পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (চতুর্দশ খণ্ড).pdf/৫৫৭

525 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ চতুর্দশ খন্ড due to frequent air raids, but in general, the people enjoy the air battle very much Newspaper circulation is confined mainly to the Dacca and Narayanganj areas. 8$ ! ASIAN TOPICAL TALKS REPORTS IN THE BRITISH PRESS ON INDIA/PAKISTAN 13th December 1971 Edited by William Crawley (S) Many reports in the British press this morning focus on the U.N., and the terms that the Indian Prime Minister, Mrs. Gandhi might consider for a peace settlement. .There is some speculation on the future of the Pakistani forces in East Pakistan. An attempt by the military adviser to the civilian governor of East Pakistan, Major General Farman Ali Khan, to initiate negotiations for the withdrawal of Pakistani forces from the province was vetoed by the commanding officer in East Pakistan, General Niazi and by President Yahya Khan himself. Reports in this morning's papers say that Major General Farman Ali Khan's position is now in doubt. Clare Hollingworth reporting in the Daily Telegraph from Dacca says that it is assumed that the General is under house arrest. Clare Hollingworth writes that it was estimated yesterday that fewer than 5000 Pakistani troops still remained in Dacca, and it was expected that Indian forces would take over the city within the next 2 days. From New Delhi, David Loshak reports in the Daily Telegraph that. China and Pakistan were believed to be preparing 10 evacuate Pakistani troops from East Pakistan. Indian intelligence sources have intercepted messages passing between China and the Pakistani High Command indicating that a large number of rescue ships had been assembled in the Ganges Delta. David Loshak says that it is believed that these ships would sail out of the delta flying Chinese flags and carrying escaping Pakistani troops. Loshak reports that it has become apparent that many of the survivors of Pakistan's 70,000 strong army are making their way to Ganges ports for possible evacuation towards Burma. According to Loshak, the main reason for the reported parachute drops of Indian units has not been to attack Dacca, as has been widely assumed, but to attempt to cut off the escape routes of the Pakistani troops moving southwards towards the ports. Loshak reports that the Indian government is alarmed at the prospect of Chinese intervention in a rescue operation. In the Times, Henry Stanhope reports from Calcutta on the establishment of the Bangladesh Government in Jessore. One of the first acts of the government was to announce the setting up of war tribunals to try collaborators with the Pakistani army regime. Stanhope reports that Mukti Bahini forces together with the local police are helping to maintain civil order. Stanhope says that Indian commanders are careful to ensure that their soldiers' behavior is good, and there have been no complaints heard against them. A Guardian correspondent, Laurence Stern of the Washington Post, reports from Jessore that the Indians and the Bengali towns people seemed to be on most amiable