HASINA DISMISSES ZIA'S OFFER OF DIALOGUE

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 001072 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/2011 TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM BG SUBJECT: HASINA DISMISSES ZIA'S OFFER OF DIALOGUE Classified By: A/DCM D.C. McCullough, reason para 1.4 d. ¶1. (SBU) On March 1, opposition Awami League (AL) leader Sheikh Hasina dismissed as unnecessary Prime Minister Zia,s offer in parliament to form a committee to discuss proposed electoral reforms. Speaking to a mass rally in Chittagong, Hasina declared that her proposals were clear and required no further discussion, and that Zia's offer of dialogue was a ploy to mask a BNP "conspiracy" to steal the next election. She promised (another) "oust government movement" if the BNP refused to accept her proposals, and announced plans to besiege Election Commission (EC) offices across the country on March 12 to protest the EC's insistence on creating a new voter list from scratch. ¶2. (SBU) Hasina also blamed the BDG for the recent fire in a Chittagong garment factory that killed around 50 workers, and blasted it for failing to solve acts of political violence and the 2004 Chittagong arms haul. An AL government, she said, would expand the railway tracks from Chittagong to Cox's Bazaar, construct a suspension bridge over the Karnaphuli river, add a Chittagong deep sea port extension, and promote the development of the Chittagong Hill Tracts as a tourist area. ¶3. (SBU) AL presidium member Suranjit Sengupta told us that he doubted Zia's sincerity in discussing reform proposals, but claimed that Hasina did not "outright reject" Zia,s offer. Another AL leader, Mukul Bose, predicted that the AL would probably respond favorably to the PM. ¶4. (C) Comment: Even Bangladeshi newspapers normally critical of the BDG have welcomed Zia's offer of dialogue as a tentative step forward. The good news is that while the two ladies show no sign of being willing to actually compromise on a core position, they have both become more mindful of the importance of occupying the moral high ground and appearing to be the relatively reasonable party in their wearisome disputes. Such sensitivity to the spotlight is our best tool for pressing them to leave some holds barred in the next election. CHAMMAS