Pacer Shafiul looks upbeat to regain full fitness

Pace bowler Shafiul Islam said he is finding it difficult to keep up pace with the others after he joined the conditioning camp this week from the sickbed.

The pace spearhead underwent a surgery on his left ankle on June 4 to remove callosity, a disease that grows a layer in the affected area. He had developed it over the last few months with his landing at the crease in his follow-through.

He went to his home town in Bogra to spend time with his family as he was in complete rest as per the instructions of the doctor to give time to heal his wound. He joined the camp on Tuesday only to discover that his team-mates were way ahead of him in terms of fitness.

‘I am having difficulty in keeping up the rhythm with the others,’ Shafiul told reporters on Thursday.

‘My body is taking its toll to match them as they are well ahead as far as fitness is concerned,’ said Shafiul.

‘I know I have to take extra load to cover it up and emulate them as they have raised their fitness level after completing a fitness cycle in Dhaka and at the BKSP,’ said Shafiul.

Shafiul said the recovery rate of his injury was quite satisfactory as he is feeling no pain at the moment. He hoped to regain his full rhythm soon.

‘I am feeling much better now as there is no pain and I am having no problem in running. I hope to reach the peak quickly,’ said Shafiul.

Team trainer Grant Luden was happy with the way Shafiul responded after joining the team three weeks later. He insisted that Shafiul needs to take it slowly as he has just comeng from an injury.

‘He is doing really well. He has been away for three weeks so obviously he is going to take it slowly,’ Luden told reporters.

‘Still we are going to push him and I am sure he will be back soon as he is young and always keen to learn,’ he said.

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B�desh upbeat about getting EU waiver on mandatory shrimp test

Monira Munni

Bangladesh is hopeful of getting a waiver on the EU's mandatory shrimp testing requirement after its FVO gave a green signal to the country's action plan on complying with their recommendations including testing facilities, officials and exporters said Wednesday.

The European Union (EU) last year imposed a 20 per cent mandatory testing requirement on each shipment of shrimps from Bangladesh as part of its rigorous quality control drive.

It said a Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) team from the regional bloc, which ended its visit, has sent its final report this week marking four preliminary reports' recommendations satisfactory.

"It is concluded that improvements were seen in the residue monitoring system, particularly in the laboratories. In contrast to the findings in 2010, the analytical methods used for the residue monitoring programme on crustaceans and for the pre-export testing are now validated and fit for purpose," the report said.

Referring to the report, Dr J Kwakman, president of Europe-based Seafood Importers and Processors Alliance (SIPA), said Bangladesh would get special preference for withdrawing the 20 per cent mandatory tests in laboratories on its shrimp consignments in EU ports as the authorities are happy to see massive development and monitoring of quality control measures taken by its government.

Mr Kwakman said this at a luncheon meeting with the government officials and exporters on June 21 in the city. He is now in Bangladesh on a five-day business tour to be concluded on June 25.

A three-member FVO team has reviewed the country's present situation of residue control in live animals and animal products and the control mechanism for veterinary medical products -- steps seen as critical for export of shrimps to the EU.

The team has also reviewed the implementation of public health and residue control requirement in aquaculture products from root level to the production level, so that health hazard causing agents or drugs cannot enter the bodies of shrimps meant for export, exporters said.

Mahbubur Rahman, director general of Department of Fisheries, said, "The final report is the green signal ahead of the country's way towards getting a waiver on the EU's 20 per cent stringent testing requirement."

Last year, the team gave 12 recommendations, while this year it suggested only four which also proved our improvement, he added.

"The FVO is satisfied and thanked the government for the measures taken by it," he said adding, "now we are confident that the EU will withdraw its decision on mandatory shrimp testing requirement very soon."

The FVO team was impressed by the improvement in the country's quality control system and expressed its satisfaction in its report, said Mohammad Aminullah, senior vice president of Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters Association (BFFEA).

"Shrimp exporters were able to overcome the country's image crisis over the 'nitrofuran issue' and we have also improved our laboratory testing capacity to be able to comply with the EU's quality requirements," he said adding, "It is a matter of time to get the waiver on stringent testing requirements."

Bangladesh exported frozen fish worth $565.10 million during July-May of the current fiscal year. The EU is the largest importer of Bangladesh shrimps, accounting for as much as 50 per cent of the shipment.

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