Bengalis wrest control of East Pakistan

The Pakistan authorities and Yahya Khan's central government had virtually lost all control over East Pakistan as Bengali protesters took over Dhaka streets and established control over East Pakistan on March 5 of 1971.
Public demonstrations
against Pakistani ruler turned Chattogram (erstwhile Chittagong) into a virtual volcano. It all began when Bengali demonstrators took out a procession through Bihari inhabited areas of the port city. At least 300 people were killed in army actions on protesters. Army was withdrawn to the barracks but protests in the Eastern Wing of the country continued. Police firings in Tongi and Rajshahi were also reported.
Situation in Dhaka city was further aggravated when, on the fifth day of hartal, curfew was imposed in Rangpur. Elsewhere, security forces and army resorted to gunfire in Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna and Tongi.
In Tongi, four labourers were killed and 25 were injured. Encouragement also came from Tikka Khan, 'Give me enough force and I will crush them in 48 hours.' Accordingly, Yahya Khan ordered the massive airlift to begin.
The Pakistan regime was on the brink of paralysis due to the non-cooperation movement led by Bangabandhu. Offices, businesses, banks, educational institutions and other establishments operated themselves as per Bangabandhu's directives.
Student leaders established sangram committees across the country to organize and lead the movement with discipline and unity, and to make liaison between the local committees and the sangram committee, it (the sangram committee) was formed by the initiative of Sarbadaliya Chhatra Samaj in all the educational institutions in the district, sub-division, thana, village and mahalla and in every labour inhabited area.
People from all walks of life came together at the residence of the Awami League chief, on Dhanmondi Road-32, which had by then become the centre of political power house.
The instructions given by the AL on a regular basis were voiced by Tajuddin Ahmed, the party's general secretary.  That night, Bangabandhu completely denied a news broadcast on a foreign radio that "Sheikh Mujib is willing to share power with Bhutto", terming the news "ill motivated and a product of Bhutto's imagination."
After the meeting, People's Party spokesperson said that the reaction and response of the AL to the suspension of the National Committee meeting was utterly baseless and had no validity.
Even then, most West Pakistan political quarters stressed on fast transfer of power to the AL to prevent any political division. There was, however, no sign whatsoever from the regime of making that happen.
Instead, Yahya Khan was clear about what should be done -- provide necessary force, buy time for preparations, and then strike hard at the appropriate moment.
To make that happen, Gen Tikka Khan arrived in Dhaka to be sworn in as the Governor of East Pakistan.
To show their support for the democratic cause, citizens of all categories came together at the residence of the Awami League chief, on Dhanmondi Road-32, which had by then become the centre of political influence.
It was then that the National Awami Party, led by Prof Muzaffar Ahmed, pledged its full support for Awami League's movement.
Retired Air Marshall Asghar Khan reached Dhaka from Karachi in the evening to hold a meeting with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib, while in Rawalpindi, Pakistan People's Party Chairman Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto spoke to President Yahya, in the latter's residence, for more than five hours. After Bhutto and Yahya's meeting, the spokesperson for People's Party had stated that Awami League's reaction to the suspension of the National Committee meeting was utterly without reason.
Even then, all of West Pakistan's political quarters, except for a handful of rightwing politicians, were demanding a fast transfer of power to the Awami League to prevent political division in the country.
But there was no sign whatsoever of the Pakistani regime taking a step back in favour of a discussed settlement with Bangabandhu.