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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 000258 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2018 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KGOV KDEM BG
SUBJECT: PROMINENT HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATE DISCUSSES CURRENT 
SITUATION IN BANGLADESH 
 
REF: DHAKA 250 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Geeta Pasi; reasons 1.4(d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Elena Khan, a barrister and current head of 
the Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights 
(BSEHR), discussed the current state of affairs in Bangladesh 
and her own personal legal concerns.  She expressed concern 
for the health of BSEHR's incarcerated former secretary 
general Sigma Huda, and discussed her organization's 
preliminary investigation into the recent death in custody of 
a local Dhaka ward commissioner.  END SUMMARY. 
 
DENIAL OF BAIL A LINGERING PROBLEM 
================================== 
 
¶2. (C) Elena Khan, secretary general of the Bangladesh 
Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights (BSEHR), one of 
Bangladesh's most prominent human rights organizations, 
recently discussed the current human rights situation with 
POLOFF.  Khan expressed concern about the denial of bail to 
corruption suspects under the state of emergency's Emergency 
Powers Rules, though she said a "small positive" was the 
government's decision last fall to lift the bail prohibition 
for family members accused of abetting corruption. (NOTE: 
Earlier in the state of emergency, this provision had 
resulted in the jailing of the cancer-stricken wife of one 
politician, and the 16-year old daughter of another. END 
NOTE.) 
 
CONCERN FOR SIGMA HUDA 
====================== 
 
¶3. (C) Khan herself has been charged with corruption and 
extortion, though since she was not charged under the 
Emergency Powers Rules she was granted bail.  Sigma Huda, the 
president of BSEHR and a close associate of Khan's, has been 
convicted on extortion and bribery charges and is currently 
undergoing another trial.  Khan said she was concerned about 
Huda's health. (Reftel) BSEHR has a close working 
relationship with the Inspector General of Prisons (IGP), 
with whom it implements several prison training programs. 
Khan raised the issue of Huda's deteriorating medical 
condition with the IGP. According to Khan, the IGP wants to 
move Huda into a medical facility for treatment, but "the 
government" wouldn't allow it. Khan believes Sigma may have 
run afoul of some in the government in the conduct of her 
human rights advocacy, and may also have earned herself 
enemies.  Regardless, Khan fears if something isn't done to 
address Sigma's medical needs, the government could have a 
serious problem on its hands. (NOTE: When Khan went to see 
Sigma in court after our meeting -- the first time she 
visited since Sigma was arrested -- Sigma accused Khan of not 
doing enough to help her, and refused to speak with her any 
further. END NOTE.) 
 
PRISON SYSTEM "OVERWHELMED" 
=========================== 
 
¶4. (C) According to BSEHR, the prison system has been 
overwhelmed by the number of VIP prisoners, which have 
multiplied under the state of emergency from a handful to 
over 200.  For the first time, they are also faced with 
handling several female VIP prisoners, including the two 
former prime ministers.  VIP prisoners require more 
attention, and more guards, than other prisoners, putting a 
strain on the system. Despite numerous requests, the IGP has 
not received additional manpower or resources from the 
government to cope with this situation.  This manpower 
shortage also means there are not enough escorts to accompany 
VIP prisoners to private hospitals to seek medical care, 
hence the prison authorities' attempts to limit strictly the 
number of prisoners sent outside the prison for care. (NOTE: 
A recent meeting with the IG of Prisons will be reported 
septel. END NOTE.) 
 
GOVERNMENT OVERREACH LED TO CURRENT TRAVAILS 
============================================ 
 
 
DHAKA 00000258  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶5. (C) Khan believes during the first six months of the 
caretaker government, it enjoyed the support of the people, 
but excesses since then have had an impact on its popularity. 
 Rather than hone in on a realistic set of priorities, the 
government tried to do too much at once, setting expectations 
too high and then falling short.  According to Khan, the 
attempt to play politics and divide the two parties 
distracted the government from its anti-corruption agenda and 
made it appear partisan. 
 
DEATH IN CUSTODY ALLEGEDLY LINKED TO QUESTIONING 
============================================= === 
 
¶6. (C) Khan and POLOFF discussed the recent death in custody 
of Mohammad Quayyum Khan, a Bangladesh Nationalist Party 
(BNP) ward commissioner in Kafrul, a part of Dhaka abutting 
the military cantonment.  According to BSEHR, Quayyum was 
arrested shortly after the state of emergency was declared in 
January 2007, and held for over a year without any specific 
charges being pressed.  A court ordered his release in 
January 2008.  Immediately upon release, he was re-arrested 
by police and handed over to the military cantonment in Dhaka 
for interrogation.  He was transferred back to the Dhaka 
Central Jail. Quayyum, who suffered from a heart condition 
and diabetes, alleged to fellow prisoners he was beaten 
during questioning.  On February 8 he collapsed and died at 
the prison. According to a fellow prisoner, before he 
collapsed Quayyum said he had been informed he was being 
transferred back to the cantonment for a further round of 
questioning. 
 
COMMENT 
======= 
 
¶7. (C) BSEHR is one of Bangladesh's most prominent human 
rights organizations and is an important source of 
information and statistics for the Human Rights Report.  At 
the moment BSEHR appears to be on the defensive and suffering 
from low morale, the result of Sigma Huda's legal problems, 
the organization's own alleged illegal property deals, and 
Elena Khan's legal cases.  Khan's frustration with the 
mistakes of the government was palpable, in comparison to her 
more cautiously optimistic assessment last year. She put up a 
strong defense of the IGP, insisting the government and 
military were tying his hands to prevent him from helping 
Sigma, and she also expressed concern arrests were on the 
rise again. 
Pasi