Secret
November
17, 1971
President's Thursday briefing
For HAK -- Yahya to See "Cleared" Awami
Leader Soon:
One of the "cleared" Awami League leaders
in East
Pakistan is scheduled to be received by President Yahya late next week if all
goes as planned. You will recall that late last month a cleared Awami
League leader approached our Con. Gen. in
Dacca urging we press Yahya to
receive him as a potential mediator between the GOP and Awami League members
about some form of political accommodation in the East. This group of
"tame" Awami Leaguers -who say they are serious about autonomy within
a one-nation concept - envisage cancellation of the by-elections, the release
of Mujib, amnesty of all previously elected Awami Leaguers and reiteration of
their political role in the East. Farland was instructed to covey only the
fact that Nurul Islam was interested in seeing Yahya and Yahya agreed. Although
not much should be expected from this, it could be something of a eye-opener
for Yahya if he is as insulated from the situation in East Pakistan, as most reports sugbest.
Source: Bangladesh Liberation War and the Nixon House 1971, Enayetur
Rahim and Joyce L. Rahim, Pustaka Dhaka, p – 373