759 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ তৃতীয় পত্র শিরোনাম সূত্র তারিখ কলিকাতাস্থ বাংলাদেশ মিশন প্রধান ও এশিয়ান রেকর্ডার আগষ্ট ১৮ জুলাই, কর্মীদের পাকিস্তানের প্রত্যাবর্তনে অস্বীকৃতি- 〉○->b->ba> ՏՏ Գծ ১৮ জুলাই Bangladesh Mission In Calcutta Refuses To Return To Pakistan-Swiss Mediation Attempt Mr. Hossain Ali, Chief of the Bangladesh Mission in Calcutta, on July 18 announced that all his 63 staff members had indicated to an official interrogating team their intention not to go back to Pakistan. The interrogating team consisted of Dr. Bonard, Counselor in the Swiss Embassy in New Delhi, Mr. Mehdi Masud, Deputy High Commissioner for Pakistan in Calcutta, and Mr. A. K. Roy, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, stationed in Calcutta. As previously agreed upon, the Swiss diplomat asked individual members of the former Pakistan Deputy High Commission staff, who had switched their allegiance to the Republic of Bangladesh, an identical, question-whether he wished to return to Pakistan or not-and if the answer was in the affirmative the Government of India would provide safe conduct for him to any place of his choice. Mr. Hossain Ali said that all the members who had appeared before the team gave their answer in writing in the negative-some in English and some in Bengali. Mr. Hossain Ali himself did not appear before the interrogation team because it was considered below his status as Head of a mission of a sovereign independent Republic to do so. It was suggested that the team be received by him at his mission where he could give his answer, but Mr. Hossain Ali could not agree to that because, he said, he could not receive the Pakistani- representative, Mr. Mehdi Masud. Ultimately it was agreed, that a vacant but furnished house be placed at his disposal where he would receive the team. Under this arrangement, Mr. Hossain Ali gave his answer-in the negative to the same question put to him. Mr. Hossain Ali told newsmen that the Bangladesh Mission staff would have had nothing to do with the Pakistani representative and would not have gone to see the Swiss representative but for their consideration for the personnel or the Indian Deputy High Commission in Dacca. Mr. Hossain Ali said: "They have kept them there as hostages and they are illtreating them. We wanted to help their early repatriation. I can only hope they will be repatriated soon. "We have now made it clear beyond a shadow of doubt in the presence of an accredited representative of a neutral country that we have willingly, gladly and sincerely transferred our allegiance to the Government of Bangladesh. "It is also clear that we did not act under any duress. The only duress that we were under was the duress by the Pakistan Government. We have always been loyal to and devoted servants of the Pakistan Government, but it forced us to act as we did by creating the duress.
