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SECOND EDITION
NO CHILDS PLAY
New act calls for complete restriction on advertising milk substitutes and baby food, but yet to be enacted
reached the top of the line when they were approached by a representative from a milk company. Nilufar said the representative, a smart young lady, asked her which powder milk she preferred for her children, and offered her a free chart of the companys products. The representative said the chart would help Nilufar to select the best milk product for her children and provide proper feeding instructions to make the children stronger, intelligent and healthy. Nilufar said she had heard about aggressive marketing promotions by baby-food product companies, before becoming targeted herself. The promotional campaigns were carried out openly and unobstructed in
Workers make a wedding party pavilion on the road divider, though it is illegal to use public area for private purpose. The photo was taken in Gulshan yesterday
INSIDE
News
4 Two children died yesterday allegedly after being administered with a dose of the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine
Nation
Drug rackets rising despite measures Satkhira JCD leader n killed in gunfight
Mohammad Jamil Khan
It was around 9:30pm on last Wednesday; the spot was just a few meters away from Amar Ekushey Hall of Dhaka University. Some elderly men, aged between 30 and 35, were sitting on sacks close to a dustbin on the street and found taking injections on their bodies themselves. Most of them were woozy, and indifferent about the bad odour spreading from the garbage. This is not a unique picture of drug abuse but a common one across the country. Because of lax monitoring and ineffective raids against drug cartels, the number of abusers is on the rise mainly in the capital. Out of around 17 drugs, the most available products are cannabis, Yaba, brown sugar (heroin), Phensidyle and pethidine injections found in around 400 spots of the capital. Illegal drug business has never been stopped but the extent of sales drops during March to July because of stringent steps by the authorities. The demand and also the supply of drugs rise especially during festivals like Eid and New Year. Now anyone can easily register the odour of cannabis while travel-
6 Rice farmers in Lalmonirhat have expressed discontent with the spiralling fertiliser demand and ensuing price increase, blaming it on the tobacco growers use of fertilisers on their farmland.
Authorities conduct raids only for eyewash; no top leader of drug syndicate ever arrested
ling or crossing Suhrawardy Udyan, Chankharpool, Bangshal, Tejgaon and Karwanbazar rail tracks just after sunset. The odour becomes strong during midnight and it continues until sunrise. Almost all the drugs are easily availability at these places. The Dhaka Tribune reporter entered the Suhrawardy Udyan on a motor cycle recently. Near the Kali Temple, a
12-year boy came to him with a little bag on his hand and asked whether the reporter wanted some cannabis. At that time, a youth passing the spot noticed the boy and gave him Tk100. As soon as `the boy gave him three packets, the youth left the scene. Asked about the product, the boy said it was cannabis. He suddenly ran away towards another crowd near the temple saying that he would be available in the area. Such drugs including cannabis are being sold openly under the nose of the law enforcers, but no big shot has ever been arrested. Only the small traders are caught sometimes and later they manage to walk free on bail. The Narcotics Control Department updates the list of drug dealers and salespersons in the beginning of a new year but the names remain in the notes only, as no effective action against them is taken.
PAGE 2 COLUMN 1
n Tribune Report
The vice-president of Tala upazila Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal in Satkhira district was killed and three policemen sustained injuries in a gunfight with the joint forces yesterday. The incident took place in Magura Khowaghat area of the upazila around 4am. Joint forces men have recovered one pipe gun, two rounds of bullets and five handmade bombs from the spot, police claimed. The deceased was Azharul Islam, 28, son of late Shiraj Uddin Sarder of Ghona village. The injured police men were Sub-Inspector Shakhawat and constables Tajbur and Shahabuddin. Officer-in-Charge of Tala police station Matiar Rahman said Azharul Islam was detained from a shrimp
enclosure in Ghona village on Sunday morning. Later, a joint forces team took him to Magura Khowaghat area to recover arms where a group of miscreants opened fire and hurled bombs on them to snatch him away.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
A worker cleans up the statue of seven Bir Sreshtha on Bangla Academy premises yesterday ahead of Amar Ekushey book fair
NASHIRUL ISLAM
Cabinet approves ratification Two Rana Plaza factory of 2 maritime conventions owners get bail
n Mohosinul Karim
The cabinet has given the nod to the ratification of two proposals of the International Labour Organisation, aimed at improving facilities for Bangladeshi marine officials and seamen. Ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, and the Seafarers Identity Document Convention (revised) 2003, were approved at yesterday's meeting. Under the ILO proposals, around 12,000 marine officials and seamen will get biometric identity cards. These will facilitate their travel between countries. They will also benefit from better working conditions. After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters that the government was set to sign the proposals. The seafarers of Bangladesh have been facing discrimination when entering some countries, changing ships and returning home. Some foreign companies are reluctant to appoint Bangladeshi workers. They [seamen] would get relief from the discrimination if the government signs the conventions, Bhuiyan said adding that the country had around 68 sea-going ships at present. A total of 12,000 Bangladeshi marine officials and seafarers are working for local and foreign companies, earning foreign currencies around TK500 crore annually, he added. If Bangladesh signs the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, the seamen will enjoy better working conditions, workhours, medical facilities, entertainment, housing and social security benefits. Some 56 ILO member countries, including Bangladesh, have already ratified the proposal that came into effect last year. Under the Seafarers Identity Document Convention, Bangladeshi seafarers will be issued machinereadable biometric identity cards that include personal information, biometric details, fingerprints, barcodes and photo. l
n Tribune Report
The High Court yesterday granted six months interim bail to the chairman and the managing director of New Wave Bottom Limited, one of the garments company that was housed at the Rana Plaza at Savar. The High Court bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Zafar Ahmed granted the bail after hearing of two separate pleas in connection with the two cases filed on the Rana Plaza collapse. The owners who secured bail are New Wave Bottom Limited Chairman Bazlus Samad and Managing Director Mahmudur Rahman. Deputy Attorney General Khandker Diliruzzaman argued on behalf of the state while lawyer Yusuf Hossain Humayun and SM Rezaul Karim represented the accused. Khandker Diliruzzaman said they would appeal to the chamber judge of
the Appellate Division soon, seeking a stay order on the judgement. Defence lawyer Rezaul Karim said the main accused of the case Abdul Khalek (also the father of building owner Sohel Rana) had secured bail in both the cases. Since the charges in both the cases were bailable offenses and the bails had already been posted, there would be no bar on getting them out of prison. The nine-storey Rana Plaza collapsed on April 24 last year, claiming at least 1,135 lives and injuring nearly 2,500 people, most of them garment factory workers. On charge of violating the Building Construction Code, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha on the day filed a case against the building owner Sohel Rana with Savar police station. The Savar police also filed another case on the following day against six people on charge of causing deaths due to negligence. l
Police questioned 17 people including 12 officials of the Sonali Bank branch in Kishoreganj in the Sadar police station yesterday in connection with a Tk16.4 crore looting incident. Police held the 12 bank officials including branch Manager Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan and five others earlier in the day, according to our correspondent in the district. Deputy General Manager Sheikh Amanuallah filed a case against some unidentified people in this connection with Sadar police station yesterday afternoon, Officer-in-Charge Abdul Malek said. Meanwhile, the authorities of Bangladesh Bank and Sonali Bank formed separate investigation committees to look into the incident. Unknown miscreants looted Tk16.4 crore from a vault of a Sonali Bank branch in Kishoreganj in the early hours of Sunday. Kishoreganj Police Super Anwar Hossain Khan said, Details regarding the investigation committees cannot be disclosed now. Eight policemen were suspended following the incident. These policemen were deployed in the barrack located in the basement of the branch to maintain the security of the vault. The burglary came to light on Sunday afternoon when bank employees went to the vault room for money. Police and other law enforcement agencies have kept the bank cordoned off since the incident. l
Biswas told the Dhaka Tribune that Azharul had been dead when he was brought there. Assistant Police Superintendent Kazi Monirruzzaman said, Azharul is accused in two cases under Tala police station including murder of Islamkati Union Parishad member Rouf. Seven cases were filed under Patkelghata police station. The upazila Chhatra Dal unit has called a dawn-to-dusk hartal today protesting the death.
Meanwhile, police in separate drives nabbed three Jamaat-Shibir men from Fatikchhari, Sitakunda and Lohagara upazilas in Chittagong early yesterday for their involvement with sabotage in the areas before, during and after the election. Law enforcement seized a gun and four rounds of cartridges from a Shibir man, Saleh Jongi, 30, accused of four murder cases lodged with Fatikchhari police station, the stations OC Shahjahan Bhuiyan said. Police arrested eleven activists of Shahjalal University of Science and
Technology (Sust) yesterday for their suspected involvement in unrest in the campus on Sunday. Earlier two cases were filed in this connection. The university unit Shibir president and secretary are among the 300 accused. In Bogra, the father of Shibir leader Abdullah Al-Baki of Bogra Azizul Haque College filed a case accusing 23 Chhatra League and Jubo League activists and leaders of murdering his son yesterday. Police is yet to arrest anyone six days into the incident. l
the BNP Jamaat supporters had removed goods from their shops and then set those on fire. Later, the names of the 11 activists were included by the panel chairman of the union parishad, Abdul Jalil Sarder, who is also a BNP activist, Khairul said. He said many of the 11 were accused
in a case he had filed. He alleged that Panel Chairman Jalil had enlisted their names intentionally in a bid to save them from facing legal measures over the attacks. When contacted, Jalil claimed that he had not included names of any Jamaat activists. Names of several BNP men might have been enlisted as their
business establishments were vandalised after the election. Local lawmaker Mahabub Ara Begum Gini said she had received a complaint from Khairul and that it was being investigated. When asked, DC Ehsan-E Elahi said he had not received the letter as of last night. l
Asked about it, Pronob Kumar Neugi, director (operation) of the DNC, admitted the weakness of the organisation. He said they had a list but had failed to arrest any godfather of drug syndicates. However, raids against the drug dealers are on and some sellers have been arrested recently. Sources said the DNC made a list of 192 drug dealers and 50 salespersons in early this year, most of who are gangsters. The authorities also identified a number of spots where the drug dealers operate. Although different intelligence agencies have reported there are around 400 drug spots in the capital, the DNC only mention about some of
the spots on its list. Sources said the drug dealers were operating their business after managing the officials of the law enforcement agencies and the DNC so that the raids were conducted only for eyewash. The names of Shahid and Parvin, two drug sellers in Karwanbazar area, have been listed with the DNC. They were even arrested by the officials several times, but later came out on bail or sometimes on the mid way by managing the officials. Some of the important drug spots, from where drugs are found round the clock, are in Tejgaon area, Dilu Road, Maghbazar rail crossing, Malibagh rail crossing, Dhaka Medical College Hospital area, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Rasul-
bagh Park in Mirpur, Babubazar Bridge, Postagola, Armanitola school field and Azimpur maternity hospital areas. When contacted, Mujibur Rahman Patowari, deputy director (intelligence wing) of DNCs Dhaka division, claimed that they had been conducting their duties properly, and arresting both the dealers and the sellers from different areas of the capital every day. He said the DNC officials had been trying their best to take control of the illegal drugs business. Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of the DB police, said several teams of the intelligence agency had been working closely with the DNC against the drug cartels. l
commission will be elected by a search committee formed by the information ministry. The chairman and members will be appointed by the president. Managing Director and CEO of Somoy TV Ahmed Zubair observed that in the institutions previously formed by the government such as the National Human Rights Commission, the chair and members were elected by the president. This time, a search committee is there which has the sole duty to recommend the chairman and member to the president. I am hoping it will ultimately bring a good result, since the search committee will recommend names based on a majority approval, he said. According to the draft, the search committee will ensure representation of every stakeholder such as experts on freedom of expression and media, lawyers, government representatives,
womens rights experts, media personalities, journalists, academics and civil society members. Media personality Shykh Seraj, also the director and head of news of Channel i, told the Dhaka Tribune: I consider the broadcast commission a good initiative since people can file their allegations if they have any sort of grievances. But at the same time, the question arises whether the broadcast commission will be formed neutrally or in a partisan manner. He also added that he along with few others had reservations about the article that says the government could cancel any television and radio license if the government thought it was necessary. I am yet to see the draft version of the policy which was approved by the information ministry recently. But I hope they have considered our views and incorporated it, Shykh Seraj added.
The draft was finalised on Sunday in a meeting of the information ministry. Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu told the Dhaka Tribune: The policy will be placed before the cabinet for final approval within 15 days. After the cabinet approval, the policy will come into effect. Rights activist Sultana Kamal said: A semi-third party such as a commission is always a good initiative as long as they are working independently rather than being controlled by the state. Such a commission should have the liberty to work impartially rather than act in a partisan manner. The commission should take up issues objectively. If this commission can act independently, it is indeed a good initiative by the government. But if it becomes an instrument of the government to suppress freedom of expression, that is worrisome, Kamal said. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
UPAZILA POLLS
n Mohosinul Karim
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed her ruling party leaders to select a single candidate in each upazila for the upcoming elections as the BNP-led 19-party alliance is likely to participate in the local polls. The Awami League chief also asked her cabinet colleagues and senior party leaders to look after their workers and supporters who were affected in attacks by opposition activists during and after the January 5 general elections. Hasina gave the directives at a cabinet meeting yesterday after finishing discussion on the regular agenda on the table, a senior cabinet member told the Dhaka Tribune. The minister, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Hasina asked the ruling party leaders to nominate only
one candidate in each upazila to contest next months elections. She also requested them to work together for the nominee to win. It is an image-building election for the new government as it took charge following controversial and unilateral polls. So, the present government is trying to hold the local polls free and fair to make them acceptable to all national and international communities, the minister said. Hasina also enquired after the condition of affected party activities, and asked party leaders to help the injured with their treatment and rehabilitation. The PM assured them that assistance for the victims would be provided from government funds. Meanwhile, during the cabinet meeting, the PM asked the information minister about the preparation work for
a unified national broadcasting policy. Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu informed her that the draft of the policy was finalised, and would be placed before the cabinet soon for approval. Hasina then directed him to update the policy after taking opinions from the ministers concerned. The also PM enquired about the progress in the construction of a fourlane Dhaka-Chittagong highway, repair works of road networks across the country and construction of international link roads. She directed Communication Minister Obaidul Quader to ensure the works are completed as soon as possible. The PM gave emphasis on producing electricity by building more hydroelectric stations. Such power stations could be set up in neighbouring countries, if found viable, another minister said. l
Pedestrians walk down the roads of Hatir Jheel but often cannot find a bin to put the garbage in. An empty frame of trash can is seen in the photo as the bin has been stolen. The photo was taken on Sunday RAJIB DHAR
TRANSGENDER KILLING
TARIQUES ACQUITTAL
Students of Eden Mohila Collage bring out a procession yesterday, demanding upgrading of the institute as an autonomous public university. The photo was taken from Azimpur area NASHIRUL ISLAM
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer says Ariful was suffering from asthma
A probe committee, led by Gazipur Civil Surgeon Dr Shah Alam Sharif, has been formed to investigate the death. The committee also includes Gazipur Medical College professor Dr Subash Chandra, Sreepur Health Complex Family Planning Officer Dr Hasan Imam and Epidemiology Technician Amzad Hossain as members.
His parents, failing to trace him on their own, lodged a general diary with the local police station on January 25, Shamim said. Prior to that, he added, an unidentified person contacted the boys parents informing them of his abduction and asking for a ransom of Tk1cr in exchange for his release. They were told of the place where to hand over the ransom cash but they failed to locate anyone after going there on Sunday. Police sent the dead body to Chittagong Medical College Hospital morgue for post-mortem and picked up five individuals, including two friends of the victim, for questioning. A case was also lodged in this connection with the Patiya police station, confirmed the stations officer in charge Mofiz Uddin. l
Cables of rival satellite operators in Gulshan entangle and may pose a security risk. The photo was taken yesterday
BY POLL
WEATHER
PRAYER TIMES
Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha 5:23am 6:40am 12:11am 4:06pm 5:42pm 7:00pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org
The citys Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue wears a regular view with a long tailback of vehicles yesterday
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Students take part in a human chain in front of the National Press Club yesterday, protesting post-poll attacks on Hindus all over the country
NASHIRUL ISLAM
KCC, KDA urged to RU students ponder tougher demolish risky buildings movement to lower fees
n Our Correspondent, Khulna
Greater Khulna Development Committee (GKCDACC) urged authorities at Khulna City Corporation (KCC) and Khulna Development Authority (KDA) to demolish any high-risk buildings in the city listed by the technical committee. The technical committee was jointly formed by the KCC and KDA in October 2012 to identify the tilted buildings. President of the GKDACC Sheikh Ashrafuzzaman expressed concern over the unsafe buildings as people are currently residing in them risking their lives. The GKCDACC brought the issue to the attention of KDA Chairman Brigadier General Shamsul Alam Khan on January 15 for taking steps towards the buildings demolish. GKCDACC President Sheikh Ashrafuzzaman said, The buildings can collapse any time and claim the lives of the residents. He also urged KDA and KCC officials concerned not to construct buildings without having plans approved. Nurun Nahar, 68, a resident of a tilted house in Baro Bazar said, We live in danger as the building can collapse any given moment. When contacted, KCC Mayor Moniruzzaman Moni said, The KCC needs the KDAs support in demolishing the titled buildings
n RU Correspondent
The students of Rajshahi University will announce further course of action today as their seven-day ultimatum to the authorities of the university ended yesterday. On January 20, the students gave seven days ultimatum, demanding that the authorities cancel the move to increase all kinds of fees. Recently, the university authorities in a meeting have taken a decision to increase all kind of fees which is two to five times more than the earlier rates. The newly fixed fees have been affected from January this year and the authorities have already issued notices to all departments in this regard. Campus sources said the extra fees were necessary to pay salaries of additional recruited teachers. The University Grants Commission has already told RU authorities that it would not pay for the additional teachers. RU administration sources said 368
The GKCDACC brought the issue to the attention of KDA Chairman Brigadier General Shamsul Alam Khan on January 15 for taking steps towards the buildings demolish
It is a sensitive business to demolish the buildings because many shops and institutions, including mosques, are situated in such buildings, he added. The KDA chairman could not be reached over phone for his comment on any possible obstacles hindering the demolition of titled buildings. l
teachers had been appointed against 204 posts from February 26, 2009 to February 26, 2013 during the tenure of former vice-chancellor Prof Abdus Sobhan. According to the university sources, the fees for withdrawal of provisional certificate on normal basis have been increased to Tk300 from Tk100 while the fees for emergency basis increased to Tk1,000 from Tk200. Withdrawal of the main certificate fees raised Tk500 from Tk200 and mark sheet fees on emergency basis Tk600 from existing Tk225, duplicate mark sheet Tk1000 from Tk300 and for subsidiary mark sheet fees raised Tk500 from Tk150. The fees for withdrawal of duplicate admit card was raised Tk200 from Tk50 and correction of name spelling on any certificate and mark sheet Tk500 from Tk250. The authority has increased academic examinations fees for threehour honours exam (theory) Tk100 from Tk50, for more than three-hour
long exam the fees Tk125 from Tk60 and also for masters courses Tk500 from Tk200. The administration also increased examinations fees for MS, MD, MPhil programme to Tk5,000 from Tk2,000 for each course and Diploma Masters Degree examinations fees Tk5,000 from Tk1,500. The students have been observing agitations from January 16 on the issue. The students under the banner of Progressive Students Alliance also submitted memorandum to Vice-Chancellor Prof Mizanuddin on January 20 and gave seven days to meet their demands. A student said: As the university authorities did not pay heed to our demands, we will go on tougher movement from Tuesday. Universitys Kendriya Sangskritik Jote also expressed their solidarity with the students demands and movement. However, VC Mizanuddin could not be reached through mobile phone despite several attempts. l
A worker of Sylhet City Corporation removes an illegal billboard in the city yesterday
DHAKA TRIBUNE
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Nation
Rape survivors family offered bribe to withdraw case n Our Correspondent, Gopalganj
The family members of a rape victim were offered Tk40,000 by some local influential individuals, as a bribe to have their case withdrawn, in Kotalipara upazila, Gopalganj. According to the case statement, Tarun Ray, 40, allegedly raped a woman, a housewife, living next door to him in the districts village of Chakpukuria on Saturday. The victim was taken to a 250-bed general hospital in the district after the incident. A case was filed on the same day with Kotalipara police station in connection to the incident. Tarun Ray raped the victim after he found her alone in her home, the case statement read. The victims family said Tarun belonged to a powerful family in the locality and he had offered Tk40,000 to the them for withdrawing the case. Officer-in-Charge of Kotalipara police station Abdul Latif said: The case had already been filed. There is no chance of withdrawal anymore. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
People form a human chain in Habinganj town yesterday, demanding speedy trial of the killers of former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria DHAKA TRIBUNE
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Long Form
DHAKA TRIBUNE
n Nisar Ahmed
ecent political debates in Bangladesh are swirling around two main topics the January 5 general election, and the proceedings of International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). Though these two topics should be discussed separately, they have been unnecessarily tangled together by some members of the political and the civil society inside Bangladesh and abroad. Now that they are knotted together, they need to be discussed alongside each other in order to show why the Awami League is the best option to govern the country at this point in time. I would like to put forward my case by taking readers through a set of questions crucial for the future of Bangladesh, and my responses to these questions. First question, is it necessary for Bangladesh to deal with crimes against humanity committed during the liberation war that happened more than 40 years in the past? Yes, absolutely. For any nation to move forward together, it must resolve issues of the past. Otherwise the divisive debate keeps going on. There are plenty of examples that show us how dealing with the past is necessary to move a nation forward. South Africa dealt with the apartheid era injustices through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The US had to address slavery through a war, and its racial inequalities through enactment of laws protecting civil rights. On the other hand, Turkey is still ignoring its past behaviour towards Armenians, and for that the nation is not able to fully integrate with the European Union. Bangladesh was born through a bloody war of independence. A small group of people from East Pakistan wanted undivided Pakistan in the form of an Islamic state. These people collaborated with the Pakistan government and the army, and participated in atrocities against their fellow countrymen including women and children. The heinous crimes committed by them were no doubt crimes against humanity. Though the political position taken by these people during the war can be argued for, no one in their sane mind can either accept their crimes or let those crimes remain unresolved. Between 1975 and 2009, Bangladesh neither had a government that was willing to tackle this issue, nor the political and economic strength to take on the task of war crimes trial. Now is the most appropriate and opportune time to take care of this behemoth of unfinished business because Bangladesh is on a much better footing politically and economically to withstand any international pressure. Sheikh Hasina and her government has courageously picked up the opportunity, and carried on with the task despite immense pressure from inside and outside the country. The Hasina government deserves praise for setting up the International Crimes Tribunal and for trying crimes against humanity. One might ask, could the crimes against humanity be handled differently? Yes, possibly, but sincerely, no. There are a few options that could have been considered including doing nothing, a trial in the International Criminal Court (ICC), and forming a Truth and Reconciliation commission similar to the one in South Africa. Though a few people would love to agree with option 1, it is not an option for the people of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government tried option 2, which could have been the
best solution from the perspective of international acceptability but, regrettably, the ICC expressed its inability to take up this task. Instead, they suggested Bangladesh does it on its own. It is not clear why ICC refused, but a good guess would be that a number of powerful countries would be embarrassed by the facts that would be unearthed by the ICC through such a process. The Bangladesh government had no other choice than to move forward with the ICT option. The formation of a Truth and Reconciliation commission
including minorities. BNP, on the other hand, does not give much importance to secular politics, and believes hurting minority communities is a small price to pay in order to keep India on notice. From that standpoint, BNP has no problem allying with Jamaat. In return, BNP enjoys some fruits of its alliance with Jamaat, the most important of which are the Taliban-like cadre Jamaat can unleash as and when necessary, and the power of the purse it can bring to the table. Could, or would BNP give up this
Though no one should condone corruption, it is a shocking reality of any society including the most advanced nations
was suggested by some, as it would have been the most humane option. A humane way to address the crimes against humanity would have satisfied all; certainly the people of Bangladesh would have accepted that option only if it was a practical one. Those who committed those crimes in 1971, had 40 years to decide whether or not they want to pledge their allegiance to the sovereign state of Bangladesh, and accept the fundamental principles Bangladesh was founded on. Wretchedly, they chose the wrong direction in 1971, and continued to pursue the same misguided goals till this day committing similar crimes and atrocities against humanity. If anyone in their right frame of mind believes that perpetrators of 1971 has any inclination to change and conduct politics following the principles of the Muktijuddho (the liberation war), then they live in a fools paradise. If we simply consider why Jamaats registration with the Election Commission was cancelled following a Supreme Court order, and their continued violent and terrorist political activities, it will become very clear that those criminals have no desire to denounce their past and come clean. Unless there is any other compelling option on the table, the option chosen by the Bangladesh government is the only practical one and we must finish the unfinished task of the ICT. Question is can BNP be trusted with the completion of ICT trials and execution of verdicts? One should hope that the political party in government should not derail the process; unfortunately, that is not the case in Bangladeshi politics. It is an established fact that BNP has created the environment for anti-liberation forces to come back and re-establish themselves socially, financially, and politically in Bangladesh. Ershad has also significantly contributed to the conducive and thriving environment for fundamentalist anti-liberation forces that BNP had reconstructed. Though the AL government magnanimously announced general amnesty in 1972, it did not do so for the main culprits. Also ALs brief political pact with Jamaat was deplorable, even if it was a tactical political move. BNPs political alliance with Jamaat, on the other hand, is ideological. Present day AL and BNP are not very different except for a few important aspects including the principles of the liberation war. AL wants to uphold the fundamentals of the liberation war by creating a political environment that is secular, free of fundamentalism, and ensures equal rights for all citizens, political advantage by severing their ties with Jamaat? On the question of could, BNP would harness long-term benefits for themselves as a political party and for the nation if they did. On the question of would, one can only wonder how. It is difficult for BNP to untangle itself from Jamaat, especially when they believe the survival of both BNP and Jamaat are at stake if they cannot come to power soon. The calculation was, and still is, for BNP and Jamaat to come to power by any means before the ICT verdicts are executed. In power, they will surely undo everything the AL government has achieved through the process. No wonder, Jamaat, with full backing from BNP, is doing everything they can to overthrow the AL government including unleashing unprecedented violence and mayhem along with international pressure aided by a vested interest group of civil society in Bangladesh. Short time before the election, Khaledas appeal to Jamaat leaders for continuing the violent activities and the provocative messages from Tarique Rahman clearly demonstrates BNPs allegiance with Jamaat. BNP, in power, will have no other choice than to throw away the ICT process because people convicted by the ICT will be helping them run the administration. Above should provide enough evidence as to why Sheikh Hasina led AL government is the only option at this time to resolve the matter of crimes against humanity once now, and for all of Bangladeshs future. Besides the issue of crimes against humanity, there are other relevant aspects to the question of which party is the better option for forming government such as: which is a better choice from the perspectives of corruption, development, foreign policy, and other social indicators? Both AL and BNP are saddled with corrupt politicians, and the corruption in Bangladesh politics is not likely to go away anytime soon. Our big democratic neighbour, India, is not able to uproot corruption from politics and the administration after having more than 65 years of uninterrupted, democratically elected governments in power. Though no one should condone corruption, it is a shocking reality of any society including the most advanced nations. In some countries, corruption happens in the disguise of lobbying and other forms of favoritism in the upper echelons of the government, and in countries like Bangladesh it happens at every level. Given that corruption is not going away completely anytime soon, the more important question for Bangladesh is which party would be
less corrupt, and likely to pay bit more attention to it than the other. AL is the likely answer. How, you ask? In the just concluded AL government, there were a few veteran politicians with no corruption charges inked against them. Can BNP show that many ministers with similar clean records? Then if we tally up the number and size of various corruptions by past two governments, the balance will be tilted downwards on BNPs side. Also, AL has shown more inclination in dealing with corruption as demonstrated by the removals of ministers such as Abul Hossain and Suranjit Sengupta. Can BNP show similar examples of dealing with corruption allegations? During its tenure in government, AL has demonstrated remarkable progress in sectors such as infrastructure, energy, agriculture and food safety, education, terrorism, foreign policy, foreign currency reserves, and many others. We can argue about ALs relation with India, but the truth is if any government can get the Teesta and Land Boundary Agreements signed with India, that would have to be AL. If we have to choose between Pakistan and India as our ally, India has to be our choice for so many reasons. BNP will not be able to build a fruitful relationship with India because of its unsavoury political ties with the fundamentalist quarters, and its active and passive support for terrorism as demonstrated by the previous BNP government. Not to forget that the AL government has legally fought and won the water rights issue with Myanmar. But not everything is positive in the AL foreign policy. The AL government formulated, and then lost the Padma Bridge loan from the World Bank. It has damaged Bangladeshs relationship with the West due to the mishandling of World Bank loan and Grameen Bank, and due to its dogged pursuit of the January 5 elections with the so called all party government in power. But for the first time since 1975, the AL government has shown that Bangladesh can stand firm and tall against all powerful external pressures. One can argue that the AL government defied world pressure for the wrong reasons, but the truth that is hidden underneath the surface is: the AL government has set an example of how to stand firm against outside pressure. This will also be a lesson for the civil society in Bangladesh. Hopefully in future, they will pursue a desired outcome of any internal political issue domestically without
erating power in excess of the projected demand in the near future, and they are actively pursuing that plan. For the first time in Bangladeshi history, the AL government has consistently delivered textbooks on time to all students, going against all odds. The AL government has, and continues to pursue positive reforms in the education sector. The list of achievements for the AL government stacks up quite tall. It certainly could have done a much better job in promoting and convincing the fellow countrymen of its successes. They tried an ill-advised, measly promotion of its achievements by taking over the billboards of Dhaka city. Despite all the mistakes of last five years, ALs achievements rise well above BNPs previous government. Now on to the most important question - was it right to hold the January 5 election without the other major political party, BNP? Yes, very much so. The January 5 election seems highly controversial at this moment, but 15 years from now, it will most likely be seen as one of the most important milestones for Bangladeshs democracy. When the smoke and dust so deceitfully created by the opponents of the election settles, people will be able to see how this election helped lay a strong foundation for democracy in Bangladesh. Yes, the election was boycotted by a number of political parties including the main opposition; and yes, most of the seats were uncontested; and no, there wasnt a good voter turnout; and yes, there was massive violence; and yes, there was enormous pressure from outside; and lastly yes, the election was held under a political government the most important problem cited by the opponents which led them to vehemently oppose and boycott it. Ironically, holding elections under a political government is where the most important milestone for Bangladeshs democracy lies. The caretaker form as a poll time government was necessary when it was created. But it cannot go on forever. If politics of the last 20 years or so is any indication of what to expect in the foreseeable future, as far as reaching any political agreement between two major political parties goes, there is no hope for the AL and the BNP to find a way out of the caretaker government in a congenial manner. Does that mean that Bangladesh has to live with the caretaker government forever? There are many countries in the world where democratic institutions, political parties, and dem-
in Bangladesh suffered during that government. Hasina remembered the danger posed by the caretaker government, and took it upon her to make sure that an unelected government can never again come to power. The Caretaker government format had to go at some point. Some may argue that now was not the right time. Then the questions that naturally come up are when is the right time? and what is the process to get there? the AL government had the answers to those questions, and they responded. No one else including BNP had come up with any alternative path and timeline. BNP was simply interested in using the caretaker government formula to come to power. Hence, it is not unexpected that they would fight the election under the AL adopted process tooth and nail because they thought they had no chance of coming back to power. But the violent form of their fight was completely unwarranted. AL would have fought it too if the roles were reversed. It is inevitable that somebody had to get rid of the caretaker government at some point. AL simply hastened it, and for that, Bangladesh is that much ahead in solidifying democracy. This was a victory for democracy. We may not realise it today, but we will some day. When we do we will also recognise how courageous Hasina was. Our democracy may be weak and fragile, but the caretaker government certainly made it weaker. If BNP had the prescience, they would have used this as a political opportunity. Keeping AL under pressure for doing away with the caretaker government, they could have gained extra mileage against the election time government, and could have taken part in the elections. There was genuine possibility of BNP winning this election. It would have been impossible for AL to rig the election with the BNP as a major shareholder of the government and under the close watch of the international community. But BNP decided to forego this opportunity of being part of this historic democratic advancement, and having a serious shot at fulfilling their desire of coming back to power. That is BNPs loss, ALs gain. Politically AL has achieved exactly what it hoped for. AL in power is the best option at this time because between the two major parties, it has a much better vision and plan of execution for Bangladesh. AL now has the opportunity to show the nation that it cares. It must now be mindful of taking care of a few important things, among others, including: Strengthening all democratic institutions, especially the Election Commission, so that they can function independently and beyond doubt. Completion of all the high profile war crimes cases within the shortest possible time. Execution of pending agreements with India. Checking corruption within its government and party. Completion of a few major development and power projects. AL must work under the assumption that it is not likely to get elected again, and the time to deliver starts to run out as soon as they assume power. l Nisar Ahmed is a freelance contributor.
AL in power is the best option at this time because between the two major parties, it has a much better vision and plan of execution for Bangladesh
egotism before lobbying through their foreign friends. On the question of overall development of the country, the AL government has made significant progress in increasing power generation, increasing agriculture output, reforming education (K 12), developing infrastructure, increasing foreign currency reserves, and many other sectors. Since AL came to power in 2009, Bangladesh has seen gradual decline in load shedding. If we can leave aside the debate over the environmental issues surrounding the Rampal coal-fired power plant, the AL government has, for the first time, come up with a concrete plan for genocratic processes are way too inferior to those of Bangladesh. But those countries do not adopt a caretaker or any special form of poll time government. Caretaker or any poll time government that does not represent the people, is a very weak and dangerous form of government. How can we trust a non-representative government more than a government of elected representatives? Is our experience with caretaker government process very clean? The experience with the most recent caretaker government of Fakhruddin-Moinul has arguably left a long-lasting bitter taste in everyones mouth. Hasina, Khaleda, and most importantly, the democracy
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n AFP, Kiev
A Ukrainian government minister on Monday warned protesters that a state of emergency could be imposed to deal with the countrys deadly crisis, after radicals seized the justice ministry in Kiev. The storming of the justice ministry threatened to derail talks between the opposition and President Viktor Yanukovych to find a peaceful outcome to a boiling standoff that according to officials has left three activists dead. The Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday was due to meet to discuss concessions proposed by Yanukovych to end the crisis, in a highly anticipated extraordinary session that could be a make-or-break moment to resolve the standoff. With concern growing in the West that the situation in Ukraine is spiralling out of control, the crisis was also set to dominate an EU Russia summit on Tuesday. The protests, which began in November as a drive for EU integration after Yanukovych ditched a key deal with the bloc under Russian pressure, have now turned into an all out uprising to unseat him. Tensions remained high in Kiev as several dozen radical protesters from a group named Spilna Sprava (The Right Deed) seized control of the justice ministry late Sunday, smashing windows and erecting new barricades outside.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
International
Anti-government protesters gather around a fire to get warm at a road block in Kiev Justice Minister Olena Lukash, who is taking part in the negotiations, said she would ask for the talks to be broken off if the building was not freed. I will be forced to ask the president of Ukraine to stop the talks if the building is not freed immediately and negotiators are not given a chance to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, Lukash told Ukraines Inter channel. If the protesters do not vacate the building, Lukash said she would also
AFP
approach Ukraines national security council with a demand to discuss imposing a state of emergency in this country. The Interfax-Ukraine news agency said opposition leader and former box-
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a special address at the World Economic Forum in Davos AFP
US carries out air strike in Somalia targeting militant suspect n Reuters, Washington
The US military carried out a missile strike in Somalia on Sunday targeting a suspected militant leader with ties to al Qaeda and al Shabaab, a US military official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. The strike took place in southern Somalia, the official said, without offering further information, including the identity of the suspect or whether the strike was believed to have been successful. Another US official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation took place in a remote area near Barawe, Somalia. Barawe, a militant stronghold on Somalias southern coast, was the site of a failed raid by American commandos in October targeting a militant known as Ikrima. The US forces pulled out after a gun battle without capturing Ikrima, described as a planner and operator who has relentlessly plotted attacks on neighbouring Kenya. Al Shabaab has been weakened by African Union troops over the past two years, ushering in some stability in many parts of the Horn of Africa country after a campaign of cross-border raids and kidnappings of Westerners and security forces. l
Senegalese music icon Youssou NDour works in the studio in Dakar, as he records a song dedicated to peace in Central African Republic. NDour, a Muslim, collaborated with Central African singer Lydie Natacha Cerbonney AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
International
n AFP, Tokyo
Chinese ships sailed through disputed waters off Tokyo-controlled islands on Monday, days after Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe caused an international stir by comparing Sino-Japanese relations with the run-up to World War One. Three Chinese coastguard vessels spent around two hours in the 12-nautical-mile territorial waters off one of the Senkakus, which China claims and calls the Diaoyus, Japans coastguard said. It came as Abe was in New Delhi, where he and Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh affirmed plans to strengthen defence cooperation, including conducting joint maritime exercises on a regular basis with increased frequency. His three-day visit to India is being keenly watched by China, analysts say. Beijing is sometimes uneasy about
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Goodnight, humans: Chinas Jade Rabbit moon rover posting n AFP, Beijing
Chinese Internet users flooded the countrys social media networks on Monday with condolences for the troubled Jade Rabbit moon rover, which experienced a mechanical control abnormality over the weekend. State-run media reported on Saturday that the countrys first moon rover had run into trouble due to the complicated lunar surface environment. By Monday afternoon, Jade Rabbit lunar rover had shot to the top of the most-searched terms list on Sina Weibo, a Chinese version of Twitter. Little bunny, were praying for you! one Web user wrote. In space exploration, theres great beauty, but theres also great difficulty, another user wrote. I hope one day you will be resurrected. The Jade Rabbit, or Yutu in Chinese, was deployed on the moons surface on December 15, several hours after the Change-3 probe landed. The landing -- the third such soft-landing in history, and the first of its kind since the Soviet Unions mission nearly four decades ago -has been a huge source of pride in China, where millions across the country have been charting the rovers accomplishments. The official Xinhua news agency, which broke the news of the Jade Rabbits troubles, published a first-person account from the rover that appeared geared towards softening the blow. The account appears to have been based on a posting by weibo user Jade Rabbit Lunar Rover, an unverified account which Xinhua said is believed to belong to space enthusiasts who have been following Yutus journey to the moon. The bad news is, I was supposed to go to sleep this morning, but before I went to sleep, my masters found some mechanical control abnormalities, the first-person posting reads. Some parts of my body wont listen to their commands. Now my masters are hard at work thinking of ways to fix me... Even so, I know that its possible I wont be able to endure this night. l
Thai election body urges vote Four more China delay, army stays neutral
n Reuters, Bangkok
Thailands Election Commission urged a delay in next weeks planned national vote, warning on Monday of more bloodshed after violent clashes at the weekend. That would drag out a festering crisis that risks splitting the country. The military, which has often stepped in to take control in the past, is resolutely staying out of the fray this time, despite appeals from anti-government protesters. As election officials, it is our job to make sure elections are successful, but we also need to make sure the country is peaceful enough to hold the election, Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, an Election Commission member, told Reuters. We dont want it to be bloody. The commission will meet embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Tuesday to discuss the vote date. With protests aimed at toppling Yingluck now in their third month, there has been repeated speculation that the armed forces might try a repeat of the 18 actual and attempted coups they have mounted in 80 years of on-off democracy in Southeast Asias second biggest economy. But in comments to reporters, armed forces supreme commander, Thanasak Patimapakorn, refused to be drawn on whether elections should be postponed. The Election Commission and the government will meet to discuss this tomorrow. Soldiers will not be able to say much more than this, he said. However, the military in recent weeks has also refused to rule out intervention. The Election Commission says the months of protests render the country too unstable to go to the polls on February 2. That argument was bolstered by the shooting on Sunday in Bangkok of a protest leader, taking to 10 the death toll since the protests started in November. The protests, centred on the capital, have broad support among Bangkoks middle class and the traditional elite. They are pitted against the mostly rural, and much larger, voting block in the countrys north made up of so-called red shirt supporters of Yingluck and her ex-premier brother Thaksin Shinawatra, forced out of office by a military coup in 2006. Thaksin lives in self-imposed exile to escape a 2008 jail sentence for corruption. l
REUTERS
activists on trial
n AFP, Beijing
Four members of a Chinese rights movement went on trial Monday, a day after its founder was jailed in what has been seen as an escalating government crackdown on anti-corruption activists. The proceedings bring the total number of New Citizens Movement members tried on charges of disrupting public order to 10, seven of them since last Wednesday in Beijing. The criminal charges are based on small-scale street protests where the activists held banners calling for officials to disclose their assets as a check against corruption. Chinas new leadership under Presi-
dent Xi Jinping says it is tackling graft, but fears any organised movement might undermine the control of the ruling Communist Party. At least 20 members of the group, which is estimated to involve a few hundred people, have been detained over the past year. At Mondays trials three of the activists, Ding Jiaxi, Li Wei, and Zhang Baocheng dismissed their lawyers, the attorneys told AFP, in a move previous activists have used to delay proceedings for 15 days. One of Zhangs lawyers, Chen Jiangang, said that the case of a fourth defendant, Yuan Dong, was still being heard late Monday. Yuans lawyer could not be reached. l
Malaysia church hit with Cambodian police break up rally bombs amid Allah row pressing for TV station
n AFP, Kuala Lumpur
Two petrol bombs were thrown at a Malaysian church Monday, a church official said, igniting fears of more violence as a religious dispute over the use of the word Allah rages. An unidentified assailant hurled the petrol bombs at a shrine fronting the Church of the Assumption in the northern state of Penang, said the churchs priest Dominic Santhiyagu. Only one ignited, causing just minor damage, he said. gating the attack. Police could not immediately be reached for comment. Conservative Muslims have raised pressure in recent weeks for Malay-speaking Christians to stop using the word Allah. They say the word -- which also is used by Malay Muslims to refer to the Islamic creator -- is exclusive to their religion and must not be used by non-Muslims in multi-racial Malaysia. Muslim ethnic Malays make up more than 60% of the countrys 28 million people, which also includes sizeable Chinese, Indian and other minorities. About 2.6 million people in Malaysia are Christians. Earlier on Sunday, officials at the Penang church had found a banner hung on its fence saying Jesus is the son of Allah. Another such banner also was reportedly found at a nearby church. Christian officials speculated the banners and petrol bombs could be the work of provocateurs seeking to further inflame the Allah dispute. Some government critics have alleged right-wing elements allied to the Malay-dominated ruling coalition were stirring up the issue to increase Muslim support for the government. We look to the relevant authorities to take the necessary action to haul in extremists who thrive on causing unrest, said Hermen Shastri, general secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia. l
We look to the relevant authorities to take the necessary action to haul in extremists who thrive on causing unrest
But the incident stirred memories of a wave of such attacks on places of worship -- mostly churches -- four years ago during an earlier bout of divisions over the dispute in the Muslim-majority country. We are shocked by the incident. We must remain calm and pray, Santhiyagu told AFP. Santhiyagu said police were investi-
REUTERS
who is enduring one of the biggest challenges to his 28-year rule and mounting criticism of bloody crackdowns on dissent. Military police and guards working for Phnom Penh city authorities chased down opposition-aligned protesters near the Information Ministry, with police wielding batons and electric prods. Journalists were among the wounded, according to Reuters witnesses. The protest was against the minis-
trys refusal to grant a broadcast license to a new television channel run by a staunch government critic in a country where the broadcast media is accused of lacking political independence. The violence was the latest episode in a months-long political crisis in Cambodia, which was for years racked by conflict but which recently saw more than a decade of unprecedented growth and stability. l
Police say a tourist boat that capsized offIndiasremote Andaman and Nicobar islands was overcrowded and may have hit a rock before it went down. At least 21 people were killed. Mohammed Rafique, the duty officer in Port Blair, said Monday that the boat capsized about 300 feet (100 yards) from shore Sunday afternoon. He said the investigation so far suggests the boat hit a rock. Forty-seven people were on board, all of them Indian tourists. The passengers exceeded the boats capacity, Rafique said. He had no further details. Indias president released a statement expressing shock and grief over the accident. l
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Editorial
LETTER OF THE DAY
Letters to
the Editor
he proposed formation of a special tribunal to speed up prosecution of those involved in attacks on minority communities is a necessary move. Crimes based on communal hate have no place in our society and should not be tolerated. We hope this proposal can help provide timely justice for the victims and deter future attacks. The Sector Commanders Forum and the National Human Rights Commission have been discussing other proposals with the same aim. Many of their recommendations such as a judicial probe committee to help identify perpetrators and ensure compensation for victims warrant action and implementation. We are concerned however by remarks made in press conferences that there may be a need for separate polling stations for minorities. That type of distinction would be wrong in principle as it undermines the concept of equal citizenship. Such suggestions should be dismissed as counterproductive. The problem that needs to be solved is ensuring that all citizens are protected from violence and allowed to cast their votes safely. Separate polling stations are no solution as they could just as easily become targets. The most pressing priority must always be to ensure that perpetrators of violence and hate are swiftly apprehended and brought before the law. Distinguishing between voters based on religion only risks solidifying divisions that can be used to fan the flames of communal hatred. In protecting every citizen of the land, care must always be taken to avoid divisive policies.
The most pressing priority must be to ensure that perpetrators of violence are swiftly brought before the law
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It is right to give priority to helping those in the most vulnerable positions. All stakeholders must act to further raise standards
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ACROSS 1 Hindu Mendicant (5) 4 Finest quality (4) 7 Incentive (6) 8 Small fish (5) 10 Cult (4) 11 Adult insect (5) 12 Self (3) 14 Secluded corner (4) 17 Rodents (4) 19 Land measure (3) 20 Zodiac sign (5) 23 Young horse (4) 25 Glossy fabric (5) 26 Kingdoms (6) 27 Blood vessel (4) 28 Play for time (5) DOWN 1 Promote (6) 2 Muslim leader (4) 3 Roster (4) 4 Buffalo (American) (5) 5 First woman (3) 6 Length of army front (6) 9 Uprising (4) 13 In abundance (6) 15 Kiln for drying hops (4) 16 Doghouse (6) 18 Devil (5) 21 Doctrines (4) 22 Direction (4) 24 Hawaiian garland (3)
SUDOKU
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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
Lets be specific. Since the last national polls, the political atmosphere has cooled down
Minorities beware
n Ikhtisad Ahmed
avid Cameron reached out to the Tory base by pledging to reduce net migration to Britain to the tens of thousands, disregarding the fact that what is needed is a smarter immigration policy, not one that focuses on numbers. Then again, it would be wrong to expect more from a government whose employment and fiscal policies are detached from reality as well, with numbers that are easy to sell being of prime importance. The immigration issue has thrown up an unsavoury problem. The UK, undoubtedly affected by the premiers promise, is yet to take in any Syrian refugees. That a government that was determined to intervene forcefully to save the Syrian people is now reluctant to help them is sickening. This is the nature of politics. Syrians do not vote for UK politicians, Conservative supporters do. The voters cannot be trusted to tell the difference between a villainous asylum seeker with a spurious case and a displaced Syrian at the end of his tether. Real humanitarian aid in the form of humanitarian admission, and human rights, thus, take a back seat to ill-thought, illogical policies, and promises. A team from the University of Kents Law School have swum against the tide. They have successfully argued atheism as grounds for protection. Much to Theresa Mays chagrin, an Afghan was granted
asylum for religious reasons as a result, in a landmark case that could prove to set a timely and significant precedent. The West, led from the front by the US and the UK, have carefully nurtured a foreign policy with an emphasis on intolerance, particularly of the religious variety. If they are going to actively cultivate hatred, they should take responsibility of those affected by the fallout from that. The US has desperately, sinfully, failed to do so, and this exception, while commendable, does not completely absolve the UK.
perpetrators of the heinous crimes are conspicuous in their absence. Despite the murderers of Biswajit Das being card carrying members of the ruling party, the implication is that attacks on minorities are carried out by the BNP Jamaat axis of evil. This national narrative, believable and likely to be true, has become an incontrovertible truth. The picture being painted, however, is a cosmetic one, its superficiality aiding and abetting the deplorable actions. There is a lot being said, but nothing that is being done. The
The law of any land confirms one undeniable principle: The termination, torture, or humiliation of any person is wrong
Britain has at least rightly gone where Bangladesh dares not. There are those amongst the educated and elite classes who accept and advocate the proposition that atheists are not human beings. They can die, indeed, they can actively be put to death, and it would matter naught. An extension of this, alarmingly, seems to be the treatment of Hindus. It has correctly been denounced in the sternest terms, but active measures taken against
omissions serve a purpose, as do the hollow words. There is a correlation between the loud noises being made about the epidemic of the unspeakable violence and the national narrative. The lack of investigations and calls for them, of holding the authorities and the government accountable for failing in their sworn duty to protect the citizens and bringing those responsible to justice add to it. The silence of actions speaks louder
than the words, condoning these crimes. The law of any land and the personal beliefs of any individual confirm one undeniable principle: The termination, torture, or humiliation of any person is wrong. There are no caveats as to the class or creed of the victim. Failing to act in the face of this is a denial of this sacred tenet of human existence. There is a clear political benefit to be had of the trials and tribulations of religious minorities, but none from putting an end to it all. Deriving this political profit, from the continued sufferings of innocent Bangladeshis, is a grave sin. The complicity of the rest of the supposedly sympathetic citizens, the media, and the authorities in allowing this charade to continue is distasteful, unconscionable. There will be no accountability, though. The tired clichs will keep rolling for as long as there is mileage in them. The irrefutable national narrative will be further solidified. Once there are no more Hindus to murder, assault, and rape, no more stories about these to print, no more compassion and outrage to be feigned, another group will be sacrificed to fight the enemy, then another. Cameron and May will consider themselves fortunate: They will not be in power by the time the Bangladeshi atheists start banging on their doors. l Ikhtisad Ahmed is a writer and an erstwhile lawyer. He can be contacted on Twitter via @ Ikhtisad.
From olden times, politics has taken various shades. Scores of definitions and observations have been put forward by thinkers and scholars of different times and places. We remember with reverence those great minds that spoke and advocated only for the welfare of the people. Politics was once so pure that it was looked upon as something divine. Divinity touched the souls and psyche of those who forgot to exist for themselves, only to spend their lives for others. They were unperturbed by worldly needs. Times have changed, and so has politics. Its definition, application, and preferences have undergone a sea of change. It has transformed into something abstract. With the rise of greed, the divinity in politics has vanished. Diplomacy in the open is politics, and politics in secret is diplomacy. Whatever we make of this observation, both our politics and diplomacy have been victims of twisted minds who labour relentlessly to fashion their own domain of regulations. Winston Churchill said if you have ten thousand regulations, you destroy all respect for the law. Theories, opinions, laws, and doctrines have been given uglyconnotations. The distortion has gone to such an extent, that we barely find synonyms for those words. We are lost in the boondocks. We dont enjoy the luxury to chat about others, mainly because we have been tasked by our leaders with the precipitous mission of decoding our own theories, systems, and doctrines. We go crazy trying to comprehend them. We look for the inventive or underlying meaning of disjointed expressions, or try to gauge the wits of the influentials, all without success. Lets be specific. Since the last national polls, the political atmosphere has cooled down. There has been an uneasy calm all around, although the unrest that spread across
The ruling party, could have pursued a changed policy of tolerance and amicability
By now, people have started believing religiously that the AL-led alliance will go on pestering and dishing out insults to the opposition, so that they do not show any interest in constructive engagement with the government on any issue. This is a ploy that most feel is not a good omen for the nation. Politics is severely bashed up. Democracy hangs from a twig, ready to fall anytime. l Mohammad Ali Sattar is a journalist, political analyst, and DT columnist.
No foreignersneeded
T
n Shahin Islam
he BNP has made a mistake! The BNP has missed the election train! Khaleda Zia must repent now! I keep hearing versions of this argument from various quarters, including individuals in whom I have a great deal of faith and whose judgment I usually regard as sound. What would have happened had BNP participated, and hypothetically, won the election? Would Sheikh Hasina have handed over power to Khaleda Zia and meekly left Ganabhaban? I can tell you that Sheikh Hasina will not hand over power. It can only happen over our dead bodies was Mr Wazedspeakingonly in the context of coups, or was it a general statement, encompassing all foreseeable future possibilities? Bangladesh is a country of double standards where the horrific and murderous attacks on our Hindu communities happened while the Awami League was in power, following an AL victory, with Sheikh Hasina herself handling the Home Ministry. This is still somehow all evidence ofBNP Jamaats diabolical nature. If the hypothetical victory had actually happened, we would immediately have seen an outcry, and a plausible excuse not to hand over power to the BNP. In the double standards version of Bangladeshs history, the 2001 atrocities happened, and then this years post-election attacks happened. Nothing happened in the middle: No Ramu, no Satkhira, no Hathajari. Just like Bangladesh was enjoying a blissful, goldenperiod of electoral democracy when a group of majors suddenly went mad and killed Sheikh Mujib, and then bad things, like martial law, started to happen. If the BNP had agreed to participate in this electionwithout any changes to the government, the Election Commission, the rules of business, and so forth, let alone what the result of the elections were, a new chapter would have been added to this strange history of Bangladesh in which elections cannot be held under the BNP, but can be held under the AL. Where 1996 exists, but 1973 is forgotten. Woulda, coulda, shoulda all that is in the past. What happens now? Well,there is some discussion about stability and why growth is more important than democracy Mamun Rashid explicated the phenomenon extremely wellhere. The problem with this line of wishful thinking, of course,is that this isnt 2009 when the AL can start over again. This is 2014, and the AL and Sheikh Hasina have been working with great vigour to dismantle as many bits of the broad coalition that brought her to power in 2008 as possible. She could survive the BDR massacre in 2009, butshe cant handle an eventof comparable magnitude in 2014. In short, she is no Narendra Modi, to be able to offer development if Bangladeshis give up on democracy. And this fact will only become clearer when the actual Narendra Modi, or a proxy, takes over in India ina couple of months. In lieu of a governing mandate, Sheikh Hasina will attempt to govern in her usual fashion by lumbering from crisis to crisis.The first one of her new regime is already here. When I read the allegation (first in a blog, subsequently published in Inqilab), that Indian armed forces members were alleged to havehelpedmurder and otherwise put down opposition activists in different places such as Satkhira, I did not believe it. In fact, I believe that with news reports like these, the people who believe it will believe far worse, and people who dont believe it (hopefully the vast majority) will just shrug and move on. However, if the blog had gone further and said thatafter a curt conversation in a flashing red phone, Manmohan Singh picked up an AK-47, parachuted into Bangladesh,and like Yoda inRevenge of the Sith,single-handedly fought the evil-doers, they should still be within their right as the citizens of a democracy. Or are the quotation marks beginning to overwhelm the word between them? As far as I know, three people have so far been arrested for publishing this article, which is three more people than the number arrested for the attacks in Jessore. Are these heinous attacks really less important than a single newspaper story? And to those in the non-AL camp who believe this for a second, grow up! I realise that this preserves a useful fiction regarding the infallible nature of the armed forces, but delusions can only take you so far. Bangladeshis are very much capable of behaving with complete callousness and lack of morals towards fellow Bangladeshis.
What would have happened had BNP participated, and hypothetically, won the election? Would Sheikh Hasina have handed over power?
Just like there was no need for the board of directors for BCCI to parachute down to Dhaka and overpower our BCB directors so that they would not be able to contemptuously reject the horrible plan now being championed by India. No foreigners needed. Whether this government lasts for five days, or months, or years, it will be because of Bangladeshis, not anyone else. l This article was first published in rumiahmed. wordpress.com.
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Entertainment
n Hasan Mansoor Chatak
With prehistoric flavour and epic charm, Nagorik Natyagans play Pragoitihashik was staged on Sunday evening at the Studio Theatre Hall of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the capital. Based on Manik Bandopadhyayas story on ancient ethnicity of Bengal, Pragoitihasik is an adaption on stage by theatre activist Mahmudul Islam Selim while theatre persona Lucky Enam has directed the play. Lucky Enam said: Directing the play is challenging for me as few people dared to stage the work from Maniks story. I purposefully chose the play to put up as theatrical experiment. The widely acclaimed story is not just a tale of some characters locked under some strange situations, but they present a kind of ancient ethnicity with such vital anthropological implications that it acquires the
SADIA MARIUM
TODAY IN DHAKA
Film
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Thor: The Dark World Pacific Rim in 3D Time: 10am 10pm Star Cineplex, Bashundhara City Gravity-Free World By Artist A Rahman Time: 12pm 8pm Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts, House 42, Road 16 (New) / 27 (old), Dhanmondi Life and Struggle of Padma By Sumon Yusuf Time: 3pm 9pm La Galerie, Alliance Francaise de Dhaka, Dhanmond
Exhibition
Ways of Seeing Time: 12pm 8pm, Bengal Art Lounge, 60 Gulshan Avenue Gulshan 1
On todays episode of Raat Biraate, recitation artiste and host Mahidul Islam will grace show and entertain the audience with untold stories of his life. He will share his aspirations and visit his favourite places with the host of the show. Hosted by poet Asad Chowdhury, the unique street show will air tonight at 11:25pm on Banglavision
Shadhonas experimental production Champaboti, adapted by eminent poetplaywright Syed Shamsul Haq from Jasimuddins classic Beder Meye, was staged at the Experimental Theatre of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on January 26. The recital is an entertaining folk dance presentation drawn from our traditional lathi-khela (a established game), jhumur dance, raibeshe, chhau, mayurbhanj, and kalaripayettu. The incorporation of a wide range of dance disciplines made the show a captivating one which was enjoyed by a houseful audience
SADIA MARIUM
ON TV
MOVIE
7:00pmStar Movies
Jurassic Park
DRAMA
8:30pm Star Plus
Meri Bhabi Nandini
COMEDY
11:30am Z Cafe
The Big Bang Theory
MISC
11:30am Vh1
Birthday Bumps
9:30pmHBO
9:30pm Sony
9:00pm FTV
Fashion Week
Sport
DHAKA TRIBUNE
13
0 4 7
DAYS TO GO
15 I deserved Aussie
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan ponders what went wrong after his dismissal in the 1st Test against Sri Lanka at the SBNS yesterday
MUMIT M
as replays suggested that he had edged the ball. The wicket-keeper nonetheless top scored with 61 and Sohag Gazi added 42 useful runs before the Sri Lankans wrapped up the innings. For Sri Lanka, Shaminda Eranga returned his best-ever figures of 4/49, Suranga Lakmal took 3/66 while Rangana Herath chipped in with two wickets. The Sri Lankan openers - Dimuth Karunaratane and Kaushal Silva played out 19 overs before bad light brought the day to an end six overs early. They were untroubled by Bangladeshs trio of pacemen and Mushfiq was forced to bring in the spinners just ten overs into the innings. Sri Lanka ended the day 60/0, 172 runs behind Bangladesh. l
Sri Lanka pacer Shaminda Eranga (C) celebrates the wicket of debutant Bangladeshi opener Shamsur Rahaman (L) during the 1st Test at the SBNS yesterday MUMIT M
14
Bale out of Reals Cup game against Espanyol
n Reuters, Madrid
Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale will miss Tuesdays Kings Cup quarter-final second leg at home to Espanyol due to a problem with his left leg, coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Monday. The Welsh internationals season has been disrupted by several minor injuries since his world record move from Tottenham Hotspur last year and the latest occurred in Saturdays 2-0 La Liga win over Granada at the Bernabeu. Bale took a painful kick to the groin early in the first half and played on until half time before being substituted. Ancelotti said he was unable to train with the rest of his team mates on Monday. He has no problem with his genitals, he has recovered well from that, the Italian joked. But hes not comfortable with his left leg and its affecting his balance a bit. He tried to train but he wasnt comfortable and to avoid putting Sundays game at risk Ill rest him, said Ancelotti referring to the league fixture at fourthplaced Athletic Bilbao. Bale missed several weeks after bruising his left calf in training at the end of last year and was also sidelined by a thigh strain in October. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
RESULTS
Almeria
Zongo 49
10 15
Osasuna
Armenteros 10
Rayo Vallecano
24 30
Atletico Madrid
Barcelona
Malaga
Barcelona's defender Gerard Pique celebrates his goal during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs Malaga CF at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on January 26, 2014 AFP
Spains record scorer David Villa, who joined Atletico from Barca in the close season, set his new club on their way in the eighth minute at Rayos Vallecas stadium in the Madrid suburbs when he struck a first-time shot high into the net from Diego Costas neat layoff. Costa, the second-highest scorer in La Liga this season behind Cristiano Ronaldo, appeared to have netted his 20th of the campaign in the 75th minute but it was ruled an own goal and attributed to Rayo midfielder Saul Niguez. l
FIXTURES
Crystal Palace Liverpool Man United Norwich Southampton Swansea v v v v v v Hull City Everton Cardiff Newcastle Arsenal Fulham
middle of the campaign, but he is excited by the prospect of seeing him in the champions colours. Im a bit surprised because its not something that tends to happen, especially between Premier
League teams, Moyes told MUTV. I was surprised when it happened, but we have got a really exciting player, a player Im looking forward to working with, a player I think everybody in football looked at and says he did a great job for Chelsea. Im looking forward to seeing him in a red jersey and doing it for us. Matas arrival will take some of the attention away from Solskjaers return to his former stomping ground, although the Norwegian has greater concerns as he bids to lift Cardiff off the foot of the table. I looked at it the day I got the job -- when we were playing Man United, said Solskjaer, who spent 11 years at United and scored the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final.
Since then it has been so busy, I havent had time to think about it. But now, my focus is of course on that game. It is a dream. With closest rivals Manchester City and Chelsea not in action until Wednesday, Arsenal could open up a four-point lead at the summit if they prevail at Southampton on Tuesday. Arsene Wengers side cruised into the FA Cup fifth round with a 4-0 defeat of third-tier Coventry City on Friday and are looking to extend a run of five consecutive league victories. Defender Carl Jenkinson says that Arsenals players have drawn confidence from a run of six league games in which they have conceded only two goals since crashing 6-3 at City last month. l
AS Monaco's players enter the field wearing T-shirts showing Colombian striker Radamel Falcao before their French Ligue 1 match against Olympique Marseille at Louis II stadium in Monaco Jon Sunday Falcao was injured playing in a French Cup tie on Wednesday REUTERS
RESULTS
Lyon
Gomis 19, Lacazette 43, 76
30 20 20
Evian TG
Bordeaux Monaco
Saint-Etienne Marseille
RESULTS
Werder Bremen Hamburg
00 03
Braunschweig Schalke
Meanwhile, Eintracht Braunschweig remain bottom of the table after playing out a goalless draw at mid-table Werder Bremen earlier on Sunday. l
For Marseille, meanwhile, the defeat followed a disastrous 5-4 defeat to Nice in the French Cup in midweek and left them down in ninth place in the table. Elsewhere on Sunday, Lyon continued their superb recent form with a 3-0 win over struggling Evian. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
15
60
QUICK BYTES
Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland (L) poses with the 2014 Australian Open winner's trophy on the bank of the Yarra river in Melbourne yesterday following his victory over Rafael Nadal of Spain in the men's singles final of the tennis tournament the day before AFP
visit to the January indoor hardcourt tournament in Pariss plush 16th arrondissement ended in a quarter-final run. Sharapovas Melbourne campaign was just her second event since a shoulder injury ended her 2013 season in August, a setback which also ruled her out of the US Open. I think its a success in terms of that Im back and that Im healthy, she said after her Australian Open exit. Thats quite important otherwise I wouldnt give myself a chance to play. So on that note, I have to look at the positives and see where I have come from in four or five months. I havent played a lot of tennis in those six months. Sharapova gets a first-round bye in Paris before a match-up with Slovak veteran Daniela Hantuchova or Marina Erakovic of New Zealand. l
It was really important, said Mata of the part concerns over an international place played in his move. The Spain squad is really difficult to get into, there are a lot of players fighting for positions to be in the last 23 going to Brazil. I hope this is a great chance for me to keep playing, keep fit and show the manager of the national team I want to be there, I have to be there. l
WTA star Eugenie Bouchard (R) talks to journalists while Chris Evert (C), official WTA Championships ambassador, and Stacey Allaster (L), chairman and CEO of WTA, look on at a press conference announcing the WTA Championships in Singapore yesterday. The WTA Championships will be held in Singapore on October 17 to 26, 2014 and it marks the first time in the history of the championships that a city in Asia-Pacific will host the prestigious event AFP
DAYS WATCH
Sony Six 7:00AM New Zealand v India 4th ODI Ten Action 2:00AM Copa del Rey 2013/14 Quarter-finals, 2nd Leg Real Madrid v Espanyol Star Sports HD1 8:30PM Hockey India League Star Sports 4 1:45AM English Premier League Man United v Cardiff City
COURTESY
16
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
Two more unidentified persons were found dead in the capitals Uttara yesterday
The injured father was taken to a hospital in the area where he succumbed to his injuries. Mostafiz of Pirganj upazila of Rangpur resided in a rented house at Atipara, Dakkhinkhan. Inspector Shamimur Rashid Talukder, officer-in-charge of Dakkhinkhan police station, said Mostafizs wife Hasina Akhter filed a case against seven to eight men, including the detained three. He said they had produced the three in the court and sought five days remand. The police were trying to arrest the other accused in the case.
Begal Tigers Cricket Fan Club forms a human chain in front of the National Press Club yesterday against India, Australia and Englands proposal about Test cricket
RAJIB DHAR
Two more unidentified persons were found dead in the capitals Uttara yesterday. The sliced body of a youth aged around 24 was found on a railway track at Abdullahpur; the body of another aged around 30 was found floating in the Turag River. Police suspect criminals had left the bodies after killing them at night. The sliced body was wearing a lungi and a shirt, said SI Nazrul Islam of General Railway Police. The other body also bore injury marks. l
ACC probes 500 fold wealth growth of Coxs Bazar MP n Abu Bakar Siddique n Tribune Report
An official from the Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday arrived in Coxs Bazar to collect documents and information related to the inquiry against Awami League lawmaker from Coxs Bazar 4 constituency Abdur Rahman Bodi. Ahsan Ali, an ACC deputy director and probe officer of the inquiry, will visit administrative offices to collect documents related to the MPs wealth, as well as information from internal sources, an official of the commission told the Dhaka Tribune. The ACC on January 22 initiated an inquiry against seven ruling party lawmakers, including two former ministers, a state minister and four MPs, in a bid to trace the sources of their phenomenal rise in wealth. After the Election Commission published the wealth statements submitted by candidates last month ahead of the 10th parliamentary polls, the media reported large discrepancies between the information they had provided and their previous submissions for the ninth general election in 2008. Following news reports of huge increases in the fortunes of several prominent Awami League men and their family members over the past five years, the ACC started collecting newspaper clippings and analysing the relevant documents, ACC officials said. Coxs Bazar MP Bodis earnings rose astronomically, increasing by more than 500 times over the past five years. The lawmaker and his wifes annual income was only Tk3.01 lakh in 2008, but rose to Tk15.46 crore in 2013, according to his affidavits placed at the EC. His annual income from house rent which was Tk1.76 lakh in 2008 increased 118 times to become Tk2.08 crore in 2013. Although he had no business investments in 2008, the lawmaker now earned Tk53 lakh from businesses. From shares and bank interests, Abdur Rahman used to earn less than a lakh taka in 2008, but made over Tk8 crore in 2013. l
Students cannot be forced to queue up on streets, but on school premises, says ministry
n Tribune Report
The primary and mass education ministry yesterday issued a circular asking the authorities concerned not to force primary schoolchildren to queue on the roads to welcome public representatives. Legal action would be taken against those repeating such practice in future. This is in no way acceptable, said the circular. The move was made after newspapers reported on schoolchildren in different parts of the country being forced to queue under the sun to welcome the newly-elected public representatives and ministers. The issue triggered severe criticism from the masses. Primary school children cannot be forced to queue on the roads to receive public representatives, the circular said. It has come to the ministrys notice that reception has been given to public representatives, eminent citizens and high officials when they go to visit different districts, upazilas and places through the queues of primary schoolchildren on the roads after stopping academic activities in the schools. It said academic activities of the school would be hampered if the children were forced to queue up under the open sky, and it also put pressure on the childrens physical and mental stature. The circular issued a warning that if such things happened again in future, legal action would be taken against the headmaster and the managing committee members of the school concerned. Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid urged the authorities concerned not to force schoolchildren to queue on the roads to welcome eminent persons. He, however, said the educational institutions might arrange programmes to greet honourable guests on the school premises. l
Acting on petitions, the High Court last year directed the government to stop stone extraction and declare the JaflongDawki River as an ECA
Sultan Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune that they had already received the related information from the field office which was necessary to take the measure. Terming the governments initiative important, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, ex-
Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207. Phone: 9132093 94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com
Business
B4 Stock renance
It unveils monetary policy for H2 FY14 with a private credit growth target of 16.5% to stimulate domestic investment
'Most of the big businessmen are the owners of the banks. So some profits go through the bench'
In order to fill the gaps in the financial landscape, BB intends to facilitate the role of private equity or venture capital sources of finance. Deputy Governor SK Sur Chowdhury said the central bank will ask the banks to take necessary measures so the big borrowers go to capital market for financing their projects.
factory owners got the memberships from BGMEA and BKMEA. A total of 139 factory owners took membership from BGMEA, while BKMEA provided
membership to 53 factory owners in the year 2013. Currently, the BGMEA membership number rose to 5674, while the memberships of BKMEA rose to 1931.
B2
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Stock
DSE GAINERS Company
Closing (% change) 9.72 6.40 5.88 5.81 5.47 5.29 4.05 3.94 3.66 3.55
Aziz PipesZ National Tubes -A Alltex Industries -Z Eastern Bank - A Rahim Textile -A GPH Ispat Ltd-A Quasem Drycells -A Southeast Bank-A Barakatullah E. D.-A N C C Bank -A CSE GAINERS Company Imam Button -Z Aziz PipesZ Republic Insu.-A Eastern Bank - A Quasem Drycells -A Nitol Insurance -A Southeast Bank-A Al Arafa Islami B A National Bank - B Alltex Industries -Z
Average (% change) 9.79 2.21 3.43 5.32 4.20 4.11 1.71 4.01 3.00 2.79 Average (% change) 5.24 8.89 6.66 3.83 3.33 5.29 4.24 2.60 3.75 2.30
Closing average 23.43 107.01 8.75 32.46 248.56 55.18 45.08 21.00 36.43 14.37
Closing 23.70 108.10 9.00 32.80 252.60 55.70 46.20 21.10 36.80 14.60
Daily high 23.70 110.90 9.00 33.40 257.00 56.20 46.90 21.70 38.00 15.00
Daily low 22.40 93.00 8.10 27.90 238.00 50.00 40.00 18.30 32.00 13.00
Turnover in million 0.929 31.963 1.615 19.079 2.933 61.950 96.811 103.220 146.163 42.617
Latest EPS 0.59 2.26 -1.56 2.27 1.52 2.42 2.04 2.24 2.08 0.67
Latest PE 39.7 47.3 -ve 14.3 163.5 22.8 22.1 9.4 17.5 21.4
Closing (% change) 10.00 9.63 6.54 5.79 5.69 5.35 4.90 3.81 3.60 3.45
Closing average 9.85 23.65 52.08 32.29 45.87 37.41 21.15 21.34 14.10 8.91
Closing 9.90 23.90 52.10 32.90 46.40 37.40 21.40 21.80 14.40 9.00
Daily high 9.90 23.90 53.40 33.00 47.00 37.50 21.80 21.90 14.60 9.00
Daily low 9.80 22.90 48.80 30.00 43.70 37.10 20.00 20.60 13.50 8.50
Turnover in million 0.010 0.456 1.198 0.723 4.304 0.224 7.670 6.011 30.777 0.245
Latest EPS -2.20 0.59 3.03 2.27 2.04 2.75 2.24 2.09 -3.63 -1.56
Latest PE -ve 40.1 17.2 14.2 22.5 13.6 9.4 10.2 -ve -ve
(-) 0.14% (-) 0.79% (-) 0.28% (-) 0.07% (-) 0.18%
Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis) Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis) Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.) Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)
Turnover in million 36.788 43.864 0.545 2.394 0.153 6.589 24.838 14.696 0.274 5.965 Latest EPS 2.50 1.00 5.25 2.30 46.69 4.16 2.38 2.64 63.48 0.60
Average (% change) -8.12 -6.28 -6.30 -5.09 -5.99 -3.06 -4.02 -0.62 -5.00 -2.88 Average (% change) -9.07 -6.99 -5.09 -4.99 -1.42 -1.41 -4.99 -4.94 -3.69 -4.74
Closing average 66.05 24.17 330.30 140.59 1020.00 23.45 217.74 44.60 274.00 6.08
Closing 66.00 23.40 327.40 139.50 1020.60 22.90 211.40 44.00 274.30 6.00
Daily high 68.80 25.40 353.90 146.00 1023.00 23.90 229.20 47.70 275.00 6.20
Daily low 66.00 23.00 325.20 138.70 1017.00 22.80 208.00 42.00 273.50 6.00
Latest PE 26.4 24.2 62.9 61.1 21.8 5.6 91.5 16.9 4.3 10.1
Closing average 66.33 24.08 27.39 699.75 45.08 105.00 119.08 7.70 219.07 167.14
Closing 66.30 23.40 27.40 710.00 44.00 101.00 119.10 7.70 211.10 165.40
Daily high 67.00 24.60 27.40 710.00 46.90 109.00 120.80 7.70 225.00 171.60
Daily low 66.30 23.20 26.50 694.00 43.70 101.00 116.80 7.70 210.30 164.10
Turnover in million 7.150 2.577 0.111 0.280 1.691 0.210 0.774 0.035 6.463 1.688
Latest EPS 2.50 1.00 1.49 -4.06 2.64 3.03 9.21 1.24 2.38 6.28
Latest PE 26.5 24.1 18.4 -ve 17.1 34.7 12.9 6.2 92.0 26.6
with effect from January 28, 2014. Other things (except name and trading code) will remain unchanged. OLYMPIC: The Board of Directors of DSE has approved the sector change of Olympic Industries Ltd. from "Engineering" to "Food and Allied" with effect from January 28, 2014. Other things (except sector) will remain unchanged. 1STPRIMFMF: As per regulation 30 of DSE Listing Regulations, ICB Asset Management Company Limited has informed that a Trustee meeting of the Fund will be held on January 29, 2014 at 3:00 PM to consider, among others, audited financial statements of the fund for the year ended on December 31, 2013. DESHBANDHU: The Company has informed that it has credited the bonus shares for the year ended on June 30, 2013 to the respective shareholders' BO Accounts on January 19, 2014. The amount from sales proceeds of fractional bonus shares have been credited on January 26, 2014 to the bank accounts of shareholders mentioned in the respective BO accounts through Bangladesh Electronic Fund Transfer Network (BEFTN). RIGHT SHARE: ARAMITCEM: Subscription 23.03.2014 to 17.04.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 09.01.2014. RUPALILIFE- Subscription 06.04.2014 to 05.05.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 16.01.2014. BRACBANK: Subscription 20.04.2014 to 15.05.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 10.02.2014.
ANALYST
Profit booking, particularly in large cap stocks, checked DSEX from rising further, putting a halt to 4-session long gaining streak of 200 points
CSE Total
DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company UCBL - A Meghna Petroleum -A Padma Oil Co. -A Barakatullah E. D.-A LankaBangla Fin. -A Square Pharma -A Olympic Ind. -A Delta Life Insu. -A Southeast Bank-A UNITED AIR A
DSE Million Taka 1388.29 491.49 232.51 733.52 205.16 1078.67 2.84 740.96 478.52 1.25 35.60 67.91 44.39 298.75 65.81 269.19 254.08 102.05 142.66 88.30 0.28
% change 20.65 7.31 3.46 10.91 3.05 16.05 0.04 11.02 7.12 0.02 0.53 1.01 0.66 4.44 0.98 4.00 3.78 1.52 2.12 1.31 0.00
Million Taka 168.88 43.90 13.91 81.01 23.32 66.64 84.32 35.88 0.16 5.00 6.83 3.72 20.38 8.60 10.45 16.29 13.03 17.49 17.81 0.01
% change 26.49 6.88 2.18 12.70 3.66 10.45 0.00 13.22 5.63 0.02 0.78 1.07 0.58 3.20 1.35 1.64 2.55 2.04 2.74 2.79 0.00
Million Taka 1557.17 535.39 246.41 814.53 228.48 1145.31 2.84 825.29 514.40 1.41 40.60 74.73 48.11 319.14 74.40 279.64 270.37 115.09 160.16 106.12 0.29
% change 21.16 7.27 3.35 11.07 3.10 15.56 0.04 11.21 6.99 0.02 0.55 1.02 0.65 4.34 1.01 3.80 3.67 1.56 2.18 1.44 0.00
Al Arafa Islami B A S Purbanchol Power-N National Bank - B Quasem Drycells -A Saiham Tex.A Brac Bank -A
CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company UCBL - A National Bank - B Appollo Ispat CL -N Mozaffar H.Spinning-N UNITED AIR A Barakatullah E. D.-A City Bank - A Padma Oil Co. -A Mercantile Bank -A Grameenphone-A
Volume shares 7,882,174 954,732 577,049 4,011,767 1,758,674 535,519 689,059 400,250 4,915,999 5,761,134
Value in million 248.81 242.28 194.93 146.16 138.95 126.25 123.11 105.22 103.22 101.33
% of total turnover 3.70 3.60 2.90 2.17 2.07 1.88 1.83 1.57 1.54 1.51
Daily closing 31.50 252.20 334.70 36.80 78.50 235.50 178.70 261.20 21.10 17.60
Price change -0.63 -1.33 -1.70 3.66 -0.38 -0.67 -0.39 -1.69 3.94 0.00
Daily opening 31.70 255.60 340.50 35.50 78.80 237.10 179.40 265.70 20.30 17.60
Daily high 33.00 258.00 346.60 38.00 79.50 240.00 188.00 265.90 21.70 18.40
Daily low 29.00 250.00 330.00 32.00 71.00 217.00 168.00 260.20 18.30 15.90
Daily average 31.57 253.77 337.81 36.43 79.01 235.75 178.66 262.88 21.00 17.59
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
Volume shares 1,011,040 2,183,247 766,000 410,500 871,317 357,144 578,753 31,200 559,674 44,200
Value in million 31.81 30.78 27.88 16.71 15.38 13.06 12.54 10.56 10.42 9.47
% of total turnover 4.99 4.83 4.37 2.62 2.41 2.05 1.97 1.66 1.64 1.49
Daily closing 31.60 14.40 36.20 40.20 17.60 36.90 22.00 335.80 18.80 213.90
Price change -0.94 3.60 -0.82 -2.66 0.00 3.07 3.29 -1.41 2.73 -0.65
Daily opening 31.90 13.90 36.50 41.30 17.60 35.80 21.30 340.60 18.30 215.30
Daily high 32.20 14.60 36.70 41.80 17.90 37.10 22.20 344.00 19.10 216.00
Daily low 30.80 13.50 36.10 39.90 17.50 35.30 20.80 333.70 17.90 213.60
Daily average 31.46 14.10 36.39 40.71 17.65 36.58 21.66 338.38 18.62 214.35
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
B3
UCBL emerges as most traded stock at DSE India cuts spectrum fee
Bank stocks make up one-fifth of trade has increased by almost Tk40.5 crore n Tribune Business Desk during the third quarter of 2013 from
United Commercial Bank Limited (UCBL) was the most traded stock at Dhaka Stock Exchange yesterday, making a trade value close to Tk25 crore or 3.7% of the total turnover at the bourse. The stock price closed at Tk31.5 each close to its yearly high of Tk31.7. The price fluctuated between Tk30.7 and Tk32.4 each during the last trading session. The bank reported an audited profit of Tk46.8 crore after tax during the third quarter ended in September 2013 against Tk9.47 crore during the same period of 2012. The profit rose due to higher interest income of the bank during the period. The interest income of the bank
the same period of 2012. A banks revenue is generated by the interest it receives from the loan given out. The loans and advances of UCBL stood at Tk13,607 crore at the end of December 2012 while it increased to Tk14,730 crore at the end of September 2013. In turn the bank made a higher interest income during the first nine months of last year, increasing its nine months profit to Tk152.8 crore after tax against Tk72.4 crore during the same period of 2012. The banking sector yesterday contributed a surprising 20.77% of the total turnover at the bourse, pushing the sectorial index by 1.13%. l
Malaysian ringgit bank notes of different denominations are seen in this picture illustration taken in Kuala Lumpur
REUTERS
Bata Bangladesh recently organised a road show at its Dhamrai factory at Savar in Dhaka. Head of non-retail sales at Bata Shoe Company Bangladesh, Ruhul Amin Molla led the event Apex recently launched an exclusive retail outlet at Shodid Rafiq Shorok in Manikganj. SAM. Yousuf, executive director of the company unveiled the outlet
Karnafuly Ship Builders Limited recently mandated IDLC Finance Limited as lead arranger and agent for arranging a term loan finance of $105m to set up a dry dock project in Chittagong. Engineer MA Rashid, managing director of Karnafuly Ship Builders Limited and Selim RF Hussain, CEO and managing director of IDLC Finance Limited signed the term on behalf of their respective organisations
Bangladesh Commerce Bank Limited held its annual business conference for the on-going year on Sunday at UTC convention hall in Dhaka. The CEO and managing director Abu Sadek Md Sohel presided over the meeting while Md Yousuf Ali Howlader, chairperson of the banks board of directors was also present as chief guest
Banglalink held several distribution events for donating warm clothing and blankets to under-privileged people between Jan 13 and 15. A number of Banglalink staff and high officials, including PR and communication associate manager, Iftekhar Azam Shafin were present at the programme
Midland Bank Limited recently organised a training programme on internet banking operation and administration at its head office. The banks managing director and CEO AKM Shahidul Haque inaugurated the programme along with deputy managing director Khondoker Nayeemul Kabir
Union Bank Limited held a business development conference on saturday at Hotel Regency in Dhaka. The banks vice chaiperson Md Belal Ahmed inaugrated the conference
Jamuna Bank Limited held its annual business conference for the current year at a hotel in Dhaka. Kanutosh Majumder, chairperson of the bank inaugurated the conference as chief guest
B4
n Tahmidur Rahman
The stock refinancing fund of Tk9bn may not be doing much to solve the existing problems in our bourses, as it will only influence a higher volume of trade or push up stock prices in turn. The fund should not change the fair value of the listed companies either. The problems in our capital market are fundamental, and we must look at the market holistically in order to understand why such problems arise.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
finance scheme all the more pointless. Also, the Tk9bn fund is an insignificant amount if we compare it with the yearly trade volume.
Bottom line
The stock market crash of 2010 left investors bankrupt and unable to pay back loans they had taken from brokers. Following this, in May of last year, the government announced a stock refinancing fund of Tk9bn with the desire to help out the ruined investors. Essentially, this is a loan given to Investment Corporation Bangladesh (ICB) at a discounted interest rate of 5% from the Bangladesh Banks yearly profits. A portion of this fund, which has only recently been disbursed will be given to brokers at 7% rate for lending it to investors at 9% interest rate, with the hope that it will allow the affected investors to take more loans (also known as margins) so that they can reinvest in the stock market and pay back this and the original loans.
The fund will be disbursed to help bring stability in the stock market, Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor SK Sur Chowdhury told a press conference on May 29, 2013. It is assumed that the fund, bearing only half of the on-going bank lending rate, will be given to market crash (2010) affected small-scale investors as margin loans so that they may invest in equity markets once again, and plough back enough profits to pay back interests of the margin along with previously held margins. Contrary to the assumption above, the scheme, however, will only be assisting the affected small-scale investors in executing frequent trades using the margin loans, and also in turn increase the trading volume at the bourses.
The capital market is performing quite well in recent times in terms of volume traded and movement of indices, which makes the scheme unnecessary. The fund of Tk9bn is public money (the fund is a portion of Bangladesh Banks profit that it pays to the government coffers each year) that could have been put to better use. l The writer is a trainee financial journalist at Dhaka Tribune.
A capital market (stock market or equity market) is one that contains a group of companies that do business in order to handover a profit to its investors. The price of small units (stocks) of the companies ownership generally goes up if a company performs well, or is presumed to perform well in the future, given the stock was not already overvalued, supposedly. Having said that, an increase in the trading of stocks in the capital market will not help the publicly listed companies make more profits or perform any better, especially the manufacturing ones that have almost no exposure to the capital markets. In other words, trading of stocks has nothing to do with production and performance of most companies in the real economy.
According to capital market experts, high volume of trades in the capital market attracts foreign investors because of the benefit in exiting the market at ease for an investor due to higher liquidity. In simpler words, for me to sell a particular stock, one would need to be there on the trading floor who is willing to buy it from me. Higher volume of trades just makes such situation more likely. However, this particularly does not help out the affected investors. Perhaps the sole purpose of the fund is to lure the affected investors back to the market.
Also, we currently have a very high volume of trades despite the scheme, dont we?
The graph on the right may seem like a lie, but sadly it isnt. The after-crash markets annual trade volume is way above what we had experienced in the years before 2008, which makes the re-
RAJIB DHAR
The peso lost up to 0.3% to 45.45, its weakest since August 2010 amid market talk of selling from real money funds
The rupiah has eased 0.5% so far this year, outpacing most of its regional peers, according to Thomson Reuters data. The ringgit fell as much as 0.4% to 3.3455 per dollar, its lowest since May 2010, pressured by selling by offshore funds, including real money accounts, traders said. The peso lost up to 0.3% to 45.45, its weakest since August 2010 amid market talk of selling from real money funds, traders said. South Korea's won slid as much as 0.7% to 1,087.7, its weakest since September 13, as offshore funds such as model accounts unloaded the currency. Foreign investors dumped a net 514.6bn won worth of stocks in Seoul's main exchange, the largest daily selling since December 12, according to the Korea Exchange data. The won, however, pared much of its initial losses on demand from exporters for settlements and as some offshore funds covered short positions, traders said. l
NEWS IN BRIEF
Emerging sell-off hits European shares, lifts yen
Emerging markets led a global sell-off in risky assets yesterday as European stocks followed sharp falls in Asia and safe-haven assets such as the yen and gold rallied. Concerns about China's economic slowdown and its shadow banking sector, coupled with expectations the Federal Reserve would scale back its bond buying further, are piling pressure on emerging markets dependent on external financing. Reuters any new rules to isolate risky trading will take years to begin and there will be no attempt to split off market betting from deposit taking. In a blueprint expected tomorrow, the European Commission will outline how trading by banks can be walled off from customers' cash, but the debate among countries. Reuters