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October 1, 1974 - Ford, Bangladesh Prime Minister Rahman
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1552812
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October 1, 1974 - Ford, Bangladesh Prime Minister Rahman
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Memoranda of Conversations (Nixon and Ford Administrations)
Ford Administration Memoranda of Conversations
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Bangladesh
Food aid
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1974
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1974-10-01
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1974
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File scanned from the National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Conversation Collection at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
MEMORANDUM
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
SEGRET/NODIS
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION
PARTICIPANTS:
President Gerald R. Ford
His Excellency Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,
Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Dr. Kamal Hossain, Foreign Minister
Ambassador M. Hossain Ali
Lt. General Brent Scowcroft, Deputy Assistant
to the President for National Security Affairs
DATE AND TIME:
Tuesday - October 1, 1974
3:00 p.m.
PLACE:
The Oval Office
The White House
[The press was admitted briefly for photos. There was a discussion of
pipe tobacco and Mrs. Ford's condition. The press was ushered out. ]
President: It was a shock to us. We had to make the decision for the
operation, then wait for them to determine malignancy, and so forth.
Mujibur: I sincerely hope she is out of danger.
President: Yes, the prognosis cannot be certain, but only two nodes out
of 30 were malignant.
It is good to have you here. It is the first time an American President
has met with the head of state of Bangladesh.
Mujibur: Yes. I am happy to have the opportunity to talk with you about
my people.
President: We are happy to do what we can for all countries.
Mujibur: You know the history of my country. Its condition after the war
was likened to that of Germany in 1945. I want to thank you for your help
to us. Before the war we were divided by India. The capital was all in
FUND
DECLARGIFIED
E.O. 12958, SEC. 3.5
SECRET/NODIS
NSC MEMO, 11/24/98, STATE DEPT. GUIDELINES state leview 3/9/04
GERALD a
BY
, NARA, DATE 5/5/04
SEGRET/NODIS
- 2 -
the west. Bangladesh wasn't too bad in '47. Seventy percent of the
representatives in the Parliament were from the West; I was in the
Parliament. Most of the Administration was destroyed in the war or
left for India. Even in the rest we couldn't get out of the West. Every-
one has been suffering, first from the war, then from drought, then
from the floods. Thanks to help from countries like you, no one is
starving. We have had to import everything. Since then we started to
bring our trade deficit down, until the inflation, drought and the floods
came.
Bangladesh has resources. If we could control the floods, we could be
self-sufficient in five years. We produce rice, jute, wheat, and tobacco.
We have big gas deposits -- 10-20 trillion cubic feet. We were almost
self-sufficient in fertilizer but our plants were damaged. With our own
gas and fertilizer plants we could begin to export fertilizer, except for
inflation.
President: We have been telling the OPEC countries that if their high
prices result in the problems that you and the industrial countries are
having, the high prices will bring a collapse and won't help them.
Mujibur: We are suffering so badly from the oil prices.
President: The OPEC countries must realize they are being shortsighted.
Mujibur: We are having a famine, and I have just heard that a cyclone
is hitting. We are in dire straits. I have opened food kitchens in each of
the regional areas to keep people from starving.
President: Wouldn't a Bangladesh Consortium to include some rich oil
producers by a good thing? It would give them a chance to
Mujibur: Abu Dhabi and Iran have joined the Consortium. I have a crisis
immediately, Mr. President, in grain and food aid.
President: There is 250, 000 tons of food grains that are being made avail-
able for you. As we look at our food picture we will do what we can. We
had hoped for a bigger crop. We had a wet spring and then a drought, and
now an early frost. So our crop is disappointing. We must see what we
have and we will do. our very best with what we have.
FORD
A
SECRET/NODIS
GERALD
LIBRARY
SEGRET/NODIS
- 3 -
Majibur: You are very kind. I hope, if I can make the flood control
project with World Bank, we will be self-sufficient within five years.
With our gas we hope for oil. We have signed contracts with Atlantic-
Richfield and Union Oil. Eventually we can export. But that is in the
future, and my crisis is immediate.
President: Do you work with the international lending institutions ?
Mujibur: We are a member of the World Bank. Mr. McNamara visited
Bangladesh just after our independence. Most of my mills are working
now, but there are not enough materials and parts to go at capacity.
President: How about the price of jute?
Mujibur: It has only gone up 10-12%.
We won a majority in Pakistan. We are doing our best to be friends with
them. Though millions were killed, or jailed or exiled, we want to forget.
We released the Pakistani prisoners, including 195 war criminals. We
think we should get some share of the old Pakistani assets. Yet I have had
to take on the liabilities of the new country. Bhutto came to Dacca and I
told him this, but so far nothing has happened. Also there are 700, 000
non-Bengalees in my country. 400, 000 want to stay in Bangladesh. That
is fine. But Pakistan won't take the others who want to go there. I have
to feed my people. How can I take care of my people when I have to take
care of these?
I wanted to present these problems to you. I want good relations with
everyone.
President: We congratulate you on your independence and UN membership.
I was up there two weeks ago. I was encouraged with the improving attitude
toward the UN. The American people in recent times have a better attitude
towards the United Nations. I hope we can all work better in the United
Nations. If it is just a debating society, it is no good. But we should use
it to make it work.
Mujibur: We are grateful to you. We are a poor country but we want good
relations with you.
President: What is the comparison between what used to be East and West
Pakistan ?
SECRET /NODIS
BERALD
SECRET/NODIS
- 4 -
Mujibur: Pakistan is 65 million. I am 75 million. Pakistan is larger
than I. I am starting a family planning organization. We are having
particular problems now. I am glad you know our problems. I want to
survive.
President: The 150, 000 tons [of wheat] is all set. The 100, 000 is virtually
assured and only depends on our supplies. We
Mujibur: Would you consider edible oil and cotton? Our people are
discussing with yours now.
President: We will do what we can.
Mujibur: Thank you. I officially invite you to visit Bangladesh.
President: Thank you. Isn't Secretary Kissinger going there ?
Mujibur: Yes. On 30 October, but I want to invite you.
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DECLASSIFIED
N8C MEMO, 11/24/08, STATE DEPT. GUIDELINES state Peview 3/9/04
BEHALD
LIBRARY
E.O. 12958, SEC. 3.5
BY Can
NARA, DATE 5/5/04
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