REVIEW PANEL TO RECOMMEND UN TERRORISM FINANCING CONVENTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 002088 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/03/2010 TAGS: AFIN PTER BG BG SUBJECT: REVIEW PANEL TO RECOMMEND UN TERRORISM FINANCING CONVENTION Classified By: P/E Counselor D.C. McCullough, reason para 1. 4 d. ¶1. (C) On May 3, RLA and Econchief called on Finance Secretary Zakir Ahmad Khan to discuss the inter-ministerial SIPDIS panel Khan heads to review the UN Convention on Terrorist Financing. Khan stated that the panel would meet May 7 and formally recommend that the BDG sign the Convention. The panel's only concern, he said, was the extent to which Bangladeshi laws must be amended but now believes such changes will be minor. The panel's recommendation goes to the Law Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, and then the PMO. According to Khan, there is PMO interest in adopting a broad law to cover BDG obligations on terrorism financing since fine-tuning existing laws might take time. ¶2. (SBU) RLA noted that the UN legal department has drafted model legislation to comport with the convention. Khan asked for a copy, which RLA undertook to provide. ¶3. (C) RLA also offered further assistance in drafting and pushing through amendments to Bangladesh's 2002 Anti-Money Laundering Act. Khan agreed that getting a Financial Intelligence Union (FIU) up and running is a priority. He also seemed receptive to the idea of a task force to investigate and prosecute illicit transactions identified by the FIU. ¶4. (C) Comment: BDG officials had expressed concern that the Terrorist Financing Convention might capture legitimate contributions from Bangladeshi expatriates to hometown charities, particularly religious schools. It is encouraging that the BDG appears to have realized that this is not a problem, and that the review panel is already poised to recommend signing the Convention. CHAMMAS