Masud’s last hope smashed
By A Staff Reporter, The First Secretary to the former Pakistan Deputy High Commission in Calcutta, Mr. Rafiqul Islam Chowdhuri, will formally dissociate from Islamabad and announce his allegience to the sovereign Democratic Republic of Bangladesh. The time of announcement: earliest convenient moment.
Mr. Chowdhuri expressed his full allegience to the Republic of Bangladesh on Friday. And this smashed the hope of the Pak Deputy High Commission, Mr. Mehdi Masud, to moor his floating Diplomatic Mission to Mr. Chowdhuri’s residence at 3, Shurawardy Avenue.
Mr. Chowdhuri felt that any delay in his decision to express allegience to the Republic of Bangladesh might land him in trouble in view of the current developments following Mr. Masud’s arrival in the city. Mr. Masud had already indicated that in addition to 30 employees of the new Mission he would have a “loyal” First Secretary. Moreover, he had a plan to capture 3, Suhrawardy Avenue after a surprise visit to the flat owned by the former First Secretary.
Incidentally, the premises 3. Suhrawardy Avenue was rented out to the Pakistan Government by Begum Iqramullah, a niece of Mr. H. S. Suhrawardy, the last Prime Minister of undivided Bengal. Begum Iqramullah is a resident of Pakistan for the last 23 years. She used to get her rent from the Pakistani Goverment in the Pakistan territory.
A demand has been raised now that 3. Suhrawardy Avenue is an evacuee property and should either be rented out or sold to the Bangladesh Mission.
Meanwhile, Mr. Shahabuddin, the former Second Secretary, and Mr. Haque, the Assistant Press Attache to Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi who have been given political asylum by the Government of India, arrived in Calcutta only Friday, on their was to Mujibnagar.
Masud fails to cash his cheque
He was then taken into the chamber of the Agent through a back door and later left the bank under armed police escort. Two of his body-guards received slight injuries during scuffling.
As desired by him, Mr. Masud’s security staff then took him and his secretary to a building on Theatre. Road, and inside a house at Park Clrcus where they held a meeting with some loyal staff. But as some people came to know his presence at Theatre Road, another demonstration began in other demonstration began in front of the house. This time, too, he was safely escorted and taken to a secret place. Later, Mr. Masud met the DCSB, Mr. Mukherjee and conferred with him for some time. Until late in the night, the Special Branch police were busy finding another suitable accommodation for him.
A Bangladesh Mission spokesman said Mr. Masud was attempting to create a nasty political game by his “peculiar and unwarranted activities” in the city. He urged the State Government to restrict his movement so that nothing untoward could happen to the diplomat.
Mr. Masood reached Dum Dum Airport at 10-30 p. m. o Friday.
Inquries at 12-15 a.m. revealed the Mr. Masood was still at the airport but it could not be ascertained if he would leave by any plane.
Masud moving suspiciously
By A Staff Reporter, Pakistan’s New Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Masud, was still facing accommodation problem in Calcutta on Friday, but he was already very much active in underground manocuvers to set the ball rolling for Islamabad. He met some of the employees of the Deputy High Commission, loyal to Yahya Khan, paid a surprise visit to a city bank and made some suspicious movements.
Mr. Masud was shifted from the hotel on lower Circular Road to a house at Subodh Mallick Square on Thursday night following heavy demonstrations by the Bangladesh supporters. But he experienced a similar stormy weather and bad to back out. The Deputy Commissioner of Police of Special Branch, Mr. A. Mukherjee, escorted him to his new place outside the city.
The new Deputy High Commissioner kept the State Government completely in the dark about his movement throughout the day. But the simultaneous demonstrations in trout of the bank at Chowringhee and the staff quarter of the Deputy High Commission on Theatre Road, warranted police intervention to rescue the new DHC from the hands of anti-Yahya groups.
A Government spokesman said they were taking a serious note of the suspicious movement of Mr. Masud who probably had been wanting to put the Government in an embarassing situation. He said they had already asked him to give prior intimations to the police so that his safety and security could be properly ensured.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 24.7.1971