‘Equivalent of independence'
Bangabandhu's historic March 7 speech in declassified CIA docs
Bangalees won an overwhelming majority in the 1970 general elections. But the Pakistan military junta had chalked out a plan so as not to relinquish power. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was firm in his resolve that power must be handed over to Bangalees.
On March 1, 1971, president Yahya Khan suddenly suspended the inaugural session of the National Assembly. The news was electrifying to the common men in East Pakistan and in no time, there were crowds on the streets of Dhaka.
Mujib called a province-wide nonstop general strike that paralysed the country.
The military junta was unable to enforce their limited military plan -- Operation Blitz-in the face of a large-scale opposition. They started preparing for launching Operation Searchlight as Mujib was preparing for his historic March 7 rally.
Documents recently declassified by the CIA shed light on those days. The Daily Star today publishes one such document that claims Bangabandhu on March 3 told journalists “off the record” that he would announce at the rally “the equivalent of independence” for East Pakistan.