Professional Documents
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DA 6238 Vol 2, No 18
www.dhakatribune.com
SECOND EDITION
GOOGLE MAPS
CEC: Poll violence would Dry Teesta mutating farming pattern n have still occurred
Abu Bakar Siddique, back from the north
Mohammad Zakaria
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad yesterday said there was nothing more to prevent upazila polls violence even if he had been in the country during that period as the commission had taken all necessary preparations. I got always updated about the elections. I contacted my colleagues, officials, the chiefs of law enforcement agencies, and the PSO of the Armed Forces Division during the polls, he said at a press conference, explaining his long absence from office. The distance did not matter I observed the polls just as I would do if I were here, Rakibuddin said. The long vacation of the CEC during the third, fourth and fifth phases of upazila parishad elections caused a wave questions and criticism. The recent polls saw numerous incidents of violence across the country while voting was also marked by rigging and other irregularities. The CEC yesterday said violence would have still occurred even if he
had been present during the polls. We had been instructed to hold the polls in a free and fair manner. But stray incidents occurred and will always occur, Rakibuddin said. No one can prevent an attack when it happens even if they are the army or air force personnel. The judiciary will punish those responsible as per the laws, he said. Rakibuddin said causing violence depended on the mentality of people. Our democracy has often faced obstacles. Peoples mentality has not changed. Everyone wants to win. So, incidents of violence occur. He also said his being present or absent would not have mattered in the upazila polls because all necessary security measures had been taken. I left the country after completing two phases of upazila polls. But we had already planned all the upazila polls. The commission held the polls traditionally. Asked about his long leave duringthe polls, the CEC said: The leave was for official and personal work There was no big deal.
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A drying up Teesta River and falling ground water levels have forced many Boro paddy growers in the north to switch to or consider crops such as maize, tobacco and potato, which require much less irrigation. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), around 10,000 hectares of paddy land have already switched to growing maize and tobacco in the northern Lalmonirhat district in Teesta basin. This correspondent came across many farmers in the northern districts who had to redig or shift their shallow irrigation pits because they had not been getting the amount of water they used to get a few years ago. Mokbul Hossain, a farmer from the Sadar upazila in Lalmonirhat, said: I had a 40-foot deep hole. But that hole had not been fetching me much water these days. So, I had to dig a new 65-foot deep hole. That cost me an extra Tk8,000. The Teesta is only 300 metres away from my 1.2 hectare paddy field though. I have been having this trouble with the shallow pump for a few years
The recently taken photo shows how Boro paddy farmers of Lalmonirhat are using the dried up bed of Teesta River by switching to crops like maize, tobacco and potato, that require much less irrigation ABU BAKAR SIDDIQUE now. That is why, I have cultivated maize in another 1.2 hectares. Farmer Hazrat Ali from Hatibandha upazila of the same district has not yet dug a new pit. As a result of the falling ground water level, he is now having to spend much more time to lift water. That is adding to his fuel cost for running the shallow pumps. Two years ago, he used to spend Tk5,000 for irrigation. This year, his expenditure rose to Tk8,000. Cultivating maize or tobacco is comparatively less expensive because
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INSIDE
News
5 The vehicle dumping ground in Agargaon, where the Dhaka Metropolitan Police keeps its seized vehicles, has allegedly become a supply depot for thieves who collect car parts by paying the necessary fees to unscrupulous law enforcers.
Op-Ed
11 History tends to repeat itself. However, we fail to correct our mistakes from the past. Again, we have come across an undesirable and unacceptable situation in which citizens are being denied access to basic necessities such as urgent healthcare.
Entertainment
12 Daruchini Dwip girl and Lux Channel i Superstar winner of 2006, Zakia Bari Momo is now busy shooting for silver screens only. Although the National Award winner has acted in many dramas, at present, she is only focusing on films.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Bodies of 2
PAGE 1 COLUMN 6
graduated from a cadet college and knew how to swim very well. It is not clear to me at all why he drowned in the sea. Farhanul Morteza Farhan, a survivor, told the Dhaka Tribune via mobile that they had fallen into a quicksand trap. Farhan alleged that there was no cautionary flag hoisted as is mandatory during ebb tide. However, soon after the incident, the authorities concerned erected a flag there. On Friday night, 34 students of the department went to Coxs Bazar to celebrate Pahela Baishakh and on Monday, they reached the island. Ten of them were carried out to sea in huge surge. Locals and coast guard members were later able to rescue six of them. l
Wing Commander ATM Habibur Rahman, director of legal and media wing of Rapid Action Battalion, said they were trying to trace and rescue the abducted businessman and arrest the criminals. Ripon, the driver, is currently being interrogated under RAB custody. When speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, who is vocal in favour of environmental causes, said: My husband was not abducted for his activities; rather he was abduct-
ed for my activities. The Narayanganj SP also echoed Rizwana, saying Siddiqui might have been abducted by those who were affected by the activities of the BELA executive director. Without disclosing details for the sake of the ongoing investigation, Narayanganj SP Syed Nurul Islam said the family of the businessman has suggested some suspected reasons behind the abduction. The SP also said a 12-member committee has been formed to accelerate
the operational activities in rescuing the businessman, but added that there were some difficulties in figuring out jurisdiction as the incident took place on the bordering area between Dhaka and Narayanganj districts. AB Siddiqui, who owns a garment manufacturing unit, previously worked for a garment factory owned by State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid Bipu, as well as working for former Jatiya Party MP and ex-vice president of FBCCI Mohammad Ali. l
Birdem doctors
PAGE 1 COLUMN 3
She also said the hospital authorities had wanted to negotiate with them on Tuesday, calling them over phone until 10am, so that they did not file any case against the doctors. However, as the relatives refused to negotiate and announced to take legal action the doctors staged the drama. Yesterday at the doctors press conference, Dr Firoz Pathan claimed that the allegation of wrong treatment or negligence was not correct. Joynal Abedin had been my patient since 2010. He died from cardiac arrest, he said. Sirajuls family members said they did not have any complaint against Dr Firoz. Anwar and Kalyan are interns. They did not consult with Dr Firoz when my fathers condition deteriorated that afternoon. They pumped oxygen manually, which caused his death. He was bleeding from the nose, which normally happens when someone dies from suffocation, said Sirajuls daughter Farhana. l
they need much less irrigation. Only Tk1,000 is enough as irrigation expenses for these crops on the same stretch of land, Hazrat said. If this trend continues, it will surely cast negative impacts on our food security because Boro is a major source of the countrys food stock, said agro-economist Dr Asaduzzaman, professional fellow of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies. Water experts said the shortage of water in the Teesta River the lifeline
of the countrys north has in fact resulted in falling ground water levels in the basin. The reserve of ground water could go further down if minimum water flow in Teesta during the dry season could not be ensured, said water resources expert Ainun Nishat. By now, this year has seen the worst scarcity of water in recent history. In February, March and April, Bangladesh has received only 409, 500 and 550 cubic feet per second (Cusec) water on an average respectively.
January-April is generally the cultivation time of Boro, the largest cereal crop in Bangladesh. It is during this time of the year that the crop needs constant irrigation. Up until last year, the normal flow in the Teesta during January-April was around 6,000-7,900 cusec. Things have changed drastically this year. India is using up more water for irrigating their expanded farmlands, said Mir Sajjad Hossain, a member of the Joint Rivers Commission of Bangladesh and India. l
Regarding PMs political affairs Adviser HT Imams statement that the CEC had been tired and sought to go on a leave, Rakibuddin said: I did not apply to anyone for leave as I am the sole authority to grant myself leave. Replying to a query, he said: Why will we take the responsibility for the vi-
olence? Those who caused the violence are responsible for it. The commission will take action as per the laws. On political parties criticism of his leave, he said: The parties can criticise the ruling, opposition and neutral parties, all can criticise, because no one has kept the commission in comfort. Rakibuddin expressed hope that
violence would decrease in the future and the winners and defeated would all accept the poll results. He said the EC was planning to reform the electoral laws to curb violence and was discussing the matter with the political parties. The violence during the upazila polls was an impact of the last parliamentary election, he said. l
The jail authorities said Mosharraf felt pain in his chest around 7am and soon after, was taken to the Cardiology Department of the BSMMU. On March 12, Khandaker Mosharraf was arrested in a money laundering case filed by the ACC with the Ramna police station on February 6. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
The High Court earlier accepted their appeals in the case lodged under the Special Powers Act
They are BNPs former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, Jamaat chief Nizami, Brig Gen (retd) Abdur Rahim, Maj Gen (retd) Rezzaqul, former NSI director wing commander (retd) Shahab Uddin, Maj (retd) Liakat, former NSI field officer Akbar Hossain Khan, ex-CUFL managing director Mohsin Talukder, former CUFL general manager (admin) KM Enamul Hoque, smuggler Hafizur Rahman Hafiz, Deen Mohammad, and fishing trawler owner Hazi Abdus Sobhan. On April 1 in 2004, police seized 10 truckloads of illegal arms and ammunition at the jetty of Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd. l
Doctors of Birdem Hospital bring out a procession in the capitals Shahbagh yesterday, demanding punishment to the miscreants who attacked their colleagues. The procession caused a tailback on the road and in surrounding areas MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
n Tribune Report
The High Court issued a ruling yesterday asking the government why it should not be directed to form a high-powered monitoring cell to check the government and private hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, diagnostic centres and laboratories. The court also wanted to know why the government should not be directed to halt unauthorised private hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and diagnostic centres across the country. The bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Khurshid Alam Sarkar issued the rule in response to a writ petition lodged by Supreme Court lawyer JR Khan Robin. Secretaries from Health, Law and Home Ministries, the director-general of Health Directorate and the president of Private Clinics and Diagnostic Owners Association were asked to reply to the rule within four weeks. The court asked why the government should not be directed to frame a guideline to provide free admission, treatment and clinical, pathological and diagnostic tests for poor patients at government and private hospitals, clinics, nursing home and diagnostic centres. The bench also asked why the respondents should not be directed to implement the provisions of the Medical Practice and Private Clinics and Laboratories (Regulation) Ordinance 1982, amended in 1984, to regulate medical practice and operations of private clinics and laboratories. Supreme Court lawyer Badruddoza Badal pleaded for the petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Al-Amin Sarker represented the government. l
Meanwhile, a new prosecution witness against another accused, Syed Mohammad Qaisar, told the International Crime Tribunal 2 yesterday how Qaisar formed the Qaisar Bahini to help Pakistani occupation forces, and carry out brutal acts during the Liberation War. Sixty-three-year-old Mohammad Yakub Ali, who was a student of class ten of Andi Ura Ummutun Nessa High School of Habiganj during 1971, gave a brief deposition before the tribunal adjourned the session for the day. The witness said, on March 25, 1971
Qaisar formed a gang under his own name to assist the Pakistani Army, adding that the accused had also become the Razakar commander of Madhabpur. On April 27, when the Pakistan Army along with Qaisar Bahini came to the southern end of our village, I told my relatives to escape while I hid at Madhabpur market. They set fire to the western part of the market and started looting shops. They burnt at least 200 shops including the ones belonging to Sachindra Babu, Kamini Roy, Hirendra Lal Roy, Yakub said. After that they [Qaisar Bahini] went to the north end of Madhabpur market and shot dead at least four unarmed civilians including Ohid Hossain Pathan, the witness said. Yakub also described the atrocities that took place at Katiara, a village of fish-
ermen, however he admitted that he had heard about most of these from his seniors and was not an eyewitness to them. The witness further described how Qaisar Bahini looted and burnt his house before the Pakistani Army and its cohorts killed at least 15 civilians at the southern part of his house. On April 28, Yakub went to the nearby village of Sandadil, where he heard about the killing of Ohid Pathan from Nayeb Ali, and later met Ohids son Mohammad Ali Pathan in Mouzpur. The defence also concluded its cross examination of the second prosecution witness in the trial of Mawlana Abdus Subhan at the same tribunal, before the tribunal adjourned the hearing until April 27 as it wanted to continue the trial against yet another accused, Mir Kashem, during this time. l
A mobile court seizes chocolates and lozenges, which were made using expired and substandard materials, during a raid at a factory in the capitals Keraniganj DHAKA TRIBUNE
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Discussants address an inter-ministerial workshop on Manifesto for the Extreme Poor in the capitals Cirdap conference centre yesterday
Teenager gang-raped
n Our Correspondent, Kurigram
An 18-year-old girl was gang-raped in Nageshwari upazila, Kurigram district, yesterday. The incident happened when she visited herfriends house. According to the prosecution, Aminur Rahman Shaon, 20, of Andarijhar area, Bhurungimari and his friend Abu Taleb Murad took the girl to Shaons home for a visit, assuring her that they would later drop her off at her elder sisters house in Berubari. But, on the way, Jahanur Rahman, 32, son of Kasmat Ali Master, Ershadul Haque, 28, and Sirajul Islam, 24, sons of Abdur Rahman, Al Amin, 24, son of Khairab Ali in the area raped the girl with her friend Shaons help. Hearing her screams, locals rushed to the spot and rescued her. They also detained Shaon and Murad and informed the police. The police arrested Shaon and Murad and sent the girl to Kurigram Sadar Hospital. The victims father filed a case accusing eight persons. Later, the police also arrested Jahanur Rahman. OC Badrul Alam said the arrested had been sent to jail. l
Guests hold up copies of a book titled Social Protection in Bangladesh at the books launching ceremony in the capitals Bangabandhu International Conference Centre yesterday NASHIRUL ISLAM
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
A car kept at Agargaon vehicle dumping ground has virtually become a skeleton of an automobile as thieves took away all of its parts
NASHIRUL ISLAM
WEATHER
39.5C Rangamati
Source: Accuweather/UNB
19.2C Srimangal
PRAYER TIMES
Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha 4:19am 5:36am 11:59am 4:26pm 6:21pm 7:39pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org
6
People become hopeful in Barisal
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Nation
News in Brief
Elderly man beaten to death in Lakshmipur
An elderly man was beaten to death by his rival over land-related disputes in Basghar area under Ramganj upazila in Lakshmipur yesterday morning. The deceased was identified as Abul Khayer Patoary, son of late Basir Ullah. Police and locals said the incident occurred in Basghar area in the morning when Abul Khayer along with his supporters tried to prevent his rivals from constructing a building on the disputed land. On receiving information, police recovered the body and arrested three people from the scene. The body was sent to Lakshimpur Sadar Hospital for post-mortem examination. Police said they had arrested three people in this connection. Our Correspondent
The recently taken photo shows women busy in making Tal Phaka, a hand-made fan of palm leaves, at Uttar Chandsi village in Barisal
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Most of the patients were low earning people. As a result, they had to be admitted to the hospital and they were not getting any medicine except oral saline
They also said necessary number of nurses were not also present in the ward. Most of the patients were low earn-
ing people. As a result, they had to be admitted to the hospital and they were not getting any medicine except oral saline. They also alleged that when they tried to draw attention of the hospitals Residential Medical Officer (RMO) Dr Ashim Kumar Shaha to the irregularities, but he rebuked them and threatened to discharge their admission. Contacted, the RMO denied the allegation brought against him, saying the visiting doctors might have been absent during the visit of the correspondent. There is a scarcity of push saline in the hospital, which is hampering the medical services to the diarrhoea patients. Feni Civil Surgeon Dr Jakir Hossain confessed the outbreak of diarrhoea, adding that he would take legal action against the responsible doctors and nurses after investigation. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Juris
7
JURIS QUOTE
Nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced.
German physicist 1879-1955
Albert Einstein
LAW CARTOON
n Abdullah Al Arif
ith the rapid growth of industrialisation and urbanisation, our environment is on the brink of destruction due to serious pollution in the air, water and soil. The Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995 was enacted to provide for conservation of the environment, improvement of environmental standards, and control and mitigation of environmental pollution. The Environment Conservation Rules, 1997 which was made under the Act, provides the modalities of implementation of the law.
game reserve (g) wild animals habitat (h) wetland (i) mangrove (j) forest area (k) bio-diversity of the relevant area and (l) other relevant factors.
Moreover, the expenses incurred with respect to remedial measures to control and mitigate the environmental pollution under this provision shall be payable to the DG and may be realised from the persons responsible for the pollution as public demand. No industrial unit or project shall be established or undertaken without obtaining an environmental clearance certificate from the DG. For the purpose of issuance of environmental clearance certificate, the industrial units and projects, in consideration of their site and impact on the environment, are classified into the following four categories: Green (very low risk), Orange - A (low risk), Orange B (medium risk) and Red (high risk). For all red category industrial units, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report has to be submitted to get the environment clearance certificate. The period of validity of an environmental clearance certificate shall be, in case of green category, three years from the date of its issuance and in other cases one year.
According to the law, the word environment means the inter-relationship existing between water, air, soil and physical property and their relationship with human beings, other animals, plants and micro-organisms. And, conservation of environment means improvement of the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of different components of environment as well as prevention of degradation of those components.
The government, for carrying out the purposes of this Act, established a department to be called the department of environment (DoE) which is headed by a director general (DG). The powers and functions of the DG is very extensive. The DG may take such measures as he considers necessary and expedient for the conservation of the environment, and improvement of environmental standards, and for the control and mitigation of environmental pollution. He may also issue necessary directions in writing to any person for the discharge of his duties under this Act.
A vehicle emitting smoke or gas injurious to health or environment shall not be operated nor shall such vehicles be switched on except for the purpose of test-operation for stopping the emission of such smoke or gas. The owner of a vehicle using petrol, diesel and gas as fuel shall, before registration of the vehicle or renewal of its fitness certificate under the Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1983 ensure that a catalytic converter or a diesel particulate filter is fitted in the vehicle. If a vehicle is not fitted with the apparatus mentioned above, the vehicle shall be deemed to be a vehicle emitting smoke harmful to the environment or injurious to health. To implement the law, the DG or any person authorised by him may test any vehicle at any place or may stop a vehicle in motion for testing, and instantly test it or detain it for necessary period or may, if any vehicle violates this provision, seize it and other related documents, or may give necessary direction for testing the vehicle.
If the government is satisfied that an area is in an environmentally critical situation or is threatened to be in such situation, the government may declare such area as an ecologically critical area and specify the activities or processes that cannot be initiated or continued in an ecologically critical area. The government shall take the following factors into consideration while declaring any area as ecologically critical area: (a) human habitat (b) ancient monument (c) archeological site (d) forest sanctuary (e) national park (f)
If the government is satisfied that all or any kind of polythene shopping bag, or any other article made of polyethylene or polypropylene, or any other article is injurious to the environment, the government may issue a direction imposing absolute ban on the manufacture, import, marketing, sale, demonstration for sale, stock, distribution, commercial carriage or commercial use, or allow the operation or management of such activities under conditions specified in the notification, and every person shall be bound to comply with such direction.
Violation of a provision of the law or for non-compliance of a direction of the DG of DoE or a person authorised by him in discharging his duties or intentionally delaying the discharge of such duty result in serious consequences. For example, if any person violates the provision of the Act by continuing activities or processes, or by initiating activities or processes, prohibited under the law in an area declared as an ecologically critical area shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or fine not exceeding Tk1,000,000 or both.
RIO SHUVO
NOTICE BOARD
Send us queries for
According to the law, where, due to an accident or other unforeseen incident, the discharge of any environmental pollutant occurs or is likely to occur in excess of the limit prescribed by the rules, the person responsible and the person in charge of the place of occurrence shall take measures to control or mitigate the environmental pollution.
If a company violates any provision of this Act or fails to perform its duties in accordance with a notice issued under this Act, the owner, director, manager, secretary or any other officer or agent of the company, shall be deemed to have violated such provision or have failed to perform the duties in accordance with the notice. However, if any such person proves that the violation or failure was beyond his knowledge or that he exercised due diligence to prevent such violation or failure, shall not be liable for the violation. l
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Dhaka Tribune
Out of the issues relating to child abuse, domestic emotional abuse gets negligible attention by the government and non-government stakeholders in Bangladesh
Very often, parents, siblings or caretakers abuse children emotionally in various ways without knowing the nature of their act, such as, belittling, false promises, false accusation, nagging, isolating, finding faults in every act, threatening to desert them or threatening to deprive them from inheritance, threatening to hurt physically, not showing love or sympathy, neglecting their feelings, etc. These actions are often done in very casual ways, but effects of these can persist lifelong. A case-study may help us understand the issue. Amina, a 27 year old lady, was a liberal-minded girl child in her very conservative Muslim family. She was meritorious and dynamic in nature. Her family tried to bring her up in their own ways; she tried but could not cope with their lifestyle. Eventually, her family started noncooperation with her by giving false accusation of being immoral, misinterpreting her approach, intimidating her by threatening to give complaints to her academic teachers, misbehaving with her friends at home, etc. At those times, what could she do except cry alone? She started to detach herself from the society and got afraid to maintain friendship. She tried to commit suicide but was saved by her parents who afterwards told her that they saved her because of the fear of being stigmatised by the society. Her heart broke again thinking that her parents did not love her, she was only an object of their social status. She was growing up with all these mental tortures and pressures induced by her family.
BIGSTOCK
Amina, a grown-up lady now and a working mother, still faces inferiority complex, frustration and weeping tendency. There are many children in Bangladesh who do not possess the same inner strength and merit like Amina to face such family-odds. These children should be protected by their own family, society and country from any kind of abuse and the perpetrators, whether they are outsiders or
family members, should be punished by way of warning and other harsh punishments in case of repetition of the abuse. Bangladesh government tried to include this matter in the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2010. The Act defines psychological abuse as (i) verbal abuse including insults, ridicule, humiliation, insults or threats of any nature (ii) harassment (iii) controlling behaviour such as restrictions on mobility, communication or self-expression and any other behaviour of like nature. However, though the Act adopted a good definition of emotional abuse, it did not include the community participation in addressing the issue and left the issue to be dealt with by the conventional law enforcement agencies. In a country like Bangladesh, where corruption is ubiquitous, the delicate issue of child protection should not be kept only in the hands of the law enforcement agencies, rather it should embraced by family members, community members, non-governmental organisations, educational institutions and other related stakeholders. Development of children not only means physical growth, but it also means balancing emotional health and with the help of sound physical and mental health, development of full potentialities of children. Thus, ensuring development of children does not allow us to neglect the silent domestic emotional abuse issue, rather it calls for more attention than what it gets. In this backdrop, campaigning through media will be fruitful to raise awareness among guardians and community people regarding proper treatment of children. A childfriendly law addressing all scrupulous behaviours and actions against children should come forward. And then only, can we expect the nation to be driven towards a better future by more confident and more sustainably developed leaders as we all know that todays children are the future driving force of the nation. Mirza Farzana Iqbal Chowdhury is a Lecturer, Department of Law, Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
Men wearing military fatigues ride on armoured personnel carriers in Kramatorsk. Russian leader Vladimir Putin warned that Ukraine is on the verge of civil war after the Kiev government sent in troops against proMoscow separatists in the east of the country AFP
Lugansk
Sharp escalation
On Tuesday, authorities in Kiev launched what they called an anti terrorist operation, sending tanks towards Slavyansk which remains effectively under the control of pro Russian gunmen in a highrisk strategy sharply condemned by the Kremlin but supported in Washington. The 20 tanks and armoured personnel carriers sent to Slavyansk were the most forceful response yet by the Westernbacked government in Kiev to the proKremlin militants occupation of state buildings in nearly 10 cities across Ukraines rust belt. But the move drew a sharp response from Putin. The Russian president remarked that the sharp escalation of the conflict has placed the country, in effect, on the verge of civil war, the Kremlin said in a statement. l
Donetsk
In Donetsk, a city of one million inhabitants and the secessionist hotspot, demonstrators stormed the government building on April 6, and are still holed up there. On April 7 they proclaimed the Donetsk Peoples Republic and vowed to hold a referendum on joining Russia. Yesterday, they entered the mayors office in the city centre.
Kramatorsk
Slavyansk
In the rundown industrial town of Slavyansk (100 kilometres, 60 miles north of Donetsk), proRussian gunmen dressed in camouflage uniforms and balaclavas took over the police
On Saturday, in neighbouring Kramatorsk (70 kilometres, 45 miles north of Donetsk), masked and uniformed gunmen armed with Kalashnikovs attacked the police and municipal headquarters. On Tuesday, Kiev helicoptered in reinforcements to a key airbase on the outskirts of the town and tightened its controls over the installation. Yesterday, 14 Ukrainian armoured vehicles and tanks entered the centre of Kramatorsk after proRussian gunmen vacated the police station.
In Lugansk, an industrial city of 400,000 people, armed proRussian militants forced their way into and occupied a building belonging to Ukraines SBU security services on April 6. They demanded that separatist leaders arrested days earlier be released. Yesterday, Kievs defence ministry pledged a firm response after two Ukrainian servicemen were allegedly taken hostage by proRussian forces near Lugansk.
Kharkiv
In the main eastern city, which has 1.5 million inhabitants, clashes erupted on April 6 between more than 2,000 proRussian protesters who took over the offices of the regional governor and nationalists loyal to Kiev. A day later they were made to leave the building. Three days of riots followed. On Sunday, demonstrations unsuccessfully tried to enter the town administration headquarters. l
Nasa images suggest that Saturn is about to give birth to a new moon
n Agencies
New images from Nasas CassiniHuygens space probe suggest that Saturn may be in the process of forming a new moon, which has already been affectionately named by scientists as Peggy, The Independent reported. The tiny, icy satellite has not been spotted directly, but a bulge in Saturns A Ring the brightest and outermost ring suggests that the new arrival could soon join Saturns already impressive family of 62 moons. We have not seen anything like this before, said astronomer Carl Murray, lead author of a study in Icarus which outlined the findings and the discoverer of the moon. We may be looking at the act of birth, where this object is leaving the rings and heading off to be a moon in its own right. Saturns rings are comprised almost entirely of ice with a trace amount of rocky material and stretch from 7,000km to 80,000km above the surface of Saturns equator with a thickness varying from 10 metres to 1 kilometre. The rings are not solid, but are made up of countless individual fragments ranging in size from particles as small as a grain of sand to boulderlike lumps metres across. Its thought that the rings act as a galactic nursery for the planets many moons, with material gradually clumping together in orbit until it gathers enough momentum to separate. The theory holds that Saturn long ago had a much more massive ring system capable of giving birth to larger moons, Murray said. As the moons formed near the edge, they depleted the rings and evolved, so the ones that formed earliest are the largest and the farthest out. The largest of Saturns moons is Titan with a diameter of more than 5,000km and a mass nearly double that of our Moon. If Peggy does eventually grow up enough to leave home it would be tiny in comparison, perhaps only 0.5 miles in diameter. Although many of Saturns satellites eventually take on orbits many thousands of miles away from the planet, others stay closer to home, sculpting the rings by either collecting stray matter to sharpen their edges or carving out thin gaps like someone a giant snowball rolled through a snowy field. l
In this photo dated February 7, Israeli riot police stand outside the Dome of the Rock mosque during clashes with Palestinian stonethrowers (unseen) at Jerusalems alAqsa mosque compound AFP
n AFP, Jerusalem
Dozens of Palestinians were wounded in clashes with Israeli police that erupted yesterday when Jerusalems flashpoint AlAqsa mosque compound was opened to Jewish visitors. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP that Palestinians threw stones and firecrackers at police
when they opened the walled compounds gates. Police responded with stun grenades, Rosenfeld said, and closed the complex to the Jewish visitors after a small number had toured the site. An AFP correspondent at the scene said dozens of Palestinians were wounded by rubbercoated bullets and stun grenade canisters, and were
Zarif not worried about pushback on nuclear deal n Reuters, Abu Dhabi
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said he does not fear opposition from hardliners as he leads negotiations to reach a comprehensive agreement about Irans nuclear program with world powers by the end of July. I am optimistic that a deal will be reached in three months, he told Reuters in Abu Dhabi. There is the political will to get an answer. Iran and six world powers the US, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China struck an interim deal in November under which Tehran agreed to limit parts of its nuclear work in return for the easing of some sanctions imposed on Iran for its disputed atomic program. They have set a July 20 deadline to clinch a long term deal that would lead to a gradual lifting of all nuclearrelated sanctions. Iranian hardliners, unsettled by the shift to a more moderate foreign policy since President Hassan Rouhani took office in August, have repeatedly criticised the agreement. l
In this April 11 file photo, Egyptian worshippers enter Amr ibn alAas Mosque for Friday prayers, in Cairo, Egypt. Egyptian authorities are tightening control on mosques around the country, filtering out preachers and seeking to control the message, as the militarybacked government cracks down on Morsis Muslim Brotherhood following his ouster last summer AP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
This photo taken at sea some 20 kilometres off the island of Byungpoong in Jindo on April 16 shows coast guard members searching for passengers near a South Korean ferry (C) that capsized on its way to Jeju island from Incheon. South Korean rescue teams, including elite navy SEAL divers, raced yesterday to find up to 293 people missing from the capsized ferry carrying a total of 459 passengers and crew, mostly high school students bound for a holiday island AFP
The crew kept telling us not to move, one male survivor told the YTN news channel. Then it suddenly shifted over and
Indian supporters of Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani chant profreedom slogans as he arrives in Srinagar from New Delhi on April 16, 2014. Geelani renewed a call to boycott the ongoing national election. Indians began voting in the worlds biggest election on April 7 and today marks the start of the fifth phase of the mammoth election AFP
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Editorial
LETTER OF THE DAY
Letters to
the Editor
April 8 Are people not allowed to keep gold in their houses? Is there a limit as to how much gold can be stored in ones house? DB
April 8 Imran Sarker does not fit into Kejriwals boots. deep purple blue
Be Heard
Write to us at: Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email us at: letters.dt@dhakatribune.com Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com Visit our website: www.dhakatribune.com Come join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune
n the last six months, nine international gateway operators have gone out of service without paying dues owing to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC). Under existing rules, the IGWs are required to share 51.75% of their revenues from incoming international calls with the government. It is reported that these nine recently closed operators alone have failed to share revenues worth in excess of Tk600 crore. It is good news then that the BTRC is acting in response to concerns expressed by the government and changing the system to make it more difficult for the IGWs to default. It is introducing a prepaid system which will require operators to pay an advance deposit against calls at a rate of Tk10 crore pre-paid balance per 1 million call minutes a day. However, the BTRC still badly needs to tighten up its procedures for administering and collecting revenues. The previous post-paid system included an element of bank guarantees which were allowed to be exceeded. The building up of such large sums owing to the government by operators was then in part due to poor administration of the previous system, and not just weaknesses in the system itself. The BTRC must improve its monitoring to prevent such maladministration. It must also bring appropriate legal action to ensure that sums owing from defaulting operators are duly received, so such defaults do not happen again.
BTRC still needs to tighten up procedures for administering and collecting revenues
PEANUTS
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SUDOKU
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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.
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Op-Ed
11
He was one of the pioneers who started modernising the treatment facilities in Bangladesh
RAJIB DHAR
Doctors do little
n Nausheen Khan
istory tends to repeat itself. It is an expression we hear all the time. However, we fail to correct our mistakes from the past. Again, we have come across an undesirable and unacceptable situation in which citizens are being denied access to basic necessities such as urgent healthcare. Yesterday, the doctors of the Birdem hospital began an indefinite strike protesting an assault on colleagues by the relatives of a patient who died on Sunday night. The doctors have demanded judicial investigation into the incident, and punishment of the perpetrators. They have stated that they will continue the strike until the perpetrators have been brought to book, which, unfortunately for all of us civilians, is far from ideal, considering the less than dependable justice system we have in place in our country. This is not the first time that the Birdem doctors have gone on strike. In 2007, the Birdem doctors, including medical officers and consultants, enforced a strike on June 25 demanding regularisation of their service following issuance of a letter that said jobs of the doctors recruited on contract basis would not be renewed further. At that time, no surgery took place, and admission of the new patients in the in-patient department was stopped. With the current protest, we see the same dire consequences they have announced that the outdoor services are closed, and that the admission of new patients has been stopped. Additionally, although Birdem has claimed to continue its operations at the hospitals emergency wing which include the ICU and the CCU patients and their relatives fear that the delivery of emergency services will be hampered like the last time, when, from morning till afternoon, only one doctor visited the CCU, where patients are supposed to stay under direct observation for 24 hours. tients to pregnant women, no one was spared from the anguish. This is not simply about the physical strain that one has to go through in such times of crisis. There are also huge financial and time costs that are incurred as a result of the strikes and closures. Yesterday, Nazma Begum brought her husband, who was suffering from respiratory complications and back pain, all the way from Narayanganj. These two, like many others, are spending their hard-earned income on travel expenditures and may have matter is between the doctors (service providers) and a patients family (service receiver). The doctors want to see justice as a result of an attack on them, whereas the attackers have claimed that the negligence of the doctors have resulted in the death of their relative. In any case, resorting to violence by attacking the doctors and vandalising property is not the correct response on the part of the relatives. Although both the circumstances are complex, it does not give the right to the doctors to punish the healthcare-seekers. Doctors and hospitals have a moral obligation to put the needs of the patients above everything else. This may require some compromises on their part, and they need to have the mental acceptance to make them. Hospitals must also have in place policies and due-process for such situations in order to minimise the sufferings of the patients and care-seekers. We need to stop making excuses for not being able to attend to the needs of the millions of vulnerable women, men, and children who deserve access to quality healthcare. We need to ask ourselves how much longer we are willing to wait till we can get the benefits from our greatest asset, ie our people. Building human capital is only possible with access to health and education. A healthy nation is the only way to achieve development, and we must not forget that. l Nausheen Khan is a democracy and human rights activist working in the development field.
Doctors have a moral obligation to put the needs of the patients above everything else. This may require some compromises on their part
Now let us focus on the main problem here, which is that the civilians are bearing the brunt of these actions. Access to healthcare is at the cornerstone of any nation attempting to modernise and achieve progress. It is a basic necessity a right that should not be denied. We have seen the suffering in 2007, and we see it again. In 2007, over 500 indoor patients were left almost unattended and uncared for from elderly diabetic pa-
sacrificed one days work and wages to come to Birdem in the mere hopes of receiving some quality medical care, not to mention the hours that they must have spent travelling back and forth from their homes in Dhakas horrific traffic. In 2007, the issue was about job renewals, and it was between the Birdem staff, ie the contract basis doctors and the authorities (the board). So, it was a purely internal matter. This time, the
He found that opportunity, as he saved some money that he could invest in Bangladesh. He came back in 1970 and bought two passenger ferries, popularly known as launches. He got married and started living happily. Then the war of independence broke out. He started utilising his ferries for shipping Bangladeshi refu-
For him, leaving Bangladesh was a fall. Bangladesh became independent, and two years passed after that. One day, he was travelling on a train. He saw a few white Londoners standing in front of him. He asked them to sit by him. But they said they wont sit beside a brown-coloured man! And that was it for me. It took a week for him to return to Bangladesh. On his return, he tore up his British passport. Reunited with the family, he tried his hand in several businesses and settled down in the hotel business. He was a very pious man and believed that God liked someone who helped Gods creations. He always used to share a portion of his profit with his employees. In the early 90s, his mother had a heart attack. At that time, Bangladesh wasnt that advanced in cardiac treatment. He took her to UK but couldnt save her. Thats when he decided to establish a cardiac hospital after his mothers name, Tairunnessa, with highly skilled physicians from across the world. He was one of the pioneers who started modernising the treatment facilities in Bangladesh. He didnt stop there. A few years later, he established Tairunnessa Memorial Medical College and Hospital, which now is one of the finest medical colleges in the private sector. The reason for establishing the college was, again, as he believed, to help Gods creation. Thats how you could get closest to God, he used to tell all of us. As a human, one of his successes was that he could instill this particular belief in his children as well as in people around him. His name was Mohammad Shamsul Huq. l Ekram Kabir is the Executive Editor of Natunbarta.com.
We could never offer an unbiased story of our liberation war to the rest of the world
In fact, most global stories on the war are the outcome of how the Indians perceived it. We could not do much about this
I recently skimmed through three interesting books on Bangladeshs independence Dead Reckoning by Sarmila Bose, 1971 by Srinath Raghavan, and The Blood Telegram by Gary J Bass. I was also privy to two recently made movies Gunday in Hindi, and Shongram made by British-Bangladeshi Munsur Ali. My friends didnt like Sarmila Boses Dead Reckoning and a few of them declined to let me have a copy. They thought it failed to tell the true
In the movie Gunday, apart from the touchy story of two kids, Bikram and Bala, torn from their families by the partition that created the nation of Bangladesh and unceremoniously dumped in Kolkata with few options, we also get to see the long-drawn Indian version of the liberation war. In fact, most global stories on the war are the outcome of how the Indians perceived it. We could not do much about this. The movie Shongram by a Bangladesh-born British citizen Munsur Ali is a romantic drama set during the 1971 liberation struggle. A daring reporter in London (Asia Argento) interviews a Bangladeshi Londoner named Karim
throwing the Bangladesh genocide story into the bin as the story is not yet marketable to the international community. Unless Bangladesh matters significantly to the rest of the world, we may not get a true and more acceptable history of the emergence of the country beyond the story of Bangladesh being the outcome of an Indo-Pak war, or a domain created by the Americans and the Russians. There are stories beyond, the story of a respectable nation in the making against an unjust war forced on them. l Mamun Rashid is a business professor and financial sector entrepreneur.
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Entertainment
n Hasan Mansoor Chatak
As the verve of a theatre lies inside the acting and the number of acting based theatre is diminishing in recent era, Agontuk, a repertory theatre, emerges with the aim to emphasise on acting through its debut productoion Ondhokarer Methane. The play was staged at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on April 15. The repertory consists of four leading troupes including Theatre, Nagorik Natya Sampradaya, Aronyak Natyadal and Prachyanat. The play, inspired by Greek tragedy Oedipus the King by Sophocles, is written and directed by Pantho Shahriar. The repertory portrays a contemporary tale and find out how the human being is tied to his destiny through the story of Oedipus who was born with a prophecy, which said that his child would grow up to murder his father and marry his mother. The plot of Ondhokare Methane is set on a coal mine colony of 1920 in USA and the whole drama is staged in a nearby restaurant run by a woman named Vivian. The play opens with the dramatic sequence where a son is born to single mother Vivian. The son was the result of vivians sudden encounter with Lawrence, a strangerwho mesmerised her by his charismatic character and made her fall in love with him. But, as Lawrence leaves Vivian, Vivians father forces her to kill her baby boy. In a form of disguise, she
SADIA MARIUM
manages to bestow her child to a distant childless father named Thomas. After many years, a young and slightly physically handicapped boy named Edward come to Vivians restaurant and Vivian provides shelter and later marries him. Few months later, Lawrence returns and wants to take away Vivian with him but Vivian playfully provokes Edward to kill Lawrence. In the final act, both Vivian and Edward
learn that they are carrying a mother-son bond. In the role of Vivian, noted actor Tropa Majumdar brilliantly portrayed a womans helplessness in the harsh world. The tension and the tragedy were depicted very authentically through light, sound and set designing. Tahnina Islam, Foyez Zahir, Jahangir Alam, Pantho Shahriar, Mostafiz Sahin and Fakhruzzaman Chowdhury donned the other characters of the play. l
TODAY IN DHAKA
Exhibition
Exile in Calcutta by Thomas Meyer Time: 3pm 8pm Drik Gallery, House 58, Road 15/A (New) Dhanmondi Water Colour Exhibition By Mintu Dey Time: 3pm 8pm Dhaka Art Center (DAC) House-60 Road-7A Dhanmondi Death Trap WhenThu, April 17, 3pm 9pm WhereAlliance Franaise de Dhaka, Dhaka Serenading Suchitra Time: 12pm 8pm Shilpangan Gallery House-7, Road-13 Dhanmondi
Film
n Entertainment Desk
Raima Sen and Jisshu Sengupta are playing Suchitra Sen and Uttam Kumar in an upcoming film based on the glorious career of the diva of Bangla cinema. Directed by Abhijit Chaudhuri, the film is tentatively titled Nayika. Director Abhijit said: It is a work of fiction and is inspired by events in the life of Suchitra, whom I see as a big feminist star. We will focus on some of the major incidents in her life. Raima plays a heroine who rules the industry. The film only focuses on Suchitras professional career and has nothing to do with her personal life. Raima is all geared up for the role, as she said: Its my tribute to my grandmother. Its a huge responsibility and I
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (3D & 2D) Jonakir Alo Boishommo The Legend of Hercules 3D Avatar in 3D Frozen in 3D Enders Game Time: 10am 10pm Star Cineplex, Level 8 Bashundhara City 13/3 Ka, Panthopath
am working on every aspect so that I can do justice to the role. The script is excellent. Ma (Moon Moon Sen) has gone through it and has given some suggestions which are being incorporated into the storyline. Apart from Raima and Jisshu, Abhijit has zeroed in on Parambrata Chatterjee, who may play a character resembling director Asit Sen who played key roles over Suchitras career. Actor Saswata has been approached for the role inspired by Suchitras husband, Dibanath Sen. There is no direct reference to Uttam Kumar or Supriya Devi in the film. But yes, we will show a hero who is very popular and does most of his films with her. So, one can say there are similarities with Uttam Kumar, added the director. The shooting of the film will start from August. l
Paul Walkers brothers to fill in for late actor in Fast & Furious 7
n Entertainment Desk
The brothers of actor Paul Walker, who died in November, will fill in for the late action star in order to complete scenes in the upcoming film Fast & Furious 7, according to a statement posted on the films Facebook page. Caleb and Cody Walker would appear in the car racing movie to finish some of the action scenes and other parts of the film that were not completed before Paul Walkers tragic death in November. Walker, 40, died on November 30 in a fiery one-car crash in Santa Clarita, California, northwest of Los Angeles. Having them on set has made us all feel that Paul is with us, too, the statement said. Walker was on break from filming Fast & Furious 7 at the time of his death, which led to a temporary halt in production. The actor had become an emblem of street racing and car culture in the role of law enforcement officer Brian OConner in five of the six Fast & Furious films about illegal street racing, heists and organised crime. Universal Pictures, which is owned by Comcast, subsequently pushed back the release of the seventh installment of the highly lucrative franchise by nine months to April 2015. Walkers penultimate film role was in Brick Mansions, which will be released in U S theatres on April 25. l
Sport
2013 there was little to work with as the BNCA was deserted for almost six months while the long-lasting drama-filled Dhaka Premier League also spilled water of planning a schedule. I actually think we achieved more last time. We were starting at a lower base but we achieved more last time. Maybe thats because we worked in BKSP where we didnt have to ask permission for everything. Here [at the Academy in Mirpur], the facility and opportunity is fantastic but there are a lot more complications. It is understandable because lots of team are training here like the senior team, womens team, age-group and club teams and international teams. In BKSP, it was just us. Programmes were run easily, he added. McInnes, who worked small hours with Robiul Islam, Taskin Ahmed and Mominul Haque during his current stay, blamed the structure for Bangladeshs poor international performance and said the Tigers should have been a mid-table team by now had the process he left been continued. We had [Robiul Islam] Shiblu in for a block of time before he went to Zimbabwe. Taskin Ahmed was with us and he went on to play in the World T20 and it went well. Mominul Haque was also with us, but we havent had a full programme at any point. That has been frustrating, but it wasnt lot different than what I had expected. When I left last time, I thought if they continue to progress at that rate, they would be mid-table in 5-7 years in the different formats. There has been some good players coming through, but in terms of overall system and structure to sustain consistent success, there hasnt been much progress, he said. Shakib had earlier raised concerns of not having enough cricketers in the pipeline but his HP guru thought, I think the youth pipeline is okay, but as soon as they come out of the under-19 programme, there is a big hole. No one is there to put pressure on Shakib [al Hasan], or [Sohag] Gazi. Domestic cricket in every country is weaker than international cricket but our gap is bigger than most. The Australian also spent few months as the U-19 coach last year but he informed it wasnt his job and he did it because the delay in the DPL and the failure in running a programme at the BNCA left him with no other option. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
13
14 Podolski double
14 Liverpool marks
15 Federer delivers
Bangladesh basketball team celebrate the Citycell SABA 3X3 Basketball Championship title at the Dhanmondi Basketball Gymnasium yesterday
COURTESY
Richard McInnes McInnes first stint with Bangladesh cricket as High Performance (HP) coach and Under-19 team mentor between 2003 and 2005 was a success which prompted the Bangladesh Cricket Board to hire him for the second time after another Australian Ross Turner had left the job in October 2011. However, the experience this time around was very frustrating for McInnes his work did not progress as planned. It is very frustrating, I like to work hard and make a difference. I am not angry, and I still think Bangladesh cricket will get better, said McInnes to Dhaka Tribune yesterday. It [the second time] was similar to what I had expected. I knew it would be challenging. I had hoped to have more influence on the system, not just players. 2013 was a tough time to work in Bangladesh. Not much was done due to the political situation, so it is no ones fault. It was difficult to achieve what I wanted to. We havent been able to bring a lot of players here but we have had some success with players that we were able to get to the NCA, he said. Last time around it was the 39-year olds plan of setting up a HP unit which paid huge dividend. Players cashed in from the experience and most also made it to the national team. But in
Abahani Ltd receives their prize money and the trophy from Nasir A. Chowdhury, the adviser of Green Delta Insurance Company at the Falcon Hall yesterday COURTESY
The winners of the Walton Metropolis School Table Tennis pose with the chief guest yesterday COURTESY
14
Gundogan extends Dortmund deal
Injured Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has signed a years extension to keep him at Borussia Dortmund until 2016, despite playing just 56 minutes of Bundesliga football this season. The 23-year-old defensive midfielder had been linked with top European clubs among them Barcelona and Manchester United. However, a recurring back injury has destroyed his season. He last played in Germanys 3 3 draw with Paraguay last August shortly after his sole league appearance on the opening day of the season. AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
Arsenal's Lukas Podolski (R) scores a goal against West Ham United during their English Premier League soccer match at the Emirates stadium in London on Tuesday
REUTERS
n AFP, Paris
Controversial French forward Nicolas Anelka on Wednesday rubbished claims he was ever in line to join Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro. Atletico claimed on Tuesday they had scrapped plans to sign Anelka after running out of patience waiting for him to make contact with them. That came after Mineiro chairman Alexandre Kalil had said that Anelka would be signing. But on Wednesday the 35-year-old striker uploaded a video to his Twitter and Facebook pages showing him talking on April 8 about his future, which he said would not be in Brazil. l
People hold up football scarves during a minutes silence as they attend a memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, northwest England on Tuesday AFP
Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring his 100th goal for the club, during the German Cup yesterday AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
15
Court rejects plea to reinstate Srinivasan as BCCI chief n
The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected N. Srinivasans plea to reinstate him as Indias cricket chief, saying he had effectively turned a blind eye to allegations of wrongdoing in the Indian Premier League. The court last month ordered Srinivasan to stand aside as president of the Indian board, installing batting great Sunil Gavaskar to oversee the latest edition of the Twenty20 tournament which opens later Wednesday. Srinivasan asked the court on Tuesday to reinstate him, saying he was being unfairly blamed for corruption allegations that have hit the boards flagship IPL. But the court said Srinivasan knew about, but did not take seriously, allegations contained in a courtcommissioned report over claims of illegal betting and spot-fixing embroiling the IPL. Justice A.K Patnaik reiterated the courts opinion that Srinivasans presence as head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was preventing a fair probe into the allegations. The panels report, sections of which were released in February, concluded that Srinivasans son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan -- who was the team principal of the Chennai Super Kings could be guilty of illegal betting on IPL games. l
QUICK BYTES
Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, hold cricket bats presented to them as they stand near the Cricket World Cup trophy during a reception at the Sydney Opera House yesterday. Australia and New Zealand will host the 2015 Cricket World Cup. Prince William and his wife are undertaking a 19-day official visit to New Zealand and Australia with their son, Prince George REUTERS
SCORECARD
Kolkata 163/5 (20 ov) Kallis 72, Pandey 64, Malinga 4/23 Mumbai 122/7 (20 ov) Rayudu 48, Rohit 27, Narine 4/20 Kolkata won by 41 runs
KKR batsmen Manish Pandey (R) and Jacques Kallis run between the wickets during their IPL 7 match against Mumbai Indians at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium yesterday
BCCI
DAYS WATCH
Sony Six 8:30PM PEPSI IPL 2014 Delhi v Bangalore NBA 2013 14 6:00AM Memphis v Dallas 8:30AM Portland v LA Clippers Ten Golf 12:00PM Malaysian open Day 1
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
Curious children enjoy the rare entertainment of a bioscope at a fair on the Bangla Academy premises yesterday. The bioscope, once a popular source of entertainment for the masses, was brought to the fair by Jalal Miah, a trader from Rajshahis Bagmara RAJIB DHAR
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Dull industrial credit demand forces banks to resort to provide unproductive loans He said Bangladesh Bank had ver- to Tk33,140 crore in July-September preneurs, said a senior executive of the n Jebun Nesa Alo bally asked the commercial banks to quarter. central bank.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
The industrial loan growth was negative by 3% to Tk1,47,361 crore in July-September quarter compared to the growth of 1.76% in the preceding quarter. In January 2012, Bangladesh Bank had slashed the loan margin ratio to 70:30 from 80:20 in housing finance and the ratio for car loans and all other consumer financing to 30:70 from 50:50. It brought the changes in the margin ratios against the backdrop of the rising trend of consumer loans despite repeated attempts by the regulator to discourage consumer loans. The average credit growth of the banking sector was 15% in 2011 while the growth of consumer loan was 19%. Consumer financing growth came down in 2012 due to the strong monitoring of Bangladesh Bank. Credit growth to the agriculture sector increased by 7.34% in July-September of 2013 compared to the growth by 3.03% in the previous quarter. Bangladesh Bank had issued a circular on April 25, 2012 asking the commercial banks not to exceed the consumer credit growth more than its total average growth of loan portfolios. It took the measure to achieve a sustainable economic growth through increasing credit flow to the productive sectors by slashing loans from unproductive sectors, including consumer financing. The central bank, however, overlooked the rising trend of consumer financing than industrial loan growth so the banks could achieve the credit target, said a senior executive of Bangladesh Bank. l
Different companies set up stalls at Travel Mart 2014, an international tourism fair, at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka NASHIRUL ISLAM
Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has urged the non-resident Bangladeshis residing in the United Kingdom to invest in Bangladesh. The chamber made the call at a meeting with a visiting delegation of UK Bangladesh Catalysts of Commerce and Industry (UKBCCI) yesterday. UKBCCI Chairman Iqal Ahmed OBE, President Bajloor Rashid and Senior Vice President MA Rouf were present in the meeting at DCCI office in Dhaka, said a DCCI press release. DCCI President Mohammad Shahjahan Khan welcomed the delegation. He invited members of UKBCCI to invest in power, oil and gas, tea garden and financial sectors in Bangladesh. Shahjahan Khan said there were some other potential sectors for British investment, which could include ag-
riculture, ceramics, frozen foods and ICT etc. The direct investment flow from the UK to Bangladesh in fiscal year 2012-13 was $159.5m elevating the UK to the second top position among countries investing in Bangladesh, the DCCI leader said. Chairman of UKBCCI Iqbal Ahmed OBE said UKBCCI will work for the development of bilateral trade relation of both the countries. He said the NRBs residing in the UK want to invest in Bangladesh especially in the IT sector. But Bangladesh needs to improve its infrastructure to attract FDI. He expressed his intention to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the DCCI for further strengthening bilateral relation where the chamber will act as catalyst. We have increased the know-how
among the new generation entrepreneurs of Bangladesh and UK. NRB business community of UK are eager to work for the small and medium enterprises of Bangladesh. Iqbal Ahmed OBE expressed their intention to establish catering training institutes in Bangladesh to create skilled workforce. UKBCCI started Student Membership in their institute to encourage young entrepreneurs in the UK. Besides, the delegation leader said Bangladeshi exporters can be benefited from spice exports to the European country. DCCI Vice President Shahidul Islam and directors Md Iftekharuddin Naushad, Rizwan Ur Rahman, Muktar Hossain Chowdhury, S Rumi Saifullah, Abdus Salam, Md Shoaib Choudhury, Khair Mohammad Khan and KG Karim were also present in the meeting. l
B2
Profit booking edges stocks lower
n
Tribune Report
Stocks edged lower yesterday as late profit booking on few stocks cut early gains. The market was in the positive territory throughout the entire session but investors released stocks in the final minutes to make quick profits, particularly on telco, financial institutions and food and allied stocks. After rally in the previous two sessions, the benchmark DSEX was down 19 points 0r 0.4% to close at 4,590. The comprising blue chips index DS30 was down 10 points or 0.7& to 1,692. The Shariah index DSES closed at 1,032, slightly shedding over 3 points or 0.3% to 1,693. The Chittagong Stock Exchanges Selective Category Index, CSCX, dropped 59 points to 8,832. The market slowed down a bit due to digesting the start of T+2 formula in share trading cycle settlement period. Turnover in value at DSE was Tk530 crore, slightly down 3% over the previous session. Fuel and power continued to dominate the trading strongly, accounting for about one-fourth of the total market turnover. Out of 285 issues traded, 106 advanced, 146 declined and 33 remained unchanged. Among the large cap sectors, only power sector closed positive with a rise of 1.3%. Telecommunications suffered correction after retaining the top gainer position in the last three sessions. Pharmaceuticals and food and allied, banks, textile and non-banking financial institutions also ended in red. Index declined, erasing some profits of previous trading session. However, consistent buying in some stocks capped the days downside, said Lanka Bangla Securities in its daily market analysis. It said multinational companies and oil stocks posted 5% to 8% return which pushed up market strongly while these stocks have been battered as investors were prone to scaling out stocks to bag some profit at this level. Investors showed buying interest in economically sensitive sector like bank, and stocks of cement industry, it said. New trading cycle period at DSE is likely to have a positive impact on market liquidity. IDLC Investments said late hour sale pressure reversed opening hype and pulled down the market. Investors booked some profit from the recent bull trend of a few heavy-weighted scrips. Zenith Investments said market decided to stay low, absorbing the commencement of the new T+2 formula, introduced to increase the liquidity flow in the capital market. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Stock
DSE GAINER Company
Closing (% Change) 9.91 9.83 9.51 9.09 8.86 8.73 7.40 7.24 5.37 5.18
Average (% Change) 10.16 10.13 7.52 (0.63) 4.59 0.06 3.46 1.42 4.78 4.76
ClosingAvg. 110.02 68.06 197.09 36.56 108.04 211.08 578.49 209.36 122.99 73.06
Closing 112.00 69.30 200.30 39.60 110.60 225.50 596.50 214.70 123.60 73.10
DHIGH 112.00 69.40 200.40 39.90 111.70 225.50 597.00 217.00 124.20 75.80
DLOW 105.50 58.00 180.00 33.60 95.00 202.00 560.00 195.00 112.30 69.10
Turnover in Million 9.363 396.003 44.117 2.541 11.243 74.986 10.326 11.201 15.433 9.096
Latest EPS 1.18 2.19 5.10 -1.00-ve 5.33 2.92 6.02 2.38 2.06 1.10
Latest PE 93.2 31.1 38.6 20.3 72.3 96.1 88.0 59.7 66.4
Desh Garments -B LafargeS Cement-Z Usmania Glass -A Rahima Food -Z Rupali Life Insur.-A Delta Life Insu. -A Eastern Lubricants -A PragatiLife Insu. -A Al-Haj Textile -A Padma Islami Life*-N CSE GAINER Company LR Global BD MF1 A LafargeS Cement-Z Sun Life Insurance-N Usmania Glass -A Delta Life Insu. -A Padma Islami Life*-N Power Grid Co. -A Eastern Cables-A Anwar Galvanizing-B Hakkani P& Paper -B
Closing (% Change) 10.00 9.94 9.91 8.82 8.72 7.62 6.16 5.65 5.13 4.55
Average (% Change) 10.00 9.33 6.20 7.78 1.65 7.26 6.56 4.77 5.01 4.55
ClosingAvg. 7.70 68.44 58.73 197.99 214.03 73.15 53.64 162.74 28.70 32.20
Closing 7.70 69.70 58.80 198.70 224.40 73.40 53.40 162.70 28.70 32.20
DHIGH 7.70 69.70 58.80 200.10 224.40 74.00 54.20 164.30 29.00 33.00
DLOW 7.70 66.00 58.50 193.40 201.00 72.00 51.50 159.60 28.30 31.00
Turnover in Million 0.039 29.223 0.117 2.000 6.282 0.149 1.127 0.602 0.560 0.113
Latest EPS 1.52 2.19 0.00 5.10 2.92 1.10 3.16 1.40 0.02 0.28
Latest PE 5.1 31.3 38.8 73.3 66.5 17.0 116.2 1435.0 115.0
(-) 0.36% (-) 0.34% (-) 0.62% (-) 0.35% (-) 0.63% (-) 0.67%
Traded Issues Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis) Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis) Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis) Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.) Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)
IPO Subscription: Shahjibazar Power Co. Limited subscription date 06 04 April 2014, NRB upto 19 April 2014. @ taka 25, face value taka 10 and market lot 200. Khulna Printing & Packaging Limited subscription date 04 08 May 2014, NRB upto 17 April 2014. @ taka 10, face value taka 10 and market lot 500.
DLOW 210.60 45.10 27.80 49.80 20.20 5.40 30.70 32.30 254.00 1026.40
Turnover in Million 0.011 46.315 2.754 85.169 2.094 1.204 25.298 6.860 320.376 26.707
Latest EPS 23.74 1.44 1.56 7.26 0.56 0.52 1.65 1.62 10.23 52.75
Latest PE 8.9 32.6 18.4 7.1 36.7 10.6 19.1 21.3 25.5 20.2
Cement Index
DSE BroadIndex
DLOW 52.00 22.50 29.70 45.60 7.40 50.20 24.60 37.60 22.50 24.10
Turnover in Million 0.032 0.014 0.030 1.069 0.038 5.566 1.023 2.746 0.161 0.304
Latest EPS 2.75 1.99 1.56 1.44 -2.58 7.26 1.14 2.80 1.04 1.17
Latest PE 19.2 11.4 19.0 32.3 -ve 7.2 22.1 22.1 20.8
05
12
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26
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12
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09
DSE TURNOVER LEADER Company Meghna Petroleum-A LafargeS Cement-Z Padma Oil Co. A Grameenphone-A Olympic Ind.-A HeidelbergCement-A Square Pharma-A Titas Gas TDCLA Jamuna Oil-A BSC A Familytex (BD) Ltd.-N UCBL A LankaBangla Fin. -A Delta Life Insu. -A BD Submarine Cable-A Southeast Bank-A AB Bank-A Renata Ltd.-A UNITED AIR A Golden Son -A CSE Turnover Leader Company LafargeS Cement-Z Grameenphone-A Padma Oil Co. -A BSC A Meghna Petroleum -A Square Pharma -A BD Submarine Cable-A HeidelbergCement -A UCBL A UNITED AIR A Emerald Oil Ind. -N Jamuna Oil -A Titas Gas TDCLA Matin Spinning-N BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Delta Life Insu. -A Familytex (BD) Ltd.-N AB Bank - A LankaBangla Fin. -A Appollo Ispat CL -N Volume Shares 427,000 104,800 50,987 29,855 58,112 60,755 76,700 21,550 430,238 673,037 37,000 35,319 90,630 198,600 263,545 29,350 106,000 176,141 72,825 163,400 Value in Million 29.22 27.29 18.57 18.38 17.87 17.33 16.27 12.91 10.51 8.91 8.74 8.47 7.72 7.54 7.31 6.28 5.57 5.15 4.20 4.03 % of Tota Turnover 8.32 7.77 5.29 5.24 5.09 4.93 4.63 3.68 2.99 2.54 2.49 2.41 2.20 2.15 2.08 1.79 1.59 1.47 1.20 1.15 ClosingP 69.70 255.70 355.90 611.00 303.20 282.50 209.00 591.30 24.40 13.10 233.50 236.80 85.60 37.50 27.40 224.40 51.10 28.80 56.60 24.30 Change % 9.94 -4.70 -4.22 2.55 -1.40 -0.81 -1.42 -2.43 3.39 -3.68 -1.52 -1.13 4.26 -1.06 -3.86 8.72 -5.72 0.70 -1.91 -2.80 ClosingY 63.40 268.30 371.60 595.80 307.50 284.80 212.00 606.00 23.60 13.60 237.10 239.50 82.10 37.90 28.50 206.40 54.20 28.60 57.70 25.00 DHIGH 69.70 270.60 377.00 635.00 315.00 289.50 216.00 613.00 24.70 13.60 238.00 243.00 86.10 39.50 28.40 224.40 54.00 30.00 58.60 25.80 DLOW 66.00 253.10 354.10 588.30 302.00 282.00 208.10 586.00 23.60 13.00 233.20 235.00 84.40 37.10 27.20 201.00 50.20 28.60 56.00 24.10 AvgPrice 68.44 260.36 364.14 615.79 307.48 285.17 212.11 599.05 24.42 13.23 236.13 239.95 85.22 37.98 27.72 214.03 52.51 29.23 57.71 24.67 Latest EPS 2.19 10.23 20.68 23.48 22.36 11.36 3.28 26.09 3.66 0.98 1.40 16.90 8.50 2.64 1.03 2.92 7.26 2.06 4.36 1.52 Latest PE 31.3 25.5 17.6 26.2 13.8 25.1 64.7 23.0 6.7 13.5 168.7 14.2 10.0 14.4 26.9 73.3 7.2 14.2 13.2 16.2 Volume Shares 1,332,236 5,818,505 914,275 1,225,800 1,275,310 415,900 810,427 2,355,076 614,919 160,205 1,645,000 3,444,539 1,310,362 355,250 336,885 3,616,372 2,280,854 59,415 4,331,826 999,031 Value in Million 410.60 396.00 332.78 320.38 302.82 249.47 231.52 200.61 147.16 98.55 85.17 84.23 75.05 74.99 71.26 68.07 66.78 65.76 57.06 56.05 % of Total Turnover 7.74 7.46 6.27 6.04 5.71 4.70 4.36 3.78 2.77 1.86 1.61 1.59 1.41 1.41 1.34 1.28 1.26 1.24 1.08 1.06 ClosingP 303.70 69.30 355.90 255.80 234.20 591.20 282.60 85.90 235.50 609.50 50.70 24.30 56.40 225.50 208.60 18.70 29.10 1086.20 13.00 55.10 Change % -0.98 9.83 -4.07 -4.98 -1.06 -2.15 -0.88 4.12 -1.88 2.31 -6.63 2.97 -2.25 8.73 -2.11 1.08 1.75 -2.20 -4.41 -2.99 ClosingY 306.70 63.10 371.00 269.20 236.70 604.20 285.10 82.50 240.00 595.75 54.30 23.60 57.70 207.40 213.10 18.50 28.60 1110.60 13.60 56.80 DHIGH 315.30 69.40 376.50 270.00 240.00 615.00 290.00 86.40 243.40 633.00 54.20 24.90 60.00 225.50 220.00 20.00 30.00 1129.00 14.90 57.40 DLOW 280.00 58.00 340.10 254.00 216.00 585.00 262.00 74.30 230.00 588.00 49.80 21.30 52.00 202.00 194.60 16.70 25.80 1078.10 12.30 51.50 AvgPrice 308.20 68.06 363.98 261.36 237.45 599.83 285.68 85.18 239.32 615.17 51.77 24.45 57.28 211.08 211.53 18.82 29.28 1106.81 13.17 56.10 Latest EPS 22.36 2.19 20.68 10.23 6.90 26.09 11.36 8.50 16.90 23.48 7.26 3.66 4.36 2.92 3.28 3.69 2.06 41.39 0.98 3.35 Latest PE 13.8 31.1 17.6 25.5 34.4 23.0 25.1 10.0 14.2 26.2 7.1 6.7 13.1 72.3 64.5 5.1 14.2 26.7 13.4 16.7
ANALYST
Index declined, erasing some profits of previous trading session. However, consistent buying in some stocks capped the days downside
SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture DSE Million Taka 428.52 166.33 59.25 321.89 397.62 1329.32 3.45 397.11 507.43 1.57 36.74 45.74 25.68 718.37 17.48 41.83 161.58 391.64 64.98 188.59 0.24 % change 8.08 3.14 1.12 6.07 7.49 25.06 0.06 7.49 9.56 0.03 0.69 0.86 0.48 13.54 0.33 0.79 3.05 7.38 1.22 3.55 0.00 CSE Million Taka 36.72 9.29 3.34 16.82 22.49 69.03 40.18 29.56 16.64 1.59 19.99 2.50 46.71 2.33 1.99 7.51 43.55 9.81 28.90 0.03 % change 8.98 2.27 0.82 4.11 5.50 16.88 0.00 9.82 7.23 4.07 0.39 4.89 0.61 11.42 0.57 0.49 1.84 10.65 2.40 7.07 0.01 Total Million Taka % change 465.24 8.14 175.62 3.07 62.59 1.10 338.71 5.93 420.11 7.35 1398.35 24.47 3.45 0.06 437.29 7.65 536.98 9.40 18.21 0.32 38.33 0.67 65.73 1.15 28.18 0.49 765.08 13.39 19.81 0.35 43.83 0.77 169.10 2.96 435.19 7.62 74.79 1.31 217.49 3.81 0.27 0.00
Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net
16
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
B3
Chinese banknotes are seen at a vendor's cash box at a market in Beijing veloping countries as an impediment to rebalancing the global economy away from a situation in which rich nations borrow heavily to buy goods from poor nations. Emerging markets often build dollar reserves by keeping their currencies weak to spur more exports, pushing developed economies to borrow to cover their import bill. report. Many US lawmakers and firms have long complained that China deliberately undervalues the yuan to gain an edge in international markets. Some developing countries argue that Americas easy-money interest rate policies result in a flood of cash into their markets, pushing them to build up dollar reserves to intervene in their currencies and keep them stable. In the report, the Treasury said currency interventions and dollar reserve accumulation appeared to have increased globally in the second half of 2013. Progress on rebalancing global demand continues to remain inadequate and may, in fact, have worsened, the Treasury said. While noting a rise last year in the
REUTERS
Gaining an edge?
The United States initially welcomed a move by China in March to allow the yuan currency to vary more in value. But in the month prior to Chinas trading band decision, there were reports of heavy intervention by Chinese authorities to keep the yuans value low, the US Treasury said in its
value of the yuan, the report said the increase was too slow and did not go far enough. Factors indicate a RMB exchange rate that remains significantly undervalued, it said. The turn lower in the yuan this year, however, drew particular scrutiny in the report: This suggests continued actions to impede market determination. As has become its custom, Washington called on the stronger economies in Europe to do more to boost domestic demand so as to lift the economic growth in the euro zone. However, the Treasury did appear to soften its criticism against Germany, dropping language from a prior report that labeled Berlins economic policy as having a deflationary impact on Europe. l
Oil prices mixed after weak Chinese GDP data n AFP, Singapore
Oil prices were mixed in Asia yesterday after data showed Chinese economic growth slowed further in the first quarter of the year, while investors await the latest US supply report, analysts said. New Yorks main contract, West Texas Intermediate for May delivery, rose six cents to $103.81, while Brent North Sea crude for June eased 18 cents to $109.18 on its first day of trading. Brents May contract expired Tuesday. Chinas economy expanded 7.4% year-on-year in January-March, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Monday, weaker than the 7.7% expansion in October-December. While the figure exceeded the median forecast of 7.3% in a survey of 13 economists by AFP, it is the latest in a string of figures showing the worlds number two economy and key driver of global growth is slowing. Dealers are also awaiting the latest US stockpiles report out later yesterday for clues about demand in the worlds biggest economy. l
Jeff de Graffenried, Programme Development Officer of USAID, Bangladesh along with others was present at the event In addition, the grants help organisations overcome initial cost barriers that may exist with shifting to electronic payments. Introducing these digital payment transaction platforms can help pave the way for the emergence of new business models that make basic services more accessible to the general public. The WorldFish Center will incorporate mobile money technology to help them disburse allowances to around 13,000 farmers participating in training workshops under the USAID Feed the Future initiative in the Khulna region. Dnet will incorporate electronic payments under the USAID Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action mobile phone health messaging programme to reimburse registration fees, travel and training expenses of more than 1,000 of their Aponjon community health workers and field staff in 25 districts, and to pay local vendors. Over the course of the grant, WorldFish and Dnet will compare the difference between mobile and cash payments in terms of cost, efficiency and convenience. l
Muklesur Rahman MD and CEO of NRB Bank seen handing over a memento to the newly elected chair of ABB (Association of Bankers, Bangladesh), Ali Reza Iftekhar at a reception programme organised by NRB Bank
Dutch-Bangla Bank has arranged an operation camp (cataract operation) at free of cost for a hundred poor patients at Dhaka Eye Hospital in Mirpur-1, Dhaka under the supervision of Bangladesh National Society for the Blind as part of its social cause activities to serve the distressed humanity. KS Tabrez, the banks managing director visited the operation camp yesterday
Mutual Trust Bank Ltd recently organised a conference on anti-money laundering and combating financing of terrorism for its branches compliance officers at Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development in Comilla. The banks deputy managing director, Md Hashem Chowdhury inaugurated the conference as chief guest
Managing director and CEO of Prime Bank Limited, Md Ehsan Khasru at a press conference yesterday that was organised on the occasion of the banks 19th anniversary at a city hotel
New blend yarn unit of Pahartali Textile and Hosiery Mills, a unit of MM Ispahani Limited was recently inaugurated at Ispahani Complex, Pahartali in Chittagong by the companys chair Ali Behrouze Ispahani
B4
n Ivdad Ahmed Khan Mojlish
Sitting back in my schools cozy auditorium, I listened with rapt attention to a riveting talk on entrepreneurship by Andy Dunn, founder of the popular e-commerce driven apparel brand Bonobos. In the course of his spiel, he used a brilliant analogy to underscore the importance of having the right co-founders in business; one that swooned and drew raucous laughter and applause from the audience. He said: Fall for the perfect partner, not the priciest ring. Whats more important in a conjugal life the person you will have fun living with or the one who offers the more expensive gifts? At the risk of sounding experienced (no clue at all!), I guess theres nothing like getting lucky enough to stumble upon one with both attributes! However, in reality, if you had a choice, logic and emotion would unequivocally answer the former. And thats exactly the point that Andy was trying to hit home as he paralleled the simile to entrepreneurship. Its wiser, safer, and absolutely paramount to team up with person(s) who you will just love doing business with. Finding the right business partner is one of the most seemingly easiest but practically difficult tasks. From Silicon Valley to the meandering alleys of Dhaka, its the same old story. I have heard of many narratives where two or more persons scramble to co-found an initiative in a moment of frenzy, but part ways much sooner than they had even imagined. Not only that, this sad phenomenon can also be traced in many more apparently committed partnerships. As a spillover, personal relationships frail, a brilliant idea falls flat, and the intended economic/social impact barely gets to see the light of day. Whether drawing knowledge from listening to inspiring talks, reading a book, or reflecting on and analyzing observed events, I have come to the realisation that its infinitely more imperative to tag along with the right partner, or more, than to just select whimsically.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
New CEO Nadella pushes data culture at Microsoft n Reuters, San Francisco
Microsoft Corp needs a data culture to thrive in the new computing environment, according to Chief Executive Satya Nadella, in his third public appearance in three weeks putting his imprint on the software company. Nadella, who took the helm in February, is seeking to push Microsoft further toward mobile and cloud, or Internet-connected, computing. That marks a shift from his predecessor, Steve Ballmer, whose world view was more tied to personal computers and the Windows operating system. Every aspect of Microsofts business is being fundamentally transformed because of data, said Nadella at a presentation in San Francisco on Tuesday. You have to build deeply into the fabric of the company a culture that thrives on data. From managing its own heating costs to analyzing customers website usage, Nadella set out Microsofts plan to play a central role in gathering, storing, processing and presenting data, taking advantage of its database products, data centers and its Office suite of applications, including the ubiquitous Excel spreadsheet program. Think of Office as the canvas, or the surface area, or the scaffolding from which you can access the data, said Nadella. His comments about a data-driven computing environment were not ground-breaking, but they form a part of a striking new approach at Microsoft, which Nadella calls mobile first, cloud first. Broadly, that means focusing on making Microsofts internet-friendly software widely available as services rather than traditional products, and playing a role in all realms of computing rather than just attempting to dominate markets with Windows and Office. l
BIGSTOCK
As famous business author, Jim Collins, beautifully articulates, Leaders that go from good to great start not with where but with who. They start by getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats. As a co-founder of a humble startup, if I may dare to share my thoughts on the traits that you will need to look at while looking for the perfect partner, Id say the three most important elements, and necessarily in a sequential order, are: trust, commitment, and proficiency. Look, at the end of the day, you have to realise that your capacity to earn breads will depend in part on the actions of the other partner(s). Work with
someone whom you can blindly trust. Someone who is willing to go to the worlds end to see through the idea you have conceptualized. Someone who will not stab your back, siphon off finance, or malign your image. Once that level of trust is established, you will need to understand how much time he/she can give. Contingent on that, you will be able to determine what amount of responsibilities he/she can burden. Now keep in mind that everyone has a personal life and as such priorities are meant to vary. While some experts opine that partners should share as much off-work hours as possible to fortify kinship, others differ to say that as long as the professional commitments are met, you shouldnt
even care if they live in another part of the world. Bottom-line is, you have to use your best judgment, an offshoot from the established level of trust, to measure what best suits your requirements. The final straw is dexterity. Always look for someone who can bring a different set of skill to the table than that of yours. Theres little point in having co-founders with a complementary skill-set as that predisposes homogeneity. Its best to work with someone who adds a new feather to the organisational repertoire, in effect broadening the competency bandwidth. Believe me, the gains of undertaking the search for the perfect partner is worth the pain. The power of a suc-
cessful partnership holds the potential to weather menacing blizzards that will leave you awestruck. While theres no guarantee that it will always culminate in a success, the odds of getting it right are significantly higher. So next time you are in a dilemma between choosing a person or a largess, know that falling in love with the perfect human is more gracious and desirable than getting enamored by other fleeting parcels of life, or in this case business. l Ivdad Ahmed Khan Mojlish is the Managing Director at LightCastle Partners, an emerging market specialized business planning and intelligence firm. The article was originally published in the LCP Blog (lightcastlebd. com/blog)
Julian Evans-Pritchard, China economist at Capital Economics, wrote in an analysis Premier Li Keqiang presumably already had a good idea of where Q1 growth would come in when he ruled out major stimulus last week.
The economy grew 7.7% in 2013, the same as 2012 - the worst pace since 7.6% in 1999. For the full-year 2014, the median forecast in the AFP survey was for expansion of 7.4%. The NBS also said industrial production, a measure output at factories, workshops and mines, rose 8.8% yearon-year in March, from a combined January-February figure of 8.6%. Retail sales, a key indicator of consumer spending, increased 12.2 percent in the same month, the NBS said, accelerating from 11.8% in January-February. China announced combined statistics for January and February due to the countrys Lunar New year holiday week, which fell in both months. Fixed asset investment, a measure of government spending on infrastructure, rose 17.6% on-year in the first three months of this year from the same period last year. Liu Li-Gang, Hong Kong-based economist for ANZ Bank, said the figure was no surprise and there were some positive factors at play now. We think the Chinese economy will likely rebound in the second quarter due to seasonal factors - like (the fact that) the number of newly started projects always peaks in June, he told AFP. But whether the rebound can be sustained depends on whether China will relax its monetary policy, he added. We think the central bank may continue with its current monetary policy and only relax it by cutting (the amount of cash banks must keep in reserve) if the economy shows signs of further slowdown in the third quarter. l
Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford stands on top of the observation deck at the Empire State Building with the new 2015 Mustang convertible in honor of 50 years of the Ford Mustang AFP
Cash rethink
DILBERT
Earlier this year, US activist investor Carl Icahn said Apple was doing a disservice to shareholders, despite the iPhone maker agreeing to a plan that would return some $100bn to investors including $60bn in share buybacks. The billionaire has since said he would no longer press Apple - whose cash holdings are larger than Hungarys economy - after a proxy advisory firm recommended against his proposal. Companies have been well served during the financial crisis by being fiscally prudent, said a January report by consultancy Deloitte, which pegged the liquid holdings of the worlds top 1,000 firms at about $2.8tn. But it added that this could hamper their progress in times of recovery. Companies now need to rethink their cash strategy to create growth opportunities. Mark Carney, current head of the Bank of England, was more blunt in a 2012 speech as he derided unused corporate cash as dead money. If companies cant figure out what to do with it, then they should give it to shareholders and theyll figure it out, said Carney, then governor of the Bank of Canada. l