বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড)/৪৫
| শিরোনাম | সূত্র | তারিখ |
| লেবার পার্টি কর্তৃক পাকিস্তানের ভূমিকার সমালোচনা | টাইমস অফ ইণ্ডিয়া | ৪ অক্টোবর, ১৯৭১ |
LABOUR EXECUTIVE INDICTS PAKISTAN
Countries Urged To Withhold Aid
BRIGHTON, Oct. 4.-The national executive committee of the Labor Party today formally presented to its national conference a statement indicting Pakistan for the happenings in East Bengal, reports PTI. The statement has been marked down for consideration and, as generally expected, adoption by the conference on Thursday.
THE statement called upon the United Nations to involve itself directly in working out a political solution based on the will of the people and acceptable to them. Such a solution could be reached, it asserted, only after the cessation of the current repression in the area and the release of political leaders of East Bengal, especially Sheik Mujibur Rahman, and through negotiations with them.
The statement urged all countries, members of the Aid-Pakistan Consortium, in particular, to withhold all but urgent humanitarian aid since without a satisfactory political solution" long-term aid to Pakistan would mean subsidizing a discredited military regime".
As for relief to the refugees, it said that the response from the world community had been “totally inadequate" and India had had to carry a disproportionate share of this burden. It asked the British Government to increase substantially its contribution in this regard.
Our special representative adds: Bangladesh volunteers stood outside the conference hall this morning to distribute an appeal to the delegates. The appeal made five points; withdrawal of the West Pakistani army from Bangladesh; Britain and others should raise the Bangladesh issue at the U.N. under the Genocide Convention; Britain should not resume economic aid to West Pakistan until the Army withdraws from East Bengal; other countries, particularly the USA. should be persuaded not to give military assistance to West Pakistan; and lastly, Britain and other “civilized countries" should be asked to recognize Bangladesh.
Renter and AFP add: A Dominican priest, Father Jean-Yves Jolip, said in Paris today after an eight-day visit to India and East Bengal that he was convinced that there could only be a military solution to the Bangladesh problem. Gen. Yahya Khan was forcing a military solution by insisting on the unity of Pakistan and refusing to negotiate with Bangladesh leaders, he remarked.
Father Jolip, who undertook his trip under the auspices of the National Council for Peace Movement, said that the majority of East Bengalis supported the Bangladesh movement. The Bangladesh authorities were creating an Army and had opened recruiting office in all refugees camps. Youths were being equipped with uniforms and arms taken from West Pakistani soldiers. The liberation forces, he added, had taken over two zones north-west of the Indian border-one of 1,360 sq. km. with a population of 85.000 and another, 65 km to the west of the same size.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, said in Geneva today that more funds were urgently needed to tackle “the gigantic and cruel problem" of Bangladesh refugees.
He told delegates from 31 countries at the opening session of a 10-day meeting of the executive committee of the U.N. Refugee Programme that over the past year the world refugee situation had become worse and increasingly explosive.
"While it is heartening to note that the response from the international community to this (Bangladesh) refugee problem has been of unprecedented magnitude-with contributions in cash and kind amounting to some $ 115 million-I must emphasize that much more is still required. I intend making available shortly to all Governments a detailed account of the priority needs for their immediate attention."
"The situation remains very grim indeed and demands much greater efforts and more generosity on the part of the international community, Interest must not slacken and apathy should not set in. The recent floods have had a devastating effect on the camps and distribution problems have added a new dimension to the tragedy. The fragile health of the young and the old will be further affected.,” the Prince added.