AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 002485

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2016
TAGS: BG PGOV PHUM PREL PTER
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION

Classified By: Ambassador Patricia Butenis, reason para 1.4 (d)


1. (SBU) Summary: Ambassador Butenis and USAID Director
called on Dr. Md. Osman Farruk, Minister of Education on 23
April 2006. The planned 30 minute call lasted almost one
hour, with the Minister touching on everything from the
BDG,s successes in education to his predictions on the
upcoming election and the future leadership of his party,
Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and the country. Minister
reiterated the open and frank relationship he has maintained
with the USG and highlighted the importance for both sides of
a continued strong Bangladesh-USG association. End Summary


2. (SBU) Ambassador made her initial courtesy call on Dr. Md.
Osman Farruk, Minister of Education on 23 April 2006.
Ambassador opened the dialogue noting with appreciation how
much the USG valued his views because of his long experience
with the World Bank and as one of a few cabinet members able
to understand where we were coming from and to articulate
where the BDG was going. Minister responded he has found the
exchange with previous ambassadors fruitful and hopes the USG
felt the same.


3. (SBU) Ambassador inquired about the BDG,s plans for
improving education. Minister highlighted how dedicated the
Prime Minister is to education and in particular girl,s
education. Figures bear out their claims of success with
enrollment at 93% and almost gender parity between girl and
boy students. He pointed to this government,s girl,s
stipend program as a positive innovation for keeping girls in
school. The program provides the families of girl students a
monthly stipend for keeping the girls in school as long as
they have 75% attendance, are not married and maintain 40%
marks. He mentioned they have around 4.0 million girls
receiving stipends. He said, this not only contributes to a
better educated female populace, but would help in health and

family planning by delaying marriages and thus deferring
first birth. He takes credit for breaking the mindset of
cheating as a previously acceptable practice. At first he
encountered opposition amongst his fellow cabinet members,
but eventually gained their support. Also, he has turned
textbook publishing over to the private sector in an attempt
to reduce corruption in the production and distribution.


4. (SBU) Madrassah education is an area of concern to many in
the government. He has pushed to have the madrassahs come
under the Madrassah Board requiring them to teach the
government curriculum. This type of madrassah is referred to
as &alia.8 He indicated the BDG is making headway in this
area, but not with those madrassahs not under BDG control
called &qwami8 madrassahs.


5. (C) Responding to his prediction on the upcoming election,
he said his analysis indicated the BNP has around 40-45%
popular support with around 35-40% for the Awami League (AL).
The swing is Jamaat Islami (JI) with around 8%. The other
parties, including Ershad,s, are too inconsequential to be
considered in the mix. On seats, he predicted the BNP would
win around 160 seats with JI another 15 and AL around 110.
With the BNP-JI coalition still strong, he predicts they will
win again. The Ambassador noted, if the Minister was correct,
the BNP would have a majority of seats without the JI. He did
not respond.


6. (C) On the future of the BNP, he highlighted the growing
strength of PM,s son, Tarique Rahman, within the party with
his following considered as the &new generation8 of the
BNP. The Minister admitted this has created tensions between
the BNP old and the new guard. The Minister indicated how
impressed he has been on Tarique,s political acumen. He told
the Ambassador that when he returned to Bangladesh in 2001 to
run for office, he was directed to Tarique who handed him an
envelope which contained information on the constituency
where he was running, including talking points on issues of
importance to the people of the area and what party messages
should be delivered. The Minister said that at Tarique,s
residence there is a battery of computers filled with data
and analyses of the 300 parliamentary districts. He also
noted that in moving around the countryside, Tarique has
along with him Ministers or MPs from those areas, but they
have taken back seats to him.


7. (C) On the future government, assuming a BNP victory, he
said that Khaleda Zia would continue as PM as she still has
things she wants to complete, with Tarique taking on an
influential Ministry, (none was named). To the Ambassador,s
query would the PM hand the leadership over to Tarique at
some point and move on to be President, the Minister said
emphatically that was not in the plans. He did say that the
face of a BNP cabinet would be different. He pointed out the
current cabinet initially was to have only 29 members, but
after Tarique and some of his colleagues heard about it, they
realized there would be little or no room for new ministers,
so Tarique insisted upon an expanded cabinet including State
or junior ministers. The Minister relayed he had problems
with his State minister until he made it clear to the PM, the
education portfolio was his and he would set the policy and
trends and the State minister was there to follow.


8. (SBU) The meeting closed with a clear indication from the
Minister of his desire to continue the relationship he has
established with previous ambassadors. Ambassador Butenis
again indicated the value the USG places on the relationship
and sees it continuing.
CHAMMAS