What happened on Tuesday, March 9, 1971
Dhaka became a city of marches and processions. Students, teachers, workers’ organizations and political parties continued processions throughout the day.
On this day, the Communist Party of East Pakistan called for the establishment of an independent Bengal. Their pamphlet said that, ‘The people of Bangladesh today are determined to establish a separate and independent sovereign state in order to establish their rights and democracy’.
At a public meeting at Paltan Maidan this afternoon, NAP chief Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani announced amid great applause that, “Mr. Yahya, enough is enough. There is no benefit to increasing the bitterness. Accept the independence of East Bengal under the rule of “Lakum Dinukum Waliadin” (Quranic verse: For you is your religion, and for me is my religion). He further said, “If nothing is done within 25th March, as directed by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, I will join with Mujib to start a tumultuous movement, just like 1952.”
Addressing Sheikh Mujib, Bhasani said, “It is of far greater glory to be a hero of Bengal than to be the Prime Minister of Pakistan.”
At that huge rally in Paltan, the popular public figure and political leader further asserted, “Soon East Bengal will be independent.” He requested everyone to trust in Sheikh Mujib and said, “Sheikh Mujib is like my son, he will not betray us; Bengali people, trust Mujib because I know him well.” On this day, he also made a 14-point demand along with his speech.
Following the directives of the movement announced by Awami League chief Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, all government and semi-government offices, high courts and district courts, even the secretariat, went on strike. Only those government offices which Shiekh Mujib had instructed otherwise remained open.
On the same day, Chief Justice of the East Pakistan High Court BA Siddiqui refused to administer the oath of office as the Governor of East Pakistan to Lt. Gen. Tikka Khan. Though he gave the reason as being too ill, his refusal was thought to be a support to the existing movement.
Late at night, Islamabad issued the order to appoint Lt. General Tikka Khan as military ruler in the ‘Kha’ (east) region.
UN Secretary General U Thant directed the UN Deputy Resident Representative in Dhaka to withdraw UN staff and their families from East Pakistan if necessary. The Japanese Foreign Ministry also decided to withdraw its nationals from East Bengal. The West German government decided to send military aircraft to repatriate its citizens.
An emergency meeting of the central Bangladesh Student League was held at Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall Canteen of Dhaka University in the morning. The political proposal adopted in the meeting chaired by the president of the organization Noor- e – Alam Siddiqui approved the proposal of declaring ‘independent Bangladesh’ previously adopted in the student meeting of ‘Swadhin Bangladesh Chhatra Sangram Parishad’ (Independent Bangladesh Students action Committee) formed on March 2 at Bot tala (benian tree) of Dhaka University.
In the morning, when Bengali employees of the PIA came to Sheikh Mujib’s residence in Dhanmondi in a procession from Tejgaon Airport, he met with them.
On that day, an editorial in the Pakistan’s daily ‘Dainik Pakistan’ wrote, “The only way out of the crisis is to hand over power to the elected representative.”
President Yahya Khan’s visit to East Pakistan was announced on this day.
The people of Chittagong engaged in the strike and the non-cooperation movement clashed with non-Bengalis on Railway Colony and AK Khan Road around noon. In the afternoon, non-Bengalis staged a showdown with heavy weapons from Halishahar to Agrabad via Dewan Hat. The situation was getting worse.
On the other hand, the rehearsal of ’Gonosangeet’ (Songs that motivate masses) started at the office of ‘Chittagong Shilpa-Sahitya Parishad’ (platform of Chittagong’s Art-literature activists) on Chatteswari Road.
Military authorities imposed an eight-hour curfew in Rajshahi city from 9 pm. After the imposition of this daily curfew in Rajshahi for an indefinite period of time, a statement issued by the Awami League said that the reason for the sudden imposition of curfew in Rajshahi after the announcement that the army had been withdrawn to barracks was not understandable. The enactment of curfew was nothing but a provocation for the public. The statement called for the immediate lifting of the curfew.
Translated by Masuma Begum
Editorial contribution by Arghya Raihan
Researched, compiled & Edited by Sagar Lohani
Gratitude to Christina Rozario
Bangalianaa/SL
