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Agrahayan 25, 1420 Safar 5, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 254
www.dhakatribune.com
SECOND EDITION
Activists of the 18-party alliance wield a sword and bamboo sticks on their way to join a procession supporting the alliances blockade in Meherpur yesterday
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Jamaat calls hartal as Molla death Miazee and n Manik warrant issued Abu Bakar Siddique n Udisa Islam and Kailash Sarkar Jatiya Party ministers are yet to tender
With the issuance of the death warrant against convicted war criminal Abdul Quader Molla, the process has moved one more step towards his execution. The International Crimes Tribunal yesterday issued the warrant after it had received the copy of the full verdict given by the Appellate Division on September 17 on two appeals filed against the tribunals judgement. Around 12:30pm, tribunal Registrar AKM Nasir Uddin told reporters that the warrant had been sent to the home ministry, the Dhaka district magistrate and the Dhaka Central Jail authorities. He said: We have already received the Appellate Divisions judgement and all the documents we had sent earlier. On receiving those, the documents were submitted to tribunal 2. Around 4pm, Arunabh Chakrabarty, deputy registrar of the tribunal, was seen getting into a car with the death warrant wrapped in a red cloth as is the custom. The tribunal registrar later confirmed reporters that the warrant for execution of Quader Mollas death sentence had been sent to the jail authorities.
PAGE 2 COLUMN 1
P3 TWO KILLED
Issuing a note of warning RA Gani, BNP standing committee member, at a press briefing at chairpersons Gulshan office said: If you fail to feel the pulses of people and take steps to hold elections under a partisan government you have to take the responsibility for any untoward incidents. Gani, who was out of active politics for a long time briefed the media yesterday as the senior leaders went into hiding to avert arrest, said they are determined to stay put on the street. We will refrain ourselves from the movement only for a brief period of time only when we get any positive signal from the government, he said adding that otherwise the blockade programme will continue.
PAGE 2 COLUMN 1
CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad and UN Assistant Secretary General Oscar FernandezTaranco in conversation at the Election Commission yesterday NASHIRUL ISLAM
INSIDE
News
3 Vandalism, crude bombs blasts and arson attacks marked the second day of the nationwide 72-hour road-rail-waterways blockade called by the BNP-led 18-party alliance yesterday. 5 Dhaka North City Corporation has missed the deadline for completing work on an escalator foot bridge at Banani which was due to open on November 30.
Nation
6 Commercial orange growers in the subHimalayan northern districts are expecting a bumper orange crop this season, in line with positive the trend of the past few years.
Business
B1 A social obligation fund of Tk333 crore contributed by four mobile phone operators in Bangladesh remains idle for lack of a guideline on how to use the money.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
n Tribune Report
A BNP leader and an Awami League activist were killed by criminals in Kushtia and Satkhira yesterday. Police said unidentified criminals shot BNP leader Munshi Rashidur Rahman, 45, dead. He was also the chairman of Jagannathpur union parishad. Quoting witnesses, police said a gang of 5-6 masked criminals, riding motorcycles, opened fire on Rashidur around 6pm. He later died at Kushtia General Hospital at 8:30pm. In Satkhira, criminals stabbed Azahar Ali Morol, 55, an AL activist from Amtali village in Sadar upazila, early yesterday over previous enmity. Azahars wife Nilufar Begum said a group of 12-14 people set fire to their house around 1:30am. As Azahar came out of the house, the criminals stabbed his head and cut tendons of his legs. He later died at Satkhira Sadar Hospital around 7:45am. l
Another senior leader said if election schedule was not suspended they would launch a non-cooperation movement from Saturday as the last date of nomination withdrawal would expire on December 13. BNP wants dialogues to resolve the crisis. We are urging the prime minister again to step down and accept the demand for an election under a non-par-
tisan government and save the nation, Salahuddin Ahmed, BNP joint secretary general, said in a press release. Salahuddin also said they believed that election was the only democratic and constitutional way of power change or takeover. But the prime minister is determined to hold a lopsided poll as Awami League will face massive debacle if the election is held in a credible manner. l
unless the current polls schedules are changed. Fernandez-Taranco also had a meeting with BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury last night. The BNP leader later said the content of the one and a half hourslong meeting was sensitive. The party chairperson [Khaleda Zia] has a meeting with Taranco tomorrow, after which we will tell you everything, he said. On his five-day visit to the country, Fernandez-Taranco met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday and asked her if the polls could be shifted for accommo-
dating the main opposition party. Hasina suggested that the UN envoy talk to the EC. Fernandez-Taranco had a two-hourlong one-to-one meeting with Rakibuddin who later briefed some of the commissioners about the contents of the meeting. Former CEC ATM Shamsul Huda sees no problem in changing the polls schedule now although eight candidates have apparently been elected uncontested. We changed polls schedules three times for holding an inclusive election. The commission has the authority to bring any changes to the schedule for a greater cause, he told the Dhaka Tribune. He said it was up to the EC to decide whether to reschedule the polls and
how, or declare a fresh timetable. Shamsul Huda said the precedence of changing election schedule would help the court to settle the issue if anyone challenged such decision. After his meeting with the CEC, Fernandez-Taranco went to the Prime Ministers Office for a meeting with Gowher Rizvi. He also had talks with the Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad and a group of civil society members later. Jatiya Party Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader told reporters that Ershad had proposed shifting the polls date by at least 10 days and tagged the condition for ensuring participation of all political parties.
Dr Kamal Hossain, Dr Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, Dr Shahdeen Malik and Badiul Alam Majumder met Fernandez-Taranco at the Hotel Sonargaon. Dr Kamal Hossain told the UN envoy that law did not stand in the way of deferring the polls. He said the attempted one-sided polls should be stopped. Lawyer Shahdeen Malik said nobody wanted a one-sided election. The elections in 2008 had 87% turnout. People want to see that kind of polls, he told reporters. SHUJANs Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder said the CEC had already said if there was a compromise, the election schedule could be extended. l
When asked about the next proceedings, Nasir said the tribunal had no further involvement after sending the warrant. Now it is the duty and decision of the jail authorities. Around 4:30pm, Jail Super Forman Ali said he had received the warrant. He would take the next step on order of the home ministry. The government claims there is no scope for filing a review petition against an Appellate Division verdict, but the defence maintains that they can appeal according to the constitution. Protesting the death warrant, Jamaat declared a countrywide daylong shutdown for today, terming the move a planned political killing. Welcoming the death warrant, activists of Ganajagaran Mancha brought out a torch procession last evening in Shahbagh and Dhaka University areas. They will also hold a procession this morning, protesting the Jamaat hartal. On September 17, the Appellate Division sentenced Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Quader Molla to death, overturning the tribunals life-term sentence delivered on February 5. The full verdict was released on Thursday. On that evening, the convict was shifted from Kashimpur Jail to a condemned cell of the Dhaka Central Jail. Jail authorities said Quader Molla remained unmoved when he was told that a death warrant had been issued against him. The convict was yet to express his desire to seek the presidents clemency. Officials of the jail and the Dhaka District Administration said they were prepared to execute the death sentence. Although we have not yet received any formal directive regarding the execution of the death sentence against of Quader Molla, the jail authorities are prepared to smoothly implement any
order from the higher authorities, said Assistant IG (prisons) Zahir Uddin Babar. Meanwhile, senior defence counsels including Abdur Razzak, Tajul Islam and Shishir Monir pleaded to the tribunal to meet their client at the jail. In his brief reaction, Tajul yesterday said: We have not got the certified copy of the full verdict. So we cannot take any decision. He added that if the government had tried to execute the verdict in the meantime, then it will go against the constitution and the laws of the country. And it may be identified as a killing. Hasan Jamil, son of Quader Molla, said nobody from the government had told them anything. He claimed that in the afternoon they had told the Supreme Court registrar about filing a review petition against the Appellate Division order. AKM Shamsul Islam, registrar of the Supreme Court, denied the claim and said: I am not informed about this. If they want to submit a review petition, they have to do it with the court concerned and during the office hour. Quader Mollas lawyers, however, maintain that there is a provision to review the Supreme Courts ruling, which raised his sentence from a life term to death sentence. Tajul claimed that the Appellate Division never increased life-term to death penalty, so we have enough chance to file the petition. On the other hand, prosecutor Syed Haider Ali said after release of the full verdict what left are the routine works. Regarding review petition, he said it was a matter of the government as per section 20(3) of the tribunal act. MK Rahman, coordinator of the tribunal, said Quader Molla could only seek the presidents clemency and there was no scope for a review after the Appellate Division had given its order. l
BNP has no scope for participating in the 10th parliamentary election as it has missed the deadline. If a candidate elected unopposed files a writ petition against the decision of the EC it will create a new crisis and that does not mean we are going to do it but we cannot assure either that someone will not do it, said a minister in return for anonymity. We have no such plan but someone might file it if the EC takes the initiative to reschedule the polls schedule. In that case we have nothing to do, he said. If the move initiated by the foreign dip-
lomats produces any conclusive result the EC will go ahead with the election.When asked about the possibility of such move Communications Minister Obaidul Quader declined to comment on it. The EC has the sole authority. We will just assist them to hold a peaceful, free and fair election, he said. The minister went on to say that they had no option but to go for the polls in due time as per the constitution. A move is on to come to a consensus. But, its yet to get any logical conclusion. The crisis may persist until and after the election, he doubted. Meanwhile, Awami League Adviso-
ry Council member Amir Hossain Amu yesterday said the ruling party had no problem if the polls were to be rescheduled to a later date. But the matter is entirely up to the EC, Amu, who is also the minister for land and disaster management, told reporters at his office. Finance Minister AMA Muhith said citizens would not go for vote if an opposition did not participate in the election. That election will be questionable, the finance minister told the reporters in reply to a question yesterday at his secretariat office. The statement came after UN Assis-
tant Secretary-General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco asked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina if the polls could be deferred. Amu asserted that Awami League could come to a political consensus with BNP but there would be no compromise with the war crimes issue. The elections are slated for January 5. Jatiya Party, which decided to participate in polls and joined the pollstime cabinet, is now demanding a deferral seeking elections with the participation of all parties. The main opposition BNP, however, has been against this polls-schedule from the very beginning. l
of the case against Sayedee, Mahbubul Alam Howlader, who also testified at the war crimes tribunal, was attacked by over 200 Jamaat-BNP activists on October 28. According to Nobin and another witness who the Dhaka Tribune contacted to learn about the attacks context, Mostafa was an active witness in the case who not only testified against Sayedee, but also had visited the other prosecution witnesses to inspire them to stand against Sayedee. The prosecution could not produce at least 15 witnesses in Sayedee case as many of them had either fled their houses or refused to turn up at the tribunal to testify. The tribunal had to accept their statements recorded by the investigation officer as evidence at the end of proceedings. The criminals entered the house by digging a tunnel to give the impression that it was an attempt of burglary, said Nobin. But Hafiz told him that the attackers had not looked for valuables and swooped on his father at once they were inside the house. Another witness, who did not dare stand against Sayedee at the tribunal, told the Dhaka Tribune from Pirojpur that a group of Jamaat cadres had entered the area, apparently to attack the witnesses. From the dialect they use, it is evident they were hailing from Jhenidah or Satkhira. A shopkeeper nearby Mo-
stafas house saw the group talking about him around 7:30pm on Saturday, hours before the witness was attacked. Do not come out of home whoever calls you in the night, the shopkeeper alerted the witness. At the end of last month, a group of 10-12 youths had gone to Nobins house in the evening and threatened that they had some issues to be settled with him. They warned Nobin from the courtyard as the collapsible gate to his house had been locked. Prosecutor Syed Haider Ali said the way the threats and attacks were occurring is clearly indicative of Jamaat-BNP being on the prowl. He refrained from making further comment as he could not hear about the attack from critically injured Mostafa. Investigators at the International Crimes Tribunal said such attacks on witnesses had made the fate of the pending cases uncertain. Many witnesses will not turn up at the tribunal to testify. Pirojpur Police Superintendent Akhteruzzaman said Mostafa has been a brave witness against Sayedee who moved around openly and encouraged other witnesses against Sayedee. He had enemies, mainly for giving deposition against the Jamaat leader. The police have already picked up a man who they suspect to have dug the tunnel. He man is known to be a BNP activist. l
submit their resignation as there is a separate wing to receive letters and other documents at the PMs office, he added. The confusion was created when Hawlader yesterday evening said they would send the resignation letters to the PMs office by post. The JP chairman directed his party ministers to resign from polls-time cabinet and withdraw their candidatures from the 10th National Parliament Election on Wednesday after his meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Sujata Singh. On December 5 four ministers from JP, who were the members of polls-time cabinet, handed over their resignation letters to Ershad in reply to his call. The ministers are Ruhul Amin Hawlader, GM Quader, Mujibul Haq Khan Chunnu, and Salma Islam. However, Rowshan Ershad, Anisul Islam Mahmud, and Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, advisor to the prime minister submitted their resignation letters to party Chief HM Ershad yesterday morning, after 5 days into his instruction. Meanwhile, JP Chief HM Ershad said he would try to persuade BNP to join the polls if President Abdul Hamid initiated a move for a consensus. While talking to waiting reporters the JP chief made the comment at 6am in the morning at his Baridhara resi-
dence, Ershads press secretary Sunil Shuvo Roy confirmed the Dhaka Tribune. But Awami League wants one-sided polls and they want to score a goal in an empty field, Ershad said. Can this be tolerated? The main problem of the country is now Hasina. BNP is unwilling to participate in polls under her supervision, he said. In the late evening, Hawlader went to Bangabhaban to meet President Abdul Hamid. He told reporters: Our chairman sent me to inquire about the presents health condition following his medical check-up in Singapore. He said they also discussed the latest political situation, but did not discuss anything about their resignation from the cabinet. However, Hawlader said they would not join todays cabinet meeting. Jatiya Party has hit the headlines in recent times with its unpredictable political flip-flop centring the upcoming elections. In his latest move, Ershad said he would participate in the upcoming elections if all other parties join the fray. Earlier he said he would boycott polls. In November, an interim cabinet was formed as per ruling Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas proposal for an all-party cabinet to oversee the upcoming polls. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
P5 MORE ON BLOCKADE
However, local BCL leaders claimed that Masud died as JCD men opened fire on him. The clash started after a group of JCD activists intercepted a BCL man near Chhatak upazila town this afternoon, said Officer-in-charge of Chhatak Police Station Shahjalal Munshi. He said, the law enforcers fired 199 rounds of rubber bullets and 65 teargas canisters to disperse the activists. Another victim was Rehana Pervin, 24, who died at Enam Medical College in Savar Sunday evening. She was injured when she was scrambling out of a running bus that came under petrol bomb attack by miscreants on December 2. She was undergoing treatment at the hospital where she died yesterday Meanwhile, vandalism, crude bombs blasts and arson attacks marked the second day of the nationwide 72hour road-rail-waterways blockade
Police swoop on leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal and arrest several of them as they bring out a procession in the capitals Tejgaon yesterday demanding the release of Sadeq Hossain Khoka DHAKA TRIBUNE tivists in Mehendiganj upazila in the afternoon. Police charging baton disbursed the procession and arrested upazila BNP president Labu and JCD activist Mamun from the spot and injured 4 activists. Meanwhile, in Narayanganj pickets torched a bus and a truck and vandalized a number of vehicles after pouring petrol at Chandmari of Fatullah and at Bhulta of Rupganj. The pickets locked into clashes as police barred them. At Bhulta they also vandalized 3-4 vehicles on Dhaka-Sylhet highway. In Noakhali, at least 10 people were injured in a clash between police and blockaders in Sonaimuri area when the police tried to disperse the blockaders around 10 am. In Savar pickets torched a taxi cab in the morning. Meanwhile police nabbed two Shibir men redhanded in Gazipur while blasting crude bombs. Police also arrested three Shibir men with several crude bombs in Munshiganj. Four BNP activists including a union level leader were arrested in Munshiganj for torching the launches and two buses at Mawoa on Saturday. In the capital, blockaders set fire to a passenger bus and exploded three to four homemade bombs at Matuail. At Pallabi a mobile court awarded a JCD activist Md Farid Hossain six-month jail after he was nabbed from a procession from which a number of cocktails were blasted around 7:45am. Police arrested two persons from Gulshan post office area with a powerful bomb last night. Incidents of cocktail blasts were also reported from Tanti Bazar intersection and Bongshal intersection in the old town. l
Waterway transportation of containers between Chittagong Port and Pangaon Inland Container Terminal, a special arrangement to ease businessmens sufferings during the ongoing political unrest in the country, starts from today, one month after the inauguration of the Inland Container Depot (ICD). Captain Nazmul Alam, deputy conservator of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), yesterday said a vessel, MV Pangaon Success, was being laden with containers, adding that it would leave the port for Pangaon in the morning [today]. He also said the vessel would carry 20 TEUs (Twenty Equivalent Units) of containers stuffed with imported goods of the Walton Group. 50 empty containers will also be sent to Pangaon with the vessel. A top official of the CPA said they were sending containers to Pangaon with the consent of the importers and owners of the containers. Sayad Jamal Ahmed, acting president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the initiative would ease the suffering of business people who have not been able to transport containers by road because of the continuous hartals and blockades. We would have benefited more had the CPA taken such an initiative sooner after the inauguration of the ICD, he added. CPA sources said they had procured three vessels Pangaon Express, Pangaon Success and Pangaon Vision from China at a cost of Tk45 crore. The vessels will carry containers to and from the terminal, each of the vessels is capable of carrying 180 TEUs ofcontainers. Meanwhile, Captain M Shahajahan, a member of the CPA, said they could not make the ICD operative immediately after the inauguration, as the procured vessels were yet to be registered with the Mercantile and Marine Department, and command of the terminal had not been fixed. l
senior counsel to continue the crossexamination and sought adjournment for a day. Expressing discontent, the tribunal then said conducting lawyer Mizanur Rahman had been absent since November 25 citing personal difficulties. The court proceedings cannot run this way. The tribunal said political activities would continue but we have to work. If this case runs this way, then it will be harmful for you. You cannot stay unundefended. So we alert you. It asked Yusuf to respond to the options by tomorrow and set today for further proceedings in the case. The same tribunal earlier cancelled cross-examination of three witnesses as the defence lawyers remained absent during the proceedings. The tribunal yesterday vtold Yusuf: Everybody is doing their job amid the current political situation except for your counsel. l
People waiting for long hours tries to board a train at the Kamalapur Railway Station yesterday as trains were scarce because of 18-party alliance blockade programme and BNP city unit 12-hour hartal DHAKA TRIBUNE
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Most of the corruption is being done in the public sector and with the recently passed law we need to be depended on some government authorities to combat corruption
As like the other countries across the world, Bangladesh is set to observe International Anti-Corruption Day today. With the theme Act Against Corruption Today the United Nations declared December 9 as the Anti-Corruption Day to strengthen the anti-graft movement
Four Sonali Bank officials defy ACC notices n Syed Samiul Basher Anik
Ignoring a notice issued by the Anti-Corruption Commissions, four Sonali Bank Limited officials accused of being involved in the Hallmark scam did not appear at the ACC headquarters yesterday. The ACC, on November 28, served notices to nine top officials of the Sonali Bank, ordering them to give statements in the case of the embezzling of almost Tk372 crore from Sonali Banks Ruposhi Bangla branch in the capital. Violating the banks rules, officials of the Sonali Bank and five business entities of Hallmark Group allegedly embezzled the money between October 2011 and May 2012. The officials, who flouted the notices, were, the former general manager at the Sonali Bank, Noni Gopal Nath, assistant general managers M Kamrul Hossain Khan and M Saiful Hasan, and executive officer Mohammad Abdul Matin, said ACC Deputy Director and probe team head, Mir Md Zainul Abedin Shibli. Meanwhile, the commission has interrogated five officials of the bank accused on the same charges. The officials were, the banks former general managers Sabita Siraj (PRL) and ANM Masrurul Huda Siraji, deputy general manager Kaniz Fatema Chowdhury, assistant general manager Ashraf Ali Patwary, and M Khurshid Alam. The commission, on January 1, filed 26 cases against 17 Sonali Bank officials and 18 top officials of the business entities; on charges of swindling over Tk350 crore from the bank. Among the officials, Hallmark Group Managing Director Tanvir Mahmud, General Manager (Commercial) Tushar Ahmed, Sonali Bank Deputy Managing Director Atiqur Rahman, General Manager Mir Mohidur Rahman, Deputy General Managers Sheikh Altaf Hossain, Shafiz Uddin Ahmed, and AKM Azizur Rahman (also former manager of the Ruposhi Bangla Branch) are currently in custody while the remaining 17 have absconded. l
Only a few vehicles on the roads in Gulshan 2 of the capital during the 18-party-sponsored 72-hour blockade and 12-hour hartal enforced by BNP city unit yesterday
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Returning officers asked Hearing on charge framing of to form monitoring teams Khaleda Zia deferred again
n Mohammad Zakaria
The Election Commission has asked the returning officers to form three monitoring teams for each constituency. In a circular issued yesterday, the EC asked the returning officers to inform the commission about completing formation of the teams for vigilance and observation, election monitoring, and law enforcement agencies as soon as possible. metropolitan areas while similar teams led by assistant returning officers would work at upazila level. The team will monitor violation of electoral laws and election expenditure of candidates. If any candidate violates the electoral laws and the polls expenditure ceiling, it will report the matter to the electoral enquiry committee. The election monitoring teams will see if candidates obey the electoral code of conduct and report to the EC every five days. The circular asked the returning officers to maintain a neutral environment in their constituencies and warned them of stern action in case of failure. The EC yesterday also issued a circular on allocation of election symbols for the contesting parties and candidates. The circular states that the returning officers will allocate symbols to candidates. If more than one independent candidates in a constituency want the same symbol, the returning officer concerned will conduct a lottery for allocating symbols among them. l
WEATHER
The circular states that the ROs will allocate symbols to candidates and in cases of demand for the same symbol, the RO concerned will conduct a lottery for allocating symbols among them
EC officials said the vigilance and observation teams led by the returning officers had been formed to ensure free and fair manner of holding the polls. The teams would work in district and
said this would be the last time the hearing on the charge framing was deferred. On August 18, a Dhaka court deferred until September 16 the chargeframing hearing in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case for the sixth time. Zia Charitable Trust graft case On August 8, 2011, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Tejgaon police station accusing the four, including Khaleda, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources. ACC Deputy Director Harunur Rashid, the investigation officer of the case, pressed charges against the accused on January 16, 2012. According to the case statement, a 2809 square metre piece of land in the citys Kakrail area was bought by the trust from one Suraiya Khanam in January 2005, for Tk6.52crore. ACC alleged that Tk1.25crore of the amount was earned beyond the trusts known sources of income. The three accused are Harris Chow-
dhury, Khaledas former political secretary, Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary (APS) of Harris, and Monirul Islam Khan, APS of former Dhaka City Corporation mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka were present before court. Of them, Harris is absconding while the rest two appeared before the court. Zia Orphanage Trust graft case ACC filed the case with the Ramna police station on July 3, 2008, accusing Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and four others of misappropriating over Tk 2.10 crore, which came as grants from a foreign bank for the orphans. ACC deputy director Harunur Rashid submitted a charge sheet in the case on August 5, 2010. The other accused are Mominur Rahman, nephew of late president Ziaur Rahman; Khaledas former Principal Secretary Dr Kamaluddin Siddique; and former BNP lawmakers Kazi Salimul Haque and Sharfuddin Ahmed. Khaleda last appeared before the court on January 15 when she secured a permanent bail in the graft case. l
n Tribune Report
The severe cyclonic storm Madi, formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas, moved slightly north-northeastwards over the same area yesterday, according to the Bangladesh Department of Meteorology (Met) office. It was centered at 6pm noon on Sunday about 1,330km southwest of the maritime ports of coastal district of Chittagong, 1,265km southwest of Coxs Bazar and 1,280km south-south-
PRAYER TIMES
Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha 5:09am 6:29am 11:51am 3:36pm 5:12pm 6:33pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org
west of Mongla in Bagerhat. The storm was feared to intensify further and take a northerly course, Bangladesh Department of Meteorology added. The ports were advised to keep hoisted distant warning signal no two (2). All fishing boats and trawlers over the deep sea were asked to stay close to the North Bay. They were also advised to proceed with caution until further notice. This fishing boats were asked not to venture into the deep sea. l
Leader and activists of Rajshahi unit BNP vow that they will resist the next general elections yesterday
DHAKA TRIBUNE
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
n Mushque Wadud Officials of north city corporation blame the ongoing political unrest for the delay Chairman and CEO of the company, A probe body, formed to investigate the After finishing the construction, en- the DNCC approval for the footbridges n Tazlina Zamila Khan Md Shahid Ullah said: We have opened allegations of question paper leaks in a gineers of the contractors of the project, design.
Police waylay activists of the BNP-led 18-party as they bring out a procession in Meherpur yesterday
DHAKA TRIBUNE
n Arif Ahmed
A fund entitled Poet Prof Dr Mohammad Maniruzzaman Memorial Lecture Fund has been set up at the Department of Bangla at Dhaka University. Rashida Zaman, wife of late Prof Mohammad Maniruzzaman, handed over a cheque for Tk7lakh to DU Treasurer Prof Md Kamal Uddin on Tuesday to initiate the fund. DU Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, Department of Bangla Chairperson Prof Siddiqua Mahmuda, and acting Registrar Syed Rezaur Rahman were also present on the occasion. A memorial lecture on Poet Prof Mohammad Maniruzzaman will also be arranged every year under the auspices of the university Bangla department. On the occasion of the funds initiation, DU VC thanked Rashida Zaman for setting up the fund at Dhaka University to perpetuate the memory of her husband. He also said Mohammad Maniruzzaman will live forever as a result of his outstanding contributions in the fields of education, research and culture. Mohammad Maniruzzaman was a renowned poet and former professor of the DU Bangla department. He was born in 1943 and died in 2008. l
The blockade supporters brought out a sudden procession from Nasirabad Housing Society area around 8am
Loading and unloading of cargofrom the ships at the port was almost normal, but transportation of export-import goods was hampered due to the disruption of vehicular movement, said Port Secretary Syed Farhad Uddin. In Barisal, the blockade was marked with barricaded roads and highways, crude bomb blasts and the torching of vehicles. Police arrested Riazur Rahman Riaz, joint secretary of the city unit JCD, during picketing. Pickets set fire to a bus and a tempo in Kalizira area of the city Saturday night. They also tried to torch a truck in Rupatali area, but failed as rivals chased them.
Teachers of schools and colleges have a role in conducting elections; as schools, madrassa and colleges are used as polling centres
Instead the divisional commissioner, or deputy commissioner, or Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), would monitor the school activities and would sign off salary sheets during this time. Teachers of schools and colleges have a role in conducting elections; as schools, madrassa and colleges are used as polling centres. l
The newly appointed Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh Hanne Fugi Eskjaer pays a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the latters office yesterday morning DHAKA TRIBUNE
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Nation
Currently there are approximately 315,000 orange trees on approximately 460 orchards of various sizes, covering about 245 hectares of land in the region
Asir Uddin Ahammed, an orange farmer, told BSS that farmers like him had faced problems setting up new orchards since the project expired. He demanded a new lease of life for the project, to further strengthen and popularise the industry. According to DAEs Deputy Directors Nazrul Islam of Panchagarh and Belayet Hossain of Thakurgaon, commercial orange cultivation could radically change the economy of the region. l
Two labourers cut a log to remove it from the Comilla-Chandpur road in Chandpur yesterday. Blockaders put the log on the road in a bid to disrupt communication
FOCUS BANGLA
Bumper production of winter vegetables Woman overcomes poverty by farming in Narsingdi likely in south-western region
n
Tribune Desk
This Robi season, farmers and officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) are expecting a bumper production of winter vegetables in the South-western region under Khulna division. DAE sources said farmers in 10 Southwestern districts cultivated winter vegetables on 69,016 hectares of land this year, with a target to produce 12.90lakh tonnes of vegetables. Farmers are getting a yield of at least 18-19 tonnes of vegetables per hectare of land. The variety of winter vegetables available at the districts kitchen markets has increased, the sources said. Additional Director of Jessore regional DAE M Abdul Mannan said necessary steps had been taken to ensure a supply of improved quality seeds, fertilisers, insecticides and other agriproducts for the growers at fair prices to boost winter vegetables production, according to BSS. The DAE and Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) have distributed sufficient quantity of quality seeds, other agro-inputs among the farmers and provided them with necessary technical assistance, he said. Of the total, 15,176 hectares of land were brought in Jessore with the production target of 2,83,791 tonnes vegetables, 2,722 hectares in Narail with production target of 50,901 tonnes, 10,608 hectares in Jhenidah with production target of 1,98,370 tonnes, 3,833 hectares in Magura with production target of 71,677 tonnes, 6,855 hectares in Kushtia with production target of 1,28,189 tonnes of winter vegetables. Different banks, including Bangladesh Krishi Bank and NGOs have disbursed agriculture loans among the farmers to make the programme a success. l
n Tribune Desk
Against all odds, 30-year-old Lovely Aktar is setting an example by becoming self-reliant through agriculture. In April this year, with support from the local Department of Agriculture Extension, Lovely went to China to receive training on the use of Super Hybrid Rice production technology. The China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center (CNHRRDC) and the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center (HHRRC) hold the training programme at Mapoling in Chinas Farong dsitirct. Initially my journey was not smooth, Lovely recalled. Twelve years ago, when her husband left with her dowry after just six months of marriage, Lovely was devastated. She and her father were living a life of extreme poverty in a bamboo made shanty. Yet the 18-year-old Lovely did not lose hope. She took out a loan from some intermediaries and mortgaged two bighas
of land from her neighbour. With dedication and hard work, Lovely began farming paddy. Gradually she mortgaged more land and, with the help of AED, achieved remarkable success in paddy cultivation. During the last Boro season, she produced over 400 maunds of paddy on 18 bighas of land. This Aman season, she is expecting to produce 300 maunds on 20 bighas of land. Im financially solvent now. I make a comfortable living and I have reconstructed my fathers old shanty into a tinshed building. Deputy Director of AED Narsingdi Muksed Ali appreciated Lovely for showing that poverty could be alleviated by self-endeavor. In order to live with dignity we have to be self-reliant and curb our dependency on others, said Lovely. She urged the government to extend the availability of low-interest loans, so all poor women can have the opportunity become self-reliant. l
People from all walks of life celebrated the day of freedom from the Pakistan occupation forces in 1971 in a befitting manner with mixed feelings of grief, pleasure and pride. On December 7 in 1971, valiant freedom fighters (FFs) liberated Gaibandha town defeating the Pakistan occupation forces who entered Gaibandha town on April 17 in 1971 and stationed themselves at a wireless office and then Helal Park now it is Gaibandha stadium, reports BSS. A team of FFs over 350 led by company commander Mahbub Elahi Ranju Bir Protik entered the town through Pulbandi area with great joy and pride bearing the flag of independent Bangladesh and shaking hands with the people standing on both sides of the streets. Among others, freedom fighters, Wasiqur Mohammad Ikbal Mazu, Maminur Rahman Jubel, Mahmudul Haque Sahjada, Mujibul Haque Sana, Raza Miah, Sirajul Islam, Imam Hossain, Dhiru Miah and Imdadul Haque Bablu accompanied the team. l
No long-distance buses left Khulna bus terminal yesterday, the second day of the 72-hour blockade
FOCUS BANGLA
NEWS IN BRIEF
Man found dead in Khulna
A middle-aged man was found dead at an orchard in Kashimnagar area of Paikgachha upazila in Khulna yesterday morning. Locals spotted the body of Harun-or-Rashid, 40, son of one Nafel Morol of Machhiara village in Tala upazila in Satkhira and informed police who later recovered and sent it to Khulna Medical College Hospital for autopsy. Police said Harun might have been strangulated ,and the body was dumped in the abandoned orchard owned by Swapon Kumar of Kashempur area. Police arrested two persons Haruns second wife Chaina Khatun and her nephew Billal suspecting their involvement in the killing. UNB
I have already talked to the local administration and police, telling them to handle the case seriously
They handed Sohel to village police but some influential person helped him escape from police custody, said the officer-in-charge of Pagla police station. A poor Rima, along with her daughter, is now passing her days in misery. Selim Ahmed, chairman of the local Moshakhali union parishad said the culprits must be brought to book. I have already talked to the local administration and police, telling them to handle the case seriously, he said. Rima filed a case with the local police station accusing nine persons including Sohel and his mother Shahor Banu. At the time of filing this report, nobody has been arrested in connection with the case. l
The production target of wheat has been fixed at 15,000 tons in Panchagarh in the current season. Agriculture Extension Department office sources said a total of 5,000 hectares of land has been brought under wheat cultivation in all five upazilas of the district with a production target of 15,000 metric tonnes of wheat. Agriculture Extension Department has provided training, distributed seeds among the wheat farmers. Deputy Director of DAE of Panchagarh Md Nazrul Islam said farmers of the district are hopeful of a bumper production of wheat if weather remains good in the current season. BSS
A schoolgirl allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in her house at Jamir Khan Road in the city early yesterday. The deceased was identified as Dola Aktar, 13, class VIII student of Barisal Government Girls School and daughter of Luthfunnesa Begum, staff nurse of Barisal Sher- E Bangla Medical College Hospital and Shahidul Islam, a retired bank officer. Police recovered the hanging body of Dola from her bed room early in the morning and sent it to hospital for autopsy. Shakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station, said an unnatural death case was filed. UNB Victim: Rima
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Freedom fighter Azizul Haqu, son of late Joynal Sheikh of Chondipur village under Damurhuda upazila in Chuadanga died of heart attack at his village home on Saturday. He was 62. He was laid to rest with full state honour at his family graveyard after holding namaj-e-janaja at the mosque of his village home on the same day. He left behind his wife, two sons and one daughter and host of relatives, friends and well-wishers to mourn his death. Among others, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Damurhuda Faridur Rahman, Damurhuda upazila Muktijoddha Sangsad Commander Asiruddin, local freedom fighters, his relatives and villagers attended the funeral. BSS
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Long Form
W
n Jyoti Rahman
ill future historians think of 2013 as a pivotal year for Bangladesh?If they were to do so, it will not be because of anything that happened in the first half of this eventful year.The Shahbag Awakening, violence following the verdict in Delwar Hossain Sayedees war crimes case, peaceful and violent rallies by Hefazat-e-Islam, the Rana Plaza tragedy none of these will rate alongside even 1975 or 1990, let alone 1947 or 1971. All those events, and yet, as the year draws to a close, we are seeing replays of a drama we witnessed in Decembers past, where a government wants to hold an election come what may, citing the Holy Constitution, while the opposition wants to resist it at any cost, citing the fear of rigging. The political gridlock leads to violent images like the one above.
We just cant live like this, lurching from crisis to crisis every five years, and then acting all surprised and puzzled when things fall apart. Ourpolitical culture will never mature until we stop expecting army interventions anytime things go south
The image is from October 28, 2006. The December of that year was much like this December, and the one from 1995, and that of 1987.And as in every such December, our opinion-making, chattering, urbanbhadralokclass is up in arms about how our politicians are yet again failing us, how Bangladeshis are held hostage to the two feuding leaders, how the people are victims who dont care about either parties and vote for them because there is no choice. Are the people really victims who lack any alternative, hostages to the whims of the two sides? Nearly a quarter century, four national elections and dozens of local ones have passed how long does it take for an alternative to emerge? And its not like no one has tried to break through leftists, Islamists, NGO wallahs, army officers, barristers, doctors, businessmen, Kamal Hossain, Muhammad Yunus, HM Ershad, Kader Siddiqui, Badruddoza Chowdhury, Oli Ahmed, Salman F Rahman, Moeen U Ahmed, Mannan Bhuiyan, there havent been any shortage of third force aspirants. Chances are that when, rather than if, an election is held, four out of five voters will vote for the same parties and candidates who won the last four elections.Even if there is a military coup, and the generals successfully send the two ladies packing, they will still rely on the same individuals who make up the two largest parties. Perhaps its time the chatter-
ingbhadraloksfinally accept that politics is hard work, and the politicians actually do cater, albeit in a haphazard and less-than-satisfactory ways, to the people. Politics is hard work. Not just in Bangladesh, but everywhere.Its tedious, unglamorous.Quite boring really.In fact, the exciting stuff, the kind that gets you on the cover of Time magazine, that stuff is usually all tip, and little iceberg. The cover of Time Magazine?Lets go back a few years, to 2011.That year, Time Magazine named the protester the person of the year.That year began with popular uprisings that toppled long standing regimes in Tunisia and Egypt. In Libya, the uprising turned into an insurgency that, with the help of NATO airpower, brought down the Qaddafi regime.Massive protests rocked depression-affected economies of southern Europe.Closer to home, India saw large rallies against corruption. In America, the Occupy movement captured a lot of media attention. It would be quite unfair to say that the protests achieved nothing.Arguably, Tunisia is a better place today for the protests.Arguably, President Obama would not be talking about inequality had it not been for the Occupy movement.But the contemporaneous commentaries about the protests seem quite hyperbolic with the benefit of hindsight. These were not quite earth shattering, world changing events. President Obama can have a dozen speeches about inequality, but its unlikely to change a single thing on Capitol Hill. And whatever gains have been made in Tunis is clearly off set by the setbacks in Cairo.In the largest Arab country, secular liberal urbanites at the risk of oversimplifying, the kind of people who flocked to Shahbag could not organise themselves into a credible political party, lost terribly to the Islamists at the polling booth, went back to the street again to bring down a democratically elected president, and handed the country back to the generals who rule by decree, much like Hosni Mobarak did for three decades. Politics is hard work. Protesting this, demanding that, marching in the street, singing rousing anthems thats not politics. Even if they get you on the cover of Time Magazine, that stuff, without any organisation, will matter naught. Did the Shahbag revellers really believe that they were changing the course of history?Their naivete might be forgiven, but what excuse did their elder cheerleaders have?How could those who lived through the 1968-69 uprising that brought down the Ayub regime across the political aisle this includes everyone from Motia Chowdhury, Nurul Islam Nahid, Rashed Khan Menon to Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Tariqul Islam ever believe that nonsense? Did they forget that despite taking a leading role in that uprising, the leftists lost the political advantage
to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Awami League? Did the leftist cheerleaders of Shahbag learn nothing from their lived experience, never mind the histories of other uprisings in Tehran and St Petersburg and Paris? Did they forget that politics is hard work, that one needed an organisation, a clear manifesto, and some strategies to attain power? Those pundits who are now braying for some messiah to deliver us from the two battling begums do they understand politics is hard work? Faham Abdus Salam writes about the bhadralok mentality on nuraldeen. com (translation by DT): I got a taste of the civil mentality while conversing with a reputable English columnist from Bangladesh. Regarding the AL BNP issue he said, Why dont the two hire a place and fight it out and leave us alone ... you AL BNP guys fight, just leave us in peace. I agree with Fahams thesis: Everyone believes that this country is not the personal property of Sheikh Hasina or Khaleda Zia. But what they dont believe is This country is mine, I own it, and it is my responsibility to leave behind a livable country for my next generation. Thats why its the duty of us all to make sure that no one is able to subject this country to his or her own whims and wishes. BNP and AL are the reality in Bangladesh your duty doesnt just end at voting in elections. If you dont make sure that no one else from these parties becomes another Hasina, you will definitely lose the peace you have (translation by DT). The thing is, I am not sure any amount of trying by anybhadralokpundit would have mattered. For one thing, on a number of issues,
Try seeing things from Hasinas perspective. Politics in Bangladesh is winner-takes-all. The rules of the game were not set by Hasina Wajed. She is not the first one to try to win at any cost. She has merely taken things further than her predecessor
When Khaleda Zia makes a point like the one above, instead of holding on to the offer as a political card, it signals an essential difference between herself and Sheikh Hasina, whose every pronouncement seems aimed at scraping whatever political advantage she can for herself out of any situation. Thanks to a media and cultural environment historically more saddled in its disposition towards Awami League politics, for a very long time now, an impression has been cemented in the collective psyche of a certain segment of the population (largely confined to the chattering classes of the capital) that Bangabandhus daughter, riding the good ship Joy Bangla that her father built, was obviously more preferable to Zias widow. I know within my social and familial setting it was as if axiomatic. It was hard to realise this truth seemed erected on a strange, untouchable pedestal bereft of any objective analysis, or evidence emerging to support it. To be fair, one didnt really come across much overwhelming evidence to the contrary either.
Those pundits who are now braying for some messiah to deliver us from the two battling begums do they understand politics is hard work?
Awami-leaning elders such as ABM Musa or Rehman Sobhan did caution the prime minister.And she snubbed them. Why wouldnt she? Try seeing things from her perspective. Politics in Bangladesh is winner-takes-all. The rules of the game unitary state, unicameral legislature, first-past-the-post voting, the Article70 were not set by Hasina Wazed. She is not the first one to try to win at any cost. She has merely taken things further than her predecessor. We dont know if the BNP chief would have been quite as ruthless I personally doubt that she would have but what the prime minister is doing is hardly madness, there is in fact a lot of method in it. The prime minister is playing a high
But it lasted only until I learned to think for myself, and became open to the idea that supposed truths wed been fed before developing a way to think could be overturned. And if more of us could affect the same, and carry out a fair assessment of the two womens words and deeds over the last 12 years in particular, the least we would realise is this: at no point did Khaleda Zia take any prerogative to assume this countrys fate was subservient to her own will to power, or that the essence of its 140-50-60 million people, its raison dtre, hers to fashion. Sad but true. So, instead of trying to shape the mainstream politics, our chattering class with one important exception is either willing or unwitting accom-
power to achieve ones ends. Mahmudur Rahman, of course, did not even attain power. But one must ask, what would he have done had the government fallen in the first week of May? And if toppling the government was not the main point of Hefazat, then what was it he was trying to achieve? Of course, there was brutality on May 5. Of course, ALs hands are bloody. But Mahmudur Rahmans arent clean either. And that brings us to todays crisis. One way or other, the current gridlock will be resolved before long. Something will give. In fact, we can, with some confidence, predict how things will end. There are really three options. It is quite possible that there will be some compromise perhaps the prime minister will step down, or BNP will agree to join even with the PM at the end followed by an election, which ifthe pollsare any guide, BNP wins comfortably. Thats the optimistic scenario. More pessimistically, there will not be any compromise, and we will be looking at either a neo-Baksal regime or a good old fashioned military coup. Many of our pundit classes are already braying for the last outcome.Let me put it to these folks as bluntly as possible:stop thinking of the army as thedeus ex machina.The situation currently playing out was perfectly predictable years ago; your silence and passive acceptance at that time also implies acceptance of the current state of crisis. We just cant live like this, lurching from crisis to crisis every five years, and then acting all surprised and puzzled when things fall apart. Ourpolitical culture will never mature until we stop expecting army interventions anytime things go south. I always hear the common lament that democracy in this country is limited to voting every five years. Well, ourbhadraloksneed to start participating in the hard work of politics more frequently than once every five years. l The title of this post is an echo of Naeem Mohaiemens March 2013 essay on ShahbagHistory is hard work, but are we willing? I have benefited a lot from debating him, Rumi Ahmed, and EH. Jyoti Rahman is a political blogger.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
International
ighters who were behind a coup in March. Our role is loud and clear, and it is first of all a security role. The order has been given to disarm and confine to quarters, we are doing this with the Africans from the 2,500-strong MISCA force, Fabius said. The problem is that some (Seleka fighters) are abandoning their fatigues to dress as civilians, making it difficult. l
France: Nearly 400 killed CAR president not in in last three days in Bangui complete control
n AFP, Paris
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Sunday that nearly 400 people were killed in the last three days in violence in the Central African Republic capital Bangui, but that calm had returned. We have counted 394 dead in the last three days. Calm has returned to Bangui even if there are still some abuses here and there, Fabius told France 3 television. French troops poured into the impoverished landlocked country on Saturday after President Francois Hollande announced he was boosting a UN-mandated French force to 1,600 soldiers. There are a certain number of operations under way throughout the country, and operations to disarm Seleka will begin, Fabius said, referring to the mostly Muslim rebel
n Agencies
Internally displaced people line up to access the Don Bosco Centre outside Bangui
AP
The president of the Central African Republic has told Al Jazeera that he is not in complete control of his country. Michel Djotodia said he could not stop armed groups operating in the country, as a wave of killings left hundreds dead in just a few days. It is too much to say I have no control. I control my men. The men I cant control are not my men, said Djotodia, who came to power after a mainly-Muslim armed group now known as Seleka overthrew President Francois Bozize earlier this year. The mostly Muslim former rebels who control the country are patrolling neighbourhoods across the capital of Bangui, despite an order to return to their barracks. The Red Cross says 400 bodies have been found after three days of fighting between Seleka and a largely-Christian armed group named Anti-Balaka [anti-machete, the weapon of choice of many Seleka fighters]. Meanwhile, thousands more international troops are on their way to the embattled country. The African Union has around 2,500 troops there now, but is increasing that to 6,000. In addition, 1,200 French troops have been bolstered by the arrival of 400 more soldiers. On Saturday, the countrys interim authorities ordered all forces except foreign peacekeepers and the presidential guard off the streets of Bangui, after ahospital in the capital was been attacked by Seleka rebels. The gunmen reportedly pulled injured victims from Banguis Amitie hospital, and shot dead at least ten. The hospital has since been abandoned.
Al Jazeera has learned that the Anti-Balaka group contains elements of Bozizes army, and is regrouping outside the capital, awaiting reinforcements. French President Francois Hollandealso said on Saturday it would be difficult for the current head ofCentral African Republic to stay in place because he let thecrisis there unfold. I dont want to point fingers but we cannot keep in place a president who was not able to do anything, or even worse, who let things happen, Hollande said in an interview broadcast onthe France 24 TV channel. He said elections should be held before 2015 when Djotodias mandate ends. The idea is to head as fast as possible towards elections, he said. Patrolling main roads French forces started deploying to the north and west of the country to secure main roads and towns outside the capital, French army spokesman Gilles Jarron said on Saturday. Peacekeepers are patrolling the main roads. This is helping keep the looting down. But the atrocities are inside the neighbourhoods, said Amy Martin, head of the UN officer for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). If they can get into the neighbourhoods, we might start seeing a reduction in these crimes. The level of atrocities and the lack of humanity, the senseless killing defies imagination, Martin said. The latest bloodshed started on Thursday as armed Christians from Anti-Balaka raided Muslim neighbourhoods, in a country that has been seeing tit-for-tat violence between rivalarmed groupssince Bozizes downfall inMarch. l
Bosnian Serb opposition Ukraine opposition hopes for walks out at 2014 budget million-strong protest
n Reuters, Banja Luka
Bosnias autonomous Serb Republic approved a budget for 2014 late on Saturday after opposition deputies walked out in protest at what they said were unclear proposals being pushed through in an emergency parliamentary session. Each one of Bosnias state and regional governments had to meet theInternational Monetary Fund(IMF) deadline of Dec. 9 to secure new funds and approve a larger stand-by loan. Bosnias two regions, the Federation dominated by Muslim Bosniaks and Croats, and the Serb Republic, urgently need the cash to plug soaring deficits in their 2013 and 2014 budgets. The Federation passed a 2014 budget on Friday. The national parliament, comprising deputies from both regions, has yet to set a date for the vote on next years budget. A delay in its adoption may cause problems with the disbursement of a new 48 million euro ($66 million) installment under an IMF two-year 385 million euro loan, and its extension and enlargement by additional 150 million euro. The IMF has asked that Bosnias consolidated deficit of government budgets should meet a 2 percent target in 2014. Serb Republic opposition deputies said that the budget of 2 billion Bosnian marka (1 billion euro) did not clearly set out the size of its deficit and how it will be covered. The budget revenues were projected at 1.62 billion marka and spending at 1.53 billion marka. Debt payments amounted to nearly 490 million. Longterm borrowing, including the IMF funds, was 245 million and short-term borrowing 45 million. Trade unions for public sector workers, including teachers and policemen, protested on Saturday outside parliament demanding their wages be raised 5 percent. The government cut the wages of public employees last year. l
n AFP, Kiev
n AFP, Kiev
Ukraines opposition hoped Sunday to muster a million-strong rally in a new push to wring concessions from President Viktor Yanukovych in a bitter confrontation over a rejected EU pact. Yanukovychs decision to drop political and free trade agreements with the EU in favour of tighter Russian ties and a crackdown on an opposition rally plunged the ex-Soviet nation into its worst political crisis in a decade. The president incensed the opposition and its supporters further by discussing the signing of a strategic partnership treaty with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Friday. Opposition leaders said Saturday that they would not sit down for talks with Yanukovych unless he dismissed the government, released arrested protesters and punished riot police officers for crushing an opposition rally last week. This is an ultimatum of the
A pro-European union activist holds a cut-out of paper heart as she addresses to police at Presidential office in Kiev AP Ukrainian people and not just the opposition, said Arseniy Yatsenyuk, leader of Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party. The protests in Ukraine have raged for over two weeks after the government abruptly announced it was halting the work on the agreements with the European Union. l
Ukraines security service on Sunday opened a criminal probe into alleged attempts by individual politicians to seize state power, as mass protests against President Viktor Yanukovych raged in Kiev. An investigation has been opened into the illegal actions by certain politicians aimed at the seizure of state power, Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) spokeswoman Lada Safonova told AFP. The politicians were not named but the probe appears to target opposition figures who have repeatedly called on Yanukovych to quit and urged demonstrators to blockade government buildings. Safonova added that the investigation had been launched under the first article of chapter 109 of the Ukrainian criminal code on actions aimed at violently changing or overthrowing the constitutional order. Those convicted under these charges could be sentenced to up to 10 years in jail. l
Venezuelan president Al Qaeda thrives in Yemen faces first electoral test amid weak security
n AP, Caracas
President Nicolas Maduro faces his first electoral test since being elected nearly eight months ago, as Venezuelans go to the polls on Sunday to judge his governments response to their nations mounting economic troubles. The vote for mayors and city councils in this deeply polarised country was bound to be competitive after Maduro defeated opposition leader Henrique Capriles by a razor-thin margin in the election held in April to choose Hugo Chavezs successor following his death from cancer. Capriles has refused to recognise the results, alleging fraud. Since then,Venezuelaseconomic troubles have deepened, with inflation touching a two-decade high of 54 percent, and shortages of everything from toilet paper to milk spreading while the black market value of the currency plunges. l
WORLD WATCH
Saudi beheads Pakistani drug trafficker
Saudi authorities beheaded a Pakistani man on Sunday after he was convicted of smuggling drugs into the ultra-conservative Gulf state, the interior ministry said. Mohammed Zayer Khan Qol was arrested as he was smuggling a large amount of heroin into the kingdom, said the statement published by the official SPA news agency. His beheading in the western region of Mecca brings to 73 the number of executions carried out in Saudi Arabia this year, according to an AFP count. In 2012, the Saudis carried out 76 executions, according to a tally based on official figures. Human Rights Watch put the number at 69. Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under the oil-rich nations strict version of sharia, or Islamic law. to South Africa in 2011 after being invited to give a lecture as part of celebrations for the 80th birthday ofMandelas fellow anti-apartheid campaigner Desmond Tutu. It was the second time that Pretoria had denied the Dalai Lama entry after refusing him a visa in 2009. The Dalai Lama has been based in India since he fled China in 1959 followed a failed anti-Beijing uprising in his homeland. China seeks to curb his overseas travels, and warns foreign governments that any visit by the spiritual leader would harm relations. Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of being a separatist and of fomenting trouble in his homeland. The Dalai Lama says he merely seeks more autonomy for his people though non-violent means.
n Reuters, Manama
A member of the Venezuelan National Electoral Council tests a voting machine at a polling station in Caracas, Venezuela AP
Brazen al Qaeda attacks on top government targets in Yemen are unlikely to abate while security services remain divided, ill-equipped and infiltrated by militants, and efforts to repair the countrys fractured political life remain stalled. An al Qaeda-affiliated group attacked the defence ministry inSanaaon Thursday, killing 56 people, in a harsh reminder that extremist groups are able to operate in heavily secured areas of the capital despite a security crackdown. It was the worst such attack in 18 months, heightening concerns about threats emanating from a country that flanks international shipping lanes and shares a long border with the worlds top oil exporter,Saudi Arabia. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by Ansar al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law), an offshoot of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which is among the most active arms of the global jihadi network and wants to topple the government and impose its own strict version of Islamic law. Analysts and officials see no early end to the violence. This demonstrates the seriousness of ... terrorist attacks, it demonstrates that al Qaeda obviously has planners, and executors and capabilities, Ye-
mens Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi told Reuters on the sidelines of a security conference in the Bahraini capitalManama. Islamist insurgents took advantage of the chaos of former PresidentAli Abdullah Salehs overthrow after months of mass protests in 2011 to seize several southern cities, but were driven out in a government offensive a year later aided by US drone strikes. But divisions within Yemens security services - loyal to rival Yemeni leaders, including Saleh himself - have made it all the more difficult to confront the militants. The security services also have to contend with fighting southern secessionists and a rebellion in the north that has flared up in recent weeks, killing more than 100 people. If al Qaeda is indeed responsible (for the defence ministry attack), which seems likely at this point, it sends a strong message that they can strike where the government is strongest, the International Crisis Groups seniorYemen expert April Longley Alley told Reuters. Looking ahead, these attacks are likely to continue and even increase in frequency as long as there is no strong political settlement and the military-security services remain divided and weak, she said. l
The Dalai Lama, who has twice since 2009 been denied a visa for South Africa, is not planning to attend his fellow Nobel laureate NelsonMandelas funeral, his spokesman said Sunday. He has no plans to go, spokesman Tenzin Takhla told AFP in the northern Indian hilltop town of Dharamsala where the Tibetan spiritual leader is headquartered. Takhla did not say why the Dalai Lama would not attendMandelas national memorial service on Tuesday or the December 15 burial at his boyhood home of Qunu. But the Dalai Lama was controversially denied a visa
International campaigners are making last-minute efforts to halt the sale in Paris of sacred ceremonial masks and headdresses from Native American tribes. The US embassy appealed to the auction house to delay the sale, due to be held on Monday and Tuesday, so the 25 items from the Hopi and San Carlos Apache tribes can be identified to see whether they can reclaim them. The battle follows attempts to halt an auction of 70 Hopi masks in Paris in April. On Friday, Survival International, which campaigns for the rights of indigenous peoples, lost a legal challenge over latest auction. The French judge, Claire David, said neither moral nor philosophical considerations could justify preventing a legal sale.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
International
n AP, Bangkok
Thailands main opposition party resigned from Parliament on Sunday to protest what it called the illegitimacy of a government with which it can no longer work. The move deepens the countrys latest political crisis one day before new street demonstrations that many fear could turn violent. Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut told The Associated Press his party could not work in the legislature anymore because the body is no longer accepted by the people. The minority Democrats are closely aligned with anti-government protesters who have staged the countrys biggest rallies in years. The demonstrations began last month and are aimed at ousting Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whose democratically elected government came to power in a landslide vote in 2011 that observers said was free and fair. The Democrats have not won an election since 1992, and some of their leaders appear to have given up on electoral politics because they cannot win. The protesters are demanding a non-elected peoples council lead the country instead. Thailand has been plagued by political turmoil since Yinglucks brother Thaksin Shinawatra, a former premier, was toppled in a 2006 military coup. In broad terms, the confrontation pits the Thai elite and the educated middle-class against Thaksins power base in the countryside, which benefited
9
UN decries slow, uneven use of law protecting afghan women n Reuters, Kabul
Afghanistan is failing to use a law designed to protect women from violence in a country regularly voted one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman, theUnited Nationssaid on Sunday. The plight of women in Afghanistan captured the worlds attention during the 1996-2001 rule of the Taliban when women were not allowed to leave their houses without a male relative, girls were barred from school and adulterers were shot or stoned to death. Women have since won back rights to education and work, but there are fears these freedoms are shrinking as Nato-led forces prepare to leave Afghanistanby the end of next year. The United Nations examined the Elimination of Violence Against Women law, enacted as a presidential decree in 2009 and passed by parliament earlier this year. The landmark law ... was a huge achievement for all Afghans, but implementation has been slow and uneven, UN human rights chiefNavi Pillaysaid in a report released on Sunday. There had been an increase in reporting violence against women but a failure to prosecute, said the head of the UN human rights office inAfghanistan,Georgette Gagnon. Registration of reports of violence had risen 28 per cent over the year, but use of the law had increased by only two per cent. This suggests that use of the law to prosecute perpetrators of violence against women remains low, she said. l
Indias main opposition (BJP) supporters celebrate the partys lead in various state Assembly elections in Hyderabad, India
AP
ple and we will introspect, said Congress minister Jayanthi Natarajan. This is by no means the full picture for the general elections. While the results are expected to add to the momentum Modi has built in dozens of packed rallies in recent months, Indias fragmented political landscape makes national elections harder to predict. In three of the four state elections counted on Sunday, the election was a two-way race between the BJP andCongress, which is unusual in a country whose states are increasingly governed by powerful regional parties. In the past, strong state results have not always translated into success in national elections. InDelhi, the one state which saw a three-way contest, the BJPs likely victory after 15 years ofCongressrule was tempered by an unexpectedly strong showing by the new anti-corruption Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party, which could deny it the majority required to rule. l
An elderly Thai woman shouts anti-government slogans during a rally at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok AP
n AP, Jerusalem
UN inspectors visit Iran site Mandelafuneral could linked to nuclear programme trap Rouhani: Iran media
n Reuters, Dubai
UN inspectors visited an Iranian plant on Sunday linked to a planned heavy-water reactor that could yield nuclear bomb fuel, taking up an initial offer by Tehran to open its disputed nuclear programme up to greater scrutiny. The increased transparency is one of the various spin-offs from an interim deal that Iran struck with six world powers last month to curb its nuclear programme in return for some easing of sanctions. It was the first time in more than two years that theInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had been allowed to go to the Arak heavy water production plant, which is designed to supply a research reactor under construction nearby. Irans heavy water work is of great concern for the West because it could in theory be used in the process of making a nuclear bomb, although Tehran says the programme is for peaceful purposes. Two inspectors arrived in Tehranon Saturday and met experts from Irans own atomic energy agency before travelling to Arak in the evening, IransISNAnews agency reported. The inspection is under way and will be finished this afternoon, and they (the inspectors) will return to Tehran, said Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Iranian atomic energy agency. The inspectors will go back toViennatonight. Officials from Iran and the United States, France, Germany, Britain, ChinaandRussiaare to meet on Dec. 9-10 inVienna, where the IAEA is based, for expert-level talks on implementing the interim accord. l
Israels president says he would be willing to meet his Iranian counterpart if it would help reduce Mideast tensions. Israel and Iran are bitter enemies, and Israeli leaders have voiced skepticism about the recent nuclear deal between Iran and the international community. Its highly unlikely thatIranwould agree to such a meeting. Addressing a business conference in Tel Aviv on Sunday, Israeli President Shimon Peres said he hoped that world powers in the coming months of talks would peacefully be able to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Asked if hed meetIranspresident, Hassan Rouhani, Peres said: Why not? I dont have enemies. But he said Rouhanis influence is limited, and there are other hardline structures in Iran that may not support his outreach to the West. l
n AFP, Tehran
The funeral service of Nelson Mandela could be a trap for Iranian President Hassan Rouhani because he could run into US President Barack Obama, a hardline Iranian daily warned Sunday. The Islamic republic has yet to announce who will travel to South Africa for Tuesdays memorial service and next Sundays funeral for the late president and Nobel laureate. Hardline newspaper Kayhan warned in an editorial that if Rouhani attends it could bring him face to face with Obama, head of the Great Satan government. Some domestic and foreign media outlets are using the funeral ceremony as a pretext to push Rouhani towards a meeting with the head of the Great Satan government, Kayhan said. Rouhani, a moderate, defeated a pool
of conservatives in a June presidential election after vowing to engage with the West. Since then there has been a thaw in ties between Iran and world powers. The most remarkable development was a 15-minute telephone call between Obama and Rouhani in September, as the Iranian president was ending a visit to the US for the UN General Assembly. The call was the first contact between leaders of the two nations since diplomatic ties were severed more than three decades ago over the hostage-taking at the US embassy in Tehran. The Kayhan editorial, headlined Satan lays a trap, this time in Johannesburg, recalled comments by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after Rouhanis September trip to New York. Some of what happened in the New York trip was not appropriate, Khamenei said at the time, without elaborating. l
n AFP, Kandahar
South Korea extends its air defence zone to overlap with Chinas
n Agencies
South Korea says it has extended its air defence zone to partially overlap with a similar zone declared by China two weeks ago that has sharply raised regional tensions. Beijings declaration of an air defence identi ication zone in an area that includes islands at the heart of a territorial dispute with Japan has triggered protests from the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia. Announcing the expansion of its own zone to include two territorial islands to the south and a submerged rock also claimed by China, South Koreas defence ministry said the move would not infringe on neighbouring countries sovereignty. We believe this will not significantly impact our relationships with China and with Japan as we try to work for peace and co-operation in north-east Asia, defence ministry head of policy Jang Hyuk told a briefing. We have explained our position to related countries and overall they are in agreement that this move complies with international regulations and is not an excessive measure, he said, adding the ministrys top priority was to work with neighbouring countries to prevent military confrontation. South Korea had objected to last months move by China as unacceptable because its new zone includes a maritime rock named Ieodo, which Seoul controls, with a research station platform built on it. China also claims the submerged rock. But South Koreas reaction to Beijing has been more measured than the sharp rebukes delivered from Tokyo and Washington, reflecting a sensitivity towards Seouls largest trading partner. The extension of South Koreas zone will not apply any restrictions to the operation of commercial flights, the defence ministry said separately in a statement. The move would take effect on 15 December, it said. It will also overlap with Japans air defence zone, Jang said. There was no immediate reaction from China, although Beijings response to news last week that South Korea was reviewing its options on the air defence zone was relatively low key. l
An undated picture made available on 08 December 2013 shows a maritime science research station set up on the South Korea-controlled underwater reef of Ieodo (L) and Marado Island (R), at sea, South Korea. South Korea announced an expanded air defense zone on 08 December EPA
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told American troops on Sunday that he supports a Nato force in Afghanistan after 2014, as Washington and President Hamid Karzai wrangle over a stalled security pact. Hagel travelled to bases in south Afghanistan to meet troops a day after further tensions arose over the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), which would allow some Nato forces to stay in the country after most combat troops withdraw next year. I believe there is a role for our coalition partners and the United States, but that depends on the Afghan people, Hagel told soldiers in a question-and-answer session at Camp Bastion in Helmand province. If the people of Afghanistan want to continue that relationship, then we will. US commanders were looking at a new phase for our mission to train, assist, advise and counter-terrorism, he added. Meetings with Karzai have been customary over the years for Pentagon chiefs, but Hagel had no plans to meet the Afghan president during his weekend visit. On a stop in Kandahar on Sunday, Hagel acknowledged uncertainty about what happens next for Nato forces after 2014. I have hope that the BSA will get signed, he said. Since President Barack Obamas National Security Adviser Susan Rice and top diplomat John Kerry had already had frank discussions with Karzai urging him to sign the security agreement, Hagel said on Saturday there was no point in him repeating the US position. l
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Editorial
LETTER OF THE DAY
Letters to
the Editor
December 4
Once HM Ershad was called the autocratic president of Bangladesh. Now a member of the grand alliance calls him a democratic leader. A few days ago, Ershad seemed to realise that if he participated in the next election without all of the parties participating as well, the public would spit at him and jail would be a better place for him. But the people will not spit at him; rather they will love him more if he refused to participate. There are three alternatives to save the nation: Sheikh Hasina steps down, Khaleda agrees to participate in the election, and Ershad declares that he and his party will not take part in the next election. Sheuly Haque, Sirajgonj
Morning constitutional
December 3
FarHana Rahman Prova Good going Bangladesh! Xcel Sabbir Now the arson attacks have become a headache for all.
nds This society, as a matter of fact, by tradition possesses the unique capacity to misuse or abuse everything the civilisation till date has offered it, and in this respect it remains unsurpassed in this world. Be it knowledge, intelligence, ingenuity, modern electronic gadgets and machinery, religion, democracy, liberalism, logic, media, you name it all, these are being abused by all and sundry for personal or group aggrandisement. So why should they make an exception in respect of the constitution? Consistency is the hallmark of our character, though it is a virtue of only donkeys with which we can safely be compared. Hashem Patriotism is dead. It looks that way. Facts that politicians spin in the US versus sacrifice for something much bigger. And a passionate cry. Nobody has done anything. Now there is something big at play that will make us suffer more. We have allowed things to reach this point. We will all have to answer on Judgment Day. Jay It is true that both scenarios of preserving the constitution and changing it cost lives. The motives behind it set the two apart. One is pure. The other is eye-opening. Our politicians dont have any good motives, so we see see-sawing all the time with nothing being achieved. We need to take responsibility because they cant.
s of now over 10% of seats are not being contested in the scheduled parliamentary election. The Election Commission has scrutinised and approved the nominations of 33 Awami League candidates in seats which have not been contested. This means that ruling party candidates are likely to be declared winners without being contested in fully 11% of all constituencies. According to the EC, only two candidates are contesting each other in 103 parliamentary seats, mostly consisting of nominees from the Awami League and Jatiya Party. So far, seven Jatiya Party candidates have applied to withdraw nominations, but this number may rise much higher if other Jatiya Party candidates pull out as well. The precedents for such a The spirit of our high number of uncontested democracy is seats are not positive. Since the undermined by resumption of parliamentary such a high level of democracy in 1991, there have uncontested seats in been two elections held with a an important national significant number of uncontestelection ed seats. The general election on February 15, 2006 was boycotted by all major parties except for the BNP, and 49 BNP candidates were elected uncontested. In the January 22, 2006 election, 18 BNP candidates were elected uncontested, but those polls ended up cancelled. In both the 2001 and 2008 general elections which were participated in by all major parties, no seats were uncontested. Clearly, while there has also been a fall in the overall number of nominations received by the EC, the main reason for the rise in the number of uncontested seats is the non-participation of major parties. This is self evidently a cause for concern. The spirit of our democracy is undermined by such a high level of uncontested seats in an important national election.
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YESTERDAYS SOLUTIONS
Crossword
Sudoku
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Op-Ed
T I N
11
D E N
n Towheed Feroze
ith the political situation locked in a stalemate, the question of what will happen to the country is now left without any answers. Even the most seasoned politicians and the avid political experts who have presented various roadmaps out of a political mess are now left without any plausible answer. The thing is, how can one provide a solution to a problem when the political forces cling on to the problem itself? So, evenings that were passed in heated discussions are now spent in mourning for the unfortunate public, unarguably the victims of this putrid political game.And there is something else to do too!
A simple gesture of goodwill mixed with compassion can immediately pull the country from the edge of disaster
Hope that Taranco, the UN spokesperson who is in the city at the moment with mediation experts and others, manages to broker a compromise.Sounds easy but there is a saying, one can take a horse to the pond but cannot make it drink unless the animal wants to. Most people have stopped expecting any miracle from our leaders, and once more we look to external help an indication that immaturity plagues us still. In fact, we never grew up to develop maturity. That is exactly why, in denouncing the years of imperial rule, we should pause and read the historical facts instead of being swayed by blind emotion. British imperialism overpowered
us because our local kings and queens began to include the foreign trading companies and their paid armies to settle local scores. Naturally, when someone asks an outsider to solve domestic issues, the third force will someday take over. Anyway, imperialism of the old format is long gone but, in its new avatar, the eventual impact remains the same. Call outsiders to settle domestic problems, and stand to be deemed a weak nation at the global stage. The news of Bangladesh sliding into a cauldron is common knowledge with many expatriates stating assertively that they had done the right thing to leave the country to settle in some other nation for good. Dont blame them because this is the first time when public buses with passengers have come under wrath. To be frank, human lives were snubbed out just for political motives. As soon as someone dies in the burn unit, the blame game is on we are clean, the other party is the scarred one. Whatever the case, the learning from the current state of national paralysis is that the masses, the main component in what we know as democracy, are expendable in the elaborate political conflict. The people are only needed during the vote, because in order to play out the charade of democracy there is no way to leave these hapless souls aside. Unfortunately, the public keep on playing to the tunes though its about time they demand an explanation. Interestingly, this is also the month of liberation the time we celebrate so vocally the attainment of independence for the loss of so many lives. As a member of the general public, this writer fails to reconcile the spirit of independence with the current state of affairs, where dogged intransigence seems to be ruling supreme. Wonder what the veteran freedom fighters are thinking and what their answers may be if asked about the risks they took for a nation which 42 years later is woefully stuck in a quagmire of petty political point scoring. Anyway, as the BBC runsa report
Our country is at the tipping point; its time we set things right stating that Bangladesh is on the brink, we like to think that even at the last moment there is always a way to come back from the precipice. Locally, we have failed to come to a solution so now there is a UN team to try.Reportedly there will be an attempt to make the opposing parties accept a settlement and the nation cannot but hope that sense prevails. But then, what if the mission fails? There is talk that an emergency will be declared and elections called. Honestly speaking, the government elected in such a poll would have no credibility. The country will again slip into an abyss. If that happens, the impact will be long-lasting directly affecting trade, exports, and the steady GDP. Conspiracy theorists say that the ultimate plan is to destabilise the country which, despite a global economic downturn, managed a steady economic momentum. Right, lets not get entangled in dark theories yet because, from the peoples perspective, we see a simple gesture of goodwill mixed with compassion can immediately pull the country from the edge of disaster. If Taranco and group manage to pull off an understanding, the nation can give democracy another chance. But solution or not, for some, 2013 will be the year when their near ones were burnt as political pawns.For them, no mediation team and words of solace will be enough. l Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently working in the development sector.
AFP
n MH Bari
t seems that our leading political parties have no principles, no ideology, no set policy and no goal, except to retain power or gain power. There are no rules in the game except that: We must win and the other must lose, and everything else must be made subservient for this. Sporadic violence is engulfing the entire country. The number of the dead is rising by the hour. As the scale of violence gets bloodier every passing hour with no sign of abating, terror has gripped the populace. Common, law-abiding, and peaceful citizens have become helpless hostages to the madness all around. The international community has called for restraint. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon again has called for an inclusive, non-violent and credible election in Bangladesh and encouraged the two major political parties to engage in constructive dialogues to that end. But neither side seems willing to heed the UNs plea. Since the onus of establishing order and peace is on the ruling Awami League, it must come out of the box of conventional thinking. Dialogue among the parties embroiled in the present crisis is still possible. In the diplomatic world, it is happening often between arch enemies even in the midst of a bloody war. And it is only logical that the lead should be taken by the party in power. Authoritarian tendency to hang on to power even after the term in office is over became discernible since the first general election of 1991. Distrust between both the dynastic claimants to power grew over time. This undemocratic desire to deny the opponent political camp a fair environment to vie for power through elections prepared the ground for the entry of extremist behaviour in political practice. At a par with militancy in political polemic, political encounters also started to get more violent and bloody on the street. There is no doubt that the nation is passing through the worst of times in terms of confrontation between the government and the political parties in the opposition. It is really a critical juncture for the nation. Society is now dangerously polarised. Never before, since independence, has the nation been forced into such an artificially created crisis. And all this is the product of chicanery and Machiavellianism in order to get political mileage out of them against the adversary. How power is transferred from one government to the next is an indicator of a democracy. At the end of its term, a democratic government hands over power to the next elected government peacefully and smoothly. It is unfortunate that four decades after our independence, we could not find a transparent and peaceful mechanism for the transfer of power. As a result, we see at the end of every regime a severe confrontation among
Rickety rides
A
n Abak Hussain
s the general strikes and blockades rage on, rickshaws reign supreme on Dhaka streets. A large part of the character of Dhaka city has always come from its rickshaws. They are part of our brand. Rickshaws and the artwork that adorn them exert tremendous fascination over many, especially foreigners, with an interest in all things ethno-chic. They have a reputation for being simple, green, and aesthetically pleasing, in contrast to the gas-guzzling automobiles that serve the global corporate nexus. Rickshaw art is now its own legitimate genre, with well-off people showcasing them on their coffee tables. That particular image of the rickshaw is a nicely packaged one. Although Bangladesh certainly was not the birthplace of the rickshaw (it is well known that the origin of the name is Japanese), it is one of those things we have no qualms about claiming as truly Bangalee, along with the hilsa, the Jamdani sari and the Fazli mango. But for those of us who live in this chaotic metropolis, the romance of it all has to be set aside while we try to get to work, school, or to see the doctor. With crude bombs and Molotov cocktails being tossed indiscriminately at cars, buses and other engined vehicles, rickshaws have become the preferred mode of transportation for many people in the city. Even those not so accustomed with these rickety rides are getting used to hopping on. The nation is choking from a political crisis that shows no signs of coming to an end, and not showing up for work is simply not an option. The rickshaw is not a very fastevolving creature. Even those with far-reaching memories of our city will tell you that, since the origin of cycle rickshaws up until the present day, there have been few, if any, structural changes. Heres the basic arrangement. The sweaty, lungi-clad rickshaw puller pedals while sitting on a plastic seat. Up to two passengers legitimately sit in the back. A hood, which was not designed with basketball players in mind, may be pulled up in the event of rain or too much sun. Sometimes three passengers will get on. That is not the most comfortable kind of ride for the passengers, and is certainly hard on the puller, but is understandable for short distances, and when the group is hard to break in half. Four passengers hopping on a single rickshaw, however, is inexcusable, though it is seen on our roads often enough. Finally, the rickshaw is fragile and risky. It is so light that the slightest knock from any sort of beefier vehicle could send it flying into space. The rickshaw-puller and passenger both take chances with their lives every time they get on. If a four-wheeler hits you from behind with any momentum whatsoever, thats the end of that rickshaw, and possibly you. ment take so long to happen? It is probably because, in spite of looking pretty nifty at irst glance, it is a horrible idea. This is evolution for the worse. The rickshaw needs to backtrack and revert to its organic form, because we have screwed it all up. These battery-wheelers are much more susceptible to accidents than regular ones because of their flawed design. A rickshaw is meant to be pedalled manually, so it can go at 5km to 10km per hour at most. Even though its structure makes it vulnerable at any speed, when a battery-mechanism propels the thing forward at four times the speed that its structure should ever be moving, the rickshaw is well and truly out of its element. The puller, no matter how skilled, is unable to control the rickshaw. There are no brakes adequate for this kind of speed. The risk of accidents is thus extremely high. So much for a newer model. There is a ban on this type of rickshaw as there should be. But unfortunately, as with many other things on our roads, a ban only means another opportunity for law enforcers to get their palms greased. Meanwhile, commuters continue to gamble with their lives because they really dont have a choice. Change is good, and technology should be making our lives easier. Innovations are seen everywhere, every year, from cars to fighter jets to bicycles. There is no reason our very own rickshaw should be left out. But we should do it properly, with a little more thought. We should increase our safety, not reduce it. Our engineers could think about a speed limit on the engines, for example. That would make life easier for the rickshaw-puller without raising the risk level. If were going to use technology to move forward, lets at least do it a bit more carefully. l Abak Hussain is Senior Staff Sub-Editor at the Dhaka Tribune.
political parties, where common people are the worst victims. Past elections have been marked by continuous hartals, vandalism and attacks on the public. The impartiality of the caretaker governments, which successfully managed to hold the last four general elections in a free and fair environment and earned national and international acclaim, had been subject to criticism mainly for the trust deficit on the part of the losing parties. In view of the current stand-off, one feels that there is no scope to hold parliamentary elections peacefully without a non-partisan government, and it is believed to be the opinion of the majority of the people of the country. The government must respect the peoples voice.
It has become necessary for all the conscious citizens of this country to find ways to salvage democracy as early as possible
When a battery-mechanism propels the thing forward at four times the speed that its structure should ever be moving, the rickshaw is well and truly out of its element
NASHIRUL ISLAM
And theres not much you can do about it. Maybe this was not a problem in Japan in the beginning of the 20th century, when there werent many punk kids on the road with the tendency to step on the gas a little too hard. In 21st century Dhaka though, this has become an issue. Our roads have changed (for the worse). The number of people, hence number of cars, has changed (for the worse). And yet, in all this time, the rickshaw has not evolved beyond its flimsy origins: tough on the puller, dangerous for both puller and passenger. Until now. The humble, analog rickshaw has evolved by merging with battery-powered machinery. These new cyborgical rickshaws, seen in increasing numbers on the streets of Dhaka, significantly reduce the exertion required by the rickshaw-pullers. But in that case, why did this develop-
Since the current standoff is of an intensive variety and political leaders seem extremely stubborn, it has become necessary for all the conscious citizens of this country to find ways to salvage democracy as early as possible. All our editors, senior journalists, teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, architects, accountants, retired civil and military bureaucrats and civil society members should be united in making the following proposals: The President shall dissolve the parliament; PMs executive powers shall be dissolved for election time; main opposition shall run five important ministries like home, defence, finance, foreign and commerce during election time; and the EC should be revamped: The activities of the present chief election commissioner and other election commissioners have recently raised confusion, amounting to a sense of scepticism as to their capabilities. The EC should be thoroughly re-organised. The following pledges must also be made by the political parties: Democratic norms shall be practiced in the party; party chief and head of state shall be different people; tenure of government shall be four years; there shall be a balance of power between the president and prime minister; Constitutional bodies shall be allowed to work independently, and a national advisory council shall advise the government on policy issues. We must put pressure on them to accept the proposals for the greater interest of the country. Time is running out and we cannot wait anymore. We want the hooliganism to end. MH Bari works in the global marketing of seafood from Bangladesh.
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Entertainment
In 1973, Nabi studied in Greece and became interested in wood engraving. He mentions: My stay in Greece helped me to acquire the skill of wood engraving. Although, right now, I am focused on painting, and am settled on one medium, my students benefit through my exposure to wood engraving. Talking about his experience as an artist, he said: If one can remain focused on a discipline for such a long time, one is bound to attain some success, provided there is mental and material substance of course. He further adds: There is no finishing line and no ultimate trophy. What I left behind and what I gained is not relevant for me. The innate desire to excel in my art will always be there, if I can do that, I believe I will be content. The exhibition was attended by Begum Jahanara Abedin, widow of Zainul Abedin, Qayyum Chowdhury, and Chairman of the Bengal Foundation Abul Khair. l Dhallywoods new heart throbs Mahiya Mahi and Arifin Shuvoo, will be seen together for the first time with their sizzling chemistry in the action thriller movie Agni. Directed by Iftakar Chowdhury, the film will hit the theatres in the first week of February
TODAY IN DHAKA
Film
Pacific Rim in 3D Purno dhorgho prem kahini Riddick The Conjuring Titanic (3D) Level 8, Bashundhara City Panthapath
Exhibition
Solo Painting Exhibition By Nurun Naher Supti Time: 3pm 9pm Alliance Francaise de Dhaka 26 Mirpur Road, Dhanmondi Quest for Reality Rafiqun Nabi Time: 12pm-8pm Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts House No 42, Road No 16, Sheik Kamal Sarani, Dhanmondi, City of Rhythm Kazi Salahuddin Ahmed Time: 12pm to 8pm Institute of Asian Creatives House 9, Road 36 Gulshan 2 Artworks by Rafiqun Nabi
Eminent dancer Munmun Ahmed (first from right) and her team perform at the Nobanno celebration
SADIA MARIUM
The party took place at a Miami mansion where the recently rehabilitated actress has been staying while in town for an art festival. It was a particularly
For the first time ever, the superstar has painted the first poster for his upcoming film, Jai Ho. He was keen to have his fans on his flagship poster, so thousands of faces have been merged to make a close up shot of him.
Sport
DHAKA TRIBUNE
13
0 9 7
DAYS TO GO
14 Australia four wickets away 15 Proteas crush India to seal series
Theres something inconsistent in your performances. In some tournaments, you were in contention to become champion but later ended second or third. How do you see that?
Actually, I have to work out more to solve this problem. Earlier I used to play save game but you cant win with save strategy, but now Ive changed that. I started playing aggressive and after that, I won the Hero Indian Open. I enjoyed it but Im still working on reducing my errors so that I can play aggressive with control.
You won two Asian Tour title, one in Brunei Open in 2010 and the other was the Hero Indian Open this year. Which achievement do you think is best in your career?
Being the first golfer from the country to represent Bangladesh in World Cup of Golf, how was the experience?
Unfortunately I couldnt perform as well in the World Cup as I expected. But the experience I gained playing there will help me in the future. The golf course is a different, one something I never thought. My preparation was satisfactory and I thought I could finish at a respectable place in the world cup. The weather was one of the factors which I struggled to cope up with earlier. The course was also slippery. The world cup experience was great. I would never have imagined what a great achievement it was for me if I hadnt been there. It (Melbourne) was one of the best golf courses in the world, may be in top five. I have a plan that I will play in big tournaments in future and I think this world cup experience will help me do better there.
Of course, the Hero Indian Open. I played the best golf of my career there. The first title- I never even dreamt that I would have won that - created a way to go further in my career. Now, am confident that I could win any tournament.
How was the response from others after you won the Hero Indian Open and also played the World Cup for the first time?
COURTESY
Of course, Im very happy. Because apart from Hero Indian Open, I finished in the top 10 in many tournaments this year. I was in the top 10 in seven tournaments out of almost 20, I think Ive been the best player of the Asian Tour players this season. If you look at my
year of your career. Evaluate your performance this year. Are you satisfied?
stats, which I analyze very often, Im very happy with my stats too.
One of the top level players Adam Scott, with whom I also played in 2010, congratulated me when I met him at the World Cup. You cant imagine, the green keepers in Australia also recognized me and congratulated me. I really feel proud for that.
What is the reason behind the failure in the last tournament (Hong Kong Open)?
Yes, this year has been so good for me. I won Hero Indian Open and played well in most of the tournaments. After 2010, I finished second around seven times and finished in the top 10 in around 30
Im physically not well. I had a bad cold and couldnt sleep at night so it affected my performance. Ive played in Hong Kong twice. The course is super but my performance has never been good there. l
COURTESY
14
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
570 for 9 declared (M. Clarke 148, B. Haddin 118; S. Broad 3 98)
ENGLAND 1ST INNINGS
England's Kevin Pietersen looks at the stumps after he was bowled out by Australia's Peter Siddle (L) during the fourth day of the second
Alastair Cook c Harris b Johnson Michael Carberry c Lyon b Siddle Joe Root c Haddin b Lyon Kevin Pietersen b Siddle Ian Bell c Johnson b Smith Ben Stokes c Clarke b Harris Matt Prior not out Stuart Broad not out Extras (lb1, w3, nb1) Total (6 wkts; 90 overs)
1 14 87 53 6 28 31 22 5 247
n AP
Fall of wickets 1 1 (Cook), 2 20 (Carberry), 3 131 (Pietersen), 4 143 (Bell), 5 171 (Root), 6 210 (Stokes) Bowling Harris 17 3 45 1 (1nb, 2w), Johnson 218 53 1 (1w), Siddle 13 4 21 2, Lyon 26 778 1, Watson 6 3 6 0, Smith 7 0 43 1
Sport has the power to change the world, Nelson Mandela said in 2000. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. A statesman, Mandela did not just have brushes with sport, timed for political gain. He embraced them wholeheartedly - rugby, football, cricket, boxing, track and field. He truly loved athletic contests, with their celebration of humanity and the way they united teammates, fans and countries in triumph and, sometimes, despair. At one time in his youth, Mandela cut an impressive figure as an amateur boxer. On June 24, 1995, Mandela and South Africa were triumphant at the Rugby World Cup. Not in my wildest
dreams did I think that Nelson Mandela would pitch up at the final wearing a Springbok on his heart, South Africas captain on that day, Francois Pienaar, said. When he walked into our changing room to say good luck to us, he turned around and my number was on his back. It was just an amazing feeling. Mandela also could leave millionaire sportsmen like David Beckham and Tiger Woods star-struck. Allow me to introduce myself to you, Mandela joked to then-England captain Beckham when they met in 2003. A young Woods came out of his audience with Mandela clutching a copy of his autobiography. Beckham, sitting on the arm of Mandelas chair, said his meeting was an
amazing honour, even if Mandela was not sure what to make of the stars hairstyle of the moment - dreadlocks. Im too old to express an opinion on the latest developments for young people, Mandela said with a laugh. In fact, Mandela never lost touch. It was part of what made him an inspiration for sportsmen and women. l
SHOPPERS DELIGHT?
A scoreboard showing a picture of former South African President Nelson Mandela, is seen before the Italian Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and Fiorentina at the Olympic stadium in Rome December 8, 2013. South African anti-apartheid hero Mandela died
The New Jersey Devils hold a moment of silence for Nelson Mandela prior to their game against the Detroit Red Wings at the
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff (2 L) and FIFA President Joseph Blatter (2 R) are flanked by presenters Rodrigo Hilbert
Real Madrid footabll team observe a minute of silence to pay tribute to late anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela prior to the
(From L) Barcelona's Juan Carlos Navarro Feijoo, Barcelona's Maciej Lampe and Barcelona's Erazem Lorbek observe a minute of
A portrait of former South African President Nelson Mandela is projected on a giant screen during a minute of silence ahead of the
Castres's lock Pedrie Wannenburg (L) and teammate flanker Ibrahim Diarra observe a minute of silence in
jvhbj
England cricketers observe a minutes silence to mark the passsing of former South African president Nelson Mandela on
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
15
Ibrahimovic on fire as PSG demolish Sochaux n Reuters, Paris
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored two late goals and set up two more as Paris St Germain returned to winning ways with a thumping 5-0 victory over visitors Sochaux to open up a fourpoint lead at the top of Ligue 1 on Saturday. Ibrahimovic grabbed the final two goals in the 87th minute and in stoppage time having already set up Thiago Silva for the early opener and Edinson Cavani for the third past the hour, with Ezequiel Lavezzi also finding the net in between. The win put the champions, who surprisingly suffered their first defeat of the season at Evian Thonon Gaillard on Wednesday, on 40 points from 17 games ahead of second-placed Lille. Sochaux remain bottom on eight points. l
QUICK BYTES
Sao Paulo goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni, scorer of more than 100 goals from free-kicks and penalties, has postponed his retirement and is to play on for a 22nd season at the club. The 40-year-old, who has won every possible title including the Brazilian championship, the Sao Paulo championship, the Club World Cup and Libertadores Cup, had been due to quit this month but said the club had persuaded him to change his mind. Sao Paulo is my second home. I adore this place, its practically my life, he told the club website (www.saopaulofc.net). Also, the club president Juvenal Juvencio has insisted that I stay and I was also swayed by the declarations of (coach) Muricy Ramalho who asked for me to stay. Its always good to have the confidence of the people who are in command at the club. I will do everything I can so that 2014 is a better year for us. Reuters
RESULTS
PSG
Silva 14, Lavezzi 47, Cavani 62, Ibrahimovic 87, 90+1
50 20 10 11
Sochaux
Lorient Reims Arsenal's German midfielder Mesut Ozil (L) vies for the ball against Everton's Costa Rican midfielder Bryan Oviedo (R) during their English Premier League match at The Emirates Stadium in north London yesterday AFP
Valenciennes
Doumbia 18
Sankhare 70
RESULTS
Arsenal
Ozil 80
11 20 12
Deloufeu 84
Everton
Premier League leaders Arsenal will face arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the pick of next months FA Cup third round ties after the north London duo were drawn against one another on Sunday. Between them the clubs have won the FA Cup 18 times, although Arsenal havent lifted the trophy since 2005 -- their last major piece of silverware -- while the last of Spurs eight Cup final wins was in 1991. The other all Premier League ties pit Norwich against Fulham, with Newcastle at home to Cardiff and West Brom welcoming Crystal Palace to the Hawthorns. FA Cup holders Wigan, now in the second-tier Championship following relegation last season, begin their defence against MK Dons while Manchester City, last seasons beaten finalists, travel to nearby Blackburn Rovers. AFP
Fulham
Aston Villa
Sunderland
Johnson 37
Tottenham
Fulham, who previously hadnt scored two goals at home all season, then doubled their lead through a controversial penalty nine minutes later. Alex Kacaniklic broke clear and charged into the box where he ap-
peared to make the initial contact with Villas Leandro Bacuna. But the referee Mike Dean awarded a penalty and Dimitar Berbatov, after selling Guzan a dummy, rolled the ball into the bottom corner. Victory saw Fulham, beaten 2-1 by Tottenham in Meulensteens first game in charge on Wednesday after he succeeded fellow Dutchman Martin Jol, climb one place into 18th spot but remain in the relegation zone. Villas defeat means both Swansea and Hull will have the chance to leapfrog them into the top half of the table when they meet at the Liberty Stadium on Monday. Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur pursued their Premier League revival by coming from behind to win 2-1 away to bottom club Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. l
n AFP, Milan
Mattia Destro struck a second-half winner on his return from a long injury lay-off to hand Roma a 2-1 win at home to Fiorentina which reduced the gap on leaders Juventus to three points on Sunday. A run of four consecutive draws, coupled with Juventuss 2-0 win away to Bologna on Friday, had left Roma with a six-point deficit to the Serie A champions. Meanwhile on Saturday, Napoli dropped two precious points in the Italian title race on Saturday after Dujan Basta levelled late on for Udinese to grab a share of the spoils from a 3-3 draw. Earlier, Mario Balotelli scored a brace, including a stunning free-kick seven minutes from time, to help secure a share of the points for Milan in a hardfought 2-2 away draw to Livorno. l
RESULTS
Roma
Maicon 7, Destro 67
21 21 21 20 01 10 22 33
Fiorentina Genoa
Vargas 29
Cagliari Verona
Gilardino 16
Atalanta
Denis 42
Thereau 55
Saturday
Livorno
Siligardi 26, Paulinho 58 Balotelli 7, 83
AC Milan
Napoli
Udinese
Defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez won the $1.3 million Hong Kong Open in a three-way playoff Sunday, clinching the title for a record-equalling fourth time and securing his 20th European Tour victory. The 49-year-old Spaniard birdied the first extra hole at the Hong Kong Golf Club to defeat Thailands Prom Meesawat and Stuart Manley of Wales and collect a winners cheque of $216,660. Jimenez raised his arm to the air as a fifteen-foot-plus putt dropped into the hole on the eighteenth green -- much to the delight of an adoring crowd in the southern Chinese city. The victory saw the popular Jimenez match the Taiwanese Hsieh Yung-yos four wins at Fanling in the 1960s and 1970s and break the record he set last year as the oldest European Tour winner. Its very nice to win a fourth title and for two years in a row, a delighted Jimenez said. Its a very sweet victory. AFP
BRIEF SCORE
South Africa 280 for 6 De Kock 106, Amla 100, Shami 3 48) India 146 all out Raina 36, Jadeja 26, Tsotsobe 4 25 South Africa won by 134 runs Man of the match: Q De Kock
His successful partnerships with Amla at the top of the order have put the one-day international career of Test captain Graeme Smith in doubt. Smith was released from the rest of the three-match series in order to concentrate on his preparation for two Test matches against India, starting on December 18. Unlike in the first match, where there was a torrent of 206 runs in the last 20 overs, with South Africa finishing on 358 for four, India fought back
Quinton de Kock (L) celebrates his century with Hashim Amla during their 2nd ODI against India at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead yesterday INTERNET
DAYS WATCH
Ten Sports 06:00AM Women Hockey World League Final Junior Hockey Mens World Cup 02:30PM Argentina v Spain 04:30PM Australia v France 06:30PM England v Malaysia 08:30PM S Africa v New Zealand Star Sports 4 2:00AM English Premier League Swansea v Hull City
RESULTS
Sant Andreu
04 11 10
Atletico Madrid
Girona
Timor 15
Getafe
Celta Vigo
Mina 71
00 10
The two-day long Mobil Cup Golf tournament commenced at the Kurmitola Golf Course on Saturday
COURTESY
16
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Police arrest three human traffickers and rescued 31 people from a residential hotel in Chittagong Sunday
FOCUS BANGLA
DMCH Director Brigadier General Mustafizur Rahman is confident that no doctor or employee of the hospital is involved with issuing fake MCs
Admitting that the ill practice had been on the rise in recent times, DMCH Deputy Director Musfiqur Rahman said: Nobody can directly issue a medical certificate to a patient without the directors permission. Every patient must apply for an MC either through police or a court. The patient also needs to produce the original ticket [issued at the time of admission] and the release letter with the application. Then police will file a prayer to the hospital for an MC. Upon the police prayer, the assistant registrar and the record keeper of the hospital will verify the information of the patient and then send the certificate to the police station
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Business
Business
www.dhakatribune.com/business
Government should finalize the rule immediately and sit with us and other stakeholders. We need to create opportunities for improving life of every citizen
Earlier, Sunil Kanti Bose, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said: Formulation of the rules for using the fund is now at final stage. It has been awaiting finance ministrys approval for last couple of months. The money is now in an account of BTRC, which is being increased by around Tk500m every quarter. BTRC officials said once the rules get approval, they will start using the money for development of the countrys telecom and ICT sector and bridging the digital divide.
Its very worrying situation for the economy. If there is no economic activities, there will be no development
R Tk6 obi 21 9.8 %, cro re Ban g Tk7 lalink 3.8 22% cro re ,
22%
Tk73.8 crore
21%
Tk69.8 crore
7%
Tk21.5 crore
He said the countrys economy is suffering now as 18-party opposition continue to enforce blockades back-to-back. Its very worrying situation for the economy. If there is no economic activities, there will be no development. He further said economic forecast cannot be made until the end of the political violence on the streets. Projection of the countrys economic growth will be difficult if political instability and violence goes on. He claimed the government is continuing its efforts to tackle the situation. AMA Muhith blamed BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami for violence across the country. Blockade is a latest gift from the opposition leader Begum Khaleda Zia for the country. She becomes Amir of Jamaat Burning people and vehicles is their (BNP and Jamaat) political culture. But they will not be allowed to do it for long. People will stand against it, finance minister warned. Outlay of the current fiscal year budget is Tk 2.22tn which is 16% higher than size of the budget of fiscal year 2012-13. The size of the revenue amount Tk 1.67tn while the budget deficit stands Tk 550, which is 4.6% of the gross domestic product . The government expects Tk 6,670cr in foreign grants. l
A H Mamun/DT Infographic
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
n Truibune Report
Outgoing managing director and chief executive officer of mobile operator Robi, Michael Kuehner said voice market of Bangladesh becoming stagnant while the data market is booming. Voice revenue is flattening out whereas the data market growth is really very fast in Bangladesh, he said while speaking at a meet with the countrys telecom reporters in Dhaka yesterday. Currently data growth is really fast in the country, and we are optimistic about it. Michael Kuehner is also chairman of the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB). The members of Telecom Reporters Network Bangladesh (TRNB) meet him in his office. The outgoing Robi MD has worked in Bangladesh for last four and a half years in the post. He is going into retirement this month. Though there are lots of problem in politics and other areas, people of this country must be saluted for their resilience. The country continues to achieve 6% GDP growth despite the problems, said sexagenarian Mi-
Robi CEO Michael Kuehner receives a bouquet of flowers from telecom reporters at his office in yesterday chael Kuehner, a German nationale. While referring to the countrys telecom sector, he said the market is highly taxed although the revenue generation is low. Such kind of situation was a challenging me. But my focus was not on revenue, though important, I concentrated on the culture (of Bangladesh), added Robis CEO. According to data, Robi under Michael Kuehners leadership has become the second largest mobile phone operator in the country in terms of revenue and started making profit. He changed the operators name from Aktel to Robi. Executive Vice Presidentof Robi Mahmudur Rahman and TRNB president Abdullah Mamun, among others were also present. l
NCC Bank has constructed two rain shades for walkers at Uttara Sector-13 Lake Park, Dhaka as part of Banks corporate social responsibility. Managing Director and CEO of NCC Bank Mohammed Nurul Amin recently inaugurated the rain shades as chief guest
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
WB: Investment into emerging November sees 5% growth despite political unrest, RMG industry setbacks markets to fall n in 2014
n Reuters
Foreign direct investment into emerging markets should decline next year because of persistent concerns about the global economy, the World Banks political risk insurance arm said on Thursday. For the first time in five years, companies listed macroeconomic instability as their biggest constraint for investing in emerging markets over the next three years, according to the report from the World Banks Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency. The persistent global economic uncertainty appears to have tainted the overall mood, with economic pessimism underpinning the expected stagnant FDI levels, MIGA said in the report. The findings suggest that the global recovery is still finding its footing after the 2007-2009 financial crisis.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
PM seeks more Stocks upbeat on UN official visit Danish investments n Tribune Report in Bangladesh
n Tribune Business Desk
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sought more Danish investments in various sectors including ICT, energy and power, marine fisheries, aquaculture, infrastructure development, agro-industry and frozen food industry in Bangladesh. She made the request when newly appointed Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh Hanne Fugi Eskjaer paid a courtesy call on her at her office in Dhaka yesterday, reports UNB. PMs press secretary Abul Kalam Azad briefed the reporters after the meeting. Terming Bangladesh as most vulnerable to climate change, Hasina said Denmark can help Bangladesh with green technology to face adverse impacts of global warming. She mentioned that DANIDA is helping Bangladesh in poverty reduction, agriculture, fisheries, water transport, water supply and sanitation, integrated rural development and mass education. Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the interest of the biggest Danish Wind Energy Company Vestes to invest in wind power and sea platform based power production in Bangladesh. The Danish envoy stressed the need for more cooperation in shipbuilding and climate change issues. l Stocks rose yesterday as investors reacted positively to the visit of a high UN official to persuade the two rival political parties come into negotiation table. The country is going through a political turmoil as the government and the opposition are still divided on a polls-time administration while the national election is scheduled on January 5, 2014. The market opened on upbeat note and the momentum continued till the end of the session with significantly increased trading activities compared to previous two sessions. The benchmark DSEX rallied more than 25 points or 0.7% to close at 4302. The blue chip index DS30 added 3 points or 0.3% to settle at 1501. The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Categories Index, CSCX, also gained 58 points to 8430. The total DSE turnover stood at over Tk500 crore, which was about 20% higher over the previous session. Apparently, market greeted recent ef-
MIGA aims to encourage FDI into emerging markets by protecting private investors from such political risks as war and sovereign default
forts to end political deadlock. It sparked some optimism among the investors, said IDLC Investments in its market analysis. According to it, as investors became hopeful on a solution to political impasse amid UN official visit, the market ended in the green. Lanka Bangla Securities stated: Market enjoyed a gaining streak after fall in last two consecutive sessions. Investors focused more on low-priced, volume-driven trades and putting small cap companies on the top of movement. Not surprisingly, textile sector, which consists mostly of small cap companies, gained the highest which around 4%. Among major sectors, life insurance gained 2%, followed by engineering 1.82%. The other major sectors non banking financial institutions and pharmaceuticals and telecommunications - ended flat. Food and Allied was the largest losing sector declining 1.6%. Of 287 issues traded, 205 gained, 47 declined and 35 remained unchanged on the DSE. l
In its latest global economic snapshot in October, the International Monetary Fund cut its world growth forecasts for the sixth straight time in two years, warning about a sluggish expansion in the developing world. Overseas financing into developing countries is set to fall 4.5% next year after rising 2% in 2013, the MIGA report said. However, at around $600bn a year, FDI to emerging markets is close to quadruple the levels seen a decade ago, it added. Growing investments into sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are a bright spot, although Europe and Central Asia are seeing declines. But MIGA said most of the 459 companies it surveyed about their activities in emerging markets were not planning to withdraw or cancel existing investments. MIGA aims to encourage FDI into emerging markets by protecting private investors from such political risks as war and sovereign default. It said the market for political risk insurance expanded 33% last year to $100bn, a historic high, and is on track for similar growth this year, even as FDI is falling. Investors are most concerned about instability in the Middle East and North Africa, expropriations and legal disputes with governments in Latin America, contract renegotiations in countries with natural resources and general capital constraints, MIGA added. l
4
n AFP, Islamabad
Pakistans launch of work on its largest nuclear power plant last week is the latest example of big-money Chinese infrastructure projects in the troubled nation. Cash-strapped Pakistan, plagued by a bloody homegrown Taliban insurgency, is battling to get its shaky economy back on track and solve a chronic energy crisis that cripples industry. Politicians in Beijing and Islamabad are fond of extolling the profundity of their friendship in flowery rhetoric and on the ground this has translated into around 10,000 Chinese engineers and workers flocking to Pakistan. Chinese companies are working on more than 100 major projects in energy, roads and technology, according to Pakistani officials, with an estimated $18bn expected to be invested in the coming years. Some projects are being done by the government, then most of the projects are being done by the Chinese companies, by the provinces and also with the state enterprises and authorities, Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistans federal minister for planning and development, told AFP. In the energy sector, Chinese engineers are building up to 15 power projects that include hydel (hydroelectric), thermal and nuclear plants. Pakistan faces an electricity shortfall of around 4,000 megawatts in the sweltering summer, leading to lengthy blackouts that make ordinary peoples lives a misery and have strangled economic growth. To combat the crisis, Pakistan has sought Chinese help in building power generation projects across the country, including nuclear. Aside from the 2,200 MW project near Karachi launched by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last week, Chinese companies built two of Pakistans three operational reactors. Chinese engineers are also busy in the construction of a 969 MW hydropower project in Kashmir. They have also committed to generate 6,000 MW of electricity from coal and wind in southern Sindh province. But cooperation goes beyond energy. Visiting in May during his first overseas trip after taking office, Chinese Premier Li
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
A Chinese engineer (left) supervise workers building a bridge over a river in Ghari Dopatta, some 22 kms from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistaniadministered Kashmir AFP Keqiang linked growth in his countrys restive west with that in Pakistan, saying the two sides wanted to create an economic corridor to boost development. The concept involves improving road and rail networks to link China through Pakistan to the Arabian Sea and planning minister Iqbal said its benefits would extend to other neighbouring countries. The biggest flagship project is going to be the economic corridor. I hope with its completion, we will be able to create opportunities not just for China and Pakistan but for the entire region, he said. If the economic corridor is constructed, trade between China and India can also take place from this corridor. Similarly, trade between China and Central Asia and also between India and Central Asia can take place, Iqbal said. In January the Pakistani cabinet approved the transfer of Gwadar port, strategically located in the countrys far southwest, to a Chinese state-owned company. Once the road network is improved, Gwadar will slash thousands of kilometres off the distance oil and gas imports from Africa and the Middle East have to be transported to reach China. The bloody six-year Taliban insurgency and threat of expat workers being kidnapped and beheaded by militants has made many foreign firms wary of investing in Pakistan. Chinese engineers on construction sites are guarded at all times by armed policemen, and some AFP spoke to seemed happy with their time in Pakistan. Pakistani people are very friendly with Chinese. That is why I am here since last three years and I will spend some more years over here, said Wang Yanjun, supervising a road-building project in Muzaffarabad, the main town in Pakistani Kashmir. They provide respect and support to Chinese, so cooperation between China and Pakistan is increasing. I think we will do much more development projects in future than now. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
Indian Information Technology (IT) professionals work on their laptops during an Open Hack Day programme organised by the global search engine Yahoo! in Bangalore AFP IT security expert Sunil Abraham said the use of Gmail and the like was highly risky since the American services had their servers in the US and the National Security Agency has been known to tap into their database systems. It is unclear how many state and federal public workers actively use popular email services for office, but some of the estimates are startling. As much as 90% of government officials use private email (services) for official use ... thats because their official email is not as stable or speedy, said Abraham, executive director of the Bangalore-based Centre for Internet and Society. In September Sibals ministry announced a new Email Policy of the Government of India in the wake of spying allegations about the NSA revealed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. NSAs tentacles not only crept into the Indian embassy in Washington and its UN office in New York, but also accessed email and chat messenger contact lists of hundreds of millions of ordinary citizens worldwide, according to media reports. During a single day last year, the NSAs Special Source Operations branch collected 444,743 email address books from Yahoo, 105,068 from Hotmail, 82,857 from Facebook, 33,697 from Gmail and 22,881 from unspecified other providers, The Washington Post said, according to an internal NSA presentation. The $11m Indian project aims to bring some five million public employees onto the governments email domain powered by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) as early as mid-December. It is awaiting clearances and suggestions from all ministries before the proposal goes to the cabinet this month. J Satyanarayana, secretary of the department of electronics and IT, dismissed claims that the policy was too late and was a response to the Snowden scandal. The policy is not a reaction to any global spying revelations, it was already in the works. It is just a mere coincidence that both came around the same time, he said. Some cyber security experts say bringing millions aboard a centralised server could make a hackers job easier, with all critical government information available on a single platform. l
Nike, Adidas square off for Brazil World Cup in ongoing brand battle
n Reuters
When soccer teams battle for the World Cup in Brazil next year, another fight for global supremacy will be played out on the pitches - between Adidas and Nike. In the next round of their tussle to be the worlds biggest sports brand there is everything to play for. Nike currently owns 14.6% of the global sporting goods market to Adidas 11.4%, and is whittling away at the German brands No. 1 position in Europe. Adidas held 13.2% of the western European sporting goods market in 2012 to Nikes 12.4%, according to Euromonitor data. Its not easy to evaluate (next years) collections. Adidas is definitely putting a lot of effort into winning lost ground, but a company like Nike wont rest on its laurels, said Hans Allmendinger, head of marketing for German sporting goods retailer Sport2000. Adidas has for more than 40 years decorated soccer kit and shoes with its distinctive parallel lines logo. It has strong partnerships setting it up well for the coming challenge: a close relationship with German club Bayern Munich, of which it owns 9%, and with FIFA, soccers world governing body, for whom it designs official World Cup kit. Adidas has forecast record 2014 soccer sales of over 2bn euros and aims to boost group sales to 17bn euros ($23bn) in 2015. gust31, it posted an 8% jump in sales in Europe. Over the same period, Adidas European sales fell 7%. Adidas is pulling out all the stops to make its presence felt in Brazil, where Nike sponsors the national team. Brazil have won the World Cup a record five times and the country is a byword for stylish launch of a new soccer top for the Palmeiras club in the yellow, green and blue worn by the Brazil national team. That will be ruffling a few feathers, said Berenberg Bank analyst John Guy. Theyve certainly got a few tactical moves up their sleeves to consolidate their position against Nike and thats good to see. Klaus Jost, president of the worlds largest sportswear retailer Intersport, said Nikes roster of top soccer players like Frenchman Franck Ribery and Portugals Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the reasons for Nikes increasing sales in Europe. Its much more about creating the right image, he told Reuters. Stars like Ribery, Ronaldo and (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic have such an attraction that many kids want to copy them. Big name endorsements are also responsible for Nikes broader success. Retailers say the US brand has gained market share this year thanks to well designed, comfortable products such as the top-selling Nike Free sneaker - and getting its performance-enhancing shoes on the feet of the biggest sports stars. l
That will be ruffling a few feathers, said Berenberg Bank analyst John Guy. Theyve certainly got a few tactical moves up their sleeves to consolidate their position against Nike and thats good to see
US Nike, meanwhile, only entered the soccer market in 1994. But already it has several major partnerships with clubs, including English champions Manchester United. The owner of the distinctive swoosh or tick logo, does not give forecasts for individual sport categories, but it is predicting group sales of up to $30 billion by 2015 - suggesting it thinks it can put in a sufficiently strong performance during the World Cup to stretch its global lead over the German company - and maybe beat it at home too. In Nikes first fiscal quarter of 2013, ended Ausoccer, meaning there is a huge buzz around the tournament - and Nikes designs. Adidas is aiming to make its presence felt with players like Lionel Messi and Mesut Ozil, who play for Adidas-sponsored national teams Argentina and Germany - and the launch of the official match ball, the Brazuca - on sale for $160 but free to Brazilians born on its launch day. Given the scale of the battle however it will also be using what is politely known as ambush marketing. Soccer watchers cite as an early example in this years World Cup campaigns the
6
Combined Turnover Leader Generation Next Fashions-A Paramount Textile Ltd.-N Delta Life Insu. -A R. N. Spinning-A Argon Denims Ltd-A Vol.
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DSE Gainer Eastern Cables-Z C% 26.27 9.78 9.75 9.51 9.42 A% 18.79 7.14 8.39 7.84 7.69 BD Building Systems -N Rupali Life Insur.-A Hakkani P& Paper-B Deshbandhu Polymer-A 37.14
BANK ABBANK | 2.95 | 32.60 | Vol. 577977 D: 27.20 0.37% | 27.26 | 27.70 / 25.00 C: 27.40 0.00% | 27.43 | 27.60 / 27.00 CITYBANK | 1.15 | 25.97 | Vol. 465150 D: 20.60 0.00% | 20.75 | 21.00 / 18.80 C: 20.80 1.46% | 20.85 | 21.10 / 20.70 IFIC | 1.10 | 18.34 | Vol. 1254190 D: 33.30 0.30% | 33.61 | 34.30 / 31.00 C: 33.30 0.30% | 33.47 | 34.10 / 30.10 ISLAMIBANK | 3.78 | 27.16 | Vol. 218853 D: 35.40 0.84% | 35.56 | 36.00 / 34.00 C: 35.40 0.56% | 35.52 | 35.90 / 35.20 NBL | 1.05 | 15.76 | Vol. 1196019 D: 12.20 0.00% | 12.25 | 12.40 / 11.40 C: 12.30 0.82% | 12.26 | 13.00 / 12.00 PUBALIBANK | 1.92 | 21.18 | Vol. 211373 D: 32.40 0.31% | 32.29 | 32.80 / 29.50 C: 32.10 0.00% | 31.81 | 32.40 / 31.30 RUPALIBANK | 6.70 | 64.27 | Vol. 51696 D: 65.00 0.61% | 65.31 | 66.70 / 62.00 C: 66.00 0.30% | 66.44 | 68.00 / 65.80 UCBL | 1.90 | 21.72 | Vol. 2773608 D: 24.70 0.00% | 24.84 | 26.00 / 22.50 C: 24.80 0.40% | 24.88 | 25.10 / 24.70 UTTARABANK | 3.42 | 26.97 | Vol. 265610 D: 31.50 0.63% | 31.65 | 33.00 / 30.00 C: 31.50 0.32% | 31.62 | 32.00 / 31.30 ICBIBANK | -1.60 | -13.03 | Vol. 166400 D: 6.80 1.45% | 6.90 | 7.00 / 6.50 EBL | 3.91 | 28.22 | Vol. 164980 D: 29.30 0.34% | 29.57 | 30.00 / 27.00 C: 29.00 1.05% | 28.99 | 29.00 / 28.80 ALARABANK | 2.03 | 14.91 | Vol. 2028923 D: 19.40 1.02% | 19.55 | 19.80 / 18.00 C: 19.50 1.02% | 19.59 | 20.00 / 19.40 PRIMEBANK | 2.89 | 22.40 | Vol. 117362 D: 24.40 0.41% | 24.11 | 25.00 / 22.50 C: 23.80 2.86% | 23.80 | 24.00 / 23.60 SOUTHEASTB | 1.89 | 22.66 | Vol. 751614 D: 18.60 0.54% | 18.56 | 18.80 / 17.00 C: 18.60 0.00% | 18.51 | 18.90 / 18.00 DHAKABANK | 1.46 | 18.08 | Vol. 153363 D: 19.20 0.52% | 19.27 | 19.50 / 17.30 C: 19.30 2.12% | 19.43 | 20.00 / 19.20 NCCBANK | 1.90 | 15.88 | Vol. 806279 D: 13.90 0.00% | 13.92 | 14.50 / 12.80 C: 13.90 0.00% | 13.96 | 14.10 / 12.60 SIBL | 2.05 | 14.47 | Vol. 659993 D: 13.40 0.74% | 13.48 | 14.00 / 12.20 C: 13.50 0.74% | 13.50 | 13.60 / 12.80 DUTCHBANGL | 11.57 | 54.27 | Vol. 28160 D: 101.4 2.63% | 100.95 | 102.9 / 96.00 C: 107.0 9.18% | 107.00 | 107.0 / 107.0 MTBL | 1.17 | 17.27 | Vol. 107600 D: 16.20 2.53% | 16.26 | 16.40 / 15.70 C: 16.10 0.62% | 16.04 | 16.50 / 15.60 STANDBANKL | 2.33 | 14.41 | Vol. 687558 D: 15.20 0.00% | 15.31 | 15.60 / 13.80 C: 15.20 0.00% | 15.25 | 15.40 / 14.20 ONEBANKLTD | 2.35 | 15.34 | Vol. 1134841 D: 16.70 0.00% | 16.79 | 18.00 / 15.20 C: 16.80 0.60% | 16.88 | 17.00 / 16.70 BANKASIA | 1.35 | 20.80 | Vol. 51868 D: 18.70 0.00% | 18.75 | 19.30 / 17.20 C: 19.00 1.06% | 18.96 | 19.00 / 18.90 MERCANBANK | 2.07 | 16.59 | Vol. 2932200 D: 16.40 0.00% | 16.42 | 16.60 / 15.00 C: 16.50 1.23% | 16.45 | 16.70 / 16.30 EXIMBANK | 1.80 | 14.31 | Vol. 534426 D: 12.60 0.79% | 12.73 | 13.00 / 11.80 C: 12.80 0.00% | 12.78 | 12.90 / 12.50 JAMUNABANK | 2.47 | 18.56 | Vol. 167250 D: 16.70 1.83% | 16.66 | 16.80 / 15.00 C: 16.40 1.86% | 16.37 | 16.50 / 16.30 BRACBANK | 1.51 | 24.87 | Vol. 351016 D: 32.00 0.95% | 32.03 | 33.00 / 29.50 C: 31.60 0.64% | 31.57 | 31.90 / 31.40 SHAHJABANK | 2.61 | 14.47 | Vol. 501734 D: 17.10 1.72% | 17.24 | 17.50 / 16.00 C: 17.30 0.57% | 17.36 | 17.60 / 17.20
PREMIERBAN | 1.18 | 13.95 | Vol. 518457 D: 11.50 0.00% | 11.62 | 11.80 / 11.00 C: 11.60 0.00% | 11.55 | 11.70 / 11.50 TRUSTBANK | 0.50 | 18.00 | Vol. 580257 D: 20.90 0.00% | 21.30 | 22.00 / 19.00 C: 21.00 0.94% | 21.43 | 21.90 / 20.80 FIRSTSBANK | 1.85 | 13.89 | Vol. 878736 D: 15.40 0.00% | 15.55 | 16.20 / 13.90 C: 15.50 0.65% | 15.51 | 15.80 / 15.40 NON BANKING F I IDLC | 4.43 | 29.18 | Vol. 89699 D: 60.10 0.50% | 60.22 | 60.80 / 58.00 C: 60.80 0.66% | 61.15 | 61.80 / 60.40 ULC | 1.80 | 14.90 | Vol. 126929 D: 29.20 1.04% | 29.04 | 30.00 / 26.50 UTTARAFIN | 7.16 | 41.54 | Vol. 69695 D: 79.70 0.89% | 79.98 | 80.90 / 77.00 C: 79.90 0.00% | 79.80 | 80.50 / 78.70 MIDASFIN | 0.16 | 10.21 | Vol. 2100 D: 29.60 1.02% | 29.50 | 30.00 / 29.50 C: 27.10 0.00% | 29.00 | 27.10 / 27.10 FLEASEINT | 2.34 | 13.93 | Vol. 590842 D: 29.50 0.68% | 29.62 | 29.90 / 28.50 C: 29.50 1.37% | 29.57 | 29.80 / 29.40 PLFSL | 1.37 | 17.48 | Vol. 438404 D: 23.40 0.86% | 23.49 | 25.00 / 21.00 C: 23.40 0.43% | 23.54 | 24.00 / 21.00 PRIMEFIN | 0.87 | 17.88 | Vol. 164160 D: 24.30 1.25% | 24.28 | 24.50 / 21.60 C: 24.30 1.25% | 24.41 | 24.60 / 23.50 PREMIERLEA | 0.10 | 11.37 | Vol. 116525 D: 10.00 0.00% | 10.01 | 10.10 / 9.00 C: 10.20 0.99% | 10.23 | 10.60 / 10.10 ISLAMICFIN | 1.03 | 15.48 | Vol. 217688 D: 16.50 1.23% | 16.63 | 17.00 / 15.00 C: 16.70 2.45% | 16.66 | 16.80 / 16.50 LANKABAFIN | 1.61 | 31.07 | Vol. 464941 D: 55.10 2.61% | 55.04 | 55.50 / 50.00 C: 55.20 2.99% | 55.13 | 55.50 / 54.90 BIFC | 0.15 | 18.58 | Vol. 125157 D: 16.00 0.63% | 16.01 | 16.20 / 15.00 C: 16.00 1.27% | 16.11 | 16.50 / 16.00 IPDC | 1.23 | 19.43 | Vol. 93500 D: 18.00 0.00% | 18.05 | 18.30 / 17.80 C: 18.00 1.64% | 18.00 | 18.00 / 18.00 UNIONCAP | 0.54 | 17.85 | Vol. 19435 D: 28.10 1.06% | 28.16 | 28.50 / 27.50 C: 28.00 1.82% | 27.97 | 28.50 / 27.50 BDFINANCE | 0.57 | 14.77 | Vol. 159621 D: 18.60 0.54% | 18.70 | 19.10 / 17.00 C: 18.40 0.55% | 18.51 | 18.70 / 18.30 ILFSL | 0.35 | 12.19 | Vol. 264755 D: 14.30 0.00% | 14.46 | 15.10 / 13.50 C: 14.30 1.38% | 14.40 | 14.70 / 14.20 PHOENIXFIN | 2.46 | 19.39 | Vol. 143537 D: 32.70 2.51% | 32.59 | 32.90 / 29.00 C: 32.20 0.00% | 32.20 | 32.20 / 32.20 FASFIN | 0.19 | 13.56 | Vol. 353051 D: 13.80 0.73% | 13.93 | 14.30 / 12.50 C: 13.80 0.00% | 13.82 | 14.00 / 13.70 DBH | 4.47 | 21.27 | Vol. 25543 D: 54.30 0.00% | 54.25 | 54.80 / 50.00 C: 56.00 0.90% | 55.84 | 56.00 / 55.40 NHFIL | 0.57 | 12.70 | Vol. 161035 D: 30.60 0.66% | 30.89 | 31.20 / 27.50 C: 30.60 0.33% | 30.61 | 31.20 / 30.10 BAYLEASING | 0.72 | 25.55 | Vol. 161164 D: 28.80 1.77% | 28.90 | 29.10 / 26.00 C: 28.60 0.70% | 28.67 | 30.00 / 26.30 ICB | 89.23 | 607.74 | Vol. 2600 D: 1509 0.63% | 1510 | 1518 / 1503 GSPFINANCE | 1.63 | 22.23 | Vol. 118927 D: 25.40 1.20% | 25.58 | 25.90 / 24.00 C: 25.50 0.00% | 25.61 | 26.00 / 25.50 FAREASTFIN | 0.68 | 13.64 | Vol. 801000 D: 14.10 0.70% | 14.24 | 14.40 / 14.00 C: 14.20 0.00% | 14.27 | 14.40 / 14.10 INVESTMENT 3RDICB | 26.16 | 235.16 | Vol. 100 D: 191.3 0.47% | 191.30 | 191.3 / 191.3 6THICB | 10.99 | 60.14 | Vol. 11400 D: 53.20 0.38% | 53.16 | 53.50 / 53.00 8THICB | 12.47 | 70.07 | Vol. 3000 D: 53.70 0.19% | 53.67 | 53.90 / 53.70
AIMS1STMF | 3.02 | 15.70 | Vol. 182000 D: 38.50 0.52% | 38.64 | 39.00 / 38.40 C: 38.60 1.05% | 38.60 | 38.70 / 38.50 ICBISLAMIC | 2.21 | 26.81 | Vol. 5000 D: 18.10 0.56% | 18.20 | 18.50 / 17.90 GRAMEEN1 | 6.26 | 33.23 | Vol. 90500 D: 43.40 0.70% | 43.52 | 44.20 / 43.30 C: 43.90 1.86% | 43.48 | 43.90 / 43.10 ICB1STNRB | 4.06 | 35.31 | Vol. 29500 D: 25.40 0.40% | 25.46 | 25.50 / 25.30 ICB2NDNRB | 2.49 | 16.24 | Vol. 99500 D: 9.80 0.00% | 9.89 | 10.00 / 9.80 C: 10.00 1.01% | 10.00 | 10.00 / 10.00 GRAMEENS2 | 2.17 | 16.41 | Vol. 384300 D: 16.10 0.63% | 16.18 | 16.30 / 16.00 C: 16.10 0.62% | 16.15 | 16.20 / 16.10 1STPRIMFMF | 0.64 | 11.63 | Vol. 521500 D: 22.10 0.91% | 22.16 | 22.40 / 22.00 C: 22.40 1.82% | 22.28 | 22.40 / 22.10 EBL1STMF | 0.55 | 12.62 | Vol. 1336747 D: 7.00 1.41% | 7.11 | 7.20 / 7.00 C: 7.10 0.00% | 7.10 | 7.10 / 7.00 ICBAMCL2ND | 0.60 | 12.12 | Vol. 115500 D: 5.90 0.00% | 5.97 | 6.00 / 5.90 ICBEPMF1S1 | 0.52 | 11.32 | Vol. 210500 D: 5.90 0.00% | 5.93 | 6.10 / 5.90 TRUSTB1MF | 0.75 | 11.65 | Vol. 270249 D: 7.30 0.00% | 7.46 | 7.60 / 6.60 C: 7.40 1.33% | 7.42 | 7.50 / 7.40 PRIME1ICBA | 0.42 | 11.18 | Vol. 352500 D: 5.50 1.79% | 5.68 | 5.80 / 5.50 C: 5.70 3.64% | 5.62 | 5.70 / 5.60 DBH1STMF | -1.12 | 10.15 | Vol. 283500 D: 5.60 0.00% | 5.69 | 5.80 / 5.60 C: 5.80 3.57% | 5.69 | 5.80 / 5.60 IFIC1STMF | 0.83 | 11.88 | Vol. 317748 D: 6.70 0.00% | 6.71 | 6.80 / 6.60 C: 6.70 1.52% | 6.70 | 6.70 / 6.50 PF1STMF | 0.51 | 11.11 | Vol. 119000 D: 5.50 0.00% | 5.59 | 5.70 / 5.50 C: 5.60 0.00% | 5.53 | 5.70 / 5.50 ICB3RDNRB | 0.00 | 10.60 | Vol. 181000 D: 5.30 0.00% | 5.35 | 5.40 / 5.30 C: 5.30 0.00% | 5.33 | 5.40 / 5.30 1JANATAMF | 0.78 | 10.68 | Vol. 121500 D: 6.00 0.00% | 6.10 | 6.10 / 5.90 C: 6.00 1.64% | 6.00 | 6.00 / 6.00 GREENDELMF | -0.82 | 9.72 | Vol. 165000 D: 5.30 1.85% | 5.39 | 5.50 / 5.30 C: 5.40 1.82% | 5.45 | 5.50 / 5.40 POPULAR1MF | 0.77 | 11.38 | Vol. 330615 D: 6.10 0.00% | 6.15 | 6.50 / 5.90 C: 6.10 0.00% | 6.16 | 6.20 / 6.10 IFILISLMF1 | 0.00 | 10.45 | Vol. 134000 D: 5.70 0.00% | 5.74 | 5.90 / 5.70 C: 5.70 1.72% | 5.70 | 5.80 / 5.70 PHPMF1 | 0.63 | 10.92 | Vol. 817500 D: 5.50 1.79% | 5.57 | 5.70 / 5.50 C: 5.60 0.00% | 5.62 | 5.70 / 5.60 AIBL1STIMF | -0.07 | 9.25 | Vol. 28500 D: 6.90 1.43% | 6.95 | 7.10 / 6.90 MBL1STMF | -0.16 | 9.08 | Vol. 27000 D: 6.20 0.00% | 6.19 | 6.30 / 6.20 C: 6.10 4.69% | 6.10 | 6.10 / 6.10 SEBL1STMF | 0.94 | 11.85 | Vol. 342150 D: 7.90 1.25% | 8.02 | 8.10 / 7.90 C: 8.00 1.23% | 7.92 | 8.00 / 7.60 EBLNRBMF | 1.07 | 10.88 | Vol. 8000 D: 7.50 0.00% | 7.63 | 7.60 / 7.50 RELIANCE1 | 0.95 | 10.33 | Vol. 327100 D: 8.50 0.00% | 8.53 | 8.70 / 8.40 C: 8.70 2.35% | 9.24 | 9.30 / 8.50 LRGLOBMF1 | 0.45 | 10.78 | Vol. 72000 D: 6.60 1.49% | 6.71 | 6.90 / 6.60 ABB1STMF | 0.92 | 10.63 | Vol. 379584 D: 7.30 1.39% | 7.31 | 7.40 / 7.00 C: 7.20 2.70% | 7.20 | 7.20 / 7.20 NLI1STMF | 1.17 | 12.22 | Vol. 684700 D: 9.10 0.00% | 9.12 | 9.40 / 9.00 C: 9.10 0.00% | 9.10 | 9.10 / 9.10 FBFIF | 1.30 | 10.27 | Vol. 3000 D: 8.90 0.00% | 9.00 | 9.00 / 8.70 NCCBLMF1 | 1.16 | 10.48 | Vol. 43000 D: 8.20 0.00% | 8.23 | 8.40 / 8.20
ICBSONALI1 | 0.00 | 10.39 | Vol. 472500 D: 7.90 0.00% | 7.90 | 8.00 / 7.80 C: 8.00 0.00% | 7.98 | 8.00 / 7.90 EXIM1STMF | 0.00 | 10.91 | Vol. 27500 D: 7.80 0.00% | 7.81 | 7.90 / 7.80 C: 7.50 0.00% | 7.50 | 7.50 / 7.50 ENGINEERING AFTABAUTO | 3.60 | 50.81 | Vol. 972410 D: 94.30 7.28% | 93.67 | 98.00 / 85.90 C: 94.60 6.89% | 94.04 | 95.90 / 92.90 AZIZPIPES | 0.39 | -42.04 | Vol. 41550 D: 19.00 9.20% | 18.54 | 19.10 / 17.80 C: 19.50 9.55% | 19.36 | 19.50 / 19.10 OLYMPIC | 5.23 | 14.73 | Vol. 163405 D: 152.4 0.13% | 153.34 | 154.9 / 145.0 C: 152.5 0.20% | 152.80 | 154.1 / 151.0 BDLAMPS | -5.31 | 37.07 | Vol. 16550 D: 140.1 0.64% | 141.02 | 143.5 / 138.1 C: 140.0 0.14% | 141.05 | 142.5 / 136.0 ECABLES | 6.10 | 23.97 | Vol. 263180 D: 107.2 26.27% | 100.94 | 109.8 / 82.00 C: 104.1 29.96% | 103.91 | 98.70 / 100.0 MONNOSTAF | 5.31 | 44.78 | Vol. 1250 D: 311.6 1.36% | 312.00 | 319.6 / 308.1 SINGERBD | 9.99 | 45.74 | Vol. 67962 D: 194.1 0.92% | 195.21 | 196.2 / 183.0 C: 193.4 0.10% | 194.15 | 196.8 / 193.0 ATLASBANG | 9.14 | 222.05 | Vol. 14349 D: 163.4 0.12% | 163.22 | 165.0 / 147.0 BDAUTOCA | -0.43 | 5.68 | Vol. 43600 D: 35.60 0.56% | 36.10 | 37.00 / 35.20 QSMDRYCELL | 1.06 | 52.31 | Vol. 238495 D: 36.10 1.69% | 36.28 | 37.00 / 34.00 C: 36.50 3.11% | 36.33 | 37.00 / 35.60 RENWICKJA | 5.77 | -31.13 | Vol. 9700 D: 148.8 0.33% | 150.72 | 152.9 / 148.1 NTLTUBES | 0.67 | 311.00 | Vol. 84760 D: 77.00 0.92% | 77.18 | 78.10 / 70.00 BDTHAI | 0.43 | 39.35 | Vol. 1423815 D: 30.20 6.71% | 29.89 | 31.00 / 26.00 C: 30.50 7.39% | 30.03 | 30.90 / 28.10 ANWARGALV | 0.52 | 8.10 | Vol. 479500 D: 30.50 4.10% | 30.11 | 31.50 / 28.40 C: 30.60 1.66% | 30.09 | 32.00 / 28.10 KAY&QUE | -3.89 | 6.03 | Vol. 10000 D: 16.10 3.21% | 16.10 | 16.30 / 15.50 RANFOUNDRY | 2.84 | 18.62 | Vol. 105500 D: 102.6 3.43% | 101.35 | 105.0 / 96.40 C: 99.50 1.02% | 99.55 | 97.00 / 102.0 SALAMCRST | 3.31 | 20.00 | Vol. 393020 D: 43.50 1.87% | 43.72 | 44.50 / 39.00 C: 44.00 2.80% | 43.69 | 44.40 / 43.00 GOLDENSON | 3.70 | 28.70 | Vol. 1356120 D: 50.40 2.86% | 49.82 | 51.00 / 45.00 C: 50.70 3.47% | 50.57 | 51.50 / 49.60 BSRMSTEEL | 3.06 | 19.53 | Vol. 137667 D: 71.90 0.70% | 72.21 | 73.10 / 67.00 C: 72.70 1.96% | 72.73 | 73.10 / 72.00 NAVANACNG | 4.09 | 27.04 | Vol. 66706 D: 66.70 1.21% | 66.67 | 67.00 / 60.00 C: 66.30 0.45% | 65.88 | 66.50 / 65.70 DESHBANDHU | 0.26 | 10.67 | Vol. 1971352 D: 20.90 9.42% | 20.59 | 21.00 / 17.80 C: 21.00 9.95% | 20.64 | 21.00 / 19.40 GPHISPAT | 2.11 | 15.27 | Vol. 745660 D: 56.50 0.89% | 56.95 | 60.00 / 51.00 C: 56.10 0.18% | 56.43 | 57.00 / 55.90 BENGALWTL | 3.85 | 24.30 | Vol. 1943600 D: 65.90 6.46% | 65.34 | 67.30 / 62.80 C: 66.90 7.90% | 66.00 | 67.40 / 62.20 BDBUILDING | 1.33 | 12.70 | Vol. 1654500 D: 78.60 9.78% | 76.26 | 78.70 / 71.00 C: 78.80 9.90% | 76.81 | 78.80 / 73.30 NPOLYMAR | 2.38 | 32.89 | Vol. 259002 D: 61.10 1.13% | 61.49 | 62.70 / 56.00 C: 63.20 1.94% | 61.95 | 63.90 / 60.30 FOOD & ALLIED APEXFOODS | 2.54 | 90.81 | Vol. 25000 D: 93.80 1.26% | 94.75 | 96.00 / 93.00 C: 93.50 2.50% | 94.19 | 95.00 / 93.00 BANGAS | 7.20 | 50.27 | Vol. 92853 D: 484.4 2.63% | 487.25 | 504.0 / 470.0 C: 485.6 2.10% | 486.35 | 495.0 / 482.1
BATBC | 65.69 | 117.22 | Vol. 350 D: 1665 2.16% | 1666 | 1666 / 1665 GEMINISEA | -15.39 | -5.70 | Vol. 1700 D: 159.3 2.87% | 159.41 | 160.6 / 157.0 NTC | 29.88 | 110.05 | Vol. 100 D: 815.0 0.05% | 815.00 | 815.0 / 815.0 ZEALBANGLA | -28.94 | -221.34 | Vol. 300 D: 7.80 4.00% | 6.67 | 7.90 / 7.80 AMCL(PRAN) | 6.85 | 57.14 | Vol. 72500 D: 200.9 1.06% | 201.32 | 204.8 / 197.7 C: 200.5 1.98% | 200.97 | 204.0 / 197.0 SHYAMPSUG | -45.77 | -396.49 | Vol. 700 D: 6.90 1.43% | 7.14 | 7.00 / 6.90 RAHIMAFOOD | 0.52 | 4.45 | Vol. 615830 D: 70.10 9.02% | 68.26 | 70.70 / 64.00 C: 70.60 9.29% | 68.58 | 71.00 / 66.10 FUWANGFOOD | 0.94 | 12.28 | Vol. 341931 D: 23.40 0.43% | 23.50 | 24.00 / 22.00 C: 23.60 0.43% | 23.52 | 23.80 / 23.30 BEACHHATCH | 1.01 | 12.48 | Vol. 1351950 D: 22.70 5.58% | 22.57 | 23.00 / 20.00 C: 22.90 6.51% | 22.65 | 23.10 / 21.90 FINEFOODS | 0.05 | 10.63 | Vol. 486857 D: 21.70 0.00% | 21.96 | 22.50 / 21.00 C: 21.90 0.00% | 22.02 | 22.40 / 21.60 RDFOOD | 0.91 | 16.84 | Vol. 1425700 D: 25.10 3.29% | 24.88 | 25.40 / 22.50 C: 25.20 4.56% | 24.92 | 25.40 / 24.30 GHAIL | 2.31 | 24.36 | Vol. 1415100 D: 44.90 4.42% | 44.93 | 45.40 / 40.00 C: 45.00 4.41% | 44.96 | 45.50 / 40.20 FUEL & POWER LINDEBD | 31.71 | 144.00 | Vol. 7900 D: 637.9 0.79% | 639.87 | 643.9 / 623.0 PADMAOIL | 27.62 | 79.74 | Vol. 122106 D: 318.7 0.31% | 320.61 | 325.0 / 305.0 C: 321.1 0.75% | 320.14 | 324.0 / 315.0 EASTRNLUB | 5.33 | 71.01 | Vol. 300 D: 323.0 0.40% | 323.33 | 325.0 / 320.0 BDWELDING | 0.33 | 16.82 | Vol. 747147 D: 22.90 4.09% | 22.70 | 23.20 / 20.00 C: 22.70 2.71% | 22.67 | 22.90 / 22.30 SUMITPOWER | 3.17 | 19.26 | Vol. 761871 D: 39.40 1.81% | 39.25 | 39.90 / 35.00 C: 39.30 1.55% | 39.22 | 39.90 / 38.90 DESCO | 2.34 | 31.27 | Vol. 114261 D: 59.40 0.34% | 59.49 | 60.00 / 55.00 C: 59.70 1.00% | 59.63 | 60.30 / 58.30 POWERGRID | 2.19 | 63.69 | Vol. 65197 D: 55.10 0.55% | 55.39 | 55.90 / 51.00 JAMUNAOIL | 19.83 | 57.32 | Vol. 317548 D: 208.1 1.00% | 209.41 | 211.6 / 200.0 C: 209.4 0.14% | 209.67 | 212.0 / 208.5 MPETROLEUM | 21.34 | 59.26 | Vol. 174989 D: 223.5 0.71% | 224.60 | 226.9 / 206.0 C: 223.7 1.15% | 224.51 | 226.0 / 223.6 TITASGAS | 9.20 | 46.26 | Vol. 307727 D: 74.10 1.46% | 74.16 | 75.30 / 68.00 C: 74.20 1.33% | 74.16 | 77.00 / 74.00 KPCL | 4.73 | 15.86 | Vol. 220858 D: 49.60 0.40% | 49.78 | 50.50 / 46.00 C: 49.60 1.02% | 49.83 | 50.00 / 49.10 BEDL | 1.48 | 19.43 | Vol. 1057786 D: 33.00 2.80% | 32.82 | 34.00 / 29.00 C: 32.90 2.17% | 32.71 | 33.00 / 29.00 MJLBD | 2.73 | 30.24 | Vol. 83693 D: 75.70 0.13% | 75.53 | 76.10 / 70.00 C: 74.60 1.06% | 74.96 | 75.60 / 73.10 GBBPOWER | 1.86 | 22.63 | Vol. 747449 D: 29.50 1.72% | 29.47 | 29.90 / 26.20 C: 29.40 1.03% | 29.50 | 29.90 / 29.20 SPPCL | 3.81 | 23.34 | Vol. 1452580 D: 64.00 4.58% | 63.10 | 64.30 / 55.10 C: 64.10 5.08% | 63.21 | 64.70 / 61.70 JUTE JUTESPINN | -48.14 | -39.89 | Vol. 11200 D: 88.30 3.03% | 89.82 | 91.30 / 86.40 NORTHERN | -9.98 | -18.22 | Vol. 1000 D: 33.20 3.75% | 33.00 | 35.20 / 29.30 SONALIANSH | 2.65 | 226.00 | Vol. 75850 D: 154.7 3.34% | 154.74 | 163.0 / 149.5 TEXTILE AL-HAJTEX | 2.22 | 16.53 | Vol. 143800 D: 79.60 0.13% | 80.64 | 82.60 / 79.00
DHAKA TRIBUNE
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ASIAINS | 1.56 | 17.34 | Vol. 51725 D: 27.70 1.84% | 27.69 | 28.10 / 25.00 C: 27.30 0.37% | 27.33 | 28.40 / 27.20 ISLAMIINS | 1.29 | 11.96 | Vol. 32000 D: 33.40 0.30% | 33.56 | 34.00 / 33.40 PROVATIINS | 1.90 | 14.30 | Vol. 50050 D: 28.80 2.13% | 28.93 | 29.20 / 26.00 C: 29.80 4.56% | 29.43 | 29.80 / 25.70 DHAKAINS | 2.84 | 18.02 | Vol. 108625 D: 40.80 0.00% | 41.19 | 41.80 / 40.00 C: 40.90 0.25% | 40.90 | 41.70 / 40.00 LIFE INSURANCE NATLIFEINS | 12.34 | 80.99 | Vol. 76160 D: 278.5 5.29% | 274.59 | 280.0 / 260.0 C: 270.0 3.85% | 270.00 | 270.0 / 270.0 DELTALIFE | 38.53 | 189.40 | Vol. 1048800 D: 289.6 0.07% | 292.13 | 296.5 / 287.8 C: 290.1 0.00% | 292.84 | 297.5 / 288.0 SANDHANINS | 2.39 | 28.22 | Vol. 104920 D: 74.10 2.07% | 74.14 | 75.10 / 70.00 C: 73.10 0.69% | 73.20 | 74.00 / 73.10 POPULARLIF | 3.70 | 715.41 | Vol. 21271 D: 231.2 0.13% | 233.48 | 243.0 / 230.0 FAREASTLIF | 9.21 | 60.79 | Vol. 258267 D: 102.9 2.69% | 104.61 | 105.3 / 95.00 C: 101.7 3.67% | 102.37 | 107.5 / 88.30 MEGHNALIFE | 10.82 | 48.87 | Vol. 241480 D: 115.9 4.23% | 115.11 | 116.5 / 107.0 C: 116.0 6.42% | 116.28 | 117.0 / 113.9 PROGRESLIF | 2.30 | 31.45 | Vol. 7712 D: 121.9 5.63% | 121.76 | 124.0 / 110.0 PRAGATILIF | 0.60 | 30.15 | Vol. 33175 D: 165.8 6.69% | 165.42 | 168.2 / 154.0 PRIMELIFE | 5.51 | 27.10 | Vol. 22837 D: 102.6 2.50% | 102.67 | 104.0 / 95.00 C: 100.0 0.00% | 103.16 | 104.9 / 100.0 RUPALILIFE | 3.75 | 31.25 | Vol. 321165 D: 124.9 9.75% | 124.24 | 125.1 / 110.0 C: 123.6 9.96% | 122.83 | 123.6 / 117.2 PADMALIFE | 1.63 | 25.76 | Vol. 609900 D: 66.20 1.22% | 66.32 | 68.30 / 58.90 C: 66.10 1.07% | 66.73 | 68.00 / 64.10 SUNLIFEINS | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 584800 D: 62.80 2.95% | 63.28 | 65.00 / 57.00 C: 62.70 3.47% | 63.30 | 64.30 / 61.50 TELECOM GP | 12.96 | 26.26 | Vol. 388082 D: 207.3 0.44% | 207.00 | 207.5 / 195.0 C: 206.8 0.24% | 206.40 | 207.0 / 205.5 BSCCL | 5.82 | 26.38 | Vol. 226433 D: 173.6 0.06% | 174.00 | 175.9 / 160.0 C: 173.8 0.35% | 174.03 | 175.0 / 173.1 TRAVEL & LEISURE UNITEDAIR | 1.10 | 12.87 | Vol. 3441526 D: 16.60 0.61% | 16.74 | 17.50 / 14.90 C: 16.60 0.00% | 16.71 | 17.00 / 16.50 UNIQUEHRL | 4.02 | 86.29 | Vol. 411980 D: 82.10 0.49% | 82.35 | 83.10 / 74.00 C: 81.90 0.12% | 82.32 | 83.30 / 81.70 MISCELLANEOUS ARAMIT | 16.07 | 99.93 | Vol. 11300 D: 343.4 0.18% | 345.93 | 358.9 / 341.7 BSC | 1.77 | 565.82 | Vol. 57840 D: 441.8 0.06% | 443.83 | 448.8 / 441.0 C: 441.0 0.29% | 442.82 | 449.0 / 440.0 GQBALLPEN | 6.55 | 250.45 | Vol. 123100 D: 155.3 2.10% | 156.13 | 158.0 / 154.9 C: 157.0 2.95% | 156.51 | 158.0 / 155.0 USMANIAGL | 3.45 | 27.20 | Vol. 119462 D: 138.1 0.29% | 139.62 | 141.0 / 135.0 C: 136.6 1.51% | 138.96 | 141.5 / 135.0 SAVAREFR | 0.14 | 10.57 | Vol. 800 D: 59.10 2.31% | 58.75 | 62.90 / 58.30 BEXIMCO | 3.24 | 86.74 | Vol. 1753092 D: 33.70 0.90% | 33.81 | 35.00 / 30.10 C: 33.90 1.19% | 33.98 | 34.30 / 33.70 SINOBANGLA | 1.75 | 21.01 | Vol. 300000 D: 23.30 4.02% | 23.14 | 23.40 / 22.80 C: 23.30 3.10% | 23.12 | 23.40 / 23.00 MIRACLEIND | 0.09 | 14.41 | Vol. 284500 D: 17.10 0.00% | 17.22 | 17.40 / 16.70 C: 17.10 1.16% | 17.32 | 17.70 / 16.80 BOND
December 08, 2013 Sectotal Index: BANK: 37,713.80 0.11% NBFI: 20,308.56 1.00% INVS: 4,792.84 0.07% ENGG: 6,517.28 2.48% FOOD: 10,136.11 1.22% F&P: 10,351.04 0.03% TEXT: 3,683.74 3.79% PHAR: 18,386.24 0.84% PAPR: 1,165.85 3.65% SERV: 3,025.22 0.38% LEAT: 5,348.31 0.29% CERA: 538.95 0.88% CMNT: 4,346.25 0.00% INFO: 7,624.44 1.46% GINS: 9,149.47 0.24% LINS: 124,754.56 2.01% TELC: 1,368.90 0.27% MISC: 6,578.00 0.61% RAHIMTEXT | 4.65 | 56.68 | Vol. 18210 D: 272.5 8.74% | 269.76 | 272.5 / 240.0 SAIHAMTEX | 2.75 | 29.50 | Vol. 574500 D: 28.80 3.23% | 28.77 | 29.00 / 28.30 C: 28.70 2.50% | 28.65 | 29.40 / 28.30 MODERNDYE | 0.91 | 10.37 | Vol. 2250 D: 100.6 0.49% | 100.89 | 103.0 / 100.0 DSHGARME | 0.88 | 12.12 | Vol. 63300 D: 72.00 2.04% | 72.88 | 74.80 / 71.70 DULAMIACOT | -1.90 | -29.70 | Vol. 1700 D: 7.80 0.00% | 7.65 | 7.90 / 7.70 TALLUSPIN | 1.75 | 16.17 | Vol. 3373145 D: 38.80 1.57% | 39.10 | 39.50 / 38.00 C: 38.90 1.57% | 39.15 | 39.70 / 38.60 APEXSPINN | 2.01 | 49.32 | Vol. 21000 D: 75.90 4.83% | 75.95 | 78.00 / 73.10 MITHUNKNIT | 2.87 | 20.53 | Vol. 143578 D: 83.60 0.72% | 83.92 | 85.60 / 75.00 C: 83.80 0.24% | 84.64 | 86.60 / 83.50 DELTASPINN | 3.06 | 26.84 | Vol. 975700 D: 31.70 5.67% | 31.42 | 31.90 / 30.20 C: 31.70 5.67% | 31.39 | 31.90 / 30.30 SONARGAON | 0.27 | 34.50 | Vol. 769764 D: 19.50 8.94% | 19.26 | 19.60 / 17.00 C: 19.60 9.50% | 19.34 | 19.60 / 18.50 PRIMETEX | 1.21 | 59.34 | Vol. 732000 D: 26.90 7.17% | 26.49 | 27.30 / 25.30 C: 27.00 7.14% | 26.53 | 27.50 / 25.50 ALLTEX | -1.26 | 8.10 | Vol. 63500 D: 7.20 0.00% | 7.23 | 7.30 / 7.20 C: 7.40 2.78% | 7.22 | 7.40 / 7.20 ANLIMAYARN | 1.36 | 11.99 | Vol. 378000 D: 28.70 0.70% | 29.09 | 29.50 / 28.50 C: 29.10 1.39% | 29.24 | 29.60 / 28.90 HRTEX | 2.08 | 14.92 | Vol. 810747 D: 44.90 4.18% | 45.07 | 45.90 / 42.00 C: 45.30 4.38% | 45.17 | 46.00 / 43.70 CMCKAMAL | 1.37 | 19.31 | Vol. 1597871 D: 33.20 3.43% | 33.43 | 33.90 / 30.00 SAFKOSPINN | 0.95 | 21.78 | Vol. 1264906 D: 27.90 6.90% | 27.60 | 28.20 / 24.20 C: 27.90 6.49% | 27.63 | 28.40 / 26.50 SQUARETEXT | 4.32 | 31.82 | Vol. 85990 D: 93.00 0.43% | 93.16 | 93.90 / 85.00 C: 92.90 0.54% | 92.98 | 93.00 / 92.70 METROSPIN | 0.56 | 17.71 | Vol. 1709638 D: 22.50 7.66% | 22.15 | 22.80 / 19.50 C: 22.60 7.11% | 22.09 | 22.70 / 21.20 MAKSONSPIN | 0.16 | 20.55 | Vol. 5603091 D: 20.50 6.77% | 20.13 | 21.10 / 17.60 C: 20.40 6.81% | 20.13 | 20.60 / 19.50 DACCADYE | 0.93 | 25.85 | Vol. 634921 D: 25.20 1.61% | 25.27 | 25.50 / 23.50 C: 25.30 2.02% | 25.30 | 25.50 / 23.50 RNSPIN | 2.80 | 16.58 | Vol. 4836526 D: 36.90 2.79% | 37.15 | 37.70 / 33.00 C: 37.00 2.49% | 37.11 | 37.80 / 36.50 BXSYNTH | 0.93 | 25.42 | Vol. 397081 D: 16.90 2.42% | 16.92 | 17.10 / 16.50 C: 17.00 2.41% | 17.01 | 17.50 / 16.50 MALEKSPIN | 2.81 | 43.48 | Vol. 1950140 D: 28.90 3.21% | 29.07 | 29.70 / 26.00 C: 29.10 3.19% | 29.27 | 29.70 / 28.50 ZAHINTEX | 1.20 | 31.07 | Vol. 1359950 D: 28.90 7.84% | 28.60 | 29.00 / 25.00 C: 28.80 7.46% | 28.53 | 29.00 / 27.70 SAIHAMCOT | 1.92 | 23.62 | Vol. 815500 D: 24.80 3.77% | 24.74 | 25.10 / 24.30 C: 24.80 3.33% | 24.77 | 25.20 / 24.30 GENNEXT | 1.68 | 15.15 | Vol. 13689120 D: 35.90 7.49% | 35.36 | 36.20 / 31.50 C: 36.30 8.36% | 35.60 | 36.70 / 33.90 ENVOYTEX | 3.10 | 37.86 | Vol. 2700720 D: 57.70 4.72% | 57.55 | 58.80 / 50.00 C: 57.80 4.52% | 57.65 | 58.50 / 55.50 ARGONDENIM | 1.89 | 38.86 | Vol. 2039240 D: 84.60 4.96% | 84.01 | 85.20 / 73.00 C: 84.00 3.45% | 83.61 | 85.00 / 80.00 FAMILYTEX | 3.72 | 14.68 | Vol. 425500 D: 56.00 5.66% | 55.20 | 56.40 / 53.70 C: 55.90 6.68% | 55.16 | 56.00 / 54.00 PTL | 2.12 | 20.06 | Vol. 4844500 D: 66.50 5.39% | 65.96 | 68.30 / 63.60 C: 66.40 5.73% | 66.03 | 68.40 / 63.70 PHARMACEUTICAL & CHEMICAL AGNISYSL | 0.96 | 14.90 | Vol. 343193 D: 21.90 2.82% | 21.98 | 22.20 / 21.00 C: 21.90 2.82% | 21.97 | 22.20 / 21.70 DAFODILCOM | 0.85 | 10.99 | Vol. 400500 D: 13.70 1.48% | 13.68 | 13.90 / 13.50 C: 13.80 2.22% | 13.76 | 13.80 / 13.60 AAMRATECH | 1.33 | 19.91 | Vol. 818900 D: 35.90 1.99% | 35.86 | 36.20 / 32.00 C: 35.90 1.70% | 35.94 | 36.80 / 35.60 GENERAL INSURANCE BGIC | 1.65 | 20.33 | Vol. 10910 D: 29.70 0.68% | 29.63 | 30.30 / 28.00 C: 30.00 2.39% | 29.81 | 30.00 / 29.40 GREENDELT | 4.05 | 64.44 | Vol. 39417 D: 87.40 1.51% | 87.37 | 88.50 / 80.00 C: 85.60 1.30% | 85.60 | 85.60 / 85.60 UNITEDINS | 2.47 | 21.04 | Vol. 15800 D: 44.00 3.30% | 44.75 | 45.30 / 44.00 PEOPLESINS | 2.05 | 20.72 | Vol. 214655 D: 36.10 3.44% | 36.17 | 36.80 / 35.00 C: 36.00 3.15% | 38.30 | 38.30 / 36.00 EASTERNINS | 2.22 | 35.88 | Vol. 25710 D: 37.80 0.26% | 37.81 | 38.60 / 34.50 JANATAINS | 0.78 | 17.07 | Vol. 102420 D: 27.40 0.36% | 27.55 | 28.10 / 26.00 C: 27.60 0.36% | 27.20 | 27.70 / 26.50 PHENIXINS | 2.70 | 20.96 | Vol. 32375 D: 42.60 0.71% | 42.73 | 43.30 / 42.30 C: 41.50 2.35% | 41.42 | 42.00 / 41.10 EASTLAND | 4.06 | 23.29 | Vol. 70200 D: 48.50 1.25% | 48.35 | 49.00 / 47.70 C: 47.70 0.83% | 47.70 | 47.70 / 47.70 CENTRALINS | 1.54 | 19.04 | Vol. 5020 D: 29.80 2.05% | 29.80 | 29.90 / 29.40 KARNAPHULI | 1.56 | 19.42 | Vol. 23260 D: 24.40 1.24% | 24.38 | 24.60 / 22.80 RUPALIINS | 2.76 | 23.38 | Vol. 85052 D: 33.70 1.20% | 33.73 | 34.00 / 33.00 C: 34.00 2.02% | 34.03 | 34.20 / 34.00 FEDERALINS | 1.10 | 10.98 | Vol. 121210 D: 24.40 0.83% | 24.39 | 24.60 / 24.10 C: 24.50 0.82% | 24.51 | 24.70 / 24.20 RELIANCINS | 3.93 | 61.52 | Vol. 500 D: 73.00 0.69% | 73.00 | 73.00 / 73.00 PURABIGEN | 1.05 | 18.71 | Vol. 170624 D: 23.60 0.43% | 23.70 | 23.80 / 23.00 PRAGATIINS | 2.01 | 50.30 | Vol. 14490 D: 57.60 1.05% | 57.21 | 58.70 / 54.00 PRIMEINSUR | 2.14 | 14.14 | Vol. 79153 D: 33.70 5.31% | 33.11 | 34.00 / 31.40 PIONEERINS | 3.11 | 23.84 | Vol. 147023 D: 67.40 0.60% | 67.30 | 68.10 / 65.00 MERCINS | 1.53 | 14.50 | Vol. 137316 D: 27.60 2.60% | 27.32 | 28.00 / 25.00 C: 27.60 2.82% | 27.14 | 27.70 / 26.60 AGRANINS | 1.73 | 14.39 | Vol. 75611 D: 27.60 2.60% | 27.39 | 28.00 / 25.00 GLOBALINS | 1.09 | 11.78 | Vol. 77045 D: 28.90 2.48% | 28.85 | 29.10 / 26.00 NITOLINS | 2.59 | 15.41 | Vol. 32500 D: 34.30 0.00% | 34.40 | 34.50 / 33.90 ASIAPACINS | 1.84 | 13.76 | Vol. 38620 D: 29.80 0.34% | 29.78 | 30.70 / 28.00 SONARBAINS | 1.68 | 13.38 | Vol. 127078 D: 25.00 3.31% | 25.13 | 25.40 / 23.00 PARAMOUNT | 1.26 | 13.19 | Vol. 16981 D: 24.50 2.08% | 24.58 | 25.00 / 24.40 C: 26.70 0.00% | 24.10 | 26.70 / 26.70 CITYGENINS | 1.65 | 14.26 | Vol. 101265 D: 27.30 0.00% | 27.44 | 27.70 / 26.50 C: 27.30 0.73% | 27.31 | 27.40 / 27.20 CONTININS | 1.41 | 15.68 | Vol. 133043 D: 30.30 3.06% | 29.94 | 30.50 / 28.00 C: 29.50 1.01% | 29.50 | 29.50 / 29.50 TAKAFULINS | 2.19 | 15.17 | Vol. 117901 D: 38.60 0.78% | 38.87 | 40.00 / 37.50 C: 39.50 2.60% | 39.50 | 39.50 / 39.50 STANDARINS | 2.58 | 13.99 | Vol. 31983 D: 40.10 1.96% | 40.25 | 41.50 / 38.00 C: 40.10 0.25% | 40.10 | 40.10 / 40.10 NORTHRNINS | 1.77 | 11.15 | Vol. 54712 D: 41.40 0.49% | 41.38 | 42.00 / 39.00 C: 41.30 0.48% | 41.15 | 41.50 / 41.00 REPUBLIC | 2.14 | 12.42 | Vol. 70363 D: 42.60 1.19% | 42.67 | 43.00 / 41.00 C: 42.50 0.71% | 42.93 | 43.10 / 42.40
AMBEEPHA | 3.94 | 26.15 | Vol. 14100 D: 282.3 1.19% | 283.54 | 287.8 / 280.7 C: 280.5 1.23% | 280.75 | 284.2 / 276.1 BXPHARMA | 3.77 | 52.55 | Vol. 188437 D: 46.60 0.43% | 46.69 | 47.20 / 42.50 C: 46.70 0.43% | 46.78 | 47.40 / 46.50 GLAXOSMITH | 20.25 | 123.32 | Vol. 550 D: 967.1 0.26% | 967.27 | 968.0 / 965.0 ACI | -5.82 | 126.42 | Vol. 14380 D: 176.7 1.49% | 177.35 | 178.5 / 157.0 C: 175.2 2.46% | 175.20 | 178.9 / 172.1 RENATA | 33.57 | 138.83 | Vol. 22106 D: 755.4 2.27% | 749.36 | 762.0 / 737.0 RECKITTBEN | 27.16 | 78.89 | Vol. 200 D: 891.0 0.07% | 891.00 | 891.0 / 891.0 PHARMAID | 1.39 | 26.19 | Vol. 64050 D: 178.3 1.65% | 182.30 | 189.0 / 178.0 KOHINOOR | 11.46 | 15.99 | Vol. 2000 D: 358.7 2.87% | 359.00 | 370.0 / 345.0 IBNSINA | 3.44 | 34.02 | Vol. 69900 D: 107.6 0.09% | 107.95 | 109.2 / 107.0 C: 107.2 0.00% | 107.41 | 108.0 / 106.8 ORIONINFU | 1.27 | 7.00 | Vol. 137000 D: 42.40 1.68% | 42.53 | 43.10 / 42.10 C: 42.70 2.89% | 42.46 | 43.00 / 42.20 SQURPHARMA | 6.93 | 37.18 | Vol. 279257 D: 194.8 0.05% | 194.85 | 196.5 / 181.7 C: 195.3 0.15% | 195.11 | 196.0 / 193.7 IMAMBUTTON | -1.51 | 4.16 | Vol. 47500 D: 7.10 1.39% | 7.17 | 7.30 / 7.10 C: 7.10 1.39% | 7.12 | 7.20 / 7.00 KEYACOSMET | 1.55 | 21.54 | Vol. 1045211 D: 27.50 1.85% | 27.47 | 28.00 / 25.00 C: 27.50 1.85% | 27.51 | 27.70 / 27.20 BERGERPBL | 32.46 | 100.20 | Vol. 200 D: 859.3 2.91% | 860.00 | 860.0 / 859.0 C: 823.0 2.75% | 823.00 | 823.0 / 823.0 ACIFORMULA | 3.33 | 38.08 | Vol. 147800 D: 81.40 4.49% | 81.81 | 84.00 / 77.50 C: 81.90 5.00% | 81.91 | 83.00 / 78.10 MARICO | 27.53 | 62.47 | Vol. 3500 D: 759.9 0.25% | 760.90 | 766.0 / 756.1 C: 751.0 0.13% | 751.00 | 751.0 / 751.0 BEACONPHAR | 0.04 | 12.01 | Vol. 250100 D: 13.10 1.55% | 13.07 | 13.20 / 12.00 C: 13.20 0.76% | 13.15 | 13.60 / 13.10 ACTIVEFINE | 3.23 | 13.89 | Vol. 808898 D: 88.50 1.84% | 88.46 | 89.40 / 79.00 C: 88.70 2.90% | 88.35 | 91.00 / 87.40 SALVOCHEM | 0.68 | 10.57 | Vol. 872308 D: 23.00 4.55% | 22.85 | 23.20 / 20.00 C: 22.90 3.62% | 22.89 | 23.10 / 22.30 GHCL | 2.14 | 57.31 | Vol. 927250 D: 62.70 7.18% | 61.95 | 63.20 / 59.40 C: 62.80 7.53% | 61.72 | 63.40 / 60.20 ORIONPHARM | 5.02 | 68.68 | Vol. 1256960 D: 61.80 1.64% | 61.95 | 62.90 / 55.00 C: 62.00 1.97% | 62.22 | 63.20 / 56.00 JMISMDL | 1.12 | 12.83 | Vol. 231500 D: 218.3 3.32% | 221.84 | 233.0 / 216.2 C: 219.6 3.05% | 223.33 | 230.0 / 218.0 CENTRALPHL | 1.62 | 12.24 | Vol. 2876725 D: 43.90 4.77% | 43.89 | 44.80 / 37.80 C: 44.00 4.76% | 44.00 | 44.80 / 42.90 PAPER & PACKAGING HAKKANIPUL | 0.51 | 31.01 | Vol. 88000 D: 35.70 9.51% | 34.93 | 35.80 / 33.30 C: 36.60 9.91% | 35.96 | 36.60 / 33.00 SERVICE SAMORITA | 2.49 | 57.42 | Vol. 64568 D: 96.60 3.21% | 97.13 | 100.5 / 92.00 C: 96.60 3.40% | 96.53 | 96.70 / 96.00
SAPORTL | 1.23 | 38.39 | Vol. 599824 D: 30.30 2.36% | 30.18 | 30.80 / 28.00 C: 30.40 2.36% | 30.32 | 31.00 / 29.60 EHL | 2.81 | 18.44 | Vol. 1414136 D: 54.60 4.71% | 54.78 | 57.30 / 53.00 C: 54.80 4.20% | 55.13 | 57.00 / 54.00 LEATHER APEXTANRY | 6.57 | 69.38 | Vol. 234870 D: 132.7 6.42% | 130.52 | 134.0 / 124.0 C: 131.5 5.45% | 132.43 | 136.5 / 130.0 BATASHOE | 49.12 | 135.53 | Vol. 21300 D: 700.4 3.55% | 706.41 | 715.0 / 700.0 C: 697.1 1.33% | 712.44 | 718.0 / 697.1 APEXADELFT | 23.01 | 203.26 | Vol. 38800 D: 402.6 0.62% | 402.66 | 408.0 / 400.0 C: 400.0 0.00% | 400.00 | 435.0 / 365.0 SAMATALETH | 0.22 | 12.93 | Vol. 74000 D: 18.20 8.98% | 18.17 | 18.30 / 17.00 C: 17.50 6.06% | 17.61 | 18.10 / 16.50 LEGACYFOOT | 0.63 | 17.19 | Vol. 767413 D: 43.10 0.23% | 43.26 | 44.20 / 39.00 C: 43.20 0.70% | 43.21 | 44.30 / 42.00 CERAMIC MONNOCERA | 0.35 | 95.30 | Vol. 59050 D: 34.00 0.00% | 34.25 | 35.70 / 33.80 C: 34.20 0.59% | 34.10 | 35.70 / 34.00 STANCERAM | 1.12 | 15.49 | Vol. 3500 D: 38.60 1.78% | 38.57 | 39.10 / 38.50 FUWANGCER | 0.65 | 12.70 | Vol. 1160615 D: 21.60 0.47% | 21.67 | 22.00 / 20.50 C: 21.70 0.00% | 21.85 | 22.20 / 21.50 SPCERAMICS | 0.62 | 30.92 | Vol. 389820 D: 18.30 1.10% | 18.43 | 18.70 / 16.80 C: 18.50 1.65% | 18.58 | 18.70 / 18.30 RAKCERAMIC | 1.98 | 16.76 | Vol. 113415 D: 52.50 0.38% | 52.83 | 53.80 / 48.00 C: 53.10 0.95% | 53.06 | 53.70 / 52.80 CEMENT HEIDELBCEM | 22.85 | 111.50 | Vol. 34780 D: 388.3 0.52% | 387.52 | 390.0 / 370.0 CONFIDCEM | 6.23 | 90.76 | Vol. 198002 D: 124.3 0.57% | 124.25 | 125.0 / 118.0 C: 124.6 0.65% | 124.16 | 125.8 / 123.1 MEGHNACEM | 6.28 | 33.81 | Vol. 109500 D: 129.2 0.23% | 129.84 | 131.5 / 128.3 C: 130.4 1.64% | 130.36 | 132.9 / 130.0 ARAMITCEM | 3.03 | 14.65 | Vol. 522225 D: 90.00 4.29% | 90.11 | 92.50 / 85.00 C: 91.20 4.83% | 90.64 | 92.90 / 88.00 LAFSURCEML | 1.60 | 7.22 | Vol. 322000 D: 32.90 0.00% | 32.99 | 33.20 / 32.90 C: 32.70 0.61% | 32.98 | 33.20 / 32.50 MICEMENT | 4.48 | 37.67 | Vol. 111835 D: 83.00 0.24% | 82.97 | 83.80 / 75.00 C: 82.90 0.24% | 82.80 | 83.50 / 82.00 PREMIERCEM | 5.00 | 32.60 | Vol. 142000 D: 101.6 0.10% | 101.76 | 102.7 / 101.1 C: 101.1 0.98% | 101.77 | 103.5 / 100.3 IT IINDUSTRIES ISNLTD | 0.28 | 17.31 | Vol. 212193 D: 19.20 1.59% | 19.25 | 19.60 / 17.80 C: 19.30 1.05% | 19.14 | 19.90 / 18.80 BDCOM | 1.40 | 14.41 | Vol. 251331 D: 26.20 1.16% | 26.16 | 26.40 / 24.20 C: 26.10 0.76% | 26.07 | 26.30 / 25.80 INTECH | 0.94 | 10.08 | Vol. 211170 D: 16.40 0.61% | 16.50 | 16.80 / 15.30 C: 16.50 0.61% | 16.48 | 16.60 / 16.30
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Business
University of Chicago Professor Eugene Fama is pictured in his house with his wife Sally after finding out he won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Economics in Chicago, Illinois REUTERS lieved companies had become much more efficient after the 2008-2009 financial crisis. The response of companies after the recession was to slim down, get much more effective and they got very profitable, so their prices continue to appreciate, he said. Famas theory implied that one cannot systematically outperform the market. He said he keeps his personal investments entirely in index funds, a type of mutual fund that tracks the performance of a market index such as the S&P 500. l
Consoles, online games to keep market soaring to 2017 Global house prices
n AFP, Paris
The global video gaming market is set to grow 11.1% a year until 2017, boosted by a new generation of consoles and the increasing popularity of online games, according to IDATE digital research and consultancy firm. The market, estimated at 53.9bn euros ($73.8bn) this year, is expected to soar to 82.1bn euros in 2017, the France-based firm said in a report. Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft, which are jostling for control of the gaming market, have each released the latest versions of their consoles ahead of the Christmas shopping season. The wave of new devices is expected to keep the market buoyant until 2017, IDATE said. Home consoles like Sonys PlayStation or Microsofts Xbox, which make up 31 percent of the market today, are expected to have a 40% share of the total market in 2017. Handheld consoles such as Nintendos 3DS or Sonys PSVita, which have a share of about 22 percent in 2013, are projected to record declining share to 13% in 2017, in the face of increasing strong competition from tablets and mobile phones. Smartphones and tablets offer a radically different experience, and... in terms of the budget, the tablet is a significant competitor for the consoles, Laurent Michaud, who is in charge of gaming research at IDATE. The choice of purchase between the tablet and the console will determine the success of this generation of machines, he said. The offline computer game is expected to record an irreversible decline, while this year online games are emerging as the leader. The increasing popularity of online games stems from the fact that they dominate the gaming industry in China and South Korea, Michaud noted. They are games oriented towards Free2Play and it is no surprise that they are gaining colossal success because the games are good, he said, referring to the downloadable games. l