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PP RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHNEH RUEHPW
DE RUEHKA #0062/01 0190952
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 190952Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
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INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0135
RHHJJPI/PACOM IDHS HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 000062 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
H PLEASE PASS TO JASMEET AHUJA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KDEM PHUM IS BG
SUBJECT: STAFFDEL AHUJA DISCUSSES ENVIRONMENT AND INDIA, 
PRESSES REPEAL OF ISRAEL BOYCOTT 
 
REF: DHAKA 19 
 
Summary 
------- 
¶1. (SBU) Professional Staff Member of the House Committee 
on Foreign Affairs Jasmeet Ahuja's January 12 - 14 visit to 
Bangladesh highlighted the importance of cooperation 
between the U.S. and Bangladesh to combat terrorism and 
climate change.  Ahuja also pressed Bangladesh to lift its 
trade boycott against Israel.  During her trip, Ahuja met 
with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the opposition 
Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, other 
senior political leaders, non-governmental organizations 
and think-tanks and the American Chamber of Commerce. 
 
Focus on Ending Israel Boycott and Broader Cooperation 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Ahuja told Muhammad Ali Sorcar, Director General 
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Americas and Pacific 
Wing, that Chairman Berman and other Members of Congress 
were disappointed with Bangladesh's handling of the 
Avery-Dennison case (reftel) and that Bangladesh should 
repeal its boycott or risk Congressional reaction.  Sorcar 
said the boycott did not come under the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs but under the Ministry of Commerce, but promised to 
look into it.  When Ahuja expressed disappointment with 
Bangladesh's recent human rights votes in the United 
Nations about North Korea and Iran, Sorcar responded that 
Bangladesh did not want to politicize the General Assembly 
and therefore opposed any discussion of Human Rights 
issues.  Sorcar said Bangladesh preferred that these issues 
be referred to the UN's Human Rights Committee, instead. 
These two contentious matters aside, Ahuja praised 
Bangladesh for its democratically-elected government and 
both she and Sorcar agreed there was a great deal our two 
countries could do together. 
 
Opposition Criticizes Prime Minister,s India Visit( 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Ahuja's meeting with leaders of the Bangladesh 
Nationalist Party occurred during Prime Minister Hasina,s 
state visit to India and the trip dominated the 
conversation.  Reaz Rehman, former Bangladesh Foreign 
Secretary and former Permanent Representative to the United 
Nations, told Ahuja that it did not matter if Hasina got 
along well in India -- he said the Prime Minister did not 
have to make friends, the people of the two countries 
needed to be friends.  The two countries had a great deal 
in common, including fighting side-by-side for Bangladesh's 
independence in 1971 and a common threat from India's 
northeast, and should be making common ground here, 
according to Rahman. 
 
( and Expect PM to Offer Hand of Reconcilliation 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶4. (SBU) The Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders told 
Ahuja they were committed to a democratic Bangladesh and 
wanted to work with the current Awami League government. 
They said they went to the opening of parliament in January 
2009 in good faith but were rebuffed by Prime Minister 
Hasina.  They were willing to end their boycott of 
parliament, but Hasina would have to reach out to them 
first; they said it was her responsibility as Prime 
Minister. 
 
Rapid Action Battalion 
---------------------- 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) Ahuja asked the Bangladesh Nationalist Party 
leaders about the Rapid Action Battalion, which she 
pointed out was created by a Bangladesh Nationalist 
Party government in 2004.  Party Advisor Shafik 
Rehman said the Rapid Action Battalion was even more brutal 
now than it was during the Caretaker Government and should 
be disbanded. 
 
Civil Society Leaders Look to Future 
------------------------------------ 
 
 
DHAKA 00000062  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) In wide-ranging conversations with civil society 
representatives, Ahuja discussed the human rights situation 
in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Hasina's trip to India, and 
the impact of climate change.  Adilur Rahman Khan of 
Bangladesh's leading human rights non-governmental 
organization, Odikhar, detailed how the government was 
systematically directing money away from Odikhar and trying 
to shut it down.  Farooq Sobhan of the Bangladesh 
Enterprise Institute stressed to Ahuja the importance of 
the Prime Minister's meetings in India.  Bangladesh needed 
greater trade with India.  He said Hasina's intervention 
could move Bangladesh from a six percent annual growth rate 
to nine percent. 
 
Climate Change a Key Challenge 
------------------------------ 
 
¶7. (SBU) Professor Monwar Hossain of the Bangladesh 
University of Engineering and Technology outlined the 
implications of global climate change for Bangladesh.  He 
said it was important not to get lost in the political 
rhetoric between the Awami League and the Bangladesh 
Nationalist Parties -- arguing over this or that dam was 
not going to solve the serious and very real problems 
Bangladesh faced.  Ahuja and Hossain agreed that before 
solutions were offered, serious study was required, and it 
was there where the United States could help. 
 
Jamaat-e-Islami Ponders Potential Ban 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) When he was asked what his party would do if the 
government was successful in its apparent intention of 
banning religious parties, Barrister Abdul Razzaq of 
Jamaat-e-Islami answered Jamaat would likely turn to a 
Turkish model where Jamaat would change its name to 
something secular but retain its Islamic principles.  He 
said, however, that he believed these Islamic principles 
were misunderstood in both the United States and large 
swaths of Bangladesh.  Jamaat, he said, was committed to 
democracy and women's empowerment, and he did not 
understand why the government would do something so 
undemocratic as to ban certain political parties. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Together with two other Congressional Staff 
Delegations which visited Bangladesh in late January, 
Staffdel Ahuja's visit to Bangladesh reflected welcome 
interest and growing momentum in U.S.-Bangladesh ties. 
Ms. Ahuja shared views from the Congress with the Bangladesh 
Government, opposition, and civil society on issues which 
reinforced our efforts to promote democracy, prosperity 
and security in Bangladesh.  We will follow-up on 
her discussions on Bangladesh's ban on trade with Israel 
to push toward to a positive resolution. 
 
¶10. (U) Professional Staff Member Jasmeet Ahuja cleared 
this cable. 
MORIARTY