পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (প্রথম খণ্ড).pdf/৮৮

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বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ প্রথম খণ্ড
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movement Bengal was the first amongst other Indian provinces to plunge itself into the fight and this is one of the reasons for depriving the Bengalis from their right of participating in the Army. With the achievement of independence, the old outlook of our old masters has got to be changed. Besides, during the last war no difference was made between martial and non-martial races and the recruitment covered all the provinces of India including Bengal, which has contributed to the land and air forces. So far as Navy is concerned East Bengal is proud of having a sea-faring nation which has made name centuries ago. Indian Seamen which is mainly composed of East Bengal Seamen has entered every water on the globe, rough and smooth, and have got the appreciation and admiration of foreign admirals. It is, therefore, incumbent upon the Government to provide facilities immediately to the people of East Bengal for naval training and to develop Chittagong as a Naval Training Centre. As regards recruitment in the Air Force, East Bengal has been treated in a step motherly way. There are 6 or 7 recruiting centers in West Pakistan whereas there is only one in East Pakistan. This is not certainly giving equal facilities to all citizens of Pakistan. Again, no Training Centre has been opened in East Bengal and the Boys recruited there have got to travel at least two thousand miles to receive their first training. This is not encouraging. A training centre for Air Force must therefore be opened in East Bengal without further delay and though East Bengal is a part and parcel of the Pakistan State it must be developed into a self-sufficient unit on account of the great distance between East Pakistan and West Pakistan. In all matters of development and defense, East Bengal cannot be treated as a unit of the Pakistan State in its ordinary sense, applicable to West Punjab, Sind, Frontier and Baluchistan, because all these units in the West are a compact geographical area. East Bengal, physically situated as it is, must be regarded as a separate unit and defence and development should be made equally in the Eastern and Western zone of the Pakistan State. You must make East Bengal self-sufficient in every respect...

 Sir, before I close discussion on defence, I must emphasize the immediate necessity of establishing an Ordnance Factory in the Eastern zone. It is foolish to think that in time of hostilities, Western part of the State will be able to help the Eastern counterpart with sufficient arms and ammunitions. Throughout the Budget speech recognition of the urgent necessity of East Bengal's defence is lacking. I am, however, glad to find that Pakistan Government contemplates starting a number of new training-institutions like the Military Academy, Technical and Administrative School, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Centre and School and has provided a fairly good account for setting up machineries for certain essential factories during the next year. This will certainly include ordnance and ammunition depots. I must bring it to the notice of this House that some of these institutions must be set up in East Bengal for the reasons stated above. Such a step in my opinion will be an act of foresight and political sagacity. Difficulties, excuses or platitudes may be used for depriving East Bengal of the advantages already mentioned. But such a step will be most impolitic and may give rise to a sense of frustration amongst more than half the population inhibiting the State of Pakistan. The feeling is already there and the sooner the leaders at the helm of affairs realize and remedy the same, the better for all concerned...