MUJIB REGRETS DELAY IN POLITICAL SOLUTION
ATTEMPTS TO DIVIDE BENGALEES AND MOHAJIRS CONDEMNED
Statement to Press on March 25, 1971, at
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Awami League Chief today
expressed concern over the " regrettable delay in resolving the crisis
politically " and termed it as "unfortunate".
He said that if a" political solution is
desired " by President Yahya Khan and his advisers they should "
realise that it was for them to take matters immediately, to a conclusion, and
that to delay this would expose the country and its people to grave
Wards."
In a statement to the press here tonight, the Awami
League Chief said: " We have done our duty and contributed our utmost
efforts towards the attainment of the political solution."
He apprehended that certain elements have been
deployed by the anti-people forces to foment tension between locals and
non-locals and said: " let those evil forces of destruction know that
their conspiracies cannot succeed when 75 million people are united in their determination
to make every sacrifice and to resist those who seek to impose upon them by
force."
The Awami League Chief said: " The arrival of
the President in
It was for this reason that I met the President. The
President affirmed that there could only be a political solution of the crisis.
Upon that promise, certain fundamental principles on which such a solution
would be based were accepted by the President.
Subsequently, my colleagues sat with the President's
advisers to work out those principles. We have thus done our duty and
contributed our utmost efforts towards the attainment of a political solution.
There is no reason or justification for any delay.
If a political solution is desired by those concerned they should realise that
it is for them to take matters immediately to a conclusion, and that to delay
this would expose the country and its people to grave hazards.
It is therefore, unfortunate that there is a
regrettable delay in resolving the crisis politically. Indeed the critical
situation already pervailing is being aggravated by renewed military
activities, the pace of which, according to reports from different parts of
Bangla Desh, is being stepped up.
This is all the more regrettable at a time when the
President is in
Issue of Non-Locals
" What is more reprehensible is that certain
elements have been deployed by the anti-people forces to foment tension between
locals and ` non-locals'.
I have repeatedly re-affirmed that all those who
live in Bangla Desh, regardless of their place of origin or the language they
speak, are our people, and they should consider themselves as such and take
full part in the struggle for emancipation of Bangla Desh. Their life, property
and honour are our sacred trust.
It is, therefore, clear that those who are fomenting
tension are doing so far the malicious purpose of sabotaging a political
solution and creating a pretext for use of force against unarmed people.
Let the
people of the world take notice that while we have
been exerting our utmost towards the attainment of a political solution, there
are certain evil elements still bent
upon making a last desperate bid to impose a solution by force.
Let those evil forces of destruction know that their
conspiracies cannot succeed, when seventy-five million people are united in
their determination to make every sacrifice and to resist those who seek to
impose upon them by force.
I condemn the firing that has taken place and the
atrocities that have been committed in different parts of Bangla Desh. A
general strike shall be observed on the 27th March 1971, throughout Bangla Desh
to protest against such firing.
I urge those concerned to desist from creating
situation of confrontation between the military and the unarmed civilian
population. If they fail to take heed and continue to resort to military
confrontation, they will bear full responsibility for aborting a political
solution and for all the grave consequences that would follow.
I urge our heroic people to continue with their
struggle. Our economy, . however, must function normally and indeed every
person must consider it his sacred duty to ensure that the economy functions
with maximum efficiency. Our workers in the mills and factories bear a heavy
responsibility in this matter. They must take all steps to maintain normal
conditions in which maximum production can be attained.
Our movement shall go forward. The directives issued
on the 14th March 1971, shall continue in force, subject to the clarification
issued from time to time."
(THE DAWN, Karachi-March 26, 1971)
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