Calcutta. April 19.—The self-proclaimed government of Bangla Desh was meeting secretly here tonight to discuss the critical situation in East Pakistan, where resistance to the Pakistan Army has collapsed in all areas except Sylhet, near Assam.

Attempts have been made to hush up the presence in Calcutta of the five members of the Awami League high command who constitute the Bangla Desh government, which proclaimed itself half a mile inside Pakistan territory on Saturday.

After the ceremony, the five men drove into the forest but returned to Calcutta after the crowd dispersed.

Four hundred Bangla Desh liberation men at Betai, on the Indian side of the frontier, constitute the whole of the insurgent force from the south-west sector of East Pakistan.

If this seems a small number, it is because Skirmishes base been magnified into major battles in Indian press reports, which have been published widely overseas.

Today a Calcutta newspaper reported that East Bengalis and West Pakistanis were locked in battle at Meherpur, four miles inside Pakistan opposite Betai.

Brian May, of Agence France Presse, reported that when he was there last night almost the entire population had fled at the approach of a small Pakistan detachment.

On returning to Betai he found the Bangla Desh liberation men all asleep in their tents at the frontier post Indian Government circles tonight declined to comment on the international complications that might arise from the presence of the armed liberation force in India. They referred inquiries to Delhi.

But Bejoy Singh Nahar, the Deputy Chief Minister of West Bengal, said that he welcomed the forces as belonging to a friendly country "We in West Bengal recognize Bangla Desh, although the central Government has not done no yet", he said.

Mr. Nahar, who is a member of the Congress Party, said he did not know whether Delhi had been advised of the presence of the troops in India. He said West Bengal had provided medical and other aid for Bangla Desh refugees.

He denied that the Bangla Desh cabinet was meeting in Calcutta and said they were still in the home territory. Mr. May reported visiting a flat today where some of them slept for a few hours last night. One of their meetings was held in the West Bengal state guest house. Agence France Press.

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Islamabad. April 19.—Pakistan protested strongly to India today over an attack by "armed Indian personnel" on an East Pakistan border post on Friday which it alleged had been supported by artillery fire from across the frontier.

A Note sent to the Indian High Commission here said the attack occurred three miles north of Kasba, between Comilla and Brahaman Baria.

"The Government of India should take the necessary measures to ensure that such incidents do not occur again". the Note said.— Reuter.

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Delhi. April 19.—The number of refugees from East Pakistan has doubled in the past 72 hours to about 200,000, Mr. B. B. Mondal, the West Bengal Commissioner for refugee relief and rehabilitation, said tonight in Calcutta.—Reuter.