Yahya Khan arrived in Dhaka

President Yahya Khan arrived in Dhaka on March 15, 1971 for talks with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the rest of the Awami League leadership. On his team were senior military officers of the junta as well as civilian members of the administration.
The head of state was escorted to President's House by a heavy contingent of the Pakistan army. Indeed, the only symbols of the state of Pakistan in Bangladesh were to be found in the cantonments and President's House. Elsewhere, the Bangladesh flag was seen atop every building, private as well as public.
In distant Peshawar, Air Marshal Asghar Khan called for an immediate transfer of power to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In his view, Mujib was Pakistan's last hope and unless he was allowed to take charge of the country, Pakistan would face a break-up.
He roundly condemned Z A Bhutto's demand of the previous day that power be transferred to the Awami League in East Pakistan and to the People's Party in West Pakistan. But Bhutto remained undeterred. He repeated his demand on the ground that, in his view, the principle of strict majority rule did not apply to Pakistan. He noted that no constitution could be framed by ignoring the interests of the people of West Pakistan. His comments drew flak from other politicians in the west wing, who thought he was advocating a new two-nation theory (following Jinnah's in the 1940s) in the country.
In Dhaka, Bangabandhu announced a new series of measures aimed at continuing the non-cooperation movement. He congratulated the people of Bangladesh for the resolute manner of their struggle and predicted that such determination could not go in vain.
Meanwhile, processions continued to march toward Bangabandhu's residence, asking him to declare independence and also to acquaint themselves with the new directives that were being issued by the Awami League every day.