DACCA: The President, Gen A.M. Yahya Khan, declared here today [April 4] his intention was to guide the nation back to democracy for which he had been striving hard for the last one year.

Talking to newsmen on his arrival here from Rawalpindi, the President held out the assurance that he had no intention whatsoever of curbing the sovereignty of the people or of the representatives of the people. … Gen Yahya pointed out that the country was passing through a peculiar condition and it was not a normal time. — Correspondent

[Meanwhile, as reported by an agency in Lyallpur,] The Special Military Court … started the trial of Mr Masihur Rahman, a National Awami Party leader. … The President of the court read out the charges to the accused and said he was being tried under Martial Law regulations Nos 6, 17 and 60 and Section 134 for creating hatred among different classes of the public and criticising the Martial Law Administration and the operation of Martial Law at Toba Tek Singh on March 23 on the occasion of Kissan conference. The accused pleaded not guilty.

On request of Mr Masihur Rahman, the court allowed four local lawyers to meet him in jail and to discuss certain matters with him regarding his defence.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2020