পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (তৃতীয় খণ্ড).pdf/৯০৪

বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ তৃতীয় পত্র শিরোনাম সূত্র তারিখ বুদাপেষ্টে অনুষ্ঠিত বিশ্বশান্তি সম্মেলনে বাংলাদেশের পররাষ্ট্র মন্ত্রণালয় | -------- প্রতিনিধি জনাব এম, এ সামাদের বক্তৃতা Ֆֆ Գ Ֆ SPEECH BY MR. M. A. SAMAD, REPRESENTATIVE, PEOPLE S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH AT WORLD PEACE CONFERENCE, BUDAPEST, 1971. Ladies and Gentlemen, Let me first of all thank the organizers of this conference to invite the People's Republic of Bangladesh to attend this august Assembly of the peace loving nations of the world. Let me also convey the goodwill of the people of Bangladesh to all the people of the countries whose representatives are present at this conference. I have come here on behalf of my Government to take this opportunity of meeting you and conveying the hope and aspiration of million peace-loving people of Bangladesh. Ladies and gentlemen, we are at war. Bangladesh, formerly known as East Pakistan, is an independent state today and is a new nation of 75 million people. You have heard the stories of the genocide and atrocities that have been going on for the last one and a half months through newspapers and other means of communication. This occasion today gives me a further opportunity of acquainting you with the realities of our people and the circumstances in which our people are at the moment resisting the aggression of a well- trained army of West Pakistan equipped with the best weapons from the arsenals of the big powers of the world. Pakistan came into existence on the basis of principles that were laid down in the Lahore Resolution of 1940 passed at the annual conference of All-India Muslim League. The people of Bangladesh sacrificed most to achieve independence from the clutches of the British colonial rulers. Blood was shed, lives were sacrificed, properties were given away but the independence was achieved. The aspiration of the people of Bangladesh had its sources from the above-mentioned resolution which guaranteed the creation of a con- federation of autonomous and sovereign states consisting of Muslim majority areas in India. On August 14, 1947 independence was materialized but the power was vested in the hands of the few West Pakistanis to rule whole of Pakistan. Since then the days of oppression and exploitation began. In economic terms, Bangladesh, though having a majority of population the ratio being 56 % to 44% was turned into nothing but a colony. Jute, the golden fiber, cultivated by the toiling masses of Bangladesh was the main source of foreign exchange earning and constituted 70% of the total earning of Pakistan including the export of tea. hide and skin, and other foodstuff and raw materials. But these earnings were hardly used for our own development. Whereas with the foreign exchange earned through Bangladesh, massive industrial projects were materialized in West Pakistan. The deserts of the Punjab were turned into thousand shades