US embassy cable - 05DHAKA3089

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 003089 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, BG 
SUBJECT: U/S BURNS'S MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Harry K. Thomas, reasons para 1.5 b, d. 
 
1. (C) Summary. During a broad bilateral review, PM Zia 
asserted that she wants free and fair elections for own 
electoral benefit, that an opposition that believes in 
democracy should participate in elections, cited her 
dismissal of a minister as evidence of her "unsparing" stance 
against corruption, declared her commitment to religious 
harmony and her ability to control Islamist parties, and 
asked for duty-free access to the U.S. garment market and for 
more U.S. investment in Bangladesh.  End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) On June 26, U/S Burns, Ambassador, SA DAS Gastright, 
NSC Directory Dormandy, and A/DCM (notetaker) met for 45 
minutes with Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.  PMO Principal 
Secretary Kamaluddin Siddiqui and Foreign Secretary 
 
SIPDIS 
Hemayetuddin also attended. 
 
3. (C) U/S Burns affirmed strong appreciation and support for 
expanding U.S.-Bangladeshi relations.  He noted that the 
focus of U.S. foreign policy has broadened in recent years 
from traditional venues like Europe to the Middle East, East 
Asia, and South Asia.  South Asia presents exciting 
opportunities resulting from the USG's revitalized 
partnership with Pakistan, our commitment to the future of 
Afghanistan, and our accelerating relationship with India. 
Bangladesh, he said, is also an important part of that 
equation since we appreciate BDG support for the GWOT and its 
leadership in international peacekeeping.  He assured Zia 
that the USG looks at Dhaka directly, not through the prism 
of any other capital.  "That's what we want," Zia instantly 
quipped. 
 
4. (C) While we want to continue the growth in bilateral 
relations, U/S Burns said, there are bilateral challenges 
like free and fair elections in 2007.  "We want the same 
thing for our own benefit," Zia replied.  As evidence of the 
vitality and integrity of the political process, she cited 
the victory of the opposition incumbent in the recent 
Chittagong mayoral election.  Asked if she anticipates an 
election boycott by the opposition Awami League (AL), Zia 
said she didn't know.  An opposition should participate in 
elections if it believes in democracy, she said.  Ask the AL, 
she urged, why it boycotts parliament, even after the Speaker 
goes out of his way to give it extra time to speak, and ask 
it why it pursues a policy of violence and general strikes. 
 
5. (C) U/S Burns stated that the USG would like to support 
the BDG's interest in the Millennium Challenge Account, but 
we need to work together to address persisting allegations of 
corruption in certain governmental circles.  Zia expressed 
hope that the Anti-Corruption Commission could become active 
within six months.  Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddin 
interjected that the BDG cabinet has approved signing the UN 
Anti-Corruption Convention, which demonstrates the BDG's 
strong stand against corruption.  Zia added that she had just 
dismissed her energy minister of state for corruption, that 
she needs evidence before acting, but, once the picture is 
clear, she is "unsparing."  U/S Burns agreed that concrete 
actions are the most effective measure of a government's 
anti-corruption strategy. 
 
6. (C) After U/S Burns raised concerns about extra-judicial 
killings and perceptions of growing religious intolerance, 
Zia, turning to Siddiqui to interpret, denied there was any 
truth to such perceptions and blamed them on faulty media 
reporting.  She contrasted religious harmony in Bangladesh to 
periodic upheavals in India like Gujrat and the riots after 
the destruction of the Babri mosque in 1994.  Siddiqui said 
that after the Babri mosque incidents, Zia, who was PM at the 
time, ordered him to block CNN and BBC broadcasts for several 
days to avoid inciting Bangladeshi reaction.  Zia added that 
the small size of Bangladeshi demonstrations after reported 
desecration of the Quran at Guantanamo underscored 
Bangladesh's tolerant and moderate nature.  Asked about a 
threat from radical Islamist groups, Zia maintained, "I can 
handle it."  She cited the Islamists' acceptance of her, a 
woman, as their political leader and her ability to mediate 
disputes even within the IOJ as evidence of her authority. 
 
7. (C) Explaining what she wants from the USG, Zia said that 
Bangladesh is a poor country that needs duty free access to 
the U.S. garment market and more U.S. foreign investment, 
especially in developing natural resources that Bangladesh 
cannot afford to exploit.  U/S Burns observed that U.S. 
companies, like companies anywhere, tend to go where there is 
strong rule of law and contract sanctity.  Sustained action 
against corruption is also critical, he said.  In response to 
the BDG's disappointment that G8 debt relief does not apply 
to Bangladesh, U/S Burns said that Bangladesh should take 
pride in its being significantly better off than many African 
debt beneficiaries. 
 
8. (C) U/S Burns sought BDG support for comprehensive UN 
reforms, including the replacement of the UNHCR with a Human 
Rights Council comprised of democracies and the creation of a 
Peace Building Commission.  There is a lot of work to do, not 
just looking at the expansion of the UNSC, before UNGA in 
eight weeks.  Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddin said he would 
repeat instructions to his UN permrep to work closely with 
the USG on these issues. 
 
9. (C) The meeting concluded with a discussion of the Kibria 
murder investigation and new lines of inquiry for FBI 
personnel now in Dhaka (septel). 
 
10. (U)  U/S Burns cleared this cable. 
THOMAS