US embassy cable - 05DHAKA2085

UNCLAS DHAKA 002085 
 
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, ETRD, PTER, ASEC, BG, OCII, BG Terrorism 
SUBJECT: Media Reaction: Country Report on Terrorism; Dhaka 
 
 
Summary: Noting that Bangladesh's role in the war against 
terror has been praised by the U.S. State Department, "Daily 
Star" expressed concern over the presence of extremists 
groups and urged the government to act with greater 
determination to eliminate their challenge. 
 
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Country Report on Terrorism 
--------------------------- 
"State Dept lauds B'desh: Serious concerns remain in some 
areas" 
Independent English language newspaper "Daily Star" 
editorially comments (5/3): 
 
The US State Department has lauded the role of Bangladesh in 
the war against terror. That is indeed good news for a 
country that came under a barrage of criticism by the 
western media in recent times and even got branded as the 
"breeding center" of religious fundamentalism. The report 
reflects the concern that Bangladesh has always shared with 
the international community over international terrorism. 
But the report has also claimed that the Harakatul-Ul-Jihad- 
I, a terrorist group, is operating in Bangladesh. The matter 
of grave concern is that the group is reported to be linked 
to the al-Qaeda network. Now, the government must place the 
whole thing in the right perspective. The appreciation of 
our role vis--vis terrorism should not blur our vision when 
it comes to handling the tricky question of the presence of 
militant outfits in the country. Nor will outright denial of 
any such irritant being present here help us. In fact, it is 
no longer a secret that the activities of some organizations 
operating in the name of religion are being viewed with 
great suspicion by the international community. The recent 
crackdown on the suspected militants was proof enough that 
the government itself had deemed it necessary to act against 
them. But the move has fizzled out for inexplicable reasons. 
Then do we have to believe that the whole exercise was for 
public consumption only? Either it has been abandoned under 
the pressure from the rightist groups or it lacked the 
substance that could have made it a worthwhile attempt to 
wipe out the militants. 
The State Department report says that the Harakat has six 
camps in Bangladesh and is suspected to have links to the 
attempt in July 2000 on the life of the then Prime Minister 
Sheikh Hasina. So the danger that such organizations pose 
needs no elaboration. 
There is little doubt that the militant outfits are the 
principal beneficiaries of the government's failure to catch 
the criminals responsible for the recent bomb attacks and 
killings. It is time the government acted with greater 
determination to neutralize the fundamentalist challenge. 
Chammas