US embassy cable - 05DHAKA2061

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BDG DRAFTS ANTI-TERRORISM LEGAL AMENDMENTS

Identifier: 05DHAKA2061
Wikileaks: View 05DHAKA2061 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Dhaka
Created: 2005-05-02 03:23:00
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Tags: PTER PHUM PGOV AFIN BG BG Terrorism
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 002061 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2015 
TAGS: PTER, PHUM, PGOV, AFIN, BG, BG Terrorism 
SUBJECT: BDG DRAFTS ANTI-TERRORISM LEGAL AMENDMENTS 
 
 
Classified By: P/E Counselor D.C. McCullough; Reason 1.4(d) 
 
1. (C) The Law Cell of the Ministry of Home Affair (MHA) has 
drafted amendments to Section 121 of the Penal Code 
redefining "waging or abetting war" and to Section 3 of the 
Special Powers Act concerning sabotage to broaden their 
coverage and thereby their utility for counter-terrorism.  A 
MHA lawyer told us that, in light of a series of bombing 
incidents the past year against political and religious 
targets, the BDG recognized it needs to update its laws from 
their colonial-era focus on sedition. 
 
2. (C) The amendments are still in the drafting stage, and 
the drafters appear amenable to suggestions.  When RLA noted 
that the "waging or abetting war" language (which is 
primarily concerned with insurgency movements) could be 
strengthened by criminalizing financial aid to such 
movements, the drafters promptly made the changes. 
 
3. (C) COMMENT: MHA is acting at the behest of the PMO and 
Bangladeshi intelligence services.  We will provide whatever 
assistance we can to raise Bangladeshi law to international 
standards and promote the development of an effective 
anti-terrorist legal regime.  The draft amendments make no 
specific reference to terrorism, which is consistent with the 
BDG's public stance that there is no international terrorism 
in Bangladesh.  Bangladeshi laws do not appear to require 
substantial overhaul, but amendments to other laws are 
needed, especially to the 2002 Anti-Money Laundering Act 
(AMLA).  A draft of an amended AMLA law with substantial 
input by DOJ attorneys is, according to BDG officials, "under 
review."  RLA will continue to work through informal channels 
to push amendments to these and other laws to give 
prosecutors and investigators better laws to secure 
convictions in counter-terrorism cases. 
CHAMMAS 

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