Department of State

AIRGRAM

CONFIDENTIAL A-341

TO : Department of State

INFO : DELHI, LAHORE, KARACHI, PESHAWAR, RAWALPINDI

FROM : Amconsul DACCA

DATE : JULY 10, 1968

SUBJECT : EAST PAKISTAN : Memorandum of Conversation on Shiekh Mujibur Rahman's role in the Agartala Conspiracy

REF : Dacca's A-334, A-335, and A-337

The attached MemCon describes a recent conversation between the reporting officer and Raja Tridev ROY, MPA and Chief of the Chakma Tribe. Raja Roy's opinion on the validity of the charges and Shiekh Mujib's involvement is similar to the ConGen's but his assessment of the effect on Sheikh Mujib's political career of either a conviction or a not guilty verdict is not in line with the conclusions drawn by ConGen officers. ConGen assessment is that GOP stands to lose the most in its most recent battle with Shiekh Mujib no matter which verdict is rendered. If found guilty and sentenced to a long prison term. Sheikh Mujib will become another martyr in the cause of Bengali autonomy and in East Pakistan's "war with the Rawalpindi Establishment." If he is found not guilty, it will only highlight GOP's harassment of him and GOP's constant inability to make any of its charges against Shiekh Mujib stick. Having outwitted GOP again, Shiekh Mujib should become an even greater popular hero. Majority sentiment among "sons of the soil" Bengalis appears to be that the charges are a GOP fabrication and a means of silencing a leading opposition figure and a leading exponent of regional autonomy. If he were involved as deeply as the government brief alleges, a silent cheer is probably raised by the Bengali.

KILLGORE

Enclosure:

Memcon

NOTE: MEMCON NOT ATTACHED WITH THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT

Source: The American Papers- Secret and Confidential India.Pakistan.Bangladesh Documents 1965-1973, The University Press Limited, p.253