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KILLED IN CROSSFIRE
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Police killed him for publishing corruption news, alleges family n Mohammad Jamil Khan
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Family members of journalist Shah Alam Sarkar, who worked at local magazines, yesterday alleged that he had been killed by officials of Uttara west police station for publishing a news report on corruption by an influential person. They also brushed aside the polices claim that Shah Alam had died on Sunday evening falling from the rooftop of the police station as he wanted to flee from the police custody. Shah Alam had no cases against him, so why would he want to escape? This is nothing but a pre-planned killing of police, the victims elder brother Kamal Mollah said yesterday.
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AL ignores allies proposal
n Emran Hossain Shaikh
Leaders of the 14-party alliance allege that the ruling Awami League ignored their proposal for jointly contesting the upazila parishad polls. Pointing at the BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami, the 14-party leaders say the BNP Jamaat alliance is doing better because of their strong unity and that the results could have been different had the AL acted in a similar fashion. Out of a total of 466 upazilas, polls in 211 have ended in two phases where most of the AL-backed candidates were defeated by the BNP and Jamaat-backed candidates. In the two phases, BNP and Jamaat candidates won 119 chairman seats while their AL rivals secured only 78. Results of vice-chairman and female vice-chairman contestants of the AL are very poor as well. The 14-party alliance leaders, whose aim was to join the upazila polls jointly, say if the AL, after securing threefourths majority in the national election, did accordingly, they would not have faced this fiasco. The alliance leaders claim that they urged the AL to extend the 14-parties activities to upazila level and to contest the polls jointly; but were turned down. Although the national election and the upazila polls are not the same, the AL now sees the result of rejecting the proposal, alliance leaders observe. At the last meeting of 14-partiy alliance on January 21 in the run-up to the first phase of upazila polls, the 14-par-
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UPAZILA POLLS
ty alliance leaders raised the proposal urging the AL to take part in the polls together. The AL then rejected it and asked allies to contest polls separately. When asked, Anisur Rahman Mallik, secretary of Workers Party of Bangladesh, an associate of the 14-party alliance, said the AL had rejected their proposal for contesting upazila polls jointly. Our proposal was turned down and we were asked to participate in the polls separately. Now we can see the result of the denial, Anisur told the Dhaka Tribune. His party won only one vice-chairman seat. He said they had requested the AL several times to extend the alliances activities to the grassroots but their requests were not taken into account. We think if we were able to contest the polls together like the BNP and Jamaat, the results would have been different, he observed. Nurur Rahman Selim, secretary of Ganatantri Party which is another associate of the 14-party alliance, made the same observation. He said there was much to learn from the unity of BNP and Jamaat. National Awami Partys Secretary Enamul Haque said the polls results would have been different if single candidates for each of the upazilas were chosen and if the polls were contested jointly. Earlier, Co-Chairman of ALs Election Steering Committee HT Imam said like the BNP and Jamaat, the AL was considering contesting the next phases of polls along with their allies. l
Relatives wail after seeing the body of journalist Shah Alam Sarker at the DMCH yesterday. Story on Page 1
yers of the criminals are delaying trial intentionally by seeking time for hearings. He said it was a major problem for the government, which is trying to conclude the cases swiftly as high-profile criminals are living comfortably in jail. If they are found guilty, they will be punished. Otherwise, they will be released. Regarding the probe report, Kamal said: We are examining the report and the recommendations made by the committee. We will inform the prime minister about the findings and recommendations. He said steps would be taken against those responsible, conforming to suggestions by higher authorities in government. The logical recommendations would be implemented shortly. We must consider the logical suggestions of the committee. If [government]
officials are found involved with the incident, action will be taken against them. We will also find out the reasons behind their getting involved in such activities. The probe body headed by its additional secretary Nazim Uddin Chowdhury was formed on February 23, immediately after the incident happened at Trishal, Mymensingh. The report also named the suspects behind the incident. Informing the reporters about a plan to release innocents who have been in jail for a long time, the state minister said: Many people are in prison without any reason. There is no case against them. The jail authorities do not have any documents against them. The government is preparing to set them free. They would be freed shortly after examining the related documents and reports, he added. l
K Choudhury said these findings called the countrys examination system into question. She said at all levels of education, it was quality that suffered. Manzoor Ahmed, senior adviser at Brac Universitys Institute of Education and Development, said low budgetary allocation was one of the obstacles to ensuring quality education. He said budgetary allocation in Bangladesh was the lowest among South Asian countries and should be increased. Taking part in the discussion, teachers representative Kazi Faruque Ahmed said teachers should be given training to ensure quality education. Power and Participation Research Center executive director Hossain Zillur Rahman said the government should rethink the Monthly Pay Order System, as there were irregularities in it. He said school managing commit-
tees running non-government schools was a major problem and there should be a policy on that. Zillur Rahman added the government should establish more public secondary schools. Jesko Hentschel, World Banks Human Development director of South Asia region, said: By improving quality of education and also skill development, Bangladesh can link its youth to productive employment in local or overseas job markets. Speaking at the programme, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said he himself was not satisfied with the quality of education, though it had been improving over the years. Now the main challenge of our education system is ensuring quality. We are working on it, he said. The minister admitted that the examination system was bad and said they were working to improve it. l
Shah Alam, 36, used to work at little-known local magazines and newspapers named Aparadh Daman, Asia Barta and PhotoJatra. Talking to the Dhaka Tribune at Dhaka Medical College morgue, Kamal said police were involved in killing his brother as when we went to the police station for filing a case, they not only rejected to take our complaint but also forced us to leave the station. Shah Alam published a corruption report against Uttara Trust College Principal Bashir Uddin Ahmed recently. Following this, police called him at the station and killed him after torture, Kamal said. Contacted, Nisarul Arif, deputy commissioner of police (Uttara division), told the Dhaka Tribune that following the report, Principal Bashir filed a general diary with the police station. The investigation officer of the GD called both of them at the police station on Sunday for enquiry. When the IO started interrogating both of them, Shah Alam suspected that he might be arrested. He ran to the rooftop of the building and tried to get down using a pipe. But he fell down and died on the spot, said Nisarul. On the other hand, the first information report (FIR) of police mentioned that Shah Alam died falling from the sunshade of the buildings seventh floor as he tried to escape from the police station using the space created for air condition. Kamal also said there were marks of injury on the victims knees and hands which clearly means that he was tortured by the police. Shah Alam also had a grocery shop in Roisnagar area of Jatrabari and lived in Shanir Akhra area with his wife Suma Akter and daughter Shanta Alam Khadiza, a student of class VIII at Rayerbagh Roisnagar High School. This reporter visited Jatrabari area but found no allegation against Shah Alam. The officials of Uttara west police station too failed to show any document to prove Shah Alam guilty in any robbery or criminal cases. l
nothing but an old criminal practice and that it continues to happen. The law enforcers are on alert about such practice and they have successfully solved such cases by arresting the criminals, he said. About the involvement of law enforcers in the extrajudicial killings in the name of gunfights, he said action would follow investigation if any allegations were proved based on evidence. According to allegations, most crossfire incidents are nothing but a plot and are one-sided. The police versions of these incidents follow a standard pattern leading to questions about their veracity. In most cases, individuals identifying themselves as police, RAB or DB officials pick up people. Students, politicians, businesspersons and opposition leaders are on the list of missing. Sometimes their bodies are found and sometimes they disappear completely. The law enforcers issue press statements claiming that the deceased person had been a criminal, a proposition found to be false in certain cases. The law enforcers also claim that they have to open fire in self-defence since the detainees cohorts launch armed attacks on them. During an investigation, the Dhaka
Tribune found that one person, who had no criminal record, was killed in a gunfight with law enforcers in Jatrabari on February 15. Salauddin, 29, and Jewel, 28, were killed on the spot. Although Salauddin was accused in eight murder cases, Jewel had no charges against him. He was a businessman in Kaptanbazar area and used to sell filter instruments. The Jatrabari police could not show any cases against Jewel, or even a general diary. Confirming the fact, Mohiuddin Ahmed, senior assistant commissioner of police (Demra division), told the Dhaka Tribune that although Jewel was not accused in any case, Salauddin mentioned his name while giving three separate confessional statements before a magistrate. Asked about Jewel, Shanir Akhra resident Ashraful Haq said they had heard about Salauddin as a criminal but nothing about Jewel. I do not know any criminal by this name. The Dhaka Tribune also contacted the investigation officer of the case, Prodip Kumar Kundu, who is a sub-inspector of Jatrabari police. He also failed to show any legal documents against Jewel. In this regard, Elina Khan, chief executive of Bangladesh Human Rights Foundation, said: Complaints are filed
by families with local police stations after a person goes missing and most of these complaints are filed against the law enforcers. If they did not do anything, then why are the complaints filed against them repeatedly? She observed that political will and cooperation of the government was needed to stop these incidents of disappearance and killings. On January 28, Tanvir Hassan Anjan, organising secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra Leagues Bhatara unit, went missing. The members of police, Rab and DB failed to make any progress or trace him even though several complaints were lodged about the matter. On December 4 last year, Asaduzzaman Rana, Mazaharul Islam and Al-Amin former leaders of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dals Jagannath University unit went missing from Baridhara in the capital. Ranas sister Minara Begum filed a general diary with Mugda police station soon after incident, but police are yet to find him. The Dhaka Tribune found no complaint or case filed with Kotwali police station against the three. Campus sources said they knew the three as Chhatra Dal leaders but had not heard about their involvement in violence or crimes in the area. l
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Executive Magistrate Farid Mohammad Farhad Hossain said the rescued persons had been under the RAB custody. RAB officials said all victims bore different injury marks. Gunfight between RAB and abductors Wing Commander ATM Habibur Rahman, director of Legal and Media Wing of RAB, told the Dhaka Tribune the gunfight between the RAB 10 members and the kidnappers took place when the elite force had been on a drive to rescue some abducted persons from a house on Madina Masjid Road in Alambagh under Kadomtoli police station area. Acting on a tip-off that a gang of criminals kidnapped some people and had been torturing them by taking them hostage in the house, we went into action, said Wing Commander Habibur Rahman. He said immediately after the RAB personnel rushed to the spot, the criminals opened fire on them, prompting the crime-busters to retaliate with gunshots, triggering a gun battle. According to the official, at one
stage of the gunfight, two members of the gang and four RAB members also sustained injuries while the other members of the gang fled. Wing Commander Habibur Rahman added that the gang members who received bullet wounds succumbed to their injuries to the Mitford Hospital while the injured RAB men were undergoing treatment. While talking to journalists at the hospital, Sayema Chowdhury, wife of deceased Sangram Chowdhury, said her husband had gone out of the house Sunday night, but he did not return home till noon. In the afternoon, I came to know my husband died along with another man in a so-called gunfight with RAB, she said. Inspector Mostafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Kadomtoli police station, said: RAB officials told them about the gunfight that took place between a team of RAB 10 and a gang of criminals leaving two of the alleged criminals dead and three RAB members injured. He added that two pistols were also recovered from the possession of injured members of the gang.
But neither RAB nor Police could detail the cause of abduction of the four and anything more about the incident. Shootout by police In Savar, an alleged member of a gang of robbers was killed when police opened fire at them in return for an attack with bombs at the lawmen early in the morning on Dhaka-Aricha Highway in Harannagar area in Rajfulbaria under Savar police station. Inspector Mostofa Kamal, officer-in-charge of Savar police station, said during the gunfight that took place around 3am, four policemen also sustained injuries when the robbers hurled bombs at them. Acting on a tip-off that a gang of robbers had been preparing for committing robbery on the highway, a team of police rushed to the spot, Inspector Pradeep said. He added that sensing the presence of police, the gang of robbers tried to run away, but the lawmen caught some of them and charged batons. Pradeep said at one stage the robbers hurled bombs at the lawmen, prompting them to retaliate with gunshot that left one member of the gang dead. l
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Alleged snatcher of JMB men remanded n Our Correspondent, Mymensingh
A Mymensingh court yesterday granted 10 days remand of Raju Ahmed who allegedly took part in the attack on a prison van in which a policeman was killed and three condemned militants were snatched away. Raju, 26, was detained on suspicion of partaking in the incident from Natarkandha area of Islampur, Jamalpur around 10:30pm on Sunday. He was produced before the Judicial Magistrates Court of Farzana Islam in Mymensingh, Officer-in-Charge of the Detective Branch of police Mazedur Rahman said. On February 23, three condemned militants of the banned Islamist outfit JMB (Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh) were snatched away from a prison van in Trishal, Mymensingh. One policeman was killed in the raid. Hours after the attack, one of the escapees Rakib Hasan was recaptured. He was killed in what the police said was a gunfight.. Later, two people were arrested. Police said one of them, Zakaria, was one of the snatchers. Two other militants death row convict Salauddin Salehin and life-sentence server Mizan are currently on the run with a bounty of Tk5 lakh each on their heads. l
Former railway GM Mridha sent to jail EC seeks info on cases n against reserved seat contenders
Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong
A Chittagong court yesterday sent Yousuf Ali Mridha, former general manager (GM) of Bangladesh Railway (BR) East Zone, to jail in relation to five cases filed in connection with irregularities in recruitment. Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge SM Mojibur Rahman passed the order when Mridha surrendered before the court after absconding for more than one and a half years, said Omar Fuad, bench assistant of the court. Mahmudul Haque Mahmud, prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Commission, said Mridha was accused in 13 cases which were lodged in September, 2012, and February, 2013, regarding irregularities in the recruitment process for various posts at BR (East). The court issued a warrant for his arrest in relation to five cases, chargesheets for which have been submitted, he said. Mridha surrendered before the court in the cases related to irregularities in the recruitment for the positions of fuel checker, assistant chemist, train number checker, tool keeper and ticket issuer posts. He pleaded for bail, which was rejected by the court, he added. Sources at BR said the east zone put out seven advertisements in October and November 2010 to fill 3,419 vacant posts in 38 categories. Border Guard Bangladesh personnel seized Tk70 lakh from the car of Omar Faruk, the former assistant personal secretary of the then railways minister Suranjit Sengupta, on April 9, 2012. Mridha and Railway Nirapatta Bahini Dhaka Divisional Commandant Enamul Haque were in the car. Suranjit Sengupta resigned following the incident and Omar Faruk was suspended. Mridha and Enamul were also suspended temporarily. l
n Mohammad Zakaria
Ahead of the election for the reserved parliamentary seats for women scheduled to be held on April 3 the Election Commission has sought information from the home ministry on whether the contenders for the seats had cases filed against them. The commission has also asked Bangladesh Bank for information on loan defaulters, as well as on bill defaulters from the BTCL, Wasa and other utility authorities. In this regard, the commission has sent letters, signed by EC Joint Secretary Jesmin Tuli, to these institutions. An assistant secretary of the commission said contenders for the reserved seats for women would have to submit eight types of documentation with their affidavits, which would later be made public. If any wrong or incorrect information is included in the candidates affidavit, the commission would cancel the nomination of the candidate as per
the law, the senior official said. EC officials said the commission has asked the authorities concerned whether any bill defaulter was participating in the polls. According to the rescheduled dates for the election of the reserved seats, the last date of filing nomination papers is March 9 and the nominations will be scrutinised on March 11. The last day to withdraw nominations is March 18. The Awami League-led alliance will get 41 seats, opposition Jatiya Party will get six, and the independent alliance will get three seats. If a party or an alliance submits the same number of candidates they were allotted, the candidates will be elected unopposed. In the January 5 national poll, Awami League won 234 seats out of 300 constituencies, Jatiya Party won 34, Workers party six, JSD (Inu) five, Tariqat Fedaration two, Jatiya Party-Manju two and Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) won a single seat, while independent candidates won 16 seats.l
HC also issued a rule on why the notice should not be declared illegal
It also ordered the government not to demolish the monastery or take any further actions regarding the eviction for six months. The bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Khurshid Alam Sarkar passed the order in response to a writ petition. It was lodged on February 20 by Supreme
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n Aminur Rahman Rasel
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n Tribune Report
A viewer takes picture of a stuffed tiger during an exposition organised by the Forest Department at the National Press Club yesterday, on the occasion of World Wildlife Day RAJIB DHAR
Bangladeshi-British writer Tahmima Anam has been shortlisted for this years Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award for her work, Anwar Gets Everything. In the shortlist announced on Friday, Tahmima will vie for the literary prize with Pulitzer prize-winners Elizabeth Strout and Adam Johnson, British writers Anna Metcalfe and Jonathan Tel and Canadian-American author Marjorie Celona, a press release said yesterday. The winner will be named at a gala dinner at Stationers Hall in London on April 4. The prize comes with 30,000 (about Tk38 lakh), sponsored by EFG Private Bank. Tahmimas short story evokes the voice of a Bangladeshi migrant worker in Dubai. Tahmima, who was born in Dhaka, is also the author of The Good Muslim and A Golden Age, winner of the 2008 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book. l
n Tribune Report
Ferdousi Haque, mother of Dhaka Tribunes Senior Brand Executive Yasser Tamim Haque, died on Sunday at the age of 65. The deceased was buried at the Banani Military graveyard in the capital yesterday. She has left her husband, two sons, four daughters, and several well wishers. The well wishers of the deceased are requested to join the Qulkhani to be held today after Asar prayers at their residence: House no137, Road-S.E.(E)-3, Gulshan-1, Dhaka. l
WEATHER
ACC to quiz Khulna Jamaat Swiss cooperation for local government development in strategic planning chief Parwar
n Tribune Report
The Anti Corruption Commission will soon question detained Khulna Jamaat-e-Islami chief and the partys assistant secretary general Mia Golam Parwar at Khulna jail gate, on charges of amassing illegal wealth. Sources at the ACC said the inquiry officer has almost completed his inquiry report of the case and needed the statement of the Jamaat leader before submitting the report to the commission. As soon as the court approves the plea, the ACC officials will question Parwar at Khulna jail gate, sources added. In August last year, the Detective Branch of Police arrested Professor Mia Golam Parwar from the Khulna jail gate area immediate after he was released from prison. Parwar was sent to jail earlier on charges of vandalism and obstructing police work. Meanwhile, the ACC yesterday served notices to three Awami League leaders, including two former ministers, and members of their families, asking them to submit their wealth statements before the commission within next seven days. The commission, in a notice, asked former health and family welfare minister Ruhal Haque, his wife Ila Haque and son Ziaul Haque for their wealth statements. It also served similar notices to former state minister for water resources Mahbubur Rahman, his wife Preeti Rahman and their son, Enamul Haque, who is also the lawmaker from Rajshahi 4 constituency, and his wife Tahura Haque. l
n Tribune Report
the ACC also served notices to three AL leaders asking them to submit their wealth statements
ACC Deputy Director Farid Uddin Patwary, who is the investigation officer of the case, told the Dhaka Tribune that the commission, on Sunday, approved his plea to question the former lawmaker and had already served a notice to the concerned court in Khulna for approval. Earlier, officials from the anti-graft body conducted drives in Khulna city, collected necessary documents and questioned many individuals in connection with the allegations against the Jamaat leader.
Switzerland yesterday launched a new programme aimed at developing the local government system in Bangladesh. The third phase of the Sharique project was launched with a focus on strategic planning and fiscal autonomy of local governments, as well as poverty reduction and social inclusiveness, according to a press release from the Swiss Embassy in Dhaka. The project area includes 207 union
parishads in the districts of Rajshahi, Sunamganj, Chapainawabganj and Khulna. The third phase of the local governance project will end in 2016 and benefit over 50,000 citizens in the target areas. Since 2006, Sharique has been addressing the issue of poverty alleviation in Bangladesh by facilitating improved local governance services. In the first two phases, significant milestones in improving local governance were achieved, particularly in increased transparency, accountability
and participation of communities. Under the programme, 130 targeted union parishads are now formulating their annual plans and budgets through the open participation of citizens. At present, Switzerlands cooperation strategy for Bangladesh focuses on three thematic areas- local governance, skills development and market development. Annual Swiss development assistance to Bangladesh amounts to around US$34million. l
PRAYER TIMES
Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha 5:02am 6:17am 12:10am 4:24pm 6:03pm 7:18pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org
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Workers set up parts of the escalator on the foot over-bridge in the capitals Banani area yesterday
NASHIRUL ISLAM
Students of the university have been staging demonstration since February 12 demanding recovery of 10 halls from land grabbers
university to extend the campus and started construction work of Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib hall. He later urged teachers to continue their professional duty to keep congenial atmosphere on the campus. On the other hands, students of the
university staged demonstration like the previous 18 days. They brought out a procession on the campus around 10am which paraded main points of the campus. They later put up barricade on English road, Rayshaheb Bazar intersection, Bangla Bazar intersection, Luxmibazar intersection and in Bahadur Shah Park area. The road blockade continued till 2pm and created huge traffic jam in the areas. During agitation, the students set fire to tires in several spots which spread panic among neighboring people. The traffic movement on the Gulistan and Sadarghat route resumed around 2pm after the students withdraw their blockade, says Harun-orRashid, deputy commissioner of police of Lalbagh. Bangladesh Chhatra League President JnU unit Shariful Islam said they
would besiege the Bangladesh Bank of Sadarghat Branch today as a part of ongoing demonstration. Meanwhile, JnU teachers association held a protest rally in front of university Shaheed Rafiq building to press home their demands, including hall recovery and withdrawal of deputy commissioner of police of Lalbagh and officer-in-charge of Kotowali police station The ongoing teachers demo would continue until the demands are meet, said Prof Dr Sarkar Ali Akkas, president of JnU teachers association. Students of the university have been staging demonstration since February 12 demanding recovery of 10 halls from land grabbers. On February 23, a bloody clash took place between the students and police, leaving at least 200 people injured including teachers and staffs of the university. l
rejected the bail petitions of 36 BNP leaders and activists and sent them to jail in relation to the same case. On December 26, 2013, Siddhartha died after he, along with eight others, was wounded after miscreants hurled several crude bombs at a police car in Rajshahi city while the BNP-led alliance was holding a procession. Siddhartha succumbed to his injuries at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka after being flown from Rajshahi to the capital. The police filed two separate cases against Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul, BNP joint secretary general Mizanur Rahman Minu, Jamaat city unit secretary general Mohammod Jahangir and 485 others on the charge of killing the police constable. l
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Correspondent, n Our Chapainawabganj
Campaigns for the third phase of the upazila polls at Bholahat upazila in Chapainababaganj have gained momentum. The candidates aspiring to be chairmen and vice-chairmen from both Awami Leugue and the BNP are doing dawn-to-dusk canvassing so that voters would cast their votes in their favour. Voters are seen debating amongst themselves about candidates, rival candidates, their strategy and also national politics in hotels, restaurants, local markets and tea stalls. During the 10th national parliamentary election, many voters were seen apathetic as the BNP-led 19-party alliance did not participate in that election. But, the upazila poll is an exception.
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Farmers demand water supply from Teesta dam n Our correspondent, Dinajpur
Hundreds of agitated farmers from the Debiganj area of Chirirbandar upazila in Dinajpur yesterday staged a demonstration on the Rangpur Highway, demanding adequate water supply to their farmlands from the Teesta dam. There are several canals connected to the Teesta dam that supply water to famers during production seasons, particularly for Boro farming, according to local sources. However, despite a 40km long canal from the Dalia point to the dam in Chirirbandar, the farmers do not get sufficient water during dry seasons which hamper their cultivation process badly, farmers claimed. Officials from the upazila administration said the canal water gets blocked by sluice gates at different points before reaching the farmlands and for that reason farmers do not get sufficient water. The farmers continued the demonstration for two hours in two phases. Farmer alleged that officials from the upazila administration had earlier promised them that they would ensure water supply immediately, but that little was done in reality. Chirirbandar Upazila Executive Officer Mizanur Rahman said they would take necessary steps soon after consultation with the concerned authorities. l
Farmers thrash mustered oil seeds at Mahadevpur under Godagari upazila. Farmers in the district have witnessed bumper production of the oil seeds this year
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03. Invitation for Lease Quotation : Memo No. 546, Date: 02/03/2014. Ref. No. Date 04. Time of Completion 05. Quotation Price 06. Security Money : 12/06/2014 to 11/06/2015. : Highest Quotation Price. : Earnest Money-10% (Ten Percent) of Quoted amount in favour of the Executive Engineer, RHD, Road Division, Naogaon from any Schedule Bank in the form of BD/Pay-Order along with the Quotation. : All Quotationers regardless of whether enlisted or not enlisted with the employer fulll the requirement stated in the Quotation Schedule may submit Quotation provided that they are otherwise qualied. (Bonade rm/Person/Sangstha/Contrators)
Local Government Engineering Department Ofce of the Upazila Engineer Upazila: Rajbari Sadar, District: Rajbari Memo No. LGED/UE/Raj/Sadar/2013-14/ 142
08. Lease Quotation Last Selling : On 18/03/2014. Up to Ofce hours. date 09. Lease Quotation Closing Date : On 19/03/2014. at 12.00 Noon. & Time (Tenderer may also submit tender on any day (except holiday) during Ofce hours before the tender closing date & time) 10. Lease Quotation Opening Date : On 19/03/2014.at 04.00PM. (Tenderers/Authorized & Time representatives are allowed to attend). 11. Name & address of the Ofce(s) : a) Divisional Commissioner, Rajshahi. Selling Lease Quotation Docub) Executive Engineer, RHD, Road Division, ment. Naogaon/Rajshahi/ Planning Division-01, Tejgaon Equipment Control Compound, Tejgaon, Dhaka. c) Sub-Divisional Engineer, RHD, Road Sub-Division, Naogaon/ Patnitala/1st line Workshop Sub-Division, Naogaon. 12. Name & address of the Ofce(s) : Primary Location:Receiving Lease Quotation (a) Executive Engineer, RHD, Road Division, Document Naogaon. Secondary Location:(a) Superintending Engineer, RHD, Road Circle Rajshahi. (b) Deputy Commissioner, Naogaon. 13. Name address of the Ofce(s) : Executive Engineer, RHD, Road Division, Naogaon. Opening Lease Quotation Document. 14 Price of Lease Quotation : Tk. 1000.00 (Tk. One Thousand) Only. Schedule (Non refundable)
Sealed Tenders are hereby invited from the eligible tenderers as dened in the tender documents for the under mentioned works as per Terms & Conditions stated below. 1. 2. 3. 4. Project Name Source of Funds Procurement Method List of Works: Sl. No. Package No Name of Works Estimated Amonunt (Tk) Amount of Tender security (Tk) Price of tender document (Tk) Time of completion Construction of Union Parishad Complex Bhaban (2nd Phase) GOB Limited Tendering Method (LTM)
01
LGED/RAJ/SAD/ UCCP/2013-14/01
Construction of Ramcantapur Union Parishad Complex Bhaban Under Rajbari Sadar Upazila, DistrictRajbari
97,20,473.00
2,91,700.00
2,000.00
270 Days
5. 6.
Date, Time and Place of Pre-Tender Meeting Last date, time and Places of selling tender documents.
Date: 12/03/2014, Time: 11.00AM Place: Ofce of the undersigned. Date: 24/03/2014 Time: Up to 5.00 PM. Place: (a) Ofce of the Project Director, UCCP, LGED, Bhaban, Agargaon, Sher-E-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207. (b) Ofce of the Deputy Commissioner, Dist, Rajbari. (c) Ofce of the Executive Engineer, LGED, Rajbari. (d) Ofce of the Upazila Engineer, Goalondo, Rajbari. (e) Ofce of the undersigned. Date: 25/03/2014 Time: Up to 12.00 PM. Place: (a) Ofce of the Deputy Commissioner, Dist, Rajbari (b) Ofce of the Executive Engineer, LGED, Rajbari. (c) Ofce of the Upazila Engineer, Goalondo, Rajbari. (d) Ofce of the undersigned. Date: 25/03/2014 Time: Up to 3.00 PM. Place: Ofce of the undersigned.
7.
9.
Tender shall be valid for a period of 120 days after tender Opening and must be accompanied by the tender sucurity Specied above. Interested tenderers may obtain further information from the Ofce of the undersigned and purchase the tender documents in cash/ treasury chalan/ bank draft from the places mentioned above. The tender or their authorized representatives are allowed to attend the opening of tenders. The authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all the tenders without assigning any reasons whatsoever. The Tender shall be rejected more than 5% Above or more than 5% Less. (Md. Jalal Uddin Sheikh) Upazila Engineer Rajbari Sadar, Rajbari, Tel No. 0641-65570
N.B.: The highest accepted quotationer shall have to deposit 15% (Fifteen percent) for VAT & 5% (Five percent) or as per Government order for income TAX at a time on the quoted amount in the form of BD/Pay-Order in favour of Executive Engineer, RHD, Naogaon, within 07(Seven) days of Notication of Award. Failing which his quotation shall be cancelled with forfeiture of Earnest Money. (Md. Arzullah Miah) Assistant Engineer, RHD(C.C) Road Division, Naogaon.
GC-22/14 (10"3)
GC-23/14 (6"3)
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Feature
I have not come to be a poet, I have not come to be a leader. I came to give love, I came to get love. Because I have not had that love, I depart in quiet pique from this love-lorn, insipid world forever.
PHOTO: COURTESY
On 28th January, 1929 Muktadir and one of his friends, Salimullah Chowdhury accompanied Nazrul to Sandwip where he was put up in the government bungalow. On the following day, the people of the island accorded Nazrul a civic reception at the local Kargil High School ground. The meeting was chaired by Prasanna Kumar Moktaar and the address of honour and welcome on behalf of the islanders was read by Mohammad Waliullah. In his speech, Nazrul heaped praise on the courage and hospitality of the people of Sandwip. He was fascinated by its natural beauty, he added. Nazrul also rendered a few songs and recited a part of his poem Rebel. In that meeting, a resolution was passed criticising the baseless slander that was leveled against Nazrul. Nazrul also visited Muzaffar Ahmeds ancestral house in the village of Musagram in Sandwip, where he was born. Muzaffar later wrote, I do not know why Sandwip was liked by Nazrul. After returning to Kolkata, he expressed his desire to go to Sandwip once more, of course, if I went along with him. But that did never happen as very soon after that Muzaffar was arrested and sent to Meerut Jail. Although Nazrul also could not visit Sandwip again, he did return to Chittagong once more; his third and final visit to the land of another great revolutionary, Masterda Surya Sen was in May, 1933 when he came to attend the Chittagong District Literary Conference held at Raozan as the chief guest. Among others, Professor Abul Fazal, Mahbub ul Alam, Wahidul Alam and Habibullah Bahar took part in the conference. The editor of The Musalman, Mujibur Rahman and Mohammed Modabber also came from Kolkata. This conference was a huge success with an estimated ten thousand people coming to join the various sessions. Local leaders like Moulvi Nurul Afsar Chowdhury, Nurul Huda Chowdhury, Abul Kashem (who later became a Sub-Judge) and Ahmed Kabir Chowdhury played a prominent role in organising this conference, the
This last visit of Nazrul to Chittagong was very short and in less than a decade, he was affected by a disease that took away his voice and his memory. For 34 long years, he had to suffer a life of silence, which was equally unbearable to millions of Bengalis. The poet of love and humanism also had this remorse in life, which could be easily deciphered from this writing: I have not come to be a poet, I have not come to be a leader. I came to give love, I came to get love. Because I have not had that love, I depart in quiet pique from this love-lorn, insipid world forever. l Uday Sankar Das is a senior journalist who worked for BBC World Service Radio in London and is presently based in Chittagong.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
Russias army of 845,000 soldiers could easily overwhelm Ukraines force of 130,000 half of them conscripts
The devastating scale of Kiev's loss was underscored late Sunday when the head of Ukraine's navy Denis Berezovsky announced just a day after his appointment that he was switching allegiance to the pro-Russian authorities in Crimea after troops surrounded his building and cut off the electricity. Crimea's pro-Kremlin government chief Sergiy Aksyonov appointed Thursday after an armed raid on the region's government building but who is not recognised by Kiev immediately named Berezovsky as head of the peninsula's own independent navy. Ukraine's interim Prime Minster Arseniy Yatsenyuk admitted Sunday: "We are on the brink of a disaster" and said any invasion would mean "war."
The White House on Sunday released a statement symbolically signed by the G7 biggest industrialised nations an economic grouping that unlike the G8 excludes Moscow condemning "the Russian Federation's clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine." The G7 ministers promised "strong financial backing" that US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said would probably be delivered through a programme overseen by the International Monetary Fund. US Secretary of State John Kerry also bluntly warned that Moscow risked losing its G8 seat over its "brazen act of aggression" in Ukraine. Kerry was scheduled on Tuesday to meet Ukraine's new leaders in power since the February 22 overthrow of Yanukovych following a week of violence that claimed nearly 100 lives to reaffirm "strong support for Ukrainian sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity."
Military personnel, believed to be Russian servicemen, walk in formation outside the territory of a Ukrainian military unit in the village of Perevalnoye outside Simferopol March 3. Ukraine mobilised for war on Sunday and Washington threatened to isolate Russia economically after President Vladimir Putin declared he had the right to invade his neighbour in Moscow's biggest confrontation with the West since the Cold War REUTERS
Analysts believe Ukraine would face a David-and-Goliath struggle should the conflict escalate. Russia's army of 845,000 soldiers could easily overwhelm Ukraine's force of 130,000 half of them conscripts. But Matthew Clements of Jane's Intelligence Review also noted that "if the Ukrainian forces remain unified and there are no defections to the Russian side, they have some chance of holding Russia back in a full-combat situation for a considerable time." Putin says it has a duty to protect ethnic Russians in Crimea and southeastern swathes of Ukraine that have ancient ties to Moscow and look on Kiev's new pro-EU leaders with disdain. Russia also turned for diplomatic backup from China l
n Reuters, Beirut
Fighting in the Damascus district of Yarmouk have interrupted aid distribution to thousands of besieged Palestinian refugees, the United Nations said on Monday. The clashes broke out on Sunday in Yarmouk, where 20,000 people have been trapped for months by Syrias civil war and are dependent on humanitarian supplies delivered by UNRWA, the UN agency which supports Palestinian refugees. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said an ambulance driver was killed in mortar fire on Sunday and residents reported several explosions. A Palestinian group that supports President Bashar al-Assad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, blamed the fighting on al Qaedas Syrian branch, the Nusra Front. It said terrorist groups from the Nusra Front and their takfiri brothers ... infiltrated Yarmouk Camp on Sunday. A takfiri denotes someone who brands others, including some Muslims, as infidels, often as justification for fighting and killing them. UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said the UN agency was unable to distribute food parcels in Yarmouk on Sunday and called on all sides in the conflict to immediately allow the resumption of the aid operation. l
Snow falls in front of the US Capitol yesterday in Washington, DC. The Federal Government is closed due to major snow storm that is expected to dump up to a foot of snow in the Washington area AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
AFP
REUTERS
REUTERS
Clockwise from left, Farmers take part in a rally demanding the Yingluck administration resolve delays in payment, 2) one of the farmers look on, 3) Buddhist monks collect alms from anti-government protesters at Lumpini Park
n Reuters, Bangkok
Anti-government protesters in Thailand have retreated to a central Bangkokpark, freeing up traffic after blocking big intersections for more than a month, butThailands four-month political crisis looks no closer to a solution. The protesters, who moved to Lumpini Park over the weekend after orders from protest leaderSuthep Thaugsuban, are now banking on judicial intervention from courts hostile to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to bring down her government. Bangkokians are able to go to work more easily but the state of play inThailand has not changed since protesters scaled back, said Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee, a political analyst at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. He (Suthep) realises that the fate of
the government wont be determined by his group but lies in the hands of independent organisations - the anti-corruption body and the courts. Demonstrators seeking to overthrow Yingluck took to the streets in November and have since blockaded ministries, occupied government offices and, in January, set up camp at major traffic intersections inBangkok. They want Yingluck to resign to make way for an appointed peoples council to overhaul a political system they say has been taken hostage by her billionaire brother and former premier,Thaksin Shinawatra. Yingluck faces several legal challenges, the most significant being negligence charges for mishandling a disastrous rice subsidy scheme. The scheme paid farmers above the market price and has run out of funds,
prompting farmers normally the prime ministers biggest supporters - to demonstrate inBangkok. Hundreds of farmers joined anti-government protesters led by BuddhistmonkLuang Pu Buddha Issarain a rally at the Finance Ministry on Monday, demanding faster payments. Yingluck has been given until March 14 by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to defend herself. It will then decide whether there is a case to pursue. It seems likely she will be found guilty, said Kan Yuenyong, an analyst at theSiam Intelligence Unitthink tank. At that point, she will have to suspend her duties if the case goes to court. The endgame that protesters are hoping for is a way to suspend the whole cabinet so that an interim, socalled neutral, prime minister can be elected, Kan said.
The protesters rejected and disrupted a snap election called by Yingluck for Feb. 2. Fresh elections were held in five provinces on Sunday and passed off peacefully. But there is still no date set for elections in nine southern provinces where there was no voting on Feb. 2, meaning it is still impossible to get a quorum to open parliament, elect a prime minister and get a government with full powers. Yingluck heads a caretaker administration with only limited spending and borrowing powers, which has complicated the rice scheme problems and other aspects of government business. She has kept away from the capital for much of the past two weeks. On Monday morning, Yingluck went to the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order, the body set up to oversee a state of emergency imposed in January. l
IAEA: Iran cutting Angry Karzai says War not ours, sensitive nuclear stocks, for US and Western interests n much work remains
Reuters, Washington
n Reuters, Vienna
Iran is reducing its most proliferation-prone nuclear stockpile as required by its landmark deal with world powers but much work remains to be done to resolve all concerns about Tehrans activities, the UN atomic watchdog chief said on Monday. Among measures Iran is taking since the interim agreement took effect on Jan. 20 is the dilution of its stock of higher-enriched uranium to a fissile concentration less suitable for any attempt to fuel an atomic bomb. Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), indicated that Iran had made sufficient progress in this regard to receive a scheduled March 1 instalment of $450m out of a total of $4.2bn in previously blocked overseas funds. The IAEA has a pivotal role in checking that Iran is living up to its part of the six-month accord in curbing its disputed nuclear programme in exchange for some easing of sanctions that have
impaired its oil-dependent economy. As of today, measures agreed under the Joint Plan of Action are being implemented as planned, Amano said, referring to the Nov. 24 agreement struck in Geneva between Iran and the United States, Germany, France,Russia, China and Britain. These included the dilution of a proportion of Irans inventory of 20% uranium gas to a lower enrichment level, which has reached the halfway mark, he told the IAEAs 35-nation board, according to a copy of his speech. Under the accord, Iran suspended enrichment of uranium to 20% fissile concentration - a relatively short technical step away from the level required for nuclear bombs - and is taking action to neutralise its holding of the material. In return, Iran is gradually winning access to $4.2bn of its oil revenues frozen abroad and some other sanctions relief. The funds will be paid out in eight transfers on a schedule that started with a $550m payment by Japan on February 1. l
Expressing extreme anger toward the US government, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in an interview with the Washington Post that the war in Afghanistan was not fought with his countrys interests in mind. Afghans died in a war thats not ours, Karzai said in the interview published on Sunday, just a month before an election to pick his successor. He was quoted as saying he was certain the 12-year-old war, Americas longest and launched after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, was for the US security and for the Western interest. Karzais refusal to sign a security deal with Washington that would permit foreign troops to stay in Afghanistan beyond this year has frustrated the White House, and President Barack Obama has told the Pentagon to prepare for the possibility that no US troops will be left in Afghanistan after 2014. Obama told Karzai in a phone call on Tuesday he had given the order to the Pentagon. The phone call was the first substantive discussion between the
two leaders since June. But staking out a new position, the White House said in a statement it would leave open the possibility of concluding the bilateral security agreement later this year.
Karzai felt betrayed by what he described as an insufficient US focus on going after Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan
Its good for them to sign it with my successor, Karzai told the Post. He has insisted the United States must jump-start peace talks with Taliban insurgents and end raids and strikes on Afghan homes before he signs the deal. The Nato-led force in Afghanistan has a current strength of more than 52,000 soldiers, including 33,600 US troops. More than 3,400 coalition forces have been killed in the fight against
the Taliban, including more than 2,300 US troops. While Afghanistans police and army are seen as having made big strides in their ability to fight militants, doubts remain about whether they can keep a still-potent Taliban at bay, especially in remote areas. In the interview, the Afghan leader said he was deeply troubled by the wars casualties, including those in US military operations, and felt betrayed by what he described as an insufficient US focus on going after Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan rather than in Afghan villages. Civilian casualties in Afghanistan dissipated his countrys common cause with the United States, Karzai told the newspaper. Criticizing his US allies was the only way to secure a response by Washington to his concerns, he added. The Post said Karzai told his interviewers as he escorted them out of his office on Saturday night: To the American people, give them my best wishes and my gratitude. To the US government, give them my anger, my extreme anger. l
Modis message is unlikely to win over Muslim voters in droves, it may help convince other Indians
in Lucknow, where a third of the population is Muslim. Modi contrasted tension between religious communities in Uttar Pradesh, which has seen dozens of riots in the past two years, with a period of peace in Gujarat. Modi, 63, has a strong lead in opinion polls, but the surveys suggest he may still struggle to gather enough seats to form a government. Muslim votes could help. Modi is dogged by allegations that
he did not stop religious riots in Gujarat over a decade ago, when at least 1,000 people, mainly Muslims, were killed in communal riots. He has denied the allegations and a Supreme Court inquiry has concluded there is no evidence to suggest he was complicit in the violence. We want people to unite, if that happens, India will be much more prosperous and more secure for Muslims, said Amir Uddin, a scholar of Islam sporting a Modi for PM cap who travelled 200 km in a BJP bus to attend the rally. Experts say that while Modis message is unlikely to win over Muslim voters in droves, it may help convince other Indians who are drawn to his strong economic record but fear he is a divisive leader. His speech came just a few days after BJP President Rajnath Singh made conciliatory remarks to Muslims, saying the party was ready to apologise for mistakes it may have made. He called on Muslims to give the BJP a chance. l
Protesters display a large banner during a rally to support press freedom in Hong Kong on March 2, 2014. The rally was staged following the attack of a former editor of local liberal newspaper which comes at a time of growing unease over freedom of the press in the southern Chinese city, with mounting concerns that Beijing is seeking to tighten control over the semi-autonomous region
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Editorial
LETTER OF THE DAY
Letters to
the Editor
NHRC chief: Why is Taslima in exile?
February 28 Why is she in exile? Thats the reward for telling the truth. In this age of hypocrisy and corruption under the cover of so-called religion, anyone may be put to death as well. I really admire her courage and strength to stand against the odds she is facing. Muhammad Safder Ali
he Bangladesh Bank has rightly tightened up limits for banks exposure to the capital market. Investments in shares by subsidiaries of banks, which were previously excluded from this rule, are now included under the bank regulators limits for capital market exposure by banks. This is a necessary and timely rule change. Previous looser guidelines, coupled with lax monitoring, allowed risky levels of speculation and were implicated in exacerbating the 2010/11 share market debacle. Unlimited levels of investment by subsidiaries unduly exposed their parent banks to capital market risks and adversely affected their balance sheets, harming bank depositors and shareholders. It is inappropriate for the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission to be complaining about the Bangladesh Banks rule change. As the banking regulator, Bangladesh Bank has prudently acted to prevent banks from taking on too high levels of risk. In addition, it is concerning that the BSEC is expressing concern about the rule change, which is being phased in gradually over the next 15 months for those banks which currently breach the new limit, because it may cause a fall in the price of shares. As the stock exchange regulator, BSECs primary concern is ensuring the fair functioning of the market for shares. The previous rules which encouraged bank subsidiaries to indulge in share market speculation unnecessarily increased market volatility. The BSEC should be welcoming the Bangladesh Banks move to limit banks capital market exposure to a more prudent level, not complaining.
As the stock exchange regulator, BSECs primary concern is ensuring the fair functioning of the market for shares
Ashraful Islam Siam Oh, brutality at its best. Shame on them. Adnan Qader Write a proper article first. All u wrote was: x got raped, y beat them up, and both filed cases out of anger. How about that for an opinion? Sayeeda Ahmad This is not an opinion article. This is a news article. What else do you expect in a news article but facts about who, what, when, where, why, how?
he government has announced that new taxicabs will be introduced in the capital before Pohela Boishakh in mid-April. With the T20 World Cup due to start in two weeks, it is a missed opportunity for the first batch of 500 new taxicabs, not to be running well before the tournament. Dhaka is conspicuous for having very few taxis running on its streets. We welcome the communications ministers announcement that the terms and conditions for importing taxicabs are being relaxed to help the introduction of new services. It is long overdue for this process to be speeded up. Plans to introduce 1,000 new taxicabs were first announced in 2010. The Army Welfare Trust and Toma Construction and Company Ltd, which won the bidding process to introduce the new services, have had to endure a long wait for the import approval process to be progressed by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority. Modern well-run taxis are a vital part of any large citys infrastructure. It is a symptom of Dhakas congestion and transport crisis that we do not currently have adequately functioning taxi services. The inconvenience caused by the lack of modern taxis is acute and adds to the burden on other forms of transport and artificially increases the number of private cars clogging up traffic. BRTAs announcement that the new taxicabs will be properly regulated to ensure they run for the convenience of passengers is a welcome move in the right direction. The government should go further to allow more cabs to be imported in future, to encourage the market to develop and provide better taxi services for all city dwellers.
February 28 Just as I had recently predicted and stated on this site, BNP Jamaats significant successes in the first phase of the UZ elections (despite random cases of vote fraud by hired hoodlums) meant that this time the ruling AL regime stepped up the ante in even greater vote rigging, intimidation and violence to skew the final results as much as was possible. Still, BNP Jamaat (especially BNP) managed to reinforce their gains in the second phase by a strong return that should encourage the party and its supporters. The results of the Jatiya Party (supposedly the Opposition in Parliament) speak for themselves. Ronnie
Be Heard
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The government should encourage the market to develop and provide better taxi services for all city dwellers
PEANUTS
CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1 Thunder god (4) 4 Seed covering (4) 8 Forefront (3) 9 Skin opening (4) 10 Pleased (4) 11 Riverside embankment (5) 12 Crippled (4) 14 Horseplay (coll) (3) 15 Colour (3) 17 Stain (3) 19 40 Winks (3) 21 Hit with open hand (4) 23 Show amusement (5) 26 Departed (4) 27 Sport (4) 28 Opening (3) 29 Encourage in crime (4) 30 That following (4) DOWN 1 Pulled forcibly (6) 2 Egg-shaped (4) 3 Tracking system (5) 4 Monkey (3) 5 Wanderer (5) 6 Anger (3) 7 Sheltered side (3) 11 Within the law (5) 13 Ministers residence (5) 16 Fault (6) 18 Banishment (5) 20 Heathen (5) 22 Church leader (4) 23 Mineral spring (3) 24 Unruly crowd (3) 25 Fate (3)
SUDOKU
YESTERDAYS SOLUTIONS
Crossword
How to solve Sudoku: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no numberrepeating.
Sudoku
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Op-Ed
11
Stub it out
I
n Faisal Mahmud
like the way a fresh firm pack feels in my hand. I like peeling away that little piece of cellophane and seeing it twinkle in the light. I like coaxing that first sweet cylinder out of its hiding place and bringing it slowly up to my lips. Striking a match, watching it burst into a perfect little flame and knowing that soon that flame will be inside me. I love the first puff, pulling it into my lungs. Little fingers of smoking filling me, caressing me, feeling that warmth penetrate deeper and deeper, until I think Im going to burst! Then whoosh! watching it flow out of me in a lovely, sinuous cloud, no two ever quite the same. Remember how passionately Bebe Glazer (Harriet Sansom Harris) was explaining to Dr Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) what she loves about cigarettes in an episode of the popular sitcom Frasier? Remember how everyone present in that room had a sudden craving for a smoke? There is no beating around the bush. Cigarettes on the silver screen look glamourous, so glamourous that it has become a major headache for anti-tobacco campaigners across the world in fighting tobacco promotion. The biggest media as Noam Chomsky termed Hollywood has long been a smoky place, at least since 1942s Now, Voyager, in which Bette Davis and Paul Henreid showed how to make and seal a romantic deal over a pair of cigarettes that were as smouldering as the stars. Then you have the greatHumphrey Bogart. He never seemed to be without a cigarette on the big screen, and a generation of men in the 40s as well as the 50s learned that coolness would never come without having a cigarette dangling from the lips. Incidentally, cigarettes are more common on-screen these days than at any other time since the mid-century: 75% of all Hollywood films including 36% of those rated G or PG show tobacco use, according to a 2006 survey by the University of California, San Francisco. Audiences, especially kids, are taking notice. Two recent studies published in Lancet and Pediatrics have found that among children as young as 10, those exposed to the most onscreen smoking are up to 2.7 times as likely as others to pick up the habit. Worse, its the ones from non-smoking homes who are hit the hardest, perhaps because they are spared the dirty ashtrays and musty drapes that make real-world smoking a lot less appealing than the sanitised cinematic version. A study published by the Harvard School of Public Health said that getting cigarettes out of movies could have as powerful an effect, but it wouldnt be easy. Cigarette-makers had a history of striking product-placement deals with Hollywood, and while the 1998 tobacco settlement prevents that, nothing stops directors from incorporating smoking into scenes on their own. Reference studies available on the internet say that in 1999, Harvard began holding one-on-one meetings with studio execs trying to change that, and in 2006, the Motion Picture Association of America flung the door open, inviting Bloomberg foundation, the biggest anti-tobacco donor in the world, to make a presentation to all the studios. Harvards advice was direct: Get the butts entirely out, or at least make smoking unappealing. After those presentations, a few films have provided a glimpse of what a no-smoking or low-smoking Hollywood would be like. Producer Lindsay Doran, who once helped persuade director John Hughes to keep Ferris Buellers Day Off smoke-free in the 1980s hit, wanted to do the same for the leads of her 2006 movie Stranger than Fiction, reported Time Magazine.
Cigarettes on the silver screen have become a major headache for anti-tobacco campaigners
The magazine reported that when a writer convinced Lidsay Doran that the character played by Emma Thompson had to smoke, Doran relented. But from the way Thompson hacks her way through the film and snuffs out her cigarettes in a palmful of spit, its clear the glamours gone. Movies produced in Hollywood, however, are not only the biggest influence of tobacco smoking on the silver screen, at least not for the people of Bangladesh. Rather its the tinsel town of our neighbouring country Bollywood. When some of the latest Bollywood films like Heroine and Fashion come across our minds,Kareena Kapoorand Priyanka Chopra holding the tobacco stick are some of the potent images that are remembered. The characters they portrayed belonged to the glamour industry. They learned to smoke, because they believed that smoking would help them in times of depression and failure. A similar portrayal was done in The Dirty Picture. It was said thatVidya Balanhad smoked 10 cigarettes for the film. Bollywood personalities choose to smoke to make their characters appear more realistic on-screen, when they do not smoke in reality. Award-winning Kahaani showed officer Khan (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) smoking in front of pregnant Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan), sending the wrong message to society. Though such a minor thing, the impact is quite harmful. No Smoking starringJohn Abrahamwas not received well at the box office. However, it sent an important message about smoking to society.His character, a heavy chain-smoker, had decided to quit smoking for his loved ones. The Indian government has banned smoking in films and has made it compulsory to issue a statutory warning in the opening credits. But that actually helps very little for the cause. Incidentally, the amended Tobacco Control Act of Bangladesh has a similar warning. But the films produced in Dhalywood, because of the loopholes in the sensor board, barely use that statutory warning. In terms of influencing people to consume tobacco to look menacing rather than cool, Dhalywood films, however, have some influence. Almost in every typical Dhalywood movie, the villain is shown smoking cigarettes, which prompts the working class people to try out cigarettes. l Faisal Mahmud is a journalist at the Dhaka Tribune.
BIGSTOCK
n Ikhtisad Ahmed
atching from the sidelines while someone else takes ones ill-intentioned authoritarian plan, irons out the flaws in its implementation, gives it the appearance of something acceptable, if not palatable, and somehow pulls it off can make the best of people seethe. The bitter feelings are much worse when the plan was conceived over two decades ago, and failed to be implemented twice by those presently crying crocodile tears and having the audacity to pretend to be for the people. The nation where these mythical best of people are nowhere to be found, nay, the world surely sympathises with the erstwhile opposition. An endemic combination of ignorance, indifference, and idiocy has seen the country repeatedly buy into lies, some sugar-coated or concealed, others blatant but unchallenged. The only reason members of the ruling class have left for the charade of taking up arms for the people is when they are faced with the ignominy of being unable to pilfer and pillage. At all other times they busy themselves with making hay. They find themselves in this wonderful position because no one contends their carefully honed brand of capitalism, which, more than others, adheres to John Maynard Keyness critique. He said: Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do
the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone. In the mad land where a fraction of a percentage of the total population enjoys the indefensibly disproportionate power of having complete control over everyone else, this criticism is reused and recycled as sound logic. Therefore, any solution to Bangladeshs ills, the perceived and the real ones, that is devised by the brilliant minds of the chairperson and leaders of the old opposition that first concocted the notion of autocracy veiled as democracy comes from the Tom Perkins school of thought.
This novel idea, sans the unsavoury issue of taxation, is sure to be championed by the Bangladeshi elites, if not brazenly at first, then certainly wholeheartedly in silence. The eventuality of such a movement is, of course, undeniable. The poor are a burden on society. Their only use is when they can be abused in sweatshops and fields, on construction sites and roads, at home and abroad. They are a nuisance at all other times, especially when they voice their demands for rights. The misperception that they are human, which can lead to oppression being de-
The rich deserve more votes than the poor, with a direct correlation between the number of votes each person gets and his bank balance
The American venture capitalist turned philosopher followed up his significant thesis about the progressive Kristallnacht with a proposal for proportional and representative democracy. The synopsis of this purer democracy is that the rich deserve more votes than the poor, with a direct correlation between the number of votes each person gets and his bank balance, which dictates how much he pays in taxes.
noted a negative, undesirable thing, is precisely what the sage Perkins wants to dispel. Bangladesh agrees, since it takes pride in not allowing the poor to have such delusions of grandeur. They know their place. The risk that they will rise up against those defined as the one percent in a stirring re-enactment of Nazi Germanys war on its one percent the Jews is downright non-existent. It is, thus, the utopia
that Perkins desires. Neither the erstwhile and current oppositions nor the government stand for the people, certainly not when in power, equally so when not. That is because they do not have to in the perfect society of Bangladesh. Even the pretence of being for the people will fade away very soon. It is already beginning to sound as tired as the USs contrived phrases about lines that should not be crossed and people deciding the fate of their respective countries in matters of international affairs and diplomacy. Every time a politician speaks for the people, it is an unforgivable affront to the masses. The leaders and the rich, increasingly one and the same, are too far removed and forever pulling further away from the people to ever dare speak for them. The only thing they achieve by screaming themselves hoarse, by levelling accusations at one another because the sun only shines on them most of the time, all in the name of being for the people echoes the teachings of philosopher Tom Perkins. That there are members of the ruling class who have a right to be aggrieved is not preposterous at all. The poor ruling class, they truly have been wronged, they really are handicapped. They only ever want what is best for the people, honest. l Ikhtisad Ahmed is a writer and an erstwhile lawyer. He can be contacted on Twitter via @ Ikhtisad.
So, it all boils down to one thing our election times will be accompanied by hostility and aggression. Many lives will be lost, and destruction will happen
Regardless of who wins and takes over the reins of local governance, we expect a turnaround in our mindsets. Our political competition should be civilised, and local polls should set an example for the urban people that Bangladeshis can live in peace and harmony, and hold peaceful contests for changes of power. l Mohammad Ali Sattar is a journalist and DT columnist.
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Entertainment
12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen and one of the producers Brad Pitt
Cate Blanchett
Matthew McConaughey
Lupita Nyongo
Alfonso Cuaron
Jared Leto
A landmark Oscar win for First-time nominee 12 Years a Slave Matthew McConaughey wins Best Actor
In a triumph long deferred, 12 Years a Slave won the best picture Oscar at the 86th Academy Awardson Sundaynight, the first time Hollywood conferred its top honour to the work of a black director. Id like to thank this amazing story, said Steve McQueen, the British-born filmmaker who grasped a prize that has eluded African-American directors and their movies since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave its first Oscars in 1929. Everyone deserves not just to survive, but to live, said McQueen, who dedicated the film to those who had endured slavery, both in the past and in the present. Only minutes before, McQueen had been overlooked for the directing award, which went to Alfonso Cuarn for Gravity, a 3-D blockbuster whose story of survival in space had been locked with McQueens film and David O Russells American Hustle in a ferocious contest for the best picture statuette.
Matthew took home the Best Actor at the 2014 Oscars for his role in Dallas Buyers Club, beating out Christian Bale, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bruce Dern and Chiwetel Ejiofor. But he had a lot more to say before that (but no worries, there was no Neptune talk this time around). Thank you to the academy for this, all 6,000 members. Thank you to all the other nominees, all of these performances were impeccable. I didnt see a false note anywhere. I wanna thank JeanMarc Valle, our director. I wanna thank Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner, who I worked with daily, he began. There are three things to my account that I need each day. One of them is something to look up to, another is something to look forward to and another is someone to chase. First off, I wanna thank God, because thats who I look up to. He has graced my life with opportunities that I know are not of my hand or any other human hand. He has shown me that its a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates... The actor then went on to tanks his family and everyone who supported him and ending his speech with famous last words alright, alright, alright.
Cate Blanchett has won the Best Actress Oscar for her powerful and emotive performance as an unhinged once wealthy woman in Woody Allens Blue Jasmine. This is the Australian stars second Academy Award after taking home Best Supporting Actress almost a decade ago for her role in The Aviator. Blue Jasmine lead Cate Blanchett gave a heartfelt speech while accepting the Best Actress Oscar, graciously supporting women in film and thanking director Woody Allen. The stylish star claimed the golden Oscar statue onstage at the Kodak Theatre Sunday while showering her fellow contenders Amy Adams, Sandra Bullock, Meryl Streep, and Judi Dench with praise. Amy Adams, everything you do, but your performance in American Hustle blew my mind, Blanchett said. And Meryl, what can I say? Sandra, I could watch that performance to the end of time, and I sort of felt like I had. The Australian actress then championed women in film and slammed filmmakers who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films with women at the centre are niche experiences. They are not, Blanchett noted. Audiences want to see them, and in fact, they earn money.
Crime caper American Hustle suffered one of the worst shutouts in Oscars history on Sunday after failing to win any awards despite its 10 nominations. The drama had received broadly favourable reviews and had led the field in terms of nods along with eventual best picture winner 12 Years A Slave heading into Sundays Academy Awards. As well as a nomination for best picture, the movie had also earned nods for director David O Russell as well as for actors Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence. However the film, based on a 1970s FBI sting operation known as ABSCAM, missed out in all of the major and minor categories in which it was nominated. The disappointment for American Hustle was arguably even more unexpected given the movie had consistently picked up honors throughout Hollywoods awards season, including a Golden Globe for best comedy or musical and the top honor at the Screen Actors Guild award.
Jared Leto has won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role as transgender Aids patient Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club. Leto, who stars alongside Best Actor nominee Matthew McConaughey, had been the favourite to take the accolade after winning at multiple recent awards ceremonies. As last years Best Supporting Actress winner Anne Hathaway announced Letos name as winner, he hugged McConaughey before taking to the stage. Ellen I love you, Leto began, in a nod to this years Oscars host Ellen DeGeneres. To my fellow nominees, Im so proud to share this journey with you. I have awe and so much respect for you all. To the academy, thank you. Leto went on to thank his mother, who he had invited along to the ceremony as his date.
Kenyan actress Lupita Nyongo has made history by becoming the first woman from her country to win the Oscar for best supporting actress for her performance in the film 12 Years a Slave. Thank you to the academy for this incredible recognition, an emotional Nyongo said, earning a thunderous standing ovation from the Hollywood audience. When I look down at this golden statue may it remind me, and every little child, that no matter where you are from your dreams are valid, she said. Nyongo, 31, won her first Oscar after earning the same award from her peers at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in January. She received plaudits from critics for her depiction of suffering as a field-working slave who becomes an object of sexual desire for her master.
Entertainment Desk
Marking the countrys 44th Independence Day on March 26, 3 lakh people will stand together to sing the National Anthem at the National Parade Ground in a bid to set a new Guinness World Record. Cultural Affairs Minister, Asaduzzaman Noor, unveiled the logo of the programme on Sunday at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, declaring the event. Celebrated musician Bappa Mazumder composed a special patriotic song written by prolific writer Syed Shamsul Haque
Sport
DHAKA TRIBUNE
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0 1 2
DAYS TO GO
15 Tamim set
SL cruise to final
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A clinical performance from the Sri Lankans confirmed their place in the final of the Asia Cup after they crushed an upbeat Afghanistan side by a huge 129 runs at the Sher-e-Bangla National stadium yesterday. The win also brought a bonus point for the table toppers Sri Lanka, meaning India, who sit third in the points table and has a match left against Afghanistan, are all but out of the tournament with Pakistan is a safe position with nine points. The high flying Afghans spent a difficult time against the Lankan bowling unit as they never looked easy during their chase of 254. After losing Mohammad Shahzad with the scorecard reading eight, Afghanistan staged a fight back with Noor Ali Zadran and Ashgar Stanikzai, their hero against Bangladesh, adding 45 for the second wicket. Stanikzai, after stroking some glorious boundaries, was cleaned up by fast bowler Thisara Perera on 27 while Noor Ali was trapped leg-before by Ajantha Mendis as Afghanistan were reduced to 59/3. The Afghans were not able to recover from that position as they faced some disciplined bowling from the Lankans. Mohammad Nabi played some beautiful shots to score the highest 37 for the batting side before he fell lbw to Chaturanga de Silva. The associate members were eventually bowled out for 124 runs. Mendis and Thisara bagged three wickets each while Silva and Suranga Lakmal took two each for the winners. However, earlier it was yet another impressive display from the Afghans in the field which momentarily put Sri Lanka in a spot of bother. The bowlers used the slowness of the wicket to perfection as even Kumar Sangakkara found it difficult to find the gaps. Shapoor Zadran once again gave the minnows the start they looked for by cleaning up Lahiru Thirimanne with the scorecard reading 14, while after a 36-run partnership off 9.3 overs Kusal Perera gave away to the pressure from Mirwaris Ashraf. Afghan skipper Nabi created the pressure on Sangakkara by beating the edge on several occasions, but the lefthanded stood calm as always to produce another fifty to his name. After Mahela Jayawardenes soft dismissal on 14, Sangakkara took Chandimal and added 74 runs for the fourth wicket. The vice-captain Chandimal tried to cut loose and in the process lost his wicket followed by Sangakkara getting run out with Sri Lanka suddenly placed at 158 for five. Sri Lanka was badly looking for quick runs and skipper Angelo Mathews provided just the innings they needed. The right-handed smashed 45 off 41 balls with four boundaries to help Sri Lanka post the competitive total of 253 for six. Mathews helped put on 69 runs in the last eight overs after they were reeling at 184 for six at the 42nd over. l
Players shake their hands after their Asia Cup match between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka at SBNCS yesterday
MUMIT M
MOMENTS
Kiss of death
Afghanistan pacer Shapoor Zadran once again gave his side a good start in their match yesterday. He uprooted Sri Lanka opener Lahiru Thirimannes stumps, a merry sight every fast bowler loves, in the 6th over. The left-handed batsman went forward but missed the line of the in-swinging delivery which dislodged the middle stump. Zadran burst in celebration and at the same time animated a flying kiss to accompany Thirimanne to his long walk back.
Beamer bummer
Dawlat Zadran bowled two beamers which made the on-field umpire put him off in the 50th over. His first beamer was to Thisara Perera in 48th over when an attempted yorker went wrong ending up being a high full toss outside off. An over later, Dawlat bowling his and Afghanistans last over delivered another wild one in the third ball to Angelo Mathews. The umpires called off Dawlat right away and the over was completed by Afghan skipper Mohammad Nabi.
RESULTS
Sri Lanka
K Perera b Ashraf L Thirimanne b Shapoor K Sangakkara run out M Jayawardene c Nabi b Ashraf D Chandimal b Hotak A Mathews not out P de Silva c Ashraf b Dawlat T Perera not out Extras: (lb6, nb6, w6) 33 5 76 14 26 45 17 19 18
Sangakkara beaten!
Given Kumar Sangakkaras recent batting form in Bangladesh, it is probably any bowlers dream to take his wicket early. He made another 76 yesterday, but one should call him lucky to reach there. He was comprehensively beaten several times by off-spinner Mohammad Nabi during the 11 17 over. There were also instances when Nabi looked frustrated as the deliveries beat his edge and also the stump by a whisker. For the first time in the last one month Sangakkara looked fragile against a bowler, quite an achievement for Nabi. Minhaz Uddin Khan
month that Sri Lanka had set foot in Bangladesh. During the month long bilateral series against Bangladesh, the side had done everything for the victories and came into the Asia Cup boosted with the local condition and the clean sheet so far in the tournament is their hard work paying off, but despite the achievements Mathews ruled out his side being the favourites. Meanwhile, for Afghanistan it was another opportunity to bag experience against a Test nation said the sides coach Kabir Khan. This tournament [Asia Cup] is a journey for us to learn and today was our fifth game against a Test playing nation. The win against Bangladesh accomplished our mission which was to win at least one game in the tournament. The boys are enjoying the games and at the same time are also learning being amongst the world class cricketers, said Kabir. The former Pakistan national cricketer held experience as the main
Total (for six wkts; 50 overs) 253 FoW: 1 14, 2 50, 3 83, 4 157, 5 158, 6 184 Bowling: Najibullah 3 0 9 0, Shapoor 9 1 46 1, Dawlat 9.2 0 60 1, Ashraf 8 1 29 2, Nabi 6.4 1 23 0, Hotak 7 1 43 1, Shinwari 4 0 20 0, Mangal 3 0 17 0
Afghanistan
Shahzad b Lakmal Noor Ali Zadran c de Silva b Mendis Asghar Stanikzai b Thisara Nawroz Mangal c Sangakkara b Thisara Samiullah Shinwari c Thirimanne b Lakmal Mohammad Nabi lbw de Silva Najibullah Zadran c Mathews b Perera Mirwais Ashraf c Thisara b de Silva Hamza Hotak lbw b Mendis Dawlat Zadran b Mendis Shapoor Zadran not out Extras: (lb2, w7) Total: (all out; 38.4 overs) 124 FoW: 1 8, 2 53, 3 59, 4 61, 5 73, 6 121, 7 121, 8 122, 9 124 Bowling: Malinga 5 0 23 0, Lakmal 7 2 30 2, Thisara 10 2 29 3, de Silva 9.4 1 29 2, Mendis 7 2 11 3 Result: Sri Lanka won by 129 runs 7 21 27 4 6 37 11 1 1 0 0 9
It can easily be said that Bangladesh cricket team has never after winning the ICC Trophy in 1997 faced such criticism for their performance. One frustration led to another in the past one month and it reached an extreme high after their latest defeat in the Asia Cup against associate members Afghanistan. The result made the Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan sit in a one-on-one meeting with both national captain Mushfiqur Rahim and head-coach Shane Jurgensen to find a quick solution to the problem. Batsmen throwing away their wickets at crucial times, few not following the message from the think tank and lack of commitment were amongst the agendas discussed in the meetings. However, other than finding the remedy, the meeting also listed few cricketers whose body languages were not positive. It is pretty hard when the things are not going your way on the field. It raises questions. As a team we are yet to play our best cricket. Management can say it as well because they are a part of it. Being a captain the biggest challenge is to perform as a team, said Mushfiq to the media yesterday. It was learnt that the BCB president has already asked the national selection panel to make the necessary changes, after the coach and the captain had suggested, in the World Twenty20 squad. However, cricket experts think it will create more panic in the side which is already suffering for some bold and necessary moves by the board. Apart from the failure in executing
the plans on the field, off-field distractions are also taken into consideration. It was reported across the media that the BCB spotted four players for lack of commitment on the field. I havent heard of the names that were published in the media. As a captain it is alarming for me, because I am not being able to lead the team and for which these names have come up. The mistake is mine and the coachs. We are trying, but unfortunately, it is not working out, said Mushfiqur. Middle order batsman Nasir Hossain is amongst the four cricketers black listed for his commitment for the team. Since his debut, Nasir showed how cool and composed he can bat under pressure but since failing in the past two months, the arrow of criticism is mostly towards him. According to an influential BCB director Nasir is underperforming because of his other involvement outside the field. Whatever the involvement is, it should not be of BCBs interest but when it is a reason behind his contribution to the team, the board does have the right to intervene. The boards decision to take issues into account and try to mend it has been taken positively by majority. The team is now likely to be imposed with regulations through a change in the team manager, a manager who is more professional and carries ability to keep things straight and will be there for a long time. But then again time will say how the cricketers, who love to be off limits in some cases, react to the regulations. Being aware of that limitation for the members of the team, even in personal life, is not unique. l
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Pakistani, Afghan hail headscarf move
Pakistani and Afghan sports officials have hailed a decision by footballs world governing body to lift a ban on head coverings, saying this will allow more Islamic girls to take up the sport. FIFA on Saturday officially authorised the wearing of head covers for religious purposes during matches, allowing women who wear a veil in everyday life to cover their heads during matches and men to wear turbans. Rukhsana Rashid, the captain of the all-womens Dia club in Pakistans southern province of Sindh, said Monday the move would help the sport to grow. - AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
points clear. Laurent Blancs side notched up their 19th win in 27 outings, against just one defeat, as they rode second
RESULTS
PSG Ajaccio
Tallo 1, 42
RESULTS
Cagliari
Ibarbo 18, Vecino 81, Ibraimi 89
3 0 2 1 2 0
Udinese
2 0 2 3
Chievo
Dainelli 72
Lyon
0 0
0 0 0 1 0 2 1 1 0 1 0 2
Sampdoria Napoli
Mertens 32-pen
Okaka 7, Gabbiadini 79
Fiorentina AC Milan
Lazio
Cana 5
Juventus
Spain striker Fernando Llorente and Tevez had been rested for Juves 2-0 second leg win over Trabzonspor in the last 32 of the Europa League on Thursday. But Llorente hit his 11th goal of the campaign to open the scoring on the stroke of half-time with Tevez hitting a 25-metre screamer on 68 minutes to
Juventus' Carlos Tevez (L) celebrates with his team-mate Paul Pogba after scoring against AC Milan during their Italian Serie A match at the San Siro stadium in Milan on Sunday REUTERS
half goals from Brazilian left-back Maxwell and Uruguayan Edinson Cavani to see off Jose Anigos side. Ligue 1 top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic released former Inter Milan and Barcelona defender Maxwell on 50 minutes and the Brazilian international calmly placed the ball beyond Steve Mandanda in the visitors goal. Blancs men locked up shop following the goal and rarely gave Marseille a clear cut chance as they extended their record to 16 wins and three draws after opening the scoring. Cavani, who came on as a secondhalf substitute after a month out injured, then sent the Paris faithful into raptures with a powerful headed finish with 11 minutes remaining to put the gloss on a fine evenings work. It was very hard to be out injured for a month so Im very happy tonight, Cavani told Canal Plus TV following the match. l
POINTS TABLE
Team 1 Real Madrid 2 Barcelona 4 Athletic 5 Villarreal 7 Sevilla 8 Levante 9 Valencia 10 Espanyol 11 Celta Vigo 12 Osasuna 13 Elche 14 Granada 15 Getafe CF 16 Mlaga 17 Almera 18 Valladolid 19 Rayo 20 Real Betis GP 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 W 20 19 15 13 12 10 9 10 9 8 8 7 8 7 6 7 4 7 3 D 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 5 6 6 5 8 3 6 8 5 11 2 6 L 2 3 3 6 8 7 8 8 11 11 12 11 13 12 11 GD 47 53 40 19 16 10 3 -5 1 -3 -5 -14 -17 -11 -16 PTS 64 63 61 50 44 43 38 36 35 33 30 29 29 27 27 26 26 23 23 15 20 4
Cristiano Ronaldo equalised eight minutes from time as Real Madrid remained top of La Liga thanks to a pulsating 2-2 draw against Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon. Real remain three points clear of Atletico but Barcelona moved to within a point of the leaders as they beat Almeria 4-1 on Sunday. Karim Benzema had fired Real into a third minute lead when he converted Angel di Marias cross. However, despite being denied what appeared a penalty when Sergio Ramos seemed to trip Diego Costa, Atletico were in front by half-time thanks to fine strikes by Koke and Gabi.
1 1 2 2
Real Betis
Ruben Castro 84
Atletico Madrid
Koke 27, Gabi 45
Benzema 3, Ronaldo 82
Sevilla
Gameiro 77
1 0 1 0 4 1
Rayo Vallecano
Larrivey 60
Barcelona
Sanchez 8, Messi 24, Puyol 83, Xavi 88
Another turned down penalty appeal saw Atletico assistant boss Mono Burgos sent to the stands as he tried to confront the referee midway through the second-half. And Atletico were left to feel hard
done by when Ronaldo spun on the edge of the box to drill home a late equaliser. Ancelottis men came into the game full of confidence after thrashing Schalke 6-1 on their return to Champions League action in midweek and took just three minutes to open the scoring. A short corner from the right was worked back to Di Maria and his inswinging cross was slotted home at the back post by Benzema. The home fans and players were left incensed seven minutes later when Costa seemed to be tripped inside the area by Ramos, but referee Carlos Delgado Ferreiro waved away claims for a penalty. The hosts bossed the latter part of the opening period and were level on 27 minutes when fine work from Turan teed up
Koke inside the area to smash a low rightfooted drive into the far corner. Atletico went in front in spectacular fashion in first-half stoppage time when Gabi collected a short free-kick and fired high into Diego Lopezs top right-hand corner from 35 yards. More controversy was to come as Costa appeared to be bundled over inside the area, this time by Alvaro Arbeloa, but rather than pointing to the spot Ferreiro booked Costa for diving. And that decision was to prove vital as Ronaldo fired home a loose ball from the edge of the area eight minutes from time to give Real a share of the spoils. At the Camp Nou, Barcelona maintained the pressure on both Madrid sides as they made amends for their 3-1 defeat at Real Sociedad last weekend. l
3 Atltico Madrid 26
6 Real Sociedad 26
13 -15 15 -14
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has denied Sol Campbells claim he would have been captain of the national side for more than 10 years had he been white. Campbell, one of the leading black English footballers of his generation, made the controversial allegations in a new biography, extracts of which were serialised in Britains Sunday Times last weekend. The 39-year--old former Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal defender said: I believe if I was white, I would have been England captain for more than 10 years its as simple as that. I think the FA (Englands governing Football Association) wished I was white. I had the credibility, performancewise to be captain, added Campbell, who led his country on three occasions. Not a chance - during my years, not a chance, the Swede told Britains Daily Telegraph in an interview published on Monday. As you know, from my first to my last game, I had David Beckham (as captain) and there were never, ever any discussions at all in the team or in the FA about the captain. Former England striker Ian Wright, like Campbell a prominent black English footballer, also contested his former international team-mates assertion, insisting there were better candidates to lead the national side at the time. l
RESULTS
Aston Villa Swansea
De Guzman 25
4 1 1 1 1 0
Norwich
Hoolahan 3
Crystal Palace
Murray 82-pen
Tottenham
Soldado 28
Cardiff
This allegation is denied in the strongest terms, he said. We were in a loving relationship. The first prosecution witness to take the stand, Michelle Burger, said she and her husband were awoken at around 3 am by bloodcurdling screams coming from the Pistorius home in an upmarket Johannesburg gated community. Four shots She screamed terribly and she yelled for help, the university economist said. It was something you cant explain to someone else, how anxious those screams were. Just after her screams, I heard shots, four shots, she said, describing one clear shot then three clustered together. Bang... bang, bang, bang. I heard petrified screaming before the gunshots, and just after the gunshots, she said when pressed by Pistoriuss lawyer. l
POINTS TABLE
Team 1 Chelsea 2 Liverpool 3 Arsenal 4 Man City 5 Tottenham 6 Everton 7 Man United 8 Newcastle 10 West Ham 11 Aston Villa 12 Hull City 13 Stoke City 1 Norwich City 17 West Brom 18 Sunderland 19 Cardiff City 20 Fulham GP 28 28 28 26 28 27 27 28 28 28 28 28 28 27 26 28 28 W 19 18 18 18 16 13 13 13 10 8 8 8 7 7 7 8 4 6 5 6 D 6 5 5 3 5 9 6 4 9 7 7 6 9 8 7 3 13 6 7 3 L 3 5 5 5 7 5 8 11 9 13 13 14 13 GD 30 38 24 42 4 11 12 -2 3 -4 -7 -5 -4 Pts 63 59 59 57 53 48 45 43 39 31 31 30 30 29 28 27 25 24 22 21
9 Southampton 28
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
15
QUICK BYTES
The South African U19 cricket world team parade their World Cup trophy on Day 3 of the third Test match between South Africa and Australia at Newlands yesterday AFP
n AFP, London
French big man Joakim Noah notched the fifth triple-double of his NBA career Sunday to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 109 90 victory over the reeling New York Knicks. Noah scored 13 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and handed out a career-best 14 assists as the Bulls posted their ninth win in 10 games. DJ Augustin scored 23 points, Jimmy Butler chipped in 19 and Carlos Boozer scored 14 for Chicago, who led from start to finish. The Bulls stormed to a 16 1 lead in the first five minutes, their smothering defense causing the Knicks to go 0-for-4 from the field and turn the ball over three times. The margin would swell to 21 points by the end of the first quarter. The Knicks trimmed the deficit in the second period, as Amare Stoudemire scored six points in an 8 0 scoring run that brought the Knicks within nine points with less than four minutes to play in the first half. AFP
Former England head coach Andy Flower was appointed to a new role within the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) hierarchy after officials announced Monday hed become their technical director of elite coaching. Flower resigned last month as coach of the national side following the teams humiliating 5-0 Ashes series loss in Australia, a reverse that also signalled the end of star batsman Kevin Pietersens international career. But at the time of his departure from the coaching role, English cricket chiefs made it clear they wanted Flower to stay on in another capacity and ECB managing director Paul Downton said Monday: The ECB is delighted that we are able to retain a man of Andy Flowers experience and quality. l
SCORECARD, DAY 3
5 53 11 38 14 67 4 37 3 28 7 20
Total (82.5 overs) 287 Fall of wickets: 1 7 , 2 42, 3 95, 4 121, 5 133, 6 146, 7 241, 8 249, 9 279 Bowling: Harris 22 9 63 3, Johnson 19 5 42 4, Pattinson 18.5 4 77 2, Watson 9 1 34 1, Lyon 12 1 53 0, Smith 2 0 7 0
West Indies
SCORECARD, WI V ENG
5 16 9 13 70 20 3 5 2 4 1 11
D Smith c Wright b Root K Powell c and b Ali K Edwards c Tredwell b Root Darren Bravo b Broad L Simmons c Stokes b Parry Dwayne Bravo st Buttler b Tredwell D Sammy c Broad b Parry D Ramdin b Bresnan N Miller not out S Narine st Buttler b Parry R Rampaul c Lumb b Tredwell Extras (lb5, w6)
true. The other three slow bowlers used by the tourists -- James Tredwell, Joe Root and Moeen Ali -- shared five wickets among them as only Lendl Simmons (70) prospered in a West Indies top-order that once again lacked the technique and application to succeed in the conditions. Simmons and Bravo were threatening a repeat of their century partnership in the first ODI two days earlier, having put on 52 for the fifth wicket. But the West Indies captain was ruled stumped off Tredwell by television umpire Marais Erasmus despite lengthy deliberation and the examination of numerous camera angles which appeared to suggest there was enough doubt as to whether wicketkeeper Jos Buttler had effected the dismissal before the ball fell from his grasp. Theyre going to get some harsh words in the dressing room, said a despondent Bravo after the lower-order fell away following his demise, leaving more than five overs unused. It could have meant another 30 runs for us. l
Afghanistan pacer Shapoor Zadran falls down on the ground after being hit by a return shot of Sri Lankan Angelo Mathews at SBNCS yesterday Mumit M
Total (all out, 44.2 overs) 159 FoW: 1 10, 2 30, 3 30, 4 81, 5 133, 6 145, 7 151, 8 151, 9 155, 10 159 Bowling: Root 5 0 15 2, Broad 8 0 25 1, Ali 3 011 1, Tredwell 9.2 2 39 2, Parry 10 1 32 3, Bresnan 5 2 13 1, Bopara 2 0 6 0, Stokes 2 0 13 0
England
M Lumb lbw b Miller M Ali c Miller b Rampaul L Wright b Narine J Root c and b Dwayne Bravo B Stokes c Ramdin b Miller J Buttler c Ramdin b Dwayne Bravo R Bopara not out T Bresnan run out S Broad not out Extras (lb5, w5, nb1) 39 10 0 23 4 0 38 10 28 11
Total (7 wickets, 44.5 overs) 163 FoW: 1 29, 2 30, 3 79, 4 81, 5 81, 6 89, 7 105 Bowling: Dwayne Bravo 10 1 41 2, Rampaul 10 0 40 1, Narine 10 0 25 1, Miller 10 1 28 2, Sammy 4 0 19 0, Smith 0.5 0 5 0 Result: England won by 3 wickets Series level at 1 1
Arjun M. Ranga, the managing partner of N.R. Group speaks during the presser at Hotel Sonargaon yesterday COURTESY
DAYS WATCH
Sony Six NBA 2013 14 6:30AM Brooklyn v Chicago 9:00AM Portland V LA Lakers Channel 9 & Star Sports 1 2:00PM Arise Asia Cup Bangladesh v Pakistan Ten Cricket 02:00 PM South Africa v Australia 3rd Test, Day 4
Green Herlad International School , who emerged as the girls champions of Orient Bread Dhaka Metropolis School Volleyball pose for photograph with the dignitaries at the Mirpur indoor stadium yesterday COURTESY
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FORBIDDEN FRUIT
The reading in a formalin detector shows the presence of 77% of the chemical in the fruits in a shop in the capitals Hatirpul yesterday
Family members of Sultan in Fatikchhari thought he had gone abroad, he added. Millionaire businessman Jamal Uddin Chowdhury, also a BNP leader, was abducted on July 13, 2003 while he was on his way home from his office. The abductors demanded Tk1 crore as ransom. A case was lodged with Chandgaon police station in this connection. The skeletal remains of the victim were recovered from a remote hilly area in Fatikchhari on August 24, 2005. The Criminal Investigation Department submitted a charge sheet for the case in 2006, accusing 16 individuals in the case, nine of whom were absconding. The trial proceedings of the case remain halted because of a High Court order. l
Like everyday, the students of Kakon Hat Mahadevpur area in Rajshahi walk miles along the isles of paddy fields to attend classes in the nearest decent school in the vicinity DHAKA TRIBUNE
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95.2
288.5 52.3 518.3 58.3 238.5 289.9 -19.6
110.6
539.3 148.7 670 94.8 740.5 27.7 -10.3
'If anything like this (decline of internet users) happens, it will be unfortunate, but I find no clue in this regard'
for internet. Besides, the mobile operators shifted their focus on voice service as they had to bear more cost for the data service, Mahbub Chowdhury, chief executive officer of Citycell, told the Dhaka Tribune. Citycell, a renowned mobile operator in Bangladesh for data service business, suffered a slight fall in the number of subscribers, he said. Due to the political turmoil, the operators might lose interest to invest more on data devices or routers, which could also be responsible for the de-
cline of the number of internet users, said a high official of a mobile operator. Robis executive vice president Mahmudur Rahaman said: We found a negative growth in the use of voice service for last couple of months. The same thing happened in the case of internet users. The countrys total internet users reached 3.55 crore as of January, and out of the number, 3.42 crore was mobile internet users. Through WiMax some 3.12 lakh were using internet while the internet service providers and land phone operators were serving internet to 12.25 lakh, showed BTRC data. At the end of October, the number of mobile internet users was 3.51 crore. If anything like this (decline of internet users) happens, it will be unfortunate, but I find no clue in this regard, MdMujibur Rahman,managing director of the state-owned Teletalk, told the Dhaka Tribune. l
Profits of ten companies dropped for the first time in recent years. Alltex Industries was the hardest-hit one as in Q4 this year it posted losses of Tk70 lakh, a steepest drop of 249% from the same period a year earlier, according to the companys financial statements. Envoy Textiles Limited came second as its profits during the period stood at Tk3.9 crore, down over 62% from the same period a year ago, says its latest financial statements. Profit dipped due to the recent political unrest and image crisis in the overseas countries due to the recent industrial accidents, said Abdus
Salam Murshedy, managing director of Envoy Textiles Limited. We will come back to the satisfactory level as we have already started our second unit of production, which is expected to double the output. But, it might take time to be able to reach the level of profits as seen in the past. The country witnessed a series of shutdowns and strikes last year till the national election held on January 5, making all walks life and the economy almost standstill. On 24 last year, Rana Plaza, an eight-story commercial building, collapsed in Savar, killing more than 1,100 people. It is considered to be the deadliest garment-factory accident in history as well as the deadliest accidental structural failure in modern human history. Alltex and Envoy were followed by Zahin Textile, Mithun Knitting, Al-haj Textile, Dacca Dyeing, Malek Spinning, HR Textile, Apex Spinning and Dulamia Cotton. President of Bangladesh Garments Manufactures and Exporters Association Atiqul Islam said most of the export oriented textile companies faced profit erosion because of the recent political unrest as they missed to ship goods during the shutdowns. But profits of companies supplying locally is relatively lower than that of the export-oriented ones, he said. Bangladesh, the second largest garment exporter behind China, exported knitwear items worth $7bn and woven items $7.18bn, registering year-on-year growth of 18% and 17% in July-January period of the current fiscal year, according to Export Promotion Bureau data. l
B2
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Stock
DSE GAINERS Company
Closing (% change) 8.45 6.25 6.15 5.99 5.50 5.20 4.76 4.71 4.21 3.87
Rupali Life Insur.-A Intl. Leasing-B Meghna Life Ins. -A ICB -A Pubali Bank - A BD Submarine Cable-A Southeast Bank-A National Tea -A Prime Islami Life -A Savar Refractories-Z CSE GAINERS Company Rupali Life Insur.-A Prime Islami Life -A Meghna Life Ins. -A Kay & Que (BD) -Z Standard Ceramic -A National Life I -A BD Submarine Cable-A Intl. Leasing-B Phoenix Insur -A ICB -A
Average (% change) 4.97 5.62 4.52 4.05 0.36 2.69 2.06 2.72 3.53 1.69 Average (% change) 6.07 6.58 5.05 5.26 4.97 4.29 2.57 2.41 5.29 4.34
Closing average 109.22 16.92 153.56 1,730.48 33.17 227.45 21.85 880.00 118.82 64.40
Closing 111.60 17.00 153.60 1,765.25 34.50 232.60 22.00 896.40 118.70 64.40
Daily high 112.90 17.20 158.20 1,765.25 34.90 234.00 22.40 901.00 122.00 64.40
Daily low 104.90 14.80 140.00 1,678.00 29.50 201.80 19.00 860.00 110.00 64.40
Turnover in million 49.194 40.203 93.765 26.106 5.690 282.462 43.298 3.036 5.038 0.003
Latest EPS 5.33 -0.21 6.45 40.46 2.90 3.28 2.24 21.79 4.95 0.60
Latest PE 20.5 -ve 23.8 42.8 11.4 69.3 9.8 40.4 24.0 107.3
Closing (% change) 9.10 6.80 5.56 4.97 4.97 4.91 4.84 4.46 4.44 4.34
Closing average 110.77 116.27 153.81 19.00 38.00 356.31 227.39 16.15 47.00 1749.86
Closing 113.90 116.30 153.70 19.00 38.00 356.70 231.80 16.40 47.00 1749.80
Daily high 114.00 119.70 156.70 19.00 38.00 360.00 234.00 16.90 47.00 1777.00
Daily low 108.10 116.00 149.60 19.00 38.00 346.30 222.20 15.40 47.00 1710.00
Turnover in million 1.274 0.326 3.204 0.010 0.019 0.546 62.972 1.221 0.009 1.575
Latest EPS 5.33 4.95 6.45 -0.89 1.06 12.46 3.28 -0.21 3.81 40.46
Latest PE 20.8 23.5 23.8 -ve 35.8 28.6 69.3 -ve 12.3 43.2
Participation was largely concentrated to a few scrips. Notably, top five scrips captured more than 25% of total turnover
Shariah DSES witnessed factional loss of 0.8 points to 1,001. The bluechip comprising DS30 also witnessed fractional loss of 0.5 points or 0.5% to close at 1,702. The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, was marginally up 0.8 points to close at 9,192. Participation in trading continued to slip as the DSE total market turnover stood at Tk419 crore, which was 12% lower than
(-) 0.22% (-) 0.07% (-) 0.03% (-) 0.09% (+) 0.30% (+) 0.01%
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$)
Aramit -A
-5.33
Average (% change) -7.86 -8.52 -5.49 -7.22 -5.84 -5.25 -7.41 -1.94 -4.17
Closing average 66.38 82.87 445.71 9.00 790.65 9.93 75.00 351.90 92.76
Closing 65.30 81.50 432.10 9.10 773.10 9.80 76.50 340.50 89.80
Daily high 68.70 88.50 470.00 9.30 805.00 10.20 77.00 364.50 98.00
Daily low 62.00 75.00 426.50 9.00 770.00 9.70 76.00 330.00 88.50
Turnover in million 56.572 95.866 1.248 0.009 10.299 0.288 0.015 1.390 6.697
Latest EPS 4.36 7.49 6.02 0.54 -4.06 -4.58 1.54 5.25 1.18
Latest PE 15.2 11.1 74.0 16.7 -ve -ve 48.7 67.0 78.6
-2.95
352.45
344.90
364.00
340.10
3.313
11.53
30.6
CSE LOSERS Company Uttara Finance -A LankaBangla Fin. -A CVO PetroChem RL Z NCCBL Mutual Fund-1 A First Lease- A Republic Insu.-A Marico BD Ltd-A Summit Power -A National Polymer -A Closing (% change) -9.20 -9.17 -6.73 -6.67 -5.54 -5.02 -4.90 -4.88 -4.87
Aziz PipesZ
-4.76
Average (% change) -8.75 -8.19 -4.09 -6.15 -5.46 -5.02 -4.90 -2.06 -3.01
Closing average 83.32 66.14 802.06 8.40 29.24 43.50 1,102.84 42.23 63.81
Closing 81.90 65.40 777.90 8.40 29.00 43.50 1,102.80 40.90 62.50
Daily high 89.00 67.60 830.00 8.40 30.20 43.50 1,110.20 43.20 65.10
Daily low 81.50 64.70 771.60 8.40 28.80 43.50 1,092.10 40.70 62.10
Turnover in million 4.787 8.698 1.604 0.008 0.921 0.022 0.441 3.726 0.562
Latest EPS 7.49 4.36 -4.06 1.03 2.07 3.03 46.53 3.59 1.70
Latest PE 11.1 15.2 -ve 8.2 14.1 14.4 23.7 11.8 37.5
DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Square Pharma -A BD Submarine Cable-A Grameenphone-A Olympic Ind. -A Jamuna Oil -A BSC A
Meghna Petroleum -A
-3.71
20.22
20.00
21.00
20.00
0.048
0.59
34.3
ANALYST
Banks have packed in investors confidence with strong ground and the early recovery is largely supported by covering in most beaten down banking stocks
DSE Million Taka 410.06 375.54 96.99 381.26 371.46 659.10 3.37 319.16 728.45 0.79 21.01 106.19 13.43 326.84 49.98 67.93 350.05 528.19 53.60 190.63 0.26
% change 8.11 7.43 1.92 7.54 7.35 13.04 0.07 6.31 14.41 0.02 0.42 2.10 0.27 6.47 0.99 1.34 6.93 10.45 1.06 3.77 0.01
Million Taka 47.06 26.88 5.37 41.59 27.41 32.45 26.67 59.23 1.37 1.29 8.97 1.95 16.43 4.48 1.67 14.75 93.79 9.25 34.55 0.08
CSE
% change 10.34 5.90 1.18 9.14 6.02 7.13 0.00 5.86 13.01 0.30 0.28 1.97 0.43 3.61 0.98 0.37 3.24 20.60 2.03 7.59 0.02
Million Taka 457.12 402.42 102.37 422.85 398.87 691.55 3.37 345.83 787.69 2.16 22.30 115.16 15.38 343.28 54.46 69.60 364.81 621.99 62.85 225.18 0.34
Total
% change 8.30 7.30 1.86 7.67 7.24 12.55 0.06 6.28 14.30 0.04 0.40 2.09 0.28 6.23 0.99 1.26 6.62 11.29 1.14 4.09 0.01
Uttara Finance -A Meghna Life Ins. -A ConfidenceCement A Delta Life Insu. -A Active Fine Chem.-A LafargeS Cement-Z BATBCL -A Singer BD -A LankaBangla Fin. -A Purbanchol Power-N
CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company BD Submarine Cable-A
Volume shares 1,537,542 1,241,864 1,110,081 838,837 800,753 216,745 443,270 270,000 351,582 3,432,891
1,156,791 610,600 579,544 323,350 947,787 2,029,500 35,250 265,925 852,200 820,020
Value in million 419.49 282.46 245.73 189.58 189.36 136.26 128.29 126.27 119.38 98.97
95.87 93.77 89.60 86.94 84.76 78.49 78.20 68.20 56.57 56.26
% of total turnover 8.30 5.59 4.86 3.75 3.75 2.70 2.54 2.50 2.36 1.96
1.90 1.86 1.77 1.72 1.68 1.55 1.55 1.35 1.12 1.11
Daily closing 274.30 232.60 220.30 225.80 234.30 631.75 287.70 464.30 334.90 28.60
81.50 153.60 153.20 267.10 88.30 38.50 2173.00 255.40 65.30 68.20
Price change 2.54 5.20 0.41 -0.27 -1.47 2.22 -1.30 0.63 -1.47 1.78
-7.91 6.15 -1.92 0.45 -2.54 -1.53 -4.70 -1.05 -9.31 -1.30
Daily opening 267.50 221.10 219.40 226.40 237.80 618.00 291.50 461.40 339.90 28.10
88.50 144.70 156.20 265.90 90.60 39.10 2280.10 258.10 72.00 69.10
88.50 158.20 158.00 270.20 91.40 39.50 2220.0 265.00 68.70 70.00
Daily high
Daily high 275.10 234.00 224.00 228.90 239.50 638.00 293.30 473.00 345.00 29.50
75.00 140.00 141.90 266.00 82.00 38.40 2166.50 248.00 62.00 62.20
Daily low
Daily low 244.10 201.80 215.00 206.60 222.00 616.00 280.00 462.00 310.50 25.30
Daily average 272.83 227.45 221.36 226.01 236.48 628.67 289.41 467.66 339.55 28.83
82.87 153.56 154.61 268.89 89.43 38.68 2218.50 256.48 66.38 68.60
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
Grameenphone-A Square Pharma -A BSC A UCBL - A Olympic Ind. -A AFC AgroBiotech-N Padma Oil Co. -A Singer BD -A LankaBangla Fin. -A UNITED AIR A Appollo Ispat CL -N Delta Life Insu. -A Orion Pharma-N Southeast Bank-A S Purbanchol Power-N BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Jamuna Oil -A LafargeS Cement-Z Uttara Finance -A
276,930 139,200 100,559 41,870 600,058 52,250 157,500 29,508 36,250 131,500 550,289 273,400 26,950 105,020 272,944 79,210 172,358 22,293 129,000 57,450
Value in million
62.97 30.82 27.45 26.32 17.29 11.81 10.48 10.01 9.27 8.70 8.31 8.21 7.23 6.39 5.96 5.46 5.42 5.30 4.97 4.79
% of total turnover
13.96 6.83 6.08 5.83 3.83 2.62 2.32 2.22 2.05 1.93 1.84 1.82 1.60 1.42 1.32 1.21 1.20 1.18 1.10 1.06
Daily closing
231.80 220.10 274.60 630.30 28.70 225.80 65.10 335.20 254.60 65.40 15.20 29.70 267.70 60.30 21.90 68.20 31.00 234.90 38.30 81.90
Price change
4.84 0.59 2.58 2.16 1.77 -0.48 -2.54 -1.47 -1.16 -9.17 1.33 -1.33 0.26 -1.31 4.29 -1.59 -2.21 -0.42 -2.05 -9.20
Daily opening
221.10 218.80 267.70 617.00 28.20 226.90 66.80 340.20 257.60 72.00 15.00 30.10 267.00 61.10 21.00 69.30 31.70 235.90 39.10 90.20
234.00 224.00 275.80 639.00 29.30 229.00 68.50 344.90 259.00 67.60 15.30 30.40 270.30 61.60 22.30 70.00 32.10 241.00 39.40 89.00
222.20 218.30 267.00 618.00 28.10 224.50 64.70 334.50 253.00 64.70 14.90 29.70 266.70 60.10 21.10 68.00 30.90 234.00 38.00 81.50
Daily average
227.39 221.42 272.94 628.58 28.81 226.02 66.53 339.36 255.66 66.14 15.10 30.05 268.34 60.81 21.84 68.91 31.45 237.93 38.56 83.32
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
n Tribune Report
Bangladesh Tea Association (BTA) yesterday demanded of the government to reinstate 20% supplementary duty on tea import to protect local producers. BTA said import of tea increased to 10.62 million kg in 2013 from 1.92 million kg in 2012 due to the withdrawal of the duty. The supplementary duty was lifted in the budget for the current financial year. A delegation of the association put forward the demand to Finance Minister AMA Muhith at his ministry, urging him to save the local industry from the uneven competition with imported tea. At present, the tea import is subject to 61% duty as against 110% in India. The BTA leaders argued that the local tea producers are facing tough competition due to import of substandard and cheaper tea from dif-
B3
AFP
to the World Gold Council. The bulk of official imports are channelled through either state-owned or private foreign banks and governmentbacked trading companies, which in turn sell the metal to local jewellery makers. Mehta said legally imported gold bought by retailers from middlemen was being caught up in the checks. My 125 kilograms (4,400 ounces) of gold has been stuck at Ahmedabad airport unnecessarily for a month now, Prithviraj Kothari, owner of Rid-
dhisiddhi Bullions Ltd, a leading jeweller, told Reuters. Customs officials have said only a fraction of illegal shipments have come to light. The finance ministry and the Reserve Bank of India have acknowledged that smuggling has increased considerably but have said they would not ease the import restrictions until they have a better grip on the trade deficit. Gold premiums are currently sitting at $80 an ounce. l
Holcim Cement (Bangladesh) Limited, recently launched a traffic safety programme in collaboration with Safe Crossings a Netherlands based organisation, as a part of its CSR initiatives. Under the first phase of the programme, 100 rickshaws in Baunia area of Uttara, Dhaka were decorated with reflective stickers to facilitate rickshaw visibility at night. The program was inaugurated by Rajnish Kapur, managing director of Holcim Cement (Bangladesh) Limited
Tony Romas, a world-famous food chain restaurant has entered into an agreement with Food Chain Asia Limited, a promising local food and food processing venture, to open a number of outlets in Dhaka soon. Kenneth Lee Myres, global president of Romacorp Inc, Bradley Steven Smith EVP - chief operating officer of Romacorp Inc and Mohammad Lutfar Rahman, chairperson and CEO ofFood Chain Asia Limited signed the agreement at a function at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotelon Sunday
The State Minister of Labour and Employment ministry Md Mujibul Haque Chunnu recently inaugurated the first national convention of Bangladesh Motorjan Mechanic federation while Secretary of Labour and Employment ministry, Mikail Shiper and MD of Jiban Bima Corporation attended the event as special guests
Master in Bank Management - MBM Alumni Society (MAS) of Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) organised an event titled MBM Night-2014 at BIBM campus on Feb 28. Esteemed professionals from banking industry and MBM graduates attended the occasion
BAF Dutch-Bangla Bank Golf Tournament-2014 held its closing and prize distribution on Saturday at Shaheen Golf and Country Club Patenga in Chittagong. Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Mohammad Enamul Bari, ndu, psc was chief guest at the programme in the presence of the special guest, KS Tabrez, managing director of Dutch-Bangla Bank
following rules while operating different machineries. The workshop also focuses on the importance of skin and hair care for women and the need to use safe products. The goal is reach out to over 550,000 garments workers and plans to raise awareness in the entire garment sector in the next 3 years. Atiqul Islam, BGMEA president, Kamran Bakr, chairperson and MD of Unilever Bangladesh Limited visited a local factory on February 25th to observe the programme. l
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
A view of one of South Sudan's last working petroleum facilities in the town of Paloch on Sunday. Fighting in South Sudan has cut production from the country's lifeline oilfields by about 29%, the press secretary to President Salva Kiir said in Khartoum yesterday AFP
China
REUTERS
While Chinese manufacturers were struggling for growth, the services sector regained some momentum in February. China's official non-manufacturing PMI rose to a three-month high of 55. "If the services PMI is to be believed, the service sector is not doing so bad, but ... the manufacturing, or the investment-heavy sector, not as well," said Wei Yao, China economist at Societe Generale in Hong Kong.
More efficient
Fans of Ferrari - ranked the world's most powerful brand last month by consultancy Brand Finance - are optimistic. Joe Adams, president of the Ferrari Club of America, said his members were excited about the prospect of getting more efficient horsepower and better fuel mileage out of the cars. "Ferrari needs to be able to show its technical prowess," said Adams, who has owned seven different Ferraris over the years. "Being green is just another challenge and that's something Ferrari relishes." The move by Ferrari coincides with the introduction this year of new Formula One rules requiring the use of tur-
The new car looks more like a younger brother to, rather than a distant relative of, the other vehicles in the current Ferrari range bocharged engines in the sport for the first time since 1988. Fuel-efficiency improvements account for a large share of the 2bn euros
AFP
in planned research and development spending over five years, Ferrari has said.