A symbol of hope

MARCH 7, 1972

BANGABANDHU BRIEFS CABINET ON SOVIET VISIT

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman today informally meets his cabinet colleagues and briefs them about his talks with the Soviet leaders.

PRESS BRIEFING ON BANGABANDHU'S SOVIET TOUR

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abdus Samad Azad today briefs journalists about Bangabandhu's Soviet tour. He says that the people in Soviet Union treated Bangabandhu as a symbol of revolution and the hopes and aspirations of the 75 million people of Bangladesh. He further says that in the discussions between the delegations of Bangladesh and the Soviet leaders, they found very large areas of agreement not only in bilateral relations but in their appreciation of world problems.

The Soviet Union has agreed to provide 38 million rubles as assistance for the ongoing projects in Bangladesh, informs the foreign minister. The rate of interest would be two percent instead of the two and a half percent earlier applicable to Soviet assistance for Pakistan. The Soviet Union will also provide 5 million rubles of commodity aid to Bangladesh, he adds.

Abdus Samad Azad further informs that the Soviet Union has agreed to give two ships, each with 1000-tonne capacity, 10 fishing trawlers with cold storage facilities, 50 locomotives for railways, 30,000 tonnes of rice and 5,000 tonnes of edible oil.

SUBMIT WAR DOCUMENTS TO MUSEUM

Bangabandhu today appeals to the countrymen to submit the articles, documents and any other materials that carry the mark or indicate anything related to the liberation struggle to the national museum in Dhaka. Bangabandhu makes the appeal while handing over to the curator of Dhaka Museum the Bangladesh flag, which was hoisted ceremonially on the Bangladesh Mission in Kolkata after the members of the mission expressed their allegiance to the Bangladesh Government formed at Mujibnagar.

RELIEF OPERATIONS INTENSIFIED

The government has intensified relief operations with a clear-cut priority on distribution of food grains, and a crash programme for providing shelter, says a government handout. The transport facilities available in the country, including 12 mini-bulkers and three aircraft, have been deployed for movement of food grains to interior distribution points.

JATIYA RAKKHI BAHINI ORDER

President Abu Sayeed Chowdhury makes an order titled 'The Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini Order 1972' which comes into force at once and extends to the whole of Bangladesh.

AGREEMENT ON REPAIR OF RAILWAY BRIDGES

The Indian government has entered into an agreement with the government of Bangladesh to repair and bring into commission four major railway bridges of Bangladesh during the next four months.

SOURCES: March 8, 1972 issues of Dainik Bangla, The Daily Ittefaq, Azad, Morning News, The Bangladesh Observer and Purbodesh.