Abstract

The separation of East Pakistan in 1971 represents one of the most consequential strategic failures in South Asian history. While military defeat and political conflict have received extensive scholarly attention, comparatively less emphasis has been placed on the intelligence failures, threat perception errors, strategic misjudgments, organizational deficiencies, and decision-making weaknesses that contributed to the crisis. The Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report, although primarily known for examining military and political accountability, also provides important insights into failures of intelligence assessment, strategic forecasting, institutional coordination, crisis management, and national security governance.