call to default such payments. Long queues of terrorized non-Bengali speaking persons were seen at the Dacca airport demanding passages on PIA's overcrowded flights to eastern Pakistan. The telecommunications link between the eastern and four provinces in western Pakistan stopped functioning owing to the Awami League's civil disobedience movement. Emboldened extremists began to loot commercial establishments and traders at many places on an ever widening scale. Foreign nationals and United Nations personnel started an exodus from East Pakistan owing to mushrooming lawlessness. Troops avoided clashes with mobs and remained in their cantonments responding to the federal Government's instructions for utmost restraint. The Awami League's clamps on banking and commercial transactions between the eastern and the four western provinces and absence of inter-wing telecommunications paralyzed trade and industry. More reports of violence against non-Bengalis and spreading lawlessness were received from all over East Pakistan. Prisoners escaped from jails at more places.
MARCH 15–20
President Yahya Khan flew to Dacca on March 15 for talks with Mujibur Rahman in order to persuade him to attend the National Assembly session and end the civil disobedience movement. President Yahya Khan held talks with him in the President's House in Dacca. Later, a team of advisers to the President, including a former Chief Justice of Pakistan (Justice A. R. Cornelius), was designated to conduct talks with a team of negotiators appointed by Mujibur Rahman, continued to insist that his four pre-conditions Mujibur Rahman for attending the National Assembly session should be accepted. He also repeated his demand for full regional autonomy for East Pakistan under his six point programme. After talks with him, President Yahya Khan appointed a high-powered Commission of Inquiry, which included representatives of the Armed Forces, the East Pakistan civil administration and the Awami League to inquire into allegation of army and police shootings. But Mujibur Rahman announced that he was not satisfied with the inquiry commission and that he would not cooperate with it. In the meantime, talks between the President and Mujibur Rahman and their respective teams of advisers continued. More reports of violence and mob action from various parts of East Pakistan were confirmed. Troops remained in barracks and came and came out only when large scale violence erupted. The extremist Student Action Group announced that the “Bengali" and not the Pakistani flag would be flown above schools, colleges, public buildings and stores from next Tuesday. Looting, lawlessness and terrorism continued to spread in many parts of East Pakistan and the civil administration continued to be blocked from functioning by the Awami League.
Trade and industry continued in disarray, the economy continued to suffer heavy losses. President Yahya Khan invited leaders of parliamentary groups from West Pakistan to come to Dacca for consultations with him in the light of his talks with the Awami League leaders and the constitutional formula proposed by the Awami League.
Reports of looting of guns from arms stores and the police armoury were received.
