FROM PAGE 12

unity among the rank and file of the freedom-loving people of Bangladesh having faith in the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Awami League and the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

The meeting, by a resolution, called upon India and all other countries of the world to accord immediate recognition to the Government of Bangladesh. The resolution also appealed to them to give “active assistance” to the Government of Bangladesh and the Mukti Bahini in the form of arms and ammunition.

ON THE WAR FRONT

In Dhaka-Cumilla-Chattogram Sector, Mukti Bahini today fired on Pakistani positions in Koteswar, Amratoli and Jambari, and killed 13 enemy soldiers.

Mukti Bahini exchanged fire with Pakistani troops in Teliapara, killing nine enemies.

The war bulletin, issued by Bangladesh Forces Headquarters, reported a serious dissention between Razakars and Pakistani troops. They referred to an incident occurred today in Ulipur where a group of Razakars clashed with Pakistani troops. Two Pakistani soldiers and two Razakars lost their lives in the clash. Later on, in reprisal, Pakistani troops killed about two hundred civilians in the area.

‘ANSWER LIKE VIETNAM’

Andre Malraux, well known French writer and former minister of culture, advised the people of Bangladesh to “answer like Vietnam”.

In a letter to Jayaprakash Narayan, chairman of the preparatory committee of the international conference on Bangladesh, who had invited him to attend the conference, Malraux said that in view of the situation in Bangladesh today, democracy was irrelevant. “Bengal does not defend a political system -- it defends its life. It must answer like Vietnam: If we must die, we will die but this will cost you so much that you will end by going away.”

He further said Bangladesh should not try to appeal to the Anglo-Saxon liberalism of 40 years ago or depend upon good feelings from absent-minded Americans but it must avail itself of its courage.

In Malraux’s opinion, “petition making is useless. What is vital is the military organisation of Bangladesh. Either it would accept pitched battles with Pakistan and would be wiped out or it would organise its guerillas and Pakistan would be defeated. Even the USA could not crush Vietnam.”

Shamsuddoza Sajen is a journalist and researcher. He can be contacted at sajen1986@gmail.com