July 12, 1971

• In Comilla, Captain Gaffar’s company and the Fastfield Regiment attacked the Mandabhag market base of the Pak army. Many bunkers and houses were destroyed in the surprise attack by the freedom fighters and at least 60/70 Pak soldiers were killed. After two hours of fighting, the Mandabhag market and a large number of weapons came under the control of the freedom fighters.

• At 8 pm the Pak invader forces attacked the freedom fighters Shalda river base. When the freedom fighters led by Major Salek of the 4th Bengal ‘A’ Company counter-attacked, the Pak army was defeated and abandoned their offensive. Many Pak soldiers were killed in this battle.

• On the Narayanganj and Daudkandi roads in the Bausia Bridge area, the Pak army and the Razakars launched a surprise attack on the demolition party of the freedom fighters. Three guerrillas in the demolition team were seriously injured. The demolition team was able to return to the Muradnagar base safely with the wounded guerrillas.

• In Sylhet, the freedom fighters led by Moyna Miah attacked the Shahbazpur railway station base of the Pak army. Two Pak soldiers were killed in this attack.

• Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto of the People’s Party abruptly returned home from Tehran without going to Kabul.

• In a statement, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Maulana Abul Ala Maududi termed Bhutto’s suggestion of a compromise between the Pakistani government and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Awami League as “politically reckless and mischievous”.

• Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, president of the Convention Muslim League, told a press conference in Lahore that the current situation in East Pakistan is “completely normal” but that Indian collaborators are active there. “Patriotic citizens are united today to deal with their threat,” he said.

• Mia Tofail, Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami, told a gathering of Jamaat activists in Dhaka that the destructive activities carried out in the name of asserting the rights of Bengalis before March 25 was a well-organized plot by the enemies to destroy Pakistan. “The great army is protecting the country from the plots of the enemies,” he said. “We are the ones who must hold on to this situation.”

Translated by Mohammad Towhidul Islam
Editorial contribution by Arghya Raihan
Researched, compiled & Edited by Sagar Lohani