1.
SV Mujib arrives at barracks
0.13

2.
SV Mujib tours camp & meets troops
0.24

3.
SV Mujib shakes hands with officer
0.30

4.
SV Troops present arms (2 shots)
0.38

5.
CV Mujib salutes
0.43

6.
CV Mujib meets officers
1.02

7.
SV Troops seated with weapons
1.04

8.
SV Mujib walks along line of troops(2 shots)
1.33

9.
SV Mujib to car shouts "Jai Bangla"
1.47

10.
GV Troops shouting "Jai Bangla"
1.57



Initials SGM/2112 SGM/2145


This film has natural sound throughout.

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: On Sunday (23 January), Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, visited an army camp in Dacca where Bengali troops are being trained to form part of Bangladesh's new fighting force. The troops are being formed into the Bengal Regiment. During the visit, Sheikh Mujib promised the men that their requirements such as uniforms and allowance would be met.

SYNOPSIS: On Saturday, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, visited an army camp in Dacca. The camps was the home of the Bengal Regiment where Bengali soldiers are being trained to form the new nation's fighting forces. Sheikh Mujib has described Bangladesh's new military forces as their militia.

Sheikh Mujib met a number of the officers, including Major Munim, one of the camp's leaders.

The Bengali soldiers went through a ceremonial drill for the Prime Minister. Sheikh Mujih told the officers that they had a fine body of men to work with. He said that with good training, the soldiers could prove further that the Bengalis were good fighters. That, he said, had already been proved by the efforts of the Mukit Bahini. He assured the soldiers that the requirements of uniforms and allowances would, indeed, be met.

Not all the Bengali forces are so organised, however. Many of the Mukti Bahini irregulars still have their weapon. It's been reported that fighting broke out between rival guerrilla groups in the town of Tangail. One guerrilla group led by the controversial "Tiger" Siddiqui, finally surrendered their arms in front of sheikh Mujib in Tangail on Monday. The guerrilla leader said he wouldn't take orders form anyone but the Prime Minister.

Sheikh Mujib has extended the deadline for Bengali guerrillas to lay down their arms from January 27th to January 31st. But morale 15 high at the Dacca camp where the troops are being formed into a cohesive fighting unit. The troops and the sheikh cheered the fledgling state at the end of his visit.