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 Pakistani Government offered today a general amnesty extending to military deserters and politicians and asked refugees to return home.
Commandos of the Crack Platoon today launched an attack at InterContinental Dhaka. The commandos, armed with grenades, bayonets, and submachine guns, stopped in a car in front of the hotel. Five grenades were thrown in the attack which took place between 7:45pm and 8:00pm.
The reported statement of Pakistan President Yahya Khan that he would take “genuine refugees” back into Pakistan met with sharp reaction from the Bangladesh government today.
The Pakistani government removed from circulation today part of the nation’s currency in an effort to check the economic effects of looting from banks in East Pakistan.
Syed Nazrul Islam, acting president of Bangladesh, today spelt out four preconditions for a political settlement of the Bangladesh issue. In a 45-minute broadcast from the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra,
In a telegram sent to the US State Department on June 5, 1971, US Ambassador in Pakistan Joseph Farland provided a detailed account of his conversation with Pakistan President Yahya Khan. The meeting was held on the same day.
Pakistan and the United Nations agreed on relief operations for victims of the war in East Pakistan, a UN spokesman announced today.
A conversation was held on June 3, 1971 between US Ambassador to India Kenneth Keating, Assistant to the US President Henry Kissinger and NSC staff Harold Saunders about the situation of East Pakistan.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmad categorically declared today that “there is no room for compromise (with West Pakistan) within the framework of Pakistan”.
The Provisional Government of Bangladesh today ruled out any political settlement with the West Pakistanis. Home Minister AM Kamaruzzaman issued a statement to the press which categorically rejected President Yahya Khan’s offer of an amnesty. It’s a fight to the finish, he said.
