Asked what measures he proposed to take to build the economy of East Pakistan the President said, “for 24 days Seikh Mujib ran a parallel Government. What do you expect of the economy?”
He said, “Our first task is the movement of food grains prevention of disease, to get the normal life going ad mobilize monetary resources for housing.”
“I cannot shut my eyes to the upheaval that has taken place the President said. But, he added, that Pakistan would once again help reconstruct East Pakistan after restoring law and order in that Wing.
He said that political stability and sharing of power “will help in building the economy of the country.” “They are inseparable. That is why I am so keen that power should go back to the clected representatives of the people,” the President said. IIc added. “I want experts to come forward and restore the economy. I am a soldier.”
Asked if he thought that the people of East Pakistan were really exploited during the last 23 years, the President said, “to a certain extent, yes.” But, he added, “that was nobody's fault. It has historic reasons behind it.”
The President said: “Before Partition, East Pakistan was a hinterland for undivided Bengal and the Muslim majority of the eastern parts were workers, laborers and peasants. For hundreds of years the Bengali Muslims had a raw deal. The movement for Pakistan started in East Pakistan-because the people there were exploited. In East Pakistan there was no base for anything.
“It was an accident of history that Bengalis were downtrodden. But as a soldier who served in East Pakistan I know what tremendous strides had been taken in East Pakistan since Partition. They started behind West Pakistan-West Pakistan moved and they moved faster because they were better trained.”
The President replied in the negative when a correspondent asked if all the members of the outlawed Awami League were traitors.
He said the outlawed party had an inner circle besides those who were out in the field. Then there were the people who got elected on the basis of the slogans of: autonomy and end of exploitation. “Why should they be punished?” he asked.
The President said that a vast majority of East Pakistanis were, good people. “They will help us in pointing out those who committed crime”, he added.
Mujib's Plan
To another question President Yahya said that he had offered to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the Prime Minister ship on a platter. “But he was not interested”.
The President said Sheikh Mujib talked about two Assemblies, two Constitutions and handing over of power. “IIc (Sheikh Mujib) asked me to hand over power to him in East
