DELHI AND DHAKA TRY TO DIAL DOWN THE HEAT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 006513 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/19/2026 TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL PTER KDEM KTIA KISL MOPS PBTSBG, IN, BG SUBJECT: DELHI AND DHAKA TRY TO DIAL DOWN THE HEAT Classified By: Political Counselor Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: After weeks of tough talk about cross border insurgency, disputed boundaries, and illegal Bangladeshi immigration, both sides agreed at the recent Indo-Bangladeshi Home Secretary-level talks to tone down the rhetoric and undertake a "joint visit initiative" to resolve boundary disputes, continue to show the "utmost restraint" to avoid clashes between border forces, pursue transit right negotiations, and finalize an extradition treaty (Bangladesh's only other extradition treaty is with Thailand). END SUMMARY -------------- Accusations and admissions -------------- ¶2. (C) The atmospherics in recent visiting PolCouns/Dhaka and poloff meetings with MEA, the Bangladeshi High Commission, think tankers and journalists is that the 7th Indo-Bangladesh Home Secretary-level meetings that took place on the 24-27 August were more a reaffirmation of joint interest and the need to cooperate more closely in bilateral affairs than a hard-hitting discussion on critical issues. Mr. Sanjiv Kohli, the MEA Director for Bangladesh, asserted that the GOI presented the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) with substantive evidence that terrorist elements involved in the Mumbai bombings had infiltrated India from Bangladesh. He did not divulge the specifics. Conversely, when poloffs queried Ms. Mushfee Bintu Shams, the Political Minister at the High Commission of Bangladesh, she waved off the evidence as "the same old thing," and said that, "they always claim to have evidence but it is never concrete." The Political Minister did admit, however, that there were terrorist elements occupying both sides of the border with designs to destabilize both countries. She noted that "terrorism is not a one way street". Both sides agreed that the only way to curb transborder terrorism was to continue to talk and engage. -------------- The Hatfields and the McCoys -------------- ¶3. (C) Regarding the recent Indian Border Security Force (BSF) and Bangladeshi Rifles (BDR) clashes in Assam in early August, Ashok Das, MEA's former Assistant High Commissioner in Chittagong, insisted that Bangladeshis were responsible for all border aggressions and violations. MEA's Mr. Kohli was more restrained in his analysis and stressed that the both sides needed to communicate more closely on the governmental, media, and citizenry levels to ease tensions and avert further skirmishes. He also pointed out that progress was made on the resolution of longstanding boundary and fencing disputes with the Joint Boundary Working Group's (JBWG) upcoming initial "joint visit". The Bangladeshi Political Minister said that the border clashes were regrettable but also noted that they happen frequently. She added that in areas absent of fencing along the 4,200 kilometer shared border it was impossible to distinguish boundaries which leads to actual and perceived incursions and a rise in border tensions. She also alluded to part of the 1974 exchange of land between India and Bangladesh and claimed that India never turned over land to the GOB as specified in the agreement. While less than optimistic regarding the finalization of the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement, both sides are resigned to the fact that negotiations were the only solution and must continue. NEW DELHI 00006513 002 OF 002 -------------- The vehemence of India's "Best and Brightest" ¶4. (C) Meetings with Indian think tankers left one over-arching impression: The Indians believe that Bangladesh bears all the responsibility for the current bilateral problems and some of India's internal woes. Poloffs met with a panel of four research officers and fellows from the Institute of Conflict Management and Peace Studies and were struck by the intensity of their conviction that illegal Bangladeshi immigration was de-stabilizing their country, that it was undeniable that cross border terrorism was originating from Bangladesh, and that the Bangladeshis were responsible for all outbreaks of violence between border forces. The same sentiments were communicated by Dr. Ajai Sahni, the Executive Director for the Institute of Conflict Management. He echoed the stance of Institute for Conflict Management and Peace Studies more forcefully and said that he would send poloffs concrete evidence that Indian insurgent groups and terrorists were using Bangladesh as a haven for their operations against India. NOTE: Poloff will follow up to obtain the "evidence" offered by Dr. Sahni, but it is not expected to go beyond press reports. END NOTE -------------- "We are grateful but deserve respect" -------------- ¶5. (C) Ms. Sham's discussions regarding Indo/Bangla negotiations for waterway rights (negotiations on one of fifty-three rivers have been successfully concluded), borders, natural gas, or road transit issues, had a consistent undercurrent: While the Bangladeshis appreciate India's assistance in Bangladesh's 1971 independence, the Bangladeshi perception is that India lords it over them and expects concessionary terms in all negotiations for support extended over thirty years ago. -------------- A slow road ahead -------------- ¶6. (C) COMMENT: It is clear that negotiations regarding border disputes, fencing, transit and waterway rights will drag on. It appears that one of the major obstacles in any Indo-Bangla negotiations is the overriding perception by the Bangladeshis that India acts as the disciplined father with an ungrateful child, demanding concessionary terms in all areas of the bilateral relationship. However, India showed a lot of restraint during the recent BDR borders incursions and continues to work toward tempering its media's periodic condemnation of Bangladesh concerning illegal immigration and cross-border terrorism. END COMMENT MULFORD