Bongaon, West Bengal, June 29.
Four British MPs visited today several camps of refugees from the East Pakistan border. Mr Reg Prentice, Labour MP for East Ham, N, afterwards said: “This is the most terrible thing I have ever seen, both in terms of human suffering and the scale of this thing.”

He told reporters: “It underlines completely the fact that the propaganda of the West Pakistan Government is completely false and they are responsible for an enormous amount of human suffering in what must be a lost cause.”

Mr Prentice, Mr Arthur Bottomley (Lab, Middlesbrough E) Mr James Ramsden (C, Harrogate), and Mr Toby Jessel (C, Twickenham) stopped by the wayside to talk to refugees and visited a cholera ward at Bongaon, 60 miles north-east of Calcutta.

Children and adults lay on the ward's concrete floor, on which mud, excrement and disinfectant had mixed. A small dead girl was sprawled on her back near the door.

The party ran into several organized demonstrations by refugees demanding that Britain cut all aid to Pakistan and recognize the government of Bangla Desh (Bengal Nation). The refugees told the MPs stories of looting and killing and of their homes being burnt. “We will tell the world about this” Mr Jessel said.

Mr Bottomley said the sight of the refugees, some badly wounded and others lying dead by the roadside, had made a tremendous impact on him. Mr Prentice said the rest of the world must back the work of the Indian authorities to the utmost of its ability.

Mr Mandal, commissioner for refugee relief in West Bengal, said the number of refugees could have reached 5,400,000 by now.

Delhi, June 29. — Mrs Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister, today took the unique step of appointing a central government Cabinet Minister—Mr Siddartha Shankar Ray —with special responsibility for West Bengal.

Her announcement in Parliament came after the proclamation of presidential rule over West Bengal.

Islamabad, June 29. — Pakistan has conveyed her “serious concern” to Britain over parts of Sir Alec Douglas-Home’s statement to the House of Commons about Pakistan on June 23, it was announced here today.

In his statement Sir Alec said among other things that Britain would withhold further development aid until convinced of progress towards a political settlement in East Pakistan.—Reuter.