AMRITA BAZAR PATRIKA, APRIL 15, 1971
MASSIVE ATTACK AGAINST MUKTI FOUJ IN COMILLA
BRAHMANBARIA STRAFED, KUSHTIA AIR-RAIDED
HEAVY PAK ATROCITIES IN NORTHERN SECTOR
Agartala, April 14-In a desperate bid to break through the encirclement of the Comilla garrison by the Mukti Fouj and restore its supply lines before it is too late, Pakistani troops today mounted a massive attack across the Gomati river to recapture the strategic Akhaura-Brahmanbaria sub-sector in the eastern Bangladesh, reports
UNI.
The offensive by the three Pakistani Companies was supported by four fighters of the Pakistan Air Force which bombed and strafed heavily the town of Brahmanbaria, and the adjoining areas including Kasba.
In the northern sector, the Liberation Forces stuck to their strongholds including the town of Dinajpur where they inflicted heavy casualties on the Pakistani troops in a pitched battle last night.
Aerial offensive, rather than overland engagement appeared to be the new pattern of fighting being followed by the Pakistani troops whose experience of warfare in marshy tropical country is little or nothing.
The Pakistani attack in the eastern sector was seen as a move to reach the vital Akhaura Railway junction linked by a metre gauge railway line to the port city of Chittagong. The junction is held by the Liberation Forces since the beginning of the current war.
The Pakistani strategy in the sector apparently was ultimately to join with the Dacca based troops and isolate the Mukti Fouz from their Sylhet- Mymensingh formation.
In what has been known as “Operation Dacca”, the Liberation Forces came on heavily on a Pakistani army column at Savar, about 18 Km from Dacca this morning.
The district town of Kushtia, held by the Bangladesh forces, was also attacked by PAF planes and artillery, according to Voice of America.
The Pakistani troops were also dislodged from Bheramara, Kamar Khali and Shilaidah areas, while the Liberation Army maintained its hold in Goaland dispite heavy bombing and strafing by P AF planes.
At Nagarbari, about 150 Pakistani troops were reported encircled by Liberation Forces.
Even as the Mukti Fouj was consolidating its gains in the liberated areas the newly proclaimed Bangladesh Government went ahead with its plans to run the administrative machinery. Its resolve was contained in a seven-point programme announced today.
They are:
1. Endeavour to keep liberated areas free from any attack.
2.Run the civil administration in liberated areas in right manner by picking up development work, particularly the productive aspect both in industrial and agricultural fields.
3. Try to resume normal flow of life, run schools, offices and other commercial establishments such as banks.
4. Continue its fight with the enemy in the occupied areas with stepped up vigour.
5. In the economic field, the Government have decided to open foreign trade with some neighboring friendly countries immediately.
6. In the absence of gold standard they will run free trade in some sort of barter. Trade will be controlled by some Government agency so that people get things in right manner.