anyone can be harassed under this provision.

The High Court might hold a hearing on the matter on August 30, the lawyer said.

The provision says: “If any person delib-erately publishes or transmits or causes to be published or transmitted in the website or in any other electronic form any material which is false and obscene and if anyone sees, hears or reads it having regard to all relevant cir-cumstances, its e� ect is such as to in� uence the reader to become dishonest or corrupt, or causes to deteriorate or creates possibility to deteriorate law and order, prejudice the im-age of the state or person or causes to hurt or may hurt religious belief or instigate against any person or organisation, then this activity will be regarded as an o� ence.”

The ICT Act was passed in 2006 and amended twice – in 2009 and 2013. In the latest amendment, o� ences under section 57 were made non-bailable and the maximum punishment was extended to 14 years’ im-prisonment. O� enders can be punished by minimum seven years imprisonment and the � ne can be as high as Tk1 crore under the Act.

On the other hand, Supreme Court lawyer Yunus Ali Akhand yesterday sent a legal notice to the government requesting it to scrap sections 57 and 86 of the ICT Act within 24 hours. The notic-es were served to the secretaries of the law and ICT ministries, and the Cabinet Division.

He said that the two sections are discrimi-natory and unconstitutional.

Yunus said that he would � le a writ peti-tion with the High Court if the respondents do not take necessary steps to initiate a process of scraping the sections within 24 hours.

He alleged that sections 57 and 86 of the ICT Act contradict articles 7, 27, 39 and 40 of the constitution.

The article 27 ensures equal rights for all citizens, while article 39 allows freedom of thoughts and conscience, and freedom of press and speeches. In addition, article 7 says that all powers in the republic belong to the people and article 40 speci� es the right to en-ter upon any lawful profession or occupation, and to conduct any lawful trade or business.

In the notice, Yunus said that the two sections of the ICT Act go against the peo-ple’s right to freedom of expression and free speech. Vague words in the section paves the way for its misuse against the common peo-ple, journalists and social media users.

On the other hand, section 86 prevents the public servants from the o� ences mentioned under the ICT Act violating equal rights.

Debate over section 57 and demands for its cancellation began since the formulation of the Act. But the controversy intensi� ed when veteran journalist and war crimes trial campaigner Probir Sikdar was arrested and sent to jail as he posted a status on Facebook, expressing fear that his life was in danger be-cause of some in� uential persons.

The law minister, Anisul Huq, recently said that the government would consider revising the section as many people raised questions against it. Senior Awami League leader Suran-jit Sengupta, also the chairman of the parlia-mentary watchdog on the Law Ministry, too advocated for its cancellation. l

Army, BGB raid Myanmar separatistsmorning when they were on a joint patrol with the army members on a vessel,” the DG said.He also said that the gunshot exchange went on for about � ve hours and Naik Zakir was in-jured during that time.

Maj Gen Aziz also said that BGB and army members have already launched a combined operation against the Myanmar separatists, who have been illegally treading the remote bordering forests of Bandarban. Additional BGB and army troops have already been � own into the area for the operation.

“More manpower will be sent to the bor-der in Thanchi upazilla of Bandarban tomor-row [Thursday] to strengthen the operation against the separatist group. We have contact-ed the Myanmar Army through their embassy in Dhaka and requested them to seal their ter-ritory so that the separatists do not get chance to escape,” the BGB boss told the Dhaka Trib-une over phone yesterday.

Injured Zakir was taken to the Combined Military Hospital in Chittagong and a BGB press release said he was now out of danger.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told media yesterday that the operation to fully wipe out the Myanmar separatists will continue.

Our Bandarban correspondent reports that a sense of fear has gripped the residents of the Remakri area following the gunshot ex-change. Shops and other business outlets in the area have remained closed since morning and the local indigenous people have mostly stayed indoors.

“Nobody has dared to go outside,” Remakri union council Chairman Maliram Tripura told

the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.Seeking anonymity, a man from the local

indigenous community said the place where the battle took place was about 60-70km from the Barha Madok border outpost, and it is very remote.

Chairman Maliram also said: “There are only six BOPs in this huge area. More than 8,000 acres of land is totally unprotected and this is where some separatist groups from Myanmar have made their dens. Some indige-

nous people also live in that area.”He alleged that the Myanmar separatists

often try to loot the houses of these indige-nous people and also supply drugs into Bang-ladesh from their remote dens.

This gunshot exchange comes only two days after the BGB director general visited the border areas in Bandarban and announced that more BOPs would be set up to cover more than 400km of unprotected border with My-anmar. l

The last time the price of gas was increased in November 2008. After coming to power in 2009, the Awami League-led government only increased the price of compressed natural gas (CNG) several times

A screenshot of Arakan Army’s response to the Dhaka Tribune reporter’s queries on Facebook

NEWS2DT

NEWS 3D

TTHURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

Shakila, 2 others again dismiss militant linkn Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

The three arrested lawyers charged with � -nancing a Chittagong-based militant group gave confessional statements yesterday un-der section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code in a case lodged with Hathazari police.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Shahidul Islam recorded the statements at noon and later sent them to jail rejecting the bail petitions in the case � led under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Supreme Court lawyers barrister Shakila Farzana and Md Hasanuzzaman Liton, and Dhaka Judge’s Court lawyer Mahfuz Chow-dhury Bapon – arrested on August 18 from Dhaka – told the court yesterday that they had deposited Tk1.08 crore to an account without knowing that it was owned by a militant leader.

On Monday, Shakila and her associates were shown arrested in the case � led regard-ing the raid at Shahid Hamza Brigade’s the-oretical training centre Al Madrasatul Abu Bakar in Hathazari on February 19.

The trio made similar statements under section 164 on Sunday in an explosives case lodged with Banshkhali police. It was lodged after the police’s elite force Rapid Action Bat-

talion busted Hamza Brigade’s military train-ing camp in a remote hilly area of Banshkhali on February 21. They confessed to depositing money into a bank account but claimed that they were only returning an advocacy fee they had taken from a client in advance.

Daughter of former BNP whip Syed Wa-hidul Alam, Shakila is the incumbent joint general secretary of the Supreme Court wing of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, a pro-BNP lawyers’ body. Details about her two associates could not be known.

The trio were nabbed by a team of RAB 7 from the capital’s Dhanmondi area for their alleged involvement with the militant out� t – formed by disgruntled Islami Chhatra Shibir members in November 2013.

The contractIn the Hathazari case, Shakila in her � ve-page statement said that two persons named Ma-sum and Osman Amin of Chittagong went to her chamber on May 30 last year.

They asked her about managing the 350 cases � led against leaders and activists of Hefazat-e-Islam, a hardline Islamist group comprising teachers and students of Qawmi

madrasas, and the Islamist parties.The cases include one � led over the gre-

nade blast incident at Lalkhan Bazar Madrasa that killed three students in 2013. The Qawmi madrasa is run by Hefazat leader Mufti Izha-rul Islam. He is now in jail.

“They also showed me the documents of Lalkhan Bazar Madrasa case. I agreed to run the case as I found some incompatibilities in police investigations,” the statement reads adding that the duo were supposed to pay her Tk1.2 crore for the purpose.

“Osman and Masum gave me Tk25 lakh in the � rst week of June last year; Tk30 lakh after � ve to six days; Tk45 lakh after 10-12 days and Tk20 lakh in the � rst week of July last year.

“But I failed to secure bail for the Hefazat leaders from di� erent High Court benches. On the other hand, another lawyer Daisy succeed-ed in securing bail for Mufti Izhar which angered Masum and Osman. They then pressured me to give their money back,” the statement reads.

“Later Masum gave me an account number of Sanjida Enterprise with Dutch Bangla Bank saying that it was his account number.” She deposited Tk25 lakh in the middle of August last year mentioning her name and address in

the deposit slip.“Five or six days later, Liton deposited

Tk16 lakh and Tk15 lakh after a few days.” He was instructed to mention his name and ad-dress in the deposit slip.

“On September, 2014, I deposited Tk25 lakh using Bapon’s name and address. The remaining Tk12 lakh has not been deposited.”

Shakila said that she had secured bail for the accused in Lalkhan Bazar Madrasa case.

RAB says that the account is actually owned by Moniruzzaman Masud alias Don, the alleged chief of one of the three army wings of the militant group. Shakila claimed that she had learned about the matter only after her arrest.

Chittagong district court’s public prose-cutor Abu Hashem said that the confessional statements indicate that they have involve-ment with the militant group.

“Their bail petitions were rejected as the court assumed that they may � ee after secur-ing bails,” he added.

Shakila's counsel Abdus Sattar said that Shakila had been a victim of circumstances. He also blamed media for misreporting on her confessional statement in the Banshkhali case. l

China reluctant to give special treatment to Bangladesh n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

China has ruled out a proposal to give special treatment to Bangladesh on providing assis-tance.

“We requested them to provide us with special treatment in interest rate, loan down payment and loan mechanism but Beijing is reluctant to do so,” said a government o� cial.

The issue was discussed during the visit of Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng who came to Dhaka Tuesday on a two-day visit.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith had a lengthy discussion with the Chinese minister. Gao Hucheng called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during his visit. He also met Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and Communica-tion Minister Obaidul Quader.

The Chinese o� cials told the Bangladesh side that Beijing provides assistance to many countries and if they provide special treat-ment to Bangladesh, it would have negative impact on others, the o� cial said.

“We proposed them to reduce the interest rate and they agreed to discuss the issue at the working level,” he said.

“The government proposed China to in-crease concession in infrastructure and ener-gy sectors and they informed us that it is on the rise,” another o� cial said.

Gao Hucheng in his discussion with Muhith said China is helping Bangladesh in di� erent construction projects and Chinese companies should be given the responsibility to operate the facilities after their completion, he said.

“It would bene� t in two ways. The facili-ties built with Chinese assistance would be better managed and the second the Chinese contractors would be more careful about quality of the work,” he added.

The government is positively considering the Chinese proposal, the o� cial said.

China also showed interest to invest $350

million in jute sector, which the government welcomed.

“State-owned China Textiles Industry Cor-poration wants to invest the amount in jute sector for diversi� cation, value addition and export to di� erent countries including Chi-na,” the o� cial said.

Export earnings of Bangladesh increased by 27% last year due to jute export to China, he said.

“At the meeting with the � nance minis-ter, Chinese side informed that the two-way trade in 2014 was about $12.5 billion whereas the Bangladesh statistics showed that it was about $9 billion,” the o� cial said.

When asked why the gap is so huge, he said the Commerce Ministry could explain it.

Meanwhile, a press release of the Foreign Ministry said the Chinese minister empha-sized One Belt-One Road initiative of Chinese President Xi Xinping to enhance communica-tion.

“He summarised by saying that through this initiative and related mechanisms China wants to “Discuss together-Develop togeth-er- Share together” for common pursuit of progress and development,” the press release added.

Bangladesh foreign minister sought Chi-nese assistance in the capacity building of the institutions and human resources in mar-itime and Blue Economy.

The Chinese commerce minister in re-sponse showed keen interest in cooperating in the maritime and blue economy sector and proposed to constitute a working group in the Ministry of Commerce of China to work on the technical areas.

He also mentioned that a Chinese compa-ny named China Aquatic Corporation would look into the Bangladesh request of setting up of the � rst ever marine aquarium in Cox’s Bazar. l

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015NEWS4D

T

Chinese premier likely to visit in Octobern Tribune Report

Either Chinese President Xi Jinping or Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is expected to pay an o� cial visit to Bangladesh in October this year, marking 40 years of China-Bangladesh friendship.

Road Transport and Bridges Minis-ter Obaidul Quader made the disclo-

sure while speaking with journalists at his secretariat o� ce yesterday.

He said: “Either the Chinese president or prime minister is likely to visit the country in October. The � nal date of the visit and programmes are being worked out by diplomats in Beijing and Dhaka.

“During the visit, Dhaka and China are likely to ink six development agree-

ments in the road and bridges infra-structure sector,” he added.

On Tuesday, during a meeting with visiting Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Huchen, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh would invite the Chinese president as well as the Chinese premier to attend a celebration of 40 years of diplomatic relations this year. l

Stopping unsafe chemical use in food stressedn Abu Bakar Siddique

The country needs to stop the use of hazardous chemicals in food production and processing in order to ensure safe food for all, speakers said at a seminar yesterday.

They also urged the government to enforce the existing laws to protect food items from being adulterated and launch compre-hensive campaigns to raise awareness about the consequences of taking adulterated foods.

“At present, huge amounts of chemicals in the forms of fer-tilisers, pesticides and preservatives are being used to produce and process food items in the country but this practice should be stopped immediately,” said Ataur Rahman Miton, general sec-retary of Bangladesh Safe Agro-Foods E� orts (BSAFE) Founda-tion, while addressing the seminar organised by the foundation at BARC (Bangladesh Agricultural Research Centre) conference room in the capital.

He also urged the government to enforce Bangladesh Safe Food Act 2013 in order to stop food adulteration practices. “There must be steps to check this huge intake of chemical substances in the food chain.”

Former BARC director (research) Dr Khalequzzaman Akand Chowdhury said farmers should be educated about the practic-es of producing more crops with the use of a limited amount of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

Dr FH Ansarey, executive director of ACI Agribusiness, stressed the need for disseminating information on agricultural research and techniques among the masses to help them avoid confusions about adulterated food items. l

Social welfare minister terms journos unpatrioticn Our Correspondent, Narsingdi

Social Welfare Minister Syed Mohsin Ali lambasted journalists yesterday, describing them as people lacking patriotism.

He questioned the TV coverage of the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse, expressing his disapproval of showing a large number of dead bodies on the screen, which he said had undermined Bangla-desh’s image in the international community.

“You [journalists] could not have done that if you were patriotic. Dead bodies were repeatedly shown on TV. You can get certi� cates and become journalists but that does not mean you are patriotic,” said Mohsin while addressing a programme at Narsingdi circuit house.

The minister also voiced his disapprobation of social media, saying that people use online platforms to write just anything that comes to their mind. “This is why we have the ICT act, which can put people in trouble. Never think that you can write anything you want against a minister and get away with it.”

He warned that journalists should maintain caution before they write. He also described himself as a pro-democratic person. l

Voting in Bar Council election endsn Tribune Report

Voting in the Bangladesh Bar Council election has taken place in 77 polling centres throughout the country.

Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam, heading the pro-Awami League Sammilita Ainjibi Samannay Parishad, and Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, leader of BNP-Jamaat-backed Jatiyatabadi Ain-jibi Oikya Panel, described the voting free, fair and festive.

A total of 61 candidates are vying for the posts of 14 members. Four panels, including two supported by Awami League and BNP-Jamaat, are contesting the election. l

NEWS 5D


Swechchhasebak League leader dies in police custodyn Kamrul Hasan

A Swechchhasebak League leader has died in police custody, with his family claiming that he had been killed over political rivalry.

Forty-� ve-year-old Farhad Hossain, the organising secretary of Swechchhasebak League Dhaka City North unit, allegedly fell ill at the Dhaka Central Jail during the early hours of yesterday and was declared dead af-ter being rushed to the DMCH around 6am.

Earlier on August 18, Farhad was arrested by the police during a raid to arrest suspects of the August 13 shooting at Dhaka’s Badda, which killed four people including three local ruling party activists.

Badda police station O� cer-in-Charge MA Jalil said: “134 bottles of Phensedyl and

62 Yaba tablets were recovered from his [Far-had’s] o� ce at the time of the arrest.”

Although the raid had been carried out to capture suspects of the Badda shooting, Farhad was sent to jail in a narcotics case, the OC added.

The exact cause of death could not be known as Farhad’s body was handed over to his family without any autopsy, after his rel-atives secured the proper clearance from au-thorities concerned.

But the deceased leader’s wife, Munmun Taslima Subarna, pointed her suspicions at law enforcers, saying the police had “done what they had to do.”

She claimed that Farhad had been killed as he was a strong candidate for top political po-sitions. However, she did not mention names of any people who might have been behind

the death of her husband.Relatives of Farhad told the Dhaka Tribune

that the Swechchhasebak League leader had been picked up by the DB police on August 18 and taken to the Cantonment police station.

The relatives said they � rst thought that Farhad was called to the station to have a political discussion, but later found out that he had been shown arrested in a drug-related case and sent to jail.

Earlier on August 13, unidenti� ed gunmen shot and killed four people, including leaders of Awami League, Swechchhasebak League and Jubo League, at the capital’s Madhya Badda area.

On August 20, Badda unit Juba League ac-tivist Saiful Islam was killed in Gazipur dur-ing an alleged shootout with the police. l

Ex-Customs o� cial jailed for illegal wealthn Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

A Chittagong court yesterday sentenced a for-mer Customs o� cial to eight years in jail on charges of amassing wealth illegally and con-cealing information in his wealth statement.

Chittagong Divisional Special Judge Mir Ruhul Amin passed the order in presence of the convict – former superintendent Sheikh Akram Hossain of Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate at Teknaf. Court sources said the convict – who had previously been out on bail – was sent to jail following the verdict.

Meanwhile, Jahanara Begum and Nilufar Yasmin – wives of the convict – were acquit-ted from two other similar cases as the charge against them were not proved.

Anti-Corruption Commission’s Public Prosecutor Mahmudul Haque Mahmud said the court delivered the verdict under sections 26 (2) and 27 (1) under Anti-Corruption Com-mission Act-2004.

“In one section, the accused was awarded seven-year term and � ned with Tk19,443,437; in default he has to serve another year in jail, while he also got a one-year term in another section under the act – with the court ordering to exe-cute both the terms simultaneously,” he said.

The simultaneous terms would mean that Akram would have to serve a seven-year stretch in jail, the prosecutor added.

The court has ordered the district magis-trate to collect the � ne from the convict’s mov-able and immovable properties, he also said.

According to the case documents, Sheikh Akram was sued in a case on charge of having properties worth Tk19,443,437 which was dis-proportionate of his known sources of income.

Besides, the customs o� cials also hid in-formation about Tk9,211,015 in his wealth statement, while his two wives were also sued in two separate cases on the same charge.

The prosecutor said the three were sued in separate cases - lodged with the city’s Double Mooring Police Station on October 16, 2011 - over the same charge as only a single person could be sued in such charges.

The court delivered the verdict after re-cording testimonies from seven prosecution witnesses out of 10. l

Indictment hearing in Fakhrul case October 1n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday set October 1 to hold a hearing on charge framing against BNP act-ing secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 25 others in a case � led on charg-es of vandalising and torching vehicles.

Metropolitan Magistrate Atiqur Rahman set the date, accepting a time petition by de-fence counsel Zaynal Abedin Mesbah.

The hearing was supposed to be held yes-terday, but the defence � led a time petition mentioning that Mirza Fakhrul could not ap-pear before the court as he was now abroad for medical treatment.

Sub-inspector Mehadi Maksud � led the case with Paltan police station for violence during a BNP programme on on March 2, 2013.

The charge sheet in the case was submitted against 26 BNP men on March 26, 2013. The oth-er charge-sheeted accused include BNP leaders Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshar Chan-dra Roy, and Aman Ullah Aman. l

Inu for AL-JaSaD unityn Tribune Report

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President and Infor-mation Minister Hasanul Haq Inu yesterday expressed his � rm conviction that the alli-ance between the Awami League and his par-ty would remain intact for long.

“The unity is necessary to consolidate vic-tory after defeating militancy so that the trag-ic incidents of August 15 and August 21 cannot recur and militancy reemerge in Bangladesh,” he said in a statement.

His comments follow recent remarks by AL leaders criticising JaSad’s post-1971 role.

The activities of JaSad from 1972 to 1975 were published in newspapers and aired by radio and television and those are known to all, Inu said.

Pointing out that JaSad’s name had not been mentioned anywhere in the verdict of Bangab-andhu murder trial, Inu added that many JaS-ad leaders were arrested and killed during the 83-day rule of Khandaker Mostaq. l

Two former BTTB o� cials jailed n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

A Chittagong court yesterday sentenced two former o� cials of Bangladesh Telephone and Telegraph Board to 10 years in prison for em-bezzling Tk64 lakh in 1993.

Fines of Tk32 lakh were also handed to the convicted: former divisional engineer Kamrul Hasan and former section o� cer Mohammad Hossain of the BTTB, currently known as BTCL.

Chittagong Divisional Special Judge Mir Ru-hul Amin passed the order in absentia of the convicts as they are on the run, the sources said.

The Anti-Corruption Commission’s Public Prosecutor Mahmudul Haque Mahmud said both the accused were awarded � ve years of jail under two separate sections of the Cor-ruption Prevention Act, 1947.

According to the case documents, the two men misappropriated Tk64 lakh by with-drawing BTTB bills from Bangladesh Bank by forging cheques. l

Md Rubel, left, spends 16 hours each day smoothening the edges of silver-made plates in a factory in the capital’s Kamrangirchar. For his hard work, he gets paid a meagre one taka per plate. For the last six years, Rubel has been struggling to make ends meet through this job MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

NEWS6DT


Government of the People’s Republic of BangladeshOffi ce of the Chief Engineer

Health Engineering Department (HED)Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

105-106, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.

Memo No. HED/HPNSDP/Bogra-Sirajgonj DDFP.Offi ce/Tender-1165/2015/126 Dated: 26/08/2015

INVITATION FOR RE-TENDER Sealed Tenders are hereby invited from the eligible Tenderers for “Construction of Family Planning Offi ce at Bogra”. The Particulars of Tender are shown in the table below.

1 Ministry Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).2 Agency Health Engineering Department (HED)3 Procuring Entity Name Chief Engineer, Health Engineering Department (HED), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.4 Procuring Entity Code None.5 Procuring entity District Dhaka.6 Invitation for Works.7 Invitation Ref No. ¯^vcKg/¯^v¯’-1/ PFD-2 (Ask-2)/2012/3008 Date 18.05.2015

KEY INFORMATION9 Procurement Method Open Tendering Method (OTM) National

FUNDING INFORMATION10 Budget and Source of Funds Government of Bangladesh (GOB) Development Budget.11 Development Partners None

PARTICULAR INFORMATION12 Project/Programme Code 2-2711-523013 Project/Programme Name HPNSDP.14 Tender Package No. WP-761/SDP(GOB)-HED.15 Tender Package Name Construction of Family Planning Offi ce at Bogra.16 Tender Publication Date 28.08.201517 Tender Last Selling Date & Time Date: 13.09.2015 Time: 1700 Hours.18 Tender Closing Date and Time Date: 14.09.2015 Time: 1300 Horus19 Tender Opening Date and Time Date: 14.09.2015 Time: 1400 Hours.20 Name & Address of Offi ces for

Selling Tender Documentsi. Offi ce of the Chief Engineer, Health Engineering Department (HED), Ministry of Health and

Family Welfare, 105-106, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.ii. Offi ce of the Director General, Directorate General of Family Planning, 6 kawranbazar, Dhaka.iii. Offi ce of the Divisional Commissioner, Dhaka/Rajshahi Division.iv. Executive Engineer, HED, Bogra Division.

21 Name & Address of Offi ces for Receiving Tenders.

i. Offi ce of the Chief Engineer, Health Engineering Department (HED), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 105-106, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.

ii. Offi ce of the Director General, Directorate General of Family Planning, 6 Kawranbazar, Dhaka.iii. Offi ce of the Divisional Commissioner, Segun Bagicha, Dhaka.iv. Offi ce of the Metro Politan Police Commissioner, Ramna, Dhaka.

22 Name & Address of Offi ces for Opening Tenders.

Offi ce of the Chief Engineer, Health Engineering Department (HED), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 105-106, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.

23 Place/Date/Time of Pre-Tender Meeting (Optional)

Not Applicable.

INFORMATION FOR TENDER24 Brief Description of Works i. Construction of 04 (Four) Storied Building with 06 (Six) Storied Foundation.

ii. External works:- Site Development, Surface Drain, Internal Road, Boundary Wall, Underground water reservoir,Deep Tube-well and External Electrifi cation work etc.

25 Eligibility of TendererSl No

Identifi cation of Package.

Name of work (Location) Tender Security (Taka in Lac.)

Completion Time

Liquid Asset (Taka in Lac)

Similar Work in Single Contact (Taka in lac.)

Turn Over/Year (Taka in Lac)

1 WP-761/SDP/(GOB)-HED

Construction of Family Planning Offi ce at Bogra.

12.50 12 Months 120.00 315.00 675.00

26 Brief Description of Related Services Not Applicable27 Price of Tender Documents Tk. 3000.00 (Taka Three Thousand) Only in the Form of Treasury Challan to Accounts Code No.

1-2717-0000-2366PROCURING ENTITY DETAILS28 Name of Offi cial Inviting Tender Engr. Md. Nazrul Islam29 Designation of Offi cial Inviting Tender Superintending Engineer (P&A), (In-charge), Health Engineering Department (HED)30 Address of Offi cial Inviting Tender 105-106, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.31 Contact Details of Offi cial Inviting

TenderTelephone No: 880-2-9587603, Fax: 880-2-9587601, e-mail address: [email protected]

32 Special Instructions:i. All submittals must be singned by the Tenderer. If not, the tender shall be treated as non-responsive.ii. Incase of submitting Tender documents by secured post service must be addressed to Chief Engineer, HED, 105-106, Motijheel C/A,

Dhaka-1000 and it must be reached within the time mentioned in sl. no 18.iii. Tender submission letter (From PW3-1) should be fi lled in as per form attached with the Tender document. If not, Tender shall not be

accepted.iv. Any less or discount/above on total quoted amount in the abstract of BOQ of Tender document will not be accepted but modifi cation as

per ITT Clause 45.1 will be accepted.v. Notifi cation of award (NOA) will be issued to the Successful Tenderer after getting approval from the competent Authority.vi. The procuring entity reserves the right to reject all Tenders prior to acceptance without assigning any reason whatsoever.

(Engr. Md. Nazrul Islam) Superintending Engineer (P & A) (In-change)DG-859/15 (10x4) Health Engineering Department (HED).

2 poachers held with tiger skinn Our Correspondent,

Barisal

Members of Rapid Action Battalion have arrested two poachers with a tiger skin from a house in Khulna customs gate area.

The arrestees are Abdul Jalil Gazi and Md Ashraf Fakir.

Major Adnan, deputy com-mander of RAB 8 : “Acting on a

tip-o� , we conducted a drive at the house and arresting them on Tuesday night. The skin is seven feet long.”

In the interrogation, the ar-restees confessed about their involvement with tiger skin smuggling.

RAB handed them over to Bania Khamar police station in Khulna after � ling a case in this connection. l

Three held with 80 gold barsn Our Correspondent, Magura

Police have arrested three people with 80 gold bars worth Tk3 crore at PTI intersection in Magura.

The arrestees are Subadh Kumar Shil, 33, of Manikganj, Niranjan Shil, 34, and Suman Shil, 35, residents of Savar.

Magura sadar OC Munshi Asaduzzaman said: “Police con-ducted a drive at a bus of Songram Poribahan and recovered the gold bars around 5am Wednesday. The gold bars were tied to their bodies.” l

Flood situation likely to improve n Tribune Report

Though water level rose in 46 rivers and fell in 35 riv-ers, � ood situation across the country remained unchanged till yesterday evening.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said the over-all � ood situation would im-prove within short time.

According to the centre, the Brahmaputra is in falling trend which may likely to continue in next 60-hour.

The Jamuna River has start-ed falling which may likely to continue in next 60-hour.

The Ganges-Padma river systems are in rising trend which may likely to continue in next 12 hours.

Except Surma-Kushiyara the river systems in north east-ern part are in falling trend. This situation may likely to continue in next 12 hours.

A total of 40mm rainfall was recorded during last 24-hour ending at 6am today at Suna-mganj, 40mm at Rangamati, 34mm at Dalia and 29mm at Panchagarh.

In Faridpur, a vast low lying area of nine unions of three upazillas of this district have been submerged due to rise of water level in rivers Padma and Arial Khan.

The normal water level in the Padma River is 8.65 me-ters while it is � owing today at 9.04 metres. According to Wa-ter Board sources the Padma is now � owing above 39 centime-ters above danger level.

This situation has created due to onrush of � ood water from the upstream.

People of about nine unions living in the low lying areas on the river bank and also in mid- stream of Padma have become marooned, says an o� cial source.

UNO of Sadar upazila Md Ja-hirul Islam said they were close-ly monitoring the situation.

In Jamalpur, � ood water in the district started receding but the overall situation re-mains unchanged.

Water Development Board sources said the Jamuna fell by 11 cm but still � owing 32 cm above the red mark at Baha-durabad Ghat point at 12 noon yesterday.

Executive Engineer of Local Government Engineering De-partment Anisul Wahab Khan said � ood water damaged two approach roads of bridges par-tially in Islampur and Dewan-ganj upazilas.

Dumping of sand bags on the roads has kept communi-cation on.

District Relief and Rehabili-tation O� ce sources said over 30,000 people in Islampur, De-wanganj, Bakshiganj, Madar-ganj and Sarishabari upazilas have been a� ected by � oods.

A total of 74 tonnes of rice has been distributed among the � ood hit people in Dewan-ganj, Islampur, Bakshiganj and Sarishabari upazilas.

Department of Agriculture Extension O� ce said standing crops on 8,402 hectares of land in six of the seven upazilas of the district have damaged.

District Primary Education O� cer Abdul Alim said Shilda-ha Government Primary school in Islampur upazila had gone under Jamuna water last night.

Besides, 119 primary schools have been shut down as � oods waters entered the schools.

Deputy Commissioner Md Shahabuddin Khan said relief operation in the a� ected areas was progressing.

In Kurigram, water in most rivers recessed yesterday. But yesterday noon, the Dharola River was � owing above 2cm of danger level.

The district administration provided 80 tonnes of rice and Tk2 lakh in cash among dis-tressed people which was not su� cient. l

Alleged thief lynchedn Tribune Report

An alleged thief was killed in a lynch-mob attack at Noudapa-ra village in Kushtia sadar upazila early yesterday.

The deceased was identi� ed as Taslim Uddin Khan, 35, son of Tabir Uddin Khan, hailing from Khejurtala village.

Locals said Taslim was caught by the residents of the house of Amod Ali where he went to steal cows.

On information, villagers rushed in and gave Taslim a tre-mendous trashing, leaving him dead on the spot. l

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015NEWS 7

DT

Source: Accuweather/UNB

D H A K ATODAY TOMORROW

SUN SETS 6:22PM SUN RISES 5:38AM

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

36.0ºC 25.0ºC

Rajshahi Feni

SourceL IslamicFinder.org

F O R E C A S T F O R T O D A YDhaka 32 26Chittagong 32 26Rajshahi 33 26Rangpur 32 26Khulna 32 26Barisal 32 27Sylhet 31 25Cox’s Bazar 30 26

PRAYER TIMESFajr 4:21am

Sunrise 5:38amZohr 12:01am

Asr 4:34pmMagrib 6:22pm

Esha 7:40pm

WEATHER

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27

THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

Fresh erosion hits Padma Bridge siten Our Correspondent, Munshiganj

A nearly 80 metre area of the Padma Bridge site was devoured by the mighty Padma River at Kumarbhog point in Lauhojong, Munshi-ganj yesterday morning, only three days af-ter 200 metres of the area collapsed into the river.

On Sunday, a jetty, link road, and a tempo-rary concrete plant were washed away.

An o� cial said about the collapse: “A por-tion of the project site has been eroded due to strong currents and a rise in the water level of the Padma River.”

He said appropriate measures would be taken to curb erosion in the area.

The � rst instance of erosion on the project site took place on June 27 this year. On that day, a 100 metre area was devoured by the river.

Shimulia-Kawrakandi ferry services remain halted for 7 days Yesterday marked the seventh day that ferry service on the Shimulia-Kawrakandi route, known as the gateway of 21 districts in the southern part of the country, has remained

frozen. This step was taken due to a naviga-bility crisis and strong currents causing great su� ering the people who use the route.

Though almost all passenger buses changed their route to avoid the Shimulia ghat, over 300 goods-laden trucks got stuck on both sides of the Padma River.

Meanwhile, three lakh cubic metres of silt will be dredged to ready the channel for normal movement of the ferries. Two big dredgers of the Padma Bridge Project will be deployed today for dredging. It will take near-ly a week to dredge the channel of the Shim-ulia-Kawarakandi route.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Au-thority (BIWTA) Executive Engineer Md Sultan Ahmed Khan said: “A total of 22 lakh cubic me-tres of silt will be removed from the riverbed.”

BIWTA Assistant Manager Shekhar Chan-dra Roy said: “Ferry Kusumkali and ferry Camelia are plying the river, but they have made only three trips on Tuesday.”

Mawa Naval Police outpost in-charge SL Md. Yunus said, “Passenger buses are no longer using this route. Almost 200 to 300 goods-laden trucks are waiting on both sides to cross the river.”

To have enough water in the channel, more dredging is needed. On the other hand, silt coming in with the strong current � lls up the openings of the channel. For normal movement of the ferries, seven feet deep water is needed, but the water depth of the channel is less than six feet.

Shipping minister visits Shimulia ghat Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan visited Shimulia ghat in the afternoon. He said: “Four dredgers of the BIWTA are working for overcoming navigability crisis.

Later, he visited the river erosion site of the Padma Bridge Project construction yard. BIWTA Chairman Commodore M Mozammel Haq and other o� cials of the Padma Bridge Project and BIWTA accompanied him during his visit.

Our Sta� Correspondent adds: The road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said erosion would not create any problem to built the Padma Bridge.

“The recent erosion will not a� ect the con-struction of Padma Bridge,” the minister said yesterday after a meeting with Chinese Com-merce Minister Gao Hucheng. l

Traders protest trade license fee hiken Our Correspondent, Khulna

Traders laid a siege to the Khulna Nagar Bhaban yesterday protesting hike of trade li-cense fee.

They submitted a memorandum to the Khulna City Corporation Mayor Md Moniruz-zaman Moni in this connection.

Led by Khulna Chamber of Commerce and Industries Co-Chairman Advocate Md Saiful Islam, the group of traders kept the Nagar Bhaban besieged for an hour in the morning.

Speakers told at the demo told that the government had � xed the highest and lowest rate of trade license fee. The gazette men-tions that the interest of local traders must be considered while � xing the rates, but, the city mayor did not consult with any leader of the traders associations of the city before raising the fee.

Previously the trade license fee ranged from Tk800-Tk1,000 which now stands at Tk3,000 and can stretch up to Tk6,900. Such a drastic raise is taking a toll upon the traders.

Most of the traders were unable to pay such a high fee, they said.

Leaders of 65 traders associations of Khulna City Corporation took part in the programme. They urged the authorities con-cerned to withdraw the raise of trade license fee without a delay.

While receiving the memorandum, the mayor assured them of presenting the matter of concern to the ministry and solve the com-plications related to the rate of trade license fee for the sake of the traders. l

BCL leader accused of demanding toll n Our Correspondent, Sylhet

The vice-president of Chhatra League’s Sylhet district unit has been accused of threatening and demanding money from the caretaker of a house owned by an expatriate.

Harunur Rashid, who takes care of the east Shaplabagh house of his relative Yasin Ali, an expat in America, told a press brie� ng at Syl-het Press Club yesterday that Chhatra League leader Hossain Ahmed Chowdhury and three others rented a � at in April for Tk9,000, iden-tifying themselves as students.

“Hossain and the other three – Sakib Al Hasan, Jamil Ahmed and Md Solaiman Hos-sain – were repeatedly asked to pay the up-front rent and also the rents for the month of April and May but they did not comply. They also demanded Tk2 lakh from me, and threat-ened that they would not move out unless the money was given,” he said.

The caretaker informed some local in� u-entials of the matter and the four agreed to move out on June 1. But they did not do so and kept threatening Rashid.

“Early on August 11, Hossain and some of his associates took some relatives of the house owner, including me, hostage and de-manded Tk2 lakh. They also threatened to kill us,” said Rashid.

Police detained Jamil Ahmed, one of the renters, and sent him to court on Tuesday af-ter Rashid � led a case with Shahparan police station on the same day. l

Labourers working to � x the Padma Bridge construction yard in Louhajang’s Kumarbhog yesterday. Another 80 square metres of area got washed away again by strong river currents only four days after a jetty, link road and a temporary concrete plant were devoured by the river MEHEDI HASAN

WORLD8DT


India: Hindu population drops below 80%, Muslim ratio risesn Reuters, New Delhi

India’s Hindus have dropped below 80% of the population for the � rst time since inde-pendence and media had speculated the pre-vious government deliberately delayed the release of the data because it showed a rise in the Muslim population.

Members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party, which swept to power last year, have expressed growing concern about the rising numbers of Muslims.

The census data shows that Hindus de-clined to 79.8% of the country’s 1.2bn people in 2011, from 80.5% a decade earlier.

The share of Muslims rose to 14.2% from 13.4% in 2001 - the only major religious group to record a rise. Christians stayed at 2.3% and Sikhs fell to 1.7% from 1.9%.

In the � rst census, conducted after Britain carved India and Pakistan out of colonial In-dia in 1947, Hindus accounted for 84.1% of the Indian population. l

Three killed in caste-related violence in Gujaratn Reuters, New Delhi

At least three people were killed in clashes be-tween police and protesters in India’s western state of Gujarat on Wednesday after a huge rally by a powerful clan demanding more gov-ernment jobs and college places.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for calm after a curfew was imposed and a unit of the army deployed in the state he ran for more than a decade before leading his nation-alist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to victory in last year’s election.

“I appeal to the people of Gujarat to main-tain peace. Violence will never achieve any-thing,” Modi said in a statement broadcast on television.

At least half a million members of the Pati-dar, or Patel, community rallied on Tuesday in the city of Ahmedabad to demand changes to policies that, they argue, unfairly favour groups at the lower end of India’s social order.

Police o� cer Ramesh Chavda said three people across the state were shot dead by police. Four protesters were critically

wounded in clashes, he said.Clashes broke out after the arrest of the

movement’s leader, 21-year-old activist Hardik Patel, prompting police to � re tear gas and to baton-charge protesters.

“They have burnt down nine police stations and over three dozen buses,” PC Thakur, Guja-rat’s top police o� cer, told Reuters earlier. “We had to impose a curfew to control the clashes.”

The Patels, a wealthy business communi-ty in India and overseas, have been a driving force in the economy, dominating the thriving diamond trade, oil processing and textiles.

But they say that caste-based reservations deprive them of opportunities. They insist the government should put an end to a� rma-tive action policies that favour Muslims, low-caste Hindus and Other Backward Classes - a collective term covering socially and educa-tionally deprived groups.

Caste-based reservations have always been a sensitive issue in India, used often as a tool for what is called vote-bank politics.

Modi said in a speech in May that India must overcome its caste-based divisions. l

Suu Kyi eyes poll majority, but fears for political gainsn AFP, Naypyidaw

Aung San Suu Kyi said she was con� dent her opposition party would win Myanmar’s land-mark elections if they are free and fair, but raised concerns over the country’s overall progress towards democracy.

In an interview, the Nobel Peace Prize win-ner said she expects her National League for Democracy (NLD) will secure a majority in November.

It will be the � rst nationwide poll the NLD has contested for 25 years in a country strait-jacketed for almost half a century by military rule.

The party won by a landslide in 1990 but was barred by the military from taking power.

Asked if she was con� dent of winning a dominant share of seats Suu Kyi replied: “If the elections are free and fair, of course.”

“I think looking at the governments which have gone before us, we should be in a posi-tion to form a better government,” she said, in some of her most sanguine comments yet as Myanmar fast approaches an election many hope will be the freest in its modern history.

Suu Kyi, the daughter of Myanmar’s inde-pendence hero, led her opposition party into parliament after the current quasi-civilian government replaced military rule in 2011.

But Myanmar’s junta-era constitution blocks her pathway to the presidency, and a recent attempt to change it was quashed by the still-powerful military and its allies.

And the veteran campaigner said she was also “very concerned” about irregularities in the run-up to the polls, stressing that the long-cloistered country still has a long way to go before it can be called democratic.

Fraud fears Suu Kyi said her party was concerned that it was a target of rivals “using religion for po-litical purposes” as the Buddhist-majority na-

tion grapples with the increasing in� uence of radical nationalist monks.

Scant progress had been made, she said, in two complaints � led with election authori-ties over cases in which political rivals started “attacking” the NLD during religious ceremo-nies.

Earlier this month President Thein Sein, a former general, launched a dramatic internal putsch of the ruling party using security forc-es, ousting rival Shwe Mann from the party leadership in a move seen as an e� ort by the army and its allies to tighten their grip ahead of the polls.

The opposition leader’s cordial political re-lationship with Shwe Mann, who retains his in� uential role as parliament speaker, had led to speculation they were planning an alliance that would have challenged the still-powerful military.

Observers fear that the NLD’s lack of an ob-vious heir to Suu Kyi will stoke political un-certainty, particularly in the months after the November 8 elections when parliament will select a president.

Suu Kyi, who turned 70 this year, con-� rmed that the NLD would reveal its candi-date for the job only after the polls.

But she said the nominee would come from within the party.

The constitution excludes those with for-eign spouses and children from top political o� ce – Suu Kyi’s two sons are British -— as well as reserving a quarter of parliamentary seats for unelected soldiers.

The Oxford-educated campaigner was swept into the country’s democracy � ght almost by accident when she returned home after years abroad to nurse her sick mother in 1988.

Suu Kyi was locked up for a total of 15 years, mostly in her dilapidated lakeside mansion in Yangon. She was unable to see her husband Michael Aris before his death from cancer in 1999, and missed seeing her sons grow up. l

Nepal SC orders suspension of surrogacy servicesn AFP, Kathmandu

Nepal’s top court has ordered a halt to com-mercial surrogacy services in the Himalayan nation until it rules on the legality of the prac-tice, an o� cial said Wednesday.

Nepal has become a destination for for-eigners seeking to have children through sur-rogate mothers. The practice is controversial, with critics saying it exploits the poverty of women.

Although Nepal has no laws on its books covering surrogacy, the government last year allowed foreign women to serve as surrogates in Nepal but barred local women.

“There are no laws regarding surrogacy... it raises many constitutional and legal ques-tions,” said Nahakul Subedi, spokesman for the Supreme Court.

“So the court issued a stay order on sur-rogacy services yesterday ... until the case is settled,” Subedi said.

Advocate Prabin Pandak, who � led the original lawsuit against the practice, said the court’s order would put a stop to the registra-tion of new cases. l


Opinion poll: Joe Biden fans see him as honest, in contrast to Hillary Clintonn Reuters

Often maligned for speaking too frankly, Vice President Joe Biden’s reputation for shooting from the lip might be one of his biggest weap-ons if he does decide to run against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination in the 2016 US presidential election.

Voters in a Reuters/Ipsos survey who said they were open to backing Biden for the nom-ination described him as an honest and forth-right political veteran who is free of scandal despite decades in Washington.

Those perceived attributes could give Bid-en an edge over Clinton, whose “trustwor-thy” poll numbers have dropped as she strug-gles with perceptions that she has not been completely open about her use of a private email account for o� cial business when she was secretary of state.

Clinton says she did nothing wrong and only used the private account because of con-venience. The FBI is now investigating the se-curity of the private server and any classi� ed information on it.

Reuters spoke to 22 of the poll respondents who said they would support Biden. More than half used words like “honest,” “genuine” and “trustworthy” to describe why they like the former senator.

While many opinion polls have been throwing Biden’s name into the mix for some months, few have examined the reasons for his relative popularity among many Democrats.

His fans appear willing to overlook the

72-year-old’s tendency to commit ga� es, which would be a handicap on a presidential campaign.

“He says what he means. It’s not always good, but he’s upfront and honest,” said Mary Lampron, 70, of North Providence, Rhode Is-land. “Maybe it’s not what he should say, but it’s what he thinks, which I admire,” she said.

In 2012, Biden surprised his boss, President Barack Obama, when he said he was “abso-lutely comfortable” with gay couples getting married, forcing Obama to publicly declare his own support for same sex marriage.

Questions about transparencyEleven of the 22 poll respondents interviewed mentioned what they saw as Clinton’s lack of transparency, or controversy surrounding her, as a mark against her candidacy.

According to Quinnipiac polls, 64% of vot-ers surveyed in August said Clinton is not hon-est and trustworthy - up from 54% in April.

“I don’t support her because her credibil-ity’s been in question. That’s the main issue. I don’t trust her,” said Icie Farnsworth, 53, a lifelong Democrat from Martinsville, Virginia, who said she liked Biden’s voting record on the economy, civil rights and education.

Last month Clinton blamed a “constant barrage of attacks that are largely foment-ed by and coming from the right.” “People should and do trust me,” she told CNN in an interview.

Biden has not said whether he will run for president, but speculation grew at the week-

end that he may soon challenge Clinton for the Democratic nomination when he met with Senator Elizabeth Warren, a power bro-ker among liberals.

It is late in the nomination contest and Biden is still way behind both Clinton and lib-eral Senator Bernie Sanders.

Only 13.3% of 690 Democrats in the Reu-ters/Ipsos online survey backed Biden while 47% supported Clinton and 24.9% were for Sanders, who has been attracting much larger crowds than Clinton.

All the same, the fact that Biden might be considering a run compounds Clinton’s headaches.

“At a minimum, he de� nitely shakes the race up and makes Hillary’s path to the nom-ination arguably more di� cult,” said Dem-ocratic strategist Chris Ko� nis, who is not working for any of the campaigns.

Though Clinton has wide policy experi-ence, Biden’s 36 years in the Senate and al-most two terms as vice president count in his favor among supporters.

“I know she was � rst lady and has experi-ence in the White House in that capacity, and I know she was secretary of state, but I think the experience he has is closer to what is needed for the presidency,” said Dee Garletts, 72, of Bellevue, Washington.

Ruby Ellis, 74, of Lawrence, Kansas said she liked Biden because he was untainted by scandal. “He would just be a real refreshing person without problems behind him of any kind,” she said. l

Molten lava � ows from the Piton de la Fournaise, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, at dawn on the French Indian Ocean Reunion Island. The eruption which started on Monday is the fourth one this year for the Piton de la Fournaise, sending hot jets of molten lava spewing up from the peak REUTERS

S Sudan president signs peace deal despite concernsn Reuters, Juba

South Sudan’s president signed a peace deal on Wednesday to end a 20-month con� ict with rebels, but he told regional African lead-ers at the ceremony that he had “serious res-ervations.”

President Salva Kiir, who has led South Sudan since it seceded from Sudan in 2011, had asked for more time for consultations last week, drawing threats of UN sanctions if he failed to ink it within a two-week deadline.

“With all those reservations that we have, we will sign this document,” he told African leaders who had gathered in Juba for the cere-mony, speaking shortly before he signed.

His long-time rival and rebel leader Riek Machar, who is expected to become the First Vice President under the deal, put his pen to the document last week in the Ethiopian capital.

The con� ict erupted in December 2013 after a power struggle between between Machar, an ethnic Nuer, and Kiir, from the dominant Dinka group. Fighting has increas-ingly followed ethnic lines.

Thousands of people have been killed, many of the 11 million population have been driven to the brink of starvation and 2 million people have � ed their homes, often to neigh-bouring states. It has unsettled an already vol-atile region. l

Malaysia, Indonesia to deploy special team to � ght soaring piracyn Reuters, Singapore

Malaysia and Indonesia are deploying rapid reaction teams to combat a soaring number of piracy attacks on merchant vessels in one of the world’s busiest shipping chokepoints, a Malaysian admiral said.

Over 70 ships have been attacked in the Malacca and Singapore straits, on the west-ern side of the Malay Peninsula, this year, the highest number since at least 2008, including at least seven at the end of last week, accord-ing to security and anti-piracy groups.

“We have in general recommended that vessels proceeding to Singapore and passing Malaysian waters take appropriate security measures,” said Michael Storgaard, spokes-man for the world’s biggest shipping � rm Maersk Line. One of the ships attacked last week was the 106,043 deadweight container ship Maersk Lebu.

The surge of attacks has led the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Mmea), or coastguard, to deploy a helicopter-equipped special task and rescue (Star) team at Johor Bharu, First Admiral Maritime Zulki� li bin Abu Bakar, director of maritime matters in the MMEA’s crime investigations department, said.

Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia already coordinate naval and police patrols in the Malacca Strait and South China Sea, but have been hampered by a lack of resources, while sheltered coasts and islands make it easy for robbers to operate. l.

WORLD 9D

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China � re� ghters in spotlight after Tianjin blastsn AFP, Beijing

As the child of poor Chinese farmers Yang Weigang never dreamt of being a � re� ghter. But when he grew up, the chance of making a little more money than his poverty-stricken par-ents outweighed the dangers.

Yang, 24, was among the � rst to respond to a � re at a haz-ardous goods storage warehouse in the port of Tianjin on Au-gust 12. As e� orts were made to contain the blaze, two monu-mental explosions sent � ames towering into the sky and left scenes of apocalyptic devastation.

He has not been seen since, one of 48 � re� ghters still miss-ing. A total of 56 � re� ghters have been con� rmed among the 139 dead, while 34 others still missing.

“There are no jobs in our hometown, so when Yang Weigang heard from a friend the port was hiring � re-� ghters, it was the best job he could � nd,” his father Yang Jie said.

Nearly all of China’s � remen are contract labourers – young, poor men from the countryside who receive limited training, provoking public concern over the professionalism and capa-bilities of the emergency service.

Questions have been raised over whether poorly trained � re� ghters responding to the Tianjin blaze could have con-tributed to the detonations by spraying water over calcium carbide, listed as being at the site, which reacts with it to pro-duce highly combustible acetylene gas.

‘Our only son’The Yang family have been farmers in Yu county in Hebei province, which borders both Tianjin and Beijing, for gen-erations. The younger Yang was the � rst to leave, spending four years as a soldier before being lured to the port � re bri-gade by monthly pay of more than RMB3,500 ($550), near-ly double what his father makes as a farmer and occasional handyman.

The sons of 10 other families from the area did the same, his father said, all of them poorly educated but looking to eke out a marginally better life than their parents.

Yang’s training was little more than morning runs, a brief introduction on using equipment and being given a book to study on � re� ghting techniques, his father said.

Yang was one of the hundreds of millions of Chinese who have left the countryside to seek work in major cities.

They are often treated as second-class citizens in their adopted cities, denied the same social bene� ts as locals.

Low pay, high riskChina’s � re� ghters divide into three levels: those employed

directly by the ministry of public security – which also over-sees the police – those who work for local governments, and contract teams established by businesses with a high risk of � re.

Nearly all the country’s 130,000 � re personnel come un-der the third category, the ministry says, including those who worked for the port of Tianjin.

Salaries are generally around RMB3,000 a month and

turnover is typically high, according to relatives and media reports.

Chinese media have compared � re� ghters’ training and compensation unfavourably with those in developed countries.

But authorities seeking to quash criticism of the system have said that any questioning of the � re� ghters’ abilities denigrates the memories of the dead. l

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015WORLD10D

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11D

TEDITORIALTHURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

INSIDE

In its recent report to parliament, the Law Commission called for urgent measures to reduce the burden faced by the millions of citizens who are a� ected by delays in the hearing and settlement of court cases.

The chronic backlog in the court system is made worse by the nation’s low number of actively working judges.

Since the BJSC was reconstituted in 2007, around 930 new assistant judges and judicial magistrates have been appointed. On past trends, the rate of appointment is too slow to prevent vacancies rising, given the expected number of impending retirements among serving judiciary.

At present, the Appellate Division has seven judges, the High Court around 100, and there are slightly over 1,100 judges actively serving in lower courts.

It is most concerning that around a quarter of the 1,600 budgeted posts for lower court judges are currently vacant. Pressures are obviously most acutely felt in the lower courts, which deal with the vast majority of cases. There are slightly over 15,000 cases pending with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, and 370,000 with the High Court.

Clearly, the government needs to act on promises to expedite the appointment of new judges. However, it also needs to address bottlenecks which slow the pace of cases, and look at ways to reduce the number of cases that need to be heard in the � rst place.

Encouraging alternative dispute resolution mechanisms can help alleviate pressure on the court system and allow speedier and less expensive justice for litigants. Similarly, simplifying court procedures to increase speed and transparency can be used to mitigate delays and create more opportunities to settle cases before trial.

As around 60% of outstanding civil litigation cases relate to land disputes, it is also clear that reforming the administration of land management could drastically help to lessen burdens on the court system.

While such measures will require more commitment and funds from the government, they will pay for themselves by making the administration of justice more e� cient and e� ective. This is imperative to help all citizens and reduce scope for corruption in the legal system. We cannot a� ord to permit citizens and businesses to keep su� ering from delays in justice.

Appoint more judges and address bottlenecks to improve administration of justice

Comprehensive reforms needed to reduce backlog of court cases

Should the taka be devalued?

Turkey and the case for a care-taker governmentIt is an irony that the CTG eventually became suspect, not because the people had problems with it, but because the very parties that fought to establish it and then took credit for it, made the CTG suspect

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Doing something about injusticeThis hypocritical perception reveals our primitive and backward culture that has a tolerance for violence, revealing that the moral order of our society has collapsed

Bangladesh must keep on supporting its exporters and remitters. With the signi� cant price drop in importing items, the nation possibly does not need to bother much with import-pushed price hikes as well

BIG

STO

CK

OPINION12DT


n M Serajul Islam

Some interesting news for our poli-tics has recently come from Turkey. The country had elections in June. However, it left no party with a clear

majority. The prime minister, Ahmet Davuto-glu, from the Justice and Development Party, tried within the mandatory 45 days to put to-gether a coalition, but failed. Thus, President Tayyip Erdogan, on his advice, called new elections on November 1.

The news of fresh elections in Turkey did not cause any surprise in Bangladesh, but something else did. The prime minister pro-posed to hold the November elections under the care-taker government, and o� ered the two main parties to name representatives for it. Turkey has a history of peaceful elec-tions. Questions have been raised about US elections in the past, but never about Turkish elections. The o� er by the prime minister to hold the November elections under a CTG was neither a demand from the opposition parties, nor has the PM been encouraged by some serious faults in the existing system of elections to make such a proposal.

In fact, the opposition parties have de-clined to accept the prime minister’s o� er to name representatives for the election-time government or CTG. The o� er of the prime minister, therefore, must have come because, with no party with a clear chance to win, he and his party perhaps felt that without a CTG, they might be accused of unfairness in case they emerged from the polls to form the government.

The o� er of the Turkish PM is an inter-esting one in the context of the arguments that are being made in Bangladesh against the CTG. The main argument that those who oppose the care-taker system give is that elections under it cannot be democratic because the care-takers are an unelected body. In other words, they believe that only elected representatives can elect democratic governments.The Turkish PM did not think so, because everywhere, democracies or otherwise, elections are routinely conducted by unelected o� cials.

They ensure the voter list, give registra-tion to political parties, manage those who want to contest, assure that voters are able to vote without hindrance or fear, and above all, that voters are provided the choice of elect-ing candidates. The unelected o� cials do all these fundamental functions required to hold a free and fair election, because the laws under which they operate are so mechanical that they cannot do anything to the con-trary. More importantly, those who want to in� uence them, including the party in power, cannot do so because the law simply would not permit it.

The problems with elections and the nature of governments under which elec-tions are held, arise only where governments can set aside the laws, and not just interfere but also in� uence the outcome of elections. There is no basis in arguing that elections be-

come democratic only when those who lead the election-time government are elected or unelected, per se. The history of elections in Bangladesh is replete with examples where elected governments in election mode have repeatedly set the laws aside and tried to in� uence elections. Certainly, those were not democratic elections.

In fact, the Awami League’s demand for the CTG in the BNP’s 1991-96 term was based on the argument that party governments, elected or otherwise, cannot be trusted to deliver a free and fair election. The AL forced the BNP to amend the constitution and make the CTG a part of it in June 1996. Thereafter, elections were held under the CTG that were free and fair, and the BNP lost.

The AL credited itself for introducing the CTG as its major contribution to democracy, because it gave the voters the best opportuni-ty to freely and fairly elect the party of their choice to become the government. The BNP also claimed that the CTG was its own con-tribution to democracy, as it had amended the constitution to make national elections mandatory under a CTG.

Both Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, in statements made in international forums in their respective terms of o� ce before 2009,

have had at least one paragraph crediting their respective parties for the CTG. Those of us who served both the AL and the BNP in those terms have ourselves spoken in very positive terms of the CTG, and those who listened to us in countries of our postings were impressed with what we said -- that in countries where a party in power can set the rule of law aside very easily and interfere, the CTG is the best answer for democracy to survive and function.

It is an irony that the CTG eventually became suspect, not because the people had problems with it, but because the very parties that fought to establish it and then took credit for it, made the CTG suspect. The AL started maligning the very system it had placed in the constitution when it lost in 2001. The BNP, in its 2001-2006 term, tried to manipulate the system by putting a huge number of fake voters in the voters list, and then allowed the system to become suspect when the president, a nominee of the party, became the head of the CTG that paved the way for the army to introduce the emergency that, in e� ect, pushed the country decades back in development.

The CTG system was introduced when, in politics, the distrust between the AL and

the BNP was high. Each believed that the other would interfere with and in� uence the elections. The law did not protect the o� cials responsible to hold elections from pressures from the ruling party. That distrust has worsened, so has law and order. In writ-ing the 2012 verdict on the abolition of the CTG system, the judges did take into account these facts, and therefore wanted at least two more elections under the CTG.

The talk of CTG in Bangladesh has not ended. The Turkish PM has reminded many in Bangladesh that the argument used by the ruling party and its supporters -- that the sys-tem is against democracy -- is hardly true. In fact, there have been a number of countries that have taken the lead from Bangladesh and held elections under a care-taker system. Greece, Nepal, and Pakistan have had elec-tions under CTGs.

Democratic elections allow voters choice, and to vote without fear or favour. They do not, in the least, depend on who holds the interim government or whether they are elected or otherwise. In fact, democrat-ic elections depend squarely on whether the law protects unelected o� cials -- the Election Commission, for instance -- who conduct the elections free from in� uence or interference.

When the parliamentary system is in interim government mode, the PM and the cabinet become unelected, with the termina-tion of the term of parliament. The law then recognises the speaker as the only elected o� cial for the sake of continuity from one parliament to the next. Thus, the argument that unelected o� cials cannot elect a dem-ocratic government is a fallacy. Bangladesh should take a fresh look at the CTG for its own good. l

M Serajul Islam is a retired career ambassador.

Turkey and the case for a care-taker governmentIn theory, free and fair elections can be held under either both elected and unelected governments. However, Bangladesh may have good reason to need a care-taker government system

It is an irony that the CTG eventually became suspect, not because the people had problems with it, but because the very parties that fought to establish it and then took credit for it, made the CTG suspect

Can we honestly say our elections have been free from intimidation? DHAKA TRIBUNE

OPINION 13D


n Namia Akhtar

If we collectively oppose social injus-tice, we are bound to � nd justice. If we collectively accommodate injustice, we are bound to see injustice. If we collec-

tively accommodate justice, we are bound to � nd justice. Corrupt o� cials receive bribes because we give them. If ordinary citizens refused to pay bribes, the o� cials would have had no option but to comply. Similarly, people commit crimes and violence persists because of the social accommodation -- cer-tain crimes in our society are accommodated, especially pertaining to crimes committed against women and children.

The double-standard in treatment of certain factions of our educated middle and elite class pertaining to child domestic workers, is that such household chores carried out by domestic child workers are justi� able for the children of the poor, but considered dangerous and unjusti� able for their own children.

Their children are viewed as children, but the children of domestic workers are viewed as adult workers. The child domestic workers step into adulthood from the age of six, whereas the children of the middle class do not enter adulthood even if they are � rst-year university students. This hypocritical perception reveals our primitive and backward culture that has a tolerance for violence, revealing that the moral order of our society has collapsed, because even certain factions of our educated middle-class

and the elite class support child labour. And these child domestic workers are made to work 12 to 15 hours a day, seven days a week, and are treated as adult employees rather than being viewed like their own children.

It is from these practices, and the per-ception that people have towards people of a lesser social status that violence breeds in our society. Violence towards children was always present in our society, the dominant narrative always used to be the housewife abusing a child domestic worker -- these incidents were not much reported since they always had social acceptance. Child domes-tic workers were always being abused, and certain factions of the educated middle class and elites had greater tolerance for this be-haviour, and justi� ed it on grounds that they do not work hard enough.

Bangladesh has seen many incidences where employees have abused child domestic workers -- one may recall the incident of Laizu Begum in 2014, the housewife who

almost tortured her child employee to death. A 2011 study by Dhaka University Associate Professor Dr M Rezaul Islam titled “Study on the situation on child domestic workers in Dhaka” reveals that 17% of child domestic workers are sexually abused, while the family members of employers either physically or verbally abuse the remaining 83%.

The study also reveals that child domestic workers are made to carry out household activities like cooking, ironing, and going to the grocery store to buy daily necessities, which expose child workers to danger. All these practices prove that, as a society, we are quite accustomed to raising our social status, or elevating our pride by taking it out on those who are in a weaker position.

If the dominant culture of the middle class and certain elite factions is largely based on such primitive discourse, the incidents concerning Rajon, Rakib, Rabiul Awal, and most recently, Raja Mia should thus come as no surprise, as it part of our culture to in� ict

harm on others to elevate our sense of self. As a society, we have done it before. Only the nature of abuse was di� erent. This time, the form of abuse was too abhorrent to tolerate.

Our education system holds the key to ending this culture of violence, we need to change our system to instill moral values in the minds of the young, and invest in re-educating the adult mind in teaching them the di� erence between “good” and “evil.” We need to build social awareness through workshops and seminars on making people understand these concepts, so that they may change into honest, moral, and well-mannered individuals.

At the same time, the government needs to take into consideration the other factors that instigate violence -- social inequality, frustration, and humiliation. According to an analysis by Dr James Gillian, individuals who commit crimes engage in such activities to feel a greater sense of self-respect, and to elevate their self-esteem.

People get involved in criminal activities because they might have been treated as inferior beings, and nothing makes them feel more empowered than committing an act of violence that triggers fear. This heightened sense of “fear” causes others to respect them. Such individuals also experience inner-deadness and a lack of empathy through the harder experiences they have encountered, eg the housewife who vents her frustration on a domestic worker.

People resort to violent means to restore their self-respect when non-violent means are not available, through education or through a respectable job. Bangladesh lags behind in terms of providing good education to its citizens, and the absence of good education has failed to develop us into good human beings.

Good education is essentially important to producing good human beings, and to reduce violence in society. An example of the government indirectly aiding in increasing violence is the imposition of 7.5% VAT on private education tuition fees that would make education unattainable for some.

In order to promote a just society, we need better education that not only educates the mind, but the heart as well. Aristotle said: “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” Our education system has failed to develop empathy, since volunteering and service learning is not part of the curriculum.

Nonetheless, as citizens, we have a responsibility to demand change. If we demand change, the government would surely respond. Numerous examples have shown us that governments respond to calls from media and civil society. Thus, rather than blaming the government, we must each take small steps into changing ourselves, reforming our lives, and demanding for change in our education system. If our children see good values in us, they will grow up to be good human beings as well. l

Namia Akhtar is a Research Associate of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute.

Doing something about injusticeWe need to change ourselves if we are to change society

This hypocritical perception reveals our primitive and backward culture that has a tolerance for violence, revealing that the moral order of our society has collapsed

Putting an end to violence against children should be a priority for all of us BIGSTOCK

OPINION14DT


n Mamun Rashid

All eyes are seemingly glued on China right now. In fact, the � nan-cial volatility that has emanated from China in the recent weeks

has spilled over to other Asian economies. China has clearly become more economically integrated with its Asian neighbours over the past two decades or so, and deceleration in the world’s second largest, and most talked about, economy will undoubtedly exert a

cascading e� ect on other Asian economies. Exactly how exposed are these economies to China? An answer would warrant a serious deep-dive analysis. However, � nal spending in China accounts for 8% or more of value added in some small open economies in the region, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Ma-laysia. However, for some larger economies, such as India and Japan, � nal spending in China accounts for much smaller percentages of value added in these economies.

Indeed, � nal spending in the US is equally

important today to the entire Asian region as is � nal spending in China. As long as real GDP growth in the US, the world’s largest economy, remains solid, non-Chinese Asian economies are not likely to crash and burn.

The Chinese yuan, so far being carefully managed by the People’s Bank of China, saw its highest 1.9% devaluation in a day in the last 21 years, on August 11. The decision for the much talked-about devaluation was in� uenced by two factors: To meet IMF’s market-based pric-ing demand for inclusion into the SDR basket, and to restore con� dence in the economy. There were many talks in the corridor that Chi-na’s conventional investment-export model would be reaching a saturation point and enter a turbulent zone. However, analysts are also of the opinion that it will take much time before the “communist” government can successfully transition the economy to a much healthier, consumption-based model.

Most of us know how China refused to devalue the yuan during the global and Asian � nancial crises. Now it seems that the downward slide in the economy has forced the central bank to go the devaluation route as well as a historic change in the exchange rate policy. Analysts are anticipating further depreciation of the national currency, now being gradually transformed into a reserve and � oated currency.

With further devaluation, the yuan-de-nominated assets will become less attractive to global investors, which may obviously lead to lower foreign investments and capital out-� ow. For the Chinese yuan to really behave like a global reserve currency, it should also start behaving like other reserve currencies -- more freely usable and intervention free. This would command further capital account liberalisation. Interest rates must be market determined. Chinese policy planners must exercise tremendous caution in their future journey plan, especially with slowing growth and possible US rate hikes in the near future. The country may face serious capital out-� ows, compelling the government to again revert back to a “dictated economy.”

The yuan was at 6.32 to a greenback as of August 10. It is now at 6.41. In the mar-ket rally, trading relatives of China saw a devaluation of their home currency. To the dollar, Korea saw its currency, KRW, down from 1,158 to 1,185. India saw its rupee down to almost 68 from 64, though it is standing at 66.21. Pakistan saw its PKR down to 104 from 101.80, the Malaysian ringgit went to 4.24 to a dollar, from 3.93. Singapore went to 1.40 levels from 1.38. Thai baht went to 35.57 from

35.07. The only exception is the Japanese yen.

In view of the weak dollar, the yen now stands at 119.60, while it was 124.61 as of August 10. In line with the currency market, regional stock exchanges also registered large slides -- Singapore going down from 3,153 to 2,891, Sri Lanka from 7,458 to 7,231, India from 28,101 to 25,934, Nikkei from 20,729 to 18,376, and Shanghai from 3,928 to 2,926.

On the � ip-side, we are seeing the taka holding pretty strong, at around 77.80 to the dollar. There have been reports that if the taka was not supported by the central bank through continuous purchase, it would have seen a level of 75 to a dollar. Newspaper reports have mentioned that the Bangladesh Bank bought $5.30bn from the inter-bank market to hold on to the taka value against the US dollar.

Our exports and inward remittances were

so good that some mentioned how taka might soon proceed to 72 levels, against the dollar. However, our export growth has been marginal in recent times, and analysts have expressed that the situation may become dismal if the China-led global meltdown con-tinues for too long. While our exports to the US have increased a little, export to the larg-est market, EU, have gone down signi� cantly. Reports also mention that while our exports to the US have increased slightly, India and Indonesia have made large increases with their exports to the US.

Now that the price of yuan has dropped in China, currencies of India, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Korea, Pakistan, and Malaysia have witnessed large drops in value. The question invariably becomes: Should the Bangladesh Bank follow the same old strategy? Will the present set-up of buying dollars from the market and supporting the greenback work in the future? Analysts argue that Bangladesh Bank should review the remittance and exports pipeline, currency, as well as interest rate behaviour in the compet-ing countries, and go for immediate upward adjustment of the reference rate.

While the present reference rate is 77.80, it can comfortably go to the 78.50 level, ana-lysts feel. No matter what happens, Bangla-desh must keep on supporting its exporters and remitters. With the signi� cant price drop in importing items, the nation possibly does not need to bother much with import-pushed price hikes as well. l

Mamun Rashid is a business professor and � nancial sector entrepreneur.

Should the taka be devalued?The recent devaluation of the yuan may force Bangladesh to follow China’s strategy

Bangladesh must keep on supporting its exporters and remitters. With the signi� cant price drop in importing items, the nation possibly does not need to bother much with import-pushed price hikes as well

Where will the taka � nd its place on this board? BIGSTOCK

15D

TBusiness THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

Currency volatility upsets Asian growth plans

17Stocks close slightly higher in choppy trading

19Int’l conference on public procurement begins Nov 1

16Impact of Branding & Technology in Banking

20

BTRC serves show cause against Citycell and Mango n Ishtiaq Husain

Bangladesh’s telecommunication regulator has served separate show cause notices to Citycell and Mango Tele Services Ltd about allegations of guideline violation against the companies.

According to the notice, Citycell, a mo-bile phone operator, provided optical � bre to Mango, a telecom service provider, which caused a breach of infrastructure sharing guideline.

As per clause-4.7 of the guideline, a mobile phone operator is not allowed to lease any optical � bre to a telecommunication service provider.

Besides, Mango is operating its activities in

Dhaka-Chittagong, Dhaka-Sylhet, Dhaka-Ra-jshahi and Rajshahi-Khulna route by taking lease of a pair of dark optical � bres.

The company has also laid network equipment violating the clause 4.2.3 of International Terrestrial Cable (ITC) license guideline.

According to BTRC guideline, telecommu-nication operators, except the Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) licensees, will not be given permis-sion to build optical/weird backbone trans-mission network, if such networks of NTTN operators are already available there.

BTRC said Mango even had not taken any approval from the regulatory body.

To arrange optical � bre connectivity (OFC)

from TCLC (Terrestrial Cable Landing circuit) to any other location of Bangladesh as per infrastructure sharing guide-lines with written prior per-mission of the commission is necessary before setting up a dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) to pro-vide any data service.

DWMD is a technology that puts data from di� erent sourc-es together on an optical � bre, with each signal carried at the same time on its own separate light wavelength.

Earlier, BTRC also issued a show cause notice to a mobile

phone operator for setting up optical � bre in violation of the same guideline. l

Exports to SAARC see 16% rise in FY15 n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

Snapping a three-year downtrend, Bangla-desh’s exports to SAARC countries have regis-tered a sharp rise by 15.75% to $648.68m, rid-ing on the Indian export earnings in the last � nancial year.

According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data, Bangladesh’s exports to SAARC re-gions stood at $648.68m in FY2014-15, which was 15.75% higher compared $560.38m in the previous � scal year.

In FY2013-14, Bangladesh’s export to the re-gions marked an 18.74% decline to $560.38m compared to $689.68m in FY2012-13.

“In the Indian markets, especially in those of seven sisters, there is a huge demand for Bangladeshi products including plastic and garment items,” Jasim Uddin, president of Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association told the Dhaka Tribune.

Due to lack of proper initiatives, Bangla-desh fails to enlarge its export basket, Jasim said, adding that to grab the market, the gov-ernment has to remove non-tari� barriers hampering trade, he added.

Bangladesh has an ample export opportu-nity among the SAARC countries to boost its trade and meet the $50bn export target by 2021, Exporters Association of Bangladesh

(EAB) President Abdus Salam Murshedy told the Dhaka Tribune.

To avail the opportunity, Bangladesh has to concentrate on building relationship with its counterparts and con� dence to strengthen connectivity, said Salam.

Bangladesh has to focus on non-tari� barri-

ers, development of port facilities, diversi� ca-tion of export items and other infrastructural facilities necessary to transport goods smoothly.

“The introduction of Schengen Visa to SAARC countries can help boost trade and commerce,” BGMEA Vice-President Shahidul-lah Azim told the Dhaka Tribune.

Frequent movement and connectivity are key to negotiate trade deals, Azim said, call-ing for easy visa process and reduction of transportation cost through development of connectivity.

India, which is the largest export desti-nation of Bangladeshi products among the SAARC countries, can play a signi� cant role in enhancing the regional trade as big economic power in the subcontinent, said Azim.

In the last � scal year, Bangladesh’s ex-ports to Indian market have risen by 15.45% to $527m, which was $457m in the previous � scal year.

RMG export to the neighbouring country also increased by 8.31% to $104.25m in the year compared to $96.25m in the previous year.

Bangladesh earned $57.57m from Paki-stan, $25m from Nepal, $5.64m from Maldives, $23.92m from Sri Lanka, $4.92m from Bhutan and $4.30m from Afghanistan, exporting goods including clothing products in the last � scal year.

“Proper and quick implementation of the Motor Vehicle Agreement that Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal signed have signed can play an important role in boosting trade among the countries as it will enhance con-nectivity,” Khondaker Golam Moazzem, ad-ditional research director of Centre for Policy Dialogue, told the Dhaka Tribune.

India has already accepted the standard of 25 Bangladeshi products, and the number should be much more, he said.

He urged both the governments to remove non-tari� barriers, including certi� cation, quality control and inter-providence taxes, which prevent duty-free market access to In-dia, he added.

The government has stressed initiatives to enhance regional trade earnings in order to reduce trade de� cit among the neighboring countries. l

EXPORT TO INDIVIDUALCOUNTRIES IN 2014-15(value in$m)

BANGLADESH'S EXPORT TOSAARC COUNTRIES

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

652.

45

690.

69

689.

68

560.

38 648.

68

TOTAL EXPORT TREND TOSAARC COUNTRIES

value in$mCountry Export

India 527.16Pakistan 57.57Nepal 25.05Sri Lanka 23.92Maldives 5.64Bhutan 4.92Afghanistan 4.30Total 648.57

ASMAUL HOQUE MAMUN/DT INFOGRAPHIC

Exports to SAARC regions stood at $648.68m in FY2014-15, which was 15.75% higher compared $560.38m in the previous � scal year

BUSINESS16DT


RMG makers to join Paris apparel expo in Septembern Tribune Report

A total of 13 Bangladeshi RMG manufacturers will participate in apparel expo titled “Tex-world – Apparel Sourcing” in mid-September in Paris under the banner of Export Promo-tion Bureau of Bangladesh.

The mega event will continue from Sep-tember 14 -17.

A global range of fashion products from the major manufacturing countries of China, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thai-land, Turkey and Pakistan will be displayed at the fair, said a press release of Messe Frank-furt, the organiser.

The event is very important for the man-ufacturers as the retailers generally visit the

expo to have a look on the latest fashion col-lections to choose for the winter and the ini-tial trends for the summer, it added.

Bangladesh will have a national pavilion organised by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) of Bangladesh.

The companies that will part in the expo include Anjuman Garments, Apparel industry, Four Designs, EU Fashion, Innovation Design, Kimberly Apparel, L’usine Fashion, MK Sweat-ers, Maruhisa, Nab Fashion, Nazia Apparel, Old Town, Rhyme Design, Tekstil Fashion, Toads Printing, Tex Dhaka and Tex Ebo International.

In the last expo, a total of 1,166 exhibitors participated. The fair recorded 15,034 visitors – an increase of 5.16% from 109 countries dur-ing the four-day event. l

REB to buy 0.5m pre-paid electricity metersn Asif Showkat Kallol

Bangladesh Rural Electri� cation Board will purchase over half a million pre-paid meters under the scheme to provide power connections to 1.8m new rural households, o� cials said.

The power division proposal to procure the pre-paid meters is set to be placed today at the meeting of Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase for its approval.

According to the power division proposal, M/S Techno Electrics Ltd will procure 525,470 pre-meters at a cost of Tk57.78 crore in � ve lots.

The cost of a pre-paid meter will be around Tk5,000 which can be paid in monthly instal-ments.

An REB o� cial said the local farm M/S Tech-no Electrics Ltd was the lowest bidder in an open tender recently which saw participation of two other farms - M/S Magnitude Interna-

tional Ltd and M/S Pasha Electro Industries Ltd.State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul

Hamid already announced that the country’s entire power distribution system would be brought under prepaid metering system by 2021.

The pre-paid meters are believed to be able to check corruption and reduce system loss in the country’s power sector.

“Prepaid meters will help increase the rev-enue of the government as well,” Nasrul Ha-mid said adding that “this is a turning point to improve the power consumers’ services.”

He said the country has been “able to come out of the curse of power outage. Now we con-centrate on improving the customer service.”

The junior minister said the government has planned to generate 24,000MW of elec-tricity by 2024 of which a big portion will come from coal-� red power plants. “So, our major challenge will be to set up coal-� red power plants in future.” l

DSE Brokers Association launchedn Tribune Report

Demutualised Dhaka Stock Exchange brokers have formally launched their platform under the name of DSE Brokers Association of Bang-ladesh after being registered with the Regis-trar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms.

“The prime goal of all the association members is to work towards protecting inves-tors’ interest,” said Titu, also former pre-de-mutualised DSE president, while announcing formal launching of the association at a press conference at the DSE yesterday.

The founding directors are Kazi Firoz Rashid, Abdul Haque, Md Mizanur Rahman Khan, Sha-hed Abdul Khaleque, Sharif Ataur Rahman, Ms Khugesta Nur-E-Naharin, Md Hanif Bhui-ya, Minhaz Mannan Emon, Mostaque Ahmed Sadeque, M Moazzem Hossain, AS Shahidul Huque Bulbul, Mahbubur Rahman, Khwaja Asif Ahmed and Md Zahirul Islam. l

International conference on public procurement begins November 1n Tribune Report

A three-day international conference on pub-lic procurement is likely to begin from No-vember 1 next, says Planning Ministry in a statement yesterday.

The conference is going to be organised at a time when Bangladesh su� ers from lack of professionalism in public procurement.

The Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU), a unit within the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division of the ministry, will host the conference titled “Third South Asia Regional Public Procure-ment Conference in Dhaka”.

The main objective to hold such an inter-national conference is to develop public pro-curement systems, using online technology

to ensure an e� ective and e� cient public pro-curement service.

The theme of the programme is “Inno-vation for Sustainable Procurement Perfor-mance”. The World Bank, Asian development Bank and the government of Bangladesh will � nance the event.

Government o� cials, representatives from development partners, private o� ces and civ-il societies of eight South Asian countries are expected to participate in this conference to share their knowledge in public procurement.

Besides, representatives from Latin Amer-ican Regional Public Procurement Network, the European Procurement Network and Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) are also expected to attend the con-ference to share their experience in procure-

ment procedure.CPTU Director General Md Faruque Hos-

sain said how public procurement can be more functional with the use of online tech-nology.

The utmost importance will be given to � nding out a solution of how to upgrade in-ternet technology in the � eld of public pro-curement, he said.

According to CPTU, since 2011, electronic government procurement is taking place in Bangladesh. Till July of this year, 98 govern-ment organisations under 24 ministries used e-GP for their procurement activities.

The First South Asia Regional Public Pro-curement Conference took place in April 2011 in Kathmandu of Nepal and second in Paki-stan in March 2014. l

BUSINESS 17D


Currency volatility upsets Asian growth plansn Reuters, Singapore

Faced with falling exports and de� ation risks, it suited much of Asia to let their currencies drift lower, until China’s abrupt devaluation triggered a tide of volatility that is upsetting not just their currency management but also their growth strategies.

China’s 2 percent devaluation on Aug 11 added to evidence that its economy was struggling, and overseas it caused a ripple of panic that a currency war was in the o� ng.

Currencies and stock markets in the region have since tumbled to multi-year lows, pulling global markets in their wake, as worries about China played into broader concerns about global growth, a collapse in commodity prices and the timing of a rise in US interest rates.

Suddenly, in a region still haunted by memories of destabilizing currency deval-uations during the 1997/98 Asian crisis, the option of a gently sliding currency has been taken o� the table by a freefall that threatens a destabilizing � ight of capital, sharp market swings and a spike in the cost of funds.

Central banks from South Korea to Thai-land have deferred rate cuts, which would put further downward pressure on vulnerable currencies, with the result that growth and stimulus plans are likely to take a back seat.

Bank Indonesia kept its main interest rate unchanged at a policy review last week, mak-ing clear currency stability is foremost among its priorities, even though the economy has slowed to its weakest pace in six years and in-� ation is falling.

“We will not follow competitive devalua-tion,” Indonesia’s central bank Governor Agus Martowardojo said this week.

The central bank said it was aggressively intervening in the rupiah markets and even mopping up short-term cash to stop investors speculating against the currency.

Indonesia is particularly vulnerable after a sharp loss of 14% in the rupiah IDR= against the dollar so far this year, low forex reserves and a heavy dose of foreign money in its debt markets.

But even central banks such as India’s and Singapore’s are unlikely to be able to cut rates while markets remain volatile.

“Asian authorities have got to be willing to stomach high interest rates for a while,” said

Cli� Tan, head of east Asian markets research at Mitsubishi UFJ in Hong Kong.

Capital Economics analysts Gareth Leather and Daniel Martin said in a note to clients that Malaysia and Indonesia might even be forced to raise rates “if the currency sell-o� became a rout”.

Citibank has already cut its Asian growth forecast for 2015 to 6% from 6.1%, citing the volatility associated with China’s weakening of the yuan, its slowing growth and the pos-sible adverse policy reaction among other countries.

It cut its forecast for Thailand’s growth to 2.7% from 3.5%.

Unwelcome volatilityThough Thailand has admitted its economy will be weaker than forecast and had wel-comed depreciation in the baht as a remedy, its central bank voted to keep rates steady in August and alluded to � nancial market vola-tility as a factor. The baht THB= hit its weakest levels since 2009 this week and most of the baht’s 8 percent losses this year against the

dollar have been in the past couple of months.“It’s clearly a bit uncomfortable. I would

expect them to start to think this is unwel-come volatility rather than welcome depreci-ation,” said Richard Yetsenga, global head of � nancial markets research at ANZ in Sydney.

South Korea’s central bank turned swiftly defensive of the won KRW= this week as it hit its lowest in nearly four years, selling dollars to slow the won’s decline.

That’s a turnabout from its tactics earlier this year to weaken a currency that had be-come less competitive against Japan’s sharply weaker yen. It also kept rates unchanged this month, two days after China’s devaluation.

MUFJ’s Tan reckons Asian central banks could coordinate policies better and be more proactive in using their trillions of dollars in currency reserves to defend their currencies.

“Asian central banks are already on the de-fensive, but the question is a strong versus a weak defense.

“They have a chance to prove that, by driv-ing rates up and making it very expensive to hold these short-term positions.” l

A teller counts Indonesian rupiah for a customer at a money changer in Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS

Oil near six-and-a-half-year lows as China economy fears lingern Reuters, Seoul

Crude oil futures held in a narrow band yes-terday not far o� 6-1/2 year lows after China’s central bank moved to support the country’s stumbling economy, while concerns about a supply glut capped gains.

Asian shares struggled yesterday as inves-tors feared fresh rate cuts in China would not be enough to stabilise the country’s slow-ing economy or halt a stock collapse that is wreaking havoc in global markets.

Brent LCOc1 was trading up 13 cents at $43.34 a barrel as of 0419 GMT after it settled

up 52 cents at $43.21 a barrel on Tuesday. US October crude CLc1 was up 20 cents at $39.51 a barrel, after ending $1.07 higher at $39.31 previously with oversold conditions bringing some buyers back.

ANZ said China’s rate cuts had calmed commodity markets, but they remained cau-tious and gains would be limited.

“The displacement of high-cost supply from the United States is taking much longer than expected, and it’s likely to keep the mar-ket substantially oversupplied in the short term,” it said.

Daniel Ang, an investment analyst at Phillip

Futures Pte Ltd, said China’s rate cut prevent-ed oil prices from � nding a new low. “Howev-er, with a new day, new challenges await. We would likely be seeing US crude inventories pushing prices down today due to slowing re-� nery activities.”

US crude stocks fell by 7.3 million barrels last week to 449.3 million, compared with analysts’ expectations for a rise of 1 million barrels as re-� nery runs rose, data from the American Petro-leum Institute showed on Tuesday. Energy In-formation Administration data is due yesterday.

“While the rate of global oil stock build is still set to decline, stocks will build for longer

than initially anticipated,” BNP Paribas said late on Tuesday.

“As such, any price improvement will most likely take place from a lower starting point and the pace of any price improvement is likely to be slower than previously assumed.”

Macquarie noted a slowdown in auto sales which impact many commodities including oil in China and other emerging markets such as Russia, Indonesia, Brazil and Thailand.

“Industrial demand has struggled in many key emerging markets – this is perhaps best ev-idenced by auto sales, where the trend has con-tinued to slide into mid-2015,” the bank said. l

Chinese smartphone market expected to cool this year n AFP, San Francisco

The once-hot smartphone market in China is expected to cool this year, growing a meager 1.2%, according to a report released Tuesday.

The China smartphone market grew 19.7% last year and accounted for nearly a third of all new handsets shipped, according to the International Data Corporation’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker report.

“China clearly remains a very important market,” said IDC program director Ryan Re-ith.

“However, the focus will be more on ex-ports than consumption as domestic growth slows signi� cantly.”

The forecast came a day after Apple chief executive Tim Cook said that the Califor-nia-based company is still seeing “strong growth” in China despite a recent global stock market downturn.

“Obviously I can’t predict the future, but our performance so far this quarter is reassur-ing,” Cook wrote to CNBC’s Jim Cramer in an email released by the cable channel.

“Additionally, I continue to believe that China represents an unprecedented opportu-nity over the long term.”

IDC trimmed its forecast slightly for the total number of smartphones it expects to be shipped worldwide this year, placing that growth at 10.4%, or 1.44 billion units.

Regions with the largest potential for growth in smartphone sales are price sensi-tive, meaning iPhones are not likely to wrest market share from lower-cost handsets pow-ered by Google-backed Android software, ac-cording to IDC.

IDC forecast that shipments of Android smartphones would grow from 1.16 billion this year to 1.54 billion in 2019, while iPhone shipments were expected to grow from 223.7 million to 269.6 million during that same time period.

It also predicted that Android would hold on to its 81 percent share of the smartphone market.

“India has captured a lot of the attention that China previously received and it’s now the market with the most potential upside,” Reith said.

“The interesting thing to watch will be the possibility of manufacturing moving from China and Vietnam over to India.” l

BUSINESS18DT


SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

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

Bank 422.94 9.80 26.85 9.81 449.79 9.80NBFI 252.33 5.84 6.90 2.52 259.23 5.65Investment 70.66 1.64 3.26 1.19 73.93 1.61Engineering 653.97 15.15 33.00 12.06 686.96 14.96Food & Allied 246.90 5.72 9.91 3.62 256.80 5.59Fuel & Power 564.65 13.08 47.97 17.54 612.62 13.34Jute 5.87 0.14 0.00 5.87 0.13Textile 566.40 13.12 19.72 7.21 586.12 12.77Pharma & Chemical 715.77 16.58 39.18 14.32 754.95 16.44Paper & Packaging 9.64 0.22 4.31 1.58 13.96 0.30Service 121.08 2.80 7.82 2.86 128.90 2.81Leather 131.09 3.04 13.77 5.03 144.86 3.16Ceramic 37.98 0.88 1.97 0.72 39.95 0.87Cement 109.48 2.54 13.62 4.98 123.10 2.68Information Technology 30.33 0.70 2.11 0.77 32.44 0.71General Insurance 21.98 0.51 4.08 1.49 26.05 0.57Life Insurance 39.14 0.91 2.11 0.77 41.24 0.90Telecom 93.83 2.17 7.08 2.59 100.91 2.20Travel & Leisure 60.76 1.41 7.90 2.89 68.66 1.50Miscellaneous 162.60 3.77 22.01 8.04 184.61 4.02Debenture 0.15 0.00 0.02 0.01 0.17 0.00

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

News, analysis and recent disclosuresAman Feed Limited: All con-cerned are hereby informed that trading of the shares of Aman Feed Limited will commence at CSE from 01 September 2015 under settlement category ‘’N’’. Please note that the Scrip Id=32021, Scrip Code=AMAN-FEED, Market Lot=1, Face Value=Tk.10 & Tick Price=10 paisa. However, the listing date of the Company at CSE was 16 June 2015.RUPALILIFE: Rupali Life Insurance Company Ltd. has informed that the Bonus Shares of the Company for the year ended on 31 December 2014 have already been credited through CDBL to the respective shareholders’ BO A/Cs on 25 August 2015.Dividend/AGMAPEXFOODS: 20% cash, AGM: 30.09.2015, Record date: 13.09.2015. APEXTANRY: 45% cash, AGM: 04.10.2015, Record date: 09.09.2015. GRAMEENS2: 10% cash 15% Unit Dividend, Record date: 07.09.2015. GRAMEEN1: 82% Unit Divi-dend, Record date: 07.09.15.GREENDELMF: 4.50% Cash Dividend. Record date: 06.09.2015. ABB1STMF: 15% Unit Dividend. Record date: 07.09.2015. EBLNRBMF: 6% Unit Dividend. Record date: 07.09.2015. PHPMF1: 7.50% Unit Dividend Record date: 07.09.2015. POPULAR1MF: 12% Unit Divi-dend. Record date: 07.09.2015.FBFIF: 9% Unit dividend. Record date: 03.09.2015.

TRUSTB1MF: 8% Unit divi-dend. Record date: 03.09.2015. EBL1STMF: 7% Unit Dividend Record date: 03.09.2015. EXIM1STMF: 8% Unit Divi-dend. Record date: 03.09.2015. IFIC1STMF: 10% Unit dividend. Record date: 03.09.20151JANATAMF: 12% Unit divi-dend. Record date: 03.09.2015 RELIANCE1: 11% cash dividend. Record date: 06.09.2015. AIMS1STMF: 175% Unit Divi-dend. Record date: 07.09.2015 DBH1STMF: 4% Cash Dividend. Record date: 06.09.2015. ICBSONALI1: 10% cash divi-dend, Record Date: 02.09.2015. IFILISLMF1: 10% cash dividend, Record Date: 02.09.2015. ICB3RDNRB: 5% cash dividend, Record Date: 02.09.2015. EPU= Tk. 0.51, NAV per unit of Tk. 7.58. PF1STMF: 5% cash dividend, Record Date: 02.09.2015. PRIME1ICBA: 7% cash divi-dend, Record Date: 02.09.2015. ICBEPMF1S1: 7.5% cash divi-dend, Record Date: 02.09.2015. ICB1STNRB: 32% cash divi-dend, Record Date: 02.09.2015. ATCSLGF: 7.50% Cash and 2.50% Unit Dividend Record date: 01.09.2015. SEBL1STMF: 12.50% cash, Record date: 31.08.2015. NLI1STMF: 13.00% cash, Record date: 31.08.2015.8THICB: 140% cash. 7THICB: 150% cash 6THICB: 120% cash 5THICB: 250% cash. 4THICB: 300% cash. 3RDICB: 300% cash. 2NDICB: 450% cash. 1STICB: 1,000% cash. Record date: 12.08.2015.

CSE GAINER

Company Closing (% Change)

Aver-age (%

Change)

Closin-gAvg. Closing DHIGH DLOW Turnover

in MillionLatest

EPSLatest

PE

Delta Brac HFCL-A 9.96 6.60 96.37 99.40 99.40 90.00 1.673 6.04 16.0EBL NRB M.F.-A 8.70 8.46 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 0.000 0.43 11.6Monno Ceramic -B 8.18 8.07 42.31 42.30 42.50 42.00 0.047 0.16 264.4Pioneer Insur -A 7.26 7.26 34.00 34.00 34.00 34.00 0.009 3.44 9.9Eastern InsurA 7.00 7.22 26.00 26.00 26.00 26.00 0.003 2.76 9.4National Housing Fin.-B 6.38 3.36 24.29 25.00 25.00 23.50 0.075 2.24 10.8Bata Shoe Ltd. -A 5.07 5.07 1338.13 1338.10 1340.00 1335.00 0.011 40.26 33.2Rangpur Foundry -A 4.88 4.86 113.98 113.90 114.50 111.60 0.361 3.42 33.3AMCL (Pran) -A 4.87 4.24 238.70 241.20 243.00 235.00 2.895 6.19 38.6Bangladesh Lamps -A 4.71 4.71 178.00 178.00 178.00 178.00 0.013 4.32 41.2

DSE GAINER


Aver-age (%

Change)


in MillionLatest

EPSLatest

PE

BD. Autocars -Z 9.97 9.72 32.62 33.10 33.10 29.50 2.990 0.19 171.7Modern Dyeing -Z 9.94 10.79 92.90 92.90 92.90 92.90 0.397 0.76 122.2Delta Brac HFCL-A 8.30 7.26 95.99 96.60 98.10 90.30 11.189 6.04 15.9Zeal Bangla Sugar -Z 7.35 8.79 7.30 7.30 7.40 6.90 0.051 -45.17 -veSavar Refractories-Z 7.34 7.04 46.67 46.80 47.50 46.00 0.021 -0.64 -veNational Housing Fin.-B 7.26 4.63 24.41 25.10 25.40 23.60 6.883 2.24 10.9Prime Insur -A 6.99 6.69 15.30 15.30 15.60 14.90 0.655 1.80 8.5Global Insurance -A 6.98 5.22 13.50 13.80 13.90 13.00 6.769 1.64 8.2Hakkani P& Paper -B 6.48 3.83 45.29 46.00 46.60 43.30 7.260 0.29 156.2GeminiSeaFood-B 5.46 4.18 396.27 399.70 407.80 385.00 2.126 11.77 33.7

CSE LOSER


Aver-age (%

Change)


in MillionLatest

EPSLatest

PE

IDLC Finance -A -5.74 -4.72 59.00 59.10 59.80 58.50 0.402 6.50 9.1Mercantile Insur -A -5.34 -5.27 12.40 12.40 12.40 12.40 0.003 1.96 6.3Linde (BD) Ltd. -A -3.46 -3.36 1,111.40 1,110.20 1,112.00 1,110.20 0.033 32.00 34.7Fine Foods A -3.09 -1.76 9.51 9.40 9.60 9.40 0.062 -0.27 -vePubali Bank - A -2.92 -1.80 23.42 23.30 23.60 23.10 0.551 2.84 8.2Quasem Drycells -A -2.73 -3.77 73.76 74.80 77.70 71.10 0.604 1.81 40.8Anwar Galvanizing-B -2.65 -2.41 47.82 47.70 48.40 47.70 0.029 0.68 70.3ICB AMCL3rd NRB MF-A -2.27 -1.59 4.33 4.30 4.40 4.30 0.358 0.48 9.0Bangladesh Welding -B -2.23 -2.77 22.09 21.90 22.50 21.80 0.890 -0.80 -veGreenDeltaInsu -A -2.15 -1.36 50.02 50.00 50.40 50.00 0.009 1.80 27.8

DSE LOSER


Aver-age (%

Change)


in MillionLatest

EPSLatest

PE

BD Fixed Income MF-A -5.33 -5.73 7.07 7.10 7.20 7.00 0.472 0.89 7.9Standard Insurance-A -2.44 -3.38 16.00 16.00 16.00 16.00 0.048 2.90 5.5NCCBL Mutual Fund-1-A -2.33 -1.63 4.22 4.20 4.30 4.20 0.307 0.94 4.5ICB AMCL3rd NRB MF-A -2.27 -2.04 4.32 4.30 4.40 4.30 2.390 0.48 9.0Bangladesh Welding -B -2.24 -1.86 22.11 21.80 22.70 21.70 18.486 -0.80 -veNational Life I -A -2.20 -5.09 186.23 186.40 186.50 185.50 1.564 12.46 14.9Rangpur Dairy-Z -2.10 -1.05 14.07 14.00 14.30 13.90 1.556 0.74 19.0Quasem Drycells -A -2.08 -0.16 76.24 75.20 77.90 74.90 58.899 1.81 42.1Samata LeatheR -Z -2.06 -2.13 28.50 28.50 28.50 28.50 0.353 -0.05 -veCentral Pharm-A -2.04 -1.63 28.99 28.80 29.80 28.50 29.892 1.97 14.7

DSE key features August 26, 2015Turnover (Million Taka)

4,317.54

Turnover (Volume)

109,929,230

Number of Contract

99,720

Traded Issues 321

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

176

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

135

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

10

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,703.47

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

32.77

CSE key features August 26, 2015Turnover (Million Taka)

273.57

Turnover (Volume)

8,006,932

Number of Contract

12,161

Traded Issues 246

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

125

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

113

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

8

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,608.92

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

31.62

BUSINESS 19D


Stocks close slightly higher in choppy trading n Tribune Report

Stocks showed a lack of di-rection throughout much of the trading day yesterday before ending the session slightly higher.

All indices � nished the day just above the un-changed line. The Dhaka Stock Exchange benchmark index, DSEX, crept up over 12 points or 0.3% to 48,05.

The Shariah index, DSES, edged up 5 points or 0.5% to 1,183. The blue chip com-prising index, DS30, inched up 8 points or 0.3% to 1,837. The Chittagong Stock Ex-change Selective Category Index, CSCX, rose marginal-ly over 20 points to 8,961.

The lackluster perfor-mance on stock markets continued as traders largely stayed on the sidelines fol-lowing the persistent vola-tility of the market over the past week, dealers say.

Investors were cautious over the economic data and battered world stock market, though local stock markets’ link to the world stock market is insigni� cant, analysts say.

Most of the major sectors ended the day showing only modest moves, contributing to the lackluster performance by the broader markets.

T e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n stocks experienced relative-

ly a strong move, gaining 0.8%. The country’s top mobile operator Grameen-phone was the best perform-er of the sector.

Marginal upward move was seen in pharmaceuti-cals, cement, food and al-lied, non-banking � nancial institutions, banks, power and textile stocks.

On the other hand, mutu-al fund and tannery stocks saw considerable weakness throughout the day.

Turnover on DSE stood at Tk430 crore, down 5.4% over the previous session’s value. Pharmaceuticals and engineering contributed more than 30% to the total turnover.

Lanka Bangla Securities said stocks are fading out the fear around the abrupt fall in index over the last few trading sessions. Investors are watchful with monthly economic data coming in which might fetch shift in market tactics.

IDLC Investments said the market observed an up-side push, turning last three sessions’ negative tone into positivity.

It said following the di-agnosis of global stock mar-ket worries, investors were holding passive strategy and looking for fundamentally sound scrips. l

Stocks are fading out the fear around the abrupt fall in index over the last few trading sessions. Investors are watchful with monthly economic data coming in which might fetch shift in market tactics

ANALYST

Daily capital market highlightsDSE Broad Index : 12462.67530 (+) 0.27% ▲

DSE - 30 Index : 1837.97360 (+) 0.28% ▲

CSE All Share Index: 14718.23650 (+) 0.24% ▲

CSE - 30 Index : 12462.67530 (+) 0.28% ▲

CSE Selected Index : 8961.87450 (+) 0.23% ▲

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS

Company Volume-Shares

Value in Million

% of Total-Turnover ClosingP Change % ClosingY DHIGH DLOW AvgPrice

United Power-N 146,454 22.35 8.17 152.30 -0.85 153.60 154.80 151.50 152.58National Feed-A 553,698 14.40 5.27 26.20 3.15 25.40 26.90 25.40 26.01LafargeS Cement-A 102,421 11.75 4.30 114.60 0.53 114.00 115.10 114.00 114.74National Bank - A 905,056 10.67 3.90 11.70 0.86 11.60 12.00 11.50 11.79Apex Tannery -A 62,151 10.15 3.71 161.00 -0.31 161.50 167.70 159.30 163.38Square Pharma -A 32,193 7.96 2.91 247.90 0.98 245.50 248.20 244.00 247.23Shahjibazar Power-N 37,958 7.26 2.65 191.20 0.10 191.00 192.60 189.10 191.15FAR Chemical-N 124,123 6.85 2.50 55.30 2.60 53.90 56.00 54.00 55.17UNITED AIR-A 659,256 6.69 2.44 10.10 -0.98 10.20 10.40 10.00 10.14BSRM Ltd. -A 53,311 6.13 2.24 114.20 -1.13 115.50 116.30 113.50 115.07Islami Bank BD - A 176,967 5.33 1.95 30.40 1.67 29.90 30.50 29.60 30.13Samorita Hospital -A 55,643 5.18 1.89 92.50 4.17 88.80 94.50 87.30 93.08Beximco Pharma -A 77,082 5.07 1.85 65.80 0.15 65.70 66.00 65.00 65.77BEXIMCO Ltd. -A 151,566 4.74 1.73 31.20 -0.32 31.30 31.50 31.10 31.25Olympic Accessories -N 76,352 4.45 1.63 57.90 -0.86 58.40 59.10 57.70 58.32

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS

Company Volume-Shares

Value in Million

% of Total-Turnover ClosingP Change

% ClosingY DHIGH DLOW Avg-Price

Square Pharma -A 1,060,424 262.42 6.08 247.90 0.53 246.60 248.20 245.00 247.47Islami Bank BD - A 5,195,418 156.11 3.62 30.40 2.01 29.80 30.60 29.70 30.05People`s Leasing-A 8,719,799 143.17 3.32 15.60 -1.89 15.90 16.80 15.50 16.42Shahjibazar Power-N 685,478 130.87 3.03 191.00 0.26 190.50 193.00 189.20 190.92Al-Haj Textile -A 845,034 112.77 2.61 132.50 0.84 131.40 140.00 131.30 133.45Ifad Autos -N 989,673 104.64 2.42 105.90 2.72 103.10 106.80 103.20 105.73Apex Tannery -A 616,465 100.89 2.34 161.60 -0.06 161.70 166.90 160.50 163.66FAR Chemical-N 1,706,321 94.07 2.18 55.50 2.97 53.90 55.90 53.50 55.13United Power-N 604,368 92.66 2.15 152.70 -0.65 153.70 155.10 152.10 153.32LafargeS Cement-A 787,580 90.58 2.10 115.30 0.70 114.50 115.50 114.20 115.01National Feed-A 3,302,081 86.07 1.99 26.10 3.57 25.20 26.90 25.30 26.07Apex Foods -A 464,920 84.36 1.95 180.40 3.86 173.70 187.50 171.00 181.45Baraka Power-A 2,454,390 83.20 1.93 34.00 0.29 33.90 34.20 33.50 33.90National Bank - A 6,062,186 72.64 1.68 11.90 0.00 11.90 12.30 11.80 11.98Grameenphone-A 221,516 70.75 1.64 320.10 0.69 317.90 321.00 318.00 319.40

BUSINESS20DT


Impact of Branding & Technology in BankingAn exclusive interview of Dan Mobley, Regional Head of Corporate A� airs, India & South Asia, Standard Chartered Dan was appointed Regional Head of Corpo-rate A� airs for India & South Asia in Septem-ber 2014, with responsibility for all corporate and sta� communications, sustainability and community initiatives across our four South Asian markets (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal). Dan is based in Mumbai, India and manages a team of 21 people.

Previously Dan was Regional Head of Cor-porate A� airs for Africa between 2011 and 2014, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Dan joined Standard Chartered in January 2008 as Group Head of Government Relations, based in London, and managed the Bank’s re-lations with the UK and US Governments, in-ternational institutions including the Europe-an Union, and led advocacy on public policy.

Before joining Standard Chartered, Dan spent eight years in the UK Treasury, advis-ing Ministers on a variety of domestic and in-ternational policies. Dan has also worked for several environment and development NGOs (including six years as a non-executive direc-tor for a UK development education charity) and the United Nations Association

Q. Do you feel there can be a Company/platform like Airbnb or Uber to challenge the traditional approach of banking?Dan Mobley: We have already seen the rise of exciting new technologies that are revolution-ising aspects of banking, especially around re-tail payments. Often these have been driven by new entrants in developing countries who have cleverly adopted to local needs.

For example, Africa is seeing startups driv-ing a huge up take of mobile banking: across the continent only around a quarter of the population has a formal bank account, yet in countries like Kenya an estimated 50% of the population are accessing � nancial services through their mobile phones. In India, com-panies like the Delhi based Beam allow cus-tomers to use their mobile phones to pay bills, buy train tickets and remit money to relatives, with transaction costs much lower than con-ventional banks. Technology will really help in the � ght against � nancial exclusion.

But these services are mostly additional to, rather than replacing, traditional � nancial in-stitutions. Banking and payment systems are, rightly, carefully regulated to prevent money laundering, fraud and other � nancial crimes which inevitably acts as a brake on the rise of new providers. In many cases, banks like Standard Chartered are already using digital and mobile technologies to improve our exist-ing products and services and I’d expect many of the most exciting innovations – including ideas around using “big data” - to come from within the sector rather than outside.

Q. How important storytelling is for a Bank like Standard Chartered?Dan Mobley: Story telling is everything. Banks have historically been very conven-tional in the way we try to reach our custom-ers, with old fashioned advertising campaigns and press releases about new products. Even today, if you see a TV commercial or a print ad for a bank and cover the logo, they can seem interchangeable between competing banks! We try to use stories about the positive im-pact we have, whether on our customers, our sta� or the communities we live and work

in, to di� erentiate Standard Chartered. Our promise, to be “Here for good”, is all about the stories we tell ourselves and others about our values, our history and the people we are trying to help by being a well-run, responsible and progressive bank.

Q. How has your storytelling shifted over the years?Dan Mobley: Our decision to rebrand as “Here for good” in 2010 was a pivotal moment for us. This was a bold claim to make when the terrible impact of the � nancial crisis was be-ing felt worldwide, driven by some very un-ethical behaviour in parts of the industry, and the reputation of banks and bankers was at its lowest ebb. We wanted to show that banks can and do play a positive role in society. We wanted to capture the essence of Standard Chartered: what makes us di� erent, what do we stand for? Can we be about more than just pro� t? What commitment can we give to be there for our customers through the bad times as well as the good? The very process of debating our brand generated huge numbers of stories about our history, our people, the places we operate and how we try to be di� er-ent – many of which have then inspired our ad campaigns as well. These stories also act as a guide to our sta� on how we expect them to do things the right way.

Here for good allows us to tell stories as diverse as: the support we gave to the people of Sierra Leone during the recent Ebola crisis, increasing our lending to local business with a new $50 million working capital facility; the 2 million people we have educated about

HIV-AIDS worldwide through our “Living with HIV” programme; or the more than 1% of Bangladesh’s GDP that our business supports every year.

Q. How do you approach digital platform & social media to engage with the bank’s core essence – Here for Good?Dan Mobley: Banks can be very conventional beasts! Many have struggled to come to grips with social media and what it might mean for how to promote and protect reputations. We use Facebook and Twitter to speak and listen to our customers directly as well as to tell stories we think might interest them. The most interesting aspect for me is when social media cuts through how you think you might be perceived and tells you how you really are viewed, positively and negatively. I’ve seen great examples where someone has criticised us on social media and other customers, with-out any interference from us, have come to our defence, citing great customer service or some of our community projects.

Social media also stops us getting compla-cent – these conversations about us are hap-pening whether we engage or not. There’s simply no point turning ostrich and burying one’s head in the sand of press releases and ad campaigns if there is a very di� erent debate going on online about your brand by your cus-tomers. Re� ecting the shift in corporate com-munications in the digital age, we have also recently launched our own content hub called Beyond Borders (https://www.sc.com/Be-yondBorders/) to house our own publications, opinion pieces, infographics and videos.

The idea behind this “brand journalism” is not to churn out corporate propaganda about our business but instead to showcase exper-tise and insight in topical issues, in a way that we hope will grab the attention of our clients, sta� and potential new hires, journalists, commentators, regulators and governments.

Q. In today’s open information age, people search for transparency. They want to validate any message/campaign with the actual behaviour of the Bank & its people. How do you drive this part?Dan Mobley: Nothing generates cynicism faster than hypocrisy, so we strive to live our talk in everything we do. All banks are ulti-mately just people, a few buildings and some IT. While we can make incremental improve-ments to our infrastructure, it is only really through our people that we will set ourselves apart from the competition so we work hard to ensure our sta� discuss, debate and under-stand what Here for good tries to encapsulate. We have extensive training programmes cov-ering good conduct and what kind of business we want to do and – more importantly – what kind of business we will turn away. We have published and regularly update on our web-site our 20 “position statements” on sensitive sectors related to environmental and social issues and all our relationship managers have to pass training courses on how to apply these rules. We have also shared our internal pol-icies on how we deal with clients and sta� in order to prevent bribery and corruption, money laundering or to promote diversity and inclusion, human rights or health and safety. Ultimately, having the best trained, highly motivated and well trained people working for us is the best safeguard for our reputation and brand.

Q. What would be your advice to professionals in the banking industry?Dan Mobley: First, challenge convention-al thinking in what a banking brand really means – it should not be a slogan or a sales pitch but something that tries to encapsu-late the culture, history and promise that a business o� ers to all those with a stake in its operations. Banks and banking can be boring and conventional but they don’t have to be! Second, marketing matters as much within an organisation as it does outside. If your peo-ple don’t believe in your brand they won’t try to promote and protect your reputation. Fi-nally, despite its battered reputation follow-ing the Western � nancial crisis, banking can and does play a vital role in the world. Good, well run banks drive the trade, investment and growth that will alleviate poverty, create employment, sustain vital tax revenues, � ght � nancial crime and much more. We profes-sionals in the industry have a responsibility to rebuild banking’s reputation as a force for good in society – we can � nd, shape and tell the stories that explain this essential role.

Dan Mobley will be visiting Bangladesh to attend Communication Summit on August 29 as a session speaker. In the session he will be sharing his experience on branding, banking and the impact of technology. Communication Summit is a day-long program of Commward 2015, which will be attended by 300 registered marketing & business professionals. l

Dan Mobley

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23ticket

For the Lidia May woman

24ticket

Tech deals on Daraz

INSIDE

Bag it up!Photo: Courtesy

Package drama “Fast Forward” by NSU Students

news

A package drama named “Fast Forward,” brought forward by the students of NSU will be telecasted on August 28 at 7:40 pm on Maasranga TV. The student durectors were Tamhid Ul Islam Na� , Sohel Bin Azad Apu and Ahmed Imtia Mohammad.

The drama is produced by Sah Sultan and written by SK Siddiq Ahamed. The main characters are Na� and Nisha, who

are played by Tawsif Mahbub and Orchita Sporsia.

Nafi is shown as a fun loving boy who usually bullies his friends and Nisha as a naive girl who is serious about her studies. When Nafi meets Nisha, he starts to make her life hell. The drama shall portray the importance of friendship in university life.

NewsTHURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

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ASA University Bangladesh (ASAUB) Language Club jointly organised a training session with Democracy Watch on August 13 and 14, titled “Youth as Agents of Social Change.”

The Asia Foundation’s “Youth as Agents of Social Change: Authentic Civic Participation in Bangladesh” project seeks to promote youth as agents of positive social changes in Bangladesh. The project addressed the need for solidarity among the youth community dedicated to changing the socio-political landscape of Bangladesh and to promote youth awareness and civic consciousness in

today’s younger generation. The participants learned to employ

different skills to promote leadership qualities and networking. Prof Dr Dalem Ch Barman, vice-chancellor, ASAUB, awarded certificates to the participants and the training session was inaugurated by Prof Md Muinuddin Khan, adviser. Md Khalequzzaman, registrar, Md Masudur Rahman, deputy registrar, Diana Ansarey, co-ordinator of ASAUB Language Club along with teachers from different departments. Mohammad Asadur Rahman, public relations officer of ASAUB was also present. l

SSG, renowned electrical and electronics conglomerate in Bangladesh, has introduced its newly designed website under the theme “log on to the future.” The newly featured portal will help visitors to know latest information of SSG products

and get solutions in one location. Mohammed Ibrahim, MD and CEO of

SSG formally launched the website. Aftab Mahmud Khurshid, CMO along with other SSG officials were present as well.

Website link: www.ssgbd.com l

Da� odil International University (DIU) represented Global Access Asia-Online Courseware Platform of AUPF, an e-education network, held in South Korea till August 25. More than 65 university representatives from di� erent Asian countries were present in the event.

Md Sabur Khan, chairman, board of trustees, DIU, led the three members’ delegation from DIU. Other members from DIU were Md Fouad Hossain Sarker, assistant professor, Department of Natural Sciences and Md Iqbal Bhuyan, lecturer, Department of Business Administration.

DIU held the role of one of the active contributors of this online forum and the students of DIU will avail opportunities to join the other 65 universities from home. Md Sabur Khan presented the future prospects of online education and how DIU has been contributing to ICT and education sector in Bangladesh as well as the GAA. Three faculty members of DIU even developed online-based course contents and contributed to GAA.

The GAA, an outcome of the Asian

University Presidents Forum (AUPF), is an international learning and teaching opportunity through both online credit and non-credit based courses. It kicked o� its service following an opening ceremony at Dongseo University (DSU) in Busan, South Korea. Jekuk Chang, president of DSU, welcomed university leaders from around the Asia.

An online courseware platform, GAA is similar to the massive open online course service in the US, commonly known as MOOC, which pursues unlimited participation and open access through the web. In many countries, universities, and even governments, have seen MOOC as a way to widely distribute each university’s course load.

In GAA, each participating university o� ers courses online, which allow students of other schools to take lectures for free and earn academic credit. Courses of credit have a 15-week curriculum, and students may earn two academic credits for each course completed. All lectures are conducted in English. l

Akhtar Furnishers Ltd opens a new outlet at RK Mission Road, NS Tower in Mymensingh. K M Akhtaruzzaman, chairman, inaugurates the opening ceremony.

Md Sabur Khan, chairman, board of trustees of DIU inaugurating “Global Access Asia” along with other distinguished leaders of AUPF held in South Korea, organised by Dongseu University, Busan, South Korea.

Leadership training held at ASAUBDIU represents Bangladesh at Global Access Asia (GAA)

SSG revamps website

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For the Lidia May womanImpeccably crafted fashion investments

n N Anita Amreen

Lidia May is a fresh, socially conscious boutique brand that o� ers an exclusive range of handmade leather bags. Embossed with intricate embroidery done by the � nest embroidery professionals in their craft, not only are the bags of highest quality, they can also be seen as classic investment pieces that hold its value over time. Passionately designed by May Yang, a Chinese American based in Dhaka, the designs are inspired by the culture and art in and around Bangladesh; with each bag having a story to tell. The “Farmland” line is inspired by the rivers and paddy � elds of rural Bangladesh,

the “Trang” by Islamic architecture and the “Ronni Tote” by a mythical folklore painting by artist Ronni Ahmmed.

Unlike any other run-o� -the-mill bag, Lidia May’s bags are ensured of top-notch quality, making it a great option if you’re looking to invest wisely in an understated timepiece that can stand the test of both time and trends. The top grade leather and � ne craftsmanship combine to create supreme quality luxury bags that are not only durable, but also versatile.

Log on to www.lidiamay.com to � nd the full range, or make an online purchase via www.larouge.com

The Farmland rangeDesigned keeping the elegant, yet adventurous lady in mind, the farmland range is inspired by the simplistic beauty of farmlands and rivers around Bangladesh. Available in several functional shapes such as the cross body and the shoulder bag, these designs ensure that the bag can easily take you from workday to weekend in one stylish snap.

1

5

7

6

Trang Clutch – FuchsiaTk14,000

Farmland Saddle - True redTk11,000

Farmland Saddle - Burnt orangeTk11,000

Farmland - Top HandleTk13,000

2

3

4

Trang Clutch – GreenTk14,000

Trang Clutch – NavyTk14,000

Trang Clutch – PastelTk14,000

The Trang clutchesThe Trang clutches are inspired by Islamic architecture and the geometry of Trang Bossink’s designs with detailed embroidery and bold colours bringing each clutch alive. Requiring up to 30 hours for each embroidery, Lidia May’s craftsmen ensure that each piece is of unmatched craftsmanship. Made of supple full grain leather, the clutches come with a cotton interior zip pocket, a lipstick holster and a magnetic holster. Available in a bright fuchsia, soothing pastel, deep navy, green and the quintessential black, these babies are versatile investment pieces that can complement a range of out� ts - be it a traditional saree or a solid jumpsuit.

Photos: Courtesy

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news

Bhojnama is a pocket-mate to � nd the best places and best dishes at the most convenient location throughout Dhaka. Through this app, people can search for nearby restaurants and � nd the reviews on the best eating places of the city. The app not only works as an eatery guide, but it also shows the best deals from which the people can choose from.

The app has become quite popular within its � rst three months and the users are satis� ed with the convenience and e� cacy provided. The Bhojnama team is dedicated to provide “who wants what” service to its users by helping them to � nd the best deals in their nearby restaurants.

This app can suggest best nearby places, hottest restaurants, best o� ers and also book a table for its user. l

The absolute app for foodies: Bhojnama

Tech deals on Darazn T-Junction desk

T-Junction has scrounged some of Daraz’s hottest tech deals - from a Sony home theatre to Samsung tablets - we’ve got you covered. Here’s a listing of this week’s hottest discounts.

For more information log on to www.daraz.com.bd

Terms and conditions include:• Cash on delivery• Seven day return policy• 100% assurance of a genuine product

Samsung Galaxy Grand

Prime Smartphone 8GB – White (32% o� )

Tk19,900 now available at Tk13,5000

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3V - 7” WiFi - 3G - 8GB

– Black (3% o� )Tk14,900 now available

at Tk14,400

Ainol AX3 - 7” 3G

Quad Core Tablet 16GB - Black (25% o� )Tk9,750 now available

at Tk7,313

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7” 8GB - Black

(50% o� )Tk35,000 now

available at Tk17,544

Sony TZ140 5:1 Home Theater - Black (48% o� )Tk25,000 now available

at Tk13,000

Samsung 40” H4200 Full HD LED TV - Black (18% o� )

Tk44,000 now available at Tk36,000

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KENYAN YEGO CROWNED JAVELIN KING

UPBEAT UNDER-19S EYE FINAL BERTH

26 2927

Czech Zuzana Hejnova became the � rst woman to successfully defend

her 400m hurdles title after 14 editions of the world championships

when she won gold at the Bird’s Nest Stadium yesterday

MILESTONE

SportTIGERS TAIL-ENDERS TO WORK ON BATTING SKILLS

JUSTIN GATLIN (US) HEAT: 2; TIMING: 19.87s; POSITION: 1, OVERALL: 1

USAIN BOLT (JAMAICA) HEAT: 3; TIMING: 19.95s; POSITION: 1, OVERALL: 2

Bolt, Gatlin set up 200m � nal showdownn Agencies

The Usain Bolt v Justin Gatlin re-match is on after both men dominated their

semi-� nals to charge into Thursday’s 200m � nal.

Bolt, looking to retain his oth-er individual sprint title after that extraordinary 100m victory here

in the Bird’s Nest, looked to be saving his strength for the next

showdown as he eased o� in 19.95 seconds.

Gatlin, comfortably the fastest man in the world this year over 200m, as he was over 100m, ran a controlled

19.87 as he seeks revenge for h i s shock defeat on Sunday night.

Britain’s talented youngster Zharnel Hughes, who trains with Bolt in Jamaica, re-mains a shot for the podium as he won the � rst of the three semi-� nals in 20.14.

Gatlin, twice banned for doping, has run more than two tenths of a second faster than any other man in the � eld this year, and al-most half a second quicker than Bolt.

The Jamaican has neither the times this summer nor the races, a pelvic injury restrict-ing his season, and he was solid rather than spectacular round the bend.

But transitioning into the straight he was able to open a two-metre lead, and could coast the � nal 20m to save as much as possi-ble for the battle ahead.

“I’m a bit tired as expected but just trying to get through these rounds,” Bolt told BBC Sport. “Right now I’m feeling OK. I didn’t run a hard corner but I’m trying to preserve as much as possible for the � nal. The 200m is my best event.”

Gatlin is desperate to take something away from the championships, having arrived as clear favourite to win back the 100m and 200m world titles he � rst won in Helsinki a decade ago. And the controversial 33-year-old got out well to dominate the second semi-� -nal and stay on track for another head-to-

head with his Jamaican nemesis.Hughes, born in the British Dependent

Territory of Anguilla, formally gained Brit-ish citizenship in June this year and won the national trials in some style.

In his � rst major global championship he is one of several athletes scrapping behind the big two, his win in his heat guaranteeing him a favourable lane draw for the � nal.

Hughes told BBC Sport: “I hit my toe on the block and it kind of slowed me down when I got out.

“I wanted a great lane for the � nal and that’s what I got. I train with the greatest in the world and I’m ready for them.”

His compatriot Danny Talbot went out after � nishing sixth from the lane outside Bolt but with a new personal best of 20.27.

Britain’s 100m champion and national record holder Dina Ash-er-Smithran a superb personal best of her own of 22.22 to move into the semi-� nals of the women’s 200m.

The 19-year-old made light of her inside lane to run a splendid bend and then held her form down the straight to go close to Kathy Cook’s 31-year-old British record.

That time made Asher-Smith the fastest quali� er by more than two tenths of a second, 100m silver medallist Dafne Schippers [Netherlands] also impressive as she won her heat in commanding fashion, easing o� in 22.58.

Asher-Smith will be joined in Thurs-day’s semi-� nals by her team-matesMarga-ret Adeoye and Bianca Williams, but former world championVeronica Campbell-Brown is fortunate to progress with them after running out of her lane o� the band. l

Sport26DT


Soumya aims on becoming the complete cricketern Minhaz Uddin Khan

Soumya Sarkar has simply been a revelation for Bangladesh cricket in the last 12 months, but the 22-year-old is yet to re� ect his one-day international performance in the Test arena.

Since his ODI debut in last December, the left-handed batsman played a pivotal role be-hind the Tigers success in all the 16 matches which easily cemented his spot in the line-up. However, the same cannot be said about his Test career.

He wore the Test cap in April this year during the home series against Pakistan. The opportunity came along with a di� erent chal-lenge for the attacking minded batsman as he had to bat out of his position, below No 5.

After three matches, 37 is is highest score against India.

“I still haven’t been able to prove myself in Tests. The sooner I do that, the better for me. I hope my journey ahead will become easier once I get settled in the format,” said Soumya yesterday.

Hailing from Satkhira, Soumya does not agree that the change in his batting order is an issue as he said, “I have never thought it

that way. My job is to play well at any position I am given the opportunity. Test cricket is to-tally di� erent from ODIs. One has to make a di� erent approach in this format. I will need to hold onto the way I play but at the same time also need to make sure I don’t overdo it. There are few things that I need to work on. Test has a di� erent demand and I need to work hard to ful� ll that.”

He can be an automatic choice when it comes to the shorter formats, but his be-low-par Tets outings eventually saw him lose the place to team combination.

“I haven’t been able to show my caliber in the three matches that I played. So yes, my aim now is to prove myself in the format and I am practicing with that in mind. I am working on things that will allow me to concrete on my spot in the Test side,” he said.

Australia, who recently lost the Ashes 3-2, will set foot in Dhaka at the end of next month. Soumya, speaking on the home series said, “The team is always on toes to face the leading sides in the cricket arena. Including Australia there are few other teams that we al-ways look to play. We have two Test matches against them. This will allow us to see where we stand and how much we have improved.”l

Soumya Sarkar and Mashrafe bin Mortaza are all set to hit the running machine during their strength and conditioning camp at Mirpur’s SBNS yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Aussie skipper in doubt against Bangladeshn Reuters, Melbourne

Australia captain Mile Jedinak is in doubt for World Cup quali� ers against Bangladesh and Tajikistan after injuring his hamstring playing for Premier League side Crystal Palace.

Jedinak came o� early in the second half of Palace’s 4-1 League Cup win over Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday and his coach Alan Pardew feared his mid� elder captain could be sidelined for some time.

“I’m a little bit worried about the skipper, he might have done a hamstring, but we’ll have to wait and see,” Pardew said in com-ments published by British media.l

Tigers tail-enders to work on batting skillsn Mazhar Uddin

The tail-enders of the Bangladesh cricket team has always been a weak point, especial-ly in Tests, where they often tend to give up whenever they get the opportunity to bat. Musta� zur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Moham-mad Shahid, Jubair Hossain and Taijul Islam all bat lower down the order and the quintet have accumulated just 407 runs in 64 Test in-nings between themselves.

The disappointing run of low scores by the tail-enders was not lost on the Bangladesh Cricket Board as it has chalked out some bat-ting sessions for the � ve specialist bowlers.

Besides their bowling, the quintet will work on their batting skills under the supervision of BCB coach Mizanur Rahman Babul.

“There are a few weak points among the lower-order batsmen, such as bouncers and yorkers. So, we are going to work with the tail-enders to overcome the shortcomings,” Babul told the media yesterday.

The Tigers’ Under-19 head coach added, “If the lower-order batters can score some runs, that will actually help the side. Nation-al head coach Chandika Hathurusingha in-structed me to work on this and I am working accordingly. I hope they can improve their batting skills. If needed, they can also provide

support to the middle-order batsmen.”Young leg-spinner Jubair on the other

hand informed that the programme will help him to contribute with the willow, when needed.

“This batting programme will de� nitely help to improve our batting skills as we have to face bouncers and yorkers. If we can con-tribute with the bat, along with our bowling which is our main job, my team will be more bene� ted,” said Jubair.

Right-arm paceman Rubel, in the meantime, is working on his back-foot and front-foot batting skills, as instructed by Hathurusingha. l

Bangladesh football captain Mamunul Islam takes a sel� e alongside Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif at BFF House yesterday prior to their departure for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The men in red and green were scheduled to � y o� yesterday night at 1:20am for a Fifa international friendly against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur this Saturday, ahead of their 2018 Russia World Cup second round quali� er against Asian champions Australia, scheduled for next Thursday at NIB Stadium in Perth

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

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Feni, Natore post wins in U-15 FootballFeni district registered their second consecu-tive victory in the Sailor-BFF National Under-15 Football Championship when they defeated Sylhet district 3-0 at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. Ali, Shamrul, Tamim scored one apiece with all goals coming in the second half. In the day’s other match, Natore district edged Barisal district 2-1 at the Abagani ground in Dhanmondi. Asaduzzaman and Saqlain both netted early in the � rst half to put the victors in a comfortable position before Arif pulled one back in the second half.

–TRIBUNE REPORT

Chelsea winger Marko Marin joins TrabzonsporChelsea winger Marko Marin has joined Turkish side Trabzonspor on a season-long loan with an option to make the switch permanent, according to a statement from the Premier League champions. The 26-year-old German in-ternational has made just four Premier League appearances for Chelsea since joining from Werder Bremen in 2012. He has spent the last season on loan at Fiorentina and Anderlecht.

–REUTERS

Everton’s Stones hands in transfer request Everton central defender John Stones has handed in a transfer request in order to push through a move to Chelsea, British media reported on Tuesday. Premier League champions Chelsea have had two bids for the 21-year-old England international rejected in the current transfer window. Everton manager Roberto Martinez refused to comment on the situation regarding Stones at a news conference on Tuesday.

–REUTERS

Illarramendi happy to be returning to SociedadReal Madrid mid� elder Asier Illarramendi is happy to be returning to boyhood club Real So-ciedad after a disappointing stint in the Spanish capital, the 25-year-old was quoted as saying on Wednesday. The La Liga rivals are expected to con� rm the deal shortly and Spanish media reported Sociedad had agreed to pay around 17 million euros ($19.5 million) for Illarramendi having sold him to Real for close to 40 million two years ago. Illarramendi arrived at the airport in San Sebastian where Basque side So-ciedad are based on Wednesday morning and told reporters he was “pleased” to be returning and it had been his � rst choice once he realised he had to leave Real.

–REUTERS

No regrets over leaving City for Liverpool: MilnerJames Milner has no regrets over leaving Manchester City for Liverpool in search of more playing time in his favoured central mid� eld role, the Liverpool Echo reported. The England international switched to An� eld from the Etihad Stadium on a free transfer during the close season despite City o� ering him a new contract.

–REUTERS

QUICK BYTES

Upbeat Under-19s eye � nal berthn Shishir Hoque

A determined Bangladesh Under-19 football side are con� dent of ousting sub-continent rival India when the two sides lock horns with each other today in the second semi-� nal of the inaugural Sa� U-19 Championship. The last-four clash will kick o� at 3:45pm (Bangladesh standard time) at ANFA Complex in Lalitpur, Nepal and the Bangladesh fans can tune in to Kantipur Gold Live (Channel: Ekantipur Online) on youtube in order to catch the game live.

The junior Tigers will be looking to replicate the performance of the Bangladesh U-16 side in the just-concluded third edition of the Sa� U-16 Championship where the young Tigers defeated India twice – � rst in the group stage and then in the grand � nale.

Bangladesh though would have to improve on their group-stage display if they are to clinch a place in the � nal where they will be up against either Nepal or Afghanistan, who

will face o� in the � rst semi-� nal earlier today at the same venue.

The junior Tigers beat Bhutan 2-0 before succumbing to a narrow 2-1 loss at the hands of the home side. The Indians, on the other hand, claimed victories in both of their group-stage matches.

On the eve of the semi-� nal, the teenagers in red and green underwent a practice session in the early hours of yesterday morning. And team manager Aminul Haque Mamun, while talking with Dhaka Tribune over the phone yesterday, hinted a change in the starting XI in today’s encounter.

One can say the change is an inevitable or a predictable one. Defender Tutul Hossain Bad-shah, who was responsible for the two goals that Bangladesh conceded against the hosts, is unlikely to start again. Although Tutul is su� ering from a slight injury in his right heel, Mamun admitted that the defender will be excluded for his form.

Bangladesh captain Masuk Mia Joni on the other hand seemed upbeat ahead of today’s tie.

“We will take the � eld targeting nothing but a win. I believe we can beat them and move to the � nal. Hopefully we will put up a positive show and if we can give our best ef-fort, we can get the victory,” said Joni.

Bangladesh head coach Saiful Bari Titu also uttered words of con� dence while facing the media.

“We now play as a unit. The players are motivated for the match. They have assured me that they will give everything against In-dia,” said Titu. l

We will take the � eld targeting nothing but a win. I believe we can beat them and move to the � nal

Bangladesh Under-19 footballers warm up during a practice session in Lalitpur, Nepal yesterday ahead of their Sa� U-19 Championship semi-� nal against India today COURTESY

Smith ready for ‘new era’n AFP, London

Newly-appointed Australia captain Steven Smith said he was ready for a “new era” as he prepared to lead them for the � rst time since Michael Clarke’s retirement.

Australia face Ireland in Belfast on Thurs-day in what will be the � rst one-day interna-tional since beating New Zealand in the World Cup � nal in Melbourne in March.

It will also be Australia’s � rst match since Clarke retired from all international cricket after the � fth and � nal Test against England at The Oval last week.

Australia won by an innings and 46 runs but victory in south London came too late to save the Ashes, with England winning the � ve-match series 3-2.

The 26-year-old Smith, who had deputised as skipper in both Test and one-day cricket

when Clarke was injured, was long seen as Australia’s captain in waiting and is looking forward to taking up the role full time.

“I’m very excited,” Smith told travelling Australian media in Belfast on Wednesday.

“Obviously, I’ve known for a little while now that I was going to be taking over the one-day squad, so I’ve been working pretty hard and preparing (for) everything coming up,”

He added: “The last time this group was together, we won a World Cup, so I don’t think we have to change a whole heap. We’re currently No.1 in the world. I think for us now, it’s just about raising that bar and continuing to get better each day.”

“I guess it’s a new era in a way for Austral-ian cricket,” said Smith. “But they’re really excited and I’m really excited to see them do well on this tour.” l

28DT Sport


Valencia forward Pablo Piatti (R) vies with Monaco defender Fabinho during their UEFA Champions League play-o� in Monaco on Tuesday AFP

Five-star Spain as Valencia make historyn Reuters

Spain became the � rst couuntry to have � ve teams in the Champions League group stage in one season after Valencia squeezed past Monaco 4-3 on aggregate in the playo� round despite a 2-1 defeat on Tuesday.

Valencia joined holders Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, who got an automatic berth as last season’s winners of Europe’s second-tier Europa League.

On a night of pulsating action, Malmo, Di-namo Zagreb, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Shakhtar Donetsk also booked money-spinning group stage spots in Europe’s premier club competi-tion. Former Manchester City forward Alvaro Negredo put Valencia in the driving seat with a deft fourth-minute chip but the Spaniards were forced to hang on after Andrea Raggi and Elder-son revived Monaco’s hopes in the principality.

Swedish champions Malmo made the group stage for a second straight season af-ter captain Markus Rosenberg and a Dedryck Boyata own goal gave them a bruising 2-0 win and 4-3 aggregate triumph over Celtic to over-turn a 3-2 � rst-leg away de� cit.

Former European Cup winners Celtic lost their lead after Rosenberg met a corner, the ball sliding in o� his shoulder.

Malmo missed several chances before Boyata’s desperate attempt to clear in a goal-mouth scramble ended with the Celtic de-fender sliding the ball into his own net.

Dinamo quali� ed for the third time in the past � ve seasons, beating Skenderbeu 4-1 at home to complete a 6-2 overall victory against the Albanians.

Algeria striker El Arabi Hilal Soudani net-ted a � ne brace, with Jeremy Taravel and Armin Hodzic also on the scoresheet for the

Croatians.A nervy 2-2 home draw with Rapid Vienna

saw Shakhtar through 3-2 on aggregate after a 1-0 win in the � rst leg, while Maccabi edged out Basel on away goals, a 1-1 home draw be-ing just enough following last week’s 2-2 tie in Switzerland.

Shakhtar appeared to be cruising after Marlos doubled their aggregate lead but goals from Louis Schaub and Ste� en Hofmann turned the tie on its head before Olexandr Gladkiy forced the � nal twist in a rip-roaring � rst half.

Maccabi progressed to the group stage for the second time after an Eran Zahavi goal cancelled out Luca Zu� ’s opener. The top clash among Wednesday’s � ve games fea-tures Manchester United’s visit to Bruges, where the three-time winners will defend a 3-1 � rst-leg advantage over the Belgians. l

Balotelli to have good behaviour clause in Milan contractn Reuters, Milan

Maverick striker Mario Balotelli will have a good behaviour clause inserted into his con-tract with AC Milan, banning extravagant haircuts and clothing and committing him to a healthy lifestyle.

Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport said on Wednesday that the club’s chief exec-utive Adriano Galliani had based the clause on regulations which are applied to people who serve in the Italian air force.

The 25-year-old, repeatedly criticised for his poor work rate, is set to return to Mi-lan just one year after leaving for Liverpool, where he had a dismal season.

He underwent a medical in Milan on Tues-day ahead of an unexpected loan move, al-though the deal has not yet been o� cially con� rmed.

According to Gazzetta, Balotelli must not damage the image of the club and his Twitter, Facebook and Instagram posts will be closely monitored.

He will be banned from extravagant haircuts and clothing, from smoking and from visiting night clubs and must turn up on time from training. His drinking will also be limited. l

RESULTSMonaco (FRA) 2-1 Valencia (ESP)Raggi 18, Elderson 75 Negredo 4

Valencia win 4-3 on aggregate

Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) 1-1 FC Basel (SUI)Zahavi 24 Zu� 11

3-3 on aggregate. Maccabi advance on away goals

Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) 4-1 Skenderbeu (ALB)Soudani 9, 80, Esquerdinho 10Hodzic 15, Taravel 55

Dinamo win 6-2 on aggregate

Malmo (SWE) 2-0 Celtic (SCO)Rosenberg 23, Boyata 55-og

Malmo win 4-3 on aggregate

Shakhtar (UKR) 2-2 Rapid Vienna (AUT)Marlos 10, Schaub 13, Gladkiy 27 Hofmann 22

Shakhtar win 3-2 aggregate

Sunderland win thriller, Watford ousted n AP, London

On a frenzied, big-scoring night in the League Cup, Jermain Defoe’s hat trick settled Sun-derland’s nine-goal thriller as Premier League teams were given a rough ride by lower-league opponents on Tuesday.

Defoe’s treble in a 6-3 win over Exeter com-pensated for defensive ga� es which allowed the fourth-tier side to draw level at 3-3 at half time.

There were eight goals at Aston Villa. Scott Sinclair’s treble ensured the hosts ousted fourth-tier Notts County 5-3 in extra time af-ter it � nished 3-3 at the end of 90 minutes.

Watford was Tuesday’s only second-round Premier League casualty, with second-tier Preston winning 1-0. Miguel Britos was sent o� on his debut for Watford, which is still searching for its � rst win after returning to the Premier League.

Joe Dodoo’s Leicester debut was even more memorable thanks to his three goals against the third-tier side. Some Leicester fans invad-ed the pitch after the 20-year-old winger com-pleted his treble in the last minute.

Newcastle winger Florian Thauvin scored three minutes into his � rst start following a $20-million transfer from Marseille to help Ste-ve McClaren register his � rst win as manager.l

THIRD ROUND FIXTURES Aston Villa v Birmingham Crystal Palace v Charlton Fulham v Stoke Hull v Swansea Leicester v West Ham Liverpool v Carlisle Man United v Ipswich MK Dons v Southampton Newcastle v Shef. Wednesday Norwich v West Brom Preston v Bournemouth Reading v Barnsley/Everton Sunderland v Manchester City Tottenham v Arsenal Walsall v ChelseaSunderland striker Jermain Defoe shoots to score

against Exeter during their League Cup match

Sport 29D

T


Star Sports 47:20 AM, 4:25 PM World Athletics ChampionshipsTen Sports 11:00 PMWTA: Connecticut Open QF 1 Ten Action9:45 PMUEFA Champions League Draw: Group Stage Sony Six3:45 PMIreland v Australia, Only ODI

DAY’S WATCH

Julius Yego of Kenya competes in the men’s javelin throw � nal during the 15th IAAF World Championships at the National Stadium in Beijing, China yesterday REUTERS

Farah stumbles into 5,000m � naln AFP, Beijing

Mo Farah’s bid to defend his double world distance titles almost came unstuck on Wednesday as he was tripped coming into the � nal 200 metres of his 5,000m heat.

Great Britain’s Farah, who won 10,000m gold on Saturday, was in control of the race throughout but was clipped coming into the � nal bend, leaving him with a cut toe and causing him to stumble badly before correct-ing himself.

To gasps from the Bird’s Nest crowd in Bei-

jing, Farah relaunched himself to � nish sec-ond behind Ethiopian winner Yomif Kejelcha, the world’s fastest performer in 2015, who timed 13min 19.38sec in the hot morning sun.

Another Ethiopian, Hagos Gebrhiwet, won the � rst heat, clocking 13:45.00 to set up a mouth-watering clash in the � nal scheduled for 1130GMT on Saturday.

“It felt all right. I nearly went down - again!” laughed Farah in reference to stum-bling also in the 10,000m � nal.

“Somebody just caught my legs. It’s the way I run, I’ve got long strides so I don’t

blame anybody. It just happens. That’s why sometimes I just have to be at the front or the back or stay on the outside.”

The Somali-born 32-year-old said that vic-tories in the heptathlon and men’s long jump by Great Britain teammates Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford had not only eased the pressure on him but also highlighted an “amazing team spirit”.

Victory for Farah on Saturday would signi-fy an unprecedented seventh successive win in the 5,000 or 10,000m at a world champion-ships or Olympics stretching back to 2011. l

Kenyan Yego crowned javelin king after monster thrown Reuters, Beijing

Julius Yego continued Kenya’s dominance of the world athletics championships by win-ning his country’s � fth gold medal with a monster 92.72-metres throw in a dramatic men’s javelin � nal.

It is the � rst time that Kenya, a nation noted for its distance-running prowess, has won a world title in a � eld event, and Yego’s victory comes a day after Nicholas Bett won the 400m hurdles title, the shortest distance over which any Kenyan has become a world champion.

In an event which has long been a Europe-an stranglehold, there was a one-two for Af-rica, as Egypt’s Ihab El Sayed took the silver medal with his 88.99m second-round e� ort.

Finland’s Tero Pitkamaki maintained European pride by taking bronze with his 87.64m best e� ort. Thomas Rohler, of Germa-ny placed fourth with 87.41, after having led in the early stages.

Yego, 26, is diminutive by the standards of international javelin throwers, standing only 5ft 8in/1.75m tall.

For the third round, Yego threw himself diving to the ground at the end of his run-up, and his spear hung in the stormy Beijing evening sky before landing just eight cm short of the championship record, set in 2001 by the world record-holder, Jan Zelezny. Yego’s throw is the longest anywhere since then mark betters a Commonwealth record which was held by Briton Steve Backley since 1992. l

Serena, Djokovic top seeds for US Openn Reuters

World number ones Serena Williams, aiming to complete the � rst calendar-year grand slam in 27 years, and Novak Djokovic have been named the top seeds for the U.S. Open cham-pionships starting on Monday in New York.

Williams, winner of the last three U.S. women’s singles crowns at Flushing Mead-ows, is followed on the seeding list by num-ber two Simona Halep of Romania, a 2014 French Open � nalist.

Russia’s Maria Sharapova, the 2006 U.S. Open winner, is seeded third with 2014 U.S. Open � nalist Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark seeded fourth.

Five-times U.S. Open champion Roger

Federer is the second seed for the men’s event where the top-10 seeds feature � ve U.S. Open champions and six grand slam winners in all.

In addition to 2011 champion Djokovic of Serbia and Switzerland’s Federer (2004-08), former U.S. champions include Andy Murray (2012), Rafael Nadal (2010, 13) and last year’s winner, Marin Cilic of Croatia.

Scotland’s Murray is seeded third, Span-iard Nadal is eighth and Cilic seeded ninth.

Kei Nishikori of Japan, runner-up last year to Cilic, is seeded fourth, one spot ahead of reigning French Open champion Stan Waw-rinka of Switzerland.

Other prominent women’s seeds include � fth-seeded Czech Petra Kvitova, the 2011 and 2014 Wimbledon champion, followed

at number six by compatriot Lucie Safarova, this year’s French Open � nalist.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, a U.S. Open � nalist in 2012 and 2013, is seeded 20th. Twice U.S. winner Venus Williams is seeded 23rd, 2011 champion Samantha Stosur of Aus-tralia is 22nd and 2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia is seeded 30th.

A victory for Serena Williams would make her the fourth woman to sweep all four slams in a single season, joining Maureen Connolly (1953), Margaret Court (1970) and Ste� Graf (1988). It would also be the American’s seventh U.S. Open singles crown, breaking her tie atop the all-time list with Chris Evert, and move her into a tie for second on the career grand slam singles list with Graf at 22, two behind Court.l

PCB halts early return for Butt and Asifn AFP, Lahore

Pakistan cricket authorities Wednesday set out a path for spot-� xing convicts Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif to return to the international game, but e� ectively ruled out any chance of them playing in next month’s national event.

Butt and Asif attended a lecture from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) o� cer on vig-ilence and corruption as the � rst step in a rehabilitation process towards playing at do-mestic level.

“The two players were invited to a lecture on anti-corruption as part of their rehabilita-tion,” PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan told AFP.

“Under the process they will have to attend lectures, accept guilt at various forums, show remorse and give lectures to future players,” he said.

In a statement issued later in the day, the PCB said the players will not be able to use the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and will be barred from practising with players from the national team.

In 2011, the International Cricket Coun-cil (ICC) banned Butt, Asif and Mohammad Amir for � ve years over a spot-� xing case happened during Pakistan’s tour to England a year earlier.

The three players - along with their agent Mazhar Majeed - were charged and later jailed for arranging deliberate no-balls in return for money during the Lord’s Test against England.

The ICC lifted sanctions on Butt and Asif last week, making them eligible for domestic and international cricket from 2 September this year. l

DOWNTIME30DT


CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

DILBERT

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

CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS

CODE-CRACKER

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a di� erent letter of the alphabet. For example, today 11 represents N so � ll N every time the � gure 11 appears.You have two letters in the control grid to start you o� . Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares.Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.As you get the letters, � ll in the other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check o� the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Counterfeit (4)4 Card game (5)8 Lying on the back (6)9 Domestic animals (4)11 Period of darkness (5)12 Old stringed instrument (4)14 Feline (3)15 Malicious destroyed (6)19 Not level (6)21 Land measure (3)22 Melody (4)24 Snake poison (5)27 Thailand’s former name (4)29 Escapes artfully (6)30 Place (5)31 Avoid (4)

DOWN

1 Undermine (3)2 Shrewd (6)3 New wine (4)4 Fastener (3)5 Vegetable (5)6 Barrel (3)7 Disconcert (6)10 Dash (4)13 Day before (3)14 Bends (6)16 Insect (3)17 Language (6)18 Region (4)20 Stringed instrument (5)23 Employs (4)25 Born (3)26 Wet, soft earth (3)28 Homo sapiens (3)

SUDOKU

SHOWTIME 31D


WHAT TO WATCH

Step Up 2: The StreetsHBO 7:00pmRomantic sparks occur between two dance students from di� erent back-grounds at the Maryland School of the Arts.Cast: Robert Ho� man, Briana Evigan, Cassie Ventura

Mr Bean’s HolidayStar Movies 11:30pmMr Bean wins a trip to Cannes where he unwittingly separates a young boy from his father and must help the two come back together. On the way, he discovers France, bicycling, and true love, among other things.Cast: Rowan Atkinson, Willem Dafoe, Steve Pemberton

Mission: Impossible - Ghost ProtocolZee Studio 4:10pmThe IMF is shut down, and when it’s implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, Ethan Hunt and his new team go rogue to clear their organisation’s name.Cast: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg

Soumitra Chatterjee brings something new

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

Ryan Reynolds @VancityReynoldsDo NOT make me regret this One Direction tattoo on my lower back, fellas.

IGGY AZALEA @IGG-YAZALEASo, the universe is � at. It may or may not be expanding forever, and the whole thing is making my brain want to explode.

Marshall Mathers @EminemThanks to everyone who’s helped our fundraiser for @dbgyouthprogram..a few lucky donators will get RT’s from me. Help us spread the word!

Indalo set to release debut albumn Showtime Desk

Indalo is scheduled to launch their debut album, “Kokhon Kibhabe Ekhane Ke Jane” at the Radius Gallery and Auditorium, Radius Centre, Bay’s Galleria at Gulshan 1 on September 5. The event is designed and managed by Pretty Shitty Art.

The band was born out of the musical wedlock including Jon Kabir, ex-frontman for Black; Zubair Hasan, ex-vocalist and guitarist for Aashor; Bart Nandit Areng, bassist for Ajob and Dio Haque (Nemesis) playing the drums.

Starting from 3pm till 9pm, the event will include album signings, photographs with the band, a brief live performance, and a merchandise exhibition including Indalo lockets, leather badges, leather bracelets, T-shirts, and art prints.

The album will also have an online release on the same date. ME Label will hold the online distribution rights to the album.

The album holds 13 original tracks by the band: Saké, Olik, Tomar Shokal, Deyalghori, Obosheshe, Plastic, Pounopunik, Pathorer Arale Phool, Antonogor, Canvas, ISD, Oshfut and Ke Shunbe. l

n Showtime Desk

Soumitra Chatterjee, the legendary Indian actor famed for his frequent collaborations with film-maker Satyajit Ray, will pay a visit to Dhaka next week with a new film which set to be released in the Ganga Jamuna Theatre and Cultural Festival 2015.

The play, titled Chhariganga, was directed and co-written by the actor himself along with Amitranjan Biswas, and will be staged at the National Theatre Hall in Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on September 4 at 7pm.

Dwijen Bandopadhyaya and Poulami Bose, the two other veteran actors from India, have portrayed major roles in the play along with Soumitra.

In the play, Soumitra enacts an

internationally recognised scientist who grows obsessed with alchemy, loses his position abroad and returns to the overgrown mansion in his zamindari village. He sets up his laboratory there and experiments with drugs such as LSD on his own wife. Lost in his world and alone, he appears to talk to figments of his past, including his daughter, who accuses him of slowly killing her mother.

In the late ‘50s, Soumitra first started working in theatre, but soon left the field to pursue his film career. After two decades of a prolonged run in Bengali cinema, he returned to theatre in 1978, with a production titled Naam Jiban.

Besides acting, the 80-year-old actor has written and directed several plays, translated a few and also branched out to poetry reading.l

One direction con� rms break

n Showtime Desk

Much hearts were broken of One Direction fans all over the world as the famous boyband announced that they would be taking a “well-earned” break some time next year. However, they insist it will not be the end of their activities together. Niall Horan and Louis Tomilson both tweeted the band’s plans and promised they will be back.

Niall also wrote: “Don’t worry though, we still have lots we want to achieve! Can’t wait from you to hear about all the new music we have for you, and some of the new songs as the tour continues. Love you all.”

The group, comprised of Niall, Louis, Harry Styles and Liam Payne, have decided to take at least a year out and will not tour their upcoming fifth album either. It is said that they will be working on their own solo projects, the after a five-year-long run, sources empathise their break as a Deserved one, also stating that there is no bad blood between the members. l

BACK PAGE32DT


INDALO SET TO RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM PAGE 31

SOUMYA AIMS ON BECOMING THE COMPLETE CRICKETER PAGE 26

EXPORTS TO SAARC SEE 16% RISE IN FY15 PAGE 15

Body formed to evict illegal religious structures on riverbanksn Shohel Mamun

The government has formed a body tasked with recommending relocation or eviction of 30 establishments of religious and reli-gion-based institutions on banks of the rivers in and around Dhaka city.

The 17-member committee is headed by the Shipping Ministry’s Additional Secretary Nasir Arif Mahmud.

Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan yes-terday held a meeting with the leaders of the religious communities and authorities con-cerned.

“According to a primary survey, 30 estab-lishments have been illegally built on the banks of di� erent rivers in Dhaka which in-clude 20 mosques, eight madrassas and oth-er religion-based education centres and two temples,” the minister told reporters after the meeting.

“Of these structures, some were built from a genuine sense of responsibility towards people’s religious sentiments, but the others were put up to sever individual vested interests.

“The committee has been asked to verify the rationale behind building each of these establishments. Based on the committee’s report, the authorities will relocate some of these structures and evict others.

“The committee has been given a month to submit its report to the ministry,” the minis-ter said.

The Dhaka Tribune has learned that the ministry has representation from the Water Resources, Land, Public Works and Religious A� airs Ministries; the Bangladesh Inland Wa-ter Transport Authority (BIWTA); marine po-lice, the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust; and the Islamic Foundation.

The primary survey the Shipping Ministry is talking about actually refers to a bunch of sur-veys conducted by a number of other ministries and agencies. This includes the largest ever sur-vey conducted by the Land Ministry whose re-port was submitted in August last year.

The Land Ministry report found out sev-eral illegal establishments: a mosque on the banks of Balu River in the Eusufganj area of Narayanganj, a graveyard and madrasa on the banks of Turag River in Harirampur area of Dhaka, and a mosque in the Jahurabad area.

According to a Shipping Ministry survey, three mosques were built at Hazaribagh of Dhaka without authorisation near the origi-nal channel of the Buriganga River.

Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan yester-day said: “We have taken initiatives to free the banks of the rivers in Dhaka from en-croachment to improve sustainability of the water sources. Under this initiative, we will evict all kinds of illegal establishments.”

In the past, based on its report, the Ship-ping Ministry evicted a total of 4,740 illegal establishments from the banks of these riv-ers. But no religious establishments were re-moved at that time. l

Such approach of beggars leaves no other option for the commuters but to give away alms. A group of people engage kids into such acts much to the embarrassment of pedestrians. The photo was taken on the foot-over bridge at Mirpur 10 intersection in the capital SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Biman Bangladesh among low-rated airlinesn Syeda Samira Sadeque

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has been rated one of the worst among 21 airlines in a UK-based airline ranking system, according to reports.

Australian travel news agency Traveller.com.au published the report yesterday, which entailed details of world’s worst airlines based on Skytrax rankings, a web-based airline and airport rating and review platform.

Skytrax released the rankings through stars – with the worst being one star to the best being � ve stars. On it, Biman was rated two stars, along with Iran Air, Syrian Air and Air Italy, becoming one of the second worst airlines on the list.

According to the Skytrax website, a two-star airline rating signi� es an inconsistent or lower quality of product and/or front-line sta� service for the on-board and home-base

airport environments. North Korea’s Koryo Air was the only

one to be ranked worst with one star. ANA All Nippon Airways of Japan, Asiana Airways of South Korea and Singapore Airlines were among the few to receive a � ve-star rating.

A globally recognised worldwide airline rating system which was introduced in 1999, Skytrax World Airline Star Rating classi� es airlines by the quality of their front-line product and sta� service standards. The star

ratings are recognised as a global benchmark of airline standards.

Biman Bangladesh, which received a customer rating of 5/10, was reviewed on the website to have a “totally disorganised” check-in system.

Biman operates � ights in 22 international destinations, most of which are loss-incurring. According to a 2014 Dhaka Tribune report, the national � ag carrier incurred a loss of Tk594 crore in the 2011-12 � scal year and Tk191 crore in 2012-13.

The airline has long been ill-reputed for its notoriously inconsistent scheduling, lack of organisational skills and poor customer service.

Following the publishing of the report, a reader commented yesterday on popular social media site Facebook: “It’s � tting that the 2nd least livable city in the world is home to a 2-star airline.” l

2 Virginia TV journos killed in on-air shootingn Reuters, Washington DC

Two television journalists were shot and killed in Virginia on Wednesday morning while conducting a live television interview, the station said.

The shooting, apparently by a disgruntled current or former employee of the television station, took place at about 6:45am local time during a live broadcast. The incident took place in Bedford County, in the south-central part of the state and about 190 km from the capital of Richmond.

The station, WDBJ7 in Roanoke, Virginia, said the reporter Alison Parker, 24, and the cam-eraman, Adam Ward, 27, died in the incident.

Shots were heard and the reporter and the person she was interviewing screamed and ducked for cover.

The suspect was being pursued by police in a car chase. l

The airline has long been ill-reputed for its notoriously inconsistent scheduling, lack of organisational skills and poor customer service

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