Indomitable March: Mujib appeals to prevent genocide

In a press statement issued on March 10, 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman urged the UN chief to take action to avert the threat of genocide in East Pakistan. Referring to UN Secretary-General U Thant's approval of the withdrawal of UN employees from East Pakistan, Sheikh Mujib said that the UN chief couldn't ignore his responsibility to protect the human rights of the 70 million Bengalis. In that case, it would be a clear violation of the UN human rights mandate.

MUJIB'S MESSAGE TO BLOOD

Archer K Blood, the American Consul General in Dhaka, writes in his memoir that on March 10, 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman sent a message to him via Alamgir Rahman who informed that Mujib was greatly relieved at the news of Yahya coming to Dhaka for a discussion. Mujib wanted very much to work out with Yahya some political settlement that would avoid bloodshed, satisfy Bengali aspirations, and preserve some vestige of a link with Pakistan, writes Blood.

Mujib asked, "Does the United States want to see a military confrontation with the prospect of an eventual communist domination of Bengal, or would it prefer a political solution to the crisis?" Blood replied that the question was easy to answer: peaceful political solution in lieu of bloodshed.

Then the messenger said that Mujib wanted to know if the United States would be willing to indicate to Yahya its hopes for a political solution to the ongoing crisis. The American Consul General replied positively and assured that he would undertake to suggest to the US Ambassador in Pakistan, Farland, to inform Yahya about it before the latter departs for Dhaka. [ Archer K Blood, The Cruel Birth of Bangladesh, UPL, 2006, pp. 185-186]

WEST PAKISTANI LEADERS' SUPPORT FOR MUJIB'S FOUR-POINT DEMAND

In a meeting called by Nawabjada Nasrullah Khan, former chief of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), on March 10, 1971, in Lahore, several leaders from West Pakistan proclaimed their support for Sheikh Mujib's four-point demand and urged for the immediate opening of the National Assembly session.

The smaller parties of West Pakistan were converging on a strategy of supporting the Awami League, which made Bhutto's People's Party politically isolated by mid-March of 1971.