June 19, 1971

Intellectuals and academicians of Bangladesh held that the only political solution with Pakistan was the emergence of a sovereign and an independent Bangladesh, according to Dr AR Mallick, founding vice-chancellor of Chittagong University.

"We support what our Bangladesh government had declared. We cannot today have a settlement on the six-point programme over the bodies of a million for the freedom of Bangladesh," he added.

As to the liberation forces, Dr Mallick said when the Pakistani army attacked in March, 1971 the resistance war had been spontaneous. But there had been no unified command. Now the Mukti Fouj was fighting under a unified command and its organisation was being streamlined. Preparations were on for intensifying their activity. "If our Mukti Fouj has sufficient arms and ammunition to match the enemy's firepower, we have reason to hope to open a counter offensive," he added.

TAJUDDIN, OTHERS TO BE TRIED IN ABSENTIA AGAIN

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmad and four of his colleagues are to be tried again in absentia on charges of conspiracy against Islamabad.

The other four Bangladeshi leaders are Nazrul Islam, Tofail Ahmed, Abdul Mannan and Abidur Rahman. Earlier, all five leaders had been tried by a special military court in Dhaka in absentia for failure to appear before the martial law authorities and were sentenced to 14 years rigorous imprisonment each and confiscation of 50 percent of their property. Under the new charge they could be sentenced to life imprisonment.

EAST PAKISTAN REOPENED TO NEWSMEN

The Pakistani government announced today that foreign newsmen, who had been barred from East Pakistan since March 25 except as participants in government‐conducted tours, were to be readmitted without restrictions.

The announcement said "foreign correspondents can visit East Pakistan on their own completely unescorted and unattended in view of the fact that the law and order situation is now fully under control in that wing".

On March 26, 1971 about 40 foreign newsmen covering non-cooperation movement in East Pakistan were expelled by martial law authorities. All their notes, film, manuscripts and personal papers were confiscated by authorities.

Since then, one group of six correspondents and another of 10 had been permitted five-day tours of East Pakistan accompanied by military authorities.

Two weeks ago, the government announced that all foreigners were to be permitted to travel in East Pakistan but that journalists remained barred. Travellers were required to sign affidavits that they are not journalists.

OCCUPATION OF EVACUEE PROPERTY IN BANGLADESH

The Government of India addressed a letter to the Pakistani high commissioner in New Delhi protesting the occupation of houses and destruction of land records of those of the evacuees of Bangladesh who had crossed over to Indian territory. India had pointed out that such acts by the Pakistanis in Bangladesh would be obstacles to the return of these evacuees from India to their homeland.

Secondly, once they found that their homes and lands were taken away, they would again turn their face to India, thereby creating another humanitarian problem of a vast dimension. Thus, the ensuing unrest and discontent were bound to have repercussions on India's border states, the letter pointed out.

PAKISTAN CLAIMS SAUDI SUPPORT

Pakistan today claimed Saudi Arabia's support for its stand on the East Pakistan issue. Radio Pakistan in a broadcast said Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Pakistan Abdullah-el-Mutliq had said that the people of Pakistan could depend on the moral and material support of the Saudi Arabian people and the government to safeguard the integrity of the country. In a statement, in Islamabad, he said the happenings in East Pakistan were an internal affair of Pakistan and no foreign power had any right to interfere, the radio said.

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