DACCA: The Bangladesh Government last night [Aug 24] appointed a new Army Chief of Staff and announced the release of two prominent political prisoners. Maj-Gen. Ziaur Rah­man replaced Maj-Gen. K.M. Shafiullah as Staff Chief. Gen. Rahman was a Major in the Pakistani Army. Those released were Masihur Rahman, Secretary of the now defunct National Awami Party (Bhashani group), and Ali Ahad, chief of the Bangla Jatiya (National) League… . …[B]angladesh Radio, in a special bulletin … said Gen Ziaur Rahman had taken over from Maj-Gen. Shafiullah…. . …[G]en Ziaur Rahman … is regarded as a tough, right-wing, professional soldier who has always been popular with his men.

[A report from Islamabad adds,] Bangla­desh President Khondkar Mushtaq Ahmed has sent a message to Prime Minister Bhutto gratefully acknowledging spontaneous gestures from Pakistan and saying that his Government and people confidently looked forward to normalisation and the earliest opening of a new chapter between the two countries. The message, officially released here today [Aug 25], is in reply to messages the Bangladesh President received from the Prime Minister. — News agencies

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2025