On March 31, 1971, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi moved a resolution in parliament strongly criticising the military action in Bangladesh.
At 4:00am on March 30, 1971, Bangladeshi forces, comprising East Pakistan Rifles (EPR), police and civilians under the leadership of Abu Osman Chowdhury, then a major and commander of the fourth wing of EPR, attacked the Pakistan occupation army in Kushtia from three sides.
In the evening, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was flown via helicopter from the cantonment, where he was detained, to the Tejgaon Airport. Afterwards, he was flown to Karachi by a special military aircraft.
On March 28, 1971, American Consul General in Dhaka, Archer K Blood, sent a telegram to Islamabad and Washington captioned “selective genocide”. He reported that they were “mute and horrified by a reign of terror by the Pakistan military” in East Pakistan. Pointing towards various pieces of evidence, Blood suggested that Awami League supporters and Hindus were being systematically targeted by the martial law administrators.
American Consul General Archer K Blood in a situation report submitted on March 27, 1971, wrote that according to numerous accounts, including eye witness reports, the Pak military crackdown on Bangalee nationalists has been carried out throughout Dacca swiftly, efficiently (despite heavy resistance from some quarters, including pro-Awami League police and East Pak Rifles), and often with ruthless brutality.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in a press statement issued today, called for a general strike throughout Bangladesh on March 27 against the army’s action in certain places in East Pakistan including Saidpur, Rangpur and Joydevpur.
There was a final meeting between Awami League’s team and Yahya’s advisers on March 24, 1971, at 6:00pm.
The representatives of president Yahya Khan and an Awami League team met twice today.
The phrase “Bangalee Muslim” is generally regarded as a “living oxymoron,” and the Bangalee Muslims are considered to be perennially trapped in a dilemma of identity over their Bangaleeness and Muslimness.
Thirteen nations and five international organisations agreed in Paris today to a worldwide effort to meet the cost of the growing refugee problem in India.
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi praised the Indian people for showing utmost restraint and said, “India would do nothing to provoke war”. She was addressing the Royal Institute for International Relations in Brussels today.
Legendary singer, songwriter and activist Joan Baez sang at Crisler Arena in Michigan and appealed to the audience to help the
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi today began her 20-day tour of six western countries including the USA and Britain amid intensified military preparation by India and Pakistan in their respective border areas.
US Secretary of State William Rogers, in a memorandum presented to the US President Richard Nixon today, said there remained a high potential for outbreak of hostilities between India and Pakistan.
The New York Times, in an editorial published today, stated, “What United Nations Secretary General U Thant called a “potential” threat to peace last August has become too imminent a peril to be longer ignored by the world organisation.”
In an interview published today in The New York Times, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared that the military situation on the borders between India and Pakistan was “quite grave”.
Pakistan President Yahya Khan said in an interview published in Le Monde today, “ If the people want clemency for Sheikh Mujibur Rahman I would grant it.”
The New York Times today reported, “From a disorganized, confused band of freedom fighters that moved into action when the Pakistani Army struck in late March to try to crush the Bengali autonomy movement,
