STATE OF EMERGENCY IN BANGLADESH RELAXED: NGOS AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 001153 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/04/2018 TAGS: KDEM PGOV PHUM PREL BG SUBJECT: STATE OF EMERGENCY IN BANGLADESH RELAXED: NGOS AND POLITICAL ACTIVISTS HUNGER FOR MORE Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) SUMMARY ======= ¶1. (U) The Government of Bangladesh (GOB) on November 3 announced a partial relaxation of the state of emergency in place since January 2007, removing restrictions on news media and political gatherings. The GOB also announced it would withdraw armed forces deployed throughout the country, increasing the police,s responsibility for law and order. Non-governmental organizations and politicians welcomed the changes but called for a full lifting of the state of emergency to ensure fully free and fair Parliamentary elections scheduled for December 18. SPACE FOR POLITICAL SPEECH ========================== ¶2. (U) The Government revoked two clauses of the Emergency Powers Rules (EPR) 2007 that prevented the media from publishing or broadcasting reports on public meetings or rallies and banned so-called provocative stories, editorials and shows. Under the lifted regulations, government censors had monitored the media for objectionable content, though this practice diminished over time. In recent months, many media outlets ran articles and programs critical of government policies, ignoring the ban. The GOB also permitted political rallies and gatherings previously banned under Emergency Rule; other public gatherings remain prohibited by law. The Caretaker Government,s withdrawal of armed forces in law and order positions has not yet had a visible impact on the political or security climate. CIVIL SOCIETY,S REACTION ======================== ¶3. (C) NGOs and politicians from major political parties welcomed the move but expressed skepticism about the effect of such changes and called for the full lifting of the State of Emergency in advance of the elections. Privately, some members of the Awami League (AL) admitted certain elements of Emergency Rule would need to stay in place to ensure a non-violent campaign and free and fair elections. ¶4. (C) Members of civil society also pointed out that formal restrictions on the media had all but disappeared. By way of example, they found several lapses in the government,s ban on political gatherings, most notably following the release of the two former Prime Ministers, Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia. Others predicted self-censorship by journalists would continue. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party publicly insisted that the rest of the state of emergency be lifted quickly so its senior politicians convicted of graft under the Caretaker Government could run in the upcoming elections. The Executive Director of Democracy Watch, a local NGO that monitors elections, noted &it,s important to remember that the State of Emergency has been relaxed, not withdrawn and people are not yet fully free.8 WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? ========================== ¶5. (C) Several observers cited pressure from the USG and other foreign groups as an important factor forcing the GOB,s hand to relax the state of emergency. In the absence of such pressure, they argued, progress would have been limited. A reporter for the online publication, Bdnews24.com, pointed out that statements like that of the European Commission, which made its willingness to observe the Parliamentary vote contingent on the state of civil and political rights in the country, brought the issue to the forefront and resulted in the relaxation. COMMENT ======= ¶6. (C) The GOB,s decision to relax the State of Emergency, though partial, is a step in the right direction. Given the domestic and international pressures facing the Caretaker Government, they would find it difficult to keep the State of Emergency in place if the elections are to be seen as free, fair and credible. Post will continue to engage the Caretaker Government and the political parties on issues that create an atmosphere conducive to free, fair and credible elections. Moriarty