পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ষষ্ঠ খণ্ড).pdf/৫৯২

556 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ষষ্ঠ খণ্ড Agricultural fields which escaped army's destruction at best remained unattended. Agricultural system collapsed with the departure of 9 million refugees along with their live stocks and with a population of 30 million roaming around the countryside uprooted. Bangladesh which boasts the largest number of agricultural cooperatives in the world (for the same area) found herself coming to almost grinding halt with the collapse of cooperative machinery. June was the planting season for the November harvest. Planting was erratic. Even Pakistan government’s report shows at places it dropped to the ten per cent of normal. Flood this month affected an area 4000 sq. miles. Whatever planting took place in these areas, half of it has been completely damaged by the flood. PL 480 food grains which were heading for Chittagong in late March to cover the normal food deficit were diverted to avoid the army-navy activities in Chittagong. Even in normal situation the capacity of Chittagong port is quite limited. Under the present circumstances its food handling capacity has been further reduced by the Army's top priority on keeping the army supplies from Karachi coming in continuously. Railway and road network throughout Bangladesh is out of service. River network is the only means to carry foodstuff to the hinterland. All river vessels including those given by the international community to carry food to the needy-have been transformed into troop carriers and gun-boats by the Yahya's army. Pakistan army has only one very clearly defined objective in mind: to keep Bangladesh under Pakistani control at any cost. Army understands that language and that language alone. When river vessels were being given to Pakistan Army to carry relief materials-an Army officer remarked: “Now we can get into areas where we previously could not.” He knew to what use he is going to put them. Dr. Lincoln C. Chen of Massachusetts General Hospital and Dr. Jon E. Rohde of Children’s Hospital Medical Centre in an article in the British medical journal, ‘Lancet’, predicted that the period between now and November may precipitate a famine of unprecedented proportions affecting 25 million people. In the famine of 1943 three million people dies of starvation in Bangladesh. This impending famine will far exceed the '43 famine in magnitude. With a conservative estimate of 3 million tons food shortage (one fourth of total requirement) death from starvation can easily reach the staggering figure of 10 million and beyond. While a great human disaster is in the offing, Yahya is playing games with the United Nations. He would not allow any relief operation without his occupation army's supervision. With the record of their post handling of relief operation Bengalees know that they would be safer without army's help. If the world nations feel any way responsible for the lives of these millions, the only way to reach them is through the representatives of Bengali people.