THE STATESMAN, AUGUST 11, 1971
MUJIBUR’S TRIAL BEGINS:
INDIA APPEALS TO NATIONS
Rawalpindi, August 11,-Informed Government sources said that the Awami League leader. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman went on trial today in a fight for his life against charges that he waged war against Pakistan Reports AP.
The proceedings were secret.
The Government refused to confirm officially that the trial had begun. It also refused to disclose the location of the military tribunal, the name of the judges or the defense attorney.
Three foreign radios-Radio Accra. Radio Cologne and Radio Australia reportedtoday that the trial of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had opened in camera but did not quote any source.
Mrs. Gandhi has appealed to 24 countries to save the life of Mr. Rahman, writes our special Correspondent in New Delhi.
The Soviet Union also likely to issue an appeal in this regard.
India’s External Affairs Minister, Mr. Swaran Singh has sent a cable to the UN Secretary General on the same subject.
The USA today expressed concern for the second time to the Pakistan Government that any “summary action” in the secret trial of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman will destroy all possibilities for a political settlement of the East Bengal crisis. AP report from Washington.
The Secretary of State Mr. Rogers, passed on to Pakistan Ambassador Mr. Agha Hilaly a telegram from 11 U.S. Senators and a letter signed by 58 Congressman asking Pakistan to show compassion towards the Sheikh.
At the same time a State Department spokesman reacted stiffly to the Pakistan Government’s decision to refuse permission for the Democrat Senator Mr. Kennedy to visit Islamabad and Dacca.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s wife who had been under house arrest at Dacca was flown to Karachi a few day ago according to a reliable report received at Mujibnagar today, writes UNI.
She was taken from the house at Dhanmondi area to the airport with Army escort and put on board a Karachi bound plane.
It is not known whether she was being detained at Karachi or some other place in West Pakistan.
Radio Australia said the result of the trial was a foregone conclusion. “There is only one verdict: Guilty”.
On the night of March 26, 18 hours after Sheikh Mujib’s arrest, Gen. Yahya Khan had branded him as a traitor and an enemy of Pakistan. “No one in Pakistan, especially a military court, dare go against Yahya Khan”, the radio said.
Gen. Yahya Khan is quoted to have said in private that “the Sheikh must die” the radio said.
The Prime Minister’s cable to all big Powers the Western countries and certain countries of Africa, Asia and West Asia has been addressed to Heads of Governments and dispatched through Indian Missions abroad.
She has said in cable “The Government and people of India as well as our Press and Parliament are greatly perturbed by the reported statement of President Yahya Khan that he is going to start secret military trial of Mr. Mujibur Rahman without affording him any foreign legal assistance. We apprehended that this so-called trial will be used only as a cover to execute Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. This will aggravate the situation in East Bengal and will create a serious situation in India because of the strong feelings of our people and all political parties. Hence our grave anxiety. We appeal to you to exercise your influence with President Yahya Khan to take a realistic view in the larger interest of peace and stability in this region.”
Mrs. Gandhi’s message, however, has not been addressed to China and West Asian countries except the UAR and Iraq. The selective list includes: The UAR, Ceylon, Tanzania, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Nepal, Malaysia, Zambia, the USSR, Canada, France, Italy, Singapore, Sweden, Holland. Japan, the USA, the U.K, West Germany, Ghana, and Yugoslavia.
The Foreign Minister Mr. Swaran Singh, said in his cable to U Thant “We are distressed and shocked by the announcement made in Rawalpindi that they propose to commence Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s trial from tomorrow. This announcement comes in the wake of the several categorical statements which have lately emanated from President Yahya Khan about Sheikh’s capability in waging war against Pakistan and in having indulged in treasonous activities.
“Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is an outstanding leader of his people, much beloved and much respected. His victory at the polls in December 1970 was perhaps the most magnificent one in any similar election anywhere in the world in recent years. Our people, Press, Parliament and Government are all convinced that the problems which have been created for us by the Pakistani action in East Bengal will be multiplied tenfold if the Government of Pakistan does something precipitate and extreme in the context of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s life and welfare.
“We would like to appeal to your excellence to take urgent steps to request the Government of Pakistan not to take this action which is certain to make their difficulties and ours very much worse. Anything they do to Mujib now will have grave and perilous consequences.”
Asked whether he had discussed the issue with the Soviet Foreign Minister. Mr. Singh told the Rajya Sabha today that Mr. Gromyko was strongly in favor persuading Pakistan not to go ahead with this “type of shame trial’.
He also told the House that the Government was greatly concerned at the threat held out by the Pakistan President to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Asked by Mr. A. D. Mani whether the Government would take initiative in having a Commission of International Jurists appointed to investigate the war-crimes committed by the military rulers of Pakistan in Bangladesh the External Affairs Minister said it was a suggestion for action. However in his opinion, it would be more effective if the initiative was taken by the Indian member of the International Commission of Jurists.
The Secretary-General. U Thant said yesterday that the fate of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was bound to have repercussions outside Pakistan, Reuter adds from United Nations.
But the Secretary-General said, Sheikh Mujibur’s impending trial before a Military Court was “an extremely sensitive and delicate matter which falls within the competence of the judicial system of a member State”.
In a Press statement, U Thant said, he shared the feelings of many UN representatives “that any developments concerning the fate of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman will inevitable have repercussions outside the borders of Pakistan”.
He said the trial was “a matter of extraordinary interest and concern in many quarters from a humanitarian as well as from a political point of view”.
He said, he had received, and was still receiving almost daily expressions of serious concern from U N representatives about the situation in East Bengal.
In Geneva, the international Commission of Jurists yesterday formally protest to President Yahya Khan against the scheduled trial of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
A cable signed by commission’s Secretary Genera! Mr. Alan Niall Macdermott, said “the International Commission of Jurists protests against the secret military trial of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Justice has nothing to hide”.
A London report says The London lawyers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman claimed today he was being denied all access to legal aid. Reports Reuter.
Lawyers Bernard Sheridan and Company took the unusual step of writing a later to The Times about the case. They did so, the letter said, so that readers might know more precisely the efforts which had been made by lawyers to secure for him a fair trial.
“Although Sheikh Mujibur was arrested at the end of March this year following up on his success at the polls he has been denied all access to legal advice.”
The letter added that they had seen the Pakistan High Commission in London in June and written a formal request to be allowed to see him but had not received a reply or acknowledgement. Further requests made in person in Pakistan by a member of the farm accompanying Mr. Sean MacBride (senior counsel) were also not acknowledged the letter said.
A Cairo report says UAR’s leading newspaper A1 Ahram, expressed concern yesterday at the announcement that East Bengal leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was to be tried by a military court.
The newspaper said “National unity cannot be secured by military or secret trials and cannot be protected by the majority under an iron rule”.
The paper said the interest shown in the fate of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was neither an expression of interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs nor a confirmation of the separatist call from the national soil both principles of interference and separation were rejected categorically and unequivocally.
“This interest is rather due in the first place to a belief in the necessity for preserving national unity in Pakistan in both its eastern and western provinces. This national unity is a sound expression of the aspirations of the masses and their leaderships in both the provinces”, the paper added.