Benefit of freedom must be shared
MARCH 18, 1972
INDIRA-MUJIB TALKS
Prime Minister Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, their foreign minister and aides have the final round of talks for six hours when they go on a river cruise on River Sitalakhya. They discuss various bilateral issues including the possibility of joint flood control and greater economic cooperation between the two states. The two prime ministers also discuss at length on issues of world peace, especially in Asia, and advocate neutrality of the Indian Ocean to prevent big power politics in the area.
The joint declaration by India and Bangladesh will be made tomorrow. It will cover economic, political and other aspects of Indo-Bangladesh relations, according to official sources. The Declaration will simultaneously be issued from Dhaka and Delhi, and the document will be in Bangla and Hindi. The two prime ministers advise their officials to keep red tape to the minimum to implement the decisions expeditiously.
INDIRA ADDRESSES CIVIC RECEPTION
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi expresses her confidence that Bangladesh will be able to progress and prosper in the same spirit the country was able to consolidate her freedom. Speaking at a civic reception given in her honour at the Bangabhaban's lush green lawn, the Indian prime minister refers to Bangladesh's freedom struggle and says that she has never seen such a movement. The entire people rose to a man and fought for liberation. "Although Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was many miles away from you, his spirit guided you. No power could cow you down. The freedom movement was sustained by his spirit," she adds.
Describing Dhaka as "the city of freedom," Indira Gandhi says that the freedom must be meaningful. The benefit of freedom must be shared by all people.
JEDDAH MISSION REJECTED
Bangabandhu has rejected the move of the six-nation mission appointed by the recent Islamic Conference at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to visit Bangladesh. The Jeddah Conference held earlier this month appointed the mission to visit Pakistan and Bangladesh and bring about conciliation between Bangabandhu and Bhutto.
ARRANGEMENT OF RICE SUPPLY FROM BURMA FINALISED
A Bangladesh government spokesman says that arrangements have been finalised with Burma for supply of rice to meet the immediate food shortage of the country. This, coupled with supplies from India, he hopes, would enable the government to get over the critical period of April and May.
SOURCES: March 19, 1972 issues of Dainik Bangla, The Daily Ittefaq, Azad, Morning News, The Bangladesh Observer and Purbodesh.
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