On this day in 1971
DECEMBER 17
Temporary President Syed Nazrul Islam says, “This is the time to work as a post-war reconstructive government.” He also says that the Bangladesh government had started preparing the new constitution and an election might be held by mid-1972.
A dozen experienced administrators, led by Ruhul Kuddus, one of the prime accused of the Agartala conspiracy proceedings, commence a civil administration in Dhaka.
Within 2:30pm, the western front of the Indo-Pakistan war is over. President Yahya Khan accepts India’s unilateral truce proposal. Statistics say that India destroyed 94 Pakistani fighter jets, 214 tanks and 22 navy vessels during the two-week long war.
Former governor Dr Malik takes shelter in the Hotel Intercontinental, a neutral area. Bangladeshi guerrillas demand that he be handed over to them. But India refuses.
Chinese PM Zhou Enlai criticises the Soviet Union for supporting Indian ‘aggression’ during a diplomatic party in Peking. The Soviet envoy leaves the party protesting the Chinese premier’s opinion.
Hundreds of bodies and skeletons are found in the Mirpur killing ground. Among those martyrs were many of the finest scholars and intellectuals of Bangladesh.
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