On this day in 1971
DECEMBER 20
Surrendered Pakistan General Niazi and General Rao Farman Ali taken to Kolkata from Dhaka by a special chartered flight.
The number of arrested Pakistani troops is 65,670 till the night of December 19, a spokesperson of Indian army’s eastern command announced. Another 8,000 troops detained in Chittagong garrison. And 20,000 other Pakistani bureaucrats, police also detained.
A few diplomats acknowledge their allegiance to Bangladesh today – Ehsanul Kabir, economic minister of Pakistan embassy in London; Muslehuddin Ahmad, commercial councillor in Paris, and Khairul Anam, second secretary in Brussels.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto takes over the presidency of Pakistan. In a radio speech he proudly declares a fight to reclaim “East Pakistan”.
Many army high officials including former president Yahya Khan, his chief of staff General Abdul Hamid Khan and security secretary Gulam Umar Khan are sent to retirement.
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