381 ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড শিরোনাম সূত্র তারিখ বাংলাদেশ বিশ্বের দরবারে এক নতুন নামঃ প্রতিনিধি পরিষদের কার্যবিবরণী | ৩ আগষ্ট, ১৯৭১ কংগ্রেস সদস্য রায়ান Η 7820 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE August 3, 1971 BANGLADESH Mr. Ryan. Mr. Speaker, the name "Bangladesh" is a new one in the world community. Bangladesh-East Pakistan-is a land where a massive tragedy continues, despite the world community's horror at what is happening in Asia. East Pakistan is today, according to all accounts, a disaster area. The Pakistani Army-or more accurately, the West Pakistani Army-has levied a virtual pogrom against the people of East Pakistan. Towns have been leveled, children and women have been slaughtered. The enormity of the cruelty almost escapes comprehension. It is estimated that more than 250,000 East Pakistanis, or Bengalis, have died. More than 7 million have fled as refugees to India, which simply does not have the resources to aid them. Some understanding of the tragedy in East Pakistan is provided by a quotation from the August 2, 1971, issue of Newsweek magazine: It seemed a routine request. Assembling the young men of the village of Haluaghat in East Pakistan, a Pakistani Army major informed them that his wounded soldiers urgently needed blood. Would they be donors? The young men lay down on makeshift cots, needles were inserted in their veins—and then slowly the blood was drained from their bodies until they died. This illustrates the planned action which is being undertaken. There is very little dispute any more. The Government of Pakistan-the government dominated by West Pakistanis-is converting what has hitherto been its economic and political stepchild-East Pakistan an economic and political activity. In doing so, no act has been too helpless. Violence and brutality have supplanted reason. In undertaking this course, the official Pakistani Government has sought to justify its initial actions by the claim that East Pakistan intended to dissolve the union between the western and eastern halves of Pakistan. To the contrary, the evidence shows that in the national parliamentary elections held prior to the disaster, which has now been visited up-on East Pakistan, the East Pakistanis achieved what would have been a majority control of the government. This is in fact what apparently inspired the subsequently. Thus, East Pakistan is becoming a wasteland. This situation holds little promise of improving. Famine threatens in East Pakistan. According to Mr. Abulmal A. Muhith economic-adviser to the Pakistani Embassy here and former Deputy Secretary to President Yahya Khan's Cabinet-who has defected and joined the forces of Bangladesh, up to 15 million Bengalis may die of starvation in the next 3 months. Meanwhile, India is being overwhelmed by refugees, and this refugee population may be expected to grow.
