Bangladesh Liberation War:

The Bangladesh Liberation War (Bengali: Muktijuddho) was an armed conflict pitting East
Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan,
which became the independent nation of Bangladesh.
The war broke out on 26 March 1971 as army units directed by West Pakistan launched a
military operation in East Pakistan against Bengali civilians, students, intelligentsia, and armed
personnel who were demanding separation of the East from West Pakistan. Bengali military,
paramilitary, and civilians formed the Mukti Bahini (Bengali: "Liberation Army") and used
guerrilla warfare tactics to fight against the West Pakistan army. India provided economic,
military and diplomatic support to the Mukti Bahini rebels, leading Pakistan to launch Operation
Chengiz Khan, a pre-emptive attack on the western border of India which started the Indo-
Pakistani War of 1971.
On 16 December 1971, the allied forces of the Indian army and the Mukti Bahini defeated the
West Pakistani forces deployed in the East. The resulting surrender was the largest in number of
prisoners of war since World War II.

Background:
In August 1947, the Partition of British India gave birth to two new states; a secular stIndia and
an Islamic state named Pakistan. But Pakistaate named n comprised two geographically and
culturally separate areas to the east and the west of India. The western zone was popularly (and
for a period of time, also officially) termed West Pakistan and the eastern zone (modern-day
Bangladesh) was initially termed East Bengal and later, East Pakistan. Although the population
of the two zones was close to equal, political power was concentrated in West Pakistan and it
was widely perceived that East Pakistan was being exploited economically, leading to many
grievances.

On 25 March 1971, rising political discontent and cultural nationalism in East Pakistan was met
by brutal suppressive force from the ruling elite of the West Pakistan establishment in what came
to be termed Operation Searchlight.

The violent crackdown by West Pakistan forces led to East Pakistan declaring its independence
as the state of Bangladesh and to the start of civil war. The war led to a sea of refugees
(estimated at the time to be about 10 million) flooding into the eastern

provinces of India. Facing a mounting humanitarian and economic crisis, India started
actively aiding and organizing the Bangladeshi resistance army known as the Mukti
Bahini.
East Pakistani Grievances :
Economic Disparities:
Although East Pakistan had a larger population, West Pakistan dominated the
divided country politically and received more money from the common budget.

Spending on West Spending on East

Amount spent on East
Year Pakistan (in corers of Pakistan (in corers of
as percentage of West
Pakistani rupees) Pakistani rupees)

1950–55 1,129 524 46.4

1955–60 1,655 524 31.7
1960–65 3,355 1,404 41.8
1965–70 5,195 2,141 41.2
Total 11,334 4,593 40.5
Source: Reports of the Advisory Panels for the Fourth Five Year Plan 1970–75, Vol. I,
published by the planning commission of Pakistan (Quick reference: crore = 107, or 10
million)

Political differences:
Although East Pakistan accounted for a slight majority of the country's population, political
power remained firmly in the hands of West Pakistanis. Since a straightforward system of
representation based on population would have concentrated political power in East Pakistan,
the West Pakistani establishment came up with the "One Unit" scheme, where all of West
Pakistan was considered one province. This was solely to counterbalance the East wing's votes.

After the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan's first prime minister, in 1951, political
power began to be devolved to the President of Pakistan, and eventually, the military. The
nominal elected chief executive, the Prime Minister, was frequently sacked by the
establishment, acting through the President.

East Pakistanis noticed that whenever one of them, such as Khawaja Nazimuddin, Muhammad
Ali Bogra, or Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, he were
swiftly deposed by the largely West Pakistani establishment. The military dictatorships of Ayub
Khan (27 October 1958 – 25 March 1969) and Yahya Khan (25 March 1969 – 20 December
1971), both West Pakistanis, only heightened such feelings.
The situation reached a climax when in 1970 the Awami League, the largest East Pakistani
political party, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, won a landslide victory in the national elections.
The party won 167 of the 169 seats allotted to East Pakistan, and thus a majority of the 313
seats in the National Assembly. This gave the Awami League the constitutional right to form a
government. However, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (a Sindhi), the leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party,
refused to allow Rahman to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Instead, he proposed the
idea of having two Prime Ministers, one for each wing. The proposal elicited outrage in the east
wing, already chafing under the other constitutional innovation, the "one unit scheme". Bhutto
also refused to accept Rahman's Six Points. On 3 March 1971, the two leaders of the two wings
along with the President General Yahya Khan met in Dhaka to decide the fate of the country.
Talks failed. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called for a nationwide strike.

On 7 March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (soon to be the prime minister) delivered a speech
at the Racecourse Ground (now called the Suhrawardy Udyan). In this speech he mentioned a
further four-point condition to consider the National Assembly Meeting on 25 March:

1. The immediate lifting of martial law.

2. Immediate withdrawal of all military personnel to their barracks.
3. An inquiry into the loss of life.
4. Immediate transfer of power to the elected representative of the people before the
assembly meeting 25 March.

He urged "his people" to turn every house into a fort of resistance. He closed his speech saying,
"Our struggle is for our freedom. Our struggle is for our independence." This speech is
considered the main event that inspired the nation to fight for its independence. General Tikka
Khan was flown in to Dhaka to become Governor of East Bengal. East-Pakistani judges,
including Justice Siddique, refused to swear him in.
Between 10 and 13 March, Pakistan International Airlines cancelled all their international
routes to urgently fly "Government Passengers" to Dhaka. These "Government Passengers"
were almost all Pakistani soldiers in civilian dress. MV Swat, a ship of the Pakistani Navy,
carrying ammunition and soldiers, was harbored in Chittagong Port and the Bengali workers
and sailors at the port refused to unload the ship. A unit of East Pakistan Rifles refused to obey
commands to fire on Bengali demonstrators, beginning a mutiny of Bengali soldiers.

Military imbalance:
Bengalis were underrepresented in the Pakistan military. Officers of Bengali origin in the
different wings of the armed forces made up just 5% of overall force by 1965; of these, only a
few were in command positions, with the majority in technical or administrative posts. West
Pakistanis believed that Bengalis were not "martially inclined" unlike Pashtu’s and Punjabis; the
"martial races" notion was dismissed as ridiculous and humiliating by Bengalis. Moreover,
despite huge defense spending, East Pakistan received none of the benefits, such as contracts,
purchasing and military support jobs. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 over Kashmir also
highlighted the sense of military insecurity among Bengalis as only an under-strength infantry
division and 15 combat aircraft without tank support were in East Pakistan to thwart any Indian
retaliations during the conflict.

Language controversy:
In 1948, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan's first Governor-General, declared in Dhaka (then
usually spelled Dacca in English) that "Urdu, and only Urdu" would be the common language for
all of Pakistan. This proved highly controversial, since Urdu was a language that was only
spoken in the West by Muhajirs and in the East by Biharis, although the Urdu language had
been promoted as the lingua franca of Indian Muslims by political and religious leaders such as
Sir Khwaja Salimullah, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk and Maulvi Abdul Haq. The
language was considered a vital element of the Islamic culture for Indian Muslims; Hindi and
the Devanagari script were seen as fundamentals of Hindu culture. The majority groups in West
Pakistan spoke Punjabi, while the Bengali language was spoken by the vast majority of East
Pakistanis. The language controversy eventually reached a point where East Pakistan revolted
while the other part of Pakistan remain calm even though Punjabi was spoken by the majority
groups of West Pakistan. Several students and civilians lost their lives in a police crackdown on
21 February 1952. The day is revered in Bangladesh and in West Bengal as the Language
Martyrs' Day. Later, in memory of the 1952 killings, UNESCO declared 21 February as the
International Mother Language Day in 1999.

In West Pakistan, the movement was seen as a sectional uprising against Pakistani national
interests and the founding ideology of Pakistan, the Two-Nation Theory. West Pakistani
politicians considered Urdu a product of Indian Islamic culture, as Ayub Khan said, as late as
1967, "East Bengalis... still are under considerable Hindu culture and influence." But, the deaths
led to bitter feelings among East Pakistanis, and they were a major factor in the push for
independence.

Response to the 1970 cyclone:

The 1970 Bhola cyclone made landfall on the East Pakistan coastline during the evening of 12
November, around the same time as a local high tide, killing an estimated 300,000 to 500,000
people. Though the exact death toll is not known, it is considered the deadliest tropical cyclone
on record. A week after the landfall, President Khan conceded that his government had made
"slips" and "mistakes" in its handling of the relief efforts due to a lack of understanding of the
magnitude of the disaster.

A statement released by eleven political leaders in East Pakistan ten days after the cyclone hit
charged the government with "gross neglect, callous and utter indifference". They also accused
the president of playing down the magnitude of the problem in news coverage. On 19
November, students held a march in Dhaka protesting the slowness of the government
response. Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani addressed a rally of 50,000 people on 24
November, where he accused the president of inefficiency and demanded his resignation.

As the conflict between East and West Pakistan developed in March, the Dhaka offices of the
two government organisations directly involved in relief efforts were closed for at least two
weeks, first by a general strike and then by a ban on government work in East Pakistan by the
Awami League. With this increase in tension, foreign personnel were evacuated over fears of
violence. Relief work continued in the field, but long-term planning was curtailed. This conflict
widened into the Bangladesh Liberation War in December and concluded with the creation of
Bangladesh. This is one of the first times that a natural event helped to trigger a civil war.

Operation Searchlight:
A planned military pacification carried out by the Pakistan Army — codenamed Operation
Searchlight — started on 25 March to curb the Bengali nationalist movement by taking control
of the major cities on 26 March, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military, within
one month. Before the beginning of the operation, all foreign journalists were systematically
deported from East Pakistan.

The main phase of Operation Searchlight ended with the fall of the last major town in Bengali
hands in mid-May. The operation also began the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities. These systematic
killings served only to enrage the Bengalis, which ultimately resulted in the secession of East
Pakistan later in the same year. The international media and reference books in English have
published casualty figures which vary greatly, from 5,000–35,000 in Dhaka, and 200,000–
3,000,000 for Bangladesh as a whole.

According to the Asia Times,

At a meeting of the military top brass, Yahya Khan declared: "Kill 3 million of them and the rest
will eat out of our hands." Accordingly, on the night of 25 March, the Pakistani Army launched
Operation Searchlight to "crush" Bengali resistance in which Bengali members of military
services were disarmed and killed, students and the intelligentsia systematically liquidated and
able-bodied Bengali males just picked up and gunned down.

Although the violence focused on the provincial capital, Dhaka, it also affected all parts of East
Pakistan. Residential halls of the University of Dhaka were particularly targeted. The only Hindu
residential hall — the Jagannath Hall — was destroyed by the Pakistani armed forces, and an
estimated 600 to 700 of its residents were murdered. The Pakistani army denies any cold
blooded killings at the university, though the Hamood-ur-Rehman commission in Pakistan
concluded that overwhelming force was used at the university. This fact and the massacre at
Jagannath Hall and nearby student dormitories of Dhaka University are corroborated by a
videotape secretly filmed by Prof. Nurul Ullah of the East Pakistan Engineering University,
whose residence was directly opposite the student dormitories.

Hindu areas suffered particularly heavy blows. By midnight, Dhaka was burning, especially the
Hindu dominated eastern part of the city. Time magazine reported on 2 August 1971, "The
Hindus, who account for three-fourths of the refugees and a majority of the dead, have borne
the brunt of the Pakistani military hatred."

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested by the Pakistani Army. Yahya Khan appointed Brigadier
(later General) Rahimuddin Khan to preside over a special tribunal prosecuting Mujib with
multiple charges. The tribunal's sentence was never made public, but Yahya caused the verdict
to be held in abeyance in any case. Other Awami League leaders were arrested as well, while a
few fled Dhaka to avoid arrest. The Awami League was banned by General Yahya Khan.

Declaration of independence:
The violence unleashed by the Pakistani forces on 25 March 1971, proved the last straw to the
efforts to negotiate a settlement. Following these outrages, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman signed an
official declaration that read:

Today Bangladesh is a sovereign and independent country. On Thursday night, West Pakistani
armed forces suddenly attacked the police barracks at Razarbagh and the EPR headquarters at
Pilkhana in Dhaka. Many innocent and unarmed have been killed in Dhaka city and other places
of Bangladesh. Violent clashes between E.P.R. and Police on the one hand and the armed forces
of Pakistan on the other, are going on. The Bengalis are fighting the enemy with great courage
for an independent Bangladesh. May Allah aid us in our fight for freedom. Joy Bangla.

Sheikh Mujib also called upon the people to resist the occupation forces through a radio
message. Mujib was arrested on the night of 25–26 March 1971 at about 1:30 a.m. (as per
Radio Pakistan’s news on 29 March 1971).

A telegram containing the text of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's declaration reached some students
in Chittagong. The message was translated to Bangla by Dr. Manjula Anwar. The students failed
to secure permission from higher authorities to broadcast the message from the nearby
Agrabad Station of Radio Pakistan. They crossed Kalurghat Bridge into an area controlled by an
East Bengal Regiment under Major Ziaur Rahman. Bengali soldiers guarded the station as
engineers prepared for transmission. At 19:45 hrs on 27 March 1971, Major Ziaur Rahman
broadcast the announcement of the declaration of independence on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur.
On 28 March Major Ziaur Rahman made another announcement,which was as follows:
This is Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro. I, Major Ziaur Rahman, at the direction of Bangobondhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, hereby declare that the independent People's Republic of Bangladesh
has been established. At his direction, I have taken command as the temporary Head of the
Republic. In the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, I call upon all Bengalis to rise against the
attack by the West Pakistani Army. We shall fight to the last to free our Motherland. By the
grace of Allah, victory is ours. Joy Bangla. Audio of Zia's announcement (interview – Belal
Mohammed)

The Kalurghat Radio Station's transmission capability was limited. The message was picked up
by a Japanese ship in Bay of Bengal. It was then re-transmitted by Radio Australia and later by
the British Broadcasting Corporation.

M A Hannan, an Awami League leader from Chittagong, is said to have made the first
announcement of the declaration of independence over the radio on 26 March 1971. There is
controversy now as to when Major Zia gave his speech. BNP sources maintain that it was 26
March, and there was no message regarding declaration of independence from Mujibur
Rahman. Pakistani sources, like Siddiq Salik in Witness to Surrender had written that he heard
about Mujibor Rahman's message on the Radio while Operation Searchlight was going on, and
Maj. Gen. Hakeem A. Qureshi in his book The 1971 Indo-Pak War: A Soldier's Narrative, gives
the date of Zia's speech as 27 March 1971.

26 March 1971 is considered the official Independence Day of Bangladesh, and the name
Bangladesh was in effect henceforth. In July 1971, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi openly
referred to the former East Pakistan as Bangladesh. Some Pakistani and Indian officials
continued to use the name "East Pakistan" until 16 December 1971.

Liberation war:
List of sectors in Bangladesh Liberation War:
During Bangladesh Liberation War the Bangladesh Forces (not to be confused with Mukti
Bahini) was divided in the geographical area of Bangladesh into eleven sectors. Each
sector with a sector commander who directed the military operation further coordinated
through several sub sectors under sub sector commanders.

Background:
Sector Commanders Conference 1971 of Bangladesh interim government of July 11, 1971
appointed Col. M A G Osmani as Commander in Chief, Lt. Col. Abdur Rab as chief of Army Staff.
In this meeting, Bangladesh was divided into Eleven Sectors under Sector Commanders. The
10th Sector was directly placed under Commander in Chief and included the Naval Commandos
and C-in-C’s special force.

Sector Commanders directed the guerrilla warfare. For better efficiency in military operations
each of the sectors were divided into a number of sub-sectors. On November 21, 1971
Bangladesh Forces under Indian Army formed an allied command in which India took surrender
of Pakistani forces on December 16, 1971. The table below provides a list of the sectors along
with the area under each of them, the names of the sector commanders and the names of sub-
sectors.

List of Sectors and Subsectors:

Sectors of Bangladesh Liberation War

Sector Area Sector Commander Sub Sectors (Commanders)

1 Chittagong District, • Major Ziaur 1. Rishimukh (Captain Shamsul

Chittagong Hill Rahman (April 10, Islam);
Tracts, and the 1971 – June 25, 2. Sreenagar (Captain Matiur
Rahman, Captain Mahfuzur
entire eastern area 1971)
Rahman);
of the Noakhali • Major Rafiqul Islam
3. Manughat (Captain Mahfuzur
District on the (June 28, 1971 – Rahman);
banks of the river February 14, 1972) 4. Tabalchhari (Sergeant Ali
Muhuri. The Hossain); and
headquarters of the 5. Dimagiri (Army Sergeant, name
sector was at unknown to date).
Harina.

2 Districts of Dhaka, • Major Khaled 1. Gangasagar, Akhaura and

Comilla, and Mosharraf (April 10, Kasba (Mahbub, Lieutenant
Faridpur, and part 1971 – September Farooq, and Lieutenant
Humayun Kabir);
of Noakhali District. 22, 1971)
2. Mandabhav (Captain Gaffar);
• Major ATM Haider 3. Shalda-nadi (Mahmud Hasan);
(Sector Commander 4. Matinagar (Lieutenant Didarul
September 22, 1971
 – December 18, Alam);
1972) 5. Nirbhoypur (Captain Akbar,
Lieutenant Mahbub); and
6. Rajnagar (Captain Jafar Imam,
Captain Shahid, and Lieutenant
Imamuzzaman)

3 Area between • Major K M 1. Asrambari (Captain Aziz,

Churaman Kathi Shafiullah (April 10, Captain Ejaz);
(near Sreemangal) 1971 – July 21, 1971) 2. Baghaibari (Captain Aziz,
Captain Ejaz);
and Sylhet in the • Captain ANM
3. Hatkata (Captain Matiur
north and Singerbil Nuruzzaman (July 23,
Rahman);
of Brahmanbaria in 1971 – February 14, 4. Simla (Captain Matin);
the south. 1972) 5. Panchabati (Captain Nasim);
6. Mantala (Captain MSA
Bhuyan);
7. Vijoynagar (Captain MSA
Bhuyan);
8. Kalachhora (Lieutenant
Majumdar);
9. Kalkalia (Lieutenant Golam
Helal Morshed); and
10. Bamutia (Lieutenant Sayeed)

4 Area from Habiganj • Major Chittarajan 1. Jalalpur (Mahbubur Rob Sadi);

District on the Datta (April 10, 1971 2. Barapunji (Captain A Rab);
north to Kanaighat – February 14, 1972) 3. Amlasid (Lieutenant Zahir);
4. Kukital (Flight Lieutenant
Police Station on • Captain A Rab
Kader, Captain Shariful Haq);
the south along the 5. Kailas Shahar (Lieutenant
100 mile long Wakiuzzaman); and
border with India. 6. Kamalpur (Captain Enam)
The headquarters
of the sector was
initially at
Karimganj and later
at Masimpur.

5 Area from Durgapur • Major Mir Shawkat 1. Muktapur (Sergeant Nazir

to Danki (Tamabil) Ali (April 10, 1971 – Hossain, Freedom Fighter
of Sylhet District February 14, 1972) Faruq was second in
command);
 and the entire area 2. Dauki (Sergeant Major BR
up to the eastern Chowdhury);
borders of the 3. Shela (Captain Helal);
4. Bholajanj (Lieutenant
district. The
Taheruddin Akhunji);
headquarters of the
5. Balat (Sergeant Ghani, Captain
sector was at Salahuddin and Enanmul Haq
Banshtala. Chowdhury); and
6. Barachhara (Captain Muslim
Uddin).

6 Rangpur District • Wing Commander 1. Bhajanpur (Captain Nazrul,

and part of Dinajpur M Khademul Bashar Flight Lieutenant Sadruddin
District. The (April 1971 – and Captain Shahriyar);
2. Patgram (initially divided
headquarters of the February 14, 1972)
between junior commissioned
sector was at
officers of the EPR and later
Burimari near taken hold by Captain Matiur
Patgram. Rahman);
3. Sahebganj (Captain Nawazesh
Uddin);
4. Mogalhat (Captain Delwar);
and
5. Chilahati (Flight Lieutenant
Iqbal)

7' Rajshahi, Pabna, • Major Nazmul Huq 1. Malan (initially divided

Bogra and part of (April 10 – between junior commissioned
Dinajpur District. September 27, 1971) officers and later taken hold by
Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir);
The headquarters • Major Kazi
2. Tapan (Major Nazmul Huq, also
of the sector was at Nuruzzaman
commanded by commanding
Taranngapur. (September 28 – officers of the EPR);
February 14, 1972) 3. Mehdipur (Subedar Iliyas,
• Subedar Major A Captain Mahiuddin Jahangir);
Rab 4. Hamzapur (Captain Idris);
5. Anginabad (unnamed freedom
fighter);
6. Sheikhpara (Captain Rashid);
7. Thokrabari (Subedar
Muazzam); and
8. Lalgola (Captain Gheyasuddin
 Chowdhury).

8 In April 1971, the • Major Abu Osman 1. Boyra (Captain Khondakar

operational area of Chowdhury (April 10 Nazmul Huda);
the sector – July 17, 1971) 2. Hakimpur (Captain Shafiq
Ullah);
comprised the • Major MA Manzur
3. Bhomra (Captain Salahuddin,
districts of Kushtia, (August 14, 1971 – Captain Shahabuddin);
Jessore, Khulna, February 14, 1972) 4. Lalbazar (Captain AR Azam
Barisal, Faridpur Chowdhury);
and Patuakhali. At 5. Banpur (Captain Mostafizur
the end of May the Rahman);
sector was 6. Benapole (Captain Abdul
Halim, Captain Tawfiq-e-Elahi
reconstituted and
Chowdhury); and
comprised the
7. Shikarpur (Captain Tawfiq-e-
districts of Kuhstia, Elahi Chowdhury, Lieutenant
Jessore, Khulna, Jahangir).
Satkhira and the
northern part of
Faridpur district.
The headquarters
of the sector was at
Benapole.

9 Barisal, Patuakhali, • Major M A Jalil (July 1. Taki;

and parts of the 17 – December 24, 2. Hingalganj; and
district of Khulna 1971) 3. Shamshernagar.
and Faridpur. • Major MA Manzur
• Major Joynal
Abedin

10 This sector was • Commander HQ BD None.

constituted with Forces (December 3 –
the naval December 16, 1971)
commandos.
 1. Mankarchar (Squadron Leader
M.Hamidullah Khan);
11 Mymensingh and • Major Ziaur 2. Mahendraganj (Major Abu
Tangail along with Rahman (June 27, Taher; Lieutenant Mannan);
parts of Rangpur - 1971 – October 10, 3. Purakhasia (Lieutenant
Gaibandha, 1971) Hashem);
4. Dhalu (Lieutenant Taher;
Ulipurh, Kamalpur
Lieutenant Kamal);
and Chilmari. The 5. Rangra (Matiur Rahman)
headquarters of • Squadron Leader 6. Shivabari (divided between
the sector was at M. Hamidullah Khan junior commissioned officers of
Teldhala until (November 2, 1971 – the EPR);
October 10, then 7. Bagmara (divided between
February 14, 1972)
transferred to junior commissioned officers of
• Major Abu Taher the EPR); and
Mahendraganj. (October 10, 1971 – 8. Maheshkhola (a member of the
November 2, 1971) EPR).

March to June:
At first resistance was spontaneous and disorganized, and was not expected to be prolonged.
But when the Pakistani Army cracked down upon the population, resistance grew. The Mukti
Bahini became increasingly active. The Pakistani military sought to quell them, but increasing
numbers of Bengali soldiers defected to the underground "Bangladesh army". These Bengali
units slowly merged into the Mukti Bahini and bolstered their weaponry with supplies from
India. Pakistan responded by airlifting in two infantry divisions and reorganizing their forces.
They also raised paramilitary forces of Razakars, Al-Badrs and Al-Shams (who were mostly
members of the Muslim League, the then government party and other Islamist groups), as well
as other Bengalis who opposed independence, and Bihari Muslims who had settled during the
time of partition.

On 17 April 1971, a provisional government was formed in Meherpur district in western

Bangladesh bordering India with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was in prison in Pakistan, as
President, Syed Nazrul Islam as Acting President, and Tajuddin Ahmed as Prime Minister. As
fighting grew between the army and the Bengali Mukti Bahini an estimated 10 million Bengalis,
mainly Hindus, sought refuge in the Indian states of Assam and West Bengal.

June to September:
Bangladesh forces command was set up on 11 July, with Col. M A G Osmani as commander in
chief, Lt. Col. Abdur Rab as chief of Army Staff and Group Captain A K Khandker as Deputy Chief
of Army Staff and Chief of Air Force. Bangladesh was divided into Eleven Sectors each with a
commander chosen from defected officers of the Pakistani army who joined the Mukti Bahini to
conduct guerrilla operations and train fighters. Most of their training camps were situated near
the border area and were operated with assistance from India. The 10th Sector was directly
placed under a Commander in Chief (C-in-C) and included the Naval Commandos and C-in-C’s
special force. Three brigades (11 Battalions) were raised for conventional warfare; a large
guerrilla force (estimated at 100,000) was trained.

Guerrilla operations, which slackened during the training phase, picked up after August.
Economic and military targets in Dhaka were attacked. The major success story was Operation
Jackpot, in which naval commandos mined and blew up berthed ships in Chittagong on 16
August 1971. Pakistani reprisals claimed lives of thousands of civilians. The Indian army took
over supplying the Mukti Bahini from the BSF. They organised six sectors for supplying the
Bangladesh forces.

October to December:
Opposing Plans, Pakistan Army Order of Battle December 1971 and Mitro Bahini Order of Battle
December 1971

Bangladesh conventional forces attacked border outposts. Kamalpur, Belonia and Battle of
Boyra are a few examples. 90 out of 370 BOPs fell to Bengali forces. Guerrilla attacks
intensified, as did Pakistani and Razakar reprisals on civilian populations. Pakistani forces were
reinforced by eight battalions from West Pakistan. The Bangladeshi independence fighters even
managed to temporarily capture airstrips at Lalmonirhat and Shalutikar. Both of these were
used for flying in supplies and arms from India. Pakistan sent 5 battalions from West Pakistan as
reinforcements.

Indian involvement:
Somapura Mahavihara in Bangladesh is the greatest Buddhist Vihara in the Indian
Subcontinent, built by Dharmapala.

Wary of the growing involvement of India, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) launched a pre-emptive
strike on India. The attack was modelled on the Israeli Air Force's Operation Focus during the
Six-Day War. However, the plan failed to achieve the desired success and was seen as an open
act of unprovoked aggression against the Indians.
Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi declared war on Pakistan and in aid of the Mukti Bahini,
then ordered the immediate mobilisation of troops and launched the full-scale invasion. This
marked the official start of the Indo-Pakistani War.

Three Indian corps were involved in the invasion of East Pakistan. They were supported by
nearly three brigades of Mukti Bahini fighting alongside them, and many more fighting
irregularly. This was far superior to the Pakistani army of three divisions. The Indians quickly
overran the country, bypassing heavily defended strongholds. Pakistani forces were unable to
effectively counter the Indian attack, as they had been deployed in small units around the
border to counter guerrilla attacks by the Mukti Bahini. Unable to defend Dhaka, the Pakistanis
surrendered on 16 December 1971.

The speed of the Indian strategy can be gauged by the fact that one of the regiments of Indian
army (7 Punjab now 8 Mechanised Inf Regiment) fought the liberation war along the Jessore
and Khulna axis. They were newly converted to a mechanised regiment and it took them just 1
week to reach Khulna after capturing Jessore. Their losses were limited to just 2 newly acquired
APCs (SKOT) from the Russians.

India's external intelligence agency, the RAW, played a crucial role in providing logistic support
to the Mukti Bahini during the initial stages of the war. RAW's operations, in then-East Pakistan,
was the largest covert operation in the history of South Asia.

Pakistani response:
Pakistan launched a number of armoured thrusts along India's western front in attempts to
force Indian troops away from East Pakistan. Pakistan tried to fight back and boost the sagging
morale by incorporating the Special Services Group commandos in sabotage and rescue
missions.

The air and naval war:

The Indian Air Force carried out several sorties against Pakistan, and within a week, IAF aircraft
dominated the skies of East Pakistan. It achieved near-total air supremacy by the end of the
first week as the entire Pakistani air contingent in the east, PAF No.14 Squadron, was grounded
because of Indian airstrikes at Tejgaon, Kurmitolla, Lal Munir Hat and Shamsher Nagar. Sea
Hawks from INS Vikrant also struck Chittagong, Barisal and Cox's Bazar, destroying the eastern
wing of the Pakistan Navy and effectively blockading the East Pakistan ports, thereby cutting off
any escape routes for the stranded Pakistani soldiers. The nascent Bangladesh Navy (comprising
officers and sailors who defected from the Pakistani Navy) aided the Indians in the marine
warfare, carrying out attacks, most notably Operation Jackpot.
Surrender and aftermath:
On 16 December 1971, Lt. Gen A. A. K. Niazi, CO of Pakistan Army forces located in East
Pakistan signed the instrument of surrender. At the time of surrender only a few countries had
provided diplomatic recognition to the new nation. Over 90,000 Pakistani troops surrendered
to the Indian forces making it the largest surrender since World War II. Bangladesh sought
admission in the United Nations with most voting in its favor, but China vetoed this as Pakistan
was its key ally. The United States, also a key ally of Pakistan, was one of the last nations to
accord Bangladesh recognition. To ensure a smooth transition, in 1972 the Simla Agreement
was signed between India and Pakistan. The treaty ensured that Pakistan recognized the
independence of Bangladesh in exchange for the return of the Pakistani Paws. India treated all
the Paws in strict accordance with the Geneva Convention, rule 1925. It released more than
90,000 Pakistani Paws in five months.

Further, as a gesture of goodwill, nearly 200 soldiers who were sought for war crimes by
Bengalis were also pardoned by India. The accord also gave back more than 13,000 km² of land
that Indian troops had seized in West Pakistan during the war, though India retained a few
strategic areas; most notably Kargil (which would in turn again be the focal point for a war
between the two nations in 1999). This was done as a measure of promoting "lasting peace"
and was acknowledged by many observers as a sign of maturity by India. But some in India felt
that the treaty had been too lenient to Bhutto, who had pleaded for leniency, arguing that the
fragile democracy in Pakistan would crumble if the accord was perceived as being overly harsh
by Pakistanis.

Reaction in West Pakistan to the war:

Reaction to the defeat and dismemberment of half the nation was a shocking loss to top
military and civilians alike. No one had expected that they would lose the formal war in under a
fortnight and there was also anger at what was perceived as a meek surrender of the army in
East Pakistan. Yahya Khan's dictatorship collapsed and gave way to Bhutto who took the
opportunity to rise to power. General Niazi, who surrendered along with 93,000 troops, was
viewed with suspicion and hatred upon his return to Pakistan. He was shunned and branded a
traitor. The war also exposed the shortcomings of Pakistan's declared strategic doctrine that
the "defence of East Pakistan lay in West Pakistan".Pakistan also failed to gather international
support, and found itself fighting a lone battle with only the USA providing any external help.
This further embittered the Pakistanis who had faced the worst military defeat of an army in
decades.

The debacle immediately prompted an enquiry headed by Justice Hamoodur Rahman. Called
the Hamoodur Rahman Commission, it was initially suppressed by Bhutto as it put the military
in a poor light. When it was declassified, it showed many failings from the strategic to the
tactical levels. It also condemned the atrocities and the war crimes committed by the armed
forces. It confirmed the looting, rapes and the killings by the Pakistan Army and their local
agents although the figures are far lower than the ones quoted by Bangladesh. According to
Bangladeshi sources, 200,000 women were raped and over 3 million people were killed, while
the Rahman Commission report in Pakistan claimed 26,000 died and the rapes were in the
hundreds. However, the army’s role in splintering Pakistan after its greatest military debacle
was largely ignored by successive Pakistani governments.

Atrocities:
During the war there were widespread killings and other atrocities – including the displacement
of civilians in Bangladesh (East Pakistan at the time) and widespread violations of human rights
– carried out by the Pakistan Army with support from political and religious militias, beginning
with the start of Operation Searchlight on 25 March 1971. Bangladeshi authorities claim that
three million people were killed, while the Hamidur Rahman Commission, an official Pakistan
Government investigation, put the figure as low as 26,000 civilian casualties. The international
media and reference books in English have also published figures which vary greatly from
200,000 to 3,000,000 for Bangladesh as a whole. A further eight to ten million people fled the
country to seek safety in India.

A large section of the intellectual community of Bangladesh were murdered, mostly by the Al-
Shams and Al-Badr forces, at the instruction of the Pakistani Army. Just 2 days before the
surrender, on 14 December 1971, Pakistan Army and Razakar militia (local collaborators) picked
up at least 100 physicians, professors, writers and engineers in Dhaka, and murdered them,
leaving the dead bodies in a mass grave. There are many mass graves in Bangladesh, and as
years pass, more are being discovered (such as one in an old well near a mosque in Dhaka,
located in the non-Bengali region of the city, which was discovered in August 1999). The first
night of war on Bengalis, which is documented in telegrams from the American Consulate in
Dhaka to the United States State Department, saw indiscriminate killings of students of Dhaka
University and other civilians. Numerous women were tortured, raped and killed during the
war; the exact numbers are not known and are a subject of debate. Bangladeshi sources cite a
figure of 200,000 women raped, giving birth to thousands of war babies. The Pakistan Army
also kept numerous Bengali women as sex-slaves inside the Dhaka Cantonment. Most of the
girls were captured from Dhaka University and private homes. There was significant sectarian
violence not only perpetrated and encouraged by the Pakistani army, but also by Bengali
nationalists against non-Bengali minorities, especially Biharis.

On 16 December 2002, the George Washington University's National Security Archive published
a collection of declassified documents, consisting mostly of communications between US
embassy officials and United States Information Service centers in Dhaka and India, and officials
in Washington DC. These documents show that US officials working in diplomatic institutions
within Bangladesh used the terms selective genocide and genocide (see The Blood Telegram) to
describe events they had knowledge of at the time. Genocide is the term that is still used to
describe the event in almost every major publication and newspaper in Bangladesh, although
elsewhere, particularly in Pakistan, the actual death toll, motives, extent, and destructive
impact of the actions of the Pakistani forces are disputed.

Foreign reaction
USA and USSR:
The United States supported Pakistan both politically and materially. U.S. President Richard
Nixon denied getting involved in the situation, saying that it was an internal matter of Pakistan.
But when Pakistan's defeat seemed certain, Nixon sent the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise to the
Bay of Bengal, a move deemed by the Indians as a nuclear threat. Enterprise arrived on station
on 11 December 1971. On 6 December and 13 December, the Soviet Navy dispatched two
groups of ships, armed with nuclear missiles, from Vladivostok; they trailed U.S. Task Force 74
in the Indian Ocean from 18 December until 7 January 1972.

Nixon and Henry Kissinger feared Soviet expansion into South and Southeast Asia. Pakistan was
a close ally of the People's Republic of China, with whom Nixon had been negotiating a
rapprochement and which he intended to visit in February 1972. Nixon feared that an Indian
invasion of West Pakistan would mean total Soviet domination of the region, and that it would
seriously undermine the global position of the United States and the regional position of
America's new tacit ally, China. In order to demonstrate to China the bona fides of the United
States as an ally, and in direct violation of the US Congress-imposed sanctions on Pakistan,
Nixon sent military supplies to Pakistan and routed them through Jordan and Iran, while also
encouraging China to increase its arms supplies to Pakistan.

The Nixon administration also ignored reports it received of the genocidal activities of the
Pakistani Army in East Pakistan, most notably the Blood telegram.
The Soviet Union supported Bangladesh and Indian armies, as well as the Mukti Bahini during
the war, recognizing that the independence of Bangladesh would weaken the position of its
rivals – the United States and China. It gave assurances to India that if a confrontation with the
United States or China developed, the USSR would take countermeasures. This was enshrined
in the Indo-Soviet friendship treaty signed in August 1971. The Soviets also sent a nuclear
submarine to ward off the threat posed by USS Enterprise in the Indian Ocean.
China:
As a long-standing ally of Pakistan, the People's Republic of China reacted with alarm to the
evolving situation in East Pakistan and the prospect of India invading West Pakistan and
Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. Believing that just such an Indian attack was imminent, Nixon
encouraged China to mobilize its armed forces along its border with India to discourage such an
eventuality; the Chinese did not, however, respond in this manner, and instead threw their
weight behind demands for an immediate ceasefire, because of their heavy losses during the
1962 Sino-Indian War despite their victory. China did, however, continue to supply Pakistan
with arms and aid. It is believed that had China taken action against India to protect West
Pakistan, then the Soviet Union would have taken military action against China. One Pakistani
writer has speculated that China chose not to attack India because Himalayan passes were
snowbound in the wintry months of November and December.

United Nations:
Though the United Nations condemned the human rights violations, it failed to defuse the
situation politically before the start of the war. The Security Council assembled on 4 December
to discuss the volatile situation in South Asia. The USSR vetoed the resolution twice. After
lengthy discussions on 7 December, the General Assembly promptly adopted by a majority
resolution calling for an "immediate cease-fire and withdrawal of troops." The United States on
12 December requested that the Security Council be reconvened. However, by the time it was
reconvened and proposals were finalised, the war had ended, making the measures merely
academic.

The inaction of the United Nations in face of the East Pakistan crisis was widely criticized. The
conflict also exposed the delay in decision making that failed to address the underlying issues in
time.

Bangladeshi Declaration of Independence

The independence of Bangladesh was declared by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman through a message
on 26 March 1971 just before he was arrested at about 1:30 a.m. (as per Radio Pakistan’s news
on 29 March 1971). This declaration of independence marks the beginning of the Bangladesh
Liberation War.

Text of declaration:
Declaration of Independence signed by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was:
Today Bangladesh is a sovereign and independent country. On Thursday night, West Pakistani
armed forces suddenly attacked the police barracks at Razarbagh and the EPR headquarters at
Pilkhana in Dhaka. Many innocent and unarmed have been killed in Dhaka city and other places
of Bangladesh. Violent clashes between E.P.R. and Police on the one hand and the armed forces
of Pakistan on the other, are going on. The Bengalis are fighting the enemy with great courage
for an independent Bangladesh. May Allah aid us in our fight for freedom. Joy Bangla.

Spread of the declaration:

A telegram containing the text of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's declaration reached some students
in Chittagong. The message was translated to Bangla by Dr. Manjula Anwar. The students failed
to secure permission from higher authorities to broadcast the message from the nearby
Agrabad Station of Radio Pakistan. They crossed Kalurghat Bridge into an area controlled by an
East Bengal Regiment under Major Ziaur Rahman. Bengali soldiers guarded the station as
engineers prepared for transmission. At 19:45 on 27 March 1971, Major Ziaur Rahman
broadcast announcement of the declaration of independence on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur. The
next day, Major Ziaur Rahman made another announcement:

This is Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro. I, Major Ziaur Rahman, at the direction of Bangobondhu
sheikh Mujibur Rahman, hereby declare that the independent People's Republic of Bangladesh
has been established. At his direction, I have taken command as the temporary Head of the
Republic. In the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, I call upon all Bengalis to rise against the
attack by the West Pakistani Army. We shall fight to the last to free our Motherland. By the
grace of Allah, victory is ours. Joy Bangla. Audio of Zia's announcement (interview - Belal
Mohammed) Video of Major Zia's own statement about this declaration

The Kalurghat Radio Station's transmission capability was limited, but the message was picked
up by a Japanese ship in Bay of Bengal. It was then re-transmitted by Radio Australia and later
by the British Broadcasting Corporation.

M A Hannan, an Awami League leader from Chittagong, is said to have made the first
announcement of the declaration of independence over the radio on 26 March 1971. There is
controversy now as to when Major Zia gave his speech. BNP sources maintain that it was 26
March, and there was no message regarding declaration of independence from Mujibur
Rahman. Pakistani sources, like Siddiq Salik in Witness to Surrender had written that he heard
about Mujibor Rahman's message on the radio while Operation Searchlight was going on, and
Maj. Gen. Hakeem A. Qureshi in his book The 1971 Indo-Pak War: A Soldier's Narrative, gives
the date of Zia's speech as 27 March 1971. Major Zia is said do have declared the independence
on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
26 March 1971 is considered the official Independence Day of Bangladesh. In July 1971, Indian
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi openly referred to the former East Pakistan as Bangladesh. Some
Pakistani and Indian officials continued to use the name "East Pakistan" until 16 December
1971.

Timeline of Bangladesh Liberation War

The Bangladesh Liberation War started on March 26, 1971 and ended on December 16, 1971.
Some of the major events of the war are listed in the timeline below.

Timeline:
Before the war

 March 1: General Yahya Khan calls off the session of National Council to be held on
March 3 in a radio address.
 March 7: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman - leader of Awami League party that had just won a
landslide victory in East Pakistan in the Federal Elections - announces to a jubilant crowd
at the Dhaka Race Course ground, "The struggle this time is the struggle for our
emancipation! The struggle this time is the struggle for independence!".
 March 9: Workers of Chittagong port refuse to unload weapons from the ship 'Swat'.
 March 10: Expatriate Bengali students demonstrate in front of the United Nations
Headquarters and calls for UN intervention to put an end to violence on Bengali people.
 March 16: Yahya Khan starts negotiation with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
 March 19: Nearly 50 people die as Pakistan Army opens fire on demonstrators at
Jaydevpur.
 March 24: Pakistan Army opens fire on Bengali demonstrators in Syedpur, Rangpur and
Chittagong. More than a thousand people are killed.

Events of the War:

March

 March 25: Pakistan Army starts Operation Searchlight in Dhaka and rest of the country,
attacking political activists, students, and Bengali members of armed forces and police
 March 26: Independence of Bangladesh is declared by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman shortly
before his arrest. This is Bangladesh's official Independence Day.
 March 31: Kushtia resistance begins.
April

 April 2: Jinjira genocide.

 April 6: The Blood Telegram
 April 11: Radio address by Tajuddin Ahmad, the Prime Minister.
 April 10: A provisional Bangladesh government-in-exile is formed.
 April 12: M. A. G. Osmani takes up the command of Bangladesh Armed Forces.
 April 17: A provisional government-in-exile took oath in Boiddonathtola (now called
Mujibnagar) in Meherpur District
 April 18: Battle of Daruin, Comilla and Battle of Rangamati-Mahalchari waterway,
Chittagong Hill Tracts.
 April 24: Formation of Bangladesh Action Committee at Coventry, UK by non-resident
Bangladeshis.
 April 28: Tajuddin pleas for arms aid to neighbors.

May

 May 5: Gopalpur massacre.

 May 15: Indian army starts aiding Mukti Bahini
 May 20:The Chuknagar Genocide takes place at Khulna where the Pakistan army kills
nearly 10 thousand people
 May 24: Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra finds home in Kolkata.

July

 July 11-17: Sector Commanders Conference 1971.

August

 August 1: The Concert for Bangladesh in Madison Square Garden, New York by George
Harrison and friends.
 August 16: Operation Jackpot, Bangladesh naval commando operation.
 August 20: Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman (military pilot)'s attempt to defect by
hijacking a fighter.
 August 30: Pakistan Army crackdown on Dhaka guerrillas

September

 September 5: Battle of Goahati, Jessore.

 September 28: Bangladesh Air Force starts functioning.
October

 October 13: Dhaka guerrillas kill Abdul Monem Khan, governor of East Pakistan.
 October 28: Battle of Dhalai Outpost, Srimongol.
 October 31 to November 3: Battle of Dhalai: Indian attack from Tripura into East
Pakistan to stop Pakistani cross-border shelling.

November

 November 9: Six small ships constitute the first fleet of Bangladesh Navy.
 November 16: Battle of Ajmiriganj, an 18 hour encounter between MB and Pakistan
army. A famous freedom fighter, Jagatyoti Das, is martyred.
 November 20 to November 21: Battle of Garibpur: Indian attack in Boyra salient in East
Pakistan
 November 21: Mitro Bahini, the joint force of Bngladesh and Indian army is formed.
 November 22 to December 13, and sporadic fighting to December 16: Battle of Hilli:
Indian attack on Bogra in East Pakistan.

December (Indo-Pakistan War)

 December 3: Bangladesh Air Force destroys Pakistani oil depots. Pakistani air attacks on
India result in India declaring war on Pakistan.
 December 4 to December 6: Battle of Basantar: Indians attack and take over Pakistani
territory opposite Jammu
 Dec 5 to Dec 6: Battle of Longewala: Indians stop a Pakistani invasion directed at
Jaisalmer.
 December 4 Operation Trident (Indo-Pakistani War): Indian naval attack on Karachi
 December 6: India becomes the first country to recognize Bangladesh. Swadhin Bangla
Betar Kendra becomes Bangladesh Betar.
 December 7: Liberation of Jessore, Sylhet and Moulovi Bazar.
 December 8 night: Operation Python: Indian naval attack on Karachi
 December 9: Battle of Kushtia: Indian attack from West Bengal into East Pakistan.

Chandpur and Daudkandi liberated.

 December 10: Liberation of Laksham. Two Bangladeshi ships sunk mistakenly by Indian
air attack.
 December 11: Liberation of Hilli, Mymenshingh, Kushtia and Noakhali. USS Enterprise is
deployed by the USA in the Bay of Bengal to intimidate Indian Navy.
 December 13: Soviet Navy deploys a group of ships to counter USS Enterprise.
 December 14: Selective genocide of nationalist intellectuals. Liberation of Bogra.
 December 16: Pakistan Army surrenders to Mitro Bahini represented by Jagjit Singh
Aurora of the Indian Army faction of the military coalition.
Freedom of Bangladeshi people.

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

Mukti Bahini
Mukti Bahini (Bengali: "Liberation Army"), also termed as the "Freedom Fighters" or FFs,
collectively refers to the armed organizations who fought against the Pakistan Army during the
Bangladesh Liberation War. It was dynamically formed by (mostly) Bengali regulars and civilians
after the proclamation of Bangladesh's independence on March 26, 1971. Subsequently by mid-
April 1971 the Bengali officers and soldiers of East Bengal Regiments formed the "Bangladesh
Armed Forces" and M. A. G. Osmani assumed its command. The civilian groups continued to
assist the armed forces during the war. After the war "Mukti Bahini" became the general term
to refer to all forces (military and civilian) of former East Pakistani origin fighting against the
Pakistani armed forces during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Often Mukti Bahini operated as
an effective guerrilla force to keep their enemies on the run. Inspired in part by revolutionary
Che Guevara, they have been compared to the French Maquis, Viet Cong, and the guerrillas of
Josip Broz Tito in their tactics and effectiveness.

Contents

 1 Origins
 2 Organization during war
 3 Regular and irregular forces
o 3.1 Bangladesh Navy
o 3.2 Bangladesh Air Force
o 3.3 Independent forces
o 3.4 Leftist factions
 4 Sectors of Liberation War
 5 Mukti Bahini in the final phase
 6 References
 7 Further reading

Origins
Although Mukti Bahini was formed to fight off the military crackdown by the Pakistan army on
March 25, 1971 during the climax of Bangladesh freedom movement, The crisis had already
started taking shape with anti-Ayub uprising in 1969 and precipitated into a political crisis at the
height of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Six-point movement beginning in the 1970s. In March 1971,
rising political discontent and cultural nationalism in what was then East Pakistan (later,
Bangladesh) was met by harsh suppressive force from the ruling elite of the West Pakistan
establishment in what came to be termed Operation Searchlight.

The massive crackdown by West Pakistan forces became an important factor in precipitating
the civil war as a sea of refugees (estimated at the time to be about 10 million) came flooding
to the eastern provinces of India. Facing a mounting humanitarian crisis, India started actively
aiding and re-organising what was by this time already the nucleus of the Mukti Bahini.

The immediate precursor of the Mukti Bahini was Mukti Fauj ("Fauj" is the Urdu originally from
Persian borrowed from Arabic for "Brigade" exported into several languages in South Asia
including Bengali), which was preceded denominationally by the sangram parishads formed in
the cities and villages by the student and youth leaderships in early March 1971. When and
how the Mukti Fauj was created is not clear nor is the later adoption of the name Mukti Bahini.
It is, however, certain that the names originated generically refer to the people who fought in
the Bangladesh liberation war.

Since the anti-Ayub uprising in 1969 and during the height of Mujib's six points movement,
there was a growing movement among the Bengalis in East Pakistan to become independent
driven by the nationalists, radicals and leftists. After the election of 1970, the subsequent crisis
strengthened that feeling within the people. Sheikh Mujib himself was facing immense pressure
from most prominent political quarters, especially the ultra-nationalist young student leaders,
to declare independence without delay. Armed preparations were going on by some leftist and
nationalist groups, and the Bengali army officers and soldiers were prepared to defect. At the
call of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the people of East Pakistan joined in a peaceful movement for
non-cooperation from 3 March 1971, and 7th march and onward, which lasted up to midnight
of 25 March 1971. On this date the Pakistani Army cracked down upon unarmed civilians to
take control of the administration. During the army crackdown on the night of March 25, 1971,
there were reports of small scale resistance notably at Iqbal Hall, Dhaka University and at the
Rajarbagh Police Headquarter. The latter initially put a strong fight against the Pakistan Army.
As political events gathered momentum, the stage was set for a clash between the Pakistan
Army and the Bengali people vowing for independence. Bengali members of the Army were
also defecting and gathering in various pockets of the country.

All these early fights were disorganized and futile because of the greater military strength of
the Pakistani Army. Outside of Dhaka, resistance was more successful. The earliest move
towards forming a liberation army officially came from the declaration of independence made
by Major Ziaur Rahman of East Bengal Regiment on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In the
declaration made from Kalurghat Betar Kendra (Chittagong) on March 27, 1971, Zia assumed
the title of "provisional commander in chief of the Bangladesh Liberation Army", though his
area of operation remained confined to Chittagong and Noakhali areas. Major Ziaur Rahman's
declaration on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman marked a break with Pakistan by the Bengali
units of the army.

Organization during war

Though prolonged Bengali resistance was not anticipated by Pakistani planners of Operation
Searchlight, when the Pakistani Army cracked down upon the population, the Mukti Bahini
were becoming increasingly visible. Headed by Colonel (later, General) M. A. G. Osmani, a
retired Pakistani Army officer, this band was raised as Mujib's action arm and security force
before assuming the character of a conventional guerrilla force. After the declaration of
independence, the Pakistani military sought to quell them, but increasing numbers of Bengali
soldiers defected to the underground "Bangladesh army". These Bengali units slowly merged
into the Mukti Bahini and bolstered their weaponry.

On April 12, 1971 Colonel (later General) M. A. G. Osmani assumed the command of armed
forces at Teliapara (Sylhet) headquarters. Osmani was made the commander-in-chief of
Bangladesh Armed Forces on April 17, 1971. Serious initiative for organising the Bangladesh
liberation army was taken between 11-17 July. In a meeting of the sector commanders in
Kolkata, four important resolutions were taken in consideration of strategic aspects of the war,
existing problems and future course of resistance. These were:

 Composition and tactics of the combatants would be as follows:

o Guerrilla teams comprising 5 to 10 trained members would be sent to specific
areas of Bangladesh with specific assignments
o Combat soldiers would carry out frontal attacks against the enemy. Between 50
and 100 per cent would carry arms. Intelligence volunteers would be engaged to
collect information about the enemy. 30 percent of these people would be
equipped with weapons;
 The regular forces would be organised into battalions and sectors.
 The following strategies would be adopted while carrying out military operations against
the enemy
o A large number of guerrillas would be sent out inside Bangladesh to carry out
raids and ambushes;
o Industries would be brought to a standstill and electricity supply would be
disrupted;
o Pakistanis would be obstructed in exporting manufactured goods and raw
materials;
 o Communication network would be destroyed in order to obstruct enemy
movements;
o Enemy forces would be forced to disperse and scatter for strategic gains;
 The whole area of Bangladesh would be divided into 11 sectors.

Other than the organizations of Mukti Bahini who were generally trained and armed by the
Indian Army, there were independent guerrilla groups led by individual leaders, either
nationalists or leftists, who were successfully controlling some areas.

Regular and irregular forces

The regular forces later called Niomita Bahini (regular force) consisted of the members of the
East Bengal Regiments (EBR), East Pakistan Rifles (EPR, later BDR), police, other paramilitary
forces and the general people who were commanded by the army commanders in the 11
sectors all over Bangladesh. Three major forces: Z-Force under the command of Major (later,
Major General) Ziaur Rahman, K-Force under Major (later Brigadier ) Khaled Mosharraf and S-
Force under Major (later Major General) K M Shafiullah were raised afterwards to fight battles
in efficient manners. The irregular forces, generally called Gono Bahini (people's army), were
those who were trained more in guerrilla warfare than the conventional one.

The irregular forces, which after initial training joined different sectors, consisted of the
students, peasants, workers and political activists. Irregular forces were initiated inside
Bangladesh province to adopt guerrilla warfare against the enemy. The regular forces were
engaged in fighting the usual way.

The Mukti Bahini obtained strength from the two main streams of fighting elements: members
of armed forces of erstwhile East Pakistan and members of the urban and rural youths many of
whome were volunteers. Other groups included members of sangram parishads, youth and
student wings of Awami League, NAP, Leftist-Communist Parties and radical groups. The Mukti
Bahini had several factions. The foremost one was organized by the members of the regular
armed force, who were generally known as Freedom Fighters (FF). Then there was Bangladesh
Liberation Forces (BLF) led by four youth leaders of the political wing of Sheikh Mujib's Awami
League and the third one generally known as Special Guerrilla Forces (SGF) led by the
Communist Party of Bangladesh, National Awami Party, and Bangladesh Students Union. They
then jointly launched guerrilla operations against the Pakistani Army causing heavy damages
and casualties. This setback prompted the Pakistani Army to induct Razakars, Al-Badrs and Al-
Shams (mostly members of Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamist groups), as well as other Bengalis
who opposed independence, and Biharis who had settled during the time of partition. This
helped Pakistan stem the tide somewhat as the monsoon approached in the months of June
and July.

Bangladesh Navy
Bangladesh Navy was constituted in August 1971. Initially, there were two ships and 45 navy
personnel. These ships carried out many successful raids on the Pakistani fleet. But both of
these ships were mistakenly hit and destroyed by Indian fighter planes on 10 December 1971,
when they were about to launch a major attack on Mongla seaport.

Bangladesh Air Force

Bangladesh Air Force started functioning on 28 September at Dimapur in Nagaland, under the
command of Air Commodore AK Khondakar. Initially, it consisted of 17 officers, 50 technicians,
2 planes and 1 helicopter. The Air Force carried out more than twelve sorties against Pakistani
targets and was quite successful during the initial stages of the Indian attack in early December.

Independent forces
In addition, there were also some independent forces that fought in various regions of
Bangladesh and liberated many areas. These included Mujib Bahini which was organized in
India. Major General Oban of the Indian Army and Student League leaders Serajul Alam Khan,
Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani, Kazi Arif Ahmed, Abdur Razzak, Tofael Ahmed, A. S. M. Abdur Rab,
Shahjahan Siraj, Nur E Alam Siddiqi, and Abdul Quddus Makhon were organisers of this Bahini.
There was the Kaderia Bahini under Kader Siddique of Tangail, Afsar Bahini and Aftab Bahini of
Mymensingh, Latif Mirza Bahini of Sirajganj, Akbar Hossain Bahini of Jhinaidah, Quddus Molla
and Gafur Bahini of Barisal, Hemayet Bahini under Hemayet Uddin of Faridpur. There were also
several communist/leftist groups who clashed with the Pakistan Army, and controlled some
areas independently.

Leftist factions
In addition, there were some other groups of freedom fighters which were controlled by the
Leftist parties and groups including the NAP and Communist Parties. Among others, Siraj Sikder
raised a strong guerrilla force which fought several battles with the Pakistani soldiers in
Payarabagan, Barisal. Although there were ideological conflicts among the communist parties
(most notably, split into pro-soviet and pro-Chinese factions and widespread split within the
pro-Chinese faction) on deciding a common action in the context of Bangladesh Liberation,
many of the individuals and leaders of Mukti Bahini were deeply influenced by the leftist
ideology in general. There were strong concerns among the Indian authority and members of
the Awami League led provisional government not to lose the control of the liberation war to
 the leftists. Nevertheless many leftists overcame these internal and external difficulties and
actively participated in the Liberation war with the main nucleus of the Mukti Bahini.

Mukti Bahini in the Final Phase

The liberation forces started carrying out massive raids into enemy fronts from October 1971.
After the signing of the Indo-Soviet Treaty in August 1971, India began to demonstrate more
interest in the Bangladesh war. Eventually India legally entered the war on 3 December 1971
(Indo-Pakistani War of 1971) after Pakistan's preemptive air raids on some Indian cities in the
western border. In fact, the Indian soldiers were already participating in the war in different
guises since November when the independence fighters had launched the Belonia battle. When
the Indian Army planned to avoid battles and seize the capital Dhaka in the shortest campaign
possible, the Mukti Bahini made the task much easier by confining the Pakistani army and
holding them back from moving towards to capital.

Despite the difficult terrain of Bangladesh, the war was won rapidly. Dhaka was liberated in a
matter of two weeks. The Mukti Bahini were a major contributing factor in the Indian Victory
fighting both as irregulars, and as conventional forces alongside the Indians. Several actions in
the heart of the capital and the killing of Monaem Khan, a loyalist, anti-Bengali and ex-governor
of East Pakistan, proved the effectiveness and capability of the guerrillas.

On 16 December 1971, commander of the 14 division of Pakistan army Major General Jamshed
surrendered to Indian General Nagra near Mirpur bridge in Dhaka. At 10.40 am, the Indian
allied force and Kader Siddique entered Dhaka city. That signaled the end of the 9-month long
War of Liberation of Bangladesh. Scattered battles were still waged at various places of the
country.

The Commander of Eastern Command of the Pakistan Army, Lt. General A. A. K. Niazi
surrendered to the commander of the joint Indo-Bangladesh force and the chief of Indian
eastern command Lt. General Jagjit Singh Arora. The Bangladesh Forces were represented at
the ceremony by Group Captain A. K. Khandker.

Recipients of Bangladeshi military awards in 1971

Four categories of gallantry awards were created after the war in Bangladesh to honor
those who had demonstrated outstanding bravery in the war. These were:
1.      Bir Sreshţho
2.      Bir Uttom
3.      Bir Bikrom
4.      Bir Protik
A total of 676 participants of the Liberation War received gallantry awards for their
contribution.

Bir Sreshtho

The Bir Sreshtho (The Most Valiant Hero) is the highest military award of Bangladesh. It was
awarded to seven freedom fighters who showed utmost bravery and made the ultimate
sacrifice for their nation in the Liberation War.

The recipients are:

Bangladesh Army

 Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir   †

 Sepoy Hamidur Rahman   †
 Sepoy Mostafa Kamal  †

Bangladesh Navy

 Engineroom Artificer Ruhul Amin   †

Bangladesh Air Force

 Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman   †

Bangladesh Rifles

 Lance Naik Munshi Abdur Rouf   †

 Lance Naik Nur Mohammad Sheikh  †

Bir Uttom
No. NAME SECTOR RANK

01 Abdur Rob Army chief, AHQ Lieutenant Colonel

02 K M Shafiullah Commander, S Force Major

03 Ziaur Rahman Commander, Z Force Major

04 Chittoronjon Datta Sector Commander-04 Major

05 Kazi Nuruzzaman Sector Commander-07 Major

06 Mir Showkat Ali Sector Commander-05 Major

07 Khaled Mosharraf Commander, K Force Major

08 Abdul Manzur Sector Commander-08 Major

09 Abu Taher Sector Commander-11 Major

10 A N M Nuruzzaman Sector Commander-03 Captain

11 Rafiqul Islam,1971 Sector Commander-01 Captain

12 Abdus Salek Choudhury Sector Commander-02 Captain

13 Aminul Haque Commander, 8 East Bengal Major

14 Khaja Nijam Uddin,Martyr Sector-04 Leader Public Force/Gano Bahini

15 A K Khandker Deputy Chief of Command Group Captain

16 Shahjahan Omar - -

17 Kader Siddique - -

18 Liakat Ali Khan - -

19 Shahabuddin Ahmed, 1971 - -

20 Anwar Hossain Pahari - -

-
21 Aftab Ali Subeder
(Sector-11)3rd East Bengal

22 Motiur Rahman - Lieutenant Colonel

Bir Bikrom

175 fighters have been awarded on 15 December, 1973 for their heroic actions at the Liberation
War of Bangladesh in 1971. The government of Bangladesh declared the name of the awardees
in Bangladesh Gazette on 15 December 1973.
  Bir Bikrom General Ershad Ali Khan
 Bir Bikrom Mozammel Hoque

Bir Protik

This award was declared on 15 December, 1973. A total of 426 people have received the award
so far, all for their actions during the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971.

 MRS. TARAMON BIBI

Mukti Bahini (Freedom Fighters)

Sl. no. ID no. Rank (At the time of award) NAME

1 Commander (Sub-sector: Jalalpur) Mahbubur Rob Sadi (Sector-4)

2 FF Giasuddin (Sector-2)

3 FF Golam Dastagir Gazi (Sector-2)

4 FF Musurul Alam Dulal (Sector-2)

5 FF Jainul Abedin Khan (Sector-2)

6 FF Md. Zia (Sector-2)

7 FF Md. Zakir (Sector-2)

8 FF Mahmud (Sector-2)

9 FF Sheikh Abdul Mannan (Sector-2)

10 FF Habibul Alam (Sector-2)

11 FF A. M. Md. Ishak (Sector-2)

12 FF Wiliam Abraham Simon Ouderland (Sector-2)

13 FF Md. A. Aziz (Sector-2)

14 FF Shaheed Khairul Zahan (Sector-2)

15 FF Shaheed Selim Akbar (Sector-2)

16 FF Shaheed Abdullahel Baki (Sector-2)

17 FF Mozammel Haq (Sector-2)

18 FF Shaheed Nawab Mia (Sector-2)

19 FF Shaheed Manik (Sector-2)

20 FF Shamsul Alam Fitr (Sector-2)

21 FF Anwar Hossain (Sector-2)

22 FF Shaheed Alamgir Karim (Sector-2)

23 FF Shaheed Momin (Sector-2)

24 FF Shaheed Abul Hossain (Sector-2)

25 FF Shaheed Md. Shahidullah (Sector-2)

26 FF Shaheed Nurul Haq (Sector-2)

27 FF Rafiqul Islam (Sector-2)

28 FF Maminul Haq Bhuiyan (Sector-2)

29 FF Md. Ibrahim Khan (Sector-2)

30 FF Sheraj Uddin Ahmed (Sector-2)

31 FF Md. Tayeb Ali (Sector-2)

32 FF Abdus Samad (Sector-2)

33 FF Bahar Uddin Reja (Sector-2)

34 FF Jamal (Sector-2)

35 FF Md. Ashraf (Sector-3)

36 FF Abdus Salam (Sector-3)

37 FF Rafiqul Haq (Sector-3)

38 FF Nurul Islam Khan Pathan (Sector-3)

39 FF Shahjahan Mazumdar (Sector-3)

40 FF A. K. M. Mirajuddin (Sector-3)

41 FF Shaheed Mahfujur Rahman (Sector-3)

42 FF Amir Hossain (Sector-3)

43 FF Mafizul Islam (Sector-4)

44 FF A. K. M. Atiqul Islam (Sector-4)

45 FF Ashraful Huq (Sector-4)

46 FF Shaheed Rafiq Uddin (Sector-4)

47 FF Shaheed Nuruddin Ahmed (Sector-4)

48 FF Sirajul Islam (Sector-5)

49 FF Md. Abdul Majid (Sector-5)

50 FF Faqruddin Chowdhury (Sector-5)

51 FF A. M. Halim (Sector-5)

52 FF Enamul Haq Chowdhury (Sector-5)

53 FF hMd. Idris (Sector-5)

54 FF Md. Badruzzaman (Sector-5)

55 FF Hasir Uddin Sarkar (Sector-5)

56 FF Abdul Hai Sarkar (Sector-5)

57 FF M. A. Sarkar (Sector-6)

58 FF A. K. M. Mahbubur Rahman (Sector-7)

59 FF Md. Mohsin Ali Sardar (Sector-7)

60 FF Md. Azad Ali (Sector-7)

61 FF Md. Nur Hamim (Sector-7)

62 FF Md. Badiuzzaman (Sector-7)

63 FF Golam Azad (Sector-8)

64 FF Shaheed Sadar Uddin Ahmed (Sector-8)

65 FF Shaheed Abdur Rahim (Sector-8)

66 FF Shaheed Nasir Uddin (Sector-8)

67 FF Shaheed Habibur Rahman (Sector-8)

68 FF Shaheed Nazrul Islam (Sector-8)

69 FF Shaheed Harunur Rashid (Sector-8)

70 FF Abdul Malek (Sector-9)

71 FF Hajari Lal Tarafder (Sector-9)

72 FF Shaheed Shamsuddin Ahmed (Sector-9)

73 FF Ishtiaq Hossain (Sector-9)

74 FF Shaheed K. M. Rafiqul Islam (Sector-9)

75 FF Shaheed Didar Ali (Sector-9)

76 FF Md. Golam Yakub (Sector-9)

77 FF Abdul Alim (Sector-9)

78 FF Kuddus Mollah (Sector-9)

79 FF Anwar Hossain (Sector-9)

80 FF Rafiqul Ahsan (Sector-9)

81 FF K. S. A. Mohiuddin (Manik) (Sector-9)

82 FF Rafiqul Islam (Sector-9)

83 FF Debdas Bisshash (Khakan) (Sector-9)

84 FF A. T. M. Khaled (Sector-11)
85 FF Zahirul Haq Munshi (Sector-11)

86 FF Md. Anisur Rahman (Sector-11)

87 FF Abdul Majid (Sector-11)

88 FF Masammat Taraman Begum (Sector-11)

89 FF Bhuiyan (Sector-11)

90 FF Nur Islam (Sector-11)

91 FF Bashir Ahmed (Sector-11)

92 FF Anisul Haq Akhand (Sector-11)

93 FF Matiur Rahman (Sector-11)

94 FF Md. Zahurul Haq Munshi (Sector-11)

95 FF Abul Kalam (--)

96 FF Md. Mahbub Elahi Ranju (--)

97 FF A. T. M. Khaled (--)

98 FF Md. Nurul Haq (Sector-11)

99 FF Abdullah Al Mahmud (Sector-11)

100 FF Bahar (Sector-11)

101 FF Syed Sadaruzzaman (Sector-11)

102 FF Belal Hossain (Sector-11)

103 FF Md. Enayet Hossain (Sector-11)

104 FF Waresat Hossain (Sector-11)

105 FF Shakhawat Hossain (Sector-11)

106 FF Mizanur Rahman Khan (Sector-11)

107 FF Habibur Rahman Talukdar (Sector-11)

108 FF Khorshed Alam Talukdar (Sector-11)