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.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman met President Yahya Khan this morning. He arrived at the President’s House in a car flying a black flag to mourn the death of those killed during the ongoing non-cooperation movement. It was an hourlong discussion.
President Yahya Khan arrived in Dhaka today. No local political leader went to the airport to meet him. All the entries of the airport were heavily guarded. Siddiq Salik, then public relations officer in the Pakistan army in Dhaka, recounts,
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party, said today at a public meeting in Karachi that if power was to be transferred to the people before any constitutional settlement, as demanded by Bangabandu, it should be transferred to the Awami League in the East and the PPP in the West.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s demands received wide approval in both wings of Pakistan.
BBC today reported that Pakistan President Yahya Khan would visit Dhaka soon with a “package deal” to resolve the ongoing crisis in East Pakistan. The report also indicated a handover of power to elected representatives before the commencement of the National Assembly session.
In a telegram sent to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on March 11, 1971, Bhutto expressed his willingness to come to Dhaka immediately to work out a solution so that the National Assembly session could be held soon. He urged Bangabandhu to work together to build a “new system” where there would be no discrimination among provinces as well as among citizens.
In a press statement issued on March 10, 1971, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman urged the UN Secretary General to take action to avert the threat of genocide in East Pakistan.
Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani addressed a mass gathering at Paltan Maidan on March 9. In his address, he proclaimed full support to the ongoing non-cooperation movement and called upon the people to continue the struggle unless success was achieved.
Tikka Khan was handed over responsibilities of both the governor and martial law administrations in East Pakistan. He was also the commander
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.
