The Daily
Morning News
02 MARCH 1971
News headlines and details from the Daily Morning News.
News Headlines:
- Mujib deplores NA postponement, calls for hartal today, tomorrow.
- Protest rallies in city.
- Postponement of NA termed undemocratic.
- Parties, leaders protest postponement of NA.
- Mujib authorised to take any action.
- AL parliamentary party meets.
Other Headlines:
- NA meeting put off to give more time for understanding : Yahya.
- Mujib, Ataur Rahman meet.
- Sattar sworn in as Chief Election Commissioner.
- Telephone strike called off.
- Varsity exams. Postponed.
- Faruque calls on Sheikh Mujib.
- Bhutto carefully studying situation, Qayyum welcomes.
- Seven declared elected to NA women's seats.
(Staff Reporter)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman yesterday deplored the postponement of the National Assembly session and said, "We cannot allow this to go unchallenged as we have our responsibility to the people."
The Awami League chief at a hurriedly called news conference at a local hotel, at the end of a brief session of the Awami League's parliamentary party in the National Assembly announced the party's programme to protest the postponement of the NA session.
He gave a call for a complete hartal in Dacca today (Tuesday) and throughout the country on March 3, the day on which the National Assembly session was scheduled to commence at Dacca.
He also announced that there will be a public meeting at Ramna Race Course on March 7 where he will outline the further course of action of his party.
He also said that he will hold discussions on the present situation with Maulana Bhashani, Mr. Nurul Amin, Mr. Ataur Rahman Khan, Prof. Mozaffar Ahmed and other leaders.
Thousands of people with lathis and iron rods in their hands surrounded the hotel where Sheikh Saheb was addressing the press conference. They raised slogans against the postponement of the NA session.
In an emotion choked voice Sheikh Mujib described the postponement of the NA session as "a product of a long time conspiracy which has been going on since general elections."
He said that his party was a democratic and constitutional organisation. "We try
to follow democratic process which means non-
Deploring postponement of the NA session he said that it violated the principles
of democracy. He regretted that when all MNAs-
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said that the democratic process had almost failed only because of the sentiments of the minority party. So far we are concerned we have our responsibility to the people. We cannot allow this to go unchallenged.
Not consulted
He replied in the negative when asked if he was consulted before the postponement. He, however, told a questioner: " I got the information; I have information of everything happening in the country. I told you time and again that conspiracy is going on. I get some information", he said.
To a question whether he will seek cooperation of West Pakistan, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said that he would ask the people of the Punjub, Sind, Baluchistan and NWFP to rise to a man against this conspiracy and protest against the postponement of the NA session.
While asking the people to be ready for making any sacrifice, he advised them not to resort to violence, "We are a democratic party and believe in democratic process and shall go for constitutional movement".
Ready for any consequences
APP adds : when asked whether he apprehended the arrests of his party members, Sheikh Mujib said that they were ready for any consequences. "My people are with me; let us hope for the best and prepare for the worst."
The Awami League chief said that he had given a programme up to March 7. My party, he said, had authorised me to take any decision. In the parliamentary party meeting, he said the members renewed their oath which they had taken at mass rally at Race Course Maidan on January 3.
When he asked as to what he expects from the non-
While making the statement Sheikh Mujib said that all MNAs-
Conspiracy
He said it was the chain of the long time conspiracy. "I have in my previous speeches, time and again, stated that conspiracy is going on in this country even after the general elections on the basis of adult franchise. We have been elected by people and we are responsible to them for framing a constitution", he added.
Referring to Mr. Bhutto's statement he said that Mr. Bhutto had threatened to take
law and order in his hands. "We wanted co-
Sheikh Mujib said that when RTC was being convened Mr. Bhutto had declined to attend Mr. Bhutto had also decided not to participate in the elections. Then he pleaded for delaying the elections and now for the postponement of the NA session.
He said , "My people have given a verdict in favour of Six-
(Staff Reporter)
The announcement of postponement of the National Assembly session yesterday was followed by a wave of processions, demonstrations and rallies in Dacca city and its suburbs.
Processions and demonstration were also held in Narayanganj against the postponement, according to our Narayanganj correspondent.
Processions raising slogans against the postponement were brought out from different parts of the city. The processionists carrying lathis and iron rods paraded the thoroughfares held demonstration and meeting.
Students of different educational institutions including Dacca University boycotted their classes and brought out processions. The lawyers of the Dacca High Court, employees of different commercial firms and establishment and industrial workers also came out on the streets and held demonstrations against the postponement.
The members of the Dacca High Court Bar Association came out in a procession carrying banners and held a protest meeting at Baital Mukarram presided over by Shah Azizur Rahman; the meeting was addressed by Barister Shaukat Ali, Barister Wadood and others.
The test cricket match between the International XI and BCCP XI was suspended amidst wild demonstrations inside and outside the Dacca stadium — the venue of the match.
Shops, business houses and commercial establishments were closed immediately. The employees of these establishments joined the demonstrators on the streets.
A few shops and a local cinema hall were attacked by the demonstrators. But the situation was brought under control by the people themselves.
Small and big groups of demonstrators started converging at Hotel Purbani, where
the Awami League Parliamentary Party in the National Assembly was in session. By
3-
Paltan Rally
A rally held at Paltan Maidan later in the afternoon strongly criticised the postponement of National Assembly session.
The meeting which was addressed by the leaders of East Pakistan Students League, Dacca University Central Students' Union and Jatiya Sramik League expressed its active support and association to the programme of hartals and rally announced by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman immediately after the announcement for postponement.
Among the speakers were Mr. Tofail Ahmed an MNA-
The speakers urged the crowd who were armed with lathis, iron rods and to wage an all ut movement.
Hartal Call Backed
Expressing their full support to the hartal call by the Awami League chief Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the speakers urged the students community in particular and the people in general to make strike a success.
As part of today's programme for hartal, the student leaders decided to hold a meeting today at 11 a.m. at the Dacca University Battala.
The meeting will be followed by a procession which will parade the main thoroughfares of the city.
The leaders of Students' League in a joint statement supported the strike call and programme announced by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, president of Awami League.
They also appealed to people to observe hartal today in the city and called a students' rally at the University in the morning. The meeting, they added, would be followed by a protest march.
The student leaders, who issued the joint statement, are: President of Students',
League Mr. Nur-
N.A.P. call
PPI adds : the East Pakistan National Awami Party (Wali) last night gave a call for complete hartal today in the city.
A party announcement said that it would hold a protest meeting at Paltan Maidan this afternoon in observance of the hartal.
Party chief Prof. Muzaffar Ahmed will preside over while other party leaders will address the protest meeting.
SYLHET
According to a telegraphic message from Sylhet:
Sylhet Medical College students came out of their classes and held protest meeting yesterday afternoon. Presided over by Motiur Rahman, Mr. Abul Hasan Bulu, Delwar Hussain, Saad Khan and others addressed the meeting. Abul Hassan Bulu, senior member National Students' Federation, central working council, in a statement, has urged all its units throughout the country to observe protest day on Wednesday by observing hartal.
KHULNA
APP adds : a number of processions were brought out yesterday at Khulna to protest against the postponement of the National Assembly session to an indefinite period.
The processionists paraded the city street and assembled at the central Shaheed Minar. Student leaders while addressing the gathering severely criticised the decision and termed it conspiracy against Bangladesh. The processionists took vow to continue relentless struggle against East Pakistan. They also declared complete hartal in Khulna today.
JESSORE
Our Jessore correspondent adds : the postponement of the National Assembly session sparked resentment among the people here. A protest procession was brought out from Eidgah Maidan last evening which was later joined by another procession. The processionists paraded the main streets of the town raising full throated slogans.
Later a public meeting was held at Eidgah Maidan. People were urged to rise on the occasion unitedly for any sacrifices to meet the challenge.
(PPI)
The Central Working Committee of the National Awami Party (Wali Group) yesterday expressed its grave concern, over the sudden and unexpected postponement of the National Assembly session.
The working committee in a resolution passed at its session yesterday evening described the postponement of the NA session as undemocratic. The resolution read : "the meeting of the central working committee of NAP (Wali Group) expressed its grave concern over the sudden and unexpected postponement of the National Assembly session scheduled for March 3 which was convened after an undue delay and feels that this is not only a postponement of the NA session but also a contrivance to delay the transfer of power to the elected representatives of the elected representatives of the people who have been groaning under the weight of oppression and coersion during the last 23 years.
The meeting called upon the oppressed people of Pakistan to be vigilant against the vested interests, reactionary forces and beware not to play into the hands of provocateurs and be angered by the elements who set one section of our beloved people against the other in the name of nation, nationalities, region and language, etc. Who are conspiring against the restoration of people's sovereignty by impeding the framing of democratic and acceptable constitution.
The meeting further urged upon the Government to immediately rescind the order of postponement of NA session.
The meeting presided over by Arbab Sikander was also attended by NAP MNAs-
The MNAs are Mr. Gaus Bijenjo Khan Bux, Mari, Ghulam Faruque, Amirjada Khan and Abdul Hai Baluch. Maj. Gen. (rtd.) Zilani also attended the committee meeting.
Prof. Muzaffar Ahmed and Syed Altaf Hussain, president and general secretary of EPNAP respectively were among the prominent East Pakistani leaders who attended the meeting.
The central working committee is meeting here again today to discuss the present political situation.
The general working committee has also strongly protested against postponement of the election for various provinces of West Pakistan.
The committee passed a resolution at its morning session which, while protesting
against the postponement, maintained that this action was all the more resentful
in view of the fact that all MNAs from Baluchistan and most of the MNAs-
The committee requested its general secretary Mr. Usmani to withdraw his resignation in view of the grave political situation. It also paid tributes to Mr. Usmani for his services to the party. Mr. Usmani consequently agreed to withdraw his resignation.
(Staff Reporter)
Leaders of different political parties and public opinion in the city in separate statement yesterday strongly resented the postponement of the National Assembly session which was to begin in Dacca from March 3.
Mr. Nurul Amin, president of Pakistan Democratic Party, said "postponement of the National Assembly session " receded the prospect of forming the country's constitution and transfer of power to the elected representatives of the people as scheduled.
Mr. Nurul Amin, in a statement, said he was ' stunned' at the sudden announcement of postponement of the sitting of the National Assembly indefinitely.
He urged upon the president to call the Assembly without delay and reiterated his appeal to the members elected from different parts of West Pakistan irrespective of their Party affiliations to attend the Assembly when called and frame a constitution of our beloved country.
Mr. Ataur Rahman Khan, President of Pakistan National League in a statement said, "I am terribly shocked to hear the announcement that the long awaited session of the National Assembly has been postponed. This is a complete disregard of the hopes and aspirations of the people who have given their unqualified verdict in the general elections and are keen to ensure implementation of the same at the earliest.
GHOLAM AZAM
Professor Gholum Azam. Ameer, East Pakistan Jamaat-
"I don't consider that the postponement will at all improve the political situation. I think, 11 weeks' time after the election was sufficient enough for the political leaders to come to an understanding," he added.
He said that if the constitution was to be framed by political leaders alone, there was no need for any election at all. When the election was held, and the Assembly was summoned, the only proper course was to allow the session to be held on schedule. One hundred and twenty days' time limit would have been sufficient pressure on the representatives to come to necessary understanding. Therefore, the postponement of the Assembly session is entirely unjustified, The course of events over the past few days leading to this postponement clearly indicates that certain powerful elements are acting in collusion with Mr. Bhutto to destroy the integrity and solidarity of Pakistan.
SABUR
Khan A. Sabur, Secretary General, Pakistan Muslim League (Qayyum) last night announced his resignation from the membership as well as the secretaryship of the organisation as a mark of protest against the viewpoints expressed by the party chief Khan Abdul Qayyum on the postponement of the session of the National Assembly, reports APP.
Expressing his "surprise" about the sudden postponement of the National Assembly session Khan Sabur in a statement said: It would have been most logical if the prior concurrence of the leader of the majority party would have been obtained before announcement of such postponement. In the event of disagreement between different party leaders, the session could be adjourned in order to give an opportunity to arrive at a consensus, he added.
The former leader of the House in the National Assembly said, the authorities should have taken into consideration of all pros and cons before the Assembly session date was announced.
Referring to the present political situation Khan Sabur called upon all political leaders to exercise maximum restrain and evaluate the situation in consonance with the wellbeing of the country and their elector. Khan Sabur appealed to General Yahya Khan to announce the fresh date as early as possible so that the viewpoints of different parties and leaders could be ventilated on the floor of the Assembly and thereby helping to build up the public opinion.
Other leaders
- Shafiqul Islam
- High Court Bar Association
- EPSU (Matia Group)
- BCL
- Huda
- Oali Ahad
- Sirajul Hossain
- Diwan Werasat
- Serajul Huq
- DULANA (Mr. Mahuhbubul Haq)
(Staff Reporter)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman yesterday said that he had been fully authorised by his Party's
Parliamentary Party, which concluded its three-
He told a press conference immediately after the parliamentary party's brief session: " Insha Allah you will hear the announcement in time".
He said that in the meeting the members renewed their pledge taken at the last Ramna Maidan and now stood ready to make every sacrifice for the cause of the people and the party programme. He said that they were also pledged for the emancipation of the people of Bangladesh.
Over 110 past MNAs present at the conference raised the slogan of " Joi Bangla" and "Banga Bandhu Zindabad".
The seven newly elected women MNAs were also present at the press conference.
(PPI)
The Awami League Central Parliamentary Party met at Hotel Purbani here yesterday afternoon to review the political situation obtaining in the country.
Presided over by the party leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the meeting was attended by 167 party MNAs including seven ladies elected unopposed yesterday to the reserved woman seats from East Pakistan.
Earlier, the 30-
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