VZCZCXRO6547
RR RUEHCI
DE RUEHKA #1379/01 2340215
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 220215Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4882
INFO RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 8063
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1797
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 9249
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0116
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 0889
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0544
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 001379 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/20/2017 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KGOV KDEM BG
SUBJECT: AS VERDICT IN TRIAL NEARS, SIGMA HUDA'S HEALTH 
STILL IN QUESTION 
 
REF: A. DHAKA 1155 
 
     ¶B. DHAKA 1295 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Geeta Pasi; reasons 1.4(d) 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Sigma Huda's sister Khushi Kabir discussed 
Sigma's medical condition with POLOFF.  Kabir said Sigma's 
health was not good, but that the jail authorities had moved 
her to the hospital for better care. Nevertheless, if the 
government continues to drag its feet in authorizing payment 
for Sigma's medical tests, doctors may recommend Sigma be 
transferred back to the jail. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Khushi Kabir, the head of a Bangladeshi 
non-government organization and the sister of United Nations 
Anti-Trafficking Special Rapporteur Sigma Huda, met POLOFF on 
August 15 to discuss Sigma's medical condition.  Sigma, along 
with her husband, former Communications Minister Nazmul Huda, 
are currently on trial facing corruption charges. (Reftel A) 
 
SIGMA'S HEALTH "POOR" 
===================== 
 
¶3. (C) According to Kabir, Sigma's health is "poor."  She has 
suffered for years from heart ailments and diabetes, and was 
scheduled to undergo tests in Singapore when she was charged 
in the current corruption case and prohibited from leaving 
the country. Kabir provided POLOFF with copies of Sigma's 
medical records from the past three years that clearly showed 
a history of heart, kidney and other ailments.  (NOTE: This 
runs counter to the Home Secretary's claim to CDA that he had 
been informed Sigma was "walking around" and appeared fine 
when they came to arrest her -- the implication being she was 
making up her health problems to garner public sympathy. 
Reftel B) 
 
TRANSFERRED TO HOSPITAL... 
========================== 
 
¶4. (SBU) Kabir said Sigma was transferred from the Dhaka 
Central Jail to the Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujib Medical Hospital 
on August 4.  While this was a positive step, she said the 
jail authorities have not provided the required letter 
authorizing payment for the necessary medical tests.  Without 
that authorization, or permission from the authorities to let 
the family pay the costs, the doctors cannot perform the 
complicated heart tests Sigma regularly requires. Other 
high-profile arrestees have been transferred to the Ibrahim 
Cardiac Center adjacent to the Hospital, and the family does 
not understand why Sigma cannot be treated there as well. 
 
BUT DENIED PROPER TESTS 
======================= 
 
¶5. (SBU) If they cannot do the tests, the doctors will 
recommend transferring Sigma back to the Central Jail.  The 
family is readying an appeal to the High Court compelling the 
government to authorize the tests, though they are waiting a 
few days to see if the jail authorities take any action. 
(NOTE: The following day, Kabir told POLOFF that the hospital 
had begun conducting some of the required tests, but that 
there were still delays for the more complicated heart tests 
because the doctors lacked proper authorization.) 
 
¶6. (SBU) Apart from Sigma's health, Khushi said she has "no 
objections" to Sigma's treatment in jail. Shortly after she 
was jailed in early July, the court granted Sigma "division" 
-- essentially, a form of VIP status that entitles one to 
more comfortable accommodation in jail.  Sigma has been able 
to meet with family, though the procedure for arranging such 
visits can be complicated and require negotiation with jail 
officials. 
 
KERFUFFLE OVER SMUGGLED CELLPHONE 
================================= 
 
¶7. (SBU) In another twist in this case, the Deputy Inspector 
General of Prisons Shamshul Haider Siddiqui announced 
publicly on August 20 that jail authorities had suspended 
four female jail guards for having helped Sigma smuggle and 
maintain a cellphone in her cell, contrary to prison 
regulations. According to Siddiqui, Sigma was caught 
"red-handed" with the phone in her cell room at the hospital 
on August 17.  Siddiqui claimed Sigma had bribed some of the 
guards into helping her, and that other guards who were not 
 
DHAKA 00001379  002 OF 002 
 
 
given their share of the bribes turned them in. (NOTE: When 
contacted by POLOFF, Sigma's sister Kabir said the first she 
had heard of the cellphone episode was from the newspaper, 
but that she doubted the allegation.) 
 
VERDICT SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 23 
=============================== 
 
¶8. (C) The judge in the corruption trial against Sigma and 
her husband is scheduled to announce his verdict on August 
¶23.  Kabir did not want to discuss the case against Sigma, 
saying only that she believes "personally" that Sigma is 
innocent.  Regarding Sigma's husband Nazmul, Kabir would only 
say she had many disagreements with her brother-in-law and 
did not want to speak of him.  She did add, however, that 
when she observed the proceedings in the Special 
Anti-Corruption Court, she noted "several military men in 
normal clothes" throughout the courtroom, including one who 
was "whispering frequently to the judge."  She said this did 
not seem fair or appropriate. 
 
¶9. (SBU) The Embassy is monitoring the ongoing 
anti-corruption cases closely.  The Embassy continues to 
raise our concerns regarding due process and proper medical 
treatment with the Home Ministry and other government 
representatives. On August 21, CDA raised the issue of Huda's 
medical condition with a senior aide to the Chief Advisor, 
who agreed to look into the matter. 
PASI