Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07DHAKA1668
2007-10-22 10:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Dhaka
Cable title:  

KIDNAPPED BANGLADESHI NGO WORKER IN AFGHANISTAN

Tags:  PREL PTER BG AF XD 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0006
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKA #1668 2951059
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 221059Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5326
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0098
C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 001668 

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PASS TO: DOD/OSD/OUSD(P)/ISA/NESA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2022
TAGS: PREL PTER BG AF XD
SUBJECT: KIDNAPPED BANGLADESHI NGO WORKER IN AFGHANISTAN

Classified By: CDA a.i. Geeta Pasi for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 001668

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PASS TO: DOD/OSD/OUSD(P)/ISA/NESA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2022
TAGS: PREL PTER BG AF XD
SUBJECT: KIDNAPPED BANGLADESHI NGO WORKER IN AFGHANISTAN

Classified By: CDA a.i. Geeta Pasi for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (SBU) Summary: The Government of Bangladesh is working
with Afghan authorities on the case of Nurul Islam, a
Bangladeshi NGO worker who was abducted in Afghanistan on
September 15. The Government of Bangladesh announced
October 11 that arrests related to the case had been made in
Afghanistan. Working-level GOB contacts tell us USG
assistance is desired, but no details or specific requests
have been provided. End Summary.


2. (C) EMBOFF October 8 raised the status of Nurul Islam
with the Embassy,s working-level counterpart at the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Islam, an employee of the
Bangladesh-based non-governmental organization BRAC, was
kidnapped September 15 in Afghanistan, where he has been
working for BRAC. According to the MFA, Bangladesh Chief
Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed discussed the case with President of
Afghanistan Hamid Karzai on the margins of recent UNGA
meetings, and the MFA was working with the Embassy of
Afghanistan in Dhaka. On October 11, an MFA press release
indicated that efforts continue to secure the release of
Nurul Islam and that four arrests related to the case had
been made in Afghanistan.


3. (C) Foreign Advisor Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury initially
raised the case of Nurul Islam with Deputy Assistant
Secretary Gastright during a meeting on September 19. During

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a broader discussion, Chowdhury described Bangladesh,s
various contributions to international peace and stability,
including details about Bangladeshi contributions to UN
peace-keeping efforts in Africa and the fact that BRAC has
been working in Afghanistan since 2002. Chowdhury noted that
one of BRAC,s employees (Nurul Islam) had been kidnapped in
Afghanistan's Logar province and that the GOB was working to
secure the release of the employee. Following this meeting,
the Bangladeshi press reported that Foreign Advisor Chowdhury
had requested USG assistance in securing the release of Nurul
Islam.


4. (C) When a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official was
queried about the case and Bangladesh,s request for
assistance from the United States, the official indicated USG
assistance was still welcome, but offered no additional
details on what sort of assistance was desired.

Pasi