HINDUSTAN STANDARD. DECEMBER 8, 1971
JAWANS LIBERATE JESSORE, SYLHET
By Amitava Das Gupta
With the liberation of Jessore and Sylhet by the Indian Army on Tuesday the war in Bangladesh seems to have entered a crucial stage. Liberation of these two important towns marked the first anniversary of the election in Bangladesh, which was the turning point in the liberation movement.
The crackdown on the defense positions of the Pakistani Army at Jessore by the advancing Indian columns was quite spectacular and remarkable in the sense that the enemy had dug in for a bitter fight at this divisional headquarters at the cantonment (the other two divisional headquarters of the Pakistani forces are located at Natore and Dacca). The disintegration of the Pakistani defense at this strategic position has really opened up a wide area in the Khulna sector for steady advance of the Indian troops. In fact, the Pakistanis had already abandoned Mongla Port and evacuated Khulna.
The liberation of Jessore and Sylhet, an important tea town at the Surma valley in Bangladesh, precisely indicates that the Indian Army has established total supremacy over the Pakistani armed forces in most of the strategic areas in the eastern sector. Barring Dacca no other important place is now left to the Pakistani Army for purposes of organizing serious resistance to the advancing Indian columns.
Insofar as fighting in the Jessore sector is concerned, the Pakistani troops, deeply entrenched in the cantonment, had been trying to offer resistance to the Indian Army for the last 36 hours. In fact, when contact was established by the Indian troops with the Pakistani Army in the Jessore cantonment on Monday morning, bitter fighting followed. It was estimated that the Pakistani troops in brigade strength was offering resistance from their defense positions. On Tuesday morning, however, when the Indian troops made a determined push towards the cantonment the backbone of the Pakistani defense started cracking. This was indicated by the fact that the Indian troops could liberate the strategic airfield near the cantonment on Tuesday morning. This was possible by a determined attack by the Indian Army on the cantonment and its defense positions all around.
This was followed by another attack on the cantonment proper by the Indian Army and this indeed completely broke the Pakistani defense in this area. Following heavy fighting the Indian troops succeeded in taking possession of the cantonment by Tuesday afternoon. The Pakistanis actually withdrew to Jessore town itself but this too proved ineffective in the face of continuing pressure from the Indians. By nightfall the Pakistani troops had to withdraw to the eastern side of the river cutting through Jessore town possibly to gain some time to cover up their retreat. In the process, Jessore town became wholly free of Pakistani troops.
A significant feature about the fighting in Jessore is that the Indian troops after liberation of the town and the cantonment did not have to face a serious mopping up problem. This was perhaps explained by the hurried retreat made by the Pakistanis essentially to reinforce the defense positions around Dacca. This retreat was covered up by the resistance the enemy offered to the Indian troops for two days and a night. At any rate, it was reported that the Pakistani troops were withdrawing in the direction of Magura.
The same picture actually emerged from the fighting around Sylhet town. Eight IAF helicopters dropped Indian troops on this town which took the Pakistanis completely by surprise.
Although details of this fighting were not immediately known it appeared that the Pakistani troops gave up considering the hopelessness of the entire situation. If the bulk of the Pakistani forces in this sector was being withdrawn to Dacca the same was the process in the case of Faridpur and Kushtia. Whatever might be the objective of such withdrawal the fact remained that the Indian troops had by a remarkable move cut off Comilla from the Moynamoti cantonment Simultaneously, Comilla town was bypassed and the Indians were heading towards an important road-link between Comilla and Daudkandi possibly to reach the nearest point on Meghna. In another thrust the Indian troops had liberated Maulvi Bazar by advancing from the side of Shamsernagar and were steadily proceeding towards Chandpur, an important riverine port serving Dacca and Sylhet.
An Army spokesman explained major and quick thrusts were being maintained all over the eastern sector essentially to keep the enemy guessing all the time. In the Jessore sector, Jhenida, an important communication centre was liberated. This place about 25 miles north of Jessore was quite important from the point of view of Pakistan’s defense in this area. The Army spokesman made it quite clear to newsman that in the entire operation the Indian Army had received excellent cooperation from the Mukti Bahini. He made it clear as well that in the overall strategy liberation of important towns was not quite militarily important. The Indian Army was only trying to smash the Pakistani defense wherever possible.
Agencies add: “The Pakistanis are on the run and the pace of retreat is quite fast since last night,” an official spokesman said in Delhi.
Pakistanis virtually acknowledged its deteriorating position in occupied Bangladesh when the official radio said that Jessore had been vacated by its troops. Similar reports have been received from Brahmanbaria.
Pakistani forces have abandoned Mongla and evacuated Khulna, according to reports reaching Eastern Naval Command headquarters in Vishakhapatnam.
The Navy attack mounted by units and naval aircraft of the eastern fleet resulted in all Pakistani naval craft and army troops leaving these two places.
Sylhet town was liberated by the Indian Army at 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Earlier, the Indian troops liberated Shalutikor airfield on the outskirts of Sylhet.
Sylhet town and the airport were captured in a two-pronged attack mounted by the Indian land and the airborne troops.
Disclosing this. Air Marshal H. C. Dewan, said that eight helicopters were pressed into operation for the first time in the presenoffensive with over 100 troops to hasten the fall of Sylhet town and the airport.
An army spokesman said, advancing columns after crossing the Gomti river, had succeeded in isolating the well fortified Moynamoti cantonment from the west by cutting the road to Brahmanbaria.
Other Pakistani bastions liberated in the last 24 hours included Meherpur, Kaliganj. Sunamganj, Chhatak. Pakistani forces were converging on Faridpur and Kushtia towns with the ostensible aim of finding a way to the capital city of Dacca through Goalundo Ghat on the Padma.
Further up in the Hili area of Dinajpur district, fighting was still going on against the heavily fortified Pakistani positions. The Indian forces launched a new thrust towards the Pakistani brigade at Hili from Phulbari in the rear sandwiching the enemy forces both from the north and west.
In the Mymensingh sector, Indian columns had reached the outskirts of Jamalpur and operations were well in progress to clear this town on the route to Jagannathganj Ghat on the Jamuna-which would ultimately provide a bridgehead to Bogra on the west bank.
In a resume of operations over the last 24 hours Maj. Gen, J. F. R. Jacob. Chief of the General Staff, Eastern Command, told newesmen in Calcutta that other notable gains recorded were the liberation of Lalmonirhat airfield of Rangpur district in the north and the total “isolation” of Comilla cantonment and town in the south-east sector of Bangladesh.
Regarding the thrust on Dacca through Akhaura, the General said Indian forces had made contact with the enemy’s defenses at Brahmanbaria on the route to Bhairab Bazar and Tongi junction, which is just south of the capital city.
Summing the progress of operations, Gen. Jacob said that once the outer crust of the Pakistani defenses was smashed, the advance would be more rapid than at present. He explained the Pakistanis had heavily fortified certain towns and centers with bunkers, minefields and artillery positions to block the Indian advance.
The emphasis on the present operations. Gen. Jacob said, was not on taking the towns as such “We do not want to attack the civilian population. It is just not our policy.” He added.
In the Meghalaya sector, Sunamganj in Sylhet district was liberated by Indian forces.
As one sub-divisional head quarters after the other fell to the Indian forces and Mukti Bahini there were reports of increased activity against the Pakistani occupation forces in rural areas of Dacca district.
Men of the former East Bengal Rifles, fighting shoulder to shoulder with Indian liberation forces, liberated a number of thanes in the Mymensingh district.
In fact, they spearheaded the liberation of Lalmonirhat and were the first to reach the town where the Pakistani occupation forces had an air base. The Bangladesh freedom fighters were now cutting the enemy lines of communication and logistic support.