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Documenti di Professioni
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DA 6238 Vol 2, No 4
www.dhakatribune.com
SECOND EDITION
Smuggled gold accounts for 86% of all contraband n Syed Samiul Basher Anik,
Mohammad Jamil Khan and Rabiul Islam
Eighty-six percent of the total smuggled consignments that are entering the country have been identified by the customs authorities to be gold. According to information available with the Customs Intelligence, they seized a total of 240 consignments of illegal goods from July to December last year, of which 207 were gold, officials at the National Board of Revenue said quoting statistics.
P16
In terms of value, gold was 95% of the total smuggled items, according to information received from the Dhaka Customs House, the Chittagong Customs House and the Customs Intelligence. During the last six months of 2013, customs had seized different smuggled goods worth Tk263.38 crore, of which Tk251.41 crore was from gold smuggling, reads the statistics.
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NEWS ANALYSIS
nationwide popularity. So, for the BNP and its allies, the upazila polls were an opportunity to redeem some sort of institutional representation in the countrys governance structure. For the ruling party on the other hand, upazila parishad polls were an opening on their own to prove that fair elections were possible under partisan arrangements. The good work that the Election Commission (EC) and the Awami League-led administration did by staging fair elections in the five city corporations last year could
INSIDE
News
Panna Ghosh is pumped up after taking a wicket, Bangladesh Women v Sri Lanka Women, Womens World T20, Group B, Sylhet
ICC
4 The Directorate of Primary Education is working to reform the system of Primary Terminal Examination as the competency level of primary schoolchildren still remains low despite a high pass rate, officials concerned said.
Long Form
7 Haor areas of the northeastern part of Bangladesh face flash floods caused by sudden and early downstream water from the surrounding upstreams from late March to May.
Nation
Entertainment
set their feet in the international cricket arena, gave the nation a reason to cheer up with their maiden win over in the mega event.
6 The adverse effects of Farakka barrage, climatic change and decrease in mean annual rainfall have put four rivers in Chapainawabganj in a vulnerable condition.
12 A new Michael Jackson album is set for release on May 13, Epic Records announced Monday. The posthumous album called Xscape will feature eight previously recorded but unreleased songs by the King of Pop.
2
n Tribune Report
Parliament yesterday completed formation of all the standing committees headed by the Awami League MPs, not giving any post of chairman to the opposition parties as done in the ninth parliament. According to separate proposals of Chief Whip ASM Feroz, the House formed 26 standing committees yesterday. During the 2009-13 period, two standing committee chairmen were from then main opposition BNP, two from the Jatiya Party, one from the Workers Party, one from the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and one from the Liberal Democratic Party.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
PM Sheikh Hasina presents a copy of Bangabandhu's autobiography to World Bank Vice-President Phillippe le Houerou yesterday PMO
Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters yesterday that the cabinet division is yet to get any allegation [from the Election Commission] against any field level officer who ignored the responsibilities during the upazila polls. We will take necessary steps against those officials if we found them guilty
or got any allegation against anybody. But, none complained against anybody as they did not follow the directives of the election commission. None would be spared for their irresponsibility and misconduct, he said. He also claimed that all the officers, involved with the upazila polls, had carried out their duties properly. l
vice-chairman posts, 32 in the second, 28 in the third, 39 in the fourth and the highest 44 in Mondays fifth round. On the other hand, for the BNP, it has been a steady journey downwards. In the first round 32 BNP-backed vice-chairman contenders won, 36 won in the second, 18 in the third, 17 in the fourth and the worst of only four in the fifth round. However, although the BNP fell behind both the Awami League and Jamaat in terms of the vice-chairman posts, the female candidates it had backed had more vice-chairwoman posts than the other two parties. At the end of the fifth round, BNP-backed contenders backed 189 vice-chairwoman posts, followed by the Awami League with 180 and Jamaat with 33. l
group as they still finished bottom behind Sri Lanka and India. Despite having equal two points, the net runrate put the home side behind their sub-continent opponents, thus ending all hopes for the Bangladesh women to qualify for the next edition of World Twenty20 scheduled to be held in India in 2016. They will now fight for the 9th place in the event against Ireland in a play-off tomorrow. After a series of poor totals against West Indies (79), India (58) and Pakistan (72), the hosts batswomen finally geared up and sang in rhythm to register their highest total in the shortest version of cricket. The previous best was 113 which they made twice against India and Pakistan. The start however wasnt the best as Ayasha Rahman returned in the very first over before skipper Salma Khatun tormented the bowlers to give Bangladesh their best start in the tournament reaching fifty in nine overs.
After the dismissal of Salma (22) and Sharmin Akhter (18), Rumana Ahmed guided the side past 100 and stayed in the middle till the last over depending mostly on singles and doubles. The right-handed batter slammed a 34-ball 41 that included only three boundaries. Birthday girl, Jahanara Alam gave Bangladesh the perfect start by dismissing Hasini Perera in her first delivery. Sri Lanka however was cruising with Yasoda Mendis (33) putting on two partnerships of 37 and 28 with Chamari Atapattu and Shashikala Siriwardene respectively. Medium fast bowler Panna Ghosh brought Bangladesh back on track by picking up two quick wickets before dismissing Sri Lanka captain Siriwardene (31) to take control of the game despite several drops from the home fielders. Panna bagged three wickets for just 18 runs. Apart from the batting contribution Rumana also claimed a wicket which brought her the player of the match award. l
Muhith said. Receiving budget support from the World Bank was not unprecedented, the minister said, adding that the bank provided budget assistance through reform programs. Although the government had not received budget support from the World Bank in recent times, the Asian Development Bank had provided financial assistance to Bangladesh following the global recession, Muhith said. He added that the government had previously received about $300m as budget support from the International Development Association of the World Bank. Reforms would be made in the banking sector, social safety net and food distribution programmes, Muhith said, adding that budget support would be given in line with the execution of reforms in various sectors, which will
be discussed later with World Bank officials. Muhith said the World Bank has called for decentralising the authorities for the utilisation of the government fund. As part of the decentralisation efforts, the government will enhance the project implementation capacities of ministries, divisions and PPP projects, which currently amounts at only Tk50 crore, Tk25 crore and Tk7 crore respectively. Replying to a query by Le Houerou on the Padma Bridge, Muhith said the main tender for construction of the bridge would be floated by July. The ongoing tender processes for training and hiring a consultant would be completed within this year, while the main consultant would be appointed during the July-August period, he added. The global lender was becoming
more involved in projects dealing with primary, secondary and higher education, while the country will not get any more funding for the power sector as the bank would not invest in coal-based power plants on principle, Muhith added. On the other hand, World Bank Vice-President Phillippe Le Houerou said the World Banks previous investment for the Padma Bridge would now be invested in other sectors. The World Banks assistance to Bangladesh since the countrys independence has so far amounted to $18bn, the banks vice-president said. The World Bank was supporting the governments initiative to achieve middle-income status for the country by 2021, but to that end the government needed to put emphasis on the improvement of infrastructure and the power sector, Le Houerou added. l
That alarmed the Awami League, who was looking to strengthen and reward its grassroots by doing well in these polls. Soon after, the third phase saw a marked escalation in violence for which the ruling party men were largely blamed. Simultaneously, the Awami League-backed contenders started performing well too. That trend remained unchanged in the next two phases as well, the last of which was held on Monday.
The Awami League might have in the end soared high above its arch rivals in terms of the number of seats bagged by the candidates it had backed 254 for the ruling party, 164 for the BNP and 36 for Jamaat. But eventually, the violence and rigging only gave momentum to the BNPs claim that fair elections were not possible under partisan governments. Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, who won a lot of acclaim for staging fair city polls only last year,
mysteriously went to the USA on a vacation in the middle of the upazila polls. That not only gave rise to extensive criticism, but also induced similar speculation about the governments role and interference with the ECs work. Unfortunately, the chaos that the country has witnessed surrounding the upazila polls was surely going to hurt the credibility of the ECs independence for a long time to come and it would not be easy by any stretch of the imagination to gain it back. l
Smuggled gold accounts for 86% of all contraband AL, BNP and JaPa lose strongholds
PAGE 1 COLUMN 6
The worst scenario was seen in December when all 36 smuggled consignments seized by customs were gold. Officials blamed the duty hike in gold import in neighbouring India for the rise in gold smuggling in Bangladesh. Customs chief Moinul Khan told the Dhaka Tribune that the Indian government had increased the tax rate to 10% from existing 6% which had resulted in reduction of 95% of gold imports. The smugglers have an excellent opportunity to make some quick money, he said adding that the smugglers bring gold from the Middle East to Bangladesh, and then take it to India using different routes. To hide them from law enforcement agencies, smugglers carry the gold inside hard drives, multimedia projectors and television, and even inside soap, food sacks and luggage. Syndicates, comprising of international smugglers, are involved with gold smuggling. However, in most cases, only the actual smugglers are caught by the intelligence wing while the ring leaders remain out of reach, a customs official observed. The official says the actual number of smuggled consignments would probably be much higher since only
1-2% of the total number of illegal consignments is held by the law enforcement agencies. Gold is being smuggled mostly through the inside of an aircraft, which is impossible for any person without the help of the aircraft officials, the official told the Dhaka Tribune seeking anonymity. Customs officials say they are beefing up monitoring to nab leaders of the smuggling ring. In this regard, the NBR has also taken up a plan to increase monitoring activities at different ports including the airports for combating the sudden rise in gold smuggling, as those places are used as transit points to smuggle goods from one country to the other. An NBR official said Tk1 crore had already been allocated for the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate to tap the routes through intense monitoring. The NBR plans to prioritise the customs activities in Dhaka, Chittagong and Pangaon customs houses, the bond commissionerates of Dhaka and Chittagong, the Customs Intelligence, and the Investigation Directorate. Under the plan, the customs officials will check the vehicles and people at the airports. If any smuggled products
are found and the actual owner cannot be traced, they will question all the passengers of the plane. Senior Assistant Superintended of Armed Police Battalion (APBn) Nur-eAlam Siddique told the Dhaka Tribune that besides performing their regular duties, the force had also taken all necessary steps to make its intelligence wing strong. He said the monitoring team was modified with the support of latest technology. About punishment of the gold smugglers, Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Customs AKM Ohidul Alam told the Dhaka Tribune: The customs department does not have its own prosecution department. It merely detains the criminals and files cases against them, after it hands them over to the police. We do not have any idea how criminals are getting bail in such special cases, he said adding that the customs did not have information about such cases since those were handled by the police. He also urged the authorities concerned to empower the customs to better deal with smuggling. Officer-in-Charge of Airport police station Shaheduzzaman refuted the allegations against police saying that they only place a criminal at the court after completing investigation properly. l
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In Moksedpur, independent candidate won the chairman post and in Tungipara rival candidates of Awami League won the chairman post. In Lakhmipur district, there are five upazilas that are also known as strongholds of the BNP, the party-backed chairman candidates secured only one chairman post. In seven upazilas of Satkhira, known as a stronghold of the Jamaat, the right wing political party-backed candidate secured only one chairman posts out of seven and the rests were secured by Awami League-backed chairman candidates. In Noakhali elections were held in nine upazilas while in one upazila it was postponed. Among the nine upazilas, five chairman posts were secured by Awami League-backed contenders while BNP-backed aspirants secured only three. Sunamganj district is popularly known as stronghold of Awami League but in the upazila polls, the Awami League lost its stronghold as the BNPbacked chairman candidates won seven chairman posts out of the 10. Political strength of Awami League in Habiganj is well known but in the local body elections the party bagged five
chairman posts while the BNP secured two and the other one by an independent candidate. The BNP showed its strength in the northern region as it bagged 26 chairman posts in Rangpur division and 26 in Rajshahi while the Awami League-supported candidates secured 21 and 18 chairmen posts respectively. The Awami League-backed contenders took lead in Dhaka, Sylhet, Chittagong, Khulna and Barisal divisions. In Dhaka, the Awami League-backed candidates secured 57 chairman posts while those backed by the BNP won in 41 seats. Ershads JaPa got only one chairman post in Tarail of Kishorganj but the Jamaat got no seats in the division. The candidates supported by the Awami League and the BNP came out neck and neck in Sylhet division where the ruling party-backed candidates bagged 18 and the BNP 15 chairman posts. The Jamaat got two seats. In Barisal division, the Awami League-backed contenders got absolute majority as they bagged 21 chairman posts while the BNP-backed candidates got just four. Jamaat-backed contender bagged one chairman post in Zianagar of Pirojpur and another was bagged by the JP (Monju) in Bhandaria of Pirojpur.
In this division, at least in 20 upazilas, the BNP-backed candidates boycotted the elections alleging vote rigging and illegal stamping by the ruling party men. There were incidents of stray violence in the first phase of polls but it increased in the second phase. In the third phase, violence took a serious turn as three people were killed and clashes took place at a number of places. In Chittagong division, Awami League-backed contenders also took the lead as they bagged 40 chairman posts while the BNP-backed contenders ensured 30 and Jamaat only 5. In Khulna, Awami League-backed contenders bagged just the double chairman posts than the BNP-backed contenders as the ruling party bagged 36 chairman posts and the BNP-backed aspirants 18 and Jamaat-backed 5. Interestingly, Jamaat also performed well in Bogra, the hometown of BNP founder Gen Ziaur Rahman, as it bagged five chairman posts while seven were grabbed by the BNP-backed candidates. Regional political parties like the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) and the United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF)-backed candidates bagged 13 chairman posts. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
3
Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers off to Mali
n BSS
A 112-member contingent of Bangladesh Army left Dhaka yesterday to join the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in Mali for the first time. The contingent, led by Colonel M Jahangir Harun, left Shahjalal International Airport in the afternoon for the land-locked African country. A total of 1,446 members of the Army and the Navy, including an infantry unit, two signal units, an engineer unit, a navy unit and a riverine unit are also expected to be deployed in the African state. The remaining peacekeepers will leave for Mali in phases. l
After pronouncing the verdict, the tribunal commented that the family of the convict had made huge investments to leak it beforehand
Investigators claim that they were waiting for the prime suspect, fugitive Mehedi Hasan, who is a junior counsel for SQ Chowdhury. The tribunal office has also refrained from taking any initiative in this regard as two of its staff are involved and were arrested. Krishna Pada Roy, the DB deputy commissioner (south), told the Dhaka Tribune that they had been investigating the case as a special priority since it was a sensational one. Asked about the slow progress, he said they needed to analyse all data and clues before making a move. At present, we are analysing the statements of the arrestees while our officials are in search of the other suspected accused who are on the run, he said. He, however, refused to name the suspects. After pronouncing the verdict, the
Members of the Armed Forces depart the Shahjalal International Airport in the capital yesterday to join UN Peacekeeping Forces in Mali
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Professor Anisuzzaman receives the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in India, from Indian President Pranab Mukherjee at New Delhi yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said British High Commissioner in Dhaka Robert Gibson thanked Bangladesh for abstaining from voting on Crimea issue in the United Nations General Assembly. Thank you for abstaining from voting, he quoted Robert Gibson as saying. Robert Gibson and British State Minister for International Development Alan Duncan met Shahriar Alam at the foreign ministry yesterday. The UNGA on Thursday adopted a non-binding resolution on Crimea where Bangladesh abstained from voting without explaining the reason. He [Gibson] actually expressed his satisfaction and we also said there are friends who are not so happy, but they [British] actually said they are happy that we remained abstained, Shahriar said. Earlier, the state minister at a media briefing said Bangladesh was observing the situation in Ukraine. Bangladesh being a member of nonaligned countries and G-77, we do not support any party in any internal matter of a country. We did not deviate from that policy and we abstained due to that policy, he said. When asked why Bangladesh abstained without giving an explanation, he said it is Bangladeshs right. Meanwhile, the United States had regretted that Bangladesh did not support Ukraine on Crimea issue. US ambassador in Dhaka Dan Mozena on Monday said: I regret that Bangladesh was not able to join the majority. According to UN website, by a record vote of 100 in favour and 11 against with 58 abstentions, including Bangladesh, the UNGA adopted the resolution titled Territorial integrity of Ukraine. Russian ambassador in Dhaka Alexander Nicholaev at a programme on Sunday also expressed his satisfaction that Bangladesh abstained from voting when the resolution was adopted. l
The tenure of the current session of parliament will stretch up to April 10 instead of the previous decision to run the House up to April 3. We have to run the session up to April 10 as many of the MPs elected from the womens reserved seats will deliver their speech on the presidents parliamentary address, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury told the Dhaka Tribune. The Business Advisory Committee, headed by the speaker, authorised to stretch or shrink the session tenure in case of necessity. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
We are working to make the examination competency-based so that students are evaluated properly
Although these students are at the end of the primary education cycle, they are still performing at a level lower than what is typical of fifth grade com-
Roberto Bissio, coordinator of Social Watch, a global civil society alliance, addresses a panel discussion titled Post 2015 Development Agenda: Future Global Development Partnership, at the Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday RAJIB DHAR
British State Minister for International Development Alan Duncan and British High Commissioner Robert W Gibson meet State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam at the Secretariat in the capital yesterday NASHIRUL ISLAM
As many as 10 public medical college hospitals were providing treatment to children with autism
Professor Dr Abul Kalam Azad, the additional director general (planning), told the Dhaka Tribune that the national health programme had identified autism as a priority. The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University is going to set up a specialised centre for treating children with neuro-development problems. He said Saima Wazed, daughter of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, had placed an agenda at the 133 executive board of the WHO and the board had approved it and it would soon be placed before the World Health Assembly for approval. l
n Kailash Sarkar
A police officer was suspended yesterday for allegedly assaulting a businessman for refusing to pay protection money in the capitals Sayedabad area. Mustaq Ahmmed, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Polices Wari division, confirmed the suspension of assistant sub-inspector Saiful Islam of Jatrabari police station. Apart from the suspension of the ASI, a committee, led by an additional deputy commissioner, has also been formed to probe the incident, Mustaq told the Dhaka Tribune.
According to witnesses and sources, a team of police, led by Saiful, severely beat up a local steel trader on Monday night for refusing to pay the policemen on opening a new shop. The victim, Nazmul Sheikh, 26, is undergoing treatment at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. Nazmul, owner of SK Steel Mills in Sayedabad, claimed that the policemen had assaulted him. The ASI enquired whether policemen were paid at the opening of the new shop, and at one stage, they swooped on me, Nazmul added. The injured businessman was later rushed to the DMCH by some locals. l
More than 60 activists of rival political parties were injured in post-poll violence in three districts during the hartal called in protest of alleged vote rigging in the fifth phase of the upazila polls yesterday. The BNP-led alliance have been accusing the ruling Awami League of taking over the polling stations and ballot boxes, and driving polling agents out of their stations in rival camps, while the Election Commission and the local administrations were mere spectators. In Sirajganjs Belkuchi, Awami League activists beat up 10 voters from Vaturia village of Rajapur union around 10pm because they did not vote for the candidate from Awami League. They
also vandalised a weaving factory and a stationary shop. However, when contacted, Belkuchi police station OC Abdul Hai claimed it was normal that some violence would take place after the polls. The injured received primary treatment. In Sunamganjs Bishambharpur upazila, at least 20 people were injured in a fight between Awami League and BNP activists in the afternoon. Two groups led by local Awami League leader Rafique and BNP leader Harun clashed following an altercation over the polls, according to the police. Officer InCharge Nurul Abser Khan said the injured were admitted to different hospitals. In Moulvibazars Rajanagar, followers of two Awami League chairman
candidates got into a fight, injuring at least 30 people. The incident took place around 11pm on Monday at Parchakra village of Mansur Nagar union. The injured were admitted to local hospitals. Local sources said Awami Leaguebacked chairman candidate Askir Khan was pronounced winner unofficially, which was followed by his rival Misbahudduja Velai Mias followers clashing with his supporters. Police rushed there and brought the situation under control. Meanwhile, in Satkhira and Barguna, the hartal called by the BNP-led alliance was observed peacefully. No Jamaat activists were seen picketing in Satkhira. On the other hand, the district office of BNP was closed in Barguna the entire day. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Illegal parking and street vendors have occupied a road near Jatrabari intersection, hampering vehicular movement and creating traffic congestion
The previous DAP review committee received several applications from people as well as housing companies
The order stated that the committee would finalise the plan analysing the existing DAP, consulting with the public representatives and looking over public opinions received through its website or directly. The government announced and decided to implement the DAP to resolve problems related to housing, water-logging and traffic congestion in Dhaka, as well as to protect the wetlands, water reservoirs, canals and low-lying areas
WEATHER
Hospital closed after doctors, staff resign en masse n Our correspondent, Barisal
The authorities of Holling Bery Syed Moazzem Red Crescent Hospital in Barisal yesterday closed the hospital and released all patients after doctors and other staff resigned en masse following non-payment of their salaries. Sources said the doctors and staff had resigned and left the hospital, locking the main gate. Enayet Karim, acting superintendent-in-charge of the hospital, said 57 personnel, including five doctors, 12 nurses and 40 staff, of the hospital received their last salaries in November last year and since then no fund had been disbursed by the authority despite repeated requests. Four of the doctors left the hospital submitting their resignation on Monday and advising the release of 20 indoor patients and closing all outdoor activities. Other staff members also sent their resignation letters via fax to the authority. Enayet said the hospital would remain closed until further notice. When contacted, Iqbal Hossain Forkan, president of the hospital management committee and acting president of Red Crescent Barisal unit, said the construction of a four-storey building for the hospital, installation of modern equipment and deployment of ninety officials and staff members need huge funds. He expressed hope that the donors would provide the fund and the hospital would resume its services soon. l
DHAKA
Post 2015 dev agenda: Human rights should be main concern n UNB
Ensuring human rights and addressing inequalities worldwide should be the main concern in fixing the post-2015 development agenda, said the development activists at a discussion in the city yesterday. The World Bank sets the poverty threshold of earning US$ 1.25 a day. Even if the things go on business as usual, it would be achieved in any way. So, it cant be the goal to press the governments to accelerate the poverty eradication efforts, said Roberto Bissio, coordinator of Social Watch, a global civil society alliance working in more than 100 countries. Criticising the World Banks definition of poverty at the discussion, he said it is a mere income approach of defining poverty. The panel discussion, titled Post 2015 Development Agenda: Future Global Development Partnership, organised jointly by EquityBD, Social Watch Bangladesh and Unnayan Samunnay at the Dhaka Reporters Unity . Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of EquityBD, Ahmed Swapan of VOICE, Aminur Rasul of Unnayan Dhara Trust, Prodip K Roy of Online Knowledge Society, Dr Sohel Iqbal and Badrul Alam of Bangladesh Krishak Federation (BKF), and Barkat Ullah Maruf of EquityBD, among others, spoke at the discussion. l
37.2C Tangail
Source: Accuweather/UNB
17.7C Sayedpur
People decorate potteries with traditional designs at Bashantapara in Rajshahi yesterday ahead of Pahela Baishakh
DHAKA TRIBUNE
PRAYER TIMES
Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha 4:38am 5:53am 12:03am 4:29pm 6:13pm 7:29pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Nation
A van puller, with his goods-laden van, crosses the earthen road in Zianagar upazila in Pirojpur yesterday
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Date: 30.03.2014
CORRIGENDUM
This is to notify that due to unavoidable circumstances some corrections have been necessary & made for the following Tender Notice No 06/2013-14 vide memo number stated as bellow:
Tender Notice Number, memo number & Date Tender Notice No. 06/2013-2014, Memo No. LGED/UE/Raj/ Sadar/2013-2014/142 Date: 02.03.2014 Instead of to be read
Last date of selling: 30/03/2014 Tender closing date: 31/03/2014 Tender opening Date: 31/03/2014 Estimated Amount Tk. 97,20,473.00 Tender Security Tk. 2,91,700.00
Last date, of selling: 08/04/2014 Tender closing Date: 09/04/2014 Tender opening Date: 09/04/2014 Estimated Amount Tk. 97,44,263.00 Tender Security Tk. 2,50,000.00
All other terms & conditions in this Tender Notice will remain Unchanged. (Md. Jalal Uddin Sheikh) Upazila Engineer Rajbari Sadar, Rajbari, Tel No. 0641-65570 Date: 30.03.2014
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Long Form
under water during monsoon while the harvest is protected. Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has the key responsibility for present flood protection structures in haor areas. Over the last few decades, nearly 4,500km of low-lying embankments along the small rivers, haors, and canals have been made and repaired. Cases of successful and unsuccessful embankments are being observed across the country. Earthen embankments face problems like erosion and breaching every year. Low-height submersible embankments obstruct the flash flood water for several days, so that farmers get time for harvesting and yielding before the land is completely inundated. The country had experienced amplified occurrences of flash floods in the recent years of 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2010 in the Haor areas these occurrances damaged the main crops of the region. Peoples observation and experiences divulge that boro is damaged due to flash flood in the haor region once every three years. According to the people of the haor areas, flash floods might severely affect those areas in the coming months of 2014.
dilemma might cause damages to crops, and the people will suffer due to early flash floods. Appropriate allocation, rapid flow of funds, effective monitoring, and supervision of urgent protection activities should be ensured by authorities responsible at different levels. Role of local governments and communities at the different stages of the work and during flash flood situations needs to be emphasised upon, supported and ensured by authorities.
According to the people of the haor areas, flash floods might severely affect those areas in the coming months of 2014
Long-term Steps
It is felt that submersible embankments are economically smart interventions that help the people of the haor. However, limitations such as outfitted difficulties of physical workings, weak management setup for operations, maintenance and protection, environmental consequences, and lack of engagement of people of the interventions need to be addressed effectively involving all key actors. Impact minimising strategies such as the use of cropping patterns, which minimise revelation to loss, and the setting up of non-agricultural income-generating activities, need to be promoted. Crop type and pattern should be selected according to the susceptibility to flooding. If possible, efforts should be given by concerned agencies to find new variety of species that have flash flood resistance. Crops insurance schemes could be encouraged and piloted by relevant organisations with proper governance set up as a long-term risk-reducing initiative. Any livelihood initiative in the haor areas has to take flood aspects into
consideration so that the initiative does not give in, but yield some amount of benefit to the target people. Involvement of the community, and enlisting their inputs in any kinds of programme design and relevant issues affecting their lives and livelihood will make the intervention process easier and impact-bearing. Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in existing development works and future initiatives of different government departments and NGOs working in the area is a must. Concerned authorities should develop a disaster database, which is very important to carry out detailed study and planning. GOs and NGOs need to redesign their development programmes with the active participation of the most vulnerable communities to ensure that they maximise flood mitigation potential, and incorporate traditional community coping practices which are fit technically, environmentally, socially, and economically. The respective authorities at different levels should strengthen capacity building initiatives of local government. A well-organised and coordinated effort is needed to further strengthen local level planning, decision making, allocation of resource to local governments, and implementing processes for flash flood proofing programmes in the vulnerable locations. Authorities and policy makers should ensure adequate resource disbursement from central government and other top-level stakeholders, and oversee the effective utilisation of these resources at the lower level. Suitable steps, particularly structural measures in haor areas, could be taken considering existing study
Actions to be undertaken
Flood, especially at the brim of harvest, makes the farmers frustrated; they face irredeemable losses right before the harvest is supposed to yield
The Ministry of Water Resource, Bangladesh Water Development Board BWDB and wings should consider the following short-term and long-term steps to support the boro farmers of the haor areas:
recommendations on flood and flash flood management with proper cross validation. Facilitating new study and action research for more durable solution in protecting boro crops, properties, and assets of haor areas might be a worthy step. To increase the water holding capacity of the drainage systems and to increase the water flow capacity, far-reaching river dredging programmes to remove the sediments from the river-beds deposited during flood should to be taken. The abandoned channels also need to be re-excavated to reduce water-logging. The dredge sediment could be used to raise the level of land and infrastructures with proper planning that considered input from the brave people of haor areas. In forecasting monsoon river floods Bangladesh is in good form, but in forecasting flash floods a lot of gaps and limitations are observed. At this point, improvement of present forecasting system is very much necessary. Joint steps with neighboring countries could be explored by political and technical authorities in this regard. Strong coordination and cooperation, along with efficient management practices among relevant ministries, departments, and actors from top to bottom across the year is required for managing flash flood risk and ensuring good harvest of boro in the haor areas. The success of actions taken by responsible authorities to reduce upcoming flash flood risk would be treated as a smart step forward to ensure food security and poverty reduction of a large number of people in haor areas. Farid Hasan Ahmed works in the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC, Switzerland Embassy, Dhaka.
Short-term steps
Prompt and coordinated actions are needed by respective authorities and duty bearers to make new protective earthen embankments in vulnerable spots of the haor regions in conjunction with community and local governments as soon as possible, and complete ongoing repairs. Any sorts of irregularity or
open water fishery, and hosts a wide range of freshwater biodiversity. Haors are important areas for Boro rice cultivation (a rice variety cultivated from December to May) as well. Boro is a mainstay for the local economy a largely mono-cropping agricultural system. Early flash floods often wash away standing crops, and people lose their harvest. Flood, especially at the brim of harvest, makes the farmers frustrated; they face irredeemable losses right before the harvest is supposed to yield.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
n Reuters, Brussels
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A picture taken on April 1, 2014, shows a view of Chersonesos, an ancient Greek city and UNESCO heritage site, in the Crimean city of Sevastopol. Russia yesterday announced it was ending a gas discount enjoyed by Kiev in a major blow for the Ukrainian economy AFP
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Ukraine and the United States have accused Russia of massing thousands of troops near the border and have expressed concern that Moscow intends to seize southeastern parts of Ukraine with large populations of ethnic Russians following the Crimea takeover.
But German Chancellor Angela Merkels office said Putin had personally informed her of the troop pullback in a telephone conversation on Monday, while her Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called the move a small sign that the situation is becoming less tense. The apparent easing of Moscows position was offset by an unannounced visit to Crimea by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev -- the most senior Russian official to visit the Black Sea peninsula since it voted on March 16 to come under Kremlin rule. Ukraine denounced Medvedevs visit as a grave violation of international law. It said the start of the Russian drawdown appeared to coincide with a phone call that Putin had unexpectedly placed to US President Barack Obama on Friday evening. Russias defence ministry confirmed on Monday it had relocated one battalion that had been stationed near Ukraine back to its permanent base. l
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A photo shows a protester holding a sign during a women demonstration against the Bashar al-Assad regime crackdown on prodemocracy protests, outside the Syrian embassy in central London. According to a monitoring group, more than 150,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 AFP
n AFP, Ankara
Turkeys secular opposition yesterday rejected the results of Ankara and Istanbul mayoral elections claimed as victories by the Islamic-rooted party of Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, citing irregularities. More than 1,000 people demonstrated outside the elections authority in the capital Ankara, where the incumbent mayor of Erdogans ruling party has declared victory with a wafer-thin margin of about one percent.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
This file handout photo taken on January 5, 2014 shows crew members walking amongst blood, allegedly from four minke whales, after they were cut up on the deck of the Japanese factory ship Nisshin Maru inside a Southern Ocean sanctuary, according to anti-whaling activists Sea Shepherd. The United Nations Hague-based International Court of Justice on March 31, 2014 ruled that Japans whaling programme was a commercial activity disguised as science and said it must revoke existing whaling licences AFP
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Editorial
LETTER OF THE DAY
Letters to
the Editor
AL chooses unwisely
s the last round of upazila polls comes to a close, two more people have died in election-related violence and there are well-substantiated accusations of widespread rigging involving all parties. The government has not helped its reputation by taking a permissive attitude towards a win at any cost policy a policy that has been carried out by some in its grassroots with increasing vigour as the five phases of the local polls have progressed. This has all led to a large loss of faith in the credibility of the EC. The AL has built a strategy on the governments ability to hold free and fair elections in the absence of a caretaker administration. If the ALs stance that elections should and can be fairly held under elected governments is to stand up to scrutiny, then the steady deterioration of the conduct of these upazila polls has not done them any favours. The AL will now have a much harder time defending the claim that a political party in power can be a fair complement to the EC in the next national, or truly any kind of, polls. Seats lost today could be won again, but the blemished record of irregularities cannot be erased. An all-party government could still be a workable concept for the next national polls, but the AL will now have to bargain for its shape and details from a weaker moral position, and by accepting a real balance of power among the players.
A meaningful independence
March 26 Mohammad Munshi We cannot have meaningful independence as long as we are under the tutelage, control, and domination of any other nation. We seem to have, over the last 10 years, gradually given away our independence and sovereignty to India, so what do we have to be so proud about? nds Mohammad Munshi: How does India debar our government from establishing the rule of law, making the judiciary effective, improving the behaviour pattern of our bureaucrats, improving our utility service delivery system, etc? The picture of tremendous development in various fields that has been portrayed by the author has very little to do with the liberation of the country or with the spirit of liberation. Under British colonial rule, spectacular development took place in this subcontinent. Railways, telephones, telegraphs, roads and highways, modern and scientific education, womens education, governance, local governments, medical facilities. The development in these fields was unprecedented by the standards that prevailed before the British came to rule this subcontinent. But none will say that was enough to satisfy the dream and expectation of our people. The first thing that people, and I mean the common people, not a few VIPs, of a free nation desire is to have their self-respect and dignity, and rule of law. Does it exist at all in this country? To test this, I suggest the author keeps his journalist identity undisclosed when going to his local thana, any government, semi-government or even non-government office, the utility service providers, or even his local government office, and see what treatment he gets from the minor officials there. The violence, including the burning of hundreds of innocent common people, that we witnessed during the last pre-poll political agitation was not even found during the colonial period. If you go to the judiciary for redress of any type of injustice caused to you, you might as well wait till the date of your funeral rites. Is this a contribution to freedom? In this mega-city, more than a lakh destitute sleep on the pavements under the open sky. Is this a benefit they enjoy from all of the spectacular development that has captured your imagination? I doubt it.
Seats lost today could be won again, but the blemished record of irregularities cannot be erased
Be Heard
Write to us at: Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email us at: letters.dt@dhakatribune.com Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com Visit our website: www.dhakatribune.com Come join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune
Authorities have to fight fraud and uphold consumer right far more actively
PEANUTS
CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1 Gathering of witches (5) 4 Stop (4) 7 Metal-bearing rock (3) 8 School of whales (3) 9 Scope (5) 12 Probability (4) 13 Went in (7) 15 Sailor (3) 16 Secret agent (3) 18 Precious stone (3) 19 Turf (3) 21 Begins again (7) 24 Malarial fever (4) 26 Make into a decree (5) 27 Dry, of champagne (3) 28 Sheltered side (3) 29 Affair of honour (4) 30 Search (5) DOWN 1 Innermost part (4) 2 Fruit (6) 3 Outlet (4) 4 Head and neck covering (4) 5 Say further (3) 6 Savoury (5) 10 Obtain (3) 11 Efface (5) 14 Uneven as if gnawed away (5) 17 Portions (6) 18 Splendid (5) 20 Mouse-coloured (3) 21 Stagger (4) 22 Masculine (4) 23 To let stand! (4) 25 Employ (3)
SUDOKU
YESTERDAYS SOLUTIONS
Crossword
How to solve Sudoku: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no numberrepeating.
Sudoku
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Op-Ed
11
A dignified profession?
BIGSTOCK
What the political leaders say while addressing rallies is mostly rhetoric
posed another face of the people who take an oath to serve humanity. The medical profession is seen as a noble one because it helps in preserving life. When a patient approaches a doctor he/she expects medical treatment with all the knowledge and skill that the doctor possesses to bring relief to any medical problems he/she has. A doctor owes certain duties to the patient and a breach of any of these duties gives a cause of action for negligence against the doctor.
(c) duty of care in the administration of that treatment. A breach of any of the above may give cause of action to be taken for negligence. If we explore the Rajshahi incident, we see that Dr Shimul failed in all three of the areas. But the strike called by the doctors to free Dr Shimul, depriving patients of the right to treatment, was a serious offence on their part. We understand that the doctors sacrificed all the values that the noble profession
A doctors first duty is to look out for the patient, not for the community or individual interests. But what did the doctors in Rajshahi do?
A doctor may not be in a position to save his patients life at all times, but he is expected to use his special knowledge, skill, and positive manner in the most appropriate ways, keeping in mind that the patient has entrusted his life to him. Receiving medical attention from doctors and hospitals is essentially a right for the patient. The relationship takes the shape of a contract to some extent because of informed consent, payment of fees, and performance of surgery/providing treatment, etc. A doctor or a clinic usually works in three areas for a patient, which are: (a) Duty of care in deciding whether to undertake the case; (b) duty of care in deciding what treatment to give; and
possesses. If Dr Shimul is charged for active negligence, his doctor colleagues, who went for total strike to have him released, can be charged for a number of other types of negligence, such as collateral negligence, comparative negligence, concurrent negligence, continued negligence, criminal negligence, gross negligence, and hazardous negligence. Every doctor takes on a duty to act with a reasonable degree of honesty, care, and skill. This is what is known as implied undertaking by a member of the medical profession that he would use a fair, reasonable and competent degree of skill. This is a sort of promise that in any situation, a doctors first duty is to look out for
the patient, not for the community or individual interests. But what did the doctors in Rajshahi do? Perhaps they deliberately want to forget the basic philosophy of this profession. This is one of the oldest professions in the world, and definitely the most humanitarian one. Do they really understand that there is no better service than to serve the suffering, the wounded, and the sick? Surprisingly, top leaders of the medical community remained silent when Rajshahi patients were suffering grievously. For every profession there is a code of conduct, containing the basic ethics that underline the moral values to govern the professional practice. Code of ethics is aimed at upholding its dignity. Medical ethics underlines the values at the heart of the relationship between a doctor and the patient. But the politicisation of the profession has made the professional too ruthless and cruel these days. The doctors in Rajshahi have proven that the community has developed a tendency to forget that self-regulation, which is at the heart of their profession, is a privilege and not a right. They are promise-bound to provide a good, competent, and accountable service to the public, not to act like militant trade union activists. They need to change their attitudes if they want genuine respect from the people. Doctors themselves have to build that trust in the publics mind. If they continue to ignore their own professions uniqueness, this dignified profession will lose its true value. l Syed Ishtiaque Reza is Director of News, Ekattor Television.
Harsh and hateful exchange of words and speeches targeting opposing political bodies are too common
We know there lives a great proportion of economically unprivileged people in rural Bangladesh, who dont get to enjoy
The higher the position of a leader in a party, the more powerful he is. So this man, Mr Hye, who exposed his indecency to an unimaginable degree, is in fact an extremely powerful individual in the party of Munshiganj. His attitude clearly denotes the lack of democracy within the party. In a culture of political confrontation, where deadly clashes are abundant, and violent political attacks or harsh and hateful exchange of words and speeches targeting opposing political bodies are too common, within the party, the patronclient relationship forms a humiliating reciprocity, and conditions between the leaders and activists that was again revealed in the way the BNP leader talked. It worries us not only about our political culture, but also for how easily people get trapped in an obligatory relationship. In a democratic world, it is a pyramid where the bottom will determine who gets to be at the top, whereas in this part of the world it is the top who determine who would be included in the bottom. Political leaders choose who will form the party, it is not activists who should be selecting their leaders. This incident exemplifies how the political formation ultimately gives rise to despots. Our politics is nothing but a fight among influential individuals, each of who has their own henchmen, who the influential can control in the way they like. Bangladesh is striving to improve its political culture. We need to question the culture, practice, and power relations rigorously, otherwise our democracy will not have any meaning to it. l MAB Siddique is a staff writer at the Dhaka Tribune.
Souls of darkness
W
n Mohammad Ali Sattar
e choose to commit blunders deliberately as though we do not have enough. Or, things have come to a tolerable point where we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Actually, there has been no happy radiance; no indication of a transformation or visible attitude of diversification from the negatives. We are rather bent on playing shoddier games, day in day out. As if we are yet to reach the pages of the Guinness Book for breaking world records a million times by careful preservation of stinking political perversion. During the just concluded local government polls, there have been distasteful remarks made by the acting CEC when he claimed the voting was peaceful all over and loss of human lives were but natural. To him, polls were more important than human lives and human rights. He rebuked the BNP chief by remarking that she rubs her nose in the dirt. He was referring to her comments that the Election Commission was no good, and it was not worth it to conduct fair polls. As if the acting CEC doesnt like to be right behind the politicians in trading salvos. With almost all the senior BNP leaders behind bars (many are reported to be ill), the suffocated party finds itself in real hardship. They have realised by now that the party will have to be tough, wise, and cool to survive. Things wont be easy anymore. As mentioned many times in this column, BNP just cannot capitalise on issues that could put the government in awkward situations. It somehow misses out on these options. This is another sign of political poverty. such empty contest. I will not jump on the bandwagon of intellectuals to waste time over discussing and re-discussing the events of March 1971. I am not ready to be taken for a ride. All of us, especially the political players, are fully aware of our national character. We dont think much before we ink. We feel one can go scotfree by saying anything that comes to mind or slips through the lips. After a little while, the heat subsides, and people like to forget things and take up another issue. This cycle of issues keeps rotating and keeps us busy day in day out. We have people fighting it out in the streets and dark alleys of the political edifices on trifle matters, and we have the media trying to make out the truth, sometimes faltering. We have the civil society, who most of the time gives out their verdicts on issues that did not even show up clearly, and we have the agile politicians who put anything and everything dreadful on the opposition right away. Since dwelling on the past and making it more controversial is our best pastime, how do we expect to move forward? Are we really a forward-looking nation? Not by the look of our acts at least. Why do we dwell on the past? Simply because we dont have visions for the future. Our minds are severely blocked and fail to fathom the shallowest stream. We have a ruthlessly disabled mind. Distorting history is not new. History is always drafted in favour of the victor. History is full of accounts as thought right by the author of the time. There are always two or more schools of opposing thoughts on issues that history discusses. So there can never be a straight line in history. The wars that were fought around the world from the very beginning have either ended with signing a treaty or on verbal agreements dictated by the conqueror. The vanquished never had any say. Favours were only doled out to them. When Awami League took control of things after liberation, they said and wrote what they felt right. Later, many of their claims were challenged by their own men and the then opposition. One thing was settled that it was Ziaur Rahman who read out the declaration of independence over the radio in Kalurghat on March 27. According to records, Ziaur Rahman had made a few announcements, one following the other. There have been some changes in the draft when he read out the declaration for the second time. It was Zia who was first heard. There should be no debate over this. On the same breath, it should be known to all that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the first president of the republic, declared by the Mujibnagar government. Syed Nazrul Islam was the acting president.
Since dwelling on the past and making it more controversial is our best pastime, how do we expect to move forward?
When the Upazila Council polls are just about over and half the country is busy with cricket, there comes the claim from BNP that the first president of the country was Ziaur Rahman, and not Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. I am not ready to take this seriously. I am not one of those who gives in to
I deem that the BNP leadership is also aware of the fact. They came up with the new argument just because of the intolerance and insults meted out to Ziaur Rahman by the AL and its allies. We have buried Mujib and Zia, both should now be spared. Alas, both of them and other national leaders wont be allowed the benefits of admiration because we live in the dim dungeons of ancient times. We have turned into souls of darkness. l Mohammad Ali Sattar is a journalist and DT columnist.
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Entertainment
Tisha and Banya Mirza in a scene of an upcoming TV play Malyodan. Directed by Sumon Anwar the play is specially made to mark the 153rd birthday of literary titan Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore which falls on May 8.
Exhibition
TODAY IN DHAKA
By Mahbubul Haque Time: 8:00am 11:59pm Bronia Cafe & Gallery Gulshan Ave Aakash Koto Dure Thor: The Dark World 3D The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in 3D , Frozen in 3D, Agnee Time: 10am - 10pm Star Cineplex, Bashundhara City
Water | Ink | Paper- sketches of Japan 1996 By Salauddin Ahmed Time: 3pm 8pm, Dhaka Art Center Neel Megher Kabbo
Film
Sport
DHAKA TRIBUNE
13
14 Carroll piles on
15 WI crash
SCORECARD, BD v AUS
Bangladesh Tamim c Bollinger b Coulter-Nile 5 Anamul c Watson b Coulter-Nile 0 Shakib c Maxwell b Bollinger 66 Mushfiqur c Maxwell b Watson 47 Mohammad Mahmudullah not out 6 Nasir Hossain b Starc 14 Extras: (b2, lb4, w7, nb2) 15 Total (for five wickets, 20 overs) 153 FoW: 1 4, 2 12, 3 124, 4 133, 5 153 Bowling Starc 4 0 25 1 (w2), Coulter-Nile 3 017 2 (w2), Bollinger 4 0 31 1, Watson 4 0 25 1 (w3, nb1), Maxwell 3 0 32 0 (nb1), Christian 2 0 17 0. Australia A. Finch c Nasir b Al Amin 71 D. Warner b Al Amin 48 C. White not out 18 G. Maxwell b Taskin 5 G. Bailey not out 11 Extras: (lb3, w2) 5 Total (for three wickets, 17.3 overs) 158 FoW: 1 98, 2 135, 3 147 Bowling Gazi 4 0 35 0, Al Amin 3.3 0 30 2 (w1), Shakib 3 0 36 0, Taskin 4 0 24 1 (w1), Razzak 2 0 16 0, Mominul 1 0 14 0 Australia won by seven wickets
A dejected Bangladesh team members leave the field after losing to Australia in their last World T20 match at SBNS yesterday MUMIT M
slipped in the West Indies game, lost against India and we are out of the tournament. We came here with the hopes of winning the competition but we are going back with nothing. Winning only one game out of four was always been very disappointing, said Finch. The Aussie opener did not acknowledge the idea his team lacked the spinners bite and said, Our both spinners are aggressive and I think picking fast bowlers was the right decision today and to restrict Bangladesh on 150 on a batting wicket was impressive. Finch also praised debutant pacer Taskin, He took us by surprise a little bit, he was quite fast and bowled accurately and skidded on the wicket little faster than expected, no doubt after facing six overs of spin consistently and to get back into 140s is a bit of challenge, he was very impressive in the game tonight. l
BRIEF SCORE
Bangladesh Women 115/9 in 20 overs (Rumana 41, Salma 22; Gunaratne 2 15, Prabodhani 2 18) Sri Lanka Women 112/9 in 20 overs (Mendis 33, Siriwardane 31; Panna Ghosh 3 18, Salma 1 14) Bangladesh Women won by 3 runs
14
Nordqvist wins LPGA Kia Classic
Swedens Anna Nordqvist captured her second US LPGA title of 2014 on Sunday, firing a final-round 67 to win the Kia Classic by one shot. Nordqvist, whose poor form in 2013 had her contemplating giving up the game, now goes into the first major of the year, the Kraft Nabisco Championship at Rancho Mirage, California, next week, brimming with confidence. Her five-under effort gave her a 13-under par total 275 at Aviara Golf Club, and a one-shot victory over American Lizette Salas. AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
In-form PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the main threat for Chelsea while Blues will be looking for a solid defence led by skipper John Terry
Real boss Carlo Ancelotti will make three changes from the side that started against Rayo with Iker Casillas, Marcelo and Luka Modric set to replace Diego Lopez, Fabio Coentrao and Asier Illarramendi. Dortmund had the upper hand against Madrid as the sides met four times in last seasons competition. Jurgen Klopps men took four points from a possible six in the group stage before eliminating the nine-time European champions 4-3 on aggregate in the semi-finals. However, Klopp will have a more testing time in selecting his side this time round as the Germans have been ravaged by injuries. Nevan Subotic, Marcel Schmelzer, Jakub Blaszczykowski, Ilkay Gundogan and Sven Bender are all injured, whilst top scorer Robert Lewandowski -- who scored all four of his sides goals in the 4-1 semi-final, first leg win over Real last season -- is suspended. However, despite his selection problems, Klopp says his side have not regressed from last season. We are second in the German league, in the semi-finals of the Cup and the quarter-finals of the Champions League. That is to say, exactly the same as last season. Klopp is expected to use Marco Reus, who scored a hat-trick in Saturdays 3-2 win at lowly Stuttgart, or Gabonese international Pierre-Emerick Aubemayang in an unusual role as the lone striker to compensate for the loss of Lewandowski. l
West Ham United striker Andy Carroll (R) scores the opening goal during their English Premier League match against Sunderland at The Stadium of Light in Sunderland, northeast England, on Monday AFP
RESULTS
2 2 1 0
Inter Milan
Hernanes 37, Palacio 45+1
Udinese
Di Natale 68
Catania
for them since he joined from Lazio while their freescoring Argentinian Rodrigo Palacio netted his 14th of the campaign in time added on of the first-half. Livorno reduced the deficit nine
minutes into the second-half as Brazilian Paulinho outfoxed the Inter defence to score from a corner. Inter, though, looked to be easing to the three points until Guarins terrible error. Inter coach Walter Mazzarri -- who was born near Livorno and guided them into Serie A in 2004 -- was fairly relaxed about the mistake afterwards. It was a dreadful mistake but football is like that, one makes errors, he said. Bad luck can happen, we have to support him. From time to time you have a bad day, but one like today... the result bears no relation with the teams performance, it is enough to watch the match to see that is the truth. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
15
West Indies D. Smith c Kamran b Tanvir C. Gayle st Kamran b Hafeez L. Simmons run out M. Samuels b Afridi D. Bravo run out D. Ramdin c Umar b Babar D. Sammy not out A. Russell not out Extras: (lb4, w5) Total: (for six wkts; 20 overs)
SCORECARD
8 5 31 20 46 5 42 0 9 166
0 1 4 8
GROUP 2
Teams Mat Won Lost Pts India (Q) 4 4 0 8 West Indies (Q) 4 3 1 6 Pakistan 4 2 2 4 Australia 4 1 3 2 Bangladesh 4 0 4 0 RR +1.280 +1.971 -0.384 -0.857 -2.072
No. of fours Pakistan hit during the powerplay, the 5th such instance in T20Is No. of runs Chris Gayle has scored off six deliveries from Mohammad Hafeez. He has been dismissed three times No. of stumpings in this match, by both wicketkeepers together, equals the most in a T20I This was only the eighth time both openers from a team have been dismissed for ducks, in 794 T20 international innings Runs scored off the Powerplay by Pakistan, equals the lowest by a Full Member in T20Is Runs scored off Saeed Ajmals fourth over - his most expensive in T20Is That is Darren Sammys strike rate in
Fall of wickets 1 10 (Gayle), 2 22 (Smith), 3 61 (Simmons), 4 67 (Samuels), 5 81 (Ramdin), 6 152 (Bravo). Bowling Hafeez 2 0 15 1, Tanvir 4 0 27 1 (1w), Babar 4 0 27 1 (2w), Afridi 4 0 23 1, Gul 2 0 29 0 (1w), Ajmal 4 0 41 0 (1w) Pakistan Ahmed Shehzad lbw b Santokie 0 Kamran Akmal c Bravo b Badree 0 Mohammad Hafeez c Gayle b Russell 19 Umar Akmal st Ramdin b Badree 1 Shoaib Malik st Ramdin b Badree 2 Sohaib Maqsood st Ramdin b Narine 18 Shahid Afridi st Ramdin b Narine 18 Sohail Tanvir c Sammy b Narine 14 Umar Gul c Simmons b Santokie 4 Saeed Ajmal b Russell 1 Zulfiqar Babar not out 3 Extras: (w2) 2 Total: (all out; 17.5 overs) 82 Fall of wickets 1 0 (Shehzad), 2 1 (Kamran), 3 9 (Umar), 4 13 (Malik), 5 37 (Hafeez), 6 42 (Maqsood), 7 74 (Tanvir), 8 75 (Afridi), 9 78 (Ajmal). Bowling Santokie 2.5 0 9 2 (2w), Badree 4 010 3, Samuels 3 0 21 0, Russell 3 0 152, Narine 4 0 16 3, Smith 1 0 11 0 West Indies won by 84 runs
13 24
West Indies spinner Samuel Badree celebrates a Pakistan wicket with teammates during their World Twenty20 clash at SBNS yesterday MUMIT M
tournament. He has 101 runs in four 224 this innings and has been out only once
QUICK BYTES Nadal hopes to fine tune form ahead of clay swing
Rafael Nadal says he still has work to do on his game as he gets set to launch his claycourt season which the Spaniard hopes culminates with his ninth French Open title. World number one Nadal lost in straight sets in the final of the Miami Masters tournament on Sunday to second seed Novak Djokovic. Djokovic cruised to a 6 3, 6 3 win as he easily dismantled Nadal who has been hampered by a back injury which wrecked his Australian Open bid earlier this year. Thirteen-time Grand Slam winner Nadal said despite the loss, which dropped him to 0 4 in Miami finals, he feels good about having made it to the final in Miami. AFP
DAYS WATCH
Sony Six NBA 2013 14 6:00AM Brooklyn v Houston 8:30AM LA Lakers Vs Portland- Live 2:30PM Yonex Sunrise India Open 2014 Star Sports 4 4:00PM AFC Champions League 2014 Hyundai Motors v Guangzhou Evergrande 10:30PM Italian Serie A Roma v Parma Star Sports 2 AFC Champions League 2014 5:00PM Buriram United v Cerezo Osaka UEFA Champions League, QF Leg 1 Ten Sports 12:45AM Paris Saint-Germain v Chelsea Ten Action 12:45AM Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund
Djokovic holds the winners trophy on the beach after defeating Nadal at the Men's Final on day 14 of the Sony Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center in Florida on Sunday AFP
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
Students of Dhaka University vandalise a passenger bus in front of the National Press Club yesterday, protesting the assault of a fellow student by transport staff
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Customs officials display gold bars seized from two passengers at Dhaka airport yesterday Gold traders, officials of the Civil Aviation Authorities of Bangladesh, customs, Biman Bangladesh Airlines and police were found involved in the smuggling. In September last year, an investigation committee found at least 18 Biman officials involved with smuggling two hauls of gold, including the biggest seizure of 124kg gold in July last year. Around 1,100 officials and employees of various government and non-government organisations working at the airports were detained for their suspected link to the smuggling. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
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
B3 Symposium: Women
Slowdown in exports Falling remittances Political unrest before national election Weaker domestic demand depressing production
2009
7.2% 6.18% Initially set 7.2% Revised 6.5% Bloomberg 6.3% IMF 6% World Bank 5.7% ADB 5.6% *Base year 2005-06
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
TO-DO LIST
l l
Restoring political stability Boosting infrastructure, skills and necessary investment Gearing up public resource mobilization Ensuring better contribution of PPP FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14
l l
A H MAMUN/DT INFOGRAPHIC
has to move to a higher growth path. Major reforms in tax policies and strengthening tax administration will be a priority to gear up public resource mobilisation, he said. In addition to mobilising resources, public sector capacity for implementing projects will need to be significantly strengthened. As has been the case with other rapidly growing developing countries, the private sector will also need to be engaged in financing infrastructure projects under public private partnerships (PPP). In response to a question, ADBs Principal Country Economist Mohammad Zahid Hossain said Bangladesh has great prospects to grow at more than 7%, but needs investment in a bigger way, developing infrastructure
and restoring political stability. In his presentation on economic prospects for Bangladesh, he said growth is expected to rebound to 6.2% in FY2015, aided by higher remittance and export growth, as well as by prospects for continued economic recovery in the US and the euro area. A likely rise in consumer and investors confidence as the political situation stabilises is also expected to stimulate demand and strengthen growth momentum. Industry growth expected to slow to 8% in FY14 because of the output lost to political unrest in the first half of the year, and as weaker domestic demand depresses production. Production by the RMG may also be affected if foreign buyers postpone or-
ders in response to delays in implanting agreed fire and building safety standards to prevent further industrial accidents. Industry growth is expected to grow to 9% in FY2015 with a pickup in domestic and external demand, better safety standards and compliance in garment factories and gains in power generation. Agriculture is projected to rebound to 3% in FY2014, aided by favorable weather conditions in the early months of the year and reflecting the previous years low base. Inflation is expected to rise to an average of 7.5% in this fiscal year because of the effects of supply disruptions, rising wages in both the public and the private sector, and expected increases in electricity and fuel prices. l
Selim H Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Furniture Industry Owners Association. He said Bangladesh is a nascent supplier to global furniture market, so it needs incentive to produce quality goods in large volumes. Selim H Rahman, also managing director of Hatil Furniture, identified shortage of skilled manpower as another problem Bangladeshs furniture sector is facing. It has transformed from a cottage to a technology-based industry. The sector now requires skilled labour force and for this, institutional educations in technical schools and universities are needed, he said. Selim Rahman sees the sector can fight well in the global market as it is a labour-intensive industry and Bangladesh has cheap labour. BFEA said the local manufacturers can now meet 90% of domestic demand, reducing the countrys dependency on imports. Once we had to meet 50% of local demand by imported furniture, which cost us huge foreign currencies, said BFEA president Akhtaruzzaman. Bangladeshs furniture market size is over Tk14,000 crore and the local makers supply a variety of international standard furniture made from wood, processed wood, melamine board, particleboard and steel etch.
Currently, the country has 41,560 enterprises producing furniture, where about 15 lakh skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers are employed. Industry insiders said foreign buyers were increasingly showing interest in the Bangladeshi furniture and some of them already sought briefing about the products. They said foreign buyers were being attracted by the cheap rates and good-looking designs of the Bangladeshi furniture. The local manufacturers want proper policy support from the government to use the prospects. Bangladesh earned over $25m in the July-February period of the current fiscal year from furniture exports, registering 32% growth over the same period a year ago, showed data of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB). The figure was $19.20m in the same period last year when the total annual furniture export stood at $31.41m. Furniture export target has been set at around $38m for the current fiscal year with 20% rise from last year. At present, the country exports office furniture, metal furniture, seats with metal frames, bedroom furniture, wooden, plastic-made, spare parts, mattress supports, sleeping bags, lamps and light fittings to various destinations of the world. l
The government has decided to introduce an Alternative Dispute Resolution Council (ADRC) for the countrys readymade garments sector to deal with labour complains as well as to comply with the conditions in regaining the suspended generalised system of preferences (GSP) in the US market. Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed made the disclosure yesterday, after a meeting with US Ambassador in Dhaka Dan W Mozena at his secretariat office in the city. We have decided to form an Alternative Dispute Resolution Council (ADRC) in the RMG sector to resolve the complaints relating to labour abuse or harassment, he said categorically, pointing out a condition set by the US administration to get back the GSP facilities. As there has been no unique au-
thority to deal with the complaints, they have to run from door to door just to lodge their complaints. He said the workers will be free to lodge their complaints after establishing the ADRC, which will hear both the complainants and the accused. Though it will not act as a court, the council will resolve the disputes after hearing both parties. It will help reduce the crisis in the garments sector and the RMG workers would get proper justice. The minister, however, said the decision has just been taken as the name and formation process of the council has not been finalized yet. It is expected to take a shape after the ministers returning home scheduled on April 11 from a visit to Geneva and UAE. Tofail and Senior Secretary of Commerce Mahbub Ahmed are expected to attend a meeting with the Secretary General of the United Nations Confer-
ence on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and also to attend a meeting as a panel discussant in Geneva. Later, they will go to UAE for joining a regional ministerial meeting of the commerce ministers from April 7 to 10. Regarding the appointment of Class-I and Class-II officials for Department of Factories and Establishment, Tofail said: Weve already appointed 25 factory inspectors and rest of the recruitments are still under process. He said the government is also trying to publish a gazette notification for Class-II non-cadre recruitment rules, which would be finalised within a month. The recruiting process for appointing 222 Class-II officers will be accomplished immediately after the gazette is published. Lauding the initiatives taken by the government so far, the US Ambassador
B3 COLUMN 5
IndustriAll wants Tk57.60 lakh for each died in Rana Plaza disaster
n Tribune Report
IndustriAll Bangladesh Council (IBC) has demanded Tk57.60 lakh as compensation for each of the workers who died in the Rana Plaza building collapse. The IBC has set Tk57.60 lakh as compensation based on the loss of future earnings and pain and sufferings in line with the article 121 of ILO convention, said Roy Ramesh Chandra, general secretary of IBC, while addressing a press conference yesterday in the city. The Press conference was organised also to announce a month-long programme on the occasion of first anniversary of Rana Plaza Building collapse. The amount of the compensation would be count based on the age of workers when he or she died, said Roy. The compensation amount has been fixed calculating Tk50,000 for pain and sufferings, Tk6,000 for monthly wage on an average, Tk12,000 for two festive bonus and plus 5% for yearly inflation, he added. The buyers, factory owners, brands, the BGMEA and the government have to pay the compensation comprehensively, said Roy adding the BGMEA, ILO and the government are bound to compensate the victims as per the ILO convention. The organisation has chalked out a month-long programme, which include holding of multi-stakeholder meetings, forming human chain in front of the National Press Club and gathering in front of the Rana Plaza on April, 16, 18 and 23 respectively. Replying to a query, Nazrul Islam Khan, chairman of IBC, said they could not count the proper numberof the worksas the factory owners did not provide any appointment letters to the workers. This compensation package will set a standard for the compensation of workers working in the countrys in several sectors, he hoped. Nazrul Islam, also a standing committee member of BNP, alleged that the labour law was not implementing in a proper way for ensuring RMG workers right for forming trade union and associations. The leaders of the organisation also demanded compensation for the victims of Tazreen Fashion and Aswad Composite in light with Compensation Trust Fund. They also urged the government and relevant stake holders to set a permanent solution and standard to compensate all the workers, who were either dead or injured in any factory disaster. The organisation has identified 3,639 workers for compensation while 116 workers have been identified as missing. Currently, the Trust Fund has US$8m while British retailer Primark would give $1m to the fund. About $40m is needed to pay 3,000 workers or the families of those killed in the collapse on April 24 last year. At least 1,133 workers were killed and over 2,500 injured in the incident. The Trust Fund, backed by the International Labour Organisation, includes IndustriALL, UNI Global Union and the Clean Clothes Campaign. The ILO is the trustee of the fund. l
TAHMIDUR RAHMAN
B2
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Stock
DSE GAINERS Company
Closing (% change) 9.68 8.46 7.76 6.96 6.84 6.53 5.58 5.35 5.28 5.03
Northern Jute -Z Monno Stafllers -A Prime Textile -A Apex Footwear-A Desh Garments -B Eastern Lubricants -A Eastern Housing -A Emerald Oil Ind. -N Renata Ltd. -A LafargeS Cement-Z CSE GAINERS Company Prime Textile -A 6th ICB M F A Rupali Life Insur.-A H.R. Textile -A Kay & Que (BD) -Z Marico BD Ltd-A The Ibn SinaA Familytex (BD) Ltd.-N LafargeS Cement-Z Apex Foods -A
Average (% change) 9.68 1.14 5.60 4.81 2.58 0.80 0.65 1.47 3.99 4.38 Average (% change) 6.40 6.49 6.08 4.13 5.52 5.30 4.20 6.35 4.04 2.88
Closing average 120.10 388.30 25.85 465.93 124.70 567.37 55.42 50.53 984.32 51.46
Closing 120.10 404.00 26.40 470.10 126.50 598.90 56.80 51.20 997.40 52.20
Daily high 120.10 405.00 26.60 474.90 128.00 604.00 57.50 51.70 999.00 52.80
Daily low 120.10 363.10 24.60 434.00 121.00 537.40 49.00 48.90 940.00 49.90
Turnover in million 0.120 5.611 16.700 25.487 6.771 9.702 79.019 45.355 28.048 345.645
Latest EPS -10.24 5.25 1.12 23.61 1.18 6.02 1.56 1.40 41.39 2.19
Latest PE -ve 74.0 23.1 19.7 105.7 94.2 35.5 36.1 23.8 23.5
Closing (% change) 8.13 6.49 6.13 5.57 5.52 5.30 4.86 4.83 4.81 4.78
Closing average 26.11 64.00 124.56 35.78 19.10 1168.81 122.92 64.44 51.49 122.67
Closing 26.60 64.00 124.60 36.00 19.10 1168.80 123.10 63.00 52.30 122.70
Daily high 27.00 64.00 124.70 36.50 19.10 1179.00 123.80 71.50 52.90 123.30
Daily low 25.00 64.00 122.00 34.90 19.10 1163.00 106.00 61.00 50.00 121.10
Turnover in million 1.567 0.064 3.426 0.465 0.010 0.643 0.374 33.736 23.376 0.135
Latest EPS 1.12 6.54 5.33 1.56 -0.89 46.53 3.12 7.26 2.19 3.56
Latest PE 23.3 9.8 23.4 22.9 -ve 25.1 39.4 8.9 23.5 34.5
(+) 0.78% (+) 1.19% (+) 0.93% (+) 0.71% (+) 0.56% (+) 0.57%
Traded Issues Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis) Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis) Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis) Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.) Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)
Average (% change) -18.59 -7.44 -6.24 -5.89 -9.16 -4.40 -6.70 -4.25
Closing average 57.85 34.73 23.76 263.50 37.11 38.69 22.01 156.39
Daily high 59.00 36.00 24.50 263.50 38.80 40.10 22.40 165.00
Daily low 57.30 34.10 23.50 263.50 32.00 38.10 20.00 153.00
Turnover in million 3.153 0.191 4.783 0.026 3.446 0.030 7.329 11.682
Latest EPS 2.52 -0.04 0.88 35.42 2.45 2.77 1.20 1.40
Impact after declaration: FAMILYTEX price up 3.84%, close at taka 62.10 with PE 8.55. SIBL price up by 4.44%, close at taka 14.10 with PE 7.92. RUPALIINS price up by 3.42%, close at taka 33.20 with PE 16.77. Price Correction after Record Day: FLEASEINTs price correction was 5.10% (taka 1.20) against 10% stock Dividend (taka 2.35 per share approx.). After record day restated EPS is taka 1.20 and NAV per share is taka 12.97. REPUBLIC price correc-
-4.55 -3.39
-7.38 -3.34
29.99 242.85
29.40 242.10
31.00 247.10
28.20 235.00
0.318 12.679
0.04 17.00
749.8 14.3
Closing (% change) -10.00 -9.84 -7.48 -6.88 -4.82 -4.72 -4.64 -4.55
Average (% change) -9.90 -10.57 -6.66 -6.79 -4.82 -6.21 -4.65 -5.44
Closing average 24.30 33.00 23.68 37.90 7.90 22.06 1,730.67 8.34
Daily high 24.30 33.00 24.00 37.90 7.90 22.20 1,746.00 8.50
Daily low 24.30 33.00 23.40 37.90 7.90 21.60 1,723.00 8.20
Turnover in million 0.012 0.017 0.978 0.190 0.004 0.684 0.260 0.026
Latest EPS 1.55 2.96 0.88 2.45 1.03 1.20 40.46 -2.58
-4.39 -4.35
-4.24 -4.38
19.63 151.55
19.60 151.60
20.00 152.00
19.00 151.10
0.006 0.030
0.59 1.40
33.3 108.3
ANALYST
SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY
Sector Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture
Since the market spiked up after a long lacklustre trading, participants remained largely watchful
DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company LafargeS Cement-Z Familytex (BD) Ltd.-N Padma Oil Co. -A Grameenphone-A Square Pharma -A BSC A
Eastern Housing -A
DSE Million Taka 261.86 121.84 37.38 307.83 175.34 394.28 8.61 487.75 270.37 2.98 95.39 48.45 18.81 414.92 15.37 71.14 71.34 189.56 27.23 132.07 0.43
% change 8.31 3.86 1.19 9.76 5.56 12.51 0.27 15.47 8.58 0.09 3.03 1.54 0.60 13.16 0.49 2.26 2.26 6.01 0.86 4.19 0.01
Million Taka 29.85 10.42 3.38 15.15 22.41 41.17 69.32 17.86 28.29 7.33 29.74 2.02 28.62 2.52 4.28 4.86 22.50 4.10 20.05 0.08
CSE
% change 8.20 2.86 0.93 4.16 6.16 11.31 0.00 19.05 4.91 7.77 2.01 8.17 0.55 7.86 0.69 1.18 1.33 6.18 1.13 5.51 0.02
Million Taka 291.71 132.26 40.75 322.99 197.75 435.45 8.61 557.07 288.22 31.27 102.72 78.19 20.83 443.54 17.89 75.42 76.20 212.06 31.34 152.12 0.51
Total
% change 8.29 3.76 1.16 9.18 5.62 12.38 0.24 15.84 8.20 0.89 2.92 2.22 0.59 12.61 0.51 2.14 2.17 6.03 0.89 4.33 0.01
Emerald Oil Ind. -N Olympic Ind. -A LankaBangla Fin. -A HeidelbergCement -A Jamuna Oil -A
CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Familytex (BD) Ltd.-N
Volume shares 6,716,500 4,033,500 555,083 639,429 379,011 144,390 1,425,931 263,268 416,846 250,490
Value in million 345.65 256.18 192.64 138.11 102.32 92.97 79.02 73.52 73.12 51.46
% of total turnover 10.96 8.13 6.11 4.38 3.25 2.95 2.51 2.33 2.32 1.63
Daily closing 52.20 62.10 345.10 215.70 270.30 639.50 56.80 277.40 177.30 204.70
Price change 5.03 3.85 0.70 0.89 1.24 -1.08 5.58 0.36 2.72 0.74
Daily opening 49.70 59.80 342.70 213.80 267.00 646.50 53.80 276.40 172.60 203.20
Daily high 52.80 74.80 350.50 217.60 271.00 657.75 57.50 281.80 182.00 207.80
Daily low 49.90 60.10 315.00 208.00 244.00 637.75 49.00 253.00 160.00 200.00
Daily average 51.46 63.51 347.05 215.98 269.97 643.87 55.42 279.26 175.42 205.42
Volume shares
Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net
LafargeS Cement-Z BSC A Padma Oil Co. -A Grameenphone-A BD Submarine Cable-A Eastern Housing -A Square Pharma -A UCBL - A LankaBangla Fin. -A Appollo Ispat CL -N Generation Next-A Rupali Life Insur.-A One Bank -A UNITED AIR A
523,500 454,000 25,185 44,746 60,000 46,345 113,518 22,556 250,235 72,600 162,400 168,700 27,500 200,226 237,881
Value in million
33.74 23.38 16.26 15.54 12.96 9.54 6.30 6.09 5.74 4.39 4.31 3.49 3.43 3.37 3.30
% of total turnover
12.65 8.77 6.10 5.83 4.86 3.58 2.36 2.28 2.15 1.65 1.62 1.31 1.28 1.26 1.24
Daily closing
63.00 52.30 639.25 344.50 215.40 205.10 56.70 270.50 22.80 61.10 26.60 20.70 124.60 16.90 13.90
Price change
4.83 4.81 -1.20 0.41 1.03 0.94 5.00 1.39 -0.87 3.38 0.38 1.47 6.13 1.81 -0.71
Daily opening
60.10 49.90 647.00 343.10 213.20 203.20 54.00 266.80 23.00 59.10 26.50 20.40 117.40 16.60 14.00
71.50 52.90 657.00 350.90 217.80 208.00 57.30 271.50 23.30 61.60 26.90 20.90 124.70 18.20 14.20
61.00 50.00 638.00 320.00 213.00 200.00 49.90 260.00 21.00 55.00 26.40 18.50 122.00 16.00 12.80
Daily average
64.44 51.49 645.61 347.28 216.07 205.81 55.48 269.83 22.92 60.51 26.56 20.70 124.56 16.82 13.89
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
B3
US Ambassador Dan W Mozena in conversation with State Minister for Women Affairs Meher Afroz Chumki while Women Federation President Rokia Rahman looks on at a South Asia women symposium in Dhaka yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
Indian firm to conduct Canadian envoy talks with telecom mining work in Myanmar secretary about Blackberry decision
n BSS
An Indian company is offering to conduct mining work in two townships of Falam and Tunzang in Myanmars Chin State, official media reported today. The Karam Chang Thapar (KCT) company is likely to carry out such mineral exploration work as on gold, chromites, nickel and limestone, said the New Light of Myanmar. There are nine townships in Chin except one that can produce chromite, nickel, iron, copper, aluminum, limestone, coal, oil and marble. A number of other private companies have also sought permission to do such mining work in the state, the report added. Myanmar has been encouraging local and foreign investment in mineral exploration. Foreign firms having being engaged in mineral exploration in Myanmar include those from Australia, China, France, Japan Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States and Russia. Official statistics show that existing foreign contracted investment in Myanmars mining sector amounted to 2.337bn US dollars in 11 projects as of the end of January 2014 since the country opened to such investment in late 1988, accounting for 6.6% of the total foreign investment and standing as the third largest sectorally after electric power and oil and gas. l
The companys earnings per share is Tk1.09 and net asset value Tk 14.11, according to its financial statement ended on June 30, 2013
It will issue 1.4 crore ordinary shares with offer value of Tk10 a share. The company is a manufacturer of high barrier PVC blister film for sensitive drugs, food packing industries, blister pack for tooth brushes, garments accessories, toys, electronics and all kind of packing industries. The companys earnings per share is Tk1.09 and net asset value Tk 14.11, according to its financial statement ended on June 30, 2013.
berry service in Bangladesh and they want one year time to shift their subscribers to another service. They wrote about it to the BTRC recently. Before that, the telecom asked the both operators to take necessary measures to offer alternative service to the Blackberry users. Grameenphone has 4,664 Blackberry users while Airtel has 1,500. The telecom watchdog had earlier asked the Blackberry authorities to introduce a special network monitoring centre of switch room in Dhaka for the Bangladeshi customers. As they failed to introduce it and take steps to allow the government to intercept Blackberry network lawfully, the regulator chose to halt the service,
said BTRC officials. One Grameenphone official said Blackberry might hesitate to open server centre in Bangladesh as they could think it would not be financially viable in such a small market. The brand faced similar problems in countries like India, Saudi Arabia and China. In 2010, the government of Saudi Arabia served a notice to the company, saying that if it would fail to provide the government with access to its network, the service would be closed, prompting the company to set up a server there. Blackberry handsets, manufactured by Research In Motion (RIM), got popularity among international elites and policymakers including the US President Barack Obama. l
Dollar steady in Asia ahead of jobs data Asias manufacturing n powers stutter, stir talk of policy support
AFP, Tokyo
The dollar held steady in Asia yesterday as investors await the release of US jobs data later in the week, while they largely ignored a Bank of Japan survey that showed business confidence at a more than six-year high. In afternoon Tokyo trade, the dollar crept up to 103.26 yen from 103.22 yen in New York on Monday. The euro bought $1.3776 and 142.25 yen, compared with $1.3772 and 142.15 yen. The BoJ Tankan survey for JanuaryMarch hit its highest level since December 2007, pointing to a pick-up in confidence in corporate Japan along with the economy. However, it pointed to tepid investment among major firms and slumping sentiment for the April-June quarter, suggesting fears about the impact of a sales tax rise that came into effect yesterday. Firms are cautious about the future course of the economy as the impact of the tax hike remains uncertain, said Hideki Matsumura, an analyst at Tokyos Japan Research Institute. There are fears the tax rise will hit consumer spending and derail Japans recovery. Yosuke Hosokawa, head of forex sales at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, said: The Tankan results were within our market expectations and did not affect forex exchange trading. The focus has already moved to US unemployment figures to be released (Friday). In the long-run, dollar-buying sentiment is likely to be supported as US interest rates are on course to rise. US Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen indicated last month the bank may raise its ultra-low interest rates early next year after winding up its assetpurchase stimulus. But on Monday she sought to soothe worries about a hike in borrowing costs too soon by saying unemployment was still a big challenge for the economy and the Fed will continue with extraordinary monetary easing measures until the jobless rate falls significantly. The European Central Bank will meet on Thursday for its next policy meeting, days after data showed eurozone inflation fell to 0.5% in March, the lowest rate since October 2009 at the height of the financial crisis. The blocs inflation rate has trended steadily lower in recent months, coming in well below the ECBs target rate of just under 2%, fuelling concerns of deflation. The dollar was mostly lower against other Asia-Pacific currencies. It slipped to 11,276.50 Indonesian rupiah from 11,361.30 rupiah on Monday, to 32.38 Thai baht from 32.46 baht, to 1,059.35 South Korean won from 1,066.55 won, to 44.77 Philippine pesos from 44.84 pesos and to Sg$1.2587 from Sg$1.2619. It was flat at 59.89 Indian rupees. The Australian dollar edged up to 92.64 US cents from 92.23 cents. The Chinese yuan fetched 16.61 yen against 16.52 yen. l
Rights offer
n Reuters, Beijing
Asias major economies finished the first quarter on a weak note with manufacturing surveys in China and Japan fuelling expectations that policymakers will be forced to act in coming months to prop up faltering growth. In China, the final Markit/HSBC Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) gauge of factory activity, fell to an eight-month low of 48 in March. It has remained below the 50 level, which indicates contraction, since January. The official survey geared towards bigger, state-owned firms, showed a marginal increase to 50.3 from 50.2, but economists warned that given sea-
The securities regulator also okayed rights offer of Delta Spinners Ltd. It will issue one rights share for existing every two shares to raise more than Tk91 crore for balancing, modernization, rehabilitation and expansion of existing spinning mills, expansion through product diversification, partial repayment of long term loans.
Regulatory actions
The regulator fined Sylhet Metro City Securities Tk10 lakh and Eastern Shares and Securities Ltd Tk2 lakh for violating securities rules. Both brokerage firms are the members of Chittagong Stock Exchange. l
sonal patterns this was a sign of further weakness rather than improvement in the worlds second-biggest economy. In Japan, the closely watched central bank tankan survey showed business sentiment barely improved in the three months to March and was set to sour this quarter following an increase in sales tax that took effect on Tuesday. The final reading of the HSBC China Manufacturing PMI in March confirmed the weakness of domestic demand conditions, said Hongbin Qu, HSBCs chief China economist, in a statement accompanying the survey. We expect Beijing to fine-tune policy sooner rather than later to stabilize growth. l
First Security Islami Bank Limited signed a corporate agreement with Airtel Bangladesh Limited regarding mobile financial services for Airtel subscribers on March 31. Syed Waseque Md Ali, the banks deputy managing director is seen exchanging corporate agreement with Rubaba Dowla, chief service officer and head of mCommerce at Airtel Bangladesh Limited
Dan Mozena said Bangladesh has made progress in the fields of factory inspection, preventing labour abuse, reforming labour act and implementing the laws for the EPZs areas. Weve discussed about the transformation being happened in Bangladeshs readymade garments sector. This sector has been transformed itself and come to an international standard in terms of fire safety, factory structural soundness, workers safety and also workers rights for freely forming associations and organisations, said the US envoy.
He said they held talks about the progress Bangladesh is making in line with the roadmap that is laid out in the GSP action plan and also sustainability conducts. We are keenly observing the progress, he said, giving an example that some factory inspectors have already been hired and more are being hired. These are very positive steps. He informed that the both sides had also discussed about the upcoming Ticfa meeting scheduled to be held in Dhaka on April 28. Issues to be discussed at the high-level meeting would include increasing investment and trade between the two countries, he added. l
Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited has recently signed an agreement with UAE Exchange of Malaysia for providing safe and rapid remittance services to Expatriate Bangladeshis through banking channel in presence of Mohammad Abdul Mannan, the banks managing director and Bazlur Rahman Khan, director of UAE Exchange
Dhaka Bank Training Institute and Business Operations Division recently conducted a training workshop on e-tendering where the banks 44 officials participated. Niaz Habib, the banks managing director (currently in-charge), inaugurated the programme
Social Islami Bank Limited held its 308th board meeting at its corporate office on March 31. The banks Major (retd) Dr Md Rezaul Haque presided over the meeting
Standard Bank Ltd has signed MoU with Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) recently. Under the MoU the bank will receive Hajj deposits through its 87 branches located countrywide including ballotee and non-ballotee pilgrims during the on-going year. Md Nazmus Salehin, the banks managing director and Mohammad Ibrahim Bahar, president of HAAB signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations
B4
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Back Page
Japanese Consumer Affairs Minister Masako Mori poses with a hat as she inspects the Itoyokado supermarket in Tokyo yesterday. Prices rose across Japan on April 1 as a controversial sales tax rise came into effect, with everything from beer to washing machines costing more, sparking fears a drop in consumer spending will derail a nascent economic recovery AFP
When a customer rings us up and wants to know how to record something on the TV it can sometimes take a long time to just explain where the right button is on the remote control, he said. We want to be able to offer our customers a geek next door that can come round. Grenacher said Mila, a Zurich-based startup founded in 2013, would also launch two large pilot projects to provide peer-to-peer customer support in Germany this year, one with a big furniture store and the other with an insurance company. He said he was not yet authorised to name the firms. Partnering with a well-known brand,
Yellen: Slack US labour market still needs Fed support n AFP, Mumbai Indias central bank kept key interest rates steady yesterday in a widely ann AFP, Washington ticipated move less than a week before
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said Monday that the US economy still needs the Feds extraordinary support measures, noting that the falling jobless rate masks weaknesses in the jobs market. In a speech in Chicago highlighting slack in the labour market, Yellen said the economy remains still considerably short of the Feds goals of maximum sustainable employment and stable inflation. the start of national elections. After a meeting in the financial capital Mumbai, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said the benchmark repo rate, at which it lends to commercial banks, would remain at 8%. At the current juncture, it is appropriate to hold the policy rate, while allowing the rate increases undertaken during September 2013-January 2014 to work their way through the economy, RBI governor Raghuram Rajan wrote in his statement. The RBI last raised rates on January 28, the third hike since September last year as part of its battle against high inflation. Most economists had predicted Tuesdays decision as Indias most widely watched inflation measure - the Wholesale Price Index - fell to a ninemonth low of 4.68% in February from 5.05% a month earlier. Rajan remained concerned by retail inflation, however, due to the possibility of a weaker-than-normal monsoon and adjustments to state-controlled prices of agricultural commodities. Economists had underlined that Indias parliamentary elections, set to begin next Monday, would make the RBI cautious about making any changes to its policy. RBI is facing a lot of uncertainties. The question of whether we will get a stable government or not is yet to be answered, Rupa Rege Nitsure, chief economist at Bank of Baroda, told AFP. Opinion polls point to the main opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by conservative hawk Narendra Modi, winning the elections which end in May. Foreign investors have driven up the Indian stock market in recent months, expecting a more business-friendly government to take over from the scandal-tainted Congress party. Congress has become deeply unpopular after a decade in power over
India keeps rates on hold ahead of poll China factories struggle, adds
to expectations for stimulus
n Reuters
Persistent weakness in Chinas manufacturing sector reinforced fears of a sharper-than-expected slowdown at the start of 2014, and some government economists think authorities have already started boosting spending to put a floor under growth. On Tuesday two surveys showed that manufacturing struggled in March, with activity at smaller, private firms contracting for a third month, adding to a run of disappointing data that has sparked speculation of imminent government-led stimulus. The official purchasing managing index (PMI) edged up to 50.3 in March from 50.2 in February, pointing to slight expansion, but some economists said even that suggested weakness given activity typically picks up more after the Lunar New Year holidays in February. The Markit/HSBC Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), which focuses more on the private sector, fell to an eightmonth low of 48.0 in March. The index has been below the 50 level since January, indicating a contraction this year. Were still in a subdued part of the cycle, said Louis Kuijs, chief China economist at the Royal Bank of Scotland. I still dont think the downward pressures are tremendous, but they are large enough for the government to really start to talk about the need to support growth. In March, sources told Reuters the central bank was prepared to loosen monetary policy in order to keep the worlds second-biggest economy growing at the governments target rate of 7.5%. Premier Li Keqiang said last week the necessary policies were in place and the government would push ahead with infrastructure investment, seen by analysts as a signal of official concern about a slowing economy. Economists at top government think-tanks believe some of this spending is already under way, as Li had outlined policy reserves in a report to parliament last month. The top priority is stabilizing growth. Policy measures have been prepared and its just a matter of implementation, said Wang Jun, senior economist at China Centre for International Economic Exchanges. The pace of investment and fiscal spending is quickening. With the economy cooling, weaker and more indebted firms are beginning to feel the squeeze and a Chinese newspaper reported on Tuesday a second case of a domestic bond default in less than a month. As long as the sums involved and affected companies are relatively small, authorities appear content to let cases like that serve as an incentive for banks and investors to better assess risks. Beijings concern is, however, that with a deeper prolonged slump, financial stress could spread undermining confidence in the entire financial system. l
The recovery still feels like a recession to many Americans, and it also looks that way in some economic statistics
While the official unemployment rate has fallen quickly over the past two years to 6.7%, she said that level remains deceptive. She especially pointed to the high level of people unemployed for a long term, despite the economys rebound from the Great Recession. While there has been steady progress, there is also no doubt that the economy and the job market are not back to normal health, she said. The recovery still feels like a recession to many Americans, and it also looks that way in some economic statistics. In some ways, the job market is tougher now than in any recession. The numbers of people who have been trying to find work for more than six months or more than a year are much higher today than they ever were since records began decades ago. Yellen emphasized that even though the Fed has begun ratcheting down its huge bond purchase program, that the economy still needs its support, in the way of ultra-low interest rates and Fed program for low-income communities. l
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan attends a joint news conference in New Delhi REUTERS a string of corruption scandals and the slowing economy, which is expanding at its slowest rate in a decade. Despite the economic slowdown, economists do not forsee rate cuts. We are staring at a long pause (on rates). Uncertainty on inflation will keep RBI on its toes and prevent rate cut even in if industrial slowdown sharpens, Barodas Nitsure said. Some believe the rate cycle in India has not yet peaked. I am not sure 100% that we are in a pause, said senior economist Arun Singh from US business information group Dun & Bradstreet. Upside risks to inflation are clearly visible. The RBI is focused on controlling inflation and it has already said price rise needs to be controlled for sustainable growth. So, further tightening cannot be ruled out. Indias economy is likely to grow at between 5-6% in 2014-15 but faces downside risks, the central bank said. Indias equity markets reacted little to the RBI decision with the benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange continuing to hover 0.21% or 47.97 points lower at 22,340.45 points. Indias currency and bond markets were closed for a holiday. l
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