পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (চতুর্দশ খণ্ড).pdf/৬২৬

এই পাতাটির মুদ্রণ সংশোধন করা প্রয়োজন।

594 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ চতুর্দশ খন্ড The Bengalis who saw the move as a conspiracy went wild and the Army was called to quell disturbances in Dacca. The Bengalis had lost their faith in the President and the first cries of Bangladesh were heard on the streets of Dacca. Life in the entire province was disrupted and as the cries of Bangladesh become louder the President flew to Dacca on March 16, with two alternative offers. (1) He said he was willing to restore power to the elected representatives of the people immediately if the Sheikh was willing to form a provisional national government at both centre and at provincial level or (2) He would restore power to provinces and an interim government led by the President himself would administer the day-to-day needs of the country until a constitution was framed. When President Yahya asked the Sheikh whether he was prepared to take Bhutto the leader of the largest West Pakistani party, into a central coalition government, the Sheikh cited democratic precedents and said that as the leader of the single larger party he must be allowed to select his own partners. Again his willingness to participate in the central affairs of Pakistan does not suggest that the Sheikh was planning secession. But the President succumbed to Mr. Bhutto's strident threats again and the proposal for a national government was dropped. As time began to run out the Sheikh and Yahya Khan agreed to the second compromise formula: immediate restoration of power at provincial level. The Sheikh asked the President to issue an immediate proclamation withdrawing martial law. and restoring power to East Pakistan and the four provinces of West Pakistan. The Sheikh agreed to the suggestion that the President could continue to administer an interim central government until a constitution was framed. As the soldiers supplied into battle dress in the barracks angry and frustrated Bengalis began to raise the flag of Bangladesh in Dacca. It was Bhutto who finally brougiu the President to take the decision which set East Bengal on fire. When the President put the Sheikh's proposal to the West Pakistan leader Mr. Bhutto pointed out that if martial law was withdrawn Pakistan would be broken up into five sovereign States the moment the President restored power to the provinces. He expressed the fear that Mujibur Rahman was trying to liquidate the central government. Because the President withdrew martial law he had no sanction to carry on as the head of State. Half convinced the President went back to Mujibur Rahman and expressed these fears. He promised Mujib that he would withdraw martial law the moment the Notional Assembly met and gave a central government some form of validity. Sheikh Mujib reiterated his demand for the immediate withdrawal of martial law and President Yahya now fully convinced that he was dealing with a traitor, turned to his generals. Taking events to their logical conclusion there is no doubt that the present holocaust was precipitated by President Yahya Khan when he postponed the Assembly without consulting the Bengalis, but even more so by Mr. Bhutto's deliberate decision to boycott the Assembly on March 3.