Shamsuddoza Sajen

US Secretary of State William Rogers, in a memorandum presented to the US President Richard Nixon today, said there remained a high potential for outbreak of hostilities between India and Pakistan.

The New York Times, in an editorial published today, stated, “What United Nations Secretary General U Thant called a “potential” threat to peace last August has become too imminent a peril to be longer ignored by the world organisation.”

In an interview published today in The New York Times, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared that the military situation on the borders between India and Pakistan was “quite grave”.

Pakistan President Yahya Khan said in an interview published in Le Monde today, “ If the people want clemency for Sheikh Mujibur Rahman I would grant it.” 

The New York Times today reported, “From a disorganized, confused band of freedom fighters that moved into action when the Pakistani Army struck in late March to try to crush the Bengali autonomy movement,

Pakistan President Yahya Khan returned today from Tehran after cutting short his stay for the Iranian anniversary celebration.

The Bangladesh government-in-exile today sent a letter to Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi requesting recognition to the “free and duly constituted Government of Bangladesh”.

Trimming millions of dollars from President Richard Nixon’s foreign aid requests, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

While commenting on Pakistan President Yahya Khan’s broadcast of October 12, 1971, a spokesman of the Government of Bangladesh stated today that the broadcast was another exposition of his own desperate situation in West Pakistan.

US Ambassador to India Kenneth Keating in a telegram sent today informed the US state department that Indian Foreign Minister Swaran Singh claimed that the East Pakistan insurgency was not dependent upon India.

The American consulate general in Karachi in a telegram sent to the US state department today informed that Pakistan President Yahya Khan accepted the US proposal for mutual withdrawal of troops and armour by both the Government of India and the Government of Pakistan to some distance from their respective borders.

The roving ambassador of Bangladesh, Abdus Samad Azad, addressed a meeting in London today expressed his confidence in early liberation of Bangladesh. He stressed the unity achieved by all sections of the Bangladesh people.

Syed Nazrul Islam, acting president of Bangladesh, reiterated that nothing short of complete independence would settle the Bangladesh issue.

Pakistan and the US today signed an agreement in Islamabad under which the US would provide an additional 50 million rupees for relief work in East Pakistan.

The Bangladesh Cabinet today approved a scheme for the medical care and welfare of the injured Mukti Bahini members as well as the dependents of the martyrs.

Tajuddin Ahmad, prime minister of People’s Republic of Bangladesh, today said the Bangladesh issue would be resolved only by complete victory of freedom fighters on the country’s battlefields.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a proposal to suspend US aid to Pakistan. The provision, already voted by the House of Representatives,

Humayun Rasheed Choudhury, minister-counselor and head of chancery in the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi, today

The First Secretary of the Pakistani Embassy in Katmandu, Mustafizur Rahman, switched his allegiance to the Bangladesh Government on October 3. Mustafizur Rahman, a 29-year-old Bangalee, who was also head of the chancery, told a news conference at his residence that he had taken this “bold” decision after six months of “the worst mental agony in my life.”

The Bangladesh cabinet met today to review the Kremlin meeting between the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the Soviet leaders,