Tikka Khan: The Butcher of Bengal

General Tikka Khan, (7 July 1915 – 28 March 2002) was a four-star general in the Pakistan Army who served as the first Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army from 3 March 1972 to 1 March 1976. After retiring from the Army he was appointed to the cabinet position of Defense and Security Advisor in Prime Minister Z.A. Bhutto's administration. He, along with Secretary General of Defense Mr. Ghulam Ishaq Khan oversaw the genesis of Pakistan's nuclear weapons project in Kahuta according to Dr. A.Q. Khan. Coincidentally, the decision to construct A.Q. Khan's lab in Kahuta was made in the days of Gen Tikka who was from Kahuta.

Prior to Tikka's appointment, the Chief of Army Staff was known as Commander-in-Chief. Before the four-star assignment (in 1971), Tikka Khan was a Martial Law Administrator of erstwhile East-Pakistan (later, Bangladesh). He succeeded Air Commodore Mitty Masud, and assumed the command of Eastern Military High Command on 26 March 1971. As a Commander of Eastern Command, (then) Lieutenant-General Tikka Khan was the architect and top planner of Operation Searchlight, the systematic Genocide in Bangladesh. He is still remembered as the "Butcher of Bengal" for his ruthlessness against separatists and brutality inflicted in the erstwile East Pakistan, in the remaining Pakistan. He became Chief of the Army, Member of Bhutto's cabinet, Governor of a Province, leader of the Pakistan People's Party and buried with full military honors upon his death in Pakistan.

Radio Free Bangladesh

Free Bengal Radio Station) was the radio broadcasting centre of Bengali nationalist forces during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. This station played a vital role in liberation struggle, broadcasting the Declaration of Independence and increasing mental state of Bangladeshis during the war. In 1971, radio was the only media reaching to the far ends of Bangladesh. It ran a propaganda campaign through the war.

On 26 March 1971, just the day after the Operation Searchlight crackdown, when the brutal mass carnage by the Pakistani invaders plunged the nation into gloom and despair, at that critical juncture of history a voice was heard over Radio saying "SWADHIN BANGLA BIPLOBI BETAR KENDRA THEKE AMI MAJOR ZIA BALCHHI". With that broadcast the entire nation got back its confidence, courage of conviction and strong optimism. It was all possible because of the galant initiative taken by three young individuals Dr. Syed Anwar Ali, Engineer Ashikul Islam and Engineer Dilip Chandra Das[1] to start with 10 KW transmitter. Since then, during the whole period of Liberation War, Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra successfully carried out its intellectual war like an organized front and aired patriotic songs which greatly inspired the freedom fighters in their relentless fight against the Pakistan-led occupation forces, war news and talk shows to boost up people’s spirits. In the afternoon of 26 March 1971 a telegram containing the message of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman reached to one Dr. Syed Anwar Ali through some students in Chittagong. The message was translated to Bengali by Dr. Syed Anwar Ali's wife Dr. Manjula Anwar. She along with Dr. Syed Anwar Ali, Kazi Hosne Ara and two WAPDA engineers Mr. Ashikul Islam and Mr. Dilip Chandra Das in order to broadcast that message decided to cross over the Kalurghat Bridge to reach the local transmission centre controlled by the Bengali soldiers of the 8th East Bengal Regiment under Major Ziaur Rahman.

In his message Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called upon the people to resist the occupation forces.[2] Mujib was arrested on the night of 25–26 March 1971 at about 1:30 a.m. (as per Radio Pakistan’s news on 29 March 1971).

Operation Searchlight

Operation Searchlight (The Dark Night of Bangladesh) - March 25

Operation Search Light is a dark night of Bangladesh. It was a planned military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement East Pakistan in March 1971. This operation ordered by the central government in West Pakistan and it was seen as the sequel to "Operation Blitz" which had been launched in November 1970. The original plan envisioned taking control of the major cities on March 26, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military, within one month. Prolonged Bengali resistance was not anticipated by
the Pakistani planners. The operation also precipitated the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities and caused roughly 10 million refugees to flee to India.

These systematic killings enraged the Bengalis, who declared independence from Pakistan, to achieve the new state of Bangladesh with Indo-Soviet backing. The violence resulting from Operation Searchlight led to the war of liberation by the Mukti Bahini against Pakistani Army and Pakistani Rajakar forces in Bangladesh. Following the ill fated Operation Chengiz Khan, Indian intervention resulted in the Pakistani Army's unconditional surrender to the joint command of the Indian Army and Mukti Bahini on December 16, 1971.

In the 1970 Pakistan parliamentary elections, when the Awami League had won a decisive majority (167 seats out of 300 seats), the Bengali people expected a swift transfer of power to the Awami League based on the Six Point Programme. On February 28, 1971, Yahya Khan (the President of Pakistan), under the pressure of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, postponed the national assembly meeting scheduled for March. The PPP (Pakistan Peoples Party) has already started lobbying to weaken the stand of Sheikh Mujeeb, and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was heard saying that he wanted the Bengalis to stay away. The Awami League, in response to the adjournment, launched a program of non-cooperation (largely outlined in the March 7th Awami League rally) which was so successful that the authority of the Pakistan government became limited to the cantonments and government institutions in East Pakistan.

Clashes between the Bengali people and the Pakistani Army, and between Bengali and Bihari communities erupted and became commonplace. President Yahya Khan flew to Dhaka in March to hold talks with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (leader of the Awami League) and was later joined by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, after the leader of Pakistan Peoples Party, which had secured the second largest share of seats in the elections. Unwilling to transfer power to the Awami League (fearing a transfer of power would erode the dominance of the Pakistan Peoples Party in the west), or to lose face by backing down in face of the non-cooperation movement, the Pakistani generals, most of which including Gul Hassan Khan supported the Pakistan Peoples Party, finally decided on a military crackdown.

The plan was drawn up in March 1971 by Major General Khadim Hussain Raza and Major General Rao Farman Ali, as a follow-up of decisions taken at a meeting of the Pakistani army staff on 22 February. The 16th infantry division from Quetta and the 9th division from Kharian, West Pakistan, were ordered to prepare to move to East Pakistan in mid-February also as a result of that meeting. The Operation was to start on the night of March 25, 1971 in Dacca, and other garrisons were to be alerted via phone about their zero hour to start their activities. General Farman Ali commanded the forces in Dhaka, while the rest of the province was commanded by General Khadim. Lt. General Tikka Khan and his staff were present in the 31st field command center, to supervise and support the command staff of the 14th division.

As outlined by the Pakistani planners, the operation aimed to eliminate the Awami League apparatus and any civilians and personnel of the armed forces supporting the Awami League movement in defiance of martial law. Cunning, surprise, deception and speed were emphasized as crucial for success. Use of free and greater force was authorized. Search and assault of civilian areas and Hindu areas also were authorized. So, they have some requirements for their success. The requirements are given below:

1.    Operation to be launched simultaneously all across East Pakistan (PresentBangladesh).
2.    Maximum number of political and student leaders and those among cultural organizations and teaching staff to be arrested or fired.
3.    Operation must achieve 100% success in Dhaka. (Dhaka University would be occupied and searched).
4.    Free and greater use of fire authorized for securing cantonments.
5.    All internal and international communications to be cut off, including telephone, television, radio and telegraph.
6.    All Bengali (East Pakistani) troops to be neutralized by seizing weapons and ammunition.
7.    To deceive the Awami League, President Yahiya Khan to pretend to continue dialogue, even if Mr. Bhutto disagrees, and to agree to Awami League demands.

The planned and designated centers of offensive operations under that plan wereDhaka, Khulna, Chittagong, Comilla, Jessore, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Saidpur andSylhet areas, where West Pakistani army units were concentrated. Pakistani Army units and paramilitary elements in other areas of East Pakistan were to maintain control of their respective areas and await reinforcements during the initial phase of the operation. Once Dhaka had been secured, the 9th and 16th divisions from Pakistan were to be airlifted into East Pakistan as reinforcements. Cities with airfields (Chittagong, Sylhet, Jessore, Rangpur, and Comilla) would be reinforced via C-130 airplanes or heliborne troops directly from Dhaka. Although the plan did not specify the time needed to subdue East Pakistan, it was assumed that after the arrest of the political leadership and disarming of the Bengali military and paramilitary units, civilians could be terrorized into submitting to martial law within a week. Lt. Gen. Tikka Khan estimated that no resistance would remain after April 10.

After that, when the Operation Search Light was started on the mid night of March 25, 1971 in East Pakistan (Present Bangladesh), the Pakistani Army and Pakistani Rajakar forces were killed many innocent public, students, civilians, children, political leader, political member, old people and many others and they were raped many Bengali girls and women. They were killed thousands of unarmed Bengali people in only one night. As a result of this night Bangladesh Liberation War was started with Mukti Bahini and which concluded with the unconditional surrender of Pakistan forces on December 16, 1971.

*taken from http://bangladeshcontinual.blogspot.com/2011/03/operation-searchlight-dark-night-of.html

OVERVIEW OF THE CHAPTERS

The book A Golden Age is a historiographic fiction that evolves with the gain and loss of a family. Rehana Haque is the protagonist of this novel. Her two children- Soheil and Maya get directly involved with the liberation war; Rehana out of her motherly affection tried to prevent her children from getting into the fight. Finally, all of them survive from the war’s brutal forces.

 The book, divided in 10 chapters, covers a decade. The final ten chapters span ten months. It opens in a dramatic fashion: “Dear husband, I lost my children today”.

The opening chapter (March 1959) glances at Rehana’s past life. Then we see her brother-in-law

Faiz and his wife Parveen take Rehana’s children to Pakistan. Also, Anam narrates some of her characters’ likings and disliking.

 (March 1971) touches the war of 1971. The whole East Pakistan (presently Bangladesh) agitated against West Pakistan. Meanwhile, Rehana got back her children, praying regularly for her late husband Iqbal along with her kids.

(25 March 1971) labelled as Operation Searchlight where the West Pakistani began massacre upon the innocent, unarmed East Pakistani. Rehana, Soheil, Maya, Sabeer, Silvi all feel restless and helpless in such a situation. At the end of this chapter, we get a historical proclamation of independence from Major Ziaur Rahman.

(April, Radio Free Bangladesh) Soheil gets involved with war. As an  affectionate mother, Rehana tries to prevent her son but fails. Later, her daughter also revolts against her own mother Rehana! Joining in war, liberating as well as contributing for the country is such excessive desires in that period. We see this reflection in Soheil and Maya’s eyes. The War occupies the backdrop of the narrative. In 

Chapter-5, ( June), Anam says 1 million refugees from Bangladesh took shelter in West Bengal and struggling there to survive for the basic needs. A bomb attack occurred in hotel Inter-continental (Sheraton Hotel), orchestrated by the freedom fighters. Apart from these incidents, in Rehana’s house an Army Major took shelter with whom she falls in love.

(June) Rehana describes her past life, her memories to the unknown major. Feeling lonely, she shares her everything with this stranger.

(July, red-tipped bird) is talking about a civilian’s restoration by Rehana. She takes some bold steps here to free a civilian called Sabeer (husband of Silvi) from the custody of West Pakistani. She could be killed, could be raped but remain safe.

(August, September and October) takes place in Salt-lake, West Bengal. Rehana moves there to observe her daughter, Maya’s activities. She stays there with a refugee camp, helps her daughter and others. She keeps herself busy with the young men and women, met with some known faces, experienced some tragedies etc. 

(November) is a reunion of mother, son and daughter. They return from several places. After many days, they pass some delightful moments though at last of this chapter Rehana lost the unknown Major.

16 December 1971, is the last chapter of A Golden Age. The closing chapter starts with a note of

hope: “Dear husband, the war will end today”.

Here we find Rehana’s brother-in-law Faiz who dooms for his collaboration with West

Pakistani. The novel ends with a hopeful letter-

Dear husband,

             Today I have come here to tell you how we survive… I know what I have done.

This war takes away so many boys only my son survives. This time so many girls burn only my

girl left.