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.
Amidst tumultuous cheers and jubilation at Lok Sabha, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi announced today that India has recognised the government of Bangladesh.
The Soviet Union vetoed today in the UN Security Council an American resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Indian-Pakistani conflict and for the withdrawal of the armed forces of both the countries to their own side of the border.
The Mitro Bahini (India-Bangladesh Joint Command) swung into action against Pakistan today. The air force of the Joint Command
Pakistan today launched an undeclared full-scale war on India. Pakistan made air strikes on a number of airfields in the western region of India and began shelling several places. Immediately,
Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi declared today that it did not worry India at all as to who called her aggressor when she had not committed any aggression.
The prime minister of Bangladesh, Tajuddin Ahmad, today said the proposal to send UN observers to Bangladesh was nothing but a “planned conspiracy” and “a foul attempt to protect the military regime from the back door”.
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi today suggested straightway withdrawal of Pakistani troops from Bangladesh as a gesture of peace . The presence of troops in Bangladesh is a “threat to our security”, she claimed.
The Pakistan government was called upon today to release details of the trial of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The demand came from the independent International Commission of Jurists which expressed its deep concern over the cloak of silence as to the trial.
Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi today said any reference of the present tension on the Indian subcontinent to the UN Security Council would neither help ease the situation nor would it materially affect the situation.
US President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs Henry Kissinger, in a telephone conversation today, informed President Nixon that he had told China,
