18-03-2019

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ECONOMY & BUSINESS 10 MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2019 Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited paid tribute to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman marking his birth anniversary on March 17, 2019, Sunday by placing floral wreath on his memorial at 32 No. Road, Dhanmondi. Led by Major General (Retd.) Engineer Abdul Matin, Chairman, Risk Management Committee and Mohammed Monirul Moula, Managing Director (Current Charge), a floral wreath was placed on behalf of the Bank. Professor Dr. Qazi Shahidul Alam, Helal Ahmed Chowdhury, Md. Syful Islam, FCA, FCMA, Md. Joynal Abedin, Syed Abu Asad and Md. Quamrul Hasan, Directors, Md. Shamsuzzaman, Additional Managing Director, Mohammad Ali, Abu Reza Md. Yeahia and Taher Ahmed Chowdhury, Deputy Managing Directors of the Bank along with top executives and officials were present on the occasion. Photo : Courtesy Crazy week for UK pound, a Brexit thermometer The pound has experienced a chaotic week in reaction to Brexit's twists and turns, with large swings against rival currencies a daily occurrence. Over the week the pound has jumped 1.8 percent against the dollar and 1.0 percent versus the euro to trade at around $1.3250 and 1.1700 euros respectively Friday. The rally illustrates markets' surprising confidence of there being an eventual smooth EU exit for Britain despite political unrest over sealing the country's divorce. In normal times, the pound tends to take its lead from changes in central bank monetary policy and economic indicators, reports BSS. But for several months now, "Brexit is definitively the biggest" trigger for sterling, Carlo Alberto De Casa, an analyst for ActivTrades, told AFP. This in turn has made the currency a good indicator of investor opinion regarding Brexit. Generally, Brexit uncertainty and fears of an even greater slowdown to the UK economy than at present have weighed on the pound - with current values lower than before the June 2016 referendum on leaving the EU. The pound's rollercoaster began late on Monday when British Prime Minister Theresa May announced securing "legally binding" guarantees from the EU designed to get the Brexit deal through the UK parliament and avert a chaotic withdrawal. Almost immediately, the pound shot up 1.0 percent against the dollar - a large movement for currency markets. S&P upgrades Portugal's debt rating, citing budget surpluses Global ratings agency S&P on Friday upgraded Portugal's sovereign debt, citing the country's declining level of indebtedness and expectations for "balanced" growth. The decision followed September's upgrade to Portugal's outlook as the once troubled European economy continues its recovery, reports BSS. In 2014, Portugal exited an international bailout program that began at the height of the European Union debt crisis. S&P raised its rating to the lower-mediumgrade "BBB," with a stable outlook, up from "BBB-." The agency said Portugal should continue to run budget surpluses, steadily reducing the ratio of debt to GDP, while posting growth of between 1.5 percent and 1.7 percent through 2021. Last year's primary budget surplus of almost three percent of Gross Domestic Product was "one of the highest in the euro area" or among OECD members, the agency said in a statement. Meanwhile, Lisbon's plans to operate at an overall surplus by next year, including spending on interest costs, are "credible," despite the cyclical economic slowdown in Europe, according to S&P. Portuguese authorities have also made efforts to protect the economy from a no-deal Brexit. "UK residents make up about one-sixth of tourist arrivals in Portugal, meaning a no-deal Brexit would at least initially incur a cost," the statement said. "The government has introduced measures to facilitate the arrival of UK nationals in Portugal in the event of a no-deal Brexit." IDB is first multilateral lender to recognize envoy of Venezuela's Guaido The Inter-American Development Bank on Friday officially recognized the representative named by Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido, the first multilateral institution to take that step. Self-proclaimed interim president Guaido named respected Harvard economist Ricardo Hausmann, an exiled former Venezuelan government minister, to represent him at the IDB - the primary source of financing for development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, reports BSS. The IDB board of governors "today approved a resolution recognizing the appointment by Mr Juan Guaido of Ricardo Hausmann as IDB Governor for Venezuela… effective immediately," a statement from the New York-based institution read. It is the latest sign of international support for Guaido, the head of Venezuela's opposition-ruled National Assembly. Guaido has already been backed by more than 50 countries in his bid to unseat President Nicolas Maduro, who has presided over an economy in freefall and a worsening humanitarian crisis. The United States holds 30 percent of the voting power on the IDB board, against 50 percent combined for Latin American and Caribbean members. A "sufficient" number of governors have already approved the nomination," even before voting officially closed, the bank said. Guaido's envoy to the United States, Carlos Vecchio, celebrated "an important step into multilateral bodies" and uploaded a photo alongside Hausmann to Twitter. "It is a first step that is going to allow us to start work on planning and preparation, and obviously the real effectiveness of any financing depends on if Maduro actually leaves," Mariano de Alba, a Venezuelan lawyer and international affairs expert, told AFP. But the International Monetary Fund, which aims to ensure stability of the global monetary system, has said it is awaiting a decision of its members before recognizing Guaido rather than Maduro. Hausmann served as IDB chief economist from 1994 to 2000, and was Venezuela's planning minister when the government implemented a major economic reform package, which was the focus of a coup attempt in 1992 led by Hugo Chavez, who was jailed but later elected president. In order to expand the reach of its painting services, BERGER has introduced its EXPERIENCE ZONE in Chattogram. This is the first time that BERGER has provided franchise ship of EXPERI- ENCE ZONE to dealers of Chattogram. The inauguration ceremonies took place in M/S Rajib Hardware, Chawkbazar, Chattogram and M/S Ethu Hardware, South Halishahor, CEPZ Chattogram recently. BERGER has created a center to provide the customers with one-stop painting solution. It will cater to all painting related requirements of Chattogram customers through the most modern method of painting. Customers can get a touch and feel experience in this experience zone through more than hundreds of shade panels of different brands. On this auspicious occasion, Rupali Chowdhury, Managing Director, Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited said, "Choosing color combinations can be intimidating for many people. Color has the power to change the shape and size of furnishings, as well as the shape and size of the room itself. So, we created this center to help our customers to choose the best colors for their living space. We always try to seek different ways in which we can help our valued customers to make a meaningful decision about their homes and office spaces." Photo : Courtesy Stock markets climb on trade talks optimism Stock markets rose Friday after US President Donald Trump struck an upbeat note on trade talks with China, while the pound ended a volatile Brexitfuelled week on a strong note, reports BSS. The main European markets all closed higher, and US stocks were also up in the early New York afternoon with "reports of progress on the US-China trade front seeming to buoy sentiment", said analysts at Charles Schwab brokerage. Tokyo's main stocks index ended the day higher, too, despite the Bank of Japan issuing a more downbeat assessment of the world's third biggest economy, as a broader global slowdown impacts exports and production. "Brexit volatility appears to have calmed," noted Joshua Mahony, senior market analyst at IG trading group. "Meanwhile, US- China trade talk hopes have improved." While concerns about the global growth outlook remain, investor confidence has been supported by ongoing optimism that the United States and China will eventually hammer out a deal to end their longrunning trade row. Trump on Thursday provided fresh cheer by telling reporters "we are doing very well with China talks", adding that "we are getting what we have to get". He also said "one way or the other, we're going to know over the next three to four weeks". On Friday, China approved a foreign investment law that will abolish the forced transfer of technology from foreign firms to local joint-venture partners, addressing a key point of anger in the White House. "There's still no guarantee that these (US-China talks) can be concluded, but at least we've seen an indication that the wait will only be another three to four weeks," said James Hughes, chief market analyst at Axitrader. "This has the potential to fuel risk appetite in the interim period." On currency markets the pound climbed versus the dollar and euro after a week that saw wild fluctuations for the UK unit triggered by Brexit twists and turns. British Prime Minister Theresa May's EU withdrawal agreement was this week rejected by parliament for a second time. But the divorce deal could yet return from the dead should hardcore Brexiteers fear a delay could produce a softer Brexit that what is currently on offer. "There's still a significant amount of tail risk in being overly exposed to sterling" because of Brexit uncertainty, said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK. "Ultimately talk is cheap, and markets require certainty, something that still remains in short supply." Canadian, Chinese, U.S. investors discuss new economy, innovation in Toronto More than 500 participants, including investors, entrepreneurs and scholars, gathered in Toronto on Saturday for a two-day summit on innovation and the new economy. The China-U.S.-Canada New Economic Innovation Meeting is aimed at bringing together the players for discussions on the latest international industrial and innovation trends. During the two-day event, a number of roundtables will be held, reports BSS. It is expected to focus on the most promising startups as well as the different areas where startups are growing, said Wang Wanli, an investor from San Francisco, United States. Wang said he is looking forward to discussions on integration of big data intelligence and finance. The event is hosted jointly by the University of Toronto, Chinese Business Industry Association (CBIA) and the North America Developing Leaders Entrepreneur Association (NADLEA). On the occasion of Bangabandhu's birthday & National Children's Day, a huge rally was held at Kartikpur, Shariatpur under the leadership of Parveen Haque Sikder, MP. The rally included 4000 school students and a number of local people. It started from 12 no Hogla Govt. Primary School & ended at ZH Sikder University of Science & Technology. Honorable MP & Director of National Bank Ltd, Parveen Haque Sikder distributed educational items and snacks to about 4000 school students. In her speech she encouraged the students to be more attentive in their studies, lead their lives on the ethics set by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Muzibur Rahman. She expressed her hope that by leading their lives this way, these children, may one day be in good positions and lead the nation in future. She said that Bangabandhu used to love children vary dearly, he had a great feelings for them. That is why his date of birth was declared as National Childre's Day. Photo : Courtesy Prime Bank Cricket Tournament-2019 successfully concluded recently at Lalmatia Housing Society School & College, Dhaka. Managing Director & CEO of Prime Bank Rahel Ahmed was present as the chief guest. Additional Managing Director Habibur Rahman, Deputy Managing Directors - Md. Touhidul Alam Khan & M Habibur Rahman Chowdhury and other officials of Prime Bank were also present on the occasion. "Pitch Burners" became champion and "Thunderbolt" runners-up in this tournament. Photo : Courtesy
MISCELLANEOUS MoNDAY, MARCh 18, 2019 11 A special programme- discussion on Fistula held at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on Sunday, Mar 17. Photo: Courtesy Despite its peace, Christchurch painfully used to trauma Ahmed Tani settled in Christchurch as a refugee in 1999. After his escape from civil war in Somalia, the New Zealand city seemed a place of peace, a haven, reports UNB. Christchurch was more than just physically distant from the bitter strife he had previously known. With its leafy streets, vibrant gardens and green public parks, the Garden City as it is known was even visually a world away from the desolation of his warscorched past. A teacher in Somalia, in Christchurch he first became a taxi driver, a choice made by many refugees whose qualifications are often not accepted in their new homeland. He struggled at first to settle in to a place so different from any he had known. But bit by bit he accepted Christchurch and it accepted him. It became home. That feeling of peace was shaken for the first time at lunchtime Feb. 22, Black editor resigns from newspaper that urged KKK revival An African-American woman who took over the helm of a small-town Alabama newspaper that recently called for the Ku Klux Klan to "ride again" has stepped down after a few weeks, citing interference from the newspaper's owner, reports UNB. Elecia R. Dexter told The New York Times on Friday that she stepped down because of continuing interference from the newspaper's owner who had published the KKK editorial. Dexter said she wanted to maintain her "integrity and well-being." "I would have liked it to turn out a different way, but it didn't," Dexter, 46, told the newspaper. "This is a hard one because it's sad - so much good could have come out of this." GD-462/19 (6 x 4) 2011, when a magnitude 6.3 earthquake caused many of the buildings in Christchurch's city center to come crumbling down. People were trapped under the rubble and rescuers raced to save them in time. In the end, 185 people would die. For years after the quake, Christchurch was a city without a heart. Many of the buildings that formed its center had been destroyed or had to be demolished, and even its iconic central Anglican cathedral was partly collapsed. Schoolchildren who lived through the quake manifested higher levels of stress and anxiety than peers elsewhere in New Zealand. Gradually though, Christchurch rebuilt, dragging itself up again both physically and spiritually. New buildings sprang from old and the community formed stronger bonds that allowed a human resurgence, a rebirth. But the idyll of Christchurch was shattered again on Friday. Tani was walking toward the Al Noor mosque for afternoon prayers. He was only a few hundred yards away when he heard the sound of gunfire for the first time since he left Somalia two decades before. A racist gunman, steeped in hatred of Muslims and immigrants, had opened fire on the house of prayer, the first of two shooting rampages that would leave 50 dead in New Zealand's worst terrorist attack. "I was really frightened," Tani said. "We were living in Christchurch in peace and harmony. This is the first time we have had this. We have to realize this can happen anywhere." For the second time in a decade, Christchurch faces the task of restoring a shaken sense of faith, of community, of security. Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said everyone would again pull together. Australian premier sides with egger against egged senator Australia's prime minister on Sunday suggested an anti-Muslim senator should be charged after he slapped a teen who cracked a raw egg over the legislator's head, reports UNB. Sen. Fraser Anning has been widely condemned for blaming Muslim immigration for racist attacks on two New Zealand mosques that claimed at least 50 lives. Will Connolly, the 17-year-old boy who egged Anning, has become an online hero for the incident, which was captured on video. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday took Connolly's side, telling reporters: "The full force of the law should be applied to Sen. Anning." Police allege Connolly, who calls himself "Egg Boy" online, assaulted the senator with the egg. Anning "retaliated and struck the teen twice" before Connolly was dragged to the ground by Anning supporters, a police statement said. "The incident is being actively investigated by Victoria Police in its entirety," the statement said, including Anning's actions. Anning came under blistering criticism over tweets on Friday, including one that said, "Does anyone still dispute the link between Muslim immigration and violence?" "The real cause of the bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place," he said in a later statement. Anning has now been assigned a federal police security detail, a precaution usually reserved for the prime minister. Nicaraguan police break up opposition protest, detain dozens Police in Nicaragua detained more than 100 people Saturday after opponents of President Daniel Ortega tried to hold a demonstration to pressure his government to release hundreds of protesters held in custody since 2018, reports UNB. Police later said they would release the 107 protesters arrested Saturday in the coming hours at the request of the Vatican's ambassador. Nicaragua's government banned opposition protests in September and police broke up Saturday's attempt at a demonstration in Managua, hitting several protesters as they forced them into patrol cars. The U.S. Embassy in Managua expressed concern via Twitter about reports of police violence and called on the Nicaraguan authorities to "cease the use of excessive force against peaceful protesters." The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights called on the Ortega government via Twitter to give a full tally of those wounded and detained in the standoff, during which police carrying assault rifles hauled away protesters. More than 300 people have died in protests since April 2018, while more than 700 are believed to be in government custody and over 52,000 have fled the country amid civil strife and repression. On Friday, Nicaragua's government said it released 50 opposition prisoners and placed them under a form of house arrest. The release was an apparent bow to a demand by the opposition Civic Alliance for freeing inmates as a condition for resuming political talks which had been suspended. Rescues, evacuations as floodwaters breach levees in Midwest Authorities were using boats and large vehicles on Saturday to rescue and evacuate residents in parts of the Midwest where a recent deluge of rainwater and snowmelt was sent pouring over frozen ground, overwhelming creeks and rivers, and killing at least one person, reports UNB. The scramble to move people out of harm's way was expected to subside going into the new week, as rivers and creeks in flooded eastern Nebraska and western Iowa were expected to crest Saturday and Sunday. That left officials downstream looking to prepare for likely flooding. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson had already met with emergency management team members Friday to review and update floodresponse plans, and the Missouri Highway Patrol was preparing additional equipment and putting swift water rescue personnel on standby. The Missouri National Guard also temporarily relocated the 139th Airlift Wing's C-130s from Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph as a precaution. The National Weather Service said the Missouri River at St. Joseph reached nearly 26 feet on Saturday, about a foot below what's considered major flooding at the northwest Missouri city. But it's expected to crest Wednesday or Thursday at 29.3 feet - more than two feet above major flooding level. Evacuation efforts in eastern Nebraska and some spots in western Iowa on Saturday were hampered by reports of levee breaches and washouts of bridges and roads, including part of Nebraska Highway 92, leading in and out of southwest Omaha. Authorities confirmed that a bridge on that highway that crosses the Elkhorn River had been washed out Saturday. Military: West Bank shooting spree kills 1 Israeli, wounds 2 A Palestinian killed an Israeli and seriously wounded two others in a West Bank shooting and stabbing spree Sunday before fleeing and setting off a massive manhunt, the Israeli military said, reports UNB. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the attacker stabbed an Israeli soldier at the entrance to the Ariel settlement, southwest of the Palestinian city of Nablus, and then took his assault rifle. He then opened fire toward several passing vehicles, striking civilians. Another car slowed to a stop and the attacker then boarded it and sped away, firing toward soldiers along the way before escaping into a nearly Palestinian village. Conricus said Israeli troops have gathered at the entrance to the village to assist in the manhunt. He said it was unclear if the assailant acted alone or with the assistance of others, and whether he belonged to any Palestinian militant group. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the chase was ongoing and he was confident Israeli forces would apprehend those behind the attack and "bring them to justice as we have in all previous cases." Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said the wounded were a 35-yearold man and a 20-year-old who were treated on the scene in serious condition before being evacuated to a hospital. The attack comes after two Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire last week in separate West Bank incidents, which followed a period of relative calm. On Thursday, Hamas fired a pair of missiles from Gaza toward the Israeli city of Tel Aviv in a rare attack into the heart of Israel that looked to set the sides into another round of escalation. But the launch was apparently a technical malfunction and after a brief Israeli reprisal calm was restored. Israel is currently in the midst of an election campaign, and Egypt is trying to broker a long-term truce between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers. Since 2015, Palestinians have killed over 50 Israelis in stabbings, shootings and carramming attacks in the West Bank. Israeli forces have killed more than 260 Palestinians in that same period. Israel has described most of the Palestinians killed as attackers, but clashes between protesters and soldiers have also turned deadly. Afghan troops go missing after fleeing battle with Taliban Around 100 Afghan soldiers fled their posts and tried to cross into neighboring Turkmenistan during a weeklong battle with the Taliban, officials said Sunday, in the latest setback for the country's battered security forces. Mohammad Naser Nazari, a provincial council member in the western Badghis province, said the soldiers weren't allowed to cross the border and their fate remains unknown. The Taliban have posted pictures of captured soldiers on social media. Jamshid Shahabi, the provincial governor's spokesman, said 16 soldiers have been killed and 20 wounded during the ongoing battle in the Bala Murghab district, in which the military carried out airstrikes and dispatched reinforcements. He said a number of soldiers tried to flee, without providing an exact figure. Shahabi said more than 40 insurgents were killed in the fighting. He said the provincial police chief and army commander are in the district and instructing the forces to root out insurgents and rescue soldiers. Officials said the fighting had largely subsided by Sunday, with sporadic clashes breaking out in remote areas. Nazari provided a higher toll, saying 50 soldiers were killed and around 100 others were missing. He said hundreds of local residents have gathered in front of the governor's office to express their concerns about security in the province. He said Bala Murghab is almost completely controlled by the Taliban, with Afghan forces confined to the district headquarters. The Taliban effectively control half the country and carry out daily attacks on Afghan security forces, causing staggering casualties. The attacks have continued even as the Taliban have been holding direct negotiations with the United States aimed at ending the 17-year war. In a separate development on Sunday, an Islamic State affiliate claimed the killing of a local TV journalist in the eastern Khost province. The group did not say why it targeted Sultan Mahmoud Khirkhowa, a reporter with the local Zhman TV and radio, who was killed Friday when two men on a motorcycle opened fire on his vehicle. Another Afghan reporter was wounded in a targeted bombing last week in the southern Helmand province. President of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Molla Jalal on Sunday announced the programme of holding rally at a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club, marking Bangabandhu's 99th birth anniversary. Photo : TBT
Page 1 and 2: MonDaY Dhaka: March 18, 2019; Chait
Page 3 and 4: METRO MONDAY, MARCh 18, 2019 3 Sang
Page 5 and 6: LAW & PUBLIC MOnDAy, MARch 18, 2019
Page 7 and 8: INTERNATIONAL MONdAy, MARCH 18, 201
Page 9: SPORTS MONDAy, MARCh 18, 2019 9 Mah

18-03-2019

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