Podgorny calls for ‘speediest political settlement’
![](https://tds-images.thedailystar.net/sites/default/files/styles/big_202/public/images/2021/09/04/freedom.jpg)
September 14, 1971
YAHYA IN TEHRAN
Pakistan President Yahya Khan flew to Tehran today for a two-day visit, and was met at the Airport by the Shah of Iran. Informed sources said the two leaders were expected to discuss the Bangladesh crisis.
The Tehran Journal said the forthcoming 2500th anniversary celebrations of the Persian empire in October 1971 could provide a favourable opportunity to arrange a meeting between Yahya Khan and Indian leaders attending the celebration.
PODGORNY-ZAHIR SHAH MEETING
Soviet President Nikolai Podgorny today called for the "speediest political settlement" in Bangladesh as a condition for preservation of peace in South Asia.
He was speaking at a kremlin banquet in honour of the visiting Afghan King, Muhammed Zahir Shah.
The Soviet president said, "An aggravation of the situation in the Asian subcontinent has taken place lately." The problem of refugees, he observed, rose in connection with known events in Bangladesh.
King Zahir Shah in his reply to the Soviet president's banquet speech, said, "In our opinion any use of military pressure for the solution of disputes leads to dangerous consequences. All differences should be resolved politically with due regard for the inalienable rights of people and nations…"
WE ARE TODAY UNITED AS NEVER BEFORE: HOSSAIN ALI
M Hossain Ali, the high commissioner of Bangladesh in India, today said "politically, we are today united as never before".
"Although the Awami League won absolute majority in the elections, it has now joined hands with other equally dedicated political parties in order to ensure the participation of all shades of people and opinion to carry the liberation struggle to a victorious conclusion," he added.
Hossain Ali was inaugurating the exhibition of sketches by Subal Paul at the Academy of Fine Arts in Calcutta.
Commenting on the activities of Mukti Bahini, the high commissioner said, "Our death-defying Mukti Bahini are already playing havoc with the enemy. The War of Liberation is gaining momentum every day. Our guerrillas are killing large numbers of West Pakistan soldiers -- they are disrupting their line of communication by blowing up bridges, snapping rail and road communication and also sinking boats and ships which West Pakistan are using to carry their arms, ammunition and troops. Our guerrillas are also systematically wiping out the collaborators inside Bangladesh. The morale of the Pakistan army has gone down with the colossal loss of their men and material and they are compelled to fall back at different points. The Mukti Bahini is in control of large areas of Bangladesh and already the troops belonging to the so called "Martial Race" are panic-stricken and retreating."
ON THE WAR FRONT
In the Rangpur-Dinajpur-Rajshahi sector, Mukti Bahini today ambushed a Pakistani patrol at Bhotemari killing two Pakistani troops. Another group of Mukti Bahini raided the Pakistan position at Mughalhat and seriously injured six soldiers.
In the Kushtia-Jashore-Khulna sector, Mukti Bahini encountered Pakistani troops in Alfapur area. Seven Pakistani troops and 20 irregulars were killed in the action. Mukti Bahini captured 16 rifles and seven boxes of Chinese ammunition.
CORRIGENDUM
In yesterday's article it was mistakenly written that Khurram Panni was the first diplomat of ambassadorial rank to defect to the Bangladesh cause. It was Ambassador Abul Fatheh, Pakistan's ambassador to Iraq, who was the first ambassador to defect to Bangladesh. He defected on 15th August, 1971. We express our sincere regret for this inadvertent error.
Shamsuddoza Sajen is a journalist and researcher. He can be contacted at [email protected]
Comments