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.
Pakistan asked the UN Secretary General U Thant to ban the entry of Bangladesh delegation in the UN. The new Pakistani move was contained in a letter addressed to U Thant by Pakistan’s UN Representative Aga Shahi.
Acting president Syed Nazrul Islam in a broadcast to the nation over Swadhin Bangla Betar announced that the Mukti Bahini was being enlarged to include naval and air wings.
Commander-in Chief of Bangladesh Forces (Mukti Bahini) Colonel MAG Osmany, in a broadcast to the nation and the Mukti Bahini over Shadhin Bangla Betar, today expressed his heartiest congratulations to the valiant fighters of the Mukti Bahini.
Adam Malik, president of the 26th UN General Assembly, said the East Pakistan crisis should be resolved through bilateral talks between India and Pakistan.
Abul Fateh, one of the principal delegates of Bangladesh to the UN, told a news conference in New Delhi today that nothing
The Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh announced today the composition and names of the members of the Bangladesh delegation to the United Nations General Assembly.
The Bangladesh cabinet met today and discussed the budget of the Ministry of Defence. The acute shortage of winter clothing and other necessary items for the fighting forces and the youth camp trainees was brought to focus.
The UN Secretary General U Thant affirmed that the basic problem in East Pakistan could be solved only “if a political solution based on reconciliation and the respect of humanitarian principles was achieved.”
The three-day conference on Bangladesh began today in New Delhi. It was organised by the Gandhi Peace Foundation. The conference was a major international attempt to draw attention to the Bangladesh issue which had been hitting the headlines all over the world since March 25, 1971.
Justice Abu Sayeed Chaudhury today described as a “monstrous” lie worthy of a Joseph Goebbels to say Bangladesh “wants to buy arms from Israel”.
