720 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ষষ্ঠ খণ্ড শিরোনাম সংবাদপত্র তারিখ U. N. Humanitarian Assistance in Bangladesh 17 September, 1971 Bangladesh Wol. 1: No. 3 U.N. HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN BANGLADESH WHAT IT REALLY MENAS By an Observer What the dispatch of 38 experts the first phase of the United Nations mission to Bangladesh has begun. At first sight the U. N. role would appear to be worthy of the best tradition of the world today. But behind its humanitarian façade lurks a great danger. The primary purpose of the U. N. monitors, it has been reported, would be to revive communication and remobilize river and road transportation, which would "help restore confidence in the East Pakistani administration." We are further advised that unless these conditions are fulfilled relief goods so generously provided by the donor countries would not reach the people for whom they are intended and millions would starve. Also presumably, without supervision donor countries would not feel encouraged to give more humanitarian aid to Bangladesh. We appreciate the anxiety of many donor countries to help the suffering people in Bangladesh. What we fail to understand is their apparent belief that the military administration is the right vehicle through which aid should be provided in Bangladesh. Last year’s experience with the cyclone disaster should have been sufficient warning that the military could not be trusted to carry out relief work. It is common knowledge that relief goods were misappropriated by the military for their own use and no proper accounting has yet been given of millions of dollars donated by individuals and organizations to relief funds opened by Pakistan embassies abroad. It is also well documented that helicopters and boats provided for relief purposes were used for military operations on and after March 25. Unicef Vehicles The United Nations properties have not been exempt from the grabbing hands of the military either. UNICEF jeeps were taken over and have been openly used in Bangladesh by the military for their transportation needs. According to the Daily Telegraph of Lon-don, August 31, only handful of these vehicles have been returned to their owners. The Bangladesh Government has solid information that FAO vehicles and boats have also been requisitioned and the Bengali personnel arrested and maltreated. The Secretary General has not felt bold enough even to protest openly against the seizure of U. N. pro-parties, not to speak of ensuring that similar incidents do not recur. If this is the record of the United Nations in conducting humanitarian work in Bangladesh so far, what guarantee is there that the sophisticated equipment and ground support materials now
