Khan (1917-2002), General Tikka

Infamously known as the “Butcher of Baluchistan” and the “Butcher of East Pakistan”, he was a graduate of Dehra Dun and was commissioned in 1939. During World War Two, he served on the Burmese and Italian front. At Independence, he became an officer in the Pakistan Army. He was promoted major General in 1962 and sent to suppress the unrest in the province of Baluchistan. He was appointed Governor of East Pakistan to quell insurgency on March 4, 1971. When the Chief Justice refused to swear him in, he assumed charge on 9 March by presidential fiat. General Tikka Khan carried out the controversial military action at midnight on March 25, 1971. Under his command, the military carried out an assault on Dhaka University and Old Dhaka, which left thousands of Bengalis dead. He scandalized the country by stating that ‘only’ thirty thousand Bengalis had been killed. On September 2, he was recalled and replaced as Governor of East Pakistan by Dr. Abdul Malik and as General Officer Commanding by Lt. Gen. A.A.K. Niazi.