পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (চতুর্থ খণ্ড).pdf/৩৩৬

এই পাতাটির মুদ্রণ সংশোধন করা প্রয়োজন।

306 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিল : চতুর্থ খন্ড শিরোনাম সূত্র তারিখ বাংলাদেশের সংগ্রামে মার্কিন বাংলাদেশ ইনফরমেশন সেন্টার | ------ জনগণের ভূমিকা সম্পর্কে বিশেষ প্রকাশিত নিবন্ধ Տի, ԳՏ প্রতিবেদন BANGLADESH INFORMATION CENTER 423 5th Street, S. E., Washington, D.C. 20003 * 202-547-3873 AMERICAS FRIENDS OF BANGLADESH By Kaiser Zaman The people of Bangladesh have experienced a number of shattering: disillusionments in the past nine months. Most Bengalis did not seriously think that the Pakistan army would really turn on its own people, as the Bengalis were until 25th March last year. But it did—and with a viciousness which has few parallels in history. Once the point of no return was reached, the Bengalis predicted that the Pakistani economy would not be able to survive the strain even in the short run. But it did—and its absorption capacity confounded many an astute economist. The Bengalis expected that at least some countries would recognise Bangladesh immediately. But none didnot even India, until recently. Surely, thought the Bengalis, the United States of America, the champion and protector of democracy, would not support the military dictatorship in its ruthless campaign to suppress democracy. But it did—and with such doggedness that it was deplored the world over. To me, the Insensitive U. S. attitude toward the liberation struggle of the Bengalis is the hardest disillusionment to accept, for it was so shortsighted and senseless. To the Bengali mind, and no doubt to the minds of many others, if there was even a clear cut case of right and wrong, this was it. A military dictatorship had brushed away the results of a free and fair democratic election and gone on a rampage of killing innocent men, women and children, raping, looting and senselessly destroying a country. Surely, a civilized democracy such as the United States would condemn it or. At the very least, stay neutral. Slowly and painfully it became clear that the Nixon administration would not only condemn the atrocities of such a regime but would go to any length to aid and abet it. Hopefully for democracy in general and America in particular, not all Americans supported the President's policy. Men and women, well-known and obscure, spoke out against this morally and politically wrong attitude of their government. Senators and students, academicians and workers, doctors and clergy-people from every walk of life began a Herculean effort to bring about a change of this policy. Virtually the entire Press made it crystal clear that the policy was biased in favor of the oppressor against the oppressed. A lone American lady, herself a victim of Nazi atrocity once, went on a fast and vigil outside the White House. A group of private citizens successfully blockaded a giant Pakistani ship with small canoes from leading arms for Pakistan. Little Davids all challenged the mighty Goliath. They walked endless miles in the corridors of the Senate