The Making of Martyrs in India, Pakistan & Bangladesh: Indira, Bhutto & Mujib by Faisal Khosa

Author:Faisal Khosa [Khosa, Faisal]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789388630849
Google: 8_mZzgEACAAJ
Publisher: Bloomsbury India
Published: 2021-11-15T23:14:54.975962+00:00

In the wake of violent protests across West Pakistan, Yahya had no choice but to resign in the aftermath of the Bangladesh debacle. Bhutto, who led the most influential political party in West Pakistan, replaced Yahya Khan as the president and the first civilian chief martial law administrator on 20 December 1971.46 One week after Bhutto took charge, he himself had driven after sundown to a well-guarded army bungalow near the military airport. Mujib had been flown there the day before by helicopter from his prison cell; he had not read the newspaper, nor listened to the radio since his arrest in Dhaka in late March 1971.47 In an interview aired on Pakistan television in 2015, Raja Anar Khan, who was an intelligence officer disguised as a convict who served Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the jail during his incarceration in 1971, revealed that Mujib was totally unaware of the developments outside the jail premises including the start of the third Indo-Pak War. According to Raja Anar Khan, ‘President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto came to meet Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Rest House on 23 December 1971.’ After greeting each other, Bhutto sat on a sofa. Mujib sat by his side. Mujib started the conversation.48

Mujib: ‘Ap kaise?’ (What brings you here?)

Bhutto: ‘I am the President and Chief Marshal Law Administrator of Pakistan.’

Mujib: ‘How come?’

Bhutto: ‘East Pakistan has fallen and Pakistan surrendered to India. General Yahya Khan resigned.’

Mujib was outraged. He stood up and scornfully demanded. ‘How can it be? How can you be the president? You are a minority leader and I am the majority leader. I have the right to those positions, not you. Take me immediately to a radio or TV station, I will denounce all these and keep East Pakistan as before. I will nullify all these and fix everything.’

Bhutto: ‘Please calm down. This is the reality now. Sit down please.’

Mujib sat down. After a silence, Mujib expressed his disgust at Tajuddin Ahmed, Secretary General of Awami League and wartime Prime Minister based in India, and said that he suspected he would end up with something like this (in collaboration with India).

Before leaving, Bhutto asked what he could do for Mujib, the latter asked for TV, newspapers, radio, etc., which were immediately provided.

After Bhutto left, Mujib locked himself in his room. Raja Anar Khan and others got worried that Mujib might do something in desperation, given his earlier outbursts at the news of break up of Pakistan and Bhutto becoming the new leader. Khan finally succeeded in getting the door opened after repeated knocks and appeals to Mujib. Mujib then fell prostrate on a prayer mat and cried out (in Bangla), ‘Ya Allah, why all this happened? Oh God I never wanted it to be like this…’

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