THE STATESMAN, JULY 19, 1971
Pak Charge Refuted
BANGLADESH MISSION STAFF REFUSE TO GO BACK
INTERVIEW BY SWISS REPRESENTATIVE
By Our Special Representative
Sixty-four staff members of the Bangladesh Mission in Calcutta, including the Mission’s Chief Mr. Hossain Ali all of whom had transferred their allegiance from Pakistan Government to the Republic of Bangladesh made it clear during an inquiry by a Swiss Government representative Dr. Bonard in Calcutta on Sunday that they “do not wish to return to Pakistan”.
Dr. Bonard who is a member of the Swiss Embassy in New Delhi undertook the inquiry to check on the Pakistan Government’s allegation that the 65 Bengali Mission staff members, who had formerly belonged to the Pakistani Deputy High Commission in Calcutta, were coerced to transfer their allegiance to Bangladesh Government.
The inquiry assumed importance because on it depended the solution of the diplomatic impasse leading to the house arrest in Dacca of Indian Mission’s staff members numbering about 130 and their families, along with Mr. K. C. Sen Gupta, who was India’s Deputy High Commissioner in that city. Mr. Mehdi Masud the newly appointed Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan in Calcutta and his staff have been given reciprocal treatment in Calcutta. Considerable diplomatic efforts were made for repatriation of both the Indian and Pakistani Mission staff from Dacca and Calcutta till agreement was reached regarding the Swiss arrangement.
Following the agreement a neutral place, Hindi High School in Calcutta was found for Dr. Bonard’s examination of the Bangladesh Mission staff members. Each of them was questioned separately by the Swiss diplomat in the presence of Mr. Masud and Mr. A. K. Roy, Joint Secretary, Union Foreign Affairs Ministry.
According to prior agreement Dr. Bonard put only one question to each of the Mission staff. The question was “Do you wish to return to Pakistan or not? If you wish to return the Government of India will provide you with safe conduct in accordance with the provisions of the Geneva Convention. Please state your wish”.
While 62 members of Bangladesh Mission, each filing past Dr. Bonard took little time to say “no” regarding their wish to return to Pakistan. Mr. Hossain Ali the Chief of the Mission refused to appear before the examination at the appointed place. He said that he could meet Dr. Bonard accompanied by Mr. Roy and Masud at a place arranged by himself. He would have been glad to receive them at the Bangladesh Mission office, but he would not like the presence of Mr. Masud in the office premises.
Routine Nature
Mr. Ali then suggested an empty residential flat, which was in his possession for the team to examine him. In fact, the examination of Mr. Ali was of a routine nature because Mr. Ali had made it abundantly clear in newspaper statements and also in television appearances that he belonged to the Republic of Bangladesh.
The Press Attaché of the Bangladesh Mission Mr. Maqsood Ali, was down with chicken pox and was unable to be present at the interview. Dr. Bonard and his team went up to Mr. Ali’s residence to examine him in his sick-bed “from a safe distance” Mr. Ali’s reply was no different from those of others. Only one member of the Mission staff was away from Calcutta and he was expected back any moment.
Later, in the evening, Mr. Hossain Ali addressed a Press conference in his Mission office to say that he and members of his staff had agreed to be examined in the presence of Mr. Masud only because of their anxiety “to end the impasse leading to the continued house arrest of the Indian Mission members in Dacca”.
Mr. Ali said that the Pakistani allegation regarding the coercion of the Bengali members of the former Pakistan Deputy High Commission in Calcutta was “a lie”. Each member of the staff in individual replies mostly written in Bengali said he did not want to return to Pakistan. Mr. Ali said that it should be clear now that the former Bengali members of the Pakistan Deputy High Commission in Calcutta transferred their allegiance to Bangladesh “willingly, gladly and sincerely”.
There was no question of “duress or coercion” as alleged by the Pakistan Government, Mr. Ali said. The only compulsion that led the Bengalis to transfer their allegiance was” the condition created by the Pakistan Government in Bangladesh”. He said that “we had all been devoted and loyal servants of the Pakistan Government but if we changed our loyalties it was because of the Pakistani Army action in Bangladesh.”
Mr. Ali said that as the Chief of the Bangladesh Mission he had the rank of an Ambassador or a High Commissioner and that he could not be present at an examination conducted by a foreign representative Dr. Bonard lower in rank than himself and in the presence of a Pakistani officer who is only a Deputy High Commissioner. So he suggested a place of his own where they could come. They agreed to come to his place and Mr. Ali made his statement regarding his loyalties.
Nod of Greeting
Mr. Masud, who had been a junior colleague of Mr. Ali in the Pakistani Foreign Service tried to be friendly with Mr. Ali and gave him “a nod of greeting” Mr. Ali said that after what the Pakistani Army had been doing in Bangladesh he had not the heart to give the Pakistan Government’s representative a nod in return. “He smiled and did not” Mr. Ali said.
The examination by Dr. Bonard which took place in three places first in the Hindi High School building, secondly in the residential flat appointed by Mr. Ali and lastly at the residence of Mr. Maqsood Ali lasted from 10-15 a.m. to 9 p.m. Dr. Bonard will be in Calcutta till another member of the Bangladesh Mission, who is now in Agartala returns to the city and appears for the examination. The member is expected “any moment” Mr. Ali said.
Originally the arrangement was that the Swiss Ambassador Mr. Fritz Real, would be present in Calcutta to conduct the examination. He is stated to be sick. In his place Dr. Bonard came leading to the complications regarding the formalities of rank and the venue of the interview.
It is now expected that Dr. Bonard will submit his report incorporating the written replies he had received from each members of the issue of their loyalties. Since the procedure was agreed upon previously there is hardly any scope now for delay in the repatriation of the members of Indian Mission in Dacca.