পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (চতুর্দশ খণ্ড).pdf/১৭৭

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বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ চতুর্দশ খণ্ড
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 From Pakistan's formation 24 years ago, the more prosperous western wing with a minority (55 million) of the population, was looked down on and exploited the poorer Bengali majority. The Bengalis grew bitter as they watched the foreign exchange earned in the east go to pay for the West Pakistani-dominated army and built the industries and development projects of the west.

 Even the few development projects in East Pakistan have been halted now because of the terror, insecurity and lack of civilian administration in the countryside.

Resistance seems to grow

 Nevertheless, the military, by rounding up laborers, has finally gotten the key ports of Chittagong and Chalna functioning again at a reasonably effective level, but there are goods to load onto outgoing ships except what was in warehouses before the fighting.

 Food shortages are becoming serious in some areas and experts predict that the situation could reach famine proportions unless the army can restore the disrupted transport system and distribute available food.

 Such restoration does not seem likely because the Bengali resistance, though still disorganized, appears to be gathering momentum-with increasing assistance and sanctuary, and sometimes covering fire, from India.

 Thousands of young Bengalis are being trained in demolition and guerilla tacticsoften on the Indian side of the border, with India providing many of the instructors. The first elements of the new guerillas are beginning to flow back into East Pakistan.

 More and more road and railway bridges are being blown up and electrical power supplies knocked out. Some of the demolition work has been expert. Road mines are becoming common. Often the army, which is on combat alert, cannot get local contractors to repair the damage, so it uses forced labor, with meager results.

 Outside Comilla not long ago the guerillas blew a rail bridge. A repair train was sent out with army guards. The guerillas attacked the repair train in broad daylight, killing the fireman and taking a hostage. The train sped back into town.

-Sydney H. Schanberg


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