19-01-2019

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ECONOMY & BUSINESS BANGLADESHTODAY 6 THE SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 2019 Hamdard Laboratories (WAQF) Bangladesh organized Annual Treatment and Sales Conference-2018 yesterday at Yusuf Harun Bhuiyan auditorium. Photo: Courtesy India's Reliance posts 8.8pc rise in Q3 profit on oil refining business Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries on Thursday reported a 8.8 percent rise in its third quarter consolidated net profit, boosted by growth in its core business of petrochemicals and oil refining. The Mumbai-based company owned by India's richest man Mukesh Ambani said its consolidated net profit for the three months through December rose to 102.50 billion rupees ($1.44 billion) from 94.20 billion rupees reported a year earlier, even as its refining margins fell. "In an oil price environment that witnessed heightened volatility through the quarter, RIL has delivered strong quarterly results on a consolidated basis," Reliance chief Ambani said in a statement. Reliance said it maintained robust growth in its retail and telecom business which helped the company achieve overall profitability despite global fluctuations in crude oil prices. Revenues for the period were up 56.4 percent to 1.60 trillion rupees. Reliance said in a statement that its gross refining margin, the profit earned from each barrel of crude, was down to $8.8 in the December quarter from $11.6 in the previous year. Refining margins are a key profitability gauge for Reliance, one of the world's largest refiners. The firm has business interests in refining, retail, telecommunications and petrochemicals. Meanwhile, RIL's telecom venture Jio reported robust growth by increasing its subscriber base by 27.9 million for the quarter. Jio also reported a 65 percent rise in its profits to 8.31 billion rupees, adding to the quarterly results. Ambani launched Reliance Jio with much fanfare in September 2016 offering free services up to March 2017, sparking intense price wars which saw consolidation in the Indian telecom sector. Reliance shares fell almost half a percent Thursday ahead of the earnings announcement, which came after the stock market closed. Britain's May to miss Davos to focus on Brexit: Downing St British Prime Minister Theresa May will miss next week's annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos to focus on Brexit negotiations, sending ministers in her place, Downing Street said on Thursday. "She will not be going to Davos. She will be focused on matters here," May's spokeswoman said, adding that "there will be government ministers attending". Downing Street noted May's absence at the yearly gathering of world and industry leaders in the Swiss Alps resort was not unprecedented for a British premier. Former prime minister David Cameron also missed the 2013 and 2015 events, the spokeswoman said. The prime minister is scrambling to put together a new Brexit strategy after lawmakers on Tuesday sparked political turmoil by rejecting her draft withdrawal agreement with the EU. Nervous Europe ramps up Brexit preparations Europe is ramping up preparations for the economic blow of a possible "no deal" Brexit, fearing the political crisis in London has killed off hopes of an orderly divorce. Contingency planning has been under way for months, but Prime Minister Theresa May's apparent inability to sell any withdrawal deal to parliament has focused minds. EU leaders insist the British economy will be worst hit by a disorderly breakdown in trading ties, but Britain's neighbours are also braced for disruption. Renewed border controls and regulatory barriers could slow trade and choke ports, and uncertainty hangs over the rights of British citizens living in EU states. A solution may be found, but in the meantime here are some of the key early decisions made in Brussels and key British trading partners. While EU negotiator Michel Barnier has handled talks with London on the divorce deal, planning for a "no deal" scenario has fallen to the bloc's powerful secretary general, Martin Selmayr. Brussels has taken a coordinating role for member states and published 88 advisory notes, sector by sector, focused on threats to financial markets, air traffic, customs and emissions trading. After Tuesday's failed vote in London, the Commission announced plans to send teams to all 27 other EU capitals to coordinate a continent-wide plan. Ireland, the only EU member with a land border with Britain, has the next most to lose in a chaotic Brexit. Politically, concerns have focused on how renewed border controls could stir potential unrest in Northern Ireland, but the economy is also at risk. Ireland is hiring 1,000 staff to implement agricultural and customs checks, although the government has faced criticism for failing to disclose how many hires have been completed. In its 2019 budget, unveiled in October, the Republic put aside a 1.5 billion euro ($1.7 billion) "rainy day fund" and a "no deal Brexit" omnibus bill will go to parliament in March. At the port of Dublin work is under way on 33 inspection bays, 270 truck parking spaces, a dedicated border control post for live animals and office accommodation for an additional 144 staff. The Netherlands would be heavily exposed because of trading links via Rotterdam, Europe's largest port. It has set aside 100 million euros for preparations, including the appointment of 900 new customs officers. The government also announced unilaterally last week that the approximately 45,000 British citizens and their families currently living in the Netherlands will get a 15-month "grace period" to apply for a full residency permit.France activated its plan for handling the effects of a no-deal Brexit on Thursday. It provides for 50 million euros ($56 million) of investment in ports and airports, infrastructure for carrying out border checks and extra car parks to help cope with tailbacks. France plans to recruit 580 additional customs staff and veterinary inspectors. Belgium's government is going through its own crisis as Britain wrangles with Brexit, with Prime Minister Charles Michel having lost his majority in a row over immigration. But legislation has been prepared to recruit 115 new public servants to reinforce customs and animal and farm product health controls. The estimated 25,000 British citizens in Belgium have been promised they will be allowed to stay on reciprocal terms to the Belgians living in the UK. Fuel price hikes put Zimbabwe on its knees Weary-looking Innocent Takura reclined in the seat of his small Honda sedan near the start of a kilometrelong petrol queue that sums up Zimbabwe's deepening economic chaos. "This life is tough, too tough," he said as he tried to nap while military police wearing red-berets patrolled the line and marshalled cars slowly towards the pumps at a service station in the centre of the capital Harare. Drivers waiting hours - even days - for fuel in recent months has been one of the most visible daily signs that Zimbabwe, which has suffered 15 years of economic hardship, was entering a new phase of turmoil. When the government more than doubled fuel prices last weekend, it lit a tinderbox of public anger that exploded in violent protests. "A 150 percent price increase. Where in the world have you ever seen that? Which country?" said Takura, a 30- year-old who imports shoes from neighbouring South Africa for a living. "These policies are unrealistic, irrational. That is why people end up protesting." Trade unions called a national strike on Monday and furious demonstrators took to the streets in several cities, with widespread rioting and looting. The unrest is the fallout from a currency crisis that has left the government unable to pay its bills, bank depositors unable to take out their money and everyday business grinding to a halt. Zimbabwe has used the US dollar as its currency since 2009 when hyperinflation peaked at a grotesque 500 billion percent, wiping out the local Zimbabwean dollar. Abandoning its own currency ended inflation and brought some stability to the country but the supply of US dollar notes gradually dried up. "When that scarcity became serious, that's when government started printing 'bond notes'," said veteran independent economist John Robertson. The government's unlikely plan was to issue a local currency of "bond" notes and coins that it said would be equal in value to the US dollar. It announced six months in advance that it would introduce the token currency in late 2016. "That was a big mistake," said Robertson, because people started to move their dollars out of the country. On the street, bond notes were soon trading at less than US dollars as few people ever believed that they were equal to greenbacks. The currency crisis has created a complex daily reality with three tiers of pricing - one low price if you can pay in US dollar cash, and two far higher prices for paying in bond notes or electronically. The black market is frenzied as companies desperately seek out US dollars so they can pay for the goods that they need to import. IMF warns of economic hit from extended government shutdown While it is too soon to gauge the economic damage from the US government shutdown, the longer it continues the worse it will be, the International Monetary Fund warned Thursday. The shutdown that has left 800,000 federal workers nationwide without pay is the longest on record and now in its fourth week. "The longer the shutdown is in effect the bigger impact it will have on the economy," IMF spokesman Gerry Rice told reporters. "We encourage the US authorities, in both Congress and the executive branch, to work together in a spirit of compromise to pass a funding bill that can reopen the federal offices." However, he said it is "still very early days in terms of making an economic assessment of the impact of the shutdown." The IMF is due to release a quarterly update of its World Economic Outlook on Monday, which will include a new estimate for US GDP growth. Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy of People's Republic of Japan Toshumitsu Motegi visited BJIT Head office on 14 January. During his visit he had some open discussion with JM Akbar (Founder of BJIT), Yasuhiro Akashi (Director) and top management of BJIT Limited. Motegi also talked with some BJIT's Students and engineers. Motehi shared his views regarding IT Industry, Future Technologies, Prospects of IT, a press release said. Founder of BJIT JM Akbar expressed his sincere gratitude to honorable minister for his kind visit to BJIT. Moreover, he also described the prospects of IT Industry on the context of Bangladesh & Japan. He highlighted the availability of Engineers in Bangladesh. He also EU slams European stocks falter on trade tensions, Brexit, US shutdown Stock markets retreated Thursday, with US-China tensions, Brexit worries and a lingering US government shutdown taking their toll to a greater or lesser degree across the world's trading platforms. The pound recovered against both the dollar and the euro, a day after the UK government narrowly survived a noconfidence vote. Key European markets were around half a percent lower at the close, while the Dow Jones index was slightly softer in the late New York morning following disappointing results from Morgan Stanley and as the market showed signs of fatigue after a strong run. Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare said stocks were "overbought on a short-term basis and due for a period of consolidation". But the broader S&P index and the tech-heavy Nasdaq both showed small gains. In Europe, meanwhile, "political and economic risks weigh on sentiment," said David Madden, analyst at CMC Asian markets rallied Friday as another broadly positive week drew to a close, with investors cheered by a report that the US was considering lifting tariffs on China as officials look to hammer out a trade deal. Optimism that the world's top two economies are on course to reach a deal ending their long-running trade row has helped boost equities across the world this year. And while news that the US was carrying out a criminal probe into Chinese tech giant Huawei caused a wobble Thursday, the rally resumed after the Wall Street Journal story on tariff-lifting broke. The paper reported Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had raised the idea with Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer of removing some or all levies on Beijing in return for structural reforms. It said the move was part of a bid to reassure markets and bolster the odds of a bigger trade deal, ending a months-long saga that is beginning to impact economies around the world, particularly China. However, the Treasury Department told AFP that no formal recommendation had been made by either Mnuchin or Lighthizer in the talks, which were "nowhere near completion". Still, investors remained upbeat. Hong Kong rose 1.3 Markets UK. British Prime Minister Theresa May scrambled to put together a new Brexit strategy on Thursday with cross-party talks after MPs sparked political turmoil by rejecting her previous agreement with the EU. May reached out to rival parties shortly after surviving a no-confidence vote Wednesday, hoping to hammer out a Brexit fix that she could present to parliament next week. Meanwhile after a tumultuous December for markets, global equities have enjoyed a broadly strong start to the year, largely thanks to optimism China and the US will resolve their trade row. But confidence took a knock Wednesday from a report that said US officials were carrying out a criminal probe into Chinese tech giant Huawei and could soon indict the firm over allegations of theft of trade secrets from its American business partners. discussed about cultural and other similarities between Bangladesh & Japan. In past years how Bangladeshi percent and Shanghai ended 1.4 percent higher while Tokyo jumped 1.3 percent. Sydney added 0.5 percent, Seoul gained 0.2 percent and Singapore put on 0.8 percent, while there were also advances in Wellington, Taipei and Manila. In early trade London and Paris each put on 0.6 percent and Frankfurt was 0.7 percent higher "The US government has said that there have been no formal talks to scale back tariffs, but the market saw the half glass full as the reports signal that concessions are in the works," said Alfonso Esparza, senior market analyst at OANDA. However, there was scepticism among analysts, with the two sides still far apart on a number of issues, particularly regarding intellectual property. "Certainly evidence that the administration is approaching a deal would be good news," Laura Rosner, senior economist at MacroPolicy Perspectives, said. "We've heard noise around trade policy before though, so I would want to make sure the progress happens and sticks." On currency markets the pound edged up and was sitting around two-month highs against the dollar as dealers bet that Britain will not leave the European Union without a deal. Lawmakers have also introduced a bill to ban the export of American parts and components to Chinese telecom companies that are in violation of US export control or sanctions laws - with Huawei and fellow Chinese firm ZTE the likely targets. "Huawei is effectively an intelligence-gathering arm of the Chinese Communist Party whose founder and CEO was an engineer for the People's Liberation Army," said Republican Senator Tom Cotton, one of the bill's sponsors. The developments follow the arrest last year in Canada of Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, who is the daughter of the company's founder. She faces extradition to the US on Iran sanctionslinked fraud charges. It also muddies the waters in trade talks between Beijing and Washington, which looked to be on a positive course after officials held three days of talks earlier this month, with both sides seemingly upbeat. Toshimitsu Motegi visit's BJIT engineers are contributed in IT industry of Bangladesh & Japan & how BJIT become a good source of engineers for Japan. Director of BJIT Yasuhiro Akashi also shared his views with Motesi. He explained how Bangladeshi Engineers are performing in Japan. He also highlighted the skills and knowledge of Bangladeshi engineers. He also explained the future plans of BJIT to meet the requirement of Japan. In the end Toshimitsu Motegi expressed his sincere thanks to BJIT management and BJIT engineers for their wonderful contribution in the IT sector both in Japan and Bangladesh. He wished all the success of BJIT in the upcoming future. BJIT management also thanks Honorable Minister for his precious time and visit to BJIT. Asian markets end week on a high as China-US trade hopes rise After her grand Brexit plan was soundly rebuffed by MPs this week, British Prime Minister Theresa May has called cross-party talks to put together a "Plan B" with a more palatable agreement by Monday. Still, if that does not work, there is a growing expectation that the March 29 exit deadline will be pushed back to give May more time to reach another deal or possibly call another referendum. "For the most part the (pound's) move higher appears to be more in hope than expectation, given the default position as it stands now remains that the UK leaves the EU without a deal," said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK. Oil prices rose on the China-US tariffs report and after OPEC said it had cut output in December before a new agreement to limit supply took effect. Both main contracts are up around a fifth since the end of December, thanks to an agreement to cut output by OPEC and other key producers including Russia. That followed almost three months of losses that wiped around 40 percent off prices that was fuelled by supply and demand worries. And while the commodity is on the up, there are still concerns about the impact of a slowing global economy.
MISCELLANEOUS SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 2019 7 Lawyer for radical Indonesian cleric says he will be freed Vice-Chancellor of Noakhali University of Science and Technology Prof. Dr. M. Wahiduzzaman visiting the cake festival at Nurjahan Memorial Government Primary School. Photo : Noakhali Correspondent Total lunar eclipse meets supermoon Sunday night Here comes a total lunar eclipse and supermoon, all wrapped into one. The moon, Earth and sun will line up this weekend for the only total lunar eclipse this year and next. At the same time, the moon will be ever so closer to Earth and appear slightly bigger and brighter than usual - a supermoon, reports UNB. "This one is particularly good," said Rice University astrophysicist Patrick Hartigan. "It not only is a supermoon and it's a total eclipse, but the total eclipse also lasts pretty long. It's about an hour." The whole eclipse starts Sunday night or early Monday, depending on location , and will take about three hours. It begins with the partial phase around 10:34 p.m. EST Sunday. That's when Earth's shadow will begin to nip at the moon. Totality - when Earth's shadow completely blankets the moon - will last 62 minutes, beginning at 11:41 p.m. EST Sunday. If the skies are clear, the entire eclipse will be visible in North and South America, as well as Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Portugal and the French and Spanish coasts. The rest of Europe, as well as Africa, will have partial viewing before the moon sets. During totality, the moon will look red because of sunlight scattering off Earth's atmosphere. That's why an eclipsed moon is sometimes known as a blood moon. In January, the full moon is also sometimes known as the wolf moon or great spirit moon. So informally speaking, the upcoming lunar eclipse will be a super blood wolf - or great spirit - moon. In the U.S., the eclipse will begin relatively early Sunday evening, making it easier for children to stay up and enjoy the show. Plus the next Indian guru gets life sentence in murder of journalist An Indian court sentenced a popular and flamboyant spiritual guru and three followers to life in prison on Thursday in the murder 16 years ago of a journalist who published a letter about the guru's alleged sexual exploitation of women, reports UNB. The guru, who calls himself Dr. Saint Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim Insan, received the sentence through a video link from a prison where he is serving a 20-year sentence in a separate case involving the raping of two female followers. Judge Jagdeep Singh convicted the guru and his three followers on murder charges last Friday. The followers were present in the court in the northern Indian town of Panchkula. "This is the triumph of truth, I feel relieved today. The prosecution had demanded capital punishment but we're satisfied with the punishment," the Indian Express newspaper quoted Anshul Chhatrapati, the son of the slain journalist, as saying. day is a federal holiday, with most schools closed. But the weather forecast for much of the U.S. doesn't look good. Parents "can keep their kids up maybe a little bit later," said, Hartigan, who will catch the lunar extravaganza from Houston. "It's just a wonderful thing for the whole family to see because it's fairly rare to have all these things kind of come together at the same time." "The good thing about this is that you don't need any special equipment," he added. Asia, Australia and New Zealand are out of luck. But they had prime viewing last year, when two total lunar eclipses occurred. The next total lunar eclipse won't be until May 2021. As for full-moon supermoons, this will be the first of three this year. The upcoming supermoon will be about 222,000 miles (357,300 kilometers) away. The Feb. 19 supermoon will be a bit closer and one in March will be the farthest. The moon, Earth and sun will line up this weekend for the only total lunar eclipse this year and next. At the same time, the moon will be ever so closer to Earth and appear slightly bigger and brighter than usual - a supermoon, reports UNB. "This one is particularly good," said Rice University astrophysicist Patrick Hartigan. "It not only is a supermoon and it's a total eclipse, but the total eclipse also lasts pretty long. It's about an hour." The whole eclipse starts Sunday night or early Monday, depending on location , and will take about three hours. It begins with the partial phase around 10:34 p.m. EST Sunday. That's when Earth's shadow will begin to nip at the moon. Totality - when Earth's shadow completely Queen Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Philip, was involved in a car crash Thursday while driving in rural England but was not injured, reports UNB. Buckingham Palace said Philip, 97, was checked by a doctor after the accident and determined to be fine. The palace said the two-car accident happened Thursday afternoon near Sandringham Estate, the queen's country retreat in eastern England. Witnesses told the BBC Philip appeared "very shocked" and shaken after the collision, which caused the Land Rover he was driving to overturn. Norfolk Police said the drivers of both cars, a Land Rover and a Kia, were given alcohol breath tests under routine procedures following a collision. The force said both drivers tested negative. "The male driver of the Land Rover was uninjured. The female driver of the Kia suffered cuts while the female passenger sustained an arm injury, both requiring hospital treatment," the police force said in a state. The two women from the Kia were treated at nearby Queen Elizabeth Hospital and discharged, the statement said. Witnesses described seeing broken glass and debris at the scene. Police did not say how the accident happened. There was no indication anyone was arrested for a driving offense. Philip had a passenger in his car, but the palace did not identify the person. It is likely the prince was traveling with a protection officer, a standard security procedure for blankets the moon - will last 62 minutes, beginning at 11:41 p.m. EST Sunday. If the skies are clear, the entire eclipse will be visible in North and South America, as well as Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Portugal and the French and Spanish coasts. The rest of Europe, as well as Africa, will have partial viewing before the moon sets. During totality, the moon will look red because of sunlight scattering off Earth's atmosphere. That's why an eclipsed moon is sometimes known as a blood moon. In January, the full moon is also sometimes known as the wolf moon or great spirit moon. So informally speaking, the upcoming lunar eclipse will be a super blood wolf - or great spirit - moon. In the U.S., the eclipse will begin relatively early Sunday evening, making it easier for children to stay up and enjoy the show. Plus the next day is a federal holiday, with most schools closed. But the weather forecast for much of the U.S. doesn't look good. Parents "can keep their kids up maybe a little bit later," said, Hartigan, who will catch the lunar extravaganza from Houston. "It's just a wonderful thing for the whole family to see because it's fairly rare to have all these things kind of come together at the same time." So informally speaking, the upcoming lunar eclipse will be a super blood wolf - or great spirit - moon. In the U.S., the eclipse will begin relatively early Sunday evening, making it easier for children to stay up and enjoy the show. Plus the next day is a federal holiday, with most schools closed. But the weather forecast for much of the U.S. doesn't look good. Prince Philip, queen's husband, uninjured after car accident Britain's senior royals. Philip has largely retired from public life. He has seemed to be in generally good health in recent months. He and Elizabeth, 92, have been on an extended Christmas holiday at Sandringham, one of her favored rural homes. Buckingham Palace said Philip, 97, was checked by a doctor after the accident and determined to be fine. The palace said the two-car accident happened Thursday afternoon near Sandringham Estate, the queen's country retreat in eastern England. Witnesses told the BBC Philip appeared "very shocked" and shaken after the collision, which caused the Land Rover he was driving to overturn. Norfolk Police said the drivers of both cars, a Land Rover and a Kia, were given alcohol breath tests under routine procedures following a collision. The force said both drivers tested negative. "The male driver of the Land Rover was uninjured. The female driver of the Kia suffered cuts while the female passenger sustained an arm injury, both requiring hospital treatment," the police force said in a state. The two women from the Kia were treated at nearby Queen Elizabeth Hospital and discharged, the statement said. Witnesses described seeing broken glass and debris at the scene. Police did not say how the accident happened. There was no indication anyone was arrested for a driving offense. Russia spotted 23 foreign spy planes near border over past week: report Russia detected 23 foreign aircraft flying close to its border for surveillance purposes over the past week, the Russian Defense Military's newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda reported Friday, reports UNB. Russian aircraft were sent to prevent the foreign planes from entering the country's airspace, said the report, adding that there were no trespasses. Foreign spy planes have often been reported flying near the Russian border as Russia frequently accuses the United States and the NATO of conducting such surveillance activities. Last November, a U.S. Navy EP-3E Aries plane was intercepted by a Russian Su- 27 fighter jet over the Black Sea. The U.S. Navy said its plane was flying in international airspace and called the interception unsafe, while Russian Defense Ministry said that the U.S. plane was flying near Russian airspace and that the Su-27 fighter jet identified the U.S. plane "at a safe distance." Previously, Russia also blamed NATO for increasing surveillance activities in the Baltics and the Black Sea, according to Russian news agency TASS. UN chief hails Azerbaijan-Armenia meeting over Nagorno-Karabakh United Nations Secretary- General Antonio Guterres on Thursday welcomed a meeting between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict, said his spokesman. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and his Armenian counterpart, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, held a meeting on Wednesday in Paris, reports UNB. "The secretary-general appreciates the continued commitment of the sides to finding a negotiated and peaceful solution to the long-standing Nagorno- Karabakh conflict and particularly welcomed the ministers' agreement on the need to take concrete measures to prepare the populations for peace," said Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a statement. Guterres reiterated the UN's full support for the important mediation efforts of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Minsk Group. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter dispute over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The two countries first clashed over the matter in 1988, when the region claimed independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia. A lawyer for the ailing radical cleric who inspired the Bali bombers says the Indonesian government will release him from prison next week, reports UNB. The lawyer, Muhammad Mahendradatta, said Friday the decision to release 80-year-old Abu Bakar Bashir was made on humanitarian grounds. "We have confirmation that President Joko Widodo has agreed to release our client Abu Bakar Bashir," he told The Associated Press. "We haven't had the exact date of his release, but because Bashir badly needs serious health care the release will be carried out no later than next week." The announcement comes during campaigning for a presidential election due in April in which opponents of Widodo have tried to discredit him as insufficiently Islamic. Also due to be released from prison next week is the former governor of Jakarta, a Widodo ally and minority Christian who was toppled by a conservative Islamic movement in 2016 and subsequently sentenced to two years in prison on blasphemy charges. The 2002 bombings on the popular Indonesian tourist island of Bali by al- Qaida-affiliated Jemaah Islamiyah militants killed 202 people, many of them foreigners including dozens of Australians. Australia urged Indonesia last March against any leniency toward Bashir when the government was considering house arrest and other forms of clemency. Mahendradatta said he wanted the release to be without any conditions, enabling Bashir to meet supporters and give sermons. However, another Bashir lawyer, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, said the cleric accepted conditions and "was willing not to do anything other than rest and to be close to family," according to Indonesian news site Tempo. The firebrand cleric was arrested almost immediately after the Bali bombings. But prosecutors were unable to prove a string of terrorism-related allegations. He was instead sentenced to 18 months in prison for immigration violations. In 2011, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for supporting a military-style training camp for Islamic militants. The 2002 bombings were a turning point in Indonesia's battle against violent extremists, making heavy security a norm in big cities and forging closer counterterrorism cooperation with the U.S. and Australia. The lawyer, Muhammad Mahendradatta, said Friday the decision to release 80-year-old Abu Bakar Bashir was made on humanitarian grounds. "We have confirmation that President Joko Widodo has agreed to release our client Abu Bakar Bashir," he told The Associated Press. "We haven't had the exact date of his release, but because Bashir badly needs serious S (19) (17) GD- 102/19 (6 x 3) health care the release will be carried out no later than next week." The announcement comes during campaigning for a presidential election due in April in which opponents of Widodo have tried to discredit him as insufficiently Islamic. Also due to be released from prison next week is the former governor of Jakarta, a Widodo ally and minority Christian who was toppled by a conservative Islamic movement in 2016 and subsequently sentenced to two years in prison on blasphemy charges. The 2002 bombings on the popular Indonesian tourist island of Bali by al- Qaida-affiliated Jemaah Islamiyah militants killed 202 people, many of them foreigners including dozens of Australians. Australia urged Indonesia last March against any leniency toward Bashir when the government was considering house arrest and other forms of clemency. Mahendradatta said he wanted the release to be without any conditions, enabling Bashir to meet supporters and give sermons. However, another Bashir lawyer, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, said the cleric accepted conditions and "was willing not to do anything other than rest and to be close to family," according to Indonesian news site Tempo. The firebrand cleric was arrested almost immediately after the Bali bombings. But prosecutors were unable to prove a string of terrorism-related allegations. He was instead sentenced to 18 months in prison for immigration violations. In 2011, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for supporting a military-style training camp for Islamic militants. The 2002 bombings were a turning point in Indonesia's battle against violent extremists, making heavy security a norm in big cities and forging closer counterterrorism cooperation with the U.S. and Australia.
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