AMRITA BAZAR PATRIKA. APRIL 15, 1971
AHMED SPELLS OUT LIBERATED ZONES
Mr. Tajuddin Ahmed, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, on Wednesday spelt out the liberated zones in his country and nominated the respective local commanders who would be in charge of operations there.
In a broadcast from the Free Bangla Betar Kendra Mr. Ahmed said that Major Khalid Musharraf who had driven away the Pakistani Army to the cantonments of Sylhet and Comilla. would be in charge of the Sylhet-Comilla region. In ChittagongNoakhali area. Major Ziaur Rahman of the EBR was in full command of the Liberation Forces which had contained the enemy in limited pockets of Chittagong.
Major Safiulla of the EBR was in charge of Mymensingh Tangail area, while Major M. A. Osman of the EPR has taken command of the South- Western region in the liberated areas of Khulna, Kushtia, Jessore, Faridpur, Barisal and Patuakhali, he said.
According to Mr. Ahmed the enemy was now confined to the Jessore cantonment and parts of Khulna town. In the north, a unified command of the EBR and EPR bad laid a seige of Rangpur and Saidpur enemy positions, Mr. Ahmed said.
He said that a full-fledged operational base had been set up from which the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh would administer the country. An interim capital was located in the western zone, besides a regional unit in SylhetComilla zone with full administrative authority for the eastern region, he added.
Mr. Ahmed congratulated the heroic people of Bangladesh for their glorious struggle which, he said, was unprecedented in the history of the world.
He said the people should equip themselves with whatever indigenous weapons they could lay their hands on and take an active part in combating the enemy paratroopers, commandoes and agents. They should cut roads, waterways and set up booby traps. Even the irregulars should operate as a disciplined fighting force, he said.
He. however, reminded the people that the need of the hour was supreme unity of the 75 million inhabitants of Bangladesh, irrespective of party affiliations, for the liberation war as well as for administrative and reconstruction purposes. There should be no place for the quislings in the country, he added.
Mr. Ahmed said keeping the war-time emergency in view, the people should exercise economic discipline by observing utmost austerity and avoiding hoarding and blackmarketing.
Voicing his confidence in the ultimate victory of the people, Mr. Ahmed referred to the “low morale of the panicky enemy whose line of supply has been virtually cut off.
He said, “already the world community has taken note of the present situation in Bangladesh. It is an international issue now and the emissaries of the Bangladesh Government will soon visit foreign countries to seek diplomatic recognition and attention”.
“The Government of Bangladesh looks ahead to the task of reconstruction and rebuilding of the new nation on the ruins of Pakistan”, he added-(PTI).