MILITARY-LED BODY TO COMBAT CRIMES AND CORRUPTION

UNCLAS DHAKA 000411 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM BG SUBJECT: MILITARY-LED BODY TO COMBAT CRIMES AND CORRUPTION (SBU) Summary: The government of Bangladesh has issued a notification formalizing a military dominated "National Coordination Committee" with the army's ninth division General Officer Commanding (GOC),Major General Masud Uddin Chowdhury, as its Chief Coordinator to assist in its ongoing sweep against corruption and serious crimes. The government has also formed metropolitan/zonal committees for seven "Areas" conforming to the existing division of the country into the army's command areas and "Task Forces" for each of the 64 districts with powers to conduct searches and detain suspects without warrants. End Summary. (U) On March 8, the Cabinet Division issued a gazette notification creating a National Coordination Committee headed by Caretaker Government's Advisor Maj. Gen. (Retired) M.A. Matin as its chairman and Bangladesh Army's ninth division GOC, Major General Masud Uddin Chowdhury, as Chief Coordinator. All army GOCs representing and coordinating for their respective command Areas will serve on the committee, which will also include the Secretary to the Chief Advisor's Office, Secretary to the Anti-corruption commission (ACC), Chairman, National Board of Revenue (NBR),Inspector General of Police (IGP) or Additional IGP of the Special Branch, Additional Secretary (Legislative) of the Law Ministry, Director General (DG) SIPDIS or Additional DG of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB),Deputy DG of Bangladesh Rifles, one director each from the National Security Intelligence (NSI)and Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI),Director of Military Operations, Joint Secretary (Political) of the Home Ministry, and a Deputy or Additional Attorney General. (U) The national committee will evaluate and update the lists of criminals prepared by different government departments and agencies, recommend legal action against the listed individuals, coordinate appointment of local or foreign consultants, accountants, auditors and experts to conduct the investigations, and appoint sub-committees to coordinate, monitor, and supervise procedural and legal matters related to the conduct of cases against them. The notification is retroactive to February 4, 2007. (U) A Brigadier-General or an official of equivalent rank heads each of the seven metropolitan/zonal committees for Dhaka-Savar, Ghatail (Tangail),Chittagong, Comilla, Bogra, Rangpur and Jessore Areas. This committee will assign tasks to different Task Forces and coordinate investigation, filing of charges, and prosecution of cases. It will evaluate progress in the cases and recommend appropriate action. If necessary, it will attach or seize the movable and immovable property of the criminals. Each of the 64 districts will have one or more Task Forces headed by a military major or an official of equivalent rank. The metropolitan/zonal committees and the Task Forces have been authorized full access to information about any establishments belonging to the crime and corruption suspects, are granted power to conduct searches and order detentions without warrants and are authorized to retrieve any wealth or money they might have siphoned off the country. (U) Replying to questions from reporters about any overlap between the authorities of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the National Coordination Committee (NCC),NCC Chief Coordinator Chowdhury said his committee is only assisting the ACC, which does not have adequate manpower. ACC chairman and former army chief, Lieutenant General (Retired) Hasan Mashud Chowdhury also termed the creation of the NCC a "positive" step. (SBU) Comment: The NCC structure, flowing down to the district level, resembles, to an extent, the military administrative set-up of the martial law governments that ruled the country in the late 1970s and most of the 1980s. This tactful militarization of the administration may be indicative of the military's resolve to play a vital role in running the country without declaring martial law. End Comment PASI