There is some evidence that President Yahya Khan went to Dacca to keep Sheikh Mujibur Rahman talking while reinforcements made their way to East Pakistan and while Bengalis holding key positions in West Pakistan and elsewhere were removed. The “hawks” in the regime may in fact have won before Yahya Khan set out for the highly published attempts at reconciliation. One of the key positions from which a Bengali was summarily removed on the day Yahya Khan flew to Dacca was in London. He is the manager of the National Bank of Pakistan’s branch of the City. Mr. A.K.M. Moheuddin was ordered by cable from Karachi to hand over charge of the branch to his Punjabi deputy.

Mr. Moheuddin was advised by senior Bengali officers in the High Commission not to comply but he did and within two hours of receiving orders he had left the branch to await further orders from home. The National Bank of Pakistan’s branch in London handles all the Government foreign exchange transactions amounting to several million pounds a year. Most aid funds are channelled through London and Mr. Moheuddin may have been in a position to capture these funds for an independent East Pakistan because his signature is required for transactions. He was also suspect because he had expanded the East Pakistan’s staff at the bank.

Promoted

The news of Mr. Moheuddin’s removal leaked out to Pakistan Students’ Federation in London. Mr. Ekramul Haque, the federation president, disclosed it to several newspapers. But reporters telephoning the National Bank were told that Mr. Moheuddin had already been promoted joint managing director and his transfer had been pending.

Two rival authorities operated in the Pakistan High Commission in London. The High Commissioner, Mr. Salman Ali, has not been meeting anyone alone. He has always been accompanied by a Bengali official and an army officer. The First Secretary at the High Commission, Mr. Reazul Karim, and the chief of the audit and accounts department are Bengalis.

Reports reaching London from West Pakistan in the last few days indicate that many Bengalis in key positions had been either removed or effectively isolated. The State Bank of Pakistan and other semi-Government agencies with headquarters in Dacca - such as the Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan - are believed to have transferred most of their liquid assets to Karachi.

East Pakistanis in London who believe that Yahya Khan’s attempts at negotiations were insincere were quick to point out yesterday that the break¬down of talks coincided with the arrival of several shiploads of troops in East Pakistan.