GENERAL YAQUB RESIGNS
General Yaqub, who had taken charge of East Pakistan from Governor Ahsan on March 1, 1971, sent his resignation by telegram on the morning of March 5, 1971. Siddiq Salik, then public relations officer in the Pakistan army at Dhaka, recounts the events leading to Yaqub s resignation in his book Witness to Surrender.
On March 4 General Yaqub rang up General Peerzada, principal staff officer to Yahya Khan, and told him to request the president to visit Dhaka without further delay. Peerzada, after having a word with Yahya, rang back and informed Yaqub that the president would be visiting Dhaka soon but the date is yet to be confirmed. The same night, around 9:10pm, Yahya rang Yaqub and said, I have changed my mind. I am not coming to Dhaka.