Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 725 › Conversation 725-033

Nixon, Karim & Hoskinson on Bangladesh and US Foreign Policy

Tuesday, May 16, 1972 · 12:49 PM–12:53 PM ET · Oval Office · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Karim, Knayet; Hoskinson, Samuel; White House photographerConversation725-033 on Tape 725 (tape position 03:56:38–04:01:57)StartTuesday, May 16, 1972 at 12:49 PMEndTuesday, May 16, 1972 at 12:53 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 725-033 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Enayet Karim and Samuel Hoskinson to formally express the United States' desire to establish friendly relations with the newly independent nation of Bangladesh. During the discussion, the President emphasized a commitment to providing humanitarian aid to help the country recover from the suffering caused by recent conflict. Nixon also shared personal anecdotes about his past relationships with former Pakistani officials from East Pakistan to foster rapport with the delegation as they moved to establish a diplomatic mission in Washington.

Audio

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Position in tape: 03:56:38 – 04:01:57

part B, 1:57:18

725a.mp3
725b.mp3
725c.mp3

NARA Description

On May 16, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Knayet Karim, Samuel Hoskinson, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:49 pm to 12:53 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 725-033 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 725-33

Date: May 16, 1972
Time: 12:49 - 12:53 p.m.
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Enayet Karim and Samuel Hoskinson; the White
House photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.

      Greetings

      [Photograph session]
          -Arrangements

      Bangladesh
         -Establishment of US relations
         -US cooperation
               -Humanitarian aid
         -Suffering
               -India
               -Pakistan

      Pakistan
          -Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
          -Time article

      Bangladesh
         -Problems
               -US aid
         -People
         -Appreciation to US
         -Problems
               -War
               -Rebuilding
         -The President’s previous meeting
               -Mohammed Ali Jinnah
                    -Prime Minister
               -Hoolamad [?]
                    -Governor - General under Mohammed Ali
               -Mohammed Ali
                    -Relationship with President
                    -East Pakistan

                      -The President’s view
                      -Wife
                            -The President’s view
                      -Death
                      -Wife
                      -Party for President
                            -Karachi
                      -The President’s view
          -President's future meeting with Mujibur Rahman
                -Good wishes
          -US aid
                -State department
                -White House
          -Prime Minister
                -Use of term

      Karim
          -Residence in Washington
          -Setting up an embassy in Washington

Karim and Hoskinson left at 12:53 pm.

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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You know, you just may give me the recommendation.
I know this might be a fight.
Yep.
I do our best.
I can't conscientiously.
I disagree with it.
That's just all it's here.
Yeah, but I think it's an issue.
All right.
It's going to be a lot of work.
Press picture of that.
There was two of those.
Okay.
Hi, John.
John, the best idea I had today was to go out there across the street and
You see, we tend to think that what the New York Times and others say, the nervous knowledge is the country's death.
The country's divided about 60-40.
40% are scared.
Draft doctors and the rest, about 60% say, by God, show them the balls.
I don't believe you're right.
Well, it's the most iconic thing.
Yeah, it's the iconic thing.
So my mail, every letter I'm getting now from around the country says, tell the president we're having a great movement.
Along with other things.
I work with people.
Excuse me, Mr. President.
Hey, is there a meeting with Kissinger?
There's a man named Hoskinson.
Do you want to meet him?
I don't think so.
I don't think you know Hoskinson.
I don't care.
That's all I'm saying.
Like the letters here today.
He's got something on his mind.
Gross.
He's just been to China.
They let me in there.
Good.
Yeah.
I'm afraid I'm going to see him.
I'd love to, except I've got a reception.
I'll settle for it.
Mr. President, how are you?
Yes, how are you?
Very nice to see you.
Nice to see you.
I'm going to step over for a picture here, so we can have it on this second half here.
Okay, why don't you sit right here.
We're very glad to receive you.
As you know, as I have referred to, we want to establish a good, friendly relationship with your country and your province.
We have been trying to be helpful in the humanitarian side.
We want to be helpful in every way we can.
We want you to succeed because you've suffered too much now, and that's our attitude.
And in fact, we're very anxious to have all the countries in the area succeed.
I mean, it's the tragedy of India, Pakistan, and now Bangladesh.
It must not be repeated.
I mean, you, of course, have been, you know, here in Washington, all the way to Cebu, those are many provinces.
I was glad to know that the particle time yesterday, they're doing better than your people.
And you can be sure that we'll do everything we can to see that your country can move forward and deal with these problems in a way that will give the people not only a chance to survive, but a hope.
It's one of the first
Pakistani I ever met was from East Pakistan, Muhammad Ali.
Do you remember?
He was Prime Minister.
He died a few years later, but he was my host.
Well, do you remember Guliman?
Yes, I do.
He was the Governor General at the time.
Muhammad Ali was the Prime Minister, and I had a wonderful relationship with him.
He was from East Pakistan, but he's gone.
I'd like you to find that, and a very nice wife, too.
You had no car with you?
He had no car with him, yeah.
Is his wife living with you?
He's, uh, she's killing the need to live with me.
If you ever happened to see her, tell her I actually brought her in.
I remember being so proud to have her to sit down.
You had a guy from the party there, remember?
He was up there in Karachi with the lights and everything.
I said, I love the party.
He was a warm person.
A warm person.
A warm person.
A warm person.
A warm person.
A warm person.
Right.
I don't think I've met Mr. Mujica.

Also recorded on May 16, 1972

  • 725-041 12:45 PM · 49 sec — John D. Ehrlichman and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:45 pm.
  • 725-032 12:46 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:46 pm to 12:49 pm.
  • 725-034 12:54 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Toma Granfil, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:54 pm to 1:01 pm.
  • 725-042 1:01 PM · 7 min — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:01 pm and 4:58 pm.
  • 340-001 1:12 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:12 pm to 1:13 pm.
  • 340-002 1:13 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, unknown person(s), and Zosimo T. Monzon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:13 pm and 1:19 pm.
  • 340-003 1:19 PM · 48 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:19 pm to 1:20 pm.
  • 024-151 1:20 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:20 pm.

All 74 conversations from May 16, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 725-033, May 16, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/725-033 (accessed November 2, 2026).