555 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ষষ্ঠ খণ্ড শিরোনাম ংবাদপত্র তারিখ Famine Stalks The Nation 22 October, 1971 Bangladesh Vol. 1 : No. 3 FAMINE STALKS BANGLADESH Bangladesh is in the grip of famine threatening the lives of millions more closely following in the holocaust of the Pakistani Army crackdown on Bangladesh. According to an international survey in the coming months ten million people will die of starvation unless internationally organized relief measure are undertaken expeditiously and elaborately without any loss of time. Already a deficit area, cultivation in Bangladesh has suffered tremendously this year because of the reign of terror let loose by the West Pakistani occupation army. Consequently plantation of paddy has been extremely erratic during the current Season. November harvest would, therefore, fall far short of the total food requirements to feed about 7 crore mouths. The fact remains that the blood hounds of West Pakistan want only destroyed food stock either in Government stores or in private god owns or in improvised residential ՏtOTCՏ, Long before this unfortunate picture emerged, international food experts had anticipated such a catastrophic situation, as sure as night follows the day, there will be an appalling famine in East Bengal unless the international Community intervenes now. This was the grim conclusion of South Asian experts, who met in Toronto recently under the sponsorship of Oxfam of Canada. From 1966 to 1970, Bangladesh produced an average of 10.8 million tons of food grain against a requirement of 12 million tons-a deficit of ten percent. Recurring floods and cyclones never allowed the agricultural sector of Bangladesh to close this gap. Very little development programme was undertaken to control the annual floor or to establish irrigation network. Bulk of the people of Bangladesh live in a precariously marginal substance. Slightest dislocation around them causes many to slip off from their holds on existence. When the last November cyclone came half a million people were washed away, but five million others who survived were not sure whether they will survive the ordeal. Transportation facilities are so primitive that but for international help food could hardly be rushed to the victims. Man-made disaster of Yahya is again another thing. This is not localized disruption of communication and transportation. This is a total collapse. In April, Yahya's army fanned out in all directions to occupy the countryside Magnitude and severity of army’s action led to: Complete breakdown of the life system: economic, political and social. Entire Bangladesh pervaded with a sense of insecurity, terror and fear.
