Cablegate: Opposition Lists 11 Demands by November 3,

VZCZCXRO4822
PP RUEHCI
DE RUEHKA #6455 3040711
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 310711Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2372
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 9437
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1342
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 7629
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 8778
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA

UNCLAS DHAKA 006455

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BG
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION LISTS 11 DEMANDS BY NOVEMBER 3,
CARETAKER GOVERNMENT TAKES INITIAL STEPS

1. (SBU) On October 30, Awami League president Sheikh Hasina
met with and challenged Caretaker Chief Adviser Ahmed to
prove his neutrality by taking action by November 3 on 11
fronts:

A) The Chief Election Commissioner and three election
commissioners must be removed, and all election officer
appointments canceled down to the local level.

B) The voter list must be corrected and revised, and must
include photographs of all registered voters.

C) All appointments, promotions, and retirement orders since
July 1, 2006, should be nullified; all contractual
appointments and appointments to sensitive positions
canceled; and the attorney general must be removed and
replaced with a consensus candidate.

D) Police loyal to the BNP and Jamaat Islami (JI) should be
dismissed, and all police personnel in sensitive positions
should be changed or reassigned.

E) Bangladesh Television and other state-owned media must
give "proper coverage" to the Awami League, and all private
radio and television stations which were started up in the
last five years must cease broadcasting. Their owners and the
sources of financing must be investigated.

F) All court cases filed after October 4, 2006, must be
withdrawn and all people detained in such cases released.

G) Militants must be arrested, and fresh investigations
initiated to prevent bombings, use of firearms and militancy.

H) All firearms licenses granted in the past two years must
be canceled. Firearms will need to be collected and destroyed
across the country.

I) Directives need to be issued to all airports, seaports and
land border crossings to prevent the former ruling
coalition's "corrupt ministers and lawmakers,
leaders...businessmen and godfathers of criminals" from
fleeing the country.

J) All development decisions, including approval of projects,
allocation of property, project contracts and funding must be
canceled.

K) Portraits of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia must be
removed from all government offices immediately.

2. (SBU) Failure to meet these demands, Hasina said, would
lead to the announcement at a November 3 rally of new
agitation programs.

3. (SBU) After his meeting with Hasina, Ahmed announced the
appointment cancellation of nine government secretaries whose
contracts had been extended against normal civil service
procedures, including Secretary of the President's Office and
the Director General of the paramilitary Rapid Action
Battalion. He also shuffled 18 high-ranking bureaucrats,
including the Home and Local Government secretaries. Foreign
Secretary Hemayetuddin remains in place. Ahmed's also office

SIPDIS
announced the immediate replacement of former Khaleda Zia's
portrait with that of the new Chief Adviser in all government
offices.

4. (SBU) Comment: The BNP has reportedly expressed strong
objections to Ahmed's picks for Secretary to the Presidency
and Principal Secretary for the Chief Adviser's Office, so
arguments about the alleged partiality of appointments have
already begun. Some of Hasina's demands are unreasonable or
impractical, especially with a November 3 deadline and the
threat of renewed nationwide agitation. The question remains
whether Hasina's demands are designed to produce failure and
justify a quick return to the streets, or whether they are
subject to modification, especially if Ahmed does well in
other key areas.
BUTENIS

© Scoop Media