There was no issue of the newspaper on March 8, 1971, on account of Ashura. The following excerpt is from the previous day’s issue.

DACCA: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, President of Awami League, said here today [March7] that he had never conveyed any impression that an RTC-type of conference should be held. In a statement issued here ... the Sheikh also ‘repudiated’ that the Awami League … obstructed the transfer of power and added that the majority party certainly would not gain by obstruction. The Sheikh said, “I had only conveyed to the President that he should come to Dacca in order to see the grave situation prevailing in Bangla Desh.”

It was pointed out, he added, that constitutional issues were best resolved within the National Assembly and its Committees rather than by secret negotiations…. Sheikh Mujib said, “It is only too clear to the people of the country and indeed the world that it is a minority group of Western Wing which has obstructed and is continuing to obstruct the transfer of power.” … Sheikh Mujib said that it now appeared that the ‘political confrontation was soon to be followed by military confrontation’ if the majority did not submit to the dictation of the minority group.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2021