Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
94DHAKA6796
1994-09-26 12:52:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Dhaka
Cable title:  

VIOLENCE ERUPTS DURING HASINA'S "TRAIN MARCH;"

Tags:  PGOV BG 
pdf how-to read a cable
P 261252Z SEP 94
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8062
INFO AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU
USIA WASHDC 3081
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 006796 


DEPT FOR SA/PAB; LONDON FOR TUELLER

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PGOV BG
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE ERUPTS DURING HASINA'S "TRAIN MARCH;"
AWAMI LEAGUE ALLEGES ASSASINATION ATTEMPT

REF: DHAKA 6682

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 006796


DEPT FOR SA/PAB; LONDON FOR TUELLER

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PGOV BG
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE ERUPTS DURING HASINA'S "TRAIN MARCH;"
AWAMI LEAGUE ALLEGES ASSASINATION ATTEMPT

REF: DHAKA 6682


1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.


2. SUMMARY: THE OPPOSITION AWAMI LEAGUE ALLEGES THAT
ITS LEADER SHEIKH HASINA WAS TARGET OF AN ASSASSINATION
ATTEMPT SEP 23 DURING A "WHISTLESTOP" RAIL TOUR OF
WESTERN BANGLADESH. ALTHOUGH GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION
SUPPORTERS CLASHED, WE HAVE SO FAR SEEN NO EVIDENCE THAT
AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT TOOK PLACE. END SUMMARY.


3. CLASHES BETWEEN RULING BANGLADESH NATIONALIST PARTY
(BNP) AND OPPOSITION AWAMI LEAGUE SUPPORTERS BROKE OUT
AT THE ISHURDI AND NATORE TRAIN STATIONS IN WESTERN
BANGLADESH SEPTEMBER 23, COINCIDING WITH STOPS BY AWAMI
LEAGUE (AL) CHIEF AND LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION SHEIKH
HASINA. HASINA HAS BEEN ON A PROLONGED "WHISTLESTOP"
TOUR--A "TRAIN MARCH"--OF THE REGION TO DRUM UP SUPPORT
FOR THE OPPOSITION'S SEPTEMBER 27 RAIL AND HIGHWAY
BLOCKADE AND ITS DEMAND FOR A CARETAKER GOVERNMENT TO
OVERSEE THE COUNTRY'S NEXT GENERAL ELECTION.


4. ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, BNP PARTISANS ARMED WITH
BLUNT WEAPONS AND HOMEMADE FIRECRACKERS ATTACKED AL
SUPPORTERS PROCEEDING TO THE ISHURDI STATION. POLICE
OPENED FIRE AT ONE POINT TO BRING THE SITUATION UNDER
CONTROL. REPORTS ALSO QUOTED WITNESSES WHO SAID
HASINA'S RAIL CAR WAS FIRED UPON AS IT PULLED INTO THE
NATORE STATION. FIRECRACKERS WERE TOSSED AS HASINA
ADDRESSED CROWDS FROM HER COMPARTMENT. THE CLASHES LEFT
BETWEEN 60-100 INJURED, NONE CRITICALLY.


5. AWAMI LEAGUE STALWARTS BLAMED THE VIOLENCE ON THE
BNP GOVERNMENT. AWAMI LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
SECRETARY KAISER CHOWDHURY CALLED POLOFF SEPTEMBER 23 TO
SAY THAT "THE LEADER HAS BEEN FIRED UPON." AL DEPUTY
LEADER ABDUS SAMAD AZAD TOLD REPORTERS THAT "BNP
TERRORISTS" HAD LAUNCHED A PLANNED ATTACK AGAINST HASINA
AND CREATED A "REIGN OF TERROR" AT ISHURDI AND NATORE.
AWAMI LEAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL ZILLUR RAHMAN DECRIED THE
"ASSASINATION ATTEMPT," WHICH HE SAID WAS "MASTERMINDED
BY THE HIGEST QUARTERS OF THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION."
HASIA VOWED THAT NO ATTACK WOULD DETER THE MOVEMENT FO
CARETAKER GOVERNMENT, AND THAT SHE STOOD READY O "GIVE
MY OWN BLOOD."


6. THE GOVERNMENT, FO ITS PART, ISSUED A PRESS NOTE
SEPTEMBER 24 STATNG A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION HAD
FOUND NO TRUTHIN THE ALLEGATIN THAT HASINA'S TRAIN WAS
SHOT A. IN REALITY, READ THE NOTE, HASINA ADDRESSED
COWDS AT WAYSIDE STATIONS IN A PEACEFUL ATMOSPHERE,AND
SUFFICIENT POLICE WERE MOBILIZED FOR HER SAFETY.
"UNRULY SUPPORTERS" OF OPPOSING POLITICAL PARTIES WERE
PRESENT IN NATORE AND ISHURDI, THROWING FIRECRACKERS,
BUT POLICE RESTORED ORDER QUICKLY. A FRONT-PAGE
EDITORIAL IN THE PRO-BNP ENGLISH DAILY "NEW NATION"
SARCASTICALLY POINTED OUT THAT THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST
TIME HASINA HAD TRIED TO DRAMATIZE FOR POLITICAL GAIN
ALLEGED ATTEMPTS ON HER LIFE.


7. THE AWAMI LEAGUE HAS NOT PRESSED THE GOVERNMENT FOR
A FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATION OF THE INCIDENTS AT ISHURDI
AND NATORE, ALTHOUGH TOP AWAMI LEAGUE ADVISOR KIBRIA
FAXED THE AMBASSADOR EXPRESSING "DEEP CONCERN ABOUT THE
ATTACK ON THE LIFE OF SHEIKH HASINA." ACCORDING TO
KIBRIA, "THE GRAVE IMPLICATIONS OF THE TERROR CAMPAIGN
BY THE GOVERNMENT PARTY" WILL BECOME CLEAR WHEN ALL THE
FACTS ARE OUT. KIBRIA DID NOT SPECIFY WHEN THIS MIGHT
HAPPEN.

COMMENT
--------------


8. WE HAVE LITTLE FACTUAL BASIS TO SORT OUT CONFLICTING
CLAIMS AND DETERMINE WHETHER HASINA WAS THE TARGET OF AN
ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT. (WE WILL REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT
NEW INFORMATION.) HOWEVER, CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE
SUGGESTS THAT THE CLASHES WERE NOT PART OF A
PREMEDITATED ATTEMPT ON HER LIFE. THE MOST BELIEVABLE
ACCOUNTS WE HAVE HEARD BLAME THE VIOLENCE ON STATE
MINISTER FAZLUR RAHMAN, WHO HAILS FROM NEAR NATORE AND
WHOSE OWN BNP RALLY THERE WAS DISRUPTED BY OPPOSITION
AWAMI LEAGUE SUPPORTERS A FEW WEEKS EARLIER. RAHMAN
ALLEGEDLY HELD A GRUDGE AND SENT OUT SOME OF HIS "BOYS"
TO BREAK UP HASINA'S RALLY. OTHER REPORTS SUGGEST THE
AWAMI LEAGUE KNEW IT WOULD FACE BNP DEMONSTRATIONS IN
THE REGION BEFORE THE TRAIN SET OUT THE MORNING OF THE
23RD. IN ADDITION, ALL ACCOUNTS AGREE THAT HASINA
COMPLETED HER SPEECHES AT ISHURDI AND NATORE AND DID NOT
FLEE OR SEEK COVER DESPITE THE ALLEGED SHOTS AT HER
TRAIN. WHAT IS CERTAIN IS THAT THE AWAMI LEAGUE HAS
SOUGHT TO WHIP UP POPULAR INDIGNATION OVER THE INCIDENTS
AND WILL UNDOUBTEDLY CONTINUE ITS PUBLIC DENUNCIATIONS
OF GOVERNMENT "TERRORISM."

MERRILL