পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (চতুর্দশ খণ্ড).pdf/৭৬৪

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বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ চতুর্দশ খন্ড শিরোনাম সূত্র তারিখ ২৮৩ পূর্ব বাংলার ঘটনা প্রবাহের ওপর ফ্রন্টিয়ার ফ্রন্টিয়ার ৮ মে, ১৯৭১ পত্রিকার একটি সমীক্ষা FRONTIER, CALCUTTA, MAY 8, 1971 East Bengal THE NEXT STAGE By K. Sen The war in Bangladesh is over a month old now. President Yahya who had reportedly boasted that he would be able to crush the movement in 48 hours must be wondering at the continuance of a struggle, in which militarily the odds are definitely against the other side. Financially the Pakistan Government is feeling the pinch as is evident from its agreeing to devalue the currency. On the other hand thousands of refugees continue to cross into Indian territory and even if a fraction of what they say is true, then it is not a Sonar Bangla they have left behind. The towns are almost empty and the vast countryside, for the most part, lies ravaged. Yet the fighting goes on. There is yet no evidence of the Mukti Fouj deciding to call it a day. And with the choice generally being between dying fighting and simply dying it is going to be a protracted war, the first phase of which seem to be drawing to a close. As a Dacca journalist, who has crossed over, observe red recently, soon there will be a period of lull which will be the period of regrouping. And that according to all accounts, will be an interesting period to watch. For there cannot be a protracted war without political leadership. The Mukti Fouj, as constituted at present, is an odd assortment of paramilitary forces and other elements. So far its main task has been to resist as best as possible the onslaught in which it has not been as successful as is made out in euphoric Press reports. Which, in the context of a general lack of preparedness is understandable. But now that the Army has been able to find a footing in Bangladesh the job will be to get it out. And with a negotiated settlement seemingly out of the way the search for the political leadership which can take the protracted struggle to successful end, has already begun in Bangladesh. The December elections brought the Awami League into the foreground and the Pakistani authorities' disregard for democratic principles further added to its prestige in the subsequent days. Mujib thundering away at Paltan Maidan and elsewhere was the man to be looked forward, to. Bengali nationalism had reached a new height. Than the Army struck. And today, with a number of Awami League leaders sojourning on this d side of the border, a fact which has disappointed many on the other' side and the Joy Bangla spirit not as fresh as before, the time has come to question whether the AL still has a dominant role to play in Bangladesh. The Awami League, as is well known, is at best a bourgeois democratic party and has always sought to do what in the ultimate analysis can be termed replacement of the non