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FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7693
INFO RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 8712
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 2444
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 9954
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1850
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0932
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA PRIORITY 1557
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 001165 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PINR PTERR KDEM BG
SUBJECT: HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER EXPRESSES DISMAY WITH 
POLITICAL SITUATION 
 
REF: DHAKA 1158 
 
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
------ 
SUMMARY 
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¶1. (C) Home Affairs Adviser Gen. M.A. Matin in a meeting with 
the Ambassador on November 6 expressed dismay with the 
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for making continuous new 
demands for participating in Parliamentary elections 
scheduled for next month. They discussed strategies for 
enticing the BNP to take part in the campaign. The Ambassador 
also asked Matin and Home Affairs Secretary Mohammad Abdul 
Karim to push forward Embassy proposals for sports diplomacy 
events to support community policing and for an anti-violence 
and improvised explosive device (IED) awareness campaign. 
Matin and Karim raised concerns about the awareness campaign, 
but signaled it could go ahead if supported by the elite law 
enforcement Rapid Action Battalion and the military's 
Directorate General Forces Intelligence. 
 
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MATIN EXPRESSES FRUSTRATION WITH THE BNP 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) The meeting between the Ambassador and Home Affairs 
Adviser Matin came the day of Awami League President Sheikh 
Hasina's triumphal return to Bangladesh after more than four 
months abroad on medical parole. (Note: Sheikh Hasina and her 
arch-foe, Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairwoman Khaleda 
Zia, both face multiple charges of graft. Both are out of 
jail, however, and appear eligible to run in the 
Parliamentary elections set for December 18 by the Caretaker 
Government. End note.) Matin estimated nearly 300,000 people 
had come out to cheer her return. 
 
¶3.  (C) Despite the hullabaloo over Hasina's return, Matin 
appeared preoccupied by the BNP's recent negotiations with 
his colleagues in the Caretaker Government. He said Zia was 
continuously making new demands and changing agreements 
previously made. For example, Zia was insisting the 
Government allow BNP members who were convicted of graft to 
run in the Parliamentary elections on December 18. Matin 
asked the Ambassador what the Government should do if the BNP 
decided to boycott the elections.  The Ambassador urged the 
Government to do everything in its power to persuade Zia to 
compete in the election. He suggested, for example, that the 
government give the parties a few extra days to register 
their candidates in accordance with BNP demands. (Note: The 
Government on November 9 extended the deadline for filing 
candidate nominations from November 13 to November 20. End 
note.) The Ambassador and Matin also discussed offering the 
BNP some power in the Parliament should the Awami League win, 
perhaps the deputy speaker position. The Ambassador said the 
BNP would look foolish were the election to be held without 
it and international observers declared the vote free, fair 
and credible. 
 
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AMBASSADOR RAISES SPORTS DIPLOMACY, IED AWARENESS CAMPAIGN 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶4. (C) The Ambassador asked Matin to approve a Sports 
Diplomacy initiative to support community policing. Noting 
the Superindentents of Police in Patuakhali and 
Chapai-Nowabganj wanted to participate in the program after 
school exams in late November, the Ambassador explained the 
only hold up was the lack of a letter from the Home Affairs 
Ministry approving the project. Matin said providing a letter 
should not be a problem. 
 
¶5. (C) The Ambassador also asked Matin to approve the 
Embassy,s counter-violence and IED awareness campaign, 
designed to support Matin,s goal of providing a secure 
environment before and after the elections. The Ambassador 
said the messages to educate the public would be on 
television, radio, and in newspaper advertisements. Matin and 
Karim initially expressed reservations, saying an IED 
awareness program would be interpreted by Bangladeshis 
negatively and would create fear. Karim suggested using imams 
and madrassa teachers to disseminate IED awareness messages; 
communities trusted those religious leaders, who could allay 
public fears. Matin and Karim said they would support the 
 
DHAKA 00001165  002 OF 002 
 
 
program, however, if DGFI and the RAB voiced approval. 
 
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COMMENT: PUSHING FORWARD 
------------------------ 
 
¶6. (C) In follow up to the meeting, the Ambassador will write 
a letter to Matin thanking him for approving the Sports 
Diplomacy program. The letter also will be faxed to 
Superintendents of Police to show there are no more hurdles 
to their participation in the program. The Embassy also will 
seek support from the RAB and DGFI for the anti-violence and 
IED awareness campaign to win final Home Ministry approval. 
That campaign is particularly important to have in place 
before the December election campaign, and the Embassy will 
continue to urge the Ministry to act in all haste. 
 
Moriarty