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Background: Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, National Awami Party chief, repeated his call for independence for East Pakistan in a massive rally in Dacca Stadium on Tuesday (9 March). East Pakistani leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, whose Awami League was given an absolute majority in the National Assembly by East Pakistan's voters in December, has called for greater autonomy for the less prosperous East. Sheikh Mujib's demands were repeated in Tuesday's rally, attended by some 100,000 Awami Party supporters.

999999,SYNOPSIS: A crowd of some 100,000 people took part in a massive rally of Pakistan's National Awami Party in Dacca Stadium on Tuesday. Members of the crowd greeted party leader Moulana Bashani as he entered the stadium to address them.

Moulana Bashani, supporter of the party's pro-Peking faction, repeated his call for independence for East pakistan. He told the rally that he would support Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibar Rahman if he declared "independence."
Sheikh Mujib wants a transfer of power to his Awami League Party, which has called for a wide measure of autonomy for East Pakistan and has a majority of seats in the National Assembly elected last December.

Mr. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, leader of the left-wing Peoples Party which emerged victorious in more prosperous West Pakistan in December's election, is to offer a compromise formula on Sunday in an effort to tide over Pakistan's constitutional deadlock. the postponed national assembly is now rescheduled for March 25.