World meet on Bangladesh opens
September 18, 1971
CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE TO FREE BANGLADESH
The three-day conference on Bangladesh began today in New Delhi. It was organised by the Gandhi Peace Foundation. The conference was a major international attempt to draw attention to the Bangladesh issue which had been hitting the headlines all over the world since March 25, 1971.
Distinguished citizens from many countries joined the conference to condemn the genocide against the Bangladesh people and to support their rights of self-determination. Before the conference got off to a start, all the participants at the suggestion of the Chairman, Jayaprakash Narayan, stood in silence for two minutes as a mark of respect to those who had laid down their lives for the cause of Bangladesh.
BP Koirala, former Prime Minister of Nepal, called for setting up an international brigade to fight alongside the liberation forces in Bangladesh.
Dr Mohammed Roem, a former foreign minister of Indonesia, ably made the point that the Bangladesh problem was not a domestic issue of Pakistan and the UN had ample jurisdiction to intervene.
Dr Clovis Maksoud, editor of Daily Al Ahram, in an impassioned speech said mankind had been shocked by the brutalities of the Pakistani regime.
Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani in a message expressed the hope that the deliberations of the conference would strengthen the struggle for freedom in Bangladesh. Bangladesh was represented by a non-official delegation led by the Vice-chancellor of Chittagong University Dr A R Mallick.
Other distinguished personalities who attended the conference included Q Hadad (Afghanistan), Professor Tsuyosni Nara (Japan), Senarat Gunawardana (Sri Lanka), Fred Evans MP (Britain), Professor DPO Connel (Australia), Acharya Kripalni (India) and Vijaylakshmi Pandit (India).
ON THE WAR FRONT
In the Kushtia-Jashore-Khulna sector, a number of Pakistani soldiers surrendered to the Mukti Bahini with four rifles. Mukti Bahini raided Pakistani troops in Dhopakhali area in Jashore district and they killed two Pakistani troops. They also destroyed one bunker of the enemy troops. In Tungi in Jashore district Mukti Bahini exchanged fire with Pakistani troops on the same day, killing two enemy soldiers.
In Mymensingh-Sylhet-Maulvibazar sector, Mukti Bahini raided and demolished a road bridge in Joyintapur area in Sylhet district. In this action two enemy soldiers were killed. On the same day they exchanged mortar fire with the Pakistan army in Farangipara area in Sylhet district, killing four Pakistani soldiers.
In the Rangpur-Dinajpur-Rajshahi sector, Mukti Bahini exchanged fire with Pakistani troops near Rangpur Town, killing three. On the same day Mukti Bahini ambushed enemy troops in Udoysree area and killed three.
Shamsuddoza Sajen is a journalist and researcher. He can be contacted at [email protected]
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