Crowned best debutant of 2015

Sports Reporter

Three years ago Mustafizur Rahman, like any other aspiring fast bowler, arrived in Dhaka and constantly hunted for opportunities to play professional cricket. He approached coaches and clubs until he was noticed.
Three years on and he has been voted the debutant of the year 2015 by ESPNCricinfo, the world's most sought-after cricketing website.
The transitions in the left-hander's career have been quick. With every match he played, his responsibility grew and the beauty about it all was that he managed to shoulder that responsibility.
From being a mere youngster thrown into the side against the mighty Pakistanis in 2015, he has gone on to become the go-to bowler in the national team. And his rise has been noticed by the entire world.
With the entire Bangladesh team displaying an attacking brand of cricket, there are plenty of aspects that opponents these days tend to focus on while playing against them, but the most prominent among them has been the Mustafizur factor.
It's something that India and Sri Lanka pondered about during the Asia Cup and it's something that every side in the World Cup will have a special plan for.
The numbers he recorded in 2015 were phenomenal and that was the main reason why he was voted the best newcomer.
He played nine ODIs, scalped 26 wickets and finished with an average of 12.34. When it comes to bowlers having bowled at least 70 overs in 2015, his bowling average remains the best. These numbers were recorded against the likes of Pakistan, India and South Africa.
Mustafizur has begun his career with a bang. However, the best part about the calm-headed pacer is that he is continuing the good run. Bangladeshi players are often guilty of fading away from international cricket after a short period of fame, but with the case of Mustafizur, at least for now, the scenario seems completely different.
The one thing that seems certain is that he never seems content. Just being able to bowl the odd cutter did not seem enough for him. And so he went on to learn another version of the slower delivery, the one that he uses frequently against left-handers.
To add to that, he has improved quite a bit in terms of swinging the ball and is also able to fire in yorkers when required. He is a skilled bowler who seems to understand the game well.
With a long road ahead, one only hopes that the left-hander's hunger to yearn for more remains.
Mustafizur wasn't the only one to be acknowledged. Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar were awarded the batting pair of the year under the openers category in ODIs. In 10 partnerships, Sarkar and Tamim put together 540 runs with three century stands at an average of 54. The impact that their partnership had on the team was the highest amongst all. In terms of numbers their partnership factor was 51.12 which was far better than the second highest pair of Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill, who averaged 39.94.

Governor back from India; Muhith to brief press about BB reserve hacking

Finance Minister AMA Muhith. Star File Photo

Staff Correspondent

The top management of Bangladesh Bank may see changes as the fallout of the theft of $101 million from its foreign reserves, Finance Minister AMA Muhith has hinted.

“We are going to make a major decision,” he told reporters at the secretariat after the weekly cabinet meeting yesterday.

The minister made the comment in response to a query whether the government would take any action against the BB.

On Sunday, Muhith publicly vented his anger on the BB for keeping him in the dark for more than a month about the cyber theft, and said he would take action against the BB.

The minister also said he was very unhappy the way the BB handled the matter.

When journalists yesterday asked him what the major decision would be, Muhith said, “Definitely, there will be a major change.”

He then said the decision would be made public by 4:00pm yesterday after a meeting with BB Governor Atiur Rahman.

When the minister made the comment, Atiur was on his way to Dhaka from New Delhi. The BB governor went to the Indian capital on March 10 to attend a three-day meeting of the International Monetary Fund.

The BB governor was supposed to meet Muhith immediately after his arrival. But the meeting didn't take place as the BB chief was “tired” upon his return home, said a BB official seeking anonymity.

The BB governor would hold the meeting today, and this was communicated to the minister, said the official.

In the afternoon, Shahedur Rahman, senior public relations officer of the finance ministry, told reporters that the finance minister would hold a press conference at 11:00am today, and brief the media about the reserve heist.

A BB source said an emergency meeting of the BB board, which was scheduled for today, was postponed, as the finance minister would hold a meeting with finance and banking secretaries -- both members of the BB board -- at 4:00pm today.

On Sunday, Banking Secretary Aslam Alam told reporters that the BB board would hold an emergency meeting to discuss the issue and decide on the next course of action.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Iqbal Mahmud, said they are keeping a close watch on the ongoing investigations by law enforcement agencies and the BB into the reserve heist.

“The ACC is an independent commission. Wherever there is corruption, it will carry out a probe,” he told reporters in response to the question whether the ACC would investigate the incident.

The Philippines' Anti-Money Laundering Council said it is preparing charges against a number of people allegedly involved in the illegal transfer of more than $80 million from the BB account with the New York Federal Reserve Bank.

Besides, Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Teresita Herbosa called on the Congress to further strengthen the country's Anti-Money Laundering Act, reported the Rappler, a news outlet in the Philippines.

Herbosa hoped the government would be able to recover the $81 million that had been traced to Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) and three large casinos.

"I am sure somehow, some of it will be recovered. I am an optimistic person and I believe in the rule of law,” Herbosa said.

In a press release yesterday, the Transparency International Bangladesh expressed concern that the BB board and the government were not immediately informed about the cyber theft.

PM for review of UK cargo ban

Writes to Cameron about airport security requirements; civil aviation secretary transferred

Rezaul Karim and Shariful Islam

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday wrote back to her British counterpart David Cameron and requested a review of the ban on direct air cargo from Dhaka to London.
In reply to Cameron's March 8 letter to her, Hasina also wished to work together with the British government on meeting all the global security requirements of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
In his letter, the UK PM called for a visible improvement of airport security by March 31 to avoid further measures like banning of direct passenger Biman flights from Dhaka to London.
Contacted over the phone, a diplomat at the Bangladesh High Commission in London around 9:00pm (Bangladesh time) confirmed that Hasina's letter has reached Cameron.
Earlier, diplomatic sources in Dhaka and London said Bangladesh government had instructed its UK Mission to ensure that the letter reaches the British Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street, in the quickest possible time.
Sources at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and foreign ministry said Hasina signed the letter to Cameron yesterday morning and sent it to the UK prime minister immediately through the Bangladesh High Commission in London.
They added the prime minister in her letter expressed hope that the UK government will consider the request and look into the matter with utmost sincerity.
 “The reply of our prime minister was very simple and short in compare to the size of the UK Prime Minister's letter,” said a source.
Hasina has mentioned that the Bangladeshi authorities are strictly addressing the British observations regarding the entire aspect of airport security.
SECRETARY REMOVED
Meanwhile, the government yesterday removed Khorshed Alam Chowdhury from the post of   civil aviation and tourism secretary.
SM Golam Faruk, a member of Planning Commission, has replaced Khorshed, according to a circular of the public administration circular.
Earlier on Sunday, Air Vice-Marshal Ehsanul Gani Chowdhury was made the new chairman of chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab). He has replaced Air-Vice Marshal M Sanaul Huq.
Officials at the ministry said Khorshed and Sanaul have been removed as they failed to play due role in meeting the global security requirements of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
“The changes in the top two positions were made following intelligence report on the activities of the secretary and the Caab chairman since October last year when the issue of upgrading the security standards of Shahjalal airport came up,” said an official wishing not to be named.
“The ban on [Dhaka-London] direct air cargo has a huge political impact and the country's image has been tarnished abroad,” he added.
He also said Khorshed Alam, who has now been made a member of the Planning Commission, is supposed to retire in the next few months.
TWO FIRMS SHORT-LISTED
Meanwhile, the authorities have short-listed two foreign companies from the list of four as suggested by the British High Commissioner Alison Blake in Dhaka during a meeting on Sunday.
Through analytical study, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh primarily picked REDLINE and RESTRATA. Two other companies are G4S and West Minster Security Services Ltd.
The service of the hired company will cover security management, quality control in civil aviation, Aviation Security (AVSEC) screeners training, infrastructural development and cargo security.
Group Capt (Retd) Alamgir, chief of the AVSEC Cell of Caab, has already contacted the companies to discuss the requirements and decide which one to choose, officials at the civil aviation ministry said.
“The authorities decided to appoint a firm from the list of the British High Commissioner because, despite several measures taken during the last few months since October last year, the UK assessments continue to identify a number of weaknesses at Shahjalal International Airport where shortage of capable and trained manpower is a major issue,” said an official.
After signing a contract with the Caab on March 24, the hired company will deploy its security personnel at the airport the very next day.
Asked for how long the company will be hired, the official said it could be for six months to one year. And asked how much it will charge, he said, “It will be fixed after the visit of the company officials. It will be a huge amount of money.”
Led by Alison Blake, the British delegation during Sunday's meeting with the government suggested bringing in their trained operational staff for a short period to support security screening at the airport and arrange training for both operational and supervisory Bangladesh staff.
The meeting decided to select the foreign security firm by today or tomorrow and sent a comprehensive proposal to the civil aviation ministry between March 17 and March 18 for approval.
Meanwhile, a steering committee formed on Sunday for proper supervision of the measures taken to upgrade the security standard of the airport held a meeting at the civil aviation ministry yesterday.