Professional Documents
Culture Documents
DA 6238 Vol 2, No 38
www.dhakatribune.com
SECOND EDITION
necessity of RAB
n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla
The BNP which had formed the Rapid Action Battalion raised the question of the necessity of the force because of its alleged involvement with different sorts of crimes in recent times. The force has been assigned to maintain law and order in the country and protect public life, but now they snatch people. In such a situation, time has come to think as to whether the force in the name of the elite force should continue or not, BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told a press briefing yesterday at the partys central office. Allegations of extrajudicial killings were raised against RAB soon after it was formed during the tenure of the
Shaihidul if he ever mentioned RAB was involved, he would put him in crossfire
fear anyone except RAB. If anything happens to Nazrul, it will be done by RAB
ganj city panel mayor and ward councillor Nazrul Islam, senior lawyer Chandan Sarker and their associates were abducted in broad daylight from a busy road and later murdered. Not only the commoners and the conscious citizens, but also the justice seekers and those close to the victims are divided on the matter of the identity of the mastermind. One section believes that Nazruls
political rival Nur Hossain, another Awami League leader and also a councillor of the same city corporation, plotted the abduction. Another section believes that the mastermind was influential Awami League lawmaker Shamim Osman, who used his close associate Nur Hossain and RAB 11 to serve his personal vendetta against Nazrul. Shamim Osman is not only a local
MP and an Awami League stalwart, but he has also been often branded as a godfather and linked to most big crimes in Narayanganj a major commercial hub near capital Dhaka. Although Shamim is not officially accused in any of the cases filed with the local police stations in connection with the seven murders, but prime suspect Nur Hossain was known as
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BNP-led four-party alliance government. But the then BNP government supported the activities of the newly formed force. In recent times, many allegations had been raised against the elite force especially after the abduction and killing of seven people in Narayanganj. However, State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday said they had no plan to dissolve the elite force. Fakhrul said three RAB officials were dismissed and investigation was going on against them. It means that the government has acknowledged the incident. The spokesperson for the party demanded immediate resignation of the
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As the investigation is underway, such kind of news will only influence the investigation process
About the involvement of RAB, several investigation committees including one formed by the force are analysing evidence to unearth the mystery. Some media have been publishing news about RABs involvement in the incidents since April 27. As the investigation to confirm the involvement of RAB is underway, such kind of news will only influence the investigation process, RAB said in a rejoinder issued yesterday on a news item of a Bangla newspaper. RAB said such activities would bury the real mystery behind the incidents and the main accused would escape. It would also create negative impact among the forces personnel. As a result, the law and order of the country would deteriorate, and militancy and terrorism rise. l
The demarcation pillar seen on the left of the photo marks the boundary for Shitalakkhya River. Although the space on the right falls under the river, unscrupulous sand traders are using the land stretching up to 300 feet to carry out their illegal business. The photo was taken yesterday near Kanchpur in Narayanganj SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
Arms seized at rail Government to carry forward Tk3,000 Court forces out Thai PM, stations meant crore for PPP in next budget part of her cabinet for Jamaat Currently a number of projects most private sector investors often Therefore her prime minister stan Mohammad Jamil Khan n Asif Showkat Kallol n AP, Bangkok failed to submit strong proposals, small and big are waiting to be tus has ended... Yingluck can no longer
The supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami are allegedly funding import of arms and ammunition in the capital ahead of verdicts in war crimes cases against its top leaders Motiur Rahman Nizami and Delawar Hossain Sayedee. The recent seizure of modern arms and explosives from the Airport and the Kamalapur railway stations on April 28 and 29 gives an impression that those were being brought in to use in violent attacks centring the verdicts which are set to be pronounced any day, according to investigators and intelligence officials. The Dhaka Tribune on April 27
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The government has carried forward the previous allocation of Tk3,000 crore for public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives in the next fiscal year as there has been no significant disbursement this fiscal year for the sector. An official of the Finance Division told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that they were happy that PPP initiatives would not need any extra fund in the next budget. The official, however, regretted the fact that the private sector has failed to utilise the allocated amount. Only Tk100 crore of the allocation for the current fiscal year has been utilised. A number of officials alleged that
which did not get approved and the funds remained unutilised.
Of 29 PPP projects, the government has signed contract of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway project worth over $1.4bn
There were strict rules and regulations regarding the disbursement of the PPP fund, but investors do not comply with those, sources of the Finance Division said.
launched shortly. A year ago, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said the first PPP project would be setting up of dialysis machines in Dhaka and Chittagong. Two projects two hemdialysis centres at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital and the National Institute of Kidney Diseases and Urology are now in the procurement stage. Of a total of 29 PPP projects, the government has signed contract of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway project worth over $1.4bn to connect Dhaka city with the Shahjalal International Airport. The Italian-Thai Development
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Thailands Constitutional Court yesterday dismissed Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and nine ministers for abuse of power, leaving the government clinging to power but the nation is still locked in a political crisis. The cabinet swiftly appointed a deputy premier Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan to be Yinglucks replacement as the ruling party struggled to regain its footing after the judicial blow. The court, which has played a key role in deposing two other Shinawatra-linked governments in recent turbulent years, ruled unanimously that Yingluck acted illegally by transferring a top security official in 2011.
stay in her position acting as caretaker prime minister, presiding Judge Charoon Intachan said in a televised ruling. Nine cabinet ministers who endorsed the decision to transfer Thawil Pliensri were also stripped of their status. But fears that the court would dismiss the entire cabinet proved unfounded. Niwattumrong, a Thaksin-loyalist who is also commerce minister, was quickly promoted to the role of caretaker premier. He vowed to press ahead with a planned July 20 election to establish a
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INSIDE
Business
B1 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to hold a meeting with civil aviation ministry today, where a decision may come if the Ruposhi Bangla hotel will be fully or partially closed during renovation.
World
Nation
09 Three weeks after South Koreas ferry tragedy, the government yesterday said it miscounted the number of survivors, the latest of many missteps that have eroded the nations confidence in its leaders. 09 Thailands 28th prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, served two years and nine months in office before being forced out yesterday by a court that found her guilty of abuse of power.
Entertainment
News
5 The interns at RMCH are now refusing to treat any journalist after a few newsmen filed a case against the doctors for assaulting them on the night of April 21.
6 A link road to Jamuna bridge, is at risk as a vested interested group, in the name of a cooperative society, has been lifting sand without taking permission from authorities concerned, from three ponds adjacent to the road which will ultimately take a toll on the bridge.
Op-Ed
Sport
11 The ICT 2 has started contempt of court proceedings against David Bergman for posting some comments in his personal blog. The tribunal, in its order, stated that those blog posts have the potential effect of undermining public confidence in the administration of justice.
14 Ryan Giggs is still to decide about his Manchester United future despite making what appeared to be a farewell appearance in a 3 1 win over Hull City. Giggs, the clubs current interim manager, sent himself on as a 70th-minute substitute in Tuesdays Premier League game at Old Trafford.
2
NARAYANGANJ KILLINGS
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
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Arms seized
published a special story about the Jamaat-Shibir terror plans. On April 28, based on information, members of Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested Shamim and Nur Islam from the Dhaka-bound Subarna Express at the Airport Railway Station along with an AK-22 rifle, two magazines, eight bullets, three knives, 10 power-gel explosive rolls and 10 detonators stuffed inside a travel bag. A day after the recovery, the law enforcers seized another AK 22 rifle, two magazines, eight bullets and three sharp knives hidden in a bag in an abandoned condition on a pile of sleepers at the Kamalapur Railway Station. Later, a case was filed with the railway police and the arrestees placed on a 10-day remand. According to investigators, even law enforcers hardly use such sophisticated weapons. The US-made automated rifles have an effective range of around 500 metres and are mostly used in battles. In both cases of the arms haul, the railway police have found involvement of Jamaat after investigating and interrogating the two arrestees. During interrogation, the two arrestees Shamim and Nurul Islam disclosed to police about Jamaat funding for the consignment, Rafiqul Islam, sub-inspector at Kamalapur railway police station and also the investigation officer of the case, told the Dhaka Tribune. The arrestees are very smart. Initially, they misguided us by providing false information. However, we have cross checked their information and finally confirmed their connection with Jamaat-Shibir. The official said the duo told police about how Jamaat-Shibir men helped their need families with money. When contacted, Nazrul Islam, the railway east police superintendent, told the Dhaka Tribune that the arrestees confessed that it had been their first consignment and they were supposed to get Tk40,000. The police are yet to be confirmed about the financiers, Nazrul said. But the arrestees confessed to police that they had been given a mobile number to keep contact with an unknown person. Now, we are analysing the others details, the official added. l
Lists of accused
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Narayanganj. The government has taken strong stance against the killers as it is unexpected. About forced retirement of three army and naval officers, the state minister said, We are trying to find out the hidden criminals of the elite force. We have already punished several officials of the force for their offence. The rests will also be punished as they have tarnished the image of the force.
He, however, said the government had no plan to disband the RAB even after an allegation raised against it for the abduction and killing in Narayanganj. He said, The RAB was formed with an aim to take quick action against the criminals and the force is doing its duty as per the laws and expectations. How will we take quick action if the force is disbanded? So, there is no reason to disband the force. l
Corporation Limited will construct the expressway and has sought Tk800 crore for the project, said Md Atiquzzaman, executive director and CEO of Bangladesh Infrastructure Finance Fund Limited, the funding authority for PPP projects. The metro rail project will also be implemented under the PPP initiative. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of the project three years back. We have disbursed Tk160 crore for the three infrastructure projects, Atiquzzaman said. The government has allocated a total of Tk8,500 crore funds for different PPP projects over the past five years since FY2009-2010. But a small amount of fund has been spent so far. The FY2009-2010 budget first included PPP projects allocation. In FY 2009-10, an amount of Tk2,500crore was allocated for PPP projects. The next year the allocation rose to Tk3,000 crore for 15 projects as planned. The PPP projects got Tk3,000crore during FY2011-12 in the development budget. A total of 16 projects were included under the PPP initiative. In the current fiscal year, the government has allocated Tk2,500crore to implement 13 PPP projects and last year the government disbursed Tk30 crore for a Tk1,000 crore revolving fund under the PPP initiative. Meanwhile, the government in the last five years has undertaken separate PPP projects in the annual development programmes. But the projects remain unimplemented. l
government for, what he said, failure to stop killings, abductions and forced disappearances. The news on killings and abductions does not seem new to us. Everyone is in fear for his life, but abduction has not stopped yet. In the newspapers, it was seen that three RAB officials were closed for their alleged involvement with Narayanganj murders. Through this, the government has acknowledged that the RAB was involved with the killings, he said. The BNP leader said people from all walks of life protested the killings and abductions. Even civil society
members and common people also expressed their solidarity with the protesters, but no result had yet been seen. People and civil society members say the force was supposed to ensure the security of people and if that force endangers public life, then what is the necessity of that organisation, he questioned. When asked about whether his party wants the dissolution of the RAB, Fakhrul dodged the question and said, BNP is the party of people. Peoples voice is our voice. Responding to another query he said, BNP will announce programme soon protesting the killings and abduc-
tions which will ease tension over such incidents. And the programme on the visit of Khaleda Zia along with the central leaders to Narayanganj will also be announced. About the RABs probe body on Narayanganj incident, he said, People never get any good result from such investigation committee. He claimed that 287 people were killed and 25 abducted during the period between January 2013 and February 2014. We have collected the information through our party sources and then it was crosschecked. Even after that there might be some errors, he said, urging the media to highlight the grav-
ity of the killings and abductions, not the errors. Later at a city hotel, the party briefed the diplomats of different countries, stationed in Dhaka, about the current political situation of the country. Meeting sources said the party briefed the diplomats especially on the killings, abductions and forced disappearances. A senior leader seeking anonymity told the Dhaka Tribune that they tried to send a message that though there is no political unrest in the country, but social unrest reached its peak. He also said the government could not control the law enforcement agencies and the
administration. Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, vice-chairman of the party, told the Dhaka Tribune: It is a regular meeting. We sat with the diplomats in different times. We discussed many things. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP chairpersons advisers Reaz Rahman, Sabihuddin Ahmed and Osman Farruk, journalist Shafique Rehman and partys international affairs secretary Asaduzzaman Ripon attended the meeting. Representatives from the United States, the European Union, Russia, Canada, Australia, Japan, Norway and some other countries were present at the meeting.l
Nur Hossain who has been on the run after the abductions. On the other hand, the father-in-law of Councillor Nazrul Islam raised allegations that elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) carried out the murders in exchange for Tk6 crore. A probe committee has been formed to investigate his claim. Three RAB officials Lt Col Tarek Sayeed Mohammad, Major Arif Hossain and naval officer Lt Commander MM Rana accused of taking bribes for the multiple murders in Narayanganj have been discharged of duty. l
Shamims right-hand man. Nazruls wife Selina Islam and father-in-law Shahidul Islam believe it was Nur Hossains plot. Everything will be unearthed once Nur Hussain is arrested, Selina told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday at her Siddhirganj residence. She said after some incidents on February 2, her husband had been getting some phone calls. He [Nazrul] told me several times that a conspiracy was being hatched to kill him...He even told me that they might kill him using RAB or hiring professional killers, she said. Nazrul, however, never told her from whom he had got the information about the conspiracy. Selina believes that the administration is definitely involved with the killing of her husband. Removal of three RAB 11 officers was no consolation for Shahidul Islam, Nazruls father-in-law. I did not want their transfer from Narayanganj; neither did I want them removed from their services. The mystery behind the killing would have been unearthed if they were arrested and interrogated. That is what I want, he told the Dhaka Tribune. The three withdrawn officers were RAB 11 commanding officer Lt Col Tarek Sayeed Mohammad and Major Arif Hossain from the army, and Lt Commander SM Rana from the navy. News came to public domain yesterday that they had been removed from their mother organisations effective from the afternoon of Monday May 5. During a conversation with the Dhaka Tribune, Shahidul was frequently getting angry. These three RAB officers know everything [about the seven murders], he said. After learning about his son-in-laws abduction, Shahidul rushed to Shamim Osman on April 27 to get help. Shamim Osman told me that RAB 11 picked him up. I went to the RAB 11 headquarters and grabbed the legs of commanding officer Tarek, begging for the life of my son-in-law. I even told him that I would give him twice the money that he had got from Nur Hos-
sain for killing him, he said. He [Tarek] pushed me away and my knees got hurt, Shahidul said, adding: Shamim Osman killed Nazrul. Shahidul said Tarek had threatened him as well. He told me that if I ever mentioned that RAB was involved [with the abduction], he would put me in crossfire. Tarek is the son-in-law of Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Mayas brother. Only a fair investigation can reveal the truth, said Nazruls father-in-law, who sometimes broke into tears and sometimes got angry. Interestingly, Shahiduls brother Hasmat Ali Hashu is one of the accused in the cases filed in connection with the seven murders. Shahidul said he had got some important information about the abduction and murder from Hashus friend Jasimuddin. I could not hide the information when I came to know that Nazruls murder was a Tk6 crore deal. The seven were taken to the RAB camp office in the old court building after abduction, he said. Lt Commander SM Rana was the chief of the camp, which is also called the Crime Prevention Company 1 of RAB 11. Major Arif used to attend office at this camp and at the RAB 11 office as well. According to Shahidul, members of Nur Hossains gang went to the RAB camp on the night of April 27 by microbuses, killed the abductees and later dumped the bodies in Shitalakkhya River. I do not know how much of Tk6 crore was paid to each of the RAB officials. This deal could even be more than Tk6 crore, he said. Wing Commander ATM Habibur Rahman, director of the Legal and Media Wing of RAB, told the Dhaka Tribune that the committee formed to look into the allegations had already started verifying the bank accounts of the three ex-RAB officials, their family members and close relatives. Nazruls younger brother Md Abdus Salam has no doubt that RAB acted as
a mercenary group in the gruesome murder. Nazrul was supposed to meet Salam over lunch at his Jatrabari house after attending the courtroom session on April 27. Nazrul went to the court on that day for appearing in a case filed by Nur Hossain after the February 2 skirmishes between the two. Salam said after his brother got bail, he talked to him over phone. Nazrul told his brother that he had left the court and was heading for Jatrabari. However, a little later Salam found Nazruls phone switched off. When he found the phones of all those who were with his brother switched off, Salam sensed something was wrong. Immediately, Salam contacted several people including Shamim Osman and RAB CO Tarek. He said Tarek had asked him about whether Nazrul had any conflict with Shamim Osman. When I replied in the negative, the RAB CO told me to go to Shamim Osman, said Salam. Many of Nazruls family members also went through the same experience when they went to RAB, they told them to talk to Shamim Osman; when they went to Shamim Osman, he told them to go to RAB. Salam affirmed: Nur Hossain planned to kill my brother; either Shamim Osman was aware of it or he was involved with the planning. Earlier in February, Nazrul threatened to kill Nazrul in 15 days, he said. Nazrul was once picked up by RAB in 2011 when he was contesting as a ward councillor in the city corporation election. A team of RAB 10 picked up Nazrul from Naryanganj and took him to their office at Dhalpur in Jatrabari. Salam said he had followed them but later RAB denied bringing Nazrul at their office. After strong persuasion from a number of influential ruling party leaders, RAB released Nazrul after one night, said Salam. That one too was a plan to kill him. Salam claimed that his brother had told him two-three months ago that RAB officers Tarek, Arif and Rana the three withdrawn officers might kill
new government. That poll date has yet to be endorsed by a royal decree. Observers said the court ruling does nothing to ease Thailands prolonged political malaise. Anti-government protesters are still on Bangkoks streets and the promotion of a Thaksin supporter may make Yinglucks dismissal a hollow victory. Red Shirt supporters of the government meanwhile threaten to rally to defend it and to press for elections, raising fears of clashes. They will mass on Saturday in a Bangkok suburb.
Trouble ahead?
This is a war of legal attrition, said Paul Chambers of the Institute of South East Asian Affairs at Chiang Mai University. And the arch-royalists (anti-government forces) are winning it. They are cutting away at the Puea Thai government slice by slice, hoping to exhaust it into submission, he said predicting fresh legal cases against the new premier. The kingdom has been bitterly split since 2006 when an army coup deposed former telecoms magnate Thaksin as prime minister. He now lives overseas to avoid jail for corruption convictions, but is accused of running the country by proxy through his sister. Thaksin is reviled by the Bangkok elite, middle class and royalist southerners who say he has sponsored nepotism and widespread corruption and who see him as a threat to the monarchy. But he is loved in the poorer north and northeastern regions and among the urban working class for recognising their burgeoning political and economic aspirations. They have returned Shinawatra-led or linked governments to power in every election since 2001. In a defiant press conference Yingluck reiterated her innocence of the abuse of power accusation.
street protests erupted, 25 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in gun and grenade attacks, kindling fears of wider clashes. A general election called by Yingluck in February to shore up her besieged government was disrupted by protesters and boycotted by the main opposition party. It was later annulled by the Constitutional Court, enraging Red Shirts who said the judges effectively stole their vote. Anti-government demonstrators are likely to reject the latest poll date. They want an appointed premier to enact loosely-defined reforms to curb the influence of the Shinawatras before any new election. The ruling party has accused the constitutional court of railroading Yinglucks case through because it is biased against the Shinawatras. The court oversees cases of violations of Thailands charter, which was rewritten after Thaksins removal. In 2008, it forced two Thaksin-allied prime ministers from office. Yingluck will also find out over the coming days if she will be indicted by anti-graft officials for neglect of duty in connection with a costly rice subsidy scheme. An unfavourable ruling could see her banned from politics for five years. With both sides convinced they can prevail, the ongoing battle for Thailands soul looks set to drag on, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Bangkoks Chulalongkorn University. l
Correction
The Dhaka Tribune yesterday in a report under the headline RAB kept eye on Nazrul at court said that Army Chief Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban where the decision on three officers forced retirement was taken. In fact, the army chief is now abroad and no meeting between them took place. The Dhaka Tribune regrets the inadvertent mistake. l
I am proud of every minute I have worked as prime minister because I came from a democratic election, she said, at times fighting back tears. In the six months since the latest
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Azahar Uddin.jpg
subscription collection
n Nazmus Sakib
The High Court yesterday stayed collecting Initial Public Offering subscription by Khulna Printing and Packaging Limited for three months. The bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Khurshid Alam Sarkar passed the order in response to a writ petition lodged by Raihanul Mustafa, a Supreme Court lawyer. The court also wanted to know as to why inaction of BSEC (Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission) regarding the collection should not be held illegal. The finance secretary, the BSEC chairman and the KPPL managing director have been asked to explain their stance in two weeks, Ziaur Rahman, lawyer for the petitioner, told the Dhaka Tribune. Raihanul told the Dhaka Tribune that he had filed the plea for serving the interest of general investors as the KPPL had reportedly aimed at collecting Tk40 crore showing prospectus which is full of fake information. But the BSEC did not take any action in this regard. The regulator even did not probe the matter, he said. The KPPL started collecting the IPO subscription from May 4 which was scheduled to end today.
AL leader assaulted at CU
Angered BCL men block train and bus services to CU, abduct shuttle train driver The blockades caused immense sufThen they took me to an unknown n CU Correspondent fering for the students who had exams place by a CNG-run auto rickshaw.
A faction of Bangladesh Chharta League in Chittagong University abducted a shuttle train driver and halted the train services on the university route for eight hours yesterday, following an attack on an Awami League leader. However, the abducted locomotive master, Md Yusuf Chowdhury, was freed after three hours. According to witnesses, Chhatra League activists led by Sumon Mamun, joint secretary of Chhatra League in CU, abducted Yusuf around 7am from Forest Gate area near Sholoshahar Railway Station. When asked about what happened, Yusuf said: A group of four-five men picked me up and blindfolded me. Police rescued the train driver from Muradpur intersection at 11am, said Yasin Faruk, OC of Government Railway Police. The train service resumed at 4pm, with the train schedules on the CU route collapsed for the day, said Md Shahbuddin, station master at Sholoshahar Railway Station. Protesting the attack on Nasir Haider Babul, assistant secretary of Awami Leagues central sub-committee, the agitated Chhatra League activists also blocked university-bound buses, mini-buses and other transports at different points in Chittagong city to press home their eight-point demand, which included expulsion of those responsible for the attack.
and classes scheduled yesterday. Several departments had to postpone their respective exams as many students failed to appear at the exams, according to campus sources. Mohammad Niaj Morshed Ripon, member of exam committee at the International Relations Department, said a special exam for the first-year students had to be postponed due to the siuation. When contacted, Mamun told Dhaka Tribune: We gave enough time to the authority to take stern action against those who attacked Babul. We also demand immediate removal of CU Proctor Professor Siraj Ud Dowla as he failed to take necessary steps in due time, he said, adding that
added that ensuring better health services requires a larger allocation for the sector and an effective and efficient allocation method. While the national budget for the 2013-14 fiscal was around 18.7% of the gross domestic product (GDP), the allocation for the health sector was only 4.3% of the national budget and around 0.8% of the GDP, he said. Claiming that the budget utilisation capacity of the Health Ministry was not up to the mark, Eusuf said the overall utilisation capacity over the last seven years was only 87% (development 76% and non-development 96%). The professor added that there were also problems in resource distribution and community members or organisations did not have the option to make
suggestions for the health budget. On a separate note, he said the four major causes of death for children under the age of five acute respiratory infections, birth asphyxia, premature birth or low birth weight, and diarrhoea are still affecting the child mortality rate. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, the malnutrition rate in Bangladesh for children under-five is the highest in the world, while more than 50% of women suffer from chronic energy deficiencies, Eusuf added. Dr Rabiya Khatoon, national professional officer of the Child Health Programme under the World Health Organisation (WHO), said: The government has taken some initiatives to address the health issue. Led by the WHO and
Unicef, a newborn action plan has been developed already to reduce the newborn mortality rate. Adviser to the Prime Minister, HT Imam said: We have to ensure good food, health and accommodation for people. Good environment and education is needed in a family to improve the ultimate living standard. When a woman is pregnant, she needs special care. But unfortunately many families, especially poor families, do not do that. If the mother is healthy then the child will be healthy too. The organisers called upon the government to increase state funding for the health, population and nutrition sector to at least 2% of the GDP and give priority to maternal and child health programmes; enhance equity and ensure universal access to quality child-friendly healthcare services to all; ensure the provision of skilled health workers with a focus on rural locations; develop a coherent national nutrition policy; and promote appropriate breastfeeding practices. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
School children take oath forming a hand as part of a health awareness programme in Sherpurs Sribardi yesterday
DHAKA TRIBUNE
n Tribune Report
Some 95 Bangladeshi workers are set to fly to Malaysia today to work in plantations. The workers were scheduled to leave for Malaysia aboard an early morning flight, Jabed Ahmed, additional director general of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. Another batch of 89 workers will fly to Malaysia tomorrow, while a larger group of 103 men is scheduled to leave on May 16. l
Initial investigations revealed that the men were working without any safety measure or precaution
The cause of their deaths could not be known immediately, AKM Mizanur Rahman, first secretary at the Bangladesh consulate general in Dubai told the Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday.
n Nazmus Sakib
The High Court yesterday granted six months bail to BNP standing committee member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy in a murder case. With the bail order there is now no bar to freeing the BNP leader, who has been in jail since April 20, said his lawyer Nitai Roy Chowdhury. Goyeshwar is accused of killing an activist of the Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, on December 29 last year. On April 29, another HC bench gave bail to BNP Joint Secretary Amanullah Aman, but denied bail to Goyeshwar in the same case. l
Professor Jamilur Reza Chowdhury addresses the Phase 2 launching programme of Bangladesh Urban Earthquake Resilience Project at a city hotel yesterday RAJIB DHAR
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
On April 21, 10 journalists were injured in an attack by RMCH interns when the newsmen went to cover a scuffle between doctors and a patients relatives
Journalists were even facing restriction on admittance to the hospital, said a number of them. In protest against the incident, journalists in Rajshahi will hold a demonstration and a rally at Saheb Bazar Zero Point today. Sources say Gulbar Ali Jewel, a photojournalist of the local daily Natun Provat, was injured during the police-Chhatra League attack on Rajshahi University students rally on February 2. Jewels leg broke during the attack. He had been receiving treatment under the supervision of Prof Debashis Ray, Orthopaedic Department of RMCH. On Sunday, Jewel went to the hospital for a check-up on his leg by
Traffic congestion is created at Gulistan intersection as buses stop haphazardly on the road. The photo was taken yesterday
RAB back in 2004, oppressed Awami League men, Hanif claimed. The recent Narayanganj killings are a part of that. Your [Khaleda] terrorist force has killed Ahsanullah but you did not apologise for that. You are at the centre of all the killings and incidents of forced disappearance. I will keep asserting that, he added. At the programme, Ahsanullahs son Zahid Ahsan Rasel called for execution of the verdict handed down to the convicted criminals. Earlier in the day, different individuals and organisations laid wreath at Ahsanullahs grave. Former Jubo League president Jahangir Kabir Nanak, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroiz Chumki and Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Nurul Islam attended the programme among others. l
WEATHER THUNDERSHOWER
THURSDAY, MAY 8
DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:31 PM SUN RISES 5:19AM FORECAST FOR TODAY
Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Coxs Bazar 35 32 42 37 39 36 28 33 27 27 29 25 27 27 23 27
38.6C Chuadanga
Source: Accuweather/UNB
20.4C Sylhet
PRAYER TIMES
Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha 3:57am 5:19am 11:55am 4:33pm 6:30pm 7:53pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org
Ganasanghati Andolon hold a rally in front of the National Press Club yesterday, protesting the recent abductions and killings in the country SADIA MARIUM
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Nation
Link road to Bangabandhu Multipurpose Bridge, is at risk as a vested interests group has been lifting sand without taking permission from authorities concerned from three ponds adjacent to the road
DHAKA TRIBUNE
A cooperative society has been indiscriminately lifting sand from a pond adjacent to road for last one month
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Salauddin said they would look into the matter. Engineer of Chinese contract firm Meteorological constriction Company entrusted with look after the bridge they would inform the bridge authority about the matter. Executive Engineer of bridge authority Abul Kalam Azad said the cooperative society lifting sand from the pond without consulting with them. He said, We would look into the matter and take action against the cooperative society. l
Speakers demanded immediate action to bring the culprits including the accused RAB officials to justice
Presided over by Advocate M M Shahjahan Mukul, chairperson of the association, the programme started at 9:30am in front of the Chuadanga District Lawyers Association building. Among others, Advocate Moniruzzaman, senior lawyer of the association, Advocate Rafiur Rahman, Advocate Selim Uddin Khan, and Advocate Shamim Reza Dalim, general secretary of the association, spoke at the event, demanding arrest and exemplary punishment of Chandans murderers. l
Teachers form Tagores birthday celebration begins today human chain against of the poet, has been deco- of Kumarkhali municipality, and n Our Correspondent, Kushtia memories discrimination rated and small repair works have Golam Mohsin, chairperson of JatiCorrespondent, n Our Chapainawabnganj
The headmasters of non-government high schools in Chapainawabnganj formed a human chain and held a rally to protest salary based discrimination, yesterday. The members of the Chapainawabnganj chapter of the Bangladesh Teachers Association held the protest in front of the press club of the district yesterday morning. The program was addressed by Shah Alam, acting president of the district chapter of the Bangladesh Teachers Association, Aslam Kabir, general secretary of the organisation, Hasinur Rahman, Rafiqul Islam and others. The speakers said: The headmasters of the government high schools are currently drawing salaries amounting Tk18,500 as per the national pay scale. l A three-day programme celebrating Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagores 153rd birth anniversary will begin today in Shilaidaha, Kushtia. The programme, which includes discussions, workshops, singing, poetry recitation and Rabindra Fair, will take place in Shilaidaha Kuthibari, Tagores ancestral home. The Kuthibari, which houses countless been done ahead of the festivity. Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu will inaugurate the event at 10am as chief guest, while Professor Dr Abdul Hakim Sarkar, vicechancellor of Islamic University, Bangladesh, Anowar Ali, mayor of Kushtia municipality, KM Rahatul Islam, CEO of Kushtia District Council, Shamsuzzaman Aronno, mayor
ya Samajtantrik Dals Kushtia wing, will be present as special guests. Syed Belal Hossain, deputy commissioner of Kushtia, will preside over the event. Dr Abul Ahsan Chowdhury, will address the inaugural ceremony. Dr Muhammad Jamir Uddin, Advocate Lalim Haque, researcher, and Sahela Akhter, will take part in discussions. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Juris
7
JURIS QUOTE
n Md Ayub Ali
riminal Investigation is a science that involves study of facts, identification of offenders, location of the incident, proof of the guilt, collection and examination of physical evidences to ensure justice. Of the various scientific techniques employed by the modern-day criminal investigations, autopsy plays the most decisive role in resolving a case. Also known as the post-mortem examination, autopsy means to see for yourself. It is a special surgical operation, performed by specially trained physicians, on a dead body with a view to discovering the cause of the death. A post-mortem is required in cases of an unnatural or untimely death which falls under homicide or accident, suicide or suspicious death. Autopsy surgeons must follow procedures designed to carry out the autopsy. In an autopsy report, there must be a serial number with date, details of the findings, and the opinion of the medical officer as to the cause of death with remarks by a civil surgeon whose signature must be placed under the official seal. The legal provisions on post-mortem examinations are enshrined in section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and sections 303 to 308 of the Police Regulations of Bengal (PRB). According to the law, the procedure of postmortem is preceded by an inquest investigation conducted by the officer in charge of the concerned police station. The police officer shall send the dead body for post-mortem examination to the nearest civil surgeon where there is any doubt regarding the cause of death, or when for any other reason the police officer considers it expedient so to do. The dead body must be accompanied by a copy of surat hal report and a challan in triplicate in BP Form Number 49. On completing the post-mortem examination, the medical officer shall prepare a report in the BP Form Number 50 and a copy thereof shall be forwarded to the superintendent of police who shall cause the same to be laid before the court concerned. A post-mortem report is the best evidence of an unnatural death that is admissible as evidence before the court as an expert opinion. Every criminal case has two major parts, ie: the presentation of evidence and the presentation of witnesses. When the expert is summoned by the court as a witness, the submission of his findings is an expert opinion and when he corroborates these findings with the autopsy report, this becomes the most reliable evidence in the eye of law. In Hadiuzzaman v State, (BLD, 1986), it was held that the deposition made by the medical officer on oath is a substantive piece of evidence, whereas his medical certificate is a corroboration of his evidence on oath. In our country, medico-legal investigations lag behind the normal standard followed. In the cities where a government medical college is available, any academic staff of forensic medicine department of such college is empowered to perform an autopsy. In all other cases
Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
Robert A. Heinlein
LAW CARTOON
BIGSTOCK
autopsy is done by the civil surgeon of the district hospitals. However, in practice, reality is very different. It is seen in most of the district hospitals that doctors who do not have any expertise in autopsy are involved in the procedures of post-mortem. They are chosen from other branches of medial science to perform autopsies. Therefore, they just sign the reports, and the entire activities are performed by the morgue attendants. A post-mortem report helps the police officer come up with a reasonable conclusion about the actual cause of the death. Hence he will have to go through the report very carefully as each and every word of the report is significant for the investigation into the cause and manner of the death concerned. Unfortunately, most of the investigation officers hardly understand the post-mortem report as it is written in the language of medical science. As per section 306(b) of the PRB, police officers shall refer to the civil surgeon if they have any doubt in regard to any part of the medical report, but the real scenario is totally different. The situation gets worse when the post-mortem report does not contain the actual cause of a death. As a result,
thousands of death incidents are resolved without proper investigation. The law provides the judge with absolute discretion to decide the admissibility and reliability of the autopsy report through the process of examination of the concerned expert. But it is seen that most of the lawyers, even judges, do not have sufficient training and expertise as to how the post-mortem reports are to be utilised for the purpose of justice. So the experts, during deposition in courts, may have to face some questions from the judges and lawyers that are not only irrelevant but also embarrassing. There should be coordination among the police, judges, magistrates, lawyers and forensic experts to ensure a high standard of medico-legal investigation. To this end, there should be a provision of six months intensive training for newly recruited police officers, judges and lawyers enrolled in Bangladesh Bar Council. l
RIO SHUVO
n Juris Desk
n recent times we are witnessing a series of abduction cases. People from all walks of life, child or adult, rich or poor, persons having political clout or not, are being abducted by unidentified perpetrators. Though this is a serious offence under the existing national laws, we hardly see that the abductors are caught and brought before the court for trial. There are a couple of United Nations General Assembly resolutions and an international convention that provides a framework to deal with the crime of abduction. International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance is the convention that calls for the states to provide protection against enforced disappearance for all citizens. In our national laws, the offence is termed as kidnapping or abduction. Here is a brief account of national and international laws related to abduction and the penalties provided for the offence under the existing laws.
the support, direct or indirect, consent or acquiescence of the Government, followed by a refusal to disclose the fate or whereabouts of the persons concerned or a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of their liberty, which places such persons outside the protection of the law.
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
The convention is the first universally binding treaty that defines enforced disappearance as a human rights violation and prohibits it. The convention was adopted on June 29, 2006 as the first resolution of the new Human Rights Council. On December 20, 2006 the text of the convention was adopted by the plenary of the General Assembly. On February 6, 2007 the convention was opened for signatures and signed by 57 States. It will enter into force on the 30th day after the deposit with the United Nations of the 20th ratification of accession. Bangladesh has not yet signed or ratified the convention.
Combating impunity
Kidnapping
According to the law, kidnapping is of two kinds: kidnapping from Bangladesh, and kidnapping from lawful guardianship. If a person sends out any person beyond the borders of Bangladesh without the consent of that person, or of some persons legally authorised to consent on behalf of that person, commits kidnapping. And, if a person takes or entices any boy under fourteen years of age, or a girl under sixteen years of age, or any person of unsound mind, out of the keeping of the their lawful guardian, without the consent of such guardian, commits kidnapping.
the abductee may be murdered or may be so disposed of as to be put in danger of being murdered, shall be punished with imprisonment for life or rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
The convention puts an obligation on states to bring enforced disappearance offenders to justice. They must do so not only with regard to persons who commit enforced disappearances on their own territory, but also in cases of alleged offences in other jurisdictions. In those cases states have to either prosecute or extradite the alleged offender, so that no one can escape justice.
Rights of victims
If a person kidnaps any person from Bangladesh or from lawful guardianship, that person shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.
A person who kidnaps or abducts any person under the age of ten, in order that such person may be murdered or subjected to grievous hurt, or slavery, or to the lust of any person, shall be punished with death or with imprisonment for life or with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to fourteen years, and shall not be less than seven years.
This is the first convention that recognises that the victims of enforced disappearances are not only the disappeared themselves, but also their relatives. It acknowledges the right of the families to know the fate of their relatives, and also recognises that victims of enforced disappearance have a right to reparation for the wrong that was done to them. The convention establishes an international committee of ten independent experts to monitor compliance. These experts will review reports by states and can also receive individual complaints. The convention also foresees a habeas corpus procedure by which relatives and other interested persons who fear that a person has been subjected to enforced disappearance can seize the international committee directly and if the complaint is substantiated the committee will ask the state to search for and locate the missing person. However, an international convention can only help enforce human rights if and when it becomes implemented into national law and practice. So, the convention will only take effect in our country if Bangladesh ratifies it. l
Abduction
Whoever by force compels, or by any deceitful means induces any person to go from any place, commits abduction.
A person who kidnaps or abducts any woman with intent that she may be compelled to marry any person against her will, or in order that she may be forced or seduced to illicit intercourse shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
According to the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, proclaimed by the General Assembly in its resolution 47/133 of December 18, 1992 as a body of principles for all States, an enforced disappearance occurs when: persons are arrested, detained or abducted against their will or otherwise deprived of their liberty by officials of different branches or levels of Government, or by organised groups or private individuals acting on behalf of, or with
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
n AFP, Washington
Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky finally broke her silence about her illicit 1990s affair with president Bill Clinton, saying she wants to reclaim the narrative of events that brought her global humiliation. Lewinsky, now 40, was in her early twenties when she became the infamous beret-wearing muse who engaged in sexual relations with the president and then endured a colossal backlash that nearly drove her to suicide. After years of being turned away by potential employers, ridiculed online, and confronted by accusers as that woman who performed oral sex in the Oval Office, she decided to write her version of events in this months Vanity Fair magazine. Its time to burn the beret and bury the blue dress, Lewinsky wrote in a lengthy essay in the magazine. I am determined
Residents of Qunu, the resting place of Nelson Mandela, wait in line to cast their ballot on May 7
AFP
n AP, Johannesburg
South Africans voted in the first Born Free election yesterday, with polls suggesting the allure of the ruling African National Congress as the conqueror of apartheid will prevail even among those with no memory of white-minority rule. Voters young and old wrapped up against the early morning chill to stand in long lines across the country, evok-
ing memories of the huge queues that snaked through streets and fields for South Africas historic all-race elections in 1994. It is great voting for the first time. Now I have a say in the countrys election and what is happening. It is something new in my life, said 18-yearold Mawande Nkoyi - a so-called post-apartheid Born Free - in the Cape Town township of Langa. Voting ended at 1900 GMT and a firm
idea of the outcome should emerge by midday on May 8 although there is little doubt about the result. Polls put ANC support at around 65 percent, only a shade lower than the 65.9 percent it won in the 2009 election that brought President Jacob Zuma to power. The ANCs enduring popularity has surprised analysts who said the party could suffer as its glorious past recedes into history and voters focus instead
Pressure on Hamas has been growing steadily since last July, when the Egyptian army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas is the Palestinian offshoot of the Brotherhood and had warm relations with Morsi. After Morsis ouster, Egypt began destroying hundreds of tunnels along the Gaza border used to import construction materials, fuel, arms and money, plunging the besieged Strip into its worst-ever energy crisis and exacerbating an already-dire humanitarian situation. The fall of the Brotherhood in Egypt and its effect on Gaza with the closure of tunnels and the border crossing, as well as resultant financial difficulties, forced Hamas to seek a solution, said Naji Sharab, politics professor at Gazas Al-Azhar University. The unity deal could give the Islamist movement a new lease on life by handing over the challenging task of governing Gaza to an administration headquartered in the West Bank. An alliance with the PLO would help Hamas gain international recognition and acceptance without having to make political concessions on its own, such as recognising the state of Israel. l
Israel mulls internment for hate crimes against Arabs n AFP, Jerusalem
Israel plans to use detention without trial against Jewish extremists suspected of anti-Arab hate crimes, a minister said yesterday, as its failure to secure prosecutions drew mounting criticism. As police confirmed yet another incident of nationalist-inspired vandalism, in which Death to Arabs and other racist graffiti was found in northern Israel, senior law enforcement officials were to discuss with ministers how to halt the wave of so-called price tag attacks. Price tag is a euphemism for hate attacks by Jewish extremists predominantly targeting Palestinian and Arab-Israeli property. It is the governments intention to use administrative detention against those carrying out so-called price tag attacks, Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch told army radio. Administrative detention allows for suspects to be held without trial for up to six months. Such orders, which can be renewed indefinitely by a court decision, are almost exclusively used against Palestinians suspected of security-related offences. Although police have made scores of arrests, there have been no successful prosecutions for price tag attacks. l
TURKEY
100 km
Aleppo Hama
LE B.
SYRIA IRAQ
Homs DAMASCUS
Homs
JORDAN
ated, starting with 600 wounded fighters and civilian relatives. But most of the people boarding the bus in central Homs appeared to be fit men of fighting age. Later video showed them arriving in a rebel-held area north of the city. Unlike an evacuation of civilians from Homs in February, activists said they were not detained for checks by security forces and were allowed to keep their light weapons. The evacuation comes after months
of gains by the army, backed by its Lebanese militant ally Hezbollah, along a strategic corridor of territory linking the capital Damascus with Homs and Assads Alawite heartland on the Mediterranean. The final rebel withdrawal from the centre of the city, known as the capital of the revolution when protests first erupted against Assad in 2011, would consolidate his military control ahead of a June 3 presidential election. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
A girl with a man puts a paper ship she made to pay tribute to the victims and missing passengers of the sunken ferry Sewol at a group memorial altar in Seoul, South Korea, May 7. The ferry disaster left more than 200 people dead, with others still missing. Government and civilian divers are fighting rapid currents as they try to retrieve the remaining bodies AP
Ousted Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (R) receives roses from supporters in a suburb of Bangkok on May 7. Thailands Constitutional Court yesterday dismissed Yingluck from office for abuse of power AFP
Death toll hits 43 in Rahuls bid to win over sceptical voters Assam attacks on produced three prime ministers. pressing their love for me. n AP, Amethi Gandhis presence in Amethi yesterMore than 95 million voters were Muslims Beleaguered Rahul Gandhi, battling to eligible to vote in the penultimate leg day was interpreted in the local media save Indias ruling Congress party in of the election, which ends with results as a sign of concern due to competition n AP, Narayanguri from the BJP candidate, former actress national elections, sought to win over on May 16.
Indian police discovered five more bodies of women and children yesterday after a barbaric rampage by tribal separatists targeting Muslims in northeast Assam, taking the total number killed to 43, officials said. The bodies were found as authorities continued their search of two districts in the remote tea-growing state where masked gunmen last week shot dead Muslim villagers including babies as they slept. Police have accused tribal Bodo rebels of killing the Muslims whose migrant community has been locked for years in land disputes with the indigenous group in the state that borders Bhutan and Bangladesh. Local media have reported that Bodos attacked the Muslims as punishment for failing to vote for their candidate last month in the countrys mammoth, staggered election that is drawing to a close. So far the death toll is put at 43. The killings were indeed barbaric with even five-month-old baby not spared, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters from the worst-hit Narayanguri village. In 2012, ethnic clashes in the same area claimed about 100 lives and displaced more than 400,000 people. l sceptical voters in his constituency as the penultimate round of the worlds biggest election ended yesterday. Gandhi, the scion of Indias most famous political dynasty whose lacklustre leadership of the Congress election campaign has drawn criticism, travelled to his northern parliamentary seat to witness voting first-hand. He toured polling booths in Amethi his familys bastion for more than 30 years, which sent both his mother and late father to parliament and told reporters that local people were exChange is in the air for all to see. I too voted for change, voter Shyam Charan Gupta told AFP from Amethi, a poor rural area in the crucial battleground state of Uttar Pradesh. The challenge facing Gandhi was underscored this week when opposition frontrunner Narendra Modi held a rally in Amethi and declared that nothing could save the dynasty. Modi, a Hindu nationalist hardliner who has campaigned on reviving the flagging economy, urged voters to break ties with the family that has
Smriti Irani, and a popular anti-corruption campaigner and poet, Kumar Vishwas. In March, Gandhis campaign manager told AFP that the 43-year-old, who spends on average only one night a month in his constituency, had no plans for special campaigning in Amethi. Most voters told AFP they still expected Gandhi to win, but said they would vote for him out of loyalty to the family rather than conviction in his abilities. Turnout in the district was 43 percent by mid-afternoon, PTI news agency reported. l
n AP, Shimla
As India held the latest round of its election yesterday, 97-year-old Shyam Saran Negi once again trudged several kilometres to vote a tradition he has kept up since independence in 1947. The retired teacher, from a remote village high in the Himalayas, has voted in 16 general elections, often walking through heavy snow to reach his local polling station. A cheering crowd of wellwishers, some blowing trumpets, greeted Negi
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Editorial
CODE CRACKER
Be heard
Write to Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email letters.dt@dhakatribune.com Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune
How to solve: Each number in our CODE CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 10 represents A so fill in A every time the figure 10 appears. You 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, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check off the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them.
uthorities, including parliamentarians and senior law enforcers, have begun noting the gravity of public concern about the grisly kidnappings and murders at Narayanganj. The Jatiya Sangsad standing committee on Home Ministry affairs has recommended exemplary punishment to anyone found responsible for the abductions and killings of seven people in Narayanganj this week. Committee members have rightly indicated that there must be a full investigation into allegations of involvement by RAB members and local political factions, and that all those found to be involved must be tried, regardless of whether they are members of the ruling party or any law enforcement agency. Public outrage over the gruesome murders, which autopsies indicate were conducted in a professional, clinical manner, is understandably high. News of disputes between and allegations against members of political parties are rife. The prime accused in the abduction and murder of the seven people killed this weekend is a ruling party ward councillor, who is alleged to have fled with the help of rogue law enforcers. The probe committees, which have been formed, must act urgently and ensure a fair and transparent investigation into the varying allegations which have been made, against politicians and law enforcers. RAB and police leaders must follow up on their promises to investigate and apprehend any rogue elements in their forces. The government and all political parties must likewise show no tolerance for any members found to be implicated in these crimes. Only by ensuring no impunity for the killers can authorities earn public confidence and restore trust.
Ensure no impunity for the killers to earn public confidence and restore trust
CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1 Affects with a drug (5) 6 Day before (3) 7 Whole sum (5) 10 Ridiculous sham (5) 12 Dwarf buffalo (4) 13 Grinding tooth (5) 15 Not working (4) 16 Vegetable (3) 18 Small drink (3) 20 Seeds covering (4) 22 Vestige (5) 23 Skirting board (4) 25 Tantalise (5) 27 Cavalry weapon (5) 28 Solar systems central body (3) 29 Rate of progress (5) DOWN 1 Fault (6) 2 Eggs (3) 3 Let (6) 4 Starry (7) 5 Pale (3) 8 Sailor (3) 9 Unaccompanied (4) 11 Fish (3) 14 Charges with gas (7) 16 Delight (6) 17 Wait on (6) 19 Spoken (4) 21 Frozen treat (3) 22 Weight (3) 24 Water storage (3) 26 Prosecute (3)
he call for VAT exemption and cuts on import duties for raw materials by the Bangladesh Engineering Industry Owners Association (BEIOA) merits consideration on several grounds. Diversification of export items is an important economic goal. Anything that can encourage export growth by non-traditional sectors should be encouraged. Cutting duties on raw materials, in a growing sector such as light engineering, can do much to stimulate growth and create jobs. The cuts in duty will both reduce the amount of foreign exchange spent on imports and improve the competiveness of the sectors exports. BEIOAs associated proposals for tax benefits targeted at incentivising investment in plants and machinery also deserve attention. There are at least 4,000 small and medium enterprises, involved in the production and marketing of light engineering products, which are members of the association. These employ a growing number of workers whose output can be boosted significantly by modernisation. While significant large investments are being made in export-targeted sectors such as car batteries and bicycles, there is a lot of untapped potential for growth in manufacturing light engineering products, both to meet domestic demand and to grow exports. This potential can be released by incentives to encourage smaller enterprises in the sector to develop expertise and use more modern technology. Developing clusters of expertise and competitive businesses operating in a sector is a tried and trusted route to helping a sector flourish. Targeting incentives to make it easier to upgrade technology and improve competitiveness is a good idea.
Cuts will both reduce foreign exchange spent on imports and improve competiveness of exports
SUDOKU
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 numberrepeating.
CROSSWORD
PEANUTS
SUDOKU
End of HR?
May 4 Ghalib Imtiyaz Being flexible enough to adapt is the key to your survival. Success is too far-sighted a notion that is often blown out of proportions.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Op-Ed
11
n Syeed Ahamed
ecently, the International Crimes Tribunal-2 has started contempt of court proceedings against David Bergman for posting some comments in his personal blog. The tribunal, in its order, stated that those blog posts have the potential effect of undermining public confidence in the administration of justice. Hence he was directed to show cause as to why he should not be punished for posting criticism in his personal blog.
to prove that particular number. The convicts were accused of taking part in genocide a targeted killing that was proven even by Pakistans Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report. No genocide trial ever had to prove a particular number since genocide is genocide, irrespective of the number of people killed. Hence I find his argument too trivial to even merit the tribunals attention. But more importantly, I think prosecuting someone for a couple of personal blog posts will not only jeopardise the tribunals righteous intentions,
If we now expect the tribunal to prosecute every time someone makes a comment on the internet, it will fail to undertake its primary task
David Bergman and I have had a longstanding disagreement on issues related to the war crimes trials and the Shahbagh movement. I have argued against him in social and mass media, including in the very newspaper he works. I also find Bergmans argument in those particular blog posts, for which has been charged, unfounded. Having an academic debate over the 3 million number of the 1971 genocide is one thing, but it was ridiculous to expect that the tribunal will have
it will have irreversible negative consequences for peoples freedom of expression. Our constitutional safeguard for freedom of expression is not as explicit as the First Amendment of the US Constitution that prohibits the making of any law abridging such freedom. Hence, we could not stop the AL and BNP from turning the Information Communications and Technology Act into a draconian law that considers online writing more of a punishable of-
fence than many heinous crimes under Bangladeshs Penal Code. Writing online now can become a non-bailable and cognisable offense under Section 57 of this law. So a police officer can arrest anyone without a courts permission for writing anything online that the officer or some other person may find offensive. People are also constantly facing beheading-threats from fundamentalists just for being bloggers. While those who publicly make these threats remain free, arrests are being made for merely liking a post or commenting on the internet. At a time such as this, punishing someone for online writing will further restrict our freedom of expression. Nevertheless, the tribunals intention to protect public confidence in the administration of justice is commendable. The Latin maxim nemo iudex in suacausa no man should be a judge in his own case is regularly invoked in court cases to uphold such public confidence. But this does not happen in contempt of court cases, and the tribunal can be the judge, jury, and executioner on its own cause. It is thus essential for the tribunal to ensure that the contempt power is exercised with appropriate protections. This war crimes trial is associated with four decades of emotions, grief, and political struggles. So criticisms aiming the limitations and verdicts of the tribunal come from various sides, which include both the supporters and opponents of the war criminals trials. Criticisms also took various
Freedom of expression includes the right to make personal blog posts manifestationsfrom constructive criticisms to widespread criminal acts of vandalism. The Shahbagh movement itself was seen as a grand display of public criticism against the limitations of the tribunal. How did our jurisprudence react to that criticism? Not with contempt of court cases, thats for sure. Rather, it took into account the criticism and amended the law to equalise the tribunals appeal process. When we saw it as our right to join thousands of people at Shahbagh to criticise the limitations of the tribunal, we cannot deny others the right to write in their personal blogs about the same tribunal. Despite four decades of injustice and triumph of war criminals, Bangladesh chose to have a proper trial, not victors justice. Now the tribunal can achieve its righteous intention of protecting public confidence in it by ensuring that justice is not delayed any further. As English Chief Justice Lord Hewart once said, it is of fundamental importance that justice should not only be done, but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done.
BIGSTOCK
The tribunal is already suffering from scarce time and resources. People are already getting impatient at it slow pace. If we now expect the tribunal to prosecute every time someone makes a comment on the internet, it will fail to undertake its primary task. Instead, we will end up jeopardising the very freedom of expression that this nation so eagerly fought for. Thats the biggest contempt we all should avoid. l Syeed Ahamed is a blogger and a public policy analyst.
Taxing facts
T
n Mamun Rashid
he average corporate tax in Bangladesh is little over 38.5%. Tax authorities realise 27.5% of taxes from around 200 listed companies with local bourses. For hundreds of non-listed local and foreign companies, the tax rate is 37.5%. For non-listed mobile phone companies, it is 45%, and 40% for the listed ones. For banks, insurance, and finance companies, the tax rate is 42.5%. ship is covered under personal income tax, hence are taxed only once. On the contrary, income from the corporate sector gets taxed twice once as corporate tax income on the income tax of the company, and again on the same income when distributed as dividend income to the shareholders. Taxes could be much higher if one company owns stakes in another company. Each time each company is charged a 37.5% tax on their incomes. For the higher tax burden, companies always wanted non-traded ones, and 40% for banks and FIs in 2002. During the period of 2003-2004, it was kept at 30% for the traded ones but raised to 37.5% for the non-traded ones. For banks it was made 45%. The interim government in 2007-2008 kept it at 30% for the traded ones, but made it 40% for the non-traded ones. For banks and FIs it was kept at 45%. For mobile phone operators, it was fixed at 45%. In 2008-2009 it was brought down to 27.5% for the publicly traded companies, and 37.5% for the non-listed ones. For banks, FIs, and non-listed mobile operators, it was kept at 45%, while for the listed mobile operator it was made 35%. During 20122013, tax was reduced by 2.5% to 42.5% for the banks and FIs, however tax for non-listed mobile operators was raised to 40%, bringing down the gap between listed and non-listed ones from 10% to 5%. The budget for 2013-2014 also maintained the same arrangement. Whether the corporate tax rate should be brought down further is a different debate. However, the corporate tax rate in Bangladesh is quite high in comparison to other similar countries in this region. According to NBR sources, it is 30% in India, 35% in Pakistan, 25% in Nepal, 28% in Sri Lanka, and 30% in Bhutan. On the other hand, the individual tax rate is higher than corporate tax in many countries. This high tax regime no doubt discourages investors from both home and abroad. This, at the same time, has encouraged a large underground economy to grow. This is reported to be almost 62.75% of our $137bn formal economy. Bangladesh has seen almost $1.6bn illegal money transfer from the country each year between the 2002-2011 periods. Many individuals have purchased luxury cars in the name of the companies to show lower rate of profits, and thereby pay lesser taxes. Bangladesh tax folk were always nervous in reducing the corporate tax in light of large taxes coming in from only a few sectors mobile companies, tobacco companies, banks, and FIs. They always considered widening the tax net a fluid effort. Bangladesh happily kept itself in the high tax bracket countries without much reform. Seldom do policy planners realise that a lower tax regime with better revenue administration could create wonders. Nobody dared to do any serious research vis--vis other, similar countries and thereby put up a tax friendly business community. Populist and fluid approaches may not help Bangladesh to do much in the future. l Mamun Rashid is a business professor and financial sector entrepreneur.
This high tax regime discourages investors from both home and abroad. This, at the same time, has encouraged a large underground economy to grow
The companies have to pay another 10% tax on dividend payable to the shareholders instead of a 15% tax payable by the shareholders on dividend receipts in the past. However, listed companies paying dividends of 20% or above do enjoy a 10% moratorium on the tax amounts. This was 25% or above a few years ago. Income from corporate proprietor-
to be debt-dependent rather than being adequately equity financed. Though seldom has there been predictability on tax intervention rates for the corporate sector, the corporate tax was 40% for publicly traded companies, 45% for non- publicly traded companies, and 55% for banks and FIs in the early 90s. It came down to 30% for publicly traded ones, 35% for the
BIGSTOCK
12
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Entertainment
In conversation with Kabir Suman
Rabindranather gaan was not something that was out there. I grew up with the songs. My father, a great trainer, started giving me music lessons, mostly Rabindranather gaan, when I was six. I heard lots of his songs on the radio in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Gradually, I started to learn those songs also from the great teacher Niharbindu Sen and his wife Geeta Sen who was a popular Rabindra Sangeet artiste too. And my father was always there to teach me more and more. I started broadcasting the songs from the All India Radio, Kolkata, in the general programme when I was seventeen. My first gramophone record was Rabindranather gaan which was published in 1972. The great Subinoy Ray was my trainer. In 1973, my second Rabindra-gaan record was out. I made the First Basic for Helephela Sharabela and Nach Shyama Taletale. I am saying all this to make it clear that Rabindranather gaan was very much in me all along. But when I started to make songs in 1975 I did not find any urge to follow him. However, unknowingly I imbibed the idea of a song (a form in which the melody goes hand in hand with the lyric) from Rabindranath. Probably, I am the most Rabindra-influenced song maker after Rabindranath, in the sense that lyric has been of great importance to meand the song structure.
Do you find Tagore the same as you found him in your childhood?
Punny Kabir
Kabir Suman, who helped redefine modern Bangla music with a large number of stunningly fresh compositions, is credited to make a whole new generation to bump into Tagore songs, too. The musical consciousness of Bangalees on both sides of the border as well as elsewhere discovered a brand new style in his rendition of Rabindra Sangeet, mostly accompanied by piano and guitar. Suman rejuvenated Tagores songs Tumi Shondyar Meghomala, Bhalobeshe Shokhi Nibhrito Jotone, Tumi Ki Keboli Chhobi and Je Chhilo Amar Swaponocharini, to name just a few, through his style of singing.
I heard Rabindranather gaan [songs of Tagore] as soon as I could register what I heard at all. I heard them from my parents, both of whom were trained singers in their time. My father had done several First Basic recordings solo and with my mother four First Basic recordings (duet) in the 1940s. First Basic means a song recorded for the first time for gramophone. For example, Amar Shonar Bangla was recorded by my father for a film. That was probably the First Basic. Tumi Shondhyar Meghomala too. There are quite a few. His trainer was the famous Shoilojaranjon. He was my parents trainer too for their duet recording. I absorbed music of all genres right from my childhood. I found songs of Himangshu Dutta equally nice and as a two-and-a-half years old I was particularly fond of Kazi Nazrul Islams Rimjhim rimjhimjhim ghono deya boroshe because of its rhythm. My mother told me about that later. I used to play the drums on any book that someone had to hold for me. Rabindranather gaan was not very special in that time.
How could that be? The older I grow the more I discover his nuances. I love about 50 of his songs which, I think, equal the compositional mastery of the greatest Western composers. I dont like whatever he made. There are some Rabindra-songs that I find musically boring, like Shesh Nahi Je Shesh Kotha Ke Bolbe and some of his Brohmo-sangeet. I am critical about him just as I am critical about everyone else. But at 65, I find him closer to me, much closer than he was before. I live with those of his songs that make me wonder how a man, born in 1861, could compose such melodies and structures. How could he create that simple solution to a self-created musical problem in making the song She Ki Elo. The simplicity yet absolute mastery is unbelievable, unfathomable. That shonchari is like Chinese and Japanese line drawings. I live with him. I, alone, hold debates and conversations with him. He is impossible. I know I shall die with him.
What would be your question if you met Tagore and were allowed to ask only one question?
Why did you not make piano the instrument for your songs and not the esraj which does not do justice to the structure of many of your songs?
How on earth did he make songs like Tomar Holo Shuru, Aji Je Rojoni Jay, Tumi Robe Nirobe, Ke Jabi Pare Ogo Tora Ke, Na Go Na Koro Na Bhabna, Birosh Din Birol Kaj, Momo Dukkher Shadhon, Amar Ei Poth Chawatei Anondo and so many others in such an era? How could he create the miracle? There was nothing before him and in the 19th century which could have been an example for him. I wish I could interview him! l
A group of singers perform on the inaugural day of the five-day long National Rabindra Sangeet Festival arranged by Bangladesh Rabindra Sangeet Shilpi Sangstha (BRSSS) to celebrate the 153rd birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore (1861 1941). The event is taking place at the Shawkat Osman Memorial Auditorium, Central Public Library, Shahbagh
SADIA MARIUM
TAGORE SPECIALS ON TV
Charu Ebong Onyanyo
Charu Ebong Onyanyo, a single episode drama adapted from Tagores novella Nastanirh will air on NTV at 9pm. The cast of the drama includes Anisur Rahman Milon, Bidya Sinha Saha Mim, Azizul Hakim, Majnun Mijan and others. The drama is adapted and directed by Tuhin Abonto. The story is of a lonely housewife Charu. Since her husband is a wealthy lawyer who runs a press, she leads a comfortable and idle life. Her husband Bhupati is a workaholic who spends more time at work than at home. He notices her melancholic state and requests his cousin Amal to keep her company. As time passes, their relationship move beyond the platonic state. Unwilling to betray his cousin any further, Amal leaves only to have Charu pick up the broken pieces of her relationship with Bhupati.
Rabindranather Khoje
Single episode drama Rabindranather Khoje will be aired at 9:05pm on Banglavision today. Directed and written by Kawnain Sourav, the drama features Sohana Saba, Anisur Rahman Milon, Rahmat Ali, Mita Chowdhury and many others. The story is about a young woman named Nabila who wants to marry Rabindranath. Her family fails to find Rabindranath for her and puts an ad in the newspaper in the hope of finding a man like Rabindranath. They get a host of reply to their advertisement but Nabila keeps on rejecting the candidates. Frustrated at the turnout, Nabila brings some orphans to live with her. Her family disapproves of her decision and their peaceful life is disrupted. Suddenly, a young man named Robi shows up at their doorstep. As time passes, they discover that Robi leads his life based on Rabindranaths philosophy.
Shodor Ondor
Shodor Ondor, a special telefilm based on Tagores story will be aired on ATN Bangla today at 11pm. Scripted by Adnan Adib Khan and directed by Golam Shorab Dodul, the telefilm features Aupee Karim, Rawnak Hassan, Shaymol Mawla and many others. The story is adapted to the present time and revolves around the last descendant of a Zamindar (landlords) family. Arko is an orphan who takes life lightly and is unemployed. For his lack of interest, he loses his ancestral home along with all his other belongings. He then decides to become a musician as he is a music lover. He meets Romel, who is the managing director of an advertisement firm. They become friends and Romel lets Arko live in his house, promising him that he would promote Arkos music. The two men becomes close and spends a lot of time together and Ethena, Romels wife feels neglected. The relationship between husband and wife suffers but finally they resolve their differences and Ethena become friends with Arko. Refusing to see their friendship as it is, a jealous Romel throws Arko out of his house. l
Sport
liked a bit more control with what was happening around the team. I tried my best to get to that stage. There are certain limitations and restrictions that we have in Bangladesh. It has been building up for a little while, and I thought it was time to let it go and give the team a fresh look.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
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14 Atletico boss
14 Napoli secure
15 Shakib shines
need to be looked at. I know theres an FTP and people are working on that. Over the next five years, this will be an important factor for this young team. They will go into a period of their cricketing lives when they will reach a physical peak and experience and mental strength will come together.
I have mentioned that I would like this or that to happen. I think there were outside things that were out of my or the boards control. It happened in late 2013. Thats why I say that there is no one to really blame. It is a series of unfortunate events that have happened. I didnt have the say or control as much as I would have liked.
Some board directors think that you dont have enough control over the team. The players dont give enough respect to you as you are never rude to them. What is your comment on this?
You are leaving the team in a good shape. What type of a coach does Bangladesh require at the moment?
I announced it on April 28 so it has been over a week. So there is a feeling of relief with the formalities being done. Also, it is a bit weird to get on a plane to go back.
Can you tell us when did you first started becoming disillusioned as a head coach?
I have spoken about a cricket decision. Sometimes I felt that the cricket side of the things, like I wanted to happen, didnt quite happen. Without going into too many details, I would have
As a coach, one needs to have the ability to adapt to any situation, whether it is Bangladesh, India or Australia. That team will have a culture, and you have to be able to adapt quickly. It is also important that someone is able to relate to a young team. Yes, have control and the right discipline but ensure to adapt. I was here for three years but the players will be here for 10-15 years. That team will have a foundation of a culture and environment. Theres an opportunity here to take the team to the next level. It started under Stuart [Law] in the [2012] Asia Cup and then 2013 had
It is a never-ending question mark because I have a smile on my face. All I can say is that dont judge a book by its cover. I am a very competitive man. There were two series wins, drawn ODI series for the first time outside home and more drawn Tests. Of course there is a need for improvement in T20s, but I think everything else speaks for itself. I will just leave it at that. some significant results. The next five years could be exciting. Give opportunities to the team and the coach.
ment of it was very tiring. Coach is all about yourself, and there are so many other things to manage. All of a sudden something happens off the field, you have to manage that. And there is the cricket. They are young men, they will make the odd mistake. I know that they want the best. I cant fault how hard they have worked in the last four months. It is a shame it didnt quite happen in the field.
I thought our performance against Pakistan was great but we couldnt defend the total. I would probably say it was the loss to Sri Lanka in the first game. After two close T20 games, that one, to have them 67/8, and then drop the two catches, and then the big partnership, that was really disappointing.
listening to you?
The BCB president informed that among the few things that you have told him, one request that you put forth was the hosting of a Twenty20 tournament in place of some firstclass matches. Bangladesh played very few T20s leading up to the World T20. Do you think that there was a gap in communication or were they not
It could have been a gap in communication, whether between departments or board-level. I would have liked to have more T20s with the World T20 coming up. It is important to have really intense cricket for these boys. In terms of standards that are being talked about, this is very important. Last year, Bangladesh played 19 international matches and then teams like Sri Lanka and India each played 30 ODIs roughly, plus Tests and T20s. I think these things
There were a number of off-field incidents Tamims captaincy issue, Shakibs gesture in the dressing room, Mushfiqur talking about the chief selector did these affect you as a coach?
Do you think the BCB is on the right track in their running of the cricketing affairs and their expectations from the team?
It was very tiring. I think there was a period of time there, whenever we were starting to get into a roll, small or big things started to become bigger than it needed to be. I think it was just the way things escalated. There were a gap of communications in a few areas. The manage-
Do I have to answer that? It is really important to continue to strive and work together. There has to be continued development from the academy, domestic cricket all the way to the national team. There has to be a goal of everyone working hard and pushing. It is a potentially important period in the next few years. I think priority has to be cricket, get whatever is needed and get everything in place. That is going to be important. l
Sheikh Jamal captain Mamunul Islam (L) shares a light moment with his teammates during their practice session at their club ground in Dhanmondi yesterday COURTESY
Mohammedan SC players warm up during their practice session at their club ground in Motijheel yesterday COURTESY
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Chiles Vidal set for knee op
Chilean international midfielder Arturo Vidal is set to undergo keyhole knee surgery on Wednesday, his club Juventus confirmed. Vidal, considered one of his countrys key players for the World Cup, travelled to Barcelona to consult with Professor Ramon Cugat on Tuesday. The Chilean is expected to recover in time for the World Cup in Brazil, where Chile are in Group B with Spain, Holland and Australia. Vidals recent trouble with his right knee meant he missed the 2 1 defeat to Benfica in the first leg of Juves Europa League semi-final two weeks ago. He returned to action for the second leg in Turin. AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
RESULT
Man United
Wilson 31, 61, van Persie 86
3 1
Hull
Fryatt 63
Giggs was also cautious when asked to provide an update on the clubs search for a permanent successor to David Moyes, who was sacked last month after only 10 months as manager. Current Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal is widely expected to be appointed shortly, but Giggs said that vice-chairman Ed Woodward had given him no indication that an announcement was imminent. l
Manchester Uniteds Nemanja Vidic, who played his final home match for the team, addresses the fans following their English Premier League match against Hull City at Old Trafford in Manchester, northern England on Tuesday REUTERS
Atletico boss unveils Atletico Kolkata Fifa been through hell over World Cup: Valcke
The owner of Spanish giants Atletico Madrid predicted exciting times for football in cricket-mad India Wednesday as he revealed one of the teams lining up in a controversial new league would be called Atletico Kolkata. The Spanish club, who are in the final of this years Champions League and top of La Liga, are co-owners of the Kolkata franchise in the newly-created Indian Super League (ISL) that kicks off in September. This is an exciting time to be in India, owner Miguel Marin told reporters as the franchises name was announced at a press conference. We are very excited at the prospect of creating connection with one of the largest demographics for football globally, Marin added. Our joint ownership of the club is testimony to our commitment to the Kolkata franchise. Through this franchise, the club will work to improve the game in India. Atletico are the only prominent international club linked to the ISL, which will see eight city-based teams compete against each from midSeptember until the end of November. Organised by the All India Football Federation, the league is being backed by Indias Reliance Industries, which is controlled by the countrys richest man Mukesh Ambani, and by sports management giant IMG. Players lists have not been revealed but among those who have been mentioned are ageing stars like former France and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, Argentinas retired marksman Hernan Crespo and ex-Manchester United forward Dwight Yorke. Atletico Madrid will share the ownership of the Kolkata franchise with former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and three city-based businessmen. Other team owners in the league, to be broadcast by the Rupert Murdochowned Star TV network, include cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood stars Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and John Abraham. India, ranked a lowly 145th in the world and 25th in Asia, has seen a surge in footballs popularity due to live television coverage of matches played around the globe, especially from the English Premier League. l FIFA have been through hell over this summers World Cup in Brazil, according to general secretary Jerome Valcke. In Brazil there are certain politicians who are against the World Cup, and the fact is that weve been through hell, essentially because in Brazil you have three political levels and there has been a change -- there was an election and were not necessarily talking with the same people (as before) -- it was difficult to keep repeating the same message, Valcke said on Tuesday evening at a forum in Lausanne. Its not FIFA that is organising the World Cup in Brazil but Brazil which is organising the World Cup in 12 towns. Were supporting Brazil to ensure that its a success because the whole of FIFA is based around the success of the World Cup. If the World Cup is a failure then we, FIFA, are in trouble. FIFA had set a December deadline but this has been forced to be extended as several of the stadiums simply hadnt been completed. We should have received the stadiums in December, well receive them on May 15 (less than a month before the World Cup kicks off ), added the Frenchman, second in command at FIFA behind president Sepp Blatter. Its a little bit later than expected but we know how to adapt. l
Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly (2R) and Indian co-owners of the team receive jerseys of Atletico Madrid from owner and CEO, Miguel Angel Marin during a press conference to announce the name of Kolkata franchise Atletico De Kolkata of the Indian Super League (ISL) in Kolkata yesterday AFP
French club names woman Napoli secure third spot in Serie A coach in landmark move
French second division club Clermont on Wednesday named Helena Costa as coach, making the Portuguese the highest-level woman in charge of a mens team in the major European championships. Costa, 36, has been the coach of the womens national sides in Qatar and Iran. She learned the managerial trade with Benfica in Portugal. But Costa has also worked as a scout for Scottish champions Celtic and top clubs in Spain and Portugal. This nomination will allow Clermont Foot 63 to enter a new era, said a club statement announcing the appointment. Napoli celebrated cementing a third-place finish in Italys Serie A, and a place in the qualifying stages of next seasons Champions League, with a 3-0 rout of ten-man Cagliari on Tuesday. Fresh from victory over Fiorentina in a violence-marred Cup final, Rafael Benitezs men were assured of third spot earlier in the evening when Fiorentina, in fourth, were stunned 4-3 by Sassuolo in Florence. Celebrations at the San Paolo, however, were comparatively subdued as fans sung and waved banners in honour of 30-year-old Napoli fan Ciro Esposito, who is in hospital in a critical state after being shot on the fringes of the Cup final on Saturday. Benitez joined the many calls from Italy to find a solution to football-related violence. Napoli went on to outclass their visitors from Sardinia, who played much of the second half with 10 men after
RESULTS
Fiorentina Napoli
3 4 3 0
Sassuolo
Berardi 23 P, 33, 42, Sansone 64
Cagliari
Clermont Foot are 14th in the French second division with two matches to play. Current coach Regis Brouard will leave at the end of this season and Costa will take over straight after, Clermond said. l
keeper Marco Silvestri saw red for a foul on Goran Pandev on 54 minutes. By then, Napoli had already raced to a 2-0 lead thanks to Dries Mertens 33rd minute spot-kick after Daniele Conti had hauled Pandev down in the box as
the striker prepared to strike. Pandev doubled Napolis lead three minutes before the interval when he turned Jose Callejons unselfish square ball into a virtually empty net after the Spaniard had intercepted defender Davide Astori. Earlier, Domenico Berardi scored his second hat-trick of the season, one of his goals coming from the penalty spot, as Sassuolo stunned hosts Fiorentina 4-3 to move two points clear of the drop zone. Sassuolos eighth win of the campaign moved them up to 16th, two points clear of Bologna. Fiorentina remain fourth but with two games remaining Vincenzo Montellas side are only six points ahead of sixth-placed Torino. Apart from final score, I mostly liked what I saw, said Montella. l
Napoli forward Gonzalo Higuain kisses the Italian Cup trophy won on May 3 against Fiorentina, prior to the Italian Serie A match against Cagliari Calcio in San Paolo Stadium on Tuesday AFP
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QUICK BYTES
Delhi Daredevils 160 for 5 20 overs (Duminy 40, Karthik 34; Shakib 1 13, Yadav 1 26) Kolkata Knight Riders 161 for 2 (Gambhir 69, Uthappa 47; Parnell 2 21) KKR won by 8 wickets
the 11th over itself; this was the duos second straight century stand. But just when it seemed like both batsmens defense was impenetrable, Wayne Parnell trapped Uthappa (47) leg-before in the 12th over; the first-wicket stand was worth 106. However, with Manish Pandey for company, Gambhir continued to rally on. The KKR skipper soon brought up his half-century. The KKR 150 then came up in the 17th over. But finally DD got a second breakthrough as Parnell had Gambhir (69) caught behind. l
BRIEF SCORE
Shakib Al Hasan of the Kolkata Knight Riders is congratulated by team mate Manish Pandey after getting the wicket of Delhi Daredevils batsman Dinesh Karthik during their Pepsi Indian Premier League match at the Feroze Shah Kotla cricket stadium, Delhi yesterday
Modi vows comeback despite life ban Pakistan bans first-class player for doping
Lalit Modi, the disgraced founder of the Indian Premier League, vowed on Wednesday to fight to return to cricket administration despite being banned for life from holding any position in the sport. Modi, who is exiled in London after his passport was revoked by the Indian government over corruption allegations, was finally on Tuesday named president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association following elections last year. But the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which banned Modi for life last September, refused to recognise the results shortly after the Supreme Court allowed them to be announced. The BCCI, which had been trying to block the announcement, suspended the Rajasthan state association until further notice. Modi lashed out at the BCCI over Tuesdays decision, saying it was unfairly punishing the Rajasthan association because of a long-running personal grudge against him. If they have a problem with Modi, we can deal with that separately, Modi told the Cricinfo website from London. But they just cant suspend the association. I have won a democratic election. They just cant say we dont like his face, so ban him. I have been in a war with the BCCI for four years. I have won the first battle, but there are many more battles to be won. Modi said he would likely return to India after the countrys general election ends next week when the ruling Congress party are expected to be thrown from power following a decade in charge. I will be back soon, Modi said. I am sure under a new government there will be no witch hunt like... under the existing one. There is not a single chargesheet filed against me in the last four years. The BCCI had imposed a life ban on Modi from holding any cricket post after finding him guilty of serious acts of indiscipline and misconduct over allegations that he had siphoned off funds. The life ban came a little over three years after Modi was removed as Indian Premier League chairman and BCCI vice-president following the end in 2010 of the third edition of the popular Twenty20 league. The 50-year-old scion of a business family, who is also being investigated by the current government on corruption and money-laundering charges, has in the past denied all allegations against him. l Pakistan banned a first-class cricketer for two years Wednesday after he tested positive for a banned substance, the first ever doping ban in the countrys domestic cricket. All-rounder Kashif Siddiq Khan captained the State Bank team in Pakistans domestic competition and is the son of a respected first-class umpire. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the 32-year-old violated the anti-doping code, but did not give details of what substance he had tested positive for. Khan was found guilty of violating the PCBs anti-doping code and is hence banned for two years, a statement said. Former Pakistan pacemen Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif also failed dope tests in 2006, but the tests were conducted out of competition. Akhtar was banned for two years and Asif for one but the bans were overturned on appeals, a decision criticised worldwide. The PCB said Khans dope test was conducted in November 2013 during the domestic Twenty20 cup competition. An adverse analytical finding was reported by the National Dope Testing Laboratory in New Delhi, India, against the sample collected from Khan, the PCB said. Khan was provisionally suspended from participating in any form of cricket in January pending the proceedings of the Anti-Doping Tribunal. l
Mia Hamm attends the Soccer Star Mia Hamm Named Residence Inns 2014 Resident Mom on Tuesday in New York City AFP
Phelps dives back in the Mathews buoyed by Ireland opener pool next week
Michael Phelps, who already owns a record 22 Olympic medals that include 18 golds, will continue his comeback next week at a meet in North Carolina, USA Swimming announced Tuesday. Phelps and fellow Olympic champions Ryan Lochte and Allison Schmitt are among those slated to compete in the May 15-18 US Grand Prix event in Charlotte. After taking four gold medals and two silvers at the 2012 London Olympics, Phelps took 20 months away from swimming, but announced three weeks ago that he would be making a comeback. Phelps was a runner-up to Lochte in the 100m butterfly at a US Grand Prix meet in Mesa, Arizona, last month and excited fans with the idea that he might take the plunge in quest of a fifth Olympics in 2016 at Rio de Janeiro. Phelps and his coach, Bob Bowman, have been coy about whether or not Rio is in their plans, but the Charlotte meet and another June 19-22 in Santa Clara, California, are the best chances Phelps will have to post qualifying times for the US championships in August in Irvine, California. That event serves as the American qualifying meet for next years world championships in Russia, the last major full global showdown in the pool before Rio. l Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews expects his side to improve quickly once they get used to conditions in the British Isles. Speaking after what proved to be a comfortable 79-run victory over Ireland in Dublin on Tuesday, in the first of two one-day internationals before they arrive in England for a Test match and full ODI series, Mathews admitted it was a sluggish start but was encouraged by the performance. The guys were a bit scrappy today but to get over the line was a good effort, he said. Its only the start of the tour and when we adapt to the conditions we will perform better and better.
DAYS WATCH
Sony Six 8:30PM Indian Premier League Rajasthan v Hyderabad NBA Play Off 2013 14, Conf Sf 5:00AM Washington v Indiana 7:30AM LA Clippers v Oklahoma City
As expected, spin bowlers proved the Sri Lankan match-winners and Mathews always thought their total of 219 for eight would be enough. I was not really bothered at halfway. I knew I had the bowlers to defend the total. The pitch played pretty slow in the first half and our batters had to work hard to get to 220 and it was a
very pleasing effort. It played better in the second, but the spinners were key. (Ajantha) Mendis bowled some really good balls as did (Sachithra) Senanayake. The two fast bowlers also came to the party. We didnt know what kind of total was a good one as we havent played here before, and thats why we wanted to bowl first, Mathews added. The helpful early conditions for the bowlers left Sri Lanka at 95 for five after 30 overs, with Middlesexs Tim Murtagh the pick of the Ireland attack. But Nuwan Kulasekara finished strongly, scoring 42 not out from 34 balls with three fours and the only two sixes of the innings and, crucially, shared an unbroken stand of 43 in just 22 balls with Mendis. l
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n Abu Bakar Siddique
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Most of them primarily occurred in pre-monsoon and post-monsoon though in some extreme cases the pre-monsoon droughts had extended into the monsoon season due to delayed onset of the monsoon rains.
Meanwhile, meteorologists from BMD and AccuWeather expressed concern on April 27 that monsoon may remain different this year as the impact of expected upcoming El Nio would create extreme and prolonged drought
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'There was over 7% inflation rate in the current fiscal year. The tax-free income limit is not consistent with the inflation rate and living cost of marginal taxpayers. It needs to be re-fixed'
It would also demand making changes in the rate of surcharge by imposing it at a progressive rate. Taxpayers having assets valued between Tk2.5 crore to Tk5 crore could pay 5% surcharge, while it should be 10% for properties valued between Tk5 crore to Tk15 crore, 15% for assets valued Tk15 crore to Tk25 crore, 20% for assets valued Tk25 crore to Tk40 crore and 25% for having net properties valued over Tk40 crore. Currently, the minimum slab for imposing surcharge is 10% on properties worth over Tk2 crore. For the security of readymade garments workers, the FBCCI wants giving incentives for building accommodation in the City Corporation, municipality and cantonment board areas of Gazipur, Tongi and Savar and Narayanganj. In regards to the information and communication Technology, the FBCCI seeks exemption of 0.5% turnover tax on electronic products, reduction to continue special income tax exemption till June 30, 2019 and 100% tax holiday for next five years to encourage investment in agro-processing and SME sectors. It would also propose to set 5% of disputed tax rate from 10% on appeal tribunal as the law says: no appeal shall lie against an order of the Appellate Joint Commissioner of Taxes or the Commissioner (Appeals), as the case may be, unless the assesse has paid 10% of disputed tax. The demands would also include ensuring a neutral appeal tribunal system, bringing commercial activities of non-government organisations under tax net and continuation of tax holiday facilities for investment in backward areas. The demands included allowing tax rebate on power, infrastructure development, quality management, environment protection and human resource development. l
B2
Stocks edge higher with volatility
n Tribune Report
Stocks edged higher with volatility yesterday, as investors booked some profits on banks and textiles after sharp rise in the previous session. The benchmark index DSEX gained slightly 13 points or 0.3% to close at 4,575, hitting highest 4,609 in mid-session and lowest 4,563 in the final session. Shariah Index DSES was slightly up 4 points or 0.5% to 1,015.The blue-chip comprising DS30 gained 8 points or 0.6% to 1,678. Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, closed at 8,807 with a rise of over 26 points. Trading activities decreased with DSE turnover standing at Tk419 crore, a drop of 6.4% over the previous session. Among the major sectors, telecommunication posted the highest gain of 2.5%, led by heavyweight Grameenphone that gained 2.3% following its earnings declarations. Non-banking financial institutions, engineering, power and general insurance closed positive while banks, pharmaceuticals, food and allied landed in the red zone. Lanka Bangla Securities, in its daily market analysis, said bull continued to hog limelight in the session with days high hovering above 4,600-mark. Trading session started with a strong move, however, profit booking on banking and textile stocks in late hours weighed on the days hype with benchmark index creeping up some points. Most of the mutual funds speeded up with sectoral turnover value up by 0.5%, as investors are lured by the attractive valuation level of mutual fund units. IDLC Investments said market positivity approached to third consecutive session. Previous sessions enthusiasm prevailed at the beginning but turned into infrequent profit booking at later part, resulting in closing flat. Zenith Investments said market exhibited positive momentum plodding through an inspiring moment with a moderate turnover volume. Movement of three leading sectors pharmaceuticals, engineering and telecommunication grabbed most of the turnover share and contributed heavily along with other sectors to pull up the market. Grameenphone, the countrys top mobile phone operator, rose nearly 1% and remained the most traded stock for the second consecutive session, contributing 11% of the total market turnover. Grameenphone continued to become top turnover leader with shares worth Tk45.6 crore changing hands, followed by Apollo Ispat, Active Fine Chemical, Meghna Petroleum, Golden Son, Square Pharmaceuticals and Olympic Industries. l
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DSE GAINERS Company
Closing (% change) 8.92 8.29 8.22 8.10 7.55 7.50 6.99 6.88 6.84 6.25
Aziz PipesZ BD. Thai Alum -B Premier Leasing-Z Mercantile Insur -A Salvo Chemicals-B Continental Insur. -A In Tech Online -A GeminiSeaFood-Z Reliance Insur -A Meghna Con. Milk -B CSE GAINERS Company Rupali Life Insur.-A Premier Leasing-Z Northern G Insur-A BD. Thai Alum -B Apex Footwear-A Salvo Chemicals-B National Life I -A Islami Ins.BD A Hakkani P& Paper -B Standard Ceramic -A
Average (% change) 4.88 9.57 6.28 5.39 7.64 9.92 5.80 6.88 6.41 6.25 Average (% change) 7.85 10.88 9.33 11.07 8.72 8.11 6.28 7.08 5.32 5.13
Closing average 16.55 23.48 7.79 22.50 22.39 26.14 15.13 142.00 66.92 8.50
Closing 17.10 23.50 7.90 22.70 22.80 25.80 15.30 141.40 67.20 8.50
Daily high 17.20 23.80 8.00 22.90 23.10 26.40 15.50 145.00 68.90 8.50
Daily low 15.80 21.00 7.00 20.00 19.10 23.00 13.00 137.20 62.50 8.50
Turnover in million 0.192 8.425 1.102 1.984 49.510 14.964 4.159 0.071 0.353 0.004
Latest EPS 0.68 -0.13 0.04 1.29 0.93 3.00 1.02 -11.90 5.84 -4.85
Latest PE 24.3 -ve 194.8 17.4 24.1 8.7 14.8 -ve 11.5 -ve
Closing (% change) 9.92 9.59 9.43 9.17 8.72 8.49 6.27 5.54 5.32 5.13
Closing average 98.90 7.95 44.06 23.78 467.50 22.66 353.95 29.02 29.70 41.00
Closing 100.80 8.00 44.10 23.80 467.50 23.00 354.00 28.60 29.70 41.00
Daily high 100.80 8.00 44.30 23.90 467.50 23.30 358.00 29.80 29.70 41.00
Daily low 97.00 7.50 43.50 22.20 467.50 21.10 349.90 28.50 29.70 41.00
Turnover in million 0.198 0.405 0.573 1.496 0.094 6.386 0.035 0.087 0.015 0.082
Latest EPS 5.33 0.04 1.82 -0.13 23.61 0.93 12.46 1.93 0.28 1.32
Latest PE 18.6 198.8 24.2 -ve 19.8 24.4 28.4 15.0 106.1 31.1
(+) 0.27% (+) 0.43% (+) 0.53% (+) 0.30% (+) 0.59% (+) 0.30%
Traded Issues Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis) Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis) Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis) Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.) Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)
Average (% change) -7.30 -5.31 -2.98 0.11 0.81 -0.26 -2.01 0.52
Closing average 11.56 365.00 63.75 53.16 27.50 50.13 17.07 249.44
Daily high 11.90 365.00 66.70 54.60 28.50 51.70 18.00 276.40
Daily low 10.90 365.00 63.10 50.70 26.00 48.80 16.80 232.00
Turnover in million 18.096 0.183 0.102 60.454 39.702 65.243 7.592 48.623
Latest EPS 1.42 9.37 -43.81 4.81 2.04 2.92 0.92 5.28
-3.05 -2.99
-0.34 -2.02
38.66 1163.81
38.20 1153.20
39.50 1191.10
38.00 1150.00
1.415 2.444
2.71 43.99
14.3 26.5
DSE BroadIndex
Closing (% change) -10.00 -9.48 -9.45 -8.82 -7.20 -6.07 -4.48 -3.90
Average (% change) -10.00 -9.48 -0.82 -8.82 -7.06 -6.19 -3.14 -1.00
Closing average 39.60 52.50 59.16 31.00 11.58 152.94 88.62 42.45
Daily high 39.60 52.50 60.00 31.00 11.70 153.10 91.20 43.40
Daily low 39.60 52.50 54.60 31.00 11.50 152.60 87.30 41.40
Turnover in million 0.024 0.053 0.118 0.031 2.982 0.382 0.337 2.781
Latest EPS 2.71 5.16 2.74 3.19 1.42 2.08 2.69 2.09
2%
1%
06
06
13
27
13
0%
27
10
20
20
03
-1%
-3.85 -3.55
-3.34 -2.39
22.55 30.17
22.50 29.90
22.90 31.00
22.50 29.80
0.198 0.118
0.56 3.09
40.3 9.8
-2%
-3%
ANALYST
SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY
Sector Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture
Previous sessions enthusiasm prevailed at the beginning but turned into infrequent profit booking at later part, resulting in closing flat
DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Grameenphone-A Olympic Ind. -A Appollo Ispat CL -N Active Fine Chem.-A Meghna Petroleum -A Golden Son -A
Square Pharma -A
DSE Million Taka 417.53 193.96 89.09 503.89 367.17 370.67 1.20 379.16 650.52 0.49 65.59 49.15 18.83 217.62 27.18 90.55 84.53 533.52 26.36 104.18 0.13
% change 9.96 4.63 2.13 12.02 8.76 8.84 0.03 9.05 15.52 0.01 1.56 1.17 0.45 5.19 0.65 2.16 2.02 12.73 0.63 2.49 0.00
Million Taka 34.77 11.38 3.26 46.73 19.17 28.41 43.50 39.08 15.91 2.71 17.79 3.11 16.36 3.85 2.44 4.43 43.16 5.81 11.13 0.01
CSE
% change 9.85 3.22 0.92 13.24 5.43 8.05 0.00 12.32 11.07 4.51 0.77 5.04 0.88 4.63 1.09 0.69 1.25 12.23 1.64 3.15 0.00
Million Taka 452.29 205.34 92.34 550.61 386.34 399.07 1.20 422.66 689.60 16.39 68.29 66.94 21.94 233.98 31.03 92.99 88.96 576.68 32.17 115.32 0.14
Total
% change 9.95 4.52 2.03 12.12 8.50 8.78 0.03 9.30 15.17 0.36 1.50 1.47 0.48 5.15 0.68 2.05 1.96 12.69 0.71 2.54 0.00
LankaBangla Fin. -A BD Submarine Cable-A Padma Oil Co. -A Emerald Oil Ind. -N Orion Infusions -A
CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Appollo Ispat CL -N
Volume shares 1,654,875 842,093 5,241,600 1,779,699 395,652 1,813,595 370,547 1,944,400 1,300,000 156,450
Value in million 455.42 205.68 149.38 125.68 116.38 105.41 103.87 90.60 87.05 86.74
% of total turnover 10.87 4.91 3.56 3.00 2.78 2.52 2.48 2.16 2.08 2.07
Daily closing 276.40 242.60 28.30 70.40 294.20 57.40 279.80 45.70 67.00 549.60
Price change 2.26 -0.57 3.66 1.88 0.65 0.35 -0.14 -1.30 0.15 0.31
Daily opening 270.30 244.00 27.30 69.10 292.30 57.20 280.20 46.30 66.90 547.90
Daily high 277.20 246.00 29.50 72.50 297.50 59.00 281.50 47.40 67.70 559.90
24
Daily low 268.00 225.00 27.40 66.00 279.00 56.50 260.20 45.30 66.30 548.00
01
Daily average 275.20 244.25 28.50 70.62 294.16 58.12 280.33 46.59 66.96 554.43
17
Volume shares
Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net
BD Submarine Cable-A Grameenphone-A Matin Spinning-N LafargeS Cement-Z UCBL - A Salvo Chemicals-B Meghna Petroleum -A National Bank - B UNITED AIR A Square Pharma -A Golden Son -A BSC A Orion Infusions -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A
883,800 123,900 75,800 226,800 114,000 247,877 281,838 20,752 457,558 453,657 18,521 84,500 8,580 88,900 161,750
Value in million
25.22 22.30 20.86 10.48 7.66 6.85 6.39 6.10 6.03 5.58 5.19 4.91 4.88 4.73 4.43
% of total turnover
8.48 7.50 7.01 3.53 2.58 2.30 2.15 2.05 2.03 1.88 1.74 1.65 1.64 1.59 1.49
Daily closing
28.20 183.10 276.20 45.80 67.10 27.20 23.00 294.60 13.10 12.30 279.50 57.90 569.30 52.20 27.10
Price change
3.30 4.57 2.49 -0.65 0.00 -1.45 8.49 0.51 -1.50 -1.60 -0.25 0.17 0.53 -3.15 0.74
Daily opening
27.30 175.10 269.50 46.10 67.10 27.60 21.20 293.10 13.30 12.50 280.20 57.80 566.30 53.90 26.90
29.40 185.00 277.00 47.20 68.60 28.10 23.30 298.50 14.00 12.50 280.80 59.00 575.00 54.50 27.70
27.50 176.00 272.00 45.50 66.60 27.00 21.10 291.00 12.00 12.20 278.70 55.60 562.50 51.30 27.00
Daily average
28.54 179.98 275.18 46.22 67.17 27.64 22.66 293.97 13.17 12.31 279.96 58.15 568.20 53.18 27.37
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
n AFP, San Francisco
B3
Padma Cement delisted
n Tribune Report
The Dhaka Stock Exchange has delisted shares of Padma Cement with effect from yesterday following its liquidation. In mid-March, the company had announced that it, a junk company, decided to wrap up its business after incurring losses over the years. The DSE board has decided to de-list the shares of Padma Cement Limited from the exchange with effect from May 7, 2014 in accordance with the court order dated March 13, 2014, said the bourse in a statement yesterday. The company was the first listed company in Bangladesh to wind up. Around nine years into its commercial operation since April 2001, the company located at Baghabari in Sirajganj has suspended its production. The winding up of a company requires the termination of legal existence through stopping its current business. For this reason the assets of the company needs to be distributed among the shareholders as well as creditors as laid down in the company act. The DSE had sent the stock to the OTC (over the counter market) in 2010 after its production suspension. Since 2003, the company gave no dividend to its shareholders, but in listing year 2002 it announced dividend payout. l
government to lower registration expense to 6.5% from 11.5% by resetting gain tax and stamp duty at 2% instead of 3%, registration fee at 2% instead of 4%. To discourage imports, the trade body will request the government to hike import duty to 25% from 10% and to impose 40% supplementary tax on
optical fire import as the country are now able to produce it. The apex trade body in its proposal also urges the government to allow jewelers to import two kg gold and silver paying duty under the baggage rules, which allow a traveler to carry 200 gram gold paying TK150 for 11.664 gram each and Tk6 for same amount of silver. l
in April, BBS said, adding that the prices of non-food items like garments, house rents, medical, transports, education material and other services costs have increased during the month as compared to the previous month. The food items which recorded an increase are fine rice 1%, eggs 2%, lentil 1%, onion 25% and ginger 7.5%, according to the data of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh. In rural area, inflation also marginally declined 7.19% in April from 7.21%
in March and in urban area, it stood at 7.96% from 7.98%. Economists Mustafa K Mujeri said economic indicators that control inflation remained stagnant over the past few months, leaving insignificant impact on the inflation. Whether the inflation would go upward or downward is not yet clear and depend on how things could move either direction, he said. But we can say fiscal inflationary target might not be achieved if the present trend remains at a specific level. l
To encourage investment and make competitive of the domestic produces in the international market, the FBBCI leaders will propose to withdraw supplementary duty on manufacturing sector in the production level. According to the FBCCI budget proposal, amenmendt should be brought to ADR ( alternative dispute resolution) for making it more effective, parctical and expanded. Considering the use and production in the country, the apex trade body will propose to exempt dry rubber contents from VAT from existing 15%. FBCCI will also propose to lift 15%
VAT and 1% landing charge on unrefined soybean and palm oil but to continue 15% VAT on refined soybean and palm oil. The association will propose to fix specific turnover over joint venture of cottage industry and chamber registration. The chamber will seek subsidies on the internet bandwidth in all districts and upazilas except Dhaka and to keep it VAT-free from service charge package value. It will, however, propose to fix VAT on biscuits like other processed foods, like milk and fried pulse considering its higher tariff rate.
The FBCCI in its proposal proposes for the cancellation of supplementary duty on import of poultry feed. Presently, 5% supplementary duty was imposed on importer but not on genuine user. The FBCCI budget proposals said some RMG related services, including laboratory test charge, consultancy charges, compliant audit, security, transport and others should be VAT free to make it more competitive in the global market. Currently, the government keeps RMG industry involved with import and export business enjoys VAT free from many other services. l
Grameenphone Ltd recently reported its first quarterly revenue of Tk24.9bn of 2014, up 6.1% from the same period last year. The announcement was made by the companys CEO Vivek Sood
Pragati Life Insurance Limited recently held its annual conference for the year 2013 at a local hotel in Coxs Bazar. The companys chair Khalilur Rahman was present among others at the conference
Impress-Newtex Composite Textiles Limited has recently signed an agreement with IDLC Investments Limited for acting as its manager to raise capital through initial public offering. Meer Sajed-ul-Basher, CFO of Impress-Newtex Composite Textiles Limited and Md Moniruzzaman, managing director of IDLC Investments Limited signed the contract Banglalink, mobile telecom operator commercially launched 3G services in Barisal yesterday. Ahsan Habib Kamal, mayor of the City Corporation in Barisal was present at the programme as chief guest along with high officials of the company
Crown Cement has recently awarded its top performing dealers with a ten-day trip to three European countries after successful completion of the sales campaign named Lucky 13. The companys DMD of marketing and sales, Shaibal Saha accompanied the trip
QAFM Serajul Islam, managing director of Pioneer Insurance Company Limited seen handing over a cheque worth Tk18,556,800 for marine cargo claim of Color City Limited to Abdul Wahed, chair of DBL Group
Reckitt Benckiser (Bangladesh) Ltd on May 6 held its 53th annual general meeting at the Trust Milonayoton in Dhaka. The companys stakeholders approved a 400% cash dividend for the year ended on December 31. Managing director of the company Reazul Haque Chowdhury was present among other board directors
B4
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
Report: Asia is most vulnerable to Asia banks turn to diplomats as Mideast oil supply shock
n Reuters
Asias growing dependence on Middle Eastern oil has amplified the risks it faces if the Strait of Hormuz is suddenly shut, making it more vulnerable to such a disruption than other regions, UK think-tank Chatham House said on Wednesday. Asia is more at risk than Europe and the United States to a cut in Middle Eastern supplies as it buys 75% of the regions oil exports, said Chatham House energy security expert John Mitchell in a report - Asias Oil Supply: Risks and Pragmatic Remedies. Despite Irans threat to shut the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route for Middle East oil in 2012, Mitchell said most Asian countries have not built up sufficient reserves to cushion the impact of a disruption. A strong reliance on oil product imports in Asia has also heightened their risk, he said. Asian countries import nearly 30% of their consumption needs, mostly from refineries in South Korea, Singapore and India, which are in turn dependent on the Middle East for more than half of their crude supplies. How product-exporting companies and countries chose to allocate reduced supplies would affect Australia and Thailand in particular, said Mitchell, who started his career in with UK oil major BP Plc in 1966. Australia has seen a series of refinery closures, and by 2015, it is expected to become the largest net importer of diesel and second-largest net importer of gasoline in Asia, importing more than half of its fuel needs. Product-importing countries, particularly Australia and Thailand, could face shortfalls of 5-10% of consumption in the event of a significant disruption to Middle Eastern supplies, Mitchell said in the report. If Middle East oil producers choose to look after their own, by supplying to joint venture refineries in Asia and the United States first, however, this could lessen the impact of a disruption at the expense of European countries, he said. China will not have a shortfall under this scenario. China is more secure than other Asian countries mainly because it is also a large producer of oil and has a greater diversity of oil supply, the London-based Mitchell said later in remarks in Thomson Reuters Global Oil Forum on Wednesday.
Regulators have become major stakeholders - as important as big corporate clients - so firms are recognizing how key they are for business
The challenge for these roles in Asia is the sheer number of regulators that banks in the fragmented and diverse region must handle. JPMorgan interacts almost daily with more than 30 Asian banking regulators, a spokeswoman for the firm in Hong Kong said. The bank, in common with its global peers in Asia, reports to more than 100 regulators in the region across the full range of its businesses including banking, insurance and commodities. However the payback for banks from investing in this area is becoming clearer. Many Asian regulators took a back seat when the United States and European governments drew up a slew of new regulations on bank capital and derivatives trading in the wake of the 2008-09 financial crisis. That left the region facing a set of rules that regulators and firms felt did not work for them, such as regulations on derivatives trading that were tailored towards more liquid markets like the United States rather than Asian ones. That has prompted regulators from financial centers such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia to become more vocal in international forums such as the International Organization of Securities Commissions and the Financial Stability Board. The Asian voices are asking for more workable solutions while following the global principles, said Ernst & Youngs Vas. So it makes it a more worthwhile investment for the Asian business heads to have a dialogue with the regulators locally so they can help drive the shaping of solutions globally. l
Oil rig pumpjacks, also known as thirsty birds, extract crude from the Wilmington Field oil deposits area where Tidelands Oil Production Company, which is owned by Occidental Petroleum Corporation operates near Long Beach, California REUTERS
'In theory China could cover a 50% increase in the price of oil imports by drawing down foreign reserves at about 3% annually for 30 years'
China already has oil pipelines from central Asia, which is expanding (output), and (it) can look forward to increasing supplies from Russia, he said. Yet, Western sanctions on Russia due to the Ukraine crisis may affect other investments from Asian companies, such as in new Russian gas supplies, Mitchell said. Gazprom, with more than 15% of global gas production and reserves, is
expected to sign a deal next month to begin exporting gas to China from 2018. The push to secure long-term oil supplies in Asia has seen tensions flare up between some states over the oil and gas-rich South China Sea, which is claimed wholly or in part by six countries. Vietnam this week condemned the movement of a giant Chinese oil rig into what it said was its territorial waters.
Low levels of oil stocks, especially in India, remained a worry, Mitchell said in the report, adding that there needs to be greater coordination on emergency oil stocks release among the International Energy Agency (IEA), China and India. The Indian government is building storage for oil stocks, but this is not yet being filled. And the cost of doing so is
a deterrent, he said in the forums chatroom. At the other extreme, the Chinese government is not only building storage but is also filling it, and aims to achieve IEA levels of storage of 90 days worth of imports within a few years, he said. The burden of a spike in oil import costs will be greater on South Asian countries - Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India - as more than 30% of their revenues from non-oil exports were used to pay for oil imports in 2012, the Chatham House study showed. In theory China could cover a 50% increase in the price of oil imports by drawing down foreign reserves at about 3% annually for 30 years, Mitchell said in the report. Pakistans reserves would be exhausted within one year and those of India, Australia and Sri Lanka within about five years, he said. l
Talent pool
That presents a tall order for headhunters such as Cook, who says his firm is currently trying to fill several such positions, since theres not an established pool of talent in the region to tap from. JPMorgan in January turned to for-
DILBERT
Robots from the University of Miami, College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Computer Science play a game of soccer at the eMerge Americas Techweek held in the Miami Beach Convention Center on Tuesday in Miami Beach, Florida. The eMerge conference brought together more than 100 speakers from large technology companies and emerging ventures throughout South Florida and Latin America as well as gave people hands on experience with robots, video games and other high tech ventures AFP