Assignment on

The Role of Mass Media in Liberation War of

Bangladesh
&
Bangladesh-India Joint Force

Course: Liberation War of Bangladesh: Diverse Fronts

Course code: BLWS-2109

Submitted to

Anjan Kumar Nath

Lecturer, Bangladesh Liberation War Studies

Noakhali Science & Technology University

Submitted by

Md. Abdullah Al Galib

Roll: ASH1916025M

Year: 02 ; Term: 01

Session: 2018-19

Submission Date: 20/09/2020

 A. The Role of Mass Media in the Liberation War of
Bangladesh

1. Introduction

The Bangladesh Liberation War was the nationalist independence war of the Republic of
Bangladesh in South Asia in 1971. The war between East Pakistan and West Pakistan lasted nine
months. It experienced major crimes, the flight of 10 million refugees and the displacement of 30
million people. The war broke out on 26 March 1971, when the Pakistani Army unleashed a
military operation called Operation Search Light against Bengali civilians, teachers, academics
and armed forces, demanding that the Pakistani military junta recognize the results of Pakistan's
first democratic elections in 1970, won by the East Faction, or allow the East-West Pakistan to
split. Bengali leaders and military officers declared the declaration of independence of
Bangladesh in reaction to Operation Searchlight. The Pakistan Army has committed systematic
genocide and massacres against Bengali civilians, especially nationalism, academics, youth and
religious minorities. India joined the war on 3 December 1971, after Pakistan conducted a pre-
emptive air attack in northern India. Pakistani defenses quickly weakened, overwhelmed by two
battle fronts. On 16 December, the allied powers of Bangladesh and India conquered Pakistan in
the East. During the Liberation War, the broadcasting station 'Swadheen Bangla Betar Kendra'
played a crucial role in growing the mental power of the entire Bengali country. As freedom
fighters struggled against Pakistan 's oppressive forces in the battlefields, the Radio Station's
artists were engaged in another kind of war by holding the promise of liberation alive among
millions. In the Bangladesh Independence War, the multinational mass media played a critical
role. In fact, The London Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Sunday Observer, The
Daily Mirror and The Daily Telegraph helped spread the news of genocide and expedite
collaboration in the international community. The Bangladesh concert was arranged by Ravi
Shankar and George Harrison in New York in August 1971. The festival was the first ever benefit
concert of such a magnitude and featured a super group of performers that included Harrison,
fellow ex-Beatle Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Leon Russel, Billy Preston and the Bad
Finger Band. Furthermore, Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan, both of whom had ancestral origins in
Bangladesh, played an opening set of classical Indian songs. According to Ravi Shankar, "the
whole world knew the name of Bangladesh in one day".
 2. Role of National Media & Press

2.1 Press:
During the non-cooperation campaign initiated by the Awami League in March 1971 against the
Pakistani military junta, the journals of the then East Pakistan were very outspoken in support of
the liberation of the Bangalis. In compliance with the instructions given in his historic speech of
7 March 1971, by the undisputed leader of the Bangabandhu movement, Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman, the newspapers of the Province of East Pakistan, including those owned by the Pakistan
Press Trust, began to draw the line between Bangabandhu and his faction. Consequently,
following the launch of a genocide by the Pakistani army in East Bengal on the night of 25
March 1971, and the subsequent declaration of Bangladesh 's independence by Bangabandh
along with the start of the Liberation War on the following day, the offices and printing presses
of three of Dhaka 's leading daily newspapers were demolished by the Pakistani Army's mortar
attacks within a single room. There were 'Dainik Ittefaq',' Sangbad', and 'Citizens'. Also targeted
were the offices of 'Dainik Pakistan,' Dainik Purbodesh,' Morning News,' and 'Pakistan
Observer,' and a part of the Dhaka Press Club was demolished. It was important to shut down
periodicals such as the weeklies' Swaraj 'and' Banglar Bani ', which were very vocal in the
protest movement.

During the non-cooperation movement, the country's journalistic establishment took a great risk
when they provided prominent attention to the movement in dailies such as Ittefaq, Purbodesh,
Sangbad, Azad, Morning News and Pakistan Observer. It was a strong example of their loyalty
and unflinching confidence in nationalism in Bangali. The East Pakistan Journalism Union,
sensing the coup of the Pakistani junta, met on 23 March 1971 and extended open support for
Bangladesh's emergence by confronting Pakistan's military threat. They have expressed their
desire not to support the military junta 's operations with press attention.

Dhaka was most vocal against the military rulers during the non-cooperation period, the daily
'The Nation' carried out from Shahbagh. It then bore banner articles naming and criticizing the
Pakistani military on a daily basis. And subsequently, not many were shocked when, on the very
night of 25 March, by indiscriminate mortar shells and bomb attacks by the Pakistani forces, 'The
People' was razed to the ground. The next day was the turn of the Daily Ittefaq, which since its
very existence has historically been connected to the political struggles of the Bangalis. And
then, two days later, the daily Sangbad was burned to the flames by the torch-bearer of the
history of the world, literature, revolutionary politics and, above all, mass movements. Shahid
Saber, the revered journalist and radical litterateur, was also killed in the attack.

Press in occupied Bangladesh: After the 25 March crackdown, no newspapers were published for
three or four days. And then, as determined by the Pakistani military junta, it was appropriate to
pull out the main Dhaka newspapers. The military junta's goal was to give the outside world an
appearance of normalcy. But because of the makeshift design of the written materials, the effort
was not very successful. Some with even one or two pages have been written. In this whole
thing, the Bangali journalists played a subtle and discrete role. The Pakistani military then
released stringent martial law rules to regulate the media, aimed at gagging the press.
Press in free zones: As the brutal genocide by the Pakistani occupation army began, much of the
country's newspapers and journals ceased being published. Many writers have crossed over to
India and begun to write new papers. News accounts on the war front and the rebellion that took
place in occupied Bangladesh were then released from Mujibnagar, the seat of the government-in
- exile, and various towns in India. Without standardized declarations, several of these
documents were published, and many did not have their own institutions.

As obtained from different outlets, these periodicals included Joy Bangla, Banglar Bani, Desh
Bangla, Grenade, Biplobi Bangladesh Amod, Notun Bangla, Dabanal, Sangrami Bangla,
Shashwata Bangla, Protirodh, Swadhin Bangladesh, Muktijuddha, Obhijan, Saptahik Bangla,
Bangabani, Durjoy Bangla, Janmabhumi, Jagrata Bangla, Ekota, Banglar Mukh, Biplobi
Andolan, Chabook, Ora Durjoy Ora Durbar, Swadhinata, Bajrakantha, Janata, Protinidhi,
Mayer Dak, Kalantar, Kafela, Kaler Pata, Swandip Thekey Dhaleshwari, Dak Diye Jai, Banglar
Katha, Jatrik, Swadesh, Rudrabeena, Darpan, Swaraj, Hatiar, Amar Desh, Ranangan, Swadhin
Bangla, Agradoot, Bangladesh, The People, The Nation, Rashtradoot, Mukto Bangla, Sonar
Bangla, Mukti, Protinidhi, Bangladesh Sangbad, Swadhikar, etc.

The weekly 'Joy Bangla' was previously written in the rural town of East Bengal. But when
Awami League chief Abdul Mannan (pen name Ahmed Rafique, in charge of information and
broadcasting in the Mujibnagar government) was taken out of Calcutta during the Liberation
War, he adopted the character of both the government-in - exile and the official publication of
the Awami League. Zillur Rahman (MNA) was the editor-in - chief of this weekly and the board
of editors included Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury, Ebne Golam Samad, Mohammad Ullah
Chowdhury, Abdur Razzaque Chowdhury, Anu Islam, Salimullah, Asad Chowdhury and Abul
Manzoor.

Among other publications, Grenade was adapted from the Cyclostyle machine, and some young
student protesters used it to be carried out of a house in Dhaka City using a machine carried from
Notre Dame College. This young gang of guerrillas, nicknamed 'Bichchhu,' created a ripple
across their pen alongside armed guerrilla warfare. Bangladesh was a weekly English language
carried out by the Government of Bangladesh from Mujibnagar. It was first released in June
1971 and has flourished in creating an influence on the outside world through daily overseas ads.

Apart from Joy Bangla, the periodicals published by various political parties included
Muktijuddha by the Bangladesh Communist Party and Notun Bangla by the National Awami
Party (Mozaffar).

The magazines and newspapers written during the War of Liberation from various corners of
Bangladesh and adjacent India, often on a local and regional level, to attain the goal of
independence, acted as a beacon of hope for the people who aspire to democracy. Numerous
weeklies and fortnightlies were therefore published exclusively for the sake of the cause of
freedom struggle. They illustrated the essence of the war of independence and the hopes of the
people. They also represented the barbarism of the Pakistani army and were helpful in offering
moral support and inspiration to the people when they were fighting the enemy.

2.2 Radio:
In terms of broadcasting media, telecommunications infrastructure was not especially developed
and, considering the construction of medium and short wave transmitters, most radio installations
were destroyed during the Civil War. Alongside newspapers, radio played an important role
during the Liberation War. Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra was a radio station set up by the
government of Bangladesh that, by broadcasting the declaration of independence, patriotic
wartime songs and propaganda drives, boosted the morale of the populace and thus played a key
role in Bangladesh's struggle for independence.

After the midnight of March 25, 1971, when Pakistan's armed forces began a vicious assault in
East Pakistan, the courageous broadcasters of the Chittagong station played a glorious part. After
traveling to various different locations in the days that followed, the Swadhin Bangla Betar
Kendra eventually landed in Kolkata, where the Mujibnagar government was still headquartered
in exile. Belal Muhammad, a scriptwriter and Radio Pakistan musician, was the main person
managing the center in its early stages. Several other independence leaders entered later on.

Two of Swadhin Bangla Betar's most famous programs were 'Charampatra' and 'Jallader
Darbar.'

Charampatra-a satirical poem, designed by Abdul Mannan, a member of the National Assembly,
and written in the standard Dhaka dialect by M R Akhter Mukul, who himself read it. Narrated
with scathing cynicism and a nationalist tone, the broadcast helped to keep the morale of
freedom fighters up.

"Jallader Darbar" was run by Kalyan Mitra, where Yahya Khan's methods, known in the
program as "Kella Fateh Khan," were portrayed in a humorous way. "Bojro Kontho" was the
program where Sheik Mujibur Rahman 's speech was introduced. A party of young singers used
to perform inspirational songs. Many poetry and songs have been written for this series. One of
those tracks, Joy Bangla Banglar Joy was the radio's signature tune. Many songs by Swadhin
Bangla Betar Kendra, such as Purbo Digante Surjo Uthechhe, Ekti Phoolke Bachabo Bole,
Salam Salam Hajar Salam by Gobinda Haldar, became extremely popular. The station's singers
raised funds to perform their songs in various areas of West Bengal.
After the end of the war, Bangladesh Betar played a crucial role in keeping families stranded in
Pakistan and Bangladesh together. For those trapped in the political stalemate, the voice of
Sarker Kabiruddin, who operated the 'Shubhechhya Bani' campaign, came as words of
consolation and assurance.

Rafiqul Alam, a freedom fighter and music composer at the radio station, said, "The broadcast of
this radio station gradually became inseparable from the ongoing war and was essential to
freedom fighters. It made the world understand our hunger for independence. "Similarly, Apel
Mahmood, a renowned musician, believed that" the station was no less effective in fighting than
any weapon.

It is through these interactions that the pivotal role that the media will play in the confrontation
becomes clear. The manner in which the news media portray the conflict has now become a
critical aspect of the war itself.

3. Role of International Media, Press & Artist

3.1 Press:
The War of Independence of 1971 was waged not only by the valiant 'Mukti Bahini' within
Bangladesh, but also helped by the attention it got in foreign media and artists. Journalists took
home to the citizens of the world the story of the struggles and hardships of the heroic people of
Bangladesh and the tribulations they faced under the cruel and brutal military admin. Worldwide,
print and electronic media have been strongly supportive of the Bangladesh War of
Independence. The news media in India, England , France, Australia and the United States
played the most influential role in the publishing of the Bangladesh Liberation War. Jugantar,
Amritabazar Patrika, Anandabazar Patrika and The Statesman of Calcutta, Times of India,
Pioneer and Hindu Times of Delhi, and The Hindus of Madras stood out among the Indian
newspapers in this region. The Western periodicals included Examiner, Defender, Telegraph,
Sunday Times and the Economist of the United Kingdom, and Washington Post, New York
Times, Time Magazine, and Newsweek of the United States. According to a Statistics from
March to December 1971, The Times published 29 editorials; The Daily Telegraph published 39,
The Guardian 37 about the liberation war at Bangladesh.

In particular, the Western media began to report horror reports of Pakistani massacres, the plight
of refugees and Mukti Bahini's armed rebellion. Many leading newspaper journalists hurried to
Dhaka in March'71 to cover the Yahya-Bhutto-Mujib negotiations. Immediately after the
beginning of the military crackdown by the Pakistanis on the night of 25 March 1971, foreign
correspondents stationed in Dhaka were gathered at the Intercontinental Hotel and expelled from
the country. It was only after they entered their respective countries that the entire world came to
know what was going on in Bangladesh. Among them were Sydney Schanberg, New York
Times correspondent, Simon Dring of the Daily Telegraph, Cyril John, Michele Roberts, and
Louis Heren of the London Times. The latter two were seeking to stay back in silence, but they
were captured. The Pakistani authorities, however, were later forced to release them.

 Simon Dring, The Daily Telegraph, London

Simon Dring, the young 'Daily Telegraph' correspondent from London, made the first major
exhibit on what had transpired in the early hours on March 26. He had flown to Dhaka on 6
March to cover the increasing political unrest and then eluded Pakistani search parties. He
managed to hold on, and he delivered to the outside world his first-hand account of the violence
that had broken out in the stricken state. He left Dhaka on the weekend after 26 March and
submitted a special report on the unexpected mass violence in Dhaka. He was the first to find out
on 30 March 1971 that over 48 hours more than 7,000 Bengalis had been killed in Dhaka. It was
also evident from his report that the army had attacked, without warning, under the cover of
darkness, and that these causes were responsible for tremendous casualties.

 Anthony Mascarenhas, Sunday Times, UK

Anthony Mascarenha's article, "Genocide," written in the Sunday Times of the United Kingdom
on 13 June 1971 on the scale of Pakistan 's violent drive to overthrow its breakaway eastern
province in 1971. It pushed the reporter's family to escape and changed history.
Other famous westerners involved in the war in Bangladesh included Colin Smith and Nicholas
Tomalin. When their findings were published internationally, the entire world came to know
about the indiscriminate murders, lootings, plundering and rapes that have taken place in
Bangladesh.

3.2 Artists:
 The Concert for Bangladesh: George Harrison & Pandit Ravi Shankar

The concert for Bangladesh is the result of a mutual collaboration between Pandit Ravi Shankar
and George Harrison. Together they decided to finish the concert for three months. Eric Clapton,
Bob Dylan, Don Preston, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, Ringo Starr, Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali
Akbar Khan, Ustad Alla Rakha attended the concert. George Harrison wrote and performed the
song 'Bangladesh' at the Concert for Bangladesh, which was staged at Madison Square Garden in
New York on 1August 1971, in front of 40,000 spectators. The concert raised approximately
US$ 250,000 for Bangladesh aid, governed by UNICEF.

 Joan Baez

In 1971, Joan Baez was one of the most popular singers, who written the song “The Song of
Bangladesh” & sang it for Bangladesh Liberation War. Baez wrote it after witnessing the
assassination of Dhaka in March 1971. It was part of the Concert for Bangladesh organized by
George Harrison and Pandit Ravi Shankar in 1971 and became the song of pro-Bangladeshi
activists all over the western world.
  Allen Ginsberg

The prominent British poet Allen Ginsberg visited a refugee camp in India during the war of
liberation. He wrote several poems in a book entitled "September on Jessore Lane," which
sponsored and achieved fame in favor of the Bangladesh Liberation War.

 Goodbye Summer

A rock concert named “Goodbye Summer” was held in aid of famine relief of Bangladesh on
Sunday September 18, 1971 in London at Oval Stadium.

 Concert in Sympathy

In November, 1971 “Concert in Sympathy” was held at seven cities in United Kingdom
participated by artists from Bangladesh, India and Great Britain to raise fund for Bangladesh.

4. Journalists who embraced martyrdom:

Many Bangali journalists had to accept martyrdom during the war of independence. Among them
were: Sirajuddin Hossain of Ittefaq, ANM Ghulam Mustafa of Purbodesh, Nizamuddin Ahmed
of BBC, Shahidullah Kaiser of Sangbad, Syed Nazmul Haque of Pakistan Press International, S
A Mannan of Pakistan Observer, Shahid Saber, Khondakar Abu Taleb, M Akhter, Abul Bashar,
Chisty Helalur Rahman, Shibsadan Chakraborty and Selina Parvin.
 B. Bangladesh-India Joint Force

1. How it formed:
General M. A. G. Osmani, Commander in Chief Bangladesh Forces splited the Mukti Bahini
armies into 11 regional sectors for command and control purpose. Mukti Bahini forces numbered
30,000 regular soldiers (including 3 brigades containing 8 infantry battalions and 3 artillery
batteries) and at least 100,000 guerrillas by December 1971. On 21 November 1971, under a
joint command structure commanded by Lt . Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora, Indian and Bangladesh
forces were placed under a joint command structure, and this force became known as Mitro
Bahini Two established infantry units, the 15th and the 33rd, were mobilized by the Indian Army
Eastern Command for operations in Bangladesh and a new corps (II) was formed. Mukti Bahini
guerrillas operating near the border or awaiting deployment in camps inside India were
organized into infantry companies in addition to 29 BSF battalions, and attached to different
Indian formations. Two gunboats under Indian officers and crewed by Bengali seamen were
engaged in Operation Hot-pants prior to 3 December 1971, harassing merchant traffic to East
Pakistan and laying mines on the waterways. After 6 December, when the Indian government
recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign nation, the crew wore uniforms of their respective
organizations and the Squadron CO was Commander N.M Samant.

On 10 December 1971, the Mukti Bahini military campaign, with the establishment of the Mitro
Bahini (Joint Command or Allied Forces), came under the supreme command of the Indian
Armed Forces. Indian GOC-in-C Lt . Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora became the commander of this
new allied force. He had to report to the Indian Chief of the Army Staff (Sam Manekshaw) who
will report to the acting President of Bangladesh (Syed Nazrul Islam).

2. Battles
Beginning November 21, 1971, sectors and battalions of the Bangladesh Forces attacked various
Pakistani defensive positions nearer to the border—the Pakistani paramilitary border outposts.
While doing this, cooperation and coordination between the Indian artillery and Bangladesh
Forces matured. The Bangladesh Air Force operating from the soil of northeastern India also
launched daredevilish operations on targets inside Bangladesh. Whatever naval personnel were
available had been gathered in Sector 9 which covered the whole of the Sundarbans in the
southern part of Bangladesh. They had improvised local watercrafts to make patrol boats out of
them. The Bangladesh Mukti Bahini flotilla also carried out a number of operations on Pakistani
targets between November 21 and November 25. The guerrilla fighters of various sectors had
been conducting small-scale operations in their area of responsibility.
But beginning November 21, they were told to multiply the number of their operations so that
Pakistani Forces in the areas nearer to the border and their local collaborators became jittery and
unstable. By November 30, the entire border area of Bangladesh was hot enough for the regular
Indian Army Forces and Bangladesh Forces to launch major offensives. On the night of
November 30/December 1, regular offensives began in many areas, for example in the area of S
Force.

A landmark event that changed the course of the war between the Joint Forces and almost
exhausted Pakistani occupation army was the recognition of Bangladesh by Bhutan and India on
December 06 and 07 respectively. These two acts emboldened the Joint Forces to enter the
occupied Bangladesh. Initially, the Pakistan side confronted the Joint Forces with small-scale
and scattered resistance missions. As days wore on, the Freedom Fighters and the Indian Army
had already been in control of vast tracts of the occupied Bangladesh. By December 08, the Joint
Forces began marching towards Bangladesh through the western and northern frontiers. Small
towns continued to fall to the advancing forces as phalanxes of the Joint Forces marched towards
Dhaka. The districts of Jessore and Mymensingh became the first regions to fly the flag of
Bangladesh and declare themselves liberated. It was followed by a lot of areas in northern
Bangladesh.

A landmark event that changed the course of the war between the Joint Forces and almost
exhausted Pakistani occupation army was the recognition of Bangladesh by Bhutan and India on
December 06 and 07 respectively. These two acts emboldened the Joint Forces to enter the
occupied Bangladesh. Initially, the Pakistan side confronted the Joint Forces with small-scale
and scattered resistance missions. As days wore on, the Freedom Fighters and the Indian Army
had already been in control of vast tracts of the occupied Bangladesh. By December 08, the Joint
Forces began marching towards Bangladesh through the western and northern frontiers. Small
towns continued to fall to the advancing forces as phalanxes of the Joint Forces marched towards
Dhaka. The districts of Jessore and Mymensingh became the first regions to fly the flag of
Bangladesh and declare themselves liberated. The capture of Jessore was followed by the capture
of Sylhet and Noakhali in quick succession. Thus the Mitro Bahini succeeded in closing two
more escape routes available to the fleeing Pakistani troops. Jhenida was taken by the troops of '9
Dogra', under II Corps, and supported by Tanks. It fell in the afternoon, and a large quantity of
equipment and ammunition fell in the Indian's hands. Soon after Jhendia was captured, the
nearby town of Kaliganj fell after some fanatical fighting against the enemy. Lalmonirhat which
had the headquarters of Sector 6 at Burimari - was liberated at dawn and the National Flag was
flown by the muktijuddhas to the slogans of 'Joi Bangla'. By December 13, almost the whole
occupied Bangladesh, except the capital Dhaka, became cleared of the Pakistan Army. Three
days before the formal surrender of the Pakistan Army in Dhaka on December 16, the capital and
its outskirts were encircled by Freedom Fighters and the Indian Army, also called the Allied
Forces. The command of the Indian Chief of the Army Staff Sam Manekshaw asked the
Pakistani army generals and other officials to surrender to the Joint Command of the Bangladesh
Armed Forces/ Liberation Forces and the Indian Army.

2.1 Notable Battles of Joint Force:

 Battle of Hilli:
Attack on Bogra in East Pakistan on November 21 to December 13 and sporadic fighting to
December 16.

On December 13/14, night, 69 Armoured Regiment less a squadron, with 6 GUARDS less a
company under its command, carried out an outflanking move from the east and established
roadblocks on roads Bogra-Sirajganj (southeast of Bogra) and Bogra-Singra (southwest of
Bogra). On December 14, Bogra was attacked from two directions – 69 Armored Regiment
from the south of Bogra and 2/5 GR (FF) with Alfa Squadron 63 CAV from the north. Both
attacks met with stiff Pakistani resistance in the built-up area. However, after fierce fighting,
by 1300 hours, all areas north of the railway line had been cleared. At the end of the fighting,
5/11 GR was able to capture nine officers, six JCOs and 212 ORs from various units and
headquarters and recovered a large quantity of arms, ammunition, vehicles and equipment.
While the battle seemed to have ceased by 0930 hours on December 16, Pakistan 205
Infantry Brigade Commander, Brig Tajammul Malik, having obviously decided not to
surrender, was captured trying to escape. At 1300 hours on December 18, 1971, Maj Gen
Nazar Hussain Shah, GOC 16 Pakistan Infantry Division, was flown from Nator to sign the
instrument of surrender before Maj Gen Lachhman Singh Lehl, VrC, GOC 20 Mountain
Division, at Bogra.
Capt MS Pathania, Lt Y Babu Rao and 17 OR of the battalion attained martyrdom during
these operations. Three officers, two JCOs and 46 ORs were wounded.

 Tank battle of Shiromoni:

The Shiromoni tank battle is one of the most glorious chapters in Bangladesh’s Liberation
War. In terms of magnitude and fierceness of fighting it can only be compared to the El
Alamein tank battles in World War 2.

On December 11, the Pakistan military attacked a battalion of Indian troops near Fultala
while they were marching towards Khulna through the Jashore-Khulna road. Brigadier Hayat
Khan, commander of Pakistan Army Brigade 107, had taken days to chalk out the plan of
attack. But he did not know that Mukti Bahini and the joint forces had a better plan and had
made a strategy that would defeat them on all fronts. Firings continued from both sides and
the joint forces used cannons to defeat the Pakistan military. Pakistani army locked in a fierce
battle with the Mukti Bahini and joint forces at Mikshimil. The military was forced to retreat
in the face of repetitive mortar shelling from the Indian Air Force. Twelve members of the
Pakistan army's Punjab regiment were killed. The battle that lasted for five days is recalled as
the Tank Battle of Shiromoni, one of the most powerful battles of the Liberation War of
1971.