| Commander of the Eastern Command | |
|---|---|
| چیف آف اسٹاف পাকিস্তানের পূর্বাঞ্চলীয় কমান্ডার | |
 Flag of the Pakistan Army | |
| Ministry of Defence | |
| Abbreviation | CEC |
| Member of | General Headquarters GHQ Army Eastern Command |
| Residence | Dacca Cantonment,East Pakistan, Pakistan(nowDhaka,Bangladesh) |
| Nominator | C-in-C Chief of the Army Staff (Pakistan) |
| Appointer | President of Pakistan |
| Term length | Not fixed |
| Precursor | None |
| Formation | 1969; 57 years ago (1969) |
| First holder | Sahabzada Yaqub Khan |
| Final holder | A.A.K. Niazi |
| Abolished | 16 December 1971; 54 years ago (1971-12-16) |
| Succession | Army Chief of Bangladesh |
TheCommander of the Eastern Command was the senior most appointment ofEastern Command of thePakistan Army. Headed by alieutenant general, the Commander Eastern Command's primary role was to overview the military operations and implementing orders ofGHQ in East Pakistan. The position was abolished following thePakistani Instrument of Surrender.
DuringYahya's tenure asPresident of Pakistan in 1969, he had established a corps size headquarter atDacca,East Pakistan. Though initially it was known as III Corps, it is mostly known asEastern Command. The first person to be appointed as Commander Eastern Command wasSahabzada Yaqub Khan.[1][2]
The last person who held this post wasA. A. K. Niazi, who took the command on 10th April 1971. He is often criticized for his military failure inBangladesh Liberation War, as Pakistan had lost a significant part of it.[3]
The Commander Eastern Command was the top military figure inEast Pakistan. His primary job was to keep peace, handle anti-rebellion efforts, protect the region and implement the direct orders fromGHQ. During the1971 conflict, his duties extended to fighting against theMukti Bahini & Pro Bengali rebels and working withEast Pakistan’s civilian government to protect the sovereignty and suppress themovement.[4][5]
The Commander reported directly to theChief of Staff, General Hamid Khan, in Rawalpindi and worked closely with the President of Pakistan, Yahya Khan and the central government. During martial law, the Commander of Eastern Command often held significant political authority in addition to their military role.[6]
| No. | Portrait | Commander Eastern Command | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Notable Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |  | Khan, YaqubLieutenant General Yaqub Khan (1920–2016) | 1 September 1969 | 7 March 1971 | 1 year, 187 days | Resigned from his post in March 1971 due to his opposition to the military crackdown inEast Pakistan. |
| 02 |  | Khan, TikkaLieutenant General Tikka Khan (1915–2002) | 7 March 1971 | 10 April 1971 | 34 days | Known as “Butcher of Bengal” for initiatingOperation Searchlight to suppress dissent. |
| 03 |  | Niazi, A.A.K.Lieutenant General A.A.K. Niazi (1915–2004) | 10 April 1971 | 16 December 1971 | 250 days | Commander during insurgency, Signed theinstrument of surrender, marking the end of East Pakistan. |