What happened on Thursday, September 30, 1971
The freedom fighters positioned at Nawabganj spent a second repelling the Pak army’s three-pronged offensive, through Bara Khal and Arial Beel in Dhaka. The invaders occasionally retreated to gather strength and returned to attack. The guerrillas continued to counter the Pak attack from their strong position. The battle went on in this manner once more.
Freedom fighters under the leadership of Lt. Morshed buried an anti-tank mine on the Akhaura-Harashpur railway line near Mukundpur. The freedom fighters detonated the anti-tank mine remotely from 300 yards away with the help of attached electric wire when a train carrying troops of the Pak army approached the ambush point. The train crashed and 26 Pak soldiers, including two officers, were killed.
A group of 50 freedom fighters of the 4th Bengal led by Captain Mahbub attacked the Pak army base at Kangsatola, south of Comilla, at 1 am. After a three-hour battle, 16 Pak soldiers, including Subedar Shahjaman, were killed and 8 wounded, forcing the Pak army to abandon their position and flee to Comilla.
In Feni, freedom fighters led by Captain Pasha fired artillery shells at the Nayanpur base of the Pak army. Another group of freedom fighters led by Captain Ashraf then staged a frontal attack on the Pak army at Nayanpur. In the face of this attack, the Pak army abandoned Nayanpur and took shelter at their main base of the Shalda river railway station.
In Sylhet, a group of 50 freedom fighters attacked the Pak army’s Shahbazpur position. After 10 minutes, the Pak army retaliated and there was a massive clash between the two sides. Fifteen Pak soldiers and Razakars were killed in this clash. The freedom fighters returned to their bases unharmed.
In Sector 7, freedom fighters attacked the main base of the Pak army at Ramchandrapur. In this attack, 20 Pak soldiers and 12 Razakars were killed, and 13 soldiers were wounded. On this side, one freedom fighter was martyred and two others were injured.
The freedom fighters ambushed a gunboat and some launches carrying Pak soldiers, at Harinagar in Khulna. The ambush killed the Pak army’s gunboat driver and destroyed the radar antenna. Later, 4 of the launches were sunk by heavy shelling.
In Sector 8, freedom fighters attacked several launches of the Pak army at Banaripara. In this attack, 3 launches of the Pak army were sunk and 40 Pak soldiers were killed.
Freedom fighters attacked the Paikgachha police station in Khulna. The police staff, including 6/7 Pak Razakars, of the police station, were captured by the guerrillas.
Freedom fighters blew up a culvert near the Champaknagar BOP in Chittagong. As a result, the Pak army’s road communications with Champaknagar were temporarily cut off.
“On behalf of our country, we urge the Commonwealth and the United Kingdom to protect the rights of the citizens of East Pakistan,” said H C Templeton, New Zealand’s representative to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Kuala Lumpur. “We believe that their government will adopt the right policy to protect the rights of its people.”
A spokesman for the Pakistani government’s foreign office said that “Four Bengali diplomats from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and their families had been detained at an undisclosed location by police at a check post near Haryana on September 28. They were returning to Pakistan by bus on government instructions. India did this in a pre-planned manner because a photo-journalist had been stationed at the scene. Such actions by India are contrary to diplomatic etiquette. This incident will further deteriorate the relations between the two countries. The Foreign Office today summoned the acting High Commissioner of India to their headquarters to lodge a firm protest. The protest letter called for the immediate release of the diplomats.”
In Karachi, President Yahya Khan and People’s Party Chairman Zulfikar Ari Bhutto held a three-hour meeting on the matter of political developments in East Pakistan.
At a press conference at Hotel Intercontinental in Dhaka, Tehreek-i-Istaqlal Party Chief Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan said that “The Awami League’s elected MNAs and MPAs should be pardoned and reinstated by extending a general amnesty wherever they are. Those who have won the elections should come to power. If my proposal is accepted, there will be no need for by-elections in the province except caused by natural death.” He said that “The volunteers (Razakars) and the Peace Committee are committing torture in towns outside Dhaka city.” He added that “It was a mistake to make the members of the defeated party ministers.”
In the last week of September, Army Headquarters ordered the reorganization of Sector 2 and the formation of a K-Force. Over the past few months, due to incessant battles and severe adversities such as lack of food, sleep and inadequacy of war materials, the warriors of this sector were naturally exhausted; as such, to ensure their rest and recuperation, and the need for a few more battalions consisting of newly trained soldiers along with old and experienced soldiers of 4th Bengal, this order was promulgated. According to the plan, Sector Commander Lt. Colonel Khaled Musharraf held a conference with the sub-sector commanders at the Headquarters, and took the following decisions:
Two more battalions would be formed from the 4th Bengal, consisting of old and experienced soldiers.
Some soldiers of the 4th Bengal ‘C’ Company and Headquarters were to remain in the 4th Bengal and the 4th Bengal would be reconstructed. Captain Gaffar was to be appointed to lead this battalion. This battalion was to be consolidated at Canabon Base for restructuring and rearrangement.
Major Ainuddin was appointed as the Commander of the new 9th Bengal Regiment. formed with soldiers from the 4th Bengal ‘D’ Company and ‘B’ Company. This battalion was reorganized at Kasba base.
Major Salek was appointed the Commander of the 10th Bengal Regiment, formed with the remaining soldiers of ’A’ Company and ‘B’ Company of the 4th Bengal. As Major Salek and this company of the 4th Bengal were engaged in battle at the river Shalda, he was ordered to go to Belonia with his troops. The 10th Bengal Regiment was reorganized at Belonia-Rajnagar base.
All the fighters under Sector 2 were divided into three groups. A brigade called K-Force was formed with the newly formed 4th, 9th and 10th regiments.
Major Matin and Captain Anwarul Alam was appointed as staff officers at a separately established Headquarters for the newly formed Brigade.
The guerrilla Headquarters were to remain at the Melaghor. Major Haider was appointed as Guerrilla Staff Officer under the command of the Sector Commander.
18 sector companies remained as companies and they remained under the K-Force Headquarters. They were to usually be deployed as commandos to carry out deep penetration destructive missions at the rear of the enemy.
The guerrillas were to liberate their respectively designated areas by eliminating the Pak army in those areas. Dividing and separating the Pak army into small groups would force them to surrender their strongholds.
The K-Force Brigade were to be deployed to occupy the strongholds of the Pak army and would be engaged in the defense of the liberated free zones.
Reconstruction of the K-Force was to be completed by October 14.
Companies and Commando Platoons were to continue their efforts to fill the void in active resistance to the Pak army left by the reorganization of K-Force by deploying in the operation areas of the 4th Bengal, with the aide of the guerrillas, so that the Pak Army cannot regain its lost morale and expand its dominance.
It was decided to redistribute weapons, ammunition and other military equipment among the various groups.
The 1st Field Regiment of the Artillery Force was appointed under the K-Force.
Lt. Colonel Khaled Musharraf was to be leading K-Force and Sector 2 as Commander. However, in the absence of Khaled Musharraf, these two forces would be divided in two. Major Abdus Salek Chowdhury would then be the commander of K-Force and Major A T M Haider would be the commander of Sector 2.
Translated by Mohammad Towhidul Islam
Editorial contribution by Arghya Raihan
Researched, compiled & Edited by Sagar Lohani
Bangalianaa/SL
পড়ুন
ইতিহাসের নৃশংসতম গণহত্যা
দ্বিতীয় মহাকাব্য: প্রধানমন্ত্রী তাজউদ্দীন আহমদের প্রথম বেতার ভাষণ
পড়ুন এখানে
Other days of Roaring 1971:
অগ্নিঝরা একাত্তরের দিনগুলো, বাংলায় পড়ুন:
| মার্চ ১৯৭১ | এপ্রিল ১৯৭১ | মে ১৯৭১ | জুন ১৯৭১ | জুলাই ১৯৭১ |
| আগস্ট ১৯৭১ | সেপ্টেম্বর ১৯৭১ | অক্টোবর ১৯৭১ | নভেম্বর ১৯৭১ | ডিসেম্বর ১৯৭১ |
