DACCA: Premier Sheikh Mujibur Rahman today [Dec 15] said inflation, natural calamity and smuggling had brought misery to the people of Bangladesh. In a nationwide broadcast on the eve of Bangladesh’s national day tomorrow, Sheikh Mujib said the abnormal rise in the price index which resulted from worldwide inflation and a fairly tall import bill for oil, foodstuff and other essential commodities had crippled the economy of his young country.

He said Bangladesh was faced with underground elements who were “trying to disturb the peace by secret murders”. He admitted four Members of Parliament and 3,000 members of the ruling Awami League party were killed in the last one year. “No peace-loving nation will tolerate [these] sinister activities”, he said. “Terrorism creates more problems than it solves”, he added.

[Meanwhile, as reported by news agencies from Beirut,] four Israeli planes tried to bomb a refugee camp near the ancient southern Lebanese town of Tyre … but were driven off by surface to air missiles and anti-aircraft fire. … Heavy Palestinian commando fire repelled the planes which flew low trying to get at Al-Burj Al-Shumali refugee camp.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2024