MINUTES AND DECISIONS OF THE CABINET MEETING HELD ON SEPTEMBER 6, 1971,

The Acting President announced in the meeting that the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh have decided to appoint Dr. A. R. Mallick as Educational Advisor to the Govt.

Dr. Mallick will help the Govt. in Educational Planning in direct association with the Govt. and the Planning Cell.

The Acting President also desired that there should be closer co-operation between the Govt. and the Bangladesh intellectuals.

The intellectuals should be associated with the Govt. and the Planning Cell, in particular, wherever necessary and possible.

The Cabinet decided that all former all-Pakistan Services should be re-designated as Bangladesh Services, such as the CSP will now be called Bangladesh Administrative Service, The PSP will be called Bangladesh Police Service and so on.

As there was need for re-designating the former East Pakistan Provincial Services as well, in line with the above decision, It was decided that the entire matter regarding re-designation of the services be scrutinised in details by the Secretaries Committee, who would submit their specific proposals to the Cabinet for consideration and approval

The Health Secretary attended by special invitation and submitted his report on the activities of his Deptt.

The various problems encountered by the Health Department in the matter of organising medical facilities for the Mukti Bahini as well as for the Youth and Reception Camps were taken note of by the Cabinet.

It was decided that the Health Secretary would prepare a scheme for providing medical facilities to the Mukti Bahini and submit the same to the Prime Minister within a day.

The scheme would include, among others, provision for surgeons and physicians, transports for carrying the injured, medicines and surgical equipment etc. at various points.

For this purpose advanced dressing stations and main dressing stations as well as convalescent homes would have to be provided for.

The Cabinet discussed the problems of the injured members of the Mukti Bahini as well as guerillas and also of the families of the Shahids.

It was decided that a scheme for after-care of the injured, completely incapacitated and the partially disabied as well as the Shahids' dependents would be prepared immediately and placed before the cabinot.

The scheme would be divided intc the following portions:

• i) Care to be take for the dependents of the dead;

• ii) Movement of the aeaa poales;

• ii) After-care arrangement for the completely disabled (such as pension or arrangement for accommodation, food and clothings);

• iv) Partially disabled who can work but cannot take part in actions (providing them alternative jobs or arranges subsistence for them);

• v) Convalescance home for the injured persons, already treated in hospitals but discharged for convalscance outside hospitals.

The Minister for Finance mentions the problems of the tea planters, who have crossed the border and have taken shelter in India.

It was mentioned that these tea planters (22 officers under various companies) took active part in various engagements against the enemy. They helped the Mukti Bahini materially and otherwise and had no alternative but to flee the country.

They were given subsistence by their parent companies for 3 months, which has since been stopped, rendering them stranded and helpless. Along with those 22 officers there were also 350 staff members as well as about 25,000 labourers who are now in various callips.

After consideration of the matter by the Cabinet, It was decided that the Finance Minister would please make his specific recommendations to the Cabinet on the subject.

সূত্র: এইচ. টি. ইমাম এর লেখা বই "বাংলাদেশ সরকার ১৯৭১"