Yahya offers friendship
November 19, 1971
US MISSION PROPOSAL REJECTED
Indian external affairs minister Swaran Singh categorically rejected in Rajya Sabha today the reported American proposal to send a mission to India to study the Bangladesh problem.
"We don't recognise," Swaran Singh said, "the authority of any government to constitute a commission to make inquiries here."
He, however, clarified that the US government had never approached India that they were contemplating sending a mission.
YAHYA'S FRIENDSHIP OFFER TO INDIA
Pakistan president Yahya Khan today offered friendship to India and urged New Delhi "to open a new era of good neighbourly relations".
Gen Yahya in a speech to mark the Eid-ul-Fitr also appealed to the UN to use its good offices "to help the return" of Bangladeshi refugees and expressed the "earnest hope" that the government of India would cooperate.
In his plea for "good neighbourly" relations with India, the Pakistan president said, "India and Pakistan have frittered away their energies and resources arming against each other. The resources should have been used to reap the real fruit of independence for our two peoples."
PAK HC IN INDIA TRANSFERRED
Pakistan high commissioner to India Sajjad Hyder was transferred to Turkey.
The head of the Bangladesh mission in New Delhi, HR Chowdhury, today said the transfer of Sajjad Hyder was in the best interest of all concerned as he had been responsible for the prevailing tension in the subcontinent.
"I know this man for a year. He has always been fanatically anti-Bengalee and anti-Indian," he added.
ON THE WAR FRONT
Pakistani troops attacked Mukti Bahini position near Dakhingul in Sylhet district today. The freedom fighters repulsed the enemy attack and forced the occupation troops to withdraw. In this action, 20 Pakistani soldiers were killed and a lot more were wounded.
On the same day, a similar enemy attack was repulsed by the freedom fighters at Radhanagar.
Also on the same day, Mukti Bahini ambushed Pakistani soldiers moving from Sachina to Tahirpur, inflicting five casualties on the enemy.
Shamsuddoza Sajen is journalist and researcher. He can be contacted at [email protected]
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