পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (সপ্তম খণ্ড).pdf/৬৩৫

601 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র : সপ্তম খণ্ড and we found Dr. Malik and his Cabinet looking very shaken but still undetected whether to resign or not. I told them that I thought that were not only in danger of being killed by irregulars, and they could not depend on their guards, but the Indian Air Force itself had now made a direct attack on their lives. At that moment the Indian Air Force made a second devastating attack on governor’s House, Gavin Young had unfortunately been wrong in his estimate of the time for their return. They bunker is not a very safe bunker and it is above ground and we did not know whether or not the Indian Air Force knew of its existence. Certainly, a direct hit would have wiped it out. The aircraft continued to make Ministers then drew up letter of resignation to the President of Pakistan which was signed by Dr. Malik and all the Ministers present. Dr. Malik then withdrew to an inner room in the bunker where his wife and daughter were waiting, washed himself, knelt and said his prayers. The ex-Govrnor and The ex- Minister moved a little later that day to the Neutral Zone in the InterContinental Hotel. It seems clear that the collapse of the whole civil Government of East Pakistan on 14 December must have provided a severe shock to those directing the war on the Pakistan side and brought home to them the seriousness of the situation. It may well be that the collective resignation of the whole East Pakistan Government thus shortened the war by one or more days. Wednesday, 15 December Early on the morning of 15 December Dr. Malik came to me in the InterContinental Hotel to say that in between his resignation as Governor and his departure from Governor’s House on 14 December he had received a telegram from President Yahya. So far as I know, this is the first time president Yahya authorized a cease-fire. Dr. Malik said he had been unable to contact General Niazi concerning president Yahya's instructions: “You should now take me all necessary measures to stop the fighting” and he asked me for assistance. In order to save further loss of life, and in a personal capacity, I agreed to help. I then contacted colonel Gaffur, the Pakistan army Liaison Officer (in civilian clothes) in the Neutral Zone, and the three of us then went to my room where we telephoned General Niazi. Dr. Malik asked General Niazi what action he had taken on the President’s instructions; and General Niazi replied that he would like to discuss this with Dr. Malik and invited him to leave the Hotel and go to the Cantonment to discuss the matter. I advised Dr. Malik that if he left the Neutral Zone he would no longer have any protection and that under the circumstances of his resignation the day before and its likely effect, it might be dangerous for him to do so; I suggested that, instead, he invited General Niazi to come to the Hotel, but said he would send General Farman around to represent him at such a meeting.