Notable battles in the 11 Sectors

‘We enticed a large number of enemy soldiers to a swamp and were able murder them in large numbers. I have used the word “murder” extensively. In regular warfare, the word murder is not used. Defeating the enemy is the main objective. But in this guerrilla fight, the identified enemy is a criminal in humanitarian terms. Murder, for him is only a fair sentence’ Lt Colonel Abu Taher, about killing the many Pakistani soldiers in the Kamalpur siege

‘Kill three million of them and the rest will eat out of our hands.’ Yahya Khan at the February conference, about the political threat posed by Bangalis

March

1: General Yahya Khan calls off the session of National Council to be held on March 3

7: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic address

9: Workers of Chittagong port refuse to unload weapons from the ship “Swat”

16: Yahya Khan starts negotiation with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

19: Nearly 50 people die as Pakistan Army opens fire on demonstrators at Jaydevpur

24: Pakistan Army opens fire on Bengali demonstrators in Syedpur, Rangpur and Chittagong. More than a thousand people are killed

25: Pakistan Army starts Operation Searchlight in Dhaka and rest of the country

26: At 1.15 AM, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is arrested by the Pakistani 3 commando unit Independence of Bangladesh is declared

31: Kushtia resistance begins

April

2: Jinjira massacre

6: The Blood Telegram

10: A provisional Bangladesh government-in-exile is formed

12: MAG Osmani takes up the command of Bangladesh Armed Forces

17: A provisional government-in-exile took oath in Baidyanathtala

18: Battle of Daruin, Comilla and Battle of Rangamati-Mahalchari waterway, Chittagong Hill Tracts

28: Tajuddin pleas for arms aid to neighbors May

5: Gopalpur massacre

15: Indian army starts aiding Mukti Bahini

20:The Chuknagar massacre takes place at Khulna where the Pakistan army kills nearly 10 thousand people

24: Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra finds home in Kolkata July

11–17: Sector Commanders Conference 1971

August

1: The Concert for Bangladesh

16: Operation Jackpot, Bangladesh naval commando operation

20: Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman’s

attempt to defect by hijacking a fighter

30: Pakistan Army crackdown on Dhaka guerrillas

September

5: Battle of Goahati, Jessore

28: Bangladesh Air Force starts functioning

October

13: Dhaka guerrillas kill Abdul Monem Khan, governor of East Pakistan

28: Battle of Dhalai Outpost, Srimongol

31: 4 day Battle of Dhalai starts: Indian attack from Tripura into East Pakistan to stop

Pakistani cross-border shelling

November

9: Six small ships constitute the first fleet of Bangladesh Navy

16: Battle of Ajmiriganj, an 18 hour encounter between Mukti Bahini and Pakistan army. A famous freedom fighter,Jagatjyoti Das, is martyred

20-21: Battle of Garibpur: Indian attack in Boyra salient in East Pakistan

21: Bangladesh Armed Forces is formed

November 22 to December 13, and sporadic fighting to December 16: Battle of Hilli: Indian attack on Bogra in East Pakistan

December (The 1971 Indo-Pakistan War)

3: Bangladesh Air Force destroys Pakistani oil depots. Pakistani air attacks on India result in India declaring war on Pakistan

6: Bhutan becomes the first country to recognize Bangladesh after India

Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendra becomes Bangladesh Betar

7: Liberation of Jessore, Sylhet and

Moulovi Bazar

9: Battle of Kushtia: Indian attack from West Bengal into East Pakistan, Chandpur and Daudkandi liberated

11: Liberation of Hilli, Mymenshingh, Kushtia and Noakhali. USS Enterprise is deployed by the USA in the Bay of Bengal to intimidate Indian Navy

13: Soviet Navy deploys a group of warships to counter USS Enterprise

14: Selective genocide of Bengali nationalist intellectuals Liberation of Bogra

16: End of the Bangladesh Liberation War

22: The provisional government of Bangladesh arrives in Dhaka from exile

SECTOR 1

Commander: Maj Ziaur Rahman, Captain Rafiqul Islam

Aug 28, Mirersarai: An FF group lead by Mizan mined a railway track around Mirersarai. At 8:45am, a train carrying Pakistani troops were derailed. 35 enemy soldiers were reportedly killed

Dec 9, Nazirhat: The guerrilla company operating in Nazirhat, lead by Lt. Shawkat, attacked Pakistanis. The freedom fighters killed 20 and inflicted heavy casualties. 5 of our soldiers were martyred and 3 were wounded.

Pak army surrendered on Dec 16, at Chittagong, Sitakundu and Kumira

SECTOR 2

Commander: Major Khaled Mosharraf, Major ATM Haider

Jun 7, Feni: While the Pak army was advancing towards Belunia, they confronted the K force, led by Brigadier Khaled Musharraf – after a day of fierce battle; the Muktibahini killed almost 60% people of an entire battalion. 300 bodies were found, many others washed off by the Chilonia river

Dec 15, Siege of Mynamoti cantonment: 9th Bengal regiment. 150 Pak soldiers surrendered and many fled. The ultimate surrender happened on Dec 16

SECTOR 3

Commander: Major KM Shafiullah, Captain ANM Nuruzzaman

Aug 7-16, Katiadi ambush: After an unsuccessful battle in Belabo, the Pak army was high in confidence. On Aug 16, Pakistani army was advancing towards Katiadi on a few steamers. The waiting S-force soldiers opened fire and destroyed many of these steamers. 143 Pak soldiers were reported dead, many fled. This ambush was lead by Habildar Akmal Ali

Dec 13-16: KM Shafiullah’s S force were the first to take Dhaka. On Dec 16, at Demra, 0431 hrs, the Pak forces surrendered. The commander of the opposition was Colonel Khiljee

SECTOR 4

Commander: Major Chittarajan Datta, Lt Col Md Abdur Rob

June 19, Latitila Operation: Rob’s company prepared for a dawn attack and was in position since 2pm. At 5:45 in the morning, the forces totally surrounded the Pakistani camp and the combat started. The soldiers of 22 Baloch fled to the woods indiscriminately. Most of them were killed

Dec 15, Khademnagar: Joint troops sieged the Pakistani HQ at Khadimnagar. Fighting continued all day. Finally, on Dec 16, the enemy surrendered

SECTOR 5

Commander: Major Mir Shawkat Ali

Gourinagar, October 30:Major Taheruddin Akhanzee led the attack on the Pakistani camp at Gourinagar. 175 soldiers were at the front of the attack. The Sector commander himself covered the troops with 120mm mortar fire

Dec 9-16: Mir Showkat Ali attacked Govindaganj and drove the Pak army as far as Lamakazi. On Dec 12, 4 Indian Army jets bombarded lamakazi and within days, the pak army surrendered

SECTOR 6

Commander: Wing Commander Khademul Bashar

Nov 26-30, Pachagarh: 1 battalion Muktibahini and 2 batallions of the Indian army attacked the strong Pakistani post at Pachagarh at night, Navember 26. One of the Major battles of the war, this siege lasted 4 days

Dec 13, Syedpur: The joint forces advanced to take Syedpur. At about 5 miles from Syedpur, tanks engaged the opposition. 3 pakinstani tanks were destroyed while 1 Indian tank was also lost. Around evening, 107 Pak soldiers including the commander of the 48 Punjab regiment and another officer, surrendered

SECTOR 7

Commander: Major Nazmul Haque, Major Quazi Nuruzzaman

Nov 13, Train blast in Shihipur: Led by Dulu, from Mahimaganj, locals Bably, Khaleque, Hamid and other charged a Pakistan army train in Shihipur. More that 150 enemies were killed

Dec 16: Brigadier Ghiasuddin Chowdhury attacked Nawabgang with his troops at 6am and emerged victorious

SECTOR 8

Commander: Major Osman Chowdhury, Major MA Manzoor

Nov 24, Gharibpur: Major Alik Kumar Gupta led Joint forces engaged 14 Pakistani tanks. All Pak tanks were destroyed. The Joint forces lost 5 tanks

Dec 7: Jessore and Narail were liberated on Dec 7

SECTOR 9

Commander: Major M A Jalil, Major MA Manzur, Major Joynal Abedin

Aug, Date unknown, skirmish at Panpatti: Freedom Fighter Nurul Huda said that in a two day fierce battle, the Muktis came face to face with the Patuakhali region Pak army commander, Major Yamin. Yamin 

Dec 13-Dec 17: Blockade of the Khulna Newsprint Mill

The joint command met stern resistance from Brigadier Hyatt Khan. No notable progress was being made. There was heavy firing and air strikes even.

Hyatt refused to surrender even after Dec 16. In the end, the Pak troops dropped their arms on December 17

SECTOR 11

Commander: Majors Ziaur Rahman, Abu Taher, Squadron Leader M Hamidullah Khan

Sep10-11, Kamalpur base, Mahendraganj: The ambush was long, hard and ultimately futile.  Taher’s troops systematically drew the enemy to a swamp and the siege turned into an ambush, according to the man himself, the LMG fire “killed” them like sitting ducks

December 10-16, Jamalpur to Dhaka, with love: Freedom fighter Johurul Haque Munshee was sent to the commander of the 31st Baloch regiment, asking the enemy to surrender. The commander sent a bullet wrapped in paper as an answer.

By the time the surrender happened at 5am next morning, 212 Pak soldiers had died and 200 further were injured