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.
The Bangladesh mission in Calcutta would henceforth be designated as high commission for the Bangladesh government, a Bangladesh government spokesperson announced today.
Prime Minister of Bangladesh Tajuddin Ahmed, in a broadcast today, appealed to all nations to accord recognition to Bangladesh to accelerate the pace of the freedom movement.
Hossain Ali, the chief of the Bangladesh mission in Kolkata, today presented to the sons of Kazi Nazrul Islam a cheque for 2,100 rupees as pension for the poet.
Kazi Sabyashachi, son of rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, outright rejected today Pakistan’s offer to renew payment of monthly allowances to the poet. He said they would not touch the blood-stained money of Pakistan.
Evidently panic-stricken at the large-scale defection of Bangalee members of its mission staff, the Pakistan government today took an unprecedented step to seize passports of all its diplomatic staff abroad.
Pakistan President General Yahya Khan appointed Dr Abdul Motaleb Malik as the civil governor of East Pakistan. Malik had no say in the martial law administration.
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi told Bangladeshi refugees in Cooch Behar today that India was doing all it could do to promote the cause of the Bangladesh liberation struggle.
The Bangladesh mission was formally opened in New Delhi today. In the solemn, simple and touching flag-hoisting ceremony the green-red-gold flag broke at the mast with a choral rendition of the Bangladesh national anthem.
Tajuddin Ahmed, prime minister of Bangladesh, said at Mujibnagar today, “None can bring us freedom. We have to achieve it ourselves by shedding our blood.”
US Senator Charles Percy today called for the rights of self-determination of the people of Bangladesh. "The will of the electorate must be carried out," he said.
