Looking back at how Bangladesh was born and how Pakistan disintegrated

The beginning of 1970 saw political parties in Pakistan clamour for a return to democracy. On March 25, 1969 Field Marshal Ayub Khan, after nearly 11 years as President, abdicated in favour of General Yahya Khan who soon after taking over as President and Chief Martial Law Administrator announced that he would hold elections by the year end. In fact, Yahya Khan had no other option as the political atmosphere in both the wings of Pakistan, especially in the East, was volatile.

He had to face twin challenges to his newly acquired authority: from Zulfikar Bhutto of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in the West and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the leader of the Awami League in the West. The election schedule was announced for mid- December, but a month before the elections a severe cyclone struck East Pakistan, killing over two lakh people and uprooting nearly two million. The cyclone was used as an excuse by the military regime, supported by the PPP and some other parties of West Pakistan, to seek postponement of elections as they were aware, through intelligence inputs, that the Awami League will sweep the elections in the East which had greater number of seats than the West in the Pakistan Asembly.

But Mujibur Rahman and his Awami League, backed by some regional parties in the West, stoutly resisted the postponement, and were successful. Elections were held for both the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies. The PPP won 83 of the 144 seats of the National Assembly in West Pakistan. It also scored a clear majority in the Provincial Assemblies of Punjab and Sindh. The Awami League, while winning an overwhelming majority in the Provincial Assembly, bagged 167 out of 169 seats of National Assembly in East Pakistan. This gave Sheikh Mujibur Rehman the legal and constitutional right to form the government in Pakistan. In a press conference in Dacca on January 14, 1971 Yahya Khan called Mujib "the future Prime Minister of Pakistan" and stated that he would soon hand over the reins of power to "Sheikh Sahib."

Events that followed proved that Yahya Khan was only buying time. Bhutto had meanwhile declared in a press conference at Lahore that his party was not prepared to sit in the opposition benches of the National Assembly. While acknowledging that the Awami League had indeed won majority in the Provincial Assembly, he said no government of Pakistan can be constituted without participation of the PPP which had won with clear majority in Punjab and Sindh, the " two bastions of power."

The Sheikh responded by saying that the people of East Pakistan did not accept Punjab and Sindh as the bastions of power, and that the electoral verdict of people of Pakistan must be respected. The election manifesto of the Awami League had promised a new Constitution, providing for decentralization of power and autonomy for the provinces based on the declared six-point programme of his party. But Bhutto asserted that nothing was possible without the cooperation of his party.

After Yahya Khan had stated in Dacca that Sheikh Mujibur Rehman will be the Prime Minister, Bhutto declared that the government at the Centre would be a coalition that would decide who the Prime Minister would be on the basis of power sharing arrangements. Under pressure from the Awami League, and to maintain his internationally credibility Yahya Khan announced that the National Assembly would be convened at Dacca on March 3. Bhutto soon after declared that his party would not attend the session of the National Assembly in Dacca and threatened his party members would resign even before it met.

It is worth mentioning here that majority of political parties of West Pakistan did not support Bhutto in his obstructionist stand against the Awami League and his attempts to sabotage the process of restoration of democracy. According to JN Dixit, former Foreign Secretary, "Yahya had either become a pawn in the hands of Bhutto or a partner in the perfidious plans the politician had in mind." He went back on his assurance of convening the National Assembly on March 3 and declared two days earlier that in view of "lack of consensus" between the leaders of West and East Pakistan he had decided to postpone the session of the Assembly.

He also added that tension created by India in East Pakistan was another reason for postponement. India had merely welcomed the restoration of democracy in Pakistan and after the results had expressed the hope that a democratic government headed by Mujibur Rahman would assume charge.

There was widespread resentment against Yahya's decision to postpone the convening of the National Assembly. Awami Youth League members holding demonstrations in Dacca were fired upon which created more anger against the authorities. Mujibur Rahman announced a massive programme of civil disobedience that included a province-wide hartal each day from 3 to 7 March. He demanded withdrawal of army and police that was being deployed in all major cities.

A noteworthy development was that all political parties in West Pakistan, barring PPP and Muslim League, supported the Awami League and declared that election results must be respected and Mujibur Rahman made the Prime Minister. Malik Ghulam Jilani, convenor of the Punjab Pakistan Front Organising Committee declared " a decision is being forced on the country by the reckless and unsupportable ambition of one single person who claims to speak in the name of Pakistan although he has a clear majority in barely one of the four provinces of West Pakistan."

The massive support for Mujib in East Pakistan and support given to him by many parties in West Pakistan left Yahya Khan with no option but to recommence negotiations. He arrived in Dacca on March 15 after declaring on Pakistan radio that the National Assembly would be convened on March 25. Mujib had meanwhile declared in a public meeting that his party would attend the National Assembly provided these four conditions were met: withdrawal of troops to their barracks, holding of judicial inquiry into the killings by the military, the retraction of Martial Law, and the immediate transfer of power to the peoples' representatives.

He also reiterated in this meeting that was held on March 7 that both wings could remain united if things were settled peacefully. But under pressure from the student wing of his party Mujib made a declaration of independence if his demands were not met. He also announced a week-long programme of agitation from March 8 to put pressure on the military junta. He called for closure of all government offices, courts, schools and colleges and seaports. Mujib's speech of March 7 ushered in a new phase in the political movement of East Pakistan. He virtually took over the control of East Pakistan and flags of independent Bangladesh began to be displayed at the venue of his meetings.

When Yahya Khan arrived in Dacca to hold discussions with him, Mujib was in effective control of East Pakistan. Bhutto also joined the talks, but he had his own motive: ensuring that Yahya Khan did not succumb to Mujib's pressure which would thwart his ambitions. In fact, Bhutto wanted the talks to fail which would suit both him and Yahya Khan. They both tried to pressurize Mujib to tone down his demands, especially of autonomy and a new constitution. But the Tiger of Bengal refused and the talks came to an abrupt end.

By the morning of 25th both Yahya and Bhutto left Dacca. Within hours Yahya Khan imposed martial law in East Pakistan and ordered a military operation against the Awami League, especially its youth wing from the afternoon of 25th March. Pre-emptive measures were ordered against the East Bengal Regiment and East Pakistan Rifles of the Army. All East Pakistani police stations and barracks were surrounded by the Pakistan Army and neutralised. The military crackdown actually began in full swing on the midnight of 25-26 March.

After meeting front rank leaders of student wing of Awami League at his residence at midnight, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared East Pakistan an independent country to be called Bangladesh. As the Pakistan Army had captured all radio stations, Mujib's prerecorded message was broadcast from clandestine radio stations established in some districts of the country. Almost simultaneously Major Zia-ur-Rahman (who became President of Bangladesh in 1996- 97 ), who was commanding East Pakistan Regiment at Chhittagong, captured its radio station briefly and announced the establishment of independent Bangladesh, and appealed to all Bengali military, paramilitary and police personnel to resist the Pakistan Army. This radio message was broadcast at 1945 hrs on 26 March 1971 which is celebrated as the Independence Day of Bangladesh, even though actual freedom was to come 10 months later.

The Pakistan army let loose a reign of terror butchering lakhs of people, especially youth, students and teachers in Dacca, Chhittagong and many other towns where universities and student hostels were particularly targeted. Mujib was arrested and flown to Rawalpindi. India, and Indira Gandhi will soon enter the scene and change the course of history, and geography of Pakistan.

(The writer, an ex- Army officer, is a political analyst, columnist and Editor, The Secular Saviour)

Views expressed are personal