পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (সপ্তম খণ্ড).pdf/৩৩২

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বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র : সপ্তম খণ্ড
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simple majority or by a larger one, etc.). The mandate of the Assembly under the LFO was to secure a new Constitution within 120 days. By the end of February, however, as negotiations deadlocked, Mr. Bhutto appealed for additional time for joint consultations before the Assembly met to resolve the constitutional making issues.

 At this point, the chronology of events in March begins

MARCH 1, 1971

 President Yahya Khan announced postponement of the inaugural session of the National Assembly scheduled for March 3 to a later date in order to give more time to political leaders to hold discussions and arrive at a reasonable compromise on the modalities of constitution-making. In a nationwide statement, the President recounted the steps that he had taken to hold elections to the national and provincial assemblies in order to transfer power to the peoples elected representatives—a promise that he made to the nation when he became President on March 25, 1969. He reiterated his determination to keep his promise.

MARCH 2

 The President of the Awami League, Mujibur Rahman criticized the postponement of the National Assembly's inaugural session, and called for a general strike in East Pakistan to protest against the postponement. A complete strike was observed in the provincial capitality of Dacca in response to his call. Cases of looting, arson and violence were reported from Dacca and some other places in the province. Shops owned by non-Bengali traders were looted” There was a complete shutdown of transportation, business, and industry and air services in East Pakistan. Mujibur Rahman reiterated that he would launch a mass civil disobedience or noncooperation movement against the federal government in view of the National Assembly session's postponement. He called for a province-wide general strike on March 3 and announced that he would unfold his action programme in a public meeting on March 7. Steel helmeted riot police patrolled Dacca city as violence erupted in some parts, in the afternoon and later in the evening. Curfew was imposed in Dacca in the night owing to violence and looting by Mujibur Rahman's followers.

MARCH 3

 President Yahya Khan today issued personal invitations to 12 elected leaders of all the parliamentary groups in the National Assembly to meet him in Dacca on March 10 for talks for resolving the impasse on constitution making. He said that he expected that the National Assembly would convene soon after the proposed roundtable-conference of parliamentary leaders called by him in run on Dacca. Most other political leaders invited to the conference accepted the invitation but Mujibur Rahman, the Awami League chief, rejected President Yahya's invitation to attend the Dacca round-table-conference.

 In East Pakistan, a general strike was observed in Dacca and Narayanganj in response to the province-wide strike call given by Mujibur Rahman. Many cases of arson and looting were reported. Commercial establishments owned by non-Bengalis continued to


  Biharis and others who form a minority of more than 5,000,000 people in East Pakistan