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Chapter 26 - Election Storm – The Point of No Return**

**Scene 1: The Devil's Wind – Cyclone Bhola Hits East Pakistan (November 12, 1970)**

*[Setting: Hatia Island. 150 mph winds shred bamboo huts. Bay of Bengal swallows villages.]*

**Fisherman Rafiq** *(clinging to palm tree)*: "Allah! The water is *eating* the land!"

A radio crackles through static: *"...President Yahya postpones polls in affected areas..."*

**Mujib** *(in Dhaka studio, slamming mic)*: "Half a million dead! And you delay justice? *Shame!*"

**Tajuddin** *(grabbing his arm)*: "Sheikh, not yet—they want us violent!"

Mujib's eyes burn: "Tell the people: On December 7, bury Pakistan *with your votes*."

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**Scene 2: Bhutto's Desert Mirage – Lahore Rally (November 20, 1970)**

*[Setting: Dust storm swirling over 200,000 supporters. Bhutto's white *shalwar* glows under floodlights.]*

**Bhutto** *(dramatically tearing Ayub's photo)*: "They gave Punjab's rivers to India! But I will *fight*!"

A farmer shouts: "What about *rotī*?"

**Bhutto** *(wiping brow)*: "Vote PPP, and I'll give you dams, tractors, *and* revenge on Delhi!"

Backstage, **General Gul Hassan** warns: "Yahya says don't threaten the army."

**Bhutto** *(grinning)*: "Threaten? I *own* them now."

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**Scene 3: Yahya's Drunken Gamble – President House, Rawalpindi (Night)**

*[Setting: Empty whisky bottles litter a map of East Pakistan. Yahya aims his pistol at Mujib's photo.]*

**General Peerzada** *(nervously)*: "Sir, Mujib will win 90% in the East."

**Yahya** *(firing, missing)*: "Let him! Then we'll say: *'Rule from Islamabad or burn'*."

**Admiral Ahsan** *(East Pakistan's Governor, pleading)*: "Accept Six Points! Save the union!"

**Yahya** *(throwing glass)*: "Union? That sewer of *bangals*? I'd rather break it!"

Ahsan leaves, whispering to aide: "Inform Mujib—Yahya plans to annul results."

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**Scene 4: Ink and Blood – Dhaka Polling Booth (December 7, 1970)**

*[Setting: Long queues in monsoon mud. A one-legged war veteran votes first.]*

**Hussain Ahmed** *(1971 martyr, dipping thumb in ink)*: "For my son's future—*Joy Bangla*."

**Punjabi Soldier** *(guarding booth, muttering)*: "Traitor."

**Tofael Ahmed** *(blocking him)*: "Look around, *razakar*! This is Bengal's answer to your guns!"

*Evening* – **Tajuddin** reads telegrams: "167 of 169 East Pakistan seats. Mujib's Awami League controls Parliament."

**Mujib** *(quietly)*: "Now we see if Pakistan believes in democracy."

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**Scene 5: Bhutto's Nightmare – PPP HQ Karachi (December 8, 1970)**

*[Setting: Bhutto stares at results: 81 West Pakistan seats—but 0 in East.]*

**J.A. Rahim** *(smoking nervously)*: "Mujib has absolute majority. He'll be PM."

**Bhutto** *(sweating)*: "A *bangal* ruling Punjab? Over my corpse!"

He snatches the phone: "Get Yahya! ... *Mr. President, suspend the assembly!* ... What? ... *Then I'll burn the West!*"

**Mubashir Hassan** *(writing in diary)*: "ZAB chooses fire over surrender."

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**Scene 6: The Hotel Intercontinental Trap – Dhaka (January 3, 1971)**

*[Setting: Frozen smiles over uneaten *biryani*. Mujib and Bhutto face each other.]*

**Bhutto** *(sweetly)*: "Sheikh Sahib, share power! You take East, I take West."

**Mujib** *(pushing Six Points pamphlet)*: "Parliament sits in *Dhaka*. Army halved. Currency control—"

**Bhutto** *(laughs coldly)*: "You want Pakistan's flag on a *bargain sale*?"

**Mujib** *(standing)*: "No. I want justice for the cyclone dead *you* ignored."

As Mujib leaves, **Bhutto** tells aide: "Call Yahya. Code: *Operation Broken Bird*."

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**Scene 7: Yahya's Cowardice – Military Conference (January 15, 1971)**

*[Setting: Generals watch Mujib's speech: *"This time, struggle is for freedom!"*]*

**General Tikka Khan** *(new East Pakistan Governor)*: "Let me crush him! 50,000 troops in Dhaka—"

**Admiral Ahsan** *(desperate)*: "Sir, negotiate! He'll compromise on—"

**Yahya** *(throwing bottle)*: "Compromise? *I am the law!*"

He points at Tikka: "You—go to Dhaka. And *General Niazi*..."

**Niazi** *(eagerly)*: "Sir?"

**Yahya** *(slurring)*: "Prepare to *kill*... everything."

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**Scene 8: Bhutto's Ultimatum – Lahore Press Club (February 14, 1971)**

*[Setting] Reporters gasp as Bhutto lifts four fingers.*

**Bhutto**: "My Four Demands!

1. *No* National Assembly session in Dhaka!

2. Power *shared* with PPP!

3. Constitution *requires* West's approval!

4. Or..." *(dramatic pause)* "...*no PPP members attend!*"

**Reporter**: "But that voids Parliament!"

**Bhutto** *(smiling)*: "Exactly."

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**Scene 9: Mujib's Defiance – Race Course Maidan (March 1, 1971)**

*[Setting: 1 million Bengalis under monsoon clouds. Mujib wears black armband.]*

**Mujib**: "Yahya *postponed* Parliament! Why? Because *we* won!"

**Crowd**: "*Swadhin Bangla!*"

**Mujib** *(tearing Yahya's order)*: "From today—*hartal*! *No tax*! *Bengal governs itself!*"

**Student Leader ASM Abdur Rab** *(raising new flag)*: "Behold—*Bangladesh's* sun and map!"

**Tajuddin** *(to RAW agent)*: "Tell Delhi: Arms needed *now*."

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**Scene 10: The Ides of March – Governor's House Dhaka (March 15, 1971)**

*[Setting: Yahya's plane lands under guard. Mujib waits stone-faced.]*

**Yahya** *(fake cheer)*: "Sheikh! Let's draft a deal!"

**Mujib** *(sliding paper)*: "My terms: Lift martial law *now*. Parliament meets *March 25*."

**Yahya** *(scribbling)*: "Done! Now... curb these protests, eh?"

*As Yahya flies west, he tells Tikka:* "Finish it on the 25th."

**Tikka** *(saluting)*: "*Khoon ke nadiyan baha denge.*" (We'll make rivers of blood)

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**Scene 11: The Last Illusion – Dhaka Talks (March 20, 1971)**

*[Setting] Bhutto arrives, embracing Mujib for cameras.*

**Bhutto** *(whispering)*: "Accept my Four Demands, or I'll *break your legs*."

**Mujib** *(to press)*: "We... *progress*."

*Alone, he tells Tajuddin:* "Warn the *Mukti Bahini*. The jackals come."

**Tajuddin**: "How long?"

**Mujib** *(looking west)*: "Five days. Then... *freedom or grave*."

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