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Usurper

Yahya, on the other hand, is
a usurper who has seized power
by force. The difference
between Yahya and the
Ceylonese rebels, then, is that
the latter tried to seize—power
by force and failed, but that
Yahya succeeded.

Those countries which
helped Mrs. Bandernaike's
government against the rebels
and who are supporting and
helping the Bangla Desh
Government against Yahya's
military junta are consistent in
their stand. Those countries
which supported Bandernaike's
government and are now siding
with Pakistani military
usurpers are following a double
standard.

Thirdly, the freedom fight
in Bangla Desh was not, in its
inception, a preplanned,
organized armed uprising. Until
March 25, 1971, the Awami
League wanted to fulfill its
pledge to give autonomy to the
provinces. Yahya kept the
Awami leaders engaged in
political negotiations, and
during the whole period of
negotiations he shipped troops
from West Pakistan and
deployed them all over East
Pakistan.

The military action which
began at 11 p.m. on March 25,
1971, came as an absolute
surprise to the Bengalis,
thousands of whom died in
their sleep. Sheik Majib who
suspected Yahya of bad faith
and had knowledge of the
impending military action
some hours before it was
launched, decided to wait for
the military authorities to
come and take him into

custody, and did not escape to
organize and lead a guerrilla
fight.