friends believed that Pakistan could not survive. Again many of our friends believe and professed that they were Bengalis first and Pakistani next, which in turn were ridiculed by the conventional Pakistani Student leaders. We mention all these here only to show the mental and mutual confusion that existed amongst ourselves about Bengali nationalism even in early 1971.
Then came the most apparent and naked-the most unfathomable malifide design of the West Pakistani ruling clique on the people of Bangladesh in the shape of postponement of national assembly where Bangladesh won a massive mandate from its people on a much discussed programme at the first general election held on the principle of universal adult franchise. The nation, all of a sudden reckoned that it was about time we called it a day and quit the facade of false federation of Pakistan. Back in home, the students were in the vanguard of the movement. IIcre in London, we a large number of students rallied and determined that all love is lost and must put our meager might in the creation of a new nation-our own land-Bangladesh-sovereign and independent. It immediately caught the imagination of all students cutting across the party affiliations. With this aim in view in a mass meeting on the 7th March, 1971 after about two hours deliberation a student's committee was formed-Bangladesh Students Action Committee with eleven members with powers to co-opt if and when the committee felt it necessary.
Although the committee came into being on the 7th March we the students were directly involved in the current movement from 28th February. That was when London Awami League called a demonstration to protest against Pakistan Juntas anticipated designs to postpone the national assembly.
From 1st March to 7th March we were maintaining a constant 24 hour vigil in the Pakistan Iligh Commission as a mark of protest. The 7th March was another landmark in the movement in U. K. where thousands of Bengalees came out for a demonstration against Pakistan at the call of U. K. Awami League. We the students were in the forefront in organizing and attending these meetings and rallies.
The Action Committee in fact was born in the street and functioned till 25th March from the street comer; we are emotionally so involved that we responded to every situation automatically instead of planning our actions. In those days we were putting our last ounce of physical energy with the unattainable desire to move heaven and earth to wake the world's conscience. These were the days when we handed our memorandums and appeals to the Embassies of different countries. To mention a few we went to the following places more than once: 10 Downing Street, U. S. A., U. S. S. R., Chinese, Indian, Ceylonese, and Burmese Embassies.
During that period we sent cables to the Heads of the States of different Nations and U.N.O. drawing their attention to the plights of the people in Bangladesh. That was the period when we wished to impress upon the world that what happened in Bangladesh was a pure and simple case of GENOCIDE.
From the very beginning, we decided to mobilize the British M. Ps for Bangladesh. We started meeting them and kept all of them posted with our factsheets, newspaper cuttings and other materials. We were the first group to approach a British M. P. in
