BANGLADESH HIGH COMMISSION REFUTES MEA CLAIMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 004932

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2027
TAGS: PREL PGOV BG IN
SUBJECT: BANGLADESH HIGH COMMISSION REFUTES MEA CLAIMS
REGARDING "FRIENDSHIP TRAIN"

Classified By: Political Counselor Ted Osius for reasons 1.4 (b and d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Bangladesh Political Minister in Delhi
dismissed as untrue Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
claims that Bangladesh is unwilling to ensure security of the
"Friendship Train" operations. She asserted that the two
sides continue to search for a mutually acceptable solution
that would preserve the intent of the project as a confidence
building measure. The Minister confirmed that three
Bangladeshi criminals were handed over to Dhaka by India with
more in the pipeline and cited the deportation as proof that
bilateral engagement on cross-border terror and crime was
beginning to bear fruit. She disputed Indian media reports
that Bangladesh had rejected a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty
(MLAT) that India proposed at the October SAARC ministerial
in New Delhi, claiming that her government wanted to review
the document and offer changes before signing the agreement.
Her views are so positive as to be at sharp variance with
official Indian unhappiness with relations with Dhaka. In
contrast, MEA Joint Secretary Tirumurti was subdued in tone
when discussing the state of Indo-Bangladesh relations. END
SUMMARY.

-------------- Border cage around "Friendship Train" dampens CBMs
message --------------


2. (C) In a November 1 meeting, Bangladesh High Commission
Political Minister Mashfee Binte Shams told Poloff that
Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Pinak Chakrabarty's
statement to the press that, "The Bangladesh government is
apparently not willing to help ensure security," is
inaccurate. While the Government of Bangladesh (GOB)
understands the GOI's border security concerns, India's
current proposal to erect a security fence enclosing the
passenger train for 1.5 kilometers from the border into
Indian territory does not remedy the broader problem, Shams
contended. "What kind of a message are we sending if a
Friendship Train, whose primary objective is to promote
people-to-people exchanges as a confidence building measure,
is encompassed by a solid fence?" she mused. Observing that
no extended fence exists for the passenger rail between India
and Lahore, Shams asked wryly, "Does this mean India deems us
to be more threatening than Pakistan?" She said the fence
proposal is emblematic of India's attitude toward Bangladesh
and provided anti-Indian elements within Bangladesh with
leverage. Shams emphasized that rail security discussions
were ongoing, with the GOB endeavoring to implement more
creative solutions that preserve the intent of the project.
Possible solutions include more rigorous patrolling on both
sides of the track and enhanced security on board the trains,
she posited. Venting about the negative coverage of the
Indian press, Shams disclosed that new coverage failed to
report that the GOI presented a modified drawing within the
past few days that included a mesh fence rather than a solid
tunnel-like structure, and the GOB was considering the
proposal.

-------------- Positive movement on cross-border crime and terror --------------


3. (C) Focusing on recent bilateral engagement regarding
cross-border crime and terror, Shams confirmed India media
reports that the GOI recently handed over three criminals
wanted in Bangladesh and confirmed that they were on the list
of 1,590 wanted criminals recently submitted to the GOI for
capture and deportation. In response to queries regarding
media reports that the GOI is pressuring the GOB to clamp
down on 140 Indian rebel camps operating inside Bangladesh,
Shams claimed that MEA had recently told the Bangladeshi High
Commissioner in New Delhi that the GOI was satisfied with
recent GOB efforts against cross-border terrorist and
criminal elements. She reported that the GOB intended to
continue its counter terror efforts, but remarked that
goodwill gestures on the part of India would provide the
Caretaker Government (CTG) with the "political wiggle room"
necessary to combat cross border terror more vigorously.
Shams suggested that Indian concessions on the Teesta River
negotiations, which have floundered since 1997, and the
adverse possession and enclave issues would neutralize
anti-Indian segments of Bangladeshi society and free the CTG
from domestic political considerations when moving against
groups inimical to India. She highlighted the Home Minister
bilateral meeting in August, recent meetings at the Home
Minister-level at the South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) in New Delhi on October 24-25, and
meetings of the Bangladeshi Rifles (BDR) and India's Border
Security Force (BSF) as illustrative of the intensified
constructive engagement regarding security issues.


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-------------- SAARC will turn its attention to Bangladesh's role in
"connectivity" soon --------------


4. (C) Shams foreshadowed that Bangladesh's potential role
in contributing to the 2007 SAARC Summit's theme of
connectivity among member states would become a focal point
for the organization in the coming year, noting that
Bangladesh territory was an element in six of the eight
connectivity routes being discussed by SAARC at the October
ministerial. Although she did not expound on the
connectivity issue in detail, she relayed that the proposals
involved posed "infrastructure and geographical challenges to
us which are as difficult as the political hurdles." Turning
to the SAARC Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) initiated
by the GOI, Shams disputed Indian press reports that
Bangladesh rejected the proposal. She stated that Bangladesh
favored the SAARC MLAT in principle but needed more time to
study and digest the agreement. She confirmed that
Bangladesh will submit a counter draft of the MLAT to SAARC
by January.

-------------- GOB's readout of India's Bangladesh policymakers --------------


5. (C) Speaking in confidence, Shams lamented that some MEA
officials made bilateral relations more difficult than
others. In particular, External Affairs Minister Pranab
Mukherjee's historical background on Bangladesh issues "bound
him to preconceived notions of present day realities that are
not always beneficial to the relationship." She declined to
provide specifics, but revealed previous Joint Secretary
(Bangladesh, Burma, Sri Lanka, Maldives) Mohan Kumar's
"forward-looking and energized approach" to the bilateral
relationship was sorely missed, particularly when contrasted
with the apparent closed-door policy of his successor, T.S.
Tirumurti, who has refused numerous requests for meetings
from the diplomatic community in the wake of events in Burma.

-------------- MEA seeks to create momentum on cross-border
criminal/terror issue --------------


6. (C) Joint Secretary Tirumurti told PolCouns on November 6
that the GOI's handover of three criminals to Bangladeshi
authorities was a goodwill gesture designed to get create
momentum on the stalled cross border criminal and terrorist
issue. (NOTE: GOB recently submitted a note for the
deportation of 1,590 prisoners. The three criminals returned
were included in the list. END NOTE.) In summing up the
GOI's impetus for the delivery of the criminals, he said that
the two sides had "talked about the issues and exchanged
documents for too long, and we have to actually start the
process somewhere." Tirumurti was pleased when the PolCouns
summarized Shams' assessment of the current state of the
Indo-Bangladesh bilateral relationship. Tirumurti did not
reply to PolCouns' inquiry regarding the Friendship Train but
said that he would obtain an update from his staff and inform
PolCouns accordingly.


7. (C) COMMENT: The Bangladesh High Commission's perception
of Indo-Bangladesh bilateral relations is considerably more
positive than the Indian media's portayal. It is clear from
Shams' characterization that, while the two sides continue to
negotiate acceptable security measures for the Friendship
Train, operationalization of the passenger rail service is
not imminent. In addition, Shams' assessment of the GOI's
satisfaction with GOB efforts to thwart cross border
terrorism and neutralize base camps of groups with interests
inimical to India is in sharp contrast with past MEA
statements of frustration regarding concrete action on the
part of the GOB. Tirumurt, who has been consumed by Burma's
problems since assuming his new portfolio, has little to
offer on the state of Indo-Bangladesh relations, but recent
public comments by the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh
indicate that the GOI remains concerned with the GOB's
commitment to cross-border terror and crime. END COMMENT.
WHITE