October 29, 1972        

FOREIGN MINISTER'S BELGRADE PRESS CONFERENCE

Abdus Samad Azad, the foreign minister of Bangladesh, says today in Belgrade that Bangladesh wishes friendship with China and agreement with Pakistan. Speaking at a press conference during an official visit to Yugoslavia he says he hopes his country's application for membership of the UN would be satisfactorily settled as most of the members of the UN are in favour of it. He further says that Yugoslavia has assured support to efforts of Bangladesh for internal consolidation as a young country as well as in other matters like establishing normal relations with her neighbours and securing for herself the right place in the United Nations.

REPATRIATION OF 230 BANGALEES BY NOV 8

The first group of 230 Bangalees is to be sent to Bangladesh shortly with the permission of Pakistan President ZA Bhutto, reports the International Committee of Red Cross. Red Cross is making arrangements for their travel to Dhaka before the end of the holy month of Ramadan on November 8. Meanwhile the governors' conference held in Rawalpindi today and presided over by Bhutto orders the border police to stop smuggling of Bangalees into Bangladesh.

ALPP COMPLETES EXAMINATION OF AMENDMENTS

The Awami League parliamentary party in a four-hour meeting today completes the examination of the amendments suggested to the draft constitution. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman presides over the meeting. Shah Moazzem Hossain, chief whip of the ALPP, informs that some minor amendments improving the draft constitution here and there have been accepted by the parliamentary party. Bangabandhu is learnt to have expressed satisfaction in the parliamentary party's meeting at the hard work put in by the members to give the nation a constitution within such a short time, reflecting the hopes and aspirations of the people who had to make unprecedented sacrifices for achieving independence.

SOURCES: October 30, 1972 issues of Bangladesh Observer, Dainik Bangla and Dainik Ittefaq.