PAKISTAN: SHEIKH MUJIB INTERVIEW (1971)


TRANSCRIPT: (SEQ. 3): REPORTER: "YOUR FEELING ABOUT THESE PEOPLE COMING HERE........"



SHEIKH MUJIB: "IT DOES NOT MEAN A THING TO ME, BECAUSE I LOVE MY PEOPLE AND MY PEOPLE LOVE ME, AND I CAN DIE FOR THEM AND THEY CAN DIE FOR ME. BECAUSE I AM FIGHTING FOR THEIR CAUSE AND I WANT THE SEVENTY MILLION PEOPLE OF MY BANGLADESH SHOULD BE EMANCIPATED."



REPORTER: "DOES IT FEEL GOOD THAT WHEN YOU ARE DISCUSSING SUCH MATTERS AT THE MOMENT THAT YOU HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE?"



SHEIKH: "ALL SEVENTY MILLION PEOPLE ARE BEHIND ME, AND BEHIND THE CAUSE."



REPORTER: "ARE YOU SURE TO WIN THIS......"



SHEIKH: "OH YES, NOBODY CAN STOP IT."



REPORTER: "THE AUTONOMY OF EAST PAKISTAN......"



SHEIKH: "NOBODY CAN STOP IT, AUTONOMY? OH DEFINITELY, NOBODY STOP IT."



REPORTER: "MORE THAN THAT? MORE THAN AUTONOMY?"



SHEIKH: "I WANT MY RIGHTS."



REPORTER: "EMANCIPATION?"



SHEIKH: "I WANT MY EMANCIPATION. I WANT THAT...I WANT TO LIVE LIKE A FREE CITIZEN OF A FREE COUNTRY."



REPORTER: "YOU MEAN INDEPENDENCE?"



SHEIKH: "THAT I DON'T MEAN. IT CAN BE DONE IN MANY WAYS."



REPORTER: "ULTIMATELY?"



SHEIKH: "ULTIMATELY IT CAN BE DONE IN MANY WAYS....BY AMICABLE SETTLEMENT.....BY.....MANY WAYS IT CAN BE ACHIEVED."



REPORTER: "AND WEST PAKISTAN CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT?"



SHEIKH: "WE CAN DO ANYTHING WHEN SEVENTY MILLION PEOPLE ARE UNITED BEHIND US."



REPORTER: "WHAT THEN WITH THE ARMY?"



SHEIKH: "WHAT DAMN ARMY CAN DO? WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE ARMY. THEY CAN SUPPRESS PEOPLE WITH BULLETS?"



REPORTER: "SO YOU ARE ALREADY THE CHIEF OF INDEPENDENT BENGAL? DE FACTO -- NOT LEGALLY, BUT DE FACTO?"



SHEIKH: "OBVIOUSLY I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE PEOPLE OF BENGAL -- LEGALLY, MORALLY -- I AM THE MAN WHO CAN GOVERN THIS COUNTRY."




Initials SGM/0214


T'RECORDING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: HEAVY FIGHTING CONTINUED IN EAST PAKISTAN TODAY (MARCH 26) AS WEST PAKISTAN TROOPS, UNDER THE ORDERS OF PRESIDENT YAHYA KHAN, MOVED TO CRUSH A BREAKAWAY MOVEMENT LED BY AWAMI LEAGUE LEADER SHEIKH MUJIBUR RAHMAN. THE PRESIDENT IN A NATIONWIDE BROADCAST DENOUNCED SHEIKH MUJIB AS A TRAITOR, WHILE THE SHEIKH HIMSELF, HUNTED BY TROOPS, WAS IN HIDING.

ALMOST ALL COMMUNICATIONS FROM PAKISTAN HAVE BEEN CUT. POLITICAL ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY HAS BENE BANNED, CENSORSHIP IS IN FORCE IN EAST PAKISTAN, AND A CURFEW HAS BEEN IMPOSED ON SEVERAL TOWNS INCLUDING DACCA, THE PROVINCIAL CAPITAL. REPORTS SAY CASUALTIES IN THE FIGHTING, WHICH BROKE OUT TWO DAYS AGO, ARE HEAVY. ONE AGENCY, THE PRESS TRUST OF INDIA, SAID FIGHTING HAD ASSUMED THE PROPORTIONS OF A CIVIL WAR. MEANWHILE, THE SITUATION REMAINS CONFUSED -- BUT OBVIOUSLY VERY SERIOUS.

BEFORE DISAPPEARING INTO HIDING, SHEIKH MUJIB GAVE AN INTERVIEW TO A REPORTER OUTSIDE HIS HOUSE IN DACCA. THIS PRODUCTION SHOWS THAT INTERVIEW.