Published on 12:00 AM, December 04, 2014
January 8, 1971
January 8, 1971
- Britain’s Prime Minister Edward Heath flew to Islamabad for a two-day trip to Pakistan. President Yahya Khan received the premier at the airport and introduced Mr Heath to Pakistan military’s chief of staff General Abdul Hamid Khan and representatives from Pakistan air force and navy. The entourage of British prime minister included British Cabinet Secretary Sir Burke Trend, Parliamentary Private Secretary TPJ Kiston and foreign and commonwealth desk South Asia division chief IJM Sutherland.
- Pakistan People’s Party’s provincial unit Joint Secretary Kamal Hassan Rizvi congratulates Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for a strong decision on the nationalisation of banks, insurance and jute businesses. In a statement, he says Sheikh Mujib introduced a new life on the crores of persecuted people with his decision. He says his party’s ultimate aim is for a peaceful democratic revolution and it is for this reason that People’s Party had taken part in the elections to contest imperialists and the reactionaries of West Pakistan.
- Mawlana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, in a speech in the ‘National Council’ at Tangail, urges the people to wage a movement for the implementation of the 1940 Lahore proposals. He stresses on implementation of socialism for the ultimate freedom of peasants and workers. On the note of Lahore proposals, he says the Muslims of Bangla will not have become a part of Pakistan without it, 14 districts including Kolkata will have been lost. He says Kayede Azam is not a fool and he himself kept a clear proposition of ‘states’ while implementing the Lahore proposals, which meant he clearly mentioned two states. But even then, Muslim League committed treachery. However, on that day, Dawltana, Khalequzzaman, Raza Mahmudabad and others of Punjabis, Sindhis, Beluchs and Pathans did not object. Mawlana reiterated the demand for a ‘free East Pakistan’. However, he adds, that politics cannot survive without Pakistan. He says there are no East Pakistanis in military and foreign affairs office. Though East Pakistan has ample resources, no light or heavy industries sprouted in the region. On this note, he urges the countrymen to attain independency and adds that the amount of coal, oil, petrol and other resources is enough to attain self-dependence. He also says he is not against the exploited people of West Pakistan.
- Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau heads for New Delhi after his four-day Pakistan tour. Sindh governor Lt General Rakhman Gul sees the premier off at Karachi Airport.
- East Pakistan Sramik Federation’s effective President Mahfuz Bhuiyan and General Secretary Haidar Akbar Khan Rano call a whole-day strike for January 20 in observance of martyr Asad. In a statement, they say that on January 20 in 1969 youth Asaduzzaman poured his blood to induce a new spirit of revolution. They say that the ’69 movement ended with the fall of autocrat Ayub Shahi. They hope that the people of East Bangla did not forget Asad.
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