Tikka Khan is junta’s new man in Dhaka

March 6, 1971 commenced with anticipation of what decision Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman would announce during his address at the Race Course public meeting the next day. All over East and West Pakistan, speculation was rife about a probable declaration of independence for Bangladesh by the Awami League chief, particularly against a background of the pressure he was under from his party and the students. Senior leaders of the party met at Bangabandhu's Dhanmondi 32 residence to weigh the pros and cons of what he would be stating on March 7. Meanwhile, East Pakistan was being administered through a series of directives from the Awami League. These directives were made public on behalf of the party by the party general secretary general Tajuddin Ahmed. Employees of state and private organizations had by March 6 demonstrated complete allegiance to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The Dhaka station of Radio Pakistan had already been calling itself Dhaka Betar since March 5. It planned to broadcast live Bangabandhu's address at the Race Course on March 7.

On the day, President Yahya Khan went on the national hook-up in Rawalpindi again, this time to announce a convening of the National Assembly in Dhaka on March 25. He and his regime were clearly worried that unless such a move was made, the possibility of Mujib's declaring independence for Bangladesh the next day would become all the greater. However, in the course of his address, General Yahya Khan sounded indignant and clearly seemed to be pinning the blame for the crisis on the Awami League. He noted that his efforts to call a round table conference on March 10 had not been accepted. And he made it clear, in what sounded like a threat, that as long as he was in charge, the Pakistan armed forces would do everything in their power to uphold the integrity and solidarity of Pakistan. The speech predictably did not go down well among Bengalis.

A significant development of the day was the appointment of Lt. General Tikka Khan, infamous as the Butcher of Baluchistan for his murderous operations against Baluch tribals in the early 1960s, as governor of East Pakistan. He would also be functioning as martial law administrator, zone B. The move came following the departure, in quick succession, of Admiral S.M. Ahsan from the position of governor and Lt. Gen. Sahibzada Yaqub Khan from the position of martial law administrator, zone B. Tikka Khan's efforts to be sworn in as governor, however, would be thwarted by East Pakistan High Court Chief Justice B.A. Siddiky's refusal to administer the oath of office to him against the background of an escalating nationalist movement in Bangladesh. But, of course, after the military crackdown on March 25, Tikka would be sworn in as governor by Siddiky.