December 23, 1972

BANGABANDHU GARLANDED

Prime Minister Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is garlanded today by the members of Kalyani, Gandaria ladies organisation, on his being awarded the Juliot Curie medal for peace. Members of Khulna Music College also garland him.

DEALS FINALISED FOR PURCHASING FOODGRAINS

The Bangladesh government has finalised deals with a number of countries for the cash purchase of six lakh tonnes of food grains for next year, Minister for Food Phani Majumdar says today in Dhaka. The food grains will reach before March, 1973. The minister adds that the next year's food production is expected to be 9.5 million tonnes and the total food demand is 11.2 million tonnes leaving a deficit of 1.7 million tons.

It may be mentioned that the UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim will make his second appeal to the donor countries to make available 10 lakh tonnes of food grains on January 5, 1973 in response to a request by the Bangabandhu. The secretary general had earlier made an appeal for 7 lakh tonnes of food grains for Bangladesh, out of which the US has pledged to provide two lakh tonnes and Canada one lakh tonnes.

JSD WILL CONTEST IN ALL 300 SEATS

The Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) has decided to contest in all the 300 seats in the ensuing general elections provided the polls are free and fair. The decision is taken at the first national conference of the party held today at Suhrawardy Udyan. 

$1010 MILLION FOREIGN AID

Bilateral and multilateral aid to Bangladesh totalled about 1010 million dollars between December 16 last year and October 31 this year, according to an official statement released by the Bangladesh government. Of the total foreign assistance, food relief comprised 32.31 percent, agriculture 10.52 percent, transport 17.77 percent, trade and industries 5.77 percent, energy 7.95 percent, the announcement adds.

SOURCES: December 24, 1972 issues of Bangladesh Observer, Dainik Bangla and Dainik Ittefaq.