Published in the Weekly Holiday on April 07, 2017.

Diplomacy is the first defence while war is the second defence of the country’s sovereignty. The role of diplomats played in mobilizing public opinion around the world from April of 1971 following Pakistan army’s crackdown on unarmed people in erstwhile East Pakistan which is separated from Western part of Pakistan about 1200 miles over Indian territory. The role played by diplomats would be written in red letter the history of Independent Bangladesh.
Defection of Bangladeshi diplomats in Pakistan embassies around the world mobilized public opinion against Pakistan’s atrocities and genocidal activities in what was then East Pakistan. Even American diplomat, in particular, Archer Blood, American Consul-General in Dacca, who relentlessly highlighted the events in Bangladesh in his diplomatic cables though they were met with deafening silence in Washington.

Defections of Bengali diplomats
Eventually Blood lost his job in the State Department at the instigation of Henry Kissinger, National Security advisor under President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State to President Gerald Ford. Gary J Bass in the book: ‘The Blood Telegram’ which reflected the moral bankruptcy of US leaders, pointed out that Archer Blood was not allowed to protest to the Pakistan authorities but started sending in a blistering cables tagged selective genocide, urging his bosses to speak out against atrocities being committed by the Pakistani military regime.

On 6 April most staff members of the Dhaka American Consulate practically revolted against the Nixon administration by sending telegram “for silence in the face of atrocities”. Archer Blood is no more in this world but US embassy in Dhaka established a library in Archer Blood’s name to show respect. He was source of information to BBC and other news agencies for disseminating information at a time when Military government of Pakistan bundled 36 foreign correspondents out of Dhaka on 28 March 1971. He was recalled a few months later.

This is one side of story of the diplomats. On the other hand, Pakistan’s President Gen. Yahya Khan’s faith retaining unified Pakistan was shattered when 14 diplomats posted in Pakistan embassy in Washington, including present Finance Minister AMA Muhith, declared allegiance on 5 August, 1971 to the government of Bangladesh in exile. The declaration of allegiance had caused serious repercussions in Islamabad. That was reflected in the briefing session of the officers by Dr. Maqbool Bhatti, Director-General of External Publicity and National affairs on 16 August where this writer was present.

How Kolkata mission created
The Director General only regretted and wished them well as some Senior Bangladeshi diplomats were his batch mate in foreign service, and said that situation would be normal soon in East Pakistan. I was the only Bengali officer amidst the Punjabis and Sindhis present. Another Bengali officer Ezrajul Alam from Press Information department was appointed on an ad hoc basis a few months early. This writer left Islamabad on 27 August on leave via Karachi and Colombo in Sri Lanka because India had disallowed air traffic to overfly to Dhaka. This writer did not join after expiry of leave in November, 1971.

In fact the ball began to roll at the Pakistan Deputy High Commission in Calcutta (now Kolkata) when as many as 60 diplomats and non-diplomats under the leadership of Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner Hossain Ali declared allegiance to Bangladesh government in exile on 18 April. It happened just a day after the Bangladesh government in exile was formed under the leadership of Mr. Tajuddin Ahmad, an unsung hero.

Deputy High commissioner Hossain Ali’s decision was important as it facilitated Bangladesh government in exile to use the High Commission office as its secretariat. Hossain Ali also made history by hoisting Bangladesh flag in the chancery. Both Deputy High commissioner and third secretary Mr. Anwarul Karim Chowdhury worked tirelessly as spokespersons of Bangladesh government in exile. Pakistan government lodged protest to Indian government and sought assistance for repatriation of diplomats to Pakistan but without any success.

This was an all-time record in the history of diplomacy when diplomats and officials defected en masse to an emerging country. Second secretary Mohiuddin Ahmed from London defected on April 10 who was the first diplomat from London’s Pakistan embassy.

Top Bengali ambassadors joined
The name of Khwaja Mohammad Kaiser may be mentioned in this context who served as Pakistan Ambassador to China who remained in his post at the advice of the Bangladesh government in exile who repatriated to Bangladesh some time in 1972. Ambassador Kaiser was a close friend of Chinese Prime Minister Chou En Lai who gave him farewell dinner in his honor. Ambassador Abul Fateh was in Iraq as Pakistan Ambassador. Ambassador K.K. Panni from Manila and Ambassador Abdul Momen from Argentina defected as well. Pakistan government sent warrant of arrest against Ambassador Abul Fateh, who withdrew entire amount of twenty five thousand pounds from Embassy’s bank account and gave to Bangladesh government in exile through Indian Ambassador in Iraq.
The first in the series of defection began with K.M. Shehabuddin, Second Secretary and Amjadul Haq, Assistant Press Attache in New Delhi followed by A.H. Mahmood Ali in New York who is now serving as Foreign Minister of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government.

Among the high ranking diplomats, who declared their allegiance for Bangladesh, names of Abdul Fatah, Abdul Momin, K.K Panni and Abdul Momen are worth mentioning. All of them were holding Ambassadorial assignments.
Officially, the first Bangladesh mission was set up in Calcutta on 18 April, 1971 when Bengali diplomats stopped normal functioning at Pakistan Deputy High Commission and converted it into Bangladesh mission. It was followed by an Information Centre in New Delhi on 26 April with K.M.Shehabuddin as its chief.

Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, others
On December 06, 1971 Bangladesh government in exile decided to open trade missions in USSR, Romania, and Czechoslovakia etc. to establish commercial relations with different countries until Bangladesh is recognized by international community. The Government of India gave green signal to operate Bangladesh Trade Mission from Calcutta. That was indeed a success story of diplomacy in pre-liberation days.

The role played by Justice Abu Sayeed Choudhury, after quitting the position of head of Pakistan delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva, was very effective indeed. Justice Abu Sayeed along with Bengali diplomats in different parts of the world played a significant role in mobilizing public opinion against genocide and in favour of recognition of Bangladesh. The role of first Foreign Secretary Mahbubul Alam Chashi, who resigned in protest from Pakistan Foreign service during the regime of Gen. Ayub Khan, has many caps to his credit in dealing with foreign policy during crucial days of Bangladesh. It would be unfair to ignore the role of Iqbal Ather, a Pakistani diplomat, who resigned in protest from Ambassadorship in Italy against repressive measures in erstwhile East Pakistan. Iqbal Ather joined the diplomatic corps of the newly independent Bangladesh and contributed towards improving the image of Bangladesh along with Ambassador Ataur Rahman in Arab and African countries.