The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday halted the High Court stay order on trial of the extortion case filed by businessman Azam J Chowdhury against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The apex court simultaneously stayed the High Court order that halted the relocation of Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court to Parliament Complex premises to try the detained Awami League (AL) Chief and her co-accused.

Sheikh Hasina's younger sister Sheikh Rehana, who is living in London, and their cousin and former Minister Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim are also accused in the case.

The six-member full Bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Md Ruhul Amin issued the twin orders upon an appeal by the Government.

Barrister Rafique-ul Huq, the chief counsel of Sheikh Hasina, said after the Supreme Court verdict the trial would now be held in the relocated Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court on the premises of Parliament Complex.

Additional Attorney General Salauddin Ahmed, who stood for the state, told the Bench during the hearing that the law has given the Government the power to transfer the court.

He said the Supreme Court had set precedence on the matter. Barrister Rafique-ul Huq replied saying, "We will have to look at the matter from a different perspective after the separation of the judiciary. The Government does not have the power to order the relocation of the court."

Barrister Shafique Ahmed, another lawyer of Hasina, later told journalists that the Supreme Court order has surprised them. "The order did not reflect the independence of the judiciary," he added.

The Government on December 10 moved the Supreme Court after the High Court the previous day stayed the proceedings of the case in the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court and the transfer of the court. The High Court also asked the Government to explain why the order on relocation of the court was not illegal.

On November 26, the Acting Secretary to the Law Ministry ordered the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court-the trial court-to hold trial on the Sangsad Bhaban premises citing security reasons.

The case filed on June 13 involves charges of extortion from businessman Azam J Chowdhury, Managing Director of the East Coast Company Ltd, who accused Sheikh Hasina of taking about Tk 3 crore during her 1996-2001 term in return for allowing him to build a power plant.

Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim rejected the charges, while the AL said the charges were aimed at belittling the image of party chief. Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Selim are in jail now. Sheikh Rehana was shown to be a fugitive from justice.

Earlier in the day, the makeshift Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judges' Court trying former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's extortion case postponed the trial for three months after Judge Azizul Haq received the High Court order staying the proceedings on Wednesday.

The High Court on Sunday upon a writ petition filed by Sheikh Hasina stayed the proceedings of the trial.

Staff Reporter

The nation will pay glowing tributes to the memories of those illustrious sons and daughters of the soil who made the supreme sacrifice at the fag end of the Liberation War in 1971.

Sensing an imminent defeat, the Pakistani occupation army and their local collaborators-Al-Badr, Razakar and Al-Shams-abducted frontline Bangali intellectuals and professionals on December 14 in 1971 and killed them under a design to cripple the newborn nation intellectually.

The killers dragged renowned academics, teachers, litterateurs, doctors, engineers, journalists and other eminent personalities blindfolded out of their houses and killed them before dumping the bodies in Rayerbazar, Mirpur and other killing fields.

The martyred intellectuals include Prof Munir Chowdhury, Dr Alim Chowdhury, Prof Muniruzzaman, Dr Fazle Rabbi, Sirajuddin Hossain, Shahidullah Kaiser, Prof GC Dev, JC Guha Thakurta, Prof Santosh Bhattacharya, Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury, journalists Khandaker Abu Taleb, Nizamuddin Ahmed, SA Mannan (Ladu Bhai), ANM Golam Mustafa, Syed Nazmul Haq and Selina Parvin.

Political parties, cultural and civil-society organisations will commemorate the tragedy that took place only two days before the surrender of the Pakistani Army on December 16 (1971) after the bloody war that took a heavy toll of lives of some three million Bangalis.

To mark the day, different political parties and socio-cultural organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes, including seminars, discussions and wreath laying at Mirpur and Rayerbazar monuments in Dhaka.

The President and the Chief Advisor will place wreaths at the Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals Mausoleum at 6:00am today. Leaders of other organisations will place wreath at the Mausoleum

President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed issued separate messages yesterday on the eve of the Martyred Intellectuals Day.

In his message, President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed expressed his deep respect to the memory of the martyred intellectuals and prayed for their eternal peace.

Prof Iajuddin termed the intellectuals as the conscience of the nation and precious resource of the country and said, "The occupation forces had caused an irretrievable loss to the nation by slaying country's illustrious educationists, physicians, journalists during the Liberation War."

The President expressed his optimism that the great sacrifice of the intellectuals would inspire the people to build a patriotic and meritorious nation.

Major political parties, including the BNP, AL, Bikapla Dhara, CPB, Workers Party, JSD, different factions of Jatiya Party, and Gano Forum, Dhaka University, Jatiya Press Club and BFUJ, Bangla Academy, Sammilita Sangskritik Jote and other socio-cultural organisations have chalked out various programmes to observe the day.

Jamaat-e-Islami, which is blamed for the slaying of the intellectuals, has also organised a discussion meeting.

Dhaka University Vice-chancellor Prof SMA Faiz along with the teachers and students will place wreaths at the Mausoleum at Mirpur.

Newspapers will bring out special supplements highlighting the significance of the day while Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television and different private television channels air special programmes on this occasion.

Staff Reporter

Five badly decomposed bodies were found by rescuers after the long-awaited rescue operation launched at collapsed Rangs Bhaban in the city's Bijoy Sarani yesterday morning.

Taking serious risks, the rescuers of Fire Service and Civil Defence launched the rescue operation was launched at about 9:30am to retrieve the bodies of trapped workers from underneath the huge debris of concretes and rods inside different floors of the Rangs Bhaban, six days after the building caved in on Saturday night. But the rescue operation was stopped for sometime when the 22-storeyed collapsed building suddenly started jerking immediately after rescuers entered the building. Being panicked, the rescuers hurriedly came out of the building. However, the rescue operation resumed later and it was going on very slowly.

Witnesses said the rescuers entered the Rangs Bhaban and went up to different floors. They found five bodies hanging with iron rods inside the building. One dead body was recovered by early in the afternoon.

Rescuers said they had witnessed five bodies trapped beneath the debris. They said that the rescue operation was going on slowly as the building turned very risky. During the rescue operation, different floors started jerking repeatedly, forcing the rescuers to suspend the rescue operation again and again.

The rescuers were carrying on their rescue operation on the 7th floor of the building till 1:00pm under the direct supervision of the chairman and chief engineer of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) and experts from

the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

Selim Newaz, deputy director of Fire Service and Civil Defence said they recovered a body from inside the building. The body was later sent to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for postmortem. However, the identity of the body could not be ascertained as it was badly decomposed being trapped inside the building for long six days.

He said his colleagues were carrying out the rescue operation taking maximum risks of life as the building was jerking frequently. "We're trying to bring out these bodies taking risks of our lives," he said.

Thousands of people thronged the road near the Rangs Bhaban premises when the rescue operation was being carried out. Besides, the movement of vehicles in front of the Rangs Bhaban was suspended by the traffic policemen when the rescue operation was going on.

Meanwhile, relatives of the workers died in the Rangs Bhaban collapse also assembled outside the building yesterday. They were found waiting for the bodies of their near and dear ones.

Staring from the 15th floor to the rooftop of the 3rd floor inside the Rangs Bhaban suddenly collapsed on Saturday night. Quite a large number of workers staying above the rooftop of the 7th floor were trapped under the debris in the accident. The workers used to stay on the rooftop of the 7th floor at night. Following the incident, bodies of four workers were found hanging inside the debris. After the accident, different government agencies, including Rajuk and Fire Service passed their days with planning about when and how to start the rescue operation.

Installation of iron-bars or props underneath the ceilings of the ground, first, second and third floors continued over the last three days. Finally, the Fire Service workers assembled in front of the Rangs Bhaban yesterday morning to take part in the rescue operation. Some 40 to 50 workers led by Director and Deputy Director of Fire Service entered the building with iron-rod cutting machines at about 9:30am. Along with them, Rajuk chairman KMA Harun, chief engineer and some other officials and employees entered the building. Besides, two members of the inquiry committee-Dr Ishtiaque and Dr Raquib Hasan of BUET went into the building along with them.

After observing the situation closely inside the building, they ordered starting the rescue operation at about 10:00am. Since the building became very risky, the rescuers started their operation very slowly. Giving highest priority to the recovery of the dead bodies, they started their rescue operation from the 7th floor of the building. They found the body of a ill-fated workers hanging with iron rods.

At about 11:15am it was found that some 15-20 workers of Fire Services were suddenly coming out of the building. When the journalists wanted to know about the reasons, Deputy Director (Operation) of Fire Services Mizanur Rahman said work was going on, but very slowly. "We're trying to retrieve the bodies so that any further accident does not take place," he said.

When asked how many bodies remained trapped inside the building, he said he would not be able to say anything else in this regard. "We're trying to recover three bodies as we noticed them," he said.

Bad news for 854m poor people worldwide : Global grain supplies still tight despite record harvest

Staff Reporter

Following several years of declining harvests, the world's farmers reaped a record 2.316 billion tons of grain in 2007. Despite this jump of 95 million tonness, or about 4 percent, over the previous year, voracious global demand will consume all of this increase and prevent governments from replenishing cereal stocks that are at their lowest level in 30 years, says a message received from the Worldwatch Institute based in Washington DC.

The global grain harvest has nearly tripled since 1961, during a time when world population doubled. As a result, the amount of grain produced per person grew from 285 kilograms in 1961 to a peak of 376 kilograms in 1986. In recent decades, as the growth in grain production has matched population growth, per capita production has hovered around 350 kilograms.

But output per person varies dramatically by region. For instance, it stands at roughly 1,230 kilograms per year in the United States, most of which is fed to livestock, compared with 325 kilograms in China and just 90 kilograms in Zimbabwe. On an average, humans get about 48 percent of their calories from grains, a share that has declined just slightly, from 50 percent, over the last four decades. Grains, particularly corn, in conjunction with soybeans, also form the primary feedstock for industrial livestock production.

People consume a little less than half (48 percent) of the world's grain directly-as steamed rice, bread, tortillas, or millet cakes, for instance. Roughly one third (35 percent) becomes livestock feed. And a growing share, 17 percent, is used to make ethanol and other fuels.

Corn, wheat, and rice account for about 85 percent of the global grain harvest (in terms of weight), with sorghum, millet, barley, oats, and other less common grains rounding out the total.

China, India, and the United States alone account for 46 percent of global grain production; Europe, including the former Soviet states, grows another 21 percent. Argentina, Australia, Canada, the European Union (EU), and the United States account for 80 percent of wheat exports, while just three nations- Argentina, the EU, and the United States- account for 80 percent of corn exports.

In 2007, a 200-million-ton jump in the global coarse grain harvest was responsible for nearly all of the increase in the total grain harvest. Wheat harvests increased modestly, by 2 percent, to 605 million tonnes, with near perfect weather nurturing strong harvests in India, the EU, and the United States. Australia, however, normally the source of one third of world exports, faced lower crop prospects and depleted exportable supplies. And unfavorable weather meant a reduced harvest in China, the world's second largest producer.

The global rice harvest was up slightly to 633 million tons, matching the record 2005 harvest, as conditions returned to normal in China, India, and across Asia, which accounts for 90 percent of world production.

The amount of grain stored by governments- a good measure of the global cushion against poor harvests and rising prices-continues to decline. Global cereal stocks were expected to stand at 318 million tonnes by the close of the 2007 season, equivalent to about 14 percent of annual consumption.

Despite the record harvest, the low stocks and strong demand combined to push prices of all cereals to new highs. At harvest time, the U.S. corn export price was up about 70 percent from the previous year, while the American hard wheat price averaged 65 percent more than a year earlier. Wheat prices in Argentina, another major exporter, doubled since 2006. Important wheat exporters like Ukraine and Russia have imposed export restrictions to ensure a sufficient domestic supply. Major importers, like Egypt, the European Union, Yemen, and Iraq, have reacted to high prices by purchasing grain early, which has further tightened supplies and boosted prices.

Developing countries are likely to spend a record $52 billion on imports of cereals in 2007, up 10 percent from 2006. Even international food aid programs, which also purchase their supplies on the world market, have been forced to scale back. The combination of rising food costs and declining aid can be fatal for the estimated 854 million people worldwide who experience hunger on a regular basis, the message says.

UNB, Bhatiari

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed Thursday said people heave a sigh of relief following the courageous role of the Armed Forces in building a corruption-and terrorism-free Bangladesh.

He made the remark while addressing combined President Parade of Army, Navy and Air Force cadets at Bangladesh Military Academy Parade Ground at Bhatiari. Dr Ahmed hoped the newly commissioned officers of the army, navy and airforce would remain ready and make appropriate contributions in service to the nation, keeping abreast with the people, alongside safeguarding sovereignty and safety of the state.

He urged them to uphold the image of Bangladesh as a liberal, democratic, promising and peaceful country in the present world as well as achievements and acclaim earned in the international arena. This is for the first time that combined President Parade of the three services was held marking the passing out of cadets of the Army, Navy and Air Force.

The cadets of the three services completed their 2-year training courses at their respective training institutes.

Cadets of 57th BMA Long Course and 28th BMA Special Course from the Army, cadets of Midshipmen 2006A batch from the Navy and cadets of 56th Flight Cadet course from the Air Force took part in the parade. A total of 229 cadets, including 21 female, have been commissioned in the Armed Forces. Of them, 178 cadets, including 10 females from the army, 21 Midshipmen, including 4 females, from the navy and 30 flight cadets, including 7 females, from the Air Force joined the forces as commissioned officers.

The Chief Advisor distributed awards to 3 all-round cadets from the three services.

Battalion Senior Under Officer Touhidur Rahman was awarded the coveted Sword-of-Honour laurel as the best all-round cadet in the 57th BMA Long Course.

Midshipman Yaser Hasnat got the Sword-of-Honour award for his best performance in all subjects of the naval academy.

Flight Cadet Under Officer Mohammad Tanbir Adib was given the Sword-of-Honour award for his best performance in all subjects of the Air Force Academy.

Earlier, a guard of honour was given to the Chief Advisor by a smartly turned-out contingent of cadets of the three services at the Parade Ground.

The Chief Advisor, flanked by three Commanders of the three academies in an open jeep, reviewed the parade.

Dr Ahmed asked the newly commissioned officers to move ahead with determination keeping in mind that all members of the Armed Forces are sons of this soil and inseparable part of this country. "Therefore, you all are equal partners of weal and woe, happiness and sorrow of the mass people," he told his military audience, adding that the armed forces always stood beside the people at the time of every disaster and critical hour of the nation.

Recalling the two-pronged terrible floods and devastating cyclone 'Sidr' in recent times, the Chief Advisor said the armed forces played a lead role in rescue, relief and rehabilitation programmes and earned people's unflinching trust and unalloyed love. Moreover, he said, the role of the Armed Forces in maintaining democracy, protecting people's rights and assisting the civil administration is praiseworthy.

The head of caretaker government observed that the people are heaving a sigh of relief in the wake of the Armed Force's courageous role in building a corruption-and terrorism-free country. Besides, peace is prevailing in the Chittagong Hill Tracts due to their farsighted role. Bangladesh has made its own prestigious position by winning Nobel prize in world peace and different international and regional forums, he noted.

He said the members of the Bangladesh Armed Forces are acclaimed all over the world for their role in the international arena, in protecting peace and security, salvaging democracy and postwar reconstruction and other welfare activities.

The Chief Advisor noted that the first-ever combined President Parade is an important milestone in the march forward of the history of the Armed Forces.

He said the importance of the Armed Forces of an independent and sovereign nation is immense. After the independence, the military academy was set up to build an ideal, efficient and professional Armed Force.

The Chief Advisor observed that Bangladesh's military academy remained as a unique symbol of making international amity and national prestige.

"Bangladesh Armed Forces are the sentinel of our independence and sovereignty and symbol of national unity," he said, adding that the proud forces were born in a bloodstained war of independence.

BSS, Dhaka

The European Commission is providing a grant of Euro 33.6 million (Taka about 336 crore) in assistance to Bangladesh to expand the country's food security support for the next five years.

An agreement to this effect was signed yesterday by ERD Secretary Aminul Islam Bhuiyan and Head of the delegation of European Commission to Bangladesh Ambassador Dr. Stefan Frowein, an EC press release said.

The overall objective of the Food Security Programme 2006 is to reduce extreme poverty and malnutrition in Bangladesh by improving the socio-economic condition of the very poor and by managing and improving food security in an effective way.

The programme has been developed in line with the overall objectives of the European Commission's 2007-2013 Country Strategy Paper for Bangladesh, which focuses on reducing poverty and assisting Bangladesh's integration into the world economy.

The intervention will tackle several specific areas of food insecurity aimed at improving the availability, access and utilization of food among vulnerable groups and strengthening the capacity of the government of Bangladesh.

The programme's main goals are: improvement in nutrition and educational performance of poor and ultra-poor primary school children in areas with high levels of food insecurity, setting up of a sustainable national surveillance scheme to monitor nutrition indicators and provide high quality statistical data related to food security.

Besides, strengthening to implementation, monitoring and evaluation capacity of a comprehensive, equitable and gender- sensitive pro-poor National Food Policy and Action Plan, promotion of optimal farming practices for enhanced production and access by vulnerable households of nutritious food through crop diversification and sustainable improvements in soil fertility are the other highlights of the programme.

Different ministries in collaboration with international bodies and civil society organisations will be in charge of the programme implementation and monitoring. The main programme will run from 2008 to 2012, the press release said.

New law

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make progress in the past due to political interference. Undue interference has deprived people of getting the desired benefits.

Thus, people have lost confidence on the cooperative leadership.

Iqbal said the Government is making all out effort to restore confidence in the cooperative movement.

He assured of solving the problems of Dhaka Reporters' Unity Samabay Samity.

Samity President Ashraf Ali chaired the meeting. Former president of DRU Shafiqul Kabir, Samity General Secretary Mohsinul Karim Lebu and vice- president Halim Azad were present as special guest.

DUJ president Altaf Mahmud, Samity former General Secretary Sadrul Hasan, members Ajmal Huq Helal, Rafiqul Islam Azad and Mojammel Huq Chanchal took part in discussion.

Staff Reporter

Environment Adviser Dr CS Karim yesterday said though Bangladesh is in no way responsible for global climate change, the country is affected most by the malaise.

Some economists and civil society think tanks, on the other hand, blamed the globalised market economy for climate change and suggested a people's participator economic order.

At the ongoing Bali Conference on Climate Change, Bangladesh will seek help from the developed countries, which are responsible for increasing global warming by generating greenhouse gas, CS Karim said at a press briefing at the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

He said Bangladesh, which is leading the least developed countries (LDCs) at the Bali Conference, would highlight at the conference the destruction caused to Bangladesh by super cyclone Sidr.

Dr Karim said the country needs support from the developed world for transfer of technology, capacity building and clean development mechanism as well as financial support to set up an

He also stressed the need for insurance facility for facing the unwarranted sufferings from natural disasters caused by global warming. Environment and Forests secretary AHM Rezaul Karim and joint secretary Rabindra Nath Roy Chowdhury also spoke at the briefing.

Meanwhile, Dr Piash Karim, an environmentalist and economist, yesterday linked climate change with the globalised market economy and stressed on building a responsive society by introducing people's participatory economy.

BRAC University Professor Dr Piash Karim was addressing a press conference organised by Voice, a civil society organisation, as part of its campaign for social awareness against climate change.

The NGO raised an 11-point charter of demand at the press conference urging the developed countries to adopt concrete emission reductions and support adaptation.

Executive Director of Voice Ahmed Shawpon Mahmud read out the written statement at the press conference while Dr Piash Karim elaborated various aspects of globalised market economy that is causing climate change.

Associate Coordinator of ActionAid Bangladesh A R Aman and two Canadian environmentalists Parker Mah and Aude Leroux also spoke in the press conference.

Dr Piash Karim said, "The poor and the week countries are the victims of over prolific behaviour of the capitalist world. They are causing climate change and hampering lives of millions of people. If the rich and the powerful world do not change their behaviour, problem of climate change will not be mitigated."

He said the least-developed countries including Bangladesh were at a greater risk from climate change and must compel the industrially developed countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as proposed under the Kyoto Protocol in 1997.

He warned that cereal production in Bangladesh would be adversely affected due to changes in temperatures and rainfall due to climate change.

Rapidly melting Himalayan glaciers could cause increased floods and soil erosion, impact monsoon rains and crops, and jeopardise the water supply of millions in Bangladesh.

Rising sea levels and more frequent cyclones and storms in the Bay of Bengal could threaten coastal populations in the area. If people are displaced by sea level rise, millions could be forced to migrate.

Bangladesh has already suffered greatly from climate change. The country has taken a double blow this year, first from the devastating floods in July and then from the worst cyclone since 1991 in mid-November.

It is feared that a sea-level rise of just 16 inches in the Bay of Bengal would submerge 11 percent of the Bangladesh's land area in the coastal zone, displacing 7 to 10 million people -- who would then be forced into the interior of the already densely populated country.

Staff Reporter

Adviser for Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and Information Barrister Mainul Hosein yesterday emphasised the need for empowering an honest and sincere government to provide better services to the people.

"It is difficult for people to remain honest if a government is not honest," he said while inaugurating the Imdad Sitara Khan Kidney Centre, Bogra at a function at Hotel Sheraton in the city.

Presided over by Sitara Khan, co-founder of the organisation, the function was also addressed, by Prof Shamim Ahmed, Director of National Institute of Kidney Diseases and Urology and Dr Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, Chairman of Imdad Sitara Foundation.

Barrister Mainul Hosein said the present government would be happy if people can realise that there are honest and efficient people everywhere in the country.

Emphasising the need for bringing about change in attitude, he said, "If we can work unitedly the development and progress of the country can be achieved very quickly."

He said getting assistance for the helpless people in the Sidr-hit areas has been easier as the government is working with honesty and sincerely.

He regretted that the donors could not extend their helping hands to the past governments, as they could not trust them for not bringing about changes of the state of the governance.

They (donors) thought the government was not honest and the country was corrupt and so they could not extend their hands of cooperation, he said.

The Law Adviser said that foreign assistance should be received with caution to ensure tat such assistance is used for the purposes they are meant.

Donors believe that the help that they extended would be utilized to benefit the poor and the needy. None should earn a bad name for the country by not proving true to this, he said.

Referring to the huge response to assistance for the Sidr-affected people, he said a better future is waiting for people of the cyclone-hit areas.

The Adviser said the main reason of their assistance is that they have confidence to the present government.

He called upon the well-to-do people to extend helping hand to the needy.

Barrister Mainul Hosein emphasised the need for creating awareness about the kidney related diseases.

"Creating awareness about the kidney diseases will be best cure for the patients," he said.

Prof Shamim Ahmed said there are one and half a crore kidney patients in the country.

They can provide treatment to only 10 to 20 per cent of patients, he said.

Dr Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal emphasised the need for creating awareness about the kidney related diseases.

Sitara Khan said the foundation would set up such kidney centres at 19 major cities in the country in phases.

Later, a documentary on the treatment of kidney patients in the country was displayed in the function.

Mashiur Rahaman

Dhaka Stock Exchange closed trading for the week yesterday with 1.3 per cent growth at the general index within a day at 2936.16 points.

Recovering profit-taking pressure of earlier three days trading, investors returned to buy on Thursday, utilizing lower share prices. "This eleventh hours market recovery minimized market loss on week-to-week comparison and eventually ended trading in green," said experts from the LankaBangla Securities.

In DES general index, trading closed with 0.19 per cent growth, 5.49 points higher than the week opening 2930 points. Initial days panic selling was nothing but panic, said a market expert while talking to The New Nation.

According to him, selling pressure in pre-eid trade scenario is normal in the capital market. This time investors withdrew a portion of their investment for eid celebration. But as market situation remained vulnerable for quite a long time, this normal sale-out by some traders sparked panic selling in the market. The trend was carried out for next two days as well, said the market expert. "But at the closing day trading, investors enjoyed in buying shares with lower price, caused by earlier days panic," he added.

Moreover, market concerned has predicted the capital market to remain sustainable in near future as well. "At least we don't see any chance of market crash as the gap between selling and purchasing share rates is minimum at this moment," he further added.

At the end of weekly trading yesterday, it was reported that the number of total issued company shares in all three index was 281, unchanged from the last week's figure. Among all those trading, share prices of 91 companies raised, 153 declines and 10 remained unchanged in a week time. Total 2.59 crore shares were traded, with a market value of Tk 529.71 crore last week. During the time, total turnover decreased by 23.48 per cent as reported.

The DSE 20 Index gained total 39.50 points, closing the week at 2342 points. The Index was over 1.72 per cent at its closing from the week opening 2302.50 points.

A 0.04 per cent fall was witnessed in the DSE All Share Price Index, while it closed at 2474.92 points at the end of last trading week. The Index opened business with 2475.98 points, closed with a net loss gain of 1.06 points.

However, the DSE opened with total Tk 72754.94 crore Market Capitalization and closed the weekly trading with Tk 72728.82 crore. This was 0.04 per cent loss within a week.