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Background: Several hundred refugees from East Pakistan demonstrated outside the United States and Soviet Consulates in Calcutta on Friday (13 August) demanding that pressure be put on the Pakistan government for the release of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The Pakistan government in New Delhi announced that Sheikh Mujibur, leader of the East Pakistan Awami League, began a Secret trial on Wednesday (11 August) accused of waging war against the Pakistan government. The demonstrators also demanded that the United States stop supplying arms to Pakistan.

SYNOPSIS: Several hundred refugees from East Pakistan demonstrated in Calcutta on Friday demanding international aid for Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the East Pakistan Awami League leader held by President Yahya Khan. He went on trial on Wednesday accused of waging war against Pakistan. The Soviet Union consulate was the first stop. The demonstrators chanted slogans calling for Sheikh Mujibur's release, and for a free Bangla Desh.

The demonstrators were denied access to the Soviet Consulate by Indian troops.

The demonstrators then continued on their way to the United States Consulate, main target of the procession. Apart from demanding that the United States exert pressure on President Yahya Khan's government to release Sheikh Mujibur, the refugees called on the Americans to stop delivering arms to the Pakistan government.

At the Consulate a note was delivered with these demands, and a request for the United States to help Bangla Desh people achieve freedom.

While Pakistanis and Indians are demonstrating in many pats of India - a twelve-day demonstration has just come to an end in Delhi - the London lawyers for Sheikh Mujibur have claimed he is being denied all access to legal advice. Although Sheikh Mujibur has been held since March, he has not been forgotten.