VZCZCXRO4558
RR RUEHCI
DE RUEHKA #1155/01 1980903
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 170903Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4521
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0033
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1736
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 9179
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 8009
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 0831
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 001155 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE/G/TIP FOR SALLY NEUMANN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KWMN PHUM BG
SUBJECT: CORRUPTION TRIAL OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST COMMENCES 
 
REF: DHAKA 00956 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. The corruption trial of human rights 
activist Sigma Huda (referred to locally as Sigma) and her 
husband, former government minister Nazrul Huda, began on 
July 9.  At her first appearance in court on July 5 Sigma 
appeared frail but ambulatory.  During the first week of the 
trial her health seemed to have improved. Prison officials 
also guaranteed her access to her private physician. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
CORRUPTION TRIAL OF SIGMA AND NAZRUL HUDA BEGINS 
============================================= === 
 
¶2. (SBU) The corruption trial of Sigma Huda and her husband 
Nazrul began on July 9 in Dhaka.  Sigma is the secretary 
general of the Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of 
Human Rights (BSEHR) and president of the Bangladesh National 
Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA). Sigma is also serving a 
three-year term as UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in 
Persons (reftel).  Her husband Nazrul was the Communications 
Minister in the previous government of the Bangladesh 
Nationalist Party (BNP). 
 
¶3. (SBU) Sigma was charged with corruption in her capacity as 
publisher of a news magazine.  She stands accused of 
receiving 240 million taka ($3.6 million) from a contractor 
of the Roads and Highway Department, which was part of her 
husband's ministry. 
 
¶4. (SBU) On July 5, the Supreme Court overturned a High Court 
injunction that had prevented police from detaining Sigma. 
The following day, Sigma appeared before the Special Judge's 
Court in Dhaka for the framing of charges against her.  She 
arrived at the court in an ambulance, and was brought into 
the chamber on a stretcher with oxygen tubes in her nose. 
The judge in the case denied a petition by Sigma's lawyers to 
postpone the process on medical grounds, and ordered the 
trial to commence on July 9. 
 
NEW ALLEGATIONS ARISE 
===================== 
 
¶5.  (SBU) New corruption charges were filed against Sigma, 
along with BSEHR Executive Director Alena Khan, on July 9.  A 
contractor with the Roads and Highways Department alleged 
that he was never paid for approximately $2,000 in 
construction work he completed for BSEHR.  He claims when he 
attempted to collect payment for the work, Sigma threatened 
to have her husband create problems for him in collecting 
payment for work done for the Roads and Highways Department. 
 
SIGMA'S HEALTH A CONCERN 
======================== 
 
¶6. (SBU) Post spoke with Sigma's sister Khushi Kabir after 
Sigma's initial court appearance.  Khushi said Sigma suffered 
from heart and kidney problems as well as diabetes.  She has 
three stents in her heart, and was scheduled to go to 
Singapore for a check-up and possible surgery when the 
charges against her were filed in June.  On the day she was 
detained, she had undergone an angiogram at the hospital. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Khushi said the court had denied Sigma's lawyers' 
petition to grant her "division" -- privileged status that 
permits VIP detainees to be held in nicer facilities. Khushi 
expressed concern that her sister was not getting adequate 
medical attention.  The Charge mentioned the health concerns 
to Foreign Advisor Iftekhar Chowdhury on July 10. He said he 
was unaware of her illness, noting he had received calls on 
the issue and promised to follow up. 
 
¶8. (SBU) When her trial began on July 9, Sigma appeared 
healthier.  She used the normal police van to get from prison 
to court, and sat up during proceedings and required no 
oxygen or assistance.  Khushi said she had been permitted to 
see Sigma once at prison, and Sigma was able to speak to her 
family every day at court.  She also had access to her 
private lawyers. 
 
¶9. (SBU) In response to concerns about Sigma's health, Deputy 
Inspector General of Prisons Shamsul Haider Siddiqui held a 
news briefing in which he said prison authorities were 
"looking after her carefully." He said she is being held in 
 
DHAKA 00001155  002 OF 002 
 
 
the same area as three other female VIP prisoners, and that 
she can see her private physician whenever she requests. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Post continues to monitor developments in this case 
closely. 
PASI