US embassy cable - 05DHAKA2094

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 002094 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/03/2010 
TAGS: AFIN, PTER, BG, BG Terrorism 
SUBJECT: REVIEW PANEL TO RECOMMEND UN TERRORISM FINANCING 
CONVENTION 
 
 
Classified By: P/E Counselor D.C. McCullough, reason para 1.4(d) 
 
1. (C) On May 3, RLA and Econchief called on Finance 
Secretary Zakir Ahmad Khan to discuss the inter-ministerial 
 
SIPDIS 
panel Khan heads to review the UN Convention on Terrorist 
Financing.  Khan stated that the panel would meet May 7 and 
formally recommend that the BDG sign the Convention.  The 
panel's only concern, he said, was the extent to which 
Bangladeshi laws must be amended but now believes such 
changes will be minor.  The panel's recommendation goes to 
the Law Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, and then the PMO. 
According to Khan, there is PMO interest in adopting a broad 
law to cover BDG obligations on terrorism financing since 
fine-tuning existing laws might take time. 
 
2. (SBU) RLA noted that the UN legal department has drafted 
model legislation to comport with the convention.  Khan asked 
for a copy, which RLA undertook to provide. 
 
3. (C) RLA also offered further assistance in drafting and 
pushing through amendments to Bangladesh's 2002 Anti-Money 
Laundering Act.  Khan agreed that getting a Financial 
Intelligence Union (FIU) up and running is a priority.  He 
also seemed receptive to the idea of a task force to 
investigate and prosecute illicit transactions identified by 
the FIU. 
 
4. (C) Comment: BDG officials had expressed concern that the 
Terrorist Financing Convention might capture legitimate 
contributions from Bangladeshi expatriates to hometown 
charities, particularly religious schools.  It is encouraging 
that the BDG appears to have realized that this is not a 
problem, and that the review panel is already poised to 
recommend signing the Convention. 
 
CHAMMAS