VZCZCXRO3212
RR RUEHCI
DE RUEHKA #1096/01 1852323
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 042323Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4461
INFO RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 7999
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1726
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 9169
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0020
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 0821
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 001096 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2017 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KGOV KDEM BG
SUBJECT: POLITICAL INSIDER DESCRIBES POSSIBLE GOVERNMENT 
EXIT STRATEGY 
 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Geeta Pasi for reasons 1.4(d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Nazim Kamran Chowdhury, a prominent ad 
executive with close ties to the government, defended the 
government's decision to put off national elections until 
late 2008 and described his efforts to persuade the Chief 
Adviser to assert himself more politically.  Chowdhury said 
the military is backing away from plans to create a "king's 
party" and is trying to position reformist elements in the 
two leading parties. END SUMMARY 
 
A DEMOCRACY "IN NAME ONLY" 
========================== 
 
¶2. (SBU) On June 20, SCA Pakistan and Bangladesh Office 
Director Karen Aguilar and POLOFF met with Nazim Kamran 
Chowdhury.  Among his many connections, Chowdhury is 
president of Bangladesh's largest marketing company ADCOMM, 
husband of government advisor (i.e., minister) Geetiara 
Safiya Chowdhury, and cousin of Chief Advisor Fakhruddin 
Ahmed.  Chowdhury is also a well-known Bangladeshi political 
commentator and former Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) 
member of parliament from Sylhet. 
 
¶3. (C) Chowdhury told us that before "one-eleven" 
(Bangladeshi short-hand for the January 11 declaration of a 
state of emergency), Bangladesh was a democracy in name only. 
 He asked why the U.S. was pushing for "early" elections, 
saying "elections don't make a democracy - institutions make 
a democracy." 
 
¶4. (C) According to Chowdhury the distortion of the political 
system and rampant corruption create a void at the local 
level that Islamic fundamentalist groups seek to exploit.  He 
said institution-building is required from the bottom up to 
create a real democracy, close that vacuum, and prevent the 
growth of fundamentalism.  "National elections won,t address 
this issue," he told us, "and they shouldn,t be viewed as a 
panacea for Bangladesh,s problems." He expects the 
government will announce a road-map in July that will call 
for local elections first, with national elections to come by 
December 2008. 
 
A SHY, TECHNOCRAT CHIEF ADVISER... 
================================== 
 
¶5. (C) He described Chief Advisor Ahmed as shy and a manager 
by nature.  Fakhruddin's reluctance to involve himself in 
anything political or to be out front in public has created a 
gap that different elements -- such as the military and 
certain outspoken government advisors -- have sought to fill. 
In Chowdhury's view, the Chief Advisor is not being forced 
into a specific (subservient) role by the military.  "There 
is room for Fakhruddin to step up if he so chooses," 
Chowdhury said. "The military is filling a vacuum, not 
putting him in a box." 
 
...TRYING TO ASSERT HIMSELF 
=========================== 
 
¶6. (C) Chowdhury and other informal advisors have been 
pressing Fakhruddin to address more political issues in the 
advisory council, and to improve the government's public 
relations and outreach by getting out of Dhaka and speaking 
to the people.  Chowdhury put together an ambitious outreach 
strategy, but the Chief Advisor "got carried away" on his 
initial visit to Tangail in April.  He wandered off his 
20-minute speech, speaking for over an hour in 100-plus 
degree heat, and ultimately succumbed to dehydration. "Still, 
he needs to get out and be seen as more engaged, a leader," 
said Chowdhury. 
 
A POSSIBLE END-GAME 
=================== 
 
¶7. (C) Chowdhury thinks Chief of Army Staff Moeen was 
sufficiently chastened after he gave a speech on April 1 
which many interpreted as a foray into politics.  "Certain 
individuals have backed away from a future in politics, and 
most have backed away from creating a third, military-backed 
government," Chowdhury said, referring to widespread reports 
the military is trying to create a "king's party" to contest 
elections.  He claimed many in the military now prefer, as an 
exit strategy, a deal with the reform wings of both parties 
 
DHAKA 00001096  002 OF 002 
 
 
that banishes their current heads, and guarantees the 
military some form of indemnity. 
 
COMMENT: CONTOURS OF AN EXIT STRATEGY? 
====================================== 
 
¶8. (C) Chowdhury is the ultimate insider, a relative to two 
advisers (Fakhruddin and Foreign Advisor Iftekhar Chowdhury), 
and spouse of another (Geetiara).  When POLOFF met him in 
April, he was much more suspicious about the role of the 
military and more concerned about the possible political 
ambitions of certain military figures.  In this latest 
meeting, Chowdhury seemed to feel these issues were slowly 
being resolving and the military's role was receding 
somewhat. Nevertheless, his proferred exit strategy for the 
military, specifically indemnity for actions during the state 
of emergency, implicitly acknowledges the important role the 
military plays in the current political balance.  END COMMENT. 
 
¶9. (U) This message was drafted after SCA/PB Director Aguilar 
departed Dhaka. 
PASI