A large number of MNAS, MPAs arrived Agartala from Chittagong, Noakhali and Comilla. They all pressed me to form a Provisional Government so that we could officially negotiate with the Government of India. But I refused as none of the Senior Leaders like Syed Nazrul Islam, Khondakar Munshtaque, Tajuddin Ahamed, Kamruzzaman, Mansur Ali etc. have arrived yet. It was their prerogative to form a Government in the absence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
I was then taken to the Chief Minister of Tripura, Mr. Sachindra Singha. Hc immediately talked to Mrs. Gandhi on phone. After discussion he suggested that I should go to New Delhi for talks. That day Dr. Anisur Rahman and Prof. Rahman Sobhan reached Agartala. I requested them also to accompany. So passage was arranged for us under assumed Hindu names. After we arrived Delhi I was taken to house where Officers from Home and Foreign Ministry and also Dr. Triguna Sen, ex-Education Minister and others met me. An appointment was made with the Prime Minister for the following. In the evening I was told another leader from Bangladesh has arrived there. To my pleasure and relief I found Mr. Tajuddin accompanied by Barrister Amirul Islam. I talked to them for a while and requested Mr. Tajuddin to meet the Prime Minister so that I could fly back to the front to our forces next morning which I did.
Few days later M/s. Tajuddin and Amirul Islam arrived Agartala. By that time Syed Nazrul Islam and Khondakar Mushtaque Ahmed also arrived Agartala. The question of forming a Government was then taken up seriously. We expected that Syed Nazrul Islam, being next to Sheikh Mujib as 1st Vice-President, will head the Government as Prime Minister but Mr. Tajuddin said he had already told Mrs. Gandhi that he was the Prime Minister and our creditability will be gone if we change it. Khandakar Mushtaque Ahmed did not agree and most of MNAs also disagreed. As a result a deadlock arose.
All morning went. Everybody was getting impatient. At that point I went to Sayed Nazrul Islam and asked what was his final stand. He said when Mr. Tajuddin wants to be Prime Minister let him be in the interest of the movement. I have no personal ambition. It was decided that they will all go back to Calcutta and have the Cabinet announced there and then come back to Agartala.
Meantime thousands of refugees started arriving Agartala. They had to be identified, provided accommodation and food. We were given a room to set up an office which came to be known as “Joy Bangla” Office. We started registering all refugees and giving them identity cards. Camps were being set up all around Agartala. An MNA or MPA was put in charge of each camp. Rations were arranged. While doing these the uppermost anxiety in our mind was how to fight back the Pakistani and with the war. Col. M. A. G Osmani, being the seniormost retired Army Officer was put in charge of the liberation Army. The whole front was divided into sectors and one Major was made the Sector Commander. Major Dutta in Sylhet Sector, Major Zia in Chittagong Sector, Major Khaled Mosharraf in Comilla Sector and Major Shafiullah in Mymensingh Sector in the Eastern zone. While they were all engaged in fighting in the front we were responsible for providing them with rations, tents and arms.
