BANGLADESH MILITARY INTELLIGENCE ACTIVE BUT NOT VERY ADEPT AT POLITICS || USA Cable 2008
REF: DHAKA 0692 Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d) ------ SUMMARY ------- 1. (S) The Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) remains involved in domestic politics, bullying some politicians and plotting behind the scenes with others to advance its agenda. In recent days, senior politicians have told Post how leaders of the intelligence group have privately outlined plans to try to ensure the next Parliament acts in accordance with the military's wishes. One prominent lawyer for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party described recent DGFI threats against him for actions it deemed inimical to its political goals. The DGFI's use of heavy-handed tactics, from encouraging a bitter factional rift within a major political party to alleged physical abuse of the detained son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, have hardly been effective and there is little reason to believe subsequent efforts will achieve success. Sti