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.
In a press statement issued on March 10, 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman urged the UN chief to take action to avert the threat of genocide in East Pakistan.
Tikka Khan was handed over the responsibilities of both the governor and martial law administrator in East Pakistan. He was also the chief of Eastern Command. However, the all-powerful governor could not find a judge to swear him in as Justice BA Siddiqui, chief justice of the East Pakistan High Court, refused to administer the oath, citing “ill health” as the reason.
It was the afternoon of March 7, 1971 -- the day Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman made the historic speech that would resonate throughout the annals of history, changing its course forever.
Yahya Khan’s speech aired on Radio Pakistan on March 6, 1971, was both provocative and offensive. Blaming Sheikh Mujib and the Awami League for the deteriorating situation in East Pakistan, Yahya attributed the non-cooperation movement to the actions of a few individuals aiming to “destroy the homeland of millions of innocent Pakistanis.”
Air Marshal (Retd.) Asghar Khan, leader of the National Movement for Solidarity party, called on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at his Dhanmondi residence on March 5, 1971.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman issued a statement on March 4, 1971, requesting that government and non-government offices where employees had not yet been paid remain open between 2:30pm and 4:30pm to disburse salaries during the next two days of the hartal.
At a meeting organised at Paltan Maidan, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman urged the authorities to withdraw forces from the city and hand over power to the elected representatives of the people.
The Maldives cannot afford to overlook India entirely.
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The Biden administration appears to be isolating the murder plot.
