VZCZCXRO1643
PP RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHNEH RUEHPW
DE RUEHKA #0063/01 0191006
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 191006Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9910
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2222
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 2979
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMUNS/COMSOCPAC HONOLULU HI
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 000063 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/INSB AND DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINS PHUM BG
SUBJECT: PARLIAMENT RECONVENES; BNP OPPOSITION CONTINUES 
BOYCOTT 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (U) Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman opened Parliament's 
fourth session on January 4 by calling for unified government 
action and a proper role for the opposition.  Although the 
opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party continued its boycott 
of Parliament plenary sessions during the opening, the party 
is considering a return.  Parliament is scheduled to consider 
several proposed bills during its session, including a number 
that would improve human rights protections. 
 
President Calls for United Effort 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) During his opening speech as Parliament began its 
fourth session on January 4, President Zillur Rahman called 
for "shunning the politics of confrontation" and asked 
Parliament for a united effort to meet the government's goals 
as stated in the Awami League's 2008 "Charter for Change" 
manifesto.  Rahman also underscored the need for the 
opposition to play its proper role in parliament.  He 
outlined the government's goals on education reform, 
development, expansion and upgrading of information 
technology, improvement of communication networks, boosting 
of food production, and reduction of the number of 
Bangladeshis living in poverty to 15 percent from the current 
40 percent by 2021.  Rahman highlighted government success 
during 2009, including containing inflation and rising food 
prices despite the global recession, bolstering law and order 
and countering terrorism, and playing a strong role in 
drawing international attention to climate change effects on 
Bangladesh.  (Note:  In Bangladesh's system, the President's 
speech is written by the government.  End note.) 
 
BNP Continues Boycott 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) As Parliament resumed, the BNP, Bangladesh's main 
opposition party, continued to boycott plenary sessions, even 
as the party participated in working committees.  The BNP 
began its boycott in April 2009, during the second 
parliamentary session.  The BNP's boycott initially protested 
the reallocation of some parliamentary front-row seats, 
previously occupied by the opposition, to accommodate ruling 
coalition Members of Parliament (MPs).  Since then, the BNP 
has developed a list of ten demands to be met before ending 
the boycott.  The demands included the withdrawal of 
"politically motivated" corruption cases filed against BNP 
Chairwomen Khaleda Zia, her elder son Tarique Rahman and 
other party leaders; halting the government's efforts to 
remove Khaleda Zia from her government provided house; and 
allowing Parliament to discuss opposition proposals on issues 
of national interest.  (Note: The constitution stipulates 
that a Member of Parliament will lose his/her seat if absent 
for 90 consecutive days when parliament is in session.) 
 
Issues Being Considered this Session 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (U) Parliament is set to discuss a number of issues during 
this session, which is scheduled to close on February 18, 
including: 
 
- a proposed amendment to the to the Vested Property (return) 
Act that would ease procedures for returning property seized 
after the 1965 India-Pakistan war, mainly from Hindus who 
migrated to India; 
 
- the government's decision to raise the mandatory retirement 
age of government employees who were Liberation War veterans; 
 
- legislation to drop the provision for the issuance of 
arrest warrants against journalists charged with defamation; 
and, 
 
- bills that would criminalize custodial torture, introduce a 
code of conduct for MPs, strengthen measures against domestic 
violence, and set labor standards for the country's export 
processing zones. 
 
DHAKA 00000063  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The opening session of Parliament offered no 
surprises, including the BNP's continued boycott.  If the BNP 
does decide to return to Parliament, such a return would 
likely be only temporary.  Many political observers in 
Bangladesh expect the BNP to test its muscle by attempting to 
mobilize street demonstrations in the next few months.  We 
will continue to urge MPs and key government leaders to 
enhance human rights protections by adopting the considered 
bills on custodial torture, strengthening measures against 
domestic violence, implementing a MP code of conduct, and 
improving labor rights. 
MORIARTY