US embassy cable - 05DHAKA2270

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 002270 
 
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 
SUBJECT: Media Reaction: Assistant Secretary Christina 
Rocca's Visit to Bangladesh; Dhaka 
 
Summary: English daily "The Daily Star" says extra-judicial 
killings are unacceptable to the United States.  "New Age" 
says the concerns expressed by Christina Rocca are, let us 
say once more, those of the country as a whole.  Bangla 
daily "Janakantha" says that Christina Rocca's comments 
reflected Bangladesh's reality. 
Following are excerpts from the editorials: 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
Assistant Secretary Christina Rocca's Visit to Bangladesh--- 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
"A Useful Interaction: U.S.Can Do More For Us" 
Independent English "The Daily Star" editorially opines 
(05/14/05) 
 
We wanted Christina Rocca's visit made good use of. 
Obviously, that expectation was ours -- nurtured from an 
enlightened national interest point of view. What 
expectations did Rocca have? She must have had her briefs, 
her country perception, her government's concerns to take up 
with Bangladesh government. It seems both-way traffic went 
off well in Dhaka. The talks with government functionaries 
yielded signs of positive outcome. 
She has urged strong action on those who have masterminded 
and launched a campaign of persecution against the Ahmadiyya 
community. This rabid form of violence by basically anti- 
religious reactionary forces is tarnishing our age-old 
traditions of religious tolerance, societal harmony and 
inter-communal co-existence. This is also threatening to 
jeopardize our moderate Islamic country image. Rocca's 
unambiguous deprecation of extra-judicial killings is gauged 
from the fact that she regarded these as unacceptable to the 
U.S. as it is to the rest of the international community. 
There cannot be any second opinion about her observation on 
political violence to the effect that it could have been 
curbed by now if the culprits in the massive grenade assault 
of August 21 on opposition leader Sheikh Hasina and the 
lethal bomb attack on former finance minister Kibria were 
caught and punished. 
Her pointers to portents for extremism and terrorism in 
Bangladesh should be taken seriously, not forgetting though 
that we have been a victim of some extent of maligning of 
our image overseas by unfriendly quarters. At the same time, 
we must extricate ourselves from the denial mode we often 
fall into. 
All of this, we, in the media, and the broader civil society 
never tired of pointing out. In fact, many of Rocca's 
comments would strike a responsive chord almost universally. 
Washington's assurances for support to Bangladesh's bid for 
duty-free access of her goods including readymade garments 
to the U.S. market are a good tiding. Bangladesh, a Muslim 
majority democracy, hopes for greater U.S. cooperation in 
not only fighting terrorism but also economically changing 
her lot. 
-------------- 
"Rocca's Worries - And Ours" 
Independent English language "New Age" editorial says 
(05/14/05: 
 
The concerns expressed by Christina Rocca are, let us say 
once more, those of the country as a whole. The fundamental 
issues of extra-judicial killings and violence against the 
Ahmadiyya community are matters which have in the past three 
years exercised the minds of the nation. Therefore, when the 
visiting U.S. assistant secretary of state for South Asian 
affairs informs the Bangladesh authorities that clear and 
decisive action must be taken on these and related issues, 
we hardly need reminding ourselves that these are precisely 
the subjects which have led to intense trouble for us before 
the global community. The very fact that the visiting 
American official chose to travel down to Dhaka yet once 
more and speak on matters she did earlier reflects the 
persistent feeling in the country that not much has been 
done by way of resolving the problems around us. Inquiries 
into the 21 August grenade attack on an Awami League rally 
and the murder of former finance minister Kibria are some of 
the issues that need to be addressed swiftly given that a 
failure to deal with them has given a bad name not just to 
the government but to the nation as a whole. 
-------------- 
"Rocca's Comments And Reality" 
Large circulation pro-opposition Bangla daily "Janakantha" 
editorially comments (05/15/05): 
Like the people of Bangladesh Christina Rocca and the United 
States also believe that whatever the government of 
Bangladesh did on the investigation on the August 21 grenade 
attack on the Awami League rally and on the killing of 
former finance minister Kibria is a mere eye-wash and one- 
sided.  She said in unambiguous terms that those responsible 
for the grenade attack on Sheikh Hasina's meeting on August 
21 must be put on the dock.  Now it is to be seen how far 
the government responds or what steps it takes to solve the 
case. 
It is not yet clear whether the alliance government will 
accept the U.S. assistance in curbing terrorism and radical 
fundamentalists.  Because it is at the indulgence of the 
alliance government that the radical religious extremists 
have flourished.  It is certain that the alliance government 
does not have the mental strength or capability to take 
assistance from the international community to curb 
extremism.  We can say in certain that Christina Rocca's 
comments reflected Bangladesh's reality. 
Thomas