US embassy cable - 05DHAKA1281

UNCLAS DHAKA 001281 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR I/FW, B/G, IIP/G/NEA-SA, B/VOA/N (BANGLA SERVICE) STATE 
FOR SA/PAB, SA/PPD (LSCENSNY, SSTRYKER), SA/RA, INR/R/MR, 
AND PASS TO USAID FOR ANE/ASIA/SA/B (WJOHNSON) 
 
CINCPAC FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR, J51 (MAJ TURNER), J45 
(MAJ NICHOLLS) 
 
USARPAC FOR APOP-IM (MAJ HEDRICK) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR, OIIP, OPRC, KPAO, PREL, BG, OCII 
SUBJECT: REACTION TO SECRETARY'S REMARK ABOUT BANGLADESH 
1.  In her March 16 interview with "India Today" in New 
Delhi, Secretary Rice commented, "There is more that we 
probably need to do on Bangladesh which is, I think, a place 
that is becoming quite troubling." 
 
2.  The English and Bangla language media widely reported 
this statement.  On March 20,eight Dhaka dailies printed 
variations of a Bangladeshi wire service report, but thus 
far there has been no editorial commentary.  Several Bangla 
newspapers reported that Secretary Rice had termed 
Bangladesh a "failed state."  One paper, however, reported 
that the media had erroneously translated the interview and 
that only the interviewer had used the term "failed state." 
3.  On March 21, local media reported that officials of the 
ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party insisted that while 
Bangladesh has "problems," the international focus should be 
on Bangladesh's achievements, including the development of 
parliamentary democracy and increased life expectancy. An 
opposition Awami League party official commented that Rice's 
words echo what they have been articulating for the last 
three years.  A Jatiya party official agreed with Secretary 
Rice's assessment, blaming the alliance government and the 
rise of militancy for the nation's difficulties. 
4.  Some commentators objected to the Secretary's reported 
comment that "there is more that we probably need to do on 
Bangladesh" because, they said, of the implication that 
India would be partly responsible for overseeing Bangladesh. 
5.  One pro-opposition newspaper commented, "U.S. Secretary 
of State Rice [said that]. the U.S. will intervene in 
Bangladesh's affairs, but not alone, together with India." 
This article speculated that PM Khaleda Zia might rebuke 
Secretary Rice for commenting on domestic affairs, as she 
 
SIPDIS 
has done recently to foreign diplomats and donors. 
6.  COMMENT: Several senior BDG officials asked us for 
clarification or confirmation of the Secretary's remarks. 
There sensitivity is not over the remarks per se, since U.S. 
concerns about Bangladesh are well known, but about where 
they were made.