UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FACES CORRUPTION CHARGES

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 000956 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE/G/TIP FOR SALLY NEUMANN E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2017 TAGS: PGOV KDEM KWMN PHUM BG SUBJECT: UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FACES CORRUPTION CHARGES Classified By: DCM Geeta Pasi, reason para 1.4(d) ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. On June 7, police filed corruption charged against Sigma Huda, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons and the head of two prominent Bangladeshi non-governmental organization. Huda's husband, a former minister, was arrested in January on corruption charges, while Sigma is being investigated for allegedly involving NGOs in illegal deals. She has been barred from leaving Bangladesh because authorities say she is a flight risk. END SUMMARY. SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS =================== ¶2. (SBU) Sigma Huda, a prominent Bangladeshi lawyer and the wife of former Bangladesh Nationalist Party Communications Minister Nazrul Huda, has been charged with corruption and barred from leaving the country. According to press accounts, Sigma, in her capacity as publisher of a news magazine, received three checks amounting to 240 million taka ($3.6 million) from a contractor of the Roads and Highway Department, which was part of her husband's ministry. Police filed charges against her on June 7. Nazrul Huda, who was imprisoned in the first anti-corruption sweep in late January, is facing additional charges, including abuse of power and receiving kickbacks from the sale of government-owned property. Sigma is also under investigation for participating in some of these deals. A PROMINENT ACTIVIST ==================== ¶3. (SBU) Sigma is the secretary general of the Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights (BSEHR) and is the president of the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA). The two organizations are among the most prominent anti-trafficking and human rights NGOs in Bangladesh. In 2004, Sigma was appointed to a three-year term as UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons. Since the allegations against her were raised, she has not been active with either organization. STANDS ACCUSED OF INVOLVING NGO'S IN CORRUPT DEALS ============================================= ====== ¶4. (C) One of the charges being prepared against Nazrul Huda claims he received kickbacks for allocating land owned by Bangladesh Railways (which he oversaw in his position as Communications Minister) to BSEHR. The second NGO, BNWLA, claimed Sigma tried several times to involve them in suspect deals, but they resisted. A senior official at BNWLA told POLOFF they were "relieved" she is no longer active with the organization. CONSIDERED A FLIGHT RISK ======================== ¶5. (SBU) Huda was scheduled to attend a UN conference in Geneva in mid-June. Because of the charges against her, the government has declared her a flight risk and barred her from leaving the country. ¶6. (SBU) Post will continue to monitor developments in this case closely. BUTENIS