Foreign Relations,
Foreign Relations, 1969-1976, Documents on South Asia, 1969-1972
Released by the Office of the Historian
Department of
State TELEGRAM
SECTION 1 OF 3
ISLAMABAD 5842
CONTO 237
SUBJECT: SECRETARY
CONNALLY'S JULY 3 MEETING WITH BANGLADESH
FOREIGN MINISTER
WHITE HOUSE FOR MRS.
DAVIS
TREASURY FOR
DIXON
STATE: A/OPR, S/S, NEA
BUDAPEST
FOR SECRETARY'S PARTY
SECRETARY CONNALLY
TRAVEL
SUMMARY: AFTER TRACING
HISTORY OF LIBERATION MOVEMENT, FOREIGN MINISTER SAMAD SAID SITUATION IN BANGLADESH NOW
STABLE, GOOD LAW AND ORDER PREVAILED AND DEMOCRATIC PROCESS WAS WORKING
EFFECTIVELY. ALTHOUGH BDG HAD PREVIOUSLY FELT US
ADMINISTRATION PRO-PAKISTAN, IT WAS NOW HAPPY WITH US-BD RELATIONSHIP AND
THANKFUL FOR GENEROUS US
ASSISTANCE. SIMLA SUMMIT APPEARED TO HAVE MADE
PROGRESS BUT BHUTTO MUST RECOGNIZE BANGLADESH. HOPED US WOULD USE ITS
INFLUENCE WITH GOP RE BENGALIS IN PAKISTAN WHILE NOTING THAT BIHARIS
WELL TAKEN CARE OF. RE FOREIGN POLICY, BANGLADESH WANTED NON-ALIGNMENT, QTE
FREE ZONE UNQTE IN BAY OF BENGAL, MEMBERSHIP IN UNITED NATIONS (FOR WHICH US
SUPPORT SOLICITED), AND CLOSER ASSOCIATION WITH COUNTRIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.
SECRETARY CONNALLY SAID USG COULD AGREE WITH ALMOST ALL BDG ASPIRATIONS BUT
CORRECTED SAMAD'S CONTENTION US WAS PRO-PAKISTAN DURING 1971. US WISHED BANGLADESH EVERY SUCCESS, SOUGHT NO SPECIAL
PRIVILEGES OR ADVANTAGES IN AREA AND WOULD HELP BANGLADESH WITH UN MEMRERSHIP. WAS NONCOMMITTAL RE APPROACH TO GOP ON BENGALIS. NOTED US
HAD NO DESIGNS ON ANY PART OF SOUTH ASIA AND
HDPED EXTERNAL POWERS LIKEWISE HAD NO DESIGNS. END SUMMARY.
1. SECRETARY CONNALLY
MET FOR ONE HOUR AND QUARTER JULY 3 WITH BANGLADESH FOREIGN MINISTER SAMAD.
SAMAD ACCOMPANIED BY FOREIGN SECRETARY KARIM, S.A.M KIBRIA AND REXAUL KARIM OF
FOREIGN OFFICE AND J.KARIM, BDG CHARGE IN WASHINGTON. SPIVACK, HENNESSY, VAN HOLLEN,
DONLEY AND HOSKINSON SAT IN WITH SECRETARY.
2. FOREIGN MINISTER
OPENED WITH COMMENT BANGLADESH
HAD TAKEN CONSIDERABLE INSPIRATION FROM AMERICAN INDEPENDENcE BEING
CELEBRATED FOLLOWING DAY. HE THEN ENTERED INTO DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS
LEADING UP TO OUTBREAK OF CIVIL WAR IN EAST PAKISTAN DURING 1971, NOTING THAT
AS RESULT OF FIGHTING 10 MILLION BENGALIS HAD FLED TO INDIA, ABOUT 3 MILLION
HAD BEEN KILLED AND MANY WOMEN RAPED BY PAKISTAN SOLDIERS OR BIHARIS. HOWEVER,
WITH ATTAINMENT INDEPENDENCE
THERE WAS NOW LAW AND ORDER, DEMOCRATIC PROCESS WAS IN OPERATION AND FREEDOM OF
PRESS EXISTED.
3. SAMAD EXPRESSED
PLEASURE USG HAD REALIZED POLITICAL REALITIES OF BANGLADESH AS WELL AS GIGANTIC
TASKS NEW GOVERNMENT FACED AND HAD CONTRIBUTED GENEROUS ASSISTANCE, FIRST
THROUGH UN AND LATER BILATERALLY. BDG WAS GRATEFUL TO PEOPLE AND PRESS OF
UNITED STATES ALTHOUGH AT FIRST IT HAD FELT US
ADMINISTRATION HAD FAVORED PAKISTAN
REGIME. NOW, HOWEVER, BANGLADESH
PEOPLE WERE FRIENDLY TO UNITED STATES WHICH RECENTLY HAD ESTABLISHED EMBASSY IN
DACCA AND
GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS GOOD.
4. EXPRESSING HOPE FOP
DURABLE PEACE IN SUB-CONTINENT, FOREIGN MINISTER NOTED RECENT INDO-PAK
SUMMIT AT SIMLA HAD RESULTED IN SOME STEPS FORWARD WHICH
WAS ALSO FAVORABLE SIGN FOR BANGLADESH.
SECRETARY CONNALLY HAD CORRECTLY STATED IN HIS ARRIVAL REMARKS AT AIRPORT THAT
SETTLEMENT IN SOUTH ASIA MUST BE WORKED OUT BY THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, PAKISTAN
AND BANGLADESH.
HOWEVER, THERE WERE ABOUT ONE-HALF MILLION BENGALIS STILL IN PAKISTAN AND
ALTHOUGH BDG HAD AGREED TO VARIETY OF PROPOSALS FOR REPATRIATION, INCLUDING
INITIAL EXCHANGE OF 1,000 BENGALIS
IN PAKISTAN FOR LIKE NUMBER PEOPLE IN BANGLADESH, GOP HAD RENEGED AND BENGALI
PLIGHT REMAINED SERIOUS. THEREFORE BDG HOPED USG WOULD USE ITS INFLUENCE WITH
GOP TO EXPEDITE BENGALIS' RETURN. BHUTTO MUST RECOGNIZE THAT HE ONLY REPRESENTS
PAKISTAN AND CONSEQUENTLY
MUST RECOGNIZE BANGLADESH
WHOSE PEOPLE HAVE NO ENMITY FOR PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN.
CONNALLY
Department of State TELEGRAM
PAGE 01 ISLAMA
05842 02 OF 03 061136Z
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ACTION SS-25
INFO
OCT-01 SSO-00 CCO-00 FILE-01 NSCE-00 /027 W
006285
R 060852Z JUL 72
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5166
INFO AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
AMCONSUL BOMBAY
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
AMEMBASSY DACCA
AMCONSUL CALCUTTA
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
AMCONSUL MADRAS
AMEMBASSY RANGOON
AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
SECTION 2 OF 3
ISLAMABAD 5842
CONTO 237
SUBJECT: SECRETARY
CONNALLY'S JULY 3 MEETING WITH BANGLADESH
FOREIGN MINISTER
WHITE HOUSE FOR MRS.
DAVIS
TREASURY FOR
DIXON
STATE: A/OPR, S/S, NEA
BUDAPEST
FOR SECRETARY'S PARTY
SECRETARY CONNALLY
TRAVEL
5. SAMAD THEN RAISED
BIHARI QUESTION NOTING THAT BGG WAS PROVIDING THEM SHELTER AND FOOD IN EXCESS
OF AMOUNTS RECEIVED BY POPULATION AT LARGE. BIHARIS WERE BEING WELL ATTENDED BY
BOTH ICRC AND BANGLADESH
RED CROSS.
6. TURNING TO BD FOREIGN
POLICY AND READING
FROM BRIEFING PAPER, SAMAD EMPHASIZED BASIC UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE WAS
NON-ALIGNMENT. BANGLADESH
WANTED TO STEER CLEAR OF SUPER-POWER INVOLVMENTS AND ACHIEVE ECONOMIC SELF
RELIANCE. IT DID NOT WANT TO DIVERT SCARCE RESOURCES TO MILITARY BUILD-UP BUT
RATHER RELY ON NON-ALIGNED FOREIGN POLICY FOR ITS DEFENSE. BDG WANTED
FRIENDSHIP WITH ALL COUNTRIES INCLUDING CHINA
AND HOPED CHINA WOULD SOON
RECOGNIZE BD. BAY
OF BENGAL SHOULD REMAIN QTE FREE ZONE UNQTE
WITHIN WHICH NO FOREIGN NAVAL BASES SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED.
SOVIET SHIPS
CLEARING CHITTAGONG
HARBOR WERE THERE ONLY ON
TEMPORARY BASIS BECAUSE UN COULD NOT PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE HARBOR-CLEARING
FACILITIES SOON ENOUGH.
7. RECALLING USG HAD
ALREADY SUPPORTED BANGLADESH'S
ENTRY INTO SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SAMAD SAID BDG WOULD SOON APPLY
FOR UN MEMBERSHIP AND HOPED FOR US SUPPORT. ALSO WOULD APPRECIATE ASSESSMENT OF
PROSPECTS FOR BD MEMBERSHIP.
8. RE MIDDLE EAST BDG
DID NOT SUPPORT ACQUISITION OF TERRITORY BY FORCE BUT SUPPORTED SETTLEMENT ON
BASIS OF NOVEMBER 1967 UN RESOLUTION.
9. CONCLUDING SAMAD
RECOUNTED COMPONENTS IN RECENT US
ASSISTANCE TO BANGLADESH
NOTING AGAIN THAT BDG WAS PARTICULARLY GRATEFUL. WISHED TO
THANK USG FOR VERY GOOD BEGINNING IN BILATERAL RELATIONS. SUCH AID WAS
PARTICULARLY FAVORABLE BECAUSE NO POLITICAL STRINGS WERE ATTACHED AND AID WAS
NOT SPECIFICALLY TIED TO US
PURCHASES. NOTED THAT US
ADMINISTRATION HAD ALSO REQUESTED $100 MILLION FOR FY 1973, ADDING THAT BANGLADESH WAS
ALSO INTERESTED IN IDA LENDING WHEN AVAILABLE.
10. SECRETARY CONNALLY,
IN THANKING SAMAD FOR HIS EXPOSITION ON BANGLADESH POLICY, SAID US SYMPHATHIZED
WITH BANGLADESH PROBLEMS AND HE COULD AGREE wITH
ALMOST EVERYTHING sAMAD HAD SAID. HOWEVER, DID WISH
MAKE BRIEF COMMENT IN RESPONSE SAMAD'S REMARK USG POLICY IN 1971 APPEARED
PRO-PAKISTAN. FROM US
PERSPECTIVE WE DID NOT FEEL WE HAD TAKEN PAKISTAN'S SIDE. PRESIDENT NIXON HAD
BEEN CONSUMED WITH EFFORT TO CREATE ATMOSPHERE TO REDUCE INTERNATIONAL TENSIONS
AND CONTRIBUTE TO STABLE WORLD PEACE. THAT WAS REASON HE WENT TO PEKING AND
MOSCOW. US HAD
CONTRIBUTED TO BENGALI REFUGEE RELIEF MORE THAN TWICE AS MUCH AS ALL COUNTRIES
OUTSIDE SOUTH ASIA. WHILE WE COULD UNDERSTAND
WHY BDG MIGHT FEEL US
WAS TAKING SIDES, USG DID NOT HOLD SIMILAR VIEW BUT RATHER HAD WORKED ACTIVELY
FOR POLITICAL SETTLEMENT WHICH, UNFORTUNATELY, COULD NOT BE ACHIEVED.
11. SECRETARY STRESSED
US WISHED EVERY SUCCESS FOR BANGLADESH
FROM WHICH US DID NOT WANT ANYTHING EXCEPT FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION. WE DID
NOT FOR ExAMPLE WANT ANY SPECIAL POSITION IN BANGLADESH OR IN INDIA OR PAKTSTAN. WE WANTED ALL
PARTIES TO EXERCISE RESTRAINT AND WANTED TO HELP WHERE POSSIBLE. WE HAD DEEP
UNDERSTANDING OF BANGLADESH-PAKISTAN PROBLEM HAVING OURSELVES SUFFERED CIVIL
WAR A CENTURY AGO.
Department of
State TELEGRAM
PAGE 01 ISLAMA
05842 03 OF 03 061144Z
50
ACTION SS-25
INFO
OCT-01 SSO-00 CCO-00 FILE-01 NSCE-00 /027 W
006311
R 060852Z JUL 72
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5167
INFO AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
AMCONSUL BOMBAY
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
AMEMBASSY DACCA
AMCONSUL CALCUTTA AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
AMCONSUL MADRAS
AMEMBASSY RANGOON
AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
SECTION 3 OF 3
ISLAMABAD 5842
EXDIS
CONTO 237
SUBJECT: SECRETARY
CONNALLY'S JULY 3 MEETING WITH BANGLADESH
FOREIGN MINISTER
WHITE HOUSE FOR MRS.
DAVIS
TREASURY FOR
DIXON
STATE: A/OPR, S/S, NEA
BUDAPEST
FOR SECRETARY'S PARTY
SECRETARY CONNALLY
TRAVEL
12. RE BANGLADESH
MEMBERSHIP IN UN SECRETARY SAID WE WOULD TRY TO BE HELPFUL. HE cOULD NOT IMAGINE US WOULD NOT SUPPORT BANGLADESH
MEMBERSHIP WHEN APPLICATION WAS ENTERED, ALTHOUGH SOMEONE MIGHT VETO
APPLICATION. IN ANY EVENT WE WOULD PROVIDE OUR ASSESSMENT OF BANGLADESH'S
PROSPECTS FOR MEMBERSHIP. WE WOULD ALSO TAKE LOOK AT WHAT WE MIGHT DO WITH
REGARD ISSUE OF BENGALIS IN PAKISTAN ALTHOUGH OUR BASIC STANCE WAS TO REMAIN
DETACHED AND LET COUNTRIES DIRECTLY INVOLVED SORT OUT OWN PROBLEMS. WHAT WAS
NEEDED WAS COOPERATION AND COORDINATION BETWEEN INDIA,
PAKISTAN AND BANGLADESH.
FURTHER OUTBREAKS OF VIOLENCE IN SOUTH ASIA,
WHERE 700 MILLION PEOPLE LIVED, COULD RELEASE MAJOR DESTRUCTIVE FORCE IN WORLD.
SECRETARY AGREED MRS. GANDHI AND BHUTTO SEEMED TO HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS AT
SIMLA AND NOTED THAT SOME DAY SOON MUJIBUR RAHMAN AND BHUTTO WOULD HAVE TO GET
TOGETHER. REAFFIRMED US HAD NO DESIGNS ON SOUTH ASIA,
EMPHASIZING WE HOPED NO OTHER EXTERNAL POWER HAD ANY DESIGNS EITHER.
13. IN RESPONSE TO
QUESTION, SAMAD SAID HIS RECENT VISITS TO BURMA,
MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE HAD BEEN DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN TIES
IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, AREA IN WHICH BANGLADESH
INTERESTS LAY BUT WHICH HAD BEEN NEGLECTED DURING PERIOD OF WEST
PAKISTAN RULE. DURING VISITS DISCUSSIONS HAD FOCUSED ON METHODS OF
IMPROVING TELECOMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN BANGLADESH AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN COUNTRIES
AND INCREASING TRADE, INCLUDING TRADE IN RICE. BANGLADESH
WAS LINK BETWEEN SOUTH ASIA AND SOUTHEAST
ASIA AND HOPED EXPLOIT ITS GEOGRAPHIC POSITION. AT PRESENT BANGLADESH HAD
DECIDED NOT TO ENTER INTO FORMAL REGIONAL ARRANGEMENTS WITH OTHER SOUTHEAST
ASIAN COUNTRIES, SUCH AS ASEAN, AND THIS POSITION HAD BEEN CONVEYED TO LEADERS
OF COUNTRIES SAMAD HAD VISITED. CHINA'S
ATTITUDE TOWARD BANGLADESH
WAS NOT CLEAR AND THERE HAD BEEN NO FORMAL CONTACT TO DATE.
CONNALLY