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