U.S. National Archives

uly 7, 1972, 2130Z

SUBJ:
SECRETARY CONNALLY TRAVEL: MEMORANDUM OF GENERAL CONVERSATION WITH INDIAN PRIME MINISTER INDIRA GANDHI AT GOVERNOR’S RESIDENCE, SIMLA ON JULY 5, 1972: PART V OF VII: EXPERTISE IN BANGLADESH

Department of State

TELEGRAM

082130Z JUL 72

FM AMEMBASSY TEHRAN

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8989

CONTO 258

PASS WHITE HOUSE FOR MRS. DAVIS

PASS TREASURY FOR DIXON

STATE FOR S/S, A/OPR, NEA

I. THE CONVERSATION THEN TURNED TO BANGLADESH AGAIN.THE QUESTION WAS RAISED AS TO WHETHER OR NOT BANGLADESH HAD EXPERTISE TO PROVIDE THE GOVERNMENT WITH THE NECESSARY MANAGEMENT SKILLS IN THE CITIES AND IN THE VILLAGES AND NECESSARY ADMINISTRATIVE AND POLICE PROTECTION, WHICH WOULD BE ESSENTIAL. MRS. GANDHI POINTED OUT ALL HER PEOPLE TOLD HER THAT THE OFFICIALS OF BANGLADESH, WITH WHOM THEY HAD TALKED, HAD BEEN OF EXCELLENT ABILITY, BUT FRANKLY SHE DID NOT KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAD THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT WERE GOING TO BE NEEDED. MR. HAKSAR THEN ELABORATED ON THIS TO A CONSIDERABLE DEGREE AND SAID THAT WHEN SHEIKH MUJIB RETURNED TO THE COUNTRY AFTER THE WAR THERE WAS ABSOLUTE CHAOS. THEN WITHIN ROUGHLY A SIX MONTH PERIOD THEY HAD ESTABLISHED ORDER AND THAT HE THOUGHT THEY HAD DONE A "FAIRLY GOOD JOB.” IN TALKING ABOUT AVAILABILITY OF SKILLED PEOPLE, THE POINT WAS ALSO MADE THAT ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THE GREAT DESIRE FOR RETURN OF BENGALIS FROM WEST PAKISTAN WAS TO HAVE AVAILABLE THE TALENTS OF THE CIVIL SERVANTS AND THE TRAINED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

NOT PASSED WHITE HOUSE OR TREASURY BY OC/T.

CONNALLY