Short Summary

AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN EAST PAKISTAN IN THE LAST FEW DAYS IN RIOTS AND DEMONSTRATIONS.
Description

DACCA WITH DEMONSTRATORS (NATSOF); RURAL SCENES; VILLAGE DEMONSTRATION (NATSOF); BURNT-OUT VILLAGE AND HOUSES IN TOWN; GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS BURNT; RULING PARTY'S PRESIDENT'S CARS BURNT; DACCA MILLS (NATSOF); GOVERNMENT BUILDING; GOVERNOR HUDA SWORN IN; NEWSPAPER HEADLINES WITH AYUB KHAN'S RESIGNATION; TROOPS IN STREETS; TRAFFIC SCENES; (NATSOF); TENNIS GAME.



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN EAST PAKISTAN IN THE LAST FEW DAYS IN RIOTS AND DEMONSTRATIONS. THE RESIGNATION OF AYUB KHAN APPEARS TO HAVE HELPED TO BRING BACK SOME KIND OF ORDER, BUT IT IS FEARED THAT THE SUSPENSION OF THE NEW GOVERNOR, N.M. HUDA, MAY CAUSE FURTHER TROUBLES. DACCA AND THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT HAVE BEEN THE SCENE OF VIOLENCE, ARSON AND LOOTING, AND IT IS REPORTED THAT 172 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED THERE IN THE LAST FEW DAYS.

UNTIL MARTIAL-LAW WAS PROCLAIMED ON TUESDAY BY PAKISTAN'S NEW MILITARY PRESIDENT GENERAL YAHYA KHAN POLICE HAD BEEN INCAPABLE OF PREVENTING LOOTING, ARSON AND MURDER IN EAST PAKISTAN. DACCA WAS THE CENTRE OF THIS. STRIKES PARALYSED THE CITY FOR DAYS UNTIL THEY ENDED IN CONFUSION AND BLOODSHED. ALL POLICE COULD DO WAS TO DEFEND PUBLIC BUILDINGS, AND EVEN THIS PROVED TOO MUCH FOR THEM. THE PRESIDENT OF THE EAST PAKISTAN RULING-PARTY, THE MUSLIM LEAGUE, KHAWZA HASAN ASKARI, HAD HIS HOUSE BURNT DOWN AND HIS FIVE CARS GUTTED BY FIRE.

IN THE COUNTRY NEAR DACCA, THE PEACEFUL RURAL LIFE HAS BEEN COMPLETELY DISRUPTED. DEMONSTRATIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE EVEN IN THE SMALLEST VILLAGES, THE DEMONSTRATORS IN THE FILM BEING PEDAL-RICKSHAW DRIVERS.

IN AN ATTEMPT TO CURB THE VIOLENCE, AYUB KHAN HAD REPLACED THE HIGHLY UNPOPULAR GOVERNOR ABDUL MONEM KHAN. THE NEW GOVERNOR, AN ECONOMIST MR N.M. HUDA, WAS EXTREMELY POPULAR, BUT HE HAS NOW BEEN SUSPENDED TOGETHER WITH ALL MEMBERS OF THE FORMER PAKISTAN GOVERNMENT. IT IS NOW FEARED THAT THIS WAY LEAD TO FURTHER VIOLENCE, AS HIS NOMINATION HAD DONE MUCH TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION IN DACCA.

AFTER THE PROCLAMATION OF MARTIAL LAW, TROOPS SOON TOOK CONTROL OF DACCA, AND BY YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY) LIFE WAS MORE OR LESS BACK TO NORMAL.