16th December 1971: From East Pakistan to Bangladesh

[kobiraaz]

** after Election Bhutto requested second powerful place in the ministry from MUJIB. when Mujib refused the proposal Bhutto went to Yahya!

 

[Armstrong]

Some more thoughts by Colonel (R) Nazir Ahmed on 'debunking the 90,000 POW figure' !

So here goes :


Order of Battle

Location of Pakistani units in East Pakistan on 03 December 1971.

Pakistan army started to work on a plan of defence against a possible Indian attack from July 1971. At that time, 3 infantry divisions held responsibility for the province: the 9th (CO: Maj. Gen.M H Ansari, HQ Jessore) looking after the area south of the Padma River, the 16th (Maj. Gen. Nazar Hussain Shah, HQ Natore) responsible for the area north of Padma and west of Jamuna rivers and the 14th (CO: Maj. Gen.Abdul Majid Qazi, HQ: Dhaka) looking after the rest of the province. The original plan was based on a series of exercises, known as Titumeer, which were held during 1970–1971. It was revised several times and approved in October 1971. General Niazi had created 4 ad hoc infantry brigades and 2 ad hoc infantry divisions regrouping the available troops before final order of battle was devised.

The final order of battle prior to December 3, 1971 was:

Eastern Command Headquarters Dhaka
- GOC: Lt. General A. A. K. Niazi
- COS: Brigadier Baqir Siddiqi
- Commander Artillery: Brig. S. S. A. Kashim
- Commander Armor: Col. Bakhtier
- Commander Engineers: Brig. Iqbal Sharif
- Commander Signals: Brig. Areef Reza
- Commander Medical Service: Brig. Fahim Ahmed Khan
- Advisor: Maj. Gen. Rao Farman Ali

Units under HQ Control:

- 6th Engineer Regiment
- 10th Engineer Regiment – detached to various locations
- 11th Engineer Regiment - Lt. Col Sarwar
- 43rd Light Ack Ack – Lt. Col. Mohammad Afzal
- 19th Signal Regiment
- 3rd Commando Battalion (less elements)
- Army Aviation Squadron #4 – Lt. Col. Liakat Bokhari

Dhaka Defense Scheme (adhoc) :

- Brig. Kashim (North): Dhaka Cantonment & Tongi atea
- Brig. Mansoor (East): Munshiganj & Narayanganj
- Brig. Bashir: Dhaka city proper

EPCAF HQ and Sector units:
- Police and Razakars

Pakistan Air Force CO: Air Commodore Enamul Huq

- No. 14 Squadron ‘’Tail-choppers’’: 20 F-86 Sabers
- Training unit: 3 T-33

Pakistan Navy CO: Rear Admiral Mohammad Sharif
- 4 Gunboats: PNS Rajshahi, Comilla, Sylhet and Jessore
- 1 Patrol Boat: PNS Balaghat
- 17 armed boats
- Naval Marines – Captain Zamir

36 Ad hoc Infantry Division:
CO: Maj. Gen. M. Jamshed Khan HQ Dhaka
Area of Operation: Dhaka, Tangail and Mymensingh districts

- 93 Infantry Brigade: Brig Abdul Qadir Khan HQ Mymensingh
- 83 Independent. Mortar battery
- 31 Baluch – Jamalpur
- 33 Punjab – Mymensingh
- 71 Wing WPR – Kishorganj
- 70 Wing WPR – Bijaipur

14 Infantry Division
OC: Major General Abdul Majid Qazi, HQ Brahmanbaria
Area of Operation: Sylhet and Northern Comilla districts

- 31st Field Artillery – Ashuganj – Brahmanbaria - Shamshernagar
- 88 Independent Mortar Battery – Sylhet
- 171 Independent Mortar Battery – Comilla

Sylhet

202 Adhoc Brigade: Brig. Salimullah
- 31 Punjab – Sylhet
- 91 Mujahid Battalion – Sunamganj
- 12 Azad Kashmir – Sylhet

Also: Wings of Tochi, Thal and Khyber scouts

Maulavibazar

- 313 infantry Brigade: Brig. Iftikar Rana
- 22 Baluch – Kalaura
- 30 Frontier Force – Shahshernagar
- 91 Mujahid (minus elements) & Tochi Scouts – Sherpur

Brahmanbaria

- 27th Infantry Brigade: Brig. Saadullah
- 33rd Baluch – Kasba
- 12th Frontier Force – Akhaura
- 2 Troops of M-24 Chaffee – Akhaura
- 1x Anti Tank Platoon 34 Punjab (R&S)

39 Ad hoc Division
OC: Maj. Gen. Rahim Khan – Chandpur
Area of Operation: Comilla, Feni and Northern Chittagong

- 53rd Field Artillery – Comilla

Comilla

- 117th Infantry Brigade: Brig. Sheikh M.H. Atif
- 30 Punjab – Saldanadi
- 25th Frontier Force – Mainamati
- 12th Azad Kashmir – Comilla


Feni

- 53rde Infantry Brigade: Brig. Aslam Niazi
- 15th Baluch – Belonia
- 39th Baluch – Laksham
- 23rd Punjab – Mean Bazar
- 21 Azad Kashmir - Laksham

Ramgarh

- 91st Ad hoc Brigade: Brig. Mian Taskeenuddin HQ Chittagong
- 24th Frontier Force – Ramgarh
- Chakma and Mizo troops
- EPCAF 11th and 14th Wings

Chittagong

- 97th Independent Brigade: Brig. Ata Mohd. Khan Malik
- 48th Baluch – Chittagong
- 2 SSg Commando - Rangamati
- 60th Wing Rangers – Ramgarh
- 61st Wing Rangers – Cox’s Bazar
- Naval Contingent
- 46th Light Ack Ack Battery

16th Infantry Division
CO: Maj. Gen. Nazar Hussain Shah HQ: Bogra, then Natore
Area of Operation: Rajshahi, Bogra, Dinajpur, Rangpur and Pabna
Districts

- 29th Cavalry less elements –Rangpur
- 48th Field Regiment – Thakurgaon
- 80th Field Regiment – Hili
- 117th Mortar Battery – Kurigram

Saidpur

- 23rd Infantry Brigade: Brig. Iqbal Shaffi
- 25th Punjab – Lalmanirhut
- 26th Frontier Force – Dinajpur
- 48th Punjab – Nilphamari
- 8 Punjab – Rangpur
- 34th Punjab – (less one company and one anti tank platoon) Thakurgaon
- 86th Mujahid – Gaibandha

Bogra

- 205th Infantry Brigade: Brig. Tajammul Hussain Malik HQ: Bogra (Tac HQ – Chatni in 4 FF area)
- 32nd Baluch – Ghoraghat
- 4 Frontier Force – Hilli
- 8 Baluch – Jaipurhut
- C Coy 34 Punjab (R&S) at Hilli/Panjbibi

Nator

- 34th Infantry Brigade: Brig. Mir Abdul Nayeem
- 32nd Punjab – Nawabganj
- 13th Frontier Force – Sapahar

Rajshahi

- Rajshahi Ad hoc Brigade[8]

9th Infantry Division
CO: Maj. Gen HM. H. Ansari HQ Jessore
Area of Operation: Khulna, Jessore, Kushtia, Faridpur, Barisal and Patuakhali districts

- 3rd Ind. Armored Squadron – Jessore
- 55th Field Artillery – Satkhira and Chaugacha
- 49th Field Artillery – Chuadanga
- 211th Independent Mortar Battery – Chaugacha

Jhenida

- 57th Infantry Brigade: Brig. Manzoor H Atif
- 18th Punjab – Darshana
- 50th Punjab – Jhenida
- 29th Baluch – Kushtia
- Squadron 29th Cavalry – Kushtia

Jessore

- 107th Infantry Brigade: Brig. M Hayat Khan
- 22nd Frontier Force – Benapole
- 38th Frontier Force – Afra
- 6th Punjab – Jessore
- 21st Punjab – Satkhira
- 15th Frontier Force – Jessore
- 12th Punjab – Jessore

Khulna

- 314th Ad Hoc Brigade: Col. Fazle Hamid

Total number of units of the different arms/services

Above details have been taken from the Wikipedia and summarised below by Colonel (retd) Nazir Ahmed, OC ‘C’ company 34 Punjab (R&S) during the counter insurgency operations and the 1971 war in erstwhile East Pakistan.

Armour Regiment - 1

Infantry Battalions -34 (31xregular Infantry battalions and three R&S battalions)

Artillery
- Field regiments – 6
- Mortar Batteries – 7
- Engineer Battalions – 3

Signal battalions – 1

Para military forces

East Pakistan Civil Armed Force (EPCAF) raised in place of East Pakistan Rifles (EPR) – Approximately 12000 local persons. These people being locals, joined their families as the war ended. They did not become prisoners of war.

Scouts – 3 Wings
Rangers – 4 Wings
Mujahids – 2 battalions (mainly local persons)
Navy – 4xGunboats, 17x armed boats and some marine personnel
PAF – One Squadern

The Number of Prisoners of War

The much exaggerated figure of 93000 prisoners of war is absolutely false. Actual number of prisoners could not be more than forty thousands; a likely figure of 39000 inverted to 93000 which have stuck. Considering the authorised strength of the units which is never complete and about 15% attrition, the approximate breakdown is:

Army – 32000 (authorised strength of a regular infantry battalion was 798 and that of R&S battalion 686. Considering that authorised strength is never complete and taking out people away from units on extra regimental employment and an average of 15% casualties which could not be made up, a regular infantry battalion was left with about 650 people on the average and R&S battalions left with about 550 persons. The strength of artillery and armour units is almost half of the infantry battalions)

Navy and PAF – 1500

Rangers, Scouts, Mujahids and West Pakistani Policemen – 4000
(EPCAF persons being local, did not surrender having joined their families)

Civilians – 1500

Total – 39000 (thirty nine thousands) approximate number of prisoners.

The Indians took two weeks (01 Jan to 15 Jan 1972) to pick up the prisoners from different parts of East Pakistan and placed them in various camps in Bihar, Uttar Pardesh and Madhia Pardesh, a very vast expanse of land. While starting their move from respective locations, the prisoners were told that they were in transit and would be moving to Pakistan. After keeping them for over two years in Indian camps, the prisoner were repatriated in small numbers spreading the process for about eight months starting Sep 1973 and ending by last week of April 1974. It was arranged in a manner that the men from fighting units do not get together. When the units were re raised after one year of the completion of repatriation process i.e. by mid 1975, very few of their original manpower could come back to the units.

 

[DRaisinHerald]

• Breakup of Pakistan, the largest Muslim country of the world which enjoyed great prestige in the comity of nations is tragic story. It was done by men blinded by lust for power. Remaining Pakistan continues to be afflicted by even worse rulers

Thanks for the great post; this last line really got me. East Pakistan would've been still been with us if only our leaders cared about the county.

We really need to get rid of these incompetent Zardari-Gillani duo ASAP lest they somehow allow another 71' scenario to occur again.

 

[MilSpec]

Some more thoughts by Colonel (R) Nazir Ahmed on 'debunking the 90,000 POW figure' !

this was published by your own government

 

[darkinsky]

my POV is that, bangladesh should have been made an independent from 1947, quaid e azam saw a great islamic country with east and west united, but it was not a natural thing, quaid e azam should have formed semi independent entity.

 

[chairborne ranger]

^true, the muslim ummah concept was wrongly put to test as a basis for nationhood. Otherwise, the two peoples had little in common. a more decentralized confederation might have worked better.

 

[kobiraaz]

Zinnah was 100 % correct, it was proved when a Bangali unit saved Lahore in 1965! No?? Only some power hungry politicians and generals who never loved their countrymen made Zinnah's dream a failure!!! Being Bengali i know how sentimental they are! You call them brother, they will give their life for you! You insult them, they are your worst enemy!!

 

[Rusty]

The ummah is alive and well. When ever I meet a Bengali, we always treat each other like brothers.
The problem is our leaders who have sold themselves, their people, and religion for power and money.
You Indians need to stop making up fantasies of destroying Muslims. As a people we are very united, it is our leaders who have sold us out.

 

[Armstrong]

this was published by your own government

Yes ! And he alluded to that in his post as to why the delays in the transfer were done...perhaps even the figures by Bhutto's Government were deliberately shown as such to come across as 'the saviour' he wanted to !

 

[kalu_miah]

Great set of posts by Md. Akmal and Armstrong. I have several questions:

1. According to the latest estimate what were the number of people killed, please list by:

- combatant, non-combatant
- ethnic groups

2. Is it possible to identify the main party who actually killed these people in parenthesis next to the number of people killed with approximate time/date and place:

- Indian volunteers (special forces?)
- Mukti Bahini
- Pakistan Army

3. We know there was an ethnic fault line between Bengali and non-Bengali in pre-1971 Pakistan. Is it possible to establish the time line since 1947 and identify who were the main parties involved as mastermind of this conflict, such as Indian politicians, Indian intelligence branch, formation of Awami League and their decision to push for Bengali nationalism? We have to keep in mind that since 1947, it was in the geo-strategic interest of India to break Pakistan. I am just curious to see if we can pin point these actions by Indian authorities (politicians, media, intelligence branch, RAW after its formation in 1968 etc.) and who they used within then East Pakistan to achieve their objective and by what means and strategy. I would like to see names of key persons and dates. I wish there was a way to get hold of Indian Intelligence Branch and RAW classified files since 1947.

4. I should make a note here that most Bangladeshi's including myself and my family knew not much about behind the scenes movement by Indian authorities and their agents or ally's in then East Pakistan. Among Bengali's there was feeling of perceived unfairness, unequal treatment and lack of respect, which Mujib and Awamy League was agitating about, but it was not enough to break Pakistan. Things, however, changed quickly after the Army crackdown of 25th March, which was called operation searchlight. From that night, population in then East Pakistan started thinking about separation from West Pakistan. I hate to use the word "independence", people get independence from a colonial ruler. But as Bengali Muslims, I thought we were one of the architects of Pakistan, but why and how did we Bengali's start thinking that we were being ruled by non-Bengali's and we have to get "independence"? Since 25th March, Pakistan Army quickly lost the battle for hearts and minds of Bengali's in then East Pakistan, which was main factor in their defeat. But much before the hostilities started, East Pakistan population was being primed for this conflict and a field was created, so in a crisis situation, they can be ready to loose confidence on Pakistan as a state, lets also briefly concentrate on this issue as well.

5. Achieving the objective of breaking Pakistan was a great strategic victory by Indian strategists, I think we should study, the method they followed, the political and the military, if we want to understand their mode of operation. I am sure they are following some similar method as we speak, so unless we understand their moves and objectives, it will not be easy for us, India's neighbor states, to counter these moves. We should never underestimate our enemy. As they say, eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.

 

[Md Akmal]

@ On the Direct Action Day called by sometime on August 1946 by Muslim Leaque, there was a big riot at Calcutta and it continued for 7 days. Peaple says during these days almost 10,000 muslims were killed. Local police failed to tacle the situation later British army was called on but by this time many people died.

@ Soon a riot broke out at Noakhali, Chittagong and Comilla. Now,the question arises why the riot only broke out at Noakhali. The reason was that in those days most of the labour, "Khalasies" and "Sarengs" were Bengali muslims from that particular locality. Thes people got little bit experienced due to association with Purtogase. To be mentioned before the British came this region was under Pustogase dominion for more than 500 years. Riot also broke out in BIhar and Punjab. So all these inccidents combinedly convinced the British authorities for the partition of Bengal and Punjab.

 

[eastwatch]

my POV is that, bangladesh should have been made an independent from 1947, quaid e azam saw a great islamic country with east and west united, but it was not a natural thing, quaid e azam should have formed semi independent entity.

1) Considering the mindset of the then east Pakistanis it would not have been possible for them to accept a nationality other than Pakistani. No leader in east Bengal would have dared to utter any such idea in public.

2) The muslim leaders of undivided India were not in a position to think themselves in two separate countries. It was too painful for them not to be with those with whome they had been sitting and talking for the last 30 years.

3) East Pakistan was very weak because muslims here were not holding weapons like the tribal Pathans did. This region was successfully unarmed by the British since after 1857 war of independence. So, it was vulnerable to the whims of India at that time.

These are the many reasons that east Pakistani people wanted to remain with the west. The alternative could have been undoing of Pakistan.

 

[MilSpec]

Yes ! And he alluded to that in his post as to why the delays in the transfer were done...perhaps even the figures by Bhutto's Government were deliberately shown as such to come across as 'the saviour' he wanted to !

 

[PlanetSoldier]

Thanks for the great post; this last line really got me. East Pakistan would've been still been with us if only our leaders cared about the county.

We really need to get rid of these incompetent Zardari-Gillani duo ASAP lest they somehow allow another 71' scenario to occur again.

You still have time, the leadership can be replaced by generous personalities like Imran Khan. I posted a similar post at http://www.defence.pk/forums/pakist...olved-post2905224.html?highlight=#post2905224 but I think you people didn't like my comments (didn't see any comments on that) .

 

[Armstrong]

I dunno mate...! Thats what the Colonel said...if you think that the above placements are wrong please do notify me and I'd ask him accordingly but one must also understand that same such 'videos' talked about 3 million Bengalis butchered at the hands of the Pakistan Army; the Colonel, of course, disagrees but then again so do many Bangladeshis here on this forum too !