Great Thoughts ... Yahya Khan was a Characterless Culprit, who caused Separation of East Pakistan from West. Bhutto and Mujib played their parts, Sadly.
It remined me a true joke of
Yahya Khan rather true story. I will request the
forum administrator not to delete this post it might help many as references.This I read in one Bengali defence related article long time before.
The name of the story is
"She kaler Dhaka sena chaoni" (Dacca Garrison in Those Days) written by some retired Brigadier (Bengali)who stayed and served in Pakistan Army in various stations and once was Stationed at Dacca Garrison. The inccident was may be before 1962.In those days in West Pakistan Kharian Cantonment was the best Cantonment and it was newly built having all the modern facilities. The officers(writer) after getting his Commission was posted some where at Azad Kashmir in the anti-aircraft Regiment. After serving few years he was posted to Kharia (near Sialkot). Now, he is being posted to Dacca Cantonment. Initially, he was very happy that he had been posted to his native land but after seeing Dacca Garrison he was completely dis-appointed. As per his version in those days The Eastern Command HQ was just establish in the present AHQ location and it was on three four tinshed building. The Divisional HQ(20 Infantry Division) was still located at the Old High Court building near Karzon Hall. But the new location is almost complete and ready to move. At that time this Division had four Brigade located at Rangpur, Jessore, Commilla and Dacca. East Bengal Centre was located at Chittagong. The Dacca Garrison was in between Tejgaon and Cormitolla Airports which was made during the Second World War by the Americans. Infact these airports were made due to military reason for the supply of armament to China through Dimapur(Imphal). In the Cantonment mainly there some taxi ways connecting to various areas. On the eastern side the main Central Ordinace Depo was located. There were only two officer messes one loacated at COD and another beside the present AHQ. In those days the areas inside Dacca area were not plain and there were lot of jungles and ponds and between the jungles there was a tiny brick soling road. There were hardly any pucca road other than the main road. During those there were lot of refugee camps inside Dacca Cantonment for the Assamee Muslim Refugees. The officer(writer) was posted to anti-aircraft Regiment. At that trime there was only one anti-aircraft regiment having each Battery stationed at Jessore and Chittagong.
So, one day a "Flash" message came from GHQ that Chief of the General Staff (CGS) intended to visit Dacca Cantonment very soon . Telephone message also came that it should also look like a military garrison. So the people were very busy to make the Dacca Cantonment to look like garrison. So day and night people started "chun com" and painting of trees and other important places. The General Officer Commanding (GOC) so long had been sleeping once he got the message he also started making the Dacca Cantonment to look like garrison. So finally he gave a round through out the whole area but he was not happy. He was thinking something special in order to please the incoming CGS. So, he visited the COD where he saw some old artillery guns placed at the corner of COD. He at once called the Artillerry officer (Commanding officer of anti-aircraft regiment) to inspect the guns. He inturn detailed the new officer (writer) to finally inspect the guns. He found that all these guns were ship mounted "2 pounder Pom Pom anti-aircraft gun". So all these anti aircraft were immediately placed in front of Eastern Command HQ, Divisional HQ and in front of flag staff house. Now the GOC is convinced that it looks like a real garrison. But unfortunately CGS never came it was cancelled. So what to do now, GOC at once gave an order that he wants to do administration inspection or annual fitness for war inspection of all units. One by one all units were inspected. Now the turn of artilleryt units comes. Here the commanding officer was Major Yezdani. He got commissioned during British times and belongs to "Mohajar". He used to call him "Dany". One day when all the people were busy for preparing inspection, he was roaming with the Subedar-Major (SM)in front of the office. He marked that one "mali" is cutting the upper waest portion of palm tree with a big knife. He then and there asked the SM what he was doing. Then SM replied that "Sir, this is known as tari and it is very testy". "tari" is a kind of juice of palm tree and after adding some medicine it can be made as local wine. One day Yezdani tested the "Tari", and he was very happy since than he never allowed the "mali" to carry these "Tari". So everyday people used to come to his house and had a party.
Finally the General Officer Commanding visited the unit of Major Yezdani. After taking the parade the necessary briefing started and then tea break. Dany cunningly kept one item of tea break as this "Tari". The GOC was taking one after another glass of "Tari' and it continued till 2 pm then the adjudant came to Commanding Officer and asked permission should the troops and officer to remain still standing for the inspection. Infact all the troops and officer remain standing till 2 "o" clock" with the hope that within few minutes the GOC would be comming for inspection but he(GOC) and Maj Dany was busy with "Tari". This session of taking "Tari" continued for more two three hours and it became a regular phenomina in the flag staff house. This was his way of commanding a troops in the then East Pakistan. This is the great General Aga Muhammad Yahya Khan. On that day I was listening to the speeches of Yahya Khan after the incident of 26 March 1971, he said, "
I have served in East Pakistan in various capacities, I know the people of Bengal more than them". And this was the "Nomuna".