The implementation of provincial autonomy was the main area of disagreement between the Awami League, which won the 1970 election, and the Pakistan People's Party, which came in second. The Pakistan People's Party declined to contend for the opposition seat in the National Assembly and to wait another five years for a new election. Unfortunately, the West Pakistani authorities were reluctant to hand over power to the Bengalis. In that connection, Mujib and Yahya started their much-anticipated conversation on March 16, 1971. After granting the Pakistani army permission to slaughter and assault all Bengalis, Yahya left Dacca on the evening of March 25, just when it appeared that the parties involved had reached a fundamental settlement. The purpose of the article is to assess the events leading up to the Liberation War in Bangladesh and how they were reflected in The New York Times from March 1–25, 1971.