Coordination council for anti-smuggling operation

October 6, 1972

ALL AGENCIES PLACED UNDER ARMY

All the agencies working as part of the anti-smuggling machinery along the borders of the country have been placed under the unified command of the Bangladesh Army. This is decided at a high-level meeting held in Dhaka today for adopting anti-smuggling measures. The conference held with Home Minister Abdul Mannan in the chair also forms a coordination council to provide proper guidance and control to the Bangladesh Army for the anti-smuggling operation. The home minister will be chairman of the council.

UNROD CHIEF, ITALIAN ENVOY CALL ON BANGABANDHU

Italian Charge d'affaires Pontecorvo calls on Prime Minister Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Gono Bhaban today. It is his first official meeting with the prime minister.

UNROd Chief Umbricht also calls on Bangabandhu at the Gono Bhaban today evening.

TOBACCO BOARD WILL BE SET UP

The Government of Bangladesh has decided to form a tobacco board to look after the cultivation, marketing and storage of tobacco in the country, discloses Agriculture Minister Sheikh Abdul Aziz.

BANGALEES ALLOWED TO PERFORM HAJJ

Foreign Minister Abdus Samad today confirms that Saudi Arabia has agreed to allow Bengalee pilgrims to perform hajj with Bangladeshi passports. The Saudi Government made the confirmation in a message to Bangabandhu through India this week. The minister, however, says the Saudi Government had not consented to allowing a Bangladeshi mission to look after the hajis.

UN GROUP WILL EVALUATE FOOD GRAINS

In agreement with the government of Bangladesh, the United Nations Secretary General Kurt Waldheim and the Director-General of FAO H Boerma today announce the formation of a special agricultural group to evaluate future food grains in Bangladesh. The purpose of the special group will be to evaluate future harvests in Bangladesh, particularly the Aman crop, which yields approximately 60 percent of the total domestic production, as a means of estimating import requirements for 1973.

SOURCES: October7, 1972 issues of Bangladesh Observer, Dainik Bangla and Dainik Ittefaq.