Morning News
13th July 1956
Mujibur Rahman Criticizes Centre’s Policy
Karachi, July 12 (APP): Sk. Mujibur Rahman MP., General Secretary of the East Pakistan Awami League, who is at present in Karachi, in a statement issued to the Press on the food situation in East Pakistan said:
“while people are dying of starvation, the Ministers of the Central Government are out of the country, enjoying themselves in foreign lands on the plea of conferences which they need not have held, or on which others could have been represented. Even the Prime Minister of Pakistan is dragging on his stay outside. His plea is now Hajj, but surely the calamity in East Pakistan demands his presence and his constant attention. Hardly any of the Ministers have gone to East Pakistan. Even our President went there more than a month after Mr. H. S. Suhrawardy, who knows about the conditions in East Pakistan, had invited him to come there. Thank heaven he went there, though only for three days. He saw how the local Ministry there had been negligent and he insisted on giving the distribution of food to the army, though it would certainly have been fairer and more constitutional if he had given a chance to the Opposition which could have taken advantage of all available resources. The Ministry has been condemned, but still it is permitted to carry on and create new Ministers to strengthen his (Sarkar’s) pottering position, as people will always be found to support any one in power however much he may have failed in his duty. The condition in East Pakistan is terrible and beyond any discretion, and the greatest possible concentrated thought and efforts are necessary to bring about some amelioration.
Today, crores of rupees are being spent to meet the famine in East Pakistan and most of the to little purpose as the famine is on us. All this expense, drain on our resources. Starvation and deaths could have been avoided had action been taken in due time. I demand that a Commission of Inquiry be appointed so that these who have been criminally negligent in dealing with the situation those who tinkered with the problem because they get no personal advantage out or it should be brought to book and published before the bar of public opinion.