October 4, 1971

MORE DEFECTIONS TO BANGLADESH

Humayun Rasheed Choudhury, minister-counselor and head of chancery in the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi, today switched his allegiance to Bangladesh. In a statement, he said "history will certainly indict Yahya Khan not only for the fiendish genocide of innocent people but also for having provoked the disintegration of Pakistan. It is he, and not Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who should be tried not only for crimes against Pakistan but also for crimes against humanity".

His announcement came within a few hours of the escape of his personal assistant, Fariduddin Ahmed, who along with his wife and four children had scaled the boundary wall of the high commission to freedom.

SOVIET POLICY REGARDING BANGLADESH

Giving a broad outline of the Soviet policy regarding the Bangladesh issue, the leader of the CPSU delegation to the 9th Congress of the Communist Party of India made it clear today the Soviet Union was opposed to any escalation of the situation in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent.

Dinmukhamed Kunaev, member of the Politburo of the CPSU, said the Bangladesh situation called for a political settlement of the problem on the basis of the inalienable rights and legitimate interest of the people of East Pakistan. The Soviet people resolutely stood for the creation of conditions to enable millions of refugees to return to their homes, he added.

He condemned straight away the persecution and repression of the people of Bangladesh by the military junta of Pakistan and demanded immediate release of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

ON THE WAR FRONT

In the Mymensingh-Sylhet sector, Mukti Bahini ambushed a Pakistani patrol near Ballabpur area killing two enemy soldiers. Mukti Bahini captured two enemy soldiers with rifles in Rongra area.

In the Rangpur-Dinajpur- Rajshahi sector, one enemy jeep was blown up near Bhotemari area by the explosion of a mine that the Mukti Bahini laid. Mukti Bahini encountered occupying troops at Chirirbandar of Dinajpur District. In this action, freedom fighters killed four enemy soldiers and recovered one rifle from them. In another operation, Mukti Bahini ambushed enemy troops and irregulars near Subrampur. They killed two regular and seven irregular soldiers.

Mukti Bahini ambushed a big launch carrying Pakistani army personnel of the Third Punjab Regiment near Kasba in Cumilla district today. A fierce fight took place in which many enemy soldiers were killed. The launch was drowned along with a large quantity of arms and ammunition. Another Mukti Bahini group ambushed enemy troops in Panchara and Koteswar area, killing eight enemy soldiers.

FINLAND STUDENTS FOR BANGLADESH FREEDOM

The Students' National Union in Finland said the only way to ensure safe return of the Bangladesh refugees from India was the establishment of an independent republic of Bangladesh. The union at its recent executive board meeting condemned the "brutal slaughter" of thousands of innocent people by the "fascist Yahya regime" and said it was the main cause of the flow of eight million refugees into India.

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