surprised how such accusations could be made officially when the “reporter” concerned could have easily contacted me in Calcutta, if not for anything else, at least for ascertaining the truth. This surely reveals a gross abuse of official authority-one of the scourges that the people of Bangladesh are still fighting paying a lot of price in terms of blood.
Here are, the facts. I have been a professional journalist at home and abroad for last 12 years or so. As a result, a large number of foreign journalists, including Peter Carmichel of Paris- Match and L'Express, happen to be my old acquaintances. Sometime during the first week of this month Peter met me rather accidentally in Calcutta and sought my help for a proper introduction to Mr. Taheruddin Thakur of the Foreign Ministry as he was keen on publishing illustrated features on the Mukti Bhahini about which the western press has suddenly been showing great interest. This I did. Mr. Thakur promised him that he would try and do something for Peter in respect of getting Indian clearance. He also said that if Indian authorities do not have any objection Bangladesh Government would be only too glad to send him to a Mukti Bahini camp. But. he told me privately, that Indian have sent a secret note saying that Bangladesh Govt. should not allow any foreigners without prior clearance of a special kind. That was the end of the matter so far as I was concerned.
During the second week of November I went to Major Jalil's sector for a day to do some Radio Bangladesh Programmes I sent along with the film unit of Zahir Raihan that went there under the management of Babul Chowdhury to do some shooting for the films that are being made by them for your ministry. At Taki, I suddenly came across Peter. It appeared that he was no stranger to Taki and that he has been there on several occasions prior to that. He told me that he had full Indian clearance to cross into Bangladesh and that he was waiting to see Major Jalil for the purpose. When I met Major Jalil I told him that a photographer of international repute was waiting outside to see him. Major Jalil immediately invited him in. What transpired between them was none of my business. Of course, I was present when the conversation took place. Peter convinced Major Jalil of the necessity to prove to the western world that a Mukti Bahini actually exists and that it is a force capable of driving out the West Pakistani invaders. Then Major Jalil asked him if he had clearance from Indian authorities. Peter replied in the affirmative. After that Major Jalil gave him permission to take photographs in the Mukti Bahini camp nearby. Ile also promised to take him to a forward base the next day to show some action. After that Major Jalil sent Peter to the camp escorted by one of his officers. He also gave instructions to Captain Huda to accompany Peter in one forward camp about four miles away-inside Bangladesh. The coincidence was that we too had our work to be done at the same camp. I worked there until about 1 O'clock. Then I went away to another camp. Later in the afternoon I returned to the first camp to collect my things as I was to return to Calcutta the same day. I saw Peter getting along very well with the camp commander. He said he was very happy with first day's work. But he was very keen to move into Bangladesh the same day. He was waiting for Captain Huda to take him into Bangladesh when I left for Calcutta. Babul Choudhury, who did not know peter at all, decided to move to Bashirhat the same night and return to the camp the next morning to finish off some patchwork.
