Published: 02:06 AM, 25 March 2017
Genocide and response
Genocide 71... acrylic on paper- Mustafizukl Haque
Bangladesh Liberation War had the unique perspective of a long and consistent struggle for political, economic, cultural and other rights, identity and independence of her people. Finally, it was triggered off when discussion between the treacherous junta of Pakistan, on the one hand, and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his aides, on the other, were made to end in a fiasco.
The junta actually took and killed time to plan and prepare for one worst possible kind of genocide. On the night of 25th March, 1971, that reckless pogrom was unleashed, and the undisputed leader, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was taken prisoner.
The large scale of the genocide, arson and rape took even the world leaders by surprise and disbelief. Before getting arrested, Bangabandhu declared the independence of Bangladesh. This was broadcast over an improvised radio station by Mr. M.A. Hannan and other leaders and activists of Awami League in Chittagong on 26th March, on 27th March, 1971, activists at that radio station could arrange for Major Ziaur Rahman to read out that very declaration.
Most of the central leadership of Awami League could get together quite quickly and from the first government of Bangladesh. It was formed on 10th April and took oath on 17th in Mujibnagar. Syed Nazrul Islam, one close aide of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was the first Acting President, officiating in place of Bangabandhu who was the first President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Tajuddin Ahmed, another close and long-time aide of Bangabandhu, was the Prime Minister in that government and the other two important Ministers of the Government were M. Mansur Ali and A.H.M. Kamruzzaman, General M.A.G. Osmani was the Chief of the Liberation Forces, Lt.
Col. M.A. Rab was the Chief of Army Staff, Gp. Capt. A.K. Khandker, Deputy Chief of Army Staff. 11 Zonal Administrative Councils were constituted under the chairmanship of 11 members of the Parliament. They were Mr. Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury, Mr. Phani Bhushan Mazumder, Col. M.A. Rab, Mr. Dewan Farid Gazi, Prof. N.I. Chowdhury, Mr. Abdur Rahim, Mr. Shamsur Rahman Khan, Mr. Matiur Rahman, Mr. Ashraful Islam and Mr. Abdur Rauf. One position remained vacant.
As news of the crackdown by Pakistan Army and a blood-curdling genocide spread, mass media, leaders of politics and other areas of life across borders raised strong voices of protest and condemnation. And this role of media and leaders of the world can never be lost sight of. Till the victory was secured in the Liberation War of Bangladesh, they went on playing a crucial part.
As the most neighboring country directly affected by happenings in Bangladesh and as a strong seat of a great human civilization and modern democratic practice, India is found to have responded first to the news of widespread killing, arson and rape in Bangladesh.
As recorded in the proceedings of the Indian Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister of India, Smt. Indira Gandhi joined the debate there on 27th March, and pointed out the perspective of general elections held in Pakistan in December, 1970. She said, "Something new had happened in East Bengal-democratic action where an entire people had spoken with almost one voice.
We had welcomed this…because these were the values… for which we have always stood and for which we have always spoken out". Referring to the news of attack on unarmed masses by the Pakistan Army, Mrs. Gandhi said "It is not merely suppression of a movement, but it is meeting an unarmed people with tanks." Hinting at the urgent need of the time and the very pressing crisis in Bangladesh, she assured the members of Lok Sabha by saying, "We are fully alive to the situation and we shall keep constantly in touch with what is happening and what we need to do."
Joining a similar debate in the Raiya Sabha on the same day, 27th March, 1971, the Indian Prime Minister mentioned why and how they were affected by the genocide in Bangladesh, "We are not unaware of what is taking place in East Pakistan and of what it means not only to the people there but the danger that it holds for us, not for any one part … but for the entire country … we are interested in this matter for many reasons, firstly…that Sri Mujibur Rahman has stood for the values of democracy, the values of secularism and the values of socialism." Mrs. Gandhi made a similar statement on 30th March.
We cannot but take note of the fact that such a large segment of humanity is involved in a conflict and that many people are suffering in the process.
In India, for understandable reasons, different sections of people also very quickly raised voices of protest against and condemnation of atrocities and killing in Bangladesh. Students, workers and political parties staged processions and demonstrations; they issued statements, and newspapers wrote editorials within a week's time of the crackdown by Pakistan Army in Bangladesh. Important statements were made by intellectuals including Sri Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay. From among politicians, Mr. Ajoy Mukherjee, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, and other leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties raised very strong voices of protest.
Important leaders and MPs in other countries of the world also came up with quick and sympathetic response to the tragic happenings in Bangladesh. On March 31, 1971 we find Mr. Russel Johnston, member of the House of Commons, U.K. making a statement in that House. Mr. Johnston mentioned how they had watch "with horror the development of the political crisis in East Pakistan".
Mr. Russel Johnston concluded his statement by pointing out that as a "Senior member of the Commonwealth, Britain has a responsibility to take every action open to her to bring peace and achieve settlement."
One report titled "Army Expels 35 Foreign Newsmen from Pakistan" sent by Grace Lichtenstein was published in the New York Times of March 28, 1971. It contained news of expulsion of newsman from Dhaka-how they were kept confined in Hotel Intercontinental for 48 hours before expulsion, how they were searched and their notes, films and files were confiscated, etc. One part of the report reads as follows, "Soldiers of the Pakistan Army threatened to shoot the newsman if they left the intercontinental Hotel in North Dacca, from which they could see troops firing on unarmed civilians who supported the East Pakistani rebels".
In a dispatch published in Washington Post of March 30, 1971, Simon During of the Daily Telegraph, London placed sensational news of arrest of 'Sheikh Mujibur Rahman' and nearly all the top members of his Awami League party," attack on 'Dacca University', 'old town' of Dacca. 'Hindu area of the old town', Ittefaq, and the claim of the Pakistani soldiers that they were there to 'kill'-fight in "the name of God and a united Pakistan".
New York Times of April 7, 1971 published a report titled 'Bloodbath in Bengal'. The newspapers wondered at "Washington's persistent silence on recent events in Pakistan". and more so in the light of "mounting eye-witness evidence that the Pakistan Army has engaged in indiscriminate slaughter of civilians and the selective elimination of leadership groups in the separatist state of East Bengal". New York Times termed Washington's position regarding use of American weapons in the conflict in East Bengal "sophistry".
It called upon the United States "to speak out against the bloodbath in Bengal" and to declare that "no additional American arms-including spare parts-will be run in the New York Times of April 11, 1971, the reporter writing from the border region wrote about the new unity of the Bengalis which will ensure their victory against the Pakistanis. He describes the situation there as follows, "The ancient Enfield and Garand rifles in the hands of the ever night revolutionaries, the refugee-laden carts, the bodies lying unnoticed by the roadside-all this could be out of the Spanish Civil War or the Chinese revolution".
In an editorial titled 'A Massacre in Pakistan,' The Guardian of March 31, 1971 declared Pakistan to be a "brutal and insensitive military dictatorship" and "East Pakistan" to be an "occupied and exploited territory, a living proof of every Bengali's suspicion for years. "The Guardian called upon the rulers in Britain to spend her "prestige of influence in the area" openly and forcefully, for, the "fate of Dacca is a crime against humanity and human aspirations; no one should stand mealy-mouthed by".
On April 1, 1971 Senator Kennedy made a statement in the U.S. senate on the "situation in East Pakistan". He began by mentioning how "reports from East Pakistan tell of a heavy toll being paid by the civilian population as a result of the current conflict." He mentioned "indiscriminate killing the execution of dissident political leaders and students, and thousands of civilians suffering and dying every hour of the day."
As chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Refugees, Senator Kennedy expressed his deep personal concern over the plight of the people in East Pakistan "whose interests he said could not go unrecognized." He said, "The situation in East Pakistan should be particularly distressing to Americans for it is our military hardware-our guns and tanks and aircraft-which is contributing much to the suffering.
And this is being done, apparently in violation of negotiated agreements on the use of American Military Aid to the Central Pakistan Government." Senator Kennedy urged upon the government of the USA to condemn the killing of "millions of civilians who are caught in the crunch of this conflict and to offer our good services to stop the violence or at least encourage and support others in such an effort."
On April 4, 1971, Lord Fenner Brockway, Member of the House of Lords, U.K., spoke at a public meeting and "demanded an immediate ending of terrible human disaster in East Bengal." He demanded, among others, ordering Pakistan Army to stop firing and its withdrawal from East Bengal and immediate convening of the National Assembly to allow the representatives of the people to decide freely the future of the people Lord Brockway called for an "urgent U.N. intervention justifying that the situation in East Bengal was a threat to international peace."
Mr. Peter`Shore, a Labour M.P. and a former Minister in Labour Government, UK, also spoke at that meeting and "strongly repudiated the argument that the brutal suppression of democracy in East Bengal was an internal matter of Pakistan and urged the government to sit up and take notice of the happenings there. "Mr. Shore appealed to the British Government "to bring pressure to bear on President Yahya Khan to stop bloodshed in East Bengal."
Congress-member Mr. Helped spoke in the U.S. Congress on April 7, 1971, pointing out the "tragic mistake" in the policy of the Government of the limited status. He said, "We should stop all U.S. military commitments and assistance to Pakistan and we should carefully assess other nonmilitary assistance to ensure that it does not result in giving West Pakistan a more favorable status in the present conflict."
As time passed in April, 1971, happenings in Bangladesh went on drawing more and more attention of world leaders, peoples, press and different associations and organizations who responded at different paces and different associations and organizations who responded at different paces and in various manners. For very understandable reasons, these happened more quickly and at a large scale in India, Bangladesh's immediate neighbor. Newspapers not only published news extensively there, important dailies published editorials that called upon the Indian Government to extend recognition to sovereign and independent Bangladesh.
Amritabazar began by reporting on 27th March, "Sheikh Mujib proclaims independence." Dainik Anandabazar, united left front of West Bengal, Indian Medical Association West Bengal Chapter, Bangladesh Sahayak Shilpi-Sahityik-Budhwijeebi Samity, West Bengal Rajya Parishad of Communist Party of India, different students and workers organizations were among others who raised demand for extending recognition to independent Bangladesh. Leaders of India appeared on Kolkata centre of Akash Bani time and again and presented moving speeches.
Kolkata centre of All India Radio went on playing a significant reel of publicity since the very beginning and that did not have any match or parallel in any other part of world media. Mr. Tushar Kanti Ghosh of Amritabazar Putrika and editors of other leading newspapers of India contributed a lot of solidarity publicity for Bangladesh. Mr. Anil Bhattacharya, Mr. Dilip Mukherjee, Mr. Monosh Ghosh and many other journalists did a very laudable job. Sri Debdulal Bandypadhyay and Sri Pranobesh Sen played highly significant roles. The role played by the BBC journalist, Mark Tully also was highly effective.
On 13th April, 1971, a national committee with representatives from all sections of people was formed with a view to giving assistance to Bangladesh in cooperation as also in coordination with other bodies formed for the purpose and to create national and international compulsion for early recognition of the Government of the Independent Republic of Bangladesh.
The committee had as its Honorary Chairman: Mr. M.C. Chagla, Working Chairman: Mr. Karpuri Thakur, Chief Minister, Bihar, Secretary: Mr. Samar Guha. Others were Smt. Bina Bhowmik, Pannalal Das Gupta, Johangir Kabir, Krishna Kumar Shukla, Sushil Dhara, Prof. Dilip Chakravarty and Sarder Amjad Ali. All the Chief Ministers of the Eastern states, like, West Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland were requested to be members/advisers of the committee.
On 16th April, a meeting of the Steering Committee of sangrami Swadhin Bangla Desh Sahayak Samiti was held at the residence of Dr. S.N. Sen, Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University. The committee empowered Mr. Subrata Mukherjee, MLA to act as a liason between this Samity and the Committee for Assistance to the Freedom Struggle in Bangladesh headed by Mr. Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal.
In mid-April, 1971, a number of prominent intellectuals of West Bengal issued an appeal urging the people of India to organize relief and other assistance for the benefit of the people of Bangladesh to help them achieve the ideal they were fighting for. Signatories to this appeal included Mr. Tara Shankar Bandyopadhyay, Mr. Tushar Kanti Ghosh, Mr. Vivekananda Mukherjee, Mr. Manoj Basu, Mr. Prabodh Kumar Sanyal, Mr. Saibal Gupta, Mr. Nirmal Chandra Bhattacharjee, Principal P.K. Bose, Dr. Prabir Vasu Mallick, Dr. satyendranath Sen, Justice Shankar Prasad Mitra, Justice S.A. Masud and Dr. Roma Chowdhury.
Throughout March and April, 1971, newspapers across the globe went on publishing news reports and editorials about the horrible and pathetic situation in East Pakistan. We have specimens in case of the Anandabazar, Statesman, Cilontro and Dainik Jugantor of Kolkata, Indian Expresss, Times of India and Hindustan Standard of New Delhi, Chilean daily, El Mercuric, Turkish Kasha, Australian daily, Sulzburger Nachrichien, UPI report published in Hongkong on March 29, 1971. The New Herald, Kathmandu, The New Nation, Singapore, New Statesman, London, Le monde, Paris, Chinese Language daily, Kwong Who Yit Poh published from Penang. The Djakarta Times, etc.
In a telegram sent to President Yahya Khan, on April 13, 1971 MACDERMOT, Secretary-General of International Commission of Jurists, Geneva (having consultative status with the UNESCO) expressed their deep anxiety over the 'uagic events' in East Pakistan.
They requested for "all possible steps to reduce death toll" and urged "moderation and respect for law in treatment of political prisoners." They expressed their clear disapproval of the "establishment of special tribunals to try political opponents." MACDERMOT wrote, "If Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of other Awami League leaders have committed any offence under the law of Pakistan, there is no reason why they should not be brought before the internationally respected civilian courts of the country."
The writer is Ex- Professor of Dhaka University & former Ambassador in Nepal.
The junta actually took and killed time to plan and prepare for one worst possible kind of genocide. On the night of 25th March, 1971, that reckless pogrom was unleashed, and the undisputed leader, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was taken prisoner.
The large scale of the genocide, arson and rape took even the world leaders by surprise and disbelief. Before getting arrested, Bangabandhu declared the independence of Bangladesh. This was broadcast over an improvised radio station by Mr. M.A. Hannan and other leaders and activists of Awami League in Chittagong on 26th March, on 27th March, 1971, activists at that radio station could arrange for Major Ziaur Rahman to read out that very declaration.
Most of the central leadership of Awami League could get together quite quickly and from the first government of Bangladesh. It was formed on 10th April and took oath on 17th in Mujibnagar. Syed Nazrul Islam, one close aide of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was the first Acting President, officiating in place of Bangabandhu who was the first President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Tajuddin Ahmed, another close and long-time aide of Bangabandhu, was the Prime Minister in that government and the other two important Ministers of the Government were M. Mansur Ali and A.H.M. Kamruzzaman, General M.A.G. Osmani was the Chief of the Liberation Forces, Lt.
Col. M.A. Rab was the Chief of Army Staff, Gp. Capt. A.K. Khandker, Deputy Chief of Army Staff. 11 Zonal Administrative Councils were constituted under the chairmanship of 11 members of the Parliament. They were Mr. Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury, Mr. Phani Bhushan Mazumder, Col. M.A. Rab, Mr. Dewan Farid Gazi, Prof. N.I. Chowdhury, Mr. Abdur Rahim, Mr. Shamsur Rahman Khan, Mr. Matiur Rahman, Mr. Ashraful Islam and Mr. Abdur Rauf. One position remained vacant.
As news of the crackdown by Pakistan Army and a blood-curdling genocide spread, mass media, leaders of politics and other areas of life across borders raised strong voices of protest and condemnation. And this role of media and leaders of the world can never be lost sight of. Till the victory was secured in the Liberation War of Bangladesh, they went on playing a crucial part.
As the most neighboring country directly affected by happenings in Bangladesh and as a strong seat of a great human civilization and modern democratic practice, India is found to have responded first to the news of widespread killing, arson and rape in Bangladesh.
As recorded in the proceedings of the Indian Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister of India, Smt. Indira Gandhi joined the debate there on 27th March, and pointed out the perspective of general elections held in Pakistan in December, 1970. She said, "Something new had happened in East Bengal-democratic action where an entire people had spoken with almost one voice.
We had welcomed this…because these were the values… for which we have always stood and for which we have always spoken out". Referring to the news of attack on unarmed masses by the Pakistan Army, Mrs. Gandhi said "It is not merely suppression of a movement, but it is meeting an unarmed people with tanks." Hinting at the urgent need of the time and the very pressing crisis in Bangladesh, she assured the members of Lok Sabha by saying, "We are fully alive to the situation and we shall keep constantly in touch with what is happening and what we need to do."
Joining a similar debate in the Raiya Sabha on the same day, 27th March, 1971, the Indian Prime Minister mentioned why and how they were affected by the genocide in Bangladesh, "We are not unaware of what is taking place in East Pakistan and of what it means not only to the people there but the danger that it holds for us, not for any one part … but for the entire country … we are interested in this matter for many reasons, firstly…that Sri Mujibur Rahman has stood for the values of democracy, the values of secularism and the values of socialism." Mrs. Gandhi made a similar statement on 30th March.
We cannot but take note of the fact that such a large segment of humanity is involved in a conflict and that many people are suffering in the process.
In India, for understandable reasons, different sections of people also very quickly raised voices of protest against and condemnation of atrocities and killing in Bangladesh. Students, workers and political parties staged processions and demonstrations; they issued statements, and newspapers wrote editorials within a week's time of the crackdown by Pakistan Army in Bangladesh. Important statements were made by intellectuals including Sri Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay. From among politicians, Mr. Ajoy Mukherjee, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, and other leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties raised very strong voices of protest.
Important leaders and MPs in other countries of the world also came up with quick and sympathetic response to the tragic happenings in Bangladesh. On March 31, 1971 we find Mr. Russel Johnston, member of the House of Commons, U.K. making a statement in that House. Mr. Johnston mentioned how they had watch "with horror the development of the political crisis in East Pakistan".
Mr. Russel Johnston concluded his statement by pointing out that as a "Senior member of the Commonwealth, Britain has a responsibility to take every action open to her to bring peace and achieve settlement."
One report titled "Army Expels 35 Foreign Newsmen from Pakistan" sent by Grace Lichtenstein was published in the New York Times of March 28, 1971. It contained news of expulsion of newsman from Dhaka-how they were kept confined in Hotel Intercontinental for 48 hours before expulsion, how they were searched and their notes, films and files were confiscated, etc. One part of the report reads as follows, "Soldiers of the Pakistan Army threatened to shoot the newsman if they left the intercontinental Hotel in North Dacca, from which they could see troops firing on unarmed civilians who supported the East Pakistani rebels".
In a dispatch published in Washington Post of March 30, 1971, Simon During of the Daily Telegraph, London placed sensational news of arrest of 'Sheikh Mujibur Rahman' and nearly all the top members of his Awami League party," attack on 'Dacca University', 'old town' of Dacca. 'Hindu area of the old town', Ittefaq, and the claim of the Pakistani soldiers that they were there to 'kill'-fight in "the name of God and a united Pakistan".
New York Times of April 7, 1971 published a report titled 'Bloodbath in Bengal'. The newspapers wondered at "Washington's persistent silence on recent events in Pakistan". and more so in the light of "mounting eye-witness evidence that the Pakistan Army has engaged in indiscriminate slaughter of civilians and the selective elimination of leadership groups in the separatist state of East Bengal". New York Times termed Washington's position regarding use of American weapons in the conflict in East Bengal "sophistry".
It called upon the United States "to speak out against the bloodbath in Bengal" and to declare that "no additional American arms-including spare parts-will be run in the New York Times of April 11, 1971, the reporter writing from the border region wrote about the new unity of the Bengalis which will ensure their victory against the Pakistanis. He describes the situation there as follows, "The ancient Enfield and Garand rifles in the hands of the ever night revolutionaries, the refugee-laden carts, the bodies lying unnoticed by the roadside-all this could be out of the Spanish Civil War or the Chinese revolution".
In an editorial titled 'A Massacre in Pakistan,' The Guardian of March 31, 1971 declared Pakistan to be a "brutal and insensitive military dictatorship" and "East Pakistan" to be an "occupied and exploited territory, a living proof of every Bengali's suspicion for years. "The Guardian called upon the rulers in Britain to spend her "prestige of influence in the area" openly and forcefully, for, the "fate of Dacca is a crime against humanity and human aspirations; no one should stand mealy-mouthed by".
On April 1, 1971 Senator Kennedy made a statement in the U.S. senate on the "situation in East Pakistan". He began by mentioning how "reports from East Pakistan tell of a heavy toll being paid by the civilian population as a result of the current conflict." He mentioned "indiscriminate killing the execution of dissident political leaders and students, and thousands of civilians suffering and dying every hour of the day."
As chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Refugees, Senator Kennedy expressed his deep personal concern over the plight of the people in East Pakistan "whose interests he said could not go unrecognized." He said, "The situation in East Pakistan should be particularly distressing to Americans for it is our military hardware-our guns and tanks and aircraft-which is contributing much to the suffering.
And this is being done, apparently in violation of negotiated agreements on the use of American Military Aid to the Central Pakistan Government." Senator Kennedy urged upon the government of the USA to condemn the killing of "millions of civilians who are caught in the crunch of this conflict and to offer our good services to stop the violence or at least encourage and support others in such an effort."
On April 4, 1971, Lord Fenner Brockway, Member of the House of Lords, U.K., spoke at a public meeting and "demanded an immediate ending of terrible human disaster in East Bengal." He demanded, among others, ordering Pakistan Army to stop firing and its withdrawal from East Bengal and immediate convening of the National Assembly to allow the representatives of the people to decide freely the future of the people Lord Brockway called for an "urgent U.N. intervention justifying that the situation in East Bengal was a threat to international peace."
Mr. Peter`Shore, a Labour M.P. and a former Minister in Labour Government, UK, also spoke at that meeting and "strongly repudiated the argument that the brutal suppression of democracy in East Bengal was an internal matter of Pakistan and urged the government to sit up and take notice of the happenings there. "Mr. Shore appealed to the British Government "to bring pressure to bear on President Yahya Khan to stop bloodshed in East Bengal."
Congress-member Mr. Helped spoke in the U.S. Congress on April 7, 1971, pointing out the "tragic mistake" in the policy of the Government of the limited status. He said, "We should stop all U.S. military commitments and assistance to Pakistan and we should carefully assess other nonmilitary assistance to ensure that it does not result in giving West Pakistan a more favorable status in the present conflict."
As time passed in April, 1971, happenings in Bangladesh went on drawing more and more attention of world leaders, peoples, press and different associations and organizations who responded at different paces and different associations and organizations who responded at different paces and in various manners. For very understandable reasons, these happened more quickly and at a large scale in India, Bangladesh's immediate neighbor. Newspapers not only published news extensively there, important dailies published editorials that called upon the Indian Government to extend recognition to sovereign and independent Bangladesh.
Amritabazar began by reporting on 27th March, "Sheikh Mujib proclaims independence." Dainik Anandabazar, united left front of West Bengal, Indian Medical Association West Bengal Chapter, Bangladesh Sahayak Shilpi-Sahityik-Budhwijeebi Samity, West Bengal Rajya Parishad of Communist Party of India, different students and workers organizations were among others who raised demand for extending recognition to independent Bangladesh. Leaders of India appeared on Kolkata centre of Akash Bani time and again and presented moving speeches.
Kolkata centre of All India Radio went on playing a significant reel of publicity since the very beginning and that did not have any match or parallel in any other part of world media. Mr. Tushar Kanti Ghosh of Amritabazar Putrika and editors of other leading newspapers of India contributed a lot of solidarity publicity for Bangladesh. Mr. Anil Bhattacharya, Mr. Dilip Mukherjee, Mr. Monosh Ghosh and many other journalists did a very laudable job. Sri Debdulal Bandypadhyay and Sri Pranobesh Sen played highly significant roles. The role played by the BBC journalist, Mark Tully also was highly effective.
On 13th April, 1971, a national committee with representatives from all sections of people was formed with a view to giving assistance to Bangladesh in cooperation as also in coordination with other bodies formed for the purpose and to create national and international compulsion for early recognition of the Government of the Independent Republic of Bangladesh.
The committee had as its Honorary Chairman: Mr. M.C. Chagla, Working Chairman: Mr. Karpuri Thakur, Chief Minister, Bihar, Secretary: Mr. Samar Guha. Others were Smt. Bina Bhowmik, Pannalal Das Gupta, Johangir Kabir, Krishna Kumar Shukla, Sushil Dhara, Prof. Dilip Chakravarty and Sarder Amjad Ali. All the Chief Ministers of the Eastern states, like, West Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland were requested to be members/advisers of the committee.
On 16th April, a meeting of the Steering Committee of sangrami Swadhin Bangla Desh Sahayak Samiti was held at the residence of Dr. S.N. Sen, Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University. The committee empowered Mr. Subrata Mukherjee, MLA to act as a liason between this Samity and the Committee for Assistance to the Freedom Struggle in Bangladesh headed by Mr. Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal.
In mid-April, 1971, a number of prominent intellectuals of West Bengal issued an appeal urging the people of India to organize relief and other assistance for the benefit of the people of Bangladesh to help them achieve the ideal they were fighting for. Signatories to this appeal included Mr. Tara Shankar Bandyopadhyay, Mr. Tushar Kanti Ghosh, Mr. Vivekananda Mukherjee, Mr. Manoj Basu, Mr. Prabodh Kumar Sanyal, Mr. Saibal Gupta, Mr. Nirmal Chandra Bhattacharjee, Principal P.K. Bose, Dr. Prabir Vasu Mallick, Dr. satyendranath Sen, Justice Shankar Prasad Mitra, Justice S.A. Masud and Dr. Roma Chowdhury.
Throughout March and April, 1971, newspapers across the globe went on publishing news reports and editorials about the horrible and pathetic situation in East Pakistan. We have specimens in case of the Anandabazar, Statesman, Cilontro and Dainik Jugantor of Kolkata, Indian Expresss, Times of India and Hindustan Standard of New Delhi, Chilean daily, El Mercuric, Turkish Kasha, Australian daily, Sulzburger Nachrichien, UPI report published in Hongkong on March 29, 1971. The New Herald, Kathmandu, The New Nation, Singapore, New Statesman, London, Le monde, Paris, Chinese Language daily, Kwong Who Yit Poh published from Penang. The Djakarta Times, etc.
In a telegram sent to President Yahya Khan, on April 13, 1971 MACDERMOT, Secretary-General of International Commission of Jurists, Geneva (having consultative status with the UNESCO) expressed their deep anxiety over the 'uagic events' in East Pakistan.
They requested for "all possible steps to reduce death toll" and urged "moderation and respect for law in treatment of political prisoners." They expressed their clear disapproval of the "establishment of special tribunals to try political opponents." MACDERMOT wrote, "If Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of other Awami League leaders have committed any offence under the law of Pakistan, there is no reason why they should not be brought before the internationally respected civilian courts of the country."
The writer is Ex- Professor of Dhaka University & former Ambassador in Nepal.
