Bangladesh Newsletter

Introduction

This week the war of national liberation of Bangladesh enters into its seventh week During the last six weeks the Bengalis living abroad have done a great deal to express their horror at the inhuman brutalities perpetrated by the Pakistan army on the defenseless people of Bangladesh and also to mobilize public opinion in support of their cause and struggle in the United States the various groups of Bengalis living in different parts of the country have written and approached Senators and Congressmen of their respective states to persuade them, and through them the U.S government to terminate all assistance to the military machine of West Pakistan. The effect of all this lobbying can be seen in the recent pronouncement of Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the pending resolutions in front of the Senate. Some good work has also been done both with the press and television. Foreign missions both in Washington and New York have been kept informed about our will and determination to fight

But we must remember that this is only the beginning of a long protracted struggle for u-~ For even after the victory over the occupation forces--till the last foreign soldier is rooted out from the soil of Bangladesh--we will be faced with the stupendous task of rebuilding a nation from scratch. The scorched-earth policy of the enemy will destroy every economic base of Bangladesh before it leaves Needless to say that the task of rebuilding will require tremendous sacrifices from all Bengalis both here and at home The effort< have to be integrated and coordinated. At present we are faced with the dual task of both helping the lib ration movement and also providing relief to millions rendered homeless by the Pakistan army. We know that different groups of Bengalis have devoted their attention to both of these two tasks but since there is no coordination of activities one group doesn't know what others are doing. The result has been duplication of efforts in many cases With a view to coordinating these activities, we have decided to bring out this newsletter. Our main aim is to pool all information from various groups and disseminate information for the benefit of all Bengalis and friends. We desire to have a central fund for all the money raised by different groups so that it can be utilized to the best advantage.

Apart from news from different chapters, we shall pass on news from the central body of The Bangladesh League of America in New York for the benefit of all concerned ~e also hope to bring to our readers direct news from the battlefield in Bangladesh

In order to reach a larger audience we want to have a list of all the Bengalis and others who would want to receive our newsletter. We, therefore request each of you to supply us with names and addresses which we may not have on our list Please help us by writing immediately to

The Bangladesh League of America, Chicago Chapter 5245 South Kenwood Avenue Chicago. Illinois 60615

Resistance News

The Pakistan Government through its embassy is trying to convince Bengalis in this country, with a flood of propaganda material, that conditions have returned to normal in Bangladesh, and that the entire independence movement was engineered by a "handful" of India-inspired "miscreants". All of this is pure nonsense. You will be better off throwing away this rubbish in the wastepaper basket if you can't stop it from coming to you.

The main reason why the newspapers in this country do not carry any resistance news these days is that the Pakistan Army has successfully sealed off the only motorable road between Calcutta and the western sector of Bangladesh. It was from this region that foreign newsmen based in Calcutta used to gather news during the first two weeks of the war. However, most of the 1300 mile border between India and Bangladesh is wide open. Indian newsmen and our own men are constantly crossing the border with news about resistance activities all over Bangladesh.

A Bangladesh representative who has just arrived in this country writes: "Sylhet (district) where the forests in the Tea Garden areas provide natural cover is still under the control of the Bengal regiment. That a force is still holding out in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. That all over Bangladesh armed Bengalis have withdrawn into rural areas and are harassing army units through guerrilla action. This may be expected to increase in frequency and intensity as the resistance acquires more skill at this type of warfare, gets additional supplies and weaponry, of which sizeable quantities have already been captured from the Pakistan army and when monsoons make the logistical problems of the army more insecure. The capability for waging a prolonged war is there because the political motivation of the people has been guaranteed by the indiscriminate character of the war waged by the army. By destroying villages within the range of their artillery and declaring these areas as 'free fire zones' they have made the Pakistan army an object of hatred and a direct threat to the security of 75 million Bengalis who will be willing to resist or aid any resistance to this alien force."

Another Bengali who left this country abut a month ago writes from Agartala: "Every day hundreds of young men are being trained for guerrilla action. It's unbelievable how fast they learn. I am happy that I came. Otherwise I would have never known this dedication of the Bengalis, their love for their country and their willingness to die for its freedom and honor."

Chapter News

In this section of our newsletter we shall print news provided us by the different chapters as well as the national office of The Bangladesh League of America. We expect that chapter representatives will write to us directly about their activities so that we can pass them on to others. So far as we know apart from the national office in New York chapters of The Bangladesh League have been opened in Boston, Washington, Baltimore, Tennessee, North Carolina, Detroit, Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Chicago, Urbana, Bloomington (Indiana) Houston, College Station (Texas), Berkeley and Los Angeles. There may be other chapters that we do not know of. So please let us know and send us your list of office-bearers. It is very important that we get together.

The National Office in New York informs us that a national convention of the Bangladesh League is being organized. It will be held in New York metropolitan area some time in June. You will be kept informed about specific dates, etc.

The New York group is also organizing a big rally in front of the United Nations on June 12, 1971. If you can come, please inform Mr. K.S. Ahmed, President, The Bangladesh League of America, 2667 Broadway, N.Y.C., NY 10025 Phone (212) 866-7474.

Our Relationships with West Pakistanis

Almost all of us from Bangladesh had friends from West Pakistan before the military crackdown of March 25. It is important that under the changed circumstances we redefine our relationship with them. It is certainly not true that all West Pakistnais are our enemies. There are many of them who support our cause. (See the April-May '71 issue of the Pakistan Forum edited by Mr. Feroze Ahmed, 1900 South Charles Street, Greenville, N.C. 27834.)

We must remember that our struggle for freedom may be a long one. We will need as many allies as possible. We can speed up our freedom not only by winning victories on the battlefields of Bangladesh but also in West Pakistan. Our West Pakistani friends can help us win that battle.

We feel that the reason why the majority of the West Pakistanis do not yet support our cause is that they are either uninformed or are being misled by false propaganda showered upon them by the Pakistan Embassy. It is our responsibility to inform them about the events that led to the present crisis. We are sure once they know of our version of events they will revise their stands. We suggest that you lend them your copy of the Tajuddin Statement which.contains a good background about the crisis. If you do not have a copy let us know. We will provide you with another paper by Dr. Rehman Sobhan entitled Bangladesh: Situation and Options, at a nominal cost.

Jobs and Scholarships

We are currently exploring the possibility of obtaining jobs and scholarships for Bengalis from Bangladesh who do not wish to return home for the present. If your scholarship has expired or has been terminated by the Pakistan government or you are in need of a job, please write to The Secretary, Chicago Chapter. The following details should accompany all inquiries: type of visa held, academic qualifications, job experience, type of job or scholarship desired. Also let us know if you have any visa problems. We may be able to offer some suggestions.

Mailing List

We must have a list of all the Bengalis living in this country in order to maximize our strengths. So please send the names and addresses of all the Bengalis you know to our Chicago address.

We also want to have a list of all friends and sympathizers of Bangladesh. If you think that someone should be on our mailing list, please let us know.

Funds

The national liberation movement on Bangladesh is urgently in need of funds, especially foreign exchange. In order to meet these needs the League has established two funds, a Bangladesh Relief Fund and a General Fund. Contributions to the former will be used only for relief purposes. Money contributed to the latter will be used for covering the operating expenses of the League, for lobbying and so on.

Relief

Large amounts of money are needed for immediate relief. As of this date, more than 2,000,000 people have left Bangladesh for India and people continue to leave at the rate of about 50,000 per day. The government of India and other groups are doing their best to cope with the situation. But they cannot do everything. The refugees in India are your relatives and countrymen. They need your help.

Conditions in Bangladesh itself are very bad, and there is every reason to believe they will get worse before they get any better. Tens of thousands are homeless. The threat of famine and epidemic looms large over the next months. And the military regime of Pakistan has made it clear that it intends to do nothing now or later to relieve the suffering of the Bengalis. To the contrary, the army is making every attempt to destroy the economic base of Bangladesh and is prepared to starve the people of Bangladesh into submission. We in America must be ready to provide as much as we can, both now and over the many months that lie ahead. You can help. Contribute yourself and get your friends to contribute to:

         

Bangladesh Relief Fund

5245 South Kenwood Avenue

Chicago, Illinois 60615 

Operating Expenses

The League has undertaken a wide variety of activities as dictated by the present critical circumstances in Bangladesh. The difficulty is that all of these activities cost money. In order to raise money to cover these costs on a regular basis, we are asking those Bengalis who have jobs to pledge whatever per cent of their income they can afford to the League and make payments of this money to the League on a monthly basis. Please fill out the form below and return it to the Chicago chapter.

   I, ____________________________, pledge $________         name every month as a contribution to the Bangladesh League of America. I understand that my contribution will be placed in the General Fund of the League and is not, therefore, tax deductible.                 

Signed_____________________              

Date_______________________              

Address____________________              

Telephone__________________

(Needless to say, all financial information enclosed will be held in strictest confidence by the Treasurer of the Chicago Chapter. Send your cheques to The Bangladesh League of America, 5245 South Kenwood Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60615. You will receive receipts for any contributions you make. The Bangladesh government through its emissary informs us that arrangements are being made to make your contributions redeemable at a later time. So please hold on to your receipts.)