financial contribution to Nixon's election campaign. On the Bangladesh side our advocate had lined by John Stonehouse, the Labor M.P. who had in England been one of the most cloquent campaigners for Bangladesh, who was specially flown in from London for the programme. There was in addition, Ambassador M. K. Rasgotra who was the number two to L. K. Jha in the Indian Embassy in Washington and who is now l'oreign Secretary in the government of India. Finally, there was myself as the only Bangladeshi on the programme. There was a full studio audience and I am told an enthusiastic audience of TV viewers.
My second TV appearance was at a more historic moment. Prior to this all of us at the UN delegation had become more active as the Bangladesh issue finally came before the Security Council and General Assembly following the outbreak of open hostilities between India and Pakistan. The escalation in the liberation war and the growing tension on the Bangladesh border had culminated in the aggression by the Pakistan Air force, through bombing attacks on targets in Northern India. Pakistan which had hitherto been fully committed to keep the Bangladesh issue of the UN agenda, now became active in internationalizing it as part of an Indo-Pakistan thrcat to peace rather than as a liberation struggle. The successful advance of the Indian army into Bangladesh and the disintegration of the Pakistan army compelled Pakistan to seek international support for a cease fire and a withdrawal of the Indian army back across the border. In this task they were strongly supported by the United States and China. The latter's advocacy of the Pakistani case was their first public action in the United Nations. The move to secure passage of a cease-fire and withdrawal of forces resolution had irresistible support both in the Security Council and in the General Assembly. Apparently most members can be moved to unite behind such a resolution lest they one day find themselves at the receiving end of a war. As a result the relevant resolution, moved jointly by the United States and China secking a cease fire secured a clear majority in the Security Council. Its passage was only frustrated by a Soviet veto.
To circumvent the veto a similar resolution was brought before the General Assembly where the members are even more forth coming in support of any resolution seeking a cease-fire. Such a resolution was thus assured an overwhelming majority. I subsequently analyzed all the speeches made on this debate on the floor of the Assembly, and found that very few of the countries who voted for the resolution did so out of positive support for Pakistan, but voted more as supporters of peace as a general principle of conduct in international affairs.
we Bangladeshis were spectators to this drama in the UN which we witnessed from the galleries. Our efforts in the lobbies of the United Nations brought us much private Sympathy for the cause of Bangladesh, but little support on the floor of the Assembly. There most speakers were in lined to forget the 9-month aggression and genocide by the Pakistan army on the People and land of Bangladesh and were inclined to concentrate on the immediate outbreak of war between India and Pakistan.
Apart from my shared efforts at lobbying the delegates to the Security Council, I was invited to appear in New York public television, a channel which is distinguished by the fact that it is the only one to feature the proceedings of the General Assembly and
