Northern Echo

At least five to seven thousand people are believed to have been killed in and around Dacca during two nights and a day of fighting as the Pakistan Army struggles with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s 25-day defiance of the military regime.

West Pakistan martial law authorities said yesterday that the Army was in complete control throughout East Pakistan - but radio reports monitored in India said troop reinforcements had been called for and a provisional Bangladesh government had been set up in the eastern region. But the press Trust of India quoted a clandestine radio report saying that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s “Liberation Army” had captured the important northern town of Rangpur after bitter fighting with West Pakistani troops. PTI also quoted Dacca Radio, taken over by West Pakistan troops on Friday, as saying that the martial law authorities in East Pakistan had asked for troop reinforcements from the Western Region.

PEASANTS MARCH

The secret radio said the provisional Government in East Pakistan would be guarded by Sheikh Mujibur, who it said was directing “the liberation struggle” from Chittagong, the main port in East Pakistan. The radio described Sheikh Mujibur as “Banga Bandhu” - friend of Bengal. According to the radio quoted by PTI, forces of the “Liberation Army” were marching from Chittagong to Dacca. The radio said that Major Jia Khan, said to be in command of the “Liberation Army”, had appealed for recognition of the provisional Government and for material aid. The Press Trust of India said thousands of armed peasants were marching on towns.

Tough censorship continued and foreign Press and television correspondents reaching New Delhi from Pakistan yesterday reported they had been bundled out of Dacca on Friday night and flown to Karachi on Saturday.