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 Soviet Union made a new urgent appeal to Pakistan to desist from escalating the situation in the Indian subcontinent.
Both America and Britain expressed their concern at the military confrontation between India and Pakistan, and appealed to the two states for restraint in the present “ potentially dangerous situation in the subcontinent”.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed today called upon the people of Bangladesh to turn the current phase of the Liberation War into a decisive one.
Henry Kissinger, the US President’s assistant for National Security Affairs, called the US President Nixon today at 12:45pm and said, “There is no doubt there is a large encroachment taking place and it is heavily backed by the Indians.”
China’s relations with Pakistan and the reported speech of the Chinese delegate at the United Nations were not unexpected, Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi said today.
Henry Kissinger, US president’s assistant for national security affairs, in a memorandum dated November 20, 1971, informed president Nixon
Indian external affairs minister Swaran Singh categorically rejected in Rajya Sabha today the reported American proposal to send a mission to India to study the Bangladesh problem.
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi turned down U Thant’s proposal that he help relieve tensions between India and Pakistan. She urged him to concentrate instead on ending the “civil war” in East Pakistan.
A daylight curfew was imposed on Dhaka today, reported The New York Times. There were unconfirmed reports of fighting
Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi, in a letter dated November 16, 1971, urged US president Nixon to “use the vast prestige of the United States and its wisdom” to find a political solution acceptable to the elected representatives of East Bengal and their leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
