Opposition announces agitation plans

UNCLAS DHAKA 000917

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV BG
SUBJECT: Opposition announces agitation plans


1. (U) On March 2, opposition Awami league (AL) and its
leftist allies announced a month-long agitation aimed at
ouster of the BNP government. The agitation plans announced
by AL president Sheikh Hasina include 'no confidence human
walls' at all 64 district headquarters on March 13 and at
upazila or sub-district headquarters on March 20, a dawn-to-
dusk nationwide general strike or 'hartal' on March 27,
rallies in industrial belts from April 2-4 in support of the
workers' demands for job security and higher wages, and
support of a labor organization's call for a 48-hour
industrial strike on April 5-6.


2. (U) Addressing a huge rally in downtown Dhaka, Hasina
asked party activists to form 'action committees' in their
respective neighborhoods to carry out the agitation programs
in a renewed attempt to unseat the 'failed' government. She
accused the BNP government of harboring Islamic extremists
and the PM and her family of amassing ill-gotten wealth and
challenged them to test their popularity by calling early
elections.


3. (SBU) According to an AL organizing secretary, Hasina
announced "soft" programs of agitation in a shift from her
hard stance on the oust-government campaign. He said Hasina
used the school exams, scheduled to begin from March 10, as
an excuse not to call hartals for long durations as she has
started focusing more on the next general election campaigns
than on agitation. He believes Hasina is shifting from
hartal-centered political actions to programs like human
chains and rallies that draw bigger crowds. (Note: AL
observed eight days of countrywide hartals from January 29
to February 15. End note) An AL presidium member, however,
told Pol FSN that Hasina has been erratic in setting the
pace of the anti-government agitation.


4. (SBU) Comment: The ineffectiveness and wide indifference
to the AL's recent strikes in mid-February following the
murder of former Finance Minister Kibria and a growing
displeasure within the business community over frequent
calls for disruptive programs no doubt plays a role in
reducing the emphasis on strikes in the new package of
agitation. However, without a viable alternative and with
any momentum lost following the Kibria killing, the AL can
only continue its programs of street political actions and
hope the BNP government over reacts, perhaps sparking some
popular support for the AL cause. End Comment.

THOMAS