পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৪৯

এই পাতাটির মুদ্রণ সংশোধন করা প্রয়োজন।

ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড has been destruction of stocks of grain, particularly rice, and there was the appalling damage caused by the cyclone last November. The independent Bangladesh Government are extremely aware of the danger of starvation that exists for millions of their people. They are trying to ensure that crops are planted, at least in the areas which they control, but many areas are far too dangerous for men to be willing to work the fields. The next point which the Prime Minister of Bangladesh impressed on me was that the Bengali people are deeply aggrieved at the fact that the rest of the world should be treating this situation as part of the internal affairs of Pakistan, and it was in this connection that I was reminded of the history of the establishment of Pakistan-of the Mountbatten proposals and so on. The House will recall that originally there was a proposal that there should be a federation of three States. West Pakistan, East Pakistan and Assam, and then the rest of India. That was rejected, and then the Mountbatten proposals were put forward in 1947; for the legislative assemblies in each area to make a decision. In some areas there were referenda, but in East Bengal it was a voluntary decision of the Legislative Assembly to associate with West Pakistan in one country. It is that decision which the East Bengali people are now trying to rescind. I was also reminded of the economic exploitation of East Pakistan by West Pakistan that has continued since Pakistan was set up. The information I now give the House is derived not from the Prime Minister of Bangladesh but from independent sources, and I would refer in particular to an article in the Financial Times on 29th March. In 1947 the per capita income of East Pakistan and West Pakistan were approximately equal. However, as a result of discrimination in the spending of aid, in the collection and spending of taxes, discrimination in jobs, with job preference for Punjabis, and the ban on trade between East Pakistan and India, which has resulted in East Pakistan losing its natural trading partner in West Bengal and West Bengal losing its natural market in East Pakistan, enormous economic hardship has been inflicted on the people of East Pakistan. Whereas prior to partition the per capita incomes were about equal last year the per capita income of West Pakistan was 47 per cent higher than that of East Pakistan. It is not surprising that in the elections last year the Awami League, which had of programme for the economic autonomy of East Pakistan but within the State of Pakistan, gained 167 of the 169 seats, gaining 80 per cent of the popular vote. As a result of this overwhelming victory, the Awami League is entitled to be regarded as the Government of the whole of Pakistan. It is not claiming that. However, as a result of what has happened-of the declaration of war at 11 p.m. on 25th March-it is claiming the right to represent the people of its own country-the people who over whelmingly elected it. The Prime Minister was anxious to see that his Government was recognized by other Governments and above all, because of the historical relationship, by Britain. I explained to him—and I think that he accepted and appreciated this- the difficulty of granting that