Conflicting reports on East Pakistan

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32568, 30 March 1971, Page 17

Conflicting reports on East Pakistan

(N.Z.P.A.‘Reuter—Copyright) ■* NEW DELHI, March 29. Conflicting reports of events in East Pakistan and the absence of any on-the-spot accounts today made it difficult to draw an accurate picture of the situation there.

The official Pakistan radio said last night that calm prevailed in all major towns and the countryside and that the army was in control.

But clandestine radio stations, said to be manned by Awami League supporters of the breakaway leader, Sheikh Mu jibur Rahman, asserted that fierce fighting was still in progress and said that several key towns had been captured from West Pakistan troops.

Strict press censorship is in force and virtually all

foreign correspondents were flown out of Dacca on Friday. Radio Pakistan said that the situation was quiet in Dacca and that the curfew would be lifted again today from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Banks were told to reopen and Government and other workers asked to return to their jobs. But the radio conceded that there had been trouble in Khulna, about 32 miles from the Indian border and attributed it to a “mob of miscreants.” The Press Trust

of India quoted travellers reaching India as saying that the martial law administrator there had been seriously wounded. The official radio also said that the situation in Chittagong, East Pakistan’s main port, was improving. According to the Army-controlled Radio Dacca, several thousand troops had been flown to Chittagong and the martial law authorities had asked for more reinforcements from West Pakistan, 1000 miles away. "Free Bangla Radio” monitored in Calcutta, announced the establishment of a provisional government of Bangla Desh (Bengali nation) under Major Jia Khan, described as the head of the “liberation army.” The clandestine station said that Sheikh Mujibur would guide the Government from Chittagong from where he was directing the “liberation struggle.”

But Radio Pakistan reiterated that Sheikh Mujibur was under arrest. Observers were puzzled about why he had not been named to head the provisional government if he were free.

The “liberation army” through unconfirmed reports reaching India said it was holding Chittagong, Comilla, Rangpur, Saidpur and to have seized Army cantonments at Jessore and Khulna. They were resisting in the face of severe shelling and bombing these reports said Other reports, also quoted by the Press Trust of India said that “freedom fighters” had destroyed railway lines in some areas and added that civilians were denying all help and supplies to West Pakistan troops.