News desk: The CIA declassified document revealed that USA was anticipating a possible Indian Military intervention in Bangladesh at the end of 1975.
The CIA on Tuesday released around 930,000 declassified documents to the standalone CIA Records Search Tool (CREST) system online, around 2,000 of which are about Bangladesh and erstwhile East Pakistan.
The documents on Bangladesh – 1,937 posted in December last year and 95 in January – include views of the CIA and the US’ Dhaka embassy about events related to politics, economy and Bangladesh ties with India and other countries.
One such CIA document titled “Increasing hostility between India and Bangladesh and the possibility of Indian Military Intervention” issued on November 26, 1975 said that recent event at that time in Bangladesh in particular the wounding of Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh, possibly by a radical group have escalated the tension between Dhaka and Delhi.
It said, “This in turn has increased the possibility of eventual military intervention in Bangladesh.”
It also said that the government of Bangladesh is aware of this and has taken positive steps to ally with India. “Nevertheless, given the instability of government in Dhaka, it is impossible to estimate whether or when any of these developments will occur,” said the document.
The document said, “A growing conviction on the part of some Indian officials that the government in Dhaka is pro-Pakistani and Pro-Chinese as well as anti-Indian.”
Meanwhile, another declassified CIA document issued on December 1, 1975 said that the Bangladeshi government already uneasy about possible military intentions appeared to be concerned that Delhi might be giving covert support to Bangladeshi dissidents.
The CIA report mentioned that a High Dhaka official told a US embassy officer that he was more worried about what he saw as continuing Indian support for subversive elements in his country than he was about the possibility of Indian Military intervention.
The report also mentioned that the same high official of Dhaka and at least one other had earlier charged that Indian support for dissidents was designed to keep the Bangladesh government in a state of tension that would ultimately lead to its overthrow.
The report said, “India apparently has given aid and sanctuary to a group of guerrillas led by a supporter of former president Mujib. Bangladesh security forces reportedly clashed with the group near the Indian border recently.”
The CIA report also discussed about the difference between media coverages of the two countries at that time. It said, “The Indian continues to give prominent coverage to pessimistic comments on Bangladesh situation by the Indian officials. New Delhi papers on Saturday carried Defense Minister Singh’s expressions of ‘great concern’ over events in Bangladesh.”
It said that the US Embassy in Dhaka sees the inability of the Indian media to let the situation cool as the most troubling element in India-Bangladesh equation. The US Embassy pointed out that the wounding of the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka forced the Bangladeshi government to face up to its weak position and since then it has generally tried to avoid antagonizing India.
The CIA report said, “Dhaka has, for example kept the Bangladesh press generally free of stories that would aggravate relations with India. It also attempted to ease the concern of Hindu minority by increasing police protection for the community.”
