First year of Bangladesh Bangabandhu’s nation-building challenges
Families of POWs, internees to be repatriated
November 20, 1972
HUMANITARIAN GESTURE BY BANGLADESH AND INDIA
Bangladesh and India have decided to repatriate to Pakistan members of the families of Pakistani civilian internees and prisoners of war as "a humanitarian gesture", the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry announces today. The repatriation offer covers "the families -- women and children-- of Pakistani civilian internees who sought protection with the joint command of India and Bangladesh forces and the families of POWs who had surrendered to the joint command."
The announcement expresses the hope that Pakistan "will [be] set in the same humanitarian spirit and allow the families of all Bangladesh nationals who are detained or held up in Pakistan to return to Bangladesh".
Arrangements to give effect to this proposal will be made on receiving "positive response" from Pakistan, the announcement adds.
A Pakistan government spokesman welcomes the decision regarding the release of 6,000 Pakistani women and children under detention in India. But, beyond claiming that Pakistan had already unilaterally released and repatriated all Indian civilian internees from Pakistan, the spokesman gives no indication whether Pakistan is ready to respond to the venture by repatriating families of stranded Bangalees in Pakistan.
LIFE TERM FOR MALIK
Dr Abdul Mottalib Malik, governor of the then East Pakistan during Yahya Khan's occupation regime, is sentenced to life term today for his offence of waging a war against Bangladesh and helping the occupation forces of Pakistan.
DRAFT ELECTORAL ROLLS PUBLISHED
A total number of 3,51,19,800 voters are registered throughout the country in the draft electoral rolls published today. The CEC says the number of voters registered this time has increased by nearly 12 percent over the number of voters of 1970 elections. The increase is attributed mainly to the extension of franchise to the age of 18 years.
SOURCES: November 21, 1972 issues of Bangladesh Observer, Dainik Bangla and Dainik Ittefaq.