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| 1971, March 1 |
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| Although the newly elected National Assembly was scheduled to meet, Bhutto demanded that it be postponed, and Yahya Khan agreed. In protest, Mujib in early March called upon the people of East Pakistan to strike. | 1 |
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| March 23 |
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| On Pakistan Day, the Bangladesh flag was raised, setting the stage for secession (See Bangladesh). | 2 |
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| March 25–26 |
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| Talks broke down between Pakistan's leader Yahya Khan and Mujibur Rahman; the Pakistani military moved into East Pakistan. | 3 |
| Dacca University students were killed. Mujibur Rahman was arrested and brought to West Pakistan. In his absence, and to protest his imprisonment, Maj. Ziaur Rahman announced on the radio the formation of the provisional government of Bangladesh. An underground army, the Mukti Bahini, supplied with arms from India, began operating from across the Indian border. In the face of large numbers of civilian deaths, almost 10 million refugees flooded into India. | 4 |
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| Nov |
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| The Indian army invaded East Pakistan (See Nov. 23). | 5 |
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| Dec. 15 |
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| The Instrument of Surrender was signed by India's chief of staff Gen. Sam Manekshaw and Pakistani general, Niazi. Ninety thousand troops were captured. | 6 |
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| Dec. 20 |
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| Pakistan emerged from the war with less than half its population and its army and economy on the brink of collapse. When president of Pakistan Yahya resigned, Bhutto took over as president and chief martial law administrator. | 7 |
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| Dec. 21 |
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| Mujibur Rahman was released from jail in Pakistan and allowed to return to Bangladesh two weeks later. | 8 |
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