Indomitable March: Yahya blames Bangalees
March 20, 1971
The fourth round of talks between Yahya and Mujib was held.
Bangabandhu was joined by his colleagues -- Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, Khondokar Moshtaque Ahmed, M Mansur Ali, and Kamal Hossain.
The meeting began with a heated debate where Bangabandhu brought up the military attack on civilians in Joydevpur.
Yahya claimed that it was the Bangalees' fault the attack took place because they had blocked the movement of troops. In his response, Bangabandhu suggested that, in such a volatile time, the army must stay in their barracks.
However, after the meeting, Bangabandhu reported "some progress". It was the first time he had acknowledged progress.
However, he remained secretive about the formulas being discussed to meet his demands.
Mujib said he would meet with the president again on March 22, 1971.
Nineteen days into the non-cooperation movement in East Pakistan, peaceful protests continued.
Bangabandhu, in a press statement, urged everyone to continue the movement in a disciplined and peaceful manner until freedom was achieved.
BHUTTO'S ABOUT-TURN
Following the Yahya-Mujib talk, Bhutto in Karachi said he had received clarifications, upon his own request, from the president concerning his role in the negotiations.
He indicated that he would discuss with the president and Sheikh Mujib regarding the participation of his Pakistan People's Party in an interim government.
He also informed that he and a team of constitutional and economic experts would depart the next day.
Earlier, Bhutto had rejected the president's invitation to come to Dhaka.
In his memoir, he recalled that Yahya had sent him a message on the night of March 16 to come to Dhaka on March 19. He replied that he would come if he could negotiate face-to-face with Mujib and requested a response from the president in this regard.
On March 18, he received another message from General Peerzada, the president's principal staff officer, to join the Dhaka talks. Bhutto again refused.
However, as the discussions appeared to take a significant turn with the president's economic advisers being summoned to Dhaka, Bhutto changed his position.
He informed the president that his party, PPP, could in no way be left out of a governing coalition, be it interim or permanent. On the evening of March 19, he received a message from Yahya indicating that Mujib was prepared to hold discussions.
[Richard Sisson and Leo E. Rose, War and Secession: Pakistan, India, and the Creation of Bangladesh, UCP, 1990, pp. 119-120]
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