On 22 March 1962, an ethnic riot broke out between the Santhals and the Muslims in the Malda district of West Bengal.
[4] On 22 April, Lieutenant General Muhammad Azam Khan, the Governor of East Pakistan, delivered an inflammatory speech with imaginary stories of torture on minorities in India.
[6] In Sarusa village of Hujuri Para Union under Paba police station, the Hindus were attacked and many were seriously afflicted.
[4] The Pakistan government whipped up a war hysteria and the Indian Deputy High Commission at Dhaka was placed under military guard.
Rajeshwar Dayal, the Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan who had come to Dhaka too, was not allowed to visit the districts of Rajshahi and Pabna.