After 1971 defeat, Bhutto dreamt of confederation

Even before the bloods of 30 million Bangalis had dried, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the villain behind the breakup of Pakistan and the political mastermind of genocide in 1971, had expressed an audacious proposal of Pakistan and Bangladesh uniting again.

Four days into Bangladesh’s birth and Pakistan’s humiliating defeat, Bhutto took over power in a coup and then in an address to the nation on December 20 said Pakistan should be united with its “east wing” meaning Bangladesh.

In his address, Bhutto said “he was prepared to open negotiations with leaders of ‘East Pakistan’ "for a loose" arrangement to live together.

But for that, he put what he said the ‘first precondition’ that all Indian troops should leave “East Pakistan’.

And then he tried his best to make his dream come true, which was slapped down by Bangabandhu. Actually had proposed to Bangabandhu Sheikh MujburRahman, who was still in confinement in Pakistan, a confederation of ‘east and west wings’.

The power hungry man who had devised ways not to let Mujib form government after the 1970 election that finally led to the brutal war had actually was vying to capture power of Pakistan from the very beginning which he eventually did after Pakistan lost the war.