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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 DHAKA 001159 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE JAMES CLAD, FROM 
THE AMBASSADOR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PTER KREL BG
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF 
DEFENSE JAMES CLAD 
 
REF: A. DHAKA 1127 
     ¶B. DHAKA 1138 
     ¶C. DHAKA 1139 
 
Classified By: Amb. James F. Moriarty. Reasonsd 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
  ------ 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Your visit to Bangladesh comes in the twilight of 
the Caretaker Government's (CTG) two-year term, amid 
preparations for national Parliamentary elections in 
December. The return to democracy remains fraught with 
uncertainties, including whether one of the country's two 
major political parties -- the Bangladesh Nationalist Party 
(BNP) -- will participate in the elections. Also unclear is 
whether the Caretaker Government's reforms to rid government 
of endemic corruption and violence will survive under a newly 
elected Parliament. Failure to build on those reforms could 
herald a return to the status quo ante and the violent 
"winner take all" political culture of Bangladesh. 
 
¶2.  (S/NF) USG activities in Bangladesh are based on three 
pillars:  democratization, development and denial of space to 
terrorists.  We strongly support the Caretaker Government's 
efforts to ensure free, fair and credible elections.  The 
U.S. funds a comprehensive, 150 million USD development 
program that includes aid for food, health, education, 
economic growth and governance.  We also cooperate closely 
with authorities here to combat terrorism and prevent 
Bangladesh from becoming a haven for terrorists. The U.S. 
Government will soon begin human rights training for the 
Rapid Action Battalion, an elite law enforcement agency that 
has taken the lead in countering terrorism, with the goal of 
eventually broadening the engagement to include CT training. 
The Embassy also recently recommended U.S. Government support 
for the creation of a Bangladesh Navy Special Operations 
unit, similar to US SEAL and Special Boat units. (Reftel C) 
 
---------- 
DEMOCRACY 
---------- 
 
¶3.  (U) The Caretaker Government (CTG) came to power in 
January 2007, the day after a State of Emergency was declared 
to quell political violence in the run-up to Parliamentary 
elections. With the strong support of the military, the CTG 
canceled the elections and began cracking down on endemic 
political corruption and violence.  The crackdown initially 
won broad public support, but frustration with the Caretaker 
Government spilled onto the streets in late August 2007, when 
a dispute at Dhaka University between students and soldiers 
became a rallying point for Bangladeshis disaffected by 
inflation, other economic woes, and restrictions on political 
activity.  The Government stopped the protests by imposing a 
curfew. 
 
¶4. (U) In September 2008, the Caretaker Government set 
December 18 as the date for the delayed Parliamentary 
elections. The mechanics of holding elections are largely on 
track. A reconstituted Election Commission compiled a new, 
credible voter list. The list was put to the test in city and 
municipal elections on August 4; turnout for the city polls 
ranged from 75 percent to 93 percent.  The Awami League 
stormed to victory, winning all four major mayoral slots up 
for grabs.  Election observers reported some generally minor 
problems during the vote but none of the violence that marred 
past polls.  The BNP boycotted the elections, claiming no 
vote should be held under a State of Emergency, a position it 
still maintains in the run-up to the Parliamentary elections 
scheduled for December 18. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The continuing negotiations over the return to 
democracy involve three key players: the Caretaker 
Government, the military and the two main parties, which are 
again under the direct leadership of former prime ministers 
Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League and Khaleda Zia of the BNP. 
(Note: Jailed on a multitude of corruption charges in 2007, 
Zia was released on bail in September; Hasina was out of the 
country on medical parole from June until November 6, when 
she made a triumphant return to Dhaka. End note.) The Awami 
 
DHAKA 00001159  002 OF 003 
 
 
League believes it is in a strong position to win the 
Parliamentary elections and opposes any delay of the vote. 
The BNP is torn about whether to participate, claiming to be 
at a disadvantage because many of its top politicians have 
been convicted on graft charges and cannot run. Whether Zia 
ultimately decides to participate in the elections will go a 
long way in determining whether Bangladesh can make a 
peaceful return to democracy. 
 
¶6. (S/NF) The Election Commission recently rejected an 
attempt by the newly formed Islamic Democratic Party (IDP) to 
register for the December elections (Reftel B). The party was 
formed earlier this year by senior members of Harakat 
ul-Jihad-Islami-Bangladesh (HUJI-B), which is designated a 
Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Government. The 
rejection came after Post relayed to a number of senior 
Bangladeshi government and military officials strong USG 
opposition to the creation of the party. The military's 
Directorate General Forces Intelligence drove the creation of 
the party in hopes of bringing the HUJI-B above ground. 
 
------------ 
DEVELOPMENT 
------------ 
 
¶7. (U) In the midst of the nation's political uncertainty, 
Bangladeshis are coping with the aftermath of natural 
disasters and spiraling inflation.  Cyclone Sidr blasted 
through southwestern Bangladesh in November 2007, killing 
thousands of people, destroying the homes and livelihoods of 
millions, and leaving 2.3 billion USD of damage to 
infrastructure.  As part of an inter-agency effort, the U.S. 
military played a crucial role in relief efforts by 
airlifting vitally needed water, food and emergency supplies 
to Bangladeshis in remote areas. However, the Government of 
Bangladesh and other international donors have not sustained 
the strong levels of assistance provided in Sidr's immediate 
aftermath, and millions of victims remain in need of aid to 
rebuild their lives. The additional $75 million for cyclone 
victims approved by the U.S. Congress has thus come at a most 
opportune time. On top of natural disasters, inflation -- 
particularly of food prices -- remains dangerously high for 
Bangladesh's desperately poor population, 86 percent of whom 
subsist on less than $2 a day. 
 
------------------------------- 
DENIAL OF SPACE TO TERRORISTS 
------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (C) Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority nation with porous 
borders -- both land and maritime -- that make it an 
attractive transit point and safe-haven for terrorists. 
Several USG studies this year have underlined just how poorly 
the borders are policed, and the Embassy is working on a 
multipronged approach with other Western Embassies to help 
Bangladesh improve its border security. The USG funds many 
programs in Bangladesh to counter terrorism, including a wide 
range of training under the Anti-Terrorist Assistance program 
coordinated by the State Department.  USAID and Public 
Affairs Section programs also address root causes of 
extremism through outreach to leaders of influence (including 
religious figures) and to madrasas. 
 
¶9. (C) Human rights concerns have in the past prevented the 
USG from providing training to the paramilitary Rapid Action 
Battalion (RAB). The RAB's record generally has improved 
under the Caretaker Government, and a USG interagency group 
recently agreed to allow training to help RAB further improve 
its human rights. A team of two Department of Defense staff 
judge advocates and a New Delhi-based Federal Bureau of 
Investigation agent will be in Dhaka this month to come up 
with a training blueprint to improve the RAB's transparency 
and accountability when dealing with allegations of gross 
human rights violations. Should human rights training bring 
meaningful improvement, subsequent USG engagement with RAB 
may expand to include counterterrorism training. 
 
¶10.  (S/NF) Bangladesh arrested several hundred alleged 
members of Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB), the banned 
Islamic extremist group responsible for a wave of bombings 
and suicide attacks in late 2005, and recovered bomb-making 
materials and weapons from their hideouts. Those arrests, 
 
DHAKA 00001159  003 OF 003 
 
 
along with the execution in March 2007 of six senior JMB 
leaders, represented a clear blow to the organization. More 
recently, however, JMB reportedly has increased recruitment 
efforts. Moreover, the GOB has taken relatively little action 
against Bangladeshi groups with ties to transnational, 
Pakistan-based terrorist organizations. Concerns of possible 
violence by extremist organizations in the run-up to 
elections remain. 
 
¶11. (S/NF) To counter the transnational terrorist threat, 
Embassy Dhaka has recommended USG support for the creation of 
a Bangladesh Navy Special Operations unit, similar to US SEAL 
and Special Boat units. The Government of Bangladesh intends 
this unit to be a counterterrorism force that will address 
critical gaps in Bangladesh's maritime security capability. 
Transnational violent extremist organizations (such as 
Interagency Intelligence Committee on Terrorism (IICT) 
priority one Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LT) and IICT priority three 
Hizbul Mujhadin (HM)), transnational crime, drugs and human 
trafficking are currently exploiting these gaps to facilitate 
operations throughout South Asia. USG support for the 
creation of this new force is critical to denying space to 
terrorists. Additionally, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba is actively 
developing a maritime capability in order to infiltrate 
India; due to increases in land and air security within 
India, Bangladesh is a viable maritime launching point for 
these infiltration efforts. 
 
----------- 
YOUR VISIT 
----------- 
 
¶12.  (S/NF) Your visit to Bangladesh comes at a critical 
juncture in this contry's young history. Your visit will 
highlight the importance the USG places on bilateral 
relations as well as on the Bangladesh military remaining a 
professional force that serves as a role model for 
Bangladeshi society. Your meeting with Chief of Army Staff 
General Moeen Uddin Ahmed will provide an opportunity to 
reinforce defense cooperation and strong USG opposition to 
the IDP. You can also deliver the message opposing the IDP in 
your meeting with the DGFI military intelligence leaders. 
Your meeting with naval leadership will focus on maritime 
security issues such as cooperation on creating a naval 
Special Operations force; with RAB leadership will discuss 
the way forward with engagement; and with Bangladesh Rifles 
officials will help you gain insight into border security 
problems. 
 
Moriarty