Secret telegram
28 August 1971
From: Amconsul
Calcutta
To: Secretary State Washington DC
Subject: Meeting with Bangladesh representative
1. Summary: At meeting with Qaiyum
August 27 he showed us note from Bangladesh Fonmin
urging Qaiyum to expedite his efforts. Qaiyum said he heard Iran had taken interest in situation, but
only USA or USSR big enough country to enforce
decision. Fonmin plans go abroad are in abeyance. Mukti Bahini efforts being stepped up, particularly against
shipping. Efforts will be made to destroy Pak ship "Padma". Decision not yet made on how to treat UN
relief work. According Qaiyum, Congen
is "only pipeline" for BD negotiation effort.
2. At August 27 meeting with Qaiyum
he showed us note from Bangladesh Fonmin Ahmed urging
that Qaiyum expedite his efforts. (full
text forwarded septel.) Qaiyum
claimed that since he established contact with Congen,
Fonmin had "cancelled" other efforts solve
problem. He said, "we are the only
pipeline."
3. Qaiyum said he had heard Iran "is taking an interest" in
situation, but Iran is "too small a country for such
a big job." He said that only USA or USSR (recalling Tashkent agreement), could "enforce a decision."
Relations between East and West Pakistan were so strained that it impossible for representatives of
each wing to meet alone to sort out differences. He said there must be third
party to help them bridge the gap. As example, he noted that Swiss good offices
were necessary to arrange exchange of Pak and Indian Deputy Hicom
staffs in Calcutta and Dacca. He said Fonmin tentative
plans go abroad now being kept in abeyance.
4. Qaiyum said Mukti
Bahini guerrilla activity will be greatly stepped up
during next month. He said very large number (15,000, he claimed) guerrillas
sent into East
Bengal
August 10-15. Mukti Bahini
operating freely in rural areas, and nowhere is it
safe for Yahya supporters to be out at night. The
GOP announcement "clearing" 88 MNA's has
caused difficulty for those cleared,, who now vulnerable
to charge of collaborating. Many of "cleared" MNA's
are making effort to show loyalty to Awami League by
making special trip to Calcutta from East Bengal to pledge allegiance, by joining Mukti Bahini, etc. According to Qaiyum, Yahya does not understand
situation if he really believes civilian government can be formed. "When
a man like Nurul Amin
refuses to cooperate, certainly nobody else will come forward to form
government."
5. Qaiyum said Bangladesh Cabinet
decision had not yet been taken on how UN relief effort will be treated in East Bengal. He said, "if
the Cabinet decides that the UN is coming in disguise to help Yahya and the collaborators, then they will be
attacked." He said "we know people will die of starvation. But it is
an all-out war, and starvation is only one factor to be taken into
account." He said special efforts were being made to disrupt maritime
traffic to and from East Bengal, and added that effort would be made to destroy
Pakistan ship "Padma" currently enroute to Karachi from US carrying consignment of military
equipment.
6. Qaiyum said that MEA policy
planning committee chairman DP Dhar had been
appointed as the GOI officer responsible for Bangladesh affairs. He said Dhar
would divide his time between New Delhi and Calcutta.
7. COMMENT. We are concerned that our contact with Qaiyum may
be discouraging Bangladesh government from exploring other possible
ways of trying to solve impasse, although Qaiyum
affirms that he and Fonmin Ahmed understand that Congen fulfilling reporting function only. Nevertheless,
they apparently acting on assumption that with info Qaiyum
has supplied, USG somehow will take action to get negotiation underway. (They,
by course, make no secret of their desire to have USG a party to these
negotiations.) We have not repeat not told Qaiyum of Ambassador Farland's
conversation with Yahiya and have given Qaiyum absolutely no "feedback" from his
conversation with us. To obviate possibility of our role being counterproductive
in terms of possible Bangladesh/GOP negotiations, we think we should be authorized
to provide Qaiyum with USG reaction to his approach. Request guidance.
Gordon
Source: Bangladesh
Liberation War and the Nixon White House 1971. p. 202 – 203