September 26, 1971
U THANT ASKED TO BAN BANGLADESH DELEGATION
Pakistan asked the UN Secretary General U Thant to ban the entry of Bangladesh delegation in the UN. The new Pakistani move was contained in a letter addressed to U Thant by Pakistan’s UN Representative Aga Shahi. The letter alleged that there were criminal charges against AR Siddiqui, one of the representatives of Bangladesh.
The 14-member Bangladesh delegation was in New York under the leadership of Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, head of the Bangladesh Mission in London, to mobilise opinion against Pakistan’s repression in Bangladesh, to seek Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s release, and to secure settlement in Bangladesh in conformity with the wishes of the people there.
ON THE WAR FRONT
In the Dhaka-Cumilla-Chattogram sector, Mukti Bahini today ambushed Pakistani troops near Debpur, and five enemy soldiers were killed in action. On the same day, Mukti Bahini demolished a railway bridge between Feni and Belonia.
In the Mymensingh-Sylhet sector, Mukti Bahini ambushed Pakistani troops in several places. Near Mohanganj they killed 6 soldiers and four razakars. In another ambush on a mixed patrol of Pakistani troops and razakars, Mukti Bahini killed 10 of the enemies near Dasgram area. In Nalkura and Rangtia four enemy troops were killed in similar actions. In another operation, Mukti Bahini encountered Pakistani troops near Mohabbatpur and inflicted 7 casualties on the enemy. On the night of September 26, Mukti Bahini ambushed Pakistani troops on Pakshiganj-Kamalpur road and killed two enemy soldiers. Two vehicles and two ferry boats were destroyed near Kathalpur on the same day.
In the Kushtia-Jashore-Khulna sector, Mukti Bahini engaged Pakistani troops with mortars and small arms near Ijksa area. Seven troops were killed in action, and Mukti Bahini captured two Chinese rifles.
BANGLADESH SOLUTION WITHIN PAK FRAMEWORK: LABOUR MP
The Labour Party of Britain favoured a political solution of the Bangladesh issue within the framework of Pakistan. This was made clear to newsmen in Kolkata today by Douglas Haughton MP, the chairman of Labour Parliamentary Party.
About British government’s view, Haughton said, “I think the government’s line of thinking on the East Pakistan situation was to avoid as far as possible “making a judgement on the internal affairs of Pakistan or on the relationship between two member nations of the commonwealth unless the situation become so acute and dangerous that the whole commonwealth was involved.”
Shamsuddoza Sajen is a journalist and researcher. He can be contacted at sajen1986@gmail.com
