POSTAL ADMINISTRATION OF MUJIBNAGAR GOVERNMENT

Ishtiaque Ahmed Khan*

Introduction

The first phase of the Liberation War, started with the non-cooperation movement, which started after the sudden postponement of the national and provincial assemblies for an indefinite period, by General Yeahia Khan, on 1^st March 1971. During the non-cooperation movement, the staff of the post office and the General public used to write “Bangladesh” instead of Pakistan in all letters and forms, and thus mentally participating in the Liberation War. This paper focuses on the Postal History of how the postal Administration of the Mujibnagar Government emerged, functioned, the stamps it issued during the liberation war, that have made a permanent mark in the history of Bangladesh. It is based on both published sources, as well as surviving philatelic evidence. The paper is divided in three sections. The first part discusses the propaganda measures, which was the result of commercial ventures. The Second part discusses the establishment and function of the Postal Administration by the Mujibnagar Government. The third and final part discusses the Postage Stamps issued by the Mujibnagar Government.

“Propaganda Measures” The results of Commercial Ventures with

F.P.O’s ( April-May 1971)

After the army crackdown on 25^th March, the Pakistani army met fierce resistance mainly in Chittagong, and in some other parts of North Bengal, but due to lack of proper command, ammunitions, and logistics, this resistance did not sustain. By the end of April the Pakistani Army took control of all major towns in all the districts of Bangladesh. A fully chaotic and confused situation prevailed during this period, with thousands of people crossing the border everyday, in fear. News of death and destruction appeared in all the world newspapers especially in India.

In the Philatelic Arena, several stamp dealers in Calcutta realized the commercial importance of this chaotic situation in Bangladesh. As the Mujibnagar Government was them re-arranging its administration, it did not have a fully functional postal service. This was taken full advantage of, by some stamp dealers in Calcutta. On this event the seals and name stamps showing names of various Field Post Offices (F.P.O) constituting the names of some places adjacent to the border with India, were prepared by them for the philatelic market. The covers bore addresses of Muktibahini divisions, and their personal addresses. Delivery stamp impressions for these covers were obtained from different border post offices of India namely Bongaon. In order to ensure the validity and publicity of these covers, a Photographer Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, was contacted, he being a freelance photographer and press reporter, made arrangements for publication of photo’s of covers supposedly received and delivered by various field post offices. Some covers were addressed directly to the newspaper editors who upon receiving them published them in their newspapers. No one had any time verify the facts. The names and date of publication of these Photographs are given in, Table 1.

Table 1

Particulars of Newspapers which published Photographs of the Propoganda covers

Name of the Newspaper	Language	Date of Publication	Place of Issue
1. Amrita Bazar Patrika	English	27^th April 1971	Calcutta
2. Daily Jugantar	Bangla	22^nd April 1971	Calcutta
3. Ananda Bazar Patrika	Bangla	27^th April 1971	Calcutta
4.The Statesman	English	27^th April 1971	Calcutta
5. Blitz	English	8^th May 1971	Bombay

Made for the purpose of feeding the world philatelic market, the suspicions to their genuineness soon arose. The question was if the F.P.O’s practically did exist. Following is a briefing, which was published in the cover page of “Stamp Digest” in April 1971 issue Concerning the authenticity of the Covers, and pictures of such covers published in Calcutta newspapers.

“Our attention has been drawn to the news appearing in Calcutta newspapers with photographs of stamp of Bangladesh overprinted in Bengali or English or both on Pakistani stamps with these stamps franked with blacked rubber circular seals reading, ‘BANGLADESH MUKTI FOUZ … DARSHANA or MEHERPUR, etc’. With delivery postmarks on back of BONGAON (a border town in West Bengal) or various Calcutta Post Offices. So far we have failed to obtain their bona fides or authenticity. According to an officer of the P.M.G West Bengal Circle no mailbag has been exchanged in the month of April…On the other hand an officer of the Bangladesh Mission in Calcutta informs us that they have no information of any Postage Stamp of Bangladesh having been issued by their Government or the Liberation Forces.” [1]

The matter was also informed to the Postmaster General West Bengal Circle, who issued a circular banning the acceptance of the F.P.O Covers for delivery cancellations. Following extract of the news titled ‘Bogus Bangladesh Stamps’ was published in the May issue of the ‘Stamp Digest’.

“It is reliably informed that the postmaster General, West Bengal Circle has drawn attention of the Postmasters of various post offices in his circle to the Bogus Bangladesh Stamps being used on mails, by some philatelic dealers who have obtained Pakistani stamps and overprinted them with Bangladesh, and have used them to obtain the date stamp impression of the Post Offices in border and in Calcutta area…. The postmasters have been asked not to recognize if any such articles is found posted in the office with any stamp other than Indian Postage Stamps. Such articles will be treated and dealt accordingly.”[2]

By the end of May, the Mujibnagar Government had fully formed the Mujibnagar secretariat at 8 Theater Road (Now Shakespeare Sarani) in Calcutta[3] new initiatives were taken to make the Posts and Telegraphs department, under ministry of transport and Communications, fully operational. Even though suspicions were raised regarding existence of the Field Post Offices and respective covers, which emerged in the philatelic market, and solely prepared for commercial purposes, the widespread publicity of these covers in various newspapers, directly and indirectly supported the cause of Bangladesh, and the activities of the first provisional Government. The covers in due course became the tools of propaganda measures.

Establishment of a Postal Administration by the Mujibnagar Government

From “The report of the administrative reconstruction and Legislature system” published by planning cell of the Mujibnagar Government on 13^th December 1971, it is observable that the postal administration, was established under the ministry of Transport and Communication. Under this ministry, the department of civil aviation and communication was controlled. This department was responsible for the administration of the “Posts and Telegraphs Department”. The entire ministry of transport and communication was headed by a Cabinet minister assisted by two deputy ministers. The position of secretariat division is described in Table 2.

Table 2

Position of the Secretariat division of ‘Posts and Telegraphs Department’

Designation	No. of Posts
Secretary	1
Joint Secretary	1
Deputy Secretary	4
Under secretaries	8
Section Officers	16
Total	30

The Director General Posts and telegraphs headed the Directorate General, Posts and Telegraphs.[4] This post remained vacant all through the liberation war. It is observable that not all the posts in the Secretariat were filled up. From the various records ^[5] that has so far come to light, following names of persons and their related posts in the Directorate Generals office of the Postal Administration has been mentioned in Table 3.

Table 3

List of persons serving the Directorate Generals office of ‘Posts and Telegraphs Department’ of the Mujibnagar Government

Sl.	Name	Posts held
1.	Mr. Moudud Ahmed	Postmaster General
2.	M.A Aziz	Special officer of P & T Dept
3.	Mr. A.K.M Idris Ali	Superintendent of Post Offices
4.	Mr.Nurul Islam	Postmaster Central Post office Mujibnagar
5.	Sharif Ahmed	Postmaster of Field Post Office No. 14 (Kasipur Jessore)

Names of various mail carriers, and other employees, postmasters could not be collected due to insufficient information.

Bangladesh Postal Administration established Post offices, along with the existing post offices in the Liberated areas, adjacent to the border areas with India from early June. On replying a letter of Mr. Kennith F. Chapman, Editor of “Stamp Collecting” in England, the Post Master reports:

“In the liberated areas we are providing a general and official Postal Service using the Post Offices we control. Also for the Army, the Muktifouj has established a number of Field Post Offices, which enable the soldiers to communicate with their families in other liberated areas or in India”[6]

The Postmaster General of Mujibnagar postal Administration, Mr. Moudud Ahmed, also in a letter to John Stonehouse, on the successful operation of the postal administration, he wrote:

“The postal service in the liberated areas however is functioning very smoothly. In the Raomari area a postal zone has been established with 8 post offices and one sub post office. This covers a huge area in the north with 500,000 people residing. The post office is at Raomari as the Headquarter and the Branch post offices are at Datbhanga, Tapunchar, Showlmari, Jadurchar, Rajibpur, Mohanganj, and Makunchar.”[7]

The newly established post offices were provided with a code number thus maintaining the secrecy of the placement, or where it is being used. The mails were carried in blue cloth or leather bags, duly wax sealed. They were carried by armed mail carriers of the Liberation Forces Communication wing. Wherever possible the mails were also carried on motorcycle, bi-cycle, jeep or boats. The carriers were given certain code words using which they were cleared at all posts by liberation forces. ^8-9

Before the re-organization of the postal administration, the mailbags were dispatched to the nearest Indian Post Office for mails of India and abroad. From June onwards, the arrangement was re-organized, and all the mailbags from F.P.O’s were dispatched at the central post office, Mujibnagar, situated at the Mujibnagar Secretariat 8 theater Road (Renamed, Shakespeare Sarani) Calcutta.10 The central post office after sorting the mails, handed them over to Indian authorities. Even though the distribution of mails within India was settled with the Indian Posts and Telegraph Department, Bangladesh postal administration suffered various drawbacks for dispatch of International mail, which was in fact caused by restrictions imposed by U.P.U. The postmaster General, Mr. Moudud Ahmed in a letter to Mr. John Stonehouse M.P wrote,

“In the meantime I had a discussion with the Indian External affairs Ministry with regard to the transmitting of our letters. Because of the International Postal Union rules, they say that it will not be possible for them to maintain the arrangement that was previously made. However, fresh arrangements are being made to settle this matter but goodness knows how long it will take.” ¹¹

After the first definitive stamps (8 values) were released, letters affixed with these stamps and cancelled from different F.P.O’s were sent to various important persons, media personalities, editors of newspapers and periodicals around the world. A letter advising the P.M.G Mr. Moudud Ahmed, was sent by John Stonehouse M.P in this regard ¹²

Assessment of the Total Number of Post offices Under

the Mujibnagar Postal Administration

It is difficult to assess the total number of post offices (including F.P.O’s) established by the Mujibnagar postal administration, as no official record of this has come to light. No record of this, or of any list has not yet been published. However during the war, accounts of some philatelists, and eye witnesses were published in the Calcutta based philatelic periodical ‘Stamp Digest’. A rough sketch of the district wise distribution of the F.P.O’s and civil post offices can be formed from these sources, which suggests, that the number of post offices increased or decreased with changing condition of the war. Bibash Gupta in his article “My visit to Bangladesh” published an account of the post offices then operating in the Liberated areas.13 Based on his observations a district wise survey of the post offices is presented in Table 4.

Table-4

List of reported post offices (including F.P.O’s), according to the Editor of Stamp Digest in the month of July- August 1971

Name of District	Number of Post Offices
Khulna District	6
Jessore District	7
Kushtia District	5
Pabna District	2
Rajshahi District	3
Rangpur District	2
Comilla District	2
Chittagong Hill Tracts District	2
Sylhet District	3
Total	32

He also stated, that, arrangements were being made to open 100 new post offices in the newly liberated areas. Of the 48 Field Post Offices run by the Liberation Forces only 10 are located in the liberated zones and remaining 38 F.P.O’s are run deep inside enemy occupied territories by the guerillas, and are identified by a separate number given to each one of them. The central Base Post Office of the Liberation Forces, at Mujibnagar, controlled them all. Not all of these post offices were, operating in the true sense, some were skeleton post offices, where the Muktibahini, or Liberation Forces only carried coded message, most of them in memory. Only in the adjacent border areas did the postal service carried and delivered letters, because of the risks involved. Besides philatelic material evolved from these F.P.O’s and post offices these were excellent tools of propaganda.

B.B Shahi14 and Nishith Kar15 published during the war have given a list of post offices which were administered by the Mujibnagar Postal Administration. The two combined lists are presented in Table 5.

Table 5

List of Post offices and F.P.O’s run by the Mujibnagar Postal Administration, as observed by B.B Shahi and Nishith Kar

Name of District	P.O’s Established in District	Total Number of P.O’s
Kushtia District	Mujibnagar, Chuadanga, Jiban nagar, Meherpur, Darsana	5
Jessore District	Benapole, Jhikargacha, Kasipur	3
Khulna District	Debhata	1
Mymensingh District	Dewanganj, Haluaghat	2
Dinajpur District	Bindila	1
Rangpur District	Patgram, Chilmari, Raumari, Ulipur, Kurigram	5
Sylhet District	Bholaganj	1
ComillaDistrict	Madhabpur	1
Noakhali District	Belonia	1
Chittagong Hill Tracts Dist.	Ramgarh	1
Total		21

Although this list shows 21 post offices, it is not complete, as it does not include other numbered post offices and or the post offices mentioned by Bibash Gupta as mentioned earlier. Not all the post offices functioned all the time throughout the Liberation war. Many were closed down due to operational problems, and it has already been noted, that some were skeleton post offices, existing only in a code number.

The post offices established by the Mujibnagar Postal Administration, worked in full swing through the whole period of Liberation war, up to late December just after independence on 16^th December 1971. From 3^rd December, the final warfare started, when India recognized Bangladesh as a sovereign nation, and joined the war. With Lt. Gen J.S Aurora as chief of staff of the Joint Command Indian and Bangladesh Liberation forces, the Muktibahini, were rendered all the facilities of the Indian Army Postal Service.16

With the surrender at Dhaka on 16^th December 1971, with the independence of Bangladesh, the Liberation war virtually came to an end. The Mujibnagar Government merged with the existing secretarial administration of the former provincial Government in Dhaka on 28^th December 1971. Before this merger, existing and working F.P.O’s in all fronts were closed down, and abolished. Extract from a news appeared in the December issue of the ‘Stamp Digest’ confirms this report titled “Mujibnagar Post Office Merged With Dacca”, extract of the report is given below:

“Mujibnagar Post Office, which functioned for over nine months has now been merged with Dacca G.P.O. Mr. S.A Aziz, who was Special Officer, Bangladesh P. and T. Department has joined back his civil service post as Deputy Commissioner, Rajshahi, Mr. Idris has also joined his old unit at Narayanganj, while the postmaster of Mujibnagar P.O Mr. Nurul Islam has been posted at Bogra. The historical Seals and Postmarks of Mujibnagar are relic of sacrifice and suffering of nine months for independence. They are now being displayed at the Dacca Postal Museum”17

The cancellation used as a Delivery stamp in the Central Base Post Office Mujibnagar, illustrated as type-II date stamp in the August issue of ‘Stamp Digest’, and also in the Catalogue of the National Philatelic Exhibition 1992, is preserved in the postal Museum at Dhaka G.P.O, Whereabouts of other Cancellations Used in F.P.O’s are not known.

Postage Stamps Issued by the Mujibnagar Government

In April 1971 various philatelic and commercial ventures were undertaken by local stamp dealers in Calcutta to overprint Pakistani stamps, both Definitive and Commemorative in nature. In Mid April 1971, sheets of stamps looted from the Meherpur treasury, were handed over to the Mujibnagar Government authorities. A large stock of stamps were overprinted by the S.D.O at Chuadanga, were destroyed in the shelling of the Pakistani Army18 Chuadanga came under Pakistani Control on 17^th April, earlier independent resistance was formed against the Pakistani Army, which resulted in fierce battles between the resistant groups and the Pakistani Army. B.B Shahi in ‘Provisional Stamps of Bangladesh’ gives an account on how such Pakistani stamps reached the Mujibnagar government. He adds “It was revealed that a philatelic officer of Dacca G.P.O some how managed to escape the Pakistani slaughter with the old commemorative stamps that were in stock of Dacca Treasury, and handed over to the Bangladesh Authority for overprinting, Therefore the stamps now being used in the northern and Eastern regions of Bangladesh are mostly commemoratives are large pictorials”.19

The conclusion from the above facts, can be drawn that a large number of Pakistani stamps captured from Pakistani hands being of various denominations both definitive and commemorative were overprinted by the Mujibnagar Government. Stamp dealers residing in Calcutta took a first hand in the situation, and overprinted their stock of stamps, for commercial purposes, some local authorities also overprinted small stock of stamps, which were used prior to the issuance of the first 8v stamps. For lack of proper documentation it is now a difficult task to identify which overprint was done by whom. Notice for replacement of these provisional stamps is also reported in the press briefing given by the Bangladesh Philatelic agency on 29^th July, which states, “These stamps are replacing those which until July 29 were used in Bangladesh territories. These were Pakistan stamps overprinted Bangladesh”.20

The earliest stamp related news in the official records, can be found on a Statement issued by the External Publicity Division of the Mujibnagar Government in May 1971, where in the last paragraph it is stated “Soon stamps and coins are going to be introduced in independent Bangla”21. The principle decision to issue Bangladesh’s own stamps, were taken as early as May 1971, when on behalf of ‘War on Want’, Mr. John Stone House, a M.P of the British Parliament, visited Mujibnagar. On discussing various issues, it was decided, with the Mujibnagar Government, that some postage stamps should be issued. According to the decision Mr. Stonehouse started working on this, taking full responsibility.22 Through Mr. Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, The Government contacted Dr. Enamul Haque, then President of ‘Bangladesh Peoples Cultural Society’. Mr. Stone house introduced Mr. Biman Mullick to him, who being a Bangalee, was a first class stamp designer, and who designed the Gandhi Centenary Year Stamp for the British Post Office in 1969, winning two gold medals for the best Gandhi stamp issue by any country, in the World. Dr. Enamul Haque (Who later became the director General of the Bangladesh national Museum), Liaisoned with the Mujibnagar government regarding the stamps, and sent the designs for approval by mid June. In a letter dated July 8, Principle aide to the prime minister, Rahmat Ali (Barrister Amirul Islam used this name as a disguise) informs Dr. Enamul Haque,

“With regard to the Philatelic, the designs have been approved. If you have other designs in hand please go ahead and send them for approval. There is no harm in having more.” ²³

Neither the Bangladesh fund nor the steering Committee sanctioned any funds for designing the stamps or printing them. ²⁴ The responsibility for this as given to ‘E.E Oatway’, a reputed stamp dealer, and a Philatelic investor. He contacted the Format International Security Printers, and finalized the printing of the stamps. He opened the ‘Bangladesh Philatelic Agency’ at his address, Chobham, Woking, Surry, England.25 He took the sale proceeds of the stamps, and was responsible for submitting accounts to the Mujibnagar government.26 He was a Philatelic dealer, and understood well, the business, profits, and return of investments in stamps of Bangladesh, although it would only remain as propaganda labels, since it didn’t have any actual postal value at that time, before independence. Eight designs were approved, by the Mujibnagar Government, from a number of designs, the eight designs and denominations were (1) 10 poisha, depicting the Map of Bangladesh (2) 20 poisha, depicting the Massacre at Dhaka University (3) 50 poisha, A nation of 75 Million People (4) 1 Rupee, depicting the map of Bangladesh (5) 2 rupees, Depicting the results of the 1970 Election (6) 3 rupees, Depicting the Broken Chain, and Proclamation of Independent Government (7) 5 rupees, depicting Shekh Mujibur Rahman, and (8)10 Rupees, Depicting title “Support Bangladesh” and a Map. The dimension of all these stamps were 39 ´ 25.5 mm. and the Perforation was 14.5 ´ 14.5.All eight denominations were of 100 stamps per sheet, The stamps were printed in photolithographic process showing the name of the printer, and in the lower right hand corner the plate position was mentioned (Usually 1A). The paper used was white chalk coated security paper, without any watermark. The gum used in the back was the standard gum then used in printing all stamps of Commonwealth Countries One fact about these stamps is that all the values were denominated in Rupees, which was changed in to Taka, after independence, and all the stamps had dual usage, (Postage and Revenue) although no Revenue usage of the aforementioned stamps have been documented so far. Before the issue, a first day cover was designed, of which the proof was approved by Mr. Moudud Ahmed, then P.M.G of the Mujibnagar Postal Administration. The F.D.C being of deep green colour was locally printed at the Sahrawati press in Calcutta. The original F.D.C had a gummed flap, but since the demand was high, it had to be re printed several times, and on the later F.D.C’s, the flap was without gum. A separate FDC prepared for the liberation forces, is known from a copy preserved in the liberation war Museum. The cover prepared for the London issue was Bright orange– vermilion, and was printed in England. Surely it was printed by E.E Oatway, under the banner of Bangladesh Philatelic Agency.

After all formalities were completed, the date of issue for the stamps was set for 29^th July. This news was announced by Mr. Hossain Ali, the head of Bangladesh Mission at Calcutta, in a press conference held on 26^th July in Bangladesh Mission. Simultaneously a press conference was held in the House of Commons.27 A reception of the first eight stamps were held on the same date (26^th July) in the Hercoat Room of the House of Commons. This reception was attended among others by Rt. John stone house, Petershore M.P and other distinguished guests.28 The 8 stamps presented on a tray wrapped in Golden cloth, is now preserved in the Liberation War memorial Museum in, Shegun Bagicha, Dhaka.

On the morning of 29^th July 1971, the first eight stamps were released, simultaneously from the following places:

(1) The Mujibnagar Secretariat

8, Theater Road (Renamed, Shakespeare Sarani)

Calcutta.

(2) The Bangladesh Mission

9, Circus Avenue, Park Circus

Calcutta.

(3) Bangladesh Philatelic Agency

Chobham, Woking,

Surry, England.

Some stamps and F.D.C’s were also made available from the office of the Bangladesh Steering Committee, 11 Goring Street, London E.C-3, England.

In Calcutta mission the mint set was sold for Rs.21.80 each set, and F.D.C for Rs. 22.00.Those wanting F.D.C’s were asked to affix the stamps on covers and deposit against receipt for collecting the covers the next day.29 In England £ 1.09 per mint set plus handling charges was taken.30 A huge crowd and interested philatelists gathered in the Bangladesh Mission to collect these covers. The total sale was over. Rs. 100,000 in the first two days in Calcutta.31 In England more than $ 23000.00 dollars worth of stamps were sold on the opening day.32 A new set depicting the genocide of the Pakistani Army, was planned to be issued by October/November33, but it was never materialized. For the rest of the five months before the Independence was achieved, these eight stamps truly worked as ambassadors forming a worldwide public opinion for the cause of Bangladesh.

Conclusion

Immediately after independence of Bangladesh (16^th December 1971) these eight stamps were overprinted “Bangladesh Liberated” in English and Bangla, of which only three values, (10p, Rs.5.00, and Rs. 10.00) which were personally brought in by Mr. John Stonehouse, to Dhaka, on 19^th December. They were released in Dhaka G.P.O on 20^th December 1971.The remaining five values remain unrecognized by Bangladesh Post office. A set of 15 values, and two F.D.C’s, of it were made, showing new denomination of taka, instead of Rupees, were also printed by the same printer who had printed the 8 denominations of stamps. Without any authority, this issue was also considered unauthorized, by Bangladesh Post office. Bangladesh became Independent within five months after the issue of these stamps. No other stamps issued by any provisional Government raised such a hue and cry and was able to draw such an attention both in the philatelic arena and to the common public. In the true sense the postal administration played the proper role in maintaining the Line of Communication, which in fact caused an interesting publicity and attention during and after the liberation war.

Plate 1
Plate 2

F.P.O No. 23 Cancellation on Cover dated 11th August 1971 to Mujibnagar. This is a specimen of the Mujibnagar Government’s existing internal mail system.

A cover from Kaliganj F.P.O to Phultala dated 5 December 1971, and the mail being carried by the Boy scouts of Bangladesh. Delivery 10.12.1971, Phultala.

Plate 3

Special Bangladesh Number August 1971 of Stamp Digest Published From Kolkata, India. Edited by Bibash Gupta.

Plate 4

Eight Stamps Issued on 29-07-1971 cancelled on 8th December 1971 From Jessore Head Post office on a Souvenir Card they day Jessore was Liberated.

Bibliography

1. Major Rafiqul Islam, “A Tale of Millions”, Muktadhara, Dhaka, 1985.

2. Major Rafiqul Islam, “Ekti Phul Ke Bachabo Bolay” (Bangla), University Press Limited, 1^st Edition, 1985.

3. Siddiq Saliq, “Witness To Surrender”, (Bangla Translation by Masudul Haque), 1^st Edition, Ananda Prokashan, Dhaka, 1988.

4. Maj Gen Sukwant Singh, “The Liberation of Bangladesh”, (Bangla Translation by Masudul Haque), Ananda Prokashan, 1^st Edition, Dhaka 1988.

5. L.G Shenoi and A.H.G Sharma, “Philatelic Year Book- 1981”, 190 Defense Colony, Banglore, India 1981.

---

* M.Phil Researcher, Department of Management Studies, University of Dhaka

[1] Cover Page ‘Stamp Digest’, Vol. III, No.4, April 1971.

[2] News item, ‘Bogus Bangladesh Stamps’, Stamp Digest, Vol. III, No. 5, May 1971, p. 7.

[3] M.R Akhtar Mukul, Ami Bijoy Dekhechi (Bangla), Shagar Publishers, 1st edition, Dhaka, 1985, p. 19.

[4] As shown in appendix-‘B’, Documents of the Liberation War, Hassan Hafizur Rahman (ed.), Ministry of Information, Government of Bangladesh, Dhaka 1982,Vol. 3, p. 528.

[5] This has been reconstructed from Stamp Digest, Vol. III, No. 12 and Appendix ‘A’, ibid, Vol. 3, pp. 956-963

[6] Para 1 of the letter written to Kennith F. Chapman, 11 July 1971, ibid, Appendix A, p. 958.

7 Para 2 of the letter to John Stonehouse M.P, 1 November 1971, ibid Appendix- A, p. 963.

8 Nishith Kar, ‘Bangladesh- A fait accompli’, Stamp Digest, Vol. IV, No. 1 and 2, January and February 1972, p. 11.

9 Bibash Gupta, My visit to Bangladesh, Stamp Digest, Vol. III, No. 8, August 1971, p. 26

10 From April to May, the Central post office was housed at the residence of Dr. Amia Bose at Ballygunge, where in the early days Mr. Moudud resided. Later the post office was shifted to the Mujibnagar Secretariat at 8 Theater Road (Now Shakespeare Sarani) Calcutta. The office of the Postal administration was housed in a room in the first floor of the Bangladesh Mission in 9 Circus Avenue, Calcutta (Ratified by M.R Akhtar Mukul,, op. cit, Chap. 9, p. 85)

11 Para 1 of letter written to John Stone House M.P, by Moudud Ahmed,1st November 1971, Appendix- A, Documents of the Liberation War, Hassan Hafizur Rahman (ed.), Ministry of Information, Government of Bangladesh, Dhaka 1982,Vol. 3, p. 963.

12 Letter from John Stone House to Moudud Ahmed, 11th August 1971, Appendix- A, ibid, pp. 960-61.

13 Bibash Gupta, op cit, p. 26

14 B.B Shahi, ‘The provisional Stamps of Bangladesh’, Stamp digest, Vol. III, No. 9, September 1971, p. 9.

15 Nishith Kar, op. cit, p. 11.

16 News item titled ‘Muktibahini Mails’, Stamp digest, Vol. III, No. 12, December 1971, p. 14.

17 News item, Stamp Digest, Vol. III, No. 12, December 1971, p. 21.

18 News item, ‘Bangladesh Provisional Stamps’, Stamp Digest, Vol. III, No. 8, August 1971, p. 27.

19 B.B. Shahi, op. cit, Stamp Digest, Vol. III, No. 9, September 1971, p. 9.

20 Press Statement, issued by Bangladesh Philatelic Agency, London 29th July 1971, Vol. 3 Documents of the Liberation War, Hassan Hafizur Rahman (ed.), Ministry of Information, Government of Bangladesh, Dhaka 1982, Vol. 3, p. 959.

21 7 point instructions issued by the Mujibnagar Government, May 1971, ibid, Vol. 3, pp. 43-44.

22 Abu Syeed Chowdhary, Probashe Muktijuddher Dinguli (Bangla), University Press Limited, 1st Edition, Dhaka, 1990, pp. 94-95.

23 Para 3A of the letter written to Dr. Enamul Haque, from the principle aide to the Prime minister, Documents of the Liberation War, Hassan Hafizur Rahman (ed.), Ministry of Information, Government of Bangladesh, Dhaka 1982, Vol. 4, p. 705.

24 Abu Sayeed Chowdhary, op cit, pp. 94-95.

25 Press statement of Bangladesh Philatelic Agency, London, 29th July 1971, Appendix- A, ibid, Vol. 3, p. 959.

26 Abu Sayeed Chowdhary, op. cit, pp. 94-95.

27 News item, Stamp Digest, Vol. III, No. 8, August 1971,p. 19.

28 Abu sayeed Chowdhary, op. cit, pp. 94-95.

29 News item,’ Bangladesh stamps released in Calcutta at Bangladesh Mission’, Stamp Digest, Vol. III, No. 8, August 1971, p. 27.

30 Press Statement of Bangladesh Philatelic Agency, London July 29th 1971, Documents of the Liberation War, Hassan Hafizur Rahman (ed.), Ministry of Information, Government of Bangladesh, Dhaka 1982, Vol. 3, p. 959.

31 News item, Stamp Digest, Vol. III, No. 8, August 1971, p 27.

32 ‘Bangladesh News Letter’ Chicago No. 7, 20th August 1971, Documents of the Liberation War, ibid, Vol. 6, p. 806.

33 News item, Stamp Digest, Vol. III, No. 8, August 1971, p. 27.