Following his decision to boycott the Assembly, Mr. Bhutto launched a campaign of intimidation against another parties in West Pakistan to prevent them from attending the session. In this task, there is evidence that Lt. Gen. Umer, Chairman of the National Security Council and close associate of Yahya, with a view to strengthening Mr. Bhutto's hand, personally pressurized various West Wing leaders not to attend the Assembly. In spite of this display of pressure tactics by Mr. Bhutto and L1 Gen. Umer, all members of the National Assembly from West Pakistan, except the PPP and the Qayyum Muslim League had booked their seats to East Pakistan, for the session of 3rd March.
Within the QML itself, half their members had booked their seats and there were signs of revolt within the PPP where many members were wanting to come to Dacca. Faced with the breakdown of this joint front against Bangladesh, General Yahya obliged Mr. Bhutto on 1st March by postponing the Assembly, not for any finite period, but sine die. Moreover he dismissed the Governor of East Pakistan, Admiral S. M. Ahsan, who was believed to be one of the moderates in his administration. The Cabinet with its component of Bengalis was also dismissed so that all power was concentrated in the hands of the West Wing military Junta.
In these circumstances Yahya's gesture could not be seen as anything but an attempt to frustrate the popular will by colluding with Mr. Bhutto. The National Assembly was the only forum where Bangladesh could assert its voice and political strength, and to frustrate this was a clear indication that Parliament was not to be the real source of power in Pakistan.
The reaction to the postponement in Bangladesh was inevitable and spontaneous and throughout the land people took to the streets to record their protest at this arbitrary act. People now felt sure that Yahya never really intended to transfer power. and was making a mockery of parliamentary politics. The popular mood felt that the rights of Bangladesh could never be realized within the framework of Pakistan, where Yahya could so blatantly frustrate the summoning of an Assembly proclaimed by his own writ and urged that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman must go for full independence.
Sheikh Mujib however continued to seek a political settlement. In calling for programme of non-cooperation on 3rd March he chose the weapon of peaceful confrontation against the army of occupation as an attempt to bring them to their senses. This was in itself a major gesture in the face of the cold-blooded firing on unarmed demonstrators on the 2nd and 3rd March which had already led to over a thousand casualties.
The course of the non-cooperation movement is now a part of history. Never in the course of any liberation struggle has non-cooperation been carried to the limits, attained within Bangladesh between 1st and 25th March. Non-cooperation was total. No judge of the High Court could be found to administer the oath of office to the new Governor. Lt. General Tikka Khan. The entire civilian administration including the police and the Civil Service of Pakistan, refused to attend office. The people stopped supply of food to the army. Even the civilian employees of the Defense establishment joined the boycott.
