Mujib-Yahya talks head nowhere

Yahya-Mujib talks had began in Dhaka on March 16. But non-cooperation movement was continuing despite the table talks. Bangabandhu went to the President's House with a black flag fluttering on the flag stand of his white car. He, accompanied by senior party leaders including Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, Khondokar Moshtaq Ahmed, AHM Quamruzzaman and Dr Kamal Hossain, met the President and his delegation at the President's House. Yahya was surrounded by his Pakistani allies.
The then senior staff
    reporter of the daily Ittefaq covering the political developments at the time, Amir Hossain writes in the opening session, Bangabandhu and Yahya Khan had a closed-door discussion for an hour. Yahya explained the reasons behind the sudden postponement of the National Assembly session. But Bangabandhu refused to accept that explanation and condemned the postponement. Local and foreign journalists were waiting at the gate of the President's House. When Bangabandhu came out at the end of the first day's talks journalists tried to know the details from him. But Bangabandhu did not stop but later briefed the newsmen about the progress of the talks at his residence."
The talks were nothing but a mockery and ploy to kill time by the junta to launch the final assault on the Bengalis. On the other hand, Bangabandhu joined the talks on tactical and strategic grounds, he writes.
However, the spontaneous non-cooperation movement of Bengalis was going on.
The talks went on for the next few days. Bhutto waited anxiously in Karachi to be invited to participate in the parleys. It had been made obvious by the Awami League, even before Yahya arrived in Dhaka, that Bhutto was not welcome.
 "Pakistan's Peoples Party cannot be ignored in country's governance" Bhutto said in a press conference in Karachi on March 16. Minority party leaders in West Pakistan criticized Bhutto's speech, Air Marshal Asghar Khan said Bhutto has opposed the "grouping" of provinces in West Wing and on the other is suggesting the transfer of power to the "majority party in West Pakistan". "Politically there is no West Pakistan. There are four provinces in this Wing of the country. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is at present "holding the country together, because, if East Pakistan goes, West Pakistan will also disintegrate."
Prof Ghulam Azam, Amir of the Jama'at-i-Islami said that it had been crystal clear from the statement of Bhutto that he did not want to see Pakistan United. The Jama'at leader alleged that Bhutto had engaged himself in " a conspiracy" immediately after the last general elections to divide the nation to fulfill his desire. He made an appeal to the President "not to help Bhutto in any way to break Pakistan."
Prof Azam said that immediate lifting of Martial Law and transfer of power to the elected representatives of the people could only save the nation from crisis.
After the meeting, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in a press briefing told journalists that the discussion would continue until the goals were met.
Finally, Yahya invited People's Party Chairman ZA Bhutto to Dhaka on March 17.
On March 17 night, the next meeting date was announced. It was said that President Yahya Khan would meet Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on March 19.
On that night military men attacked trucks in Tejgaon and Mohakhali where they mugged money and tortured the unarmed men. The act of army turned people more angry towards West Pakistani rulers.
An aid consignment for Bangladeshis was intercepted in Chittagong and rerouted towards Karachi.
On March 17 discussion was again held. But neither the government nor the Awami League disclosed anything in detail.
Maulana Bhasani, on this day from a public meeting in Chittagong urged upon the people to observe March 23 as 'Swadheen Purbabangla Dibash' instead of observing the day as National Day of Pakistan. A five member enquiry committee was formed by the government consisting of a Justice nominated by the Chief Justice of the High Court, an army officer of the rank of a brigadier, a CSP officer, one police officer and an officer of the EPR of the rank of a colonel to make an enquiry into the reasons of calling of the army and the killing of the people.
On this day in 1971, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman met the then Pakistan's President Yahya Khan at the latter's residence to resolve the ongoing crisis for the second consecutive day.
That meeting went on for about an hour.
After the meeting, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in a press briefing told journalists that the discussion would continue until the goals were met.