125. Telegram 959 From the Consulate General in Dacca to the Department of State1 2
Dacca, March 28, 1971, 0540Z
Subject:
- Selective Genocide
- 1.
- Here in Dacca we are mute and horrified witnesses to a reign of terror by the Pak military. Evidence continues to mount that the MLA authorities have a list of Awami League supporters whom they are systematically eliminating by seeking them out in their homes and shooting them down.
- 2.
- Among those marked for extinction in addition to A.L. hierarchy, are student leaders and university faculty. In this second category we have reports that Fazlur Rahman, head of applied physics department, Professor Dev, head of philosophy department and a Hindu, M. Abedin, head of department of history, have been killed. Razzak of political science department is rumored dead. Also on list are bulk of MNA’s elect and number of MPA’s.
- 3.
- Moreover, with support of Pak military, non-Bengali Muslims are systematically attacking poor people’s quarters and murdering Bengalis and Hindus. Streets [Page 2] of Dacca are aflood with Hindus and others seeking to get out of Dacca. Many Bengalis have sought refuge in homes of Americans, most of whom are extending shelter.
- 4.
- Tightning of curfew today (it is being reimposed at noon) seems designed to facilitate Pak military search and destroy operations. There is no rpt no resistance being offered in Dacca to military.
- 5.
- Full horror of Pak military atrocities will come to light sooner or later. I, therefore, question continued advisability of present USG posture of pretending to believe GOP false assertions and denying, for understood reasons, that this office is communicating detailed account of events in East Pakistan. We should be expressing our shock, at least privately to GOP, at this wave of terror directed against their own countrymen by Pak military. I, of course, would have to be identified as source of information and presumably GOP would ask me to leave. I do not believe safety of American community would be threatened as a consequence, but our communication capability would be compromised.
Blood
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 23–9 PAK. Confidential; Immediate; Exdis. Also sent to Islamabad. Repeated priority to London, Bangkok, New Delhi, Karachi, Lahore, Calcutta, CINCSTRIKE, CINCPAC, and MAC.↩
- The Consulate General in Dacca began its report on the crisis on March 28 as follows: “Here in Dacca we are mute and horrified witnesses to a reign of terror by the Pak military.”↩