On March 31, 1971, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi moved a resolution in parliament strongly criticising the military action in Bangladesh.
At 4:00am on March 30, 1971, Bangladeshi forces, comprising East Pakistan Rifles (EPR), police and civilians under the leadership of Abu Osman Chowdhury, then a major and commander of the fourth wing of EPR, attacked the Pakistan occupation army in Kushtia from three sides.
In the evening, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was flown via helicopter from the cantonment, where he was detained, to the Tejgaon Airport. Afterwards, he was flown to Karachi by a special military aircraft.
On March 28, 1971, American Consul General in Dhaka, Archer K Blood, sent a telegram to Islamabad and Washington captioned “selective genocide”. He reported that they were “mute and horrified by a reign of terror by the Pakistan military” in East Pakistan. Pointing towards various pieces of evidence, Blood suggested that Awami League supporters and Hindus were being systematically targeted by the martial law administrators.
American Consul General Archer K Blood in a situation report submitted on March 27, 1971, wrote that according to numerous accounts, including eye witness reports, the Pak military crackdown on Bangalee nationalists has been carried out throughout Dacca swiftly, efficiently (despite heavy resistance from some quarters, including pro-Awami League police and East Pak Rifles), and often with ruthless brutality.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in a press statement issued today, called for a general strike throughout Bangladesh on March 27 against the army’s action in certain places in East Pakistan including Saidpur, Rangpur and Joydevpur.
There was a final meeting between Awami League’s team and Yahya’s advisers on March 24, 1971, at 6:00pm.
The representatives of president Yahya Khan and an Awami League team met twice today.
Pakistan President Yahya Khan returned today from Tehran after cutting short his stay for the Iranian anniversary celebration.
The Bangladesh government-in-exile today sent a letter to Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi requesting recognition to the “free and duly constituted Government of Bangladesh”.
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While commenting on Pakistan President Yahya Khan’s broadcast of October 12, 1971, a spokesman of the Government of Bangladesh stated today that the broadcast was another exposition of his own desperate situation in West Pakistan.
US Ambassador to India Kenneth Keating in a telegram sent today informed the US state department that Indian Foreign Minister Swaran Singh claimed that the East Pakistan insurgency was not dependent upon India.
The American consulate general in Karachi in a telegram sent to the US state department today informed that Pakistan President Yahya Khan accepted the US proposal for mutual withdrawal of troops and armour by both the Government of India and the Government of Pakistan to some distance from their respective borders.
The roving ambassador of Bangladesh, Abdus Samad Azad, addressed a meeting in London today expressed his confidence in early liberation of Bangladesh. He stressed the unity achieved by all sections of the Bangladesh people.
Syed Nazrul Islam, acting president of Bangladesh, reiterated that nothing short of complete independence would settle the Bangladesh issue.
Pakistan and the US today signed an agreement in Islamabad under which the US would provide an additional 50 million rupees for relief work in East Pakistan.
The Bangladesh Cabinet today approved a scheme for the medical care and welfare of the injured Mukti Bahini members as well as the dependents of the martyrs.
