March of 1971 was the most eventful and decisive month in the history of Bangladesh. It was in March that the cultural assertiveness that had resulted in the Ekushe February (21st February 1952) episode of 1952 took its most potent political form, and within months led to Bangladesh's independence. To fully understand the series of events that led to the birth of Bangladesh, it is important to understand the political events of the time.

Early in 1969, Pakistani president Ayub Khan stepped down, purportedly ending more than a decade of martial law. The first election in 22 years was held in Pakistan on December 7, 1970. The East Pakistan-based party Awami League, under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, won a clear majority, getting 160 (of 162) seats in the National Assembly. The Awami League also won 298 (of 310) seats in the East Pakistan Assembly, including all ten seats that were quotas alloted for women. The Bengalis (East Pakistanis) were hopeful that finally a fair representative government could be formed.

This was not to be. Then-President Yahya Khan, in a radio broadcast on March 1st, 1971, postponed the meeting of the National Assembly, and there was an immediate reaction among the East Pakistan constituents. That same day, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave a speech to journalists, calling for a complete hartal (strike) in Dhaka the following day, and a province-wide hartal on March 3. Mujib also called for a public meeting, to be held on March 7. The government, in an effort to prevent the hartal, set a curfew from 7am till 7pm on March 2nd. Nevertheless, the hartal was observed, and thousands of Bengalis marched through the streets of Dhaka (and other towns), crying the slogan "Bir Bangali, astro dharo, Bangladesh shadhin koro" which translates as "Brave Bengalis, take up arms and liberate Bangaldesh." The police opened fire in the area known as Farm Gate, killing 9 people.

Also that day, there was a meeting on the Dhaka University campus, where the Central Student Union (DUCSU) Vice-President A. S. M. Abdur Rab, Student League VP Noore Alam Siddique, Student League General Secretary Shahjahan Shiraj and DUCSU GS Abdus Quddus Makhan delivered powerful speeches with rousing nationalistic slogans, and the new Bangladesh flag was hoisted. It was followed by a huge procession. The next day, March 3, President Yayha Khan attempted to pacify the Bengalis by inviting all the party heads to meet with him in one week. Awami League leader Mujib refused compromise his party's interests; instead, the scheduled province-wide hartal took place as planned, from 6am until 2pm. Three days later, on March 6, pres. Yahya Khan, in a radio speech, called for the National Assembly to meet on March 25th. He also appointed the notorious Lt. General Tikka Khan (known as the "Butcher of Baluchistan") as the Governor of East Pakistan, replacing Vice-Admiral Ahsan, and was also made Martial Law Administrator (MLA) of East Pakistan, replacing Lt. General Shahabzada Yaqub Khan. Essentially, a very dangerous man was given awesome powers over the Bengalis. He arrived in Dhaka on March 7, at the same time that A. A. K. Niazi (who was later to go down in history as the "Butcher of Bengal") was appointed East Pakistan Chief of Armed Forces.

On the afternoon of the 7th, Mujib gave an historic speech at the Ramna Race Course grounds. It was attended by some one million Bengalis (at a time when the population of Dhaka was 1.2 million). People who could not attend stood by their radios, as the speech was to be live cast. It was generally anticipated that Mujib would declare Bangladeshi independence in this speech; but Mujib learnt in time that there were orders to open fire on the crowds if such a delaration was made, and Mujib refrained from making such a declaration, although he obliquely referred to it. He also called for civil non-cooperation - as a result, offices closed for most of March, and the province's civil administration collapsed. Toward the end of his speech, Mujib declared "Ebarer shongram, mukteer shongram; e barer shongram, shadhinotar shongram" - "This revolution is for freedom, this revolution is the revolution for independence." Incidentally, the live broadcast was also cancelled by the government, and only aired the next day following massive protests at the cancellation.

On 9th March, East Pakistan again rose against the government seated in the West, when the judge, B. A. Siddiqui, refused to swear in Tikka Khan as new Governor. Pressure against president Yahya Khan came from the political front as well - a prominent figure, Moulana A. Hamid Khan Bhashani urged Yahya Khan to "free" the 70 million Bengalis under West Pakistani rule. By March 10, foreign nationals were already leaving East Pakistan in anticipation of greater troubles, and Mujib (of the Awami League) issued a statement to the United Nations, imploring that the very real "threat of genocide" against millions of Bengalis be averted. Many East Pakistani civil servants pledged their allegiance to Mujib and his party and its non-cooperation movement. These supporters agreed to each donate one day's salary toward Awami League's fund. At the same time, East Pakistan officers denounced the central government, and started their own. Amidst the rising tension, rumours flew of an imminent visit by Yahya Khan to the rebelling eastern province.

On 13th March, the Martial Law Administration issued order no. 115, demanding that all striking civil servants paid from the defense budget return to work by March 15, or risk ten years imprisonment. Two days later, Yahya Khan arrived in the East Pakistan capital city of Dhaka. At the same time, sporadic and random firings on Bengali civilians by the police continued. Student groups demanded that the Police be removed from the estern province. Khan and Mujib's summit on March 16 and 17 got nowhere as issues could not be resolved.

On the 19th, Bengalis in the Joydebpur area of Dhaka clashed with the army. This time, East Pakistani members of the Regiment refused to open fire on the unarmed public. This day also had the third unsuccesful meeting between the President and the Majority leader (Khan and Mujib). On March 20, another high-level meeting took place. In addition to Khan and Mujib, Syed Najrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, K. Moshtaque Ahmed, Mansoor Ali, Quamruzzaman and Dr. Kamal Hossain were also in attendance. These six men would later join Mujib in forming the new country's government upon independence. The meeting again failed to achieve any goal, and in all likelihood was just a strategy to give Tikka Khan and his staff some extra time to bring in munitions from the West. The Pakistani flag carrier, PIA, was flying soldiers and ammunitions to Dhaka in six or seven flights a day. Ammunition was also being delivered by ship to the southern port city of Chittagong. The Army was being mobilized.

On the 21st, Zulfiquar Ali Bhutto, whose Pakistan People's Party was the majority winner from the western province for seats in the National Assembly, arrived in Dhaka to meet with Khan and Mujib. The National Assembly meetings were further postponed. That same day saw the new flag of Bangladesh printed in papers across the province. March 23rd is Pakistan Day, and in a grand act of defiance, Bengalis across the eastern province burned the Pakistani flag and pictures of Pakistan's Founding Father, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Instead of the Pakistani flag being hoisted, it was the new Bangladesh flag rising from masts across East Pakistan even in the region's army headquarters.

On the 25th, Khan and Bhutto meet, and agree that the East Pakistani situation had become critical. Mujib also met with them in front of a crowd of international journalists. Later that day, it was learnt that Yahya Khan had stealthily left the province, leaving behind him orders for the Army to unleash an unprecedented attack on the Bengali people in a ruthless effort to suppress their move for independence. In the early hours of March 26th, the world watched in horror as the genocide that Mujib had earlier warned against began- men, women and children were indiscriminately killed. Women young and old were routinely raped. The Bengali students, in particular, and patriotic army officials, were targetted and hundreds upon hundreds of the state's most vocal patriots were eliminated. Many citizens fled in terror across the Indian border, to seek safety there, and India became highly involved in the war.

On March 26, from the Chittagong Radio Station, Awami League head of Chittagong, Abdul Hannan, urged everyone to rise in protest and fight against the brutality of the West Pakistani forces. That same day, numerous handbills were distributed, containing copies of a plea from Mujib (who was earlier arrested as a traitor), calling all citizens to be courageous and fight "with every last drop of blood" for the motherland which piece by piece was being occupied by terrorist militia. The after-mightnight genocidal attacks, the radio speech and the handbills from the patriotic Mujib combined brought nationalistic feelings to a fever pitch in East Bengal. March 26 was from then on considered Bangladesh's Independence Day.

On the 27th, Major Ziaur Rahman read a declaration of the independence from the Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro (Free Bengal Radio Station).

This was his speech that was broadcast three times:

The Government of the Soveriegn State of Bangladesh on behalf of our Great Leader Sheikh Mujubur Rahman, We hereby proclaim the independence of Bangladesh, and that the Government headed by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has already been formed. It is further proclaimed that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is the sole leader ro the elected representatives of Seventy five million People of Bangladesh and the Government headed by him is only legitimate Government ofthe people of the Independent Soveriegn state of Bangladesh, widh is legally and constitutionally formed, and is worthy of being recognised by all the govenments of the world. I therefore, appeal on behalf of our Great Leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to the Governments of all the democratic countries of the world, especially the Big Powers and the neighbouring countries to recognise the legal government of Bangladesh and take effective steps to stop immediately the aweful genocide that has been carried on by the army of occupation from Pakistan.... The guiding principle of a new state will be first neutrality, second peace and third friendship to all and enmity to none. May Allah help us. Joy Bangla.

War continued to wage for the next nine months, until the joint Bengali and Indian forces subdued the Pakistani army on December 16, 1971, Bangladesh's Victory Day.

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