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