THE MAN TO SEE: CDA A.I. AND ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DHAKA 001418

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/PB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2017
TAGS: PGOV ASEC KDEM PHUM PREL BG
SUBJECT: THE MAN TO SEE: CDA A.I. AND ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF
GENERAL MOEEN DISCUSS POLITICAL SITUATION AND CARETAKER
GOVERNMENT'S PLANS

REF: DHAKA 951

Classified By: CDA A.I. Geeta Pasi, Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (C) Summary. Providing insight into the complicated
relationship between the army and caretaker government, Chief
of Army Staff General Moeen Uddin Ahmed told CDA a.i. that
the recent violence had been a wake up call for the regime
and outlined a series of steps that would be taken in the
coming days to resume implementation of the electoral
roadmap. He emphasized the restraint that the army and
police had shown in the face of provocations by
demonstrators, and admitted that there had been pressure from
within the ranks to respond more forcefully. CDA a.i.
stressed the urgency of opening up the political process by
lifting the ban on politics, and highlighted the importance
of respecting human rights. Moeen was frank about the
caretaker government's uneven performance, limited capacity,
and lack of political savvy and indicated that we would see
an expansion of the Council of Advisors as part of a package
of policy initiatives to be announced in early September.
Moeen emphasized the army's role in supporting the caretaker
government and assured us that the military would not
overstep its constitutional bounds. Moeen and CDA a.i.
agreed on the need for the caretaker government to improve
its communications strategy, including strengthening dialogue
with civil society, protecting press freedom, and reaching
out to the international community. End Summary

Confident Army Chief Meets with Charge d'Affaires a.i.
============================================= =========


2. (C) A confident and relaxed Chief of Army Staff, General
Moeen Uddin Ahmed, received the CDA a.i. at his office August

28. CDA a.i. was accompanied by Political Counselor, and
General Moeen was joined by his Aide de Camp. Moeen
explained that he had bypassed normal protocol channels to
see CDA a.i. once he became aware that we were seeking a
meeting. Moeen expressed appreciation for the support
expressed by the USG since the caretaker government took
office in January 2007, in particular during the recent wave
of violent demonstrations.


3. (C) As he had told the Council of Advisors in private,
Moeen told us that there would be hiccups on the road towards
elections, but he was committed to seeing these take place
before the end of 2008. CDA a.i. welcomed this assurance,
noting the vital importance of keeping to the electoral
roadmap and the immediate lifting of the ban on politics as a
prerequisite to essential political dialogue.

Wake Up Call for Caretaker Government
=====================================


4. (C) Moeen confided that during a recent one-on-one
meeting he had told Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed that the
recent violence was a "wake up call." Moeen bemoaned the
lack of political savvy on the part of the Council of
Advisors, noting that they lacked "tentacles" into civil
society. In addition, he argued that the caretaker
government had to develop better relations with the media,
and moreover had to develop a comprehensive communications
strategy, including an end to press harassment.
Acknowledging that the government's own actions were at times
self-defeating, Moeen said he had tried to dissuade the Home
Ministry's from charging thousands of unnamed individuals
with crimes related to the demonstrations. Moeen said he
realized that this antiquated practice only served to confuse
the public and create public relations challenges for the
government.

Give the People What They Want
==============================


5. (C) Recognizing that the caretaker government's
popularity had fallen, Moeen said that he was involved in the
preparation of a package of initiatives that the caretaker
government would present to the public in the coming weeks.
He previewed this for us, noting that the package would be
presented by the Chief Advisor in a public address to the
nation o/a September 10. It would include the lifting of the
ban on indoor politics, a limit to the scope of the
anti-corruption drive, increased opportunities for small

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traders, an increase in the minimum wage for garment workers,
and a moratorium on building code enforcement. Moeen said he
was looking for additional items that could be included in
this "basket of good news." At the same time, he and the
Chief Advisor would meet with the business community to show
that the regime was business-friendly and to take some of the
"panic" out of the private sector.

What Went Wrong Last Week
=========================


6. (C) In less strident tones than reported by the press,
Moeen explained how a relatively minor scuffle between army
officers and students at the university had blossomed into
countrywide demonstrations last week. He said that the
situation would have been easily defused by the army agreeing
to pull back from the campus had Dhaka University Teachers
not interfered and added new demands. He also claimed that
politicians had provided funds to demonstrators and also
added their own people to the students who were protesting.


7. (C) Moeen said that the army troops and police involved
in controlling the demonstrations had shown great restraint
in the face of provocations, which included a number of their
own being injured. He said that commanders had been
compelled to "cool down" their subordinates who had wanted to
take a harder line. Moeen confided that there were bad
feelings among some in the military who had been restrained
from responding more directly to attacks. He expressed
satisfaction with the results of the curfew, and said he
believed the worst was over. He predicted that with the
curfew being raised, future steps would include the gradual
re-opening of universities, with Dhaka University likely be
the last to reopen.

Importance of Human Rights and Rule of Law
==========================================


8. (C) CDA a.i. emphasized the importance of security
forces respecting human rights and the rule of law during the
state of emergency, noting the importance placed on these
issues by the USG and the international community. Moeen
agreed, and highlighted the steps taken by the army to avoid
abuses and punish those accused of misdeeds. He noted that
an officer had been court-martialed and dismissed from the
service for his role in the custodial death of Garo tribal
activist Choilesh Ritchil (reftel). CDA a.i. urged Moeen to
publicize actions taken by the army to discipline those
accused of human right abuses, including members of the Rapid
Action Battalion.

Strengthening Caretaker Government
==================================


9. (C) In addition to the package of policy initiatives
being prepared for early September, Moeen said that there
were plans to expand the current Council of Advisors by
adding consultants who would serve as virtual Ministers of
State. Moeen said that it had become apparent that the
caretaker government provisions in the constitution (which
limited the number of advisors to 10) were inadequate. Apart
from their lack of political skill, the advisors did not
coordinate effectively and the caretaker government's
decision making structure was dysfunctional. For example, it
took the advisors over an hour to decide whether to issue a
curfew, close the university, and curtail media freedom
during the recent demonstrations. "What should have taken
seven minutes took over an hour," Moeen complained.

Preparing For (maybe early) Elections
=====================================


10. (C) Outlining the ways in which the army was supporting
the caretaker government, Moeen described efforts to provide
flood relief and assist with voter registration and
education. He said that it might be possible to move the
elections forward, perhaps to October 2008, assuming that the
preparations could be completed by that time. He offered to
facilitate diplomatic visits to registration sites, and said
that the process was moving forward with army officials
working with civilians.

No Martial Law

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==============


11. (C) Moeen acknowledged that there was much speculation
about military plans to institute martial law. He said that
he had resisted calls to impose military rule in January 2007
and would continue to do so. He assured CDA a.i. that the
army would remain in support of the caretaker government.

Let's Keep in Touch
===================


12. (C) CDA a.i. and General Moeen agreed that it was
useful to exchange views from time to time, and agreed to
keep in touch. Moeen said that he looked forward to
receiving visiting senior USG officials. Moeen also said
that among the reforms of the Chief Advisor's office that
were being planned was the appointment of an individual
charged with liaison with the international community. This
should help the caretaker government coordinate better with
international partners.

Comment
=======


13. (C) Moeen's analysis of the challenges facing the
caretaker government, his assessment of its strengths and
weaknesses, and his prescription for implementing the roadmap
were all very reassuring. He maintains that the Bangladesh
Army and the USG want the same things--an effective caretaker
government that is able to implement the electoral roadmap
and enact reforms that will lead to free and fair elections
by the end of 2008. The steps Moeen outlined to regain
popular support and strengthen the caretaker government's
capacity appear sound, and also reflect an acknowledgment
that a failure to follow this path would bode ill for the
country and the army as an institution.
PASI