U.K. National Archives

Conclusions of a meeting of the Cabinet held at 10 Downing Street, on Thursday, 13 July, 1972 at 10.30 a.m.

Attendees: E Heath; R Maudling; Hailsham; W Whitelaw; R Carr; G Rippon; G Campbell; P Walker; J Prior; A Douglas-Home; A Barber; Carrington; K Joseph; M Thatcher; Jellicoe; P Thomas; J Davies; M Macmillan; P Jenkin; F Pym; P Rawlinson.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary said that he had found conditions in Bangladesh very depressing. There was virtually no central administration of the country; and the task of rehabilitation was beyond the capacity of the Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and his colleagues. The International Red Cross were doing all that they could to help; and we had ourselves made very substantial financial contributions. Nevertheless, it was doubtful whether the country could expect to rise above a mere subsistence level for the next 10 years or so. He had found Sheikh Mujibur Rahman obsessed by the need to bring the so-called war criminals to trial. He had argued strongly in favour of restricting the number of trials; and the Indian Prime Minister, Mrs. Gandhi, was now giving similar advice to Sheikh Mujibur. If he did not accept it, there would be a further serious deterioration of Bangladesh relations with Pakistan and continuing unrest in the sub-continent.