Business News

DSE turnover falls sharply

Turnover at Dhaka Stock Exchange has fallen to a 12-month low. Continuing the downward trend of last week, the countryt's prime bourse closed at Tk 11.54 billion on Sunday, 7.53 percent lower than the previous session.
However, the key market index DGEN advanced by 16.86 points and stood at 6670.16.

Market graph showed bumpy ride trading throughout the session, peaking at 6686.17 points and dipping at 6631.12.
Over 51 percent of all the issues traded on the day advanced while 46 percent declined.
In the banking sector over 65 percent issues slipped and only 10 managed to gain.
Most of the major players of the energy sector declined except Titas Gas, which rose by 0.16 percent to close at Tk 1093.75.
Bellwether Beximco topped the trading table with shares worth Tk 1106.28 million changing hands.
The issue advanced by 2.92 percent to close at Tk 323.50.
Sole telecom issue in the capital market, Grameen Phone slipped by 0.62 percent and closed at Tk 256.20.
NAVANA CNG
DSE also decided on Sunday to place Navana CNG Limited in "A" category from "N" category, which will be effective from Aug 30, as the company reported disbursement of cash dividend of 10 percent and stock dividend of 20 percent.
-bdnews

Minimum fitra Tk 45

In a span of three days, the Islamic Foundation has fixed this year's fitra at Tk 100 and Tk 45 per head creating confusion among people.
At a meeting yesterday, Islamic Foundation fixed the minimum fitra at Tk 45. Earlier on Thursday, it fixed the fitra at Tk 100 per head in another meeting of the foundation.
In earlier years, there was only one minimum fitra. It was Tk 40 per head in 2009 and Tk 66 in 2008.
Nizam Uddin, public relations officer of Islamic Foundation, told The Daily Star fitra fixed at Tk 100 is equal to the market price of 3.3 kgs of rice while Tk 45 is equal to the market price of 1.65 kgs of wheat.
“The fitra was not re-fixed in today's [yesterday] meeting. Only a minimum fitra was set at Tk 45. Both Tk 45 and Tk 100 can be given as fitra as the amounts are correct according to the Shariah,” he said.
An official of Islamic Foundation, requesting anonymity, said the minimum fitra was set at Tk 45 in yesterday's meeting amid controversies over the earlier fixed fitra of Tk 100.
Several religious scholars protested against the earlier set fitra of Tk 100 saying it was unjust. They demanded fixing the fitra at Tk 45, the official added.
Fitra is Wajib (mandatory) and should be paid to the needy for all members of the family before the prayers of Eid-ul-Fitr.
-Daily Star

Eid shopping gets momentum

The shopping for Eid-ul-Fitr festival has started gaining momentum as people of different ages thronged the city's shopping malls to buy panjabis, dresses and other necessary items for their near and dear ones for celebrating the biggest occasion in the country with joy and gaiety.
With the advent of the Eid-ul-Fitr, city's customers especially women in good number thronged the Mouchck market, Anarkoli market, Concrod Twin Tower, Eastern Plaza, Gulistan Maket, Pir Yemeni Market, New Market, Gausia Market, Rapa Plaza and Bashundhara Shopping mall for buying dresses for their family members to avoid last moments of rush.

The traders in different shopping malls in the city are keeping their businesses open till mid night as growing number of customers are turning up after the iftar.
Punjabi, is traditional and most common attire for men of different ages and professions is a vital item. Without a punjabi and pajama many could not think of complete pleasure on the Eid day.
The varieties of different colours and designs of punjabis are being made of adicotton, pure cotton, khadi, Rajshahi silk, reshmi cotton, jute cotton and bexicotton fabrics have been selling in the markets as those have a high demand among the customers.
The prices of punjabis with hand stitched embroidery varied on their qualities and designs. The prices of locally made punjabis were sold between Tk 500 and Tk 7,000 each at different shopping malls in the city.
Many fashion houses like Anjan, Nitya Upuhar are selling exclusive designed punjabis.
However, in the makeshift shops, per punjabi is selling between Tk 150 and Tk 450 yesterday, according to traders.
"The collections of punjabis at different markets are sufficient, but those prices are too high compared with the last year's price. Finally, after visiting three markets, I managed to buy two punjabis for my family members" Ferdous Ara, a banker told the correspondent.
This year, the prices of different varieties of punjabis are a little bit high since the prices of yarn and other raw materials for producing cotton went up high compared with the previous years, traders asserted.
But despite this, the demand of punjabi this year goes high compared with the previous years. Different garment factories and fashion houses have been working relentlessly to meet the growing demand of punjabis.
This year approximately 3.5 crore punjabis are expected to be sold through out the country since locally made punjabis have a high demand to the customers, manufacturers told The New Nation yesterday.
Considering the growing demand, garment factories and different fashion houses in the country have increased their production to mitigate customers demand.
Sharif and Rupali Markets, located at Sadarghat area, are the biggest wholesale punjabi markets in the country.
The best quality locally made punjabi is between Tk 2,500 and Tk 3000 each. Shops in different shopping malls imported panjabi from neighbouring countries and sold between Tk 5,000 and Tk 7,000 each, traders said.
The wholesalers at Sadarghat said, they made punjabis by their own capacity and designers help in completing the design of punjabis.
On the other hand fashion houses like Arang, Anjans, Mantra and Probartana and others make panjabi through their appointed weavers and designers.
Different types of punjabi with embroidery, block print and manually designs were sold between Tk 1,500 and Tk 8,000 each.
On the other hand, cotton panjabis with simple design was sold between Tk 600 and Tk 1,500 each at Aesha Shopping Complex and Mouchack Market at Malibagh in the city yesterday.
Asked whether the prices would increase before the Eid, traders said, the prices of panjabi and other dresses would increase a little bit when the public and private service holders get their salaries and bonuses before the Eid.

 

Sports

No-balls: who, how & when

They are the three no-balls that will be recorded in the statistics books forever -- and will be remembered for shaking cricket to its core.

Millions of fans who watched Pakistan bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif send down the trio of deliveries over two days' play at Lord's, had no idea they were bowled as part of a match-rigging scam.
Incredibly, during live coverage, respected TV and radio pundits exclaimed to worldwide audiences how bad every one of the faked no-balls looked -- little knowing they were ordered by money-grabbing fixer Mazhar Majeed, who just a day earlier had collected 150,000 pounds from undercover News of the World reporters.
And it all played out like clockwork exactly as Majeed promised it would. He claimed the players had demanded we pay the cash as our entry ticket into an existing shady gambling syndicate based in India.
In return he revealed solid details of the three no-balls he'd planned for the Lord's Test:
Majeed: "There's no risk, there's no signal. . . these three are definitely happening. They've all been organised, okay? So, the first ball of the third over of the innings, yeah.
"[Mohammad] Asif and [Mohammad] Aamer are going to be bowling. Aamer is to bowl the first over [meaning he will also bowl the third], yeah?
"Okay? Then the tenth, the last ball. . . sixth ball of the tenth over."
Reporter: "The tenth over. Who's bowling it?"
Majeed: "Asif will be bowling it."
Majeed then explained that the third no-ball would come in the first over that teen wonder boy Aamer got to deliver to an England right-hander, after one of the opening two left-handers had been dismissed.
Just to convince us Aamer was onside Majeed telephoned the young star at his hotel. "Are you sleeping?" he asked crudely.
Aamer confirmed that's what he was trying to do.
"Okay, sleep," said Majeed. "We've spoken about everything before anyway. 'Okay, don't mind. You sleep'."
But when Aamer prepared for his day's work at the fourth Test on Thursday morning, he was certainly awake to what was expected of him.
Pakistan captain Salman Butt strolled out to meet England skipper Andrew Strauss in the middle of the ground shortly before the weather-delayed toss at 1.10pm on the opening day of the Test.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to put England in to bat.
Butt had his customary huddle with his team but bizarrely did not even bother to inspect the recently uncovered wicket like his opposite number Strauss. As predicted Butt put Aamer and Asif on to open the bowling.
And, as promised, on the first ball of the third over to England opening batsman Alastair Cook Aamer overstepped the white line marking his bowling crease by a huge margin.
Umpire Billy Bowden immediately raised his arm to signal the no-ball at 1:56pm.
Pakistan's 18-year-old rising star had sealed cricket's shame on the pitch once illuminated by legends including WG Grace, Ian Botham and Don Bradman.
But the sly player brazenly tried to hide the truth, raking the spikes of his boots across the line and asking for sawdust to be put down as he falsely blamed the no-ball on loose footing.
Bemused Sky commentator Ian Botham exclaimed: "No-ball. Because of the one-dayers, you don't see that too often with the bowlers who play two forms of the game. They've got into the discipline of keeping behind that front line."
The BBC online commentary read: "Dirty great no-ball from Aamer, that was fully two feet over."
Seven overs later, yet more disgrace was heaped on the game, as 27-year-old Asif also overstepped the crease on the last ball of the tenth over. He too went through the masquerade of calling for sawdust to dry the ground.
Former England captain Mike Atherton commented: "There's been a couple of biggish no-balls. He was over that front line by a good half-a-foot or so."
Play was abandoned due to bad light and rain at 5.45pm so the third no-ball promised by Majeed didn't happen.
But after play ended for the day Majeed smugly rang our reporter to brag. "You a bit more comfortable now?" he asked. "Told you. Once you showed your hand, I showed my hand, okay?"
Then he revealed how he had arranged another no-ball for the following day's play.
"Right, it's going to be Aamer's third over and third ball," he said.
"It'll be his third over, not the third over of the game." He ended the call by reminding our man: "Boss, I'm telling you, you're dealing with the right person, you're not dealing with an idiot, all right?"
But on Friday morning Majeed contacted our man saying that he'd received a message from Aamer.
Majeed said: "He's briefed up. He's just texted me now to say 'Shall I do it or not?'"
And Aamer did do it -- despite getting off to a sensational start, taking three quick wickets in nine balls.
Commentators described him as being "on fire" as England wickets tumbled to his pace attack. Aamer managed to skittle out England batsmen Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Eoin Morgan without any of them scoring a single run. It was only the fifth time in history the third, fourth and fifth batsmen in an order had been dismissed for ducks. During the blitz, former West Indian fast bowler Michael Holding, commentating for Sky, said: "It's been Mohammad Aamer's morning. He's made that ball talk."
His colleague Michael Atherton said: "Remarkable stuff this morning from Pakistan and in particular Mohammad Aamer. Just 18 years of age. He's running in from the Pavilion End. He's like an old hand.
"He looks like he's going to get a wicket with every ball he bowls."
With Aamer tearing through the batsmen, Majeed quickly contacted our man, warning that the promised no-ball might have to be cancelled and that we shouldn't place big bets on it. He said the captain might tell Aamer to keep up the onslaught. "So much is happening out there at the moment," he added. Majeed was right -- captain Butt, who Majeed boasts is one of his players in the fixing scam -- did have a quick word with Aamer just before the third ball of the third over.
Usually mid-over conversations between bowlers and captains would be about the placement of fielders and whether to make any changes.
On this occasion, no changes were made, prompting commentator Michael Holding to chip in: "A quick conference between captain and the bowler. Hasn't resulted in the field being changed. Not yet."
But there was a sudden change in Aamer's form. As promised, he bowled and again placed his foot over the crease, into the banned area -- a no-ball. The umpire had a word with Aamer about the surprise delivery, pointing out how far over the line his foot had been.
On the TV replay, the side view showed he placed his foot at least eight inches past the line. It prompted bowling legend Michael Holding to exclaim: "How far over was that? Woh!"
Ian Botham added: "It's like net bowling" -- referring to when bowlers don't try so hard when they are practising in the nets.
With his next ball Aamer bowled a delivery that again caused problems for Jonathan Trott, with both commentators saying how good a ball it had been. Test Match Special listeners on BBC Radio 4 heard Jonathan Agnew and England legend Geoffrey Boycott recall how Aamer had massively overstepped the crease the day before and called the delivery a "hostile ball". Agnew explained to listeners that Aamer's boot was over the line "by a foot".
They then discussed the possibility that Aamer could have done it on purpose in a bid to deliver the quicker ball closer to the batsman.
After the disgraceful cheating by Aamer, Majeed rang back and told our man: "I'm not a joker, boss, okay? So you're confident?"
Grasping Majeed demanded yet another 10,000-pound payment. He said: "Try and get it to me four or five o'clock, yeah? Because I can give it to them as soon as they're finished, then that's done."
He explained how he was due to meet the team straight after close of play to accompany them to a charity dinner organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board. In an emotional interview after Friday's play on Friday, Aamer hid his secret shame and told of his pride at bagging his first five-wicket haul at Lord's.
The young bowler, who made a big show of kneeling to kiss the hallowed turf on reaching the landmark, told Test Match Special: "These moments are for me good. At Lord's I wanted my name on the [honours] board and I did it."
He called the delivery that snared England's Alistair Cook -- shortly before he carried out his third bent no-ball -- the "most delightful wicket."
Ironically, the cheat said it was the best day of his career so far.
-Daily Star

 

Wake-up call for Tigers

The latest match-fixing scandal of Pakistan gripped the Bangladesh cricket team on Sunday as they resumed practice after two days off at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
The Tigers were also under the scanner just two months ago at the same Lord’s after Sakib al Hasan had confessed a day before their Test match against England that he was also approached by bookies.
The next few days after Sakib’s confession the perennially overenthusiastic British media were busy in digging deep to find any involvement of any Bangladeshi cricketers in any kind of scandal at any time.

Bangladesh’s matches against Canada and Kenya in the World Cup 2003 and involvement of cricketers with the renegade Indian Cricket League were of supreme interest to them, although at the end of the day no-one was able to unearth any scandal.
‘It is a disgrace,’ former captain Akram Khan told reporters about the Pakistan scandal. ‘Naturally this will have an impact on world cricket and Bangladesh will not be any different.’
‘As of Bangladesh we have taken this issue quite seriously and I am confident that our players are well aware of the consequences and so they won’t make any mistakes,’ said Akram, also a selector.
Senior cricketer Mohammad Ashraful said some of his team-mates had been approached by bookies regularly but they all had the courage to refuse the lure of this cheap money.
‘We are proud to play for our country,’ said Ashraful. ‘I am sure our players are matured enough to tackle this kind of situation.’
‘Sakib and Tamim have been offered earlier but hardly had any effect as they reported it to the board immediately and it only proved our loyalty to the country,’ said Ashraful.

 

Arrest over Pakistan-England Test 'cricket betting scam '

A man has been arrested in connection with an alleged cricket betting scam centred on the current Test between Pakistan and England at Lord's.
The News of the World claims it gave £150,000 to a middleman who gave information about three pre-arranged "no balls" during the match.
Scotland Yard said a 35-year-old man is being held on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers.
Pakistan and England said the game would resume on Sunday as planned.
A joint statement issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) read: "No players nor team officials have been arrested in relation to this incident and the fourth power Test match will continue as scheduled on Sunday.
"As this is now subject to a police investigation neither ICC, ECB, PCB nor the ground authority, the MCC, will make any further comment."
It added that all three bodies were assisting the police with their inquiries.
Earlier, Pakistan manager Yawar Saeed told the Associated Press team members had spoken to police at their hotel and were "helping them with their inquiries".
There is no suggestion that the result of the match has been in any way fixed nor that the England players knew anything about this”
He later said he was shocked by the allegations, as were the team members to whom he had spoken.
The News of the World alleges that Pakistani players were secretly paid to deliberately bowl "no-balls" during the Test.
A "no ball" occurs when a bowler oversteps the line behind which balls should be delivered.
The newspaper claims it was given pre-warning of three separate incidents by the Pakistan team.
It said members of its reporting team posed as businessmen and paid a middleman who told them exactly what would happen in the next day's play.
The allegations relate to three "no balls" delivered by Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif on Thursday and Friday.
Speaking from the team hotel in north London, Mohammad Asif said: "I have spoken to the management and they have told us something happened, but not what. The management will tell us more later. We are 100% focused on the match tomorrow."
-Daily Star

Transfer window now in October

The players' transfer for this season's Bangladesh League has been delayed to the first week of October.
In an emergency executive committee meeting of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) yesterday, it was decided to shift the transfer date to October 1 to 7, from the original date of September 1 to 20.

In some other developments, the contract of Robert Rubcic for the job of national team coach has been approved and the signing with the 46-year-old Croatian will be done through the internet.
It is also expected that Rubcic will join the players early next month.
The committee also confirmed that the calendar for the upcoming season will be announced in the first few days of September, and it will have as many as 45 tournaments, including age-group tournaments.
However, the focal point of the meeting was the change in the transfer date.
The change took place after seven clubs -- Brothers Union, Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society, Farashganj Sporting Club, Arambagh Krira Sangha, Chittagong Mohammedan, Chittagong Abahani, Feni Soccer Club and Sheikh Russel -- made the demand to the BFF league committee.
The clubs had pleaded with the BFF to defer the transfer by two months and start it in November, following discussion with the club representatives.
They first sent the letter to BFF president Kazi Salahuddin who asked the clubs to give it to the league committee and having discussed the contents of the letter, the committee referred it to the executive committee meeting.
The plea made by the clubs was deemed 'realistic' because the clubs would find it difficult to make payments as the initial transfer window fell in the middle of the Eid Ul Fitr holidays.
"The clubs made the demand and we think it is realistic, as the last ten days of the transfer window [September 1-20] will clash with the Eid holidays," said BFF general secretary Al Musabbir Sadi.
In the first letter, the clubs claimed that they “have been going through financial trouble following the third edition of the Bangladesh League, which took 10 months to be completed instead of five. Consequently the clubs had to pay more money to the foreign players as well as spend additional money to run football camps.
“Despite having known the extent of the financial status facing the clubs, the football federation hurriedly announced the players transfer for the 2010 season without announcing the annual calendar.
“Hence, the clubs are now in the dark about when the league will start and finish. The clubs therefore appeal to the BFF to announce the annual calendar before the announcement of transfer.”
The transfer window for the foreign players however has remained between September 1 and October 15.
-Daily Star

 

 

Technology

Microsoft co-founder files patent suits against Facebook, Apple, Google

A company owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen on Friday blasted Apple, Facebook, Google, YouTube, Yahoo! and others with a patent infringement lawsuit filed in a US court.
Seattle-based Interval Licensing, an Allen company, accused 11 online commerce and Internet search firms with infringing patents on fundamental Web technologies Interval developed in the 1990s.

‘Interval Research was an early, ground-breaking contributor to the development of the Internet economy,’ said Allen spokesman David Postman. ‘This lawsuit is necessary to protect our investment in innovation.’
Postman stressed that the technology at issue was created by Interval Research, a company founded by Allen and David Liddle in 1992, and not patents acquired from other firms.
The list of defendants in the lawsuit included AOL and Internet auction house eBay as well as online movie rental firm Netflix and retail chains Office Depot, OfficeMax, and Staples.
‘We believe this suit is completely without merit and we will fight it vigorously,’ Facebook said in response to an AFP inquiry.
Google also slammed the lawsuit. ‘This lawsuit against some of America’s most innovative companies reflects an unfortunate trend of people trying to compete in the courtroom instead of the marketplace,’ a Google spokesman told the AFP.
Microsoft, which Allen founded with Bill Gates in 1975, was not named in the suit.

Teletalk to reduce internet rate further 

Post and telecommunications minister Raziuddin Ahmed Razu has urged all to use Teletalk as it is an organisation of the country.
Moreover, the telecom minister requested everyone to help the public telecom service provider.
He was addressing the inauguration ceremony of Narashingdi's first Teletalk service and customer care centre at the Sadar Upazila on Saturday noon.
The telecom minister said that Teletalk incurred a total loss of Tk 1600 million in 2007 and 2008.
"Teletalk customers have increased and it earned Tk 70 million recovering the loss after the government came to power," he added.
Razu said that the government has already signed an agreement worth 211 billion with China, which will enable the government to provide third generation (3G) network across the country.
"3G will be introduced soon through fiber optic cable. The internet speed will increase phenomenally across the country. Optical fiber performs three functions – internet, television and telephone."
The telecom minister further added, "Internet rate was double before Teletalk came in the market. We'll try to reduce the rate further so that the people can be benefited."
Deputy commissioner Amrita Barai, police superintendent Dr Akkas Uddin Bhuiyan, district Awami League vice-president advocate S A Hadi, Narashingdi Judges' Court's public prosecutor advocate N M Ruhul Amin, owner of M/S Sakir and Brothers and Teletalk Service Centre Hazi Abdus Sattar, among the others, were present at the inauguration ceremony.

 

 

Entertainment

James is back to rock Bollywood

Internationally acclaimed singer of the country James is set to rock the Bollywood music scenario yet another time. Yes, it has been confirmed by the famous Indian director Anurag Basu that James is going to sing in his next movie.

Asked by a fan on Twitter, why he is not working with James anymore, the director writes, ‘James will surely sing in my next movie which is already dubbed as ‘Silence’.
His last movie Kites has made a hit in the box office. So the director is taking his time to start his next venture. He is scheduled to shoot ‘Silence’ from the beginning of the next year 2011.
Back in 2007, James last sang his Hindi piece in Anurag Basu’s hit film ‘Life in a Metro.’ Bangalee music director Pritom selected a typical tune for this macho singer. James was also honoured with a very small but special character in the film.
Prior to this, James had lent his much-adored voice for Bollywood hits like ‘Gangster’ and ‘O Lamhe’.

 

Sports

Crying for elections

Half of the national sporting federations and associations are at present being run by ad-hoc committees, giving a strong impression that they are going back to the culture of interim administrations.
After assuming power in 1996, the then Awami League government broke the tradition of ad-hocism in the sports arena to set examples at the different federations through holding elections, a way to bring democracy to the national organizations. The same party have returned to power after seven years and although they have spent almost two years, they haven't yet taken any initiatives to bring back a sense of accountability to these sporting bodies, as 21 out of the 41 federations and associations are at present being run by ad-hoc committees.
Following the end of different federation tenures, the National Sport Council, sports' regulatory body in the country, has formed ad-hoc committees to run tennis, kabaddi, wrestling, wushu, badminton, gymnastic, chess, cycling, rowing, bodybuilding, carom, kho kho and handball. Apart from the mainstream disciplines, squash, fencing, billiard, bridge, rugby, kites, marshal arts and baseball are also being conducted by interim committees for years, considering less activities of those federations and associations.
Besides, taekwondo and karate are on the verge of getting ad-hoc committees as both federations already have expired tenures while federations like cricket, football, hockey, shooting, swimming, athletic, weightlifting, table tennis, basketball, volleyball and boxing are being managed by the elected committees. Organisers, though, have often criticised that those elected bodies came into power through interference from certain quarters during the caretaker government.
In its circulations, the NSC had asked the ad-hoc committees to take proper initiatives to hold elections immediately, though the NSC themselves ignored the election initiatives taken by a couple of elected committees earlier.
According to the statements from former general secretaries of Bangladesh Badminton Federation and Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation, both federations completed all their tasks in a bid to hold elections, but the NSC had formed ad-hoc committees rather than revealing the election schedule.
"Of 78 councilors, some 42 appealed to NSC to hold an election but they haven't responded. Still we are waiting for their response, but it seems to us that there is no chance of holding election though the sports minister told us that he would look into the matter," said former general secretary of Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation Nazrul Islam.
"Though we took all initiatives to hold the election, the NSC delayed the process citing the SA Games at home early this year and finally they revealed an ad-hoc committee," said former general secretary of Bangladesh Badminton Federation Jobaidur Rahman Rana, adding that all ad-hoc committees after three months are illegal.
Both Rana and Nazrul slammed the NSC for not mentioning the timeframe of the ad-hoc committees and those committees have been unnecessary taken time to hold elections.
General secretaries of ad-hoc committees of different federations are also not against holding polls and they are waiting for the green signal from the government. And they want to amend their respective federations' constitutions to ensure the inclusion of the real organisers in the elected committees.
"We are yet to get any signal and I think the elections of all federations will be held simultaneously," said Mokaddesh Ali, who was appointed ad-hoc committee's general secretary of the chess federation last September.
He also said that they have only formed a committee in a bid to amend the constitution.
"We feel no pressure to hold the election as we have been not asked to do so," said Monir Hossain, who was made general secretary of the kabaddi federation last December. "You can't be sure of democracy in the committee if it is elected through poll," he added.
"There is weakness in sports-related laws and I think the government should first modify those. But there is no alternative to elections though both of ad-hoc and elected committees consist of all kinds of bad and good organisers," said Asaduzzaman Kohinoor, who was retained as ad-hoc committee general secretary of the handball federation last month.
"Obviously, I also want the election but not a faulty election. We will take steps in line with NSC's directions," said tennis federation's ad-hoc committee general secretary Istiaque Ahmed Curren.
When contacted, NSC secretary Shafique Anwar declined to comment anything regarding the election, saying that he is in training for two weeks outside the office.
According to the organisers' different versions, it is clear that they are worried over influence of the district organisers during elections and urged the government to develop a unique constitution like the one followed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) where the posts for district organisers and club organisers are defined.
It has been learnt but no one could confirm that the government would hold election for the national federations once they reform the committees at the District Sports Associations.
-Daily Star

Rain ruins Tigers' preps match

Rain played foul with the Tigers as the first preparation match was stopped only after nine overs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.
The players, split into two groups, were taking part in the match before heavy rain stopped play but the players later practiced in the central wicket.
Captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza was absent yesterday for a family commitment. The cricketers will be back to business on Sunday after a two -day break.
A total of 26 cricketers have been selected for the upcoming five-match home series against New Zealand who are now practicing under Jamie Siddons.
New Zealand is likely to arrive in the capital on September 29.
-Daily Star

MSC to start practice under new coach soon

Bangladesh League's hattrick runners-up Mohammedan SC's will start their practice in a day or two under new coach Shafiqul Islam Manik, reports UNB.
Coach Manik, the AFC A licensed holder, hoped that Mohammedan SC would emerge as a balanced team in this season's domestic meets including the 4th version ofBangladesh League.
He said they have roped in 19 players in the team from different clubs and they would begin practice in a day or two.
Mohammedan SC already contracted Arafat Ali Ronny, Titumir Chowdhury Titu and Zahed (Farashganj SC), Saidul Haq Said (Ctg Abahani), Ramjan Ali (Sheikh Russell), Akbar Hossain Ridon, Shafiqul Islam Bipul and Shariful Islam (Ctg Mohammedan), Akramuzzaman Liton and Anwar Hossain (Feni Soccer Club), Sultan Ahmed (Sylhet Beanibazar SC), Russell Ansar, Ronny Islam and Russell (Muktijoddha Sangsad KC), Ripon Khan (Brothers Union), Kabir Hossain (Arambagh KS) and Sagar (Jatrabari KC).
The club also confirmed the services of their veteran defender Hasan Al Mamun and striker Jumratul Islam Mithu.
-FE