Cablegate: "Stolen Films" Allegedly at Root of Dispute With

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PP RUEHCI
DE RUEHKA #6368/01 2921152
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 191152Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2260
INFO RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 8767
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 9417
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1331
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 7618
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 006368

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BG
SUBJECT: "STOLEN FILMS" ALLEGEDLY AT ROOT OF DISPUTE WITH
BANGLADESHI JOURNALIST

REF: A. DHAKA 06225
B. DHAKA 06257
C. DHAKA 06261
D. DHAKA 06263
E. DHAKA 06305

1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The October 5 incident involving
journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury took a new turn with
the revelation that the person he accused of attacking him,
Hussain Khan Helal, is a U.S. citizen. POLOFF met with Helal
when he came to the Embassy's Consular Section to complain
about his dispute with Choudhury. Meanwhile, the Additional
Commissioner of Police met individually with Choudhury and
Helal in an effort to resolve the dispute. END SUMMARY.

"I am the U.S. citizen here"
----------------------------

2. (SBU) Helal appeared at the American Citizens Services
window of the Embassy's Consular Section on October 18 to
lodge a complaint against Choudhury. After registering him,
ACS referred him to POLOFF. Helal began his meeting with
POLOFF by saying "I am the American citizen here. Why is the
Embassy helping Shoaib Choudhury?" Helal, a Bengali film
actor who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1987, claimed
the incident on October 5 was not a hate crime or human
rights violation, but an issue of stolen property. He
appeared eager to tell his side of the story and asked POLOFF
to report his comments to the State Department.

Dispute over "stolen films"
---------------------------

3. (SBU) Helal said Choudhury took over CMV, a Dhaka-based
audio-visual production company, in early September but did
not pay for it. Helal, who founded CMV but was no longer its
owner, was leasing two rooms from CMV for his own company,
HUSSK Productions. Helal claimed Choudhury removed 40 reels
of film prints from Helal's offices, valued at 6 million taka
(approximately $96,000), to Choudhury's private residence.
According to Helal, he and Choudhury met at the CMV offices
to try to resolve the dispute on October 5. Helal admits
their respective supporters began "shoving and pushing" but
reported "no blood was spilled" and no one was injured.
Eventually, Helal said, Choudhury left. Police from Shahbagh
Police Station showed up a bit later, followed by Choudhury.
Helal said Choudhury agreed to return the films to Helal,
left the premises, and did not return.

4. (SBU) Helal said the missing films were his primary
concern. The dispute over ownership of CMV was a matter for
the courts to sort out. He said Choudhury and the owners,
distant relatives of Helal's based in London, had started
quarrelling in early September over CMV, and the fighting
finally resulted in mutual restraining orders and charges
being filed at the end of September. Helal shared
documentation which he said proved his ownership of HUSSK as
well as police charge sheets which he filed regarding the
missing films. (NOTE: Home Minister Lutfozzaman Babar also
provided copies of various filings and counter-filings to
Charge and POLOFF on October 12. Films were mentioned in
both filings.)

5. (SBU) According to Helal, when he contacted Home Minister
Babar, Babar told him he couldn't help "because the U.S.
Embassy has asked me to help Shoaib." He suggested Helal
contact the Embassy and "try explaining the situation to the
Ambassador." POLOFF told Helal the Embassy was concerned
about Choudhury's personal safety and right to due process.

6. (SBU) Helal said it was his own safety, not Choudhury's,
which was at risk, noting he had received threatening phone
calls from Choudhury's supporters warning him "you will be
killed if you don't drop the charges against Shoaib." Citing
Choudhury appeals to Congress, Helal said he would contact
his congressman, Representative Crowley of New York, when
Helal returns to the U.S. on October 20.

Recent Developments
-------------------

7. (SBU) Choudhury called POLOFF later on October 18 to
report he had been summoned to the Additional Police
Commissioner's office to discuss the October 5 incident. He
said the Commissioner met with him first, and then later with
Helal, and was preparing a report for the Home Minister on
the case. Although he was aware that Helal's family lived in

DHAKA 00006368 002 OF 002

the U.S., Choudhury said he did not know that Helal was a
U.S. citizen. Helal also confirmed that he was summoned by
the Commissioner after his meeting at the Embassy.

Comment
-------

8. (SBU) We will continue to remain in close contact with
Choudhury on all of his cases, and in particular his sedition
trial (ref E), which is not scheduled to resume until
November 13.
PASI

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