STAFFDEL AHUJA DISCUSSES ENVIRONMENT AND INDIA,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 000062 SENSITIVE SIPDIS H PLEASE PASS TO JASMEET AHUJA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KDEM PHUM IS BG SUBJECT: STAFFDEL AHUJA DISCUSSES ENVIRONMENT AND INDIA, PRESSES REPEAL OF ISRAEL BOYCOTT REF: DHAKA 19 Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Professional Staff Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Jasmeet Ahuja's January 12 - 14 visit to Bangladesh highlighted the importance of cooperation between the U.S. and Bangladesh to combat terrorism and climate change. Ahuja also pressed Bangladesh to lift its trade boycott against Israel. During her trip, Ahuja met with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, other senior political leaders, non-governmental organizations and think-tanks and the American Chamber of Commerce. Focus on Ending Israel Boycott and Broader Cooperation -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Ahuja told Muhammad Ali Sorcar, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Americas and Pacific Wing, that Chairman Berman and other Members of Congress were disappointed with Bangladesh's handling of the Avery-Dennison case (reftel) and that Bangladesh should repeal its boycott or risk Congressional reaction. Sorcar said the boycott did not come under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but under the Ministry of Commerce, but promised to look into it. When Ahuja expressed disappointment with Bangladesh's recent human rights votes in the United Nations about North Korea and Iran, Sorcar responded that Bangladesh did not want to politicize the General Assembly and therefore opposed any discussion of Human Rights issues. Sorcar said Bangladesh preferred that these issues be referred to the UN's Human Rights Committee, instead. These two contentious matters aside, Ahuja praised Bangladesh for its democratically-elected government and both she and Sorcar agreed there was a great deal our two countries could do together. Opposition Criticizes Prime Minister,s India Visit( -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Ahuja's meeting with leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party occurred during Prime Minister Hasina,s state visit to India and the trip dominated the conversation. Reaz Rehman, former Bangladesh Foreign Secretary and former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, told Ahuja that it did not matter if Hasina got along well in India -- he said the Prime Minister did not have to make friends, the people of the two countries needed to be friends. The two countries had a great deal in common, including fighting side-by-side for Bangladesh's independence in 1971 and a common threat from India's northeast, and should be making common ground here, according to Rahman. ( and Expect PM to Offer Hand of Reconcilliation -------------- --- ¶4. (SBU) The Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders told Ahuja they were committed to a democratic Bangladesh and wanted to work with the current Awami League government. They said they went to the opening of parliament in January 2009 in good faith but were rebuffed by Prime Minister Hasina. They were willing to end their boycott of parliament, but Hasina would have to reach out to them first; they said it was her responsibility as Prime Minister. Rapid Action Battalion -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Ahuja asked the Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders about the Rapid Action Battalion, which she pointed out was created by a Bangladesh Nationalist Party government in 2004. Party Advisor Shafik Rehman said the Rapid Action Battalion was even more brutal now than it was during the Caretaker Government and should be disbanded. Civil Society Leaders Look to Future -------------- DHAKA 00000062 002 OF 002 ¶6. (SBU) In wide-ranging conversations with civil society representatives, Ahuja discussed the human rights situation in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Hasina's trip to India, and the impact of climate change. Adilur Rahman Khan of Bangladesh's leading human rights non-governmental organization, Odikhar, detailed how the government was systematically directing money away from Odikhar and trying to shut it down. Farooq Sobhan of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute stressed to Ahuja the importance of the Prime Minister's meetings in India. Bangladesh needed greater trade with India. He said Hasina's intervention could move Bangladesh from a six percent annual growth rate to nine percent. Climate Change a Key Challenge -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Professor Monwar Hossain of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology outlined the implications of global climate change for Bangladesh. He said it was important not to get lost in the political rhetoric between the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Parties -- arguing over this or that dam was not going to solve the serious and very real problems Bangladesh faced. Ahuja and Hossain agreed that before solutions were offered, serious study was required, and it was there where the United States could help. Jamaat-e-Islami Ponders Potential Ban -------------- ¶8. (SBU) When he was asked what his party would do if the government was successful in its apparent intention of banning religious parties, Barrister Abdul Razzaq of Jamaat-e-Islami answered Jamaat would likely turn to a Turkish model where Jamaat would change its name to something secular but retain its Islamic principles. He said, however, that he believed these Islamic principles were misunderstood in both the United States and large swaths of Bangladesh. Jamaat, he said, was committed to democracy and women's empowerment, and he did not understand why the government would do something so undemocratic as to ban certain political parties. Comment -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Together with two other Congressional Staff Delegations which visited Bangladesh in late January, Staffdel Ahuja's visit to Bangladesh reflected welcome interest and growing momentum in U.S.-Bangladesh ties. Ms. Ahuja shared views from the Congress with the Bangladesh Government, opposition, and civil society on issues which reinforced our efforts to promote democracy, prosperity and security in Bangladesh. We will follow-up on her discussions on Bangladesh's ban on trade with Israel to push toward to a positive resolution. ¶10. (U) Professional Staff Member Jasmeet Ahuja cleared this cable. MORIARTY