June 29, 1971

BHASHANI REJECTS 'POLITICAL SETTLEMENT'

The people of Bangladesh would not accept any political settlement short of independence, said Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani.

"The people of Bangladesh will not accept a hoax in the name of a political settlement when they have lost their possessions, when the honour of women has been violated, when so many people have shed their blood, and when millions have been ejected out of their own homes," said the Maulana.

He made it quite clear that there could be no compromise on the matter. "It is independence or death," he said.

He warned the quislings who might be tempted to strengthen the hands of President Yahya Khan of dire consequences.

Any party which ignores the demand for full independence and joins hands with Yahya will be hated more than the anti-people Muslim League. Their political death is inevitable, he predicted.

Bhashani indicted USA and China for giving aid in the shape of arms and money to Pakistan and thereby supporting and sustaining Islamabad's war of extermination on the people of Bangladesh.

HOSSAIN ALI'S PLEA FOR RECOGNITION

Addressing the Indian Council of World Affairs in Kolkata, M Hossain Ali, head of the Bangladesh mission, made an impassioned appeal today to the Government of India for recognition of Bangladesh, and said reunion between Bangladesh and Pakistan was no longer possible.

Pakistan remained buried under the corpses of thousands of people, he added.

Appealing for assistance to all democracy-loving and friendly countries, especially India, Hossain Ali said the "civil invasion" had put India's economy in a lot of strain and the only way to get over it was to come to the assistance of Bangladesh even at this juncture.

He said that it was not only the destiny of Bangladesh that lay in this assistance but also that of India. "If we go down, you will also go down afterwards. The chaos will not be limited to Bangladesh but create a situation where the whole region will be affected," he added.

STAMPS IN HONOUR OF BANGABANDHU SUGGESTED

The release of a commemorative stamp to honour Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was today suggested by SM Banerjee (CPI) in the Lok Sabha. "By doing so we will be able to give culturally a boost to the morale of Bangladesh people who are resisting heroically the tyranny of Pakistan," added SM Banerjee.

'ONLY TOTAL PULL-OUT CAN ENSURE NORMALITY'

The situation in Bangladesh would never become normal till complete withdrawal of all the occupation forces of the Pakistani military junta from its sacred soil, according to two sector commanders of the Bangladesh Liberation Army.

The two Mukti Fouj commanders -- Major Khaled Musharraf and Major Ziaur Rahman -- in an interview today reacted sharply to the hope of Pakistan President Yahya Khan that normality would be restored within four months.

They said, "The absence of normal conditions in Bangladesh as admitted by the Pakistani President clearly belies his fond contention that Pakistani army was in full control of the situation."

Asked if four months' time signified any major Pakistani offensive in near future, the commanders said, " Yahya Khan had taken his most brutal offensive against us on March 25. Now it is our turn to launch the offensive."

Shamsuddoza Sajen is a journalist and researcher. He can be contacted at sajen1986@gmail.com