BNP REFORMER DISCUSSES STATE OF INTERNAL BNP

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 001149

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2017
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PHUM BG
SUBJECT: BNP REFORMER DISCUSSES STATE OF INTERNAL BNP
POLITICS


Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Elizabeth Gourlay; reason
1.4(d)


1. (C) Summary. On July 9, Bangladesh Nationalist Party
(BNP) former MP Dr. Ziaul Haque Molla told POLOFF about the
state of reform efforts taking place within the BNP. He said
the BNP senior leaders are attempting to convince the
National Executive Council to enact reforms, but that Zia is
fighting back. Molla believes that for reforms to happen Zia
must be arrested. End summary.

BNP REFORMERS OPTIMISTIC BUT...
--------------


2. (C) Former Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) MP Dr. Ziaul
Haque Molla was optimistic the BNP reformers would succeed in
pushing their reforms forward. Molla told POLOFF that this
would be the only opportunity for honest politicians to make
changes since liberation. He said that an estimated 1,000
council members and potential Zia supporters have been
arrested or are in hiding. &No quorum is needed so we think
that many will side with us.8 He conceded that only Khaleda
Zia as chair had the authority to call for a meeting of the
2,500 person National Executive Council (NEC) and that the
reformers don,t yet have the two-thirds majority needed to
change the BNP constitution.

...ZIA FIGHTS BACK
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3. (C) Molla said senior BNP leaders are meeting with groups
of local leaders and telling them about the reform efforts.
This will be a slow process and &we will not know for
another three to four months if we have convinced all the
local leaders.8 Molla said that Zia is fighting back and
calling the same local leaders on the telephone and asking
them to resist the reforms. &Most of them are illiterate and
susceptible to her charm.8


4. (C) Asked about the ban on politics, Molla said that the
army tolerates small groups discussing politics. He added
that were the ban on politics lifted, &the loyal supporters
of Zia would crush the reform movement.8 He said that
while the reform movement had the tacit support of the
government, many reformers were cautious about traveling to
their home districts fearing physical attacks from Zia
loyalists.

ARMY DEVELOPS OPTIONS
--------------


5. (C) Molla admitted that the army does not believe "one
hundred percent" that the BNP can reform the party and so are
preparing other options such as supporting the formation of
Ferdaus Quarishi's yet unnamed party. Molla added that
starting a new party is difficult especially for someone who
has never been an MP. Molla opined that the army's plan to
appoint civilian district coordinators composed of ex-army
officers and bureaucrats was an effort for the army to have
their own local level political network were the party reform
efforts fail.


7. (C) Comment: The BNP political structure is heavily
centralized in Zia's hands, making reform difficult. In
addition, if reforms occur the party might need to spend time
to rebuild itself. Molla made this clear when he told
poloff, "We need to have Zia arrested so we can complete our
reforms. As for the date of the election, we are mentally
prepared to go past 2008."
PASI