Bhutto meets with Yahya upon his arrival in Dhaka

On the evening of 21 March, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto arrived in Dhaka and joined a meeting with President Yahya Khan, who had been engaged in discussions with Awami League Chief Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for several days.

Before his fifth meeting with President Yahya at the Governor’s House in the morning, Mujib briefly conferred with lawyer AK Brohi. Later, he attended the 70-minute meeting with Yahya, accompanied by his party’s general secretary, Tajuddin Ahmad.

Yahya had invited Bhutto to Dhaka to participate in the ongoing negotiations between the regime and the Awami League, which had been in progress since 16 March. However, the Awami League leadership remained skeptical about the discussions yielding any positive outcome for the Bengalis. They believed Bhutto’s involvement would further complicate matters but continued with the talks to avoid being blamed for their failure.

On 21 March, marking the 20th day of the non-cooperation movement, Dhaka was alive with processions of freedom-seeking protesters. Demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Joy Bangla,” “Padma Meghna Jamuna, Tomar Amar Thikana,” and “Bir Bangalee Ostro Dhoro, Bangladesh Swadhin Koro.”

In the afternoon, Sheikh Mujib addressed a massive gathering at his Dhanmondi residence, urging the public to remain vigilant against rumors and divisive tactics.

On the same day, the Swadhin Bangla Chhatra Sangram Parishad declared that 23 March, traditionally observed as Pakistan Day, would instead be marked as Resistance Day. Various political and social organizations expressed their support for this initiative. Additionally, the Swadhin Bangladesh Shromik Sangram Parishad announced a week-long campaign to boycott West Pakistani goods starting 23 March.

Meanwhile, National Awami Party (NAP) leader Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani addressed a large public meeting at Polo Ground in Chattogram. He dismissed the ongoing talks as futile and stated that since even the Chief Justice and government employees had lost faith in President Yahya, power should be handed over to Sheikh Mujib, the legitimate leader of the people.

Women activists from the Mahila Sangram Parishad urged former Bengali army officers and soldiers to form a paramilitary force, while enraged writers and artists staged a cultural protest at the Central Shaheed Minar.

In Joydebpur, where at least 20 people had been killed in army firing on 19 March, a curfew had been imposed to prevent public unrest. It was lifted for six hours on 21 March at noon but was reinstated indefinitely from 6:00 am the next day.

Bhutto arrived in Dhaka that evening, accompanied by 12 advisors. As his convoy made its way from the airport to Hotel Intercontinental, pedestrians on both sides of the road shouted anti-Bhutto slogans.

Upon reaching the hotel, Bhutto avoided journalists waiting in the lobby, heading straight to the elevator while his bodyguards prevented reporters from following him. Shortly after, he proceeded to the presidential palace under heavy security, where he held a private meeting with Yahya for over two hours.

On 21 March, all educational institutions and government, semi-government, and private offices in East Pakistan remained closed, except for banks, which operated solely to disburse employee salaries.

Tensions ran high among West Pakistani establishments as the demand for independence gained momentum among the masses in East Pakistan.