Shamsuddoza Sajen

Henry Kissinger, US President Richard Nixon’s national security adviser, met privately with Pakistan President Yahya Khan on July 8, 1971. In a memorandum, prepared for President Richard Nixon on July 9, 1971,

The Pakistan government brought a group of East Pakistanis ti New York in an effort to persuade the press and diplomats that things were “normal” in East Pakistan.

A three-man Canadian parliamentary delegation was convinced that autonomy in Bangladesh was preferable to recognition, and a situation should be created where the elected representatives of the people would be allowed to fulfil their duties.

Bangladeshi freedom fighters knocked out the electrical power station in Dhaka. The city has been blacked out since July 3 night.

Home Minister of the exiled Government of Bangladesh AHM Kamaruzzaman today visited the youth training camp at Tekerhat, Sunamganj. He addressed the young trainees and said, " If any of you have any doubt about the victorious outcome of this war with the modern well-equipped Pakistan army, I am telling you to always keep in mind that seven and a half crore of Bangalees are with you in this fight.

Muzaffar Ahmed, president of the National Awami Party (Wali Group) rejected Yahya's plan to impose a government of Islamabad's choice on the people of Bangladesh.

The procession to Baduria’s cremation landing with the bodies of refugees from Bangladesh was endless, reported Washington Star.

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

Pakistani President Yahya Khan, in a letter dated June 28, 1971, expressed his disappointment to American President Richard Nixon at Pakistan

The Pakistan army attacked at least five villages within 30 miles of Dhaka in the last four days, killing Hindu men and burning homes and markets in pre-dawn raids, reported Washington Star on June 28, 1971.

Pakistan, faced with the prospect of sharply reduced foreign aid during the coming year, announced a budget today that called for stringent national austerity but provided substantially more money for the military.

The major aid-giving nations, led by the World Bank, quietly agreed to postpone indefinitely any new economic assistance for Pakistan.

Acting president of the Government of Bangladesh Syed Nazrul Islam strongly deprecated renewed US arms supply to Pakistan. In a telegram to US President Richard Nixon, Nazrul said the government and people of Bangladesh were most hurt and distressed to learn about the arms supply.

Bangladesh Home Minister AHM Kamaruzzaman welcomed today the decision of the Aid Pakistan Consortium to withhold further aid until there was a political settlement of the Bangladesh issue.

The office of Senator Edward M Kennedy said today the state department had informed the senator that two Pakistani freighters now en route from New York to Karachi were carrying ammunition for the Pakistani armed forces.

Delegates of western industrial powers and Japan today postponed discussion of fresh aid for Pakistan until a political settlement of the conflict between East and West Pakistan is in sight.

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.

Pakistan President Yahya Khan, in a letter dated June 18, 1971, drew attention of American President Richard Nixon to the “rapidly mounting threat to peace and security in the sub-continent”.

Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi today reiterated that she would send back Bangladesh refugees as soon as normalcy was restored.

Indian Foreign Minister Sardar Swaran Singh carried to US President Richard Nixon today an urgent plea for help to achieve a political settlement in East Pakistan and enable the return of six million Bangladeshi refugees to their homes.